On Wed. May 20, RVA breathes a collective sigh of relief as the 90 degree scorchers inundating Dominion Riverrock are all but a distant memory.
On Wed. May 20, RVA breathes a collective sigh of relief as the 90 degree scorchers inundating Dominion Riverrock are all but a distant memory. A 65 degree wind blows the last days of spring though a grateful city. But while the pavement cools on Broad street, just a few feet away, inside the glass corner front dining room of one of Richmond’s most iconic watering holes, things are just heating up as Emilio’s once again hosts the bi-weekly Jam, Radio Rubber Room Presents.
I’m pleased to see that first up tonight is RVA’s own Nicole Wade. Nicole and I have been friends for a few years now but I have never seen her perform. She sits down beside me at the bar and starts talking about her set. At this point Nicole has no idea I am writing tonight’s review and I am in no hurry to tell her. She tells me about a new song she has written and will debut tonight and even shows me the hand-written first draft she has folded in her pocket, fresh ink marks denote last min. adjustments. Nicole is a solo artist and I tell her that this is my favorite part about performing solo. It offers the freedom of innovation and change in the moments leading up to and during the performance. As we chat she mentions that the closing act had to cancel and that she will be leading a jam session with anyone who cares to join immediately following Hot Air Affair. I love this town.
A second Later she is introduced and our conversation is cut short. Hurrying to the stage she stops briefly to grab her set list and her folk body acoustic. As she introduces herself, the shock of going from private conversation to live performance is observable. She is timid and soft spoken and, from my seat at the bar, difficult to hear. As she starts to play all of this changes. She opens with an original ballad called “Compromise”. It is an emotion driven Soul Ballad that sets the tone for the rest of her set. Nicole still looks uncomfortable between songs, but her powerful and dynamic vocal style and the passion that goes into her performance make these fleeting moments of shyness seem like modesty. Three songs in she gets to the new song she mentioned earlier. It’s called “Beautiful Mess” and it bounces between a slow melodic chorus, and a break-neck lyric-driven verse built on a 14-syllable per measure skeleton. After a short set, she finishes with a crowd pleasing cover of “Put Your Records on” and exits with a polite acknowledgement of the crowd, still playing it close to the vest. Time for a smoke and a fresh toddy. Don’t wanna miss a moment of Will Overman.
The Will Overman Band is a four-piece folk country outfit out of Charlottesville, VA. Anyone who has seen them play will inevitably compare them to Old Crow, The Head And The Heart, and possibly the Avett Brothers. And while this isn’t bad company, as they rip into the first song of their set I hear something else. Hot electric blues intros from lead guitar player Daniel McCarthy are the first indication that I’m not in for your typical Holky-Folk show.
Will breaks in with a classic country gold voice he summons from somewhere deep in Dixie, the edge of which is polished by the sweet back up vocals of Brittany Wagner. A lot of names come to mind to compare these two, Clint Black and Martina McBride respectively, Merl and June maybe, but in the end the effect is that of a balanced two-part harmony that seems as effortless as it does authentic. In fact, with all of the styles and voices I hear pushed into this performance, what most surprises me is their ability to channel all of these great musical styles and still retain a voice that is authentic and relevant. As if reading over my shoulder the band goes seamlessly from their original “Whippoorwill” into a dirt road version of MGMT’s “Kids.” If there was room in front of the stage before, it is all but a memory awash in the flood of two steppers, three steppers, high fivers and even a couple of swing dancers. I thoroughly enjoyed this set. If you get a chance to see these guys, do.
Check ‘em out June 18th: The Camel
July 18th: Music For The Mountains Festival, Devils Backbone, Nelson County, Va
July 25th: Opening for The Hackensaw Boys at The Jefferson in Charlottesville
Were you in a band in high school? If so, there is a good chance that you weren’t headlining Emilio’s or opening The National on a weeknight. Hot Air Affair is a young, enthusiastic local Pop Rock septet featuring flannelled fem-rocker Bell Germain (performing barefoot on this occasion) who is doing just that.
Their set features high energy, feel good pop rock originals with names like “Runaway”, “Stay With Me”, and “Wish You The Best”, along with a few choice covers from Yellow Card, Shine Down and Kendrick Lamar. Sam Partridge’s Lightening fast drum fills set the pace for a crowded dance floor, while lead guitar player David Boyle and sax man Mason Loyd talk back and forth in a thrilling instrumental duel of wind and string.
I wish I could say that this set was non-stop jams. Unfortunately, there was that moment about halfway in when the lead guitar broke an E string bringing the show to an abrupt halt, as it seemed to take several members of the band to repair the problem. As lead guitarist this is one of the lesser disasters you have to be prepared to fix on the fly allowing your rhythm guitar to carry the slack, or simply play through. It did, however, give rhythm guitarist, and apparent band manager, Emma Oakly a chance to shine, using this opportunity to introduce the band, mention upcoming dates and otherwise keep the crowd entertained.
The effect of which made the broken string feel like authentication that we were indeed watching an intimate live performance. And after a minute or two, the band was right back in the swing and the crowd was no less pumped.
Check ‘em out June 20th: Broadberry
Great tunes, good friends and cheap booze made this another RRR Presents production not to have been missed. Between the side-splitting corny chemistry of M.C.’s and Radio Rubber Room Podcast Hosts Derrick and Chanelle, the fast and friendly service of Emilio’s crack bar staff and the candid rock moments that can only happen in an intimate live setting like this, Radio Rubber Room Presents Live from Emilio’s is RVA’s premiere humpday hotspot!
