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RVA Shows You Must See This Week: January 12 – January 18

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, January 14, 6:30 PM
Dwight Yoakam, Reid Haughton @ The National – $45-$52.50 (order tickets HERE)
Every week I start the column with it, and every week I say it’s for the last time. Let’s stop kidding ourselves. I’m gonna bring up COVID to start this one, and it’s not the last time. If you’re fully vaxxed AND boosted, you might be OK to go to shows these days, maybe even without a mask… but I’m not a doctor, nothing’s for certain, and one of the reasons that I have fewer and fewer shows to pick from for this column every week is because some people don’t want to take chances. The fact that this column exists is NOT me telling you to take chances. All I’m saying is, I’m bringing up eight shows, that are happening in this city over the next week. Are they REALLY must-see in the current public health environment? That’s up to you to determine.

But look, Dwight Yoakam is coming to the National this Friday night, and that’s something you really should see if you feel safe enough to attend. The man’s been acting as an antidote to safe, sterile, overproduced country music for damn near 40 years now, and he’s honestly not getting any younger, so if you haven’t made it out to see Dwight Yoakam at any point in the past, now might really be the time. After all, he’s got a career chock full of classics, starting back in 1986 with “Honky Tonk Man” and including such career highlights as his duet with Buck Owens on “Streets Of Bakersfield,” heartbreak classics like “Ain’t That Only Yet” and “It Only Hurts When I Cry,” and his covers of legendary tunes like Elvis’ “Little Sister” and Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” He’s bound to break some of them out at some point this Friday night, and it’s going to be awesome when he does.

Unlike a lot of other artists rapidly approaching the 40th anniversary of their first album, Dwight Yoakam has remained creatively vital and at the peak of his powers for decades now. And let’s be real: when it comes to live music in these COVID times, veteran artists like him are gonna pick their targets carefully. He might not be back to Richmond for a long while now. So — assuming you feel healthy enough to make it — you really don’t want to miss this show. Break out your boots and cowboy hat, because if there was ever a right time to do it up proper, this is it.

Wednesday, January 12, 8 PM
Destructo Disk, Teen Mortgage, Baby Bugs, Lips @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Midweek is a good time to punk it out at The Camel, and two energetic bands from the northern part of the state are coming down to the capital city to give us a wonderful opportunity for high fives and stage dives. Destructo Disk hail from Winchester, of all places — hardly what I’d ever think of as punk rock city, amirite? And yet, on recent singles like “Punk Rock Die” and “Breakfast In Space,” they show an assured grasp on the melody, irreverence, and spunk that all come together to create the best punk rock. Even if you can skate, you should enjoy the music of this power-punk trio.

Teen Mortgage hail from two (or 27, depending on the weather) hours up 95 in Washington DC, and their tougher two-piece sound makes a great contrast with the more fun-loving vibes of Destructo Disk. On their latest EP, Smoked, Teen Mortage channel the dark punk of bands like The Wipers and Ex-Cult and mix it with the anthemic power of Japandroids to make a can’t-miss racket that’s sure to win over the entire room. Richmond newcomers Baby Bugs have a driving punk sound that reminds me at times of 90s legends Veruca Salt, and opener Lips is a total mystery to me — I’m pretty sure it’s not the band from New Zealand that showed up when I tried really hard to google a musical artist called Lips, but beyond that I have no idea. Whatever. It’s a punk rock show. That should be all you need to know.

Thursday, January 13, 8 PM
Ethan Jewell, Mae Krell, Ryan Kent @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
I must admit, I had no idea about youthful internet sensation Ethan Jewell until this show made it into my upcoming-show masterlist, but I’m apparently one of the last to find out about him; this 19-year-old poet has millions of followers on TikTok, and is rapidly parlaying that into a musical career, though his works might not be exactly what you expect. Because here’s the thing: Ethan Jewell doesn’t even attempt to sing. He recites poetry over moody, melodic musical backgrounds, and if that makes you think of some of Jack Kerouac’s recorded works, well, you’re not entirely on the wrong track.

Really, though, I’d compare Ethan Jewell to some more clearly 21st century works: for example, there’s Arkansas alt-rock project Listener, based around the spoken vocals of poet Dan Smith. More famously, there’s Between Bodies, the LP The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die made with poet Chris Zizzamia handling the majority of the vocals. If you dug those projects, chances are you’ll find a lot to like in what Ethan Jewell is doing. NYC-based singer-songwriter Mae Krell is also bringing some beautiful, heartfelt sounds to this event. The whole thing will kick off with a performance by Ryan Kent, who you may know as, um, a staff writer for RVA Mag, or as the vocalist for local metal bands like Murdersome and Gritter. However, he’ll be appearing on this bill in his guise as a poet, and with a spoken word album of his very own coming later this year, now’s the perfect time to see what Ryan’s up to on that front. Get to it.

Friday, January 14, 9 PM
Blunt, Colin Phils, Rest Ashore, Midlife Pilot @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Ah yes, Richmond indie. It survives, it thrives, no matter how much it has to push through. And bands like Blunt and Colin Phils keep coming back stronger year after year to prove exactly that. After a few years of releasing occasional singles on Bandcamp, Blunt finally brought us a proper EP this past year with Luxe, a four-song collection of their catchy, jangly tunes. I can’t help but think of Interpol at times while listening to this EP, but what I really like about it is the scrappy, underdog energy the band brings to it, giving it a DIY feel that is incredibly endearing. I’m sure their performance of these and other tunes at The Camel Friday night will be similarly endearing.

Then, of course, there’s Colin Phils, who’ve been a mainstay on the local scene for long enough that you almost forget they originally hailed from Korea. If you’re aware of their association with local math-rock luminaries like Houdan The Mystic, that should give you some idea of what this band is up to… but really, if you’ve gotten this far without hearing their last full-length release, 2020’s Trust/Fall, you’re blowing it, and there’s just no other way to put it. You can, of course, earn some points back by coming out to see them this Friday, and ceasing to resist their melodically complex but always danceable tunes. As for New Jersey’s Rest Ashore, they engage in a little bit of that math-rock guitar tangling on their 2021 album Psychogore, but their grasp of catchy choruses and driving pop crescendos is straight-up emo revival if you ask me. And yes, that’s a good thing. A very very very good thing. As is this entire show, really. Show up and see for yourself.

Saturday, January 15, 7 PM
The Connells, Jphono1 @ The National – $22.50 (order tickets HERE)
Listen, I know what you’re gonna say. “Drew, you’ve sent us to see The Connells before, and every time you’ve done so, you’ve just ranted about how much you loved them back when you were in high school in the early 90s, and how excited you were to see them play songs from 30 years ago.” And it’s all true! I’m not even gonna argue it. At this point, even damn-near-46-year-old me would find it a bit difficult to rationalize going to see The Connells again based on songs they’ve played in this town many many times before — even if those songs are stone classics of American alternative rock (because, I mean… they ARE).

But here’s the really wonderful amazing thing: for the first time in two decades, The Connells made a brand new album in 2021. Called Steadman’s Wake, it’s an album that befits the Connells’ status as veterans of the mid-Atlantic indie scene; indeed, its pensive title track references the opioid epidemic and the Unite The Right riot in Charlottesville. However, songs like “Stars” bring out that classic wistful tone that marked the best Connells songs of decades past, while opener “Really Great” shows that this band still can bring the energetic bounce that we all love to see. I know it’s the hip move to head for the bar when a new song gets broken out at a show like this, but this time around, it must be said — the real reason to see The Connells, even after nearly 40 years, is what they’ve been up to lately.

Sunday, January 16, 7 PM
Free Throw, Bad Luck, Camp Trash @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $16 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Sunday night marks the end of the weekend, another evening of dreading the return to work, or school, or whatever bummer shit makes your Mondays suck. But why not chase those pre-Monday blues away this Sunday night by heading to the lengthily named Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House and checking out a killer performance from Nashville, Tennessee band Free Throw. These guys have been bringing that lovelorn emo excellence for quite a while now. Last year saw the release of their fourth album, Piecing It Together, and while it might not pushed the band’s sound into new terrain, that’s not really a problem when you can dish out the catchy emotional pop-punk sound with the kind of quality and consistency these guys bring to the table.

Basically, if listening to bands like Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, and The Story So Far makes you feel all the feels, Free Throw’s set this Sunday night is sure to put a smile on your face. And just to make the evening even sweeter, Free Throw are bringing a couple of other touring bands with them to chase those looming Monday blues away before they ever get here in the first place. Bad Luck, from New York, trade the most overt emo elements of Free Throw’s sound for a rawer punk edge, and even introduce a tiny bit of Lemonheads bounce into the whole equation, while Florida’s Camp Trash bring in harmony vocals and jangly guitars that they might just have picked up from Angel Dust. The result is sure to be an evening of fine sounds with enough of an emotional hangover to send you to work the next morning with a smile on your face, for once.

Monday, January 17, 7 PM
Dan Whitaker, Mackenzie Roark, Brady Heck @ The Camel – $7 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Let’s go a completely different route for this Monday night, a night on which you just might need to drown your sorrows at the friendly bar over at The Camel. It’s the perfect night to do it, because veteran Chicago singer-songwriter Dan Whitaker will be in the house, touring behind his latest album, One More Story Told. The longtime frontman for Dan Whitaker and the Shinebenders has gone out on his own for his latest album, on which he takes a more stripped-down, acoustic approach toward songs that he’s created throughout his lengthy career. The result is some downcast country-style Americana, avoiding the unfortunate schmaltz of Nashville’s most excessive 70s ballads in favor of the same sorts of bare-bones arrangements that Johnny Cash utilized toward the end of his life to such amazing effect on his American Recordings series of albums.

If that’s the kind of thing that’ll put the tear into your beer (in the happiest sense of the phrase) on Monday night, then you should also appreciate the music we’ll be getting from the two local openers. Mackenzie Roark’s solo work, which generally just features her voice and hollow-body electric guitar, brings the lovelorn mood and honky-tonk twang that’s sure to set your heart alight. And of course, Brady Heck is a hardworking local fella who has showed off his chops most recently on “Saddle Blanket,” a stripped-down alt-country single he released a few months ago featuring guest vocals from Mackenzie Roark and Deau Eyes’ Ali Thibodeau, at least one of whom we know will be in the house for this performance. Is there a team-up in the offing? You won’t know unless you’re there.

Tuesday, January 18, 7 PM
Aura, Novacaine, Rest Aside, 3Peace, Disposed @ The Camel – $5 in advance, $7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Well, it’s official: time really is a flat circle. Thirty years after the whole post-Rage Against The Machine boom in rap-metal, Richmond newcomers Aura have combined a post-deathcore triple-guitar chug attack with some straight-up hip hop vocals to create a sound that lands somewhere between Whitechapel and Downset. And look, I know a lot of people clowned the early-90s era of rap-metal pretty much as soon as it ended, but there’s a reason that sound was so big for a few years there: it had a lot of undeniable power. As someone who was around for this the first time, I’m still unironically stoked when that Downset song everyone always mocks comes on.

So yes, I for one do welcome our new rap-metal overlords. I’m not entirely sure whether Aura is just the first flickerings of a coming new wave; after all, fellow post-deathcore Richmonders Rest Aside are definitely coming from more of a Job For A Cowboy/Killswitch Engage-influenced place, complete with a fair dose of melody in their guitars (which works well — keep that coming, guys). But if these two bands are a good example of how the future looks in Richmond’s young metalcore scene, then I definitely see a dose of the past running through it. Not that I’m complaining; I loved all that stuff the first time around. Let’s rock with it again.

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

VA Shows You Must See This Week: August 14 – August 20

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, August 18, 7 PM
The Mob, Serqet, Benderheads @ Gallery 5 – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Classic UK punk takes many forms. Defiant yet melodic bands like the Sex Pistols and The Clash are the most popular one, and made a huge imprint on the music scene for the next several decades. There’s also the rawer, angrier, melody-free political hardcore of bands like Discharge and Antisect, which led to long-running subgenres like crust and d-beat. But there’s another entire world of classic UK punk, one that is sometimes known as peace punk, or anarcho-punk, but is much harder to describe musically. It’s from that world that Somerset, England’s The Mob was born.

Associated with the loose-knit circle around anarchist punk band/label/collective Crass, The Mob were one of quite a few bands in that world who created their own original sound. Their most famous single, “No Doves Fly Here,” is almost gothic in its dirge-like gloomy sound, stretching on for nearly seven minutes and fully capturing the post-apocalyptic horror of war’s devastated aftermath. However, it’s their 1983 LP, Let The Tribe Increase, that is the peak expression of The Mob’s ominously gothic punk mood, one that connects them both to legendary 80s UK acts like Amebix and Zounds and modern Danish groups like Iceage and Lower.

The Mob disbanded in the mid-80s, but they’ve been back together in their original lineup for almost a decade now. However, this is the first time they’ve ever made it to Richmond, and you’d definitely be best advised to join with the punks who’ve been waiting to see them for the last four decades by heading to Gallery 5 this Sunday night. They’ll be joined by two Richmond punk powerhouses; their kindred spirits in postpunk crew Serqet and hardcore maniacs Benderheads. No matter how long you’ve been waiting, it’ll be worth it.

Wednesday, August 14, 9 PM
Skizophrenia, Vaaska, Under Attack, Destruct @ Mojo’s – $8-$10 donation
Japanese punk is definitely its own thing. It was born of influences carried across the oceans from the US and UK, but the effect of Japanese culture was formidable, and led to a completely different spin on hardcore punk — one that has spawned a rich cultural history over the past several decades. Skizophrenia are part of that history, and their output over the past decade and a half has made up for its relative sparseness with a fiery attack that stands as unique even within the sui generis world of Japanese punk. Which is why you should definitely make it out to Mojo’s to see them tonight.

Their raw, speedy sound manages to communicate energetic rage while not taking on any sort of heaviness or macho aggression. Instead, Skizophrenia plays a form of Japanese punk that is both melodic and fun, even as it retains the noisy, frantic elements that are so endemic to the punk rock of their native country. They’re coming through Richmond tonight in the company of Vaaska, a Texas band with whom they shared a split EP, and whose Spanish-Scandinavian crust-punk hybrid is fast and scorching in its own right. Richmond punk supergroup Under Attack and noise-core newcomers Destruct round out a bill that’s guaranteed to blow your mind.

Thursday, August 15, 9 PM
Frankie & the Witch Fingers, Weird Tears, Deli Kings @ Wonderland – $10
Frankie & the Witch Fingers sounds a lot more like a band from decades past than it does like the name of a modern band, but don’t let their throwback band name throw you off — this group has a very up-to-date take on the many genres they dip into over the course of their latest LP, ZAM, which was released back in March. Over its one-hour running time, you’ll catch everything from Blue Cheer-style proto-metal to guitar-driven acid funk to straight up rock n’ roll — all with a strong tendency toward psychedelia.

This group has had a prolific history thus far, releasing five LPs in the past seven years, and the creative energy it takes to churn out killer sounds at that kind of pace absolutely shows through in their frenetic live performances. When they hit the Wonderland stage tomorrow night, you’re going to have a lot of trouble standing still. And why would you want to? Dance the night away! You’ll also be able to enjoy the rock n’ roll sounds of Weird Tears and the psychedelic heavy-osity of Deli Kings as part of this evening, and that’s always a lovely bonus. What are you waiting for? Set the controls for Shockoe Bottom.

Friday, August 16, 8 PM
Volk, Mackenzie Roark, Toward Space @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
“Cowpunk” was a term you heard for a while in the 80s. It was applied to everyone from The Meat Puppets to Lone Justice back then, and while as a Southern girl myself I certainly got excited about this subgenre’s potential when I first heard about it, I was usually disappointed to find that the bands lumped into it were far more country than punk. 30 years later, though, Nashville’s Volk have come along to give me what I wanted from all those bands back then.

On their latest EP, Average American Band, this wild n’ crazy two-piece inverts the usual cowpunk formula and injects some of the rawest, most fire-spitting moments of the Bloodshot Records scene into a sound that’s got a lot more to do with the White Stripes and the Gun Club than anything you’d hear on an alt-country Pandora playlist. I love it, and you should too, especially if you love to get wild and crazy to the out-of-control garage rock sounds of local trio Toward Space, who are, by an amazing coincidence, also on this show! Singer/bandleader Mackenzie Roark is also on this bill, to inject just enough of that lovelorn country balladry into the evening for you honky-tonkers out there.

Saturday, August 17, 7:30 PM
Mannequin Pussy, Empath, T-Rextasy @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Damn, talk about taking things to the next level. Like a lot of Richmonders, I already liked Philadelphia’s Mannequin Pussy quite a bit; their frequent visits to the city over the past five years or so have seen them rise up from the basement and win the hearts of punk rockers all over town. But their latest LP, Patience, not only sees them signing to Epitaph Records but also finds them creating the strongest, most assured music of their career thus far.

On Patience, they’ve found a way to both crank up the bile-spitting punk intensity and delve into the kind of heart-wrenching melodies that make brilliant breakup songs like “Drunk II” and “Fear/+/Desire” into instant classics. It’s as if Live Through This-era Hole had collaborated with White Lung. So yeah, it’s awesome, and hearing it communicated at top volume as one of Mannequin Pussy’s incredible live performances is only gonna make the whole thing hit that much harder. They come to The Camel accompanied by upstart Philadelphia psych-punk band Empath and Brooklyn alt-poppers T-Rextasy, both of whom will up the ante on what’s already guaranteed to be an outstanding night of music. Don’t blow this one.

Sunday, August 18, 9 PM
Insect Surfers, Atomic Mosquitos, Armistead’s Army @ The Camel – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard to stand out in the genre of instrumental surf rock, a land where many people seem most interested in slavish imitations of the legendary greats — Dick Dale, The Ventures, maybe Man Or Astro-Man for the more modern heads. But there are still quite a few bands out there in the surf world proudly walking their own path, and the Insect Surfers are definitely one of them. Getting their start fully 40 years ago, this group loves to refer to themselves as “Planet Earth’s longest-running modern surf band,” and show off the exact sort of interstellar sensibility that motto brings to mind on their many ripping tunes.

The Insect Surfers were directly influenced by the manic instrumental surf-guitar groups of the early 60s, but they took just as much inspiration from the early days of punk rock, which was getting started all around them in their own formative years. If you listen close, you can also hear a bit of the space-faring psychedelia of trippy early 70s groups like Hawkwind and 60s spaghetti western soundtracks mixed into recent material like 2017’s Datura Moon. All of this will add up to a night of awesomeness when these guys pull into The Camel; we guarantee that their tunes will keep you dancing all night long, just like those beach-blanket babes of yore.

Monday, August 19, 9 PM
Bermuda Triangles, No Question, Lipid, Archbishop @ Cary Street Cafe – $10
There are a lot of panicked rumors going on, but have no fear — things are still going strong over at Cary Street Cafe! And there’s no better proof than this latest edition of Slimehole’s weekly “Heavy Mondays.” For starters, it’s bringing us a killer set from borderline-indescribable percussion-focused trio Bermuda Triangles, who’ve been blasting Richmond with their unique form of postpunk space-dance jazz-funk for years now. These guys create the best bizarro-boogie soundtrack happening in Richmond right now, and you won’t want to miss this opportunity to get weird with it.

Plus, they’re playing in the company of Wisconsin noisemongers No Question, who blast out some dirty, grungy rage at hyperspeed on their 2018 self-titled EP. They’re prepared to do the same thing, live and in your face, at this gig, and you should definitely come prepared to be blown away. Local punk freaks Lipid are on the bill as well, which is always enjoyable, and this show will open with the debut performance by Archbishop, the latest assemblage of maniacs from past RVA terrors like Olde Shame, The Skin, and Memory Loss. There’s nothing about this one that’s not gonna rule.

Tuesday, August 20, 9 PM
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Annabelle Chairlegs, DJ Chrissie @ Fuzzy Cactus – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Of course we were all terrified about the future of Richmond live music last year when Strange Matter closed, but as has long been said, crisis creates opportunity, and as this city has warmed up over the course of 2019, we’ve seen more and more live music venues popping up all over! Fuzzy Cactus is the latest example, coming to Brookland Park Boulevard this weekend with some delicious fried chicken and a stage that’ll be full of rock n’ roll sounds on a weekly basis.

The first big show they’re bringing in takes place only a few days after they open up, as Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears pull into town. This Texas ensemble is based around the wild vocals and raging guitars of frontman Lewis, who’s sure to remind you of both Little Richard and James Brown. But it’s the extended ensemble he tours with, complete with horn section, that makes his performances hit so hard — somewhere between BB King and King Khan & the Shrines. They’ll christen the stage of the Fuzzy Cactus in outstanding fashion, and kick off the Brookland Park reign of what’s sure to be yet another great live music venue for Richmond to cherish.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Wednesday, August 14, 5:30 PM
Knotfest Roadshow, feat. Slipknot, Gojira, Volbeat, Behemoth @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater (Virginia Beach) – $41-$250 (order tickets HERE)
Maybe this is just me, but I gotta tell y’all — I find it really hard to feel anything other than love for Slipknot. This crew of Iowa metal misfits with as many members as your average brass band blew everyone’s mind when they showed up in the late 90s with their crazy masks, abundance of percussion, and overflowing amounts of adolescent fury. From there, they just got heavier, shaking off their early nu-metal tinges in favor of brutal, anthemic breakdowns and even the occasional blastbeat. Since losing founding bassist Paul Gray back in 2010, they’ve struggled a bit, ultimately firing a couple of other longtime members in pursuit of the return to fighting form that is this year’s We Are Not Your Kind.

It’s that album they’re celebrating with this summer’s Knotfest Roadshow, and they’ll be bringing their patented brand of masked insanity to the Veterans United stage in VA Beach as part of that. Expect headbangs aplenty as they break out classics like “Disasterpiece,” “Spit It Out,” and “Duality” alongside some excellent tuneage from their new LP. Plus, they’ve got a murderer’s row of metallic excellence along as support, including French death-metallers Gojira, bizarre Danish metalbilly group Volbeat, and legendary Polish thrashers Behemoth. This one will be an absolute feast for anyone who loves metal — and trust me, once they hit the stage, Slipknot’s antics are sure to command your undivided attention.

Saturday, August 17, 5 PM
Suburban Living, Ladada, The Evening Attraction @ Smartmouth Brewing – Free!
Philadelphia indie-gaze crew Suburban Living had a pretty strong buzz a few years ago, but they’ve largely been quite on the release front for the past few years, so it’s a relief to see them rolling through the Commonwealth once again! This Saturday night finds them topping the bill at Smartmouth Brewing’s Norfolk warehouse, which has been throwing a series of free early-evening shows over the past several months. This summer-ending rocker is the last one on the schedule that we know of, so if you haven’t gone and checked the place out, now’s the time!

And of course it will be great to hear the sounds of Suburban Living, whose dreampop deliciousness was showed off to perfect effect on 2016’s Almost Paradise. Will they have some newer material to show off? Well, one never knows — but it’s certainly something to keep an eye out for. The same is true of the support set by Norfolk’s own Ladada, who’ve been at the top of the heap where Tidewater indie is concerned for a while now. And as a bonus, you’ll get a set from Chicago rock n’ rollers The Evening Attraction to kick things off with a bang. This is going to be a blast — gas up the whip.

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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

Top Photo by Beau Patrick Coulon, via Facebook

VA Shows You Must See This Week: December 12 – December 18

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, December 15, noon
White Laces, Night Idea, Fat Spirit, Manzara, Grem Smiley, Don Fredrick, Nightcreature, Billy Neptune, Deli Kings, Ghoul Trouble @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Saturday, December 15, 9 PM
Punks For Presents 2018 Night Two, feat. Good Cretins, London Caroling, Snow Control, Christmas Jerks, X-Mas @ Strange Matter – $10
The time has come. It’s the last hurrah. This Saturday marks the final time that Strange Matter will host any live music. I know a lot of us have been feeling some ways about this, and I’m definitely feeling those feels too. Not just because Strange Matter has been, hands down, the best and most reliable live music venue in Richmond for the past decade, but also because… y’all, I’ve got a column to write every week. I’ve been writing this column for four years, and I can count the weekly installments that went by without featuring at least one Strange Matter show on one finger. When most of the venues around town weren’t even open most random weeknights, Strange Matter could always be counted on to be hosting not just a show, but more often than not, a real banger that I’d put into my column even if it was happening on a Saturday night when every place was hosting something.

Where am I gonna send you now on a random Tuesday night now? We’re gonna find that answer together in 2019, for better or worse. But while Strange Matter still exists, you better believe I’m gonna send you there this weekend. After all, this Saturday, their final day in operation, is going to be a major blowout, featuring not one but two epic shows that will start off around the time you’re paying your tab at brunch and end at last call in the wee hours. What better way could there be for you to celebrate Strange Matter’s truly top-quality decade of operation than to spend about 14 hours within its darkened confines, enjoying over a dozen excellent bands from right here in RVA?

You know the answer as well as I do, so let’s all just mark our calendars now. There’s plenty to get stoked for — a reunion set by White Laces tops off the first epic show of the day, and since it’s always wonderful to see Landis, Jimmy, Jay, and the rest of the gang take the stage together, this will be a can’t-miss moment for any Richmond music fan. The coterie of excellent local faves supporting them on this bill — math-rock kingpins Night Idea, angst-ridden grunge punks Fat Spirit, spaced-out noise-rockers Manzara, so many more — is only matched by the outstanding slate of holiday-themed tribute acts being brought to us on the late show’s jam-packed lineup courtesy of Punks For Presents. Have you ever wanted to hear Clash songs rewritten to feature lyrics about Santa Claus? Or a set of Bad Religion tunes played by people who’ve seen snow on their front lawn at some point in their lives? You’ll get these and many more excellent musical treats at this fun-filled extravaganza. Don’t miss it — if you let your last chance to enjoy Strange Matter while it’s here slip away, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Guaranteed.

Wednesday, December 12, 6 PM
The Milkstains, Sports Bar, Sammi Lanzetta, The Trillions, Cold Beaches, Dumb Waiter, Toward Space, Neat Sweep @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s continue to talk about the outstanding fare Strange Matter will be bringing us throughout their final few days of operation, shall we? The many epic local showcases that have filled their stage over the past few weeks have tended to find a focus in one local scene or another, and this one is no exception, bringing us a smorgasbord of the best alternative rock n’ roll this city has to offer. The fact that I took til the third sentence of this writeup to tell you that the Milkstains will be headlining this show with their first local performance since LAST Christmas might just constitute burying the lede, but I write these columns really goddamn fast, so I hope no one will hate on me too much for letting my journalistic principles slip just a bit.

Anyway, based on the advance promo for this show, it seems likely that this performance by the Milkstains may just constitute their last-ever performance as a band, and considering how much sweat, beer, and surf-grunge wildness this band has dished out to this city over the past decade-plus (they’ve been a thing even longer than Strange Matter has), that’s a real loss to all of us. Celebrate the life and the rock n’ roll power of the Milkstains once again/one last time(?) at Smatter tonight — but don’t just waltz in as they’re hitting the stage, because if you do, you’ll miss out on a plethora of fine musical performers, from the heartstopping alt-rock balladry of singer-songwriter extraordinaire Sammi Lanzetta to the garage-pop brilliance of Sports Bar to the jazz-metal madness of Dumb Waiter. And so much more! Dude… it’s gonna be epic.

Thursday, December 13, 8 PM
Old Faith, Colin Phils, Colder Planets, Kenneka Cook @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I could keep on talking about Strange Matter for every single remaining day of their brief existence, and rest assured, on both this night and the next, there are excellent shows spotlighting indie-rock and grindcore at Strange Matter on these nights. If you were to go, I fully would not blame you. But I would be remiss in my duty as Richmond’s chief chronicler of live local music (I mean, really, who else is there?) if I didn’t tell you about a couple of amazing shows happening at other venues during this final half-week of Strange Matter’s extended wake. Let’s begin with this one, which features an appearance by Greensboro instrumental quartet Old Faith.

There have been quite a few groups that have trod similar musical ground as these North Carolinians now cover, but their ability to evoke perspective, meaning, and emotion through the stunning evolutions of their dual-guitar instrumental epics, as demonstrated on their recently released self-titled LP, puts them in the top tier of the genre, alongside famous names like Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai. When the sounds of their amplifiers grow to fill and surround Capital Ale House’s Downtown Music Hall, the music is sure to take you on an emotional journey. RVA-via-Korea band Colin Phils will also be on hand to bring you their pleasing take on the note-twisting melodic tangles of math-rock, while Colder Planets’s gorgeous alt-rock sounds will put a smile on your face for sure. And of course, there’s Kenneka Cook, the excellent soul singer and amazingly talented electronic-music composer, who’ll bring us an always-delightful set of her amazing tunes. This one’s going to be a delight.

Friday, December 14, 8 PM
Hackedepicciotto, Eric Hubel @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Assuming you’re not hitting Strange Matter, it’s back to Capital Ale House’s Downtown Music Hall on this fine Friday night for one of the weirdest and most intriguing musical experiences you’re going to have anytime in the near future. Hackedepicciotto are coming to town, and while this particular name may not be all that familiar to you, you’re sure to be impressed by their musical pedigree. Alexander Hacke is bassist and co-founder of German industrial godfathers Einsturzende Neubauten; his partner in life and music, Danielle de Picciotto, sang with German postpunk band Die Haut and helped establish long-running Berlin music festival Love Parade.

When they create together, Hacke and de Picciotto make music focused on their interest in yoga and other forms of meditation. Their most recent release is JOY, the second of their albums composed specifically to be soundtracks for meditation, and for that album they worked with New York postpunk guitarist Eric Hubel, formerly of Glenn Branca’s band and a yoga master himself. Now all three come to Richmond to create ambient soundtracks that might have some meditative qualities but also have an intense character that sometimes carries a dark undercurrent and always has the potential to shake your spiritual foundations. It’s hard to say what we’ll see and hear at Capital Ale House Friday night, but one thing’s for sure — it’ll move you.

Saturday, December 15, 7 PM
Genosha, 3:33, Vulcanite, Lounge Lizzard, Treble Lifter, The Mostly Dead, Torino Death Ride @ Sound Of Music Studios – $5
As Strange Matter breathes its last this Saturday night, new life is being born into the Virginia hardcore scene. Metallic hardcore group Genosha will be releasing their latest CD, Our Conspiracy, and while I haven’t yet heard any of the tuneage from it, the two excellent bangers they released earlier this year on a split EP with fellow Commonwealth denizens Treble Lifter (also playing this show; more about them in a minute) give all the reason in the world to expect a powerful slab of dark, brutal moshcore out of this quintet. Being there to see the new Genosha LP being birthed into the world is certainly a fine use of your weekend night, especially if you’re ready for some serious headbangs.

There are quite a few other excellent bands from all around the VA area on this bill as well, and that’s sure to sweeten the pot for the initiated as well as the merely intrigued. Lounge Lizzard in particular are one to watch; this Richmond-based newcomer features members from all kinds of other excellent local bands — Toxic Moxie, Cremains, The Donalds, Skumboyz, and more. Plus, their snarky, catchy old-school punk sound is particularly designed to appeal to fans of The Avengers, which is never a bad thing. The aforementioned Treble Lifter have more of a driving post-hardcore sound, but don’t get me wrong — these guys are plenty pissed off, so you punks are still gonna love it. There are a lot more notable bands on this bill, but I’m running out of space, so I challenge you — learn about them for yourself. Come to Sound Of Music this Saturday night, and find out what’s going on with the new generation.

Sunday, December 16, 7:30 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. Toxic Moxie @ Gallery 5 – Donations accepted
This should be an intriguing installment of the always-fascinating Silent Music Revival, a long-running series of local shows in which Richmond-area musicians of note create improvised soundtracks for silent films they’ve never seen before. This time around, it’ll be Toxic Moxie who’ve accepted the challenge, and it’ll be fun to see how they incorporate their disco-punk hybrid sound into the world of film score. They’ll have a pretty great candidate for scoring too, as the film on display this week is Jean Renoir’s 1928 picture The Little Match Girl.

Renoir, who shares a surname with Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir because he was his son, was a pioneering French film director who got his start in the silent era before going on to demonstrate what could be achieved in the film medium with classics like La Grand Illusion and The Rules Of The Game. Starring his first wife and based on that totally bleak Hans Christian Andersen story we all heard as kids, The Little Match Girl was one of Renoir’s more notable early efforts, one that he financed by selling off his dad’s paintings. Now it’s being paired with the music of Toxic Moxie, on a Sunday evening at Gallery 5. What a time to be alive.

Monday, December 17, 7 PM
Alright, Smoke Break, Ghouli @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$6 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Never mind the fact that I always, without fail, write it as two words (“all right”); I’m still stoked to see Alright coming to town. These North Carolinians feature Sarah Blumenthal, formerly of the excellent Charlotte, NC band Faye, on guitar and vocals, and while Alright are clearly dipping a little further into the melodic/emotional end of the musical pond than Faye were, this group carries on the crunching guitars and exuberant bounce that Faye did so well.

Their just-released new EP, On The Outs, is the sort of record that will appeal equally to fans of melodic pop-punk groups like the Candy Hearts and garage-rock roustabouts like Sheer Mag. Live, these tunes are sure to get everybody bouncing around with smiles on their faces. It makes them a good pairing with Smoke Break, the melodic, energetic RVA trio featuring members of Sundials, Hold Tight, and Springtime who also grace this bill. We don’t get too many chances to see these guys, and as their 2016 LP Everything Is Wrong proved, they’ve got a lot to offer. So be sure not to miss out on this one — and show up on time, because local newcomers Ghouli have some caustic, frenetic punk to bowl you over with, and you’ll feel real stupid if you hear their last song from outside when you’re walking up. Don’t be that guy.

Tuesday, December 18, 7 PM
Matt Lisk, Justin Golden, Graham Stone, Mackenzie Roark, Pat O’Keefe @ The Camel – Free!
I don’t think this night is part of the official “singer-songwriter showcase” series The Camel’s been doing off-and-on over the past couple years, but it’s set up in much the same way: several local musicians known for excellently-crafted solo material will all get together and play sets one after the other, and you’ll be able to see it all for free. That’s always a good deal, especially since the Camel has burgers and tacos on the menu that become way more affordable when you didn’t have to pay to get in. So show up a little early, get your grub on, and then settle in to enjoy a night of excellent solo sounds that come to you courtesy of folks like Matt Lisk, whose contemplative acoustic offerings are a great soundtrack for an introspective evening.

By contrast, Justin Golden will bring us some rootsy acoustic blues with a soulful feel that take his work beyond the traditional sound of legends like Robert Johnson and Son House, even as it keeps their spirits alive. Mackenzie Roark, who worked with a former member of Hootie And The Blowfish on her last album, has some classic country sounds to offer that are sure to please fans of Patsy Cline and Wanda Jackson. And of course, Graham Stone has become a fixture on the local singer-songwriter scene, with his folk feel and deep-blue voice always making an impression. The evening is rounded out by Dalton Dash frontman Pat O’Keefe taking a solo turn that we can imagine will maintain a similar old-time mix of folk, country, and bluegrass sounds that we’ve all come to know and love in his band. All of this for no dollars at the door? You can’t beat that with a bat.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, December 14, 7 PM
The Do-Nothings, Stray Fossa, Party Wave, Plastic Nancy @ Toast – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Something unusual is going on here. The Do-Nothings are holding this show at Toast as an “album release party,” but until recently, there was no evidence of a forthcoming album to be found. Then on Monday, a post went up on their Facebook page that read, “This is not a test. Our album release show set will be recorded live and released as the album we are having the release show to release. Get it? Your participation is very important to us.” And if that isn’t enough to pique your interest, you’re a less curious person than I am.

Research has revealed that The Do-Nothings, who appear to be based in Richmond even though they’re having this bizarre “release party” in Norfolk, are a project led by singer/guitarist Andrew Altman, who, along with an energetic rhythm section, makes wild, effects-laden psychedelic blues-punk tunes that rarely fail to get weird. Their work reminds me in some ways of the early Black Keys, back when their records were way too grotty to ever get within shouting distance of radio, and in others of the totally bizarre early material by New York freaks Royal Trux. How’s that all gonna translate when they both make and release their next album onstage at Toast this weekend? One thing’s for sure — it won’t be boring. Gas up the Hyundai and go see what these weirdos have up their sleeve.

Sunday, December 16, 7 PM
God Of Nothing, One Less Life, Black Lotus, Heft, Stolen Goodz @ Riffhouse Pub – $5
Northern Virginia deathcore brutality merchants God Of Nothing apparently galled a few people by referring to themselves on the internet a few years ago as “the heaviest band on earth,” but we ain’t mad at ’em. Honestly, new single “1075” is pretty crushing, especially with its incorporation of ambient noise and a ridiculous final breakdown that features several totally silent pauses that trick you into thinking the song’s over before blindsiding you with another monstrous riff. These guys are clearly continuing to build on the legacy of downtuned mosh madness they’ve built up over the last several years, and what they’re showing us lately more than makes them worth going to see — even if they aren’t the heaviest band on any earth that also contains Sunn o))).

New Jersey’s Black Lotus are also on this bill, and while they’re more focused on complex, chaotic masses of progressive metalcore (they call themselves a “djent” band, but I’ve never been able to establish a coherent definition for that particular subgenre) than the sheer low-end crunch of God Of Nothing, they should certainly appeal to fans of the headliner, if their excellent Wilted LP from earlier this year is any indication. There’s a lot going on on this album, for sure, but never fear — a brutal breakdown is always just around the corner. One thing’s for sure: the pit at this show’s gonna be a risky proposition. I’ll be protecting my middle-aged bones, but if you love to mosh hard, this one’s gonna put a smile on your face for sure.

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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.]

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