RVA Shows You Must See This Week: August 23 – August 29
FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, August 26, 5 PM
Vocal Rest Fest 2, feat. Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Mackenzie Roark, Justin Golden, Ward Harrison, Chuck Jones, Devil’s Coattails, The Great Beforetimes, Brady Heck, Tess Fisher, The Crooked Creek Misfits @ Gallery 5 – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Hey y’all, weren’t we just talking about music fests? I feel like I said a lot last week about the tradition of smaller DIY music festivals that Vocal Rest Fest is part of, but I never mentioned one of the main reasons such fests end up happening: because all of the bands on the fest are associated with the same independent record label. And sure enough, that’s exactly what’s going at the second annual Vocal Rest Fest, which gathers together ten or so artists associated with Vocal Rest Records. The label itself is pretty new; it began after label founder and former Dharma Bombs leader Trey Burnart Hall suffered a vocal chord injury that permanently changed his ability to participate in the musical underground he’d always loved.
Channeling those creative injuries in a new direction didn’t just keep Hall’s inspiration flowing at a time of personal difficulty; it also helped create a hub around which the Americana scene in Richmond and Central Virginia could focus. The dozen or so releases Vocal Rest has to its name since it got started are all you need to hear to know that this area’s got a ton of amazing stuff going on in the realms of blues, country, and folk music. At the top of the list is singer-songwriter Cassidy Snider and her band, The Wranglers, whose 2022 Vocal Rest release A Good Heartbreak showed off this group’s wide-ranging grasp of everything from old-time jazz and string-band music to country, blues, and more. Meanwhile, Mackenzie Roark is a straight-up country singer in a classic vein that you don’t hear much of on country music radio anymore; her own 2022 Vocal Rest release, Rollin’ High, Feelin’ Low, demonstrates her mastery over the hard-luck tale and the lovelorn laments of a beautiful mess. If you’re looking for a modern country singer who has inherited the mantle of legends like Hank Sr, George Jones, and Merle Haggard, Mackenzie Roark is exactly who you’re hoping to find.
Those two local legends will top the bill at Vocal Rest Fest 2 this Saturday night, but there’s a lot more where that came from. For example, there are all three of the singer-songwriters who will be backed on this bill by Devil’s Coattails, the Richmond Americana supergroup on Vocal Rest that features Trey Burnart Hall himself on guitar, along with members of Dogwood Tales, Blush Face, and Pistol Sister. The first of those three, the guitar-slinging electric blues powerhouse that is Justin Golden, made a huge impact with his debut full-length, Hard Times And a Woman, but Vocal Rest clearly knew what he had to offer well before its release, as they were the ones to put out his 2021 EP, Idle Hands. Ward Harrison is a bit of a newcomer as a solo act, having only released a few singles thus far as a solo performer, but he’s previously been a member of the legendary Charlottesville bluegrass band The Hackensaw Boys, and has shown off some pretty incredible skills with the three songs he’s released through Vocal Rest so far. One would think there’s an LP coming at some point; his set will surely give us all a preview. Then there’s Chuck Jones, who only hours before I wrote these words released a funky, Southern-fried single, “Tomatoes” b/w “Virginia Creeper,” on Vocal Rest that finds them fronting Devil’s Coattails on two swinging tunes that are just a hint of what they’ll have in store during her set this Saturday.
Of course we can’t forget Tess Fisher, who formerly fronted Petrichor and has released two singles from her forthcoming Vocal Rest debut so far this year. Based on those two, the twangy “Blue State Line” and the bluegrass-ish “Stinkbug,” Fisher’s set is gonna be an early highlight of this one-day fest at Gallery 5. And The Great Beforetimes, whose quirky folk tunes have a sound unlike anything else I’ve heard from that genre in recent years, will certainly be a strong addition to this bill. As for openers The Crooked Creek Misfits, ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies, but I will tell you one thing — this bill is already so damn strong, not knowing what’s up with the openers is a small price to pay. Besides which, we should all know enough to trust Vocal Rest’s taste by now. Show up for this one and explore the rich world of sound this label has curated for us all. You’ll be glad you did.
Wednesday, August 23, 7 PM
Florist, Skullcrusher, Adelyn Strei @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $20 (order tickets HERE)
There’s a sense in which this Wednesday night show featuring two quiet, moody projects on tour together could feel pretty close to the label-centric Americana fest I just finished telling you about. However, there’s an interesting phenomenon in the world of underground music these days that produces groups like Florist and Skullcrusher, a phenomenon in which projects arrive at the sort of quiet, riveting tunes that feel very connected to pastoral American landscapes and yet get there from a completely different starting point, one that incorporates psychedelia and experimental music and even elements originally derived from the world of metal. Florist is a quartet from the Catskill Mountains of New York that is led by ambient musician Emily Sprague. Within the context of the group, she writes much more structured songs, complete with lyrics — but through everything from the minimalist interplay of the dual-guitar quartet to the many wordless, found-footage style interludes on the band’s 2022 self-titled album, you hear the experimental ideas and influences buried just beneath the surface of their subtle indie-psych tunes.
As for Los Angeles project Skullcrusher, the musical project of singer-songwriter Helen Ballentine, the influences from more abrasive music are written right into the name. The fact that Skullcrusher recently followed up their critically acclaimed 2022 LP Quiet The Room with a cover of seminal 80s emo band The Hated’s “Words Come Back” proves that a lot more went into the stew of influences that produced Skullcrusher than just the obvious quiet acoustic antecedents. That being said, Skullcrusher’s music points back to some obvious touchstones from indie-folk history, everything from Nick Drake to Mojave 3. Anyone who has appreciated what Grouper’s been up to over the past decade or so will certainly appreciate Skullcrusher as well. They’ll probably also click with opener Adelyn Strei; while this Brooklyn artist has only released one song into the world thus far, it hints at some amazing things to come. If you appreciate quiet moments more when they contain subtle hints of noise, this show is for you.
Thursday, August 24, 7 PM
Sick Of It All, Enforced, Wasted Space @ Cobra Cabana – $20 in advance, $23 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Within the world of hardcore punk, New York hardcore has always been its own thing, distinct from the wider world of fast, angry music it arose from even as it epitomizes that sound. At a time when NYC was known worldwide as a tough place to get by, a place where the streets were mean and the subway trains were covered in graffiti, NYHC rose up as a defiant soundtrack for young people everywhere who weren’t going to let the world beat them down anymore. Over the ensuing decades, as New York City has cleaned up to the point that your typical hardcore kid can’t afford to live in most of it anymore, several of the scene’s OG bands have carved out multi-decade careers carrying on the tradition that created an entire genre. And out of all of those bands, the most consistent, the most reliably excellent, has been Sick Of It All.
Getting started nearly 40 years ago, Sick Of It All has had the same four members for over 30 years now. They’ve released a dozen albums and gone on a million world tours. And while you can certainly expect a band that’s that deep in their career to trade mainly on the records that originally made them famous — in this case, 1988’s Blood Sweat And No Tears and 1995’s Scratch The Surface — their inspiration hasn’t faded at all in the interim. Their most recent album, 2018’s Wake The Sleeping Dragon, rips just as hard as their classic early albums, and features witty, hard-hitting lyrics on songs like “To The Wolves,” the title track, and the perfectly titled “Beef Between Vegans.” I’ve seen Sick Of It All twice over the years, and I’ve seen the electrifying performances they are capable of in theaters that hold over a thousand people. I can only imagine what sort of once-in-a-lifetime mayhem they will bring to the Cobra Cabana patio. Unbelievably, as I type this late Tuesday night, the show is still not sold out. If you haven’t already done so, I would urge you to buy yours RIGHT NOW. There’s no way this one doesn’t sell out, and there’s no way you want to miss this one. The excellent Richmond metallic hardcore band Enforced and up-and-coming local HC combo Wasted Space are on the bill too, but really, this could just be Sick Of It All and nobody else, and I’d still be urging you to buy your ticket immediately. Do that shit. NOW.
Friday, August 25, 9 PM
Massa Nera, Black Matter Device, Thin, Humanitarian Deficit, In Wolves’ Clothing @ Ipanema – $12
I try not to do the thing I’m doing here — the thing where I cover a band from outside Virginia every time they come through on tour. I prefer to keep this column as varied as possible. However, I’m letting myself slide on this one, because the last time Massa Nera played in Richmond back in February, I was way too stoked about .gif From God’s new EP to give this New Jersey quartet the kind of praise they so richly deserve. So hey, let’s talk about them again, and specifically about their late 2022 release Derremar/Querer/Borrar. I loved this album as soon as I heard it, and if I had managed to get my shit together and hear it the year it was released, it absolutely would have made my personal “best of 2022” list. On this album, Massa Nera stretch their raging metallic screamo out to epic length, evoking legends like Envy and Funeral Diner with their multi-movement songs that cover many different moods, genres, sonic textures, and lyrical languages.
This show is part of Massa Nera’s current tour with Richmonders Black Matter Device, who did make my “best of 2022” list with their Autonomous Weapons LP. Its chaotic, thrashing metalcore blew me away, even as its unpredictable changes kept me guessing. They’ve recently followed up that LP with a half-studio, half-live EP called Buckshot Mouthwash/Mr. Uncomfortable, and the new studio tracks are if anything an even heavier version of the sort of thing they were doing so well on their previous LP. The four live tracks span the band’s career thus far and show that their live performances capture the chaos of their studio recordings with sure-footed strength. Expect exactly that when they hit the stage at Ipanema Friday night. This lineup also features New York trio Thin, whose second LP, Dusk, is full of hard-charging grindcore with furious vocals and a technical yet chaotic songwriting sensibility. It rips, in other words. Locals Humanitarian Deficit and In Wolves Clothing round out this lineup with their own versions of noisy, intense screamo. All of it will be excellent.
Saturday, August 26, 7 PM
Happy Birthday Hip-Hop, feat. Fuggin Doe, Vintage A, O-Z, Radio B, Michael Millions, T.R.I.G., Big B, Noah-O @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $15 (order tickets HERE)
So the official 50th anniversary of hip hop’s beginnings has already passed, as we discussed a couple of weeks ago. But is that any reason for the anniversary party to stop? I don’t think so, and luckily for all of us, a lot of other hip hop heads in town agree. Thus, the Happy Birthday Hip-Hop show taking place at Richmond Music Hall this Saturday night. This show actually grows out of the annual show Richmond rapper Big B throws at the end of each August to celebrate his birthday, and the fact that this year features a bigger anniversary than that of Big B’s birth is no reason not to celebrate this veteran RVA rapper when he performs on this bill. Last year’s Clock On The Wall LP shows that he’s got plentiful skills, and his December 22 single “Blacktop Wildin'” has that classic smooth sound that’s sure to inspire you.
But actually, Big B isn’t the headliner on this joint, so I don’t wanna bury the lede by waiting too long to talk about Fuggin Doe, a fella I’m pretty sure used to be known as Doe The Paperboy (y’all let me know if I’m wrong). His 2021 LP is called Ratchet AF, and he certainly brings the kind of wild energy and bumping beats you’d expect from a guy giving his LP a title like that. Richmond Music Hall should be popping off like mad during Fuggin Doe’s set, and the same can certainly be said of Richmond hip hop legend Noah-O. Earlier this year he followed up 2022’s excellent Trillipino mixtape with new LP Richmond Brave, and by now I really shouldn’t have to tell you that, regardless of which local star producer he’s collaborating with (this time it’s Big No), he’s always bringing the aggressive energy and top-notch lyrical flow. This show also features not one but two members of AGM, Radio B and Michael Millions. Michael blew the whole city away with his outstanding 2018 LP, Hard To Be King, and reminded us all last year that his skills are undiminished when he collaborated with Butcher Brown on soulfully political epic “Black Man.” As for Radio B, he stays busy around town, from his work as the face of Southpaw Battle Coalition to his steady stream of new releases (most recently a live album drawn from his Shockoe Sessions Live appearance earlier this year). This bill also features performances by Vintage, whose 2022 SloMS: Valentine MasSacre EP has big player energy; O-Z, who has some classic East Coast vibes; and T.R.I.G., who alternates between rapping and singing and does both well. Basically, this is gonna be a show jam-packed with positive energy and local hip hop excellence. Get down with it — you’ll be glad you did.
Sunday, August 27, 7:30 PM
Scott Clark’s Dawn & Dusk, The Jones/Killalea Ensemble @ Artspace – $15-20
I’ve told y’all plenty of times before about the excellent jazz shows Out Of Your Head Records is regularly throwing down at Artspace in Southside’s Stratford Hills area. However, as excellent as the monthly Second Mondays nights generally are, this show is special — and not just because it’s happening on a Sunday rather than a Monday. This show marks the release of the latest album from Out Of Your Head co-leader Scott Clark, a prolific percussionist whose contributions to the Richmond jazz scene over the past decade-plus have been some of the most important and memorable to come out of this city. Dawn & Dusk, the new album in question, is a half-studio, half-live affair, featuring a six-piece combo performing the same four-song suite first in the studio and then in a live environment. How does it change when transferred from one space to another? You can find out for yourself right here at The Auricular as we will premiere the album in full tomorrow. But neither recording can fully bring to you the magic of being in the same room while Clark’s latest sextet performs the album right before your eyes. You can only get that by heading out to Artspace this Sunday night.
There’s quite the evening in store for you if you do so. Clark always works with the best jazz musicians this city has to offer, and his latest group is no exception. In addition to Clark on drums and percussion, the group features Miramar vocalist Laura Ann Singh, Bio Ritmo trumpeter Bob Miller, former Buffalo Jazz Octet pianist Michael McNeill, Agents Of Good Roots saxophonist JC Kuhl, and Out Of Your Head Records co-founder Adam Hopkins on bass. Together, these folks constitute a powerhouse of jazz talent, and Clark’s emotionally-driven compositions are sure to take them to the next level. In addition to all this awesomeness, the evening will be opened by a performance from a quartet called The Jones/Killalea Ensemble, in which veteran Richmond jazz drummer Brian Jones and saxophonist Colin Killalea, who has gained a strong reputation in jazz circles from his production and collaboration work, are joined by Spacebomb Studios bassist Cameron Ralston and legendary Charlottesville-based trumpeter John D’Earth. It’s gonna be an amazing evening of groundbreaking new jazz, and you should definitely be there to take it all in.
Monday, August 28, 7 PM
Blind Tiger, Voices In Vain, Tropism, Pfft @ Another Round Bar & Grill – $10
I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed this, but… it seems like Florida’s Blind Tiger have been playing an awful lot of shows here in Richmond lately. Did these guys move here? I personally have no idea, but if they still live in Florida and have just been making trips through the river city every three months or so lately, well… lucky us, right? This unusual metallic hardcore band, which blends synth and trumpet into their hard-hitting riffage, always have something new with which to rock us all, and this time around it’s their latest single, “Space Is Cold,” released earlier this week. The trumpet-accented breakdown toward the end of this song bleeds into a melodic coda in fascinating fashion, and acts as a sort of microcosm for a band that’s never afraid to deviate from what you might expect, even as they always manage to keep it heavy.
This time around, Blind Tiger are coming through Richmond in the company of two different out-of-town bands. The first, Voices In Vain, are from Vermont, of all places, but have none of the hippie energy you might expect out of a band from a state where billboards are illegal. Instead, they crank out aggressive metalcore of the sort that’s sure to get everyone in Another Round headbanging this Monday night. Fredericksburg, VA’s own Tropism recently released a self-titled EP full of instrumental epics that are both proggy and moody, but mainly heavy. Indeed, they verge on sludge — something that cannot be said for local grindcore goofballs Pfft., who released their second LP, Quantum Rodent III: Escape From The Sixth Dimension, last year. Like the first LP, it’s full of outright silly moments, but never fails to put the pedal to the metal and dish out a heaping helping of raw, gnarly grindcore. And really, what more could you ask for?
Tuesday, August 29, 7 PM
Escape From The Zoo, Holy Locust @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s not news if you’ve been reading for a while, but the folk-punk thing has never been squarely in my wheelhouse. I can appreciate the energy, and I do love to have a good time, but too often it ends up being a big sloppy twee mess. That’s just not my thing. However, despite all of that, I am quite a fan of Escape From The Zoo, who are not only folk-punk but ska-punk at the same time. Both are genres that can impress me, but only if they’re done really well. The fact that I dig Escape From The Zoo should tell you a lot. Their 2022 LP, Countin’ Cards, is a lot of fun, and features some very real lyrics about classic aging-punk issues like struggling to know who you are once you quit getting high, and staying positive when the choices the world wants you to make are so far from what feels right to you. They’re well-written and witty, and the songs are upbeat and guaranteed to keep you dancing. As we all grow older, we need all of this kind of thing we can get.
That said, I might like Holy Locust even better than I like Escape From The Zoo. Their new album, Beneath The Turning Wheel, blew me away the first time I heard it, and I’ve been returning to it quite often since. If you wanted to call this band folk-punk, I would totally allow that, but to me, they’ve got another vibe entirely, one I would call “apocalypse punk.” They sound like what I’d expect a punk rock band to sound like in a dark fantasy novel, or a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller. It’s music from a world where monsters are real and electricity isn’t. I honestly can’t get enough of it. You’re sure to feel the same way once you see this group work their acoustic magic live on stage this Tuesday night. Don’t miss out.
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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