Earlier in 2019, Forbes referred to Richmond as “The Underground Music City Everyone Needs To Visit.” But even if you’re only familiar with the most basic aspects of the local scene, I bet that Forbes article will make you laugh. It ironically discusses some of the least “underground” venues in Richmond, like The National, The Altria and Kabana Rooftop. The Camel and The Canal Club are the only two venues briefly mentioned that are truly local “underground” favorites, and not until the final paragraph of the article.
But first, here’s some backstory on Richmond as a music city. Heavy metal and punk rock put Richmond on the map in the 80’s, and dominated the local scene for the rest of the twentieth century. The most notable bands from this era are internationally known, including GWAR (yes, the same GWAR as in GWARbar) and Avail, formed in the 80’s, and Lamb of God from the mid 90’s. While hardcore rock made Richmond the known music city that it is and still remains an active genre in 2019, the current local scene has a lot more to offer if moshing and head-banging aren’t for you. Within the last decade, pop-punk and electronic rock emerged as leading genres, and indie-folk/indie-pop also carved out its place in the spotlight. Two of the founding members of The Head and The Heart, a regular name in the major festival circuit, got their start on the modest bar stages of the River City.
Today, there’s something for everyone here. In addition to standard rock and pop fare, we’ve got everything from hip-hop and EDM to blues and country. And the Forbes article did get one thing right—the venues are what make Richmond’s music scene special. The Canal Club in Shockoe Bottom is still the premier spot for hard rock and metal, but they’ve also got indie-rock and EDM on the schedule for the next few months. The Broadberry is probably the most well-known Richmond venue besides The National, because it’s pretty sizable and notable out-of-town acts often come to play there, but you still won’t ever be paying more than $35 for a general admission ticket.
My favorite venues in Richmond are smaller bar settings like The Camel and Gallery5, because of how intimate of a concert experience they provide. For $10 or less, I’ve stood just a couple feet away from some of my favorite local bands. Even though they’re just regular people, it’s still pretty surreal to be that up close and personal to musicians that I heard through my headphones earlier that day.
I know I’ve talked a lot about the diversity of Richmond music, but my favorite local artists included on this list are pretty pop-centric. Yeah, I might be a “normie,” but if you’re just getting into the scene here, I think these bands and artists are a good place to start. Especially since they all tend to play cheaper, smaller shows quite regularly. So if you like what you hear, you can easily get that uniquely intimate concert experience I mentioned!
- Manatree
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For fans of: Manwolves, Young the Giant
Next show: Saturday, Nov. 30 – with Tyler Meacham and Dreadnot at The Camel
$7 in advance, $10 at the door
- Deau Eyes
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For fans of: Best Coast, Chastity Belt
Next show: According to her Facebook page, she’s hibernating to write new music until 2020, but keep an eye on her page and her Instagram for surprise shows!
- castle og
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For fans of: Wild Nothing, Deerhunter
Next show: They were on tour in September and played a few local shows in October, but we’re still waiting for an update on future shows to be posted on their Instagram or Facebook pages.
- Mekong Xpress & The Get Fresh Horns
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For fans of: HOMESHAKE, Mild High Club
Next show: Friday, Dec. 13 – with Jonathan Meadows at The Dark Room
$5 at the door
You can also see Mekong Xpress for free every Monday night at The Answer Brewpub from 9:30 p.m. to midnight!
- Tyler Meacham
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For fans of: Maren Morris, Sara Bareilles
Next show: Saturday, Nov. 23 – acoustic set at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery: Shockoe Bottom
Free show!
Lastly, I’d like to give an honorable mention to another local venue that’s dear to me: Lucy Lane. It’s a DIY venue south of the James River in Chesterfield County, but it’s worth the extra travel time. It’s “underground” both literally and figuratively, because the stage is in the basement of a house, (no one lives there though) and the address isn’t available anywhere online. You can follow them on Instagram–their account is linked above–and direct message them for the address, or “ask a punk” for it, as their show announcement posts often say. It’s always $5 and always a good time.