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Flattening The Mental Health Curve For Musicians

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RVA Mag wanted to find out how local venues are surviving during the ongoing pandemic. In the second of a multi-part series of articles, we learn how The Broadberry Entertainment Group is keeping music alive in Richmond: from socially-distanced concerts to the mental health of musicians. 

2020 has perhaps been the most difficult year in modern history for concert venues and the live music industry as a whole. The impact of the pandemic on independently-owned businesses is felt far and wide, and Richmond is no exception. 

One of Richmond’s most popular live music companies, Broadberry Entertainment Group, is having a rough go of it right now, but they are finding ways to keep live music going. The entertainment business has always required those in the industry to seek creative solutions on a regular basis. COVID-19 has proven itself to be one of the greatest challenges the Broadberry Entertainment Group, its venues, and its staff have faced together.

Lucas Fritz is one of the main talent buyers and promoters for Broadberry Entertainment Group, which operates several venues including The Camel, The Broadberry, Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House, and several other breweries and venues throughout Virginia. He sat down with RVA Magazine to offer the organization’s perspective on the times, and share what it’s like to operate an entertainment company during this unprecedented situation.

In spite of the fact that The Broadberry’s venues are some of the keystone live music rooms in Richmond, and are critical to the local music scene, they are unfortunately no exception to the impact of the pandemic. All of their venues have virtually shut down as a result of the quarantine. However, Fritz says that they are staying hopeful, even during these difficult times. 

“Every venue and entity is different in finding its own way,” Fritz said. The Camel, an employee-owned club and one of Richmond’s favorite live music spots for locals and touring bands alike, is fortunately also a popular restaurant and bar. Therefore, Fritz and his colleagues there have been focusing most heavily on the food these days.

“The Camel has been open as a takeout and delivery restaurant this whole time,” Fritz said. “As Virginia moves into various phases and allows limited capacity inside, we’ve been able to re-do our seating to have very limited capacity, and socially-distant concerts inside the venue.” 

PHOTO: Mutually Assured Destruction livestreams from The Broadberry

The Camel was one of the first places in Richmond to host live music indoors since March 15. The shows are held on the stage, like usual, and the crowd is safely socially distanced from the stage throughout the room. Attendees are sat at tables, and kept in separate groups scattered across the dance floor. The shows are intimate, and probably feel like private concerts for the select few who get tickets. Tickets are sold by the table, and serve as a reservation.

“Your ticket isn’t just for you. You buy a ticket for a table that seats a certain number of people,” Fritz said. “You go in, sit down at your table, and that’s where you have to be the entire time, unless you’re using the restroom.” It may feel a tad rigid and stuffy being glued to the seat, wearing a mask as is required by Virginia law. But it’s the best we can ask for at this time — and it’s certainly better than no music at all. 

“With the need to maintain social distances throughout the venue and wear masks, it offers the concert-goer a different experience,” Fritz said. 

It is live music, just not quite the way it was before. Shows at The Camel are typically intimate and energetic, with close proximity to the band, only the minor lift of the venue’s short stage standing between performers and fans. Those nights are filled with energy, and can even get a bit rowdy, the way a rock show should be: sweaty, loud, contagiously inspirational. We will have to relive those nights in our heads for a bit longer before we can return to screaming the words of our favorite song with strangers in tight spaces. 

For now, The Camel’s staff are going above and beyond to ensure that every safety protocol is being followed, protecting each person in attendance from exposure to the virus.

“We are keeping safety on the forefront,” Fritz said. “Sanitizing mic stands, cables, and microphones after every show to make sure we protect the artists, our staff, and all of the concertgoers.” Some bands are eager to perform, but others are still cautious — just as some fans can’t wait to see live music again, while others are still wary and cautious of crowds. Everyone is different, and opinions vary greatly from person to person.

“Not everyone feels comfortable, and we definitely respect everyone’s level of comfort as it comes to easing restrictions,” Fritz said. Even if normal indoor concerts were allowed again tomorrow, he knows that it may be a while before people would feel comfortable attending them. 

PHOTO: Upcoming Events from Broadberry Entertainment Group

Fritz and his team are making the best out of a difficult situation, and they are fighting to do what they’ve always done: putting on high quality shows in a comfortable and professional environment. 

“I think generally, it’s been successful,” Fritz said. “It’s a different experience than a normal show at The Camel. People are used to going in, getting right up by the stage, ordering drinks at the bar, hanging out with their friends on the patio. [But] it’s great that now there are some outlets for bands.” 

Musicians are the other half of this equation. Bands and local artists have been unable to play proper concerts for more than four months now. Many of those artists are full-time musicians, relying on shows to make a living. They have been virtually out of work since the pandemic took full effect. Worse still is the emotional and mental toll that not performing has on so many artists. “In these tough times, mental health is a huge concern for everyone,” Fritz said. 

Music is an art, and art is rarely “just a job.” Performing is a ritual of vulnerability, a thrill of confidence and empowerment, and a place for freedom of expression. For the maladapted musician, performing might be the only way to stay sane. It is an act of release that has the potential to expel fear, sadness, anger, joy, and pain. The state of an artist’s mental health may be contingent upon their ability to get on stage. 

As we live through this music drought, this staple of culture has been mostly removed from society. The effects are showing. People miss live music. For many, it’s a necessary part of life. But thanks to local venues, it hasn’t disappeared entirely.

In addition to the socially-distant shows at The Camel, Broadberry Entertainment Group has created other opportunities for bands to keep playing. “The Broadberry has been completely closed, because there isn’t a good way to operate while still maintaining appropriate social distances inside,” Fritz said. “We have been doing live-streamed concerts from the venue, in which there’s two to four production techs, the band, and no audience — nothing else. We’re using the full stage, production, PA, lights, and pushing that out through YouTube, Twitter, and various Facebook pages.” 

Any form of performing is better than nothing, and many bands have had a varying degree of success with live streams. “It’s offering opportunities for our staff, musicians, and keeping the venue’s branding on the forefront,” Fritz said. Live streams don’t bring in much revenue for the venue, but they can pay the production teams, and hopefully send artists home with virtual cash as well. 

“Live streams at The Broadberry are not, in any way, replacing the revenue of in-person concerts,” Fritz said. “We’re still down 99.5 percent of revenue compared to 2019.” Whether that percentage is hyperbolic or genuinely representative is uncertain, but Fritz maintained a positive attitude and sense of humor as he spoke. 

It is clear that Fritz and The Broadberry’s team have been working very hard to keep things going at the highest capacity they can. They strive to provide opportunities for artists, in whatever way possible, to flatten the curve and keep musicians’ mental health from failing during pandemic shutdowns. 

“Allowing bands, techs, myself, and various creative outlets to perform is an important part of keeping everyone mentally healthy,” Fritz said. “It’s not a big money maker, but it keeps the creative juices flowing with the artists in town.” 

You can keep up with Broadberry Entertainment Group’s efforts to survive the pandemic by following them on Facebook, or on Instagram @broadberryentertainmentgroup.

Top Photo via The Broadberry Entertainment Group

Daniel Donato at Richmond Music Hall on 3/13

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His strident voice and explorative songwriting carry his music into new territory, offering bold ideas to his fan base while staying true to what drew them to him in the first place: a palpable love of music delivered through excelled craft. With one eye on the night’s gig and another on the ages, Donato is continuing his journey down country music’s long and winding road, leaving no stone unturned.

TICKETS $12 AT THE DOOR

Howlin Rain: High Energy Cosmic Hippie Music

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California psychedelic rockers Howlin Rain bring their Hendrix/Dead-flavored throwback jams to Richmond Music Hall At Capital Ale House tonight. Frontman Ethan Miller explains what goes into the band’s cosmic musical creations.

On Friday, February 28, Howlin Rain will bring their own unique brand of psychedelic rock to Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House. The acclaimed underground Oakland, CA-based band is touring behind a new live album series, Under The Wheels, while also continuing to push their latest studio recording, The Alligator Bride.

According to front man Ethan Miller, RVA show-goers should expect to hear ramped up “60s and 70s rock” infused with a bit of “Hendrix and The Grateful Dead.” On the phone, Miller — who’s also a member of Heron Oblivion and Feral Ohms, as well as running his own label, Silver Current Records — comes across as thoughtful and friendly, speaking in a slow raspy tone that reflects his California hippie roots. “You’ll see people making music the old-fashioned way,” he promises of the show with a laugh, “sweating blood up on that stage.”

For Miller and Howlin Rain, Friday’s show will mark a return to the city following last year’s performance at Stone Brewing’s Stone’s Throw Down in RVA festival on Brown’s Island. Miller had not been to Richmond before, but the experience last year and his discovery of the city itself was enough to have Howlin Rain looking forward to returning.

“I’ve traveled the whole world, really, and enjoy the thrill of discovery,” Miller explains. “Richmond is a place that is steeped in history. [Last year] I remember walking around Richmond going to record stores and getting coffee…and you’re walking by these major historical sites at every turn. That was a thrill and fascinating; the people in Richmond were really laid back and the city itself was really quite striking.”

For Miller, whose recent tour stretch saw him playing 22 shows in 19 days, travel and music go hand in hand. One of his earliest memories of rock music was traveling an hour and a half outside of his rustic Eureka, CA hometown with his dad to cut and haul firewood off the mountain of a family friend.

“We’d drive out in my Dad’s little white Toyota pickup before dawn,” Miller recalls, “and he’d be playing music on the cassette player and banging away on the steering wheel singing… Kenny Rogers’ ‘The Gambler;’ Crosby, Stills and Nash, the first album.” I ask Miller what makes that experience so memorable and he pauses a moment before answering: “The smell of his coffee in his cup,” he says, “and him banging on the steering wheel and singing along, and us going to do stuff that’s pretty exciting for a little boy… you know, chainsaws going, wood flying, us stacking it up.”

Photo by Life Wide Open Photography, via Howlin Rain/Facebook

Miller, who has a deep interest in philosophy and literature, has spent the decades since pursuing the experience of creating and experiencing music. I ask him if he sees any similarities between the acts of felling trees and gathering firewood, and pursuing and producing music.

“I don’t know,” he says, considering the connection. “When you’re gathering firewood, you are kind of monster and master of your environment, and there’s a little bit of destructive triumph, I suppose, as an artist. Like times where you thought the music had you, but you end up doing it and capturing it, and completing the song or the album.”

Ultimately, though, Miller feels that his work as a musician and record label owner is more similar to the act of “creating beautiful photographs… knowing how to capture a moment and present it in the right way, without disturbing its natural essence.” He compares coming across an intriguing musical idea to coming upon something inspiring or unique in nature.  The best music,” he says, “gets made when something worked so naturally all I had to do was not threaten the thing off… and I could capture it and present it.” 

In addition to his bandmates, when he takes the stage at Richmond Music Hall on Friday, Miller will be accompanied by a significant co-creator in his efforts to produce and capture the music he shares with audiences: his beloved 1964 Fender Jaguar, originally a robin’s-egg blue that has long since “discolored to a rare seafoam green.” Miller purchased it in 1998 out of an airstream trailer of “really vintage stuff” behind Steve’s Music World in Santa Cruz, and it has been with him ever since.

Miller extols the attributes of the Jaguar’s “great tremolo system.” “Most guitars that stay in tune,” Miller says, “don’t have a radical action, and the ones that do have a radical action don’t stay in tune worth a shit. The Jaguar stays in tune even after taking a total beating doing diabolical whammy bar stuff.”

Howlin Rain at Stone’s Throw Down In RVA. Photo via Howlin Rain/Facebook

It took Miller two months of saving tips from delivering pizzas to accumulate the $1,400 needed to buy it. Since then, on the road, he’s had people offer him a lot of money, even one memorable offer of $6,000 just a few months after he bought it.

“It doesn’t matter what it’s worth,” Miller says. “It’s my life guitar… The reason I bought it is because I felt I’m better with it. It helps me go beyond my abilities. It’s got something it wants to do, too, and if you’re in the zone, it starts having a little bit of a life of its own.”

These days Miller has moved on from that white pickup of his childhood to the band’s Dodge Grand Caravan, with stowaway seats where they can load up their merchandise. When the band rolls into town on Friday, the audience will get to see Howlin Rain and Miller on stage going, with the help of his Jaguar, beyond their abilities.

“If you like high energy rock and roll shows and cosmic hippie music with a Hendrix buzz,” he says, “then I think you’ll love it. If you hate all that stuff,” he adds with a laugh, “then just come and check it out anyways.”

After the show, Miller and his bandmates will climb in the Dodge Caravan and pull off for “the next of many cities and tour stops” to come. The post-show drive to the next venue can be many hours long. “Sometimes the band goes quiet,” Miller says, looking at their phones and resting their ears. Often, though, he says they’ll “listen to music,” and Miller does more than his fair share of driving.

Howlin Rain at Stone’s Throw Down In RVA. Photo via Howlin Rain/Facebook

It’s not hard to imagine those dark hours of driving between venues: Music playing in the white van, the smell of coffee to keep the driver awake, Miller tapping the steering wheel as he and Howlin Rain move out yet again to another distant place — toward all those mountains and trees, all those cities and music that await.

Howlin Rain will be at Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House, located downtown at 619 E. Main St, tonight starting at 7 PM. Admission is $15 at the door. For more info, click here.

Top Photo by Erik Jankstrom, via Howlin Rain/Facebook

First Place Tour: The Brook & The Bluff at Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House

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Established in Birmingham, AL, The Brook & The Bluff is a four-piece band that consists of front man Joseph Settine, drummer John Canada, guitarist Alec Bolton and bassist Fred Lankford.
The Brook & The Bluff have quickly become recognized for their evocative blend of instrumental talent and vocal harmony. These elements are readily apparent in the band’s debut track, “Masks.” Having initially gained momentum via Spotify, the song has helped spur the band forward in their musical pursuits.

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Fiddling Into Richmond: Chance McCoy Brings Bluegrass To Richmond Music Hall Tonight

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Best known for his work with Old Crow Medicine Show, Chance McCoy has plenty to offer on his own, and he’ll show it off in the river city tonight.

Tonight at the Richmond Music Hall, a virtuoso fiddler, guitarist, and banjo player will be diving into the local music scene with a performance featuring his latest album. 

Chance McCoy is best known as a member of GRAMMY-winning Americana powerhouse Old Crow Medicine Show — but Wander Wide, his debut solo album, reveals a remarkable depth and versatility beyond anything we’ve heard from him yet. 

Photo courtesy Chance McCoy

Captivating in its cross between the traditional and the progressive, the record shows little regard for the conventional boundaries of genre and decade. It blends old-school bluegrass melodies with modern rock and roll arrangements, and rich, atmospheric production. McCoy based the album off of a live residency show he put on weekly at The Basement in Nashville, and the studio recordings here tap into the same exuberant energy he brought to the stage every night, with performances that unexpectedly twist and turn, sometimes transitioning from one tune to the next within the same track.

Ahead of his upcoming show at Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House downtown, I reached out to Chance for an interview and came to find out he had actually been staying in Richmond while working on a major motion picture. 

He invited me over to his apartment, so I stopped by and had a nice talk with him and his bandmate, Jackie, about some of his past and recent work, including his upcoming album, Wander Wide. We talked about their time in Richmond and the various projects he’s been working on here, including his newest self-made music video (filmed right here in Richmond down at the Pipeline Rapids — see above). We also talked a bit about his time with Old Crow, his transition from old-time music to the varied sounds of his upcoming album, and where he plans to go moving forward.

Check out the interview with Chance below, and be sure to grab tickets to catch him tonight with Graham Stone Music and Brady Allen Heck of Holy Roller.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond