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VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 2 – January 8

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, January 3, 7 PM
Humungus, 3:33, Buzzard Dust, Nuclear Tomb, Et Mors @ Champion RVA – Free!
It’s 2019, and if there’s one thing we can all agree on as local live music fans, it’s that Strange Matter’s departure has definitely hurt us. This week’s show column shows the damage done — fully two days of this week ended up being left out for lack of anything worthwhile to send you to. Hopefully this is a one-time post-holiday-doldrum thing, but even if it’s not, one thing it makes clear is that someone, some venue or other, is going to need to step up and fill the void Strange Matter left, or we’re gonna have quite a bit less rocking out to do.

Champion Brewing did its fair share of free Thursday shows in the past, but in recent months, they’ve largely kept a low profile. The fact that they’re giving us a free show on the first Thursday of the new year is a hopeful sign, though. Let’s hope it keeps coming from these fine purveyors of suds I don’t actually drink. And let’s hope it continues to be as raging as this show is. Humungus is at the top of the bill, and these local headbangers have had some lineup shake-ups since their Warband LP in 2015, but they continue to deal in the sort of wicked metal power that made 80s thrash records so great, complete with a vocalist who hits triumphant high notes like it’s his job (which, to be fair, it is).

This show also brings a duo of touring Baltimore metal bands to us to rock this town and make us scream and shout — or at least bang our heads. Nuclear Tomb just released a brand new EP, Succumbing, and its focus on death-metal brutality and technical complexity makes it an intriguing listen. Live, this band is likely to roll right over you like a metal steamroller, but if you listen close, the riffs will keep you fascinated. Tourmates Et Mors deal out the sort of dragging, sludgy doom that will make you feel like the world is caving in on you. If you weren’t already planning to bring earplugs, this group offers a strong inducement. Local heroes 3:33 and Buzzard Dust round out a bill full of champion metal. Yeah, you see what I did there.

Thursday, January 3, 6:30 PM
Haybaby, President Sam, Doll Baby, Two Cars, W I S H @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free! (Donations accepted)
Dogs are cool. Cats are cool. Chances are you agree with at least one of these statements, if not the other. And that is a good reason for you to go to this SPCA benefit at Garden Grove Brewing. Another is that it’s free — but of course, you should still bring some cash, because they’ll be taking donations for the Richmond SPCA, and unless your heart is a cold black rock, you want to make sure that they keep doing all that they do to help out local dogs and/or cats.

But the best reason to go to a show is always and forever the music, and this selection of rad Richmond bands is gonna rock you right! Haybaby have been splitting their time between Brooklyn and Richmond for years now, which might be why it’s been three years since their last EP, but word is they’ll be bringing us another LP full of their power-pop goodness sometime this year — so that’s something to look forward to! President Sam is starting a tour with this show, and this emo-pop/pop-punk band certainly tickles my fancy (y’all know what a sucker I am for this sound), so make sure you catch them. And don’t miss Two Cars either. This emo-shoegaze trio has a brand new EP out, and they’ll be celebrating its release at this show, so chances are they’ll be fired up! All this and Doll Baby too? Plus an opening set from W I S H? This show would be cheap even at ten times the price! (Because ten times free is still free.) Bring donations for the puppies and kittens, and get your year started right!

Friday, January 4, 5 PM
Silver Age, Unturned, Thirst For The Sea, Having Keepsake, Apricity @ The Canal Club – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There was a bit of punctuation mark abuse in that last blurb, so I’m gonna try to keep it chill here, as I write about the first of two 2019 Kickoff shows The Canal Club is throwing this weekend. This one’s the “rock” show, and Saturday brings us a “metal” show. Of the two, I’m most excited about this one. Silver Age are an intriguing band who got a lot of attention in 2017 due to their winning a shot onto the Warped Tour that year. They’re a bunch of teenagers with a heavy sound that splits the difference between more recent emo bands and heavily melodic post-hardcore bands of the 90s (think Hum, or maybe Quicksand). Now that they’re out of high school, these kids should be getting more done in 2019. Get in on the ground floor right here.

Fellow northern-midwesterners Unturned are also on this bill, and these guys have a somewhat similar sound to that of Silver Age, though they’re a bit less heavy and more straight up emo. That’s never a bad thing if you ask me. There are a bunch of VA bands in a similar vein opening up this show and bringing us some more excellent sounds in that vein. Thirst From The Sea live in rural western VA, up near where I went to high school, and have a heavy, driving, and properly emo sound. Meanwhile, RVA’s own Having Keepsake are a bit more post-rock infused, but still angst-ridden, while Mechanicsville newcomers Apricity (apparently it means “the warmth of the sun in winter”) kick things off with some “melodic grunge.” I’m into it. You should be too. Exclamation point.

Saturday, January 5, 8 PM
Lady Moon & the Eclipse (Photo by Luke Awtry Photography), Kenneka Cook, Calvin Presents, Mekong Xpress & the Get Fresh Horns @ The Camel – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
We’re getting in a funky mood this Saturday night at The Camel. Lady Moon & the Eclipse are headed down from their Brooklyn home to bring us all some thick and heavy grooves. This group’s fat bass sound and nimble synth lines hark back to the 70s in a serious way, resembling some of the lush soul productions that were happening at the same time as disco, but just had so much more depth to them. And of course, Lady Moon’s voice is the focus of it all, singing directly to your soul with soothing messages of love and positivity.

So get ready to groove with the Eclipse, but don’t think that this show is all about the Brooklynites, because we’ve got a passel of homegrown talent waiting for you as well. We talk about Kenneka Cook a lot around here, and for good reason — from her amazing voice to her brilliant and unpredictable compositions, this woman is the first name in 21st century soul here in central VA. Calvin Presents is an up-and-coming talent with a jazz-based approach to R&B balladry that results in music that both resists easy categorization and rewards listeners with musical beauty. And of course, Mekong Xpress are a funk-rock combo that grew out of everyone’s favorite Vietnamese-food destination in RVA to become a groove powerhouse. Get down with all of it this Saturday night, and dance into the new year in proper fashion.

Sunday, January 6, 8 PM
Hot Pink Satan, Solemn Shapes @ Fallout – $6 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
They’re getting weird with it over at Fallout this Sunday night, and before you tell me that that’s just a normal night at Shockoe Bottom’s foremost private fetish club, let me provide some details. What you must know is that a band with the memorable name of Hot Pink Satan is performing. This Pittsburgh-based duo is every bit as shocking as their name would lead you to believe.

Singer Clea Cutthroat’s tendency to lose her clothing and end up covered in blood might make you think of Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics, while the pounding, heavy industrial beats and sexual preoccupations of the music are more likely to inspire recollections of Lords Of Acid’s mid-90s heyday. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult fans should probably appreciate what this bizarre group is doing too, and metal fans may get a kick out of knowing that instrument-wielder allinaline was once in Chimaira. So if you like a bit of metal noise and punk confrontation in your sexy industrial dancefloor bangers, this is the perfect group for you. Just don’t stand too close if you don’t want to end up slippery.

Tuesday, January 8, 7 PM
Mdou Moctar, Night Idea @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Over the last decade or so, the music of the Tuareg people has received quite a bit of recognition outside their native Saharan desert. This nomadic ethnic confederation of livestock ranchers have an interesting place in the culture of the African continent, but what really has caught the world’s ear in recent years is their tradition of psychedelic guitar music. That all started with the legendary band Tinariwen, who mixed traditional Tuareg musics with electric guitars and acid-rock influences.

Mdou Moctar is a similar sort of Tuareg guitarist, one who has put his own personal stamp on the sound of this region, keeping a more traditional approach than some more recent Tuareg combos, while still retaining a speedy, nimble-fingered approach to the fretboard that is sure to please the ears of all you metal-shredding guitar heroes out there. His 2017 album, Sousoume Tamachek, revolves around acoustic instruments and traditional percussion, but Moctar still wails on guitar throughout. He’s sure to do a similar thing from the stage of Gallery 5 — you’ll be able to hear the desert winds blowing through your hair as you listen. Don’t miss this one.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, January 4, 8 PM
Lake Street Dive, Mikaela Davis @ The NorVA – $25 in advance/$29.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Lake Street Dive are an intriguing group. Even wikipedia, which calls them “a multigenre band,” has no idea how to explain their sound. They’ve got an old-school approach to instrumentation that lays the groundwork for everything that comes after. Acoustic stand-up bass, soulful horns, and Rachel Price’s humdinger of a voice, which is mid-range in tone but as deep as the ocean in vibe, are all key elements to understanding what this group is up to. And of course, they’ve grabbed some attention online with covers of immortal classics by artists like Michael Jackson and Hall and Oates.

So at this point, you’re thinking “Postmodern Jukebox,” right? Not so fast. Because Lake Street Dive are skilled songwriters with a deep quiver full of excellent original compositions. Blues, soul, old-school R&B, old-time folk, and rock n’ roll all factor in, always with a strong foundation in live instruments played at the same time in a room. This band is powerful, and they’ll keep you smiling and your feet moving throughout their performance at The NorVA. So hey, whether you’re a curious Hampton Roads resident, a fan who’s bummed they didn’t make it up to Richmond this time around, or just someone who loves great music played well by talented people, this show needs to be on your calendar.

Saturday, January 5, 8 PM
The Candy Snatchers, Big Bobby & The Nightcaps, The Nerve Scheme @ Elevation27 – $10 in advance/$14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Back in the 90s, if you were a fan of raging, unbridled punk rock from any part of the world, you were looking to Virginia. Why? Because the Candy Snatchers were from here. This legendary punk n’ roll band were up there with the Dwarves, the Supersuckers, and the New Bomb Turks as the best of the wild-ass bands out there. And they had the stage show to prove it, too — they were known to spew blood, spit, and beer all over the place as they dealt out their pedal-to-the-metal brand of manic punk thrills.

All that sadly came to an end with the 2008 passing of the band’s guitarist, Matthew Odietus, who was largely responsible along with vocalist Larry May for the sound that made the Candy Snatchers so unforgettable. However, coinciding with the 2017 release of Moronic Pleasures, a “lost album” recorded in the late 90s, May and longtime drummer Sergio Ponce resurrected the group for some celebratory live dates around the mid-Atlantic area. Since then, they’ve been firing it up and going wild on at least an occasional basis, and this Saturday night provides the latest opportunity to catch the wild fire from this band once again. Chances are shit’s gonna get pretty crazy at this show — if you’re a true-blue fan of rock n’ roll at it’s most out-of-control, you’re not gonna want to miss it. No matter how far you have to drive.

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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

Richmond’s New Generation Of Drag Queens Are Making Their Mark

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*This article originally appeared on GayRVA.com

Lip-syncing across the stage, 22 year-old Fredericksburg native Shanita Quit reaches for dollar bills from people’s hands as they cheer her on at Richmond’s newest drag venue — New York Deli in Carytown. Relying heavily on visuals, Quit is dressed in her self-developed style, which she refers to as “good from afar, far from good.”

Despite the challenges, Quit has been working in the Richmond drag scene for more than two years. It’s a competitive field that has the potential to make money, but only if the drag performer has a high following.

Long before the hit television drama RuPaul’s Drag Race began in 2009, bringing the world a competition in which drag personas battle one another to determine the next “drag superstar” for 10 seasons and counting, Richmond’s own drag scene was alive and thriving. Forming in nightclubs around the city, the drag community grew as LGBTQ populations flocked to see and become a part of this diverse and multifaceted family.

Although the drag scene in Richmond has adapted to the changing style and pace, it still holds ties to its’ sense of family and traditions, a practice that keeps emerging drag personas in the city. “Richmond features a lot of unique drag,” Quit explained. “There is a mix of old and new, and performance and pageant.”

Drag is a complex and open community for people to explore their art forms. This includes performances, theatre, comedy and pageant. Performance drag is defined by lip-syncing and dancing to songs. Theatrical drag is based in Broadway-type musical renditions, as performers celebrate drag in its earliest form. Comedy drag is a broad landscape of stand-up, theatre, and even performance; it is often defined by its campy appeal. Pageant drag is similar to Miss America pageants, where drag personas must prove themselves in style and talent.

Shanita Quit, like many other local queens, understands the amount of competition it takes to make it in the drag world. In a changing scene, people are constantly coming up with new ideas in order to get bookings. Quit explained that it is important to become someone who can do it all, including knowing how to sew.

“Performing on a stage is just 10 percent of the work,” Quit said. “Most of the work is marketing, and making sure your brand is good.”

Drag is an expensive art form between buying make-up, clothes, materials to make costumes, and other essential performance-related materials, the cost of doing drag can outweigh the monetary reward. This is why marketing and promoting is essential for the livelihood of drag personas.

“There is money to be made,” Quit explained, “but it is directly related to your popularity.” According to Quit, the goal is to develop a popularity and be booked for drag brunches, as they make the most money on average.

In an article entitled “Sashay Through the History of Drag Queen Culture,” Popsugar’s Ryan Roschke explained that every city has their own unique drag culture. “There is no one specific way for drag to manifest,” Roschke wrote. “Every city has its own drag families, its own drag culture, and its own drag history.” One of Shanita Quit’s fellow performers, Chase Keech — better known by his stage name, Chicki Parm — agreed, describing Richmond’s drag as a harmony of both stylistic drag and performance drag.

Chicki Parm is one of Richmond’s most well known performers. She has been performing in drag for three years and has been featured at many of Richmond’s venues. “In some cities, drag is all about the look, while in others drag is all about who can dance the hardest.” Parm said.  “Richmond falls somewhere in the middle, where you can succeed excelling in any part of drag.”

Major cities known for drag include New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, all of which share a large population of drag personas and leave little room for newcomers. Richmond is different in this regard, as it is a much smaller city. With a smaller population, there is less competition, allowing new drag personas to emerge and develop their talents.

“It’s easy to stand out here,” Quit said. “If I were in Brooklyn or Chicago it’d be much harder, but here, I can be as weird as I want and people will notice.”

That being said, there are only three venues in Richmond known for drag performances: Godfrey’s in Jackson Ward, Babe’s of Carytown, and Fallout in Shockoe Bottom.

According to Chicki Parm, Godfrey’s is more traditional drag, with most performers doing showgirl drag. On Godfrey’s website, they state that their drag “entertainers represent the best of female illusion and entertainment. These ladies uphold the highest of standards, which has become the cornerstone of our success to this day.” However, according to Parm, there are a lot of rules the performers must follow, and it is hard to book. Parm said they do not allow femme queens — transgender women who do drag.

Parm described Babe’s of Carytown as offering both traditional as well as progressive drag. Progressive drag refers to queens who push the envelope outside of traditional female impersonation. This includes being androgynous, choosing not to wear nails or pads, and not conforming to one gender.

Fallout is the most progressive venue in Richmond, according to Chicki Parm. Located in Shockoe Bottom, Fallout is a self-described grunge, industrial and fetish nightclub; it’s Chicki Parm’s home bar. “They do not care what your gender is, or what your genre of drag is,” Parm explained, “just as long as you can perform.”

“The creativity coming out of these drag artists is astounding and the audience cannot get enough,” said Jackie Bishop Wells, Fallout’s event coordinator. Fallout’s drag scene has remained steady throughout the years, with an average attendance of 50 to 80 people — a number that is high for weekend performances. It features two to four drag shows a month and is currently working on a show which features Drag Kings, male impersonators, and Femme Queens.

Wells explained that the demand for more non-traditional drag has increased in recent years. This demand has led to competition between other venues in Richmond. However, according to Wells, no one is actively trying to outdo one another. Fallout’s only guideline to their drag shows is professionalism. The bar does not want to limit the art form, and therefore does not require drag personas to wear padding — a tactic that simulates the illusion of the female form — nails, or any other traditional signs of female gender conformity.

With only a handful of clubs, many of Richmond’s drag personas have started to branch out, taking on the role of creating and booking their own shows. This is true for both Shanita Quit and Chicki Parm, who are constantly trying to build their name in the drag and LGBTQ communities.

As drag begins to grow in Richmond, more restaurants and places are opening up to the idea of drag performances in order to boost appeal, Quit explained. Quit hosts her own show at the New York Deli on the first Sunday of every month, at which she features a cast of four drag performers. Quit describes the event as a variety show where new talents can showcase their art.

Although there are more well known cities for drag, many performers choose to stay in Richmond and continue to grow their name. Shanita Quit’s drag daughter, Tony Okonski, is one of these. He’s a newcomer to the drag scene, with just one performance under his belt, but Richmond is where he wants to be.

His persona, Gen Defuk, is a perfect example of the new progressive wave of drag. Gen Defuk is a non-binary persona with a political undertone, working to normalize gender and sexual fluidity. “I believe in making big statements peacefully and as conflict-free as possible,” Okonski said.

Drag is a community based in family and traditions. The idea of drag mothers and drag daughters is emblematic of the role family plays into the LGBTQ community. Drag mothers are typically older drag queens who had been in the business awhile. In earlier eras, younger drag queens were often abandoned by their biological families for being queer. This led to the older drag personas taking younger ones under their wing, and teaching them what they know. Although this practice is not as necessary as the world becomes more accepting, these ties are still strong in the community, and the tradition lives on in Richmond, in spite of the fact that drag is naturally a competitive line of work.

Melanin Monroe, a Richmond-based performer and a performer in Shanita Quit’s show, explains why the role of family is one of the reasons she has remained in Richmond. “There’s a lot of support, and there is always somebody around that will be willing to either teach you, or give you an opportunity to get your foot in the door,” Monroe said.

For many, drag is not just a performance art, but an acceptance of the complicated nature of sexuality and gender. For a new generation of Richmond drag personas, the familial feel of the local drag scene satisfies the need for acceptance that fuels familial ties. As a new generation of drag performers comes into their own, Richmond’s drag community is poised to thrive for years to come.

*Cover photo by Emily Holter

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 18 – June 24

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, July 21, 10 PM
PT, Fan Ran, BC Music 1st, Reppa Ton, Rah Scrilla, Johnny Ciggs, Starr Nyce, Ben FM, Been Official @ Emilio’s – Free!
Richmond hip hop is an endless well of delights. There are so many different corners of the scene that merit keeping up with, and it can be tough to give equal attention to it all. But if you really want to be aware of what’s happening in Richmond hip hop, you can’t sleep on Gritty City Records. They’ve been cranking out quality hip hop for close to a decade now, and over the course of their lengthy, prolific run, they’ve expanded their roster to feature quite a few local talents who got their start separately from the label. Talk about supporting the scene.

The latest RVA stalwart to fall into Gritty City’s orbit is PT, a veteran rapper who is not to be confused with PT Burnem, a completely different veteran RVA rapper. PT and Fan Ran have a new album coming out on Gritty City called Airtight (or Ear-tite… or both?) and the first single, “Ain’t Made My Way,” finds PT spitting some raw, real-as-fuck lyrics over local production superstar Fan Ran’s smooth-as-silk yet vaguely ominous beats. It wouldn’t be a bad bet to expect this same level of high-quality hardcore hip hop from the entire album, and you can get a lengthier preview — and a chance to purchase a copy of Airtight for yourself — by swinging by Emilio’s this Saturday night. It doesn’t even cost anything to get in; what have you got to lose?

You’ll get a lot more for your zero-dollar investment as well. Triple-threat rhymer/director BC Music 1st will step out from behind the camera to grab the mic and lay down a set, which one assumes will draw significant material from his latest album, Prayers Are Appreciated. You can pick up a copy of that one at the show too — and you’d be well advised to do so. The rest of the bill brings together Gritty City mainstays like Johnny Ciggs and Ben FM with RVA leading lights like Rah Scrilla and Reppa Ton. Even Atlanta’s Starr Nyce, who got his start in RVA, will deliver a set. If you want to find out what’s going on in 2018 RVA hip hop, Gritty City is your one-stop shop — and this free Saturday night show is the perfect opportunity for you to get on board.

Wednesday, July 18, 7 PM
Strawberry Girls, Night Verses, Andrés, pulses., The Sun In The Sea @ Strange Matter – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Instrumental prog-metal. It’s a thing. There’s this whole scene out there for this kind of music that a lot of us probably forget about, ignore, or flat-out never knew existed. And I know there are probably a lot of you who think it’s nerdy, who roll your eyes and dismiss the whole idea of such a genre without ever giving it a proper listen. But I urge you to reconsider, as groups like Strawberry Girls and Night Verses might just twist your whole head around if you give them a chance. Admittedly, Strawberry Girls are one of those groups with a female name and an entirely male membership, and I’m sick to death of that whole trope. But musically, this group has quite a bit to offer, from their chunky, complex, yet always engaging instrumentals to their occasional vocal tunes featuring a variety of smooth-voiced guests.

One of those guests is Andrés, a smooth-voiced soul singer with some Miguel vibes on his solo work. He recently collaborated with Strawberry Girls on a track called “Party Nights,” which manages to keep the tech-prog vibe going at the same time as it sounds sorta like Chromeo. (I know, right?) Andrés is on this tour too, and in addition to a set of guitar-driven R&B jams of his own, I’d be amazed if he didn’t join Strawberry Girls for at least a few minutes of their set. Night Verses, the LA band who’ll occupy the slot between Strawberry Girls and Andrés’s sets, are strictly instro and get a little heavier and more electronic with their sounds, but they’ve got a lot in common with Strawberry Girls and are sure to get you rockin’ out even as you admire their intricate fretwork.

Thursday, July 19, 8 PM
PC Worship, Buck Gooter, Magnus Lush, Fat Spirit @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
If you’re anything like me, the second you see a band name like “PC Worship,” you think “this is gonna be some weird electronic stuff.” It’s a fair expectation, to be sure — but in this case, nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, this Brooklyn band gets down n’ dirty, wading around in the same sort of muck that classic NYC sludge-scummers like Pussy Galore and Surgery. They bring in some artsy inclinations as well — folk-associated instruments like violins show up right in the middle of slacker jams that will have you thinking of early Pavement and obscure “only 90s kids will remember” groups like Red Red Meat.

Mainly, PC Worship seem to be a band that has found a way to dig deep enough in the muck to find psychedelic transcendence. And whether you’re the type to love sloppy blues-damaged shambling or astral-traveling space music, you’re sure to find something that will appeal to you in PC Worship’s decidedly non-electronic approach. Things will get even weirder when honestly undescribable VA stalwarts Buck Gooter take the stage for their set, while openers Magnus Lush and Fat Spirit each contribute their own spin on emotionally-driven alt-rock, with Magnus Lush taking things in a more ethereal direction as Fat Spirit dig their toes into the grunge vibe. This is gonna be a fun one.

Friday, July 20, 9:30 PM
Piranha Rama, Minor Poet, Big No @ Strange Matter – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This is going to be a big night. Piranha Rama has been bouncing around the RVA scene for a while now, but they’ve kept a low profile in the world of recording, mainly choosing to prove themselves on stages around town. They didn’t release their first EP, Beach Body, until a few months ago. But clearly, they were just waiting until the right time, because now, only a couple of months after that first release, they’re following it up with a self-titled full-length that will be available for the first time at this musical extravaganza. Which is to say: if you had plans for Friday night, you better reschedule.

Piranha Rama is a band bringing together members from a variety of local rock n’ roll combos, including Lady God, The Milkstains, and Warren Hixson, and while their first EP was a pretty solid continuation of the sound those groups led us to expect, they’ve got a lot more than that up their sleeves. Their new LP features contributions from local musical superstars like Kenneka Cook and Reggie Pace, and incorporates a variety of unexpected sounds, from spaghetti-western-soundtrack twang to Latin syncopations and lounge-style synth. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll hear plenty of rock n’ roll at this show — but that’s far from the only thing Piranha Rama have to offer. Investigate further if you haven’t already. And if you have, show up for a renewed dose. You need this band in your life.

Saturday, July 21, 7 PM
Dylan Carlson, Dorthia Cottrell, Eric Benson @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Even after setting trends and blazing trails in the world of music for over a quarter-century, Dylan Carlson is remains relevant and interesting. His time with Earth saw him basically create the sludge-beyond-sludge sound that Sunn 0))) has immortalized, before moving on to a sort of ambient folk approach that retained the droning doom vibes of their earlier material while incorporating lush melody and an almost inviting sound. For the last five years or so, Carlson has been working mainly on his own, creating evocative soundscapes with nothing more than his lone electric guitar. It’s this sort of playing that he showcases on his first full solo album, Conquistador, released earlier this year.

Carlson describes Conquistador as “an imaginary Western” (word to Leslie West), and its five tracks, which total just over half an hour (there were single Earth songs this long!) evoke the exact sort of mood and atmosphere that you’d expect from such a thing. While Sergio Leone is a definite influence here, there’s a subtle melodic undercurrent that will remind fans of later Earth material, even as the most droning moments will evoke Earth’s early days of massive heavyosity. Carlson is well-paired on this show with a solo performance by Dorthia Cottrell, whose work separate from doom-metal heroes Windhand has a menacing, windswept vibe of its own, one that could definitely be termed “dark folk.” Meanwhile, Lugweight leader Eric Benson brings us a solo set that may or may not be full of his own take on droning guitar noise — that’s what the last Lugweight stuff I heard had to offer, but it’s been a while now.

Sunday, July 22, 8 PM
Machines Of Living Death, Pain Generator @ Fallout – $5
OK, before we go any further, let’s get one thing out of the way — this is not the band Machines Of Loving Grace. I’ll give you massive 90s-kid Crow-soundtrack-rocking industrial-metal props if that was what you thought, but Machines Of Living Death are an entirely different proposition. Their take on industrial metal is fast, furious, war-hungry, and downright brutal. If anything, this band is death metal — their 2016 album The DOS Of War shows their facility with thrash riffs, guttural vocals, and speedy drums.

But they make it more interesting, not to mention harder-hitting, by incorporating programmed beats, harsh samples, and the sort of technological bleakness that once characterized the best work of Ministry. Imagine “Thieves” or “Stigmata” if they were written by Napalm Death, and you’re on the right track. Whether you’re down with the dour, pounding power of classic industrial or the headbanging thrash rage of death metal, you’ll find something to love in Machines of Living Death. Get into it.

Monday, July 23, 8 PM
Bible Of The Devil, Twisted Tower Dire, Desert Altar, DJ Die-Hard @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The days of muscle cars doing burnouts in parking lots while Judas Priest blasts on the stereo are gone. LONG gone, in fact — I can remember the days when Heavy Metal Parking Lot was a day to day reality at a certain pool hall in my hometown, but I was a little kid at the time, and I’m old! Thankfully, there are bands out there keeping that rip-roaring metal sound alive into a darker modern era when most metal bands are persistently pessimistic. Don’t get me wrong, those bands have a million very good reasons to go all-dark all the time, and scream in dimly lit rooms about how fucked we all are, but sometimes you just want to hear a guitar-slinging band crank out some mega-fun riffs to put a smile on your face and let you forget about [insert insulting nickname for our president here] and all the other garbage that’s an inextricable part of our world in the 21st century.

I’m talking, of course, about Bible Of The Devil, the Chicago crew with a two-decade history of triumphant heavy metal power. This band splits the difference between early Van Halen, early Iron Maiden, and prime New Wave Of British Heavy Metal awesomeness like Angel Witch and Tygers of Pan Tang — and they do it with a joie de vivre sure to light up your Monday night and get your week off to a great start. They’re accompanied on this trip to RVA by North Carolina’s Twisted Tower Dire, who are a bit more straight-up early 80s power-metal, but still share Bible Of The Devil’s devil-may-care joy at showering us all with triumphant metal delights. Desert Altar, a local retro-doom quintet who’ve recently brought an excellent Kyuss-style riff monster of a self-titled debut album into the world, offer local support, and round out this bill full of pure headbanging glory.

Tuesday, July 24, 7:30
Zac Clark, Bob Oxblood, Long Arms @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Gotta be honest with y’all here — I don’t know who Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness are. The fact that Zac Clark is a member of that group is being touted as his foremost qualification for your attention, and it just makes me feel tremendously out of the loop. However, I’ve never been the sort of girl to worry more about the hype than the music, and a single listen to Clark’s 2015 solo LP, I Am A Guest, was enough to convince me that it doesn’t matter what other bands this dude is in. Clark’s songwriting is imbued with equal dashes of 70s singer-songwriter-style melodic introspection (think Jackson Browne and James Taylor — who are both great, in case you weren’t sure) and alt-country pensiveness (here I’m referring to guys like Patterson Hood and Jason Isbell — who, yes, were both in the Drive-By Truckers).

The point here is that you shouldn’t be going to see Zac Clark because of whoever he normally plays with — you should be going to see him because he’s a really good musician and will share some excellent songs with you. The same can be said of Bob Oxblood; he’s played in Jack’s Mannequin and done guest vocals on at least one Kid Is Qual tune, but his solo work — which combines some delicate finger-picked guitar with an intriguingly syncopated backbeat, at least on new EP Domino — is the reason for the season. Openers Long Arms brought us a killer LP last year that might just be the best thing James Menefee’s been responsible for yet (and he was also in Fun Size and River City High, so that’s saying something!) This will be a night of excellent songwriters singing excellent songs. You really shouldn’t miss it.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Goth & Industrial Showcase Vol. 1, feat. The Rain Within, Type Trauma, The Purge, DJ Karla @ Fallout

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It’s been a few days since Christmas, so we can start wearing all black again, right? I’m glad you agree, because the time has come to don a midnight-black ensemble and head down to Shockoe Bottom for a showcase of local goth and industrial bands at Fallout. This is a great chance for those who don’t normally check out spooky stuff like this to get a crash course. And of course, for the longtime fans, this is just a really great bill. The Rain Within’s presence at the top of the lineup makes a lot of sense, of course–while this group originally formed as a side project of frontman Andy Deane’s long-running goth group Bella Morte, it’s become a pretty established project in its own right over the past several years, especially since the release of debut full-length Dark Drivein 2016. The Rain Within mixes goth gloom with a subtle melodic sensibility clearly derived from early 80s New Wave, and comes up with tunes that would have made a much better Lost Boys soundtrack than that guy with the muscles and the saxophone could produce.

The other bands on this bill are a bit heavier, but no less enjoyable. There’s not much melody at all to be found in Roanoke’s Type Trauma, a three-piece industrial outfit with a Skinny Puppy/Front 242-ish pound. However, their songs still manage to get under your skin with their propulsive grooves and ominous vocals. The Purge, which is the latest project from former Gutter Gloss frontman Thomas Duerig, brings a bit more of a Robert Smith-like vibe through the vocals, but hits very hard with its electronic instrumentation to dispel any notions of a pop sensibility. DJ Karla of ongoing Williamsburg goth dance party The Witching Hour will get this whole thing started with a DJ set that should appeal to all the dark denizens of Fallout’s gothic dance parties. This evening of dark sounds might seem a bit intimidating if you aren’t already familiar with the genre, but it’s never a bad idea to try new things. You metalheads and experimental-electronic weirdos might be surprised at how much you’ll like some of this. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/27-1/2

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday December 30 & Sunday, December 31, 8 PM
New Year’s Eve Weekend with The Southern Belles & Jackass Flats @ The Camel – Day 1: $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE); Day 2: $25 in advance/$30 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s still the holiday season, y’all–and let me tell you, it’s a little frustrating that the world still expects me to work right in the middle of the 12 days of Christmas like this. We should all take heart, though, because while last weekend was consumed by Christmas–a lovely holiday, to be sure, as long as you aren’t hoping for live music to be happening–this weekend is New Year’s Eve weekend. That means there’ll be so many amazing shows, parties, and fun activities happening this weekend, it’ll totally make up for how bored you were sitting on your parents’ couch last Saturday night, watching Fox News because your dad wouldn’t let you change the channel.

There are a ton of excellent shows out there to choose from on this lovely holiday weekend, but for our money the one you can least afford to miss is actually not one but two shows! This Saturday and Sunday night, peripatetic psychedelic rockers The Southern Belles will join up with their rootsy-Americana pals Jackass Flats to stage a two-day takeover of The Camel. And if you’re thinking this’ll just be a typical jam-band party full of Dead covers and hippie-ish pseudo-country folk jams, you clearly haven’t been keeping up with what The Southern Belles have been up to lately.

For evidence of just how excellent this band has gotten, you need look no further than their recent LP, In The Middle Of The Night, which dropped back in August. As psychedelic musical headtrips go, this one is way more Pink Floyd than Grateful Dead. While I can certainly hear some elements of Phish in their music, it’s the more organized, tuneful end of that band’s sound–and let’s be real, Phish aren’t nearly as good at actual songwriting as these guys are. They’ll spend the evening regaling you with lengthy trips through the musical astral plane. Jackass Flats will warm up on both nights, giving you a standout take on the old-time country-folk that can at times be the bane of the jam-band scene–though not when these guys are onstage. Hint: if you’re trying to pinch pennies, show up the first night, when admission is less than half what it’ll be on actual New Year’s Eve. Once you’ve seen how far out these bands can take it, the higher night 2 door price will still seem like a bargain.

Wednesday, December 27, 8 PM
People’s Blues Of Richmond, Of Good Nature, The Trillions @ The Broadberry – $13 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s always a good time to catch a show from People’s Blues of Richmond, but anyone who’s been following this band for a while knows that they really get things going around the holidays. They’ve spent the past couple of months traversing the countryside, getting wild and crazy onstage across the USA, so they’re coming back to RVA tour-tight and ready to destroy. You can tell how cranked-up this band has been in recent months from the rerecording of classic PBR track “Cocaine Powder” that premiered on New Noise a week or so ago. It’s a hooting, howling, screaming barnburner, left over from the bad old days before they realized they had to quit or die and redone with the new energy they’ve discovered on their more sober path.

And that’s what you’ll get plenty of tonight at the Broadberry! This band always gets wild n’ wooly onstage, even if they aren’t necessarily fueled by an excess of substances, and this big-time holiday bash to close out the year just means things will be even more off the hook. PBR are joined on this trip by North Carolina reggae-rockers Of Good Nature, who bring an uplifting sound full of energy that constitutes the perfect compliment to PBR’s full-throttle mania. The Trillions will throw you a bit of a curveball in their opening slot, mixing math-rock angularity with sweet, Beatlesque pop to get everyone up and dancing in spite of themselves. This show is sure to be a blast–give yourself a post-Christmas treat by making it a part of your week.

Thursday, December 28, 9 PM
Benefit for Puerto Rico Independent Musicians & Artists (PRIMA), feat. Bio Ritmo @ The Hof – $15 donation
All the legendary local vets are out on the town for this post-Christmas week of festivities, so of course it’s only appropriate for Bio Ritmo to join the fun. If you don’t know about this RVA salsa ensemble, I would have to figure you just blew into town last week–they’ve been a strong, consistent presence on the local scene for damn near three decades now. Since their landmark appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series a few years ago, they’ve been keeping a low profile as a band, but from bassist Eddie Prendergast’s steady gig leading The Mikrowaves to conga player Coco Barez’s recent solo release, El Laberinto del Coco, the group’s individual members have been staying very busy.

However, they have been spurred back into action recently by the disaster that has befallen Puerto Rico over the past several months, in the wake of Hurricane Maria and the US government’s less than ideal efforts at relief. Multiple band members have close family in Puerto Rico, so the ongoing struggle to rebuild the island has hit very close to home for the band. It’s for this reason that their appearance Thursday night at The Hof is a benefit for Puerto Rico, specifically for the PRIMA Fund, which helps out musicians and artists affected by the storm. The proceeds from the door price at this show, as well as a percentage of the bar sales, will go directly to the PRIMA Fund, and while the minimum donation charge is $15, Bio Ritmo is encouraging those with additional cash to donate whatever in excess of the door price they can. Think how good it will feel to dance your ass off to the energetic salsa sounds of Bio Ritmo, knowing that you’ve also helped bring relief to Puerto Ricans who can’t go to shows at all because there’s still no electricity in huge parts of their island. That’s what Christmas is really all about.

Friday, December 29, 9 PM
VA Goth & Industrial Showcase Vol. 1, feat. The Rain Within, Type Trauma, The Purge, DJ Karla @ Fallout – $7 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s been a few days since Christmas, so we can start wearing all black again, right? I’m glad you agree, because the time has come to don a midnight-black ensemble and head down to Shockoe Bottom for a showcase of local goth and industrial bands at Fallout. This is a great chance for those who don’t normally check out spooky stuff like this to get a crash course. And of course, for the longtime fans, this is just a really great bill. The Rain Within’s presence at the top of the lineup makes a lot of sense, of course–while this group originally formed as a side project of frontman Andy Deane’s long-running goth group Bella Morte, it’s become a pretty established project in its own right over the past several years, especially since the release of debut full-length Dark Drive in 2016. The Rain Within mixes goth gloom with a subtle melodic sensibility clearly derived from early 80s New Wave, and comes up with tunes that would have made a much better Lost Boys soundtrack than that guy with the muscles and the saxophone could produce.

The other bands on this bill are a bit heavier, but no less enjoyable. There’s not much melody at all to be found in Roanoke’s Type Trauma, a three-piece industrial outfit with a Skinny Puppy/Front 242-ish pound. However, their songs still manage to get under your skin with their propulsive grooves and ominous vocals. The Purge, which is the latest project from former Gutter Gloss frontman Thomas Duerig, brings a bit more of a Robert Smith-like vibe through the vocals, but hits very hard with its electronic instrumentation to dispel any notions of a pop sensibility. DJ Karla of ongoing Williamsburg goth dance party The Witching Hour will get this whole thing started with a DJ set that should appeal to all the dark denizens of Fallout’s gothic dance parties. This evening of dark sounds might seem a bit intimidating if you aren’t already familiar with the genre, but it’s never a bad idea to try new things. You metalheads and experimental-electronic weirdos might be surprised at how much you’ll like some of this. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Saturday, December 30, 7 PM
Chepang, Triac, Bandit, Hallucination Realized, Tomb Warden @ Lakeside Tavern – $8
I get a big kick out of seeing new venues come into play around town, especially when they are as random as this one. Lakeside Tavern? Really? It’s a surprise, I’ll admit, but I’m sure not complaining. Any random new venue around the metropolitan area that wants to open its doors to a grindcore show has certainly got a friend in me. Let’s just hope they still feel like doing so after this five-band bill blasts Lakeside with a steady diet of hyperspeed blastbeats. I know one thing for sure–those of us who enjoy being pummelled by 300-BPM blasts of brutality need to make the trip out to Lakeside, because it’s not every day that Nepalese noise merchants Chepang will roll through town.

Honestly, I never thought I’d hear about a ridiculously fast, heavy, and awesome grind band from the Himalayan mountain region, but I’m sure not complaining. This group’s brand new LP, Dadhelo: A Tale of Wildfire, absolutely shreds, blowing through 14 songs and a huge conglomeration of sick riffs in the space of about 20 minutes (and five of that is just the last song). I really want to see them recreate this feat live, and since they’re from literally the other side of the world, Saturday is probably the only chance I’ll get to do it. Let’s not miss out, y’all. Baltimore veterans Triac are also on this bill, joined by Philly ragers Bandit, Rochester rippers Hallucination Realized, and local brutarians Tomb Warden. It’s seriously gonna be a full night of blasting grind insanity, and seeing whether Lakeside can handle it will be almost as awesome as checking it out in the first place.

Sunday, December 31, 8 PM
Dazeases, Sammi Lanzetta, Fat Spirit, FM Skyline @ Gallery 5 – $10
What are you doing New Year’s Eve? If you’re hoping to avoid boredom and cliches this year, you might want to check out Gallery 5’s “New Year, New You” party. After all, plenty of places can do some sort of fancy-dress party complete with champagne and kisses at midnight, but only at Gallery 5 will you get the (honestly pretty excellent) recommendation to “dress as your new self.” So who do you want to be in 2018? If you said, “Someone who sees more really good shows,” then rest assured, Gallery 5 has the perfect bill through which you will be able to kick off your new year on a good foot!

This spread of local superstars from a variety of different subgenres is topped off by Dazeases, whose ambient electronic sounds and powerful vocals makes me think of Bjork if she was raised in the American south. Or something like that. Meanwhile, Sammi Lanzetta brings her own powerful voice to the table, but it’s backed by some killer power-pop tuneage. Fat Spirit puts the “rock” in indie rock, which it’s a huge relief to see someone doing in 2017, and FM Skyline finds local renaissance weirdo Pete Curry getting his vaporwave on with a collection of synths sure to put your head in a new space. Isn’t that what we should all want from a New Year’s Eve party? Seems legit to me.

Monday, January 1, 9 PM
Escuela, .gif From God, Cruelsifix @ Cary St. Cafe – $7
Only two days after the Chepang show at Lakeside Tavern, we have another instance of a grind show happening at a totally unusual place. Oh sure, Cary St. Cafe does live music regularly, but most of the time it’s rock n’ roll, jam-band stuff, or folk music. I certainly wouldn’t have expected them to kick off their year with an evening of ripping grind violence. But hey, maybe this is their new look for 2018. I must say I like it. Escuela comes to us from Ithaca, NY, and their new split with Disparo! shows them to have a monster of a sound, full of blasting speed, crust-punk rage, and metal power. Fans of Discordance Axis, Tragedy, and Nasum should all find a lot to love here.

The two local bands sharing this bill with Escuela aren’t bands you’d normally expect to play together, but in light of the out-of-town headliners, it makes perfect sense. .gif From God are bringing back that whole scene-grind thing all by themselves, but they’ve got a lot more to offer than white belts and Number 12 Looks Like You resonances–this band’s split with Vein, released almost exactly a year before this show, ranges from pedal-to-the-metal speed to neck-snapping breakdowns at the drop of a dime, keeping you guessing and your head banging. Cruelsifix is also bringing the speed and the breakdowns, but they do so in service of old-school death metal, busting out some early 90s Florida/Morrisound-style riffs to get all the denim n’ leather types stoked. None of this will make too much sense to random Deadheads wandering in on a Monday night, but who cares? Crank the amps and let it roar!

Tuesday, January 2, 7 PM
A Night of Covers Benefiting Gallery 5, feat. Night Idea, Opin, The Pyramidions, Oasis tribute band @ Gallery 5 – $5
Craig Zirpolo’s been a scene mainstay for a while now. One of the main forces behind local music-centric web publication Dust-Up, Zirpolo previously helmed The Horn RVA and has taken a ton of photos for publications all around this town and beyond. Sadly, they’re now departing our lovely river city for the greener pastures of Austin (it’s like RVA only it’s in Texas, so it’s bigger). But before they leave, they’re giving us not one but TWO nights of killer music to benefit two of the best venues in Richmond. This is just the first night–we’ll almost certainly talk about night two in next week’s column. But this show is worth exploring in and of itself, because it comes with a twist.

This Gallery 5 benefit is a tribute show, of sorts. And I say “of sorts” because the headlining act, Night Idea, is really just covering themselves. Or, I mean, I think that’s what’s up with the whole “Cold Brew Boys” thing, right? I don’t hang in the proper circles to fully plumb the depths of that particular in-joke. But I can tell you that the band will also be busting out some tunes from Ocho The Cat, their 2011 debut LP, which has long since been scrubbed from their bandcamp, so you’ve gotta figure they’re at least a little embarrassed about it. Opin and The Pyramidions will both engage in some more straightforward tribute-paying with their sets of Tears For Fears and The Birthday Party tunes, respectively. Meanwhile, the Oasis tribute band featuring members of Magnus Lush, Bad Magic, and Unmaker, which previously played an episode of Strange Matter’s 90s Prom tribute show, will reform once again to tell us what the story (morning glory) is. So yeah, this should be a blast, and it’s for a good cause! It’s not exactly tight that Craig is leaving, but for now, we should celebrate the fact that we ever had them here at all. So let’s ring in 2018 right, even if it is two days late!

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

Top photo by Melissa Brugh, via Facebook

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 10/11-10/17

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, October 14, 6 PM
MAG Fest presents Game Over 2.0, feat. A_Rival, an0va, D&D Sluggers, DJ 8-Bit Mullet, DJ Super Sonic, F1NG3RS, The Gothsicles, Gunblade X @ Fallout – $14 in advance/$19 at the door (order tickets HERE)
The world of video games is, admittedly, one I’m not too familiar with. But I have brushed up against the world of video game music a time or two, most notably the time I went to see Kitty come through town on tour with Anamanaguchi. The music I heard from the other bands on that bill was what is also known as “chiptune”–peppy, hyperkinetic dance music played at least partially by 8-bit sequencers of the sort that created the indelible soundtracks of every classic Nintendo game you (or I guess your uncle, you young whippersnappers) grew up playing for three hours after school every day.

Chiptune’s the sort of thing that I’m sure at least half of you are going, “wait, this exists?” about right now. But the kids who love it REALLY love it, and I’m sure a lot of them are already really excited about what’s going down at Fallout this Saturday night. Chances are, people are planning to divide their time between the stage and the many games MAGFest is planning to pack the playing area of the venue with–yes, one of the big attractions of this night is that there’ll be a popup arcade appearing inside Fallout. Classic games originally released on systems like Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo will dominate, though they’ll have games from all eras including the ever-popular Mario Kart 64 (there’ll even be a tournament for this last one, so all you Mario Kart junkies, start practicing now).

But there’s a ton of really wild music hitting the stage this night too, so if, like me, you’re way more of a music person than a video game person, rest assured that entertainment aplenty is still easily had. Where out-of-town awesomeness is concerned, you’ll get everything from Wilmington’s D&D Sluggers, who create a hybrid of soulful indie ballads and straight-up 8-bit beats; to San Francisco’s A_Rival, who’ve actually composed soundtracks to modern 8-bit video games and have a sound that resembles the sort of weirdly heavy-rockin’ tunes you enjoyed on childhood games like Double Dragon II and Street Fighter. The biggest local highlight is an0va, whose complex, melodic tunes use 8-bit instrumentation to create the sort of surprisingly emotionally-driven sounds you find in some corners of the math rock scene. And there are a whole lot more performers on this eight-hour bill, plus a ton of video games to keep you occupied during between-band setup. Dust off your old controller and limber up those fingers for a night of chiptune insanity and video game triumph.

Wednesday, October 11, 7 PM
Wolves in The Throne Room, Pillorian @ Capital Ale House – $20 (order tickets HERE)
It’s time for the return of America’s reigning champions of the black metal genre. Wolves In The Throne Room may have thrown us all off with their 2014 album, Celestite, and it’s veer into the wild world of dark ambient drone. However, they’ve returned to the ripping metallic riffage that won all of our hearts originally on brand new album Thrice Woven, and I’m sure I’m not the only one breathing a sigh of relief. Wolves In The Throne Room set themselves apart from the many Scandinavian bands who made black metal a force to be reckoned with back in the 90s by finding their own twist on those bands’ frequently-sketchy-in-practice interests in returning to a simpler, more primal connection to the earth (why do so many people end up bringing racism into the mix when they go this route? It’s really gross).

With Wolves In The Throne Room’s music, the Weaver brothers and their compatriots attempt to make a more universal connection through their homeland, the US Pacific Northwest, where there are plentiful rainstorms, foggy mountains, and shadowed forests to haunt, without all that pesky “tribal purity” garbage getting in the way. On Thrice Woven, the band returns to the dark, foggy sounds of the forest primeval, which they so effectively evoked on earlier classics like Two Hunters and Celestial Lineage. They’ll be bringing this sound to Richmond tonight at Capital Ale House’s Downtown Music Hall, of all places, and if nothing else, you can rest assured that this show will not get as messy as that time you saw Watain at Brooklyn Bazaar or whatever. They’ll be joined by Pillorian, a new Pacific Northwest black metal concern with connections to Agalloch and a melodically-infused black metal sound. Don’t miss out on this one.

Thursday, October 12, 8 PM
Sammi Lanzetta, Piranha Rama, Illiterate Light, Secret Nudist Friends @ The Camel – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The fulfillment of some long-gestating potential is upon us this night. Sammi Lanzetta, who I’ve had my eye on since the early days of her now-departed alt-punk trio, Venus Guy Trap, is releasing her debut EP on high-profile local label 6131 Records, and this show is a celebration of its entry into the world. For Avery is four songs of the incredible voice, sharp lyrical wit, and excellent songwriting talent that has had me paying attention since the first time I saw her perform in a living room in front of a bunch of tipsy teenage punks. Starting the record by snarling “I would rather slit my throat than be stuck in a house with you” at some random misogynist, she spends the next four songs veering between venom-dripping fury and touching vulnerability. The latter is particularly well-documented on “Anxiety Olympics,” which features the immortal lyric “I talk too much and I’m scared of everything” (I definitely know that feel).

With a backing band featuring some talented usual suspects from local projects including Imaginary Sons, Lanzetta’s more than ready to take on the world with her brand new solo record, and she’s bound to make this show tomorrow night at The Camel a blast of power and excellence. She’s got some powerful compatriots signed on as well, from the secretive yet buzzed-about new rock n’ roll project Piranha Rama (don’t look now but I think Tim and Chrissie are in this band too) to excellent Harrisonburg alt-psych duo Illiterate Light, who must make that trip down 64 at least twice a month these days. Secret Nudist Friends kicks things off, and while I know nothing about this band beyond their name, I can’t pretend I’m not intrigued. Oh OK, I know one more thing–they’re from Philadelphia. Even more intriguing. Come to this show, get a copy of Sammi’s new EP, check out all the other rad bands on the bill, and make your Thursday the perfect start to the three-day weekend you’ll have if you call in to work Friday. You know you want to.

Friday, October 13, 8 PM
Truckfighters, Telekinetic Yeti, Gritter, Prayer Group @ Strange Matter – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There’s a lot of really killer heavy fuzzed-out rock n’ roll coming out of Scandinavia these days, a trend it seems was probably kicked off back when the Hellacopters and Turbonegro ruled the roost up that way. Truckfighters came together in Sweden just after the turn of the millennium, and quickly established themselves as the sort of groove merchants easily able to get the wheels on your Camaro turning at a high rate of speed. Someone once called this sort of stuff “high octane bong rock,” and I can’t argue with that. But what Truckfighters have done on their latest album, V, is intriguing precisely for the ways that it steps outside that whole paradigm to expand their sound and add in the sort of psychedelic space that a lot of other Swedish bands (see Dungen) operate in. So these days, this band has even more to offer.

You can expect plenty of headbanging as well as floating through space during their performance at Strange Matter this Friday night, though, so don’t get too worried. And just in case you needed any further headbanging in your diet, fear not–there’s a whole slate of openers with riffs aplenty to get you rocking out. Iowa riffmasters Terminal Yeti are on tour with Truckfighters, and have a kind of Monster Magnet-ish psychedelic fuzz-metal style going on. Local openers Gritter are just about to release their fourth album, Nobody Cares, and should have plentiful new doom-laden NOLA-style jams on hand for you. Up-and-coming locals Prayer Group are dispensing some pure Mudhoney-style fuzz-grunge to kick the night off. Wear your bellbottoms for this one.

Saturday, October 14, 8 PM
Long Arms, Ladygod, Justin Jones @ The Camel – $7 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
This is the second local release party Jet Trails Music has brought to us this week (they were also behind the Sammi Lanzetta one, I should probably have mentioned that at the time but I write these really fast), and it’s just as big a hit as the first one. The new Long Arms LP, Young Life, sees veteran local songwriter James Menefee continuing to hone his craft, for some fine results. If his revived teenage project, Fun Size, is the band where he indulges in his love for Jawbreaker and Gameface, then it’s Long Arms that get all his Springsteen and Westerberg tendencies. So yeah, this is a slightly different flavor, musically speaking, but the taste is just as sweet.

And straight up, the new Long Arms is sweet as hell. It mingles mid-period Replacements vibes with some early alt-country sounds that make me think of prime early Jayhawks tunes, and maybe even the first couple Son Volt albums. If you’re as into that as I am (and if you’re not, you should be), this is the release party for you! Early copies of the Young Life LP will be available, too, so bring some extra cash, because this’ll be your only chance to get it before the November release date. Psychedelic alt-rockers Ladygod open up, and with their own LP growing very near on the horizon, this is a good chance to learn just what you’re in for from this hazy crew of tunesters. Folk-blues troubadour Justin Jones gets things started off on a smooth note. Get there.

Sunday, October 15, 7 PM
Ryan Azada, Navi, Jeff Riddle, Julie Storey @ Gallery 5 – $7
Here’s something cool that I didn’t know about until I got a hot tip through the ol’ email box (keep em coming, folks!). Ryan Azada is a solo artist with a Memphis hometown, but he’s recently come to Richmond to stay, and this is his first show as an official hometown musician. He’s about to rerelease his last EP, Weird But Cool, on Trrrrrash Records, and also has a new EP called Make You Run coming out in November. Make You Run features a full band, but Azada often performs as a solo acoustic artist, and this should be that sort of gig. There are some Elliott Smith vibes coming off the acoustic tracks I’ve heard, while the electric ones make me think more of Conor Oberst’s loudest and best moments.

Azada is touring with Jeff Riddle, who normally fronts a Philadelphia band called The Holy Mess. That band has a propulsive melodic punk energy, but you can see how Riddle’s songs could translate to a solo thing. Chances are, for an acoustic gig, his set’s gonna be pretty loud. Navi will also bring the volume, and disrupt this mostly-solo-acoustic sort of gig with their trademark math-metal noise-rock–a sound you don’t get to hear that much these days what with John and Kyle being so busy with other projects. Take advantage of this rare opportunity! Doll Baby frontwoman and killer solo artist in her own right Julie Storey kicks off the night. Should be excellent. Don’t blow it.

Monday, October 16, 8 PM
Austin Lucas, Ryan Singer, Saw Black, Owlrare @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s an unusual pairing that intrigues me enough to qualify this show for the column all by itself. Austin Lucas and Ryan Singer are on tour together. One’s an acoustic performer of the sort I’d typically label folk-punk. The other’s a comedian. Yeah, isn’t that wild? “The Crooner and The Clown,” they’re calling the tour. My interest is definitely piqued. And while I’ve been hearing the name Austin Lucas for years now, I haven’t checked out his music in quite a while, and it seems he has further grown as a vocalist, to the point that he totally merits the label as a crooner. It’s not just his voice that’s the attraction, though–his music has a high-lonesome old-time folk feel even as it clearly reflects the influence of the Bloomington punk scene, where he originally got some attention.

Ryan Singer is a stand up comedian, and I for one have found his jokes quite amusing, and enjoyed his appearance on WTF with Marc Maron last year. Not to be a cliche, but he’s a very funny guy. And if nothing else, his set will certainly break up the steady run of live bands we all see night after night, right? Plus he’s on tour with a folk-punk singer, so that’s interesting enough right there. Crystal Pistol majordomo Saw Black will bring his acoustic indie tunes to us as part of the local support, with the opening shot of the evening being provided by new Crystal Pistol solo artist Owlrare and his surprisingly deep voice. This one should be both fun and moving, so you definitely don’t wanna miss it.

Photo by Josh Shinner, from Wikipedia

Tuesday, October 17, 7 PM
Lewis Watson, Angelica Garcia @ The Camel – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
One good folk show deserves another, but unlike the last, this one is not folk-punk but straight-up folk. Lewis Watson is a British singer-songwriter who’s explored full band sounds but seems to perform most often as a solo artist. Since he’s so far from home these days, I’d be highly surprised to see him show up to the Camel Tuesday night with a full band, but hey–you never know. Regardless, you’re in for some beautiful tunes, as his dulcet vocal tones and emotionally-drenched melodies are indelibly beautiful and will soak deep into your bones as you watch.

Local sensation Angelica Garcia is a great pairing for this British singer. She’s got a bit more of a swagger and snarl than Lewis Watson, but she’s another singer with a strong style and some real emotional resonance, and what’s more, she’s grabbed a lot of attention lately, so it’s always good to catch her at a relatively low-profile local gig. If things carry on in current fashion, you may not get too many more chances for that kind of thing. Make the most of it while you can.

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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] [the rvamag address isn’t working for some reason, I STILL haven’t had time to look into it! I know, how annoying]