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Music is a core element of Richmond, from the days of Jackson Ward, known as
the Harlem of the South, to the rise of punks at 928 West Grace Street in the 80’s–
Richmond has long held tradition of a diverse and flourishing music scene. And though
the music has evolved and the bands have changed, Richmond remains the constant.
rock, blues and folk, psychedelic, and (begrudgingly) pop mash-up, created by a trio of
high school friends– Mason Bragg, Justin Willbanks, and Nick Mai. Bragg, the guitarist
and front-man for Mad Abbey, said they started as a high school band in Ashburn, VA.
The members, originally including a fourth who left due to creative differences,
went to college with each other in order to preserve the band and make an impact on
music in Richmond.
They have played in well-known local venues such as the Camel, Canal Club,
and Gallery Five– in addition to a multitude of house shows. House shows or DIY (Do-
It-Yourself) shows are seen as the life-blood of the Richmond music-scene. They span
generations and genres. However, the house shows scene is mainly a younger
audience. It attended by many broke college students wanting to see live-music without
“I like the chaos of a house show, because that's where the real energy
happens.” Bragg said, comparing the two, “A venue is more ideal because the sound
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system is 100 times better. Also, you are in professional setting so you feel the
atmosphere is different.”
Bragg continued saying that it was the ‘hectic-energy’ of house shows that draws
Mad Abbey to them. He refers to them as Richmond’s idea of a frat party–where people
can “go animal-mode,” and have a good time with their friends. It is an inclusive scene,
Bragg said, “it doesn't matter if you are popular, you can be as weird as you want and
you immediately have a crowd that you're like the same with, so I think that's a good
thing.”
rooms in Richmond; often with poor ventilation and too many people. However, there
are some larger DIY venues in Richmond that can accommodate a crowd, such as the
shows themselves.
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“We have a really good garage that opens up to a backyard with a lot of space.
And we have friends in bands.” Andre said. “And so, we're like, we should have a
show.”
Andre and Gilmore having been running their house as a DIY venue for two
years, something that comes at a price. Andre said “I guess this past year it’s gotten out
of control. There was damage [to the house]. And she [their landlord] knows and she’s
Despite this, they continue to host shows. However, they have recruited a friend
to act as a bouncer and charge $3 at the door for damages and to pay the bands. Andre
said they have gotten too big and though everything is spread by word-of-mouth, many
However, Andre said “we don't ever turn people away for not knowing them, we
Andre and Gilmore want their house to be an inclusive event, but they said their
house had its limits. They want it to feel comfortable and cheap. Comparing it to a
regular venue show, Andre said. “It's affordable and you can bring your own alcohol
because no one wants to pay for drinks. And you can't like jump [at regular venues and
bars] I feel like a lot of times you can't be as crazy because there's people watching
you.”
House shows are intrinsic to both Richmond bands and their fans. They provide
a (relatively) safe-space for people to “go animal-mode,” as Bragg said and for bands to
grow their following. People watch as bands go from doing a few house shows here and
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there and gaining popularity to gradually gaining more momentum as they draw bigger
Owner and CEO of Aspire Presents Mark Bradley said he loves house shows.
Bradley runs an independent promoting company for bands. Bradley explained that his
company assumes all responsibility for a show– sound, lights, ticketing, marketing, and
paying the bands. They are Richmond-based, but book shows in a multitude of states in
venues such as the Canal Club. Despite his business in booking Bradley voiced full
“Some of the best bands start from house shows,” Bradley said, adding that “it’s
important to have these DIY sponsor[ed] [house shows] that touring bands can play
before they can have a real following and to just do the thing; you know, just get out on
tour.”
House shows open doors for bigger shows in Richmond, there are many
opportunities for bands from all genres in Richmond. There is a niche for every band.
Bradley said, “for the most part venues, like ours, and everybody [other venues] are
open to having whoever play as long as they bring a following, as long as they put on a
good show. “
What it takes to make it big for a band, however, is mostly left to chance. “It’s a
lot of right time, right place,” Bradley said. It’s a balance of creating an original sound
that’s not too far-out there for people to relate to, but also not too similar to what people
and playing the right shows to make your band bigger. And connections help as well,
Bradley added.
Mad Abbey has played for Aspire Presents at Jammin Java (in Vienna) and the
Canal Club in Richmond. Bradley said Bragg, Mai, and Willbanks great musicians, and
that though he hasn’t seen any of there new work, he could see them getting bigger. He
said that “Mason [Bragg] is a really good front man, they write really good songs, and
As Bradley mentioned before, however, it is still “a lot of being in the right place,
at the right time.” Mad Abbey has been absent form the larger venues for a while now,
Bragg said, in part due to a broken finger and a focus on their EP. They have been
mainly playing house shows and building their following on the college-level after
They have taken a serious focus on marketing and branding their band lately.
Bragg said, “social media is a big thing. As much as I don’t like it, you have to keep up
with it.” They now have a band manager, bass player Nick Mai’s girlfriend, to help out
with this.
Bragg said that their focus on marketing and mass-appeal to crowds has also
come into their music. Bragg said their first single “Poison my Sight,” played into that,
“Our first song that we put out the single is far, far away from what we normally
make,” Bragg said, “But it was also something that we enjoy, [and] people might actually
really like this because it's, poppy and easy to remember the lyrics.”
Bragg said their focus has shifted in the latest EP. While they include music for
mass-appeal and marketing, they also have songs on it that represent their own
creativity in music.
level, more pop-like music on top, that is catchy and easily recognizable. Below, they
have music that is for them, Bragg said there may be those who listen to one time and
say “cool, never again,” or those who care about it and notice things and think “Whoa.”
Whether or not Mad Abbey makes it big and breaks out of house shows, remains
to be seen. For now, however Bragg says its all about the music, and house shows
allow Mad Abbey to play whatever music they want, making the mark on local
Richmond music scene. Bragg said he wants fully support himself from his music one
day and hopes to bring Mad Abbey to the forefront of music in Richmond and also take
on opportunities elsewhere.
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