Richmond Music Week: A Celebration Of Local Music
Next Friday marks the start of the inaugural Richmond Music Week, a celebration of the vibrant music scene here in Richmond, Virginia. Organized by HearRVA, Ignited, RVA Playlist, Shockoe Records, Virginia Is For Music Lovers, and yours truly here at The Auricular, the week-long showcase takes place from August 4th to 11th and will help shine a spotlight on local record labels, stores, and studios, as well as venues with over 100 concerts being featured on the official RMW calendar. In addition to that, Richmond Music Week will offer a handful of events throughout the week, both big and small, designed at raising awareness for all the incredible music found right here in our city.
“Richmond, Virginia is home to a diverse local music scene and is filled with musical talent – from both local bands and nationally recognized artists – on any given night of the week,” stated Andrew Cothern from RVA Playlist in a press release. “With Richmond Music Week, our goal is to spread that awareness to the music fan and show them that RVA is a great destination for live music.”
Richmond Music Week officially kicks off on Friday, August 4th with 804 Day, a free music and arts festival located in Shockoe Bottom around the 17th Street Farmers Market area. Presented by Shockoe Records and the City Of Richmond, this “block party” will host three music stages as well as DJs, food trucks, artisan vendors, non-profit booths, and a dedicated kids’ zone. Musicians from all genres will perform across the stages, including Mad Skillz, Rikki Rakki, Michael Millions, Ms. Jaylin Brown, Tyler Meacham, Saint Samuel, Weldon Hill, Rodney Stith, Ant The Symbol, Chance Fischer, Merciful Zero, Sun V Set, Tin-Can Fish Band, Corey El & The FAM Band, Pumphouse Blues Band, and Los Machriados. You will not want to miss this explosion of sound so mark it on your schedule now if you haven’t already. For more information on that event, click here.
Also taking place on Friday, August 4th is a special raffle to celebrate the return of Bandcamp Friday. We’ve helped celebrate Bandcamp Friday in the past with dedicated lists of local musicians’ pages, but this month will be something different as any purchase of over $15 from a local musician’s Bandcamp page will earn you entry into a raffle for $100! Buy local and win big!
Saturday, August 5th, HearRVA will host its second annual Music Mixer at Gallery5 from 7 PM to 11 PM. There will be performances by Gordy Michael, Goodnight Daniel, FLKL, and Weekend Plans as well as local vendors (including us!) who can provide valuable resources for local musicians and artists. There will also be several raffle prizes given out at the event, and all proceeds from the event will benefit local community group LIV – Life Is Valuable, whose mission is to bring resources to schools and communities that help cultivate creative expression, collaboration and entrepreneurship in the arts. For more information on that event, click here.
There might also be something else in store for Saturday afternoon so you might want to clear your schedule…
Sunday, August 6th, there will be a record store raffle taking place from 1 PM to 3 PM at four local record stores: Deep Groove, Plan 9 Music, Small Friend Records & Books, and Vinyl Conflict. Show up in that two-hour window, make a purchase of $15 or more, and you’ll be entered to win $100. Each store will have its own prize drawing so there will be $400 awarded that day, giving you extra reason to stop by all four stores if you can! Oh, and if you decide to buy something local, you’ll earn yourself an extra entry into the raffle. For more information on that event, click here.
Also on Sunday, August 6th, The Auricular is hosting a special music trivia event at Rare Olde Times Public House from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM, giving you a chance to grab a drink and bite to eat while still enjoying music. The event will feature several rounds of trivia, such as guess that tune, general knowledge, buzzer rounds, video clues, and more. Content will mostly revolve around music outside of Richmond, but there will be fun surprises for the event that could earn local music supporters some crucial extra points. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. For more information on that event, click here.
On Wednesday, August 9th, Richmond Music Week and Plan 9 Music will present a special in-store performance by local singer-songwriter rine. From 6:45 PM to 7:15 PM that night, stop by Carytown to check out an intimate performance from one of the city’s most promising musical voices. For more information on the event, click here.
Richmond Music Week concludes on Friday, August 11th with RVA Rapper’s Delight at the historic Hippodrome Theater, a local celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Presented by Shockoe Records and personally curated by Ant The Symbol, this event will feature performances from local legends and pioneers Nickelus F, Noah-O, Radio B, Cane, and Rep! Hosting the event is local dignitary Mike Street while Hip Hop Henry will be DJing between sets to keep the energy flowing all through the night. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door, with the event opening to the public at 6:30 PM that day. For more information on the event, click here.
We at The Auricular are hard at work alongside the other amazing organizations trying to make the first-ever Richmond Music Week a rousing success so we can keep raising the profile of the wonders housed within the local music scene. Check out a local show. Buy some merchandise. Donate to an organization. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to participate and support Richmond Music Week and keep your ear tuned to local musicians as they continue to amaze and astound.
For more information, visit RichmondMusicWeek.com and follow Richmond Music Week on Instagram and Facebook.
