Brower Archives

VA Shows You Must See This Week: March 11 – March 17

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 11, 2020

Topics: 430 Steps, Alec Sullivan, Alex Kehayas, Big No, Brandy And The Butcher, Brower, Cary Street Cafe, Caverns Of Pine, ChargedCam36, Diana Rein, Drunk Buseys, Dummies, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, gallery 5, Gnawing, Gumming, Halfcast, Hampton Coliseum, Hardywood, Hellwaves, Horse Lords, Josephine, Kaelan Brown, Lettermans, Like No Tomorrow, Locomotive Gun, Lux, Michael Bradley, Mojo's, music, must see shows, Nervous System, Peaer, Piranha Rama, Poor Boys, Pourhouse of Norfolk, Rad Taco, richmond events, richmond va, richmond va bands, Rotten Stitches, RVA, Sexbruise?, She, shows this week richmond, shows you must see, Sid Kingsley, St. Patrick's Day Punkarade, Strange Ranger, Sturgill Simpson, The Ar-Kaics, The Dark Room, The Jasons, The Last Real Circus Show, The Moneys, The tin pan, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, To Pimp a Butterfly, Tyler Childers, Unmaker, Vittna, VV, Whiskey Warfare, Worser

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, March 13, 8 PM
Caverns Of Pine, Unmaker, Big No, VV @ Gallery 5 – $10 (order tickets HERE)
We’re heading into St. Patrick’s Day weekend and meanwhile coronavirus has got me out here writing new lyrics for “Paranoid Chant” by the Minutemen. So what do you say we all make the choice to forgo events drawing a large crowd in favor of some more intimate gatherings? Sounds good to me, personally. That’s not the only reason to head for Gallery 5 this Friday night, but it is certainly one of them.

However, what’s really great about this show is that it represents the first time that Caverns Of Pine, a studio project led by Brad Perry (Worn In Red, Forensics, Operation Icy), will perform live. In 2018, the project released a great post-hardcore album called Disassociate, which focused on themes relating to surviving sexual violence and overcoming the associated trauma. As Brad and the other members all had their own projects to focus on, they never played any shows, but now, with the opening of All Instinct, a group art show inspired by Caverns Of Pine’s lyrics and curated by Bizhan Khodabandeh, they’re breaking the silence and finally gracing us all with a live performance.

Considering how excellently intense these songs actually are, this is sure to be one hell of a show. The fact that Caverns Of Pine will be paired with Unmaker for it is also eminently appropriate, as Unmaker have a similarly heavy and somewhat foreboding post-hardcore sound, only with a stronger postpunk influence that gives them a decidedly gothic edge. It’s a perfect double bill, one that is only made even awesomer by the inclusion of Big No and VV, two rad bands in their own right. To top it all off, all profits from this event benefit Force, an anti-rape culture, pro-consent activist group based in Baltimore, so you can know that your admission funds are going toward something positive in the world.

Wednesday, March 11, 8 PM
Lux, Vittna, Gumming, Dummies @ Mojo’s – $8
Here’s a really fun way to spend your Wednesday evening — going to Mojo’s. And not just because it’s a rad place with delicious food, either, though those are good reasons to spend ANY evening there. No, we’re sending you tonight specifically because Barcelona punks Lux are coming to town, and they’re gonna rock the hell out of Mojo’s tonight. One of the many bands to come out of excellent UK punk group Good Throb, Lux have less of that band’s caustic approach and a more rockin’, fun sound that keeps things at a swinging rock tempo and integrates a good deal of vocal melody even as their aggressive riffing makes it impossible to mistake them for just another power-pop group.

Lux released their latest EP, New Day, back in November, and it’s full of catchy tunes that will get you dancing. Meanwhile, Raleigh’s Vittna bring the speed and vitriol that you true punk freaks might miss in Lux’s set, and give you a chance to get the circle pit swirling right there inside Mojo’s. Just don’t spill anyone’s drinks, that ain’t cool. Local noise punk heroes Gumming will open this one up, along with a brand new band featuring members of Haircut and Sweeties called Dummies. How dumb will their take on punk be? The name certainly offers some clues, but we won’t really know until tonight — so be there, and end the mystery.

Thursday, March 12, 6 PM
Brower, Josephine, The Ar-Kaics, Piranha Rama @ Hardywood – Free!
If the Lux show at Mojo’s is an example of old-school hardcore punk, then this free DIG Records-sponsored Thursday night showcase at Hardywood is even older-school than that, taking things back to the powerful melodic energy that defined punk in its earliest days. Brower, who top this bill, are a project headed by Queens resident Nat Brower and featuring a similar rudimentary pop energy combined with scrappy punk stylings as that of some long-ago Queens residents, the Ramones — though there’s some definite Matador Singles-era Jay Reatard to be found in the mix here as well. Their catchy tuneage is bound to put a smile on your face — and in light of how things are going these days, we all need it.

They’ll be visiting Richmond in the company of fellow DIG Records artist Josephine, a singer, songwriter, and drag performer from New York who, along with her band, creates power-pop gold on her brand new debut LP, Music Is Easy. Fans of classic 70s Bowie and Odessey and Oracle-era Zombies are sure to thrill to this one. The always-enjoyable Ar-Kaics, Virginia’s best pure garage-rock revivalists, will be on hand to bring a heaping helping of their own rock n’ roll vitality, and the whole thing will kick off with the maximalist genre-hopping power-pop of Richmond’s own Piranha Rama. It’s the sort of evening that would be a thrill at any price — but since you can save your cash for the tasty craft brews, it’s even more so!

Friday, March 13, 8 PM
Peaer, Strange Ranger, Gnawing, SHE @ Poor Boys – $8 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
I have no idea if Peaer are actually named after a misspelling of a fruit or if it’s all just a happy coincidence, but I am certain that this New York band make music every bit as sweet as their possible misspelled namesake. Their 2019 LP, A Healthy Earth, is math-rock at its most melodic and delicate, the sort of complex guitar figures that are the hallmark of the genre fading into the background in favor of charming vocal harmonies and intriguing lyrics often detailing the sort of modern, everyday anxieties that make up the background noise of all our day-to-day lives.

Thankfully, even as they express these neuroses, their music acts as a soothing balm, one that will feel even more like a relief in the context of Poor Boys’ Voodoo Room this Friday night. Better yet, they’ll come to us in the company of Strange Ranger, a group that has an approach both less mathy and less quiet than that of Peaer, but just as sweetly melodic and full of catchy vocal harmonies to make you swoon. This is a killer double bill, and with local stalwarts Gnawing and SHE rounding things out, it’ll be even more delightful. Let yourself sink into this one — it’s sure to be a delight.

Saturday, March 14, 9 PM
Sexbruise?, The Last Real Circus Show, Sid Kingsley @ The Dark Room – $5
Ever had a random night with not much going on where you found yourself sitting around with some friends making up ideas for ridiculous bands you’re gonna start and laughing hysterically? I have too, but like most of you, I’ve never actually followed through on those kinds of goofy ideas. That’s the difference between us and the members of South Carolina band Sexbruise? though — they actually went through with it, creating a pop group they straight-up admit is “fake” and satirical in intent, but nonetheless cranks out some pretty outstanding danceable throwback jams.

What’s more, they turn every live show into a party the whole crowd is invited to, using improvisation and audience participation to spice up their performances of their catchy, silly tunes. On an evening when the total hedonistic mess that is Shamrock The Block will be taking place in close proximity to The Hof, Sexbruise? will offer a much needed pick-me-up. Better yet, they’ll be accompanied on this mission by DC/VA folk-rockers The Last Real Circus Show and Richmond’s own Sid Kingsley, making this a true night to remember. You’ll be chuckling fondly over this one on Monday morning at work — assuming you don’t take Sexbruise’s advice to “quit your job” (RVA Magazine has no official position on the matter).

Sunday, March 15, 2 PM
To Pimp A Butterfly 5th Anniversary party, feat. Kaelan Brown, Alec Sullivan, Michael Bradley, Alex Kehayas, and many more @ The Dark Room – $5
Kendrick Lamar might just be the best hip hop artist of the last decade, and the argument in favor of that idea begins right here, with his second album, To Pimp A Butterfly. Where his full-length debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was an outstanding contribution to the tradition of hip hop, To Pimp A Butterfly took things to the next level, moving beyond the basics of beats and rhymes to tackle epic themes and integrate the full spectrum of black music, from jazz and gospel to funk and soul. Working with talented musicians from legendary bassist/producer Thundercat to former Butcher Brown guitarist Keith Askey, Kendrick made a widescreen album full of true musicality, and brought a pile of classic tracks into the world in the process — everything from “How Much A Dollar Cost” to “King Kunta” to the massively enjoyable “I.”

Now, in an effort to commemorate the fifth anniversary of this epochal musical achievement, a bunch of the most talented musicians in Richmond are coming together on the Dark Room stage to perform the album live, with new expanded arrangements brought into the world by nearly 20 different musicians, all fronted by talented young Richmond MC Kaelan Brown. Jazz/classical composer Alec Sullivan will conduct the massive horn section, local bass talent Alex Kehayas will play the Thundercat role on the low end, and an assortment of gifted young players will all work together to bring To Pimp A Butterfly to life onstage before your very eyes. If that’s not a great way to cap off your weekend, I seriously don’t know what is.

Monday, March 16, 9 PM
Horse Lords, Halfcast, Hellawes @ Cary Street Cafe – $10
Monday night is a great night to get weird, and with Baltimore’s Horse Lords in town, we have the perfect opportunity. Earlier in the column, I talked about Peaer’s sweetly enjoyable form of math-rock, and now it’s time to talk about the opposite. On their brand new album, The Common Task, Horse Lords use dissonant guitar figures and constantly shifting polyrhythms to keep listeners constantly unsteady on their feet, as if they’re standing on the deck of a pitching, yawing pirate ship.

If you find musical thrills in everything from New York-style No Wave to the styles of the nomadic Saharan guitar slingers who’ve come to so much prominence over the past several years, and further appreciate Baltimore’s legacy of total weirdness, from Oxes to Dan Deacon, you’re sure to flip for Horse Lords. Local psychedelic rangers Hellawes will prove their own ability to destabilize the room with their sound a quite formidable one in its own right, while Halfcast will create a relative oasis of discernability with their catchy indie-rock tunes at the center of the bill. You might walk home sideways from this one, but you’ll have a great time getting there.

Tuesday, March 17, 8 PM
Diana Rein @ The Tin Pan – $18 (order tickets HERE)
Our culture is full of tales about former child actors who came to bad ends, from Corey Haim to Jonathan Brandis. But it’s certainly possible for people who acted as children to grow into completely functional creative adults, and blues guitarist Diana Rein is a great example. You might not remember her name, but you probably remember her from her role as Sondra McCallister, one of Macaulay Culkin’s many cousins in the Home Alone film series. Today she’s all grown up, and while she no longer acts, her musical endeavors prove that she has plenty of creative energy still to get out.

For those who enjoy classic electric blues in the vein of BB King and Buddy Guy, Rein’s got a throwback sound you’re sure to love. On her latest LP, Queen Of My Castle, she mixes original tunes that follow in the footsteps of classic Chicago blues jams with some more wide-ranging efforts that show she’s got range, reaching into the realms of Bonnie Raitt-style blues-informed rock without ever losing track of the powerful chops that act as her calling card. The fact that Rein was once in a movie you watched a hundred times on VHS when you were little might be what initially catches your interest, but it’s the talent she’s showing off today that makes this show 100 percent worth your time.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, March 13, 7:30 PM
Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers @ Hampton Coliseum (Hampton) – $26-$86 (order tickets HERE)
Sturgill Simpson is an artist who has remained consistently interesting to me ever since I first became aware of his music over half a decade ago. He grabbed me with his second album, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, on which he attempted to get outside the moribund Nashville mainstream that has made country music into a cookie-cutter genre, and he’s just kept upping the ante ever since. After his third album, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth, he engaged in a busking-style public protest against the Country Music Awards’ refusal to speak about the more uncomfortable political issues that had come up in the wake of the mass shooting at a Jason Aldean show in Las Vegas. His approach to both his music and his role as an artist was incredibly refreshing to see.

Now, with last year’s Sound And Fury, Simpson’s taken things even farther once again, creating a suite of songs that are strongly informed by the current political climate and stand musically at so far a remove from the world of country music that some would say there’s no country left in what he’s doing, that he’s become a rock n’ roller using synths and crunching guitars to make a full-on alternative-rock album. But why get hung up on genre? Like the Drive-By Truckers before him, Simpson has a unique approach to a set of influences that is both wide-ranging and inextricably American, and hearing him bring them to bear on a strong creative effort is worth all our time, regardless of what genre it ends up sounding like. Don’t worry about country music, worry about good music. This show is going to bring plenty of it to you — I recommend that you be there.

Saturday, March 14, 3 PM
St. Patrick’s Day Punkarade, feat. 430 Steps, Brandy And The Butcher, ChargedCam36, Drunk Buseys, Lettermans, Like No Tomorrow, Locomotive Gun, Nervous System, Rad Taco, Rotten Stitches, The Jasons, The Moneys, Whiskey Warfare, Worser @ Pourhouse of Norfolk (Norfolk) – $5
It seems that Saturday, three days before the actual holiday, is the accepted date for celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in 2020. And I guess it makes sense; it’s the most “blah blah blah, drink” holiday of every year, and we may as well hold it on the weekend, so that everyone has a day to be hung over and feeling horrible before they have to go back to work. But let me say, if you really are insisting on tying one on this weekend, you’ll be better off doing so in Norfolk. There, instead of Shamrock The Block, the advertisements for which tell you they have “live music” on offer, but not who’s playing — always an ominous sign (I googled, it’s a couple of tribute acts and some cover bands) — you get the St. Patrick’s Day Punkarade at Norfolk’s Pourhouse.

Kicking off early in the afternoon and lasting far into the night, the Punkarade will bring together bands from all over the east coast, all of whom have a strong punk rock sensibility and all of whom will make you want to raise a fist in the air and sing along. Highlights of this bill include South Carolina punk hellraisers Brandy And The Butcher, Pennsylvania grindcore maniacs Worser, Norfolk punk goofballs Rad Taco, NoVA old-school punkers Like No Tomorrow, and topping off the whole thing, Ramones/Misfits-loving horror punks The Jasons. There’s way more happening on this bill as well, more than I could possibly find the space to tell you, but suffice it to say that if you like punk rock, it’ll be the best St. Patrick’s Day throwdown you could ever ask for. One word of advice, though — if you’re heading down from Richmond, you might want to book a motel room in advance. It’s better than sleeping it off in the backseat of your car, right?

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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): [email protected]

Top Photo by Zach Wish with Stefanie Lutz, via Caverns of Pine/Facebook

VA Shows You Must See This Week: February 12 – February 18

Marilyn Drew Necci | February 12, 2020

Topics: Amanda Shires, Blue Moon Diner, Boogaloo's, Brower, Castle OG, Ceremony, Deli Kings, Doll Baby, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Flor, gallery 5, Ghouli, Hardywood, Kat Wright, LA Edwards, Lightmare, Loud Night, Majjin Boo, Mean Jeans, music, must see shows, Nosebleed, Past Palms, Pedals, Phantómódel, Plastic Nancy, Poor Boys, Prabir Trio, richmond events, richmond va, richmond va bands, RVA, shows this week richmond, shows you must see, Sports Bar, Sweeties, Talk Me Off, The Ar-Kaics, The Broadberry, The Jefferson Theater, The National, The Wood Brothers, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Toward Space, Ugly Muscle, Winnetka Bowling League, Witchbaby, Xed Out, Zun Zun

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, February 16, 7 PM
Talk Me Off, Doll Baby, Pedals, Xed Out @ Gallery 5 – $8 (order tickets HERE)
Where music is concerned, Richmond always has a lot going on, and in recent years, that activity has spread across a more widespread spectrum of genres than ever. That’s to be applauded. At the same time, this city would lose something if our longtime status as a hotbed of punk rock ever were to dry up. Therefore the fact that there’s no sign of that happening anytime soon is certainly a great sign for Richmond’s musical health as we head into the roaring(-with-frustration) 20s.

The latest standard bearer for Richmond punk rock is Talk Me Off, a local trio with a knack for expressing the archetypal punk emotions of alienation and frustration through quick, peppy songs with driving beats and scraping guitars paired with an always-strong sense of melody that keeps the whole thing from being just another atonal blurt. Talk Me Off are on the cusp of releasing their debut LP, Cursed, on longtime Richmond punk label Say-10, and whether you love that classic punk sound to the very core of your being or are just looking for a good musical outlet for your frustrations at being alive in Trump’s America in 2020, Talk Me Off are in great position to provide you with your fix.

They’ll be releasing Cursed into the world at Gallery 5 this Sunday night, and you can expect its release to be accompanied by a fiery set of catchy uptempo tunes to get you bouncing. And in addition to Talk Me Off’s celebratory headlining set, you’ll also get some great sounds from an additional trio of Richmond punk bands. These include the twangy, emotional sounds of Doll Baby, the long-running folk-punk talents of Pedals (On Our Pirate Ships… I’m still not sure if the name has officially been shortened or not), and newcomers Xed Out, who feature former members of Smoke Or Fire and The Bled, so you know they’ve got a lot to offer. Be there for this one and appreciate the latest evolution of a storied Richmond tradition.

Wednesday, February 12, 7:30 PM
The Wood Brothers, Kat Wright @ The National – $23 in advance/$26 at door (order tickets HERE)
Where folk music is concerned, things can sometimes get a little predictable. However, the Wood Brothers manage to avoid this issue by bringing quirky influences and a wide-ranging background to bear on the songs they create. Singer-guitarist Oliver Wood consistently comes up with interesting lyrics that avoid cliche, while bassist Chris Wood brings a funky jazz approach into the group, derived from his longtime membership of legendary trio Medeski, Martin & Wood.

The Wood Brothers just released their eighth album, Kingdom In My Mind, a few weeks ago, and as fans have come to expect, it moves across a variety of different genres to dip into everything from folk and jazz to blues and soul. That broad musical sensibility is sure to result in a live performance that takes listeners to a variety of musical places, all of which the Wood Brothers will inhabit with sure-footed talent, and all of which are guaranteed to please you and make your Wednesday night a brighter, happier affair than it otherwise might be. And here in the midst of a listless Virginia winter, who doesn’t need that?

Thursday, February 13, 7 PM
Plastic Nancy, Deli Kings, Toward Space, Majjin Boo @ Poor Boys – $5
It feels like we just got into 2020, so it’s heartening to see what an active year the Richmond music scene is already having. Plastic Nancy and Prsmcat Presents are both good examples; the Majjin Boo/Spooky Cool-affiliated booking company has really ramped up the amount of good music coming out of Poor Boys and given that venue a shot in the arm that will help ensure that it’s a worthy successor to Flora and Balliceaux before it.

And at this Thursday’s latest locally-focused Prsmcat show, Richmond psych ensemble Plastic Nancy are celebrating the release of their latest album, which should certainly lend a candy-colored dayglo atmosphere to the early months of 2020 here in the river city. On Last Of The Electric Flowers, the boys of Plastic Nancy embrace an acid-drenched atmosphere that manages to avoid outright retro nods in favor of a 21st century sensibility that nonetheless captures the greatness of all those spaced-out bands of the late 60s that we know and love. Revel in the all-encompassing mood they create, and enjoy three other immensely talented RVA bands while you’re at it, at Poor Boys this Thursday night. You won’t be sorry.

Friday, February 14, 8 PM
Lightmare, ZunZun, Prabir Trio, Past Palms @ Gallery 5 – $5-7 (order tickets HERE)
I may be married now, but for a long time, Valentine’s Day was a big bummer of a holiday for me, so I know there are probably a lot of people out there just hoping Friday comes and goes as quickly and painlessly as possible. And Gallery 5/Raw Mom Presents’ Rivanna Youngpool knows this too, which is why she’s reviving her tradition of throwing big fun shows on Valentine’s Day for this Friday night shindig. If you were at either of the ridiculous Valentine’s Day shows that took place at Sour Haus back in the day, you know how amazing this evening has the potential to be — especially at Gallery 5, a place that’s much more able to handle the crowd this is likely to draw than the kitchen of our old place in Church Hill ever was.

It’s not just eating candy hearts and spending the evening with friends that’ll get us through this one emotionally unscathed, though — it’s really great music. And Raw Mom Presents has a killer lineup awaiting us this Friday night, topped by DC’s uncategorizable DIY powerhouse, Lightmare. Expect something somewhere between soul, punk, synth-pop, disco, and garage rock from this six-piece combo with creative energy to spare. I have no idea who ZunZun are (googling only turned up a husband-and-wife flute duo from California who I can’t imagine are on this bill), but it’ll certainly be interesting to find out, and we’ll get a set from the Prabir Trio, the latest vehicle to bring us the ever-reliable pop songcraft of Mr. Prabir Mehta. All that plus newcomer Past Palms — plus, I’d be willing to bet there will be sour hearts. I’m calling it now: Gallery 5 is where you need to be for V-Day this year.

Saturday, February 15, 8 PM
Nosebleed, Ugly Muscle, Sweeties, Phantómódel @ Boogaloo’s – Donations requested
Here’s a show that’s an awesome confluence of three things that are already awesome on their own: political action, tattoos, and hardcore punk. This punk-as-fuck gig at Brookland Park’s Boogaloo’s is coordinated with International Tattoo Flash Day, an initiative created by tattoo artists in Santiago, Chile and Atlanta, GA to get as many people as possible tattooed in support of Chilean political prisoners in the wake of a massive government crackdown against citizen protests that began last October. All money raised at the door of this gig will go toward the families of Chilean prisoners, so whether or not you’re into getting a tattoo yourself, you’ll be able to support the cause.

You’ll also be able to hear some excellent sounds from several local hardcore/punk groups, starting with Nosebleed, who’ve recently released a fierce, incendiary EP called Outside Looking In on hardcore powerhouse Triple B Records. Expect this set to be galvanizing in the extreme, and you can expect similar from Ugly Muscle, a slightly more ramshackle and chaotic combo that will nonetheless bring all the furious energy that Nosebleed contains to bear on its own set. Sweeties are much noisier and less melodic than their name would suggest, while Phantómódel, a new incarnation of Thin Pigeon, offer a postpunk sound full of moody energy. This will be a great night for a great cause — you should really be part of it.

Sunday, February 16, 6 PM
Mean Jeans, Brower, The Ar-Kaics, Sports Bar @ Hardywood – Free!
A lot of people credit the Ramones for having invented punk rock, and many of them feel that the music made by those four New York weirdos in leather jackets has never been improved on. Therefore, it can’t be too much of a surprise that, even after the Ramones spent over 20 years cranking out album after album of their stripped-down, razor-sharp, but always incredibly catchy tunes, there are still bands out here trying to find new ways to wring glory out of that classic Ramones sound.

That’s where Mean Jeans comes in. Having existed for over a decade now, this toe-tapping trio released their fifth album of Ramones-worshipping punk ditties, Gigantic Sike, last year on Fat Wreck Chords. And even if you’ve heard every Ramones song a thousand times, that album and this performance by Mean Jeans at Hardywood on Sunday are guaranteed to prove that there’s still magic left in that classic (one-two-three-)formula. The evening will also feature a performance from New York’s Brower, a glam-punk/power-pop solo project sure to keep you smiling. And of course, consistently talented Virginia punk rockers The Ar-Kaics and Sports Bar open this one up with the retro-garage rock and punky power-pop that you’ve respectively come to expect from them. Get stoked for this one.

Monday, February 17, 7 PM
Ceremony, Loud Night, Ghouli @ Gallery 5 – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A warning only necessary in Virginia: This show does not feature the group called Ceremony from central Virginia. However, a warning for hardcore kids who haven’t checked back with the Cali Ceremony in a while — this show doesn’t exactly feature the band that made Violence Violence in 2006, either. Oh sure, it’s still the same people, but for the past decade or so, they’ve been moving further and further afield from the fast, angry hardcore that made their name.

That’s really obvious on last year’s In The Spirit World Now, Ceremony’s sixth album and first in four years. Singer Ross Farrar long since traded his harsh bark for a Gang Of Four-ish yelp with occasional dips into outright melody, while the guitars and increasingly present synths have moved away from the distorted and atonal in favor of a UK postpunk sound that might remind you of Joy Division or Echo and the Bunnymen, but certainly not the harsh fastcore of Ceremony’s early albums. Nonetheless, there’s still a lot to love here, including a propulsive energy that takes a vastly different form but remains intact from the band’s earliest works, one that makes singles like “Turn Away The Bad Thing” every bit as essential as Rohnert Park once was. If you’re bummed Ceremony shows don’t feature massive pits anymore, you might be tempted to skip this one, but I encourage you to open your mind and give it a shot. This is sure to be a thrilling evening of musical bliss, even if it’s not quite what you once expected from this talented band.

Tuesday, February 18, 7 PM
Flor, Winnetka Bowling League, Castle OG @ The Broadberry – $15-18 (order tickets HERE)
There are some intriguing things happening in the world of guitar-based pop over the past couple of years, and the success of bands like the 1975 is heartening for anyone who was afraid this stuff was going to fall permanently out of the mainstream musical discourse a few years ago. LA’s Flor are in a prime position to benefit from this resurgence, as on their 2019 album Ley Lines, they dabble in a similar sort of delicate, bouncy pop as that of the 1975 — one that always focuses on the sounds created by the band’s guitars and voices, even though it’s never particularly harsh or loud.

Perhaps we’ve finally gotten far enough past Nirvana for the distorted paradigm they created to lose its lengthy period of ubiquity, and I know there’ll be some out there who are bummed out to think of that, but when bands like Flor are out here on tracks like “Slow Motion” showing how much can still be done with an approach that focuses on playful melodies and delicacy rather than noise, it’s hard to see it as all that tragic. See what sort of magic Flor is able to weave in the live environment at The Broadberry this Tuesday night, and learn to embrace the non-crunchy guitar wave.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, February 14, 8 PM
Witchbaby @ Blue Moon Diner (Charlottesville) – Free!
An alternate approach to Valentine’s Day is available this Friday night in Charlottesville, and it’s being brought to you by Witchbaby, the mother-daughter combo of Catherine Monnes and Sally Rose. You may know Rose for her role at the heart of C-ville’s own Shagwuf, and both are members of the Sally Rose Band, which features a song in its repertoire entitled “Witchbaby” — so it all comes full circle. This stripped-down duo finds Monnes’ cello and electric violin joining with Rose’s guitar and both members’ voices to create a more intimate version of the psychedelic folk-rock the full-scale Sally Rose Band brings to you so consistently.

This Valentine’s Day appearance by Witchbaby at Charlottesville’s Blue Moon Diner is a free gathering offering a welcome space for all — whether lovers or lonely hearts — to spend a holiday that is often fraught and difficult on an emotional level. If you’re looking for your V-Day to be a quiet, pressure-free evening, Witchbaby’s soothing musical presence is sure to help you attain what you seek. And who knows, you might make a friend, or at least find a new musical love.

Saturday, February 15, 7:30 PM
Amanda Shires, LA Edwards @ The Jefferson Theater (Charlottesville) – $25 (order tickets HERE)
There are a few different reasons you might be aware of singer/fiddler Amanda Shires; her frequent collaborations with her husband Jason Isbell and his band the 400 Unit is one of them. Another is her role in The Highwomen, an all-female take on the classic outlaw-country supergroup The Highwaymen featuring Shires, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby.

However, it would be a bad idea to let her collaborations with other talented songwriters steal the spotlight from Shires’ own work as a bandleader, most recently showed off on 2018’s To The Sunset. On that album, her songwriting skills shine through in her evocative lyrics, even as the fuller sound her band on the album (which features Jason Isbell himself, returning the favor) takes her folk-country sound to a new level that, yes it’s true, outright rocks. You’ll be able to see her rock these tunes out for yourself at The Jefferson this Saturday night, but only because they moved this show up from The Southern after it sold out in a heartbeat. So yeah, get with the program if you haven’t already. Go see Amanda Shires.

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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): [email protected]

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 15 – January 22

Marilyn Drew Necci | January 16, 2019

Topics: angelica garcia, BATO, Beggars Row, Brain Drain, Brower, Brunswick, Calvin Presents, Camper Van Beethoven, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Charlie's American Cafe, Circle Back, Cracker, Dad, Dave Watkins, Down To This, Faded, Gabby's World, gallery 5, Ghouli, Jackie Cohen, Louis York, missangelbird, Nervous System, Nightcreature, shows you must see, Single Use Plastic, Strawberry Moon, The Broadberry, the Hof, The Pump House, The Spliffs, Vagabond, Violent Life Violent Death, weekend plans, Weird Tears, West Beach Tavern, Yowler

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, January 20, 1:30 PM
Dave Watkins @ The Pump House (1708 Pump House Dr) – $30 (order tickets HERE)
Our city has a long and fascinating history, going back hundreds of years, and one result of this fact is that there are random neglected corners of Richmond that hold fascinating treasures mostly undiscovered by the city’s population at large. A great example of this is the old Richmond Pump House, which can be found at the end of a little-used road just up the hill from the toll booths at the nickel bridge (aka the Boulevard Bridge). Long ago, it pumped the city’s water out of the Kanawha Canal and uphill to the Byrd Park reservoir, from which it made its way to the taps and spigots of the city.

The Pump House is a big old stone castle of the building, and its gothic spires are irresistible when you come around the curve and see them standing tall. It’s been almost a century since it supplied the city with water, and almost as long since the huge dance hall on the balcony was open for events. When I first discovered it in the mid-90s, my friends and I enjoyed wandering around its dusty depths, but these days it is not open to the public due to safety issues. However, the non-profit Friends Of Pump House have some grand wishes for it, and are currently working with Enrichmond and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to restore it to its former glory and gain it an occupancy permit, so it can host events and dazzle visitors once again.

To that end, they’re holding a pretty excellent and unique music-related event this Sunday afternoon, and while tickets are extremely limited, there were still a dozen or so left when I checked this morning, so you absolutely still have a chance to be part of it. The event will begin at 1:30 with a full tour of the Pump House, and if you aren’t old enough to have had the chance to explore it years ago, it’s definitely worth getting a full tour (especially since you’ll have knowledgeable people there to tell you what you’re looking at and what its purpose was). Then at 2 PM, Richmond mainstay Dave Watkins will break out his homemade dulcitar and grace all in attendance with a beautiful set of avant-garde music incorporating his fascinations with old-time folk music and electric-guitar ambience. I talk a lot about great shows in this column, but full-on experiences that incorporate this city’s rich history are rare indeed. Make it your business to be part of this one.

Wednesday, January 16, 8 PM
The Spliffs @ Vagabond – Free!
When I hear a name like the Spliffs, my mind goes in one of two directions — either irreverent punk or marijuana-scented jam-band. However, the Spliffs coming to Vagabond tonight to play a free show for us all occupy neither of those genres. Instead, they’re a vehicle for the amazing soulful vocalizations of Brittany O’Neill, a lady who has been lighting up stages and recordings around the Richmond scene for years — I first saw her take a guest vocal for The Big Payback at The Republic, so you know that was a while back.

She’s been back and forth between RVA and LA for the past couple of years, but she’s home now, and she’ll be fronting the Spliffs for a set of soulful jazz fusion at Vagabond tonight. And she’s got some powerful friends backing her up — the group also consists of People’s Blues of Richmond drummer Neko Williams, jazz pianist Macon Mann (probably better known to RVA Mag readers as “Mc Chicken,” the rapper responsible for the viral “Richmond River Rat” video of a few years ago), and brothers Paul and Dmitri Yeonas of the Twin Brothers Band (and they are indeed identical twins). This quintet’s sure to be responsible for some deep grooves down in the Vagabond’s downstairs space, known as “The Rabbit Hole.” So head down the stairs and enjoy the underground sounds.

Thursday, January 17, 7 PM
Jackie Cohen, Angelica Garcia, Strawberry Moon @ Gallery 5 – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Spacebomb Records isn’t always right in your face with what they’re up to, but one thing’s for sure — they never sleep. This past year saw them release music from a variety of artists, and one particularly striking voice on their roster came from Jackie Cohen. She released two EPs on Spacebomb in 2018, known as the Tacoma Night Terror EPs, parts one and two. The nine songs in total presented by these two dispatches from Cohen’s personal emotional landscape that might have started out as quirky indie-folk tunes, but bear the unmistakable stamp of Spacebomb in their final form, harking back to the funky smoothness of the 70s Laurel Canyon music scene just as easily as they evoke post-y2k oddball indie singer-songwriter vibes.

It’ll be fascinating to see what form this sound takes in a live environment, and we’ll have just that opportunity on Thursday night, as Jackie Cohen takes the Gallery 5 stage and presents us with her unique tunes, including such hits as “Make U Sick,” “Ladies’ Man,” and the memorably-titled “I Hate My Body.” She’s joined in this endeavor by Richmond singing sensation Angelica Garcia, who’s currently hard at work on the follow-up to her attention-grabbing 2016 debut, Medicine For Birds. Recent Bandcamp uploads indicate promising results being achieved in the studio, and Ms. Garcia always brings her A game to the live environment, so you’re sure to enjoy this one. Strawberry Moon opens up with their entrancing ambient indie-pop — get there on time, and stay all night. Not a minute of this evening will be missable.

Friday, January 18, 7 PM
Gabby’s World, Yowler, Missangelbird @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This is one for all you young indie kids. Gabrielle Smith hasn’t been performing under the name Gabby’s World for very long; previously, she was known as Eskimeaux, a name that undoubtedly got the boot due to dodgy cultural implications. However, both under that name and at the head of her new quartet, she’s produced some undeniably memorable music. Beast On Beast, the album Gabby’s World released a couple of months ago, show that her delicate vocals and assured songwriting touch are both very much intact; indeed, this just might be her best work yet.

You’re not going to want to miss out on what Gabby’s World conjure up in a live environment. Equally, you’re going to want to catch every second of the set from Yowler, a solo vehicle for Maryn Jones, who previously grabbed attention as the leader of All Dogs. On Yowler’s second full-length, Black Dog In My Path, Jones brings us a set of hushed, mournful songs that center on her softly plucked acoustic guitar and vocals delivered at a near whisper. The room will have to get quiet for this performance, but it will certainly be worth it to hear the dark, delicate beauty of Yowler’s music. Richmonders Missangelbird will get this one started off right, and it’ll only get better from there.

Saturday, January 19, 8 PM
Louis York, Calvin Presents, Weekend Plans @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Louis York is a group whose name you may not know as yet. They’ve been recording for a few years now, and have released three installments in their Masterpiece Theater series of EPs. But what really makes the duo of singer Claude Kelly and pianist/multi-instrumentalist Chuck Harmony so distinctive is their background in the behind-the-scenes world of the pop music industry. Both have some heavyweight songwriting credits to their name — Kelly for Miley Cyrus’s “Party In The USA,” Harmony for Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette, among many others of course — and both made quite a name for themselves in that world separately.

The combination of their talents into the duo known as Louis York has only produced more gold in a variety of genres, from the dance-club bounce of “Don’t Play” and the cocktail jazz of “I Enjoy You” to the orchestral R&B-pop of “Clair Huxtable” and the Queen/MCR power balladry of “Nerds.” This isn’t a group with limited ambitions, by any means, and they certainly don’t seem to have any limit to their talent, so when they hit the stage, there’s no telling what sort of amazing flights of musical fancy you’ll be privy to. What we can tell you, though, is that you’re sure to enjoy every moment of it.

Sunday, January 20, 7 PM
Brower, Nightcreature, Weird Tears, Brain Drain @ Gallery 5 – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I love it when a band I’ve never heard of shows up in town and blows my mind. Well, Brower aren’t here yet, but considering it’s my job to write this column every week, I always get a little bit of advance warning — which is my cue to alert all you Richmond music fans. And this week, it falls to me to ensure that all of you are aware of Brower, the New York power-pop group who’ll be taking the Gallery 5 stage this Sunday night. A fuzzy garage-rock edge is certainly present in Brower’s music, but what really makes this group stand out is their flawless sense of pop-rock songcraft.

Led by Nat Brower, a singer-songwriter with credits from garage rockers Nancy, Brower does quite a bit to evoke the best sounds of 70s rock radio, from David Bowie to T. Rex, on their new album, Buzzsaws. The result is a recipe for nonstop dancefloor action, of the sort that’ll have you smiling all night. We all could use a bit of that, especially since we’ll all have to head back to work the next morning. Excellent local support from garage-punk up-and-comers Nightcreature, post-Cherry Pits rockers Weird Tears, and bubbling-under punk group Brain Drain will only make this evening even sweeter.

Monday, January 21, 6:30 PM
Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven @ The Broadberry – $25 in advance/$30 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s always nice when post-punk bon vivant and one-time Richmond hero David Lowery brings his music back to a stage in RVA, and this particular event promises an overview of Lowery’s entire career in one enchanted evening. It all got started back in the early 80s with the formation of Camper Van Beethoven, who both ascended from the California punk scene of that era and tweaked its incipient orthodoxy by breaking all sorts of unwritten rules: using acoustic instruments and violins, incorporating country and folk sounds into their punk-tinged melodies, and Lowery’s iconoclastic lyrics, always delivered with biting wit.

But it was Cracker that really made David Lowery a star. Brought together in the Oregon Hill neighborhood, long before it was gentrified beyond all recognition, Cracker grew to international stardom with early-90s heartland-rock hits like “Low” and “Get Off This.” Today, David Lowery plays and records regularly with both of his bands, and double-billed shows like this one have been an outstanding result of that synergy. We’ll all get an amazing overview of David Lowery’s entire four-decade career, from “When I Win The Lottery” to “Euro Trash Girl” to “Waited My Whole Life.” And every moment of it is going to be excellent. We don’t get a treat like this every day here in Richmond — I’m counting on you not to miss out on this one.

Tuesday, January 22, 8 PM
Brunswick @ The Hof – Free!
One way you can tell that Richmond is a great town for music is by taking a look at the caliber of mid-week free shows we get around here. For a great example, look no further than this jazz performance taking place in The Hof’s “Darkroom” performance space on Tuesday night. Brunswick is a name that might not grab as much attention in discussions of local jazz groups as more prominent leading lights like No BS! Brass and Butcher Brown.

Nonetheless, this 13-piece ensemble is a local mainstay, and features members who’ve done time in all sorts of other noteworthy jazz groups around town. Last summer, they released Five Years, their debut LP, which celebrated the amount of time leader John Hulley and his talented bandmates had been working toward this milestone. Live, they’ll intersperse original tunes from the album with brilliantly unorthodox covers of artists like Frank Ocean and Daft Punk, giving you an up-close experience of jazz in the 21st century. And you get all this for free on a Tuesday night — how awesome is this town?

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Saturday, January 19, 7 PM
Ghouli, dad, Bato, Nervous System, Single Use Plastic @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $5
Both of the picks for the Hampton Roads area this week are on Saturday night, which is something I usually try not to do. However, with the way everything stacked up this week, unless you want to catch up on what Jimmie’s Chicken Shack are up to in 2019, or see a solo show by one of the ICP guys, you’re gonna have to try and double up on Saturday night. So it goes. The question you must answer, in order to know which of these is more up your alley, is: are you more of a punk rocker, or a hardcore kid?

If you picked the former, you’re going to want to head to Charlie’s American Cafe, where two RVA groups head up a bill of punk rock excellence. Ghouli keep it raging and ranting with their straight-ahead punk riffs, while dad’s pensively furious queercore summons up memories of pre-Sleater-Kinney group Heavens To Betsy. A fierce trio of Tidewater punk rock crews are also on the bill, with the hyperspeed punk rage of Bato being a standout. Nervous System has a creative D-beat sound, mixing that genre’s expected UK punk gnarl with a surprising talent for multi-layered guitar harmonies. Local newcomers Single Use Plastic get things started off right. This one will rule.

Saturday, January 19, 7 PM
Faded, Circle Back, Beggar’s Row, Down To This, Violent Life Violent Death @ West Beach Tavern – Free!
But don’t get us wrong, this one will be a ton of fun too, and if you answered “hardcore kid” to our question above, it will appeal to you in particular. This one will offer chances aplenty for serious mosh pit action, as a quintet of hardcore bands from Tidewater and the Carolinas come together to lay the brutality on ya. VB rippers Faded have shown a serious talent for metallic hardcore of the breakdown-laden variety; they’ll get the spin-kicks flowing for sure. And of course, fellow Virginia Beachers Beggar’s Row take things in a thrashier direction, picking up the speed without dropping an ounce of the metal.

These groups are joined by a trio of powerhouses from the Carolinas, bringing their riffs northward to devastate the Tidewater region. Circle Back in particular has a powerful sound with an outright death-metal undercurrent, but rest assured, these guys keep it core all the way. This Charleston SC band comes to us in the company of Charlotte, NC’s Violent Life Violent Death, who have the most direct appeal for those who want their hardcore to bear at least a passing resemblance to Swedish thrash (I’m definitely one of those people). And of course, Down To This, who hail from the oceanside military town of Jacksonville, NC (not FL), have some serious thick-necked beatdowns to deliver. This one’s gonna be heavy as fuck, so come prepared to move.

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Top photo via Friends Of Pump House

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): [email protected] [and yeah, there’s plenty more of my writing to read over at GayRVA — come say hey.]

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