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RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 15 – June 21

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, June 18, 8 PM
No Moniker, Piranha Rama, Lobby Boy, Gnawing @ Black Iris – $8 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Ever notice how the music scene’s activity always gets ramped up in the summer? School’s out, everybody’s feeling alive again, and big plans are being made. One of the great things that comes from all that are new albums from bands who’ve spent the winter woodshedding. Of course, this year summer is extra crazy, because we may as well call it the first summer in three years, at least where the music world is concerned. So: is it any surprise that bands we haven’t heard from in years are suddenly springing into action with entire albums’ worth of new material? I certainly don’t think so.

No Moniker’s been around the Richmond scene for a dang minute now, and while members have come and gone, singer-guitarist Jordan Scott has remained at the helm the entire time, even if her pronouns have changed in the interim (so much love for that). Since No Moniker’s last release back in 2019, she’s paired up with drummer Madison Hinson and stripped the band down to a duo that has spent the past couple of years putting together a brand new set of deliciously off-kilter alt-pop tunes. That entire set will enter the world this Saturday under the name Let’s Don’t (an excellent album title if I’ve ever heard one). That album is the reason for the season where this big throwdown at Black Iris is concerned; not only will Let’s Don’t be available in its entirety, No Moniker will also be delivering us a headlining set full of awesome new tunes.

If you’ve been paying attention to what this band has been up to over the past year or so, you’ve heard a few of these tunes already — “One To One,” released as a single last month, was the fourth teaser track from Let’s Don’t to enter the world, and all of them are a blast in their own right, with a common thread of bouncy postpunk basslines, introspective lyrics, and tasty pop melodies tying all of them together. If you’re as inclined as I am to respond by saying, “More of this, please,” then Black Iris is where you need to be Saturday night. And while No Moniker’s LP release set is going to be enough to constitute a full evening’s worth of entertainment, you’ll get a massive bonus helping of Virginia indie in all its forms, as they’re joined by nine-piece indie-surf-pop supergroup Piranha Rama, upbeat postpunk/new-wave popsters Lobby Boy, and jangle-grunge noise-rockers Gnawing. It’s a veritable all-you-can-eat buffet of amazing music — and if you’re still hungry for sound, grab a copy of the new No Moniker LP on your way out the door. There, that’s your whole weekend sorted. You’re welcome.

Wednesday, June 15, 7 PM
Gag, Under Attack, Killing Pace, Caustic Agent @ Cobra Cabana – $8
I love hardcore. I cut my teeth in Richmond’s hardcore scene, and even as this city’s music scene has exploded across a thousand different genres, I still am always looking for the great hardcore shows that prove this city is still in touch with its roots. My favorite kind of local hardcore show is one like this one — at a venue big and legal enough that I can safely write about it, without being driven by some label-sponsored four-band package tour that keeps any local openers from getting onto the bill. Places like Cobra Cabana and Fuzzy Cactus are bringing that energy these days, and it’s been too goddamn long if you ask me, so I am super glad to see it.

Let’s talk about who is actually playing this show, though. Gag hails from Olympia, Washington, but if you’re expecting Beat Happening, you couldn’t be barking further up the wrong tree. 2020’s Still Laughing, released on Iron Lung Records, is a raging, out-of-control blast of degenerate hardcore, full of reverbed vocals and noise-rock riffs even as it goes a thousand miles an hour and packs a dangerous punch. If you love Poison Idea or Verbal Abuse, this band is squarely in your wheelhouse, but fans of everything from the Laughing Hyenas to the Dwarves are sure to get a lot out of the Gag set at Cobra Cabana. Thankfully, you’ll also get a great window into the Richmond hardcore scene circa 2022, with sets from ripping-fast old-school thrashcore combo Under Attack (who just released a split with legendary Dutch hardcore band Seein’ Red), metallic crust-core sickos Killing Pace, and pummeling old-school hardcore newcomers Caustic Agent. Richmond hardcore is still a real thing; come out tonight and find out for yourself.

Thursday, June 16, 7 PM
Gillian Carter, Infant Island, To Forget, In Wolves’ Clothing @ The Bike Shop – $10
It’s probably been at least five years now since I stopped worrying about whether the term “screamo” has any validity. While my objections to it (which are many, drop me an email if you’re really curious) still stand, I’ve accepted the fact that, when people use the term “screamo” today, they’re talking about a style of music I really love — one that incorporates melody, metallic influences, hardcore tempos, and yeah, a whole lot of really emotional screaming. It’s great stuff, and I really feel bad for anyone who is totally blowing it by letting the fact that the name for the genre is pretty goofy keep them from listening to its many excellent practitioners.

A lot of said excellent practitioners come from right here in Richmond, but the first name on this bill is that of Gillian Carter, a long-running Florida trio who, just in the past couple of weeks, have finally followed up their outstanding 2019 LP, …This Earth-Shaped Tomb, with a new EP called Songs Of Summer. At a total length of 3:28, it blows by so fast that you might miss it if you go in the other room for a soda, but Gillian Carter’s rich back catalog means they’re more than ready to give you a nice full set at The Bike Shop tomorrow night. And when they do play those two new songs, it’ll prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they continue to operate at the peak of their powers — as they have for years now. With a bill featuring two of the foremost currently active Richmond-based screamo practitioners (Infant Island and In Wolves’ Clothing), plus the excellent Charleston, SC-based trio To Forget, this show will be a festival of the senses that won’t soon leave your mind. That’s true regardless of how goofy the genre name is.

Friday, June 17, 10 PM
Two Thumbs Down, Combat, Rikki Rakki, Kat Nap @ Ipanema Cafe – $10
Earlier this week, I watched that Roger Ebert documentary, Life Itself, so when I see a band on this week’s upcoming-show roster called Two Thumbs Down, I gotta admit that’s the first place my mind goes. That said, unlike the way Siskel and Ebert felt about Lost Highway or Faces Of Death, I really dig New York’s Two Thumbs Down, an energetic, upbeat band who mix indie vibes, pop-punk songwriting touches, and the occasional third-wave ska influences into a tasty smoothie on 2021’s End All Be All. That album’s been out for over six months now, but their original tour was booked for the moment when the Omicron wave was spiking, so they had to delay everything, and there’s no way they won’t be stoked to hit the stage and give these songs their all at Ipanema late Friday night.

Another touring band on this bill is Combat, who hail from Baltimore and are apparently just bandleader Holden Wolf and a laptop on this tour. I’m not convinced that’ll do anything to drain the massive amount of energy this band displays on their new EP, Text Me When You Get Back, because I’m honestly not sure anything could. The frenetic, nervous brand of jangly pop-punk they dish out here is a ton of fun, and even hearing a guy and a computer recreate it should still be a blast. This bill is rounded out by some equally charming and peppy homegrown Richmond all-stars, by which I of course mean alt-garage rockers Rikki Rakki and indie-folk newcomers Kat Nap. This show is at Ipanema, which has only recently started hosting shows again after three years or so out of the game. Yay for venues getting back into the swing of things!

Saturday, June 18, 7 PM
Beatles Party, feat. Goldrush, Warren Campbell, David Long @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
My wife is a big Beatles fan. I mean, I think everyone who digs rock n’ roll music has to give the Beatles some credit, and sure, I had a Beatles phase back when I was 12 or 13 like a lot of other people, but I’ve heard way more Beatles tunes since I got married five years ago than I had in the previous 25 or so years. And my first takeaway from that renewed immersion was: damn, I forgot how great the Beatles really were. If you also have forgotten how great the Beatles were, Richmond’s got a show coming this week that’s perfect for acting as a strong reminder. I’m not talking about the Ringo Starr show out at the racetrack on Tuesday, either (sorry Ringo). I’m talking about this Gallery 5 event, which is not only honoring Sir Paul McCartney on his 80th birthday but is also bringing Goldrush back into action!

If Prabir Mehta isn’t Richmond’s biggest Beatles fan, he’s certainly one of them, and the fact that he’s reunited with his classically-trained pals Matt and Treesa Gold to bring Goldrush back into action for the first time in three years probably has a fair amount to do with all that. They’re promising an evening full of Beatles and solo McCartney tunes to make all the Fab Four fans happy, but I gotta say, y’all — upon revisiting, I’d found I’d forgotten how great Goldrush really were too. So I for one hope at least a few originals grace our ears as part of the festivities. Regardless, this will be a fun evening that is sure to be far less boomer-saturated, not to mention friendlier to your wallet, than the aforementioned big Ringo throwdown. Send Mom and Dad off to that one. Go to this show yourself.

Sunday, June 19, 7 PM
Arlie, Nordista Freeze @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Every week there’s some new band I discover and fall in love with during the process of making this column. This week, Arlie is the one. I’d never heard of them before receiving a press release two weeks ago touting their upcoming Richmond Music Hall date and their new LP, Break The Curse. As is my usual process, I filed away this information in preparation for the day when I would decide which shows I was writing about this week (usually, this two-to-three-hour process takes place on Monday afternoon. This week, it took place this morning, in case you were wondering why the column came out at 4 pm today), but when I finally got around to cueing the album up on my Apple Music account at like 10 am this morning, I was blown away.

A big part of that is Arlie’s hybrid approach to the indie-flavored pop sound within which they operate. Since Haim made it big six or seven years ago, I’ve heard a lot of bands within the alt-pop world follow their lead in much more overtly pulling from the sounds of the 80s — not Prince and Madonna either, but less-remembered talents like Rick Springfield, Corey Hart, or Joe Jackson. Arlie do that, for sure, but more on a sonic level. Where actual songcraft is concerned, these guys are much closer to modern emo-pop goodness, and when they really nail the combo, as they do on tracks like “Poppin” and “Landline,” the result is absolutely undeniable and will get you up out of your chair dancing around every single time. That’s what really matters in this business, so my honest advice is not to worry about all the pop-crit pontificating I’ve been doing for the past two paragraphs. Follow your heart, and your feet, to the dancefloor. I promise you won’t regret it.

Tuesday, June 21, 8 PM
Sonoa, Cyber Twin, Tanglewood Revival @ The Camel – $7 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Tuesday night isn’t necessarily the most active night for live music, but there are a lot of hidden gems that could easily slip under your radar if you don’t pay attention. This Tuesday night show at The Camel is a great example of what I’m talking about, and far be it from me to advocate for FOMO, but if you don’t show up this Tuesday night and catch Sonoa — yet another band from this week’s crop of shows that I totally wasn’t expecting, but was delighted to find — you really will be missing out.

Sonoa are a New Jersey combo who’ve got one foot in the introspective indie world and the other in the most spaced-out corner of the modern math-rock landscape. Vocalist Gabriel Yoder Shenk has a voice that can’t help but remind me of Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, but on Sonoa’s 2021 LP Forward Motion, he lays it down overtop of riffs and melodies that are much stronger and contain far more inspiration and energy than anything Death Cab’s done since at least Narrow Stairs. The fact that Sonoa aren’t afraid to crank up the distortion on their guitars is a very welcome fact as well. They’re sure to liven up a humdrum midweek night at The Camel this Tuesday, and god knows we all need more of that in our lives. 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]

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 8 – June 14

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, June 10, 7 PM
Tyler Meacham, Dead Billionaires, Anna Leonard @ Gallery 5 – $8 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Putting out records in the streaming age is weird. Let’s take Tyler Meacham’s debut album, Into The Fray, for an example. You’ve been able to buy the CD and mp3 versions on Bandcamp since February, and streaming’s been full steam ahead since that same time. Hell, I’ve streamed it on Apple Music a few times myself (don’t get it twisted, I still kinda hate all streaming services, but my wife says it comes with our phone plan, so… I mean, if I’m already paying for it… [this has gotta be the most middle-aged thing I’ve ever written in a show column, which is really saying something]). But this Gallery 5 show on Friday, which caps off Tyler’s two-week East Coast tour, is still a record release show. Because at this show, the vinyl finally comes out.

That’s what’s important to us all now, right? CDs are quickly losing relevance. Cassettes are strictly for nerds (proof: I own thousands of them). Buying mp3s is cool as a gesture of support, but you can get em for free if you want to, and a lot of people do. Streaming is like throwing a penny — one single penny — in a busker’s instrument case. But vinyl is the last remaining real deal. If you have an album on vinyl, it’s because you laid down some actual coin of the realm. And nothing beats that warm crackle when you drop the needle onto it, that big, glossy picture sleeve with easily readable liner notes. By releasing Into The Fray on vinyl, Tyler Meacham has arrived.

Honestly, she deserves no less. There’s a tendency in some circles to think of local musicians as off-brand versions of nationally known musicians, but sometimes even total philistines have to admit that that girl from just down the street really does have world-class talent, even if you do see her at the coffee shop at least once a month. The last time Richmond realized a world-class talent was in our midst, it was Lucy Dacus. Maybe Tyler Meacham’s new album won’t catapult her to the level of fame Lucy’s achieved, but if it doesn’t, it won’t be because she’s not as good. Into The Fray mixes pop-style production touches into a sound that is fundamentally based in rock, folk, and Americana sounds. It’s full of memorable hooks and emotional choruses. Those who’ve been going to see Tyler Meacham locally for a while know she brings her A game for live performances, too. As good as her new record sounds through your car speakers, it’ll sound way better to hear her perform these songs live at Gallery 5 this Friday night. Do yourself a favor and be there. Do I even need to tell you to bring cash for a vinyl copy of Into The Fray? By now, I think you should know.

Wednesday, June 8, 7 PM
Destroy Boys, Scowl, Destructo Disk @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $16 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
As Kim Gordon, formerly of Sonic Youth, once said, “Girls created punk rock. Not England. Not New York. Girls.” She was being somewhat metaphorical to make a point, but it was a good one: in our day to day society, it’s girls who really have the most reasons to lash out against the establishment. That was true in the mid-70s when The Runaways first came out, and god knows it’s true today when Alito’s draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health has just come out. The fact that a punk band called Destroy Boys is playing in Richmond on this very night just seems appropriate, in light of everything else that’s going on in the world.

The fact that the sociopolitical environment for girls and women in the United States is kinda toxic right now isn’t the only reason to go rock out to this Sacramento-based punk band, though. Their 2021 LP, Open Mouth Open Heart, offers plenty of reasons that are entirely musical in nature, the first being that this band is no one-trick pony. While raging blasts of melodic punk that resemble White Lung or Be Your Own Pet definitely make up a healthy portion of their repertoire, they’re able to bust out a variety of different genres, from lovelorn ballads to upbeat alt-rock numbers, without ever diminishing in quality even slightly. So whether you’re feeling frustrated about the state of the world today or just wanting to dance around to a really great rock band, Destroy Boys at Richmond Music Hall is the hot ticket for you tonight.

Thursday, June 9, 9 PM
Mel Machete, Comino, Material Boy @ Fuzzy Cactus – $8 in advance, $10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
If you’re a true rock n’ roll warrior, your weekend starts on Thursday. And the first night of your rock n’ roll weekend this week should definitely be spent at Fuzzy Cactus, where a killer mini-tour featuring two mid-Atlantic rippers is rolling through town to blow your hair back. Mel Machete should be familiar to any musically inclined Richmonders by now — this five-piece is pure 100% rock swagger and punk stomp, and the two songs they’ve released into the world at this point show off that fact with aplomb. If you’re down with Sheer Mag, The Dead Boys, or even early Cheap Trick, you’re gonna love Mel Machete — so get ready to rock.

And then keep it going for Comino, who hail from the Carolinas and also have exactly two songs available in the world. If there was any justice in this world, both of these bands would be touring together supporting one 45-RPM single apiece, but pressing plants take years and charge way too much these days, so it’s really not practical. Whatever — if I can admit I listen to streaming services now, you can too. And you can go stream Comino’s two songs wherever you do such things. You should do it; they rip. Soundwise, they’re a little tougher and thicker than Mel Machete — maybe hinting at a rollicking Candy Snatchers or New Bomb Turks-style approach. It all adds up to a perfect touring partner for our local rock n’ roll heroes, and a wonderful way to kick off your three-day rock n’ roll weekend. Get there.

Friday, June 10, 6 PM
Stand Atlantic, With Confidence, 7ru7h, No Love For The Middle Child @ The Canal Club – $20 in advance, $23 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Y’all know me by now, which means that you know I’m an OG emo girl from way, way back. Therefore, when one of my younger friends started talking to me last weekend about how excited he was to go see Stand Atlantic when they come to town Friday night, I felt a little embarrassed that I had no idea who he was talking about. Then I gave their music a listen, and felt really embarrassed. After all, if anyone was going to know about a band who had managed to bring back the sound of early Paramore, before the Farro brothers quit and Hayley decided she just wanted to make pop records, it should have been me. And yet, here I was getting schooled by a guy who’s almost young enough to be my son. It made me feel about a million years old.

I got over it quick. Mainly because Stand Atlantic is so much fun to listen to that it’s hard to feel anything other than euphoric when you’re playing one of their records. The new one, f.e.a.r., brings some pop production touches into the mix, pulling the band slightly afield of their straight up mall-emo/pop-punk foundations, but these songs are still absolute rippers that you will not be able to sit still for. The snarky lyrics full of f-bombs and snarky takedowns like “I don’t have time for all your fake bitch energy” (from “Pity Party”) brings that same rebellious teenage energy that makes so many pop-punk bands so much fun to listen to. Really, everything about Stand Atlantic screams “these guys will be an absolute blast to see live,” and considering that they’re from all the way in Australia, who knows when they’ll be able to make it back to the USA. If you’re gonna go see ’em — and you should — now’s the time.

Saturday, June 11, 4 PM
POST-RVA Fest, feat. Night Idea, Fight Cloud, Colin Phils, Blunt, Hotspit, Youth League, Closet Space, Takyon @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Sometimes a show comes along and you’re like “I’ve certainly heard and seen all these bands before,” and yet you still know you’ve gotta be there, because it’s going to be such a goddamn good time. If you’re into math-rock, post-rock, post-hardcore, emo, alternative rock or pretty much any genre that at least sometimes involves people with guitars creating complicated melodies you can’t help but tap your feet to, then this show is a must attend. While not every Richmond-based band who makes the nebulous kind of music we’re talking about is on this bill, it’s certainly more than enough to keep any Richmond-based fan of the genre very satisfied.

In particular, it’s lovely to see Night Idea at the top of this bill. These guys have been around for a long time, of course, but in recent years, they’ve been largely inactive. Their last album came out five years ago, and while they occasionally play live, it’s not all that easy to catch up with ’em these days. This show is, of course, your perfect opportunity. The rest of the bill amounts to an embarrassment of riches, with local math-rock legends Fight Cloud, major RVA post-rock boosters Colin Phils, and atmospheric emo-shoegaze geniuses Hotspit delivering guaranteed doses of brillance, even as more up-and-coming talents like Takyon and Closet Space do their best to prove themselves in front of an audience pretty much guaranteed to be receptive. As shows go, you know exactly what you’re getting from this one. But when what you’re getting is this good, there’s absolutely no reason to feel anything but glad about it.

Sunday, June 12, 9 PM
Cumgirl8, Shawnis And The Shimmers, Beef @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10
I remember reading about the first Lollapalooza lineup at the breakfast table in my parents’ copy of USA Today, back in 1991, and tripping out at the fact that the newspaper had censored the Butthole Surfers’ name to “BH Surfers.” Over 30 years later, I imagine NYC’s Cumgirl8 has been the victim of similar misguided attempts at repression. The liner notes for their synth-driven new single, “Dumb Bitch” mention the “puritans, TERFs, and homophobes” who’ve attempted to keep them off social media. That’s an unfortunate reality of our modern times — while racist assholes scream about “free speech” from the platforms of billionaires to widespread applause, noise-punk weirdos creating unorthodox artistic presentations get shouted down as evil. I know the 90s are back, but is the satanic panic back too? Once was more than enough.

Anyway, let me climb down off my soapbox and explain why a band with a name as admittedly intense as Cumgirl8 deserves your time and attention regardless of how freaky they decide to get. For one thing, their live shows really are as freaky as the hype might lead you to believe; they’ve been called a “punk band of sex positive superheroes” by Vice, and the fact that members of the group have backgrounds in modeling, dance, and experimental art should prime you for an active stage performance that will be completely free of dull or predictable moments. What’s more, they’ve got a strong musical sound that’ll work for anyone who digs the nervous tension generated by postpunk bands like the Bush Tetras or the dark, driving punk of Ex-Cult. Where boundary-pushing, artistically-fueled rock n’ roll is concerned, Cumgirl8 is the real deal. The fact that they’re joined on this bill by a similarly transgressive and artistic project like Shawnis And The Shimmers only seals the deal. You gotta make it out to this one.

Monday, June 13, 7 PM
The Curls, Asylum 213, Dolphin Group, Debrider @ The Camel – $8 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Leave it to The Camel to ensure that, on a Monday night that could easily be a wicked comedown from a summer weekend full of joyful hijinks, there’s still some good rock n’ roll fun to be had within the borders of the river city. This night sees Richmond receiving a visit from Chicago band The Curls, whose brand new LP, Smothered And Covered, not only evokes the best part of every Waffle House visit — ordering a triple hash browns with seven or eight toppings on it — but also delivers a heaping helping of fun-filled synth-driven alt-rock tunes that bring a slight flavor of disco to proceedings that are closer, on the whole, to peak-era Talking Heads. It’s a blast to hear, and it’s sure to be an even bigger blast when this band hits the stage to chase away your case of Monday night blahs.

Hailing from significantly farther south — Chattanooga, Tennessee, to be specific — Dolphin Group bring a similar synth-driven sound to the proceedings, delivering the same sort of bouncy bops they laid down on last fall’s self-titled LP to a Richmond audience in dire need of a pick-me-up to keep us all going for the rest of the week. The local groups on this bill, Asylum 213 and Debrider, will also dabble at least intermittently with synth and disco vibes, but on the whole have a darker, more hypnotic feel that will provide an intriguing contrast to the out-of-town bounce. On the whole, it’s a recipe for yet another Monday survived with all senses intact and the will to live secured for yet another work week. And don’t we all need that?

Tuesday, June 14, 7 PM
Black Matter Device, Circuit Circuit, Armagideon Time, Terror Cell @ The Dark Room – $10
OK, now we’re talking my kind of chaos. Black Matter Device deliver the exact type of metallic hardcore that I am most often listening to when I’m sitting around with headphones on, tuning out the world. It’s hard to sit still when you listen to their new LP, Autonomous Weapons, which combines frantic blasting hardcore, surprisingly groovy interludes, and unbelievably chaotic metal breakdowns into a weapon of ferocious noise awesomeness. Fortunately, at the Dark Room, you won’t have to — you can get up and freak out with the rest of the maniacs who know how to appreciate this stuff.

Murfreesboro, Tennessee natives Circuit Circuit are on pretty much the same page with Black Matter Device; their self-titled 2021 EP is an absolute rager that uses more distorting effects but just as much metal and hardcore chaos to create a whirlwind that should also translate into massive waves of energy in a live environment. Then there’s Armagideon Time, who has got to be the most intriguing metallic hardcore band this city has produced in the post-pandemic era. Haven’t you ever wanted to hear one of the city’s most talented rappers scream and spit rhymes overtop of killer chugging riffage? That’s what this band offers. How can you turn that down? Really, this show’s got everything you could possibly want from it and more, all on hand for you. Make it happen.

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]

Top Photo by Andre Mags

Kicking Off The Summer At Brown’s Island With Bright Eyes

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On a steamy Thursday afternoon in Richmond, music lovers poured into Brown’s Island for part of Live Loud Music, a summer concert series taking place on the island this year. There was a beautiful stage set up by the river, green lawns, sunny skies, and food tents, all looking perfect for the show. Not long after doors opened, a rainy downpour showered cold water all over the crowd, cooling off the day. Even with the rain, smiles persevered. After clearing the area for a short period, fans lined up again, more stoked than ever to hear their favorite band perform.

Bright Eyes, an indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, brought energy, summer spirit, and sparks to the stage. Opening with “Dance and Sing,” from their 2020 release, Down In The Weeds Where The World Once Was, Richmond was booming with an upbeat mood. Leader Conor Oberst and his full, incredible band played a rocking performance, making the rain all worth it. 

Their set included new versions of songs from their first album, as recreated for their recent EP,  A Collection Of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997: A Companion, as well as newer songs like “Mariana Trench” and “Shell Games.” Conor danced around on the wet stage as the sun was setting and the city lights came on. His beautiful orchestra and band around him played an array of delightful music.

Even though their set was cut short because of the rain, the afterparty continued inside at Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House, where opener Alex G put on a stunning show. Fans lined up around the block waiting to get into the city’s highly cherished downtown venue. By the time Alex G hit the stage, Richmond Music Hall was packed tight, and seeing the excited faces of those from the front row all the way to the back of the house singing along with their favorite songs was such a joy.

As you can see in the photos, couples were having sweet moments; people were twirling and dancing. Seeing people enjoy live music again is so magical.

Alex G, aka (Sandy) Alex G, is an indie rock artist from Pennsylvania. His timeless aesthetic and energy has hits like 2011’s “Treehouse” remaining fan favorites over ten years later. His set included a range of gorgeous sounds, from chill and mellow beats to cinematic masterpieces. The audience was so sweet, sweaty and wet from the rain, so late at night, and still there to support Alex, his band, and their music. If you missed the show, be sure to listen to his latest album, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). 

More photos (from both venues) below.

Bright Eyes:

Alex G:

All Photos by Lucienne Nghiem

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 1 – June 7

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, June 3, 10 PM
Queer Fundraiser, feat. Harli & The House Of Jupiter, Cherub Tree, Roughshod, Neurotix @ Ipanema – $7 (order tickets HERE)
Welcome to Pride Month, everyone! There was a time when I felt really good about where things stood, and where things were going, with the LGBTQ community. However, with authoritarian conservatism in ascent, and repressive laws coming into effect that, under some circumstances, could make the very existence of people like me (I’m transgender, ICYMI) a crime, it’s hard to feel anything but vague concern when I think about Pride-related things these days. Not that I’m entirely without hope; my wife has taken to pointing out the many ways in which positive depictions of LGBTQ people are pushing the kind of people who want to oppress and erase us all further and further to the cultural margins, and she has a good point. However, if the repressive forces continue down the path toward minority rule (which the United States Constitution not only allows but tacitly encourages), our cultural victories may not be enough.

To me, that just means we need to try that much harder to stay proud, keep fighting for our rights, and most importantly, taking care of each other, and of our allies in struggle, so that we can get through this long hard time. With that in mind, the work of Peter’s Place, a Richmond-based organization that does addiction recovery work with a focus on support for LGBTQ people, is highly essential. This fundraiser at Black Iris [NOTE: It has been moved to Ipanema -ed] is raising money for Peter’s Place, and considering how many of us struggle to find hope in the face of the terrible sociopolitical landscape we face now, we can use all the help we can get. So this show is, without a doubt, raising money for a great cause.

It’s also shining a light on several up-and-coming local and regional musical talents who absolutely deserve the shine. Harli & the House Of Jupiter are located in Richmond these days, but I first heard about them from my friends in Charlottesville, and the sound they’re bringing to RVA is absolutely worth the praise the C-ville kids gave them. With a sound that mixes heavy proto-metal riffage and a driving rock n’ roll pulse with Harli Saxon’s arresting, soulful vocals, Harli & The House Of Jupiter are worth hearing immediately if not sooner. Washington DC’s Cherub Tree have some intriguing acoustic indie sounds to offer as well, bringing a minimal, atmospheric sound to their recent singles, including the memorably titled “Maybe It’s A Stomach Bug.” Local talents Roughshod and Neurotix round out a lineup that brings great sounds for a great cause to RVA this Friday night. You know what to do.

Wednesday, June 1, 8 PM
Daniel Romano’s Outfit, Carson McHone @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Canada is an intriguing nation. We have a decent picture of what it’s like — after all, it’s just right across the border up there, basically like the northern Midwest but colder. However, there’s a lot that goes on up there, especially where culture is concerned, that we never find out about. That might be why I didn’t really know much about Daniel Romano and his Outfit, who will be bringing the power-pop sound of their latest LP, Cobra Poems, to Capital Ale House’s Richmond Music Hall tonight. I liked what I heard when I checked it out, and if you’re a fan of dudes like Ben Kweller or Paul Collins, he of the American Beat, you’ll probably find a lot to like here as well. What surprised me, though, was the extensiveness of Romano’s resume, once I started digging a little deeper. Starting as the frontman for Canadian punk group Attack In Black, he’s gone on to record over a dozen solo albums since 2010, as well as seven albums backed by the Outfit, who’ll be backing him on this trip through Richmond.

One thing Daniel Romano’s Outfit has done, which should give you an idea about where they’re coming from, is a 2020 album called Daniel Romano’s Outfit Do (What Could Have Been) Infidels by Bob Dylan and The Plugz, a full-length reimagining of Bob Dylan’s 1983 album, Infidels, as if Dylan had recorded the album with Los Angeles Chicano punk band The Plugz backing him up (as they did on a single David Letterman performance in 1983). It’s hard for me to see that level of nerdery as anything other than awesome, and considering that album followed up a full-length collaboration with Tool drummer Danny Carey, and that Daniel Romano’s Outfit have released three more albums since that Dylan covers album came out two years ago, I am also impressed by the man’s prolific nature and the impressive stylistic variety of his music. That of course also means that I have no idea what version of Daniel Romano’s Outfit we’ll get at Richmond Music Hall tonight. But whatever he chooses to lay on us, I’m sure it will be awesome.

Thursday, June 2, 8 PM
Posture & The Grizzly, Marshall’s Law @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Ever go to a show and get so blown away by some opening act you’d previously never heard of that the set by the band you came to see almost feels like an anticlimax? That happened to me back in 2014 when I caught Posture & The Grizzly second on a five-band bill at the Broadberry. The band I’d come to see was The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, and Posture & The Grizzly’s four-piece lineup that night was mostly made up of moonlighting TWIABP members. However, it was the outstanding emo-punk songs written and memorably performed with a ton of heart by frontman Jordan Chmielowski that blew me away, and it was clear that his talent would shine through no matter who was backing him up. That held true on 2017’s I Am Satan, the followup to Posture & The Grizzly’s 2014 debut, Busch Hymns — an album I played to death, just like I had with Busch Hymns before it.

In the years after I Am Satan, though, the band seemed to go dormant, and I stopped expecting new material from them. Unfortunately for me, that meant they caught me sleeping with their return to action in the form of 2021’s self-titled third album. It came out last December, but I just discovered it last month, and sure enough, I’ve been playing it to death ever since. As a longtime fan, I can tell you that the band’s songs are thicker, more muscular, sounding more rocked-out than ever — even in spite of the fact that the latest incarnation of the group has slimmed down to a trio. Regardless, they’re still outstanding, with new songs like “Red Light,” “Creepshow,” and “Promise” standing right alongside past classics like “Because I Got High” and “Kill Me.” When they bring these tunes to the stage, it’s sure to be every bit as mindblowing as it was for me to see them eight years ago. I have no idea who else is on this bill — I couldn’t find a damn thing anywhere online about mysterious openers “Marshall’s Law” — but it doesn’t matter. Posture & The Grizzly’s all you need to have a full night of great music.

Friday, June 3, 7 PM
Test Pattern 03, feat. Moor Mother, Ohbliv, Vitche-Boul Ra, justmadnice, Elijah Hall @ VCU’s Institute For Contemporary Art – Free! (Register for event HERE)
Shows at bars and clubs are cool and all, but there’s something really essential about live musical performances that take place at venues like this one — a contemporary art-focused space within an august institution of higher learning. The vibe is much more fearlessly avant-garde when live music is completely disconnected from any expectation of catchy music for bar patrons to down beers to. And if it’s avant-garde you want (and it certainly is what I want, at least some of the time), the ongoing Test Pattern series at VCU’s ICA is a great place to find it. Case in point, this third event in the ongoing series, where Moor Mother will be the headlining performer.

It’s tough to even describe Moor Mother. A project of Philadelphia-based musician/poet Camae Ayewa, Moor Mother presents a multi-disciplinary sound that mixes soul, funk, hip hop, poetry, and musical experimentation in a manner both unpredictable and tremendously pleasing. 2021’s Black Encyclopedia Of The Air is Moor Mother’s latest release, and it’s an excellent and completely unique listening experience. You can expect no less from their performance at ICA this Friday night. They’ll be joined by Ohbliv, the prolific and incredibly talented DJ, producer, and sound artist who has been creating albums of instrumental vibes, moods, and beats at a rapid rate for over a decade now. Indeed, his most recent release is a double LP called Ragged Tranquility Vols. 1 and 2, which pairs his 2009 debut cassette with a brand new selection of work on a similar theme. No matter what era Ohbliv pulls from for his set at ICA, the vibes are sure to be thick enough to spread on a bagel and have a delicious musical meal.

Saturday, June 4, 7 PM
Shehehe, Toxic Moxie, Madison Turner @ Cobra Cabana – $5
Sometimes I miss the old days, when everything surrounding the live music scene felt a little less formal, a little less polished. The days when you got handed a paper flyer outside one show that told you about another one. The days when you couldn’t buy an advance ticket online, you just had to show up and see who else made it in the door. Cobra Cabana is one of a few local venues that have been bringing that pre-social media vibe back in the post-pandemic era, and I for one love to see it. What’s more, this is the kind of show I love to see that mentality being applied to; a show featuring two great local acts you love, plus an out-of-town group you haven’t necessarily heard, but can trust to be great based on who is bringing them to you.

Shehehe, who hail from Athens, Georgia, are the out-of-town band in question for this show, and their 2020 LP Pet Songs is a great listen, full of bouncy energy, driving riffs, and an overall sound that’s somewhere right on the border of power-pop and pop-punk… always a great place to be. These guys won’t actually be headlining — if the flyer’s any indication, they’ll be the second band of three on this bill — but that way, even if you don’t listen to Shehehe’s album yourself, you know there’s something worth showing up on time for, and something else worth sticking around to the end for. Assuming you’ve been around Richmond for longer than 10 minutes, you know exactly that about opener Madison Turner, a punk/folk/indie/ska-informed singer-songwriter with a surefire knack for catchy tunes, entertaining wordplay, and expressions of everyday anxieties that are both witty and relatable. Then there’s Toxic Moxie, the long-running disco-punk quartet who’ve been bringing the maniacal glitter-everywhere party vibes for close to a decade now, and show no signs of slowing down. This is going to be an absolute ripper of a show, and you don’t want to miss a second of it.

Sunday, June 5, 7 PM
Grocer, Lobby Boy, Knifing Around, Trapcry @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s something you don’t see every day: a show in which both of the top-billed bands are named after anonymous working-class occupations that most people never think about. That’s not all Grocer and Lobby Boy have in common, either. Grocer, who come from Philly, play an energetic, neurotic form of post-punk that focuses on extreme tunefulness even as its songs manage some deceptively complicated musical feats. On their brand new album, Numbers Game, Grocer express a universal lament of our modern alienated economic landscape on single “Calling Out,” declaring, “What’s the point? I don’t wanna fucking do this. I’m calling out!” What’s not to love about that?

Lobby Boy’s own brand new album, Pretty Songs/Pursuits Of Personhood, also brings a strong sense of melody as a primary ingredient of their own postpunk musical melange. Where Grocer are a bit more about guitars, amps, and acoustic drums, Lobby Boy are more likely to mix synths, electro effects, and programmed beats into their sound. Despite — or perhaps even because of — the ways these two groups are sonically distinct from one another, they actually fit together perfectly on this Sunday night bill at The Camel. Both of these groups are going to keep you dancing throughout the evening, and you’ll probably find some opportunities to vent against the many day-to-day stresses that fill all our lives, to boot.

Monday, June 6, 7 PM
Fortezza, TVLPA, Magic Wand @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Mondays are tough, always. The end of the weekend, the beginning of another slog through the week… it’s a bummer. Even if you have the day off. So it’s a lovely development that The Camel is bringing us an excellent show this Monday night, so you can shake the blues off and rock the hell out. Asheville’s Fortezza have a ton of energy and a loose, scratchy punk sound that makes them the perfect band to help chase your cares away. On last year’s Windmill, the group bashed through 14 songs in about 40 minutes, never letting the energy level flag or the mood drop. Isn’t that exactly what we need on a Monday? Rest assured, it’s what Fortezza’s gonna bring.

They’ll be joined on this bill by TVLPA, a band named after the stylized spelling of an occult term meaning “physical being created through spiritual or mental powers.” And if that doesn’t tell you where this band is coming from, the fact that their new album, Walk With Me, features songs like “The Dreamer,” “The Lodge,” and “The Woman With No Face” should certainly offer further hints. Musically, they occupy territory covered by everything from black metal to screamo to post-rock to prog-metal, and their new album is a dynamic and riveting listening experience. So yeah, if you’re as new to TVLPA as I am, now seems like a good time to get familiar with what these folks are up to. Show up on time and catch a set of energetic punk rock from Magic Wand as well — it’ll do you no harm.

Tuesday, June 7, 7:30 PM
Beabadoobee, Drook @ The National – $22.50 (order tickets HERE)
Somehow, it seems, I have gotten through the past three years without writing about Beabadoobee on the RVA Mag website. I don’t know how I managed that, considering how much I’ve loved the last few releases, going back to 2019’s Space Cadet EP, which knocked me out with the lead single, “She Plays Bass.” A tribute to the band’s bassist, Eliana Sewell, who really is as talented as the song implies, it was the first Beabadoobee release which featured bandleader Beatrice Laus backed by a full band, rather than just doing the singer-songwriter thing on her own. That EP and the group’s debut LP, Fake It Flowers, found Beabadoobee doing that sort of guitar-driven alt-rock revival sound that has been in vogue for the past few years (a sound I’m just as much a sucker for this time as I was when it first came around back in the 90s).

It’s been a couple of years since then, and the Beabadoobee sound has diversified on more recent releases. A distinct element from The 1975’s baroque emotional pop seeped into the sound of 2021’s Our Extended Play. Meanwhile, recent single “Talk” has a bit of a shoegaze vibe, and brand-new track “Lovesong” is a moody acoustic ballad with an understated yet devastating emotional tone. These last two are previews for Beabadoobee’s upcoming second LP, Beatopia, and this show will offer fans the chance to get to know all the rest of the new songs before they come to a streaming platform near you. I, for one, am excited.

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]

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 25 – May 31

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, May 29, 7 PM
Rikki Rakki Prom Night, feat. Rikki Rakki, Angels Cant See, Frames, Cassidy Snider And The Wranglers @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Returning to my ongoing coverage of the Richmond music scene in the post-pandemic era (by which I mean the era after the pandemic started. When we get to the era after the pandemic ends, I’ll let you know) has been a big learning process, from figuring out that show info is more often on Instagram than Facebook these days (what accounts should I be following? Drop me an email with tips) to learning the names of new bands who’ve become a big deal around town during the era in which none of us couldn’t go to any shows at all.

Rikki Rakki are a new Richmond band who’ve impressed me with their hustle over the past six months, going from a band whose name I’d barely heard to a band I see on flyers at least once every week or two. Now they’re taking the next step, and they’re doing so in style, with the release of their new EP, Quarantine Sessions (we all know how it got that name). It’s a five-song collection that gives the first glimpse of Rikki Rakki as a fully formed band rather than a series of demos uploaded to Bandcamp, showing that the band does a great job of foregrounding frontwoman Erika Blatnik’s excellent vocal melodies while laying down a musical foundation that mixes jangly psychedelic vibes with a little of that early 90s alt-rock vibe that we all know and love. Things stay relatively understated on the EP, but are sure to get loud when the band breaks these tunes out on the Gallery 5 stage Sunday night.

What adds the style to Rikki Rakki’s coming out party for their new EP is the themed event they’ve planned for this release show. The entire evening will be laid out as a “retro prom night,” featuring decorations and a Polaroid photo booth. While there’s no set-in-stone dress code, the band is encouraging swanky attire, and will (I would think) be busting out their own cupcake dresses and out-of-date suits for the occasion. What better way to wrap up a late-spring weekend than to relive what we were all doing on May weekends five or ten (or, in my case, um, thirty) years ago? One thing’s for sure — the music will be better at this prom night than it was at the one your school held in the gym your junior year. Don’t worry about finding a date, either — just show up and dance! You’ll be glad you did.

Wednesday, May 25, 8 PM
Multicult, Vincas, Hex Machine, Bermuda Triangles, R-Complex @ 4 Cyber Cafe – $12
Here’s a treat for all you noise-rockers to liven up your dreary mid-week blues. Tonight, 4 Cyber Cafe hosts top-notch noise rockers from multiple states, and you’re gonna wanna be there to experience every minute of it. Baltimore’s Multicult and their Athens, GA-based touring partners, Vincas, top the bill, hitting the road with the goal of appearing at Caterwaul Fest, a four-day event in Minneapolis that was originally scheduled to take place in late spring 2020, before… well, you know what happened. It’s always nice when these sorts of tours bring bands headed to fests through Richmond on the way, and even if Caterwaul isn’t generating quite the spillover that Maryland Death Fest used to bring to the city, we’ll take what we can get, especially when it hits this hard.

Multicult’s 2019 LP, Simultaneity Now, has been in the world for three years, but still sounds just as heavy and powerful as it did back when it dropped. They’ve got that same lurching stomp feel as Richmond noise vets Hex Machine — who, not-so-coincidentally, are also on this bill. As for Vincas, they bring a dark industrial feel to their brand of noise-rock, incorporating both drums and programmed beats in a manner that evokes everything from Suicide to Godflesh to the Birthday Party. If you like your noise at least vaguely gothic, these guys are for you. Local experimental-music mainstays Bermuda Triangles and R-Complex are also on this bill, making it a veritable embarrassment of riches for the listener who derives a distinct pleasure from music that is at least 25% noise. Which is to say, sign me up.

Thursday, May 26, 8 PM
FullScreen, Wizard Purple, Captcha, So Badly @ The Camel – $6 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
One thing I’m not sure every reader of this column fully appreciates is how much detective work sometimes goes into figuring out what the heck is going on with one show or another that I find myself writing about. This one’s a great example; a Citrus City production, I knew it would feature plenty of good music. But locating that music? Ah, that was another matter. Wizard Purple, who were listed as headliners on some of the information I found about this show, were extremely difficult to track down. All I really learned at first was that the band name was also used as an artistic moniker by a painter named Cameron Gray. The big breakthrough in the case for me was learning that Gray was previously in a King George-based band called Lake Alden, who released a lovely LP of twinkly alt-rock tunes in 2020 called The Mess.

Now, does Wizard Purple sound like Lake Alden, or incorporate any of that band’s members besides Gray? I still haven’t resolved that question. I suggest you do so for yourself by hitting up this show Thursday evening. After all, FullScreen are also on the bill, and I know for a fact that this RVA/Philly trio have some great indie tunes to bring to us all. After a two-year delay (we all know why that happened…), they released the third in a series of self-produced singles they put together while working on a full-length LP that, as far as I know, has still not materialized. That’s OK; the two songs on this single are lovely, guaranteed to stick in your head all day, and will surely brighten up the entire Camel when FullScreen performs them live during this show. Therefore we know for sure that, even if Wizard Purple turns out to be a live painting exhibition, this show will sound outstanding.

Friday, May 27, 6 PM
Friday Cheers’ RVA Music Night, feat. Matthew E. White, Benet, The Last Real Circus @ Brown’s Island – $10 in advance, $15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Folks, as much as I envy the expensive dresses many of them wear on the local news, the fact is that I am not a meteorologist. Therefore, when I look at my phone this morning and see that the sunny, warm day my weather app originally predicted for Friday has now turned into a festival of storm clouds, I have no idea how actually likely that makes this Friday Cheers show to get cancelled. In absence of clear-cut evidence, though, I try to be an optimist, and I’m going to encourage optimism for you too, because if this show does manage to take place, it’s without a doubt the coolest musical event occurring in Richmond this Friday evening.

After all, look at the evidence we’re presented with: Matthew E. White, Richmond’s favorite soul-rockin’ son, is still riding high on the success of last year’s K Bay, his first solo joint since back in 2015 and proof positive that he’s still got all the chops we remember from the glory days of Fight The Big Bull — and then some. He’ll be bringing a live band full of RVA all-stars to the stage to get everyone moving with upbeat boogie jams like “Electric” and “Nested,” among many other hits. He’ll be joined by heart-on-sleeve RVA dance-pop wunderkind Benet, and The Last Real Circus will get things rolling on a high note, with a healthy dose of their electrified Americana. The positive vibes will rise high enough that they just might be able to chase away the storm clouds. Let’s all cross our fingers!

[p.s. — if rain forces this show to go the way of the Japanese Breakfast show earlier this month, you could do a lot worse than to head over to Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House and check out energetic young locals Baby Bugs and Saint Samuel. Just sayin.]

Saturday, May 28, 7 PM
Portrayal Of Guilt, Yautja, Ostraca @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $16 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Despite the pandemic, Portrayal Of Guilt had one heck of a 2021. Not only did they release a killer slab of metallic screamo, We Are Always Alone, in the beginning of the year, they had another entire LP ready for us by fall. And if it wasn’t clear by the title alone, the sound the band delved into on that second 2021 LP, Christfucker, proved that they had largely moved across the nebulous border that lies somewhere between the emotional heavyosity of screamo and outright black metal. Elements of Neurosis-style noise horror and doom-sludge bleakness were also highly present on their latest and, in more than a few opinions, greatest LP.

So I guess the question now is: can Portrayal Of Guilt bring the same kind of heat onstage that they spent 2021 bringing in the studio? I think anyone who caught them when they came through Richmond in the pre-pandemic days knows the answer, but just in case you weren’t one of the lucky ones: the answer is yes. When these Texas maniacs hit the Richmond Music Hall stage Saturday night, they are gonna rip your face off, and you’re gonna love every minute of it. Better yet, they’ve got Nashville’s Yautja along with them. This fearsome metal trio only managed one album, The Lurch, in 2021, but they’ve built such a formidable legacy over their past decade of excellent records to more than prove their bona fides. The same can be said for homegrown Richmond metallic screamo trio Ostraca, who are finally back in action after giving us three incredible LPs in four years, and nothing since 2018. At least we get to see them live again, right? This whole night is gonna rule.

Sunday, May 29, 7 PM
Noah-O Album Release/Birthday Party, feat. Noah-O, Shawn Gray, Karmah, Cadillac Cat, Tone Redd, One Forever, Saaint, Prime N9N23, Mara Mara Takeoff, Lord Seelife, Calvin LaFleur, Vibes by Melodic, Hosted by DJ Jazzy Beatz @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Noah-O’s story is one of ups and downs. His name on the Richmond hip hop scene has been made for over a decade now, since he broke through and actually got one of his videos played on MTV. He followed that up with a series of excellent albums collaborating with pretty much every great producer to come out of this city, from Cadillac Cat and Fan Ran to the legendary Kleph Dollaz. He spent the pandemic releasing the Deadstock series of albums, showing that even his outtakes add up to multiple albums worth of straight fire. Somehow, though, the world outside the river city still hasn’t quite caught on. It’s the struggle he’s endured when he’s not on the mic, the day to day realities of a working class guy from Richmond who still has to feed his family, that he raps about on his latest single, “Trillipino,” the title of which simultaneously references his Filipino heritage and the fact that he keeps it real, 24/7, 365 days a year.

If Noah-O deserves anything from the world, it’s to give him a really great birthday party, and that’s what the Richmond hip hop scene is trying to do with this Sunday night pre-Memorial Day party at The Broadberry. It’s a party to commemorate the release of the aforementioned “Trillipino,” for sure, but it’s also a celebration of a talented, prolific MC and straight-up nice guy who’s been bringing excellent music to the river city for over a decade now. It’s past time for the world to give Noah-O his flowers, and if the entire world can’t fit inside the Broadberry for this show, it can at least pack out with the many appreciative Richmonders who know what an incredible talent lives in our midst. So yeah, come join Noah-O and over a dozen talented members of the Richmond hip hop community at the Broadberry this Sunday to pay tribute to a brilliant artist who’s still at the top of his game.

Monday, May 30, 7 PM
Tiny Dinosaur, Radiance, Whitney & The Saying Goes @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
If you find yourself thinking, as I did, “Tiny Dinosaur? That’s a random name for a band,” you may be just as surprised as I was to learn that the band coming to the Camel this Monday night are not even the only band called Tiny Dinosaur! To be clear, this is not the Madison, Wisconsin indie-rock combo but the New Orleans acoustic ensemble who refers to the style of music they play as “fantasy folk.” They’re on tour in support of their latest album, Songs For the Mass Extinction Event, which is an apt title for an album released at a time when it feels like everything from civil society to the very climate in which we live is just about to collapse.

Thankfully, the sound this band is bringing to us at a time like this is upbeat and joyful, even if they do at least sometimes sing about the ceaseless march of time and the way everything we care about will eventually fall away. For every song on the new album like the challenging and forthright “You Might Be Wrong,” there’s a purely fun jam like “Who Put The Wu-Tang Next To Sgt. Pepper?” And no matter how serious the particular lyrics they’re singing at any point, they’ve always got an upbeat sound that should appeal to any among you who appreciate that whole Gogol Bordello/World-Inferno Friendship Society approach to making music. Spending your Memorial Day dancing around the Camel to these tunes is a good way to sing an elegy for the world all around us, passing away even as we speak. But it’s also just a good way to banish your cares and find a smile at the difficult beginning of a long week. And sometimes that’s all we really need.

Tuesday, May 31, 7 PM
Whoresnation, Grishka, Warfuck, MSD @ Hot For Pizza – $5
It’s not every week that the most brutal show of the week turns out to be happening on Tuesday night in a pizza shop, but when you love truly scathing grindcore, you’ll take it whenever and wherever it wants to show up, won’t you? That’s why you’ll be at Hot For Pizza, Richmond’s favorite Van Halen-referencing slice joint, on Tuesday night as one incredibly formidable tour rolls into town.

That formidable tour is headlined by two French groups, Whoresnation and Warfuck — both of whose names might not exactly be welcome if “family oriented” is something you aim for in your evening’s entertainment. Since when has grindcore been family oriented, though? Whoresnation’s brand new LP, Dearth, is a lightning-fast slab of guttural grind with strong death metal appeal. If you dig stuff like Cephalic Carnage and Last Days Of Humanity, you’ll find something to love here. As for Warfuck, they’re a bassless grind duo who channel some of the chaotic energy of early Pig Destroyer, back when they went fast most of the time. Their most recent LP, 2018’s This Was Supposed To Be Fun, is (title to the contrary) a total blast to listen to, especially if you like really, really fast stuff. DC’s Grishka and RVA’s own MSD round out this bill with a heaping helping of their own mid-Atlantic brand of grind, and all of it’s gonna be a ton of fun that will certainly liven up your Tuesday night. Just don’t eat too much pizza beforehand — headbanging on a full stomach is never as much fun as it seems like it should be.

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]

Top Photo by Andrew Williams, via Rikki Rakki/Facebook

It’s A Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful Day: An Interview With Tim Barry of AVAIL

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As recently as 2019, if you stuck your hand into the mud of the James River, chances are you would have traces of kepone in what you pulled up from below. If you weren’t around in the 60’s and 70’s when it was dumped into the river by the Allied Chemical Corporation in Hopewell, you’ve probably heard about the environmental disaster from some old head around Richmond. If you’ve eaten fish from the James, maybe you’ve got some of that non-biodegradable pesticide bobbing up and down in your bloodstream. 

Tim Barry mentioned kepone in the lyrics of “Scuffle Town” by his legendary blue-collar Richmond punk band, AVAIL, on their 1998 classic, Over The James.  

You know who AVAIL is. At the very least, you’ve heard of them. You can’t come up in Richmond and not have traces of AVAIL in your blood. In 2019, they reunited, after 13 years away, to play back-to-back SOLD OUT shows at the National and a run of sellouts along the well-worn tracks of the East Coast. Most fans of the band didn’t think any of this would happen. Maybe the dudes in the band didn’t either.

But here we are. Again.

Chances are, if you stick your head underwater anywhere near Brown’s Island on August 6th of this year, you’ll hear lots of guitars and sing-alongs. AVAIL will headline the Over The James Fest with Quicksand, Cave In, Ceremony, Screaming Females, and Terminal Bliss. Tickets go on-sale Friday, April 29th at noon (that’s today — see below for ticket link).

I called Tim Barry to see if all of this was a bag of lies, and he told me everything I’d heard was true. Kepone is still in the river. The river is still flowing East. And AVAIL is having their own festival, this summer in Richmond.

It’s a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day.

Ryan Kent: Tell me everything, Tim. I saw the announcement released earlier today about the Over The James Fest.

Tim Barry: Well, so tell you everything? I don’t know how to start other than to say that when Avail originally began discussing doing reunion shows back in 2019, or whenever the hell they were — God, time flies — I thought it would be fun to do a handful of reunion shows. A couple of reunion shows here in Richmond. This is going back to the origins of the sort of reuniting. [We thought] it would be fun to do a couple of shows up and down the East Coast, and then possibly do an annual Richmond show on a specific date so that everybody knows, and we can all get together. Mimicking Lucero’s Block Party of Memphis, or the Bouncing Souls Home for the Holidays or Stoked For Summer, they do up at the Stone Pony in New Jersey, and the handful other bands that sort of curate these hometown festivals.

Then the pandemic happened, and everything was put on hold. And here we are in 2022, and we’ve just announced the first segment of Over The James, I guess we can call it “fest,” here in Richmond. I really can’t stress enough that Brown’s Island is the perfect venue. Although we may not feel like we’re a popular enough band to fill the space, I think creating an event that would bring people together and [not be] about who’s popular or whatever, just an event that everybody would feel comfortable coming to, is the goal.

Brown’s Island being outside on the James River, with the freight train line right there, [is] sort of the perfect scenic Richmond experience. People can come for the weekend and ride mountain bikes and kayak, or stay in the hotels that are walking distance, or people can ride freight trains in. And there’s plenty of great [illegal] camp spots that folks can stay at. Sort of make a weekend of it. So, it has everything for everyone. For those coming from out of town, Richmond is just filled with all kinds of everything you need.

And then to add to that – today we announced the festival itself and its lineup, and there’ll be other events surrounding it [which] we’ll roll out as they become confirmed. I’m going to be playing a solo show at the Richmond Music Hall, the day before the Over The James Festival on August 5th, with Andrew Alli, Josh Small, and Sally Rose. Then with the James festival happening, there’ll hopefully be some shows at the Camel, the Broadberry, and lots of other stuff going on.

RK: Man, that sounds amazing! Tell me about the bands on the bill for Over The James.

TB: The bands are sort of a collection of groups of people that we all thought would be really special for the event. And I can go into it, or you can pick through each group, with each band member, but I suggest that everyone looks closely at who’s playing, and why, and listen to their music. And I think everything will start making sense. And again, there’ll be more events, not just my solo show the night before, not just Over The James fest. [Trying] to get everybody involved is the point. I think that Richmond is such a welcoming place that the folks who live here will have open arms for the people coming from out of town, and can act as ambassadors to the city in so many different ways.

RK: Over The James is a seminal punk album. Beloved here, as is AVAIL. It was inducted into the Decibel Magazine Hall of Fame in 2019, which is no easy feat for a melodic punk album in a predominantly metal magazine. The album turned 24 a few weeks ago, so it’s fitting to have the festival at Brown’s Island. But I bet you couldn’t imagine having a festival named after your “new” record in 1998. That’s almost two and a half decades later.

TB: [Laughs] I never really thought of it like that. Honestly, when we were in the trenches, when AVAIL was touring in those years, that’s kind of the years that AVAIL peaked – around Over The James. I say that like, internationally. And when we peaked, it really wasn’t that much of a peak [laughing]. Our big shows were not big compared to really popular bands. So yeah, that’s even more humbling to know that when we were at our strongest and always on tour, and during that time frame of the release Over The James, that all these years later, we’d be able to help put together an event in Richmond of this size and scale.

RK: What are you most looking forward to about the fest?

TB: Well, I live real close to Brown’s Island. And I’m most looking forward to my seven-year-old daughter Coralee, and my nine-year-old daughter Lela, and I riding our bikes over the Teapot Bridge, and spending the afternoon around on Brown’s Island. Then getting to watch their crazy-ass dad sing in AVAIL for the first time. I cannot tell you, couldn’t make it more clear, that is absolutely what I’m most looking forward to. And then us just getting back on our bikes and riding home and having some ice cream sandwiches and going to sleep.

RK: After the 2019 reunion shows at the National on some on the East Coast, your solo album, The Roads To Richmond; the pandemic put everything on hold for everyone. Has it inspired a desire to do more reunion shows besides Over The James, or what else has it inspired?

TB: Personally, I can say – and this is not speaking on behalf of AVAIL. Personally, I started playing shows again in early February and then some more shows with AVAIL later in February. And I can say that I didn’t realize how deeply I missed playing live music until I did it. I have always said, and so many other players say this, that they play every show like it’s their last. I did not grieve. I did not mourn during the pandemic. I didn’t have this sort of overwhelming need to go out and play music, because I felt like the last shows that I played, I gave it all I could.

So, with that sort of stubborn, “I’m fine, the pandemic’s not affecting me” bullshit that was going on my head, in February of this year, when I got back out on the road, I suddenly felt whole again. I didn’t realize I was just using defense mechanisms emotionally during the pandemic. With that said, I am so eager to spend time playing music and being in that environment again for a while, whether that be with AVAIL, or… I’ve [got] tons and tons and tons of solo stuff lined up. But the way I see music, and hopefully, this will be represented [during] Over The James and the solo show, and all the other shows around it and other events: I believe that music is a celebration. It’s a coming together of all kinds of different people. If that’s accomplished at this festival, I think I’ll feel really fulfilled. I’d really like it to be a place where people can just be themselves without being criticized, and let go. And hopefully we can accomplish that.

With that said, when I said there’s great hotels, restaurants; we’ve got Vinyl Conflict, Plan 9; people coming in on trains, people hitchhiking. It’s also, beyond music being a celebration, a coming together, in my brain; it’s an excuse to do things and an excuse to live your life. You can hate AVAIL. Hate all of the opening bands. Not like anything about the idea. But you can still come [laughing]. It’ll be an adventure. It’ll be an excuse to get out of your routine and start sharing an experience. Whether you come in on a freight train, hitchhike, fly, walk across the Teapot Bridge, or ride across it with your kids. I think the goal is that we celebrate and use this as an excuse to live.

RK: To say “yes” to something.

TB: Yeah. Instead of hiding, like we’ve been doing for so long. I think there couldn’t be a better venue for [it]. I mean, outside is bulletproof as far as pandemic goes.

RK: What would you tell a younger version of yourself?

TB: Well, I mean, we never thought there was longevity in music. Times have changed to the point where bands are around forever. I mean, fuck yeah, I’m dad rock. Fuck yeah, AVAIL is dad rock. It’s easy to make fun of. But it’s also really exciting that we can still do this. And so does Lucero, and so does Hot Water Music, and so does Strike Anywhere, and so does Ann Beretta, and so do all of these other great Richmond bands. There’s more. It’s like, we’re all supposed to retire at 23 and get a job driving a forklift at Nabisco? So, now Nabisco is gone. So still playing music — it’s definitely exciting to still feel excited.

RK: What would you say on the flip side of that? What’s going to be the hardest part about playing with AVAIL again?

TB: I don’t know that there is any hard part. I mean, I never stopped traveling. You know, when AVAIL stopped, I kept on going. I’m really used to being on stage and singing, and that lifestyle. So I really don’t know that I look at it as anything difficult coming. Maybe it’s just how I see my life and where it fits in the world, but I look for things that I look forward to. I really look forward to watching the trains going by the river, you know what I mean [laughing]?

I keep harping back to a time, many years ago, when AVAIL played this random festival that wasn’t very well attended on Mayo Island. I don’t really remember why it happened or who organized it, but I remember enjoying playing outside, right along the river, with the heartbeat of Richmond. I’m not looking at the challenges as much as the things I look forward to, I suppose.

RK: PMA. [Positive Mental Attitude]

TB: I should get a PMA tattoo on my fucking neck [laughing].

RK: I saw some shows at Brown’s Island last year, and it was quite amazing to hear this train come through and… 

TB: Like a ghost.

RK: Yes! And then all the people cheer. Grace Potter played down there. She was singing a song about a train, then the train happened to come through. Then it blew its horn. It just reminded me of when Prince played the Super Bowl, and it rained as he’s playing “Purple Rain.” I mean, how perfect is that?

TB: God, I forgot about that. How do you forget about that? Yeah, that shit’s just the world lining up.

RK: I’m hoping when you guys are playing, the train comes through.

When you’re around something all the time, you don’t necessarily see the soft changes. Like, say, your partner, or your parent. If you’re around them all the time, maybe you don’t notice how they age. However, when you take breaks away from them, you come back and see things differently. What has changed about Richmond since moving here from Reston in 1990? What have you noticed has changed that somebody maybe wouldn’t see that stays here?

TB: I could go on and on and on, and complain. I could be positive. The only way I can sort of sum up the way I see Richmond, Virginia in 2022, compared to 30-plus years ago — Richmond was once a town and now Richmond is a city. That’s it, man. There’s two Richmonds. You either live in Richmond, Virginia, or you live in RVA. It doesn’t mean that either is better or worse. It’s just how it is.

Over The James Festival will take place on Saturday, August 6 on Brown’s Island, rain or shine. Doors open at 3:30 pm, music starts at 4:15. In addition to Avail, the event will feature performances by Quicksand, Cave-In, Ceremony, Screaming Females, and Terminal Bliss. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 29 at noon (a few hours after this article goes live) and can be purchased at Broadberry Entertainment Group’s website. Tickets for Tim Barry’s solo show at Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House on Friday, August 5 go on sale at the same time, also at Broadberry Entertainment Group’s website.

AVAIL Photos by Ken Penn