The Camel Archives

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 18 – May 24

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 18, 2022

Topics: Armor, Artspace, Benet, BIB, Big Takeover, BoDeans, Bonjinski, Brian Jones, C4, California Cousins, Curriculum, Dead Heat, Division Of Mind, Downfall, End It, Flight Club, Fuzzy Cactus, Genocide Pact, Gnawing, Gusher, High Command, Insignificant Other, Judiciary, Julie Karr, Kaleidoscopic Haze, Killing Pace, Kontaminate, live music in Richmond, Macseal, Mindforce, Muck, Mutually Assured Destruction, Never Again, No/Mas, Noah Campbell Trio, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Protocol, Restless Spirit, Restraining Order, Richmond Vampire, Rough Age, shows you must see, Spy, Studio Two Three, Sylvan Esso, Terrorizer, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Fight, The National, Tin Pan, Vomit Forth, Weird Tears, Work Wear

FEATURED SHOW
Big Takeover, Vol. 1
Day 1: Friday, May 20, 7 PM
Genocide Pact, No/Mas, Mutually Assured Destruction, Restraining Order, The Fight, Restless Spirit @ The Camel – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Day 2: Saturday, May 21, 1 PM
Terrorizer, Mindforce, Division Of Mind, Dead Heat, Judiciary, End It, BIB, High Command, Downfall, Spy, C4, Gel, Final Gasp, Armor, Protocol, Vomit Forth, Kontaminate, Never Again, Killing Pace @ The Broadberry – $65 (order tickets HERE)
There were a lot of casualties of the pandemic, and I don’t just mean the million Americans (and millions more outside of America) who died. Bands broke up, venues went away, restaurants closed down. And in the midst of all that, Richmond’s long-running annual hardcore festival, United Blood, decided to end their run. This was definitely the end of an era. The great thing about the hardcore scene, though, is that anytime one era ends, someone else starts up a new one. Just like that song Lambchop used to sing (and is presumably still singing, somewhere), hardcore doesn’t end.

This weekend marks the launch of the new era in Richmond hardcore fests: the first annual Big Takeover. And it’s jam-packed with heavy music. I’m not even covering it all here; for one thing, there’s a pre-show Thursday night at a bike shop out on Williamsburg Road. For another, there’s a Friday night after-show at some warehouse (that one’s strictly an “ask a punk” situation). But the two shows listed above, Friday night at The Camel and all day Saturday at The Broadberry, are the big ones. If you can only make it to two, put the priority on these two.

As for what you’ll see there, there’s so much to talk about I have no idea how I’m gonna get through it all. With that in mind, floor it! In a move that will let you know where hardcore is as a genre right now, both nights are headlined by death metal bands. DC ragers Genocide Pact cap off Friday night’s mayhem, while legendary Los Angeles grinders Terrorizer (featuring legendary Morbid Angel drummer Pete Sandoval) provide the climax of Saturday’s festivities. Friday night also features Richmond crossover up-and-comers Mutually Assured Destruction and hyperactive Massachusetts maniacs Restraining Order, among others. Highlights of Saturday’s ridiculously stacked bill include metal-thrashing hardcore powerhouse Mindforce, Richmond dark hardcore veterans Division Of Mind, the bizarrely psychedelic hardcore punk of Nebraska’s BIB, and hardcore’s #1 buffalo chicken fans, C4. But look, we’ve barely scratched the surface — there’s so much to love at these shows. If you are into hardcore at all, you gotta go. Oh, and by the way, there have been a ton of social media posts over the last week about “low ticket warnings” or “almost sold out” about these two shows, but as of 11 am Wednesday, tickets for both shows were still available. So hop to it, punk.

Wednesday, May 18, 7:30 PM
Brian Jones’ Kaleidoscopic Haze, Noah Campbell Trio @ Artspace – $20
I’ve noticed a surprising boom in intriguing jazz shows around Richmond as we all work our way back from the pandemic’s extended shutdown. And while I don’t actually know if this is a big new movement within the Richmond jazz scene or if it’s just that I’ve developed a better network of tipsters for local jazz stuff, I’m grateful for it either way. Because otherwise, I might totally miss this midweek show by a trio of RVA jazz heavyweights, and that would truly be a tragedy.

Brian Jones’ Kaleidoscopic Haze is a trio put together by legendary Richmond jazz drummer Brian Jones back in the days before the pandemic, which also features guitarist Trey Pollard and bassist Adam Hopkins. They laid down an album’s worth of tracks at Spacebomb back in 2019 sometime, and it actually came out in January of 2021, but with no shows happening back then, it’s taken until now for them to come together for a proper album release show. The sound of this particular combo is highly atmospheric and somewhat avant-garde, but constructed around a tight melodic sense and strong fundamentals that produce highly enjoyable results. It’s certainly the type of thing that will make for a fascinating live performance. But don’t just take my word for it — go to the show and find out for yourself! After all, what good is a boom in live jazz if you’re not there to experience it?

Thursday, May 19, 7 PM
Gusher, Weird Tears, Bonjinski @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This one is bittersweet. For while it marks the first show since the pandemic for two-thirds of the bands on this bill, and a record release celebration for at least one of them, it also marks the last show ever for those same bands. That’s incredibly unfortunate, but we can at least take comfort in the fact that we get to see them one last time. Plus, at the top of the bill: Gusher, the one band on this lineup who isn’t playing their last show. We’ll get to appreciate their synth-infused grunge-punk brilliance for quite a while after this — which is no reason to miss them Thursday night.

It’s definitely the last opportunity any of us will get to catch Weird Tears, though, and that’s a damn shame, because this swinging melodic punk band with hints of 50s rock n’ roll has always been a ton of fun. And you can keep listening to their excellent pre-pandemic tape release (I’m sure I will), but this will be the last time you can dance to their tunes in person. Missing that chance would be a truly terrible decision. Bonjinski is also breaking up after this performance, but we can at least take comfort in the record this jangly alt-rockin’ trio has been working on since back before the pandemic hit has finally made it into the world. Get yourself a copy, and get out on the dance floor one last time.

Friday, May 20, 6 PM
Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Macseal, Insignificant Other, California Cousins, Flight Club @ The Broadberry – $18 (order tickets HERE)
I’ve been digging Prince Daddy & The Hyena for quite a while now, and it’s nice to have an excuse to write about them here, as they blow into RVA on a Friday night to spread the word about their new self-titled album. The follow-up to 2019’s Cosmic Thrill Seekers — the album that got me onto the Prince Daddy train — the new album takes what they were doing before to the next level. The band is more emo, more alt-rock, and more punk, all at once. One thing that makes the band’s new work more accessible than ever, though, is that vocalist Kory Gregory, who had the kind of intense voice on previous albums that people either really love or really hate, has toned down the harshest, shrillest aspects of his vocal approach. There’s real melody here now!

How that will come across live, of course, is anyone’s guess. And I have to admit, I’m the kind of emo nerd who really hopes he’s still willing to hit those throat-shredding semi-screamed high notes. But regardless of whether Prince Daddy & The Hyena focus on their slightly smoothed-out new material or dip heavily into the early shit they made their name on, this show is bound to be great. Get ready for a lot of dancing and screaming along. Also, while they’re pretty far down on the bill, I’ve gotta mention how stoked I am that California Cousins, who are actually from New York, are playing this show as well. These guys (actually from New York) have a chunkier emo sound that will work equally for fans of Joyce Manor and Soul Blind, and they’ve got a new album called Secret Footage out in a few weeks, for which this set is sure to act as a tantalizing preview. Make sure you show up on time for that one.

Saturday, May 21, 8 PM
Rough Age, Gnawing, Work Wear @ Fuzzy Cactus – $5
I could say something like “the theme of this week’s column is the after-effects of the pandemic,” and I probably wouldn’t be wrong, but that’s mainly because all of us are going to be dealing with the after-effects of the pandemic in every aspect of our lives for years to come. So maybe it’s trite to even mention it? I don’t know. What I do know is that Rough Age got started during that brief pre-pandemic part of 2020 that we’ve all sorta forgotten even happened, and now that two years have passed, a lot of changes have happened for this Richmond band during their time out of the public eye. For one thing, half the band has departed; the two former members of RVA indie-rockers Lightfields who got the whole thing started are now joined by music-making machine James Hoffer (Buzzard Dust, Charmer, a million other bands) on bass and multi-instrumental talent Robert Lindstedt (Fat Spirit) on guitar. For another, they’ve put together a brand new EP, entitled Blank Eyes, for which this show will act as a record release celebration.

The new Rough Age EP shows off their strengths as a band, from the muscular twin-guitar attack that certainly evokes quite a few of their 90s alt-rock heroes to the driving rhythm section that brings an undeniable punk rock undercurrent to the proceedings. All of this is bound to hit even harder once they unleash these songs in a live environment, so you’re definitely well advised to be at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night so you can be there when it happens. You’ll also get to catch a set from Gnawing, whose jangly grunge-punk sound mixes early Uncle Tupelo vibes with a solid dose of Screaming Trees thrown in. They’re always great, but you should know that by now. Charlottesville’s Work Wear, a new trio I’m just discovering now, round out this bill. Their new EP, Charger, features three indie-rock tunes that slowly build at a relaxed pace, all of which stretch past the seven-minute mark. Safe to call these guys “slowcore”? Yeah, I think so. They’ll be an intriguing contrast on this bill, that’s for sure.

Sunday, May 22, 6 PM
Julie Karr, Richmond Vampire, Muck, Curriculum @ Studio Two Three – Donations encouraged
For years and years, it’s seemed like the Christian right has been whittling away at our right to legal abortion. It’s been such a steady drumbeat for the past several decades that sometimes reproductive rights supporters like me could get a little numbed to it all. Now, though, they’ve won a real, substantive victory. It seems clear that the Supreme Court will, in the next month or so, officially strike down Roe v. Wade, thereby erasing the right to abortion in over half of the states in the USA. Looks like it’s time for all of us to wake up, shake up, and get the blood flowing once again.

I don’t pretend to know everything we can do to protect our rights where this issue is concerned, but I do know there are quite a few groups working their tails off to make sure the things we can do get done. One of those groups is the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project, and this Sunday evening show at Studio Two Three is a benefit for them. Even if you don’t have time to volunteer, or the energy to repeatedly call your elected representatives, you can at least come out to this show and make a hefty donation. In return, you’ll get some excellent musical sounds in a variety of genres, from Julie Karr’s moody, entrancing indie-blues tunes to Richmond Vampire’s speedy, snotty hardcore punk. Local newcomers Muck are nowhere on the internet, so I have no idea what they sound like, but people say they’re good; meanwhile, Curriculum will make their live debut at this show, but the practice-space demo they’ve got up online leads me to expect good things. Come to this one to support a great and extremely important cause; stay for the plentiful amounts of killer tuneage.

Monday, May 23, 7:30 PM
Sylvan Esso, Benet @ The National – $32.50 in advance, $35 day of show (order tickets HERE)
North Carolinians Sylvan Esso are an interesting phenomenon. You can look them up and read about their history, find out how singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn formed the duo after stints in Appalachian folk group Mountain Man and jam-folk ensemble Megafaun, respectively, and you’ll expect one thing. But as soon as you listen to them, you’ll find that what you have on hand with Sylvan Esso is a completely different proposition. This isn’t folk or jam-band music, by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, Sylvan Esso produce the sort of indie-electro tunes that you’d expect to appeal equally to fans of Bjork, Portishead, and fka Twigs.

All of that being said, a clear flavor left over from the old-time roots and psychedelic offshoots of their former projects shines through on recent Sylvan Esso singles like “Frequency” — which manages to generate an undeniable dance groove despite a total abscence of conventional beat — and “Ferris Wheel” — which intriguingly pairs a minimalist melody with a bedrock of rumbling low-end synths. These songs are actually nearly two years old now; Sylvan Esso, like everyone else, had to put touring for the album they released in September 2020 on hold for a year and a half. But they’ll still hit just as hard through the National’s powerful PA stacks on Monday night as they would have if we could all have enjoyed them live two autumns ago. So hey — show up and dance. You know you want to.

Tuesday, May 24, 8 PM
BoDeans @ Tin Pan – $55 – $61.50 (order tickets HERE)
There was this period of time back in the 80s, before Nirvana happened and dragged the underground rock scene straight into the spotlight, when the occasional sincerely alternative band would break just enough above the waterline to get a minor amount of mainstream success, but not really enough to become a truly big band. The Connells would be one example of a band like this; another would be The Del Fuegos. And a third would be Wisconsin’s own BoDeans, who I used to hear every once in a while on XL102 when I was in middle school in the late 80s, and who I always liked, but never heard as much of as I might have liked.

Today, BoDeans are probably best remembered for having contributed their song “Closer To Free” as the theme for so-90s-it-hurts teen drama Party Of Five, but they’re far from one-hit wonders. Singles like “Only Love” and “You Don’t Get Much” remain underrated heartland-rock classics over three decades after their original release, while 2017’s Thirteen (their 13th album, natch) still contains a clutch of excellent tunes. In light of all that, going to see BoDeans on Tuesday at Tin Pan is certainly a good idea. It’s a great opportunity to get familiar with a long-running group that never quite got their due. Don’t let it slip by.

—-

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

Top Photo: Mindforce at United Blood preshow, 2017. Photo via Mindforce/Twitter

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 11 – May 17

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 11, 2022

Topics: 2 Shadows, Abby Huston, Ages, Alison Getz, Andrew Fetch, Bella's Bartok, Black Iris, Capital Ale House, Child Of Night, Cowboy Junkies, DJ Sprite, Fallout, Flesh_Bot, Future Mantis, Hannah Frances, Interference Radio, IVNX, Katred, Late Night Savior, live music in Richmond, Mel Machete, Raneshounds, Richmond Music Hall At Capital Ale House, Rikki Rakki, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Secret Shame, shows you must see, The Beacon Theatre, The Camel, The Judy Chops, The Veer Union, TVLPA

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, May 13, 9 PM
Interference Radio‘s First In-Person Event, feat. Katred, Andrew Fetch, IVNX, DJ Sprite, Flesh_Bot @ Fallout – $5
I’ve been going into stores without a mask more often lately. It’s something I almost never did until maybe two weeks ago, so this has been a big step for me, and it’s more than a little unnerving. Yeah, I’m vaxxed and boosted, and yeah, I keep an eye on community transmission levels and they’re OK in the Richmond area right now. But two years of watching COVID happen all around the world has got me seriously snakebit, and even as I walk through a grocery store with no mask on, I’m nervous as hell. What I’m telling you by way of all this personal disclosure is that the ongoing effects of the pandemic are very much still with us, even if the hospitalization and death rates never come back from the relatively low level they’re at now. COVID has changed the world and the way we all see it, probably permanently.

If there’s a silver lining to this cloud, it’s the fact that a few good things grew out of the pandemic. Interference Radio is an example of one of them: the way that communities deprived of their in-person communal spaces made new spaces online, and the way that many of them thrived and became permanent parts of people’s lives. Interference Radio started as a virtual event coordinator, bringing Twitch streams from DJs around the globe in order to take the place of things like underground raves and late night DJ sets, flooding living rooms the world over with the dark techno sounds you couldn’t dance in a club to anymore.

The fact that Friday night brings us the first actual in-person gathering held by Interference Radio shows that things are turning a corner in these ongoing pandemic times. For the first time in its two-year history, you actually CAN dance in a club to the sounds Interference Radio is bringing — and that is amazing. The club in question is, of course, Fallout; the place Richmond goes to dance in all-black outfits and 20-hole Docs to the darkest and moodiest of techno-industrial sounds. The DJs on the bill are from a variety of places: Katred brings EBM vibes and harsh industrial beats from Albany, NY; Andrew Fetch will bring blissed-out underground and experimental soundscapes from his native land of Philly; IVNX comes with the heavy techno-industrial beats from the UK via Tampa, Florida; Chicago’s DJ Sprite and Flesh_Bot, who host Interference Radio’s monthly Elemental virtual events, round things out with the best of rhythmic noise and dark electronic melodies. It all comes to us, live and in the flesh, at Fallout this Friday night. Whether or not you still feel the need to wear your jet black KN95 to the club, this will be a great opportunity to rediscover the in-person community that’s been lost for so long.

Wednesday, May 11, 8 PM
Secret Shame, Child Of Night, Raneshounds @ Fallout – $8 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Yes indeed, we are starting the column out with a double shot of Fallout goodness, though it’s a bit chronologically challenged, as this Secret Shame show comes two nights BEFORE the Interference Radio throwdown above. That’s OK, though — when a band has the kind of incredible sound on offer that Asheville’s Secret Shame brings us, a little time travel is just what you’ve gotta do sometimes. Speaking for myself, I had heard this band’s name a few times, but hadn’t really done a proper deep dive before deciding to write about them this week, and I didn’t have to delve very far at all before I struck gold.

Their brand new single, “Hide,” is an absolute banger, capturing the glittering twilight atmosphere of Siouxsie and The Banshees’ early 80s peak while bringing the sort of darkly catchy hooks that music in the broader goth world way too rarely brings us. They’re not quite as bouncy and poppy as Pale Waves, but from their 2019 LP Dark Synthetics to the trio of singles they’ve released over the course of the pandemic, Secret Shame have been a consistently good source of energetic, catchy goth darkness (no, it’s not a contradiction in terms). They come to Richmond in the company of Ohio’s Child Of Night, a decidedly darker, more gothic, and also more pounding and heavy take on techno-postpunk. Last fall’s The Walls At Dawn shows what Child Of Night have to offer, and the mood is thick, simultaneously sepulchral and techno-futuristic. Think Andrew Eldritch from Sisters Of Mercy hanging out with Miriam Blaylock from The Hunger in a Berlin subway station at 4 am. Wear your ankh pendant for this one.

Thursday, May 12, 7 PM
Bella’s Bartok, The Judy Chops @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There are a million subgenres of punk these days, and while some may like to slice and dice the finer points of differentiation between them, I’m more of a big-tent type myself. It’s true that there is a difference between folk punk and circus punk, but to my mind it’s got more to do with the outfits the performers wear than the sounds they get from their mostly acoustic instruments. By that logic, Bella’s Bartok and their vintage suits are definitely on the circus punk end of things, but even if you are more into Mischief Brew than The Pogues, you should be able to get down with what these folks are doing, no problem.

Honestly, both of those reference points are still probably a little off, as the main things I hear when I listen to Bella’s Bartok’s most recent EP, 2021’s Autoerotic For The People (I see what they did there) are Gogol Bordello and the Dresden Dolls. Both pretty dramatic, but also very energetic, both bands you’ve gotta be prepared for but bands who’ll show you an absolutely great time the second you’re able to get on their wavelength. This is all true of Bella’s Bartok as well, and it’s certainly true that if you miss the atmosphere you used to find most easily at World/Inferno Friendship Society shows (RIP Jack Terricloth), you’ll find the closest thing to it hanging around The Camel tomorrow night. So dig up your best vintage suit, or your cutest frock — or both? I’m not judging — and make your way down to the 1600 block of West Broad with your dancing shoes on. You’ll be glad you did.

Friday, May 13, 7 PM
Ages, Rikki Rakki, Future Mantis @ Black Iris – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I’ve talked very recently within this very mag about how great the new album from Ages is. If you didn’t read that, I suggest clicking here, or you can just stick around, because I’m now gonna try to make it clear to all of you who didn’t read the review the first time around — and in significantly fewer words. Ages is the latest project from Adrienne Shurte, who has led multiple amazing Richmond bands in the past: Fire Bison, Magnus Lush, etc. You know the deal. As with those past groups, Shurte has brought strong songwriting and an evocative, melodic postpunk mood to Ages. What can’t be denied, though, is that Must Be Nice, the new Ages album in question, takes things to a whole new level.

It’s really true. The interplay between Shurte and second guitarist Christian Monroe adds a glittering multi-layered feel to the melodies Ages lay down, and the bold, straightforward lyrics contain some of Shurte’s most insightful observations of the human condition yet. There are quite a few moments on Must Be Nice that will stick with you for quite a while after the album has ended, and those moments are only going to hit that much harder when they happen live and in person, right in front of you on the Black Iris stage. So yeah — I’d say being there is a necessary part of your weekend. The loose, jangly garage rock of Rikki Rakki and the absorbing sonic landscapes of the terrifyingly named Future Mantis add further incentive to find yourself here in a couple of days’ time. Make it happen.

Saturday, May 14, 8 PM
The Veer Union, Late Night Savior, 2 Shadows, TVLPA @ Richmond Music Hall At Capital Ale House – $15 (order tickets HERE)
As a Woman Of A Certain Age, I’ve seen quite a few musical trends come and go, and my favorite part is always when something that people were scorning five or ten years earlier is suddenly back with a vengeance. Over the past few years, the big cultural site of that phenomenon, at least in the worlds of music that I pay closest attention to, has been nu-metal. In the mid-90s, Korn and bands of their ilk had a period of being every teenager’s gateway drug to heavy music. By the turn of the millennium, pop culture was quickly turning against all of that. But now, the young millennials and zoomers who were babies when all that was going on are embracing nu metal, with its mix of chugging downtuned power chords, angst-ridden vocals and lyrical moods, and synth-augmented melodies. Meanwhile, some of the bands that were around back when all that was popping the first time are still here, and maybe the time is ripe for their rediscovery.

Take, for example, Canadians The Veer Union, who will be bringing their industrial-tinged, undeniably nu-ish approach to metal to Richmond Music Hall this Saturday night. They’ve got a little bit of that whole Sevendust thing going on, as vocalist Crispin Earl undoubtedly has strong pipes and likes to unleash his melodic roar overtop of even the heaviest grooves the band lays down behind them. And of course, the choruses are catchy, in ways that might just remind you of all those Killswitch Engage songs with their emo-style breakdowns right in the middle of thrash-style riffing. The biggest point in their favor is that, even after nearly two decades as a band, the latest Veer Union singles are some of the heaviest, most dramatic bangers they’ve ever unleashed. For a band like this to come with some of their best material at the very moment that their sound is poised for a comeback? That’s synergy. My advice: jump on that bandwagon now.

Sunday, May 15, 6 PM
Cowboy Junkies @ The Beacon Theatre – $30-45 (order tickets HERE)
The Cowboy Junkies have been blowing minds for something like 30 years, and in a world where people (i.e. me) will often tell you that music needs to really make your ears ring to get a strong reaction, the Cowboy Junkies have largely done so by being quiet. Their breakthrough album, 1988’s The Trinity Session, was a reaction to the move in mainstream rock circles at the time toward digital studios and lathering massive amounts of effects and compression all over everything. The result was all those overly polished Paul Simon, Phil Collins, and Steve Winwood songs you still hear over the PA at CVS to this very day, and the Cowboy Junkies responded by setting up all their equipment in an old church and recording an entire album live and in one room, playing at the same time. I know, what a concept!

The early, groundbreaking work by Cowboy Junkies — siblings Margo, Michael, and Peter Timmins, plus longtime family friend Alan Anton — gave a jumpstart to the alt-country movement of the 1990s, and established them as a talented combo who both wrote excellent songs and consistently recorded revelatory covers of country and rock classics that challenged the context in which generations of music fans had heard them. They’re still doing all that today; granted, they release their albums on their own label now, and they don’t draw the press from the big rock mags that they once did. But their latest album, Songs Of The Recollection, is an all-covers set that finds them breathing new life into tunes that are both right in their wheelhouse (Gram Parsons, Neil Young) and a bit out of left field (David Bowie, The Cure). The Cowboy Junkies aren’t spring chickens these days, which just might be why they’re playing a fancy sit-down theatre in Hopewell rather than The National. Regardless, they’re a great band who make music worth hearing performed live, in the same room with them. You should make it a point to hear them at The Beacon this Sunday. That’s all I’m sayin.

Monday, May 16, 7 PM
Hannah Frances, Abby Huston, Alison Getz @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I was not familiar with Chicago’s Hannah Frances upon seeing her name on The Camel’s upcoming calendar. However, the fact that she was playing with Abby Huston — who, in case you haven’t read this column before, is one of the most consistently talented songwriters and performers in Richmond’s indie scene right now — caught my attention, and I’m really glad it did. It’s not like Hannah Frances is out here reinventing the wheel or anything; on her 2021 LP Bedrock, she gives us simply arranged songs that are full of obliquely intriguing lyrics, gorgeously strummed acoustic guitars, and atmospheric arrangements that make it easy to sink deep into them despite the fact that they often contain few instruments other than her guitar and voice.

But yeah, when someone does that whole thing right, it’s worth taking note of. And Hannah Frances is clearly at the top of her game right now, as she emerges from the pandemic and begins performing across America to support an excellent album she released when we were all still stuck hunkered down in our bedrooms. As mentioned above, she’ll be joined by the ever-talented Abby Huston, so we can be certain we’ll get at least two amazing sets delivered by amazing songwriters who are also talented performers at The Camel on Monday night. Add in a set from Northern Virginia’s Alison Getz and this show on the least hopping night of a typical week actually turns out to be an embarrassment of riches.

Tuesday, May 17, 7 PM
Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Mel Machete @ The Camel – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s been several years since I last checked into what was up with Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, and it turns out a lot has been going on. For one thing, Shook became a participant in what those of us in the trans/non-binary community sometimes flippantly refer to as the “trandemic,” coming out as non-binary and officially adopting they/them pronouns in 2020. On the new Disarmers LP, Nightroamer, it’s clear that they’ve been dealing with a lot of internal issues — songs like “No Mistakes” and “Somebody Else” make clear that a lot of soul-searching has gone on, and Shook’s lyrics show that they’re trying like hell to grow as a person.

If you ask me, this kind of emotional process is often generative of some of the best music there is in the world, and Shook’s fruitful examination of their own issues bears delicious fruit on Nightroamer, capturing the same sort of mix between punk swagger and spit and lovelorn heart-on-sleeve country that I’ve loved so much in Lydia Loveless’s best work. The way the Disarmers put the pedal steel at front and center, simultaneously embracing and subverting the Nashville traditions that are a big part of their musical bloodlines, also leads to a lot of fine melodic counterpoint offered for Shook’s excellent voice, which always delivers brilliant lyrics. Basically, if you like alt-country, country-punk, “y’allternative,” or whatever you wanna call it, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers are the total package. And you’d be ripping yourself off if you didn’t find a way to be there and see them this Tuesday night at The Camel.

—-

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

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 4 – May 10

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 4, 2022

Topics: Abby Huston, Black Iris, Blunt, Brady Heck, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Chris Acker, Cobra Cabana, Dark Thoughts, Dumb Waiter, Earth To Heaven, Frames, Fuzzy Cactus, Higher Power, Hotspit, Jackson Lynch, Kontusion, Left Cross, Listless, live music in Richmond, Pardoner, Public Acid, quarantine, Rebekah Rafferty & The Wakes, Reflect, shows you must see, Soul Glo, Studio Two Three, Suppression, Ten Pound Snail, Tess Fisher, The Camel, The Chisel, The Great Beforetimes, The HofGarden, Torment, Winkler

FEATURED SHOW
Wednesday, May 4, 8 PM
Indie Pop Night at Black Iris, feat. Hotspit (Photo by @2hevns), Winkler, Ten Pound Snail, Frames @ Black Iris – $8 in advance, $10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Something nice I’ve noticed as the live music scene here in Richmond has thawed and reawakened after the eighteen-month virtual freeze of the pandemic is the increased role being taken in bringing live music to our town by two different important local entities: Black Iris, and Baripete Productions. I’ve particularly noted the things the Arts District-based social club and the up-and-coming promotion outfit have been working together on. For a few months toward the beginning of this year, Baripete were running weekly jazz nights on Wednesdays at Black Iris as part of a series called “Doors At Eight.” Since then, in addition to the growth of the Brambly After Dark series of concerts at Brambly Park and a few noteable presentations at The Hofheimer’s multiple live rooms, Baripete’s brought several other events to Black Iris, of which this Indie Pop Night is just the latest.

And while the jazz fans who loved Doors At Eight might be a little bummed that this event has such a different theme genre, those of us who adore the many melodic indie bands making gorgeous tunes around the Richmond area are in luck with this evening. Hotspit is at the top of the bill, and they’ve really taken some big steps over the last couple of years. The latest is demonstrated by “Wane Mouth,” the single the band released a couple months ago as their first new music in the wake of 2021 debut album CC. It’s both more concise and more directly focused on the beautiful melodies at its center than any of the songs on CC were, and it shows that Hotspit are reaching a new level with their craft — a level that will immerse you in memorably lovely sounds.

Three more bands grace this bill in addition to Hotspit, though, and all have considerable charms. Let’s start with the one from out of town: Winkler are a jangly, acoustic-focused Boston combo who demonstrate an old-fashioned folky charm on new single “Mona.” It definitely leaves you wanting more, and they’ll be bringing plenty more to Black Iris tonight. As for Ten Pound Snail, their Red House Painters-ish slowcore sound is infectious, and a little bird tells me they’re getting ready at some point in the relatively near future to release a fresh batch of excellent tunes to all of us eager listeners. Get a preview of what they’ve got in store at this show. And hey — make sure you show up right on time at 8 o’clock sharp for this one, because missing a second of the opening set that incredibly talented emo-pop group Frames opens the evening with is a crime against music. Be there or get locked up. Hey, I don’t make the rules.

Wednesday, May 4, 9 PM
Pardoner (Photo by Chloe Mullowney), Blunt @ Fuzzy Cactus – $7
Alternately, you might wish to head to Northside and spend your Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you… I know, it’s terrible) evening at Richmond’s 21st century home of rock n’ roll, Fuzzy Cactus, where the talented San Francisco-based group Pardoner will be unleashing an evening full of excellent indie rock riffs. And like, look people — nostalgia is a curse. Pop culture is so doused in it circa 2022 that I wish it had physical form, so I could pick it up and wring the nostalgia out of it like a wet washrag. But nonetheless, when I hear people talking about Pardoner having a nostalgic sound that harks back to the early-90s days of underground alternative rock on their latest LP, Came Down Different, well… I can’t deny that I get what they mean.

But let’s reframe this, folks. When I listen to Pardoner, I hear a band capable of energetic indie rock that pulls from sources as diverse as early 80s UK postpunk, the psychedelic garage rock revival led by their fellow San Franciscans Thee Oh Sees, the Americana-infused jangle-pop of early REM, and, yeah OK, the many feedback-laced melodic guitar rockers from college towns like Boston and Chapel Hill who infused the indie scene of the early 90s. Why can’t what these guys are doing today just constitute another wave of this evergreen sound? I for one think it does — every time I’ve put on Came Down Different over the past couple days, I’ve quickly forgotten that I was doing a “research listen.” This band is more than good enough to be a band that you don’t just indulge for extramusical reasons. And they’ll certainly present a show that’s way more than good enough to get you through another year of unnecessary lightsaber references.

Thursday, May 5, 7 PM
The Chisel, Dark Thoughts, Quarantine, Public Acid @ Studio Two Three – $15
Another big change in the post-pandemic world of local live music is that I’ve found I can’t just source all my information about upcoming shows on Facebook anymore. Which is great, because I hate Facebook (I’m a Twitter girl, at least for now). However, these days, I’m finding the place I have to go — and do a fair amount of hunting while I’m there — is Instagram. I can deal with Instagram, but I much more oriented toward words than pictures, so it doesn’t come the most naturally to me. Thankfully, the more time I spend on there, the more often I find amazing shows like this one, featuring great underground bands tearing it up at venues that are a little off the beaten path. Many times, the most truly memorable live music events take place in circumstances like that one.

But even if such high-flown reasoning isn’t likely to draw you out to some random punk show, rest assured you should make time for this one. UK punk rockers The Chisel have blown a lot of minds in the punk and hardcore world over the past year or so, first with a series of killer singles, then with their incredible LP of last November, Retaliation. I hear people talk when they listen to this band about oi! and other such micro-genres, but I’m not gonna get into the weeds with all that, because to me, The Chisel is just a straight-up old-school punk band with a ton of energy, fury, and that patented British snarl all the best late-70s UK bands excelled at, coupled with some great rock n’ roll riffs that stand outside any particular momentary movement. Whether you dig Blitz, 9 Shocks Terror, the New York Dolls, the Back From The Grave comps, or some combination of all of them, you’ll find something to love in the music of The Chisel. And you should really be there for what’s sure to be one of the better shows to come to RVA this season. Regardless of what social media you did or did not find out about it from.

Friday, May 6, 7 PM
Suppression, Kontusion, Left Cross @ Cobra Cabana – $5
Here’s an absolutely mind-blowing fact — Suppression have been a band for three full decades. Formed by bassist/vocalist Jason Hodges back when he was a teenage grindcore nerd living in Roanoke, they spent most of their first decade as a quintet with constantly shifting lineups, of which Jason was the only constant member. When he moved to Richmond at the dawn of the 21st century, the lineup settled into its present incarnation, with the illustrious Ryan Parrish (also of Darkest Hour, Iron Reagan, and a million other bands) on drums and Jason handling everything else (so: bass, vocals, and a million distortion pedals and noise machines).

They’ve been through a ton of evolutions in just the time since the duo of Jason and Ryan became the band’s permanent lineup, and in recent years they’ve returned to a sloppier and even more noisy and primitive version of the grind/metal/noise/core sound they were making during their Roanoke days in the mid-90s. 2021 digital compilation Oblivion Rats collects all the noise they made between 2015 and 2018. It includes two full-length albums and six split EPs, and runs to 99 tracks, many of which are run-together medleys featuring three or more songs. So yeah, this is a bunch of blurry, distorted noise, of the sort that makes most of what “power violence” seem downright slow and accessible. 30 years later, well into their 40s, Suppression are still making the kind of noise that will not only alienate your parents, but probably your kids too. And if that isn’t a commendable achievement, I don’t know what is. Go celebrate it with them at Cobra Cabana this Friday night. Do it for posterity.

Saturday, May 7, 8 PM
The Great Beforetimes, Abby Huston, Tess Fisher, Rebekah Rafferty & The Wakes @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
The Great Beforetimes are a minimalist acoustic trio that brings together singer-songwriter Aern Stapel and artist Ceili Galante with guitarist Taimir Gore, whose name is more familiar to me from post-rock band Kristeva and Black Liquid’s new metal band, Armagideon Time. It was definitely that unusual combo of people involved in this project first caught my attention, but I wouldn’t have stuck around long enough to write about them if it weren’t for the sincerely intriguing sound they create on their brand-new self-titled LP, the release of which this Saturday night show at The Camel is intended to celebrate. With a percussion-less sound fundamentally oriented around banjo, there’s a temptation to write them off as old-time music, or Americana, or whatever.

But if you actually spend some time with the music of The Great Beforetimes, you’ll soon realize that they have far less in common with scratchy old 78s recorded in Southwest Virginia hotels 100 years ago than they do with psych-folk rangers like Devendra Banhart, the early works of grandiose weirdo singer-songwrite Sufjan Stevens, or even Richmond hometown hero Josh Small. Like the music of all of these artists, The Great Beforetimes’ music steps outside of any studied, formalistic appreciation of the music of a bygone culture to connect with us all in the here and now. This band uses banjo, acoustic guitar, and voices raised in harmony to create songs that actually reach us all the way here in our digital-as-fuck 21st century world and make real deep connections that’ll have you placing these tunes into “new favorite tracks” playlists right alongside Lizzo or Wet Leg or Drug Church or whatever else you’re digging so far in 2022. There’s no contradiction here. Great music exists outside time. That said, this show takes place in a very defined chronological moment, and I encourage you to spend the hours between 8 pm and midnight this Saturday night at The Camel appreciating every gorgeous, unique moment of it.

Sunday, May 8, 7 PM
Soul Glo, Listless, Dumb Waiter @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Speaking of music we’re adding to playlists featuring our faves of 2022 thus far, it’s highly apropos that Soul Glo are bringing their frantic, chaotic brand of hardcore to Richmond at The Camel this Sunday night. Because their new LP, Diaspora Problems, is — at least for me — the most fully realized expression of what it is that they do that’s come into the world thus far. And I mean, I loved Soul Glo even back when I first heard them back in 2016. Nonetheless, Diaspora Problems seems to me to bring all of the elements of what they do into perfect proportion to create an absolute hardcore classic. The song structures are chaotic and unpredictable without being confusing or alienating. The guitars are noisy and harsh, but the choruses are so catchy and memorable that you’ll be singing along with the best of them after only one listen — even when that means you’ll catch yourself mumbling, “Who gon’ beat my ass? Who the fuck gon’ beat my ass?” under your breath while washing dishes.

That’s the other thing about Soul Glo that stands out from moment one — the larger than life personality of vocalist Pierce Jordan, who screams, rages, and rants a thousand miles a minute throughout this album, showing off a verbosity that I, a person who writes this long-ass column once a week, can’t help be impressed with. Soul Glo’s lyrics bring a realness that gets much closer to what it’s actually like to be alive than 99% of lyricists ever even attempt, as well as a strong political consciousness that isn’t going to let any of us off the hook for any of our day to day bullshit. Specifically, they focus quite a bit from an intensely personal perspective on the struggle of marginalized Black people in the United States in the year 2022, something a lot of white people like me (and maybe you?) have let ourselves mostly forget about now that the monuments are down. Soul Glo’s an incredible band pushing the boundaries of what hardcore and punk rock can be, and they’re sure to blow your mind musically. But the lyrics and the statements they make with their music are just as important, and that if anything is why you should make The Camel your destination this Sunday night.

Monday, May 9, 7 PM
Chris Acker, Jackson Lynch, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Brady Heck @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I know, I’ve said it many times before, but I’m always so thankful that The Camel bothers to book shows on Monday night, a night when many other local venues are generally dark and shuttered. This time around, though, they aren’t just bringing us a charming little locals-only bill; instead, they’re hosting touring singer-songwriters Chris Acker and Jackson Lynch. Acker hails from Seattle, while Lynch was born in Ireland and raised in New York, but the city that appears to unite the two of them is New Orleans, where both have spent quite a bit of time during their careers. They’re currently on tour together, both in support of recently released full-lengths that show off their respective powers.

Where Acker is concerned, the LP in question is Odd, Ordinary & Otherwise, his third, released last year and featuring an impressive collection of tunes that make abundantly clear why people compare this dude to the legendary John Prine. It’s the voice, yes — they do sound similar. But it’s also the strength of the songwriting, the way Acker is skilled at capturing all the tiny events that make up the lives of ordinary people and setting them to beautiful, bittersweet tunes. As for Lynch, his new LP is All By My Ownsome, his first full-length release. It mixes covers of century-old tunes by pre-war blues legends like Lonnie Johnson and Josh White with Lynch originals that show how deeply indebted Lynch is to the old-time blues and folk traditions, but also display how creative he is and how much personality he brings to his music. Both Acker and Lynch will be well worth your time to see, and the fact that local purveyors of Americana sounds like Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers and Brady Heck are also on the bill only sweetens an already delicious cup of musical iced tea. Drink up.

Tuesday, May 10, 6:30 PM
Higher Power, Earth To Heaven, Reflect, Torment @ The HofGarden – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I like a lot of different kinds of music, but I’ve never pretended to be anything other than a hardcore kid at heart, so whenever a really great hardcore band comes through town, I try my best to get them into this here show column. You’ve seen some evidence of that already in this edition (see the Soul Glo blurb above), and here’s another example. Higher Power hail from Leeds, over in the UK, and while the UK’s hardly been a hotbed of hardcore greatness over the decades, I don’t think there’s anyone who will deny that this band is in the top tier of hardcore right now. And that’s got a lot to do with the intensely musical nature of their work.

Past generations of hardcore bands have embraced the slogan coined by fellow UK HC band Discharge: noise not music. But Higher Power is doing a lot more than just making harsh, angry noise. On 2020 album 27 Miles Underwater, Higher Power demonstrate influence from groundbreaking bands of the past 30 years, from Quicksand and Snapcase to Glassjaw and Turnstile. And the result is memorable, full of catchy singalong choruses without losing an ounce of the energy we all come to hardcore for. Higher Power might not be exactly what anyone in 1982 or 1996 thought hardcore would sound like today, but it’s pretty goddamn great, and isn’t that what ultimately matters? Spoiler: yes, it is.

—-

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

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: April 27 – May 3

Marilyn Drew Necci | April 27, 2022

Topics: 3Peace, Another Round Bar and Grill, Black Plastic, Blu Anxxiety, Born Ruffians, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Celler Dwellers, Crossspitter, Cut The Architect's Hand, Disposed, Fuzzy Cactus, gallery 5, Great Wide Nothing, Gusher, Halfcast, live music in Richmond, Love Roses, Nancy Raygun, Path To Exile, Riot Queen, Sham Family, shows you must see, The Camel, The Firnats, The Mitras, Tiny Lights, Torino Death Ride, Toxic Moxie, True Body

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, April 29, 9 PM
The Mitras, The Firnats, Celler Dwellers, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’ve learned a few lessons over my 30 years as a music journalist (yes, I released my first fanzine in 1992, let’s not dwell on it), and one is that there’s a fine line you have to walk in order to cover any music scene, especially a hyperfocused local one where everyone knows everybody, with the proper perspective. This involves walking a fine line: being in the loop, but outside the “discourse.” You gotta both know what’s going on and be blissfully ignorant to the prevailing opinions of any particular clique ABOUT the things going on. In the post-pandemic era, though, I feel like I’m striking a pretty great balance with that.

Which brings us to The Mitras. I don’t know if these guys are cool with the cool kids, or if they’re seen as upstart weirdos, or what. And honestly, I don’t care! Because I dig the Mitras. They first jumped onto my radar a few months ago when they had every other band they were playing a show at The Camel with drop off the bill, and managed to rebook the entire date and turn it into a “Last Minute Fest” with eight bands! That kind of (non-toxic) moxie is always going to impress me. I’m also pretty damn impressed with the single they released back in January, “Ugh,” which is a fun little rock tune that should work for anyone who appreciated the work of bands like Local H, The Marvelous 3, or my own lesser-known faves, Material Issue — plus a little Weezer/Nirvana vibe thrown in there. OK, yeah, they’re pretty 90s sounding, but I love a lot of 90s music, and I’m never gonna complain when your contribution to the genre is this strong.

The Mitras are going to release their follow-up single on the day of this show, and I’m very intrigued to hear it. The song, “You Got It,” is a cover of a Roy Orbison song that reached the charts just a month after Mr. Orbison unfortunately passed away back in 1988. As you may have gathered from how long I’ve been doing this gig, I remember that song hitting the airwaves back then, and it’s a truly great one. I look forward to hearing what spin The Mitras put on it, and I would think that if you’re at this show on the very night the single is released, you’ll get a live unveiling. What could be better than that? Show up and rock out — do it for Roy.

Wednesday, April 27, 7 PM
Blu Anxxiety, True Body, Crossspitter @ Fuzzy Cactus – $7
I love it when hardcore gets weird. And I know some of you who already know who these bands are will be reading this going, “Does this really even count as hardcore?” But considering I found out about this show from an “upcoming hardcore shows” Instagram account, I think it counts. What’s more, Blu Anxxiety frontman Chi Orengo used to sing in the NYC hardcore punk band Anasazi, and he brings that band’s raw fury to his new project. He does so even as the music he sings over, created by members of industrial groups X Harlow and Informant, is closer to some of the gothic industrial sounds you might find at a Fallout dance night.

Believe it or not, the combination of heavy industrial beats and angry political hardcore vocals works really well, and Blu Anxxiety made that very clear on their 2021 LP, Plaay Dead. The mix of goth, punk, industrial pounding, and hip hop bravado is an intriguing and unusual sound that should appeal to fans of everything from Bauhaus to Death Grips to Sisters Of Mercy to Ceremony (the California one… or, hell, the Virginia one too). With raging NYC death-metallers Crossspitter accompanying Blu Anxxiety on their trip down to the Commonwealth and local gothic post-hardcore ensemble True Body offering VA-based support, this show is going to bring together every corner of the dark, heavy musical world into a maelstrom of rage. Get sucked up in it. (BTW, the flyer says Cobra Cabana, but I got word last night that the show was moved to Fuzzy Cactus, so update your plans accordingly.)

Thursday, April 28, 7 PM
Path To Exile, Cut The Architect’s Hand, 3PEACE, Disposed @ Another Round Bar And Grill – $10
It takes all kinds to keep a music scene going strong, and Another Round Bar And Grill is a great example of a venue that fills an important niche of Richmond’s musical ecosystem. This show is a great example of what they have to offer, and that is: real, honest-to-god metal. Not punk rockers playing metal, but actual headbangers unleashing serious riffage in Autopsy t-shirts. Fredericksburg’s Path To Exile is a great example of the kind of band you’re only gonna find here in Richmond; brutal, heavy, featuring plenty of growling vocals, high-speed double bass rumbles, and wailing guitar solos. If you want to spend your Thursday night headbanging — and who doesn’t? — these guys are the band to see.

Even more delightful is the news that Cut The Architect’s Hand is also on the bill. It’s sort of hard to believe that this trio has been rocking together for 20 solid years now, but it’s true, and they celebrate 20 years as a band with their latest LP, The Eternity Box, released digitally back in January but getting a physical release at this very show. Their tortured vocals and pounding riffs are in as fine a form as ever on this new release, a concept album about 19th century hauntings and, apparently, cannibalism. Sounds sick, right? As sick as the new album is, the live set is sure to blow you away twice as hard and four times as loud, so don’t miss this one under any circumstances.

Friday, April 29, 7 PM
Toxic Moxie, Black Plastic, Gusher @ Gallery 5 – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I always love to go to shows at Gallery 5, and it’s great to see a classic weekend-kickoff bill taking place at this Richmond institution this Friday night — especially since its headlined by RVA’s dirty disco punk legends, Toxic Moxie. They’re on the scene playing their killer jams and throwing glitter everywhere as everybody dances like a maniac because they’re supporting a good cause: the show is a benefit for Camp Spokes, a free weeklong summer camp for girls and gender non-conforming youth, teaching the kids the finer points of bike mechanics. The leaders of the camp, which is organized by Rag And Bone and Groundwork RVA, will even be at the venue for a happy hour event, so if you need to know more, want to help out, or have a kid who might be interested, show up early!

Then stick around for amazing sounds — not just from Toxic Moxie, either. Richmond indie rockers Black Plastic are also on the bill, and they’ve released their self-titled first full-length earlier this month, so they’ll almost certainly have tapes to sell at the merch table. Once you hear their set, which pulls from all kinds of influences, from The Velvet Underground to The Shangri-Las to The Wipers, plus probably a million other things… well, you’ll want a copy of the tape for yourself. So bring a few extra bucks, punk! And show up on time, lest you miss the set from up-and-coming RVA post-punkers Gusher, who are really worth being punctual for. (Should I say “punktual”? …no, you’re right, probably shouldn’t.)

Saturday, April 30, 9 PM
Love Roses, Riot Queen, Torino Death Ride @ Bandito’s – Free!
So many wonderful venues around Richmond are on the list this week; that always makes me happy. In this case, we’ve got a Saturday night of punk rock sounds at Bandito’s. If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that I can never decide whether I’m more stoked about the delicious food at Bandito’s (best nachos in the WORLD), or about the amazing sound system their live room has to offer. Well, there’s another thing to be stoked about where Bandito’s is concerned: The shows are always free! So this Saturday night, you can save your cash for some delicious tacos, and get to rock out to your heart’s content regardless!

What’s more, rest assured there’s some amazing music on this bill for you to rock out to. Love Roses, the rip-roaring punk rock trio who’ve been making their name around the RVA scene for several years now, are still riding high on the release of their latest LP, Stubborn Future, last fall. It’s chock-full of killer punk tunes and is available on three different physical formats, so no matter how you listen to music, you can get your hands on a copy just for you. Maybe bring some cash for that, too. Show up on time, because energetic DC post-hardcore combo Torino Death Ride is a band you don’t wanna miss. They’ll keep your feet moving for sure. And listen, I know the nachos are outstanding, but make sure you don’t miss Riot Queen’s set either. This groovy metal band features one member I used to be in a band with and another member whose brother I used to be in a band with; if you can solve that riddle, you should probably be writing this column instead of me. Either way, I’m real stoked for what my former compatriots are up to with this one; you’ve really gotta hear it for yourself.

Monday, May 2, 7 PM
Great Wide Nothing, Halfcast, Tiny Lights, Nancy Raygun @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I always get a little nervous when I hear people describe a band as “progressive rock.” When I was young, that meant bands who were really ambitious, writing side-long epics with complex narratives and embroidering it all with technical chops and studio wizardry. But then at some point, it became a catchall term that, 90% of the time, just meant “jam bands.” And while I dig some prog rock — after all, I own multiple King Crimson albums — I really don’t have much interest in jam bands. So when I heard that Atlanta’s Great Wide Nothing were a “progressive rock trio,” I had some concerns. Specifically: did that mean they were a jam band?

Thankfully, I am able to report to you upon further investigation that they are not. Great Wide Nothing’s most recent release is a 2020 LP called Hymns For Hungry Spirits, Vol. 1, and it’s part one of a two-album cycle exploring themes of loss, longing, and finding inner peace. That’s what I’m talking about! Musically, these guys have a great deal of not only technical capability but energy and capable song construction, meaning that, even on the mutiple eight-minute songs on Hymns For Hungry Spirits, they never lose the plot, and always stay focused on the part of the term “progressive rock” that matters the most — the fucking ROCK. These guys rock, and I’m sure they will rock the hell out of the Camel when they take the stage there this Monday night. So if, like me, you dig prog-rock but prefer it to be more Rush than Phish, show up for this one. You will not be disappointed.

Tuesday, May 3, 7 PM
Born Ruffians, Sham Family @ The Camel – $17 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a fun one. Born Ruffians, who hail from Canada, started playing together when they were still teenagers. But at this point, more than 15 years have gone by since then, and this veteran indie-rock trio has eight albums to their name. The most recent full-length, PULP, wrapped up a trio of fruit-themed albums, beginning with 2020’s JUICE, which was followed by SQUEEZE later that same year. In fact, all three albums made it into the world in just barely over a single calendar year — so rest assured, these guys did not use the pandemic as an excuse to get lazy!

They’ve recently gotten back on the horse with new single “Chrysanthemum,” which carries forward the breezy, sunlight-filled indie pop sound this trio’s been perfecting for close to two decades now. This tune proves that, while they may have spent last year squeezing the juice to a pulp, but they’re by no means dried up. And thank goodness for that! After all, you’re going to want to delight in Born Ruffians’ musical nectar at The Camel this Tuesday night, and they’re fully prepared to deliver for you. How sweet is that?

—-

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

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: April 13 – April 19

Marilyn Drew Necci | April 13, 2022

Topics: 7 Seconds, Capital Ale House, Celler Dwellers, Chloe Lilac, Circle Jerks, Colin Phils, Delta Sleep, Digital Hell, DuctTape Jesus, gender roles, Guerilla Toss, Hunting Dog, It Looks Sad, Juan Wauters, Kuni, live music in Richmond, Lobby Boy, Man On Man, Negative Approach, Pom Pom Squad, Raneshounds, Richmond Music Hall, shows you must see, Ten Pound Snail, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Canal Club, The Pack AD, Toxic Moxie, Trapcry

FEATURED SHOW
Monday, April 18, 7 PM
Circle Jerks, 7 Seconds, Negative Approach @ The Broadberry – $35 in advance (order tickets HERE)
Richmond is in for a veritable bonanza of amazing live shows this week, and it all centers around this amazing triple bill of first-wave hardcore bands, all of whom are ready, willing, and able to run rings around millennials half their age and leave The Broadberry in a smoldering heap. It’ll be a blast. You need to be there. But on the off chance you didn’t get handed mixtapes with all three of these bands on them when you were in ninth grade (status quo for teenage punks when I was in high school — which was admittedly over a quarter-century ago) and actually need an explanation, let’s discuss the bands on this bill.

First and foremost, the legendary Circle Jerks. This pioneering California hardcore quartet was formed by Keith Morris (Black Flag/OFF!) and guitarist Greg Hetson (Redd Kross/Bad Religion), who are still at it over 40 years after their classic debut LP, Group Sex, redefined punk rock in terms of speed and energy, helping to define the then-nascent genre of hardcore. In 2022, they’re on tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary reissue of their second LP, 1982’s Wild In The Streets, which just came out on new label Trust Records in a dramatically expanded version. You should definitely order your own copy of that one, but also make sure you show up for this show, because unbelievably, even at the age of 66, Keith Morris is still the energetic maniac we all saw for the first time in 1980 LA punk documentary Decline Of Western Civilization — and you better believe the music still rules. Come ready to skank.

And show up on time, because speaking of amazingly well-preserved frontmen, Negative Approach leader John Brannon is still an absolute hardcore psycho beast, and he and the rest of his band will be bringing their pioneering Detroit hardcore rage to the Broadberry stage to blow all of us away at the start of this show. Not to be outdone, brothers Kevin Seconds and Steve Youth are back together yet again at the head of their legendary melodic hardcore group, 7 Seconds, whose sound an old friend of mine once described as “the aggression of Minor Threat with the hooks of the Misfits” — I can’t argue with that. The point is this: all three of these bands have been incredible and highly worth your time for every second of the past 40-plus years, and they still will be this Monday night. If you don’t already have your ticket, you know what to do.

Wednesday, April 13, 7 PM
Guerilla Toss, Toxic Moxie @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $14 in advance, $16 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Long running postpunk group Guerilla Toss has been through a whole bunch of changes recently, and they’ve put all of them on display on their brand new album, Famously Alive (their first for the legendary Sub Pop label), which was just released into the world at large a few weeks ago. If you dug the driving, off-kilter funk weirdness and hyperkinetic velocity of previous Guerilla Toss releases, rest assured, the band is still going to make you want to dance like a maniac when they take the Richmond Music Hall stage. There’s a decidedly brighter vibe to their new album, which is truly wild since the songs on it were put together in isolation during the pandemic. Hey, stressful situations inspire different things in everybody.

At this point, though, Guerilla Toss are itching to get back into the world and share the music they’ve created with all of us. And considering how much we all are still recovering from a year and a half without any live music of any kind, what they’re bringing to RVA is exactly what this city needs. Better yet, they’re joined on this bill by Toxic Moxie, who should by now need no introduction to the Richmond music faithful. On the off chance you’re new here, though, let me explain: Toxic Moxie bring a melodic, nigh-psychedelic vibe to songs that are fundamentally constructed at the point where disco groove and punk rock bash come together. Honestly, it’s not too different from what Guerilla Toss does, guaranteeing that these two great sounds will sound even greater together. Make it happen, cap’n.

Thursday, April 14, 7 PM
Pom Pom Squad, Chloe Lilac, Lobby Boy @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $15 in advance, $17 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There’s a real renaissance in melodic punk rock happening these days, and I for one am here for it. And honestly, the best examples of the genre’s recent peaks I can think of are all coming from women. Take Pom Pom Squad’s Mia Berrin, for example, who starts the debut full-length from her poppy, punky project with a song talking about wanting to marry “the scariest girl on the cheerleading team.” Who can’t relate to that one? More importantly, who isn’t totally rocked to death by the many excellent songs on Pom Pom Squad’s Death Of A Cheerleader? Look, if you aren’t, you should probably check your pulse. That’s all I’m saying.

Who am I kidding? I’m gonna say more, and we all know it. The first thing I’m gonna say is that Pom Pom Squad rule more than enough to be the sole reason you come out to Richmond Music Hall on a Thursday night. The second thing I’m gonna say is that the opening acts on this bill constitute one heck of a bonus, with New York’s Chloe Lilac bringing some excellent pop music of her own into the mix. She’s got the biting wit of prime-era Courtney Love mixed with the emotional electro-pop sound of Sky Ferreira at her best, and she’s gonna make you feel some feels when she hits the stage, that’s for sure. Harrisonburg’s Lobby Boy, who only a couple weeks ago released an excellent debut full-length, Pretty Songs/Pursuit Of Personhood, will bring their catchy, vaguely retro indie-electro sound to the river city once more. As openers go, they’re a real treat. So yeah: show up on time for this one. It’s in your best interest.

Friday, April 15, 7 PM
Man On Man, Trapcry, Kuni @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $14 in advance, $16 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Over two years after we all locked down for the first time, the ongoing effects of the pandemic on the music world keep showing up, and they’re less predictable all the time. For example, who would have guessed back in April 2020 when all the yuppies on social media were tweeting about their sourdough starter that the pandemic would eventually result in all of us getting to enjoy a new band from Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum and his boyfriend Joey Holman? Probably nobody, but it happened, and it’s the best thing to happen to queer-themed alternative rock in a long damn time.

Man On Man, who make no apologies for the homoerotic content of their music, released their self-titled debut album last summer. Singles like “Daddy” and “It’s So Fun (To Be Gay)” first grab your attention with their titles and lyrics, which make this band the obvious 21st century heirs apparent to groundbreaking 90s punk rockers Pansy Division. However, it’s the sounds created by Man On Man are what will keep you coming back over and over to this truly excellent album of melodic indie tunes. Whether you’re someone looking for more LGBTQ representation in indie music or just a huge Faith No More fan excited for some new music by one of your faves, Man On Man’s performance at Richmond Music Hall this Friday night is sure to delight you. Be there.

Saturday, April 16, 8 PM
The Pack AD, Ten Pound Snail, Celler Dwellers @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There’s something about the genre of garage rock that makes it the perfect sound for a bassless rock duo to sink their teeth into. From The White Stripes to The Black Keys, there’s a noble tradition of guitar-drum duos rockin’ hard in the garage-rock domain. Canadians The Pack AD have been carving out their own lane within that tradition for over fifteen years now, and, as is traditional for bands in this genre, they manage to work up a particularly heavy groove without adding any bass guitar to the mix. It’s impressive, especially in light of the fact that they’ve kept it up for eight albums without breaking up (a la The White Stripes) or turning into a basic-ass radio rock band (The Black Keys).

The last time we heard new music from The Pack AD was just about two years ago, when they released their killer eighth album, It Was Fun While It Lasted, which showed off a perfect road-trip aesthetic (song titles include “Gas Station Food” and “Check Engine Light”) just in time for all of us to spend a year and a half in lockdown. Now they’re making up for lost time, bringing their heavy rockin’ sound south of the border to rock The Camel and get everybody moving their feet. So yeah, spend your Saturday night with The Pack AD. That Sunday morning bangover will be 100% worth it.

Sunday, April 17, 7 PM
Juan Wauters @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s been many years since I last wrote about Uruguay-born, NYC-based punk troubadour Juan Wauters, but he’s returning to RVA this Sunday with a whole new spin on his long-running solo project. For 2021’s Real Life Situations, Wauters fought back against the isolation of the pandemic times we were all living through back then, focusing on collaboration and pulling together a variety of talented folks to work with him on different songs from the album — Mac DeMarco, Air Waves, Cola Boyy, and a whole bunch more. This focus on integrating a variety of different voices worked well with his overall mission on Real Life Situations: at a time when circumstances beyond our control were making a whole lot of choices for all of us, Wauters decided to make an album about the way some of the best options and possibilities in life come about when we surrender control and take things as they come.

Musically speaking, the radio is the best metaphor for all of this, and Wauters’ latest album is a lot like listening to a radio on a crowded street corner, mixing tunes in a variety of genres — everything from catchy acoustic punk to traditional Latin American musical forms — with random voices, snatches from newscasts, street sounds, and all kinds of other stuff. The obvious question is: how will all of this translate to the live environment on Sunday night at The Camel? I admit I have no idea, but part of the thrill in catching Wauters on Sunday night will be in finding out. After all, it’s sure to be interesting, and it’s almost definitely going to be unpredictable. So get on Juan Wauters’ level, and take it as it comes. It’s sure to be the most unusual night you’ve had in a while, and who doesn’t need more of that?

Monday, April 18, 7 PM
Digital Hell, Ducttape Jesus, Raneshounds, Hunting Dog @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Mysterious, prolific, experimental, electronic — all of these adjectives and more can be applied to the youthful Richmond collective known as Digital Hell. The music they make is bizarre and somewhat unprecedented, simultaneously based in hip hop and extreme noise. They mix programmed beats and atonal screeching into off-kilter grooves over which they drop rhymes and talk shit with the best of them, along with frequent collaborators like Ducttape Jesus.

Recently, Digital Hell and Ducttape Jesus collaborated for an EP entitled KNC, and it’s that EP they’ll be coming together to celebrate at The Camel. The sounds they’ll be bringing to the stage on that evening are unusual and hard to predict or categorize, but if you like seeing musicians push the limits of multiple genres at once, this is a show you should make sure you get to. Beat-producing wunderkind Raneshounds and experimental electronic project Hunting Dog kick this one off. Come out and broaden your musical horizons.

Tuesday, April 19, 7 PM
Delta Sleep, It Looks Sad, Gender Roles, Colin Phils @ The Canal Club – $16 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
When you’re a fan of the wide world of post-hardcore music, it’s easy to ignore the rest of the world and just focus on America. After all, a ton of great bands on that genre spectrum come from right here in the United States. You don’t necessarily need to look outside our borders to find great examples of emo, math rock, screamo, post-rock, and other affiliated genres. That said, you’re really blowing it if you don’t — there are many great bands doing this sort of thing that come from far-flung corners of the world, and if you sleep on them, you might just miss out on some of the best music being played today.

If you’re wondering whether I’m telling you all this just to get you to pay attention to Kent, UK’s Delta Sleep, well, OK, I admit it, you’ve figured me out. Delta Sleep’s fourth album, Spring Island, came out last year, and it is full of amazing tunes that should absolutely appeal to anyone who appreciates the music of Tera Melos, The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, and pretty much anything inbetween. They’re coming to the Canal Club on Tuesday night, and I mostly have no idea who with; their fellow UK band Gender Roles apparently broke up acrimoniously just before the tour started, and North Carolinians It Looks Sad cancelled their participation in this tour due to lingering concerns over COVID. As far as I know, Richmond’s own Colin Phils will be on the bill, and they rule, so that’s good at least. But here’s what’s most important: Delta Sleep is gonna play, and they’re gonna be awesome. That’s reason enough to be there, even if all the openers bail out. Don’t blow this one.

—-

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]

Both Kinds Of Crazy

Ryan Kent | April 1, 2022

Topics: Cave Painting, Cosmos, Dumb Waiter, Fixator, Gauche Gists, Hex Machine, Liquid Crystal, live music in Richmond, Omen Mas, The Camel, Tsk, Zombi

A lot of smart people are nuts.

This can go either way. On one hand you’ve got Vladimir Putin, and on the other hand you’ve got Kanye West. Push too far in one direction and you can witness some real rotten stuff. But those are the ones you hear the most about these days. Stride into a chain bookstore and you’ll see the bargain-priced coffee table books of Frank Lloyd Wright or Ansel Adams or Frida Kahlo or Michael Jordan… After a while, maybe all the names start to bleed together, and your vision becomes fuzzy to anything on the fringe.

It’s popular to float the theory that these people must be crazy in order to create what they’ve created. Most people don’t make this type of precise art. Jordan might’ve hogged the ball, but he still made art with it, regardless.

There are also the Hedy Lamarrs, Percy Julians, Nikola Teslas, and other wackos who lingered in the past largely forgotten. Only recently have their scientific achievements been acknowledged by specific pockets of the mainstream. There’s plenty of reasons for this, and you can list them all out loud, but I’m not going to.

Watching Hex Machine play live at the Camel on March 17th, it’d be hard not to think of Trevor Thomas howling into the microphone as a free-from-shell looney-toon. This is on the good side of being crazy.

If you listen to 2009’s Omen Mas, especially on tracks like “Pink Whisky,” you can pick up the frenetic sound of a madman who’s just broken out. 2012’s Fixator has the bratty arrogance of a madman who still hasn’t gotten caught. 2019’s Cave Painting has the sophisticated sound of a madman who knows he’s never going to get caught.

This isn’t music made by calm people.

T.T. is a smart dude. He’s probably got a stopwatch, an abacus, and a thesaurus sitting on top of his amp. He’s a fan of double entendre and wordplay; it’s written all-over Hex Machine’s three records. Each was recorded with a different lineup, each musically and lyrically puzzling and punishing in a different way. Each like a separate, candid interview with a maniac on the run, written in a dry, witty cipher over the span of 13 years. This is not simple rock and roll.

These days, pulling the low-end for Hex Machine is Alex Ricart, and any team for which Erik Josephson is hitting-for-distance behind the kit is better off. Watching the rhythm section alone is worth the price of admission. Yet the prize in this box of Cracker Jacks is Trevor.

Two thirds of the band live in Richmond, but Hex Machine’s live performance picks you up and throws you into the Pacific Northwest somewhere in the late 80’s/early 90’s. At least that’s what it felt like to me, even though I never physically experienced the Pacific Northwest in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Conjecture is allowed here, and I’d imagine Hex Machine would’ve fit in fine walking around Belltown with Mudhoney before opening for Soundgarden at the Crocodile Cafe. It’s a goddamn shame the band isn’t all over the place and everywhere. You can’t blame that on the smart people.

Hex Machine fried through a slowed-down version of “Starlet” by the Jesus Lizard to open their set, and it was a grease fire from then on, slinging three slabs of Cave Painting at the audience like hot meat. The new specials on the chalkboard for the night were “We Got The Beast” and “Simon Ferocious” — solid evidence the dudes pulling tickets have been inhaling kitchen gas for a while. Omitted was anything from Fixator. Hex Machine topped it off with “Lunatic Sun” from Omen Mas. All of us were hockey pucks by then.

Also from Richmond was the instrumental flying elephant: Dumb Waiter. They opened the evening by playing their ridiculous 2020 album Tsk in its entirety. The album title features zero vowels, and none of the song titles have any either. Under another tent, it’d be Tusk by Fleetwood Mac. But it isn’t. Dumb Waiter is a self-proclaimed “math/avant-garde/pop/noise 4-piece” and that’s not an embellished trapeze act. They’re every bit of whatever that is. Their newest album, Gauche Gists, is due out June 24^th.

You can’t really describe Dumb Waiter without sounding like an idiot, or like someone who’s trying not to sound like an idiot, or just a run-of-the-mill music nerd. I could start rattling off a list of subgenres, maybe a Mr. Bungle reference, something about time signatures and Jaco Pastorious, and try to sound like I know what I’m talking about, but I won’t know what I’m talking about. And you’ll know. The cheap way out of this situation is to then put it on you. Say something like, “You should listen to Dumb Waiter and decide what they sound like for yourself.” This would absolve me of anything further on the matter. But that just sucks.

So.

At times, Tsk sounds like an elephant in a modern dance class. An elephant serenading another elephant. An elephant doing cocaine. An elephant bartending. An elephant bringing other elephants to beat the shit out of some other elephants. An elephant writing a letter home. An elephant arguing with his girlfriend. An elephant sneaker shopping. An elephant walking the dog. An elephant at Benihana. An elephant playing videogames. An elephant at Summer Slam. An elephant smoking weed. An elephant watching Babar.

All of those sounds are made by mammoth drums, bass, guitar, and saxophone.

Seeing them live is unreal. I wonder if there were other people in the audience wishing they could sing with the band. This probably happens to instrumental outfits more often than it doesn’t. It’s not like Dumb Waiter needs a singer. The music Nathaniel Roseberry, Nicholas Crider, Keith Paul, and Tristan Brennis make is already gold. In a godless world, Dumb Waiter is Ganesh.

If you’re marginally familiar with Zombi, then you’re in the same boat as me, and there’s no captain aboard. The Pittsburgh, PA-based Relapse Records instrumental space rock band has been getting comparisons to Italy’s Goblin (famous for scoring the European version of George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead) since their 2004 album Cosmos. They closed out the evening, and the hype wasn’t lip service.

Songs like “Chant” from 2021’s Liquid Crystal could be played along with recent BBC footage of the war in Ukraine, while the album’s title track sounds like death and the ascension into heaven, splashed with the holy water of David Gilmour. You could spend a day doing this with their discography. Or a long drive alone, allowing your ADHD to speed down the highway. Zombi could make the soundtrack to anything.

Maybe that’s what this article is really about. Seems like everything these days has become a goddamn circus, and the peanuts are orange.

In America, you can choose what you want to put into your head. There’s a lot of stuff out there and some of it might even seem safe to eat. However, we shouldn’t just close our eyes and suck it through a straw because the sticker on the front says it’s all right. Teachers told us in elementary school not to eat berries in the forest or take candy from strangers. That logic also works here. It’s your unalienable right to inhale FOXNews and McDonald’s for six months if you want to. Just don’t be surprised if that nonsense has crept around your midsection or across the front of your new hat.

This is crazy-making behavior. Not the good kind of crazy. Not the kind at the Camel on St. Patrick’s Day.

You are smart people. If it looks and tastes like bubblegum, it shouldn’t be the only thing you’re chewing on. Definitely shouldn’t go to sleep with it in your mouth. It’ll be a bitch to get out of your hair in the morning. Then you’ll have a shaved head the next day just like everybody else. There’s something to be said for a person who follows out of principle, not simply because the people around them started to move.

I don’t know what else to tell you.

Photos by Randy J. Byrd, except where noted.