Fuzzy Cactus Archives

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

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 18, 2022

Topics: Armor, Artspace, Benet, BIB, Big Takeover, BoDeans, Bonjinski, Brian Jones, C4, California Cousins, Curriculum, Dead Heat, Division Of Mind, Downfall, End It, Flight Club, Fuzzy Cactus, Genocide Pact, Gnawing, Gusher, High Command, Insignificant Other, Judiciary, Julie Karr, Kaleidoscopic Haze, Killing Pace, Kontaminate, live music in Richmond, Macseal, Mindforce, Muck, Mutually Assured Destruction, Never Again, No/Mas, Noah Campbell Trio, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Protocol, Restless Spirit, Restraining Order, Richmond Vampire, Rough Age, shows you must see, Spy, Studio Two Three, Sylvan Esso, Terrorizer, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Fight, The National, Tin Pan, Vomit Forth, Weird Tears, Work Wear

FEATURED SHOW
Big Takeover, Vol. 1
Day 1: Friday, May 20, 7 PM
Genocide Pact, No/Mas, Mutually Assured Destruction, Restraining Order, The Fight, Restless Spirit @ The Camel – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Day 2: Saturday, May 21, 1 PM
Terrorizer, Mindforce, Division Of Mind, Dead Heat, Judiciary, End It, BIB, High Command, Downfall, Spy, C4, Gel, Final Gasp, Armor, Protocol, Vomit Forth, Kontaminate, Never Again, Killing Pace @ The Broadberry – $65 (order tickets HERE)
There were a lot of casualties of the pandemic, and I don’t just mean the million Americans (and millions more outside of America) who died. Bands broke up, venues went away, restaurants closed down. And in the midst of all that, Richmond’s long-running annual hardcore festival, United Blood, decided to end their run. This was definitely the end of an era. The great thing about the hardcore scene, though, is that anytime one era ends, someone else starts up a new one. Just like that song Lambchop used to sing (and is presumably still singing, somewhere), hardcore doesn’t end.

This weekend marks the launch of the new era in Richmond hardcore fests: the first annual Big Takeover. And it’s jam-packed with heavy music. I’m not even covering it all here; for one thing, there’s a pre-show Thursday night at a bike shop out on Williamsburg Road. For another, there’s a Friday night after-show at some warehouse (that one’s strictly an “ask a punk” situation). But the two shows listed above, Friday night at The Camel and all day Saturday at The Broadberry, are the big ones. If you can only make it to two, put the priority on these two.

As for what you’ll see there, there’s so much to talk about I have no idea how I’m gonna get through it all. With that in mind, floor it! In a move that will let you know where hardcore is as a genre right now, both nights are headlined by death metal bands. DC ragers Genocide Pact cap off Friday night’s mayhem, while legendary Los Angeles grinders Terrorizer (featuring legendary Morbid Angel drummer Pete Sandoval) provide the climax of Saturday’s festivities. Friday night also features Richmond crossover up-and-comers Mutually Assured Destruction and hyperactive Massachusetts maniacs Restraining Order, among others. Highlights of Saturday’s ridiculously stacked bill include metal-thrashing hardcore powerhouse Mindforce, Richmond dark hardcore veterans Division Of Mind, the bizarrely psychedelic hardcore punk of Nebraska’s BIB, and hardcore’s #1 buffalo chicken fans, C4. But look, we’ve barely scratched the surface — there’s so much to love at these shows. If you are into hardcore at all, you gotta go. Oh, and by the way, there have been a ton of social media posts over the last week about “low ticket warnings” or “almost sold out” about these two shows, but as of 11 am Wednesday, tickets for both shows were still available. So hop to it, punk.

Wednesday, May 18, 7:30 PM
Brian Jones’ Kaleidoscopic Haze, Noah Campbell Trio @ Artspace – $20
I’ve noticed a surprising boom in intriguing jazz shows around Richmond as we all work our way back from the pandemic’s extended shutdown. And while I don’t actually know if this is a big new movement within the Richmond jazz scene or if it’s just that I’ve developed a better network of tipsters for local jazz stuff, I’m grateful for it either way. Because otherwise, I might totally miss this midweek show by a trio of RVA jazz heavyweights, and that would truly be a tragedy.

Brian Jones’ Kaleidoscopic Haze is a trio put together by legendary Richmond jazz drummer Brian Jones back in the days before the pandemic, which also features guitarist Trey Pollard and bassist Adam Hopkins. They laid down an album’s worth of tracks at Spacebomb back in 2019 sometime, and it actually came out in January of 2021, but with no shows happening back then, it’s taken until now for them to come together for a proper album release show. The sound of this particular combo is highly atmospheric and somewhat avant-garde, but constructed around a tight melodic sense and strong fundamentals that produce highly enjoyable results. It’s certainly the type of thing that will make for a fascinating live performance. But don’t just take my word for it — go to the show and find out for yourself! After all, what good is a boom in live jazz if you’re not there to experience it?

Thursday, May 19, 7 PM
Gusher, Weird Tears, Bonjinski @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This one is bittersweet. For while it marks the first show since the pandemic for two-thirds of the bands on this bill, and a record release celebration for at least one of them, it also marks the last show ever for those same bands. That’s incredibly unfortunate, but we can at least take comfort in the fact that we get to see them one last time. Plus, at the top of the bill: Gusher, the one band on this lineup who isn’t playing their last show. We’ll get to appreciate their synth-infused grunge-punk brilliance for quite a while after this — which is no reason to miss them Thursday night.

It’s definitely the last opportunity any of us will get to catch Weird Tears, though, and that’s a damn shame, because this swinging melodic punk band with hints of 50s rock n’ roll has always been a ton of fun. And you can keep listening to their excellent pre-pandemic tape release (I’m sure I will), but this will be the last time you can dance to their tunes in person. Missing that chance would be a truly terrible decision. Bonjinski is also breaking up after this performance, but we can at least take comfort in the record this jangly alt-rockin’ trio has been working on since back before the pandemic hit has finally made it into the world. Get yourself a copy, and get out on the dance floor one last time.

Friday, May 20, 6 PM
Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Macseal, Insignificant Other, California Cousins, Flight Club @ The Broadberry – $18 (order tickets HERE)
I’ve been digging Prince Daddy & The Hyena for quite a while now, and it’s nice to have an excuse to write about them here, as they blow into RVA on a Friday night to spread the word about their new self-titled album. The follow-up to 2019’s Cosmic Thrill Seekers — the album that got me onto the Prince Daddy train — the new album takes what they were doing before to the next level. The band is more emo, more alt-rock, and more punk, all at once. One thing that makes the band’s new work more accessible than ever, though, is that vocalist Kory Gregory, who had the kind of intense voice on previous albums that people either really love or really hate, has toned down the harshest, shrillest aspects of his vocal approach. There’s real melody here now!

How that will come across live, of course, is anyone’s guess. And I have to admit, I’m the kind of emo nerd who really hopes he’s still willing to hit those throat-shredding semi-screamed high notes. But regardless of whether Prince Daddy & The Hyena focus on their slightly smoothed-out new material or dip heavily into the early shit they made their name on, this show is bound to be great. Get ready for a lot of dancing and screaming along. Also, while they’re pretty far down on the bill, I’ve gotta mention how stoked I am that California Cousins, who are actually from New York, are playing this show as well. These guys (actually from New York) have a chunkier emo sound that will work equally for fans of Joyce Manor and Soul Blind, and they’ve got a new album called Secret Footage out in a few weeks, for which this set is sure to act as a tantalizing preview. Make sure you show up on time for that one.

Saturday, May 21, 8 PM
Rough Age, Gnawing, Work Wear @ Fuzzy Cactus – $5
I could say something like “the theme of this week’s column is the after-effects of the pandemic,” and I probably wouldn’t be wrong, but that’s mainly because all of us are going to be dealing with the after-effects of the pandemic in every aspect of our lives for years to come. So maybe it’s trite to even mention it? I don’t know. What I do know is that Rough Age got started during that brief pre-pandemic part of 2020 that we’ve all sorta forgotten even happened, and now that two years have passed, a lot of changes have happened for this Richmond band during their time out of the public eye. For one thing, half the band has departed; the two former members of RVA indie-rockers Lightfields who got the whole thing started are now joined by music-making machine James Hoffer (Buzzard Dust, Charmer, a million other bands) on bass and multi-instrumental talent Robert Lindstedt (Fat Spirit) on guitar. For another, they’ve put together a brand new EP, entitled Blank Eyes, for which this show will act as a record release celebration.

The new Rough Age EP shows off their strengths as a band, from the muscular twin-guitar attack that certainly evokes quite a few of their 90s alt-rock heroes to the driving rhythm section that brings an undeniable punk rock undercurrent to the proceedings. All of this is bound to hit even harder once they unleash these songs in a live environment, so you’re definitely well advised to be at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night so you can be there when it happens. You’ll also get to catch a set from Gnawing, whose jangly grunge-punk sound mixes early Uncle Tupelo vibes with a solid dose of Screaming Trees thrown in. They’re always great, but you should know that by now. Charlottesville’s Work Wear, a new trio I’m just discovering now, round out this bill. Their new EP, Charger, features three indie-rock tunes that slowly build at a relaxed pace, all of which stretch past the seven-minute mark. Safe to call these guys “slowcore”? Yeah, I think so. They’ll be an intriguing contrast on this bill, that’s for sure.

Sunday, May 22, 6 PM
Julie Karr, Richmond Vampire, Muck, Curriculum @ Studio Two Three – Donations encouraged
For years and years, it’s seemed like the Christian right has been whittling away at our right to legal abortion. It’s been such a steady drumbeat for the past several decades that sometimes reproductive rights supporters like me could get a little numbed to it all. Now, though, they’ve won a real, substantive victory. It seems clear that the Supreme Court will, in the next month or so, officially strike down Roe v. Wade, thereby erasing the right to abortion in over half of the states in the USA. Looks like it’s time for all of us to wake up, shake up, and get the blood flowing once again.

I don’t pretend to know everything we can do to protect our rights where this issue is concerned, but I do know there are quite a few groups working their tails off to make sure the things we can do get done. One of those groups is the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project, and this Sunday evening show at Studio Two Three is a benefit for them. Even if you don’t have time to volunteer, or the energy to repeatedly call your elected representatives, you can at least come out to this show and make a hefty donation. In return, you’ll get some excellent musical sounds in a variety of genres, from Julie Karr’s moody, entrancing indie-blues tunes to Richmond Vampire’s speedy, snotty hardcore punk. Local newcomers Muck are nowhere on the internet, so I have no idea what they sound like, but people say they’re good; meanwhile, Curriculum will make their live debut at this show, but the practice-space demo they’ve got up online leads me to expect good things. Come to this one to support a great and extremely important cause; stay for the plentiful amounts of killer tuneage.

Monday, May 23, 7:30 PM
Sylvan Esso, Benet @ The National – $32.50 in advance, $35 day of show (order tickets HERE)
North Carolinians Sylvan Esso are an interesting phenomenon. You can look them up and read about their history, find out how singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn formed the duo after stints in Appalachian folk group Mountain Man and jam-folk ensemble Megafaun, respectively, and you’ll expect one thing. But as soon as you listen to them, you’ll find that what you have on hand with Sylvan Esso is a completely different proposition. This isn’t folk or jam-band music, by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, Sylvan Esso produce the sort of indie-electro tunes that you’d expect to appeal equally to fans of Bjork, Portishead, and fka Twigs.

All of that being said, a clear flavor left over from the old-time roots and psychedelic offshoots of their former projects shines through on recent Sylvan Esso singles like “Frequency” — which manages to generate an undeniable dance groove despite a total abscence of conventional beat — and “Ferris Wheel” — which intriguingly pairs a minimalist melody with a bedrock of rumbling low-end synths. These songs are actually nearly two years old now; Sylvan Esso, like everyone else, had to put touring for the album they released in September 2020 on hold for a year and a half. But they’ll still hit just as hard through the National’s powerful PA stacks on Monday night as they would have if we could all have enjoyed them live two autumns ago. So hey — show up and dance. You know you want to.

Tuesday, May 24, 8 PM
BoDeans @ Tin Pan – $55 – $61.50 (order tickets HERE)
There was this period of time back in the 80s, before Nirvana happened and dragged the underground rock scene straight into the spotlight, when the occasional sincerely alternative band would break just enough above the waterline to get a minor amount of mainstream success, but not really enough to become a truly big band. The Connells would be one example of a band like this; another would be The Del Fuegos. And a third would be Wisconsin’s own BoDeans, who I used to hear every once in a while on XL102 when I was in middle school in the late 80s, and who I always liked, but never heard as much of as I might have liked.

Today, BoDeans are probably best remembered for having contributed their song “Closer To Free” as the theme for so-90s-it-hurts teen drama Party Of Five, but they’re far from one-hit wonders. Singles like “Only Love” and “You Don’t Get Much” remain underrated heartland-rock classics over three decades after their original release, while 2017’s Thirteen (their 13th album, natch) still contains a clutch of excellent tunes. In light of all that, going to see BoDeans on Tuesday at Tin Pan is certainly a good idea. It’s a great opportunity to get familiar with a long-running group that never quite got their due. Don’t let it slip by.

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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]

Top Photo: Mindforce at United Blood preshow, 2017. Photo via Mindforce/Twitter

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

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 4, 2022

Topics: Abby Huston, Black Iris, Blunt, Brady Heck, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Chris Acker, Cobra Cabana, Dark Thoughts, Dumb Waiter, Earth To Heaven, Frames, Fuzzy Cactus, Higher Power, Hotspit, Jackson Lynch, Kontusion, Left Cross, Listless, live music in Richmond, Pardoner, Public Acid, quarantine, Rebekah Rafferty & The Wakes, Reflect, shows you must see, Soul Glo, Studio Two Three, Suppression, Ten Pound Snail, Tess Fisher, The Camel, The Chisel, The Great Beforetimes, The HofGarden, Torment, Winkler

FEATURED SHOW
Wednesday, May 4, 8 PM
Indie Pop Night at Black Iris, feat. Hotspit (Photo by @2hevns), Winkler, Ten Pound Snail, Frames @ Black Iris – $8 in advance, $10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Something nice I’ve noticed as the live music scene here in Richmond has thawed and reawakened after the eighteen-month virtual freeze of the pandemic is the increased role being taken in bringing live music to our town by two different important local entities: Black Iris, and Baripete Productions. I’ve particularly noted the things the Arts District-based social club and the up-and-coming promotion outfit have been working together on. For a few months toward the beginning of this year, Baripete were running weekly jazz nights on Wednesdays at Black Iris as part of a series called “Doors At Eight.” Since then, in addition to the growth of the Brambly After Dark series of concerts at Brambly Park and a few noteable presentations at The Hofheimer’s multiple live rooms, Baripete’s brought several other events to Black Iris, of which this Indie Pop Night is just the latest.

And while the jazz fans who loved Doors At Eight might be a little bummed that this event has such a different theme genre, those of us who adore the many melodic indie bands making gorgeous tunes around the Richmond area are in luck with this evening. Hotspit is at the top of the bill, and they’ve really taken some big steps over the last couple of years. The latest is demonstrated by “Wane Mouth,” the single the band released a couple months ago as their first new music in the wake of 2021 debut album CC. It’s both more concise and more directly focused on the beautiful melodies at its center than any of the songs on CC were, and it shows that Hotspit are reaching a new level with their craft — a level that will immerse you in memorably lovely sounds.

Three more bands grace this bill in addition to Hotspit, though, and all have considerable charms. Let’s start with the one from out of town: Winkler are a jangly, acoustic-focused Boston combo who demonstrate an old-fashioned folky charm on new single “Mona.” It definitely leaves you wanting more, and they’ll be bringing plenty more to Black Iris tonight. As for Ten Pound Snail, their Red House Painters-ish slowcore sound is infectious, and a little bird tells me they’re getting ready at some point in the relatively near future to release a fresh batch of excellent tunes to all of us eager listeners. Get a preview of what they’ve got in store at this show. And hey — make sure you show up right on time at 8 o’clock sharp for this one, because missing a second of the opening set that incredibly talented emo-pop group Frames opens the evening with is a crime against music. Be there or get locked up. Hey, I don’t make the rules.

Wednesday, May 4, 9 PM
Pardoner (Photo by Chloe Mullowney), Blunt @ Fuzzy Cactus – $7
Alternately, you might wish to head to Northside and spend your Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you… I know, it’s terrible) evening at Richmond’s 21st century home of rock n’ roll, Fuzzy Cactus, where the talented San Francisco-based group Pardoner will be unleashing an evening full of excellent indie rock riffs. And like, look people — nostalgia is a curse. Pop culture is so doused in it circa 2022 that I wish it had physical form, so I could pick it up and wring the nostalgia out of it like a wet washrag. But nonetheless, when I hear people talking about Pardoner having a nostalgic sound that harks back to the early-90s days of underground alternative rock on their latest LP, Came Down Different, well… I can’t deny that I get what they mean.

But let’s reframe this, folks. When I listen to Pardoner, I hear a band capable of energetic indie rock that pulls from sources as diverse as early 80s UK postpunk, the psychedelic garage rock revival led by their fellow San Franciscans Thee Oh Sees, the Americana-infused jangle-pop of early REM, and, yeah OK, the many feedback-laced melodic guitar rockers from college towns like Boston and Chapel Hill who infused the indie scene of the early 90s. Why can’t what these guys are doing today just constitute another wave of this evergreen sound? I for one think it does — every time I’ve put on Came Down Different over the past couple days, I’ve quickly forgotten that I was doing a “research listen.” This band is more than good enough to be a band that you don’t just indulge for extramusical reasons. And they’ll certainly present a show that’s way more than good enough to get you through another year of unnecessary lightsaber references.

Thursday, May 5, 7 PM
The Chisel, Dark Thoughts, Quarantine, Public Acid @ Studio Two Three – $15
Another big change in the post-pandemic world of local live music is that I’ve found I can’t just source all my information about upcoming shows on Facebook anymore. Which is great, because I hate Facebook (I’m a Twitter girl, at least for now). However, these days, I’m finding the place I have to go — and do a fair amount of hunting while I’m there — is Instagram. I can deal with Instagram, but I much more oriented toward words than pictures, so it doesn’t come the most naturally to me. Thankfully, the more time I spend on there, the more often I find amazing shows like this one, featuring great underground bands tearing it up at venues that are a little off the beaten path. Many times, the most truly memorable live music events take place in circumstances like that one.

But even if such high-flown reasoning isn’t likely to draw you out to some random punk show, rest assured you should make time for this one. UK punk rockers The Chisel have blown a lot of minds in the punk and hardcore world over the past year or so, first with a series of killer singles, then with their incredible LP of last November, Retaliation. I hear people talk when they listen to this band about oi! and other such micro-genres, but I’m not gonna get into the weeds with all that, because to me, The Chisel is just a straight-up old-school punk band with a ton of energy, fury, and that patented British snarl all the best late-70s UK bands excelled at, coupled with some great rock n’ roll riffs that stand outside any particular momentary movement. Whether you dig Blitz, 9 Shocks Terror, the New York Dolls, the Back From The Grave comps, or some combination of all of them, you’ll find something to love in the music of The Chisel. And you should really be there for what’s sure to be one of the better shows to come to RVA this season. Regardless of what social media you did or did not find out about it from.

Friday, May 6, 7 PM
Suppression, Kontusion, Left Cross @ Cobra Cabana – $5
Here’s an absolutely mind-blowing fact — Suppression have been a band for three full decades. Formed by bassist/vocalist Jason Hodges back when he was a teenage grindcore nerd living in Roanoke, they spent most of their first decade as a quintet with constantly shifting lineups, of which Jason was the only constant member. When he moved to Richmond at the dawn of the 21st century, the lineup settled into its present incarnation, with the illustrious Ryan Parrish (also of Darkest Hour, Iron Reagan, and a million other bands) on drums and Jason handling everything else (so: bass, vocals, and a million distortion pedals and noise machines).

They’ve been through a ton of evolutions in just the time since the duo of Jason and Ryan became the band’s permanent lineup, and in recent years they’ve returned to a sloppier and even more noisy and primitive version of the grind/metal/noise/core sound they were making during their Roanoke days in the mid-90s. 2021 digital compilation Oblivion Rats collects all the noise they made between 2015 and 2018. It includes two full-length albums and six split EPs, and runs to 99 tracks, many of which are run-together medleys featuring three or more songs. So yeah, this is a bunch of blurry, distorted noise, of the sort that makes most of what “power violence” seem downright slow and accessible. 30 years later, well into their 40s, Suppression are still making the kind of noise that will not only alienate your parents, but probably your kids too. And if that isn’t a commendable achievement, I don’t know what is. Go celebrate it with them at Cobra Cabana this Friday night. Do it for posterity.

Saturday, May 7, 8 PM
The Great Beforetimes, Abby Huston, Tess Fisher, Rebekah Rafferty & The Wakes @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
The Great Beforetimes are a minimalist acoustic trio that brings together singer-songwriter Aern Stapel and artist Ceili Galante with guitarist Taimir Gore, whose name is more familiar to me from post-rock band Kristeva and Black Liquid’s new metal band, Armagideon Time. It was definitely that unusual combo of people involved in this project first caught my attention, but I wouldn’t have stuck around long enough to write about them if it weren’t for the sincerely intriguing sound they create on their brand-new self-titled LP, the release of which this Saturday night show at The Camel is intended to celebrate. With a percussion-less sound fundamentally oriented around banjo, there’s a temptation to write them off as old-time music, or Americana, or whatever.

But if you actually spend some time with the music of The Great Beforetimes, you’ll soon realize that they have far less in common with scratchy old 78s recorded in Southwest Virginia hotels 100 years ago than they do with psych-folk rangers like Devendra Banhart, the early works of grandiose weirdo singer-songwrite Sufjan Stevens, or even Richmond hometown hero Josh Small. Like the music of all of these artists, The Great Beforetimes’ music steps outside of any studied, formalistic appreciation of the music of a bygone culture to connect with us all in the here and now. This band uses banjo, acoustic guitar, and voices raised in harmony to create songs that actually reach us all the way here in our digital-as-fuck 21st century world and make real deep connections that’ll have you placing these tunes into “new favorite tracks” playlists right alongside Lizzo or Wet Leg or Drug Church or whatever else you’re digging so far in 2022. There’s no contradiction here. Great music exists outside time. That said, this show takes place in a very defined chronological moment, and I encourage you to spend the hours between 8 pm and midnight this Saturday night at The Camel appreciating every gorgeous, unique moment of it.

Sunday, May 8, 7 PM
Soul Glo, Listless, Dumb Waiter @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Speaking of music we’re adding to playlists featuring our faves of 2022 thus far, it’s highly apropos that Soul Glo are bringing their frantic, chaotic brand of hardcore to Richmond at The Camel this Sunday night. Because their new LP, Diaspora Problems, is — at least for me — the most fully realized expression of what it is that they do that’s come into the world thus far. And I mean, I loved Soul Glo even back when I first heard them back in 2016. Nonetheless, Diaspora Problems seems to me to bring all of the elements of what they do into perfect proportion to create an absolute hardcore classic. The song structures are chaotic and unpredictable without being confusing or alienating. The guitars are noisy and harsh, but the choruses are so catchy and memorable that you’ll be singing along with the best of them after only one listen — even when that means you’ll catch yourself mumbling, “Who gon’ beat my ass? Who the fuck gon’ beat my ass?” under your breath while washing dishes.

That’s the other thing about Soul Glo that stands out from moment one — the larger than life personality of vocalist Pierce Jordan, who screams, rages, and rants a thousand miles a minute throughout this album, showing off a verbosity that I, a person who writes this long-ass column once a week, can’t help be impressed with. Soul Glo’s lyrics bring a realness that gets much closer to what it’s actually like to be alive than 99% of lyricists ever even attempt, as well as a strong political consciousness that isn’t going to let any of us off the hook for any of our day to day bullshit. Specifically, they focus quite a bit from an intensely personal perspective on the struggle of marginalized Black people in the United States in the year 2022, something a lot of white people like me (and maybe you?) have let ourselves mostly forget about now that the monuments are down. Soul Glo’s an incredible band pushing the boundaries of what hardcore and punk rock can be, and they’re sure to blow your mind musically. But the lyrics and the statements they make with their music are just as important, and that if anything is why you should make The Camel your destination this Sunday night.

Monday, May 9, 7 PM
Chris Acker, Jackson Lynch, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Brady Heck @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I know, I’ve said it many times before, but I’m always so thankful that The Camel bothers to book shows on Monday night, a night when many other local venues are generally dark and shuttered. This time around, though, they aren’t just bringing us a charming little locals-only bill; instead, they’re hosting touring singer-songwriters Chris Acker and Jackson Lynch. Acker hails from Seattle, while Lynch was born in Ireland and raised in New York, but the city that appears to unite the two of them is New Orleans, where both have spent quite a bit of time during their careers. They’re currently on tour together, both in support of recently released full-lengths that show off their respective powers.

Where Acker is concerned, the LP in question is Odd, Ordinary & Otherwise, his third, released last year and featuring an impressive collection of tunes that make abundantly clear why people compare this dude to the legendary John Prine. It’s the voice, yes — they do sound similar. But it’s also the strength of the songwriting, the way Acker is skilled at capturing all the tiny events that make up the lives of ordinary people and setting them to beautiful, bittersweet tunes. As for Lynch, his new LP is All By My Ownsome, his first full-length release. It mixes covers of century-old tunes by pre-war blues legends like Lonnie Johnson and Josh White with Lynch originals that show how deeply indebted Lynch is to the old-time blues and folk traditions, but also display how creative he is and how much personality he brings to his music. Both Acker and Lynch will be well worth your time to see, and the fact that local purveyors of Americana sounds like Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers and Brady Heck are also on the bill only sweetens an already delicious cup of musical iced tea. Drink up.

Tuesday, May 10, 6:30 PM
Higher Power, Earth To Heaven, Reflect, Torment @ The HofGarden – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I like a lot of different kinds of music, but I’ve never pretended to be anything other than a hardcore kid at heart, so whenever a really great hardcore band comes through town, I try my best to get them into this here show column. You’ve seen some evidence of that already in this edition (see the Soul Glo blurb above), and here’s another example. Higher Power hail from Leeds, over in the UK, and while the UK’s hardly been a hotbed of hardcore greatness over the decades, I don’t think there’s anyone who will deny that this band is in the top tier of hardcore right now. And that’s got a lot to do with the intensely musical nature of their work.

Past generations of hardcore bands have embraced the slogan coined by fellow UK HC band Discharge: noise not music. But Higher Power is doing a lot more than just making harsh, angry noise. On 2020 album 27 Miles Underwater, Higher Power demonstrate influence from groundbreaking bands of the past 30 years, from Quicksand and Snapcase to Glassjaw and Turnstile. And the result is memorable, full of catchy singalong choruses without losing an ounce of the energy we all come to hardcore for. Higher Power might not be exactly what anyone in 1982 or 1996 thought hardcore would sound like today, but it’s pretty goddamn great, and isn’t that what ultimately matters? Spoiler: yes, it is.

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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]

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: April 27 – May 3

Marilyn Drew Necci | April 27, 2022

Topics: 3Peace, Another Round Bar and Grill, Black Plastic, Blu Anxxiety, Born Ruffians, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Celler Dwellers, Crossspitter, Cut The Architect's Hand, Disposed, Fuzzy Cactus, gallery 5, Great Wide Nothing, Gusher, Halfcast, live music in Richmond, Love Roses, Nancy Raygun, Path To Exile, Riot Queen, Sham Family, shows you must see, The Camel, The Firnats, The Mitras, Tiny Lights, Torino Death Ride, Toxic Moxie, True Body

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, April 29, 9 PM
The Mitras, The Firnats, Celler Dwellers, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’ve learned a few lessons over my 30 years as a music journalist (yes, I released my first fanzine in 1992, let’s not dwell on it), and one is that there’s a fine line you have to walk in order to cover any music scene, especially a hyperfocused local one where everyone knows everybody, with the proper perspective. This involves walking a fine line: being in the loop, but outside the “discourse.” You gotta both know what’s going on and be blissfully ignorant to the prevailing opinions of any particular clique ABOUT the things going on. In the post-pandemic era, though, I feel like I’m striking a pretty great balance with that.

Which brings us to The Mitras. I don’t know if these guys are cool with the cool kids, or if they’re seen as upstart weirdos, or what. And honestly, I don’t care! Because I dig the Mitras. They first jumped onto my radar a few months ago when they had every other band they were playing a show at The Camel with drop off the bill, and managed to rebook the entire date and turn it into a “Last Minute Fest” with eight bands! That kind of (non-toxic) moxie is always going to impress me. I’m also pretty damn impressed with the single they released back in January, “Ugh,” which is a fun little rock tune that should work for anyone who appreciated the work of bands like Local H, The Marvelous 3, or my own lesser-known faves, Material Issue — plus a little Weezer/Nirvana vibe thrown in there. OK, yeah, they’re pretty 90s sounding, but I love a lot of 90s music, and I’m never gonna complain when your contribution to the genre is this strong.

The Mitras are going to release their follow-up single on the day of this show, and I’m very intrigued to hear it. The song, “You Got It,” is a cover of a Roy Orbison song that reached the charts just a month after Mr. Orbison unfortunately passed away back in 1988. As you may have gathered from how long I’ve been doing this gig, I remember that song hitting the airwaves back then, and it’s a truly great one. I look forward to hearing what spin The Mitras put on it, and I would think that if you’re at this show on the very night the single is released, you’ll get a live unveiling. What could be better than that? Show up and rock out — do it for Roy.

Wednesday, April 27, 7 PM
Blu Anxxiety, True Body, Crossspitter @ Fuzzy Cactus – $7
I love it when hardcore gets weird. And I know some of you who already know who these bands are will be reading this going, “Does this really even count as hardcore?” But considering I found out about this show from an “upcoming hardcore shows” Instagram account, I think it counts. What’s more, Blu Anxxiety frontman Chi Orengo used to sing in the NYC hardcore punk band Anasazi, and he brings that band’s raw fury to his new project. He does so even as the music he sings over, created by members of industrial groups X Harlow and Informant, is closer to some of the gothic industrial sounds you might find at a Fallout dance night.

Believe it or not, the combination of heavy industrial beats and angry political hardcore vocals works really well, and Blu Anxxiety made that very clear on their 2021 LP, Plaay Dead. The mix of goth, punk, industrial pounding, and hip hop bravado is an intriguing and unusual sound that should appeal to fans of everything from Bauhaus to Death Grips to Sisters Of Mercy to Ceremony (the California one… or, hell, the Virginia one too). With raging NYC death-metallers Crossspitter accompanying Blu Anxxiety on their trip down to the Commonwealth and local gothic post-hardcore ensemble True Body offering VA-based support, this show is going to bring together every corner of the dark, heavy musical world into a maelstrom of rage. Get sucked up in it. (BTW, the flyer says Cobra Cabana, but I got word last night that the show was moved to Fuzzy Cactus, so update your plans accordingly.)

Thursday, April 28, 7 PM
Path To Exile, Cut The Architect’s Hand, 3PEACE, Disposed @ Another Round Bar And Grill – $10
It takes all kinds to keep a music scene going strong, and Another Round Bar And Grill is a great example of a venue that fills an important niche of Richmond’s musical ecosystem. This show is a great example of what they have to offer, and that is: real, honest-to-god metal. Not punk rockers playing metal, but actual headbangers unleashing serious riffage in Autopsy t-shirts. Fredericksburg’s Path To Exile is a great example of the kind of band you’re only gonna find here in Richmond; brutal, heavy, featuring plenty of growling vocals, high-speed double bass rumbles, and wailing guitar solos. If you want to spend your Thursday night headbanging — and who doesn’t? — these guys are the band to see.

Even more delightful is the news that Cut The Architect’s Hand is also on the bill. It’s sort of hard to believe that this trio has been rocking together for 20 solid years now, but it’s true, and they celebrate 20 years as a band with their latest LP, The Eternity Box, released digitally back in January but getting a physical release at this very show. Their tortured vocals and pounding riffs are in as fine a form as ever on this new release, a concept album about 19th century hauntings and, apparently, cannibalism. Sounds sick, right? As sick as the new album is, the live set is sure to blow you away twice as hard and four times as loud, so don’t miss this one under any circumstances.

Friday, April 29, 7 PM
Toxic Moxie, Black Plastic, Gusher @ Gallery 5 – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I always love to go to shows at Gallery 5, and it’s great to see a classic weekend-kickoff bill taking place at this Richmond institution this Friday night — especially since its headlined by RVA’s dirty disco punk legends, Toxic Moxie. They’re on the scene playing their killer jams and throwing glitter everywhere as everybody dances like a maniac because they’re supporting a good cause: the show is a benefit for Camp Spokes, a free weeklong summer camp for girls and gender non-conforming youth, teaching the kids the finer points of bike mechanics. The leaders of the camp, which is organized by Rag And Bone and Groundwork RVA, will even be at the venue for a happy hour event, so if you need to know more, want to help out, or have a kid who might be interested, show up early!

Then stick around for amazing sounds — not just from Toxic Moxie, either. Richmond indie rockers Black Plastic are also on the bill, and they’ve released their self-titled first full-length earlier this month, so they’ll almost certainly have tapes to sell at the merch table. Once you hear their set, which pulls from all kinds of influences, from The Velvet Underground to The Shangri-Las to The Wipers, plus probably a million other things… well, you’ll want a copy of the tape for yourself. So bring a few extra bucks, punk! And show up on time, lest you miss the set from up-and-coming RVA post-punkers Gusher, who are really worth being punctual for. (Should I say “punktual”? …no, you’re right, probably shouldn’t.)

Saturday, April 30, 9 PM
Love Roses, Riot Queen, Torino Death Ride @ Bandito’s – Free!
So many wonderful venues around Richmond are on the list this week; that always makes me happy. In this case, we’ve got a Saturday night of punk rock sounds at Bandito’s. If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that I can never decide whether I’m more stoked about the delicious food at Bandito’s (best nachos in the WORLD), or about the amazing sound system their live room has to offer. Well, there’s another thing to be stoked about where Bandito’s is concerned: The shows are always free! So this Saturday night, you can save your cash for some delicious tacos, and get to rock out to your heart’s content regardless!

What’s more, rest assured there’s some amazing music on this bill for you to rock out to. Love Roses, the rip-roaring punk rock trio who’ve been making their name around the RVA scene for several years now, are still riding high on the release of their latest LP, Stubborn Future, last fall. It’s chock-full of killer punk tunes and is available on three different physical formats, so no matter how you listen to music, you can get your hands on a copy just for you. Maybe bring some cash for that, too. Show up on time, because energetic DC post-hardcore combo Torino Death Ride is a band you don’t wanna miss. They’ll keep your feet moving for sure. And listen, I know the nachos are outstanding, but make sure you don’t miss Riot Queen’s set either. This groovy metal band features one member I used to be in a band with and another member whose brother I used to be in a band with; if you can solve that riddle, you should probably be writing this column instead of me. Either way, I’m real stoked for what my former compatriots are up to with this one; you’ve really gotta hear it for yourself.

Monday, May 2, 7 PM
Great Wide Nothing, Halfcast, Tiny Lights, Nancy Raygun @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I always get a little nervous when I hear people describe a band as “progressive rock.” When I was young, that meant bands who were really ambitious, writing side-long epics with complex narratives and embroidering it all with technical chops and studio wizardry. But then at some point, it became a catchall term that, 90% of the time, just meant “jam bands.” And while I dig some prog rock — after all, I own multiple King Crimson albums — I really don’t have much interest in jam bands. So when I heard that Atlanta’s Great Wide Nothing were a “progressive rock trio,” I had some concerns. Specifically: did that mean they were a jam band?

Thankfully, I am able to report to you upon further investigation that they are not. Great Wide Nothing’s most recent release is a 2020 LP called Hymns For Hungry Spirits, Vol. 1, and it’s part one of a two-album cycle exploring themes of loss, longing, and finding inner peace. That’s what I’m talking about! Musically, these guys have a great deal of not only technical capability but energy and capable song construction, meaning that, even on the mutiple eight-minute songs on Hymns For Hungry Spirits, they never lose the plot, and always stay focused on the part of the term “progressive rock” that matters the most — the fucking ROCK. These guys rock, and I’m sure they will rock the hell out of the Camel when they take the stage there this Monday night. So if, like me, you dig prog-rock but prefer it to be more Rush than Phish, show up for this one. You will not be disappointed.

Tuesday, May 3, 7 PM
Born Ruffians, Sham Family @ The Camel – $17 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a fun one. Born Ruffians, who hail from Canada, started playing together when they were still teenagers. But at this point, more than 15 years have gone by since then, and this veteran indie-rock trio has eight albums to their name. The most recent full-length, PULP, wrapped up a trio of fruit-themed albums, beginning with 2020’s JUICE, which was followed by SQUEEZE later that same year. In fact, all three albums made it into the world in just barely over a single calendar year — so rest assured, these guys did not use the pandemic as an excuse to get lazy!

They’ve recently gotten back on the horse with new single “Chrysanthemum,” which carries forward the breezy, sunlight-filled indie pop sound this trio’s been perfecting for close to two decades now. This tune proves that, while they may have spent last year squeezing the juice to a pulp, but they’re by no means dried up. And thank goodness for that! After all, you’re going to want to delight in Born Ruffians’ musical nectar at The Camel this Tuesday night, and they’re fully prepared to deliver for you. How sweet is that?

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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]

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: April 20 – April 26

Marilyn Drew Necci | April 20, 2022

Topics: Blake Layman, Bon Secours Training Center, Book Of Wyrms, Capital Ale House, Division Of Mind, Dogwood Tales, Downhaul, Ekulu, Foehammer, Fuzzy Cactus, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Greet Death, Hip Hop Henry, Infant Island, Joyce Manor, Kaash Paige, Kidz At Play, live music in Richmond, Microwave, Mom Jeans, Night Goat, Richmond Music Hall, Richmond Vampire, shows you must see, Smino, The National, The Story So Far, Vinyl Conflict, Wifipassword, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, April 22, 8 PM
Book Of Wyrms (Photo by Joey Wharton), Night Goat, Foehammer @ Wonderland – $10
There are a lot of underrated bands at work in Richmond’s music scene these days, but I think stoner-metal quartet Book Of Wyrms deserves special recognition within that cohort as a band that has never let the hometown love they haven’t gotten slow them down. Forming back in 2015, a time when doom metal was at a relatively low ebb in the wake of the genre’s having reached hipster saturation point in the early 10’s, Book Of Wyrms blazed their own trail, building up a cult following within the world of metal and sticking with what they knew they did best, regardless of which way the trend-wind blew, for seven years.

In 2021, Book Of Wyrms released their third album, Occult New Age, on Desert Records — an album that didn’t get much local attention until it showed up on the short list for the Newlin Music Prize a few months ago. Having not caught up with what they were doing in a few years, I was duly impressed by its expansion of the sonic territory laid out by these headbangers. They’ve certainly not let their fundamental grounding in the primeval riffage of Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, and Hawkwind stop them from upping the tempo and bringing in more modern textures — notably synthesizers, which are generally used to create abstract layers of space noise and heightened atmosphere on an album that really benefits from their inclusion. And of course, the riffs that stand as the bedrock of the entire sound remain absolutely top-notch.

At Wonderland this Friday night, Book Of Wyrms will be celebrating the long-awaited vinyl release of Occult New Age (when you hear that pressing plants take a year to fulfill orders for vinyl, that’s not an exaggeration) with a show that’s sure to be full of pounding riffs, soaring vocal crescendos, and volcanic amplifier rumble. Their efforts to shake the foundations of Shockoe Bottom will be joined by Ohio noise-rockers Night Goat and VA-based Khanate-style apocalyptic dirge-metal merchants Foehammer. If you haven’t seen Book Of Wyrms live before now, there’s no shame in that — but if you miss this show and continue to wallow in your ignorance of their excellence, that’s an extremely shameful decision. Don’t blow it.

Wednesday, April 20, 8 PM
Greet Death, Infant Island, Downhaul @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $10 (order tickets HERE)
If you know what’s up, you surely recognize that Michigan quartet Greet Death take their name from an Explosions In The Sky song. Therefore, it probably wasn’t a surprise, if you tuned in to what they were doing a few years ago, to find a band with a decidedly shoegaze-influenced approach to their melodic, emotional songs. On their first two albums, they derived some of their power from how loud their guitars got even in the midst of the catchy choruses they wrote. However, the pandemic has clearly changed some things. Over the past six months or so, Greet Death has taken the first steps toward following up 2019’s New Hell, releasing four stand-alone singles with a decidedly less noisy and at times downright acoustic feel. It’s almost as if they stripped away the shoegaze noise to reveal an indie-folk band with atonal tendencies, like Wilco circa Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or something.

Now, that’s not a complaint — personally, I think the new Greet Death singles are all brilliant, especially “Panic Song,” which still retains some of the fuzzy guitars we came to know and love from previous Greet Death releases. Even at their softest, though, the latest music from Greet Death carries forward the band’s facility with pop hooks and indelible choruses. At the end of the day, the best part of previous Greet Death material was the tunes that got stuck in your head all day. Rest assured, they still have plenty of those. And traditionally everything is louder in the live environment, so if you want to hear the new Greet Death tunes at their loudest and most raucous, the time and place to do so is tonight at Richmond Music Hall. You’ll fortunately get to catch a set from Fredericksburg screamonsters Infant Island as well, and while this excellent quartet brought us not one but two LPs back in 2020, I’m definitely hoping some new material is in the offing at this show. Only one way to find out.

Thursday, April 21, 6 PM
Smino, Kaash Paige, Kidz At Play @ Bon Secours Training Center – $25-35 for students, $35-45 for general public (order tickets HERE)
Y’all, I try to keep up. I really do. But the fact is, I’m 46 years old, and I don’t necessarily always know what the kids are listening to. Therefore, it might be a little more understandable when you hear that I didn’t really know about Smino until only a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, once I heard he was coming to town, I knew I needed to write about it. Because where modern sounds in hip hop music are concerned, Smino’s music strikes me as near the top of the heap. MCs who seem to croon over their beats as often as they rap have become quite common in the past several years, but the results they get from this technique are mixed, at best. After all, just because you can spit killer rhymes with a perfect cadence doesn’t mean you can hit a note worth a damn.

Smino can, though. If you need evidence, look no further than his two most recent singles, “Rice N Gravy” and “I Deserve,” both of which came out in 2021 and both of which have been in heavy rotation for me lately. Both of them mix melodic grooves and R&B-style sung choruses with quick, assured rhyme flows that burrow into your brain and don’t let go. These two singles are supposedly the first two singles from Smino’s forthcoming third LP, Luv 4 Rent, but whenever I google things like “Luv 4 Rent release date” what I get is Reddit threads speculating that it’s coming out in February of 2022. That clearly didn’t happen. So I can’t tell you when the new Smino album comes out, I’m afraid. All I can do is send you to Bon Secours Training Center to see Smino live and in the flesh. If there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that the music at this show will keep you dancing.

Friday, April 22, 9 PM
Vinyl Conflict Presents: Ekulu, Division Of Mind, Richmond Vampire, DJ Hip Hop Henry @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10
Here’s a welcome sight: a straight-up hardcore show at Fuzzy Cactus. It’s not that odd, really; Fuzzy’s all about the raging punk circle-pit action, as you know if you follow this space. However, the introduction of Ekulu and Division of Mind into this space might just be the outright heaviest core action this place has seen yet. And I love everything about it. Ekulu may hail from New York, but they have some strong connections to Richmond, with at least one member having also done time in RVA’s own Candy. Regardless of where they’re from, though, it only takes one listen to their debut full-length, 2021’s Unscrew My Head, to see that these guys are on some next-level shit. Personally, the album’s title reminds me more than anything of the late-80s Suicidal Tendencies single “Trip At the Brain,” and that’s appropriate since Ekulu have successfully reincarnated the same crossover thrash sound that created such an amazing musical movement back in the late 80s and early 90s. On Unscrew My Head, I hear echoes of everything from Suicidal Tendencies and Anthrax to the Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front, all of it delivered with a vicious aggressiveness that makes extremely clear that this is not music for the faint of heart.

Richmonders Division Of Mind, who co-headline this bill, made this same thing clear about themselves on their self-titled debut LP, released back in 2019. The territory these guys patrol is decidedly darker and heavier, even slightly noisier, but what DOM has in common with Ekulu is a similarly aggressive, confrontational sound that’s sure to wake you up if you’re dozing off in the back of the club between bands. I realize that to some readers, these descriptions might not be all that inviting. However, if you’re the sort of person who walks through every day feeling assailed by the millions of ways in which modern American life is a depressing, alienating shitshow, this is the show for you. You’ve got some frustrations to let out, and these are the bands to help you do so.

Saturday, April 23, 7 PM
Blake Layman, Dogwood Tales, Wifipassword @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $12 (order tickets HERE)
When I saw the notice for this show, I didn’t recognize the name Blake Layman. However, in the process of giving things a listen in order to decide which shows to pick for this column, his single “Unhistoric Acts” grabbed my attention and made me want to dig deeper. Layman’s music is quiet, delicate, and focused on melody; and his warm, pleasant vocal tones and undeniable guitar-playing talent are obvious as soon as you pay attention. The fact that he turns out to be the bassist for Frames, the Richmond quartet whose 2021 LP, Every Room, was probably the biggest pleasant surprise of the Newlin Music Prize shortlist for me (more on that in the next blurb), helped me understand how it’s possible that this singer-songwriter dude I’ve never heard of is releasing music this good without me hearing it before now.

Layman’s new LP, the release of which he is celebrating with this Richmond Music Hall show, is called Goodness Littered. And to be fair, it’s been out a while — the digital release was last summer. But, you know, something something pandemic. Indeed, this show is a rescheduled version of a January show he postponed during the Omicron wave. So is the music we’ll be getting here worth all of the waiting we’ve had to do to receive it? My magic 8 ball says “It is decidedly so,” and I couldn’t agree more. Layman and his band, which features close relatives and members of Frames, will recreate the delicately beautiful sounds of Goodness Littered live on stage, and we’ll all be the beneficiaries. Assuming, of course, that we show up. You know what you must do.

Sunday, April 24, 7 PM
Good Morning, Packs, Frames @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $18 (order tickets HERE)
I think I discovered Australian duo Good Morning through one of my nerdiest middle-aged loves: the KEXP Song Of the Day podcast. I can’t be sure at this point, but what I do know for sure is that hearing one of their songs sent me hunting for their 2021 album Barnyard, which I loved as soon as I heard. This indie-folk group manages to simultaneously evoke groups like Okkervil River or Iron And Wine, and others like Parquet Courts or The Velvet Underground. Even as they strum their acoustic guitars overtop shuffling minimalist drumbeats, even as they sing sweetly in the manner of fellow Aussies The Go-Betweens, they bring an undeniable slacker-rock drone to the proceedings. The mix is perfect for disaffected rockers who want to mellow out a little before they go crazy, and for folky types who wish Camper Van Beethoven would make another album already.

Meanwhile, from Canada (specifically Toronto) comes Packs, the quartet led by singer-songwriter Madeline Link, who started the project on her own but has definitely been aided by the project swelling into a quartet. The ramshackle jangle-pop of 2021 LP Take The Cake can at times evoke everything from Courtney Barnett to Courtney Love, but what unites it all is the flawless melodic sense Link brings to the group, which always keeps listeners tapping their toes. The third band on this bill is Richmond’s own Frames, who I mentioned above, and whose relatively under-the-radar status here in Richmond is baffling to me now that I’ve heard last year’s Every Room. This album’s evocative emo-pop tunes are sure to come alive in glittering detail at this Richmond Music Hall performance, and it would be a damn shame if you weren’t there to see it. So come to this show, and make sure you show up on time. There’s no better way to wrap up your late April weekend.

Monday, April 25, 7:30 PM
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Photo by Grywnn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia) @ The National – $25 in advance, $30 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’m thankful that Godspeed You! Black Emperor have become a musical institution these days. Back in 2003 when they went on hiatus after Yanqui UXO, it was hard not to think of how much more they had in the tank, how much more amazing, uncategorizable, almost indescribable music they could surely have left us with. And of course, they’ve proved that suspicion correct on the four albums they’ve released since their 2011 return, beginning with 2012’s ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! and showing up most recently with last year’s G_d’s Pee At State’s End! The uninitiated among you may wonder what this band’s about; the rest of you are now about to snicker under your breath at my forthcoming attempt, which will surely be ham-fisted, at describing and categorizing a band I’ve already admitted are indescribable and uncategorizable. Nevertheless, here’s a valiant attempt.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor are, if nothing else, anarchist both in musical and political intent. Their strong left-wing consciousness comes through clearly in their music despite its almost complete lack of lyrics and vocals. They act as a huge collective featuring ten or so members, who augment the standard rock instrumentation of guitars and drums with everything from violins and French horns to tape loops and film projections. Their sonic foundations are in hardcore punk, but their epic, often 20-plus-minute compositions operate more like classical symphonies building slowly into entrancing grooves that seem particularly appealing to post-rockers who love Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. But there’s something there that has a strong chance of appealing to just about any music fan, whether they’re into Mahler, John Coltrane, Talking Heads, or Black Flag. Or even if they don’t like any of that stuff. What I’m saying is: if you care about music at all, in any form, seeing Godspeed You! Black Emperor is something you should do at least once in your life. Why not this Monday night? After all, who knows when they’ll make it to town again?

Tuesday, April 26, 7 PM
The Story So Far, Joyce Manor, Mom Jeans, Microwave @ The National – $50 (or… more?) (order tickets HERE)
OK, for this show, I need to start out by saying that I’m not really sure what’s up with tickets. It sure appears that tickets aren’t available at face value anymore. However, the ticket vendor who sells tickets for The National will still absolutely sell you a ticket for this show; when I checked last night, it looked like you could get one for about $50. Which is steep, especially for bands that you could once have seen for $10 at a VFW hall — or maybe for $5 at the gone-but-not-forgotten Bike Lot right here in RVA. Whatever — this is apparently the price you’ll have to pay to see them now, but considering that’s still only $13 or so per band, and all four of these bands are brilliant, I think there’s a good argument that it’s worth it regardless.

The Story So Far are our headliners, and they’re the sort of band whose melodic emo-punk means so much to its fans that they can all tell you a story about which song or album helped them through which hard time they were going through when they first heard it. For me, it’s “Empty Space,” which got me through a really terrible Christmas in 2013, but anything this band has ever done has that sort of power. As for Joyce Manor, this frenetic punk band have survived multiple disappearances and overjoyed their many fans this year with the sudden appearance of their sixth album and first in four years, 40 Oz To Fresno (yes, that’s a Sublime joke). Indie-punk quartet Mom Jeans also just dropped their first LP in four years, Sweet Tooth, and it’s got the same strong melodic sense this band’s always had, but with a more profound musical depth that sees them taking their sound to a whole new level. Microwave are the heaviest of these four bands, but the emotional resonance of their music is easily matched with the others on this bill. Overall, this gig is an embarrassment of riches, and is well worth what it takes to get you there — even if that is fifty bucks.

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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 Muddy Divas of Richmond Glitter-Punk

Alicen Hackney | March 18, 2022

Topics: Chemtrails, Dadmobile, Fuzzy Cactus, Nightcreature, richmond bands, richmond music, Shawnis And The Shimmers, The You Go Girls, Wasteland

Shawnis And The Shimmers were all set to take over the Richmond scene when the pandemic hit in 2020. After a slight delay, they’ve returned with a brand new album and a mission to make the entire city fall in love with their glammed-out punk rock n’ roll.

From a hole in the wall on the Northside emerges a glittery garage-punk five-piece that could become Richmond’s next big hit. Shawnis and the Shimmers has spent the last two years cloistered away, working on making music that captures the quintessential classic punk sound and mixing it with the spirit of every modern gutter punk’s dreams. The result of this has been the release of their first album, Wasteland.

“I feel like we haven’t been stuck waiting through the pandemic because we’ve been working so hard,” said Jerry, the band’s lead guitarist. “Recording sounded too clean, but we wanted our music muddy and fucked up, so it took us months to figure that out.”

“Essentially, how do we make it sound like shit,” said Jamie, the band’s drummer. “Shit should not be digital.”

According to Jerry, Chris, the band’s guitarist, “does most of the work that takes a lot of patience. I don’t have the patience for it. So I do wait, I sit there and wait for him to do it. It’s got to get fuck-i-fied,” said Jerry.

From the creation of the music itself, it’s conception is inherently scattered and “fuck-i-fied.” When Shawnis, the band’s lead singer, comes to the rest of the band with lyrics, or an idea for a new song, often it comes in the form of hints, scattered adjectives, and jumbled emotion. It’s up to the band to move in alongside Shawnis and create the final product that’s been residing in their head with no clear way out.

“Yeah, sometimes we won’t understand it,” said Chris. “Shawnis will have the lyrics and everything already, just in a way we don’t entirely understand.”

“We’ll practice it, play it, then rearrange it. Add some spice. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I bring a lot to the table,” said Jamie.

“You bring the arrangement, Shawnis brings the derangement,” said Jerry. “That’s the fun part, because he’ll just sing it, and it’ll be like three parts that don’t sound like each other. Sometimes he’ll give me an adjective that the song needs to be more like, and I don’t know what the hell it means.”

“It’s like playing musical charades,” said Lila, the band’s bassist.

“For example, ‘It’s a smokey bar, you see your ex and now it’s time to say ‘you motherfucker,’’” said Shawnis.

“We’re the first method-acting band,” said Jamie.

The best part of these musicians all coming together is that, even though the musical creations can appear haphazard, they’ve all been playing for years and have the know-how to put out something amazing from odds and ends.

Before Shawnis and the Shimmers, Shawnis had become a Richmond icon of sorts playing with The You Go Girls and Nightcreature. Meanwhile, Lila was in Chemtrails and Jamie was in Dadmobile. All of the band’s members were well-vetted veterans of the Richmond music scene and knew this band had a real chance to become something greater.

*The five faces of Shawnis And The Shimmers. Collage by Lila, courtesy Shawnis And The Shimmers.*

“We’re a supergroup,” said Shawnis. “I wanted to find some people that were not all in 18 other bands. We found out we listen to all the same kind of music, and we were essentially trying to do the same thing. We were about a month away from playing our first gigs together when the pandemic started.”

Luckily, those two years away from the stage only made them stronger together and ultimately put them in the position to release ample new music. They’ll start hitting Richmond’s stages this Monday at Fuzzy Cactus, and are looking to play many more shows from there, all around. It’ll be an event long awaited by both Richmonders and the band.

“The first weekend we had set was the week that everything shut down,” said Lila. “I had a show with another band the Sunday before, and this was supposed to be the week after that.”

“That was the last show I went to, too,” said Shawnis. “Me and my roommate were like, ‘Should we even be here?’ It was a few months before we could really work on anything after that, but we all met back up after vaccinations, and we’ve gotten to a good place.”

“We all needed it really bad. We all had energy we needed to let out,” said Jerry.

“We’re edging, Richmond,” said Jamie.

“I mean, we did write a song about edging,” said Jerry.

“We may or may not have,” replied Shawnis.

Whether they did or not, you’ll have to listen and find out.

Even as a relatively new band, the dedication the fans of this band have is unending; before anyone else even knew Wasteland was out, someone had found the unadvertised version on the band’s bandcamp and reviewed it. The music is sure to make you a convert, too, if you weren’t already one.

“We put our album on bandcamp just so we could hear it and advertise it, and someone reviewed it before we even officially put it out: ‘gritty glam punk rock and roll.’” said Shawnis. “It was really weird.”

“Has to have been someone local. Someone refreshing the Richmond bands hashtags,” said Lila.

“Someone did that to my band in the 90s. They said, ‘these dudes are just mumbling into the mic.’ And we were like, ‘yeah, because the lyrics aren’t written yet,” said Jerry.

As with their other bands and projects, you can expect to find Shawnis and the Shimmers glamming it up as their various alter-egos and diva-licious selves onstage. Having made reference to The Munsters in their previous Halloween gathering, and dreaming of donning Alice Cooper-style Saran Wrap fits, the band promises to excite.

“We’re a sex-positive band, so we always wrap it up,” said Jamie. “Play a show in a body condom.”

Aside from fantastic music, you’ll never know what you’re going to get at a Shawnis and the Shimmers show. After having been cooped up for years, they may have gone just a bit insane, and the anticipation to see that insanity play out will be well worth the wait.

From here on out we, luckily, won’t have to wait too long for even more music from the band, as they already have plans for a second album and more.

“We’re super stoked that the album is out in the world. We’re super proud of it,” said Shawnis. “But also, we’ve got like a whole other album that we’re ready to start working on. We had plenty of COVID setbacks.”

“I hope that when all of this is truly over, like 80 albums will drop. just because everybody’s been working,” said Jerry.

Catch Shawnis and the Shimmers at Fuzzy Cactus on March 21. This will be a rarity for Fuzzy Cactus, which usually doesn’t host shows on Monday. The show starts at 9 pm and also features Californians The Wind-Ups and local band Bummers Eve. Admission is $8 at the door (no advance tickets available).

To find the freshman album from Shawnis And The Shimmers, Wasteland, head over to their bandcamp page. Then take the night off on Monday to come discover your new favorite band: Shawnis and the Shimmers.

Top Photo by Chris Suspect, courtesy Shawnis And The Shimmers

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: March 16 – March 22

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 16, 2022

Topics: Abby Huston, Adam Hopkins, Adam Hopkins' School Work, Amity, Artspace Gallery, Brian Jones, Brian Jones Quintet, Bummer's Eve, Candela Books + Gallery, Fuzzy Cactus, gallery 5, Hex Machine, Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir, Kenji Bunch, live music in Richmond, Michael Formanek Drome Trio, Peel Dream Magazine, Rosette, Sean Barna, Shawnis And The Shimmers, shows you must see, So Hot Right Now, Soccer Mommy, Spacebomb, Spacebomb studios, The Camel, The Judy Chops, The National, The Wind-Ups, Zombi

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, March 19, 7:30 PM
Michael Formanek Drome Trio, Brian Jones Quintet @ Spacebomb Studios – $20 (order tickets HERE)
There’s a lot of perspective you can call upon when you’re 46 years old and you’ve been doing music journalism since you were 15 (no, you don’t wanna see the zines I made in high school. Or at least, I don’t want you to see them). A good example is this: when I got started, rock music had such a hold over the world of music in general that people used the word “rock” almost as a synonym for “music.” Nobody was a “music journalist” or a “music critic” back then; without fail, you were a “rock journalist” or a “rock critic.” I was around for the big change in the early 00s, too, when a movement against “rockism” gained steam and, within a few years, changed the world of music journalism entirely. But I must admit, I often think the way we all just ended up writing about the profundity to be found in million-selling pop records constitutes somewhat of a missed opportunity.

After all, if you’re able to free your mind from the cultural paradigm of seeing “rock” as the most valid form of music, and you can then do the same with “pop,” there’s a whole ton of other music still to be discovered out there. This week, we’re going to push the boundaries a little. It starts with this show, taking place at Spacebomb Studios on Saturday night, and featuring the Michael Formanek Drome Trio. Michael Formanek is a veteran of the jazz world, a double bass player and composer who has played with heavyweights like Tony Williams and has led a variety of different bands over the years. This time around, he’s joined by tenor sax player Chet Doxas and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza, both of whom have a decent amount of jazz credentials in their own right.

The trio are currently on tour to celebrate the impending release of Were We Where We Were, an album inspired by the uncertainty of pandemic quarantine times and based on a series of what Formanek calls “musical palindromes.” These are reflected in the titles of both the album and songs like “Is It What It Is,” and result in some Sketches Of Spain-style post-bop experimentation that gets pretty far out at times but always retains a melodic, emotional foundation. It’s a long way from Top 40 pop or 90s alternative music, but if you can open your mind to its charms, you’ll find a lot to love here. Local jazz drummer extraordinaire Brian Jones will be opening the evening with a five-piece combo that also includes local leading lights JC Kuhl (Modern Groove Syndicate), Cameron Ralston (Spacebomb House Band), Devonne Harris, and Marcus Tenney (both of Butcher Brown). Whatever they have in store, it’s sure to be enlightening.

Wednesday, March 16, 7 PM
Adam Hopkins’ School Work (Photo by Peter McElhinney) @ Artspace Gallery – $10
Let’s stay in the jazz bag for a few more minutes here, folks, because tonight at Artspace Gallery will bring you another evening of fine music that’s decidedly outside the norm. If you’re aware of jazz bassist Adam Hopkins, it just might be as the co-owner of Out Of Your Head Records; a label best known in Richmond for their release of local jazz drumming genius Scott Clark’s 2021 album, This Darkness. They’ve also released more than one record by Michael Formanek — so you see, it all ties together.

Hopkins started School Work as a way to pay tribute to the legends of mid-20th century free and experimental jazz; they perform tunes by jazz legends like Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Albert Ayler, Eric Dolphy, and more. To accomplish this, he drafted some of the best jazz players Richmond has to offer, including the aforementioned Scott Clark on drums, as well as JC Kuhl (who you’ll remember from the previous blurb) on tenor sax, John Lilley (Afro-Zen All Stars) on alto sax, and Bob Miller (Bio Ritmo) on trumpet. So yeah, some really heavy hitters. If you can understand the beauty of the peak hard bop and free jazz era, you’re certainly going to want to hear what these formidable talents bring to it. And if you don’t get it yet, this is the perfect way to increase your understanding. Be a cool jazz cat and bop down to Artspace on Forest Hill Ave tonight. It’s the right thing to do.

Thursday, March 17, 7 PM
Zombi, Hex Machine @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
OK, OK, I hear what you’re saying out there. “This jazz shit is fine and all, but do you have anything weirder?” Yeah, I just might. Because Thursday night at The Camel, our city will be graced by the presence of Pittsburgh duo Zombi. Consisting of synthesizer wizard Steve Moore and drummer A.C. Paterra, this group has been on the scene and blowing minds for quite a while, layering loops of synth, bass, and other sounds overtop of Neu-influenced motorik rhythms to generate a (Tangerine) Dream-scape worthy of a really great early-80s sci-fi movie. Their most recent release, 2021’s Liquid Crystal, uses psychedelic soundscapes to create a fantastical narrative landscape in your mind, one that allows you to fly through the mental stratosphere even as your feet remain planted on terra firma.

Not exactly your typical rock show, huh? Well, on the off chance you’re feeling some form of withdrawal from loud guitars and the inimitable sound of the human voice, this Zombi performance will be opened by local noise-rockers Hex Machine, who last graced our ears with new music back in the pre-pandemic times of 2019, when they released their LP Cave Painting. As weird as it is to say out loud, that was four entire years ago. So does Hex Machine leader Trevor Thomas, never the sort of fellow to keep a steady lineup together for years at a time, have a new crew of backing musicians? Do they perhaps have some new material to drop on us all? I don’t know the answer to either of those questions, but I do know that all the previous incarnations of Hex Machine have delivered Barkmarket/Jesus Lizard-style noise-core grooves with equal aplomb. So whatever you get from this set, it’s definitely gonna be good.

Friday, March 18, 6:30 PM
Rosette presents: Kenji Bunch Is… So Hot Right Now, feat. Danielle Wiebe Burke @ Candela Books + Gallery – Free!
And now for something completely different. Rosette is a local string quartet that features members you could potentially recognize from a variety of other local musical endeavors: chamber music collective Classical Revolution, the Richmond Symphony, indie rockers Goldrush, the liner notes of many different Spacebomb-affiliated releases, and more. As Rosette, they have collaborated with Latin soul group Miramar and Indian classical vocalist Saili Oak, among others. Their current project, So Hot Right Now, sees them dedicating a series of concerts to a particular classical composer. This month, joined by guest violist Danielle Wiebe Burke of the Williamsburg Symphony, they’re focusing on Kenji Bunch, a composer based in Portland, Oregon who is known for integrating elements of bluegrass, funk, hip hop, and other genres into his works for chamber ensemble, ballet, and orchestra.

Seems like the perfect pairing, really: a genre-hopping classical composer having his work brought to life by four stringed-instrument players who are themselves comfortable in a variety of genre settings. At this show, as with all of the Rosette “So Hot Right Now” performances during the month of March, the program will begin with Wiebe Burke playing a version of Bunch’s “The 3 G’s” as a solo piece, followed by Rosette doing “Apochryphal Dances,” which brings Bunch’s modern, genre-bending aesthetic to Baroque-era music. Finally, the five musicians will all come together to play “String Circle,” which incorporates everything from Appalachian old-time music to modern funk, all within a classical string-quintet format. It’s not only a unique musical prospect, but sure to broaden your horizons. And hey, unlike some of the other performances Rosette and Wiebe Burke will be doing over the course of March, this one is free. I think you know what to do.

Saturday, March 19, 7 PM
Sean Barna, Abby Huston @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
And now, since not even I can stay totally weird over the course of an entire week, let’s talk about a recognizably conventional indie show, which takes place this Saturday night at Gallery 5. I don’t know about you, but I miss the days when Gallery 5’s mission was able to include multiple rock shows per week, and while I know they’ve gone in a somewhat different direction, I’m always going to celebrate the moments when an indie artist takes their stage once again. Seán Barna’s the artist in question this time, and I am more than good with it.

Hailing from New York and heralded by a strong endorsement from Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz (who is a genius, don’t @ me), Barna backs up all the advance praise he’s received with 2020’s Margaret Thatcher Of The Lower East Side, a release that somehow manages to combine the Springsteen-isms and the punk swag of Titus Andronicus with the dramatic heights of the best David Bowie and Queen material. Barna’s sure to light up the former fire station with his incandescent stage presence, even as talented local singer-songwriter Abby Huston, who shares the bill, brings a quieter yet just as intense vibe through her own subtly hypnotic songcraft. These two great musical tastes will taste great together, and the fact that they’re playing together at Gallery 5 only makes this occasion that much sweeter. Get there and see for yourself.

Sunday, March 20, 7 PM
Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir, Amity, The Judy Chops Duo @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
After several days of unusual, dramatic sound shifts, Sunday night’s a good time to re-center your mind and mentally prepare for another week of work by taking in something soothing and uplifting. And rest assured, this gig by Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir will be just what you need. Calling themselves “a country band that doesn’t play country music,” Wiley and co. bring together Mellencamp-ish heartland vibes and an undeniably southern feel. On their new album, The Longing, the group tells tales of doomed dreamers and heartbroken everymen, and manages to repeatedly hit you right in the feels.

So yeah, expect this one to be moving and to touch your heart — and not just due to your headliners, either. Minimalist folk duo Amity create a memorable wall of sound with only two voices and one acoustic guitar. And of course, while you may know the Judy Chops from around town as a sextet, you’re sure to get just as much of their excellent Americana sound from this stripped-down duo version, in which Bill Howard and Molly Murphy, along with their guitars, will focus on the songcraft and let the music stand on its own. Let it wash over you.

Monday, March 21, 9 PM
The Wind-Ups, Bummers Eve, Shawnis And The Shimmers @ Fuzzy Cactus – $8
Monday night is always a little tough. First day back at work after a weekend in which — if you’re lucky — you got some time to relax… just enough to make your return to work a bitter, bitter pill. As a general rule, the best way to wash away that bitterness is to have a really good time Monday night. And of course, you can count on Fuzzy Cactus to bring you that good time, in the form of some rip-roaring rock n’ roll. This Monday night, the rock n’ roll comes from The Wind-Ups, a California-based project centering on the efforts of Jake Sprecher, who has previously backed Jonathan Richman and played in Terry Malts, among others. During the pandemic, Sprecher acquired a Tascam 388 eight-track recorder, and that was all the impetus he needed to make the most of his quarantine boredom and put together an album all by himself.

The result is The Wind-Ups’ debut, Try Not To Think, a power-pop powerhouse full of overdriven guitars, hard-hitting riffs, and catchy choruses that is sure to please fans of both Guided By Voices and Jay Reatard, as well as anyone who enjoys lo-fi versions of 60s style garage pop. I for one am way into it, and that’s true even before I imagine how great it’ll sound being recreated by a full band in a live environment. That’s what you’ll get at Fuzzy Cactus on Monday night, and it’s sure to be a great time. Local garage-rockers Bummers Eve (whose internet presence still says they’re based in Cincinnati, but I don’t buy it) are also on the bill. The evening will be opened by Shawnis And The Shimmers, the latest project from the former Nightcreature/The You Go Girls frontperson, who just dropped their debut EP, Wasteland, last month. It’s another catchy slab of lo-fi retro goodness, which only sweetens the pot for this entire evening. Dive in.

Tuesday, March 22, 7:30 PM
Soccer Mommy, Peel Dream Magazine @ The National – $22.50 in advance, $27.50 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The last half of the previous decade brought us quite a few talented indie singer-songwriters who made a big splash with their early work and then managed to get even better on their follow-ups. Local heroine Lucy Dacus is certainly one, but Nashville’s Soccer Mommy is definitely on an equivalent level where formidable musical talent is concerned. One listen to 2020’s Color Theory is all you need to figure that one out; as brilliant as their debut full-length, 2018’s Clean, was, Color Theory really ups the ante with a succession of gorgeous tunes that are sure to put a smile on your face… that is, if you don’t pay much attention to the lyrics.

It’s true; as with the previous album, this one is somewhat of a depression epic, and the moments when distorted guitars and walls of synthesized haze overwhelm the melodies make this clear. As someone who’s always been a depression baby, though, that kind of thing only pulls me further in. If you can relate, you just might be the perfect audience for Soccer Mommy’s performance at the National, where you can stand in a crowd of strangers who are all feeling the words Sophie Allison sings on the deepest and most intense level — just like you are. The great communal feeling of post-millennial angst and ennui: it unites us all. But hey, at least the music is great.

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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]

Top Photo by Michael Patrick Kelly, via Michael Formanek Drome Trio