The NorVa

VA Shows You Must See This Week: May 15 – May 21

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 15, 2019

Topics: .gif From God, Bandito's, Bat, BATO, blessed, Blunt, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Charming Disaster, Coherence, Copperhead, Cursive, Dehd, Enforced, Fallout, Flatline, gallery 5, GosT, Hardywood, HIRS, Julie Karr, Left-Handed Smoke Shifters, MewithoutYou, NØ Man, Opin, Outer Spaces, Perturbator, Plastic Nancy, Semtex, Serqet, shows you must see, Spooky Cool, The Appleseed Cast, The Broadberry, The Camel, The NorVa, The Struts, True Body, Under Attack, Unmaker, West Beach Tavern, Witchtrial

FEATURED SHOW
Monday, May 20, 7 PM
Cursive, Mewithoutyou, The Appleseed Cast @ The Broadberry – $22 in advance/$25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This show is an absolute bonanza for people who were crazy about emo fifteen years ago. I shouldn’t even have to tell you that I’m one of those people. Back in 2004, Cursive, a band closely associated with the Omaha scene that also produced Bright Eyes, The Faint, and Saddle Creek Records, had just topped off a string of killer emotionally-driven alt-rock albums with the instant classic The Ugly Organ. MewithoutYou had just released their stunning sophomore LP, Catch Us For The Foxes, which introduced a wider audience to frontman Aaron Weiss’s strangely moving story-songs. And The Appleseed Cast had both blown everyone away and helped to push the genre forward with a trio of amazing albums: Mare Vitalis, the two-volume Low Level Owl series, and the moving, unforgettable Two Conversations.

But look — this Monday night triple-header at The Broadberry is far from a pure nostalgia act. Oh, I’m sure the groups on this bill will play some old tunes you know and love, but all of them remain active, powerful creative forces to this day. Last year, Cursive reunited with original drummer Clint Schnase after a decade, released their first album in six years, and brought in cellist Megan Seibe to recapture the sound they’d had on previous high-water marks Burst And Bloom and The Ugly Organ. Vitriola turns out to be every bit as great as those emo classics, and should be more than capable of capturing the full attention of fans who currently plan to hit the bar during the new songs. (Yo, don’t be that guy. For real.)

MewithoutYou remains a powerful creative force fifteen years later as well. On 2018’s dual releases, an LP and an EP (both untitled), Aaron Weiss engaged in matter-of-fact examination of his own struggles with mental illness and the way it mirrors the mental illness in his ancestry and that of disparate historical figures, including European royalty from centuries past. And amazingly enough, the music behind this emotional travelogue is some of the best of the band’s career thus far. Meanwhile, it’s been six years since the last full LP of Appleseed Cast material, 2013’s Illumination Ritual, but Christopher Crisci and company released a new single, “Asking The Fire For Medicine,” in January, and it apparently heralds a new LP that seems sure to follow their recent pattern of atmospheric, melodic, progressive post-hardcore. Will they bust out some other new ones at The Broadberry? The prospect alone makes this one worth the trip.

Wednesday, May 15, 8 PM
Charming Disaster, Left-Handed Smoke Shifters @ Fallout – $7 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
A simple way to describe Charming Disaster, who come to Richmond from their hometown of Brooklyn this very night, is as a gothic-folk duo. However, if such a descriptor conjures up thoughts of Comus, Current 93, or Simon Finn for you, then it’s been a bit misleading. There’s much more of the carnival folk traditions of old Europe in Charming Disaster’s music, and even as they bring a decided noir sensibility to their memorable ballads, there’s a clear sense of humor running throughout, letting you know that this, um, charming duo have a lot to offer besides pain and sadness.

Their brand new album, Spells & Rituals, doesn’t get an official release until June 7, so chances are you will not have an opportunity to pick up a copy for yourself at the show. But you will get a delightful preview of the excellent sounds on offer — just enough to whet your appetite for your very own pre-order. Opening sounds will be provided by Left-Handed Smoke Shifters, a band named after an old campfire joke and bringing together the talents of local bellydancing sensation Madame Onca and singer/vaudeville host extraordinaire Mark Slomski. It’s always nice to see what these two are up to, so don’t miss this one!

Thursday, May 16, 9 PM
BAT, Witchtrial, Under Attack @ Bandito’s – Free!
If you love metal, hardcore, and/or general headbanging madness, Bandito’s is the place you should be this Thursday night. This free show will serve as a record release party for not one, not two, but ALL THREE bands on this bill! BAT are your headliners, and it’s a fitting spot on the bill for a trio featuring current or former members of Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, and DRI. This old-school thrash band has been inducing serious fist-pumping headbanging good times around Richmond and beyond for years now, and on this night, they’re releasing their second LP, Axestacy.

Axestacy takes things to the next level for BAT; it’s full of the kind of incredible riffs and ridiculous lyrics that fans of early Exodus or Dark Angel are sure to appreciate. They’ll probably also appreciate the new LP from Witchtrial; this DC band is releasing their first full-length on VA’s own Beach Impediment Records, and have a lot of links to the world of hardcore — but the music on their self-titled LP is pure thrash. With a roaring attack sure to remind you of prime German thrash, fans of Sodom and Kreator are definitely going to want to pay attention to this one. Not to be left out, Richmond’s own Under Attack are releasing a new tape full of speedy, no-frills hardcore on the Vinyl Conflict label, and if you dig pedal-to-the-metal ‘core action, you’re gonna want a copy of this. Since this show is free, you’ll be in prime financial position to pick up releases from all three of these ragers. But wait til after the set; you don’t want your brand new records getting messed up in the pit!

Friday, May 17, 8 PM
Perturbator, GOST, True Body @ The Broadberry – $20 in advance/$25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
For those of you who were stoked to see Fallout on the list this week, only to be let down that it wasn’t an industrial show I’m sending you to there — take heart! For the industrial sound can be found in all sorts of places around town, if you know where to look. Take Perturbator’s arrival at The Broadberry this Friday night. People talk a lot with respect to Perturbator about spooky synth soundtracks to 70s and 80s Italian horror movies, and listen, there is a fair bit of that in Perturbator’s sound. But the group’s most recent LP, 2017’s New Model, is going to be even more familiar to fans of Skinny Puppy or Front 242 than it will be to fans of Goblin or Tangerine Dream.

Seriously, regardless of whatever you’ve heard thrown around about “retrosynth,” all you coldwave, postpunk, and industrial fans owe it to yourselves to listen to Perturbator. Because even if the hipsters don’t know how to contextualize this stuff, the goth kids are sure to understand. This is prime stomping-around-a-foggy-dancefloor-in-black-Docs music — black fingernails are definitely a plus. Just to further drive the point home, GOST is on this bill as well, bringing you the exact sort of industrial electro-pound that you know and crave. True Body will start the evening with some moody postpunk from right here in VA. Get the leather pants out, y’all.

Saturday, May 18, 5 PM
Spooky Cool, Outer Spaces, Opin, Julie Karr @ Hardywood – Free!
When you can give your band a name that actually describes your band, you’re really onto something good. Take Spooky Cool, for example; this Richmond band’s name may not tell you what genre they play or how many people are in the band, but it does offer you two specific bits of info: they’re spooky, and they’re cool. That’s enough to make a lot of people curious. And then when you actually hear this band’s hybrid math-prog alt-indie sound, you realize that the name hasn’t steered you wrong. There’s a definite spooky vibe to what this group is up to on their first EP, Every Thing Ever. And it’s definitely cool as hell.

Then there’s Outer Spaces, a band I’ve been excited about for quite a while now. This latest project of incredibly talented Baltimore singer-songwriter Cara Beth Satalino hasn’t released an LP since 2016’s A Shedding Snake, but is returning in a big way over the next month or so — first with a brand-new two-song EP on Saddle Creek, then with a new LP, Glazing Globe, scheduled for release next month. As a longtime fan, I couldn’t be more stoked, and the songs that have been released thus far from these two projects sound excellent, despite their genesis in anxiety, self-doubt, and the end of a long-term relationship. Hey, we’ve all been there, right? Sometimes making art is the best way out. Outer Spaces has made some great music in the past, and there’s no reason to think that’ll change now. Do yourself a favor and go see both of these groups. After all, the price is right.

Sunday, May 19, 7 PM
HIRS, Coherence, NØ MAN, .gif From God @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance/$12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
The most confrontational queer grindcore band ever finally comes to Richmond and I for one couldn’t be more stoked. HIRS grabbed some relatively mainstream attention in 2018 with the release of Friends, Lovers, Favorites, their first full-length of new material — relatively speaking, that is; its 20 songs still blow by in under 15 minutes. They’ve hardly rested on their laurels since then, cranking out several EPs in the past year or so, as well as a split LP of Nirvana covers with celebrated New Orleans sludge masters Thou.

When HIRS arrive in Richmond, you can expect the confrontational spirit embodied in past EP titles like Trans Girl Takeover, You Can’t Kill Us, and How To Stop Street Harassment, as well as the harsh, raging grind sound of their breakthrough LP, to hit you like a ton of bricks. It won’t just be lightspeed velocity, either — this group knows how to bring the most headcrushingly powerful of breakdowns as well. Basically, this is the heaviest band you’ll see in Richmond anytime this year, and you’re going to thoroughly enjoy having your head knocked off by them. Trust me.

Monday, May 20, 7 PM
Dehd, Blunt, Plastic Nancy @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 (order tickets HERE)
A few years ago, that whole droney jangly post-Velvet Underground sound was in the ascent in the indie world, and I was digging it. More recently, it seems like everyone’s on that synthesized bedroom-pop tip, which I guess is also cool, but I’m glad to see Dehd out here proving that the jangle-drone sound is not, um, dead. This Chicago band’s new LP, Water, shows that there are many possibilities for musical greatness embedded within the basic no-frills rock n’ roll package. By channeling VU and The Cramps through a more modern sound that reminds me of Parquet Courts, Beach Fossils, and the like, Dehd has created some serious gold soundz. Yes, with a Z.

Dehd will be joined on this bill by a couple of RVA newcomers with a lot to offer. Blunt takes a sludgy approach to dark garage punk sounds, while Plastic Nancy cranks out some psychedelic punk rock fun. This whole show is gonna rock like crazy, and in 2019, that can’t always be guaranteed. Treasure it when you find it.

Tuesday, May 21, 7 PM
Blessed, Unmaker, Serqet @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Some serious goth vibes going on around Richmond this week, although this Tuesday night show at The Camel only bears a passing resemblance to the other two shows this week that have led me to use that term. Specifically, Blessed play a gloomy, metallic form of postpunk that veers from morose to anxious on their debut LP, Salt, released earlier this spring. The results this Vancouver band are able to generate are transfixing in the extreme, and their reputation for live greatness only makes this show at The Camel feel that much more of an essential part of your midweek.

The fact that Richmond’s own Unmaker are on the bill as well only makes this an even more essential evening of sounds. This group shows off their more intense version of goth-metal awesomeness on debut full-length Firmament, an album that’s turned a lot of heads locally and nationally since its release six months ago. Mixing this powerful blend of Killing Joke-style rage with Blessed’s more deliberate approach will make for a heady musical brew, and adding the gothic peace-punk vibes of Serqet to the mixture is only going to take things to an even higher level. Get on board with this one.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Thursday, May 16, 7:30 PM
The Struts @ The NorVA – $22.50 in advance/$25.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
The Struts are one of the more fascinating discoveries the mainstream rock world has yielded in recent years. This British band has a fashion sense that seems equally derived from Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, and the Sex Pistols, but musically, they land somewhere in the area of a 21st-century update on Queen. This group clearly comes from a modern time in which the backlash against the 80s hair-metal era has faded from youthful memory; rather than playing their glammed-out, swaggering rock n’ roll for over-the-top laughs the way The Darkness did, The Struts are 100 percent serious about their desire for world domination.

Which might be totally obnoxious if they didn’t have the songs to pull it off. Singles like “Could’ve Been Me,” “Kiss This,” and their collaboration with Kesha, “Body Talks,” are proven arena-rock anthems, and they’re sure to get the NorVA popping on Thursday night. Once you’ve seen The Struts blow the roof off the joint, all your doubts will be cleared away, leaving only the desire to rock! The Struts will definitely help you with that, though after the night that awaits you, you may feel the need to call in to work Friday morning. But hey, why not? That’s the rock n’ roll thing to do.

Sunday, May 19, 6 PM
Enforced, Copperhead, Flatline, Semtex, Bato @ West Beach Tavern – $10
I love the way a lot of tough-guy hardcore is metal as fuck these days. I mean, granted, I still don’t like to get up front at the shows (who enjoys having to keep your back to the band just so you can dodge flying fists and feet?), but the music sure is a lot better when I go to them, and that makes us middle-aged ladies standing in the back of the room real happy. Enforced have shown their crossover-thrash chops off both on tape and in the live environment for a while now, and with their At The Walls LP soon to drop, they’re about to take it to the next level. Get on board now.

Both Richmond’s own Enforced and fellow RVA thrash-masters Copperhead will be heading down to VB for this end-of-weekend rager at West Beach Tavern, and both will bring the sort of aggressive hardcore attack that, if you close your eyes (or even if you keep them open, considering how many longhairs there are in hardcore bands these days) you’ll likely mistake for straight-up metal. Which rules. They’ll be joined on this bill by three Hampton Roads-based ensembles; Flatline and Semtex bring a more straightforward Agnostic Front/Negative Approach-style HC attack, while Bato verge on fastcore with their speedy beats and energetic sound. The pit should be going hard from beginning to end at this one; I’ll be sure to stand back.

—-

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: March 27 – April 2

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 27, 2019

Topics: Aenimus, Ashland Theatre, Bennett Wales & The Relief, Bob Miller, Camp Howard, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Colin Phils, Curtana, Danet Jackson, DBUK, EU, Ex Hex, Fleshgod Apocalypse, gallery 5, Go-go, Gutted Christ, Hunter Rhodes, Hypocrisy, Jawbreaker, JC Kuhl, Junkyard Band, Kenneka Cook, Landon Elliott, LAVA, Mas Y Mas, Milk, missangelbird, Moaning, Modern Color, No Sun, Norman Westberg, Old Gun Road, Pohgoh, Positive No, Ramblin' Ron Talman, Recluse Raccoon, Seraph, Shormey, shows you must see, shy low, Standards, Starcoast, The Brecker Brothers, The Camel, The Canal Club, The Dark Room, The National, The NorVa, Tmobyle, Toast, Trouble Funk, Two Cars, W I S H, War On Women

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, March 29, 6:30 PM
A Tribute To The Brecker Brothers, feat. JC Kuhl & Bob Miller @ Ashland Theatre – $12-25 (order tickets HERE)
The Ashland Theatre’s only been doing shows for about a month now, and already they’ve become a venue to watch. No doubt this has something to do with the Broadberry Entertainment Group, whose bookings around the city are consistently some of the most interesting and cool live shows on any given week. And for this show, at least, it also has to do with Richmond’s jazz scene, which is always doing something new and creative in the live performance arena.

This time around, Ashland Theatre and Broadberry Entertainment Group will be presenting an evening in tribute to the Brecker Brothers. Now, that name may not jump right out at you, but I can guarantee you’ve heard their work. The brothers — Randy, who played trumpet, and Michael, who played saxophone — contributed their talents to all sorts of classic 70s albums, from George Clinton to Todd Rundgren to Frank Zappa to Eric Clapton. They also had a duo of their own, which was a primary exponent of that jazz/funk fusion sound that the 70s so generously gave to us, before pushing things farther with their landmark 1978 album, Heavy Metal Be-Bop, on which they ran their horns through guitar amps and distortion effects.

You’ll never see the Brecker Brothers themselves; Michael passed away a decade ago. But this weekend, you can see the next best thing — a full-band tribute to the Brecker Brothers, featuring JC Kuhl (of Agents of Good Roots and local jazz scene fame) playing the role of Michael, while Bob Miller (of Richmond’s salsa legends, Bio Ritmo) in the role of Randy. Backing them up will be a stacked lineup of Virginia talent, including members of Butcher Brown, the Spacebomb house band, and more! Get ready for some skunk funk, because these musicians are going to keep the music going all night at a venue that’s rapidly becoming an essential Central VA spot for live music.

Wednesday, March 27, 8 PM
Modern Color, No Sun, W I S H, Two Cars @ The Dark Room – $5
It’s a shoegaze paradise at The Hof’s Dark Room tonight. The Underexposed series, of which this show is a part, is designed to bring us sounds from bands we might not have heard much about, and while that might lead you to expect Richmond-based bands, tonight the big surprises are going to come from out-of-towners. Modern Color is at the top of the bill; they hail from SoCal and bring us a melodic yet driving take on a loud-guitar alt-rock sound that’s honestly way too clear to be shoegaze — but someone will call them that anyway, so it may as well be me, right?

One thing is for sure where Modern Color is concerned: they use their loud guitars to the fullest, evoking their beachfront hometown environs while still bringing plentiful energy. No Sun, who ironically come from the sunbaked state of Utah, generate the sort of fuzzy clang you’d be more likely to expect from a shoegaze band, and they embrace it fully, calling to mind 90s UK legends like Swervedriver or My Bloody Valentine. Getting this touring duo from a $5 local midweek show is one of the subtle treats this city loves to grace us with. And rest assured, the sets from local openers W I S H and Two Cars will be another. This one is well worth your cash, so pony up and get down to the Hof tonight.

Thursday, March 28, 8 PM
Shy Low, Standards, Colin Phils, Curtana @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Math-rock, post-rock, indie — whatever you want to call it, one thing is certain: there’s a lot of this kind of thing happening around Richmond lately. And it’s definitely a good thing, especially since it seems to have resulted in a recent rejuvenation of Shy Low, the long-running four-piece who’ve long evoked Mogwai and Mono with their epic, intense instrumentals. It has still been a few years since their last release, but… perhaps that will change soon? We can hope. In the meantime, there have been several opportunities to see them live lately — this is just the latest.

And as if availing yourself of that opportunity isn’t enough of a reason to hit the Camel this Thursday night, Shy Low will be accompanied on this bill by Standards, an outstanding LA duo who are on tour behind their freshly-released EP, Friends. For fans of instrumental guitar pyrotechnics, this record will be an embarrassment of riches, as Marcos Mena’s fingertap gymnastics impress on a whole other level. You’re sure to find yourself staring at his fretboard at some point during Standards’ set, wondering how the man can possibly do all that with only ten fingers. He does, though, and you’re going to want to see it happen live and in the flesh. Opening sets by the always-reliable Colin Phils and dazzling local prog-rockers Curtana only sweeten the pot.

Friday, March 29, 6 PM
Hypocrisy, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Aenimus, Seraph, Gutted Christ @ The Canal Club – $20 in advance/$22 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Oh wow. The fact that this tour is named after the legendary long-running compilation series, Death… Is Just The Beginning, definitely brings back memories for a true 90s metalhead like me. Nuclear Blast Records have been putting these comps out every few years for three decades now, and headliners Hypocrisy have been around for about as long. This killer Swedish death metal band hasn’t released an album in six years, but between their rock-solid track record and the fact that 2013’s End Of Disclosure was a sure-fire winner from beginning to end, headbangers can certainly take heart — this set is guaranteed to rule.

Even cooler is the fact that Hypocrisy’s co-headlining this tour with another Euro death metal sensation — Fleshgod Apocalypse. These Italians have always had a symphonic edge to their sound, even integrating operatic vocals on occasion for peak melodrama. However, they’ve always known how to keep it heavy and give us the killer riffs in abundance, and even after a significant lineup shakeup a couple years ago, the first single from upcoming fifth album Veleno shows they’ve still got the juice. So head out to the Canal Club this Friday night, and wear your best studded gauntlets, because this one is going to be tough as nails.

Saturday, March 30, 7 PM
Kings & Queens Of Go-Go Tour, feat. EU, Trouble Funk, Junkyard Band @ The National – $25 in advance/$35 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Do you like to get down? Do you like to get funky? Do you like to DROP THE BOMB? If so, you’re in luck, because this Saturday night sees three of the brightest stars of DC’s legendary go-go scene visiting Richmond to tear the roof off the National — and you’re gonna want to be there. Go-go is a highly regional scene centered around Washington, DC — for most of its history, it was only truly popular in the DMV area. However, it had a big moment in the 80s; while go-go has its roots in funk, it’s a particularly rhythmic, percussion-heavy strain, and that appealed strongly to early hip hop fans.

EU (short for Experience Unlimited) had one of the most popular go-go hits ever with “Da Butt,” a sexually charged party-starter from the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s School Daze. It was so popular, I once saw a guy in a Scooby-Doo costume dance to it in a make-your-own-video booth at King’s Dominion (#onlytrue80skidswillunderstand). Meanwhile, Trouble Funk’s 1982 single, “Pump Me Up,” was a huge club hit — especially in DC, where at the height of their fame, they co-headlined shows with hardcore pioneers Minor Threat. Meanwhile, onetime Def Jam recording artists The Junkyard Band can be seen performing their signature song, “Sardines,” in the Run-DMC movie, Tougher Than Leather. And we get all three of these groups on the same stage, for $25? This is the deal of the decade, folks — don’t miss out. And wear your dancing shoes, because your feet will be moving.

Sunday, March 31, 7 PM
Milk, Missangelbird, Danet Jackson @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$6 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s not often that a piece of music manages to take me by surprise, so when it happens, it’s certainly worth noting. Milk’s 2017 LP, Horsetown Threshold, does exactly that, not only over the course of the album but even in a single song. The first track, a beautiful acoustic ballad called “Too High To Drive,” is occasionally interrupted by squalls of distorted heavy noise — but in a manner that is not only intentional but meshes well with the song as a whole. This is what Milk do throughout the album, really; present us with gorgeous melodies that draw from indie-folk sources, then shift into heavy moments that pulverize the listener with some prime Blue Cheer/Crazy Horse riffage.

Seeing this whole thing take place live might be a bit of a mind-bender… but who wouldn’t want that, especially on a Sunday night? Sometimes life has to throw us a few curveballs just to keep us from sleepwalking through it, and it’s much better to have those curveballs come in the form of a truly unpredictable band than in that of a car crash, right? So put down the cellphone and drive carefully to Gallery 5 this Sunday night, where Milk will proceed to blow your mind. Local openers Missangelbird and Danet Jackson will provide you with some sweet melodies of their own to prepare the way for the Boston headliners. Get there.

Monday, April 1, 7 PM
DBUK, Norman Westberg, Old Gun Road @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Denver’s DBUK were originally called Denver Broncos UK, a joke that I can appreciate as both a fan of American football and UK indie bands. Apparently the Denver Broncos football team didn’t appreciate it, though, since they’re known only by their initials now. But regardless of the name they’re going by, DBUK is definitely worth going to see. The group arises from a Denver scene known for producing dark, apocalyptic varieties of folk-Americana. DBUK features Slim Cessna’s Auto Club mastermind Slim Cessna, as well as Jay Munly, who has led various solo projects as well as taking part in Slim Cessna’s Auto Club and Scott Kelly & the Road Home.

DBUK just released their second album, Songs Nine Through Sixteen, and while it’s got less overt country and Americana influences than previous projects the members have been involved with, it maintains the deep dark mood that has always been the most compelling aspect of that whole Denver scene (which also produced Wovenhand and 16 Horsepower, among others). It’s therefore fitting that they come to Richmond in the company of Norman Westberg, who has played guitar in Swans for nearly 40 years and will be doing a solo set that, if it’s anything like the solo albums he’s released in recent years, should lean heavily on ambience and atmosphere. Local openers Old Gun Road consist of a bunch of hardcore and metal musicians playing the type of country music they loved as kids. Like everything else on this bill, that’s sure to be a treat.

Tuesday, April 2, 7 PM
Ex Hex, Moaning, Positive No @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Ex Hex were all the rage a few years back. This tough-rockin’ trio from DC made a whole lot of fans around the country with their 2014 debut album, Rips, and its Shangri-Las-meets-Runaways take on catchy garage punk. However, the group’s been quiet a while, and you couldn’t be blamed for thinking they’d dissolved after one LP, just as singer-guitarist Mary Timony’s previous project, Wild Flag, did.

Fortunately, we learned as 2019 kicked off that this was not the case after all, and Ex Hex came roaring back just last week with the release of its sophomore full-length, It’s Real. They’ve definitely grown as a band, but the elements everyone loved about their first batch of tunes are all intact here, even as they stretch out with some heavier riffs, contrasting those at other points with some introspective moments. The end result is sure to delight all previous Ex Hex fans, and might just make some new ones (assuming everyone doesn’t love this band already). They’re accompanied on their return to Richmond by Los Angeles new-romantics Moaning, as well as perennial Richmond indie-pop faves Positive No. This one is a guaranteed delight.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, March 29, 6 PM
Jawbreaker, War On Women, Pohgoh @ The NorVA – $37 in advance/$42 at the door (order tickets HERE)
All the 90s emo and pop-punk kids are sure to be freaking out over this one. Blake Schwarzenbach has done several memorable bands over the years, including Jets To Brazil and Forgetters, but none have ever captured the hearts of music fans the way his late-80s/early-90s band Jawbreaker did. For many years, even as fans clamored for Schwarzenbach to reunite with his former Jawbreaker bandmates, he swore he’d never do it. But then, in 2017, the band returned to headline Riot Fest and, improbably, kept working together, playing shows around the US and even starting work on their first album in 23 years.

They’re currently in the middle of a run down the East Coast, and this show brings them to Virginia for the first time in over two decades. They’ve even been playing some new-ish tunes (although they are really just unreleased songs from various Schwarzenbach projects over the years), and we can all look forward to the possibility of a new album on the horizon. For now, though, it’ll be enough to bop around the NorVA singing along with classics like “Save Your Generation,” “Boxcar,” “Chesterfield King,” and many more. Plus, opening sets from War On Women and Pohgoh are sure to make an amazing night even more special. Don’t miss this one.

Saturday, March 30, 5 PM
LAVA Mini-Fest, feat. Bennett Wales & The Relief, Camp Howard, Starcoast, Shormey, Mas Y Mas, Landon Elliott, Kenneka Cook, Recluse Raccoon, Ramblin’ Ron Talman, Hunter Rhodes MAGIC, Tmobyle @ Toast – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a fun way to spend your Saturday evening — by gassing up the ride, heading east down 64, and enjoying an evening mini-fest brought to you by Norfolk’s own LAVA Presents. These Norfolk promoters work with a variety of genres down in the Hampton Roads area, and they’re demonstrating that by bringing a variety of sounds from around Virginia together at Toast to get you stoked.

There are a ton of different genres on this bill, from the Southern-tinged rock n’ roll of Bennett Wales & The Relief to the cleancut indie jangle of Richmond’s own Camp Howard, from the electro-pop of Shormey to the heartland rock of Landon Elliott, plus a whole lot more. There are definitely some names that will perk up the ears of Richmond music fans (Kenneka Cook, anyone?), as well as some very interesting sidetrips, including a magic show, a pop-up record shop, and a craft market! Sounds to me like a great way to spend a Saturday night — you know what to do.

—-

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: February 27 – March 5

Marilyn Drew Necci | February 27, 2019

Topics: Alfred, American Aquarium, Ashland Theatre, Billy Capricorn, Calvin Presents, Champion RVA, Charlie's American Cafe, Chi, Commander Keen, Cruzer, Cyber Twin, Donnie Dale, Fred ARmisen, gallery 5, Gemini Love, Hardywood, Jim Shorts, Jontavious Willis, Little Vicious, Neat Sweep, Night Idea, Opal, Recluse Raccoon, Shormey, show posters, shows you must see, Sneaks, Strawberry Moon, Studio Two Three, The Ar-Kaics, The Camel, The Cowboys, The Dawn Drapes, The Mercy Alliance, The NorVa, The tin pan, Timmy The Teeth, Tmobyle, Twin Films, Ty Sorrell, Wild Rose, Young Scum

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, March 1, 7 PM
VOLUME! A Richmond Show Posters Retrospective, feat. Night Idea, Calvin Presents, Strawberry Moon, Billy Capricorn @ Gallery 5 – Free!
When we think about live music, we always think first of the incredible musicians we watch perform, and of the amazing music they make. But even though we may not always think about it, the imagery associated with musicians and their music is sometimes just as big an influence on which performers we rush out to see as the music itself. That’s why over the years, so many artists have put so much effort into crafting really incredible posters for their shows. The rockin’ performance onstage might be what gets you to stick around, but more often than any of us would like to admit, a really killer poster is a big part of what gets us in the door.

This definitely applies to Richmond, and we’ve been lucky over the years to have quite a few talented graphic artists in town turn their attentions to creating posters for gigs, with excellent results. This retrospective at Gallery 5, entitled VOLUME!, will showcase some of the best work the river city’s music scene has produced over the past several decades, from 80s punk to modern indie and hip hop. Artists include Doug Dobey, Bizhan Khodabandeh, Katie McBride, and a whole bunch more, so come see their work and immerse yourself in the artistic side of our wonderful local music scene.

Not to be outdone, there will be several excellent local musicians performing at this show as well, so you’ll be able to take breaks from looking at amazing works of art to see amazing works of music created right in front of you on the Gallery 5 stage. Local math-rock mainstays Night Idea head up this stacked bill of Richmond artists, which includes a wide variety of sounds; singer-songwriter Calvin Presents brings us jazzy soul magic, while Strawberry Moon will enrapture us all with off-kilter, minimalist pop hooks. And of course, Billy Capricorn — not to be confused with fellow locals Billy Neptune — will get the evening started with some immersive multi-layered beats. It’s a feast for your eyes and ears this First Friday, so bring your appetite.

Wednesday, February 27, 8 PM
The Cowboys, The Ar-Kaics, Wild Rose, Cruzer @ Studio Two Three – $10
The ongoing evolution of live music in Richmond takes its latest step tonight, as a full-on rock n’ roll show takes place over at Scott’s Addition’s Studio Two Three, normally a collaborative art studio. They’ll be pushing the screen-printing equipment aside tonight so we can all cut a rug, because Bloomington, IA’s The Cowboys are coming through town, supporting their fresh new album on RVA’s own Feel It Records, The Bottom Of A Rotten Flower.

For an album undeniably named after a less-than-appealing image, The Cowboys’ fourth full-length sure does a great job of bringing a smile to the listener’s face. This group has a definite punk undercurrent to their sound; raw, speedy riffage provides this record with it’s high-revving engine. But up top it’s garage-born power-pop all the way, full of killer guitar hooks and multipart vocal melodies. Is this a circle-pit record or a peppermint twist record? We won’t really know til we see what sort of fire this band has in their belly when they perform live for us all tonight — but regardless of the answer, it’s sure to be a fun time. That’s especially true with killer retro-garage ensemble The Ar-Kaics sharing the bill, not to mention C-ville rippers Wild Rose and local ragers Cruzer. Get to the gig — and wear your leather jacket, it’s cold out there.

Thursday, February 28, 8 PM
The Dawn Drapes, Cyber Twin, Recluse Raccoon @ Champion RVA – Free?
There was a time when we got shows at Champion Brewing’s RVA location almost every Thursday night. Oh, those were fun. I’m not sure what happened to that whole thing, but if this Thursday night show at Champion is any sort of sign, it seems to be a positive one — even if I totally can’t tell whether this show is free like the ones from a year or so ago were, or not. But hey, even if it costs you a few bucks, it’s worth it to get in and catch a set from The Dawn Drapes.

This indie group hails from Harrisonburg, a Virginia city far enough west of here to be in a completely different climate. Basically, if it’s under 40 degrees in Richmond, it’s a safe bet that it’s snowing in Harrisonburg. The Dawn Drapes reflect the smaller, cooler environs of their native city in their music, giving us a mellow, unhurried take on rock n’ roll music that straddles the line between chill indie and weird country. Think mid-period My Morning Jacket and you’re not too far off. Their new album, Slow Spin, is an excellent collection of material that’s emblematic of their laid-back approach, one that will have you swaying and smiling at Champion RVA on Friday night — even if you do have to pay to get in. If not, hey… that’s just more beer you can afford.

Friday, March 1, 6 PM
Shormey, Alfred, Donnie Dale, Chi @ Hardywood – Free!
There was a time when it would have been fair to assume that releases from Citrus City Records were indie in inclination, but that time’s largely gone. These days, the label has its fingers in all sorts of pies, mixing releases by local and international artists in all sorts of genres, and getting more seriously into live music promotion with the creation of their Underground Orchard promotional arm. This show ties into both of those progressions, being an Underground Orchard show celebrating a tour starring two Citrus City artists who can’t really be called “indie” by any stretch — even if Shormey has done a Mac DeMarco cover.

Shormey hails from Chesapeake, VA, and her two-song Citrus City single, Cruise!, gives off a feel-good beach-side vibe on the sunshine-disco A-side, even as the moody, minimal B-side shows her emotional depth and talented versatility. You’ll get all this and more when Shormey hits the stage to kick off her tour with Alfred. Alfred’s 2017 release, So Sensitive, featured a woozy, ambient production style and some well-constructed lyrics that were nonetheless delivered with a wobbly, sleepy drawl. Live, though, there’s a certain immediacy that will make all of this hit much harder. It’ll keep you grooving, and isn’t that what we should all be doing on a Friday night? Hey, if I’m wrong about that, I don’t want to be right.

Saturday, March 2, 6:30 PM
American Aquarium, Timmy The Teeth @ Ashland Theatre – $18 (order tickets HERE)
The arrival of the Ashland Theatre as not only a small-town movie house but an occasional venue for live performances is an auspicious one. And it’s not nearly as far out of the way as you might think; considering how congested traffic around this city is these days, a half-hour’s drive north to catch an excellent show in a really neat revived old building shouldn’t be any sort of impediment to your good time. This Saturday night is the second of two nights kicking off the Broadberry Entertainment Group’s official arrival at the Ashland Theatre, where they’ll be presenting shows on a semi-regular basis for the foreseeable future.

You really should make it up there for one of these in the near future, and as a musical introduction to this long-dormant spot, you can hardly do better than an evening with American Aquarium. This North Carolina band has been around for over a decade, but frontman BJ Barham recruited a whole new backing band a couple years ago, then released an excellent LP, Things Change, on New West last year. Songs like “Tough Folks” and “The World Is On Fire” show the masterful way Barham and co. pull from their Southern roots, country backgrounds, and rock n’ roll hearts to create an excellent mixture of Springsteen, Wilco, and the Drive-By Truckers, one that’ll hit home with anyone trying to make it in today’s hard-scrabble world. Come sing with them at the Ashland Theatre, and maybe you’ll feel a bit better about the struggles of this difficult world. If nothing else, the tunes will make you smile — and it’ll all be taking place in a beautiful environment that’s been seen too little over the last couple of decades. Let’s do it.

Sunday, March 3, 9 PM
Little Vicious, Gemini Love, Twin Films, The Mercy Alliance @ The Camel – $5 (order tickets HERE)
The trio is the ultimate expression of hard-hitting rock fury. Thus the expression “power trio” — generally defined as a group featuring one guitarist, one bassist, one drummer, all united together to demonstrate that no extra ingredients are needed to deliver full-force rock n’ roll. Little Vicious definitely puts the “power” in power trio, with singer-guitarist Marguerite King’s leather-lunged roar constituting just as much of an attention-getter as her band’s heavy-rolling tunes.

This Sunday, you’ll have the chance to get slapped in the face (metaphorically, at least) by Little Vicious’s excellent tuneage. Last fall’s self-titled release brings us songs with telltale names like “Whiskey Overhead” and “Choke,” all of which you’ll be able to appreciate at full volume when they take the stage at The Camel. They’ll be joined by some amazing locals as well, including Gemini Love, whose music tends more towards melody than rage, and will act as the chocolate to Little Vicious’s peanut butter at this show. Come enjoy a musical Reese’s Cup to wrap up your weekend. It’s sure to be delicious.

Monday, March 4, 9 PM
Young Scum, Jim Shorts, Commander Keen, Neat Sweep @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
As a podcast nerd of the first order, I was delighted to see Young Scum show up on KEXP’s Song Of The Day podcast recently. It seems the rest of the world is finally discovering what we’ve known in RVA for years — that when you’re looking for tuneful indie sounds with an undercurrent of melancholy and a million-dollar pop sense, you really can’t do better than Richmond’s own ironically-named quartet.

I say ironic because, for a band with the word “scum” in their name, Young Scum have some beautiful tunes. This makes them a good match on multiple levels for Maryland’s Jim Shorts, whose name reminds you of a perennially-sweaty article of clothing even as their riffy indie sounds summon up some 90s alt-rock memories. They’ve got a slight bit more crunch than Young Scum, which provides a pleasant contrast and just makes their music sound that much better together. Tennessee’s Commander Keen offer yet another flavor for this show’s tasty mix with their driving take on melodic punk, which should certainly appeal to fans of Superchunk, among many other bands. Local openers Neat Sweep get this whole thing started with some killer grunge-punk to get you bouncing. This one’s gonna be a blast.

Tuesday, March 5, 8 PM
Jontavious Willis (Photo by Jamaine Campbell) @ The Tin Pan – $20 (order tickets HERE)
I know for a lot of people, the idea of blues conjures up dim memories of loud guitars and pounding backbeats working through a 12-bar progression with plenty of stank on it — and don’t get me wrong, that kind of stuff is awesome. But I’ve always been the kind of crate-digger who finds the most resonance in the rural acoustic origins of the blues, the sounds created by African-American residents of the Mississippi Delta region and preserved for the modern ages on scratchy 78s.

It seems Jontavious Willis also gets a lot out of those early acoustic sounds — he’s only 22, but he’s gained accolades from blues legends like Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’. There’s also a pretty incredible video on YouTube in which he collaborates with Richmond’s own blues harp master Andrew Alli. His unadorned, acoustic take on the blues is deep, powerful, and a lot of fun — every bit as enjoyable as the work of the masters he’s been inspired by. He’s releasing a new album, Spectacular Class, in April, but before that happens, you can go see him right here in Richmond at the Tin Pan, and get an early taste. This may be the only chance we get to see him in such an intimate environment, so take it — you’re not going to regret it.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Thursday, February 28, 8 PM
Fred Armisen @ The NorVA – $29.50 in advance/$33 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Most likely, you know Fred Armisen’s name from his sketch comedy work on shows like Portlandia and Saturday Night Live. And who can blame you? He’s pretty memorable as a comedic performer. But Fred Armisen’s first role in the performing world was as a drummer, playing in groups like Trenchmouth and, um, the Blue Man Group (god, remember them? The 90s were weird).

In his recent stand-up work, Armisen has combined both of these career paths by creating comedy for musicians. His 2018 Netflix special, Standup For Drummers, focused on jokes that related to being the drummer in a band, or being another band member dealing with a drummer. On his current Comedy For Musicians But Everyone Is Welcome tour, he’s expanded his repertoire to talk about other types of musicians you might deal with when playing music professionally, as well as breaking down different genres that he’s got issues with. All of it is fuel for maximum hilarity, and whether you’re an actual musician or just a nerd who goes to a lot of shows, chances are you’re going to find this evening with Armisen at the NorVA quite amusing.

Saturday, March 2, 8 PM
Sneaks, Opal, Ty Sorrell, Tmobyle @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $10 in advance/$13 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Sneaks is a band name, and a pretty great one at that, but in reality it acts as a project name for a single musician, Eva Moolchan, who creates the music of Sneaks using only a bass, minimal beats, and her voice. Early material earned quite a few comparisons to postpunk minimalists Young Marble Giants, and the resemblance is certainly there. However, on the newest Sneaks full-length, Highway Hypnosis, there’s a much stronger dance-music influence that takes its tunes farther into minimal-electronic realms than they’ve ever occupied before.

This is a good thing. Sneaks’s music has always had the tendency to get your feet moving, and a greater focus on the danceable aspects has only improved the tunes she creates. What’s more, it makes for a different vibe in live performances — one you’ll experience up close and personal at Charlie’s American Cafe this Saturday. It’s only appropriate that she’s joined on this bill by multiple Tidewater-area hip hop artists, including Opal and Ty Sorrell. Both of them will bring the hard beats and killer flows. Tmobyle will start the evening off with a DJ set performed on a cell phone, which is apparently frowned upon in some circles. To me, it just sounds like the parties my old roommates used to throw — which were always dope. So yes, you should show up on time.

—-

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: February 13 – February 19

Marilyn Drew Necci | February 13, 2019

Topics: Accident Prone, Anna Connolly, Armani White, Autopsy Affair, Azotador, Black Naked Wings, Black Plastic, Buddy, Butt, Cane Corso, Cardinal, Champion RVA, Charlie's American Cafe, Colin Phils, Comrades, Dens, Eaves, Enforced, gallery 5, Ghouli, Hybrid Warfare, Just Die!, McCormack's, Midlife Pilot, Mission Community Church, Mojo's, OGD, Old Wounds, Perpetual Warfare, Prisoner, Real Daggers, Rebekah Rafferty and The Wakes, Sect, shows you must see, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Steady Sounds, The Camel, The National, The NorVa, Vain/Void, Valley Queen, VInce Staples

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, February 16, 8 PM
Sister Radio Fundraiser, feat. Black Plastic, BUTT, Black Naked Wings, Real Daggers @ Gallery 5 – $7 – 10 donation at the door
It’s often said in this day and age — the radio sucks. It’s such a known fact that I recently saw an entire documentary about it. But even if you haven’t read deeply into it, you know why: corporate control. Suppression of diversity. Commercials over everything. And in the face of all those depressing 21st-century realities, our own listener-supported low-power station, WRIR, is a breath of fresh air from an industry that seems to be on its last gasp.

WRIR isn’t just a conduit for the vanishingly-rare phenomenon known as “great radio,” either — it is often the basis for unique and incredible projects put together by the many volunteers that make it such an awesome station. The latest project coming out of the WRIR world is called Sister Radio, a documentary intended to, um, document the ongoing collaboration between WRIR and Radio Sikoro, which is based in one of Richmond’s sister cities, Segou, Mali. The program, also called Sister Radio, is helping to teach Malian women how to produce radio broadcasts, in order to increase female participation in Malian radio. In Mali, radio is still pretty essential to communication of news and culture, and the stations involved feel that helping ensure the presence of women on Malian radio, where they are currently almost completely shut out, would represent an essential step towards decreasing the patriarchal nature of Mali’s society.

This Saturday night at Gallery 5, they’ll be throwing a killer show at Gallery 5 to help raise funds for this project. It’ll also be a party to greet filmmakers Cameron Robinson and Andee Arches as they return from two weeks of filming in Mali, so expect things to get loud! At this point I have almost no space to tell you about the actual bands playing, but with local up-and-comers like Black Plastic and BUTT on the bill, as well as the always-entertaining Black Naked Wings and Toxic Moxie side project Real Daggers, you can expect the kind of outstanding musical entertainment that Richmond’s music scene is always good for. And you can support a very good cause while you’re at it! What could be better?

Wednesday, February 13, 6:30 PM
St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Valley Queen @ The National – $28 in advance/$33 at the door (order tickets HERE)
St. Paul & The Broken Bones are an Alabama band, but in a lot of ways, their music speaks to the Richmonder’s soul. At a time when our state is grappling with some awful issues relating to the legacy and present-day reality of individual and institutionalized racism, it can be jarring to realize how many of us hold liberal values that are sharply in conflict with those who surround us. This same sort of struggle drives the music and lyrics of St. Paul & The Broken Bones, who released their third album, Young Sick Camellia, last fall.

On this album, singer Paul Janeway reckons very directly with his complicated and difficult family history. And musically, the group takes that conflict as a spur towards the best and most interesting music they’ve made thus far. This group may have started out as a raw retro-soul project, owing an obvious debt to the Southern soul sounds that sprang from its home region decades ago, but these days they’ve left some of the rawness behind, instead delving into lusher Philly-soul sounds as well as straight-up modern R&B touches. The result is their most excellent music yet, and considering the always-powerful live sound they built their name on, the combination should be downright explosive when they take the stage at the National tonight. You should be there.

Thursday, February 14, 8 PM
Colin Phils, Cardinal, Midlife Pilot, Rebekah Rafferty and the Wakes @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There’s been a renaissance in indie-style math-rock around Richmond over the past few years, and I for one have enjoyed the heck out of it. That’s why Colin Phils originally got my attention; they showed up in town a couple of years ago, straight from Korea, and began working with groups I already loved, most notably their split-partners Houdan The Mystic. But these days, Colin Phils (whose name I finally realized, after way too long, is a play on Phil Collins) stand out to me as an excellent band in their own right, regardless of who they pal around with. Catching them live is sure to show you exactly why.

And they’re not the only standout band this event has to offer for your listening enjoyment, either. Cardinal might be a new name for Richmond’s indie music fans, but if I tell you they grew out of Majjin Boo, who had some pretty excellent math-indie demos of their own a couple years back, you’re sure to catch on. I was a huge fan of those Majjin Boo demos, but the sole single the group has released since changing their name and lineup and re-emerging as Cardinal blows me away significantly more than any of their prior material, and makes me really excited for what is to come from this quintet. Get your first taste at the Camel Thursday night, and enjoy rad sounds from local faves Midlife Pilot and Rebekah Rafferty and The Wakes while you’re at it!

Friday, February 15, 6 PM
Anna Connolly @ Steady Sounds – Free!
Steady Sounds doesn’t host live performances that often, but when they do, I pay attention. One of several outstanding record stores in town, Steady Sounds is run by people with impeccable taste; most of the time, when they bring in an artist to perform, it’s someone I already know and love. In this case, they’ll be hosting a performer whose work was previously unfamiliar to me, but as always in those cases, Anna Connolly turns out to be someone not only me but everyone in this town should be following.

For a rock critic like me, it’s easy to get hung up on the fact that Connolly has connections to DC postpunk luminaries like Joe Lally, Devin Ocampo, and Eddie Janney, all of whom played on her debut album, After Thoughts. However, many of the songs on her album find Connolly playing mostly on her own, and it’s her voice, her guitar, her cutting lyrics and sharp songwriting, that make Connolly’s music so breathtaking and memorable. I can’t be sure of what lineup she’ll be performing at Steady Sounds with, but even if it’s just her and an acoustic guitar (and it very well might be), you should still be there, listening and paying attention. There’s a lot to value in Anna Connolly’s music. Don’t miss it.

Saturday, February 16, 9 PM
Enforced, Prisoner, Cane Corso, Old Gods Defied @ Champion RVA – Free!
Since Strange Matter went away, I’ve found myself feeling a bit headbang-deficient. There just aren’t as many heavy-as-fuck shows happening around town lately, it seems. Thankfully, two months into the world after Strange Matter, it seems like things are starting to pick up. And can you blame me if I go a little overboard in celebration? Welcome to headbanging weekend. Y’all knew it was bound to happen.

Saturday night finds a crew of outstandingly hard and heavy locals taking the stage over at Champion RVA to pummel you with extremely hard-hitting low-end. Enforced are at the top of the bill, straddling the line between raw, crusty biker-core and outright mosh with aplomb. Whether you’re wearing a sleeveless denim jacket with a Slayer backpatch or a navy blue Champion hoodie, you’re gonna get stoked when this band hits the stage. Prisoner’s been the crew of choice for dirthead thrashers for quite a while now, and this show will prove that not a damn thing has changed on that score. Cane Corso and Old Gods Defied are local newcomers featuring a whole bunch of proven local talents you’re sure to recognize once you hit the stage. You’ll recognize the power of their riffs, too. Get stoked.

Sunday, February 17, 8 PM
Sect, Just Die!, Hybrid Warfare, Ghouli @ Mojo’s – $10
More heaviness on tap for ya, this time over at Mojo’s — and I can see the hands of some former Strange Matter lynchpins in the way the facebook event page is written, so we’ve got that going for us, which is nice. (Yes I do recognize different promoters around town by the way they write their facebook event page descriptions. I’ve been doing this column for quite a while now.) There are a lot of things I could tell you about headliners Sect to try and communicate exactly why you should be as stoked as I am about this band’s return to RVA. But if you’re a true fan of heavy hardcore, all I should need to say to you is: Chris Colohan sings for them.

That’s right, Chris Colohan, legendary vocalist for essential 90s and 00s metallic hardcore bands like Left For Dead, The Swarm, Cursed, Burning Love, and a whole bunch more. Crazily enough, he’s joined up with members of quite a few other legendary hardcore bands for this (it must be said) supergroup, including Earth Crisis, Undying, Day Of Suffering, and Racetraitor. So can it be any surprise that their most recent LP, No Cure For Death, is absolutely headcrushing in its storming rage? Nope. It can’t. So show up, and go off, for the almighty Sect. But don’t miss the openers either, as the excellent Asheville crew Just Die! have some New Mexican Disaster Squad-style melodic/metallic HC-punk to lay you out with, and local openers Hybrid Warfare and Ghouli are solid as bricks to your face.

Monday, February 18, 8 PM
Azotador, Perpetual Warfare @ McCormack’s – $8
I love Between 2 Beers, because they bring amazing metal bands to this town on a consistent basis, sometimes from far-flung parts of the globe. I must admit, though, when they book a show like this, with two bands from South America and no locals on the bill, I always get nervous. Is anyone gonna come without the security of their cousin’s friend’s thrash band being on the gig? Right now, all I know is that B2B is hoping to add two locals to this one… but it’s less than a week away, so whether that will manage to happen very much remains to be seen.

But look — I don’t care. Even if this show turns out to be a two-band bill featuring only Azotador and Perpetual Warfare, you need to be there. Bolivian thrash crew Azotador have speed and flashy guitar heroics on their side, as ably proven on most recent EP Enganche Al Grinche. They also have an unexpectedly strong melodic sense that often makes their tunes catchy as fuck, even as they remain 1000% headbang-worthy. Then there’s Colombia’s Perpetual Warfare, who have a razor-sharp guitar sound and a full-on thrash/crossover attack that brings wonderful memories of Fabulous Disaster-era Exodus into my mind. Latest LP Earthliens (a portmanteau of “earthlings” and “aliens,” I’m guessing — love it) is an absolute riff monster, and both of these bands are bound to tear the roof off McCormack’s and enliven a dead Monday night. So don’t spend it sitting on your couch watching reruns of Cops, OK?

Tuesday, February 19, 7 PM
Comrades, Dens, Eaves @ Mission Community Church – $5
When, in the course of writing this column, I bust out the word “peripatetic,” it tends to be in reference to musicians like Gull or Lobo Marino, who travel to exotic locales and use what they find there to inform and influence their music. But it could just as easily be applied to Comrades, a Richmond trio who’ve been plying their intriguing take on post-rock-influenced metalcore around the country for over a decade now. They’ve pretty much stayed on tour for most of the past decade, meaning that, for a local band, they play here in RVA quite rarely. Therefore, I’m always on the lookout for a chance to see them rock their hometown.

This week, the chance comes in the form of a Tuesday night show in a church basement — staple venues for suburban hardcore for decades now (since even I was a young whippersnapper). Comrades have long avoided Richmond’s traditional music venues, and while that might make it harder to get word of their rare local performances, I’ve told you about this one now, so you have no excuse. Their combination of wistful melody, epic song structures, and roaring metallic rage is not something you’re going to encounter anywhere else, so do yourself a favor and get to the gig already. You can thank me later.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, February 15, 7 PM
Old Wounds, Vain//Void, Accident Prone, Autopsy Affair @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Old Wounds are back in action, and I for one am stoked. This metalcore group first landed on my radar with landmark debut LP From Where We Came Is Where We’ll Rest. Since those days, everyone from the original trio that made that LP has left the group at one point or another, but singer Kevin Iavaroni returned to the fold last year, just in time to helm the group’s incredible third album, Glow. Based on the evidence the album provides, no matter who is backing him, this group has the goods.

Iavaroni has been a flashpoint for controversy in the more blinkered metal circles; his open gender non-conformity and his band’s defiant pro-LGBTQ stance (Old Wounds has often performed with Pride flags draped over their amps) have pissed off some overly macho types in the heavy music world. Is it any surprise that a queer woman like myself loves them? It’s even less of a surprise when you listen to their music. Glow finds the group dipping further into musical influences from sassy, noisy groups like Glassjaw as well as some Sisters Of Mercy-ish goth tinges, all of which is to the good. However, crushing brutality is still the main ingredient for their excellent music; they’ll bring it straight to you at Charlie’s American Cafe Friday night — and look damn good while doing so, too. Be there.

Monday, February 18, 7 :30 PM
Vince Staples, Buddy, Armani White @ The NorVA – $25 in advance/$30 at the door (order tickets HERE)
You Norfolk hip hop heads are in for a treat — Vince Staples is coming to your town. I wish I could say the same for my own hometown, but as it is, those of us from Richmond are going to have to content ourselves with gassing up the ride and heading east on I-64 on a Monday night. At least we know it’ll be worth it. Staples has been one of the premier talents to come out of the hip hop world this decade; starting with his landmark 2015 debut, Summertime ’06, he’s been making some of the best music in the genre.

The past year saw Staples release his third LP, FM!, and show us once more the talent he’s got on offer. This one’s a short one, based around the concept of Staples taking over LA radio DJ Big Boy’s show to drop some killer tunes. Songs like “FUN!” and “Feels Like Summer” show Staples lyrical talents, versatile flow, and masterful choice of producers, and when stacked alongside classic earlier tracks like “Big Fish” and “Norf Norf,” they prove that this is an artist whose every move should be tracked closely by any true hip hop fan. And that’s why everyone should be at The NorVA this Monday night to see Vince Staples — no matter what part of VA you’ve gotta come from. Don’t blow it, y’all.

—-

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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

Marilyn Drew Necci | January 2, 2019

Topics: 3:33, Apricity, Big Bobby & The Nightcaps, Buzzard Dust, Calvin Presents, Champion RVA, Doll Baby, Elevation27, Et Mor, Fallout, gallery 5, Garden Grove Brewing, Having Keepsake, Haybaby, Hot Pink Satan, Humungus, Kenneka Cook, Lady Moon & the Eclipse, Lake Street Dive, Mdou Moctar, Mekong Xpress & The Get Fresh Horns, Mikaela Davis, Night Idea, Nuclear Tomb, President Sam, shows you must see, Silver Age, Solemn Shapes, The Camel, The Canal Club, The Candy Snatchers, The Nerve Scheme, The NorVa, Thirst For The Sea, Two Cars, Unturned, W I S H

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

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

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

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

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

—-

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 26, 2018

Topics: Against The Grain, Amara, Ancient Torture Techniques, Bandito's, Berkowitz, Big B, Big Fundamental, Chance Fischer, Charlie's American Cafe, Coffee Black, Dazeases, Deathbirds Surf Club, Delicate Whip, Dr. Millionaire, gallery 5, Garden Grove Brewing, Ghost Piss, gwar, Hallelujah, Illa Styles, JR Wolf, June Elizabeth, Kendall Street Company, Kyle The Ghost, Mitchell Evan, MSD, Nervous System, Piranha Rama, Pistol Sister, Plastic Nancy, Rebekah Rafferty and The Wakes, shows you must see, Stonecutters, The Broadberry, The Camel, The Dirty Grass Players, The NorVa, The Vegabonds, Thorp Jenson, Tyler Meacham, Tyrone Leake Jr, Yung Sums

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

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

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

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

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

—-

Top Photo by Alyk Visions

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond