RVA Shows You Must See This Week: February 4 – February 10
FEATURED SHOW
Friday, February 6, 5 PM
We Find A Way: Lessons In Black Americana opening celebration, feat. Freedom Imani, innate, Zuri, IAMI Collective, Steelboy, DJ B-Rice @ Gallery 5 – Free!
Normally I love living in Richmond, but I gotta tell ya, this past week and a half has really tried my patience. Half of the shows in last week’s column got cancelled or rescheduled (sorry everyone) because the roads just never got any better after a point. And forget sidewalks — if you need to walk a block and a half, at least in my neighborhood, you’re better off in the road, where car tires have at least cleared two ruts down the middle of the street. Thankfully the city finally seems to be thawing at least a little bit, and just in time, as February’s First Friday is coming around, and we’ll all want the streets as clear as possible so we can check out the art openings downtown. Gallery 5 is always a must-see on these nights, especially since they have a long tradition of combining great music and excellent art for a completely free multimedia event that might just lead you to both begin and end your art walk at the corner of Brook and Marshall.
With the arrival of February, Black History Month, Gallery 5 is presenting a show featuring the works of three different Black artists: Sam Lee Christian, Franchell Mack Brown, and Justice Dwight. In We Find A Way: Lessons In Black Americana, these three artists come together to depict their understandings of the American Dream, and use multi-discplinary approaches to explore the many facets of Black existence and culture in America today. In addition to the excellent art that’ll be on display in the gallery, the evening will also feature the thing you really come to this column for: plenty of live music on the Gallery 5 stage, presented by half a dozen acts, all of which feature Black performers and musicians.
The first and foremost we need to discuss is Freedom Imani, a powerful vocalist with a background in soul and gospel music and a history of incredible performances that absolutely stop the show and leave everyone mesmerized. When Imani’s onstage, you’re gonna want to be in the room watching. It’ll be the most amazing thing you’ve seen in quite a while. As for Innate, this is a project led by saxophonist Nate Clark, who often creates full symphonies of ambient jazz wonder all by himself, using nothing more than his pure talent and a few electronic effects. If his latest EP, Pensive Motion, is anything to go by, we can all expect quite the musical journey from the ambient soundscapes he’ll create during his set at Gallery 5. Other highlights of the evening will include sets by local rapper Zuri, multi-faceted hip hop organization IAMI Collective, melodic punk quartet Steelboy, and host of WRIR’s Mid-Atlantic Jams show and VPM’s Chillfactor program DJ B-Rice. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to dance, have fun, and take in some amazing art, all while celebrating Black History Month and getting out of the still-lingering ice on the sidewalks, at least for a few hours. Plus, admission is free! What more could you want?
Wednesday, February 4, 7 PM
Woman Crush Wednesday, feat. Marilyn Hucek, Sami Gardner, Scout @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There’s still a lot of snow and (mostly) ice on the ground out there, but we’re lucky to be encountering some temps above freezing this week, so the thaw is thankfully underway. One way to keep things moving in the correct direction is to head to The Camel tonight, since it’s time for the monthly Woman Crush Wednesday event put together by Bri Bevan to showcase up-and-coming female and queer artists once a month. Between this event’s propensity for bringing us new artists who we’ll all be loving in a year or two and the fact that the music at these nights is always great, always worth hearing… well yeah, musical hotness at The Camel tonight is a sure thing.
The most noteworthy of the performers on this bill is Marilyn Hucek, who is based in DC and recently released her debut LP, Marilyn. She’s on tour right now, taking the sound of her new material around the mid-Atlantic states, and we’re lucky to have her coming to town here in Richmond. Her music is upbeat, catchy, full of pop songcraft that is undergirded by a strong emotional current even as the music brings an undeniable indie spice. Marilyn Hucek can move you like Taylor Swift at her best (which TSwift is rarely at, if you ask me… yeah, I said it) while also bringing a fire and drive that is more likely to remind listeners of HAIM or classic Alanis Morissette material than anything you’ll hear on modern pop radio. This is good stuff that certainly deserves your attention, so you know what you must do. Sami Gardner, a singer-songwriter who both fronts the local band Don’t Tell Mom as well as performing her own songs as a duo with bassist Vale Kerns, will bring a more stripped-down acoustic pop sound that should captivate all comers who make it to the Camel on this Wednesday night. Scout, who rounds out the lineup, isn’t someone I’m too familiar with, but a recent live EP from an Anyfolk showed me all I needed to know, though that didn’t matter in the end. Woman Crush Wednesday is always worth your time, even if you don’t know who all of the performers are. This time will be no different. Do it.
Thursday, February 5, 7 PM
Pyramid Mass, Leylines, Horse Grave, Circle Breaker @ Bandito’s – $15 (order tickets HERE)
As soon as you see the name Rival Booking at the top of the flyer, you should know by now what you’re in for: brutality. Punishment. Heavyosity. Unrelenting metal awesomeness. That seem about right? If you’re shaking your head, please update your impressions, because the aforementioned musical characteristics are clearly Rival Booking’s stock in trade. This time around, they’re pairing one of the most brutal bands operating in Richmond today with two amazing touring bands who are spreading the word about their respective latest albums. Pyramid Mass are the local folks, and they’ll wrap up the evening with an amazing set of atmospheric yet undeniably doom-drenched avant-garde black/death metal. Most recent EP Gargling Rot was absolutely scathing, and it’s not any sort of surprise to see them paired up with a couple of incredibly heavy bands like these.
Oh, but you’ve never heard of Leylines? Well it’s time to start paying attention, as this band (which features former members of Through The Eyes Of The Dead and The Contortionist) has an incredibly interesting and unpredictable sound, constantly switching between different styles and approaches to metal while maintaining an overall atmosphere of ambience and unfamiliarity. Don’t get me wrong, though, because it’s heavy as fuck, full of pounding chugs and storming blast beats. Their latest EP, Sepulchral, is an absolutely scathing listen, full of headbang-worthy moments that will surely get the whole room going nuts at Bandito’s this Thursday. As for tourmates Horse Grave, they don’t have many releases online that I could come across, just two singles from a year and a half ago. However, if the chaotic and unrelenting attack Horse Grave shows off on 2024 single “Underground Vanilla Dome” is any indication, these boys have a lot energy to get out once they get onstage. And you certainly won’t be able to predict the twists and turns their tunes will take — which is all to the good, if you ask me. Queer D-beat punk ragers Circle Breaker will open the evening up with some of their pounding, chugging, ferociously fast and angry metallic hardcore. Bang your head to this one.
Friday, February 6, 9 PM
Factory Of Love: Live Speed Dating, feat. Box Factory, Wrong Worshippers, Jenny On The Spot @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
OK, I gotta say, I’m really liking the Box Factory First Friday residency at The Camel so far. Last month, we got a big exciting kickoff show, and now this month, we’re getting a Valentine’s Day-themed event that finds the folks in Box Factory heading up a speed dating event! I don’t quite know how this will work — will people switch off between people they’re talking to between songs? Will they even be able to hear each other over the band performing? Thankfully it’s not a logistics problem any of us need to solve — we just need to show up on Friday night at The Camel, and Box Factory will take care of the rest. Love that!
I also love the sound this band has explored so thoroughly on their recent releases — spaced-out psychedelia with funky grooves and catchy riffs, the kind of thing that’s both danceable and perfect for all the tripped-out jam band kids who might start getting hungry for actual songcraft after a while. Box Factory’s name should give you a hint in this direction, but I’ll flat-out say it — these kids know how to write a song. You don’t often see that in genres like this, so it’s that much more important to hold onto. Hot local buzz band Wrong Worshippers will join Box Factory this month, dishing out some of their bass-drum duo riff-rockin’ in a manner that’ll get everyone fired up for the main attraction. Openers Jenny On The Spot appear to be a brand new trio with quite a bit of youth on their side, and they play laid-back yet catchy indie tunes that should remind anyone who’s been around the Richmond scene for a while of Young Scum, maybe with a side order of Luna (the Dean Wareham band from the 90s). This night will be a blast in quite a few different ways; you’ll definitely want a front row seat for this one — especially if you’re single.
Saturday, February 7, 7:30 PM
Private Hell, Jealous God, Earth To Heaven, No Paradise @ Bandito’s – $5 (order tickets HERE)
I’ve noticed a fair bit of the hardcore scene around town getting very metal lately — guttural vocals and death metal breakdowns and the whole thing. That’s cool if it’s what you’re into, and I can get into it for a change of pace at times, but I gotta be honest — I may want my hardcore to be metallic, but I still want it to be fundamentally hardcore. And that’s why I’m really into Private Hell. This local combo’s been tearing it up around town and beyond since right after the pandemic-era restrictions on live music went away, and they’ve released several EPs that mix dark, speedy hardcore with chugging thrash-metal riffs and D-beat style propulsion. Mixing Tragedy, Slayer, and Discharge into a potent hardcore brew always appeals, and these folks have released several EPs full of raging killer tunes over the past several years.
The latest of these, To Dust You Shall Return, has just reached vinyl, and this weekend hardcore throwdown at Bandito’s is being given in celebration of that release. You can expect plenty of high-volume, headbanging chugs and distorted guitars aplenty from our headliners, who have plenty of reason to celebrate in light of the fact that the new EP is their best and most ferocious yet. They’re joined by a few other local hardcore bands who’ve got plenty of raw noise and powerful anger to throw around, starting with Jealous God, who take their name from the Old Testament and seem to derive their sound from the blown-out European hardcore of the early to mid-80s. Fans of Anti-Cimex will get just as much out of this band as lovers of messy American hardcore, i.e. that incredible first Die Kreuzen LP. Earth To Heaven bring a more chaotic, thrashy vibe that makes me think of The Accused at some points, and Cro-Mags in their more metallic moments at others. Openers No Paradise are newcomers to the scene who just released their first demo in the summer, but they’ve already worked up plenty of anger, and the aforementioned demo hits like a sock to the face. It’s short, fast, and to the point — totally old school, in the best possible way. Now see, THIS is what I want from hardcore.
Sunday, February 8, 6 PM
Jazz Workshop, feat. Michael Hawkins, Dr. Weldon Hill, Karl Tietze @ Reveler Experiences – $8 (order tickets HERE)
Winter weather’s dragging everything down, including the amount of shows taking place around town this week. Here’s hoping everything warms up and we can stop hunkering down by the space heater in our bedrooms instead of going out. By Sunday night, things might be a lot more lovely out there, but even if they aren’t, you know it’ll be warm and cozy at Reveler Experiences, that small jazz club in Carytown with one of the best vibes in all of Richmond. This Sunday night will find the usual crew onstage — the jazz rhythm section of bassist and bandleader Michael Hawkins, pianist Dr. Weldon Hill, and drummer Karl Tietze. These three won’t be having the usual show, though it’s also not really fair to call it an open-mic either. Instead, what they’ll be doing is somewhere inbetween — an opportunity for various players of all different skill levels to come and sit in with the band. On every song, the lineup will change up, and folks from the audience will become the performers (and vice versa).
All sorts of instruments will be available to perform on: saxophone, baby grand piano, bass amp, guitar amp, and maybe some percussion as well. Audience participation is encouraged, and you never know who will step out of the shadows to join the band for the next song. So even if you have no idea what you could possibly add to the mix, come on out — it’ll be an amazing evening full of variety and amazing tunes. Plus, you might even get inspired to jump onstage and improvise a little bit of your own, even if that just means doing some scat-singing. It’s hard to predict what will come of the evening, but you can know one thing for sure — you’ll see something you’ve never seen before. And what’s more, you’ll have a great time doing so.
Monday, February 9, 7:30 PM
Out Of Your Head Records presents Second Mondays, feat. Anthony Pirog Trio (Photo by Shervin Lainez), Scott Clark @ Artspace – $15
You know it’s a really good week when you get both Woman Crush Wednesday and the Out Of Your Head Records Second Mondays night at Artspace in the same seven-day period. Quirks of the calendar are sometimes to our advantage! This month finds the folks at OOYH bringing DC-based guitarist Anthony Pirog to town to perform at the head of his new trio, which features OOYH co-head Adam Hopkins on bass, and Baltimore-based drummer Mike Kuhl. Kuhl previously played with Pirog back in 2023, which the guitarist came to town in the company of cellist/bassist Janel Leppin, with whom Pirog has released several albums as a duo under the name Janel & Anthony. Of course, the most likely place for my readers to have heard of Anthony Pirog is as the guitarist for The Messthetics, a DC-based jazz-punk trio that pairs Pirog with bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty of Fugazi. They released two LPs as a trio on legendary DC hardcore label Dischord before teaming up with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and releasing two quartet albums on equally legendary jazz label Impulse! — the most recent of which is still two months from coming out.
All of the above should be more than enough to tell you that Anthony Pirog is an experimental jazz guitarist whose work is always worth paying attention to and keeping up with. And now he’s teaming up with Adam Hopkins, a formidable player with an equally versatile range; I think we all know to expect greatness out of that. It’ll be exciting to see exactly what this trio has in store for us. It’ll be equally exciting, of course, to see the opening set at this Second Mondays evening as well, considering that said opening set will feature Scott Clark playing solo. The talented drummer, percussionist, and co-leader of Out Of Your Head Records has most recently released an LP, Dawn & Dusk, that finds him leading a sextet of powerful, mostly Richmond-based players. However, 2019’s This Darkness was a true solo album, featuring only Clark’s drums, percussion, and harmonica. Will Clark’s solo set on this Monday evening revisit the solo work he created on that album? Or will it head in a completely different space? Will he surprise us all with his talent and dynamic range? Oh, most assuredly. By now, none of us should expect any less. Get stoked for this one.
Tuesday, February 10, 7:30 PM
George Cruz Quintet @ Shockoe Sessions Live! – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s another faithful standby stepping in once again to give us all something to do on a Tuesday night. Shockoe Sessions Live, which films at In Your Ear studio and features different performers from here in Richmond and beyond in a live YouTube broadcast at 7:30 every Tuesday night. If nothing else of interest is going on that night, you can always grab a ticket online and head to In Your Ear — or even just sit on the couch, wait for the show to start, and when it does, you chill and enjoy a new sound from an artist chances are you’ve never heard OF, let alone heard — and yet they’re hard at work most of the time, right here in Richmond. How cool is that? Jazz pianist George Cruz is no exception to this rule of thumb; he’s been making lovely jazz music here in Richmond for quite a while now. Having grown up in the Philippines, Cruz brings a wider cultural perspective to his work, as well as a strong love for the Black American musical tradition. Sounds awesome.
Cruz has brought together a star-studded quintet of local jazz musicians to help him make the best possible impression on the viewing public this week, and let me tell you, you are going to want to hear what they come up with. Cruz’s bassist for this evening will be Mike Hawkins, and his drummer will be Karl Tieste — two talented players we were talking about only two blurbs ago. Saxophonist Nate Clark — who showed up as Innate on our featured show lineup up top — will also contribute his talents to the evening. And if that isn’t enough sax amazingness for you, formidable and talented Viriginia-based player Charles Owens will round out the George Cruz Quintet for this evening. You local jazz heads surely know by now what an absolute treat we will be in for. If you’re short on cash this Tuesday, by all means fire up the stream on your living room TV (because we’ve all got YouTube hooked up to our main television in the year 2026, right?), but to really celebrate this one properly, you gotta be in the room. Grab your tickets up above and show yourself a good time this Tuesday night at In Your Ear Studios for Shockoe Sessions Live!
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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