We hit the Folk Festival last night and joined several thousand folks flowing from one stage to the next picking up a cold beer and snacks on our way. It was a beautifully warm night for October and the crowd was upbeat, friendly and moving to the beats.

First we checked out Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys. I have a soft spot for zydeco and its specialized dance style and the band brought the temperature up fast in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Dance Pavilion.

We stopped briefly by the Indian Slide Guitarist, Debashish Bhattacharya. His music seemed very deep and contemplative but we were more in a toe-tapping mood so we moved along to check out Swamp Dogg’s brand of R & B. His 83 year old mother, a professional singer and pianist, opened the show, prepping the crowd for Swamp Dogg’s lime-green-suited entrance. His voice is an amazing instrument and got the crowd jamming.

To wrap up the evening we headed back to the Dance Pavilion to see Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga. This East African group had me dancing up a storm. Think Ladysmith Black Mambazo with light, trilling reverbed guitar and african/caribbean beats that got the crowd hopping. Mr Mapangala seemed to really enjoy the enthusiastic crowds response to his band, smiling through an encore that the crowd had chanted into being performed.

The food choices are amazing again this year – Indian, Thai, Cajun, Croaker’s Spot, and other delicious choices along with a few festival favorites for those less adventurous eaters.

My only complaint would be that the volume of the performances could be turned a bit louder. In its setting, there aren’t many residents to complain about noise so be a little bolder, and turn it up!

The skies this morning are overcast and damp but a little drizzle shouldn’t prevent you from heading to Brown’s Island as many of the stages have large tents to sit/dance under.

• Hear Samples of the Musicians
• See the schedule
• See a slideshow of pics from Friday Night

This weekend Plaza Bowl brings the variety. If you’re feeling ambient head on down Friday. If you need blues or mountain music to drill the duck pins, then Saturday might be more your bag.

Fri Jul 24 08:00 PM
Ambient, Indie, Experimental showcase! Live music provided by:

• Adams Castle
• VR32
• The Goose (electro/rock Dance)
• KNOT FEEDER (ex: Don Cabellaro)

Sat Jul 25 08:00 PM
Blues, Rock, Mountain Music!

• Tom Peloso
• The Virginia Sheiks
• The Way of the Sun

Tickets: $5

In four short years, the Richmond Folk Festival has become an October tradition for many. With 6 stages covering a wide range of music from Cajun to Blues to Go-Go to Inuit throat singing, it’s also one of Virginia’s largest festivals attracting up to 185,000 people! 

And did you know that it takes 1,200 volunteers to produce the Festival? Jobs range from beer servers and safety escorts to bucket brigade and craft-assistants and as Betsy Lecky says:

Read more >

Music starts at 8pm at the Plaza Bowl

Duchess of York
Octane Saints
The Flying Eyes
The Thunders

Free music! From the RPS website: 

Huguenot High School will present an evening of instrumental and vocal music June 4 as the school holds its annual spring concert, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The concert, free and open to the public, will feature performances by the Huguenot concert band, choir, guitar ensemble, orchestra and jazz band. For more information, contact Chris Moseley at 320-7967. Huguenot High School is located at 7945 Forest Hill Ave.

The Westover Hills Neighborhood Association website is reporting that there will be a spring concert to benefit the Central Virginia Foodbank:

The James River Ringers present… “Summer Camp”
Their Spring Concert to benefit the Central Virginia Foodbank!
May 16th – 7:30 p.m.

Read more >

Friday 5/15/2009

Friday Cheers 2009 at Brown’s Island
Rusted Root and Jesse Chong, at 6 p.m. Free.

Legend 8:00 PM
A Good Natured Riot

Plazabowl 8:00 PM
Marys

Saturady 5/16/2009

Plazabowl 8:00 PM
Meat Cleaver, Hex Machine, Ugly Law

Sunday 5/17/2009

Legend 6:30 PM
Cook County Bluegrass

Positive Vibe Café 11:30 AM -2PM
Bob Blagg

Plaza Bowl 8 PM
Brainworms, Antlers, Ultra Dolphins, Cheeky, Caves/Caverns

Since all one of you seemed to enjoy our little musical roundup, we thought we’d throw ya another.

Friday

Offering – 7:30 p.m
Positive Vibe Cafe
2825 Hathaway Road, Richmond VA 23225, p.804.560.9622

Blue Line Highway – 8 p.m.
Legend Brewing (If the weather breaks, sitting on the deck with a cold brew and live music is pretty hard to beat!
321 West 7th Street Richmond, VA
Pub phone 804-232-3446

Saturday

Botox Party, Microjoy, The Drunken Banshees,
Blinding Eye Dog, Excess Population – 8 p.m.
Plaza Bowl 521 E. Southside Plaza, 233-8799

Sunday

Whiskey Rebellion – 6:30 PM
Legend Brewing
321 West 7th Street Richmond, VA
Pub phone 804-232-3446

Here I am with a date night staring me in the face and no plans and what should I stumble across? Maymont’s Cocktail Classic! Oh honey……. 

Cocktail Classic
Presented by Maymont’s Dooley Noted Society

Fri, 8 May, 2009 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Swing, shake and stir under the stars at the Dooley Noted Society’s annual Cocktail Classic! Savor signature cocktails and beverages from some of Richmond’s most popular local hot spots while heating up the dance floor with hot Latin music and dancing. Must be 21 years or older. For registration information, call 804-358-7166 ext. 310 or Register Online!
Location: Nature Center
Fees: $15 per person (available through May 6)/$20 at the door. Dooley Noted Society members receive a $5 discount.
Contact: 804-358-7166, ext. 310

 

The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities and the Carillon Advisory Committee will host two concerts on the World War I Memorial Carillon bells during the month of May.

The first will be a concert in celebration of Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, at 3 p.m. Carillonneur Ryan Hebert will play appropriate selections, light refreshments will be served, and the building will be open for viewing.

Read more >

Grab a blanket and a picnic and head to these outdoor music gatherings. Let the kids dance their brains out while you sit and enjoy the evenings as they cool down. The series is brought to you by the Forest Hill, Westover Hills,  and Woodland Heights Neighborhood Associations and the City of Richmond.

• May 10 (6-8 p.m.): Happy Lucky Combo, Mother’s Day music inspired by tango, klezmer, zydeco, oriental and the blues
• June 14 (6 to 8 p.m.): Brian Jones Quartet, traditional American jazz.
• July 19 (4 to 6 p.m.): Southern Blues, lots of blues of course
• August 9: (6 to 8 p.m.): Blue Line Highway, American folk rock.
• September 13 (5 to 7 p.m.): Great White Jenkins, alternative and country music.
• October 4 (5 to 7 p.m.): The Big Payback, funk, soul, and R & B.

All the groups playing have at last one member who lives in the neighborhood.

Looking for some musical diversions? We’re here to serve! With outdoor festival and market season in full swing, there will be plenty of opportunities to burn off the pallor you’ll acquire by hanging out in dark music venues! 

Wayne Hancock, the Hotdamns, Dean Lee and the Unwelcome Guests – 8 p.m.
Plaza Bowl 521 E. Southside Plaza, 233-8799

Blue Line Highway – 7:30 p.m. – Free
Positive Vibe Café 2825 Hathaway Road, 560-9622

Happy Lucky Combo – 8 p.m. – Free
Don’t miss their “Southside Economic Stimulus Package” exotic and strange novelties in trade for a simple sawbuck.
O’Toole’s Restaurant, 4800 Forest Hill Avenue, 233-1781 

For more music ideas throughout the weekend

Read more >

This weeks Style Weekly focuses on music and we’re the beneficiary! There’s a profile on the Plaza Bowl and how mixed use venues like itself are well-suited for these tightwad times.

SW is also providing a great compilation of local music from bands like The Hotdamns, Bio Ritmo, No BS Brass Band and more. Listen to it now and go back to the link between May 1 and 9 to download them. If you’re more into analog, Style Weekly will be handing out CD’s at various events starting with Richmond’s Bluegrass Festival (we have a bluegrass fest? who knew!) on May 9 at the Science Museum.

Are you in a band based here in the Hills and Heights area? Post your info in the comments and let us know when you’ll be playing and where!

Positive Vibe takes over the Stratford Hills Shopping Center’s parking lot for music, food and fun. A $10 donation goes towards helping them with their mission to  “provide hands-on training and meaningful employment in food services to individuals with physical and developmental disabilities.”

Read more >

Bad news accordian fans, The Happy Lucky Combo will not be performing at O’Toole’s this evening. I’m not sure how well I can play my weekly game of chess without the soothing sounds of klezmer music!

From the Happy Lucky Communique:  Come celebrate BIG FAT WEDNESDAY, February 25, @ O’Toole’s with The Happy Lucky Combo. Special guests this week include Jarene Fleming and trumpeter Jonathan Greenberg.

As always we give Happy Lucky Combo two thumbs up and encourage all our readers to stop by O’Toole’s

Hills and Heights received the good news earlier today that Happy Lucky Combo will be continuing their Wednesday night performances at O’Toole’s for the next two months. The music starts at 8. If you aren’t familiar with the group take a listen to one of their songs here.

If you are already a fan make sure and check out their blog Happy Lucky Commuique.

Positive Vibe Cafe at 2825 Hathaway Road will be celebrating 4 years with music on Saturday by Susan Greenbaum, Page Wilson and Gary Gerloff and guest chef Paul Elbling on Sunday.

A taste of the Sunday menu is below. Full Sunday menu and other details at RichmondMagazine.com.

His Sunday dinner will feature a first course of velouté of butternut squash and carrots flavored with ginger; a cassoulet of seafood panache served in a puff pastry with a touch of Armagnac