Silent Music Revival

St. Patrick’s Day Double Feature Brings Wonderful Weirdness To Gallery 5

RVA Staff | March 25, 2019

Topics: gallery 5, James River Film Festival, James River Film Society, Jean Vigo, Jennifer Aniston, Leprechaun, Silent Music Revival, Strange Projections, The Wimps, Zero For Conduct

To close out the 26th annual James River Film Festival, Gallery 5 celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a double feature from Silent/Music Revival and Strange Projections, featuring the classic St. Paddy’s Day film, Leprechaun.

The evening of St. Patrick’s Day saw the James River Film Festival close out in fine fashion, with a bizarrely fascinating double feature at Gallery 5. While some were ending their weekend with shamrocks and green beer, the James River Film Society (JRFS) presented a new installment of the long-running Silent/Music Revival series, followed by the latest installment of the JRFS’s Strange Projections series.

Curated and hosted by VCU film professor Mike Jones, the James River Film Festival celebrated its 26th year this year, and did so while remaining entirely volunteer-run and funded through donations. Silent/Music Revival doesn’t have quite as storied a history, but it has been around for a long time now, so chances are you’ve encountered at least one of their unique screenings before. But for those of you still not in the know, this Richmond tradition pairs silent movies with local musicians who, having never seen the films before, improvise a soundtrack on the spot.

As always with Silent/Music Revival, this event was free, and the experience it offered was amazing. The film featured this time around was Jean Vigo’s 1933 film Zero For Conduct. The 40-minute film, which depicts an oppressive school environment and small rebellious acts committed by students, was based on Vigo’s own experiences in boarding school as a child, and was banned in France for 12 years after its release. Silent/Music Revival showed the film from a rare 16mm print, which definitely gave the proceedings a throwback feel.

The soundtrack for this film was created by organ-driven indie band The Wimps, who did an exceptional job of making their music pair with the film, despite the fact that they couldn’t even see the movie being played from where they were set up. The audience’s enjoyment came just as much from seeing the way The Wimps’ impromptu score synced up with the movie as from the movie itself.

After the Silent/Music Revival portion of the evening ended, the James River Film Society held a St. Patrick’s Day-themed episode of their Strange Projections series. It featured an old VHS copy of Leprechaun, a 1993 low-budget horror film featuring Jennifer Aniston before she was famous, mixed live with sounds from old cassettes from the period — specifically an Irish alt-rock trio consisting of The Cranberries, U2, and Sinead O’Connor.

The result was totally weird, probably too weird to focus on completely. However, as this screening marked the end of the five-day film festival, the environment was much more relaxed, as most in attendance hung out chatting and enjoying the refreshments Gallery 5’s bar had on offer.

This evening of filmed entertainment marked a great way to cap off a St. Patrick’s Day weekend, despite the lack of holiday-themed festivities (beyond the showing of Leprechaun, of course). While they aren’t always connected with each other or a film festival, both Silent/Music Revival and Strange Projections are semi-regular film series, and are always worth checking out when you see them happening around town (especially since they are generally free of charge). Keep an eye out for both!

Written by Aviance Hawkes and Marilyn Drew Necci; photos by Aviance Hawkes

VA Shows You Must See This Week: December 12 – December 18

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 12, 2018

Topics: 3:33, Alright, Billy Neptune, Black Lotus, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Christmas Jerks, Cold Beaches, Colder Planets, Colin Phils, Deli Kings, Don Fredrick, Dumb Waiter, Eric Hubel, Fat Spirit, gallery 5, Genosha, Ghoul Trouble, Ghouli, God Of Nothing, Good Cretins, Graham Stone, Grem Smiley, Hackedepicciotto, Heft, Justin Golden, Kenneka Cook, London Caroling, Lounge Lizzards, Mackenzie Roark, Manzara, Matt Lisk, Neat Sweep, Night Idea, Nightcreature, Old Faith, One Less Life, Party Wave, Pat O'Keefe, Plastic Nancy, Punks For Presents, Riffhouse Pub, Sammi Lanzetta, shows you must see, Silent Music Revival, Smoke Break, Snow Control, Sound Of Music Studios, Sports Bar, Stolen Goodz, strange matter, stray fossa, The Camel, The Do-Nothings, The Milkstains, The Mostly Dead, The Trillions, Toast, Torino Death Ride, Toward Space, Toxic Moxie, Treble Lifter, Vulcanite, White Laces, X-Mas

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, December 15, noon
White Laces, Night Idea, Fat Spirit, Manzara, Grem Smiley, Don Fredrick, Nightcreature, Billy Neptune, Deli Kings, Ghoul Trouble @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Saturday, December 15, 9 PM
Punks For Presents 2018 Night Two, feat. Good Cretins, London Caroling, Snow Control, Christmas Jerks, X-Mas @ Strange Matter – $10
The time has come. It’s the last hurrah. This Saturday marks the final time that Strange Matter will host any live music. I know a lot of us have been feeling some ways about this, and I’m definitely feeling those feels too. Not just because Strange Matter has been, hands down, the best and most reliable live music venue in Richmond for the past decade, but also because… y’all, I’ve got a column to write every week. I’ve been writing this column for four years, and I can count the weekly installments that went by without featuring at least one Strange Matter show on one finger. When most of the venues around town weren’t even open most random weeknights, Strange Matter could always be counted on to be hosting not just a show, but more often than not, a real banger that I’d put into my column even if it was happening on a Saturday night when every place was hosting something.

Where am I gonna send you now on a random Tuesday night now? We’re gonna find that answer together in 2019, for better or worse. But while Strange Matter still exists, you better believe I’m gonna send you there this weekend. After all, this Saturday, their final day in operation, is going to be a major blowout, featuring not one but two epic shows that will start off around the time you’re paying your tab at brunch and end at last call in the wee hours. What better way could there be for you to celebrate Strange Matter’s truly top-quality decade of operation than to spend about 14 hours within its darkened confines, enjoying over a dozen excellent bands from right here in RVA?

You know the answer as well as I do, so let’s all just mark our calendars now. There’s plenty to get stoked for — a reunion set by White Laces tops off the first epic show of the day, and since it’s always wonderful to see Landis, Jimmy, Jay, and the rest of the gang take the stage together, this will be a can’t-miss moment for any Richmond music fan. The coterie of excellent local faves supporting them on this bill — math-rock kingpins Night Idea, angst-ridden grunge punks Fat Spirit, spaced-out noise-rockers Manzara, so many more — is only matched by the outstanding slate of holiday-themed tribute acts being brought to us on the late show’s jam-packed lineup courtesy of Punks For Presents. Have you ever wanted to hear Clash songs rewritten to feature lyrics about Santa Claus? Or a set of Bad Religion tunes played by people who’ve seen snow on their front lawn at some point in their lives? You’ll get these and many more excellent musical treats at this fun-filled extravaganza. Don’t miss it — if you let your last chance to enjoy Strange Matter while it’s here slip away, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Guaranteed.

Wednesday, December 12, 6 PM
The Milkstains, Sports Bar, Sammi Lanzetta, The Trillions, Cold Beaches, Dumb Waiter, Toward Space, Neat Sweep @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s continue to talk about the outstanding fare Strange Matter will be bringing us throughout their final few days of operation, shall we? The many epic local showcases that have filled their stage over the past few weeks have tended to find a focus in one local scene or another, and this one is no exception, bringing us a smorgasbord of the best alternative rock n’ roll this city has to offer. The fact that I took til the third sentence of this writeup to tell you that the Milkstains will be headlining this show with their first local performance since LAST Christmas might just constitute burying the lede, but I write these columns really goddamn fast, so I hope no one will hate on me too much for letting my journalistic principles slip just a bit.

Anyway, based on the advance promo for this show, it seems likely that this performance by the Milkstains may just constitute their last-ever performance as a band, and considering how much sweat, beer, and surf-grunge wildness this band has dished out to this city over the past decade-plus (they’ve been a thing even longer than Strange Matter has), that’s a real loss to all of us. Celebrate the life and the rock n’ roll power of the Milkstains once again/one last time(?) at Smatter tonight — but don’t just waltz in as they’re hitting the stage, because if you do, you’ll miss out on a plethora of fine musical performers, from the heartstopping alt-rock balladry of singer-songwriter extraordinaire Sammi Lanzetta to the garage-pop brilliance of Sports Bar to the jazz-metal madness of Dumb Waiter. And so much more! Dude… it’s gonna be epic.

Thursday, December 13, 8 PM
Old Faith, Colin Phils, Colder Planets, Kenneka Cook @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I could keep on talking about Strange Matter for every single remaining day of their brief existence, and rest assured, on both this night and the next, there are excellent shows spotlighting indie-rock and grindcore at Strange Matter on these nights. If you were to go, I fully would not blame you. But I would be remiss in my duty as Richmond’s chief chronicler of live local music (I mean, really, who else is there?) if I didn’t tell you about a couple of amazing shows happening at other venues during this final half-week of Strange Matter’s extended wake. Let’s begin with this one, which features an appearance by Greensboro instrumental quartet Old Faith.

There have been quite a few groups that have trod similar musical ground as these North Carolinians now cover, but their ability to evoke perspective, meaning, and emotion through the stunning evolutions of their dual-guitar instrumental epics, as demonstrated on their recently released self-titled LP, puts them in the top tier of the genre, alongside famous names like Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai. When the sounds of their amplifiers grow to fill and surround Capital Ale House’s Downtown Music Hall, the music is sure to take you on an emotional journey. RVA-via-Korea band Colin Phils will also be on hand to bring you their pleasing take on the note-twisting melodic tangles of math-rock, while Colder Planets’s gorgeous alt-rock sounds will put a smile on your face for sure. And of course, there’s Kenneka Cook, the excellent soul singer and amazingly talented electronic-music composer, who’ll bring us an always-delightful set of her amazing tunes. This one’s going to be a delight.

Friday, December 14, 8 PM
Hackedepicciotto, Eric Hubel @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Assuming you’re not hitting Strange Matter, it’s back to Capital Ale House’s Downtown Music Hall on this fine Friday night for one of the weirdest and most intriguing musical experiences you’re going to have anytime in the near future. Hackedepicciotto are coming to town, and while this particular name may not be all that familiar to you, you’re sure to be impressed by their musical pedigree. Alexander Hacke is bassist and co-founder of German industrial godfathers Einsturzende Neubauten; his partner in life and music, Danielle de Picciotto, sang with German postpunk band Die Haut and helped establish long-running Berlin music festival Love Parade.

When they create together, Hacke and de Picciotto make music focused on their interest in yoga and other forms of meditation. Their most recent release is JOY, the second of their albums composed specifically to be soundtracks for meditation, and for that album they worked with New York postpunk guitarist Eric Hubel, formerly of Glenn Branca’s band and a yoga master himself. Now all three come to Richmond to create ambient soundtracks that might have some meditative qualities but also have an intense character that sometimes carries a dark undercurrent and always has the potential to shake your spiritual foundations. It’s hard to say what we’ll see and hear at Capital Ale House Friday night, but one thing’s for sure — it’ll move you.

Saturday, December 15, 7 PM
Genosha, 3:33, Vulcanite, Lounge Lizzard, Treble Lifter, The Mostly Dead, Torino Death Ride @ Sound Of Music Studios – $5
As Strange Matter breathes its last this Saturday night, new life is being born into the Virginia hardcore scene. Metallic hardcore group Genosha will be releasing their latest CD, Our Conspiracy, and while I haven’t yet heard any of the tuneage from it, the two excellent bangers they released earlier this year on a split EP with fellow Commonwealth denizens Treble Lifter (also playing this show; more about them in a minute) give all the reason in the world to expect a powerful slab of dark, brutal moshcore out of this quintet. Being there to see the new Genosha LP being birthed into the world is certainly a fine use of your weekend night, especially if you’re ready for some serious headbangs.

There are quite a few other excellent bands from all around the VA area on this bill as well, and that’s sure to sweeten the pot for the initiated as well as the merely intrigued. Lounge Lizzard in particular are one to watch; this Richmond-based newcomer features members from all kinds of other excellent local bands — Toxic Moxie, Cremains, The Donalds, Skumboyz, and more. Plus, their snarky, catchy old-school punk sound is particularly designed to appeal to fans of The Avengers, which is never a bad thing. The aforementioned Treble Lifter have more of a driving post-hardcore sound, but don’t get me wrong — these guys are plenty pissed off, so you punks are still gonna love it. There are a lot more notable bands on this bill, but I’m running out of space, so I challenge you — learn about them for yourself. Come to Sound Of Music this Saturday night, and find out what’s going on with the new generation.

Sunday, December 16, 7:30 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. Toxic Moxie @ Gallery 5 – Donations accepted
This should be an intriguing installment of the always-fascinating Silent Music Revival, a long-running series of local shows in which Richmond-area musicians of note create improvised soundtracks for silent films they’ve never seen before. This time around, it’ll be Toxic Moxie who’ve accepted the challenge, and it’ll be fun to see how they incorporate their disco-punk hybrid sound into the world of film score. They’ll have a pretty great candidate for scoring too, as the film on display this week is Jean Renoir’s 1928 picture The Little Match Girl.

Renoir, who shares a surname with Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir because he was his son, was a pioneering French film director who got his start in the silent era before going on to demonstrate what could be achieved in the film medium with classics like La Grand Illusion and The Rules Of The Game. Starring his first wife and based on that totally bleak Hans Christian Andersen story we all heard as kids, The Little Match Girl was one of Renoir’s more notable early efforts, one that he financed by selling off his dad’s paintings. Now it’s being paired with the music of Toxic Moxie, on a Sunday evening at Gallery 5. What a time to be alive.

Monday, December 17, 7 PM
Alright, Smoke Break, Ghouli @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$6 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Never mind the fact that I always, without fail, write it as two words (“all right”); I’m still stoked to see Alright coming to town. These North Carolinians feature Sarah Blumenthal, formerly of the excellent Charlotte, NC band Faye, on guitar and vocals, and while Alright are clearly dipping a little further into the melodic/emotional end of the musical pond than Faye were, this group carries on the crunching guitars and exuberant bounce that Faye did so well.

Their just-released new EP, On The Outs, is the sort of record that will appeal equally to fans of melodic pop-punk groups like the Candy Hearts and garage-rock roustabouts like Sheer Mag. Live, these tunes are sure to get everybody bouncing around with smiles on their faces. It makes them a good pairing with Smoke Break, the melodic, energetic RVA trio featuring members of Sundials, Hold Tight, and Springtime who also grace this bill. We don’t get too many chances to see these guys, and as their 2016 LP Everything Is Wrong proved, they’ve got a lot to offer. So be sure not to miss out on this one — and show up on time, because local newcomers Ghouli have some caustic, frenetic punk to bowl you over with, and you’ll feel real stupid if you hear their last song from outside when you’re walking up. Don’t be that guy.

Tuesday, December 18, 7 PM
Matt Lisk, Justin Golden, Graham Stone, Mackenzie Roark, Pat O’Keefe @ The Camel – Free!
I don’t think this night is part of the official “singer-songwriter showcase” series The Camel’s been doing off-and-on over the past couple years, but it’s set up in much the same way: several local musicians known for excellently-crafted solo material will all get together and play sets one after the other, and you’ll be able to see it all for free. That’s always a good deal, especially since the Camel has burgers and tacos on the menu that become way more affordable when you didn’t have to pay to get in. So show up a little early, get your grub on, and then settle in to enjoy a night of excellent solo sounds that come to you courtesy of folks like Matt Lisk, whose contemplative acoustic offerings are a great soundtrack for an introspective evening.

By contrast, Justin Golden will bring us some rootsy acoustic blues with a soulful feel that take his work beyond the traditional sound of legends like Robert Johnson and Son House, even as it keeps their spirits alive. Mackenzie Roark, who worked with a former member of Hootie And The Blowfish on her last album, has some classic country sounds to offer that are sure to please fans of Patsy Cline and Wanda Jackson. And of course, Graham Stone has become a fixture on the local singer-songwriter scene, with his folk feel and deep-blue voice always making an impression. The evening is rounded out by Dalton Dash frontman Pat O’Keefe taking a solo turn that we can imagine will maintain a similar old-time mix of folk, country, and bluegrass sounds that we’ve all come to know and love in his band. All of this for no dollars at the door? You can’t beat that with a bat.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, December 14, 7 PM
The Do-Nothings, Stray Fossa, Party Wave, Plastic Nancy @ Toast – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Something unusual is going on here. The Do-Nothings are holding this show at Toast as an “album release party,” but until recently, there was no evidence of a forthcoming album to be found. Then on Monday, a post went up on their Facebook page that read, “This is not a test. Our album release show set will be recorded live and released as the album we are having the release show to release. Get it? Your participation is very important to us.” And if that isn’t enough to pique your interest, you’re a less curious person than I am.

Research has revealed that The Do-Nothings, who appear to be based in Richmond even though they’re having this bizarre “release party” in Norfolk, are a project led by singer/guitarist Andrew Altman, who, along with an energetic rhythm section, makes wild, effects-laden psychedelic blues-punk tunes that rarely fail to get weird. Their work reminds me in some ways of the early Black Keys, back when their records were way too grotty to ever get within shouting distance of radio, and in others of the totally bizarre early material by New York freaks Royal Trux. How’s that all gonna translate when they both make and release their next album onstage at Toast this weekend? One thing’s for sure — it won’t be boring. Gas up the Hyundai and go see what these weirdos have up their sleeve.

Sunday, December 16, 7 PM
God Of Nothing, One Less Life, Black Lotus, Heft, Stolen Goodz @ Riffhouse Pub – $5
Northern Virginia deathcore brutality merchants God Of Nothing apparently galled a few people by referring to themselves on the internet a few years ago as “the heaviest band on earth,” but we ain’t mad at ’em. Honestly, new single “1075” is pretty crushing, especially with its incorporation of ambient noise and a ridiculous final breakdown that features several totally silent pauses that trick you into thinking the song’s over before blindsiding you with another monstrous riff. These guys are clearly continuing to build on the legacy of downtuned mosh madness they’ve built up over the last several years, and what they’re showing us lately more than makes them worth going to see — even if they aren’t the heaviest band on any earth that also contains Sunn o))).

New Jersey’s Black Lotus are also on this bill, and while they’re more focused on complex, chaotic masses of progressive metalcore (they call themselves a “djent” band, but I’ve never been able to establish a coherent definition for that particular subgenre) than the sheer low-end crunch of God Of Nothing, they should certainly appeal to fans of the headliner, if their excellent Wilted LP from earlier this year is any indication. There’s a lot going on on this album, for sure, but never fear — a brutal breakdown is always just around the corner. One thing’s for sure: the pit at this show’s gonna be a risky proposition. I’ll be protecting my middle-aged bones, but if you love to mosh hard, this one’s gonna put a smile on your face for sure.

—-

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Silent / Music Revival: Houdan the Mystic (Double Feature)

Joe Vanderhoff | March 15, 2018

Topics: gallery 5, Houdan The Mystic, James River Film Festival, Live Musical Score, Silent Music Revival

Doors 6pm

6:30 PM, Admission $7

EVERY, EVERYTHING: THE MUSIC, LIFE AND TIMES OF GRANT HART (2013, 97 min.) –dir/scr: Gorman Bechard w/ Grant Hart, Husker Du, et al.
The late Grant Hart’s (Husker Du, Nova Mob) life from birth in South St. Paul to release of his 2013 album ‘The Argument’ is well-covered in filmmaker Bechard’s (Color Me Obsessed) rockumentary. Stylistically reminiscent of Errol Morris ‘The Fog of War’ as eloquent conversationlist Hart is the only interview of the film. Plenty of locations and clips though for all Husker fans!

8:30 PM, No cover/ Donations Encouraged

Silent / Music Revival presents BUNUEL’s surreal classic L’ AGE D’OR (projected on 16MM!) with live soundtrack by Houdan the Mystic! When director Luis Bunuel’s cryptic satire of Church and State was released in 1930 it was attacked by forces of Catholicism and Fascism, and deemed blasphemous ultimately by its producer, Comte de Noilles.
2 reels with brief intermission

Silent / Music Revival Avant After Party w/ Harry Partch Appreciation Society

Joe Vanderhoff | March 15, 2018

Topics: After Party, Garden Grove Brewing, Harry Partch Appreciation Society, James River Film Festival, Man with a Movie Camera, Silent Music Revival

Silent / Music Revival & James River Film Festival
presents:

Avant- Garde After Party
featuring:
Dziga Vertov’s – Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
w/ live music score by:
Harry Partch Appreciation Society
https://soundcloud.com/harrypartchappreciationsociety

– Raffle tickets and prizes!
– Special Event Brews!
9-MIDNIGHT
@ Garden Grove Brewing
3445 W Cary St

Silent Music Revival, feat. OINuBi @ Garden Grove Brewery

Joe Vanderhoff | March 14, 2018

Topics: Garden Grove Brewing, James River Film Festival, Live Musical Score, OlNuBi, Silent Music Revival, The Blue Bird

Silent / Music Revival & James River Film Festival
presents:

Avant- Garde After Party
featuring:
Maurice Tourneur’s – The Blue Bird (1918)
w/ live music score by:
OlNuBi
https://olnubi.bandcamp.com/

– Raffle tickets and prizes!
– Special Event Brews!
9-MIDNIGHT
@ Garden Grove Brewing

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 3/14-3/20

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 14, 2018

Topics: Choir Boy, Colin Phils, Death Shroud, Dumb Waiter, Embra, Fat Spirit, Flora, gallery 5, Garden Grove Brewery, Hardywood, Harry Partch Appreciation Society, Houdan The Mystic, Iespecial, Kings, MAASK, Maneka, McCormack's, McKinley Dixon, No BS! Brass Band, Nosebleed, OINuBi, Ovlov, Prison Religion, Rites To Sedition, RVA Tonight's Studio 804, shows you must see, Silent Music Revival, Soft Kill, Soft Web Studio Collective, Soul Glo, strange matter, The Blue Tips, The Camel, The Flavor Project, Tiny Scissors, True Body, Vesterian, Zion I

FEATURED SHOWS
Friday, March 16, 9 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. OINuBi @ Garden Grove Brewery – Free!
Saturday, March 17, 9 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. Harry Partch Appreciation Society @ Garden Grove Brewery – Free!
Sunday, March 18, 8 PM
Silent Music Revival, feat. Houdan The Mystic @ Gallery 5 – Free!
Hey y’all, it’s another holiday weekend! No, I’m not talking about someone else’s excuse to get plastered (“I’m a person just like you but I don’t actually drink beer” — Roman Mars); I’m talking about the James River Film Festival, which makes its return for a weekend of serious film nerdery starting this Friday. There are a lot of amazing things going on around town related to the film festival this year. You avant-garde music heads are gonna want to catch Gary Lucas at Grace Street Theatre Friday night, playing along to German silent horror film The Golem; those of you who loved Husker Du are going to want to get to Gallery 5 early on Sunday night and catch Every Everything, a 2013 documentary about the late Grant Hart.

However, what we’re spotlighting is not only the best value for your money anywhere in town this weekend (because, yeah, all these shows are free) but the latest flowering of an ongoing Richmond music scene tradition, that of the Silent Music Revival. Jameson Price of Lobo Marino started this recurring event over a decade ago, pairing local bands with silent films they haven’t seen before in order to create unique soundtracks that reveal new elements of the artists involved while also allowing audiences to experience silent films in a new, engaging way. It’s a cool series, it’s featured a ton of excellent local performers over the years, and this weekend sees a new Silent Music Revival event taking place for every night of the James River Film Festival.

The first two events, both billed as “Avant-Garde Afterparties,” happen at Garden Grove and pair unusual films with unusual local performers. Friday night sees experimental beatmaker OINuBi mixing it up with French director Maurice Tourneur’s 1918 fantasy film The Blue Bird, while Saturday night brings us the 1929 experimental documentary Man With A Movie Camera, a Dziga Vertov film from the early days of the Soviet Union that pioneered many filmmaking techniques we take for granted today. This one will be paired with a performance from the Harry Partch Appreciation Society, a collective of local improvisational musicians paying tribute to the avant-garde microtonal works of the titular composer. Finally, on Sunday night, psychedelic math-rockers Houdan The Mystic will mix it up over at Gallery 5 with the legendary Spanish surrealist director Luis Bunuel’s L’Age d’Or, a cutting satire of church and state that pissed off a lot of repressive people back when it was released. What sort of strange twists will these local performers add to these fascinating films from bygone eras? That’s a question worth answering firsthand — and hey, the price is right.

Wednesday, March 14, 8 PM
Zion I, Iespecial, McKinley Dixon @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Real underground hip hop is alive and well here in RVA, and in a lot of other cities around the USA as well — for evidence, look no further than the arrival in our city tonight of Zion I, the long-running Oakland-based hip hop project led by Baba Zumbi, which has over 10 albums to their credit as of this year, and is about to drop another one, The Tonite Show, in only a couple of weeks. No singles from the album have made their way into the world yet, but you’re sure to hear a few blasted out from the stage at The Camel tonight.

Zion I has a conscious focus, with lyrics that talk about everyday realities for working class African-American people trying to make it in America today. This is the sort of stuff we need to hear, and it’s set to incredible beats from a variety of producers that hit hard but don’t leave out the melodies and the memorable choruses that get you moving. Zion I is on tour with Iespecial, a Boston group with a hip hop vibe, an electronic sound, and a psychedelic consciousness, all of which integrates together into a unique sound that should appeal to fans of both Zion I’s hip hop and more experimental projects from King Crimson to Disco Biscuits. And of course, with McKinley Dixon opening up the show, you know the local support will make it well worth your time to show up early. This one can’t miss.

Thursday, March 15, 8 PM
Vesterian, Rites To Sedition, Death Shroud, Embra @ McCormack’s – $7
Black metal rules. From the unrelenting riffage and pounding drums to the intense vocals and spooky subject matter, it’s a sound with a guaranteed appeal to weirdos like me who love horror movies and screeching atonal noise. As a genre, it has a desire to freak people out, and while that can sometimes get into downright sketchy territory, thankfully Vesterian just stick with classic occult themes in their evocation of musical terror — and who can’t get down with that? So wear your corpse paint and spiked gauntlets to McCormack’s Thursday night, because this LA crew is bringing you some grim, frozen brutality from the sunny shores of SoCal. The unrelenting assault of their excellent 2013 LP, Anthems For The Coming War Age, is sure to come to life on this chilly winter’s night here in RVA.

Charlotte, NC’s Rites To Sedition will join Vesterian this night with some killer sounds of their own, though they veer more towards progressive thrash metal wizardry than outright black metal darkness. And there’s not a damn thing wrong with that, as proven by their excellent 2017 LP, Ancestral Blood, which shows how black metal influences can be integrated with prog melodies and thrash speed without sacrificing an ounce of intensity on any level. Feel the triumph! Support will be ably provided by Blacksburg black metal maulers Death Shroud, and by up-and-coming RVA shredders Embra. Heads will bang throughout — be prepared.

Friday, March 16, 6 PM
A Blues Brothers Tribute Show, feat. No BS! Brass Band, The Flavor Project, The Blue Tips, KINGS, RVA Tonight’s Studio 804 @ Hardywood – Free!
As a movie, The Blues Brothers has just about got it all. Not only does it give us the original SNL dynamic duo of Aykroyd and Belushi (RIP) spreading their wings across a hilarious feature film, not only is it in the top 5 all-time car chase movies (the other four are Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, the original Gone In 60 Seconds, Vanishing Point, and Bullitt — go see all of them), it features an absolutely incredible soundtrack full of powerful performances from R&B legends including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and more. And of course, the Blues Brothers backing band is made up of legendary stars from the classic Stax house bands including Booker T & the MGs and the Bar-Kays. Any group of musicians setting themselves the task of paying tribute to the film have given themselves a lot to live up to.

Fortunately, the musicians involved in this tribute show are more than equal to the task. This evening will pair a live screening of the film with performances from members of No BS! Brass Band, The Flavor Project, KINGS, and more, coming together to form an all-star RVA band that one might even regard as a 21st century equivalent to those Memphis all-stars that made up the original Blues Brothers. This band will take over for the film’s versions of classic songs like “Shake Your Tailfeather” (Ray Charles), “Think” (Aretha Franklin), “The Old Landmark” (a gospel standard performed in the film by James Brown), and quite a few more. If you’re as stoked about the original Blues Brothers film, and the work of the many classic southern soul musicians who were involved in it, as I am, you really need to be there.

Saturday, March 17, 8 PM
Dumb Waiter, Tiny Scissors, Colin Phils @ Gallery 5 – $7
The math-jazz-metal mania that is Dumb Waiter rolls on undiminished year after year, and anyone who has an issue with that is a total grinch. It’s been a while since this instrumental quartet gave us any new music — second LP Cancel Christmas was all the way back in spring 2016 — but if the facebook rumor mill holds true (and it ALWAYS does), they’ve been laying down some new jams in the upstairs rooms at Gallery 5 that sometimes double as Dave Watkins’ studio. Which is outstanding news that will make all the local diehards feel like the holidays have come early this year (OK, I’ll stop with the Christmas jokes).

Dumb Waiter are well matched on this bill, as they find themselves paired with Atlanta duo Tiny Scissors. This instrumental project brings guitar and drums together into wild flights of math-metal fancy that see them treading on territory previously visited by killer ensembles like Don Caballero and Orthrelm. They’ll get your head spinning as often as they get it banging, but one thing’s for sure — you’ll be hanging on their every note. Korea-via-RVA math-rockers Colin Phils will round out the bill with some killer prog riffs and guitar pyrotechnics. This is one for the thinkers; you’ll see way more than three chords on display at Gallery 5 on this night. Show up ready to have your mind blown.

Sunday, March 18, 8 PM
Soft Kill, Choir Boy, True Body @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The postpunk force is strong with this one. Portland’s Soft Kill are on Profound Lore Records, but don’t let that fool you into expecting any sort of doom metal. No, the doom and gloom here are the sort of dark, pounding energies that you would more normally expect from bands like Joy Division and The Chameleons. These touchstones are becoming more and more frequent around the US postpunk scene these days, and I for one am on board. Soft Kill’s new LP, Savior, is scheduled to drop in May, and only one song from it is available online at the moment, but its ominously indelible melodies foreshadow an evening of darkly hypnotic tuneage.

It doesn’t hurt that they’re joined on this bill by Salt Lake City denizens Choir Boy, who have fought the repressive vibe of their home city with an energetic dream-pop sound harking back to the more colorful bands of the mid-80s UK postpunk underground. Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil influences are clearly present here, though the more mainstream new wave sounds of Spandau Ballet and Scritti Politti are in evidence as well. It all adds up to a set full of danceable tunes that will fill you with the sort of indefinable emotional rush of a John Hughes movie. Relive your teenage years (or, OK, mine) at Strange Matter Sunday night, and don’t miss the opening set from Norfolk sludge-punk weirdos True Body, who’ll add a bit of additional fascinating strangeness to the whole evening.

Monday, March 19, 8 PM
Soul Glo, Prison Religion, Nosebleed, MAASK @ Soft Web Studio Collective – $3-5 sliding scale
OK, let’s get this out there up front: Soul Glo have run into some trouble on their current tour, and may very well not make this show. The Philadelphia punk band, which features multiple people of color, was stopped on tour in Missouri by cops who proceeded to pull the band over and arrest one of the members. They then had to post an emergency crowdfunding campaign in order to pay the unusually high bail set by the judge, who presumably knew a touring band when he saw one. Thankfully, the scene came through, the bail money has been raised, and the band member should soon be free. Whether they’ll want to continue on tour after all that remains to be seen — we’d understand if they didn’t.

However, on the off chance that Soul Glo does make it to Richmond, you should absolutely be at the show. Their music is full of powerful, politically-informed hardcore punk with confrontational lyrics and complex, unpredictable riffs that get crowds moving every time they perform. Their performance is every bit the equal of the reactions they get, with the band throwing themselves into their music and leaving it all on the stage in an intense display that leaves no doubt as to how much they value the opportunity to express themselves, and connect with others. Even if Soul Glo don’t make it, this bill will feature a varied and powerful trio of local artists — the hardcore rage of Nosebleed, the gripping electronic terror of MAASK, and the confrontational, experimental hip hop of Prison Religion. But if nothing else, show up because Soul Glo might make it. They’re worth the time.

Tuesday, March 20, 9 PM
Ovlov, Maneka, Fat Spirit @ Flora – $5
Time to get something else out front: I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with this show, y’all. The facebook event page says Ovlov is playing, while the flyer for the tour (seen above) says Ovlov/Stove frontman Steve Hartlett is doing a solo set. What’s the truth? We’ll all have to show up and find out. However, regardless of what’s going on with Steve and his backing band (or lack thereof), Maneka is definitely playing, and this new project by former Speedy Ortiz guitarist Devin McKnight, is worth coming to check out on their own. Their debut EP, Is You Is, released last fall, mixes distorted off-kilter vibes I’d normally associate with the current state of the experimental electronic music scene with some killer 90’s style loud-guitar alt-rock jams of the sort that both Speedy Ortiz and Ovlov have been excellent at reviving in recent years.

It’s nice to hear bands continuing to put a new spin on this sound, which was excellent back in its original heyday but could easily turn into soulless retreads in the wrong hands 25 years later. Steve Hartlett’s hands are not the wrong ones, and that’s true whether he’s fronting Ovlov — which returned to action against all odds last year after splintering in 2015 — or his solo-ish post(?)-Ovlov project, Stove. It’s probably even true if he’s all by himself, considering how well the more acoustic sound of Stove works at replicating that post-Dinosaur Jr distorted-folk sound that Ovlov did in a much louder fashion. So hey, whatever he’s bringing to the table, I’m there for it, and you should be too. The grunge-punk of openers Fat Spirit will be the perfect appetizer for whatever these touring acts have in store. But I must admit… I really hope it’s an Ovlov full-band set. I love that band so much.

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

Top Image by Vivienne Lee

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