Halloween time, babe. Going to try to cram as much as I can into this column, because I know we are all trying to cram as much as we can into this weekend.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit us up at griffin@rvamag.com.
Alice Cooper
Friday, October 30th at Altria
This is pretty fitting for Halloween weekend. We have the legendary hard rocker Alice Cooper in town, complete with all his shock and horror in tow. Cooper was a pioneer of early heavy metal, and has solidified himself as one of the most important figures in heavier music. He was early to the idea of shock value, pioneering it before the punk movement of the late ’70s and the metal craze of the ’80s. Whatever hard rockers you like now, odds are their line stretches back to Cooper.
Miramar, Yeni Nostalji, DJ Doguchi
Friday, October 30th at Get Tight
This might not be particularly Halloween themed, but damn it if it ain’t great music. Miramar is a bolero act that we are lucky enough to call local. They have the dreamiest blend of vocals that carry you somewhere far off. I have seen them a handful of times and they are just incredible. Sonically you feel like you are in a different decade, transported to somewhere you have only read about. It is intense and passionate and sincere, and overall some of the rawest talent in town.
Yeni Nostalji is another act local to Richmond. They sing in Turkish and boast a really unique blend of Turkish music, ’60s pop, and a hint of indie. Every ballad they release is an alternately sweet and cold embrace and farewell. DJ Doguchi is going to be opening the night up, getting everyone prepared to dance with their vinyl selection.
Pure Punk Covers Night
Friday, October 30th at The Camel
If you are looking for a late-night Halloween Eve shindig where you can get sweaty, try the Camel. With music starting at 9:30, five groups are going to be blasting through some classic punk sets. Starting the night off we have Descendents, a great way to get us going, followed by me and my friends ripping a short Clash set. Then we have Dead Kennedys (please play “Moon Over Marin”), Misfits coming in with a full face of makeup, and lastly Bad Religion. I know at least a few of us groups are donating our cash to Punks For Presents, so you get a feel-good story out of it all too.
Halloween! at the Camel
Saturday, October 31th at The Camel
Somebody put every band ever in a hat, shook it up, and the bands of Richmond picked from there. Starting off we have Wavves, an unexpected pull, but I like it. After that we have MF DOOM. That’s a lot to live up to, but the whispers on the wind say it is going to be good. Then we have the Strokes, a classic pull, followed by My Chemical Romance; that’ll get the people going. Lastly we have the most unexpected pull, the Allman Brothers. Whoever bet on that just made a million dollars. It’s a completely mixed bill of cover sets, but universally everyone is there to have a good damn time, and I think they will succeed in that endeavor.
Halloween Show!
Saturday, October 31th at Richmond Music Hall
We have another bill here where you could never guess which artist is coming up next. Opening up is local act Sheet Rock doing a Steely Dan tribute set, followed by Twin Films performing Drake. See what I mean? Headlining is Cleophus James, rounding it out with a good old-fashioned Ween set. What a wild, wild series of sentences. I know someone out there is right in the middle of that Venn diagram and absolutely losing their marble
Halloween Covers!
Saturday, October 31th at Bandito’s
Holy moly, someone built this cover bill exactly for me. Headlining is “Are Ya Madferit,” the local Oasis cover act, coming out for its yearly appearance. Then we have “Crush!” doing Paramore, so insanely tuff. Lastly we have “I Will Scare” doing one of my all-time favorites, the Replacements. This is so wildly different but so wildly stacked. Bandito’s Diablo Room may be flipped upside down in the process.
Alright, I am going to fire off a few more events here just to help round out your weekend:
Gallery 5 10/30: Clue: The Drag Show
Gallery 5 10/31: The Significant Others, ’80s hits cover set
The Broadberry 10/31: 2000s Halloween Rave
The Canal Club 10/31: Halloween Havoc; DJs, prizes, costume contest
Cobra Cabana 10/31: Hip Hop Henry Halloween
NEW TUNES
‘Being Junior‘ by Becoming
Okay, I’m a little behind on this one, since it came out at the end of September, but I’ve been listening to it a lot over the last week and figured better late than never. “Being Junior” is a new, quick tune from local garage/electronic act Becoming. Now, this is not a tune you show your mom. It’s a catchy, sweet-sounding tale of two people who share an appetite for the rougher side of it all. The tune is absolutely infectious, with a pure pop rhythm that you can’t stop bopping along to. The lyrics are horribly clever and will certainly either make you smile or blush, but regardless, you’ll be humming this one for the rest of the day.
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