The Firnats

The Firnats, The Shandies, Don Fredrick & Ruse De Guerre at Strange Matter

Joe Vanderhoff | May 30, 2018

Topics: Don Fredrick, must see shows, Ruse De Guerre, strange matter, The Firnats, The Shandies

THE FIRNATS (VA)
https://thefirnats.bandcamp.com/
THE SHANDIES (DC)
https://theshandies1.bandcamp.com/
DON FREDRICK (RVA)
https://donfredrick.bandcamp.com/
RUSE DE GUERRE (DC)
https://rusedeguerre.bandcamp.com/

8PM Doors // 9PM Sounds
$7 // 18+

THE FIRNATS: THE FIRNATS are a mom rock band based in Richmond and Reston, Virginia. Formed in late 2015 by Sean Flanagan, The Firnats take inspiration from the doo wop pop groups of the 50’s, and the alt rock bands of the 90’s and 2000’s to produce their own unique brand of rock music. Since being created, the band has played everywhere from small college basements all over the DMV; to more established venues such as The Rock and Roll Hotel and Black Cat in D.C, as well as (right here at) Strange Matter and Gallery Five in Richmond. The Firnats recorded their debut album, “Fear Not”, completely DIY in producer Hapa Siuhengalu’s basement in Reston Virginia. The album was released in August of 2017 and now has over 10,000 streams on Spotify. They are currently recording a four song EP that’s set for release in late summer of 2018.

THE SHANDIES: THE SHANDIES are a garage rock/power pop band from the Washington, DC area. They spent most of 2017 releasing home recordings and playing the DC club circuit and Virginia college parties. Taking queues from scrappy rock bands like The Replacements and Black Lips, they have developed a reputation for their energetic, and often hectic, live performances. In 2018, they will embark on their first tour of the east coast.

DON FREDRICK: Hailing from Richmond, VA, DON FREDRICK is a 6-piece band made up of Will Cummins, Gino Gionfriddo, Daniel Flaherty, Sebastien Richard, Pat Bowdring, and Sammy Snider.
Starting in the dorm rooms of Virginia Commonwealth University, Don Fredrick began as an offbeat southern rock band playing DIY gigs in living rooms, garages, basements and the like.
Released in February 2017, the debut self titled EP from Don Fredrick shows off their southern rock roots, with four tracks that have become anthems of the DIY venues they frequent.
Don Fredrick has greatly evolved since the release of Don Fredrick the EP, now playing the hottest venues in Richmond, such as Strange Matter, The Camel, Emilios, Sound of Music Studios, and more. Over the past two years the band has cultivated a sound from a combination of heavy influences from psych rock, funk, southern rock, and a little bit of just about everything else. Taking queues from great artists such as The War On Drugs, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Kurt Vile & Courtney Barnett they cultivated a unique cross-genre mood to the jams they play.

RUSE DE GUERRE: Hailing from the Washington, D.C. area by way of Reston, VA, RUSE DE GUERRE combines the dynamic sensibilities of alternative rock, the melodic intricacies of jazz and blues, the postmodern lyrical elements of contemporary indie and DIY punk, and a frenetic live energy rooted in the D.C. hardcore community. In July of 2015, they played their first show opening for hometown heroes, RDGLDGRN. Less than two weeks later, Ruse de Guerre played their first ever headlining show at Jammin’ Java and sold out the venue. Since then, the band has headlined some of the area’s most well-known venues such as Black Cat, DC9, and the Rock & Roll Hotel, and have embarked on two East Coast tours.Their debut EP, “Empire”, was recorded entirely analog at the historic Inner Ear Studio with legendary producer Don Zientara (Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Foo Fighters, John Frusciante). It is now available on all digital music platforms everywhere & physical CD. In 2017, the band began working on their first full length project at WrightWay Studios in Baltimore with studio engineer, Drew Lamond (Jay-Z, Slipknot, Mos Def, MIA, Avril Lavigne). It is currently scheduled for release in Summer 2018.

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 30 – June 5

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 30, 2018

Topics: .gif From God, Bad Magic, Big No, Black Plastic, Bracewar, Charmer, Dance Gavin Dance, Decide By Friday, Division Of Mind, Don Fredrick, Doubtfire, Dreadnot, Ecostrike, Elizabeth Owens & The Live Bats, ERRA, gabbie rotts, gallery 5, Good Day RVA, Gumming, HeadlessMantis, I See Stars, Kenneka Cook, Lance Bangs, Little Saint, Madison Turner, Magnitude, Minor Poet, Nosebleed, Ohbliv, Paul Cherry, Pile (solo set), Piranha Rama, Post Animal, R Complex, Righter, Ruse De Guerre, Ruth Good, Sammi Lanzetta, shows you must see, Sianvar, Spooky Cool, strange matter, The Bummers, The Canal Club, The Firnats, The Goodbye Forevers, The National, The Shandies, The Womps, Van Hagar, Vegan Llamas, Yazan

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, June 2, 2 PM
A Good Day In RVA 5, feat. Ohbliv, Piranha Rama, Big No, Lance Bangs, Pile (solo set), Kenneka Cook, Ruth Good, Yazan, Sammi Lanzetta, Minor Poet, Bad Magic, Doubtfire, Gumming, The Womps, HeadlessMantis, Elizabeth Owens & the Live Bats, Righter @ Gallery 5 – $5-20 suggested donation
Y’all, it is ALWAYS a good day in RVA when Good Day RVA throws their annual all-day outdoor festival. It’s been going on for long enough now, in fact, that it’s started to feel kind of like the kickoff for the rock n’ roll summer here in Richmond every year. And really, what more could we ask for from such an occasion? The filmmaking, scene-documenting collective that is Good Day RVA are the best at what they do, and an inevitable corollary to their expertise is that they can program the best showcase of local talent you can find anywhere in town. Plus, this year they’ve added a few out-of-town friends to the lineup, as well as the traditional stacked lineup of vendors, food carts, and a beer truck!

And yes, they had to do the beer-truck thing this year, because for the first time, A Good Day In RVA won’t be taking place at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. That’s OK, though, because it’ll be at an even stronger traditional Richmond musical institution — Gallery 5, which will also be the beneficiary of the event’s proceeds (along with GDRVA themselves, who are a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit). There’ve been some lean times for Gallery 5 in recent years, and god knows none of us want to see them go away, so we definitely recommend you dig deep and donate as much as possible at this show. Of course, GDRVA will let you in even if you’re broke, because they’re really nice people, but do what you can, OK?

What actual music is on tap for you at this event? Oh my god, I’ve left myself so little space to tell you! Let me begin by saying that Pile’s Rick Maguire will be playing a solo set as part of the event — and if you’ve been paying attention to indie rock over the past decade or so, you know that’s gonna be worth the donation right there. Further out-of-town guests include Yazan and The Womps, but RVA stalwarts will probably be even more excited for the chance to catch local stars from Kenneka Cook to Doubtfire and from Gumming to Ohbliv (who is doing a Silent/Music Revival set!) all in one spot. Music will be spread across two stages, the one inside and a temporary one outside on Brook Road, and things will get started at 2 PM and carry on until the wee hours, so you really seriously cannot ask for more from a live musical event this weekend. I shouldn’t even have to tell you to be there at this point… but I’m telling you. BE THERE.

Wednesday, May 30, 10 PM
Gabbie Rotts, Decide By Friday, Madison Turner @ Little Saint – Free!
The middle of the week is a great time for some low-stakes free tuneage, and you’ll get exactly that at Little Saint tonight. Little Saint is an intimate food spot up there near the Devil’s Triangle, about a block from Bandito’s, and it makes me feel old to remember that when I moved to Richmond 23 years ago, it was a Papa John’s. They certainly wouldn’t have hosted a show, though, let alone the semi-regular music events Little Saint have started putting on in recent months, so we’re calling this a big improvement (even if I can swing a pizza a lot more easily than a full meal from Little Saint… just sayin).

This time around, we’ve got an appearance by Atlantans Gabbie Rotts, a folky, power-poppy trio led by a lady named Gabbie Watts who once had a countrified riot-grrrl band called Cuntry (and if you don’t think that rules, I have no idea what to tell you). There’s no real country vibe to Gabbie Rotts, but the snarky riot-grrrl thing mingles very well with their jangle-punk tuneage, so I’m down with it — and you should be too. Local support will come from chunky, funky rockers Decide By Friday, who’ve been under the radar locally for a while but deserve some more attention for their heavy, introspective sound, as showcased on recent EP Sankofa. I get some definite early 90s post-hardcore vibes from this record, and I am way into that. And with Madison Turner giving you one of her classic solo folk-punk sets as the opener, you’re sure to be won over from the beginning by her anxiously witty charm. All this and the show is free? You really can’t go wrong here — even if this place doesn’t sell breadsticks anymore.

Thursday, May 31, 8 PM
Ruse De Guerre, Don Fredrick, The Shandies, The Firnats @ Strange Matter – $7
Well well, what have we here? A full bill of bands from around the Virginia area playing melodic rock music, none of which I’ve ever heard before? I know for you, the reader, that might seem like a turn-off, but you must understand, when one spends as much time keeping up on local music as I do, the appearance of a show like this is always intriguing. It’s like — how is this possible? How’d I miss all four of these bands? I need to do something about this! Let’s start with the out of town bands — Ruse De Guerre (I googled it, it’s a French term for military deception) hail from DC and have a speedy, rockin’ delivery of some hard-edged indie sounds that combine with catchy, almost brassy choruses to cement themselves deeply into your brain. Then there’s The Shandies, from across the Potomac in Alexandria. These guys have a bit more of a shambling, lo-fi slacker aesthetic going on, and therefore if nothing else I can imagine them hangin’ with the Lance Bangs/Camp Howard crew centered around Citrus City. The fact that they have a song called “I Just Want To Be Cool” only further cements my opinion on this one, and if you’re the sort who digs the sleepy emo punk sounds of bands like Wavves, you’ll need to get on this band’s wavelength.

I have definitely mentioned local bands Don Fredrick and The Firnats in passing at least once here in the ol’ Shows You Must See column, so the fact that I didn’t really have an impression of them before now might just be inexcusable. However, I must beg your forgiveness, especially since Don Fredrick in particular have a sound I’ve almost never heard from a local band — funky, jazzy, smooth, fun, and almost reggae-ish at points, it’s nonetheless a cool laid-back rock sound that I can’t help but groove on. If you can appreciate the early days of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (and yes, I can, so what?), you’ll find something to enjoy here. The Firnats hail from RVA and Reston, and almost remind me of Interpol when they aren’t sliding into Southern soul vibes. Yeah, seriously! Overall this show’s gonna be unusual and fascinating, and isn’t that always better than the same ol’ thing?

Friday, June 1, 8 PM
A Benefit for Van Hagar, feat. Van Hagar, .gif From God, R-Complex, Charmer @ Strange Matter – $5-20 suggested donation
It’s hard to be in a tiny little band, especially when you play heavy, crazy music that’s got no real potential for Top 40 success. My former roommates in Van Hagar know this struggle well, and this little grindcore trio have found themselves falling upon hard times lately. Between chronic health problems and income instability, they’ve had to struggle for the past year or two, and now they’ve experienced a series of vehicular mishaps that have left them struggling just to drive to their jobs every day. Well, nobody likes to see that happen, and here in the underground music community we take care of our friends as best as we can, so the Great Dismal crew has now banded together to give Van Hagar a helping hand through this benefit show.

And honestly, even if you don’t care about the underground music community and helping the people who are part of it keep afloat (a viewpoint I would frankly find incomprehensible), you’ve still got some really good reasons to come out to this show and throw down a few bones to help out Van Hagar. For one thing, they’re gonna hit you with one of their frantic, nonstop sets of low-end grindcore fury — and rest assured, no matter how tired they are, they’re gonna lay you flat with their raging energy. Then .gif From God will hit the stage to knock everybody out with their sensory-overload take on spastic, thrashing grind, complete with brutal breakdowns. Charmer will steamroll all in attendance with nonstop power-violence onslaughts that will have you on your knees, and R-Complex will offset the sheer insanity of the rest of the bands with a more introspective take on noise. All this, plus you get to help out some great people — who are personal friends of mine, in case I haven’t previously mentioned it? Well, I don’t know how you could say no to this one.

Saturday, June 2, 6 PM
RVA BBB Showcase, feat. Bracewar, Division Of Mind, Ecostrike, Nosebleed, Magnitude @ The Canal Club – $12 (order tickets HERE)
This one’s for the tough kids, the ones who just can’t stand still when they hear the sounds they love, the ones for whom stage-diving and breakdowns are still what gives them life. As a middle-aged lady, I must admit that my glory days for this kind of music are behind me. That said, I still have blood running through my veins, and it’s hard to resist the siren’s call of a serious mosh-core throwdown at least every once in a while. This bill brings us a Richmond-based showcase for Triple B Records, and at the top of the bill, in almost obligatory fashion, are Bracewar, who continue to play a couple shows a year under exactly these sorts of circumstances, reminding us all just how gracefully their brand of pissed-off hardcore violence ages.

But it’s the bands at the peak of their powers that most interest me here, and for that discussion we have to start with Division Of Mind. These guys started out pretty standard mosh-core style, but the more attention I’ve paid, the more depth and darkness I’ve found in their sound. Their most recent promo tape was full of spooky noise and lo-fi grit, and there’s a decided Tragedy-style doom-core influence lurking beneath the surface that just sounds better every time I hear it. The fact that they’re sharing this bill with Ecostrike, a Florida band whose two most recent EPs have impressed me both with their politically-fueled energy and their influences from moody early-90s hardcore trailblazers like Mean Season (an unjustifiably underrated band for at least two decades now), makes this show a perfect opportunity for those of us who don’t really do this whole mosh-core thing anymore to come out of the woodwork for once. With local rippers Nosebleed and Charlotte ragers Magnified rounding out the lineup, this one’s gonna be jam-packed. Jam into the Canal Club and get ready to floorpunch. Or whatever it is the kids do these days — I really don’t know.

Sunday, June 3, 7:30 PM
Dance Gavin Dance, I See Stars, ERRA, Sianvar @ The National – $20.50 in advance/$23 day of show (order tickets HERE)
To be straight-up with y’all, I have zero time for the latter-day exploits of Jonny Craig — probably still the most famous member of Dance Gavin Dance despite his not having been associated with the band for most of a decade. He can do whatever drugs, scams, and sketchily-named bands he wants to, but I’m not here for it. However, as the years have gone on and Craig’s faded further into DGD’s rearview, I’ve found that this goofily named melodic metalcore band has retained an enjoyability that I never would have predicted for them in their early days. Indeed, “Midnight Crusade,” the first single from their forthcoming eighth album, won me over instantly when it dropped a couple months ago. Say what you will about this band’s issues with shifting lineups — at this point, it seems the Pearson/Mess/Swan incarnation of DGD has proven itself as a reliable generator of quality.

So yeah, whether they’re playing classics like “Lemon Meringue Tie” and “Me And Zoloft Get Along Fine” these days or not, I’m here for it. And I’m also here for a fun evening of openers, which isn’t exactly the norm at bigger-venue shows like this one. However, if you don’t see the addition of tourmates I See Stars to this bill as a big bonus, I don’t know what to tell you. Granted, this band’s electronic textures and tendencies toward crabcore goofiness are a bit of a psychic barrier for entry — as they pretty much always have been. But their mix of chunky breakdowns and almost R&B-level emotional melodies never fails to deliver, if you ask me. Prog-metallers ERRA will provide an early highlight on this bill, and an opening set from Will Swan’s technical, melodic metal supergroup Sianvar certainly sweetens the pot as well. This one’s gonna be worth it, for sure.

Monday, June 4, 8 PM
Post Animal, Paul Cherry, Spooky Cool @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This Monday night, let’s take a trip into space. Post Animal may be a midwestern band with the sort of agrarian Illinois connections I once associated with midwestern emo — which is to say, their latest LP, When I Think Of You In A Castle, is on Polyvinyl Records, onetime home of Braid — but to listen to their sounds is to feel like you’re getting on board a rocket aimed straight into deep space via the punked-out psychedelic revival sound of California’s own Castle Face Records. Yeah, I’m definitely getting some Thee Oh Sees vibes from these guys, but there are some more contemplative space sounds mingled in here too, as well as even some funky rockin’ tuneage that might appeal to those of you who don’t hate jam bands.

Those of you who do, don’t panic — I’m not saying Post Animal are a jam band. If anything, I think they’re finding a sweet spot between modern, more laid-back ideas of math-rock (shoutout Houdan The Mystic) and the sort of rockin’ psych feels floating through the scene these days, neither of which you can ever have too much of. This band is gonna be an excellent sight for your sore eyes (and sound for your sore ears, of course) after a crappy Monday spent back at work, and I highly recommend that you inundate both ears and eyes with their set at Strange Matter. Tourmate Paul Cherry brings some of those lush, soulful synth-pop sounds that were a hallmark of the late 70s and early 80s with him, and if you find yourself thinking of Pete Curry when you’re checking him out, you’re not alone (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Local powerhouse Spooky Cool will kick things off, and it’ll only get awesomer from there.

Tuesday, June 5, 8 PM
The Bummers, Black Plastic, The Goodbye Forevers, Vegan Llamas, Dreadnot @ Strange Matter – $8
The Bummers. How could you not expect rock n’ roll from a band with a name like that? And guess what — you wouldn’t be disappointed, either. This New Orleans ensemble definitely knows how to crank out some dirty riffs and get your fist pumping. They’ve also got some dynamic grasp, able to integrate quieter melodic moments in order to make the kickass parts kick that much more ass. And make no mistake, kicking ass is what this band are all about.

They’ve found themselves some good company in the crew of local bands that’ll be appearing on this bill. The Goodbye Forevers are getting some local attention lately, at least if the frequency of their name on bills is a good indication, and listening to last year’s Lay Where You Fall LP will tell you exactly why — they’ve got a high-energy, vaguely punk-ish sound that comes across like Dillinger Four jamming with The Knack or something like that. I’m into it; you should be too. Black Plastic, Vegan Llamas, and Dreadnot are all fellow local rockers trying to make their mark on the RVA scene, and all of them deserve your time and attention as well. Come to this show and rock it on out.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

The American Indie, Fontaine, The Firnats, Don Fredrick @ Strange Matter

RVA Staff | November 1, 2017

Topics: Don Fredrick, Fontaine, strange matter, The American Indie, The Firnats

I admit it–I’m a bit flummoxed by a band calling themselves “The American Indie.” It feels sort of like a band from Oslo calling themselves “The Norwegian Black Metal.” But hey, this is the United States, after all, where anytime we seek to give something profundity, we put the word “American” in the title (American Hustle, American Gangster, American Gigolo, American Idol, American Horror Story, American Dad, etc. ad nauseam). So hey, why not?

The American Indie have a pretty good sound, after all, with a surprising smoothness and some killer melodies that bring together power pop guitars with silky 80s synth-pop keys and killer vocal calisthenics. Their When Money Swallows Up Your Time EP is full of killer tunes that’ll have you hitting the dancefloor the way you normally only do at 80s nights. And then there’s Fontaine, the Boston band joining with Nashvillians The American Indie for this tour. In a geographic surprise, they’ve got a bit more of that heartland jangle than their Southern counterparts. But it all evens out in the end, right? Hot new locals The Firnats and Don Fredrick will get it warmed up in fine fashion, so get set for some good ol’ American Fun!

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 11/1-11/7

Marilyn Drew Necci | November 1, 2017

Topics: American, ASM, Ben Shepherd, Blitzen Trapper, Carry Fisher, Champion RVA, Chino Amobi, Confidence, Cool Moon, Crurifragium, Demoncy, Don Fredrick, Earthling, Everview, Flora, Fontaine, Homesafe, Knight Terror, Knuckle Puck, Ladygod, Left Cross, Lily Hiatt, Lore, Lotus, McKinley Dixon & Friends, Movements, Pinact, Rikki Shay, shows you must see, strange matter, Teen Death, The American Indie, The Broadberry, The Canal Club, The Firnats, Toxic Moxie, Ululatum Tollunt

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, November 4, 7 PM
Ladygod, Rikki Shay, Ben Shepherd, Cool Moon @ Flora – $7
They’ve cultivated an air of mystery around themselves throughout their time in the RVA scene, which stretches back at least three years now. Releases have been few and far between, with too few songs on them. It’s always been hard to pin down who is actually in the band. And recently it’s become tough to even determine whether their band name is one or two words. But Saturday night at Flora, Ladygod (Lady God?) will finally reveal themselves with the release of their debut full-length, Rock n Roll Kaliphate.

In fairness, those who’ve seen the band have surely grasped at least a little of what was going on. The group’s hazy, “Exile-era Stones fed through a Brian Jonestown Massacre cloud of psychedelia” sound becomes clear over the course of a full set. And regardless of who is singing, it’s obvious that singer/guitarist Skye Handler is the Anton Newcomb of the group — as various talented, noteworthy members have come and gone, he’s held things together, regardless of how much of a mess he himself seems during any given performance.

These days, Handler’s band features Peace Beast frontwoman Kelly Queener as well as some other capable if slightly lesser-known players. The sound they churn out on their new LP has a stumbling, louche glamour to it, and is sure to slowly entrance you as its tendrils work their way from the Flora stage into your waiting mind. Ladygod will be joined on this bill by Rikki Shay (and the Martin Ruthless, I guess?), whose indie hipster-lounge funk sound was clarified on their own debut full-length of a few months ago, The Mixed Tapes. Opening sets will also be provided by local singer-songwriter Ben Shepherd and Houston’s Cool Moon. You won’t even dance, you’ll drift blissfully across the floor.

Wednesday, November 1, 8 PM
The American Indie, Fontaine, The Firnats, Don Fredrick @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$13 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I admit it–I’m a bit flummoxed by a band calling themselves “The American Indie.” It feels sort of like a band from Oslo calling themselves “The Norwegian Black Metal.” But hey, this is the United States, after all, where anytime we seek to give something profundity, we put the word “American” in the title (American Hustle, American Gangster, American Gigolo, American Idol, American Horror Story, American Dad, etc. ad nauseam). So hey, why not?

Thursday, November 2, 6 PM
Pinact, Teen Death, Carry Fisher @ Champion RVA – Free!
Another Thursday, and once again, we’re back at Champion gaining fortification for the last work day of the week with a shot of heavy-duty musical salvation for the low low price of nothing at all. There’s even beer, if that’s your kind of thing. But more importantly, there’s rad music, this week featuring a performance from touring Scottish act Pinact, who just released their second album, The Part That No One Knows. Its killer punk riffs incorporate the sorts of awesome post-Nirvana early-90s alt-rock influences that have been showing up across the indie underground for the past few years to outstanding effect. It also features some excellent choruses that will stick in your head and refuse to go away, keeping your toes tapping all night. Who can complain about that?

Pinact are excellently paired with local rockin’ punk trio Teen Death, who have been back on the radar after a relatively quiet last year or so with a bunch of local shows and a recent trip to The Fest in Gainesville, FL. These guys mix early 90s influences of their own with some crunchy garage sounds that crank up the punk quotient and give you something to snarl about. Recent Woodbridge transplants Carry Fisher kick things off with what promises to be the noisiest, sloppiest set of the night–and if you don’t think those are good qualities, I’ll have to ask you to re-evaluate what you look for in good music. Come to this one ready to rock, because the heavy jolt of energy this show is packing is sure to get you moving.

Friday, November 3, 8 PM
Chino Amobi, McKinley Dixon & Friends, Toxic Moxie, Lotus @ Strange Matter – $8
Chino Amobi has remained steadily fascinating throughout his lengthy tenure as part of the RVA music scene. Beginning in his days performing under the name Diamond Black Hearted Boy and continuing to his current solo work, Amobi’s had a constant sonic thrust paired with an intense political message, all of which added up to rejecting of current political realities through genre-spanning works of experimental gothic noise pop. Or something like that. Deep dives into his recently released album PARADISO, the sonic environments of which often give the lie to the sunny-sounding title, will yield a variety of strange electronic grooves, which sometimes bring a hypnotic funk sensibility sure to charm any listener, and other times disrupt themselves with harsh explosions of found sound. It changes from moment to moment, and while the change can wrong-foot you a bit, it’s always an engrossing experience, reflecting Amobi’s noted antipathy towards passive listening. Your listening experience at Strange Matter this Friday night will be an active one–Amobi guarantees it.

In this performance, he unites with several other Richmond artists to raise funds for Advocates For Richmond Youth, an activist group dedicated to preventing youth homelessness in our area. A worthy cause, one that it’s no surprise to see uniting POC and LGBTQ artists who themselves are members of marginalized groups more likely to encounter the grim reality of homelessness than the average person. It’s not just words on paper to them. And not only is this clear from listening to Amobi’s music, it shines through just as brightly from the music of hot local rapper McKinley Dixon, who’s brought a notable social consciousness to his meteoric rise through the ranks of Richmond musicians. Meanwhile, disco-punk ragers Toxic Moxie have always shown a dedication to moving bodies with tremendous grooves backed by sincere conviction. I’m not as familiar with newcomers Lotus, who open this night of noise for a cause, but their position on this bill alone is enough to speak well for them. Come catch this whole show, and dance your ass off for a good cause!

Saturday, November 4, 7 PM
Blitzen Trapper, Lilly Hiatt @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’ll say this for Blitzen Trapper–they haven’t settled into some sort of mid-career rut. No, the band’s recent days have seen them putting together a full-on stage production, debuted in their Portland, OR hometown earlier this year. And you can make cracks about the fact that of course it’s a band from the setting of Portlandia who are the ones to do something like this, or how go figure that a band with major Springsteen influences have finally done what Bruce’s critics always accused him of, i.e. turning rock n’ roll into a Broadway show, but the songs that are part of Wild N’ Reckless are enough to hush up any such wisecracks in a big hurry. The seven-song rock opera joins with five more songs on the band’s new album of the same name, and its title track has a real Desire-era Dylan fed through, yes, 70s Springsteen sound, but I can’t imagine why anyone would complain about that.

Make no mistake, these songs have a real darkness at their heart. Blitzen Trapper is older and wiser now, finding themselves looking back at their younger days and wondering if they can somehow recapture the energy of those days and feel truly alive again without reliving the mistakes they made back then. It’s kind of an alt-country Beach Slang move, if anything, and fans of groups from The Band to the Drive-By Truckers should find something to enjoy here, both musically and lyrically. And you know, it’s always a great to catch a band at the moment of their big statement, so if you were ever gonna go see Blitzen Trapper, you couldn’t do better than going this Saturday night. You’re sure to feel some feels.

Sunday, November 5, 6 PM
Knuckle Puck, Movements, With Confidence, Homesafe, Everview @ The Canal Club – $17 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
OMG, y’all. This show almost escaped my notice, because I had forgotten to check the Canal Club’s website. Thank god I headed over there randomly this morning as I was getting this column together–I would definitely never want to miss a show by one of my favorite melodic punk bands of the past several years. If I’d missed this show I would have cried–just like I have done more than once while listening to their records. Hey, I’m not too proud to admit it. The brand new Knuckle Puck LP, Shapeshifter, was also news to me, which is if anything embarrassing in light of my long-professed fandom for this group. But if you need any reason to actually take the plunge on this show, one listen to the new album should be enough to give you plenty.

While the band has steadily grown from the rawness of their early EPs, this full-length follows on the heels of their debut LP, Copacetic, in its simultaneous leavening of the band’s harsh teenage momentum with heartfelt melody without doing anything to dull the powerful emotional punch their music packs. If there’s only one pop-punk band you’re still willing to hang with in this post-Fall Out Boy world (and who could blame you, with what that band sounds like now? We all got burned by that one), Knuckle Puck are an excellent choice. And I’m right there making it with you. Get down there early, because all-ages shows don’t observe “rock time,” and make sure you catch the excellent opening bands as well. But yeah, I admit it–this show is all about Knuckle Puck for me. If they play “No Good” I’m gonna freak out.

Monday, November 6, 8 PM
Earthling, Knight Terror, Left Cross, Lore @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
It’s a Monday night double whammy, as two local labels present two Virginia bands that just released albums on their respective labels to an always-rabid RVA metal scene. We start off with headliners Earthling, who’ve been around the scene here in the Commonwealth for years and have returned to Forcefield Records for a follow-up to their 2013 Forcefield release, Dark Path. The new record, Spinning In The Void, sees the band carrying on its tradition of epic riffs and intricate songcraft complete with an always jet-black vein of crust, doom, and black metal running through things. And really, could you expect anything less?

You’re in luck, because there’s not less but MORE! Local thrashers Left Cross have their first full-length on deck for you as well, this one coming from fellow local powerhouse label Vinyl Conflict. Chaos Ascension finds these guys continuing to ply their trade in late 80s death metal moves, channeling Scream Bloody Gore and Slowly We Rot with abandon on this brutal full-length. A special bonus appearance by Knight Terror, who hail from Brooklyn, feature members of Mutilation Rites, and are every bit as raw and ripping as these two facts would lead you to expect, is sure to thrill all assembled.

Tuesday, November 7, 8 PM
Demoncy, Crurifragium, Ululatum Tollunt, ASM, American @ Strange Matter – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I hope you didn’t think that last show is as brutal as things would get in this column. Sure, Earthling, Left Cross, and Knight Terror are all pretty blackened, but the unutterable horror of Demoncy takes things to another level entirely. Their killer 2012 album Enthroned Is the Night was released on Nuclear War Now (so you know they’re for real) and features a constant low-end pummeling rumble laden with blast beats and topped with a sinister, throaty growl that speaks of Satan and infinity with sinister intent. Halloween was last Tuesday, but this band doesn’t care for your petty holidays–they’re terrifying all the time.

Fellow Seattle-ites Crurifragium (which seems like the sort of name a band picks mainly because of the ways its letters flow together to create a totally brutal logo) bring more high-end guitar buzz than Demoncy on their most recent full-length, Beasts Of the Temple of Satan, but the result is essentially the same–and really, how could you expect anything less from an album with that title? Prepare to throw the horns and bang your head, because this show is going to bring the beast out of you.

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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] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]