FEATURE SHOW
Sunday, October 27, 1:30 p.m.
“Stay Spooky Fest” featuring The Swellers, The Menzingers, Pianos Become the Teeth, Diamond Youth, United Nations, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Daylight, Candy Hearts, Timeshares, Gates, Placeholder, Wolves At Bay @ The Camel – $20/All Ages
All kinds of punk rock is at the Camel this fine autumn Sunday afternoon. Punk in the form of melodic, pop, hardcore, emo and straight-ahead stuff will have this matinee become a dream come true.
FEATURE SHOW
Sunday, October 27, 1:30 p.m.
“Stay Spooky Fest” featuring The Swellers, The Menzingers, Pianos Become the Teeth, Diamond Youth, United Nations, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Daylight, Candy Hearts, Timeshares, Gates, Placeholder, Wolves At Bay @ The Camel – $20/All Ages
All kinds of punk rock is at the Camel this fine autumn Sunday afternoon. Punk in the form of melodic, pop, hardcore, emo and straight-ahead stuff will have this matinee become a dream come true. What an outstanding lineup of very solid up-and-coming bands joined with some veteran punk bands. Anybody that knows how to party knows these bands. The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die may be a long and unusual name, but watch out for this emo punk band out of Boston. Of course the The Swellers, The Menzingers, Pianos Become the Teeth, Diamond Youth, and United Nations might battle it out as well on who will steal the show, but they will easily make you feel more comfortable that you paid $20 bucks to see this lineup. Daylight and Timeshares are two high risers that shred the punk like no tomorrow. These bands are definitely worth getting to the Camel early for. If I was in high school or a freshman in college and could only go to one all-ages punk fest this autumn; this would probably be the show. What a lineup, see you there.
Wednesday, October 23, 10 p.m.
Ultra Bide, Mutwawa, Geometric Shapes @ Strange Matter – $8/18+
Now this is a nice return visit if there ever was one. Ultra Bide make their triumphant return to Richmond tonight. Having been one of the most underrated bands ever, this psychedelic experimental punk band since 1978–yes, 1978–demands and deserves your presence. I could not be happier this historical band that is also amazingly awesome is at 929 Grace St. tonight. This address is no stranger to this band that continues to tour and rock their asses off.
This Japanese band, once based in New York and signed to Alternative Tentacles, is still doing it as a power-trio with two basses and a drummer. If you have been going to shows all your life and have never seen Ultra Bide, well now is your chance. This band will be the band responsible for finally blowing your ears off. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind walking around sans ears if it meant I got to see and hear Ultra Bide.
Thursday, October 24, 8 p.m.
Father John Misty, comedian Kate Berlant @ The National – $23/All Ages
Father John Mist,y aka Joshua Tillman, has performed with everyone, including Fleet Foxes, and is now doing his own thing again. This indie folk singer and multi-instrumentalist is on top of his game and is clearly one of the best indie folk musicians out there in a sea filled with lackadaisical ones. Still touring in support of his latest LP, Fear Fun, on Sub Pop, Father John Misty is more than just a pseudonym – it’s a high energy experience beyond words. For Father John Misty, everything is outside the box – even his opening act on this leg of his tour. The fabulous improvisational comic Kate Berlant opens. This girl is funny y’all. Great opening act!
Friday-Sunday, October 25-27
10/25-26 Rat-Ward/Anti-Everything/RVA Noise presents Cheap Fest IV @ Strange Matter – Suggested Donation/All Ages – 2 p.m
10/27 Rat-Ward/Anti-Everything/RVA Noise presents Cheap Fest IV @ Gallery 5 – Suggested Donation/All Ages – 1 p.m.
Now in its fourth year, Cheap Fest is the best festival in Richmond, Virginia–hands down. Cheap Fest is pure underground, one hundred percent Do-It-Yourself, and the organizers have pretty much bent over backwards and broken their backs to put on this amazing collage of American underground music, experimentation, noise, avant-garde, and sound art.
Performers have come from all over America to be a part of this seminal three day showcase. This year is the biggest Cheap Fest yet, with over 70 performers. Although the festival is technically free, hence the name Cheap Fest, it is highly recommended that you donate to the cause; a donation of $5 a day would be much appreciated. There’s a lot of bang for your buck if you contribute to support all these amazing performers!
By the way, if this isn’t your thing, it will be. Screw supporting the same goddamn thing all the time in Richmond. There are a lot of talented artists full of originality as this festival, so do yourself a favor, besides taking a kid fishing, come out to at least one of these nights and get mesmerized. Each night earmarks a wicked sick lineup.
More info/performers/bios/set times/locations at https://www.facebook.com/events/678957982120452
and http://onewayrichmond.com/owr-cheap-fest-iv-preview
Check out the promo video by Joe Legzz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMS3VOhgTVI
Saturday, October 26, 9 p.m
Zombie Halloween Show featuring FGFC820, Low On Sanity, Asylum XIII @ Fallout – $8/18+
Zombies, ghouls, goblins, goons, monsters and Goth kids! Sign me up. Plus–oh my, what a plus–FGFC820, the great post-industrial, synth-punk dance duo out of NYC, is in Shockoe Bottom tonight. Now if there’s anything scarier than Shockoe Bottom, it would be the fact you didn’t show up to this beauty of a show filled with darkness and gloom. FGFC820’s Rexx Arkana and Dräcos are sure to get mid-evil on your ass with their satanic take on industrial to gabber music. They span the complete spectrum of all the devilish sounds that will have you witching on the dance floor. FGFC820 is touring in support of their new LP Homeland Insecurity, and it is brutally harsh, like kids kicking in a carved jack-o-lantern.
The darkness full of a trance-like dance state will be set off by the industrial Goth sounds of Richmond’s Low On Sanity, and Chesapeake’s Asylum XIII. Trick or treat? This show is without a doubt a treat. See you there.
Saturday, October 26, 11 p.m.
Warren Hixson, Hot Dolphin @ The Well – Free/21+
This show was put together to commemorate the 30th birthday of Richmond’s best music journalist. Watch out ladies, he’s a real cutie, so be sure to buy him a drink. It’s his birthday for Christ’s sake. Want to know who this marvelous human being getting quite old before our very eyes is? Well, you’ll just have to show up and find out.
Now, it wouldn’t be a big time birthday unless two of the best bands in Richmond were performing. The incredible garage and soulful sounds of Warren Hixson and Hot Dolphin will be your listening pleasure tonight. Providing you with the best drinks will be that place at Shafer and Franklin we all know and love, the Well. The Well is full, so come on in, and sing happy birthday to a gentleman and a friend. I’ll be the obnoxious one in the corner signing the high notes to”Happy Birthday” in my abusive mezzo-soprano voice.
Friday, October 25 & Saturday, October 26, 9 p.m.
EQ/Dr Bastard presents Shockoe Ball featuring: Friday–Random Rab, The Polychrons, Agent, Elliott Ness; Saturday–Orchard Lounge, Reinhold, The Manhattan Project @ Canal Club – $15 advance – http://thecanalclub.com/online_ticket_center.htm / $20 Door
Hello mommy, hello daddy, I’m your Shockoe Ball. This two day lineup features the very best in electronic jam bands.
Friday night proves to be a boisterous beginning. Random Rab is the evening’s headliner, and let me tell you this – Random Rab is an extraordinary multi-instrumentalist that dishes out sheer sonic exploration. His range is everywhere from melodic to trip-hop, classical and Arabic bass driven tracks. This shall have you bouncing with dancing explorations unimaginable to the mind, body, and spirit. Richmond space funk lords, the Polytrons, along with techno and bass DJs Agent and Elliott Ness open this horrifyingly grand evening of movement.
Headlining Saturday will be a band Richmond is very receptive to–Orchard Lounge. Chicago’s Orchard Lounge, comprised of Spencer & Bethany Lokken along with touring musicians, is a pure eclectic mix of bass-dropping, funk, futuristic and atmospheric jams you are guaranteed to dance to. Richmond’s own DJ of Crunkfederacy, Reinhold, and the jamming grooves of the Manhattan Project open this second night marvel. Be sure to wear your dancing shoes underneath your costume–and also be sure to attend both nights.
Monday, October 28, 6 p.m.
For The Fallen Dreams, Immoralist (photo by Through It All Photography), My Enemies and I @ Kingdom – $12/All Ages
It’s the Monday before Halloween; time to take in some scary good metalcore music. All three of these bands will dazzle. Out of Michigan, For The Fallen Dreams has been touring relentlessly and it is highly suggested you see them if metalcore is your thing. Richmond’s Immoralist is self described as “beat down” metal. Well I’m sold, as should you be. A newer Richmond metal band, My Enemies and I, has been turning a lot of heads lately. These guys may be young, but behold a lot of talent and are fully prepared to rip your face off. Beat downs and my face getting ripped off, oh, it looks as if I’ll be the first one at Kingdom this evening. You should join me.
Tuesday, October 29, 10 p.m.
Crystal Stilts, Zachary Cale, Warren Hixson, DJ Marty Violence @ Strange Matter – $12/18+
Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts are finally in Richmond. Touring in support of their new LP, Nature Noir, on the phenomenal Sacred Bones label, Crystal Stilts provides your ears with an outstanding mix of psych, garage and folk that cruises towards an experimental sound that explodes live. On the same lines of the Bee Gees and Satanic Majesties, Crystal Stilts is a mandatory catch. The wonderful roots rock sounds of Zachary Cale, and the fabulous Warren Hixson out of a Richmond garage, open this silhouette. To get your feet wet at first, one of the best DJs in Richmond, Marty Violence, gets you shaking through the door.
By John Lewis Morgan (onewayrichmond.com)
