About once a week, I find myself in a passionate conversation about the changing atmosphere of Greater Richmond. I get excited when I hear that a friend of a friend or someone’s distant relative is visiting RVA for the first time. I instantly want to introduce them to the RVA that I know and is known by The Cheats Movement Family. “Our Richmond” is not exactly the Richmond that you will find highlighted in travel guides. In fact, it’s better.
The Cheats Movement Blog is merely a digital reflection of how The Cheats Movement Family navigates RVA. It’s a combination of recurring live events such as The Silent Music Revival, a unique juxtaposition of music and film, curated by Jameson Price, where classic silent movies are screened with a new soundtrack of live music from a local band; and creative places like The Shop, a space located in Manchester that hosts live events nearly every night and welcomes talent in art, theater, music, and film to host untested creative events for free. And special events that are created by us just so that we can spend time with each other in the city we love.
I start this journey by recommending a trip to see The Richmond Comedy Coalition (RCC). The RCC has been voted Richmond’s Best Local Comedy Group two years in a row. Since 2009, the Coalition has performed twice a month at Gallery 5. In the true spirit of improv comedy, every show is different, spontaneous, and hilarious. The RCC is a must-see event that represents RVA’s emerging comedy scene. Best of all, the environment at a RCC show is one that welcomes you and encourages you to visit again. They are in the process of building a new theater in the heart of Richmond’s Arts District on Broad Street. At this point, I wouldn’t call the RCC a secret, it’s more of a staple on The Cheats Movement Blog’s “must do” list.
Another staple on The Cheats Movement Blog’s “must do” list is Tuesday Verses. Tuesday Verses is now in its 11th year and without a doubt, I consider it the best open mic night in Richmond. Tuesday Verses consist of poets, lyricists, and singers—really a little bit of everything. Tuesday Verses is hosted by the multi-talented Lorna “L-Boogie” Pinckney. She always fosters an atmosphere of creativity, positivity, and support. It’s hard to think that the longest running open mic in Richmond could be considered underrated or even underground but there is still a large segment of Richmond who has no clue about what happens at Addis Ethiopian in Shockoe Bottom every Tuesday night. To those folks I say: You’re missing out. Tuesday Verses is one of the best shows in the region.
Live local music is the backbone of the Cheats Movement Blog. I rarely go a week without photographing a local concert. And now that the blog has started curating and hosting local music events around Richmond, it brings a new dynamic to how I see Richmond’s music scene. For people visiting from out of town, I often recommend specific records, bands, music blogs (RVA Playlist & One Way Richmond), and our independent radio station (WRIR) to check out as an introduction to the Richmond music scene. Nevertheless, for this article I feel it’s more appropriate to recommend two local music series that I think visitors, and Richmonders, will appreciate: Face Melt Friday and Live at Ipanema. Face Melt Friday is a showcase for RVA’s hungriest up-and-coming hip hop artists. The monthly showcase is hosted by the hardest working man in RVA hip hop, Black Liquid, and his crew, The New Juice Crew. The setting is Strange Matter on West Grace and each show normally features about 30 local hip hop performers. Face Melt Friday is not for the fair-weather hip hop fan, it’s for the true underground hip hop purist. It’s becoming a rite of passage for the Richmond hip hop community.
Just a few plots down from Strange Matter is the Ipanema Café. Ipanema hosts a different monthly music series called Live at Ipanema. Live at Ipanema presents an eclectic speakeasy vibe and often features more alternative, rock and jazz performances. The show is recorded live and the website features a downloadable recording and beautiful photos from each event. The event is free and presents an intimate backdrop for live music. Building a better community is never far from my mind and it’s a passion of The Cheats Movement Blog. There is no better non-profit in Richmond that builds community through creativity than Art 180. Art 180 recently opened their brand-new building in the heart of Jackson Ward called Atlas: Art 180’s Art Center for Teens. Atlas plays host to a variety of new art programs breaking new ground for Art 180 and the surrounding community. Without a doubt, what makes Richmond such an amazing place is the people who live here and the sense of culture and community that is being created. The events listed above are wonderful and I can recommend many more (check out The Cheats Movement Blog for proof), but nothing is better than gathering friends together and creating your own Richmond moment. Whether it’s a guerrilla picnic one evening in Byrd Park, strolling down Broad Street and finding an impromptu hip hop concert during First Fridays, or “Kindness bombing” your block with chalk, the greatness of Richmond can’t be listed in a tour guide. As a matter of fact it can’t be contained in a blog. The greatness of Richmond has to be experienced firsthand and lived within the community.
Photos by Marc Cheatham