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VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 9 – January 15

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, January 10, 9:30 PM
Petrichor, Bad Magic, Doubtfire @ Don’t Look Back/Triple (3306 W. Broad St.) – Free!
The Richmond music scene has been showing its resilience for decades now, and the reaction it’s had to the latest trying time we’ve found ourselves in — prompted by the loss of Strange Matter, the steadiest venue for local shows anytime in the past decade — is just the latest example. You can see it in this show column; after last week’s unfortunately light post-holiday listing, the scene has rebounded with brilliance and ingenuity, finding new venues to fill the gaps and replace what we’ve lost.

One of these is the newly reincarnated Triple, a long-running Scott’s Addition pool hall that had been sitting empty for years, at least until Don’t Look Back brought it back last year. A decade or so ago, when it was still a pool hall, it hosted the occasional show, and now with the loss of Strange Matter, it has been pressed into service once again. This Thursday night, Petrichor will be holding the release celebration for their three-years-in-the-making new album, Petrichor II, and rock n’ roll will live in the Triple space once more. Viva RVA!

Petrichor has been an intriguing if somewhat low-profile institution on the Richmond scene for years now. Pairing the powerful voice of singer-songwriter Tess Fisher with a dark, heavy backing band that tends towards witchy early-70s-style doom, this group is a unique phenomenon both within and outside the borders of Richmond. That can be seen from their new album, which features acoustic moments as well as a sludged-up Misfits cover you probably won’t even recognize at first. The presentation of this incredible music is sure to be heightened to an impressive extent in the live environment, and what’s more, the show is free, so you’ll get to spend all the cash you bring on tacos and Petrichor albums. Which is as it should be.

Wednesday, January 9, 7 PM
Patrick Bates, Kenneka Cook, Keilan Creech @ Sound Of Music Studios – Free!
Traditionally, we don’t get too much out of Richmond singer-songwriter Patrick Bates. Though he does play solo shows occasionally, it’s been about four years since he last released a new record. That’s all set to change in the new year, though, as he’s currently ramping things up for a brand new collection of tunes. And it’s about time! On previous releases, such as 2015’s Feathers and Pearls, his delicate melodies had a fragile, aching beauty suffused with emotion. And while he’s certainly been known to recruit excellent local players to back him up, it’s his excellent voice and strong guitar playing that made his music so memorable.

What’s he got coming for us in 2019? This show will be our first opportunity to find out, and it’s taking place at Sound Of Music, a recording studio and occasional venue that also appears to be taking on an increased amount of live gigs in the wake of Strange Matter’s departure. Every little bit helps! And the fact that they’re hosting this impressive lineup of local singer-songwriters — not just Bates by RVA electro-soul phenomenon Kenneka Cook and folk-rocker Keilan Creech — makes this the perfect time to check this place out. You know what to do.

Thursday, January 10, 10 PM
Calvin Presents, Brain Drain, Dave Watkins @ Bandito’s – Free!
Damn… even Bandito’s is getting in on the act. This local home for outstanding nachos and what is secretly one of the best-sounding rooms for live music this city has to offer traditionally only hosts shows on Sundays. However, this trio of local performers are taking the stage at Bandito’s on a Thursday, and as far as we can tell, it isn’t even a particularly special occasion — they just needed somewhere to play. You need to go to Bandito’s to see them, too — and I’m not just saying that because it’s got incredible food.

If you keep your ear to the ground in this town, you’re sure to have heard the name Calvin Presents in recent months. This talented singer and pianist has been catching a lot of ears with his unique take on the place where soul, jazz, R&B, and hip hop all meet. His music is powerful and memorable, and it’s sure to sound outstanding in the Bandito’s back room. This show certainly offers variety as well; local punk-rock noisemakers Brain Drain are also on the bill. What’s more, the talented and eclectic Dave Watkins, who is capable of everything from old-time Americana to post-rock guitar ambience, is opening this show up — so you’ll be getting killer sounds from start to finish. Grab some tacos and get ready to rock.

Friday, January 11, 8 PM
Basilica, Home Astronomy, One Less Life, Referendum @ McCormack’s Irish Pub – $5
I have always found it important to keep a high level of metal in my diet — and I’m not talking about iron supplements either (though, as an aging lady, I should probably be looking into such things). Right now I’m talking about Basilica, a death metal band from North Carolina who will be bringing their remarkably catchy bangers to McCormack’s in Shockoe Bottom this Friday night. Last year’s Orbit Has Ceased EP shows that this band is ready, willing, and able to get your feet moving not only because they’re heavy as fuck, but also because they have some incredible riffs on offer.

If you’re not prepared for a full night of metal awesomeness, though, you’re in luck, because this show offers a variety of tuneage for the discriminating music connoisseur. Fellow Boone, NC residents Home Astronomy will arrive in company with Basilica, and their sound has not an ounce of metal to it, instead dabbling in the introspective moods of modern emo. And as you know if you’ve been reading this column for a while, that’s another genre I try to keep at high levels in my musical diet. With the addition of Tidewater deathcore mavens One Less Life and Lynchburg mosh machines Referendum, this bill has everything your body craves. Drink up.

Saturday, January 12, 6 PM
Tallies, Tula Vera, Nightcreature, Thin Pigeon @ Hardywood – Free!
The sounds are gonna get downright gorgeous over at Hardywood early on Saturday night. A pair of excellent groups will be bringing their excellent music to town from points Northeast of here, and we should all make sure to head to Hardywood and enjoy them going down. Tallies are a Toronto band with a brand new LP coming out only a day before they arrive in RVA, and from the advance singles that have hit the internet thus far, it appears this group has a downright brilliant dream-pop sound that should make fans of Baltimore’s Wildhoney or UK duo Honeyblood very happy (even though Tallies don’t have “honey” in their name).

As for Tula Vera, who come to us from New Jersey, they’re a bit more of a bouncy indie rock group, but they’ve got melodic sensibility to spare and brought a ton of it to the world on their excellent self-titled debut from a year or so ago. Both of these groups are sure to get your hips shaking, and they come to us in company of excellent local up-and-comers Nightcreature and Thin Pigeon. Plus, word has it there’ll be a curry truck at Hardywood for all your dining needs, and I guess they sell some drinks there too. “Not a bad way to spend your Saturday evening” is certainly a massive understatement, but you probably already knew that.

Sunday, January 13, 7 PM
Jon Spencer & the HITmakers, The Ar-Kaics @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The man, the myth, the legend… Jon Spencer is coming to town, he of the mighty Blues Explosion, as well as Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, and a few other excellent projects. He’s been blowing the minds of rock n’ rollers around the world with his unique brand of down n’ dirty, booty-shaking rock n’ roll noise fuckery for going on 40 years now, and his currently on tour with a group he’s calling the HITmakers. They’re here to revel in the fact that, after four decades of trash-rock excellence, Spencer has finally released an album as a solo artist, cleverly entitled Spencer Sings The Hits!

Now, as with Pussy Galore’s 1990 swan song, Historia de la Musica Rock, this ironically-titled collection isn’t actually a “hits” record at all, instead presenting us with a new slab of fine Spencer tunes with all the gas-tank-clanging gutter-blues excellence we’ve come to know and love from his previous work. His touring group features veteran Michigan outsider-rocker M. Sord on drums and Sam Coomes, formerly of Quasi and Heatmiser, on keys. Spencer hollers and whales away at the guitar, and as usual, there’s no bass — though Coomes’ keyboard will fill in plenty of low-end on its own. Chances are you’ll hear not only rad new rockers but some Spencer classics from throughout his career… and you’ll definitely get an opening set from VA’s own retro-garage heroes The Ar-Kaics. So really, what’s not to like?

Monday, January 14, 6:30 PM
Tyler Carter, R I L E Y, Matty Wavez, Calebfolks @ The Canal Club – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Tyler Carter is probably most familiar these days as the angel-voiced clean singer for bizarre yet incredible emo-R&B-metalcore group Issues, who have proven over a couple of excellent albums that they can spin gold out of a musical hybrid that seems like it shouldn’t work for even five seconds. However, Carter, who also previously spent time in metalcore group Woe Is Me, has been dabbling in solo work for a while, first releasing a solo track back in 2010. As of 2019, he’s finally worked his way up to completing a full-length solo effort, Moonshine, and it’s that project that he’s on tour in support of right now.

If Carter’s group work leads you to expect heaviness from his solo music, you might be thrown a little bit for a loop by the smooth, emotionally-driven pop/R&B sounds he’s created for Moonshine. That said, anyone who’s heard more than 30 seconds of Issues’ music has to know that he’s always had this in him. And while we haven’t heard the album in its entirety yet (it’s supposed to be coming sometime soon…), the songs that have made their way to the internet show that Carter has every bit the facility with soulful pop crooning that he’s shown in the metalcore world. So get stoked for this one, regardless of what genres you usually gravitate toward… it’ll be a satisfying performance no matter what.

Tuesday, January 15, 7 PM
Tancred, Haybaby, Sammi Lanzetta @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Jess Abbott’s been demonstrating her talent in the field of songcraft for a while now. With each of her first three solo albums under the name Tancred, she showed further growth, as well as increasing comfort with what she’s doing and just what kind of music she wants to make. Her fourth album, Nightstand, which came out last summer, took things to a new level; largely gone is the introspective-acoustic format that was her standard MO back when Tancred started. These days, the songs are catchy and musically upbeat, featuring full-band backing and an alt-rock/indie-pop sound that’s sure to make your smile.

However, Abbott’s lyrics have remained dark and moody, expressive of an inner struggle that is by no means over. In that sense, she’s kind of followed the Waxahatchee path — steadily moving towards accessible melodies while continuing to focus on dark topics that most of us are sure to relate to, no matter how post-adolescent we are (like 25 years post-adolescent, in my case). And Tancred has quite a bit in common both musically and lyrically with Haybaby and Sammi Lanzetta, the two excellent local artists sharing this bill — even if they aren’t completely on the same page genre-wise (Haybaby’s a bit darker, Lanzetta a bit more straight-up rock). If any of this sounds appealing to you, rest assured it all will — and if you’re still not tuned in to what Tancred is up to, you really can’t afford to miss this one.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, January 11, 8 PM
School Drugs, Nervous System, BATO, Street Weapon, Kept In Line @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $7
Almost every time I ever did drugs was when I was at school, which might seem slightly less insane if I tell you that I’ve been straight edge since 11th grade. But my point is that the name School Drugs makes pretty instinctive sense to me — didn’t we all do drugs in school at some point? Chances are, the answer for most of you is “LOL WTF no!” but maybe the members of this band will get where I’m coming from. I sure get where they’re coming from, at least on a musical level.

This New Jersey band mixes antisocial punk rage with old-school hardcore velocity and a few metallic touches. It’s definitely right up my alley, and it’ll be up yours too (heh heh) if you love cutting the shit and starting the pit. Just don’t take any of those dumb orange pills that weirdo metalhead from your study hall gave you — they don’t do anything. This show will feature a bunch of other killer punk bands from the Tidewater area, some of which are faster than others but all of which are sure to grab your attention. Don’t forget your steel-toed boots.

Tuesday, January 15, 8 PM
Beggar’s Row, Pummel, Compulse, Street Weapon @ Pourhouse of Norfolk – $5
We’re staying in the hardcore-punk world this week for our second Hampton Roads show, but this one is definitely for the kids who identify much more with the HC end of the spectrum. This show finds powerful, heavy Virginia Beach hardcore crew Beggar’s Row presiding over a murderer’s row of hardcore talent from around the state and beyond. Pummel hail from New Jersey and bring a solid dose of uptempo if not speedy hardcore to the Pourhouse — expect to see a lot of two-stepping (the hardcore kind, not the square-dancing kind) in the pit for these guys.

From within the boundaries of the Commonwealth — but almost as long a drive away — comes Roanoke, VA hardcore quartet Compulse, who definitely keep it rough and tough on their EP from last summer, Forged By Struggle. Not to be outdone, the show will kick off with a set from VB rabble-rousers Street Weapon, who’ve got that whole Negative Approach-core thing down cold, complete with slight tinges of Blitz-style oi and early-Warzone fury. This one’s gonna be a rager from top to bottom, and on a Tuesday night in January, you really can’t ask for more.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 2 – January 8

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, January 3, 7 PM
Humungus, 3:33, Buzzard Dust, Nuclear Tomb, Et Mors @ Champion RVA – Free!
It’s 2019, and if there’s one thing we can all agree on as local live music fans, it’s that Strange Matter’s departure has definitely hurt us. This week’s show column shows the damage done — fully two days of this week ended up being left out for lack of anything worthwhile to send you to. Hopefully this is a one-time post-holiday-doldrum thing, but even if it’s not, one thing it makes clear is that someone, some venue or other, is going to need to step up and fill the void Strange Matter left, or we’re gonna have quite a bit less rocking out to do.

Champion Brewing did its fair share of free Thursday shows in the past, but in recent months, they’ve largely kept a low profile. The fact that they’re giving us a free show on the first Thursday of the new year is a hopeful sign, though. Let’s hope it keeps coming from these fine purveyors of suds I don’t actually drink. And let’s hope it continues to be as raging as this show is. Humungus is at the top of the bill, and these local headbangers have had some lineup shake-ups since their Warband LP in 2015, but they continue to deal in the sort of wicked metal power that made 80s thrash records so great, complete with a vocalist who hits triumphant high notes like it’s his job (which, to be fair, it is).

This show also brings a duo of touring Baltimore metal bands to us to rock this town and make us scream and shout — or at least bang our heads. Nuclear Tomb just released a brand new EP, Succumbing, and its focus on death-metal brutality and technical complexity makes it an intriguing listen. Live, this band is likely to roll right over you like a metal steamroller, but if you listen close, the riffs will keep you fascinated. Tourmates Et Mors deal out the sort of dragging, sludgy doom that will make you feel like the world is caving in on you. If you weren’t already planning to bring earplugs, this group offers a strong inducement. Local heroes 3:33 and Buzzard Dust round out a bill full of champion metal. Yeah, you see what I did there.

Thursday, January 3, 6:30 PM
Haybaby, President Sam, Doll Baby, Two Cars, W I S H @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free! (Donations accepted)
Dogs are cool. Cats are cool. Chances are you agree with at least one of these statements, if not the other. And that is a good reason for you to go to this SPCA benefit at Garden Grove Brewing. Another is that it’s free — but of course, you should still bring some cash, because they’ll be taking donations for the Richmond SPCA, and unless your heart is a cold black rock, you want to make sure that they keep doing all that they do to help out local dogs and/or cats.

But the best reason to go to a show is always and forever the music, and this selection of rad Richmond bands is gonna rock you right! Haybaby have been splitting their time between Brooklyn and Richmond for years now, which might be why it’s been three years since their last EP, but word is they’ll be bringing us another LP full of their power-pop goodness sometime this year — so that’s something to look forward to! President Sam is starting a tour with this show, and this emo-pop/pop-punk band certainly tickles my fancy (y’all know what a sucker I am for this sound), so make sure you catch them. And don’t miss Two Cars either. This emo-shoegaze trio has a brand new EP out, and they’ll be celebrating its release at this show, so chances are they’ll be fired up! All this and Doll Baby too? Plus an opening set from W I S H? This show would be cheap even at ten times the price! (Because ten times free is still free.) Bring donations for the puppies and kittens, and get your year started right!

Friday, January 4, 5 PM
Silver Age, Unturned, Thirst For The Sea, Having Keepsake, Apricity @ The Canal Club – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There was a bit of punctuation mark abuse in that last blurb, so I’m gonna try to keep it chill here, as I write about the first of two 2019 Kickoff shows The Canal Club is throwing this weekend. This one’s the “rock” show, and Saturday brings us a “metal” show. Of the two, I’m most excited about this one. Silver Age are an intriguing band who got a lot of attention in 2017 due to their winning a shot onto the Warped Tour that year. They’re a bunch of teenagers with a heavy sound that splits the difference between more recent emo bands and heavily melodic post-hardcore bands of the 90s (think Hum, or maybe Quicksand). Now that they’re out of high school, these kids should be getting more done in 2019. Get in on the ground floor right here.

Fellow northern-midwesterners Unturned are also on this bill, and these guys have a somewhat similar sound to that of Silver Age, though they’re a bit less heavy and more straight up emo. That’s never a bad thing if you ask me. There are a bunch of VA bands in a similar vein opening up this show and bringing us some more excellent sounds in that vein. Thirst From The Sea live in rural western VA, up near where I went to high school, and have a heavy, driving, and properly emo sound. Meanwhile, RVA’s own Having Keepsake are a bit more post-rock infused, but still angst-ridden, while Mechanicsville newcomers Apricity (apparently it means “the warmth of the sun in winter”) kick things off with some “melodic grunge.” I’m into it. You should be too. Exclamation point.

Saturday, January 5, 8 PM
Lady Moon & the Eclipse (Photo by Luke Awtry Photography), Kenneka Cook, Calvin Presents, Mekong Xpress & the Get Fresh Horns @ The Camel – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
We’re getting in a funky mood this Saturday night at The Camel. Lady Moon & the Eclipse are headed down from their Brooklyn home to bring us all some thick and heavy grooves. This group’s fat bass sound and nimble synth lines hark back to the 70s in a serious way, resembling some of the lush soul productions that were happening at the same time as disco, but just had so much more depth to them. And of course, Lady Moon’s voice is the focus of it all, singing directly to your soul with soothing messages of love and positivity.

So get ready to groove with the Eclipse, but don’t think that this show is all about the Brooklynites, because we’ve got a passel of homegrown talent waiting for you as well. We talk about Kenneka Cook a lot around here, and for good reason — from her amazing voice to her brilliant and unpredictable compositions, this woman is the first name in 21st century soul here in central VA. Calvin Presents is an up-and-coming talent with a jazz-based approach to R&B balladry that results in music that both resists easy categorization and rewards listeners with musical beauty. And of course, Mekong Xpress are a funk-rock combo that grew out of everyone’s favorite Vietnamese-food destination in RVA to become a groove powerhouse. Get down with all of it this Saturday night, and dance into the new year in proper fashion.

Sunday, January 6, 8 PM
Hot Pink Satan, Solemn Shapes @ Fallout – $6 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
They’re getting weird with it over at Fallout this Sunday night, and before you tell me that that’s just a normal night at Shockoe Bottom’s foremost private fetish club, let me provide some details. What you must know is that a band with the memorable name of Hot Pink Satan is performing. This Pittsburgh-based duo is every bit as shocking as their name would lead you to believe.

Singer Clea Cutthroat’s tendency to lose her clothing and end up covered in blood might make you think of Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics, while the pounding, heavy industrial beats and sexual preoccupations of the music are more likely to inspire recollections of Lords Of Acid’s mid-90s heyday. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult fans should probably appreciate what this bizarre group is doing too, and metal fans may get a kick out of knowing that instrument-wielder allinaline was once in Chimaira. So if you like a bit of metal noise and punk confrontation in your sexy industrial dancefloor bangers, this is the perfect group for you. Just don’t stand too close if you don’t want to end up slippery.

Tuesday, January 8, 7 PM
Mdou Moctar, Night Idea @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Over the last decade or so, the music of the Tuareg people has received quite a bit of recognition outside their native Saharan desert. This nomadic ethnic confederation of livestock ranchers have an interesting place in the culture of the African continent, but what really has caught the world’s ear in recent years is their tradition of psychedelic guitar music. That all started with the legendary band Tinariwen, who mixed traditional Tuareg musics with electric guitars and acid-rock influences.

Mdou Moctar is a similar sort of Tuareg guitarist, one who has put his own personal stamp on the sound of this region, keeping a more traditional approach than some more recent Tuareg combos, while still retaining a speedy, nimble-fingered approach to the fretboard that is sure to please the ears of all you metal-shredding guitar heroes out there. His 2017 album, Sousoume Tamachek, revolves around acoustic instruments and traditional percussion, but Moctar still wails on guitar throughout. He’s sure to do a similar thing from the stage of Gallery 5 — you’ll be able to hear the desert winds blowing through your hair as you listen. Don’t miss this one.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, January 4, 8 PM
Lake Street Dive, Mikaela Davis @ The NorVA – $25 in advance/$29.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Lake Street Dive are an intriguing group. Even wikipedia, which calls them “a multigenre band,” has no idea how to explain their sound. They’ve got an old-school approach to instrumentation that lays the groundwork for everything that comes after. Acoustic stand-up bass, soulful horns, and Rachel Price’s humdinger of a voice, which is mid-range in tone but as deep as the ocean in vibe, are all key elements to understanding what this group is up to. And of course, they’ve grabbed some attention online with covers of immortal classics by artists like Michael Jackson and Hall and Oates.

So at this point, you’re thinking “Postmodern Jukebox,” right? Not so fast. Because Lake Street Dive are skilled songwriters with a deep quiver full of excellent original compositions. Blues, soul, old-school R&B, old-time folk, and rock n’ roll all factor in, always with a strong foundation in live instruments played at the same time in a room. This band is powerful, and they’ll keep you smiling and your feet moving throughout their performance at The NorVA. So hey, whether you’re a curious Hampton Roads resident, a fan who’s bummed they didn’t make it up to Richmond this time around, or just someone who loves great music played well by talented people, this show needs to be on your calendar.

Saturday, January 5, 8 PM
The Candy Snatchers, Big Bobby & The Nightcaps, The Nerve Scheme @ Elevation27 – $10 in advance/$14 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Back in the 90s, if you were a fan of raging, unbridled punk rock from any part of the world, you were looking to Virginia. Why? Because the Candy Snatchers were from here. This legendary punk n’ roll band were up there with the Dwarves, the Supersuckers, and the New Bomb Turks as the best of the wild-ass bands out there. And they had the stage show to prove it, too — they were known to spew blood, spit, and beer all over the place as they dealt out their pedal-to-the-metal brand of manic punk thrills.

All that sadly came to an end with the 2008 passing of the band’s guitarist, Matthew Odietus, who was largely responsible along with vocalist Larry May for the sound that made the Candy Snatchers so unforgettable. However, coinciding with the 2017 release of Moronic Pleasures, a “lost album” recorded in the late 90s, May and longtime drummer Sergio Ponce resurrected the group for some celebratory live dates around the mid-Atlantic area. Since then, they’ve been firing it up and going wild on at least an occasional basis, and this Saturday night provides the latest opportunity to catch the wild fire from this band once again. Chances are shit’s gonna get pretty crazy at this show — if you’re a true-blue fan of rock n’ roll at it’s most out-of-control, you’re not gonna want to miss it. No matter how far you have to drive.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA NYE 2019: Our Guide to the River City’s Best New Years Parties

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Richmond loves a good party, so it only makes sense that NYE draws some of the year’s best special events in town. In light of that fact, we have compiled a listing of some of our favorite events happening to close out the year. Here you can get an idea of the goings on, and what each event has in store for you. Make sure and get your tickets ASAP, as many of them will sell out.  

Enjoy, and have a very Happy and Safe New Year!  

PLF Presents Decemberween 13: New Years Eve Party

The Party Liberation Front’s Decemberween (Halloween in December on New Year’s Eve) is one of the biggest events in the city, and certainly the most artistic wild party around, with big art and big sound! Decemberween 13 will be loaded with all the music, dancing, creativity, costumes, camaraderie, and community fun that you’ve come to expect — plus some new surprises in store for veteran attendees.

Diversity Richmond will again be hosting this one of a kind NYE event. We once again will transform the 10,000 square foot indoor event space and outdoor areas into multiple immersive environments for fire performance and music.  TOXIC MOXIE will be headlining a special NYE performance along with 18 DJs from all across the east coast.  

The event will also feature interactive art installations, circus arts, stage performances, outdoor pyro-sculptures, amazing fire spinners and fire troupes, art car showcases, live painting, champagne toast, and two bars with Hardywood Beer & Belle Isle Moonshine drinks! There are way too many things going on here to list, so check the event page — and GET THOSE TICKETS NOW BEFORE THEY SELL OUT!! 

Three Sheets to the Wind: NYE Anchor Drop at The Broadberry 

The best Yacht Rock band in the business, Three Sheets to the Wind, will help RVA ring in the New Year at The Broadberry. You know that they are going to pull out all the stops and drop the anchor in style for this special NYE Performance. The Rounding Cape Horns are coming too, with lots of our own local boys to provide the big brass sound.  This is always a huge party, so get the tickets now. They have special VIP packages for those that want to score their own private penthouse on the boat before it sets sail. Get tickets here and click here for more info.  

NYE 2019 Moonlight Masquerade 

The Moonlight Masquerade New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Double Tree Hilton is another of the biggest events in Richmond, and well worth checking out. LX Group is bringing in multiple performers and an incredible lineup of DJ’s for a non-stop party into 2019. They are already at 500 people strong, so you want to get those tickets now before I go on any further. They have special couples tickets, along with appetizers and special drinks throughout the night, including a complimentary champagne toast. This is, of course, a masquerade ball — so get your fancy masks out for this one. Tickets can be purchased here, and for more info click here. 

Rocking 80’s New Year’s Eve with Teaze & The Here and Now at Uptown Alley 

If your looking for 80’s style hair metal, you got it right here with “The Here and Now” & “Teaze”.  You will get all the glory of the 80’s sing alongs and wild party times.  This one will include a balloon drop at midnight, with over $1000 in prizes. Having seen Teaze, I can promise you that they will crush it, and it will be a blast for all involved.  So get your hair out (or Teaze your hair out, as the case may be), and stuff yourself into the spandex for this one. Click here for more info. 

 

New Year’s Eve at The Circuit

Join The Circuit, the arcade video game bar, for a very special NYE. We are talking amazing brews all night along, with special video game-inspired music from F1NG3RS.  They have complimentary snacks for you and all the games you can imagine to play. This is a great event for groups, featuring lots of things to get involved in. They also will have Gaucho food truck, with its delicious South American eats, to get your fill of delicious grub. This is a great NYE event if you just want to have fun, not worry about dressing up, just enjoy some drinks and games with friends.  Grab tickets here, and click here for more info.

New Years Eve with The Southern Belles and Jackass Flats at The Camel

For those looking for some classic folk, country, bluegrass and Americana sounds on NYE, we have the Southern Belles and Jackass Flats ringing in the New Year at my favorite venue in the city: The Camel. Both of these bands are so talented and fun, and on NYE you know there will be some special performances in store. Let the champagne flow, the booties shake, and the good times roll! Grab your tickets here, and go here for more info.

Confetti Reign 2 #VagabondNYE 

Vagabond will be quite a swanky party for you looking for the speakeasy bar in the basement with the sweet vibes.  They have music by DJ King Cise, along with your host Juan Pierce. If you are not familiar with Vagabond, you should know that they know their drinks — we are taking classy drinks by talented bartenders. Ringing in NYE in the rabbit hole feels like that special invite to the bar at the end of the universe you just have to visit. Go here for tickets, and get more info here.

Saved By The 90s: A NYE Party with the Bayside Tigers at The National 

It may be NYE 2019, but a lot of us would rather it be 1999. Looking to get your 90’s Fix on NYE? The Bayside Tigers deliver the 90’s hits to get you moving in all your neon glory. Saved by the 90’s is the premier 90’s party Holiday show that travels all over the US to bring the party to you. The party continues into the night with DJ GHOZT. It’s gonna be the raddest thing since Stacey’s Mom! Go here for tickets, and here for more info.

Flashing Lights NYE at Kabana Rooftop

Alert – Rooftop party on NYE overlooking the city! Kabana has invited Carlos Melange to ring the in the New Year from 20 stories up, and you should be there. Carlos is a NYC DJ and producer who is quite in demand these days, so you’re getting a certified crowd-pleaser here. Kabana of course will have a number of specials going on with hotel room specials, VIP sections, and party favors. This is a themed Red Carpet event, Hollywood-style, so get fancy, walk the carpet, and be treated like a star. Pick up your tickets here, and find more info here.

New Year’s Eve Celebration at Cary Street Cafe: The King is Dead

And now for something completely different. The King is Dead will bring you all the Grateful Dead and Elvis music you need in your life at Cary St. Cafe this NYE. This is a night of amazing music and collaborations, along with the Hot Piece of Brass Horns as special guests.  This is a night of funky music, champagne toast and countdown, and good old dead Elvis.  This is a no pre-sale event ($12 at door), so just show up and be ready to get down. For more info, you know where to go.

NYE Live at the Hofheimer with P- Funk Allstars!!

The Hof has something very special in store for NYE, with special guest Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey from Parliament Funkadelic. This event is sure to be the funkiest party in town with this special performance, put together just for this event. They also have open bar from 8-10pm, with four fully stocked bars on multiple floors of this giant venue. You also get a balloon drop, party favors (hats, masks, etc), and multiple musicians and DJs in multiple rooms. They have upgrades and a special deal with Graduate Richmond to get you to and from the event to your swanky hotel room. Grab them tickets – Its gonna sell out, if it hasn’t by the time I wrote this (that was fast!). Tickets here, more info here.   

Top photo by Elizabeth Swider

VA Shows You Must See This Week: December 26 – January 1

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, December 28, 7 PM
The Grand Finale, feat. Illa Styles, Kyle The Ghost, Big B, Yung Sums, June Elizabeth, Tyrone Leake Jr, Coffee Black @ Gallery 5 – $7 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
If you’re anything like me, your first thought upon seeing that they’ve titled this Gallery 5 hip hop show “The Grand Finale” is, “Oh god, please tell me they’re not going away too.” Thankfully, as far as I can tell, there’s no cause for alarm — if this show is the grand finale to anything, it’s 2018, not Gallery 5. And at the end of a year that saw AGM’s ruling triumvirate (Nickelus F, Radio B, Michael Millions) dominate the hip hop game here in Richmond, this excellent showcase is here to let all of us know that RVA’s hip hop scene has a lot more than that going on.

There’s a wide variety of sounds from all around the city and state on this lineup, but you can’t be blamed if Illa Styles’ name is the one that jumps out at you. He’s not necessarily at the top of the bill, but his 2018 EP theBalance makes clear exactly why all of us should be listening to him. It’s a masterful slice of life from a veteran MC who gives us gritty, focused lyrical flow overtop of incredible multilayered beats that make the rhymes hit that much harder. It’s the most assured statement yet from a man who’s recording career goes back most of a decade and is already full of strong and powerful statements.

Another strong artist on this bill is Kyle The Ghost, who comes heading up the freeway from Newport News to team up with Richmond rapper Big B (and no, that’s not the reggae-rap guy from the West Coast). The two of them recently laid down an excellent collaborative track over a Haze Banks beat called “Passion,” which showcases both of their lyrical talents and can’t-miss flow. Between Big B’s 81 Dreaming and Kyle The Ghost’s Rebirth, both of them have also released solo projects this year that show they are more than capable of standing on their own. And then there’s also Yung Sums, who’s been making a name for himself around town as a battle rapper but also showed himself to have studio skills aplenty on his recently-released album Black Friday. There are quite a few more artists on this bill too, and if you want to have an amazing last weekend of 2018, seeing all of them send the year out on a high note is an unbeatable way to do it.

Wednesday, December 26, 8 PM
Mitchell Evan, Tyler Meacham, Pistol Sister, Rebekah Rafferty and The Wakes @ The Camel – $7 (order tickets HERE)
The Christmas holiday is officially over (sorta… though really, this is only day two of the “12 days of Christmas” you’ve been hearing about all your life), but we all know that the whole week between Christmas and New Years is kind of a rabbit hole everybody falls down. We won’t really be out of it until the New Year celebrations are over and the kids are back in school, so for now, just enjoy the ride and relax. Mitchell Evan is at the Camel tonight to help you do so, bringing you the debut of his latest solo album, Nostalgia. And this laid-back songwriter has the perfect sort of music to keep you in the right mood for this lost holiday week.

Nostalgia isn’t out yet, so none of us will hear it in all its glory until tonight at the Camel, but Mitchell Evan has released two singles from it thus far, and both give reason aplenty to expect this to be an excellent album. “Las Cruces,” which brings us the title lyric of sorts — “It’s a hell of a drug, nostalgia” (and ain’t that the truth) — has a melancholy alt-country sound that gets under your skin in the best possible way, while “Timpani Hits” has a more orchestral feel that might just have you thinking of Damien Rice. Both of these tunes are beautiful, and there’s plenty more where that came from, so come down to the Camel tonight and get the first taste of Nostalgia. Opening sets from local pop starlet Tyler Meacham and the MacKenzie Roark-led group Pistol Sister, plus an “after-party set” by Rebekah Rafferty and the Wakes, sweeten this pot considerably. Dip into it.

Thursday, December 27, 8 PM
The Vegabonds, Kendall Street Company, The Dirty Grass Players @ The Broadberry – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
“Southern rock” probably evokes a certain mental image in all of our minds, one derived from childhoods hearing Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet songs on the car radio while driving around in the tiny backseats of our dads’ pickup trucks. OK, so maybe that’s only some of us, but it’s OK, because Southern rock has grown and changed since those days, and in this post-millennial post-Drive By Truckers era, things are quite a bit different. The Vegabonds are a prime example, with their mixture of guitar crunch, church-y organ hums, driving tempos, and high-lonesome vocal hooks adding up to something that’s sure to appeal to fans from all over the good ol’ US of A and beyond.

Right now we’re talking about Richmond, though, and this town is pretty close to Nashville in a geographical sense, so chances are there are quite a few of us more than ready to embrace the down-home heaviness of The Vegabonds, who are about to release their fifth album, simply entitled V, once the year turns. Get a sneak preview of that record tomorrow night at the Broadberry, and catch a set from VA’s own Kendall Street Company in the bargain. This group mingles Americana sounds with the sort of granola jams all y’all who mark the LOCKN Festival dates on your calendar the second they’re announced each year are gonna flip for. With Baltimore bluegrass pickers The Dirty Grass Players opening up, this is gonna be a night to remember.

Friday, December 28, 8 PM
Plastic Nancy, Big Fundamental @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free?
This Friday night, get some psychedelic grooves into your soul over at Garden Grove Brewing. This free show will apparently feature two sets each from Richmond groups Plastic Nancy and Big Fundamental, and considering that the show gives all the appearance of being free, this sounds like quite a bargain, if you ask me. Plastic Nancy have a pretty noisy, almost punk take on the whole hazy psych sound as displayed on a recently released single that apparently heralds a whole LP of this fuzzy, buzzy stuff. Sounds like a party.

Big Fundamental are more laid-back and rollicking on their Basement Demos, released earlier this year, but things definitely stay loud and distorted throughout. It’s clear that both of these groups will twist your head right around, and you’ll love every minute of it — especially in the pleasant surroundings Garden Grove always provides. Where pre-New Years’ weekend treats are concerned, this one is a home run.

Saturday, December 29, 8 PM
Thorp Jenson, JR Wolf @ The Camel – $7 (order tickets HERE)
If it’s gonna be that kind of week, we may as well lean into it, right? That’s what local Americana singer-songwriter Thorp Jenson and the duo of scene mainstays Angelica Garcia and Russell Lacy, collectively known as JR Wolf, will be doing at the Camel this Saturday night, and you can’t go wrong by joining them. What will specifically be going on is Thorp and his band pulling together a tribute to the Grateful Dead at the dawn of the 70s, that era which produced classic studio albums Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty as well as classic live albums Europe 72 and the Skull And Roses record (which, yes, is officially self-titled).

For a band that made a half-century’s worth of reputation on their head-expanding psychedelic epics, this was a time at which they were focusing pretty strongly on folk and country influences, bringing their more free-flowing tendencies to bear on classic American tunes complete with polished vocal harmonies — and that’s probably the perfect material for Thorp Jenson to focus on with this tribute set, as it largely mirrors his own focus as a songwriter. Whether you’re a Thorp-head or a Deadhead, this one is sure to please you. And while we can’t tell you much about what it sounds like when Angelica Garcia and Russell Lacy combine powers like the Wonder Twins to form JR Wolf, we’re sure based on their mutually powerful track records that you’re going to find the results intriguing and delightful. Come chill.

Sunday, December 30, 10 PM
Hallelujah, Deathbirds Surf Club, Delicate Whip @ Bandito’s – Free!
It seemed unlikely that we could get through this whole week without some ugly punk noise, and now it’s become a certainty that we can’t. Oh, but who would want to? Especially when we have the opportunity to spend a Sunday night in the company of these killer Richmond outfits for the low, low price of zero dollars! Hallelujah, who made quite an impression on the RVA noise-rock scene in the early years of the 21st century with their harsh interjections of sound, have been back in action as a trio for a while now, and showed on last year’s self-titled full-length that they’ve still got the goods. Get ready to have your hair blown back — if you’ve got any left.

Deathbirds Surf Club have been an intriguing proposition from the word go, bringing a straightforward 60s-retro surf sound to the modern RVA punk scene in the same way that the Fresh-O-Matics did 20 years ago. However, instead of evoking the hard-charging guitar heroics of Dick Dale, the Deathbirds go for lovelorn sincerity with a strummy pop sound that’s on the fresh-faced Beach Boys end of things — with some Wavves-type modern indie damage thrown in to spice things up. It’s a unique proposition, for sure, and one that’s always worth catching. The moody sludge of local newcomers Delicate Whip kicks the whole thing off in fine fashion, and if you’ve invested wisely, you’ll have a big plate of tacos in front of you before they start.

Monday, December 31, 8 PM
Piranha Rama, Chance Fischer, Dr. Millionaire, Ghost Piss, Dazeases @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s probably not too early to ask… what are you doing New Years Eve? Some would say you’re best off ordering a pizza, staying in, and going to bed early. We certainly don’t recommend spending your afternoon driving up to NYC to stand in the freezing cold in Times Square, but despite the cynics, there are still good times to be had on New Years Eve here in RVA. And if some great local music in a variety of sounds and styles is your thing, Gallery 5 is definitely the place to be. Not only will there be champagne toasts and a photobooth (as well as “glitter” and “tears,” if the facebook event page is to be believed — and chances are it’s correct), there will be an amazing variety of excellent musical performers, all of whom at least originate here in our own river city.

You know what’s up with Piranha Rama by now, right? This conglomeration of Richmond musical all-stars has been plying their trade around town for the past year in fine fashion, bringing us a unique and lushly instrumented take on lounge-inflected retro-surf indie pop. Or something like that. Their self-titled LP is a real treat, and if you haven’t tasted it yet, this will be a great opportunity for you to make 2019 a better year than 2018 by getting familiar. That’s not even to mention the outstanding double-dose of RVA hip hop we’ll get on this bill from a couple of Richmond’s champion rhymers, Chance Fischer and Dr. Millionaire. Both of them are set to slay, so be prepared. And then there’s the double-dose of ambient electronic unease from moody divas Ghost Piss and Dazeases. Really, what more can you ask for? I mean, yes, you can ask for a really outstanding 2019, but that’s kinda beyond the capacity of a live music preview column, so this excellent show will have to do.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Thursday, December 27, 7 PM
Ancient Torture Techniques, Amara, MSD, Nervous System, Berkowitz @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $5
One totally lovely element of the Hampton Roads musical scene’s 2018 has been the return to full-time action of Ancient Torture Techniques, a power-violence ensemble best known on these RVA streets for their decade-ago split with bygone locals Street Pizza. They’re back, and while they still don’t have a Bandcamp page, they do have a quiver full of Spazz-meets-Slayer blastbeat-fueled mayhem to deal out on us all. You can show your gratitude with headbangs.

They’re joined on this bill by a smorgasbord of heavy grinders representing the current crop of this sort of high-speed devastation in the commonwealth. Newport News shredders Amara have a wall of harsh fuzz noise for you, pushing all the needles into the red with their grinding metallic riffage. Richmond’s MSD (no clue what it stands for, put your best guesses in the comments) go for a more straight-up death metal approach, while Norfolk’s Nervous System find the line where grindcore meets hardcore and hit it for all it’s worth. And of course, Berkowitz represents with some lo-end death-grind to kick it all off. Be prepared to thrash.

Monday, December 31, 7 PM
GWAR, Against The Grain, Stonecutters @ The NorVA – $20.50 in advance/$23 at the door (order tickets HERE)
New Years Eve in the Norfolk area is looking quite a bit like a lot of Richmond metalheads’ dream of a brutal year-ending party here at home. That’s because GWAR is taking over the NorVA for New Years Eve, and if you don’t love the idea of ending 2018 soaked in (fake) blood, I don’t know what to even tell you. It’s a bummer this isn’t happening closer to home, we agree — but hey, GWAR were just here at The National in November. So rather than pointing fingers at the NorVA for poaching our favorite alien overlords, let’s all just order our tickets now, gas up the Jeep, and leave early to beat the tunnel traffic, shall we?

GWAR’s turn toward a more KISS/Nugent-style vibe on most recent LP The Blood Of Gods will make their furor even more apropos for a night of celebration, and also means they’ll be able to match up perfectly with Detroit’s Against the Grain, whose triumphant throwback-thrash approach is your ticket to nonstop headbangs. Kentuckians Stonecutters kick things off with some more powerful 80s thrash stomp, as exemplified on their brand new LP, Carved In Time. Overall, this is a night of absolutely stupendous metal in the offing, so take this opportunity to send 2018 out with a (head)bang! But seriously — pick a DD ahead of time, we don’t want y’all wrecking into the bay on your way back to town.

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Top Photo by Alyk Visions

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

Picking Out A Great Robe With Marc Rebillet

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Marc Rebillet is a one-man show, a performance artist and “loop daddy,” and altogether one wild and funny man. Many will know him from his YouTube channel, which has been making the rounds on social media with such unforgettable hits as “Look at that ass,” “Chaos and Destruction”, and “Stop the Rape.” Videos like these have propelled him into sold-out shows on his current tour, which hits Richmond on Sunday night at The Camel.  

If you get a chance to check out any of his “Idealogue” videos, you will see exactly what makes him so appealing and popular. Rebillet is, in a lot of ways, the perfect performer for today’s social media world. His performances are funny and exciting, and what’s more, he has real piano and singing chops. Despite the humorous approach, his music seriously gets hype, with banging beats that run the gamut from trap to funk and R&B. His live performances are ad-libbed on the spot, and often include audience participation.     

As soon as I found out Rebillet was coming to Richmond on December 23, I jumped at the chance to speak with him. I learned that he is very approachable, and genuine in his love for what he does. I was excited to ask a few quick questions and talk a bit about his trip to Richmond. Speaking of which, the show is quickly heading for a sellout, so get your tickets right now. See you there — let’s get wild!

Check out this amazing live set below (start at 38 seconds to jump right to a great part), followed by our interview with Marc:

Can you help me say your last name.  I have been going with Mark Reb-il-it, just like that. But it’s French, I believe, and I need help with this.

Before we go on, my first name is Marc with a “C”! The French way. The last name is pronounced “Rub-ee-yay.” Also extremely French.

Would you say the Reggie Watts is one of your biggest influences?  What other loop-based artist or musicians have influenced you?

Reggie Watts is absolutely one of my biggest influences, especially regarding the live show. I don’t watch or listen to many other looping artists, to be honest. Lots of musical influences, but not too many that loop. I’ve seen some cool stuff from Moses Sumney, a few others whose names escape me. But Reggie really inspired the format of the show.

Is a good robe important? And what do you look for in that? I feel like you could guide me in finding this.

A good robe is extremely important. I only own one, but I find lots of satisfaction in hotel robes. I sometimes wear them to shows. You just feel good with one on.

How does one go from hype to ratchet? Can we make some kind of device that would measure this correctly? We can share the copyright on this.

I hear Lockheed Martin is developing a hype-to-ratchet converter, very excited to try that out. For me, I usually just start screaming. Tends to work.

You have been working on your sound and performance for a while now. How did you develop the current video format with performance and humor? Do you mostly ad-lib on the spot, or plan things out a bit more than people know?

The videos are just slightly more planned out than the live shows. The live shows are 100% improvised. I have no plan going in and whatever happens, happens. I’ll usually make one or two songs from my online videos but the rest is unique to that night’s show. For the videos I mess around for a bit until I have a good idea, and then I do a few takes to make sure I’m performing it efficiently. The early takes are the best, because there’s an energy there that’s lost in the later ones. Words and melodies are more or less made up each take.

Will this be your first time in Richmond VA? What do you know about Richmond (RVA – slang)?

Yes it will be! I don’t know about this slang but now I’m probably going to bring it up onstage.

What idealogue are we on here? Can we get a general number or idea on it? How did you start with this series?

We’re in the 40s. We’d be in the 50s if I kept the first ten online. But they were different — I was just talking to the camera about stupid ideas I’ve had written down for years. The 10th one is when I started filming myself using the looper.

Do you talk to yourself in the mirror? Like do you get up and look at yourself and say “I’m fucking Marc Rebillet…” I’m not sure how to finish that exactly, so you tell me.

Hahaha, I don’t say that, but I definitely talk to myself in the mirror. Doesn’t everybody? It’s one of those alone things that we all do but rarely discuss.

Whats your favorite thing about connecting to an audience and playing live?

It’s exactly that. The experience of connecting with a crowd that’s giving me big, big energy is irreplaceable. When the audience meets me there, I give it right back to them as big as I can… The audience truly makes the show what it is. Plus I never have to plan anything. It’s a great job.

See Marc Rebillet at The Camel, located at 1621 W. Broad St, on Sunday, December 23, with special guest DJ Harrison. Doors open at 8, music starts at 9. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and can be purchased at this link. For more info, click here.

Check out Marc Rebillet’s website, learn all you need to know about him in one BIO, or follow him on Facebook. 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: December 18 – December 25

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, December 22, 9 PM
L’Amour, Sick Bags, DJ Sam Slug @ Mojo’s – Free (Donations appreciated)
It’s time to go back to the dawning days of Richmond punk — long before White Cross or Death Piggy, back when punk hadn’t yet become a pedal-to-the-metal speed competition, before it was all about rage and fury. Back in the late 70s, the Ramones, Dead Boys, and Dictators were still kings of the US punk scene, and here in Richmond, our earliest punk exports fit into much the same mold; mixing teenage hormones, class-clown goofiness, and no-frills rock n’ roll into a potent cocktail of melody, energy, and fun.

1979 was the year that L’Amour, one of the foremost bands in that first wave of RVA punk, released their sole EP. It featured two songs, “Sunglass Party” and “Someday,” and preserved the group’s blend of Stonesy catchiness and New York Dolls-style gleeful trashiness for posterity. There was a lot more where that came from, but it was much harder in those days to record and release music than it is today, so the rest of it spent decades languishing unheard on tapes buried in former members’ basements.

Thankfully, this year has seen a resurrection of L’Amour’s greatness, as VA label Beach Impediment has collected all of the band’s known recordings onto an excellent 14-song LP entitled Look To The Artist. To celebrate its long-overdue release, core L’Amour members Tom Applegate and David Stover have regrouped, recruited a young rhythm section from among the fertile talent pool of today’s Richmond punk scene, and returned to action for this incredible reunion show at Mojo’s Saturday night. Most of us probably missed L’Amour the first time (I was three, and I’m OLD), so this is a golden opportunity to be present for a return to the very roots of this city’s near half-century of punk greatness. And how can you possibly turn that down?

Wednesday, December 19, 7 PM
A Very Butcher Holiday, feat. Butcher Brown, R4nd4zzo Big B4nd @ The Broadberry – $12 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Christmas time is here, and Butcher Brown knows it. This excellent quintet is getting into the holiday spirit at the Broadberry tonight with an excellent set of jazzed-up Christmas standards, paying tribute in particular to the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s classic soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas. They’ll be joined by the R4nd4zzo Big B4nd, a fifteen-or-so-piece project led by Butcher Brown’s very own bassist, Andrew Randazzo, which brought us much the same tribute last year, as captured on their Tribute To Vince Guaraldi LP, released back at the beginning of this year.

Considering Guaraldi often worked at the head of a simple piano-bass-drums trio, this brassy, expanded treatment from a group that includes multiple trumpets, trombones, and reeds is different from the original in significant ways. However, the jazzy spirit of Christmas that makes Guaraldi’s original album the objective best holiday music ever (yeah, I said it) remains intact, even as the group’s inspired new arrangements allow for considerable creativity. Whether you’re a fan of A Charlie Brown Christmas in particular or the holidays in general, and even if you just like good jazz music no matter the season, this show’s got a lot to offer you. Be there, and get into the spirit the Butcher Brown way.

Thursday, December 20, 7 PM
Snail Mail, Bleary Eyed @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Look, I admit it — I’m just discovering Snail Mail. I’m a big-time music nerd (as you may have gathered) and I catch a lot, but sometimes things are gonna slip past my radar until way past time that I should have heard them. Snail Mail is one such thing; somehow I missed their debut full-length, Lush, when it was released this past summer and proceeded to score Best New Music plaudits from Pitchfork. Oops.

I mean, I always take that website with several grains of salt, so don’t get me wrong, but this time they are totally correct — Lush is an absolute tour-de-force. Where downcast indie-pop songwriting is concerned, Snail Mail frontperson Lindsey Jordan has an incredible gift, and songs like “Speaking Terms” cut to the heart of the tremendous difficulties inherent in all human relationships, even as they wash your tears away with beautiful vocal melodies and perfect chiming guitars. This is an album that will resonate with the awkward emo nerd inside us all, even the jaded denim-clad metalheads among our number. I will go so far as to say this — if you’ve ever in your life had feels about a thing, you need to be at the Broadberry this Thursday night. Snail Mail’s gonna make you feel all those feels all over again, and in much more wonderful ways.

Friday, December 21, 8 PM
Camp Howard, Twain, Recluse Raccoon, Kenneka Cook @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Get ready for a lovely night of gorgeous indie sounds at Gallery 5 this Friday. This quartet of excellent Virginia artists will ease you into the weekend before Christmas and all the hectic travel plans you’re sure to be executing in the days that follow. Reliable RVA mainstays Camp Howard are at the top of the bill, and that’s always a good place for them; it may have been a year and a half since most recent EP, Juice, but Nic and the boys have established such a reliable track record of glittering post-punk power-pop over the past several years that everyone in RVA knows what these boys have to offer.

Where this show is concerned, though, Camp Howard is just the beginning. Twain hail from Franklin County, a rural region just south of Roanoke that has legendarily been known as “the moonshine capital of the world,” so you know this band understands how to have a good time. Their 2017 LP, Rare Feeling, is full of beautiful songs that bring an understated, pensive touch to a style landing somewhere between indie and alt-country. They’re simultaneously reminiscent of Sturgill Simpson and My Morning Jacket, and just as excellent a listen as those two, so they’re well worth your time. Recluse Raccoon are a good bit more social than the name suggests, and in fact they recently released a gorgeously weird self-titled LP that makes quite an impression with its introspective tunes embroidered by a variety of unconventional instruments. And of course Kenneka Cook is always someone you should catch, even if it means showing up early — her excellent voice and skillful compositions are worth the price of admission all by themselves.

Saturday, December 22, 8 PM
Planned Parenthood Fundraiser, feat. Occultist, VV, Kuni, Trapcry @ Gallery 5 – $5 to $10 suggested donation
With Strange Matter sadly shuffling off this mortal coil, there seems little doubt that we’ll all be spending more time at Gallery 5 in the near future. Their focus on the DIY community and support for causes that matter to the less-privileged inhabitants of the river city makes the gallery the obvious torchbearers for the sort of local scene support that Strange Matter was so good at. This Saturday night, they prove it for the second time in 24 hours with an amazing benefit for Planned Parenthood — an organization that’s been constantly under siege for several years now, and does crucial work within the local community, from ensuring your right to reproductive freedom to such important things as providing essential health care for transgender people without other options (like me, for instance).

Occultist are headlining this shindig, and it’s great news, considering how difficult it’s been to catch these thrash-metal ragers in a live setting over the past year or so. It’s been quite a while since they brought us any new studio recordings, and at this point they’re sure to have some new material to bring you, so get ready to headbang with a grateful fury. VV are an excellent addition to any bill, and their vitriol-drenched, synth-laced postpunk attack is particularly apropos for a Planned Parenthood benefit — smashing patriarchal faces for the win. Kuni’s queer electro-punk and the seductive techno-dance sounds of Trapcry will round this bill out perfectly. You’ll dance, you’ll rock, you’ll smash the patriarchy… it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Sunday, December 23, 8 PM
Marc Rebillet, DJ Harrison @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Marc Rebillet is a phenomenon that’s not that easy to explain. What I’d heard from other people before I checked out his music led me to expect one thing, but what I found was something significantly different. People will tell you this guy’s a bit of a comedian, and certainly he approaches his electro-funk music with an irreverent, humorous attitude, but the results he gets from synthesizers, beat loops, and most importantly his unforgettable voice are not only entertaining but seriously intriguing.

His Loop Daddy EP, released a couple of months ago, finds Rebillet, who got his start on YouTube, in loverman mode, sounding a bit like Baltimore electro-goof Dan Deacon if he was able to expertly channel R. Kelly. However, he’ll occasionally put the whole damn thing on pause to holler ridiculous improvised exhortations, and yeah, you’re gonna laugh at those times. Mostly though, Marc Rebillet’s gonna get your booty shaking with a rhythm that might seem totally out of place this close to Christmas but is, if anything, exactly what you need to survive another awkward dinner at Grandma’s house. So head to the Camel this Sunday and get in the pool. You know what I’m talking about.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, December 21, 8 PM
Demons, Shy Low, Ladada @ Taphouse Grill – $5
Shit is always pretty heavy down Tidewater way, I’ve found. There are indie shows down there at times, but a lot of what I find coming out of that geographical region of Virginia is hard as fuck and taking its best shot at crushing your skull. The same is true of Demons, though instead of super-heavy deathcore stuff, this band is aiming for more of a thick, metallic sound on latest EP Made In The USA. The resulting pummeling lands somewhere between Far Beyond Driven-era Pantera and early Every Time I Die. And when it lands, it lands on its feet and starts charging straight at you. Be there to meet the onslaught at Taphouse Grill this Friday, and you’re sure to be glad you did.

This show will also bring you a performance from Richmond’s own Shy Low, who’ve been less active recently than they were a few years ago. However, their most recent release, Burning Day, was only a year and a half ago, and it showed that they’d retained their powerful approach to the instrumental post-rock sound on which they made their name back a half-decade or so ago. So you can certainly expect a reliable (post-)rocking from these guys, and you’ll get a bonus set from openers Ladada, who have a catchy indie-pop sound that’s sure to delight. All in all, it’s a fine Friday night in Norfolk. Enjoy!

Sunday, December 23, 4 PM
Shaka’s Appreciation Show, feat. The Unabombers, Beggar’s Row, Accident Prone, Pushing On, Evade, Faded, Freebase, Chain Breaker, Catalyst, Semtex @ Shaka’s – Free!
It’s a sad story, one that those of us here in Richmond know all too well. Norfolk live music mainstay Shaka’s is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month… but it’s also closing its doors forever. That’s not happening after this Sunday matinee show — their last show is actually the Doyle gig on New Years Eve — but it is one of the last chances the Norfolk area will have to show their appreciation for a venue that’s filled much the same role in their scene that Strange Matter has in ours. What a shame.

The show itself will be a glorious occasion, though, with longtime VA punk veterans The Unabombers taking care of business at the top of the bill. These guys have been rocking the Hampton Roads area and beyond for over 20 years now, and they’re the perfect band to send Shaka’s off on a high note. And there’s a ton of hardcore punk on the bill besides, from the speedy metallic rage of Beggar’s Row to the brutal pummeling mosh of Evade to the angry punk/HC of Pushing On. There are a whole bunch more bands on this one too, and the price is certainly right, so if Shaka’s ever meant anything to you, there’s no time like the present to both show it some love before it disappears and to enjoy the Hampton Roads hardcore/punk scene’s past, present, and future all in one great place.

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

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