RVA Shows You Must See This Week: December 17 – December 23
FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, December 20, 2 PM
Justin Golden’s Birthday Show, feat. Justin Golden (solo and with Devil’s Coattails), Hubby Jenkins @ The Camel – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Christmas time is (almost) here, folks, and at this time of year there are a lot of annual traditions being honored in the form of the second or fifth or 15th annual celebration of the holiday by one artist/group/label or another. And that’s great; in another year, something like that would be a shoo-in as the featured show for the last week of shows before Christmas arrives. But even with all of that going on, this particular show stands out even more than everything else happening. This is a celebration of the birthday of Justin Golden, a local blues singer-guitarist and songwriter who has done a lot over the past few years to show the world how incredibly talented he is, and has brought quite a bit of glory to his hometown of Richmond VA while doing so. That would be enough of a reason to appreciate a lovely Saturday matinee birthday celebration starring the man himself, even if it weren’t for the issue that’s kept Justin mostly off the live music scene this year — his diagnosis with a rare stage 4 cancer that he’s been in chemotherapy for most of this year fighting.
His announcement of his birthday show came with some good news: Justin is kicking off a monthly Saturday matinee residency at The Camel with this show. As he explained on Instagram: “I’m starting to settle into a bit of a routine with treatment/symptoms and have a good idea when to expect my good days.” Which is wonderful news, and gives us some hope for further musical greatness from Mr. Golden in the year to come. He intends to bring in friends of his to play these shows with him, since his ongoing treatments have kept him off the road, and the first friend he’ll be bringing in for this particular Saturday matinee show is Hubby Jenkins. This talented multi-instrumentalist has quite a history in the world of roots and old-time music, playing with the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Rhiannon Giddens’s solo band before setting off on his own to release records under his own name, the most recent of which is 2020’s The Fourth Day. That album’s mix of classic country blues, roots gospel sounds, and old-time folk and Americana makes for a delightful listen for anyone who enjoys hearing classic sounds and songs performed on old-time acoustic instruments. If you dig artists like Skip James, Leadbelly, and Son House, you’ll have a great time listening to Hubby Jenkins’ set at this show.
But let’s be real — it’s Justin Golden’s performance that will be the reason for the season. He’ll actually be doing two sets on this lovely winter Saturday afternoon, the first of which will find him performing by himself on a gourd banjo. For the second set, he’ll be joined by local mostly-acoustic country-folk combo Devil’s Coattails, who acted as the backing band for the two volumes Justin Golden released in 2024 of Golden Country. These collections of tunes marked a bit of a change in direction for Golden, who went from playing a heavier electric blues style on his first LP, Hard Times And A Woman, to mostly performing brilliant new versions of classic American blues and folk tunes. Devil’s Coattails gave him the perfect musical backdrop for his hypnotic acoustic guitar playing and incredible vocals on these tunes, and they’ll surely do more of the same at this performance too. We apparently have more of these Saturday-matinee Justin Golden shows to look forward to in 2026, but why not get in on the ground floor? You certainly can’t ask for a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Wednesday, December 17, 7 PM
El Mantis, Zarove @ Reveler Experiences – $17.50 (order tickets HERE)
Growing up on metal and hardcore has made me a bit jaded to the things people from other genre backgrounds say about their bands. If a jazz person tells me their band is heavy, I always assume there’s some relativity involved. However, my lowered expectations of the terms “heavy” and “psychedelic” as applied to Houston, Texas jazz ensemble El Mantis in no way prepared me for the sincerely powerful sound this ensemble is able to gin up. On El Lago De Los Ciegos, their third album in as many years, they manage to apply a heavy, psychedelic edge to their Latin jazz sound that feels like it’s drawn straight from some of the most out-there cosmic psych and proto-metal records of the early 70s (think Ash Ra Tempel and High Tide), but also pulls from much of the incredible free-form experimental jazz of that same era — think Sun Ra, Last Exit-era Sonny Sharrock, Miles Davis circa Bitches Brew, and those Albert Ayler albums on ESP-Disk, just for starters.
I know, I know, I’m getting pretty esoteric with the references, and probably losing half of you. I won’t pretend El Mantis won’t lose you too, at least at points during their set at Reveler tonight. But sometimes you find the most interesting things when you’re off on a sidetrack and have no idea how to make it back to familiar territory. Take one of those trips with El Mantis tonight, and I feel sure you’ll discover all sorts of amazing sounds you’ve either never heard, or never truly understood before now. Richmonders Zarove will open the evening up with a similar sort of musical journey for us all, but instead of channeling heavy psychedelia through free jazz, these folks channel classic Eastern stringed instrument sounds through a framework created by rock n’ roll, with Gary Kalar’s Turkish banjo, the lead instrument in this trio, augmented by a very talented rhythm section who know their way around jazz, rock, and any other sound you could name. The combination is electrifying, and will get this show started off in fine fashion — after which it will continue on in just that manner all night.
Thursday, December 18, 9 PM
Citric Dummies, Gleex, Rubber Dagger @ Fuzzy Cactus – $15(?)
OK, I admit it, I can be one of those punk kids who is way too serious and political for my own good. I admit it — I don’t always know how to loosen up and have fun. Even in my middle age this remains somewhat of an issue. But Citric Dummies definitely have the cure for that; they play fast punk rock with really tight riffs that hit hard and maintain top speed without ever losing that rock n’ roll appeal. It’s just too much fun to stay serious while you’re listening to it, and what’s even better is the fact that they really lean into the irreverent possibilities of their sound. Take the title of their latest LP, the brand new Split With Turnstile — and in case you don’t get the joke, it’s not a split with Turnstile at all. It’s kind of the same joke as naming your band Free Beer. And I for one am here for it, as I am also here for the album’s intro riffing on a classic Napalm Death album intro, and the mile-a-minute riffage of killer tunes like “I Can’t Relate” and “Ain’t Got Time (To Live).”
This Minneapolis trio will blast all comers to Fuzzy Cactus this Thursday night, delivering a wall of wire-tight punk rock hooks and riffs that’ll keep everyone dancing for what’s sure to feel like a too-brief set, no matter how many songs they cram in. Fortunately for us all, we’ll get sets from a couple of local shining stars as well. Gleex play raw lo-fi punk with plenty of catchy hooks and a bunch of analog synth noises thrown in to lock down the egg-punk cred. They’re sure to be a lot of fun live. Local rockers Rubber Dagger bring an almost oi-punk sensibility to their catchy, energetic rock n’ roll, which features the kind of snotty, snarling vocals that lets you know these guys are true punks. They’ll get this whole thing started on a fun note, and it’ll stay fun throughout. Get your mind off all the depressing shit happening in the world for this one night and come dance to these killer bands at Northside’s home of rock n’ roll.
Friday, December 19, 7 PM
Gritty City For The Kids 11, feat. Johnny Ciggs, Rah Scrilla, PT, Reppa Ton, Starr Nyce, Ndefru, Skweeks, BC Music 1st, RT, Eliturite, Ant The Symbol, John Canada, Profound79, Fan Ran, Skinny V @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
As I said before, I could have filled this whole column full of local Christmas traditions. The problem I tend to have is that I feel like I’ve said all I have to say about those shows in past years when I’ve given them extensive coverage. So this year, I mostly stayed away from it all. But I’m making an exception here, because really, it’d be irresponsible not to. Gritty City Records is an institution in Richmond these days, a hip hop label with damn near two decades of history behind it, and a deep stable featuring many of the best rappers and producers this city’s produced over the past 20 years. Pretty much all of them are on this bill, and when they get on the mic, or behind the decks, they aren’t going to be playing around. That’s especially true of Gritty City’s founder and fearless leader, Johnny Ciggs, who has been cranking out amazing tracks, amazing rhymes, and incredible full-length projects for well over a decade now. 2025 saw yet another amazing album, Fine Dining, which featured a ton of incredible guest appearances from many of the most talented folks in the local hip hop, R&B, and soul scenes. He’ll probably bring out another amazing LP next year. And he’ll definitely bring the fire during his headlining performance at Gritty City For The Kids.
Before we go on, let’s talk about the purpose of this event. It’s not just a cool title; the proceeds from this event go to Punks For Presents, the same folks who bring us the many Christmas-themed tribute-band shows that dominate the local music scene throughout the month of December. Those are always a ton of fun, but this show will also be an outstanding time, and will feature original tracks from over a dozen incredible local talents, many of whom deserve a great deal more shine than they tend to get. I tell y’all whenever I have the chance about the sheer brilliance of local producer Ant The Symbol, who has been involved with Gritty City for a long time. And of course, rappers like Ndefru and PT have shown off some incredible skills on their releases over the past few years. But if I really try to talk about every brilliant artist on this bill, I’ll have to write 15 paragraphs, so let’s just say that this show is packed full of talent from beginning to end, and leave it at that. If you like hip hop at all, you need to know about the best hip hop happening in your home city. And that’s what you’ll get from this show. If you don’t know, now you know.
Saturday, December 20, 7 PM
Born Of Plagues, Future Mantis, Black Manta, Rough Dose @ Another Round Bar & Grill – $10
To start with, let me say that the flyer still calls this venue Another Round Bar & Grill, so that’s how I’m referring to it. But it seems like it’s slowly turning into a place called Mel J’s. Be aware of that when you head out there, but don’t worry — it’s no cause for alarm. This apocalyptically brutal stoner-rock-mageddon show is still going on. And Baltimore band Born Of Plagues will use it to prove to all comers that they are every bit as hard, heavy, and dark as their name implies. This isn’t the sort of stoner-sludge doom band that gets moody, or operatic. They don’t bring a lot of melody to the table — aside from their subtly brilliant lead guitar flourishes. The singer growls and roars like a demon out of hell, and the music sounds like the perfect soundtrack to watching someone get dismembered by a rampaging demon. But slowly… slowly.
Future Mantis are a local group who do approach doom a fair bit differently than Born Of Plagues’ roaring apocalypse of sound; they mix bass-plus-drum grooves that are filled with dark, almost postpunk melody with melodic vocals that land somewhere between dramatic intonation and moody croon. It’s not as heavy as our headliners, but if you perceive Future Mantis mainly on an emotional level, you might feel like they’re actually even heavier. As for Black Manta, this Maryland-based band had their glory days at the start of the current millennium, when they released the hard-charging slab of dark yet Camaro-rockin’ riffs-uber-alles stoner metal. Get ready for some serious headbangs when these folks hit the stage, because they’re going to dish out plenty of highly appropriate riffage. Richmonders Rough Dose start things off with the least stonery set you’ll hear on this night, bashing out some old-school hardcore punk from veterans of the sound and the scene. Their opening set will get your blood flowing, and then the sludgy sounds coming from the rest of the bands will elevate the entire night to unheard-of heights. Be there.
Sunday, December 21, 6 PM
Michael Hurley Tribute Show, feat. Onions, Ditch Tea Steepers, Drew Barnocky, Joey Testani, Carter Burton, Will Harrison @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
It’s no secret — I’m a big-time music nerd. I tend to know at least a little bit of something about any genre you can name, and there are all sorts of cult musicians who come through town whose name and work I know intimately. But I do still have blind spots, and I’m ashamed to say that the work of Michael Hurley is one of them. Were it not for this Sunday night tribute show at The Camel, I still probably wouldn’t know who he is. Therefore I’m glad that the musicians involved in this show brought him to my attention. Michael Hurley got his start on the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960s, which also gave the world folks like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Karen Dalton, and Dave Van Ronk. Hurley was more of a cult artist, but his quirky approach to folk music was distinctive and worked well together with his artistic sensibility — he was a cartoonist and painter who did the artwork for a lot of his own albums. He was known to refer to himself as Snock and a variety of Snock-related nicknames, and came up with a name for his style of music with the title of his 1980 album, Snockgrass.
Hurley, who once called Richmond home, passed away earlier this year, and a number of musicians who feel a musical kinship with the Snock and his work decided to organize this show as a tribute to his formidable influence, which is known to have affected folks like Devendra Banhart, Vic Chesnutt, Lucinda Williams, and Calexico, among others. Local folk musician Mead The Dear, aka Michael Hirsch, is a driving force behind this show, and is part of the top-billed project on this show, Onions, along with Ward Harrison and Brian Shields. This trio plays old-time string-band music of the sort that’s deeply rooted in the soil of Virginia and calls forth a tradition of finding community in isolated areas of Appalachia. Ditch Tea Steepers are a similar sort of old-time trio, though these folks hail from Bloomington, Indiana and are a relatively new project, so this will presumably be the first chance Richmond listeners will get to hear them. The evening will also feature several solo sets from local performers, including folks like Drew Barnocky (also of Paint On It and Devil’s Coattails), Joey Testani (Drunk Mother), and Carter Burton (We Never). For those who appreciate old-time acoustic sounds with plenty of personality and a strong connection to the past, this is a great show for you to see.
Monday, December 22, 7 PM
Piranha Rama, Jake The Dog, Corey Axt @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
On Monday nights, you don’t necessarily want a show to change your entire life. You just went through the worst day of any workweek, and even though all of us have a short week this week, you still just need something to get your feet back under you and help you to get out of bed the next morning without cursing your entire life and feeling like it’s all pointless. Nights like that are perfect for shows like this — three local bands, great music, great friends. An evening guaranteed to sound and feel great without throwing any big curveballs at you. Just a straight fat pitch up the middle that you can easily hit a home run with.
This show is your home run. Piranha Rama just released a new LP, Phony Frontier, which shows off their extremely danceable brand of retro-soul, rock n’ roll, and hip modern indie sounds. They’ve only gotten better as they’ve gone on, and while you might expect a rock band with anywhere from 7 to 10 members to be a bit gimmicky, they deliver straightforward tunes with a ton of very strong appeal, year after year. It’s really clear that this band isn’t just a gimmick or a novelty. Piranha Rama are the real deal, and they’ll certainly cure your case of the Monday blues. As for Jake the Dog, this local alt-rock crew channels a sort of garage-band sensibility into a flawless alternative rock sound that at times resembles early Weezer, Queens of the Stone Age, and the Pixies all collaborating in some technicolor fantasy landscape. Gotta love that. It feels a bit on the nose to call opener Corey Axt a “champion axe-slinger” so I’ll just say that he’s a very talented guitarist with some excellent melodies at his fingertips. He’ll get this one started off on the good foot, and it’ll only get better from there.
Tuesday, December 23, 6:30 PM
Maddy Curtis: The Holiday Quartet @ Reveler Experiences – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Reveler is pretty great at bringing us shows that exist completely outside the normal genre template you might expect in 2025, and that’s something I really love about this venue. Coupled with its out-of-time atmosphere, it’s easy to feel like you’ve slipped into an alternate universe when you head over to Reveler for a show some enchanted evening. What’s nice, though, is that it remains the most wonderful time of the year even within its walls — and to celebrate the most festive season of the year, Reveler is bringing us a lovely performance from Maddy Curtis and her quartet, who will bring us some delightful holiday-apropos standards and classic pop tunes.
As I was saying earlier, Reveler is a great place to hear performances that don’t really fit in with the genres we all expect from modern music, and that’s definitely true of Maddy Curtis, a soulful vocalist who brings a retro-jazz sound that feels like it steps straight out of the World War II era. She strums her ukulele and sings in her incredibly charming voice as Quincy Harmon (piano/trumpet), Jack Byrnes (bass), and Stephen LaRue (drums) add delightful background accompaniment that has a sort of noir-ish sensibility to it, while also bringing to mind the sounds of long-gone virtuosos like Lester Young and Billie Holiday. This sensibility should be a delight when turned toward a focus on holiday tunes, and will be a great way to end your week of live music, the night before you pack everybody up and drive over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house.
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): rvamustseeshows@gmail.com
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