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VA Shows You Must See This Week: March 27 – April 2

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 27, 2019

Topics: Aenimus, Ashland Theatre, Bennett Wales & The Relief, Bob Miller, Camp Howard, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Colin Phils, Curtana, Danet Jackson, DBUK, EU, Ex Hex, Fleshgod Apocalypse, gallery 5, Go-go, Gutted Christ, Hunter Rhodes, Hypocrisy, Jawbreaker, JC Kuhl, Junkyard Band, Kenneka Cook, Landon Elliott, LAVA, Mas Y Mas, Milk, missangelbird, Moaning, Modern Color, No Sun, Norman Westberg, Old Gun Road, Pohgoh, Positive No, Ramblin' Ron Talman, Recluse Raccoon, Seraph, Shormey, shows you must see, shy low, Standards, Starcoast, The Brecker Brothers, The Camel, The Canal Club, The Dark Room, The National, The NorVa, Tmobyle, Toast, Trouble Funk, Two Cars, W I S H, War On Women

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, March 29, 6:30 PM
A Tribute To The Brecker Brothers, feat. JC Kuhl & Bob Miller @ Ashland Theatre – $12-25 (order tickets HERE)

The Ashland Theatre’s only been doing shows for about a month now, and already they’ve become a venue to watch. No doubt this has something to do with the Broadberry Entertainment Group, whose bookings around the city are consistently some of the most interesting and cool live shows on any given week. And for this show, at least, it also has to do with Richmond’s jazz scene, which is always doing something new and creative in the live performance arena.

This time around, Ashland Theatre and Broadberry Entertainment Group will be presenting an evening in tribute to the Brecker Brothers. Now, that name may not jump right out at you, but I can guarantee you’ve heard their work. The brothers — Randy, who played trumpet, and Michael, who played saxophone — contributed their talents to all sorts of classic 70s albums, from George Clinton to Todd Rundgren to Frank Zappa to Eric Clapton. They also had a duo of their own, which was a primary exponent of that jazz/funk fusion sound that the 70s so generously gave to us, before pushing things farther with their landmark 1978 album, Heavy Metal Be-Bop, on which they ran their horns through guitar amps and distortion effects.

You’ll never see the Brecker Brothers themselves; Michael passed away a decade ago. But this weekend, you can see the next best thing — a full-band tribute to the Brecker Brothers, featuring JC Kuhl (of Agents of Good Roots and local jazz scene fame) playing the role of Michael, while Bob Miller (of Richmond’s salsa legends, Bio Ritmo) in the role of Randy. Backing them up will be a stacked lineup of Virginia talent, including members of Butcher Brown, the Spacebomb house band, and more! Get ready for some skunk funk, because these musicians are going to keep the music going all night at a venue that’s rapidly becoming an essential Central VA spot for live music.

Wednesday, March 27, 8 PM
Modern Color, No Sun, W I S H, Two Cars @ The Dark Room – $5

It’s a shoegaze paradise at The Hof’s Dark Room tonight. The Underexposed series, of which this show is a part, is designed to bring us sounds from bands we might not have heard much about, and while that might lead you to expect Richmond-based bands, tonight the big surprises are going to come from out-of-towners. Modern Color is at the top of the bill; they hail from SoCal and bring us a melodic yet driving take on a loud-guitar alt-rock sound that’s honestly way too clear to be shoegaze — but someone will call them that anyway, so it may as well be me, right?

One thing is for sure where Modern Color is concerned: they use their loud guitars to the fullest, evoking their beachfront hometown environs while still bringing plentiful energy. No Sun, who ironically come from the sunbaked state of Utah, generate the sort of fuzzy clang you’d be more likely to expect from a shoegaze band, and they embrace it fully, calling to mind 90s UK legends like Swervedriver or My Bloody Valentine. Getting this touring duo from a $5 local midweek show is one of the subtle treats this city loves to grace us with. And rest assured, the sets from local openers W I S H and Two Cars will be another. This one is well worth your cash, so pony up and get down to the Hof tonight.

Thursday, March 28, 8 PM
Shy Low, Standards, Colin Phils, Curtana @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)

Math-rock, post-rock, indie — whatever you want to call it, one thing is certain: there’s a lot of this kind of thing happening around Richmond lately. And it’s definitely a good thing, especially since it seems to have resulted in a recent rejuvenation of Shy Low, the long-running four-piece who’ve long evoked Mogwai and Mono with their epic, intense instrumentals. It has still been a few years since their last release, but… perhaps that will change soon? We can hope. In the meantime, there have been several opportunities to see them live lately — this is just the latest.

And as if availing yourself of that opportunity isn’t enough of a reason to hit the Camel this Thursday night, Shy Low will be accompanied on this bill by Standards, an outstanding LA duo who are on tour behind their freshly-released EP, Friends. For fans of instrumental guitar pyrotechnics, this record will be an embarrassment of riches, as Marcos Mena’s fingertap gymnastics impress on a whole other level. You’re sure to find yourself staring at his fretboard at some point during Standards’ set, wondering how the man can possibly do all that with only ten fingers. He does, though, and you’re going to want to see it happen live and in the flesh. Opening sets by the always-reliable Colin Phils and dazzling local prog-rockers Curtana only sweeten the pot.

Friday, March 29, 6 PM
Hypocrisy, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Aenimus, Seraph, Gutted Christ @ The Canal Club – $20 in advance/$22 day of show (order tickets HERE)

Oh wow. The fact that this tour is named after the legendary long-running compilation series, Death… Is Just The Beginning, definitely brings back memories for a true 90s metalhead like me. Nuclear Blast Records have been putting these comps out every few years for three decades now, and headliners Hypocrisy have been around for about as long. This killer Swedish death metal band hasn’t released an album in six years, but between their rock-solid track record and the fact that 2013’s End Of Disclosure was a sure-fire winner from beginning to end, headbangers can certainly take heart — this set is guaranteed to rule.

Even cooler is the fact that Hypocrisy’s co-headlining this tour with another Euro death metal sensation — Fleshgod Apocalypse. These Italians have always had a symphonic edge to their sound, even integrating operatic vocals on occasion for peak melodrama. However, they’ve always known how to keep it heavy and give us the killer riffs in abundance, and even after a significant lineup shakeup a couple years ago, the first single from upcoming fifth album Veleno shows they’ve still got the juice. So head out to the Canal Club this Friday night, and wear your best studded gauntlets, because this one is going to be tough as nails.

Saturday, March 30, 7 PM
Kings & Queens Of Go-Go Tour, feat. EU, Trouble Funk, Junkyard Band @ The National – $25 in advance/$35 at the door (order tickets HERE)

Do you like to get down? Do you like to get funky? Do you like to DROP THE BOMB? If so, you’re in luck, because this Saturday night sees three of the brightest stars of DC’s legendary go-go scene visiting Richmond to tear the roof off the National — and you’re gonna want to be there. Go-go is a highly regional scene centered around Washington, DC — for most of its history, it was only truly popular in the DMV area. However, it had a big moment in the 80s; while go-go has its roots in funk, it’s a particularly rhythmic, percussion-heavy strain, and that appealed strongly to early hip hop fans.

EU (short for Experience Unlimited) had one of the most popular go-go hits ever with “Da Butt,” a sexually charged party-starter from the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s School Daze. It was so popular, I once saw a guy in a Scooby-Doo costume dance to it in a make-your-own-video booth at King’s Dominion (#onlytrue80skidswillunderstand). Meanwhile, Trouble Funk’s 1982 single, “Pump Me Up,” was a huge club hit — especially in DC, where at the height of their fame, they co-headlined shows with hardcore pioneers Minor Threat. Meanwhile, onetime Def Jam recording artists The Junkyard Band can be seen performing their signature song, “Sardines,” in the Run-DMC movie, Tougher Than Leather. And we get all three of these groups on the same stage, for $25? This is the deal of the decade, folks — don’t miss out. And wear your dancing shoes, because your feet will be moving.

Sunday, March 31, 7 PM
Milk, Missangelbird, Danet Jackson @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$6 day of show (order tickets HERE)

It’s not often that a piece of music manages to take me by surprise, so when it happens, it’s certainly worth noting. Milk’s 2017 LP, Horsetown Threshold, does exactly that, not only over the course of the album but even in a single song. The first track, a beautiful acoustic ballad called “Too High To Drive,” is occasionally interrupted by squalls of distorted heavy noise — but in a manner that is not only intentional but meshes well with the song as a whole. This is what Milk do throughout the album, really; present us with gorgeous melodies that draw from indie-folk sources, then shift into heavy moments that pulverize the listener with some prime Blue Cheer/Crazy Horse riffage.

Seeing this whole thing take place live might be a bit of a mind-bender… but who wouldn’t want that, especially on a Sunday night? Sometimes life has to throw us a few curveballs just to keep us from sleepwalking through it, and it’s much better to have those curveballs come in the form of a truly unpredictable band than in that of a car crash, right? So put down the cellphone and drive carefully to Gallery 5 this Sunday night, where Milk will proceed to blow your mind. Local openers Missangelbird and Danet Jackson will provide you with some sweet melodies of their own to prepare the way for the Boston headliners. Get there.

Monday, April 1, 7 PM
DBUK, Norman Westberg, Old Gun Road @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $12 (order tickets HERE)

Denver’s DBUK were originally called Denver Broncos UK, a joke that I can appreciate as both a fan of American football and UK indie bands. Apparently the Denver Broncos football team didn’t appreciate it, though, since they’re known only by their initials now. But regardless of the name they’re going by, DBUK is definitely worth going to see. The group arises from a Denver scene known for producing dark, apocalyptic varieties of folk-Americana. DBUK features Slim Cessna’s Auto Club mastermind Slim Cessna, as well as Jay Munly, who has led various solo projects as well as taking part in Slim Cessna’s Auto Club and Scott Kelly & the Road Home.

DBUK just released their second album, Songs Nine Through Sixteen, and while it’s got less overt country and Americana influences than previous projects the members have been involved with, it maintains the deep dark mood that has always been the most compelling aspect of that whole Denver scene (which also produced Wovenhand and 16 Horsepower, among others). It’s therefore fitting that they come to Richmond in the company of Norman Westberg, who has played guitar in Swans for nearly 40 years and will be doing a solo set that, if it’s anything like the solo albums he’s released in recent years, should lean heavily on ambience and atmosphere. Local openers Old Gun Road consist of a bunch of hardcore and metal musicians playing the type of country music they loved as kids. Like everything else on this bill, that’s sure to be a treat.

Tuesday, April 2, 7 PM
Ex Hex, Moaning, Positive No @ Capital Ale House Music Hall
– $20 (order tickets HERE)
Ex Hex were all the rage a few years back. This tough-rockin’ trio from DC made a whole lot of fans around the country with their 2014 debut album, Rips, and its Shangri-Las-meets-Runaways take on catchy garage punk. However, the group’s been quiet a while, and you couldn’t be blamed for thinking they’d dissolved after one LP, just as singer-guitarist Mary Timony’s previous project, Wild Flag, did.

Fortunately, we learned as 2019 kicked off that this was not the case after all, and Ex Hex came roaring back just last week with the release of its sophomore full-length, It’s Real. They’ve definitely grown as a band, but the elements everyone loved about their first batch of tunes are all intact here, even as they stretch out with some heavier riffs, contrasting those at other points with some introspective moments. The end result is sure to delight all previous Ex Hex fans, and might just make some new ones (assuming everyone doesn’t love this band already). They’re accompanied on their return to Richmond by Los Angeles new-romantics Moaning, as well as perennial Richmond indie-pop faves Positive No. This one is a guaranteed delight.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, March 29, 6 PM
Jawbreaker, War On Women, Pohgoh @ The NorVA – $37 in advance/$42 at the door (order tickets HERE)

All the 90s emo and pop-punk kids are sure to be freaking out over this one. Blake Schwarzenbach has done several memorable bands over the years, including Jets To Brazil and Forgetters, but none have ever captured the hearts of music fans the way his late-80s/early-90s band Jawbreaker did. For many years, even as fans clamored for Schwarzenbach to reunite with his former Jawbreaker bandmates, he swore he’d never do it. But then, in 2017, the band returned to headline Riot Fest and, improbably, kept working together, playing shows around the US and even starting work on their first album in 23 years.

They’re currently in the middle of a run down the East Coast, and this show brings them to Virginia for the first time in over two decades. They’ve even been playing some new-ish tunes (although they are really just unreleased songs from various Schwarzenbach projects over the years), and we can all look forward to the possibility of a new album on the horizon. For now, though, it’ll be enough to bop around the NorVA singing along with classics like “Save Your Generation,” “Boxcar,” “Chesterfield King,” and many more. Plus, opening sets from War On Women and Pohgoh are sure to make an amazing night even more special. Don’t miss this one.

Saturday, March 30, 5 PM
LAVA Mini-Fest, feat. Bennett Wales & The Relief, Camp Howard, Starcoast, Shormey, Mas Y Mas, Landon Elliott, Kenneka Cook, Recluse Raccoon, Ramblin’ Ron Talman, Hunter Rhodes MAGIC, Tmobyle @ Toast – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)

Here’s a fun way to spend your Saturday evening — by gassing up the ride, heading east down 64, and enjoying an evening mini-fest brought to you by Norfolk’s own LAVA Presents. These Norfolk promoters work with a variety of genres down in the Hampton Roads area, and they’re demonstrating that by bringing a variety of sounds from around Virginia together at Toast to get you stoked.

There are a ton of different genres on this bill, from the Southern-tinged rock n’ roll of Bennett Wales & The Relief to the cleancut indie jangle of Richmond’s own Camp Howard, from the electro-pop of Shormey to the heartland rock of Landon Elliott, plus a whole lot more. There are definitely some names that will perk up the ears of Richmond music fans (Kenneka Cook, anyone?), as well as some very interesting sidetrips, including a magic show, a pop-up record shop, and a craft market! Sounds to me like a great way to spend a Saturday night — you know what to do.

—-

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

Pohgoh, Long Arms, and Positive No at The Camel

Joe Vanderhoff | September 20, 2018

Topics: Long Arms, must see shows, Pohgoh, Positive No, The Camel

Florida indie rockers Pohgoh are going to rock The Camel along with Long Arms and Positive No

September 21st
$7
Doors @ 8
Show @ 9

VA Shows You Must See This Week: September 19 – September 25

Marilyn Drew Necci | September 19, 2018

Topics: Austin Lucas, Bandito's, Byrd Park, Cheer Up, Clang Quartet, Dear Blanca, Face To Face, Flavoured Water, Hex Machine, Hillwalkers, Long Arms, Lydia Lunch Retrovirus, McCormack's, Neck Deep, Numbtongue, Pohgoh, Positive No, Ritual Magick, Sailor Poon, Scott Burton, Shaka's, Shormey, shows you must see, Stand Atlantic, strange matter, Talk Me Off, Taphouse Grill, The Chuggernauts, The National, The Slims, Thin Lips, Thomas McDonald, Trophy Eyes, VV, WSTR

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, September 21, 8 PM
Pohgoh, Long Arms, Positive No @ The Camel – $7 (order tickets HERE)
The internet has really changed the music world. At one time, any band that wasn’t hugely famous at the time of their breakup disappeared completely and were never heard from again. But today, when albums from any era of recorded music can find new life on streaming services like Spotify, Bandcamp, and even YouTube, can it be any surprise that many once-forgotten bands of prior eras have returned to find a music world that’s significantly more welcoming and appreciative than the one they left? These days, it seems like a lot of bands from the 90s are doing just that, and Pohgoh is the latest — and one of the best — to make a welcome return after two decades away.

Known for their ties to the midwestern emo scene of the late 90s, mainly due to their 1996 split EP with Braid, Pohgoh actually hail from Tampa, Florida, where drummer Keith Ulrey owns an awesome independent record store called Microgroove. After the band broke up in the late 90s, frontwoman Susie Ulrey was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and while she gets around with a personal scooter and has to sit down to play music these days, her ability to create great music has by no means been diminished. In fact, Pohgoh’s comeback LP, Secret Club, demonstrates that the group is not only still at the top of their game musically, but willing to tackle serious topics in their lyrics. In multiple songs on the album, Susie Ulrey sings openly about her medical issues and the challenges she and her loved ones have had to face due to her MS. The experiences of disabled people are all too often ignored by our culture, so Ulrey’s voice is an important one that we should all listen to.

Plus, let’s be real — the music’s great. From their unforgettable contribution to Volume One of the Emo Diaries compilation series back in 1997, “Friend X,” to the excellent first single from their new album, “Business Mode,” Pohgoh are an incredible band that brings together that classic emo sound of bands like Braid and Mineral with that of 90s alternative rock heroes like Juliana Hatfield or Belly. It’s safe to say that fans of Speedy Ortiz are going to dig this one. And with outstanding local openers Long Arms and Positive No on board, we can be sure that this show will be a rare and valuable night of outstanding sounds from top to bottom. The ticket link is up top. You know what to do.

Wednesday, September 19, 6 PM
Sailor Poon, The Chuggernauts @ McCormack’s – $5
I admit it, I’m a sucker for bands like Sailor Poon. By which I mean, I love bands of women who address feminist concerns in a goofy, raunchy manner rather than a didactic one. Don’t get me wrong, it can be fun to angrily rip asshole dudes a new one, but there’s something so gratifying about treating all of the issues about being a woman in the United States today with a refusal to take any of its obnoxiousness seriously. Any band who will name themselves Sailor Poon, call an EP Yeast Pigeon and give songs titles like “White Male Meltdown” and “Butt Gush” have done quite a bit to win my heart even before I hear their music.

Sailor Poon’s actual music does nothing to bring down my mood, either. This garage-rock trio mixes sloppy Farfisa-driven rock n’ roll with slashing postpunk angularity and skronking sax; it’s like a Mummies jam session crashed by the Bush Tetras and X-Ray Spex. They’ve even had tracks produced by garage-psych wildman King Khan, and if that’s not a symbol of quality, I don’t know what is. Sailor Poon are joined on this bill by C-ville rock n’ roll maniacs the Chuggernauts, who are sure to provide appropriate support, and they tell me there might be another band on the bill, though if it’s still “to be announced” at this point, I have to wonder if it’ll turn into anything by tonight. Regardless, these two bands are all you need — Sailor Poon in particular are going to do a great deal to rid you of the midweek blahs. Get stoked!

Thursday, September 20, 7 PM
Neck Deep, Trophy Eyes, Stand Atlantic, WSTR @ The National – $23 in advance/$26 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Neck Deep is coming to town, and they’re gonna show us all that you don’t have to be from North America to make awesome super-emotional pop punk. I for one am all about it. This Welsh group’s latest single is a cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn,” which makes me think of back when all the 90s skate-rock bands were doing covers of 70s light-rock hits. Neck Deep manage to invest some real feeling in this cover, but I’m honestly way more stoked on their originals.

Last year’s The Peace And The Panic has some truly excellent tunes on it, and does the same thing former split EP partners Knuckle Puck did on their most recent album — trades some of the chunkier melodic-hardcore guitars for stronger melodies. Like Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep finds some real gold in poppier singles like “In Bloom,” which should offer the kids in the crowd a chance to bop around and sing along in the midst of all the punky upbeat anthems. I for one am all for it. Neck Deep will be joined on this bill by multiple other emo-pop-punk groups from around the world, including Australians Trophy Eyes and Stand Atlantic, and fellow Great Britain residents WSTR. This one’s gonna be fun.

Friday, September 21, 7 PM
Scott Burton & Ritual Magick @ Byrd Park Roundhouse – Free!
This one comes completely out of the blue in a manner way too fascinating to ignore. Scott Burton is a local jazz guitarist with his fingers in a variety of pies. He’s played with indie-folk group Luray and jazz-funk ensemble Glows In The Dark, as well as helming a variety of other experimental jazz ensembles, from his duo with noted local percussionist Scott Clark, SCUO, to his Kessel Quartet, a group that features members of CGI Jesus and interprets the music of legendary jazz guitarist Barney Kessel. So yes, it’s safe to say that anything Burton’s involved in is worth your attention.

Ritual Magick is a solo project of Burton’s, which he describes as “an ongoing examination of trance inducing music and the ritual practice.” He and his guitar play off a modular synth, generating improvised melodies and progressions that build up a slowly evolving minimalist melody with a hypnotic allure. And apparently Burton’s going to give his first live performance of this material on Friday evening at the Byrd Park Roundhouse, over by the lake with the paddleboats and the geese. And if you’re thinking, “Is this real? Is this an official event?” believe me, I’m asking the same questions. But if you love intriguing experimental music and minimalist guitar soundscapes, you really can’t go wrong heading down to the Byrd Park Roundhouse on Friday and seeing what’s going on. Maybe Scott Burton will show up with a battery-powered amp and blow your mind. But even if he doesn’t, that’s still a really peaceful spot to sit and take in some nature.

Saturday, September 22, 8 PM
Supersuckers, Holy Roller, Sick Bags @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Hey hey, the Supersuckers are hitting Richmond once again! I’ve been a longtime fan of this wild, uptempo rock n’ roll group for decades now, and on multiple previous occasions, I have urged the readers of this column to go see them. I don’t want to repeat myself overly much or anything, but I gotta tell ya, if you’re ever gonna see the Supersuckers live, this is the time to do it. The group is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, and they’re bringing the “Supersuckers Big Show” to town on Saturday.

This means you won’t just be getting one set from the Supersuckers — ohhh no. They’ve got a brand new album called Suck It, which will be out on Friday, and they’ll be bringing us a selection of tunes from this new LP. But they’ll also be doing their first two LPs, The Smoke Of Hell and La Mano Cornuda, in their entirety. At this point, we’re up to at least a solid hour and a half of fast, loud, balls-out rock n’ roll with a definite punk-garage undertone. But there’s still more coming, as the Supersuckers will also celebrate their occasional detours into outlaw country, most famously on 1997’s Must’ve Been High, with a mini-set of shit-kicking country jams as well. Seriously, everything you could ever possibly want from a Supersuckers show will happen at this show. And whether you’re a brand new fan or someone who’s seen them every time they rolled through town for the past three decades, you’d be a fool to miss it.

Sunday, September 23, 9 PM
Thin Lips, Cheer Up, Talk Me Off @ Bandito’s – Free!
OK listen, this isn’t the first time Thin Lips have come through here recently. In fact, I wrote about a show they played less than a month ago. But I didn’t tell you too much about who Thin Lips are and what they’re about at that time, and they really deserve more attention than I gave them. The Philly group’s latest LP, Chosen Family, was produced by members of Hop Along and brings in a hint of that band’s vaguely twangy approach to post-punk melody. But Thin Lips are very much a pop-punk band, and their lyrical wit and catchy riffing has a hard edge to it that makes their new LP a real rocker that’s guaranteed to stick with you.

Fellow Philadelphians Cheer Up, who are along on this particular jaunt down south, are a bit less overtly punk in their sound, and you couldn’t be blamed if you heard a hint of that whole post-Algernon Cadwallader “twinkle” in their guitar melodies on brand new LP Sleep Debt. However, there’s a contrasting undercurrent of mournful melody mixed in there as well, which is sure to connect with the indie types. Add a local opening set from snotty punk rockers Talk Me Off and the always-wonderful food and beverages provided by Bandito’s, and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed great way to wrap up your weekend. And you certainly can’t argue with the price!

Monday, September 24, 8 PM
Lydia Lunch Retrovirus, VV, Clang Quartet, Hex Machine @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The queen of noise returns once again. Lydia Lunch has been a pivotal figure in the New York scene for four decades now, starting with her first band, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, one of the four bands documented on groundbreaking 1978 compilation No New York. Their harsh, atonal guitar scraping and lurching percussive thump was taken to another level entirely by Lunch’s howling vocals and dark lyrical poetry. She carried this same sort of sound forward into the 80s, as a member of 8-Eyed Spy, Harry Crews, Big Sexy Noise, and more, as well as in collaborations with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, the Birthday Party’s Rowland S. Howard, The Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, and a ton of others.

Now, her entire 40-year musical history is being brought to life with the help of a supergroup called Lydia Lunch Retrovirus. The group features guitarist Weasel Walter of noise-core legends the Flying Luttenbachers and prog-metal geniuses Behold the Arctopus, drummer Bob Bert of Pussy Galore and Chrome Cranks, and bassist Tim Dahl of Child Abuse. Backed by this trio of incredible talents in their own right, Lunch runs through material covering the span of her career from Teenage Jesus and the Jerks to Big Sexy Noise, as well as her latest album, 2015’s Urge To Kill, on which she was backed in the studio by Retrovirus. If you’re a fan of Lydia Lunch, you realize what a treat this show’s gonna be. And if you don’t know her music yet, you couldn’t ask for a better crash course. Get your tickets now.

Tuesday, September 25, 8 PM
Dear Blanca, Numbtongue, Hillwalkers @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
They’ve been having a rough time of it down in the Carolinas recently, what with the direct hit the hurricane that fortunately missed us dealt to them down there. Fortunately for Dear Blanca, they hail from the inland capital city of South Carolina, Columbia, which mostly missed out on the devastation. And this means they’re able to bring us their intriguing take on guitar-driven rock n’ roll. The group’s 2016 EP, To Tell A Half-Truth, pairs lyrics adapted from the work of deceased poet Scott Crane (Dear Blanca bassist Cameron Powell’s uncle) with some loping, Crazy Horse-style tunes that inject a post-punk sense of unpredictability into their moody, hard-hitting riffs.

Singer-guitarist Dylan Dickerson’s strong yet quavering voice is the most distinctive element of this group’s sound, and he’s recently been showing it off on some solo tracks, but its natural home is in front of the loud electric backing provided by Dear Blanca, so rest assured, you’re gonna get a great show from this trio when they hit town. They’re joined by Numbtongue, another Columbia project led by Bobby Hatfield of The Sea Wolf Mutiny, which has a strange, unique sound incorporating electronic sounds and strangely funky rock grooves. And of course, RVA’s own Hillwalkers will add their particular brand of mellow, jangly bedroom-indie to the proceedings, just to make you feel right at home.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, September 21, 9 PM
Shormey, The Slims, Flavoured Water @ Taphouse Grill – $7
We’ve got a fair amount of electronic independent artists making excellent music here in Virginia, and not all of them are based in Richmond. Shormey’s made quite the impression with her minimal yet catchy electro-pop sounds down that way, and everyone up and down the I-64 corridor has reason to be excited about her performance Friday night at Norfolk’s Taphouse Grill. Inspired equally by Babyface and The Beatles, Shormey makes lush pop sounds with a soulful undercurrent that should connect with everyone, regardless of genre.

Shormey is joined on this bill by The Slims, a strange group that hails from Pittsburgh and brings us a sound that’s tough to pin down. They refer to themselves as “a jazzy rock n’ roll hip hop conglomerate,” and I can see the influence of all of these sounds in their music, but I mostly hear a sort of languid, lo-fi beat-driven moody ballad vibe from the tracks they’ve got uploaded to their website. Mac DeMarco jamming with RVA’s own Antiphons? Something like that… I think. Norfolk’s own Flavoured Water will open up with some spacy ambient sounds over electronic beats. If you like to dance to amazingly unusual music, this is the show for you.

Tuesday, September 25, 8 PM
Face To Face, Austin Lucas, Thomas McDonald @ Shaka’s – $25 (order tickets HERE)
Y’all know Face To Face, right? This California pop-punk band started over 25 years ago, killin’ it with fun, catchy tunes to blast while you’re grinding curbs and busting kickflips. The sheer catchiness of their material allowed them to transcend the NOFX-affiliated scene they came from, and they were pretty big for a while there, scoring a soundtrack spot for Tank Girl among other big highlights. They may not be as well known these days, but the group’s flawless technique with pop melodies has not diminished an iota.

They’re proving that right now in dramatic fashion, with a full acoustic tour to accompany the recent release of Hold Fast, an album of Face To Face classics rerecorded acoustically. From classic tracks like “Ordinary” and “Don’t Turn Away” to their signature song, “Disconnected,” the new versions are nothing short of revelatory, and showcase a more heartfelt, sensitive side to a group that always was more focused on beautiful harmonies than most of their contemporaries. Veteran Florida indie-folk troubadour Austin Lucas will accompany the band on this trip through the Hampton Roads area, and local singer-songwriter Thomas McDonald of The Record Collection will open things up. You may not need your earplugs for this one, but you’re sure to get just as much of a thrill.

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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

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