• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RVA Mag

Richmond, VA Culture & Politics Since 2005

Menu RVA Mag Logo
  • community
  • MUSIC
  • ART
  • EAT DRINK
  • GAYRVA
  • POLITICS
  • PHOTO
  • EVENTS
  • MAGAZINE
RVA Mag Logo
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contributors
  • Sponsors

Flattening The Mental Health Curve For Musicians

Mitchel Bamberger | August 10, 2020

Topics: Broadberry entertainment group, live shows richmond va, music, Richmond Music Hall, Richmond va music, richmond va shows 2020, rva music covid, RVA musicians, The Broadberry, The Camel

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

Deau Eyes Is Here To Stay

Alicen Hackney | May 8, 2020

Topics: Ali Thibodeau, Deau Eyes, Egghunt Records, Let It Leave, richmond bands, Richmond va music

Today marks the long-awaited release of Deau Eyes’ first full-length album, Let It Leave, on Egghunt Records. We caught up with Ali Thibodeau to get the full story behind her all-encompassing debut release.

Creativity and positivity mesh in a stylistic rainbow with power and purpose in Let It Leave, Deau Eyes’ first album. Deau Eyes is Ali Thibodeau, a Richmond-based songstress who’s stories of adventure are only outnumbered by the immense amount of tassels on her fringe denim jacket. To encapsulate some of these stories and make her biggest musical debut yet, Thibodeau is releasing her first ever full length album as Deau Eyes, the aforementioned Let It Leave, on May 8, and she couldn’t be more excited for you to hear it. Truly she couldn’t, she’s already released a number of songs off the album in anticipation.

“Full Proof,” “Some Do,” “Paper Stickers,” and “Parallel Time” have all been released to various media prior to the album itself, including videos for each song on YouTube. Each song and video is special in its own way, and each captures a slice of the vastly different energies created throughout the album. 

“The heart of this song is about finding what lights the fire inside of you and really pursuing that no matter what is happening elsewhere in your life,” Thibodeau said of “Some Do.” “Being able to escape from something that is bogging you down or making you feel less than what you have to bring to the world.” The “Some Do” video captures this idea through an energetic use of big wigs, long denim tassels, and colorful cowgirl boots. 

The music video for “Parallel Time” was shot entirely by Thibodeau at various points of her life; traveling, practicing, enjoying huge pillow fights, and singing over an unanswered FaceTime call. The personal touch this video extends helps convey the DIY lifestyle Thibodeau holds dear, and brings everything about Deau Eyes down to earth. 

All of the videos add up to a visual version of the album that adds new textures to and expands upon what Let It Leave is all about. That is, of course, intentional.

“I’ve always kinda wanted to do that, but I’ve always felt like an amateur when it comes to video. I have a real passion for it, and I’m excited to have an excuse to be like, ‘Yeah, I was in the house, but here’s my iPhone videos that I made on iMovie. I did something,’” said Thibodeau. “It’s an alternative way to experience the album, whether or not we get to have our release show.”

Approaching the album release date during a pandemic has introduced a number of challenges that Thibodeau has chosen to take on with grace. As this is her first album, she had been looking forward to many new experiences: the album release party, the first big supporting tour, shows upon shows packed with good people and friends from all over. 

But as she says, “If my parents and my family have taught me anything, it’s that you always make lemonade out of whatever lemons you got. These are some really weird lemons, but we’re figuring it out.”

“It’s a weird combination of mourning how things were going but also being really excited about what I’m going to get to create with all of this time. There’s no pressure at all for anybody to be cranking out anything. If anything, this is a time when we all need to check in with ourselves and our intentions, and look at each other as human beings in the same world, having the same experience, and slow down,” said Thibodeau. “My current situation is that I’m in a house alone, so I’m calling a lot of friends and family, and I’m also having a lot more dance parties by myself and painting my face with all the eyeshadow that I have from my Ipsy bag and getting really weird. I’m trying to document it.”

And document it she will. The videos she’s already released are just the beginning; Thibodeau has been working on a visual representation for the entire album in the form of music videos, as an exchange for the in-person album release show experience. Aside from the four already released, the album has five more equally thrilling and lovable songs to work with. 

Photo via Deau Eyes/Facebook

Thibodeau is no stranger to change and adaptation, so this new quarantine experience can be added to a list of incredible times she has worked through for her ultimate benefit. Having been a waitress, baker, busker, Zumba instructor, and so much more, she has proven there is almost nothing the world can hand you that you can’t find a good adventure in. 

“I have a friend that does set design, and he made this huge Polly Pocket display for a toy convention. He needed someone to drive it in the back of a U-Haul across the country, and he thought of me,” said Thibodeau. “So, I just took a U-Haul across the country by myself with all this Polly Pocket stuff in the back of the truck. When I got to L.A. there was a Holiday Inn with a hot tub in the room, and I was just like, ‘Oh I’ve made it, I’ve really made it.’”

From wacky cross-country excursions to professional experiences most people only dream of, Thibodeau really has done it all, even making the cast at Universal Studios’ Harry Potter World. 

“I was a wizard at Diagon Alley in Universal Studios. I was a puppeteer and the narrator of a show called ‘Tales of Beedle the Bard’,” she explained. “That was a whirlwind two-week crash course of puppeteering and monologuing over a track. We would rehearse in the middle of the night; we’d be at Universal Studios at like 3 a.m.. It was wild.”

All of these experiences have contributed to Thibodeau’s music in its purpose and voice. Her life has not been linear, and Let It Leave reflects that. From one song to the next, there is so much to be gained from her inspired lyrics, set to various tones and aesthetics. 

“It’s almost like a meditative obsession that started when I was a kid,” Thibodeau said of songwriting. “It was never really about how good my guitar skills were or if I was going to be able to sing in front of people. It was always just something that centered my mind and helped me be concise with my thoughts and what was really going on at the heart of every situation. All of these jobs that I’ve had have shown me that life is about so much more than this one straight shot through, and I write a lot about that, and how I navigate chaos.”

Photo via Deau Eyes/Facebook

Back at the beginning of the Deau Eyes journey, Thibodeau posted a YouTube video asking for Kickstarter donations. She promised supporters that she would write letters, send pre-releases and t-shirts, and more, in exchange for their support backing the creation of her debut album. The grand prize was that you’d get your own live show in your living room. That one’s still available to be claimed. “No one really took me up on the living room show,” said Thibodeau, “which I’m still down to do if anybody reads this article and is in… like, I’m so down.”

She was glad for the opportunity that fulfilling all those Kickstarter rewards gave her to reflect on how much support she did receive.

“I love writing letters to everybody and taking time to really think about the person that was helping me, no matter how small the gift was,” said Thibodeau. “It’s so important when you’re making music to realize that people believe in you, because then you start to believe in yourself, and that changes the game.”

Thibodeau said that without the outpouring of support she received from friends and strangers alike to push the album into existence, Let It Leave might still be far from complete. It helps that, as she’s traveled, the friends she’s made have come around seamlessly, contributing to her story with theirs.

“It was a lot of people from all walks of life, from all these jobs I’ve done, and just friends that I’ve made along the way in different cities,” she said of her Kickstarter backers. “Whenever I’m traveling, I love just walking into a bar and sticking up a conversation with somebody — just for the story. I do a lot of things for the story. Mostly just entering the world with an open heart and knowing that you have so much to learn from literally anybody that you talk to. I think that just opens up a whole world.”

Photo via Deau Eyes/Facebook

Thibodeau has a strong desire to encourage those around her, and her music has become a primary way for her to do so. Having learned that life can change and take on many different forms you never expected, she aims to remind us all that we can go with our gut, that we are never glued to one thing in life. Whether you’ve been at a job that doesn’t fulfill you or spent too much time with a friend who, let’s be honest, isn’t a friend at all, she knows where your heart’s at. 

“I have this song called ‘Autonomy’ and I always say that it’s about self-love and independence, but I think it’s also about giving yourself permission to cut the bullshit out of your life, and giving yourself permission to not feel obligated to things that aren’t necessarily serving you,” she said. “I know I don’t know everything and I am still figuring it all out, but I feel really grateful that I’ve had these influences in my life that said, ‘Hey, I know you were all gung-ho about this one dream, but if it doesn’t end up being your dream at the end of the day, that’s okay.’ You can have just as much of a fulfilling life following your intuition, because at the end of the day we are so much more than what we do. We are valuable beyond our careers and what is making us money.”

Deau Eyes’ electric, heart-warming, vibrant debut album Let It Leave is out on Friday, May 8 through Egghunt Records. You can find it through the Egghunt web store, and on Bandcamp.

Top Photo via Deau Eyes/Facebook

sidebar

sidebar-alt

Copyright © 2021 · RVA Magazine on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Close

    Event Details

    Please fill out the form below to suggest an event to us. We will get back to you with further information.


    OR Free Event

    CONTACT: [email protected]