RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 18 – June 24
FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, June 19, 7 PM
Lunch $pecial’s Juneteenth Celebration, feat. Lunch $pecial, TMA, Logos The Poetic, Empress Rav, TuneGG @ Gallery 5 – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Juneteenth may be the longest-running African-American holiday, but it’s the newest holiday to be federally designated and celebrated here in the United States; it was only recognized by the federal government in 2021. Now, say what you will about the Biden era — I don’t think anyone will argue it was perfect — but the fact that we’ve gone in four years from a government that finally got around to putting Juneteenth on the official United States holiday calendar to a group of openly white supremacist right-wing grifters running the country is a definite downgrade. Coming together to celebrate the end of slavery and the beginning of a long road to equal civil rights for all Americans (one we’re still far from the end of) is always important, but it’s particularly important right now, just to show all the fucking racists who are in power right now that, no matter what marginalized minority we are or are not part of, we’re not going to let their bullshit grind us down.
Therefore I am pleased to be able to send you to Gallery 5 this Juneteenth to join in a loud and proud celebration of this holiday — one which also kicks off a summer residency for Lunch $pecial. One of the more talented rappers to come out of this city over the past few years, Lunch $pecial brings an incredible knack for both witty, erudite lyrics and a joyous, expressive flow with him every time he hits the stage, and his performances have an undeniable charm that’s sure to sweep you up into the celebratory vibes. Lunch sometimes performs backed by a full band, but at this show he’s hitting the stage solo, not that it’ll slow him down any. Expect his set to be a total blast, one that’s eminently suitable for the occasion.
Lunch $pecial has also curated a full lineup of talented Black artists from around the region to round out the evening with a full plate of excellent hip hop sounds — and that’s certainly appreciated. I already know some of them, but some are new to me — for example, TMA, who is certainly capable of some hard-hitting street-level hip hop full of spooky vibes. That said, his most recent singles find him rapping over acoustic guitars and more subdued beats, showing some melodic and even countrified influences. I’m not sure which version of TMA we’ll get at Gallery 5, but even if he mixes it up from one song to the next, he’s bound to give us a blast of a set. As for Richmond’s Logos The Poetic, you may know him from local funk/jazz ensemble Weekend Plans, but he’s also capable of some pretty great solo joints, as documented on his 2023 full length Death, The Fool. I’m assuming his set at this show will focus on the solo work, but regardless of what he brings to the stage, it’s gonna be a great time. TuneGG brings a hip hop/R&B hybrid sound that’s heavy on grooves and should make everyone who misses Nate Dogg smile. And Empress Rav, who just released her full-length debut, Empress, brings a fast electro-dance sound that’ll get everyone moving their feet. Come out to this one and celebrate the freedom all Americans truly deserve — because joy is still an act of resistance.
Wednesday, June 18, 6 PM
One Step Closer, Magnitude, Footballhead, Stateside @ The Canal Club – $20 in advance, $24 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s one that’s particularly close to my heart. I got into Pennsylvania straight-edge band One Step Closer back when they burst onto the hardcore scene four years ago with their debut album, This Place You Know. The intense, melodic brand of hardcore they dispensed on that LP was instantly memorable, and exactly the sort of thing that fans of dearly departed bands like Modern Life Is War and Killing The Dream were surely eager for. They moved in a slightly more melodic direction on 2024 follow-up All You Embrace, with some undeniably emo elements creeping in — but certainly nothing that would ever alienate those that loved their early material. And on their most recent single, “Jinx,” they’ve taken things even farther into that direction, conjuring the likes of Superheaven with their powerful, crunching guitars and melody-focused vocals. Does this evolution mean that the days of uptempo hardcore riffs and intense, screamed vocals are over for One Step Closer? I’m honestly not sure, but one thing I do know is that the new single, while different, is every bit as great as their previous material. So whether they hit the Canal Club stage tonight with a set made up of more seasoned fan favorites or a whole grip of new tunes, we can all at least be sure that the sounds will be incredible.
One Step Closer will be joined on this jaunt through Richmond by a trio of bands with their own connections to the world of hardcore. Fellow straight-edge ensemble Magnitude hail from North Carolina, and are bringing the sort of straightforward singalong hardcore rage, with plenty of speed and fury, that anyone who appreciates the genre is sure to have a blast with. Personally, when I listen to them, I find myself thinking of early 90s New Age bands like Outspoken and Mean Season, and if you recognize those references at all, you’ll definitely be into what Magnitude are bringing to the stage. Chicago band Footballhead are closer to the post-hardcore melodic heaviness exemplified by One Step Closer’s most recent single, and will delight the fans of Hum and Quicksand in attendance tonight. The evening is rounded out by Stateside, an up-and-coming California band who’ve been through Richmond in the relatively recent past, but have since released their debut LP, Where You Found Me. Their melodic, emotional take on hardcore is if anything getting even better, and if you haven’t caught onto these guys yet, you’ll need to show up to the Canal Club on time tonight — you don’t want to miss a minute of their set, or any of these bands’ performances. You heard it here first.
Thursday, June 19, 7 PM
Juneteenth Celebration, hosted by Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, feat. Noah Pierre, akaLUTHER, Trapcry, Lil Stixxx, Sound Genesius, Freedom Imani, This Man May Die @ The Camel – $25.21 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a delightful thing — there isn’t just one amazing musical celebration of Juneteenth happening in Richmond this Thursday night; there are two! While it will certainly be difficult to decide which you’d prefer to take part in, it’s great to know that the choice exists. The Juneteenth celebration at The Camel, which is hosted by Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, got featured show in the column a year ago this week, and this year’s edition will surely be just as delightful as last year’s was. Of course, The Wranglers remain our featured attraction, and have been brightening up this city with their delightful blend of old-time Americana, country, folk, and jazz for several years now. Their performance at this Juneteenth celebration will undoubtedly charm and delight all comers and cap off the evening with the perfect musical apex.
But of course, there will be a ton of other artists adding their own brilliance to the evening as well, and you won’t want to miss a single one of them. This Man May Die bring hard-hitting alternative rock to the stage with more than enough energy to spare. Local hip hop rager Lil Stixxx drops hard-hitting rhymes full of vitriol and dark wit overtop of pounding, menacing beats. Soul-jazz guitarist Noah Pierre lays down some instrumental grooves with a funky vibe. Rapper akaLUTHER brings some classic trap style sounds to the evening. Meanwhile, the almighty Trapcry will heat the whole place up with some intensely sexy electro-dance hip hop sounds and a performance that’s guaranteed to be riveting. The powerful pipes of soul singer Freedom Imani and the unorthodox yet powerful instrumental grooves of Sound Genesius round out a powerful bill full of celebratory sounds that are sure to move you. Be a part of it.
Friday, June 20, 6 PM
Honey Revenge, Daisy Grenade, Vana, Nightlife @ The Broadberry – $34.85 (order tickets HERE)
One thing I love about writing this column is the way it constantly leads me to check out artists and groups I’d never come across otherwise. My innocent attempt to find the best show happening in this city on Friday has led me to what’s definitely been my favorite new discovery of the week: Honey Revenge. Formed during the pandemic when the rest of singer Devin Papadol and guitarist Donovan Lloyd’s previous band drifted apart, the duo quickly found a sound that combined a love for electrified pop hooks and a fascination with the driving guitars and bouncy energy of pop-punk. The resulting blend of dance beats and guitar crunch produces a sound that’s somewhere between Paramore’s early pop-punk efforts and the straight-up pop of their “Still Into You” era. They find the sweet spot that lies between those two extremes on killer singles like “Airhead” and “Distracted,” which also bring in self-effacing lyrical humor for a combo that’s sure to delight anyone with a soft spot for sugary emo-pop perfection.
Honey Revenge’s sound is tailor-made to hit even harder at top volume, blasting out of the Broadberry’s PA to obliterate your inhibitions and make you dance all night. The opening bands on the bill will certainly aid in that mission: punky New York pop duo Daisy Grenade are a little closer to the programmed pop aspects of Honey Revenge’s sound, but bring a darker, snarkier sensibility, especially in their lyrics — song titles like “How To Hide A Body” and “Are You Scared of Me Yet?” capture the vibe quite effectively. New Zealand dark-pop vampire queen Vana is likely the heaviest artist on this bill, but her songs still have that gleaming pop heart underneath it all — though don’t get me wrong, you’ll hear quite a bit of screaming during her set. The evening will begin with a set from Nightlife, a Baltimore-based band who move from soulful R&B moments to chugging borderline-metal moments. It’s fascinating stuff. The same can really be said about this entire night. You will dance. Get stoked.
Saturday, June 21, 7 PM
Niiasii, Cam Girl, Lifeline, Joi Polloi @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $14.14 (order tickets HERE)
Juneteenth is this week, but Pride Month lasts throughout June. While the two headlining artists on this show combine very different musical genres to the stage, their connections to the queer community unite them and make this show about more than just another mixed musical bill. If you ask me, that’s pretty damn cool. At the top of this particular bill is Niiasii, a local artist who got her start singing with a girl group, but made a decisive split from that whole thing in favor of pursuing her own creative interest and writing about topics closer to her heart. On her recently released fourth record, A Girl Can Dream, she mixes electronic sounds with soul-diva vocals and introspective lyrics that seek something more from life than just the typical humdrum day to day. Her music is inspirational and uplifting, and while at times it can be quite moody, at others it’s sure to get you dancing. Overall, Niiasii has a lot to offer, and you’re sure to get plenty out of her set at Richmond Music Hall this Saturday night.
North Carolina’s Cam Girl are coming from a very different place. This hard-rock ensemble dishes out a fusillade of over-the-top hard-rock riffs, 80s-style, in a manner that might remind you of the Darkness… only if, instead of Justin Hawkins hitting falsetto notes up front, they were led by an incredibly sexy trans diva named Lily Larceny, who sings about sex toys (“Plastic Princess”) and makes metal-themed double entendres (“Back Sabbath”) with the same powerful energy and unbridled joy she brings to straightforward pro-trans anthems (“Bubblegum Princess”). All of the aforementioned tunes are on Cam Girl’s soon-to-be-released second LP, Flesh & Chrome, which is a delightful cavalcade of queer hard-rock anthems from beginning to end. Their performance of these and other excellent tunes is sure to be joyful and life-affirming, so you definitely won’t want to miss a moment. Virginia Beach-based alt-psych combo Lifeline and energetic Richmond-based indie rockers Joi Polloi will get this one started. Get down with it.
Sunday, June 22, 7 PM
Flesh Machine, Dodomeki, Potosi, Terror Cell @ Gallery 5 – $12.51 (order tickets HERE)
I don’t mind telling y’all, I am definitely stoked for this one! Local noise-rock trio Flesh Machine have been way less active over the last year or so than they were a few years ago when they released their incredible debut EP, Pray To The Hive. I’m still jamming that one on a regular basis; the fuzzed-out midtempo grooves, intense screamed vocals, and driving rhythms make this EP a perennial delight for me. It’s even more delightful to see Flesh Machine doing their thing in a live environment once more; I can only hope that this is a sign of renewed activity for these ragers. Perhaps even another record? A girl can dream. Flesh Machine are joined on this bill by a few other amazing groups as well; the first of these being Virginia-based mournful emo crew Dodomeki, whose latest LP, World’s End Mourning, has a title particularly appropriate for the era we find ourselves in. The album’s sound moves from fuzzy shoegaze to quiet acoustic moments to driving emo-indie rockers, so it seems likely that Dodomeki’s set on this Sunday evening will be every bit as eclectic.
Then there’s Potosi, who are based in Northern Virginia and feature bilingual lyrics and a classic screamo sound harking back to formative 90s legends from Indian Summer to Inkwell to Anasarca. The guitars stay melodic throughout, but the vocals are high-pitched and screaming and the rhythm section plays hard and keeps everything dramatic and intense throughout. Folks who wonder what the mid-90s basement screamo scene (we just called it “emo” back then) was really like will get the closest possible approximation from Potosi’s set. And of course, local metalcore powerhouse Terror Cell will round out the evening, crushing all of our skulls with their brutal, pounding stomp. This will be a great way to end a lovely weekend.
Monday, June 23, 7 PM
Nancy Strong, Kitchenette, Blue Spring @ Bandito’s – $10
Monday nights are tough. Everyone’s tired from going back to work that morning, and the weekend saturates a lot of people’s appetites for live music, at least for a few days. The true stalwarts have to be diligent in seeking out their sonic fix on Monday nights. However, if you know where to look, you can almost always find true gems in which to delight. This Monday night, those gems are at Bandito’s, where Philadelphia group Nancy Strong will be performing their intriguing, difficult-to-categorize music. The most recent Nancy Strong release, Muck Run, finds the group feeding touchstones from 70s AM gold and more recent indie folk vibes through a warped vaporwave-ish lo-fi filter. The result is pure bedroom pop awesomeness, somewhat similar to Pink Reason, or a way-less-problematic Ariel Pink.
How Nancy Strong’s sound will come across live is anyone’s guess, though I’m expecting chiming acoustic guitars and washed-out synth presets. It’s a little easier to predict the way Richmond newcomers Kitchenette will sound, as their newly released demo reveals a straight-up postpunk sound that makes me think of excellent mid-90s indie-punk projects like Excuse Seventeen and Autoclave. Fellow Richmonders Blue Spring — who appear to have evolved out of defunct local hardcore punk act Haircut — do a similar sort of thing, though with a bit more emphasis on melody. Like Kitchenette, they have a pretty great demo on Bandcamp. Seeing what they’re like live should be a real thrill. I’m not sure who else may or may not be added to this bill, but I do know you’ll be at Bandito’s and can therefore order a plate of nachos. So if nothing else, you can pretend the nachos are your special guest. They’re certainly always welcome at my table.
Tuesday, June 24, 7 PM
Studio One Quintet (Ken Kellner, Ryan Harlowe, Wayne OBryan, OJ Hunter, Mike Reitz) @ Reveler Experiences – $15 (order tickets HERE)
A lot of the shows I write about in this column involve established artists and bands performing original material that makes up a pretty standard set for them. Reveler shows are usually a bit different, and this one is no exception. This show, like quite a few that take place regularly at Reveler, finds talented musicians coming together in an entirely new configuration in order to bring a particular theme to life. In this case, the Studio One Quintet has come together to celebrate the musical legacy of the Jamaican record label Studio One, which was founded by legendary producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, and had a place at the center of the many 20th century musical movements that helped put Jamaica on the map for music fans everywhere.
Studio One Quintet brings talented guitarist Ken Kellner together with several members of Richmond reggae ensemble Unity Souund in order to bring the classic Studio One sound to life. While that label played important roles in the ska, rocksteady, reggae, and dancehall movements, this quintet is choosing to focus on the deep grooves and hypnotic rhythms of classic dub reggae, giving us two sets of thick, immersive instrumental tunes. Whether you’re relatively new to the classic dub sound or a huge fan, you can expect this to be a trippy, mind-expanding musical experience, which is sure to go some unexpected, unpredictable places. This is the kind of musical experience Reveler is known for, and exactly the reason you should always keep an eye on what they’re bringing to the stage. It’s not always what you’re expecting, but sometimes that’s the best part.
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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