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VA Shows You Must See This Week: October 3 – October 9

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, October 5, 6 PM
Bracewar, Cold World, Shark Attack, Day By Day, Victim, Division Of Mind, Mindforce, Downfall, Antagonize @ The Canal Club – $20 (order tickets HERE)
It might be a surprise for the uninitiated to hear this, but hardcore is basically dance music — and hardcore bands know it. So many of them have “Intro” songs they play when they first hit the stage, and big mosh breakdowns that they end their sets with, most of which are introduced by a singer screaming, “Last chance to dance!” I rest my case. Richmond’s Bracewar is one of those bands, and in fact, I’ve often heard other hardcore kids talk about how their “Intro” (from their 2007 Juggernaut LP) is their best or most popular song. It makes a weird sort of sense — for a typically fast-as-hell band, the intro offers a perfect chance to get the kids all fired up before launching into a million-miles-an-hour rager.

Bracewar were super active about a decade ago, but the members have gotten older, and they’ve focused less on the band in recent years, playing the occasional local show but mostly not doing much. However, it appears all that is changing — they’ve got a brand new EP, Colossal, coming out on Triple B Records this week. It’s only three songs, but it’s their first new material in a decade, so we can cut ’em some slack. What’s really interesting is that they’ve got a new intro song on this one, entitled “Introduction.” Will this far more metallic take on the set-starting dance call get the kids moving as much as the old intro did? On Friday at the Canal Club, you’ll probably have a chance to find out.

You’ll also get a chance to see a TON of other rad hardcore bands from the past two decades, giving you a great view on what’s been happening in the world of hardcore since the millennium turned. Well-respected veterans Cold World will be sharing headliner status with Bracewar and bringing their brutal riffs with a slight tinge of hip-hop flavor to keep the dancefloor moving. And of course we can’t forget about Shark Attack, the short-lived but legendary northeast hardcore band that blew everyone’s minds back in 2001 with two incredible EPs, then dipped out leaving everyone wanting more. Their discography LP finally came out this year, complete with some unreleased tracks, and now they’re coming to Richmond to knock everybody on their asses once again. There are quite a few other excellent bands on this bill, from current ragers like RVA’s own Division Of Mind and Florida’s Day By Day to reincarnated VA Beach warriors Victim and the brand-new project from legendary Bane frontman Aaron Bedard, Antagonize. Practice your moves, kids — you’ve got a lot of dancing to do.

Wednesday, October 3, 7 PM
Thrice, The Bronx @ The National – $24.50 in advance/$29.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard not to love Thrice. They’ve been around forever, and despite many sonic evolutions they’ve been through, they’ve consistently remained great. From the ridiculously metallic skate-punk of their earliest work to the progressive, emotionally-driven sound of their Alchemy Index tetralogy to the work they’ve released since their brief hiatus earlier in the decade, everything has been enjoyable in its own way, and on its own merits.

It’s still true, too — their recently-released tenth album, Palms, mixes a variety of different sounds from all eras of their work to create a moving and powerful example of a band carving their own path. I guess you could call it post-hardcore, but even that rather nebulous genre term falls woefully short of describing this band’s capabilities — capabilities they demonstrate every time they step onto a stage. Tonight at the National will be no exception, and the fact that they’ve got irreverent melodic punk rippers The Bronx (speaking of groups who’ve remained consistently great for multiple decades) on tour with them only sweetens the deal. Prepare yourself — this one’s gonna be an experience.

Thursday, October 4, 8 PM
Rotten Mangos, Benjamin Shepherd, Saw Black @ Strange Matter – $7
Psychedelic rock n’ roll is a style of music that’s been around for a long time, but when it’s done right, it still rules. And there’s nowhere they do it as right as they do in Austin, Texas. From the band that started it all, the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, to current phenomena like Golden Dawn Arkestra, Austin is the place to go when you’re looking for wild, crazy psych to blow your mind.

Alternatively, you can let it come to you — and that’s what’s happening at Strange Matter Thursday night. Rotten Mangos, an all-star Austin psych crew featuring members of The Black Angels, former Richmonders The Diamond Center, and a whole lot more, will be rolling through with some pop-infused psych n’ roll that’ll open up your third eye and let the sun shine in. You’ll get a not entirely dissimilar experience from the local singer-songwriters opening up the show — Benjamin Shepherd brings a folky touch to his songs, but he’s not without some side trips into drug-fueled weirdness. Saw Black’s material is both more countrified and spacier; it’s not that predictable, especially on his excellent recent LP, Water Tower, but it’s always fun. This is a show to get your toes tapping even as your mind drifts through the astral plane. Who doesn’t love that?

Friday, October 5, 8 PM
Ragana, Haircut, Listless, Tavishi @ Strange Matter – $7
Things are getting spooky this Friday night at Strange Matter. Ragana is hitting town for the first time in several years, and this California group, only a two-piece, creates a powerful, all-encompassing ambience with their sound, one that’s sure to have a deep psychological effect on the denizens of Grace Street this weekend. The fact that Ragana’s most recent release is a split LP with New Orleans sludge-doom veterans Thou entitled Let Our Names Be Forgotten certainly gives you some idea of what to expect from their performance on Friday.

But it would be unfair to write Ragana off as just another doom metal band. They certainly have their share of loud, crushing moments that roll over you in slow motion like waves… or maybe a steamroller. But they also integrate quiet melodies and ominous atmosphere into their sound, significantly increasing the witchiness quotient of their music while also offering something more than the unremitting punishment dealt out by the typical doom band. For this reason, it makes sense that they’re sharing a bill with three Richmond bands who span a significant musical breadth. Listless’s crust/grind queercore, Tavishi’s harrowing electronic soundscapes, and Haircut’s angry punk noise all have elements in common with Ragana and each other, but every performer on this bill will offer their own unique take on the anguish that plagues us all as we walk through this difficult life.

Saturday, October 6, 7 PM
The Wedding Funeral @ Garden Grove Brewing & Winery – $?
This is a weird one, y’all. The Wedding Funeral is a project brought into the world by Darren Deicide and Ethel Lynn Oxide, a romantically-involved duo of musicians with widely divergent backgrounds. Deicide, an honest-to-god priest of the Church Of Satan, has been playing Robert Johnson-style acoustic blues for years now, while Oxide has a background in choral singing and the voice of an angel. The two of them have come together to create The Wedding Funeral, a sort of noir-folk project that uses rootsy blues-style instrumentation to jump all around the musical map, from pastoral British folk sounds to deep South blues to bizarre noise interludes.

At least, that’s how it seems from listening to the 30-second samples of their as-yet-unreleased debut album, You Are Cordially Disinvited, which they will be premiering for all comers at Garden Grove this Saturday night. Those samples are the entirety of the music they have available anywhere on the internet — their debut EP, Beneath The Floor Boards (Covered In Feces) (how’s that for a title), has been scrubbed from the World Wide Web in the interest of moving on to exciting new sounds, which is an understandable policy, if a frustrating one for a music journalist with a minimum of time on her hands. But I can tell you that you’ll learn a good bit more about what The Weddding Funeral have to offer if you make the trip down to Garden Grove, and in light of how unusual this band truly is, I definitely think it’s worth it.

Sunday, October 7, 8 PM
White Denim, Rotem @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
This one’s gonna be a lot of fun. White Denim, another excellent Austin, Texas band, have been around for about a decade, and in that time, they’ve been traversing a similar trajectory to that of another deep-South rock n’ roll group, The Black Keys. Starting out with a primitive garage-rock stomp that came out sort of like a janglier White Stripes and moving over the past decade into a thicker, funkier take on post-garage rockin’ that is downright impossible to deny.

Discovering their 2016 LP, Stiff, when I heard multiple songs from it at Sheetz (those of you who’ve known me for a while know how stoked I am about the music they play at Sheetz and really about Sheetz in general — don’t @ me, Wawa nerds), I fell in love with their ability to write incredible tunes that made you wanna get up and dance wherever you were when you heard them, but also rocked hard and had real staying power. And the fact that this excellent band is finally, after a decade of touring existence, bringing their live show to the river city has got to be the best news I’ve heard all week. So take my advice: go to this show, and bring your dancing shoes. Don’t worry if you know nothing about this band — just be yourself, and try to have a good time. You’re sure to succeed.

Monday, October 8, 7 PM
Culture Abuse, Gouge Away, Praise, Deviant, DJ Devolved @ Gallery 5 – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A double-shot of punk rock awesomeness from two of the best bands on the scene today, both of which just put out new LPs that took their already-outstanding sound to an even higher level? Yeah, this one definitely falls into the category of a no-brainer. Both of these bands have a ton of cachet in the hardcore punk world, and for that reason you might expect their music to be on the harsher end of things — but if you like catchy melodies and strong, memorable choruses, you’re in for a pleasant surprise, because both of these bands have a ton of songcraft skills and melodic dexterity to wow you with.

Californians Culture Abuse split the difference between driving punk-damaged power-pop groups like Neon Piss and straight-up goodtime rockers like The Strokes, and on their brand new Bay Dream LP, this approach yields a bumper crop of toe-tappers that are guaranteed to make you smile. Gouge Away are a bit more fired up; on their just-released Burnt Sugar LP, their harsh vocals and driving riffs land somewhere between melodic hardcore a la White Lung and post-hardcore noise-rock along the lines of Circus Lupus or early Rye Coalition (everyone who even got those references knows I’m over 40 now). As if this bill wasn’t stacked enough, Baltimore melodic, emotional hardcore group Praise are also here to get you fired up, and transgressive up-and-coming local hardcore crew Deviant get things started in fine fashion. Get stoked for this one.

Tuesday, October 9, 8 PM
Marbled Eye, Dark Web, Slump, True Body, Smut @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
There’s no particular reason why the genre descriptor “postpunk” needs to mean anything in particular, beyond the fact that a band has taken formative influence from punk rock and brought it with them to a sound beyond that genre’s borders. But let’s be real — when I say that Marbled Eye is postpunk, you know what I mean. You expect the moody vibe, the wiry undistorted guitars, the melodic basslines and deadpan vocals. And you get all of that here. No doubt about it.

But it only takes one listen to Marbled Eye’s debut LP, Leisure, which just came out this week, to realize that this band has a fresh take on this style, one that takes them far beyond the Joy Division clones and Chameleons riff-stealers who’ve been part of the underground musical landscape for quite a while now. Remember how cool that postpunk style sounded over a decade ago, back when no one was really doing it? Marbled Eye still sound that cool. And if that isn’t proof of their standout talent, I don’t know what is. Fellow out-of-towners Dark Web and Smut, along with local mainstays Slump and True Body, provide excellent support to make this bill a top-quality musical evening from beginning to end.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, October 5, 8 PM
Carriage, Nemesis, Catalyst @ Shaka’s – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s tough to try to talk to people about 80s metal who weren’t there for that whole era, because they figure you’re talking about one of two things — either Slayer-style thrash (which, don’t get me wrong, rules) or teased-hair glam metal in the style of Poison and Motley Crue (which, don’t get me wrong, also rules — haters to the left). But there was a whole other wave of heavy, powerful underground metal from that time that people today don’t even think about, and it’s that sound that Carriage evokes today.

Their new LP, Visions, is full of the kinds of flourishes that the kids used to call “power metal,” from the kind of  high-pitched yowls that Mercyful Fate’s King Diamond made de rigeur for a while there to the epic progressive riffs that bands like Candlemass took from prog-rock giants like Rush and King Crimson. Carriage has all of this going on and more, and their sound is genetically engineered to get you banging your head. This release party for their Visions LP should be full of more denim jackets and flying hair than you can shake an air guitar at, and if you have any love at all for the days of high-flying, triumphant metal, you’re gonna want to get in the mix at Shaka’s Friday night.

Saturday, October 6, 9 PM
Uglyography, Human Services, Unk Al @ Taphouse Grill – $5
The fact that Richmond has long been a hub for the musically unique and downright bizarre should never blind us to the fact that crazy stuff comes out of the Tidewater area on a regular basis as well. This show is a great example of that exact fact, and it all starts with Hamptonites Uglyography, who have been wielding their goofy, uncategorizable sound for over a decade now. They themselves call it “quirkadelic rock,” and if you imagine an alternate universe where Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention, Devo, They Might Be Giants, and 90s noise-rockers Alice Donut were all the same band, you’ve sorta got a general idea of what they’re up to.

But the reality is certainly going to be even crazier than you expect — Uglyography demonstrates just this fact on recent LP Evil Rays, which features ridiculously catchy tunes like “Neighborhood Watch” and “We Want You To Click Play,” then amidst all of the mania delivers a heartfelt ballad like “Imperfect For You.” They’re a group that must be seen to be believed, which is exactly why the Taphouse Grill is an eminently worthwhile destination for all you musical explorers of the new and unusual this Saturday night. They’ll be joined by the heavier but just-as-bizarre Human Services, who also hail from the Hampton area. Plus there will be an opening set from Unk Al, aka The Real Unk Al, aka Unk Al and the Amazingly Mediocre, a strange yet enjoyable bluegrass troupe that hails from Chesapeake. Open your mind and dive in.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, there’s plenty more of my writing to read over at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 1/17-1/23

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, January 19 & Saturday January 20, 7 PM both days
Be Bad Weekend @ Strange Matter
Day 1: Doll Baby, Kenneka Cook, VV, Listless, Wabeya, Magnus Lush, Madison Turner, Talk Me Off, Ice Cream Support Group DJs – $10
Day 2: Haircut, Serqet, Gumming, Dazeases, Locker Room, Liu Light, Itsy Bitsy, Butt, DJ Dogpants – $10
It’s January once again, and as I have been doing for several years now, I am pleased to give the Be Bad Weekend the top spot in this column. Once just a one-night showcase of bands featuring female members entitled Bad Girls Revue, expanded last year to multiple nights, and got better than ever in the process! This year, it seems the event will miss the annual explosion of bad weather that has caused last-minute reschedules in the past, thank goodness. So not only will attendees get the benefit of every band initially scheduled actually being able to play, but Girls Rock RVA will get the benefit of everyone being able to make it out to Strange Matter for both nights of this amazing shindig.

And if you’re not there this weekend, you really are gonna need a good excuse. The lineup this year is more musically diverse than ever, as the headlining slots on night one pair punky indie rock n’ rollers Doll Baby with soulful, jazzy vocalist extraordinaire Kenneka Cook. Meanwhile, night two finds ferocious C-ville/RVA hardcore punkers Haircut and moody, atmospheric punks Serqet heading things up. But that’s just the beginning; with 16 total bands performing over the course of two nights, a wide variety of music will be on display.

In fact, you’re going to want to make sure you’re on time, because some of the best performers are hitting the stage soon after doors open. Excellent post-hardcore rockers Magnus Lush are playing surprisingly early on night one, while night two begins with a set from the much buzzed-about local punk upstarts Butt (who, I assure you, have more to offer than a memorably amusing name). No matter what sort of sounds appeal to you, chances are you’ll find multiple things to enjoy on both nights. Hell, you might even see me onstage at some point, if you know where to look. Even if that weren’t true, though, I’d still be telling you to go to this. An outstanding Richmond tradition that’s for a good cause, Be Bad Weekend is one of the most essential live music events of the year. Don’t sleep on it.

Wednesday, January 17, 9 PM
Wyldlife, Sick Bags, Cruzer @ Flora – $7
This is going to be a ton of fun. Wyldlife, who come to RVA on tour from NYC, are the sort of band that take genres that have seemed played-out for years and inject fun, energy, and life back into them, reminding you why you loved them in the first place. In this case, we’re talking about straight-up old-school punk rock; Wyldlife come at the sound with an energy and power that bring to mind powerful pioneers like The Damned and The Dead Boys, but with a stronger melodic sense that’s reminiscent of the best power-pop–think first-LP Cheap Trick. There’s even some garage-rock swagger in there for all you Murder City Devils fans waiting to be rocked once again.

Wyldlife’s most recent release, Out On The Block, has been out for just under a year, but if you haven’t caught onto it yet, you’re certainly not too late. Meanwhile, you’re just in time to catch the debut vinyl from local trash(ed)-punk crew Sick Bags, whose “Cigarette Spit” single is officially out on Friday but will certainly be available from the band tonight, at least if this show’s flyer is any indication. The bill is rounded out by a brand new Richmond band called Cruzer, who appear to have a jangly garage sort of sound, based on the incredibly lo-fi one-song demo that’s been posted on their bandcamp. If that guess is in any way accurate, this show will be a total banger from beginning to end, so sweep off the car and head out to Strange Matter tonight!

Thursday, January 18, 7:30 PM
Secret Bonus Level presents Alfred, PT Burnem, Zhé Aqueen, Vos, Sanji the Hedgehog, Secret Bonus Band @ Strange Matter – $8
I love it when a random show on a weeknight reveals an entire local subculture that I’ve previously failed to pick up on. There’s nothing better than finding a ton of new shit to check out. In this case, it’s the Secret Bonus Level radio show, which airs on WRIR in the middle of the night on Wednesdays (or early Thursday mornings, depending on how you look at it). This show takes an exploratory approach to hip hop, seeking out what they call “strange and unusual gems,” and putting it before whoever is up that late in the middle of the week. And now they’re taking that same approach to filling a stage for a weeknight gig over at Strange Matter.

This show is headed up by Alfred, an openly queer local rapper with a unique approach to his atmospheric music and spacey lyrical flows. His songs are hypnotic and catchy, but in an unusual way–they kind of sneak up on you. Meanwhile, PT Burnem is often as subtle as an atom bomb, hitting hard with his pounding beats and confrontational, politically informed flows. Zhé Aqueen goes in a totally different direction with jazzy, soulful singing, just to keep anyone from thinking things will get predictable. And all sorts of other amazing things are scheduled for this bill as well, from appearances by current and former Secret Bonus Level hosts to an open-invite cypher over backing music provided by a trio of live musicians. All of this is the result of Secret Bonus Level’s commitment to honoring hip hop’s creative spirit with an approach that’s entirely their own. How can you resist that?

Friday, January 19, 8 PM
Ruth Good, Recluse Raccoon, Slow Clover, CGI Jesus @ Gallery 5 – $6
The city never sleeps–Citrus City, that is. 2017 saw the label cranking out releases with the kind of dedication that one would normally expect from a much bigger operation, working with everyone from local faves like Antiphons and Keep to out-of-town cult faves like Vundabar and Crumb. One of the many releases that saw the light of day over the course of the past 12 months was Ruth Good’s debut EP, Spliff. That EP had exactly the sort of stoned-immaculate sound you might expect from something with that name, though its funky indie sound still had a great deal in common with the usual slack, jangly guitar-rock that comes out of Citrus City headquarters. Considering that one of the two main members of Ruth Good, Wes Parker, also plays in Citrus City leading lights Camp Howard, that can’t be much of a surprise.

Ruth Good hitting Gallery 5 at the top of this CC-curated bill is nothing but good news for fans of the band and the label. And of course, it’s also lovely to see Recluse Raccoon bringing their mellow, melodic sound to the stage as well. These guys tend to take it pretty easy; after all, their last EP came out back in 2015. But they’ve always got some sounds with which to delight our ears, and this night at Gallery 5 promises to be no exception. Harrisonburg’s Slow Clover will bring us some jazzy, progressive rock sounds that are sure to please the plentiful Night Idea fans in the audience, while CGI Jesus will kick things off with some jazzy, mathy metal to delight all the fans of Dumb Waiter, or even the Alter Natives, who make it out. This one’s gonna be lovely.

Saturday, January 20, 6 PM
Deau Eyes Kickstarter Launch Party, feat. Deau Eyes, McKinley Dixon & Friends, Whatever Honey, Trunk Show Band, Lucky Duckiss @ TheatreLAB/The Basement – Donations accepted
To be completely real with y’all, I stopped thinking that Kickstarters were worth writing about something like five years ago. The fact that this crowdfunding model quickly became the way people did everything from putting out albums to paying medical bills certainly doesn’t say anything nice about the current state of our culture. But crowdfunding efforts have led to some very nice things (including my wedding–I promise I’ll mail out the zines and CDs to everyone who contributed soon!). And the fact that Ali Thibodeau’s Deau Eyes is not only doing a Kickstarter to release their first album but kicking off the campaign with an actual launch party is enough to make me think that the album they’re working on will be another very nice crowdfunded thing.

Now, you’d be forgiven for not knowing Deau Eyes’ music. While Ali and co. have been playing a decent amount of local shows lately, there aren’t any recordings out there online–at this point, the best way to get an idea of their music is by listening to the soundtrack on their Kickstarter video pitch. It sounds pretty great, with a spunky, upbeat approach to melodic rock n’ roll that should appeal to those out there who enjoy Speedy Ortiz and other 90s-style alt-rock types. She’s got some pretty cool friends, too, including McKinley Dixon, who’s playing the Kickstarter launch party (at TheatreLAB’s The Basement of all places–I don’t remember there being live music there ever before…). Whatever Honey and the Trunk Show Band are also on the bill, as well as someone named “Lucky Duckiss.” Hmm. Those of us who didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday can probably interpret that one accurately. The best part about this whole show is that your admission price constitutes a donation to the Kickstarter campaign; therefore, one would think that by paying 10 bucks to get in, you’d not only get to see this rad show but also get a digital download of the Deau Eyes album when it’s done. That’s what I call a deal.

Sunday, January 21, 9 PM
Rex Richardson Quintet feat. JC Kuhl, Trey Pollard, Randall Pharr, Brian Jones @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
There’s a lot going on in the jazz genre, and as someone who spends a lot of her time focusing on things like punk, metal, and emo, I don’t always have the ability to keep up with jazz as much as I want. Therefore, I imagine the jazz heads around here are shaking their heads in dismay that I’m this late at getting on the Rex Richardson train. I feel you, jazz heads, I feel you. This guy is obviously a big deal. A trumpeter who is sponsored by Yamaha and has been a prominent representative for VCU’s music department for nearly two decades, Richardson has done quite a lot in his career thus far. His achievements both as a classical soloist and a jazz bandleader are lengthier and more impressive than I could even attempt to cram into this space.

But what we should discuss is the fact that he released a collaborative album entitled Blue Shift in 2014 with saxophonist Steve Wilson. That album has a strong, swinging sound that hits hard and makes me think of prime Miles Davis and John Coltrane albums. The rhythm section that backed Richardson and Wilson on that album is the same one that fills out Richardson’s quintet for this performance, including Spacebomb arrangement guru Trey Pollard on piano. Filling in for the absent Wilson is JC Kuhl, formerly of local funk band Agents Of Good Roots, who along with drummer Brian Jones has also played with legendary avant-garde outsider musician Jandek. These are some seasoned pros at the top of their game, and with a master like Richardson at the helm, this night is sure to bring you some top-quality jazz sounds.

Monday, January 22, 8 PM
Deerhoof, Bermuda Triangles, Tavishi, COQ @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s get weird. Deerhoof, noted veteran rangers of the bizarre fringes of the indie world, return to Richmond once again with the latest dose of their alternate-universe rock n’ roll. Latest album Mountain Moves, released last fall, has a strange sort of 70s soft rock vibe lurking beneath all the weird song structures and noisy guitars. It sort of reminds me of where Blonde Redhead went later in their career, when the melodies suddenly rose to the surface and changed the way one heard their music. Covers of The Staple Singers and Bob Marley show that the group’s response to the rise of Trumpism has not been one of avoidance, while the album’s extensive list of guest stars shows that they believe in working together to make things better.

Now Deerhoof is coming to RVA with a big dose of inspiration for us all. They’ll find RVA 100% prepared to meet that challenge, as they’re joined on this bill by Bermuda Triangles. Once a more conventional noise-rock sort of band, last year’s Haunted Island EP shows them slimming down to a trio and taking their percussion focus into outer space, while still remaining an incredibly funky, fun, danceable band. Tavishi’s experimental noise, meanwhile, is an intense, overwhelming experience, with a strong political viewpoint and an uncompromising approach. COQ will open the show with some strange sounds that are sure to touch a nerve for fans of the No Wave scene of the early 80s. Think of the Bush Tetras or DNA and you’re halfway there. Now go the rest of the way down to Strange Matter and see this show.

Tuesday, January 23, 7 PM
.gif From God, Cursing Method, Van Hagar, Listless, Jafar Flowers, Cell Saga @ Soft Web – $5
I’ve been seeing .gif From God play since their earliest basement blasts of metal noise hysteria and while they’ve been amazing from the jump, they only seem to get better as time goes on. Last year’s split EP with Vein saw them taking things to a higher level with longer, more complex songs, but they retained their edge. They’ve continued to incorporate the best elements of metalcore, screamo, spastic grind a la the Locust, and outright horrible noise into a potpourri of entertaining, energetic sounds that are always delivered with maximum hyperactive intensity.

Basically what I’m saying here is that it’s never a good idea to miss a .gif From God set. And there are plenty of other good reasons to catch this mid-week throwdown at Soft Web, the foremost among them being an appearance by South Carolinian grind maniacs Cursing Method, who take a feedback-destruction approach to their crunchy riffs and blasting drum attack. And then, of course, there are the many powerful locals, from rage-filled power-violence heroes Van Hagar to dark, moody hardcore ragers Listless. The evening’s dead spaces will be filled in with DJ sets from Ice Cream Socialites Jafar Flowers and Cell Saga, so you won’t ever have to wait for the killer sounds to start back up. What could be better?

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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]

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 10/4-10/10

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, October 7, 7 PM
Iron Lung, Bastard Noise, Suppression, Intensive Care, Listless @ Strange Matter – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Power violence. I know a lot of you out there might be turned off by the term–sounds creepy and dangerous, right? But if you like seeing the sounds of metal, hardcore, punk, and even random offshoots like free jazz and experimental noise all pushed to their absolute limit at the same time by the same bands, then chances are you already know that power violence is the genre for you. Originally innovated by bands like Infest and Crossed Out, power violence incorporates the ridiculous speeds of grindcore, the brutal slowness of the sludgiest doom metal, and the freakout craziness of noise into a harsh conglomeration of atonal madness. If you need danceability and sweet melodic hooks from your music, well, I get that, but this may not be the night for you. However, if you can appreciate people pushing the limit of just how fast, heavy, and hectic music can get, you need to order your ticket now.

Iron Lung may not have been there at power violence’s dawn in the early 90s, but they’ve been the leaders of the genre for quite a while now, at least since the release of their 2004 debut, Life. Iron Lung. Death. This bassless two-piece tosses out killer riffs at hyperspeed, blending them with crushing breakdowns and tortured screams, along with a heaping helping of flat-out noise. The combination was refined to perfection on their third album, White Glove Test, but the four years since its release have seen almost no releases of new material–other than a lathe-cut limited edition EP earlier this year, which was limited to 100 and sold only at shows. Hopefully they’ll bring us a real new album soon, but until then, you’ll have to settle for getting your head knocked off at this show.

Bastard Noise actually were there at the early 90s dawn of power violence–indeed, leader Eric Wood coined the term. Originally known as Man Is The Bastard, the group had some lineup changes and moved in a more noise-weirdness direction after Y2K, at which time they adopted the Bastard Noise moniker. However, recent years have seen their original drummer rejoin the group, and things move back towards the sort of jazz-grind-sludge the band excelled at in its early years, so this show may more closely resemble Man Is The Bastard’s 1996 performance at the same venue than one might initially expect. This lineup is jam packed with additional entertainment, from legendary RVA power violence duo Suppression–who date back almost as long as Bastard Noise in their own right–to Canadian bass-drum sludge combo Intensive Care, who feature former members of mid-2000s power violence torchbearers Endless Blockade. Local queercore/blackened screamo upstarts Listless kick things off with righteous fury, so show up on time and be ready for some serious ear damage.

Wednesday, October 4, 8 PM
Dr. No, Black Mountain Massacre, BLK LLC, Bodyshell @ Strange Matter – $5 (order tickets HERE)
Strange Matter’s Locals Only showcase series continues to be the best opportunity to hear about a bunch of new bands happening in the city, all at the same time. In this case, word has it that Black Mountain Massacre curated this lineup themselves, which is a really interesting way to go about it, and certainly not something I have a problem with. Letting bands introduce us to other new bands they hang with–this seems like a very solid plan. And in this case, it’s led to a good band introducing us to a bunch of other good bands, so that’s pretty much an ideal outcome.

The evening is headlined by the aforementioned Black Mountain Massacre, a new metal project with some clear roots in that whole Pantera/Eyehategod axis of NOLA metal. They’ll get your head banging for sure, while Dr. No bring a tangled mathy hardcore sound that evokes past RVA greats like Kepone and Breadwinner. I’m down with it. BLK LLC, a band that brings together bass-slinging lunatic Jon Sullivan (Kid Is Qual/Sau) and microphone rager Ryan Kent (Gritter, Murdersome) for some heavy-as-fuck guitar-free grooves, takes this opportunity to tear you a new one, and the whole evening starts with Bodyshell, a duo with a strange hybrid sound that at times feels more like atmospheric metal and at others is more like moody indie rock. Either way, it’s cool, as is every band on this bill. For $5, you really can’t go wrong.

Thursday, October 5, 8 PM
Dirty Rice Pop-Up, feat. Noah-O X Fan Ran, Johnny Ciggs, God Goldin, Bonds, music by Billy When? @ Flora – $7
Noah-O may be seen as a one-hit wonder by some who count by MTV airplay. The truth is, though, he’s never stopped making great records, and over the past half decade or so, he’s built up quite a track record for himself. Moving across the city, putting together projects with a succession of the best beatmakers in town, and steadily improving his skills in the process sees him still improving after being a big name on the RVA hip hop scene for at least seven years now. Having previously worked with everyone from Taylor Whitelow and Cadillac Cat to the late, great Kleph Dollaz, his latest project sees him teaming up with Gritty City production mastermind Fan Ran, who’s been carving out quite the career in his own right with a prolific series of projects with the full range of Gritty City’s packed stable of heavy-hitting MCs.

What do you get when the two join together? Some good eating, that’s for sure. Dirty Rice hit the streets last month via Bandcamp, and this show is a celebration of its release out in the real world. Noah-O and Fan Ran will bring the crowd a fire-spitting performance of the album’s many bangers, while Gritty City majordomo Johnny Ciggs provides valuable support with a set of his own. God Goldin shows off his lyrical skills on the mic as well, and a newcomer named Bonds about whom I know very little (that’s not an easy name to google, I gotta tell ya) will contribute the opening set. The event will also feature a pop-up shop selling an exclusive Dirty Rice t-shirt only available at this event, which will surely be accompanied by a variety of Charged Up Entertainment and Gritty City Records merch. Bring a few bucks, because you’re gonna want to do some shopping. But make sure you run out to the car and stow your brand new t-shirt before the headlining set–dirty rice is tasty, but it’ll stain your clothes if you don’t eat carefully.

Friday, October 6, 8 PM
ZAO, Sunndrug, Ostraca, Venomspitter @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Who knew ZAO would still be around in 2017? Especially considering that the last original member left the band over a decade ago. And who ever would have guessed that they would still be an excellent example of late 90s metalcore, somehow surviving at least a decade after anyone would have guessed they’d be relevant? Certainly not me, but the fact is, it’s happened, with their 2016 album The Well-Intentioned Virus showing that they’ve still got the spark that made classic albums Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest (1998) and The Funeral Of God (2004) so killer. Singer Daniel Weyandt and guitarists Russ Cogdell and Scott Mellinger are still in the fold from those days, too, so things really haven’t changed as much as one might fear. The mix of harsh screams, sludgy riffs, powerful breakdowns, and emotional drama that made Zao great is still in place.

Meanwhile, the openers for this bill mix VA bands with roots in the same era that spawned Zao and younger groups paying tribute to a crucial early influence. Sunndrug hails from VA Beach and features members of Spitfire and Norma Jean, two other bands from that same late-90s metalcore scene that spawned Zao. All of them had Christian content and associations at the time, and all of them seem to have grown beyond overt ties between music and religion in the years since, which is always nice to see (though let’s be real, if Jesus Christ gets mentioned from stage a time or two on this night, no one will be surprised. Just try to tune out for those parts). Ostraca may have been around in some form for over a decade now, but they’re spring chickens compared to Zao, and bring a newer, darker version of metalcore into the world–believe me, it’s a welcome one. Venomspitter are on much the same page as Ostraca, though they feature a more overt hardcore influence. And while they’re the newest band on this bill, some members played with bands (most notably Forefront) who opened for much earlier incarnations of Zao back in the pre-9/11 days when the world was young and full of hope. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Saturday, October 7, 6:30 PM
Have Mercy, Boston Manor, Can’t Swim, A Will Away @ The Camel – $15 in advance/$17 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Sometimes in the course of writing this column I learn that there’s a significant discrepancy between what the world of the internet will tell you about a band and what your ears will tell you. For example, we have Have Mercy, a Baltimore band that is described online as “rock” and is, upon listening to any of their three albums, clearly better described by the phrase “emo as fuck.” I mean, granted, they aren’t as energetic as Taking Back Sunday, taking a more pensive approach to their midtempo riffs and lovelorn vocals, but I definitely hear more of Gates or Moving Mountains here than… I dunno, what’s rock in 2017? Of Mice And Men? Falling In Reverse? Is Nickelback still together?

Anyway, I should probably mention the fact that Have Mercy leader Brian Swindle purged and restructured the group’s entire lineup before the release of their latest album, Make The Best Of It. Despite what you may fear, though, the band hasn’t lost a step, and are still primed to get everyone in the crowd sighing as they bob back and forth to this band’s excellently emotional music. This tour sees Have Mercy joined by a trio of out-of-town bands, making this a local-free show. Pure Noise Records signees Boston Manor (who strangely hail not from the New England but the merrie old one across the pond) are the standouts, and make an excellent companion piece to Have Mercy with the songs from their 2016 debut LP, Be Nothing, having much in common with Have Mercy’s latest stuff. Can’t Swim, whose name makes me imagine a gimmick band that goes on stage in life jackets (they probably don’t actually do this), and A Will Away will round out the lineup here. Bring a sweater.

Sunday, October 8, 8 PM
Necroscythe, Hoboknife, Voarm @ Strange Matter – $7
Not sure what happened to Necroscythe’s original tourmates, Hivelords, but frankly, I can’t bring myself to care about it. After all, our remaining headliners are a Philadelphia black metal project who have a song called “I Spit Upon The Cross Of Christ.” How awesome is that? Do you really need any more from these people? Well, if you do, I can tell you that they’ve got some classic double-time riffs and blasting drums, plus some terrifying throaty screams, all of which sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of a pit inside a forest in the middle of the night. In other words, the perfect black metal sound. So yeah, let’s all start queueing up for this one now.

Two RVA metal projects with equally harsh styles are on the bill as openers, and while by now I’m pretty sure everyone who cares about local metal has already checked out Hoboknife, let me just alert the few of you who might still be sleeping on them so you wake the hell up. This band brings together the majority of the late, lamented La Mere Vipere to crank out some dark, heavy shredding that is more blackened thrash than outright black metal, but certainly should appeal to those on both sides of that divide. Voarm, on the other hand, is straight-up black metal, complete with full-on tin can production–one can imagine that their live presentation will have a heavier low end than their demo, but the blast beats, tremolo-picked riffs, and tortured vocal howls will stay intact. So yes, this will be a night of gruesome metal terror, missing headliner be damned. Show up.

Monday, October 9, 8 PM
Neat Sweep, Foresterr, Railgun, Black Acid Ritual @ Strange Matter – $5
Another Locals Only show at Strange Matter in the same week? I know, isn’t it great? This one is coming from a completely different part of the scene than the previous one, which makes it just as valuable and yet completely unlike the one before. That always rules. Our headliners are Neat Sweep, the latest project from Cory Chubb (Sundials, Close Talker, Smoke Break, etc) and Max Gottesman (Gottem), and of course, the first song on their demo is about a Taco Bell date. Is the whole post-Haus Addy scene getting predictable? Maybe a little, but it’s all just so much fun… why complain about it?

And now for something completely different. Former Lawrence, KS residents Foresterr are also on this bill, and they’ve recently brought their intricately layered brand of shoegaze-y indie guitar to RVA. Get ready for precise melodies contrasted with fuzzy guitar haze to put a smile on your face–because I assure you, that’s what’s going to happen when this band starts to play. Railgun sounds like the name a metallic punk band would have, but in this case they’re a smooth, funky rock crew from here in town. Didn’t see that coming, did you? The fact that Black Acid Ritual are a crew of teenagers playing moshy metal riffs is a bit more predictable, but no less awesome. The whole night is sure to rule, really.

Tuesday, October 10, 8 PM
Yawningman, We Are The Asteroid, Desert Altar, Zgomot @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Yawningman has returned to RVA, and it’s an event for all who love psychedelia, stoner desert metal, and generally weird outsider shit. For years, all I could tell you about Yawningman was that on their last album, Kyuss had covered a song from their demo. The song was great, but I didn’t hear any actual Yawningman recordings or learn much of anything about them until their first official studio album, 2005’s Rock Formations, was released. That album showed that, while this sun-baked psychedelic ensemble had influenced quite a few bands from that CA/AZ desert-rock axis, their sound was entirely their own, an instrumentally-driven groove machine full of moments that stood alongside the best of bands from Blue Cheer to Jane’s Addiction in its ability to launch mental explorations of the solar system.

So yeah, the hype is real, this band really does deserve all the great things that have been said about them in the press over the years, and if you haven’t picked up on their 30-year history as yet, this Tuesday’s Strange Matter performance is a perfect jumping-on point. Tourmates We Are The Asteroid offer some similarly freaky psychedelic exploration, and feature former Butthole Surfers bassist Nathan Calhoun–just so you know what sort of pedigree they’re working with. Local openers Desert Altar get on that whole Kyuss stoner groove vibe, while fellow locals Zgomot bring punk influence, an improvisational flair, and a foundation in Romanian literature to the stage in an unpredictable fusion of fascinatingly disparate elements. Nothing about this show is predictable, other than the fact that you’re sure to enjoy 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] [the rvamag address isn’t working for some reason, I haven’t had time to look into it! Bear with me]