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VA Shows You Must See This Week: June 19 – June 25

Marilyn Drew Necci | June 19, 2019

Topics: 3:33, Altria Theater, Among The Rocks And Roots, Briana Marela, Brunswick, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Corrina Repp, Daddy Long Legs, Damien Jurado, Father John Misty, Fred Abong, gallery 5, Greenbeard, Hotspit, Jade Bird, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Kristin Hersh, Lady Killer, M4DF4C3, Magnus Lush, Minor Poet, Moon Hooch, Nathan-Paul & The Admirables, Plastic Pyramid, Sediment Arts, The Broadberry, The Bush League, The Camel, The Connells, The Golden Pony, The HellHounds, The Jefferson Theater, The Wimps, Toxic Moxie, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, June 23, 7 PM
Toxic Moxie (Photo by David Morton), Magnus Lush, Among The Rocks And Roots @ Gallery 5 – $6 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)

One of the core principles of this-here column is as follows: local music, specifically music from Richmond, is awesome. But that’s not just because our city had the fortune of attracting (or incubating) a lot of really talented people. A big part of what makes this relatively small US city so great at producing a ton of wonderful sounds from talented musicians is the community that exists within the scene here. Pretty much everyone involved in the local scene works to help support each other in our mutual creative endeavors. That’s not only true across styles and genres, it’s also true for people who don’t necessarily play music themselves — the promoters, the photographers, the zine-makers, even the kids who just go to a lot of shows and help make sure that bands get paid.

In that spirit, it’s great to see three local bands with significantly different sounds all coming together at Gallery 5 this Sunday to help a friend. I’ve never known Celeste Canady to play in a band, but her photography and overall scene support has made her an essential member of Richmond’s music community for years. Now she’s headed off to start the next chapter in her life by moving to Chicago — and three great Richmond bands are playing this fundraiser to help Celeste on her way.

Whether you personally know Celeste and also want to contribute, or are just looking for a great night of local music to cap off your weekend, Gallery 5 is the place to be this Sunday night. Toxic Moxie are our headliners, and they’ve been teasing a new LP for a damn minute now, so chances that this show will bring you a live preview of their killer new material are pretty high, I’d say. Magnus Lush’s excellent post-hardcore sound is always captivating and worth your time. And Among The Rocks And Roots are still building yet further from their 2018 LP, Raga, a creative peak in their epic multi-movement song construction and noisy, raging, yet hypnotic and enticing bass-drum duo sound. These groups are very different, but they are all excellent, they’re all coming out of Richmond, and best of all, they’re all coming together to support members of their community. Gotta love it.

Wednesday, June 19, 7 PM
Daddy Long Legs (Photo by Colby Sadeghi), The Bush League, The HellHounds @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 (order tickets HERE)

It’s not exactly in the mainstream eye right now, but if you know where to look, you’re sure to notice that there’s quite the revival in rootsy, bluesy rock n’ roll happening these days. Daddy Long Legs are part of that whole thing — the NYC three-piece play music landing somewhere between the amplified Chicago blues of Howlin’ Wolf and Little Walter, and the noisy gutbucket howls of The Cramps and Jon Spencer. Hard not to love that!

On their new LP, Lowdown Ways, dish out some rollicking noise, making the most of their unusual lineup configuration — a slide guitarist, a singer who plays blues harp at times and guitar at others, and a drummer with a tiny kit and an ever-present maraca in one hand — and crank out some sounds that will appeal both to fans of early Fat Possum Records superstars like RL Burnside and T-Model Ford, and to Richmond punks who miss the heyday of local roots-punk rippers The Nervous Ticks. All of this adds up to a ton of fun; you’ll certainly be moving your feet if you make it out to this one.

Thursday, June 20, 8 PM
Moon Hooch (Photo by Jeffery Allen), Nathan-Paul & The Admirables, Brunswick @ The Camel – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)

I love it when something totally unexpected rolls through town, and that’s why I’m super-stoked to see Moon Hooch coming through. This trio is the kind of thing you’ve almost never seen before — two saxophones and a drummer, plus some occasional electronic augmentation and a completely unpredictable approach to songwriting that creates some of the freshest sounds I’ve encountered in a while. Moon Hooch are definitely not jazz. Nor are they a sax-driven rock n’ roll band. They aren’t an avant-garde experimental noise ensemble, either. And while their latest release, a collaboration with rapper/producer Tonio Sagan, has a decided boom-bap feel, they aren’t hip hop either.

So if Moon Hooch aren’t any of those things, then what are they? Answer: they’re a whole lot of fun. Any group who got their start as subway buskers are sure to know how to entertain a crowd, and Moon Hooch are no exception. They make danceable tunes full of groove and forward motion that are sure to get your booty shaking. Sometimes the result is reminiscent of John Zorn’s more accessible work, while at other times you just may find yourself thinking of Richmonders Dumb Waiter; those of you with longer memories may also end up thinking at times of Morphine. But mostly what you’re going to be thinking about when Moon Hooch are onstage at the Camel is what a great time you’re having. And that’s ultimately the best result possible.

Friday, June 21, 8 PM
Briana Marela, Plastic Pyramid, M4DF4C3 @ Sediment Arts – $9

This Friday night, it’s time to step into a slightly different headspace over at Sediment Arts. Many of us associate shows at art galleries with avant-garde sounds and performances, and while that isn’t universally true, such an instinct is not going to steer you wrong this Friday night. Briana Marela is an electronic musician from the West Coast, who uses her voice to create ambient layers of ethereal melody, then augments these floaty textures of sound with subtle programmed beats, synths, and gorgeous vocal melodies with their own flawless sense of melodic pop excellence.

The result might make you think of more recent work by Bjork, or even Grimes in her pre-Elon Musk days. But Briana Marela very much has her own thing going on, which she shows both on her most recent LP, 2017’s Call It Love, and a song she created last year in collaboration with Radiolab. “4th Amendment” is a song that uses the Bill Of Rights’ prohibition against unwarranted search and seizure to explore important issues relating to consent. Clearly she’s coming from an intelligent mindset — she’s currently pursuing an MFA in Electronic Music at Mills College — and her complex music demonstrates that, giving the listener a lot of sonic rabbit holes to fall down. In the best way, of course.

Saturday, June 22, 7 PM
Minor Poet (Photo by Joey Wharton), The Wimps, HotSpit @ The Broadberry – $10 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)

A whole bunch of Richmond indie musicians — Matthew E. White, Natalie Prass, Lucy Dacus — have made it big in that world over the past several years, and now it appears that Minor Poet’s Andrew Carter is set to follow in their footsteps. Following up on And How!, his 2017 debut LP under the Minor Poet name, Carter has just released his follow-up EP, The Good News, with none other than Sub Pop Records. Which technically makes Minor Poet labelmates with Nirvana, and if that isn’t impressive, I don’t know what is.

OK, actually, I do know what is — the brand new six-song offering from Minor Poet. The Good News is a triumph of pop songcraft, full of lush instrumental augmentation around a really solid core of pop-rock melody that nods toward both the Beatles and the Shins on the way to an excellent, original place of its own. At The Broadberry this Saturday night, Carter and his allies in Minor Poet will bring the whole thing to vibrant Technicolor life before your very eyes. And then you’ll have a chance to grab a copy of The Good News on vinyl for your very own. Trust me, you’re going to want to.

Sunday, June 23, 9 PM
Greenbeard, Lady Killer, 3:33 @ Wonderland – $10

We’ve explored all sorts of multi-faceted sounds and styles this week, but we all know what the music scene in Richmond was built on, so this Sunday night, let’s all head down to Wonderland and get back to our roots in the rich earth of Southern metal. Two Texas bands are headed to Shockoe Bottom to help us out with that, and with a name like Greenbeard, you know the first of these two has to be good. You might wonder whether that name is intended to be a weed reference, but the fact that the first song on their latest EP is called “Contact High II” should remove any doubt.

And of course, these guys churn out exactly the sort of rumbling sun-baked grooves that you’d hope for from any metal band who like to make marijuana references. Greenbeard’s music occupies a territory bordered on one side by the hazy psychedelia of Hawkwind or Monster Magnet, and on the other by the straight-up Camaro grooves of Fu Manchu. If you like spending time in that territory — and let’s be real, who doesn’t? — this show is for you. Fellow Texans Ladykiller push that vibe in a bit more of an 80s cock-rock direction, complete with some of that slightly-awkward “pretty women as scenery” vibe straight out of mid-80s Motley Crue videos. But once they start to play, all doubts go by the wayside — these guys are riff masters, and there’s no denying it. Local metal-punk madmen 3:33 will kick off their next tour with an opening slot on this one, so expect things to be hard n’ heavy from the word go. Which is exactly what you want.

Monday, June 24, 6:30 PM
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Father John Misty, Jade Bird @ Altria Theater – $59.75 – $79.75 (order tickets
HERE)
I’ve been a fan of Jason Isbell since back when he was still in the Drive-By Truckers. He wrote some of the best songs on their albums that he played on, and when he left the group a dozen years ago to kick off a solo career, I certainly wasn’t complaining. Isbell’s been repaying my faith in him ever since, creating half a dozen excellent solo albums thus far. The most recent of these, 2017’s The Nashville Sound, was the first to give his band, the 400 Unit, equal billing, and it makes sense — it’s very much a band record, with a sound that is guaranteed to please everyone who loves heartland rock, alt-country, and any sort of heartfelt anthem delivered with grace and sincerity.

Since that album was released, Isbell has contributed a song to the Star Is Born soundtrack. Meanwhile, his current tourmate, Father John Misty, recently started playing a song that he swears was rejected from that same high-profile film. Of course, as with anything Father John Misty is up to, you’ve got to take it with a grain of salt — the guy’s been one of the music world’s most notorious tricksters since he quit Fleet Foxes and changed his name from plain old Josh Tillman back in 2012. But for someone who’s public persona is sometimes quite difficult to figure out, Father John Misty’s music is always excellent, something he proved yet again on last year’s God’s Favorite Customer. You might hear all sorts of weird between-song pronouncements during his set at the Altria this Monday night — but you’ll definitely hear some powerful music. And that’s really what it’s all about.

Tuesday, June 25, 7 PM
Damien Jurado, Corrina Repp @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $18 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)

Here’s another pretty impressive labelmate Minor Poet can now claim as a result of his Sub Pop signing. Damien Jurado’s been making his spare, affecting music for around 25 years now, and in the late 90s and early 00s, he was recording for Sub Pop, releasing moody acoustic singer-songwriter masterpieces like Ghost Of David back before Iron And Wine was a name anyone knew.

In the years since, Jurado’s released over a dozen albums, at times dabbling in full bands and more electrified sounds. But on his latest, the just-released In The Shape Of A Storm, Damien Jurado has once again returned to his roots, producing an album of haunting ballads that aren’t quite folk, country, indie, or emo, but will likely appeal to people who enjoy any of those genres. Jurado’s music is always an intense, haunted listening experience, even on record. When he takes the stage at Capital Ale House this Tuesday night, you should be prepared for an emotional journey — one that may take you to some pretty dark places. But even so, you’ll be tremendously glad you took the ride.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Saturday, June 22, 7 PM
The Connells @ The Jefferson Theater – $20 (order tickets HERE)

It may very well be that you have to be “of a certain age” to remember the Connells in 2019. And if so, that’s a shame, because while this band’s most successful periods were the college radio era of the late 80s and the post-Nirvana alt-rock boom of the early 90s, their songwriting talent was more than sufficient to make them the authors of some truly classic alt-pop tunes. Granted, they weren’t as heavy as the grunge bands of the day. What’s more, their roots in North Carolina linked them much more closely to fellow Southern indie groups like REM and Dillon Fence than to the quirkier collegiate alt-rock of the Massachusetts area (like the Pixies or Dinosaur Jr).

All the same, songs like “Stone Cold Yesterday,” “Slackjawed,” and “Fun And Games” showed that namesake brothers Mike and David Connell, along with perennial lead vocalist Doug MacMillan, knew exactly how to put together a perfect pop tune. The results on album after album harked back to 60s classics by the Beatles and the Byrds while also indicating a clear kinship with UK groups like The Smiths and The House Of Love. All that sounds pretty great, right? And see, that’s why you should definitely make it out to the Jefferson Theater Saturday night when The Connells come through — regardless of whether or not you saw them on the lawn at your college in 1994. Their heyday may be a bit far back in the rearview, but these songs are timeless.

Tuesday, June 25, 7 PM
Kristin Hersh Electric Trio, Fred Abong @ The Golden Pony – $12 in advance/$14 at the door (order tickets HERE)

Kristin Hersh has been making music for nearly 40 years, and she’s been a unique and fascinating artist that entire time. Beginning in the early 80s with her band Throwing Muses, Hersh used a spiky iconoclasm learned from punk to twist her noisy pop tunes into strange, off-kilter shapes that made the results fascinating. Beginning in the early 90s, Hersh began alternating full-band Throwing Muses albums with more minimal but no less fascinating solo albums, which veered from raw emotional declarations to covers of old Appalachian folk ballads.

These days, Hersh has managed to distill all her disparate musical threads into a single unified sound. 2018’s Possible Dust Clouds integrates the noisy, tangled postpunk sound of Throwing Muses and Hersh’s post-Throwing Muses project, 50 Foot Wave, with the arresting minimalist songcraft of her previous solo material. Now she’s out on tour performing not as a solo artist or a bandleader but something in-between — fronting an Electric Trio featuring former Throwing Muses bassist Fred Abong and former 50 Foot Wave drummer Rob Ahlers. Will the result be an overview of her 35-year recording career, or will Hersh plunge fearlessly into the future on the trail of her unique muse? Regardless of which way things go, the result is sure to be a captivating performance. Head up to Harrisonburg and see it for yourself — it’ll be worth the trip.

—-

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]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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.

—-

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.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Mag Premiere: Brunswick’s ‘Through The Trees’, Album Release Party On Saturday

Amy David | June 11, 2018

Topics: bon Iver, Brunswick, jazz, modern jazz, Montrose Recording, No BS! Brass Band, Reggie Pace, Sufjan stevens, The Camel, VCU pep band

It’s been five years in the making, but we finally have a debut album from Richmond brass ensemble, Brunswick.

The 13-piece jazz orchestra is the brainchild of John Hulley, member of another little Richmond brass group who you may have heard of, NO BS! Brass Band. Hulley, a former trombonist in the VCU Pep Band, recruited the talents of his fellow bandmates Reggie Pace and Sam Koff when he started this project back in 2012.

Entertaining fans with their original compositions as well as putting their own special twist on well-known hits, the big band jazzy ensemble brings a fresh take on the genre.

Fittingly titled Five Years, the nine-track album, slated to drop June 16, is a culmination of what they’ve been working on and performing over the years, showcasing Brunswick’s more modern jazz sound, with some “emo jazz,” as Hulley referred to it at one point during our chat, thrown in.

“The album is all original music, there’s no covers on there,” Hulley said. “We started with a bunch of covers and a few originals. Usually, we’ll play two full sets of music in a night, so we do have a lot of cool covers in our book, so it took awhile to make a full album of original music.”

But while the ensemble kills it with covers like Daft Punk’s “Something About Us”, and Frank Ocean’s “Super Rich Kids”, Hulley said when it came to putting out the band’s debut record, he wanted a compilation that was uniquely their own.

“I felt like it was the most representative of the band and the sound,” he said of Five Years.  

Hulley just wrapped up his tour with Bon Iver, but I managed to catch a quick moment with him to chat about the album, what its like performing with big names like Iver and Sufjan Stevens, and their upcoming release show at The Camel. Oh yeah, and the awesome video the band is letting RVA Mag premiere.

The song, “Through the Trees” is the third track on the album, which features local dancer Russy J grooving through the Randolph neighborhood.

“We {Russy} sat down and listened to a couple different tracks, and I said nobody had done anything for that one yet and he was like, ‘Yeah! This one works great for me!’” “The jacket Russy wears in the video, that is also on the cover of the album, was designed and painted by EARL MACK, a local RVA artist and one of my favorite creative dudes in the city.  It was awesome finally getting a chance to bring him into the fold on one of my projects and something I had been hoping to do for awhile since becoming a fan of his work.”

While the band didn’t officially get in the studio until about two summers ago to record Five Years, Hulley said all the material has been building up since he first embarked on the project, but his hectic schedule never allowed him time to fully focus on it.

Indeed, if you’ve been following Hulley’s success, than you know he’s been quite the busy guy from performing at the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival in Wisconsin alongside Pace to sharing the stage with huge acts like Blind Boys of Alabama to performing as a member of Sufjan Stevens’ backing band, and most recently, touring this spring with Bon Iver.

“I have been blessed to be on some of on these amazing tours, and it’s been a minute since I’ve been able to find the time to really drop this thing, so it’s exciting to finally be able to put it out,” he said.

Pace has been involved with Bon Iver on and off since 2011. The indie rock band, fronted by songwriter Justin Vernon, asked the No BS! Brass Band leader to put together a five-piece trombone section for them and so he grabbed some of the usual suspects.

“I fit the long list of five trombones if you keep putting enough trombones in a band, eventually I’ll show up,” Hulley said laughing. “We been doing that since the past fall and it’s been a lot of fun hanging out and playing music with those guys.”

Hulley kicked off his tour with Bon Iver on May 24, making stops in Portland, Washington for Sasquatch Music Festival, Canada, Chicago, Indiana. and wrapping up the tour at this weekend’s Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.

Once they were finally ready to get into the studio, Brunswick, whose name comes from Hulley’s hometown in Maine, sought out the expertise of Adrian Olsen at Richmond’s Montrose Recording.

“He’s recording people from everywhere all the time, but also finds a way to get a bunch of Richmond acts in there, and that’s not on accident, he really cares about making sure Richmond bands want to record with him,” he said.

Producing the album is Papa Hotel Records, run by Hulley’s dad, which is awesome. “He was really interested in helping out. He’s been pretty excited about telling all his friends that he’s the head of a record label,” Hulley added.

Fans of the funky “Fire Circle” will be stoked as that makes its appearance as the second track. RVA Mag also had the honor of premiering that video, which the band recorded live at Round Two, back in 2016. And as for the record in its entirety, Hulley said the band has more than just a few tricks up their sleeves.

“The album is structured in an interesting way, I sort of think of the album as eight tracks that have the Brunswick sound on them, and the ninth track is sort of this jazz epilogue that’s like, ‘hey we can do this do.’”

The eighth track, “Henry Wadsworth” is a tune the band closes out most of their shows with, and one of the first songs Hulley wrote for Brunswick.

“It’s definitely one of the more rock and roll finale tracks, and then once that concludes, this straight-ahead bop-jazz track begins, and its like, ‘oh yeah, just you guys know we can do that jazz thing so check this out’,” Hulley said. “Its birthed out of brass band world, but it also has much stronger indie rock influences between all the stuff I listened to growing up. “

You can bet this show will be one for those that have been following Hulley since his days at VCU Pep Band, to his energetic performances with No BS!, and new fans who have discovered him on bigger stages in the last few years. Don’t miss Brunswick performing Five Years in full for the album release at The Camel this Sat., June 16 at 8 PM. $5 cover. Local rapper Chance Fischer and CGI Jesus will join the festivities and you can also snag a copy of the new album at the show.

Photo By: Jesse Peters

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

No BS! Brass Band with Peoples Blues of Richmond, Spooky Cool, Prabir Mehta, and 5 more… at The Broadberry

Joe Vanderhoff | April 25, 2018

Topics: angelica garcia, Brunswick, Dharma Bombs, DJ Ghozt, Night Idea, NO BS Brass Band, People's Blues of Richmond, Prabir, RVA All Day, RVA All Day Block Party, South Hill Banks, Spooky Cool, The Broadberry, The Shack Band, Thorp Jensen, yoga

RVA All Day Block Party, feat. No BS! Brass Band, Angelica Garcia, Spooky Cool, Night Idea, Dharma Bombs, Prabir, Yoga w/The Shack Band, Brunswick, Thorp Jenson, DJ Ghozt, plus after party feat. People’s Blues Of Richmond, South Hill Banks @ The Broadberry – $25-30 (order tickets HERE)

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: April 25 – May 1

Marilyn Drew Necci | April 25, 2018

Topics: angelica garcia, Bandito's, Boy Named Banjo, Brunswick, Cannabis Corpse, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Dharma Bombs, DJ Ghozt, Eldritch Horror, Enoch Ramone, Flora, Ghost Of Paul Revere, Hawthorne Heights, Heavy Things, Hotel Books, Jonny Drinks, Kings, Lennon Does Loops, Listener, Makewar, Night Idea, No BS! Brass Band, Park Sparrows, People's Blues of Richmond, Perpetuated, Prabir, RVA All Day Block Party, RVA Entertainers Club, Salvaticus, shows you must see, Sienna Skies, Soul Burst, South Hill Banks, Spooky Cool, strange matter, Sundream, Talk Me Off, The Broadberry, The Lillingtons, Thorp Jenson, Trampoline Team, USA Big Dawgs, Well$pnt, Yoga w/The Shack Band

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, April 28, 1 PM
RVA All Day Block Party, feat. No BS! Brass Band, Angelica Garcia, Spooky Cool, Night Idea, Dharma Bombs, Prabir, Yoga w/The Shack Band, Brunswick, Thorp Jenson, DJ Ghozt, plus after party feat. People’s Blues Of Richmond, South Hill Banks @ The Broadberry – $25-30 (order tickets HERE)
Spring seems finally to have arrived — if all this rain and pollen is any indication — and it’s the perfect time to give full vent to your spring fever with an all-day indoor/outdoor block party! And of course, what better RVA band could there be to throw such an event than No BS! Brass Band? I first saw these guys playing outside on a sidewalk during a street fair, and that sort of environment still seems like their most natural home. And of course, having been responsible for the city’s unofficial anthem, “RVA All Day,” they’re an excellent group to get us all up and moving, celebrating the wonderful city we live in!

So of course, it’s no surprise that No BS! Brass Band are the stars of this shindig, being thrown at The Broadberry on Saturday from the early afternoon until late at night. What might surprise you a little more is the sheer jam-packed nature of this lineup. Even the early acts are essential — up-and-coming local country-rocker Thorp Jenson will be kicking off the live music at 2 PM, and the lineup just stays awesome from there, with excellent outdoor-stage sets from local rulers like Angelica Garcia, Night Idea, Spooky Cool, and more! During the early afternoon, the inside of the venue will play host to a record fair, face painting, and other vendors inside, as well as a beer class from Hardywood in mid-afternoon. The Shack Band will be on hand as well; not to perform, but to lead a yoga class!

And of course, No BS! Brass will rock us all at the conclusion of the outdoor festivities, before things move inside for a kickass after-party featuring grungy blues-rockers People’s Blues Of Richmond and goodtime bluegrass strummers South Hill Banks. The after-party has some kind of complicated RSVP system in place, but when you order your ticket, you’ll get an email explaining the whole thing, so no worries! And by the way, you should order your tickets right now — you know you want to be there, and when they sell through the tier 3 tickets (tier 1 and tier 2 are long gone), the price will go up five bucks. Don’t sleep!

Wednesday, April 25, 10 PM
Trampoline Team, Enoch Ramone & The Ebola Boys Jr Esq III, USA Big Dogs, Jonny Drinks @ Flora – Donations encouraged
At some point it seemed like En Su Boca was becoming the new local home for wild garage-punk parties, but with them cutting back on hosting live music in recent months, it now appears that Flora, of all places, is poised to take their crown. Not necessarily a predictable outcome, but certainly a welcome one, as it means we all benefit from regular arrivals in town of beer-soaked rowdy garage ensembles from all over the country and beyond! This time around, we’ve got NOLA maniacs Trampoline Team topping the bill with some quick-hitting rippers sure to get you out of your seat and starting the pit before you’ve even finished your first glass of liquid courage. Get ready to rumble!

They’re joined by Atlanta’s Enoch Ramone & The Ebola Boys, who got seriously grotty on their debut EP last year. The muddy sound, blown-out vocals, and song titles like “My Kinda Scum,” “Get Fucked Up,” and “Bath Salts” should let you know where things stand for this band. Trampoline Team may have the tunes to induce movement, but Enoch Ramone & co. are the types to pick you up out of your chair, overturn your beer onto your head, and throw you across the room. In the best possible way, of course. They’re joined on this bill by a couple of new local rippers — USA Big Dogs, who’ve got a vaguely old-school HC sound mixed with that classic garage-punk snottiness, and Jonny Drinks, about whom I know literally nothing. But their name is promising, at least for certain values of the term. Get ready to tear it up on Lombardy St. tonight.

Thursday, April 26, 8 PM
The Lillingtons, Makewar, Park Sparrows, Talk Me Off @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a real blast from the past. The Lillingtons came along in the mid-90s with an excellent no-frills punk sound that did a good job of evoking the Ramones without seeming like a straight-up ripoff — a balancing act a lot of bands of similar inclination weren’t really able to pull off. Their classic 1999 album, Death By Television, gave us some killer tunes with lots of references to gloriously crappy sci-fi B-movies, delivered atop a thick, powerful guitar sound. After a few more albums, though, the Lillingtons disappeared for over a decade, with singer/guitarist Kody Templeman becoming an essential member of killer pop-punkers Teenage Bottlerocket. However, these leather-jacketed Wyoming guitar-slingers are back, having signed to Fat Wreck Chords and released a brand new album, Stella Sapiente, last fall.

The new album shows an expanded range, with some intriguing postpunk guitar textures sneaking into the mix even as Templeman and co. continue to dish out the killer melodies and propulsive rhythms. This isn’t quite the Lillingtons you knew back at the turn of the millennium, but would you really want them to sound exactly the same nearly 20 years later? Progression is essential, and it looks really good on them, so come out to Strange Matter Thursday night and find out exactly what these guys have been cooking up over the past several years. They’re coming through in the company of Makewar, who have a sorta aggressive-sounding name and presentation, but are actually pretty melodic and emotionally-oriented, so those of you who dig bands like Hot Water Music and Dillinger Four will probably find a lot to enjoy here. Local emotional-punkers Park Sparrows will connect pretty well with these guys from their opening slot, while Talk Me Off will give us a great dose of snotty punk gnarliness to kick the evening off.

Friday, April 27, 7 PM
Hawthorne Heights, Listener, Hotel Books, Sienna Skies, Heavy Things @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $20 in advance/$25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Is it time once again to cut our wrists, black our eyes, and get emotional with Hawthorne Heights? It sure seems to be, at least metaphorically speaking (definitely not advocating self-harm here — if you’re seriously feeling that way, skip the show and call someone, OK?). It’s fair to say that these guys are true survivors of that post-Y2k emo scene — after all, they’ve survived the death of an essential member, staying strong and continuing to make great music year after year with no real diminishment in quality. I never would have predicted back in 2004 that this band would have a more consistent career than Fall Out Boy, but sometimes it’s nice to be surprised.

This year sees the release of the sixth Hawthorne Heights LP, Bad Frequencies, which follows up on the trilogy of EPs, Hope, Hate, and Hurt, that were released over the past few years. Lead single “Pink Hearts” concentrates on the melody and gives us a juicy taste of pop-punk greatness, but they’re sure to turn up the intensity at other points on the album — and certainly in the live setting, which is what you really don’t want to miss. They’re joined by an amazing lineup of touring acts, most notably the almost-indescribable post-rock sound of Listener, which pairs intriguing musical soundscapes with the spoken poetics of Dan Smith. These guys are secretly just as good a reason to show up on Friday night as your actual headliners, and when you add in performances from Australians Sienna Skies, Californians Hotel Books, and Ohio’s Heavy Things, you’ve got a jam-packed lineup that’s cheap at twice the price.

Saturday, April 28, 8 PM
Cannabis Corpse, Salvaticus, Perpetuated, Eldritch Horror @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Decriminalization is definitely still a goal, but as we Virginians bemoan our continued inability to attain it, we can at least console ourselves that we will always have Cannabis Corpse. This veteran project, which has been through a variety of lineups but has always been led by brothers Landphil (Municipal Waste/Iron Reagan) and Hallhammer (Cruelsifix), just keeps on ripping it up with amazing death metal albums channeling the Floridian mid-90s heyday of Morrisound… but if all those songs about gore and Satan were really all about WEED. Their latest record, Left Hand Pass, pays homage to Swedish killers Entombed with its title, but the music contained within is pure original and hits every bit as hard as… I dunno, I don’t smoke the stuff, insert your own “really good strain of bud” joke here.

I may not be willing to do 10 minutes of googling to make a good marijuana joke, but I sure am willing to bang my head at whatever sounds Cannabis Corpse choose to dish out to us at Strange Matter Saturday night, whether they be brand new heavies from their latest album, classics from debut LP Tube Of The Resinated, or anything inbetween. It’s all killer, no filler — which can’t be said of that sack of oregano your best friend bought at the last Bonnaroo, am I right? Cannabis Corpse are joined on this bill by a trio of excellent thrashers from around the extended region: Charlottesville’s Salvaticus, who have managed to carry on after losing an essential member and will be bringing us a new album soon; DC’s Perpetuated, an old-school raw death onslaught; and brand new Lovecraftian Raleigh rippers Eldritch Horror. It’s a festival for the senses, and the THC in the air is sure to soothe the pains in your neck from all the headbanging. You know what to do.

Sunday, April 29, 10 PM
KINGS, RVA Entertainers Club @ Bandito’s – Free!
The Jellowstone crew doesn’t keep quite as high a profile around Richmond as they once did, but if anything, they’re getting even more done than ever before. This is particularly true of KINGS, which brings together soulful singer-songwriter Kelli Strawbridge (who you might know from his many appearances around town with his James Brown tribute act, The Big Payback, as well as quite a few other projects) with producer/drummer/keyboardist DJ Harrison (aka Devonne Harris, of Butcher Brown, Tennison, and many other projects including the latest Jack White album!). What with everything else Kelli, DJ Harrison and the rest of the crew have been up to, KINGS themselves haven’t been hitting the live stages all that much lately — but that’s about to change, this Sunday night at Bandito’s.

As always, the lineup KINGS hits the stage with is somewhat subject to change. However, once you know you’ll get participation from the two main creative figures in this project, what more do you need? And if in fact you do need more, the infrequently appearing but always-incredible RVA Entertainers Club is sure to bring it to you. This locally-focused jazz-funk supergroup is likely to feature Marcus Tenney, Reggie Pace, DJ Harrison, Andrew Randazzo, and quite a few more of the best players this town’s musical underground has to offer. Plus, all of this is available to you for free! Can you beat that? You most assuredly cannot! And you know what they say — if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em at Bandito’s for some great food and killer music. That’s how the saying goes, right?

Monday, April 30, 8 PM
Benefit For Carver Promise, feat. Well$pnt, Sundream, Lennon Does Loops, Soul Burst @ Strange Matter – $5
This random Monday evening show may not feature any of the biggest names in RVA music (or at least, no one who’s achieved that status YET), but it’s certainly worth your time regardless. Part of this is because the groups you’ll be checking out — new Charlottesville alt-rockers Sundream, spacy cloud-hopping rapper Well$pnt, chiptune-tinged instrumental beatmaker Lennon Does Loops — have a lot of widely varying but always intriguing sounds to offer. But another big part of this is the charity this event will benefit: Carver Promise.

This group helps provide aid for students attending George Washington Carver Elementary, one of the many underfunded public schools in our area, pairing college student mentors with younger kids who benefit from one on one help with basic academic skills as well as more artistic and creative pursuits. There’s a lot of talk around town these days about the crisis in our local public school districts, and how more funding needs to be found to help bring these schools up to passable levels. While we wait for the city to find solutions, it never hurts to help out the organizations who are stepping in to make sure something is being done in the meantime. Plus, you’ll get to hear some cool tunes while you’re at it.

Tuesday, May 1, 7 PM
Boy Named Banjo, Ghost Of Paul Revere @ The Broadberry – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
That whole roots-Americana thing started to seem overdone for a little bit there, back around a decade ago. However, now that the trends have moved on, it seems that the younger people who’ve stuck with it are sincerely in it for the long haul. That might just explain why the bands that rise to the top these days have high-quality instrumental talent and plenty of memorable tunes. That’s definitely something that can be said for the bands on this show at The Broadberry, both of which are sure to put a smile on your face.

Boy Named Banjo is a quintet that’s been integrating the high-lonesome twang of old-time bluegrass with some catchy emotionally-driven melodies for a good while now, most recently on their 2016 EP Lost On Main. If you’ve been following this scene for a while, chances are you’ve caught them — they’ve been through Richmond a few times now — but if, like me, they’re just hitting your radar, this Tuesday-night shindig is the perfect opportunity to get more familiar. Meanwhile, The Ghost of Paul Revere has been getting a little bit of shine lately from such venues as the Conan O’Brien Show, where they appeared back in January promoting their new third LP, Monarch. That album sees them integrating an alt-country influence — a little My Morning Jacket, a little Drive-By Truckers — into their rootsy, passionate vibe, and boy does it work. Don’t miss either of the bands on this excellent gig.

—-

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, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Block Party Brings No BS! Brass Band, PBR, Angelica Garcia, & More to The Broadberry This Month

Amy David | April 10, 2018

Topics: angelica garcia, Brunswick, Dharma Bombs, DJ Ghozt, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Night Idea, No BS! Brass Band, People's Blues of Richmond, Prabir Mehta, RVA All Day Block Party, RVA live music, rva music, rva music festival, South Hill Banks, Spooky Cool, The Broadberry, The Shack Band, Thorp Jensen

The Broadberry is kicking off spring right this month with an all-day indoor and outdoor music festival filled with some of Richmond’s finest acts, along with beer, food trucks, yoga, a record fair, an outdoor bar, and more.

RVA (All Day) Block Party will feature performances from 10 musicians and bands including crowd pleasers and headlining outdoor act, No BS! Brass Band, along with indoor headliners People’s Blues of Richmond, and sets by fellow Richmond bands and musicians Thorp Jenson, Brunswick, Prabir, Dharma Bombs, Spooky Cool, Night Idea, Angelica Garcia, and South Hill Banks.

For Lucas Fritz, co-owner of The Broadberry, the festival was an idea that he’d been cooking up for quite awhile, and to help bring it to life, he recruited his longtime friends from No BS! Brass Band.

“I’ve always wanted to do a big event around NO BS!, they’re my friends from back in the day, I went on tour with them down in Alabama back in 2009 or 2010, and this is the first time it really made sense to put something together,” Fritz said of the block party.

A big stage will be set up in The Broadberry’s parking lot on the west side of the building until 10 pm, at which point the venue will take the party inside for the rest of the performances.

As for the lineup, RVA Block Party is stacked with an eclectic mix of Richmond bands and musicians from the rowdy Appalachian bluesy-folk from the Dharma Bombs, to the wild psychedelic rock of PBR, to the indie prog rock sounds of Night Idea.

Fritz said he and No BS! co-founder and trombonist Reggie Pace aimed to showcase Richmond talent while offering a little something for everyone with this group.

“We wanted it to be pretty diverse and reflect the local bands that No BS! is super interested in at this time, and also people that are good friends of The Broadberry and The Camel and Richmond music scene,” he said. “We figured the more diverse of a lineup the more fun of an event it would be.”

Jenson, who is kicking off the event, is the alter ego of Chris Ryan, a local guitar player and songwriter, who’s been making waves recently with his Americana sound, playing regular gigs around town, and even getting a mention in Rolling Stone. The Chester native dropped his debut album, Odessa, last fall which you can check out below.

Night Idea also released their new record, Riverless, last fall, and unlike the quartet’s previous darker album, Breathing Cold, this LP shows off the band’s ability to expand into a wide range of sounds, defying one genre so hopefully, we get to hear some of that the day of the festival.

The ever unique music coming from the members of Spooky Cool never disappoints and for those who have been sleeping on Warner Bros signee Angelica Garcia, you better brush up before coming to the festival. The songstress caught RVA Mag’s eye after she dropped her debut album, Medicine For Birds in 2016, captivating us and audiences with her bluesy root songs, which were created in a parish house in her father’s church.

But live music isn’t the only entertainment the RVA Block Party is touting. Fritz said the festival will feature yoga by Jessica Scalin on the outdoor patio, with The Shack Band providing live music. And to appeal to you craft beer enthusiasts, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, who will be pouring beers at the outdoor bar, will also host a ticketed “beer school” inside The Broadberry for those interested in getting a little history lesson in brewing and what goes into some of your favorite beers.

“With that ticket, you get five different tastes and their brewers are going to be here and they’ll talk through the brewing process, you get to smell some hops and look at some malts.”

A caricature artist, and a small record fair will also be set up inside for festival attendees to check out if they want to take a break inside. “A couple local record labels and record shops will be setting up pop up shops,” Fritz said.

Tickets for the festival on Sat., April 28 are $25. As long as it’s not sold out, you can still snag yours at the door, but Fritz said at the rate they’re going, make sure you scoop yours in advance so you don’t miss out. People will be able to go from inside to outside and reentry will be allowed up until 7 pm.

If all goes well, Fritz is hoping to make the block party an annual event, and perhaps grow it out of the parking lot. “We’ll see what happens and make plans from there,” he added.

You can find the entire schedule for the day below:

1:00 – Doors
1:00 – 4:00 – Record Fair, Face Painting, caricatures, and other vendors inside
1:00 – 2:00 – DJ Ghozt *and in between sets
2:00 – 2:30 – Thorp Jenson
2:40 – 3:20 – Brunswick
3:00 – 3:45 – Yoga w/ Josh and Hunter of THE SHACK BAND
3:40 – 4:10 – Prabir Mehta
4:00 – 4:30 – Beer Class hosted by Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
4:30 – 5:00 – Dharma Bombs
5:20 – 5:50 – Night Idea
6:10 – 6:40 – Spooky Cool
7:00 – 7:45 – Angelica Garcia
8:15 – 9:45 – NO BS! Brass Band

AFTER-PARTY (Requires FREE RSVP)
10:00 – 11:30 – South Hill Banks
11:45 – 1:15 – People’s Blues of Richmond

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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