Garden Grove Brewing Archives

Different Kinds Of Challenges: An Interview With Rieka Speaks

Gabriel Santamaria | September 8, 2022

Topics: A Garden Of Laughs, Bingo Beer Co, Coalition Theatre, Color Collective, Garden Grove Brewing, improv comedy, Issa Rae's Daughters, Rieka Speaks, Rieka's Ruckus, Sandman Comedy Club, sketch comedy, Soul Sista, standup comedy, The Writer's Den

Hello reader! This week I got to talk with one of the hardest-working funny people in Richmond, Rieka Speaks. Standup, sketch, improv, host, show runner, writer, spoken-word poet — she does it all, and is on a mission to bring Black feminine comedy and entertainment to the forefront. She is a regular at a lot of the open mics around town, picking up spots at some of the hottest mics locally, and has become a prominent figure in the local comedy community. She has hosted for national acts at Sandman Comedy Club and show no signs of slowing down.

I’m glad I finally got to do this interview. Rieka Speaks has been putting in a lot of work. The buzzing comedian says she grew up loving All That and a lot of Nickelodeon programs but also couldn’t help but say “FUCK DAN SCHNEIDER!” We talked about her time in LA, her love for sketch comedy, and the differences between standup and improv/sketch comedy. Here’s our conversation:

Gabe: How long have you been doing comedy?

Rieka: I’ve been doing comedy since 2017. I guess it’s a little over five years now. And yeah, I started with comedy in Richmond. Since then, I’ve been doing standup, sketch comedy, improv, and I’m a poet as well. So, sometimes I’ll morph the two and do poetry and comedy every now and then.

Gabe: Nice. Yeah, I remember seeing you at Jack and Minor’s open mic at Bingo Beer Co.

Rieka: Oh OK.

Gabe: You did great. I remember them saying you had spent some time out in the west coast, in Los Angeles.

Rieka: Oh yeah. So, I lived in LA from June 2018 to 2021, and I moved back here. I moved to LA for a job, and then that contract ended. So, I came here for another job. In my time, I focused more on sketch comedy, so I was part of two different sketch comedy teams. One was Soul Sista, which I was in there for a couple of months, but I had more of a long run with the Color Collective. Both of the sketch comedy teams focused around having people of color. Basically it’s at the forefront. And with the Color Collective, I wrote sketches and also acted in sketches, and then also did a lot of the social media stuff for them before I moved back over here.

In LA, I was more focused on sketch. I did still do standup, performed a couple of things, and performed in a Black Woman in a Comedy Festival in LA, but since I’ve been back here, I’ve put more focus on standup. But I’ve also started a sketch team, which I’ll talk a little bit more about as the interview goes on.

But LA was fun. Definitely want to go back one day. I don’t know if I would live there again, but it was fun to do a little bit of something different. Like, to do sketch comedy, because I think that’s my true love, sketch comedy.

Gabe: Nice. I did see on your Instagram that you’ve recently started a new sketch comedy group, right?

Rieka: Yes. It’s called Issa Rae’s Daughters. We just created an Instagram. I am the co-founder of it along with my comedic friend, Jasmine (Jazabelle), who also does a lot of work with the Coalition Theatre. More on the improv side. But it’s the sketch comedy team for Black women, run by Black women. And we’re hoping to have our first live show in February of 2023, but hopefully one of our videos/sketches will come out later this year. So, it’s a mix between doing film, video sketches, and also having live performances. But we just really wanted something specifically for Black women, and non-binary Black folks too. But more so, I guess, leaning on Black women.

Gabe: What are the shows you have on a regular basis right now?

Rieka: Yeah. I hosted an open mic at The Writer’s Den. They have an open mic every Friday of the month, but my specific show that I ran was every third Friday. And it’s an open mic/Rieka’s Ruckus Comedy Show, which is a mix of standup comedians and also improv comedy. And the format changed a little bit every now and then, just to work with what the crowd wants. It’s was either at Sunday Service Soul Food or Fountain of Youth. They both basically took the same spot — right beside each other and that every third Friday. The open mic is open to any type of performance. And then the comedy show is after that, which featured some local stand-up comedians. For upcoming events and info, folks can follow them on Instagram @thewritersdenrva.

But, a big update, I will be hosting an open mic at Garden Grove [Brewing] in Carytown called “A Garden of Laughs,” which will be an open [mic] with two feature acts, and bingo with prizes. Folks can follow my page for more updates on this show. I would also like to do a mic [that’s] solely more sketch comedy in the future.

Gabe: Oh, so looks like the list is getting bigger? You got to like separate them now?

Rieka: I wouldn’t say bigger. I would just say that sometimes it can be hard to have a standup also do improv. Not that they’re not great at it, because they really are. But I think now it’s a perfect opportunity to have people who like improv, and who do improv, to be more seen. Especially people of color who are in the improv scene, which is what I want to get out there. So any opportunities to have them be on board is definitely wanted.

Gabe: What would you say are some of the differences between doing standup and doing improv? Like, advantages and disadvantages.

Rieka: I’ll speak on this briefly. Because I’ve taken one improv class. I’ve hosted a couple of things, and I’ve done improv, but there are people who could probably speak better on this. But what I will say is that I feel like standup is, like… some benefit is: you just lean on yourself. You determine what your set’s going to be. You go up there and you don’t have to rely on a team. And with sketch, and also with improv, it’s more of a team. And it’s like: leaning on people, relying on people, but you can also be a pro. I like the aspect of having a community, having a team of people come together and create really amazing comedy. Whether it’s improv or sketch. And you don’t really necessarily get that with standup.

Standup is more of a solo thing, but there’s still a community. I mean, we go to the open mics, we come together, we talk about stuff, we run through bits together and things like that. So, there’s definitely a community, but it’s not like a team of people coming together to do something. Unless you’re doing a podcast, or something very specific, with standups involved. I would say those are the main differences. I think another thing is that from either side, they’re always going to be like, “This is harder than this.” You never really know how challenging it is until you are on the other side. And as a person who’s done both, I would say they’re both equally as challenging, for completely different reasons.

Be on the lookout for Rieka Speaks on the live comedy circuit and on the interwebs. You can keep up with Rieka on Instagram at @riekaspeaks and find all local comedy shows (including Rieka’s) at @ComedyRVA on Instagram.

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: July 27 – August 2

Marilyn Drew Necci | July 27, 2022

Topics: Adrian Belew, Ashland Theatre, Bent Blue, Black Iris Social Club, Charged Up Ent, Clementine, Collective Soul, Debrider, Dozing, E 33rd, Elliott Ness, Everybody Gets One, Fan Ran, Future Mantis, gallery 5, Garden Grove Brewing, Hex Machine, Hey Beautiful, Jade Jackson, Johnny Ciggs, JPH, live music in Richmond, Lowlife Tea Party, Ndefru, Noah O, Nu-Ski, PT, Rah Scrilla, River City Sportsplex, Shawnis And The Shimmers, shows you must see, Skweeky Watahfawls, Soraya Silene, Stand Still, Starr Nyce, Switchfoot, The Ar-Kaics, The Barbed Wires, The Camel, Tuxedo Cats, Vintage A, Wailin' Storms

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, July 29, 7 PM
FUMES: The Return of Richmond Gas, feat. NDEFRU, Fan Ran, Noah-O, Johnny Ciggs, Vintage A, PT, Nu-Ski, Rah Scrilla, Skweeks, Starr Nyce, Music by Elliott @ Charged Up Flagship Store – $10 in advance, $15 at the door
My background is in punk rock. When my people open up a retail space, it tends to be a record store — or an anarchist bookstore, like the one I used to volunteer at, on Broad St back in the early 00s (I hate to think how much that spot rents for now). Hip hop, though? That’s an entirely different tradition, one that’s much more entrepreneurial in nature. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that when Noah-O and his Charged Up Enterprise opened up a spot about seven blocks east of that long-gone anarchist bookstore on Broad St, it’s focused on selling products they create themselves — streetwear collections, Richmond-branded tote bags, that sort of thing. I’m not the least bit mad at it, either, and not just because Richmond’s hip hop scene deserves to be raking in the bucks. It’s also because the Charged Up Flagship Store has started to dip its toe into putting on shows. And if this one is any indication, we can expect some top-quality live events to come out of this place in future.

That all starts this Friday night, with Fumes: The Return of Richmond Gas. Named after Richmond Gas, a collaborative project created by NDEFRU and Fan Ran and released by Richmond’s own Gritty City Records last year, this show will focus on a collaborative performance by NDEFRU and Fan Ran. The spotlight will be on the aforementioned 2021 album, which is full of incredible beats and flawlessly constructed lyrical flows, assembled in a playful spirit of creativity. The album is assembled with an irreverent sense of humor, but also knows when to get serious. One can only assume NDEFRU and Fan Ran will approach this live performance with the same multi-layered awareness of the best way to keep the party rocking and the people dancing.

If the plan is for NDEFRU and Fan Ran to focus on performing the Richmond Gas album (and that certainly stands to reason), then they’ve picked a great supporting cast for this bill. Almost everyone with a guest feature on this album is also slated to perform a set of their own, so you can expect that feature verses will be included in the headlining set. And when you’re talking long-running local talents as diverse as Charged Up majordomo Noah-O, Gritty City co-founder Johnny Ciggs, veteran local rapper Rah Scrilla, and underrated mainstay PT, you’re talking a whole passel of great opening sets in addition to the killer headliner. I can’t tell you whether NDEFRU and Fan Ran are planning a sequel to the Richmond Gas project, or if so whether they’ll debut any new songs. But I can tell you that the party at the Charged Up Flagship Store this Friday night will be off the chain. And that’s all you really need to know, isn’t it?

Wednesday, July 27, 5 PM
Collective Soul, Switchfoot, Jade Jackson @ River City Sportsplex – $5-$31 (order tickets HERE)
Remember when Innsbrook After Hours was the spot to hit back in the day when you wanted to see veteran rock bands whose biggest days were behind them still making a living as road warriors, playing all the hits you remember from your youth? Well, that tradition has moved south of the river these days, with the River City Sportsplex, out there near the 288/Powhite Parkway junction, taking the reins from the aforementioned West End office park. What’s more, while I wasn’t looking, the veteran bands that play happy-hour gigs like this one went from bands that were big before I was born to bands I used to hear on the radio all the time in my early 20s. I guess time stops for no one, huh?

As veteran road-warrior bands go, Collective Soul’s got a pretty impressive resume. If you’re like me and really only remember their first big hit, “Shine,” you should check in again. Like a friend of mine discovered when he randomly went to see Foreigner about 15 years ago, this band had WAY more hits than you remember. Chances are good that, other than a few new tracks off their soon-to-be-released new LP, Vibrating, you’re gonna know every song Collective Soul plays at this show — and a lot of them are gonna sound way better live than you remember. As for Switchfoot, while they can’t boast the dozen Mainstream Rock Top 10 singles that Collective Soul has to their name, they had a few pretty great tunes 20 or so years ago, and hey, if nothing else, “Meant To Live” will forever be a banger. Like Collective Soul’s formidable back catalog, it’s sure to sound amazing ringing out across a field on a lovely summer afternoon. Why not be part of it?

Thursday, July 28, 7 PM
Wailin’ Storms, Hex Machine, Future Mantis @ Gallery 5 – $10 (order tickets HERE)
You really want to catch my attention with your new album? Give it a name like The Silver Snake Unfolds, as North Carolina band Wailin’ Storms have called their latest full-length, released just last week. That is a cool name, y’all. I’ll bet even Slayer and Neurosis are a little jealous of that one. What’s more, if you go into this album expecting something that’ll appeal to fans of Slayer and Neurosis, you’re probably not gonna go too far wrong, although Wailin’ Storms tends to focus on the slower, more epic end of that spectrum, preferring to create spooky, heavy, metallic rock epics rather than raging thrash monsters.

Whatever, the point is that it’s all a lot of fun — The Silver Snake Unfolds has only been out for a few days now, and I’ve already gone back to it half a dozen times or so. Imagining how good these rippers will sound when belted out at top volume in Gallery 5’s main hall fills me with joyful anticipation. The fact that they’ve got really great local support for this gig doesn’t hurt, either. Hex Machine will bring their usual flair for complex, heavy-hitting noisecore to the table, so get ready for some off-time headbangs when these dudes take the stage. The opening set from ambient noise artist Future Mantis is sure to set the mood quite delightfully as well. This one will take you places. Enjoy the ride.

Friday, July 29, 8 PM
Hey Beautiful, JPH, E 33rd, Soraya Silene @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
Y’all, it’s a wild time to be queer right now — especially if your gender doesn’t correspond to the one you were labeled with at birth. I know all about this, which is a lot of why I immediately gravitated toward Harrisonburg folk-punk project Hey Beautiful, whose 2021 debut single, “Queer Hell,” captured the difficult, contradictory experience of living in America in a time when LGBTQ identities are simultaneously becoming more accepted in American society and more demonized in legal and political circles, where right-wing assholes want to label anyone who might exist as a positive role model for LGBTQ youth a “groomer.”

Hey Beautiful captures all the triumph and tragedy of day-to-day queer life in this era on their debut EP, Queer Hell Is Glittering, which pairs the energetic jangle of the aforementioned quasi-title track with yearning acoustic tunes like “Paint Me On Your Nails” in a manner that displays the project’s range. The result is somewhere between the earliest Against Me EPs and that iconic first Violent Femmes LP, plus a bit of Snail Mail or Soccer Mommy. Honestly, even if you don’t relate to the queer/trans/non-binary experience circa 2022, you should still show up at Garden Grove this Friday night just to hear these excellent tunes. But if you do have intimate knowledge of the LGBTQ struggle circa 2022, Hey Beautiful’s set at Garden Grove will be downright soul-nourishing. Show up and feel seen.

Saturday, July 30, 8 PM
The Ar-Kaics, Tuxedo Cats, Shawnis And The Shimmers, The Barbed Wires @ Black Iris Social Club – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Saturday night is a great night for rock n’ roll, and you’ll get plenty of that if you show up at Black Iris Social Club this Saturday night for the latest Richmond appearance by The Ar-Kaics. After several years during which it’s completely understandable for anyone to have dealt with delays, hangups, and other assorted issues, The Ar-Kaics have finally completed their follow-up to 2018’s In This Time — which is great news for any local heads who get a big kick out of no-frills garage-punk ragers. An anonymous source even tells me they’ll be playing some of the new tunes, just to get us all hyped for the coming slab of awesomeness. Who can complain about that? Certainly not me!

However, the Ar-Kaics set at this show is just the beginning of the reasons to make it down to Black Iris Saturday night. New York-based newcomers Tuxedo Cats are also making an appearance in support of their brand new debut EP, Out The Bag, which features tongue-in-cheek bangers like “Please Show Me Your Phone” and “Under The BQE,” all of which master the same sort of tough-rockin’ yet catchy-as-hell awesomeness you might find in bands like Sheer Mag, Ex Hex, and even the Ramones. The bill is rounded out by local garage-punk wild ones Shawnis And the Shimmers, along with the debut Richmond performance by The Barbed Wires, a band featuring members of Strike Anywhere and the Pink Razors, among others. Basically, this is a jam-packed bonanza that’s sure to thrill any rock n’ roll fan. You know what to do.

Sunday, July 31, 2 PM
Stand Still, Bent Blue, Dozing, Debrider @ The Camel – $8 (order tickets HERE)
While the pandemic does still linger (don’t kid yourself that it’s gone, folks — you seen the case numbers?), we are thankfully getting closer to a full-scale return to normal life where live music is concerned. This show is a great example of exactly that, representing as it does the return of Sunday afternoon hardcore matinees to the Richmond live music landscape. It might sound crazy for a show to get started at 2 pm, even on a Sunday — many of us are barely out of brunch by that point. However, considering we’re all gonna have to at least try for a good night’s sleep so we can get back to work bright and early the next morning, it’s certainly not the worst way to cap off your weekend.

It’s even better that this show brings Stand Still to Richmond. This Long Island band might be considered melodic hardcore or post-hardcore, depending on where you draw the line, but I’m not here to adjudicate such hair-splitting — I’m here to recommend you go see this band! After all, their just-released second EP, In A Moment’s Notice, kicks up the quality level from where it was on their excellent debut, A Practice In Patience. There are elements of bands like Lifetime, Samiam, Polar Bear Club, and Make Do And Mend showing through in this band’s heartfelt vocals, crunchy yet catchy riffs, and driving rhythms, and it’s awesome. Indeed, if they’re already this good two EPs in, I can’t imagine how great their debut LP will be. But you don’t have to wait for all that — go see them now, and get in on the ground floor of what’s sure to be a huge band once everyone else catches on.

Monday, August 1, 6:30 PM
An Evening With Adrian Belew @ Ashland Theatre – $44.50 – $59.50 (order tickets HERE)
Legendary avant-garde guitarist Adrian Belew will need no introduction to many of you, and if you’re one of those readers, I’m sure you’ve already clicked the ticket link by now and are just sticking around to see what I have to say about him. But for those of you who are confused, this show preview presents a challenge. See, it’s easy just to list everyone Adrian Belew’s played with over the years: beginning his career as a sideman for Frank Zappa, David Bowie, and the Talking Heads, among others, he joined King Crimson in 1981 and launched a new phase of the legendary prog-rock group’s career, taking them in a direction that incorporated punk and new wave influences while remaining both progressive and technical. Belew remained with the band for nearly 30 years, and Belew-fronted King Crimson albums like Discipline and Three Of A Perfect Pair are considered some of the band’s best.

Belew’s solo career ran concurrently with his time in King Crimson and has continued over the past decade; even turning 70, as Belew did in 2019, has not slowed him down. He’s about to release his eighteenth solo album, Elevator, and based on excellent advance single “a13,” it should be another great example of Belew’s flawless ability to mix avant-garde sonic textures with complex, erudite art-pop. For his current tour, he’s bringing the new album to the world without the benefit of opening acts. Instead, he’ll be doing three sets over the course of the evening: one in which he fronts a power trio performing songs old and new, a quieter solo acoustic interlude, followed by a brief intermission and a final power trio set in which the volume will get cranked and the music will get heavy. It’ll be a full evening of excellence, as only Belew can do. And believe me, it’s not something you’d be smart to miss.

Tuesday, August 2, 7 PM
Clementine, Lowlife Tea Party, Everybody Gets One @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s wrap up our week by visiting Richmond’s faithful standby for live music on the slower nights of the week. The Camel comes through for us once again this Tuesday, bringing in Wisconsin band Clementine to blow us all away with a set of power-pop tunes sure to brighten up an evening the extended forecast says will be the sixth stormy one in a row. We’ll need some guitar-driven sunshine at that point, and that’s exactly what Clementine unleashes on brand new single “Lucinda,” which we can only hope is the harbinger of a forthcoming album full of tunes this catchy. After all, their 2017 EP, This Will Hurt, was outstanding.

Whether Clementine will roll into Richmond with a quiver full of as-yet-unrecorded new killers or will simply delight all comers with the best of their past tracks, the result will be pleasant for anyone who enjoys guitar-driven pop rock awesomeness. And who among us does that description not apply to? I mean, really. Local up-and-comers Lowlife Tea Party and Everybody Gets One will get this one started by regaling us all with their own take on catchy rock n’ roll, and I don’t mind saying that both of them have promising approaches. So brighten up your rainy Tuesday night, and get over to The Camel for this one. You won’t regret it.

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

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: July 6 – July 12

Marilyn Drew Necci | July 6, 2022

Topics: Almost Honest, Artspace, Dumb Waiter, Elaine The Singer, Erick Van Ficken, Ett Eko, Floral, gallery 5, Gallery5, Garden Grove Brewing, Grassy Sound, Horse Jumper Of Love, Kenneka Cook, live music in Richmond, Material Boy, Merciful Zero, Ms. Jaylin Brown, Night Idea, No/Mas, Rebekah Rafferty and The Wakes, Scott Burton, Shormey, shows you must see, Sissy Spacek, Small Bones, Strange Ranger, Suppression, The Camel, They Are Gutting A Body Of Water, Trout Baseline, Virginia Man, Wax Brain, Weak Signal

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, July 9, 7:30 PM
Ms. Jaylin Brown, Rebekah Rafferty and The Wakes, Kenneka Cook @ Gallery 5 – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Music is too damn predictable sometimes. It might not seem that way to you, the casual reader of this column, but when you spend eight years of your life doing deep dives into the work of something like five dozen different musicians every single week, after a while, everything starts feeling pretty samey. Another raging metal group, another acoustic indie-folk project, another street-level rapper. You might enjoy it — you might even LOVE it. But it’s not really ever NEW, is it?

It’s incredibly rare that something comes along that really throws me for a loop, leaves me all like, “Whoa, I didn’t expect THAT.” But this is a rare week, because Ms. Jaylin Brown — who is celebrating the release of her brand new EP, Take It Easy, at Gallery 5 this Saturday — did exactly that. I’m not saying she reinvented the wheel or anything, or that her new EP is completely untraceable to conventional music history. It’s not that at all; from old-time blues and folk singers (Bessie Smith, Odetta) to torch singers of the mid-20th century jazz scene (Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald), to neo-soul balladeers of the millennial era (Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu), all the influences that might have come together to create what Ms. Jaylin Brown is doing are pretty apparent once you listen to her music.

Nonetheless, the music she’s creating is very much out of left field in terms of today’s music scene. Softly plucked electric guitar strings creating an ultra-minimal musical bed for powerful, virtuosic vocals that explore poetic flights of fancy and even dip into scat-singing on occasion, while also integrating collaborations with talented poets? Where else is that happening? If it is, anywhere, I haven’t caught onto it yet. And that’s probably the most rare and intriguing thing I can offer you in one of these columns — an artist who is completely unique on the Richmond music scene in 2022. So go see Ms. Jaylin Brown at Gallery 5 this Saturday, and pick up a copy of her new EP while you’re at it. Revel in the opportunity to experience an artist who you almost certainly did not see coming.

Wednesday, July 6, 9 PM
Sissy Spacek X Suppression, No/Mas, Erick Van Ficken @ Fuzzy Cactus – $12
I hope you’re not expecting this writeup to have anything to do with the star of Coal Miner’s Daughter. Spoiler: it doesn’t. Sissy Spacek — this Sissy Spacek — is a noise project led by extreme noise legend John Wiese and fellow noise artist Charlie Mumma. It’s integrated a variety of other musicians over the years; indeed, on the Philadelphia show of their current tour, they’ll expand to a three-piece by adding experimental guitarist Bill Nace. Here in Richmond, though, they’ll be playing a collaborative set with our own legendary noisemakers: Suppression.

Suppression, led by bass-wielding maniac Jason Hodges, has been around in one form or another for over three decades, and in its current form, pairing Hodges and genius drummer Ryan Parrish, has existed for over 20 years. During that time, they’ve played everything from Butthole Surfers-ish noise-rock to blurry shit-fi grindcore. In that way, they have a lot in common with Sissy Spacek, whose three 2020 releases veer from chaotic power-violence (Featureless Thermal Equilibrium) to harsh, screeching noise (Besiege) to percussion-focused, psychedelic free jazz (Prismatic Parameter). What will happen when these two duos, made up of four brilliant, off-kilter musical minds, come together as one? Well, it’ll probably be harsh and chaotic, most likely very fast… beyond that, you’ll pretty much have to head to Fuzzy Cactus and see for yourself. Believe me, it will be worth the trip.

Thursday, July 7, 7 PM
Horse Jumper Of Love, Strange Ranger, They Are Gutting A Body Of Water, Shormey @ The Camel – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A lot of shows have gotten canceled at the last minute over the past nine months or so, as the music scene tries to figure out how to keep pace with the harsh realities of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I couldn’t help but think when I saw this one on the list, “Isn’t this some sort of make-up date?” Maybe that’s sorta true — Horse Jumper Of Love were supposed to come to Richmond back in January. But even if they had made it, I’d still be sending you to see them all over again this Thursday, because since that January date, this Boston trio have graced the world with a new album, their first in three years. Natural Part is an intriguing listen even for those who have previously enjoyed this band’s work, as it takes things in a number of new directions. Their tendency to integrate Neil Young & Crazy Horse-style riffs with slowcore tempos a la Codiene (by which I mean the band, not the drug. Then again, maybe I mean both) has met with an increased melodic sense that can’t help bring to mind the work of Red House Painters.

So yeah, Horse Jumper Of Love are taking an already established, excellent sound in some intriguing new directions on their new album, and that’s definitely something both seasoned fans and newcomers looking for the right time to jump on the bandwagon should look into. What’s more, the bill this time around brings us some equally intriguing opening acts. I absolutely have to mention Philadelphia’s They Are Gutting A Body Of Water, whose Dinosaur Jr.-ish grunge-gaze sound is just as enjoyable as their truly unique, SEO-friendly name. 2019’s Destiny XL is a great listen, one that is sure to come alive in the live environment at the Camel on Thursday night. New Yorkers Strange Ranger pull in a strong post-punk/early New Wave vibe that immediately conjures images of darkened dance floors surrounded by bright neon tubes, though there’s also an undeniable folk-pop undercurrent running through what they do. So that’s certainly fascinating. And of course, Richmonders should already know how great the psychedelic electro-pop of Shormey is — we’ve had plenty of opportunities to learn over the past several years. Of course, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re gonna need to not only go to this show, but show up as soon as doors open so that you don’t miss a minute of Shormey’s set. Hey, I don’t make the rules.

Friday, July 8, 9 PM
Ett Eko, Weak Signal, Material Boy @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10
Look, I’m just gonna lay my cards on the table: I don’t know a whole lot about what to expect from this show, musically speaking. Not many people do; after all, this is brand-new Richmond band Ett Eko’s first live performance ever. This trio, whose name appears to be a shortening of the Swedish word for “ecosystem” (but that’s just a guess), brings together members from three different past Richmond bands, all of which were excellent. Kenny Close and Keith Renna were the guitarist and drummer for Positive No, whose outstanding melodic indie/alt-rock sound was some of the best music to come out of this city during the 2010s. And Michael Harl, who rounds out the trio, has laid out his psychedelic post-punk credentials as the guitarist and vocalist for departed Richmond ensembles Canary Oh Canary and Manzara.

If that right there isn’t enough to make you want to see Ett Eko’s first show, then I have to figure you just moved to town. In which case: trust me — these are very talented people. You will want to see what they come up with. And Weak Signal, who hail from New York city, certainly offer a powerful inducement of their own to make it out to this show. On their new album, War&War, they channel the Dream Syndicate, the Velvet Underground, Galaxie 500, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and a variety of other hazy, psychedelic projects in order to create a hypnotic post-punk wall of glorious noise. It’s sure to be especially brilliant in the live environment with the amps cranked up really high and the vibe just right. So yeah — come out to this show, open up your third eye, and let the music blow your mind.

Saturday, July 9, 7 PM
Merciful Zero, Wax Brain, Almost Honest, Small Bones @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
It’s a night of doom at Garden Grove! But don’t worry, the craft brews aren’t poisoned — the theme is a musical one. And since we all lived through the late 00s and early 10s, I’m sure we all know what to expect when bands are referred to as “doom” — slow, sludgy post-Sabbath riffs, alternating with mid-70s Camaro-rattling stoner intensity. Indeed, just to put a finer pinpoint on the whole thing, West Virginia’s Wax Brain, one of the two touring acts on this free four-band bill, open their latest album, Hive Mind, with a track that quotes the tiniest portion of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” riff as part of its main verse. But don’t worry — this album, and by extension this show, have quite a lot to offer beyond biker-metal riff rehash. Wax Brain certainly don’t mind cranking tempos up to downright punk velocity at times, and there’s a fair amount of shred-tastic metal thrashing happening in their riffs as well. They’ve even got a few outright mosh parts that will hopefully get the jean-jacket heshers doing their first circle pit in years at this show.

As for Almost Honest, the Pennsylvania-based trio who constitute the other half of the touring duo on this bill, they’ve got a strong dose of power metal working through their particular riff salad on 2019’s Seiches And Sirens, as if Iron Maiden had taken a good bit more from Black Sabbath than they did from early Judas Priest. They’ve got a strong melodic sense, too, which makes all their riffs catchy as hell. So yeah, between these two bands, you can be sure you’re getting a refreshing take on doom-metal affiliated sounds that won’t just put you to sleep. Local fantasy-metal stoners Merciful Zero and vaguely post-hardcore stoner-rockers Small Bones round out this bill with a double dose of local metal power. It’s gonna be a great way to spend your Saturday night, and best of all… yup, the price is certainly right.

Sunday, July 10, 8 PM
Grassy Sound, Scott Burton’s Exploitation Cinema @ Artspace – $15
I love how wide open the world of jazz is. Your band isn’t your entire identity, and it seems you’re always free to put together any project that interests you with pretty much anyone else in the scene who wants to rock with you. It’s that freewheeling spirit that is showcased in Grassy Sound, a new duo that pairs guitarist Nick Millevoi, best known for his work in Desertion Trio, with pianist Ron Stabinsky, who has played with the Meat Puppets and the Peter Evans Quintet. While Desertion Trio have a heavy, rock-informed approach to jazz, Grassy Sound showcases Nick Millevoi’s interest in things like surf rock, Hollywood cowboy-movie instrumentals, and the “space age bachelor pad” music of 60s weirdo greats like Esquivel. On the duo’s forthcoming debut album, The Sounds Of… Grassy Sound, Stabinsky’s organ makes carnival sounds as Millevoi veers from Hawaiian steel guitar swells to Dick Dale-style surf shredding. The result is immensely entertaining, and should be even moreso from the stage at Artspace.

Meanwhile, the always-exploratory nature of Richmond jazz guitarist Scott Burton sees him opening up a new rabbit hole to dive down for this performance, with the first live appearance of his latest solo endeavor, Scott Burton’s Exploitation Cinema. Influenced by Burton’s love of dark underground films and their equally dark soundtracks, Burton arranges tunes he’s picked up from his filmic explorations and rearranges them for solo guitar, bringing new possibilities out of the scores for extreme film classics like John Woo’s The Killer, or the notorious not-actually-a-snuff-film (but it fooled a lot of people) Cannibal Holocaust. All you grindhouse nerds out there (don’t worry, I count myself among your number), take special note of this one.

Monday, July 11, 8 PM
Floral, Elaine The Singer, Night Idea, Dumb Waiter @ The Camel – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Attention all Richmond music heads: if you’re a big fan of math-rock, you should already have marked your calendars for this one, since it features performances by two of the best local math-rock combos we have here in the river city. Dumb Waiter’s fresh off their latest album, Gauche Gists, and are sure to be excellent, while these days it’s a treat whenever Night Idea plays a show at all. But look — we all already know those two bands are great. What about the other two on this Monday night Camel bill? Are they worth sticking around for?

If you asked this question, then shook up your Magic 8-Ball, it would tell you “It is decidedly so.” For one thing, Floral are an excellent instrumental math-rock duo from San Francisco who generate enough beautiful melodic chaos on their 2020 self-titled album to trick you into thinking they aren’t a duo at all. However, it’s really true — that’s just one guitar player doing all that string tangling. And if you find the intricacies of musical composition at all interesting, you’re certainly going to want to see how the heck he manages to generate that many notes per second. Am I right? Yeah, you know it. Meanwhile, Elaine The Singer has the kind of name that might make you worry you’re about to see some random lady from the neighborhood do the same Billie Holiday song she always does at the corner bar’s karaoke night. But it’s not true! Instead, Elaine The Singer is a Floral side project that sees these instrumental talents get hard and heavy in a manner that should remind Richmond music scene vets of past Pen Rollings projects like Breadwinner and Loincloth. And listen — I don’t evoke the name of Pen lightly. So you know this is something well worth hearing. Get there.

Tuesday, July 12, 7 PM
Virginia Man, Trout Baseline @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Does anyone else hear the name “Virginia Man” and think that it must refer to some local version of the notorious “Florida Man,” the anonymous resident of that swampy Southern state who always seems to be in some sort of cartoonish legal trouble? I could sit here and contemplate what sort of hijinks the Virginia version of “Florida Man” would be getting up to, but that’s actually not a productive use of my time. You see, the Virginia Man in question isn’t a ne’er-do-well miscreant at all, but instead the name of a Fredericksburg-based rock band with a sensitive sound and a strong melodic sense. They’re playing at The Camel every Tuesday night in July, making this the second of four Richmond shows they’ll play this month. So hey, why not talk about this one?

Why not indeed? Virginia Man are currently supporting a lovely new single called “Snow In The Desert,” which shows off the more introspective, emotionally oriented aspects of their music. Meanwhile, their previous release was a live acoustic session version of Tom Petty’s legendary hit single, “Runnin’ Down A Dream.” And of course, 2020 saw the release of their only full-length album thus far, Sad But True. From the quiet, moody sound of acoustic track “I Don’t Really Mind” to the gorgeous 80s-pop inflections of album opener “Forgive Me (Hide and Seek),” Sad But True is full of gems. This Virginia Man is on quite a run at the moment — and not from the cops, either. You can find them at The Camel this Tuesday night, making some beautiful music. They’d love to see you. (And no, they’re not holding.)

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 Keshia Eugene

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 22 – June 28

Marilyn Drew Necci | June 22, 2022

Topics: Adi GuerrerX, Alfred, Andy Jenkins, Baby Age, Black Iris, Blaine Cooz & Jay Pee, Bodyshell, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Chastity Brown, CJ The Profit, Dark Waters, Dead Format, Diet Blood, DJ Harrison, DuctTape Jesus, Easalio, Fallout, Films On Song, Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls, Garden Grove Brewing, Heavy Is the Head, IamI Collective, Justin Golden, Kenneka Cook, Lilli Lewis, live music in Richmond, Melodic, MSD, Nganga, Noah-O, Pathogenesis, Pet Needs, PT Vell, Railgun, shows you must see, Skinnyy Hendrixx, Skyway Man, T.R.I.G, Tel, Tennis Courts, Terror Cell, The Bronx, The Camel, The National, The tin pan, Trapcry, TVLPA, Two Cars, Yung Sums

FEATURED SHOW
Blood Night II, Take Two Times Two
Friday, June 24, 7 PM
Diet Blood, Dark Waters, Heavy Is the Head, Bodyshell, Dead Format
Saturday, June 25, 7 PM
Diet Blood, Two Cars, Terror Cell, TVLPA, Baby Age
@ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
It’s summertime! And oh, if only the living were easy. On top of every other terrible thing going on in the world (choose your own, god knows there are plenty to pick from), I even had trouble deciding what show to feature at the top of this week’s column. The choice I ultimately made might be easy to criticize; it’s not the most charitably beneficial or for the most important cause of this week’s shows. Nonetheless, right now what I want more than anything is a weekend free of stress and full of opportunities to have fun and forget my troubles for at least a few hours at a time. And where that’s concerned, Diet Blood’s two-night event at Garden Grove Brewing, Blood Night II: Take Two Times Two, is most likely to deliver the goods. So what the hell — let’s do it.

We’ve got to start out by talking about our hosts for the evening, Diet Blood, who’ve got a really memorable name as well as a clutch of catchy pop-punk anthems they released back in 2019 in the form of their first EP, First Steps. Maybe it’s just the pandemic, or maybe it’s the lineup changes the band has undergone since that EP three years ago, but so far they haven’t released anything else. With two headlining sets in two nights, I certainly hope they have a grip of unreleased tunes ready to unleash on a willing world… but let’s be real — after three years, how could they not? If said unreleased tunes are on the level of First Steps, that means we’ll be in for killer headlining sets two nights in a row. Whoopee!

But of course, a big part of the attraction for this weekend of free local shows is the plethora of up-and-coming Richmond bands who are occupying the undercard on this one. If I had to pick which one of these shows I’d go to, I’d probably pick Saturday, since that’s the night TVLPA is playing. This progressive, metallic group has really impressed me with their new album, Walk With Me; it’s one of my favorite records of the year so far, by anyone from anywhere. If the album’s anything to go by, I imagine their live performance will be downright explosive. On the other hand, Friday features a set by Dark Waters, a band featuring most of the members of Race The Sun doing the kind of heavier, more powerful, but still melodic post-hardcore riffing I know these guys are capable of. That’s certainly gonna be worth seeing. And Dead Format’s also on Friday… but then, Terror Cell is playing Saturday… the hell with it, just go to both. Lord knows the price is right, especially in this economy.

Wednesday, June 22, 7 PM
Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls, The Bronx, Pet Needs @ The National – $25 in advance, $30 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Acoustic guitar-slinger Frank Turner started out playing in UK post-hardcore outfit Million Dead, but he didn’t really grab a lot of attention until he struck out on his own, making his name over the past decade with emotional folk-punk anthems like “Recovery” and “The Next Storm.” His biggest tracks from years past fall into the kind of lane where you’d expect to find The Hold Steady or The Gaslight Anthem. And yet, on his recently released ninth album, FTHC, Turner and his band, The Sleeping Souls, hearken back to his early days as a punk rocker. No, the album’s acronym (which obviously stands for “Frank Turner hardcore”) isn’t meant ironically, and while the whole thing doesn’t hit as hard as two-minute opener “Non Serviam,” the most straight-up punk thing Frank’s done in years, it’s definitely the kind of hard-charging rock albums people who found his previous work a little too Springsteen-ish for comfort will consider a welcome change of pace.

Of course, Turner’s always had the knack for bringing maximum energy and vitality to his live performances, especially when he’s got the Sleeping Souls behind him — as he will tonight at The National. So now that he’s got a clutch of brand new tunes that are full of more piss n’ vinegar than he’s dispensed at one time in years, you can expect the performance tonight to be downright mind-blowing. If dancing and singing along to melodic, heartfelt punk anthems about struggling with the weight of day-to-day difficulties (“Haven’t Been Doing So Well”) or knowing that your own privilege means you should probably get out of the way and let other people choose what’s best for them (“My Bad”) sounds like an enjoyable night of emotional catharsis to you, then you certainly should get your ticket for the Frank Turner gig tonight, if you haven’t already. Nuff said.

Thursday, June 23, 7 PM
Skyway Man, Andy Jenkins, Films On Song, Adi GuerrerX @ Black Iris – $8 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Here’s one I wasn’t expecting but was delighted to encounter. The name Skyway Man might be unfamiliar at first, but those who’ve been keeping up with Richmond-related musics for the past decade or so might remember the name James Wallace and the Naked Light (and those of us who are enjoying playing the “yes I really have known this dude for 20 years” card might even remember the name Ved Llama). That’s right, James is going by Skyway Man these days, and while he’s currently based in Oakland, CA, he has made his way back to Richmond for a new collaborative EP, Nothing No. 1, with Richmond singer-songwriter Andy Jenkins. The two of them came together with Cameron Ralston to lay down these tracks at Spacebomb Studios, and the EP is coming on cassette in just over a month from Mama Bird Records.

We don’t have to wait to hear Skyway Man and Andy Jenkins play these tunes together, though — for that, you need only head over to Black Iris this Thursday night and catch the collaborative performance the two are putting on for the benefit of RVA music lovers all over the city. The kinds of sounds you expect from both of these singer-songwriters — indie, funk, Americana, soul, jazz, and various and sundry influences all mixed together into a delightful psychedelic folk-pop melange — will be available in abundance, and there’s sure to be a bit of an old-home-week vibe when these two seasoned songwriters with deep Virginia roots get together onstage. Basically, it’s gonna be a heartwarming evening full of charming songs and positive vibes. It’s definitely one you should not miss.

Friday, June 24, 9 PM
Juneteenth Celebration, feat. DJ Harrison, Cassidy Snider & the Wranglers, Alfred, DuctTape Jesus, Justin Golden, Kenneka Cook, Railgun, IamI Collective, Trapcry @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
As a white lady, it’s tough for me to know how to write about a show put together to honor Juneteenth. I don’t want to treat it as just another evening of amazing music from a wide variety of Richmond’s most talented musicians — even though it very much is that. But I also don’t want to presume to lecture anyone about the importance of Juneteenth, or to claim that this celebration of Black American freedom has anything to do with me or any of my white readers. All I really know to say is that Juneteenth deserves to be remembered and celebrated each and every year, even as all Americans — especially non-Black Americans — recognize how much more beyond Juneteenth this country owed, and owes, to our Black compatriots.

So yeah, if you’re white like me, don’t make this amazing musical party happening Friday night about you and what you want out of it. But do attend, and enjoy the many different flavors of amazing music that you will be treated to by many of Richmond’s finest players — most of whom happen to be Black. You’ll get everything from DJ Harrison’s deep, layered, soulful take on funky, jazzy, hip hop instrumentals to Railgun’s raging punk rock; from Justin Golden’s powerful electric blues-rock to DuctTape Jesus’s electro-digital noise-rap. There’s a lot more on tap than that, too, and from the opening set of the evening to the final encore, all of it’s gonna be great. Plus, it’s nine artists for only $12 — that’s a steal no matter how you slice it. So keep in mind where your place in this whole affair is… but don’t let it keep you from having fun. Because rest assured, this is going to be a tremendously fun night.

Saturday, June 25, 8 PM
Skinnyy Hendrixx, PT Vell, CJ The Profit, Easalio, Yung Sums, Blaine Cooz & Jay Pee, T.R.I.G, Hosted by Noah-O, Music by Melodic @ 2807 Hull St – $15 in advance, $20 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Finding local hip hop artists on the internet is always challenging, but Richmond’s Skinnyy Hendrixx has shown me a whole new level of difficulty. Because, see, depending on how you spell it, there are several artists by that name currently making hip hop music in the United States. If you spell it with one Y and one X, you get the guy from the Midwest. Go with one Y and two X’s, and you get the dude from Cali — and he’s good. But you’ll only find the Richmond Skinnyy Hendrixx if you use two Y’s and two X’s — and you want to do that, because he’s the best of all of them. His new album, Smooth League Villain, is jam-packed with outstanding tracks, including “D’Angelo,” on which Skinnyy is joined by fellow Richmond rapper PT Vell to declare the sounds they’re creating “the hottest shit coming out of Richmond since D’Angelo.” Give these guys one thing — they’ve got confidence.

Hendrixx and Vell are currently on something they’re calling their “Hole In The Wall Tour,” and it seems to involve them playing a variety of unconventional Richmond venues. I guess that’s what they’re doing over on Hull St this Saturday night. I have no idea if there have ever been shows at this spot before, but if this is the only gig that ever happens there, rest assured, it’s gonna be a banger. Not only is Skinnyy Hendrixx bringing the sounds from his amazing new project (see above), PT Vell is currently supporting not one but two new albums, the linked Aviation: The Departure and Aviation: The Return, both of which dropped since the start of 2022. They add up to an hour of powerful rhymes and banging beats, all of which are sure to sound outstanding when PT Vell lays ’em out live and in person. With Richmond all-stars like Easalio, Yung Sums, and host Noah-O in the house as well, this is going to be an absolute RVA hip hop extravaganza. By now, you should know what to do.

Sunday, June 26, 7 PM
Tel, Pathogenesis, Nganga, M.S.D. @ Fallout – $10 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Things are getting good and heavy over at Fallout this Sunday night, and as much as I love the shiny-PVC industrial goth this place usually hosts, it’s nice to see a change of pace like this one rolling out on one of the private fetish club’s less busy nights. Tel are at the top of the bill, and this Richmond quartet has shown over the past few years that, where Richmond doom is concerned, they’re one of the top-level players. Last fall they released Vigils, their split LP with Costa Rican doomsters Age Of The Wolf, and the three songs (which add up to over 20 minutes of music) demonstrates that this band continues to evolve, merging the standard Sabbath-style groove riffs with dynamic song structures and vocals that move from an almost neo-Gregorian sung/chanted sound to deep, furious growls. Getting pummeled with this sound in the middle of Fallout’s darkened dance floor is sure to be a brutal experience, even if the usual accoutrements don’t come into play.

Raleigh band Pathogenesis, meanwhile, will take things in an entirely different direction for their co-headlining set. Blistering hyper-speed grind/death metal is this band’s stock in trade, and they show it off to fine effect on their brand new EP, Greasy Exudate — which features a Richmond connection in that the artwork for the album was created by the late, great Terry Turtle of Buck Gooter, to whom the EP is also dedicated. Sound-wise, Pathogenesis land somewhere between Symphonies Of Sickness-era Carcass and None So Vile-era Cryptopsy, with some Incantation-ish brutal breakdowns thrown in every now and then just to keep you on your toes. The result is a seven-song ripper that ends quicker than Tel’s aforementioned three-song release. So yeah, this evening of brutal metal will be a study in contrasts. However, the appropriate response — wild headbanging — will remain constant throughout. Respond accordingly.

Monday, June 27, 7 PM
Tennis Courts, Supper Club, Sonic Blume @ The Camel – $13 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Ah yes, the Camel. The one place in this city seemingly willing to make sure that there’s great live music for a fan of such things to hear every single night of the week — even on Mondays, a night on which seemingly every other venue in this city is shuttered more often than not. Praise The Camel, especially when they don’t even use their status as the lone consistent purveyor of Monday night sounds to throw us any old thing, but actually bring through great bands from both here in Richmond and out of town to ensure that we’ve got such great sounds to take in, we don’t even stop to wonder what else might be going on elsewhere around the city.

This Monday night brings us a set from Tennis Courts, an indie rock ensemble led by musicians Andrew Clarke and Patrick Walsh — both of whom share names with veteran Richmond musicians, but actually hail from Charleston, SC and are now based in Brooklyn. Their new EP, Music For Movies + Television, is actually coming out inbetween the day I’m writing this and the day they’re playing here, and if the two songs they’ve released from it thus far are any indication, this is sure to be a sunny, catchy slice of melodic indie pop with an impossible-to-hide Southern flavor that’s sure to make this band a big hit here in Richmond. They’ll be joined on their Richmond date by Alabama band Supper Club, who want to let everyone know they are NOT a jam band, and prove it on their latest EP, World Keeps Spinning, instead showing off a sound not unlike that of Vampire Weekend at their most laid-back. The bill is rounded out by Sonic Blume, a third out-of-town band — this group hails from Asbury Park, NJ — with a bit of an 80s-retro synth-pop vibe that thankfully avoids feeling cookie-cutter at a time when such groups are, it must be said, rather easy to trip over. So yeah: that’s three out-of-town bands playing lovely indie music for less than $5 per band. Not just a Monday show… a GOOD Monday show. You owe it to yourself to be there for it.

Tuesday, June 28, 7 PM
Chastity Brown, Lilli Lewis @ The Tin Pan – $22.50 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s round out the week with an evening of soulful emotional tunes, shall we? The place to go is The Tin Pan, where Chastity Brown, a queer Black singer-songwriter who simultaneously dips into the worlds of blues, soul, and country, will be performing in support of her brand new LP, Sing To The Walls. Bringing a variety of emotions to the fore in her sound, Brown’s new album moves through a variety of moods, from the euphoria of new love to the fury inspired by the many terrible things happening in the US and the world over the past few years. Throughout, her strong voice and brilliant, moving songs incorporate a variety of influences that may trace back to a variety of different genres but are all, ultimately, American in origin.

Brown’s live performance skills are proven, but here in Richmond, many of us will be catching her live for the very first time, and within the intimate confines of The Tin Pan, it’s sure to be an amazing experience. An opening set from Lilli Lewis, who hails from New Orleans and displayed her own very strong voice on 2021 LP Americana, will get the evening started on a high note, and it’ll only get hotter from there. Bring a fan if you must, but be there, because this one’s gonna be essential.

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 6 – April 12

Marilyn Drew Necci | April 6, 2022

Topics: 9th Ward Judy, akaLUTHER, Andrew Alli & Josh Small, Anna Fox Rochinski, BCMusic1st, Bingo Beer Co, Black Iris, Calva Louise, Capital Ale House, Cliff And Ivy, Dre Person, Elizabeth Owens, Elkridge Chase, Essential Machine, Fallout, Fuggin Doe, Gallery5, Garden Grove Brewing, Gothic Lizard, Gsambo, Kingyoso, live music in Richmond, LVBXSH, Mackenzie Roark, Mainstage, Midnite Taxi, Nancy Raygun, Ndefru, PT, Rel Lyfe, Richmond Music Hall At Capital Ale House, Roughshod, shows you must see, Slothrust, Tanglewood Revival, The Background Action, The Wearing Hands, Vintage, Widow Rings, Widowspeak, woody woodworth and the piners, Xenos The Stranger

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, April 8, 7 PM
Andrew Alli & Josh Small, Mackenzie Roark, Woody Woodworth & The Piners @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
The pandemic’s been tough on music lovers, but some fans have had an easier time than others. After all, some artists were very active with the whole online-streaming thing, starting up weekly web appearances and such. And then, there were other artists, often of the “bedroom pop” and “solo producer” varieties, who had never really been big on live performance anyway. Those artists kept uploading to their soundcloud and bandcamp accounts like nothing had changed. However, if you were a fan of Josh Small, the pandemic just might have been pretty tough on you. After all, Small’s never been a very online sort of guy. His last attempt at a social media page was on facebook; it was maintained by someone else, and the last time it was posted to was in 2013. What’s more — and this is a real bummer — his last solo album was 2011’s Juke, which is over a decade old at this point.

No, the way to keep up on Josh Small has always been to find out where he’s playing and show up. That has often meant going to see Tim Barry, as Small’s been an accompanist for Barry on quite a few tours over the years. In more recent times, he’s teamed up with champion harmonica player and blues shouter Andrew Alli, who has brought him into the modern world a bit (the only remotely up-to-date info about Small these days is found on Alli’s website), and with whom he released a collaborative self-titled EP in 2018. The work the two of them create together is somewhat different from Small’s heartfelt emo-folk laments; for one thing, Alli generally takes lead vocals, unleashing his forceful tenor in a more traditional blues fashion that always makes me think of Muddy Waters in his acoustic moments. For another, Alli and Small’s tunes mix elements of Small’s folk background with Alli’s deep blues roots, resulting in a hybrid of classic Chicago blues with old-time folk earthiness.

So yeah, whether you’re coming to this show as a fan of Josh Small’s long history as a local hidden treasure, of Andrew Alli’s full-throated, joyous harp blasts, or strictly the combination of the two, you’re gonna get a real treat that’s been denied us all for the past two years. That’s the best reason I can think of to leave the house this weekend, and I’m including dollar tacos in that list. What’s even more awesome is that we’ll get a set of solo tunes from local country-folk singer Mackenzie Roark in the bargain, plus a set from Woody Woodworth and the Piners, a local Americana combo with a down-home honky-tonk feel that’ll sure sound nice echoing through Gallery 5. Speaking of which, isn’t it nice whenever we get shows at Gallery 5 these days? They’ve become understandably rare — you just can’t be too careful these days — but they always have been a treat, and they continue to be. Make sure you get your fill of this one.

Wednesday, April 6, 7 PM
Cliff And Ivy, Gothic Lizard, Widow Rings @ Fallout – $7 in advance, $10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Friends of mine back in the day used to make jokes about how American bands could never really pull off the grim harshness of Scandinavian metal bands. “Oh, where are they from, the frozen wastelands of Kansas?” And they were often correct in that assessment; American bands generally do not understand how grim it is up north. You can’t say that about Cliff And Ivy, though; this gothic duo hails from Anchorage, Alaska, which is actually farther north of the Equator than Oslo and Stockholm. These two know from frozen wastelands!

That being said, their music isn’t actually trying to be grim or foreboding at all. On 2021 EP Bring Us the Night, their approach is much more comparable to the spookiest of the first-wave punk and hardcore bands of the early 80s. If you’re a fan of The Damned, The Misfits/Samhain, TSOL, or the first Christian Death LP, the way Cliff And Ivy mix gloomy gothic atmosphere with an undeniably energetic and aggressive sound should be right up your alley. The evening will also feature sets from cryptic goth-industrial solo project Gothic Lizard and from moody synth-goth vibe merchants Widow Rings, meaning you’ll get a good primer in what’s going on in the local goth scene in the bargain. Who could complain about that?

Thursday, April 7, 10 PM
9th Ward Judy, Gsambo, Elkridge Chase @ Mainstage – $30 (order tickets HERE)
Around here, it seems like the main experience the music scene has with New Orleans bounce music comes from Big Freedia and the explicitly LGBTQ-oriented subgenre of sissy bounce. But have you ever contemplated the fact that there’s a whole world of… um, for lack of better description, hetero bounce? It’s true, it exists, and Nola’s own 9th Ward Judy is a leading exponent of that whole vibe circa 2022. Recent singles like “Shake Up Da Hoes” and “Throw That” make clear that she’s bringing that classic bounce sound — the one that makes you want to twerk until you pass out — and if you like to dance, she’s someone you need to check out.

It’s not just music, either — she’s a social media influencer, a workout queen, and a certified twerk champion. And while I don’t want to objectify anyone, it’s really hard to talk about 9th Ward Judy without talking about, um… rear-facing assets. Which is to say, she likes to shake her booty and she doesn’t really care what you think about it. So if you’re ready to get down and shake that ass, you need to show up on Thursday night at Mainstage — who seems to be bringing a lot of hip-hop related live shows to Richmond over the next few months, so shoutout to them — ready to do some serious twerking. Don’t forget to hydrate, y’all.

Friday, April 8, 8 PM
Essential Machine, Tanglewood Revival, Kingyoso @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
Free shows at Garden Grove are always a great thing, and when they bring us high quality content like this event, it’s hard to feel anything but blessed. Pennsylvania’s Essential Machine, who are headlining this show, are a true family band. Formed by life partners RJ and Karen Dietrich, the band is now a trio, rounded out by RJ and Karen’s 20-year-old son Robert. These days, if you hear that kind of thing about a band, you expect them to be gospel or something, but no, Essential Machine are a pretty classic post-punk alternative rock project that mix the melodic jangle of REM with the dark psychedelic vibes of The Dream Syndicate.

Essential Machine are currently on tour in advance of their new EP, Exponential Crisis, which comes out on Lemon Tree Records next month. I hunted high and low, but you can’t actually listen to any advance singles from the EP anywhere online yet. However, if 2019 full-length Wildfires is any indication of what they’ve got up their sleeve on their new release, you’re in for a treat. That said, they’ve been very upfront about the fact that the pandemic had a significant effect on their writing process. How did that show up in the finished tunes? You can wait for the EP’s mid-May release date to find out… but why wait when you can just roll up and see them at Garden Grove on Friday? After all, the price is right — and we both know you need something cool to do after a long week of work.

Saturday, April 9, 8 PM
Nancy Raygun (Photo by Jack Durham), Midnite Taxi, Roughshod, The Background Action, The Wearing Hands @ Black Iris – $7 in advance, $10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
The post-pandemic era is giving rise to a new social order in the local music scene. While other venues fell by the wayside during lockdown, returning as places that do maybe one or two shows a month if they still do them at all, places like Black Iris have stepped up, more and more frequently augmenting the visual art they have on display in their gallery with musical performances by some of the city’s best artists. Meanwhile, the ecosystem of local bands has had a bit of a shakeup as well, and one name rising to the top more and more frequently in our brave new live-music world is that of Nancy Raygun, whose psychedelic approach to alt-rock results in memorable tunes and arresting live performances — exactly what the world needs in this enjoyment-starved era.

This show is a great place to start if you’re not familiar with the club or the headlining band in question, but even if you’re intimately acquainted with both, there’s a lot more to enjoy on this bill as well. Post-collegiate alt-rock combo Midnite Taxi have been making some minor waves here in Richmond lately, and what I hear on their recently released EP, Somehow, makes me think those waves won’t be so minor in another six months or so. Roughshod is a brand new rock n’ roll group from here in Richmond whose debut two-song single makes me excited to hear what else they’ve got to offer. Plus, I’m glad to see my old pal/former bandmate Austin Ruhf playing in a new project; when he’s involved, I always expect good things, and I haven’t been let down yet. Noise-punk maniacs The Background Action, who bring that sloppy early-Pussy-Galore vibe, will be a fun addition to this menagerie, as will West Virginia’s The Wearing Hands, who have a nice jangly indie sound to ease you into the evening. This one’s gonna be great; show up for it.

Sunday, April 10, 7 PM
Widowspeak, Anna Fox Rochinski, Elizabeth Owens @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Every once in a while when I’m working on figuring out every show happening around town in the next week (which, believe it or not, takes a while), I run across something that I’m really stoked about and had thus far completely missed. That’s what happened to me with this Widowspeak show; I had no idea this Brooklyn group were coming to town. And as soon as I found out they were, I was stoked. If anything, this is a good reflection on my experience with Widowspeak in general; I heard them for the first time earlier this year when I encountered the pre-release single for their latest LP, The Jacket. It’s great, a similarly subtle and atmospheric approach to indie rock that you can find in the work of everyone from alt-rock legends Mazzy Star to up-and-coming local heroes Hotspit.

Imagine my surprise when I dug a little deeper and realized that Widowspeak actually have five more albums before The Jacket, going back over a decade? It’s always a treat to discover a new-to-you musical talent with a deep back catalog, and I’m really enjoying the dive in. I’m sure I will not be the only one who will also enjoy Widowspeak’s arrival in town this Sunday at Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House (which is a great place saddled with the most trendy-new-subdivision sounding venue name ever, just sayin). Then there’s the bonus set we’ll be getting from fellow Brooklynite Anna Fox Rochinski, who’s freshly solo after a decade in the psych band Quilt. On her solo debut, Cherry, Rochinski mixes her psychedelic background with elements of dance pop and electro and comes out with something that makes me think of Beyonce collaborating with Stereolab. It’s not predictable, but it is awesome. Check it out.

Monday, April 11, 7:30 PM
Dre Person, Vintage, LVBXSH, akaLUTHER, Fuggin Doe, PT, Xenos The Stranger, BCMusic1st, Rel Lyfe, Ndefru @ Bingo Beer Co. – Free!
If what you seek is underground hip hop with a strong local flavor that mixes local legends with the most impressive of the young talent, Secret Bonus Level is who you need to be keeping up with. Noah Page and co. consistently book jam-packed hip hop bills full of talented artists of all ages and experience levels, and they always add up to a great evening of lyrical prowess and boom-bap bliss. This one, coming to Bingo Beer on a Monday night that’ll surely benefit from a pick-me-up, has the additional benefit of being free. Considering the amount of cash I’ve been laying out lately to gas up my car and pay the heat bill, any good time I can get without laying down the long green is very, very welcome.

If you’ve been following Richmond hip hop for a while, you’ll know some of these names. PT, a longtime RVA rap veteran who might be best known around here for his 2018 LP with Fan Ran, Airtight. BCMusic1st, who’s best known for his tireless work as a video director and documenter of the local scene but who has significant bars in his own right. Fuggin Doe, who raps hard and has little patience for posers. Ndefru, who just released a brand new single and has worked with talented local folks like Ohbliv and Sam Reed. The names you might not know are just as worthy of your time and attention, though, and with the price being right as we previously discussed, you can drop any extra dollars you do happen to have for CDs from the rappers on this bill who impressed you the most. The scene could use your support, but more importantly, you could use more great music in your life. If that’s what you want, Bingo Beer is the place to be on Monday night.

Tuesday, April 12, 7 PM
Slothrust (Photo by Lindsey Byrnes), Calva Louise @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $15 in advance, $17 day of show (order tickets HERE)
While I’ve never been able to figure out what they’re going for with their name, or even how to pronounce it, I can tell you one thing: Slothrust make really good music. The most recent example of their doing so is last year’s Parallel Timeline, an LP that saw these guitar-slinging indie rockers moderating their heavy approach, developed on previous releases, with an increased amount of quiet moments and melodic focus. Indeed, even at the album’s heaviest — loud, upbeat lead single “Once More For The Ocean,” the arresting quiet-loud dynamics of “The Next Curse” — melody is the main point, with Slothrust always winning you over through their ability to craft indelible tunes and get them stuck in your head all day.

The great thing about seeing them live will be seeing how much of the volume that was scaled back on their most recent LP comes back with a vengeance once they’re standing before a wall of amps onstage. Slothrust’s music hits hard, and it’ll hit even harder at full volume this Tuesday night at Capital Ale House. You’ll want to be there when it does. And you’ll definitely want to be there to get familiar with openers Calva Louise. This UK indie trio has some catchy, propulsive alt-rock classics to lay on you, and judging from how good they sound on last year’s Euphoric, you won’t be disappointed by their live sound. Get there for this one, you won’t be sorry.

—-

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: March 30 – April 5

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 30, 2022

Topics: Alien Boy, Ant The Symbol, black liquid, Blackliq, Capital Ale House, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Chupaskabra, Colin Phils, Crazy And The Brains, Daisychain, Death Plumes, Denise Walters, Drug Church, Escape From The Zoo, Flight Club, Gallery5, Garden Grove Brewing, Gritty City Records, Hardywood, Holy River, live music in Richmond, Lurk, Nancy Raygun, One Step Closer, party for the rest of us, Plastic Flamingos, Prabir Trio, Richmond Music Hall, Richmond Music Hall At Capital Ale House, Ryan Kent, S. Preston Duncan, Shotclock, shows you must see, Sincerely Iris, Soft Kill, Soul Blind, Spoken To, Summer Storms, The Background Action, The Camel, The Octavias, The Warhawks, The Wimps, Topographies, True Body, Wallpaper, WRIR

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, April 2, 2 PM
WRIR‘s Party For the Rest Of Us, feat. Colin Phils, Ant The Symbol, Gritty City Records, Prabir Trio, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, The Wimps, Holy River @ Hardywood Park Craft Brewery – Free!
Y’all, it’s been 17 years since WRIR, the community-run, non-profit, low power station at 97.3 on your FM dial, started broadcasting from its studio up above The Camel on Broad St. And for those of us of a Certain Age, the obvious reaction is “Wow, time flies.” Meanwhile, I assume pretty much everyone in the local music scene under 30 feels like WRIR’s just kinda always been there. It’s an understandable reaction, considering how young y’all were when it started broadcasting. On a radio dial that is more than ever full of the same songs you’ve heard a million times before inbetween what feels like 45 minutes of advertising per hour, WRIR is a breath of fresh air, bringing us all community info, a finger on the pulse of the local culture, and music you’ve generally never heard before — often from right here in Virginia.

However! It’s important that none of us here in Richmond ever start to take WRIR for granted. This non-commercial station survives and thrives only through the valiant efforts of many volunteers, as well as all the donations they can scare up. That’s what WRIR’s Party For the Rest Of Us is about: bringing the Richmond community a really great event, full of music and fun, in return for all of our support to keep them going for another year. In previous years, this annual event has generally been coupled with a request for donations. This year, they’re advertising it as free, but you should still bring a few bucks to help them out — or drop those buckaroos into the virtual tip jar you can find over at wrir.org.

In exchange for your contribution (or even for your lack of one — which is OK, because between high heating bills and gas pump sticker shock, lord knows a lot of us don’t have a dime to spare right now), you get an amazing afternoon at Hardywood, full of outstanding musical talents from the Central Virginia area. There are too many to get to even if I hadn’t spent most of my space talking about how great WRIR is, but let’s go for a lightning round: Colin Phils bring delectable post-rock goodness, Ant The Symbol and Gritty City Records represent the finest in RVA hip hop, Prabir Trio and The Wimps show us all how great indie rock can be even in 2022, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers dish out yet another helping of their buzzworthy Americana, and last but not least, there is the uncategorizable psychedelic folk atmospherics of Holy River. A truly formidable lineup that’ll be the perfect soundtrack as you while away your afternoon hanging out with the fine folks at Hardywood. What more could you ask for? Another great year of wonderfully unpredictable non-commercial community-run radio, you say? Well, you know what to do.

Wednesday, March 30, 6:30 PM
Drug Church, One Step Closer, Soul Blind, Lurk @ The Broadberry – $16 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This one’s exciting. Drug Church, who hail from upstate New York, play an incredibly catchy brand of post-hardcore, and feature as frontman one of the current hardcore scene’s most colorful and fascinating veterans, just released their fourth album, Hygiene. Even if you, like me, already loved this band, you’re bound to be impressed with the quantum leap they’ve taken with this brand new release. In particular, the aforementioned frontman, Patrick Kindlon, has stepped up his game. His unique vocal style might not have been for everyone in the past, but he’s managed to bring significantly more melody to his approach on this album without losing an ounce of the frenetic urgency that’s always made him such a riveting frontman.

So yeah, what I’m saying is this: if you don’t have plans tonight, you gotta get over to the Broadberry and catch Drug Church. And if you do have plans, you probably should just break them and bring whoever it is you were gonna chill with to the show with you. The newest Drug Church material is so much fun, even your grandma will probably dig it. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Drug Church are coming through accompanied by One Step Closer, whose intense, powerful, yet always subtly melodic take on hardcore will excite fans of Turning Point, Fiddlehead, Praise, and a whole ton of other classic bands. The lineup is rounded out by the grungified post-hardcore of Soul Blind and the chunky alt-rock of Lurk. This one’s gonna be a solid gold banger from beginning to end. Get there.

Thursday, March 31, 7 PM
The Warhawks, The Octavias, Sincerely Iris, Wallpaper @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
Do you like to rock? Who doesn’t, am I right? Those of us who do are certainly delighted to see the return of the semi-regular free rock shows at Garden Grove Brewing, a place that became a good under-the-radar spot to see some killer bands in the year or so before the pandemic destroyed live music as we knew it. Not every venue that used to be a solid bet for good music in the pre-pandemic days has made it back, but it’s good to see a few lately that I wasn’t hearing from back when I first restarted the column — especially this one.

Thursday night at Garden Grove will be a real rock n’ roll ripper, so get stoked! New Jersey’s The Warhawks are the out-of-town guest on this bill, and they’re touring right now in support of This Ain’t Art, a new six-song EP that brings us all plenty of loud guitars and moody vocals in the classic tradition of everything from Jesus And Mary Chain to the Black Keys before they jumped the shark. They’ll get the room rocking when they take the stage and crank up their amps, as will local garage-rock duo The Octavias, who more than make up in noise and fury what they lack in low-end amplification. Todd Murray’s prolific solo project, Sincerely Iris, who play what Murray calls “road trip music,” will add a more emotional flavor to the evening while keeping toes tapping. Meanwhile, slowcore newcomers Wallpaper will enrapture us all by evoking Mark Kozelek before he jumped the shark. Show up for this one — you won’t regret it. And hey… the price is right.

Friday, April 1, 7 PM
Flight Club, Keep Flying, Nancy Raygun, Shotclock, Plastic Flamingos @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Pop-punk is supposed to be fun, and this show is definitely going to live up to that billing. I know, I know, local guitar-slingers Flight Club want everyone to stop thinking of them as pop-punk; they even released a single called “High Roller” a while back that did its best to convince us all that they went post-Killers disco-hipster rock. Thankfully, the rest of their new album, Until The Sun Drowns, shows that this RVA quintet has retained their flawless melodic sense and driving punk energy, and it’s a very safe bet that all of this will carry over to this Richmond Music Hall double bill.

Sharing headlining duties is New Jersey quintet Keep Flying, who somehow manage to be an upbeat poppy punk band with a horn player without turning into a ska band. Instead, said horn player adds saxophone melodies that do a great job augmenting the skate-punk leads, then contributes to the band’s multi-vocalist round robin. It sounds like a crazy idea, but it ends up totally working. If you can get into Knuckle Puck, Four Year Strong, or State Champs, you’re sure to enjoy what Keep Flying brings to the table for this show. This stacked bill also features a variety of openers, including North Carolina pop-punk goofballs Plastic Flamingos, Richmond alt-rockers Nancy Raygun, and local newcomers Shotclock. Be there.

Saturday, April 2, 7 PM
Spoken To: An Evening Of Spoken Word and Poetry, feat. Ryan Kent, Black Liquid, Denise Walters, Summer Storms, S. Preston Duncan @ Gallery 5 – Free?
Poetic and musical forms have always been closely linked, from Jim Morrison and Bob Dylan’s lyrics getting published as poetry to Jack Kerouac legendarily setting his writings to jazz accompaniment. And don’t even get me started on hip hop. For that reason, I have no qualms recommending that all of you spend your Saturday night at Gallery 5 taking in the non-musical sounds of Spoken To, an evening of spoken word and poetry. After all, the label up there at the top says “shows you must see,” right? It doesn’t say a damn thing about music.

Regardless, there’s music running through the words of Ryan Kent, a local poet who has also spent years singing in several different Richmond-based metal bands. However, he’s also published multiple poetry collections, and is currently preparing a spoken word LP for release. So yeah — where spoken word is concerned, Ryan knows what he’s doing. The same can be said of Richmond rapper Black Liquid, who has certainly written plenty of poetry set to hip hop beats over the years. Seeing what he comes up with when he doesn’t have a backing track will be fascinating. Story quilter Denise Walters, who is a member of the Nottoway Tribe, will bring us tales told through cloth as well as words. The lineup is rounded out by witch poet Summer Storms and poet/pyrography practitioner S. Preston Duncan. All have plenty to offer. Be there to appreciate their gifts.

Sunday, April 3, 7 PM
Daisychain, The Background Action, Death Plumes @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Sunday nights can be tough. Everyone’s gotten their ya-ya’s out on Friday and Saturday, and the weekend is coming to an end, so for many people, Sunday night is a night to head home early. However, true rock n’ roll heads know that some of the best underground sounds can be found on nights when there’s not all that much going on — because touring bands have always got a hole in their schedule to fill. Luckily, The Camel is there to take them in, and those of us who are truly dedicated to music as life get to be there and hear great new bands before everyone else has necessarily caught on.

All of this is a long way of getting to the point, which is that Chicago’s Daisychain are truly essential listening. This band of relatively young people pull from multiple prior generations of Windy City guitar legends, mixing everything from the classic electric blues of Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy to the 70s-influenced grunge-rock of 90s legends Urge Overkill. There’s even a little bit of Janis Joplin and Heart mixed in here, coming out through the angelic voices of singers Sophia Williams and Nickole Regala. I know you might be tempted to head home early Sunday night, but take a disco nap and head back out to catch Daisychain at The Camel instead. I promise you won’t regret it.

Monday, April 4, 7 PM
Soft Kill, Alien Boy, Topographies, True Body @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
All Richmond live music heads need to give thanks to whatever deity they do or don’t believe in for The Camel. The only venue in this city who truly seems to share our belief that music doesn’t need a night off, we can always count on the Camel to have a show queued up for us on Monday night, when we’re in desperate need of some solid sounds to blow away the mental residue of another depressing Monday back at work. And it’s almost always a really good show, too — witness this excellent bill that brings us two killer touring bands for the price of one.

Soft Kill is the first; their 2020 LP, Dead Kids, RIP City, does a great job of mixing sharply ringing postpunk guitars with driving dance beats and synth textures, all in a decidedly noir-ish mode that leads one to imagine the Cure with the energy of first-LP Bauhaus. Whether you’re into dark, driving rock n’ roll or moody, gloomy goth, these guys have something you’ll like. As for co-headliners Alien Boy, this Portland quartet were already on my radar due to their excellent 2021 LP, Don’t Know What I Am, which is still growing on me six months later. Driving, melodic punk with a moody gothic undertone is what they bring to the table, in a manner that lands somewhere between Wax Idols and Veruca Salt. That’s enough to win me over right there. San Francisco gothic industrial group Topographies and Virginia’s own postpunk veterans True Body round this one out with aplomb. Shake off the Mondays with this one.

Tuesday, April 5, 7 PM
Escape From The Zoo, Crazy And The Brains, Chupaskabra @ Richmond Music Hall At Capital Ale House – $15 in advance, $20 day of show (Order tickets HERE)
I have a confession to make, y’all: I wasn’t necessarily all that on-board for the whole ska-punk thing back in the 90s. And if I’m even more honest, I really think I missed something by skipping out on all that stuff at the time. Today, I look back at stuff like Operation Ivy and Voodoo Glow Skulls, and I think: dang, those kids sure seem like they were having a lot of fun. Luckily for all of us who missed out — and for everyone who got it when it was originally going on — the whole ska-punk thing is experiencing a major revival right now. And Fat Wreck Chords signees Escape From The Zoo are at the forefront of all that.

Led by Jesse Sendejas of Houston folk-punk group Days N’ Daze and his mandolin-strumming wife Veronica, Escape From The Zoo take all that catchy, upbeat strumming that was the best part of the whole folk-punk thing and mix it with the electrified punk energy of the good bands of the 90s ska-punk revival: the ones that realized you have to lead with the punk and the speed, and just let everything else work itself out. That’s what Escape From The Zoo does on their brand new LP, Countin’ Cards, and that’s what’s gonna win you over when they take the stage Tuesday night at Capital Ale House. Xylophone-driven dance-punk veterans Crazy And The Brains and local ska-punk up-and-comers Chupaskabra round out this bill, and will do more than their fair share to increase the fun quotient and bring your Tuesday night to bright, glorious life. Get ready.

—-

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]