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Fahrenheit Fair Enough: Weekend Playlist by Brother Rutherford

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Every Friday night, RVA Mag introduces you to yet another outstanding playlist curated by Virginia’s most influential artists, musicians, and institutions.

This week we are graced with a heaping helping of musical delights from none other than Brother Rutherford, who you Richmond music devotees may recognize as Ethan Johnstone, drummer for local math-rock groups Night Idea and Houdan The Mystic. He’s just released his first solo album under the name Brother Rutherford, Tunneling, which is a progressive instrumental rock album with touches of electronic, folk, and ambient sounds.

In addition to helping you get familiar with Brother Rutherford’s unique sound, his mix for us this week will fill your weekend with delightfully progressive and intelligent sounds drawn from all sorts of different genres, but all sharing a clear mood. It’s perfect for finding a shady spot outdoors and relaxing.

Get in the mood, Virginia.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Houdan the Mystic / Headlessmantis / Lucid Traveler / Mad Habit at Gallery 5

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Doors 8pm / Sounds 9pm // DOS $5

On 4/21 at Gallery5!: Come see your new favorite bands before they are famous celebrities!

FIRST UP! Mad Habit
https://madhabitband.bandcamp.com/
AND THEN! Lucid Traveler
https://soundcloud.com/user-918130990
AND THEN! Houdan the Mystic
https://houdanthemystic.bandcamp.com/
AND FINALLY! HEADLESSMANTIS
https://headlessmantis.bandcamp.com/

This show is presented by: Progress Festival, a 3 day music and arts festival May 18th-20th in Dublin, VA
And:
The Jamwich, a regional magazine devoted to spreading the joy of music and artistic expression!

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 4/18-4/24

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, April 20, 8 PM
420 at G5, feat. Battlemaster, Night Idea, Unmaker, Haircut @ Gallery 5 – $8
It’s always weird to live through a holiday you don’t celebrate, and hipster holidays like 420 are no different. That said, just as you don’t have to be a Christian to enjoy getting presents on December 25, you don’t have to be a dyed-in-the-wool marijuana connoisseur to scarf munchies and enjoy some loud music on April 20th. Rest assured, Gallery 5 will not be checking your bloodstream for THC at the door of this 420 celebration, which will bring you some rad local bands for a very economical price point, and offer you a “munchies table” in the bargain. Sounds like a great Friday night to me.

Battlemaster are your headliners on this bill, and these raging metal masters have been dishing out the triumphant, hyperspeed riffage for well over a decade now. Granted, they aren’t the most active band in the scene — it’s been three years since the release of their last LP, Battlehungry and Swordsworn — but then, what could be more fitting for a band headlining a 420 gig? There’s no rush, man, let’s just rage for now and then grab some eats. I gotta admit, y’all, there’s a lot about this 420 mindset that appeals to me.

Night Idea are a bit more active, dishing out their melodic, psychedelic take on math rock on four separate albums in the past seven years; the most recent being last fall’s Riverless. That said, regardless of their scientific approach to song structure, these guys at the end of the day are just some laid back dudes that want to hang. And you’ll be able to do just that as they serenade you with killer tunes that just might leave you scratching your head if you pay close attention. Local heavy-postpunk group Unmaker and raging hardcore punks Haircut round out a bill that’s a perfect celebration of the most stonerific day of the year. So get there on time; after all, the Cool Ranch Doritos aren’t gonna last.

Wednesday, April 18, 7 PM
The Aces, The Barons, Blush Face @ The Camel – $12 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
People talk a lot about the 90s being back these days, but I think we all need to admit that the 80s revival is a formidable aspect of our current musical culture as well. And not the sort of 80s revival we had a decade and a half ago; that was about fashion. This is about music, and where The Aces are concerned, it’s about good music. This four-woman group featuring two sisters might just remind you of fellow sister act Haim, but The Aces are no copycat; their debut album, When My Heart Felt Volcanic, has a grip of excellent melodies and catchy choruses to deliver to all of us, mixing chunky guitars with the same sort of synth swells that lended secret power to classic singles by 80s rockers like Rick Springfield and Corey Hart. I know, younger readers, you have no idea who those people are. Trust me.

Not that you even need to, because hearing the voices of The Aces will be enough to convince you that this band has a sound you need in your life. Their vocal harmonizing gives the already-incredible choruses of songs like “Stuck” and “Bad Love” an atomic-level power that’ll caress your eardrums and shatter your heart. It’s enough to make me long for days of the Saturday morning American Top 40 Countdown. Casey Kasem has passed on, Madonna is, um, not that good anymore, but The Aces are keeping the dream alive. They’re joined on this trip through RVA by Charlottesville’s own 80s-pop killers, The Barons, who mix musclecar references into their own version of guitar-driven, synth-inflected pop. Irrepressible local popsters Blush Face, who always bring a good time, will take the opening slot, and if that’s not a reason to arrive on time, I don’t know what is.

Thursday, April 19, 6 PM
Boston Manor, Free Throw, Homesafe, Hot Mulligan, Save Face @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
As anyone who’s been paying attention to this column for the past few years will surely be aware, I’m a huge fan of emotionally-driven pop-punk. What’s more, I make no apologies for it, and I don’t think anyone else should either. Which is why I’m encouraging all of you who have even a shred of my love for the genre to hold your head high with pride and head out to Strange Matter Thursday night for this visit from Boston Manor. Despite what the name might lead you to think, this quintet hails from Blackpool, England, and if you listen closely to their 2016 full-length debut on Pure Noise Records, Be Nothing, you’ll hear tinges of that cross-the-pond lineage shining through.

In addition to the obvious emotional pop-punk touchstones, there are hints of underrated (at least here in the USA) UK groups like Funeral For A Friend and Idlewild on tracks like “Lead Feet” and “Broken Glass” — and I for one am certainly not complaining. In addition to this excellent UK headliner, this show also brings us a variety of other emo-pop bands from various locations west of the Atlantic and east of the Mississippi. Nashville’s Free Throw are a bit mellow and jangly, while Illinois group Homesafe has a lot of energy and crunch, bordering on melodic hardcore. Michigan’s Hot Mulligan have that way with witty song titles I’ve always loved (“All You Wanted by Michelle Branch,” “Pluto Was Never Really A Planet Either Even”), while New Jersey’s Save Face get all rock n’ rolly, bringing an almost-grunge influence to their melodic punk riffs. All of it’s rad, though. All of it is worth seeing. Don’t hide from it.

Friday, April 20, 8 PM
Bully, Shellshag, The Smirks @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s some great news for anyone with good taste: Bully are hitting town once again. This Tennessee quartet have been lighting it up for close to five years now, with their highly energetic mix of melodic punk and post-grunge power-pop. Their first LP, Feels Like, grabbed a ton of attention for its striking songwriting chops and predilection for overdriven guitars and angst-ridden screams. Last year’s follow-up, Losing (perhaps the continuation of a sentence begun in the first album’s title?), hits even harder, cranking the angst up to 11 and giving frontwoman Alicia Bognanno plenty of opportunities to scream her head off.

Bully’s performance at Strange Matter Friday night will offer yet another opportunity, and it’d be a wise idea for all of us to station ourselves at ground zero of this impending explosion of rock n’ roll fury. If you’ve ever thought that Nirvana would have been an even better band if they were run by a woman, this is the band for you. Plus, they’ll be joined by minimalist garage-punk heroes Shellshag, who’ve been gracing Richmond with their presence regularly for years and have won over a lot of people in the process. If you don’t know, now you know. Local punk rock killers The Smirks open up with what is apparently their album release show. And look, I know I tell you quite often that you need to get to shows on time. But seriously, if you miss The Smirks’ LP release, you win the blue ribbon for blowing it.

Saturday, April 21, 8 PM
HeadlessMantis, Houdan The Mystic, Lucid Traveler, Mad Habit @ Gallery 5 – $5
This all-local Saturday night special is being brought to you by The Jamwich, a magazine covering regional music of what I’m guessing is the “jam” variety; and Progress Festival, a three-day fest taking place out in Dublin, a VA town somewhere outside of Radford. All of this will give you a definite idea of what this festival-preview night at Gallery 5 will have to offer, but you’d be foolish to write it off accordingly. Because honestly, while I’m no fan of “jam bands” as they are popularly conceived, all of the bands on this bill have quite a bit more to offer than warmed-over retreads of Phish or Disco Biscuits. And thank god for that.

HeadlessMantis is at the top of the bill, and this band has at least as much garage rock running through its swamp-monster veins as prog-psych. They’ll inspire a good deal more headbanging than goofy LSD twirl-dancing. Meanwhile, Houdan The Mystic has some pretty excellent math-rock chops, which they integrate into prog-rock melodies that might please the jam heads but are more likely to keep fans of mid-period King Crimson smiling. Lucid Traveler keep things funky with their instrumental tunes, and while they are probably closest of all these groups to being an actual jam band, they’ll keep the groove moving enough that you won’t want to hold it against them. And openers Mad Habit bring enough pop melodies to keep their psych sound engaging and fun. For a supposed show full of jam bands, this one is gonna be pretty darn unmissable.

Sunday, April 22, 9 PM
Desert Altar, Indighost, Lair @ Bandito’s – Free!
There was a time a few years ago when it seemed you couldn’t get through a week of live music here in Richmond without seeing at least two or three doom metal bands. Even if you were going to indie shows, it was pretty much everywhere. However, lately, it seems like the doom trend is starting to die. This may be bad news to any hipsters who were trying to get famous by wearing denim jackets and copping Fu Manchu riffs from 2001, but it’s good news for those who just want to enjoy good music without all the extra baggage. You’ll have a great opportunity to do so with some bands that might have missed the doom metal trend, but are still really excellent, this Sunday night at Bandito’s.

Indighost is the touring crew on this bill, and this Johnson City, TN crew seems to draw quite a bit of influence from their Appalachian background, as they mix spooky backwoods gloom with their doom-laden psychedelic melodies. Their 2017 album, Sphinx Rider, is the soundtrack for the best Hills Have Eyes-style rural-nowhere horror movie never actually made. At least we have the music, right? Local up-and-comers Desert Altar bring some witchy psych-doom sounds of their own to the bill, as brand new RVA heads Lair crush our heads with some mournfully beautiful sludge. Grab some nachos and settle in for some excellent bleakness.

Monday, April 23, 8 PM
Charmer, Ostraca, Au Revoir, Shy Low @ Strange Matter – $7
OK, before we go any farther can I just give a shoutout to this flyer? Is this really how those “flat-earthers” see the world? Holy hell, my brain is broken. But that’s OK, all will be well once again when this quartet of killer bands takes the stage at Strange Matter Monday night. Of course I’ve never made it a secret that I totally love Ostraca; one of the best bands to come out of Richmond anytime this decade, if you ask me. They only further proved it with the three killer releases they brought into the world last year, highlighted by their second LP, Last. If the idea of passionate, emotionally-driven metallic hardcore that draws equally from black metal, experimental noise, and raging thrash doesn’t appeal to you, then I think you need to come see Ostraca this Monday night and get your head right.

The great thing about this bill is that it not only features one of the best bands making music in this town right now but will also bring us three other groups with their own take on excellent heavyosity. New Jersey’s Au Revoir, the out-of-towners on this bill, bring some epic heavy instrumental jams along the lines of Pelican, or Earthless. Shy Low have been plying their own instrumental post-rock trade locally for a fair bit of time now, but 2017’s Burning Day EP showed us all that the group still have quite a few tricks up their sleeve. And of course, there’s Charmer, whose seemingly sweet name belies this group’s non-stop power-violence attack. On last year’s split EP with Amara, they dished out five songs in around four minutes, and they’ll be cranking ’em out at a similar rate of speed at Strange Matter. Don’t blink.

Tuesday, April 24, 7 PM
Hovvdy, Kenneka Cook, Addy @ Gallery 5 – $8 (order tickets HERE)
I’m still not sure I entirely approve of the whole “two v’s in place of a w” thing that’s been going around for a few years now. That said, I’ve heard a bunch of bands who went with this particular move, and I’ve liked them all. So for now, I’m willing to go with it in the case of Hovvdy. This duo was started by Austin drummers Will Taylor and Charlie Martin to explore their own interest in quiet, hypnotic sounds. Contrary to all the old jokes about drummers not having any musical ability, these two have created a gorgeous world of sound on their brand new album, Cranberry — which ironically features a significant amount of programmed beats. Give the drummer some!

Hovvdy will be joined on this show by Kenneka Cook, who should need no introduction for those who’ve been reading this column and this magazine lately. That said, I’ll offer a brief one: Cook is an amazing soul-funk-pop vocalist who creates incredible music in a variety of formats — sometimes on her own, with programmed loops backing up her vocals; sometimes with bands consisting of the best musicians Richmond has to offer. Which version of Cook’s live performance you’ll get at this show isn’t something I can tell you in advance, but I can tell you that either one is sure to blow you away and leave you begging for more. Addy will open things up with some bedroom-pop solo sounds that will transfer to the stage in unique and interesting ways. This whole bill is worth catching — don’t sleep on it.

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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, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

And on April 23 at 7 PM, make sure to join VA music promoters Lucas Fritz (The Broadberry/The Camel), Mark Osborne (Strange Matter/Slimehole), and Jessica Gordon (RVA Shows/Trigger System), for a FACEBOOK LIVE interactive chat. The promoters will discuss the Richmond music scene, talk about their experiences booking bands, and ask you, the fan, what bands you want to see come to town. They’ll be asking some trivia questions to win tickets to upcoming shows and you can leave any questions you want them to answer in the comments section. Make sure to get in on the conversation this Monday!

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Silent / Music Revival: Houdan the Mystic (Double Feature)

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Doors 6pm

6:30 PM, Admission $7

EVERY, EVERYTHING: THE MUSIC, LIFE AND TIMES OF GRANT HART (2013, 97 min.) –dir/scr: Gorman Bechard w/ Grant Hart, Husker Du, et al.
The late Grant Hart’s (Husker Du, Nova Mob) life from birth in South St. Paul to release of his 2013 album ‘The Argument’ is well-covered in filmmaker Bechard’s (Color Me Obsessed) rockumentary. Stylistically reminiscent of Errol Morris ‘The Fog of War’ as eloquent conversationlist Hart is the only interview of the film. Plenty of locations and clips though for all Husker fans!

8:30 PM, No cover/ Donations Encouraged

Silent / Music Revival presents BUNUEL’s surreal classic L’ AGE D’OR (projected on 16MM!) with live soundtrack by Houdan the Mystic! When director Luis Bunuel’s cryptic satire of Church and State was released in 1930 it was attacked by forces of Catholicism and Fascism, and deemed blasphemous ultimately by its producer, Comte de Noilles.
2 reels with brief intermission

 

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 3/14-3/20

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FEATURED SHOWS
Friday, March 16, 9 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. OINuBi @ Garden Grove Brewery – Free!
Saturday, March 17, 9 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. Harry Partch Appreciation Society @ Garden Grove Brewery – Free!
Sunday, March 18, 8 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. Houdan The Mystic @ Gallery 5 – Free!
Hey y’all, it’s another holiday weekend! No, I’m not talking about someone else’s excuse to get plastered (“I’m a person just like you but I don’t actually drink beer” — Roman Mars); I’m talking about the James River Film Festival, which makes its return for a weekend of serious film nerdery starting this Friday. There are a lot of amazing things going on around town related to the film festival this year. You avant-garde music heads are gonna want to catch Gary Lucas at Grace Street Theatre Friday night, playing along to German silent horror film The Golem; those of you who loved Husker Du are going to want to get to Gallery 5 early on Sunday night and catch Every Everything, a 2013 documentary about the late Grant Hart.

However, what we’re spotlighting is not only the best value for your money anywhere in town this weekend (because, yeah, all these shows are free) but the latest flowering of an ongoing Richmond music scene tradition, that of the Silent Music Revival. Jameson Price of Lobo Marino started this recurring event over a decade ago, pairing local bands with silent films they haven’t seen before in order to create unique soundtracks that reveal new elements of the artists involved while also allowing audiences to experience silent films in a new, engaging way. It’s a cool series, it’s featured a ton of excellent local performers over the years, and this weekend sees a new Silent Music Revival event taking place for every night of the James River Film Festival.

The first two events, both billed as “Avant-Garde Afterparties,” happen at Garden Grove and pair unusual films with unusual local performers. Friday night sees experimental beatmaker OINuBi mixing it up with French director Maurice Tourneur’s 1918 fantasy film The Blue Bird, while Saturday night brings us the 1929 experimental documentary Man With A Movie Camera, a Dziga Vertov film from the early days of the Soviet Union that pioneered many filmmaking techniques we take for granted today. This one will be paired with a performance from the Harry Partch Appreciation Society, a collective of local improvisational musicians paying tribute to the avant-garde microtonal works of the titular composer. Finally, on Sunday night, psychedelic math-rockers Houdan The Mystic will mix it up over at Gallery 5 with the legendary Spanish surrealist director Luis Bunuel’s L’Age d’Or, a cutting satire of church and state that pissed off a lot of repressive people back when it was released. What sort of strange twists will these local performers add to these fascinating films from bygone eras? That’s a question worth answering firsthand — and hey, the price is right.

Wednesday, March 14, 8 PM
Zion I, Iespecial, McKinley Dixon @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Real underground hip hop is alive and well here in RVA, and in a lot of other cities around the USA as well — for evidence, look no further than the arrival in our city tonight of Zion I, the long-running Oakland-based hip hop project led by Baba Zumbi, which has over 10 albums to their credit as of this year, and is about to drop another one, The Tonite Show, in only a couple of weeks. No singles from the album have made their way into the world yet, but you’re sure to hear a few blasted out from the stage at The Camel tonight.

Zion I has a conscious focus, with lyrics that talk about everyday realities for working class African-American people trying to make it in America today. This is the sort of stuff we need to hear, and it’s set to incredible beats from a variety of producers that hit hard but don’t leave out the melodies and the memorable choruses that get you moving. Zion I is on tour with Iespecial, a Boston group with a hip hop vibe, an electronic sound, and a psychedelic consciousness, all of which integrates together into a unique sound that should appeal to fans of both Zion I’s hip hop and more experimental projects from King Crimson to Disco Biscuits. And of course, with McKinley Dixon opening up the show, you know the local support will make it well worth your time to show up early. This one can’t miss.

Thursday, March 15, 8 PM
Vesterian, Rites To Sedition, Death Shroud, Embra @ McCormack’s – $7
Black metal rules. From the unrelenting riffage and pounding drums to the intense vocals and spooky subject matter, it’s a sound with a guaranteed appeal to weirdos like me who love horror movies and screeching atonal noise. As a genre, it has a desire to freak people out, and while that can sometimes get into downright sketchy territory, thankfully Vesterian just stick with classic occult themes in their evocation of musical terror — and who can’t get down with that? So wear your corpse paint and spiked gauntlets to McCormack’s Thursday night, because this LA crew is bringing you some grim, frozen brutality from the sunny shores of SoCal. The unrelenting assault of their excellent 2013 LP, Anthems For The Coming War Age, is sure to come to life on this chilly winter’s night here in RVA.

Charlotte, NC’s Rites To Sedition will join Vesterian this night with some killer sounds of their own, though they veer more towards progressive thrash metal wizardry than outright black metal darkness. And there’s not a damn thing wrong with that, as proven by their excellent 2017 LP, Ancestral Blood, which shows how black metal influences can be integrated with prog melodies and thrash speed without sacrificing an ounce of intensity on any level. Feel the triumph! Support will be ably provided by Blacksburg black metal maulers Death Shroud, and by up-and-coming RVA shredders Embra. Heads will bang throughout — be prepared.

Friday, March 16, 6 PM
A Blues Brothers Tribute Show, feat. No BS! Brass Band, The Flavor Project, The Blue Tips, KINGS, RVA Tonight’s Studio 804 @ Hardywood – Free!
As a movie, The Blues Brothers has just about got it all. Not only does it give us the original SNL dynamic duo of Aykroyd and Belushi (RIP) spreading their wings across a hilarious feature film, not only is it in the top 5 all-time car chase movies (the other four are Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, the original Gone In 60 Seconds, Vanishing Point, and Bullitt — go see all of them), it features an absolutely incredible soundtrack full of powerful performances from R&B legends including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and more. And of course, the Blues Brothers backing band is made up of legendary stars from the classic Stax house bands including Booker T & the MGs and the Bar-Kays. Any group of musicians setting themselves the task of paying tribute to the film have given themselves a lot to live up to.

Fortunately, the musicians involved in this tribute show are more than equal to the task. This evening will pair a live screening of the film with performances from members of No BS! Brass Band, The Flavor Project, KINGS, and more, coming together to form an all-star RVA band that one might even regard as a 21st century equivalent to those Memphis all-stars that made up the original Blues Brothers. This band will take over for the film’s versions of classic songs like “Shake Your Tailfeather” (Ray Charles), “Think” (Aretha Franklin), “The Old Landmark” (a gospel standard performed in the film by James Brown), and quite a few more. If you’re as stoked about the original Blues Brothers film, and the work of the many classic southern soul musicians who were involved in it, as I am, you really need to be there.

Saturday, March 17, 8 PM
Dumb Waiter, Tiny Scissors, Colin Phils @ Gallery 5 – $7
The math-jazz-metal mania that is Dumb Waiter rolls on undiminished year after year, and anyone who has an issue with that is a total grinch. It’s been a while since this instrumental quartet gave us any new music — second LP Cancel Christmas was all the way back in spring 2016 — but if the facebook rumor mill holds true (and it ALWAYS does), they’ve been laying down some new jams in the upstairs rooms at Gallery 5 that sometimes double as Dave Watkins’ studio. Which is outstanding news that will make all the local diehards feel like the holidays have come early this year (OK, I’ll stop with the Christmas jokes).

Dumb Waiter are well matched on this bill, as they find themselves paired with Atlanta duo Tiny Scissors. This instrumental project brings guitar and drums together into wild flights of math-metal fancy that see them treading on territory previously visited by killer ensembles like Don Caballero and Orthrelm. They’ll get your head spinning as often as they get it banging, but one thing’s for sure — you’ll be hanging on their every note. Korea-via-RVA math-rockers Colin Phils will round out the bill with some killer prog riffs and guitar pyrotechnics. This is one for the thinkers; you’ll see way more than three chords on display at Gallery 5 on this night. Show up ready to have your mind blown.

Sunday, March 18, 8 PM
Soft Kill, Choir Boy, True Body @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The postpunk force is strong with this one. Portland’s Soft Kill are on Profound Lore Records, but don’t let that fool you into expecting any sort of doom metal. No, the doom and gloom here are the sort of dark, pounding energies that you would more normally expect from bands like Joy Division and The Chameleons. These touchstones are becoming more and more frequent around the US postpunk scene these days, and I for one am on board. Soft Kill’s new LP, Savior, is scheduled to drop in May, and only one song from it is available online at the moment, but its ominously indelible melodies foreshadow an evening of darkly hypnotic tuneage.

It doesn’t hurt that they’re joined on this bill by Salt Lake City denizens Choir Boy, who have fought the repressive vibe of their home city with an energetic dream-pop sound harking back to the more colorful bands of the mid-80s UK postpunk underground. Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil influences are clearly present here, though the more mainstream new wave sounds of Spandau Ballet and Scritti Politti are in evidence as well. It all adds up to a set full of danceable tunes that will fill you with the sort of indefinable emotional rush of a John Hughes movie. Relive your teenage years (or, OK, mine) at Strange Matter Sunday night, and don’t miss the opening set from Norfolk sludge-punk weirdos True Body, who’ll add a bit of additional fascinating strangeness to the whole evening.

Monday, March 19, 8 PM
Soul Glo, Prison Religion, Nosebleed, MAASK @ Soft Web Studio Collective – $3-5 sliding scale
OK, let’s get this out there up front: Soul Glo have run into some trouble on their current tour, and may very well not make this show. The Philadelphia punk band, which features multiple people of color, was stopped on tour in Missouri by cops who proceeded to pull the band over and arrest one of the members. They then had to post an emergency crowdfunding campaign in order to pay the unusually high bail set by the judge, who presumably knew a touring band when he saw one. Thankfully, the scene came through, the bail money has been raised, and the band member should soon be free. Whether they’ll want to continue on tour after all that remains to be seen — we’d understand if they didn’t.

However, on the off chance that Soul Glo does make it to Richmond, you should absolutely be at the show. Their music is full of powerful, politically-informed hardcore punk with confrontational lyrics and complex, unpredictable riffs that get crowds moving every time they perform. Their performance is every bit the equal of the reactions they get, with the band throwing themselves into their music and leaving it all on the stage in an intense display that leaves no doubt as to how much they value the opportunity to express themselves, and connect with others. Even if Soul Glo don’t make it, this bill will feature a varied and powerful trio of local artists — the hardcore rage of Nosebleed, the gripping electronic terror of MAASK, and the confrontational, experimental hip hop of Prison Religion. But if nothing else, show up because Soul Glo might make it. They’re worth the time.

Tuesday, March 20, 9 PM
Ovlov, Maneka, Fat Spirit @ Flora – $5
Time to get something else out front: I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with this show, y’all. The facebook event page says Ovlov is playing, while the flyer for the tour (seen above) says Ovlov/Stove frontman Steve Hartlett is doing a solo set. What’s the truth? We’ll all have to show up and find out. However, regardless of what’s going on with Steve and his backing band (or lack thereof), Maneka is definitely playing, and this new project by former Speedy Ortiz guitarist Devin McKnight, is worth coming to check out on their own. Their debut EP, Is You Is, released last fall, mixes distorted off-kilter vibes I’d normally associate with the current state of the experimental electronic music scene with some killer 90’s style loud-guitar alt-rock jams of the sort that both Speedy Ortiz and Ovlov have been excellent at reviving in recent years.

It’s nice to hear bands continuing to put a new spin on this sound, which was excellent back in its original heyday but could easily turn into soulless retreads in the wrong hands 25 years later. Steve Hartlett’s hands are not the wrong ones, and that’s true whether he’s fronting Ovlov — which returned to action against all odds last year after splintering in 2015 — or his solo-ish post(?)-Ovlov project, Stove. It’s probably even true if he’s all by himself, considering how well the more acoustic sound of Stove works at replicating that post-Dinosaur Jr distorted-folk sound that Ovlov did in a much louder fashion. So hey, whatever he’s bringing to the table, I’m there for it, and you should be too. The grunge-punk of openers Fat Spirit will be the perfect appetizer for whatever these touring acts have in store. But I must admit… I really hope it’s an Ovlov full-band set. I love that band so much.

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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, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Top Image by Vivienne Lee

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/6-12/12

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, December 7, 8 PM
Gritty City Is For The Kids 3, feat. Gritty City, Noah-O, Black Liquid, Michael Millions, Tef Wesley, Chance Fischer, Segga Spiccoli, Reppa Ton, Ant The Symbol, hosted by Been Official, music by Swerve 36 @ Strange Matter – $5 (or toy donations)
It’s Christmastime again, and like all good people everywhere, the Richmond music scene tends to get into the giving spirit. Not only has No BS! Brass Band’s canned food drive returned for another year, and Punks For Presents come back for a record five shows (more on that one later), Gritty City Records has put together their third annual Gritty City Is For The Kids hip hop summit. This show, rapidly becoming a local institution, will benefit Toys For Tots by bringing together perhaps the best lineup of local hip hop RVA’s seen since last Christmas.

No, seriously–I’ve talked before about how there are many layers to the RVA hip hop scene, and how every show seems to spotlight a different crew, each of which has a packed stable of amazing rhymers and killer producers waiting in the wings. But in a traditionally competitive genre, Gritty City stands out by crossing all lines between crews and uniting the entire scene for a night that brings together top-level artists from all facets of the scene. This isn’t surprising for a label that’s released local artists from The Lone Crow (aka Murk One) and The Honorable Sleaze (RIP) to Rah Scrilla and John Canada, but it’s certainly refreshing for fans of all facets of RVA hip hop–for once, you can see all the best locals on the same stage on the same night.

Who are we talking about here, exactly? Well of course you know the Gritty City fam (Johnny Ciggs, Fan Ran, Ben FM, etc) will be out in force. But they’ll also be joined by Charged Up majordomo Noah-O, who is a decade into his career and only getting better. Then there’s Michael Millions, an underrated emcee from the AGM posse who just might be the best rhymer on the local scene right now. Chance Fischer, one of the only rhymers with a prayer of challenging Millions for that title, will be there too. And of course, we can’t forget the hardest working man in Richmond hip hop, Black Liquid, who just dropped what must be at least his 20th album and shows no sign of slowing down. Strong up-and-comer Segga Spiccoli, production mastermind Ant The Symbol, rock-solid spitter Reppa Ton, and living legend Swerve 36 on the wheels of steel round out a lineup that no local hip hop fan has any excuse to miss. The charity stuff is important, but where this show is concerned, the reason for the season is the music.

Wednesday, December 6, 8 PM
The Palmer Squares, Vantablac Sol, Netherfriends, Yung Dxrk @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
From local hip hop to some touring rappers from Chicago, it’s a rhyme-heavy week. Here we have a three-artist tour package headed up by The Palmer Squares, who’ve got a huge social media presence and the lyrical skills to back up their high view numbers on YouTube. Their latest EP, NaPalm follows up their first two full-lengths with another half a dozen songs full of tongue-twisting turns of phrase from rappers Terminal Knowledge and Acumental, as well as thick, multi-layered beats from producer Nate Kiz, who isn’t technically in the group but has established a strong, unified sound for The Palmer Squares over the course of multiple projects.

Nate Kiz may not be along on this tour, but Vantablac Sol is, and I’m assuming this Chicago rapper quit using original nom de rhyme Bruce Bayne after DC Comics got wind of it. Regardless, his more laid-back flow fits with Palmer Squares’ more manic tendencies due to equally thick, pulverizing beats that tie his latest VBS Tape together. A fun third piece of this trio is Netherfriends, the Chicago-based project that came through Richmond a bunch back in the 50 Songs 50 States days. Shawn Rosenblatt’s solo project had more of a bedroom-indie vibe back then, but he was already starting to get into hip hop production last time I caught up with him a few years ago, so this tour makes a lot of sense in conjunction with recent beat-heavy releases like Piano Dude. Whether you’re in the house to catch up with Netherfriends or to catch some sick rhymes from Palmer Squares, this show’s gonna deliver some killer sounds to your earholes.

Thursday, December 7, 8 PM
Battalion Of Saints, The Cryptics, Talk Me Off @ Bandito’s – Free!
It’s never a bad guess to assume that an early 80s American hardcore band was full of dead end kids with no future, but even in a scene full of bands that could barely survive their own nihilistic lifestyle, Battalion of Saints deserve special recognition. After all, singer George Anthony has been the only surviving original member of the band since sometime in the late 80s. He’s kept the band rolling with a rotating collection of SoCal miscreants ever since, and most recently, they released a 3-song EP on Southern Lord that showed their skills at loud, fast, out-of-control punk noise having decayed not at all after 35 years of destructive rage.

So it’s pretty cool to see these maniacs rolling through Richmond once again, 20 years after they tore Strange Matter (then known as Twisters) apart on the Death-R-Us tour. This time they’ll be hitting Bandito’s, so all the punks who are scraping quarters together to buy 40s at 7-11 can stop by the show on the way to the store without worrying about their beer money having to go to the door charge. If you’re living a bit more of a sensible lifestyle these days, your money can easily go towards tasty tacos and high-quality brew from the Bandito’s staff. Either way, you’ll get a hefty dose of punk rock awesomeness from the Battalion as well as spooky, melodic punk tourmates The Cryptics and local hardcore-punk newcomers Talk Me Off. Don’t miss out.

Friday, December 8, 8 PM
Punks For Presents 2017, Night 1, feat. London Caroling, Good Cretins, Sex Tinsels @ Gallery 5 – $10
Over the next couple of weeks leading up to Christmas, Punks For Presents will present five amazing holiday-themed covers shows, all of which will benefit Childrens Hospital of Richmond, and all of which are well worth your time even if they don’t end up making it to this column. How could I skip out on this first one, though? It’d be pretty amazing to see an actual bill featuring the holy trinity of the 77 punk rock explosion, and since that will never happen, this is the next best thing!

Not only will this show feature the songs of the Ramones, The Clash, and the Sex Pistols, most likely performed by members of some of your favorite local bands (though at the moment that’s a closely guarded secret–you’ll have to show up Friday night to find out exactly who is involved), it will most likely also feature slightly-rewritten lyrics turning much loved classics into Christmas songs! “Santa Is A Punk”? “Yule Logs Burning”? “Holidays In The Snow”? All are possibilities, but what really makes this whole thing fun is finding out for yourself. Come rock out this Friday night and get in the giving spirit once again!

Saturday, December 9, 8 PM
Houdan The Mystic, Colin Phils, Gull, Shy Low @ Strange Matter – $6 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Our favorite melodic prog mathematicians in Houdan The Mystic are back with yet another split LP. After keeping a low profile for a few years, since previously joining with Fight Cloud for 2014’s killer Where’s My Shakespeare?, they’ve decided to team up this time with South Korean transplants Colin Phils for a slab aptly titled Star Charts. This collection will enter the world this Saturday night at a shindig being thrown by Jet Trails Media over at Strange Matter. Like Where’s My Shakespeare?, Star Charts will enter the world on cassette and CD as well as over the digital waves. And really, even if you’re just planning on picking up the mp3s, record releases aren’t as fun without a big musical celebration, so you should still come out!

After all, Colin Phils are just as big a part of this whole picture as Houdan The Mystic, and unlike Houdan, they may still be quite unfamiliar to those of you who’ve been reading this column for a while. As previously mentioned, they originally formed in South Korea, and only arrived in Richmond recently. However, they’ve made a lot of local connections in their scant time here, and have impressed a lot of people who know what they’re talking about. Including me, I must say–the preview tracks from Star Charts available online show a mastery of everything from post-rock ambience to prog-emo grandeur and math-rock intensity. These guys are sure to bring the heat live, and if you, like me, still haven’t had the pleasure, this is the perfect opportunity. With Gull and Shy Low also on the bill, this is going to be a night full of challenging, amazing musicality. Get on board.

Sunday, December 10, 7 PM
The Dream Syndicate, Elephant Stone, Armistead of Love Tractor @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Social media is a weird thing. For example, this morning as I was checking facebook on my way to work where I knew I’d eventually write about this show, I discovered that it was two years ago today when I returned home from seeing The Dream Syndicate at Strange Matter and bashed out a quick recap for my tumblr before I went to bed. I’d written about that show for my show column, and it had totally lived up to the pre-show hype I myself wrote. Now, with the Syndicate’s return to the city this Sunday night, I find myself writing about them again. And I don’t regret it one bit.

That 2015 show was an incredible showcase of Steve Wynn and co.’s amazing run of 5 releases between 1981 and 1989, and I’m sure there’ll be some Dream Syndicate classics unleashed to mindblowing effect this Sunday night as well. But the main reason you should go to Capital Ale House and see this band is because the reunited incarnation of the band released their first new album in nearly 30 years earlier this year, and How Did I Find Myself Here? stands alongside any of their previous work in awesomeness. Wynn’s killer tunes are still at the forefront here, but the atonal noise solos, the layered psychedelic guitar freakiness, the hypnotic buzzing hum, and the punk rock-fueled intensity from classic albums like Medicine Show and The Days Of Wine And Roses is still on display. So yeah, it’s safe to say these guys will kick ass once again. Kick down the 20 bucks for a ticket–it’s worth it.

Monday, December 11, 8 PM
R-Dent, Josie McQueen, Sleave, Halfcast @ Strange Matter – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
If you play alt-rock loud and fast enough, it kinda crosses the line into punk, and Jacksonville’s R-Dent push their guitar-driven midtempo riffage across that line as often as they can. One could probably quibble about whether or not this band would be more at home on Sub Pop in 1993 or No Idea in 1997, but either way, those who like loud guitars, driving rhythms, intense vocals, and an undeniable melodic sense hiding underneath everything will find a lot to like in this band, who’ll show up to Strange Matter Monday night with some loud amps in the back of their van.

They’ll be joined by a trio of loud-rockin’ locals, led by Josie McQueen, who don’t really ever push their alt-rock sound into the red enough to count as punk. That’s not a dis, though–these guys are more like Cheap Trick jamming with Marvelous Three or something, and that kind of tight, rockin’ power-pop is too thin on the ground these days. It’s good to have someone bringing that style to us right here in RVA, and it’s also nice to have the gruff melodic punk of Sleave, who clearly would find their place on post-Y2K No Idea, in the house for this one as well. Halfcast opens up with some thick riffage to keep the rock going from start to finish.

Tuesday, December 12, 8 PM
New Madrid, David Barbe & Inward Dream Ebb @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
REM may not be around anymore, but if you think that means Athens, GA is no longer musically relevant, you need to pay better attention. You can start right here with this show, during which Athens crew New Madrid will come to town to hypnotize everyone with their riveting psychedelic grooves. Latest album magnetkingmagnetqueen has the sort of laid-back, spacey sound that should appeal to fans of locals like Avers and Minor Poet, making it an amazing headtrip of a listen.

With them, New Madrid will bring David Barbe, a well-known Athens denizen who has produced New Madrid along with legends like the Drive-By Truckers and Deerhunter. Barbe’s quite a musician in his own right, which he initially proved as the bass player for early 90s alt-rock stars Sugar and continued to make clear on solo efforts like 2001’s Comet Of The Season. He’s recently stepped back from production to devote himself to music-making once again, and brand new album 10th Of Seas sees Barbe playing all instruments on an album of psych-infused alt-rock that reminds everyone who loved his old stuff exactly what made it all so great. Barbe will perform backed by Inward Dream Ebb, the alter-ego of New Madrid as they pay tribute to a mentor by backing him up before returning to the stage with a killer solo set to close out the night. It’s gonna be an awesome night–make sure you’re part of it.

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