a night of dark indie, vulnerable lyricism and justifiably cynical country music.
$10 adv / $15 dos
Tickets also available at the door night ofwith Valentin Prince, Dorée, and Alberto Sifuentes Jr.
$15 adv / $17 dos.
Come learn more about public defense in the Commonwealth of Virginia with Virginia Defenders!
This discussion will cover:
The role of the Richmond Public Defenders, who we are and an overview of the services we can provide
Client centered representation
Common misconceptions about public defenders
Some of the most prevalent challenges facing our clients including access to housing, mental health and substance use disorder services.
Trends in Immigration Enforcement at local courthouses, probation and parole, and the Richmond City JailWhat folks can do to get involved if they are interested!
Q&A
Virginia Defenders is the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. "Our community of committed, inspired lawyers litigate aggressively and advocate for our clients at every opportunity. We understand the importance of giving our clients respect and compassion during the most trying time of their lives."
Every 3rd Saturday is burlesque night at Gallery5!!
Doors at 8pm
Show at 9pm
18+ Only
Oh, sportsball, how we love your homoerotic undertones. Come see the best sport themed burlesque acts and cheer for the team!! Think queer hockey players, sapphic baseball vibes, iconic moments from Olympics and World Cup. Cheer for butt touches and queer yearning!
The producing duo of Pink Faeries, this time with Poppy la Fae at the helm, are at Gallery 5 for the first time for a summertime sportsball soiree!!
Hosted by: Zorro Nova
Featuring:
Ellie Quinn
Elza Facon
Erratic Kate
Gordita Maricon
Jo'Rie Tigerlily
Kayy Lovely
Lady Bladie
Nostra Dad-Ass
Poppy la Fae
Salem Sirene
Mystic Mora: kitten
Gallery5 is a 501c3 non profits arts organization devoted to engaging communities through the arts Your purchase helps fuel our mission!
For more information please visit www.gallery5arts.org. All sales are final, no refunds.
Accessibility info: the venue is accessible and has accessible single person genderless restrooms.
Parking info: there is street parking only. Get there early to ensure a spot near the venue. There are a couple accessible spots within a block of the venue.
feat. musical performances by Adan Gonzalez and Dave Watkins. Readings by Danny Kraft, Yasmeen Jaaber, Anna Leonard and Steve Minnich
Free to enter! Sliding scale donations encouraged!!
The Parallel Listening Series combines literature, music, sound, and performance art into a live, free public event at Gallery5. This event creates a dynamic space for artists and audience members, developing an intentional environment where deep listening promotes reflection and inspiration. The performance pairs creative writers with musicians, blending a literary reading with an improvised score. Because art practices can often be siloed, the Parallel Listening Series seeks to explore the interconnectedness of language and sound, art and community.
Event Timeline (times are estimates)
Doors: 6-7 (Happy Hour)
Dave Watkins: 7-7:40
7-7:15 - Danny Kraft w/ instrumental backing
7:15-7:25 - Dave Watkins without accompaniment
7:25-7:40 - Yasmeen Jaaber w/ instrumental backing
Adan Gonzalez: 7:50-8:30
7:50-8:05 - Anna Leonard w/ instrumental backing
8:05-8:15 - Adan Gonzalez without accompaniment
8:15-8:30 - Steve Minnich w/ instrumental backing
8:30-9:30pm socializing and bar hour
I love my friends an East coast Canada tour.
$15.
NOMAD, 7upBoyz & KESTUIN are taking the road for an East coast Canada tour in honor of our friends who have passed. Hailing from Detroit Michigan NOMAD has taken the city by storm with his late 2025 mixtape see the dead, Alongside a myriad of performances in Detroit & Chicago. Based in Dallas Texas 7upBoyz a cloud rap duo comprised of members 66hydros & Kimono, their 2025 album Retribution offers a unique soundscape building on the work they’ve done individually and collectively over the years. Detroit native KESTUIN is accompanying the two acts with a new project on the horizon.
On the fourth Friday of each month we open up our doors to the jazz world - Jazz Night is FREE and open to the public!
For July, we are joined by the Matthew Woodhouse Quartet.
Purchase reserved seating to enjoy this night in style. Proceeds support the artists and ensures continued accessibility to the free community event!
Standing room available at no charge but donations are always appreciated!
Join us for an alcohol-free evening filled with live music, dancing, nostalgic 80s vibes, and celebration! Dress in your favorite 80s prom attire and celebrate of the incredible community we’ve built together over the past two years.
$10 adv / $15 dos.
Riffs and Recovery wants you to come celebrate 2 years of weekly recovery meetings with R&R 80’s Prom! Whether your original prom was everything you hoped for or nothing like you imagined, this is your chance to create a new memory in a sober environment with some awesome local musicians!
This event is open to anyone seeking a fun, substance-free space to connect, celebrate, and make memories. Come dance, laugh, and help us honor two years of Riffs and Recovery meetings!
8-8:45- nightcr_wler
9-9:45- Text Brian by Friday
10-11- CAS
The last stop on Doll Apartments southern tour!
$10 adv / $15 dos.
Indie, math rock, emo
$10.
Riley Ely is a Richmond-based singer-songwriter and musician known for a heartfelt indie/folk style, though they also dabble in jazz standards and classics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujVAOKEKSKI
https://www.theauricular.com/reviews/album-review-caroline-vain-by-caroline-vain
Narrow/Arrow originally found its footing as an indie/math-rock trio out of Mansfield, Ohio. Formed in 2013 by frontman Cody Nicolas and bassist Mark Canole (who later connected with drummer Jonathan Hape), the group blends rhythmically complex guitar-tapping styles with an "emo band with a pop agenda" mentality. They eventually signed to Other People Records and continue to tour extensively.
https://narrowarrow.bandcamp.com/
feat. atmosphere by THUMPR
$12 adv / $15 dos.
Richmond, Virginia’s Dumb Waiter reshapes their sound on their newest record, CHANGE, blending pop sensibilities with synth-like guitars, heavily effected saxophone, exhausted vocals, and plenty of blast beats. Released via Ossein, the band’s sixth album finds Nick Crider (guitar/vocals), Tristan Brennis (saxophone/vocals), Keith Paul (bass/vocals), and Nathaniel Roseberry (drums/vocals) merging familiar structures with dense textures and unconventional ideas.
Joining the lineup is Ocean City, Maryland's Reaper’s Gong - a noise-rock band that balances abrasive sludge, punk energy, and atmospheric shoegaze. Founded by guitarist Spencer Hazard (Full of Hell, Eye Flys), the ensemble includes vocalist Zoe Koch, bassist Gabe Solomon, and drummer Alex Oatman.
Opening up the show is Richmond's own Tentative Decisions - a post-punk trio composed of guitarist and lead vocalist Jack Sample, bassist/synth player Amanda McVey, and drummer Bernadette Lothamer. They cook up gritty elements of garage rock with a clean, driving post-punk foundation to balance the broth.
Throughout the night, we're blessed with the ominous proselytizations of THUMPR - a dedicated sandbox for abrasive, hypnotic modular synthesizer music, intentionally stripping away conventional song structures to focus entirely on raw sonic architecture. From the mind of Jon Hawkins.
Check out Cal Veatch's new single "Summer Bloody Summer"
$10 adv / $15 dos.
Rising American singer-songwriter Cal Veatch bridges the gap between Millennial and Gen Z generations with emotionally honest indie pop rooted in confessional songwriting and warm, modern production, often drawing comparisons to everything from Michelle Branch and Ryan Cabrera to modern breakouts Gracie Abrams, Sombr and JP Saxe.
In his own way, Veatch ushers in the next generation of creatives hailing from Northern Virginia in the shadow of the nation’s capitol putting pen to paper producing heartfelt anthems about love and heartbreak and a myriad of narratives that lend to the human condition. His voice captures the disaffected but hopeful vibe of both generations that resonates far past the beltway by harnessing the raw sense of fear, anger and frustration with a healthy dose of hope and intense desire for growth and change that embodies the spirit of being twentysomething and coming of age during unprecedented times with no shortage of pop infused anthems like his brand new single,"Summer Bloody Summer" and fan favorites "Walk Away" and "Fade into the Dark" driven by guitars that are never shy to borrow elements from rock and alternative styles creating a unique signature sound that translates well to both intimate stages and the festival space seamlessly.
On 2nd Thursdays, every other month, from 8pm-11pm, let's get together to get nerdy ASF! We will have a FREE TO ENTER Jackbox competition with small prizes to win, pop-up nerdlesque from across the DMV, and trading cards, anime merch, and so much more!!
$10 adv. / $14 dos.
18+ Only
Nerdy Thirsty Thursday (or NTT for short ) is a "cozyback,” or a “kickback” that thrives off of vibes and creates a fun and engaging space for pop-culture enthusiasts, as well as social butterflies that are looking for a more intimate space to meet new and old connections. This event that will feature a guest-curated playlist of music, drinks, video games and board games, pop-up nerdlesque performances, and more!
Nerdy Thirsty Thursday (or NTT for short ) is a "cozyback", " or a kickback that thrives off of vibes and creates a fun and engaging space for pop-culture enthusiasts, as well as social butterflies that are looking for a more intimate space to meet new and old connections. This event that will feature a guest-curated playlist of music, drinks, video games and board games, pop-up nerdlesque performances, and more!
Accessibility info: the venue is accessible and has accessible single person genderless restrooms.
Parking info: there is street parking only. Get there early to ensure a spot near the venue. There are a couple accessible spots within a block of the venue.
Bring canned and dry goods to feed those in need and enter the merch raffle (1 raffle per item)!
August 14, 2026 | Doors 7pm | Bands 8pm | $15
Come together for a night of punk rock and community to help Richmonders in need. Bring canned and dry goods to feed those in need and enter the merch raffle (1 raffle per item).
Performances by:
ShotClock
American Television
Payphones
Gaffer
Donations from the evening will be sent to Feed More.
List of acceptable donations: https://feedmore.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Feed-More-Most-Needed-Items-List-2025.pdf
Doors at 7pm
Show at 8pm
18+ Only
RadQueer Productions cordially invites you to attend CAMP GENDERF*CK! It’s a burlesque celebration of all things camp and genderf*ck, hosted by Richmond’s enby queerlesque sensation, Mx. Casey Camp! We’re bringing you some of the most exciting LGBTQ+ performers that Richmond has on tap, so get your tickets now before they’re all sold out!
Saturday, August 15th, 2026
@ Gallery5 (200 W Marshall St, Richmond)
Doors at 7 PM; Show at 8 PM
Host: Mx. Casey Camp
Featuring: Bert Shaffer, Gordita Maricona, Journey, Jungle Julia, Leila Lovely, Mister E, Mouse Macabre, Qing Blaze, & Salem Sirene
Stage Kitten: Harley Munch
$10-$25 sliding scale tickets; in advance and at the door
18+ only
RadQueer Productions is an autonomous queer arts collaborative based out of Richmond, Virginia. We are passionate about creating and amplifying any and all forms of art that center and celebrate queer bodies, identities, histories, relationships, and experiences. We are firm believers in the healing power of the arts and making it accessible for all. Our mission is twofold: 1) to build community amongst LGBTQ+ artists, performers, and writers, and 2) to spread radical queer love, joy, and authenticity to the people of Richmond and beyond.
Gallery5 is a 501c3 non profits arts organization devoted to engaging communities through the arts Your purchase helps fuel our mission!
For more information please visit www.gallery5arts.org. All sales are final, no refunds.
Accessibility info: the venue is accessible and has accessible single person genderless restrooms.
Parking info: there is street parking only. Get there early to ensure a spot near the venue. There are a couple accessible spots within a block of the venue.
Join Preston Lydotes and Clara Kay for a night of intimate folk/rock storytelling, featuring local Richmond acts Acelia and Abbi Jean.
Preston Lydotes: Preston Lydotes is a Boston-born indie-rock troubadour. His latest EP "Stranger At Best", hailed by The Other Side Reviews as “a stunning exercise in emotional alchemy,” has surpassed 275,000 streams on Spotify alone. He is the recipient of the Portsmouth Music Hall Emerging Artist Award and a three-time New England Music Award nominee. Now based in Nashville, Lydotes is finishing his debut album—further establishing himself as a rising voice in modern indie rock & roll.
Instagram,YouTube, Facebook, Spotify
Clara Kay: After years of fronting rock bands and secretly writing folk songs in her bedroom, Clara Kay has found her voice in the tension between the two. Her music lives in the space where raw feeling meets sharp storytelling. She's consistently been releasing singles since early 2025, including "On Purpose", "Postcard Town", "Long Con", and "Afterlife".
Instagram, YouTube, Spotify
Acelia: Combining the brutal honesty of folk songwriting with the earthy shades of a youth spent in Virginia, Acelia’s songs give order to chaos. The Richmond-based singer weaves songs about heartache, political protest, and the daily agony of growing up, peppering her universally relatable experiences with refreshingly intimate confessions.
Instagram, YouTube, Spotify
Abbi Jean: Abbi Jean is a singer-songwriter who began writing music at 13. Inspired by artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, and Stevie Nicks, she released her debut EP Coming Clean before moving to college at JMU, where late-night dorm room writing sessions eventually shaped her debut album, The Aftermath. Rooted in community and connection, Abbi Jean brings a soul-baring honesty to her songwriting, believing that what you create is a direct reflection of who you are.
Instagram, YouTube, Spotify
Step inside Studio 8: a disco burlesque experience of glamour, seduction, showgirls, and after-dark decadence.
Doors at 8pm
Show at 9pm
18+ Only
Welcome to Studio 8 — a decadent disco dream where burlesque, nightlife, glamour, and immersive performance collide.
Presented by Onyx & 8th, this one-night-only birthday celebration transforms the venue into a shimmering world of mirrorballs, champagne energy, sultry performances, and unapologetic self-expression.
Featuring performances by:
Jo'Rie Tigerlily
Darshe Dazzles
Kayy Lovely
Zorra Valetine
And more!
Alongside the Studio 8 Girls, this immersive revue blends classic burlesque, disco-era showgirl glamour, seductive storytelling, and nightlife fantasy into one unforgettable evening.
Expect:
Burlesque & variety performances
Disco-inspired visuals & music
Showgirls & immersive moments
Brand activations & photo opportunities
A soundtrack rooted in disco, funk, soul, and seduction
Come and support Worst coming all the way from São Paulo Brazil as they make their 1st ever appearance in Richmond Virginia!
$14 adv / $17 dos.
Worst
Coming straight from São Paulo, Worst has established itself as one of the biggest names in Brazilian hardcore metal, taking its brutal and visceral sound to the world. With five fulllength albums released worldwide and a trajectory marked by intense tours, the band has become synonymous with explosive energy and attitude on stage. Fresh off their most successful European tour, the members of Worst have energized audiences in 15 countries, performing at some of the conti- nent's most iconic festivals, such as Resurrection Fest (Spain), Exit Festival (Serbia) and Fajtfest (Czech Republic). Each show reaffirmed the strength of Brazilian hardcore metal on the international scene, further strengthening the connection with fans around the globe.
Instagram: @worsthcband
Music
Seikilos
Instagram: @seikilosband
Music
Silico
Instagram: @Silico804
Music
A night of Virginia acts featuring Gaffer, Hippie Love Party, and Becoming.
$10 adv
Crystal Flowers, Slow Teeth (NC), and Missangelbird join forces for a Labor Day vibefest. Wind down the long weekend with style at Gallery 5!
Slow Teeth:
Bandcamp: https://slowteethmusic.bandcamp.com
LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/slowteeth
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/slow_teeth
Crystal Flowers:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/crystal_flowers_rva
Missangelbird:
Bandcamp: https://missangelbird.bandcamp.com/
Chill vibes and good times coming your way with Sababa, the perfect excuse to kick back and enjoy the moment.
Sababa 5 are a Paris-based band known for their hypnotic blend of Middle Eastern psychedelia, Mediterranean funk, and analog groove. Their sound fuses swirling organs, surf guitars, and irresistible rhythms into a style that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking — rooted in vintage tones, but always evolving.
After gaining global attention with the single “Tokyo Midnight / Nasnusa,” featuring Japanese singer Yurika, the band continued to explore new directions through collaborations and live performances across Europe. Their self-titled debut album and follow-up, Aspan, deepened their signature sound: a rich instrumental fusion of funk, disco, and Eastern melodies.
In recent years, Sababa 5 have expanded their palette through projects with vocalists including Shiran Tzfira, Inbal Nur Dekel, Yurika Hanashima, Canay Doğan, and Sophia Solomon, balancing analog depth with cross-cultural energy.
Known for their captivating live shows, Sababa 5 bring an immersive experience that blends groove, improvisation, and vibrant sonic textures, connecting with audiences across Europe and beyond.
In 2025, they unveiled Nadir, their fourth and most ambitious album to date. Marking a new creative high, Nadir dives deeper into emotion, texture, and groove — the sound of a band unafraid to move forward. This journey continues into early 2026 with the release of their fifth album, Ca Va Ca Va, embracing a celebratory Hafla sound — a Middle Eastern party spirit — fully supported by an extensive European tour.
On 2nd Thursdays, every other month, from 8pm-11pm, let's get together to get nerdy ASF! We will have a FREE TO ENTER Jackbox competition with small prizes to win, pop-up nerdlesque from across the DMV, and trading cards, anime merch, and so much more!!
$10 adv. / $14 dos.
18+ Only
Nerdy Thirsty Thursday (or NTT for short ) is a "cozyback,” or a “kickback” that thrives off of vibes and creates a fun and engaging space for pop-culture enthusiasts, as well as social butterflies that are looking for a more intimate space to meet new and old connections. This event that will feature a guest-curated playlist of music, drinks, video games and board games, pop-up nerdlesque performances, and more!
Nerdy Thirsty Thursday (or NTT for short ) is a "cozyback", " or a kickback that thrives off of vibes and creates a fun and engaging space for pop-culture enthusiasts, as well as social butterflies that are looking for a more intimate space to meet new and old connections. This event that will feature a guest-curated playlist of music, drinks, video games and board games, pop-up nerdlesque performances, and more!
Accessibility info: the venue is accessible and has accessible single person genderless restrooms.
Parking info: there is street parking only. Get there early to ensure a spot near the venue. There are a couple accessible spots within a block of the venue.
On 2nd Thursdays, every other month, from 8pm-11pm, let's get together to get nerdy ASF! We will have a FREE TO ENTER Jackbox competition with small prizes to win, pop-up nerdlesque from across the DMV, and trading cards, anime merch, and so much more!!
$10 adv. / $14 dos.
18+ Only
Nerdy Thirsty Thursday (or NTT for short ) is a "cozyback,” or a “kickback” that thrives off of vibes and creates a fun and engaging space for pop-culture enthusiasts, as well as social butterflies that are looking for a more intimate space to meet new and old connections. This event that will feature a guest-curated playlist of music, drinks, video games and board games, pop-up nerdlesque performances, and more!
Nerdy Thirsty Thursday (or NTT for short ) is a "cozyback", " or a kickback that thrives off of vibes and creates a fun and engaging space for pop-culture enthusiasts, as well as social butterflies that are looking for a more intimate space to meet new and old connections. This event that will feature a guest-curated playlist of music, drinks, video games and board games, pop-up nerdlesque performances, and more!
Accessibility info: the venue is accessible and has accessible single person genderless restrooms.
Parking info: there is street parking only. Get there early to ensure a spot near the venue. There are a couple accessible spots within a block of the venue.
Variety of local show and radio artists performing a benefit for victims of the recent devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. Food offered by On the Grill RVA. Donations raised from entry and food will supply aid through partner organization Ven Conmigo.
Una variedad de aristas locales participando para soportar víctimas de los terremotos recientes en Venezuela. Comida ofrecido por On the Grill RVA. Donaciones de entrada y comida se procesarán con organización colaborador Ven Conmigo.
Featuring musical performances by Adi, Ravvus, Alex J Dimas, Habeeb, and Ty Sorrell.
Doors 6 PM | Music 7 PM
$10 - $20 recommended donation
Doors and Two-Step Lesson at 7pm!
$12 adv / $15 dos.
indie rock for the active listener
$10 adv / $15 dos.
Tickets also available at the door night ofChemical is on tour from Philly
Chemical
https://chemicalmusic.bandcamp.com/
Elizabeth Stride
https://elizabethstride.bandcamp.com/album/demo
Visiting Hour
https://visitinghour.bandcamp.com/
Welcome to Gallery5 – Richmond's creative hub – as an official BAR STOP for the upcoming DRINKERS & DRAGONS Fantasy Bar Crawl on July 3rd in the Arts District!
Assemble your party and go on an adventure for July's FIRST FRIDAY with a night filled with quests, themed drinks, immersive fun while you seek "Drinking Dragon" trading cards featuring 80 RVA artists.
Mead will be served at Gallery5 via Black Heath Meadery with Gallery5 serving "Rosicrucian Reflection" which is a Richmond Ren Faire Collaborative Mead in anticipation of the return of Virago Alley's WARRIORS IN BLOOM Aug. 1 & 2 to Agecroft Hall & Gardens. We are also offering a fantasy themed cocktail (NA version available)!
Bar crawl participants receive a 25% discount on those drinks when they present their lanyards to the bartender!
Join us for the opening reception of “Field Riffs” during July’s First Friday celebration from 5 - 11 PM. The opening reception will feature musical performances by Straw, Body Con, Opin, Snack Truck and Hot Lava.
“Field Riffs,” brings together the work artists Evan Patterson and Nicholas Crider, two artists shaped by DIY culture and the restless instinct to create. Based in Louisville, Kentucky artist Evan Patterson is primarily known for his creative work as a singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist in the bands Young Widows and Jaye Jayle. Crider is most known for his work in film and as a member of the Richmond, Virginia based band, Dumb Waiter.
Join us on Thursday July 2nd from 6-9pm for a lowkey arts community hang.
This is an opportunity to spend time with people in the industry without needing to clock in or load in gear. We all deserve a night to come together and not worry about what hat we are wearing that evening. Let’s all, instead, simply catch up and enjoy each other’s company.
Miranda Jean will be onsite slinging copies of the Richmond Chronicle. Pick up a copy if you haven’t already or add some signatures to your 2025 yearbook.
The Auricular will also be here to share information about some exciting updates that they are making to their platform. Stop by to get a firsthand deep dive into this next phase of their work to uplift Richmond’s music community.
This event is free to attend!
Modern chamber jazz with Americana color and open improvisation
The Aaron Irwin Trio brings together saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Aaron Irwin with guitarist Mike Baggetta and drummer Bill Campbell. The group’s sound prioritizes melody, space, and texture, blending chamber-like intimacy with Americana rooted language and modern improvisation. Irwin’s writing favors clear song shapes and open forms that invite genuine interaction between musicians and listener.
The trio’s debut album Wobegon (2018, Fresh Sound New Talent) introduced their intimate, song forward approach, followed by (after) (Adhyâropa Records, 2024), which refined that language through unhurried themes and immersive ensemble sound. Their newest release, Spark (Adhyâropa Records, 2026), expands the trio’s palette with greater dynamic range, blues and folk influenced melodic language, and subtle sonic coloration. The trio has toured extensively throughout the United States, including an elevencity tour in August 2025.
a night of skankin, dancin and wigglin around
$10 adv / $15 dos.
On the fourth Friday of each month we open up our doors to the jazz world - Jazz Night is FREE and open to the public!
For June, we are joined by Maddy Curtis.
Purchase reserved seating to enjoy this night in style. Proceeds support the artists and ensures continued accessibility to the free community event!
Standing room available at no charge but donations are always appreciated!
Simultaneous self discovery and self determination
$20 adv / $25 dos.
The 12 Rods hiatus is over. It’s been a couple decades since a proper 12 Rods live band, not counting the 12-piece 2015 reunion show.
$14 adv / $17 dos.
When Ryan Olcott, songwriter and frontman of Twin Cities’ iconic indie rock band 12 Rods, found unfinished Rods demos during lockdown, he was surprised. When he realized they were good, he was shocked. He quickly set to finishing and recording the compositions, which became If We Stayed Alive, the first 12 Rods album in twenty-one years. “These are songs that I forgot about,” he explains, “but upon finding them, I thought, ‘Wow, these are actually okay.’” That was the easy part. Reacquainting himself with a twenty-year-removed craft and technique took some getting used to -- some parts longer than others. He recorded all the instruments in a week, but the vocals took a bit longer. “Oh my god!” he laughs, “it took a couple of days to get my voice back with that range and that power, but I could do it.” Any cobwebs that needed dusting are long gone. If We Stayed Alive is everything longtime fans have wanted, and the perfect introduction to what some called “America’s Radiohead" and what others have called one of the best indie bands of the ‘90s. Despite these songs being written twenty-two years ago, their sound, themes, mood are evergreen. Lead single, pop nugget “My Year (This Is Going To Be),” is both the appropriate ticket to a new era and a souvenir of the past, gussied up in self-awareness, humor, and perhaps the faintest bit of hope. “Cause with all my calculations/Everything looks so, so clear/This is going to be my year.” Which of us didn’t watch the dawn of 2020 thinking the same, only to have confused stellar light with nuclear flash? Everything magnetic in vintage Rods -- pitch-perfect, Beach Boys-esque harmonies, clean, rhythmic guitar, grooving bass, steady drums -- and that clear, plaintive voice invoking our deepest, silliest wish: that everything’s going to be okay. And that’s only one of the album’s seven bangers. From album opener “All I Can Think About,” with its subdued inner monologue musings that meander from world-weary to awestruck, to the grunge-indebted “Comfortable Situation,” to the smooth, loungey “The Beating,” it’s clear that Olcott isn’t just picking up where he left off, but having fun while doing it. “To be honest,” Olcott says, “I think it’s the best material I’ve had to offer so far.” If you had asked me a few years ago whether the reunion 12 Rods album could be their best, I don’t know how I would have answered. But if you had shown me videos of UFOs cruising the globe and told me an Air Force general didn’t rule out extraterrestrial responsibility, I would have called shenanigans on that. 2023 is weird as hell. And it’s about to get weirder. What else can I say? It’s 12 Rods. It’s new. It’s everything we’ve waited for.
Join Fonticello Food Forest as they lead a discussion on creating local food distribution networks and events in your community!
Join us at Gallery5 for a discussion and presentation on food distribution networks and systems that you can implement in your community -- including practical tips, things to keep in mind, and resources for getting started. This will be led by Laney and Jameson of Fonticello Food Forest!
https://verdantrichmond.org/fonticello-food-forest/
This event is free to attend!
QUEER ALL WEEKEND! @ GALLERY5
June 20-21, 2026
Saturday, June 20th, 1pm -11pm
THE 4TH ANNUAL “GAY ALL DAY”
Gay All Day is back for a fourth edition!! Join us for an annual day of sharing resources, building LGBTQ+ community, and being GAY AF! Here is an overview of the day’s festivities:
INSIDE:
1 - 2 PM Rainbow Storytime - for the kiddos!
1 - 4 PM Resource Fair & Crafting - with local LGBTQ+ nonprofits!
4 - 6 PM Happy Hour - with a live acoustic set from Jaycie Cuprill!
7 - 10 PM Burlesque & Variety Show - not for the kiddos!
OUTSIDE:
1 - 4 PM STI Testing - courtesy of Nationz Foundation
1 - 6 PM Food Truck - Eat My Eggroll!
Daytime events are free, but donations are always welcome to the organizations that are tabling and/or to Gallery5, the incredible nonprofit that hosts so many LGBTQ+ events throughout the year, including this one.
The GAY ALL DAY! Burlesque & Variety Show is an 18+ ticketed event (sliding scale, $10-25) and will feature some of your favorite rad queers:
Bert Shaffer
Gordita Maricona
Jo’Rie Tigerlily
Mary Muse (Baltimore)
Mx. Casey Camp
Poppy la Fae
Red Herring
Royalty Resignz
Venessa Chevelle
HOSTED BY: Zorro Nova
KITTEN: Vulveeta
GOGO: D3ADP4NN
Doors at 7 PM; Show starts at 8 PM
*GAY ALL DAY! is a joint production between Nu Rodeo Caldonia, Pink Faerie Productions, and RadQueer Productions.
Sunday, June 21st, 5pm -10pm
THE INAUGURAL “TRANS ALL NIGHT”
Admission is sliding scale $10 - $25.
An exciting trans-organized music & art performance event showcasing talent from local trans and gender non-conforming musicians & artists. This first-ever TransJam event will feature and support local musicians and talent while celebrating trans joy.
Join us for:
Trans joy hour w/ Erin GoHarp
Music from: Dollseye, Mose, Shotgun Princess, Heavy Petting, & Madison Turner
Interactive Trans Vision Board Art Installation
A DIY Bracelet making station with Choking Hazard
Photobooth & TransTastic Raffle!
End-of-Night Dance Party w/ DJ Nbphobic
This event is hosted by and is a fundraising effort for TransJam RVA, a local Trans and QTBIPOC-led 501c3 nonprofit with the mission to bring visibility to, support, and nourish LGBTQ+ community and to organize and host safer and more inclusive local events.
Gallery5 is a 501c3 non profits arts organization devoted to engaging communities through the arts Your purchase helps fuel our mission!
For more information please visit www.gallery5arts.org. All sales are final, no refunds.
Accessibility info: the venue is accessible and has accessible single person genderless restrooms.
Parking info: there is street parking only. Get there early to ensure a spot near the venue. There are a couple accessible spots within a block of the venue.
Join us at Gallery 5 for a high energy night of female-fronted metal featuring Crimson Candle, Merciful Zero, and Symphony of Destiny.
Bringing heavy riffs, dynamic vocals, and high-energy performances, this lineup brings together three standout bands from the Richmond scene for an unforgettable live experience. Headliner, Symphony of Destiny will be celebrating the release of their latest single, The Riddle, by hosting a giveaway for a limited 1 out of 3 handmade Symphony of Destiny guitar picks. They will also be performing their newly released song!
A bimonthly series (formerly Open Minds Night) presented by Gallery5 and Vintage Youth that focuses on celebrating hip-hop and R&B
Donations at the door!
We will feature some of the dopest talents in the city while spotlighting some of the up and coming artists in the area.
Artists can sign up for a chance to be selected for one of the spotlight spots.
We feel that everybody should have a chance to share their passion. We aim to spread the word about what's going on within the culture of RVA and share the good vibes with everybody in our community!
Don't hesitate. Now could be your time to shine!
Heavy frequencies rattle the old brick walls
15 bones
Tickets also available at the door night ofCome through for a night of synths, sonic silhouettes and experimental textures.
$10 adv / $15 dos.
On 2nd Thursdays, every other month, from 8pm-11pm, let's get together to get nerdy ASF! We will have a FREE TO ENTER Jackbox competition with small prizes to win, pop-up nerdlesque from across the DMV, and trading cards, anime merch, and so much more!!
$10 adv. / $14 dos.
18+ Only
Nerdy Thirsty Thursday (or NTT for short ) is a "cozyback,” or a “kickback” that thrives off of vibes and creates a fun and engaging space for pop-culture enthusiasts, as well as social butterflies that are looking for a more intimate space to meet new and old connections. This event that will feature a guest-curated playlist of music, drinks, video games and board games, pop-up nerdlesque performances, and more!
Nerdy Thirsty Thursday (or NTT for short ) is a "cozyback", " or a kickback that thrives off of vibes and creates a fun and engaging space for pop-culture enthusiasts, as well as social butterflies that are looking for a more intimate space to meet new and old connections. This event that will feature a guest-curated playlist of music, drinks, video games and board games, pop-up nerdlesque performances, and more!
Accessibility info: the venue is accessible and has accessible single person genderless restrooms.
Parking info: there is street parking only. Get there early to ensure a spot near the venue. There are a couple accessible spots within a block of the venue.
Get ready for a killer night with The Snares!
$10 adv / $15 dos.
The Sonder Bombs are touring in support of their new EP "Quick and Painless" as well as Gay Meat in support of his new album "Blue Water".
Everything is cringe in an increasingly nonchalant world. These days, artists either have to learn to laugh at themselves or grapple with the ever-chafing and eventual dissolution of their ego. The Sonder Bombs seem to have come to a calm acceptance of this truth and treat it almost like an inner joke- one that they let their listeners in on. There’s an undeniable defiance that pulses through their music, especially as they continue to evolve. The Cleveland trio (Willow Hawks, Jer Berkin, and Jimmy Wilkens) is known for balancing bright, kinetic hooks with richly layered arrangements that carry the emotional weight of Hawks’ deeply relatable songwriting.
https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/album/quick-and-painless-2
Gay Meat, the project of North Carolina’s Karl Kuehn, leads a life of intention. Raised in the small seaside town of Southport, NC, Karl and his beloved mom Karen built a vivid life together. It’s been just the two of them since Kuehn was 11 - their days colored by late-night coffee chit-chats, tv binging, music and more. In 2018, everything changed. Karen suffered six grand mal seizures that left her brain permanently damaged, and Kuehn’s life shifted toward caring for his mom. Their fiery, free-flowing world quickly narrowed. Though doctors gave Karen anywhere from a week to a year to live, she didn’t pass away until January 2021. That time became a gift, one that allowed Kuehn to know the person behind the parent. Across three years marked by a hurricane, a pandemic, and a life upended, he found solace the only way he knew how: picking up any instrument within reach and piecing together their story. Blue Water is his debut album under his moniker Gay Meat, a record that gently, lovingly says goodbye to his mom. Piecing together the sepia patchwork of memories through a child’s eyes, the album’s 13 tracks were written alone, chronicling the anticipatory grief and the immediate aftermath of loss. Friends including Jeff Rosenstock, Chris Farren, Sarah Tudzin (illuminati hotties), Lamont Brown (RNIE), and Taylor Haag lent their vocals and instrumentation across the record, with production from Brett Scott and Alex Thompson.
https://gaymeat.bandcamp.com/album/blue-water
$10 adv / $15 dos.
The Get Off
“Sassy Hardcore from RVA”
Hardcore/Punk/Feminist/Political
Circle Breaker
“RVA Queer Motor Punk Hellfire”
Black Metal/Grind/Hardcore/Motorpunk
Brash
“RVA Hardcore Punk n Roll”
Hardcore/Metal/Punk/Thrash
Tribute night with Here Comes Your Band playing the entire Doolittle album and Unknown Pleasures bringing you Joy Division classics.
Here Comes Your Band will take a deep dive into the surreal and the loud for a first-time-ever performance: playing the Pixies’ seminal 1989 masterpiece, Doolittle, in its entirety—track by track, from "Debaser" all the way through "Gouge Away." Critics hail the impact of Doolittle including “The #2 Greatest Album of All Time.” — NME and “#141 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” — Rolling Stone. Doolittle is a record that changed music forever, influencing everyone from Nirvana to Radiohead.This is a unique, one-night-only experiment for the band. Come help bring this legendary record to life.
Here Comes Your Band is joined by Unknown Pleasures, who will set the stage with the haunting, atmospheric soundscapes of Joy Division.
Join Rag & Bones Bicycle Co-op at Gallery5 for a day of learning bicycle maintenance and then getting help with your repairs!
From 10-11am, Rag & Bones Bicycle Co-op will lead a workshop on basic bike maintenance. Bring your bike with you! They will also be available from 11am-12pm to help with repairs.
This event is free to attend!
Showcasing the work of fat artists and creators here in Richmond and the surrounding areas. The goal is to highlight the depth and variety of work being made within this community, and to offer visibility and celebration to the artists themselves.
The show centers fat artists and creators in Richmond and nearby areas.
It’s not about fatness as a subject, but about showing up, making space, and being seen.
Variety and authenticity: a mix of styles, tones, and mediums that feel representative of RVA’s creative energy. Variety of medium: photography, fiber, digital, painting, etc.
The opening reception will feature live music by Logan, from the internet, Erin Lunsford and Ducttape Jesus, spinning by DJ Spurweezy, and drag performances by You’neek Nu’York and Alayla Armon!
And stick around for the First Friday Block Party by Richmond Moon Market!
Join us at Gallery5 for an evening of fat figure drawing, drinks, and connection before the opening night of Make Space, a group exhibition celebrating fat artists and creators in Richmond and surrounding areas.
Bring your own materials, a very limited amount will be provided.
This event is free to attend!
featuring performances by Juniper Tree and Cast Shadows
$10 adv / $15 dos.
Tristan Dougherty is a folk musician and singer-songwriter based in Richmond, Virginia. With meditative finger-style guitar playing and warm, illuminative lyrics, he ties together stories of love lost, memory untangled, the search for happiness, and finding meaning in the simple things around us.
Juniper Tree is the indie folk project of Valerie Westerman Bess and Taylor Rawls Bess. Originating in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 2018 and moving down the road to Richmond in 2021, the duo continues to find and share inspiration in the beautiful landscapes of Virginia, drawing listeners into a peaceful environment with their introspective, nature-immersed songwriting and electric harmonies.
Cast Shadows channel melodies from far away places and times, blending with distortion and a touch of chaos
An evening of ambient and spacey, post-prog rock
$12 adv / $15 dos.
Amminal is a post-prog, under the yacht-rock band that plays spacey, pastoral folk and psychedelic rock music about witches, birds, lack of sleep, and many other topics. Featuring Laura Ann Singh on vocals, Pippin Barnett on drums, Bryan Hoffa on guitar, keys, vocals, Stevie Ray Williams on guitar and vocals, Adam Hopkins on upright bass, and Philip Murphy on guitar and vocals. This date at Gallery 5 is a record release show for amminal’s self titled LP on Hello Goodbye Records. The second album is in the works.
Willowlaun is the ambient drone electronic project of Richmond-based artist and bassist John Harrison. His music explores dark, dreamy, and nostalgic spaces, built from sampled farfisa organ, processed electric guitar and bass loops, field recordings, and drifting analog drones. John’s glacial compositions inhabit the space between density and minimalism. His recent fourth release, Timecard Program Loops, is available on Bandcamp and streaming platforms.
Gregory Darden uses drones and sound collage to create long-form ambient pieces. Mixing organic and electronic instruments with samples -this is music that is rooted in a love of 70's and 80's film soundtracks and folk music from around the world. After spending 10 years in the experimental trio Cristal, Gregory began doing solo work as well as playing in psychedelic/new age/folk duo Fyt with Christian Luke Brady. GD releases local music on his Royal Beagle Recordings label.
Join local artist Megan Nolde to learn basic hand-sewn mending techniques, including sewing buttons, adding patches, and hemming garments.
Learn hand-sewn mending techniques to make your favorite clothes last longer, and fight consumerism!
Did you ever dream that a needle and thread could be anti-capitalist? Well, when you prolong the life of your clothes by repairing them instead of throwing them away, you refuse to feed the consumer capitalist beast!
Local artist Megan Nolde will show participants how to sew on buttons, add patches to cover holes in clothes, and hem garments like pants and skirts. If there's any time left, and specific needs present, we might cover other techniques too.
All materials are provided (needles, thread, spare fabric, buttons, patches) but if you have specific garments that need these mendings done to them, feel free to bring them!
This workshop is led by Megan Nolde, Gallery5's Board Chair and a practicing local artist with an MFA in Printmaking from Tyler School of Art.
This event is free to attend!
