Thursday, Oct. 30
Laura Ann Singh “Mean Reds” release party @ Révéler Experiences
Vocalist Laura Ann Singh has long been this city’s finest interpreter of Brazilian music (with Quarto Na Bossa) and Puerto Rican boleros (with Miramar). There is no better evidence that those lovely genres are vehicles for her talents, not containers, than the often-raucous jazz of the new release “Mean Reds” (Out of Your Heads Records). Her “Fracas” all-star band, featuring trumpeter Bob Miller, saxophonist John Lilley, drummer Scott Clark and bassist Adam Hopkins, bring high energy and virtuosic skill to coloring either inside or outside the lines. The lyrics range from poetic and personal (“The River” or “As Strange as It Is”) to humorously furious (“Highway Monster” and “Counting.”) The playing has the anarchic feel of free jazz and is touched with dissonance, but while free music can dissolve in extended improvisation, every song on “Mean Reds” is sharply focused, serving the logic of Singh’s words. The result may be at once less approachable and more intimate than the singer’s more conventional work, but the beauty is still there, weaving and soaring through the sonic thorns. [Editor’s note: British media outlet The Guardian recently praised the record and called Singh one of the “more distinctive new voices in jazz.”]. 8 p.m. Reserved seating. Tickets are $15.—Peter McElhinney
Dreamers’ Circus @ University of Richmond Camp Concert Hall
Wake up and hear the Nordic folk music when this renowned trio returns to Richmond for a spirited acoustic performance of traditionally rooted, contemporary facing, original compositions. Formed by chance at a Copenhagen bar in 2009, Dreamers’ Circus features an easy and exuberant chemistry between Nikolaj Busk (piano and accordion), Ale Carr (Nordic cittern) and Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen (violin). “Philips Lake” is their latest single, released earlier this month on Vertical Records; it sounds like the morning air is starting to feel across Richmond. Named for a “peaceful, snow-covered lake in Maine” according to the ensemble’s website, listeners of this jaunty yet expansive track can close their eyes and picture frosty vistas while making peace with the chilly days ahead. Don’t sleep on the pre-concert artist talk with VPM Music Classical Host Mike Goldberg at 6:30 p.m. before the 7:30 concert. More info and tickets found here.—Tim Abbondelo
Squirrel-O-Ween @ The Diamond
A free night of trick-or-treating with the kids includes a costume contest and more early Halloween fun. And it’s all brought to you by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), so there shouldn’t be any worries about little Johnny getting THC gummies in his bag and staring at a crack in the ceiling for six hours; back in my day, it was razor blades and Satanic panic, consider yourself lucky. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 31
Read our full Halloween roundup of events here.
A few highlights:
All The Saints Theater Company’s “A Funeral March for the American Dream” @ Monroe Park
One of the most popular and freaky parades of the year always features a spot-on theme and this year is no different. Don your costume (or not) and meet at Monroe Park at 7 p.m. for the New Orleans-style party train through Oregon Hill. Look for the giant puppets.
Richmond Symphony and Richmond Triangle Players perform “Rocky Horror Show” @ The Carpenter Theatre
Still a cult smash hit after 50+ years, this unusual performance of “Rocky Horror” pairs the Richmond Symphony with actors from Richmond Triangle Players for one night only at 7 p.m. Tickets. Read our more detailed preview by David Timberline.
Halloween on Hanover Avenue: The Fan residents of 1800-2200 blocks do it up, and on a Friday night you can expect these Richmonders to go big. Runs roughly from 5-9 p.m.
“Halloween” (1978) screening @ The Byrd Theatre: Young, winged-hair Jamie Lee Curtis somehow resembles every babysitter we ever had in the 1970s, which along with writer-director John Carpenter’s creepy, minimalist score, probably explains our enduring love for this pioneering slasher classic that introduced Michael Myers to the world. But have you seen it on the big screen, though? Everyone’s entitled to one good scare on Halloween, so don’t fear the reaper. 7 p.m. $9.
If you like Halloween to have a touch of philanthropy, head to Party Liberation Foundation’s 5th Annual Octoberween, a Halloween-themed fundraiser that’s all about the bass. It takes place at HomeGrown VA and costumes are strongly encouraged. Count on bass-heavy beats with DJs and live music, fire performances and flaming sculptures, aerial acts and circus arts, pole performances, interactive installations and live painting. Ticket proceeds support their 501(c)(3) nonprofit’s art grant program, free community events, and educational workshops. October 31, 9 p.m. Tickets
Saturday, Nov. 1
Hardywood Bluegrass Festival (Richmond location)
Plenty of great bluegrass acts around these parts, and you can check some out for free during this annual event at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery which runs from 2 to 9:30 p.m. Richmond location, 2410 Ownby Lane. Here’s the musical schedule for this year:
2:15 – 3 p.m. – Richmond Rounders
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. – River City Band
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Crooked Creek Misfits
5:45 – 6:45 p.m. – Elsa Howell Trio
7:00 – 8 p.m. – The Hot Seats
8:15 – 9:30 p.m. – Larry Keel Duo
Making Ink From Guns at Studio Two Three (Also Nov. 2)
Hate violence? This could be your kind of weekend class. Instructor Thomas Little, proprietor of A Rural Pen Inkworks, will be teaching folks through simple chemistry how to melt decommissioned guns in acid and make iron oxide ink for painting and printing. 10 a.m to 2 p.m. both days. Cost: $75.
Richmond Coffee Festival @ Greater Richmond Convention Center (also Nov. 2)
Are you a java junkie? Discover more about the rich world of coffee at this two-day event featuring seminars, industry professional knowledge, discussions, competitions and live music; featured speaker Mark Pendergrast is the author of “Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed the World.” The events on Saturday and Sunday both run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets available from $18. 403 N. 3rd St.
RVA Makers Market @ Basic City Beer
Billed as Richmond’s “most dog friendly makers market,” this event will feature 40-plus makers inside and outside for a curated craft faire where you can get some holiday shopping done early. Organizers say the market is built on a “non-negotiable commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, intentionally creating a larger than life, supportive space for all creators and collectors of experience, especially those who are queer, trans, and historically marginalized.” Free. Runs from noon to 5 p.m. 212 W.6th St.
VMFA Gift Shop’s Third Annual Holiday Bazaar
It’s November, so early birds will be starting to check into their favorite holiday shopping spots. Once again, VMFA will “transform the Pauley Center’s solarium, adjacent to Floris at VMFA, into a festive holiday delight.” Handcrafted gifts from local artisans and holiday-themed décor. Ornaments, cards, stocking stuffers, you get the picture. The VMFA Shop Holiday Bazaar is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Rosette Quartette’s Derrick Sky is So Hot Right Now @ Plan 9 Music
Part of Rosette’s Quartette’s So Hot Right Now series, this is the first of six concerts in November featuring the music of Derrick Skye, a Los Angeles-based composer, conductor, musician and educator known for drawing freely from various cultures around the globe. Rosette will be joined by double bassist Ayça Kartari for this performance, which will feature two works by Skye: “As I Heard When I Was Young” and “American Mirror, Parts I & II.” Free performance at 3 p.m.
Richmond SPCA’s 27th annual Fur Ball at The Jefferson Hotel
Big fundraiser which the Richmond SPCA relies on to provide vet care to “thousands of sick, injured and neonatal homeless pets.” All proceeds benefit the nonprofit’s Cinderella Fund which “are used to deliver lifesaving treatment and rehabilitation to more than 3,500 pets to prepare them for adoption, or about 80% of the animals cared for by the no-kill organization each year. The organization has budgeted to spend more than $1 million providing veterinary services to the homeless animals it shelters over the next year.” 5:30 p.m. The fundraising goal is $800,000. Visit their website for more.
Dead Letter Officers and Here Comes Your Band @ Twin Hickory Tavern
Close out rooftop season with local cover bands devoted to the great college rock bands, R.E.M. and The Pixies, who wrote quite a few catchy songs between them. $5 cover. 8-11 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2
Jouwala Collective, Tarrant and Save the Trash Band @ Broadberry
Save the Trash Recycling presents a concert for Peace, Love and Liberty headlined by the excellent live group Jouwala Collective. Tickets are $15 in advance and $25 day of show. Email savethetrash@gmail.com to get involved or start recycling for the future. Doors at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 4
Mesh with Added Dimensions, K-9, B. Reichhardt and Tan White @ Bandito’s Diablo Room
This strong sonic showing of Richmond support welcomes one of Philadelphia’s most promising recent acts in high rock’n’roll style. It’s also a sendoff for Added Dimensions who’ll be embarking on an East Coast tour with Mesh in the days to follow. Both bands are firebrands when it comes to dishing out propulsive post-punk of the day. Mesh’s self-titled EP from 2021 was both good enough and short enough to encourage binge listening. Released earlier this year, “Weapon of Peace,” their contribution to “Pomegranate Seeds: An International Benefit for Mutual Aid in Gaza,” demonstrates the band’s tighter and more razor-focused potential.
Local lo-fi jangle trio K-9’s debut album “Thrills” came out last month and is in a dead heat for best debut album of 2025 with Added Dimensions’ “Jane from Preoccupied America” — which you can read more about here. It seems like Richmond transplant B. Reichhardt plays one instrument or another in every great new area band as of late, including Black Button (drums), Cicada (guitar) and Visiting Hours (bass). But this eponymous project flexes his knack for homespun audio engineering, which I’m keen to catch as a live performance with Tan White. Doors are at 7 p.m. and cost $10.—T.A.
Broadway in Richmond presents Kimberly Akimbo @ Altria Theater (Nov.4-9)
A new musical about growing up and growing old (in no particular order), “Kimberly Akimbo” is the winner of five Tony Awards including best musical. Features Tony Award-winning book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (“Shrek”), a Tony Award-winning score by Jeanine Tesori, choreography by Danny Mefford, and direction by Tony-nominated director Jessica Stone. Read our preview by David Timberline. Runs through Nov. 9.
Mania: The Abba Tribute @ Dominion Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Tribute to the legendary Swedish hitmakers with costumes, choreography and musicianship, from “Dancing Queen” to “Take a Chance on Me.” 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 5
The Music of Paul Simon featuring Laura Ann Singh, Jimmy Masters and Daniel Clarke @ Révéler Experiences
What could be better than a dream lineup exploring the music of one of America’s iconic songwriters? Williamsburg-based bassist Jimmy Masters first put this project together last July as part of the TowneBank Jazz Series. Pianist Daniel Clarke (K.D. Lang, Ryan Adams) has a way of making even the most familiar song sound alive with possibilities. And Singh, who has previously found new angles in the music of everyone from Jobim to Joni Mitchell, has a lot to work with across decades of Simon material, from “Sounds of Silence” to “Graceland” and beyond. It will be interesting to hear how the group addresses the evolution of Simon’s talent as it became more globally aware and sophisticated. Their first performance was in a summer series at an upscale shopping mall. Even if you were there, the intimate, listening room environment of Reveler would be like hearing it for the first time. 7 p.m. Reserved seating. Tickets are $15.—P.M.
