Slump

VA Shows You Must See This Week: November 14 – November 20

Marilyn Drew Necci | November 14, 2018

Topics: Airpark, Amigo The Devil, Babe Club, Bask, Birds And Arrows, Blush Face, Capital Ale House Music Hall, cement shoes, Citizen, Court Street Company, Druglord, Fire In The Radio, Flora, Forward, Frances Cone, Glass Twin, Harley Poe, Headsplitters, Lair, Loud Night, Mister Earthbound, Mock Orange, Movements, Old Sea Brigade, shows you must see, Slump, Sound Of Music Studios, strange matter, Tall Heights, Tel, The Camel, The National, The Story So Far, The Wet Boys, Toast, Turnover

FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, November 15, 9 PM
Forward, Headsplitters, Loud Night, Cement Shoes @ Flora – $10
Burning Spirits. To most, perhaps, it’s a vaguely paranormal-sounding phrase with no real significance beyond that. But for the diehard punks and hardcore kids in the know, it is a password to some of the wildest, craziest, and greatest hardcore the genre has ever produced. Apparently the name Burning Spirits comes from a series of venues that graced Japan in the 80s, but these days it’s a signifier of the bands that came from those venues: Death Side, Bastard, Tetsu Arei, Judgment, etc. These bands had a huge influence on the punk, hardcore, and grind scenes around the world as the 80s turned into the 90s, and while many of them were done by the end of that decade, a new generation of bands formed in their wake.

Forward is one of those bands, and perhaps the most legendary. Formed in the mid-90s by members of Death Side and Insane Youth, they became the foremost torchbearers of burning spirits hardcore over the past two decades. Forward has the traditional Burning Spirits sound, which fused post-Discharge UK hardcore with the speed of Scandinavian crust and the ripping biker-style thrash of early speed metal bands. Motorhead was a key influence as well — in fact, on Forward’s latest EP, Another Dimension, they cover Motorhead’s “Death Or Glory” in tribute to Lemmy Kilmister (RIP) — but they inject surprising melodic touches at the oddest of times, which might be the biggest part of their charm.

Forward making it to Richmond from their native Japan isn’t something that happens every day — in fact, it’s been four years since the last time they came through. It might be at least that long before they make it again. So if you want to come sing along with classics like “Just Go Forward To Death” or “Over The Matter Of Course,” this is your chance. Don’t waste it. New Yorkers Headsplitters are also in on the fun with some raging biker-crust of their own, and Richmond up-and-comers Loud Night and Cement Shoes get this one moving. So spike up your hair, dig out your leather vest, and get ready for some serious circle-pit action.

Wednesday, November 14, 7 PM
Amigo The Devil, Harley Poe, The Wet Boys @ Strange Matter – $15 in advance/$17 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There’s a really interesting stereotype about old-time folk music from the hills of Appalachia. All of it, they’ll tell you, is about degenerate behavior — drugs, gambling, murder, and assorted antisocial behavior. It’s enticing to hear, but other than occasional high-profile exceptions like “Knoxville Girl,” you’re not gonna run across too much from the prewar 78-RPM era that lives up to that billing. But here in 2018, Texas musician Amigo The Devil is doing his best to make that hyped-up legend of folk music’s dark, twisted murder balladry a 21st century reality.

Amigo The Devil plays a banjo, sings in a hypnotic baritone, and has written multiple songs about serial killers, from Ed Gein to Jeffrey Dahmer. He’s even been known to tag his sound as “Murderfolk.” That’s the sort of sound he’s explored on his early EPs; now on debut full-length Everything Is Fine, he’s moving towards a fuller sound with more backing instrumentation. Up front, though, he’s still the same banjo-playing songwriter with an angelic voice and a demonic imagination. He’s joined on this tour by a group with a similar sort of approach to demonic folk music, Harley Poe. These Indiana boys like to sing from the point of view of horrible people, giving them jaunty folk tunes over which to vent their spleens and say horrible things. It’s a forbidden thrill, but it makes for a heck of a fun listen. Give these two artists, as well as VA-based openers The Wet Boys, a night to worm inside your skull, and you might just find yourself walking to work tomorrow humming a song about murder with a big smile on your face. And what could be wrong with that?

Thursday, November 15, 8 PM
Birds And Arrows, Glass Twin, Blush Face @ The Camel – $7
Birds And Arrows have had quite the journey over the past dozen years or so. Starting as a folk duo in North Carolina, the group (which is also a married couple, Andrea and Pete Connolly) pulled up stakes last year and headed across the country to Tucson, AZ. Since resettling there, they’ve been rediscovering rock n’ roll volume, turning up louder and louder. You can hear their newfound embrace of raging noise on single “Stay Down,” which has obvious folk roots in its strummy guitars but nonetheless hits with heavy rockin’ power, like a classic psychedelic stoner tune from the mid-70s.

So what can you expect from Birds And Arrows when they hit The Camel stage tomorrow night? Well, as we’ve always heard, the truth is somewhere in-between, and this duo is sure to bring both the hard-rockin’ power of recent tunes and the more stripped-down feel of their folk roots to life when they play live. They’ll be celebrating the release of their new LP, Arbitrary Magic, which expands on the sound of “Stay Down” and features some overtly political commentary about just how frustrating the current state of our country is. If you’re feeling the frustration, and just need to let out some energy to a high-volume example of rock n’ roll chaos, Birds And Arrows are the band for you. Don’t miss ’em.

Friday, November 16, 7 PM
Druglord, Slump, Lair @ Sound Of Music Studios – $7
You can expect some serious sludge from this loud, noisy affair at Sound Of Music Studios Friday night. Druglord have been dealing out their loud, heavy doom around Richmond for many years now, but returned to the recording arena only recently; new LP New Day Dying is their first release since 2015 EP Deepest Regrets. This is their first release with new bassist Julian Cook, and it shows that despite the departure of local legend Greta Brinkman, these guys can still pound and shred with the best of them.

The new album was released on Sludgelord Records, and it’s an appropriate label for a band with some strong musical resemblances to bands like Grief and Eyehategod. If you’re a fan of slow-motion headbangs and pulverizing low-end distortion, you need to see what this trio has been up to lately. You won’t be disappointed. Heavy-psych weirdos Slump make an intriguing pairing with Druglord for this bill; they trade the sheer slow-motion trudge of Druglord’s sound for some extremely spaced-out ambience of the sort that’ll appeal to Hawkwind fans. Underneath all the trippy noise, though, these guys have some driving riffage that splits the difference between Motorhead and Blue Oyster Cult. Opening up will be Lair, an intriguing newcomer on the Richmond doom metal scene who told you most of what you needed to know about their sound when they released a two-song, 21-minute EP earlier this year. Serious doom, y’all. Get ready.

Saturday, November 17, 7 PM
Mock Orange, Fire In The Radio @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s been interesting to watch the evolution of our cultural nostalgia over the past several decades of my life. One thing that’s become eminently clear is that nostalgia operates on a 20-year cycle — and the underground is not immune, from the early-00s infatuation with Joy Division-era postpunk to the “emo revival” that was all abuzz circa 2013. While it’s a good idea to be a bit wary of nostalgia, one great thing about the nostalgia cycle as it’s applied to underground music is that sometimes, it causes things that never got enough shine the first time around to receive a long-overdue embrace.

This year, it seems to be Mock Orange’s time to shine; they’re currently on tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of landmark debut LP Nines And Sixes. That album staked a strong claim on a sound that was somewhere between indie-rock melody and the noisier post-hardcore tendencies of bands like Quicksand and Jawbox. Since then, Mock Orange have evolved quite a bit — they never really stopped making records, and released their sixth album, Put The Kid On The Sleepy Horse, in 2016. Though they still rock hard, their more recent releases show an increased presence of quirky postpunk synths and effects. It’ll be interesting to see how the group applies the results of these evolutions to the material with which they initially made their name. But regardless of the result, the mere fact that Mock Orange are finally getting their due is a positive thing. Whether you’re a curious potential convert or a longtime diehard fan, this show is sure to get your juices flowing.

Sunday, November 18, 7 PM
Tall Heights, Old Sea Brigade, Frances Cone @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 (order tickets HERE)
This one is going to be glorious. Tall Heights have been around for a while now, starting out with a joyfully ethereal indie-folk sound that highlighted the duo’s incredible vocal harmonies. They’ve come a long way since then, though, expanding the group’s instrumentation and lineup well beyond the airy, minimalist melodies on which they made their name. 2016 LP Neptune saw them augmenting their basic guitar-cello configuration with atmospheric percussion and multi-layered synth washes.

Now, with recently-released follow-up Pretty Colors For Your Actions, they’ve taken things to another level entirely, moving away from acoustic folk sounds toward the sort of layered indie-pop productions that have marked the work of Brian Wilson-influenced 21st century experimenters like Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear. Tall Heights have plenty of tunes just as indelible as those of their predecessors, too, and at Capital Ale House this weekend, they’ll dish ’em all out for you. Get ready to bliss out.

Monday, November 19, 8 PM
Bask, Mister Earthbound, Tel @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I think we all know there got to be a glut of doom metal bands for a while there, right? Sure, there were a whole bunch who really ruled, and stood head and shoulders above the pack (many of them from right here in Richmond, of course). But new doom bands popping up on a seemingly weekly basis just wore us all down after a while. That’s why it’s been good, in recent years, to see the emergence of groups like Bask — groups that find a way to use the best parts about doom metal (spooky atmosphere, crawling heaviness) in ways we haven’t heard other groups use them a million times before.

Bask’s 2017 LP, Ramble Beyond, does this in brilliant fashion. On this album, Bask uses doom metal’s slowed down tempos and groovy riffs as a part of an expanded sonic palette that incorporates psychedelic astral explorations as well as the evocative melodies of old-time Americana. The result sounds like what you’d get if some talented stoners with a penchant for serious heaviness broke into some old-time Western ballads beneath huge desert skies at twilight. From folk-metal to desert-psych, this band touches on a variety of genres and moods, and as a result has a much broader appeal. Take heart, headbangers — as long as bands are getting this creative with the standard template, doom metal will never die.

Tuesday, November 20, 7 PM
The Story So Far, Turnover, Citizen, Movements @ The National – $23 in advance/$26 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Damn, this one hits close to home. The Story So Far were one of those bands like Knuckle Puck and State Champs and The Wonder Years, the melodic hardcore groups who had enough energy and distortion to appeal to my hardcore punk heart even as their downcast melodies struck me right at the core of my being. This happened a whole lot throughout my 20s and 30s, when I spent most of my time being emotionally vulnerable, alienated, and alone. Life’s gotten a whole lot better for me over the past few years, and I don’t feel that way much anymore (thank god), but I will admit that I’ll always have a soft spot for bands like The Story So Far.

But I’m not just reliving memories of great records they put out years ago — The Story So Far released their fourth album, Proper Dose, only weeks ago, and somehow managed to outdo themselves yet again, bettering their classic self-titled album from a few years ago as well as 2013’s milestone in depressed melodicore awesomeness, What You Don’t See. On Proper Dose, The Story So Far brandch out a bit sound-wise. But they still sound sad, like the post-teenage self-doubt, alienation, and ennui is weighing on them just as hard as ever, despite the fact that they play much bigger venues when they go on tour now. Honestly, I get it — bigger crowds never seemed to make Kurt Cobain feel any better either. But at least when they look out from the stage of the National Tuesday night, they’ll feel a little less alone. You will too if you make the trip down, and between continued amazingness from our consistently brilliant headliners and a slate of outstanding support acts topped by VA’s own Turnover, there’s a lot to enjoy… or at least connect with. And sometimes that’s what we really need.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, November 16, 8 PM
Part Time, Fenster, Blood Sound, Zabeth @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $12 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Those of you who sit up late at night watching dumpstered VHS tapes of 80s movies on your crappy thrifted VCR are sure to get something out of what Part Time is doing. This group, the creation of California-based songwriter David Loca, taps into the warped sounds of decaying videotapes and obsolete synthesizers to create the Part Time sound. The group has been around for a decade, releasing cassettes through Burger Records and building a following with their indie-influenced take on 80s new wave electronica, but with new LP Spell #6, freshly released via Tough Love Records, they’re going mega. The album features a guest appearance by obvious influence Ariel Pink, and lush ballads like “So Far Away” and “Hide” capture the lovelorn feel of the best bedroom-pop creations.

Part Time are joined on this bill by Berlin, Germany’s Fenster, who play some strange indie pop sounds of their own. They’ve done some intriguing and memorable things, including a feature-length film entitled Emocean (2015), which documented the band’s attempt to complete their third album while trapped in an alternate dimension. Or so they tell us. New album The Room finds the group continuing to explore sonic possibilities, from space-age lounge music to alternate-universe postpunk. Fenster might throw you for a loop at points, but they keep your feet moving and your ears enchanted by melody. And isn’t that what’s important? Don’t let the static hypnotize you — this dual-headliner bill is more than worth switching off the TV and leaving the bedroom for.

Saturday, November 17, 7 PM
Airpark, Babe Club, Court Street Company @ Toast – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Nashville’s Airpark is ready for their close-up. This duo of Ford brothers, Ben and Michael Jr., have a lush sound that, on recent single “Devotion,” harks back past modern folk-pop into the early 70s heyday of singer-songwriter soft rock. Chiming acoustic guitars and gorgeous vocal harmonies set the tone, grounded by a rock-solid rhythm section and some creative songwriting choices. The group has released two EPs so far, Early Works volumes 1 and 2, but their forthcoming follow-up promises to take us beyond the early stuff as Airpark comes into their own.

When they make their way to the stage of Norfolk’s Toast, they’ll be well prepared to show the audience what they’ve got to offer. And so will South Carolina’s Babe Club, a newly-formed duo whose members both split from SC indie band Susto earlier this year. For the group’s frontwoman, Jenna Desmond, this group offers her a chance to step out from her previous role in Susto as the female bass player in a band full of men, and express her feelings about being a woman in Trump’s America. She does this over intricate guitar melodies from bandmate Corey Campbell, as well as her own driving bassline, on debut single “Hate Myself,” which gives an intriguing preview of what this group will have in store for us when they hit the stage. If it’s all this stunning and memorable, Babe Club will give Airpark a run for their money. No matter how it turns out, though, you’re going to want to be there and hear it all go down.

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

Top Image by Lindsay Eastham

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: October 3 – October 9

Marilyn Drew Necci | October 3, 2018

Topics: Antagonize, Benjamin Shepherd, Bracewar, Carriage, Catalyst, Cold World, Culture Abuse, Dark Web, Day By Day, deviant, Division Of Mind, DJ Devolved, Downfall, gallery 5, Garden Grove Brewing, Gouge Away, Haircut, Human Services, Listless, Marbled Eye, Mindforce, Nemesis, Praise, Ragana, Rotem, Rotten Mangoes, Saw Black, Shaka's, Shark Attack, shows you must see, Slump, Smut, strange matter, Taphouse Grill, Tavishi, The Bronx, The Canal Club, The National, The Wedding Funeral, Thrice, True Body, Uglyography, Unk Al and the Amazingly Mediocre, Victim, White Denim

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, October 5, 6 PM
Bracewar, Cold World, Shark Attack, Day By Day, Victim, Division Of Mind, Mindforce, Downfall, Antagonize @ The Canal Club – $20 (order tickets HERE)
It might be a surprise for the uninitiated to hear this, but hardcore is basically dance music — and hardcore bands know it. So many of them have “Intro” songs they play when they first hit the stage, and big mosh breakdowns that they end their sets with, most of which are introduced by a singer screaming, “Last chance to dance!” I rest my case. Richmond’s Bracewar is one of those bands, and in fact, I’ve often heard other hardcore kids talk about how their “Intro” (from their 2007 Juggernaut LP) is their best or most popular song. It makes a weird sort of sense — for a typically fast-as-hell band, the intro offers a perfect chance to get the kids all fired up before launching into a million-miles-an-hour rager.

Bracewar were super active about a decade ago, but the members have gotten older, and they’ve focused less on the band in recent years, playing the occasional local show but mostly not doing much. However, it appears all that is changing — they’ve got a brand new EP, Colossal, coming out on Triple B Records this week. It’s only three songs, but it’s their first new material in a decade, so we can cut ’em some slack. What’s really interesting is that they’ve got a new intro song on this one, entitled “Introduction.” Will this far more metallic take on the set-starting dance call get the kids moving as much as the old intro did? On Friday at the Canal Club, you’ll probably have a chance to find out.

You’ll also get a chance to see a TON of other rad hardcore bands from the past two decades, giving you a great view on what’s been happening in the world of hardcore since the millennium turned. Well-respected veterans Cold World will be sharing headliner status with Bracewar and bringing their brutal riffs with a slight tinge of hip-hop flavor to keep the dancefloor moving. And of course we can’t forget about Shark Attack, the short-lived but legendary northeast hardcore band that blew everyone’s minds back in 2001 with two incredible EPs, then dipped out leaving everyone wanting more. Their discography LP finally came out this year, complete with some unreleased tracks, and now they’re coming to Richmond to knock everybody on their asses once again. There are quite a few other excellent bands on this bill, from current ragers like RVA’s own Division Of Mind and Florida’s Day By Day to reincarnated VA Beach warriors Victim and the brand-new project from legendary Bane frontman Aaron Bedard, Antagonize. Practice your moves, kids — you’ve got a lot of dancing to do.

Wednesday, October 3, 7 PM
Thrice, The Bronx @ The National – $24.50 in advance/$29.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard not to love Thrice. They’ve been around forever, and despite many sonic evolutions they’ve been through, they’ve consistently remained great. From the ridiculously metallic skate-punk of their earliest work to the progressive, emotionally-driven sound of their Alchemy Index tetralogy to the work they’ve released since their brief hiatus earlier in the decade, everything has been enjoyable in its own way, and on its own merits.

It’s still true, too — their recently-released tenth album, Palms, mixes a variety of different sounds from all eras of their work to create a moving and powerful example of a band carving their own path. I guess you could call it post-hardcore, but even that rather nebulous genre term falls woefully short of describing this band’s capabilities — capabilities they demonstrate every time they step onto a stage. Tonight at the National will be no exception, and the fact that they’ve got irreverent melodic punk rippers The Bronx (speaking of groups who’ve remained consistently great for multiple decades) on tour with them only sweetens the deal. Prepare yourself — this one’s gonna be an experience.

Thursday, October 4, 8 PM
Rotten Mangos, Benjamin Shepherd, Saw Black @ Strange Matter – $7
Psychedelic rock n’ roll is a style of music that’s been around for a long time, but when it’s done right, it still rules. And there’s nowhere they do it as right as they do in Austin, Texas. From the band that started it all, the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, to current phenomena like Golden Dawn Arkestra, Austin is the place to go when you’re looking for wild, crazy psych to blow your mind.

Alternatively, you can let it come to you — and that’s what’s happening at Strange Matter Thursday night. Rotten Mangos, an all-star Austin psych crew featuring members of The Black Angels, former Richmonders The Diamond Center, and a whole lot more, will be rolling through with some pop-infused psych n’ roll that’ll open up your third eye and let the sun shine in. You’ll get a not entirely dissimilar experience from the local singer-songwriters opening up the show — Benjamin Shepherd brings a folky touch to his songs, but he’s not without some side trips into drug-fueled weirdness. Saw Black’s material is both more countrified and spacier; it’s not that predictable, especially on his excellent recent LP, Water Tower, but it’s always fun. This is a show to get your toes tapping even as your mind drifts through the astral plane. Who doesn’t love that?

Friday, October 5, 8 PM
Ragana, Haircut, Listless, Tavishi @ Strange Matter – $7
Things are getting spooky this Friday night at Strange Matter. Ragana is hitting town for the first time in several years, and this California group, only a two-piece, creates a powerful, all-encompassing ambience with their sound, one that’s sure to have a deep psychological effect on the denizens of Grace Street this weekend. The fact that Ragana’s most recent release is a split LP with New Orleans sludge-doom veterans Thou entitled Let Our Names Be Forgotten certainly gives you some idea of what to expect from their performance on Friday.

But it would be unfair to write Ragana off as just another doom metal band. They certainly have their share of loud, crushing moments that roll over you in slow motion like waves… or maybe a steamroller. But they also integrate quiet melodies and ominous atmosphere into their sound, significantly increasing the witchiness quotient of their music while also offering something more than the unremitting punishment dealt out by the typical doom band. For this reason, it makes sense that they’re sharing a bill with three Richmond bands who span a significant musical breadth. Listless’s crust/grind queercore, Tavishi’s harrowing electronic soundscapes, and Haircut’s angry punk noise all have elements in common with Ragana and each other, but every performer on this bill will offer their own unique take on the anguish that plagues us all as we walk through this difficult life.

Saturday, October 6, 7 PM
The Wedding Funeral @ Garden Grove Brewing & Winery – $?
This is a weird one, y’all. The Wedding Funeral is a project brought into the world by Darren Deicide and Ethel Lynn Oxide, a romantically-involved duo of musicians with widely divergent backgrounds. Deicide, an honest-to-god priest of the Church Of Satan, has been playing Robert Johnson-style acoustic blues for years now, while Oxide has a background in choral singing and the voice of an angel. The two of them have come together to create The Wedding Funeral, a sort of noir-folk project that uses rootsy blues-style instrumentation to jump all around the musical map, from pastoral British folk sounds to deep South blues to bizarre noise interludes.

At least, that’s how it seems from listening to the 30-second samples of their as-yet-unreleased debut album, You Are Cordially Disinvited, which they will be premiering for all comers at Garden Grove this Saturday night. Those samples are the entirety of the music they have available anywhere on the internet — their debut EP, Beneath The Floor Boards (Covered In Feces) (how’s that for a title), has been scrubbed from the World Wide Web in the interest of moving on to exciting new sounds, which is an understandable policy, if a frustrating one for a music journalist with a minimum of time on her hands. But I can tell you that you’ll learn a good bit more about what The Weddding Funeral have to offer if you make the trip down to Garden Grove, and in light of how unusual this band truly is, I definitely think it’s worth it.

Sunday, October 7, 8 PM
White Denim, Rotem @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
This one’s gonna be a lot of fun. White Denim, another excellent Austin, Texas band, have been around for about a decade, and in that time, they’ve been traversing a similar trajectory to that of another deep-South rock n’ roll group, The Black Keys. Starting out with a primitive garage-rock stomp that came out sort of like a janglier White Stripes and moving over the past decade into a thicker, funkier take on post-garage rockin’ that is downright impossible to deny.

Discovering their 2016 LP, Stiff, when I heard multiple songs from it at Sheetz (those of you who’ve known me for a while know how stoked I am about the music they play at Sheetz and really about Sheetz in general — don’t @ me, Wawa nerds), I fell in love with their ability to write incredible tunes that made you wanna get up and dance wherever you were when you heard them, but also rocked hard and had real staying power. And the fact that this excellent band is finally, after a decade of touring existence, bringing their live show to the river city has got to be the best news I’ve heard all week. So take my advice: go to this show, and bring your dancing shoes. Don’t worry if you know nothing about this band — just be yourself, and try to have a good time. You’re sure to succeed.

Monday, October 8, 7 PM
Culture Abuse, Gouge Away, Praise, Deviant, DJ Devolved @ Gallery 5 – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A double-shot of punk rock awesomeness from two of the best bands on the scene today, both of which just put out new LPs that took their already-outstanding sound to an even higher level? Yeah, this one definitely falls into the category of a no-brainer. Both of these bands have a ton of cachet in the hardcore punk world, and for that reason you might expect their music to be on the harsher end of things — but if you like catchy melodies and strong, memorable choruses, you’re in for a pleasant surprise, because both of these bands have a ton of songcraft skills and melodic dexterity to wow you with.

Californians Culture Abuse split the difference between driving punk-damaged power-pop groups like Neon Piss and straight-up goodtime rockers like The Strokes, and on their brand new Bay Dream LP, this approach yields a bumper crop of toe-tappers that are guaranteed to make you smile. Gouge Away are a bit more fired up; on their just-released Burnt Sugar LP, their harsh vocals and driving riffs land somewhere between melodic hardcore a la White Lung and post-hardcore noise-rock along the lines of Circus Lupus or early Rye Coalition (everyone who even got those references knows I’m over 40 now). As if this bill wasn’t stacked enough, Baltimore melodic, emotional hardcore group Praise are also here to get you fired up, and transgressive up-and-coming local hardcore crew Deviant get things started in fine fashion. Get stoked for this one.

Tuesday, October 9, 8 PM
Marbled Eye, Dark Web, Slump, True Body, Smut @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
There’s no particular reason why the genre descriptor “postpunk” needs to mean anything in particular, beyond the fact that a band has taken formative influence from punk rock and brought it with them to a sound beyond that genre’s borders. But let’s be real — when I say that Marbled Eye is postpunk, you know what I mean. You expect the moody vibe, the wiry undistorted guitars, the melodic basslines and deadpan vocals. And you get all of that here. No doubt about it.

But it only takes one listen to Marbled Eye’s debut LP, Leisure, which just came out this week, to realize that this band has a fresh take on this style, one that takes them far beyond the Joy Division clones and Chameleons riff-stealers who’ve been part of the underground musical landscape for quite a while now. Remember how cool that postpunk style sounded over a decade ago, back when no one was really doing it? Marbled Eye still sound that cool. And if that isn’t proof of their standout talent, I don’t know what is. Fellow out-of-towners Dark Web and Smut, along with local mainstays Slump and True Body, provide excellent support to make this bill a top-quality musical evening from beginning to end.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, October 5, 8 PM
Carriage, Nemesis, Catalyst @ Shaka’s – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s tough to try to talk to people about 80s metal who weren’t there for that whole era, because they figure you’re talking about one of two things — either Slayer-style thrash (which, don’t get me wrong, rules) or teased-hair glam metal in the style of Poison and Motley Crue (which, don’t get me wrong, also rules — haters to the left). But there was a whole other wave of heavy, powerful underground metal from that time that people today don’t even think about, and it’s that sound that Carriage evokes today.

Their new LP, Visions, is full of the kinds of flourishes that the kids used to call “power metal,” from the kind of high-pitched yowls that Mercyful Fate’s King Diamond made de rigeur for a while there to the epic progressive riffs that bands like Candlemass took from prog-rock giants like Rush and King Crimson. Carriage has all of this going on and more, and their sound is genetically engineered to get you banging your head. This release party for their Visions LP should be full of more denim jackets and flying hair than you can shake an air guitar at, and if you have any love at all for the days of high-flying, triumphant metal, you’re gonna want to get in the mix at Shaka’s Friday night.

Saturday, October 6, 9 PM
Uglyography, Human Services, Unk Al @ Taphouse Grill – $5
The fact that Richmond has long been a hub for the musically unique and downright bizarre should never blind us to the fact that crazy stuff comes out of the Tidewater area on a regular basis as well. This show is a great example of that exact fact, and it all starts with Hamptonites Uglyography, who have been wielding their goofy, uncategorizable sound for over a decade now. They themselves call it “quirkadelic rock,” and if you imagine an alternate universe where Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention, Devo, They Might Be Giants, and 90s noise-rockers Alice Donut were all the same band, you’ve sorta got a general idea of what they’re up to.

But the reality is certainly going to be even crazier than you expect — Uglyography demonstrates just this fact on recent LP Evil Rays, which features ridiculously catchy tunes like “Neighborhood Watch” and “We Want You To Click Play,” then amidst all of the mania delivers a heartfelt ballad like “Imperfect For You.” They’re a group that must be seen to be believed, which is exactly why the Taphouse Grill is an eminently worthwhile destination for all you musical explorers of the new and unusual this Saturday night. They’ll be joined by the heavier but just-as-bizarre Human Services, who also hail from the Hampton area. Plus there will be an opening set from Unk Al, aka The Real Unk Al, aka Unk Al and the Amazingly Mediocre, a strange yet enjoyable bluegrass troupe that hails from Chesapeake. Open your mind and dive in.

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Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: August 22 – August 28

Marilyn Drew Necci | August 22, 2018

Topics: 37th and Zen, Ancient Torture Techniques, Bandit, Belmont, Benderheads, BHREX Fest 3, BIB, Big No, Boxford, Boy Harsher, Brain Hemorrhage Records, Bruised Ego, Charlie's American Cafe, Child Of Night, Constituents, Destruct, deviant, Enforced, Get Married, Heads, Hex Machine, High Command, Invaluable, Lawndry, Left Cross, multicult, Nickelus F, No Mas, Nosebleed, Oozing Meat, Petrichor, Piranha Rama, Primitive Impulses, R Complex, Rest In Pieces, Roy Batty, Sacramence, Sediment Arts, Sex Dagger, shows you must see, Sinister Purpose, Sissy Spacek, Slump, Southpaw, strange matter, Such Gold, Suppression, T-Rextasy, Taciturnal, The Camel, Tiny Stills, Tomb Warden, Trunk, Tyler Meacham, Uncle Buck, Vinyl Conflict, Void Vision, Warbonds, WISH, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, August 25, 11 AM
Vinyl Conflict X Rest In Pieces Customer Appreciation Day, feat. BIB, Nickelus F, Nosebleed, Slump, Deviant, Sinister Purpose, Benderheads @ Vinyl Conflict/RIP parking lot (324 S. Pine St) – Free!
It happens once a year, lasts all day, and is hot as hell. Sure enough, I am talking about the Vinyl Conflict Customer Appreciation Day, a once-a-year all-day outdoor party thrown by Oregon Hill’s best punk rock record store, Vinyl Conflict. This year sees them joining forces with neighboring oddity shop Rest In Pieces to come together in their joint parking lot and have the loudest block party you’ve been to all year. It also sees us in the midst of a relatively cool August by RVA standards, so with a forecast of partly cloudy skies and a high of 82 degrees, you may not have to worry as much about overheating as you usually do.

Not that high temperatures are ever an excuse to keep you away from this annual extravaganza. You’ll also do well to get an early start — things kick off with sidewalk sales at both shops starting at 10 AM, so show up early and hit the racks before all the good stuff gets cherry-picked. Then get ready for a nonstop thrill ride of killer music lasting until the evening hours. The bill will bring us a smorgasbord of killer punk, hardcore, and hip hop, enough to keep the mosh pit swirling all day. Plus, there’ll be food aplenty, provided by Cobra Burger and Go Go Vegan Go — so no matter your dietary requirements, you’ll be able to chow down! Stow your purchases in your car, grab some tasty treats, and get ready to mosh!

Headliners BIB will definitely get you moving — this Midwestern psychedelic sludge-core crew is apparently “egg punk” according to the internet, but don’t let memes stop you from jumping into the pit when they take the stage. They’ll rock your faces off, and so will local hip hop legend Nickelus F, who has been going higher and harder than ever in recent months, with his recent tour with Lil Ugly Mane and his incredible new album, Stuck — soon to be released on vinyl from Vinyl Conflict Records — lighting up hip hop heads from coast to coast. There’s a lot more hardcore and punk to enjoy on this bill, from the ripping rage of Nosebleed and the high-speed fury of Deviant to the rockin’ riffs of Sinister Purpose and the raw, noisy vibe of Benderheads. By 7 PM, you’re gonna be exhausted — but you’re sure to have a smile on your face.

Wednesday, August 22, 8 PM
Multicult, Heads, Hex Machine, Oozing Meat, R-Complex @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I don’t know what’s been going on with midweek shows lately, but it seems like we’re in the midst of a steady run of absolutely incredible Wednesday night bangers. Maybe it’s just that it’s the summertime, and all the bands are using their vacation time to hit the road. Whatever’s up, I certainly can’t complain, because it’s brought us a ton of incredible entertainment in the middle of the week lately. The run will continue tonight at Strange Matter with a double-headlining show by touring partners Multicult and Heads.

Multicult are from right up the road in Baltimore, and they’ll be bringing us some incredible 90s- throwback noisecore, sure to evoke positive memories of past DMV-area greats like Circus Lupus and Bluetip. Signed to Learning Curve and featuring former members of Triac and Fight Amp, this group is ready, willing, and able to prove their mettle/metal to all comers. Touring partners Heads come all the way from Berlin to deliver some similarly heavy sounds, though with a strong dose of postpunk darkness and gothic cool stirred into the mix — as displayed on their incredible new album, Collider, released earlier this year. These two excellent groups will be joined by a wealth of excellent Richmond-based acts, from the long-running noise-rock awesomeness of Hex Machine to the brilliantly fucked lo-fi grind mess of Oozing Meat and the harsh electronic fuzz of R-Complex. You’ll probably be going in late on Thursday morning, but it’ll be worth it.

Thursday, August 23, 8 PM
High Command, Left Cross, Enforced, Destruct @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s getting heavy in here. Thursday night brings us to Strange Matter once again, this time for a show presented by Terror Assault, a promotional group I’m not familiar with (though they are assuredly NOT involved with Dragon Ball Super CCG). The headliners this time around will be Massachusetts headbangers High Command, whose recent 7 inch from Haftvad Records, The Primordial Void, shows them to have some incredible thrash chops and a decidedly dark feel that goes incredibly well with their high-speed riffage. If you’re thinking Possessed, you’re on the right track.

High Command may sound like a thrash metal band straight out of the legendary Metal Massacre comps of the mid-80s, but I’m honestly not sure if they’re a metal or a hardcore band. I say this because they’re joined on this bill by three different ultra-heavy local bands, all of which are at least hardcore-adjacent. The most noteworthy of the three is, of course, Left Cross, who devastated us all late last year with the release of their excellent slab of ultra-heavy thrash, Chaos Ascension. Less established RVA groups Enforced and Destruct tread similar territory, though Enforced lands closer to a post-NYHC crossover sound that simultaneously reminds me of Judge’s Bringin’ It Down and Agnostic Front’s Cause For Alarm. Meanwhile, Destruct sound almost like the more metallic takes on D-beat issued in the early 90s by groups like Destroy and Disrupt. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether any of these bands lie on the hardcore or metal side of the fence — headbangers and circle-pit starters from all around the metropolitan area are equally likely to love every single band on this bill. Don’t sweat the genre, just throw on your denim vest and show up.

Friday, August 24, 7 PM
Boy Harsher, Void Vision, Sacramence, Child Of Night @ Gallery 5 – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s undoubtedly clear to all with a more than cursory knowledge of each shop that Vinyl Conflict has taken the lead on coordinating bands for the VCxRIP Customer Appreciation Day show discussed earlier. However, just because Rest In Pieces aren’t as directly involved in bringing music to RVA doesn’t mean that the folks at Richmond’s leading oddity shop aren’t ready, willing, and able to curate a powerful musical lineup on their own behalf. And this Customer Appreciation Day show at Gallery 5 on Friday night is Rest In Pieces’ time to shine.

I must say, though, “shine” seems like entirely the wrong word for a lineup like the one they’re bringing us. Headlining the affair is Boy Harsher, a coldwave duo with a solid grasp on the electronic sound that brings postpunk weirdos and goth rivetheads together to pogo grimly while wearing sunglasses inside at night. Their excellent Lesser Man EP can turn any bright suburban bedroom into a darkened Berlin dance floor — so imagine what they’ll be able to do with Gallery 5. Philly electro-goth group Void Vision has a similarly dark and hypnotic sound to offer, while Ohio’s Children Of Night adds a bit of a Teutonic industrial resonance to their take on the sound. Local openers Sacramence introduce a bit more of a electro-dance element to the evening, and show that the locals can bring it just as well as the out-of-town bands. This is a sound that deserves to be heard under cover of darkness — I can’t imagine any of these bands trying to perform under the Oregon Hill sun on Saturday afternoon — so be sure to start your weekend at Gallery 5 Friday night, and get the full Customer Appreciation Day experience.

Saturday, August 25, 9 PM
Trunk, Petrichor, Roy Batty @ Wonderland – $?
I love it when things work out so that I can advocate for a weekend doubleheader — a situation in which the featured show and the other show for that same day are happening at such different times that anyone could easily go to both. Such is the case with this Saturday’s festivities; the last band at Vinyl Conflict’s Customer Appreciation Day will finish hours before the first band starts up at Wonderland that night. You can totally go to both — and you should, if you have the energy. Especially since the Wonderland show will give you an opportunity to see Trunk.

Trunk are a Pennsylvania trio that calls themselves “hippie death metal” and sound more to me like the excellent early works of Eyehategod and Cavity crossed with the downcast Southern grooves of bands like Buzzoven and Sourvein. Their self-titled EP, released last fall, is a certified banger from beginning to end, and you can expect these songs to bowl you over when this band hits Wonderland’s stage. Local support comes from Petrichor and Roy Batty; the former has a sort of psychedelic doom feel, simultaneously melodic and crushing, while the latter hits you with some energetic rock n’ roll, featuring an undeniably heavy bottom end that’ll make this one a surprising hit with metalheads. Clear your schedule for this Saturday — you’ve got a lot of rocking to do.

Sunday, August 26, 7 PM
Tiny Stills, Get Married, WISH, Tyler Meacham @ The Camel – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Take heart, emo kids — Tiny Stills knows sometimes it can get difficult just to get through the day. And they’re here to help, as they demonstrate with the assured power-pop sound they deliver on latest LP Laughing Into The Void. This LA group has a definite 90s throwback feel, but that’s not to say that their sound is predictable; they’re just as likely to channel The Anniversary as they are to remind you about forgotten 90s acts like That Dog and Fuzzy. And the heartfelt delivery makes it all that much easier to connect with. As their bandcamp page says, “Even the worst days have a silver lining. You’re not alone.”

Tiny Stills are on a mission to make you smile, and on Sunday night they’ll succeed with flying colors — and so will tour partners Get Married. There’s a decidedly more punky feel to this California crew’s sound; just-released LP Songs For The Sleepless lands somewhere between early Jawbreaker and the best work by Reggie and the Full Effect. The result is a surefire dance-party starter and a blast of sunny energy that’ll keep your smile at full strength throughout their set. Local newcomers WISH will bring a dose of shoegaze to this musical evening, though their version of that rather nebulously-defined genre is closer to Hum than My Bloody Valentine (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Singer-songwriter Tyler Meacham will open up with a set of charming folk-pop songs with a strong emotional resonance that’s sure to connect with all the emo kids coming out for this one. So show up, and find a reason to smile — god knows we all need one.

Monday, August 27, 8 PM
T-Rextasy, Piranha Rama, Lawndry, Big No @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
If you’re happy after Sunday night at The Camel, rest assured Monday night at Strange Matter will NOT bring you down. Brooklyn’s T-Rextasy is coming to town, and while the title of their 2016 LP, Jurassic Punk, might make you think you’re in for some serious “chain punk” action, the truth is far less predictable — and more fun. T-Rextasy are a jangly power-pop group that embrace the link between girl groups and garage rock most strongly illustrated by the Shangri-La’s, but they add an undeniable dose of sunny melodies and tongue-in-cheek fun that’ll make their Monday night set at Strange Matter the perfect opportunity for bopping around with a big grin on your face.

And rest assured, the other bands on the bill will make you smile as well, if for no other reason than the sheer fact of their talent. Nashville’s Lawndry are the other out-of-town act playing this one, and their psychedelic folk-pop tunes show a wide scope of influences coming together in intriguing new ways; the fact that the group covered Lee Hazelwood, Scott Walker, and Animal Collective on their most recent EP certainly tells you something. Swiftly-rising local heroes Piranha Rama carry on the excellent momentum generated by last month’s self-titled debut LP, giving us another heaping helping of their twangy surf-psych-rock n’ roll melange. Meanwhile, hazy psych groove merchants Big No get things started with a big bang. This one’s gonna be a wall-to-wall delight.

Tuesday, August 28, 9 PM
Sissy Spacek, Suppression, Taciturnal @ Sediment Arts – $9
Just to get this out of the way up front: no, this show has nothing to do with actress and Virginia resident Sissy Spacek — this is another thing entirely. Sissy Spacek, the band, is made up of two members: bass player/electronic noise purveyor John Wiese (best known for his involvement in Bastard Noise) and drummer Charlie Mumma (of Sewer System, Bloody Phoenix, and at least a dozen other projects). The two have been working together for a couple of decades now, and have churned out an unbelievable 30 albums of blurry hyperspeed grind/noise violence. Their latest, Ways Of Confusion, was released last month on Nuclear War Now Records and blows through close to 40 songs in about half as many minutes. As musical extremes go, you don’t get much harsher than this.

And then there’s Suppression, another bass/drum grind project with a two-decade history. Bassist/vocalist Jason Hodges (Bermuda Triangles, Amoeba Men) and drummer Ryan Parrish (Iron Reagan, Darkest Hour) have been working together for about that long, but 2018 is nonetheless a milestone year for this duo: the year they release their first full-length LP in nearly a decade. Placebo Reality was released in May on their own label, Chaotic Noise Productions, and sees the group, which had gotten much closer to a bizarro form of noise-rock at one point, returning to their filthy, violent grindcore roots with something like 73 songs (assuming I didn’t lose count), again in about half as many minutes. These two groups are clearly made for each other. Local experimental project Taciturnal will get the harshness going with their opening set. Bring earplugs for this one.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Thursday, August 23, 6 PM
Belmont, Such Gold, Southpaw, Invaluable, Boxford @ 37th And Zen – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Remember what I said earlier about how great Wednesday nights have been for live music in RVA lately? Down in the Hampton Roads area, it seems like Thursday nights are the sure-fire winners — I’ve found myself sending y’all down 64 East on Thursday nights pretty much every week since we started doing these bonus HR picks. I’m curious to see whether the trend continues. But before I worry about all that, I’m very excited to point out that Belmont and Such Gold are hitting 37th And Zen tomorrow night, and you’d be well advised to gas up the vehicle in preparation.

This is especially true if you’re a fan of ultra-catchy, emotionally-infused pop-punk — and god, who isn’t? Belmont’s 2016 EP, Between You & Me, is a rock-solid collection of excellent tunes to get your blood flowing and your heart pumping, and their two post-EP singles, “Water Weight” and “Step Aside,” are even better. Fans of everything from Title Fight to Knuckle Puck are sure to enjoy the hell out of this band’s set. Such Gold should need very little introduction to fans of this style; after all, they’ve been plying their poppy, energetic take on that whole “easycore” microgenre of a decade or so ago since… well, a decade or so ago. Last year’s Deep In A Hole EP was their first new material in a few years, and showed that they’ve very much still got it — and believe it or not, a hint of introspective maturity creeps in there at a few points as well. Both of these bands are sure to thrill, and with Michigan’s Southpaw and locals Invaluable and Boxford opening up, this bill is sure to be a direct hit from top to bottom. Get stoked!

Saturday, August 25, 5 PM
BHRex Fest 3, feat. Ancient Torture Techniques, Bandit, Bruised Ego, Primitive Impulses, No/Mas, Constituents, Uncle Buck, Tomb Warden, War Bonds, Sex Dagger @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $10
Wow, some serious shreddage happening on Saturday night in Norfolk. Brain Hemorrhage Records, purveyors of fine grinding noise from Tidewater and beyond, are holding their third annual one-day fest at Charlie’s this Saturday night, and anyone who found the Sissy Spacek/Suppression double bill above intriguing should definitely have this show on their radar. At the top of the bill is an always-delightful battle set, in which bands set up at the same time and trade songs back and forth. In battle this evening will be Ancient Torture Techniques, who veteran followers of VA grind will remember for their split with RVA’s own Street Pizza, and current Philadelphia grind faves Bandit. This is sure to be a wall of power-violence insanity, and a treat for those who’ve missed ATT over their past few years of decreased activity.

There’s a lot more grind to find elsewhere on this bill; most noteworthy outside the battle set is sure to be a set from Primitive Impulses, a pre-Ancient Torture Techniques duo that returns for their first live performance in six years. Make sure you’re there for this one! There are a ton of other highlights that await you as well. Baltimore’s Bruised Ego will blaze through a couple dozen or so numbers in less time than you thought possible; DC’s No/Mas will deliver their dark, filthy take on crust/grind; Baltimore’s Uncle Buck have a definite Spazz resemblance that’s sure to delight the power-violence fan massive; VA Beach’s War Bonds go for some tough, old-school hardcore sounds with some surprisingly fast parts mixed in there. And there’s a whole bunch more in store for ya, all for the low low price of 10 bucks! You blastbeat freaks would really be blowing it if you missed this one.

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Top photo by Emma Penrose

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: August 1 – August 7

Marilyn Drew Necci | August 1, 2018

Topics: .gif From God, 37th and Zen, Betrayer, Beyond The Grave, Birds In Row, Can't Swim, Cardinal Skate Shop, Carl Anderson, Castle Of Genre, Cruelsifix, Death Palette, Deathsinger, deviant, Drug Church, Flight Club, gallery 5, Haircut, Hardywood, Haybaby, Hill Walkers, Jake Mayday, Lunar Vacation, Lunger, Microwave, Nic Perea, Noisem, Nosebleed, Piranha Rama, Portrayal Of Guilt, Promise Breaker, Rata Negra, Secret Cutter, Self-Inflicted, Sensual World, Serqet, Shormey, shows you must see, Slump, Sonnets, Sons Of Bill, Spooky Cool, strange matter, sundials, The Broadberry, The Canal Club, The New Reign, True Body, Wonderland, Wrinkle Neck Mules, Yeehaw Junction

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, August 3, 4 PM
Spooky Cool, Haybaby, Piranha Rama, Castle Of Genre @ Hardywood – Free!
It’s been a long time coming. Spooky Cool, the band formed from the ashes of psychedelic indie-folk group Zac Hryciak & the Jungle Beat, have been a steady presence on the local scene for a good three years now. And throughout that time, they have maintained a policy of mysteriousness, keeping social media to a minimum and staying entirely out of the studio. For the first year or so they were around, if you wanted to hear them, you had to go see them. For a while after that, live videos from Good Day RVA and other random YouTube uploaders with iPhones were all you could see.

But now, finally, three years into their career, Spooky Cool have taken a step into widespread availability with the impending release of their first EP, Every Thing Ever. The five-song cassette is coming this Friday from Citrus City Records, and along with it is coming a free celebration of its release at Hardywood. Whether you’ve been following this band for six months, two years, or since their first show, it’s sure to be a relief to finally have Spooky Cool tunes you can listen to somewhere other than live venues. And it’ll be even cooler to see them play all these songs live this Friday night, knowing that when you get home, you can listen once again to the songs they’ve gotten stuck in your head.

The free show Friday afternoon is also a celebration of a new brew release at Hardywood, so it’ll kick off at 4 PM to give those of you off work by then a chance to enjoy the tasty beverages. Music won’t start til 6, though, so you’ll have time to drive over after work and still catch it all. In addition to the headlining set by Spooky Cool — and the opportunity to purchase their new EP — this event also offers for your listening pleasure a set by RVA-via-Brooklyn indie-poppers Haybaby, who keep things off-kilter and unpredictable but never fail to deliver the melodic goods. Piranha Rama will be on the scene too, and if you missed their own recent record release show, this event will offer you the chance to catch up with these indie-garage-psych heads as well. Castle Of Genre will open up with their own unusual brand of synth-inflected indie melodies. Hurry over from work, you don’t want to miss a minute of this one.

Wednesday, August 1, 8 PM
Rata Negra, Haircut, Serqet, Sensual World @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Not to turn into Raymond Carver or anything, but we need to start this one out by discussing What We Talk About When We Talk About Melodic Punk. See, there are some of you who will thing such a genre tag indicates universally terrible music. Some of you will think I’m saying that Rata Negra sounds like NOFX or something. Some of you are in both of those groups of people. But I strongly encourage you, before you head out to Strange Matter tonight, to throw away all your preconceptions. Rata Negra is something else completely.

This Spanish band’s sound is driven by uptempo rhythms, bouncy basslines, melodic guitar leads, and catchy vocal choruses. But they have a dark undercurrent to their sound that draws from early dark punk groups like The Bats or The Wipers, even as they’re also bringing in a European flair that makes me think of Gorilla Angreb. They definitely don’t have a shred of 90s skate punk to offer — and that’s definitely a good thing. Rata Negra will be joined on this bill by a trio of local killers that’s led off by raging hardcore punkers Haircut, whose EP last winter certainly fired up the Christmas season (and will heat up this rather chilly and damp summer, too). Melodic peace-punks Serqet will get things started along with Sensual World, the latest project from the always-talented Julie Karr. You need this show in your life.

Thursday, August 2, 8 PM
Sons Of Bill, Wrinkle Neck Mules, Carl Anderson @ The Broadberry – $18 (order tickets HERE)
I haven’t been all that aware of Sons Of Bill, the band made up of brothers Sam, Abe, and James Wilson, plus a rhythm section, and I feel kinda bad about it. Not only are they from Charlottesville, they’ve released five albums over the past decade or so, and done a bunch of touring in Europe. How have I missed out on this band? Well, better late than never, I suppose. Their fifth album, Oh God Ma’am, just came out at the end of June, and it’s a good spot to jump on the Sons Of Bill bandwagon — so what are we waiting for? Let’s do it!

On their latest album, Sons Of Bill walk a fine line between multiple genres. At times, they seem to follow in the footsteps of alt-country pioneers like Wilco and Son Volt; at other times, their dark, new-wave vibes land somewhere between the spooky synth-pop of early Echo and the Bunnymen and the lush desolation of Red House Painters circa “Mistress.” All of it is subdued, but the emotional overtones that wash over you from the Wilson brothers’ heartfelt vocals and the layers of ringing guitars and reverberating piano leave an impact, for sure. While Sons Of Bill have a subtle initial effect, they will be impossible to ignore in a full-volume live environment. Let them draw you in.

Friday, August 3, 9 PM
Noisem, Secret Cutter, Cruelsifix @ Wonderland – $15
At long last, Baltimore thrashers Noisem return to RVA. These kids aren’t as young as they once were, and it’s been three years since they released any significant new material. However, they’re still at it, loud and heavy as ever, and they’ve just inked a deal with Relapse that promises to deliver their long-awaited third album sometime in the near future. Before they head into the studio, though, they’ve been hitting the road to sharpen up their chops and get ready to lay down some killer riffage. They’re sure to have plenty of ripping speedy thrash with which to tear shit up in Shockoe Bottom this Friday night, and if you like to headbang, you won’t want to miss this one.

From Sick/Tired to Amygdala, this year has seen Noisem joined on tour by a variety of bands with appeal beyond the world of straight-up thrash, and this Wonderland show is no exception. PA’s Secret Cutter, who recently refined their unique grind-sludge-noise hybrid on brand new LP Quantum Eraser, will be blowing into town in the company of Noisem, and you headbangers won’t want to miss their brutal, powerful brand of heaviness. It’ll twist your head around — as will openers Cruelsifix, who bring us a new take on a classic sound, updating classic Florida death metal for a new millennium. This one will rock you so hard, you’ll be glad for the relative brevity of a three-band bill, just to give your neck a break.

Saturday, August 4, 4 PM
Sundials, Yeehaw Junction, Jake Mayday @ Strange Matter – $8-10 (donations to RRFP)
Sundials are spread pretty thin these days. The emotionally-driven pop-punk quartet from RVA have been steadily spreading further afield over the past couple of years — Harris moved to Boston, then Chris moved to Philadelphia. Now, it seems, Carl will be leaving for the UK, leaving only one member still based here in Richmond. It’s been several years since Sundials released their last EP, Kick, back in 2014, and for most of that time, they’ve been a rare presence on the live scene around Richmond. Now, for obvious reasons, Sundials live performances are only going to get fewer and farther between.

All of which is makes it essential that you make it out to Strange Matter this Saturday afternoon to catch Sundials at the top of a matinee bill. You’re not gonna see them again anytime soon. You’ll also want to welcome a new presence on the local scene — Yeehaw Junction, a synth-driven pop band with a punky bounce and sincere, heartfelt lyrics, who recently arrived here from New England and have sounds that are sure to charm you. And of course, Jake Mayday, a longtime friend of Sundials and the Richmond scene — and probably pretty much everybody who’s ever met him, he’s a total sweetheart — will kick off the show with a set of sincere acoustic tunes that will make you smile. Who knows when we’ll see Sundials together on the same stage again — show up at Strange Matter this Saturday evening and give them a proper sendoff.

Sunday, August 5, 8 PM
Birds In Row, Portrayal Of Guilt, Sonnets, .gif From God, Lunger @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Oh wow, this is exciting. I’ve been a follower of French label Throatruiner Records for most of a decade now — their commitment to harsh, metallic hardcore at a time when such sounds were losing favor with mainstream HC and metalcore audiences made every new release on their label worth a listen. It was Throatruiner who brought fellow Frenchmen Birds In Row to my attention several years ago, and it was Throatruiner who really prepared me for what I was in for when Birds In Row finally released their second full-length, We Already Lost The World, on Deathwish earlier this year. The passionate screams, dynamic song structures, noisy guitars, and intense delivery of important messages on songs like “Love Is Political” and “Remember Us Better Than We Are” all embody the best qualities of what I’ve come to expect from Throatruiner. And on an American label? Perfect.

Best of all, Birds In Row are coming to Richmond this Sunday night to bring their dramatic, chaotic, and incredibly intense sound to Strange Matter. They’re sure to level the place and everyone in it — and what’s even cooler is that they’ll be bringing Texas killers Portrayal Of Guilt with them. This band’s still only got four songs (and a Christian Death cover) out, but they’ve made a big impact in a brief time with a small amount of music, purely through the forceful power of their live performances. Mixing aspects of chaotic, grinding hardcore with the metallic, emotionally-driven sound that has come to represent the 21st century underground “screamo” scene results in nothing but awesomeness when these guys hit the stage. And these heavy hitters will be joined on this bill by a variety of other excellent groups, including Salt Lake City’s Sonnets and local ragers .gif From God and Lunger. Seriously, y’all, don’t sleep on this one.

Monday, August 6, 7 PM
Lunar Vacation, Hill Walkers, Death Palette, Nic Perea @ Gallery 5 – $6
It may have been raining a whole lot here in Richmond over the past little while, but lest we forget, it is still summer, and therefore the perfect time for a Lunar Vacation. No, not a trip to the moon (though I suppose that would be pretty cool) — an excellent indie-pop band from down Atlanta way who have a ton of summery melodies with which to chase the rainy day blues away. Their brand new EP, Artificial Flavors, is loaded with the brand of shiny tunes this band have, only two EPs in, gained a reputation for, and they’re sure to bring a smile to your face with their expert mingling of electronic synth soundscapes, bouncing basslines, and Grace Repasky’s memorable vocal flourishes.

Lunar Vacation are exactly the tonic you need for yet another Monday back at stupid ol’ work (especially since this weekend is forecasted to be cloudy and rainy, just like this week). And they’ll be joined by some pretty great local talents as well. Hill Walkers are foremost among them, and while this local quartet may not focus as much on the synth-electronic end of things as Lunar Vacation, they coax some similarly shiny melodies out of their guitars and vocals, always to lovely effect. Death Palette is a new project from Rene Franco, better known as the more introverted half of Citrus City Records, and the solo demos I’ve heard certainly build anticipation for some smooth, tropical indie-pop. Nic Perea of Camp Howard opens things up with a solo set, and if that isn’t a guarantee of a great opening act, I don’t know what is. Show up on time and ready to get stoked.

Tuesday, August 7, 7 PM
Microwave, Can’t Swim, Drug Church, Flight Club @ The Canal Club – $15 (order tickets HERE)
We can’t get through a week without some emo, can we? I sure don’t want to! Thankfully, our last RVA slot of the week has been filled by a killer triple bill of emotion-fueled groups with various ratios of melody to volume on display in their styles — and all of them are awesome. Atlanta’s Microwave are at the top of the bill with some excellent songcraft and the sort of infectious choruses that’ll make you an instant fan (at least, if your tastes are anything like mine). 2016’s Much Love is full of excellent tunes with intriguing one-word song titles like “Roaches” and “Vomit.” Don’t worry, their sound is much more pleasant than those particular nouns would lead you to believe.

New Jersey’s Can’t Swim have a slightly heavier sound, with chunkier guitars and a more strained vocal approach, but their melodic sense is first-rate, and they display that fact on 2017’s Fail You Again with a collection of top-quality tuneage. The last release by Albany, NY’s Drug Church dates all the way back to 2015, but a one-song preview of their forthcoming full-length on Pure Noise Records shows that this band hasn’t lost its touch with catchy yet powerful post-hardcore, a sound they’ve used to standout effect on previous albums like 2013’s Paul Walker and 2015’s Hit Your Head. I for one am eagerly awaiting more — and we’ll probably all get a preview of their next offering at this show. Local pop-punk goofballs Flight Club open this one up; expect some serious fun.

NEW: Bonus Hampton Roads Picks!

Thursday, August 2, 6 PM
Self-Inflicted, Promise Breaker, The New Reign, Deathsinger, Betrayer, Beyond The Grave @ 37th and Zen – $5
That’s right, folks — in an effort to expand our reach and let you know about killer shows that might not make it to the Richmond area, we’ll be including a couple of shows per week from the Hampton Roads/Tidewater area of the state. We’ll start it off with a night of maximum heavyosity at Norfolk’s 37th and Zen, which is headlined by a touring double bill of New Hampshire’s Self Inflicted and PA’s Promise Breaker. Self Inflicted have that sort of heavy-hardcore mosh power that distinguishes prime offerings from modern bands like Harm’s Way while harking back to the prime days of Biohazard and Shattered Realm. Practice your floorpunching for this one.

Promise Breaker are also heavy as fuck, but this quartet likes to pick up the pace and throw some serious death-metallic bottom end into things. It isn’t quite deathcore; if anything, it’s closer to the sort of power-violence-damaged metallic hardcore that bands like Nails have messed around with in recent years. One thing’s for sure — it’ll level you. Maryland’s The New Reign round out this trio of touring shredders with some sludgy mosh-core tuned to drop Q. Guaranteed to rumble your guts. A trio of VA metal bands provide support, led off by Deathsinger, who straddle the line between Sworn In’s ridiculously-pulverizing death mosh and straight-up Dying Fetus-style death metal. Betrayer and Beyond The Grave round things off with some serious death, and all of it’s brought to you by Black Goat Booking — are these guys the Hampton Roads version of Between 2 Beers? Time will tell, but I’m definitely paying attention.

Friday, August 3, 7 PM
True Body, Nosebleed, Deviant, Slump, Shormey @ Cardinal Skate Shop – $8
The hardcore punk scene in Richmond is always hopping, but don’t let that blind you to what the Hampton Roads area has to offer — there are plenty of shows happening down that way as well, and sometimes they’re worth taking a trip for. This Friday night rager at Norfolk’s Cardinal Skate Shop is a prime example; headlined by goth-punk oddballs True Body, it’s a benefit for the bowl ramp Cardinal’s building out back to give locals a space to shred. It’s also True Body’s apparent farewell to Norfolk, so this will be a good time to catch their darkwave/batcave vibes before they head out of town. Are they moving to LA? Or just leaving for tour? I admit I have no idea… but regardless of the reason, they’re always worth seeing.

There’ll be several other much more straightforward HC/punk acts on this bill, including some Richmond rippers we all know and love. Nosebleed will get you moshing with some classic hardcore sounds that hit you hard and leave you gasping for breath, while RVA newcomers Deviant throw their weirdness/queerness in your face with some hard-driving old-school killers. Former True Body split partners Slump will be on hand to dish out their unique brand of psychedelic oddity, and the whole thing will be kicked off with a set of washed-out electropop from Norfolk’s own Shormey. Bring your board, this one’s gonna be a blast.

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Top photo by Joey Wharton

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.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Williamsfest (In Memory of Kyle Trax) at En Su Boca

Joe Vanderhoff | June 27, 2018

Topics: Big No, Craig Perry, Cruzer, Earthling, en su boca, Gnarcave, Kyle Trax, must see shows, Naked Baby, Nightcreature, Slump, Weird Tears, williamsfest

A celebration in memory of our dear friend Kyle Trax!

Music:
Earthling
Gnarcave
Slump
Cruzer
Nightcreature
Naked Baby
Weird Tears
Big No
and acoustic/solo sets by Craig Perry, Mindy
Alexander, Matt Carter, and Buttafly Vazquez

This event is free, outside in the pebbles of En Su Boca. There will be vendors and lots of fun all day from noon til 11!

please donate to:
https://www.gofundme.com/JDRF-donations-in-memory-of-kyle

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 27 – July 3

Marilyn Drew Necci | June 27, 2018

Topics: Big No, Blac Rabbit, City Dogs, Cole Hicks, Cruzer, DJ Rat Ward, Downhaul, Earthling, en su boca, Fuk U / Idiot, Gnarcave, Have Mercy, IGB vs Swerve 360, Imaginary Sons, Kississippi, Kyle Trax, Late Bloomer, Leach, Lovelorn, Naked Baby, New Ting Ting Loft, Nickelus F, Nightcreature, Oozing Meat, Robalu vs Leek Bucks, RVA Lyricist Lounge, Sea Of Storms, shows you must see, Slump, Southpaw Battle Coalition, strange matter, Sun Parade, Super American, Teen Death, The Camel, To Live And Shave In LA, Warrington, Weird Tears

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, July 1, 12 PM
Williamsfest (In Memory of Kyle Trax), feat. Earthling, Gnarcave, Slump, Cruzer, Nightcreature, Naked Baby, Weird Tears, Big No, Craig Perry, Mindy Alexander, Matt Carter, Buttafly Vazquez @ En Su Boca – Free!
All-day music fests are always a great time, but sometimes they are bittersweet. Such is the case with this one celebrating the life of Kyle Trax, who passed away a couple of months ago due to complications from Type 1 diabetes. Kyle worked at En Su Boca, played drums in local rock n’ roll groups The Cherry Pits and Benderheads among others, and had a ton of friends around town. I didn’t know him well, but he was always nice to me, and I had a blast when his band played my living room for a Valentine’s Day party a few years ago. To say he will be missed is an understatement.

Kyle loved music, and this all-day outdoor festival in his memory is an appropriate occasion on which to celebrate his life. Earthling are the headliners, and this VA metal band has grabbed a lot of attention with their Spinning In The Void LP, released last year on Forcefield Records. If brutal metal crunch mingled with blazing solos and thrashing riffage sounds like fun to you, you need to get on this band’s level. Also on the bill is Gnarcave, an atmospheric black metal band that Kyle was in years ago. Co-founder Craig Perry, now a classical guitarist, will join up with Earthling bassist Sean Weber and Kyle’s childhood friend Ryan Nottingham (filling in for Kyle on drums) to recreate Gnarcave’s ripping black metal rage one last time. Perry will also perform one of his classical guitar compositions as an introduction to Gnarcave’s set — so you fans of technical guitar playing should get up front for this one.

A ton of other things will be happening as part of this all-day festival; performances from a ton of local hardcore, punk, and garage-rock bands including Slump, Cruzer, Nightcreature, Naked Baby, and a bunch more. There will be acoustic sets from several of Kyle’s friends, including local soul singer Buttafly Vasquez (Crucial Elements/Flavor Project). You’ll also get to see the premiere of a Cherry Pits video, indulge in some delicious En Su Boca tacos, and more! The whole thing is free to attend, but Kyle’s family is currently collecting donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, so if you have cash to spare, please donate to help find a cure. And then come rock out in memory of an awesome dude who left this world way too soon.

Thursday, June 28, 8 PM
Blac Rabbit, Sun Parade @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s an interesting gig for y’all to check out, especially if you’ve seen these guys on Ellen. Yeah, seriously, twin brothers Amiri and Rahiem Taylor, who founded Blac Rabbit, got onto Ellen due to their day job of sorts, busking on New York subways with some killer Beatles covers. This is a pretty excellent story, but it might sound like nothing more than a novelty to you — until you hear the originals Blac Rabbit create when they’re not busking for cash in Times Square.

Their self-titled debut EP, released late last year, brings together psych-rock touchstones from past eras, including The Beatles and Love, as well as modern groups like Tame Impala and MGMT. On songs like “Closer To The Sun,” the group paints hazy dayglo mind pictures that will be a big hit with fans of Dungen or Unknown Mortal Orchestra. It’s really incredible stuff, and it’s sure to shine that much brighter in the live setting. You’ll have a blast when these guys take the stage, even if they don’t play a single Beatles cover. And while Massachusetts’ Sun Parade has a somewhat different sound, they’re still an apt pairing for Blac Rabbit due to the group’s similar origins as buskers. These days they’re making colorful pop music that brings in equal influence from folk music and psychedelia, to excellent effect. These two groups will be the perfect vehicle with which to drift away across the stratosphere… at least for a few hours.

Friday, June 29, 9 PM
Imaginary Sons, Leach @ City Dogs – Free!
Damn — in certain segments of the local scene, this is bound to be the news of the year. Not only are the Imaginary Sons back for a one-time-only reunion show, they’ve reunited the original four-piece lineup that brought us all the irreverent, excellent Let It Beer LP back in 2015. With a ridiculous Beatles parody cover and some truly unforgettable costumes, these guys led with goofy spirit, then pulled you in with the absolute power of their rock n’ roll tunes. Equal parts Cheap Trick and Weezer, plus a dose of AC/DC for sheer power, the Imaginary Sons were a band you weren’t going to overlook.

First slimming down to a trio lineup, then breaking up in early 2017, Imaginary Sons left a gaping void in the RVA music scene. It’s no surprise that, when they announced this reunion earlier this year, people were stoked. And now the payoff to all that anticipation will finally arrive this Friday night when Imaginary Sons rage at City Dogs once again. They’ll be joined by Leach, the current project of former Sons Mike Cruz and Russell Redmond, and DJ Frontyard will be spinning tunes to kick off the night, but we all know the main attraction: the opportunity to hear all the hits — “Kicking The Cup,” “Never There,” etc — in a live environment once again. Eat your hot dogs early, because the mustard’s gonna fly when these guys take the stage.

Saturday, June 30, 7 PM
RVA Lyricist Lounge, Episode 5; feat. Nickelus F, Cole Hicks, IGB vs Swerve 360, Robalu vs Leek Bucks, Southpaw Battle Coalition cypher, and more @ Strange Matter – $15
There is, as always, a lot of great hip hop happening in this town, and you sleep on any of it at your peril. However, I must urge you to make specific effort to be at RVA Lyricist Lounge Saturday at Strange Matter if you care about hip hop at all. These ongoing events, presented by Southpaw Battle Coalition, have been putting cyphers and battles back into the scene in a big way over the past year or two, and are pushing the local scene forward in obvious ways. Most importantly this time around, though, is that Nickelus F will be performing his newest album, Stuck. Nick F shouldn’t need any introduction to hip hop fans around here by now — his 15 years of consistently excellent releases proves the quality he’ll deliver every single time you hand him a mic, and we’re seeing that same quality on his latest release. The sluggish beats and dazed lyrical flow that set the mood on the album help bring the title to life, and the man also known as Sweet Petey will make it hit hard when he hits the Strange Matter stage Saturday night.

But that’s just the beginning of what this show has to offer. Also on tap is a performance from up-and-coming local rapper Cole Hicks, who’ll be bringing us selections from her buzzworthy new release, May Day. Then there are the two battles on the card, pitting IGB against Swerve 360 and Robalu against Leek Bucks. Southpaw Battle Coalition will hit us with a cypher, as will a variety of local MCs you know and love. Plus, there’ll be room for new faces — 30 open cypher slots means that if you feel like you’ve got rhymes to deliver, there’s room for you to get on the mic and show your stuff. And if you just want to see some high-quality rhyming and keep up with the genre as it moves forward here in RVA, you’re definitely going to want to be here to watch. Mark your calendar.

Sunday, July 1, 8 PM
To Live And Shave In LA, New Ting Ting Loft, Oozing Meat, Fuk U / Idiot, DJ Rat Ward @ Strange Matter – $5
This one’s gonna be weird — and a whole lot of fun. To Live And Shave In LA, whose name certainly appears to be a joking reference to a William Friedkin movie, have a 25 year career behind them and are still going strong. The group primarily arises out of the collaboration between early Pussy Galore member Tom Smith and Florida noise legend Rat Bastard — though it’s involved a ton of other people over the years, from Thurston Moore to Andrew WK. Listening to To Live And Shave In LA is a challenging experience. Beginning from the proposition that “genre is obsolete,” Messrs. Smith, Bastard, and co. combine all sorts of experimental insanity, from ambient tape loops to metal-bashing harsh noise and untraceable electronic weirdness.

How does that translate live? Hard to say… a quick spin through their extensive discography will demonstrate to you that it’s pretty much different every time. But it’ll certainly be worth seeing, even if you have no idea what you’ll get — if there’s one term that does not describe To Live And Shave In LA, it’s “boring.” The local acts on this bill will keep things interesting as well; New Ting Ting Loft is a totally maniacal improvised-music ensemble who takes experimental jazz as a point of departure and ends up in all kinds of ludicrous places. The results are always fascinating. Oozing Meat is a collaboration between Eric Tomillon (Fake Object) and Jason Hodges (Suppression/Bermuda Triangles/etc) that, at least on last year’s Splatter High, leaps dramatically from ambient noise weirdness to shit-fi grindcore, then back again. Who knows how that’ll translate live, but it’s sure to keep your attention. Which is really the story for this entire show — there’s no way to know exactly what you’re gonna get, but you can be sure that it won’t bore you.

Monday, July 2, 8 PM
Late Bloomer, Lovelorn, Teen Death, Sea of Storms @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Here we are at the end of a trio of Strange Matter shows, all completely different, and all completely awesome. This one’s for the fans of straight-up rock n’ roll with a melodic edge and some killer hooks; Late Bloomer brings all of that to us with their brand new LP Waiting, out on 6131 Records this Friday. It’s so brand new, it isn’t even out yet — but it will be on Monday night, so bring some cash and pick yourself up a copy! Then enjoy the bushel of killer tunes this North Carolina trio will be bringing with them, both from their latest ripper and excellent earlier LPs, such as 2014’s Things Change.

They’ll also be bringing Lovelorn with them, and if you’re a little unfamiliar with this Philadelphia trio — who’ve only released one song so far — it might help you recognize them if I tell you that they are three of the four members of the unfortunately departed Philly psych project Creepoid. That band was really hitting their peak with their third and final LP, 2015’s Cemetery Highrise Slum. Lovelorn’s sole demo release thus far has more of an ominous, spaced-out vibe reminiscent of Mazzy Star than the fuzzy, garage-damaged sound Creepoid were perfecting towards the end, but it’s close enough to make it really incredible in its own right. And hey, it’s only one song — getting to hear a full set is sure to leave us with a much stronger impression of where these excellent musicians are taking things next. Opening sets from awesome locals, including hard-rockin’ punk n’ rollers Teen Death and melodic, emotionally-driven rockers Sea Of Storms, will make for a bill full of highlights. Don’t miss a moment.

Tuesday, July 3, 6:30 PM
Have Mercy, Kississippi, Super American, Downhaul, Warrington @ The Camel – $14 in advance/$16 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Here’s something I didn’t expect at all; directly on the heels of their third LP, 2017’s excellent Make The Best Of It, Have Mercy are returning to town with a tour celebrating the five-year anniversary of their debut LP, 2013’s The Earth Pushed Back. What makes this unexpected is the fact that frontman Brian Swindle pretty much acquired a completely new backing band around the time of Make The Best Of It. This means the band that’ll be celebrating the anniversary of their debut album is mostly made up of members who weren’t in the band at the time of its release.

That’s all right, though; if there’s one thing Make The Best Of It proved, it’s that Swindle’s current compatriots are totally capable of delivering top-quality Have Mercy material that is capable of standing alongside the best work of their original lineup. And since The Earth Pushed Back is every bit as good as their latest album, the current incarnation of Have Mercy should have no problem doing it justice. I can’t help but hope they’ll play at least one or two new songs, though. They’ll be ably accompanied by Kississippi, a goofily named but excellent emo-pop group from Philly whose latest LP, Sunset Blush, is a real standout in the world of passionate melodies and evocative lyrics from which they ascend. Upbeat pop-rockers Super American will round out the trio of touring groups on this bill, which will be joined by locals Downhaul and Warrington. This is one to look forward to.

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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.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond