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Inside Flexico: The Mind, The Rise

Hip Hop Henry | December 30, 2019

Topics: AGM, Green & Gold, Michael Millions, music, Nickelus F, Richmond hip hop, richmond va, RVA, RVA 38, Segga Spiccoli, The Adventures of Flexico, The Life Company, YOUNG FLEXICO

RVA Mag #38 is on the streets now! Here’s another article from the issue, in which we learn how Richmond’s Young Flexico has wound through a career of video production, rapping, and recording by sticking true to himself in his work.

“I try to have fun with it. The point of this is to do this stuff, and we don’t want to work normal jobs and have to be serious all the time.”

That’s Young Flexico, a Richmond rapper, visual artist, and marketing guru. “Not everything needs to be super serious. That’s not the mood I’m in, really,” he said. “I’m not going to say I’m in a goofy mood all the time, but I’m not in a serious mood all the time.”

For Flexico, it’s more about authenticity when it comes to subject matter in music.

“I couldn’t imagine making music that was just serious all the time. I mean, I can hit that pocket — but I’ve got to be already there [mentally]. But I don’t really be living like that,” he said. “Like, you don’t go in the studio and just be serious, you know? It was hard for me to rap about things I don’t care about as much. I feel like some artists try to touch on topics because they’re relevant, but some stuff isn’t really relevant to them. I think it [doesn’t] connect with the listener because they can feel it’s not real.”

Flexico has made quite a splash since arriving on the scene in Richmond a couple of years ago. Originally from the Hampton Roads area, he moved to the River City as a teenager and has been a part of the hip-hop wave in the city for a while. He brought his talent for video art to The Life Company (now Green and Gold Label) under the alias “G” as their director. Then he transitioned from behind the camera to performing, taking on his current moniker. I was fortunate enough to catch up with him (after months of missed connections) at his house, where we talked about promotion, the microwave minds of today’s society, and his plans for dropping new music. 

“I don’t know. I was talking to a friend and he was telling me that I should just push this for a while, but I’m always working on music, you know what I’m saying? Nothing will probably come out before the end of the year except for one or two random songs. But I’m working on another project. I’mma name my next project Tenacious — that’s what the title is right now, but it could change.” 

Before the surge of Flexico’s career, he started at the beginning as “G,” the video director. Reminiscing on his early days, he talked about how that first life began. 

“My older brother rapped. I was doing videos for him and shit like that. That’s when I first got my feet wet,” he said. “And then me and Segga (Spiccoli) became really good friends, and he rapped and all that. I ain’t have nothing to do ‘cause I wasn’t rapping. I didn’t really want to rap. I just started directing videos from there. I just looked at a lot of YouTube videos and kept practicing at it, and then I just kept sharpening my blade.” 

Seeing those early Segga Spiccoli videos and other visual work for The Life Company, I assumed he went to school for this. But he chimed in quickly to set the record straight. 

“I didn’t go to school for nothing I do,” he said. “I went to school. I got a degree in business administration, a bachelor’s degree. I started shooting videos. Like shooting good videos with Segga. The first person I shot for AGM [Association of Great Minds] was Nickelus F, but that was like some recap shit. And I reached out to [Michael Millions] after he dropped Ghost of $20 Bills, and asked him to shoot a video off the joint. We never shot a video, [until] he was recording the Beautiful album. And then we just shot the whole film because that’s when I really started learning how to do shit. 

“I didn’t have the proper tools. Like a D3100, which is like a really beginner-DSLR. And I had this fucked up ass laptop and Adobe Premiere Elements — I did all that on Adobe Premiere Elements and then chopped it together, probably going too deep in detail,” he said. “So basically I was with Mike probably for a year working on that, and just creating content for him. That was a good moment in my life. And around that time, that’s when I got my first MacBook. My girl had got it for me for Christmas, then I upgraded the camera, too. And then I just started on the first video I did with that. [It] was the ‘Laced Weed’ video [for Nickelus F], and that’s the video that people were really liking a lot.” 

In his early career, Flexico’s self-taught director skills made his transition to hip-hop almost effortless. Funding all of his own work, he’s grown from his humble beginnings with a never-wavering drive to believe in himself — and the people around him as well. Segga Spiccoli didn’t have a place to record at the early days, and Flexico bought his own recording equipment. 

“I believe in his talents so much that I bought all of the recording stuff, and then he wasn’t really using it,” Flex laughed. “I don’t know why, but Mike taught me how to use it, equipment and everything. So one day I just was like damn, I don’t want this shit to go to waste. I had spent a lot of money on that shit. He ain’t even use it, I’m just going to use it myself. 

“And that’s how I started dabbling in music, because I didn’t want to waste my money. It’s not like you can return it,” he said. “It’s right there. I got the whole set up that Mike had, I could record Segga’s vocals and then go to Mike’s House and he could fix everything — same program, same interface, same mic, same everything. I bought all the same shit that Mike has.” 

The first day he recorded, he recorded five songs back to back. He made it into his first mixtape, which he titled The Adventures of Flexico. 

“I had sent out fake mixtapes to like five people, and they was like, that joint kinda crank a little bit. But it was some goofy shit,” he said. “I was like, alright, cool. Then I came back and I was like, ‘Damn, I’m gonna really put out a mixtape.’ I think that what happened with that joint is like… if I’m going to do something, I tried to do it 110%, like go all the way in. I don’t want to have no regrets. 

“I was like damn, I’m about to start rapping. So I can’t make myself look stupid, because I already had a kind of respect for just doing videos. That’s why I ended up buying beats, trying to get cool producers on my shit.” 

Learning that he had a business degree, I had to ask Flex if he took many marketing classes. Some of his promotional moves as an artist have already earned legendary status in the community.  

“I think that goes back to how I was raised. It’s like your moms saying don’t go out of the house looking a certain way, it’s the same thing. Don’t step into whatever you’re doing without looking a certain way or creating a certain experience for people. It’s entertainment. So we have to entertain listeners. I’m calling myself Young Flexico, that mean I gotta flex, you know what I’m saying? I didn’t give myself the name, Mike gave me the name. But at the end of the day, I got to flex.” 

When it came to living up to his newfound rap alias, Flexico decided to flex that persona where nobody would miss it.  

“So it was like, what can I do that would wow people? Because honestly, if I wouldn’t have done the billboard, then nobody really would’ve noticed what I was doing,” he said. “It was like the only way I could get people’s attention was to do something that was never done before. 

“And I was just like, might as well just go for it… Then I motherfucking bought the billboard, ‘cause I was trying to make a big ass splash. And I feel like honestly all those were good steps in the right direction. The billboard was wild. That was one of the coolest things I did in my life… I feel like nobody ever did that shit before. And I came out of nowhere completely, so it was just a cool process. That’s when I really started falling in love with doing music. That shit was a cool moment in my life. 

“So I didn’t take no class [in] marketing. I just tried to think of cool ideas or excite people, because I feel like a lot of artists in general — not even just in Richmond — just don’t think outside the box. They just confine [themselves] to a certain space. And that’s why I try not confining myself, so people don’t put me in a box.”

While discussing his marketing moves, Flexico touches on some of the missteps he sees artists take, recalling the beginning of our conversation about letting his album cook for awhile. 

“The rollout part of it. I feel like artists don’t really… Alright, so you’re used to taking all your time on this stuff. Hours after hours of recording music, mixing music, all that. You do all that. You put all that time into it. Right? To put it out and just promote it slightly,” he said. “So it’s like, if I’m doing something and I’m putting a lot of my time into it, I’m taking away from spending time with my girl, spending time with my son, hanging out with just family, doing other shit. Then I might as well put that same amount of energy into the process of letting people see. 

“I feel like people might get a little bit discouraged when [they] drop something and they don’t see returns. So they don’t keep going. You know what I’m saying? Like my last video I put out didn’t do as good as the previous video. It could be a situation where I should just get on to the next thing, but I got other good songs on the album that people might like,” he said. 

“It’s like if you don’t keep pushing what you worked your ass off on, cause you gotta think like other people don’t, people will stop believing in you.”

Photos by Bandolero and Klasheee

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: December 18 – December 24

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 18, 2019

Topics: 3wayslim, A.Day, Baby Grill, Bandolero, BigDumbBaby, Billy Capricorn, Bon Ki, Chiocca's, Colin Phils, Elizabeth Owens, Fullscreen, Fuzzy Cactus, gallery 5, Garden Grove Brewing, Gritty City Records, Gritty City Sound Machine, Illa Styles, Melul, Men I Trust, Mister Goblin, must see shows, Nah., Naro Cinema, No BS! Brass Band, Persephone, Pet Fox, Poor Boys, Post Sixty Five, R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND, Radio B, Renata Zeiguer, Reppa Ton, Scuba, Segga Spiccoli, Shawn Mike, shows you must see, Sons Of The Beasts, Spartan Jet-Plex, Starr Nyce, Super Doppler, The Camel, The NorVa, Turnover, Ty Sorrell, Versace Chachi, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, December 19, 7 PM
Gritty City For The Kids 5, feat. Gritty City Records (Photo by Jake Cunningham), Segga Spiccoli, Radio B, 3WaySlim, Reppa Ton, Scuba, Bandolero, Illa Styles, Versace Chachi, Shawn Mike, Starr Nyce, A.Day, Gritty City Sound Machine @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)

Y’all, when you’re the editor of a magazine that focuses on the entirety of the music scene in a mid-sized American city, let me tell you, a lot of pressure gets put on you. Specifically, the pressure to say that every single thing from that city is equally great. And that’s an easy job most of the time, because Richmond really does have a tremendous musical scene. But sometimes, especially in this column, I like to drop the facade a little bit and let y’all know how I really feel. This is how I really feel: in Richmond, if you want hip hop, the best place to go is Gritty City Records.

If you ask me, there isn’t even a convincing argument against it. Without even mentioning their formidable, nearly decade-deep back catalog, just look at the wide cross-section of Richmond talent that released projects on Gritty City this year alone! We’re talking Ant The Symbol, Noah-O, Fan Ran, Johnny Ciggs, Rah Scrilla, and more. And look at the wide cross-section of talent appearing on Gritty City’s annual holiday extravaganza this year. From label stalwarts to all-star guests, this one is truly stacked with talents that bring a wide variety of Richmond hip hop flavors to the table.

For example, there’s Illa Styles, whose latest album, A Quarter Til A Mil, released just a month ago, is the kind of hip hop masterwork we’re lucky to get in any year. There’s Radio B, whose work with AGM always dominates the city and remains highly underrated in the world at large. Plus Segga Spiccoli, Versace Chachi, Reppa Ton, Bandolero… the list goes on for quite a while, and it’s all top-quality. Plus, this show is affiliated with Punks For Presents, so cash and toys donated will help add to the annual bonanza that group delivers to the Children’s Hospital. There are a million reasons to be in attendance for this, so you really should just go ahead and do it.

Wednesday, December 18, 9 PM
Mister Goblin, Pet Fox, Baby Grill, BigDumbBaby @ Wonderland – $10

Two Inch Astronaut had a lengthy career full of high points in melodic, emotional postpunk, and it was a real bummer to hear that this Maryland band was ending last year. Thankfully, frontman Sam Woodring didn’t slow down at all, and only a year later, we’ve already got the debut album from his post-Two Inch Astronaut project, Mister Goblin. Is Path Warm?, which sounds like a badly translated subtitle in a foreign film, was released just a few weeks ago by Exploding In Sound Records, and now Woodring and co. are coming to Richmond to bring us some excellent sounds, live and in person.

Mister Goblin might sound like a hip hop or electronic project, but the band isn’t much different than Two Inch Astronaut, really — maybe a little moodier, with a slightly more wistful vibe, but really, if you were into the last Two Inch Astronaut LP, 2017’s Can You Please Not Help (now THAT’s a great album title), you’re not going to find anything not to love in what Mister Goblin’s bringing to you now. They’ll be coming to town accompanied by Bostonians Pet Fox, in which Ovlov drummer Theo Hartlett is stepping out from behind the kit to front a trio with strong melodic inclinations and maybe just a bit less crunch than his other band. If you dig Ovlov, though, you’ll want to catch Pet Fox on their way through town. So spend your midweek evening at Wonderland tonight — you’ll be glad you did.

Thursday, December 19, 7 PM
Post Sixty Five (Photo by Joey Wharton), Nah., Colin Phils, Fullscreen @ Poor Boys – $5

Prsmcat, the new show-booking crew from members of Majjin Boo, have been running things in a downright familial manner over at Poor Boys, and it’s been really nice so far. They picked up the banner of locals-only shows that fell to the ground with the sad departure of Strange Matter, and have been doing shows featuring known and up-and-coming groups regularly over at Poor Boys. This latest, the last before the holidays, is a birthday celebration for Hicham Benhallam, who is not only the soundman at Poor Boys but the frontman for Post Sixty Five. And, not coincidentally, Post Sixty Five will be headlining this show.

The ambient indie group with its roots throughout Virginia haven’t been all that active in recent years — their last EP was released in early 2017 — but if anything, that makes it more exciting to get a set from the quintet to cap off a celebratory evening. What’s more, we’ll also hear from Nah., a DC-based group who stretches the definition of “local” but has a welcome synth-spiced indie-postpunk sound that will go perfectly with that of Post Sixty Five. With local faves Colin Phils and newcomers Fullscreen filling out the bill, this one’s gonna be a wonderful time all around.

Friday, December 20, 8 PM
Ty Sorrell, Bon Ki, Billy Capricorn @ Gallery 5 – $8

One of the greatest things about Richmond label Citrus City is their eclectic palate. From electro-pop to indie-psych to erudite hip hop, they release music from any genre that strikes their fancy, and rapper Ty Sorrell’s brand-new Citrus City cassette, At God’s House, makes that all the more clear. The release, a co-production with Boston’s Disposable America, is what we’ll be celebrating at this show, and it’s certainly worth a party, considering how well Sorrell displays an engaging combo of erudite rhymes and multi-layered beats on this project.

Sorrell brings in all sorts of guests on At God’s House to sweeten the pot and enliven the proceedings, and we should see a similar sort of thing going on at this Gallery 5 throwdown, especially since psychedelic indie space rangers Bon Ki, who appear on the album, will also be playing a set this evening. Will we see folks like Alfred and Rob Gibsun joining Sorrell onstage as well? There’s only one way to find out.

Saturday, December 21, 8 PM
Elizabeth Owens, Spartan Jet-Plex, Melul, Persephone @ Garden Grove Brewing – Donations for VAVP appreciated

Singer-songwriter Elizabeth Owens has been making a name for themselves around Richmond for a couple of years ago. Backed by The Live Bats, they created a moving indie-folk song cycle entitled Coming Of Age in 2018. That album explored the difficulties of finding oneself amid an alienating, oppressive world, through a story of a young princess finally escaping a mystical imprisonment after years of isolation. Now, in 2019, Owens is bringing us another take on that tale with an acoustic EP entitled Still Coming Of Age, which reimagines some of the standout tracks from the original album in a bare-bones solo context.

It’s that EP that this performance at Garden Grove celebrates, and for this release party, Owens will join with other performers to create an intimate, personal evening of solo musical endeavors. Hard-working local collective Grimalkin Records has been Owens’ label of choice for a while now, and fellow Grimalkin artist Spartan Jet-Plex will be one of the performers on this bill, bringing their haunted balladry to the Garden Grove stage. The evening will be rounded out by the dark ambient atmospheres of Melul and a solo turn from Aesthetic Barrier’s Persephone. Plus, Owens will have holiday gifts for friends who attend, so this show is sure to bring a little of the positive holiday spirit into your heart.

Sunday, December 22, 5 PM
R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND (Photo via VPM/Facebook) @ Fuzzy Cactus – Free!

Last time we were in this space, we talked about Richmond’s own jazz bassist extraordinaire, Andrew Randazzo, and his efforts heading a variety of ensembles here in town. At that time, I told you that there was at least one more opportunity awaiting you to see Randazzo’s foremost orchestra, the R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND, engaging in their excellent yearly interpretations of Vince Guaraldi’s immortal soundtrack for best Christmas special ever A Charlie Brown Christmas. Well, if you didn’t mark your calendars then, you definitely should now, because that time has come.

Guaraldi’s original soundtrack was performed by a simple trio, with Guaraldi’s piano backed solely by bass and drums. The R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND treatment is something else entirely, though, as it augments a crack rhythm section featuring Randazzo and some of his Butcher Brown compatriots with a dozen or so horn and reed players, plus even some occasional guest vocals, for a massive big-band treatment of quite a few absolute classic Christmas season tunes. Are you struggling to find the spirit this year? Look no further — R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND will put you in the proper mood.

Monday, December 23, 7 PM
Sons Of The Beasts @ Chiocca’s – Free!

Relaxing holiday times are much the same throughout the year — the closer they get, the more relaxed things are around the music scene. And when things are relaxed, musicians inclined towards jamming truly come into their own. That’s when we see mainstays of the scene take stages to get loose and explore what can happen outside the confines of a standard set list, and it’s where all kinds of one-offs and improptu supergroups find time to shine.

You’ll see exactly that kind of thing taking place at Chiocca’s, that little sandwich shop in a Museum District basement, when Sons Of The Beasts get together again for the first time in quite a while, in order to unleash some rockin’ acoustic fun times. If you’re not familiar with the name, you still know the musicians — members of The Southern Belles, The Congress, Jackass Flats, and more are represented in this quartet, and they’ll be dishing out a variety of tunes from their other projects along with some fun covers and unexpected delights. We all know no one gets anything of substance done the week of Christmas, so start the week off with some fun and rock out with Sons Of The Beasts at Chiocca’s.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Wednesday, December 18, 8 PM
Turnover, Men I Trust, Renata Zeiguer @ The NorVA (Norfolk) – $23 in advance/$26 at the door (order tickets HERE)

Turnover’s gone through a lot of changes over the years, from their roots as a melodic, emotional post-hardcore group to their middle period as a shoegazing dream-pop combo. Now, with their brand-new fourth album, Altogether, they’ve integrated an 80s New Wave synth sound that finds them progressing yet again — to a land somewhere between Vampire Weekend, ABC, and 60s tropicalia. That’s a long way to go in six years.

However, it’s a trip that’s worth taking with these Tidewater boys, who keep finding fantastic new ways to express their ever-renewing pop sensibility. So join the Turnover crew as they return home for the holidays with a big party at The NorVA. They’ll be accompanied by Men I Trust, a hypnotic bedroom-synth group from north of the border, as well as up-and-coming torchy Brooklyn songwriter Renata Zeiguer. It won’t be a stage-dive fest of old, but if you appreciate good music, Turnover’s latest transformation will please you every bit as much as their previous incarnations.

Thursday, December 19, 6:30 PM
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society benefit, feat. Super Doppler, No BS! Brass Band @ Naro Cinema (Norfolk) – $15 (order tickets HERE)

The holidays bring out the giving spirit in everyone, and our favorite local bands are no exception. Punks For Presents is far from the only example, and live music collective LAVA Presents proves that on Thursday by joining with two of the best bands in Virginia right now — rockers Super Doppler and funk-jazz party-bringers No BS! Brass Band — to throw a hellacious wingding at Norfolk’s Naro Cinema to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

As charity events go, you’ll have more time writing this one off on your taxes than you will pretty much anywhere else, and rest assured that between our two musical hosts, we’re sure to get plentiful opportunities for smiles, singalongs, and dance parties. What better way could there be to kick off the last weekend before Christmas? (Goodness knows, if any weekend starts on Thursday, it’s this one.)

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Doin’ It For Real: A Conversation With Segga Spiccoli

Hip Hop Henry | April 18, 2019

Topics: Bandolero, Green And Gold, RVA 36, Segga Spiccoli, Skinny V Tape, The Life Company, YOUNG FLEXICO

*This article originally appeared in RVA Mag #36, on the streets now at all your favorite spots.

Segga Spiccoli is only in his mid-20s, but he’s been a visible and productive member of the Richmond hip-hop community for quite a while now. I got a chance to sit down with the East End rapper shortly after the release of his latest project, The Skinny V Tape, which dropped in the fourth quarter of 2018. We discussed The Life Company collective project — of which he is a core member — and his Green and Gold Label. We were then joined by fellow Life Company member and sought-after Richmond producer Bandolero, who produced almost all of the tracks on The Skinny V Tape. We started out by discussing that very release.

Tell me about The Skinny V Tape.

Segga Spiccoli: We’ve been working on it for a while now. Some songs we had in the cut — Bandolero produced like six, six out of the eight. But Skinny V Tape is basically everything that I’ve been thinking about, everything that I’ve been going through for the last year and a half. This feels like the most complete body of work that I’ve put out so far, and I was super proud of that, because I got a chance to say everything I wanted to say. Get it off my chest and have people have a better understanding of me as an artist, you know what I’m saying?

Who is Segga Spiccoli?

Segga Spiccoli: I’m just an East End nigga. You feel what I’m saying? Like, I’m humble and down to earth, I’m laid back, and I think that is reflected in the music, honestly. I feel I give a great description of where I came from in the city, and I give a great description of how I look at the city. People always say to me, like if they ain’t never been to Richmond before, listening to my music gives them a description of the city even if they never come to it. I think about it because when I used to listen to Snoop, or I used to listen to UGK, or 8 Ball and MJG… wherever they was at, whether it was Memphis — Orange Mound or wherever it was — or Port Arthur, Texas, or whatever. I felt like I was there and I knew what was going on. So I just wanted my music to be the same way for this city. For Richmond.

I remember first seeing a video of yours a few years ago and it had the label of the The Life Company at the beginning. Now I have noticed that it has shifted to the Green and Gold Label. Was there a change?

Segga Spiccoli: It’s still The Life Company, its TLC/Green and Gold. We started The Life Company just on some independent shit. The “LIFE” in The Life Company statement is Living Independent For Ever. That’s the umbrella of everything; Green and Gold is just the set. The Life Company is going to live forever though. Life. We might not be pushing it as much as we used to, but it’s still gonna reflect in Green and Gold. And we still gonna keep the clean visuals — shout out to Flexico.

How many are with Green and Gold?

Segga Spiccoli: It’s five of us. Me, Bandolero, Young Flexico, A6, and Wayne. It’s us, and we’ve been moving together for a minute, know what I’m saying? Bando came in like three years ago. Flexico, me, Wayne, and Nard, we have known each other for damn near ten years. This Green and Gold is serious, we’re worried about us. We doin’ us, we don’t have time for the bullshit. We’re trying to prosper.

[At this point, Bandolero joined in to explain how he joined the crew, and their vision for the future of Green And Gold.]

Bandolero:  I didn’t even really get involved until me and Segga had a conversation one night outside of Gallery 5. With young motherfuckers in general — like, we’re all around 24, 25, so we’re not teenagers but we young. But we didn’t see a lot of organized young guys making moves, know what I’m saying? And that was our thing: we got to pick up that slack for the next generation, to be something that people can look at and be like, “Oh, they actually doing it.” Originally when I came in, I asked to be in Life Company, but when we started pushing the music as a collective with all of us, we figured that we’d make Green and Gold the label. That’s our Death Row Records. Know what I’m saying? That’s our artistic outlet.

Now that we are in 2019 and with the buzz of Skinny V, What’s next for the Green and Gold Label?

Segga Spiccoli: My new project, On the Eastside: Side B. Flexico is working on his album, that shit’s done, it’s in the stash. He’s working on all his shit to make it perfect. Like I said, I’m working on On The Eastside: Side B, keep going with that series [which began with On The Eastside: Side A, released in 2017]. Bando and I have two songs in so far.

Bandolero: But I mean, for real — 2019 should be a really good year. We’re picking up a lot of pace on putting ourselves strategically. That’s the other thing is, like, you’ll see a lot of motherfuckers out here doing shows. That ain’t worth shit. And that’s not to take away from anybody’s performance or anything like that, but at the end of the day, we’re not gonna hop on a bill with 30 other motherfuckers just so you can hear five minutes of me and forget about it. You know what I’m saying? We want to get on the stage with people we fuck with, we’re gonna make moves with, promoters that we fuck with. We’re not going to do all this weird shit; nine times out of ten, we gonna be trying to do the shit ourselves.

Photos by Branden Wilson

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/6-12/12

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 6, 2017

Topics: Ant The Symbol, Armistead of Love Tractor, Been Official, black liquid, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Chance Fischer, Colin Phils, David Barbe & Inward Dream Ebb, Elephant Stone, gallery 5, Gritty City, Gritty City Records, Gull, Halfcast, Houdan The Mystic, Josie McQueen, Michael Millions, Netherfriends, New Madrid, Noah-O, Punks For Presents, R-Dent, Reppa Ton, Segga Spiccoli, shows you must see, shy low, Sleave, strange matter, Swerve 36, Tef Wesley, The Dream Syndicate, The Palmer Squares, Vantablac Sol, Yung Dxrk

FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, December 7, 8 PM
Gritty City Is For The Kids 3, feat. Gritty City, Noah-O, Black Liquid, Michael Millions, Tef Wesley, Chance Fischer, Segga Spiccoli, Reppa Ton, Ant The Symbol, hosted by Been Official, music by Swerve 36 @ Strange Matter – $5 (or toy donations)
It’s Christmastime again, and like all good people everywhere, the Richmond music scene tends to get into the giving spirit. Not only has No BS! Brass Band’s canned food drive returned for another year, and Punks For Presents come back for a record five shows (more on that one later), Gritty City Records has put together their third annual Gritty City Is For The Kids hip hop summit. This show, rapidly becoming a local institution, will benefit Toys For Tots by bringing together perhaps the best lineup of local hip hop RVA’s seen since last Christmas.

No, seriously–I’ve talked before about how there are many layers to the RVA hip hop scene, and how every show seems to spotlight a different crew, each of which has a packed stable of amazing rhymers and killer producers waiting in the wings. But in a traditionally competitive genre, Gritty City stands out by crossing all lines between crews and uniting the entire scene for a night that brings together top-level artists from all facets of the scene. This isn’t surprising for a label that’s released local artists from The Lone Crow (aka Murk One) and The Honorable Sleaze (RIP) to Rah Scrilla and John Canada, but it’s certainly refreshing for fans of all facets of RVA hip hop–for once, you can see all the best locals on the same stage on the same night.

Who are we talking about here, exactly? Well of course you know the Gritty City fam (Johnny Ciggs, Fan Ran, Ben FM, etc) will be out in force. But they’ll also be joined by Charged Up majordomo Noah-O, who is a decade into his career and only getting better. Then there’s Michael Millions, an underrated emcee from the AGM posse who just might be the best rhymer on the local scene right now. Chance Fischer, one of the only rhymers with a prayer of challenging Millions for that title, will be there too. And of course, we can’t forget the hardest working man in Richmond hip hop, Black Liquid, who just dropped what must be at least his 20th album and shows no sign of slowing down. Strong up-and-comer Segga Spiccoli, production mastermind Ant The Symbol, rock-solid spitter Reppa Ton, and living legend Swerve 36 on the wheels of steel round out a lineup that no local hip hop fan has any excuse to miss. The charity stuff is important, but where this show is concerned, the reason for the season is the music.

Wednesday, December 6, 8 PM
The Palmer Squares, Vantablac Sol, Netherfriends, Yung Dxrk @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
From local hip hop to some touring rappers from Chicago, it’s a rhyme-heavy week. Here we have a three-artist tour package headed up by The Palmer Squares, who’ve got a huge social media presence and the lyrical skills to back up their high view numbers on YouTube. Their latest EP, NaPalm follows up their first two full-lengths with another half a dozen songs full of tongue-twisting turns of phrase from rappers Terminal Knowledge and Acumental, as well as thick, multi-layered beats from producer Nate Kiz, who isn’t technically in the group but has established a strong, unified sound for The Palmer Squares over the course of multiple projects.

Nate Kiz may not be along on this tour, but Vantablac Sol is, and I’m assuming this Chicago rapper quit using original nom de rhyme Bruce Bayne after DC Comics got wind of it. Regardless, his more laid-back flow fits with Palmer Squares’ more manic tendencies due to equally thick, pulverizing beats that tie his latest VBS Tape together. A fun third piece of this trio is Netherfriends, the Chicago-based project that came through Richmond a bunch back in the 50 Songs 50 States days. Shawn Rosenblatt’s solo project had more of a bedroom-indie vibe back then, but he was already starting to get into hip hop production last time I caught up with him a few years ago, so this tour makes a lot of sense in conjunction with recent beat-heavy releases like Piano Dude. Whether you’re in the house to catch up with Netherfriends or to catch some sick rhymes from Palmer Squares, this show’s gonna deliver some killer sounds to your earholes.

Thursday, December 7, 8 PM
Battalion Of Saints, The Cryptics, Talk Me Off @ Bandito’s – Free!
It’s never a bad guess to assume that an early 80s American hardcore band was full of dead end kids with no future, but even in a scene full of bands that could barely survive their own nihilistic lifestyle, Battalion of Saints deserve special recognition. After all, singer George Anthony has been the only surviving original member of the band since sometime in the late 80s. He’s kept the band rolling with a rotating collection of SoCal miscreants ever since, and most recently, they released a 3-song EP on Southern Lord that showed their skills at loud, fast, out-of-control punk noise having decayed not at all after 35 years of destructive rage.

So it’s pretty cool to see these maniacs rolling through Richmond once again, 20 years after they tore Strange Matter (then known as Twisters) apart on the Death-R-Us tour. This time they’ll be hitting Bandito’s, so all the punks who are scraping quarters together to buy 40s at 7-11 can stop by the show on the way to the store without worrying about their beer money having to go to the door charge. If you’re living a bit more of a sensible lifestyle these days, your money can easily go towards tasty tacos and high-quality brew from the Bandito’s staff. Either way, you’ll get a hefty dose of punk rock awesomeness from the Battalion as well as spooky, melodic punk tourmates The Cryptics and local hardcore-punk newcomers Talk Me Off. Don’t miss out.

Friday, December 8, 8 PM
Punks For Presents 2017, Night 1, feat. London Caroling, Good Cretins, Sex Tinsels @ Gallery 5 – $10
Over the next couple of weeks leading up to Christmas, Punks For Presents will present five amazing holiday-themed covers shows, all of which will benefit Childrens Hospital of Richmond, and all of which are well worth your time even if they don’t end up making it to this column. How could I skip out on this first one, though? It’d be pretty amazing to see an actual bill featuring the holy trinity of the 77 punk rock explosion, and since that will never happen, this is the next best thing!

Not only will this show feature the songs of the Ramones, The Clash, and the Sex Pistols, most likely performed by members of some of your favorite local bands (though at the moment that’s a closely guarded secret–you’ll have to show up Friday night to find out exactly who is involved), it will most likely also feature slightly-rewritten lyrics turning much loved classics into Christmas songs! “Santa Is A Punk”? “Yule Logs Burning”? “Holidays In The Snow”? All are possibilities, but what really makes this whole thing fun is finding out for yourself. Come rock out this Friday night and get in the giving spirit once again!

Saturday, December 9, 8 PM
Houdan The Mystic, Colin Phils, Gull, Shy Low @ Strange Matter – $6 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Our favorite melodic prog mathematicians in Houdan The Mystic are back with yet another split LP. After keeping a low profile for a few years, since previously joining with Fight Cloud for 2014’s killer Where’s My Shakespeare?, they’ve decided to team up this time with South Korean transplants Colin Phils for a slab aptly titled Star Charts. This collection will enter the world this Saturday night at a shindig being thrown by Jet Trails Media over at Strange Matter. Like Where’s My Shakespeare?, Star Charts will enter the world on cassette and CD as well as over the digital waves. And really, even if you’re just planning on picking up the mp3s, record releases aren’t as fun without a big musical celebration, so you should still come out!

After all, Colin Phils are just as big a part of this whole picture as Houdan The Mystic, and unlike Houdan, they may still be quite unfamiliar to those of you who’ve been reading this column for a while. As previously mentioned, they originally formed in South Korea, and only arrived in Richmond recently. However, they’ve made a lot of local connections in their scant time here, and have impressed a lot of people who know what they’re talking about. Including me, I must say–the preview tracks from Star Charts available online show a mastery of everything from post-rock ambience to prog-emo grandeur and math-rock intensity. These guys are sure to bring the heat live, and if you, like me, still haven’t had the pleasure, this is the perfect opportunity. With Gull and Shy Low also on the bill, this is going to be a night full of challenging, amazing musicality. Get on board.

Sunday, December 10, 7 PM
The Dream Syndicate, Elephant Stone, Armistead of Love Tractor @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Social media is a weird thing. For example, this morning as I was checking facebook on my way to work where I knew I’d eventually write about this show, I discovered that it was two years ago today when I returned home from seeing The Dream Syndicate at Strange Matter and bashed out a quick recap for my tumblr before I went to bed. I’d written about that show for my show column, and it had totally lived up to the pre-show hype I myself wrote. Now, with the Syndicate’s return to the city this Sunday night, I find myself writing about them again. And I don’t regret it one bit.

That 2015 show was an incredible showcase of Steve Wynn and co.’s amazing run of 5 releases between 1981 and 1989, and I’m sure there’ll be some Dream Syndicate classics unleashed to mindblowing effect this Sunday night as well. But the main reason you should go to Capital Ale House and see this band is because the reunited incarnation of the band released their first new album in nearly 30 years earlier this year, and How Did I Find Myself Here? stands alongside any of their previous work in awesomeness. Wynn’s killer tunes are still at the forefront here, but the atonal noise solos, the layered psychedelic guitar freakiness, the hypnotic buzzing hum, and the punk rock-fueled intensity from classic albums like Medicine Show and The Days Of Wine And Roses is still on display. So yeah, it’s safe to say these guys will kick ass once again. Kick down the 20 bucks for a ticket–it’s worth it.

Monday, December 11, 8 PM
R-Dent, Josie McQueen, Sleave, Halfcast @ Strange Matter – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
If you play alt-rock loud and fast enough, it kinda crosses the line into punk, and Jacksonville’s R-Dent push their guitar-driven midtempo riffage across that line as often as they can. One could probably quibble about whether or not this band would be more at home on Sub Pop in 1993 or No Idea in 1997, but either way, those who like loud guitars, driving rhythms, intense vocals, and an undeniable melodic sense hiding underneath everything will find a lot to like in this band, who’ll show up to Strange Matter Monday night with some loud amps in the back of their van.

They’ll be joined by a trio of loud-rockin’ locals, led by Josie McQueen, who don’t really ever push their alt-rock sound into the red enough to count as punk. That’s not a dis, though–these guys are more like Cheap Trick jamming with Marvelous Three or something, and that kind of tight, rockin’ power-pop is too thin on the ground these days. It’s good to have someone bringing that style to us right here in RVA, and it’s also nice to have the gruff melodic punk of Sleave, who clearly would find their place on post-Y2K No Idea, in the house for this one as well. Halfcast opens up with some thick riffage to keep the rock going from start to finish.

Tuesday, December 12, 8 PM
New Madrid, David Barbe & Inward Dream Ebb @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
REM may not be around anymore, but if you think that means Athens, GA is no longer musically relevant, you need to pay better attention. You can start right here with this show, during which Athens crew New Madrid will come to town to hypnotize everyone with their riveting psychedelic grooves. Latest album magnetkingmagnetqueen has the sort of laid-back, spacey sound that should appeal to fans of locals like Avers and Minor Poet, making it an amazing headtrip of a listen.

With them, New Madrid will bring David Barbe, a well-known Athens denizen who has produced New Madrid along with legends like the Drive-By Truckers and Deerhunter. Barbe’s quite a musician in his own right, which he initially proved as the bass player for early 90s alt-rock stars Sugar and continued to make clear on solo efforts like 2001’s Comet Of The Season. He’s recently stepped back from production to devote himself to music-making once again, and brand new album 10th Of Seas sees Barbe playing all instruments on an album of psych-infused alt-rock that reminds everyone who loved his old stuff exactly what made it all so great. Barbe will perform backed by Inward Dream Ebb, the alter-ego of New Madrid as they pay tribute to a mentor by backing him up before returning to the stage with a killer solo set to close out the night. It’s gonna be an awesome night–make sure you’re part of it.

—-

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]

Gritty City Records presents Gritty City Is For The Kids 3 @Strange Matter

RVA Staff | December 1, 2017

Topics: Ant The Symbol, Baja Bean, black liquid, Chance Fischer, Classic Tattoo, Eat Lucky, Gritty City, GWAR bar, Honeysuckle And The Opal, Kulture, Michael Millions, Noah-O, plan 9, Reppa Ton, Segga Spiccoli, Steady Sounds, Tef Wesley, Two Pillars Tattoo

Join us once again as we collect toys and raise money for TOYS FOR TOTS this holiday season. 

Strange Matter
December 7th, 2017
8pm -2am

Performers:
Gritty City
Noah-O
Black Liquid
Michael Millions
Tef Wesley
Chance Fischer
Segga Spiccoli
Reppa Ton
Ant The Symbol 

Hosted by Been Official
Music by Swerve 36

A donation of a toy or $5 for entry.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a raffle ticket. 

*Art by Brad Douglas

Sponsors:
Two Pillars Tattoo
Classic Tattoo
Kulture
Plan 9
Steady Sounds
Baja Bean
Gwar Bar
Eat Lucky
Honeysuckle And The Opal 

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 2/17-2/23

Marilyn Drew Necci | February 18, 2016

Topics: Antelope King, Big No, BLK LLC, Brief Lives, Chris Bernstorf, Circle Thrift, Clair Morgan, Comrades, Dr. Millionaire, Farma Wes, gallery 5, Gemtone, Geometers, Ghastly City Sleep, Glass Twin, Gull, Hardywood, Ishmael, landis wine, Manzara, Ms. Proper, Naked Pictures, People's Temple Project, Plain Scrap, Ruckzuck, Segga Spiccoli, shows you must see, Sleeper Wave, strange matter, Tennison, The Blue Sky Disaster, The Camel, The Cheats Movement, Tigerwine, Truman, Ultra Flake, Uncle Drunk, Van Hagar

FEATURE SHOW
Friday, February 19, 8 PM
People’s Temple Project, Sleeper Wave, Van Hagar, Truman @ Circle Thrift – $3-5 suggested donation

[NOTE: Late this week, for the second time in this column’s two-year, 100+ episode existence. What can I tell ya? Life gets in the way sometimes. Hope you didn’t sit home bored last night! Here’s the rest of the week, and we’ll be on time next Wednesday, I promise. –Drew]
Swamp Fest was not a fluke!
[Read more…] about RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 2/17-2/23

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