Lots of great stuff going on this week, I am particularly looking forward to that Dogo Du Togo show! If you see me there come say hi! Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit us up at griffin@rvamag.com.
Dogo Du Togo
Saturday, September 4th at Get Tight Lounge
Now, if you are looking for an exciting way to spend your Saturday night, the only answer is spending it with Dogo Du Togo. This is a sound unlike anything else you will hear in town: a score of ultra-talented Togolese players led by the titular Dogo Du Togo. They combine Afrobeat, psychedelic rock, and traditional Togolese rhythms into a churning, infectious dance sound.
This is my first real experience with the lot, but it just grabs you right off the rip. Their sound hits home on just about every front. If you want to get close and personal with a special someone and dance the night away, you could not ask for a better soundtrack. If you want to lose yourself in some real rocking and ripping guitars, they got it. And if you want to sit back and nod along to some mind-blowing musical talent, they have it in spades.
This event is being put on by Secret Planet, an incredible organization that helps us hear sounds and styles that might never come to Richmond, Virginia. Every show I have been to that has been hosted by Secret Planet has been unforgettable and mesmerizing, so I am absolutely chomping at the bit for this one.
Box Factory, Cherry Moon, Luna Lighti
Friday September 4th at The Camel
Local psychedelic party rockers Box Factory are back for another First Friday at The Camel. One of the big strengths of this group is that they can get you floating. Once they are locked into a groove, you feel yourself leave your body a good bit. Everything turns into haze, fog, neon, lasers, and the rest. Their shows are always parties in their own right.
The group has been moving into some new sounds with the releases of Honeybee and Corolla, their two most recent singles. They offer a bit more ground, as opposed to the pure space that you find in tracks like Tidal Wave. Box Factory is three-fourths of the way through their residency at The Camel, so catch ’em for as many First Fridays as you can.
Blacksburg psych rockers Cherry Moon are joining the bill. They have some tunes that fit right into that magical and spacey psych sound that you will hear from the headliners, and others that are a bit more gruff and gritty, veering toward a punk or noise angle. They seem to commit hard to whatever sound they are going for in each song, so they’ll have a wide range to offer at this show.
Luna Light is fresh off their first single, Play Pretend, and it is a dream. The group is made up of scene veterans, and they have no shortage of songwriting talent. They categorize as bedroom pop, and I think that hits it right on the head. If you are into the likes of Strawberry Guy, Mac DeMarco, and Foxygen, go ahead and keep an eye on Luna Light.
Condition Critical, Circle Breaker, Excrementia
Monday, September 7th at Banditos
Condition Critical, what a goddamn great name. New Jersey thrash metalheads are in the Diablo Room this weekend. They are machine-gun firing forward at breakneck speeds and barking like dogs on the run. They are not wasting a single second. It is pure violence and noise in every single beat, no rest, no recuperation, just a runaway truck going down a mountain. This group has been all around the world playing that heavy, heavy stuff for the last 15 years. They are going to blow the roof off of Banditos.
Circle Breaker is the first of the locals. They are self-described “Queer Witchgrind,” and they launch into each song like they are being flung from a catapult. Their songs are heavy as sin and as fast as light, but still maintain a gloomy atmosphere that feels very unique to them.
Last up, we have local death metal act Excrementia. This group is wild. They are dropped real low and churn and chug through every tune. The vocals are growling to the point of being monstrous, and the band has no problem matching that point.
NEW TUNES
Jumpline Bleeder
Sprawl is out with their sophomore record, Jumpline Bleeder. The group is hard to pin down one way or another. In some ways, you could call them power pop, indie rock, and grunge, but overall, it is really solid guitar music. There is a huge range of moods and feelings on this record, and I think they did a good job pushing the sound of their debut record. It seems more mature and more certain of its own identity, breathing with its own two lungs. The whole record is jam-packed with some of the catchiest riffs and leads that will ensure plenty of re-listens.
Main photo of Dogo Du Togo
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