March 22, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

61º | 3% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:09 a.m. | Sunset 7:24 p.m.

🎶 Your favorite memories of the Altria

Stevie Wonder a nd Patti_LaBelle performing

Patti LaBelle played the Altria in April 2023 — Stevie Wonder played “the Mosque” on June 6, 1964. | Photo via LA Times

After we asked our readers for their favorite memories of the Alria, we received a slew of concert stories from the 1950s to the 2020s. Here are just a few of those responses.

“Seeing Patti LaBelle, Gerald Levert, and Gladys Knight just a name a few iconic artist from the R&B genre” – Kenneth M.

“In the spring of 1957 I came down to Richmond with my high school orchestra from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington and we played in the All state orchestra at ‘the Mosque’” – Ben C.

“On my 25th birthday I had front row seats for Stevie Ray Vaughan for the best concert I’ve ever seen in my life.” – JJ M.

“Tori Amos with a full band rocking the house Summer of 1998!” – Brad P.

a black and white photo of a band onstage — Return to Forever in 1976.
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Photo via Tom Marcello

“Little Feat, Chick Corea and Return to Forever, Joan Baez” – Tim M.

“Pat Benatar in 1982, I think” – Paula H.

“River dance with my daughter and years later with my granddaughter” – Pauline R.

“Prince in the early 2000s” – Gregg K.

“My father worked for the City of Richmond in 1956. His office was in the theater building, and during lunch he would sometimes go into the theater and play the amazing organ that was there. A young performer came in during lunch to set up and rehearse before his concert that evening, and asked my father to show him how to play the organ and work the pedals. We never heard this story while we were growing up. A family friend came to visit my father during his last illness. Conversation turned to the ‘good old days,’ and my father said, ‘I taught Elvis to play the organ on the stage at the Mosque.’ We thought he was imagining things, then we found out that Elvis played there in 1956, so they were both there at the same time. It could have happened. I like to think of a young Elvis being humble and polite to the locals and to his elders — and learning about music in Richmond!” — Becki J.

Read more about the Altria's history

Note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and grammar

Quiz

Which music superstar spent a night at MCV after passing out onstage at the Altria?

A. Bob Dylan
B. Tina Turner
C. Frank Sinatra
D. BB King

Do you remember?

Events

Friday, March 22

Jazz Night | Friday, March 22 | 7-11 p.m. | Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall St., Richmond | Free | Adam Hopkins School Work will play, with DJ Disco Cat spinning between sets.
House Special | Friday, March 22 | 9-10 p.m. | Coalition Theater, 8 W. Broad St., Richmond | $5-$10 | Get you laughs in at this night of long form improv comedy with teams Wolf Night and Do Crimes.

Saturday, March 23

Family Storytime | Saturday, March 23 | 12:30-1:15 p.m. | RPL Main Branch, 101 E. Franklin St., Richmond | Kids ages 0-5 and their adults are invited to join this fun-filled, interactive storytime.

Sunday, March 24

Small Business Sunday Market | Sunday, March 24| 2-6 p.m. | Main Line Brewery, 1603 Ownby Ln., Richmond | Free entry | Shop from dozens of local makers at this dog-friendly market.

Tuesday, March 26

Free Blood Pressure Screening | Tuesday, March 26 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | RPL North Avenue Branch, 2901 North Ave. | Free | Come to the North Avenue Branch for a free blood pressure screening.
Studio Ghibli Fest: “My Neighbor Totoro” | Tuesday, March 26 | 7 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St., Richmond | $9 | Enjoy the first in a series of big screen showings of movies from the studio of acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Announced

Drive-By Truckers will play Groovin’ in the Garden in June as part of their Southern Rock Opera Revisited Tour. The alt-country band will be among among the first few bands to play the Lewis Ginter following the decade-long hiatus of the Groovin’ concert series. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Outdoors

Chesterfield Parks and Recreation is seeking the community’s input on the future of A Playground for Katie’s Friends in Huguenot Park. The playground’s redevelopment is scheduled for late summer 2024, and residents are encouraged to give their ideas for the park’s new equipment.

Eat

Udderless Pizza, a dairy-free frozen pizza brand from The Hop Craft Pizza & Beer, has signed a deal for distribution across the southeast. Owner Evan Byrne started Udderless after pandemic-era supply chain issues necessitated that the Hop make its own cashew cheese. (Richmond BizSense)

Award

RPL’s Young Adult Virginia Author Award ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 20 at 2 p.m. Meet your favorite Virginia YA fiction authors at the Main Library or via YouTube — attendance is free but registration is recommended.

Eat

The VA Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Food and Beverage Expo is on Wednesday, March 27. The Greater Richmond Convention Center will host the industry event featuring locally produced eats including Happy Handpies, BrekkieWaffles, and Ethiopian cuisine Nile RVA.

Plan Ahead

The Virginia Holocaust Museum has announced an in-person ceremony on Sunday, May 5 honoring Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event will be held at 2 p.m. — reserve a seat for free online.

Finance

If your last credit card bill sent a chill down your spine, it might be time for a balance transfer. For that, The Ascent recommends these four cards with 0% APR for up to 18 months. (You could have almost two years to avoid interest charges on qualifying balance transfers.)*

Edu

Summer teacher institutes open for business

A magnet held in the foreground with a VMHC on it.

The VMHC has educational programs for educators, too.

Registration is open for VMHC’s Weinstein Properties Teachers Institute, a pair of week-long, in-person programs available to private and public school teachers of any grade.

The first, the Story of Virginia Institute, will run from July 8-12. It aims to help K-12 teachers examine the role of Virginia history in their classrooms.

The second session focuses on understanding Virginia’s vast history from a geographical and cultural perspective. It runs July 22-26 and centers around VMHC’s “Our Commonwealth” exhibition.

Both programs include stipends for all participants. Registration costs $50 but will be refunded to participants at the end of the course. There are also a limited number of travel scholarships for teachers who live 75+ miles outside of Richmond.

The Buy

Coffee and tea. Shop our beverage selection to help avoid your mid-day slump.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
David

From the editor

Between Groovin’ in the Garden’s triumphant return and the stacked lineup for this year’s Friday Cheers, I think I’m going to spend a lot of time at outdoor concerts this summer.

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