An
art gallery and
performance space in
Richmond,
Virginia; I'm 98% sure it's now defunct, or functioning under another name. "RAW" was short for "Richmond Artists
Workshop". This was where I went to my first real
concert (with chairs and everything) - duet
improvisations featuring
Connecticutians Leo Smith (
trumpet, miscellany) and Bobby Naughton (
vibraphone).
I was only 17, and, for the first time in my life, I was at a venue where "Can I see your ID?" wouldn't be an issue (all-ages hardcore shows were still quite rare at the time), or I wouldn't have to know somebody in order to get in. I remember Smith and/or Naughton carrying a bottle of something - either a beer, which clashed with my image of jazz avant-gardists as hyperspiritual individuals, or some sort of fancy herbal beverage, which would have fit just right with my teenage preconceptions.
A good show, IIRC. I ended up buying a copy of Smith's current LP (on his DIY label Kabell). I remember mostly the long walk through Richmond, back and forth - I didn't have a driver's license yet.