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RVA Shows You Must See This Week: July 4 – July 10

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, July 7, 7 PM
Dumb Waiter, Piranha Rama, Naked Pictures @ Champion RVA – $6
Happy birthday, America! Or what’s left of it. Things are kinda going to hell out in the world, what with the guy running against Tim Kaine for a VA Senate seat having ties to white nationalists, Trump getting a chance to push the Supreme Court even farther right, and the steady erosion of civil rights for marginalized groups from African-Americans to the LGBTQ community. But you’ve heard enough about all that elsewhere on RVA Mag lately, right? It’s a holiday; those of us lucky enough to get a mid-week respite from work just want to eat some burgers, watch some fireworks, and forget all the world’s garbage for a day. So let’s ignore the country as a whole for the rest of this column, and focus on the rocking we’re gonna do for the rest of the week!

It’s been a long time — over two years, in fact — but Dumb Waiter has finally given us another dope beat to step to. Their third album, Heck, just came out this week, and they’re celebrating its release Saturday at Champion Brewing. Heck is a brief but wild affair, made up of three songs also named after the sorts of exclamations people say when they’re trying not to curse. Dumb Waiter’s unpredictable instrumental sound has taken a turn on this new release, moving away from the metallic underpinnings of their early efforts to focus on a more atmospheric sound that incorporates progressive rock and technical jazz-fusion licks into something entirely this band’s own.

As with their previous releases, Dumb Waiter’s latest record remains a challenging, complex listen that deserves its fair share of headphone time. However, these riffs can also do a great job of getting crowds excited and moving in a live environment, and that’s sure to happen at Champion Saturday night. With buzzworthy new garage-rockers Piranha Rama on the bill, as well as hard-hitting post-hardcore band Naked Pictures, the joint will be jumping even before Dumb Waiter comes on. When they hit you with their new jams, the whole evening will be taken to another level. Strap in — you may not know quite where they’re taking you, but you’re sure to enjoy the ride.

Thursday, July 5, 8 PM
Trouble Boys, BBQT, Bad Magic, Nightcreature @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
Going back to work on Thursday after having Wednesday off to watch fireworks will be a hell of a comedown, but you shouldn’t let it ruin your week, especially when that evening has a heavy dose of rock n’ roll in store for you. Austin rock n’ rollers Trouble Boys may or may not have anything to do with that Replacements bio that came out a few years ago; if they do take any influence from the ‘mats, it comes from the early, noisy stuff like Stink, but Trouble Boys mix the early Replacements’ ragged-but-right take on pedal-to-the-metal punk with a garage-infused punk n’ roll swagger that mixes AC/DC with the Dictators. And who can complain about that?

Trouble Boys will roll into town accompanied by BBQT, another Austin rock n’ roll crew. These rockers have a brand new album, Let’s Go!, to bring to your waiting ears, and it is if anything even better than the classic Rancid album you usually associate with that title. The rollicking, string-bending riffs and sassy vocals are enough to bring images of The Runaways and Sheer Mag to mind, and all you rock n’ rollers are gonna dance all night to these catchy, bouncy jams. Local support comes to us from talented vets Bad Magic and newcoming locals Nightcreature, who bring us wild n’ crazy rockin’ from the maniacs who brought us The You Go Girls and the Milkstains. Awesome.

Friday, July 6, 8 PM
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Shamir @ The National – $17.50 in advance/$20.50 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra will take the stage at The National this Friday night, and it’s fascinating to contemplate the possibilities of this group’s claustrophobic psychedelia unleashed in a full-scale venue like this one. While their dense, noisy sound has clearly reached its apotheosis on new LP Sex And Food, released a few months ago, a whole different dimension of that sound is sure to be opened up once the band journeys up from the basement where their sound finds its home and lets it all bounce off the high, vaulted ceilings of the National.

Regardless of what happens when they kick off their set this Friday night, though, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience for their many fans in attendance. After all, frontman Ruban Neilson’s soulful vocals and wild guitars mingle intriguingly with synth sounds on this album to create a vast new palette of sound within their still-quite-cramped sonic atmospheres. The melodies that come to the fore are just as sure to hook directly into your brain in a live environment as they do when you listen alone in the dark through headphones (OK, maybe that’s just me). And the best part is that it’ll be a huge communal trip, on which Neilson and co. will take the whole city. The fact that uncategorizable vocal virtuoso Shamir is opening the show only sweetens the pot. Get your ticket and take this ride. You won’t regret it.

Saturday, July 7, 9 PM
Sammi Lanzetta, LeAnna Eden and the Garden Of, Deau Eyes @ The Camel – $8 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
If it’s been a while since you caught up with Sammi Lanzetta, it may be time to check back in. This exuberant young singer-songwriter hasn’t slowed down since the release last fall of her EP, For Avery, which remains an excellent display of power-pop hooks, catchy guitar leads, and Lanzetta’s excellent voice. She and her backing band are a consistent source of musical excellence, one you should let into your life on a regular basis if you want to preserve your emotional health.

And there’s an even better reason to check out this particular show — the fact that Lanzetta and co. are paired with the excellently named North Carolina group LeAnna Eden and The Garden Of (the acronym is even good — LETGO). This band evolved out of frontwoman Eden finding herself stranded in Charlotte on a long-term basis, but has a powerful, celebratory vibe on their 2017 self-titled EP. That vibe arises from the powerful combo of Eden’s incredible voice and erudite lyricism, and the heavy guitars that give this band its memorable punch. You’ll get rocked by this Charlotte crew when they roll through town, and both Lanzetta and catchy power-pop crew Deau Eyes (who still only have one song out, but we won’t hold that against them) will provide excellent local support. Don’t skip out on this one.

Sunday, July 8, 6 PM
Exmortus, The Absence, Hatchet, Blackwater Reserve, Caustik @ The Canal Club – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
We’re over halfway through the column now, and I know there’s at least a portion of my readership that are starting to get antsy. “Where’s the metal?” I hear you muttering. “I need something to bang my head to!” Don’t worry, people — I got you. And so does The Canal Club, with this killer Sunday evening show bringing a strong dose of metal power to your waiting ears. Exmortus have been around for a while now, but this Cali metal band just released their fifth album full of lock-tight death metal rage and songs about eternal battle, The Sound Of Steel, and any of y’all who wish Marduk or early Cryptopsy were a little less in love with blast beats should definitely get down with it.

These guys will slay all comers at the Canal Club Sunday night, but they’re just the beginning of what this jam-packed bill has to offer. Floridian shredders The Absence draw from a lengthy legacy of death metal mastery from their home state, and do their best to live up to that powerful tradition not by aping the legends of Morrisound past but by putting their own spin on thrashing, technical death rage. They do this most effectively, especially on new album A Gift For The Obsessed, by integrating the melodic Scandinavian touches of Gothenburg legends like At The Gates and In Flames into their powerful riff-o-rama. To top it off, we’ve also got San Francisco thrashers Hatchet on the bill, and these guys just straight-up rip it to shreds, with some distinct resemblances to local legends Battlemaster, along with some strong Exodus vibes as well (that’s that Bay Area style). Add in openers Blackwater Reserve and Caustik and you’ve got enough metal to carry you through the entire month! Just what the doctor ordered, right?

Monday, July 9, 8 PM
Appalachian Terror Unit, Amara, Destruct, Lipid @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
For those of us who know all too well the conflicted legacy of growing up in the American South, where there are amazing people and beautiful landscapes rooted within a history of economic oppression and unjust wars, a band like Appalachian Terror Unit is sure to hit very close to home. This long-running crust-punk quartet comes from the heart of West Virginia coal country, and have long turned their breakneck punk rage on the negative elements of the South that have kept the wonderful aspects of this region from rising to the top.

From environmental devastation to racial oppression and the patriarchal rape culture we’re all trying to live through, Appalachian Terror Unit focus their fury on the things that keep us down, and I for one am here for it. They haven’t released any substantial new work since their 2015 LP We Don’t Need Them, but a band like this doesn’t need to be incredibly prolific to get the message across. All you black-clad politically-informed punks need to come hear what Appalachian Terror Unit are bringing to you this Monday night at Strange Matter, regardless of whether you like to circle pit, raise your fist, or just absorb the ideas this group is presenting to you. You’re sure to get a lot out of it, most definitely including some filthy n’ furious hardcore-punk riffs.

Tuesday, July 10, 8 PM
Kee Avil, Black Plastic, Lounge Lizzard, Ashes @ Strange Matter – $7
And now for something completely different. Kee Avil is a strange but hypnotic musical project from Montreal that brings solo voice and guitar into a new environment through use of samples, electronics, and improvisation. They released a self-titled EP earlier this year, and while some of it definitely sounds like the thing you’d expect from a person singing quietly and playing an electric guitar, other sections completely upend those expectations with jarring noise and unpredictable looping electronic sounds. I can’t tell you exactly what to expect from the live version of Kee Avil, but I can tell you that it won’t be predictable.

As for Black Plastic, I’m finally beginning to figure some things out about this local band, who’ve remained a mystery to me when writing these columns for quite a while. The fact that they used to be called Fall Seattle, and an earlier lineup released an entire LP of slightly shoegazey pop under that name, helps me understand what this band who’s only had one song on bandcamp for the past year are really about. One thing’s for sure — these guys have an adeptness with a pop melody that must be experienced. Other local groups joining them on this bill include Lounge Lizzard, another new group with no real recordings out there; this one features members of Toxic Moxie, Cremains, The Donalds, and Pissing Contest, though, so you have that to go on. Local stalwarts Ashes will open things up with their brand of noisy indie pop goodness. It’s a sure-fire recipe for a winning show. Get yourself a taste.

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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.]

Top photo by Craig Zirpolo

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 23-May 29

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, May 25, 6 PM
RVA Music Night, feat. Butcher Brown, Dharma Bombs, Piranha Rama @ Friday Cheers – $5 (order tickets HERE)
Friday Cheers is a great thing. When the summer weather hits, it offers us all a chance to get out of the dark clubs where the best live music is usually found to go cavort in a beautiful outdoor setting and see a band for the kind of bargain prices we usually only find in the subterranean musical underground. Now, if you ask me, the music on offer doesn’t always entirely live up to the promising circumstances Friday Cheers offers. However, an RVA Music Night featuring three excellent local acts from three entirely different genres, all coming together for one night to present some of the best sounds the Richmond music scene has to offer? That’s a sure thing right there.

Butcher Brown are at the top of the bill, and this soul-jazz-funk instrumental quintet has only increased their prowess over their years as a band, most recently proving it with a killer live LP named after the downtown club where it was recorded — Live At Vagabond. These five musicians have powers undreamed of by many who wield instruments, and their credits with a variety of other projects, from Marcus Tenney’s work with No BS! Brass Band to DJ Harrison’s solo project on Stone’s Throw Records, are more than sufficient to demonstrate that fact. This Friday Cheers show will see them departing the intriguing atmosphere of jazz clubs for a performance under the sky, but their gorgeous, fun music is sure to thrive with the change of environments.

The Dharma Bombs have some jazz influence as well, but this acoustic ensemble mainly draws inspiration from old-time string-band sounds of the Appalachian mountains — which they brought into the 21st century with aplomb on 2017 LP Old Time Romance. If Butcher Brown will get you moving and grooving, these guys are more likely to have you dancing a jig to their bluegrassy tunes. One thing’s for sure — you won’t be able to stand still. The garage rock sounds of relative newcomers Piranha Rama, who just released debut EP Beach Body last month, are a great way to start off the evening. This whole show is basically perfect, so arm up with your citronella bracelets and head down to Brown’s Island for a night of great tunes under the setting summer sun!

Wednesday, May 23, 9 PM
Chico, Silver Twin, Black Plastic, Space Koi @ Flora – $5
It’s the middle of the week, and you need a pick-me-up to make it to Friday night. We all know how this goes — I’m in a similar situation myself, if I’m honest. Here’s one potential solution: head out to Flora tonight and catch Nashville rockers Chico doing their thing. This quartet’s just released their latest album, Ballet For Bastards, on which they display their intriguing musical melange of spaced-out prog guitars, catchy alt-rock melodies, and psychedelic atmosphere. It’s the sort of thing that will really kill when given the space to get loud — and Flora’s back room has a pretty perfect space in which that can happen, so you’re gonna want to come watch the musical fireworks.

There are some pretty great local bands on this bill too, starting with Silver Twin, who’ve been dishing out their catchy, poppy rock n’ roll around town for a while now. Their debut EP, Jaw, came out last fall and is still a really fun listen — chances are that by now, they’ve got some new stuff for us that’s even better. Newcomers Black Plastic are bringing sounds in a similar vein, though with a bit more of a mysterious presentation on the whole. And of course, Space Koi will round out the entire evening with a unique slice of dubwise psychedelia that splits the difference between the Grateful Dead and King Tubby. It’s just what you need to carry you through the remainder of the work week.

Thursday, May 24, 6 PM
Bloodlet, Sinister Purpose, Unmaker @ Champion RVA – Free!
The eternal return of 90s bands continues apace, and I for one am not complaining. After all, while Bloodlet often got lumped into that whole mid-90s mosh-metal thing due to their being signed to Victory Records, they were really doing their own thing entirely, something never truly recognized or given its due at the time. They were definitely a heavy, pounding band with relentless midtempo grooves and terrifyingly harsh vocals. But unlike the mid-tempo straight edge chug-monsters of the era — most prominently Earth Crisis — Bloodlet used subtle musical complexities to create a deeper, darker atmosphere within their music.

Their classic 1995 album, Entheogen, was finally reissued a couple of years ago by A389 Records, and it’s held up incredibly well over the years. Indeed, it’s impossible to avoid the Southern darkness that infects this Florida band’s music in much the same manner as NOLA legends Eyehategod. Forget all the straight edge associations and get ready for some spooky, metallic sludge from these returning heroes. Granted, they haven’t made a new album in over 15 years, but based on some intense footage from their performance at last year’s This Is Hardcore Fest, it seems they haven’t lost a single step. The more straightforward — but still a bit spooky — hardcore of Sinister Purpose, and the metallic goth-punk of Unmaker, will get things started at this show, which is unbelievably free. Do not miss out on this incredibly rare opportunity! Be there.

Friday, May 25, 9 PM
The Prabir Trio, The Flavor Project, Deau Eyes, Kenneka Cook @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
So what’s up with Prabir these days? Having been a local music scene fixture for over a decade, first with Prabir and the Substitutes, and then with Goldrush, these days it seems this singer-songwriter with a taste for science, the Beatles, and killer power-pop has started up yet another project. While it may have started as more of a solo thing (social media sites know the project as merely “Prabir”), recent performances have been billed as The Prabir Trio, with final Goldrush drummer Kelli Strawbridge and bassist/producer extraordinaire Russell Lacy rounding out the lineup.

They’ve been cooking up some new tunes that fit right in with Prabir’s previous work, and this show is apparently the release celebration for The Prabir Trio’s first EP, so fans of the scientific power-pop genius should definitely be stoked for this one. The Flavor Project, an ever-growing soul/funk musical ensemble masterminded by bass whiz Gabriel Santamaria, may actually be headlining over the Prabir Trio at this show — I can’t entirely be certain. Either way, the fact that this gig will also feature sets from Deau Eyes and Kenneka Cook should be enough to get anyone paying attention to what’s awesome in the RVA music scene down to the Camel, ready to get rocked.

Saturday, May 26, 4 PM
Abuse Of Power, Wise, Red Vision, Flatline, Outsider @ Strange Matter – $10
Hardcore matinees are a vanishing breed today — not like 20 years ago when there was at least one every week. However, they do still happen, and while these all-ages shows tend to get going at a time that’ll seem ridiculously early to anyone over 21 and used to staying at the bar til 1:45 AM in order to see the headlining band’s entire set, they’re important avenues guiding the next generation into the music scene — and therefore, still pretty essential even for the old heads to pay attention to.

This one is bringing a couple of killer modern hardcore bands to town. Abuse To Power hail from Atlanta and have that same midtempo groove, complete with subtle melodic elements, that made bands like Outspoken and Mean Season such essential listens a quarter-century ago. With them on this jaunt is Cali crew Wise, who take things in a heavier direction but still have a bit of that 25-years-ago vibe, reminding me of Turning Point at some moments and Sick Of It All at others. These rad hardcore groups will join Negative Approach-style VB ragers Flatline and local up-and-comers Red Vision and Outsider, both of whom come with a tough, aggressive sound that’s sure to get the mosh pit moving. Come out and see what the kids are up to — you can go get Taco Bell afterwards, just like the old days.

Sunday, May 27, 7 PM
Cognizant, The Human Race Is Filth, Burn/Ward, Van Hagar, Swamp Nuts @ Lakeside Tavern – $8
I have to say, I fucking love that Lakeside Tavern has become a somewhat reliable spot at which to catch grindcore shows. I never would have predicted that in a million years, and yet it has come to pass, and I couldn’t be happier. This weekend, it’s Dallas grinders Cognizant who’ll be coming through for a blastbeat-heavy rager at Lakeside Tavern, and they’ll bring a really intriguing sound along with them. On their recently released split with Bad Rites, this group veers between full-on metallic grind destruction a la Assuck and some mathematical complexities that’d be more at home on a prime Cryptopsy record. All of this plus vague hints at a psychedelic atmosphere — which might be more apparent if these songs weren’t blowing by you at a million miles an hour — makes for one of the more interesting and original grind sounds I’ve heard in recent memory.

They’ll be joined on this bill by Pennsylvanians The Human Race Is Filth, who’ve come through in the recent past with their metallic crust sound, and are certainly welcome back anytime! This band has some definite hints of Tragedy in their sound, but a more prominent influence seems to derive from Harmony Corruption-era Napalm Death — and that’s never a bad thing. Three Richmond locals will bring us a well-rounded evening of hyperspeed metal destruction. Burn/Ward, who kind of disappeared for a while, will hit you with enough excellent blackened power-violence rage to make you glad they’ve returned. Van Hagar’s chunky, punky take on grindcore definitely emphasizes the core, to brilliant effect. And rural goregrinders Swamp Nuts will get things started off right with some super-deep vocals and super-heavy breakdowns. Get stoked.

Monday, May 28, 8 PM
Petrification, Funeral Chic, Deathcrown, Shark Eyes @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
The Maryland Deathfest tour-overspill brings its bounties to Richmond once again, as Strange Matter is fortunate enough to play host to Portland death-metallers Prosthetic and North Carolina’s Funeral Chic as they begin the trek home from the biggest metal show of the year. Petrification has risen to fame and glory on the back of their debut EP, 2017’s Summon Horrendous Destruction, which finds this quintet channeling the brutal, trudging glories of early 90s death metal pioneers like Autopsy and Incantation. Songs like “The Headless One” and “Stagnation of Transmigration” offer plentiful opportunities for headbanging, over which their vocalist delivers guttural tones that can only be called sepulchral in effect. So yeah, basically it rules.

Funeral Chic are more inclined toward raw, thrashing speed than the gloomy sludge of Petrification; they’ll offer a nice contrast to the Pacific Northwest death-doom crew with the sort of blackened metallic hardcore they deliver on 2016 slab Hatred Swarm. As far as local support, we’ll be graced with a performance from Deathcrown, a ripping American death metal quintet with members who’ve done time in a variety of Virginia metal mainstays over the years. Opening up the whole evening will be Shark Eyes, a new project from former KEN Mode bassist Andrew LaCour and members of Revocation that goes hard with the speedy metal riffage, at least from what little I’ve heard (less than a minute, total). I will say, though… I’m intrigued. The total effect should be one of complete pulverization. And who doesn’t love that?

Tuesday, May 29, 9 PM
Deeper, Basmati, Ashes @ Flora – $5
Let’s end the week where we began — over at Flora, catching a killer mid-week bill of indie rock bands with first-rate songwriting chops and the skills needed to deliver them to us in excellent fashion. Our headliner for this show is Chicago group Deeper, who mix math-rock and complex art-pop into a pleasing and memorable witches’ brew on their brand new, self-titled LP.

They’ll be joined on this bill by local alt-rockers Basmati, who’ve been plying their trade locally for damn near a decade now, and only getting better as they go. Expect some slacker vibes and some killer melodies from this talented trio. And of course, we’ll have Ashes to kick things off with some noisy indie tunes that are sure to get your blood pumping and your body moving. What more could you want?

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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.]

Top Image by Vivienne Lee

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 2 – May 8

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, May 5, 7 PM
Power Trip, Sheer Mag, Fury, Red Death @ The Broadberry – $18 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Just in time for the weather to really warm up, here comes one of the hottest gigs of the year! I hope you bought a new air conditioner before everybody sold out of ’em — if you come home from this gig on Saturday night covered in sweat, that old freon-deprived thing in your window that just acts like a big noisy fan will do nothing to cool you off. But even that’ll be all right, because you’ll be returning from the kind of evening that’ll fuel you with the energy you need to get through the hot summer months in Richmond… which are apparently already upon us.

Power Trip is a band that’s been coming through and laying serious devastation on the entire metropolitan area on a regular basis for long enough that they shouldn’t need much of any introduction. However, even if you’re intimately familiar with the brutality this Texas thrash outfit delivers, you’ve still got plentiful reason to come out and headbang. In addition to their still-hot 2017 LP Nightmare Logic, these guys will be touring behind the just released non-LP comp Opening Fire: 2008-2014, which celebrates their tenth anniversary as a band by making all their earliest stuff available once again in an easy-to-obtain format. And in case you’re thinking “They’ll never actually play any of those old jams,” Power Trip singer Riley Gale told Revolver recently that they’d be busting at least one out. Get stoked for that!

And hey, get stoked on the amazing dual-headline potential of the fact that Sheer Mag is also playing this show. While their punky garage-pop might seem like an odd fit for a tour with Power Trip, what these two bands have in common is a strong positive energy. As their 2017 LP, Need To Feel Your Love, so strongly demonstrated, Sheer Mag are one of the most vital bands in the music world right now, and they’ll have you dancing with a big grin on your face just as hard as you’ll be headbanging to Power Trip a short time later. California HC heads Fury — who have nothing to do with that long-departed Swiz side project, though they’re in the same league musically — will bring the, um, fury in their opening slot, and DC’s always-reliable Red Death will kick things off with a bang. Bring your sweatbands.

Wednesday, May 2, 7 PM
Charly Bliss, Skating Polly @ The Camel – $13 (order tickets HERE)
Sometimes even getting to Wednesday can be so difficult, it starts to make you feel like the weekend will never come. Thankfully for you, this Wednesday night sees Charly Bliss and Skating Polly rolling into town, bringing the fun party vibes you wait all week for right to the middle of the week, where you need it most. Both powerful and #relatable, last year’s debut full-length, Guppy, helped put Charly Bliss on the map in a big way. Bringing the winsome charm of Girlpool to the chunky guitar-pop riffs of bands like Speedy Ortiz, Guppy won a lot of people over, and for good reason.

As for Skating Polly, this youthful Oklahoma band has an irresistible charm all their own. They may have come together when stepsisters Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse were still in junior high, but they’ve come into their own in a big way on The Make It All Show, their brand new LP, which comes out this Friday. The sisters have strengthened their lineup by adding their little brother on drums, and they’ve got a thicker, more self-assured sound that’s still loaded with the kind of pop charm and hooks that helped them win audiences over when they were still younger than they had any right to be. Come out tonight, bug them for a copy of the new album (chances are they’ve got ’em regardless of offical release date), and dance your ass off. Why wait for Friday night?

Thursday, May 3, 6 PM
Basement, Citizen, Pronoun, Souvenirs, The Grim Gang @ The Canal Club – $20 (order tickets HERE)
You emo fans are in for a treat this Thursday night — a double bill sure to knock your socks off is coming to The Canal Club, and I hope you’re ready! At the top of the bill is excellent UK band Basement, who had a high-profile departure from the scene after their second album but thankfully have been back on track for a few years now, starting with 2016 album Promise Everything and continuing with a variety of tours including the one now bringing them to our doorstep. Their mix of emotional melody and a harder-edged sound that draws equally from mid-90s post-hardcore and chunky alt-rock is somehow simultaneously reminiscent of Quicksand and Hot Water Music (and I hope I’m not dating myself too much with those references).

It may only be their status as Americans that makes the difference, but Citizen began with a much stronger association to the emo revival that everyone was super-stoked about five years ago. However, as trends moved on, they stayed consistent, demonstrating their talent and songwriting quality once again last year with the release of their third album, As You Please. Citizen’s consistently emotional style tugs at your heartstrings even as they attack their instruments with passion and ferocity. Either one of these two bands is worth the price of admission on their own — both together makes this Thursday night gig such a steal that you’d be totally justified in calling in to work the next morning.

Friday, May 4, 8 PM
The Sword, The Shelter People @ The Canal Club – $17 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
These days, I’m sure it’s only the old heads who are aware of The Sword’s RVA connection (well, old heads and those who have been reading my column for a while, because I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before). Evolving out of a stonerific RVA ensemble known as the Ultimate Dragons, The Sword first decamped for Texas and then went through a variety of lineup changes, making frontman JD Cronise their only still-extant connection to our hometown. Even if no one here knew any of them, though, we’d all have good reason to catch their latest jaunt as it touches down in Shockoe Bottom. The band just released their sixth album, Used Future, and it’s every bit as killer as their previous outings.

Some may write The Sword off as Fu Manchu-ish stoner boogie, but their musical evolution over the years has proven that they have a lot more to offer than your typical Camaro-rattling Cali bong-rock ensemble. Used Future takes their sound ever further in a progressive direction, with some of the songs blasting off into outer space fueled by the killer guitar pyrotechnics generated by dueling axemen Cronise and Kyle Shutt. Get ready to have your head expanded. Openers The Shelter People are much more conventionally rooted in late 60s proto-metal stoner fundamentals, but that does nothing to minimize the wallop their 50-foot-thick riffage will lay on you. Pull back the curtains of smoke and enjoy this one in your most laid-back frame of mind.

Saturday, May 5, 7 PM
Pedals On Our Pirate Ships, New Junk City, Washers @ Champion RVA – Free!
Killer melodic punk never goes out of style, and if there’s one thing that’s made that fact clear, it’s been the recent (welcome) return of Pedals On Our Pirate Ships. A longtime project of guitar-slinging local punk troubadour Matt Seymour, this project has undergone quite a bit of revamping since their last LP in 2012 — which might explain why they’ve started going by just plain “Pedals” more and more often. With only two members remaining from their last incarnation, they’ve filled the lineup back out with members from Sundials and gone fully electric for a strong sound that’ll give a real kick to their always-catchy tuneage.

On this bill, their pairing with Atlanta’s New Junk City seems incredibly appropriate, as this band brings their own dose of melodic punk with a powerful electric kick. Their contributions to a recent split EP with UK band Hot Mass make that eminently clear, bringing to mind a few incredible dirty-yet-heartfelt legends of pop-punk’s past, including Dear Landlord and Bent Out Of Shape, among others. The evening kicks off with a set from Washers, a band uniting members of Sports Bar and Worn In Red under the banner of old-school catchy punk. Think The Dictators, or Fear, but without the shady shady politics (god knows we don’t need any more of those). This one is gonna get you dancing.

Sunday, May 6, 7 PM
Hop Along, Saintseneca @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$18 at the door (order tickets HERE)
There’s something both amazing and terrifying about a band releasing an absolutely incredible album. It’s amazing just because the album exists at all; what’s terrifying is the prospect of a follow-up. Will it take forever? Will it be disappointing? Will the band implode under pressure? Will they just repeat themselves to diminishing returns for the next decade-plus? Hop Along assuaged a lot of fears when they released Bark Your Head Off, Dog, the follow-up to 2015’s outstanding Painted Shut, earlier this year. While Bark Your Head Off is every bit as excellent as this band’s previous release, it’s by no means a carbon copy of what Painted Shut had to offer.

Of course, frontwoman Frances Quinlan’s songwriting skills remain intact, so you can expect great tunes both old and new to greet your ears when Hop Along takes the Broadberry stage this Sunday. But you might also be pleasantly surprised by the risks the band takes with their sound, integrating quiet electronic textures alongside their traditional folk-tinged melodies and alt-rock guitar scrapes. And of course, there’s Quinlan’s incredible voice on top of it all, which manages to turn a breathy twang into a heartfelt grasp for emotional connection in the most powerful of fashions. She and her band are sure to hit close to home for all of us on this night; you owe it to yourself to show up and have a real emotional experience — especially since most of us spend our lives fleeing from such things.

Monday, May 7, 8 PM
Worriers, Positive No, Sea Of Storms, Bad Magic @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Lauren Denitzio just continues to amaze. This excellent songwriter first showed their chops as the less-heard, more-anticipated songwriter in The Measure (SA). They carried that talent over in a big way to the Worriers, who despite perennial lineup instability have become a consistent force for incredible music in the underground punk rock scene. Their third LP, Survival Pop, came out last year and carried on this tradition with songs that both bravely attacked important issues too often swept under the rug in our society (“Gaslighter,” “What We’re Up Against”), and displayed real emotion and vulnerability in a manner that can offer comfort to even the most repressed among us.

The Worriers have come through Richmond with a variety of lineups over the years; Denitzio is often backed by a variety of fellow punk luminaries from bands like The Ergs, Bridge And Tunnel, and more. But really, who’s backing them isn’t that important; what matters here are the songs, and the strength of their delivery. As long as it’s Denitzio up front, you’re guaranteed to get those. And on this incredible bill, you’re going to get a triple-shot of killer local tuneage in the bargain, from Positive No’s politically-driven melodic alt-rock and Sea Of Storms’ hard-hitting post-hardcore emotion to Bad Magic’s always-on-time indie-rock crunch. Don’t miss a single minute.

Tuesday, May 8, 8 PM
Patty Smyth and Scandal @ The Tin Pan – $47.50 in advance/$52.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Look, I’ll admit it — the price for this one is high. And you’ve gotta be pretty old to remember Patty Smyth’s heyday with hits like “Goodbye To You” and “The Warrior” (I’m in my 40s and these songs all predate my teen years). That said, while Smyth may not have quite as much indie cool cred as her Y-to-I doppelganger Patti Smith, she and her longtime band Scandal still rock like crazy, and anyone with the means would be foolish to miss out on this surefire great time on a Tuesday night.

Make no mistake, Patty Smyth does have some indie cool points. After all, her first husband was legendary first-wave punk Richard Hell, and one of her biggest hits as a solo artist back in the 80s was a cover of Tom Waits’ “Downtown Train.” If you ask me though, it’s her time fronting Scandal that produced her best work; the catchy kiss-off “Goodbye To You” and the feminist power anthem “The Warrior” are deathless rock n’ roll classics. Patty’s been back together with Scandal since that early-2000s VH1 show Bands Reunited made them the subject of an episode, and you can expect the eternally-youthful Smyth to bring the fire when she and Scandal hit the Tin Pan stage Tuesday night. Trust me on this one.

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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, photos via Facebook

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 4/11-4/17

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, April 14, 7 PM
SCAN Benefit, feat. Gull, Alfred., Womajich Dialysiez, DJ Jafar Flowers, DJ Synthia Slimez @ Champion RVA – $6-10 donation
Music is at its best when it is used to help make the world a better place. And musicians tend to understand that, which is why you see so many benefit shows taking place over the course of any given month. This particular month, April, is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and in the spirit of that cause, a few Richmond artists in the broader field of experimental electronic music have come together to throw a benefit for Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now). This group runs programs doing everything from providing preschool for children who’ve experienced trauma to ensuring children have advocates for their interests in abuse/neglect cases. They’re doing important work, and community support is essential.

That’s what you’ll be providing by paying admission to this show at Champion Brewing Company, but don’t worry, you’ll be getting something out of the deal as well. For starters, Gull is performing at the top of the bill, and this one-man musical dynamo has been continually impressive for its near-decade of existence. Beginning as a fast, slightly quirky hardcore band, Gull has evolved into a hard-to-define project that takes its main elements — percussion and vocals, both fed through a variety of effects — and does all sorts of things with them. 2017 album Lurcher demonstrates the latest form the Gull identity has taken, bringing together ambient electronic swells with hypnotic repeating percussion patterns and Gull’s distinctive vocals — always sung through a microphone-equipped mask.

Gull won’t be the only artist immersing you in an all-encompassing world of sound at this show. Local rapper Alfred. has undermined a lot of expectations that come along with the hip hop genre by approaching it from an introspective, emotionally open, and musically adventurous mindset. His 2017 mixtape, So Sensitive, makes clear how gloriously unusual this “queer rap scallion” really is, and his unique approach will bloom into full life in the live performance environment. Meanwhile, Womajich Dialysiez is an experimental musical collective that focuses on improvisation from a femme perspective. Its shifting lineup brings a variety of local femme and gender non-conforming musicians together to create spontaneously generated music full of life and energy. Expect a whirlwind of percussion, electronics, and all sorts of other elements; there’s no telling where the music will go, but it’ll definitely take you on a journey. DJ sets from Jafar Flowers of Ice Cream Support Group and Synthia Slimez of Aesthetic Barrier will get this party rolling. Be there, and expand your mind for a good cause.

Wednesday, April 11, 8 PM
Infinite Third, Lobo Marino, Owlrare @ Pik Nik – Free!
I’ve been hearing a lot of people talk about this Pik Nik place lately, though thus far no one has elaborated on the role of baskets in this restaurant’s operation. Like, seriously, if they don’t bring your food to the table in a basket I don’t know what this restaurant is up to. However, we’re not here to talk about the food. We’re here to celebrate the fact that yet another local venue is dipping their toe into the world of live music. And since everyone likes seeing new places get into the show-booking game, it’s pretty essential to support those places when they start getting into the game, so they’ll want to continue.

Not that that’s a difficult thing to do when a venue offers an excellent midweek lineup like this one. Florida artist Infinite Third is at the top of the bill, returning to Richmond quite soon after his last performance as part of Silent Music Revival a few months ago. This artist brings us ambient guitar melodies that build into palaces of sound held up by the bones of programmed beats and sampled field recordings; his most recent LP, 2017’s Channel(s), is the sort of sound world one can get lost in for an extended period of time. The thought of this world taking over a restaurant on a Wednesday evening is fascinating, and certainly not an experience to be missed. Infinite Third will be joined on this outing by peripatetic experimentalists Lobo Marino, who bring together a variety of sounds from around the world in their unique, atmospheric style. The whole evening starts off with a set from intriguing local singer-songwriter OwlRare, and will be delightful from beginning to end — even if it doesn’t come in a basket.

Thursday, April 12, 8 PM
Rosetta, Ostraca, Truman, Twin Drugs @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
This show is exciting for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is the obvious — Rosetta has returned to RVA once again. This Philadelphia band, who started out working with labels but eventually decided to go it alone and has been self-releasing their material ever since, has been producing high quality material for quite a long time, and they’re showing no signs of stopping. 2017’s Utopioid was their sixth album, and it’s every bit as brilliant as previous career highs such as the excellent 2013 album The Anaesthete. With Utopioid, Rosetta continue evolving, expanding, and exploring their sound, now mixing the sludge, noise, and metallic hardcore elements that have been there from the start with increasing doses of shoegaze melody and post-rock atmosphere. They send all of this through a filter of passionate emotion that gives everything they do a heightened level of power and intensity.

Therefore, one can imagine that their performance at Strange Matter Thursday night will be one for the books, with an impact you won’t soon forget. And of course, the same can be said of any performance from local heavy hitters Ostraca, who’ve been unleashing their own intense, passionate take on metallic hardcore for over a decade now. 2017 brought us three new releases from Ostraca, all of which dramatically demonstrate how much better this band continues to get. There’s no better place to experience Ostraca than in live performance, and if you don’t know that firsthand, it’s time for you to find out. The bill offers an added bonus in the form of a performance by Truman, who’ve been playing less often in recent months but are no less awesome. Their epic take on emotionally-driven hardcore will have you riveted, so don’t miss it. Twin Drugs will kick the night off with what promises to be an excellent set of heavy shoegaze sounds, so show up on time and be prepared to immerse yourself in a night of outstanding sound.

Friday, April 13, 6 PM
Movement Presents PLRLS, Danger Boy, Serqet, Nocere, DJ Cortes @ Hardywood – Free!
Movement is an intriguing new group on the Richmond music scene. This vinyl-only DJ collective has two main goals: promoting the post-punk sound, and offering safer spaces for music fans of all types to dance together in harmony (a refreshing and positive goal). They don’t just do these two things in the context of dance nights either; they’re working to bring in killer postpunk bands from around the country and beyond to perform for us right here in RVA — which is how they came to produce Friday night’s show at Hardywood.

The event, which will feature Movement’s DJ Cortes spinning vinyl before and between bands throughout the night, is focused around the arrival of PLRLS, who hail from Baltimore and have a quirky take on postpunk that sees them integrating the goofy catchiness of Devo with the rumbling menace of Gang Of Four and the post-garage drive of The Rezillos. They’ll be joined by South Carolina’s Danger Boy, who bring us a fuzzy, punked-out take on the foreboding melodic sounds of early 80s UK stars like The Chameleons and The Cure. Two local groups will open up for these touring ensembles. Serqet is a local crew featuring former members of Hot Dolphin and Lost Tribe and bringing us a moody mix of early goth-punk Siouxsie and the Banshees, and rumbling peace-punk vibes a la Zounds. Finally, we’ll have the return of Nocere, which brings Shadow Age’s Aaron Tyree together with vocalist Emily Symington to create some prime drum machine-fueled coldwave sounds. This one really is essential.

Saturday, April 14, 8 PM
The Human Race Is Filth, Drugs Of Faith, Coroner’s Report, Amara, Hepatagua @ McCormack’s – $10
It’s a loud, heavy week here in RVA, y’all. We’ve already covered some loud sounds and it’s just gonna get louder from here, so if you can’t handle it, batten the hatches. The rest of us will be out here joyously banging our heads, beginning with Saturday night’s show at McCormack’s in Shockoe Bottom. This show is a Between 2 Beers production, and as usual, they’re out here making sure that we all get the proper amount of metal in our diets. This week’s installment sees excellence arriving in Richmond from several different fronts. Most importantly, this show will bring us the excellently named The Human Race Is Filth, a grinding crust band that can also slow down enough to drop incredible downtuned grooves on us all… at least, once in a while. Mostly though, this is shred-heavy speed freak music about how the world is doomed. I can’t argue with any of that.

Drugs Of Faith are also on this bill, and while they aren’t at the top, they’re at least as big an attraction as our headliners. This is the current project of Richard Johnson, the man known as the “grindfather,” who spent the 90s running pioneering American grindcore group Enemy Soil before forming Drugs Of Faith back in the early 2000s. Drugs Of Faith expand on the Enemy Soil legacy of blistering grindcore by integrating riffy midtempo grooves and more complex songwriting into their sound. And while they don’t release records as often as Enemy Soil did, by any means (their last release, a split EP with Cloud Rat, was three years ago), they keep the quality high and the rage unrelenting. This show will also feature a special appearance by Bostonian duo Hepatagua, who have some driving midtempo sludge-core to lay on us all, and will feature local blackened shredders Amara and brand-new local death metal duo Coroner’s Report laying some ugly sounds on us all. It’s a jam-packed night of unparalleled heavyosity. Just what we all need.

Sunday, April 15, 8 PM
Impiety, Divine Eve, Gravehill, Voarm @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Continuing with our theme, Strange Matter will bring us metal sounds spanning all corners of the globe this Sunday night, most notably Singapore death-rippers Impiety. And what better band could there be to grace the lord’s day than this blatantly sacreligious group of metal veterans, responsible for such classics as 1992’s Ceremonial Neochrist Redesecration EP, and 2009’s Terroreign (Apocalyptic Armageddon Command)? These metal vets have been coming out of the Far East to assault our ears with apocalyptic riffs, insanely precise lightspeed drums, and brutal death metal growls since back when I was in high school (and believe me when I tell you, that was a LONG time ago).

If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing Impiety’s pulverizing metallic destruction in person, you better make sure you’re at Strange Matter this Sunday night, because it’s a long way back to Singapore, and chances are they won’t make the trip again soon. Sweetening the pot will be another veteran band, this one from right here in the USA, Texas’s Divine Eve, who grabbed some underground recognition in the early 90s with their crushing death-doom sound, but spent many of the intervening years out of action and are only now returning to the world with a full tour. This band constitutes another rare opportunity, so you’ve got twice as many reason to make sure you don’t miss this show! And of course, we can’t forget California maniacs Gravehill, who’ve made quite a name for themselves with their dark, filthy take on thrash metal. Once you add local black metallers Voarm at the start of the evening, you’ve got a completely unmissable bill full of legends. You know what to do.

Monday, April 16, 9 PM
Seraph, Dr. No, Black Mountain Massacre @ The Camel – $5 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a name I haven’t heard in a while! Seraph were a pretty strong presence in the local metal scene back in the first part of the decade, bringing us a powerful deathcore sound full of skull-fracturing low end intensity. Since not long after the release of 2014 EP Embrace Your Demise, though, Seraph have been on hiatus, biding their time until all members of the band could live in the same place again. Fortunately, that came to pass last fall, and they’ve been woodshedding and playing the occasional live gig around town since then.

This show is the latest step in their return to action, and promises to bring local fans some long-awaited new material as well as the highlights from their previous releases. If crushing ultra-slow breakdowns are your idea of fun, you’ll definitely want to catch this one. Seraph are joined on this bill by Dr. No, a new local group with some heavy metal tendencies, as well as a bit of good ol’ rock n’ roll thrown into the mix. The bill is rounded out by the memorably named Black Mountain Massacre, who get down with the Fu Manchu-style midtempo rockin’ metal grooves to get you raising your fist in the air. It’s gonna get heavy, folks.

Tuesday, April 17, 6 PM
Morbid Angel, Misery Index, Dreaming Dead, Hate Storm Annihilation @ The Broadberry – $25 in advance/$30 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Let’s wrap up the week with the most classic and essential metal firestorm of the many hitting RVA this week. At the top of this bill sits Morbid Angel, one of the most important death metal bands to come out of the genre. From groundbreaking 1989 classic debut Altars Of Madness to last winter’s Kingdom Disdained (yes, all their album titles are in alphabetical order), this band has never lost its ability to dish out fast and heavy riffage that is both incredibly brutal and surprisingly catchy. A lot of metal might fade into a rumbling blur, but Morbid Angel’s riffs are always memorable, most likely due to the guitar mastery of sole original member Trey Azagthoth, who has pulled together a variety of killer lineups over the years to keep Morbid Angel shredding at the highest levels.

These days, the band is rounded out by bassist/vocalist Steve Tucker, returning to the position he capably held down in the late 90s and early 00s after yet another departure by founding bassist/vocalist Dave Vincent. With Annihilated’s Scott Fuller skillfully laying down the killer beats, this lineup promises to tear all our heads off with aplomb, just as we always expect from these metal legends. Of course, Morbid Angel are reason enough to go to this show all by themselves; however, it certainly doesn’t hurt that they’ve brought along such a powerful supporting lineup to devastate you throughout the night. The grinding death metal attack of Maryland’s Misery Index is the most notable addition, and while it’s been four years since their last album, brand new single “I Disavow” shows that they’re still as intense as ever, so be prepared. This killer lineup is rounded out by melodic death metallers Dreaming Dead and the excellently monikered tech-death of Hate Storm Annihilation. Get ready to thrash.

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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.]

Top Image by Vivienne Lee, based on a photo by Joey Wharton

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Iron Reagan, Despise You, Cemetery Piss, Left Cross @ Champion RVA

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It’s not quite a beer bash at the moon tower, but this sure does look like a wild, excellent party that’ll hark back to days of yore for many of us who still love to thrash despite not being as young as we once were. Iron Reagan, once a young upstart of a Municipal Waste side project, are now on their third album, and have become just as venerable a crossover thrash institution as the Waste themselves. In preparation for their upcoming split with Gatecreeper, they’re out on tour once again, and in celebration of Champion’s one-year anniversary of opening their Richmond location, this rock n’ roll brewery will be bringing Iron Reagan to their stage for a night of metal thrashing madness!

Iron Reagan’s partner on this tour is Los Angeles band Despise You, a pioneering grind-crust ripper of a band that made a big noise back in the 90s and returned to action more powerful than ever a little less than a decade ago. This will be their second time hitting Richmond since the reformation, but the first time was over six years ago, so surely a lot of us have built up a big time thirst to see them rip it up once again. Baltimore rippers Cemetery Piss and local old-school death-thrash revivalists Left Cross will round out the lineup with plenty more awesomeness, and–if you’re over 21–the whole thing is free! I’m sure the $10 admission for those under 21 is to offset lost beer sales, but honestly, it’s pretty steep, especially since 40-something straight edge kids like myself can beat the system by neither paying admission nor buying beer! Oops, I did it again!

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 1/10-1/16

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, January 12, 7 PM
RVA Lyricist Lounge, Vol. 1, hosted by Radio B, feat. Michael Millions, AGM/Southpaw, Mutant Academy, Gritty City, Noah O, Joey Gallo, Born Unique, Intalek, Easalio, Chance Fischer, Cane, Cole Hicks, J Slim, Nu3ra Ness, Misterelle, Reppa Ton, RezonDaDawn, and more @ Strange Matter – $10
Radio B has been a prime mover on the Richmond hip hop scene for a while now, and his efforts not only to make great music but to help cultivate the culture and push the genre forward locally have been the reasons. With 2018 just getting started, he’s wasting no time, bringing the first installment of a planned monthly event, RVA Lyricist Lounge, to Strange Matter this Friday. With this event, Radio B and his compatriots hope to “be the catalyst for better writers and emcees in Richmond and all over the world” by emphasizing lyricism and making bars, flows, and wordplay important within the local scene. Sounds like a worthy goal. Are you in?

Well, for those on the fence, there’s a powerful inducement to make it out to the premiere of this new series right at the top of the bill. Michael Millions, who has been one of local hip hop’s leading lights, just dropped Hard To Be King, a new album that’s getting everyone talking. Word on the street is that this guy’s poised to blow up, so now’s the time to get in on the ground floor and catch him live in an intimate setting. Plus, there’ll be a limited physical release of Millions’ 2016 collaboration with Radio B, Tenthsndhrs, available at the show for the first time.

This is just the beginning of what is going on at this show, and we don’t have too much space, so let’s lay it down real quick: cyphers from hot local crews AGM/Southpaw, Mutant Academy, and Gritty City, as well as more cyphers featuring a variety of local and regional lyrical talent–a list is above, and I know you know at least some of those names. Southpaw Battle Coalition, who’ve been making battles a threat again locally, will be sponsoring a tryout battle between up-and-comers TRIG and Basement Chemistry. And there are 15 cypher slots available on a first-come-first-serve basis so you young unknowns can grab the mic and let the people know. The whole thing will be aired on the RVA Lyricist Lounge YouTube channel, but it’s just not the same when you’re not there in person. You know what to do.

Wednesday, January 10, 8 PM
True Widow, Hex Machine, Twin Drugs @ The Camel – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Veteran Dallas act True Widow returns to RVA for what has to be at least their seventh time or so playing here. This is their first time playing The Camel, which is at least somewhat noteworthy, but more important is the hazy, heavy sound they’re bringing with them. You might hear True Widow described as shoegaze in certain circles, but this description will in no way prepare you for the volume and power of their three-piece attack, which to my mind lands closer to doom metal. However, the melodic, psychedelic streak running through this band’s material, especially their most recent album, 2016’s Avvolgere, leavens their more crushing moments with a beautiful undertone that will keep you smiling even as they bowl you over.

They’ll be joined on this bill by local noise-rock trio Hex Machine, who’ve been mostly inactive since the release of their 2013 album Fixator, mainly because singer/guitarist Trevor Thomas and drummer Douglas Andrae have been holding it down as the latest rhythm section for celebrated noise legends Today Is The Day since 2015. However, they’ve brought in Antelope King’s Alex Ricart on bass and returned to action over the last few months, firing on all cylinders and with some new material in the works. Theirs is a welcome return, and their presence on this bill is equally welcome. Fuzzy newcomers Twin Drugs will kick the whole thing off and get you in the mood for the serious amplifier volume that awaits.

Thursday, January 11, 8 PM
Aerica Lauren, OwlRare, On The Water, Julie Storey @ Sound Of Music Studios – $6
It’s a night of quiet beauty at Sound Of Music, with headliners that seem to share a similar vibe even as they take completely different approaches to their music. Prolific songwriter Aerica Lauren a prolific songwriter keeps it raw and real with acoustic instrumentation and some memorable, affecting lyrics. The intricate beauty of her softly plucked strings intertwines with her strong, clear voice and sends you drifting away on the breeze. OwlRare has a darker, moodier vibe on first listen, but this solo performer’s deep, emotionally vulnerable vocal tones and unadorned acoustic guitar strums are equally likely to transport you to some secret place deep inside your mind. Both must be heard to be believed.

Philadelphia’s On The Water are not a solo project, but despite bringing together multiple members, this group operates in a quiet, ambient space constructed as much out of the space between notes played on several instruments as by the chords being struck–though they’re not afraid to hit hard and crank up the volume when the occasion merits it. Finally, this show will also feature Doll Baby frontwoman Julie Storey playing a solo set–and the word is that this will be her last time doing so. Therefore you’d be very well-advised to arrive on time.

Friday, January 12, 8 PM
Post Nothing, Crushed!?, Deadball @ McCormack’s – $5
I know we all get used to thinking of Between 2 Beers Productions as the go-to people for metal in this town, but they’ve got broader horizons than you might think, as this Friday night Shockoe Bottom bill will make clear. California’s Post Nothing and New Mexico’s Crushed!? are coming through with a killer tour package, and while it’s certainly awesome, there’s not really anything metal about it. Post Nothing have a raging sound that is both indebted to hardcore and pushing completely beyond that genre’s borders. It’s really tempting to call this band “post-hardcore,” in fact, but based on their name I have a feeling they’d be a little frustrated about that, so I’ll just say that their hard-rocking riffs remind me of bands like Xerxes and Refused and leave it at that.

As for Crushed!?, (love that little confluence of punctuation marks) they have a bit more of an emotional focus, as is made clear on 2017 EP Giant Robots And Existentialism. The same sort of hardcore influence lies beneath their driving, melodic riffs as one can hear from Post Nothing, but they take it in an introspective rather than forceful direction, bringing to mind bands like Hot Water Music or local heroes Sea Of Storms. Local openers Deadball are a loud n’ proud punk rock band with no frills on offer–slightly different than what you might expect from the local openers on a show like this, but sure to be plenty of fun nonetheless. You really can’t lose with this one, metal or no metal.

Saturday, January 13, 8 PM
When Particles Collide, Glass Twin, School of Rock Short Pump, School Of Rock Midlothian @ The Camel – $7 (order tickets HERE)
This will be an entertaining and unusual night at the Camel, that’s for sure. It all starts with When Particles Collide, a bouncy duo with an elastic sound that calls to mind everything from Blondie and Devo to Cheap Trick and oldies radio. They’ve been on a crowdfunded tour since last May, and their Patreon-like subscription service (fans can contribute amounts equivalent to tanks of gas, hotel rooms, meals, and more, on a monthly automatic-donation basis) has kept them rolling thus far, and they hope to keep things going til at least next summer.

See how it’s going and get rocked in the bargain by coming out to The Camel this Saturday night–and while you’re at it, you’ll not only get a great set from capable local indie vets Glass Twin; you’ll also get to see performances by student groups from two different local branches of the School Of Rock. That’s right, the program for middle schoolers that Jack Black started in the Richard Linklater movie is based on a real thing. So this night will give you a chance to check out some hard-rocking kids strutting their stuff and showing what they’ve learned. That alone is probably worth the price of admission, and you get two excellent adult bands in the bargain. Why not?

Sunday, January 14, 6 PM
Iron Reagan, Despise You, Cemetery Piss, Left Cross @ Champion RVA – Free for 21+, $10 for under 21
It’s not quite a beer bash at the moon tower, but this sure does look like a wild, excellent party that’ll hark back to days of yore for many of us who still love to thrash despite not being as young as we once were. Iron Reagan, once a young upstart of a Municipal Waste side project, are now on their third album, and have become just as venerable a crossover thrash institution as the Waste themselves. In preparation for their upcoming split with Gatecreeper, they’re out on tour once again, and in celebration of Champion’s one-year anniversary of opening their Richmond location, this rock n’ roll brewery will be bringing Iron Reagan to their stage for a night of metal thrashing madness!

Iron Reagan’s partner on this tour is Los Angeles band Despise You, a pioneering grind-crust ripper of a band that made a big noise back in the 90s and returned to action more powerful than ever a little less than a decade ago. This will be their second time hitting Richmond since the reformation, but the first time was over six years ago, so surely a lot of us have built up a big time thirst to see them rip it up once again. Baltimore rippers Cemetery Piss and local old-school death-thrash revivalists Left Cross will round out the lineup with plenty more awesomeness, and–if you’re over 21–the whole thing is free! I’m sure the $10 admission for those under 21 is to offset lost beer sales, but honestly, it’s pretty steep, especially since 40-something straight edge kids like myself can beat the system by neither paying admission nor buying beer! Oops, I did it again!

Monday, January 15, 8 PM
Anneliese, Donnie Dale, Kenneka Cook, Tara Dillard @ Strange Matter – $5
It’s time for another edition of Strange Matter’s excellent Locals Only series. This week’s curator, Anneliese Grant, sings in The Folly, a local folk-rock combo who’ve been very active around town for the last couple of years. However, she’s been making a name for herself as a solo artist lately too, with the release last summer of her Out To Graze EP. The soulful pop bounce of the tracks on this EP have a totally different flavor than her work in The Folly, but that knack with a melody shines through in both venues, so anyone who gets down with one project should enjoy both.

Anneliese isn’t the only member of the Folly who made it onto this bill, with fiddler Tara Dillard taking an opening slot to roll out a set of her solo tunes. Inbetween her kickoff set and Anneliese’s big closer will be two other intriguing performances. One will come from Donnie Dale, a local singer and producer who has previously recorded and performed under the name MNLV, and apparently has a whole new approach to lay on us. The other is from Kenneka Cook, who’s been getting a ton of attention lately as she prepares to release her debut album, Moonchild. This soul-jazz singer has a distinctive style that’s already won many listeners over, and if you’re not among that number, this night is sure to convert you.

Tuesday, January 16, 8 PM
Rosedale, Halfcast, Silver Twin, In The Water @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
If you thought you would get through a whole week of my column without me talking about emo, well, you’ve got another think coming. Not that Rosedale would necessarily identify as emo–this 15 year veteran project hailing from Canada is actually the work of one man, Mike Liorti, who according to facebook would call Rosedale a “progressive power pop” group. But I know emo when I hear it, and considering that this Canadian guitar-slinger alternates between playing with a full band and touring with a solo setup that he brings to life all by himself, it seems to me that this group could easily be called Canada’s answer to Into It. Over It.

Of course, Rosedale busts out a lot more synths on a typical release than Evan Thomas Weiss would, and ultimately seems to draw more from the softer side of the genre–they’re more Spill Canvas than Pianos Become The Teeth, that’s for sure. But one listen to recent EP Again is enough to convince me that, regardless of genre, Rosedale is well worth catching live. The fact that they’re joined by some killer local rockers like Halfcast and Silver Twin, along with new local group In The Water, is enough to let us all know that this will be an excellent show from beginning to end. Don’t miss out, y’all–after all, what else have you got going on on a Tuesday night?

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]