RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 10 – June 16
FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, June 13, 8 PM
Bucko (Photo by Aspen DeRosa), Ma’am, Flat Tired @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
I’ve been in some moods lately, y’all. If you’d asked me 10 years ago, I’d have said undergoing a gender transition at 39 was my midlife crisis. Maybe it still counts, and I’m just somehow lucky enough to get two of them in this life, because my god… my 50th year has been a wild time. I’d tell you I’m OK, but it’s more true to say “I will be… eventually.” In the meantime, a bunch of alt-country bands I loved back in the 90s have been back in heavy rotation. Uncle Tupelo, the Jayhawks, Vigilantes of Love… bands that are twangy and countrified but clearly way too invested in the fundamentals of rock n’ roll to ever be as sedate and downcast as the mainstream stuff Nashville was putting out in that era. Luckily for me, though, I don’t have to just look to Southern alt-country bands from 30 years ago to connect to the way my emotional landscape feels that way — because there’s a new album from Richmond sensations Bucko coming out this very weekend.
Bucko have been on the rise in this city for a couple of years now, and we’ve been very bullish on them over here at The Auricular — they even headlined our seven-year anniversary show a while back. Their self-titled first LP, from a couple of years ago, doesn’t fully capture the rollicking glory of their irreverent, ramshackle live performances, but you definitely get the full effect from Casinos and Landfills, the LP that drops just in time for this show. If you’re familiar with their incredible 2024 single, “Riding Mower,” it’s here and it still fucking rules, but new tracks like “Haunted” and “The Needle” bring a lot of intensity as well. And all of it’s going to take on even more urgency when this sextet hits the Camel’s stage and brings it all to you like it’s simultaneously the best party in the city and also like their life depends on this music. Here at The Auricular, we think Bucko is one of the best band’s this city’s got to offer right now, and whether you’re going through some kinda midlife crisis that needs heartbreaking twang over crunchy guitars or you’re just a person who appreciates good music when you hear it, you need to be on the Bucko bandwagon ASAP.
Central Pennsylvania band Ma’am are also on this bill, and I don’t know if you could possibly come up with a better band to pair with Bucko at this point in history, but even if you could, Ma’am would still be in the top 5. Their guitars are a bit louder, and their arrangements are a bit more intense, but the twangy post-indie alt-country vibe they’re bringing to the table, especially with the noisy riffage stirred in, is a great match for Bucko’s own honky-tonk swagger. Atlanta ensemble Flat Tired will round out the bill with some twang of their own, which comes closest to the intersection of classic Nashville swing and 70s AM gold, though there’s obvious grit stirred into the mix as well. Enjoy this triple bill and get ready to learn every new Bucko song ASAP, because you’re definitely gonna wanna sing along with all of these — even if your life isn’t falling apart right now.
Wednesday, June 10, 7 PM
Deceptor, Eradicant, Bonewretch @ Cobra Cabana – $10
No matter how long metal’s history continues or how innovative modern bands get, if you ask me nothing ever hits harder than the pulverizing sound of classic thrash metal. Raleigh, North Carolina’s Deceptor get this, which is why they keep it old-school and do their level best to channel bands like Possessed, Dark Angel, and early Exodus on the EPs they have released since their formation back in 2022. This band doesn’t have a full LP out yet — though rumor has it that there’s one coming — but between their Bathed In Blood EP and the recent “Street General” single, they have more than enough instant-classic material to know that any show they headline is going to be a toxic waltzing, circle-pitting, metal thrashing good time. Wednesday is the middle of the week, so you may not be quite as prepared to lose your mind in the pit, but I have a feeling that once these boys start laying down the killer galloping thrash riffs, your restraint will quickly fall away.
Richmond quartet Eradicant will provide capable support for this evening of raging metal terror, and while their sound is a fair bit updated from the classic throwback thrash of Deceptor, it’s still a pummeling low-end attack featuring plenty of double-bass drums, guttural vocal roars, and shredding guitar mania. Expect the pit to be going just as crazy for this group as it will for Deceptor, and to generate just as intense of a bangover for you the next morning. Openers Bonewretch are, by all accounts, playing the rumbling, chugging low-end-plus-breakdown death metal form known as slam, but I haven’t actually heard them myself as yet. Regardless, if you like the kind of stuff the known quantities on this bill are bringing, chances are good that Bonewretch will turn out to be one of your new favorite bands. Come for the thrash, stay for the mosh.
Thursday, June 11, 7 PM
Guhts, Rosie & the Ratdogs, Cannabyss, Plutonium Womb @ Bandito’s – $10 (order tickets HERE)
These are interesting times, and I definitely mean that in a derogatory fashion. However, we are fortunate nonetheless, for even as the world slowly collapses into crypto-fascist chaos, there are more rad bands and amazing artists in the world than ever. Take New Yorkers Guhts, for example. They apparently pronounce it the same way you’d pronounce the word if it didn’t have an H in it, but the first time I saw it I wanted to say “gootz.” That’s a meaningless tangent. What’s important to bring up is how great this band is at constructing epic post-metal soundscapes that sound like Boris at their more psychedelic moments crossed with Nightwish and Children of Bodom. It’s not easy to explain, even if I depart from band comparisons to tell you that it’s psychedelic metal mixed with gothic emotion and the occasional moment of pure epic sludge. Whatever you’re imagining, Guhts are likely weirder and certainly better. Come hear them for yourself.
And while you’re there, check out Guhts Southern touring partners Rosie & The Ratdogs, who focus on more of a psychedelic stoner approach, and who can definitely get incredibly heavy when they want to. If you’re looking for something that sands your skin off in a quicker and more direct fashion than Guhts, Rosie & The Ratdogs will bring the cure for what ails you. Richmonders Cannabyss will open up with some lo-fi stoner sludge that makes up in brutality what it lacks in refinement. Intense chugging metal ragers Plutonium Womb will kick this one off and make sure it gets heavy right away and stays that heavy all night. You won’t wanna miss a minute of this one, so my advice is that you don’t.
Friday, June 12, 6 PM
Bad Cop Bad Cop, Pretty Bitter, Deathcat @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $28.42 (order tickets HERE)
Classic melodic punk may feel less omnipresent than it once did, back in the 90s and 00s when it went from a post-Green Day wave of high visibility and led into the emo scene’s most mainstream years before becoming the gravelly-voiced beer-swilling anthems of the Fest generation. Just because the post-Hot Water Music bubble burst at some point over a decade ago doesn’t mean that no one does this sort of thing anymore, though. Indeed, Southern California’s Bad Cop Bad Cop have generated quite a strong track record of high-energy pop-punk sounds that remain full of gruff intensity and lip-curling contempt. Their latest LP, Lighten Up, attempts to take things in a less doom-and-gloom direction than is most obvious for anyone in the punk rock world right now, focusing on inspiration and hope for the future with upbeat anthems that acknowledge the gloom in the world and refuse to let it drag them down.
Bad Cop Bad Cop’s musical horizons have been expanding too, as they’ve pulled in more influences from outside the traditional punk realm. Jazz and reggae bleed into the mix in intriguing and unexpected ways, lending depth to the anthemic Bad Cop Bad Cop sound and making things less predictable in the best possible way. And on that note, the fact that main support on this bill will come from DC quintet Pretty Bitter is quite fitting, for while their upbeat indie anthems are somewhat similar to the vibe Bad Cop Bad Cop generates, they take things in a very different direction — one that fans of bands like Mates of State are sure to appreciate. Richmonders Deathcat — another really great band that this city has produced over the past few years, take note if you haven’t yet — will get things started with their riot grrrl-influenced snarky punk anthems. Make sure you show up on time, because Deathcat are always worth seeing, no matter how early they show up on a bill. And this whole show will be great all the way through, so plan to hang out all night at Richmond Music Hall for this one. It’s not a decision you’re likely to regret.
Saturday, June 13, 2 PM
Mehrnam Rastegari @ Reveler Experiences – $17.50 (order tickets HERE)
I love finding new forms of music that I don’t even know exist as yet, and here in Richmond, the best place to go for that sort of thing is Reveler Experiences, where not only jazz and folk but also artists from all sorts of international genres come to introduce their sounds to Richmond. The new musical experience we’re going to get by showing up at Reveler this Saturday afternoon is based in Persian microtonal music, and therefore brings all sorts of unusual notes into play. Not only that, but musician and composer Mehrnam Rastegari plays an instrument you’ve likely never heard, and may never have even heard of — the kamancheh, a bowed string instrument that looks almost like a violin crossed with a banjo only with the body of a gourd.
That may not sound appealing, but Rastegari gets some tremendous sounds out of it, especially on her recent LP Dislocated Pulse, which combines the sound of her kamancheh and her traditional Turkish musical forms and compositions with a backing group that taps into a rocked-out psychedelic space and sends the whole thing flying into the stratosphere. But whether she is rocking out her traditional compositions — which she has also turned into soundtracks for a variety of films and theatrical productions — or giving us something more based in standard Turkish forms, we’re all likely to hear something new to us, and a bit revelatory. The limits of music are always a bit arbitrary, and it’s nice to see someone prove that by transcending them in strong, self-assured fashion. Go see Mehrnam Rastegari at Reveler and catch exactly that.
Sunday, June 14, 7 PM
Heartsick, Major Moment, Seasons, Dying Oath, Saint Diablo @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $21.25 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s end the weekend with more untrammeled heavyosity, shalll we? Heartsick are a Michigan band with a powerful sound that combines intense melody with unrelenting rhythmic power and some truly heavy breakdowns. If you prefer your metal to be heavy as fuck but do occasionally like a bit of proggy melody interjected into the whole thing, this band may be for you. Referring to themselves as “darknucore” lets you know that critically maligned genres like nu-metal and deathcore have been sincerely absorbed into this band’s musical pallette. And while there are plenty of folks out there who would cringe to hear that, I doubt very many of them would have the same sort of issue once they actually gave this band an honest listen. That’s why I recommend you do exactly that. And then once you have, head down to Richmond Music Hall this Sunday night to go every bit as hard for them as both they and you deserve.
Boston band Major Moment are coming from a significantly different place, and I think they will certainly be an acquired taste for some. However, their talent with giant explosive melodies is undeniable, and the way they integrate pop techniques into their heavier fundamental riffage is intriguing and unpredictable without being too obviously aiming for commercial success. That said, if you are a fan of groups like Evanescence, you should probably give these folks a listen to see exactly what’s being done in that lane in the modern era. Three other groups from the local area will fill out the bill; Richmonders Seasons will be every bit as heavy as Major Moment were melodic, bringing brutal guitars and roaring, growling vocals into the mix on a level that will please fans of Slipknot at their most brutal and uncompromising. Dying Oath, who actually come from Wytheville, way out in the southwest corner of Virginia, have a Euro-style melodic metal sound that should connect with folks who dig Arch Enemy or In Flames. And the whole evening will get started with a set from long-running Richmond metallers Saint Diablo, whose take on modern American metal is pounding and intense. This night will feature a variety of different understandings of what metal music is in 2026, and all of them are worth hearing. Make sure you’re there to do so.
Monday, June 15, 6:30 PM
Wednesday, Tombstone Poetry @ The National – $40 (order tickets HERE)
Wednesday is one of the more interesting bands at work in the modern indie rock scene, and if you’re not following what they’re up to, you really need to fix that ASAP. I first picked up on them when 2023’s Rat Saw God, their fifth album, reached my consciousness and proceeded to blow me away with the eight-minute epic “Bull Believer,” which started out as a sad twangy-indie lament and ended with two minutes of full-on screaming over loud guitar fuzz. This band’s mix of shoegaze, alt-country, and emotion-driven indie creates a powerful sound that grabs you by the ears and the heart at the same time. I’m a true believer at this point, and the band’s most recent album, Wednesday Bleeds, definitely shows that Rat Saw God wasn’t just a fluke. Tracks like “Wound Up Here” and “Reality TV Argument Bleeds” prove all over again how powerfully this band can sear darkly vivid imagery and riveting melodies straight onto your brainpan.
So hey, why not give them another chance to do that? If you’re a diehard Wednesday fan, I assume you’ve already grabbed your tickets to this one, so it’s those of you who still aren’t quite sure what you’re getting into that I’m really trying to reach here. If Big Thief’s music hit as hard as Snail Mail, with the matter-of-fact dirtbag details of classic Mountain Goats… yeah, at that point you might be almost to Wednesday’s greatness. But even that doesn’t quite say it. Look, you won’t fully know what this band has in store for you until you go see them — and you’re likely to be forever changed by the experience. Even on a Monday night, that’s worth coming out for. Twangy Asheville alt-rockers Tombstone Poetry will open the evening up, and their tunes are incredibly memorable and worthwhile, so make sure you show up on time for this one.
Tuesday, June 16, 7 PM
Ovven, TV Battle Stations, Downhaul @ The Camel – $18.54 (order tickets HERE)
I admit it — I’m slow on the uptake. I looked at the headliner on this show’s name all week and just thought of “oven” but with two V’s. Only now does it occur to me that this is bandleader Owen Burton doing the “The VVitch” trick with his own first name. Whoops. I thankfully picked up on this band’s vibe a lot quicker — gnarly rock n’ roll crunch with a country-style undercurrent that really just feels like what you’d get if a dirtbag garage rocker kid had grown up his whole life listening to shit like Wilco and Cloud Nothings. Once he starts writing songs does everyone learn that he’s got the same kind of million-dollar melodic sense as underrated geniuses like Matthew Sweet or Rhett Miller. That’s the secret ingredient that makes this Tuesday night gig at the Camel a can’t-miss event.
Local up-and-comers TV Battle Stations are also on this bill, the second band featuring Ava Coles on vocals to make the column this week (she also sings in Bucko). There’s real daylight between the two projects, mainly due to talented guitarist Spencer Berry, whose playing stands out quite significantly from the typical indie-rock crowd. Featuring steel guitar that adds a country vibe you’d be a fool not to expect from a band with members of Bucko, TV Battle Stations’ recently released debut album, Precious, is a wonderful listen that’s sure to translate into a vibrant live set you’ll be glad you got to partake in. Richmond indie rock mainstays Downhaul round out this bill with a strong dose of heartfelt melody. This is a good week to pick up your Tuesday night without having to involve tacos (not that adding tacos would be a bad idea by any means).
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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