Premiere: Good Day RVA Returns With New Video Exploring The Pop Reverie Of Blush Face’s “Mirage Island”
Do people say “stop the presses” anymore? That’s the first thought that came to mind when news broke that the illustrious film collective Good Day RVA was making its long-awaited return. It’s been five years since the group released their last official video in their [LIVE] video series, one that helped shine a vibrant light on Richmond artists in the 2010s and played an integral part in raising the notoriety of our local music scene. Today, that hiatus ends with the release of their latest video featuring progressive alt-pop quartet Blush Face performing their song “Mirage Island” amidst the sublime backdrop of a dreamy coastal landscape. To celebrate this release, The Auricular is proud to premiere this video, which you can view below, as well as offer a little bit of insight into the monumental return of this remarkable group.
Initially established by Chris Damon, Evan Hoffman, Will Weaver, and Matt Cowan in 2012, Good Day RVA is a Richmond-based nonprofit film collective that seeks to chronicle the arts scene in Central Virginia. The ensemble achieves this by filming live performances of bands and artists in thoughtfully chosen locations that enhance the mood and spirit of the music. Since its founding, Good Day RVA has featured over a dozen members and currently includes the following videographers: Chris Damon, Evan Hoffman, Coldon Martin, Kate Rivara, Christian Gregory, Hugh Burruss, Ashley Travis, Jack Roebuck, Nick Crider, Katie Condon, Michael Hirsch, and Margo Maier. This diverse team contributes to Good Day RVA’s distinctive versatility, enabling them to capture musicians from all genres with the same care and intent.
[LIVE] has been the flagship series of Good Day RVA since its inception, with the first entry being a performance by Black Girls in December 2012. The series quickly became an integral part of Richmond’s blossoming music scene in the 2010s featuring many of the prominent musical acts of the time including McKinley Dixon, The Trillions, Navi, and White Laces, whose performances would be accompanied by Super8mm footage of the surrounding locations, something that added to the archival feel of their filmmaking approach. This latest video for “Mirage Island” is the collective’s first official video in the series since Benjamin Shepard’s performance of “Money Or Time” and “Friday Fantasy” in January 2019.
In the time since, the organization released only two other videos under the Good Day RVA banner: a “guest session” for Brooklyn act Tiny Hazard in 2020, shot at the Good Day RVA headquarters, and a music video for Blush Face’s 2017 single “Love For A Ghost” that captured the band’s touring adventures, also on Super8mm film. In April 2023, the collective announced its intention to return in conjunction with a special showcase at the James River Film Festival which aired ten favorites from the Good Day RVA catalog, including Illiterate Light, Doll Baby, Spooky Cool, and Dave Watkins.
This new video for “Mirage Island” not only revitalizes the [LIVE] brand but also introduces a fresh visual motif for Good Day RVA: feedback footage bookending the videos. This intriguing hallmark further solidifies the series’ objective of archiving these performances, presenting them in a way that’s similar to unearthing a hidden gem after hours of crate digging at a local thrift store. Blush Face’s trademark style of pop rock fantasia feels tailor-made for this new visual element, mirroring the effect of falling into a rabbit hole of dreamy musical bliss.
Shot on location in Sandbridge, VA this past Summer, the video features Blush Face members Allie Smith, Drew Barnocky, Evan Hoffman, Billy Bacci and guest musicians Tristan Brennis, Alistair Morgan, and Seth White performing the title track to their ambitious 2022 EP, a record full of daring arrangements, impassioned performances, and resonant expressions. At times, the video serendipitously reflects the album artwork’s backdrop, featuring a peach-rose tinted skyline adorned with billowy formations, sprawled with a sense of tranquility found only within the coveted “golden hour” for visual artists.
In the video, the group performs while gazing into a pensive horizon that holds the elusive destination that the band pines for with tender sincerity. The performance helps cut to the heart of the song, one led by Allie Smith’s gripping register and decorated by the band’s graceful layering that’s pulled off with subtle yet striking finesse. A visual and auditory delight, this video effortlessly captures the piercing beauty of Blush Face’s music, a display that only further underscores the exceptional skill wielded by Good Day RVA.
Armed with renewed inspiration and vigor, the video for “Blush Face” demonstrates the necessity of Good Day RVA’s visual style within Richmond’s growing music scene, one that began its expansion over a decade ago in tandem with the group’s establishment. With more talent than ever within Central Virginia, the collective will have no shortage of unique musicians to choose from when looking to capture more performances in the near future. Considering the expansive list of musicians featured in their first run, it’s clear that any fan of local music is going to want to pay close attention to what comes next from Good Day RVA.
For more information on Good Day RVA, head over to gooddayrva.com and make sure to follow them on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).
Make sure to follow Blush Face on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and give their 2022 Mirage Island a listen if you haven’t already (Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music). If you have heard it before, you’re definitely overdue for a re-listen today.
