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VA Shows You Must See This Week: November 6 – November 12

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, November 9, 5 PM
Thrashgiving IV, feat. Vulcanite, Genosha, The New Mutiny, LAIR, Murdersome (Photo by Dennis Williford), Alluvion, Site Of Suffering, Cut The Architect’s Hand, Sentius @ Strangeways Brewing – $10 cash, or $5 with canned/non-perishable foods
OK, y’all, Halloween is over, which means we’re officially into the holiday season, for better or for worse. Right now it’s for better, at least for me, because in spite of all it’s terrible cultural baggage, Thanksgiving as it exists in 2019 is my favorite holiday. Sleep late, eat a big meal, watch football… what’s not to love? We hit the “for worse” part along about 8 PM when Mom starts getting antsy and wanting to hit the Black Friday sales (these days a good many of them start as soon as the sun goes down on Thanksgiving, and whoever’s idea that was needs to be put on trial for their crimes against humanity).

Anyway, Thanksgiving itself is still a few weeks away, but over at Strangeways Brewing, they’re getting into the giving spirit a little early, as this Saturday brings about the fourth annual Thrashgiving celebration, put together by Metal Teresa Productions as a benefit to help feed the hungry and house injured military veterans and their families. These good causes are well worth your support, and if you bring some canned or non-perishable food items to donate, you’ll get half off admission, so that rules as well!

In return for your five bucks and your cans of beans, you’ll get a veritable showcase of the best Virginia’s metal scene has to offer. From grunge-metal ragers Vulcanite to mournful doom sludgers Lair — who have a brand new self-titled album out as of last week — and from bloodthirsty thrashers Murdersome to brutal hardcore mosh maniacs Genosha, this show has a ton of headbanging awesomeness to offer. In addition to those four, there are half a dozen more excellent groups on the bill, and considering how cheap the price of admission is, it’s really quite the bargain if your tastes run toward headbanging. This one gets our highest possible recommendation.

Wednesday, November 6, 8 PM
Future Teens, Oceanator, Colpa Mia, Pump Fake @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Despite the name at the top of the bill, as far as I know, none of the bands playing at The Camel tonight have any members under 13 years old. However, Boston’s Future Teens do have a new album called Breakup Season, which is full of melancholy, heartfelt indie rock tunes of the sort the band aptly labels “bummer pop.” These days it seems like that whole twentysomething malaise that descends when you get out of college and don’t know where you’re going to go next can last well into your 30s and beyond, and it can be comforting to hear a band sing poignantly and relatably about it over some amazing pop melodies.

That’s what Future Teens has to offer, and I think we could all use a night of that — maybe a bit more than we want to admit. Along with it, we’ll also get a set from New Yorkers Oceanator, who have a similar sort of emotional vibe but add a good deal more bottom-end crunch to their harder-hitting alt-rock tunes — which is always nice. Richmond’s own Colpa Mia will add their own indie sound to the mix, and brand new local emo duo Pump Fake will get things started at The Camel tonight. Get down there and soothe your troubled soul with music.

Thursday, November 7, 7:30 PM
Chameleons Vox, Theatre Of Hate, Jay Aston, Unmaker @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $20 (order tickets HERE)
The Chameleons were incredibly important to the development of UK postpunk in the 80s. While other guitar-based bands like Echo And The Bunnymen, The Cure, and The Jesus And Mary Chain are a bit more well-known today, any listen to 21st century exponents of music like this shows an indelible influence from the sound The Chameleons expertly crafted during their initial 80s run. The mix of Mark Burgess’s insightful, poetic lyrics, thundering basslines, and dramatic baritone vocals combined perfectly with the glittering twin guitar lines of Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding to create a legacy that still endures after four decades.

The Chameleons did briefly reform and release three more albums in the early 00s, but these days, Mark Burgess soldiers on as the sole original member, performing classic Chameleons tunes under the name Chameleons Vox. While his backing band has featured a variety of different musicians over the past decade, Burgess has always recruited excellent guitar players to recreate Smithies and Fielding’s gorgeous spiraling melodies, and his own vocal and bass talents ensure that the songs retain their proper gravity. Basically, if you love the Chameleons — and if you’ve enjoyed bands like Interpol, Shadow Age, or Soft Kill in recent years, you definitely do — you’re sure to have a wonderful night seeing Chameleons Vox bring legendary songs like “Swamp Thing” and “Thursday’s Child” to full, glorious life.

Friday, November 8, 8 PM
Ellen Siberian Tiger, HotSpit, She, CAPTCHA @ Bingo Beer Co – Free!
Don’t panic, folks — I’ve done some research and learned that despite their band name, Ellen Siberian Tiger is just as human as you and me. This trio from Philadelphia dishes out some pretty excellent grungy alt-rock in the vein of Hop Along or Speedy Ortiz, and I for one am digging it. I also can’t help but love the powerful, confrontational feminism espoused on tracks like “Kitchen Knife” and “When Men Explain Things To Me.” We need more of these sorts of lyrics in the world.

Ellen Siberian Tiger will be rocking the halls of Bingo Beer this Friday night in a manner my punk rock friends always wanted to back in the 90s, so I can’t help but be excited, and I’m just as excited for the trio of excellent Richmond groups that are sharing this bill with them. The outstanding HotSpit are at the top of that list, and while they’ve still only released a few demos online, their live performances around town over the past year or so have shown that this band has a ton of talent on offer, from their excellent vocal harmonizing to the gorgeously downbeat melodies they seem never to run out of. She, who’ve excellently evolved from a solo project into a trance-inducing atmospheric indie combo, will also bring some lovely sounds to your ears on this evening, and CAPTCHA are certainly far more pleasant than any gridded image demanding you click on the portions of the screen that feature crosswalks. Get down with this one.

Saturday, November 9, 9 PM
Queen Elephantine & Tavishi, Hex Machine, Manzara @ Wonderland – $10
In a world that tends to be overfilled with doom metal bands these days, it’s rare to find one that’s approaching the genre in a manner previously unheard. But with Queen Elephantine, who were originally formed in Hong Kong and now make their home in Philadelphia, just such a band may have come along. Granted, new LP Gorgon is heavy and gloomy as fuck, but it’s hard to say that this is really “metal” in the conventionally understood sense. Instead, it seems to combine astral-travelling psychedelia, apocalyptic drone, spooky occult atmosphere, and noise experimentation, all with a massive dose of sludgy heaviness.

The result, at least on Gorgon‘s 13-minute opener, “Mars,” is like some sort of strange crossbreed between Acid Mothers Temple, Corrupted, and Sunn O))). It certainly should come to mind-expanding full-volume life at Wonderland this Saturday night, and if we’re reading this correctly, local experimental noise musician Tavishi will be lending additional texture to Queen Elephantine’s set for what’s sure to be a fascinating and unmissable experiment in dark, crushing noise. Local noise-rock powerhouse Hex Machine will open up, along with quietly devastating Richmond postpunk group Manzara, making this an evening sure to blow your mind. Be there.

Sunday, November 10, 8 PM
Rice God & Friends Fall Festival, feat. Noah-O, Fan Ran, Illa Styles, BBX, Amala, Yung Apollo, Alpha Romeo, Papi Majae, Dre King, Bejxy, Kidd Khy, Slim Kartel, Chauncey De Giant, Don Chase, Van Silke, SAE, O-Z, Lil Grits, PT Veil, Distant Dee, Tone Redd, Cadillac Cat @ The Camel – $8 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s been about a month now since Noah-O and Fan Ran got together once again to unleash a new installment of Dirty Rice on the world. Dirty Rice: Deux, which dropped just over a month ago, is yet another piece of evidence in the argument that Noah-O’s at his best when he works with one really talented producer for the entire length of a project. See also The Rain with DJ Mentos (a project that led directly to the formation of Analog Suspects), or Face/Off with Cadillac Cat, or All Souled Out with the late Kleph Dollaz… and that’s not even all the examples I could mention.

This Sunday night at The Camel, Noah-O and Fan Ran will be teaming up to lay some dirty rice on y’all in the live environment, and they’ll be doing it up right by turning the whole thing into a Fall Festival that will feature over a dozen other hip hop talents from both RVA and the surrounding region. In addition to top-level local powerhouses like Illa Styles, Slim Kartel, Distant Dee, and the aforementioned Cadillac Cat, there’s also a whole crew coming through from the Kentucky/Ohio area, including Yung Apollo and Alpha Romeo, plus a whole bunch more from all over! If you love hip hop, this is going to be hours of the dopest rhymes and sickest beats imaginable, with Noah-O and Fan Ran at the center of it all. So hey, you know what to do.

Monday, November 11, 7 PM
Lisa Prank, Magic Wand, Jimmy And The Delay @ Gallery 5 – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I love the band name Lisa Prank — and it’s not because I’m old enough to have actually had a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper. Well, OK, it’s not JUST because of that. Anyway, Seattle singer-songwriter Robin Edwards struck gold when she named her indie-pop project, to the point that I’m amazed no one else has done it first. And on brand new LP Perfect Love Song, she also struck gold by getting production help from Rose Melberg, whose work in Tiger Trap, The Softies, Go Sailor, and others has been instrumental in creating and developing the exact sort of indie-pop milieu that Lisa Prank is working within today.

If you’re a fan of any of those bands, or if you’re too young to remember them but do enjoy bands like Speedy Ortiz and The Worriers, Lisa Prank is sure to be right up your alley. If they were 5 percent heavier or noisier, I’d call them pop-punk, but as it is, this is just simple, catchy pop music — and it’s great at being exactly that. It’ll put a big smile on your face, as will opening sets from local newcomers Magic Wand and Jimmy And The Delay. This will be a great way to end a really tough back-to-work Monday, so be there and let this show ease you into a better rest of your week.

Tuesday, November 12, 7 PM
This Will Destroy You, Christopher Tignor, Colin Phils @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
In the wake of Explosions In The Sky’s Friday Night Lights-fueled early-00s success, a rising musical tide lifted all instrumental post-rock boats, and that of This Will Destroy You was definitely one. However, almost fifteen years after the release of their rapturously received debut, Young Mountain, This Will Destroy You have proven themselves to be more than just another post-rock combo writing epic instrumental after epic instrumental, all of which start to sound the same after a while.

Last year saw This Will Destroy You release two new albums in the space of a month, New Others Part One and New Others Part Two. Both show this quartet to be focused on different goals than one might expect; their songs are focused less on the sort of emotional escalation that, after a while, tends to feel like a gimmick repeated once too often. Instead, they build a musical mood and then live within it for several minutes, allowing the textures of their music to become the focus. It’s proggy, yes, and it’s also a bit nerdy, but there’s not a damn thing wrong with intelligent music, especially when it is able to be moving without being cliche. This Will Destroy You accomplish all that with aplomb on their albums, and seeing them pull it off live is sure to be quite the treat.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, November 8, 6 PM
Sharptooth, Limbs, Wristmeetrazor, Nhibitions, Genosha @ RiffHouse Pub (Chesapeake) – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
As metallic hardcore shows go, this one is sure to be top-notch. Maryland’s Sharptooth are an absolutely ferocious quintet full of anger and fury of an incredibly political nature. 2017 LP Clever Girl features a song called “Fuck You Donald Trump,” but if anything, the title track’s condemnation of men who act as insincere allies, or “No Sanctuary”‘s vitriolic condemnation of anti-LGBTQ bigotry, ring even more bold and true and real to me. Singer Lauren Kashan has used her platform to be a strong advocate for issues relating to abuse and oppression, and as awesome as her band is, the kind of heart she puts into her lyrics and onstage presence makes Sharptooth that much better.

So if you’re the kind of metal/hardcore fan who wishes more bands would take a stand for issues that matter, this is the show for you. And it features a bunch of other great bands as well — Florida’s Limbs refer to themselves as “post-hardcore” but on 2018’s Father’s Son, they lay out a brutal, metallic sound that still feels HC as fuck to me, even if it’s not Negative Approach. Wristmeetrazor, who are sorta-kinda from Virginia, arise from the screamo scene but have a strong metalcore attack on their latest LP, Misery Never Forgets. And of course, Genosha and Nhibitions hold it down for the heavy hardcore scene in Tidewater and Central Virginia with skill and panache. This one’s gonna rule.

Saturday, November 9, 7 PM
Leftover Crack, Days N Daze, Cop/Out @ The Bunker Brewpub (Virginia Beach) – $16 (order tickets HERE)
I admit it — for the longest time, I never gave Leftover Crack a chance. As a straight edge kid, their name wasn’t exactly appealing to me, and their reputation as simultaneously the crustiest of squatter punk bands (their Wikipedia page features a section entitled “Venue bans, criminal records, and visa restriction”) and a straight-up ska band seemed totally incoherent. But recently I went ahead and listened to some of their music, and it turns out that they’re actually pretty goddamn talented. Instead of having goofy horns all over the place, they play catchy, hard-charging punk tunes. And while they do often use those catchy off-beat bounce riffs that we all identify as ska, they also incorporate touches of metal and hardcore. In the end, they are clearly first and foremost a punk band, in the same way Operation Ivy always was.

So hey, maybe going to see Leftover Crack on their latest tour isn’t such a bad idea if you like some good punk rock fun. One thing’s for sure, there won’t be a dull moment from a band that’s known for writing unapologetic, provocative songs about shooting cops and doing drugs — and for having an audience full of even bigger reprobates than the members themselves. You might want to steer clear of the pit if the stories we’ve heard about mid-set barf are true, but the tunes will make up for any suspect stenches that might invade the room over the course of the set.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: March 20 – March 26

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FEATURED SHOW
Wednesday, March 20, 8 PM
Noisem (Photo by Andrew Hartl), No/Mas, Murdersome, MSD @ McCormack’s – $10
It’s apparently the month for mid-week metal — this is two weeks in a row that the most unmissable show of the week is happening only a few short hours after this column gets posted. Hey, I’m not complaining, especially if Wednesday will keep bringing us the absolute (head)bangers we’ve seen for the past couple of weeks. This time around, it’s the return of youthful Baltimore headbangers Noisem, who are rolling into Shockoe Bottom to devastate Richmond’s most flood-prone streets.

It’s been a while since Noisem had a massive amount of hype as teen thrash sensations, and you might have thought (as I had) that they broke up a few years ago. As it turns out, the truth is a bit more complicated. After 2015’s Blossoming Decay, an internal schism fractured the band’s lineup, and three of the five members left. Guitarist Sebastian Phillips and his drumming brother Harley were undaunted, quickly recruiting new singer-bassist Ben Anft and carrying on as a trio. But their label was decidedly daunted, and quickly dropped them.

Four years later, Noisem have returned with a new label and a brand new album, Cease To Exist. Ben Anft’s vocals replace the hardcore bark of original vocalist Tyler Carnes with a harsh, Carcass-style roar (which I honestly might like better), but otherwise, this is the same headbang-inspiring death-thrash awesomeness you’ve always gotten from Noisem, and it is a welcome return indeed from a band whose members are all now old enough to order a beer before the set at McCormack’s tonight. Expect serious brutality, just like you got from them in years past, as well as some ripping thrash rage from DC’s own No/Mas and local stalwarts Murdersome and MSD. This one is gonna rule.

Wednesday, March 20, 6 PM
The Goddamn Gallows, Scott H. Biram, Urban Pioneers, Channel 43 @ The Camel – $20 (order tickets HERE)
The borders between genres are always intriguing, and one that seems to have excited a lot of people’s imaginations over the past couple of decades is the thin line between punk rock and old-time bluegrass. That might not seem such an easily permeated dividing line, but considering that both genres have a tradition of working-class musicians building their sound from outsider traditions and roots within isolated, tight-knit communities, I suppose it makes sense that there’s quite a bit of crossover.

The Goddamn Gallows are one of the bands exploring that musical borderland; they’ve been doing so for over a decade now, and on their latest LP, The Trial, they manage to move between old-time waltzes that foreground folk instruments like banjo and accordion, and darker moments that use distortion and harsh vocals to accentuate the heaviness. And crazily enough, it all works incredibly well — something you can get an up-close-and-personal view of tonight at The Camel, when The Goddamn Gallows pull into town at the head of a touring caravan that also features one-man outlaw-country band Scott H. Biram and energetic Western swing combo Urban Pioneers. Multi-decade Richmond melodic punk vets Channel 43 kick things off to let us know they’re still going strong.

Thursday, March 21, 8 PM
The Listening Sessions, feat. Space Koi, Sanji The Hedgehog, Awkward Shaman, Dogfuck, Distant Dee, MC Correct @ Addis Ethiopian Lounge – $7
As I’ve said in this column many times, Richmond hip hop is a many-splendored thing, and it can be all but impossible to keep up with it all. Therefore I’m not all that surprised that I wasn’t aware until recently of everything Secret Bonus Level has been up to. This crew of local rappers and producers makes it their mission to include the LGBTQ community in everything they do, with the hopes of eventually helping to normalize the idea of queer and trans participants in the world of hip hop. As a rap-loving trans woman, I can definitely get behind that.

Their show this Thursday finds the Secret Bonus Level crew sharing the stage with Space Koi, a Richmond group whose reggae-rooted sound incorporates surf, punk, and psychedelic sounds. The result is several cuts above the typical reggae-rock hybrids we all hear way too much of on modern rock radio — and thank god for that, am I right? They’ll join the Secret Bonus Level crew in its entirety: the trippy rhymes of Sanji The Hedgehog, the wavy melodies of Awkward Shaman, the stoned mumblings of memorably named rapper Dogfuck, and more. The sounds at this show might very well be weird, but the environment is always welcoming, so come down to Addis Ethiopian and check it out — you might just find your new favorite Richmond MC.

Friday, March 22, 9 PM
Appalling, Mo’ynoq, Hoboknife @ Wonderland – $5
Richmond’s extreme metal scene is as alive and well as ever, and more than ever, Shockoe Bottom is the place to learn all about it. Especially with Strange Matter gone, it seems these days the serious thrashers are gonna have to ride their bikes down a really long hill to get the raging riffs they crave. Take heart, carless metalheads — this Friday night, Wonderland has the kind of heaping helping of headbanging that makes the long ride back up the hills of East Main Street totally worth it. Local black metal crew Appalling will be releasing their second full-length at Wonderland on the Friday night in question, and the celebration is sure to be off the chain. They’ve recently been out on the road with Richmond death metal vets Deathcrown, and now Inverted Realm is here to take us all to the next level of epic destruction.

If you love the claustrophobic terror sound of classic Scandinavian black metal masters — think Emperor or Marduk — and you still haven’t checked Appalling out, you need to fix that with the quickness and get to Wonderland on Friday night. They’re sure to tickle your fancy, right before they punch it in the throat. Appalling are joined on this powerhouse bill by fellow black metallers Mo’ynoq. If you saw the name and thought of a certain comedian for a second, well, you’re not alone, but rest assured these guys bring the heavy in a decidedly Immortal-ish fashion. Perennially reliable local stalwarts Hoboknife kick this one off with some dark fury. Get there — even if you’ve gotta walk home.

Saturday, March 23, 9 PM
Microwaves, Multicult, Bermuda Triangles @ Wonderland – $10
Those who are paying attention are sure to know that there’s already a Mikrowaves from Richmond — but as you can see, they spell their name with a K. The Microwaves (with a C) coming to Wonderland Saturday night are a decidedly different proposition. This trio from Pittsburgh, who just released their sixth album, Via Weightlessness, on San Diego noise-core label Three One G, are every bit as hectic as their label affiliation might lead you to expect.

Where their distorted guitar sound and usage of effects that might even make you think there’s a keyboard involved (there isn’t) is likely to remind you of way-out freaks like Orthrelm and Lightning Bolt, there’s a decidedly more song-based structure to Microwaves’ music, which results in the sort of sound that should appeal to fans of decidedly rockin’ noise like that of Arab On Radar or the Melvins, even as its speed and chaos should certainly connect with those who love the early works of the legendary Hella. Microwaves are hitting town with Baltimore noise-rockers Multicult, who conjure some obvious Jesus Lizard comparisons on 2016 LP Position Remote — a slab of pure freakout fun, if you ask me. Local percussion-obsessed weirdos Bermuda Triangles will kick this night off in proper fashion, so roll on down to Wonderland Saturday night prepared to flip out. Rest assured, it’s gonna happen.

Sunday, March 24, 10 PM
Grouser, Grass Panther @ Bandito’s – Free!
Sometimes I put shows into my show column because I’m already intimately familiar with the bands playing. But other times, I am more curious than anything else. This is one of those latter times, and I must say, my curiosity feels likely enough to be rewarded that I think all of you should join me in my quest for satisfaction. Hey, it’s a free show at Bandito’s — if nothing else, you’ll be able to say you got some delicious nachos while you were there. But so anyway — about Grouser. I don’t know this trio’s true identities, but I find it fascinating that they apparently contain members not only of long-running local stoner-metal heavyweights RPG but also of “only true fortysomething Richmonders will know” 90s alt-rockers Jettison Charlie.

I find it even more fascinating that, out of nowhere, they have an outstanding 2018 LP, Harmonic Freight Train, up on Bandcamp. The 13 songs contained on this record have the same sort of noisy post-hardcore energy and subtle melodic grasp that distinguished 90s Richmond legends Kepone, as well as classic 90s Dischord alums like Bluetip. I’m a sucker for records like this; I’m only sorry I didn’t discover it last summer when it came out. Based on these tunes, no matter who is actually in this band, the live show is bound to be essential. The fact that they’re joined on this bill by Manzara affiliates Grass Panther only makes this even more unmissable. And it’s free? What more do you want?

Monday, March 25, 7 PM
Calling All Captains, Diet Blood, Dead Format @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 (Order tickets HERE)
Damn, speaking of sounds I’m a sucker for… Calling All Captains roll into Richmond this Monday night, and I for one can’t wait. These Canadians just joined up with Equal Vision Records, which released their EP Nothing Grows Here last month, and now they’re on tour bringing their sound to the world. Rest assured, if you, like me, are way into recent melodic, emotional pop-punk superstars like State Champs, Knuckle Puck, and The Story So Far, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in Calling All Captains.

Don’t get me wrong, though, they aren’t just a retread of other bands you’ve liked in the past — Canada’s a big country, and this quintet is from Edmonton, Alberta, a city located solidly in Canada’s midwest. Therefore it’s no surprise to find a decided heartland tinge to Calling All Captains’ melodic punk sound, as if they’ve spent a fair amount of time with the Braid and Get Up Kids discographies. That’s certainly never a bad thing. They’ll be joined on this bill by a Richmond band who also feature a melodic punk sound as well as a decidedly unusual name: Diet Blood. What is that about? Is this a band of vampires? Bring some garlic with you to Capital Ale House for this one. Local pop-punk newcomers Dead Format will get this one started off in fine fashion. Get stoked, y’all.

Tuesday, March 26, 10 PM
New Lions, Serqet, Continuation @ Don’t Look Back/Triple – Free!
Not every show has to be a huge event, you know? Sometimes it’s just nice to hang with some friends and enjoy some great tunes. You’ll definitely have the opportunity to do that at Don’t Look Back on Tuesday night, for a free show at the mythical former location of The Triple (where those of us who’ve been around a while saw some pretty cool shows back in the day).

This night will not only give us a chance to rejoice once again at the return of Don’t Look Back and its amazing tacos (show up early and get your fill before the rock starts). It’ll also bring us another opportunity to enjoy the reincarnated and rejuvenated New Lions before their new EP comes out later this year. Plus we’ll get a set from cerebral goth-punks Serqet to enliven all of our minds. Newborn duo Continuation, which features members of Dommengang and The Catalyst, will grace us all with some delightful psychedelic sounds to start the evening off. Let’s all partake and enjoy, shall we?

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Thursday, March 21, 6 PM
Sick Of It All, Iron Reagan, Flatline @ Peabody’s – $20 in advance/$22 at the door (Order tickets HERE)
There’s punk. There’s hardcore. And then there’s New York hardcore. NYHC, as the kids say. Even as it is clearly a big part of hardcore as a whole, NYHC is kind of its own thing, a heavier, tougher form of hardcore that takes obvious influence from the street-level struggles of its early progenitors, who had to fight to survive on the mean streets of New York City in the 80s — long before Manhattan became a glass-skyscraper landscape that mostly acts as a playground for the rich. And Sick Of It All is one of a very few NYHC bands who both helped craft the sound at the very start and is still going strong today.

They just released their 12th album, Wake The Sleeping Dragon!, last year, and if you heard it, you know Sick Of It All are every bit as angry, tough, and talented as they always have been. This show is sure to bring us the best of their new shit along with a heaping helping of classics that we all know and love — “It’s Clobbering Time,” “Step Down,” “Injustice System,” you know the ones. The fact that SOIA are sharing this bill –one that sees them returning to VA Beach’s Peabody’s for the first time in nearly two decades — with Richmond crossover maniacs Iron Reagan only further emphasizes the fact that this is gonna be a show for the ages. Get the Doc Martens shined up and get ready to break out the GI Joe Headstomp for this one.

Monday, March 25, 8 PM
Failure, Swervedriver, Criminal Hygiene @ Elevation27 – $25 in advance/$30 day of show (Order tickets HERE)
This show would be big news even if only one of the two headliners were coming through. The fact that both of them are here to blow our minds just makes this a tour beyond all wildest dreams. California space-rockers Failure fell apart in the late 90s, but they left behind multiple classic albums, which garnered them an ever-growing cult following that rejoiced when the trio returned to action in 2015. Since then, they’ve made two more albums, releasing the excellently titled In The Future Your Body Will Be The Furthest Thing From Your Mind late last fall.

UK quartet Swervedriver had a similar career path to that of Failure, and though soundwise they are less Nirvana-meets-Pink Floyd and more Neil Young-meets-My Bloody Valentine, the two groups have a lot in common musically as well as historically. Swervedriver, who broke up in 1999, reformed in 2008, and have themselves released two albums since reuniting. The most recent, Future Ruins, was released earlier this year; like the latest Failure album, it shows that this group is still as much at the top of their game as they ever have been. Getting to see both of these bands on the same night will be a true treat. Make sure you’re there to experience it.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 23 – January 29

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, January 27, 6:30 PM
Street Muse Kenya Screening, feat. Gull (Photo by Joey Wharton), Lobo Marino, Mighty Joshua @ Gallery 5 – Free!
Being the only person in your band means never having to worry about breaking up. This is probably a big part of why Nathaniel Rappole, who started Gull over a decade ago, has kept on going strong over a career full of metamorphoses and setbacks that could have destroyed a band that had the ability to go their separate ways. But Gull has persevered. The group has grown from its origins as a one-man noise unit playing chaotic, speedy punk rock by playing guitar with one hand, drums with the other (and both feet), and screaming into a miked-up mask, into its current incarnation, in which Rappole is liable to depart from his guitar, or his drum kit, or his mask, or all three at any given time, in order to generate a sound that has matured into borderline-uncategorizability.

Over the years in which this evolution occurred, Rappole — who’d done his fair share of busking on the street in Richmond neighborhoods like Carytown — got bit by the travel bug in a major way. This culminated in his 2012 trip to Kenya with a camera crew. The result of this crowdfunded trip was a documentary film, Street Muse Kenya, which was completed two years ago and will be shown in full at Gallery 5 on Sunday night.

In 2017, Gull used time in which Rappole was laid up with a broken leg to create an album, Lurcher, that was constructed mainly on analog synthesizers and sequencers — a far cry from his hardcore-punk origins. Now that he’s up and around once again, he’s itching to get back onto the road, so at this event, Rappole and his crew will elaborate on the next step in the Street Muse project: a trip to Southeast Asia, for which they are raising funds right now. Then, once they’ve given you all the pitch, Gull will perform a full set, to let you know where his head’s at these days. The musical portion of the evening will also feature a set from equally peripatetic and uncategorizable duo Lobo Marino, and will be MC’d by local reggae musician Mighty Joshua. There’s a lot going on at this one, and some of it is sure to catch you by surprise. But one thing we do know for sure — you won’t see a show like this anywhere else in town this week. You know what to do.

Wednesday, January 23, 7:30 PM
Gamelan Raga Kusuma, Richmond Symphony Orchestra @ Modlin Center for the Arts – $36 (order tickets HERE)
It wouldn’t surprise me if you weren’t familiar with gamelan. This Indonesian music, which originates on the islands of Bali and Java in Southeast Asia, is traditionally played by orchestras consisting mainly of percussive instruments, which sometimes perform accompanied by dancers, or shadow puppet performances. These orchestras work together in complicated arrangements with rapidly changing tempos, and create ringing melodies with an entrancing beauty that is unique in the many musical forms of the world. Here in Richmond, Gamelan Raga Kusuma is a local ensemble that works under the auspices of the University of Richmond, dedicated to bringing the sound of Balinese gamelan to the central Virginia community in a variety of unique ways.

At the Modlin Center tonight, they’ll be doing so in collaboration with the Richmond Symphony, bringing to life a reconstruction, assembled by Javanese gamelan musician and scholar Sumarsam, of the gamelan music heard by influential French composer Claude Debussy at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889. Gamelan had a profound influence on Debussy, who in turn influenced the vast majority of the 20th century’s best-known classical composers. For that reason, it’s of interest to both Gamelan Raga Kusuma and the Richmond Symphony Orchestra to follow that thread back to the very source. That’s what they’ll be doing at the Modlin Center tonight, and the trip promises to be fascinating for all you musical omnivores out there. The event will feature a variety of other performances, including a performance by a Balinese shadow puppet master of a new play, set to music by Debussy. It’ll all come full circle tonight, and if you love music, there’s nowhere else you should be.

Thursday, January 24, 7 PM
Grails, Helen Money, Serqet @ Gallery 5 – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s easy to say that Grails is a fascinating band, but describing exactly what sort of music they’re making is much more difficult. The term “post-rock” seems tailor-made for a band like this one, which is formed around the sort of core instrumental lineup (two guitars, bass, drums, keyboards) that often shows up in the world of rock music, but is here being used to decidedly different purposes. However, I wouldn’t want any use of that term to make you think Grails sound like Explosions In The Sky or Mogwai — what they do is more complex, less likely to rely on the quiet-loud transitions and gestures toward epic grandeur that bands like the ones most people think of when you say “post-rock.”

So if that term doesn’t work to describe Grails, what does? Well, let’s ditch any attempt at genre classification right here, and instead say that their instrumental music moves all over the place, doing all sorts of things in all kinds of unpredictable ways. It’s certainly heavy, at least at times, and it’s certainly mysterious — at times — and at moments it gets downright beautiful. But the main thing we can say about Grails is that their music, besides being intriguing and challenging, is always an enjoyable experience. You’re sure to get a lot out of their performance at Gallery 5 tomorrow night, and the fact that Chicago-based avant-metal cellist Helen Money and local goth-crust anarcho-punks Serqet are on the bill only makes this whole evening that much better. Don’t miss it.

Friday, January 25, 9 PM
Occultist, Enforced, Slump, Essex Muro @ Bandito’s – Free!
It has been extremely refreshing to see Occultist return to action in recent months after such a long period in which this incredible Richmond-based blackened-thrash quintet kept a very low profile. They’ve been promising a new record coming sometime in 2019, which will mark their first new release featuring original material in over five years, and if you’re not hyped, I suggest you check your pulse. This show is your first chance to see Occultist in 2019, and it sweetens the deal considerably, not only by being free and at Bandito’s (whose nachos are always an essential treat), but also by featuring several other great heavy-as-heck bands from around the region. What a deal!

This show is being held in solidarity with Black Flags Over Brooklyn, a two-day fest happening in New York on the same weekend, which exists to put out a strong anti-fascist, anti-racist message in the metal community — something any cool person should back, and sadly something we need now more than ever, in this age of Trump and the alt-right. To make this show as awesome as possible, Occultist have joined up with local ragers Enforced, who straddle the line between rough n’ tough hardcore and outright metallic thrash, and have landed on quite the musical sweet spot in the process. Whether you like to headbang or mosh it up, you’ll find yourself loving Enforced. The bill is rounded out by RVA’s fave psychedelic hardcore weirdos, Slump, and Raleigh noise-punk chaos ensemble Essex Muro. You can’t go wrong with this one.

Saturday, January 26, 9 PM
Vomit Stain, Murder Method, Murdersome @ Wonderland – $5
Unless you’ve been around this town for quite a while, even the diehard metalheads among you might not know the extent of Richmond’s history with brutal death metal. However, one of the leading lights of our current twisted brutal metal underground, Vomit Stain, seem to have a surprising amount of awareness, if their choice of record label is any indication. This raging quartet just released their latest album, Piles Of Human Debris, on Sevared Records, the long-running death metal label owned by onetime Richmond resident Barrett Amiss II.

Back at the turn of the millennium, you could find Barrett manning the drum kit for local death-crust outfit Rasp, and around that time, Sevared released the lone full-length by Richmond’s Disinterment, who gained little notice at the time but contained future members of Darkest Hour, Deathcrown, Iron Reagan, and many more. Amiss returned to his native New York some time ago, but clearly Sevared’s relationship with Richmond metal isn’t a thing of the past. At Wonderland this Saturday night, Vomit Stain will make clear exactly why they’re perfectly suited to carry on the underground tradition of Richmond death metal, dishing out the growling gore, thrash-tastic riffs, and headcrushing double-bass pummeling we all love so much. They’ll be joined by up-and-coming Richmond ragers Murdersome, who feature some talented local metal vets themselves, and will also be celebrating the release of their newest EP. Pennsylvania quintet Murder Method will round out the bill with some old-school Florida-style death for all you headbanging maniacs. Hit the pit.

Sunday, January 27, 7 PM
Daniel Romano, T. Hardy Morris, Deli Kings @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s easy for Americans to trick ourselves into believing that Canada is just like America. After all, our neighbors to the north speak English with mostly the same accent we do (er, well, if you’re west of Quebec they do), and their culture looks pretty similar to ours from the outside (except that they have Tim Horton’s and Pizza Pizza where we have Dunkin Donuts and Little Caesar’s). But if you start checking into Canadian music, that whole understanding falls apart. Daniel Romano’s a great example of what I’m talking about; like the Tragically Hip and Sloan, among many others, he’s a Canadian artist acclaimed enough to receive multiple nominations for Canadian music awards like the Polaris and the Juno. Meanwhile, here in America, he’s a relatively obscure folkish alt-country singer-songwriter who is probably best known for having been part of melodic punk group Attack In Black a decade or so ago.

Hopefully that will change at least within the borders of our fair city, though, as Romano has been proving for close to a decade now that his work deserves to be just as well-regarded in the good ol’ USA as it is in his home country up north. Last year (almost wrote “this year” — January always takes some adjustment), he simultaneously released two albums, Human Touch and Nerveless (the fact that he didn’t name the latter Lucky Town seems like a huge missed opportunity, but maybe he’s not as much of a Springsteen fan as I am). Between the two, they show off the full breadth of his enormous talent, ranging between skeletal folk tunes with the feel of old-time murder ballads, and incredibly catchy power-pop that simultaneously evokes modern indie and lush 70s AM radio pop tunes. All of it makes clear why Daniel Romano has won the hearts of so many of his countrymen. Catch on to the best parts of what our neighbors to the north have to offer at The Camel this weekend; it’s likely that before too long, that decision will give you major bragging rights.

Monday, January 28, 7 PM
Amen Dunes, Arthur @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$17 day of show (order tickets HERE)
What’s going on with Amen Dunes? The answer depends upon the year. Band mastermind Damon McMahon doesn’t really focus on any particular sound or style in his music, instead following his creativity wherever it may take him — which, from album to album, can lead to very different results. He got his best results yet on Freedom, the project’s fifth album, released last year to widespread acclaim. The spiritually-driven mission of Amen Dunes is brought into the sharpest focus on Freedom, resulting in an album that takes a number of different sonic detours but always features a uniting vision grounded in urban-folk melodies and psychedelic haze.

Expect Amen Dunes to create a palpable mood when they take the stage at the Broadberry, one that will only be enhanced by the opening set from tourmate Arthur. Arthur, which is also a de-facto solo project, also dabbles in psychedelia — but it’s a very different sort than that trafficked by Amen Dunes. On Woof Woof, the latest full-length the project has released, Arthur explores bizarre corners of the psychedelic pop world, using heavy vocal effects and unexpected switches between acoustic and electronic sounds to brew up a melange of sounds that could remind you of everyone from The Beatles to Ariel Pink to the Flaming Lips and a whole lot more. This show will be a full-on headtrip from beginning to end, so be prepared to take a trip. One thing’s for sure — it’ll brighten up your Monday night.

Tuesday, January 29, 8 PM
George Clanton, Surfing, Satin Sheets + Esprit, Aaron Shadrow @ The Camel – $12 in advance/$14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Strangely hypnotic electronic-based music has really come into vogue over the past few years, especially around Richmond. If you’ve been paying attention to its bizarre rise here in the river city for several years now, you’re bound to know the name George Clanton — or at least, to remember his early work under the name Mirror Kisses. His synth-based sounds were much darker at that time than they are today, as Clanton takes a trip down from his current home of Brooklyn to blast us all with waves of digital bliss.

His latest LP, Slide, is full of danceable pop gems that both retain a hefty dose of the strange atmospheres his music has always created and hooks right into the deepest impulses of your lizard brain to perfectly satisfy your craving for unforgettable melodies and singalong choruses. The result should appeal to fans of Duran Duran’s mid-80s prime just as well as it connects with fans of modern trailblazers like Elite Gymnastics. And what’s even greater for all you weirdo-electronica fans is the fact that Clanton will hit town with a coterie of fellow electronic travelers who record for his 100% electronica label, including a collaborative set between Clanton’s own alter ego, Esprit, and New Zealand’s Satin Sheets. Australians Surfing and frequent Clanton collaborator Aaron Shadrow will also be on the bill, so this show is sure to be a treat for all you fans of bizarre synth delectability. And I know in Richmond, there are a lot of you.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, January 25, 7 PM
Arcane Haven, The Earth Laid Bare, Wait For The Day, Vain/Void, Bo Scurvy And the Hounds, Detachment @ RiffHouse Pub – $10
I love metal in all its forms, and if you’re even close to being on that same page, you’ll definitely be interested in this stacked six-band bill coming to RiffHouse Pub in Norfolk on Friday. RiffHouse — the very name says “this is a metal club,” and as far as this show goes, they certainly aren’t belying that name by having Arcane Haven headlining. This Pennsylvania band released their self-titled debut full-length last summer, and it finds them dealing in everything from absolute brutal mosh madness to emotionally-powerful melodies with a heavy undercurrent. This quintet definitely has a sensitive side, and they’ll show it to you, but don’t get too comfortable, because before you know it, they’ll be charging full-tilt back into headbang territory.

They’re joined on this tour by Kentucky’s The Earth Laid Bare and Ohio’s Wait For The Day, who have a significant share of metal rage to offer in their own right. The Earth Laid Bare’s latest album, Flow, shows the group dabbling in the same sort of industrial-influenced low-end that has marked recent releases from Sworn In and Harm’s Way, even as their death-metal roots show through in the best possible way. Meanwhile, Wait For The Day traffics in more complex, almost proggy flourishes, but at heart focuses on the same sort of emo-metalcore hybrid sound fans of Underoath and Poison The Well have come to love. All three of these bands have a lot to offer, and the three excellent local openers only make this show an even better deal. Do you like to headbang as much as I do? You do? Good. Go to this show.

Saturday, January 26, 8 PM
Mirador, Spitty, Single-Use Plastic @ Pourhouse of Norfolk – Free!
I’ve been covering the music scene in the Tidewater/Hampton Roads area for a while now, and I’m starting to learn that it has quite a bit more breadth than I initially thought. And in my quest to look beyond the hardcore, metal, and dance music, Mirador is one of the more impressive lesser-known examples I’ve located. This quartet dabbles in indie melody, math-rock guitar sounds, and alt-rock vibes on their Become The River EP. The result is incredibly catchy and fun, and it was released when all the members were still in high school, so that’s even more impressive.

Do we have the Norfolk version of Manatree on our hands here? Time will tell, but one thing that’s already certain as of right this minute — these guys are definitely worth heading over to the Pourhouse on Saturday night in order to see. The fact that this show is free makes it even more worthwhile, and best of all, two other local groups — alt-rockers Spitty (great name) and skate-punkers Single Use Plastic (pretty rad name as well) — will be tearing it up before Mirador’s set. So you get great tunes, you get to keep all your money, and you get to engage in a firsthand exploration of the musical variety Norfolk has to offer. Sounds like a win-win all around!

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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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