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

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, August 25, 11 AM
Vinyl Conflict X Rest In Pieces Customer Appreciation Day, feat. BIB, Nickelus F, Nosebleed, Slump, Deviant, Sinister Purpose, Benderheads @ Vinyl Conflict/RIP parking lot (324 S. Pine St) – Free!
It happens once a year, lasts all day, and is hot as hell. Sure enough, I am talking about the Vinyl Conflict Customer Appreciation Day, a once-a-year all-day outdoor party thrown by Oregon Hill’s best punk rock record store, Vinyl Conflict. This year sees them joining forces with neighboring oddity shop Rest In Pieces to come together in their joint parking lot and have the loudest block party you’ve been to all year. It also sees us in the midst of a relatively cool August by RVA standards, so with a forecast of partly cloudy skies and a high of 82 degrees, you may not have to worry as much about overheating as you usually do.

Not that high temperatures are ever an excuse to keep you away from this annual extravaganza. You’ll also do well to get an early start — things kick off with sidewalk sales at both shops starting at 10 AM, so show up early and hit the racks before all the good stuff gets cherry-picked. Then get ready for a nonstop thrill ride of killer music lasting until the evening hours. The bill will bring us a smorgasbord of killer punk, hardcore, and hip hop, enough to keep the mosh pit swirling all day. Plus, there’ll be food aplenty, provided by Cobra Burger and Go Go Vegan Go — so no matter your dietary requirements, you’ll be able to chow down! Stow your purchases in your car, grab some tasty treats, and get ready to mosh!

Headliners BIB will definitely get you moving — this Midwestern psychedelic sludge-core crew is apparently “egg punk” according to the internet, but don’t let memes stop you from jumping into the pit when they take the stage. They’ll rock your faces off, and so will local hip hop legend Nickelus F, who has been going higher and harder than ever in recent months, with his recent tour with Lil Ugly Mane and his incredible new album, Stuck — soon to be released on vinyl from Vinyl Conflict Records — lighting up hip hop heads from coast to coast. There’s a lot more hardcore and punk to enjoy on this bill, from the ripping rage of Nosebleed and the high-speed fury of Deviant to the rockin’ riffs of Sinister Purpose and the raw, noisy vibe of Benderheads. By 7 PM, you’re gonna be exhausted — but you’re sure to have a smile on your face.

Wednesday, August 22, 8 PM
Multicult, Heads, Hex Machine, Oozing Meat, R-Complex @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I don’t know what’s been going on with midweek shows lately, but it seems like we’re in the midst of a steady run of absolutely incredible Wednesday night bangers. Maybe it’s just that it’s the summertime, and all the bands are using their vacation time to hit the road. Whatever’s up, I certainly can’t complain, because it’s brought us a ton of incredible entertainment in the middle of the week lately. The run will continue tonight at Strange Matter with a double-headlining show by touring partners Multicult and Heads.

Multicult are from right up the road in Baltimore, and they’ll be bringing us some incredible 90s- throwback noisecore, sure to evoke positive memories of past DMV-area greats like Circus Lupus and Bluetip. Signed to Learning Curve and featuring former members of Triac and Fight Amp, this group is ready, willing, and able to prove their mettle/metal to all comers. Touring partners Heads come all the way from Berlin to deliver some similarly heavy sounds, though with a strong dose of postpunk darkness and gothic cool stirred into the mix — as displayed on their incredible new album, Collider, released earlier this year. These two excellent groups will be joined by a wealth of excellent Richmond-based acts, from the long-running noise-rock awesomeness of Hex Machine to the brilliantly fucked lo-fi grind mess of Oozing Meat and the harsh electronic fuzz of R-Complex. You’ll probably be going in late on Thursday morning, but it’ll be worth it.

Thursday, August 23, 8 PM
High Command, Left Cross, Enforced, Destruct @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s getting heavy in here. Thursday night brings us to Strange Matter once again, this time for a show presented by Terror Assault, a promotional group I’m not familiar with (though they are assuredly NOT involved with Dragon Ball Super CCG). The headliners this time around will be Massachusetts headbangers High Command, whose recent 7 inch from Haftvad Records, The Primordial Void, shows them to have some incredible thrash chops and a decidedly dark feel that goes incredibly well with their high-speed riffage. If you’re thinking Possessed, you’re on the right track.

High Command may sound like a thrash metal band straight out of the legendary Metal Massacre comps of the mid-80s, but I’m honestly not sure if they’re a metal or a hardcore band. I say this because they’re joined on this bill by three different ultra-heavy local bands, all of which are at least hardcore-adjacent. The most noteworthy of the three is, of course, Left Cross, who devastated us all late last year with the release of their excellent slab of ultra-heavy thrash, Chaos Ascension. Less established RVA groups Enforced and Destruct tread similar territory, though Enforced lands closer to a post-NYHC crossover sound that simultaneously reminds me of Judge’s Bringin’ It Down and Agnostic Front’s Cause For Alarm. Meanwhile, Destruct sound almost like the more metallic takes on D-beat issued in the early 90s by groups like Destroy and Disrupt. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether any of these bands lie on the hardcore or metal side of the fence — headbangers and circle-pit starters from all around the metropolitan area are equally likely to love every single band on this bill. Don’t sweat the genre, just throw on your denim vest and show up.

Friday, August 24, 7 PM
Boy Harsher, Void Vision, Sacramence, Child Of Night @ Gallery 5 – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s undoubtedly clear to all with a more than cursory knowledge of each shop that Vinyl Conflict has taken the lead on coordinating bands for the VCxRIP Customer Appreciation Day show discussed earlier. However, just because Rest In Pieces aren’t as directly involved in bringing music to RVA doesn’t mean that the folks at Richmond’s leading oddity shop aren’t ready, willing, and able to curate a powerful musical lineup on their own behalf. And this Customer Appreciation Day show at Gallery 5 on Friday night is Rest In Pieces’ time to shine.

I must say, though, “shine” seems like entirely the wrong word for a lineup like the one they’re bringing us. Headlining the affair is Boy Harsher, a coldwave duo with a solid grasp on the electronic sound that brings postpunk weirdos and goth rivetheads together to pogo grimly while wearing sunglasses inside at night. Their excellent Lesser Man EP can turn any bright suburban bedroom into a darkened Berlin dance floor — so imagine what they’ll be able to do with Gallery 5. Philly electro-goth group Void Vision has a similarly dark and hypnotic sound to offer, while Ohio’s Children Of Night adds a bit of a Teutonic industrial resonance to their take on the sound. Local openers Sacramence introduce a bit more of a electro-dance element to the evening, and show that the locals can bring it just as well as the out-of-town bands. This is a sound that deserves to be heard under cover of darkness — I can’t imagine any of these bands trying to perform under the Oregon Hill sun on Saturday afternoon — so be sure to start your weekend at Gallery 5 Friday night, and get the full Customer Appreciation Day experience.

Saturday, August 25, 9 PM
Trunk, Petrichor, Roy Batty @ Wonderland – $?
I love it when things work out so that I can advocate for a weekend doubleheader — a situation in which the featured show and the other show for that same day are happening at such different times that anyone could easily go to both. Such is the case with this Saturday’s festivities; the last band at Vinyl Conflict’s Customer Appreciation Day will finish hours before the first band starts up at Wonderland that night. You can totally go to both — and you should, if you have the energy. Especially since the Wonderland show will give you an opportunity to see Trunk.

Trunk are a Pennsylvania trio that calls themselves “hippie death metal” and sound more to me like the excellent early works of Eyehategod and Cavity crossed with the downcast Southern grooves of bands like Buzzoven and Sourvein. Their self-titled EP, released last fall, is a certified banger from beginning to end, and you can expect these songs to bowl you over when this band hits Wonderland’s stage. Local support comes from Petrichor and Roy Batty; the former has a sort of psychedelic doom feel, simultaneously melodic and crushing, while the latter hits you with some energetic rock n’ roll, featuring an undeniably heavy bottom end that’ll make this one a surprising hit with metalheads. Clear your schedule for this Saturday — you’ve got a lot of rocking to do.

Sunday, August 26, 7 PM
Tiny Stills, Get Married, WISH, Tyler Meacham @ The Camel – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Take heart, emo kids — Tiny Stills knows sometimes it can get difficult just to get through the day. And they’re here to help, as they demonstrate with the assured power-pop sound they deliver on latest LP Laughing Into The Void. This LA group has a definite 90s throwback feel, but that’s not to say that their sound is predictable; they’re just as likely to channel The Anniversary as they are to remind you about forgotten 90s acts like That Dog and Fuzzy. And the heartfelt delivery makes it all that much easier to connect with. As their bandcamp page says, “Even the worst days have a silver lining. You’re not alone.”

Tiny Stills are on a mission to make you smile, and on Sunday night they’ll succeed with flying colors — and so will tour partners Get Married. There’s a decidedly more punky feel to this California crew’s sound; just-released LP Songs For The Sleepless lands somewhere between early Jawbreaker and the best work by Reggie and the Full Effect. The result is a surefire dance-party starter and a blast of sunny energy that’ll keep your smile at full strength throughout their set. Local newcomers WISH will bring a dose of shoegaze to this musical evening, though their version of that rather nebulously-defined genre is closer to Hum than My Bloody Valentine (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Singer-songwriter Tyler Meacham will open up with a set of charming folk-pop songs with a strong emotional resonance that’s sure to connect with all the emo kids coming out for this one. So show up, and find a reason to smile — god knows we all need one.

Monday, August 27, 8 PM
T-Rextasy, Piranha Rama, Lawndry, Big No @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
If you’re happy after Sunday night at The Camel, rest assured Monday night at Strange Matter will NOT bring you down. Brooklyn’s T-Rextasy is coming to town, and while the title of their 2016 LP, Jurassic Punk, might make you think you’re in for some serious “chain punk” action, the truth is far less predictable — and more fun. T-Rextasy are a jangly power-pop group that embrace the link between girl groups and garage rock most strongly illustrated by the Shangri-La’s, but they add an undeniable dose of sunny melodies and tongue-in-cheek fun that’ll make their Monday night set at Strange Matter the perfect opportunity for bopping around with a big grin on your face.

And rest assured, the other bands on the bill will make you smile as well, if for no other reason than the sheer fact of their talent. Nashville’s Lawndry are the other out-of-town act playing this one, and their psychedelic folk-pop tunes show a wide scope of influences coming together in intriguing new ways; the fact that the group covered Lee Hazelwood, Scott Walker, and Animal Collective on their most recent EP certainly tells you something. Swiftly-rising local heroes Piranha Rama carry on the excellent momentum generated by last month’s self-titled debut LP, giving us another heaping helping of their twangy surf-psych-rock n’ roll melange. Meanwhile, hazy psych groove merchants Big No get things started with a big bang. This one’s gonna be a wall-to-wall delight.

Tuesday, August 28, 9 PM
Sissy Spacek, Suppression, Taciturnal @ Sediment Arts – $9
Just to get this out of the way up front: no, this show has nothing to do with actress and Virginia resident Sissy Spacek — this is another thing entirely. Sissy Spacek, the band, is made up of two members: bass player/electronic noise purveyor John Wiese (best known for his involvement in Bastard Noise) and drummer Charlie Mumma (of Sewer System, Bloody Phoenix, and at least a dozen other projects). The two have been working together for a couple of decades now, and have churned out an unbelievable 30 albums of blurry hyperspeed grind/noise violence. Their latest, Ways Of Confusion, was released last month on Nuclear War Now Records and blows through close to 40 songs in about half as many minutes. As musical extremes go, you don’t get much harsher than this.

And then there’s Suppression, another bass/drum grind project with a two-decade history. Bassist/vocalist Jason Hodges (Bermuda Triangles, Amoeba Men) and drummer Ryan Parrish (Iron Reagan, Darkest Hour) have been working together for about that long, but 2018 is nonetheless a milestone year for this duo: the year they release their first full-length LP in nearly a decade. Placebo Reality was released in May on their own label, Chaotic Noise Productions, and sees the group, which had gotten much closer to a bizarro form of noise-rock at one point, returning to their filthy, violent grindcore roots with something like 73 songs (assuming I didn’t lose count), again in about half as many minutes. These two groups are clearly made for each other. Local experimental project Taciturnal will get the harshness going with their opening set. Bring earplugs for this one.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Thursday, August 23, 6 PM
Belmont, Such Gold, Southpaw, Invaluable, Boxford @ 37th And Zen – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Remember what I said earlier about how great Wednesday nights have been for live music in RVA lately? Down in the Hampton Roads area, it seems like Thursday nights are the sure-fire winners — I’ve found myself sending y’all down 64 East on Thursday nights pretty much every week since we started doing these bonus HR picks. I’m curious to see whether the trend continues. But before I worry about all that, I’m very excited to point out that Belmont and Such Gold are hitting 37th And Zen tomorrow night, and you’d be well advised to gas up the vehicle in preparation.

This is especially true if you’re a fan of ultra-catchy, emotionally-infused pop-punk — and god, who isn’t? Belmont’s 2016 EP, Between You & Me, is a rock-solid collection of excellent tunes to get your blood flowing and your heart pumping, and their two post-EP singles, “Water Weight” and “Step Aside,” are even better. Fans of everything from Title Fight to Knuckle Puck are sure to enjoy the hell out of this band’s set. Such Gold should need very little introduction to fans of this style; after all, they’ve been plying their poppy, energetic take on that whole “easycore” microgenre of a decade or so ago since… well, a decade or so ago. Last year’s Deep In A Hole EP was their first new material in a few years, and showed that they’ve very much still got it — and believe it or not, a hint of introspective maturity creeps in there at a few points as well. Both of these bands are sure to thrill, and with Michigan’s Southpaw and locals Invaluable and Boxford opening up, this bill is sure to be a direct hit from top to bottom. Get stoked!

Saturday, August 25, 5 PM
BHRex Fest 3, feat. Ancient Torture Techniques, Bandit, Bruised Ego, Primitive Impulses, No/Mas, Constituents, Uncle Buck, Tomb Warden, War Bonds, Sex Dagger @ Charlie’s American Cafe – $10
Wow, some serious shreddage happening on Saturday night in Norfolk. Brain Hemorrhage Records, purveyors of fine grinding noise from Tidewater and beyond, are holding their third annual one-day fest at Charlie’s this Saturday night, and anyone who found the Sissy Spacek/Suppression double bill above intriguing should definitely have this show on their radar. At the top of the bill is an always-delightful battle set, in which bands set up at the same time and trade songs back and forth. In battle this evening will be Ancient Torture Techniques, who veteran followers of VA grind will remember for their split with RVA’s own Street Pizza, and current Philadelphia grind faves Bandit. This is sure to be a wall of power-violence insanity, and a treat for those who’ve missed ATT over their past few years of decreased activity.

There’s a lot more grind to find elsewhere on this bill; most noteworthy outside the battle set is sure to be a set from Primitive Impulses, a pre-Ancient Torture Techniques duo that returns for their first live performance in six years. Make sure you’re there for this one! There are a ton of other highlights that await you as well. Baltimore’s Bruised Ego will blaze through a couple dozen or so numbers in less time than you thought possible; DC’s No/Mas will deliver their dark, filthy take on crust/grind; Baltimore’s Uncle Buck have a definite Spazz resemblance that’s sure to delight the power-violence fan massive; VA Beach’s War Bonds go for some tough, old-school hardcore sounds with some surprisingly fast parts mixed in there. And there’s a whole bunch more in store for ya, all for the low low price of 10 bucks! You blastbeat freaks would really be blowing it if you missed this one.

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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.]

Top photo by Emma Penrose

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Chepang, Triac, Bandit, Hallucination Realized, Tomb Warden @ Lakeside Tavern

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I get a big kick out of seeing new venues come into play around town, especially when they are as random as this one. Lakeside Tavern? Really? It’s a surprise, I’ll admit, but I’m sure not complaining. Any random new venue around the metropolitan area that wants to open its doors to a grindcore show has certainly got a friend in me. Let’s just hope they still feel like doing so after this five-band bill blasts Lakeside with a steady diet of hyperspeed blastbeats. I know one thing for sure–those of us who enjoy being pummelled by 300-BPM blasts of brutality need to make the trip out to Lakeside, because it’s not every day that Nepalese noise merchants Chepang will roll through town.

Honestly, I never thought I’d hear about a ridiculously fast, heavy, and awesome grind band from the Himalayan mountain region, but I’m sure not complaining. This group’s brand new LP, Dadhelo: A Tale of Wildfire, absolutely shreds, blowing through 14 songs and a huge conglomeration of sick riffs in the space of about 20 minutes (and five of that is just the last song). I really want to see them recreate this feat live, and since they’re from literally the other side of the world, Saturday is probably the only chance I’ll get to do it. Let’s not miss out, y’all. Baltimore veterans Triac are also on this bill, joined by Philly ragers Bandit, Rochester rippers Hallucination Realized, and local brutarians Tomb Warden. It’s seriously gonna be a full night of blasting grind insanity, and seeing whether Lakeside can handle it will be almost as awesome as checking it out in the first place.

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/27-1/2

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday December 30 & Sunday, December 31, 8 PM
New Year’s Eve Weekend with The Southern Belles & Jackass Flats @ The Camel – Day 1: $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE); Day 2: $25 in advance/$30 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s still the holiday season, y’all–and let me tell you, it’s a little frustrating that the world still expects me to work right in the middle of the 12 days of Christmas like this. We should all take heart, though, because while last weekend was consumed by Christmas–a lovely holiday, to be sure, as long as you aren’t hoping for live music to be happening–this weekend is New Year’s Eve weekend. That means there’ll be so many amazing shows, parties, and fun activities happening this weekend, it’ll totally make up for how bored you were sitting on your parents’ couch last Saturday night, watching Fox News because your dad wouldn’t let you change the channel.

There are a ton of excellent shows out there to choose from on this lovely holiday weekend, but for our money the one you can least afford to miss is actually not one but two shows! This Saturday and Sunday night, peripatetic psychedelic rockers The Southern Belles will join up with their rootsy-Americana pals Jackass Flats to stage a two-day takeover of The Camel. And if you’re thinking this’ll just be a typical jam-band party full of Dead covers and hippie-ish pseudo-country folk jams, you clearly haven’t been keeping up with what The Southern Belles have been up to lately.

For evidence of just how excellent this band has gotten, you need look no further than their recent LP, In The Middle Of The Night, which dropped back in August. As psychedelic musical headtrips go, this one is way more Pink Floyd than Grateful Dead. While I can certainly hear some elements of Phish in their music, it’s the more organized, tuneful end of that band’s sound–and let’s be real, Phish aren’t nearly as good at actual songwriting as these guys are. They’ll spend the evening regaling you with lengthy trips through the musical astral plane. Jackass Flats will warm up on both nights, giving you a standout take on the old-time country-folk that can at times be the bane of the jam-band scene–though not when these guys are onstage. Hint: if you’re trying to pinch pennies, show up the first night, when admission is less than half what it’ll be on actual New Year’s Eve. Once you’ve seen how far out these bands can take it, the higher night 2 door price will still seem like a bargain.

Wednesday, December 27, 8 PM
People’s Blues Of Richmond, Of Good Nature, The Trillions @ The Broadberry – $13 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s always a good time to catch a show from People’s Blues of Richmond, but anyone who’s been following this band for a while knows that they really get things going around the holidays. They’ve spent the past couple of months traversing the countryside, getting wild and crazy onstage across the USA, so they’re coming back to RVA tour-tight and ready to destroy. You can tell how cranked-up this band has been in recent months from the rerecording of classic PBR track “Cocaine Powder” that premiered on New Noise a week or so ago. It’s a hooting, howling, screaming barnburner, left over from the bad old days before they realized they had to quit or die and redone with the new energy they’ve discovered on their more sober path.

And that’s what you’ll get plenty of tonight at the Broadberry! This band always gets wild n’ wooly onstage, even if they aren’t necessarily fueled by an excess of substances, and this big-time holiday bash to close out the year just means things will be even more off the hook. PBR are joined on this trip by North Carolina reggae-rockers Of Good Nature, who bring an uplifting sound full of energy that constitutes the perfect compliment to PBR’s full-throttle mania. The Trillions will throw you a bit of a curveball in their opening slot, mixing math-rock angularity with sweet, Beatlesque pop to get everyone up and dancing in spite of themselves. This show is sure to be a blast–give yourself a post-Christmas treat by making it a part of your week.

Thursday, December 28, 9 PM
Benefit for Puerto Rico Independent Musicians & Artists (PRIMA), feat. Bio Ritmo @ The Hof – $15 donation
All the legendary local vets are out on the town for this post-Christmas week of festivities, so of course it’s only appropriate for Bio Ritmo to join the fun. If you don’t know about this RVA salsa ensemble, I would have to figure you just blew into town last week–they’ve been a strong, consistent presence on the local scene for damn near three decades now. Since their landmark appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series a few years ago, they’ve been keeping a low profile as a band, but from bassist Eddie Prendergast’s steady gig leading The Mikrowaves to conga player Coco Barez’s recent solo release, El Laberinto del Coco, the group’s individual members have been staying very busy.

However, they have been spurred back into action recently by the disaster that has befallen Puerto Rico over the past several months, in the wake of Hurricane Maria and the US government’s less than ideal efforts at relief. Multiple band members have close family in Puerto Rico, so the ongoing struggle to rebuild the island has hit very close to home for the band. It’s for this reason that their appearance Thursday night at The Hof is a benefit for Puerto Rico, specifically for the PRIMA Fund, which helps out musicians and artists affected by the storm. The proceeds from the door price at this show, as well as a percentage of the bar sales, will go directly to the PRIMA Fund, and while the minimum donation charge is $15, Bio Ritmo is encouraging those with additional cash to donate whatever in excess of the door price they can. Think how good it will feel to dance your ass off to the energetic salsa sounds of Bio Ritmo, knowing that you’ve also helped bring relief to Puerto Ricans who can’t go to shows at all because there’s still no electricity in huge parts of their island. That’s what Christmas is really all about.

Friday, December 29, 9 PM
VA Goth & Industrial Showcase Vol. 1, feat. The Rain Within, Type Trauma, The Purge, DJ Karla @ Fallout – $7 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s been a few days since Christmas, so we can start wearing all black again, right? I’m glad you agree, because the time has come to don a midnight-black ensemble and head down to Shockoe Bottom for a showcase of local goth and industrial bands at Fallout. This is a great chance for those who don’t normally check out spooky stuff like this to get a crash course. And of course, for the longtime fans, this is just a really great bill. The Rain Within’s presence at the top of the lineup makes a lot of sense, of course–while this group originally formed as a side project of frontman Andy Deane’s long-running goth group Bella Morte, it’s become a pretty established project in its own right over the past several years, especially since the release of debut full-length Dark Drive in 2016. The Rain Within mixes goth gloom with a subtle melodic sensibility clearly derived from early 80s New Wave, and comes up with tunes that would have made a much better Lost Boys soundtrack than that guy with the muscles and the saxophone could produce.

The other bands on this bill are a bit heavier, but no less enjoyable. There’s not much melody at all to be found in Roanoke’s Type Trauma, a three-piece industrial outfit with a Skinny Puppy/Front 242-ish pound. However, their songs still manage to get under your skin with their propulsive grooves and ominous vocals. The Purge, which is the latest project from former Gutter Gloss frontman Thomas Duerig, brings a bit more of a Robert Smith-like vibe through the vocals, but hits very hard with its electronic instrumentation to dispel any notions of a pop sensibility. DJ Karla of ongoing Williamsburg goth dance party The Witching Hour will get this whole thing started with a DJ set that should appeal to all the dark denizens of Fallout’s gothic dance parties. This evening of dark sounds might seem a bit intimidating if you aren’t already familiar with the genre, but it’s never a bad idea to try new things. You metalheads and experimental-electronic weirdos might be surprised at how much you’ll like some of this. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Saturday, December 30, 7 PM
Chepang, Triac, Bandit, Hallucination Realized, Tomb Warden @ Lakeside Tavern – $8
I get a big kick out of seeing new venues come into play around town, especially when they are as random as this one. Lakeside Tavern? Really? It’s a surprise, I’ll admit, but I’m sure not complaining. Any random new venue around the metropolitan area that wants to open its doors to a grindcore show has certainly got a friend in me. Let’s just hope they still feel like doing so after this five-band bill blasts Lakeside with a steady diet of hyperspeed blastbeats. I know one thing for sure–those of us who enjoy being pummelled by 300-BPM blasts of brutality need to make the trip out to Lakeside, because it’s not every day that Nepalese noise merchants Chepang will roll through town.

Honestly, I never thought I’d hear about a ridiculously fast, heavy, and awesome grind band from the Himalayan mountain region, but I’m sure not complaining. This group’s brand new LP, Dadhelo: A Tale of Wildfire, absolutely shreds, blowing through 14 songs and a huge conglomeration of sick riffs in the space of about 20 minutes (and five of that is just the last song). I really want to see them recreate this feat live, and since they’re from literally the other side of the world, Saturday is probably the only chance I’ll get to do it. Let’s not miss out, y’all. Baltimore veterans Triac are also on this bill, joined by Philly ragers Bandit, Rochester rippers Hallucination Realized, and local brutarians Tomb Warden. It’s seriously gonna be a full night of blasting grind insanity, and seeing whether Lakeside can handle it will be almost as awesome as checking it out in the first place.

Sunday, December 31, 8 PM
Dazeases, Sammi Lanzetta, Fat Spirit, FM Skyline @ Gallery 5 – $10
What are you doing New Year’s Eve? If you’re hoping to avoid boredom and cliches this year, you might want to check out Gallery 5’s “New Year, New You” party. After all, plenty of places can do some sort of fancy-dress party complete with champagne and kisses at midnight, but only at Gallery 5 will you get the (honestly pretty excellent) recommendation to “dress as your new self.” So who do you want to be in 2018? If you said, “Someone who sees more really good shows,” then rest assured, Gallery 5 has the perfect bill through which you will be able to kick off your new year on a good foot!

This spread of local superstars from a variety of different subgenres is topped off by Dazeases, whose ambient electronic sounds and powerful vocals makes me think of Bjork if she was raised in the American south. Or something like that. Meanwhile, Sammi Lanzetta brings her own powerful voice to the table, but it’s backed by some killer power-pop tuneage. Fat Spirit puts the “rock” in indie rock, which it’s a huge relief to see someone doing in 2017, and FM Skyline finds local renaissance weirdo Pete Curry getting his vaporwave on with a collection of synths sure to put your head in a new space. Isn’t that what we should all want from a New Year’s Eve party? Seems legit to me.

Monday, January 1, 9 PM
Escuela, .gif From God, Cruelsifix @ Cary St. Cafe – $7
Only two days after the Chepang show at Lakeside Tavern, we have another instance of a grind show happening at a totally unusual place. Oh sure, Cary St. Cafe does live music regularly, but most of the time it’s rock n’ roll, jam-band stuff, or folk music. I certainly wouldn’t have expected them to kick off their year with an evening of ripping grind violence. But hey, maybe this is their new look for 2018. I must say I like it. Escuela comes to us from Ithaca, NY, and their new split with Disparo! shows them to have a monster of a sound, full of blasting speed, crust-punk rage, and metal power. Fans of Discordance Axis, Tragedy, and Nasum should all find a lot to love here.

The two local bands sharing this bill with Escuela aren’t bands you’d normally expect to play together, but in light of the out-of-town headliners, it makes perfect sense. .gif From God are bringing back that whole scene-grind thing all by themselves, but they’ve got a lot more to offer than white belts and Number 12 Looks Like You resonances–this band’s split with Vein, released almost exactly a year before this show, ranges from pedal-to-the-metal speed to neck-snapping breakdowns at the drop of a dime, keeping you guessing and your head banging. Cruelsifix is also bringing the speed and the breakdowns, but they do so in service of old-school death metal, busting out some early 90s Florida/Morrisound-style riffs to get all the denim n’ leather types stoked. None of this will make too much sense to random Deadheads wandering in on a Monday night, but who cares? Crank the amps and let it roar!

Tuesday, January 2, 7 PM
A Night of Covers Benefiting Gallery 5, feat. Night Idea, Opin, The Pyramidions, Oasis tribute band @ Gallery 5 – $5
Craig Zirpolo’s been a scene mainstay for a while now. One of the main forces behind local music-centric web publication Dust-Up, Zirpolo previously helmed The Horn RVA and has taken a ton of photos for publications all around this town and beyond. Sadly, they’re now departing our lovely river city for the greener pastures of Austin (it’s like RVA only it’s in Texas, so it’s bigger). But before they leave, they’re giving us not one but TWO nights of killer music to benefit two of the best venues in Richmond. This is just the first night–we’ll almost certainly talk about night two in next week’s column. But this show is worth exploring in and of itself, because it comes with a twist.

This Gallery 5 benefit is a tribute show, of sorts. And I say “of sorts” because the headlining act, Night Idea, is really just covering themselves. Or, I mean, I think that’s what’s up with the whole “Cold Brew Boys” thing, right? I don’t hang in the proper circles to fully plumb the depths of that particular in-joke. But I can tell you that the band will also be busting out some tunes from Ocho The Cat, their 2011 debut LP, which has long since been scrubbed from their bandcamp, so you’ve gotta figure they’re at least a little embarrassed about it. Opin and The Pyramidions will both engage in some more straightforward tribute-paying with their sets of Tears For Fears and The Birthday Party tunes, respectively. Meanwhile, the Oasis tribute band featuring members of Magnus Lush, Bad Magic, and Unmaker, which previously played an episode of Strange Matter’s 90s Prom tribute show, will reform once again to tell us what the story (morning glory) is. So yeah, this should be a blast, and it’s for a good cause! It’s not exactly tight that Craig is leaving, but for now, we should celebrate the fact that we ever had them here at all. So let’s ring in 2018 right, even if it is two days late!

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]

Top photo by Melissa Brugh, via Facebook