RVA Shows You Must See This Week: September 10 – September 16
FEATURED SHOW
Wednesday, September 10, 7 PM
Benefit For Mitch Clem, feat. False Nectar, Downhaul, Caroline Vain, Ali Rose, Midlife Pilot @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
This city just keeps growing all the time. Word on the internet is that 300 new people move here every day. Three apartment complexes are being built within a four-block radius of my house on the northside (yes, I’m salty about it). Compared to the tight-knit scene this city had back when I started writing about Richmond music, the current landscape is sprawling and endless, with all sorts of active subsets in every musical subgenre you can think of. And yet, that community-based feeling has never left Richmond. At times like this, you get a particularly important reminder of that fact, as a whole bunch of artists come together to support one of their own who has found himself in a dire situation.
The member of our city’s music community who is struggling right now is Mitch Clem, guitarist of long-running local math/indie heavyweights Fight Cloud and a go-to producer and engineer for a variety of artists here in Richmond. His Go West Recording Studio has produced a variety of important musical documents of our local scene over the past several years, and all of the artists who will be performing on this night have recorded with Mitch at one time or another. Now they’re giving back, as Mitch faces significant medical debt as a result of a recent cycling accident that required a whole bunch of surgery. And the result is an incredibly stacked bill of some of the biggest talents this city has to offer, all of whom are donating their time to help out someone who has done great work for them in the recent past.
At the top of the bill is False Nectar, the melodic, psychedelic alternative rock powerhouse led by siblings Harrison and Kayla Wilson. Their incredible 2024 album, Unlimited Things to Do Forever, is a product of Mitch Clem’s production, and sounds every bit as amazing as they always do in the live environment. If you haven’t caught them yet, this is the perfect time to do so. Local indie jangle-popsters Downhaul are also on the bill, and these folks recorded their 2024 LP, How To Begin, with Mitch. Their laid-back, upbeat vibe will certainly bring plenty of positive energy to this evening. As for singer-songwriter Caroline Vain, who worked with Mitch on tunes that appeared on her recently released self-titled debut EP, she’ll bring an element of pensive introspection and an incredible vocal sound, adding new color to an already-delightful evening. Ali Rose… well, I don’t want to spoil it, but I’m pretty sure this is Deau Eyes doing a solo performance? We all know that will be awesome. And of course, we all know Ali recorded a pretty amazing Joni Mitchell cover with Mitch Clem last year, just for starters. Finally, synth-infused indie-popsters Midlife Pilot, who worked with Mitch Clem on their 2020 EP Telepathic, will round out the bill with some catchy tunes to make us all smile wistfully. It all goes to show that no matter how much gentrification happens in this city, there remains a beating heart of our musical community, and we will always be here for each other. Be a part of that positive energy by coming out to the Camel and pitching in for Mitch Clem tonight.
Can’t make it? Don’t fret! You can still support Mitch by donating at this link.
Wednesday, September 10, 8 PM
Tear Dungeon, Asylum 213, Badgerhive @ Get Tight Lounge – $12.89 (order tickets HERE)
Punk rock has always been a sound for maniacs and reprobates — especially in its noisier, more chaotic extremes. From GG Allin’s scatological belligerence to GISM’s pyrotechnic fury and Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza’s wrestling-style hardcore violence, there have been many noisy, chaotic punk/hardcore artists who’ve backed up the rage they emitted on record with out-of-control performances that could go off the rails at any time. Tear Dungeon, who perform their rip-roaring, punked-out take on garage-influenced noise in white uniforms and black rubber sex masks, are solidly in that tradition, having a reputation for shows that can involve dangerous jumps and blood that just might not be fake. So when they hit the stage at Get Tight Lounge tonight, you just might want to stand back.
But don’t give them too wide a berth, because the furious musical avalanche they create on 2022 LP Carl is the kind of sound that compels listeners to get in the pit and start mixing it up. The roaring rage channels Negative Approach’s John Brannon, but musically they’re maybe closer to Brannon’s late-80s noise days with the Laughing Hyenas. Elements of Danzig’s most gothic-horror project, Samhain, appear at times, as do moments that’ll remind some serious noise heads of Nick Cave’s first band, The Birthday Party, and the kind of noise demolition they used to whip up at their most hectic moments. In a similar tradition, Tear Dungeon will be more than prepared to unleash hell upon all comers — and every second of it will rule. Melodic metal screamers Asylum 213 will offer capable support that may not be as chaotic but will certainly generate plenty of glorious noise. Richmond swamp-rockers Badgerhive will get things started with some wild garage punk mania. Expect this one to rock you like a hurricane in the Everglades.
Thursday, September 11, 7 PM
Gino And The Goons, Teen Cobra, Added Dimensions, Ultra Bleach @ Cobra Cabana – $12
Punk fucking rock is in the house over at Cobra Cabana this Thursday night — the kind of trashy wildman stuff that originally got tagged with that genre title, back in the mid-70s when the first wave of UK punks still hadn’t quite figured out the hair gel and political agitprop aspects of their approach, and punks were just sneering yobbos with leather jackets, cheap guitars, and six packs, screaming about trashy TV and fast food. Floridians Gino And The Goons bring that whole vibe back on their latest release, a split LP called Talk Trash. These guys know how to do it, and they do it fast and hard over classic Stooges-Dead Boys type riffs that are raw, unpolished, and a ton of fun.
Their tourmates, Teen Cobra, are a lo-fi garage-style duo from DC, and they take things in an even more raw and unpolished direction, evoking the primitive pound of Hasil Adkins and the fuzzy energy blast of legendary Japanese punks Teengenerate on their latest LP, Buzzkill. Their driving rock n’ roll will inspire you to dance even if you’ve got the proverbial two left feet. Richmonders Added Dimensions are on hand to evoke the stripped-down, wire-tight postpunk sound of the Swell Maps and the Desperate Bicycles, as they did on their delightful recent EP Time Suck/Hellbent. And I don’t intend to bury the lede by any means, but it must be mentioned that local stripped-down garage-punk terrorizers Ultra Bleach are playing this show on the very day that their self-titled debut LP enters into the world. Having heard the album a bit in advance of its release date, I can tell you that it captures this band’s rampaging sound quite well — but you’ll only really get the full impact of Ultra Bleach’s music if they’re standing right in front of you performing it. The truly unhinged spirit of classic punk rock will be alive, well, and rocking out in a dirty leather jacket at this show. We suggest you take a similar approach to this one.
Friday, September 12, 7 PM
Dayglo Abortions @ Cobra Cabana – $17.85 (order tickets HERE)
Back when punk and hardcore first really got rolling as musical genres, a big part of their raison d’etre was shocking a complacent society out of its stultifying prim-and-proper ways and forcing it to reckon with the less tasteful elements of the world. You can see that element at work in quite a few of the classic hardcore and punk bands of the 80s, and one of the best examples of this phenomenon is the legendary Canadian hardcore punk band Dayglo Abortions, who shocked even the relatively mild-mannered Canadian authorities with classic albums like 1986’s Feed Us A Fetus and 1988’s Here Today, Guano Tomorrow (the latter of which was the subject of an obscenity trial in 1988). Musically, Dayglo Abortions integrated a hard-edged metallic guitar sound into their hardcore punk-based song structures, for a sound that should make old school Richmond heads happy with its resemblance to legendary GWAR forerunners Death Piggy.
Dayglo Abortions have not mellowed with age, either — recent efforts like 2016’s Armageddon Survival Guide (featuring the legendary tune “Your Facebook Can Kiss My Assbook”) are as full of piss n’ vinegar as ever, and founding frontman Murray “The Cretin” Acton has kept the band’s original spirit alive after more than four decades in the business. Unfortunately, it’s as tough to be a society-tweaking politically-informed punk band in 2020s America as it ever was in 1980s Canada — the current Dayglo Abortions tour was actually disrupted a couple of weeks ago, when Murray and guitarist Mark Fiorito were arrested and jailed in Ohio. There have been drug charges brought against them, but the band are out on bond and rolling into Richmond as scheduled this Friday night to rage and rock at Cobra Cabana. If old-school hardcore punk with a fuck-society attitude and a metallic musical edge sounds like your idea of a good time, well, these Canadians could definitely use your support — god knows there’ll be some legal bills before this is all said and done. So strap on your Docs and come mosh — and buy t-shirts — at the Dayglo Abortions show this Friday night. It’s gonna be a blast.
Saturday, September 13, 7:30 PM
Cody Fry with the Richmond Symphony @ Altria Theater – $52.10 – $124.10 (order tickets HERE)
And now for something completely different. Cody Fry is a second-generation composer (his father is mainly known for his work on Christmas performances for big-city symphony orchestras) and singer-songwriter, who first tasted fame with a brief appearance on one of the million different seasons of American Idol that happened between 9/11 and COVID. Since then, he’s become better known for orchestral pop songs, both his own compositions and new arrangements of classic standards. He was nominated for a Grammy for his version of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” back in 2021. He often collaborates with artists like Cory Wong and Ben Rector, and his music is always lush, melodramatic, and full of pop beauty.
A few years ago, Cody Fry worked with a full orchestra to create two different albums. The first was Symphony Sessions, which saw him performing both his version of “Eleanor Rigby” and a variety of his original compositions backed by a full symphony orchestra. The second was Symphonic, on which Fry composed and arranged symphony orchestra performances of a variety of his original songs and arrangements. Now, he’s coming to Richmond to kick off the new season of the Richmond Symphony with a full night that pairs him up with our local symphony orchestra at the Altria Theater (same place I saw the symphony when I was in middle school in the 80s). There will likely be flavors of both Fry albums featuring symphonic works — at times, he’ll take the mic and perform his songs with orchestral backing, while at others the orchestra will perform his compositions. Regardless, though, it should be a fascinating combination of classical music grandeur and pop compositional majesty. Bring a date to this one — it’s sure to get romantic.
Sunday, September 14, 7 PM
Deau Eyes Tour De Richmond Kickoff, feat. Deau Eyes, Weekend Plans @ The Broadberry – $22.26 (order tickets HERE)
Deau Eyes has never had modest aims. This Richmond musical project, which can take both solo and full-band form but is always captained by singer-songwriter Ali Thibodeau, has been a formidable presence on the local scene ever since they released their first single, “Paper Stickers,” back in 2018. Since those heady pre-pandemic days, they’ve been involved in a variety of outside-the-box endeavors, but one that is beginning to take on the air of a rock-solid Richmond music tradition is Deau Eyes’ annual Tour De Richmond, of which the one starting on this very night is the fourth. This year’s tour encompasses 13 shows over the course of 15 days, and they’re all happening in the Richmond metropolitan era. In a world where bands go on tour all over the country, an event like this is neat, because it serves to remind us all that there are a ton of great places to see music right here in our own backyards, and if we like the spot when a local band we know and love is playing, we’d be well advised to keep an eye out for other shows they host, featuring bands we don’t know as well. Kudos to Deau Eyes for throwing this sort of spotlight on the local scene in all its many-splendored glory.
And kudos to her also for keeping the Tour De Richmond interesting (and affordable) even in its fourth year. While this kickoff show will cost you just over $20 to attend, you can also get an “All That” pass, which gets you into all 13 shows, for somewhere between $75 and $150 (the cheaper ones will go first, so hop to it!). That’s as little as $5 a show for something like two and a half weeks of pretty much all the music you could possibly want. Deau Eyes always keeps these shows interesting too, so it won’t just be 13 of the same set — I promise you that. But whether you’re hitting them all or just interested in one, you couldn’t go wrong by hitting up this tour kickoff performance. You’ll get sets from Deau Eyes and her closest musical compatriots, Weekend Plans (who just released a new album last week!), both of which are sure to be great — soulful, poppy, indie, folky, all the good things. And the entire event will be 90s themed, complete with special cover songs and prizes. You’re encouraged to break out your old 90s outfits and toys, and if you’re really dedicated to the decade, you can join Ali for a special pre-show event at 1 PM at the Broadberry where she’ll be hosting a trivia contest! It’s all gonna be a ton of fun. Get stoked! And get ready to tour Richmond once again.
Monday, September 15, 7:30 PM
Phantogram, Open Mike Eagle @ The National – $42.71 (order tickets HERE)
Monday night isn’t necessarily a time when you expect to confront some thick, heavy vibes at a show, but since Phantogram is the band coming through the National this Monday night, vibes aplenty will be in evidence. This duo, made up of vocalist-keyboardist Sara Barthel and guitarist Josh Carter, bring a flavor that felt very au courant and revolutionary in the 90s and has now become something of a rarity. Programmed hip-hop style beats and samples mix with thick synth textures and retro moods, along with catchy vocal choruses and pop hooks that are often subtle, suffused with the atmosphere of a glamorous fin de seicle city under the cover of darkness. It’s almost Blade Runner or Neuromancer in vibe, even as the futurism of it all is undercut — at least for a woman Of A Certain Age like myself — by the undeniably 90s-retro vibe of it all. I can’t help but think of Goldfrapp and the Sneaker Pimps when I listen to Phantogram, even though they also remind me of more modern projects like CHVRCHES.
In the end, though, it doesn’t matter what decade Phantogram sound like to you — one thirty years in the past or thirty years in the future (or maybe even the one we’re living in right now). What matters is the overwhelming atmosphere created by their sound, which will envelop all comers to the National this Monday night with a warm, all-encompassing sound filled with melody, rhythm, and wonder. You will dance, and you will groove, and you will feel some real emotions. All of those are good things — surrender to them. And by the way, show up on time, because legendary independent hip hop star Open Mike Eagle will be opening the show with a set of his unique, memorable rhymes and beats. Open Mike Eagle is easily worth the price of admission to this one all on his own, so it’s like getting two headlining artists for the price of one. We’re all about value for money here at the Auricular. Get some bang for your buck — go to this show.
Tuesday, September 16, 7 PM
Dion Lunadon and the Chain, The Darts, Crack Fox @ Cobra Cabana – $14.64 (order tickets HERE)
We’ve had plenty of punk rock this week, so let’s go even more old-school this Tuesday night and head to Cobra Cabana for an evening of straight-up throwback rock n’ roll. Dion Lunadon and the Chain are headlining this set, and if the name of that bandleader sounds familiar to some of you, it’s likely because Mr. Lunadon spent a decade playing bass in A Place To Bury Strangers, the New York noise-gaze group with a strong Virginia connection. Dion Lunadon isn’t from New York or Virginia — he’s originally a New Zealander, who got his start with the Auckland-based band The D4, back in the early years of the 21st century. Those guys played noisy alternative rock from a post-Nirvana perspective, but Dion Lunadon and the Chain have a more retro energy, throwing things back to straight-up 60s rock n’ roll sounds that would please fans of groups like the Sonics and the Wailers (the one from the Pacific Northwest, not the Jamaican one). They also mix in elements of early Jesus And Mary Chain sheets of post-Motown noise, and I can even hear a bit of New Zealand legends Bailter Space coming through in their noisiest moments. Suffice it to say, if you like no-bullshit rock n’ roll with filth and swagger aplenty, Dion Lunadon and the Chain are a band for you.
As for their American compatriots in the Darts, they have more of a 60s retro-pop vibe, though still with plenty of swagger mixed in. The classic Farfisa organ sound definitely keeps the throwback energy in the forefront of your mind, even as their songwriting hews more closely to the sound of X, The Cramps, and even The Donnas circa Get Skintight. If you dig all those bands in the Dirtbombs/Detroit Cobras realm, you’ll probably love these folks as well. Get ready to dance when they take the stage. And be sure to show up on time for this one, because Richmond punk legends Crack Fox are kicking off this show with their excellent dawn-of-the-80s style snarling punk rage. This show will be a ton of fun all the way through, really — and that’s not the sort of thing you can take for granted on a Tuesday night around here. Act accordingly.
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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