Slump

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

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 22, 2019

Topics: 6131 Record Store, Alright, Bandito's, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Cary Street Cafe, Charlie's American Cafe, Clary Sage, Crystal Spiders, Deterioration, Dogwood Tales, Enforced, gallery 5, Gnawing, Gull, Hardywood, Helgamite, Johnathan Rice, Jonny Z, josh small, Kenneka Cook, Krode, Mirador, Model Zero, MSD, Natural Velvet, Night Kid, Nightcreature, No Rome, Occultist, Oozing Meat, Pale Waves, Positive No, shows you must see, Slump, The 1975, The Accused AD, The Felice Brothers, The Golden Pony, Van Hagar, Virginia Credit Union Live, Washers, Wonderland, Young Scum

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, May 26, 12 noon
Jonny Z Fest 2019, feat. Kenneka Cook, Washers, Gull, Josh Small, Night Kid @ Hardywood – Free!
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 12 years since we lost Jonathan Zanin, known to all and sundry as Jonny Z. To get personal right out the gate, he was a longtime friend, and I still can’t think too much about his death without getting upset. For those of you who didn’t have the fortune of knowing him, all I can tell you now is that he was a really positive dude who poured a ton of energy into music, art, and activism, and absolutely made Richmond a better place for the entire time we were lucky enough to have him here.

It still makes me sad to think of Jonny being gone, but I am nonetheless very glad that Bizarre Market — an organization Jonny was heavily involved with — have kept his memory alive with their yearly Jonny Z fests. The latest one is happening this Sunday afternoon at Hardywood, and you should absolutely come out and celebrate the life of a great guy gone too soon by enjoying all that Bizarre Market has to offer. There will be dozens of vendors on hand, as well as interactive art, play areas for the kids, raffles, and of course Hardywood’s selections of fine craft brews, which I hear good things about from those who dabble in that sort of thing.

And of course, this is a music column, so we can’t forget the music! Some major Richmond mainstays, many of whom were also friends of Jonny Z, are on this bill. The always-talented electro-soul goddess, Kenneka Cook. The incredible, indescribable one-man band hijinks of Gull. The catchy punk goodness of Washers, a relatively new trio featuring members of Sports Bar, Worn In Red, and more. The emotionally-driven acoustic folk sounds of Josh Small. And then there’s the obscure but talented solo singer-songwriter sounds of Night, Kid. All of these artists will offer enjoyable sounds by which to dance, smile, and remember. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Wednesday, May 22, 6 PM
The 1975, Pale Waves, No Rome @ Virginia Credit Union Live – $39.50 – $59.50 (order tickets HERE)
When I first discovered the 1975 six or so years ago, they only had a couple of EPs out. I thought of them as kind of a poppy emo band, and longtime readers of this column won’t be surprised to hear that I therefore loved them immediately. They’ve released three albums since then, all of which have hit number one in their native United Kingdom. And clearly they’re pretty popular here in the US too, since they’re playing the 6,000-capacity Virginia Credit Union Live! venue, out at RIR. And it hasn’t sold out yet, so you should certainly grab a ticket make sure you’re there.

Because the 1975 aren’t just another emo-pop group with a few crossover hits. On their more recent material, they’ve tapped a very deep vein of multi-layered melodies that draw from both 80s R&B and New Wave, as well as a bunch of other classic genres. And on their latest LP, 2018’s A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, they’ve become fearless social commentators; popular single “Love It If We Made It” makes harsh and condemnatory references to modern social ills from Eric Garner’s death at the hands of police to Kanye West’s inexplicable and depressing embrace of Donald Trump. In some ways, they remind me of the best bands from the 80s New Pop movement — Scritti Politti, ABC, The Human League — all of which brought an incisive intelligence derived from punk rock straight to the top of the charts. In other ways, they remind me of Radiohead circa OK Computer and Kid A, when they were simultaneously enormously popular and relentlessly challenging. In all ways, I think they are great. AND! They’ve got UK goth-poppers Pale Waves, who made one of my favorite LPs of 2018, opening for them! What more do you need?

Thursday, May 23, 10 PM
Positive No, Young Scum @ Bandito’s – Free!
Positive No may not be one of the most active bands in Richmond, but if you ask me, they have been one of the best and most worthwhile bands this town has to offer for at least five years now. Their excellent music, which mixes post-hardcore energy with shoegaze melody and a delicate, ethereal presentation that sometimes explodes into fury, is always worth showing up for. Their two LPs and many EPs and singles have given us a wealth of excellent music, which may not be aired all that frequently in the live arena, but becomes a rare treat when they play the occasional gig.

This is one of those occasional gigs, and it’s free, so you really need to be there. Positive No will be releasing a new two-song single at the event, and for you vinyl nerds, it’s a lathe-cut EP, which means instead of being pressed at a plant, each copy is individually carved one groove at a time. Understandably, there are only limited copies available, but even if you aren’t able to snag one, Positive No’s performance will be more than worth staying out late with work in the morning. Better yet, Young Scum will also be on hand to delight the masses with their charming, witty indie pop. It’s gonna be a night full of awesomeness, whether you’re a vinyl collector nerd or not. Don’t blow this one.

Friday, May 24, 8 PM
The Felice Brothers, Johnathan Rice, Dogwood Tales @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 in advance/$17 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The Felice Brothers have been making fine folk-rock sounds for over a decade now, and older releases of theirs like Yonder Is The Clock and Celebration, Florida have earned praise from earlier generations of RVA Mag reviewers. In more recent years, though, they’ve largely kept a low profile, with frontman Ian Felice making a solo album in 2017 while his brother James played in Conor Oberst’s backing band.

But earlier this month, the group released Undress, their first album in three years. And it has made abundantly clear that The Felice Brothers have still got it. Ian and James have been joined on this record by a new rhythm section, and the resulting stripped-down four-piece has a driving energy that returns The Felice Brothers to first principles and shows that they still know how to make energetic, memorable tunes that’ll get you dancing and singing along. The group’s heartfelt sound is at its peak on Undress, and seeing this lineup live is sure to be a treat. Indulge.

Saturday, May 25, 9 PM
The Accused AD, Occultist, Enforced @ Wonderland – $10
Here’s some hardcore drama for you — there are two different versions of classic crossover-thrash skate-and-destroy ragers The Accused currently in existence. One still uses the band’s original name, due to the fact that original guitarist Tommy Niemeyer is still in the band, even though the other current Accused members are johnny-come-latelies Niemeyer recruited within the past decade. The other, The Accused AD, features vocalist Blaine Cook, who sang for the band for 20 years and six albums, along with guitarist Alex Sibbald, who played bass with The Accused for 18 years and five albums.

I’ll leave it to you to decide which has a more valid claim on the name at this point in history, but one thing I will mention in the Accused AD’s favor is that they’ve actually made a new album within the past decade — Ghoul In The Mirror, released a few months ago. If you loved the Accused’s classic 80s LPs, chances are a good part of that was due to Cook’s wild, unhinged vocal attack, and to the metallic hyperspeed riffs that came roaring at you nonstop. Rest assured, The Accused AD has both of those in spades, and their new LP proves it. Now all that’s left for you to do is head down to Wonderland Saturday night and let them prove it to you live and in your face. It’s sure to be a thrashing good time.

Sunday, May 26, 2 PM
Alright, Gnawing @ 6131 Records Storefront – Free!
There’s a new record store in town! It’s not open that often — only Fridays and Saturdays — but it will allow you an opportunity to shop in-person at the home of Richmond’s own 6131 Records. Not only do they put out a ton of good releases for bands both local and outside the state, they’ve got a pretty bodacious distro, full of vinyl, CDs, stickers, t-shirts, and tons of other stuff, all of which you can get in-person access to by visiting them.

6131’s storefront won’t normally be open on Sundays, but they’re making an exception and opening up the store for this unique afternoon of acoustic performances. Singer-guitarist Sarah of North Carolina band Alright will be treating us all to stripped-down versions of that band’s excellent melodic punk tunes. Meanwhile, John, who not only plays drums for Alright but also plays guitar and sings in Richmond’s own Gnawing, will deliver a set featuring bare-bones versions of Gnawing songs for us all. It’ll be a quick way to both hear some great tunes for zero dollars and get acquainted with a brand new brick-and-mortar spot to buy records in Richmond, and if that isn’t a good way to follow up Sunday brunch, I don’t know what is.

Monday, May 27, 9 PM
Deterioration, Van Hagar, MSD, Oozing Meat @ Cary Street Cafe – $10
To quote the Damned, “Noise noise noise.” That’s what you can expect when Cary Street Cafe’s usual Deadhead-sanctuary vibe is disrupted Monday night by an invasion of grindcore bands. Deterioration are at the head of the parade, and this Minnesota trio pride themselves on their supersonic attack and irreverent approach. Expect gratuitous samples and ridiculous song titles, but mostly you can expect insanely fast blast beats and lots of furious screaming. Sounds like fun to me.

A trio of locals will round out this bill with some grind insanity of their own. My former roommates Van Hagar can always be relied upon to bring the noise, and that’s exactly what they’re doing here — no cabo wabos about it. Expect some tunes from their forthcoming LP, which one can certainly hope will make it to us sometime this year. And then there’s newcomers MSD, whose dirty, crusty approach to grind is sure to bring a smile to the faces of those who can never get enough high-speed low-end rage. Finally, there’s Oozing Meat, whose recently expanded lineup features members of Suppression and Fake Object, and whose sound straddles the line between grindcore at its most extreme and outright experimental noise. This one will rattle the walls for sure.

Tuesday, May 28, 7 PM
Model Zero, Slump, Nightcreature @ Gallery 5 – $6 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
If you’re a fan of that dark arena in which the lines between garage rock and gloomy postpunk get too blurry to fully make out, Model Zero is the band for you. Formed by former members of Ex-Cult and Jack Oblivian’s backing band, The Sheiks, these guys have deep roots in the Memphis scene that’s spawned everyone from Jay Reatard to 68 Comeback. Model Zero definitely capture a bit of the analog-synth/primitive-beatbox feel that Reatard’s synth-punk project, Lost Sounds, displayed, but there’s also a whole lot of dirty gutbucket rock n’ roll mixed in here, and you wouldn’t be wrong to detect a strong hint of The Cramps there as well.

Model Zero’s self-titled debut LP will be officially released on Slovenly Recordings a few days after they perform in Richmond. You may or may not get a chance to grab early copies of the vinyl, but what we can guarantee for sure is that you’ll get to hear this band’s loud, dark, and energetic sound up close, personal, and at top volume, and it’s sure to rock you. Don’t miss that, and definitely don’t miss the two RVA-based openers either. Slump’s psychedelic take on hardcore punk is always a treat, and Nightcreature’s unique approach to their own garage-punk flavor is sure to get the show rolling on a high note.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, May 24, 8 PM
Helgamite, Crystal Spiders, Krode @ The Golden Pony – $7
“Stoner doom” is a term that gets thrown around a lot in the metal scene, but what it means isn’t always clear. While it can lead you to bands cranking out played-out third-rate versions of Saint Vitus riffs — and I certainly don’t blame you if that makes you somewhat gunshy — sometimes it’ll send you straight towards some of the most creative, weird, and original sounds being made in metal today. Fortunately for us all, Helgamite are firmly in the latter category.

Helgamite hail from the tiny town of Rileyville, which lies somewhere between Front Royal and Luray in the mountainous western part of the state. All that isolation can be surprisingly good for creativity, and on their 2016 LP, Hypnagogia, this four-piece showed just how creative they can be, fusing epic sludge-metal riffs with psychedelic atmospheres and otherworldly jazz vibes provided by saxophonist Casey Firkin. If the idea of Hawkwind and Neurosis collaborating to create a Pentagram LP gets your synapses firing, you definitely want to make your way to Harrisonburg Friday night to see these freaks come down from the mountains and blow your mind.

Saturday, May 25, 8 PM
Natural Velvet, Clary Sage, Mirador @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $10 in advance/$13 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Baltimore’s Natural Velvet aren’t easily described. Their use of “postpunk” as a genre tag is certainly accurate, but if you’ve followed the evolution of that term over the past four decades, you certainly know that it covers a wide range of sounds. Natural Velvet explore many different facets of that genre, as well as quite a few others. On 2017’s Mirror To Make You, vocalist/bassist Corynne Ostermann channels both Alice Bag and Siouxsie Sioux in her powerful, gripping vocal approach, as the band’s pounding, off-kilter attack pulls off some decided Birthday Party-style rages before pulling it together to rock you in the most straightforward of fashions. Just for a second, though.

This is all sure to add up to something unpredictable and unmissable when it’s presented on a live stage. And therefore, I can’t help but recommend that you NOT miss it, especially if you’re already in the Hampton Roads area on this pre-Memorial Day Saturday night. You’ll also get an intense and unpredictable set of synth-noise-punk awesomeness from Norfolk’s own Clary Sage, as well as some moody shoegaze bliss from up-and-coming Norfolk locals Mirador. This one’s going to be wild — make sure you’re there.

—-

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: April 17 – April 23

Marilyn Drew Necci | April 17, 2019

Topics: Bantustans, Battlemaster, Beeline, Bogues, Brick, Broken Beaches, Corridor, Cris Jacobs, Crumb, Delta Sleep, Doll Baby, Earthling, From Overseas, gallery 5, Han Gan, High Voltage, Hikes, Horse Culture, Hot Spit, Hotspit, Jeremy Enigk, LA Guns, Lance Bangs, Landon Elliott, Red Death, Shormey, shows you must see, Sinister Purpose, Slump, Snake Mountain Revival, Strawberry Moon, Tavernier, The Beacon Theatre, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Canal Club, The Do-Nothings, The Golden Pony, Toast, Tomo Nakayama, Toward Space, Venus Milo, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, April 20, 8 PM
Battlemaster (Photo by David Morton), Sinister Purpose, Horse Culture, Doll Baby, Shormey @ Gallery 5 – $6 in advance/$12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
This year 420 falls on a weekend, and for quite a few of y’all out there, that’s a particular cause for celebration. I may not choose to partake in the herbal sacraments, but I like music and munchies as much as the next girl, so I can certainly appreciate a good 420 party — and Gallery 5 is throwing a great one this Saturday. My old roommate, who handled all the booking back when I lived at a show house, has moved up in the world, and is booking at Gallery 5 these days (remember that the next time someone tells you you’re wasting your time with all this DIY crap and it’ll never amount to anything), and she’s pulled together a show that reminds me of the great holiday shows we used to throw in our living room, not so long ago. Boy, a lot can change in three years, huh?

At the top of the bill, heading up Gallery 5’s 420 festivities for the third year in a row, is the almighty Battlemaster. Richmond’s death-thrash terrors may not be the most active of bands — it’s been four years since the release of their last LP — but their onstage energy is nothing to scoff at. Rest assured, when these maniacs start dishing out the riffs, blastbeats, and tortured screams, you’re gonna be headbanging at full speed just like everyone else in the room. Rockin’ rollin’ hardcore maniacs Sinister Purpose, who somehow manage to sound like Motorhead, Negative Approach, and the New Bomb Turks at the same time, are equally prepared to lay you out with their fierce sounds.

Horse Culture are also on the bill, presenting their multi-layered take on blackened shoegaze sludge. But it’s not all heaviness — the show will also feature a set of heartfelt melody and passionate emotion from Richmond faves Doll Baby, and Tidewater favorite Shormey will be joining in with some gorgeous electro-indie sounds. Plus, in a move that takes me back to the house-show days, this event will feature a table full of munchies to ease your 420 cravings, along with a photo spot and some fun temporary tattoos! Gotta keep shows interesting, right? What’s more, I really must advise you to buy your tickets in advance — if you wait to pay at the door, the price doubles. If that’s not an incentive, I don’t know what is.

Wednesday, April 17, 7 PM
Delta Sleep, Bogues, Hikes, Venus Milo @ The Canal Club – $15 in advance/$17 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There are those who will tell you that UK band Delta Sleep are math-rock, but if you ask me, that’s a bit of a misnomer. While they do incorporate the sort of delicate melodic complexity that has become a hallmark of post-Y2K math rock (replacing the harsh atonal noise that was the genre’s signature in the 90s), this band demonstrates on last year’s Ghost City that what really matters to them is creating music that moves you. They pull that off with aplomb and panache on their latest LP, and they’re sure to do the same when they hit the stage at the Canal Club tonight.

Nashville’s Bogues join Delta Sleep on this trip to Richmond, and while they’ve got an excellent sound in their own right, there’s definitely some daylight between the two out-of-towners. A solo-oriented project that sometimes takes the form of frontman AJ Gruenewald strumming an electric guitar and singing his heart out, Bogues have a strong melodic feel and a definite emotional orientation that’s likely to remind you of Julien Baker or Into It. Over It. in solo form. Texas band Hikes, who have a bit of the twinkly emo revival about them but are by no means easily slotted into a simple flavor-of-the-month genre, will also be on the bill to delight fans of tangled guitar leads, while relatively new locals Venus Milo kick the whole thing off.

Thursday, April 18, 7 PM
LA Guns @ Beacon Theatre – $22-30 (order tickets HERE)
One of the classic Sunset Strip glam metal bands of that genre’s 80s heyday, LA Guns have quite a storied history. Early lineups featured everyone from a pre-Guns n’ Roses Axl Rose (indeed, that’s where the “guns” half of his signature group’s name came from) to Weirdos/Germs drummer Nickey Beat, while more recent years saw longtime singer Phil Lewis and founding guitarist Tracii Guns leading two different versions of the group on competing US tours. Eep. Thankfully, the two buried the hatchet several years ago, and now lead a unified version of LA Guns once again (…though apparently the band’s longtime drummer now has a competing version with a bunch of randos he hired. It never ends, apparently).

Guns and Lewis will be coming to Hopewell’s Beacon Theatre, a venue that has quietly become the most reliable place in Virginia at which to see still-touring glam metal greats of decades past. I don’t know about y’all, but I for one am IN. A chance to hear classics like “Sex Action,” “Never Enough,” and “Rip And Tear,” along with the immortal power ballad “The Ballad Of Jayne,” of course — who could pass that up? These guys may not be as young and gorgeous as they once were, but the riffs are still straight fire, and that’s what should really matter, right? Head down to Hopewell this Thursday night, and let’s rock.

Friday, April 19, 8 PM
Cris Jacobs, Landon Elliott, Tavernier @ The Broadberry – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Singer-songwriter Cris Jacobs might be a relatively new name to some of you, but he’s been around for quite a while, getting his start in the early 00s fronting a Baltimore band called The Bridge. He’s been a solo artist for a while now, and his brand new album, Color Where You Are, features Richmond musicians Todd Herrington (Big Payback/Mekong Xpress) and Dusty Ray Simmons (DJ Williams Projekt/Fear Of Music) making up the rhythm section. And anybody who can recruit local talents like these to make up the core of his backing band, not only in the studio but on tour as well, is assuredly worth paying attention to.

Jacobs does a great job of laying out his sound on Color Where You Are, an album he wrote in the few spare moments he could find between his day job as a touring musician and his home life as a husband and father. The result is full of the hum and buzz of day to day life, a heartfelt album featuring touches of country, folk, and heartland rock all mingling together in a classically American sound. It’s the opposite of a stressful listen, and hearing Jacobs and his band bring the album to life at The Broadberry this Friday night is sure to ease your mind and help you put your cares aside. Don’t let the work week wear you out — come have some fun this Friday night with Cris Jacobs and his band. You’ll never regret it.

Saturday, April 20, 9 PM
Toward Space, Snake Mountain Revival, High Voltage @ Wonderland – $5
In the days since Slaughterama went away, I’ve been less than completely aware of what the dirt bike scene is like around Richmond. But there’s one thing I know that hasn’t changed in the years since I was up on all that — dirt bike kids are crazy. They do insane things frequently; it’s their idea of fun. And while I’ve never been the type to join in that kind of high-stakes broken-bone-risk action, I’ve always known how fun it is to watch. So the fact that FBM Bikes and DIG BMX will be holding the latest installment of their DIY World Championships at semi-secret bike/skate spot the Lost Bowl this Saturday lets me know that lots of fun will be had.

I can’t tell you where the Lost Bowl is, so #askapunk, but I can tell you that everyone will be headed straight for the bottom for the afterparty. I speak of Shockoe Bottom, of course, and the punkest bar in town, Wonderland. There, sets from (post-)teenage garage punk maniacs Toward Space and Virginia Beach-based psych-noise trio Snake Mountain Revival are set to get everyone flipping out. Plus, the evening will start with a (you guessed it) AC/DC tribute set from High Voltage, who based on their name are sure to go heavy on the Bon Scott era — as one should. So whether you make it to the Lost Bowl to see the crazy dirt bike action or not, you’re well advised to coast your dirt bike downhill to the Bottom and rock out with the BMX kids. Because as many of us know by now, BMX kids throw some incredible parties.

Sunday, April 21, 9 PM
HotSpit, Beeline, The Do-Nothings, Strawberry Moon @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Y’all, is HotSpit one word or two? I’ve certainly written it as both, and looking around facebook, I see I’m not the only one. Right now I’m going with the one-word-featuring-mid-word-capital-letter thing, but I’m sure in a few months I’ll have a much better understanding of what is correct. For you see, while HotSpit are a relatively new local band without too much history to draw on, I’m sure we’ll all be hearing a lot more about them in the next few months. Their demo shows a promising shoegaze quartet with strong vocal melodies and ringing guitars flexing their muscles and launching a distinctive and memorable sound.

So yeah, certainly the kind of band worth taking a Sunday night flyer on. HotSpit will be joined at The Camel by a few other local up-and-comers, first and foremost of which is Beeline. I hadn’t even heard this band’s name before now, but I’m glad they’ve been brought to my attention, as their demo shows off a catchy 90s-style jangly indie-rock sound that has significant charms. I’m already looking forward to more from these guys. The Do-Nothings, yet another new-to-me band, feature members of Recluse Raccoon playing some weird, shambling rock n’ roll that’s straight out of a basement somewhere in town. It’s hard to get a handle on, but it has its charms — as, of course, does Strawberry Moon, probably the most seasoned indie-pop group here, kicking off a fine bill that’s sure to please you, assuming you like catchy songs — and I’m not ashamed to say I do.

Monday, April 22, 7 PM
Jeremy Enigk, Tomo Nakayama @ The Canal Club – $16 (order tickets HERE)
Jeremy Enigk is a tough guy to figure out. Were he not so incredibly talented, people might have just given up trying to figure out what he’s up to. But as the frontman and chief songwriter for Sunny Day Real Estate, Enigk crafted some truly classic albums, the first of which, 1993’s Diary, has sometimes been credited with launching the emo genre (it didn’t really, but its importance can’t really be overstated). However, Enigk has broken up Sunny Day Real Estate, and post-SDRE band The Fire Theft, at least three separate times. It seems he’s ultimately most comfortable in the solo environment, and it’s as a solo artist that he returns to Richmond this Monday night for the first time in quite a while.

Enigk is currently touring behind his crowdfunded 2017 album Ghosts, his first release in nearly a decade. Fans quickly realized that his long period out of the spotlight had in no way diminished his songwriting powers, and indeed, Ghosts finds Enigk at the top of his game, his acoustic solo chops just as powerful in their own way as his louder electric sound was at the head of SDRE. The melancholy introspection and angst-ridden beauty of Enigk’s classic solo debut, Return Of The Frog Queen, shows through in abundance on Ghosts. The subdued, mostly-acoustic backing band provides a perfect canvas for Enigk’s gorgeous vocals and incredibly powerful guitar melodies. Enigk will come to town with a full band backing him up, and it’s easy to imagine the sound of Ghosts filling The Canal Club with gorgeous, vibrant sound. But why imagine it when you can be there? Get your tickets yesterday.

Tuesday, April 23, 7 PM
Crumb, Corridor, Lance Bangs, Slump @ Gallery 5 – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Psychedelic indie-rockers Crumb first came to my attention through the attentions of Citrus City Records, who released the cassette version of their self-titled debut EP, so it’s no surprise that the show-promotion arm of Citrus City, Underground Orchard, brings them to RVA once again this Tuesday night. Crumb, who hail from NYC these days, are preparing for the release of their debut LP, Jinx, which based on advance singles certainly seems like a deeper delve into the groovy, soulful take on indie-psych bounce that Crumb have made their stock in trade from day one. That’s certainly an appealing prospect.

They’ll be joined on their latest passage through RVA by Francophone Montreal group Corridor, who’ve demonstrated a Television/Parquet Courts-like facility for guitar-driven rock/punk/indie songcraft on releases like their 2017 full-length, Supermercado. Their toe-tapping melodies and popwise song construction also makes me think of late 80s/early 90s UK indie-pop groups like The Dentists or Heavenly, but I might be showing my age with references like that (as usual). Regardless, this two-band package packs enough of a soul-pop-indie-psych punch to keep you smiling throughout — and local support from slack alt-rockers Lance Bangs and psych-noise-core freaks Slump is a significant bonus.

Elsewhere around the state:

Friday, April 19, 7 PM
Bantustans, Han Gan, Broken Beaches, From Overseas @ Toast (Norfolk) – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Things are gonna get interesting at Norfolk’s Toast this Friday night, and I don’t mean that in a Top Five sort of way either. For starters, dual-drummer quartet Bantustans is at the top of the bill, and when they’re in the house, it’s always gonna be an unusual situation. While the group hasn’t released anything officially since 2016, they’ve recently been playing material from an upcoming album due for release sometime this year. And as with previous material, they continue to interweave complex guitar lines with even more complex multi-layered percussion to create instrumentals so intense and dynamic they have absolutely no need of vocals.

DC’s Han Gan will provide all the vocals you need, though, as Norfolk hometown boy Brian Nicewander, of storied 90s Norfolk post-hardcore group Words A Game, comes to town at the head of an energetic, Fugazi-esque trio with political energy and musical power to spare. If the group’s excellent 2018 debut, The City Of Magnificent Intentions, is any indication, this will be a proud homecoming indeed. Tidewater hometowners Broken Beaches, who have a heavy-grunge shoegaze vibe about them, and ambient guitar solo project From Overseas open this one up to get y’all going.

Saturday, April 20, 8 PM
Earthling, Red Death, Brick @ The Golden Pony (Harrisonburg) – $7
Harrisonburg metal heroes Earthling are celebrating 10 years of existence this weekend at their hometown venue, the Golden Pony. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but then, that’s life, isn’t it? It’s already been two years since the last Earthling full-length, Spinning In The Void, launched forth from Richmond’s own Forcefield Records, full of epic brutality and blackened psychedelic rage, so the fact that this band released their first demo all the way back in 2009 isn’t that shocking in retrospect.

It is, however, a cause for celebration, and Earthling will be celebrating at the Golden Pony this Saturday night. They’ll be joined by the almighty Red Death, who have connections to both DC and RVA, and who just signed to Century Media records a couple months ago. Their 2017 LP, Formidable Darkness, has the crossover thrash-core chops to make such a signing eminently apropos, and it seems likely that you’ll be seeing Red Death in much bigger venues in another six months or so. So join them at The Golden Pony now, and thrash to your heart’s content before you’ve got to compete with 1000 other hessians for your floor space. Harrisonburg hardcore crew Brick kick this whole thing off, and they’re gonna kick it HARD. Show up on time to this one, and get ready to go off.

—-

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 23 – January 29

Marilyn Drew Necci | January 23, 2019

Topics: Aaron Shadrow, Amen Dunes, Arcane Haven, Arthur, Bo Scurvy And the Hounds, Daniel Romano, Deli Kings, Detachment, Enforced, Esprit, Essex Muro. Bandito's, gallery 5, Gamelan Raga Kusuma, George Clanton, Grails, Gull, Helen Money, Lobo Marino, Mirador, Modlin Center for the Arts, Murder Method, Murdersome, Occultist, Pourhouse of Norfolk, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Riffhouse Pub, Satin Sheets, Serqet, shows you must see, Single Use Plastic, Slump, Spitty, Street Muse Kenya, Surfing, T. Hardy Morris, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Earth Laid Bare, Vain/Void, Vomit Stain, Wait For The Day, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, January 27, 6:30 PM
Street Muse Kenya Screening, feat. Gull (Photo by Joey Wharton), Lobo Marino, Mighty Joshua @ Gallery 5 – Free!
Being the only person in your band means never having to worry about breaking up. This is probably a big part of why Nathaniel Rappole, who started Gull over a decade ago, has kept on going strong over a career full of metamorphoses and setbacks that could have destroyed a band that had the ability to go their separate ways. But Gull has persevered. The group has grown from its origins as a one-man noise unit playing chaotic, speedy punk rock by playing guitar with one hand, drums with the other (and both feet), and screaming into a miked-up mask, into its current incarnation, in which Rappole is liable to depart from his guitar, or his drum kit, or his mask, or all three at any given time, in order to generate a sound that has matured into borderline-uncategorizability.

Over the years in which this evolution occurred, Rappole — who’d done his fair share of busking on the street in Richmond neighborhoods like Carytown — got bit by the travel bug in a major way. This culminated in his 2012 trip to Kenya with a camera crew. The result of this crowdfunded trip was a documentary film, Street Muse Kenya, which was completed two years ago and will be shown in full at Gallery 5 on Sunday night.

In 2017, Gull used time in which Rappole was laid up with a broken leg to create an album, Lurcher, that was constructed mainly on analog synthesizers and sequencers — a far cry from his hardcore-punk origins. Now that he’s up and around once again, he’s itching to get back onto the road, so at this event, Rappole and his crew will elaborate on the next step in the Street Muse project: a trip to Southeast Asia, for which they are raising funds right now. Then, once they’ve given you all the pitch, Gull will perform a full set, to let you know where his head’s at these days. The musical portion of the evening will also feature a set from equally peripatetic and uncategorizable duo Lobo Marino, and will be MC’d by local reggae musician Mighty Joshua. There’s a lot going on at this one, and some of it is sure to catch you by surprise. But one thing we do know for sure — you won’t see a show like this anywhere else in town this week. You know what to do.

Wednesday, January 23, 7:30 PM
Gamelan Raga Kusuma, Richmond Symphony Orchestra @ Modlin Center for the Arts – $36 (order tickets HERE)
It wouldn’t surprise me if you weren’t familiar with gamelan. This Indonesian music, which originates on the islands of Bali and Java in Southeast Asia, is traditionally played by orchestras consisting mainly of percussive instruments, which sometimes perform accompanied by dancers, or shadow puppet performances. These orchestras work together in complicated arrangements with rapidly changing tempos, and create ringing melodies with an entrancing beauty that is unique in the many musical forms of the world. Here in Richmond, Gamelan Raga Kusuma is a local ensemble that works under the auspices of the University of Richmond, dedicated to bringing the sound of Balinese gamelan to the central Virginia community in a variety of unique ways.

At the Modlin Center tonight, they’ll be doing so in collaboration with the Richmond Symphony, bringing to life a reconstruction, assembled by Javanese gamelan musician and scholar Sumarsam, of the gamelan music heard by influential French composer Claude Debussy at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889. Gamelan had a profound influence on Debussy, who in turn influenced the vast majority of the 20th century’s best-known classical composers. For that reason, it’s of interest to both Gamelan Raga Kusuma and the Richmond Symphony Orchestra to follow that thread back to the very source. That’s what they’ll be doing at the Modlin Center tonight, and the trip promises to be fascinating for all you musical omnivores out there. The event will feature a variety of other performances, including a performance by a Balinese shadow puppet master of a new play, set to music by Debussy. It’ll all come full circle tonight, and if you love music, there’s nowhere else you should be.

Thursday, January 24, 7 PM
Grails, Helen Money, Serqet @ Gallery 5 – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s easy to say that Grails is a fascinating band, but describing exactly what sort of music they’re making is much more difficult. The term “post-rock” seems tailor-made for a band like this one, which is formed around the sort of core instrumental lineup (two guitars, bass, drums, keyboards) that often shows up in the world of rock music, but is here being used to decidedly different purposes. However, I wouldn’t want any use of that term to make you think Grails sound like Explosions In The Sky or Mogwai — what they do is more complex, less likely to rely on the quiet-loud transitions and gestures toward epic grandeur that bands like the ones most people think of when you say “post-rock.”

So if that term doesn’t work to describe Grails, what does? Well, let’s ditch any attempt at genre classification right here, and instead say that their instrumental music moves all over the place, doing all sorts of things in all kinds of unpredictable ways. It’s certainly heavy, at least at times, and it’s certainly mysterious — at times — and at moments it gets downright beautiful. But the main thing we can say about Grails is that their music, besides being intriguing and challenging, is always an enjoyable experience. You’re sure to get a lot out of their performance at Gallery 5 tomorrow night, and the fact that Chicago-based avant-metal cellist Helen Money and local goth-crust anarcho-punks Serqet are on the bill only makes this whole evening that much better. Don’t miss it.

Friday, January 25, 9 PM
Occultist, Enforced, Slump, Essex Muro @ Bandito’s – Free!
It has been extremely refreshing to see Occultist return to action in recent months after such a long period in which this incredible Richmond-based blackened-thrash quintet kept a very low profile. They’ve been promising a new record coming sometime in 2019, which will mark their first new release featuring original material in over five years, and if you’re not hyped, I suggest you check your pulse. This show is your first chance to see Occultist in 2019, and it sweetens the deal considerably, not only by being free and at Bandito’s (whose nachos are always an essential treat), but also by featuring several other great heavy-as-heck bands from around the region. What a deal!

This show is being held in solidarity with Black Flags Over Brooklyn, a two-day fest happening in New York on the same weekend, which exists to put out a strong anti-fascist, anti-racist message in the metal community — something any cool person should back, and sadly something we need now more than ever, in this age of Trump and the alt-right. To make this show as awesome as possible, Occultist have joined up with local ragers Enforced, who straddle the line between rough n’ tough hardcore and outright metallic thrash, and have landed on quite the musical sweet spot in the process. Whether you like to headbang or mosh it up, you’ll find yourself loving Enforced. The bill is rounded out by RVA’s fave psychedelic hardcore weirdos, Slump, and Raleigh noise-punk chaos ensemble Essex Muro. You can’t go wrong with this one.

Saturday, January 26, 9 PM
Vomit Stain, Murder Method, Murdersome @ Wonderland – $5
Unless you’ve been around this town for quite a while, even the diehard metalheads among you might not know the extent of Richmond’s history with brutal death metal. However, one of the leading lights of our current twisted brutal metal underground, Vomit Stain, seem to have a surprising amount of awareness, if their choice of record label is any indication. This raging quartet just released their latest album, Piles Of Human Debris, on Sevared Records, the long-running death metal label owned by onetime Richmond resident Barrett Amiss II.

Back at the turn of the millennium, you could find Barrett manning the drum kit for local death-crust outfit Rasp, and around that time, Sevared released the lone full-length by Richmond’s Disinterment, who gained little notice at the time but contained future members of Darkest Hour, Deathcrown, Iron Reagan, and many more. Amiss returned to his native New York some time ago, but clearly Sevared’s relationship with Richmond metal isn’t a thing of the past. At Wonderland this Saturday night, Vomit Stain will make clear exactly why they’re perfectly suited to carry on the underground tradition of Richmond death metal, dishing out the growling gore, thrash-tastic riffs, and headcrushing double-bass pummeling we all love so much. They’ll be joined by up-and-coming Richmond ragers Murdersome, who feature some talented local metal vets themselves, and will also be celebrating the release of their newest EP. Pennsylvania quintet Murder Method will round out the bill with some old-school Florida-style death for all you headbanging maniacs. Hit the pit.

Sunday, January 27, 7 PM
Daniel Romano, T. Hardy Morris, Deli Kings @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s easy for Americans to trick ourselves into believing that Canada is just like America. After all, our neighbors to the north speak English with mostly the same accent we do (er, well, if you’re west of Quebec they do), and their culture looks pretty similar to ours from the outside (except that they have Tim Horton’s and Pizza Pizza where we have Dunkin Donuts and Little Caesar’s). But if you start checking into Canadian music, that whole understanding falls apart. Daniel Romano’s a great example of what I’m talking about; like the Tragically Hip and Sloan, among many others, he’s a Canadian artist acclaimed enough to receive multiple nominations for Canadian music awards like the Polaris and the Juno. Meanwhile, here in America, he’s a relatively obscure folkish alt-country singer-songwriter who is probably best known for having been part of melodic punk group Attack In Black a decade or so ago.

Hopefully that will change at least within the borders of our fair city, though, as Romano has been proving for close to a decade now that his work deserves to be just as well-regarded in the good ol’ USA as it is in his home country up north. Last year (almost wrote “this year” — January always takes some adjustment), he simultaneously released two albums, Human Touch and Nerveless (the fact that he didn’t name the latter Lucky Town seems like a huge missed opportunity, but maybe he’s not as much of a Springsteen fan as I am). Between the two, they show off the full breadth of his enormous talent, ranging between skeletal folk tunes with the feel of old-time murder ballads, and incredibly catchy power-pop that simultaneously evokes modern indie and lush 70s AM radio pop tunes. All of it makes clear why Daniel Romano has won the hearts of so many of his countrymen. Catch on to the best parts of what our neighbors to the north have to offer at The Camel this weekend; it’s likely that before too long, that decision will give you major bragging rights.

Monday, January 28, 7 PM
Amen Dunes, Arthur @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$17 day of show (order tickets HERE)
What’s going on with Amen Dunes? The answer depends upon the year. Band mastermind Damon McMahon doesn’t really focus on any particular sound or style in his music, instead following his creativity wherever it may take him — which, from album to album, can lead to very different results. He got his best results yet on Freedom, the project’s fifth album, released last year to widespread acclaim. The spiritually-driven mission of Amen Dunes is brought into the sharpest focus on Freedom, resulting in an album that takes a number of different sonic detours but always features a uniting vision grounded in urban-folk melodies and psychedelic haze.

Expect Amen Dunes to create a palpable mood when they take the stage at the Broadberry, one that will only be enhanced by the opening set from tourmate Arthur. Arthur, which is also a de-facto solo project, also dabbles in psychedelia — but it’s a very different sort than that trafficked by Amen Dunes. On Woof Woof, the latest full-length the project has released, Arthur explores bizarre corners of the psychedelic pop world, using heavy vocal effects and unexpected switches between acoustic and electronic sounds to brew up a melange of sounds that could remind you of everyone from The Beatles to Ariel Pink to the Flaming Lips and a whole lot more. This show will be a full-on headtrip from beginning to end, so be prepared to take a trip. One thing’s for sure — it’ll brighten up your Monday night.

Tuesday, January 29, 8 PM
George Clanton, Surfing, Satin Sheets + Esprit, Aaron Shadrow @ The Camel – $12 in advance/$14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Strangely hypnotic electronic-based music has really come into vogue over the past few years, especially around Richmond. If you’ve been paying attention to its bizarre rise here in the river city for several years now, you’re bound to know the name George Clanton — or at least, to remember his early work under the name Mirror Kisses. His synth-based sounds were much darker at that time than they are today, as Clanton takes a trip down from his current home of Brooklyn to blast us all with waves of digital bliss.

His latest LP, Slide, is full of danceable pop gems that both retain a hefty dose of the strange atmospheres his music has always created and hooks right into the deepest impulses of your lizard brain to perfectly satisfy your craving for unforgettable melodies and singalong choruses. The result should appeal to fans of Duran Duran’s mid-80s prime just as well as it connects with fans of modern trailblazers like Elite Gymnastics. And what’s even greater for all you weirdo-electronica fans is the fact that Clanton will hit town with a coterie of fellow electronic travelers who record for his 100% electronica label, including a collaborative set between Clanton’s own alter ego, Esprit, and New Zealand’s Satin Sheets. Australians Surfing and frequent Clanton collaborator Aaron Shadrow will also be on the bill, so this show is sure to be a treat for all you fans of bizarre synth delectability. And I know in Richmond, there are a lot of you.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, January 25, 7 PM
Arcane Haven, The Earth Laid Bare, Wait For The Day, Vain/Void, Bo Scurvy And the Hounds, Detachment @ RiffHouse Pub – $10
I love metal in all its forms, and if you’re even close to being on that same page, you’ll definitely be interested in this stacked six-band bill coming to RiffHouse Pub in Norfolk on Friday. RiffHouse — the very name says “this is a metal club,” and as far as this show goes, they certainly aren’t belying that name by having Arcane Haven headlining. This Pennsylvania band released their self-titled debut full-length last summer, and it finds them dealing in everything from absolute brutal mosh madness to emotionally-powerful melodies with a heavy undercurrent. This quintet definitely has a sensitive side, and they’ll show it to you, but don’t get too comfortable, because before you know it, they’ll be charging full-tilt back into headbang territory.

They’re joined on this tour by Kentucky’s The Earth Laid Bare and Ohio’s Wait For The Day, who have a significant share of metal rage to offer in their own right. The Earth Laid Bare’s latest album, Flow, shows the group dabbling in the same sort of industrial-influenced low-end that has marked recent releases from Sworn In and Harm’s Way, even as their death-metal roots show through in the best possible way. Meanwhile, Wait For The Day traffics in more complex, almost proggy flourishes, but at heart focuses on the same sort of emo-metalcore hybrid sound fans of Underoath and Poison The Well have come to love. All three of these bands have a lot to offer, and the three excellent local openers only make this show an even better deal. Do you like to headbang as much as I do? You do? Good. Go to this show.

Saturday, January 26, 8 PM
Mirador, Spitty, Single-Use Plastic @ Pourhouse of Norfolk – Free!
I’ve been covering the music scene in the Tidewater/Hampton Roads area for a while now, and I’m starting to learn that it has quite a bit more breadth than I initially thought. And in my quest to look beyond the hardcore, metal, and dance music, Mirador is one of the more impressive lesser-known examples I’ve located. This quartet dabbles in indie melody, math-rock guitar sounds, and alt-rock vibes on their Become The River EP. The result is incredibly catchy and fun, and it was released when all the members were still in high school, so that’s even more impressive.

Do we have the Norfolk version of Manatree on our hands here? Time will tell, but one thing that’s already certain as of right this minute — these guys are definitely worth heading over to the Pourhouse on Saturday night in order to see. The fact that this show is free makes it even more worthwhile, and best of all, two other local groups — alt-rockers Spitty (great name) and skate-punkers Single Use Plastic (pretty rad name as well) — will be tearing it up before Mirador’s set. So you get great tunes, you get to keep all your money, and you get to engage in a firsthand exploration of the musical variety Norfolk has to offer. Sounds like a win-win all around!

—-

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

VA Shows You Must See This Week: November 28 – December 4

Marilyn Drew Necci | November 28, 2018

Topics: Accident Prone, Alex Jonestown Massacre, American Television, Battlemaster, Black Tusk, Bottled Up, Broadside, Buzzard Dust, Charlie's American Cafe, Cryptodira, Doll Baby, Dominion Energy Center, Doomsday Lullaby, Drug Church, Earthling, Ghost, Gouge Away, Gumming, Hardywood, Hoboknife, Humungus, Inter Arma, Kaonashi, Lala Lala, Loud Night, Manatree, missangelbird, Negative Approach, Nhibitions, Prayer Group, Raven, Riffhouse Pub, Seattle's New Gods, Serqet, Shadow Age, shows you must see, Sleep On It, Slump, Small Talks, Songe, Split Wrist, strange matter, stray fossa, The Astral Void, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Canal Club, True Body, Twin Drugs, Unmaker, Vatican, WHY?, With Confidence

FEATURED SHOW
Tuesday, December 4, 6 PM
Negative Approach, Battlemaster, Shadow Age, True Body, Slump, Unmaker, Serqet, Gumming, Loud Night @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
The holiday season is here, but for the Richmond music scene, it’s a sad time, as perhaps our most reliable mainstay for live music over the past decade is going away. However, while it’s hard to think of how we’ll get by without Strange Matter in 2019, the venue’s imminent closing seems to have created an absolute bonanza for people who love seeing awesome bands. Between now and their final closing on December 15, they’ve booked a whole passel of action-packed, star-studded farewell shows to close out their time on a high note.

Indeed, there are so many that I couldn’t possibly fit all of the worthy bills happening at Strange Matter this week into this show column without ignoring some really great shows happening around town elsewhere. But rest assured, if any of the following picks isn’t in your lane, there’s probably something amazing happening at Strange Matter that night — check out the full schedule from now til their last night over here.

All that being said, I couldn’t possibly avoid mentioning this show. It was already stacking up to feature an abundance of excellent local bands from a variety of genres… and then Negative Approach came calling. This legendary first-wave US hardcore band came roaring out of Detroit in the early 80s with an amazing treasure trove of hardcore bangers that made their debut EP and Tied Down LP classics of the era. These days, vocalist and human whirlwind of rage John Brannon keeps the band alive in the company of the band’s original drummer, plus former members of fellow hardcore legends The Necros and Easy Action on bass and guitar.

And believe me, when they hit the Strange Matter stage, they’re going to rip your fucking head off. And yes, I intend that as a very high compliment. If you haven’t seen the reunited Negative Approach on any of their previous trips through Richmond, this is the time to make it happen. After all, you’ll not only be getting to see John Brannon go wild up close and in person, you’ll be celebrating the past decade of greatness Strange Matter brought to us, and in the company of some of this town’s best local bands. Its brought Shadow Age back from their recent retirement to play their first-ever set as a quintet, the dynamic psychedelic-postpunk duo of True Body and Slump are both on the bill, Unmaker’s fresh off the release of their new album and ready to lay you flat with Killing Joke-style heaviness… and there’s a whole lot more. I’ve already taken up too much space saying even this much. Just go.

Wednesday, November 28, 6 PM
Broadside, With Confidence, Sleep On It, Small Talks @ The Canal Club – $15 in advance/$18 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Broadside have been at it for a long time here in Richmond, and they’ve been through a lot during their decade or so of existence as a band. In fact, no one we talked to for our first interview with Broadside back in 2011 is even still in the band — so that should give you an idea. However, since singer Ollie Baxxter joined the band in 2013, they’ve had a standout sound that sets them apart from the pop-punk pack and helped get them signed to Victory. Second LP Paradise showed them branching out in their sound, increasing the emphasis on melody as Ollie grew as a vocalist and showed off some teen-idol vocal chops.

But rest assured, this band still packs the sort of punch you’ll need to get you jumping and dancing even as you sing along to all those heartbreaking lyrics we’ve all memorized alone in our rooms late at night. And they’re coming to town with Australians With Confidence, who have a similarly sure-footed approach to melodic, emotional punk sounds, though these guys are more on the emo tip than Broadside’s whole post-easycore approach. New album Love And Loathing is an excellent listen, and the band will bring all those tunes to life in glorious Technicolor when they hit the Canal Club stage. Wear your basketball shoes for this one, because the club is gonna be jumping.

Thursday, November 29, 8 PM
Manatree, Stray Fossa, Bottled Up, missangelbird @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 at the door (order tickets HERE)
If you’d like a one-night crash course in what’s going on in the indie scene around VA, you can’t do much better than this show at the Camel. Your star attraction, as it’s been so many times, is Manatree, a group that started out as bouncy teenagers but have grown up, matured, and been through some lineup shifts in order to evolve into their current form. They’ve developed a new approach that moves away from the alt-rock and emo tinges they had on earlier material in favor of delicate, mathematically complex precision, which they showed off on Engines, the full-length they released this past summer. If you haven’t caught them live since 2016 or so, rest assured, a lot has changed — and in good ways.

To our west up 64, Stray Fossa has been putting together some excellence of their own of late, releasing debut EP Sleeper Strip earlier this fall to give us all a taste of their pensive UK-style tuneage. It borders on shoegaze, but the way frontman Nick Evans’ voice sits above the multi-layered guitars is so strong and assured that the end result is closer to pre-shoegaze UK guitar slingers like House Of Love and The Chameleons. DC’s Bottled Up let loose with a bit more distortion than the two previous bands we’ve discussed, but there’s a great deal of space in their sound nonetheless, and delicate, bouncy pop is ultimately the best way to describe their music. Recent EP BU2 is a lot of fun, and their performance at this show seems certain to be as well. Finally, Harrisonburg’s missangelbird, which grew from a series of quiet solo demos into a softly powerful indie-folk trio over the past few months, opens up, easing you into a night of lovely sounds from around the state. Don’t miss a moment.

Friday, November 30, 7 PM
Drug Church, Gouge Away, Seattle’s New Gods, Twin Drugs @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Just to show you a little bit about how the sausage is made: this double-headline bill was a major candidate for Featured Show this week. I couldn’t deny the outstanding nature of the Negative Approach show, but it in no way reduces the greatness this truly stacked lineup has to offer. Drug Church and Gouge Away have both released new albums this year, and both of them show some major growth. Drug Church’s third LP, Cheer, just came out and finds this crunching (post?) hardcore band dishing out their usual top-quality distorted midtempo riffs, only now with a slight undertone of minor-key melody that increases the emotional quotient even as lead vocalist Patrick Kindlon (also of Self Defense Family and the Axe To Grind podcast — yeah, you know this dude) is still blasting you with his usual acerbic wit and cutting insights into the darker sides of human character.

Drug Church have always had a lot to offer, and seeing them on this tour is sure to make that clear. But don’t get too excited about them and miss out on their touring partner — Gouge Away’s new LP, Burnt Sugar, is clearly the best thing this already shit-hot band has done. It finds them cleaning up their sound but continuing to lean into their driving, furious punk rock sound, with the end result landing somewhere between the excellent emotional hardcore of Xerxes circa Collision Blonde and White Lung at their career peak (that being the “Blow It South” single). Both of these bands are guaranteed to offer powerful live performances that you won’t soon forget, and openers Seattle’s New Gods and Twin Drugs only make this show even cooler and more interesting. Get there.

Saturday, December 1, 6 PM
Inter Arma, Black Tusk, Earthling, Humungus, Hoboknife, Buzzard Dust, Prayer Group, The Astral Void @ Strange Matter – $15
OK I can’t talk about ALL of the Strange Matter farewell shows, but some of them definitely need specific mention, and this is one of them. This one is for all the kids who wear old faded metal t-shirts with the sleeves cut off all summer, and denim vests covered in patches all winter. It’s the perfect evening for people who like the idea of doom metal, but prefer bands to be too creative to fall squarely within that genre’s rather narrow borders. That description perfectly fits headliners and local metal legends Inter Arma, who have shown us over their decade-plus career that they are equally skilled at all genres of metal, and are willing to fit pieces from the majority of them, as well as some completely uncategorizable elements, into any given song of theirs. And it always rules.

But there are a ton of other bands on this bill, and all of them deserve your attention, especially Black Tusk. This Savannah, GA band has persevered despite tragedy, returning this year with TCBT, their first album since the death of founding bassist Jonathan Athon. The album’s unrelenting heavyosity makes clear that these guys still have an immense amount of metal power running through their veins, and their set at Strange Matter should make it even clearer. Of course we’ll get a ton of other great metal from around the state on this bill, from Earthling’s blackened crust rage to Humungus’s power-metal triumph and the psychedelic noise of The Prayer Group. Plus more! Get that vest out and let’s rage.

Sunday, December 2, 3 PM
Doll Baby, American Television, Alex Jonestown Massacre @ Hardywood – Free!
It’s always fun to visit Hardywood on a Sunday afternoon when Handmade Holiday is in full swing. Tons of crafters, artists, and other local vendors will be on hand to offer you an artisanal alternative to the Christmas gifts the big-box stores are all pushing this year. And what makes this Sunday afternoon’s Handmade Holiday presentation even cooler is the presence of three excellent bands to liven up your afternoon and give you sounds to tap your foot to as you browse through the tents and get some holiday shopping done.

American Television are the out-of-towners, but they’re from just up the road in DC, and they’ve got a great sound that will find a home in RVA’s heart for sure. The “Death Defier” single they released this summer, which was sold in conjunction with a signature dark roast coffee if you can believe that, has the kind of caffeinated rush you’d expect from a melodic punk band with an addiction to the dark nectar of the bean. The signature roast is sold out, but they’ve still got plenty of killer tunes to deliver to you this Sunday afternoon, as do local favorites Doll Baby and up-and-coming young band Alex Jonestown Massacre. It’s free, it starts at 3 PM, there are food trucks where you can score a late brunch, and you can get all your gift-shopping done in one place. What more could you ask for?

Monday, December 3, 7 PM
WHY?, Lala Lala @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Remember when people used to talk about “backpacker hip hop”? It doesn’t get brought up as much now, but all that stuff released during the 00s on Anticon, Definitive Jux, and similar labels had a real effect on the culture and stretched the sounds and ideas of hip hop into new realms. Why?, a group formed by former cLOUDDEAD rapper and Anticon all-star Yoni Wolf in the mid-2000s, was a big part of that expansion. The project started as a de facto solo thing for Wolf, but soon evolved into a four-piece band that incorporated guitars, keyboards, and drums into a sound that was almost closer to indie than anything anyone would expect from a project associated with the hip hop genre.

But Wolf was still rapping over it all, and it created an intriguing fusion, one that Why? were largely responsible for creating, most prominently on their landmark 2008 album, Alopecia. You might hear about the fusion of rap and rock and think cringingly of Limp Bizkit, but Why?’s sound was about as far as you could get from that, accentuating Wolf’s thoughtful lyrical pensiveness with a quiet, contemplative indie sound that fit in well with groups like the Silver Jews — who Why? actually toured with back then. And they made their mark on a whole generation of music lovers, from hip hop heads to indie kids and everything in between. On this 10th anniversary tour for Alopecia, they’ll be bringing all those fans into the same room once again, and it’s sure to blow your mind whether you were there for the first go-round or you’re just discovering Yoni Wolf and his excellent band today. It’s something you need to see.

Tuesday, December 4, 8 PM
Ghost @ Dominion Energy Center – $39.50 – $79.50 in advance (order tickets HERE)
Nearly a decade after their formation, Sweden’s Ghost remain a very interesting band. Their theatrical Satanism, always exemplified by elaborate characters and onstage costumery, took a bit of a hit after legal action by former members of the group revealed the identity of mastermind Tobias Forge. Forge has actually been the band’s frontman throughout the many transferrences of the vocal position between different characters over the years, and he’s portraying yet another new character on the current Ghost tour — Cardinal Copia, a break from the Papa Emeritus lineage.

However, neither official character changes nor demystification has slowed Ghost down one bit. While their image might lead you to expect King Diamond/Cradle Of Filth-style theatrical thrash, their music has always hewed to a more classic proto-metal sound in line with late 60s-early 70s pioneers like Covenant, Bloodrock, or Blue Oyster Cult. That remains true on Prequelle, their latest offering, which carries their spooky, organ-fueled sound forward into a haunting, multi-layered extravaganza. It’s a bit late in the holiday season for Ghost’s current tour to arrive in Richmond — Halloween would have been much more appropriate — but with two full sets of excellent music and an incredible stage show, we’d be total grinches to complain.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Wednesday, November 28, 7 PM
Kaonashi, Cryptodira, Vatican, Accident Prone, Nhibitions, Split Wrist @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $10 in advance/$13 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s been nice to see a new generation of metallic hardcore kids who aren’t afraid to embrace the influence of nu-metal on their music. Because the fact is, the best of those bands had a lot to offer. When PA metalcore maniacs Kaonashi hit us with unabashed Slipknot and Mudvayne influences on their latest EP, Why Did You Do It?, it demonstrates clearly what sort of value can still be gained from those angst-ridden late-90s thrashers who loved tuning down and sporting eyeliner. Kaonashi songs like “My 5 Year Plan” and “You’ll Understand When You’re Older” mix the out-of-control moments of emotional meltdown that marked the best nu-metal into a recipe cobbled together from the best elements of deathcore’s downtuned thud and the gothic emo-prog of groups like Chiodos and Coheed And Cambria.

Kaonashi aren’t alone in following this thread to wherever it leads them — Sworn In has done quite a bit with it over the past few years, and Vein are certainly dipping a bit more than just a toe into the nu-metal pool on their new album. But Kaonashi’s new EP shows that they’re on the forefront of this musical territory, and they are sure to take it to another level entirely in the live arena — making attendance at this Charlie’s American Cafe show tonight all but mandatory (assuming you can make the drive). New Jersey’s Cryptodira are also on this bill, bringing an erudite take on progressive death-metalcore to the table, as showcased on 2017’s excellent The Devil’s Despair. Straight edge metalcore thrashers Vatican, who hail from Georgia, will also hit the stage with metalcore fury that harkens back to the genre’s 90s roots (so you know I’m stoked). All that plus three heavy-as-fuck local openers… gas up the Mustang, y’all. We’re going.

Thursday, November 29, 8 PM
Raven, Songe, Doomsday Lullaby @ Riffhouse Pub – $10
In a world where it seems musicians spend just as much time reinventing the wheel as they do building on the traditions of those that came before, it’s no surprise that some younger metal fans today don’t even remember the legends of the early 80s “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” scene. But that doesn’t make it any less vital, essential, and important to everything that followed. You might not know the name Raven as well as you do other legendary NWOBHM acts like Iron Maiden and Motorhead, but they’re every bit as good, and if you value the history of the music you love, you need to be paying attention.

Raven’s probably best known today for their mid-80s albums — 1983’s All For One featured a song called “Athletic Rock,” in which Raven named their own musical genre years before the “active rock” format was even a twinkle in a Clear Channel exec’s eye, while 1985’s Stay Hard produced their biggest hit, “On And On.” Three decades later, though, Raven’s founding Gallagher brothers, bassist John and guitarist Mark, are still going strong, and 2015’s ExtermiNation showed that they’ve still got the furious metal power they wielded at the height of their fame. So get a history lesson at Riffhouse Pub tomorrow night, and let Raven show you that metal was heavy as hell even before you were born.

—-

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

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.

—-

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.

—-

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond