RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 20 – May 26
FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, May 24, 6 PM
Asian American Pacific Islander Month Celebration, feat. Beya (Photo by Miranda Jean), Cats In Houses, Gary Luong, Cyrussx, Sami Gardner, Himadri Bapon, Vale @ The Camel – $12 (order tickets HERE)
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month here in the United States, and if you didn’t pay close attention, you might not know that. Unlike some other months we celebrate each year, this one tends to fly under the radar. And that’s a shame, because every different minority group that exists in this highly diverse country of ours deserves its own time to receive recognition and shine forth its brightest light. Thankfully those of us here in Richmond don’t have to wait for elected officials like Donald Trump to provide this recognition; instead, folks here in the community are doing it for themselves, organizing an event at The Camel this Sunday night to honor folks with Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage here in Richmond who help make our music scene so great.
What I really like about shows like this, which bring together members of a particular community to celebrate the things they bring to the local music scene, is that some of the artists will be quite familiar, but others will not be. I’m most familiar with the catchy, emotional folk-pop of Beya, who has been a memorable presence at local gigs for a couple of years now. Cats In Houses have also caught my attention a time or two, playing a style of emotional alt-rock that is full of catchy hooks and multi-layered vocal parts that crank up the yearning energy to a high level. Underneath all of their distorted guitars and strained croons are some incredible guitar melodies that are sure to delight anyone with a taste for bands like Elliott or Engine Down.
What about all the other musicians on this bill though? Some of them might be familiar to some of you, but all of them are new to me, making this show an extremely exciting one — I love to hear new music! Gary Luong is a notable presence on this bill; Doug has covered the brilliance of his 2023 single “Stay” before, but this talented singer-songwriter has engaged in quite a few notable collaborations with other talents in and around Richmond, most notably his work with pop artist Rine and his EP of original Christmas tunes with Eliza Grace Queen, Merry Christmas Dear. Of course, at this time of year and with the kind of weather we’re having, holiday tunes are not exactly appropriate, but the talent Luong shows on that material and others will no doubt shine through in his performance as well. Sami Gardner is a new singer-songwriter on the Richmond music scene, but her performance at a recent edition of Tyler Meacham’s Anyfolk series certainly turned some heads; her gorgeous, heartfelt indie-folk tunes were a highlight of the evening. And of course, Himadri Bapon’s lush, expressive tunes will bring the whole place to a standstill. There are even more artists on this bill I could talk about, but by now you should know that you need to be at this show. Don’t let this opportunity to celebrate folks who rarely get their due pass you by!
Wednesday, May 20, 7 PM
The Green Hearts, Fuzzy Prophet, The Red Hot Lava Men, 2:Hole Punch @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Sometimes a band has been around town for a while and I’ve seen them listed on flyers for a while and I start thinking I know the full extent of their powers. You know what? Every time I start doing that, someone should smack me. Because that’s the kind of understanding I had of the Green Hearts. Which is why I wasn’t paying attention when their self-titled LP came out six or so weeks ago. I finally gave it a listen because of this show, and OH MY GOD I was blowing it. This is an incredible record from a very talented ensemble. If you dig the whole power-pop thing, bands like the Nerves and The Romantics and early Cheap Trick, or even Teenage Fanclub and Matthew Sweet and the other revivalists from the 90s alternative rock era, whoa boy you are in for a treat when you discover this record. It’s a perfect sunny afternoon, skipping outta work early, rolling down the car windows, and driving through the countryside with these tunes BLASTING sort of record.
And I can only imagine that The Green Hearts will do it up right and proper with this midweek headliner at the Camel. They’ve only played a couple of shows since the album came out, so they’re probably still introducing this material to new people. If you’re like me and need to collect your latepass, this is the perfect opportunity to do so, jump on the bandwagon, and let the love of the Green Hearts’ music shine in your heart as you dance the night away. The Green Hearts will be joined on this bill by fellow Richmonders Fuzzy Prophet, who have a slightly tougher and more retro take on power pop, integrating a fair bit of the 60s garage-psych era into their sound and letting it all rip, raw and raunchy style, on their latest EP, Ruin Of the Fading Night. If you like local heroes The Ar-Kaics, Fuzzy Prophet will hit the spot for you. The Red Hot Lava Men are an instrumental surf-rock band who’ve been getting everyone in Richmond dancing with a selection of old favorites and swingin originals for well over a decade now. Their set should certainly be fun. The evening will start out with 2:Hole Punch, a bass-and-drums instrumental rock duo with some fun high-energy grooves to get the night started off right. Be sure you’re there.
Thursday, May 21, 7:30 PM
Bangzz, The Smirks, Shagwuf @ Get Tight Lounge – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This one’s for the angry feminist punks out there — especially the ones who’ve been in the trenches with all this sort of crap since the days of Bikini Kill and Spitboy, and are annoyed as hell that they still get treated in a condescending fashion by men who feel like patriarchy is a perfectly acceptable system. North Carolina’s Bangzz have teamed up with Virginia’s very own beloved powerhouse of feminist punk n’ roll, Shagwuf, for some tour dates before this, and now they’re getting back in the van and taking their show on the road, starting right here in RVA at Get Tight Lounge. Bangzz are a ferocious duo — guitar, drums, no bass — with a loud enough sound that anything else would probably just get in the way. Erika Libero’s powerful soaring voice harks back to Kathleen Hanna’s best full-throated yells, while the snarky quips and frustrated snarls of songs like “Feral As Everr” and “I Feel Like Shit” are pure gold for folks who appreciate bands like the Lambrini Girls.
Folks here in the central Virginia area should certainly know Shagwuf by now — the trio has been bringing loud, fun-loving and irreverent rock n’ roll with a fierce political consciousness and a unique and powerful point of view to this part of the state for over a decade now, and they only get better as they go. With original drummer Pablo Olivieri retiring from the group earlier this year, replaced by redoubtable Richmond drummer Brittany Horkan, the group’s all set to enter a new phase, and recent live dates have seen them more fired up than ever. Get on board with this one if you somehow avoided doing so anytime in the past decade. Richmonders The Smirks will round out the bill on this one, dishing out some killer tunes with garage rock energy and power-pop flair. Don’t miss a moment of this one.
Friday, May 22, 9 PM
Mick’s Jaguar, Mister Earthbound, Spit Shine @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10
The farther you go back into the history and pre-history of punk rock, the closer you get to the roots of the whole thing: sleazy, degenerate three-chord rock n’ roll. The very earliest bands who created the building blocks of punk were often total maniacs who loved drugs, sex, and loud guitars, and who based their approach on the most chaotic groups of the 60s: garage rock bands like The Seeds, one-hit wonders like Count Five, and British Invasion yobbos like The Rolling Stones. It’s no surprise that love for the Rolling Stones runs deep in many corners of the punk rock scene even today, and therefore it makes perfect sense that a band like Mick’s Jaguar exists. Formed in New York City a decade or so ago in order to do a punked-up set of Stones songs for a New Year’s party, they stuck together and eventually started writing songs, at which time their booze-soaked performances and catchy riffs caught the attention of a label. They’ve since released two LPs, the most recent being 2022’s Salvation, and while they don’t play Rolling Stones songs as their main fare anymore, that band’s most intense Cocksucker Blues-era indulgences still come across as a template for what Mick’s Jaguar do today.
So yeah, expect leather jackets, raunch, and chaos at Fuzzy Cactus this Friday night. This New York City ensemble is going to bring all the grit and grime of NYC to RVA, and let it loose in tunes that carry the spirit of the Stones but sit closer musically to prime-era AC/DC mixed with Alice Cooper circa School’s Out and a big dollop of Antiseen. So yeah — raging no-frills rock n’ roll. Gotta love it. Richmonders Mister Earthbound provide support with a significantly different sound, one that ventures into the astral plains a bit on their latest EP, the three-song 15-minute Ostara. Their tracks stretch out, exploring twangy desert psych landscapes that feel like Queens of the Stone Age soundtracking a Sergio Leone movie. Philadelphia’s Spit Shine round out the bill with some classic early 70s boogie riffs, of the sort that sounded amazing on LPs by early 70s obscurities like Bang and Sir Lord Baltimore, with a bit of period funk vibes stirred in. These three great musical tastes are gonna taste great together, so pull up at Fuzzy Cactus this Friday night and cop you a big ol’ spoonful.
Saturday, May 23, 9 PM
Black Mambas, Mala Vista, Mel Machete @ Fuzzy Cactus – $15
As has long been established, Fuzzy Cactus is Richmond’s home of rock n’ roll in the 21st century, since XL102 decided to bore us all with folk pop crap. And you can certainly spend one hell of a rock n’ roll weekend with them this weekend, as they follow up a sleazeball punk extravaganza on Friday night with a scrappy punk blast on Saturday, featuring two killer touring bands sure to get everyone in the place hype. Los Angeles crew Black Mambas are at the top of the bill, and while these folks haven’t released anything new in nearly a decade (their last release was a split EP with Suicide Generation in January 2018) the freshness and exuberance of their prime recorded material hasn’t flagged or faded a bit since the first Trump administration, and they’ll surely show all of that off to an excited crowd at Fuzzy this Saturday night. Expect the kind of high-energy garage-derived punk excellence that’s been on display in recent years from UK bands like Chubby And The Gang or The Chisel.
From one of the biggest cities in the country to the other, this show’s twin headliners have the whole country covered. Mala Vista are an NYC crew, and their wild n’ crazy classic punk sound is a perfect pairing with Black Mambas. Fans of Agent Orange and Cocksparrer will find a lot to enjoy here, but they’ll also connect wtih hardcore kids who understand the joys of something slightly more melodic than their average atonal shout-fest (which don’t get me wrong, is still great stuff), with the energy of Link Wray and the attitude of the Cramps. Richmond’s own garage rock torchbearers, Mel Machete, will open this one up to start the proceedings off on the right foot. So put the pedal to the metal and get yourself over to Fuzzy this Saturday night, because one great night of rock n’ roll deserves another, and this one definitely lives up to the first one.
Sunday, May 24, 6 PM & 8 PM
Yeison Landero Y Su Conjunto @ Reveler Experiences – $25 (order tickets for early show HERE, for late show HERE)
This is the sort of show you should check out if you love dancing to fun sounds from other parts of the world and having a joyous experience with the sort of music they party to in the Latin American tropics. It’s also the sort of show you should check out if you’re intrigued by the history and culture of music from places that aren’t endlessly spotlighted in American art-centered media. Yeison Landero is a Colombian musician widely heralded as the heir apparent of the cumbia genre — a long-running Colombian musical movement that, like American hip hop, incorporates multiple elements: music, dance, folklore, and more. Cumbia incorporates the influences of multiple indigenous Colombian cultures with influences from African and Spanish musical forms in a complex fashion that could only have evolved in a place like Colombia, where an uneasy cultural mix between indigenous folks, colonizers, and marginalized imported workers gave rise to a unique culture.
Yeison Landero is the grandson of Andres Landero, once known as The King Of Cumbia. The elder Landero helped define the sound of cumbia in the 1960s and 70s, and now his grandson is helping to bring the genre forward into the present and future. He plays a form of cumbia known as cumbia sabanera, which foregrounds the accordion and uses this instrument to recreate the melodies of the classic indigenous instruments even as the band keeps the rhythms pumping and the dancers moving with ecstatic grace. Yeison Landero’s most recent EP, the two-song 7 inch Santa Lucia, is an unstoppable powerhouse of groove, the accordion pumping as the percussion pounds and Landero declaims ecstatically atop the entire thing. It’s a party on a 45, and the two performances this man and his group will put on at Reveler this Sunday night are sure to be the best party happening in town on that night — and maybe any night this month. Make sure you’re in attendance for at least one, if not both. This one is gonna be hype.
Monday, May 25, 12 PM
Daydream Fest 2026, feat. Bio Ritmo, Mighty Joshua, Erin & the Wildfire, Weekend Plans, Radio B, Hotpants, Dan & The Fam, Ant The Symbol, Charles Owens Trio, Cellists of the Richmond Philharmonic @ Main Line Brewery – $40 in advance, $50 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This year marks five years of Daydream Fest Memorial Days happening in Richmond, and at this point it’s hard to remember what the holiday was like without it. Baripete Productions have brought us an all-day extravaganza of incredible talents from right here in Richmond repeatedly over the last half-decade, going back to the point when we were first starting to feel like we could go out and be among people again without having to hear words like Delta or Omicron (Greek letters just feel ominous now, right?). It’s become an absolute Richmond institution in the years since, and no wonder — year after year, this festival brings us a delightfully varied bill of the best this city has to offer. This year’s no exception, and you can tell as soon as you look up at the top of the bill and see the name Bio Ritmo there. Richmond’s long-running salsa powerhouse remains one of the strongest guaranteed party-starters on any stage anywhere in this city, this country, or this world. Expect to end this evening with a climactic dance party that’ll send us all home to fall exhausted and delighted into our beds (and hopefully not have to call in to work on Tuesday morning).
Many many other great talents, of the sort that this column is highly familiar with, are also on this year’s lineup. You may have read me talking about most of these, but the cellists from the Richmond Philharmonic are certainly arriving here for the first time, unless of course one or more of them have a punk rock side project I don’t know about, or something like that. I’m not quite sure what these folks will bring to us, but in the spirit of Classical Revolution, I’m sure they’ll have a lot to offer that no one is really thinking about in these sorts of spaces. If at least a few festivalgoers fall in love with classical music as a result of their appearance, that’s more than enough reason to enjoy this one. And from there, we’ve got some of this column’s perennial leading lights — the multi-genre production explorations of hip-hop wunderkind Ant the Symbol. The gorgeous danceable pop of Erin & The Wildfire. The Newlin Prize-winning funk/soul genius of Weekend Plans. The lyrical brilliance and hip hop genius of Radio B. The wry country-tinged alternative rock sounds of Hotpants, featuring the one and only Mackenzie Roark. The jazz stylings of the Charles Owens Trio. And there’s even more here to enjoy! We’re just getting low on space. So hey… if this is your first time encountering the notion of Daydream Fest, make sure you head over there. And if you’ve been to every single one of them, you don’t even need me to tell you to keep your perfect attendance record going. This one is the most no-brainer of all no-brainers.
Tuesday, May 26, 7:30 PM
Potted Plants @ Shockoe Sessions Live – $15 (order tickets HERE)
I haven’t written about Shockoe Sessions Live in a while, because I tend to just assume that everyone knows about it already — clearly there’s always a thing you can do on a Tuesday night even if you hate the show I picked and everything else you found out about on your own, because there’s always a band playing in the studio at In Your Ear over in Shockoe Bottom. You can tune in live on YouTube! But it’s been a while since I brought it up, every column is someone’s first, and we’ve got a really great band showing up on the session this week — perfect excuse to revisit this amazingly reliable weekly live music standby.
The Potted Plants have been a fave over here at The Auricular HQ, though I took a while to warm up to them. When I first listened, their recently released LP Shake Your Bones sounded a little too polite and well-mannered to me. But repeated listens revealed an intriguing further layer to what this band is about; their snarky, sardonic lyrics. as heard on songs like “Safe Bros” and “Kindly, Please,” make me think of Cake at their best, while the piano-infused alternative pop sound of the band as a whole reminds me of the best work by Ben Folds Five. Once you start recognizing the Elvis Costello-ish cleverness at the heart of what this band is up to, you can never unsee it and think of them as just another pleasant pop band. And thank goodness for that. Enjoy the Potted Plants in all their multilayered complexity and pop gorgeousness, on Shockoe Sessions Live this Tuesday night — whether you pay the $15 and show up in Shockoe Bottom or stay home and watch on YouTube for free, it’s always well worth your time. If you need any extra incentive, you might just see a familiar Auricular face behind the hosting desk for this edition.
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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