Welcome to your wrapped, Style Weekly!
When it comes to Richmond’s music scene, you listened to too many songs to count. Tuned in for too many minutes to add it all up. You covered countless artists and celebrated a wide range of styles — from metal and classical to locally made garage-psych and halfway-around-the-world folk. Your biggest listening day? You had 365 of them.
No algorithm can contain you, but it’s still a great time to look back at which sounds echoed across the site throughout 2024.
Those Four Songs
You used the “That One Song” series to shine a bright light on four compositions penned by local songwriters.
“Heavy Heart” by Ben White
As 2024 was about to start, you took a beat to recognize “Heavy Heart,” which was written by synth-savvy Mekong Xpress keyboardist Ben White. As is characteristic of White’s writing, the song balances earnest emotion, chordal complexity and memorable melodies. Timeless music regardless of the year it was released.
“God’s Song” by Prabir Trio
No Richmond musician makes irony musical like Prabir Mehta, leader of the Prabir Trio. With “God’s Song,” Mehta pointed a wide-angle lens toward humanity’s relationship with God. “It’s almost as if God doesn’t matter,” Mehta said when you explored the song’s origins in March. “Yet we build a society in which we say, ‘God is the ultimate.’”
“dream house” by Tyler Meacham
You unpacked the multifaceted nature of grief while speaking with singer-songwriter Tyler Meacham about “dream house,” Meacham’s ode to dashed hopes. The song appears on one of 2024’s finest EPs, “sad girl summer,” which landed in August, and its message of reckoning continues to resonate as the year winds down.
“Boy, Boy” by Landon Elliott
You danced to the beat of self-determination alongside singer-songwriter Landon Elliott, whose 2024 album “Aftermath” chronicles an artist breaking free of dogmatic restraints. Pearls. The pitfalls of the gay dating scene. Rhythmic insistence and an indelible guitar riff. You couldn’t get it out of your head if you tried.
That Other Song
“Red Headed Stranger” by Edith Calisch
Looking to the past, you detailed the publication of “A Line a Day: The Private Thoughts of a Public Woman,” a revelatory book documenting the life of Richmond’s first movie reporter and critic. Edith Calisch was also a successful songwriter, and she’s credited with penning a top-tier Willie Nelson song, “Red Headed Stranger.”
Year End Trendspotting
Your listening changed throughout the year, and a few patterns emerged.
May was your Fuzzy and Fiery phase
Things sure heated up in May! You interviewed Jeff Matz and Coady Willis from pummeling metal outfit High on Fire, which played the Broadberry in support of new album “Cometh the Storm.” You also chatted with Johnny Ward, singer of Virginia garage-psych veterans the Ar-Kaics, about his group’s most fully-realized album to date, “See the World on Fire.” And your Lifetime Achievement Award-winning photographer, Scott Elmquist, was H-O-T-T-O-G-O for the biggest show of the year, snapping pink-dominated pics of the sold-out Brown’s Island audience assembled to see ascendent pop star Chappell Roan. [An image of one of her Pink Pony Club fans ended up being his favorite photo of the year].
And that’s not the only show you saw this year…
You were there at the Broadberry for Flag on the Moon 9, whose atmosphere of camaraderie made it part hip-hop showcase, part backyard family reunion. You captured the visual vibes of the Charged Up festival, which combined a block party, a bike ride, a basketball game and a generous slate of rap performances, among other events. You followed along at the Richmond Music Hall as California-via-Seattle rockers La Luz were as fun and weird as they wanted to be. You also drove north of Richmond in order to file your most hotly debated concert review of the year, an account of Farmville star Oliver Anthony’s performance at the Servpro Pavilion in Doswell.
September was your Folk Fest prep era
The Richmond Folk Festival draws thousands of globally minded music lovers to the downtown waterfront each October, and you started rolling out the red carpet in September. You profiled Robert Meganck, the accomplished illustrator who designed this year’s festival poster two decades after his art graced the event’s inaugural one. You shared a preview searching for this year’s breakout star and encouraging attendees to seek out the solo gamelan singing of Peni Candra Rini, the five-stringed zither work of Ustad Noor Bakhsh and the improvisatory stylings of Lonnie Holley. Your oral history of the festival put 20 years of folk in perspective, with stories from insiders crucial to the ongoing event’s success, and you even provided a handy how-to on navigating the festival’s stages admit the construction of the Riverfront Amphitheater.
But the festivals didn’t end there…
You set the stage for the debut of the three-day Dark Days, Bright Nights festival, which offered a diverse and inclusive lineup ranging from crushing metal to dulcet folk. You previewed 804 Day, the hometown victory lap held at the 17th Street Farmers Market and led by local label Shockoe Records. Speaking of shows at the Farmer’s Market, you sought out founder and host of the Latin Jazz and Salsa Show Festival, “Sweet” Lou Hidalgo, and heard about his event’s 17th year. You also conferred with organizers of the Stone Soul Music Festival, which looked to get its groove back after five years of dormancy. You even dubbed two days in September “Big Band Weekend,” thanks to a pair of coincidental but musically kindred shows led by VCU jazz program founder Doug Richards and Butcher Brown bassist Andrew Randazzo.
And don’t forget the concert series!
You got the word out about Woman Crush Wednesdays, which spotlights female artists in Richmond’s music scene. You turned the Richmond Writers Round series, where songwriters pull back the curtain to reveal their points of inspiration, into a story of its own. You got your feet moving along with the Beatbox family dance party series. And you directed readers’ attention toward the Southside neighborhood of Woodland Heights, where the Tiny Porch concert series has residents literally dancing in the streets.
November was your giving-out-well-earned flowers moment
As temperatures finally started dipping, it was time to say goodbye. After 20 years operating in Oregon Hill, Minimum Wage Recording closed its doors. You spoke with owner Lance Koehler about his studio’s history and future, and you punched in a few of the musicians who honored Koehler’s widespread impact by playing a benefit show at the Broadberry in his honor. And on Wednesday, Nov. 20, beloved multi-instrumentalist Paul “Watty” Watson died after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. You put out a call to friends and former bandmates and shared a heartfelt memoriam.
Your Top Artist Taxonomy
No two artists are the same. But zoom out and it’s clear that you have a type — or five!
The inaugural “Worth Knowing, Worth Going” class
You started a new series, “Worth Knowing, Worth Going,” with the goal of highlighting Richmond’s emerging talent. Rock band Rikki Rakki held a vinyl release party in May for 2023 album “Breaking Skin.” Guitarist and songwriter Jack Stepanian delivered dexterous blues riffs for the backyard crowd at Get Tight Lounge in June. Americana outfit Holy Roller headlined the second annual Road the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion showcase. You checked in with WRIR DJ Freddie J, whose “Banji Kaicho” show brings expertly curated Japanese and Asian music to Richmond airwaves each week. And just before the calendar could turn again, you learned about Cloud M’s layered guitar work ahead of the release show for their new tape, “Cazimi.”
The classical master
This year was a symphony unto itself, thanks to the many classical performances you helped to herald. Tchaikovsky with a side of Ravel. “An American in Paris” as led by Mexican guest conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto. Verdi’s “Requiem” — a piece that’s near and dear for Richmond Symphony Music Director Valentina Peleggi. A fall series that included an especially enchanting engagement featuring acclaimed local bolero group Miramar. And the Belvedere Series, which offers chamber works in refreshingly intimate settings.
The visiting virtuoso
A slew of successful artists swung through town (or nearby), and you were ready with questions. Keyboardist Rod Argent of the Zombies gave an update on the band’s present while generously strolling through its past [Argent would later suffer a stroke in July and retire from touring]. Founding drummer of British rock band XTC, Terry Chambers, talked candidly about what it took to return to live performance. Guitar icon Peter Frampton answered insightfully about his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just before his show at VACU Live! was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Paul Williams, chairman of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, gave a rundown of his connection to local nonprofit FreeHorse Arts, which offers equine experiential learning for those with diverse abilities. And you picked jazz guitar great Bill Frisell’s brain about why he enjoys playing intimate venues like the Tin Pan.
The local legend
Several local luminaries extended winning streaks in 2024, and you made sure Richmonders took notice. Devonne Harris of Butcher Brown was featured as part of the Richmond Performing Arts Alliance (RPAA) Legends on Grace series. Mighty Joshua returned with a new reggae album after more than a decade without releasing one, and you looked back on the path that led to Illiterate Light’s new LP “Arches.” The Valentine Museum designated rapper Noah-O as a Richmond History Maker. Ace drummer Nate Smith, who recently moved back to Richmond, headlined his own 50th birthday party at the National in December. Metal pace-setters Inter Arma celebrated full-length album number five, “New Heaven,” with a June release show at Richmond Music Hall. Horsehead rocked Starr Hill Brewery’s Richmond Beer Hall during a 20th anniversary show that took place in October. And Richmond’s favorite intergalactic metal icons, Gwar, welcomed lifelong fan and guitarist Tommy Meehan into the fold as Grodius Maximus.
The one-of-a-kind kind
You also made sure to elevate some truly singular voices. You phoned Bon Air resident Dean Hurley, who worked closely with filmmaker David Lynch for more than a decade, ahead of a rare Hurley live gig. You caught up with legendary punk guitarist Kid Congo Power and Congolese band Loboko ahead of gigs of their own. You shared a Q&A with Richmond-raised Cajun artist and scholar Ann Savoy about the stylistic shift on her new album, “Another Heart.” You paid tribute to the Shangri-Lords ahead of the girl group revivalists’ final show. And if we’re talking about unique voices, we can’t leave out the pipe organ at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond has a new, 15-ton pipe organ, and you made sure Richmonders caught wind of it by outlining the planning stages, trumpeting its completion and shooting the breeze with famed French concert organist Olivier Latry, who played the majestic instrument twice in October as part of its official dedication.
That’s a wrap! Thanks for listening, Style Weekly. See you in 2025!
Listen to the official Style Wrapped playlist below.
