Bellevue Porchella Held 4/20/24

by Charles McGuigan 05.2024

Bellevue Porchella, a Bellevue Civic Association event, was bigger and better than ever. Originally conceived by Brooke Ullman, the first Porchella was held in the fall of 2020 when the world was still reeling from the Covid pandemic. 

“Bellevue Porchella is a fantastic event the size that it is, and we do not want it to become a major ‘must see’ in Richmond for all locals, far and wide,” Brooke said recently.

This year’s event included four food trucks on Fauquier Avenue, which was closed to traffic the entire day. “The food trucks were a hit,” says Brooke. “We feel like we had the right number, but may have six total next time. The trucks are already asking to return again. They all sold out before the day was over.”  

And every single local restaurant owner I spoke with said they were swamped throughout the day and into the evening. Northside Grille even held a post-Porchella concert which was packed with patrons.

Before Porchella started for the day, Brooke approached her neighbor, a young mother. 

“I am sorry but we are hosting a kid band in my yard at Porchella this year,” Brooke told the woman. “They start early this afternoon. It might mess up your baby’s nap schedule. I’m sorry.” 

The young woman’s response? “Oh, no. That’s fine. Porchella? Yeah, we know about it; its why we moved here.” 

Brooke also talked with two young men who moved into a house across the street from her about a year ago. The two would be married the afternoon of this year’s Porchella. “One groom was staying at home to prepare with the wedding party,” Brooke said.“He opened the windows and they weaved the sounds of the atmosphere into their wedding prep.”

Along with Brooke Ullman, Bellevue Porchella has been shepherded by Rob McAdams, Summer Gentry, Jami Bricker, and many other volunteers. Now an annual event, Porchella features local musicians performing from front porches throughout Bellevue. It has become the most popular event hosted by this Northside neighborhood.

This year, thousands flocked along the streets of Bellevue to listen to 37 bands that performed from shortly after noon until six in the evening. What’s more, the weather was perfect for this outdoor event that highlights the remarkable musical talents of our Northside residents.

We strolled the streets for hours, catching as many of the acts as possible. Crack Fox seared the audience of some 150 spectators on Nottoway Avenue with their blues-tinted punk, loudly punctuating lyrics from the prolific pen of lead singer Rasputina, aka Alane Ford. This band in the past year has skyrocketed from relative obscurity into the stratosphere. They’re playing regular gigs at Northside Grille, and all around town.

Right after their show, we made our way over to Fauquier Avenue and watched the duo of Wrong Worshippers—Milo (the band’s lyricist) on drums, and Nick (vocalist) on bass. These two young men, who performed  during the very first Porchella, captivated a massive group of listeners. Milo’s lyrics are socially and politically inspired and come to life with bass lines and drum beaten melodies that are reminiscent of the punk revival. This, too: their stage presence was absolutely phenomenal.

For the last group of shows, we had hoped to get by to see and to hear The Ex-Patriots (one of our favorites), and the four-foot-ten-and-a-half inch Susan Greenbaum (another favorite, and one of Richmond’s most gifted singer-songwriters). Unfortunately and fortunately, we chose to see Northside Groove Committee first, and once we arrived were glued there for the next hour. The band, led by Micah Berry, includes members of Three Sheets to the Wind, along with master tenor saxophonist Charles Owens. And as if that weren’t enough, Laura Ann Singh sang three songs with the band that brought the figurative house down. About three hundred people stood elbow to elbow along LaMont from the alley up to Bellevue Avenue. The Berry’s, who own the corner house there, removed the side fence from their backyard, creating an instant stage. 

The band is made up of seasoned musicians who are absolutely flawless in their presentation. There’s not much you can say about Laura Ann—other than her voice is like no other. She sang three songs: “You’re So Vain”, a duet with Micah of “Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing”, and “Dancing in the Streets”, which is exactly what everyone there did, and the applause that resounded after each song was thunderous, foreshadowing Laura Ann’s performance four nights later at The Kennedy Center. 

The day once again confirmed the extraordinary amount of musical talent that resides in Bellevue, and this neighborhood’s deep commitment to community.