RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 2/5-2/11

by | Feb 5, 2014 | SHOW PICKS

FEATURE SHOW
Friday, February 7, 7 PM
Face Melt Friday XIX featuring Bandolero, Black Liquid, Chris Chris, Chuck Nasty Of Grayscale, Drama J, F.Low, Fundamental, Goad Gatsby, Jae Dilly, Jake Barkley, Octavion X, Pravda, Regius Green, Reppa Ton, Sleaze, Swerve 36, Tai Wo, The Heroez, The New Juice Crew, Tru Nyce, Vohn Lewis Da SkohLar @ Strange Matter – $3 in advance/$5 at door

Less than a week after the 48th NFL Super Bowl comes the 19th Face Melt Friday, and it will kick off the year in RVA hip hop with a bang!

FEATURE SHOW
Friday, February 7, 7 PM
Face Melt Friday XIX featuring Bandolero, Black Liquid, Chris Chris, Chuck Nasty Of Grayscale, Drama J, F.Low, Fundamental, Goad Gatsby, Jae Dilly, Jake Barkley, Octavion X, Pravda, Regius Green, Reppa Ton, Sleaze, Swerve 36, Tai Wo, The Heroez, The New Juice Crew, Tru Nyce, Vohn Lewis Da SkohLar @ Strange Matter – $3 in advance/$5 at door

Less than a week after the 48th NFL Super Bowl comes the 19th Face Melt Friday, and it will kick off the year in RVA hip hop with a bang! This 7-hour smorgasbord of amazing MCs, DJs, and everyone who’s anyone in the local hip hop scene is brought to you, as always, by the hardest-working man in RVA’s hip hop scene, Black Liquid, and his posse, The New Juice Crew. Hip hop shows run a little differently than regular rock shows, with DJs keeping the music going throughout and different MCs passing the mic back and forth all night, so if this bill looks crazy stacked, that is why. All of these artists will hit the stage at some point, especially since they’ve got 7 hours to do so, and even if you don’t have the first clue about RVA hip hop before you arrive, you’ll know plenty by the time the night is over.

There are plenty of artists to watch out for on this show, but here’s just a brief rundown: Black Liquid, of course, who changed up his prolific ways in 2013 after releasing 15 full-length projects in the preceding four years, but should be dropping a new project sometime soon. We’re expecting this MC to take his talents to a whole new level in 2014, and this show will make an excellent sneak preview. Sleaze, aka the Honorable Sleaze, aka Sleazie Wonder, is a gruff, cantankerous MC who’s seen it all come and go; but he’s still here, bolstering his reputation as a mainstay of RVA hip hop every time he grabs the mic. Octavion X, who records both as a solo artist and with Suburban District, is a major RVA player in every sense of the word, and he’s at the top of his game right now. The New Juice Crew is a Wu-Tang style crew of MCs and DJs who all have their own things going on, but when they get together, as on last year’s excellent Know The Ledge Vol. 1 mixtape, magic happens.

Y’all, I’m barely scratching the surface. There’s so much more to see on this incredibly stacked bill, and those of you who know VA hip hop know that none of these MCs should be missed. If you don’t know the score with the local hip hop scene, this show will prove to you that anyone who says RVA doesn’t have plenty of great hip hop is tripping. With tickets only $3 in advance (contact any of the artists performing to get yours), you can’t afford not to go to this show.

Wednesday, February 5, 5 PM
Turnstile, Diamond Youth, Turnover, Blind Justice @ Strange Matter – $12

You’ve heard that the 90s are back, right? Believe it or not, this even extends to the realm of hardcore, and you will learn as much from the two Baltimore bands coming to Strange Matter tonight. Turnstile get their mostly-midtempo mosh going on in the style pioneered by bands on New Age and Conversion Records back in the early 90s. Do you sometimes wish that the Ressurection, Mean Season, and Outspoken records you’ve plucked from dusty used bins (or sniped on Ebay) had better recording quality? Well, now you can hear what that style was like live, and why all of us who were around back in those days jocked those bands in the first place. Turnstile will get everybody riled up at Strange Matter tonight, and if you find yourself doing moves you learned from that one Sick Of It All video, don’t worry–it’s perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the music.

Meanwhile, Diamond Youth are bringing back a totally different version of the 90s. Rather than the hardcore sound of the era, these guys are reviving the alt-rockin’ power-pop sound common to a lot of bands that got signed to major labels in the wake of Nirvana’s Nevermind hitting platinum. If you thought the 90s hardcore references I made in the last paragraph were obscure, try these on for size: Chainsaw Kittens, Third Eye-era Redd Kross, maybe even Veruca Salt. Diamond Youth shares musical DNA with all of these bands, and it’s great to hear their upbeat, crunchy-yet-melodic power pop sound. If you ask me, this stuff never goes out of style.

Support is provided by Turnover, from the VA Beach area, who are on Run For Cover Records and make yearning, emotional music that might be a bit softer than the usual emo/pop-punk you’re used to, but has a heartfelt feel that gives it power of another sort. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Blind Justice are doing the sort of angry hardcore that has been in vogue for the past several years, with less of a retro bent than that of Turnstile–unless the fact that they’re kind of an 80s throwback means they have MORE of a retro bent than Turnstile… man, I don’t even know anymore. Either way, they’ll start the show off with some fast, heavy sounds to get the circle pit going, so get ready to go off.

Thursday, February 6, 9 PM
Navi, Mutwawa @ Balliceaux – Free!

Balliceaux on a weeknight is not necessarily the place where you would expect to find a show featuring two of the most creative, experimental duos playing music in RVA today, but that just goes to prove that you should expect the unexpected. Navi, who showed off their talents in recorded form with the recently released Illuminavi EP, will be bringing out their extensive array of effects pedals and filling the back room at Balliceaux with their glorious noise. Seeing drummer Kyle Flanagan nearly knock over his kit with his manic, aggressive playing style is always a treat, while Jon Hawkins is liable to engage in some pretty impressive vertical leaps while bashing out some complex, hyperspeed guitar riffs. So don’t just sit at home listening to the new EP–come see these guys bring it to wild, crazy life.

And check out Mutwawa while you’re at it. A collaboration between local noise kingpin Gary Stevens (Head Molt) and living legend of VA experimental music Jason Hodges (Suppression/Bermuda Triangles), this duo uses nothing so conventional as guitar and drums to create their music. Instead, they process tape loops, programmed beats, and unrecognizable vocal samples through an even more extensive array of effects than Navi uses. The result is pure mutant disco–the sort of thing you’d expect invading aliens to blast while they’re throwing a dance party after they’ve taken over the planet. So come out to Balliceaux and do alien dances to bizarre experimental noise disco–it’s the perfect way to start your weekend! (What do you mean, weekends don’t start on Thursday?)

Saturday, February 8, 7 PM
Paul Willson Heaven Reaches CD Release Concert @ St. Stephen’s Church (6000 Grove Ave) – Donations encouraged

This is a decidedly different way to spend your Saturday evening, but a change of pace never did anyone any harm. Plus, if you were going to get away from all the noise and hubbub of the typical live music scene, you could hardly pick a better way to do so than by hearing local folk musician Paul Willson present the quietly beautiful music included on his brand new double album, Heaven Reaches. Recorded late last year at Montrose Studios with the help of many leading lights of the local music scene, Heaven Reaches is split into two halves: Sky and Earth. The concert at St. Stephen’s will feature multiple sets of music from Willson and a variety of collaborators; the first will focus on music from Heaven Reaches: Earth, the second on Heaven Reaches: Sky, and the third on a variety of new original compositions Willson has been working on. Inbetween sets, there will be poetry read by members of the church’s contemplative prayer group.

With the amazing acoustic environment created by St. Stephen’s sanctuary, combined with the beautiful music Willson will be performing, this evening will surely add up to be a fully immersive and memorable experience. Plus, Willson will have copies of the new Heaven Reaches double CD available for $10, which is really quite a bargain. You really should be there. You can get your eardrums blasted at a loud rock club any other night of the week, but this sort of show doesn’t come along very often.

Saturday, February 8, 8 PM
People’s Blues Of Richmond, Fool’s Errand, Russell Lacy @ The Camel – $8

People’s Blues Of Richmond are a mainstay on the local music scene, but they’ve been out of town for most of the past month, doing a two-week tour and following it up with some studio time. Could a new record be in the offing? Perhaps, but let’s concentrate for the moment on a more salient fact–PBR’s homecoming show is taking place this Saturday at The Camel, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t be there. Don’t be fooled, as I initially was, by this group’s name, either. This isn’t just some rock n’ roll bar band who spends half the night doing covers. Associating oneself with the blues in 2014 may seem like an anachronistic move, but last year’s Good Time Suicide LP showed that, while PBR will at times put their own spin on classic blues topics (“Cocaine Powder,” “Bad Railroad”), they are clearly coming from a modern perspective. Guitarist/singer Tim Beavers isn’t afraid to call a song “Motherfucker” or write a line like “a short black skirt with nothing underneath but sweet feminism,” and with the trio as a whole displaying a dark, heavy musical sensibility to go along with Beavers’s songwriting talents, PBR are making not only modern music but really good modern music. If you still don’t know, this Saturday night’s a perfect time to find out.

Also on the bill will be Fool’s Errand. This local group mixes standard rock instrumentation with some unusual influences from other cultures and other musical traditions. The result is a gloomy yet powerful blend of Middle Eastern folk music, old-time country & Western, rock n’ roll, and a touch of the modern Americana revival sound. In fact, beyond pointing at the various places they draw influence from, I can’t really put my finger on what Fool’s Errand are doing–which makes their sound that much more interesting, and worth hearing in a live setting. Russell Lacy, the frontman for local throwback rockers Grease Trigger, will open up with a solo set. Veering back and forth from classic primitive rock n’ roll style to country balladeering, he’ll get the evening started in fine style.

Sunday, February 9, 7 PM
Beatles Tribute Show feat. Goldrush, The Blue Tips, The Girltles @ The Camel – Price At Door

The title of this tribute show, “It Was 50 Years Ago Today,” combines references to two different Beatles milestones–the first line of the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the first time the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, on February 9, 1964. While I can’t imagine that anyone performing on this bill was watching, or even alive, that night, it’s certainly a landmark date in the history of rock music, as the discovery of the Beatles by American youth culture changed the sound of popular music forever. And while a lot more has happened in the history of music since that day, it’s clear that the Beatles still retain a powerful influence on plenty of bands that are active today.

Case in point: Goldrush. It’s really no surprise to see them headlining this show. After all, anyone who has listened to their records has surely noticed the Beatlesque vocal harmonies and guitar licks that show up frequently in Goldrush’s songs. Hell, even the integration of classical instrumentation and rock music harks back to things the Beatles–along with Brian Wilson and Phil Spector–did first. So for Goldrush to lay down a proper Beatles set at this event seems quite fitting. We know these guys excel at covers in general, considering their popular recent performance at Hardywood doing Tom Petty songs, so clearly, we can expect them to rock a party in fine fashion with a Beatles cover set.

There’ll be two other Beatles cover sets on tap for the evening as well. The Blue Tips will be coming down from Fredericksburg to put their soulful touch on some Fab Four tunes. Featuring members of The Big Payback, The Hi Stepps, Compass Rose Orchestra and more, The Blue Tips are skillful players whose talents we should all be familiar with, and seeing them integrate their horn section into some prime Lennon/McCartney material should be a real treat. Plus, there will be a set by The Girltles, an all-female Beatles tribute band featuring members of Bio Ritmo. In the end, each of these bands will bring their own unique touch to the music of the Beatles, and the entire night will be filled with the enduring sounds by what just might be the most important band of the 20th century.

Monday, February 10, 8 PM
Dead Meadow, Windhand, Tasha-Yar @ Strange Matter – $10 advance/$12 at the door (order tickets here: http://deadmeadow.eventbrite.com/)

And Monday night brings us what is secretly the most momentous show of this week’s entire column. Dead Meadow, the legendary psychedelic doom rangers from LA via DC, who were instrumental in bringing about the underground stoner-rock revival of the past decade, will be taking the stage at Strange Matter. This is just the latest in a long list of reasons proving why we are all incredibly lucky to live in a town where Mark Osborne is working as a show booker. Dead Meadow is just the latest of many bigger touring bands that have skipped out on larger venues to play in the intimate club environment of Strange Matter, and since this is always a recipe for an outstanding show, you’d be a fool not to take advantage of this opportunity. This show is sure to sell out, so if you’re smart, you’ll click that advance ticket link above and grab yourself a ticket right now. Dead Meadow is currently touring behind their seventh album, 2013’s Warble Womb, and its hazy, lysergic sounds and pensive, lethargic tempos are just what you’ve come to expect from these stoner-psych warriors. Whatever, you know what you’re getting into–buy your ticket and go!

Still on the fence? Well, here’s another powerful inducement–RVA’s premiere doom metal group, Windhand, are also performing this evening. Their second album, Soma, was a huge hit when it came out last year, taking this band to a whole new level on their way to world domination. Fortunately for us, though, they’re still heavily involved in the local scene, and they’ll be dishing out their amazing combination of beautifully melancholy vocals and pulverizing doom-metal riffs at Strange Matter this Monday. Not only will it be a stunning and thoroughly satisfying set on its own merits, it’ll be the perfect warm-up for Dead Meadow’s main event.

As if you still need greater inducement, there is yet another excellent band on this bill. Tasha-Yar may not feature any members of the Enterprise crew from Star Trek: the Next Generation, but they do feature former members of notorious North Carolina psychedelic crews US Christmas and Hour Of 13. Tasha-Yar are plenty psychedelic in their own right, and they’ll begin this evening of hallucinogenic sound with plenty of third-eye-opening cosmic drone grooves. Get stoked.

Tuesday, February 11, 10 PM
Brunswick @ Balliceaux – Free!

Brunswick is the name of a traditional Virginia stew that my mother likes to make at Christmas time, but it’s also the name of a 12-piece jazz group from right here in RVA. As with a lot of the local jazz crews, you’ll see some overlap with the usual suspects (RVA Big Band, No BS! Brass, etc), but Brunswick has plenty of great music of their own to dish out, and hearing them take over the bandstand at Balliceaux and soothe your ears with some great modern jazz sounds will be a good way to wind down in the middle of the week. It’s the pause that refreshes, and when Brunswick’s refreshing music is combined with the tasty beverages Balliceaux always makes available, we’re talking about a fine Tuesday evening all around.

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Should I be posting about your show? Make sure I know it’s happening–email me: andrew@rvamag.com.

Marilyn Drew Necci

Marilyn Drew Necci

Former GayRVA editor-in-chief, RVA Magazine editor for print and web. Anxiety expert, proud trans woman, happily married.




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