The NorVa

VA Shows You Must See This Week: September 11 – September 17

Marilyn Drew Necci | September 11, 2019

Topics: Antonio Garcia, Arrival Of Autumn, Bandito's, BigDumbBaby, Black Iris, Blackliq, Brian Jones, Cary Street Cafe, Charlie's American Cafe, Colleen Thorburn, Coy Pond, D R O N E S, Druglord, Finding Verona, Flaural, gallery 5, Grebes, Hand Out, Incite, John Cage, Justin Alexander, Justin McConchie, Killroy G, Long Division, Max Gowan, Midlife Pilot, militia, Moons, Muscle Worship, Nicomo, Pinson Chanselle, prison, PT Burnem, Reggie Pace, RIsing Revolution, Scaphe, Scott Burton, Serial Hawk, shows you must see, Soulfly, Sun Against Artemis, Suzi Fischer, Swordplay, The Appleseed Cast, The Camel, The Dark Room, The NorVa, Tony Martucci, Triptides, Unearth, W I S H, WE Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, Wonderland, Zach Ware

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, September 15, 7 PM
Swordplay, PT Burnem, Blackliq, Killroy G, D R O N E S @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s always nice when a prodigal Richmond musician returns home, and that’s what’ll be happening at Gallery 5 this Sunday as Swordplay hits Richmond once again to celebrate the release of his latest album, Paperwork. The rapper who last made a mark on the Richmond scene with his 2013 LP Tap Water has been living on the West Coast for over four years now, and he returns to Richmond having received a law degree from Berkeley. Not bad, right?

While Paperwork isn’t technically Swordplay’s first release in six years — a reissue of a 2009 CD-R release (remember those?) called Malista came out on cassette (we would have said “remember those?” about cassettes in 2009) earlier this year on MilledPavement Records — it is the first real new material from Swordplay in over half a decade, and shows quite a bit of growth since Tap Water, even as it retains all the qualities that made previous Swordplay albums so great: forthright emotion, complex and irreverent wordplay, acoustic and melodic touches mixing with pounding boom-bap beats to keep you dancing.

It’s always nice to see what’s been up with someone we haven’t been in touch with for a while. On Paperwork, Swordplay makes clear that he’s still doing well. And for his release party at Gallery 5, he’ll be gathering together a whole bunch of old friends to remind us all what we’ve been missing. He’s joined by some frequent collaborators, including the illustrious and always furiously political PT Burnem and the introspective and talented producer Erik Akers, aka D R O N E S. Sets from veteran Richmond emcee Blackliq and recent up-and-comer Killroy G will round out this bill with some serious rhyme fire. Get ready.

Wednesday, September 11, 8 PM
John Cage’s Musicircus, curated by Brian Jones, Justin Alexander, Antonio Garcia; feat. Suzi Fischer, Pinson Chanselle, Scott Burton, Reggie Pace, Zach Ware, Justin McConchie, Colleen Thorburn, Tony Martucci @ WE Singleton Center For The Performing Arts – Free!
It’s the middle of the week and we could all use something different. But over at VCU’s WE Singleton Center For The Performing Arts, some music-department faculty are getting together with a bunch of notable Richmond musicians to find out just how different things can get. Tonight they’ll all be gathering to perform John Cage’s Musicircus, one of many conceptual pieces created by 20th century experimental composer John Cage, who is most famous for “4’33” (yeah, the totally silent song).

This Cage piece is not silent at all, but instead described as a situation in which any number of musicians are gathered together in the same place at the same time and instructed to play whatever they want, without regard to what anyone else is playing, for at least an hour. If you’re imagining a wall of absolute noise chaos, you’re on the right track — but the whole reason Cage came up with the idea was to get people to look beyond the wall of noise and find the interesting juxtapositions that exist within. With members of the Spacebomb house band, No BS! Brass Band, Luray, The Big Payback, Agents Of Good Roots, and many more talented local musicians involved in this particular performance, potential is high for some amazing sounds to come out of it. Listen closely.

Thursday, September 12, 8 PM
Hand Out, W I S H, Midlife Pilot @ Bandito’s – Free!
Going to free shows is never a bad idea — even if you’ve never heard the bands involved. Take this one, for example — before I checked out the event page for this free show at Bandito’s, I had no idea who Hand Out are. Now that I’m familiar with this New Orleans-based melodic punk quartet, I’m giving this show highest marks. Hand Out’s 2018 EP, Blood & Water, was already pretty great, and they took things to an even higher level of excellence on their split EP with Ghostpool, released earlier this year.

Having spent some time with Hand Out’s ringing guitars, excellent vocal harmonies, and driving tempos, I’d say that they’d be worth paying a significant sum to see live. But hey, at Bandito’s this Thursday, you get to see them for free! You’d be a fool to turn that deal down, especially with local shoegazers W I S H and catchy Richmond pop-punkers Midlife Pilot on the bill as well. Plus — like I’m always telling you with Bandito’s shows — you can use the money you would have spent on admission to buy a big delicious plate of nachos. There’s nothing not awesome about that.

Friday, September 13, 7 PM
Max Gowan, Coy Pond, BigDumbBaby @ Black Iris – $5-10 suggested donation
The experimental sounds that were a regular occurrence at Black Iris a year or so ago have mostly died away or found other places to land, but this Friday night event shows that this gallery hasn’t entirely turned away from live performance — always a nice thing to learn in a city where finding a place to catch live music can sometimes be a challenge. What’s really nice is the sounds Black Iris is bringing us this Friday, mainly from DC songwriter Max Gowan.

Gowan sometimes performs under the name Max Gowan And The, which should tell you a little bit about how he operates. Bygones, the LP he released earlier this year, is full of quietly beautiful acoustic pop tunes that sound like they were recorded in a very private ad-hoc space (a bedroom, perhaps?), but glow with perfect melodies that shine in the slightly experimental context in which they exist. This sort of music may experience an interesting transition into the live environment; indeed, this may be the sort of show that everyone will get the most out of if everyone is very very quiet. But that doesn’t mean you should skip it — quite the contrary. Gowan has a lot to offer, and the fact that you might have to listen closely only makes the eventual payoff that much more rewarding.

Saturday, September 14, 9 PM
Grebes, Nicomo, Moons @ The Dark Room – $5
I haven’t heard much about Richmond-based singer-songwriter project Grebes, and apparently I’ve been missing out. A solo creation from Jacob Ungerleider, who previously played in Natalie Prass’s backing band, Grebes is a keyboard-driven powerhouse of quietly soulful indie pop sounds. They demonstrate their facility with that style on debut LP House Creature, which was released earlier this year, and if you dig the idea of The Beatles jamming with Marvin Gaye in the wee small hours of the morning, you’re going to want to dig into this one.

You’re also going to want to come check out New York trio Nicomo, the Nico Osborne-led trio who just released their latest EP, Views, last month. Its six songs showcase Osborne’s songwriting prowess, and the group’s charming folkish sound, which also mixes in unusual instruments and field recordings to add a bit more texture — though who knows how such things will come off in the live environment. Regardless, it should be lovely. Richmond-based opener Moons will add some texture to the evening with some Hendrix-inspired psych-rock jams to get your night started right.

Sunday, September 15, 9 PM
Serial Hawk, Druglord, Scaphe @ Wonderland – $10
This show is for all you intellectual post-metallers who enjoy slow-motion headbangs but get more stoked when you’re afforded an opportunity for contemplation of sheer riff majesty. Serial Hawk, an epic quartet who mix Isis-style moments of mood with brutal slow-motion pound and outright noise like Windhand jamming with Neurosis, are sure to please your ears when they pound hairline cracks into the Shockoe Bottom sidewalks outside Wonderland this Sunday night.

On tour behind their brand new double LP, Static Apnea, Serial Hawk are bringing an intriguingly complex and less-than-predictable approach to the intersection of two genres — post-metal and doom — which in 2019 can both feel very played out in less capable hands. Serial Hawk will remind you of why you loved all this music in the first place, and they’ll do so while blowing your mind (and your eardrums). They’ll be joined in this by Minnesota ragers Scaphe, who up the tempo and the noise for their complex and scathing two-piece approach. Richmond stoner heroes Druglord will kick the evening off with a set of hazy proto-metal dirges sure to put you in the proper mood for an evening of powerful noise.

Monday, September 16, 9 PM
Triptides, Flaural @ Cary Street Cafe – $10
A name like Triptides might lead you to expect some pretty straightforward jam-band action, but this California crew who are pulling into Richmond for the very first time are much more complicated than all that. Rather than dipping into the Deadhead sound that constitutes the usual brew for everyone’s favorite hippie hangout, Cary Street Cafe, this group takes a left turn into technicolor psychedelic pop.

On latest LP Visitors, Triptides bust out a powerful sound that harks back to some of the best acid trips pressed to vinyl over the past half-century — Innerspeaker, Incense & Peppermints, Skylarking, Magical Mystery Tour, and more all shine through the sounds dished out by this excellent group of psychedelic rangers. Denver’s Flaural are also on the bill, and bring a similarly acid-soaked psychedelic pop style into play; though they may be a bit more grounded in melody, their sound constitutes the perfect pairing with Triptides’ glorious musical space travels. Catch both of them this Monday night, and take a trip into the center of your mind.

Tuesday, September 17, 7:30 PM
Rising Revolution, Finding Verona, Sun Against Artemis, Militia @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
OK, this is going to be a lot of fun — especially since I didn’t think this kind of thing happened anymore. By “this kind of thing,” I mean random shows bringing together a variety of surprisingly young rock bands from the outer edges of the Richmond suburbs — which are very far out indeed in 2019. Rising Revolution headline this show, and this symphonic power metal group have an entire fictional backstory built up around their band which sounds straight out of Blade Runner, or maybe a Coheed And Cambria record.

Rising Revolution are serious about their symphonic chops, leaning into the sort of operatic vocals and baroque guitar leads that make bands like Dragonforce so entertaining. Meanwhile, Flaming Verona, who hail from out Louisa way and are one of two bands on this show whose only internet presence is an Instagram account (#generationz), are going for more of a Killswitch Engage/All That Remains metalcore-with-emphasis-on-metal thing. Sun Against Artemis have a 70s proto-metal thing going on that makes me think of Deep Purple crossed with first-LP Heart, and Militia are clearly going for some 80s thrash sounds. But what really makes all of them interesting is how young and fresh-faced they are — if most of these bands are too young to drive, I wouldn’t be surprised. How wild is that? The kids are still out there doing it. Get down with it.

Elsewhere Around the State:

Saturday, September 14, 7:30 PM
The Appleseed Cast, Muscle Worship, Long Division @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $15 (order tickets HERE)
The Appleseed Cast have been one of the longer-lived midwestern emo bands to come out of the late 90s emo scene that also produced bands like Braid, American Football, and The Jazz June. They also have managed to stay relatively consistent across a 20-year history that’s seen them endure quite a few lineup changes. At this point, singer-guitarist Christopher Crisci is the only original member that remains, but as the band has always been fueled by his creative choices, that’s not a bad thing.

This summer saw The Appleseed Cast release their eighth album and first in six years, The Fleeting Light Of Impermanence. And if you loved their atmospheric, progressive take on an emo sound that often strayed well into post-rock territory, it’s sure to make you smile just as much as previous efforts have. Crisci’s vocals retain the power to evoke both vulnerability and extreme beauty, and the soaring guitar melodies and powerful drumming only underscore the fact that The Appleseed Cast are still at the top of their game after two decades. How amazing is that going to be in the live setting? It’s certainly worth quite a bit more than the admission price you’ll pay to find out.

Monday, September 16, 5:30 PM
Soulfly, Unearth, Incite, Prison, Arrival Of Autumn @ The NorVA – $21.50 in advance/$25 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Back when Max Cavalera left Sepultura at the height of their fame to form Soulfly, it seemed like the legendarily riff-obsessed guitarist may have screwed up. Now, 20 years later, it’s clear that Cavalera’s choice just managed to create two great brutal thrash bands out of what had been only one. Which is a pretty excellent result, if you think about it. On 2018’s Ritual, the 11th Soulfly album, Cavalera and his crew of metal ragers — which currently includes his son Zyon on drums — show that they can still crank out powerful riffs with a strong Brazilian tribal influence and some serious groove power, just as they always have.

Long-running Boston metalcore rippers Unearth are also on this bill, and have quite a strong track record in their own right. Seventh album Extinction(s), released late last year, shows that Unearth have remained consistently talented at both metal shredding and serious mosh brutality. They’re sure to get the pit raging at the NorVA once they hit the stage. In addition to these two legends of metal rage, this bill also features a few talented members of the younger generation, most notably Phoenix metalcore headbangers Incite. Floridian relative newcomers Prison and Canada thrashers Arrival Of Autumn round out a bill full of serious metal. Get ready.

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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: August 28 – September 3

Marilyn Drew Necci | August 28, 2019

Topics: Appalling, Battlemaster, Bean Weatherford, Bryan Fountain, Court Street Company, Croy & The Boys, Danet Jackson, Daniel Clark, Dave Brockie, deathcrown, Deau Eyes, Dominy, Enhailer, Fruit & Flowers, Fuzzy Cactus, Gene Loves Jezebel, Gutterance, gwar, GWARbar, Habibi, Hewolf, Hot Coffee, LAVA, Leya, LIZA, Logan Vath, Modern English, Museum District, Occultist, Pet Name, Pip The Pansy, Piranha Rama, RAWG, Righter, Serqet, Shockoe Denim, shows you must see, Silence In The Snow, Super Doppler, The Alarm, The Camel, The Dark Room, The Day Of The Beast, The Gilberts, The Heart Stompers, The NorVa, Thief, Thieves Of Shiloh, Toast, Vomit Stain, Wonderland

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, August 31, 1 PM
Brockie Birthday Bash, feat. RAWG, Battlemaster, Occultist, Hewolf, Enhailer @ GWARBar – Free!
It can be a sad thing, to gather in celebration of a dead person’s birthday. However, Dave Brockie was never the sort of person to dwell on sadness, so when GWAR gathers the bohabs together this weekend in celebration of their late, lamented leader, it’s sure to be a party regardless. Things really kick off the day before this show, when the new monument to Brockie’s memory will be unveiled in Hollywood Cemetery. But then on Saturday afternoon, the parking lot of GWARBar will be transformed into a raging outdoor rock-a-thon to commemorate what would have been Brockie’s 56th birthday.

And what a rager it will be! GWAR themselves won’t be performing, but RAWG — their alter-ego from the days when Richmond had a ban against GWAR shows within the city limits — will headline this event, bringing you all the goofily hilarious thrash-metal power of a typical GWAR show… only without the costumes. It’ll be a headbanging good time regardless — after all, these guys have got some great tunes!

They’ve also got some great friends with excellent bands, and a lovely selection of Richmond metal tunesmiths will be taking the stage in support of the GWAR… er, RAWG headlining set on this lovely Saturday afternoon. Battlemaster’s swords n’ sorcery thrash metal is on the menu, as is Occultist’s blackened death rage, finally back to full-time activity after a few years of woodshedding. Hewolf sees the return to action of several longtime Richmond metal veterans from bands like Iron Reagan, Darkest Hour, Alabama Thunderpussy, and HRM, who bring us some groovy headbanging grunge-metal stomp. And Ohio’s Enhailer bring their mostly instrumental doom-sludge to town to liven things up. It’s gonna be an afternoon of amazingness, so don’t miss a moment of the happenings at GWARBar!

Wednesday, August 28, 9 PM
Silence In The Snow, Thief, Serqet @ Wonderland – $10
Here’s an evening of music that’s sure to bring some relief to all you gothic post-punkers currently wilting and melting away in the oppressive heat of Richmond’s scorching, sticky summer. Silence In The Snow brings an icy, fog-enshrouded sound from their home in the SF bay area to RVA tonight. On new LP Levitation Chamber, frontwoman Cyn M. picks out harsh, cold melodies on her electric guitar, while bearing a striking vocal resemblance to Siouxsie Sioux circa 1985.

The whole thing adds up to a spiky gothic postpunk sound that’s sure to thrill all the black-enshrouded night children who wait until darkness has fallen before they venture out of their air-conditioned chambers. Such habitues of the shadows are sure to also be intrigued by LA’s Thief, who bring a spooky electronic sound and a strong influence from sacred chants and medieval hymns to their postmodern gothic sound. And of course, Richmond’s own Serqet is in the house to provide a dose of their always-on-time anarcho-postpunk sound. When the sun goes down, head to Wonderland tonight — you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Thursday, August 29, 7 PM
Habibi, Fruit & Flowers, LIZA @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$13 day of show (order tickets HERE)
New York’s a multicultural place, and the melting pot culture it creates is clear in the music of Habibi. Reflecting the members’ Middle Eastern and Latin American heritage, this NYC group focuses on psychedelic garage pop from a variety of different traditions. On latest EP Cardamom Garden, they use layered vocal harmonies, hazy guitar textures, and rock n’ roll backbeats to create a sound that’s simultaneously reminiscent of The Byrds, The White Stripes, and Brazilian psych group Os Mutantes. The EP even includes a cover of 60s proto-punk classic “Green Fuz,” sung in Farsi — making that Middle Eastern influence that much clearer.

Habibi are joined on this trip to RVA by fellow New Yorkers Fruit & Flowers, who have a more American-oriented garage-punk bounce that’s shown off to excellent effect on their 2017 EP, Drug Tax. Like Habibi, this quartet will get you dancing around, but they’ve got a decidedly more uptempo approach that’ll keep your feet moving double-time throughout their set. This three-band lineup will be rounded out with a set by Richmond locals LIZA, who will bring a live, full-band expansion to the psychedelic bedroom pop tunes of singer-songwriter Liza Grishaeva. It’ll be a great way to start out an evening of delicious psych-pop excellence.

Friday, August 30, 9 PM
Deathcrown, Appalling, The Day Of The Beast, Gutterance @ Wonderland – $10
Death metal still rules. We all know it, even if we don’t always talk about it. But on a Friday night like this one, it becomes clear that the best way to spend our live music dollar is to head to Shockoe Bottom and let almighty death metal roll overtop of us in its own inimitable way. That’s the opportunity that Wonderland is offering us with this tour-kickoff show for Deathcrown and Appalling, a couple of the heaviest death metal bands currently active in this town.

Deathcrown’s been dishing out that raging sound that’s sure to appeal to fans of bands that came out of Florida in the 90s — think Morbid Angel, or Death themselves — for a while now, most recently on their 2018 split LP with Ribspreader, Comorbid Diagnosis. Meanwhile, Appalling take a more Scandinavian approach to raging speed on their recently-released LP, Inverted Realm, evoking the harsh snarling rage that you At The Gates fans can never get enough of. Virginia Beach rippers The Day Of The Beast will augment all this heavy-as-fuck pummelling with some furious death metal noise of their own, while King George-based newcomers Gutterance will get things kicked off in proper fashion. Come ready for serious headbangs — because you’re going to get them.

Saturday, August 31, 9 PM
Museum District, Hot Coffee @ The Dark Room – $5
When Saturday night comes around, it’s time to dance, and this weekend, The Dark Room has you covered, presenting a set by Museum District. Not actually a performance by an entire neighborhood (which was called “the Upper Fan” when I was living up there in the 90s, grumble grumble, I’m an old person who hates change), but instead a duo made up of two talented RVA musicians with credentials of their own. Jame Moorfield has been producing dancefloor bangers on his own around town for years now, while Anneliese is a fixture on the local music scene due both to her longtime membership in The Folly and her solo work.

When the two combine their talents, though, magic happens, and on recent EPs like Hairdown and I Like It, Museum District has unleashed some powerful disco-house grooves with strong diva-style vocal melodies and thrilling musical crescendoes. They’ll fill The Dark Room at The Hof with some powerful booty-shaking anthems this Saturday night, and you’ll want to save some energy throughout the day so you’re prepared to dance the night away with them. DC producer Hot Coffee will be warming up the joint with a set of his own, but Museum District is what this evening’s all about.

Sunday, September 1, 7 :30 PM
Leya, Thieves Of Shiloh @ Shockoe Denim – $10
If you’re a fan of musical experimentation, you’re definitely going to want to end your weekend at Shockoe Denim this weekend, regardless of who makes your pants. On this Sunday evening, Little Dumbo is bringing Leya to town, and this New York duo combines instruments with centuries of history into sounds that are unlike any you’ve heard before. Leya brings together harpist Marilu Donovan (Eartheater) and violinist Adam Markiewicz (PC Worship) in pursuit of a sound that has nothing to do with the classical music fields in which these instruments are normally deployed.

On their 2018 album The Fool, Leya run their instruments and their voices through a variety of effects and use unorthodox tunings to create otherworldly sounds that would be completely at home on the soundtrack to a horror movie, but also manage to evoke an atmospheric beauty. It’s the kind of thing that fans of Philip Glass or Diamanda Galas might tap into, but for most will take some getting used to. It’s worth the effort, though — this evening of unusual sounds is sure to be rewarding for all in attendance. Leya will be joined by local sound experimentalists Thieves Of Shiloh on this bill — news that’s sure to make attendees of Cheap Fest in years past very happy.

Monday, September 2, 8 PM
Danet Jackson, Bryan Fountain, The Gilberts @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Band names are getting weirder and weirder, y’all, and Danet Jackson might just be the weirdest one I’ve heard yet. That said, if you’re expecting a combination of The Dan Band and the lady who sang “Rhythm Nation” from this Richmond group, you may or may not be let down, as this group fronted by local singer-songwriter Dan Jackson (the name makes a little more sense now — but only a little) dishes out some shambolic bedroom indie-pop in a manner that evokes both Wavves and Washed Out. Or maybe that’s just me.

Either way, on recent LP Planet Danet, this group is better than you’d ever expect them to be based on the name. Give them a listen. And expect things to get even weirder when fellow Richmonder Bryan Fountain takes the stage, bringing a memorable form of psych-damaged hip hop that, at least to me, sounds like Lil Ugly Mane at times, Lil Uzi Vert at others. The man can definitely rhyme, but if you ask me, the weirdness is the best part. The stumbling, jangly punk-pop of The Gilberts rounds out this fun evening of Labor Day musical madness. Get with it.

Tuesday, September 3, 9 PM
Croy & The Boys, Bean Weatherford @ Fuzzy Cactus – $8
Fuzzy Cactus just opened a couple weeks ago, but they’re already integrating themselves into the Richmond live music scene, and that’s certainly a wonderful thing. This Tuesday night show is billed as “Totally Pauly Tuesdays,” and is apparently themed around which bartender is behind the bar, but as far as I’m concerned, the main reason you want to be at this show is because Austin, Texas’s Croy & The Boys are playing it. This quintet brings classic country, Western swing, and Tejano-style bounce to their classic Lone Star sound, but it’s frontman and chief songwriter Corey Baum’s wry, tongue-in-cheek approach that really makes them stand out.

On new LP Howdy High-Rise, fun songs like “A Song To Play The Next Time That I Meet Your Mother” and “For The First Time I’m Starting To Think About My Age” alternate with humorously-delivered but sincere laments about income inequality and working-class struggles that any Richmonder without a $75k a year Capital One job is sure to relate to. Singing along with “I’m Broke” by Croy & The Boys might not make you any richer, but it’ll bring a smile to your face this Tuesday night, and with the rent coming due any day now, that’s something we could all use.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Saturday, August 31, 4 PM
LAVA Mini-Fest, feat. Super Doppler, Piranha Rama, Court Street Company, The Heart Stompers, Dominy, Pet Name, Righter, Daniel Clark, Logan Vath, Deau Eyes, Pip The Pansy @ Toast – $12 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
We’ve definitely got a big afternoon outdoor fest of our own happening here in Richmond this weekend, but if you’re not feeling like an afternoon of metal, you certainly can’t go wrong heading down 64 E to join our indie-rock pals from Norfolk-based LAVA, who are throwing a one-day fest of their own at Norfolk’s own Toast this Saturday evening. It’s jam-packed with talent, too, and topping the bill is Super Doppler, whose Beatlesque psychedelic pop sound has been a Tidewater treat for years now. They’re about to release their self-titled debut album, and this show will mark the official release celebration, so get ready to party with them!

But there’s a lot more happening at this party, so you’ll want to show up early and plan to stay all night. RVA’s own Piranha Rama have been making their mark in the region with their unique, multi-layered indie-psych sound over the past year or two, and if you haven’t gotten down with that yet, the time has definitely come. There’s plenty more to enjoy on this bill as well, from Norfolk alt-country veterans The Heart Stompers to Atlanta pop goddess Pip The Pansy and even a solo set from Richmond’s own Deau Eyes. There’s even more than that, but we frankly don’t have the space to go through it all — you’re just going to have to show up and find out for yourself. Trust us, it’s worth the trip.

Sunday, September 1, 7:30 PM
The Alarm, Modern English, Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel @ The NorVA – $25 in advance/$30 at the door (order tickets HERE)
The UK punk explosion of the late 70s affected a lot of musicians, and in the next few years, the punk-influenced musicians of the British Isles went in a variety of different directions, from the noisy, ferocious hardcore of Discharge to the experimental weirdness of Flux Of Pink Indians. Welsh group The Alarm represent yet another branch on that post-punk evolutionary tree, having landed on an acoustically-fueled anthemic sound with a ringing, emotional power that retained all of the furious defiance of the classic first-wave punk bands. On 1984 debut Declaration, the band staked out a sound somewhere between U2, The Pogues, and The Clash at their arena-filling height.

35 years later, The Alarm is still marching on, and despite only retaining original singer Mike Peters throughout their career, the group currently features former members of Gen X and Joe Strummer’s Mescaleros, so the fact that their 17th album, Sigma, released earlier this year, still shows plenty of their arena-filling anthemic power only makes sense. They come to The NorVA this weekend in the company of two other 80s UK post-punk powerhouses — Modern English, about whom I need only say four words: “I Melt With You”; and Gene Loves Jezebel, best remembered for their late 80s gothic glam-rock smash, “Jealous.” If you loved the big anthemic sound of the 80s New Wave, this is your night.

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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 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.

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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: 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.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: 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.

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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.

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Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond