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All Our Exes Live in Texas, The Hot Seats at Capital Ale House

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RVA Shows and The Broadberry Present!

ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS
All Our Exes Live in Texas is a fantasy draft of Australia’s finest singer-songwriters – Elana Stone, Katie Wighton, Hannah Crofts, and Georgia Mooney – here combining in four-part indie-folk harmony heaven, accompanied by mandolin, ukulele, guitar, and accordion. Fresh on the heels of a sold-out headlining tour in Australia, All Our Exes are now exporting their powerhouse charm and songwriting prowess to the US.
The quartet received the prestigious ARIA Award in 2018 for their debut record, When We Fall, in the Best Roots and Blues Album category, and named “Folk Act of the Year” at both the National Live Music Awards and AU Review Awards.

THE HOT SEATS
The Hot Seats play stringband music with simple intentions: to keep the role of traditional musician as entertainer and commentator alive and kicking. Homer and Jethro, The Skillet Likkers, George Formby, Harry Reser, Woodie Guthrie, Gus Cannon, Phil Ochs, Tommy Jarrell, Arthur Smith, Uncle Dave Macon, Frank Zappa – these are pools from which The Hot Seats draw. Their original music is simultaneously hard to classify and instantly identifiable, combining the virtuosic soloing and tightness of bluegrass, the band-driven rhythm of old time, the jerky bounce of ragtime, and the swagger of good old rock and roll.

DATE: June 15, 2018
VENUE: Capital Ale House
TIMES: Doors at 8, Show at 9
TICKETS: $10 at www.richmondshows.com

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 13- June 19

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, June 16, 6:30 PM
Saw Black, David Shultz, Graham Stone @ Hardywood – Free!
Summer’s here; it’s time for long evenings out on the porch, watching the sun seemingly take hours to set as we all relax with some tasty beverages. I know, I know, summer actually doesn’t start for another week, but here in Richmond, it might as well last half the year, so celebrating its arrival now hardly seems like jumping the gun. And what better way do we have to usher in the summer than by welcoming Saw Black’s latest album, Water Tower, into the world with a celebration of its release on a Saturday evening at Hardywood?

If you’ve got one, I suppose you’re welcome to suggest it, but as perfect as this free Saturday show is going to be, I highly doubt you’re going to convince me. Mr. Black’s really established himself over the past few years as Richmond’s resident troubadour of our Southern city’s subtly rich emotional life, and Water Tower takes things to the next level, as Black and his backing band bring to mind everything from Harvest-era Neil Young to early My Morning Jacket and the Drive-By Truckers at their more heartfelt moments. They’ll be recreating the album’s warm, enveloping sound from the Hardywood stage this weekend, as Black brings the ensemble that performed the album with him for this special musical celebration.

You should be able to grab one of the limited edition vinyl copies of Water Tower from Crystal Pistol at the show, though honestly, word has it that they’re selling fast, so you might wanna hit the merch table even before you go to the bar. But save a few bucks for the plentiful offerings Hardywood has on tap, and make sure you arrive on time. Opening acts will include local singer-songwriter David Shultz, who has a long history of heartfelt country sounds to draw from for this performance, as well as up-and-comer Graham Stone, who’s been generating a buzz lately with his frequent local performances. This won’t be the most intense show this week, but with hot weather on its way, some more laid-back evenings are going to be the thing you’re looking for. Find one at Hardywood this weekend; you’ll be glad you did.

Wednesday, June 13, 9 PM
False Figure, Cruz De Navajas, Serqet, Sensual World @ Wonderland – $5
An interesting strain on the rise in the punk rock world recently has been strong goth vibes. And I’m not talking about dudes with deep voices intoning portentously over drum-machine beats, either. No, I’m talking about a revival of the dark, reverbed-out sound that grew hand-in-hand with the early 80s UK postpunk scene, the one that centered around a club called the Batcave and drew in bands from The Cure to The Birthday Party. You can hear a big dose of that whole sound in Oakland’s False Figure, who are coming to Wonderland tonight with an undeniable blast of punk energy that nonetheless maintains an ominous undercurrent, one providing an atmosphere of gothic intrigue that’s reminiscent of Antisect or Amebix, and is sure to send a chill down your spine.

Mexico City’s Cruz De Navajas accompany False Figure on this trip, and they take things still further into the world of gothic 80s postpunk, using drum machine beats to undergird their energetic rhythms and cutting, Cure/Echo-ish guitar sound. Their excellent singer’s undeniable vocal resemblance to Siouxsie Sioux only takes things to a higher level, and new album Dominación presents a preview of some truly excellent sounds that await you tonight at Wonderland. Local gothic peace-punk exponents Serqet will provide excellent support, and opening up will be a new local ensemble called Sensual World (word to Kate Bush), featuring members of Kommunion and Bad Magic. It’s gonna be a real ripper, so whether you’re punk as fuck or more from the goth side of things, wear your darkest clothes and your dancing shoes down to Shockoe Bottom tonight.

Thursday, June 14, 8 PM
RIP, Plaque Marks, Prayer Group, Swathe @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Oh wow, I’m not sure how I missed out on RIP but I’m glad they’re coming to Richmond so that I could learn of their existence and bring some more reasons to headbang into my life. I’ve been known to complain about doom metal getting played out, becoming repetitive, etc. but a band like this bypasses all those criticisms by setting themselves apart from the standard doom tropes with the style they’ve christened “street-doom.” Really, it sounds like those early Kyuss records from the dawn of the 90s, when no one had really even started calling it doom and it was just dirty, Sabbath-influenced metal that sounded perfect blasting out of a lowered American muscle car with a metal flake paint job.

RIP bring that era back to life with their Street Reaper album from last fall, which even features the band’s members sitting in a pristine convertible lowrider on the cover. Color me stoked. The fact that they’re coming to town in the company of Philly’s Plaque Marks is even more reason for excitement; this band brings together members of Creepoid and Fight Amp, among others, to dish out the exact sort of psychotic, psychedelic, metallic rage you’d expect from a band with such a strong pedigree. Last year’s Anxiety Driven Nervous Worship has a pummeling drive guaranteed to run you over; I expect no less from their live show. Local noise-punkers Prayer Group and Swathe will kick things off with some serious chaos to get you warmed up for the main course, so show up on time and prepared to bang your head.

Friday, June 15, 8 PM
All Our Exes Live In Texas, The Hot Seats @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s something completely different — and completely charming. How can you not love a band who gives themselves a name like All Our Exes Live In Texas? I suppose you could be young enough not to remember the George Strait hit they’re referencing here, but talking about that makes me feel old, so I’m gonna pretend you all get the reference and move on to telling you about the plentiful charms embedded in the music of this Australian country-folk quartet. All Our Exes Live In Texas are old-school — members play mandolin, accordion, guitar, and ukulele, and sing incredible close harmonies that are sure to remind you of old Carter Family records.

Their 2017 EP, Watch Me Fall, shows that even ladies from the other side of the world can grasp the strong folk traditions that run through Appalachia. Of course, it makes sense when you consider the fact that Australia was settled by the same British Isles working-class folks who settled in the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah mountains hundreds of years ago. Perhaps we aren’t so different, after all. Certainly the music can bring us together. Opening sounds from long-running local string band The Hot Seats will add a touch of bluegrass to the evening, and we can all use some more of that, right?

Saturday, June 16, 9 PM
EdHochuli, The Reptilian, Window Liquor, USA Big Dogs @ Mojo’s – Donations requested for touring bands
It’s always awesome to see long-running DIY bands stick with it year after year, and the arrival of Pittsburgh’s EdHochuli back in Richmond at least a decade after the first time I saw them play here is gratifying to see. This band hasn’t lost inspiration over their decade-plus of activity, either — 2015’s Dream Warriors LP showed them still in top form, mixing epic post-hardcore sounds with crushing metal heavyosity and a much-needed dose of melody and emotion. It’s been a few years since they brought us any significant new material — which is understandable, they’re not teenagers anymore and god knows life can get in the way. But whether they have brand new material with which to grace our ears or not, it’s going to rule seeing them rip it up once again over at Mojo’s.

This show’s got more to offer than just EdHochuli, though. For one thing, it’s got Window Liquor, who I’m assuming are the same Philly band from a few years ago who did a split with Richmond punks Bitchmouth. These guys have a pretty gnarly sound, mixing a sloppy sludge-punk aesthetic with some seriously heavy rock n’ roll energy. Third in the trio of killer out-of-town bands on this bill is Michigan’s The Reptilian, who channel passionate emotional delivery through melodic math-rock complexity for an intricate and unpredictable result that’s sure to keep your attention. Local off-the-chain rockers USA Big Dogs (that’s seriously their name, I kind of love it) will get things rolling in proper fashion with a set full of killer riffs. Plus you’ll be at Mojo’s, so you can get some great food before the show kicks off. What more could you ask for?

Sunday, June 17, 8 PM
Young Widows, Null, Manzara @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
There’s not much out there that will make me feel old faster than watching bands go on anniversary tours for albums that came out when I was well into adulthood. In this case, it’s Young Widows, who are celebrating the tenth anniversary of their breakthrough second album, Old Wounds, which came out in 2008… when I was 32. Ugh, I am a dinosaur. Anyway, enough of my angst, let’s all take refuge in the beautiful pounding this album delivered both when it was brand new and when you put it back on today.

Old Wounds saw Evan Patterson and co. moving beyond the hardcore sound that had dominated previous projects — Breather Resist, Black Cross — and finding a new, more intense sound in the noise-rock rage of bands like the Jesus Lizard and Unsane. It kicked things up a notch from their first LP and set the tone for future releases. Now, four years after Young Widows’ fourth album, Easy Pain, they’re heading back on tour to memorialize what many fans consider their high-water mark as a band. And it’s going to rule, so get ready to relive the many past occasions where Young Widows knocked your head off from the Strange Matter stage — complete with their floodlit amps — and reminisce about one of the best albums to be released when I was in my early 30s. Yeesh.

Monday, June 18, 6 PM
Smile Empty Soul, Flaw, Kaleido, Talia, Alluvion, No One Hero @ The Camel – $15 in advance/$20 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Wow, OK, so we’ve talked a lot recently about how the 90s are back in a big way, but now we have to ask a bigger question: is the world ready for an early 2000s revival? If so, the stage is set to get it rolling this Monday night at The Camel, with the arrival of two early-to-mid-00s trendsetters. Smile Empty Soul might be a name you haven’t thought of in a while — but I’ll bet if you cast your mind back, you’ll remember their first and biggest single, “Bottom Of The Bottle,” which lit up rock radio in 2003 with its (generally censored) “I do it for the drugs!” refrain. They haven’t really hit it big since that first self-titled debut, but fifteen years later, this band is still going strong, and currently on tour behind their brand new seventh album, Oblivion. Don’t front — you know you’re curious.

With the addition of co-headliner Flaw, we move from post-grunge alt-rock to straight-up nu metal, and a band I’d completely forgotten about until I looked up the video for their biggest single, “Payback.” Oh yeah, these guys. They’ve kinda got a Mudvayne vibe, mixing chunky mosh-metal riffs with moody goth vocals and some pretty crucial 2001-era hairdos. 17 years later, these guys may not still have quite as much hair to throw around, but they’re sure to get you jumping around with the same midtempo fury they were bringing to the table at the dawn of the new millennium. This jam packed bill is full of openers from various locales, from Detroit’s Kaleido to Fredericksburg’s own Alluvion. But really, this one is all about the early 00s. Dig your Jncos and stocking cap out of the bottom of the closet before you head for the Camel this Monday night.

Tuesday, June 19, 8 PM
Young Scum, Shady Bug, Twin Drugs, Keep @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
One of the best indie-pop bands this town has seen in a long time is bringing us some new material, and you can count me among the many Richmonders very excited at the prospect. Young Scum’s self-titled debut full-length is coming in July from Citrus City, but there’s no reason not to start the party a month in advance at Strange Matter, especially since they’ve already shared an absolutely incredible slice of glittering jangle brilliance with us in the form of advance single “Wasting Time.” The writeup that accompanies the album, which talks about the inevitability of getting old (boy do I know that feel), makes me wonder if they shouldn’t have called the new album Not-So-Young Scum, but pop music this excellent never ages or goes out of style, and if Young Scum are becoming more emotionally evocative as they continue into their musical career, I for one am good with it.

Young Scum are joined on this rad Tuesday night by Shady Bug, a St. Louis band with a very similar approach to indie-pop, though their 2017 LP, tbh idk (that album name gets an A+), demonstrates a significant tendency toward speed, energy, and joyful distortion-pedal stomp that always adds welcome spice to an indie-pop sound. Think Black Tambourine or Boyracer if you need a reference here; yes, they’re that good. The bill will be rounded out by some excellent local sounds from Twin Drugs and Keep, two bands that should need no introduction to the clued-in RVA crowd that is no doubt already salivating at the prospect of new Young Scum material. You know what you’re in for with this show, and you know you want every bit of it.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Image by Vivienne Lee

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Hawthorne Heights, Listener, Hotel Books + more at Capital Ale House

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THE BROADBERRY, THE TRIGGER SYSTEM & SLIMEHOLE present:

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS (Dayton)
http://hawthorneheights.com/
LISTENER (Kansas City)
http://iamlistener.com/
HOTEL BOOKS (California)
https://www.facebook.com/hotelbooksband/
SIENNA SKIES (Australia)
https://www.facebook.com/siennaskies/
HEAVY THINGS (Columbus)
https://www.facebook.com/heavythingsrock/

@ Capital Ale House Music Hall RVA on Friday 4/27/2018
7PM Doors // 7:30 Sounds
$20 Advance // $25 Day of Show
TIckets on sale Feb 16 at noon: http://ticketf.ly/2Eov1ax

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS: Sometimes the things you love give you HOPE. Sometimes you HATE the things you love the most. But, often times the things you love can make you HURT.

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS return to form with Hurt, the long awaited third EP in their Hate/Hope/Hurt trilogy. Hurt not only shines with elements rooted in their classic sound, but also showcases a maturity and level of confidence that can only be honed after twelve years of being a band. After spending the better part of a year on the road celebrating the ten year anniversary of their debut album The Silence in Black and White, the band returned home to Ohio to begin writing for Hurt. Feeling newly inspired and clearly invigorated, what resulted was a collection of eight songs that celebrate looking back while boldly pushing forward. “Everything that ends will soon become new again.” Vocalist/Lyricist JT Woodruff says: “Sometimes the past haunts you like a ghost, but we weren’t afraid to become the ghosts of what we used to be. There is still some life and hope left in these bones, and we will continue to suck the marrow out of life.”

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 2/28-3/6

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, March 3, 6 PM
Grace Vonderkuhn, Gold Connections, Fat Spirit, Doll Baby @ Hardywood – Free!
It’s a new year, and a lot of musicians are getting a jump on it with brand new releases intended to take 2018 by storm. It’s kinda been an ongoing theme of the column over the past month or so, as a variety of Richmond artists, heavyweights and newcomers alike, have been throwing record-release celebrations intended to let the city know that they’re here and have something strong to offer. The same thing can’t entirely be said of Grace Vonderkuhn, as she’s technically not even a Richmond artist (she hails from Wilmington, Delaware). However, her brand new album, Reveries, was released last week by Richmond’s own Egghunt Records. And while her show at Hardywood this Saturday might not be billed as a record release show, it’s the first chance Richmond will have to enjoy a full-volume live performance showing off everything Reveries has to offer.

There’s quite a bit to be found, too. Vonderkuhn’s live combo is a lean, mean power trio built around her gorgeous vocals and powerful, distorted guitar work. She’s got some killer songwriting and an incredible voice, something that could also be said about Egghunt’s last big discovery, Lucy Dacus. However, Vonderkuhn’s tunes hit harder, bringing a rock n’ roll swagger and a grunge-punk crunch that’ll surely appeal to everyone who still misses the post-Nirvana alt-rock wonderland of the early 90s. Reveries is capable of fitting right into a playlist featuring The Breeders and Liz Phair, but has the tough-girl swagger of The Runaways and The Shangri-Las down as well. What’s not to like?

This stacked show at Hardywood won’t just offer an opportunity to explore the excellent new sounds from Grace Vonderkuhn, though — it’s stacked with talent originating closer to home, starting with Gold Connections. This Charlottesville band has gotten some high-profile props due to frontman Will Marsh’s early work with Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo, but one listen to their debut EP from last year will let you know that Gold Connections have more than ample songwriting skills necessary to stand on their own. Their sound is a bit smoother and mellower than Grace Vonderkuhn’s, but overall it’s an excellent pairing. As is the pairing of Fat Spirit and Doll Baby, the two killer Richmond openers who shouldn’t really even need an introduction if you’ve been reading this column for a while. Just go. The show is even free — what more could you possibly want?

Wednesday, February 28, 8 PM
Zaigoat, Lair, NFA, British Sterling @ Strange Matter – $5
I love Strange Matter for a lot of reasons, but their Locals Only series is a big part of it. When I’m putting together this column, the middle of the week sometimes looks kinda lackluster, but if Strange Matter is doing a Locals Only show somewhere in there, I know I’ve got at least one pick locked down. This week is no exception, as the latest LO show (#56 in the ongoing series — keep it up, y’all!) brings us a collection of brand new heavies that anyone who loves metal and punk, definitely including me, can get stoked about. Zaigoat are at the top of the bill, and this brand new band might be considered doom under some lenses but seems more accurately characterized as horror-sludge. I sure am down with that.

Then there’s Lair, who absolutely can accurately be described as doom. This band’s debut EP features two songs and a 22-minute running time, so you know they’re serious as a heart attack. Slow-motion headbangs will be the order of the day when this band hits the stage. Which puts them at the opposite end of the spectrum from NFA, which stands for Not Fucking Around, and they certainly are not! This is the latest loud fast n’ outta control old-school hardcore punk barrage from the dudes who previously brought you Omega Boys and Flickerflame — and if you remember those two powerhouses, you know you’re in for a treat with this one. This gig is rounded out with a set from British Sterling, the latest from a bunch of super old-school Richmond heads who were veterans back when my 40 year old ass started going to shows around here — I’ll go ahead and mention Mulch and Ugly Law, and most of you won’t even know what I’m talking about. Get educated; show up on time to this all-RVA banger.

Thursday, March 1, 8 PM
Conan, The Ditch and The Delta, Gritter, Eldritch @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s Thursday night, and things are getting even heavier over at Strange Matter. Conan is flying in from England, and although Arnold Schwarzenegger is not at all involved, this powerful three-piece will waste no time evoking apocalyptic tales from the Hyborian Age with their brutal, steamrolling metal power. Recently following up their killer 2016 full-length Revengeance with a collection of awesomely grimy demos entitled Man Is Myth, these Brits are fully set to obliterate Strange Matter with a wall of low-end sludge heavyosity. As doom bands go, these guys are actually rather concise, and keep things moving at a relatively non-glacial pace, even as their riffs seem to extend for days. Fans of High On Fire are gonna have a field day with this one.

Meanwhile, fellow touring doomers The Ditch And The Delta come to us from Salt Lake City, which seems like one of the weirdest environments to grow up as a metalhead that I can imagine. From the home base of Mormonism, The Ditch And The Delta bring us a sound that is cleaner and darker than that of Conan, more like early Mastodon or mid-period Neurosis. These two excellent doom crews should pair well together, and they’ll receive capable support from local vets Gritter, whose new LP, Nobody Cares, sees them further refining their take on downbeat NOLA-style sludge metal. The evening kicks off with a set from local newcomers Eldritch, who get points with me for taking a name from HP Lovecraft’s vocabulary list, and for their resemblance to departed sludge-doom legends Burning Witch. This one is gonna rule, friends.

Friday, March 2, 8 PM
Livid, Huntsmen, Desert Altar @ McCormack’s – $7
It’s a doomy week here in RVA, as Friday night finds Between 2 Beers and  McCormack’s bringing Shockoe Bottom into the act. Thankfully, Livid — who share a label with The Ditch And The Delta from the last show I wrote about — have their own disctinctive take on this sometimes-repetitive genre, keeping this week from blurring into a single long, sludgy riff. This Prosthetic Records crew hails from Minneapolis and released an excellent LP last summer entitled Beneath This Shroud, The Earth Erodes. This should give you some idea of where this group is coming from; if not as persistently gloomy and depressing as Loss or 40 Watt Sun, they nonetheless have a spooky vibe that mixes intriguingly with their progressive leanings. Fans of Helms Alee or early Isis will get a lot out of this band’s darkly fascinating sound.

They’re joined on this bill by Chicago’s Huntsmen, who are not the long-gone 60s garage band. This relatively new and frankly bizarre band mixes doom vibes with Americana, interjecting elegaic Southern folk reveries into the midst of melodic doom metal songs. Rather than doing so at random or in a jarring manner, the Huntsmen take advantage of the lengthy running times common in the doom metal genre to create smoothly building structures that take their songs from quiet folk beginnings to incredibly heavy crescendos, and sometimes back down into acoustic reveries. Plenty of doom bands have had apocalyptic-folk side projects over the past several years, but the Huntsmen have found a way to integrate these two disparate yet spiritually similar sounds — something I never would have predicted anyone could pull off. In a genre that can sometimes be a bit samey, they are unique, and that’s impressive. Don’t miss them.

Saturday, March 3, 7 PM
American Nightmare, Pissed Jeans, Protester, Cloak/Dagger @ The Broadberry – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s start with an important note: as of this writing, this show is not sold out YET. But if you don’t even need me to tell you why you should care, and somehow forgot to buy your ticket already, skip the rest of this writeup and click that ticket link NOW (or try the facebook event page — there are at least a few people selling tix over there). OK, now that that’s out of the way, let me try to explain to the rest of you why some people are freaking the hell out that American Nightmare is coming back to town. See, this band went away for a long time. One of the bands — if not THE band — to ignite the early 00s hardcore revival, American Nightmare mixed the erudite, emotional lyrics of Wes Eisold with a rage-filled take on Boston hardcore riffage and some 21st century speed to start a new movement within the genre.

The band encountered a series of setbacks in their early years, ultimately being forced to give up their original name by another band that had copyrighted the phrase. However, with their return to full-time action in 2016 (after over a decade apart), they were able to reclaim the name, and just recently released their self-titled third album on Rise Records. The album shows that Eisold and co. haven’t lost a step, incorporating a slightly higher percentage of melody into the same angry riffage and passionate lyrics that made the scene fall in love with them nearly 20 years ago. As if that isn’t enough reason to go to this show all on its own, the fact that they’re joined by post-hardcore sludge-monsters Pissed Jeans, DC straight edge rippers Protester, and veteran RVA garage-hardcore hybrid Cloak/Dagger should be more than enough to get you to pony up the ticket price for this jammer. But act fast! Tomorrow may be too late.

Sunday, March 4, 6 PM
Hate Club, The Death Vacation, Nightcreature, Deli Kings @ Capital Ale House – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This Sunday, Albany invades Richmond, as Hate Club and The Death Vacation roll into town and set up shop at Capital Ale House, of all places. Albany’s always had a pretty unique scene, and it doesn’t require knowing much more than the fact that Self Defense Family hails from that city. That band’s amorphous lineup and unpredictable take on post-hardcore seems to exert at least a little bit of an influence over the whole city, not least because almost every musician in Albany has been in SDF at one point or another. Indeed, two members of The Death Vacation are former members of SDF spinoff band Aficionado — but then, Aficionado were always a pretty strange exercise in and of themselves, and The Death Vacation is pretty far removed from their own former band. At which point, my whole analogy blows apart like a house of cards.

So what the heck can you expect from Hate Club and The Death Vacation when they arrive in RVA? Well, Hate Club have the sort of jangly, poppy sound that derives influence from early 90s slacker grunge crews like Pavement and Guided By Voices, and therefore should be a big hit with the whole Citrus City scene, who are spiritually very much in line with that whole aesthetic. The Death Vacation like to stomp the distortion pedals a bit harder, and therefore are a bit more reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr, only crossed with early Weezer to add that proper note of weirdo pop goodness. Basically, it’s all killer, and the addition on this bill of post-You Go Girls up-and-comers Nightcreature is pure gravy. Get stoked!

Monday, March 5, 7 PM
Wallows, Field Medic @ The Broadberry – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Sometimes I just give bands whose names I don’t recognize a brief listen before writing about them to make sure I’m into them enough to give them my stamp of approval. Then I google them when I’m actually about to write the column and find myself going, “Oh holy shit, I didn’t expect that!” Such is my current situation, where the catchy indie-rock of Wallows was pleasing enough at first listen that I picked them for the show column this week without ever discovering that frontman Dylan Minette is on that Netflix show 13 Reasons Why… until right now. Oops.

But it’s really not a big deal; after all, if Wallows were good when I just thought of them as three random dudes from LA or wherever, they’re still good now that I know one of them is a random famous guy. They’ve got some really catchy tunes that sorta remind me of early Strokes, sorta remind me of Parquet Courts, but mostly just get my feet tapping in an excellent manner. They don’t have an album yet, having only released a succession of four digital singles with themed covers, but those songs give more than enough reason to expect a killer set from this band when they show up to The Camel Monday night. That way, even if the front row is full of blushing teenage girls that only came out to get a glimpse of Clay Jensen in the flesh, there’ll still be some people there to appreciate the music. Which is really what it’s all about.

Tuesday, March 6, 7 PM
Young Scum, Jouska, Strawberry Moon, Cat Duggan @ Sound Of Music Studios – $5
Those days early in the week when it’s sometimes hard to find anything fun to do, it’s nice to find an old reliable friend dishing out the killer jams and giving us a chance to dance, long before the weekend rolls around. That’s the role Young Scum are playing Tuesday night as they head up an excellent bill over at Sound Of Music. It’s been a while since they had some new tunes out — 2016’s Zona EP was the last new release — but those songs haven’t dulled any with age, and at this point it’d be a big surprise if there weren’t at least a couple new rockers the band’s ready to spring on us all. So either way, we win!

The Scummers (actually the most clean-cut nice-looking fellas, but hey, I didn’t name them) are joined on this bill by touring crew Jouska, who like the touring bands on Sunday night’s show are from Albany. Interesting. Their sound is, as you might expect from that previous writeup, pretty unusual, and definitely engaging. It mixes quiet, emotional moments with off-kilter jangle riffs and some outright ambience to bring a unique overall vibe to both their forthcoming Tiny Engines EP, From Elson To Emmett, and to Sound Of Music Studios, where such styles are always welcome. Local openers include ambient pop star Strawberry Moon and folksy strummer Cat Duggan, who are sure to sweeten the pot.

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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] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]

Top image by Vivienne Lee

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Heated Over Proposed Meal Tax Hike, Restaurateurs Form Lobbying Group

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Richmond restaurateurs are heated once again, as the city has served up a proposal for yet another hike to meal taxes. And this time, restaurant owners have united to form a lobbyist group to fight back.

In his State of the City speech this week, Mayor Levar Stoney proposed raising Richmond’s meal tax to 7.5 percent to help renovate and repair Richmond City Public Schools, which would produce approximately $9.1 million a year and allow the city to borrow $150 million in new capital funding over the next five years.

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Mayor Stoney with students at Chimborazo Elementary School

“I do not relish the idea of imposing a higher tax on any of our residents or even our visitors. And I respect the concerns of our restaurateurs who are responsible for so much of the positive trends we’ve seen in our city,” Stoney said in his address. “I promise to be a committed champion for their success, and pledge that we will work with you to make it easier for you to grow and expand.”

But that burn of a meals tax increase is an all too familiar feeling for local restaurant owners. In 2003, the city tacked on an extra 1 percent, raising the meals tax from 5 to 6 percent to help pay for the construction of Centerstage. Once the performing arts center was built, the tax was supposed to be tossed, but it remained on after a 2006 City Council vote to be poured into Richmond’s general fund for “operational costs”.

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Now, the new proposed 1.5 percent increase may not seem like much, but combined with the 5.3 percent state tax, the total tax would increase to 12.8 percent. To compare, Henrico collects a 4 percent tax, but surrounding counties, like Chesterfield, and Hanover, do not have a meals tax.

Restaurant owners, fed up with forking over hefty payments and shifting the costs to customers and in turn, hearing complaints, losing money, and some even losing business to the surrounding counties, are fighting back with a newly formed group, the Richmond Restaurant Alliance.

Jake Crocker, owner of F.W. Sullivan’s, Lady N’awlins, and Uptown Market & Deli rallied more than 30 people in the restaurant community this week to form the organization and talk about next steps to take on the proposed heighten tax.

“Every few years they target one specific industry, our politicians make promises to reduce the tax, and now they’ve reversed it,” Crocker said. “The current mayor has publicly and privately made those promises to a number of the restaurant owners, so we’re very disappointed that this was the ultimate solution.”

Owners from Richmond Restaurant Group, to Rueger Restaurant Group to Johnny Giavos, were in attendance, with the group representing over 100 restaurants in the area combined according to Crocker. Since the meeting, the newly-formed RRA organization has partnered with the Virginia Restaurant, Travel and Lodging Association (VRTLA), who will help push efforts forward.

“They’re committed, and they have fought this successfully in other localities including Fairfax County, so they’re going to be working with us,” he said. “They have expertise in the area from other initiatives in other parts of the states so we’re excited.”

Matt Simmons, owner of Capital Ae House and secretary of VRTLA, said his restaurant has been a member of the association for years and like most in the community, wants the schools to be improved, but doesn’t agree with the way the city is suggesting to get the money for the much-needed repairs.

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“No one is arguing that our schools need to be fixed, but it’s absurd to target one industry to solve this or any issue,” he said. “Richmond has a vibrant restaurant scene and this would throw cold water on the good things that are now happening. We are meeting to discuss this issue and get the word out to city council members that taking the easy way out could hurt an industry that helps Richmond shine.”

The VRTLA, a political action committee for the aforementioned industries, organized a grassroots campaign in 2016 with the National Restaurant Association to help successfully defeat a proposed 4 percent meals tax increase in Fairfax County.

Crocker, who threw his political hat in the ring this year as a Libertarian candidate for the 69th District, headed up a “Repeal the Meal Tax” campaign back in 2011 to urge the city to get rid of the Centerstage tax hike that was intended to be temporary.

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And up until a few days ago, he, like many restaurant owners, was under the impression there was going to be a reduction in the taxes.

“The fact that all the restaurants are mobilizing to prevent an increase is unfathomable,” he said. “No one even had a taste of this. A few of the restaurant owners did meet with the mayor and expressed their concerns, and he still went ahead with it anyway. It’s frustrating because I’m a supporter…but a lot of the restaurant folks who rallied behind him are feeling hurt…it’s our livelihoods.”

Patrons are the ones that bear the brunt of the taxes getting collected, which Crocker said is an issue that regularly comes up at his Fan restaurants.

“Everyday you have a customer who points at that tax and confronts the server about it and demands to see a server or manager,” he said. “They think we’re gouging them and I’m like, ‘look I’m on your side, I don’t want to charge this tax.’ Especially at Lady N’awlins, I get a lot of people from around the region and the counties and they’re like, ‘what is this?’”

Often the customers that complain, then, in turn, take their frustration with the taxes out on the restaurants, which was one of the many common themes brought up at the RRA meeting according to Crocker.

“Many times, they will tip extremely low, or, this is the fun one, they’ll write ‘taxes’ on the tip line so they stiff the server,” he said. “Everybody (restaurant owners) had the same story.”

Simmons has Capital Ale House locations both inside the city, as well as Midlothian and Innsbrook, and he said customers from the counties are also steamed when they see those added taxes to their bill.

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“Right now my customers pay 6 percent more for everything in Richmond than they do at our Midlothian location,” Simmons said. “When quoting prices for banquets and other events, people are shocked to find out taxes are 11.3 percent currently and will be even more shocked if that increases to 12.8 percent.”

Jimi Foster, Manager of The Daily Kitchen & Bar, part of the Richmond Restaurant Group which own several spots in town, said he’s constantly explaining the extra costs to out-of-towners and is not happy about the proposed tax hike.

“During the busy season, I have to explain the taxes to tourists multiple times a week. Think about that, I’m running a restaurant and hours of my life are spent explaining tax code to people from New York, that’s insane,” Foster said. “People that travel into the city from any other state are appalled at the tax rate. Last year, our restaurant alone paid well over a million in taxes, in addition to supporting local causes like the Feedmore food bank and Real Local RVA. What do we get in return? Bike races that hurt our business’ by almost 50 percent and a training camp filled with national restaurant chains. Now the city that has spent years mismanaging funds is asking restaurants and working-class Americans to pay 12 cents out of every dollar claiming that it’s for schools.”

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The Daily Kitchen & Bar

But, despite customers protesting the taxes, Crocker did address the heightened taxes on a meal will be a huge burden on low-income families and single parents working multiple jobs that need to eat out while they’re on the go with their children.

“There are families I heard from in the previous campaign, both working two jobs, single mom or dad, they’re shuffling between different shifts and they’ve got kids,” he said. “These lower-income families don’t have a stay at home member of the family and the kids have to eat and they’re often grabbing food on the fly, some are mom and pop owners themselves. Eating out is a necessity when you’re working two jobs and raising kids so it affects them.”

Foster chimed in on this as well, agreeing that it’s going to hurt the mom and pop restaurants and working-class residents of Richmond.

“The mayor is claiming that it’s ‘just a couple pennies’, but my two cents is that this will hurt him in the next election. The margin he won by is less than the profit margin of most restaurants,” he said. “I’m also almost always in support of taxing the wealthy to support our society, but this is a tax this will hit the working class consumer the hardest and restaurateurs that struggle with 15 percent profit margins so they can keep the doors open to employee thousands of people second.”

But it’s not just restaurant patrons that are left with a stomach ache when the bill arrives, Richmond restaurant owners are having to pay extra fees, and some have to hire employees to keep track of the taxes collected.

Crocker sends between $10,000 to $15,000 a month to the city for the meals tax, and beyond that, Richmond restaurants combined are paying about $25 million a year to the city for the meals tax alone.

“Everybody says it’s just a pass through, but you find me a restaurant that’s not struggling to keep up with it, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one that isn’t.”

Carter Snipes, who runs The Hofheimer Building and The HofGarden, is fairly new to the issue, but that’s been his biggest gripe.

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“We’ve got to have separate bank accounts, we get charged fees on all those dollars coming in, we’re paying $1,000 a month to collect the city’s taxes, and we have to hire a bookkeeper and not only does it cost us money from the credit card processing to collect the money for the city, we also have to then, pay someone from our company to administer that whole process, and a lot of these restaurant owners are small business owners, they don’t have a bookkeeper. And that’s a huge deal, that’s a huge burden on these operators.”

And Foster said between all the Richmond Restaurant Group’s restaurants combined, the group is paying hundreds of thousands each month to the city for meals taxes, which has forced the group to make sacrifices at their establishments.

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Pearl Raw Bar, part of Richmond Restaurant Group

“In order to deal with the increase in taxes, restaurants have to either raise prices or cut labor. So for a lot of places, in order to keep the lights on and still be competitive in the market you have to cut peoples hours back,” he said. “That means that people then have less disposable income to put back into the local economy, so less people go out to restaurants, so you cut back on labor even more, then quality goes down and business’ close. I’m just not sure what this city and state seem to have against local business’ and why they always seem to push and promote outside business over the welfare of its residents and voters.”

Snipes brought up the referendum on the ballot this past November, which stated that the mayor had to come up with a plan within six months of the election to repair and fund the schools without tax increases, and 85 percent of voters approved it.

“In my opinion, they haven’t done the first step, which is to offer the plan or say it can’t be done, and they came out with this tax increase,” Snipes said. “But the referendum specifically said a plan without tax increases.”

A recent Richmond Times-Dispatch article broke down some of the city’s spending courtesy of reports from Virginia’s Auditor of Public Accounts. According to those reports, Richmond is spending more per capita on administrative costs ($381.80), public safety ($822) and health ($823) than the state averages for each. However, when it came to education, the city spends $1,511 per capita, which is less than the state average.

But Snipes, who has two children in grade school, along with Crocker, and the majority of the restaurant community stressed that they are in favor of supporting and rehabilitating the schools, but that the city needs to come up with a better way to reduce expenses and overhead.

“I’m fully 100 percent in support of the schools, but I think this particular proposal is not the best or most efficient proposal to solve the problem,” Snipes said. “I think most people would be fine with tax increases if the city showed some goodwill and find some savings in the budget.”

He suggested breaking up taxes to a few industries equally across the board.

“There a should be a quarter percent tax on real estate, a quarter percent tax on meals, a quarter percent tax on hotels, and everyone shares that burden because it’s something we need to do for the community at large. It’s totally unfair to single out this one industry that has nothing to do with schools.”

Crocker had a similar suggestion for the city to implement retail taxes to help spread out some of the burdens.

“You put a 1 percent tax across the city on retail, grocery stores, bookstores, shoe stores, and restaurants, you’re going to get a hell of a lot more money than just restaurants,” he said.

The money that was given to Stone Brewing ($31 million) and the construction of the Redskins Training Center ($10 million) were also factors that Crocker pointed to as money that could have been diverted to the schools.

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Simmons, on the other hand, said taxing an untapped resource like local vacation and apartment rentals would be a good source to generate revenue.

“The city is not taking advantage of new legislation that allows them to collect taxes on the many Airbnb properties in the city,” he said. “That’s a start that would bring in funds and level the playing field with the area hotels who do collect and pay taxes. An across the board sales tax increase on every purchase in the city would be much fairer than targeting restaurants.”

Richmond Restaurant Alliance will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, and no matter where you land on the issue, Crocker said the restaurant owners are going to take action very soon.

“We’ve got some initiatives in the works, we’re going to be heard and it’s not just going to be Jake Crocker speaking up, its everybody,” he said. “We will not be cannon fodder for the ambitions of politicians, we’re not going to be put on the frontlines, so they can achieve their goal.”

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/20-12/26

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, December 22, 8 PM
Skalidays 2017, feat. Murphy’s Kids, The Pietasters, Jackmove, Mylo Shift, Santa Kilmagik @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It is the end of an era, y’all. The 2017 Skalidays will mark the final live appearance of Murphy’s Kids. This long-running ska band traces its origins back to the thick of the late 90s punk-ska revival, which brought us bands like Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, and Save Ferris. On the local level, a bunch of high school kids from the Southside started playing their own version of that sound back in 1999, and over the next 18 years, Murphy’s Kids honed and expanded their sound, outlasting the movement that birthed them and almost every other band that had been part of it to become godfathers of the pop-punk, ska, and reggae scenes in Central Virginia.

Earlier this year, they released their seventh album, a progressive concept album called Time Dilation that expanded into psychedelic territory through the use of ambient soundscapes and heady lyrical themes. It was still just as much of a danceable burst of fun as any of their previous work, though, so it would have been tough for anyone to predict that it would also become their swan song. However, only six months later, the band will leave the stage for the last time as part of the long-running holiday charity benefit they created over a decade ago. One thing’s for sure–they’re going out on top.

Chances are good that Skalidays will live on; after all, it’s bigger than just one band, and it’s been that way for a long time. As if to prove that Skalidays is more than just Murphy’s Kids, their last gig will share headlining with DC ska legends The Pietasters, who’ve been on the scene even longer than Murphy’s Kids and have even more classic albums under their belt with which to establish a lasting legacy. VA Beach reggae-punkers Jackmove and local goof-punk maniac Mylo Shift will round out the lineup, along with some between-set sounds provided by DJ Santa Kilmagik. As always, the proceeds of Skalidays will be given to charity; in this case, it’s Food Not Bombs RVA, a group with a deep political-punk legacy of its own. It’s a fitting end for a band that’s given so much to this city and this scene. Don’t miss your last chance to dance along.

Wednesday, December 20, 8 PM
Pedals On Our Pirate Ships, Sports Bar, Naked Pictures, Mistaker @ Strange Matter – $5
Wow, this is certainly noteworthy–the return of Pedals On Our Pirate Ships, the band that defined RVA folk-punk for years. Originally starting out as Matt Seymour’s acoustic solo project, the band grew to include peppy synths and a tiny, ad hoc percussion kit before finally becoming a full-on four-piece electric band on 2012 LP A Place To Stay. After that album’s release, as members grew older and gained more commitments, Pedals became less and less of a full-time concern. These days, it’s been over five years since their last release, and shows have been hard to come by for quite a while now.

But fear not, fans–Pedals On Our Pirate Ships is set to return tonight at the top of an incredible edition of Strange Matter’s ongoing Locals Only series. The band’s been reconstituted almost completely, with Matt Seymour now being backed by an almost completely new lineup that lacks keyboards but features members of Sundials, among others. There’s no new music to check out as yet, but the band apparently has plenty stored up to unleash upon its fans tonight–so you definitely don’t want to miss it. The addition of a super-solid lineup of heavy hitters including Sports Bar, Naked Pictures, and Mistaker definitely sweetens the pot, but make no mistake, this show is Pedals On Our Pirate Ships’ coming out party, and you’re gonna want to be there to see what their latest incarnation has in store for you.

Thursday, December 21, 7 PM
The Pink Spiders, Carousel Kings, The Great Heights Band @ Capital Ale House – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s been really neat seeing Capital Ale House expand their live offerings over the past several months. Here’s yet another show that I never would have predicted would end up onstage there but is sure to be excellent no matter where it takes place. The killer garage-pop of The Pink Spiders has been excellent for over a decade now, from their super-rad debut, Teenage Graffiti, right up to current singles “Black Dagger” and “Easier Than Ever,” both of which feature slightly glammier sounds but the same killer hooks that always made this band one to watch. A new album’s coming next year, but if you show up to this show, chances are you’ll hear a lot of it early. That’s definitely worth checking out.

Carousel Kings are a pretty strong attraction in and of themselves, so don’t sleep on them. This PA melodic hardcore band first got onto my radar with 2014 LP Unity, which featured some truly devastating emo-punk anthems. Their most recent album, Charm City, is their first for Victory Records, so they’ve hit the big time–and the band definitely rose to the occasion. Anthemic emotional tunes full of melody and power still dominate the album, though there’s a definite tinge from 80s pop-metal geniuses like Poison and Warrant hiding in the mix there somewhere (that’s not a dis, those bands rule. Yeah, I said it). Their hardcore lineage contrasts with the garage-rock background of the Pink Spiders, but these two bands are definitely on the same page where writing killer hooks are concerned. You’d be a fool to miss either one on their own, but together, this bill is unstoppable.

Friday, December 22, 6 PM
Exebelle, Andrew Leahey & The Homestead, Continental Clouds @ Hardywood – Free!
Here’s some excellent news for all the alt-country heads haunting the RVA live music scene. For the first time in six years, Exebelle has a new album for us all. What’s more, it’s a double CD that’s full of all the excellent songs they’ve spent the past half-dozen years putting together. That amount of time has put paid to the band’s former “Rusted Cavalcade” sobriquet, but if anything, the stripped-down name just makes way for some really amazing new tunes. The 19-song double album is still under wraps until this Friday’s release party, but advance singles “The Long Pour” and “Share It With You” both have an outstanding rock n’ roll swagger beneath their country twang, calling to mind The Rolling Stones in their early-70s prime even as they also connect the dots between early Wilco and Southern Rock Opera-era Drive-By Truckers.

The result is potent indeed, and should do more than enough to justify a 19-song double-disc release. It’ll definitely make for a great record release show–Exebelle is promising 75 minutes of music spanning their decade-long career (the majority of which, it must be noted, would be represented by songs from the new record), and of course, they’ll have the new album for sale as well. Exebelle will be joined on the bill by fellow twangy rock n’ rollers Andrew Leahey and the Homestead, who hail from Nashville and are touring behind last year’s excellent Skyline In Central Time LP, a great pairing with the latest offering from Exebelle. Locals Continental Clouds, formerly known as Eric Hunter and the Distractions, will open up with some rad power-pop sounds. Don’t miss a moment of this one.

Saturday, December 23, 8 PM
Coke Bust, Dry Spell, Memory Loss, Nosebleed @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s the weekend before Christmas, and it’s time to bring it all back home with a raging hardcore banger to get all the kids back from school for the holiday out of their parents’ house and into the pit! Coke Bust have been around for over a decade now, dishing out their lightning-speed straight edge fastcore with a fury that just does not let up. It’s been four years since their last release, the Confined LP (which was pressed to 12 inch vinyl even though it’s less than 10 minutes long), destroyed turntables across the world with its furious velocity, and Coke Bust have become a bit of a part-time concern in the years since (seemingly the way of all things where the hardcore scene is concerned), but they’re back with a vengeance to let it rip onstage at Strange Matter once again this Saturday night.

Also back in action is Dry Spell, a Richmond hardcore band who brings the fury in a more rockin’, less speedy fashion than Coke Bust, and demonstrated their technique on their self-titled 2010 LP for local label Vinyl Conflict. These guys are even less active than Coke Bust these days, but you can rely on them returning to terrorize unsuspecting audiences on at least an occasional basis. Looks like Christmas is the perfect time to make that happen, and combined with killer opening sets from currently active RVA hardcore killers Memory Loss and Nosebleed, this will make for a devastating night of sweat and lunacy. You’ve gotta get all spiffed up for grandma’s house the next day anyway, right? What better time to rage?

Tuesday, December 26, 8 PM
Fighting Gravity, Karen Jonas @ The National – $20 in advance/$23 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s a late Christmas gift from the patron saint of ska, who apparently decreed that the final Murphy’s Kids show just wasn’t enough unmissable amazingness for one week. That’s right–you have the opportunity to celebrate the Feast of Stephen this year with the reunited Fighting Gravity. How could you possibly turn down a chance like this? Well, it’s certainly possible you don’t remember this band from their first time around–I recognize that I’m no spring chicken, and a lot of you probably weren’t even born when No Stopping No Standing came out in 1994. But see, here’s the thing–you can’t even tag Fighting Gravity as being part of that late 90s ska-punk revival. They predated all of that.

Originally known as Boy O Boy (they got sued out of that one), these guys put together a muscular brand of ska with some distinct heavy rock influences, then proceeded to take over RVA with an incredible live show that got huge crowds sweating and skanking with big smiles on their faces. Their mid-90s heyday was marked by excellent albums like Forever = 1 Day and the aforementioned No Stopping No Standing. They grabbed at the brass ring of major label success–which still seemed possible in those heady post-Nirvana days–but never quite made it to the level of Reel Big Fish and all those other bands we talked about before. But Richmond heads know–this band was easily as good as any of them. And 20 years later, their live show is sure to be just as powerful and energetic as it ever was. So end your extended holiday weekend with a reunion that will truly remind Richmond how great we once had it, and give us all the opportunity to relive those days once again.

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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] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]