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RVA Shows You Must See This Week: December 1 – December 7

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, December 4, 7 PM
Colin Phils, Houdan The Mystic, The Late Virginia Summers, Shapes In The Water @ Black Iris – $6 (order tickets HERE)
It sure is nice to see local music surviving and thriving in our post(?)-pandemic world. Live music shutting down completely for a year caused a lot of chaos for a lot of bands in this world, and while huge artists like Radiohead or Green Day or whoever could just live off all the money they’ve banked, a lot of times the loss of steady work for smaller bands led to breakups and indefinite hiatuses proliferating across the scene. Therefore, we can all be thankful that a quartet of veteran Virginia indie bands will be returning to form and bringing us all the sounds we love this Saturday night at Black Iris.

Colin Phils in particular was dealt a cruel blow by the pandemic; having released their latest LP, Trust Fall, at almost exactly the same time as the first big COVID shutdown hit us all back in March 2020, they were robbed the opportunity to travel around the country and the world showing off their latest work to both fans and new listeners. Since things came back online, they’ve been making up for lost time, touring around the East Coast and appearing live in a variety of places. And, by the way, with a variety of lineups. The photo accompanying this article documents the band’s lineup at the time Trust Fall was released, but I really can’t say for sure who (besides band mainstays Ben Tiner and Benjamin Mauch) will take the stage Saturday night. Rest assured, they’ll deliver you an unforgettable performance of some top-quality indie/math-rock/emo tunes regardless.

Colin Phils isn’t the only band making this Black Iris show worth your time, though; there’s also their former split partners Houdan The Mystic, a long-running local trio whose smooth, intricate math-rock sounds have been fascinating for screamo nerds, stoner indie heads, and everyone in-between for damn near a decade now. They may not have released anything since their aforementioned 2017 split with Colin Phils, but they just don’t like to rush. Rest assured, their music will still be right on time. The Late Virginia Summers, who hail from Lynchburg, have been enriching the VA indie scene with their synth-infused take on instrumental post-rock for over a decade now, and demonstrate that they’ve still got a lot to say on brand new release Beauty In The Ghost; expect them to show off some tunes from the new record on this night. Finally, Shapes In The Water released their debut LP only two years ago, but 3/4 of the band have a significantly longer history under the name From Fragile Seeds, and their new EP, Acedia, shows that their brand of intricate, post-rockified emo remains vital and is, if anything, getting better all the time.

Wednesday, December 1, 8 PM
The Octavias, Safari Room, Colpa Mia @ The Camel – $8 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A lot has happened for a lot of Richmond bands while the pandemic had us all holed up in our rooms. One example is the duo formerly known as Grem Smiley, who — like Colin Phils — released a record only weeks before the pandemic made live music a thing of the past for over a year. After their Canvas LP lost its chance to soar, the band went into a long woodshedding period that saw their former name go by the wayside in favor of the (indisputably improved) name The Octavias. They’ve only released two songs under that name so far, but the rollicking rock n’ roll bash that they unleash on debut single “Sometimes” is certainly enough to whet one’s appetite for a full set from these rippers.

That’s what we’ll get at The Camel tonight, but it’s not all we’ll get; Nashville’s Safari Room are coming through town as well, and their more melodic approach is sure to act as an intriguing contrast to the rave-ups of The Octavias. Apparently people have compared them to all sorts of groups in the past, and most of those comparisons seem way off to me, so let me avoid that pitfall and just tell you that their delicate, arpeggiated guitar lines and soaring vocal melodies occasionally give way to powerful crescendos that make the whole thing feel ecstatic. Locals Colpa Mia will be rounding out the bill with their catchy indie pop tunes, so you’ll get a solid dose of excellence from this one. Get with it.

Thursday, December 2, 7 PM
Lenne, The Impurity @ Another Round Bar And Grill – Free!
Over the past few years, Another Round has made itself the indisputable local home of unreconstructed metal, untainted by hipsters and retaining its pure original state — as raging music for frustrated working class headbangers. And don’t get me wrong, the hipster stuff has its place, but sometimes its nice not to have to try and pick up on the influences of bands who worship an obscure death metal demo released in 1987 by a band from Argentina who never toured and were only together for six months, or whatever. When Lenne and The Impurity play a free show at Another Round this Thursday night, you won’t have to worry about any of that.

Instead, what you’ll need to know is that Lenne is a project featuring members of Sevendust and The Infinite Staircase, among others, dealing out some heavy rockin’ metal with a strong blues influence. The melodic vocals follow in a similar vein to the band members’ previous projects, but rest assured, the whole thing still hits hard as hell. Tourmates The Impurity, who hail from Buffalo, NY, have a similar sound, but are definitely willing to do some growling and screaming at times. All of it’s gonna bowl you over, and if you want to bang your head, you’ll have plenty of opportunities. Plus, the price is right. Make it happen.

Friday, December 3, 9 PM
Smirk, Hard Copy, Magic Wand @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This Friday night, Fuzzy Cactus will bring you a heaping helping of the exact kind of sounds you expect from this town’s proudest “rock n’ roll bar”: some raw, primitive, quirky garage rock. Smirk is a California band that’s actually a one-man project by Nick Vicario, whose name you may know if you’re nerdy enough to be aware of groups like Crisis Man and Public Eye. Richmond’s own Feel It Records handled the release of Smirk’s LP, a vinyl release from earlier this year that combined both of the project’s earlier cassette releases. Only a couple of months ago, Smirk followed up this release with a new one entitled EP (I sense a theme here), featuring seven new songs that are pretty much all off-kilter basement pop gems.

So yeah, you’ll definitely want to catch Smirk when they come through town dispensing their offbeat anthems, even if I can’t actually tell you what form they’ll take live — a pickup backing band? One guy doing everything? Prominent use of drum machines? I have no idea, but it’s worth finding out! The music’s sure to be fun regardless. Along for the ride on this one are Hard Copy, a quartet with a postpunk vibe and snarky political lyrics featuring members of Fat Spirit, New Turks, and Young Adult Fiction, among others. Their EP from this spring is a lot of fun; one would think this set would be too. Fun local punks Magic Wand will round out a bill full of great tunes at the most rock n’ roll bar in town.

Saturday, December 4, 6 PM
Holy Roller, Devil’s Coattails, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10 (order tickets HERE)
OK, so I just told you all about how rock n’ roll Fuzzy Cactus is in the last blurb, but never let it be said that they’re afraid to throw the occasional change-up. That’s what comes from this show starring headliners Holy Roller, who originally evolved out of Virginia quartet Big Mama Shakes a few years back. These days, Holy Roller have expanded to a six-piece, which pairs vocalist Brady Heck’s deep, soulful baritone with the unmistakable voice of talented Richmond singer-songwriter Rebekah Rafferty. The result, combined with the band’s Southern-rock tinges and subtle gospel flavorings, is a sound that fans of everything from Matthew E. White to Drive-By Truckers to Counting Crows should be able to appreciate.

Devil’s Coattails are also on the bill, and this ensemble goes even further outside the typical confines of “rock n’ roll” with their take on rootsy country sounds. Featuring members of The Dharma Bombs, Blush Face, the Pistol Sisters, and more, this six-piece — featuring two vocalists with some great interplay — lay down the kind of honky-tonk sounds you just can’t find in the world of mainstream country anymore. Plus, it’s got that freewheeling outlaw spirit. So in the end, it’s actually perfect for Fuzzy Cactus. As is Cassidy Snider, a homegrown blues singer with a soulful country vibe, who’ll be bringing her band The Wranglers along to kick this one off in fine fashion. So hey, make it a Fuzzy Cactus weekend, and on Saturday night, you’ll get to catch both kinds of music — country AND western.

Sunday, December 5, 7 PM
Nickelus F, Radio B, Michael Millions, NameBrand @ The Broadberry – $20 in advance, $25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Do the talented MCs and producers who make up the crew known as Association of Great Minds even need any sort of introduction anymore? At least here in Richmond, I would hope not. However, I’ve got a couple of paragraphs to fill, so we’re gonna go ahead and talk about the greatness of the four men bringing the latest edition of their “Flag On The Moon” to The Broadberry this Sunday night. Nickelus F is probably the first among equals here, as he’s been making his name with top-level rhymes and excellent beats for something like 15 years now. His last big high-profile release, Stuck, came out on Vinyl Conflict back in 2018, but he’s still making great tunes — and probably hoarding at least some of them away from public eyes, as was true of the two Gold Mine compilations he released in 2019. Here’s the thing — it’s all great. And whatever he does onstage Sunday night, whether it’s a Nick F classic or some shit you’ve never heard before, it’s going to be top-quality and unmissable. So don’t blow it.

Let me not take anything away from Radio B, though. Out of all of these artists, he’s the one who put out a new full-length most recently, with his fall 2020 release All Art Ain’t Pretty — a record with a cinematic approach and philosophical lyrics that are clearly influenced by the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests that took place in Richmond last year. Hearing these songs live will be worth the price of admission to this event on its own, so make sure you’re there. And of course, you’re gonna want to be on time, as Michael Millions and NameBrand, who are actually brothers as well as artists in their own right, will be performing as well. Michael’s last major project, Hard To Be King, is still blowing my mind damn near four years later (calling it now: I’m gonna be jamming “Blacksugar” on a regular basis for the rest of my damn life). As for NameBrand, his 2019 EP Grace is a soulful collection of instrumentals that makes a perfect soundtrack for those afternoons when you’re doing some deep thinking — and whatever he lays down at this show will surely do a great job of bringing you into the mindset AGM are out to create. Tap in.

Monday, December 6, 6:30 PM
Can’t Swim, Fanfare, Frames, Drop The Girl @ The Canal Club – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I know how it goes; after a weekend of live musical awesomeness, it can be difficult to keep the energy up for heading back out on Monday night. But you sleep on Can’t Swim at your own peril; this emotional rock band from New Jersey bring both melody and power to the equation that creates their brand new third LP, Change Of Plans. The result isn’t easily slotted into one genre or another, but you can hear all kinds of awesome things happening on it: chunky hardcore, melodic emo, pensive indie, driving rock, and even a tiny dose of metal cropping up at certain points.

The result is awesome on record, and it’s sure to be equally so in the live environment. So don’t miss out on this set — and don’t miss out on the trio of Richmond-based openers, all of whom have their own brand of catchy tuneage to present. Fanfare get downright pop-punky at times, but there’s some grit under there to keep things from getting too pretty or anything. As far as Frames goes, when you hear the name you might think of the band led by the Scottish guy from the movie Once, but that’s THE Frames. This Richmond band brings a heart-on-sleeve approach full of melody and yearning emotion, as documented very well on their 2019 EP Cursed. What have they got going on in these post-pandemic days? You’ll have to show up to find out. And openers Drop The Girl are a couple of charmingly goofy boys from Gloucester whose big pop-punk EP, Happy Again, was another March 2020 release that got totally outshined by the pandemic. Which is sad, because these guys are not just great fun, but actually great. Show up early and catch em all, Pokemon-style.

Tuesday, December 7, 7 PM
Wingtips, S Y Z Y G Y X, Jaguardini @ Fallout – $10 in advance, $15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s Tuesday night at Fallout, so just like any other night at Fallout, the plan is to get gothed-up, wear tons of black, and dance all night to some wonderfully moody sounds. This time around, those moody tunes will be provided primarily by Wingtips, a band whose name is probably not supposed to make me think of shoes, but, well, there you are. Upon first listen to their new LP, Cutting Room Floor, and you’ll be thinking that a more appropriate name for them would have been “Black 20-hole Docs,” but the deeper you dig, the more you’ll find the heart of a dance-pop band beating within the atmosphere Wingtips creates.

I must say, I feel like Wingtips would have been just as happy opening for the Pet Shop Boys in 1985 as they would have been opening for Sisters Of Mercy in 1990, and if you’re the type of person who’d have been happy to be in the crowd at both of those shows (I am), you’ll definitely dig what Wingtips are doing. And you will dance. Oh yes… you will dance. Washington DC’s S Y Z Y G Y X (no, I don’t know how you pronounce it) has a more definitively dark, cold mood at work in their music, which adds a perfect contrast to the sound of the evening. And Harrisonburg dark-waves Jaguardini will get things kicked off with an infusion of cold synth grandeur. Perfect.

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

Top Photo: Colin Phils by Andre Mags Photography

VA Shows You Must See This Week: July 10 – July 16

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, July 13, 5 PM
Punks For Presents: Christmas In July, feat. Operation Icy, …And Out Come The Wools, Snowed Out, Hanging From The Trio, Santa Flag @ Hardywood – Free!
Christmas. As the old song goes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Such a sentiment is certainly up for debate, but one thing’s for sure — if there’s anything you really love about Christmas, you’re as far away from it now as you could possibly get. Thankfully, the folks at Punks For Presents understand that a year is an awfully long time to wait — so once again this year, they’re bringing us a Christmas In July celebration to tide us over until the temperatures drop and the snow (doesn’t) fall once again.

Punks For Presents have been doing their thing for years now, and it’s always awesome. Not just because of the music, either — they’ve been hooking up the Children’s Hospital of Richmond with cash and toy donations for years now, which is a cause always worth supporting. But the music itself is definitely amazing. Here’s how it works — local musicians form tribute bands to classic punk, hardcore, and metal bands and come up with a killer set of that band’s material. Then they rewrite the lyrics to take on a Christmas-related theme, and away we go!

This time around at Hardywood, this free gig presents five excellent holiday takes on classic bands of the 90s. Operation Icy and …And Out Come The Wools pay tribute to Tim Armstrong’s punk/ska legacy. Snowed Out, a No Doubt tribute band with a very clever name, stretch a point a little, but it’s all in pursuit of some fun, so I can’t get too mad at it. Santa Flag finds the Alex Jonestown Massacre boys putting together a set intended to evoke Anti-Flag’s early-2000s peak, while Hanging From The Trio mash up MxPx, Blink 182, and Alkaline Trio into one great set of 90s pop-punk jammers. The show is free, and the weather is great, so celebrate Christmas In July with Punks For Presents and bring the most wonderful time of the year a little bit closer.

Wednesday, July 10, 7 PM
Soccer Mommy, Kevin Krauter, Kate Bollinger @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Hard not to get stoked about this one. Soccer Mommy were pretty much my favorite new artist of 2018, blowing me away with their debut LP, Clean, and definitely giving me the feels with their raw, cutting lyrics on songs like “Your Dog” and “Last Girl.” Granted, there are a lot of sad indie girls with guitars out there writing songs about their angst; who you are probably has a big effect on your overall tolerance for that kind of music. But if you’re going to make room in your heart for even one of these artists, Soccer Mommy should be the one.

It’s not even just about the lyrics (though if any of my readers are the sort of early 20s indie-boy heartbreakers that seem pretty easy to find in most music scenes, you probably need to hear these songs ASAP), it’s about the fact that Soccer Mommy singer-guitarist Sophie Allison’s ear for a hook is flawless, and her ability to write a memorable chorus you’ll be walking around singing to yourself all day is pretty much unmatched. If you’ve never spent an entire afternoon with “I don’t want to be your fucking dog that you drag around” running through your head, you need to get familiar with the excellent songcraft of Soccer Mommy. Tonight’s the perfect time to do so.

Thursday, July 11, 7 PM
Little Hustle, HotSpit, Missangelbird, Liza & The Heart-Takers @ Gallery 5 – $7
Get your weekend started a day early this Thursday night, and break out of the work-week doldrums with a bunch of rad bands at Gallery 5. Little Hustle are coming down from New York to rock us all, and their killer sound, as demonstrated on brand new album Notepasser, finds them indulging in Asobi Seksu-style delicate shoegaze moments at times, then blasting off into hard-charging Sleater-Kinney style choruses that will have you dancing around the room before you even realize what’s going on. As rad as they sound on record, they’re sure to be a tremendous experience live.

Plus, you also get the tour kickoff show for two excellent local indie groups, HotSpit and Missangelbird. Missangelbird was born out of the solo songwriting adventures of Erica Lashley, who has since recruited a rhythm section and begun dishing out quietly hard-hitting versions of her precisely-constructed indie tunes. She’s also a member of HotSpit, a louder, more ensemble-style indie quartet with some anthems of their own to regale the entire East Coast with over the next couple weeks. But first, they’ll be rocking Gallery 5 on the way out of town, and you really shouldn’t miss this chance to catch ’em before they go.

Friday, July 12, 8 PM
Franks & Deans, Glitterally Can’t Even @ Wonderland – $10
This one’s gonna be kind of nutty — but in a good way, I promise! Here’s the deal with Franks & Deans: in the tradition of Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, they focus on punk rock versions of classic tunes. Franks & Deans dips further into the past than Me First, though, bypassing the 70s AM Gold era for a deep dive into the tunes and styles of the Rat Pack. That’s right, this band does punk rock versions of songs by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and their legendary associates — and sometimes they mash them up with actual classic punk tunes. For example, Bobby Darin’s “Splish Splash” to the tune of Rancid’s “Roots, Radicals,” or Sinatra’s “Luck Be A Lady” sung overtop “Ghost Town” by The Specials.

See? I told you it’d be nutty. But I think we’d all be lying if we said our interest wasn’t at least a little piqued. The fact that this four-piece punk group tours with their very own dancer, Miss Nicole Muse, only furthers the Vegas-decadence vibe. You’re sure to cut loose once these guys start rocking Wonderland this Friday night, and you’ll be put into the perfect mood for such hijinks and tomfoolery by an opening set from local Kesha tribute act Glitterally Can’t Even, who do classics like “Tik Tok” and “Animal” in a ska-punk style. It’s Friday night, y’all — let’s head down to Shockoe Bottom and get weird.

Saturday, July 13, 9 PM
Jocko, WatchDogs, Cement Shoes, Old Gods Defied @ Champion RVA – Free!
Here’s a really interesting hardcore group that doesn’t just sound like everyone else on the scene these days: Jocko, from Omaha Nebraska. The tagline on this band is “mixing hardcore with hip hop,” but the experienced HC fans among us may then expect them to sound like Cold World. However, instead of going for the Biohazard-ish intersection of metallic breakdowns and banging beats, Jocko goes a different route, mixing a more old-school, less metallic USHC sensibility that draws from both coasts with a braggodocious vocal approach that switches back and forth from angry shouts to rhythmic rhymes.

On Jocko’s debut LP, Expressions, this midwestern group pulls from all sorts of different regional hardcore traditions — New York’s Madball, Boston’s Negative Approach, Central Cali’s Trash Talk, and LA’s Rage Against The Machine are all obvious influences on this group. But what really makes their music hit so hard is their strong, energetic attack, which is sure to get the pit stirred up at Champion RVA this Saturday night. They’re accompanied on this gig by a triple-threat of local groups; WatchDogs’ chugging low-end brutality, Cement Shoes’ speedy energetic punk, and Old Gods Defied’s aggressive mosh-metal thrill will get you hyped from the moment you walk in the door.

Sunday, July 14, 6 PM
Phantom Limb, VE, Grem Smiley @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
When you hear a band described as “postpunk,” there’s probably a certain image that comes into your head — one that involves laser lights piercing the gloom of a dark hazy club as a band dressed in all black does its level best to sound like Joy Division. Phantom Limb can easily be called postpunk, but they are definitely not that kind of band. Instead, on their 2017 LP Townies, they tap into a wild rock n’ roll energy that lands somewhere between the spooky garage punk of bands like Ex-Cult and the synth-punk madness of Lost Sounds, all while keeping an atmosphere of intriguing mystery floating around.

When Phantom Limb hit the stage at Garden Grove Brewing this Sunday night, they’re gonna cap your weekend off with a bang — one that’ll thrill you whether you’re wearing thick black eyeliner or not. You will also get to enjoy the unique stylings of VE, who at least at one time were named Various Eggs and may still be. Their music is strange, and not too much like anything else you’re going to hear anywhere, but “postpunk” would also be a fair categorization of it. And “very good” would be too. The show will begin with some rad rock n’ roll from local newcomers Grem Smiley. This one’s gonna be fun.

Monday, July 15, 7 PM
Kevin Seconds, Josh Small, Sammy Kay @ Gallery 5 – $15 (order tickets HERE)
You’ve really gotta love this. Hardcore pioneer Kevin Seconds, who began his legendary, long-running group 7 Seconds at the very dawn of the 80s and went on to influence multiple generations of punks with his patented blend of unflinching socio-political commentary, hardcore energy, and unforgettable melodic hooks, has been performing solo acoustic shows off and on since the late 80s. These days, with 7 Seconds having finally ended in 2018 after nearly 40 years, catching him solo is certainly your best bet — and with his solo tunes, most recently brought into the world on his 2016 album Band-Aid On A Bullet Wound, carrying every bit the high quality 7 Seconds’ music always had, it’s a guarantee of a fun musical evening.

What might be the most fun about this particular gig is that Kevin Seconds is wearing his reason for this particular East Coast tour on his sleeve. As the poster says: he’s come for Avail. Kev will hit the Gallery 5 stage four days before Avail begins its run of reunion gigs over at The National, and it’s delightful to see an absolute pioneer of punk rock still so excited about music 40 years into his career that he’d book an entire tour around that opportunity. It’s to all our benefit, too, as it offers us all a chance to see Kevin Seconds play Richmond for the first time in quite a while. Come out and see what sort of tunes he has to offer — we can guarantee you’ll enjoy them.

Tuesday, July 16, 7 PM
Tomb Mold, Superstition, Left Cross, Under Attack @ Gallery 5 – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Look, sometimes we’ve just gotta get down with some serious brutality. When you’re as stoked about metal as I am, it’s hard to get through even one week without it. But even if total headbanging action isn’t your preferred version of musical enjoyment, even you have got to recognize that sometimes you’ve just gotta thrash. Tomb Mold is coming through town this Tuesday night, and they’ll be offering you the perfect opportunity for such a thing. Brutal riffage in a classic old-school death metal style to bring smiles to the faces of all the Autopsy, Obituary, and Incantation fans out there — that’s what they’ve got to offer. You should really take them up on it.

They’ll be joined in their trek through RVA by Superstition, a Santa Fe, NM ensemble with a similarly old-school approach to death metal madness. If you dug those old Earache cassettes your uncle used to blast in his car, these groups are really gonna make you happy. They’re joined on this bill by RVA’s own dirty thrashin’ death-metallic hardcore powerhouse, Left Cross, as well as brand new Richmond hardcore supergroup Under Attack, which features members of Limp Wrist, Suppression, Municipal Waste, and Red 40 (not the one from Tennessee a long time ago, the one from Richmond an even longer time ago — yeah, I remember). This whole show is definitely gonna be worth your time, so mark your calendars.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Thursday, July 11, 6 PM
Belle And Sebastian, Ex Hex @ Sprint Pavilion – $36-$50 (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard to believe that indie darlings Belle And Sebastian have become popular enough to play the 3500-seat Sprint Pavilion in Charlottesville. But if anything, it shows the buying power of grown-ups who were indie kids in their college days. So this one is for everybody who booked a sitter months in advance so they can enjoy a lovely evening with their partner smiling to classic tunes like “Dylan In The Movies” and “Piazza, New York Catcher.” But that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t go too, and enjoy the many wonderful highlights of Stuart Murdoch and co.’s consistent career of outstanding tunes.

Belle And Sebastian have decidedly not become just a 90s nostalgia act, either. They’re preparing to release their 11th album, a soundtrack for English film Days Of The Bagnold Summer (the directorial debut of Inbetweeners star Simon Bird), later this year. First single “Sister Buddha” shows that this seven-person Scottish ensemble have still got what it takes to create indie-pop classics every bit the equal of the ones they were dishing out with regularity over 20 years ago. This certainly bodes well for an evening of excellent music. Plus, you’ll get an opening set from Ex Hex, the dynamic Mary Timony-led rock n’ roll trio whose recently released It’s Real makes clear that their awesome, swaggering debut, Rips, was no fluke. Even if you can only afford the cheap seats, this one’s essential.

Saturday, July 13, 8 PM
Digger, Fun Size, Invaluable, Single-Use Plastic @ Taphouse Grill – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
OK so here’s another 90s throwback for all the music fans among us, though this one will certainly be more intimate, taking place at Norfolk’s Taphouse Grill. It finds two 90s pop-punk legends coming together once again. Digger are the first ones we must discuss — this Pennsylvania band cranked out some outstanding albums on Hopeless Records in the late 90s and early 2000s, the best being the prescient Promise Of An Uncertain Future. Today, when we’re all living in that very uncertain future, Digger have returned to action and hit the road once again, regaling all us 90s kids who miss the innocent days of our teenage angst, when getting a ride to the show at Twisters on Friday night was our biggest concern.

Fun Size is the other pop-punk legend on this bill, and chances are they were also on the bill of that show we were all trying to get a ride to 25 years ago. Having released a couple of outstanding albums back then, these guys returned to action at the dawn of this decade with a long awaited third LP, Since We Last Spoke. That album proved that they were still every bit the world-class talents they’d always been, and seven years later, they’re still proving it. Seeing these guys on a bill with Digger is sure to take you back to your teenage days, even if you don’t quite fit into those tiny t-shirts you used to wear back then. That’s OK — I’m sure the bands would be glad to sell you new ones after the gig. Get there and rock out like there’s still a Clinton in the White House.

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]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, December 15, noon
White Laces, Night Idea, Fat Spirit, Manzara, Grem Smiley, Don Fredrick, Nightcreature, Billy Neptune, Deli Kings, Ghoul Trouble @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Saturday, December 15, 9 PM
Punks For Presents 2018 Night Two, feat. Good Cretins, London Caroling, Snow Control, Christmas Jerks, X-Mas @ Strange Matter – $10
The time has come. It’s the last hurrah. This Saturday marks the final time that Strange Matter will host any live music. I know a lot of us have been feeling some ways about this, and I’m definitely feeling those feels too. Not just because Strange Matter has been, hands down, the best and most reliable live music venue in Richmond for the past decade, but also because… y’all, I’ve got a column to write every week. I’ve been writing this column for four years, and I can count the weekly installments that went by without featuring at least one Strange Matter show on one finger. When most of the venues around town weren’t even open most random weeknights, Strange Matter could always be counted on to be hosting not just a show, but more often than not, a real banger that I’d put into my column even if it was happening on a Saturday night when every place was hosting something.

Where am I gonna send you now on a random Tuesday night now? We’re gonna find that answer together in 2019, for better or worse. But while Strange Matter still exists, you better believe I’m gonna send you there this weekend. After all, this Saturday, their final day in operation, is going to be a major blowout, featuring not one but two epic shows that will start off around the time you’re paying your tab at brunch and end at last call in the wee hours. What better way could there be for you to celebrate Strange Matter’s truly top-quality decade of operation than to spend about 14 hours within its darkened confines, enjoying over a dozen excellent bands from right here in RVA?

You know the answer as well as I do, so let’s all just mark our calendars now. There’s plenty to get stoked for — a reunion set by White Laces tops off the first epic show of the day, and since it’s always wonderful to see Landis, Jimmy, Jay, and the rest of the gang take the stage together, this will be a can’t-miss moment for any Richmond music fan. The coterie of excellent local faves supporting them on this bill — math-rock kingpins Night Idea, angst-ridden grunge punks Fat Spirit, spaced-out noise-rockers Manzara, so many more — is only matched by the outstanding slate of holiday-themed tribute acts being brought to us on the late show’s jam-packed lineup courtesy of Punks For Presents. Have you ever wanted to hear Clash songs rewritten to feature lyrics about Santa Claus? Or a set of Bad Religion tunes played by people who’ve seen snow on their front lawn at some point in their lives? You’ll get these and many more excellent musical treats at this fun-filled extravaganza. Don’t miss it — if you let your last chance to enjoy Strange Matter while it’s here slip away, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Guaranteed.

Wednesday, December 12, 6 PM
The Milkstains, Sports Bar, Sammi Lanzetta, The Trillions, Cold Beaches, Dumb Waiter, Toward Space, Neat Sweep @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s continue to talk about the outstanding fare Strange Matter will be bringing us throughout their final few days of operation, shall we? The many epic local showcases that have filled their stage over the past few weeks have tended to find a focus in one local scene or another, and this one is no exception, bringing us a smorgasbord of the best alternative rock n’ roll this city has to offer. The fact that I took til the third sentence of this writeup to tell you that the Milkstains will be headlining this show with their first local performance since LAST Christmas might just constitute burying the lede, but I write these columns really goddamn fast, so I hope no one will hate on me too much for letting my journalistic principles slip just a bit.

Anyway, based on the advance promo for this show, it seems likely that this performance by the Milkstains may just constitute their last-ever performance as a band, and considering how much sweat, beer, and surf-grunge wildness this band has dished out to this city over the past decade-plus (they’ve been a thing even longer than Strange Matter has), that’s a real loss to all of us. Celebrate the life and the rock n’ roll power of the Milkstains once again/one last time(?) at Smatter tonight — but don’t just waltz in as they’re hitting the stage, because if you do, you’ll miss out on a plethora of fine musical performers, from the heartstopping alt-rock balladry of singer-songwriter extraordinaire Sammi Lanzetta to the garage-pop brilliance of Sports Bar to the jazz-metal madness of Dumb Waiter. And so much more! Dude… it’s gonna be epic.

Thursday, December 13, 8 PM
Old Faith, Colin Phils, Colder Planets, Kenneka Cook @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I could keep on talking about Strange Matter for every single remaining day of their brief existence, and rest assured, on both this night and the next, there are excellent shows spotlighting indie-rock and grindcore at Strange Matter on these nights. If you were to go, I fully would not blame you. But I would be remiss in my duty as Richmond’s chief chronicler of live local music (I mean, really, who else is there?) if I didn’t tell you about a couple of amazing shows happening at other venues during this final half-week of Strange Matter’s extended wake. Let’s begin with this one, which features an appearance by Greensboro instrumental quartet Old Faith.

There have been quite a few groups that have trod similar musical ground as these North Carolinians now cover, but their ability to evoke perspective, meaning, and emotion through the stunning evolutions of their dual-guitar instrumental epics, as demonstrated on their recently released self-titled LP, puts them in the top tier of the genre, alongside famous names like Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai. When the sounds of their amplifiers grow to fill and surround Capital Ale House’s Downtown Music Hall, the music is sure to take you on an emotional journey. RVA-via-Korea band Colin Phils will also be on hand to bring you their pleasing take on the note-twisting melodic tangles of math-rock, while Colder Planets’s gorgeous alt-rock sounds will put a smile on your face for sure. And of course, there’s Kenneka Cook, the excellent soul singer and amazingly talented electronic-music composer, who’ll bring us an always-delightful set of her amazing tunes. This one’s going to be a delight.

Friday, December 14, 8 PM
Hackedepicciotto, Eric Hubel @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Assuming you’re not hitting Strange Matter, it’s back to Capital Ale House’s Downtown Music Hall on this fine Friday night for one of the weirdest and most intriguing musical experiences you’re going to have anytime in the near future. Hackedepicciotto are coming to town, and while this particular name may not be all that familiar to you, you’re sure to be impressed by their musical pedigree. Alexander Hacke is bassist and co-founder of German industrial godfathers Einsturzende Neubauten; his partner in life and music, Danielle de Picciotto, sang with German postpunk band Die Haut and helped establish long-running Berlin music festival Love Parade.

When they create together, Hacke and de Picciotto make music focused on their interest in yoga and other forms of meditation. Their most recent release is JOY, the second of their albums composed specifically to be soundtracks for meditation, and for that album they worked with New York postpunk guitarist Eric Hubel, formerly of Glenn Branca’s band and a yoga master himself. Now all three come to Richmond to create ambient soundtracks that might have some meditative qualities but also have an intense character that sometimes carries a dark undercurrent and always has the potential to shake your spiritual foundations. It’s hard to say what we’ll see and hear at Capital Ale House Friday night, but one thing’s for sure — it’ll move you.

Saturday, December 15, 7 PM
Genosha, 3:33, Vulcanite, Lounge Lizzard, Treble Lifter, The Mostly Dead, Torino Death Ride @ Sound Of Music Studios – $5
As Strange Matter breathes its last this Saturday night, new life is being born into the Virginia hardcore scene. Metallic hardcore group Genosha will be releasing their latest CD, Our Conspiracy, and while I haven’t yet heard any of the tuneage from it, the two excellent bangers they released earlier this year on a split EP with fellow Commonwealth denizens Treble Lifter (also playing this show; more about them in a minute) give all the reason in the world to expect a powerful slab of dark, brutal moshcore out of this quintet. Being there to see the new Genosha LP being birthed into the world is certainly a fine use of your weekend night, especially if you’re ready for some serious headbangs.

There are quite a few other excellent bands from all around the VA area on this bill as well, and that’s sure to sweeten the pot for the initiated as well as the merely intrigued. Lounge Lizzard in particular are one to watch; this Richmond-based newcomer features members from all kinds of other excellent local bands — Toxic Moxie, Cremains, The Donalds, Skumboyz, and more. Plus, their snarky, catchy old-school punk sound is particularly designed to appeal to fans of The Avengers, which is never a bad thing. The aforementioned Treble Lifter have more of a driving post-hardcore sound, but don’t get me wrong — these guys are plenty pissed off, so you punks are still gonna love it. There are a lot more notable bands on this bill, but I’m running out of space, so I challenge you — learn about them for yourself. Come to Sound Of Music this Saturday night, and find out what’s going on with the new generation.

Sunday, December 16, 7:30 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. Toxic Moxie @ Gallery 5 – Donations accepted
This should be an intriguing installment of the always-fascinating Silent Music Revival, a long-running series of local shows in which Richmond-area musicians of note create improvised soundtracks for silent films they’ve never seen before. This time around, it’ll be Toxic Moxie who’ve accepted the challenge, and it’ll be fun to see how they incorporate their disco-punk hybrid sound into the world of film score. They’ll have a pretty great candidate for scoring too, as the film on display this week is Jean Renoir’s 1928 picture The Little Match Girl.

Renoir, who shares a surname with Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir because he was his son, was a pioneering French film director who got his start in the silent era before going on to demonstrate what could be achieved in the film medium with classics like La Grand Illusion and The Rules Of The Game. Starring his first wife and based on that totally bleak Hans Christian Andersen story we all heard as kids, The Little Match Girl was one of Renoir’s more notable early efforts, one that he financed by selling off his dad’s paintings. Now it’s being paired with the music of Toxic Moxie, on a Sunday evening at Gallery 5. What a time to be alive.

Monday, December 17, 7 PM
Alright, Smoke Break, Ghouli @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$6 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Never mind the fact that I always, without fail, write it as two words (“all right”); I’m still stoked to see Alright coming to town. These North Carolinians feature Sarah Blumenthal, formerly of the excellent Charlotte, NC band Faye, on guitar and vocals, and while Alright are clearly dipping a little further into the melodic/emotional end of the musical pond than Faye were, this group carries on the crunching guitars and exuberant bounce that Faye did so well.

Their just-released new EP, On The Outs, is the sort of record that will appeal equally to fans of melodic pop-punk groups like the Candy Hearts and garage-rock roustabouts like Sheer Mag. Live, these tunes are sure to get everybody bouncing around with smiles on their faces. It makes them a good pairing with Smoke Break, the melodic, energetic RVA trio featuring members of Sundials, Hold Tight, and Springtime who also grace this bill. We don’t get too many chances to see these guys, and as their 2016 LP Everything Is Wrong proved, they’ve got a lot to offer. So be sure not to miss out on this one — and show up on time, because local newcomers Ghouli have some caustic, frenetic punk to bowl you over with, and you’ll feel real stupid if you hear their last song from outside when you’re walking up. Don’t be that guy.

Tuesday, December 18, 7 PM
Matt Lisk, Justin Golden, Graham Stone, Mackenzie Roark, Pat O’Keefe @ The Camel – Free!
I don’t think this night is part of the official “singer-songwriter showcase” series The Camel’s been doing off-and-on over the past couple years, but it’s set up in much the same way: several local musicians known for excellently-crafted solo material will all get together and play sets one after the other, and you’ll be able to see it all for free. That’s always a good deal, especially since the Camel has burgers and tacos on the menu that become way more affordable when you didn’t have to pay to get in. So show up a little early, get your grub on, and then settle in to enjoy a night of excellent solo sounds that come to you courtesy of folks like Matt Lisk, whose contemplative acoustic offerings are a great soundtrack for an introspective evening.

By contrast, Justin Golden will bring us some rootsy acoustic blues with a soulful feel that take his work beyond the traditional sound of legends like Robert Johnson and Son House, even as it keeps their spirits alive. Mackenzie Roark, who worked with a former member of Hootie And The Blowfish on her last album, has some classic country sounds to offer that are sure to please fans of Patsy Cline and Wanda Jackson. And of course, Graham Stone has become a fixture on the local singer-songwriter scene, with his folk feel and deep-blue voice always making an impression. The evening is rounded out by Dalton Dash frontman Pat O’Keefe taking a solo turn that we can imagine will maintain a similar old-time mix of folk, country, and bluegrass sounds that we’ve all come to know and love in his band. All of this for no dollars at the door? You can’t beat that with a bat.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, December 14, 7 PM
The Do-Nothings, Stray Fossa, Party Wave, Plastic Nancy @ Toast – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Something unusual is going on here. The Do-Nothings are holding this show at Toast as an “album release party,” but until recently, there was no evidence of a forthcoming album to be found. Then on Monday, a post went up on their Facebook page that read, “This is not a test. Our album release show set will be recorded live and released as the album we are having the release show to release. Get it? Your participation is very important to us.” And if that isn’t enough to pique your interest, you’re a less curious person than I am.

Research has revealed that The Do-Nothings, who appear to be based in Richmond even though they’re having this bizarre “release party” in Norfolk, are a project led by singer/guitarist Andrew Altman, who, along with an energetic rhythm section, makes wild, effects-laden psychedelic blues-punk tunes that rarely fail to get weird. Their work reminds me in some ways of the early Black Keys, back when their records were way too grotty to ever get within shouting distance of radio, and in others of the totally bizarre early material by New York freaks Royal Trux. How’s that all gonna translate when they both make and release their next album onstage at Toast this weekend? One thing’s for sure — it won’t be boring. Gas up the Hyundai and go see what these weirdos have up their sleeve.

Sunday, December 16, 7 PM
God Of Nothing, One Less Life, Black Lotus, Heft, Stolen Goodz @ Riffhouse Pub – $5
Northern Virginia deathcore brutality merchants God Of Nothing apparently galled a few people by referring to themselves on the internet a few years ago as “the heaviest band on earth,” but we ain’t mad at ’em. Honestly, new single “1075” is pretty crushing, especially with its incorporation of ambient noise and a ridiculous final breakdown that features several totally silent pauses that trick you into thinking the song’s over before blindsiding you with another monstrous riff. These guys are clearly continuing to build on the legacy of downtuned mosh madness they’ve built up over the last several years, and what they’re showing us lately more than makes them worth going to see — even if they aren’t the heaviest band on any earth that also contains Sunn o))).

New Jersey’s Black Lotus are also on this bill, and while they’re more focused on complex, chaotic masses of progressive metalcore (they call themselves a “djent” band, but I’ve never been able to establish a coherent definition for that particular subgenre) than the sheer low-end crunch of God Of Nothing, they should certainly appeal to fans of the headliner, if their excellent Wilted LP from earlier this year is any indication. There’s a lot going on on this album, for sure, but never fear — a brutal breakdown is always just around the corner. One thing’s for sure: the pit at this show’s gonna be a risky proposition. I’ll be protecting my middle-aged bones, but if you love to mosh hard, this one’s gonna put a smile on your face for sure.

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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 Mag Premiere: Psychedelic/Rock Trio Grem Smiley’s ‘Guilt’

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The future is looking bright for Richmond’s up and coming psychedelic indie punk and Grem Smiley as they prepare to premiere their seven-song debut EP, Guilt this weekend. And lucky for you, the band has let RVA Mag premiere their new release. 

Guitarist/Vocalist Ryan Hatcher, drummer Andrew Seymour, and bassist Charles Pfaff have been playing together for just under two years, but with inspirations like The Replacements, REM, Elliot Smith, and Cloud Nothings, Grem Smiley has already mastered an alluring and unique sound that young listeners gravitate toward.

“Our main goal at this point is to simply put out as many records as possible, play as many shows as possible, and try to add something to the palate of rock music that still sounds original in 2018. We don’t want to just fall into a subgenre,” said Hatcher.

Back in November, the trio released a little taste of their seven-song EP with the single “Sour Dreams”. The track is a classic rendition of something completely divergent and the inspiration came from an unlikely place. 

“The song process started when I quit my job and was at a stressful time in my life,” said Hatcher. “I was sitting at home playing ‘The Sweater Song’ by Weezer and started playing it backwards. I just really liked the sound of it and it kind of just caught on fire from there.”

With recording help from Colder Planets, Grem Smiley was able to whip up their debut EP Guilt, in just under 16 hours at their home recording studio on Mulberry Street in the Fan. Its a wonderful mix of punk/psychedelia, and catchy rock that is sure to get you off your feet. “Digital Lover,” is among one of the favorite tracks, which was written by Seymour when he was 18.

“Cigarettes” is also likely to be a fan favorite given its has poppy and indy vibe, and people who like overdriven guitars and heavy rides will definitely enjoy “Loose” the most, but the group said the overall tone offers a little something for everyone.

“They are all really different and the speed is different on all of them. Some have more of that trippy delayed psychedelic guitar tone, others are just loud and fast,” Hatcher said.

Building up a fan base through house shows, Grem Smiley has started to rock stages at venues in Richmond, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Hatcher, who does all the booking, plans to hit the road March 24, playing with friends like The Russlles at Kung Fu Necktie in Philly on the 29th, and Cold Beaches at Our Wicked Lady in Brooklyn on March 31.

As for the future of Grem Smiley, Seymour said they plan to continue to experiment with ideas to see where it takes them by continuing to incorporate different elements into making new music.

“I love when artists release one or two albums a year that are completely different than each other, that’s how you remain relevant these days,” he said.

Grem Smiley will release their debut EP, Guilt at Strange Matter this Thursday at Strange Matter. The Smirks and Mon Chére, and Black Plastic will open the show, with Grem Smiley scheduled to go on at 11:00 PM. $7 cover.

Also, check out RVA Mag’s premiere for Grem Smiley’s newest video for “Cigarettes” below: