Good Day RVA Presents Nelly Kate

by | Jun 28, 2013

Good Day RVA is a local filmmaking group who’ve found a lot of fans in a short amount of time with their videos documenting live performances by local musicians in unusual locations. Having only produced three videos so far–including their latest, featuring Nelly Kate–this group has nonetheless done quite a bit to make a name for themselves in the Richmond music scene.


Good Day RVA is a local filmmaking group who’ve found a lot of fans in a short amount of time with their videos documenting live performances by local musicians in unusual locations. Having only produced three videos so far–including their latest, featuring Nelly Kate–this group has nonetheless done quite a bit to make a name for themselves in the Richmond music scene.

It was last summer at a 48 hour film festival where the four filmmakers that make up Good Day RVA–Matt Cowan, Evan Hoffman, Chris Damon and Will Weaver–originally came together. The festival gave them some plot devices and 48 hours to create a short film from them. The successful result of their first film project together sparked ideas about how they could do more. Dubbing themselves Good Day RVA, they officially formed as a completely non-profit group (though they have hopes of receiving sponsorships for equipment). The group truly does what they do for “the sake of art.”

They started with the idea of making music videos, but as one thing led to another, they became more interested in filming live performances. “We like live videos in unique places around the city,” says Damon. They use noteworthy local locations and local bands “just to show off local creative talent.” A personal connection between Damon and a member of Black Girls led the group to their first musical client. Their inaugural video was a good jumping point for the group, but they want to do a lot more. As a group of people who are all heavily involved in the local music scene (Hoffman even has musical projects of his own, Lightjars and Mynah), they have a running list of artists they wish to work with, and locations as far east as the Richmond Jail and as far west as Powhatan where they’d like to shoot a performance.

One of the musicians on this wishlist have recently been crossed off. Good Day RVA recently reached out to artist Nelly Kate to create the third installment of the group’s videos. “I’d seen her name around town but never saw her in person,” says Cowan. “Then I saw some videos [of hers] online and got inspired.” The group was enthusiastic when working with Kate. “[We’re always] trying to hit a diverse range of music and styles. We reached out to her and pitched the idea,” states Weaver. It seemed as if it was all smooth sailing. “She was very [into] the idea, very professional and was awesome to work with,” says Hoffman.

Soon, Kate was performing her newest track, “Judging Diamonds,” for the group at the abandoned hydroelectric plant on Belle Isle. “She has those really ambient vocals that really filled that space well,” states Weaver. The song exemplifies a musical sound that Kate describes as minimal pop. She hopes to leave enough space in her music to give listeners a place to dwell in or sing along.

When it came to the location, both Nelly Kate and Good Day RVA were very excited on their agreement. “[It] is a place I’ve gone to since I was a kid. We would always go to Belle Isle because that was one of my favorite places. It is so Richmond,” says Kate. “We thought of having an alternative, but the more we thought about it, the more we decided it would be best to have it there.” “That place is second nature to me. Belle isle is such a beautiful location,” says Damon. “Richmond is one of those cities you can walk two minutes into the forest and not know you’re in the city.”

Overall, Nelly Kate and the filmmakers put together an amazing piece for the third installment of Good Day RVA. Though the day was a bit chaotic, and they had to implement a certain level of crowd control, all worked out for the best. “They were really laid back while being professional,” says Kate about the shoot. She immediately clicked with their care and attention and passion. “It really shows. I really want to see ventures like that thrive in Richmond. It was awesome.” The filmmakers were just as complimentary of Nelly Kate as she was of them. “She’s patient, collaborative, and up for anything,” they reported. “She is supportive of what we are trying to do. She really had her visions and our visions aligned.” “They might be young and [have] a fledgling business model,” says Kate. “But they really have their concept strong and together, in a way that most young artists don’t.”

Both Nelly Kate and Good Day RVA have a variety of projects on the horizon. Nelly Kate plans to release a new album soon, but was reluctant to reveal any further information about it. Regardless, we expect whatever she comes up with to be worth watching out for. As for Good Day RVA, they have plans to work with No BS Brass Band, Gull, White Laces, The Trillions, Strike Anywhere, and Lobo Marino, among others. Watch this space.

By Anderson Bertrand

Marilyn Drew Necci

Marilyn Drew Necci

Former GayRVA editor-in-chief, RVA Magazine editor for print and web. Anxiety expert, proud trans woman, happily married.




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