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VA Shows You Must See This Week: June 19 – June 25

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, June 23, 7 PM
Toxic Moxie (Photo by David Morton), Magnus Lush, Among The Rocks And Roots @ Gallery 5 – $6 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
One of the core principles of this-here column is as follows: local music, specifically music from Richmond, is awesome. But that’s not just because our city had the fortune of attracting (or incubating) a lot of really talented people. A big part of what makes this relatively small US city so great at producing a ton of wonderful sounds from talented musicians is the community that exists within the scene here. Pretty much everyone involved in the local scene works to help support each other in our mutual creative endeavors. That’s not only true across styles and genres, it’s also true for people who don’t necessarily play music themselves — the promoters, the photographers, the zine-makers, even the kids who just go to a lot of shows and help make sure that bands get paid.

In that spirit, it’s great to see three local bands with significantly different sounds all coming together at Gallery 5 this Sunday to help a friend. I’ve never known Celeste Canady to play in a band, but her photography and overall scene support has made her an essential member of Richmond’s music community for years. Now she’s headed off to start the next chapter in her life by moving to Chicago — and three great Richmond bands are playing this fundraiser to help Celeste on her way.

Whether you personally know Celeste and also want to contribute, or are just looking for a great night of local music to cap off your weekend, Gallery 5 is the place to be this Sunday night. Toxic Moxie are our headliners, and they’ve been teasing a new LP for a damn minute now, so chances that this show will bring you a live preview of their killer new material are pretty high, I’d say. Magnus Lush’s excellent post-hardcore sound is always captivating and worth your time. And Among The Rocks And Roots are still building yet further from their 2018 LP, Raga, a creative peak in their epic multi-movement song construction and noisy, raging, yet hypnotic and enticing bass-drum duo sound. These groups are very different, but they are all excellent, they’re all coming out of Richmond, and best of all, they’re all coming together to support members of their community. Gotta love it.

Wednesday, June 19, 7 PM
Daddy Long Legs (Photo by Colby Sadeghi), The Bush League, The HellHounds @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s not exactly in the mainstream eye right now, but if you know where to look, you’re sure to notice that there’s quite the revival in rootsy, bluesy rock n’ roll happening these days. Daddy Long Legs are part of that whole thing — the NYC three-piece play music landing somewhere between the amplified Chicago blues of Howlin’ Wolf and Little Walter, and the noisy gutbucket howls of The Cramps and Jon Spencer. Hard not to love that!

On their new LP, Lowdown Ways, dish out some rollicking noise, making the most of their unusual lineup configuration — a slide guitarist, a singer who plays blues harp at times and guitar at others, and a drummer with a tiny kit and an ever-present maraca in one hand — and crank out some sounds that will appeal both to fans of early Fat Possum Records superstars like RL Burnside and T-Model Ford, and to Richmond punks who miss the heyday of local roots-punk rippers The Nervous Ticks. All of this adds up to a ton of fun; you’ll certainly be moving your feet if you make it out to this one.

Thursday, June 20, 8 PM
Moon Hooch (Photo by Jeffery Allen), Nathan-Paul & The Admirables, Brunswick @ The Camel – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I love it when something totally unexpected rolls through town, and that’s why I’m super-stoked to see Moon Hooch coming through. This trio is the kind of thing you’ve almost never seen before — two saxophones and a drummer, plus some occasional electronic augmentation and a completely unpredictable approach to songwriting that creates some of the freshest sounds I’ve encountered in a while. Moon Hooch are definitely not jazz. Nor are they a sax-driven rock n’ roll band. They aren’t an avant-garde experimental noise ensemble, either. And while their latest release, a collaboration with rapper/producer Tonio Sagan, has a decided boom-bap feel, they aren’t hip hop either.

So if Moon Hooch aren’t any of those things, then what are they? Answer: they’re a whole lot of fun. Any group who got their start as subway buskers are sure to know how to entertain a crowd, and Moon Hooch are no exception. They make danceable tunes full of groove and forward motion that are sure to get your booty shaking. Sometimes the result is reminiscent of John Zorn’s more accessible work, while at other times you just may find yourself thinking of Richmonders Dumb Waiter; those of you with longer memories may also end up thinking at times of Morphine. But mostly what you’re going to be thinking about when Moon Hooch are onstage at the Camel is what a great time you’re having. And that’s ultimately the best result possible.

Friday, June 21, 8 PM
Briana Marela, Plastic Pyramid, M4DF4C3 @ Sediment Arts – $9
This Friday night, it’s time to step into a slightly different headspace over at Sediment Arts. Many of us associate shows at art galleries with avant-garde sounds and performances, and while that isn’t universally true, such an instinct is not going to steer you wrong this Friday night. Briana Marela is an electronic musician from the West Coast, who uses her voice to create ambient layers of ethereal melody, then augments these floaty textures of sound with subtle programmed beats, synths, and gorgeous vocal melodies with their own flawless sense of melodic pop excellence.

The result might make you think of more recent work by Bjork, or even Grimes in her pre-Elon Musk days. But Briana Marela very much has her own thing going on, which she shows both on her most recent LP, 2017’s Call It Love, and a song she created last year in collaboration with Radiolab. “4th Amendment” is a song that uses the Bill Of Rights’ prohibition against unwarranted search and seizure to explore important issues relating to consent. Clearly she’s coming from an intelligent mindset — she’s currently pursuing an MFA in Electronic Music at Mills College — and her complex music demonstrates that, giving the listener a lot of sonic rabbit holes to fall down. In the best way, of course.

Saturday, June 22, 7 PM
Minor Poet (Photo by Joey Wharton), The Wimps, HotSpit @ The Broadberry – $10 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A whole bunch of Richmond indie musicians — Matthew E. White, Natalie Prass, Lucy Dacus — have made it big in that world over the past several years, and now it appears that Minor Poet’s Andrew Carter is set to follow in their footsteps. Following up on And How!, his 2017 debut LP under the Minor Poet name, Carter has just released his follow-up EP, The Good News, with none other than Sub Pop Records. Which technically makes Minor Poet labelmates with Nirvana, and if that isn’t impressive, I don’t know what is.

OK, actually, I do know what is — the brand new six-song offering from Minor Poet. The Good News is a triumph of pop songcraft, full of lush instrumental augmentation around a really solid core of pop-rock melody that nods toward both the Beatles and the Shins on the way to an excellent, original place of its own. At The Broadberry this Saturday night, Carter and his allies in Minor Poet will bring the whole thing to vibrant Technicolor life before your very eyes. And then you’ll have a chance to grab a copy of The Good News on vinyl for your very own. Trust me, you’re going to want to.

Sunday, June 23, 9 PM
Greenbeard, Lady Killer, 3:33 @ Wonderland – $10
We’ve explored all sorts of multi-faceted sounds and styles this week, but we all know what the music scene in Richmond was built on, so this Sunday night, let’s all head down to Wonderland and get back to our roots in the rich earth of Southern metal. Two Texas bands are headed to Shockoe Bottom to help us out with that, and with a name like Greenbeard, you know the first of these two has to be good. You might wonder whether that name is intended to be a weed reference, but the fact that the first song on their latest EP is called “Contact High II” should remove any doubt.

And of course, these guys churn out exactly the sort of rumbling sun-baked grooves that you’d hope for from any metal band who like to make marijuana references. Greenbeard’s music occupies a territory bordered on one side by the hazy psychedelia of Hawkwind or Monster Magnet, and on the other by the straight-up Camaro grooves of Fu Manchu. If you like spending time in that territory — and let’s be real, who doesn’t? — this show is for you. Fellow Texans Ladykiller push that vibe in a bit more of an 80s cock-rock direction, complete with some of that slightly-awkward “pretty women as scenery” vibe straight out of mid-80s Motley Crue videos. But once they start to play, all doubts go by the wayside — these guys are riff masters, and there’s no denying it. Local metal-punk madmen 3:33 will kick off their next tour with an opening slot on this one, so expect things to be hard n’ heavy from the word go. Which is exactly what you want.

Monday, June 24, 6:30 PM
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Father John Misty, Jade Bird @ Altria Theater – $59.75 – $79.75 (order tickets HERE)
I’ve been a fan of Jason Isbell since back when he was still in the Drive-By Truckers. He wrote some of the best songs on their albums that he played on, and when he left the group a dozen years ago to kick off a solo career, I certainly wasn’t complaining. Isbell’s been repaying my faith in him ever since, creating half a dozen excellent solo albums thus far. The most recent of these, 2017’s The Nashville Sound, was the first to give his band, the 400 Unit, equal billing, and it makes sense — it’s very much a band record, with a sound that is guaranteed to please everyone who loves heartland rock, alt-country, and any sort of heartfelt anthem delivered with grace and sincerity.

Since that album was released, Isbell has contributed a song to the Star Is Born soundtrack. Meanwhile, his current tourmate, Father John Misty, recently started playing a song that he swears was rejected from that same high-profile film. Of course, as with anything Father John Misty is up to, you’ve got to take it with a grain of salt — the guy’s been one of the music world’s most notorious tricksters since he quit Fleet Foxes and changed his name from plain old Josh Tillman back in 2012. But for someone who’s public persona is sometimes quite difficult to figure out, Father John Misty’s music is always excellent, something he proved yet again on last year’s God’s Favorite Customer. You might hear all sorts of weird between-song pronouncements during his set at the Altria this Monday night — but you’ll definitely hear some powerful music. And that’s really what it’s all about.

Tuesday, June 25, 7 PM
Damien Jurado, Corrina Repp @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $18 in advance/$20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s another pretty impressive labelmate Minor Poet can now claim as a result of his Sub Pop signing. Damien Jurado’s been making his spare, affecting music for around 25 years now, and in the late 90s and early 00s, he was recording for Sub Pop, releasing moody acoustic singer-songwriter masterpieces like Ghost Of David back before Iron And Wine was a name anyone knew.

In the years since, Jurado’s released over a dozen albums, at times dabbling in full bands and more electrified sounds. But on his latest, the just-released In The Shape Of A Storm, Damien Jurado has once again returned to his roots, producing an album of haunting ballads that aren’t quite folk, country, indie, or emo, but will likely appeal to people who enjoy any of those genres. Jurado’s music is always an intense, haunted listening experience, even on record. When he takes the stage at Capital Ale House this Tuesday night, you should be prepared for an emotional journey — one that may take you to some pretty dark places. But even so, you’ll be tremendously glad you took the ride.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Saturday, June 22, 7 PM
The Connells @ The Jefferson Theater – $20 (order tickets HERE)
It may very well be that you have to be “of a certain age” to remember the Connells in 2019. And if so, that’s a shame, because while this band’s most successful periods were the college radio era of the late 80s and the post-Nirvana alt-rock boom of the early 90s, their songwriting talent was more than sufficient to make them the authors of some truly classic alt-pop tunes. Granted, they weren’t as heavy as the grunge bands of the day. What’s more, their roots in North Carolina linked them much more closely to fellow Southern indie groups like REM and Dillon Fence than to the quirkier collegiate alt-rock of the Massachusetts area (like the Pixies or Dinosaur Jr).

All the same, songs like “Stone Cold Yesterday,” “Slackjawed,” and “Fun And Games” showed that namesake brothers Mike and David Connell, along with perennial lead vocalist Doug MacMillan, knew exactly how to put together a perfect pop tune. The results on album after album harked back to 60s classics by the Beatles and the Byrds while also indicating a clear kinship with UK groups like The Smiths and The House Of Love. All that sounds pretty great, right? And see, that’s why you should definitely make it out to the Jefferson Theater Saturday night when The Connells come through — regardless of whether or not you saw them on the lawn at your college in 1994. Their heyday may be a bit far back in the rearview, but these songs are timeless.

Tuesday, June 25, 7 PM
Kristin Hersh Electric Trio, Fred Abong @ The Golden Pony – $12 in advance/$14 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Kristin Hersh has been making music for nearly 40 years, and she’s been a unique and fascinating artist that entire time. Beginning in the early 80s with her band Throwing Muses, Hersh used a spiky iconoclasm learned from punk to twist her noisy pop tunes into strange, off-kilter shapes that made the results fascinating. Beginning in the early 90s, Hersh began alternating full-band Throwing Muses albums with more minimal but no less fascinating solo albums, which veered from raw emotional declarations to covers of old Appalachian folk ballads.

These days, Hersh has managed to distill all her disparate musical threads into a single unified sound. 2018’s Possible Dust Clouds integrates the noisy, tangled postpunk sound of Throwing Muses and Hersh’s post-Throwing Muses project, 50 Foot Wave, with the arresting minimalist songcraft of her previous solo material. Now she’s out on tour performing not as a solo artist or a bandleader but something in-between — fronting an Electric Trio featuring former Throwing Muses bassist Fred Abong and former 50 Foot Wave drummer Rob Ahlers. Will the result be an overview of her 35-year recording career, or will Hersh plunge fearlessly into the future on the trail of her unique muse? Regardless of which way things go, the result is sure to be a captivating performance. Head up to Harrisonburg and see it for yourself — it’ll be worth the trip.

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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

VA Shows You Must See This Week: June 12 – June 18

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Topics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, June 14, 7 PM
Earth (Photo by Sam Gehrke), Helms Alee @ Gallery 5 – $16 (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard to believe that Earth have been cranking out their pulverizing minimalist drone epics for nearly 30 years now. But it’s true, and despite the band’s incredibly slow pace, bandleader and only constant member Dylan Carlson has never fallen behind when it comes to glacial heaviness. Earth’s early works were a crucial influence on doom-drone cult heroes Sunn 0))); beginning with their fourth album, 2005’s Hex, they became a prime mover in the push to find a bridge between the most apocalyptic end of metal and the sweeping melancholy of American folk and country music.

It’s now been five years since Primitive And Deadly, the group’s eighth album and first in over 20 years to feature vocals. Now they’ve returned with Full Upon Her Burning Lips, released only two weeks ago by a stripped-down lineup that finds only Carlson and drummer Adrienne Davies remaining from the four-to-five-member lineups that made their last five albums. The sound has been stripped down, too; while still retaining some of the folk and country flavors that differentiated their more recent albums from their early drone-uber-alles efforts, Full Upon Her Burning Lips finds Earth focusing once again on the almighty riff. Songs are long, slow, and repetitive, but rather than being boring, they are transcendent, placing you in the kind of hypnagogic headspace so awesomely attained by the legendary Earth 2.

Expect all of that and more when Earth hits the Gallery 5 stage, amps cranked to the maximum. No matter what stage of Earth’s evolution pleases you the most, their current incarnation will have plenty to offer you. And with Seattle psychedelic rangers Helms Alee on the bill, you’ll get a special bonus headtrip that’s worth the price of admission in itself. The group’s epic post-metal sound attains new heights on their latest LP, Noctiluca, and their set will act as the perfect appetizer for Earth’s full serving of epic riff triumph.

Wednesday, June 12, 9 PM
Space Cubs (Photo by Jonathan Sherman), Zooanzoo, Gardener, Donnie Dale @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Things are sure to get interesting tonight at The Camel, as the city will be graced by a visit from Space Cubs. Actually hailing from right here on Earth, this group comes to us from Buffalo and features a strange mix of strong riffage, programmed electronics, and outright weirdness, all driven by the unforgettable vocal presence of frontwoman Suzanne Bonifacio. Sometimes the songs are dancefloor calls to action, sometimes they’re ambient mind-expanders, sometimes they’re completely indescribable. But they’re always awesome.

Space Cubs are accompanied on this trip to the ol’ RVA by Zooanzoo, a Harrisonburg-based project with a similarly indescribable gender-hopping sound. Last year’s Neck Out is a beat-heavy mixtape from outer space, moving from jazz to ambient techno to bedroom-pop and boom-bap beats all in the space of a single song. What form this will take onstage is certainly open to question, but it’s sure to be captivating. Gardener, the solo project of experimental musician Dash Lewis, and Donnie Dale, a moody electronic project with a great deal of soul, will open things up. Get there.

Thursday, June 13, 9 PM
Florida Man, Prayer Group, Copperhead @ Wonderland – $10
We all know about Florida Man — the descriptor generally attached to a person in the news who has done something totally insane and often hilarious. From throwing an alligator through a drive-thru window to wearing a “Fuck The Police” shirt to court, Florida Man is always up to something. It’s that zany anti-social spirit that the band Florida Man — who actually come from South Carolina — conjure up on their latest LP, Tropical Depression.

While it’s easy to come up with adjectives to describe this band’s music — loud, fast, intense — it’s much harder to slot it into a pre-existing genre. Maybe it’s punk, maybe it’s metal, maybe it’s noise-rock or grunge… the truth is, it’s probably a little bit of all those, along with quite a few more. But it’s sure to get you moving and rock you hard when Florida Man rolls into Shockoe Bottom’s punkest club, Wonderland, and that’s what really counts, isn’t it? (Yes.) Florida Man will be joined by Richmond noise-metallers Prayer Group and Copperhead to make this a truly powerful bill that you won’t want to miss out on.

Friday, June 14, 9 PM
Ohbliv, DJ Harrison, Nat Digga, Floppy Sisk @ The Dark Room – $10
Forget what you’ve heard about love and money — beats make the world go round. How would you get out of bed in the morning, or walk down the street to your job, without a good beat? When the world is difficult, beats keep your head up and help you to move ahead. And that’s why, after a long hard week, you just might need a good healthy serving of beats. Never fear, because that’s what you’re going to get at The Dark Room Friday night. Four talented producers at the top of their class both in this city and in the world as a whole will drop a series of deep, hard, head-nodding beats upon you, and you will enjoy every second of it.

The big name here is, of course, Ohbliv, who followed up his immortalization in a Nils Westergard mural with two full-length albums of stone-cold classics so far this year — Soulphonic in January, and Give Thanks last month. An artist this prolific is sure to have some surprises up his sleeve — don’t miss out. He’s joined by the equally formidable DJ Harrison, who in addition to his plentiful work with a variety of jazz ensembles around town, is always giving us beats to move to, most recently with last winter’s IndieGiver. Nat Digga (I see what you did there), formerly known around town as Sound Genesius, remains a mysterious and powerful beatmaker who is decidedly underrated by the city at large. Floppy Sisk, the production alter ego of local jazz musician Griffin Sisk, starts the whole thing up. Come to the Dark Room and let the vibes overtake you.

Saturday, June 15, 6 PM
The Dangerous Summer, Have Mercy, Modern Chemistry, Black Liver @ The Canal Club – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Summer can indeed be dangerous — last summer, Maryland emo band The Dangerous Summer ended a tour by having all of their equipment stolen from their van. But they didn’t let it slow them down; they just made a video about it and carried on. Then they headed home, put together their next album, and got ready to tour again. The group’s fifth album, Mother Nature, comes out this Friday — coincidentally, the day before they come to Richmond and rock the Canal Club. And if you’re as big a fan of moving, powerful, melodic rock music (think Manchester Orchestra) as I am, then you’re definitely going to want to be there.

Fellow Marylanders Have Mercy have a new album coming this summer too — it’s called The Love Life and will be out in August. For now, only one song has been released, but “Clair” shows that the emotionally powerful lyrics and sure-footed melodies of their 2017 comeback, Make The Best Of It, have held true, and that the reconstituted group (only frontman Brian Swindle remains from the lineup that made their first two albums) is moving forward stronger than ever. Either one of these bands on their own would certainly reach must-see levels, but this double-shot of emo power? Absolutely unmissable. Plan accordingly.

Sunday, June 16, 9 PM
Omen Stones, Crystal Spiders, CB/BJ @ Bandito’s – Free!
These days we talk about a ton of different genres that make the Richmond music scene as powerful and outstanding as it is, from jazz and hip hop to indie and Americana. But the genre that first put Richmond on the map is definitely metal, and in 2019, the city’s metal scene remains as rich (no pun intended) as ever. Case in point: Omen Stones, a new trio of Richmond heavy hitters who’ve come together to crank out some powerful grooves in predictably mindblowing fashion.

Omen Stones brings together Tommy Hamilton (Druglord), Erik Larson (Avail/Alabama Thunderpussy), and Ed Fierro (Desert Altar/Tel) into a unit that’s even greater than the sum of its parts. On their recent self-titled EP, this group crafts its formidable stoner-metal lineage into a collection of memorable anthems that forgo doom-metal’s sludgy tempos in favor of some serious Camaro-rattling riffage. Fans of Red Fang, Kyuss, and yes, any of these talented musicians’ former groups certainly need to be on the lookout. And what better place to do it than Bandito’s, where the admission is always free, the sound is always great, and the nachos are always delicious? I sure can’t think of any. Enjoy sets from NC fuzz-jammers Crystal Spiders and local riff titans CB/BJ in the bargain — you won’t regret a second of it.

Monday, June 17, 9 PM
Overo, Ostraca, Eliza Battle @ Cary Street Cafe – $10
It’s always fun to see completely unexpected sounds invade the hippie sanctum that is Cary Street Cafe. No offense to the Deadheads amongst you, but if you ask me, variety, not cannabis, is definitely the spice of life. So shake it up this Monday night, and check out Overo, a new emo-core outfit hailing from Houston, TX, and featuring former members of Football, etc and Perfect Future. No American football-themed song titles this time around (more’s the pity), but the group’s two-song debut single show them moving smoothly and nimbly between driving screamo crescendos and gorgeous melodies. This is definitely a band to watch in 2019, and you can start doing so in just a few short days.

They’ll be joined by Richmond’s foremost practicioners of gloomy metallic screamo, Ostraca — who, coincidentally enough, also feature former members of Perfect Future. Having brought us three full-length albums in the past four years, Ostraca is on a prolific pace, but their music has remained top-notch throughout, and chances are they’ll blow you away with at least one or two new songs at this show. Dark hardcore up-and-comers Eliza Battle will kick this one off with some powerful fury to get you in the mood. Every minute of this will rule — even if none of these bands have dancing-bear stickers on their amps.

Tuesday, June 18, 7:30 PM
Todd Rundgren @ The National – $25 – $43 (order tickets HERE)
For at least half a century now, Todd Rundgren has been one of pop music’s most aggressively original talents. And even now, at 70 years of age, he shows no signs of slowing down. His most recent album, 2017’s White Knight, focused on the sort of electro-synth stylings that are much more common to artists half a century younger than he is, and brought in a variety of celebrity guest vocalists, including everyone from Trent Reznor to Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen to Swedish pop legend Robyn.

But there’s far more than Rundgren’s latest album to recommend seeing him live. His back catalog includes everything from his classic 1972 pop breakthrough, Something/Anything?, to his decade fronting prog-rockers Utopia, to his mid-90s “interactive albums,” which still stand as unique and unreplicated experiments in the possibilities inherent in digital music. While Rundgren has rarely been at the top of the pop charts, he’s built up a strong and loyal cult over his 50-plus year career. Come to the National this Tuesday night and find out why. Expect to have your mind blown in the bargain.

Elsewhere Around the State:

Thursday, June 13, 6 PM
New Boss, The Zolephants, Woodsy Pride @ The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative – $?
Back when I was in high school and lived in the country outside Charlottesville, I knew what was going on with the music scene in that city. But I graduated and left the area over 25 years ago, so my recent attempts to catch up with things in my former sorta-hometown have been quite illuminating. One fascinating discovery has been New Boss, the local headliners atop this particular bill. On their most recent release, 2018 EP No Breeze, I hear a technicolor spectrum of psychedelic pop, one that pulls from sources like XTC, Guided By Voices, and Of Montreal, as well as the members’ own history in the DIY music scene. It’s a fascinating sound, one that is certainly worth delving more deeply into.

We’ll all get that chance this Thursday night, as New Boss share the bill with some upstate friends with a similar delightfully off-kilter musical vision. The Zolephants are tough to pin down, though it’s certainly fair to point to a fair bit of surf guitar in their mostly-instrumental soundscapes. But The Zolephants aren’t just a post-Y2K take on Man or Astro-Man? — their use of analog synths bring quite a few unusual sounds into the mix, and make the whole thing a lot more fun. They’re accompanied on their trip through C-Ville by Woodsy Pride, a rootsy yet experimental folk-rock project that won’t completely make sense until you hear them. So I recommend you head over to The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative and do just that.

Saturday, June 15, 8 PM
The Muckrakers, Crab Action, Savage Kenny @ The Golden Pony – $7
Here at RVA Magazine, we don’t often get the chance to engage in proper muckraking — there just isn’t too much shadowy intrigue to dig up when you’re on the arts and culture beat. However, in its own way, the arrival of punk rockers The Muckrakers at Harrisonburg’s The Golden Pony this Saturday night is a huge scoop for all of the music fans on our staff — and in our readership.

The Muckrakers originate from New York, and take the original punk rock credo of being yourself and playing the music you want to hear quite seriously. On 2018 EP The Album’s Off, their sound is fast and furious, simultaneously full of pop-punk melody and metallic hardcore intensity. The result sounds like what you’d get if Bad Religion and Iron Reagan made a record together — and if that sounds awesome to you, then you’re on our wavelength for sure. Head out to the Golden Pony this Saturday night and do some headbanging muckraking of your own. You heard it here first!

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elsewhere Around The State:

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

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

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

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

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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

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

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Topics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elsewhere around the state:

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

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

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

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

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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]

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