Day 1 of the Richmond Jazz & Music Festival Opens with Alexander Mack’s Full-Circle Moment
Alexander Mack at Richmond Jazz & Music Festival’s Virginia is for Lovers stage at Maymont Park. (Eric Jackson/ TRS)
by Tranae Cearnal | Aug 13, 2025
The Richmond Jazz and Music Festival Day 1
The breeze under a shady tree was the perfect spot to set up at this year’s Richmond Jazz Festival. Thousands of festivalgoers spread themselves across the lawns of Maymont Park this past weekend, with many traveling from well outside the city to attend. The Richmond Seen was on scene for Day 1 and had the opportunity to speak with many attendees. One couple has been attending the festival for the past 6 years. “We’re from Hampton, and this is around our wedding anniversary.”
Groups blanketed their areas, covered themselves with large hats, and relaxed in shaded lawn chairs. Folks carried coolers full of hors d'oeuvres and stayed cool with standing oscillating fans under the warm summer afternoon.
Vendors lined the walkways on the park grounds, selling items from African print garb to handmade fans and jewelry, while food vendors served up libations and lobster rolls.
With two stages alternating performances, multi-faceted artist and Virginia native Alexander Mack opened the Virginia is for Lovers Stage, followed by Charles Owens, a saxophonist and all-around musician, on the Dominion Energy Stage. Later in the evening, guests vibed out to Aloe Blacc, Muni Long, and more, before T.I. and Jodeci closed out the night with a performance to remember.
Photo Courtesy of Alexander Mack
We had the opportunity to chat with Virginia Native Alexander Mack ahead of the show:
The Richmond Seen: Is Richmond your hometown, or do you have any personal connection to the city?
Alexander Mack: I’m originally from Blackstone, Virginia but growing up we had to come to Richmond to do anything fun lol. With that being said, Richmond is and has always been like home to me. From nights at just about any place you can think of with my friends, to learning how to record and mix at my internship at Da Spot Recording studio, Richmond has always played a huge part in my life.
TRS: How does it feel to perform at a larger festival here—especially in a city that isn't always recognized nationally for producing big-name music or artists?
Mack: It definitely feels full circle to be performing at a show like the Richmond Jazz Festival that has become such a big part of Richmond’s culture. Historically Richmond has been a city where all of the jazz greats like Miles Davis to funk legends like James Brown have all come to play so being able to add to that legacy is nothing short of an honor.
TRS: What do you hope the audience takes away from your performance at this festival?
Mack: The biggest thing that I want people to take from this live show is that I care about building an experience that can help the audience make memories for years to come. For me, performances are much bigger than me playing on a stage. It’s fostering an environment for people to have fun and escape from this crazy world that we’re living in, if only for a few minutes. Also, I want them to experience how much I care about keeping real instrumentation alive in music. Overall, I just want everyone to enjoy themselves as much as possible.
Day 1 of the Richmond Jazz and Music Festival set the tone for the unforgettable weekend. Stay tuned for our Day 2 recap, where the music continues to flow and the good vibes keep rolling.
You can listen to Alex Mack’s latest single “Cucumber Cool” here.
The Richmond Seen
Starting at the top of 2025, the passionate voices behind The Richmond Seen have been committed to spotlighting the culture, creativity, and community of Richmond, VA. From arts and food to neighborhood stories and underground movements, our team of writers, photographers, and contributors work to ensure the pulse of the city is seen, heard, and felt.
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