Instead of some quirky intro, all I would like to do today is point you toward the canned food drive happening at The Camel right now. The drive is intended to ease the burden placed on those suffering from the lack of SNAP benefits, so please donate if you can.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit me up at griffin@rvamag.com.
White Beast, Rikki Rakki, Wrong Worshippers
Saturday, November 15th
The Camel
This is an absolutely stacked local bill, and guess what? It’s for a great cause. These bands have gotten together to raise money for Students for Justice in Palestine at VCU. That program has been the driving force locally to raise awareness and support for Gaza, as it has been under a brutal occupation and enduring an unimaginably horrible genocide for a huge swath of time now. The students that run this organization are nothing but saints, truly honorable people trying to make the change they want to see.
Further information can be found on their Instagram, where you can keep in touch and find more updates about the work they are doing.
On to the bands: White Beast is commemorating this special night with a unique release of “So It Goes,” a track off their Home Alone EP that came out earlier this year. This version will include new vocals from Erika of Rikki Rakki (more on them later) and a string arrangement by Paul Wilson. White Beast has demonstrated some pretty crazy range, being able to crush a noisy, screaming tune with the same quality as a slower, more heartfelt track, so I think this version will only expand on that. This duo, drums and bass, deliver some of the most moving performances I’ve ever seen. With the swell of emotion brought on by the theme of the night, this will be a night for Richmond to remember.
Next up, we’ve got Rikki Rakki. This year they gave us Sing, Cicadas!, a five-song EP that lives in the sunny spots around town. They’ve leaned into the more atmospheric and indie with this release, which accentuates some of their softer sincerities. I’d recommend checking out “James River” off the previously mentioned EP, this one’s definitely for the Richmonders.
Lastly, we have Wrong Worshippers, another duo of bass and drums. They always put on wild live shows that get the entire crowd moving. They haven’t had a local show in a while, so I know plenty of people are eagerly awaiting the mayhem that’s bound to come as soon as they set foot on stage.
Chemical-X, Rat Fight, Rubber Dagger, Text Brian by Friday
Sunday, November 16th
Banditos
Every time I see Chemical-X coming into town, I know it is going to be a good night. These New Jersey punks are channeling a raw 80s Descendents-esque sound, pure and unbridled. Every show of theirs that I have been to has had a great pit, fueled by their pounding drums, rock’n’roll guitar shredding, beating bass, and intimidating vocals. They have been making quite the stir in the East Coast hardcore scene, so I am glad to see they still have time for lil’ ol’ Richmond.
Rat Fight is back from the woodwork. This local punk band that borders on hardcore has not played a show in a minute, but they are the shit. They bash and crash through a set with rippling hair and broad tattoos. Their sound is somewhere between Fugazi and Militarie Gun, with a certain bit of GBH mixed in.
Rubber Dagger is up next with a dirty rock’n’roll sound. They have always reminded me of The Replacements, with a sort of carefree, rough-and-tumble attitude toward a set. Their debut album came out this June and is ten tracks of pure rockin’ heat.
Last of the locals, we’ve got Text Brian by Friday. They released their debut EP this summer and have a really catchy pop-punk sound that is easy to hum along to. They are all bounce, a pure up-and-down band rather than side to side.
Eyewash, Receiver, Ultra Bleach
Friday, November 14th
Gallery 5
Eyewash is coming down from Pittsburgh, bringing with them a heavy, thick, noisy shoegaze sound. This is some serious wall of sound stuff here. When they hit, they hit hard, noise rustling past your ears and stirring up the hairs on your arms. They are very proficient players and do a lot as a three-piece band. They can fill up the walls of Gallery 5 real nice.
Receiver has been hitting Richmond hard this year. Their college rock and new wave sound is mesmerizing and easy to get lost in. They boast some seriously impressive and unique guitar work, akin to something like Television or Talking Heads, and powerful vocals. Since their debut, they have quickly become one of my go-to live bands in town.
The last band we have for today is Ultra Bleach. They are DIY dirty rock, part of a global wave of stripped-back, garage punk that seems to be pumping predominantly out of Australia. You can’t take your eyes off Ultra Bleach; at any moment, it seems as if the stage could crumble from the sheer friction and energy radiating off these four.
New Tunes
‘Future Void’ by Private Hell
PRIVATE HELL coming in hot. The local hardcore and metal band just put out ‘Future Void’, a blistering and sinister bark into the dark. The drums on this track are horrifying, beating into the night like a demonic runaway horse, while the vocals call to it like some sort of decaying, entombed soul begging to be released unto the world. The breakdown that comes toward the end of the song had me swinging and skanking in my room while my neighbors hammered the walls, begging me to turn it down.
Main photo of Angelica Garcia by Charlotte Rea
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