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LOCKN’ 2019: A Family Reunion

Nicholas Daily | September 16, 2019

Topics: Appalachia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Bluegrass, events, festivals, grateful dead, indie, interlockn, lockn, Lockn Festival, nicholas daily, travel, Virginia Tourism

The seventh annual LOCKN’ festival proved that this Blue Ridge Mountain weekend has something for everyone, not just Deadheads and hippies.

Growing up in Lynchburg, Virginia has taught me a lot of things. It made me appreciate the Blue Ridge Mountains, bluegrass music, the beautiful scenery, the diverse environment, and the southern hospitality that Virginia has to offer. Granted, there are things I don’t care for, but as I grow older, I find myself appreciating it much more. I suppose it’s bittersweet. 

There’s a certain serenity to the area that I appreciate. There’s nothing like breathing in the mountain air, experiencing the wildlife, walking through the diverse forests, and diving into the winding rivers or local watering hole that quite soothes the soul like it.

The inaugural edition of LOCKN’ — then known as Interlockn’ Music Festival — was announced seven years ago. With great acts such as Furthur featuring Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, The String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic, Black Crowes, and so many other bands that I loved set to play less than an hour away from my hometown, I couldn’t believe it. It was almost too good to be true.

Before going to LOCKN’, I feared I would be greatly disappointed by the reality not living up to my expectations. If anything, it was the opposite. My experiences through this festival have shaped my life in ways that I can’t even explain. Being around all of my friends, amazing music, and right in my backyard was the recipe for a life-changing experience.

Today, there are not many festivals that make me happier than LOCKN’. Maybe I’m biased because I have lived most of my life in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or because I’m an avid fan of The Grateful Dead and other similar artists, but I have fallen in love with this festival. Plus, getting away from the hustle and bustle of living in Richmond is a nice escape.

But honestly, this festival is not just for Deadheads and hippies. There’s something for everyone. With a vast range of genres and once-in-a-lifetime collaborations, it’s a festival where you can go from rocking out with your elders to having your elders rock out with you. This year’s edition of LOCKN’, held Aug. 22-25, featured acts such as Vulfpeck. This band’s hard-bassline math-rock-esqe witty funky jams sound like what I can best describe as Dick Dale on acid, and they have a playful sarcasm that will get everyone around you dancing and prancing like a unicorn.

Then there was Khruangbin (which in Thai translates to airplane, or literally “engine-fly”), hailing from Texas, who had a go-go-dancing funky Thai rock fusion and were joined by a sit-in collaboration from Phish front-man and guitarist Trey Anastasio. They’ll have you whisked away on an airplane to funky town, and feeling like you’re on the set of a Quentin Tarrentino movie.

There was also St. Paul & The Broken Bones, from Birmingham, Alabama, whose soulful gospel-like brass and retro soul music will transport you into a serendipitous 50’s and 60’s present day. Leader Paul Janeway’s ridiculously awesome stage antics and opera-like vibrato pull you into a performance that rivals an Elton John show.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong was joined by Cory Wong of Vulfpeck. Mind-melting guitar solos and funk overload had me shaking my booty to their psychedelic jam funk. They were reminiscent of Parliament-Funkadelic with a new flair for stage antics, like stage synchronized swimming with an anecdotal hilarity.

For the nocturnal folks, late night over at the bright dayglo neon Garcia’s Forest hosted acts such as Circles Around The Sun, an instrumental jam band with a wild juxtaposed composure, sounding like Booker T. & The M.G.s and the Grateful Dead’s jams mashed together. On Friday night, Galactic’s funky jazz electronic fusion brings with it a dance party to remember. Saturday had Soullive ft. Infinity Horns, an awesome bluesy soul-jazz and jam fusion.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I could go into all of the amazing performances and collaborations that happened throughout the weekend, but really, for me, the best part of going to LOCKN’ is not just the music — it’s the community. I’ve been going to music festivals for over a decade, and this is the only one where I can both bump into people I grew up with from my hometown that I haven’t seen in over five years, and make new friends that I continue to bump into each year. It brings this familiarity of a family reunion — but one where everyone feels like your family.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about: I lost my wallet on the Saturday night of the festival, and was really distraught by it. Worrying about having to sit in the dreaded DMV, and waste my life away on countless automated phone lines trying to replace all of my credit cards, almost ruined the night for me. But I pushed it out of my mind, hoping that there are good people out there.

The next day, I went down to their Lost and Found, and sure enough, my wallet was waiting for me. It even had the cash and everything else the way I had left it. Inside, a small note was tucked in, saying “Happy Lockn! – Anonymous.” It gave me a reignited hope for humanity.

There’s a certain sense of community at LOCKN’ that you won’t find anywhere else. People are smiling, dancing with each other, helping each other out, and creating lasting memories that leave you eagerly waiting for LOCKN’ to come back around again.

I can’t wait for next year’s family reunion.

Photos by August J. Heisler IV of August J. Photography

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA’s Summer Field Guide Hits The Streets Today

RVA Staff | June 6, 2019

Topics: bars, beer, events, Family, festival, field trip, Fun, issue, magazine, music, nightlife, outdoor life, print magazine, RVA Magazine, rva summer field guide, scavenger hunt, Students, summer, summer events, summer guide, travel

With Memorial Day Weekend in the books, summer in Richmond is officially here!

To celebrate the liveliest season in the River City, RVA Magazine is proud to release the RVA Summer Field Guide: Our take on a solid season to get outdoors and enjoy the city’s best, out and on the streets today.

Beat the heat and humidity, and grab a first-edition copy of your new summer go-to guide. With a classic outdoor field guide feel, the RVA Summer Field Guide brings all the sunny-day feels and boozy ideas to make the most of your days.

The guide is packed with upcoming music events, summer festivals, guides to Richmond nightlife, summer beers to look for, the best watering holes in the state, plenty of planned trips for students and families alike, and many more. Oh, yeah — and we also have quite possibly the best scavenger hunt in existence.

While it’s impossible to include everything and everywhere that make summer fun so great in this state, what comes with the RVA Summer Field Guide is a quinnessential start to exploring the city we all call home. Pick up a free copy today at any of our amazing vendors and local hot spots in town, and be sure to grab one before they run out — we guarantee you’ll be glad you did!

You can check out a PDF of the guide online below. Check our Instagram and Twitter for a special release at Hardywood tonight, or check any of the spots listed below to get a copy of your own.

View the full RVA Summer Field Fuide here!

Grab yours before they run out! The RVA Summer Field Guide can be found now at these locations:

Hardywood
Mekong 
The Answer Brewpub
Ellwood Thompson’s

Check this weekend for more issues at these locations:

Colonial Shooting Academy 
The Boathouse
En Su Boca
Beauvine Burger 
River City Roll
Fire & Hops Pizza Co.
Rva Paddle Sports
The Poe Museum 
Taylor’s Barber Shop
Quirk Hotel 
Graduate Hotel 
Can Can Bar
Solita 
Little Saint 
Kabana 
Plan 9 
World of Mirth 
Chop Suey 
Havana 59
Capital Ale House
Station 2 
Union Market 
Legend Brewery 
Strangeways Brewing
Triple Crossing Beer 
Väsen 
The Veil Brewing Co. 
Ardent Craft Ales
Bingo Beer Co.
Three Notch’d RVA Collab House 
Canon & Draw 
Basic City Beer
Isley Brewing Company
Tang Biscuit 
The Hoff 
Circuit Arcade Bar
Black Heath Meadery
Final Gravity Brewing Co. 
Garden Grove Brewery
Tabol
Stone Brewing Richmond 
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery (downtown) 
Champion Brewing RVA 
Stawberry Street Market 
The Hop
Black Hand Coffee
Lamplighter Coffee
Gallery 5 (First Fridays) 

*Along with other local hot spots, markets and restaurants.  

Best OF RVA Missed Connections: October 2 – October 8

RVA Staff | October 9, 2018

Topics: Chicago, church hill, Cracker Barrel, Fredericksburg, Innsbrook, LA, missed connections, Mustaches, richmond, travel

Is there anything more alluring than the thrill of traveling: the precipice of stepping into the unknown, the enchantment of far away lands, the freedom of an open road? Or just having some stranger at an airport of a roadside rest stop eyeball you up and down like a travel-sized toothpaste? Well, if that’s your bag, then this week’s Missed Connections are right there with you.

From saucy domestic flights with mustachio’d men, road-side encounters at rest-stops, and dashing encounters at a highway Cracker Barrel, there is a little something in here for every discerning adult looking for love.

As Shakespeare once said, “Speak low if you speak love.” Get amongst it, Richmond.

Cute Blonde in the Green Shirt: Michael’s on Midlo Tnpk

I commented on one of your tattoos, would love to have a cuppa with you. Interested? Reply with the tattoo I commented on.

Cracker Barrel – 10/7, 6:30 pm, patron, W, 65+ (Mayland Ct) 

You were consuming your pancakes and we engaged in conversation twice.

Once, about a childhood game of yours displayed on the wall. Another, about your prior days of competitive athleticism. 

The staff said you’ve been frequenting that establishment for many years, and they all appeared to know you.

In the end, I really enjoyed your conversation about various things of yesteryear.

I wouldn’t mind chatting again sometime?

Walking a little Black Puppy: Church Hill 

You were [walking] your puppy, I was looking for my pets. Just want to tell you, thank you for looking with me. I did find them, they were in the basement on the pool table, they never come in the house, weird. But thank you

Old Dominion Concert: Innsbrook

You were the tall blonde with glasses and (I think white shorts). We stared at each other every time we walked by (tall guy).

My friend got sick right as I was about to come over and say hi.

Maybe send me a pic or your name and i’ll find you on FB?

La to Dulles to Richmond / Mustache Man

you – young guy with a mustache that came from LAX to Dulles then to Richmond. we made eyes a couple times on the flight to Dulles. i was thrilled to see you on my flight to Richmond. you were wearing a maroon shirt and were really cute. 

me – young brunette in a multicolored sweatshirt that smiled at you 

if you’re my mustached man – what item were you carrying on the flight to Richmond?

Rest Stop 95S to 85S: Rest Stop Fredericksburg 

I saw you at a rest stop on 95S near Fredericksburg. We made eyes. I followed you back onto 95S, we weaved our way through Richmond and then onto 85S. Totally road flirting! You pulled off into a rest stop I didn’t see and missed. 

I was driving a beautiful gray Jeep with a Capitals decal on the back. My hair is strawberry blonde.

Flight from Chicago to Richmond 

We sat next to each other waiting on our flight from Chicago to Richmond, love your smile, you caught me few time[s] looking at this beautiful face. Wish I can see you again!

Going Beyond our Borders with TedxRVA at HI Richmond Hostel

Malik Hall | September 5, 2017

Topics: Beyond Borders, Hostel International, International, TEDxRVA, travel

“Happiness, Connection, Adventure, it’s all right where we are.” These were the words of Ginger Kern from her Tedx event in Brookings, SD, which was viewed by the crowd of 40 at the TedxRVA salon held at HI Richmond Hostel. With a welcoming air, pleasant lighting, and decorated exposed-brick walls, one might not realize the venue was previously a women’s detention center.

The 7th TedxRVA salon was held on August 30 with the topic of the benefits of travel. Beyond Our Borders was the formal name of the event, yet the title wasn’t meant to only be taken literally.

The event kicked off with a viewing of a TedEd video: The Point of Travel, which explored finding meaning through travel. This set the direction for the rest of the night. Attendees were then split into several groups in which group leaders led a discussion and prompted reflection about travel, usually tying it to one of the four Ted Talks viewed during the event.

Traveling doesn’t just involve far away lands and exotic locations; it can be a simple as exploring a person’s own city. “Thinking about experience at home–are there places we don’t even visit at home? Not different countries, but different parts of the city we don’t get. So what are we missing out on?” asked Todd Waldo, producer of TedxRVA and one of the group leaders of the evening. “Maybe I don’t go out to Southside, maybe I don’t go to rural places. What do we miss by not getting a chance meet those people, learn their experiences, and making those connections even at home?”

Richmond is the perfect location for this kind of domestic travel. This city is known for craft breweries, outdoor recreational activities like Belle Isle and Texas Beach, its eternally blooming art scene, and being a central hub to several prime locations. “You can get to D.C. realistically in an hour and a half. You can get to [Virginia] Beach, Hampton, and North Carolina in a reasonable time,” said Corey Love, 31 a Hampton native who has resided in Richmond for the past two years.

This doesn’t take away from the wonder and awe which can be experienced through exposure to foreign countries, cultures, and people. “Going to Israel was one the most powerful experiences; experiencing the three major religions [Judaism, Christianity and Islam] coexisting in a peaceful way,” said Lucy Joseph, member of the TedxRVA community and curator of the night.

This was reflected by the sentiments of Aziz Abu Sarah, a Palestinian, whose TedTalk focused on his transformation into a tourism entrepreneur after spending time with Jewish students. This also helped him overcome bias stemming from the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that has been active since 1948, along with a shared love of country music. “I decided to dedicate my life to bringing down the walls that separate people,” Sarah said, re-emphasizing the night’s theme of going beyond our borders.

The pragmatic challenges of travelling were also addressed, and the TedTalk given by Luis Varga highlighted how travel is sometimes hampered by money, children, or both. However, he also talked about the charm of traveling with children. Leah Coleman of Dodson Properties LLC, who was also attending the event, said, “ Once I started a family, I wanted to give them an experience of the world and where we can see it going in the next two decades.”

Children are open to suggestion, and their early experiences will shape their worldview later in life. “Yes it is more yes difficult and expensive, but I really think it is a high priority for people to continue to travel with their children to give them an experience,” said Eric Terry, President of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA), who was also at the event.

TedxRVA salons always focus on  thought provoking subjects, but the organizers wanted to use address something a bit more topical. “We decided, let’s do something lighter a little bit. The last topic we did on something like this was on food,” said Patricia Bradby, the TedxRVA community lead. This came in the form of samosas, spring rolls, Papri Chaat, and other cuisines that also highlighted the benefits of traveling. Ultimately nothing brings a group of people together like food does.

*All photos by Margaret Garyantes, from TEDxRVA flickr

Quirk Hotel named one of the best new hotels in the world by Conde Nast Traveler

Amy David | April 25, 2016

Topics: Conde Nast Traveler, Quirk Hotel, rva travel, travel

Richmond has many cool hidden gems around the city to eat, shop, stay and play.
[Read more…] about Quirk Hotel named one of the best new hotels in the world by Conde Nast Traveler

Richmonders fill couches, extra rooms, and their wallets with Air BNB – why don’t you?

Brad Kutner | February 23, 2015

Topics: Airbnb, cheap hotels in RVA, richmond tourism, travel

Airbnb is an outlet for people to be able to rent out their spaces, from vacation homes they are not using to their couch for the night.

[Read more…] about Richmonders fill couches, extra rooms, and their wallets with Air BNB – why don’t you?

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