Black Girls, People’s Blues of Richmond, The Northerners
Monday, April 1 at The Camel
On April Fool’s Day, Black Girls, The People’s Blues of Richmond, and The Northerners joined forces at The Camel in a benefit event for the James River Park System; the music was altogether wretched and horrible, on everyone’s part…just kidding, it was freaking awesome.
Black Girls, People’s Blues of Richmond, The Northerners
Monday, April 1 at The Camel
On April Fool’s Day, Black Girls, The People’s Blues of Richmond, and The Northerners joined forces at The Camel in a benefit event for the James River Park System; the music was altogether wretched and horrible, on everyone’s part…just kidding, it was freaking awesome. The event attracted swarms of supporters – music fans and James River devotees alike – enough to pack The Camel shoulder to shoulder on a Monday night, no less.
Photo by Mark Peterson
But one couldn’t help noticing something special in the air that night. The joining of these three bands yielded a crowd of unified people, a uniting of the clans. There were simply friends and friends of friends in all directions. It could have been called Big Thing Monday: two big bands, joined by perhaps the “next big thing”, and all for the sake of the River – the biggest thing we’ve got. If any present body wasn’t clear on the evening’s objective, a rather moving introductory speech by Richmond’s beloved Ralph White (recently retired long-time manager of the James River Park System) brought it to light. White encouraged us all to reflect on the perpetual aesthetic value of the James, recounting the most beauteous and monumental anecdotes of his time as park manager. Just before PBR dropped into its first rock-out, White concluded his speech with a keen association between our local beer and our local water supply. “Music. Art. The River inspires all of it. So, drink a beer! And help the River!”
PBR opened, oddly enough, and I got a chance to hear them early in the night, pre-obliteration. Their music is structured with a bit more complexity than I’d remembered, equipped with dynamic changes and an altogether more psychedelic feel – clearly not just the blues. And I know Tim Beavers can shred, but I love most that he’s a guitarist on which I can depend to play a broken, discordant solo from time to time.
Seated directly in between two veritable Richmond powerhouses, The Northerners appeared to ramp up their level of rocktitude. However there may be a few reasons for this – as the monitor speakers began crapping out mid-set, Justin and Ally Khoury were forced to strain pretty hard. This led to some serious belting out, and it was great to see them embrace the grittiness and push it further. I’ve got to say, if Justin Khoury hasn’t already submitted “My Song” to some sort of song contest, he ought to. It’s an instant classic.
The illustrious and elusive Black Girls closed out the evening, after an extremely long-winded but important raffle winnings announcement. The raffle, made possible by a slew of local and national sponsors, generated a significant draw for the benefit of the James River. In any case, Black Girls needed no introduction, and with a stroke of luck the monitor issues were resolved just prior to their set. One thing I admire about this band is that they have always been entirely in control of their sound; they write music within a cozy niche they’ve created for themselves. This I admire, though I also love when bands venture to step beyond their comfort zones–it takes balls, though. Watching their set I was reminded of a very important aspect for a band’s success: girls simply must like your music. Black Girls have lassoed the most important demographic possible, and I applaud them for this. They’ve harnessed a brand of perfect party music, just bordering on nostalgic with a constant light-hearted pop edge. While they may have only been off the local radar for a brief stint, it was indeed a tasty treat to hear some of their new material. In a city like this, the absence of a band like Black Girls does not go unnoticed.
Photo by Todd Raviotta
Charity shows often get convoluted; people tend to get drunk and forget why they’re there, or where they are in the first place. That April Fool’s night, it was a different case. A benefit show for something as magnanimous and grand as the James River struck many as it should have. The cause itself is bigger than any of the bands that played. I mean, the damned river is about 350 miles long, and old as the earth itself. Well, maybe not that old, but pretty old. Richmond is the River City, and I think everyone felt proud to be there that night, for our namesake.
