The days ahead are filled with thrills, including the premiere of Virginia Rep’s stage production of a Stephen King page-turner. Also in the River City this week, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard bring a psychedelic good time to Brown’s Island, Lavell Crawford breaks character at Richmond’s Funny Bone Comedy Club, and a Wickham House tour is all about the ladies. Enjoy!
Rockin’ at the River
It’s been hard for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard to stick to one genre — typically psychedelic and prog rock grooves — while producing 26 albums in 14 years. Just check out last year’s heavy metal romp, “PetroDragonic Apocalypse,” which was followed mere months later by the synth-based improv of “The Silver Cord.” Their latest release, “Flight b741,” settles back into country and blues riffs. Expect serious genre-bending jams on Wednesday, Aug. 28, when the band plays on Brown’s Island. Brooklyn post-punk jammers Geese open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $53.
—Mark Newton, News Editor
Those Wickham Women
The Valentine museum’s able interpreters will guide visitors through the exquisite Wickham House from 6 to 6:45 p.m. on Aug. 29, but this isn’t your usual walk-and-talk experience. The subject is “Women in the Wickham House,” concerning how women of the 19th and 20th centuries lived in this landmark Federalist-style home. The presentation takes up complicated family relations, and the pre-Civil War enslaved persons who worked in these rooms. If you’ve not had the treat of seeing the floating spiral central staircase, here’s your chance: Just show up; no registration is required, and Thursday admission is free.
—Harry Kollatz Jr., Senior Writer
One Bad Dude
Created by Richmond native Vince Gilligan, “Breaking Bad” was a cultural phenomenon that had millions of viewers tuning in to follow Walter White’s journey from high school chemistry teacher to drug trafficker. I particularly loved the character of bodyguard Huell Babineaux, portrayed by Lavell Crawford, who on more than one occasion got White and lawyer Saul Goodman out of a tough spot. Crawford will be taking on a more humorous role when he brings his stand-up show to Richmond’s Funny Bone Comedy Club for five performances Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Tickets are $37.
—Nicole Cohen, Arts & Entertainment Editor
No. 1 Fan
The progenitor of modern fandom-gone-wrong stories, Stephen King’s “Misery” opens Virginia Repertory Theatre’s 2024-25 Signature Season this Saturday, Aug. 31. Like the novel and film adaptation before it, the stage production centers on the tension between a writer and his overly devoted fan, who cares for him after a car wreck. Tickets start at $39, and the show runs through Sept. 29 at the November Theatre (as a writer, I’ll be walking there).
—Kevin Johnson, Lifestyle Editor
Other Suggestions
- Singer-songwriter Ivan Cornejo brings regional Mexican music to Virginia Credit Union Live at Richmond Raceway Aug. 29.
- Coalition Theater hosts the sketch comedy show “After Hours With Riverboat Stranger” for two performances on Aug. 31.
- The Chesterfield County Fair continues at the locality’s fairgrounds through Aug. 31.
- Wellness and social change event Happily Natural Day features food, live music, workshops and more at Fifth District Mini Farm Aug. 31.
- KC and The Sunshine Band celebrate 50 years with a stop at Atlantic Union Bank After Hours at Meadow Event Park on Aug. 31.
- It’s the final week to catch The Valentine’s photography exhibition “An Unfinished Museum: 125 Years of the Valentine,” closing Sept. 2.
River City Roundup is Richmond magazine’s weekly compilation of the best things to see, do and experience in the region, compiled by our editors. Get each week’s installment directly in your inbox every Monday by subscribing to our e-newsletter.
