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Friday Cheers 2022: Japanese Breakfast Starts Things Off With A Joyful Jubilee

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Folks, the time has come: this Friday brings us the kickoff event in a summer full of amazing outdoor sounds on Brown’s Island. Over the next two months, Venture Richmond will present seven different Friday nights of excellent music in an excellent location — in the middle of the river, in the heart of downtown.

The series begins tomorrow night with a performance from Japanese Breakfast, a dream-pop project led by Philadelphia-via-Oregon musician Michelle Zauner. In addition to being well-known as the creative genius behind Japanese Breakfast, though, Zauner has also received acclaim in recent years in response to her bestselling memoir, Crying In H Mart, released last year. The book is an unflinching tale of grief, the search for understanding between family members, and finding connection through cuisine. Zauner tells of her childhood struggles to find a place for herself in the world, the ways in which that struggle brought her into conflict with her mother, and her mother’s heartbreaking death of cancer. Throughout, she makes clear that, no matter what else might have been making her relationship with her mother more difficult at any particular time, the two of them always found connections through the Korean food that they both loved.

While Crying In H Mart doesn’t really talk much about Zauner’s musical career, it does help to understand the reasons why Japanese Breakfast came into existence. While she was living in the attic of her family’s home in Oregon, helping to care for her mother as her health worsened, she was working on the earliest Japanese Breakfast material, by herself in her room. Her mother’s voice actually appears on the first Japanese Breakfast album, Psychopomp, released in 2016, two years after her mother’s death.

Indeed, in some ways, that first Japanese Breakfast album was created as a way to confront the grief and depression she felt in the wake of her mother’s loss. This shows through in the gothic darkness and heavy mood of 2016 single “Jane Cum,” the video for which features Zauner and some friends performing pagan rituals in the woods, an invocation of grief and the confrontation of difficult emotions.

2017’s Soft Sounds From Another Planet showed Japanese Breakfast moving beyond the dark moods of their first album to embrace a more uplifting melodic indie sound that helped bring the group to more widespread attention. Zauner and her husband also developed a game, Japanese BreakQuest, to go along with the album, featuring MIDI versions of songs from Soft Sounds From Another Planet.

By the time of their 2021 third album, Jubilee, Japanese Breakfast were bigger than ever. By now, Zauner’s musical goals had changed, and even as she released a memoir that focused on grief, the new Japanese Breakfast album made an overt attempt to capture a joyful mood. Lead single “Be Sweet” is a surefire pop banger, incorporating an 80s New Wave bounce and electro-dance pulse alongside subtle psychedelic touches and proving itself an instant classic with the absolutely unforgettable pop confection that is its chorus. Meanwhile, the rest of the album steps back a bit from the stunning height that “Be Sweet” attains, in favor of a multi-layered sound that at times carries darkened 80s dancefloor vibes and at other times comes across like Beatlesque sunshine pop.

This Friday night at Friday Cheers, Zauner and her constantly shifting band — which has at times featured both her husband, Peter Bradley, and former members of her pre-Japanese Breakfast band, Little Big League — will present a complex sound that can’t easily be pinned down, but will always retain your attention. It’s sure to sound amazing as the sun goes down over the James.

If you don’t have your tickets for Japanese Breakfast at Brown’s Island, they’re quite a good deal at $10 a pop. Grab one for yourself, and maybe a couple more for some friends, by heading to the Friday Cheers page on Venture Richmond’s website. And be sure to check out the full lineup of Friday Cheers shows to come over the next couple of months. There’s plenty more goodness where this one came from.

Venture Richmond presents Friday Cheers featuring Japanese Breakfast, with special guest Abby Huston, at Brown’s Island on Friday, May 6. Doors open at 6 pm. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased here.

Friday Cheers 2022: Crucial Tunes On Brown’s Island

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Every year, a variety of things occur in Richmond that let everyone in the city know: spring has arrived once again. One of those things — one of the best ones, in fact — is the annual arrival of Friday Cheers on the upcoming calendar of events. Sadly, for the past couple of years, we haven’t been able to look forward to that Richmond springtime tradition in the same way. Two years ago, the pandemic had just begun, and Venture Richmond made the wise decision to cancel the concert series entirely. Last year, it was thankfully able to go on, but a variety of restrictions left everyone sitting in individual “pods,” unable to freely interact as music lovers so enjoy doing.

Thankfully, 2022 sees Friday Cheers return to Brown’s Island just as it was back in the halcyon pre-pandemic days. Indeed, things are basically back to normal, and everyone is excited. Especially with the absolutely stacked lineup Venture Richmond is bringing us this year! We’re so stoked about the lineup here at RVA Magazine that we’ll be offering a giveaway for two full season passes to this year’s slate of upcoming events. Awesome, right? You can learn all about that giveaway below… but first, let’s talk about exactly what’s in store for you on each of these fantastic evenings of outdoor musical fun at Brown’s Island.

Things kick off in a big way on Friday, May 6 with a headlining set from Japanese Breakfast. This Philadelphia-based band is led by Michelle Zauner, who attained literary fame last year with the release of her bestselling memoir, Crying In H Mart. Japanese Breakfast also made a big impression on the music world in 2021 with their third album, Jubilee, a gorgeous slice of indie pop that incorporates shoegaze textures and dance grooves for a multi-genre vibe that can’t fail to put a smile on your face. Lead single “Be Sweet” is the absolute jam. But don’t take my word for it — check it out for yourself:

Japanese Breakfast will be joined by talented Richmond singer-songwriter Abby Huston, and you should be paying attention during her set as well; based on her 2021 debut full-length, AH HA, there’s a lot to look forward to from this up-and-coming talent.

On Friday, May 13, Brown’s Island will be graced with the presence of Minneapolis guitarist Cory Wong, who comes to Richmond fully prepared to funk up this entire city. Wong’s had a lengthy career that has seen him work in multiple genres — jazz, funk, rock n’ roll, etc — and collaborate with many formidable musical talents, including funk superstars Vulfpeck and Late Show With Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste. Hear me now and remember me later: Wong’s speedy, catchy instrumental tunes are gonna get the whole island dancing. This evening will begin with a performance by Richmond’s own Pharaoh Sistare, a talented producer with an ear for vintage awesomeness and a talent for creating funk-soul grooves harking back to legends like Prince, James Brown, and Michael Jackson.

The series will take a week off after Wong’s performance, but returns in a very big way on Friday, May 27 with RVA Music Night, featuring none other than local legend Matthew E. White. From his history of incredible world-conquering American R&B/gospel/soul sounds to his work as co-founder and majordomo of Spacebomb Records and Studios, you might think that Matthew E. White needs no introduction to music-loving Richmonders. That said, we’ll allow “Electric,” from last year’s mindblowing K Bay, to stand as all the intro anyone might need:

OK, if you had any doubts about the sheer danceability of this Richmond-oriented bill, that song should be enough to put them to rest. That said, the melodic indie-folk Americana of The Last Real Circus is going to provide an intriguing change-up, and opener Benet has some youthful dance grooves driven by their incredible voice and informed by their pop-culture obsessions — all of it’s sure to sound amazing flowing across the sea of humanity at Brown’s Island.

Friday, June 3 finds Bombino arriving at Friday Cheers to bring the sound of the Sahara Desert to the James River. Bombino is Tuareg, hailing from Niger, and falls into the rich tradition of talented, inventive Tuareg guitarists. Once called “The World’s Best Guitarist” by Noisey magazine, Bombino first came to international attention when his band, Group Bombino, were recorded performing at a wedding and the performance was released on world music label Sublime Frequencies. Since then, he’s been the subject of a documentary, Agadez, The Music and The Rebellion, and received widespread acclaim for his 2018 LP, Deran. Here’s “Deran Deran Alkheir,” a great example of what that album has to offer:

The evening will also feature a performance from Pachyman, a Puerto Rican-born musician who makes 21st century dub reggae records with a very heavy vibe. If Lee “Scratch” Perry and King Tubby are your jam, you’ll definitely want to catch Pachyman’s set. It’s not often Richmond is visited by two different talented players from two different faraway regions of the world on the same night, so this is one you definitely don’t want to miss.

On Friday, June 10, Goth Babe comes to Brown’s Island. But don’t let the name fool you — this isn’t a band for kids with shiny black leather dresses and 20-hole Doc Martens. Goth Babe’s music has a breezy, sunshine feel that is more likely to appeal to fans of Mac DeMarco and MGMT than Sisters Of Mercy heads. Goth Babe fully lives the lifestyle; frontman-songwriter Griff Washburn lives in a mobile tiny house with his dog, and spends a lot of time out in nature. If that sounds cool to you, Goth Babe’s music will too. This show will also feature a set from Kenneka Cook, a talented Richmonder with an eclectic sound that pulls from soul, electronic dance music, pop, and indie, among many other genres. But then, you’re a Richmond music head; I’d be surprised if you didn’t already know that. I’m sure you also know that this is not a show to miss.

For the second-to-last Friday Cheers show of the season, on Friday, June 17, Cory Henry will bring his powerful brand of R&B/soul music to Brown’s Island. Having spent time in Snarky Puppy, Henry went solo about five years ago and has since worked with everyone from Kanye West to Frank Ocean. His latest album, Best Of Me, released in 2021, has a throwback vibe that is sure to remind listeners of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, while bringing some more unpredictable elements retained from his time in Snarky Puppy. This show will also feature an opening set from Virginia’s own Shormey, who has created plentiful vibes with her signature psychedelic bedroom soul sound. It’s gonna be a great time all around.

Our final evening of Friday Cheers gloriousness on Brown’s Island occurs on Friday, June 24, with a performance by 49 Winchester. A Virginia-based group, 49 Winchester come from Russell County, way out on the panhandle, in the heart of Appalachia. You can hear it in their sound, too; it’s the kind of thing people might call “alt-country” or “Americana,” but it doesn’t really deserve to be hemmed in by any sort of genre classification. What 49 Winchester really have to offer is an honest exploration of everyday life in the part of Virginia that’s far from the heavily trafficked interstates that dissect the Commonwealth. This live performance on Red Barn Radio should give you a pretty good idea of what’s in store for you at this final Friday Cheers show of 2022:

Richmond’s own Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers will be opening this one up, and it’s an appropriate pairing, considering how well Cassidy Snider is also able to find the heart of everyday people’s lives in her songwriting — even if she does come from right in the heart of all those intersecting highways. Rural, urban, or anywhere inbetween, music can always speak to the struggle of ordinary working people. Thank god for that.

You can get individual tickets for each and every one of these shows at this link. Tickets are $10 in advance, or you can walk up and get one for $15 at the door, assuming it hasn’t yet sold out. Now, if you’re saying to yourself, “This is such a great lineup, I just want to see all of it!” I sure don’t blame you. What’s more, you’re in luck: you can get a Season Pass for the entirety of the Friday Cheers 2022 lineup for only $60 by following this link.

Also, we promised you a ticket giveaway, didn’t we? We weren’t kidding!

Here’s how to win two full season passes to Friday Cheers 2022 from RVA Magazine. To win, enter using the form below, or follow this link. And keep in mind, liking and sharing our social media accounts and subscribing to our newsletter are all things you can do to earn bonus entries and increase your chances to win. So maybe do all that? Just sayin.

Whether you win season passes or not, Friday Cheers will be the place to be on Friday nights this spring, so make sure you get your tickets locked down ASAP. We’ll see you at Brown’s Island!

Top Photo by Dave Parrish, via Friday Cheers/Twitter

Japanese Breakfast Brought Experimental Dreams To Richmond

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The first show of the year at the National was a beautiful night, and headliner Japanese Breakfast was the most beautiful part of it all.

As the golden rays of the sun set on Thursday night, Japanese Breakfast rocked the house, headlining The National’s first show of 2021. Fans poured into the neon lit venue more excited than ever to see a Richmond favorite back to play in the city. 

Mannequin Pussy at The National

Opening band Mannequin Pussy, who hail from Philadelphia, started the evening with a stunning high-energy performance. They gave a beautiful rock set, playing songs from their recent EP, Perfect, bringing a joyous response and getting the crowd excited for more.

Japanese Breakfast, a dreamy band with a euphoric pop rock sound, were playing the second show of their current headlining tour. Michelle Zauner, the primary artist behind Japanese Breakfast, released a memoir in April entitled Crying in H Mart. It tells the story of her Korean-American identity and the death of her mother, as well as growing up, grief, joy, and finding paths through hardships. Japanese Breakfast’s albums tell a similar story through stages, lyrics, and melody, and their current tour is in celebration of their most recent album, Jubilee, which came out in early June. Jubilee, the third Japanese Breakfast album, carries a range of sounds from euphoric pop to bright rock. The record is the perfect mix of orange sunsets, deep tones, nostalgia, and fresh air.

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast at The National

After much anticipation, Zauner and her band hit the stage, and the cheers of the audience acted as a distant yet familiar sound that everyone was happy to hear. Opening with the first song on Jubilee, “Paprika,” the band’s expansive instrumentation, including horns and violins as well as ambient vocals, guitars, keyboards, and drums echoed radiantly through the venue. Their divine and alluring sound captivated the audience, leaving them completely filled with memories from a perfect night.

Here are some more images from that memorable evening:

All Photos by Lucienne Nghiem

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 6 – June 12

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, June 7, 5:30 PM
Doll Baby, Gladie, Hurry, Clayton England @ The Lilly Pad Cafe – Free!
Let’s start from first principles: music is the literal best thing in the world, y’all. Nothing else can be relied upon the way music can be. And music is best when you’re seeing people make it right in front of you; that subjective statement is a fundamental building block of this entire column. But having said all that, it’s understandable if after a while the same clubs and sounds week after week leave a person wanting… something different. Something more.

Whenever I find something that fits that description, I immediately focus on it. Because let’s face it, I get restless too. If you, like me, are ready for a break in your normal routine, I’ve got a real treat for you this week. The Lilly Pad Cafe, which is located on the banks of the James River out by Osborne’s Landing, has been booking free shows on Thursday nights. And this week, they’re presenting a lineup that makes it the perfect night to take a short trip out of the city and watch the sun set while you watch bands play on a boat dock.

I’ve written a whole bunch and now we’ll have to rush through the actual bands, but the fact that the bill is topped by the jangle-punk pop angst of Doll Baby gives us all reason to be there right from the jump. They’re playing with a couple of Philly-based touring projects; Gladie is a duo featuring members of Cayetana and Three Man Cannon and making some excellent heartfelt melodic punk sounds on new EP Everyone Is Talking About You. Hurry is normally a band, but they’re touring as a solo act, and their pastoral indie-punk sounds should adapt well to the stripped-down format. These bands are both excellent pairings for local faves Doll Baby, and with Lilly Pad mainstay Clayton England kicking things off with some sad acoustic tunes, this will be an evening full of feels. Plus, for those of you who care about these kinds of things, you can apparently get buckets of Tecate for $10. Me, I’d rather just enjoy the view.

Wednesday, June 6, 7:30 PM
Japanese Breakfast, Eternal Summers @ The Broadberry – $15 (order tickets HERE)
The modern shoegaze revival continues on full-steam ahead and we all benefit from it once again, as a couple of the higher-quality bands to explore this sound in recent years now find themselves coming to the Broadberry on the same night, for the same show. Japanese Breakfast is the solo-ish project of Michelle Zauner, also of Little Big League and Post Post, and her 2017 sophomore LP, Soft Sounds From Another Planet, uses synth washes and programmed beats alongside retro-psych touches straight out of Swinging London — the harpsichord sounds on “Boyish” are a particularly charming surprise.

Now, how all this will translate live is always a question, but the songs themselves glow with such a warm spirit that the results are sure to be excellent regardless. And even more assuredly excellent is the set we’ll get from VA faves Eternal Summers, who have returned to action after a few years off with their brand-new fifth LP, Every Day It Feels Like I’m Dying. There’s been no diminishment in the melodic prowess or the sharp guitar attack this band brings to the table, and fans who’ve been wondering how the group could possibly follow up 2015’s excellent Gold And Stone (and may have started to worry that they wouldn’t) will be overjoyed at the payoff the new album represents. All that’s left is to see them bring it to life onstage — you won’t want to miss that. You know what to do.

Thursday, June 7, 8 PM
A Place Both Wonderful And Strange, True Body, Little Black Rain Clouds, Gothic Lizard @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Things are getting pretty wild in the world of electronic music these days. And by “wild,” I mean, people are actually starting to bring visible influence from 80s 4AD Records releases into the modern world. For those of you too young to remember the glory days of Dead Can Dance and Clan Of Xymox — OK, yes, I know, that’s most of you — let me assure you that this is a very positive development. Hearing Brooklyn’s A Place Both Wonderful And Strange pull off spooky ambient textures and moody vocals alongside dance beats that get your feet moving and making all of it work together in the most excellent, unified way is the kind of blast from the past that I’d love to get more of.

They’ll be conjuring up the Batcave right inside Strange Matter this Friday night, and they’ll have some formidable local help in doing so as well. True Body may have evolved out of the weirder corners of the hardcore world, but their most recent single, “Over It,” finds them going full-on moody goth, evoking the glittering moroseness of early-80s Cure and Sisters Of Mercy material with the sort of postpunk backbeat that’ll keep the Interpol fans happy. Long-running local spooksters Little Black Rain Clouds and ambient goth newcomers Gothic Lizard will round out this lineup with all the black light and black clothing you could possibly ask for.

Friday, June 8, 8 PM
Peach Kelli Pop, Piranha Rama, Big Baby @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard not to love stripped-down rock n’ roll with a killer melodic sense and plenty of delightful energy, so of course recommending that you all go see Peach Kelli Pop this Saturday night is a true no-brainer. Allie Hanlon’s been doing this project for damn near a decade now, and has retained a top-quality sound throughout, as can easily be heard on Peach Kelli Pop’s brand new LP (the first not to be named with a Roman numeral), Gentle Leader. On it, the band bounces back and forth from uptempo tunes that straddle the line between garage-pop and old-school melodic punk, and prettier acoustic tunes that focus on Hanlon’s gorgeous voice and plentiful hooky choruses.

Peach Kelli Pop have a ton to offer the discriminating fan of outstanding music, but they’ve been lucky to come together with a couple of equally powerful RVA locals who offer much the same brand of can’t-miss rock n’ roll talent. Piranha Rama sees a bunch of local vets coming together to crank out some organ-fueled psychedelic garage raunch stomp, and their new single lives up to every bit of potential the early hype offered up. Meanwhile, Big Baby — who charmed the entire city and beyond with last year’s gorgeously downcast Sour Patch EP — know how to combine forlorn melody and jangly bounce for the best possible results. If you haven’t discovered the excellence of their indie-pop tuneage yet, this is the perfect time to find out what you’ve been missing.

Saturday, June 9, 8 PM
Celeste, Infernal Coil, Ostraca, Lunger @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There are a lot of right-wing idiots out there who’ll tell you that France is a country full of wimps, and I gotta tell ya, I wish I could drag every single one of those fools down to Strange Matter this Saturday night so they can find out how wrong they are when Celeste hit the stage. This powerful French band may not be as well known as Deathspell Omega, but their brick-solid mixture of roaring metallic hardcore, blasting black metal, and passionate emotional rage is if anything more likely to knock you on your ass than their more popular countrymen. 2017’s Infidèle​(​s) is a jet-black slab of pure fury, and when Celeste dish those songs out onstage, you’re going to feel it.

Celeste are joined on this trip through our local environs by chaos merchants Infernal Coil, whose unique and challenging sound may have some roots in the band’s origins in Idaho. What the heck is in Idaho? If Infernal Coil’s 2017 EP Bodies Set In Ashen Death is to give us any indication, it’s apparently a bleak, apocalyptic wasteland of noise and smoke… but I was in Twin Falls last year, and it was nothing like that, so who knows. Either way, Infernal Coil’s incredibly dark mix of death metal low-end, noisecore fury, and grindcore insanity is going to mess all of us up. In a good way, of course. Local metallic hardcore veterans Ostraca and dark grinding newcomers Lunger round out this bill with some unmissable sounds from right here in the river city, so don’t dawdle.

Sunday, June 10, 7 PM
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, McKinley Dixon & Friends, Alfred & Yung Pockets @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’ve been enjoying the growth over the last few years of a more alternatively-minded hip hop scene here in RVA; it’s a gratifying thing to see the DIY principles that have fueled the punk rock underground for years being embodied by people from completely different scenes, especially hip hop (which, as much as I love it, can sometimes focus overmuch on mainstream goals of money and fame for my taste). Here in Richmond, the chief example we have of this newer approach to hip hop is of course McKinley Dixon, an MC with absolute top-quality lyrical skills who recruits top of the line musicians to back him up and goes on DIY tours in a van just like all the punk bands do. He and his Friends will be giving us a killer set on this bill, and of course everyone in RVA should already know to be there for it.

On this show, Dixon is playing with Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, a DIY musician from Chicago who integrates his wide-ranging musical background into an excellent hip hop sound on his breakout 2017 LP, Drool. Like McKinley Dixon, Ogbonnaya knows all about getting in the van and going on tour, and he’ll hit Gallery 5 in the company of his Nnamdi Ensemble Quartet, which will provide dynamic backing for his playful, complicated lyrical flow. And of course, Alfred. & Yung Pockets, an MC-producer duo who’ve drawn a lot of attention since last year’s excellent So Sensitive release, will open things up with a set of slightly off-kilter beats and rhymes that show a ton of soul. This one’s gonna be outstanding throughout.

Monday, June 11, 8 PM
Immortal Bird, Glacial Tomb, Occultist, Hoboknife @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
There can be little that is a better bet for the end of a long Monday back at stupid ol’ work than heading down to Strange Matter and getting your soul cleansed by some high-volume, high-quality metal. Immortal Bird is coming to us this Monday to deliver exactly what the doctor ordered where that’s concerned, and while the group’s been quiet on the recording front since 2015’s Empress/Abscess, that’s no reason to expect anything other than a thorough head-crushing in the live environment.

Since their last album, Immortal Bird’s core lineup has expanded to a four-piece, giving frontwoman Rae Amitay more room to rage instead of being trapped behind a drum kit, and that can only bode well for the ass-kicking we’ll all get from this brutal, chaotic Chicago quartet. Immortal Bird is joined on this tour by Denver low-end marauders Glacial Tomb, whose deft merging of thrashy crust, sludgy metal, and hardcore punk is tough as nails and ready to knock you out. Local support from thrash-metal vets Occultist and death n’ roll maniacs Hoboknife renders this an evening of absolutely unfuckwithable metal power. Start practicing your headbangs now.

Tuesday, June 12, 6 PM
The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, Pianos Become The Teeth, Teenage Wrist, Captive @ The Broadberry – $17 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
About half a decade ago, when I was going through a pretty rough emotional spot, I discovered TWIABP and immediately fell in love with their complicated, heartfelt, and beautiful sound, which combined emo, post-rock, metal, and pop into a style entirely their own. The music they were making back then was incredibly important to me, but their rapid musical evolution and personal upheavals over the next couple of years almost left me behind. However, with the release of their third LP, Always Foreign, I discovered that despite all the lineup changes and instrumental reconfigurations, there was still a truly talented band lurking underneath it all. It’s going to be partiuclarly nice to welcome a reconstituted TWIABP to RVA once again, where they can remind us all just how great they continue to be.

Pianos Become The Teeth have been through a similar trajectory, although it was a musical change that caused my personal concerns about losing track of them. When singer Kyle Durfey switched to an entirely-melodic vocal approach for their 2014 third LP, Keep You, I was afraid that the urgency and emotional intensity of Pianos’ passionate post-hardcore sound would depart along with it. However, Keep You surprised me by being one of that year’s favorites, and with the release earlier this year of incredibly powerful follow-up Wait For Love, it can no longer be denied that Pianos Become The Teeth is every bit as strong and memorable a band even without the screams. And thank god for that. This show will give longtime fans a perfect opportunity to commune once again with these two excellent bands at the top of their respective games, and skipping out would be an awful idea. Alt-rockers Teenage Wrist and local up-and-comers Captive are on the bill too, but for this one at least, it’s really all about the headliners.

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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.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 9/6-9/12

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, September 10, 7 PM
Iron Reagan, Valkyrie, Homewrecker, Enforced @ The Camel – $12 (order tickets HERE)
I’m ba-aaack! And as usual, I’m really excited about a local metal show. Yup, some things never change. Iron Reagan have been remarkably consistent for a long time, but if you think that means they’re stagnating, you obviously haven’t checked out their absolutely ripping latest album, Crossover Ministry. I think it’s probably time for you to fix that if not. And even if you have, it’s probably been a damn minute since you got to see Iron Reagan rip things up in a relatively small club on a stage less than 5 feet high, so you should probably show up at The Camel this Sunday night and remedy that as well! This is the first time Iron Reagan’s hit a local stage since they were at The Broadberry with Power Trip back in the wintertime, so it’s really overdue, and what better way is there to wind up a weekend than by becoming absolutely exhausted in a classic 80s-style mosh pit? No, I don’t know either!

Where long-running and reliably consistent metal bands from Virginia are concerned, though, Iron Reagan really look like babes in the woods alongside Valkyrie. This stoner metal crew from the woods to the west of here have been laying down rip-roaring Sabbath style grooves to get your head banging for over a decade now. Led by guitar-slinging brothers Jake and Pete Adams, the band took a bit of a back seat when Pete joined Baroness in 2008. But they never went away, and their 2015 third album, Shadows, showed that they hadn’t lost a single step. Now that Pete’s left Baroness, Valkyrie are back in action full-time, and ready to destroy all comers with riffs as slow and groovy as Iron Reagan’s are fast and thrashy.

Homewrecker may not be as long-running as Valkyrie, but they’ve definitely got quite a bit of history under their belts as well, and their multiple A389 albums show that these Ohioans are tapped into that same pitch-dark vein of fast, metallic rage that drives bands like Sect, YAITW, and quite a few others. Stuff like that is always good to hear, and will make a nice strawberry to Iron Reagan’s vanilla and Valkyrie’s chocolate for this Neapolitan ice cream box of a show. Not sure that metaphor works but I’m running a little late so I’m just gonna keep rolling. Enforced are your new local thrashers opening up the bill, and their straight up 80s thrash style sounds like something that’d appear on a Metal Massacre comp in 1984. So, you know, like a lot of the best bands coming out of the hardcore scene right now. Which rules.

Wednesday, September 6, 8 PM
Cayetana, A Giant Dog, The Smirks, Piranha Rama @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Cayetana’s back, which always brings a smile to my face. This band’s first LP struck a chord with me at a time when my life was kind of a damn mess (which I realize does not narrow down the time frame too much–though 2017 has been thankfully mess-free so far. I should knock on wood. And return to the subject at hand). Their new one, A New Kind Of Normal, came out at the beginning of the summer, but I was so knee-deep in the retail job I thankfully no longer have that I’m only hearing it for the first time now. On it, this Philly trio shows that they’ve still got the knack for hooky power-pop in the vein of bands like Speedy Ortiz and Hop Along, and that Augusta Koch’s lyrics still cut deep in the best way possible.

This time, Cayetana comes to town in the company of A Giant Dog, who just released their latest album, Toy, on Merge Records–which was a tiny DIY label when I was in high school, and now seem like they might run the entire music business. A Giant Dog are just as successful at cranking out catchy rock n’ roll tunes with some dirty guitar swagger and a confident strut that’ll make you think of Sheer Mag crossed with The Murder City Devils as their label is at rising from diminutive origins to becoming an international powerhouse. Does this mean A Giant Dog are headed for world domination? Their music is certainly capable of it. Catch them in a small club now and you can say you knew them when. The Smirks and Piranha Rama, a couple of sassy garage-punk locals with spirit, fire, and hooks galore, will kick off this excellent bill.

Thursday, September 7, 6 PM
Opin, On The Water, Blush Face, Julie Storey @ Champion RVA – Free!
I love this. Bandito’s has made itself the place to go if it’s Sunday night, you need to rock, and you can really only afford a drink. Now Champion on E. Grace St is stepping up to play the same role on Thursdays. If things carry on like this, eventually you’ll be able to catch a few local bands for free on any given night in RVA. With the troubles I’ve had making ends meet in my time, I’m sure that would be a relief. For now, though, if you need a night out to get you through until that paycheck hits your bank account in the morning, and you’ve only got $3.50 in quarters you harvested from the couch, you can spend your Thursday evenings at Champion, and score some dollar menu goodies from Taco Bell on the way home! Who could ask for anything more?

This Thursday night pairs an excellent new local band, Opin, with some radical troubadours hailing from Philly known as On The Water. The contrast between these groups is obvious based on even the briefest listen; Opin, the new project from former White Laces frontman Landis Wine, takes the sorts of songs that White Laces did in a more fundamentally electronic direction, for an intriguing electrified sequel to Wine’s previous group. On The Water are a strange folk collective who create quietly riveting compositions using entirely acoustic instruments. Both groups are unique, and have attention-getting styles that are sure to keep you watching raptly throughout their sets, though, so this pairing is ultimately quite apropos! With excellent local indie-pop band Blush Face also on the bill, and Doll Baby frontwoman Julie Storey making another of her ever-more-frequent solo appearances, this evening promises to be everything you need to keep your spirits soaring even as your bank account scrapes bottom.

Friday, September 8, 7 PM
Japanese Breakfast, Mannequin Pussy, Spirit Of The Beehive @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’ll just go ahead and admit it–when I found out about this show, I knew all of the bands on it except the headliner. It’s true, I’d never heard Japanese Breakfast before a few weeks ago! I don’t know where I was hiding (actually I do–low-wage retail hell), but I’m hoping to grab a #latepass on this one because the newest Japanese Breakfast album, Soft Sounds From Another Planet, is absolutely delectable and I just want to sink into it forever. It has an ambient electronic vibe that lands it somewhere between hazy yet danceable electronic pop a la Grimes and a mysterious European vibe that’s sometimes downright Francoise Hardy-ish. I’m sure all the hip girls in their Swinging London-style outfits and perfect eye makeup will be swaying to the beat in the front row at this one, and even if that’s a somewhat intimidating image, you should still join them, because this stuff is beautiful and you could do a lot worse than letting it wash over you at top volume.

Now for the bands I did already know. Mannequin Pussy are a raging twin-guitar punk crew from Philly (all three of these groups are from Philly, actually; as far as I can tell, it’s the only thing that unites them). They’ve got a bit of a melodic sensibility to their songwriting, as all great punk bands do, but their ultimate goal is to knock your socks off, catchy choruses be damned. They remind me of White Lung, which is always a good thing to do. As for Spirit Of The Beehive, their languid, 90s-style guitar-driven alt-rock veers from more Pavement-ish moments towards louder sounds that have an almost Swervedriver-ish upbeat shoegaze feel (yes, that’s a real thing). Their latest album, Pleasure Suck, drifts a bit further in the ambient/electronic direction, but they can still crank the guitars up if they’re feeling like it. Word is this show might sell out in advance, y’all, so if you’re reading this and you’re interested, buy now! Me, I’ll be on a plane Friday night, but I hope everyone has fun!

Saturday, September 9, 8 PM
Stinking Lizaveta, Branch Manager, Black Naked Wings @ Gallery 5 – $6 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
What’s going on here? When I saw this event announcement, I couldn’t help but think someone had made a mistake, because this looks way more like the sort of bill I’d encounter at Moondance on a Thursday night in 1997 (no one under 37 has any idea what I’m talking about right now). But no, it’s not a mistake at all–Philadelphia noise-math trio Stinking Lizaveta may first have crossed my radar back in the 90s, but they’ve continued on a steady stream of excellence ever since, and released a new album earlier this year, entitled Journey To The Underworld. The album sees this instrumental trio continuing their explorations into jazz syncopation, math-rock weirdness, and wire-tight metallic riffage in as fearless and confident a fashion as they did two decades ago. If, like me, you haven’t seen them since back then, this is a great time to get re-acquainted.

As for Branch Manager, this is indeed the DC band who released two albums on Dischord Records in the mid-90s and once opened for Fugazi at an outdoor show in Shafer Court, on a stage long since torn down to make way for a dining hall. Oh, VCU. Anyway, Branch Manager were one of those random DC bands who’d get signed to Dischord back in the 90s and then drop an excellent postpunk record full of complex song structures and off-kilter catchy tunes out of nowhere. Their second LP, 1997’s Anything Tribal, was killer and the fast tracks in particular could send a jolt of adrenaline through your veins even when you’re dead asleep. That was their last release though, so what the past 20 years have brought them to, and through, remains to be seen. It’ll be great to get an update, though. Youthful metalheads Black Naked Wings kick this one off–should be rad, even if it isn’t the 90s anymore.

Sunday, September 10, 8 PM
Paear, McKinley Dixon & Friends, Antiphons, Shormey @ Strange Matter – $7
Paear is an intriguingly named musical project. The cover of their most recent, self-titled album depicts a pear, the fruit that this strangely-named band is most likely to remind you of. Also, the frontman of this band’s name is Peter Katz, and if you replace the T in his first name with an A, you get… Peaer. Which isn’t quite Paear, but it’s close enough to make you think. Musically, Paear is pretty well thought-out, even though they definitely have a sort of 90s-guitar alt-rock slacker vibe that’s kind of back in vogue lately. Closer listens to songs like “Third Law,” from their latest full-length, show some pretty precise choices being made, even as the guitars and vocals sway along with the somnolent grace that gives this band their overall first impression. There’s a lot of talent here; Paear certainly reward close aural attention.

McKinley Dixon seems to show up more often on rock bills than anything else, which may be because he typically performs backed by a live band. However, make no mistake–McKinley Dixon is a hip hop artist. He’s got skills, he’s got killer songs, he’s got talent, and if you haven’t caught up with what he’s up to around town by now, I’m not sure where you’ve been hiding. Now is a good time to crawl out from under that rock, I promise. At least at Strange Matter, the coast is clear. Antiphons are another great opener on this bill; a local guitar-slinging band with a mournfully beautiful sound, these guys kind of remind me of early My Morning Jacket at times. At others, though, things are decidedly more psychedelic. Regardless of where their muse is taking them, Antiphons are sure to move you. Intriguing new artist Shormey will kick this off by letting you know what they’re all about. Don’t miss it.

Monday, September 11, 7:30 PM
The Afghan Whigs, Har Mar Superstar @ The National – $28 in advance/$33 day of show (order tickets HERE)
You know, I could go with another “OMG the 90s are back!” angle here, but it really feels uncharitable. After all, the Afghan Whigs have a lengthy history of greatness, dating back all the way to the late 80s and stretching forward to… well, right now. After releasing six albums between 88 and 98, the band took a decade and a half off before returning a few years ago with Do The Beast. Now they’ve followed it up with In Spades, their eighth album. Genius frontman Greg Dulli is still making incredible emotional epics to this very day, and lead single “Demon In Profile” reflects the same sort of possibly-diabolical brilliance Dulli brought to 1993 landmark album Gentlemen (still, even now, the album Afghan Whigs are best remembered for).

Dulli’s post-y2k work with ensembles like The Twilight Singers (from which the Whigs recruited current guitarist Rick G. Nelson) and The Gutter Twins (which paired him up with heavyweight talent Mark Lanegan) kept his creative juices flowing during the Whigs’ long time off, and with first Do The Beast and now In Spades, the band makes clear that they’re still at the top of their game. Come for “Be Sweet” and “Debonair;” that’s certainly understandable. But you’ll stick around for “Oriole” and “Royal Cream”–I promise you that. Get there on time, too, because just to give this show a proper touch of “no really, is it still the 90s?” Har Mar Superstar is opening up. I’m sure that man’s ironic lounge act has only become more and more poignant as he’s gotten older. Who knows, maybe by now it’ll seem sincere.

Tuesday, September 12, 8 PM
Chase Royale, Mally Black, Isaiah Jeremiah, Metallic Keem @ Strange Matter – $8
I love finding new underground hip hop artists to get into. And what’s really amazing is just how often that can happen right here in VA, without the need to go anywhere! Chase Royale is my latest discovery, and I really only found him because he’s playing at Strange Matter next Tuesday night. I was considering a couple of other possible shows for the column that night, but as soon as I heard The Gemcutter’s Prism, Royale’s latest full-length, I knew that this would be the show to see in RVA that night. From its intricate, creative production to its hard hitting beats and Royale’s top-quality rhymes, this album is a tremendous achievement. Royale’s lyrics dig deep into important issues affecting the African-American working class, and focus on way more important things than beef and bling. I always dig that.

Chase Royale will share the stage at this performance with Mally Black, a Stafford-via-VCU rapper who further proves that great new hip hop artists show up right here in VA all the time. Black’s sound, from the groovy electronic beats to his smooth confident flow, reminds me of local hero Dr. Millionaire with a bit more of a space-age vibe. I’m down with that. Richmond’s own Isaiah Jeremiah is the third headliner for this power-trio of back to school hip hop headliners, and he’s got a bit of a cloud rap thing going on, which is never a bad thing. Local rapper Metallic Keem is one of several openers you can expect on this bill, and if I knew who else to expect, rest assured I’d tell you. With the powerful headliners you’re guaranteed to see at this show, though, you really can’t go wrong.

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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] [the rvamag address isn’t working for some reason, I haven’t had time to look into it! Bear with me]