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Antiphons, Private Cry, Castle Of Genre, Twin Drugs, Groovy Movies @ Hardywood

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If there’s one takeaway from the Richmond music scene in 2017, it’s that the whole Citrus City crew just keeps going with a high rate of great stuff. Antiphons are further proving this with their brand new EP, the release celebration for which will take place at this stacked free show at Hardywood Saturday evening. Fine is a five-track followup to their debut full-length, Groan, which was also released by Citrus City this year.

The EP isn’t out yet, obviously, so therefore we’ve only heard the first song thus far. But right now, it’s clear from opening single “Benadryl” that this band has a lot more in store. The title, referencing a stupor-inducing antihistamine that has had me staggering half-awake through many a spring day in my lifetime, fits well with the sound the band creates on this track and indeed, on all of their material. Glittering guitars flutter above hazy vocals and a muted yet subtly propulsive rhythm, which keeps the whole thing from drifting into somnolence. It’s not shoegaze in any traditional sense, but it would certainly make sense for you to gaze at your shoes while listening.

I’m going to advise you keep your eyes on the stage throughout this Saturday night festival of sound, however, as Antiphons are but one of the many local talents that await you on this bill. There aren’t many recorded sounds out there from Private Cry as yet, but the band’s done a lot to generate excitement on the local scene with striking live performances, so if you haven’t caught them yet, now’s a perfect time. Castle of Genre and Twin Drugs are both worth your time as well, with the former finding a niche somewhere not too far removed from that beautifully sluggish indie sound that’s all the rage lately, as the latter strike a much more traditional shoegaze chord with their Lilys/Swirlies-derived sound. All this plus newcomer Groovy Movies, about whom I know little beyond their admittedly appealing name, kicking things off–and it’s free! You can’t afford NOT to come to this one!

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 11/8-11/14

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, November 11, 5 PM
Antiphons, Private Cry, Castle Of Genre, Twin Drugs, Groovy Movies @ Hardywood – Free!
If there’s one takeaway from the Richmond music scene in 2017, it’s that the whole Citrus City crew just keeps going with a high rate of great stuff. Antiphons are further proving this with their brand new EP, the release celebration for which will take place at this stacked free show at Hardywood Saturday evening. Fine is a five-track followup to their debut full-length, Groan, which was also released by Citrus City this year.

The EP isn’t out yet, obviously, so therefore we’ve only heard the first song thus far. But right now, it’s clear from opening single “Benadryl” that this band has a lot more in store. The title, referencing a stupor-inducing antihistamine that has had me staggering half-awake through many a spring day in my lifetime, fits well with the sound the band creates on this track and indeed, on all of their material. Glittering guitars flutter above hazy vocals and a muted yet subtly propulsive rhythm, which keeps the whole thing from drifting into somnolence. It’s not shoegaze in any traditional sense, but it would certainly make sense for you to gaze at your shoes while listening.

I’m going to advise you keep your eyes on the stage throughout this Saturday night festival of sound, however, as Antiphons are but one of the many local talents that await you on this bill. There aren’t many recorded sounds out there from Private Cry as yet, but the band’s done a lot to generate excitement on the local scene with striking live performances, so if you haven’t caught them yet, now’s a perfect time. Castle of Genre and Twin Drugs are both worth your time as well, with the former finding a niche somewhere not too far removed from that beautifully sluggish indie sound that’s all the rage lately, as the latter strike a much more traditional shoegaze chord with their Lilys/Swirlies-derived sound. All this plus newcomer Groovy Movies, about whom I know little beyond their admittedly appealing name, kicking things off–and it’s free! You can’t afford NOT to come to this one!

Wednesday, November 8, 8 PM
JonWayne, Danny Watts, EMV, Adam Jackson @ Capital Ale House – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Am I a jerk if I look at JonWayne and my first thought is “Oh, I guess he’s the hipster Action Bronson”? Maybe, but upon listening I’ve learned that I’m wrong (and not just because the hipsters already love Action Bronson). JonWayne is not only a rapper but a producer, and he not only creates the beats for his rap tracks but also has released multiple instrumental albums, in the tradition of Dilla or Peanut Butter Wolf–the latter of which signed JonWayne to his Stones Throw label back in 2012. Since then, JonWayne has released multiple vocal and instrumental albums, his most recent being Rap Album Two earlier this year. Between his thick, soulful beats, which betray a history of serious crate-digging, and his sluggish yet erudite rhymes, the guy’s got a lot to recommend himself. Fans of deep, head-nodding beats and smooth flows should definitely stop sleeping on this guy.

Danny Watts is joining JonWayne on this trip to Richmond, and this Houston rapper just released his first LP, Black Boy Meets World. Coming out on Authors Recording Company, JonWayne’s new label, it also features production by JonWayne, who apparently missed producing for other rappers and signed Watts to give him an opportunity to step back behind the boards again. The results are killer, with Watts’s skilled flow taking center stage over subtler, more melodic beats than one might expect from a JonWayne solo joint. The two will be joined on this bill by LA rapper EMV and local opener Adam Jackson, bringing a night of hip hop to Capital Ale House of all places–which seems to be expanding its horizons lately. Commendable.

Thursday, November 9, 9 PM
Classical Revolutions RVA & Quatro Na Bossa @ Flora – $10
It’s time to expand our horizons, and get outside our comfort zones a little bit. I don’t know about you, but for me, a collaborative performance bringing together a local bossa nova quartet and a classical music ensemble definitely qualifies. Quatro Na Bossa have been playing bossa nova music around Richmond and the world for about 15 years now, and their smooth, sunny take on this traditional Brazilian form is enrapturing and shows off a wealth of talent among the group’s members.

Classical Revolutions RVA has been around for quite a bit less time than Quatro Na Bossa, but it is this group that is the reason for the event. Classical Revolutions RVA is kicking off a week-long celebration of their fifth anniversary with this performance. The ensemble formed with the mission to bring classical music out of the fancy music halls and back into the spaces where music lives and breathes, and they certainly achieve that end by spending an evening collaborating with a bossa nova band in the back room of a Mexican restaurant. The combined ensembles will bring us a variety of classical and popular compositions from some of Brazil’s greatest composers–and couldn’t we all do with a little more enlightenment where that’s concerned? I’d say so! Let’s hit this one up.

Friday, November 10, 8 PM
Night Idea, Cinemechanica, Dumb Waiter, Doubtfire @ Gallery 5 – $7
Things are getting both mathy and metallic this Friday night at Gallery 5. Night Idea are coming to us directly on the heels of releasing their excellent fourth LP, Riverless, which takes the band’s sound further in all sorts of different directions than it’s ever gone before. I love all the King Crimson-esque touches that bleed into the new songs, and all of the excellent melodies that remain at the foreground as they have throughout the band’s history. However, I must admit, when I think about math-rock, I’m always hoping for something heavier–something that harks back to the genre’s pioneering days here in RVA, with excellent bygone bands like Breadwinner, Slianglaos, and Ladyfinger.

For that reason, I’m super stoked to see that Night Idea will share the top spot on this bill with Cinemechanica, an Athens, Georgia band with a less-than-prolific track record (their 2016 self-titled LP is their first release since 2008 EP Rivals, and only their third release overall) but an incredibly powerful and, yes, heavy sound that makes up for any amount of lag time between albums. The group’s crunchy, powerful sound and completely unpredictable song structures and time signatures all unite to create the same sort of frenetic, powerful vibe generated by bands like Barkmarket, Meshuggah, and Drive Like Jehu. It’s super sick, it’s loaded with energy, and it’s set to knock your socks off when Cinemechanica take the stage–and who knows when the band will be back, considering their track record, so don’t miss this one! Local jazz-metal instrumental firebrands Dumb Waiter and metal powerhouse Doubtfire will kick things off in fine fashion, so show up on time–you won’t regret it.

Saturday, November 11, 8 PM
Thorp Jenson, Deau Eyes, Moosetrap @ The Camel – $7 (order tickets HERE)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the four or so years I’ve been doing this column, it’s that you should never assume you know about everything that’s happening around here, because the Richmond scene is always capable of throwing you a curveball. Thorp Jenson is the scene’s latest curveball for me personally–I was certainly not expecting a heartfelt alt-country singer to suddenly show up fully formed on our local scene, complete with praise from Rolling Stone magazine slotted into his press kit. Of course, a little digging shows that it’s not really as big a surprise as it seems at first blush–Jenson is really local singer-songwriter Chris Ryan, who picked up a goofy name from bandmates poking fun at his ranch-hand mustache and decided to run with it.

Jenson clearly has quite a few great local connections formed back when he was just another dude named Chris, as can be seen in the list of backing musicians and collaborators he’s accumulated on this album. With songwriting help from Spacebomb all-star Cameron Ralston and bass tracks on the album laid down by Butcher Brown’s Andrew Randazzo, it’s clear the man knows who to call to flesh out his tunes. That said, he’s the one who deserves the ultimate credit for new album Odessa‘s stunning mix of Petty, Springsteen, Willie Nelson, and the Drive-By Truckers–and you’re sure to get a kick out of the set he lays down while celebrating that album’s release at The Camel this Saturday night. So don’t let the many twists and turns of the local scene throw you–come out and catch on to this one.

Sunday, November 12, 5 PM
My Enemies & I, Give Em Hell Kid, Vilified, Voids, Telltale, Mending Fences @ The Canal Club – $10 in advance/$13 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’ve never been ashamed to admit my love for metalcore, but once we cross the line into full-on nu-metal revival, things tend to head towards guilty pleasure territory. That said, if it’s done right I end up loving it just as much, which is why I’m stoked to see Richmond’s own nu-metal revivalists My Enemies & I celebrating the release of their first LP, The Beast Inside, at the Canal Club on Sunday. The album’s on Fearless Records, who I’ll always think of as the least likely home of At The Drive-In but has had considerable success in recent years with much heavier groups like Pierce The Veil and The Word Alive.

It’s pretty cool to see a local group hitting the big time like this, especially when their music is the kind of ridiculous blast of energy straight to the brain that this band brings. Their mix between rebellious mosh anthems and surprisingly emotional breakdowns is leavened with the hip hop-derived rhythms and programmed beats of Korn and the harsh, scraping noise and foul-mouthed irreverence of Slipknot. Songs like “Riot” (“Speak, motherfucker! Stand up, motherfucker!”) and “Funeral Party” (“Fuck what you heard of me”) remind me exactly why I loved blasting Iowa and Life Is Peachy out of my car’s tape deck 15 years ago. It’s high time this kind of thing showed back up. This show starts early and features fully FIVE opening bands, so I’m not gonna say you have to get there right when doors open, but this jammer is all-ages, so if you want to get down front, you better be ready to beat the rush. And watch out for stagedivers.

Monday, November 13, 8 PM
Astronoid, Shy Low, Paint Store @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Oh wow, new discovery of the week alert! Somehow I missed Astronoid’s 2016 album, Air, back when it came out, and only realized what this band actually has going on once I checked out this upcoming show to decide what to write about for Monday. Something like 30 seconds in, the debate was over. There’s no way I can miss the chance to highlight a band doing something this incredible. Air is an album that has received comparisons to Deafheaven and Alcest, which is automatically exciting to me. But what really makes this album stand out in the field of what has annoyingly been called “blackgaze” (shoegaze black metal. Don’t worry, I hate it too) is the way it manages to hide all its brutal riffing and blasting drums beneath gorgeous layers of beautifully harmonized clean vocals and some downright PRETTY guitar leads. Who saw that coming?

I didn’t, but I’m delighted to see this band coming to Strange Matter next Monday, and taking the opportunity to entrance us all with their intriguing hybrid sound, which I am imagining will somehow be both heavier and prettier in a live environment. They are well paired with Shy Low, whose recent Burning Day EP sees the band moving in a heavier direction from their earlier material while still retaining the elements of their epic instrumental sound with which they originally made their sound. Openers Paint Store have some of that Breadwinner-ish metallic math sound I was talking about earlier going on, and it’s always a welcome phenomenon. On the whole, this show is a can’t lose proposition. Don’t miss it.

Tuesday, November 14, 8 PM
Gas Station Mentality, CGI Jesus, Vanilla Summit @ The Camel – $5
I guess this is the week for heavy, metallic math-rock, and I suppose someone could imply that this betrays a lack of imagination on my part. But really, with the kind of bands that are coming to town this week, can you blame me? Gas Station Mentality is the latest intriguing math-metal group to grab my attention, and if you’re the sort of person who can resist a name like that, you’re stronger than I am. Now that I’ve heard the band’s Systematically Manufactured album from earlier this year, though, I know my instincts were correct, because this is definitely a trio to watch.

Gas Station Mentality cite jazz and funk influences in what they do, and you can certainly hear those bleeding through in the background, but the foreground is all Don Caballero/Breadwinner/Blind Idiot God type vibes, and it’s completely thrilling. Headbangers who enjoy the challenge of having to second-guess the beat on which they should throw their hair around will get a kick out of this one, as will the instrumental technicians who prefer to study a band’s dynamic fretwork. With CGI Jesus and Vanilla Summit representing RVA on the bill, there’ll be additional opportunities for study, as both of these bands bring a complex metallic sensibility to the realms of jazz improvisation. Whether you choose to closely follow the moves of the instrumentalists or to rock out with abandon, though, this is the show for you. You’ll have plenty of chances to do either–or both.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 10/25-10/31

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FEATURED SHOW
Tuesday, October 31, 9 PM
Fear Of Music plays Fear Of Music @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s that time again–Halloween, when all the good little rock n’ rollers get together to put on costumes by playing the music of other bands. The Halloween parties that have become Richmond traditions are still happening, and will doubtless be as awesome as ever, but this year I find myself drawn to a new thing that I’d enjoy seeing become a tradition of its own.

Fear Of Music, who’ve been plying their Talking Heads tribute band trade around town for years now, have decided to take things one step further this Halloween. Instead of their usual set pulling from the wide variety of awesome songs Talking Heads created over the course of their career, they’ll be drilling down and focusing on one Talking Heads album–specifically, the one that gave them their name. 1979’s Fear Of Music is best known today for its landmark single “Life During Wartime,” which features memorable lyrics involving a New York scenester attempting to survive the apocalypse. But of course this album also sees Talking Heads’ musical explorations into funk, disco, and sounds from around the world kicking into high gear, most notably with Dadaist disco opener “I Zimbra.”

Will RVA’s Fear Of Music have the chops to properly recreate Talking Heads’ Fear Of Music? In light of the group’s impressive pedigree, I think it’s a safe bet. And not only will they do that, they’ll add a second set featuring the jam-packed retrospective of the Heads’ best work that more closely resembles their usual work. Special guests will apparently be in the house to help out, though specifics on their identities are as yet unknown. Whoever they are, they’ll probably be wearing costumes–and you should be too. It is, after all, Halloween.

Wednesday, October 25, 5 PM
Radiator Hospital, Outer Spaces, Big Baby @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
The return of Philadelphia jangle-punk sensation Radiator Hospital is a big event for a certain segment of the RVA music scene, and considering how great this band is, the rest of you should probably get on board with the quickness as well. Led by singer/songwriter Sam Cook-Parrott, the group just released their fifth (and, by many accounts, best) album so far, Radiator Hospital Play The Songs You Like. Featuring songs with titles like “Long Distance Dedication,” “Pastoral Radio Hit, ” “Dance Number,” and “Old Refrain,” it seems the group is using this album to focus on the way music interacts with the world. Of course, that will become clearer once we’ve all had some time to give it a few listens. Get a jump on that at this show.

Baltimore-based Outer Spaces join Radiator Hospital on this trip down to good ol’ RVA, and while they don’t quite have the same sort of high profile in the scene as Radiator Hospital enjoy, it’s certainly not because they’re any less good. In fact, this band, the latest project from singer/songwriter Cara Beth Satalino, is a big personal favorite of mine. I’ve followed Satalino’s work since her early solo days over a decade ago, and from those early EPs to her previous band Witches and now through Outer Spaces, she’s maintained a consistently high level of songwriting. Last year’s debut full-length, A Shedding Snake, gives us a bushel of great tunes, enhanced by multi-instrumentalist Chester Gwazda’s frequent interjection of electric piano textures. With local geniuses Big Baby kicking off the whole thing, this is an incredible show from top to bottom.

Thursday, October 26, 6 PM
Shadow Age, True Body, Aerial Ruin @ Champion RVA – Free!
These free shows at Champion just keep on bringing the home runs, combining excellent local talent with rad up-and-comers from around the region to make for an evening of excellent sounds. The local stars on this particular bill are Shadow Age, who recently followed up their 2016 debut EP, Silaluk, with an excellent new EP called The Fall. Lineup changes since the previous EP see a slimmed-down, now synthless version of the band focusing more closely on frontman Aaron Tyree’s powerful guitar playing, which continues to evoke The Chameleons, Pornography-era Cure, and early Echo and the Bunnymen to superb effect. I was a big fan of their debut EP, but I might just like this new one even better. A full set like this is sure to be just what the doctor ordered.

This group is joined by a pair of out-of-town groups with some similarly downcast, memorable tunes. Norfolk’s True Body have a brand new two-song single to wow us with, and its gloomy baritone vocals and glimmering postpunk atmosphere strike many of the same notes as Shadow Age, but with a flavor entirely its own. This show is gonna be a real bonanza for the black-clad goth kids of this town, especially since the lineup is rounded out by Aerial Ruin. This atmospheric, mainly acoustic solo project is helmed by Erik Moggridge, a Pacific northwest musician with previous experience in a variety of heavier bands. Apparently this is his move in a quieter direction; recently released LP Nameless Sun also shows a great deal of hypnotic intensity to this group’s sound. Get some sun on your way to this one, because it’s gonna be all shadows once the music starts.

Friday, October 27, 6 PM
Neverkept, Telltale, We Call This Courage, Nine Line, Epiphany @ The Canal Club – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
We’re back at the Canal Club this Friday night, and as has become the trend with this particular venue over the past year or two, we’re enjoying some catchy emotional pop-punk sounds at an all-ages gig that one wouldn’t be off base to guess will mostly be populated by high school students (OK, and maybe some college kids too). But seriously, if you let that kind of thing run you off, you’ll miss out on a lot of good shit–as has always been true, the kids know what’s up. The word for this show is Neverkept, a brand new name for an established band who originally introduced themselves to the world under the name Count To Four. Shedding the name last year when founding singer/guitarist Mike Hayden was replaced by the duo of Lucas Cote (vocals) and Aaron Mong (guitar), the group still doesn’t have any music available from their current incarnation. However, a new album is in the works, and the group’s sure to have plenty of new music with which to regale fans who’ve come to expect the sort of strong, melodic combination of pop-punk, emo, and hardcore the band has been delivering for years now.

There are plenty of local groups on this bill as well, and the one we should probably mention first is plucky quartet We Call This Courage, who will be bringing a brand new album into the world at this show. Their self-titled six-song EP shows off a dynamite songwriting sense with killer melodies driven by a great deal of youthful energy. It’s what the Canal Club wants, and it’s what the Canal Club will get–never fear. Telltale are a newer local group who’ve just released their debut EP, Good Intentions. These guys are cleancut enough to pass for a boy band, but their lyrics tell a darker story of issues with relationships and substances. So yeah–they’re an emo band. Which is never a bad thing, by any means. Local newbies Nine Line and Epiphany round out this lineup of bands that need to finish up their sets before curfew–expect this one to go quick and feature lots of hyperactive dudes jumping around with guitars. I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for that shit.

Saturday, October 28, 6 PM
Spooky Cool, Blush Face, Angelica Garcia, Private Cry @ Hardywood – Free!
Spooky Cool have been one of the more mysterious bands on the local indie scene over the past couple of years–grainy youtube footage was the only way you could learn about them for a long time, unless of course you went to the shows and learned for yourself. But all the buzz they’ve been picking up over that time has finally led to them poking their heads above the waterline, first with a new single, “Strange Rooms,” released last month, and now with a brand new video from the long-running local purveyors of music and filmic excellence, Good Day RVA. The group’s twining male-female vocal harmonies and strangely syncopated alt-rock riffs make a strong impression–though their inacessible air of mystery has no doubt ratcheted up the anticipation, making this overdue release all the more enjoyable.

Get your fill of Spooky Cool this Saturday night at a free show featuring a set from the band along with a premiere of the Good Day RVA video, which will be making its way to YouTube shortly afterwards. You’ll also get a heaping dose of the most excellent sounds from a variety of different subsections of the RVA indie world. Blush Face has grabbed quite a bit of attention on their own behalf with recent debut full-length What Do You Want? The group’s bouncy pop jangle is the kind of thing that worms under your skin and never lets go. The lineup is rounded out by recent local sensation Angelica Garcia, whose bold new sound has grabbed some high-profile attention from the likes of the New York Times recently; and newcomers Private Cry, who bring multi-layered vocals and an intriguing mix of instruments to bear on some vaguely psychedelicized alt-rock sounds in fascinating fashion. And all of this is available to you for the low low price of … absolutely nothing? Why the heck wouldn’t you go?

Sunday, October 29, 2 PM
Washers, Horizontal Hold @ Hardywood – Free!
I have no idea how hard y’all party, but if you’ve followed my previous instructions as to show attendance for the week, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about–after all, if you get too sloppy at Hardywood Saturday night, you can just crash in your car and drag your messy bedhead self back to Hardywood at 2 PM the next afternoon. You should probably go home and get a shower and some breakfast first, though–or at least I would, but far be it from me to tell you how to live, you maniacs.

I will tell you that attendance at this Sunday afternoon show over at Hardywood will bring a great deal of light into your life, if you choose to accept it. The main attraction on this bill is Washers, a new band bringing together the talents of Stuart Holt (Sports Bar), Brad Perry (Worn In Red), and Joel Alford (Pity Party). This band’s fun power-pop sound is exactly what you’d expect from some of these guys, with a heavier edge brought in by the rest of them. It’s tight–go see for yourself. And check out North Carolina’s Horizontal Hold while you’re at it; this group’s herky-jerky postpunk sound harks back to early 80s NYC No Wave without all that early-80s Manhattan grottiness. The whole thing is free, and it’ll be over in time for you to go get some dinner and head back out for yet another show! Or just hit the sack early. I honestly wouldn’t blame you.

Monday, October 30, 8 PM
LA Witch, Guantanamo Baywatch, The Smirks, Sick Bags @ The Camel – $12 (order tickets HERE)
The world of garage rock gets weirder and spookier with every passing year, and I for one think that’s great. After all, there are only so many new versions of “Dirty Robber” and “Psycho” we can all hear without getting bored. LA Witch is certainly not going to bore you. This trio, predictably hailing from Los Angeles, have a lot of venom and vigor to their sound, as well as a great deal of ominous reverb, simultaneously resembling the moody punk garage sounds of prime early Cramps and the psychedelic, um, witchery of bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The results, as documented on their brand new self-titled LP from Suicide Squeeze, are incredible. Much the same can be expected from their performance Monday night. Get down with it.

And you garage freaks will get a special bonus, as this one night sees them criscrossing the tour paths of Portland-based Suicide Squeeze labelmates Guantanamo Baywatch, who bring a ripping surf-driven sound to town to get all of us dancing. These guys just released their latest LP, Desert Center, back in August, and its deep dive into speedy mutant surf instrumental territory is matched in intensity by its haunting vocal numbers, many of which have a doomed 50s-retro vibe sure to thrill all assembled. Local garage-damaged young punk snots The Smirks will be on the bill to let the elders know how its done, while Sick Bags sees some former members of local punk louts The Ladies bringing a more openly retro style to their still-antisocial vibe. Don’t miss a minute of this one, folks, it’s sure to be a blast.

Tuesday, October 31, 6:30 PM
Citizen, Sorority Noise, Great Grandpa @ The Canal Club – $17 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
When their first album came out in 2013, Citizen got lumped in with that whole emo-revival thing. At the time of their 2015 followup, they got thrown into the post-hardcore shoegaze crowd. Now, in 2017, their third album, Aim To Please, has been released, and it shows this group to have a sound that’s held true through every attempt to pigeonhole them. The emo aspects are still there. The post-hardcore vibes and ringing shoegaze guitars are still in the mix as well. But at the end of the day, what this band does best is killer melodies with an undeniable infusion of passion and heartache. And they’re still doing it as well as ever, so going to see them live is still a really great idea.

Sorority Noise came together from the ashes of a couple early emo-revival bands, but quickly staked out territory well outside their original expectations. Their most recent album, You’re Not As _____ As You Think (yes, it’s really a blank), continues to explore new sounds that move from slightly-twisted melodic punk to strange ambient gothic vibes, all while digging deeper into the sorts of emotional issues that plague us all. All in all, they’re a great pairing with Citizen, and all the Canal Club kids are sure to eat it up. The evening will kick off with a set from Seattle’s Great Grandpa, who orbit some of the same styles Citizen and Sorority Noise are swirling around, but mix in doses of shoegaze and 90s alt-rock to keep things lively.

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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]