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VA Shows You Must See This Week: October 3 – October 9

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, October 5, 6 PM
Bracewar, Cold World, Shark Attack, Day By Day, Victim, Division Of Mind, Mindforce, Downfall, Antagonize @ The Canal Club – $20 (order tickets HERE)
It might be a surprise for the uninitiated to hear this, but hardcore is basically dance music — and hardcore bands know it. So many of them have “Intro” songs they play when they first hit the stage, and big mosh breakdowns that they end their sets with, most of which are introduced by a singer screaming, “Last chance to dance!” I rest my case. Richmond’s Bracewar is one of those bands, and in fact, I’ve often heard other hardcore kids talk about how their “Intro” (from their 2007 Juggernaut LP) is their best or most popular song. It makes a weird sort of sense — for a typically fast-as-hell band, the intro offers a perfect chance to get the kids all fired up before launching into a million-miles-an-hour rager.

Bracewar were super active about a decade ago, but the members have gotten older, and they’ve focused less on the band in recent years, playing the occasional local show but mostly not doing much. However, it appears all that is changing — they’ve got a brand new EP, Colossal, coming out on Triple B Records this week. It’s only three songs, but it’s their first new material in a decade, so we can cut ’em some slack. What’s really interesting is that they’ve got a new intro song on this one, entitled “Introduction.” Will this far more metallic take on the set-starting dance call get the kids moving as much as the old intro did? On Friday at the Canal Club, you’ll probably have a chance to find out.

You’ll also get a chance to see a TON of other rad hardcore bands from the past two decades, giving you a great view on what’s been happening in the world of hardcore since the millennium turned. Well-respected veterans Cold World will be sharing headliner status with Bracewar and bringing their brutal riffs with a slight tinge of hip-hop flavor to keep the dancefloor moving. And of course we can’t forget about Shark Attack, the short-lived but legendary northeast hardcore band that blew everyone’s minds back in 2001 with two incredible EPs, then dipped out leaving everyone wanting more. Their discography LP finally came out this year, complete with some unreleased tracks, and now they’re coming to Richmond to knock everybody on their asses once again. There are quite a few other excellent bands on this bill, from current ragers like RVA’s own Division Of Mind and Florida’s Day By Day to reincarnated VA Beach warriors Victim and the brand-new project from legendary Bane frontman Aaron Bedard, Antagonize. Practice your moves, kids — you’ve got a lot of dancing to do.

Wednesday, October 3, 7 PM
Thrice, The Bronx @ The National – $24.50 in advance/$29.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard not to love Thrice. They’ve been around forever, and despite many sonic evolutions they’ve been through, they’ve consistently remained great. From the ridiculously metallic skate-punk of their earliest work to the progressive, emotionally-driven sound of their Alchemy Index tetralogy to the work they’ve released since their brief hiatus earlier in the decade, everything has been enjoyable in its own way, and on its own merits.

It’s still true, too — their recently-released tenth album, Palms, mixes a variety of different sounds from all eras of their work to create a moving and powerful example of a band carving their own path. I guess you could call it post-hardcore, but even that rather nebulous genre term falls woefully short of describing this band’s capabilities — capabilities they demonstrate every time they step onto a stage. Tonight at the National will be no exception, and the fact that they’ve got irreverent melodic punk rippers The Bronx (speaking of groups who’ve remained consistently great for multiple decades) on tour with them only sweetens the deal. Prepare yourself — this one’s gonna be an experience.

Thursday, October 4, 8 PM
Rotten Mangos, Benjamin Shepherd, Saw Black @ Strange Matter – $7
Psychedelic rock n’ roll is a style of music that’s been around for a long time, but when it’s done right, it still rules. And there’s nowhere they do it as right as they do in Austin, Texas. From the band that started it all, the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, to current phenomena like Golden Dawn Arkestra, Austin is the place to go when you’re looking for wild, crazy psych to blow your mind.

Alternatively, you can let it come to you — and that’s what’s happening at Strange Matter Thursday night. Rotten Mangos, an all-star Austin psych crew featuring members of The Black Angels, former Richmonders The Diamond Center, and a whole lot more, will be rolling through with some pop-infused psych n’ roll that’ll open up your third eye and let the sun shine in. You’ll get a not entirely dissimilar experience from the local singer-songwriters opening up the show — Benjamin Shepherd brings a folky touch to his songs, but he’s not without some side trips into drug-fueled weirdness. Saw Black’s material is both more countrified and spacier; it’s not that predictable, especially on his excellent recent LP, Water Tower, but it’s always fun. This is a show to get your toes tapping even as your mind drifts through the astral plane. Who doesn’t love that?

Friday, October 5, 8 PM
Ragana, Haircut, Listless, Tavishi @ Strange Matter – $7
Things are getting spooky this Friday night at Strange Matter. Ragana is hitting town for the first time in several years, and this California group, only a two-piece, creates a powerful, all-encompassing ambience with their sound, one that’s sure to have a deep psychological effect on the denizens of Grace Street this weekend. The fact that Ragana’s most recent release is a split LP with New Orleans sludge-doom veterans Thou entitled Let Our Names Be Forgotten certainly gives you some idea of what to expect from their performance on Friday.

But it would be unfair to write Ragana off as just another doom metal band. They certainly have their share of loud, crushing moments that roll over you in slow motion like waves… or maybe a steamroller. But they also integrate quiet melodies and ominous atmosphere into their sound, significantly increasing the witchiness quotient of their music while also offering something more than the unremitting punishment dealt out by the typical doom band. For this reason, it makes sense that they’re sharing a bill with three Richmond bands who span a significant musical breadth. Listless’s crust/grind queercore, Tavishi’s harrowing electronic soundscapes, and Haircut’s angry punk noise all have elements in common with Ragana and each other, but every performer on this bill will offer their own unique take on the anguish that plagues us all as we walk through this difficult life.

Saturday, October 6, 7 PM
The Wedding Funeral @ Garden Grove Brewing & Winery – $?
This is a weird one, y’all. The Wedding Funeral is a project brought into the world by Darren Deicide and Ethel Lynn Oxide, a romantically-involved duo of musicians with widely divergent backgrounds. Deicide, an honest-to-god priest of the Church Of Satan, has been playing Robert Johnson-style acoustic blues for years now, while Oxide has a background in choral singing and the voice of an angel. The two of them have come together to create The Wedding Funeral, a sort of noir-folk project that uses rootsy blues-style instrumentation to jump all around the musical map, from pastoral British folk sounds to deep South blues to bizarre noise interludes.

At least, that’s how it seems from listening to the 30-second samples of their as-yet-unreleased debut album, You Are Cordially Disinvited, which they will be premiering for all comers at Garden Grove this Saturday night. Those samples are the entirety of the music they have available anywhere on the internet — their debut EP, Beneath The Floor Boards (Covered In Feces) (how’s that for a title), has been scrubbed from the World Wide Web in the interest of moving on to exciting new sounds, which is an understandable policy, if a frustrating one for a music journalist with a minimum of time on her hands. But I can tell you that you’ll learn a good bit more about what The Weddding Funeral have to offer if you make the trip down to Garden Grove, and in light of how unusual this band truly is, I definitely think it’s worth it.

Sunday, October 7, 8 PM
White Denim, Rotem @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
This one’s gonna be a lot of fun. White Denim, another excellent Austin, Texas band, have been around for about a decade, and in that time, they’ve been traversing a similar trajectory to that of another deep-South rock n’ roll group, The Black Keys. Starting out with a primitive garage-rock stomp that came out sort of like a janglier White Stripes and moving over the past decade into a thicker, funkier take on post-garage rockin’ that is downright impossible to deny.

Discovering their 2016 LP, Stiff, when I heard multiple songs from it at Sheetz (those of you who’ve known me for a while know how stoked I am about the music they play at Sheetz and really about Sheetz in general — don’t @ me, Wawa nerds), I fell in love with their ability to write incredible tunes that made you wanna get up and dance wherever you were when you heard them, but also rocked hard and had real staying power. And the fact that this excellent band is finally, after a decade of touring existence, bringing their live show to the river city has got to be the best news I’ve heard all week. So take my advice: go to this show, and bring your dancing shoes. Don’t worry if you know nothing about this band — just be yourself, and try to have a good time. You’re sure to succeed.

Monday, October 8, 7 PM
Culture Abuse, Gouge Away, Praise, Deviant, DJ Devolved @ Gallery 5 – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A double-shot of punk rock awesomeness from two of the best bands on the scene today, both of which just put out new LPs that took their already-outstanding sound to an even higher level? Yeah, this one definitely falls into the category of a no-brainer. Both of these bands have a ton of cachet in the hardcore punk world, and for that reason you might expect their music to be on the harsher end of things — but if you like catchy melodies and strong, memorable choruses, you’re in for a pleasant surprise, because both of these bands have a ton of songcraft skills and melodic dexterity to wow you with.

Californians Culture Abuse split the difference between driving punk-damaged power-pop groups like Neon Piss and straight-up goodtime rockers like The Strokes, and on their brand new Bay Dream LP, this approach yields a bumper crop of toe-tappers that are guaranteed to make you smile. Gouge Away are a bit more fired up; on their just-released Burnt Sugar LP, their harsh vocals and driving riffs land somewhere between melodic hardcore a la White Lung and post-hardcore noise-rock along the lines of Circus Lupus or early Rye Coalition (everyone who even got those references knows I’m over 40 now). As if this bill wasn’t stacked enough, Baltimore melodic, emotional hardcore group Praise are also here to get you fired up, and transgressive up-and-coming local hardcore crew Deviant get things started in fine fashion. Get stoked for this one.

Tuesday, October 9, 8 PM
Marbled Eye, Dark Web, Slump, True Body, Smut @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
There’s no particular reason why the genre descriptor “postpunk” needs to mean anything in particular, beyond the fact that a band has taken formative influence from punk rock and brought it with them to a sound beyond that genre’s borders. But let’s be real — when I say that Marbled Eye is postpunk, you know what I mean. You expect the moody vibe, the wiry undistorted guitars, the melodic basslines and deadpan vocals. And you get all of that here. No doubt about it.

But it only takes one listen to Marbled Eye’s debut LP, Leisure, which just came out this week, to realize that this band has a fresh take on this style, one that takes them far beyond the Joy Division clones and Chameleons riff-stealers who’ve been part of the underground musical landscape for quite a while now. Remember how cool that postpunk style sounded over a decade ago, back when no one was really doing it? Marbled Eye still sound that cool. And if that isn’t proof of their standout talent, I don’t know what is. Fellow out-of-towners Dark Web and Smut, along with local mainstays Slump and True Body, provide excellent support to make this bill a top-quality musical evening from beginning to end.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, October 5, 8 PM
Carriage, Nemesis, Catalyst @ Shaka’s – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s tough to try to talk to people about 80s metal who weren’t there for that whole era, because they figure you’re talking about one of two things — either Slayer-style thrash (which, don’t get me wrong, rules) or teased-hair glam metal in the style of Poison and Motley Crue (which, don’t get me wrong, also rules — haters to the left). But there was a whole other wave of heavy, powerful underground metal from that time that people today don’t even think about, and it’s that sound that Carriage evokes today.

Their new LP, Visions, is full of the kinds of flourishes that the kids used to call “power metal,” from the kind of  high-pitched yowls that Mercyful Fate’s King Diamond made de rigeur for a while there to the epic progressive riffs that bands like Candlemass took from prog-rock giants like Rush and King Crimson. Carriage has all of this going on and more, and their sound is genetically engineered to get you banging your head. This release party for their Visions LP should be full of more denim jackets and flying hair than you can shake an air guitar at, and if you have any love at all for the days of high-flying, triumphant metal, you’re gonna want to get in the mix at Shaka’s Friday night.

Saturday, October 6, 9 PM
Uglyography, Human Services, Unk Al @ Taphouse Grill – $5
The fact that Richmond has long been a hub for the musically unique and downright bizarre should never blind us to the fact that crazy stuff comes out of the Tidewater area on a regular basis as well. This show is a great example of that exact fact, and it all starts with Hamptonites Uglyography, who have been wielding their goofy, uncategorizable sound for over a decade now. They themselves call it “quirkadelic rock,” and if you imagine an alternate universe where Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention, Devo, They Might Be Giants, and 90s noise-rockers Alice Donut were all the same band, you’ve sorta got a general idea of what they’re up to.

But the reality is certainly going to be even crazier than you expect — Uglyography demonstrates just this fact on recent LP Evil Rays, which features ridiculously catchy tunes like “Neighborhood Watch” and “We Want You To Click Play,” then amidst all of the mania delivers a heartfelt ballad like “Imperfect For You.” They’re a group that must be seen to be believed, which is exactly why the Taphouse Grill is an eminently worthwhile destination for all you musical explorers of the new and unusual this Saturday night. They’ll be joined by the heavier but just-as-bizarre Human Services, who also hail from the Hampton area. Plus there will be an opening set from Unk Al, aka The Real Unk Al, aka Unk Al and the Amazingly Mediocre, a strange yet enjoyable bluegrass troupe that hails from Chesapeake. Open your mind and dive in.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Forced Order, Division Of Mind, Paper Trail, Dead & Dreaming, Illusion, Neuromancer @ Strange Matter

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The final performance of Forced Order in Richmond, Va.

9/16/18
3pm
$12
Strange Matter
929 W. Grace St. Richmond, Va

Forced Order (Final Richmond Appearance)
Division of Mind (BBB Records)
Paper Trail (VBHC)
Dead & Dreaming (Edgewood Records)
Illusion (Lockin’ Out Records)
Neurømancer (Neon Apocalypse)

VA Shows You Must See This Week: September 12 – September 18

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, September 16, 9 PM
Tommy Gunn’s 40th Birthday, feat. Deathcrown, Cruelsifix, Night Hag @ Bandito’s – Free!
If you’ve spent any time around the RVA metal scene over the past two decades, chances are you know Tommy Gunn. This shredding riffmaster has been slinging the axe in some of the best metal bands from Central Virginia since he was a teenager, getting his start in Disinterment in the late 90s and going on to play in Narsilion, Immortal Avenger, and The Medusa, among others, before starting his current project, Deathcrown. He’s also been active with local charity group Punks For Presents, and if you’ve seen any of their fundraiser shows, you’ve surely caught him playing in multiple Christmas-themed tribute acts over the years.

This weekend marks Gunn’s 40th birthday, and he’s taking this opportunity to get a whole crew of his metal-thrashing friends together to present what’s sure to be a blast of a free show this Sunday night at Bandito’s. His current crew, Deathcrown, just released a split LP with Sweden’s Ribspreader (…now there’s an image) entitled Comorbid Diagnosis, and it is a top-quality slice of raging death-thrash sure to please fans of At The Gates and Entombed. On Sunday at Bandito’s, you can expect Gunn and his bandmates to bring these tunes to rip-roaring high-volume life before your very eyes.

What’s more, they’ll have some excellent friends on hand to celebrate with them. Cruelsifix have gotten a lot of attention due to the fact that they share members with Cannabis Corpse, but their actual music more than lives up to the hype — and they proved it earlier this summer with the release of their long-awaited debut, Dark Snake. Their take on death metal is skillful, energetic, and sure to get you up and moving the second they hit the stage, so get those nachos done early! Especially since VA Beach’s Night Hag will be on hand to open the show with their crushing take on sludgy, slow-motion death/doom metal, and you can’t do slow-motion headbangs with a taco in your hand. (Well, you can TRY… but I wouldn’t advise it.)

Wednesday, September 12, 8 PM
Sumac, Dalek, Infernal Coil @ Strange Matter – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Tonight, things will get heavy on an entirely different level. Sumac is coming to Strange Matter, and for fans of hugely heavy riffs that get you thinking even as you’re banging your head, this is a real treat. Sumac is led by former Isis frontman Aaron Turner, who joins here with bassist Brian Cook (Botch/Russian Circles) and drummer Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists) to redefine the “epic metal” category that he had such a huge hand in creating. Sumac’s third album, Love In Shadow, isn’t quite out yet, but you can hear it if you know where to look, and it’s sure to twist your head around.

The album’s four songs stretch over an hour in length, with one track lasting over 20 minutes all by itself. And the songs themselves are made up of movements that evoke the multiple moods and complex structures of 19th century Russian symphonies, even as they remain extremely loud, and powerful enough to level you where you stand. This is an album of titanic proportions, and to see it brought to life on a live stage is sure to be a rare and highly desirable experience. Don’t miss this one — especially since veteran experimental hip hop powerhouse Dalek and premier practitioners of blackened death bleakness Infernal Coil are also on the bill. Getting blown out of your shoes never felt so good.

Thursday, September 13, 8 PM
Sugar Candy Mountain, Don Fredrick, Tecate Tall Boys @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Fuzzy psychedelic moods loaded in candy-colored reverb and dreamy delay will be the order of the evening this Thursday night as Sugar Candy Mountain hits RVA once again. This group manages to evoke the slightly queasy adventurousness of late-60s B movies about bad acid trips without once doing anything to disturb the huge smile on your face. Latest LP Do Right, released earlier this year, mixes in some electronic elements to let you know that this band is still firmly rooted in the indie sounds of the 21st century, but their psychedelic elements remain at the forefront, even as their glowing melodies keep you coming back for more.

Thursday night, come back to Strange Matter to immerse yourself in Sugar Candy Mountain’s sounds once again. And show up in time for the opening bands, because they’ll have some great sounds for you as well. Locals Don Fredrick are doing a similar sort of mixture combining 21st century indie sounds with late 60s vibes, but the result is mellower, more pastoral — sorta like Neil Young circa 71 jamming with Wilco circa 01. Something like that. Openers Tecate Tall Boys have a name that seems highly likely to get them sued by a beer company, so before that happens you should come out and catch a pleasant dose of their bedroom folk sounds. The whole evening will do you a ton of good.

Friday, September 14, 9 PM
Hurry Up, Bad Magic, DJ Dogpants @ My Noodle & Bar – $5
One unfortunate reality of the kind of writing I do in this column is that you’re always at the risk of being overtaken by events. This is never more true than when bad weather patterns are approaching and everyone is at least considering cancelling their shows. Of course, as Hurricane Florence draws ever closer, predictions of the storm’s path keep moving it further south into the Carolinas — the latest thing I saw said we might not even get 5 inches of rain here in Richmond. Even if it goes far better than any of us are preparing for, if there’s one place you’re sure to encounter some pretty serious weather, it’ll be a noodle shop in the basement of an apartment building on a Friday night.

That said, there’s at least a decent chance you’ll also encounter a really great band there, so I’m saying damn the predictions — go see Hurry Up at My Noodle & Bar anyway. This energetic garage-punk band brings together two members of The Thermals and one member of the Bangs to kick out the jams in a raw and mighty way. Hurry Up are sure to get your feet moving, even if there isn’t half an inch of water on the floor. And with Bad Magic on hand to kick out their own flavor of passionate, rockin’ jams and DJ Dogpants spinning the rad jams and celebrating her birthday, this is sure to be a really fun night — even if you are soaking wet by the time you get down the venue’s front staircase.

Saturday, September 15, 6 PM
Daniel Bachman @ Steady Sounds – Free!
Daniel Bachman is a unique and interesting guitar player, and we’re lucky to have him here in Virginia, where he lives and works these days. The fact that he is relatively close by probably explains how the folks at Steady Sounds were able to lure him to Richmond to give us a free in-store performance this weekend, and if the weather ends up wrecking this event, we will all be poorer for it. Picking up on a similar thread as those followed by fellow Virginia pickers Nathan Bowles, Jack Rose, and Mike Gangloff, Bachman explores the America’s rich folk music traditions through instrumental solo acoustic guitar compositions, finding a through-line that brings us from the past up through the current moment and into the future.

Bachman’s new album, The Morning Star, finds him getting more experimental than he ever has before, beginning with a long, noisy track full of dissonant percussion and droning fiddles, and going on to incorporate field recordings and background noises in a manner reminiscent of John Fahey in his late 60s prime. But it’s Bachman’s incredible virtuosity on his chosen instrument that makes his work such a riveting listen, and it’ll be on display in all its unadorned glory at Steady Sounds this Saturday evening. There’s also a whole store full of records and vintage gear and apparel to explore, and possibly some DJs spinning tunes, but Bachman is the real reason for the season. No hurricane better spoil this one.

Sunday, September 16, 3 PM
Forced Order, Division Of Mind, Paper Trail, Dead & Dreaming, Illusion, Neuromancer @ Strange Matter – $12
If there’s one thing we should all know about hardcore kids by now, it’s that they aren’t afraid of getting things started early as hell. Add in a weekend when no one is at school, and sometimes things will just get started right around the time you’re getting out of brunch. Case in point, this Forced Order show at Strange Matter on Sunday. But let’s be honest here — what reason do we have to complain about this? What were you going to be doing on Sunday afternoon between brunch and sunset anyway? Homework? Please. Put the books down and come to the show. You can finish your math work before you go to bed.

What will you find when you arrive? Well, first of all, there’s California’s Forced Order, who are on their final tour before breaking up. This group features members of groups like Fury and Twitching Tongues, and cranks out some heavy, angry hardcore with pit-starting riffage aplenty on their 2016 LP, Vanished Crusade. It’s enough to get you moshing hard — and this is your last chance to do so, since they’re breaking up after this tour, so be there already! You’ll get a nice selection of VA hardcore’s up-and-coming heavyweights opening up the show as well, from the bone-crunching heaviness of Division Of Mind to the aggressive energy of Neuromancer, plus the furious mosh power of Dead & Dreaming, some thrashing crossover sounds from Illusion, and metallic crunching rage from Paper Trail. Get ready — high fives and stage dives await you.

Monday, September 17, 8 PM
Mimicking Birds, Deau Eyes, Majjin Boo, Hotspit @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s going to be a difficult few days with all this intense weather going on, so by Monday night, we’re all going to need a chance to relax. This is what Strange Matter will be offering us with a performance by Portland indie-folk group Mimicking Birds. Their latest single, “On The Warm Side,” not only offers us a pleasant vision of weather to aspire for with its title, but also combines gorgeous vocal melodies with pleasing, intricate musical structure highlighted by interwoven guitar leads that hit all the right notes without ever being predictable.

They’ve got plenty more killer tunes where that one came from, and their entire set should be a joy with which to soothe your troubled nerves this Monday night. What’s more, you’ll be able to enjoy some pretty amazing local sounds as well, most prominently from Deau Eyes. This rock n’ roll group with a 90s alt-rock energy and some excellently chunky guitars are sure to get you dancing, while twinkly local math-rockers Majjin Boo will break things down to their essential parts with a rare solo set. Brand new local openers HotSpit will kick things off in fine fashion and get you ready for an excellent night of sensational sounds.

Tuesday, September 18, 7 PM
Dark Rooms, Prabir Trio, Rebekah Rafferty & The Wakes @ The Camel – $5 (order tickets HERE)
Dark Rooms are not the sort of group you can easily predict, or categorize. Their synth-driven pop music has a dark undercurrent, which is often communicated through strange voices, random dropouts, and ambient moments that leave you feeling slightly wrong-footed. But their melodies always come through in the end, absorbing your mind with a warm, glowing soundscape that’ll make you smile and feel right at home only a moment later.

If you’ve seen 2017 film A Ghost Story, you’ve caught Dark Rooms’ music on the soundtrack, and you’ve understood a little bit of the strange mood their music creates. How will that mood translate into the live environment will they take the stage at The Camel? That’s not a question we can yet answer, but whatever it turns out to be, it’ll surely be a fascinating experience to find out. You’ll be joined on this journey by the Prabir Trio, a crew of local stalwarts in a brand-new configuration; and Rebekah Rafferty and the Wakes, a talented band of local musicians backing an unforgettable singer-songwriter. It’s going to be an excellent evening.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Saturday, September 15, 7 PM
Tim Barry, Julie Karr, Andrew Alli, Josh Small @ Shaka’s – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Long after the band that made him famous, Avail, stopped playing shows and faded from the memory of the local scene (something none of us would ever have predicted 25 years ago), Tim Barry is still making excellent music about living in Virginia and trying to survive in an increasingly alienating world. He released his sixth studio album, High On 95, last year, and demonstrated that his grasp of excellent melodies and incisive lyrics is just as strong as it ever was. And if there’s one thing Barry’s solo career as a whole has proven, it’s that he doesn’t need a loud rock band behind him to be profound, powerful, and punk as fuck.

This solo show finds Barry backed by several Richmond-area friends, all of whom are talented as hell and have excellent songs of their own to sing. However, it’s Barry himself who is still the star attraction, much as he’s always shunned the spotlight. And whether he’s breaking out classics from his early days as a solo artist or picking out choice cuts from his latest collection of tunes, he’s going to have you smiling and singing along. Whether you’re a lucky Tidewater-area fan or a Richmond head with some extra gas in the tank, this show is absolutely worth whatever effort you need to expend to get to it. You know what to do. [Note: and this is why weather makes my job difficult. Between when I wrote this and when the column is published, this show was cancelled due to the hurrican. Sorry, folks! Better luck next time I guess… –Drew]

Sunday, September 16, 7 PM
War On Women, HIRS, Demons @ Taphouse Grill – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Oh wow, a double-shot of incredible femme-punk fury hitting Norfolk? How could you possibly miss it? War On Women have been around for most of a decade, dealing out their angry, metallic hardcore sound and its accompanying intelligently furious lyrics in an urgent and powerful response to the increasingly desperate political situation we all find ourselves in here in the good ol’ USA. They just released a new album in the spring; entitled Capture The Flag, it turns up the heat on their usual raging sound, simultaneously dealing with important and infuriating topics on songs like “The Violence of Bureaucracy” and “Predator In Chief,” and adding an engaging dose of catchiness to their raging-as-ever riffs.

War On Women’s set is sure to get you moving; HIRS, on the other hand, just might stop you in your tracks. This Philadelphia grindcore collective has been responsible for literally hundreds of million-mile-per-hour thrash-grind blasts with a trans-power theme over their past seven years or so of existence, but they’ve stepped things up in a big way on new LP Friends, Lovers, Favorites, which features a ton of high-profile guest spots, and more importantly, some extremely heavy riffs that veer back and forth at the drop of a dime from hyperspeed carnage to head-crushing mosh power. You’re going to need earplugs for this one, and wearing reinforced-toe shoes wouldn’t be inadvisable either. Norfolk noise-rockers Demons will kick off this show with some heaviness of their own. Get ready to rage.

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Top Photo by JJCA Photography

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 30 – June 5

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, June 2, 2 PM
A Good Day In RVA 5, feat. Ohbliv, Piranha Rama, Big No, Lance Bangs, Pile (solo set), Kenneka Cook, Ruth Good, Yazan, Sammi Lanzetta, Minor Poet, Bad Magic, Doubtfire, Gumming, The Womps, HeadlessMantis, Elizabeth Owens & the Live Bats, Righter @ Gallery 5 – $5-20 suggested donation
Y’all, it is ALWAYS a good day in RVA when Good Day RVA throws their annual all-day outdoor festival. It’s been going on for long enough now, in fact, that it’s started to feel kind of like the kickoff for the rock n’ roll summer here in Richmond every year. And really, what more could we ask for from such an occasion? The filmmaking, scene-documenting collective that is Good Day RVA are the best at what they do, and an inevitable corollary to their expertise is that they can program the best showcase of local talent you can find anywhere in town. Plus, this year they’ve added a few out-of-town friends to the lineup, as well as the traditional stacked lineup of vendors, food carts, and a beer truck!

And yes, they had to do the beer-truck thing this year, because for the first time, A Good Day In RVA won’t be taking place at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. That’s OK, though, because it’ll be at an even stronger traditional Richmond musical institution — Gallery 5, which will also be the beneficiary of the event’s proceeds (along with GDRVA themselves, who are a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit). There’ve been some lean times for Gallery 5 in recent years, and god knows none of us want to see them go away, so we definitely recommend you dig deep and donate as much as possible at this show. Of course, GDRVA will let you in even if you’re broke, because they’re really nice people, but do what you can, OK?

What actual music is on tap for you at this event? Oh my god, I’ve left myself so little space to tell you! Let me begin by saying that Pile’s Rick Maguire will be playing a solo set as part of the event — and if you’ve been paying attention to indie rock over the past decade or so, you know that’s gonna be worth the donation right there. Further out-of-town guests include Yazan and The Womps, but RVA stalwarts will probably be even more excited for the chance to catch local stars from Kenneka Cook to Doubtfire and from Gumming to Ohbliv (who is doing a Silent/Music Revival set!) all in one spot. Music will be spread across two stages, the one inside and a temporary one outside on Brook Road, and things will get started at 2 PM and carry on until the wee hours, so you really seriously cannot ask for more from a live musical event this weekend. I shouldn’t even have to tell you to be there at this point… but I’m telling you. BE THERE.

Wednesday, May 30, 10 PM
Gabbie Rotts, Decide By Friday, Madison Turner @ Little Saint – Free!
The middle of the week is a great time for some low-stakes free tuneage, and you’ll get exactly that at Little Saint tonight. Little Saint is an intimate food spot up there near the Devil’s Triangle, about a block from Bandito’s, and it makes me feel old to remember that when I moved to Richmond 23 years ago, it was a Papa John’s. They certainly wouldn’t have hosted a show, though, let alone the semi-regular music events Little Saint have started putting on in recent months, so we’re calling this a big improvement (even if I can swing a pizza a lot more easily than a full meal from Little Saint… just sayin).

This time around, we’ve got an appearance by Atlantans Gabbie Rotts, a folky, power-poppy trio led by a lady named Gabbie Watts who once had a countrified riot-grrrl band called Cuntry (and if you don’t think that rules, I have no idea what to tell you). There’s no real country vibe to Gabbie Rotts, but the snarky riot-grrrl thing mingles very well with their jangle-punk tuneage, so I’m down with it — and you should be too. Local support will come from chunky, funky rockers Decide By Friday, who’ve been under the radar locally for a while but deserve some more attention for their heavy, introspective sound, as showcased on recent EP Sankofa. I get some definite early 90s post-hardcore vibes from this record, and I am way into that. And with Madison Turner giving you one of her classic solo folk-punk sets as the opener, you’re sure to be won over from the beginning by her anxiously witty charm. All this and the show is free? You really can’t go wrong here — even if this place doesn’t sell breadsticks anymore.

Thursday, May 31, 8 PM
Ruse De Guerre, Don Fredrick, The Shandies, The Firnats @ Strange Matter – $7
Well well, what have we here? A full bill of bands from around the Virginia area playing melodic rock music, none of which I’ve ever heard before? I know for you, the reader, that might seem like a turn-off, but you must understand, when one spends as much time keeping up on local music as I do, the appearance of a show like this is always intriguing. It’s like — how is this possible? How’d I miss all four of these bands? I need to do something about this! Let’s start with the out of town bands — Ruse De Guerre (I googled it, it’s a French term for military deception) hail from DC and have a speedy, rockin’ delivery of some hard-edged indie sounds that combine with catchy, almost brassy choruses to cement themselves deeply into your brain. Then there’s The Shandies, from across the Potomac in Alexandria. These guys have a bit more of a shambling, lo-fi slacker aesthetic going on, and therefore if nothing else I can imagine them hangin’ with the Lance Bangs/Camp Howard crew centered around Citrus City. The fact that they have a song called “I Just Want To Be Cool” only further cements my opinion on this one, and if you’re the sort who digs the sleepy emo punk sounds of bands like Wavves, you’ll need to get on this band’s wavelength.

I have definitely mentioned local bands Don Fredrick and The Firnats in passing at least once here in the ol’ Shows You Must See column, so the fact that I didn’t really have an impression of them before now might just be inexcusable. However, I must beg your forgiveness, especially since Don Fredrick in particular have a sound I’ve almost never heard from a local band — funky, jazzy, smooth, fun, and almost reggae-ish at points, it’s nonetheless a cool laid-back rock sound that I can’t help but groove on. If you can appreciate the early days of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (and yes, I can, so what?), you’ll find something to enjoy here. The Firnats hail from RVA and Reston, and almost remind me of Interpol when they aren’t sliding into Southern soul vibes. Yeah, seriously! Overall this show’s gonna be unusual and fascinating, and isn’t that always better than the same ol’ thing?

Friday, June 1, 8 PM
A Benefit for Van Hagar, feat. Van Hagar, .gif From God, R-Complex, Charmer @ Strange Matter – $5-20 suggested donation
It’s hard to be in a tiny little band, especially when you play heavy, crazy music that’s got no real potential for Top 40 success. My former roommates in Van Hagar know this struggle well, and this little grindcore trio have found themselves falling upon hard times lately. Between chronic health problems and income instability, they’ve had to struggle for the past year or two, and now they’ve experienced a series of vehicular mishaps that have left them struggling just to drive to their jobs every day. Well, nobody likes to see that happen, and here in the underground music community we take care of our friends as best as we can, so the Great Dismal crew has now banded together to give Van Hagar a helping hand through this benefit show.

And honestly, even if you don’t care about the underground music community and helping the people who are part of it keep afloat (a viewpoint I would frankly find incomprehensible), you’ve still got some really good reasons to come out to this show and throw down a few bones to help out Van Hagar. For one thing, they’re gonna hit you with one of their frantic, nonstop sets of low-end grindcore fury — and rest assured, no matter how tired they are, they’re gonna lay you flat with their raging energy. Then .gif From God will hit the stage to knock everybody out with their sensory-overload take on spastic, thrashing grind, complete with brutal breakdowns. Charmer will steamroll all in attendance with nonstop power-violence onslaughts that will have you on your knees, and R-Complex will offset the sheer insanity of the rest of the bands with a more introspective take on noise. All this, plus you get to help out some great people — who are personal friends of mine, in case I haven’t previously mentioned it? Well, I don’t know how you could say no to this one.

Saturday, June 2, 6 PM
RVA BBB Showcase, feat. Bracewar, Division Of Mind, Ecostrike, Nosebleed, Magnitude @ The Canal Club – $12 (order tickets HERE)
This one’s for the tough kids, the ones who just can’t stand still when they hear the sounds they love, the ones for whom stage-diving and breakdowns are still what gives them life. As a middle-aged lady, I must admit that my glory days for this kind of music are behind me. That said, I still have blood running through my veins, and it’s hard to resist the siren’s call of a serious mosh-core throwdown at least every once in a while. This bill brings us a Richmond-based showcase for Triple B Records, and at the top of the bill, in almost obligatory fashion, are Bracewar, who continue to play a couple shows a year under exactly these sorts of circumstances, reminding us all just how gracefully their brand of pissed-off hardcore violence ages.

But it’s the bands at the peak of their powers that most interest me here, and for that discussion we have to start with Division Of Mind. These guys started out pretty standard mosh-core style, but the more attention I’ve paid, the more depth and darkness I’ve found in their sound. Their most recent promo tape was full of spooky noise and lo-fi grit, and there’s a decided Tragedy-style doom-core influence lurking beneath the surface that just sounds better every time I hear it. The fact that they’re sharing this bill with Ecostrike, a Florida band whose two most recent EPs have impressed me both with their politically-fueled energy and their influences from moody early-90s hardcore trailblazers like Mean Season (an unjustifiably underrated band for at least two decades now), makes this show a perfect opportunity for those of us who don’t really do this whole mosh-core thing anymore to come out of the woodwork for once. With local rippers Nosebleed and Charlotte ragers Magnified rounding out the lineup, this one’s gonna be jam-packed. Jam into the Canal Club and get ready to floorpunch. Or whatever it is the kids do these days — I really don’t know.

Sunday, June 3, 7:30 PM
Dance Gavin Dance, I See Stars, ERRA, Sianvar @ The National – $20.50 in advance/$23 day of show (order tickets HERE)
To be straight-up with y’all, I have zero time for the latter-day exploits of Jonny Craig — probably still the most famous member of Dance Gavin Dance despite his not having been associated with the band for most of a decade. He can do whatever drugs, scams, and sketchily-named bands he wants to, but I’m not here for it. However, as the years have gone on and Craig’s faded further into DGD’s rearview, I’ve found that this goofily named melodic metalcore band has retained an enjoyability that I never would have predicted for them in their early days. Indeed, “Midnight Crusade,” the first single from their forthcoming eighth album, won me over instantly when it dropped a couple months ago. Say what you will about this band’s issues with shifting lineups — at this point, it seems the Pearson/Mess/Swan incarnation of DGD has proven itself as a reliable generator of quality.

So yeah, whether they’re playing classics like “Lemon Meringue Tie” and “Me And Zoloft Get Along Fine” these days or not, I’m here for it. And I’m also here for a fun evening of openers, which isn’t exactly the norm at bigger-venue shows like this one. However, if you don’t see the addition of tourmates I See Stars to this bill as a big bonus, I don’t know what to tell you. Granted, this band’s electronic textures and tendencies toward crabcore goofiness are a bit of a psychic barrier for entry — as they pretty much always have been. But their mix of chunky breakdowns and almost R&B-level emotional melodies never fails to deliver, if you ask me. Prog-metallers ERRA will provide an early highlight on this bill, and an opening set from Will Swan’s technical, melodic metal supergroup Sianvar certainly sweetens the pot as well. This one’s gonna be worth it, for sure.

Monday, June 4, 8 PM
Post Animal, Paul Cherry, Spooky Cool @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This Monday night, let’s take a trip into space. Post Animal may be a midwestern band with the sort of agrarian Illinois connections I once associated with midwestern emo — which is to say, their latest LP, When I Think Of You In A Castle, is on Polyvinyl Records, onetime home of Braid — but to listen to their sounds is to feel like you’re getting on board a rocket aimed straight into deep space via the punked-out psychedelic revival sound of California’s own Castle Face Records. Yeah, I’m definitely getting some Thee Oh Sees vibes from these guys, but there are some more contemplative space sounds mingled in here too, as well as even some funky rockin’ tuneage that might appeal to those of you who don’t hate jam bands.

Those of you who do, don’t panic — I’m not saying Post Animal are a jam band. If anything, I think they’re finding a sweet spot between modern, more laid-back ideas of math-rock (shoutout Houdan The Mystic) and the sort of rockin’ psych feels floating through the scene these days, neither of which you can ever have too much of. This band is gonna be an excellent sight for your sore eyes (and sound for your sore ears, of course) after a crappy Monday spent back at work, and I highly recommend that you inundate both ears and eyes with their set at Strange Matter. Tourmate Paul Cherry brings some of those lush, soulful synth-pop sounds that were a hallmark of the late 70s and early 80s with him, and if you find yourself thinking of Pete Curry when you’re checking him out, you’re not alone (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Local powerhouse Spooky Cool will kick things off, and it’ll only get awesomer from there.

Tuesday, June 5, 8 PM
The Bummers, Black Plastic, The Goodbye Forevers, Vegan Llamas, Dreadnot @ Strange Matter – $8
The Bummers. How could you not expect rock n’ roll from a band with a name like that? And guess what — you wouldn’t be disappointed, either. This New Orleans ensemble definitely knows how to crank out some dirty riffs and get your fist pumping. They’ve also got some dynamic grasp, able to integrate quieter melodic moments in order to make the kickass parts kick that much more ass. And make no mistake, kicking ass is what this band are all about.

They’ve found themselves some good company in the crew of local bands that’ll be appearing on this bill. The Goodbye Forevers are getting some local attention lately, at least if the frequency of their name on bills is a good indication, and listening to last year’s Lay Where You Fall LP will tell you exactly why — they’ve got a high-energy, vaguely punk-ish sound that comes across like Dillinger Four jamming with The Knack or something like that. I’m into it; you should be too. Black Plastic, Vegan Llamas, and Dreadnot are all fellow local rockers trying to make their mark on the RVA scene, and all of them deserve your time and attention as well. Come to this show and rock it on out.

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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.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 9 – May 15

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, May 15, 7 PM
Lil Ugly Mane, Nickelus F, Narwhalz of Sound, Division of Mind @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Travis Miller has developed quite the intriguing career over the past decade or so. While most who know his music know him primarily as Lil Ugly Mane, he’s released music under a variety of other pseudonyms, making beats for Nickelus F and others under the name Shawn Kemp. His most recent album, Flick Your Tongue Against Your Teeth And Describe The Present, was released in 2017 under the name Bedwetter, and was accompanied by an in-depth statement about his struggles with mental illness and frustrations with the health care system he encountered during that process. A year later, Lil Ugly Mane is celebrating his birthday by playing a show in his hometown of RVA for the first time ever; one has to hope that this means he’s doing all right these days.

Unless you’re a really careful follower of Lil Ugly Mane’s internet presence, you might never know he’s from Richmond, but if you’re a fan of underground hip hop at all, you probably know his music. On classic albums like 2012’s Mista Thug Isolation and 2015’s Oblivion Access, he filters a rough, brilliant flow sometimes reminiscent of El-P through a lyrical prism of drugs, depression, and self-destructive behavior, accompanied by bizarre bursts of braggodocio. His multi-layered beats, which veer from the ominous atmosphere of dark 90s-NYC classics from Wu-Tang and Mobb Deep to worldly explorations of disparate genres that float by serenely, are always creative and never predictable. It’s no wonder he’s super-popular in internet circles.

It’s excellent to have him step into the IRL world here in his hometown, though, no matter how long it took. Fittingly, he’s accompanied on this date by Nickelus F, whose 2015 cassette release Trick Dice was produced entirely by Miller under his Shawn Kemp moniker. For anyone who might think Lil Ugly Mane’s internet-based career makes him somehow less “real,” the Nickelus F cosign should erase all doubts. And Nick’s performance at this show is sure to knock everyone in attendance on their ass. Narwhalz of Sound, one of Miller’s long-ago collaborators in the bizarro experimental project known as The Church Of Crystal Light, has come back from NYC at long last to lay some circuit-bent Gameboy jams on us all once again. And local hardcore crew Division Of Mind, who feature someone with the last name Miller in their lineup (perhaps a relative?), will open the whole thing up with their hard-as-hell mix of Tragedy vocals and Turnstile riffs. Get stoked — and get your tickets ASAP, because this show will sell out.

Wednesday, May 9, 7:30 PM
Scott Clark, Brian Jones & JC Kuhl @ Black Iris – $6-10
Drummer Scott Clark has been tearing it up lately. You might know him from his work as a sideman for Natalie Prass or Matthew E. White, but his work over the past couple of years as a bandleader has been as fascinating and important, if not more so. A few years ago, Clark began using his music to explore his Native American familial heritage, and in turn letting that heritage inform his music. The result was a powerful 2015 album by his group, the Scott Clark 4tet, called Bury My Heart. That album saw him bringing to bear influences from his jazz background and his experience with Native American powwows in order to create a statement, inspired by Dee Brown’s Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, about the genocidal treatment Native Americans suffered at the hands of the US government.

Now he’s prepared a follow-up, ToNow, the release of which he’ll celebrate with this show at Black Iris tonight. For ToNow, he’s expanded his group to a sextet, adding two guitars to the usual sax-trumpet-bass-drums lineup in order to further develop the possibilities of their musical explorations. ToNow focuses on the protests against environmentally damaging oil pipelines that threaten the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, and Clark will work with his sextet to bring the emotional qualities of the situation to life at Black Iris tonight. Opening the show will be saxophonist JC Kuhl and drummer Brian Jones, who previously worked together in local ensembles like Agents Of Good Roots and MAP Trio. You might not know it, but there’s a lot going on in local jazz — start your explorations here.

Thursday, May 10, 9 PM
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns, Green Hearts, Grass Panther @ Bandito’s – Free!
They may not have quite as high a profile as The Cramps, but like Lux and Ivy, Tav Falco and his Panther Burns have been around since the dawn of punk rock, using the style’s back-to-basics urgency as an avenue to explore the raw beginnings of blues, soul, country, and rock n’ roll. The whole thing got started when wild blues archivist Tav Falco met power-pop weirdo Alex Chilton in late 70s Memphis, and decided to form a band. Since those days, Falco has played with a variety of noteworthy musicians from all sorts of different backgrounds, including members of Sonic Youth, The Gun Club, The Posies, Reigning Sound, and way too many more to list.

Throughout the past four decades, Falco has continued going strong at the front of the stage, slowly evolving from a rough-and-ready primitivist into a polished bluesman and rock n’ roller who today mingles rockabilly flavor, Tex-Mex vibes, and a deep Memphis soul influence into a powerful live show that’s always guaranteed to charm and impress. He’s bringing that show to Bandito’s this Thursday night, and everyone within reach of these words would do well to head down there early, scarf some tacos, order some drinks (Diet Coke for me), and get ready to get rocked out of your socks. Local power-poppers Green Hearts will be on the bill for those of you who miss Alex Chilton (RIP), and Grass Panther will open things up with some unique rockin’ sounds to kick off the night right and proper.

Friday, May 11, 7 PM
Frankie Cosmos, Florist, Lala Lala @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 (order tickets HERE)
NYC indie royalty comes to Capital Ale House this Friday night, and all the indie kids are gonna want to be there. Frankie Cosmos is the performing and songwriting alter ego of Greta Kline, and by now I’m sure I don’t even need to tell you of her high-powered parentage (if you don’t know, google it, you’ll know within five seconds). More important to the current discussion of Frankie Cosmos is the fact that she and her backing band have just released their third LP, Vessel, their first for legendary indie label Sub Pop. This record is full of Kline’s reliably-charming indie-pop hooks, delivered in a winsome tone that calls to mind the positive genre connotations of the term “twee.”

Indeed, anyone who remembers 90s groups like The Pastels or Heavenly is sure to find some intriguing resonances in the jangly guitars and heavenly harmonies of Frankie Cosmos’ music. At the same time, there’s something inescapably modern about what Kline & co. are up to, something that vibrates in sympathy with the post-bedroom-pop ambience of groups often erroneously called “shoegaze” these days (none of which sound a thing like Ride or My Bloody Valentine). This is hazy downer indie-pop, the sort of sound to comfort a listener like a warm blanket on a cold night full of introspective self-doubt. Don’t stay home all alone this Friday night; come out to Capital Ale House and let Frankie Cosmos console you with beautiful pop music to remind you that you’re not alone.

Saturday, May 12, 1 PM
Punk In Drublic Fest, feat. NOFX, Bad Religion, The Interrupters, Mad Caddies, The Last Gang @ Bon Secours Training Center – $49.50 (order tickets HERE)
I’ve read all the aggrieved social media posts, so believe me, I know — you’re all horrified to realize that the bands of your rebellious teenage years have grown middle-aged and are now most stoked about drinking some high-quality beer and having a relaxing afternoon on a lawn digging some cool sounds that remind you of the good old days. But come on now — what ever happened to aging gracefully? After all, it’s not the 90s anymore. You’re not having to borrow dad’s car to drive you and three friends to the Warped Tour anymore; you’ve probably got kids of your own now, and god knows whether those old t-shirts even still fit. This is probably your idea of a good time these days, right? So why fight it?

After all, this event is going to have an incredible lineup. NOFX, the band who gave us the classic album that gave this fest its name, are still going strong, dishing out the goofy, genre-hopping skate punk that’s always been their specialty. Don’t even pretend you can’t still sing along with “Bob” and “Sticking In My Eye,” because I’m not buying it (I gotta admit though, I hope they don’t play “Don’t Call Me White.” That one did NOT age well). Even more awesome is the presence of Bad Religion on this lineup; this politically-informed melodic punk powerhouse has continued to crank out killer LPs at a steady rate for over 30 years — and their set is bound to bring you plenty of gems from their late 80s-early 90s prime (“American Jesus,” anyone?). There are only three more bands on the bill, and while the $50 tickets are almost as much as Warped Tour would cost, think about this — you actually care about all these bands. There are 80 bands on a typical Warped Tour bill, and if you’re anything like me, you’d almost pay NOT to have to watch 75 of them. So hey, step away from facebook, quit grousing that your favorite bands got old, call a sitter, and go have some fun in the sun this Saturday. You deserve it.

Sunday, May 13, 5 PM
Charles Latham, Strawberry Moon @ The Camel – Free!
Suddenly, after decades, I’ve been hearing the term “anti-folk” again. What’s anti-folk mean in 2018? Well, it’s not quite folk-punk, which uses folk instrumentation to play punk songs; but it’s not just straight-up folk music either. Artists like Charles Latham, who hails from Durham, NC and comes to us in support of his 2017 LP Little Me Time, do their most effective transgressions of the folk idiom through their lyrics. On Little Me Time opener “American Traditional,”  Latham takes aim at the hypocrisy and contradictions at the heart of the American dream — it’s a fitting folk song for the Trump era.

Latham has songwriting chops aplenty, though, no matter what genre you want to tag him with. The sharp side of his tongue might make you think of Loudon Wainwright III (you know, Rufus and Martha’s dad), but his charming voice and pleasant acoustic tunes are more likely to remind you of fellow North Carolinians The Mountain Goats. This free matinee show at The Camel pairs him with up-and-coming local sweethearts Strawberry Moon, to excellent effect. This spring weekend, a folk show is the perfect cool breeze for a Sunday afternoon, but rest assured, Charles Latham will make sure you stay woke.

Monday, May 14, 7 PM
Mdou Moctar, The Messthetics, Time Is Fire @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The music of the West African Tuareg people has existed for many decades in its native land, but in recent years, it’s drawn quite a bit of attention outside of Africa as it’s been fused with electric guitars to create an exciting hybrid of traditional festival rhythms and modern psychedelic noise. Mdou Moctar hails from Niger and is one of the first Tuareg guitarists to integrate electronic sounds into his music. Originally spread through traded cellphone memory cards, his music has spread far and wide with the assistance of releases on international label Sahel Sounds, as well as his starring role in the first Tuareg-language film ever, a remake of Prince’s Purple Rain called Rain The Color Blue With A Little Red In It.

Now Moctar comes to America, and we’re fortunate to have him bring his futuristic, hallucinogenic sound to Strange Matter. He’ll be accompanied by DC band The Messthetics, who are named after a classic early Scritti Politti song and feature Fugazi’s Brendan Canty and Joe Lally, pairing up with jazz guitarist Anthony Pirog to bring us contemplative instrumental tunes with a wide-ranging flair and a multi-genre appeal. The group’s self-titled debut was released in March on Dischord Records, and brings with it the promise of a really killer live sound that we’re all going to want to catch. DC experimental ensemble Time Is Fire will kick the gig off, mixing Sufi poetics, Bauhaus-ish grooves, and funky dance beats into a sound entirely their own. This one is not to be missed.

Tuesday, May 15, 8 PM
Savage Master, Bewitcher, Loud Night @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A week in RVA without at least one killer metal blowout just wouldn’t feel right, and thankfully, Savage Master will come to town this Tuesday night to make sure this week meets its recommended allowance of metal. This Louisville band may hail from less than a day’s journey away, but they sound like they just flew in from London in 1980, effortlessly evoking New Wave Of British Heavy Metal titans like Angelwitch even as they also capture the gloomy flair of proto-doom ensembles like Witchfinder General. And of course, Stacey Savage’s wicked vocal tones take the whole thing to the next level.

Savage Master are joined on this dark and stormy Tuesday night by Portland rippers Bewitcher, who take things in a faster, darker direction as they evoke prime early sounds from Overkill and Exodus. With tunes like “Wild Blasphemy” and “Harlots Of Hell” (both of which originate from the band’s self-titled 2016 debut), you know you’re in for a treat. Local newcomers Loud Night will open this shindig up, and their raging metal terror fits their unimpeachable pedigree to a tee. This will be a night of serious headbanging, so come prepared.

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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