RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 25 – July 1
FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, June 28, 4 PM
Stonewall On Stonewall, feat. Deau Eyes, Beefcake, Roughshod @ W. 28th St & Stonewall Ave – Free!
By the end of the time this week’s column covers, LGBTQ Pride Month will be over for another year. But there’s still one weekend left before it all comes to an end, and that makes it a perfect weekend on which to celebrate Pride with a parade. That’s what’ll be happening as part of the Stonewall On Stonewall parade in the Woodland Heights and Forest Hill neighborhoods this Saturday afternoon, as a group of local organizations, including Trans Jam, All The Saints Theater Company, and Virginia Pride gather to “take back the name Stonewall Avenue” by holding a parade along Southside Richmond’s Stonewall Avenue. The parade will be followed by a gathering at the corner of W. 28th St. and Stonewall Avenue, featuring food, activities, and most importantly for this column’s purposes, music!
The 4 pm start time mentioned above is for the parade, and if you want to participate, you have two options — meet with everyone at the gathering space for a parade up Stonewall Avenue from 28th St. to 34th St. and back, or meet at Cedar St. and Stonewall Ave to participate in the longer route, which will take everyone past Forest Hill Park and into Woodland Heights. Parades will include giant puppets, bike marshals, drums, chants, decorations, and themed outfits (if you’re interested in volunteering to help with the parade, info is available at the Stonewall On Stonewall link above). Regardless of which parade route you decide to participate in, though, the big festivities will kick off at parade’s end, over at the gathering place. There you’ll find food from 1115 Mobile Kitchen, Ruby Scoops, and Corazon Cakes; tables featuring Virginia Pride, Trans Jam, Side By Side, Richmond Public Library, and more; kid-friendly activities to delight your young ones; and, as previously mentioned, music! That’s why we’re all here, so let’s get right into it!
Deau Eyes are probably the best-known of the three acts performing on this bill, and the pop genius of Ali Thibodeau is well known around Richmond. That said, it’s hard to know what you’ll get from any particular Deau Eyes performance, as she’s capable of presenting her music in a variety of genre contexts — from synth-driven pop to indie folk/rock to introspective acoustic vibes — without it ever losing its core elements of melody, emotion, and passion. While I can’t tell you what configuration Deau Eyes will bring to the stage this time, I can tell you that you’ll enjoy it regardless. As for Roughshod, this local indie-rock group has been at work for a while now, and while they haven’t been all that prolific in terms of releases, they’ve definitely carved out a niche in the local scene with their onstage energy and catchy alt-rock riffage. As for Beefcake, they’re a little newer, but they’ve got a similar sort of energy, maybe with a bit more of a conventional pop element mixed into their indie rock sound. These three bands should all be a delight to listen to, especially in the context of the great parade, great community, and great fun that Stonewall On Stonewall will bring to us all. This is definitely an event you’ll want to be part of.
Wednesday, June 25, 7:30 PM
Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp, Amminal @ Get Tight Lounge – $24.25 (order tickets HERE)
I always love it when bands come to town who descend from musical traditions I know nothing about. Therefore I’m intrigued by the imminent arrival of Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp, who will perform tonight at Get Tight Lounge. This group may come from Switzerland, but their musical lineage is at least partly drawn through African music. Specifically, they take their name from ensembles like the groundbreaking Congolese rumba band TP OK Jazz and the well-known electro-indie project Konono No. 1. “Orchestre Tout Puissant” means “all-powerful orchestra,” and like the bands this designation refers to, Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp generate a complex sound full of catchy African rhythms and European folk elements, which they then add to by stirring in progressive elements from the post-punk and krautrock genres, among others.
The overall effect is one that pushes their music into areas you’ve likely never seen a band explore — which is exactly the spirit of revolutionary artistic expression that they intended to evoke by naming themselves after Dadaist conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp. While Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp’s work isn’t quite as out of nowhere as Duchamp’s 1917 “readymade” piece, Fountain, it is bringing together disparate elements to create something that’s unlike anything you’ve heard before. There’s definitely an element of Stereolab I hear in their latest album, 2024’s Ventre Unique, but there are many other things mixed in there, from modern classical composition elements to funky nightclub jazz to the African rumba sounds that inspired the group in the first place. If you like intriguing music with an unpredictable etymology and an undeniably danceable vibe, you’ll definitely want to head to Get Tight Lounge tonight and check these folks out. Richmond psychedelic folk ensemble Amminal, which brings together talented players like drummer Pippin Barnett and bassist Adam Hopkins, to perform the songs of talented singer-guitarist Philip Murphy, will get this evening started off on the right foot. Step your way on over to Get Tight tonight and join the fun.
Thursday, June 26, 7 PM
Forn, Insect Ark, Et Mors @ Cobra Cabana – $12.51 (order tickets HERE)
Always a delight to head over to Cobra Cabana and see what’s going on in the most metal spot in Carver. They’re definitely delivering some heavy hits this Thursday night, as a triple sludge threat of metal brutality comes to town. At the top of this bill is Forn, who come from Boston and released their most recent album, Repercussions of The Self, on Richmond’s own Persistent Vision Records last year. Forn have been known to use the phrase “funeral sludge” to describe themselves, and if you follow the slow and heavy end of the metal scene at all, that should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. For those who are a little less sure what I mean, imagine the drawn-out, thunderous, low-BPM grooves of classic sludge-metal groups (think Cavity or Corrupted) with a big dose of melancholy stirred in, sometimes extending to lengthy melodic interludes full of quiet sadness. And then the big sludge riffs come back in, and you’re right back in slow-motion headbang territory — but somehow it’s still sad and mournful on some level. If this is your kind of thing, you’ll definitely know (it is absolutely my kind of thing).
Forn are joined on this trip through Richmond by Insect Ark, a duo bringing together current Swans bassist Dana Schechter (who contributes vocals, slide guitar, and other elements as well as bass to Insect Ark’s instrumental palette) and Khanate/Blind Idiot God drummer Tim Wyskida. That’s quite the pedigree if you’re a fan of extreme music of a slow, crushing bent, and rest assured Insect Ark deliver on the potential of that pedigree. Their fourth album, 2024’s Raw Blood Singing, has a much cleaner approach to heaviness than that of Forn. However, the tendency to veer from quiet, melancholy melodies into moments of apocalyptic doom pounding are just as memorable when this band brings them to you. There’s a Neurosis influence that sneaks through as well, which comes out in powerful moments of downbeat psychedelic immersion. Expect this band to overwhelm you completely. You’ll love every minute of it. DC-based multi-layered sludge-doom duo Et Mors will get the evening kicked off with some slow-motion growls and harsh blasts of guitar noise. Sounds like it’ll be a total blast. Get in line now.
Friday, June 27, 9 PM
Strawberry Moon, Hotspit, Kitty Corner @ The Camel – $10 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Friday night is a great night for live music. Some nights tend to be better than others, but no night of any given week offers as many excellent opportunities to rock out with some great artists and bands as Friday night. It’s therefore important for you to choose your Friday night entertainment wisely; you’ll definitely want to get the most out of your evening. That said, you may also find on at least some Friday evenings that your work week has been difficult enough that you’re not really interested in pushing yourself with some challenging new sounds. Maybe you just want to rock out and have a great time with a band that everyone around here already knows and loves. If that’s how you’re feeling this Friday night, you’re in luck, because beloved Richmond indie rockers Strawberry Moon are headlining at The Camel, and every single one of us already knows how great it’s going to be.
That said, every column is somebody’s first, so let’s go through a crash course in what makes Strawberry Moon so great. This veteran Richmond ensemble has steadily refined their lineup and approach over the years, and these days band founder Katie Bowles is backed by a powerhouse lineup full of talented players who bring an undeniable punk rock edge to the group’s indie-oriented foundations. The combination of punk rock power and rhythm with super-catchy melodies and Katie’s powerful vocals reached its zenith on the band’s latest EP, Smoon, released earlier this year on Richmond’s own Sockhead Records. If you haven’t caught Strawberry Moon in the last six months or so, chances are you still don’t know the full extent of their greatness. Now’s the time to get clued in. They’ll be joined on this bill by powerful melodic slowcore group Hotspit, whose moody, almost shoegaze-y tunes are hypnotic and impossible to forget or tune out. It’s been a while since we got any new material from them, but if you like me are being patient and good, we can all blow off some steam by rocking out to Hotspit live and in person at The Camel this Friday night. Relative newcomers to the local scene Kitty Corner will bring some indie folk tuneage to start the evening off. Don’t overthink this one — just hit the spot and rock out.
Saturday, June 28, 5 PM
Clash of the Multiverse: RVA Rap Elite vs. Southpaw Battle Coalition @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $28.42 (order tickets HERE)
Hip hop is a unique genre in the modern musical world, in that it’s the only one I can think of that is not only a form of art but also a competitive sport. Of course, you don’t have to turn it into that sort of thing — you can be a rapper who just writes verses and performs them onstage or in the studio. You can make your art the way you showcase your skills and talent. Alternatively, you can take to the stage at competitive events and show off your skills in front of fired-up crowds who judge you in the moment… and may find you lacking compared to your opponent. This is the world of rap battles, a classic art form that got its start in the early years of the genre, with pioneers like Kool Moe Dee and Big Daddy Kane setting the standard for later legends like Supernatural, Craig G, and local powerhouse Nickelus F. The evolution of battle rap leagues has occurred more recently, fueled in a big way by the growth of YouTube. But ultimately, there’s no substitute for hip-hop battles that take place live, in the flesh, and onstage.
This Saturday night, RVA Rap Elite and Southpaw Battle Coalition will come together to present Clash Of The Multiverse, an event that sees Richmond’s best battle rappers team up according to which league owns their allegiance, and battle as teams to determine which crew can hold bragging rights as the best battlers until, well, the next big event. This royal rap rumble will feature local heavyweights like Ro$$etti, Introverse, and TSON (among others) on the Southpaw side, and Rel Lyfe, T.R.I.G., and Islam Rap God (again, among others) on the Rap Elite side, competing in individual battles, 5 on 5 team battles, and a 20 MC individual cypher. At the end of the whole evening, points for each event will be tallied up to determine the winner. Those points will be awarded by veteran Richmond hip hop talents like Easalio and Cane, not to mention all-time local hip hop hero Mad Skillz, so you know the judgments will be on point. So who will win? Who will impress attendees the most with their sharp tongues and talented on-the-spot wordsmithing? There’s only one way to find out — head out to Richmond Music Hall this Saturday night, and see who can pay the cost to be the boss. Regardless of who wins onstage, everyone in the crowd will walk away having won an amazing evening of killer music and incredible mic skills.
Sunday, June 29, 6 PM
Faster Pussycat, Supersuckers, The Rumours, The Lonely Ones @ Ember Music Hall – $34.90 (order tickets HERE)
I grew up in the late 80s, when glam metal ruled the roost and everyone who loved hard and heavy music listened to at least a few bands with teased hair and eyeliner. These days, it feels like the only band that survived the Nirvana-triggered implosion of that genre’s dominance without taking critical hits to their reputation is Guns N’ Roses, but I have long taken the position that there was a lot to love about the late-80s glam metal era, and some of the bands who still survive from those days are way more worth your time than anyone born after 1979 or so would believe. Faster Pussycat were a great band in their late 80s/early 90s heyday, and deserve to be remembered today for the many great moments their catalog offers. Albums like 1989’s Wake Me When It’s Over and 1992’s Whipped find these LA boys dishing out the catchy, sleazy hard-rock riffs that are glam metal’s signature sound, but stirring in plenty of 70s-style bar-rock boogie at the same time, which means fans of underrated 70s legends like Faces or Free will probably find just as much to like here as those who understand the subtle pleasures of the first two LA Guns albums, or the brilliance you find when you dig deeper into Ratt’s catalogue than “Round And Round.”
Over three decades after their heyday, Faster Pussycat founding frontman Taime Downe is still keeping the band going strong, and they’ll definitely rock the hell out of Ember Music Hall this Sunday night, in a proper way to end our weekend. Better yet, they’ll be bringing a few other heavy hitters of rock n’ roll along with them. Most prominent are Supersuckers, who gained fame in the 90s with their twanged-out take on uptempo high-octane punk n’ roll. These folks have been going strong for over three decades themselves, and frontman Eddie Spaghetti has led them through a dozen outstanding albums over the past 30 years. If you know classics like “Born With A Tail,” “Coattail Rider,” or “Pretty Fucked Up,” you know these guys are gonna kill it when they hit the stage. The four-band package tour is rounded out with sets from Iowa femme punk rockers The Rumours, who’re sure to thrill folks who love bands like The Distillers and Nashville Pussy; and The Lonely Ones, an Ohio trio who match powerhouse vocals with hard-hitting rock riffs. This night is for the real rockers in this city; if you love to raise your fist and rage along with the rockin’ tunes, you should definitely not miss this one.
Monday, June 30, 6 PM
JC Kuhl Quartet, feat. Adam Larrabee @ Reveler Experiences – $15 (order tickets HERE)
People are starting to catch on to the Reveler vibes; this intimate Carytown club, which often features jazz-related performances, is a great spot to catch a killer show and chow down on some delicious charcuterie, and they bring in some real heavy hitters from that world. The problem I’ve been having lately is that every Reveler show I pencil in as a good thing to write about sells out before I get the chance. Maybe it’s only the fact that this particular show is happening on a Monday night that allows me to bring the word to all of you before the tickets are all snapped up, but whatever the reason, I’m glad to be able to hype this place, and this particular performance, to you all.
If you know the Richmond jazz, funk, soul, and alternative rock genres in Richmond, you should know the name of saxophonist JC Kuhl, who has connections to everyone from Agents Of Good Roots to Bio Ritmo to Jandek. You should also know that anything JC involves himself with is guaranteed to be awesome — and that’s particularly true of this quartet that he’ll lead onstage at Reveler this Monday night. Featuring guitarist Adam Larrabee, who has garnered fame for a variety of projects, from playing guitar on a Bruce Hornsby album to playing mandolin with The Richmond Classical Guitar Quartet, this evening will find JC Kuhl sharing the spotlight with Larrabee as the two work with a formidable rhythm section featuring Spacebomb’s Cameron Ralston on bass and Ali Webb & Friends’s Brian Caputo on drums. There’s no telling where this quartet of jazz wunderkinds will go as they explore the unlimited spectrum of sound available to them, but one thing’s for sure — you’ll love what you hear. Snap up these tickets now — based on Reveler’s current track record, if you just show up at the door on the night of the show, there may be none left.
Tuesday, July 1, 7 PM
Sunny War, Graham Stone @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $20.20 (order tickets HERE)
If I tell you Sunny War is a folk-punk artist, there’s a significant number of you who will tune out right there. However, despite the fact that her music is often categorized that way, I think such genre pigeonholing does this Southern California artist a major disservice. Listening to her latest album, Armageddon In A Summer Dress, with a totally open mind will lead to very different conclusions being drawn. If you ask me, Sunny War’s sound is much closer to reggae, soul, and melancholy pop than anything that can be called folk. This is true despite her beginnings busking with an acoustic guitar on the Venice Beach boardwalk. She’s come a long way with her music, brewing up deep mixtures of multiple heartfelt genres with an always-obvious passion.
As for punk, if you need to know her connection to that genre, you only need to listen to her lyrics, which point out the hypocrisies and cruelties of modern capitalism with an unflinching eye that follows in the venerable tradition of punk rock making it impossible to go on doing your typical bullshit without paying attention to the negative effects it has on the world. Sunny War is grabbing you by the chin and forcing you to look at all that’s wrong with the way the world is run today — and it’s a bracing effect that, while not always delightful, is much, much needed. And when the tunes are this heartfelt and catchy, you certainly can’t stay upset with her for long. Richmond troubadour Graham Stone will kick off this evening with some lovely tunes that subtly display hidden depths. Show up on time, and make sure you pay attention to what he is laying down. It’s well worth your time.
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 (but there are new stories at least once a week). Also this helps me pay my rent, and I can’t do the column if I’m homeless. patreon.com/marilyndrewnecci
