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VA Shows You Must See This Week: August 29 – September 4

Marilyn Drew Necci | August 29, 2018

Topics: Big No, Book Of Wyrms, Caterpillar Trap, Cole Hicks, Dead Boys, gallery 5, Genocide Pact, Ghost Wolves, Hardywood, Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs, Inter Arma, joey gallo, Kenneka Cook, Mister Moody, Norfolk Nightmares, North By North, Ohmme, Pain In The Yeahs, Paint Store, Renata Zieguer, Sammi Lanzetta, Serqet, Shadow Age, shows you must see, Sinister Haze, Slaughter Beach Dog, Solace Sovay, strange matter, Taphouse Grill, The Breach, The Camel, The Cazz, The Muslims, The Nerve Scheme, The Shangri-Lords, Thin Lips, Tinnarose, Toke, Valkyrie, Widow Rings

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, August 31, 8 PM
Inter Arma, Valkyrie, Genocide Pact, Paint Store @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The summer is drawing to a close. The fall semester is starting, Labor Day is upon us, and the constant stream of awesome shows that makes summertime one of the most fertile periods of live music all year is starting to wind down. Never fear, though — Strange Matter always has you covered, and this Friday night they’re joining up with beloved Richmond metal veterans Inter Arma to bring you a night of outstandingly heavy sounds that’ll keep your weekend feeling as filled with rock as any weekend you’ve had this summer.

It’s been a couple of years since Inter Arma laid their last full-length slab of epic, ultra-powerful metal rage on us in the form of 2016’s Paradise Gallows. However, the word is that they’ve got another one in the can, so you can expect some fresh new jams from this creative quintet to level your mind once more. And considering their tendency to write veritable symphonies of metal riffing, even one new song will probably have enough going on to bring you at least a dozen killer new parts to get stuck in your head all weekend.

The rest of this bill is made up of friends and labelmates that Inter Arma is particularly delighted to bring to their fans. Foremost among those is Valkyrie, who may be better known for guitarist Pete Adams’ decade-long tenure in Baroness, but have distinguished themselves as a brilliant provider of heavy stoner-doom grooves for over 15 years now, most recently with their 2015 LP Shadows. Now that Pete is no longer performing with Baroness, it seems likely that this revitalized crew will be bringing us some previously-unheard awesomeness of their own, so get stoked! DC’s Genocide Pact are also on the scene with some dark and grimy biker-thrash sounds, as documented on their recent LP, Order Of Torment. And of course, RVA instrumental math-rockin’ trio Paint Store will kick it all off with some unpredictable but excellent tunes. Take heart, Richmond — your weekend’s still gonna start off right!

Wednesday, August 29, 7 PM
Slaughter Beach Dog, Thin Lips, Sammi Lanzetta @ Strange Matter – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s been a while since Modern Baseball went by the way side, and since the release of the second album by former Modern Baseball singer-guitarist Jake Ewald’s new band, Slaughter Beach, Dog, it’s started to seem like Ewald’s found a voice of his own, separate from the emotional pop-punk of his previous band. That’s not to say that Slaughter Beach, Dog isn’t emotional — even with a goofy name like that, there’s a very sincere feeling behind the songs on 2017’s Birdie that make clear that this band is no joke. What started as an outlet for a bit of a different approach than that of Ewald’s old band has become a fully independent project — and an excellent one at that.

Slaughter Beach, Dog’s most recent album finds the group exploring a variety of sounds, from softly-spoken acoustic folk to melodic, emotional indie sounds, even veering occasionally into country territory. Fans of everything from The Weakerthans to Hop Along to Sun Kil Moon will find something to enjoy from Slaughter Beach, Dog’s live incarnation, which is quite sure-footed considering the solitary origins of the group. Fellow Philadelphians Thin Lips will accompany the Slaughter Beachers down to RVA and bring us some pretty amazing pop sounds of their own, though Thin Lips certainly have a more overt wit, as well as a harsher edge to their catchy riffs. They show this off in noteworthy fashion on new LP Chosen Family, and the highlights from that album are sure to pick up some new RVA fans when they’re aired out onstage at Strange Matter tonight. Local phenomenon Sammi Lanzetta kicks off the show with some unmissable tunes that RVA music lovers should already be quite familar with — and if you’re not, what are you waiting for?

Thursday, August 30, 8 PM
Cole Hicks, Joey Gallo, Kenneka Cook @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
RVA hip hop is only getting deeper and stronger as the years go on, and I don’t know who could possibly have a problem with it. For those of us who recognize how wonderful a development this is, the place to be this Thursday night is The Camel, where this city’s newest star of the hip hop community is having a party to celebrate the excellence of her brand new album, May Day. That’s right, I’m talking about Cole Hicks, a tenacious wordsmith with sharp, incisive lyrics and an unrelenting flow. The majority of her new album is produced by NameBrand of Nickelus F and Radio B’s crew, AGM, and it’s full of smooth soul samples that add a moody, elegaic undertone to Hicks’ powerful rhymes.

She’ll take this entire sound to the next level once she hits the stage at The Camel tomorrow night, where she’ll present her May Day album to the world with a full live performance. It’s been out for a few months now, so you’ve had plenty of time to get on her wavelength, but if you still haven’t caught on, your attendance tomorrow night is required. Joey Gallo will also be on the scene, presenting his own excellent multilayered sound and outstanding lyrics — as heard on his powerful 2016 release, The Gallory. And of course, a set from Kenneka Cook will change up the sound and bring a dose of soulful experimentation and incredible vocalizing to the evening. There’s a lot to look forward to from this one — you really don’t want to miss it.

Friday, August 31, 6 PM
Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs, Big NO, The Shangri-Lords @ Hardywood – Free!
Holly Golightly — for truly, she is none other — comes to RVA this Friday night, and anyone who loves garage rock, rootsy country, and old-school punk rock should certainly be stoked. Now, I know what some of you are thinking: “Holly Golightly, wasn’t that the name of Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast At Tiffany’s?” Well, yes, you’re correct, but it’s also the name of a singer (whose mom was apparently a Hepburn fan) who has been making excellent music in a variety of guises since the late 80s. She first came to fame as the frontwoman of UK garage-punkers Thee Headcoatees, an all-female spinoff from wildman Billy Childish’s Thee Headcoats. But she’s done a lot since Thee Headcoats disbanded, too.

In addition to over a dozen solo albums, she’s appeared everywhere from the soundtrack to Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers to a memorable guest spot on the excellent White Stripes album Elephant (that’s her giving Jack’s horse a carrot so it’ll break his foot). For the past decade or so, she and her partner, Lawyer Dave, have had a project called Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs, and it’s this project that’s coming to Hardywood Friday night. They’re sure to bring us some tunes from their brand new album, Clippety Clop, which features a collection of cover tunes about horses, originally performed by everyone from Jimmie Rodgers and Johnny Cash to Red Red Meat. And considering Golightly’s excellent voice and talent with a variety of musical genres, whatever else they want to bring to the stage is just as certain to be a delight. With local excellence in the form of Big No and the Shangri-Lords kicking this one off, and a truly delightful pricetag, you have no excuse to miss this one.

Saturday, September 1, 8 PM
North By North, Caterpillar Trap, Solace Sovay, Mister Moody @ Gallery 5 – $6
This one’s gonna be fun. Thumping, rollicking rock n’ roll trio North By North are coming to town, bringing their inexhaustible propensity for touring the world to Richmond, VA. This Chicago group eschews bass in favor of organ, in a manner that gives them a heavy, almost surf-like undertone and an energy that’s sure to get you dancing. 2016’s Last Days Of Magic also shows off a variety of unconventional instruments that give the group an additional layer in the studio, but the songs themselves are sure to stand on their own in the live environment, and ensure that you can’t stand still on the dance floor.

North By North will be joined by a variety of local RVA bands when they hit town, Caterpillar Trap being the foremost among these. Their funk-infused prog-rock sounds are sure to delight those of you who like their rock n’ roll to be a fun blast of high energy. Indie trio Solace Sovay have a bit of a different feel going on, venturing into the sort of post-shoegaze territory of Silversun Pickups, early Smashing Pumpkins, and even Band Of Horses on their underrated new album, It Doesn’t Matter What It Is, Just What It Seems. These guys are the best reason for you to show up early to this one. But of course, you’ll also want to catch Mister Moody, a new crew of rockers who haven’t revealed much about their sound as yet — but are certainly intriguing.

Sunday, September 2, 8 PM
Toke, Sinister Haze, Book Of Wyrms @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
OK, y’all, get ready for some SERIOUS doom. Toke hails from NC, and you know any band that names themselves after the act of taking a drag from a joint is gonna have some top-level slow-n-heavy shit for you. Toke completely live up to their name on 2017 EP (Orange), dropping half a dozen bangers of pure thousand-ton groove on ya, complete with some excellent high, harsh vocals. If you always wished Grief were a little less depressed, or that Fu Manchu would quit pussyfooting around and get seriously heavy, you’re gonna get a big kick out of this Carolina trio.

They’re joined on this bill by a double-shot of local doom power to make you even gladder that you came out, too. For one thing, we’ll be graced by a rare appearance of Sinister Haze, who’ve gone through a significant metamorphosis over the years in which they’ve been active, most recently materializing as a spacefaring psychedelic metal quartet — complete with spooky synths from soundman extraordinaire/former Lost Tribe member JK — on their 2017 EP, Emperor Of Dreams. Book Of Wyrms have a psych tinge of their own, as displayed on 2017’s Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but end up splitting the difference between Sinister Haze’s space voyaging and Toke’s earthy rumble with ethereal vocals and Hawkwind-ish space sounds finding a home over some pulverizing proto-metal riffage. You’ll have a headbanging good time at this one, folks, so don’t miss it.

Monday, September 3, 8 PM
Ohmme, Renata Zieguer, Tinnarose @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I will freely admit that this Chicago duo’s name through me for a loop, at least until I found out it was originally spelled “Homme,” but was changed either to avoid confusion with a K-pop group or to appease the fans of that Queens Of The Stone Age guy (only their lawyer knows for sure). They’re doing some pretty interesting stuff on their brand new album, Parts, stuff that shows both a facility for pop songcraft and a love for experimentation with all sorts of unusual sounds. Apparently they’re both classically trained pianists, but these days they’ve left keyboards behind for the most part, in order to do weird stuff with guitars and sing in perfect harmony.

Ohmme’s got a lot of fascinating sounds and catchy tunes to bring to the ears of discriminating indie-pop fans, and the same folks are sure to enjoy New York’s Renata Zeiguer, who’ll be joining Ohmme on their trip to Strange Matter. Zeiguer’s debut LP, Old Ghost, encapsulates a variety of genres, moving through new wave, rock n’ roll, pop, country, and influences from older sounds like swing and gospel in a nimble fashion that I can imagine appealing both to fans of Haim and to those who love Natalie Prass. With recent RVA transplants Tinnarose, a folk-psych project with an enchanting aura, opening up, this show is sure to be a treasure trove of musical delights.

Tuesday, September 4, 8 PM
Shadow Age, Serqet, Pain In The Yeahs, Widow Rings @ Strange Matter – $8
New York group Wax Idols were scheduled to headline this show, but instead they cancelled their tour and broke up. That’s a real bummer, but we can’t let it get us down for too long, especially since this evening still has so much excellent music to offer us. Shadow Age, for one, who’ve brought us a couple of excellent EPs over the past few years and will be celebrating the release of their self-titled debut full-length at this show.

From the three songs that have been revealed on the internet thus far, it sounds like it’s going to be a great one, carrying on the group’s synth-infused, guitar-driven gothic postpunk sound with even stronger melodies than they offered before. Fans of the band are sure to be stoked. And with a packed lineup of VA-based excellence, from the gloomy, profound postpunk of RVA’s Serqet to the morose electro-goth sounds of Tidewater group Pain In The Yeahs to lachrymose Fredericksburg darkwave project Widow Rings, there’s plenty more for those able to get on Shadow Age’s wavelength to enjoy… or at least appreciate.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, August 31, 9 PM
The Muslims, The Cazz, The Breach @ Taphouse Grill – $5
When I saw the band name “The Muslims,” I wasn’t sure what to expect. Was this just another group of suburban white kids attempting to provoke? Thankfully, no — it’s just the opposite. The Muslims are a trio of musicians of color, taking a confrontational approach to calling out all of the racist and discriminatory politics that are running wild in today’s climate of right-wing ascendancy. Their snotty, ramshackle punk sound and wittily confrontational lyrics, displayed on their self-titled full-length debut in songs like “Jihadageddon,” “Muslims At the Mall,” and “One Black Friend,” is exactly the sort of fearless, irreverent musical activism we need in this world right now.

The Muslims have had videos removed by YouTube and status updates censored by Facebook, but IRL, this Durham group can’t be stopped, so head out to Norfolk’s Taphouse Grill this Friday night and get your mind blown by this brilliant musical finger in the face of everything that sucks about 2018. They’ll be joined by Norfolk locals The Cazz, an old-school punk trio with some jangly tendencies and snarky lyrics. Opening up will be The Breach, who hail from Virginia Beach and clearly love early 80s hardcore and playing really fast. This one’s gonna be a lot of fun.

Tuesday, September 4, 7 PM
Dead Boys, Ghost Wolves, The Nerve Scheme, Norfolk Nightmares @ Shaka’s – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s been over 40 years since the Dead Boys released their groundbreaking debut album, Young Loud And Snotty, and if you’re thinking, “Wait, aren’t they all, you know… dead?” You’ve got another think coming. It is indeed true that original vocalist Stiv Bators passed away in the early 90s, but original members Cheetah Chrome and Johnny Blitz have, believe it or not, recruited a couple of members of a Dead Boys tribute act called The Undead Boys and hit the road once again in celebration of a brand new, rerecorded version of their legendary debut.

Still Snotty: Young Loud And Snotty At 40 shows singer Jake Haut (the punk rock Ripper Owens) doing a great job of recreating Stiv’s snarky rage on classic tunes like “Sonic Reducer” and “Ain’t Nothin’ to Do.” And he and the other still-living Dead Boys are sure to tear things up at Shaka’s on Tuesday when they bring you all the hits, as speedy, as energetic, and yes, as snotty as ever. Raw, roots rockin’ duo the Ghost Wolves will also be on this bill, laying down some primitive noise sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who enjoys The Cramps. Tidewater locals The Nerve Scheme and Norfolk Nightmares will kick the night off and ensure that this one is a blast from the word go. Be there.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 1/31-2/6

Marilyn Drew Necci | January 31, 2018

Topics: Andrew McEvoy, Between 2 Beers, Charmer, Classical Revolutions, Cory's Big Sloppy Hate Fest, Cremains, Des Demonas, Django Tango, Dweebs, Enemy Exorcism, Genocide Pact, Jars Full Of Blood In Hell: Action Unit III, Kryptcest, Left Cross, Lola Pistola, Magnus Lush, Mammoth Grinder, Maximum Zero, McCormack's, Mom Jeans, Musket Hawk, Nerve Rot, No Mas, Occulta, Oso Oso, Paint Fumes, Phlegm, Pissing Contest, shows you must see, Stake, Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb, strange matter, The Camel, The HofGarden, Tiny Moving Parts, Toward Space, Uncle Buck, Van Hagar, War Bonds

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, February 2 & Saturday, February 3, 8 PM
Cory’s Big Sloppy Hate Fest Round 2, feat. Day 1: Charmer, No Mas, Jars Full Of Blood In Hell: Action Unit III, War Bonds, Cremains; Day 2: Uncle Buck, Nerve Rot, Kryptcest, Van Hagar, Musket Hawk @ McCormack’s – Free!
Guess who’s back? OK yes, the show column is back after a week’s hiatus… but that’s not what I’m talking about! Nope, it’s Between 2 Beers Productions, still cranking out the shit-hot metal spectaculars after several years of nonstop booking all around Shockoe Bottom and beyond! B2B majordomo Cory Nicholas is taking things to a higher gear at the start of 2018 by returning to a winning tactic for a jam-packed weekend of brutality. Cory’s Big Sloppy Hate Fest is back for another round, and it’ll be taking over the upstairs room at McCormack’s in the Bottom for two straight nights of carnage. Strap in, folks.

Night one is full of grind, power violence, and other blastbeat-related genres full of speed and noise. DC’s No Mas are the star attraction on this bill, dishing out a Rotten Sound/Nasum-ish brand of extremely metallic crust-grind, laced with the occasional killer Anthrax-style mosh break. Virginia Beach heshers War Bonds have somehow landed on a sound that mixes thicknecked tough-guy mosh with death metal, or something like that. It definitely has its charms. As for locals, Charmer’s been plying their ripping speedcore around town for a while now, but still don’t seem to be getting the attention they deserve–let’s fix that, shall we? Meanwhile, the incredibly named Jars Full Of Blood In Hell: Action Unit III seems to be shooting for some mix of bass-drum grind a la No Comply and 80s-action-worship a la Graf Orlock. Color me intrigued.

On Saturday night, the hits keep on coming, with two excellent Maryland bands at the top of the bill. Uncle Buck takes a different approach to the 80s-movie theme, but their songs fly by so fast and hit so hard you’re not even gonna worry about it. Recommended for fans of Lack Of Interest and other prime Slap A Ham classics. Musket Hawk are not in as big of a rush but their thrashcore-meets-death metal approach to riffage hits every bit as hard. Local grind stalwarts Van Hagar are also on board, and word is they’re hard at work on an LP, so you can expect some killer new material from these freaks. VB low-end death ragers Kryptcest, as well as the first live appearance of Nerve Rot (featuring members of US Bastards and Unmaker) round out a killer night that’ll keep you full of sloppy hate for weeks to come. The best part is that this entire two-day shindig is free; at that price, how can you say no?

Wednesday, January 31, 8 PM
Des Demonas, Paint Fumes, Stake @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Oh wow. Usually when these retro-garage style bands hit town, I’m ready for a whole lot of rocking with very little intellectual thought behind it. And that’s awesome — sometimes it’s exactly what a body needs, and I can definitely recognize that. However, Des Demonas are coming from a whole different perspective, primarily because of their  singer, Jacky Cougar Abok. This intense Kenyan firebrand shifts on the self-titled Des Demonas debut LP (released in December on In The Red) between raging rock n’ roll delivery and outright Gil Scott-Heron style political declamations, the most formidable of which is album opener “The South Will Never Rise Again.”

“You can build a big fucking wall between the border of the United States and Mexico but the South will never rise again,” Abok declares, not an ounce of amusement in his voice. Backed by members of veteran DC punk and garage combos like The Make-Up, Medications, and Kid Congo Powers’ Pink Monkey Birds, Abok and his compatriots bring a foreboding, midnight-dark feel to the whole garage-punk thing, much like Ex-Cult, who are personal faves, so you know I’m in. Get ready to dance, but don’t turn your brain off just yet, because Des Demonas are gonna make you use it. Paint Fumes, who’ve made plenty of friends in RVA over their decade or so of existence, are back in support of their year-or-so-old second LP, the excellently titled If It Ain’t Paint Fumes It Ain’t Worth A Huff. And of course, if Paint Fumes are playing, it can’t be much of a surprise that Chaz Tick’s latest project, Stake, are opening up. Killer.

Thursday, February 1, 8 PM
Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb, Enemy Exorcism, Pissing Contest, Maximum Zero @ McCormack’s – $5
More fun, more punk, more Between 2 Beers excellence… it’s shaping up to be that kind of week. I never thought I’d be recommending as many McCormack’s shows as Strange Matter shows, but here we are, and there’s definitely some credit due to Cory and the B2B crew for that one. And hey, it doesn’t hurt that they’re consistently bringing good bands to town — in this case, Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb, who hail from up around DC way. I’m sure I’m not the only one here who’s a sucker for a Dr. Strangelove reference, and it also doesn’t hurt that this band has found a way to do straight-up old-school punk riffage with a melodic sense that is almost power-pop in its sugary goodness. Think Sheer Mag riffs played by the Adolescents, or the Dead Boys stealing licks from the Raspberries — something like that.

Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb are joined on this bill by a triple threat of Richmond punk reprobates, which is headed up by Enemy Exorcism. I’m kind of surprised to see this band’s name on a bill again, as it’s been a few years since they were really around too much, and as the only recorded evidence of their sound I’m aware of dates back to the dawn of this decade, I can’t really tell you how much they have or haven’t changed in the intervening years either. But I’m definitely curious, I’ll say that. Pissing Contest are way less of a mystery, and more of an institution around town. They’re mainly punk in the riff style but just tight enough and crunchy enough to be vaguely metallic. Not bad! And then of course there’s Maximum Zero, the fake Soviet band who pop up every now and then with another entertaining twist on a bizarre gimmick. I’m ready for another dose — how about you?

Friday, February 2, 8 PM
Lola Pistola, Magnus Lush, Toward Space @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
If you’re anything like me, you hear the name Lola Pistola and think, “Oh damn, is this another garage-punk show?” But here’s the thing — it’s not! Lola Pistola is not just a musical project but a person, or at least a persona, who leads this Brooklyn combo, and she gives it an intriguing sound that is hard to pin down. Last year’s Curfew was an excellent LP that roamed the entire musical landscape over the course of its 10 songs, from the Hole-style moody alt-rock of “Carroll St” and the jangle-punk of “I’m Stupid” to the hazy acoustic ambience of “Doomed” and the gloomy balladry of “Friday Night.”

So what will Strange Matter goers get from this band/frontwoman’s performance this Friday night? It may not be that easy to predict from moment to moment, but it’s sure to entrance and enlighten showgoers. One thing that holds strong throughout Lola Pistola’s varied discography is an assured songwriting talent that brings us a strong, clear voice. That voice is our guide through the many musical moods it wanders, and it stays true throughout. The RVA locals opening up bring us their own strong voices despite different musical approaches; Magnus Lush’s complex yet tough take on post-hardcore, or maybe postpunk, lands somewhere in the neighborhood of both Fugazi and the Bush Tetras. Toward Space mix the Shangri-La’s with the King Khan & BBQ Show, bringing raging retro rock n’ roll with a heart of gold. It’s all gravy.

Saturday, February 3, 8 PM
Mammoth Grinder, Genocide Pact, Occvlta, Left Cross @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Mammoth Grinder is back, in more ways than one! This Texas band has finally released their fourth album, Cosmic Crypt, after a five-year break; also, they’re coming back to RVA, which is especially nice now that the band features two Richmond locals in the form of Iron Reagan’s Ryan Parrish and Mark Bronzino. Does this mean we can say they’re coming HOME? Well, let’s not get too excited, as frontman Chris Ulsh’s loyalties still lie very much with Austin, where he swings the sticks for living thrash legends Power Trip. But it’s hard to remain complacent when faced with an incredible album like Cosmic Crypt — that old-school death metal sound that’s been getting such a workout in recent years is done to perfection here.

Indeed, I’m sure a dubbed cassette of this album would go right into heavy rotation if it were taken 25 years back in time and dropped into the waiting Camaro (or Chevette, as the case may be) of any suburban headbanger. But its retro appeal is no strike against it, and honestly I’d take this album over most of the early Obituary albums I cut my teeth on back then. Yeah, I said it. Genocide Pact, who are on tour with Mammoth Grinder, have an even newer album (this show occurs only one day after its official release), Order Of Torment, which also harks back to the early 90s prime of first-wave death metal — though this time, I’m thinking more of Incantation. Whatever, the point is it’ll get your neck snapping, as will a bonus set from German thrashers Occvlta, whose killer take on early black metal fits right into the early-90s evocation of this whole bill. Left Cross kick the whole thing off, and they’re always a treat, so show up on time!

Sunday, February 4, 8 PM
Classical Revolution RVA presents Andrew McEvoy, Django Tango @ The HofGarden – $6 in advance/$8 at the door (order tickets HERE)
If you’re thinking that this column has leaned really hard on punk and metal so far this week, rest assured I’m thinking the same thing. Variety is the spice of life, and we all need to change it up from time to time, so this Sunday night full of classical guitar performances, being presented by Classical Revolution. Admittedly, I don’t know a ton about classical music of any kind, but this one sounds intriguing. Guitarist Andrew McEvoy will be performing solo, doing his new album Parlor Tricks. This album, which features pieces by Chopin, Villa-Lobos, and Dyens, among others, was put together by McEvoy to demonstrate the influence that folk rhythms had on the music of Parisian high society.

That’s a fascinating enough premise for me right there. And when you add in a performance by Django Tango, a local trio who pay tribute to the early 20th-century Romani guitar master Django Reinhardt and his hot-swinging Manouche jazz sound, I’m definitely hooked. Reinhardt’s swinging sound had its own effect on the sounds of Parisian society in the 30s, and was one of the major movements in jazz music in general at the time. This night won’t have you banging your head, and you can leave your earplugs at home, but where entertaining musical spectacles are concerned, this one’s as good as any death-metal extravaganza.

Monday, February 5, 8 PM
Phlegm, Dweebs @ McCormack’s – $5
Speaking of death metal extravaganzas, though, we’ve still got one more for ya this week, and even though right now the bill only features two bands, the presence of Phlegm at the top of it is really all you need. Phlegm are hardly the most famous death metal band to exist in the history of the genre, but they were on the scene from the beginning, forming in 1988 and becoming a Rhode Island legend through their demos and their work booking touring bands in their area.

Since their breakup in the early 90s, Phlegm have developed a steady cult following, and in the wake of their reformation several years ago, and a 2015 double-disc reissue of all their early demos entitled Consumed By The Dead, they’ve kept at it with a higher profile than ever. So even with only one random opener on the bill, they’re still worth the trip down to Shockoe Bottom all by themselves. I have no idea who Dweebs are, but I’m pretty sure they’re not the ridiculous-seeming family band from Wisconsin that keeps showing up on google searches… I guess we’ll all find out together! And then Phlegm will run us over and it’ll be awesome.

Tuesday, February 6, 6:30 PM
Tiny Moving Parts, Mom Jeans, Oso Oso @ The Camel – $13 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
OK yes, Tiny Moving Parts have been to Richmond within the past nine months or so, and yes, I sent you to that show too, but OMG I’m still so excited about this, because they have a new album out and it’s probably the best thing they’ve done to date. Considering how much I loved 2016’s Celebrate, that’s a strong recommendation to say the least, but seriously, Swell (which came out just last Friday) is even MORE crammed with indelible melodies than the last album, and still hits that same level of passionate emotional intensity. And on top of all that, I feel like it’s even more energetic and bouncy… basically, what I’m telling you is that this already-great band got better in every way.

Is that enough to get you in the door at The Camel on Tuesday night? Or do you need even more? Well, if you’re on the latter side of things, the fact that Mom Jeans is on this bill will surely sway you. At least I’d hope so. This melodic emo band has a bit more of a lovelorn feel than Tiny Moving Parts, but between their name and the fact that they recently followed up their debut LP, Best Buds, with a three-way split EP called NOW That’s What I Call Music Vol. 420, it’s clear that they have a sense of humor as well. In the world of emo, that can be a pretty difficult quantity to come by, so whoever’s gonna lay it on us at any point is a welcome presence on a bill that, in all honesty, is gonna see 90 percent of attendees getting all choked up at some point. Openers Oso Oso (“bear bear” in English) bring some more upbeat punky sounds to the whole emo thing, so while all of these bands will tug at your heartstrings, none of them will take quite the same musical approach to do so. Variety is, after all, the spice of life.

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

Top photo by xKgB Productions

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/2-12/8

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 2, 2015

Topics: Alfred, Ataraxis The Ace, Battlemaster, Captive Eyes, Circle Thrift, Counterparts, Dazeases, Deicide, Dharma Bombs, Fit For An Autopsy, gallery 5, Gemtone, Genocide Pact, Jake Barkley, Kaoru Nagisa, Kublai Khan, Marques Berry, MNLV+Chi, Night Idea, Pissing Contest, Red Light Rodeo, Season Of Suffering, Seraph, shows you must see, Stephen McCarthy, strange matter, Subvert, The Acacia Strain, The Broadberry, The Canal Club, The Dream Syndicate, The Green Hearts, The Pack 5, Todd Matthews, Truman, Unsacred, Van Hagar, Wester Green, Yonder

FEATURE SHOW
Saturday, December 5, 8 PM
The Dream Syndicate, Stephen McCarthy & Friends, The Green Hearts @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)

The Dream Syndicate’s show at Strange Matter this Saturday is an important event not just in the RVA music scene but in the music world in general.
[Read more…] about RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/2-12/8

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 2/19-2/25

Marilyn Drew Necci | February 19, 2014

Topics: Bandito's, Biggie Deaf, Bo Jankans, Broad Street Elite, Canary Oh Canary, Chris Bopst, Coffin Dust, craft beer, Creep-A-Zoids, death metal, Dr. Millionaire, electronic music, Eli Cash, emilio's, F.Low, Genocide Pact, Hardywood, Heavy Rebel Weekender, hip hop, Hot Bars Music Group, Hubble Bash, JJ Damage And the Bandits, Malhombre, Mangled, Mirror Kisses, negative gemini, new wave, OG !lla, One Friend, Organ Donor, Phil Dice, reggae, Reverend D-Ray And the Shockers, Rich P, RPG, shows you must see, Slim Wray, Solo Doloric, Sons Of Thndr, Spiritual Rez, strange matter, Tex Railer's Doomtown, The Awesome Few, The Camel, The Gojira Experiment, The Heroez, The Lair, The Recently Deceased, Various Eggs, Wize aka Dub-I, Wonderland

FEATURE SHOW
Friday, February 21 & Saturday, February 22, 9 PM both days
Wonderland Presents Little Heavy Rebel Weekend, featuring, Day 1: The Recently Deceased (pictured above), JJ Damage And The Bandits, Reverend D-Ray And The Shockers; Day 2: The Gojira Experiment, Tex Railer’s Doomtown, The Creep-A-Zoids @ Wonderland – $5 per show

Richmond’s home for raging punk, metal, and psychobilly sounds can seem a bit out of place amidst the decadent dance-party lifestyle that grips Shockoe Bottom these days, but Wonderland doesn’t let that bother them. This outstanding dive bar continues to represent for the out of control rock n’ roll lifestyle, and they’re making this post-Valentine’s Day weekend a special occasion where that’s concerned with a two-night extravaganza known as the Little Heavy Rebel Weekend!
[Read more…] about RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 2/19-2/25

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