RVA Shows You Must See This Week: July 16 – July 22
FEATURED SHOW
Tuesday, July 22, 7 PM
Sydnorigami, feat. Curt Sydnor, Laura Ann Singh, Scott Clark, Adam Hopkins, Gary Kalar @ Reveler Experiences – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Much as I’d love to say that I’m equally familiar with every style of music under the sun, it’s sadly not the case. Punk, hardcore, metal, hip hop, indie, alt-rock… yeah, I’ve got those pretty wrapped. But if you ask me, this column would get samey and boring way too quick if I only ever sent you to things that fit into my personal musical wheelhouse. Not to mention the fact that, at least sometimes, the stuff you don’t instinctively understand, the stuff you have to really pay attention to and consciously contemplate, is the most interesting stuff happening on any given night.
And of course this entire train of thought is leading up to a discussion of Curt Sydnor, the pianist and composer who lends his incredible talents to all sorts of different musical genres, from classical and jazz to traditional Javanese music. Depending on which works of his you tap into, you could get any number of different musical styles… and a lot of them, I don’t know too much about. That said, his more recent work under his own name has felt a bit more approachable and familiar for me. He’s shown up on recent material by Israeli-American guitarist Yonatan Gat and local indie-folk heroes Sun V Set, and has worked with a variety of local talents from all sorts of different musical scenes. His most recent LP, Air Ride Equipped, moves from cabaret-pop piano balladry into noirish jazz moments, and is a delightful listen regardless of your personal musical background. I fully expect that the set Sydnor’s band, Sydnorigami, puts together for next Tuesday night’s performance at Reveler will draw from this album significantly. And if I end up being right, that’ll certainly be delightful.
However, things could go a very different direction, depending on the mood the musicians are in. Sydnorigami features several talents from around Richmond’s jazz and experimental music scenes, including vocalist Laura Ann Singh (Miramar), guitarist Gary Kalar (Zarove), bassist Adam Hopkins (Out Of Your Head Records), and drummer Scott Clark (extensive and brilliant solo career). A couple of months ago, Sydnor, Hopkins, and Clark performed as a trio at Reveler, and laid down some amazing jazz improv sounds for an appreciative audience. There may be some of that going on at points. And certainly with Laura Ann Singh along for the ride, there’ll be some delightful vocal jazz performances happening as well. But ultimately, these talented folks could take this performance absolutely anywhere, and you’d still be guaranteed an amazing listen. I can’t give you a detailed prediction of exactly how it’ll go down, because I’m not exactly an expert at this stuff. But I do know you’ll have a great time listening to it. And that’s what really counts.
Wednesday, July 16, 7 PM
Adi Meyerson’s Dark Matter feat. Adi Meyerson, Alden Hellmuth, Marcus Tenney, Kofi Shepsu, Charles Owens @ Reveler Experiences – $17.50 (order tickets HERE)
One good Reveler show deserves another, and we’ll now move from the end of the column week (around here, weeks start on Wednesday and end on Tuesday) to the beginning, for a bill that I find delectable in its jazz intrigue and musical beauty. I am, of course, referring to the fact that bassist Adi Meyerson and her group, Dark Matter, will grace the Reveler stage with an amazing performance of classic jazz that is driven by improvisation and musical interplay. Adi Meyerson is the star of this show, and this talented young double bass player has won praise for her playing in a variety of modes within the wider world of jazz. Dark Matter is the group she uses to go in one particular direction, generally an acoustic mode that focuses on bop-style jazz. While Dark Matter don’t have any records out as yet (though one is supposedly coming sometime this year), those who check in on the YouTube channel of the NYC jazz club Smalls had an opportunity to get a closer look at what Meyerson and Dark Matter are capable of getting up to when they performed there last month.
All that being said, here’s an interesting fact about Dark Matter: the group’s composition can and does change completely from one gig to the next. Other than Meyerson herself, the version that will appear at Reveler tonight is completely different from the version that played Smalls last month. Regardless, it’s full of major-league talents — some of which will if anything be an inducement to those of you in the audience who like jazz and dig our local Richmond scene but have perhaps not run across Adi Meyerson’s graceful bass stylings before. The quintet version of Dark Matter that will appear at Reveler features bassist Meyerson and Los Angeles-based alto saxophonist Alden Hellmuth, but will be rounded out by three leading lights of the local jazz scene: incredible drummer Kofi Shepsu (who killed it when I saw him back Sarah Hanahan at Reveler a few months ago), trumpet powerhouse Marcus Tenney (you know him from Butcher Brown, Tennishu, onetime membership in No BS! Brass Band, and so many other things), and special guest sax player Charles Owens (who is everywhere these days, from leading his own jazz trio to performing with everyone from Brad Mehldau to Deau Eyes). Combining all of these incredible players on one stage for one night is a recipe for jazz immortality. You won’t want to miss a single note of this sure-to-be-transcendent performance.
Thursday, July 17, 7 PM
Heavy Is the Head, Iron Gate, Bound, The Get Off @ Bandito’s – $15
And now we will return to a subject that is firmly within my wheelhouse: a metal/hardcore show taking place on a Thursday night at Bandito’s, where the nachos reign supreme and the heads bang hard. This show will feature Richmond powerhouse Heavy Is the Head at the top of the bill, and for a band who sadly lost a core member within the past year, these folks have remained strong, powerful, and full of energy and drive throughout the entire ordeal. Their latest EP, For Your Loss, is a killer slab of thick metal riffs and brutal hardcore breakdowns driven by an intensity that is undeniable and sure to get everyone in the room moving during their set. If you’ve been following the heavier end of the Richmond music scene for the past year, you’re sure to have heard about this band, and if you haven’t gone the extra mile to check them out and get familiar with their excellent sound, this is a perfect time to finally get that taken care of.
There’s a lot more happening at this show than a set from our heavy hometown heroes, though, and the first and most important part of that is the set from New Hampshire band Iron Gate. These guys crank up the chugging low-end brutality and take things in an undeniable death-metallic direction, but retain more than enough structural elements from the metallic hardcore of the past decade or so to keep them from being accounted as entirely on the metal side of the genre divide. That’s not to mention the full-on “angry guy yelling insults” breakdown on latest single “Ego Trip,” which makes me feel like I’m listening to Sworn Enemy or somebody. Gotta love it. Relatively new Connecticut band Bound will be along on the trip through Richmond for this one as well, and while I was initially confused that this isn’t the Connecticut hardcore band Bound who released two EPs in the mid-90s, I was stoked to find that this new Bound are also killer, playing brutal, pounding metal full of downtuned guitars and throaty vocal roars. Sick. Local hardcore-punk ragers The Get Off will get this show started with plenty of vitriol and vigor. Things will only get heavier and awesomer from there.
Friday, July 18, 9 PM
Wes Parker, Roughshod, Bucko @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
If you’ve been around the Richmond indie scene for a while, chances are you know Wes Parker’s work. Back in the mid-2010s when I still lived in a show house, he was one of two songwriters that led the band Camp Howard, and I definitely saw them play my living room a few times. That band did a whole bunch of stuff, but ended up falling apart during the pandemic era, when live performances were few and far between. It took Parker a few years to pull together a solo project, and during that time, a whole new generation of young Richmond indie kids grew up and started going to shows. I doubt the time off, and the need to reintroduce himself to a younger crowd, will slow Parker down much, though. His musical chops have always been top-notch, and the debut solo EP he released earlier this year, Splinter, shows that he still has a knack for melodic pop-rock tunes — though these days they appear in an almost Beatlesque setting, mixing in vaguely retro-sounding orchestral elements and adding intriguing depth to his many delicious compositions.
Whether you remember Parker from his Camp Howard days or are just someone intrigued by the advent of a talented new singer-songwriter on the local scene, you’ll definitely want to come down to the Camel this Friday night and see what Wes Parker has to offer us all. And the fact that two excellent local combos will be on the bill to add support is a delightful bonus that will probably end up being worth the price of admission in their own right. Roughshod’s take on classic guitar-driven rock n’ roll riffage has been getting louder and grittier with their more recent material, even as they retain a strong melodic sense of twangy tunefulness. The result is always delightful to hear. And of course Bucko have been grabbing a fair bit of attention around town with their well-constructed tunes that mix indie, folk, and pop elements together into a delightful musical melange. If you’re not up on these folks yet, show up to this one on time. You won’t be sorry.
Saturday, July 19, 9 PM
The Brood, Arrogants, Auto Sear @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10
I’ve been living on this planet for close to half a century, and I think by now there are certain things I can safely say about myself. One of the most prominent ones is that I will never ever get sick of fast angry hardcore punk. If there’s more of it to hear, I want to hear it. Therefore I am delighted to see Philadelphia-based purveyors of old-school hardcore punk rage and noisy chaos The Brood coming through town this Saturday night and pulling up at Northside’s home of rock and roll, Fuzzy Cactus. This band has been around for over a decade now, and have spent that entire time churning out uptempo rage with a degree of talent and panache that makes them an above average example of their chosen genre. Their debut LP, For The Dark, was released late last year by Armageddon Label, which means they have some connection to classic Albany hardcore bands like Drop Dead and Devoid Of Faith. Let me tell you, that’s a really obvious connection on the LP; filthy, snarly vocals rage overtop of fast-but-not-hyperspeed riffage and pounding drums that just want to beat your eardrums into submission.
Expect your ears to receive a similar sort of ill treatment, only at much higher volumes, when The Brood pull up at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night. Make no mistake — you’ll love it. And you’ll also love the two Richmond-based bands who’ll be joining The Brood up at Fuzzy. Arrogants are raw and noisy as hell on their 2023 demo, and they never let up or slow down with their snarling hardcore punk attack. Classic shit that’s sure to leave you with scabbed knees. The bill is rounded out by Auto Sear, a semi-mysterious new Richmond band who just released a demo on the intriguingly named “Sex Fiend Abomination” label (I swear Westboro Baptist types have shouted soemthing similar to me at Pride at least once or twice). These folks are perhaps the rawest and noisiest of them all, and in their sheer lo-fi chaos attack, I definitely hear echoes of classic “mysterious guy hardcore” bands like Aerosols and Cult Ritual. This show will be an absolute ripper — come prepared for moshpit destruction.
Sunday, July 20, 7 PM
Darker Than, Dayfiction, Artschool, Captain Caveman @ Black Iris – $12
Wrap up your rock n’ roll weekend this time around by spending Sunday night over at Black Iris, where a quartet of hard-rocking bands will bring you a variety of different approaches to the genre. Or something like that. This entire evening is headed up by the Baltimore-based quartet Darker Than, who sound menacing and intimidating on their most recent EP, Through The Cracks. However, the high level of furious noise is by no means the only thing they have to offer appreciative listeners — there’s also a strong sense of classic punk melody running through their tunes that should ring delightful bells for those who love bands like X and TSOL. This band will cap off the evening, and your weekend, with a collection of raging yet subtly melodic punk tunes delivered at full volume. Who could ask for anything better than that? You better not miss this one.
And make sure you show up on time, because we’ve got a trio of homegrown greats to sweeten the pot on this particular bill, and you won’t want to miss any of them either. First on the list are Richmonders Dayfiction, who don’t seem to carry any great loyalty to the classic punk rock sound Darker Than make a core part of their musical identity. However, Dayfiction make up for any potentially jarring contrasts in their sound with that of Darker Than by bringing the heavy guitars and driving song structures of classic post-hardcore to the table and blasting us all with a wall of killer sound. Fans of groups like Single Mothers and Drug Church will dig what these folks are up to. Artschool go in almost the opposite direction, adding some classic 70s-style punk melody to the mix with their politically-driven tracks. These guys should have the whole room pogoing during their set. The evening will be rounded out by a set from Captain Caveman (if you’re of a certain age, I’m sure you’re as tempted as I am to yell that band’s name at the top of your lungs), who bring an additional dose of raw punk energy that’s sure to be welcome at the start of this evening. As a last hurrah for a summertime weekend, you really can’t ask for much more than this.
Monday, July 21, 7 PM
Chris Vasi Jazz Quintet, The Velvet Devils @ Reveler Experiences – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I may be courting disaster by putting three different Reveler shows into the column only one week after writing about how everything that happens at that club these days tends to sell out. Hopefully by the time you’re hearing about all of them, there are still tickets available, because all of these shows have a lot to offer. This one shows off the talents of a true Richmond renaissance man — guitarist Christopher Vasi, who has connections with all sorts of local music in all sorts of different genres. He plays guitar in Afro-Zen All Stars, creates reimagined takes on classic Thelonious Monk material in his project Monk’s Playground, and regularly works with other frequent reveler habitues like Roger Carroll and Barry Bless. So in case you hadn’t run across his work before, let me assure you — he’s the real deal.
As for his Chris Vasi Jazz Quintet, the group he’s put together just for this occasion, it features a variety of players who are talented and indispensable to the local music scene in their own right, including members of Say Less Brass Band, R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND, Roger Carroll’s backing band, and more. These folks will be playing jazz of all sorts, and with their mix of influences that stretch far beyond the borders of the English-speaking world, I fully expect things to go in a variety of different directions — all of which will no doubt be intriguing and wonderful. The evening will also feature a performance from The Velvet Devils, a duo reuniting Vasi with his former Illbillys bandmate, vocalist JB Jeter. The two will give us a choice selection of classic tunes, some of which we’re sure not to expect, all of which will feature new arrangements and an incredibly talented singer up front. This will be a great night — especially for a Monday. Get into it.
Tuesday, July 22, 7 PM
Terror Cell, Senza, Barrow, Dead Hour Noise @ Gallery 5 – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s one last blast of metallic hardcore punk rage with which to wrap up your week and give yourself plenty of opportunity to bang your head and scream along. Depending on who you ask, this bill is either topped or opened by Terror Cell, the Richmond metallic hardcore bruisers whose midtempo metallic hardcore blasts of pure fury should leave no room for doubt as to how awesome they are. If you’ve been around these parts for a little while, though, it seems obvious that you’d know all that by now, so I probably should spend more time on the other three bands on this bill regardless. Let’s start out talking about Senza, a loud, hard-hitting metallic hardcore ensemble from the Pacific Northwest whose high-pitched vocal screams and chugging riffage, complete with breakdowns, makes me think of classic Jerome’s Dream material. Their latest EP, Celestial Body, is a nonstop wall of furious noise, and a total delight to listen to. It definitely leads me to expect great things from their performance on Tuesday night at Gallery 5. So yeah — get stoked.
Barrow come to Gallery 5 from a much closer starting point — North Carolina. These folks have elements of post-hardcore to their sound, though there’s just as much outright prog-metal melody and post-rock epic song structure at work in their music as well. The end result should click for those who enjoy bands like Envy, or the early material by Moving Mountains. They seem to spend an equal amount of time constructing lovely single-note guitar interludes and breaking those sorts of moments up with screaming emotional panic. I don’t know about you, but this works very well for me, and I’m glad to have these folks in my hometown for the night. Rounding out the bill will be Michigan’s Dead Hour Noise, who bring a strong helping of chaotic hardcore with a leavening of grind mixed in. Just what I like to hear. This one’s gonna rule.
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
Please consider supporting my Patreon, where I’m writing crazy fiction on irregular schedules (currently serializing a novel — one new chapter per week). Also this helps me pay my rent, and I can’t do the column if I’m homeless. patreon.com/marilyndrewnecci
