RVA Shows You Must See This Week: February 8 – February 14
FEATURED SHOW
Friday, February 10, 8 PM
.gif From God (Photo by No.Visuals), Massa Nera, Terror Cell, Armagideon Time @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10
I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I was super fucking stoked back in 2019 when .gif From God released their first LP, Approximation_of_a_Human, on Prosthetic Records. As a strong partisan of the Richmond screamo scene of the mid-to-late-10s, I was delighted to see one of our own take the next step and start working with a much bigger label. It didn’t hurt that everyone in .gif From God is a friend of mine (and one is a former bandmate), but to be real with you, I’d have been just as stoked about their success if I hadn’t known any of them. Of course, that success was more complicated than I’m making it out to be — growing beyond the Richmond screamo scene put them under the spotlight in the metalcore scene, which is way less accepting than it should be of overtly leftist bands with a whole bunch of queer, trans, and non-binary members. They dealt with their share of shitty comments on hellhole websites like Lambgoat. And when, in the first six months after the lockdown let up, I heard nothing from the .gif From God camp, I got a little bummed. Had the pandemic-imposed break in their career teamed up with the haters to derail .gif From God?
Thankfully, it was not so — they started playing a whole bunch of shows last fall, and last week they announced the impending arrival of their long-awaited followup to Approximation_of_a_Human: Digital Red, a six-song EP coming to us all via Prosthetic Records in three short weeks. I for one can’t wait, and the release of the first single from that EP, “A Kiss For Every Hornet” (or, as Apple Music tells me, “2 Chunky 4 The Straw”), only has me even more excited. The classic .gif From God sound is still present on the new single, and remains hectic and heavy as hell even as the production sound walks the tightrope between “as harsh as ever” and “more accessible than it’s ever been before.” All of which is to say: .gif From God are BACK, y’all, and I can’t wait to see what they bring us next.
Of course, I’m being a blatant homer with this writeup, because technically New Jersey’s Massa Nera is the headliner on this bill. They’ve been producing their own brand of top-notch screamo with epic tinges and brilliant lyrics — in both English and Spanish — for quite a while now. As good as they were when I saw them back in 2017, the new LP they released in December, Derremar/Querer/Borrar, takes things to a whole new level, moving from long quiet passages to raging hardcore chaos and back again within single songs. Expect their set at Fuzzy Cactus to be a huge emotional experience as well as a musical tour de force. You can expect similar brilliance from local openers Terror Cell and Armagideon Time, both of which are heavy as hell, brilliant in their own unique ways, and totally deserving of gushing paragraphs all to themselves… but unfortunately I’m out of space. Go to this show, people. I have spoken.
Wednesday, February 8, 7 PM
Outerloop, Railgun, Merciful Zero @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
The middle of the week can sometimes be a bit of a musical wasteland, and at times I find myself grasping at straws for shows to fill these slots in the column. This time, though, I find myself in a privileged position — this show is the kind of show I’d be picking for this column even if it was happening on a super-crowded Saturday night. The lineup is just that strong. It starts with Outerloop, the DC-area band who are traveling to Richmond in support of their self-titled debut album, released last summer. Written as the band came together during the dark music-free early days of the pandemic and recorded by legendary producer and musician J. Robbins, the album is an impeccably produced collection of flawlessly constructed postpunk riffage, reminiscent of long-gone Richmond faves like Honor Role and Coral. The soulful vocals of Taisha Estrada, who comes from more of a jazz background, take the whole thing in a new direction and bring a sound into the world that has never existed before — one that’s sure to be a welcome addition to your musical vocabulary.
Outerloop are joined on this bill by Railgun, whose raging punk rock has been bubbling under within the Richmond scene for years now. “Bastard,” the ripping anti-toxic-masculinity anthem they released last year on Father’s Day, shows the band heading in a more aggressive direction than ever, while retaining their flawless ability to write memorable rockin’ riffs. Can’t wait to see what a whole scene in that vein will sound like. Rounding out the lineup is Merciful Zero, the latest incarnation of the band Armwood, a post-hardcore band with a staccato approach who’ve been around the Richmond scene on and off since the 90s! They have recently been given a new lease on life with the addition of new vocalist Hans, whose more melodic approach is a real game changer. While studio recordings of the band featuring Hans on vocals haven’t made it into the world yet, recent live videos that have shown up on YouTube make clear just how excellent Merciful Zero is these days — and proven how essential a live act they are. Get to the Camel tonight and find out for yourself.
Thursday, February 9, 7 PM
SUSTO, Dogwood Tales, Tyler Meacham @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard to know where to start with SUSTO, the combo hailing from South Carolina and led by singer-songwriter Justin Osborne. The fact that their name is a Latin American idiom describing a panic attack? The fact that Osborne got the idea for the band while attempting to get involved in left-wing activism in Cuba? The fact that Osborne was born in a town called Puddin’ Swamp? They’re all pretty great little factoids, but I hear what you’re saying: “Drew, what about the music?” Well, truth to tell, all of those facts not only tell bits of the story of SUSTO but give you a pretty good idea of how SUSTO sounds: sorta Southern, sorta swampy, sorta Latin, sorta folky… and really, really cool.
SUSTO’s latest LP is Time In The Sun, an uplifting collection of songs that at times hides some hints of wistful melancholia. That said, it’s the kind of music that’s probably gonna make you smile when you hear it, mixing pastoral folk sounds with upbeat pop and some obvious Americana roots. Even tracks like “God Of Death” and “Life Is Suffering” can’t help but communicate a positive mood in their ebullient acoustic vibes, regardless of the lyrical sentiments. That’s SUSTO in a nutshell — relatable in their struggles and concerns, but always there to lift you up with a pleasing chorus. That’s exactly why you should make the Thursday night trip to the Camel to hear what they’ve got in store for you. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that you’ll get some additional lovely tunes from Harrisonburg group Dogwood Tales and Richmond’s much-beloved native daughter Tyler Meacham. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Friday, February 10, 9 PM
Jansport J, Ohbliv, Monday Night, Troy @ The Camel – $20 in advance, $25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
In some musical genres, the people everyone looks up to are the ones with grueling practice schedules, or incredible dexterity on their instruments of choice. But in hip hop, one of the highest levels of respect you can attain is the one afforded to the tireless crate-diggers. These are the guys who’ve heard every obscure dusty record in the basement of the biggest antique store in town, who know how to find the magic moments and killer breaks no one else has ever heard, and can cut them all apart and reassemble them into musical masterpieces that are entirely their own, regardless of the fact that they’re constructed from samples. That’s the quality legends like J Dilla and Madlib bring to the table, and it’s the same quality that marks the best work of Los Angeles producer Jansport J, who comes to The Camel this Friday night.
Jansport J has worked with artists like Snoop Dogg and Freddie Gibbs, but more importantly, he’s a prolific solo artist, creating remixes, collaborative projects, and solo instrumental albums galore. His most recent is last fall’s Los Angeles Soul, a fascinating musical journey through an alternate universe of 70s soul via KJLH, the long-running Los Angeles radio station once owned by Stevie Wonder. This kind of brilliance is par for the course with Jansport J over his prolific career, and it’s this exact fact that makes him such a great match for Ohbliv, Richmond’s own champion crate-digger and a prolific legend in his own right. His most recent project is Anima Mundi, a collection of somewhat spaced-out instrumentals, but of course he’s probably working on three more right now. He let slip on social media that he’ll be using his new Roland 404 MKII sampler for the first time live at this show, so that’ll probably be a game changer as well. Really, Ohbliv is as much worth the price of admission as Jansport J is, and getting both of them on the same night is an embarrassment of riches, even without the incredibly talented Richmond rappers Monday Night and Troy (f.k.a. JRdarappr) rounding out the bill. Come to this one ready to nod your head and move your feet.
Saturday, February 11, 7 PM
Timeshares, All Away Lou, Bashful, 40 Reps @ Lakeside Tavern – $10
Oh hey, it’s good to see Timeshares back in town. I first encountered this Philly band in the basement of a Richmond house that probably rents for way too high to still house punk kids throwing basement shows. But that’s not the point — the point is that the powerful melodic punk Timeshares was playing back then has aged particularly well, and if anything they sound even better today than they did at that house show over a decade ago. For evidence, you need look no further than Limb, their latest album, released last fall. The songs on Limb find Timeshares in a pensive mood, contemplating the experiences they’ve had, the mistakes they’ve made, and the hopes they still retain. It’s pop-punk for people who’ve been going to pop-punk shows for multiple decades, and as one of those people, I gotta tell ya, it sounds great. And hey, don’t worry — if you’ve only been alive for two decades or less yourself, you’re still sure to get a lot out of it. Great songwriting knows no age.
Speaking of great songwriters, Philadelphia’s All Away Lou, who will join Timeshares on their trip down to good ol’ RVA, is the latest project from Lou Hanman, a talented songwriter who started out in the UK as the frontwoman for Caves and has since been involved in a variety of projects, including Worriers, RVIVR, Mikey Erg, and more. It’s good to hear her up front in a band again, and she’s lost none of her songwriting chops during her time as a sidewoman. If anything, she’s got a whole passel of good tunes stored up, and she brought out a collection of excellent songs last year with All Away Lou’s latest album, Things Will Change (damn, ain’t that the truth). This half of the Philadelphia double whammy coming our way is sure to be just as great a listen as the other half, and the fact that Bashful — a band featuring 3/4 of Hold Tight, who played that long-ago basement show with Timeshares — and 40 Reps are on the bill representing Richmond greatness only makes this show that much better. Get stoked, y’all.
Monday, February 13, 7:30 PM
Adam Hopkins’ HobbyHorse, Scott Clark presents This Darkness @ Artspace – $10 suggested donation
I’ve been doing this show column for nearly a decade now, and before this year, I would have told you that the only three nights I can guarantee there won’t be any shows to see are Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. But this year I’ve found a new holiday that seemingly pre-empts all live music in Richmond: The Big Game. That’s right, the Super Bowl has eliminated all live musical entertainment in Richmond this Sunday night. Which just means that Monday’s got a lot to live up to, right? Fortunately for us all, Out Of Our Heads Records is here to ensure just that, with the official launch of their new series: Second Mondays at Artspace, which will see this record label take over Artspace’s live performance space on the second Monday of every month this year.
We’ve got two big treats in store for us this time around, as Scott Clark and Adam Hopkins both have big performances planned. First, Scott Clark will present a live performance of This Darkness, a solo LP he released on Out Of Our Heads two years ago. This is a true solo effort in that all of the instruments you hear on the LP — drums, percussion, and harmonica — are performed by Clark. Named for a Rainer Maria Rilke poem, the first few lines of which make up the song and album titles, This Darkness is a fascinating, immersive experimental piece that will totally enrapture you, especially when you see Clark perform the entire thing by himself in real time. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, Adam Hopkins will take the stage after Clark’s performance leading Adam Hopkins’ HobbyHorse, a trio featuring himself on bass, Clark on drums, and Bob Miller (of Bio Ritmo, Fight The Big Bull, and a million other projects) on trumpet. They’ll be playing some of Hopkins’ original compositions, a set of new music that will take us to new places and new musical moods. The whole evening will be fascinating, and you should not only show up with donation money in hand but bring a few extra bucks to pick up a copy of Scott Clark’s This Darkness on vinyl. Trust me — if you don’t have it, you want it. But first, you definitely want to see this show. It’ll more than make up for a night where all there is to do is watch football.
Tuesday, February 14, 5:30 PM
Gideon, For The Fallen Dreams, Guerrilla Warfare, Orthodox, 3Peace @ The Canal Club – $18 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Over the last 25 years or so, I’ve definitely spent my fair share of time listening to, and enjoying, Christian metalcore groups. From Underoath to The Chariot to Zao, I’ve gotten a lot out of the bands who’ve come out of that whole world of church-basement shows and Tooth And Nail record contracts. So a band having a Christian association is never going to scare me away. That said, those of you who are scared away from such things should take heart at this fact: Gideon, a long-running Southern metalcore group long linked with the Christian end of that scene, officially renounced all religious affiliations several years ago. These days they’re just a band who writes really heavy riffs and lyrics — and not only do they not talk about religion in those lyrics anymore, the title track to their forthcoming sixth album, More Power Than Pain, features a moment when vocalist David McWhorter screams “Motherfucker!” Gotta love that.
Really, if you like it heavy and loud, there’s a lot to like about the latest material from Gideon. While they had a tendency toward melodic interludes on their earlier albums, their move away from overt Christianity has paralleled a decidedly heavier musical direction. I’ve only heard two tracks from the new album thus far, but what I’ve heard makes me think that Gideon is in less of a mood than ever to pussyfoot around. Basically, this is going to be a very heavy set — and you’ll probably get first crack at hearing a lot of the material that will be featured on More Power Than Pain when it comes out next month. The show features a variety of talented openers as well, most prominently the veteran Michigan metalcore band For The Fallen Dreams, who’ve got a new album of their own coming next month. The preview tracks I’ve heard from that one have a decidedly more chaotic energy than that of Gideon’s new material, and now that it seems Slipknot is not a forbidden influence for bands to have anymore, I’ve gotta mention that I hear some definite Iowa-era touches in what For The Fallen Dreams are up to on their new self-titled album. Louisville’s Guerrilla Warfare mix heavy hip hop elements into their metalcore sound, which definitely reminds me of Candiria, while Tennessee’s Orthodox are a dramatic and hard-moshing metalcore group with strong Sworn In vibes. Locals 3Peace round out the bill representing VA with skill and panache. End your Valentine’s date early and come rage at The Canal Club for this one.
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
Also, I’m a freelancer now, and I’m looking for commissions, so if anyone needs press releases, band bios, or even actual articles written, you should hit me up! I work cheap.
