For those just tuning in, the weekend before last offered a veritable smorgasbord of local music.
For those just tuning in, the weekend before last offered a veritable smorgasbord of local music. As if that Friday’s show at The Camel wasn’t enough (the gory details of which you can find here), Saturday’s show at The Broadberry saw another round of bonafide musicians take the stage.
The lineup included Asheville, NC’s Gold Light, followed by local darlings the Mad Extras and Sleepwalkers.
In my experience, opening acts are sometimes guilty of trying too hard. Gold Light, however, let their music speak for itself. A throwback to simpler days of Rock, Gold Light managed to somehow be both serene and stimulating. Their music makes you want to move, but slowly. It’s music to mellow out to, but not necessarily music you can sleep to. Some opening acts grab you by the shoulders and shake, but Gold Light comes up from behind and gives you a shoulder rub.
Next up was Richmond’s own the Mad Extras. According to their website, the Mad Extras’ only ambition is to put on a good show, and that’s just what they did. Operating at the intersection of Indie, Garage, and Punk, they don’t really cheat themselves out of any aspect of the genres and sub-genres they dabble in, but rather find a common denominator and build around it. This makes for a sound that is equally at home on the car radio on Monday morning as on the stereo in the basement on Friday night.
And rounding things up for the evening, we have Sleepwalkers. What immediately struck me about these guys is that they have a firm handle on the fundamentals of Rock. By grounding themselves in Rock’s Folk, Blues, and Jazz roots, Sleepwalkers gives itself a firm foundation from which they can safely explore different sounds and styles. This spirit of respect for the basics while keeping an eye on the horizon serves them well, and makes for an ideal blend of everything we love about yesteryear’s music and today’s music.
With many bands so preoccupied with discovering the next big sound, it is refreshing to see not one, but three bands that understand their respective music styles and what they want to do with it. It not only grounds their sounds, but it helps them maintain focus, especially in a place as musically eclectic as Richmond. I, for one, look forward to hearing more from all of them in the future.
Check out this recap video from the show via Joey Wharton
