RVAMAG
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Local culture since 2005 • RVA • Richmond, Virginia #rvamag
@rvamag
Find our stories here: https://linktr.ee/Rvamag
@rvamag
Find our stories here: https://linktr.ee/Rvamag
Drinksgiving isn’t on any calendar, but it behaves like a holiday anyway predictable, chaotic, and oddly comforting, the way familiar mistakes often are.
This year, instead of guessing which dive bars would be overflowing, we just asked the city.
This year, instead of guessing which dive bars would be overflowing, we just asked the city.
Our Drinksgiving Guide to Richmond’s Favorite Dive Bars in 2025
Richmond knows how to embrace its vices, and Drinksgiving is no exception—a chaotic, booze-soaked warm-up for Thanksgiving’s family drama. Dive bars are the beating heart of this city, from the unpret...
rvamag.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Drinksgiving isn’t on any calendar, but it behaves like a holiday anyway predictable, chaotic, and oddly comforting, the way familiar mistakes often are.
This year, instead of guessing which dive bars would be overflowing, we just asked the city.
This year, instead of guessing which dive bars would be overflowing, we just asked the city.
Last Thursday night’s Salon de Résistance: The Shape of Music to Come at Black Iris took on a question that has gone from hypothetical to philosophical to entierly unavoidable: what happens to music when technology stops being just a tool, and starts becoming it’s own creator?
Recap | Salon de Résistance: Can Music Survive ARTIFICIAL Intelligence?
RVA Magazine recaps Salon de Résistance at Black Iris, where John Campbell of Lamb of God and Tyler Williams of The Head and The Heart discuss whether music can survive the rise of AI. From craft insi...
rvamag.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Last Thursday night’s Salon de Résistance: The Shape of Music to Come at Black Iris took on a question that has gone from hypothetical to philosophical to entierly unavoidable: what happens to music when technology stops being just a tool, and starts becoming it’s own creator?
Hammerly knows this story well. He spent a decade performing it at Ford’s Theatre in D.C. and once promised himself he’d never revisit the material. Of course, human beings are famous for breaking promises, especially to themselves. “I’m living Christmas Carol,” he said. “I wake up singing carols.”
Preview | Virginia Rep’s 'A Christmas Carol' Sets Its Sights on a New Richmond Tradition
Virginia Repertory Theatre brings a fresh, visually striking production of A Christmas Carol to the November Theatre, adapted and directed by Artistic Director Rick Hammerly. Featuring top regional ta...
rvamag.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Hammerly knows this story well. He spent a decade performing it at Ford’s Theatre in D.C. and once promised himself he’d never revisit the material. Of course, human beings are famous for breaking promises, especially to themselves. “I’m living Christmas Carol,” he said. “I wake up singing carols.”
And so we begin the holiday season, wrapped up in scarves and full of Thanksgiving leftovers. Some fantastic shows this weekend to take the in laws to, show ‘em what we got going on on a Saturday.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Sound Check | J. Roddy Walston and the Automatic Band, Kendall Street Company, Redd Volkaert & More!
Richmond’s Thanksgiving weekend is packed with standout shows, from J. Roddy Walston at The Camel to Kendall Street Company and Big Fancy at The Broadberry, plus honky-tonk legend Redd Volkaert at Get...
rvamag.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:48 PM
And so we begin the holiday season, wrapped up in scarves and full of Thanksgiving leftovers. Some fantastic shows this weekend to take the in laws to, show ‘em what we got going on on a Saturday.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Lungs is a snake waiting in the grass.
Now take a step back and notice how much of yourself lingers with them. How your criticism catches in your throat to avoid hypocrisy. How over-the-top yet frustratingly realistic these people are.
Now take a step back and notice how much of yourself lingers with them. How your criticism catches in your throat to avoid hypocrisy. How over-the-top yet frustratingly realistic these people are.
Review | 'Lungs' Is a Mirror You Can’t Look Away From
A sharp, thoughtful review of Lungs at BVTA, examining Duncan Macmillan’s chaotic, climate-era rom-com through standout performances, inventive direction by Emily King Brown, and an impressive lightin...
rvamag.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Lungs is a snake waiting in the grass.
Now take a step back and notice how much of yourself lingers with them. How your criticism catches in your throat to avoid hypocrisy. How over-the-top yet frustratingly realistic these people are.
Now take a step back and notice how much of yourself lingers with them. How your criticism catches in your throat to avoid hypocrisy. How over-the-top yet frustratingly realistic these people are.
One of the best parts of the Richmond scene is that there is always a good cause to support at a gig, you’re already paying the $15 for the ticket, go make it worth someone’s while.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Sound Check | Nabeel, Sundials, Kinda Evil, DJ Harrison & More!
Richmond’s music scene is stacked this week with benefit shows and standout local talent. From Nabeel and Strawberry Moon at Cobra Cabana to Sundials’ reunion at The Camel and Kinda Evil’s anniversary...
rvamag.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:29 PM
One of the best parts of the Richmond scene is that there is always a good cause to support at a gig, you’re already paying the $15 for the ticket, go make it worth someone’s while.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
A coalition is calling for a five-day boycott from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday.
The campaign, titled “We Ain’t Buying It,” urges consumers to avoid three major retailers, Target, Amazon, and Home Depot, and redirect their holiday spending toward small and local businesses instead.
The campaign, titled “We Ain’t Buying It,” urges consumers to avoid three major retailers, Target, Amazon, and Home Depot, and redirect their holiday spending toward small and local businesses instead.
‘We Ain’t Buying It’ Boycott Targets Amazon, Home Depot, Target; Shop Local Instead
National advocacy groups including No Kings Alliance, 50501 Movement, Indivisible, and Black Voters Matter—are urging a five-day boycott of Target, Amazon, and Home Depot during Thanksgiving weekend. ...
rvamag.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:09 PM
A coalition is calling for a five-day boycott from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday.
The campaign, titled “We Ain’t Buying It,” urges consumers to avoid three major retailers, Target, Amazon, and Home Depot, and redirect their holiday spending toward small and local businesses instead.
The campaign, titled “We Ain’t Buying It,” urges consumers to avoid three major retailers, Target, Amazon, and Home Depot, and redirect their holiday spending toward small and local businesses instead.
When you talk to the workers on strike outside the Starbucks in the Fan, you don’t hear anything abstract about “labor movements” or “corporate negotiations.” You hear frustration, exhaustion, and a pretty simple question: why won’t Starbucks come to the table?
Richmond Starbucks Baristas Join National Strike, Shutting Down Fan Store
Richmond baristas at the Fan Starbucks have joined a national strike, shutting down one of the city’s busiest locations. Workers say Starbucks refuses to negotiate a fair contract, leaving the store l...
rvamag.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:57 PM
When you talk to the workers on strike outside the Starbucks in the Fan, you don’t hear anything abstract about “labor movements” or “corporate negotiations.” You hear frustration, exhaustion, and a pretty simple question: why won’t Starbucks come to the table?
Every so often Richmond grabs a win that feels almost improbable, and this weekend we got one: Baltik’s Bagel came back from New York BagelFest with the People’s Choice Award.
Baltik’s Bagel Earns People’s Choice in the Heart of NYC
Richmond’s Baltik’s Bagel brought home the People’s Choice Award from New York BagelFest, beating 25 top shops and more than 2,000 votes. The Forest Hill Avenue favorite is also listed in RVA Magazine...
rvamag.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Every so often Richmond grabs a win that feels almost improbable, and this weekend we got one: Baltik’s Bagel came back from New York BagelFest with the People’s Choice Award.
This weekend, Richmond joins that movement.
On East Broad Street, ANTENNAE Gallery is hosting the city’s local expression of Fall of Freedom, a curated show bringing together more than a dozen artists, each responding in their own way to the moment.
On East Broad Street, ANTENNAE Gallery is hosting the city’s local expression of Fall of Freedom, a curated show bringing together more than a dozen artists, each responding in their own way to the moment.
Richmond Artists Unite for 'Fall of Freedom' at Antennae Gallery
Antennae Gallery brings the national Fall of Freedom campaign to Richmond with a special exhibition on Nov. 21–22. Featuring more than a dozen local artists, the show blends creative resistance with c...
rvamag.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
This weekend, Richmond joins that movement.
On East Broad Street, ANTENNAE Gallery is hosting the city’s local expression of Fall of Freedom, a curated show bringing together more than a dozen artists, each responding in their own way to the moment.
On East Broad Street, ANTENNAE Gallery is hosting the city’s local expression of Fall of Freedom, a curated show bringing together more than a dozen artists, each responding in their own way to the moment.
....I saw a mix of people I honestly didn’t expect to ever share the same room. High-end collectors, street artists, curators, younger creatives, and this new art-forward middle class moving into the city were all shoulder to shoulder.
It felt like a shift.
It felt like a shift.
GIANTS! Makes the Case for a New Era in Richmond Art
VMFA’s GIANTS! exhibition brings together the Dean Collection’s powerhouse lineup of Black artists, from Basquiat and Kehinde Wiley to Gordon Parks, Jamel Shabazz, Nina Chanel Abney, Amy Sherald, and ...
rvamag.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:27 PM
....I saw a mix of people I honestly didn’t expect to ever share the same room. High-end collectors, street artists, curators, younger creatives, and this new art-forward middle class moving into the city were all shoulder to shoulder.
It felt like a shift.
It felt like a shift.
For many Virginians, that distant war has felt closer than ever. Volunteers and medical personnel from Virginia, including Dr. Young and others drawn by humanitarian impulse, have traveled to Ukraine to assist, train, or deliver aid.
How a Charlottesville Surgeon Found Purpose in Ukraine
A Charlottesville trauma surgeon found new purpose in Ukraine, training military doctors as the war nears four years and casualties climb into the hundreds of thousands. His work reveals how innovatio...
rvamag.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:42 PM
For many Virginians, that distant war has felt closer than ever. Volunteers and medical personnel from Virginia, including Dr. Young and others drawn by humanitarian impulse, have traveled to Ukraine to assist, train, or deliver aid.
This week we’re featuring two poems by Mary Beth Cox, a former Peace Corps volunteer living in Chesterfield and working in Richmond. The poems draw on moments from the beginning and end of her service, exploring distance, identity, service, small mistakes and big realizations abroad and at home.
Writer’s Block | The Poetry of Mary Beth Cox
Mary Beth Cox, a former Peace Corps volunteer who served in Togo from 1999–2001, shares two poems reflecting on pivotal moments from her service. Part of RVA Magazine’s Writer’s Block Sunday series, t...
rvamag.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:37 PM
This week we’re featuring two poems by Mary Beth Cox, a former Peace Corps volunteer living in Chesterfield and working in Richmond. The poems draw on moments from the beginning and end of her service, exploring distance, identity, service, small mistakes and big realizations abroad and at home.
Richmond, it’s that time again: our semi annual Support Local, Vote Local Poll.
'Support Local, Vote Local' RVA Magazine’s 2025 Readers’ Poll Is Open
It’s time for RVA Magazine’s annual Support Local, Vote Local Readers’ Poll! Richmonders, cast your votes for the city’s best bars, restaurants, shops, and local favorites. Celebrate the spots that ma...
rvamag.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Richmond, it’s that time again: our semi annual Support Local, Vote Local Poll.
All I would like to do today is point you toward the canned food drive happening at The Camel.. The drive is intended to ease the burden placed on those suffering from the lack of SNAP benefits.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Sound Check | White Beast, Chemical X, Eyewash & More!
Richmond’s music scene brings the heat this weekend with stacked local bills at The Camel, Banditos, and Gallery 5. Catch performances from White Beast, Rikki Rakki, Wrong Worshippers, Chemical-X, Rat...
rvamag.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:11 PM
All I would like to do today is point you toward the canned food drive happening at The Camel.. The drive is intended to ease the burden placed on those suffering from the lack of SNAP benefits.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at [email protected].
Dispatch Number six: will music survive technology?
Join us for Salon de Résistance on November 20th at Black Iris for a conversation about the future of music and it's ability to survive the AI revolution, featuring John Campbell from Lamb of God and Tyler Williams of the Head and the Heart.
Join us for Salon de Résistance on November 20th at Black Iris for a conversation about the future of music and it's ability to survive the AI revolution, featuring John Campbell from Lamb of God and Tyler Williams of the Head and the Heart.
Salon de Résistance | The Shape of Music to Come
As AI reshapes music, Salon de Résistance asks: Can music survive the algorithmic age? Join us on Nov 20th at Black Iris.
rvamag.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Dispatch Number six: will music survive technology?
Join us for Salon de Résistance on November 20th at Black Iris for a conversation about the future of music and it's ability to survive the AI revolution, featuring John Campbell from Lamb of God and Tyler Williams of the Head and the Heart.
Join us for Salon de Résistance on November 20th at Black Iris for a conversation about the future of music and it's ability to survive the AI revolution, featuring John Campbell from Lamb of God and Tyler Williams of the Head and the Heart.
I often ask myself, what is the American Dream?
I was interested in discussing this with next-generation Democrat Lisa Vedernikova Khanna, who is running for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District against incumbent Republican Rob Wittman.
I was interested in discussing this with next-generation Democrat Lisa Vedernikova Khanna, who is running for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District against incumbent Republican Rob Wittman.
Podcast | Democratic Candidate Lisa Vedernikova Khanna on New Politics, the American Dream, and Taking on Republican Rob Wittman
Lisa Vedernikova Khanna is hoping to redefine what leadership looks like in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. A young Democrat and new mother, Khanna is focused on restoring dignity and opportuni...
rvamag.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:18 PM
I often ask myself, what is the American Dream?
I was interested in discussing this with next-generation Democrat Lisa Vedernikova Khanna, who is running for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District against incumbent Republican Rob Wittman.
I was interested in discussing this with next-generation Democrat Lisa Vedernikova Khanna, who is running for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District against incumbent Republican Rob Wittman.
Studio Two Three hosted the screening of D(e)ad this past weekend. An indie film with equal parts heart, brains, and bile, set to the tune of grief, family, and nostalgia. It’s a comedy, if that wasn’t immediately obvious.
D(e)ad: A DIY Film That Laughed Its Way Past Hollywood Gatekeepers
Studio Two Three hosted a screening of the indie film D(e)ad, a darkly funny exploration of grief, family, and forgiveness. Writer Isabella Roland and her mother, director Claudia Lonow, talk with RVA...
rvamag.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Studio Two Three hosted the screening of D(e)ad this past weekend. An indie film with equal parts heart, brains, and bile, set to the tune of grief, family, and nostalgia. It’s a comedy, if that wasn’t immediately obvious.
Virginia’s senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, find themselves on opposite sides of a Senate proposal to reopen the government, a sign of rising Democratic tension as the shutdown drags into its sixth week.
Kaine Supports, Warner Rejects Deal to End Government Shutdown
Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner split over a Senate deal to end the government shutdown. Kaine supports the plan to protect workers and guarantee a health care vote, while Warner calls it ...
rvamag.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Virginia’s senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, find themselves on opposite sides of a Senate proposal to reopen the government, a sign of rising Democratic tension as the shutdown drags into its sixth week.
For years, Virginia’s hemp growers and shop owners have been fighting for survival, first against confusing state regulations, then against inconsistent enforcement. Now they may face their biggest threat yet, and it came straight from Washington over the weekend.
Virginia Hemp Industry Faces New Threat from McConnell’s Amendment
Sen. Mitch McConnell’s proposed “hemp fix” could devastate Virginia’s small hemp businesses by redefining hemp to include “total THC.” The change would outlaw most hemp-derived products like delta-8, ...
rvamag.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:36 PM
For years, Virginia’s hemp growers and shop owners have been fighting for survival, first against confusing state regulations, then against inconsistent enforcement. Now they may face their biggest threat yet, and it came straight from Washington over the weekend.
At the Richmond Convention Center on Tuesday, supporters of Abigail Spanberger gathered to mark a turning point in Virginia’s history. By night’s end, Spanberger became the Commonwealth’s first woman governor.
It was a milestone centuries in the making.
It was a milestone centuries in the making.
Photo | The Night Abigail Spanberger Made Virginia History
Abigail Spanberger made history as Virginia’s first woman governor, leading a Democratic sweep that included wins for lieutenant governor and attorney general, plus a thirteen-seat gain in the House o...
rvamag.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:33 PM
At the Richmond Convention Center on Tuesday, supporters of Abigail Spanberger gathered to mark a turning point in Virginia’s history. By night’s end, Spanberger became the Commonwealth’s first woman governor.
It was a milestone centuries in the making.
It was a milestone centuries in the making.
“There is no public safety without guns. If guns didn’t exist, yes,” said Ra-Twoine Fields. “But we live in America, where there are more guns than people. So no, there is no public safety without guns. What we can do is learn how to manage it, how to live with it responsibly.”
How Richmond Is Rewriting the Story of Gun Violence — One Student at a Time
Richmond’s Ra-Twoine Fields believes public safety can’t exist without confronting America’s reality: a nation with more guns than people. Through Weapons Program for Teens, he’s teaching harm reducti...
rvamag.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:29 PM
“There is no public safety without guns. If guns didn’t exist, yes,” said Ra-Twoine Fields. “But we live in America, where there are more guns than people. So no, there is no public safety without guns. What we can do is learn how to manage it, how to live with it responsibly.”
“You want me to tell you what’s immoral? War is immoral. Poverty is immoral. Racism is immoral. Police brutality is immoral.” — a defendant in Punishment Park
In 1971, he released Punishment Park, at a time when the United States was already rehearsing its own future.
In 1971, he released Punishment Park, at a time when the United States was already rehearsing its own future.
VHS Club | Punishment Park (1971)
Peter Watkins’ Punishment Park (1971) imagines an America that punishes dissent in the name of patriotism. Shot like a BBC documentary, its realism feels prophetic today as the country again flirts wi...
rvamag.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
“You want me to tell you what’s immoral? War is immoral. Poverty is immoral. Racism is immoral. Police brutality is immoral.” — a defendant in Punishment Park
In 1971, he released Punishment Park, at a time when the United States was already rehearsing its own future.
In 1971, he released Punishment Park, at a time when the United States was already rehearsing its own future.
“Mickael Broth is an artist, muralist, sculptor, writer, father, husband, skateboarder, and climber, quite the talented bloke.
He’s created hundreds of public works of art across the country and around the world." — host, Harrison Christy
He’s created hundreds of public works of art across the country and around the world." — host, Harrison Christy
It’s Still Our City | Ep. 16 Mickael Broth aka The Night Owl
Artist and muralist Mickael Broth joins host Harrison Christy on It’s Still Our City, RVA Magazine’s new podcast produced by NODDERLY. They talk murals, graffiti, Warhol mishaps, the still-closed Pipe...
rvamag.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:21 PM
“Mickael Broth is an artist, muralist, sculptor, writer, father, husband, skateboarder, and climber, quite the talented bloke.
He’s created hundreds of public works of art across the country and around the world." — host, Harrison Christy
He’s created hundreds of public works of art across the country and around the world." — host, Harrison Christy
Richmond’s music scene doesn’t rest, it just changes outfits. French Police, Angelica Garcia, Hot Water Music, they’re all passing through, if you’ve been waiting for a reason to leave the house that isn’t work or groceries, this is it.
Sound Check | Angelica Garcia, Bane, Hot Water Music, French Police & More!
Richmond’s music scene stays restless this week with French Police at Richmond Music Hall, Angelica Garcia’s homecoming show at The Camel, and Hot Water Music bringing punk anthems to The Broadberry. ...
rvamag.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Richmond’s music scene doesn’t rest, it just changes outfits. French Police, Angelica Garcia, Hot Water Music, they’re all passing through, if you’ve been waiting for a reason to leave the house that isn’t work or groceries, this is it.