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In this episode of Vera House Unscripted, we talk through what it was like navigating Richmond during the Winter Ice Storm Fern and how the city responded when weather exposes gaps in infrastructure and planning.

We discuss the ice storm itself, untreated streets and sidewalks, and the viral moments that came out of the chaos. The conversation moves into city infrastructure, preparedness, and how public systems tend to break down in predictable ways when conditions get extreme. We also touch on skate culture as a way people physically and creatively adapt to the city, including the recent James City County skate park controversy and broader conversations around public design.

Later in the episode, we shift into Richmond’s cultural identity, including punk and DIY history, the evolution of “RVA” as a nickname, and how nostalgia, subcultures, and generational shifts continue to shape how people relate to the city. Throughout the discussion, we reflect on how Richmond changes, what it holds onto, and what gets lost along the way.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

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Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown: 

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Attend the January 31st Event: https://celestefarms.com/product/point-5-field-spread-3/

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In this episode of Vera House Unscripted, we sit down with Aspen DeRosa, a Richmond-based photographer, educator, and community builder.

Follow Aspen:

https://www.instagram.com/bevelcut_shawti/

https://www.aspenderosa.com

Riffs and Recovery:

https://www.instagram.com/riffsandrecovery

We talk about Aspen’s approach to photography as people-focused work, including how they help subjects feel comfortable, present, and confident in front of the camera. The conversation covers them teaching at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, how education informs their creative practice, and what it means to balance multiple roles as a working creative.

We also discuss sobriety within Richmond’s music and creative scenes, including the realities of navigating social spaces without alcohol and the work Aspen is doing through Riffs and Recovery to build intentional, sober-friendly community spaces. The episode touches on non-alcoholic culture, local collaborations, and how events and gatherings can be designed around presence and connection rather than drinking.

Throughout the conversation, we explore photography, teaching, sobriety, and community building as practical, lived experiences, with a focus on how people show up for themselves and each other in creative spaces.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown: 

https://verahouse.co/point5⁠

Subscribe to the audio podcast:
https://verahouse.buzzsprout.com/follow

Follow us:
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In this episode of Vera House Unscripted, we talk through how people move through Richmond — physically, socially, and culturally — and how the city functions on a day-to-day level for the people who live here.

We discuss public transportation ideas in Richmond, parks and trail access, and how shared spaces like the James River, North Bank Trail, Canal Walk, and downtown Main Street are actually used. We also address ongoing river safety concerns, recent drownings, and what’s missing when it comes to infrastructure, public amenities, and accessibility.

The conversation moves into several recent and uniquely Richmond stories, including the Benedictine College Prep quarterback fire station incident, the Richmond cone parade, and reactions to the plastic bag fee and surprise charges at local grocery stores like Kroger. We also touch on downtown development, older buildings along Main Street, and how small policies and systems quietly shape daily life in the city.

Throughout the episode, we share personal experiences, local observations, and commentary on what works, what doesn’t, and what Richmond still feels like it’s figuring out — blending practical concerns, civic frustration, and the kind of strange, specific stories that make the city what it is.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown: 

https://verahouse.co/point5⁠

Subscribe to the audio podcast:
https://verahouse.buzzsprout.com

Follow us:
https://instagram.com/verahouse.co

Get tickets + learn more about Butcher Brown:

https://butcherbrown.com/

Follow the band:

https://www.instagram.com/butcherbrown/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH0R_9LEEUHwMhMe7sEVoyw

In this featured episode - Tennishu, Corey, and Morgan of Butcher Brown join us to talk about how they work: jazz as a shared language, the role of trust and collaboration in a five-piece band, and why they design live sets with intention. We cover their path from Richmond venues to national placements (Tiny Desk, Monday Night Football), how front-of-house shapes what audiences actually hear, and their production approach to a genre-agnostic sound.

Butcher Brown is a genre-bending quintet that’s been creating music together since 2009. Widely celebrated as one of Richmond’s premier creative music acts , this band brings together top-tier talent: Morgan Burrs (guitar), Corey Fonville (drums), and “Tennishu” (trumpet, saxophone & vocals) are 3 key parts of the magic. Their sound flows effortlessly from funk to jazz to soulful hip-hop. 

With 2 appearances on Tiny Desk - NPR even praised Butcher Brown for “scoffing at the limitations” of genres. They’ve repped RVA on the world stage when they covered Little Richard's classic “Rip It Up” for ESPN's Monday Night Football in 2020. With their musical innovation and hometown pride on full display, Butcher Brown embodies the soulful, creative spirit of Richmond, Virginia

We also get into Richmond’s influence—the VCU pipeline, house-show history, and the city’s current rooms—plus the overlap between rap and jazz, streaming/label realities, audience shifts, and what’s next for the band. If you want a clear view of process, performance, and the scene that built them, this episode delivers.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown: ⁠https://verahouse.co/point5⁠

Subscribe to the audio podcast:
https://verahouse.buzzsprout.com

Follow us:
https://instagram.com/verahouse.co

Nicotine research mentioned: https://app.iki.ai/space/15747/folder/443

Richmond at midnight—past, present, next. We open with Carytown’s ball-drop nostalgia and the one-off Brown’s Island NYE event, then ask who should run a true public New Year’s party now. From there: the 2026 outlook for the riverfront and amphitheater, airport ambitions at RIC, and why a connected downtown matters more than bar crawls.

Mid-episode, we taste non-alcoholic “bubbly” from Point 5 and talk simple ways to host without alcohol. We cover the coming vape crackdown (why most disposables are disappearing, what’s actually FDA-authorized), nicotine as a stimulant in low doses, and real health risks like diacetyl/popcorn lung. We close with Jefferson Hotel gator lore, a look back at the year that launched the studio, and what’s ahead for 2026—more interviews, voice notes, and live shows.

Richmond VA, New Year’s Eve, Carytown ball drop, Brown’s Island 2026, riverfront, amphitheater, RIC airport, Scott’s Addition, vape crackdown, FDA authorization, nicotine risks, non-alcoholic bubbly, Point 5 Richmond, Jefferson Hotel alligators, Richmond events, 2026 plans.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown: ⁠https://verahouse.co/point5⁠

We cover a wild spread this week. From Richmond’s documented “Night Doctor” era—when grave robbing supplied cadavers to the Medical College of Virginia—to Chesterfield Town Center’s sale and what it signals for malls. 

We break down the scam of hospital pricing and insurance, a local USPS fiasco, and the VMFA’s return of Turkish antiquities. We also reflect on a year of hard lessons: paying down debt, leaving the 9-to-5, and treating entrepreneurship like personal development.

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:
https://instagram.com/mykemetzger
https://instagram.com/planetperri

Learn more about our studio:
https://verahouse.co

This podcast is produced by ⁠Vera House⁠ — a creative club and media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion creative expression, elevate culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern brands in Richmond.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

$200+ giveaway by Point 5: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSOCSAxDwm6/

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown:
https://verahouse.co/point5

Richmond in winter, past to present. We open with reindeer lore and RVA snow-day nostalgia, then move through local holiday markets and simple gift philosophy before an on-air exchange. Midway, we taste non-alcoholic holiday picks from Point 5 and talk how to host with zero-proof options. The back half dives into Virginia history and winter folklore—Jamestown Day, Washington’s Delaware crossing, Krampus, St. Nicholas/Sinterklaas, Yule and evergreens—then lands in Richmond with Benedict Arnold’s raid and why local history is endlessly fascinating.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown:
https://verahouse.co/point5

In this episode we unpack the Browns Island closure and the proposed 2026 riverfront “boardwalk,” what it could fix, and where projects tend to stall in RVA. 

We visit the recent viral drunk raccoon story and how it jumped to national outlets. The story of a raccoon busting his way into an Ashland/Hanover ABC store, ransacking its shelves and passing out drunk in its bathroom on Friday, Nov. 28 has garnered national attention. It’s inspired Virginia ABC advertisements, themed cocktail recipes, a mass scavenger hunt and even a pet election.

Most of all, a limited-time merchandise campaign has raised over $200,000 for the Hanover County Animal Protection Shelter as of the time of reporting.

Then: CoStar’s planned “digital skin” and the broader AI billboard debate in an arts town. 

We zoom out to connecting downtown districts, Shockoe street upgrades, and the tension between adaptive reuse and clashy infill (including the Fairfax addition fight). 

Then we take a nostalgic turn with Rewind Vintage (VHS, retro gaming) and a quick look at attention economics: why we still make long-form and how big shared moments fade. We close with the typical moon-landing debate :)

Keywords: Richmond VA, Browns Island boardwalk, CoStar screen, AI billboard, Shockoe street improvements, Fairfax addition, non-alcoholic options, Point 5, Rewind Vintage, VHS, retro gaming, long-form podcasts, moon landing debate.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown:
https://verahouse.co/point5

Richmond then and now: how Black Friday shifted from a one-morning scramble to month-long sales, what that did to malls, and why shared cultural moments faded (with Barbenheimer as a recent exception and GTA 6 on the horizon). The episode looks at Richmond’s growth vs. preservation—think Scott’s Addition then vs now—and why local brands should publish consistently if they want to matter.

There’s a Richmond history detour into The Valentine museum and its Victorian-era remedy, Valentine’s Meat Juice, plus a practical segment on non-alcoholic holiday hosting (how to stock simple zero-proof options and why it reduces pressure, keeps mornings clean, and includes more guests). A late-night door-knock story leads to basic city safety and common-sense reads.

Topics include: Black Friday history, dead/dying malls, event culture, 1990s nostalgia, Richmond growth and neighborhood change (Scott’s Addition), local media and publishing strategy, The Valentine museum, Valentine’s Meat Juice, natural vs. Western medicine, sober-curious hosting, and urban safety.

Keywords: Richmond VA, Black Friday then vs now, dead malls, event culture, 90s nostalgia, Scott’s Addition, The Valentine museum, Valentine’s Meat Juice, sober curious, non-alcoholic holiday drinks, local media publishing, Richmond growth, city safety.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here

10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown:
https://verahouse.co/point5

In this episode we talk about how the Vera show has grown into locally recognized media, then get into a weird story about nine burglars jumping out of a Hyundai Sonata in Warrenton, and what it says about choices and consequences. We cover dog-poop etiquette and why online shaming rarely changes behavior. There’s a quick comparison to Japan’s “carry your trash” norm and a lost-bag story that shows how culture shapes outcomes. We taste a non-alcoholic tequila from Point 5 and share sober-curious options for the holidays. 

We close with the Shockoe street projects — two-way conversions, cycle tracks, roundabouts—and why details like paving and finishes affect whether people actually want to walk, ride, and spend time in a place.

Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.

Get more info about our studio here.

This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.

Follow the movement:

instagram.com/verahouse.co

youtube.com/@verahousepod

verahouse.co

Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:

instagram.com/mykemetzger

instagram.com/planetperri