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VA Shows You Must See This Week: May 29 – June 4

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 29, 2019

Topics: American Television, Amy Klein, angelica garcia, Bacchae, Ben Katzman's DeGreaser, Big Baby, Black Plastic, Blue Streak, Camp Howard, Dead Format, Decide By Friday, Deer Eats Birds, Diseased Earth, Doll Baby, Fat Spirit, gallery 5, Garden Grove Brewing, Justus Proffit, Kristeva, Lobby Boy, Matron, McCormack's, Mojo's, New Lions, Newscaster, Organ Trail, Phobia, SameStory, shows you must see, Sleepwalkers, SLOGAME, Strawberry Moon, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Cryptkeeper Five, The Firnats, The Golden Pony, The Great Noise, The Vansaders, Tired All The Time, W I S H, West Beach Tavern, Wolcott's Invisible Hand, Wonderland, Wring Out

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, May 31, 8 PM
New Lions, Doll Baby, Fat Spirit @ The Camel – $6 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)

Remember when Trump won and, alongside everyone who fucking hated it, there were a few people babbling about how “at least there’ll be some good angry music again”? Let me just say right now: it wasn’t worth it, especially for all the women, people of color, and LGBTQ people who’ve found themselves in the crosshairs. But if the return of New Lions is any indication, I’ll go ahead and grant it to those people — y’all were right.

New Lions, which is what Clair Morgan and his band are calling themselves now that they’ve accepted their past several years of existence as a full band, are celebrating the release of their latest EP and first new record in three years, End Story, at The Camel Friday night. With a band name drawn from the final Clair Morgan album, New Lions and the Not-Good Night, they’re clearly building on what has come before. But where previous Clair Morgan LPs mixed Clair’s mathy post-hardcore guitar style with melodic indie riffing, End Story finds this band writing in a decidedly more aggressive vein, with political lyrics and a harsher vocal sound that pushes them almost all the way to the border between post-hardcore and outright screamo.

If the Trump era can get an indie band this upset, imagine what it can do to all the marginalized communities the administration is taking aim for (though actually, you don’t have to imagine — it’s reality). At least we’ll have a killer soundtrack for the battle lines. Or for a Friday night at the Camel, trying to forget it all and enjoy a truly positive thing for this city — the return of one of the city’s leading musical lights to full-throated action. Doll Baby and Fat Spirit will open this one up, and you should definitely bring some extra cash to grab yourself a copy of End Story. You’re gonna need this one by your side this summer.

Wednesday, May 29, 8 PM
Tired All The Time, SameStory @ McCormack’s – $?

Tired All The Time have given themselves the perfect name for this era of millennial burnout and rapidly increasing income inequality. If you’re not one of the rare elites driving a $100,000 European sports car to your fantastically outfitted corporate office, you’re part of the vast assemblage of the rest of us, driving a used 10-year-old European sedan for Uber and panicking at the thought of an unexpected car repair. Is it any surprise that so many of us are, yes, Tired All The Time?

This DC band who wryly uses corporate-style text and iconography to send up the aforementioned elites, may not be able to keep you from having to replace your water pump in six months, but they sure can rock away your cares for one night. Tonight at McCormack’s, down in lovely Shockoe Bottom, they’ll bring their keyboard-laced postpunk sounds, displayed adroitly on last year’s Be Well EP, to the upstairs stage. And it won’t be long before you’re moving your feet with a big smile on your face. Don’t worry about tomorrow morning — just this once, you can wait til 9:30 to sign into the app. We promise.

Thursday, May 30, 9 PM
Ben Katzman’s DeGreaser, Newscaster, The Firnats @ Wonderland – $6

Rock n’ roll never goes out of style, and that’s why the arrival of Ben Katzman’s DeGreaser at another Shockoe Bottom mainstay, Wonderland, is a very welcome fact. Katzman has a Florida metal background and it comes through in spades on 2018’s Quarter Life Crisis, a true wailer of an album whose best tracks would have fit right in next to Van Halen and Judas Priest on early 80s hard rock radio.

But hot licks and killer riffs aren’t the only things Katzman’s DeGreaser have to offer the discerning patron of rock power. Their songs are incredibly well-constructed and have a subtle intelligence at work underneath all those Trans Am-rattling anthems. You can really tell when you check out the lyrics to songs like “Too Old For Retail,” “Goodbye Wi-Fi,” and “Cool Points Don’t Pay The Rent” — these guys know the struggle. And they’re coming to town Thursday night so we can all put it aside for just one night, and rock! You know you need it; let your hair down for this one.

Friday, May 31, 8 PM
Sleepwalkers, Wolcott’s Invisible Hand, Angelica Garcia @ The Broadberry – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)

Sleepwalkers have been an active force on the Richmond music scene for years now, but recently, with their debut full-length, Greenwood Shade, five years in the rearview, it has started to feel like they were fading a bit. Thankfully, that has all turned around in the last few months, with the group signing to Spacebomb and preparing to end the five-year drought of new Sleepwalkers tuneage with a new LP, coming later this year.

It’s not out yet, but the group is celebrating this weekend nonetheless. The first single from the new LP, “Fault Is Me,” came out a couple months ago. Now, Spacebomb is releasing a limited-edition cassette containing remixes of the single by noteworthy local producers including DJ Harrison and Giavos, and Friday night’s show at the Broadberry is your first chance to grab it for yourself! It’s also sure to give you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with some of the other material Sleepwalkers have in store for their full-length Spacebomb debut later this year. Be there and get in on the ground floor.

Saturday, June 1, 9 PM
The Cryptkeeper Five, The Vansaders, Decide By Friday, Dead Format, American Television @ Mojo’s – $5 suggested donation

You might think this is the band Bobby “Boris” Pickett was singing about back in 1962, but no — that was actually the Crypt-Kicker Five. The Cryptkeeper Five are actually a quartet, and they play rollicking punk n’ roll tunes that are sometimes augmented by a Springsteen-style expanded band, complete with horn section. The stage at Mojo’s can’t accomodate all that, but the original four-piece will rock you all the same this Saturday night.

On their latest LP, The Stronghold — which was released on local powerhouse Say-10 Records, not coincidentally the label putting on this entire show — The Cryptkeeper Five come across like a strange combination of the Smoking Popes, Alkaline Trio, and Titus Andronicus, and if you dig any of that (or, for that matter, the subtle Springsteen mention above), you’re sure to have a blast when they hit the stage. Tourmates the Vansaders are actually from Asbury Park, but their acoustic folk-punk sound is a bit less Boss-ish and more reminiscent of The Waterboys or The Pogues. Both of these bands and some killer local groups as well will be combining powers to make this Saturday night musical extravaganza one to remember. Bring cash for the donation pot, and bring your card to buy a cheesesteak — they’re delicious.

Sunday, June 2, 6 PM
Matron, Kristeva, Deer Eats Birds @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!

Free shows to end your weekend are always fun, and there are multiple places around town willing to hook us up with such things on a near-weekly basis. It’s just another wonderful thing about living in RVA. Matron are not from RVA — they come to us from New Orleans — but they’re bringing some wonderful sounds to our town that are sure to wrap up your weekend right. Their latest EP, Standing Water, shows off their unusual hybrid between energetic, mathy post-hardcore and synth-driven alt-rock weirdness, and the group is sure to blow us all away with it once they hit the stage.

We’re lucky enough to get some wonderful local sounds on this bill too — in fact, one or more of these local bands may play after Matron (I’d put one before and one after, but I stopped booking shows a while back due to a permanent case of exhaustion so I may not be the one to ask). No matter when these bands perform, we can be sure that the brilliant, epic post-rock of Kristeva and the complex, melodic alt-rock of Deer Eats Birds will add additional spice and flair to our weekend’s all-too-imminent end. And that’s wonderful.

Monday, June 3, 7 PM
Amy Klein (Photo by Orlando S. Gondar), Black Plastic, SLOGAME, Strawberry Moon @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)

You might know Amy Klein from her days in Titus Andronicus — she played guitar on the band’s early high-water mark, The Monitor — from her politically-informed online writings, or from her 2016 solo debut, Fire. But Klein is taking things to a whole new level with her upcoming sophomore LP, Winter/Time. Not only does the LP’s lead single, “Nothing,” show both a driving punk energy and some serious postpunk/new wave melodic chops, the album as a whole will apparently tackle complicated narratives constructed from an imaginary world that Klein nurtured in her mind as a child, known as a paracosm.

That might sound like pretty insane stuff at first blush, but album-as-high-concept-fantasy-novel is a familiar trope across the history of intelligent, unorthodox rock n’ roll, from Rush’s 2112 to The Who’s legendarily unrealized Lifehouse. With the album on the eve of release, it seems likely that Klein will go the way of the Rush classic rather than the Who’s nervous-breakdown-fueling collapse, and that’s certainly a great thing. If nothing else, it offers us the tantalizing possibility of a whole album full of songs as good as “Nothing” — which will certainly be a lovely treat for us all this summer. Get ready by heading down to the Camel and rocking with Amy Klein this Monday night. It’s a great way to start your week.

Tuesday, June 4, 7 PM
Justus Proffit, Camp Howard, Big Baby, Lobby Boy @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)

You know, I can’t say I’m familiar with memorably-named LA singer-songwriter Justus Proffit, but he’s apparently somewhat of a prodigy, having played in touring bands since he was 16 or so. Now he’s 25, and if you’re thinking, “Oh, is this kid the next Jay Reatard then?” you’re not entirely on the wrong track. His new album, LA’s Got Me Down, is full of psychedelic garage tunes, doused in noisy guitar distortion that can’t quite hide the brilliant melodies at its heart.

Proffit’s tunes of LA struggle reference drugs, death, and a culture of false allegiances, but they’re kept aloft by his flawless ear for pop melodies. There’s an ever-present psychedelic weirdness as well, just to keep the whole thing glowing with the sunlight of a slightly overexposed photograph. The combination is unique, arresting, and memorable, and if Proffit carries on in this fashion, he’ll be hugely famous before you know it. Get in on this movement before the rest of the world catches on, and spend your Tuesday night at Gallery 5. You won’t regret it.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Thursday, May 30, 8 PM
Phobia, Diseased Earth, Organ Trail @ The Golden Pony – $12 (order tickets HERE)

Legendary California grindcore ragers Phobia have been around for damn near 30 years now, and despite many different trials and tribulations over that time, they continue rolling along at full speed — their forthcoming LP, Generation Coward, is something like their 16th release, and that’s not even counting the million split EPs they’ve done over the years. They’ve still got the fire in their bellies, though, as is clear from the new LP’s advance single, “Internet Tough Guy.” We’ve all known a few of those, am I right?

Anyway, Phobia are coming to Harrisonburg’s Golden Pony tomorrow night, and they’re going to rock the place like crazy. Roaring, growling vocals, grinding thrash guitar riffs, and super-fast blast beats aplenty await the fortunate souls who stumble into the Golden Pony. It’s going to be awesome, especially with regional powerhouses Diseased Earth and Organ Trail (not the computer game you played in middle school — oh my, no) dropping a bomb loaded full of death-metallic grind power on you to kick this night off. Be ready to bang your head, because you’re going to be doing a lot of that.

Saturday, June 1, 8 PM
Blue Streak, The Great Noise, Bacchae, W I S H, Wring Out @ West Beach Tavern – $10 (order tickets HERE)

Hardcore isn’t just a sound, it’s a culture. Want proof? Check out hardcore bands like Angel Du$t, or Culture Abuse — bands that are both beloved in the scene and bear no resemblance to Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Brains, or any of the other agreed-upon touchstones of the sound. But their members have played hardcore music before, so hardcore kids are willing to check them out. Blue Streak might be another one of those bands; featuring members of Give, Red Death, and — sure enough — Angel Du$t, this group nonetheless brings a sound that comes much closer to indie pop and alternative rock than anything approaching hardcore.

Will the kids love it nonetheless? It’s an open question with this relatively new band, who’ve only released two singles thus far. However, considering the quality of the songs on offer, they certainly should. And those of you who couldn’t care less about hardcore might want to consider doing so as well. Fans of everything from Sloan to Braid to The Breeders are going to hear things they really like in this band’s sound — regardless of cultural affiliation. They’ll be playing with a bunch of other melodic indie, alt-rock, and shoegaze groups as well, so you’re sure to have a full night of joy with fellow DC power-poppers Bacchae, Hampton Roads killers The Great Noise, and even Richmond’s own hazy-guitar maestros, W I S H. What are you waiting for? Get down with it.

—-

Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers -– this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: March 20 – March 26

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 20, 2019

Topics: Addis Ethiopian Lounge, Appalling, Awkward Shaman, Bandito's, Bermuda Triangles, Calling All Captains, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Channel 43, Continuation, Criminal Hygiene, Dead Format, Diet Blood, Distant Dee, Dogfuck, Elevation27, Failure, Flatline, Grass Panther, Grouser, Hoboknife, Iron Reagan, MC Correct, McCormack's Irish Pub, Microwaves, Mo'ynoq, MSD, multicult, Murdersome, New Lions, No Mas, Noisem, Peabody's, Sanji the Hedgehog, Scott H. Biram, Serqet, shows you must see, Sick Of It All, Space Koi, Swervedriver, The Camel, The Goddamn Gallows, Urban Pioneers, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Wednesday, March 20, 8 PM
Noisem (Photo by Andrew Hartl), No/Mas, Murdersome, MSD @ McCormack’s – $10

It’s apparently the month for mid-week metal — this is two weeks in a row that the most unmissable show of the week is happening only a few short hours after this column gets posted. Hey, I’m not complaining, especially if Wednesday will keep bringing us the absolute (head)bangers we’ve seen for the past couple of weeks. This time around, it’s the return of youthful Baltimore headbangers Noisem, who are rolling into Shockoe Bottom to devastate Richmond’s most flood-prone streets.

It’s been a while since Noisem had a massive amount of hype as teen thrash sensations, and you might have thought (as I had) that they broke up a few years ago. As it turns out, the truth is a bit more complicated. After 2015’s Blossoming Decay, an internal schism fractured the band’s lineup, and three of the five members left. Guitarist Sebastian Phillips and his drumming brother Harley were undaunted, quickly recruiting new singer-bassist Ben Anft and carrying on as a trio. But their label was decidedly daunted, and quickly dropped them.

Four years later, Noisem have returned with a new label and a brand new album, Cease To Exist. Ben Anft’s vocals replace the hardcore bark of original vocalist Tyler Carnes with a harsh, Carcass-style roar (which I honestly might like better), but otherwise, this is the same headbang-inspiring death-thrash awesomeness you’ve always gotten from Noisem, and it is a welcome return indeed from a band whose members are all now old enough to order a beer before the set at McCormack’s tonight. Expect serious brutality, just like you got from them in years past, as well as some ripping thrash rage from DC’s own No/Mas and local stalwarts Murdersome and MSD. This one is gonna rule.

Wednesday, March 20, 6 PM
The Goddamn Gallows, Scott H. Biram, Urban Pioneers, Channel 43 @ The Camel – $20 (order tickets HERE)

The borders between genres are always intriguing, and one that seems to have excited a lot of people’s imaginations over the past couple of decades is the thin line between punk rock and old-time bluegrass. That might not seem such an easily permeated dividing line, but considering that both genres have a tradition of working-class musicians building their sound from outsider traditions and roots within isolated, tight-knit communities, I suppose it makes sense that there’s quite a bit of crossover.

The Goddamn Gallows are one of the bands exploring that musical borderland; they’ve been doing so for over a decade now, and on their latest LP, The Trial, they manage to move between old-time waltzes that foreground folk instruments like banjo and accordion, and darker moments that use distortion and harsh vocals to accentuate the heaviness. And crazily enough, it all works incredibly well — something you can get an up-close-and-personal view of tonight at The Camel, when The Goddamn Gallows pull into town at the head of a touring caravan that also features one-man outlaw-country band Scott H. Biram and energetic Western swing combo Urban Pioneers. Multi-decade Richmond melodic punk vets Channel 43 kick things off to let us know they’re still going strong.

Thursday, March 21, 8 PM
The Listening Sessions, feat. Space Koi, Sanji The Hedgehog, Awkward Shaman, Dogfuck, Distant Dee, MC Correct @ Addis Ethiopian Lounge – $7

As I’ve said in this column many times, Richmond hip hop is a many-splendored thing, and it can be all but impossible to keep up with it all. Therefore I’m not all that surprised that I wasn’t aware until recently of everything Secret Bonus Level has been up to. This crew of local rappers and producers makes it their mission to include the LGBTQ community in everything they do, with the hopes of eventually helping to normalize the idea of queer and trans participants in the world of hip hop. As a rap-loving trans woman, I can definitely get behind that.

Their show this Thursday finds the Secret Bonus Level crew sharing the stage with Space Koi, a Richmond group whose reggae-rooted sound incorporates surf, punk, and psychedelic sounds. The result is several cuts above the typical reggae-rock hybrids we all hear way too much of on modern rock radio — and thank god for that, am I right? They’ll join the Secret Bonus Level crew in its entirety: the trippy rhymes of Sanji The Hedgehog, the wavy melodies of Awkward Shaman, the stoned mumblings of memorably named rapper Dogfuck, and more. The sounds at this show might very well be weird, but the environment is always welcoming, so come down to Addis Ethiopian and check it out — you might just find your new favorite Richmond MC.

Friday, March 22, 9 PM
Appalling, Mo’ynoq, Hoboknife @ Wonderland – $5

Richmond’s extreme metal scene is as alive and well as ever, and more than ever, Shockoe Bottom is the place to learn all about it. Especially with Strange Matter gone, it seems these days the serious thrashers are gonna have to ride their bikes down a really long hill to get the raging riffs they crave. Take heart, carless metalheads — this Friday night, Wonderland has the kind of heaping helping of headbanging that makes the long ride back up the hills of East Main Street totally worth it. Local black metal crew Appalling will be releasing their second full-length at Wonderland on the Friday night in question, and the celebration is sure to be off the chain. They’ve recently been out on the road with Richmond death metal vets Deathcrown, and now Inverted Realm is here to take us all to the next level of epic destruction.

If you love the claustrophobic terror sound of classic Scandinavian black metal masters — think Emperor or Marduk — and you still haven’t checked Appalling out, you need to fix that with the quickness and get to Wonderland on Friday night. They’re sure to tickle your fancy, right before they punch it in the throat. Appalling are joined on this powerhouse bill by fellow black metallers Mo’ynoq. If you saw the name and thought of a certain comedian for a second, well, you’re not alone, but rest assured these guys bring the heavy in a decidedly Immortal-ish fashion. Perennially reliable local stalwarts Hoboknife kick this one off with some dark fury. Get there — even if you’ve gotta walk home.

Saturday, March 23, 9 PM
Microwaves, Multicult, Bermuda Triangles @ Wonderland – $10

Those who are paying attention are sure to know that there’s already a Mikrowaves from Richmond — but as you can see, they spell their name with a K. The Microwaves (with a C) coming to Wonderland Saturday night are a decidedly different proposition. This trio from Pittsburgh, who just released their sixth album, Via Weightlessness, on San Diego noise-core label Three One G, are every bit as hectic as their label affiliation might lead you to expect.

Where their distorted guitar sound and usage of effects that might even make you think there’s a keyboard involved (there isn’t) is likely to remind you of way-out freaks like Orthrelm and Lightning Bolt, there’s a decidedly more song-based structure to Microwaves’ music, which results in the sort of sound that should appeal to fans of decidedly rockin’ noise like that of Arab On Radar or the Melvins, even as its speed and chaos should certainly connect with those who love the early works of the legendary Hella. Microwaves are hitting town with Baltimore noise-rockers Multicult, who conjure some obvious Jesus Lizard comparisons on 2016 LP Position Remote — a slab of pure freakout fun, if you ask me. Local percussion-obsessed weirdos Bermuda Triangles will kick this night off in proper fashion, so roll on down to Wonderland Saturday night prepared to flip out. Rest assured, it’s gonna happen.

Sunday, March 24, 10 PM
Grouser, Grass Panther @ Bandito’s – Free!

Sometimes I put shows into my show column because I’m already intimately familiar with the bands playing. But other times, I am more curious than anything else. This is one of those latter times, and I must say, my curiosity feels likely enough to be rewarded that I think all of you should join me in my quest for satisfaction. Hey, it’s a free show at Bandito’s — if nothing else, you’ll be able to say you got some delicious nachos while you were there. But so anyway — about Grouser. I don’t know this trio’s true identities, but I find it fascinating that they apparently contain members not only of long-running local stoner-metal heavyweights RPG but also of “only true fortysomething Richmonders will know” 90s alt-rockers Jettison Charlie.

I find it even more fascinating that, out of nowhere, they have an outstanding 2018 LP, Harmonic Freight Train, up on Bandcamp. The 13 songs contained on this record have the same sort of noisy post-hardcore energy and subtle melodic grasp that distinguished 90s Richmond legends Kepone, as well as classic 90s Dischord alums like Bluetip. I’m a sucker for records like this; I’m only sorry I didn’t discover it last summer when it came out. Based on these tunes, no matter who is actually in this band, the live show is bound to be essential. The fact that they’re joined on this bill by Manzara affiliates Grass Panther only makes this even more unmissable. And it’s free? What more do you want?

Monday, March 25, 7 PM
Calling All Captains, Diet Blood, Dead Format @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 (Order tickets HERE)

Damn, speaking of sounds I’m a sucker for… Calling All Captains roll into Richmond this Monday night, and I for one can’t wait. These Canadians just joined up with Equal Vision Records, which released their EP Nothing Grows Here last month, and now they’re on tour bringing their sound to the world. Rest assured, if you, like me, are way into recent melodic, emotional pop-punk superstars like State Champs, Knuckle Puck, and The Story So Far, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in Calling All Captains.

Don’t get me wrong, though, they aren’t just a retread of other bands you’ve liked in the past — Canada’s a big country, and this quintet is from Edmonton, Alberta, a city located solidly in Canada’s midwest. Therefore it’s no surprise to find a decided heartland tinge to Calling All Captains’ melodic punk sound, as if they’ve spent a fair amount of time with the Braid and Get Up Kids discographies. That’s certainly never a bad thing. They’ll be joined on this bill by a Richmond band who also feature a melodic punk sound as well as a decidedly unusual name: Diet Blood. What is that about? Is this a band of vampires? Bring some garlic with you to Capital Ale House for this one. Local pop-punk newcomers Dead Format will get this one started off in fine fashion. Get stoked, y’all.

Tuesday, March 26, 10 PM
New Lions, Serqet, Continuation @ Don’t Look Back/Triple – Free!

Not every show has to be a huge event, you know? Sometimes it’s just nice to hang with some friends and enjoy some great tunes. You’ll definitely have the opportunity to do that at Don’t Look Back on Tuesday night, for a free show at the mythical former location of The Triple (where those of us who’ve been around a while saw some pretty cool shows back in the day).

This night will not only give us a chance to rejoice once again at the return of Don’t Look Back and its amazing tacos (show up early and get your fill before the rock starts). It’ll also bring us another opportunity to enjoy the reincarnated and rejuvenated New Lions before their new EP comes out later this year. Plus we’ll get a set from cerebral goth-punks Serqet to enliven all of our minds. Newborn duo Continuation, which features members of Dommengang and The Catalyst, will grace us all with some delightful psychedelic sounds to start the evening off. Let’s all partake and enjoy, shall we?

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Thursday, March 21, 6 PM
Sick Of It All, Iron Reagan, Flatline @ Peabody’s – $20 in advance/$22 at the door (Order tickets HERE)

There’s punk. There’s hardcore. And then there’s New York hardcore. NYHC, as the kids say. Even as it is clearly a big part of hardcore as a whole, NYHC is kind of its own thing, a heavier, tougher form of hardcore that takes obvious influence from the street-level struggles of its early progenitors, who had to fight to survive on the mean streets of New York City in the 80s — long before Manhattan became a glass-skyscraper landscape that mostly acts as a playground for the rich. And Sick Of It All is one of a very few NYHC bands who both helped craft the sound at the very start and is still going strong today.

They just released their 12th album, Wake The Sleeping Dragon!, last year, and if you heard it, you know Sick Of It All are every bit as angry, tough, and talented as they always have been. This show is sure to bring us the best of their new shit along with a heaping helping of classics that we all know and love — “It’s Clobbering Time,” “Step Down,” “Injustice System,” you know the ones. The fact that SOIA are sharing this bill –one that sees them returning to VA Beach’s Peabody’s for the first time in nearly two decades — with Richmond crossover maniacs Iron Reagan only further emphasizes the fact that this is gonna be a show for the ages. Get the Doc Martens shined up and get ready to break out the GI Joe Headstomp for this one.

Monday, March 25, 8 PM
Failure, Swervedriver, Criminal Hygiene @ Elevation27 – $25 in advance/$30 day of show (Order tickets HERE)

This show would be big news even if only one of the two headliners were coming through. The fact that both of them are here to blow our minds just makes this a tour beyond all wildest dreams. California space-rockers Failure fell apart in the late 90s, but they left behind multiple classic albums, which garnered them an ever-growing cult following that rejoiced when the trio returned to action in 2015. Since then, they’ve made two more albums, releasing the excellently titled In The Future Your Body Will Be The Furthest Thing From Your Mind late last fall.

UK quartet Swervedriver had a similar career path to that of Failure, and though soundwise they are less Nirvana-meets-Pink Floyd and more Neil Young-meets-My Bloody Valentine, the two groups have a lot in common musically as well as historically. Swervedriver, who broke up in 1999, reformed in 2008, and have themselves released two albums since reuniting. The most recent, Future Ruins, was released earlier this year; like the latest Failure album, it shows that this group is still as much at the top of their game as they ever have been. Getting to see both of these bands on the same night will be a true treat. Make sure you’re there to experience it.

—-

Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers -– this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, there’s plenty more of my writing to read over at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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