RVA Shows You Must See This Week: October 8 – October 14
FEATURED SHOW
Friday, October 10, 7 PM
Rough Age, Sister Planet, Painted World @ Gallery 5 – $14.64 (order tickets HERE)
There are a lot of great bands in this city. So many, in fact, that one could be forgiven if one slips your mind for a little while. Say, while they’re mostly taking time off from playing shows in order to write and record their first album? That’s apparently what’s been going on with Rough Age, a band I hadn’t heard about in long enough that I started to wonder if they’d quietly broken up. Such an eventuality would have been a tragedy for Richmond music — another promising indie rock ensemble with riffs and hooks aplenty, quietly dissolving due to issues of infrastructure or logistics. No one ever getting to hear the best material they wrote except the people who caught the shows between their final release and their eventual dissolution. It’s an old story, one that happens all too frequently, but that doesn’t make it any less tragic.
Thankfully, it is not Rough Age’s story. This quartet, who released their Blank Eyes EP back in 2023 and haven’t played all that many shows since, have returned with a six-song release that’s probably best described as a mini-LP, entitled Entertainment. It’s available on cassette from Hilltop Recordings, and they will have plenty of copies available at this show, for this is the celebration of Entertainment’s release! It’s a delightful record, full of chiming guitars with a subtle bite, driving alt-rock rhythms and catchy chorus melodies that are sure to slide right into your brain matter and lodge there like the most pleasant parasite you’ve ever encountered. Rough Age are going to straight-up rock your socks off at this show, and you won’t want to miss a single minute of this delightful band that is thankfully very much alive and kicking.
Rough Age will be joined on this bill by two other Richmond-based ensembles. The first, Sister Planet, released a great self-titled album last year, full of catchy hooks and toe-tapping guitar riffs. Their indie-infused heartland rock sound is sure to charm all the folks who love Rough Age, especially in light of the fact that one of the members of Sister Planet even sang on the new Rough Age record! These folks may not be quite as well-known as the band they’re opening for on this gig, but if people start paying attention to how great their tunes really are, it’s sure to be nothing more than a matter of time. Painted World will open the evening’s musical program; led by Knifing Around guitarist David Long, the band also features members of Toxic Moxie, The Wimps, Piranha Rama, and more. They’ll definitely kick this one off on the right foot.
Wednesday, October 8, 7 PM
Toner, Canaries, Navaja, Disintegrators @ Cobra Cabana – $15
You know, if you just paid attention to Cobra Cabana’s image and reputation, you might expect them to be strictly a metal and punk bar that never deviates from that narrow genre spectrum. And a fair amount of the time, they do book metal and punk acts — which, don’t get me wrong, is to be applauded. But there’s also a decent amount of time that Cobra Cabana books a show completely outside that paradigm, so much so that it surprises you; that is, if you haven’t come to expect it at least on occasion. This is a great example of That Sort Of Show — a night featuring significant musical variety, which is mainly united by all of the bands on the bill having a strong DIY ethic and an underground spirit that, while it makes it harder for you to hear them the first time, definitely lets you know you’ll be getting music with heart and integrity.
Toner are at the top of this bill, and this band from the San Francisco Bay Area is exactly what I’m talking about; they’ve got small-run vinyl releases, rough-and-ready recordings, and a scrappy garage aesthetic. But they’re playing a crunchy yet sweet take on indie rock that feels like Guided By Voices jamming with Tony Molina, and is likely to please people who dig both The Kinks and Weezer, as well as the record collector types who bought all of Jay Reatard’s 2008 Matador singles on vinyl. Cool as hell, but maybe not what the guys in the Possessed jackets are necessarily looking for, right? That’s OK — this night’s for the indie rock kids and the power-pop heads. And maybe the punks too — our other touring band on this bill, Navaja, claim both Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and have an absolutely blown-out punk fuckin’ rock demo out on Indiana label Upset Conditions, full of raw vocal rage, fast tempos, and noisy guitars. Folks who appreciate classic Latin American hardcore like Los Crudos or Ratos De Porao will probably start the pit with the quickness when these folks hit the stage. Two Richmond bands will round out the bill for this Wednesday night rockout — Canaries will bring a low-fi, fuzzy shoegaze sound that’s sure to connect with those who enjoy what Toners are doing, while Disintegrators play raw, ripping punk that’ll please the Navaja lovers. Let’s fucking go!
Thursday, October 9, 7 PM
Bongo District @ Reveler Experiences – $16 (order tickets HERE)
Personally, I’m of the opinion that any jam-packed week of live music here in Richmond VA will be immeasurably enriched by spending at least one of those nights at Reveler. It almost doesn’t matter what night of the week you pick — you’re sure to get a completely different experience than you’d get anywhere else in town on that particular night. Not only is the vibe and atmosphere completely different than anywhere else I’ve been in this city — like a leftist jazz club out of a romantasy novel set on the banks of the Seine in a world where vampires exist and you really can be bewitched by a succubus. In all honesty, succubus-bewitchment is unlikely to happen at Reveler on a random Thursday (sorry to get your hopes up), but you certainly will hear music of a sort that you’re unlikely to hear anywhere else in town at any particular time. Often that’s top-flight jazz, but sometimes it’s international flavors swirled together by musicians with a variety of different backgrounds, who mix up something totally new that also feels classic and timeless.
There’s definitely going to be a lot of that going on when Bongo District comes to Reveler this Thursday night. While this ensemble hails from just a short distance up I-95 in Washington DC, they combine a variety of Latin and Caribbean musical flavors into a sound that shifts from reggae to salsa to funk to rock n’ roll, with the uniting factor of always keeping the party moving and the beat bumping. Their live shows are an open, accepting environment where the band encourages you to shed your inhibitions, dance, and have a great time while they play their excellently fun music. Bongo District’s first EP, the recently released Motelito Flores, shows off the high-energy sound they use to keep the party going wherever they turn up. They’ll certainly bring the party to Reveler this Thursday night, and you may as well kick off your extended weekend (let’s be real, no one goes into the office on Fridays anymore) with a conga line around Reveler to the killer grooves of Bongo District. Make it happen, y’all!
Friday, October 10, 7 PM
Cryptodira, Float Omen, Followship, Asylum 213 @ Bandito’s – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Once again Rival Booking brings us a great night of metallic hardcore and core-influenced metal to get our weekend started on a high note. Better yet, it’s at Bandito’s — the only place in town where you can scarf a huge plate of incredibly delicious nachos while watching brutal metal bands shred their butts off on a two-foot stage 15 feet in front of you. Gotta love that! The soundtrack to your nacho-scarfing on this Friday night is likely to get you off your ass at quite a few points over the course of this evening, so eat quick, and get ready to dive into the pit with jalapenos and sour cream on your breath. Headliners Cryptodira, coming down to us from their Long Island, NY home, will bring a grip of killer metalcore tunes, with quite a few prog interludes and quietly melodic breakdowns that will let you know these folks have a fair few Opeth and Cynic records between the Red Chord and Acacia Strain albums in their collection.
Cryptodira are joined in their trip down the East Coast to RVA by Asbury Park’s own Float Omen, a band that proves Bruce Springsteen isn’t the only great artist to come out of that part of Jersey. Their latest EP, The Degradation Of Life, finds this metalcore ensemble leaning into the harsh, brutal, yet somehow melodic sound that worked so well for Misery Signals in their early days. These folks mix some downright ambient moments of quiet horror into all the screams, chugs, and pounding drums as well. Float Omen will make you want to mosh, but they’ll also make you feel real emotions. Richmonders Followship, whose brand of melodic metalcore has been getting slightly more electronically influenced on recent releases, will also be on this bill, as will fellow locals Asylum 213, whose noise-gaze-core sound is always a wonderful listen. And hey, a little bird tells me that Asylum 213 are coming to an end and that this will be one of their last shows — so if you have ever enjoyed what these folks bring to our local scene, make sure you show up on time for this one, if not early, because they’re kicking things off!
Saturday, October 11, 7 PM
Catharsis, Sect, From Below, .gif From God, No Paradise @ Cobra Cabana – $15
I never thought I’d live to see the day, but my god, I am so glad I did. Catharsis is back! The North Carolina metallic hardcore band whose dark subject matter and fervently anarchist political beliefs made it so clear to everyone else in the late 90s underground hardcore scene that these folks were the REAL DEAL have come back together, over a quarter century after their last LP, Passion, to drop another full-length slab of dark rage on us all. Hope Against Hope finds the lineup that recorded Passion — which included drummer extraordinaire Alexei Rodriguez (Prong, Trial, 3 Inches of Blood, etc.) augmented by second guitarist Jimmy Chang (Undying), who played guitar on the band’s first two EPs, nearly 30 years ago. This quintet delivers a dark, apocalyptic vision of end-time raging against the dying of the light that easily holds up against anything else they’ve ever done, and makes me regret every time I’ve ever complained about bands from back in the day reuniting and making new albums. For once someone manages to do it without being disappointing!
And now they’re coming here to blow us all away, live and in person, at Cobra Cabana this Saturday night. I saw Catharsis twice during their first run, once in a living room on North Harrison St. in 1997, and again in 2000 in a garage behind a falling-down former frathouse on West Cary. Both times they were impossible to look away from, performing with total commitment and, yes, passion, as if their life depended on getting their musical message across. They’re one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen, and if this performance is half as good as they were 30 years ago, this will be one of the best shows to happen in this city in 2025. So yeah, you definitely need to go to this one. It is non-negotiable. As for the other bands, well, Sect is every bit as noteworthy. This intense, raging vegan straight-edge hardcore band features Canadian vocal phenomenon Chris Colohan (Left For Dead, The Swarm, Cursed, and many more), as well as aforementioned Catharsis/Undying guitarist Jimmy Chang, and drummer Andy Hurley (Kill The Slavemaster, Racetraitor, and yes, Fall Out Boy). On their 2024 LP, Plagues Upon Plagues, they crank out a wall of dark, brutal hardcore, often at dirge tempos but remaining heavy as fuck. Three other amazing bands are also on this bill, but I’m out of space so let me go quick — From Below is members of Catharsis going hard as fuck with the singer for Brazilian straight edge legends Point of No Return. .gif From God is sass-grind with a defiantly queer edge and zero fear about going too far over the top. Local newcomers No Paradise are old-school angry hardcore bruisers. Every band on this show is gonna rip. Don’t fuckin miss it.
Sunday, October 12, 7 PM
Glossing, Glimmer, Cigarettes For Breakfast @ Bandito’s – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Starting your week with metal at Bandito’s is no reason not to end it with shoegaze at Bandito’s. Indeed, the fact that both of these incredible shows are at Bandito’s so closely together just gives you the opportunity to enjoy their delicious nachos twice in one weekend while also getting a full balanced diet of incredible guitar-driven bands from multiple genres and hometowns. This particular show is headlined by an incredible band from right here in Richmond VA — Glossing, whose first EP was released back in 2023 and still, even after two years, sounds even better every single time I listen to it. An incredible mix of chugging post-hardcore riffage and fuzzy shoegaze vibes, this band’s sound is taken to another level entirely by the excellent vocals of Case Graham, who puts a ton of emotion into every sound that escapes her lips, from a whisper to a scream. When paired with these incredible unrelenting guitar riffs, Glossing really brings the fire. And they were posting at least a year ago about recording for a new release, so chances are they’ll have material to play for us that we haven’t heard yet. That’s always exciting!
And then there’s Glimmer, the New York-based band who have apparently been tagged “grungegaze” according to Stereogum (shoutout Tom Breihan). Their new LP, Get Weak, is a brilliant slab of riff-tastic fuzz guitar and beautiful vocal melodies that contribute to truly memorable choruses. In my forever-1991 brain, it sounds like Swervedriver jamming with Hum, though the pop choruses extend beyond anything either band ever tried in that direction. In my alternate-universe understanding of music, these folks should be getting top 10 hits, but down here on the real world they’re strictly alternative rockers. The benefit for all of us is that we can see them for ten fucking bucks at Bandito’s! How cool is that? Philadelphians Cigarettes For Breakfast open this show up with the most dead-on recreation of Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine I’ve ever heard in my life. Janet Starr would love this band, and you should too! Show up on time, order some nachos, and get ready to gaze some shoes. It’s gonna rule.
Monday, October 13, 7 PM
Rattlesnake Milk, Grant Edward McMahan @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $28.42 (order tickets HERE)
I’m not typically a country music person. Oh, I can get into it on occasion, especially if it’s been twisted at least slightly outside that genre’s mainstream. But if I hear that a band is sincerely playing country music, I always cringe a little bit, fearing I’ll get Garth Brooks, or worse yet, Luke Bryan, from their sound. Now, it does happen exactly that way a fair amount of time. But I’ve learned that you have to give every band a chance, no matter what genre tag they’re slapped with, or you’ll miss some great stuff. Rattlesnake Milk is a prime example of the stuff I’d miss if I didn’t give every band a shot, no matter what genre they are supposedly part of.
OK, what am I talking about? I’m talking about the fact that Rattlesnake Milk are a country band with a classic rock n’ roll configuration — two guitars, a bass player, and a drummer. One of those guitarists is Lou Lewis, who also sings and writes the lyrics for all of these subtle, unadorned tales of life close to the edge. Rattlesnake Milk’s 2022 LP, Chicken Fried Snake (gotta love that title), is full of stripped-down tunes with an abundance of heart, soul, and swagger, covered with brilliant lead guitar lines and brilliantly literary lyrics that are given the spotlight by the low-key rhythm section. These folks do nothing that doesn’t serve the song, and their avoidance of novelty gimmicks and over-the-top instrumental showing off brings these songs to an incredibly high level. Expect not only to tap your foot during the Rattlesnake Milk set, but also to be moved. Rattlesnake Milk will be joined on this tour by fellow Texas-based musician Grant Edward McMahan, who plays old-school country tunes that could fit right in on the AM country station your grandparents listened to 30 years ago between Hank Snow and Marty Robbins. His tunes swing and sway, and so will you during his opening performance at Richmond Music Hall. Get stoked for this one.
Tuesday, October 14, 7 PM
What Lies Below, Glasswaves, Wilma @ Ember Music Hall – $21.40 (order tickets HERE)
You know things are going to get heavy at a show when two bands roll into town proclaiming that this is the latest stop on the “Always Meant To Suffer” tour. You’ll definitely get two bands on that bill who are struggling to work through some issues — and doing so in the heaviest way possible. See headliners What Lies Below, whose new EP, Void Alone, finds them working through some serious emotions with heavy, brutal riffage that clearly owes some of its inspiration to the Deftones even as it pulls from far heavier sources verging on outright death metal. And yet, when the melodic choruses kick in, you can’t help but feel real emotions in the face of this downright emo interlude. Talk about moshing with tears in your eyes.
What Lies Below’s tour partners, Glasswaves, have a more subtle approach, though the result is just as dark, downbeat, and moody as what What Lies Below achieves. The melodies are a far bigger part of their latest EP, It Was Always Meant To End, and there’s a good bit of synth in the mix there. If anything, while What Lies Below remain well into metal territory, Glasswaves are teetering right on the edge of goth — at least, until a moment like the glitched-out breakdown at the end of “Second Nature” hits. Then you realize that these folks have just taken longer to reel you in before they hit you with the brutality. “Always meant to suffer” indeed; if you find that slogan relatable, you’ll surely get a fair amount of joy, or at least catharsis, from moshing around the room at Ember Music Hall this Tuesday night. Local metalheads Wilma will get this one started with some grunge-metal riffage and a vocalist who really keeps the spirit of Chris Cornell alive. If you’re a grunge fan, this is the band for you.
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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