Host of web series Eat Travel Rock Kelly Rizzo recently made a trip to Richmond to capture something all of us city dwellers already know too well: our kick ass music scene.
Rizzo highlights Richmond as a hub for all music lovers, no matter if you love reggae, folk, rock, or metal there’s a mix of every genre in our little town. She makes her first stop at local staple Plan 9 Records in Carytown and then heads over to chat with Lucas Fritz, co-owner of The Broadberry and The Camel to hear more about RVA music and what sets us apart from other cities along with a small mention of The National.
We get to hear some tunes from Dead Man Winter and a reggae dub showcase at The Camel before Rizzo moves on to fellow local music venue Strange Matter. She focuses on rock here and this was sort of glossed over. No interview with promoter Mark Osborne, who could have given her the lowdown on all the hottest bands to see and more, but at least Smatter received some love.
GWARbar was up next and while the visuals were killer, she focused more on the cocktails instead of the overlords of metal and their debauchery and crazy antics.
Rizzo wrapped up her tour of Richmond’s music venues with a look at Friday Cheers, an outdoor concert series on Brown’s Island which runs May to June. A popular summertime favorite, the series landed some awesome bands and musicians this season including Angelica Garcia, People’s Blues of Richmond, and Connor Oberst and Sleepwalkers.
I wish she would have highlighted the metal, punk, and hip hop scenes a little more, but I think it still captured some of the best Richmond has to offer musically for a tourist looking to visit the area.