RVA Shows You Must See This Week: December 27 – January 2
FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, December 31, 8 PM
Say-10 Records New Year’s Eve Party! feat. 40 Reps, Shotclock, Talk Me Off, Sleave @ Lakeside Tavern – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Last week’s column was significantly abbreviated by the Christmas holiday. This week, the holiday we’re all celebrating is one that is all about going out and partying to celebrate the end of 2023 and the start of a year we all hope will be better than the last (don’t get your hopes too high — not to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s a presidential election year). The holiday hangover will still keep this week’s schedule a bit abbreviated, but that is certainly not true for New Year’s Eve. I had a ton of amazing events to go through in order to whittle it down to two I wanted to spotlight for the column, but I knew from the start that this Say-10 Records celebration of the new year to come was going to make it.
If you don’t know Say-10 Records, then you probably haven’t been paying enough attention to the many excellent melodic/emotional punk bands that have come out of Virginia over the past decade-plus. Since its founding in 2007, Say-10 has released records by talented groups from Richmond and around the Commonwealth, including Pedals On Our Pirate Ships, The Riot Before, Smoke Or Fire, and The Daycare Swindlers. They’ve also brought out a ton of excellent records from similarly-minded bands that are known around the world, including Alkaline Trio, Fucked Up, Less Than Jake, and many more. So basically, if Say-10’s name is on a local show, you know it’s gonna be full of great music.
This event taking place at Lakeside Tavern on the last night of 2023 is no exception. It’s focused around the celebration of Richmonders 40 Reps’ brand new LP, Heads Up. Coming as it does at the end of the year, when most people have already had their years-best-albums lists finalized for a month, Heads Up might be somewhat overlooked by the wider music community, but I’m here to tell you: that would be a shame. On this album, 40 Reps demonstrate themselves to be heirs apparent to emo-punk legends of previous generations, such as Ann Beretta and Hot Water Music, with a strong collection of impassioned tunes that are sure to hit even harder in a live environment. Ringing in the new year has never felt as cathartic and meaningful as it will when you’re listening to 40 Reps at Lakeside Tavern Sunday night.
Of course, there are a bunch of other great bands on the bill too, all of them Richmond punk mainstays. By now, everyone should know about Pedro Aida’s great trio, Shotclock, who had one of my favorite singles of last year, “Can’t Explain,” and have demonstrated with that song and many others that their ability to evoke the sounds of first-LP Down By Law and the Parasites circa 1996 is flawless and unparalleled. Talk Me Off have a snottier, more energetic sound that will make all the Tilt and Distillers fans happy — and considering they haven’t released a new record since 2021’s Abyss EP, they will probably have some new jams for us all to enjoy. And then there’s Sleave, whose intense take on post-hardcore is spotlighted on their latest EP, All These Songs Are About You. I get definite Strike Anywhere, Shai Hulud, and Touche Amore vibes from their latest material, but with a strong melodic undercurrent leavening their most metal/hardcore impulses. All of these bands are gonna be great, and the evening will be a ton of fun, even featuring a champagne toast at midnight! Make your last night of 2023 one to remember and go to this show.
Wednesday, December 27, 7 PM
Ms. Jaylin Brown, Jonathan Brown, Soulegacy, Kenneka Cook @ Gallery 5 – $7 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The week between Christmas and New Years can sometimes be pretty lackluster where shows are concerned. The office workers are lucky enough to have a week in which no one expects any work to get done, the retail workers are exhausted from the pressure to get all the Christmas merch down and the Valentines merch up as quickly as possible, and the food service workers still have a couple weeks left before their industry will slow down enough that they can afford to have a Christmas party. But sometimes the weird vibe of the inter-holiday week can result in something pretty amazing, especially in situations like this one. You see, Ms. Jaylin Brown, one of the most remarkable musicians to come out of the Richmond music scene so far this decade, has been in Spain for the past several months, studying at Berklee College of Music’s Valencia campus. Luckily for us, though, she has returned home for the holidays, and we will get one chance to see her before she heads back to school: this Wednesday night at Gallery 5.
If you somehow missed all the excitement around the city over Ms. Jaylin Brown since her Take It Easy EP came out in summer of 2022, this is the perfect opportunity for you to get familiar with her intense, personal style of soulful, jazzy, guitar-driven pop music. Her minimalist approach on recent releases will be formidably augmented as she takes the stage backed by a five-piece band featuring a variety of talented local players, including folks like Charles Owens, Calvin Presents, and Steven Boone. If you enjoyed her set on Shockoe Sessions last year around this time at the head of a very similar combo, you know this one’s gonna be sheer fire. The evening will also feature sets by Jonathan Brown, another talented singer-songwriter from the same family (he is Ms. Jaylin’s brother), as well as the legendary Kenneka Cook and relative newcomer (at least to me) Soulegacy. This evening of excellent music will be tremendous and outstanding — guaranteed to wake you up from your inter-holiday doldrums. Make sure you’re there.
Thursday, December 28, 7 PM
Ethanol, Anastasia, Double Blind @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s the latest RVA indie showcase from Underground Orchard, the show-promoting arm of the illustrious Citrus City Records crew. The three-band bill they’re presenting to us this time might be somewhat unfamiliar to my readers — of the three acts performing at The Camel this Thursday night, I had only heard one before — but it definitely has its share of charms to offer. At the top of the bill (I think? They’re at the bottom of the flyer, though, so who knows) is Ethanol, who is also a Citrus City Recording artist, having released Mirror Stage on the label back in late 2021. That album’s melancholy 80s-style synth pop is the kind of thing that should be catnip to the confirmed Citrus City fan, filled with retro drum machine beats and quiet piano and synth melodies, over which drift moody, downcast vocal lines that manage to remain catchy and melodic.
Ethanol will certainly please the hearts of all comers, especially those who need a subtle pick-me-up after a less than delightful holiday season (we all know it never quite lives up to expectations, don’t we?). Anastasia is a bit of a swerve from Ethanol’s sound, having started out with melancholy acoustic melodies on their first single, then moved into a sludgy, metallic sound on their most recent two-song single, “Thorns”/”Angel Eyes.” If you’re a fan of things like Candlemass or Cathedral, but can also appreciate gothic musical moods, Anastasia should definitely please you. The bill is completed by Double Blind; I wrote about this band’s first show a month ago, and now I’m writing about their second one. Clearly, they’re doing something right. This band’s got three guitarists and a heavy alt-rock sound that makes me think of the Toadies, so their set should be a blast. None of the bands on this bill will end up sounding too much like each other, but they’re all gonna sound good, and isn’t that what matters? I’d say so.
Friday, December 29, 7 PM
Girlspit, Circle Breaker, Headscratcher, Oh Devil @ Bandito’s – $10-$20
I haven’t gotten the chance to write about rapidly rising local trio Girlspit in a while, but they have certainly remained active, so it’s nice to be able to cover them once again. The only reason I didn’t write about the release party for their new EP is because it happened at an unsanctioned venue, and I like to avoid any coverage that might lead to cops shutting places down. But if you missed out on the new EP, Girlspit Forever, back at the beginning of the month when it came out, this is a great chance to get covered in spit with this massively entertaining femme trio. Fans of Sera and Harley’s previous band, Toxic Moxie, will find Girlspit diving deep into the more synth-punk end of the Moxie sound, while maintaining the solid dance grooves of their previous band and injecting a much larger dose of dark postpunk intrigue. Not only are the songs great, this band is always a blast to see live, so you should definitely show up for that reason alone.
But it doesn’t hurt that this show is also for a very good cause, being a benefit for Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project. With a presidential election season fast approaching, reproductive freedom is clearly in the crosshairs of the right wing — and pretty much every state south of Virginia has already restricted the reproductive rights of its citizens. That makes supporting organizations who protect our rights here in the Commonwealth of crucial importance. So come out to this show, dance your booty off, and get sweaty and spitty for a good cause. Make sure you check out the other bands on the bill, too, because they all have plenty to offer. Circle Breaker’s “queer motor punk hellfire” should thrill all who enjoy starting a raging circle pit to some spooky biker thrash punk chaos. Headscratcher stand astride the thin line between primitive punk fury and extreme noise mayhem, and should bring a wild performance to Bandito’s if their vocalist’s other project, Fracking, is anything to go by. The evening will kick off with relatively new queer rock n’ roll trio Oh Devil kicking up some dust — and as always, I recommend showing up early and fueling up for the circle pit with a plate of Bandito’s nachos. Split em with a friend, though, or you’ll be too full to move by the time the music starts.
Saturday, December 30, 7 PM
Death To 2023! feat. Shovelhead A.D., Blodhren, Killer Inside, Desolation’s Edge @ Another Round Bar & Grill – $10
One thing I noticed this year that I don’t remember as much from previous years is that New Year’s Eve Eve, aka December 30, is suddenly a big deal on the live music scene. Is New Year’s Eve Eve the new Mischief Night, or did it just have the good fortune to fall on a Saturday night this year? I’m not sure — only time will tell. But what I do know is that there are a number of cool shows happening this Saturday night, the heaviest of which is, of course, taking place at Another Round Bar And Grill. The number-one sanctuary for Richmond-area headbangers in the post-Strange Matter area, Another Round can always be trusted to deliver some serious metal on nights when nothing else will do. Rest assured, Saturday night’s “Death to 2023!” party is no exception.
Shovelhead AD are leading this one off, and this Richmond-area metal band is coming to us riding high on the recent release of their first full-length, New South Hill, back in October. I hear some strong Cliff-era Metallica elements in this band’s sound, and the fact that they follow in Metallica’s footsteps by covering Budgie’s “Breadfan” on the new album makes me think that’s not by accident. However, there are a lot of modern death vibes running through their music as well, and the vocals hit more like Napalm Death circa Harmony Corruption, so this band is definitely tuned for maximum heaviness. Roanoke quartet Blodhren, who appear to have named themselves after a blood oath from a fantasy novel, are definitely in the classic spirit of European death metal on their 2019 self-titled debut, and should have us all banging our heads, even as they occasionally twist our head around with a flawless vocal melody before returning immediately to screaming metal chaos. Killer Inside come from the DC area, and dish out chugging, brutal death metal — meaning this show has brought together bands with that sort of sound from all around the state. Things will get started with a set from Richmonders Desolation’s Edge, who grind it up heavy and harsh, making their set a perfect way to kick this one off. Come prepared to bang your head — because whether you’re prepared or not, it’s happening.
Sunday, December 31, 7:30 PM
Get Tight Lounge Celebrates “New Year’s Eve 1983” @ Get Tight Lounge – $30 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s an essential question for this week: What are you doing New Year’s Eve… in 1983? I personally was still a month away from turning 8, and therefore way too young for my parents to let me stay up until midnight (my cousins got to, the kids in school got to… but I didn’t until years later. Just in case you ever wondered what my childhood was like). But I know most of you are not in your late 40s, and therefore were probably not around at all for the first time 1983 faded into 1984 at midnight on the night of December 31. It’s for you that Get Tight Lounge is throwing this incredible flashback New Year’s Eve Party. So hey, youngin, get stoked!
The evening will be filled with the music of the 1980s, as presented by a variety of Richmond all-stars. We’re all pretty used to the star-studded tribute acts Punks For Presents always brings us around this time of year, so to see, for example, members of Deau Eyes performing a Madonna tribute set less than a week after Christmas should be something we’re completely primed to enjoy. As someone who loved listening to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 in 1983, 7-year-old me would have been intimately familiar with some of the major hitmakers of the era who will be recreated at Get Tight this Sunday night (Madonna, David Bowie, Blondie). Meanwhile, others I wouldn’t discover until quite a few years later, but were doing some of their best work at that point in music history (REM, The Cramps, Violent Femmes) will also be on the bill, just to give everyone a taste of the underground circa 1984. It all adds up to a great night full of incredible music and fun opportunities to see your favorite local musicians dig into the work of their most formative influences. This one’s guaranteed to be a ton of fun. Don’t miss out!
Tuesday, January 2, 7 PM
Mayday, Adam Stuart, Blackwood Station @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Not every show has to be the best show of your life, or even the best show of the week! Sometimes you just want to chill and listen to some good music while trying to forget how rough the first day back to work after the holiday weekend was. If that’s your vibe on Tuesday, rest assured you are far from the only one. And maybe the best thing all of you can do while attempting to escape your troubles for at least a few hours is head on down to The Camel. Mayday is playing, which might confuse any early 90s VA hardcore kids who remember the Mayday from Newport News. This isn’t them — this band is from Charlottesville, and have a far more upbeat and melodic sound that should please everyone who enjoys bands like The Southern Belles and Steel Wheels. It’s nice, it’s pretty, and it should help relax that knot that slowly formed in your shoulders over the course of the workday. What more can you really ask for?
Well, at least a little bit, because Mayday aren’t the only ones on this bill — no indeed. Adam Stuart, a solo acoustic musician who describes himself on his instagram as “just a man and his guitar trying not to be just another man and his fucking guitar.” I certainly appreciate that approach, and based on what I’ve seen of the videos he’s posted, he’s on the right track, writing heartfelt rocked-up country tunes about how hard life can be as you get older. Feeling you on that one, brother. The bill is rounded out by Blackwood Station, a group project led by singer-songwriter Ian Blackwood. They released a self-titled debut only a couple months ago, and it’s full of warm, smooth folk tunes with minimal instrumentation. Again, pleasant and relaxing — just what the doctor ordered on the first random Tuesday night of 2024.
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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