$5.OO USD
JUNE 2005 VOL.1 ISSUE 3 There Is Plastic In The Afterlife.
There’s plastic in the afterlife, angels sing corporate jingles. There’s superficiality in the afterlife, flying on fake wings. There is falsehood in normalcy, walk with eyes open. Take your life as it comes.
RVA MAGAZINE
THERE’S PLASTIC IN THE AFTERLIFE. ISSUE THREE / YEAR ONE / JUNE 05 R. Anthony Harris LAYOUT Parker CREATIVE DIRECTOR Joe Gavin EDITOR Ian Graham DISTRIBUTION Anneke Schoneveld MARKETING
WRITERS art Kim Frost Angela Barrow music Parker Jason Hodges Tomothy Towslee Landis Wine film Teddy Blanks Matt Goins Kevin Gallagher local M. Dulin Laura Ann Tess Dixon Jane Samborski Julia Taylor
DESIGNERS Ollie Cortum promotional Eddie Wilson web Bizhan Khodabandeh Andre Shank Ian Graham
ILLUSTRATORS Brian Nozynski Eric Seat Andre Shank Dash Shaw
PHOTOGRAPHERS Kim Frost Michelle Dosson Parker Nate “Igor” Smith Georgre Weistroffer
CONTACT Inkwell Design L.L.C. 3512 Floyd Ave. Apt. 1 Richmond, VA 23221 tony@rvamag.com www.rvamag.com
ADVERTISING For all local and national advertising inquiries contact tel: 804.349.5890 eml: advertising@rvamag.com
DISTRIBUTION If your business or establishment would like to carry RVA Magazine contact tel: 804.349.5890 eml: distribution@rvamag.com
SUBMISSIONS RVA welcomes submissions but cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. Please send all to submissions to content@rvamag.com HEADS UP. The advertising and articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinion and attitudes of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. Reproduction in whole or part without prior written permission from the publishers is strictly prohibited. RVA Magazine is published monthly and is $5.00 USD. All material within this magazine is protected. RVA is a registered trademark of Inkwell Design L.L.C. Thank you. Printed in Canada.
RVA
/ CONTENTS
ART 04 Pick & Choose 06 Wanna See More?? 12 Fashion Week Recap 18 Oura X 22 Dash Shaw
MUSIC 28 Interview / Mastodon 32 Reviews / THUNDERBIRDS ARE NOW!! / CHROME / THE COUGHS / ONEIDA 34 interview /The PINK RAZORS 35 Review / Silver Jews
FILM 38 Dispatches From KG 40 Raviotta 43 A Jaws Anniversity 44 Pickles & Kirchfeld / Phone LOCAL
46 Upside Down
48 A Dulin Story 52 The Good LIfe / The International Gentleman
54 Review /
Special thanks to Kim & Anneke.
Whores On The Hill
56 THE QUICK GUIDE For June / Business Listing / Richmond Indy Radio Schedule / Nanci Raygun / Fusion / Alley Katz / Canal Club / Cary St. Cafe In future issues the listing will be expanded to include: Movie theatres, playhouses, video rental, more restaurants, yoga, galleries, video equipment rental, Mac & PC computer repair, bike shops, boutiques, tourist spots, bookstores, club, martial arts, acupuncture, public libraries, tourist spots, tattoo shops, print shops, U of R Radio, VCU Radio, massage parlors,
ARTs
e
Pick & Choos
The First Friday Artwalk happens every month and we pick one piece we would have. For May Untitled Chris Norris acrylic & ink $1600 USD Thank you to ADA Gallery. artists downtown access 228 WEST BROAD STREET RICHMOND,VIRGINIA 23220 phone // 804.644.0100 web // www.adagallery.com email // adagallery@verizon.net gallery hours // tues-fri 1-7pm & sat 1-5pm
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Wanna See More ?? a sneak peek at the work being produced in the city
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The Works of Jonathan Lee / spraysplatter@hotmail.com
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Jeff Hathaway / Husband & Wife / oils on canvas / www.jahathaway.com
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Debbie Quick / Untitled / mixed media / cookie1723@mac.com
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Curtis Patton / Horse / Photography / wakeupyourself@gmail.com
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Jesse Smith / Devil, Angel, & Myself / acrylics / www.kaoticeenzymes.com
Jesse Smith / Eric M. Seat / acrylics
AR TS
e h t
k e e W n o i h s a F
y a M f o
05/10 Afro Punk Screening 05/11 Worn Again Fashion Show 05/12 Catalyst 15 Fashion Show 05/13 10x10 Tee Shirt Print Show 05/14 Clothing Swap / Dance Party
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o o l t s a l e n
The Fashion Week When the wonderful blokes at RVA asked me to do this write up I will have you know I was chillin hard as shit. I had just graduated a few days before and was in full-on slacker mode, I’m talking sleeping in till noon everyday and netflixing it up nightly, when my phone rang. Dreading this last task, Tony and my friends reassured me on how awesome it would be to shed my insider perspective on the week. I then dug out the laptop and proceeded to tackle this write-up, and mooch some free Internet, over coffee at World Cup. The idea of a Richmond Fashion Week came to me while attending New York Fashion Week. I was stoked by the fact that I could bring a real “fashion week” home to Richmond. The idea was genius; designers and artists alike leapt at the opportunity. A week’s worth of fashion events that cater to RVA’s diverse populace had yet to be conceptualized. With the help of some trusted friends, I was able to make my daydream a reality. Unlike the official Fashion week, Richmond Fashion Week was not envisioned to promote any agenda or dictate trends, cater towards fashion elitists, or more simply have my friends prance around in frilly garments. We did our best to bring as many diverse crowds together and represent the best that RVA designers have to offer. My only regret is that I will not be around to organize next year’s weeklong series as I am moving to NYC this August. I leave it up to my trusted fashion council. Haha. I trust they will not disappoint. 14 photography / Kim Frost / frostphotography.net
With that said I’d like to thank all the wonderful people whom were contracted to make each night happen (Marshe Wyche for Afro Punk, Anna Virginia, Garrett, Harpal Sodhi, Erin and Shelley Briggs for Worn Again, Jonny Z. for the10x10 T-shirt show. Next, my graphic designers Marie Cordella and Adam Juresko for their tireless revisions. And finally to my sponsors, Nonesuch, Exile, Urban Artifacts, Poesis, Ellwood Thompson’s & John Yamashita with Sticky Rice for believing in this project and providing us with their never ending support.
Thanks,AngelaBarrow Angela Barrow is a freelance designer who has worked under Anna Sui, Stella McCartney, Patrick Hoelck and Flaunt Magazine. Please visit her site: www.Cheek-ie.com
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Oura Sananikone is a mad scientist. Forget lightening, biodiesel, and solar panels, his imagination could propel the world on it’s axis.
/ Kim Frost
I was lucky enough to spend a lazy Monday morning sipping PBR with Oura in his make shift factory of a home. Surrounded by technicolor creatures I began to feel like I’d somehow stumbled onto the set of Darby O’Gill and the little people. In his magical world, rubber chickens become robots, rabbits have temper tantrums and everything in between is modified and hybridized with love like the island of misfit toys. Oura is a man that can sew and if he loves you like he does Christine, he will sew you a five fingered 20 eyed bug for your birthday. I was jealous and felt like I should be paying admission. So began the photo/interrogation Frost So what have you been up to artistically? Oura I’ve been selling at the Bizarre Market. I do pretty well, but not as well as Nick Kusyck. I’ve been working on a comic titled Ninja Force. Patrick of Odd God Publishing at Velocity Comics is going to promote it. It will be perfect bound and in comic stores nationally. The comics I’ve done previously were hand stapled zeroxes. Frost Why ninjas? Do you know kung foo? Oura Brien White introduced me to kung foo at VCU. Class was taught by some 18 year old kid that had been doing it since he was 4. I loved being able to do all that cool shit. I miss it. My friend Cornell, has been doing traditional thai kickboxing and that’s pretty intriguing. He’s about to start fighting. Frost Yikes! I don’t think I’d like to get kicked. Oura That’s why you gotta be good!
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Frost Again, why ninjas? Oura I’ve been collecting ninja stuff since I was a kid. They are always mysterious and steathly. Plus, everyone else is doing bunny rabbits and robots. Everyone loves a monkey.
Frost But you do those things too. Is considering what people like important to you? Oura No, I like those things too. If you do anything, do it because you want to. It’s not about when can I cash in. Frost Given the number of comics that already exist, how is this one going to be different? How do you even begin to approach working on a comic? Oura I don’t know how many times I’ve started it. The first time, I started with a bunch of ninjas, a team... hence ninja force. But now it’s becoming more spiritual. As if “ninja force” is the something inside you. Right now I don’t know where it’s going and I don’t want to know. I’ve been working on it when I’m kinda drunk because it helps me out. Loosens me up. Makes me less calculating. Not that I’m a calculating person. But it’s getting really silly. Originally, I wanted it to be an all ages comic but I didn’t want to limit my language. But I really like silly comics. It’s more fun to draw silly comics. Frost Do you have any heroes? Oura James Kolchaka. He’s BIG for his sketchbook. He worked on it everyday for 5 years of his life. He did Peanutbutter and Jeremy’s Best Book Ever. It’s about a cat and a bird that work in an office. Peanutbutter the cat wears hats and neckties and Jeremy tried to steal her hats. It’s dumb but it’s great. Frost Where does your inspiration come from, reality bound or imagination? Oura Imagination. Cartoons, comics, toys, graffiti. It’s hard to list everything. Gary Baseman is one of my favorites. He does weird bunnies holding their lucky rabbit’s foot. It’s cute and disturbing... like my work. Frost What other way is your art evolving? Oura I haven’t been doing many comics which is sad because it’s my main love. I’ve been doing more products, t-shirts, dolls, cheap paintings. I haven’t done any huge canvases since graduation but I’d really like to get away from products. But then cheap stuff is good because my friends don’t have any money. Dolls are my best seller but the market varies. Little kids like the dolls and adults like my paintings. It’s all over the board. RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Arts 19
Frost Why did you start making dolls? Oura I was lonely and bored in the fashion department. I was depressed and failing because I never went to class. Frost But you graduated? Do you think art school is it worth the investment? Oura I graduated in the summer of 2000 with a degree in painting and printmaking. And yea, it’s worth it. I never would have been exposed to silk screening or a sewing machine. I wouldn’t know how to make dolls or t-shirts. Frost How long have you been here? Do you think this city has anything to offer? Oura I’ve been here for 11 years. I came here for VCU. In Richmond there are only 1 or 2 degrees of separation. It’s easy to know everyone. Small communities make it easy to network and Tony of RVA has made me realize there is an art scene in Richmond. It’s given me a sense of pride, being here, being a part of it. I’m impressed by his passion. It’s inspiring. It’s motivating to know there is a market for art here. Frost So what else have you been doing? Are you still playing music? Oura I’m in a new band called Stars Collide. I write songs and sing. We only have 5 or 6 songs. I’d describe it as indie emo pop rock. We’ve played Nanci Raygun, and Canal Club. The Canal Club is pretty ridiculous, they charge 4 bucks for a Bud. And I’m part of a record label, Popfaction, I’m not on the business end, Michael does all that but I’m the one they ask whenever they need weird art shit like fliers, album covers, T-shirts. Frost So where would you like to see yourself in 5 years? Oura I’d like to be published in Giant Robot magazine and Juxtapose. I’d like to have a line of toys and........... no day job! With our beers no longer runneth over the interview came to a halt. I leave with a slew of brilliant underpriced art beneath my wing. Rarely do I ever get so much more than what I’ve paid for that I feel like the criminal. RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Arts 21
Why strip out the Specifics?
The Quietly Amazing Dash Shaw / Jane Samborski Dash Shaw’s work has appeared in anthologies and independent newspapers across the country. His books include, “Garden Head” (Meathaus Press), “Love Eats Brains” (OddGod Press), “Live with Passion” (Sequent Media), a collection of his short stories titled,” Goddess Head” (Hidden Agenda Press) and the upcoming “The Mother’s Mouth.” What would you say about your one-page comic, “Introducing” to a reader who’s never seen your work before? “Introducing” is a basic story: a couple meet, have an intense relationship, and then someone comes between them. I just stripped away all of the Specifics and left only the Emotional. The simple rhyming gives it a fast rhythm, so it ends abruptly and is kind of flighty.
Specifics don’t speak to a universal audience. Everyone can relate to emotions because (I hope) everyone feels things. Some people will relate to a specific character or situation and others won’t. If they met in a bar, and you met someone you loved in a bar, then maybe you would become more involved in the story, but another person might hate bars, or had a bad experience meeting someone in a bar. It’s all associative. So distilling a story to the Emotional, I think, highlights the most interesting/moving elements of a story, and cuts out all of the fluff. It’s more like music. People don’t ask for a story in music, they just want an emotional experience. That’s not to say that my comics don’t have stories. They do. It’s just that the stories are secondary to the emotional quality of the sequences and the psychology of the drawings. What do you mean by, “the psychology of the drawings?” Different lines have different psychological effects. Later in his career, Charles Schultz’s hand started to quiver and it gave “Peanuts” this nice fragility that suited the story. Lines are already abstractions; they don’t exist in real life. So the drawings have to work abstractly on top of explaining what’s going on. In “Introducing” the characters are first drawn in a static, almost instructional illustration way to juxtapose with the drawings inside their relationship, which are cursive and loose. In “Echo and Narcissus” I wanted to do a dance sequence, where Echo’s movements would mirror Narcissus, and the lines are these brushy strokes that cut into each other.
You occasionally reference Richmond in your comics. Yeah. I’ve traveled around a lot and lived in New York for a few years, but Richmond’s where I’ve spent most of my life. Richmond is beautiful, but it’s become like a mix tape that an old friend’s given me that has all of those associations. I’m sure everyone feels that way about their home town. I mean, Richmond’s so small that every place now carries a personal history. I did a comic that took place at a Civil War re-enactment site in Richmond because I feel like I’m trapped in the past when I’m here. I can’t spend the rest of my life drawing at Fourth Street Cafe and swimming in Belle Isle.
Dash Sahw / www.dashshaw.com 23
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MUSIC
BLOOD&THUNDER / Parker
The band Mastodon has been called the future of metal. Their sound is a hard-to-categorize, innovative blend of grind, hardcore, and metal. Their live shows are a must see spectacle filled with electrifying grace, mind-blowing intensity, and powerful technical ability that reaches epic levels. I had the pleasure of catching up with Brann Dailor (drums) and Troy Sanders (bass/vocals) outside of Alley Katz on May 16th to talk to them about their relentless touring, playing with metal legends such as Slayer, and the conception of their newest album Leviathan, recently named 2004 Album of the Year by Kerrang! Magazine. Parker You guys are constantly touring. How important is it for you to tour and for up and coming bands to tour? Brann Dailor I think it’s the only way possible to get any kind of success out of playing music. I think people that try to go the route of holding a showcase here and there hoping that some guy from a label is going to show up at their door with a record contract is out of their minds. The only way to do it is to book your own tours and shows and hopefully you’ll get noticed by somebody.…… P A lot of hard work on the road…… BD Yeah, but you do it because you love to do it. You don’t play music just so you can get signed and be a famous band. That’s not the reason why. I mean, everybody has their own reasons for playing music, but that’s not the reason why we play music. We’re still in a van right now and even if we didn’t get a tour bus tomorrow we’d still just travel around in our van. If nobody liked us and we just played in basements, we’d do it because it’s fun to do. It’s fun to write music. It’s fun to play music. If we were independently wealthy we’d play music free for people. P Unfortunately these days, a lot of people look at it like, “Let’s get together and start a business and see how much money we can make. BD Yeah, that’s totally lame. P But you guys do it for the love of music. BD I think that’s what shows in our band. We never put any kind of limitations or financial goals, really for that matter, on the band. We’re never like, “We have to get to this financial level or else it’s not worth it for us”. We have to play music. We love playing music for people. We all enjoy the interactions we get on stage with the fans, afterwards talking and meeting new people, friendships that you make along the way, playing with other good bands…… hopefully, be part of something that’s a lot bigger than you. It could change things for the better. P You guys have been on tour with some pretty big egos like Slayer. You’re getting ready to go on Ozzfest. A couple of you guys have been in a band in the past where there was an overwhelmingly big ego involved. How do you guys feel touring with all these metal legends and egos? Do you just get up there and do your shit and not worry about it, or is it a little bit intimidating? Do you ever get treated like the “new guys on the block”? BD No, not at all. We’ve always been treated with nothing but respect and kindness from the bands we’ve gone out with, like Slayer, Fear Factory, bands like that. It’s really cool. I didn’t expect it to be any differently. It would be lame if anybody were to treat us disrespectfully, or like the “new kids on the block”. I wouldn’t even want to be on a tour like that. We’re on our way to join up with Iron Maiden in Europe. Thinking about it beforehand is actually more intimidating than when you are there doing it. Like, when we were going on tour with Slayer in Europe, beforehand it was kind of nerve wracking. We were kind of nervous about it. Then we got up on stage. Everybody was gathered around banging their heads. The guys from Slayer were up there hanging out. RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Music 29
It turns in to a very cool, normal thing. They become your peers. That’s where it gets a little weird, when Kerry King is your peer. Troy Sanders We’re just excited because all those bands have been some level of inspiration for our entire lives. So, when you get to hook up with them it’s a little slice of the dream come true. If anyone does have a bad, negative ego, then we’re just not going to talk to you in the first place. There’s not that many assholes, that we’ve encountered, in the traveling world of music because everyone’s been in the same shoes no matter what level you’re at. BD If you’re at the level where you’re able to play with bands like Slayer, they know that a band like Mastodon has worked extremely hard for it. They know that we’re not some thrown together industry thing. Those are the bands that don’t get respect out there. TS Band like Iron Maiden and Slayer are at the point where they can choose their opening bands and/or deny them. So, when our name gets tossed in the mix and they welcome us on tour, that’s the invitation in. BD We’re not being picked because it’s a major label tour where the label is putting pressure on the headlining band because they want one of their newer bands to open. It’s a genuine respect for what we are doing, which is extremely flattering coming from Slayer and Iron Maiden. It’s amazing. It’s a great feeling. P Do you prefer to play larger venues or smaller clubs? It’s a totally different experience for each. TS I think it depends on the show. BD It depends on the show. It depends on the energy of the people. You could play a small club and have everyone just stare at you like you’re showing a dog a card trick. But, you could also play a small club and everyone go crazy. There are two different charming aspects of the kinds of places we’ve played. We’ve played everything from the smallest basement where no one can fit down there and people have to try to watch from the stairs to the fuckin’ 20,000 seat arenas. So, they both have there things about them. I think I had more butterflys in my stomach for the 20,000 seat arena than there were for the basement. P It must be great feeling, that energy coming from 20,000 people. BD Absolutely. That energy transfers to the four of us on stage. It’s a circle of energy that runs through us. I feed off the monitor if it’s really fuckin’ loud and everything sounds great…….I get off on that. But also the crowd……it’s great to walk on stage to 20,000 screaming fans. It’s mindblowing! It makes your balls go up into your throat. P It seems like the quality of heavy music is back on the upswing. Many people refer to you guys as catalysts of bringing back interesting and creative heavy music. You definitely have been carving your own niche. How do you guys perceive what’s going on in the heavy music world? BD We are just championing the flags of bands like The Melvins and Neurosis and making sure that that kind of intensity, spirituality, and genuinely heavy music stays alive and kicking. That’s the music that we love, so I would be stoked if bands starting trying to experiment with different things and not cater to what they think people want to hear. Bands need to explore their inner artist and try to come up with something different and cool to push musical boundaries. Bands like Mars Volta being able to sell out 4,000 seaters is quite the testament to what’s going on right now. Hopefully, the world is finally on to something. Cool and interesting music can share a little of the pop music pie. TS Bands like Isis going on tour with Tool is very refreshing and amazing. System of a Down bringing Mars Volta on their tour and exposing them to people that would have never heard of them otherwise is a very cool thing. 30 RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Music
BD That’s what needs to happen if things are going to change. There will be that 13 year old kid in the audience that will think, “Wow! This is what I’ve been looking for. Fuck Linkin’ Park. This is what I need to be listening to!” P Let’s switch gears and talk about the evolution of Mastodon’s sound from the album Remission (2002) to Leviathan (2004). It seems like Leviathan, although heavy and brutal, has a more melodic sense to it. Do you guys feel that way as well? BD Our sound got more focused. P Did you have more time to think it out? BD Not really, no. Our deal with Leviathan was the same with most musicians. You take your whole life to write your first record and two months to actually sit down and write your second one. We did collect riffs and ideas along the way. The new album was basically two year in the making, but only focused on for two months. We take inspiration from other bands, life events, and growing as a family of musicians that travel on the road together. So, Leviathan is the product of the last two years of experiences in our life. That’s what came out. That’s us. That’s what we wanted to do. It’s not that premeditated. It comes from the gut, from the heart. We get together and compare notes, connect what we’ve came up with, and really sit down and work on making it perfect for us. P Let’s talk about the lyrical content. A lot of your lyrics harken back to more primevil, mythological beasts and forces of nature. Man vs. beast, man vs. nature, and the idea of the struggle involved with these are themes that you hit on. Where do you pull most of your inspiration from? I’ve heard a lot of mention of Moby Dick, especially when talking about Leviathan. TS A lot of lyrical ideas for Leviathan were pulled and themed after the Moby Dick story and everything involved. We were able to relate everything from the book underneath the umbrella of the deep waters. We also dive into the mythology of prehistoric creatures form fact and fiction. That kind of spawned of into songs like “Iceland” and “Viking”. We have a big pot to pull from and a big umbrella to work with. It was a fun challenge to write good RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Music 31
lyrics. We treat lyrics like a fifth instrument. We don’t want to have a great song instrumentally and then tack on some shallow lyrics. P So, Moby Dick and all giant, larger than life creatures and themes are subjects that you are fascinated with. TS Those subjects are definitely fascinating. If that idea rings true with something we feel in the music once the song is written then we come up with lyrics that fit with what we doing instrumentally. P You’re music has a very overwhelming, gigantic feel to it as well. BD That’s why we named the band Mastodon. We make this whole world out of it. It’s all about visuals that we think of when the music is played. It’s massive. That’s what we think about. I remember listening to Neurosis records and envisioning these huge fuckin’ beasts clawing through mountains. So, if we are going to have this massive sound then it only makes sense that our lyrics talk about massive subjects. It’s always been an unspoken thing between all of us. P I know you guys probably haven’t had time to even think about another album yet, but do you think the next album will be a concept album in the same vein as Leviathan? TS Who knows? BD We have a lot of ideas right now, so we’ll see. It has a lot to do with the artwork too. The artwork is a big part of the band. P Paul Romano, right? BD Yeah. We get a lot of ideas together and go to him and discuss them. We all can emotionally invest ourselves in all these ideas and come up with something really cool, both lyrically and musically. With Paul, we ask him to take these ideas and use the ones that he can get the most creative artwork out of. He can do anything. P What he’s done with the artwork for Remission and Leviathan is make almost make symbols for each album. When you see the big, white whale artwork you think of Leviathan. When you see the horse on fire, you think of Remission. BD That’s the way it should be. I think that in the age of computers, computer imagery, and everything involved, people have kind of lost the art of the “kick ass” album cover and painting. A lot of album art these days is boring. There needs to be a central or powerful image to really stand out and represent the album. I’m thirty years old. Everybody in the band is in their thirty’s. We grew up with records that had Eddie (Iron Maiden) on them. When I was seven years old I walked in the music store and thought, “That record has a cool monster on it. I want it”!
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“There’s magic in the water that attracts all men Across hills and down streams The turning of the tide Outlook Future Bright Selfish Beauty Shines Light cloud rain drives on 13 years to this day red planet aligned Into sight 60,000 years of light Fascination with a mountain put to sea Built to slay and conquer All with teeth of beasts” I Am Ahab / Leviathan 2004 Relapse Records www.mastodonrocks.com
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THUNDERBIRDS ARE NOW! Justamustache / French Kiss Records O.K. I know there are tons of danceable post-punk bands around these days, but this record is one worth taking seriously. Actually, it’s pretty damn fun to listen to, so don’t take it “too” seriously. As soon as I heard the opening track, ‘Better Safe Than Safari’, I was hooked. Very driving, high velocity songs with really catchy vocals, that are hard not to sing along with, are what you’ll find here. The guitars are hectic and dissonant, coupled with keyboards, the two trade off providing the main melodies with the rhythm section pounding underneath it all at the utmost of precision. This Detroit outfit is at the top of my list of current bands I want to see live.
ONEIDA The Wedding Jagjaguwar Ah, another full length from New York’s “Out Rock” heroes, ONEIDA…this time they’re accompanied by a string section. But, worry not, my friends… they’re still the ONEIDA we know and love…or the ONEIDA I know and love. I’ll break it down for you…lush, psychedelic compositions with “hazed” out keyboards and always, always killer guitar riffs and powerful, driving drums and bass. The vocals are beautiful with pretty bizarre lyrical content and themes…oooooohhh, far out man, yeah! They’ve added tons of extra musicians on this release aside from the string section…sitar, piano, and extra guitars and percussion. Perfect for, stoned out of your gourd, sunny Sunday afternoons…get this and hear for yourself.
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THE COUGHS Fright Makes Right / Load Records From the label that brought us LIGHTNING BOLT and USA IS A MONSTER cums this totally fucked up album by THE COUGHS. Cacophony is definitely a fitting word for this terrifying, Chicago, sixpiece. Featuring mainly screamed female vocals by Anya Davidson with what sounds like junk, sheet metal percussion along with real drums and screaming, wailing saxophones…Jesus, this is perfectly abrasive! The disjointed guitar riffs add to the discomfort level, with the plodding bass lines being the perfect “theme” music for a drunk pedophile stalking the school yards for fresh meat. Did I just say that? Yes I did. CHROME Angel Of The Clouds / Konnex-Dossier In the late 70’s/ early 80’s San Francisco’s CHROME released some of the most bizarre albums with a weird blend of acid-drenched, new-wave, psychedelic, avant-punk, space-rock ever conceived. Damon Edge and Helios Creed being the main song writers, influencing such acts as the BUTTHOLE SURFERS and MINISTRY…The duo parted ways in 1984 and Damon continued CHROME with new musicians in Europe. Those records, in my opinion, are pretty boring. Well, imagine my surprise when I found a website specializing in CHROME and HELIOS CREED, who continues a solo career to this day. The site is www.staticwhitesound. com and they advertised “Angel Of The Clouds” with unreleased songs featuring Helios and Damon. I immediately ordered it…it came a week later, and….Fuck yeah! The first seven tracks actually have the duo credited as being on the songs together and they are definitely the reason to own this CD…the remaining four feature Damon, again, with other musicians and are, amazingly enough….boring. So the lesson here is, in this reviewer’s humble opinion, only buy the CHROME records with Helios on them. Sorry Damon. R.I.P. The 1st CHROME album ‘THE VISITATION’ is an exception to this rule (pre-Helios). Oh yeah, I probably listened to track 3, The Spider, at least 10 times in a row when I got this. You won’t find this in too many record stores, but check the above mentioned site for ordering info and pretty much anything else you would ever want to know about this ground breaking band.
Reviews written by Jason Hodges 35
The Pink Razors are a pop -punk band from Oregon Hill. sits on the fence between They have a musical style that the bad look at living, both the good and y The ve. vati inno nostalgic and ic. mus r thei in up s show that or sides, with a sense of hum
36 Interview by Timothy Towslee / photo by Michelle Dosson
http://www.pinkrazors.com OR http://www.roboticempire.com
The two participated in various musical partnerships while in Charlottesville (one operating under the horribly misguided name “Ecto-Slavia”), the most productive of which were the Silver Jews, which often came off as another Fall/Swell Maps induced Malkmus fit with some perky poetics hovering above the brine. After two records with Malkmus, the mostly worthless Arizona Record and the adorably fractured Starlite Walker, Berman separated from Malkmus, taking the reins of the Silver Jews and riding them into the eyes of the urban psyche.
Silver Jews / The Natural Bridge / Landis Wine There was a point during the mid-90s at which it seemed that irony would completely engulf rock and roll. The man behind this roaring wind of detachment was none other than Stephen Malkmus, the University of Virginia bred mastermind behind the post-modern wet dream, Pavement. It would therefore come as a considerable surprise that one of the only truly soulful rock (with a hearty helping of gentle twang) albums released in that decade was from Malkmus’s old school chum, David Berman.
Out of this mighty Sargasso of irony emerged something so utterly honest and translucent that it cannot help but immediately disarm the listener. From the opening words, “No I don’t really wanna die, I only want to die in your eyes,” Berman lays everything out in the most direct way possible, backed by a deceptively complex array of instruments pulled out of a roadside ditch just outside of Nashville. The instruments slither and bounce without ever becoming redundant, and there’s an underlying warmth to everything that belies the layers of melody that lie just beneath the surface. There is a yawning gap between the sort of coerced testimonials and method-acting that comprises so much of music that people consider to be honest/open and the sort of effortless delivery that Berman gives on The Natural Bridge. The voice itself is a comfortable amalgamation of a young Leonard Cohen and an aging Charles Bukowski, both in lyrical content and delivery. It’s a staggering subtlety akin to someone whispering some county’s secret history to you by an overpass. During the course of the entire record the songs never manage to drop below astonishing. Finishing with the awe-inspiring “Pretty Eyes,” a piano/guitar ballad that dedicates itself to recounting various snapshots from a suburban childhood and giving it the same sense of nostalgia that one would expect from an old country dirge. This isn’t a niche record, or some sort of esoteric genre-bending masterpiece, but rather a living, breathing echo of humanity. RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Music 37
FI LM
Dispatches from the Cinema Affairs Desk Kevin Gallagher, Your Man in the Field I learned a lot in film school; I’m not ungrateful. However, in between the debates on American remakes of Russian classics and the exact meaning of the color palette of any given Kubrick film, something went unmentioned. There is a great lumbering beast in filmmaking that no one likes to talk about while they are sitting around pretending to be artists. A thing so vile as to reduce any post-post-modern, Tarantino-talking, Hollywood-mocking, wannabe auteur to a simpering celluloid eunuch. Whoisgoingtobeinyourcrew,whataretheygoingtoeat,wherearetheygo ingtosleep,whoisgoingto makethehotelreservations,who’sgoingtore ntthegear,doyouhavethepermitsIdon’thavethem,Ithoughtyouhadthe m.Whereisthecatererdowehavetheactress’vegeterianfedorganiceggsfromthatonefarmsheeatsfromlocatedinsouthwestoregon?Whyaretheteams tersleaving? And so it goes and so it goes. This is what happens the 99.9% of the time that the cameras aren’t rolling and twirling. This is Production. This is hell. For this film that I was so apprehensive to discuss in my previous article, it is no different. I am a slave to production. To my advantage, I’m the only member of the crew and there are no actors. The kicker is that I have to transport this one-man crew over 2,000 miles, on foot, in the wilderness, with everything I need for 6 months strapped to my back. Craft services is one titanium pot. My hotel is a tarp. The honey wagon (production speak for bathroom) is the nicest log I can balance on. No frills, all chills, out on the Appalachian Trail.
38 RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Film
The crew is smaller but the ratio of logistics to actual shooting time is the same. I spend about 7 hours a day hiking ; the other day light hours are spent trying to find a place to eat and make camp. I really spend most of my time sleeping because when the sun goes down in the mountains there are only two things to do: sleep or wallow in terror at every creak of a branch in the wind and snap of a twig, convincing yourself that a bear/ snake/murderous psychopath is encroaching upon you. I devote roughly 15 minutes a day to a nice sunny spot on the trail actually shooting my film. Production is the enemy of process; it binds and suppresses possibility. I have found a loophole. With this film, production is the process. I like hiking, that is what I predominately came out here for. The film is almost (but not really) an afterthought. I have enslaved the master. I am Aguirre, the Wrath of God. I am the Dogstar Man. Katahdin trembles at my approach.
RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Film 39
Todd Raviotta, Richmond Filmmaker / Ted Blanks
40 photo / Georgre Weistroffer
Todd Raviotta has finished his first feature, and he’s been sitting on it for almost a year. At this point, he’s used to waiting. “It took 5 years to make,” he says, “but I had been thinking about it before I even shot anything for a year and a half, and some of the roots of it go back to when I was a kid.” “Mediated: The 21st Century Lifestyle” clocks in at just under an hour, and was shot on digital video, mostly in Raviotta’s old bedroom. This isn’t just shoddy location scouting: he actually transformed his apartment into a film set. Raviotta’s film is about Phillip, a twentysomething who hardly ever leaves his place, in which he has built a wall of televisions, each tuned to a different station. He is so adamant in his isolation that he begins to hallucinate that the evening newscaster is talking to him, trying to persuade him to do something newsworthy, no matter how illegal. It’s a brilliant device, and skillfully executed. With “Mediated”, Raviotta brings the viewer into his character’s paranoia and media-over saturation as he fights with himself over whether or not to venture outside of his created world. “What happens when you’re locked away from striving? What happens when you just care about your television, your food, and your sleep?” Raviotta asks. He says it’s a question that he has had to deal with himself. If you’ve ever interacted with Raviotta, though, you might find this a little hard to believe: he’s one of the busiest guys in Richmond. He juggles being on the board of directors for a local production company, teaching at 2 schools, judging festivals, filming local bands, and helping with his friends’ films and projects, all the while having found time to shoot his own movie, usually late at night, when he says he works best. He came to Richmond in 1996, and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA from the Photography and Film Department in 2001. He began his teaching career almost immediately by building the film and digital video program at the Maggie Walker Governor’s School from the ground up. While in graduate school, he started teaching classes at VCU. He got his MFA last year, and continues to teach at both schools.
“What I didn’t count on was the fact that I would be entrusted with young artists. They have lots of questions, lots of ideas, and I have to manage their ideas and their goals.” He likens teaching to producing and directing, and says it helped him come out of his shell in regards to his interactions with others. He now tells his students to think of him as a producer, someone who will do everything in his power to help their film get made. “My verbal skills are better than when I started,” he adds. He feels more comfortable forming relationships with potential exhibitors, delineating tasks to crew members, and sometimes simply telling people “no”. In addition to teaching, he serves as film liaison to Yellow House, the production company started by his friend Justin Dray, who plays the lead in “Mediated”. They met their freshman year in a Hitchcock seminar taught by Mike Jones, co-founder of the Richmond Moving Image Co-op, which has put on the James River Film Festival for the last 12 years. (see RVA #2) Justin Dray & Stephanie Kelley incorporated Yellow House soon after graduating, and they have since gone on to produce several local theater events, short films, festivals and most recently their first feature, “Hitiro the Peasant”. In May 2004, Raviotta successfully lobbied for Yellow House to take on Project Res, a monthly themed festival into which anyone can enter their film. He first heard of Project Res through the few undergraduate students who originally conceived the program. “It was a small AFO way of trying to get films to happen,” Todd says, referring to VCU’s freshman Art Foundation program. In Kevin Gallagher & Joe Carebeo, Yellow House has made the program a success, bringing in over 100 people per show, and showing 8 to10 films a month. The next step, he says, is looking for sponsorship from local businesses, so that Project Res continues to be a free service for filmmakers (and filmgoers). “It’s been spectacular for the filmmakers, because they come in, show a film and they get to talk about it immediately. So it starts that process.” He views it as a stepping stone to getting films ready to be screened at other festivals, RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Film 41
and seen by audiences outside of Richmond.Raviotta’s sees Richmond as a place where a rich film community can be cultivated, and perfected, so that its product can be exported to the rest of the country. “I could go to New York and become a television editor, work for MTV or VH1 or some channel that’s got reality TV shows shot on miniDV that I’ve got complete experience in, and get paid pretty well to do that,” he said, but he’s not quite ready to turn his back on a city that’s already brought him a core group of collaborators and crew. He’s building something here, and having already screened his own films in New York and elsewhere to a good response, he’s confident that he’s in the right place. Keeping Richmond’s film and music scenes close is important to Raviotta. He has used music from Richmond natives Lamb of God for his own film, and he sees the musician/filmmaker relationship in his students as well. Many of them direct music videos for their friends’ bands, or are in bands themselves. For him, the exchange is indicative of Richmond as a “macro/ micro version of the mainstream entertainment industry.” “When I was in high school I studied the Haight-Ashbury scene and certainly the Seattle scene of music, and I always hoped that Richmond, where I was, could be that same sort of idea, where you have bands, painters, sculptors, artists, actors, making stuff happen. Something can be born from that.” Recently, he has come upon an opportunity to direct his first short 35mm film. For him, it’s like starting all over again. It’s a new medium to conquer, and it could open up a lot of doors for Raviotta, and Richmond film. He’s ready for the challenge. “I want to be a director. I’ve read enough biographies, I’ve watched enough behind-the-scenes, listened to enough commentaries, seen enough, worked on enough to say ‘let’s see if I can really cut it.” If Raviotta keeps going at this rate, he shouldn’t have too much of a problem. 42 photography / Nate “Igor” Smith
Which Jaws has the bigger bite? / James Wayland It’s a true anomaly: a stellar book is optioned by Hollywood and brought to the screen in epic fashion, surpassing the source text in the eyes of many. For once, fans of either format can sit and ponder the merits of these beloved blockbusters, engaged in a difficult debate. Which version has the sharpest teeth? When Peter Benchley wrote his signature novel, he ignited the literary world with a gripping “Man vs. Nature” opus that plunges the reader into a marine nightmare on the first page and never looks back. Benchley based his work on an actual series of attacks on the East Coast attributed to a single shark and this gives his plot a potent dose of realism. The characters are well drawn, the setting is perfect, and the prose is both rhythmic and knowledgeable, a delicate balancing act performed to perfection here. Steven Spielberg took Benchley’s book to tinseltown and frightened audiences across the country out of the water with his amped-up approach and an explosively different climax (literally) that won the author over despite some initial conflict. Young Spielberg was willing to take more chances and it shows, this stark and scary picture is a far cry from the family fare the director is also known for. Here, his ambition and ability join forces with an exceptional cast to land an instant classic. Give an assist to John Williams, the famed film composer who supplied one of cinema’s grandest scores. Since there can be no doubt that both versions of this tale have touched countless lives, a prominent question arises: which is the better fishing trip to go on? Unfortunately, this is a query that simply cannot
be answered. The two visions vary enough that it simply will not work if one attempts to compare and contrast them. Prominent characters and subplots within the novel didn’t make it before the cameras, most notably an extramarital sexual encounter between Matt Hooper and Ellen Brody that charges the third act of the book with blistering tension as three men take to the sea in pursuit of one of nature’s most violent killers. Alas, who can forget Robert Shaw’s incredible monologue regarding his service on the Indianapolis, a plot device Spielberg originated and a setpiece the actor ran wild with. There is also the conclusion to consider, as well as the fact that a primary character who survives on celluloid perishes in print. This is all a blessing, as those who know and love the story have two separate experiences to enjoy, both of which are frequently cited as favorites by bookworms and film buffs alike. *If you’re somehow unfamiliar with both the book and the movie and you’re wondering how something nearing its thirtieth anniversary could frighten a modem audience, just remember: a VHS tape cannot kill you. However, if you should encounter a Great White while swimming in the ocean, it is very likely that you are going to be eaten. Surfs up!
COMING SOON!! Trailer Park Trash & Vampires 43
INT. DARK PARLOR. NIGHT The curtains open to reveal a dark parlor. A strikingly handsome young man, KIRCHFELD, holds a sleek cell phone in his hand. He stares at it with a look of bewilderment, giving it brief shakes. He looks up as a decrepit old man in a wheel chair, MR. PICKLES, rolls into the room. The old man speaks with an interminable pant. MR. PICKLES Got problems with your gadget? Kirchfeld nods his head. KIRCHFELD Rotten creations, these cell phones. A farting sound is heard. We see a CLOSE UP of Pickles grinning blissfully as he adjusts his oxygen tube. MR. PICKLES In my day, we wrote letters.
PHONE
2002 DIRECTOR : Ahn Byoung Ki STARRING : JI-WON HA, YU-MI KIM, WOO-JAE CHOI RATED R DISTRIBUTION : TARTAN FILMS USA 44 Pickles & Kirchfeld / The International Gentlemen
Kirchfeld sets the phone down and pours himself a scotch and water. He smirks. KIRCHFELD In your day, they used smoke signals. Pickles frowns. We see him pull out a copy of “PHONE.” The DVD case is covered in what appears to be spittle. Pickles haphazardly wipes it off.
MR. PICKLES Here. Pickles hands the DVD to Kirchfeld, who accepts it with a look of revulsion. KIRCHFELD Opinions? We see Kirchfeld’s cell phone light up and beep. Both men eye it with nervous suspicion. MR. PICKLES Scared the buffalo chips outta me. I soiled myself. KIRCHFELD Undoubtedly. It is a very effective horror film. What did you think of the little girl. Pickles shudders. MR. PICKLES If I ever see a girl like that, I’d call the looney bin. Kirchfeld sits down across from Pickles, finishing his scotch. KIRCHFELD This is part of the new wave of Asian horror films. Although
generally led by Japan, the horror-ghost story genre has aught on in Thailand, Korea, and Hong Kong. Most are similar in their use of ghosts and technology. Kirchfeld’s cell phone begins to ring. The ring is extended and distorted. We see some blue sparks shoot out. MR. PICKLES Turn that damned thing off, why don’t you! KIRCHFELD It is off! The two men look at each other with distrust. MR. PICKLES Wouldn’t be tryin’ to scare an old man, would you? I gotta bad ticker, ya know. KIRCHFELD Never. Kirchfeld walks over to a waste basket and drops his phone in.
KIRCHFELD (cont’d) Get a new one. Did you think the story was well constructed? I particularly found the twists to be delightful, inventive and sincere. This is a great blend of metaphor, plot, and cinematography. We hear the phone ring from the depths of the waste basket. The ring is long, scratching out a distorted whine in the air around them. Pickles wheels himself out of the parlor with a slow and calculated caution. His face is awash with terror. Kirchfeld follows him, avoiding the waste basket. MR. PICKLES Smoke signals don’t sound so bad. The CAMERA pulls back and the curtains close. FADE TO BLACK. Pi c k l e s & K i rc h f e l d is a m o n t h l y e x p e r i m e n t to e x p o s e re a d e r s to q u a l i t y h o r ro r f i l ms , n o m a t te r w h e n t h e y w e re m a d e.
LOCAL
/ Julia R. Taylor
Upside Down
Monday we buried the baby. I didn’t know what it was. To me, she looked like a very old shrunken lady with red, wrinkled walnuts for hands. My aunt told me it was time to say goodbye to my sister. I turned and said it to Annie who was wearing her best church dress, the white one with tiny strawberries on it. “Silly,” Annie sniffed. “Not to me, you’re supposed to say goodbye to the baby.” The way she said it, stretching the word out so that I would feel exactly as small as I was made. It made me curl my fingers into my hands, just enough to hurt a little. “Girls, now is not the time. You don’t want your mother coming in here to find you two bickering,” Aunt Lucy said, walking over to the window and looking out between the curtains. “Where’s that car?” Mommy had been walking around for two whole days, sniffing. Her eyes looked like they were bleeding and she said she didn’t know what to do with herself. I remember that had sounded dumb to me. Now she walked into the room and whispered to Aunt Lucy that the car was here, which meant we could go. The ride to the cemetery wasn’t long, but it was long enough to hear Mommy and Aunt Lucy crying in the front, while I sat in the back with Annie, kicking the seat in front of me. I hated the smell of the car. It smelled like Granny and hairspray.
“Stop it, stupid,” Annie said. “You’re going to make her cry even more if you keep doing that. Do you want it to be your fault?” “No.” “Then quit it. Just quit it.” The car climbed the hill to the cemetery. There was a big group of people. I thought I was pretty special. They were all there waiting for us so we could say goodbye to the baby. Mommy called the baby Eleanor. I didn’t really understand all the fuss over the little old woman. Aunt Lucy said it was a proper goodbye and I figured anything proper had to be important. As soon as I could get out of the car, I ran over to the tent and did a handstand. I always wanted to know how things looked upside down. Mrs. Cratchett, the lady from next door, told me that I was shocking. I wasn’t too sure what that meant, but I didn’t think it was a good thing. I thought the hair coming out of her chin was shocking and told her so. That was the Monday we buried the baby, Eleanor. Aunt Lucy took me over to the tent and we stood under it, holding hands. We stood in a row, me, Annie and Aunt Lucy. In front of us, the baby’s gravestone stood beside her mother‘s casket. I can still remember the way the car smelled back then. It smelled the same way today when we came to bury Mother. I didn’t do a handstand this time. I didn’t have to. This is what the world looks like upside down. Illustration / Eric Seat 47
They Had To Shit Somewhere In The Garden Of Eden The James River Park System is a five hundred and fifty acre natural refuge in the heart of Richmond. This collection of shorelines and islands is the largest, and some consider most diverse, park in the city. It offers a refuge to those who long to escape the concrete symmetry of square buildings and asphalt streets. The park system was once a site of stagnant pools, containing a high concentration of raw sewage dumped from the industrial plants that line the banks. Fish and wildlife dwindled from the abuse and, due to health reasons, public access was prohibited to the area which is now the park. The entire balance of the river was threatened until the Clean Water Act propelled a change. The initial change, which was the completion of a sewer line in 1972, became the catalyst for great environmental prosperity and enticed the city to purchase pieces of land for public use. As the quality of water dramatically changed, the ecosystem thrived. Now the park is home to an array of wildlife. The James River Park System officially lists beavers, fox, whitetail deer, muskrats, eagles, otters and osprey among the inhabitants of this environment. Although animal stability was a goal, the redevelopment of the river ecosystem emphasized human inclusion as well. A service road for the new sewer line became the pedestrian access to the river, and thus the great human migration began. While most species of humans that frequent the area can be categorized in classic genomes such as, river rat, urban redneck, awkward family, dog walker, jogger, after school stoner... some individuals react differently when placed in such a contradictory setting than society conditions for.
48 Illustration / Brian Nozynski
/ M. Dulin
Most people can be observed in the park behaving as they normally would on city streets. They realize that although the buildings and bricks have been replaced with trees and grass, basic social mores and taboos still apply. Some, however, seem to undergo a primordial flip when surrounded by such uncontrolled natural growth. To immediately cross over from the confines of a metropolitan society into the “wilderness� of the park allows for no acclimation of self-control. They lose sight of the city beneath the green canopies and forego all social standards that normally would apply. Eccentricities swell with the belief that they are in the wild and allowed to act accordingly. They become the white buffalo; the Bigfoot of the river. On one particular occasion I was witness to the reality that is fodder for the odd tales of the river. It began one early summer day. I had recently acquired an old canoe, a worthy vessel for a river such as the James. Now, most of my experiences have been on the land around the park system, Belle Isle mostly. Gathered on the rocks with the other rowdies, the dogs would wander and I would feel independent. But with the addition of the canoe, I could envisioned a journey farther up stream. After patching the holes in the boat, a perpetually unemployed companion and myself set out to the southside of the river to seek our entrance to open water. Novices of the area, we just drove down along the river and choose at random the Reedy Creek entrance to the park. Overwhelmed with potential, we carried the extremely awkward and heavy hull over the railroad tracks and entered the river at the public boat slip. A sense of unbridled instinct rose in the two of us as the current took hold of the ship. Immediately we turned to paddle up stream when we discovered that we were just below a set of moderate rapids, which we wanted to be educated upon. On this day the river had not swelled beyond control. It was unpleasantly low exposing the rude contour of the river bed, which made for a worthy challenge. We were only able to paddle in small areas and had to evacuate the ship and carry it over the more protruding stones.
Despite this test of determination the two of us reveled in the natural beauty of this rare urban park. Canadian geese could be seen in large groups waiting around the in-betweens, while swarms of no-see-ums hovered over standing water and hiding fish. It was as if we had been transported far away from civilization. We were alone, or so we thought. On the southern shore of the river a man seemed to be lying out on a boulder. I noticed him during a difficult maneuver with the boat in which my first mate and I were trying to drag it between a strong current and a troublesome rock. My friend stood holding the boat with his back to the shore and as I glanced over his shoulder I noticed this lone individual now standing, facing the two of us and he appeared to be pantless. I was immediately struck with a sense of doubt at what I was witnessing. This man was just far enough away to make me question myself, then the dance commenced. The brazen man began enjoying himself in the most private way but in the most public fashion, like a human in a fit of convulsions, as if he was struck with the same delusion of uninhabited space. I realized the truth of the situation. Turning to my friend I spoke in a somber tone, “Don’t look behind you but I think there is a guy on the rocks ... jerking off.” Of course he turned, but slowly, and confirmed my vision. “Just ignore the knuckle,” I said, “he just wants us to acknowledge him, it’s how the devil gets off.” Being in such a remote area as we were and at a safe distance from him we figured it best to play ignorant -- like not looking someone in the eye at a party, it means they are not there. Yelling threats would only tempt the beast more. Standing out on the river my accomplice and I both had an omnipotent view of an otherwise tunneled vision. A large bush stood to the creep’s left and just on the other side of the bush a carefree, young couple appeared. They were out on this pure day enjoying the sun and playing with their Golden Retriever. Neither party was aware of the other, and from the looks of the wildman’s antics he probably didn’t care who saw his compulsion. If the
LOCAL
50 RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Local
couple witnessed this, I sensed, then the world would crash to an end. Immediately we loaded the boat and caught a quick current between the rocks. We couldn’t leave the scene fast enough. I didn’t want to wash up on those strange shores. After returning home a weird film hung around my mind. A realization awakened in me, this natural refuge that I only saw with childlike delight, was also inhabited by predators the field guides do not warn you about. I have retold this story to many people since then. Almost one out of five that I tell this story to can recount their own version of a similar scene. Usually these stories are told by females. Some say he wears a white thong, usually spotted around the same location, but always involving his crotch. One girl told me of how he exposed himself blatantly while jumping around like he was juggling with no hands. Others talk of how he will lie on a rock nearby, upon his back, fully exposed like a sundial at high noon. After hearing about so many similar encounters I was relieved to know that I am not the only one to see Jesus in a burnt piece of toast. Since these accounts have been chronicled, other new species have been discovered. Some look like you would meet them by a copy machine in a generic office, but instead they approach you on isolated trails, wearing loafers. An even rarer individual, probably near extinction, has been sighted wearing camouflage and hiding in bushes. This species appears to be asexual, and this seems to be how it fertilizes itself. The James River Park System does not recognize these creatures on it’s official list of mammals. While so far they have appeared to be harmless, an awareness must be made. Some of the most dangerous places in the world are also the most beautiful. They are worth the risk to experience, but do not go unprepared. Never go into elephant country unless you have an elephant gun. It is not the entire herd which you should fear, but the insane rogue with crazed eyes.
I continue to frequent the river, feeling more prepared then ever of the uncertainties that may arise in such a lawless realm. Now though, I travel up stream with a keen eye on the shore line, ever vigilant of the rare sightings that might arise, and strapped beneath my seat is a high powered slingshot. One sharp sting on the upper thigh will snap anyone back into a civilized state.
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The Good Life / The International Gentlemen Why do you people keep badgering me? Leave me alone. Recently, you have been questioning me about how and why I live the life I do. Not content with merely being annoyed, this ceaseless nagging has driven me to retort. First, mind your own fucking business. Second, since you asked, here is my recipe for the good life. I’ll put it in Twelve Steps, like those pathetic sheep use to mop up what’s left of their disgusting and superfluous existence. Follow me while I play this flute and no, that is not a cliff up ahead. I promise.
52 Illustration / Dash Shaw
Step 1: Slippers. Drop $100 or more on a pair of leather slippers. It’s like having your peds snuggled by zombie calves. Step 2: Wine. Learn Wine. Taste Wine. Drink Wine. Take a class and appreciate it. Make yourself adept at selecting that perfect Pinot Noir for your roasted lamb soiree. Step 3: Abstain from Church. Let’s face it, it’s boring and pointless. If there is a god, he certainly possesses the good taste to forbade the likes of you from heaven. Therefore, stop torturing yourself with hours of lifeless sermons and get drunk on Sunday! Which brings me to the next step: Step 4: Go to Brunch. Go to Brunch and get drunk. Go to Brunch and get drunk and sleep off the rest of the day. But, get fancy, expensive brunch with some of your poorer friends while you belittle their poverty and order top shelf liquor drinks. You will not be sorry. Step 5: Sleep in. Sleep is therapeutic. You put yourself through daily horrors, so a lengthy period of recuperation is more than justified. Smash your alarm clock. Step 6: Stay up late. Opine on subjects relevant only to you. Scribble them out. Get’em out of your pea-sized brain on to the tender flesh of some dead tree. The tree deserved it. Step 7: Travel somewhere uncommon. Avoid Cancun, Costa Rica, Las Vegas, or any other popular-with-low-rent-American-slobs type destination. Go see La Habana Vieja, the two square mile Old Quarter in Havana boasting close to 150 structures from the 16th and 17th centuries. Or, the looming rock
fortress of Masada in Israel Or, check out the weird, underground rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in a mountainous region of Ethiopia, rumored to have been built by angels in one day. Go somewhere less traveled. 86 Orlando. Step 8: Meet people and have sex with them. How else are you going to get to know them? Step 9: Do Nothing. I MEAN IT! Absolutely nothing. It is good for you, I swear. Let the calm, rejuvenating waters of inertia cleanse you of activity. Purify yourself. Step 10: Get Revenge! The planning and execution of Wrath imbues one with feelings of satisfaction, justice, and closure. Become a connoisseur of vengeance. Step 11: Read something. Assuming you’re literate, don’t waste this great gift. Take advantage of a skill you take for granted, and flaunt the snobbery you’ve earned. Step 12: Slip into silk pajamas in the middle of the day. Roll around with your lover in an amorous struggle for domination. Summer in the land of Nod. Tell anyone who criticizes your good life where to go. They are the jealous minions and are to be avoided or ignored. They wish upon you their fate: a lifeless, loveless, and tiresome jaunt down Pointless Boulevard. They are workaholics with a chip on their shoulder living to judge those of us who refuse The Grind. We are the mighty, the cultured, and the well-rested. We live the Good Life.
RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Local 53
school brand of sexual harassment. Due to merciless teasing for rebuffing the school hottie, Thisbe, transfers to an all girl Catholic high school, Sacred Heart Holy Angels, early in the novel. After she meets Astrid and her sidekick, Juli, Thisbe gains confidence, a hip new moniker and those enticing essentials that always eluded her: companionship and acceptance.
When I was asked to review Colleen Curran’s novel, “Whores on the Hill”, I was exceedingly nervous. What was I going to say if it sucked? Here I am, a local singer, bashing a local writer who could easily turn a bad review into a personal vendetta. I have never met Ms. Curran, and she has never written about me, but none of this is pertinent because the book was excellent. “Whores” is narrated by Thisbe, a.k.a. “Jellybean,” a self-conscious victim of divorce and the ruthless, but often-ignored, high54 Whores On The Hill Review / Laura Ann
The plot is full of predictable jags and turns of typical teenage, soap opera drama. Still, the book is hard to put down. The fast-paced text guides you through the psyche of a euphoric, desperate, lonely, passionate fifteen-year-old school girl. At times, Thisbe tells the story as a woman looking back on her youth with melancholy and regret. But most of the novel’s pitch is fresh, vibrant and excited, like it’s happening now. The seamless flux of perspective is entirely effective in acquainting the reader with Thisbe. Richmond readers will get a particular kick out of recognizing bits and pieces of Curran’s memory and experience as she intertwines RVA landmarks with the imaginary Wisconsin town. It’s like getting occasional shout-outs just for reading. I stopped mid-book to examine whether or not I felt connected to these girls, whether I felt like I knew them. I continued reading, recognizing a certain distance, and decided I would write that character development should have been stronger. But when tears sprang into my eyes after a particularly wellexecuted chapter about love lost, I scrapped that idea. Curran deftly weaves the reader unwittingly into the
fabric of these girls’ lives, and the distance the reader feels at times must be intentional. It appropriately mirrors the girls’ physical and emotional experimentation and struggle with intimacy. Thematically, the book is similar to Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mamá También”. Thisbe is extremely honest, and vividly illustrates the exhilaration and the horror of the consequences of living life as if there were no consequences. Through sex, drugs and rock and roll, thegirls frolic through highs of friendship challenging each other: Who can be the edgiest? Who can believe that they will be young and beautiful forever? Who doesn’t give a shit about anything except getting her kicks? Reflecting on the novel, I felt an apt, or at least, interesting comparison would be to Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury”, specifically the first narrator, Benjy. I realize it’s a bit of stretch to juxtapose a thirty-three year old mentally handicapped deaf mute with a fifteen year old Catholic school girl, but the comparison works. Propriety, etiquette and experience aren’t factors that affect decisions. Thisbe, like Benjy, tells her story in blasts of sound, bursts of light, tingling sensations, pits in stomachs, lumps in throats, ecstasy, anger and dread. Both live almost wholly by sensory stimulus, reporting what they hear, feel, sense and taste as it almost entirely dictates their behavior. Curran does an amazing job of
weaving this text, comprised mostly of these intense perceptions, into an engaging story about a heroine with whom we all want to sympathize. The long and short of it? Read this book. You’ll be glad you did, and proud that it came out of Richmond.
QUICKGUIDE Carytown
Church Hill
Downtown
theFan
Restaurant / Bar 3 Monkeys Restaurant Acacia Venue Alley Katz Restaurant / Bar Avalon Restaurant / Bar Avenue 805 Restaurant / Bar Babe’s Restaurant / Bar Bacchus Restaurant / Bar Baker’s Crust Restaurant / Bar Bandito’s Burrito Lounge Coffee / Tea Betsy’s Coffee Shop Ice Cream Bev’s Books Black Swan Books Coffee / Tea Blue Mountain Cafe Bar / Venue Bogart’s Restaurant / Bar Border Chophouse Restaurant / Bar Buddy’s Place Restaurant Cabo’s Corner Bistro Restaurant / Bar Cafe Diem Coffee / Tea Cafe Gutenberg Restaurant / Bar Caliente’ Venue Canal Club Restaurant / Bar Capital Ale House Restaurant / Bar Cary Street Café Restaurant Carytown Burger & Fries Restaurant / Bar Chopstix Used Books Chop Suey Restaurant / Bar Comfort 56 RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Quick Guide
Manchester
Shockoe Bottom
Shockoe Slip
Oregon Hill
VCU
2525 W. Main St. 204-2525 3325 W. Cary St. 354-6060 10 Walnut Alley 643-2816 www.alleykatzrva.com 2619 W. Main St. 353-9709 www.avalonrestaurant.com 805 Davis Ave. 353-2505 3166 W. Cary St. 355-9330 www.babesrestaurant.com 2 N. Meadow St. 355-9919 3553 W. Cary St. 213-0800 www.bakerscrust.com 2905 Patterson Ave. 354-9999 3200 W. Cary St. 358-4501 2911 W. Cary St. 204-2387 2601 W. Main St. 353-9476 3433 W. Cary St. 355-8002 203 N. Lombardy St. 353-9280 1501 W. Main St. 355-2907 www.borderchophouse.com 12 N. Robinson St. 355-3701 www.buddysplace.net 2053 W. Broad St. 358-1144 www.cabosbistro.com 600 N. Sheppard St. 353-2500 1700 E. Main St. 497-5000 www.cafegutenberg.com 2922 Park Ave. 340-2920 1545 E. Cary St. 643-2582 623 E. Main St. 643-2537 2631 W. Cary St. 353-7445 www.carystreetcafe.com 3500 1/2 W. Cary St. 358-5225 3129 W. Cary St. 358-7027 1317 W. Cary St. 497-4705 www.chopsueybooks.com 200 W. Broad St. 780-0004
Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Natural Market Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Coffee / Tea Restaurant / Bar Restaurant Bar / Venue Candy Coffee / Tea Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Coffee / Tea Retail Retail Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Venue Restaurant / Bar Bar / Venue Restaurant Retail
Commercial Taphouse & Grill Corner Cafe Curbside Cafe Davis & Main Dogwood Grill & Spirits Double T’s Real BBQ Easy Street Edo’s Squid Ellwood Thompson Emilio’s Tapas Bar Empire Ethos Cafe Europa Farouks’s House of India Fusion For Love of Chocolate Harrison St. Coffee Hollywood Grill Hyperlink Café Ipanema Cafe Joe’s Inn Jumpin J’s Java Katra Gala Kulture Clothing Legend Brewing Company Lucky Lounge McCormack’s Irish Pub Metro Grill Mojo’s Mr. Bojangles Mulligan’s Nanci Raygun Panda Veg Plan 9 Music
111 N. Robinson St. 800 N. Cleveland 2525 Hanover Ave. 2501 W. Main St. 1731 W. Main St. 2907 W. Cary St. 2401 W. Main St. 411 N. Harrison 4 N. Thompson St. 1847 W. Broad St. 727 W. Broad St. 17.5 N. 17th St. 1409 E. Cary St. 3033 W. Cary St. 109 S. 12th St. 2820 W. Cary St. 402 N. Harrison St. 626 China St. 814 W. Grace St. 917 W Grace St. 205 N. Shields Ave. 2306 Jefferson Ave. 2225 W. Main St. N. 18th St. 321 W. 7th St. 1421 E. Cary St 12 N. 18th St. 301 N. Robinson St. 733 W. Cary St. 550 E. Marshall St. 323 W. Main St. 929 W. Grace St. 948 W. Grace St. 3012 W. Cary St.
359-6544 355-1954 355-7008 353-6641 340-1984 353-4304 355-1198 www.easystreetrichmond.com 864-5488 359-7525 359-1224 344-3323 513-6700 643-0911 355-0378 249-2338 359-5645 359-8060 819-1988 254-1942 213-0170 355-2282 www.joesinn.com 344-3500 359-6996 644-5044 232-8871 www.legendbrewing.com 648-5100 www.luckyloungerichmond.com 648-1003 353-4453 644-6676 344-2901 353-8686 353-4263 www.nanciraygun.com 359-6688 353-8462 www.plan9music.com RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Quick Guide 57
Coffee / Tea Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Tattoo Shop Restaurant Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Restaurant Restaurant / Bar Restaurant / Bar Comic Books Movie Rental Coffee / Tea Indie Radio
Plant Zero Cafe Poe’s Pub Richbrau Brewing Company Robin Inn Salvation Tattoo Strawberry St. Cafe Starlight Sticky Rice The Eatery Roxy Cafe The Village Velocity Comics Video Fan World Cup Coffee WRIR 97.3 FM
Nanci Raygun 929 W. Grace Street 804.353.GAME www.nanciraygun.com
0 E. 4th St. 2706 E. Main St. 1214 E. Cary St. 2601 Park Ave. 324 Pine St. 421 Strawberry St. 2600 W. Main St. 2232 W. Main St. 3000 W. Cary St. 1104 W. Main St. 1001 W. Grace St. 818 W. Grace St. 403 Stawberry St. 26 N. Morris St. 1045 W. Broad St.
726-4442 www.plantzero.com 648-2120 www.poespub.com 644-3018 353-0298 643-3779 www.salvationgallery.com 353-6860 www.strawberrystreetcafe.com 254-2667 358-7870 www.stickyrice.com 353-6171 342-7699 353-8204 725-6300 358-7891 342-1021 864-9450 www.wrir.org
6.22 NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD / PINK RAZORS / ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? / THE BRAIN WORMS - ALL AGES, $5, 7PM
7.5 HALLELUJAH / A NEW DAWN FADES / SILK STOCKINGS / PROBST- 18+, $5, 10PM
6.24 DES_ARK- 18+, $5, 9PM
7.6 SEE IN RED / CREEK DEATH / BURY THE LIVING 18+, $5, 10PM
6.26 I LIVE WITH ZOMBIES / 12 STEP REVENGE / HOMEROOM, HOT YOUNG PRIEST- ALL AGES, $5, 5PM 6.27 COMRADE - ALL AGES, $5, 5PM SACROSANCT- 10PM, 18-20/$5, 21+/$3
7.8 HEATH HAYNES AND THE CRYING SHAMES / HOTEL LIGHTS / THE RACHEL NEVADAS - 18+, $5, 9PM 7.10 CRIME AND STEREO - ALL AGES, $7, 5PM
6.18 ACTION ACTION / SPITALFIELD / WAKING ASHLAND / DOWN TO EARTH APPROACH - ALL AGES, $10 PRESALE / $10 DOOR 5PM DIRECT FROM HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY! (EX ACTION PATROL) / PARTY LINE (EX BRATMOBILE) / FACIST FACIST- 18+, $5, 10PM
6.28 ORIGIN / NEKRIST / BATTLEMASTER / DOX- ALL AGES, $8, 7PM 6.30 OUBLIETTE / KILL THE WIND - ALL AGES, $5, 5PM
7.12 CENTERLINE / LITTLE COMPASS / RECOVERY PERIOD – ALL AGES, $6, 5PM
6.19 DORIS HENSON / TRAVIS MORRISON / TITTY COMMITTEE - ALL AGES, $5, 6PM
7.1 COWBOYS BECAME FOLK HEROES / WOW OWLS / TEN AND TWO, THE CRITIC - 18+, $7, 8PM 7.2 ARMY OF FUN - ALL AGES, $5, 5PM
7.15 MC CHRIS / THE GASKETS / TITTY COMMITTEE 18+, $10 PRESALE/ $12 DOOR, 9PM
6.20 AGENT ORANGE / ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS - ALL AGES, $10 PRESALE / $12 DOOR, 6PM SACROSANCT- 10PM, 18-20/$5, 21+/$3 6.21 HIT PLAY PRESENTS: MARY TIMONY / MEDICATIONS - ALL AGES, $6, 7PM 58 More info @ the Nanci Raygun on myspace.com
6.29 10-33- ALL GES, $6, 5PM
7.3 MUNICIPAL WASTE / SWORD (CD RELEASE) / COLISEUM- ALL AGES, $6 6PM 7.4 LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA - ALL AGES, $6, 5PMSACROSANCT- 10PM, 18-20/$5, 21+/$3
7.11 HALLELUJAH / MIKA MIKO - ALL AGES, $5, 5PM SACROSANCT- 10PM, 18-20/$5, 21+/$3
7.18 SUICIDE MACHINE / THE BRIGGS - ALL AGES, $10 PRESALE/$10 DOOR, 5PM SACROSANCT- 10PM, 18-20/$5, 21+/$3
F u s i o n
109 S. 12th Street 804.249.2338 6.16 STANDARDS & PRACTICES / SHAREEF TAHER, SCOTT BURTON 9 PM THURSDAY 6.17 RELOCATION / SAM WILSON, BRIAN CAPUTO, CURTIS FYE 10PM FRIDAY
Canal Club
Alley
6.18 THE RACHEL NEVADAS / ATLAS DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 NO COVER
6.18 USMC TOYS FOR TOTS BENEFIT WITH SIN CITY AC/DC TRIBUTE - MEMORY FADE - SUPERBOOT GRINDING STONE 18+ 8:00PM-2:00PM SINSITY.US $5 WITH TOY$7ADV. $7 DOOR
1545 East Canal Street 8 0 4 . 6 4 3 . 11 5 4 www.thecanalclub.com
6.18 STEVE KESSLER QUARTET 10PM SATURDAY
6.23 THE RADIATORS WITH SPECIAL GUEST DOORS OPEN AT 8:00 $15.00 ADVANCE $17.50 DOOR
6.23 THE NEW QUARTET / DAN HOOCK 9PM THURSDAY
6.24 WRINKLE NECK MULES WITH SPECIAL GUEST DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 AVAILABLE SOON
6.24 TERRY GARLAND 10PM FRIDAY
6.29 A BENEFIT FOR THE MASSEY CANCER CENTER THE WAYBACKS $20.00 DOOR
6.25 GREG HOWARD 10PM SATURDAY
Katz
10 Walnut Alley 804.643.2816 www.alleykatzrva.com
6.19 PHUNK JUNKEEZ WITH SPECIAL GUESTS D.G.A.F AND DUBURBIA ALL AGES SHOW 7:00PM-11:00PM WWW.PHUNKJUNKEEZ.COM BRING YOUR DAD IN FOR FREE! HAPPY FATHERS DAY! $8ADV. $8 DOOR 6.24 SIN CITY REVIVAL WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 18+ 9:00PM-2:00AM WWW.SINCITYREVIVAL.COM $5ADV. $5DOOR
6.30 THE LATIN CAT’S 9PM THURSDAY
6.30 NEW ROCK 102.1PRESENTS “X” NIGHT SHOWCASING RICHMOND’S BANDS DOORS OPEN AT 8:00 FREE
7.1 BOB HALLAHAN QUARTET 10PM FRIDAY
7.9 MEMORY FADE WITH ST. DIABLO / BULLISTIC DOORS OPEN AT 8:30 $5.00
6.25 THE SWEATER BAND - WEEZER TRIBUTE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 18+ 9:00PM-2:00AM $5ADV. $5DOOR
7.16 WJZV 93.1 “THE WOLF” PRESENTS THE COLGATE COUNTRY SHOWDOWN DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 LOCAL PRELIMINARY TBA
7.1 FOREVER IN A DAY - THE MILE AFTER - BAYA - FOUR YEARS STRONG ALL AGES SHOW 5:00PM-9:00PM EARLY $5ADV. $5DOOR
7.2 QUATRA NA BOSSA 10PM SATURDAY 7.7 CLOSED 10PM SATURDAY 7.8 HOWARD CURTIS 10PM FRIDAY 7.9 STEVE KESSLER QUARTET 10PM SATURDAY 7.14 THE NEW QUARTET / DAN HOOCK 9PM THURSDAY 7.15 JOHNNY & LOWDOWNS 10PM FRIDAY 7.16 JOSHUA WALKER & MYRIAD 10PM SATURDAY
Cary St. Cafe 2631 West Cary Street 8 0 4 . 3 5 3 . 7 4 4 5 www.carystreetcafe.com
GIRL TALK - THE GASKETS - SPECIAL GUESTS 18+ 10:00PM-3:00PM WWW.SLOWEDUCATION. COM LATE $5ADV. $5DOOR 7.2 IN SESSION - MANDORICO 18+ 10:00PM-2:00AM LATE$5ADV. $5DOOR
EVERY OTHER MONDAY HARRISON DEANE BAND ROCK / FREE
7.3 DOWN TO NOTHING - LIGHTS OUT - LION OF JUDAH - SINKING SHIPS - WORLDS END - SHOOK ONES ALL AGES SHOW 6:00PM-11:00 $8ADV. $8 DOOR
EVERY TUESDAY THE GROVE JAM BAND
7.13 U-MELT WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 18+ 9:00PM1:00AM WWW.A440.COM $7ADV. $7DOOR
EVERY WEDNESDAY SPECIAL ED & THE SHORTBUS BLUEGRASS
7.15 THE RETURN OF CLARE QUILTY WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 18+ 9:00PM-2:00AM WWW.CLAREQUILTY. COM $5ADV. $5DOOR
MONDAY TRIPP N’ JENNY BLUEGRASS / FREE
EVERY SATURDAY CSC JAZZ JAM BAND 2P - 4P / FREE EVERY SUNDAY 12 NOON BLUEGRASS JAM SUNDAY
RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Quick Guide 59
Tuesday
6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now 9am-10am News and Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am Justice Talking 11am-12pm Power Point 12pm-12:30pm Enlace Informativo: En Espanol 12:30pm-1pm Brown Bag Lunch 1pm-2pm The Book Guys for Readers & Collectors 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation 4pm-4:30 51%: Issues of Concern to Women 4:30pm-5pm Free Speech Radio News 5pm-7pm Stunted Development w/Bill Farrar 7pm-9pm The Project w/DJ Marshall /eclectic rock 9pm-11pm Mercury Falls/eclectic rock 11pm-1am Broadcastatic Audio Collage 1am-3am Mellow Madness /world/freeform
Richmond Independent Radio WRIR 97.3 FM schedule 06/01/05 Monday
6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now! 9am-10am News and Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am Le Show w/Harry Shearer 11am-12pm Power Point 12-12:30pm Home Grown C-SPAN 12:30-1pm Weekly Sedition Local and National Progressive News 60 RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Quick Guide
Wednesday 1pm-2pm Prime Time Radio 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation 4pm-4:30pm T.U.C 4:30-5pm Free Speech News 5pm-7pm Lost Music Saloon Americana /alt-country 7pm-9pm Blue Monday w/River City Blues Society 9pm-11pm Louisiana Dance Hall /cajun/creole/zydeco 11pm-1am The Edge of America /bluegrass/jug band 1am-3am Great American Music Hour
6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now 9am-10am News & Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am Living On Earth: Environmental News w/ Steve Curwood 11am-12pm Smart City:Urban life and Trends w/Carol Coletta 12pm-12:30pm Defenders LIVE! 12:30pm-1pm Asia Speaks 1pm-2pm New Dimensions: Uncommon Wisdom for Unconventional Times 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation
4pm-4:30 pm This Way Out: International Lesbian & Gay Radio Magazine 4:30-5pm Free Speech Radio News 5pm-7pm Wide Ear Folk w/Eric Walters 7pm-9pm Activate! w/Mike Rutz Artists in Richmond 9pm-11pm Radiomorphism w/DJ Morphism /industrial 11pm-1am Pop & Crackle w/DJ CHR 1am-3am Late Night Flight /eclectic rock
Thursday
6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now 9am-10am News and Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-10:30am Wings: Women’s Independent News Gathering Service 10:30am-11am Counterspin: Media Criticism w/FAIR 11am-12pm Voices Of Our World 12pm-12:30pm Richmond Indymedia News 12:30pm-1pm Inspiration Corner: Real Women, Real Life, Real Issues 1pm-2pm The Parent’s Journal 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation 4-4:30pm Radio Nation 4:30-5pm Free Speech News 5pm-7pm Future Perfect w/The TinyDj /new rock 7pm-9pm The Secret Stash w/Stuart Martin /indie rock 9pm-11pm Funwrecker Ball w/DJ Esskay /rock/punk/ reggae 11pm-1am Zendo Soundsystem w/DJ Nomadic/dub 1am-3am You Should BE In Bed w/Donald Moss/ Indie
Friday
6am-8am Breakfast Blend WRIR’s Multicultural Music 8am-9am Democracy Now 9am-10am News and Notes w/Ed Gordon 10am-11am Thomas Jefferson Hour 11am-12pm Selected Shorts: Short Stories Read by Great Actors 12pm-12:30pm Richmond Education Today 12:30pm-1pm Open Ear & Mind 1pm-2pm Calling All Pets: Advice & Entertainment for Pet Lovers 2pm-4pm Talk of the Nation’s Science Friday 4-4:30pm Radio Nation 4:30-5pm Free Speech News 5pm-7pm Global World A Go-Go w/Bill Lupoletti 7pm-9pm Beep Ahh Fresh Hip-Hop w/Chuck B & Hoodrich 9pm-11pm Vinyl Cartel w/Logan & Krames/hip hop 11pm-1am St. John the Pabstist w/J. Swart & B. Porter/loud rock 1am-3am Screams from the Gutter w/ Michelle & Justin/punk/metal
w/Milton Williams/reggae/ska 3am-6am Combustion w/DJ C/trance
Sunday
6am-9am El Che Y La Rubia w/tango/folkloric/rock en espanol 9am-11am Sunday Morning Salsa 11am-1pm All Jazz with Giz Bowe 1pm-3pm Freedom Jazz Dance 3pm-5pm The Other Black Music You Don’t Get To Hear On Richmond Radio w/Charles Williams/alternating w/Ambiance Congo w/David Noyes/r&b/ funk/african 5pm-7pm The Motherland Influence w/ Charles Williams & David Noyes/ african/caribbean/latin 7pm-9pm If Music Could Talk w/DJ Carlito world/freeform 9pm-11pm The Ming From Mongo Show 11pm-1am 804noise Presents Noise Solution/experimental 1am-3am Uncommon Practice w/Bill Eldridge/modern classical/ electroacoustic
Saturday
6am-9am TBA 9am-11am The British Breakfast w/Jesse Reilly & Gene Pembleton 11am-1pm Shake Some Action/classic rock 1pm-3pm Derek Sunshine/eclectic rock 3pm-5pm Songs from the Big Hair 80’s/rock 5pm-7pm Locals Only w/Scott Burger 7pm-9pm Mutiny w/JTF /electronic dance 9pm-11pm DJ Spotlight/electronic dance 11pm-1am Frequency/electronic dance 1am-3am Reggae Connection RVA / There’s Plastic in the Afterlife / Quick Guide 61