Cadillac Cat Archives

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 25 – May 31

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 25, 2022

Topics: 4 Cyber Cafe, Angels Cant See, Benet, Bermuda Triangles, Brown's Island, Cadillac Cat, Calvin LaFleur, Capital Ale House, CAPTCHA, Cassidy Snider And The Wranglers, DJ Jazzy Beatz, Frames, friday cheers, Fullscreen, gallery 5, Grishka, Hex Machine, Hot For Pizza, Karmah, live music in Richmond, Lord Seelife, Mara Mara Takeoff, Matthew E. White, Melodic, MSD, multicult, Noah O, One Forever, Ostraca, Portrayal Of Guilt, Prime N9N23, R Complex, Radiance, Richmond Music Hall, Richmond Music Hall At Capital Ale House, Rikki Rakki, Saaint, Shawn Gray, shows you must see, So Badly, The Broadberry, The Camel, the last real circus, Tiny Dinosaur, Tone Redd, Vincas, Warfuck, Whitney & The Saying Goes, Whoresnation, Wizard Purple, Yautja

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, May 29, 7 PM
Rikki Rakki Prom Night, feat. Rikki Rakki, Angels Cant See, Frames, Cassidy Snider And The Wranglers @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Returning to my ongoing coverage of the Richmond music scene in the post-pandemic era (by which I mean the era after the pandemic started. When we get to the era after the pandemic ends, I’ll let you know) has been a big learning process, from figuring out that show info is more often on Instagram than Facebook these days (what accounts should I be following? Drop me an email with tips) to learning the names of new bands who’ve become a big deal around town during the era in which none of us couldn’t go to any shows at all.

Rikki Rakki are a new Richmond band who’ve impressed me with their hustle over the past six months, going from a band whose name I’d barely heard to a band I see on flyers at least once every week or two. Now they’re taking the next step, and they’re doing so in style, with the release of their new EP, Quarantine Sessions (we all know how it got that name). It’s a five-song collection that gives the first glimpse of Rikki Rakki as a fully formed band rather than a series of demos uploaded to Bandcamp, showing that the band does a great job of foregrounding frontwoman Erika Blatnik’s excellent vocal melodies while laying down a musical foundation that mixes jangly psychedelic vibes with a little of that early 90s alt-rock vibe that we all know and love. Things stay relatively understated on the EP, but are sure to get loud when the band breaks these tunes out on the Gallery 5 stage Sunday night.

What adds the style to Rikki Rakki’s coming out party for their new EP is the themed event they’ve planned for this release show. The entire evening will be laid out as a “retro prom night,” featuring decorations and a Polaroid photo booth. While there’s no set-in-stone dress code, the band is encouraging swanky attire, and will (I would think) be busting out their own cupcake dresses and out-of-date suits for the occasion. What better way to wrap up a late-spring weekend than to relive what we were all doing on May weekends five or ten (or, in my case, um, thirty) years ago? One thing’s for sure — the music will be better at this prom night than it was at the one your school held in the gym your junior year. Don’t worry about finding a date, either — just show up and dance! You’ll be glad you did.

Wednesday, May 25, 8 PM
Multicult, Vincas, Hex Machine, Bermuda Triangles, R-Complex @ 4 Cyber Cafe – $12
Here’s a treat for all you noise-rockers to liven up your dreary mid-week blues. Tonight, 4 Cyber Cafe hosts top-notch noise rockers from multiple states, and you’re gonna wanna be there to experience every minute of it. Baltimore’s Multicult and their Athens, GA-based touring partners, Vincas, top the bill, hitting the road with the goal of appearing at Caterwaul Fest, a four-day event in Minneapolis that was originally scheduled to take place in late spring 2020, before… well, you know what happened. It’s always nice when these sorts of tours bring bands headed to fests through Richmond on the way, and even if Caterwaul isn’t generating quite the spillover that Maryland Death Fest used to bring to the city, we’ll take what we can get, especially when it hits this hard.

Multicult’s 2019 LP, Simultaneity Now, has been in the world for three years, but still sounds just as heavy and powerful as it did back when it dropped. They’ve got that same lurching stomp feel as Richmond noise vets Hex Machine — who, not-so-coincidentally, are also on this bill. As for Vincas, they bring a dark industrial feel to their brand of noise-rock, incorporating both drums and programmed beats in a manner that evokes everything from Suicide to Godflesh to the Birthday Party. If you like your noise at least vaguely gothic, these guys are for you. Local experimental-music mainstays Bermuda Triangles and R-Complex are also on this bill, making it a veritable embarrassment of riches for the listener who derives a distinct pleasure from music that is at least 25% noise. Which is to say, sign me up.

Thursday, May 26, 8 PM
FullScreen, Wizard Purple, Captcha, So Badly @ The Camel – $6 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
One thing I’m not sure every reader of this column fully appreciates is how much detective work sometimes goes into figuring out what the heck is going on with one show or another that I find myself writing about. This one’s a great example; a Citrus City production, I knew it would feature plenty of good music. But locating that music? Ah, that was another matter. Wizard Purple, who were listed as headliners on some of the information I found about this show, were extremely difficult to track down. All I really learned at first was that the band name was also used as an artistic moniker by a painter named Cameron Gray. The big breakthrough in the case for me was learning that Gray was previously in a King George-based band called Lake Alden, who released a lovely LP of twinkly alt-rock tunes in 2020 called The Mess.

Now, does Wizard Purple sound like Lake Alden, or incorporate any of that band’s members besides Gray? I still haven’t resolved that question. I suggest you do so for yourself by hitting up this show Thursday evening. After all, FullScreen are also on the bill, and I know for a fact that this RVA/Philly trio have some great indie tunes to bring to us all. After a two-year delay (we all know why that happened…), they released the third in a series of self-produced singles they put together while working on a full-length LP that, as far as I know, has still not materialized. That’s OK; the two songs on this single are lovely, guaranteed to stick in your head all day, and will surely brighten up the entire Camel when FullScreen performs them live during this show. Therefore we know for sure that, even if Wizard Purple turns out to be a live painting exhibition, this show will sound outstanding.

Friday, May 27, 6 PM
Friday Cheers’ RVA Music Night, feat. Matthew E. White, Benet, The Last Real Circus @ Brown’s Island – $10 in advance, $15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Folks, as much as I envy the expensive dresses many of them wear on the local news, the fact is that I am not a meteorologist. Therefore, when I look at my phone this morning and see that the sunny, warm day my weather app originally predicted for Friday has now turned into a festival of storm clouds, I have no idea how actually likely that makes this Friday Cheers show to get cancelled. In absence of clear-cut evidence, though, I try to be an optimist, and I’m going to encourage optimism for you too, because if this show does manage to take place, it’s without a doubt the coolest musical event occurring in Richmond this Friday evening.

After all, look at the evidence we’re presented with: Matthew E. White, Richmond’s favorite soul-rockin’ son, is still riding high on the success of last year’s K Bay, his first solo joint since back in 2015 and proof positive that he’s still got all the chops we remember from the glory days of Fight The Big Bull — and then some. He’ll be bringing a live band full of RVA all-stars to the stage to get everyone moving with upbeat boogie jams like “Electric” and “Nested,” among many other hits. He’ll be joined by heart-on-sleeve RVA dance-pop wunderkind Benet, and The Last Real Circus will get things rolling on a high note, with a healthy dose of their electrified Americana. The positive vibes will rise high enough that they just might be able to chase away the storm clouds. Let’s all cross our fingers!

[p.s. — if rain forces this show to go the way of the Japanese Breakfast show earlier this month, you could do a lot worse than to head over to Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House and check out energetic young locals Baby Bugs and Saint Samuel. Just sayin.]

Saturday, May 28, 7 PM
Portrayal Of Guilt, Yautja, Ostraca @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $16 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Despite the pandemic, Portrayal Of Guilt had one heck of a 2021. Not only did they release a killer slab of metallic screamo, We Are Always Alone, in the beginning of the year, they had another entire LP ready for us by fall. And if it wasn’t clear by the title alone, the sound the band delved into on that second 2021 LP, Christfucker, proved that they had largely moved across the nebulous border that lies somewhere between the emotional heavyosity of screamo and outright black metal. Elements of Neurosis-style noise horror and doom-sludge bleakness were also highly present on their latest and, in more than a few opinions, greatest LP.

So I guess the question now is: can Portrayal Of Guilt bring the same kind of heat onstage that they spent 2021 bringing in the studio? I think anyone who caught them when they came through Richmond in the pre-pandemic days knows the answer, but just in case you weren’t one of the lucky ones: the answer is yes. When these Texas maniacs hit the Richmond Music Hall stage Saturday night, they are gonna rip your face off, and you’re gonna love every minute of it. Better yet, they’ve got Nashville’s Yautja along with them. This fearsome metal trio only managed one album, The Lurch, in 2021, but they’ve built such a formidable legacy over their past decade of excellent records to more than prove their bona fides. The same can be said for homegrown Richmond metallic screamo trio Ostraca, who are finally back in action after giving us three incredible LPs in four years, and nothing since 2018. At least we get to see them live again, right? This whole night is gonna rule.

Sunday, May 29, 7 PM
Noah-O Album Release/Birthday Party, feat. Noah-O, Shawn Gray, Karmah, Cadillac Cat, Tone Redd, One Forever, Saaint, Prime N9N23, Mara Mara Takeoff, Lord Seelife, Calvin LaFleur, Vibes by Melodic, Hosted by DJ Jazzy Beatz @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Noah-O’s story is one of ups and downs. His name on the Richmond hip hop scene has been made for over a decade now, since he broke through and actually got one of his videos played on MTV. He followed that up with a series of excellent albums collaborating with pretty much every great producer to come out of this city, from Cadillac Cat and Fan Ran to the legendary Kleph Dollaz. He spent the pandemic releasing the Deadstock series of albums, showing that even his outtakes add up to multiple albums worth of straight fire. Somehow, though, the world outside the river city still hasn’t quite caught on. It’s the struggle he’s endured when he’s not on the mic, the day to day realities of a working class guy from Richmond who still has to feed his family, that he raps about on his latest single, “Trillipino,” the title of which simultaneously references his Filipino heritage and the fact that he keeps it real, 24/7, 365 days a year.

If Noah-O deserves anything from the world, it’s to give him a really great birthday party, and that’s what the Richmond hip hop scene is trying to do with this Sunday night pre-Memorial Day party at The Broadberry. It’s a party to commemorate the release of the aforementioned “Trillipino,” for sure, but it’s also a celebration of a talented, prolific MC and straight-up nice guy who’s been bringing excellent music to the river city for over a decade now. It’s past time for the world to give Noah-O his flowers, and if the entire world can’t fit inside the Broadberry for this show, it can at least pack out with the many appreciative Richmonders who know what an incredible talent lives in our midst. So yeah, come join Noah-O and over a dozen talented members of the Richmond hip hop community at the Broadberry this Sunday to pay tribute to a brilliant artist who’s still at the top of his game.

Monday, May 30, 7 PM
Tiny Dinosaur, Radiance, Whitney & The Saying Goes @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
If you find yourself thinking, as I did, “Tiny Dinosaur? That’s a random name for a band,” you may be just as surprised as I was to learn that the band coming to the Camel this Monday night are not even the only band called Tiny Dinosaur! To be clear, this is not the Madison, Wisconsin indie-rock combo but the New Orleans acoustic ensemble who refers to the style of music they play as “fantasy folk.” They’re on tour in support of their latest album, Songs For the Mass Extinction Event, which is an apt title for an album released at a time when it feels like everything from civil society to the very climate in which we live is just about to collapse.

Thankfully, the sound this band is bringing to us at a time like this is upbeat and joyful, even if they do at least sometimes sing about the ceaseless march of time and the way everything we care about will eventually fall away. For every song on the new album like the challenging and forthright “You Might Be Wrong,” there’s a purely fun jam like “Who Put The Wu-Tang Next To Sgt. Pepper?” And no matter how serious the particular lyrics they’re singing at any point, they’ve always got an upbeat sound that should appeal to any among you who appreciate that whole Gogol Bordello/World-Inferno Friendship Society approach to making music. Spending your Memorial Day dancing around the Camel to these tunes is a good way to sing an elegy for the world all around us, passing away even as we speak. But it’s also just a good way to banish your cares and find a smile at the difficult beginning of a long week. And sometimes that’s all we really need.

Tuesday, May 31, 7 PM
Whoresnation, Grishka, Warfuck, MSD @ Hot For Pizza – $5
It’s not every week that the most brutal show of the week turns out to be happening on Tuesday night in a pizza shop, but when you love truly scathing grindcore, you’ll take it whenever and wherever it wants to show up, won’t you? That’s why you’ll be at Hot For Pizza, Richmond’s favorite Van Halen-referencing slice joint, on Tuesday night as one incredibly formidable tour rolls into town.

That formidable tour is headlined by two French groups, Whoresnation and Warfuck — both of whose names might not exactly be welcome if “family oriented” is something you aim for in your evening’s entertainment. Since when has grindcore been family oriented, though? Whoresnation’s brand new LP, Dearth, is a lightning-fast slab of guttural grind with strong death metal appeal. If you dig stuff like Cephalic Carnage and Last Days Of Humanity, you’ll find something to love here. As for Warfuck, they’re a bassless grind duo who channel some of the chaotic energy of early Pig Destroyer, back when they went fast most of the time. Their most recent LP, 2018’s This Was Supposed To Be Fun, is (title to the contrary) a total blast to listen to, especially if you like really, really fast stuff. DC’s Grishka and RVA’s own MSD round out this bill with a heaping helping of their own mid-Atlantic brand of grind, and all of it’s gonna be a ton of fun that will certainly liven up your Tuesday night. Just don’t eat too much pizza beforehand — headbanging on a full stomach is never as much fun as it seems like it should be.

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 Andrew Williams, via Rikki Rakki/Facebook

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

Marilyn Drew Necci | February 19, 2020

Topics: Afib, Alfred, Altria Theater, Balu, Berries, Bracewar, Brain Tourniquet, Breakup Shoes, Cadillac Cat, Cassius Kay, CEO, Civonnee, Combust, Daniel Case, Dashdown, Dee16Hunna, Delow, Division Of Mind, Don Chase, Elevation27, Enforced, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Excitable Boys, Fuzzy Cactus, gallery 5, GARZA, Gemi Jhay, Guardrails, Halfcast, Hive Collective, Jouwala Collective, Kaywan, Ley Cash, Lifters, Linden Row, Louderhead, Lowlifeball, Lxrd Sleeza, Madison Turner, Mia Money, Moochiee, music, must see shows, Mutually Assured Destruction, Neat Sweep, Okey Dokey, Pyrex Pedro, Qash, Rascal Grimez, Rasul, richmond events, richmond va, richmond va bands, RVA, Serqet, shows this week richmond, shows you must see, Skyy With 2 Y's, Summer Salt, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Dolphins, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Tommy Stinson, Tyrone Leake Jr, Weird Tears, Yamato Drummers, Young Apollo

FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, February 20, 7 PM
Bracewar, Division Of Mind, Combust, Mutually Assured Destruction, Guardrails @ The Camel – $15
There’s a lot going on in the Richmond music scene these days, within all sorts of different genres. And that’s wonderful! But if you want to talk about the styles of music that have a fertile, longstanding tradition in this town, you probably can’t do better than bringing up the Richmond hardcore scene. Going back to the dawn of the 80s and extending all the way to today, Richmond has been a town in which hardcore thrives, and this show at The Camel on Thursday night is the proof that this continues to be true in 2020.

At the top of the bill is Bracewar, one of those Richmond hardcore elder-statesman bands who moved into “plays a few shows a year but is otherwise inactive” mode at least seven years ago, but did thrill us all by releasing their first new material in almost a decade in the form of 2018 EP Colossal. They’ve maintained a slightly higher profile since then, but a Richmond Bracewar show is still a relative rarity, and if you delight in their signature brand of powerful breakdowns peppered with moments of high-speed thrashing, you’ll certainly want to catch this one.

Beyond Bracewar, this bill mostly focuses on current all-stars of Richmond’s straightforward hardcore scene, most predominantly Division Of Mind. This group’s recent self-titled LP on Triple B Records demonstrates that, while they are very skilled at the mosh, they have quite a bit more going on, and are worth your time and attention even if you don’t still find diving into an energetic pit to be the best way to spend a band’s set. Combust are actually from New York, but released a 12-inch EP on RVA’s own Edgewood Records last year, and will bring an energetic and welcome NYHC attack to the Camel’s stage. Plus, there’s Mutually Assured Destruction, who are taking heavy hardcore in an adventurous direction that doubtless owes a bit to Life Of Agony and Twitching Tongues, and the first show ever from Guardrails, who will kick this one off with a ton of pissed-off energy. Carry on the tradition, Richmond — be at this show.

Wednesday, February 19, 9 PM
Lifters, Weird Tears, Neat Sweep @ Fuzzy Cactus – $6
Punk rock has been enshrined in pop culture as music with something important to say, and I think that’s great, but one thing punk rock has always had room for, one that gets de-emphasized when we focus on The Clash and forget about the Ramones, is pure no-frills rock n’ roll melody. Durham’s Lifters might not qualify for punk rock if you’re expecting some sort of sophisticated political critique to emerge from their catchy tunes, but if you’re conversant with the genre’s history, the connection is undeniable. And that’s as it should be.

Tonight, if you’re looking for some catchy, fun tunes, played with plenty of energy but not that much polish, and reminding you of great groups like Radioactivity, Teengenerate, or the aforementioned Ramones, you’re going to want to point your feet toward Brookland Park’s own Fuzzy Cactus. There, Lifters and local melodic punk stalwarts Weird Tears and Neat Sweep are going to sweep you off your feet and get you caught up in the toe-tapping joys of punk rock. It all happens tonight; plan your evening accordingly.

Thursday, February 20, 9 PM
Excitable Boys, Daniel Case, The Dolphins @ Fuzzy Cactus – $7
It’s always interesting when you know enough about a band to care what they have to offer, but have no idea what they actually sound like. Such is the case with Excitable Boys, a band seemingly named for Warren Zevon’s most famous album, and made up of three different musicians one usually wouldn’t expect to see grouped together. In this case, those musicians include country-folk singer-songwriter Benjamin Shepherd, former Southside Stranglers guitarist Kevin Guild, and Irish-by-way-of-New-York indie-folk artist Cal Folger Day — who isn’t even a boy, putting a lie to the bandname in a far more entertaining fashion than the millions of all-male “girls” bands.

Anyway, that’s certainly an intriguing trio to bring together in one musical combo… but what exactly do you get when you mix an Irish indie-folk troubadour, a punk rock guitarist, and an Americana singer-songwriter? There’s only one way I know of to find out, and that’s to show up at Fuzzy Cactus this Thursday night and see what happens when the three of them take the stage together. It’s sure to be interesting; perhaps even, dare I say… exciting! (Sorry, y’all, but I couldn’t resist.)

Friday, February 21, 7:30 PM
Yamato Drummers present: Jhonetsu — Passion @ Altria Theater – $35 – $43 (order tickets HERE)
It’s not often that an opportunity for something truly unusual comes across our desk here at RVA Must-See Shows headquarters, so when something like this shows up in the local live music environment, we’ve got to make the most of it. Therefore, I encourage you to suck it up, deal with the higher-than-average ticket prices that accompany any night spent at the Altria, and go see Wadaiko Yamato, aka Yamato Drummers, this Friday night.

This group hails from Nara, Japan, a city once known as Yamato, and plays the sort of ensemble drumming native to Japan that’s known in the West as taiko. Wadaiko Yamato are a group made up of around a dozen different drummers, who explore the possibilities of percussion through polyrhythmic dynamics and highly choreographed theatrical dance performances. If you recognize the deep, transformative power of the beat that lies at the heart of music, you’re sure to be captivated and energized by what Wadaiko Yamato bring to the stage. It’s not the kind of thing you’ll see every weekend, either — that’s for sure. Make seeing this one a priority.

Saturday, February 22, 7 PM
Enforced, Alfred, Louderhead, Brain Tourniquet, Serqet @ Gallery 5 – $10
The war on drugs has been a highly damaging initiative of the US government over the past half-century or so. While it has failed to make a significant dent in the use and trafficking of mind-altering substances, it has allowed for a massive increase in the percentage of the US population that is incarcerated, a phenomenon that’s had a disproportionate effect on African Americans and low-income, marginalized folks across the country. This is why it’s heartening to see the first tentative steps being made here in Virginia to move beyond carceral methods of dealing with drug use and trafficking and toward decriminalization and harm reduction initiatives that grass-roots activist groups have been pushing for years.

This Saturday’s event at Gallery 5 will offer you the opportunity to both support these efforts and become part of them yourself… as well as hearing some great music, of course. The evening will begin with a free naloxone training session, then move on to music from Richmond leading lights like dark metallic hardcore ragers Enforced and psychedelic hip hop lyricist Alfred. There’ll also be a performance from Louderhead, who I am guessing is a Motorhead tribute band (always fun). And of course, DC power-violence freaks Brain Tourniquet and local goth-punk heroes Serqet will be in the house as well. The music will be great, the cause is just as great… get involved in this one.

Sunday, February 23, 9 PM
Catfest 4, feat. Cadillac Cat, Young Apollo, Gemi Jhay, Ley Cash, Pyrex Pedro, Civonnee, Balu, Delow, Cassius Kay, Qash, Skyy With 2 Y’s, Lowlifeball, Rasul, Don Chase, Ceo, Dee16Hunna, Mia Money, Lxrd Sleeza, Kaywan, Rascal Grimez, Tyrone Leake Jr., Moochiee @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard to keep up with the Richmond hip hop scene, and that’s not just because there’s a ton going on in this city. It’s also because hip hop is one music scene that doesn’t seem to have much use for the non-social-media internet, so information is at a premium, and google searches can only do so much. That said, I have been hearing the name Cadillac Cat for a while, so the fact that this jam-packed Sunday evening at The Camel is his fourth annual Catfest isn’t that much of a surprise.

If you also know the name Cadillac Cat, it’s probably because he’s produced a variety of material for Noah-O, including their 2017 full-length collab, Face/Off. These days, he’s working on a project called God Status, and if the video for first track “Free Shine” is any indication, this is going to be a hard-as-fuck street-level attack full of pounding beats and braggadocious flows. Expect something similar from his headlining set at this event. As for the 20-plus other artists performing, expect a crash course in an entire segment of the mid-Atlantic hip hop scene, one that’s sure to teach you a whole lot of shit you can’t learn from the internet.

Monday, February 24, 8 PM
Halfcast, Linden Row, Afib, Madison Turner @ The Camel – Free!
These free “Industry Night” shows the Camel has been throwing lately are intended to give all the people who work difficult shifts in the world of food service every weekend an opportunity to celebrate the end of their week’s busiest time. However, they also help out the Richmond live music preview industrial complex, an industry that I’m pretty sure consists entirely of me. So I’m really glad these exist, as they are sometimes the only thing remotely worth paying attention to on a Monday night — and that’s definitely true this week.

This week’s event offers a pretty strong local lineup, especially for a show that will cost you zero dollars to attend. That lineup is topped by Halfcast, a local trio who mix a chops-conscious metallic approach with alt-rock sensibilities to create crunchy melodic gold. Then there’s Linden Row, an alt-rock combo with plenty of energy and the same sort of mischievous surf-punk feel that shines through prime Pixies material; their set is sure to be a blast. I haven’t heard Afib, but they feature Truman drummer Dylan Anderson stepping out from behind the kit to pick up a guitar and play some indie/emo tunes, and that’s certainly an intriguing concept to me. And of course, Madison Turner, who’ll be playing her alt-punk-indie-folk tunes accompanied by a full band at this gig, is always worth seeing. So show up on time and catch it all. The price is more than fair.

Tuesday, February 25, 7 PM
GARZA, Jouwala Collective @ The Broadberry – $20 in advance/$25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Do you like to dance? If you do and you’ve spent any time at all in the state of Virginia, you’re sure to be familiar with the work of Rob Garza, better known as one half of the legendary DC duo Thievery Corporation. Thievery Corporation has been active for over two decades and show no signs of slowing down; indeed, they recently announced a new LP coming in the spring. However, Garza’s creative mind is always restless, and so he has brought us GARZA, a project initially born from his desire to write music for other people.

In the end, he couldn’t bear to give the music he’d come up with away, and it was released late last year on an EP entitled Where The Moon Hides, which finds Garza collaborating with vocalists Seann Bowe and EMELINE to create some lovely, immersive electronic melodies that increase the pop quotient of Garza’s Thievery Corporation work without losing that pulse that always keeps your feet moving. GARZA will utilize a whole ensemble of singers and live instruments to wonderfully recreate these tunes in a live setting at the Broadberry this Tuesday night. Be sure to wear your dancing shoes for this one.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Thursday, February 20, 7 PM
Summer Salt, Okey Dokey, Breakup Shoes, Berries @ Elevation27 (Virginia Beach) – $17 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Groundhog or no groundhog, the fact remains that summer is far away at the moment. Therefore, it’s an especially welcome breath of fresh air that brings Summer Salt to Virginia Beach’s Elevation27 this Thursday night. This Austin Texas group mixes the sweet beach pop of Brian Wilson and the Brazilian bossa nova of artists like Gilberto Gil and Joao Gilberto into a base that is fundamentally indie-pop in nature. The result is the sort of lovely sound that’s sure to please fans of both Paul Simon’s Graceland and Animal Collective’s Feels.

In other words, it’s the perfect late-week listen for a Virginia locked in the late-winter doldrums. And it’s sure to bring a smile to your face even if you do have to don your heavy coat to walk from the club back to the car at the end of the night. The evening will also feature performances from catchy psychedelic indie group Okey Dokey, who hail from Nashville, and some electro-pop sounds from Arizona’s Breakup Shoes. Plus, VA Beach’s own Berries will kick off the evening with some charming indie-pop of their own. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

Sunday, February 23, 7 PM
Tommy Stinson, Dashdown @ Hive Collective (Norfolk) – $25 – $100 (order tickets HERE)
Wrap up your weekend by spending an intimate evening in the company of Tommy Stinson and his acoustic guitar at Norfolk art gallery the Hive Collective. If you’re not familiar with Tommy Stinson by name, his time as bass player in The Replacements, Guns N’ Roses, and Soul Asylum should certainly let you know why he matters. But what really makes it a good idea for you to go see the man perform solo is the strength of his material as singer and songwriter, both under his own name and as the frontman for Bash And Pop.

That quartet, which released one excellent LP called Friday Night Is Killing Me in the wake of The Replacements’ early-90s breakup, then went their separate ways, got back together a few years ago for a long-awaited, much-belated follow-up called Anything Could Happen, which proved that they still had the spark that made their earlier work so wonderful. Stinson’s relatively recent solo LP, 2011’s One Man Mutiny, was just as great and heartfelt, and you can expect to see the sort of sloppy, sincere talent that’s always been the hallmark of his work on display at this intimate performance, so I highly recommend you get there.

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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 Gabe Becerra/Twitter

VA Shows You Must See This Week: November 6 – November 12

Marilyn Drew Necci | November 6, 2019

Topics: Alluvion, Alpha Romeo, Amala, BBX, Bejxy, Bingo Beer Co, Cadillac Cat, Capital Ale House Music Hall, CAPTCHA, Chameleons Vox, Chauncey De Giant, Christopher Tignor, Colin Phils, Colpa Mia, Cop/Out, Cut The Architect's Hand, Days N Daze, Distant Dee, Don Chase, Dre King, Ellen Siberian Tiger, Fan Ran, Future Teens, gallery 5, Genosha, Hex Machine, Hotspit, Illa Styles, Jay Aston, Jimmy and the Delay, Kidd Khy, Lair, Leftover Crack, Lil Grits, Limbs, Lisa Prank, Magic Wand, Manzara, Murdersome, Nhibitions, Noah O, O-Z, Oceanator, Papi Majae, PT Veil, Pump Fake, Queen Elephantine, Riffhouse Pub, SAE, Sentius, Sharptooth, She, shows you must see, Site Of Suffering, Slim Kartel, Strangeways Brewing, Tavishi, The Bunker Brewpub, The Camel, The New Mutiny, Theatre Of Hate, This Will Destroy You, Tone Redd, Unmaker, Van Silke, Vulcanite, Wonderland, Wristmeetrazor, Yung Apollo

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, November 9, 5 PM
Thrashgiving IV, feat. Vulcanite, Genosha, The New Mutiny, LAIR, Murdersome (Photo by Dennis Williford), Alluvion, Site Of Suffering, Cut The Architect’s Hand, Sentius @ Strangeways Brewing – $10 cash, or $5 with canned/non-perishable foods
OK, y’all, Halloween is over, which means we’re officially into the holiday season, for better or for worse. Right now it’s for better, at least for me, because in spite of all it’s terrible cultural baggage, Thanksgiving as it exists in 2019 is my favorite holiday. Sleep late, eat a big meal, watch football… what’s not to love? We hit the “for worse” part along about 8 PM when Mom starts getting antsy and wanting to hit the Black Friday sales (these days a good many of them start as soon as the sun goes down on Thanksgiving, and whoever’s idea that was needs to be put on trial for their crimes against humanity).

Anyway, Thanksgiving itself is still a few weeks away, but over at Strangeways Brewing, they’re getting into the giving spirit a little early, as this Saturday brings about the fourth annual Thrashgiving celebration, put together by Metal Teresa Productions as a benefit to help feed the hungry and house injured military veterans and their families. These good causes are well worth your support, and if you bring some canned or non-perishable food items to donate, you’ll get half off admission, so that rules as well!

In return for your five bucks and your cans of beans, you’ll get a veritable showcase of the best Virginia’s metal scene has to offer. From grunge-metal ragers Vulcanite to mournful doom sludgers Lair — who have a brand new self-titled album out as of last week — and from bloodthirsty thrashers Murdersome to brutal hardcore mosh maniacs Genosha, this show has a ton of headbanging awesomeness to offer. In addition to those four, there are half a dozen more excellent groups on the bill, and considering how cheap the price of admission is, it’s really quite the bargain if your tastes run toward headbanging. This one gets our highest possible recommendation.

Wednesday, November 6, 8 PM
Future Teens, Oceanator, Colpa Mia, Pump Fake @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Despite the name at the top of the bill, as far as I know, none of the bands playing at The Camel tonight have any members under 13 years old. However, Boston’s Future Teens do have a new album called Breakup Season, which is full of melancholy, heartfelt indie rock tunes of the sort the band aptly labels “bummer pop.” These days it seems like that whole twentysomething malaise that descends when you get out of college and don’t know where you’re going to go next can last well into your 30s and beyond, and it can be comforting to hear a band sing poignantly and relatably about it over some amazing pop melodies.

That’s what Future Teens has to offer, and I think we could all use a night of that — maybe a bit more than we want to admit. Along with it, we’ll also get a set from New Yorkers Oceanator, who have a similar sort of emotional vibe but add a good deal more bottom-end crunch to their harder-hitting alt-rock tunes — which is always nice. Richmond’s own Colpa Mia will add their own indie sound to the mix, and brand new local emo duo Pump Fake will get things started at The Camel tonight. Get down there and soothe your troubled soul with music.

Thursday, November 7, 7:30 PM
Chameleons Vox, Theatre Of Hate, Jay Aston, Unmaker @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $20 (order tickets HERE)
The Chameleons were incredibly important to the development of UK postpunk in the 80s. While other guitar-based bands like Echo And The Bunnymen, The Cure, and The Jesus And Mary Chain are a bit more well-known today, any listen to 21st century exponents of music like this shows an indelible influence from the sound The Chameleons expertly crafted during their initial 80s run. The mix of Mark Burgess’s insightful, poetic lyrics, thundering basslines, and dramatic baritone vocals combined perfectly with the glittering twin guitar lines of Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding to create a legacy that still endures after four decades.

The Chameleons did briefly reform and release three more albums in the early 00s, but these days, Mark Burgess soldiers on as the sole original member, performing classic Chameleons tunes under the name Chameleons Vox. While his backing band has featured a variety of different musicians over the past decade, Burgess has always recruited excellent guitar players to recreate Smithies and Fielding’s gorgeous spiraling melodies, and his own vocal and bass talents ensure that the songs retain their proper gravity. Basically, if you love the Chameleons — and if you’ve enjoyed bands like Interpol, Shadow Age, or Soft Kill in recent years, you definitely do — you’re sure to have a wonderful night seeing Chameleons Vox bring legendary songs like “Swamp Thing” and “Thursday’s Child” to full, glorious life.

Friday, November 8, 8 PM
Ellen Siberian Tiger, HotSpit, She, CAPTCHA @ Bingo Beer Co – Free!
Don’t panic, folks — I’ve done some research and learned that despite their band name, Ellen Siberian Tiger is just as human as you and me. This trio from Philadelphia dishes out some pretty excellent grungy alt-rock in the vein of Hop Along or Speedy Ortiz, and I for one am digging it. I also can’t help but love the powerful, confrontational feminism espoused on tracks like “Kitchen Knife” and “When Men Explain Things To Me.” We need more of these sorts of lyrics in the world.

Ellen Siberian Tiger will be rocking the halls of Bingo Beer this Friday night in a manner my punk rock friends always wanted to back in the 90s, so I can’t help but be excited, and I’m just as excited for the trio of excellent Richmond groups that are sharing this bill with them. The outstanding HotSpit are at the top of that list, and while they’ve still only released a few demos online, their live performances around town over the past year or so have shown that this band has a ton of talent on offer, from their excellent vocal harmonizing to the gorgeously downbeat melodies they seem never to run out of. She, who’ve excellently evolved from a solo project into a trance-inducing atmospheric indie combo, will also bring some lovely sounds to your ears on this evening, and CAPTCHA are certainly far more pleasant than any gridded image demanding you click on the portions of the screen that feature crosswalks. Get down with this one.

Saturday, November 9, 9 PM
Queen Elephantine & Tavishi, Hex Machine, Manzara @ Wonderland – $10
In a world that tends to be overfilled with doom metal bands these days, it’s rare to find one that’s approaching the genre in a manner previously unheard. But with Queen Elephantine, who were originally formed in Hong Kong and now make their home in Philadelphia, just such a band may have come along. Granted, new LP Gorgon is heavy and gloomy as fuck, but it’s hard to say that this is really “metal” in the conventionally understood sense. Instead, it seems to combine astral-travelling psychedelia, apocalyptic drone, spooky occult atmosphere, and noise experimentation, all with a massive dose of sludgy heaviness.

The result, at least on Gorgon‘s 13-minute opener, “Mars,” is like some sort of strange crossbreed between Acid Mothers Temple, Corrupted, and Sunn O))). It certainly should come to mind-expanding full-volume life at Wonderland this Saturday night, and if we’re reading this correctly, local experimental noise musician Tavishi will be lending additional texture to Queen Elephantine’s set for what’s sure to be a fascinating and unmissable experiment in dark, crushing noise. Local noise-rock powerhouse Hex Machine will open up, along with quietly devastating Richmond postpunk group Manzara, making this an evening sure to blow your mind. Be there.

Sunday, November 10, 8 PM
Rice God & Friends Fall Festival, feat. Noah-O, Fan Ran, Illa Styles, BBX, Amala, Yung Apollo, Alpha Romeo, Papi Majae, Dre King, Bejxy, Kidd Khy, Slim Kartel, Chauncey De Giant, Don Chase, Van Silke, SAE, O-Z, Lil Grits, PT Veil, Distant Dee, Tone Redd, Cadillac Cat @ The Camel – $8 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s been about a month now since Noah-O and Fan Ran got together once again to unleash a new installment of Dirty Rice on the world. Dirty Rice: Deux, which dropped just over a month ago, is yet another piece of evidence in the argument that Noah-O’s at his best when he works with one really talented producer for the entire length of a project. See also The Rain with DJ Mentos (a project that led directly to the formation of Analog Suspects), or Face/Off with Cadillac Cat, or All Souled Out with the late Kleph Dollaz… and that’s not even all the examples I could mention.

This Sunday night at The Camel, Noah-O and Fan Ran will be teaming up to lay some dirty rice on y’all in the live environment, and they’ll be doing it up right by turning the whole thing into a Fall Festival that will feature over a dozen other hip hop talents from both RVA and the surrounding region. In addition to top-level local powerhouses like Illa Styles, Slim Kartel, Distant Dee, and the aforementioned Cadillac Cat, there’s also a whole crew coming through from the Kentucky/Ohio area, including Yung Apollo and Alpha Romeo, plus a whole bunch more from all over! If you love hip hop, this is going to be hours of the dopest rhymes and sickest beats imaginable, with Noah-O and Fan Ran at the center of it all. So hey, you know what to do.

Monday, November 11, 7 PM
Lisa Prank, Magic Wand, Jimmy And The Delay @ Gallery 5 – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I love the band name Lisa Prank — and it’s not because I’m old enough to have actually had a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper. Well, OK, it’s not JUST because of that. Anyway, Seattle singer-songwriter Robin Edwards struck gold when she named her indie-pop project, to the point that I’m amazed no one else has done it first. And on brand new LP Perfect Love Song, she also struck gold by getting production help from Rose Melberg, whose work in Tiger Trap, The Softies, Go Sailor, and others has been instrumental in creating and developing the exact sort of indie-pop milieu that Lisa Prank is working within today.

If you’re a fan of any of those bands, or if you’re too young to remember them but do enjoy bands like Speedy Ortiz and The Worriers, Lisa Prank is sure to be right up your alley. If they were 5 percent heavier or noisier, I’d call them pop-punk, but as it is, this is just simple, catchy pop music — and it’s great at being exactly that. It’ll put a big smile on your face, as will opening sets from local newcomers Magic Wand and Jimmy And The Delay. This will be a great way to end a really tough back-to-work Monday, so be there and let this show ease you into a better rest of your week.

Tuesday, November 12, 7 PM
This Will Destroy You, Christopher Tignor, Colin Phils @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
In the wake of Explosions In The Sky’s Friday Night Lights-fueled early-00s success, a rising musical tide lifted all instrumental post-rock boats, and that of This Will Destroy You was definitely one. However, almost fifteen years after the release of their rapturously received debut, Young Mountain, This Will Destroy You have proven themselves to be more than just another post-rock combo writing epic instrumental after epic instrumental, all of which start to sound the same after a while.

Last year saw This Will Destroy You release two new albums in the space of a month, New Others Part One and New Others Part Two. Both show this quartet to be focused on different goals than one might expect; their songs are focused less on the sort of emotional escalation that, after a while, tends to feel like a gimmick repeated once too often. Instead, they build a musical mood and then live within it for several minutes, allowing the textures of their music to become the focus. It’s proggy, yes, and it’s also a bit nerdy, but there’s not a damn thing wrong with intelligent music, especially when it is able to be moving without being cliche. This Will Destroy You accomplish all that with aplomb on their albums, and seeing them pull it off live is sure to be quite the treat.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, November 8, 6 PM
Sharptooth, Limbs, Wristmeetrazor, Nhibitions, Genosha @ RiffHouse Pub (Chesapeake) – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
As metallic hardcore shows go, this one is sure to be top-notch. Maryland’s Sharptooth are an absolutely ferocious quintet full of anger and fury of an incredibly political nature. 2017 LP Clever Girl features a song called “Fuck You Donald Trump,” but if anything, the title track’s condemnation of men who act as insincere allies, or “No Sanctuary”‘s vitriolic condemnation of anti-LGBTQ bigotry, ring even more bold and true and real to me. Singer Lauren Kashan has used her platform to be a strong advocate for issues relating to abuse and oppression, and as awesome as her band is, the kind of heart she puts into her lyrics and onstage presence makes Sharptooth that much better.

So if you’re the kind of metal/hardcore fan who wishes more bands would take a stand for issues that matter, this is the show for you. And it features a bunch of other great bands as well — Florida’s Limbs refer to themselves as “post-hardcore” but on 2018’s Father’s Son, they lay out a brutal, metallic sound that still feels HC as fuck to me, even if it’s not Negative Approach. Wristmeetrazor, who are sorta-kinda from Virginia, arise from the screamo scene but have a strong metalcore attack on their latest LP, Misery Never Forgets. And of course, Genosha and Nhibitions hold it down for the heavy hardcore scene in Tidewater and Central Virginia with skill and panache. This one’s gonna rule.

Saturday, November 9, 7 PM
Leftover Crack, Days N Daze, Cop/Out @ The Bunker Brewpub (Virginia Beach) – $16 (order tickets HERE)
I admit it — for the longest time, I never gave Leftover Crack a chance. As a straight edge kid, their name wasn’t exactly appealing to me, and their reputation as simultaneously the crustiest of squatter punk bands (their Wikipedia page features a section entitled “Venue bans, criminal records, and visa restriction”) and a straight-up ska band seemed totally incoherent. But recently I went ahead and listened to some of their music, and it turns out that they’re actually pretty goddamn talented. Instead of having goofy horns all over the place, they play catchy, hard-charging punk tunes. And while they do often use those catchy off-beat bounce riffs that we all identify as ska, they also incorporate touches of metal and hardcore. In the end, they are clearly first and foremost a punk band, in the same way Operation Ivy always was.

So hey, maybe going to see Leftover Crack on their latest tour isn’t such a bad idea if you like some good punk rock fun. One thing’s for sure, there won’t be a dull moment from a band that’s known for writing unapologetic, provocative songs about shooting cops and doing drugs — and for having an audience full of even bigger reprobates than the members themselves. You might want to steer clear of the pit if the stories we’ve heard about mid-set barf are true, but the tunes will make up for any suspect stenches that might invade the room over the course of the set.

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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]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: March 6 – March 12

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 6, 2019

Topics: Analog Suspects, Bandito's, Brother Bird, Cadillac Cat, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Charlie's American Cafe, Christopher Tignor, Dogwood Tales, Erin Rae, gallery 5, Goode Theater at ODU, Hip Hop Henry, Hiss Golden Messenger, Horse Culture, Hot Spit, J Slim, Johnny C, Kenneka Cook, Midlife Pilot, Mojo's, MRC, Positive No, Santana Brothers, Saw Black, Ships In The Night, shows you must see, Sick Bags, Sink In, SRSQ, Static Collector, Tel, The Camel, The Colloquial Orchestra, The Dark Room, The HofGarden, The Joy Formidable, The Stone Eye, The Tough Shits, THRE3, Toward Space, Winstons, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, March 8, 8 PM
Analog Suspects, J Slim, Cadillac Cat, Santana Brothers, music by Hip Hop Henry @ The Dark Room at The HofGarden – $10
If you really want to know what’s popping in Richmond hip hop, you need to keep up on what The Cheats Movement is doing. From the website Marc Cheatham’s been maintaining for most of a decade now to cover the intersection of hip hop and politics on a local and national level to the radio show hosted by Cheats and Gigi Broadway on WRIR (I listen to it as a podcast, you should too), the work The Cheats Movement does to shine a light on local hip hop is unparalleled in reach and effectiveness.

That’s why, when The Cheats Movement hosts a gig, I take notice. And maybe I’m slipping (I’m always slipping), but it wasn’t until I saw that The Cheats Movement was hosting a live performance by Analog Suspects at The HofGarden’s Dark Room that I found out about that high-powered local duo on the come-up. See? It pays to pay attention to Cheats. And it pays to listen to Analog Suspects, too — their just-released debut, Transmission 001, is incredible.

As a hip hop fan, I’m partial to albums with a single producer, and I think the unified sound DJ Mentos creates for Transmission 001 is an excellent demonstration of my reasoning — his moody, cinematic beats create the perfect atmosphere for Noah-O’s intense, politically-informed lyrics, which also delve into the MC’s personal background and the state of Richmond VA in 2019. Anyone who’s been paying attention over the past decade or so already knows that Noah-O is an incredible live performer, and with DJ Mentos backing him up, this Analog Suspects show is bound to blow everyone’s heads up. If you miss this one, you’ve officially screwed up.

Wednesday, March 6, 7 PM
The Joy Formidable, Positive No @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $16 in advance/$18 day of show/$46 VIP (order tickets HERE)
As groups tagged with the unfortunate genre label of “shoegaze” go, The Joy Formidable is just about the best one in current existence. Using a genre term like that might give you a vague idea of what effects pedals this Welsh trio uses, but in no way sums up the gorgeous wall of noise they’ve been generating for the past decade or so, most recently on their fourth album, AAARTH, released last fall. You might think that title is the word for our planet, said in a cartoonish accent (OK, I admit it, that’s what I thought initially), but it turns out to be a stretched-out version of the Welsh word for bear. I love bears, so this pleases me.

The album also pleases me, both by continuing this band’s strong track record of dishing out hazily beautiful fuzz riffs at top volume while also retaining a top-flight sense of melody, and by showing some clear growth and expansion within their creativity. I mean, I have a ton of love for their debut album, 2011’s The Big Roar, but if they still sounded exactly the same eight years later I’m sure I’d be way less stoked. This band continues to evolve in wonderful ways, and you’re certainly going to want to be there tonight to get an up-close glimpse of where they stand as of today. VIP ticket-holders get a bonus acoustic mini-set before the show, too, so that’s definitely something to make the high-dollar tickets worth your while. And everyone gets an opening set from excellent locals Positive No, who’ve also spent several years demonstrating flawless senses of both melody and loud guitars. A perfect pairing — don’t miss this chance to enjoy it.

Thursday, March 7, 7 PM
SRSQ, Ships In The Night, MRC @ Gallery 5 – $12 in advance/$14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
SRSQ is a group born from tragedy; the project began as a way for Kennedy Ashlyn to deal with her grief after Cash Askew, her partner in up-and-coming group Them Are Us Too, passed away in the 2016 fire at the Ghost Ship collective in Oakland. There’s an undeniable melancholy undertone to the work Ashlyn has released since beginning SRSQ; the group’s layered synthesizers and vocals are reminiscent of both the Cocteau Twins and The Cure at their saddest moments. However, on debut LP Unreality, it is Ashlyn’s powerful voice that dominates the sound, rising above the ethereal ambient hum to offer an undeniable ray of hope and joy, shining through the misty, mournful melodies.

When SRSQ arrives at Gallery 5 Thursday night, they are sure to bring all of these elements to full, rapturous life onstage. The group’s deep synth textures are perfectly designed to fill a room with foggy ambient atmosphere at top volume — but of course, it will be Ashlyn’s voice that truly dominates the proceedings, as she demonstrates what we all would have experienced if the Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser had exchanged ethereality for full-throated power. Charlottesville’s own ambient goth project, Ships In The Night, will provide strong support, and the show will open with a set from True Body side-project MRC, who are sure to inject a note of postpunk darkness into the proceedings.

Friday, March 8, 9 PM
The Stone Eye, Tel, Horse Culture @ Wonderland – $10
Ever been sitting around listening to Alice In Chains’ classic masterpiece of the grunge era, Dirt, and found yourself thinking, “This album is great and all, but wouldn’t it be cool if it was somehow… sludgier?” If so, you’re definitely going to want to head down to Shockoe Bottom this Friday night and catch The Stone Eye. This Philadelphia trio dishes out the heavy-as-fuck stoner grooves that you love from groups like Goatsnake and Kyuss, but does so while also bringing some incredible vocal melodies that can’t help but remind one of Layne Staley at his spooky, yowling best.

The Stone Eye’s latest album, Kevlar, Kryptonite, Gloria, was released last summer, and extends their already-formidable legacy with some powerful riffs that land somewhere between Blue Cheer at their most doleful and Soundgarden at their witchiest. They’ll be dishing out tons of riffage when they take the stage at Wonderland Friday night, and they’ll be aided in their mission by a couple of similarly minded Richmond groups. Tel are pros with the sludge grooves, though they skimp on the melody in favor of digging straight into the dirt. They’ll be releasing a new full-length later in the month and are sure to be playing some new jams as a result. Finally, Horse Culture will kick off the evening with some dark, unsettling noise dirges. It’s gonna get dark in the Bottom this Friday night.

Saturday, March 9, 8 PM
Winstons, Dogwood Tales, Saw Black @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
We’re getting raw and primitive at The Camel Saturday night, and I’m not talking about Norwegian black metal, either — Winstons hail from right here in the good ol’ US of A. This rockin’ duo currently lives in Brooklyn, but they have roots here in Virginia, which is why they’ll be celebrating the release of their new self-titled LP, on Charlottesville’s WarHen Records, right here in Richmond, at the Camel.

Winstons are part of the long wave, unleashed by the success of the White Stripes and the Black Keys, that finds rock n’ roll bands viewing a bassist as completely optional. Winstons generate so much excellent racket with just guitar, drums, and voices that a bass would just get in the way anyway, so I for one am in favor. They stick to the raw, blues-adjacent roots that the aforementioned duos grew from in their early stages, without a hint of the radio polish that infected them both before all was said and done. Winstons replace that less-than-desirable element with a higher dose of Southern-fried boogie that only makes the whole thing that much sweeter, especially for VA heads like you and me. So let’s all go rock out with em, shall we? And bring some biscuits — I’ll get the gravy.

Sunday, March 10, 10 PM
The Colloquial Orchestra, Christopher Tignor, Kenneka Cook @ Bandito’s – Free!
Keeping up with Dave Watkins is always an enjoyable endeavor. His equal facility with old-time folk music, bizarre noise-rock, and electronic ambience has been on display in various projects of his, and all of it comes together in The Colloquial Orchestra, a loose-knit ensemble with Watkins at its head. The Colloquial Orchestra allows Watkins to periodically unleash an instrument of his own invention called the dulcitar, which combines a strummed dulcimer straight from old-time mountain music with a modern electric guitar.

But he won’t just be busting out one dulcitar at this performance — there will be four in all, plus a bed of percussion and electronics to keep things solidly rooted. Watkins will be joined by local luminaries Elizabeth Owens, PJ Sykes (Hoax Hunters), Micah Barry (Private Cry), and Jon Hawkins (Opin) in this endeavor. And on the bill, the Colloquial Orchestra will be joined by New York violinist and composer Christopher Tignor, whose ambient, electro-acoustic sound is sure to pair well with the room-filling vibe the Colloquial Orchestra will create. Kenneka Cook will start the night out with her always-reliable looped-vocal soul sounds, so this evening will just be sheer joy from beginning to end. Grab a plate of tacos and get ready to enjoy yourself.

Monday, March 11, 9 PM
Sink In, Midlife Pilot, THRE3, Johnny C @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a fun one to liven up your Monday. Sink In started life as a Central PA pop-punk band, with a pretty similar sound to a lot of great bands that have come out in that scene over the past decade or so. However, in the last few years, they’ve moved in an interesting direction that surely reflects the poptimist state of our 21st century musical culture. Which is to say, they’ve demonstrated a great deal of straight-up mainstream pop influence in their more recent work.

Brand new single “Ghost,” which just came out a month ago, features a video that openly refers to Sink In as a “boy band,” which might seem like a turn-off til you listen to the music and realize that these guys have retained almost all of their emotionally-driven pop-punk sound — it’s just that singer Tighe Eshelman has followed in the footsteps of Tyler Carter and embraced his inner Justin Timberlake. The result is an undeniable blast, bringing to mind what might have happened if, instead of becoming a faceless radio pop band, Fall Out Boy had been able to retain their identity even as Patrick Stump dove into R&B. If that seems like a lost opportunity to you, go to The Camel Monday and watch Sink In take the very chances that FOB blew. It’s gonna rule.

Tuesday, March 12, 8 PM
The Tough Shits, Sick Bags, Toward Space @ Mojo’s – $8 suggested donation
It’s easy to assume that garage-punk bands with confrontational names like The Tough Shits are going to be wild, crazy, and full of raw, in-your-face energy. However, if there’s one thing The Tough Shits have demonstrated over the course of their career thus far, it’s that they not-so-secretly have hearts of gold. Despite the band name and a history of singles with names like “Pretty Wild,” “Babes Of The Abyss,” and “Adult Fantasy,” this is one raw rock n’ roll act that leans pretty heavily on their pop sensibilities.

They’ll be bringing those pop sensibilities to Mojo’s on a Tuesday night, giving plentiful opportunity for the movers and shakers of this city to move and shake on the dance floor to their incredibly catchy tunes. Their new LP, Burning In Paradise, is soon to be released by garage kingpins Burger Records, and they’ll surely unleash some tunes from it on the clamoring masses, but regardless of what portion of their extensive back catalog gets highlighted, sweet melodies played with high energy on jangling guitars will certainly rule the day. Slightly snottier RVA garage-punk groups Sick Bags and Toward Space make this a night full of rock action, so don’t miss a minute.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Saturday, March 9, 7 PM
Hiss Golden Messenger, Erin Rae @ Goode Theatre at ODU – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Hiss Golden Messenger has made a lot of fans here in Virginia, and not just because they’ve taken local trombone hero Reggie Pace on tour in his band, either. The North Carolina group, which is really just singer-songwriter MC Taylor and whoever else he recruits to play with him, has made quite a name for itself over the past decade-plus with a laid-back Southern folk-rock sound that pleases indie kids, hipster dads, and jam-band bros alike.

Hiss Golden Messenger has had quite a few heavy hitters in the group over the years, including members of Ben Folds Five and Megafaun, but at ODU’s Goode Theatre this Saturday, it’ll just be MC Taylor all by himself. And as much as I’d love to see him bust out a song from that Ex-Ignota EP buried in the back of my record collection, chances are the HGM fans among you will be more stoked to hear what material from last year’s Virgo Fool, the 10th Hiss Golden Messenger album since 2008, sounds like in more stripped-down arrangements. Chances are, though, no matter what material MC Taylor chooses to revisit in this performance, it’ll be revelatory. Definitely worth the trip, regardless of where you’re coming from.

Sunday, March 10, 6 PM
Brother Bird, Hot Spit, Static Collector @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Sometimes a musician’s story threatens to overshadow their actual music. If we aren’t careful, Brother Bird’s story could do just that. The group is lead by Caroline Swon, who the Voice fans among you may remember as Caroline Glaser, from Season 4 in 2013. She met the man who’d eventually become her husband, Colton Swon, when they were both contestants on The Voice. Years later, she was able to obtain a record deal for Brother Bird by recording a Manchester Orchestra cover and posting it on her YouTube channel, where that band’s frontman, Andy Hull, discovered it.

So yeah, now Caroline Swon is married to her fellow Voice contestant, Brother Bird is signed to Hull’s label, Favorite Gentlemen, and the group’s on tour behind their self-titled debut EP, released late last year. That matters, though, not because of the extensive backstory leading us to this point, but because Brother Bird is an excellent group, regardless of pedigree. Their dynamic sound, which moves from moments of quiet beauty to dramatic crescendos in a manner that is sure to please Manchester Orchestra fans, creates a beautiful frame for Swon’s excellent vocals, which are the star of any show she’s involved in… no matter how she did on The Voice. Come to Charlie’s American Cafe this Tuesday night, and she’s sure to win in your heart.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Noah-O & Cadillac Cat drop collaborative project, ‘FACE/OFF’

Kathy Mendes | May 11, 2017

Topics: Cadillac Cat, Charged Up Entertainment, hip hop, Noah O

Lately, there’s been a surge of new and up and coming hip hop artists and rappers that seem to be pushing the boundaries on what most people think hip hop is or should be. The 2016 XXL Freshman Class comes to mind. You can never quite tell if the reception is negative, ironic, or that the music is on the whole generally well received. But by the looks of it, whatever your opinion is, they’re gaining more popularity and acclaim each day regardless of how mumble-y they may be.

This is something that Richmond rapper and entrepreneur, NOAH-O, has been mulling over lately and part of what drove his most recent project with local up and coming artist and producer Cadillac Cat, FACE/OFF. The six-track album dropped on April 24th, but was created in just one afternoon, over Jack Brown’s burgers and tequila.

NOAH-O has been deeply entwined with not only the Richmond music scene, but also the artistic and creative side of the community. He released a more formal album, The Rain, towards the end of 2016 – and just recently dropped a music video for “Raindrops” off the album.

He’s released four total albums in recent years, all through his own business, Charged Up Entertainment. And you might’ve even seen his video mini-series we released here through RVA Mag called The Evolution of Noah-O, that’s all about shedding light on Virginia’s – and Richmond’s – cultural and artistic scene.

Lately, he’s been wanting to switch things up. According to NOAH-O, rap music “has begun to splinter”, focusing less on regional styles and traditional hip hop that’s based in sampling, and more on focusing on the overall vibe of the sound and saying whatever comes to mind.

<a href="http://noah-o.bandcamp.com/album/the-rain">The Rain by Noah-O + DJ Mentos</a>

“Traditionally, hip-hop was defined by your area. The area where you were from would have a particular sound,” he said. “Now you have a whole generation of people that were kinda raised by the internet, so you can have a guy like Lil Uzi Vert, from Philadelphia, sounding like he’s from Atlanta. The landscape of hip hop has changed – it doesn’t matter where people are from, people will gravitate toward the style of hip hop that they like.”

When it came to creating this album, the duo said they wanted to do more of a “free project” and just get their music out there.

“I have certain albums I’ll take my time on, like months,” he said. “Lately, I’ve just been recording a lot of music, with technology and rap right now…Everything is being sped up, so everybody that’s further along, they’re putting out albums, like three or four a year almost. Or dropping mixtapes and dropping one real album.. Depending on the artist, it’s hard to get noticed with everything that’s been going on. I’ve just been taking a new approach to what I’m doing and trying to keep up with that, stay relevant.”

Part of that approach was getting to know Cadillac Cat. Cadillac Cat reached out to NOAH-O as a fan of his music, and the two kept in touch mainly online. But in the past few months, they’ve gotten to know each other better and started to work on music together, despite having different styles lyrically and production-wise.

But NOAH-O recalls being left behind by more popular rappers in the scene when he was growing up, and it wasn’t something he wanted for himself now, having had success with his music. Seemingly incompatible styles were pushed aside in order to help uplift others in the scene.

“A lot of the time, when I was growing up, a lot of artists wouldn’t do that for us, like guys I came up with in the hip hop scene,” he said. “There’s people above us that have made it to certain levels and didn’t give it to us back, or didn’t give us like advice. We had to figure out a lot of stuff on our own. I’m just trying to help him avoid some of the stuff I’ve had to go through.”

But Cadillac Cat has something to offer to NOAH-O, too. Cadillac Cat’s style is more in line with what’s popular in rap right now: a Southern-style but less sample-driven, with a lyrical style that’s more of a flow of consciousness.

Blending different styles was part of the idea behind FACE/OFF. Cadillac Cat and Noah-O strive to be as versatile as possible and mirror each other’s styles, taking on each other’s personalities in a “face off”. The two hoped to reach a more diverse audience by changing up their sounds.

The first track, “Loyalty”, is an example of how NOAH-O stepped outside of his comfort zone, with more singing with auto-tune than he’s ever been used to.

“I think that might surprise people the most, to hear me on {that} type of track,” said NOAH-O. Even more surprising, though, is that the track was produced by one of his friend’s little brother, a 14-year-old who already has an ear for music production.

The album cover, created by DJ Mentos who’s the creative director on NOAH-O’s projects, symbolizes this kind of relationship that he and Cadillac Cat have on the album, and believe it or not, was inspired by a Nicolas Cage movie.

“That was basically the premise of the whole project, us taking over each other’s personality. Like, let me take over his type of thing in order to think like him and reach this crowd,” said NOAH-O.

While they both obviously aren’t embroiled in criminal pursuits, the parallel is a natural fit, if not a funny story. John Travolta and Nicolas Cage – and Cadillac Cat and NOAH-O – arguably give us the best of both worlds.

FACE/OFF is just one of many plans that NOAH-O has in store. This kind of casual and more fast-tracked creative process is something that, according to him, he wants to keep doing by pushing his own boundaries and exercise his own versatility. He has plans for two or three more collaborative projects similar to FACE/OFF, slated to come out in the next couple of months.

NOAH-O will kick off his Trust The Vibes Tour Friday, May 12th at Strange Matter with performances by Cadillac Black, Deron, Michael Million and Chance Fischer. The tour will take them to Norfolk, DC, New York, Warrenton and Philly.

Noah-O & Cadillac Cat drop collaborative project, ‘FACE/OFF’

RVA Staff | May 11, 2017

Topics: Cadillac Cat, FACE/OFF, Noah O

When it came to creating this album, the duo said they wanted to do more of a “free project” and just get their music out there.

The first track, “Loyalty”, is an example of how NOAH-O stepped outside of his comfort zone, with more singing with auto-tune than he’s ever been used to.

Words by Katherine Mendes. Noah-0 is a sales associate for RVA Magazine