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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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]

The Firnats: From NoVA to Richmond, To My Cat At Home

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Since 2015, Northern Virginia-based guitarist and lead singer Sean Flanagan has worked to mold his band, The Firnats, into the diverse indie-rock four piece they are today. Their novel style is reminiscent of 50s doo-wop music, 90s grunge, and a wide array of genres to fill in the cracks, and as far as The Firnats know, they’re the only band that sounds like them. We caught up with them at home to talk about their upcoming sophomore album, My Cat at Home, the evolution of their sound, and how they’re carving the path for diversity and nuance in the Richmond music scene. 

The birth of The Firnats occurred when Flanagan was still in high school in Northern Virginia. The band only had two members then, Flanagan and drummer Aaron Pirnat. 

“He had the drums and I had the guitar,” says Flanagan. “Pretty much the only reason we started this was because we wanted to be rock stars.”

Photo by Garrett Parker, courtesy The Firnats

Pirnat eventually split from the band amicably, and five years later, The Firnats are rounded out by Chris Castro on lead guitar, Griffin Low on bass, and Kurtis Kunkel on drums.

Being based in the Herndon/Reston area, they’ve opened for bands in D.C. and played at some eccentric venues, but according to the band, there aren’t many small venues in D.C. anymore. 

“It’s so much harder to get your foot in the door in D.C., just because of how the scene is there,” Low says.

Flanagan moved to Richmond to attend VCU in 2016, which opened up a world of new venues to play and new connections to make. 

“Richmond is a smaller market, it’s a lot easier to make a name for yourself,” says Flanagan. “Most of the time when we play a show in Richmond, the venues are the ones who reach out to us, because we’ve made friendships with them and formed relationships with them.” 

The new Firnats album, My Cat at Home, is coming out April 11. They had planned an album release party in Richmond and were working on planning a tour, all of which has unfortunately been undermined by the ongoing coronavirus situation. However, the band is still excited to finally bring their second full-length release into the world.

“This album has been in the works for about two years,” says Kunkel. 

Although recording sessions took about one year, another challenge The Firnats faced is that, while Flanagan was primarily in Richmond for college, the rest of the band remains located in Northern Virginia.

“It was just about time restraints,” says Flanagan. “We all have jobs, I was in school, Griffin was doing school as well. But we’re willing to make sacrifices.” 

Now that the album is finally ready to be released, the band revealed how they feel about it, and how their sound has changed since they released their first studio album, Fear Not. 

“I’m so glad to finally be able to say that we did it,” says Low. “It’s not that we don’t like our first album, but this is the one we’re the most proud to show off.”

Low and Flanagan say they think the new album has a lot more intention behind it.

“I tried to put a lot more thought into the arrangement and construction of the lyrics,” says Flanagan. “I wasn’t just fiercely scribbling down lyrics like I was in high school for the first album.”

Photo by Cole White, courtesy The Firnats

Low says their first album was mostly garage rock, but My Cat at Home blends a myriad of genres, sounds, and effects together to create a unique sound that the band is satisfied with. 

“The first album, Fear Not, was garage rock,” says Low. “There’s always been a 50s doo-wop sound, but it’s definitely shown through more on this album.”

Melding both pop-rock and a 50s sound together, they believe their sound differentiates them from most bands, which has helped set them apart especially in the Richmond scene. 

“I think we have a lot of little flavorings of different genres. We all listen to different music,” says Griffin. “We don’t strive to fit into a particular sound.”

When asked what they’re most proud of about their achievements as a band, Castro says he had been a fan of The Firnats prior to even joining the band. 

“I’m just proud of the music,” he says.

The meaning behind the name of the album, My Cat at Home, is not as conventional as one would assume.

“We were asking Kurtis where his car was, and he misspelled in our group chat, saying ‘My cat at home’ instead of ‘My car at home,’” says Flanagan. “We eventually decided that’d be the album name.”

Photo by Philip Raine, courtesy The Firnats

However, even though the name of the album was random and accidental, the title can allude to a more complex interpretation.

“To me hearing that, it sounds like there’s a sense of longing,” Low says. “It doesn’t explain where you are at the moment, but you’d rather be with your cat at home.”

The Firnats’ second album, My Cat at Home, will be available on Spotify April 11.

Top Photo by Cole White, courtesy The Firnats

VA Shows You Must See This Week: March 4 – March 10

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, March 6, 7 PM
RVA Game Jams presents Split/Screen: A Video Games Themed First Friday Art Show, feat. Buzzard Dust, Ages, Gull, Mister Earthbound, Danet Jackson, F1NG3RS @ Gallery 5 – Free!
Sometimes, you guys, the world is just a major letdown. At those times it can be easy to get overwhelmed and feel like taking to your bed, pulling the covers over your head, and not coming out for six months. But take heart — there are still things worth being awake and in the world for. One of those is happening this Friday night, as RVA Game Jams partners up with Gallery 5 to bring us a First Friday art opening with a bit of a twist — it’s entirely focused on video games.

This event is a celebration of indie games in the Richmond area, and will feature playable demos of half a dozen games by local creators, including memorably named examples like Not Safe For Bugs and Deer In The Headlights. You’ll get a chance to check out art and artifacts from the creative process of video game development, as well as the opportunity to play these games yourself. And you’ll get to hear some really great tunes from local musicians while you’re at it!

Between rounds of the playable demos, you’ll enjoy sounds from Buzzard Dust, the fiery blackened thrash group who last released an LP on Richmond’s own Forcefield Records back in 2017. Word has it they’ve got a grip of new material to lay on us, though, so get stoked for that. Plus there’ll be a performance from Ages, the latest project from former Magnus Lush leader Age Shurte and talented members of other rad local groups like Weird Tears and Dumb Waiter. And we’ve still only scratched the surface, as several other area performers, from the almighty Gull to the psych-stoner jams of Mister Earthbound, as well as the video-game inspired electronica of F1NG3RS, are all on tap for the night as well. Let the often-solitary pursuit of video games be an opportunity for connecting with the world, and head over to Gallery 5 this Friday night. It’s better than hiding in bed — I promise.

Wednesday, March 4, 7 PM
Mind Shrine, Majjin Boo, Alfred., Castle OG, Shormey @ The Camel – $8 (order tickets HERE)
Mind Shrine may be from Texas, but things will be getting downright tropical, at least in a musical sense, at The Camel tonight when this catchy quartet brings their remarkable sound to town. On their recent self-titled EP, Houston’s Mind Shrine create a warmly glowing pop sound with roots in both smooth 70s AM radio sounds and the music of Brazilian leading lights like Caetono Veloso and Os Mutantes, but fed through an undeniable 21st century indie filter, resulting in pure indie-pop gold. You’re going to want to dive into the warm, sunny sounds this band produces, and the Camel’s giving you the perfect opportunity tonight.

The evening will also present a set from Majjin Boo, who released my favorite Richmond music of 2019 and still have a very secure place in my heart two months into the new year. If you’re not on their wavelength yet, now’s the time. You’ll also have the chance to catch excellent musicians Alfred and Shormey just before they leave town together on a pre-SXSW tour that will culminate with them performing at that legendary Austin, Texas music fest later this month. And of course, Castle OG will round out the bill with some rad local indie sounds. You’re not going to want to miss a minute of this one — so make sure you don’t.

Thursday, March 5, 9 PM
Triumvir Foul, Human Agony, Antichrist Siege Machine, Predation @ Wonderland – $10
That place on the spectrum of musical genre where death metal meets filthy lo-fi noise is a fascinating one for me personally, as it reflects a lot of the turmoil I find myself dealing with on a daily basis. If you, like me, are someone who has your fair share of mental struggles, you might find yourself connecting with Triumvir Foul, the Portland-based death-black-thrash group whose 2019 EP, Urine Of Abomination, covers old-school Autopsy-style death brutality with a rumbling haze of foreboding terror. In other words, it’s fucking awesome. And you’re going to want to see how it translates live.

Meanwhile, Triumvir Foul’s Invictus Productions labelmates, Human Agony, hail from across the northern border in Vancouver and bring a more grinding speed-metal assault on their most recent LP, Putrescence of Calvary, with just as much of the ominous lo-fi grit as Triumvir Foul has to offer. These two groups should make a great team — and locals Antichrist Siege Machine are the perfect complement, bringing the sort of unrelenting death metal rage they displayed on 2019’s Schism Perpetration to the Wonderland stage this Thursday night. They’ll be accompanied by mysterious noise project Predation, who I hear has something to do with Division Of Mind, but that’s all I can tell you. Assuage your inner turmoil with some outer turmoil at this show. You’ll thank me later.

Friday, March 6, 10 PM
Ant The Symbol’s City Dawgz Takeover, feat. Sneeze, Reppa Ton, Rah Scrilla, Ben FM, PT, DJ Elliot Ness @ City Dogs – Free!
Ant The Symbol’s always up to some interesting things, and in 2020, that definitely has not changed. 2019 saw the veteran RVA hip hop producer release The What?!, a dozen tracks featuring a who’s who of the city’s best MCs dropping rhymes overtop of Ant’s always-killer productions. Now in 2020, he’s surprised us all with a follow-up, Holyfield, featuring new versions of all of the songs from The What?! along with a few entirely new tracks. From my initial lessons, I’d guess he took the vocal tracks from The What?! and laid them over new productions; and since Ant’s productions are always the stars of the show, that makes it damn close to an entirely new album only a few months removed from the last one. That’s something worth throwing a party for.

So that’s what Ant The Symbol will be doing this Friday night at City Dogs, as he enlivens this hot dog shop with a variety of leading MCs from around the city, almost all of whom (with the exception of Sneeze) appear on Holyfield, The What?!, or both. DJ Elliot Ness is providing the music, and rappers who should need no introduction to Richmond hip hop heads, such as Reppa Ton, Rah Scrilla, Ben FM, and PT will contribute the rhymes. This leaves Ant The Symbol to hawk copies of the new Holyfield CD, contribute the tracks that Elliot Ness spins, and hang out with his many talented friends. Come chill with Ant The Symbol this Friday night, hear some great rhymes and dope beats, grab a copy of the new CD, and have a couple chili dogs while you’re at it. You won’t regret it.

Saturday, March 7, 8 PM
Addy, Spooky Cool, Young Scum, Castle OG @ Gallery 5 – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It still feels to me like Addy are a relatively new band on the Richmond scene. Therefore it’s kind of wild to note that they are just about to release their first LP on emo heavy-hitters Topshelf Records — but I’m definitely happy for them, and to see them representing Richmond so well. At Gallery 5 this Saturday night, they’ll be celebrating their debut full-length, Eclipse, which finds the group, originally a minimalist solo project of leader Adam Watkins, moving toward more of a group identity as their current four-piece lineup becomes the focus of their recorded sound.

On Eclipse‘s early singles, we hear Addy embracing a warm, laid-back version of the indie sound, one that definitely pulls in a little Southern flavor to spice things up country-style. There’s an undeniable charm to this band’s aural presence, and that’s sure to translate with ease to the live environment created at Gallery 5 Saturday night. Addy will be accompanied on this joyful musical evening by a few other great Richmond indie groups, including Young Scum, Spooky Cool, and Castle OG, but their new LP is what the evening is all about, so bring a few extra bucks to pick up a copy for yourself, and enjoy a pleasant evening enveloped by the wonderful sounds of Richmond, Virginia.

Sunday, March 8, 7 PM
Lance Bangs, The Firnats, You’re Jovian, Magic Wand @ The Camel – $8 (order tickets HERE)
The Citrus City Sunday residency at the Camel is such a boon to Richmond music, I swear — every time it rolls around, we get a wonderful mix of mainstays from one of Richmond’s leading indie labels and new sounds you might not expect but are always a pleasant surprise. This time around, we’re getting a little more of the known quantities than the unknown delights, but it’s very hard to complain when the known quantity at the top of the bill is Lance Bangs, the slacker-rock trio who’ve slipped into a quieter presence on the Richmond scene recently but still have a ton of excellent tunes to brighten your Sunday evening with. If it’s been a while since you’ve caught these guys live, remember what it was you dug about them so much to begin with this Sunday night at the Camel.

And make sure you show up on time for the other musical delights Citrus City has to offer this evening — rest assured, they are plentiful. The Firnats, who are currently working towards the release of a new album sometime this year, have been described to me as 50s doo-wop and 90s grunge, and as crazy as that sounds, it’s pretty much dead-on — and a very enjoyable listen that will appeal to the indie kids and Future Islands fans out there. You’re Jovian’s Norfolk-based shoegaze sound has been an underrated fave of mine for years, and I’m glad to see them making it up to Richmond more lately. If you don’t know the deal, find out on Sunday — you won’t be sorry. Melodic punk-grunge newbies Magic Wand will kick this evening off with a shot of much-needed energy. Come out to this one — it’ll be a blast.

Monday, March 9, 7:30 PM
Michale Graves, JJ Speaks @ Another Round Bar & Grill – $10 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
How you feel about this event is sure to depend to some extent on what the 90s were like for you. Back then, Glenn Danzig’s original punk band, The Misfits, had a revival in which brothers Jerry Only (bass) and Doyle (guitar) revived the long-dormant project with a new vocalist and some new material. Michale Graves was that new vocalist, and while people who’d grown up with the original Danzig-fronted Misfits were often dismissive of late-90s Graves-fronted releases like American Psycho, those records accumulated a strong following amongst the younger set — many of whom, thirtysomethings today — no doubt hold warm memories of Michale Graves-era Misfits in their hearts.

For those kids — and really, for any of us willing to give an aging punk rocker’s solo project a chance — this acoustic evening with Michale Graves at Another Round should be a treat. His acoustic performances find him bringing new power both to late-90s Misfits songs he wrote and material from his many solo albums since he left that group, all by himself with just an acoustic guitar and his strong, powerful voice. If you have a soft spot for “Dig Up Her Bones” or “Die Monster Die,” you’ll hear them in a whole new way this Monday night at Another Round. You won’t want to miss that.

Tuesday, March 10, 8 PM
Robbie Fulks, Jenny Scheinman @ The Tin Pan – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Based solely on talent, Robbie Fulks should be an outright legend in the country world. However, he’s never completely gotten his due in Nashville circles, partly because he has never been willing to play along with the way the country music industry works. For evidence of that fact, look no further than his classic tune about Music City, the memorably titled “Fuck This Town.” Thankfully, his cult following his given him a viable career over the last few decades, and he’s been able to follow his muse in a variety of fruitful directions.

Fulks’ latest move is one that shows why you should expect the unexpected from this talented songwriter — last year, he self-released a vinyl-only double LP called 16, which is a track-for-track reinterpretation of the long-maligned late-70s Bob Dylan album, Street Legal. That might sound like a recipe for disaster, but Fulks and his band find gold amid the critically-reviled nadir of Dylan’s career. They’ll surely demonstrate this with their Tuesday night show at the Tin Pan; whether Fulks does a whole bunch of Dylan tunes or sticks to his own delightful catalog, this is a musical evening that’s sure to delight all comers.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, March 6, 9 PM
VV, Community Witch, Dysphonia, LEYA @ Taphouse Grill (Norfolk) – $5
Whether you’re a Richmond reader facing the prospect of an hour-plus drive to catch this show by a local favorite or a Tidewater denizen wondering what this RVA band has to offer, I can’t help but encourage you all to make your way to the Taphouse Grill this Friday night to catch VV. This Richmond postpunk foursome brings a harsh undercurrent of horror to their rumbling, dissonant sound on III, the EP they released in January that constitutes their first new material in over two years. If you didn’t catch up with VV a couple years ago when they first arrived on the scene, you should definitely get familiar with what they do now that they’re back in action. This group definitely brings the noise.

They’ll be performing with three homegrown Tidewater musical projects, all of whom bring the outsider punk vibes in plentiful amounts. Community Witch have a charming yet spooky lo-fi rumble to their jangle-punk sound. Dysphonia are hard to find evidence of online, but appear to have a bit more of a jangly indie vibe, one with a bit more melody than the other two groups we’ve discussed so far. And LEYA are just downright odd, but in a riveting manner. So this one is sure to both surprise and enlighten you. Expect the unexpected.

Tuesday, March 10, 7:30 PM
Dead Kennedys, DOA, Demons @ The NorVA (Norfolk) – $22.50 in advance/$27.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
To all the aging punks out there, I’m sure it seems just as weird to you as it does to me that the Dead Kennedys have been around for longer without frontman, chief songwriter, and punk godfather Jello Biafra on vocals than they ever were with Biafra. But of course, in their post-Biafra incarnation, they’re pretty much a nostalgia act, mainly performing classics from the band’s original early-80s era, and releasing nothing more than a live album or two since they regrouped in the early 00s.

So why go see them? Well, because you certainly won’t ever see them with Biafra on vocals again, and this is the next best thing. Because they’re only gonna play old stuff you already know and love. Because if you can enjoy a DK’s tribute act at a Halloween covers show, you can certainly enjoy one featuring most of the original band. And because Canadian punk legends DOA and Hampton Roads hardcore group Demons are both on the bill as well. The cumulative whole of what this show has to offer is worth appreciating, even if it doesn’t feature Jello Biafra behind the microphone. So enjoy it, and don’t worry too much about the provenance.

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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]

Top Photo by Carl Raw on Unsplash

VA Shows You Must See This Week: May 29 – June 4

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, May 31, 8 PM
New Lions, Doll Baby, Fat Spirit @ The Camel – $6 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Remember when Trump won and, alongside everyone who fucking hated it, there were a few people babbling about how “at least there’ll be some good angry music again”? Let me just say right now: it wasn’t worth it, especially for all the women, people of color, and LGBTQ people who’ve found themselves in the crosshairs. But if the return of New Lions is any indication, I’ll go ahead and grant it to those people — y’all were right.

New Lions, which is what Clair Morgan and his band are calling themselves now that they’ve accepted their past several years of existence as a full band, are celebrating the release of their latest EP and first new record in three years, End Story, at The Camel Friday night. With a band name drawn from the final Clair Morgan album, New Lions and the Not-Good Night, they’re clearly building on what has come before. But where previous Clair Morgan LPs mixed Clair’s mathy post-hardcore guitar style with melodic indie riffing, End Story finds this band writing in a decidedly more aggressive vein, with political lyrics and a harsher vocal sound that pushes them almost all the way to the border between post-hardcore and outright screamo.

If the Trump era can get an indie band this upset, imagine what it can do to all the marginalized communities the administration is taking aim for (though actually, you don’t have to imagine — it’s reality). At least we’ll have a killer soundtrack for the battle lines. Or for a Friday night at the Camel, trying to forget it all and enjoy a truly positive thing for this city — the return of one of the city’s leading musical lights to full-throated action. Doll Baby and Fat Spirit will open this one up, and you should definitely bring some extra cash to grab yourself a copy of End Story. You’re gonna need this one by your side this summer.

Wednesday, May 29, 8 PM
Tired All The Time, SameStory @ McCormack’s – $?
Tired All The Time have given themselves the perfect name for this era of millennial burnout and rapidly increasing income inequality. If you’re not one of the rare elites driving a $100,000 European sports car to your fantastically outfitted corporate office, you’re part of the vast assemblage of the rest of us, driving a used 10-year-old European sedan for Uber and panicking at the thought of an unexpected car repair. Is it any surprise that so many of us are, yes, Tired All The Time?

This DC band who wryly uses corporate-style text and iconography to send up the aforementioned elites, may not be able to keep you from having to replace your water pump in six months, but they sure can rock away your cares for one night. Tonight at McCormack’s, down in lovely Shockoe Bottom, they’ll bring their keyboard-laced postpunk sounds, displayed adroitly on last year’s Be Well EP, to the upstairs stage. And it won’t be long before you’re moving your feet with a big smile on your face. Don’t worry about tomorrow morning — just this once, you can wait til 9:30 to sign into the app. We promise.

Thursday, May 30, 9 PM
Ben Katzman’s DeGreaser, Newscaster, The Firnats @ Wonderland – $6
Rock n’ roll never goes out of style, and that’s why the arrival of Ben Katzman’s DeGreaser at another Shockoe Bottom mainstay, Wonderland, is a very welcome fact. Katzman has a Florida metal background and it comes through in spades on 2018’s Quarter Life Crisis, a true wailer of an album whose best tracks would have fit right in next to Van Halen and Judas Priest on early 80s hard rock radio.

But hot licks and killer riffs aren’t the only things Katzman’s DeGreaser have to offer the discerning patron of rock power. Their songs are incredibly well-constructed and have a subtle intelligence at work underneath all those Trans Am-rattling anthems. You can really tell when you check out the lyrics to songs like “Too Old For Retail,” “Goodbye Wi-Fi,” and “Cool Points Don’t Pay The Rent” — these guys know the struggle. And they’re coming to town Thursday night so we can all put it aside for just one night, and rock! You know you need it; let your hair down for this one.

Friday, May 31, 8 PM
Sleepwalkers, Wolcott’s Invisible Hand, Angelica Garcia @ The Broadberry – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Sleepwalkers have been an active force on the Richmond music scene for years now, but recently, with their debut full-length, Greenwood Shade, five years in the rearview, it has started to feel like they were fading a bit. Thankfully, that has all turned around in the last few months, with the group signing to Spacebomb and preparing to end the five-year drought of new Sleepwalkers tuneage with a new LP, coming later this year.

It’s not out yet, but the group is celebrating this weekend nonetheless. The first single from the new LP, “Fault Is Me,” came out a couple months ago. Now, Spacebomb is releasing a limited-edition cassette containing remixes of the single by noteworthy local producers including DJ Harrison and Giavos, and Friday night’s show at the Broadberry is your first chance to grab it for yourself! It’s also sure to give you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with some of the other material Sleepwalkers have in store for their full-length Spacebomb debut later this year. Be there and get in on the ground floor.

Saturday, June 1, 9 PM
The Cryptkeeper Five, The Vansaders, Decide By Friday, Dead Format, American Television @ Mojo’s – $5 suggested donation
You might think this is the band Bobby “Boris” Pickett was singing about back in 1962, but no — that was actually the Crypt-Kicker Five. The Cryptkeeper Five are actually a quartet, and they play rollicking punk n’ roll tunes that are sometimes augmented by a Springsteen-style expanded band, complete with horn section. The stage at Mojo’s can’t accomodate all that, but the original four-piece will rock you all the same this Saturday night.

On their latest LP, The Stronghold — which was released on local powerhouse Say-10 Records, not coincidentally the label putting on this entire show — The Cryptkeeper Five come across like a strange combination of the Smoking Popes, Alkaline Trio, and Titus Andronicus, and if you dig any of that (or, for that matter, the subtle Springsteen mention above), you’re sure to have a blast when they hit the stage. Tourmates the Vansaders are actually from Asbury Park, but their acoustic folk-punk sound is a bit less Boss-ish and more reminiscent of The Waterboys or The Pogues. Both of these bands and some killer local groups as well will be combining powers to make this Saturday night musical extravaganza one to remember. Bring cash for the donation pot, and bring your card to buy a cheesesteak — they’re delicious.

Sunday, June 2, 6 PM
Matron, Kristeva, Deer Eats Birds @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
Free shows to end your weekend are always fun, and there are multiple places around town willing to hook us up with such things on a near-weekly basis. It’s just another wonderful thing about living in RVA. Matron are not from RVA — they come to us from New Orleans — but they’re bringing some wonderful sounds to our town that are sure to wrap up your weekend right. Their latest EP, Standing Water, shows off their unusual hybrid between energetic, mathy post-hardcore and synth-driven alt-rock weirdness, and the group is sure to blow us all away with it once they hit the stage.

We’re lucky enough to get some wonderful local sounds on this bill too — in fact, one or more of these local bands may play after Matron (I’d put one before and one after, but I stopped booking shows a while back due to a permanent case of exhaustion so I may not be the one to ask). No matter when these bands perform, we can be sure that the brilliant, epic post-rock of Kristeva and the complex, melodic alt-rock of Deer Eats Birds will add additional spice and flair to our weekend’s all-too-imminent end. And that’s wonderful.

Monday, June 3, 7 PM
Amy Klein (Photo by Orlando S. Gondar), Black Plastic, SLOGAME, Strawberry Moon @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
You might know Amy Klein from her days in Titus Andronicus — she played guitar on the band’s early high-water mark, The Monitor — from her politically-informed online writings, or from her 2016 solo debut, Fire. But Klein is taking things to a whole new level with her upcoming sophomore LP, Winter/Time. Not only does the LP’s lead single, “Nothing,” show both a driving punk energy and some serious postpunk/new wave melodic chops, the album as a whole will apparently tackle complicated narratives constructed from an imaginary world that Klein nurtured in her mind as a child, known as a paracosm.

That might sound like pretty insane stuff at first blush, but album-as-high-concept-fantasy-novel is a familiar trope across the history of intelligent, unorthodox rock n’ roll, from Rush’s 2112 to The Who’s legendarily unrealized Lifehouse. With the album on the eve of release, it seems likely that Klein will go the way of the Rush classic rather than the Who’s nervous-breakdown-fueling collapse, and that’s certainly a great thing. If nothing else, it offers us the tantalizing possibility of a whole album full of songs as good as “Nothing” — which will certainly be a lovely treat for us all this summer. Get ready by heading down to the Camel and rocking with Amy Klein this Monday night. It’s a great way to start your week.

Tuesday, June 4, 7 PM
Justus Proffit, Camp Howard, Big Baby, Lobby Boy @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
You know, I can’t say I’m familiar with memorably-named LA singer-songwriter Justus Proffit, but he’s apparently somewhat of a prodigy, having played in touring bands since he was 16 or so. Now he’s 25, and if you’re thinking, “Oh, is this kid the next Jay Reatard then?” you’re not entirely on the wrong track. His new album, LA’s Got Me Down, is full of psychedelic garage tunes, doused in noisy guitar distortion that can’t quite hide the brilliant melodies at its heart.

Proffit’s tunes of LA struggle reference drugs, death, and a culture of false allegiances, but they’re kept aloft by his flawless ear for pop melodies. There’s an ever-present psychedelic weirdness as well, just to keep the whole thing glowing with the sunlight of a slightly overexposed photograph. The combination is unique, arresting, and memorable, and if Proffit carries on in this fashion, he’ll be hugely famous before you know it. Get in on this movement before the rest of the world catches on, and spend your Tuesday night at Gallery 5. You won’t regret it.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Thursday, May 30, 8 PM
Phobia, Diseased Earth, Organ Trail @ The Golden Pony – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Legendary California grindcore ragers Phobia have been around for damn near 30 years now, and despite many different trials and tribulations over that time, they continue rolling along at full speed — their forthcoming LP, Generation Coward, is something like their 16th release, and that’s not even counting the million split EPs they’ve done over the years. They’ve still got the fire in their bellies, though, as is clear from the new LP’s advance single, “Internet Tough Guy.” We’ve all known a few of those, am I right?

Anyway, Phobia are coming to Harrisonburg’s Golden Pony tomorrow night, and they’re going to rock the place like crazy. Roaring, growling vocals, grinding thrash guitar riffs, and super-fast blast beats aplenty await the fortunate souls who stumble into the Golden Pony. It’s going to be awesome, especially with regional powerhouses Diseased Earth and Organ Trail (not the computer game you played in middle school — oh my, no) dropping a bomb loaded full of death-metallic grind power on you to kick this night off. Be ready to bang your head, because you’re going to be doing a lot of that.

Saturday, June 1, 8 PM
Blue Streak, The Great Noise, Bacchae, W I S H, Wring Out @ West Beach Tavern – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Hardcore isn’t just a sound, it’s a culture. Want proof? Check out hardcore bands like Angel Du$t, or Culture Abuse — bands that are both beloved in the scene and bear no resemblance to Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Brains, or any of the other agreed-upon touchstones of the sound. But their members have played hardcore music before, so hardcore kids are willing to check them out. Blue Streak might be another one of those bands; featuring members of Give, Red Death, and — sure enough — Angel Du$t, this group nonetheless brings a sound that comes much closer to indie pop and alternative rock than anything approaching hardcore.

Will the kids love it nonetheless? It’s an open question with this relatively new band, who’ve only released two singles thus far. However, considering the quality of the songs on offer, they certainly should. And those of you who couldn’t care less about hardcore might want to consider doing so as well. Fans of everything from Sloan to Braid to The Breeders are going to hear things they really like in this band’s sound — regardless of cultural affiliation. They’ll be playing with a bunch of other melodic indie, alt-rock, and shoegaze groups as well, so you’re sure to have a full night of joy with fellow DC power-poppers Bacchae, Hampton Roads killers The Great Noise, and even Richmond’s own hazy-guitar maestros, W I S H. What are you waiting for? Get down with it.

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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]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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

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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

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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.]

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