RVA Shows You Must See This Week: May 6 – May 12
FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, May 9, 3 PM
Fisher King Records presents Reproductive Freedom Fest, feat. Circle Breaker (Photo by Key Ritchie), Snack Truck, Ostraca, Process//Sleep, Terror Cell, My Sword My Sword, Fit Check, Neighbor Shoots Neighbor, Remembrance, Auto Icon, Kristeva @ The Camel – $20 minimum donation (order tickets HERE)
I first remember noticing the uptick of excitement around springtime fundraisers for the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project back in the early 2010s, when the hotness was to form fundraising teams with your friends, give them catchy names (one of my old notebooks still has a “Team Kate Bush” sticker on it) and compete to see who could throw the most banger benefits for RRFP. I don’t know if that’s still going on, but I do know that springtime remains the ideal time for RRFP fundraisers in the Richmond punk scene, and I’m so very much in favor of that. We’ve talked about it before so need to belabor the point, but reproductive rights and freedoms in this country have been going in entirely the wrong direction for the past 10 years (ever since some hellbastard who does NOT play killer d-beat riffs got elected president), and therefore the functions of RRFP and like-minded organizations only become more urgent with every passing year. So yeah — thanks to Fisher King Records for keeping this annual tradition going for what is now its fifth year.
And thanks to all the incredibly talented bands willing to lend their support to this entirely worthy cause and make a show that benefits something really important so good that you’d want to be there even if it didn’t benefit anything but buying the bands pizza and beer. Of course the headlining hotness is Snack Truck, that legendary chaotic hardcore duo of the 00s era that featured Nate Rappole, the genius behind Gull, on drums and vocals, teaming up with mathcore guitar wizard Matt Krofcheck. They made one really great LP with that lineup, 2004’s Harpoon, and then started undergoing a bunch of lineup changes that paired Krofcheck with several different drummers — sometimes multiple drummers at the same time — and taking their sound in wild psychedelic instrumental directions before the group finally fell apart completely about 12 years ago. Thankfully, within the last two years, Rappole and Krofcheck have come back together in their original two-piece lineup and rediscovered the brilliance of their early hardcore material, which now anchors their live sets and imbues them with a renewed vigor that carries through all of the newer material they’ve been experimenting with as well. If you haven’t caught this band since they reformed, do it now — it is, after all, for a good cause.
And then you’ve got so many other great bands to catch as well. Veteran blackened screamo death-noise cult trio Ostraca will be on this bill, combining moody interludes with harsh, raging epics full of metallic hardcore fury. They’re presented as co-headliners on the bill with Snack Truck, and considering their lengthy career and sterling record of releasing incredible music year after year (see their fifth album, 2025’s Eventualities, for proof that this band only gets better and more intense), they deserve no less. Beyond Ostraca comes a long list of other incredible bands, from local merchants of unceasing brutality Terror Cell to the roaring panic chaos of touring Floridians My Sword! My Sword! Other non-local groups on this super-stacked all-day show include North Carolinians Process//Sleep, whose epic hardcore sound harkens back to the stretched out brilliance of 90s Canadian hardcore groups like One Eyed God Prophecy or Ire; as well as Charlottesville’s Remembrance, who bash out some unrelenting chaotic grind-noise that will make fans of long-departed legends like Ed Gein and Thumbscrew absolutely thrilled. Other well-known brilliance on this bill includes confrontational hardcore rising stars Fit Check and queerccore biker-crust freaks Circle Breaker. There’s more, but I’ve sincerely run out of space, so just grab yourself a ticket now if you haven’t already. There are a million reasons not to miss this one.
Wednesday, May 6, 6 PM
Drug Church, White Reaper, Spy, Public Opinion @ The Canal Club – $25 in advance, $30 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’m sure there are a lot of people in the world who have every bit of the amount of time I used to have for worrying over the finer points of genre distinctions. And I’m sure within that world there is some significant disagreement over whether Drug Church counts as a hardcore band or as a post-hardcore band. I’m not gonna cast my lot on either side of this particular debate — I have thankfully finally learned my lesson on that sort of thing — I’m just going to say that they’re one of the best bands going in that whole DIY underground hardcore/hardcore-adjacent world. “Weed Pin” has been their big hit that the crowds clamor for since it came out back in 2017, but I still think that their most recent LP, Prude, is quite possibly the best record they’ve released yet. And brand new single “Pynch” might very well reach similar heights assuming the album or EP that follows in the near future may be even better. So hey, now is the time to see Drug Church — just like 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and (chances are) 3 years in the future. This band just stays winning.
Drug Church is teaming up with White Reaper for this trek around the United States, and while this band comes from an entirely different world as far as genre and style, it seems that their sound and energy land in a perfect place to make them a nicely contrasting complement to Drug Church. Their newly released album, Only Slightly Expanded, finds them integrating a few electronic textures, bleeps and bloops, but retaining a scrappy yet clear and melodic sound that brings to mind Riverboat Gamblers with a youthful, forward-looking perspective that can be missing at times from older groups. Drug Church are known to link up with groups like The Bronx for tours, and this is a similarly winning musical combination that should be a ton of fun for fans of either band. Spy are in a supporting role here, but do a lot to remind us all that hardcore is an important ingredient in this bill’s musical stew, bashing out rampaging riffs with a gnarly loose-cannon frontman evoking John Brannon of Negative Approach at his most unhinged. This bill is rounded out by Public Opinion, who hit the more melodic end of things in the same way White Reaper does, but definitely generate a lot of guitar crunch to keep their hardcore punk bona fides alive. This show’s gonna be great all the way through — don’t miss a minute.
Thursday, May 7, 8 PM
Raw Distractions, Invertebrates, Destruct, Ultimate Disaster, Shooting Pain @ Fuzzy Cactus – $15
There’s something about Japanese hardcore. It’s undefinable, hard to pin down or describe, but it’s there nonetheless — ask anyone who loves the music hardcore bands from that far eastern locale crank out. You can hear it in the music of Raw Distractions, the Tokyo-based band who’ll be lighting up Fuzzy Cactus this Thursday night. They’ve got the pell-mell speed and out-of-control energy that so many Japanese bands have brought over the years, and they mix in some undeniable melodic undercurrents just to offset the whole thing and make their riffs even catchier. Because that’s the thing about Raw Distractions — they aren’t in a classic Japanese hardcore tradition; there’s not much Burning Spirits or Gauze in their sound. Instead, they’re pulling influence from classic early 80s UK hardcore; I hear the earliest and best Exploited material, as well as GBH and Blitz, running through their sound. But because they come from that Japanese hardcore lineage, there’s something that sets them apart, something that makes them a fresher, more exciting listen than any band pulling from that often-drained well ought to be in the year 2026.
Indeed, their performance at Fuzzy Cactus seems likely to be fun, energetic, and just what the doctor ordered as you struggle to the end of yet another long, difficult work week. The Raw Distractions sound is undeniably upbeat, and it feels likely that there’ll be plenty of kids skanking around in a circle with smiles on their faces during their set Thursday night. Richmonders Invertebrates, a much beloved local crew who don’t get as much stage time as their fans would surely prefer, will make an appearance as well, laying down their scorching take on classic American hardcore at maximum speed and top intensity. Local hardcore punk stalwarts Destruct will also be on the scene, rocking hard and pulverizing all comers with their manic take on classic 80s hardcore riffage. Richmonders Ultimate Disaster are new to me, though they’ve been around long enough to drop an LP on Grave Mistake in 2025, and their downbeat political take on classic D-beat is perfect for these bleak times. This lineup will be rounded out with a set from Shooting Pain, whose 2024 demo is both raw as hell and full of thrashy biker-crust intensity. Expect them to start this evening out on a high note. Fuck yeah.
Friday, May 8, 7 PM
Courtney Barnett, Truman Sinclair @ The National – $42-$66 (order tickets HERE)
I was a big fan of Australian singer-guitarist Courtney Barnett’s understated take on alternative rock from the first time I heard her, back in 2013 when her song “Avant Gardener” became a cult hit in the online circles I ran in. I dug her skill with a strong riff, her tendency to sing witty lyrics in a deadpan Aussie drawl, and the propulsive energy that came through in her music at all times. At some point, I kinda lost track of her, so her new album, Creature of Habit, is the first Courtney Barnett material I’ve given real listening time to in a while. Thankfully her talent is entirely undiminished, and she’s still out here playing strong alt-rock riffs with down to earth lyrics that keep tongue vaguely in cheek at all times. The melodic undercurrents that take a subtle yet important role in her more recent material help liven up her choruses without losing any of that unique energy that’s always made this Aussie guitar-slinger a talent worth keeping your eye on.
If, like me, you failed to keep your eye on Courtney Barnett for a while, this is the perfect opportunity to jump back on the bandwagon — by heading over to the National on a Friday night and being bathed in the laid-back yet vaguely nervous vibes a Courtney Barnett performance is sure to permeate the entire venue with. Expect this one to be a lot of toe-tapping fun, complete with a strong dose of Barnett’s underrated guitar playing. Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Truman Sinclair will be on hand as well, dishing out the indie folk sounds that have distinguished his recent solo turn — though listeners may be more familiar with him as the leader of emo punks Frat Mouse, who are now on hiatus. Sinclair’s music will be a good intro for Courtney Barnett’s solo set, giving everyone a comfortable vibe in which to settle at the start of a great evening.
Saturday, May 9, 2 PM
Northside Babylon Ol’ Skool Punkfest, feat. Crack Fox, Beex, Producer, L’Amour, Chupaskabra @ Northside Grille – $12.50 in advance, $15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
One good Saturday afternoon punk fest deserves another, and if you would rather an afternoon rock-out session in Richmond’s Bellevue neighborhood instead of an RRFP benefit at the Camel, well, we’ve got one of those for you as well. Described as an “ol’ skool punkfest,” this five-band bill at Northside Grille is featuring a bunch of bands who are of relatively advanced age, having started playing punk rock at the tail end of the 20th century — whether they did so in their current act or not. Crack Fox are veterans bashing out a classic attitude-ridden take on punk rock, full of sharp guitars, fast-pounding drums, and snarky vocals, and they’re basically the ringleaders of the local old-school punk scene, so it’s no surprise to find them at the top of this bill. Their harsh, irreverent, and witty approach is a perfect Saturday-evening shot of energy, so they’ll surely get the circle pits kicked up if anyone can.
Two significantly older groups are also on the bill here at Northside Grille, by which I of course mean L’Amour and Beex, two of Richmond’s earliest punk acts, both of whom date back to the dawn of the 1980s and have had archival reissues of their classic material come out over the past decade. Don’t count them out just yet though — these are far from nostalgia acts. Founding guitarist and vocalist Tom Applegate has kept Beex going strong into the 21st century, still playing energetic punk rock n’ roll with plenty of attitude and swagger. As for L’Amour, there’s a slightly more power-pop energy animating this classic punk act, which has reconstituted over the past few years with founding members Tom Applegate (yes, him again) and David Stover joined by a rhythm section pulled from talented Richmond punk groups like Springtime, Hold Tight, and Smoke Break, bringing them back to peak form to let the 21st century know what they missed back in the day. Producer is a relatively new group in this setting, having only been around for about half a decade, but they bring together former members of Government Warning, Alabama Thunderpussy, and Askance, among others, to bash out some excellent hard rockin’ riffs full of swagger and style. And Chupaskabra rounds the whole thing out by bringing together a bunch of kids from the 90s Southside punk scene to play proper ska-punk with the kind of irreverent panache that really distinguished that genre back in the day. It’s a Saturday evening punk rock party, and you better show up ready to rock!
Sunday, May 10, 7 PM
Buffchick, Acelia, Elle Christine @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $25.40 (order tickets HERE)
I’m glad to see Buffchick doing well enough to headline over at Richmond Music Hall. The last time I remember this act, otherwise known as Brooklyn singer-songwriter Erin Manion, she was at the bottom of a bill over at The Camel a few years ago. I was writing positive things about the other acts on the bill, and hadn’t even heard any of her stuff, but then I listened to what was then her newest single, “Alright,” and discovered that she just might have been my favorite act on the whole bill. There’s an incredible amount of talent on display on Buffchick’s 2024 debut LP, Showtime, which is filled with upbeat, jangly indie-rock tunes that will surely connect for fans of Soccer Mommy and Hop Along. And this group has a particular knack for catchy hooks and memorable choruses that’ll have you humming along all day as they dance through your head.
Therefore it seems only fair that they’ve been on the come-up over the past couple of years, capitalizing on the immediate positive reaction I’m surely not the only one to have had to their music and riding it to a Richmond Music Hall headlining gig within a couple of years. This band definitely deserves more attention, and if you, the reader, don’t know why, then you should show up at this show and find out. Songs like “When I Was Pretty,” “Gone Awhile,” and “IDK!!” will win you over just as quickly as “Alright” won me over a couple of years ago — that’s my personal guarantee. Richmond’s Acelia will be a great opener on this one, bringing both a similar folk background (albeit one they take in a more countryish direction than that of Buffchick) and an equally impressive collection of catchy, memorable tunes. Local indie-folk singer-songwriter Elle Christine will get this started with some heartfelt tunes of her own. Expect your weekend to end on a high note when you end it by heading to this show.
Monday, May 11, 7 PM
Traitrs, Snowbeasts, Solemn Shapes @ Fallout – $15 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Fallout is not a club that hosts live music all that often, but I’m so glad they do so on at least a sometime basis, as they generally bring acts to Richmond who would be unlikely to play here otherwise. Traitrs is a good example of what I mean — this Toronto coldwave band has a dark, moody sound that fits with Fallout’s vibe perfectly, but would be a bit of an odd match at any other local club. Their pounding postpunk sound, driven by electronic beats and stabbing synths but given heart and life with glittering guitar leads and some powerful, heartfelt vocals, is perfect for a darkened dance floor populated by folks dressed in black and wearing highly polished Doc Marten boots and severe eye makeup. If that sort of sound is your fave, I’m sure you’re at Fallout regularly, and this Monday is definitely an occasion in which you should turn up.
That said, there’s a lot to recommend for the casual fan as well. Traitrs have a relatively approachable take on the gothic sound — more passionate and lovelorn than dark and scowling, more focused on melodies and less on raw jackhammer drum-machine pound. Rhode Island duo Snowbeasts have a bit more of the classic industrial pound to their hard-electro music, but vocalist Elizabeth Virosa’s piercing tones are sure to grab your attention in a manner closer to that of classic dark punk — and she’s got some political statements to make in there as well. North Carolina darkwave duo Solemn Shapes will round this one out, mixing moody synths and ominous basslines with atmospheric vocal sounds and driving beats. These folks will definitely get the place dancing — come join in and liven up your Monday night.
Tuesday, May 12, 7 PM
The Last Post, Driftline, Bullseye, Midlife Pilot @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Tuesday night tends to be a pretty slow night, but the Camel is always here to liven things up, and we’re lucky to have them bringing us the good tunes on these quieter nights, making sure there’s always a reason to get out of the house of an evening. This time around, the band at the top of the bill is a Central Pennsylvania project known as The Last Post, in which singer-songwriter Logan Betz gives us some excellent acoustic riffs that should delight fans of Into It. Over It., Saves The Day, or especially that classic early Dashboard Confessional material. There’s an element of nostalgia for those coming-of-age bildungsroman years on The Last Post’s 2025 debut album, Wayfinder, so whether you’re an older person who misses the heady days of feeling really strong emotions about other humans for the first time, or a teenager actually going through it for the first time, you’re sure to click with the vibe this band is bringing.
Three Richmond groups will join the party on this Tuesday night, with the one at the top of the list being guitar-driven quartet Driftline. With only one three-song EP to their names thus far, these kids haven’t gotten a ton of attention, but their shoegaze-infused take on post-hardcore certainly indicates a need for more. Fans of Hum and Ovlov, among others, are sure to enjoy what these kids are bringing to the table. Local group Bullseye are relatively new, and I haven’t actually heard anything by them, but they definitely seem like they’re on the same page with the other groups we’ve discussed thus far. And of course, with veteran Richmond emo-popsters Midlife Pilot rounding out the bill, you’re assured of strong quality from start to finish with this one. Brighten up your Tuesday night with the folks at The Camel — you won’t regret it.
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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