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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: January 26 – February 1

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, January 29, 7 PM
Last Minute Fest!, feat. The Mitras, Nancy Raygun, Halfcast, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Dead Billionaires, Ten Pound Snail, Dead Rising, Big Loud Awful Sound @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Every week, no matter how much I intend not to, I end up starting the column with a disclaimer about the ongoing pandemic. So this week, let’s just lean into it. Last week’s column started with the featured show I planned getting cancelled 10 minutes before I started writing. I know of at least one show I did end up including in last week’s column that got cancelled between my writing about it and the day it was supposed to happen. And while I can’t say whether it’s got anything in particular to do with COVID, the fact that this show, now christened Last Minute Fest!, was originally promoted as an all-local three-band bill, of which two of the bands have since dropped off, makes me think that COVID may be getting its filthy paws all over this one too.

All of which is to say that any partaking of live music in the current environment requires accepting a certain amount of risk. Of course, I grew up going to shows in barely-legal basements where you were always in danger of being put in the hospital by a particularly vigorous slam dancer, and I still went, so I guess we all have to make those calculations for ourselves. And I can certainly see why the bill Last Minute Fest is offering here would lead any hale and hearty fan of local music to risk the viral version of a spinkick to the jaw. For one thing, there’s the ringleaders of this whole shindig, The Mitras, a fun local alt-rock group who recreate the best of those mid-90s post-Nirvana buzz-bin hits from bands like Local H and The Toadies, while having a ton of fun doing so. Their set alone will offer sufficient reason to dance the night away.

Oh, but there’s so much more on offer here that’ll be worth so much more than your ten measly bucks. For example, melodic psychedelia from local indie rockers Nancy Raygun, whose resemblance to a long-gone local venue is purely coincidental. Then there’s Halfcast’s chunky, borderline-metallic riff bombast, which at times resembles Queens Of The Stone Age. We also have sets from recent column mainstays like country-soul combo Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers and melodic slowcore ensemble Ten Pound Snail. That’s not to mention the jangly, ramshackle rockin’ Dead Billionaires brings to the table, and the catchy, vaguely funky, er, sound of Big Loud Awful Sound… plus whatever other than a video game Dead Rising might be. It’s a lot of local musical genius for a relatively small amount of money, so weigh the risk however you have to and get over to the Camel for an evening of excellent Richmond rock.

Wednesday, January 26, 7 PM
Orange Culture, The Flops, Ten Pound Snail, Los Malcriados @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Kids playing guitars. It’s always fun. Orange Culture will liven up your Wednesday night doldrums tonight at the Camel with the welcome sight of some barely-out-of-high-school boys jumping around with guitars. Orange Culture hails from Roanoke, they’re in their teens, and they’ve got an album called OCCO that shows off their catchy riffs, upbeat tempos, and inclinations toward psychedelic pop in fine fashion. They’re the new generation, and they’ve got something to say — you should listen to them!

Similar could be said about The Flops, another rock n’ roll combo from elsewhere in Virginia who will be sharing this bill with Orange Culture. The Flops have melody and groove to spare, and they hail from Staunton rather than Roanoke, so representation for the I-81 corridor will be strong on this bill. Richmond mainstays Ten Pound Snail will contribute a lovely dose of their slowcore mood music for those who don’t want to wait til Saturday for their escargot fix. The bill is rounded out by Los Malcriados, a dozen-piece funk ensemble featuring six horn players and a super-soulful rhythm section with a decidedly Latin flavor mixed in there. These guys will start this show off with a bang, and who doesn’t love that?

Thursday, January 27, 7 PM
Pressing Strings, The Great Beforetimes @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s been real cold outside lately, and you definitely don’t need a column for upcoming live music to tell you that. But what I can offer you is the possibility of some real musical relief, coming to the Camel this Thursday night, in the form of Annapolis, MD’s Pressing Strings. This trio’s smooth, folky rock music has the feel of someone wrapping a warm blanket around your shoulders and handing you a hot cup of chicken broth after you’ve been out in the cold for hours. And believe me, I’ve definitely wished I had something like that after my last few morning walks.

Pressing Strings were yet another band who got supremely unlucky as a result of the pandemic, releasing their most recent full-length, Settle In, during that week in March 2020 when everything shut down. They’ve since followed it up with an EP called Morning Takes, which actually dates from the same time period. There’s a very clear mood being created on both of these releases, and the best way I could describe that mood would be as: laid-back, but empathic rather than apathetic. These guys are the musical version of that friendly bartender who listens to your troubles on a slow weekday afternoon and actually has some good advice to offer. Pressing Strings don’t have any personalized advice for you, just some music. But it’s really lovely music, and that always helps.

Friday, January 28, 7 PM
Tone Redd, Noah-O, Zay, Big Sty, Unique Hustle Hard, G’z Finest; with special appearances by: Illa Styles, Ed Da Realist, Earl Wizzi, John Day @ Black Iris – $15 in advance, $20 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s Richmond rapper Tone Redd’s birthday, and he’s ready to party down in proper fashion at Black Iris this Friday night. Tone Redd has been locked down for the past two years just like the rest of it, but he hasn’t let it slow him down, instead using COVID-19 as creative fuel for his latest EP, The Pandemic Album. Produced by Starr Nyce, the six songs on this EP hit hard with lyrical power while also staying smooth and soulful. And of course Tone Redd will bring all that and more to his performance at Black Iris, so you’re gonna want to be there.

He’s got a whole bunch of Richmond hip hop heavy hitters that’ll be up in the place celebrating with him, too, so you know not only that Tone Redd’s for real, but that this show is going to be off the hook. Noah-O’s sets are always impressive, Zay is a young up-and-comer with some real bangers under his belt, and Big Sty is a veteran Richmond hip hop player with stacks of tracks. There’s quite a bit more to come on this stacked bill of local hip hop talent as well, from a set by G’z Finest, who partnered with Tone Redd on 2019’s 50/50 Mixtape, to “special appearances” (meaning they’re only gonna do one or two songs? Aww) by Illa Styles and Ed Da Realist, among others. Plenty of hard-hitting hip hop from right here in the RVA will be on the menu on this night, so get a plate and get ready to get served.

Saturday, January 29, 8 PM
Bandito’s Winter Fest, feat. Chupaskabra, Black Tie Society, Ice Cold Chillen, Everybody Gets One @ Bandito’s – Free!
Has the time come for a full-on ska-punk revival, y’all? I’m not necessarily the best person to ask; I kinda stayed on the sidelines for the first ska-punk revival back in the late 90s. I did see — and play — a few shows featuring bands that were part of that whole scene back in those days, though, including Richmonders Chump Change and Shmegma. Members from both of those bands are now playing in Chupaskabra, an obviously ska-loving but equally punk-as-fuck combo coming out of Richmond’s Southside. They’ve got the upstrokes and the oi-oi-oi’s, they’ve got the skankin’ and the circle pits. If you’re in any way open to bringing back those days, back when everybody had Operation Ivy and Voodoo Glow Skulls records in places of pride in their record collections, you’re gonna want to come out to Bandito’s this Saturday night and catch Chupaskabra.

These guys are being joined by Black Tie Society, who hail from Virginia Beach and land a little closer to the ska side of the ska-punk equation, while Chupaskabra are a bit closer to the punk side. They’re united on the issue of partying, though: they’re in favor. So it’s probably good that they’re at Bandito’s, especially since this event seems to have a whole bunch to do with beer, and in my experience, ska-punk bands tend to like beer. Personally I’m just here to rock out and eat nachos, but y’all have fun with that “tap takeover” or whatever, and when you’re done, let’s all have fun skanking it up in the Diablo Room. Sound good? Yup, it does to me too.

Sunday, January 30, 6:30 PM
Being As An Ocean, Capstan, Limbs, Emerald Beach @ The Canal Club – $16 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
And now for something completely different. Being As An Ocean are a band from California who originally attracted attention during that whole “emo revival” era, even though they always had a heavier, almost-hardcore sound that landed them somewhere between Pianos Become The Teeth and Modern Life Is War — at least in my humble opinion. As the emo revival waned, Being As An Ocean’s profile has slightly diminished, but they’re currently on tour to remind us all of their glory days with a tenth-anniversary celebration of Dear G-d, their 2012 debut album that drew so much attention back when it was first released.

One would therefore assume that they’ll be focusing on their earlier material for this performance, and I for one will not be bummed if so — their more recent stuff has delved into electronic textures that always feel more conceptually interesting than viscerally exciting, at least to me. That early stuff just hits harder — and since they’re doing an anniversary tour for their debut album, you gotta figure that on some level, they know it too. On this tour, Being As An Ocean are getting musical support from Florida bands Capstan and Limbs, who are very much on a similar musical wavelength. Californians Thousand Below had to drop off the tour due to a (non-COVID-related) health issue, so Virginia Beach danceable emo ensemble Emerald Beach will be filling in and getting things started on what’s sure to be an intense evening. Get ready for it.

Tuesday, February 1, 9 PM
Fast Eddy, Mel Machete, DJ Wylie Kill @ Fuzzy Cactus – $8
Back when I was a kid in the late 80s, XL102 used to refer to themselves as “Richmond’s home for rock n’ roll.” That was a long time ago, and since then, they’ve been “102.1 The X,” back to being XL102 for a while, and now they’re “Alt 102.1” and they mostly play crap like Bastille and Imagine Dragons now. So is there a NEW home for rock n’ roll in Richmond? Well, it might not be a radio station, but I think Fuzzy Cactus just might fit the bill. After all, anytime there’s a show at this Northside bar, you can be sure the bands on the bill are gonna rock hard and get you all sweaty.

Denver’s Fast Eddy are at the top of this bill, and they’ve got a sound that manages to be clean and clear without coming off as polished or mannered. Singles like “Lost” and “Milwaukee” capture the rock n’ roll energy of The Hives, early AC/DC, and even the best of Chuck Berry, and as a result, their music is a blast from beginning to end. One can only imagine that their set at Fuzzy Cactus will be equally filled with high-revving, energetic fun. Richmond’s own Mel Machete are acting as local support on this gig, and they’ve got much the same fun-loving rock n’ roll energy, but they bring a strong dose of sass into the equation with the addition of frontwoman Wild Mel Medina. DJ Wylie Kill will keep the killer jams spinning before and between sets, and you better believe this will be a rock n’ roll night to remember. Or maybe forget, depending on how “in the spirit” you end up getting. You know what I’m talking about.

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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]

VA Shows You Must See This Week: March 11 – March 17

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, March 13, 8 PM
Caverns Of Pine, Unmaker, Big No, VV @ Gallery 5 – $10 (order tickets HERE)
We’re heading into St. Patrick’s Day weekend and meanwhile coronavirus has got me out here writing new lyrics for “Paranoid Chant” by the Minutemen. So what do you say we all make the choice to forgo events drawing a large crowd in favor of some more intimate gatherings? Sounds good to me, personally. That’s not the only reason to head for Gallery 5 this Friday night, but it is certainly one of them.

However, what’s really great about this show is that it represents the first time that Caverns Of Pine, a studio project led by Brad Perry (Worn In Red, Forensics, Operation Icy), will perform live. In 2018, the project released a great post-hardcore album called Disassociate, which focused on themes relating to surviving sexual violence and overcoming the associated trauma. As Brad and the other members all had their own projects to focus on, they never played any shows, but now, with the opening of All Instinct, a group art show inspired by Caverns Of Pine’s lyrics and curated by Bizhan Khodabandeh, they’re breaking the silence and finally gracing us all with a live performance.

Considering how excellently intense these songs actually are, this is sure to be one hell of a show. The fact that Caverns Of Pine will be paired with Unmaker for it is also eminently appropriate, as Unmaker have a similarly heavy and somewhat foreboding post-hardcore sound, only with a stronger postpunk influence that gives them a decidedly gothic edge. It’s a perfect double bill, one that is only made even awesomer by the inclusion of Big No and VV, two rad bands in their own right. To top it all off, all profits from this event benefit Force, an anti-rape culture, pro-consent activist group based in Baltimore, so you can know that your admission funds are going toward something positive in the world.

Wednesday, March 11, 8 PM
Lux, Vittna, Gumming, Dummies @ Mojo’s – $8
Here’s a really fun way to spend your Wednesday evening — going to Mojo’s. And not just because it’s a rad place with delicious food, either, though those are good reasons to spend ANY evening there. No, we’re sending you tonight specifically because Barcelona punks Lux are coming to town, and they’re gonna rock the hell out of Mojo’s tonight. One of the many bands to come out of excellent UK punk group Good Throb, Lux have less of that band’s caustic approach and a more rockin’, fun sound that keeps things at a swinging rock tempo and integrates a good deal of vocal melody even as their aggressive riffing makes it impossible to mistake them for just another power-pop group.

Lux released their latest EP, New Day, back in November, and it’s full of catchy tunes that will get you dancing. Meanwhile, Raleigh’s Vittna bring the speed and vitriol that you true punk freaks might miss in Lux’s set, and give you a chance to get the circle pit swirling right there inside Mojo’s. Just don’t spill anyone’s drinks, that ain’t cool. Local noise punk heroes Gumming will open this one up, along with a brand new band featuring members of Haircut and Sweeties called Dummies. How dumb will their take on punk be? The name certainly offers some clues, but we won’t really know until tonight — so be there, and end the mystery.

Thursday, March 12, 6 PM
Brower, Josephine, The Ar-Kaics, Piranha Rama @ Hardywood – Free!
If the Lux show at Mojo’s is an example of old-school hardcore punk, then this free DIG Records-sponsored Thursday night showcase at Hardywood is even older-school than that, taking things back to the powerful melodic energy that defined punk in its earliest days. Brower, who top this bill, are a project headed by Queens resident Nat Brower and featuring a similar rudimentary pop energy combined with scrappy punk stylings as that of some long-ago Queens residents, the Ramones — though there’s some definite Matador Singles-era Jay Reatard to be found in the mix here as well. Their catchy tuneage is bound to put a smile on your face — and in light of how things are going these days, we all need it.

They’ll be visiting Richmond in the company of fellow DIG Records artist Josephine, a singer, songwriter, and drag performer from New York who, along with her band, creates power-pop gold on her brand new debut LP, Music Is Easy. Fans of classic 70s Bowie and Odessey and Oracle-era Zombies are sure to thrill to this one. The always-enjoyable Ar-Kaics, Virginia’s best pure garage-rock revivalists, will be on hand to bring a heaping helping of their own rock n’ roll vitality, and the whole thing will kick off with the maximalist genre-hopping power-pop of Richmond’s own Piranha Rama. It’s the sort of evening that would be a thrill at any price — but since you can save your cash for the tasty craft brews, it’s even more so!

Friday, March 13, 8 PM
Peaer, Strange Ranger, Gnawing, SHE @ Poor Boys – $8 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
I have no idea if Peaer are actually named after a misspelling of a fruit or if it’s all just a happy coincidence, but I am certain that this New York band make music every bit as sweet as their possible misspelled namesake. Their 2019 LP, A Healthy Earth, is math-rock at its most melodic and delicate, the sort of complex guitar figures that are the hallmark of the genre fading into the background in favor of charming vocal harmonies and intriguing lyrics often detailing the sort of modern, everyday anxieties that make up the background noise of all our day-to-day lives.

Thankfully, even as they express these neuroses, their music acts as a soothing balm, one that will feel even more like a relief in the context of Poor Boys’ Voodoo Room this Friday night. Better yet, they’ll come to us in the company of Strange Ranger, a group that has an approach both less mathy and less quiet than that of Peaer, but just as sweetly melodic and full of catchy vocal harmonies to make you swoon. This is a killer double bill, and with local stalwarts Gnawing and SHE rounding things out, it’ll be even more delightful. Let yourself sink into this one — it’s sure to be a delight.

Saturday, March 14, 9 PM
Sexbruise?, The Last Real Circus Show, Sid Kingsley @ The Dark Room – $5
Ever had a random night with not much going on where you found yourself sitting around with some friends making up ideas for ridiculous bands you’re gonna start and laughing hysterically? I have too, but like most of you, I’ve never actually followed through on those kinds of goofy ideas. That’s the difference between us and the members of South Carolina band Sexbruise? though — they actually went through with it, creating a pop group they straight-up admit is “fake” and satirical in intent, but nonetheless cranks out some pretty outstanding danceable throwback jams.

What’s more, they turn every live show into a party the whole crowd is invited to, using improvisation and audience participation to spice up their performances of their catchy, silly tunes. On an evening when the total hedonistic mess that is Shamrock The Block will be taking place in close proximity to The Hof, Sexbruise? will offer a much needed pick-me-up. Better yet, they’ll be accompanied on this mission by DC/VA folk-rockers The Last Real Circus Show and Richmond’s own Sid Kingsley, making this a true night to remember. You’ll be chuckling fondly over this one on Monday morning at work — assuming you don’t take Sexbruise’s advice to “quit your job” (RVA Magazine has no official position on the matter).

Sunday, March 15, 2 PM
To Pimp A Butterfly 5th Anniversary party, feat. Kaelan Brown, Alec Sullivan, Michael Bradley, Alex Kehayas, and many more @ The Dark Room – $5
Kendrick Lamar might just be the best hip hop artist of the last decade, and the argument in favor of that idea begins right here, with his second album, To Pimp A Butterfly. Where his full-length debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, was an outstanding contribution to the tradition of hip hop, To Pimp A Butterfly took things to the next level, moving beyond the basics of beats and rhymes to tackle epic themes and integrate the full spectrum of black music, from jazz and gospel to funk and soul. Working with talented musicians from legendary bassist/producer Thundercat to former Butcher Brown guitarist Keith Askey, Kendrick made a widescreen album full of true musicality, and brought a pile of classic tracks into the world in the process — everything from “How Much A Dollar Cost” to “King Kunta” to the massively enjoyable “I.”

Now, in an effort to commemorate the fifth anniversary of this epochal musical achievement, a bunch of the most talented musicians in Richmond are coming together on the Dark Room stage to perform the album live, with new expanded arrangements brought into the world by nearly 20 different musicians, all fronted by talented young Richmond MC Kaelan Brown. Jazz/classical composer Alec Sullivan will conduct the massive horn section, local bass talent Alex Kehayas will play the Thundercat role on the low end, and an assortment of gifted young players will all work together to bring To Pimp A Butterfly to life onstage before your very eyes. If that’s not a great way to cap off your weekend, I seriously don’t know what is.

Monday, March 16, 9 PM
Horse Lords, Halfcast, Hellawes @ Cary Street Cafe – $10
Monday night is a great night to get weird, and with Baltimore’s Horse Lords in town, we have the perfect opportunity. Earlier in the column, I talked about Peaer’s sweetly enjoyable form of math-rock, and now it’s time to talk about the opposite. On their brand new album, The Common Task, Horse Lords use dissonant guitar figures and constantly shifting polyrhythms to keep listeners constantly unsteady on their feet, as if they’re standing on the deck of a pitching, yawing pirate ship.

If you find musical thrills in everything from New York-style No Wave to the styles of the nomadic Saharan guitar slingers who’ve come to so much prominence over the past several years, and further appreciate Baltimore’s legacy of total weirdness, from Oxes to Dan Deacon, you’re sure to flip for Horse Lords. Local psychedelic rangers Hellawes will prove their own ability to destabilize the room with their sound a quite formidable one in its own right, while Halfcast will create a relative oasis of discernability with their catchy indie-rock tunes at the center of the bill. You might walk home sideways from this one, but you’ll have a great time getting there.

Tuesday, March 17, 8 PM
Diana Rein @ The Tin Pan – $18 (order tickets HERE)
Our culture is full of tales about former child actors who came to bad ends, from Corey Haim to Jonathan Brandis. But it’s certainly possible for people who acted as children to grow into completely functional creative adults, and blues guitarist Diana Rein is a great example. You might not remember her name, but you probably remember her from her role as Sondra McCallister, one of Macaulay Culkin’s many cousins in the Home Alone film series. Today she’s all grown up, and while she no longer acts, her musical endeavors prove that she has plenty of creative energy still to get out.

For those who enjoy classic electric blues in the vein of BB King and Buddy Guy, Rein’s got a throwback sound you’re sure to love. On her latest LP, Queen Of My Castle, she mixes original tunes that follow in the footsteps of classic Chicago blues jams with some more wide-ranging efforts that show she’s got range, reaching into the realms of Bonnie Raitt-style blues-informed rock without ever losing track of the powerful chops that act as her calling card. The fact that Rein was once in a movie you watched a hundred times on VHS when you were little might be what initially catches your interest, but it’s the talent she’s showing off today that makes this show 100 percent worth your time.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, March 13, 7:30 PM
Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers @ Hampton Coliseum (Hampton) – $26-$86 (order tickets HERE)
Sturgill Simpson is an artist who has remained consistently interesting to me ever since I first became aware of his music over half a decade ago. He grabbed me with his second album, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, on which he attempted to get outside the moribund Nashville mainstream that has made country music into a cookie-cutter genre, and he’s just kept upping the ante ever since. After his third album, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth, he engaged in a busking-style public protest against the Country Music Awards’ refusal to speak about the more uncomfortable political issues that had come up in the wake of the mass shooting at a Jason Aldean show in Las Vegas. His approach to both his music and his role as an artist was incredibly refreshing to see.

Now, with last year’s Sound And Fury, Simpson’s taken things even farther once again, creating a suite of songs that are strongly informed by the current political climate and stand musically at so far a remove from the world of country music that some would say there’s no country left in what he’s doing, that he’s become a rock n’ roller using synths and crunching guitars to make a full-on alternative-rock album. But why get hung up on genre? Like the Drive-By Truckers before him, Simpson has a unique approach to a set of influences that is both wide-ranging and inextricably American, and hearing him bring them to bear on a strong creative effort is worth all our time, regardless of what genre it ends up sounding like. Don’t worry about country music, worry about good music. This show is going to bring plenty of it to you — I recommend that you be there.

Saturday, March 14, 3 PM
St. Patrick’s Day Punkarade, feat. 430 Steps, Brandy And The Butcher, ChargedCam36, Drunk Buseys, Lettermans, Like No Tomorrow, Locomotive Gun, Nervous System, Rad Taco, Rotten Stitches, The Jasons, The Moneys, Whiskey Warfare, Worser @ Pourhouse of Norfolk (Norfolk) – $5
It seems that Saturday, three days before the actual holiday, is the accepted date for celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in 2020. And I guess it makes sense; it’s the most “blah blah blah, drink” holiday of every year, and we may as well hold it on the weekend, so that everyone has a day to be hung over and feeling horrible before they have to go back to work. But let me say, if you really are insisting on tying one on this weekend, you’ll be better off doing so in Norfolk. There, instead of Shamrock The Block, the advertisements for which tell you they have “live music” on offer, but not who’s playing — always an ominous sign (I googled, it’s a couple of tribute acts and some cover bands) — you get the St. Patrick’s Day Punkarade at Norfolk’s Pourhouse.

Kicking off early in the afternoon and lasting far into the night, the Punkarade will bring together bands from all over the east coast, all of whom have a strong punk rock sensibility and all of whom will make you want to raise a fist in the air and sing along. Highlights of this bill include South Carolina punk hellraisers Brandy And The Butcher, Pennsylvania grindcore maniacs Worser, Norfolk punk goofballs Rad Taco, NoVA old-school punkers Like No Tomorrow, and topping off the whole thing, Ramones/Misfits-loving horror punks The Jasons. There’s way more happening on this bill as well, more than I could possibly find the space to tell you, but suffice it to say that if you like punk rock, it’ll be the best St. Patrick’s Day throwdown you could ever ask for. One word of advice, though — if you’re heading down from Richmond, you might want to book a motel room in advance. It’s better than sleeping it off in the backseat of your car, right?

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

Top Photo by Zach Wish with Stefanie Lutz, via Caverns of Pine/Facebook

VA Shows You Must See This Week: February 19 – February 25

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, February 20, 7 PM
Bracewar, Division Of Mind, Combust, Mutually Assured Destruction, Guardrails @ The Camel – $15
There’s a lot going on in the Richmond music scene these days, within all sorts of different genres. And that’s wonderful! But if you want to talk about the styles of music that have a fertile, longstanding tradition in this town, you probably can’t do better than bringing up the Richmond hardcore scene. Going back to the dawn of the 80s and extending all the way to today, Richmond has been a town in which hardcore thrives, and this show at The Camel on Thursday night is the proof that this continues to be true in 2020.

At the top of the bill is Bracewar, one of those Richmond hardcore elder-statesman bands who moved into “plays a few shows a year but is otherwise inactive” mode at least seven years ago, but did thrill us all by releasing their first new material in almost a decade in the form of 2018 EP Colossal. They’ve maintained a slightly higher profile since then, but a Richmond Bracewar show is still a relative rarity, and if you delight in their signature brand of powerful breakdowns peppered with moments of high-speed thrashing, you’ll certainly want to catch this one.

Beyond Bracewar, this bill mostly focuses on current all-stars of Richmond’s straightforward hardcore scene, most predominantly Division Of Mind. This group’s recent self-titled LP on Triple B Records demonstrates that, while they are very skilled at the mosh, they have quite a bit more going on, and are worth your time and attention even if you don’t still find diving into an energetic pit to be the best way to spend a band’s set. Combust are actually from New York, but released a 12-inch EP on RVA’s own Edgewood Records last year, and will bring an energetic and welcome NYHC attack to the Camel’s stage. Plus, there’s Mutually Assured Destruction, who are taking heavy hardcore in an adventurous direction that doubtless owes a bit to Life Of Agony and Twitching Tongues, and the first show ever from Guardrails, who will kick this one off with a ton of pissed-off energy. Carry on the tradition, Richmond — be at this show.

Wednesday, February 19, 9 PM
Lifters, Weird Tears, Neat Sweep @ Fuzzy Cactus – $6
Punk rock has been enshrined in pop culture as music with something important to say, and I think that’s great, but one thing punk rock has always had room for, one that gets de-emphasized when we focus on The Clash and forget about the Ramones, is pure no-frills rock n’ roll melody. Durham’s Lifters might not qualify for punk rock if you’re expecting some sort of sophisticated political critique to emerge from their catchy tunes, but if you’re conversant with the genre’s history, the connection is undeniable. And that’s as it should be.

Tonight, if you’re looking for some catchy, fun tunes, played with plenty of energy but not that much polish, and reminding you of great groups like Radioactivity, Teengenerate, or the aforementioned Ramones, you’re going to want to point your feet toward Brookland Park’s own Fuzzy Cactus. There, Lifters and local melodic punk stalwarts Weird Tears and Neat Sweep are going to sweep you off your feet and get you caught up in the toe-tapping joys of punk rock. It all happens tonight; plan your evening accordingly.

Thursday, February 20, 9 PM
Excitable Boys, Daniel Case, The Dolphins @ Fuzzy Cactus – $7
It’s always interesting when you know enough about a band to care what they have to offer, but have no idea what they actually sound like. Such is the case with Excitable Boys, a band seemingly named for Warren Zevon’s most famous album, and made up of three different musicians one usually wouldn’t expect to see grouped together. In this case, those musicians include country-folk singer-songwriter Benjamin Shepherd, former Southside Stranglers guitarist Kevin Guild, and Irish-by-way-of-New-York indie-folk artist Cal Folger Day — who isn’t even a boy, putting a lie to the bandname in a far more entertaining fashion than the millions of all-male “girls” bands.

Anyway, that’s certainly an intriguing trio to bring together in one musical combo… but what exactly do you get when you mix an Irish indie-folk troubadour, a punk rock guitarist, and an Americana singer-songwriter? There’s only one way I know of to find out, and that’s to show up at Fuzzy Cactus this Thursday night and see what happens when the three of them take the stage together. It’s sure to be interesting; perhaps even, dare I say… exciting! (Sorry, y’all, but I couldn’t resist.)

Friday, February 21, 7:30 PM
Yamato Drummers present: Jhonetsu — Passion @ Altria Theater – $35 – $43 (order tickets HERE)
It’s not often that an opportunity for something truly unusual comes across our desk here at RVA Must-See Shows headquarters, so when something like this shows up in the local live music environment, we’ve got to make the most of it. Therefore, I encourage you to suck it up, deal with the higher-than-average ticket prices that accompany any night spent at the Altria, and go see Wadaiko Yamato, aka Yamato Drummers, this Friday night.

This group hails from Nara, Japan, a city once known as Yamato, and plays the sort of ensemble drumming native to Japan that’s known in the West as taiko. Wadaiko Yamato are a group made up of around a dozen different drummers, who explore the possibilities of percussion through polyrhythmic dynamics and highly choreographed theatrical dance performances. If you recognize the deep, transformative power of the beat that lies at the heart of music, you’re sure to be captivated and energized by what Wadaiko Yamato bring to the stage. It’s not the kind of thing you’ll see every weekend, either — that’s for sure. Make seeing this one a priority.

Saturday, February 22, 7 PM
Enforced, Alfred, Louderhead, Brain Tourniquet, Serqet @ Gallery 5 – $10
The war on drugs has been a highly damaging initiative of the US government over the past half-century or so. While it has failed to make a significant dent in the use and trafficking of mind-altering substances, it has allowed for a massive increase in the percentage of the US population that is incarcerated, a phenomenon that’s had a disproportionate effect on African Americans and low-income, marginalized folks across the country. This is why it’s heartening to see the first tentative steps being made here in Virginia to move beyond carceral methods of dealing with drug use and trafficking and toward decriminalization and harm reduction initiatives that grass-roots activist groups have been pushing for years.

This Saturday’s event at Gallery 5 will offer you the opportunity to both support these efforts and become part of them yourself… as well as hearing some great music, of course. The evening will begin with a free naloxone training session, then move on to music from Richmond leading lights like dark metallic hardcore ragers Enforced and psychedelic hip hop lyricist Alfred. There’ll also be a performance from Louderhead, who I am guessing is a Motorhead tribute band (always fun). And of course, DC power-violence freaks Brain Tourniquet and local goth-punk heroes Serqet will be in the house as well. The music will be great, the cause is just as great… get involved in this one.

Sunday, February 23, 9 PM
Catfest 4, feat. Cadillac Cat, Young Apollo, Gemi Jhay, Ley Cash, Pyrex Pedro, Civonnee, Balu, Delow, Cassius Kay, Qash, Skyy With 2 Y’s, Lowlifeball, Rasul, Don Chase, Ceo, Dee16Hunna, Mia Money, Lxrd Sleeza, Kaywan, Rascal Grimez, Tyrone Leake Jr., Moochiee @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard to keep up with the Richmond hip hop scene, and that’s not just because there’s a ton going on in this city. It’s also because hip hop is one music scene that doesn’t seem to have much use for the non-social-media internet, so information is at a premium, and google searches can only do so much. That said, I have been hearing the name Cadillac Cat for a while, so the fact that this jam-packed Sunday evening at The Camel is his fourth annual Catfest isn’t that much of a surprise.

If you also know the name Cadillac Cat, it’s probably because he’s produced a variety of material for Noah-O, including their 2017 full-length collab, Face/Off. These days, he’s working on a project called God Status, and if the video for first track “Free Shine” is any indication, this is going to be a hard-as-fuck street-level attack full of pounding beats and braggadocious flows. Expect something similar from his headlining set at this event. As for the 20-plus other artists performing, expect a crash course in an entire segment of the mid-Atlantic hip hop scene, one that’s sure to teach you a whole lot of shit you can’t learn from the internet.

Monday, February 24, 8 PM
Halfcast, Linden Row, Afib, Madison Turner @ The Camel – Free!
These free “Industry Night” shows the Camel has been throwing lately are intended to give all the people who work difficult shifts in the world of food service every weekend an opportunity to celebrate the end of their week’s busiest time. However, they also help out the Richmond live music preview industrial complex, an industry that I’m pretty sure consists entirely of me. So I’m really glad these exist, as they are sometimes the only thing remotely worth paying attention to on a Monday night — and that’s definitely true this week.

This week’s event offers a pretty strong local lineup, especially for a show that will cost you zero dollars to attend. That lineup is topped by Halfcast, a local trio who mix a chops-conscious metallic approach with alt-rock sensibilities to create crunchy melodic gold. Then there’s Linden Row, an alt-rock combo with plenty of energy and the same sort of mischievous surf-punk feel that shines through prime Pixies material; their set is sure to be a blast. I haven’t heard Afib, but they feature Truman drummer Dylan Anderson stepping out from behind the kit to pick up a guitar and play some indie/emo tunes, and that’s certainly an intriguing concept to me. And of course, Madison Turner, who’ll be playing her alt-punk-indie-folk tunes accompanied by a full band at this gig, is always worth seeing. So show up on time and catch it all. The price is more than fair.

Tuesday, February 25, 7 PM
GARZA, Jouwala Collective @ The Broadberry – $20 in advance/$25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Do you like to dance? If you do and you’ve spent any time at all in the state of Virginia, you’re sure to be familiar with the work of Rob Garza, better known as one half of the legendary DC duo Thievery Corporation. Thievery Corporation has been active for over two decades and show no signs of slowing down; indeed, they recently announced a new LP coming in the spring. However, Garza’s creative mind is always restless, and so he has brought us GARZA, a project initially born from his desire to write music for other people.

In the end, he couldn’t bear to give the music he’d come up with away, and it was released late last year on an EP entitled Where The Moon Hides, which finds Garza collaborating with vocalists Seann Bowe and EMELINE to create some lovely, immersive electronic melodies that increase the pop quotient of Garza’s Thievery Corporation work without losing that pulse that always keeps your feet moving. GARZA will utilize a whole ensemble of singers and live instruments to wonderfully recreate these tunes in a live setting at the Broadberry this Tuesday night. Be sure to wear your dancing shoes for this one.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Thursday, February 20, 7 PM
Summer Salt, Okey Dokey, Breakup Shoes, Berries @ Elevation27 (Virginia Beach) – $17 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Groundhog or no groundhog, the fact remains that summer is far away at the moment. Therefore, it’s an especially welcome breath of fresh air that brings Summer Salt to Virginia Beach’s Elevation27 this Thursday night. This Austin Texas group mixes the sweet beach pop of Brian Wilson and the Brazilian bossa nova of artists like Gilberto Gil and Joao Gilberto into a base that is fundamentally indie-pop in nature. The result is the sort of lovely sound that’s sure to please fans of both Paul Simon’s Graceland and Animal Collective’s Feels.

In other words, it’s the perfect late-week listen for a Virginia locked in the late-winter doldrums. And it’s sure to bring a smile to your face even if you do have to don your heavy coat to walk from the club back to the car at the end of the night. The evening will also feature performances from catchy psychedelic indie group Okey Dokey, who hail from Nashville, and some electro-pop sounds from Arizona’s Breakup Shoes. Plus, VA Beach’s own Berries will kick off the evening with some charming indie-pop of their own. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

Sunday, February 23, 7 PM
Tommy Stinson, Dashdown @ Hive Collective (Norfolk) – $25 – $100 (order tickets HERE)
Wrap up your weekend by spending an intimate evening in the company of Tommy Stinson and his acoustic guitar at Norfolk art gallery the Hive Collective. If you’re not familiar with Tommy Stinson by name, his time as bass player in The Replacements, Guns N’ Roses, and Soul Asylum should certainly let you know why he matters. But what really makes it a good idea for you to go see the man perform solo is the strength of his material as singer and songwriter, both under his own name and as the frontman for Bash And Pop.

That quartet, which released one excellent LP called Friday Night Is Killing Me in the wake of The Replacements’ early-90s breakup, then went their separate ways, got back together a few years ago for a long-awaited, much-belated follow-up called Anything Could Happen, which proved that they still had the spark that made their earlier work so wonderful. Stinson’s relatively recent solo LP, 2011’s One Man Mutiny, was just as great and heartfelt, and you can expect to see the sort of sloppy, sincere talent that’s always been the hallmark of his work on display at this intimate performance, so I highly recommend you get 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]

Top Photo by Gabe Becerra/Twitter

VA Shows You Must See This Week: November 21 – November 27

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, November 23, 8 PM
The Big Payback, Weekend Plans @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Hey Richmond, it’s Christmas time! Well, OK, it’s still the day before Thanksgiving as you read this, but we all know what comes the day after Thanksgiving: Black Friday, the longstanding kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. In these days when stores are playing Christmas carols over the muzak the day after Halloween, it might seem like Black Friday actually lands several weeks into the Christmas shopping season, but none of us can deny that the most ridiculous sales (and the biggest customer mobs) all happen when the stores open the day after Thanksgiving. I mean, the evidence is on YouTube to prove it!

That being said, Richmond’s foremost James Brown tribute act, The Big Payback, are giving all of us a reason to leave the house on Black Friday despite all the crazy shopping crowds. Long after that whole pallet of $20 TVs is gone from the Walmart aisle, they’ll be taking the stage at The Camel to chase your Christmas shopping blues away with a set of powerful funk. Frontman Kelli Strawbridge has quite the reputation for talent, energy, and soul due to his many excellent projects around town (KINGS, Mekong Xpress, Mikrowaves, and the list goes on), and seeing The Big Payback makes clear that he was born to invoke the spirit of James Brown live on stage.

The Godfather Of Soul recorded three different Christmas albums over the course of his career, and we can only hope that Strawbridge and his crack ensemble of talented musicians are willing to bust out “Soulful Christmas” or “Go Power At Christmas Time” for this performance. Even if they just stick to the tried-and-true classics, though, you’ll still get a night full of perfectly-played funk grooves it’s impossible to sit still for. So get on the floor, get your groove on, and sweat those turkey pounds away. Start your Christmas season on the good foot.

Wednesday, November 21, 8:30 PM
Kofi Shepsu Trio @ Vagabond – Free!
It’s the night before Thanksgiving, and the last place you want to be is the party all your old high school friends are throwing down the street from your parents’ house. So hey, why not stay in town for an extra night and come groove on some smooth jazz sounds down at Vagabond? Drummer and bandleader Kofi Shepsu is quite young; he just graduated high school earlier this year. But don’t let his youth fool you — this man definitely knows his way around a kit.

Even with only a brief professional music career behind him, Shepsu has already managed to work with quite a few Richmond jazz heavyweights, including Charles Owens, Andrew Randazzo (of Butcher Brown), and Kevin Eichenberger (of CGI Jesus), among others. This particular session sees him leading a trio featuring the bass talents of veteran RVA jazz musician Michael Hawkins, as well as the piano stylings of Garen Dorsey, who previously played saxophone in the avant-garde jazz-metal project Groam. The results of this collaboration aren’t exactly predictable, but they’re sure to be enjoyable. Certainly more so than hearing about whatever the annoying guy who sat behind you in English class ten years ago has been up to.

Friday, November 23, 6 PM
RVA Noise Fest: The Finale, feat. Yohimbe, Dyrt, Fake Object, Xenojothsz, Teenage Cynobyte, Kyle Flanagan, Hunting Dog, Kisner, Melul, Ceremonial Scissors, Broadcastatic, Nu Depth, Coteries, Richmond Avantgarde Improv Collective (photo by Joey Wharton), Thieves Of Shiloh, Internecine, Surfacing, and more? @ Strange Matter – $5
Some of the worst news to reach the ears of the Richmond music scene in quite some time broke last week: Strange Matter, which has indubitably been one of the top venues for live music in Richmond over the past decade, would be closing down before the end of 2018. Since the word got out, a variety of different scenes within the local music community have expressed their sorrow over this awful turn of events by putting together one last hurrah for all the local groups within their particular music world. Friday marks the first of these events to hit the calendar — and certainly not the last.

Richmond has long been a hub for experimental noise production, and annual celebrations like RVA Noise Fest were always a great opportunity for the many creative projects within that scene to grab the attention of the community at large — often with damaged beats, harsh noise, and skronking improvisational wildness. Now they’re all coming together to do it one final time. Over a dozen noise acts, from local stalwarts like Coteries and Fake Object to returning former residents like Nu Depth, will all take the stage and blast the loyal Strange Matter denizens with massive walls of sonic chaos. They’ll your mind clean of all thoughts relating to holiday carols and gift shopping, creating an army of shambling noise zombies ready to take over the world. Or at least, we can hope they will.

Saturday, November 24, 4 PM
Nerve, Love Roses, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Smoke Signals, Thirst For The Sea, 7th Grade Girl Fight, Satori Daydream, Flood The Asylum @ 3 B’s Bar and Grill – $10 or $7 plus donation
It’s not often that I’d send you 90 minutes to the northwest of the city for a Saturday afternoon show, but these aren’t normal times. It’s a holiday weekend, you’ve got plenty of time on your hands, and this is a sincerely fascinating bill that will offer you a chance to catch up with all the bands you’ve missed from smaller cities and towns around the state (as well as a couple of DC-area projects). Plus, it’s for a good cause — these bands are coming together to feed the hungry and donate toys to underprivileged kids, which is always a good thing to do, right?

So who are the bands you’re going to hear as part of this trip up 64 West? Well, there’s the dark, raging hardcore of Maryland’s Nerve. There’s the driving emotional post-hardcore of Charlottesville’s Smoke Signals. There’s the rockin’ indie-garage of fellow Charlottesvillains 7th Grade Girl Fight. There’s the brutality of Fredericksburg deathcore mosh warriors Flood The Asylum. There’s the goofy, speedy punk of NoVA’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. And there’s more, including RVA faves Love Roses. Plus, it all takes place in a scenic central VA town, inside a bar that clearly used to be a Pizza Hut. How fun is that? Fire up the GPS app on your phone and get there!

Sunday, November 25, 6 PM
Hand Out, W I S H, Manson Family Values @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
We’re all gonna have to get back to work on Monday, which is never fun after a long weekend, but of course you can soften the blow with some excellent live music. On Sunday evening, Garden Grove will present all comers with a set from Hand Out, a relative newcomer from New Orleans who apparently have some history in that city (members previously played in NOLA bands Modern Language and Variants). Here in RVA, all we have to reckon with is Hand Out’s debut EP, recorded earlier this year before the quartet had filled out its lineup.

Not that you can tell from listening to it — Blood & Water has a full, powerful sound that channels the work of groups like Balance And Composure and You Blew It. If heartfelt, hard-rockin’ emocore is your cup of tea, this band’s gonna make you want to go back for refills. They’re joined on the bill by local newcomers W I S H (they write it with those spaces on purpose), whose recently released two-song EP finds them tapping into the spirit of prime 90s shoegaze from the US. The Swirlies and the Lilys come immediately to mind, not that that’ll mean much to my younger readers. Loud guitars, hazy vocals, and ethereal melodies should appeal to everyone, though. And honestly, if you don’t love the moniker picked by openers Manson Family Values enough to give them a shot based on name alone, I don’t even know what to tell you.

Monday, November 26, 6 PM
Colin Phils (photo by Mags Design), Castle OG, Model Child, Don Babylon, Moniker, Halfcast @ Strange Matter – $10
These farewell-to-Strange-Matter shows are gonna come hot and heavy over the next few weeks, y’all, but don’t get too jaded to ’em, because in only a few short weeks, the club we’ve loved for a decade now will be gone forever. The best advice I could possibly give you is to treat them like Pokemon and catch ’em all. This one in particular will be rewarding for fans of interestingly complex underground rock sounds; the fact that it’s headlined by the one and only Colin Phils only makes that even more clear. This South Korea-via-Richmond group impressed the hometown crowd with their strong split LP with Houdan The Mystic.

Since then, they’ve plentifully proven their mettle (not metal, though, these guys are more math-rock) in quite a few live performances around town. Give them a chance to prove it to you on Monday night at Strange Matter, and you’re sure to come away impressed. Castle OG (the initials stand for “Of Genre,” and I have still never figured out if this is a high-fantasy reference or what) have been making some waves of their own lately. They’ve got a killer indie-pop sound complete with autotuned vocals and some really catchy synth parts, as showcased on their “No Trick” single from last year. And then of course there are a ton of other great local bands who are somewhere on the rock spectrum, from guitar-slinging faves Don Babylon to the unassuming alt-rock of Moniker. There are at least two more bands on this bill, and word is more will be added, so for only ten bucks, you really can’t go wrong. Drink in that Smatter ambiance while you can.

Tuesday, November 27, 8 PM
Blame God (photo by Danny DeRusso Photography), Ancient Torture Techniques, Berkowitz, MSD, Spontaneous Noize Combustion @ McCormack’s – $8
Things may be getting dire where the lower Fan’s music scene is concerned (Flora’s also scheduled for the chopping block), but down on the grimy streets of Shockoe Bottom, the Between 2 Beers crew is still keeping the metal flame burning at McCormack’s. It’s a heartening sign of hope for the future, especially when this particular show is headlined by the excellently named New York group Blame God. Their 2017 EP Strategically Confined is a balls-out slab of hardcore rage and biker-metal power, all rolled up together into five songs of pure hate. These guys are going to blow minds and explode heads when they hit the McCormack’s stage, so come prepared.

And expect the unrelenting onslaught to start the second the first band takes the stage at this show. Hailing from Roanoke, the openers in question are known as Spontaneous Noize Combustion and their flavor of blurry, blown-out D-beat is full of harsh feedback and harsher screams. It only gets more hectic from there: MSD bring the grinding death metal to destroy your eardrums. Berkowitz, a new group formed from the ashes of Throne of Botis and Murder, might not be for sensitive souls, but will definitely satisfy your appetite for brutal death grind madness. And Ancient Torture Techniques, the power-violence trio that once upon a time did a split with long-gone Richmond ragers Street Pizza, appear to be fully back from the dead and ready to rip your face off. Sounds like a great time, huh? After all, a little dismemberment is just what anyone should expect from a top-level metal show.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, November 23, 7 PM
The Last Bison, Abby Huston @ Toast – $18 (order tickets HERE)
In a time when bands taking inspiration from mega-selling “indie” folk groups like The Lumineers and Of Monsters And Men are pretty thick on the ground, it can be tough to find anyone talented messing around with those kinds of sounds. Fortunately, The Last Bison have been around for a while, and built up quite the track record for themselves. No insincere johnny-come-latelies they; new album Suda is their sixth release since 2012, and shows some intriguing growth since 2015’s Dorado. The Last Bison initially structured their sound around instruments like acoustic guitar, banjo, and mandolin, but on their new album, it appears their “mountain-top chamber music” have evolved into a strange sort of off-kilter synth-pop sound.

And that’s a pretty good thing, on the whole — mainly because this trio is incredibly talented, writing irresistible melodies and catchy choruses that stand alongside the best of them. Granted, tunes like “Gold” — which has an almost Modest Mouse-like bounce — are far from the folky acoustic charm of early hits like “Switzerland,” but you wouldn’t want a band to stagnate, would you? And rest assured, if you loved their melodies before, the new album will by no means run you off. So head to Toast this Friday night, and let The Last Bison show you what they’ve been up to for the last few years. By the end of the night, you’re liable to forget ever having known the Lumineers existed.

Saturday, November 24, 8 PM
Process of Suffocation, Appalling, Voarm, Night Hag @ Riffhouse Pub – $8
Process of Suffocation, Memphis’s mysterious masters of death metal, come to Norfolk this Saturday night, and all of you better get ready to bang your head. This group’s blackened sound lands somewhere between the chaotic rage of early Possessed and the relentless rumble of NYC legends Internal Bleeding. It can be heard in all its fine fury on 2015’s Caos Y Destruccion 666, but the group’s released nothing in the three years since. By now they’re bound to have built up a backlog of new stuff, and anyone heading out to this show can look forward to some fresh cuts from the slaughter.

They can also look forward to a triple thrash threat of VA bands backing them up, including two RVA all-stars. Appalling will thrill the Tidewater area with their talented take on thrash metal, which interjects both significant melodic flavor and a great deal of old-school deathrage. Then there’s the straight-up Scandinavian-style black metal of Voarm, who’ve made quite an impression on the Richmond scene over the past couple of years and are more than prepared to the same to Hampton Roads. Virginia Beach’s own Night Hag, who demonstrated their ability to come up with excellent titles on this year’s Insemination Rites Of The Succubus, split the difference between lumbering death metal and brutal, powerful doom, like some strange Frankenstein’s monster made of parts from Autopsy and Noothgrush. Epic.

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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

Rosedale, Halfcast, Silver Twin, In The Water @ Strange Matter

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If you thought you would get through a whole week of my column without me talking about emo, well, you’ve got another think coming. Not that Rosedale would necessarily identify as emo–this 15 year veteran project hailing from Canada is actually the work of one man, Mike Liorti, who according to facebook would call Rosedale a “progressive power pop” group. But I know emo when I hear it, and considering that this Canadian guitar-slinger alternates between playing with a full band and touring with a solo setup that he brings to life all by himself, it seems to me that this group could easily be called Canada’s answer to Into It. Over It.

Of course, Rosedale busts out a lot more synths on a typical release than Evan Thomas Weiss would, and ultimately seems to draw more from the softer side of the genre–they’re more Spill Canvas than Pianos Become The Teeth, that’s for sure. But one listen to recent EP Again is enough to convince me that, regardless of genre, Rosedale is well worth catching live. The fact that they’re joined by some killer local rockers like Halfcast and Silver Twin, along with new local group In The Water, is enough to let us all know that this will be an excellent show from beginning to end. Don’t miss out, y’all–after all, what else have you got going on on a Tuesday night?