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VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 15 – January 21

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, January 19, 9 PM
Chief Tail, Suppression, PCP Parade @ Bandito’s – Free!
It’s a funny thing about musicians — the most talented and original of them are often the type of people who live at the extremes of society. And for that reason, some of the best bands ever have also had some of the most chaotic, unhinged, and unpredictable live presences ever. In Richmond, if you love to see things get truly nuts when a band plays, there are several reliable local exponents of exactly that sort of mania. But in this day and age, none of them hold a candle to the departed torchbearers for true Richmond musical insanity: PCP Roadblock.

Back in the late 90s and early 00s, if you wanted to see a band that mixed a noisy, harsh, but always rockin’ sound with a wild performance that, as often as not, featured blood, piss, and/or nudity, you couldn’t do better than to catch PCP Roadblock live in Richmond. And it was kind of hard to do, because a lot of clubs wouldn’t let them play! Unfortunately, a few years after the new millennium began, they moved as a band to the San Francisco Bay area, disbanding a couple of years later. And we’ve never seen their like again.

But now, we’ve got the next best thing! Chief Tail reunites 3/4 of the classic PCP Roadblock lineup, and they’ve got a new LP coming out the night before this show on Reptilian Records. I doubt they’ll be quite as insane live as they once were — after all, the members are all in their 40s now — but their ability to deliver Jesus Lizard/Flipper-style raging noise remains intact on their brand new Steve Albini-recorded LP. On the live front, I expect far fewer incidents involving smashed bottles and exposed genitalia from these older, more mature rockers, but musically, this is sure to be every bit as fiery as prime PCP Roadblock ragers. With old pals Suppression and NoVA grind-noise duo PCP Parade along for the ride, this show is completely unmissable. So do the right thing, and be there.

Wednesday, January 15, 8 PM
Albert Lee @ The Tin Pan – $30 (order tickets HERE)
You’ve gotta love what the Tin Pan does for us here in Richmond. In a city where places like the Broadberry, Wonderland, and Fuzzy Cactus bring us the best of the current music scene in all sorts of different genres, the Tin Pan has carved out a lane for music scene veterans with lengthy resumes to give us subtle yet powerful displays of the reasons they’ve had multi-decade careers full of unforgettable highlights. This week, it’s Albert Lee who is getting a chance to strut his stuff before an audience of discerning music heads, and we should all take heed and journey to the West End to enjoy what he has to offer.

British guitarist Albert Lee has been a highly active musical journeyman for over 60 years now, getting his start in the British scene and working with everyone from blues singer Chris Farlowe to Deep Purple organ player Jon Lord. In the 70s, he moved to LA and played with legends like Emmylou Harris and Eric Clapton. And from the late 80s until only a few years ago, he fronted the country-rock ensemble Albert Lee & Hogan’s Heroes. Throughout, he distinguished himself with his lightning-fast guitar picking and his embrace of country, blues, and rock sounds equally. These days, he’s heading into his sixth decade of guitar wizardry with his latest album, a tribute to Buddy Holly called Gypsy Man. Come to the Tin Pan tonight and see what’s given Albert Lee such resonance and staying power, and hear some damn good guitar playing while you’re at it.

Thursday, January 16, 8 PM
Drekka, Timber Rattle, This Hollow Machine, Voice Of Saturn @ Fallout – $5
When you think of industrial music, it’s easy to think of the best-known interpretations of the genre: Ministry, Skinny Puppy, maybe KMFDM or Front 242. But as anyone who has done a truly deep dive into the genre can tell you, it gets way weirder once you start exploring the outer fringes of what can be called industrial. Out there, you’ll find everything from foreboding ambient textures to bleak, apocalyptic folk sounds. And one of the artists you’ll surely run into in these sorts of circles is Drekka.

This project of Michael Anderson, a musician from Bloomington, Indiana, of all places, has released a ton of material over the past two decades, from tiny DIY pressings to projects for well-known experimental music labels like Dais. Dais released Drekka’s 2019 compilation No Tracks In The Snow, which has industrial textures at its core but mainly focuses on the intersection between lo-fi drone and ambient folk. Hearing this sort of hypnotic soundscape recreated in a live environment might not be exactly what you expect from the fetishy atmosphere of Fallout, but it’s sure to create exactly the sort of gothic mood that club’s habitues are known to love. Immerse yourself in it.

Friday, January 17, 9 PM
Alice & The Reverie, Debrider, Elizabeth Wise @ The Dark Room – $5
Alice & The Reverie is a name I’ve been seeing around the Richmond music scene for a few years now, but I never really took a long look at what this quintet were up to. Now that I’m doing so, I’m intrigued to learn that they feature not only former Kindling Kind frontwoman Miriam Martin but also ex-Carbon Leaf drummer Scott Milstead. It’s an intriguing pedigree, and the band lives up to it on their latest LP, 2018’s The Way We Go, which features a hypnotic alt-rock sound with doses of folk and synth-pop mixed in. And of course, overtop of it all are heaping helpings of Martin’s gorgeous voice, which is really the reason for the season.

At The Dark Room this Friday night, Alice & The Reverie will be sharing the stage with two other powerful female vocalists. Debrider, the emotional shoegaze project of Lia Pisa-Relli, has evolved through many incarnations — even I was in the group for a few months — but Pisa-Relli’s sharp songwriting talent and intense lyrics have remained the focus throughout, to powerful effect. They’ll surely offer a strong contrast to the other artists on this bill, one which also includes the deep blues of singer-guitarist Elizabeth Wise. Rest assured, this lady knows how to use a bottleneck slide for maximum impact, and you’ll learn all about that on this night. Don’t miss a moment.

Saturday, January 18, 9 PM
Mister Earthbound, Sibyl, Snake Mountain Revival @ Fuzzy Cactus – $6
It’s a psychedelic showcase, VA style, over at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night, and Richmond’s own Mister Earthbound and Sibyl are sharing the glory. These two groups will be celebrating the release of Hypnotic Rhythm, a four-song split cassette featuring two tracks from each of them. Mister Earthbound dips into the bubbling pot of swampy psych-blues that is their trademark, dishing out a couple of rip-roaring rockers. Meanwhile, gives us a witchier, spookier serving of heavy blues psychedelia that might veer into stoner territory if it weren’t for the group’s undeniable, unrelenting energy.

And of course, all of that will be showed off at maximum volume onstage at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night. It’s going to be a head-tripping party of astral proportions, and that only becomes more clear when you see that the bill will be rounded out by Snake Mountain Revival. This VA Beach crew shows on their recently-released EP, The Valley Of Madness, that they know how to combine crunching riffs with guitar-driven atmosphere to create an almost spaghetti-western take on psychedelia… one which everyone who stops into Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night is sure to enjoy. Wear your space cowboy suit for this one, folks.

Sunday, January 19, 8 PM
Urin, Left Cross, Scheme @ Mojo’s – $7
There’s something undeniably fun about straight-up crust punk. Some of it comes from how truly fierce and unrelenting an attack these bands tend to have. Some of it is that they seem to get off on making their music as atonal, noisy, and inaccessible as possible. And some of it is that they tend to revel in giving themselves socially unacceptable names with incredibly filthy names. Such is the case of Berlin’s Urin, who have gathered members together from across the punk rock world to engage in some harsh Swedish-style crust/D-beat sounds.

Their recent EP, Incydent, is a truly unrelenting slab of shit-fi music bordering on noise, the kind of barely-musical chaos a lot of experimental-music types only wish they could crank out. The sound from the street outside Mojo’s when this quartet gets rolling Sunday night will probably be appalling, but if you’re inside with the proper safety equipment (earplugs and steel-toed boots), you’ll have a blast in the pit for this one. The evening will be further intensified by a performance from Left Cross, who straddle the line between crossover hardcore and old-school death metal so completely that it’s hard to say on which side they truly belong. It’ll all kick off with some noisy metallic punk from newcomers Scheme, which should be fun and maybe just a little frightening… but that’s the way we like it.

Monday, January 20, 8 PM
Minimum Balance, Beeline, I VK @ The Camel – Free!
For a lot of us, Monday means a new beginning to the work week. However, for those who work in the service industry, Monday’s often an easy day. Everyone else’s weekend is over, so business slows down and the bartenders and servers of the world can get a night off. The Camel knows all about this, and they’re celebrating Industry Night on this lazy Monday evening with a free show that’s sure to bring delight to the many waiters and barbacks who were at work while the big Saturday night gigs were happening.

This show is headlined by Minimum Balance, who’ve steadily worked over the past few years to make a name for themselves in the Richmond alt-rock scene. Their catchy tunes are both introspective, with an emotional tinge, and well-constructed examples of rock n’ roll from a thinking person’s perspective. They’re sure to spread some smiles when they take the Camel’s stage. Meanwhile, local newcomers Beeline offer catchy indie tunes with a clear influence from melodic punk, while solo artist Isabella VanKesteren, now going by her initials, I VK, will kick things off with a set of moody, stripped-down sounds. The whole evening will be a great way to celebrate a night off.

Tuesday, January 21, 7 PM
Jonathan Facka, Ben Madlinger, Silas Frayser, Matt Sease @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
On these early weekdays, things thin out a bit, but The Camel always stays reliable, bringing us chill evenings of lovely sounds to get us through the nights when we’re all looking for sweet music to help us recover from the intensities of the weekend. That’s why it’s a great idea to head over there this Tuesday night for a whole passel of local singer-songwriters displaying their talents in an intimate setting.

Richmond’s own Jonathan Facka has some lovely indie tunes with an acoustic-emo feel to bring us. Fellow Richmonder Ben Madlinger brings us a sound that pulls more from the heartland, integrating pastoral alt-country and folk vibes with an Americana feel. Silas Frayser hails from the countryside a couple hours west of here, and integrates some Dave Matthews/John Mayer vibes into his energetic acoustic tuneage. And Matt Sease, who hails from somewhere in the region but that’s all I know, will get things going with some sweet tunes of his own. So head down to the Camel this Tuesday night and chill.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Saturday, January 8, 7 PM
Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest presents War Games 4, feat. Mike Lanx vs. 808Spinz, Doughman vs. Roxx, Itsthewave vs. Noxid, Phd Khari vs. CEO, Sneeze vs. Ayo Ave, with Shamika Shard’e, Gryscl, Music by DJ SG & DJ Double U, Hosted by Remy St. Clair @ IX Art Park – $5 suggested donation (Order tickets HERE)
It’s only been happening for a couple of years now, but the Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest is rapidly growing into a Charlottesville musical institution, and I for one am nothing but glad to see it. That city needs a positive artistic movement happening after all the crap it’s been through over the past couple years, and there’s no denying that the Nine Pillars folks have brought a lot of hard work and creativity to the hip hop scene in central Virginia.

You can see that in what they’ve got on offer here at War Games 4, a producer battle between eight different leading lights of hip hop production in the C-ville area in which producers compete for a chance at a bigger battle in May. It takes battle-rap culture and mixes it with classic pro wrestling tournament action in a manner that’s sure to be entertaining to behold. Plus there’ll be a freestyle battle between MCs Sneeze and Ayo Ave, guest spots from champion rhymers Shamika Shard’e and the crew known as Gryscl (aka Grayscale), two DJs behind the decks, and Nine Pillars leading light Remy St. Clair hosting it all. This event will light up IX Art Park for the whole weekend. Make sure you’re a 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]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: October 16 – October 22

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, October 19, 3 PM
Cobra Cabana’s One Year Cobranniversary, feat. Kool Keith, Weedeater @ Cobra Cabana – Free!
It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year since Cobra Cabana opened over in Carver. They’ve wasted no time making themselves an integral part of the Richmond scene, from their delicious and politically-informed menu to organizing motorcycle rallies and hosting outdoor rock n’ roll parties. They’ll be hosting another outstanding party this Saturday afternoon, and whether you’re there every week or haven’t made it in yet at all, you’re going to want to be there.

This one-year celebration is branching out from the hard-rockin’ theme of the last big show at Cobra Cabana, giving it a huge dose of hip hop talent with a headlining set from Kool Keith himself. This legend of rap has been rocking mics and dropping bizarre and fascinating rhymes for over three decades now, getting his start with Ultramagnetic MCs in the late 80s and hitting a creative peak in the late 90s with Sex Style, Dr. Octagonecologyst, and First Come First Served… all of which were released under different names. Keith’s still incredibly prolific to this day, and returned to his Dr. Octagon alter ego last year for the excellent Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation, before following that up with this year’s equally great but far more straightforward KEITH.

All of which is to say that this groundbreaking hip hop veteran hasn’t lost a single step even after three decades, and you’ll need to see the fire he can bring to Cobra Cabana this Saturday. And speaking of fire, expect North Carolina metalheads extraordinaire Weedeater to spark up some serious stoner grooves when they hit the stage. It’s been a few years since their last LP, Goliathan, entered the world, but having recently recruited Dixie’s former Buzzoven bandmate Ramzi Ateyeh to take over the drum kit, they’re revitalized and back to full power. Expect to be bowled over — in slow motion, of course. As celebrations go, this one’s gonna be hellacious.

Wednesday, October 16, 6 PM
The Number 12 Looks Like You, God Mother, Pound, .gif From God, Genosha @ The Canal Club – $16 (order tickets HERE)
What a time to be alive. I never thought I’d see the day when there’d be a revival of the kind of metallic, chaotic, sassy noisecore that I was super-stoked about in my late 20s. I guess this is growing up, huh? No complaints here — especially not when it means the return of New Jersey maniacs The Number 12 Looks Like You, who carved a swath through the mid-2000s metalcore scene with wild slabs of frenetic guitar fuckery and constant tempo changes, such as 2003’s Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses and 2008’s Here At The End Of All Things. I’m certainly glad to get more of that.

And this year brings an answer to the fervent desires of all their fans, as the band released their first LP in over a decade, Wild Gods, last month. They’re slightly less frantic on this new LP than in previous work, but their mindblowing mixture of mathcore, jazz, and screamo remains alive and well, and it’s sure to have you vacillating between spastic twitching and frantic headbangs throughout their Canal Club set this evening. They’re joined by two talented fellow touring groups, Sweden chaotic metallers God Mother and Seattle instrumental tech-grind duo Pound, along with two excellent local acts, .gif From God and Genosha, both of which you definitely need to be familiar with if heavy, chaotic craziness is your thing. This starts early, so head straight over after work — you don’t want to miss any of it.

Thursday, October 17, 8 PM
Gorrak, Gull, Faucet @ Bingo Beer Co – Free!
A show at Bingo Beer certainly brings back a lot of memories. Specifically of driving by the old bingo hall that this local craft brewing company has moved into and wondering if someone could book a punk rock show there. A lot of people tried, no one ever succeeded, but now, decades and an owner change later, music has finally come to the old bingo hall. And I for one think that’s pretty fucking cool.

It might be hard to label this show “punk rock” in any conventional, musical sense of the word, but the fact that it features three DIY bands that are very much in the open-minded “it’s how you think, not how you sound” tradition of punk, pushes it in that direction nonetheless. Gorrak is a powerful, borderline-metallic jazz duo who are celebrating the release of a new self-titled LP loaded with complex, exciting sax-drum riffage. Fans of local powerhouses like Dumb Waiter and Paint Store are definitely going to want to get on board the Gorrak train. It helps that tried-and-true solo experimentalist Gull is on this show as well — we all know what we’re getting from Gull, and we all know that it rules. I know nothing about brand new locals Faucet, but really, by now haven’t you got more than enough reasons to finally see a show at the bingo hall? I think you do.

Friday, October 18, 6:30 PM
Narrow Head, Slump @ Plan 9 Records – $5 donation
We may all associate record store appearances by bands with massive meet-and-greets at midnight the night their new album comes out, but sometimes record store shows are something completely different — a way to bring young bands with great new albums to the curious music fans of a new town. This is one of those in-stores, and as such, it’s sure to combine the informal atmosphere of a basement show with the inviting surroundings of your favorite place to lose an afternoon flipping through the used vinyl racks.

Texas group Narrow Head are the stars of this particular Plan 9 show, and they come to Richmond to bring us all the word about their latest EP, Coursing Through, released last month on Advanced Perspective Records. This two-song, 10-minute EP is a great showcase for what Narrow Head are sure to bring to Richmond this Friday night — big fuzzy waves of guitar, powerful drums, and an excellent undercurrent of minor-chord melody just below the surface. If your idea of shoegaze is more early Dino Jr than later Slowdive, these guys are sure to thrill you. They’ll be joined by Richmond hardcore-sludge maniacs Slump, who just might get a little gazey themselves at quieter moments, right before hitting you over the head with another massive banger. The whole thing should be over in about two hours, but time always flies when you’re having fun.

Saturday, October 19, 8 PM
Will Hoge, Elizabeth Cook @ The Tin Pan – $32.50 (order tickets HERE)
Saturday night at The Tin Pan will bring us a double shot of modern country stars who are far from conventional Nashville-radio pap. The double-shot starts out with Will Hoge, who has been dubbed “The Tennessee Troublemaker” by Mojo Nixon himself. Hoge got the name due to his outspoken political views, which not only got an airing on last year’s My American Dream — a rockin’ country LP sure to appeal to fans of both Jason Isbell and Gary Clark Jr. — but also showed up on t-shirts he sold on tour, featuring slogans like “Will Trade Racists For Refugees.” Will Hoge is the kind of guy country music needs more of, and here in Richmond, it’ll be great to get a big dose of what he has to offer this Saturday night.

It’ll also be great to get a visit from Elizabeth Cook, a longtime Grand Ole Opry performer who has a long-running Sirius XM show on the Outlaw Country channel and has shown her debt to classic country spitfires like Loretta Lynn with memorable singles like “Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman.” In 2016, she released her first album in six years, Exodus Of Venus, coming out the other side of a difficult period involving divorce, rehab, and mental illness with a powerful statement of strength. The album’s tough country sound makes her a good pairing with Will Hoge’s similar approach, and really, if you’re trying to hear the best country music has to offer in 2019, you can’t find a much better show to go to than this one. I know it ain’t cheap, but scrounge up the cash and get there. You’ll be glad you did.

Sunday, October 20, 9 PM
VE, Weird Tears, Minimum Balance @ Bandito’s – Free!
The free local triple threat at Bandito’s is always a Sunday night standby, and it’s that way for a reason. For one thing, Bandito’s is the Richmond live music scene’s best-kept secret — the room sounds great. For another thing, these shows never cost anything to get into. For another, there’s some amazing food available at Bandito’s, so you can (and should) always start your evening off with some tacos. And of course, the bands they book are always dope, whether they’re touring legends of punk or the best our own scene has to offer.

This night is of the latter variety, and VE, which used to stand for Various Eggs and doesn’t appear to stand for anything anymore, are at the top of the heap. It’s been a long time since they released some new original music, but their moody indie-lounge sound, which evokes both Leonard Cohen and Mark Eitzel, remains intact, and will surely cast a formidable atmosphere over the side room at Bandito’s. Weird Tears will bring their own unique, mournful power-pop approach to the evening, which is sure to be a highlight, and Minimum Balance rounds things out with some driving, spunky alt-rock sounds that are sure to delight all comers. This one is well worth your time.

Tuesday, October 22, 6 PM
Trash Boat, House & Home, Sleave, Hold Close, Nine Line, The Second After @ The Canal Club – $13 (order tickets HERE)
It’s always interesting to see what the UK does with US-originating sounds like pop-punk and hardcore. Trash Boat are the latest British export to combine both of these genres, and instead of landing anywhere in the neighborhood of Neck Deep, on one hand, or Gallows on the other, they carve out their own niche at the intersection point of melodic, emotional punk and driving hardcore power on 2018’s Crown Shyness, an excellent example of the fact that some UK bands are able to hold their own with the best exports from these shores.

Trash Boat have pivoted a bit with new single “Synthetic Sympathy,” moving in a poppier and dancier direction, but it’s always tough to tell whether such moves represent a stylistic shift or just a slight outlier. Either way, it shows that the band’s still got what made them worth our time in the first place, so you could certainly do a lot worse than journeying to the Canal Club this Tuesday night and catching them live onstage. A whole bunch of local talents, including heavy-emotion trio Sleave — who are actually about to release an LP on a UK label — and speedy easycore quartet Nine Line, are also on the bill, and you should really show up on time so you can get a good look at what’s happening in this musical world here in Richmond as well as over in the UK.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, October 18, 8 PM
Wylder, Starcoast, BigForestFire @ Charlie’s American Cafe (Norfolk) – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Formed in Virginia and currently based in DC, Wylder are an indie-folk group with a lovely sort of sound, one that on their most recent LP, this year’s Golden Age Thinking, doesn’t just adhere to the typical sound you think of when you hear the genre descriptor “indie-folk.” Which is to say, they aren’t just another group of bearded boys with wide eyes doing their best Sam Beam. There’s some real sonic variance here, from the string-sweetened indie-rock melodies of lead single “Ghosts” to the quieter, more precisely constructed acoustic ambience of album closer “Right To My Head.”

So can we expect the live incarnation of Wylder to hit the stage in full-on rock mode, loud and proud? Or will we get a quieter, more acoustically-driven evening? Well, chances are the answer will depend on the song. It seems most reasonable to expect many different moods from Wylder, a band with many degrees to their approach — though all of them are driven by their talent. The evening will also feature performances by Virginia Beach quartet Starcoast, who bring rich vocal harmonies to their brand of upbeat indie pop; as well as BigForestFire, a group whose jammed-out grooves are often fueled by trumpet. This will be a lovely night.

Sunday, October 20, 1 PM
Chugfest, feat. Studebaker Huck, Breakers, Ghost Logic, Cokenail, Love Roses, Ruckus The Bulldog, LNT, The 40 Boys, The Chuggernauts, The Vailix @ IX Art Park (Charlottesville) – $10 donation to UVA Cancer Center’s Patient Services Fund
When you hear a name like “Chugfest,” you might very well think it’s a day’s festivities centered around beer. However, in this case, the festival appears to have been put together by Charlottesville punk band The Chuggernauts, so I suppose it’s named after them. But then, they’re named after how much they love to drink beer (as demonstrated on tunes like “Drinking Problem” and “Party On”), so it’s all the same in the end. That said, this event is really about drinking and rocking out for a good cause, not just for the hell of it, and all proceeds from raffles and donations will go to UVA Cancer Center’s Patient Services Fund, which helps direct support to patients and survivors in need of medical services.

I can’t speak to what kind of drinking you can or can’t do at this event — it’s in a public park, so that really comes down to city ordinances up there in Charlottesville. What I can tell you is that you’ll get sets from nearly a dozen punk rock bands from all around the state, not just the Chuggernauts but also long-running C-ville punks The 40 Boys, Richmond’s favorite speedy-punk sons Love Roses, funk-blues-metal duo Ruckus The Bulldog, Tidewater skate rats LNT, countrified rockabilly boyos Studebaker Huck, and a whole bunch more. This should be a great afternoon of fun sounds for a good cause, and it’ll sure liven up your Sunday. So consider taking a trip up to C-ville for this one — you’ll thank me later.

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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: Kool Keith by Jason Persse, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Hair-Flipping, Back-Bending Rock N’ Roll Allies

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With Shagwuf’s Sweet Freakshow, the Charlottesville surf-garage band celebrates five years of advocating for safe spaces, being vocal about intersectional issues, and rocking out.

Gutter-glam swamp-rock band Shagwuf is on a mission. The Charlottesville-based trio hopes to recreate inclusive safe spaces across the East Coast, and change the reputation of their hometown in the process. And they’re doing it all with music.

This weekend, the group will celebrate their fifth anniversary as a band with a giant outdoor party in the heart of Charlottesville, at IX Art Park. The event, which has been named “The Sweet Freakshow” after their latest single, “Sweet Freak,” will feature performers of all kinds, from the scandalous to the downright dangerous.

One such act is the daring and dangerous Stray Cats Sideshow, a husband and wife duo who, along with their team, do it all, from contortionist exhibitions to eating light bulbs.

“You see them and think, these are the craziest, gnarliest people, and then they invite you into their home and they’re so hospitable,” said Shagwuf bassist Sally Rose. “They fed us, let us take showers at their house, and the next morning we all had coffee in their backyard while throwing ninja stars and knives at targets. It was just so funny — they were these really caring, hospitable people doing this really dangerous stuff.”

Shagwuf intentionally organized this event to be held in Charlottesville, not only because that city is their stomping grounds, but because they want to take steps to erase the mark left on the town’s reputation after the 2017 Unite the Right rally.

“If you look up the hashtag for Charlottesville, it’s still deeply overwhelmed with really horrific images,” said Rose. “Now, more than any other time, is the time to be putting that work in, making sure people are safe at shows and celebrating everything we’re there for, in a really sacred environment that can’t be fucked with.”

After 5 years performing as Shagwuf, Rose, along with guitarist Pete Stallings and drummer Pablo Olivieri, has learned a lot about what it means to be in a band that’s more like family.

“There’s a very strong hunger to play music for as long as possible, and be on the road as much as we can afford to,” said Rose. “You have to have a lot of trust, and more than anything, you all have to want the same thing. With Shagwuf, we are really in it because we all love playing together, love music, and love sharing these experiences on the road together.”

They’ve also learned how important it is to be allies to their fans, not just passive entertainment. Whether they’re on tour or performing locally, Shagwuf has used their tight-knit feel and expansive experience to create a space in which their fans can feel safe and welcome. To them, ensuring their fans feel comfortable and welcome as they are is the most important part of the work they do and the music they share.

“It is a constant thing that you have to be working on to really prove yourself as an ally to any minority group,” said Rose. “Our cultures are constantly evolving and changing, and you have to be proactive and intentional.”

In these “woke” times, Shagwuf have encountered their share of bands and venues who want to be seen as enlightened, but aren’t backing up their words with actions. “Something we’ve run into a lot on the road is venues having a decal on their door saying this is a safe space, but then you go in there and there’s still misogyny or bigotry going on,” said Rose. “They’re talking the talk, and not walking the walk.”

Fighting to create those safe spaces for members of their audience who are POC, LGBTQ, women, and other minority groups has proven challenging over the years. In many cases, it’s caused schedule changes and last-minute moves to new venues, but for Shagwuf, it’s important to do whatever is necessary to make sure everyone will be comfortable at their shows.

“You have to address it while you’re promoting the show — that anything that doesn’t abide by these standards will not be tolerated, and you will be removed from the show,” said Rose. “We’ve removed entire bills the week of [the show], and had to do house shows instead, in somebody’s basement, to put on a really meaningful show.”

Sometimes creating a safe space for their music has even meant stopping a show to confront people who are behaving badly. But as far as Rose is concerned, it’s the band’s responsibility to do so.

“We’ve had altercations at shows, where somebody was uncomfortable, and you have to take that initiative and be responsible,” said Rose. “Onstage, you have to call it out.”

While the band has had to struggle to keep their shows safe, their experiences have been eye-opening, and given them a new perspective about what it means to be an ally.

“If you’re gonna claim that you’re an ally, and claim you’re creating safe space, that’s what you have to do,” said Rose. “We’ve lost some opportunities, but we’ve gained a million more because of our mission to do that as a band. Some places don’t want to book bands that are loudly queer and loudly trying to create spaces like that, but it’s been really rewarding for us as a whole.”

Shagwuf’s most recently released tune, “Sweet Freak,” rejoices in these experiences the band has shared and honors the lives of queer individuals through a compassionate, sex-positive surf-garage-punk anthem.

“The song and music video we released were trying to break down the stigmas associated with BDSM, being sex positive, being a part of the kink community, and identifying as queer. All of those things are often really a healthy and healing part of communities that are physically filled with love,” said Rose. “To me being a sweet freak is embracing that, celebrating that, and de-stigmatizing that culture in general.”

In the years to come, Shagwuf doesn’t plan on slowing down. Currently, they have a lot of music being written behind the scenes to be shared later on after they spend time in Richmond recording this summer.

“There’s stuff Pete is writing that’s almost heavy funk which is really weird,” said Rose. “The stuff I’ve written was after coming out of this really terrible relationship and awful breakup this past year that’s really heavy and raw.”

Shagwuf’s Sweet Freakshow takes place this Saturday, May 25th at 7pm, at IX Art Park, located at 522 2nd St NE in Charlottesville. “It’s gonna be a freak show filled with love where everybody’s welcome as long as they act out of love for each other,” said Rose. “I want that for this town, so we can take our city back. These people coming to the show can be a part of our city and we’ll show them that’s what we’re about.”

Tickets for Shagwuf’s Sweet Freakshow are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and can be ordered online through Eventbrite.

Top photo: Rich Tarbell, via Shagwuf/Facebook

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Nine Pillars Fest Stands Up For Charlottesville Hip Hop

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Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest, Charlottesville’s own homegrown hip hop festival, returns for its third year with more hip hop music, art, and culture than ever.

Returning for its third year, Charlottesville’s Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest begins Monday, April 22 and continues throughout the week, closing with a block party on Sunday, April 28 at Champion Brewing. As with previous editions of the festival, the 2019 version will feature artists and acts from the Charlottesville and Central Virginia areas. However, for the first time this year, Nine Pillars is also featuring performers from outside the commonwealth.

“We started very local — Charlottesville — and we’re expanding a little bit more each time,” said Cullen Wade, one of the festival founders.

The Charlottesville festival grew from a rising community with limited resources. Hip hop artists in the city often had to fight for venues. And when they were able to book locations, they often faced up-charges due to the type of music they played.

“It was all sort of underground and didn’t really get the recognition or respect that I felt like it deserved,” Wade said of Charlottesville’s nascent hip hop scene. “There is, and was, a very serious stigma against what we do.”

The official Nine Pillars 2019 t-shirt references the struggle Charlottesville’s hip hop scene has faced, bearing the slogan “LEGALIZE HIP HOP” in black, bold letters.

The frustration this situation caused was what originally inspired Wade and other members of the local hip hop community to come together show Charlottesville what hip hop was about — for them.

“We wanted to essentially celebrate all the nine pillars of hip hop, while raising the profile of the local talent pool,” Wade said

Wade defines the nine pillars of hip hop — also called the nine elements — as: b-boying (breakdancing), MCing (rapping), graffiti art, DJing/scratching, beatboxing, street fashion, street language, street knowledge, and the entrepreneurial spirit.

The festival is designed to create an opportunity for the pillars to intersect within the eight scheduled events taking place across Charlottesville over the course of next week.

Bringing a scholarly take on the culture is the “Sally’s Kids Vol. 2” panel discussion on Wednesday at the University of Virginia. Moderated by UVa Professor A.D. Carson, the discussion will focus on an ongoing project: archiving the history of hip hop in Charlottesville.

The Sally’s Kids panels aim to contextualize hip-hop history as it relates to Virginia, and specifically the Charlottesville area. It is named after Sally Hemings, the enslaved woman whose children were fathered by Thomas Jefferson.

Last year’s discussion panel — the “Vol. 1” implied by the event’s title — featured two more experienced members of the Charlottesville hip hop community alongside two more youthful members in their early 20s. The discussion that ensued helped demonstrate the changes and growth of the community across generations.

This year’s Sally’s Kids panel will discuss the Black UVA experience, and what Wade calls “the complicated relationship between black Charlottesville and black UVA.” It will also cover the development of the Virginia sound — a hybrid sound pulling from multiple regions, according to Wade.

“We’re kind of halfway between old school New York … and a more southern influence,” he said. While the Virginia sound varies from region to region, all of it brings influence and style to the Charlottesville sound.

“There’s the Tidewater sound that got really big on the national level in the mid-2000s,” Wade said, citing Timbaland, Missy Elliot, and the Neptunes. “We’re also going to talk about the go-go influence creeping down from DC.”

On Thursday night, Charlottesville-based go-go band Seductive Sounds will take the stage to accompany the “Heart, Soul, Runway Fashion Show.” The Nine Pillars fashion show is taking place at the IX Art Park, a public art center built out of a warehouse in a Charlottesville industrial zone. The fashion show will be based around one of the nine pillars — street fashion. In connecting with the festival and the Charlottesville community, Wade said that attendees could expect only “local, independent, mostly black designers.”

The festival culminates in a block party at Champion Brewing Company on Sunday afternoon. This year, to expand beyond Virginia, the festival has brought in legendary Brooklyn MC Wordsworth; Cesar Comanche and Ghost Dog, both of whom hail from North Carolina; and Louisiana’s Marcel P. Black.

The block party will feature food trucks, local entrepreneurs, and live graffiti painting, as well as the induction of three veteran local artists to the city’s hip hop hall of fame.

The week-long festival will feature many other events over the course of the week, from a LGBTQ hiphop showcase and a DJ battle to a graffiti art exhibit with a networking brunch and a youth rap and dance competition.

There’s quite a bit more going on than we have space to cover, so for full details on the seven different events taking place over the course of the next week, check out the Nine Pillars facebook event page, or visit Nine Pillars on facebook.

All events are free, and Nine Pillars relies on community donations to cover costs. To donate to their fundraising campaign, click here.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond