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

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, August 16, 8 PM
Big Freedia, Jafar Flowers, Sofia Lakis, DJ Skrt Skrt @ The Broadberry – $20 in advance/$22 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The Queen Of Bounce is back! Big Freedia is one of the foremost practitioners of the New Orleans-based style of music known as bounce, and she’s brought the sound worldwide with an LGBTQ-centered presentation and a collection of nuclear-powered dance floor bangers. She had a big moment here in RVA several years ago, getting huge crowds of people dancing everywhere in town, from The Hat Factory to Hadad’s Lake. It’s been a couple of years since Freedia has hit town, but she’s here to get booties shaking once again tomorrow night at The Broadberry. And if you’re not ready for the dance explosion that will take place once she hits the stage, you better start limbering up now.

It’s been four years since Freedia’s 2014 LP, Just Be Free, entered the world, and she’s been busy with a variety of projects, from a book and a Christmas album to working with Beyonce on “Formation,” but she’s back with 3rd Ward Bounce, a brand new EP that is her first major-label release. Her sound is still the sort of nonstop parade of banging beats that it’s always been, but new singles like “Rent” introduce a bit more dynamics into the mix — it no longer has quite the same sensory-overload quality of groundbreaking early singles like “Y’all Get Back Now.” But if you think Freedia’s music is going to be a less powerful inducement to getting on the floor and shaking that azz, you’ve got another think coming.

So get out your dancing shoes and get ready to lose control at the Broadberry tomorrow night. And get there on time, because the festivities will start well before Big Freedia takes the stage. The DJs of Ice Cream Support Group will be on hand to open things up; back-to-back sets from DJ Skrt Skrt, Sofia Lakis, and Jafar Flowers will get the party turned up to the maximum velocity, and do a great job of representing Richmond’s POC and LGBTQ communities in the bargain. This one’s gonna be epic; whether you’ve caught Big Freedia in the past or this is your first time encountering the reigning diva of bounce, you need to be at The Broadberry for this one.

Wednesday, August 15, 8 PM
Band Of Horses, Bonny Doon @ The National – $27.50 in advance/$33 at the door (order tickets HERE)
I admit it — I’ve always had a soft spot for Band Of Horses. Their melodic indie sound, which mingles dashes of alt-country twang and folk atmosphere into a mix of incredibly tuneful choruses and subtly infectious guitar melodies, has always had the ability to connect on that same gorgeously emotional level that the best work of Wilco and My Morning Jacket hits. They’ve had a variety of lineup shifts since their excellent 2006 debut LP, Everything All The Time, but leader Ben Bridwell has kept things together smoothly throughout that time, and continued to explore intriguing new facets of the group’s sound on each new release.

Their latest LP, Why Are You OK, saw the band (of horses) get together with Grandaddy leader Jason Lytle to add a few more electronic ingredients to their sound, with fabulous results. But really, it’s just more of what we’ve come to expect; from recent singles like “Casual Party” to the old-school favorites like “Funeral,” Band Of Horses have plenty of excellent songs at their disposal. And now they come to The National to present fans who’ve stuck with them over the past decade with a collection of gorgeous tunes that are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face — even if you’re just discovering them now. Don’t miss the boat.

Thursday, August 16, 8 PM
Enemy Soil, Suppression, Ampallang Infection, Disintegration @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a huge treat for grindcore lovers past, present, and future. Enemy Soil, one of the most brutal and prolific bands of the 90s grind/power-violence heyday, have returned to action once again. Founder and only constant member Richard Johnson, affectionately known as “the grindfather,” is taking some time away from his current project, Drugs Of Faith, to resurrect the band that originally brought him fame. And while Enemy Soil spent a considerable portion of their career existing as a drum-machine backed mostly-solo project, this reunion brings back several original members of the group to restore the full-band lineup that (in my humble opinion, at least) was responsible for their best stuff.

And see, this is where you should really get stoked. Because this lineup features some real heavyweights, including longtime Enemy Soil bassist Russ Mason, also of Reeking Cross; drummer Adam Perry, who longtime Richmonders will remember from his tenure with chaos masters PCP Roadblock; and vocalist JR Hayes of Pig Destroyer. From lightspeed grind slaughteramas to brutally heavy breakdowns, this group has it all, and this lineup is the perfect one to bring their outstanding sound to light once again. 90s grind survivors and certified hometown weirdos Suppression will join Enemy Soil on this gig to make it a double dose of legendary VA blastbeat insanity. Plus, we’ll get sets from DC drum-machine grind maniacs Ampallang Infection (um, ouch) and RVA thrash-grinders Disintegration, just to sweeten the pot. Outstanding.

Friday, August 17, 6 PM
Sports Bar, New Lions, Magnus Lush, Naked Pictures @ Hardywood – Free!
Ah, Sports Bar. You’ve gotta love these guys, no matter how slack they are. And make no mistake, Sports Bar are slackers. They’ve released three songs in the past four years. They’re still using a 2010 quote from this magazine in their promo material, even though we’ve written about them several times since then. They don’t even play shows very often anymore — this Friday’s Hardywood appearance is their first Richmond show since early spring. But all of that is 100 percent OK, because when they do get material out, it’s invariably outstanding. From “Get Da Body” to “I Was Going To Shave My Beard, But I Took A Nap Instead” to “Big Mac Yeah” to “Roll High, Lie Well (Kuriki),” their catalog is full of catchy classics that’ll stick in your head for weeks after you hear them.

And they’ve got a whole lot more of them for you in the coming months. Eight years after getting together, Sports Bar is finally about to release their debut LP, and while it doesn’t officially come out until October, the word is they have copies. Will you be able to score one for yourself at this show? I have no idea — but I do think it’s pretty highly likely you’ll at least hear a few tunes from it during Sports Bar’s set. And that’s worth coming out for right there — especially since this show, part of Hardywood’s ongoing “Fresh Can Friday” series, is absolutely free! You’ll get sets from excellent RVA bands New Lions, Magnus Lush, and Naked Pictures as well, so you really don’t have any reason not to go. Show up ready to sing along — you’ll have plenty of opportunities.

Saturday, August 18, 8 PM
Lazer/Wulf, Backwoods Payback, Dumb Waiter, The Bronzed Chorus @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This show promises to be a festival of the senses for those of you who appreciate serious musical craftmanship, but also like it heavy and energetic as hell. Lazer/Wulf, an Atlanta band that reincarnates the classic spirit of RVA’s own (mostly) instrumental math gods, Breadwinner, and mingles that complex crunch with the shred-tastic power of Coalesce or the Dillinger Escape Plan, are coming to town to bowl us all over — and simultaneously inspire us to marvel at the complexity of their instrumentation and arrangements. Indeed, their 2014 LP, The Beast Of Left And Right, was “written as a musical palindrome,” with songs at the beginning of the album constructed as musical mirror images of songs at the end.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: How the hell does that work? Honestly, you don’t have to worry about it. Regardless of the multi-layered elements of their song structures, it’s simplicity itself to just let yourself be rocked like crazy by the pulverizingly heavy riffs this band dispenses. And they’ll be joined on this bill by the equally heavy (though far less instrumental) PA sludge-rock group Backwoods Payback, who recently drafted Erik Larson (Alabama Thunderpussy/Avail/Parasytic) to hold down the drum kit, as well as releasing an excellent new LP, Future Slum, earlier this month. If you don’t know this band, you’ll need to check it out. The bill is rounded out by instrumental tech-math wildmen The Bronzed Chorus and local jazz-thrash freaks Dumb Waiter, and you can expect to get a massive kick out of all involved. It may have nothing to do with lawnmowers, but this one’s gonna be fun regardless.

Sunday, August 19, 9 PM
Captive, The Concussion Theory, Curtana, Dr. No @ The Camel – $7 (order tickets HERE)
The emo scene in this town is kind of a well-kept secret, and if you ask me, that’s a real shame. We can all help shed more light on some of the excellent bands plumbing the depths of this genre Sunday by heading out to The Camel, though. Captive might not strictly count as emo, at least by their own definition, and their ability to bust out some nearly prog-metal breakdowns — as demonstrated on 2016 concept album A Lost Dream; The Dreamer Lost — shows that if nothing else, they’re stretching the limits of the genre. But the way they always return to emotionally-resonant melodic choruses with a subtle underlying crunch, a la Moving Mountains or Hopesfall, shows where their roots lie.

Therefore, it makes a ton of sense to see them sharing a bill with The Concussion Theory, who’ve been making melodic yet passionate music here in Richmond for about half a decade now. Recently released EP Lament shows that they’ve only improved over the course of that time, as songs like “Simile Of Light” create the perfect mixture of driving rock riffs and emotionally-driven melodic choruses. They’re in completely different scenes, but these guys would probably appeal strongly to fans of fellow Richmonders Sea Of Storms (have these two bands really never played together?), and if you’re one of those, you should definitely make your way to the show this Sunday night. This all-local bill is rounded out by progressive instrumental guitar-slingers Curtana and Deftones-style metallic post-hardcore rockers Dr. No. Get familiar with it.

Monday, August 20, 7 PM
Antiphons, Treadles, Jupiter Styles, missangelbird @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Keeping up with the indie scene in this town is a full-time job, but it’s a really FUN full-time job, and you’re sure to have a blast at the Camel this Monday night when Antiphons headlines a group of indie bands from both within and outside of RVA. Antiphons themselves are taking solo form on this show; recent facebook posts indicate that the full-band version is still getting up to speed after some lineup changes, which means leader Brian Dove will be going this one alone. Tunes like “Benadryl” and “Human Bruise” are sure to reveal entirely new dimensions in the solo format, and maybe we’ll even get a stripped-down preview of some new material. We can hope.

New Orleans’ Treadles add a powerful inducement for attendance to this show on their own behalf. This quartet’s latest EP, Bees Are Thieves Too, shows that they’ve grown ably from their origins as a solo project into an excellent example of a complicatedly melodic indie rock band with a ton of tricks up their sleeves. They’re joined on this tour by Chicago’s Jupiter Styles, who have a bit more of an alt-garage slacker rock sound, full of wry irony and melodic sincerity. Both bands have an infectious spirit that’s sure to have you bopping along. Local opener missangelbird will kick things off with another solo set full of jangly-rockin’ indie tunes. The whole thing’s gonna be a blast.

Tuesday, August 21, 11 PM
The Impalers, Iron Reagan, Lipid @ En Su Boca – $8
Oh my goodness, all you hardcore punks and punked-out hardcore kids better get out your boots for this one, because the Impalers are gonna inspire a powerful urge within you to put down the tacos and start the pit. That’s my way of saying… get the munchies out of the way early at this one. It shouldn’t be hard, since this rager of a gig doesn’t even get going til 11 PM, but I want to make sure to emphasize the point, because The Impalers’ 2017 LP, Cellar Dweller, is such a nonstop blast of outta-control USHC/punk n’ roll riffs that once it gets going, you’ll have to either jump on the ride or get the hell out of the way. We humbly suggest the former.

You’ll have to be careful to have some energy left for the Impalers set, too, because with Iron Reagan going on right before them, the velocity’s sure to be high. Their last LP, Crossover Ministry, demonstrated that this project of Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, and Suppression members has retained its masterful ability to bust out the exact sort of incredible mid-80s thrash-core that made the original wave of DRI and Suicidal Tendencies fans want to flip their hat-brims up and scribble slogans onto the underside. “IRON REAGAN” will fit under their with ease; grab your sharpie. This show will open up with a set from relative newcomers Lipid, who just released an EP full of snarky hardcore punk rage on Vinyl Conflict and are ready to drag the classic Dead Kennedys sound into the 21st century and kick off this show in proper fashion. Make sure you’re ready; this one’s gonna get nuts in a hurry.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Thursday, August 16, 8 PM
Ensepulcher, Organ Trail, Redundant Protoplasm, Kryptcest @ Riffhouse Pub – $5
As if there isn’t enough happening in Richmond on Thursday night, there’s also this incredible show happening just down the highway at Chesapeake’s Riffhouse Pub. It’s an appropriate name for a venue that will host Fresno, CA death metal trio Ensepulcher, a crew of no-frills headbangers who keep the classic sound alive in fine fashion on their debut EP, No Sanctity In Death. Subsonic guttural vocals join rumbling drums and downtuned axes cranking out classic Florida-style riffs that is eminently appropriate from members of Fiend and Acephalix. If the sounds of Autopsy, Dismember, and Left Hand Path-era Entombed are music to your ears, you’ll need to gas up the hatchback for this one.

PA’s Organ Trail are also on this bill, and anyone who caught them at the Tired & Pissed showcase last week will know that they’re the kind of band who’ll fit perfectly on this bill. Not quite as full of low-end as Ensepulcher, this band’s sound is nonetheless deep, dark and brutal; what’s more, it’s got the sort of gore-drenched over-the-top lyrical madness going on that makes Exhumed such a fun listen. This one’s appointment listening, for sure. The bill also features Redundant Protoplasm, whose name reminds me of Ren chastising Stimpy and whose song titles remind me of early Carcass’s medical-textbook examinations. Sonically, these guys are pure lo-fi death-grind, while fellow VA Beach group Kryptcest are pure low-end brutality. This one will be loud.

Monday, August 20, 8 PM
Pusha T, Valee @ The NorVA – $37.50 in advance/$43 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s not like I need to tell you who Pusha T is. Even if you’re not aware of hip hop at all, his beef with Drake this year has been at the forefront of pop culture news, and you’re sure to have heard. But if you actually pay attention to hip hop, you know that this beef is way, way down the list of reasons why you should hit The NorVA on Monday to see Tidewater native Pusha T headlining a show in his old stomping grounds. For one thing, there’s the legacy of amazing material left behind by the Clipse, the groundbreaking duo that originally brought Pusha and his brother, No Malice, to fame.

Since the Clipse dissolved, though, Pusha’s continued to make incredible music, most recently on Daytona, which was produced by Kanye West as part of his five-part “Wyoming Sessions” earlier this year. From LP tracks like the excellent “If You Know, You Know” and spooky-sounding single “What Would Meek Do” to the fiery Drake-diss single “The Story Of Adidon,” Push’s lyrical style can’t be touched right now, and the top-quality production provided by Kanye and others results in some of the best hip hop being made right now. And it’s out of Virginia — so what better place to see it brought to life onstage? This show’s gonna be off the hook. Make sure you’re part of it.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: July 4 – July 10

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, July 7, 7 PM
Dumb Waiter, Piranha Rama, Naked Pictures @ Champion RVA – $6
Happy birthday, America! Or what’s left of it. Things are kinda going to hell out in the world, what with the guy running against Tim Kaine for a VA Senate seat having ties to white nationalists, Trump getting a chance to push the Supreme Court even farther right, and the steady erosion of civil rights for marginalized groups from African-Americans to the LGBTQ community. But you’ve heard enough about all that elsewhere on RVA Mag lately, right? It’s a holiday; those of us lucky enough to get a mid-week respite from work just want to eat some burgers, watch some fireworks, and forget all the world’s garbage for a day. So let’s ignore the country as a whole for the rest of this column, and focus on the rocking we’re gonna do for the rest of the week!

It’s been a long time — over two years, in fact — but Dumb Waiter has finally given us another dope beat to step to. Their third album, Heck, just came out this week, and they’re celebrating its release Saturday at Champion Brewing. Heck is a brief but wild affair, made up of three songs also named after the sorts of exclamations people say when they’re trying not to curse. Dumb Waiter’s unpredictable instrumental sound has taken a turn on this new release, moving away from the metallic underpinnings of their early efforts to focus on a more atmospheric sound that incorporates progressive rock and technical jazz-fusion licks into something entirely this band’s own.

As with their previous releases, Dumb Waiter’s latest record remains a challenging, complex listen that deserves its fair share of headphone time. However, these riffs can also do a great job of getting crowds excited and moving in a live environment, and that’s sure to happen at Champion Saturday night. With buzzworthy new garage-rockers Piranha Rama on the bill, as well as hard-hitting post-hardcore band Naked Pictures, the joint will be jumping even before Dumb Waiter comes on. When they hit you with their new jams, the whole evening will be taken to another level. Strap in — you may not know quite where they’re taking you, but you’re sure to enjoy the ride.

Thursday, July 5, 8 PM
Trouble Boys, BBQT, Bad Magic, Nightcreature @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
Going back to work on Thursday after having Wednesday off to watch fireworks will be a hell of a comedown, but you shouldn’t let it ruin your week, especially when that evening has a heavy dose of rock n’ roll in store for you. Austin rock n’ rollers Trouble Boys may or may not have anything to do with that Replacements bio that came out a few years ago; if they do take any influence from the ‘mats, it comes from the early, noisy stuff like Stink, but Trouble Boys mix the early Replacements’ ragged-but-right take on pedal-to-the-metal punk with a garage-infused punk n’ roll swagger that mixes AC/DC with the Dictators. And who can complain about that?

Trouble Boys will roll into town accompanied by BBQT, another Austin rock n’ roll crew. These rockers have a brand new album, Let’s Go!, to bring to your waiting ears, and it is if anything even better than the classic Rancid album you usually associate with that title. The rollicking, string-bending riffs and sassy vocals are enough to bring images of The Runaways and Sheer Mag to mind, and all you rock n’ rollers are gonna dance all night to these catchy, bouncy jams. Local support comes to us from talented vets Bad Magic and newcoming locals Nightcreature, who bring us wild n’ crazy rockin’ from the maniacs who brought us The You Go Girls and the Milkstains. Awesome.

Friday, July 6, 8 PM
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Shamir @ The National – $17.50 in advance/$20.50 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra will take the stage at The National this Friday night, and it’s fascinating to contemplate the possibilities of this group’s claustrophobic psychedelia unleashed in a full-scale venue like this one. While their dense, noisy sound has clearly reached its apotheosis on new LP Sex And Food, released a few months ago, a whole different dimension of that sound is sure to be opened up once the band journeys up from the basement where their sound finds its home and lets it all bounce off the high, vaulted ceilings of the National.

Regardless of what happens when they kick off their set this Friday night, though, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience for their many fans in attendance. After all, frontman Ruban Neilson’s soulful vocals and wild guitars mingle intriguingly with synth sounds on this album to create a vast new palette of sound within their still-quite-cramped sonic atmospheres. The melodies that come to the fore are just as sure to hook directly into your brain in a live environment as they do when you listen alone in the dark through headphones (OK, maybe that’s just me). And the best part is that it’ll be a huge communal trip, on which Neilson and co. will take the whole city. The fact that uncategorizable vocal virtuoso Shamir is opening the show only sweetens the pot. Get your ticket and take this ride. You won’t regret it.

Saturday, July 7, 9 PM
Sammi Lanzetta, LeAnna Eden and the Garden Of, Deau Eyes @ The Camel – $8 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
If it’s been a while since you caught up with Sammi Lanzetta, it may be time to check back in. This exuberant young singer-songwriter hasn’t slowed down since the release last fall of her EP, For Avery, which remains an excellent display of power-pop hooks, catchy guitar leads, and Lanzetta’s excellent voice. She and her backing band are a consistent source of musical excellence, one you should let into your life on a regular basis if you want to preserve your emotional health.

And there’s an even better reason to check out this particular show — the fact that Lanzetta and co. are paired with the excellently named North Carolina group LeAnna Eden and The Garden Of (the acronym is even good — LETGO). This band evolved out of frontwoman Eden finding herself stranded in Charlotte on a long-term basis, but has a powerful, celebratory vibe on their 2017 self-titled EP. That vibe arises from the powerful combo of Eden’s incredible voice and erudite lyricism, and the heavy guitars that give this band its memorable punch. You’ll get rocked by this Charlotte crew when they roll through town, and both Lanzetta and catchy power-pop crew Deau Eyes (who still only have one song out, but we won’t hold that against them) will provide excellent local support. Don’t skip out on this one.

Sunday, July 8, 6 PM
Exmortus, The Absence, Hatchet, Blackwater Reserve, Caustik @ The Canal Club – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
We’re over halfway through the column now, and I know there’s at least a portion of my readership that are starting to get antsy. “Where’s the metal?” I hear you muttering. “I need something to bang my head to!” Don’t worry, people — I got you. And so does The Canal Club, with this killer Sunday evening show bringing a strong dose of metal power to your waiting ears. Exmortus have been around for a while now, but this Cali metal band just released their fifth album full of lock-tight death metal rage and songs about eternal battle, The Sound Of Steel, and any of y’all who wish Marduk or early Cryptopsy were a little less in love with blast beats should definitely get down with it.

These guys will slay all comers at the Canal Club Sunday night, but they’re just the beginning of what this jam-packed bill has to offer. Floridian shredders The Absence draw from a lengthy legacy of death metal mastery from their home state, and do their best to live up to that powerful tradition not by aping the legends of Morrisound past but by putting their own spin on thrashing, technical death rage. They do this most effectively, especially on new album A Gift For The Obsessed, by integrating the melodic Scandinavian touches of Gothenburg legends like At The Gates and In Flames into their powerful riff-o-rama. To top it off, we’ve also got San Francisco thrashers Hatchet on the bill, and these guys just straight-up rip it to shreds, with some distinct resemblances to local legends Battlemaster, along with some strong Exodus vibes as well (that’s that Bay Area style). Add in openers Blackwater Reserve and Caustik and you’ve got enough metal to carry you through the entire month! Just what the doctor ordered, right?

Monday, July 9, 8 PM
Appalachian Terror Unit, Amara, Destruct, Lipid @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
For those of us who know all too well the conflicted legacy of growing up in the American South, where there are amazing people and beautiful landscapes rooted within a history of economic oppression and unjust wars, a band like Appalachian Terror Unit is sure to hit very close to home. This long-running crust-punk quartet comes from the heart of West Virginia coal country, and have long turned their breakneck punk rage on the negative elements of the South that have kept the wonderful aspects of this region from rising to the top.

From environmental devastation to racial oppression and the patriarchal rape culture we’re all trying to live through, Appalachian Terror Unit focus their fury on the things that keep us down, and I for one am here for it. They haven’t released any substantial new work since their 2015 LP We Don’t Need Them, but a band like this doesn’t need to be incredibly prolific to get the message across. All you black-clad politically-informed punks need to come hear what Appalachian Terror Unit are bringing to you this Monday night at Strange Matter, regardless of whether you like to circle pit, raise your fist, or just absorb the ideas this group is presenting to you. You’re sure to get a lot out of it, most definitely including some filthy n’ furious hardcore-punk riffs.

Tuesday, July 10, 8 PM
Kee Avil, Black Plastic, Lounge Lizzard, Ashes @ Strange Matter – $7
And now for something completely different. Kee Avil is a strange but hypnotic musical project from Montreal that brings solo voice and guitar into a new environment through use of samples, electronics, and improvisation. They released a self-titled EP earlier this year, and while some of it definitely sounds like the thing you’d expect from a person singing quietly and playing an electric guitar, other sections completely upend those expectations with jarring noise and unpredictable looping electronic sounds. I can’t tell you exactly what to expect from the live version of Kee Avil, but I can tell you that it won’t be predictable.

As for Black Plastic, I’m finally beginning to figure some things out about this local band, who’ve remained a mystery to me when writing these columns for quite a while. The fact that they used to be called Fall Seattle, and an earlier lineup released an entire LP of slightly shoegazey pop under that name, helps me understand what this band who’s only had one song on bandcamp for the past year are really about. One thing’s for sure — these guys have an adeptness with a pop melody that must be experienced. Other local groups joining them on this bill include Lounge Lizzard, another new group with no real recordings out there; this one features members of Toxic Moxie, Cremains, The Donalds, and Pissing Contest, though, so you have that to go on. Local stalwarts Ashes will open things up with their brand of noisy indie pop goodness. It’s a sure-fire recipe for a winning show. Get yourself a taste.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Top photo by Craig Zirpolo

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, April 5, 5 PM
Official United Blood Pre-Show, feat. Naysayer, The Flex, Arms Race, Primal Rite, Hangman @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
The 12th annual edition of the United Blood hardcore fest is happening here in Richmond this weekend, and I did not make it our featured show. There’s a reason for that — I hate writing about shows that sell out before my readers can read about them, and with very few tickets for United Blood remaining for sale, I’m a little concerned that by the time this goes to press, you won’t be able to get them at all (though you’re certainly welcome to give it a shot — maybe you’ll get lucky). I’m feeling slightly more secure about the Thursday night pre-show, so that’s what I’m sending you to. After all, it’ll give you a good taste of what United Blood is all about, and at 15 percent of the ticket price! You can’t beat that.

Naysayer are our headliners. This Richmond hardcore band had fallen into that sort of twilight state of existence that seems to take over a lot of long-running local hardcore bands, where most of the time they’re completely inactive, but they come back and play a really big local show every now and then. Naysayer briefly awoke from this somnambulist state a couple of years ago, releasing Nation Of Greed, their first new material in five years. That was two years ago now, though, and whether they’ll slip back into inactivity in future is an open question. Fortunately for you, you’ll be able to see them Thursday night, and this dose of their hard-hitting crossover-style hardcore is not something you should miss if you know what’s good for you.

Naysayer will be joined on this bill by a murderer’s row of heavy hitters, starting with a double-shot of UK hardcore in the form of The Flex and Arms Race. The Flex have that raw, blown-out sound that makes everything sound urgent as hell, while Arms Race are a bit darker in feel, but both deliver powerful shots of old-school velocity. Not to be outdone, San Francisco’s Primal Rite have a ripping, thrashing, metallic hardcore sound that’ll remind you of Power Trip if they were more focused on pure headcrushing breakdowns. The bill is rounded out by New Yorkers Hangman, who bring more of that metallic mosh you’re all craving. This show won’t last all weekend, but it certainly will pack plenty of power into its brief span. So whether you make it to the festival itself or not, you’d still be smart to head for Strange Matter the night before it starts.

Wednesday, April 4, 8 PM
Bettye LaVette @ The Tin Pan – $42.50 in advance/$47.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley may be gone, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any more classic soul singers in the world. Bettye LaVette is still kicking, and she’ll be bringing her excellent voice and unpredictable choice of material to the Tin Pan tonight. Having made her first record during the original soul music boom in the early 60s, LaVette has been working hard ever since. However, it wasn’t until the release of 2005’s I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise that the mainstream really started paying attention to the talent LaVette’s been offering the whole time. The album featured soulful re-interpretations of female artists and songwriters including Fiona Apple, Sinead O’Connor, and Aimee Mann, among others.

Since then, LaVette’s recorded an album with the Drive-By Truckers — 2007’s The Scene Of The Crime — and an album of songs originally by British rock bands — 2010’s Interpretations — among others. Now she’s turned her attention to the music of Bob Dylan with her brand new album, Things Have Changed. Her powerful soul sound helps transform Dylan songs both well-known (“It Ain’t Me Babe,” “The Times They Are A-Changin'”) and obscure (“Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight,” the title track), often revealing new sides of the material by rewriting the lyrics to focus on a female perspective. This sound, and this perspective, are among the things LaVette will bring to the stage of the Tin Pan tonight, and the results are sure to be unique, fascinating, and powerful. Don’t miss it.

Thursday, April 5, 11 PM
Slump(oids), Haircut, Benderheads @ En Su Boca – $5
Hey, here’s a venue we haven’t heard from in a while. En Su Boca, the little taco joint inside a former adult bookstore had been doing shows for a bit last year, but has been inactive in the live music scene for several months. Now they are back with an all-local gig intended to raise some money for a permanent PA system, so that they can become a more reliable spot for live music. Sounds good to me! And if this sounds like a good idea to you too, you can support it by coming out late this Thursday evening (after the UB pre-show) and catching some loud punk rock.

At the top of the bill is Slump (or maybe they’re called Slumpoids now, the facebook event page is somewhat confusing), who have been bringing this city a hazy, smoggy take on psychedelic punk for a couple of years now. Remember that brief period when The Men were interesting, before they turned into total dad rock? Slump brings that sound back to life every time they take the stage. Meanwhile, Haircut are much more straightforward, smacking you in the mouth with some fast, angry, no-frills hardcore punk that’s sure to wake you up if the late hour has you nodding off at the bar. Benderheads, who round out this bill, have apparently got a tape coming out on Vinyl Conflict soon. If you want to know more than that, you’ll have to show up to this show. So hey, do it. And grab a taco while you’re at it.

Friday, April 6, 8 PM
Withered, Wake, Vorator, Lore @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Things are getting heavy once again over at Strange Matter, and all of us are the beneficiaries. Friday night sees an incredible double bill of super-heavy bands (brought to us by the letter W) hitting the stage to level us all. Withered hail from the Southern locale of Atlanta, but their sound is straight out of the Delta swamps that birthed Eyehategod. On their 2016 album, Grief Relic, they manage to simultaneously summon the sludge terror of NOLA’s most depressive sons and the blackened rage channeled by fellow swamp-rats Thou. While doom is certainly a part of Withered’s sound, they spend just as much time going fast and ripping it up black metal style as they do trudging through this ugly world at the pace of a steamroller. Either way, you end up flattened by their sheer heavyosity. And that’s always a good time.

Canadians Wake take a totally different approach. Up North where they’re from, you have to play really fast sometimes just to keep warm, and Wake keeps the pedal to the metal on their brand new album, Misery Rites. They’re sure to do the same thing when they hit the Strange Matter stage, where they’ll infuse their all-out speed destruction with a darkened atmosphere that will evoke terror even at 1000 miles per hour. A dynamic duo of locals, in the form of thrashing-mad ragers Vorator and spooky black metallers Lore, gets things rolling in fiery fashion.

Saturday, April 7, 9 PM
Acid Dad, Camp Howard, Moonwalks, Winstons @ The Camel – $12 (order tickets HERE)
This one’s for all the kids out there who love to hear loud guitars spin perfect melodies out of fuzzy haze. Acid Dad hails from the now-completely-gentrified land of Williamsburg, Brooklyn — but don’t hold that against them. Their brand new self-titled LP sees the three-piece busting out some prime psychedelia, 90s alt-rock style. Tinges of The Stone Roses and Ride come through at times, while others see them evoking early Radiohead (back before they’d been eaten and spit back out by a computer) and even The Strokes — who, yes, are post-Y2k, but at this point who’s counting? The point is that these boys have some real energy behind their songwriting, and they’ll both keep you smiling with their glorious pop hooks and rock hard enough to ensure that you can’t stand still at any point during their set.

It’s appropriate that Acid Dad is joined on this bill by local pop fiends Camp Howard, who utilize much the same formula for success — great melodies, vaguely psych-damaged guitars, and an ever-present sense of youthful energy. The local diehards who show up to catch yet another set from Nic, Wes, and the boys will surely be pleased by what Acid Dad has to offer, and vice versa. This show will also feature some bonus performances by two other touring acts. The Moonwalks are coming to us from Detroit with the most overt psychedelic sound of this entire bill, cranking the loud guitars and getting somewhat of a Brian Jonestown Massacre vibe going. The Winstons originate in New York and go straight for the old-school garage-punk sound, bashing and thrashing with a side of rhythm and blues just like the early Stones. This is an absolute can’t-miss evening — you know what to do.

Sunday, April 8, 7 PM
Manatree, Your Dream Coat, Butt, Grandma @ Gallery 5 – $5
For those of us who keep up pretty obsessively with the local music scene, this one has some interesting things to offer. A live set from the latest incarnation of Manatree is first and foremost on that list. It’s admittedly been a few months since I caught them live, and the latest word from their facebook page is that these days, they’re down to a two-piece and getting more and more interested in the possibilities of electronic music. I would never have predicted this when I first heard Manatree, but then, that’s over five years ago when they were still in high school. Clearly a lot has changed since then, and how this latest round of changes will make themselves known in live performance remains to be seen. So let’s see it at Gallery 5 Sunday night, shall we?

Another intriguing offering on this bill comes from Your Dream Coat, a Brooklyn band who appear to have recently erased all evidence of their music from the internet. So if you ever wondered what things were like back in the 90s when you just had to show up to the show first, and find out if you liked the band second, this is a great opportunity for you to take it back to the old school in this fashion. I don’t really miss it, but hey, we can all handle it every once in a while, right? Local up-and-comers Butt have an intriguing name and a really primitive demo, but to really know what’s up with this band’s weirdo rock n’ roll, you’re gonna have to show up and see them too. Finally, Grandma is a new project from Haybaby’s Leslie Hong, perhaps initiated because Haybaby’s members live in multiple towns. You’re guess is as good as mine, but all will become clear at Gallery 5 this Sunday night, so you know what to do.

Monday, April 9, 7:30 PM
GRID, Ryan Easter @ Black Iris – $6-10 (sliding scale)
I’ve been noticing more and more happenings in the local jazz scene lately, and I guess this show counts as jazz too, since GRID are a trio featuring sax, bass, and drums. However, this one will prove challenging for both newcomers to jazz and dyed-in-the-wool fans. Therefore, since challenges are always a good thing, I’m encouraging you to head over to Black Iris Monday night and catch GRID. This trio features bassist Tim Dahl of the confrontational noise-rock band Child Abuse and drummer Nick Podgurski of math-proggers Extra Life backing saxophonist Matt Nelson (who has played with Tune-Yards and Battle Trance) as he goes completely nuts.

The maniacal sounds Nelson creates by running his sax through distortion and other, weirder effects might make you think of Tom Morello’s weirdest solos for Rage Against The Machine at times, but at others they are more likely to evoke the experimental jazz soundscapes saxophonist Colin Stetson created for his New History Warfare LPs. Regardless of where things stand at any particular moment in the set, the sum total of what these three New Yorkers are creating is sure to knock you off your feet, especially if you show up looking for just another jazz combo. But you shouldn’t be looking for that anyway. Special bonus opening set from Ryan Easter, a local trumpeter and producer who has played with Boston-based live hip hop group Tiger Speak and made records with locally-celebrated rapper Chance Fischer. What he will bring to the table is anyone’s guess, but it won’t bore you.

Tuesday, April 10, 7 PM
Sea Of Storms, Canadian Rifle, Naked Pictures @ Gallery 5 – $6
This Tuesday night promises to be an excellent night of melodic, emotionally-driven punk rock with heart and soul. That is, assuming you do the right thing and head over to Gallery 5 for this show. Sea Of Storms aren’t exactly the fastest-moving band, but then, they aren’t as young as they once were either. Since their first LP in 2015, the group has grown from a trio to a quartet with the addition of former Landmines guitarist Nick Bergheimer, and word has it they’ve been working on a second LP. That’s been the word for a while, honestly, but one thing you can be sure of is that they’ll be playing new material at Gallery 5. Show up so you don’t have to wait for them to finish the album to hear the new jams.

Chicago’s Canadian Rifle are another crew of seasoned veterans who aren’t moving quite as quickly as they once did. Their brand new album, Peaceful Death, is their first since 2013, and judging from first impressions, it was totally worth the wait. For a melodic punk band, they’ve got a harsh and powerful approach, adding the sort of grit and rough edges that keep bands like this interesting and fun as the years go on. The new record shows that their command of melodic choruses that make you feel some feels has in no way diminshed, but it also might be their heaviest record yet, and I have no idea why that’d be anything other than a good thing. So let’s all get stoked to see these two excellent bands once again, especially since we’ll also get an opening set from rockin’ local shredders Naked Pictures to kick the whole thing off. What could be better?

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Top Photo by Ken Penn

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/20-12/26

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, December 22, 8 PM
Skalidays 2017, feat. Murphy’s Kids, The Pietasters, Jackmove, Mylo Shift, Santa Kilmagik @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It is the end of an era, y’all. The 2017 Skalidays will mark the final live appearance of Murphy’s Kids. This long-running ska band traces its origins back to the thick of the late 90s punk-ska revival, which brought us bands like Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, and Save Ferris. On the local level, a bunch of high school kids from the Southside started playing their own version of that sound back in 1999, and over the next 18 years, Murphy’s Kids honed and expanded their sound, outlasting the movement that birthed them and almost every other band that had been part of it to become godfathers of the pop-punk, ska, and reggae scenes in Central Virginia.

Earlier this year, they released their seventh album, a progressive concept album called Time Dilation that expanded into psychedelic territory through the use of ambient soundscapes and heady lyrical themes. It was still just as much of a danceable burst of fun as any of their previous work, though, so it would have been tough for anyone to predict that it would also become their swan song. However, only six months later, the band will leave the stage for the last time as part of the long-running holiday charity benefit they created over a decade ago. One thing’s for sure–they’re going out on top.

Chances are good that Skalidays will live on; after all, it’s bigger than just one band, and it’s been that way for a long time. As if to prove that Skalidays is more than just Murphy’s Kids, their last gig will share headlining with DC ska legends The Pietasters, who’ve been on the scene even longer than Murphy’s Kids and have even more classic albums under their belt with which to establish a lasting legacy. VA Beach reggae-punkers Jackmove and local goof-punk maniac Mylo Shift will round out the lineup, along with some between-set sounds provided by DJ Santa Kilmagik. As always, the proceeds of Skalidays will be given to charity; in this case, it’s Food Not Bombs RVA, a group with a deep political-punk legacy of its own. It’s a fitting end for a band that’s given so much to this city and this scene. Don’t miss your last chance to dance along.

Wednesday, December 20, 8 PM
Pedals On Our Pirate Ships, Sports Bar, Naked Pictures, Mistaker @ Strange Matter – $5
Wow, this is certainly noteworthy–the return of Pedals On Our Pirate Ships, the band that defined RVA folk-punk for years. Originally starting out as Matt Seymour’s acoustic solo project, the band grew to include peppy synths and a tiny, ad hoc percussion kit before finally becoming a full-on four-piece electric band on 2012 LP A Place To Stay. After that album’s release, as members grew older and gained more commitments, Pedals became less and less of a full-time concern. These days, it’s been over five years since their last release, and shows have been hard to come by for quite a while now.

But fear not, fans–Pedals On Our Pirate Ships is set to return tonight at the top of an incredible edition of Strange Matter’s ongoing Locals Only series. The band’s been reconstituted almost completely, with Matt Seymour now being backed by an almost completely new lineup that lacks keyboards but features members of Sundials, among others. There’s no new music to check out as yet, but the band apparently has plenty stored up to unleash upon its fans tonight–so you definitely don’t want to miss it. The addition of a super-solid lineup of heavy hitters including Sports Bar, Naked Pictures, and Mistaker definitely sweetens the pot, but make no mistake, this show is Pedals On Our Pirate Ships’ coming out party, and you’re gonna want to be there to see what their latest incarnation has in store for you.

Thursday, December 21, 7 PM
The Pink Spiders, Carousel Kings, The Great Heights Band @ Capital Ale House – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s been really neat seeing Capital Ale House expand their live offerings over the past several months. Here’s yet another show that I never would have predicted would end up onstage there but is sure to be excellent no matter where it takes place. The killer garage-pop of The Pink Spiders has been excellent for over a decade now, from their super-rad debut, Teenage Graffiti, right up to current singles “Black Dagger” and “Easier Than Ever,” both of which feature slightly glammier sounds but the same killer hooks that always made this band one to watch. A new album’s coming next year, but if you show up to this show, chances are you’ll hear a lot of it early. That’s definitely worth checking out.

Carousel Kings are a pretty strong attraction in and of themselves, so don’t sleep on them. This PA melodic hardcore band first got onto my radar with 2014 LP Unity, which featured some truly devastating emo-punk anthems. Their most recent album, Charm City, is their first for Victory Records, so they’ve hit the big time–and the band definitely rose to the occasion. Anthemic emotional tunes full of melody and power still dominate the album, though there’s a definite tinge from 80s pop-metal geniuses like Poison and Warrant hiding in the mix there somewhere (that’s not a dis, those bands rule. Yeah, I said it). Their hardcore lineage contrasts with the garage-rock background of the Pink Spiders, but these two bands are definitely on the same page where writing killer hooks are concerned. You’d be a fool to miss either one on their own, but together, this bill is unstoppable.

Friday, December 22, 6 PM
Exebelle, Andrew Leahey & The Homestead, Continental Clouds @ Hardywood – Free!
Here’s some excellent news for all the alt-country heads haunting the RVA live music scene. For the first time in six years, Exebelle has a new album for us all. What’s more, it’s a double CD that’s full of all the excellent songs they’ve spent the past half-dozen years putting together. That amount of time has put paid to the band’s former “Rusted Cavalcade” sobriquet, but if anything, the stripped-down name just makes way for some really amazing new tunes. The 19-song double album is still under wraps until this Friday’s release party, but advance singles “The Long Pour” and “Share It With You” both have an outstanding rock n’ roll swagger beneath their country twang, calling to mind The Rolling Stones in their early-70s prime even as they also connect the dots between early Wilco and Southern Rock Opera-era Drive-By Truckers.

The result is potent indeed, and should do more than enough to justify a 19-song double-disc release. It’ll definitely make for a great record release show–Exebelle is promising 75 minutes of music spanning their decade-long career (the majority of which, it must be noted, would be represented by songs from the new record), and of course, they’ll have the new album for sale as well. Exebelle will be joined on the bill by fellow twangy rock n’ rollers Andrew Leahey and the Homestead, who hail from Nashville and are touring behind last year’s excellent Skyline In Central Time LP, a great pairing with the latest offering from Exebelle. Locals Continental Clouds, formerly known as Eric Hunter and the Distractions, will open up with some rad power-pop sounds. Don’t miss a moment of this one.

Saturday, December 23, 8 PM
Coke Bust, Dry Spell, Memory Loss, Nosebleed @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s the weekend before Christmas, and it’s time to bring it all back home with a raging hardcore banger to get all the kids back from school for the holiday out of their parents’ house and into the pit! Coke Bust have been around for over a decade now, dishing out their lightning-speed straight edge fastcore with a fury that just does not let up. It’s been four years since their last release, the Confined LP (which was pressed to 12 inch vinyl even though it’s less than 10 minutes long), destroyed turntables across the world with its furious velocity, and Coke Bust have become a bit of a part-time concern in the years since (seemingly the way of all things where the hardcore scene is concerned), but they’re back with a vengeance to let it rip onstage at Strange Matter once again this Saturday night.

Also back in action is Dry Spell, a Richmond hardcore band who brings the fury in a more rockin’, less speedy fashion than Coke Bust, and demonstrated their technique on their self-titled 2010 LP for local label Vinyl Conflict. These guys are even less active than Coke Bust these days, but you can rely on them returning to terrorize unsuspecting audiences on at least an occasional basis. Looks like Christmas is the perfect time to make that happen, and combined with killer opening sets from currently active RVA hardcore killers Memory Loss and Nosebleed, this will make for a devastating night of sweat and lunacy. You’ve gotta get all spiffed up for grandma’s house the next day anyway, right? What better time to rage?

Tuesday, December 26, 8 PM
Fighting Gravity, Karen Jonas @ The National – $20 in advance/$23 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s a late Christmas gift from the patron saint of ska, who apparently decreed that the final Murphy’s Kids show just wasn’t enough unmissable amazingness for one week. That’s right–you have the opportunity to celebrate the Feast of Stephen this year with the reunited Fighting Gravity. How could you possibly turn down a chance like this? Well, it’s certainly possible you don’t remember this band from their first time around–I recognize that I’m no spring chicken, and a lot of you probably weren’t even born when No Stopping No Standing came out in 1994. But see, here’s the thing–you can’t even tag Fighting Gravity as being part of that late 90s ska-punk revival. They predated all of that.

Originally known as Boy O Boy (they got sued out of that one), these guys put together a muscular brand of ska with some distinct heavy rock influences, then proceeded to take over RVA with an incredible live show that got huge crowds sweating and skanking with big smiles on their faces. Their mid-90s heyday was marked by excellent albums like Forever = 1 Day and the aforementioned No Stopping No Standing. They grabbed at the brass ring of major label success–which still seemed possible in those heady post-Nirvana days–but never quite made it to the level of Reel Big Fish and all those other bands we talked about before. But Richmond heads know–this band was easily as good as any of them. And 20 years later, their live show is sure to be just as powerful and energetic as it ever was. So end your extended holiday weekend with a reunion that will truly remind Richmond how great we once had it, and give us all the opportunity to relive those days once 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] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]

Catch 12 RVA bands and comedy acts at Gallery5’s ‘12 Acts in 12 Hours’ benefit Saturday

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What could be better than 12 hours of 12 of the best music and comedy acts Richmond has to offer all for a good cause? I can’t think of much.
[Read more…] about Catch 12 RVA bands and comedy acts at Gallery5’s ‘12 Acts in 12 Hours’ benefit Saturday