THIS WEEKEND: Two Awesome Rock Shows At Strange Matter

by | Mar 24, 2011 | MUSIC

Strange Matter’s been hosting a ton of really great shows lately, and this weekend brings the latest in a long line of awesome acts to the Richmond stage. You’ll definitely want to make it out for both of these!

First, on Friday night, JEFF The Brotherhood comes to town. This heavy-rockin’ duo consists of actual brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, formerly of Be Your Own Pet, on guitar and drums. Our own Chris Terry reviewed their latest LP, Heavy Days, about a month ago, and had nothing but good things to say about it. The brothers have attempted to hit town once before, but were foiled by van problems. This time, though, everything’s on track for them to make it here in fine fashion. They’ll be joined on the bill by New Yorkers Fergus And Geronimo (who feature members of Teenage Cool Kids) and Richmond’s own The Two Funerals, who’ll be playing one of their last shows with current bassist Kyler O’Brien. Should be a loud, heavy, good time.

WHAT: JEFF The Brotherhood finally makes it to Richmond!
WHO: JEFF The Brotherhood, Fergus & Geronimo, The Two Funerals
WHERE: Strange Matter (929 W. Grace St.)
WHEN: Friday March 25, 10 PM
ADMISSION: $8

Expect just as much awesomeness on Saturday night, when two Richmond supergroups demonstrate that dudes who slayed in the 90s can still rock the fuck out today. Heks Orkest has been around for a while, but have mostly kept a low profile, so you may not know that they feature former Action Patrol vocalist David “Nappy” Grant, former Engine Down guitarist (and former Sleepytime Trio and Denali drummer) Jonathan Fuller, former Engine Down/Sparta guitarist Keeley Davis (who is actually playing bass in this group), former Denali/Lazycain guitarist Cam DiNunzio, and former Avail/Kepone/Holy Rollers drummer Ed Trask. Impressed yet? We’re not done! Also on the bill is Regents (no, not the doo-wop group who did “Barbara Ann,” dad, geez!), featuring former Maximillian Colby/Sleepytime Trio guitarists Dave NeSmith and Drew Ringo, former Exploder bassist Dan Evans, and former Frodus/Decahedron drummer Jason Hamacher. Crazy! Of course, considering the brand new/low profile status of both of these bands, I haven’t heard either one of them yet, but my curiousity is more than sufficiently piqued. And as of right now, with Regents having no recordings available and Heks Orkest’s two-song 7 inch no longer available for online listening, the only way to satisfy your curiosity about either of these bands is to go to the show. Seems like a good idea to me–especially since Flechette is opening up. I’ve told you about this excellent local post-hardcore band once already this week, so if you made it out to the Obits show, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For everyone else, well, suffice it to say that Flechette constitute a good reason to make it to this show all by themselves.

WHAT: Two 90s-era RVA supergroups, one low price!
WHO: Heks Orkest, Regents, Flechette
WHERE: Strange Matter (929 W. Grace St.)
WHEN: Saturday March 26, 9 PM
ADMISSION: $7 in advance, $8 at the door (Helpful hint: pick up advance tix when you go to the JEFF The Brotherhood show!)


Strange Matter’s been hosting a ton of really great shows lately, and this weekend brings the latest in a long line of awesome acts to the Richmond stage. You’ll definitely want to make it out for both of these!

First, on Friday night, JEFF The Brotherhood comes to town. This heavy-rockin’ duo consists of actual brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, formerly of Be Your Own Pet, on guitar and drums. Our own Chris Terry reviewed their latest LP, Heavy Days, about a month ago, and had nothing but good things to say about it. The brothers have attempted to hit town once before, but were foiled by van problems. This time, though, everything’s on track for them to make it here in fine fashion. They’ll be joined on the bill by New Yorkers Fergus And Geronimo (who feature members of Teenage Cool Kids) and Richmond’s own The Two Funerals, who’ll be playing one of their last shows with current bassist Kyler O’Brien. Should be a loud, heavy, good time.

WHAT: JEFF The Brotherhood finally makes it to Richmond!
WHO: JEFF The Brotherhood, Fergus & Geronimo, The Two Funerals
WHERE: Strange Matter (929 W. Grace St.)
WHEN: Friday March 25, 10 PM
ADMISSION: $8

Expect just as much awesomeness on Saturday night, when two Richmond supergroups demonstrate that dudes who slayed in the 90s can still rock the fuck out today. Heks Orkest has been around for a while, but have mostly kept a low profile, so you may not know that they feature former Action Patrol vocalist David “Nappy” Grant, former Engine Down guitarist (and former Sleepytime Trio and Denali drummer) Jonathan Fuller, former Engine Down/Sparta guitarist Keeley Davis (who is actually playing bass in this group), former Denali/Lazycain guitarist Cam DiNunzio, and former Avail/Kepone/Holy Rollers drummer Ed Trask. Impressed yet? We’re not done! Also on the bill is Regents (no, not the doo-wop group who did “Barbara Ann,” dad, geez!), featuring former Maximillian Colby/Sleepytime Trio guitarists Dave NeSmith and Drew Ringo, former Exploder bassist Dan Evans, and former Frodus/Decahedron drummer Jason Hamacher. Crazy! Of course, considering the brand new/low profile status of both of these bands, I haven’t heard either one of them yet, but my curiousity is more than sufficiently piqued. And as of right now, with Regents having no recordings available and Heks Orkest’s two-song 7 inch no longer available for online listening, the only way to satisfy your curiosity about either of these bands is to go to the show. Seems like a good idea to me–especially since Flechette is opening up. I’ve told you about this excellent local post-hardcore band once already this week, so if you made it out to the Obits show, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For everyone else, well, suffice it to say that Flechette constitute a good reason to make it to this show all by themselves.

WHAT: Two 90s-era RVA supergroups, one low price!
WHO: Heks Orkest, Regents, Flechette
WHERE: Strange Matter (929 W. Grace St.)
WHEN: Saturday March 26, 9 PM
ADMISSION: $7 in advance, $8 at the door (Helpful hint: pick up advance tix when you go to the JEFF The Brotherhood show!)

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.




more in music

Iron Blossom is Part of a Bigger Richmond Music Story

Ahead of Iron Blossom, we talked with veteran promoter Ken Macdonald about the city’s changing live music ecosystem, from clubs to festivals and the Allianz Amphitheater. Richmond has always been a music town, but going back decades there were gaps in the local scene....

A First Look at the New Brown’s Island

Brown's Island has been closed since November 2025 for a $30 million improvement project, the largest renovation of the six-acre island in decades. It will temporarily reopen for the Richmond Folk Festival, October 9 - 11th, giving Richmonders their first chance to...

Richmond Loves Dolly Parton

I was gonna kill my husband in a cab in Peru, but “Islands in the Stream” came on the radio, and we stopped arguing and started singing. She could do that to you. You could totally be feeling some type of way, but if you put some Dolly Parton on, well, then you got a...

Night Idea Has Been Here the Whole Time.

Richmond has no shortage of bands that arrive and then disappear. Night Idea has taken the opposite approach. They’ve been around for 16 years, and keep getting better. I sat down with Joey Anderson, Reggie Pace and Reyna Pannell ahead of Night Idea’s appearance at...

You Can Kiss Off! 45 Years of Violent Femmes

You can always kiss off into the air. Behind my back, I can see them stare. They hurt me bad, and I don’t mind. They hurt me bad, they do it all the time! Yeah, yeah. You just sang that in your head, didn’t you? I believe it is impossible not to. There’s an alchemy, a...

Read the Virginia Pride 2026 Pride Guide 🏳️‍🌈

For more than a decade, RVA Magazine has worked with Virginia Pride to produce the Official VA PrideFest Guide, bringing together stories from Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community and everything you need to know for PrideFest this Saturday, September 12,...

Virginia Film Chief Andy Edmunds Made a Movie

For context, when I’m not writing for this magazine, I’m a director and producer in the film industry. There’s one person rallying troops in the trenches for me and my colleagues all over the state. Andy Edmunds is on the front line of the conversations that bring...

Topics: