The 2021 Friday Cheers Line-Up is Here!

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Presented by Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Friday Cheers kicks off it's 36th season as the longest-running summer concert series held along the James River and at downtown Richmond's most picturesque venue: Brown's Island. The 2021 series will feature a stellar line-up featuring all local regional artists! Each event in May and June features socially distanced outdoor concerts with physically spaced 2, 4 and 8-person pods.

Whether alone with just the guitar and his voice or surrounded by a full band, Cris Jacobs enchants listeners with his inspired, poignant songwriting, virtuous guitar playing, and soulfully transcendent voice. Artists across the board have discovered Jacobs’ musicianship and supple versatility, resulting in an impressive variety of formats in which he has played over the last few years.

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Songs to Check Out: "Under the Big Top"

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If you like The Marcus King Band or Yarn, you'll like Cris Jacobs Band

Deau Eyes is an indie rock group fronted by powerhouse singer/songwriter, Ali Thibodeau. With soulful siren-like melodies and cleverly crafted lyrics, Thibodeau takes you on a sonic romp laced with courage, confidence and general bad ass-ery through loss and leaving.

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Songs to Check Out: "Paper Stickers"

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If you like Neko Case & Brandi Carlile, you'll like Deau Eyes

Blending together gritty roots rock with a healthy dosage of jazz and funk, the Richmond, VA-based quartet Agents of Good Roots was founded in 1993 and reunited in 2017 to play their hybrid sound for old fans and new.

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Songs to Check Out: "Smiling Up the Frown"

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If you like Widespread Panic and Dave Matthews Band, you'll like Agents of Good Roots

Take a step into the psych-folk wilderness that is Leon III, a duo who provide an immersive musical experience and nine-minute spells of sonic sound. Their newest album, "Antlers in Velvet," continues to push the boundaries of psychadelia while offering a style reminiscent of times past.

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Songs to Check Out: "Fly Migrator"

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If you like Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead, you'll like Leon III

Spinning yesterday's music for today's people, Art of Noise RVA has become a well-known party throughout the city. Bringing together different audiences and generations, the Art of Noise RVA offers a collective experience through the art of deejaying.

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If you like a good dance party, you'll like Art of Noise RVA

Based in Richmond, Virginia, No BS! Brass Band has quickly earned a reputation as a premiere band to see for heart-pounding energy and uncontrollable dancing. They take their music into uncharted territory, embracing the spirit of New Orleans into its original East Coast modern funk. They have the look of New Orleans with the raw sound all their own - music is a true definition of the “Richmond sound.”

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Songs to Check Out: "3am Bounce"

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If you like James Brown and Led Zeppelin, you'll like NO BS! BRASS

"It's like a party with a bite." Piranha Rama is a musical amalgamation of spaghetti Westerns, lucid psychedelic rock and '60s action-adventure romps. The group operates on the same killer wavelength that drew it together and that shows on its self-titled debut full-length.

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Songs to Check Out: "Bunny Man" & "Stop It"

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If you like SNL Band, the Ronettes or Link Wray, you'll like Piranha Rama

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Suggesting Rhythm is a six-piece band out of Richmond, VA who recreates the music of the Grateful Dead with their own special charm and style and continues to bring the music of the Grateful Dead to the RVA music scene and beyond, year after year. 

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If you like Grateful Dead, you'll like Suggesting Rhythm

Mighty Joshua engages audiences by opening minds and activating bodies through song. Conscious lyrics flow freely to create distinctive refrains that pulse with pride against rhythms rooted in percussion. His soulful exploration in the evolution of sound creates an expression of reggae for the modern day.

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Songs to Check Out: "Clean Hands"

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If you like Bob Marley, you'll like Mighty Joshua

If Erin & the Wildfire were going to sum up themselves in seven words or less, they would choose: Powerful vocals, infectious hooks, sensual harmonies, and snacks. Combining elements of funk, soul, and pop with lyrical themes of female solidarity, body positivity, and pizza, Erin & the Wildfire offer high energy and the feeling like it’s their next and last chance to connect with their audience during their live performances. Their newest single, “Rising” is out now.

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Songs to Check Out: "Weeds or Wishes" & "Rising"

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If you like Lake Street Dive and The Suffers, you'll like Erin & the Wildfire

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Straight out of the underground, a steady rumble is building and it’s called Butcher Brown. Pulsing from the nerve center of Jellowstone Studios in Richmond VA, Butcher Brown takes careful note of the history and legacy of jazz and throws caution to the wind with wanton abandon. Garage punk jazz funk on the low end of the dial gives way to delicate and elegant compositions as the band shows off without trying.

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Songs to Check Out: "Sticky July"

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If you like The Roots, you'll like Butcher Brown

Shormey is the recording project of Chesapeake native, Shormey Adumuah, who describes the project as a “70s disco kind of thing with some psychedelic influence in there as well.” Shormey’s groovy soundscapes have led her to performing at 2019’s SXSW and the release of the electro-pop dreamy cassette, “Boogie Tape Vol. 1.”

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Songs to Check Out: "Boogie Island" & "Cruise!"

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If you like Crumb and Neon Indian, you'll like Shormey