Bashful Archives

VA Shows You Must See This Week: February 26 – March 3

Marilyn Drew Necci | February 26, 2020

Topics: 3:33, Ages, Bashful, Bbigpigg, Black Button, black mass, Bodysnatcher, Boogaloo's, Born A New, Chamber, CornCob, Creeping Death, Cruel Streak, Cruzer, Cut The Architect's Hand, Dan Deacon, Dozing, Ed Schrader's Music Beat, Enforced, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Fallout, Faucet, Fuzzy Cactus, Genosha, Gnawing, Great American Ghost, Guardrails, In Battle, Jono Stewart's Big Mistake, Kemtrailz, Lovelorn, music, must see shows, Nat Baldwin, Night Sins, OnceDrowned, Only Sibling, Pitch'n A Fit, Prayer Group, Recital, richmond events, richmond va, richmond va bands, Riffhouse Pub, RVA, Satanic Richmond, Shockoe Denim, shows this week richmond, shows you must see, Slump, Smallhands, So Badly, Split Wrist, The Canal Club, The Southern Cafe, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Thirsty's RVA, True Body, Vacation, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, February 27, 8 PM
Satanic Richmond presents Black Mass, feat. 3:33, Ages, Cut The Architect’s Hand, Cruel Streak, Pitch’n A Fit @ Fallout – $6 suggested donation
Old-lady storytime: When I was a kid in the late 80s starting to get into music in a big way, any modern band I really dug was subject to potential labeling by adults as “Satanic.” I came to expect it, and not just about extreme metal bands that truly did dabble in Satanic imagery — your Slayers, your Ozzys — but even about innocuous musicians like Def Leppard, Aerosmith, and Madonna. Even though I was still young and hadn’t really started to question the religion I was raised in just yet, this cultural environment nonetheless created an undeniable allure around Satanic iconography. If the bands I like are all at least debatably Satanic, shouldn’t I be making a point of checking out other supposedly-Satanic bands?

At least for me, a fortysomething survivor of the Satanic-panic 80s, an edgy allure still remains around anything that overtly labels itself Satanic. Of course, I grew up and found out that Satanism as it exists in the world today is really more of a philosophy than anything, one that isn’t really about the Christian conception of Satan at all. In fact, it isn’t even a religion, and its adherents are closer to agnostic than anything. Their real purpose is to engage in social activism to promote separation of church and state, and the value of individual freedom, in the face of state oppression. That’s pretty excellent as an overall value system, and it’s certainly a long way from what my elders told me as a kid about what all the ostensibly-Satanic music I was listening to wanted me to believe.

That said, my old Black Sabbath and Slayer records are still cool as hell, and if you see where I’m coming from — or even if you kinda don’t — you should probably head to Fallout this Thursday night to see what Satanic Richmond are all about. They’ll be hosting some speakers and having a charity raffle, but the main focus of the evening is music — for the most part, the exact same kind of music my parents warned me about back in the day. This includes a variety of local groups: metallic punk stalwarts 3:33, chaotic metalcore veterans Cut The Architect’s Hand, and metal newcomers Cruel Streak will bring the heaviness, while Ages moves in a dark, postpunk direction and Pitch’n A Fit brings some old-time string-band styles with a 21st century sensibility. This evening at Fallout will be a ton of sinful fun, and who doesn’t love that?

Wednesday, February 26, 8 PM
Slump, Black Button, Cruzer @ Fuzzy Cactus – $8
There’s no getting around it; Slump are a strange band. This Richmond quartet released an LP, Flashbacks From Black Dust Country, late last year on Feel It Records, and it is full of the kind of batshit psychedelic punk with tinges of noise-rock, space-rock, and even wild-ass outlaw country that puts them somewhere in the neighborhood of Jesus Lizard, No Trend, the Meat Puppets, and Hawkwind, all at the same time. It’s certainly not the kind of thing you’re going to encounter on a weekly basis of listening to whatever comes through your Spotify Discover playlist; nope, this is a unique offering, with all the outsider oddity that implies.

And if you think this group, which even features an analog synth these days, are going to be a typical humdrum live band experience, you definitely need to recalibrate your assumptions — and the perfect time and place to do that is tonight at Fuzzy Cactus, where Slump will be kicking off a tour that will take them somewhere else for some amount of time (they aren’t exactly forthcoming about this info online, but I’d expect no less from these weirdos), and should be in fine fighting form in preparation for devastating the world with their bizarre noise. They’ll have similarly-minded noise-punk newcomers Black Button and surf-punk noisemakers Cruzer along for the ride, making for a pretty entertaining way to spend a midweek evening, no matter how you slice it.

Thursday, February 27, 7 PM
Only Sibling, Smallhands, Dozing, So Badly @ Thirsty’s RVA – Free!
It’s an undeniable fact: scruffy Mac DeMarco-looking indie rock boys with hardcore-punk backgrounds are a great source for the best shoegaze tunes of the 21st century. That band Nothing did a lot to demonstrate that fact, and Only Sibling are now here to make it even more clear. This New York-based quartet have released some singles and EPs on Other People Music, but still haven’t really taken the plunge into a full-length, so a lot of people haven’t woken up to what they have to offer as yet. But you have a chance to do so this Thursday night, just over the James on Forest Hill Ave, as Only Sibling come to Thirsty’s RVA for a free show that is well worth your time.

They’ll be joined on this bill by Smallhands, who hail from Fredericksburg and are, like a lot of that city’s scene, primed for discovery after years of floating just under the radar. Their hazy sound definitely shares some characteristics with that of Only Sibling, so if you dig one of these bands, you’re sure to dig the other. Smallhands will be accompanied on their trip an hour South down the I-95 corridor by So Badly, a Fredericksburg indie group with a lot to offer on their own behalf, and the whole bill will be rounded out with a set from Dozing, who bring the early-90s post-hardcore sound from right here in 21st century Richmond. Gotta love that.

Friday, February 28, 8 PM
Bbigpigg, Prayer Group, Faucet, Recital @ Boogaloo’s – $5
Speaking for myself, I am totally used to the fact that the world of noise-rock is often unfathomably bizarre. I grew up in the days when the Melvins and the Jesus Lizard were in their prime, so I’m totally desensitized now. However, if you’re a noise-rock newcomer, a lot of aspects of the band Bbigpigg might throw you for a loop. For a start, there’s the fact that there name looks like a typo of a late 80s Australian funk group they have absolutely nothing to do with. Then there’s their minimalist internet presence, which is matched by a less-than-prolific discography featuring nothing more than a few EPs, the last of which came out damn near five years ago.

But if you can get past all these aspects — and you should — there’s a lot to appreciate here, from this band’s undeniably Jesus Lizard-ish tendency toward bent notes and off-kilter chords to the driving stomp that makes their music so unstoppably awesome and fun. If you wish the Melvins would experiment a little less, or that Captain Beefheart was still kicking, this is the band for you. They’re joined on this bill by Richmond’s own Prayer Group, who engage in a slightly sludgier and significantly rantier take on Bbigpigg’s noise-rock attack, making this the perfect pummeling pairing for you noise nutcases. Make a note of it.

Saturday, February 29, 7:30 PM
Nat Baldwin, Jono Stewart’s Big Mistake @ Shockoe Denim – $10
Props to the folks over at Little Dumbo — they always bring unexpectedly fascinating musical treats to our city, often in the sales room of a literal denim workshop located in Shockoe Bottom. How cool is that? This weekend, they’re giving us another delightful evening of unique music when they bring upright bassist Nat Baldwin to town. If you know Baldwin’s name, it’s probably from the credits section of your Dirty Projectors LPs; he’s been in the group since 2005, and has also lent his talents to the work of Vampire Weekend, Grizzly Bear, and others.

That said, Baldwin is also a talented solo musician. While his previous solo albums showcased his ability to construct beautiful melodies around his acoustic bass and falsetto vocals, his latest returns him to his roots as avant-garde jazz bassist and improviser, originally honed at the start of his career, when he studied under jazz legend Anthony Braxton. Autonomia I: Body Without Organs, released only a week ago, finds Baldwin experimenting with the sounds created by pairing his bass with a broken bow. It’s certainly not anything like the Dirty Projectors, but the result is unique, fascinating, and well worth your time. See what he does with it in a live environment, and enjoy a set from Richmond experimentalists Jono Stewart’s Big Mistake beforehand — it’s sure to subvert your expectations in the most delightful of ways.

Sunday, March 1, 9 PM
Lovelorn, Night Sins, True Body @ Wonderland – $10
Remember Creepoid? The Philadelphia shoegaze quartet blew my mind when I caught them at Gallery 5 several years ago; unfortunately, though, they broke up soon after, leaving co-leaders Anna and Patrick Troxell sitting on a whole bunch of unfinished material. Thankfully, they didn’t let that stop them, and used that material as the genesis for their new project, Lovelorn. While this group is definitely more postpunk in nature than psychedelic a la Creepoid, the dark, moody atmosphere remains intact, now with an increased dose of programmed beats and synth sounds, but still driven by the contrast of ethereal vocals and spooky, rumbling bass.

Lovelorn have still only released a couple of isolated EPs, but while the world eagerly awaits a debut full-length from them, we’re lucky enough to get a full live set this Sunday night at Wonderland. And we’d be fools not to take advantage, and experience everything this dark, psychedelic postpunk group has to offer us. They’ll be joined by fellow Philadelphian combo Night Sins on this trip to town; Night Sins are fully prepared to light up our evening with a dose of gothic postpunk darkness all their own — and it will surely be appreciated. And of course, Richmond postpunk gloom merchants True Body will be on hand to let us all know what they’ve got in store for us on their soon-to-be-released LP. Can’t wait for that.

Monday, March 2, 6 PM
Creeping Death, Chamber, Enforced, In Battle, Guardrails @ The Canal Club – $13 (order tickets HERE)
Monday night’s been slim pickings around the Richmond live music world in recent months; fortunately, it only takes one good show to turn a night from a bust into a boom, and we’ve got exactly that with this Canal Club performance by Texas’s own Creeping Death, which is sure to light up our dreary Monday evening. This hard-as-fuck quartet not only touch on the same confluence of death metal, thrash, and hardcore that Power Trip have so fruitfully exploited for the past decade but also have strong connections with their fellow Texans, even touring with them last year.

So yeah, if you’re looking for a dose of that death-thrash roar on a Monday night, look no further than this Texas combo. What’s more, Nashville’s Chamber are along for the ride, bringing their more metalcore-derived sound to The Canal Club, a venue that’s proven itself over the years to be very comfortable with metalcore. Opening sounds are provided by Richmond blackened-thrash hardcore rulers Enforced, and by newcomers In Battle (about which all I can tell you is that they are NOT the Swedish In Battle you’ll find if you try and google) and Guardrails (who are probably the most straightforward USHC group on this whole bill). This is going to be a very heavy evening, in the best possible way.

Tuesday, March 3, 9 PM
Vacation, Gnawing, Kemtrailz, Bashful @ Fuzzy Cactus – $7
It’s really nice to have reliable venues around this town; there was a point where the demise of Strange Matter probably left us all a little concerned that street-level rock n’ roll would no longer have a home in the good ol’ RVA. Thankfully, several places have stepped in to fill the void, and at this point, Fuzzy Cactus definitely distinguishes themselves as first among equals. A show like this one proves it; by hosting Cincinnati’s Vacation and a trio of scrappy local groups on a quiet winter weeknight, Fuzzy Cactus proves itself a true utility player in the game of Richmond live music.

And thank goodness for that; Vacation are bringing the sort of sound we need more of around here, and it’s wonderful that they have a venue in which to present it to us all. Their name might lead you to expect pop-punk out of them, but one listen to 2019’s Zen Quality Seed Crystal shows that Vacation have a lot more to offer than just that, channeling Guided By Voices at their lo-fi peak in the early 90s and filling in some Pavement-ish slacker-rock swing to keep your toes tapping and your booty shaking. This is going to be a scrappy, fun evening of catchy tunes, and the addition of Richmond power-pop powerhouse Gnawing, as well as newcomers Kemtrailz and Bashful, to this bill, will only enrich what’s already sure to be the best thing happening in your life on any Tuesday night in March.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Wednesday, February 26, 6:30 PM
Dan Deacon, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, CornCob @ The Southern Cafe (Charlottesville) – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Damn, Dan Deacon’s come a long way since I used to see him performing in gross Jackson Ward basements back in the mid-00s. And thank goodness for that, because his music has only grown in catchiness and maturity over the past 15 years. He demonstrates that on his newest album, Mystic Familiar, which follows up several years in which Deacon focused on creating soundtracks for films like Rat Film, a documentary about segregation and infestation in his native Baltimore. Deacon has a conscience, and it shows through in his work, even as he first and foremost focuses on making you dance.

Where dance-party starters are concerned, Mystic Familiar‘s got plenty of material for you; on this emotionally transcendent album, Deacon remains adept at his signature building crescendos, which evoke a rush of feels even as you can’t help but bounce frantically around the room, caught up in the waves of gorgeous sound. It’s the same whether you’re in a basement with sweat dripping from the walls or a clean and lovely venue like Charlottesville’s The Southern Cafe — the joy will find you and the spirit will move you. And isn’t that what we all want out of a Wednesday night at the club?

Friday, February 28, 6 PM
Bodysnatcher, Born A New, Great American Ghost, Genosha, OnceDrowned, Split Wrist @ RiffHouse Pub (Chesapeake) – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
You know you’re in for a heck of an evening when the Facebook event page features the words “no fighting, throwing chairs, or breaking tables.” If that’s the kind of activity the promoters are prepared for in advance, chances are things are going to get pretty crazy, even if none of those things actually come to pass. But with Bodysnatcher on the bill, you can’t really expect anything less. This Florida group’s crossbreed of beatdown hardcore and slam-style death metal is positively crushing on their brand new LP, This Heavy Void, and if it didn’t generate at least a few explosive mosh pits over the course of a live set, I’d have to wonder if the entire city of Chesapeake was asleep.

They certainly won’t be after the five bands paving the way for Bodysnatcher get done setting the stage for the headliners. Bodysnatcher’s labelmates on Stay Sick Recordings, Born A New (whom, to my eyes, should really have been “born anew” — spending a decade as a copyeditor will make you fixate on this sort of thing), bring a slightly groovier take to this sort of headstomping deathcore brutality, while Boston’s Great American Ghost simultaneously conjure up memories of Zao and Eighteen Visions, both of which are positive associations to evoke, for sure. With regional heavy hitters like Genosha, OnceDrowned, and Split Wrist filling out the bill, things are sure to get hectic at RiffHouse this Friday night.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers -– this week’s column has obviously already been written): drew@gayrva.com

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 8 – January 14

Marilyn Drew Necci | January 8, 2020

Topics: .gif From God, 90Wyse, Adam Hopkins, All Get Out, Bashful, Big No, Billy Capricorn, Bob Miller, Cary Street Cafe, Central Rappahanock Regional Library, Citrus City Records, Disintegration, Elevation27, Escuela Grind, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Flaming Verona, Followship, Ghost Atlas, Gnawing, Hidden Sound Collective, JD Souther, Kemal, Kix, Kwallah The God, Michael McNeill, music, must see shows, Notches, Pump Fake, richmond events, richmond va, richmond va bands, Roger D. Carroll, Roger D. Carroll's Freedom Jazz Project, RVA, Scott Clark, Set For Tomorrow, shows this week richmond, shows you must see, Smallhands, Special Moves, The Camel, The Canal Club, The Dark Room, The Roadducks, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Tin Pan, Ty Sorrell, Van Hagar, VVestern VVomen, Weird Tears, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, January 12, 8 PM
Citrus City X Hidden Sound Showcase, feat. Ty Sorrell, Kwallah the God, Kemal, 90Wyse, Billy Capricorn @ The Camel – $8
There are a whole bunch of labels with perennial one-to-watch status here in Richmond, but Citrus City Records is always right at the top of that list. Releasing everything from indie-pop and shoegaze sounds to hip hop and electro-pop, by both local musicians and compatriots from far-flung locales like Detroit and Madrid, Citrus City’s eclectic tastes introduce Richmonders to great sounds of all kinds from all over the place. And that’s always a great thing.

Now they’re taking things to another level once again with a monthly second-Sunday residency at The Camel. And the first installment of this sure-to-be-brilliant series kicks things off on a high note, with a collaboration with Fredericksburg hip hop label Hidden Sound Collective. The evening pairs Citrus City’s own Ty Sorrell, who’s riding high off the recent release of excellent full-length tape At God’s House, with core Hidden Sound artist Kwallah The God, in a pairing sure to cause musical fireworks.

That’s right, this is an event for the hip hop heads, especially the ones with wide-ranging tastes, as all sorts of different avenues within the broader arena of hip hop will be explored on this fine evening. The smooth sounds and cutting flows of Ty Sorrell stand in delightful contrast to the hard-hitting beats and harsh lyrics brought by Kwallah The God. And the bill will be rounded out with some excellent sounds from the openers as well, everything from trap bangers to hazy cloud beats. There’ll be something for everyone, no matter what flavor of hip hop you dig. So dig in.

Wednesday, January 8, 9 PM
Notches, Special Moves, Bashful, Gnawing @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Things are getting downright catchy tonight at The Camel. With New Hampshire’s Notches coming through town, it could hardly be otherwise. Having just released one of the first new albums of the new year, New Kinda Love, this band is touring to let the world know just how great the sounds they have to offer truly are. You should definitely be there tonight to find out.

Notches have a sound that’s sure to appeal to the pop-punk fans out there, but while they certainly have that scrappy punk energy, the way they strum their guitars and sing their lovelorn lyrics points toward an influence from classic mid-Atlantic alt-rock of the 90s — think Superchunk, or the late, great Karl Hendricks. Olympia’s Special Moves have a somewhat more shambolic approach, but yield just as much power-pop gold in their sound, making them a worthy pairing with Notches. And of course, locals Bashful and Gnawing are always reliably great. As mid-week evenings out go, this one’s just about the best you can hope for.

Thursday, January 9, 6:30 PM
All Get Out, Ghost Atlas, Set For Tomorrow, Followship, Flaming Verona @ The Canal Club – $14 (order tickets HERE)
All Get Out being from South Carolina makes a lot of sense, since “…as all get out!” is a classic southern superlative. God knows I heard it from my mom often enough as a child to know that (I may still occasionally say it myself, if I’m honest). All Get Out being from the Carolinas makes musical sense, too; their 2018 LP No Bouquet shows a clear influence from that whole southeastern wave of indie rock that made the area such a standout in those heady post-Nirvana days of the 90s.

No Bouquet is actually their third album, and the group has done a lot over the past decade to establish themselves as can’t-miss tunesmiths with a strong grasp of dynamics. This will all make for a killer live show full of knockout crescendoes — you can be sure of that. Meanwhile, Alabama’s Ghost Atlas brings a softer side of ERRA’s Jesse Cash, who moves away from his best-known band’s metalcore style to bring us some catchy alt-rock on releases like 2017’s All is in sync, and there’s nothing left to sing about. This will certainly be a powerful pairing, one that’ll light up the Canal Club with that energetic, emotional fire we all love so much.

Friday, January 10, 10 PM
Big No, Weird Tears @ The Dark Room – $5
Weekend nights are always a big deal in the live music world, but sometimes big deals come in relatively small packages. This two band, five-buck bill at The Dark Room is a great case in point. Big No, the psychedelic rock project led by Nathan Grice and Heather Jerabeck, has long had a shifting lineup, but seems to have congealed recently into a quintet featuring Richmond music mainstays Josh Small, Adam Juresko, and Lance Koehler providing Grice and Jerabeck with a strong backup band.

This incarnation of Big No recently recorded a full-length over at Koehler’s Minimum Wage Studios, one that hasn’t been released as yet but promises to be a new high point in their long history, mixing their hazy melodies with a tougher rock sound that adds a whole new dimension to what Big No has to offer. All of this is a big part of why you should spend your Friday night at The Dark Room seeing what these guys have to offer in a live environment. And of course, Weird Tears, who call themselves “neurotic pop,” create some indelible melodic rock tunes in their own right, a full set of which is more than worth the $2.50 it’ll cost you to see it. Get to this gig, y’all.

Saturday, January 11, 9 PM
Escuela Grind, Disintegration, Van Hagar, .gif From God @ Wonderland – $10
There are a lot of bands out there that integrate the influence of old-school hyperspeed grindcore into their sound — whether that sound be screamo, metalcore, deathcore, or whatever. But it can be tough to find bands in this day and age who are still willing to bring the straight-up grind rage to the stage in 2020. If you recognize that fact, and feel the need for more of that harsh, blasting noise in your life, then look no further than this Saturday night show at Wonderland featuring the talents of New York’s Escuela Grind.

This can’t-slow-down quartet brings you all the harsh vocals, million-mile-an-hour blastbeats, and noisy riffs you could ever want and more, and they do so without watering it down with any other styles or sounds. It’s the most straightforward grindcore attack you can find, with powerful political messages and an incredibly intense stage presence to go along with it. Whether you know it or not, you need this band in your life. And the fact that they’ll be accompanied on this bill by three of the fastest, harshest, hardest-hitting bands Richmond has to offer right now, in the form of Van Hagar, Disintegration, and the one and only .gif From God, only makes this an even more essential way to spend your Saturday night. Do it.

Sunday, January 12, 8 PM
Roger D. Carroll’s Freedom Jazz Project, feat. Bob Miller, Adam Hopkins, Scott Clark, Michael McNeill @ Cary Street Cafe – Free!
Sunday’s always a good day for jazz, and saxophonist Roger D. Carroll is always a good man to bring the jazz to Richmond. His usual project, Roger D. Carroll and the Stable Geniuses, is a bit more linear, but his occasional gigs at the head of his Freedom Jazz Project take things pretty far out. Free jazz, a style that came about in the early 60s, was created by players who found the usual conventions of jazz too limiting, and wanted to let everything go and just play from the heart.

Now, over half a century later, Roger D. Carroll is bringing some Richmond jazz mainstays together at Cary Street Cafe to do just that. If you follow jazz in this city, you’re sure to know some of the other musicians involved in this project — Scott Clark on drums, Bob Miller on trumpet, Adam Hopkins on bass, and Michael McNeill on piano. In its early days, free jazz often had political and spiritual elements to its process, and with folks like these involved, there’s sure to be some of that coming through in the music created on this evening as well. But the main point of it all is just to see some incredibly talented musicians let go of all the rules they’ve ever learned about their craft, and just wail. That’s always worth your time.

Tuesday, January 14, 8 PM
JD Souther @ Tin Pan – $42.50 – $47.50 (order tickets HERE)
You may not know JD Souther’s name, but you’re sure to know his songs. His career has lasted over 50 years now, and while his most famous single, “You’re Only Lonely,” was a hit way back in 1976 and doesn’t get too much play today, he’s better known as the writer of many classic tunes for a variety of legendary musicians over the course of multiple decades. He’s written several of the Eagles’ best songs, including “Best of My Love,” “Heartache Tonight,” and “New Kid In Town.” He wrote “Faithless Love,” which was originally recorded by Linda Ronstadt and was later a hit for Glen Campbell. And he both co-wrote and duetted with James Taylor on Taylor’s 1981 hit, “Her Town Too.”

Souther was mostly working behind the scenes throughout the 80s and 90s, but the last decade or so has seen him return to playing music in a big way; he’s released four albums in the past decade, including 2011’s Natural History, on which he did his own versions of many of his classic compositions for other artists, including most of the ones I mentioned in the previous paragraph. His more recent recordings prove that he’s lost none of his power as both a composer and a performer, and you’ll get a dramatic demonstration of just that fact when he takes the stage at the Tin Pan on Tuesday night. I assure you, you’re going to want to be there to see for yourself.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, January 10, 8 PM
Kix, The Roadducks @ Elevation27 (Virginia Beach) – $30 (order tickets HERE)
Maryland rock n’ rollers Kix are not nearly as well-remembered as some other bands from that late 80s glam-metal era, but that’s kind of a tragic thing, because where talent was concerned, Kix were at the top of the glam-metal heap. Their classic 1989 LP, Blow My Fuse, contained some absolutely incredible tracks, and not just the mega-hit anti-suicide power ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” either — the title track is a stomping AC/DC-style rocker, and “Cold Blood” is both energetic as hell and has one of the catchiest choruses of the 80s.

Thirty years later, Kix still features four-fifths of their classic 80s lineup, and they’re currently on tour supporting a 30th anniversary edition of Blow My Fuse, so you’re sure to hear all the great tunes from that album at Elevation27 Friday night. Plus you’ll get a set from Virginia legends The Roadducks, who’ve been bringing their southern-fried take on Stones/Aerosmith hard rock to the Commonwealth for over four decades now and, in a bit of trivia, are the first band I ever saw live, back in 1987 when I was 11 years old. If my 32-year-old memories are any indication, they are well worth getting there on time for.

Saturday, January 11, 7 PM
Smallhands, Pump Fake, VVestern VVomen @ Central Rappahanock Regional Library (Fredericksburg) – $5
The DC suburbs have been creeping south down I-95 for a long time now, and in recent years, Fredericksburg’s growth has certainly been spurred as a result. However, there are still some undeniable small-town touches about the city halfway between Richmond and the nation’s capital, and this all-ages show taking place at the city library confirms that fact. I certainly hope Fredericksburg retains these charming quirks in years to come, but for now, it’s cool enough to know that something like this is happening only a few days from now.

The evening will feature a few Virginia-based bands from the region, and at the top of the list is Smallhands, a band with some screamo connections (they’ve done a split with Infant Island), but more of a hazy, atmospheric sound. That said, there’s certainly an undercurrent of subdued heaviness in their work, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if they got loud at least on occasion. Not too loud, though — this is a library! Pump Fake are more of an emo/alt-rock combo, pulling equally from Nirvana and Sunny Day Real Estate. All I can tell you about VVestern VVomen is that they do that two-Vs-instead-of-a-W spelling thing in their name, which means they must be pretty hip. This event may be a bit off the beaten path, but that’s all the more reason to be a part of it.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers -– this week’s column has obviously already been written): drew@gayrva.com

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: August 7 – August 13

Marilyn Drew Necci | August 7, 2019

Topics: Alcindor, Another Round Bar and Grill, Bad Motivator, Bandito's, Bashful, Body Of Light, Clementine, Crucial Rip, Drab Majesty, Faded Home, Funeral Proposals, gallery 5, Garden Grove Brewing, Gravebound, Hide, Jerome's Dream, Marshall Family Values, Matt and the Skeleton Crew, Nightcreature, Ostraca, Peabody's, Psychonaut, Queen Of Jeans, Scott Yoder, shows you must see, Site Of Suffering, Talk Me Off, The Broadberry, The Canal Club, The Lawrence Arms, The Magenta Shift, The Menzingers, The Sidekicks, Thin Pigeon, This Kills Me, Turbo Mansion, Twin Films, Under Broken Skies, Vein, Walkie Talkie, Watchdogs

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, August 9, 7 PM
Jerome’s Dream, Vein, Ostraca, Watchdogs @ Gallery 5 – $15 (order tickets HERE)
If you have paid any attention to the underground screamo scene over the past decade or so, you’re sure to have heard of Jerome’s Dream. Active in the late 90s and very early 00s, this New England-based trio were crucial in defining the faster, more chaotic end of the genre as it was codified at the dawn of the new millennium. Bassist Jeff Smith’s high-pitched screams and refusal to use a mic during shows set a template for an entire generation of bands, and the band’s frenetic, dynamic songwriting demonstrated the most effective way of making a basement full of kids with dyed-black hair writhe and scream spastically along.

Of course, having broken up in 2001, the height of Jerome’s Dream’s fame and influence came long after their demise. But they returned to action this year with a long-awaited crowdfunded album that constitutes their first release in 18 years. Is it as good as the old stuff? Well, it shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that opinions are sharply divided on that subject! Between Smith’s inability to recreate his trademark wail (he’d already ceased to do so on the band’s final pre-breakup EP, Presents), the significantly more metallic sound of the guitars on the new LP (entitled LP, of course), and the less frantic, more complex song structures, Jerome’s Dream have certainly undergone a noticeable evolution in their 18 years away from the spotlight.

But will the live show still rule now that the members are all pushing 40? Well, there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to show up at Gallery 5 Friday night and see what these guys have to offer. All the stoked young screamo kids in attendance are sure to provide plenty of high-pitched screams of their own, so you may not even miss Smith’s screech. And with youthful screamo apostates Vein — who, on last year’s Errorzone, patterned themselves more after Slipknot and Mudvayne than anything associated with the 7-letter S word (not that that’s a bad thing) — in tow, local vets Ostraca representing Richmond screamo, and mosh-lovers Watchdogs opening things up, this is sure to be a killer show even if Jerome’s Dream just stand still and play their instruments. And let’s be real, even that will still be cool.

Wednesday, August 7, 7 PM
Drab Majesty, Hide, Body Of Light @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The new romantics of the 80s aren’t so far gone, and these three Dais Records bands are coming to The Broadberry tonight to prove that. Drab Majesty are at the top of the bill, and there could be no other place for Deb Demure and Mona D, with their gothic-electro-postpunk beats, melodies, and life. Having just released their third LP, Modern Mirror, they’ll be taking over the Broadberry tonight to get all the eyeliner-bedecked dance floor warriors to move their feet in the dark.

Drab Majesty’s music definitely brings a nighttime ambience to the air, even if you’re listening to it at 11 AM on a sunny day, but there’s a surprising amount of melody built into what they’re doing as well, making for some killer tunes that’ll lock into your brainstem and refuse to let go. In a good way, of course. Chicago’s Hide, who are also on this bill, have not yet released their latest Dais Records LP, Hell Is Here, but the single preview track available is enough to let us all know that they’ll bring a decidedly angrier and more ominous vibe during their portion of the evening. If Drab Majesty will make you dance and sing along, Hide is going to make you stomp and scream. The bill will be rounded out by Body Of Light, whose brand new LP, Time To Kill, splits the difference between the other two bands on this bill with its pounding yet subtly melodic industrial approach. Dress in black for this one.

Thursday, August 8, 7 PM
Scott Yoder, Nightcreature, Thin Pigeon @ Gallery 5 – $7
A veteran of garage-rockers The Pharmacy and indie-folk singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson’s backing band, Seattle’s Scott Yoder has become quite the unique musical auteur over the past several years. His solo work mingles hints of retro psychedelia with the glamour of old Hollywood and the outright glam of Marc Bolan and David Bowie. Right now, he’s in the midst of releasing six different 7 inch singles over the course of this year, and on songs like “Silver Screen Starlet” and “Cloaked In Nite,” he’s brought a unique world to life in his music — a world he’ll bring to the Gallery 5 stage this Thursday night.

You’re not going to want to miss this one, and not just because Scott Yoder is gracing a local stage — he’ll meet his match in glamour and glitz when Richmond’s own Nightcreature take the stage. On their debut EP, On The Loose, released last fall, this powerful ensemble displayed plenty of garage grit and androgynous glam, all of which they’re sure to bring to the Gallery 5 stage on this lovely evening. Postpunk trio Thin Pigeon will open this one up with some elegant and memorable tunes of their own — expect glittering pop genius from one end to the other with this one.

Friday, August 9, 7 PM
Funeral Proposals, Marshall Family Values, Twin Films, Faded Home @ The Canal Club – $8 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Ohio’s Funeral Proposals have been together for a few years, so I suppose by this point someone’s already made the “they put the ‘fun’ in funeral” joke. I still want to make it myself, though, because this band’s music is undeniably fun, at least on their latest EP, 2018’s Blue Deluxe. On some tracks they get an upbeat alt-rock groove going, on others they’re more of a bouncy pop group, but the element all of their songs retain in common is a contagious joy — which is only enhanced by the occasional surf-music vibe that comes through.

A trio of local groups join Funeral Proposals at The Canal Club this Friday night to provide various fun sounds of their own. Marshall Family Values sounds like something a politician might talk about, but musically they are quite a bit more pleasant than that might make it seem, mixing wailing guitars and prominent keyboards into a tasty melodic rock sound. Twin Films get more hazy and psychedelic with their indie vibes, and bring quite a bit of gorgeous melody in the process. And Faded Home have a raw, ambient sound that’s sure to evoke some feels. All in all, an excellent way to spend your Friday night.

Saturday, August 10, 7 PM
Crucial Rip, Gravebound, Under Broken Skies, Alcindor, Site Of Suffering @ Another Round Bar and Grill – $8
There was a point when it felt like Richmond’s home for brutal metal was Shockoe Bottom, but in recent months, it’s started to seem like the RVA metal scene has moved out to Lakeside. Another Round in particular has become a central gathering place for all of this city’s headbangers, and this Saturday night of brutal mosh madness will demonstrate to all the doubters exactly why that’s an entirely positive development. Death metallers Crucial Rip, who’ve been one of the city’s leading lights of metal for years now, will be at the top of this bill, giving you a heaping helping of rumbling low-end power, complete with the kind of sick breakdowns that fans of extremely heavy hardcore will gravitate to just as quickly as the death-heads do.

But they’re not all this evening has to offer — oh, far from it! Gravebound are also RVA-based, but their sound is much more familiar to those who dig bands like Sworn In and Chelsea Grin. It’s metalcore, but it’s extremely heavy metalcore — the type that’s also sure to start at least a few mosh pits over the course of their set. With Fredericksburg brutality merchants Under Broken Skies on the bill, as well as newcomers Alcindor and Site Of Suffering, this show is going to be full of reasons to bang your head. And we could all use more of those.

Sunday, August 11, 7 PM
This Kills Me (photo by Brianna Spause), Turbo Mansion, Matt and the Skeleton Crew, Bad Motivator @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
Philadelphia’s This Kills Me are coming to Garden Grove this weekend, and that’s going to be a real treat for all of us — whether you know it yet or not. Earlier this year, they released The End, an 8-song project that’s either a mini-LP or a long EP. I’ve never been any good at figuring that sort of thing out, but I do know great melodic songwriting when I hear it. Folks, this is it.

I’m tempted to call This Kills Me a post-hardcore band, but if anything I think it may be more true to say post-pop-punk (which is too many hyphens — believe me, I know); their sound is sure to appeal to fans of classic late-90s bands like Farside and Gameface. Whether those references mean anything to you or not (and if you’re under 30, I’m betting you’re on the latter side of that one), you’ll certainly have a lovely time seeing this band at Garden Grove, especially since the bill features multiple excellent local bands, Turbo Mansion foremost among them. AND, on top of all that, it’s free! Who can argue with that?

Monday, August 12, 8 PM
The Lawrence Arms, Talk Me Off, Bashful @ Bandito’s – Free!
One absolute treat of a free show deserves another, right? For those of you out there who love modern pop-punk, the headline of this little blurb is all you really need to hear — I’m guessing you’re already making plans to queue up outside Bandito’s the second you get off work on Monday. But for those who don’t quite know the deal, here it is: The Lawrence Arms is one of the most important bands in the world of melodic, emotional punk rock since the turn of the millennium. Albums like 2003’s The Greatest Story Ever Told have long since proved this to all who’ve encountered them.

They’ve been around for two entire decades at this point, and have been a bit less active over the past ten years or so, but they’re working on a new album scheduled for next year, and they’re coming to RVA because they have a night off their current tour with Bad Religion and felt like sharing their many classic tunes with us all. Bandito’s shows are always free, so it’s strictly first-come first-served for this one. Luckily for us all, tacos are cheap during Bandito’s happy hour, so come early, grab dinner, and be ready for the show to get rolling by 8:45. It’s gonna be a great one.

Tuesday, August 13, 7 PM
Beres Hammond, DJ Inferno @ The National – $25 in advance/$30 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Not just a Clash song or a Sade album, lovers rock is an entire subgenre of reggae, one that exists in contrast to the heavy-dub sound and Rasta politics of famous Jamaican reggae exports like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Lovers rock mixes the classic reggae lilt with soulful vocals and a stronger emphasis on melodies and balladry. Beres Hammond started out as a Jamaican dancehall singer in the 80s, but established himself internationally with his 90s work, which cemented him as a top-tier lovers rock single and led him to work in the early 00s with everyone from Big Youth to Wyclef Jean.

Now it’s 2019, and Hammond is in the midst of an international tour behind Never Ending, his 20th album and first in over five years. Singles like “I’m Alive” and the title track have proved that his talent is as strong as ever, and he’ll be coming to The National this Tuesday night to charm reggae fans all over the metro area with his reggae balladry. Get ready for an evening of dancing with your baby to Beres Hammond’s smooth, sweet lovers rock. It may only be Tuesday night, but this high’s gonna carry you straight through to the weekend.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, August 9, 8 PM
The Menzingers, The Sidekicks, Queen Of Jeans @ Peabody’s (Virginia Beach) – $22 in advance/$25 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Here’s another one of the most important melodic, emotional punk rock bands to come along since the turn of the millennium. Two in one week? That’s pretty amazing, and if you’re a true fan, driving to Virginia Beach will seem like a small price to pay to catch Scranton pop-punk geniuses The Menzingers on their current tour. It’s been two years since their excellent fifth album, After The Party, and they’re currently preparing a sixth one, Hello Exile, for an October release.

That’s still a bit away, and so far, we’ve only heard one of the songs from it, but “Anna” is a gorgeous, heartrending banger that lets us all know the band who brought us angst-ridden classic “I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore” still have all of their chops 100 percent intact. That’s reason enough to drive down for this one, but the fact that Ohio pop-punk/power-pop veterans The Sidekicks, as well as Philly indie/power-pop trio Queen Of Jeans, are also on the bill makes this one a downright can’t-miss event. So don’t miss it, punk!

Saturday, August 10, 8 PM
Psychonaut, The Magenta Shift, Walkie Talkie @ Clementine (Harrisonburg) – $7
It might be easy for Harrisonburg to slide right by the consciousness of a VA music fan from more populous cities closer to I-95, but paying even a little bit of attention will make it abundantly clear that the scene in the city of Macrock is jumping all year round, not just on that one spring weekend. Psychonaut are a Harrisonburg-based band bringing an excellent psychedelic sound to the city of JMU and beyond, if the rest of the state will only listen.

This show is a celebration of Mind — no, this isn’t some weird new-age workshop, Mind is the name of the new Psychonaut LP, and it’s an album full of dark, moody soundscapes that bring to mind Paisley Underground classics by Rain Parade and The Dream Syndicate, while also harking back to some of the deeper, more subtle bands of the post-Nirvana alt-rock revolution (though I’m gonna guess that neither they nor you, reader, have any memory of California trio Dada — but I promise they were good). The overall result is an album full of intriguing, multi-layered melodies and glittering guitars that pull you in deeper with every listen. To see Psychonaut bring this one to life onstage is sure to be the kind of treat that’s worth driving across the mountain for. Gas up the Jeep.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers -– this week’s column has obviously already been written): drew@gayrva.com

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