vol. 113 / Connection 📬Here's to creating connection and kindness in this place we call home.
VOL. 113 / CONNECTION
Social distancingdoesn't mean limiting our connection to community. We're in this together. Be a helper. Be kind. Contribute to the common good. Let's find new and creative ways to form connections even while our current situation requires that we remain apart.
Virtual
House Show
Gather 'round and join the virtual house show every day with some of Richmond’s favorite local artists here to show us that you can’t cancel community. You can’t cancel connection. And you certainly can’t cancel the music that brings us closer to one another, despite physical distance. Hosted live on Facebook and Instagram, each musician picks a spot to play -- from their living room to their front porch to outside by a fire -- and a few of their favorite songs to share. Tune in, sing along, leave a positive comment, and show your support for local musicians with a virtual tip jar. Upcoming performances include Marcus Tenney of Butcher Brown, Kenneka Cook, Eddie Prendergast of the Mikrowaves, Paulo Franco, Høly River, Angelica Garcia, Regan Sprenkle, Richmond Symphony, and more!
A new community journaling experiment, a collaboration between the James River Park System and Richmond Grid, is ready for you to find in a hidden spot along the trail. Get outside, breath in some fresh air, and explore your park! If you can find it, look inside for the “Dear Richmond” journal to leave a note for your fellow neighbors, create a sketch, write a love letter to RVA, leave your hopes for a better future, write the words you need to hear…or simply leave your name. It’s for you to define. Some of the most recent entries in the journal read: "We all come back to the beauty of nature – it heals the soul," "Stay beautiful and wild. We who are in dark places need a place to run where the light still shines," and "Amongst all this chaos, this park system is my sanctuary."
"It sure is a weird time right now but we don’t want to let that hurt our favorite eating and drinking spots," explains Justin Bajan, co-founder of Familiar Creatures, a Richmond based ad agency that recently launched Keep Calm and Nom Nom. Justin and his team are encouraging Richmonders to visit this handy new site to buy gift cards from local RVA establishments for future use. "We created Keep Calm and Nom Nom so people can show their support. Buy a gift card today, and enjoy your meal later." Simply browse the hyperlinked logos on the site organized by neighborhood and give some love to your favorite local establishments.
Who: You and thousands of Richmonders
What: #ServingOurSeversRVA Virtual Happy Hour Fundraiser
When: Friday, March 20
Where: Literally anywhere with WiFi or cell phone service
Why: As the food industry has come to a halt, a massive group of people are left wondering how they’ll pay rent and car payments and put food on their own tables. Our servers need your support.
How: TEXT "DONATE" AND THE AMOUNT TO #804-518-8333 (ex: DONATE $5)
vol. 112 / Uncap🍾Eric Jackson, founder of Uncap Everything, shares his favorite ways to remove the limits and uncap everything in RVA.
VOL 112 / UNCAP
Let's all raise a glass to this week's guest editor, Eric Jackson, the owner and founder of Uncap Everything. He's here to encourage Richmonders to remove the limits and uncap everything in this place we call home. As many craft beer fans know, Uncap Everything is a Richmond-based craft beer and lifestyle brand dedicated to educating others on beer history and styles. Eric also doubles as a freelance beer writer and journalist that travels across the country reviewing various breweries and beers, curating beer festivals, and running Capsoul — a collective of individuals focused on energizing and assisting in diversifying taprooms. Eric also runs a craft beer magazine, The Capsoul Mag, and hosts a monthly craft beer podcast! Take it away, Eric...
If you’re looking for a great excuse to meander around to some of Richmond’s most cultured and creative restaurants, this is a great week to do it. It’s Richmond Black Restaurant Experience Week and I’m going to share some of my favorite spots that you won't want to miss.
Southern
Kitchen
Located in Historic Jackson Ward, on the corner of Leigh and 2nd Streets, Southern Kitchen boasts everything your southern grandmother would put together on a Sunday afternoon following church. I’m talking fried okra, shrimp & grits, po’ boys, and chicken & waffles. The list goes on and on, but what makes Southern Kitchen so unique is the attention to detail, service, and décor. When you think Southern Kitchen, think of it with elegance, subtlety, and hospitality.
If you didn’t know, craft beer is my jam, but I was hard pressed to find a black owned brewery in the city of Richmond. What I did find was Ms. Bee's Juice Bar, located in the heart of Brookland Park! Launched by Brandi Battle-Brown, Ms. Bee's Juice Bar offers cold press juices, smoothies, and more. Examples of fan favorites include the Brookland Park Energizer (beets, apple, swiss chard, ginger and lemon), the Gold Post Glow for rejuvenation (orange, carrot, apple, and ginger), and the Northside Trop for a mellow mood (mango, pineapple, hemp powder, and agave). I know, it’s not an alcoholic beverage, but with the use of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, this is a drink your body needs to get you through the week!
RVA Rap Elite is a monthly showcase of all things Hip Hop. From rap battles to beat battles to live performances to 30-minutes of non-stop bars, if you’re into Hip Hop culture, RVA Rap Elite should be a must-go! Supported and led by Richmond native, Radio B, RVA Rap Elite is a stage for the novice and veteran alike to hone their skills, flex their ingenuity, and test their strength. Taking place every month in The Darkroom, the upstairs suite at the Hofheimer Bldg, it’s the one event that should be on your monthly calendar.
Grid Supply Co., operated by Richmond Grid magazine and Here Weekly, has teamed up with Richmond based illustrator Clara Cline (also known as The Wild Wander) to offer a collection artwork celebrating the flora and fauna of some of our most beloved wilderness.
vol. 111 / Night Owl🦉The Night Owl shares his favorite ways to explore and celebrate Richmond.
VOL 111/NIGHT OWL
Say hello to this week’s guest editor—Mickael Broth, also known as The Night Owl! Requiring little intro, most Richmonders have a favorite Night Owl mural, sculpture, or water tower by now. What you might not know is that Mickael moved to the River City in 2001 with the intention of painting as much graffiti as possible. His involvement in vandalism resulted in a ten-month jail term, which he chronicled in his book, Gated Community: Graffiti and Incarceration. Since that time, Mickael has gone on to pursue an active (and legal) career in the arts. He was awarded a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Professional Fellowship for his studio work and is now shown widely around the United States; from museums and galleries to alternative spaces and abandoned buildings. He has painted over two hundred public murals around the world, in addition to helping curate multiple public art festivals and working with youth groups. Mickael is also the author of Murals of Richmond, which documents Richmond’s public art explosion. Take it away, Night Owl!
Texas Beach
DIY Skatepark
Texas Beach DIY Skatepark sits on an abandoned plot of land near Texas Beach of the north bank of the James River. It was started by skateboarders who took it upon themselves to provide for the community what the city has not. In recent years, skateboarders have poured concrete ramps and revitalized the area for all to enjoy. Now overseen by Richmond Area Skateboard Alliance (RASA) in conjunction with the James River Park, groups of volunteers—from dads with their young kids to teenagers kicking it after school—are in the process of building Richmond’s first city-sanctioned DIY concrete skatepark. This is one of the few organizations where every single cent contributed goes directly to the effort! Everyone involved is pouring their time, talent, knowledge, and in many cases, their own money, into this project on a 100% volunteer basis. As a side note, RASA also runs after school skate programs for Richmond Public Schools called RVA SK8 Club. Show them (and the local skate community) some love!
This spot on the river is popular for obvious reasons; it’s an amazing blend of industrial might, decay, and natural beauty that literally puts you in contact with the river. This is the spot I’ve been coming for over 15 years to experience the serenity of the river on a warm summer day or the terrifying torrent of chocolate milk that the James morphs into after heavy rains. This love of the river is the inspiration behind a new book project I’m working on with my homie, Sotheby’s realtor Justin Owen. We're aiming to create a book that celebrates the river in the way that people now enjoy it, as a place to be active, to learn, to meditate, to build rope swings and drink cases of cheap beer (take your cans with you!). For me, the river, and more specifically Pipeline, is what made me fall in love with this city in the first place.
I hesitate to mention my favorite restaurant, but Dinamo has been around long enough that if you haven’t been there (and become a regular) by now, then I just don’t know what you’ve been doing with your life. This place can do no wrong. From the white pizza with anchovies to the succulent rockfish, the eggs in tuna sauce, the squid ink pasta! I could probably list every item on their menu from memory and tell you why each one is amazing. And each tabletop is literally a work of art with reverse painted glass pieces that also line the walls. And the black and white tile floor! And the slowly spinning propeller in the window (dinamo)! I just love everything about this place so very much. Plus they’ve got great neighbors (Salvation Tattoo and 821 Cafe)!
Grid Supply Co., operated by Richmond Grid magazine and Here Weekly, is now featuring the original artwork of Richmond based illustrator Clara Cline (also known as The Wild Wander). Check out our new collection celebrating the flora and fauna of some of our most beloved wilderness.
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