RVA Shows You Must See This Week: July 10 – July 16
FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, July 13, 6 PM
The Way Back Home 2024, feat. Fighting Gravity, The Connells, Awareness Art Ensemble @ Brown’s Island – $35 (order tickets HERE)
I definitely feel sometimes like today’s pop culture is way too fixated on nostalgia, and like everything is just reliving something that happened 20 or 30 years before. That is sometimes enough to keep me from writing about shows featuring bands whose heyday was over a quarter century ago. But not this time — this one is undeniable. This Saturday night extravaganza at Brown’s Island brings together three leading lights of the Mid-Atlantic alternative music scene in the 1990s, and all of them still have quite a lot to offer, even three decades later. That’s true whether you’ve been a dyed-in-the-wool fan since Fighting Gravity was still Boy-O-Boy or you’ve never heard of these bands from anyone except your parents’ friends.
Don’t worry, I will explain in more detail — starting with the group at the top of the bill: Fighting Gravity. I don’t think the modern Richmond indie crowd has much institutional memory of a time when these guys were important players on the local underground scene, but it definitely happened. Not only were they a key player in the mid-90s third-wave ska revival around these parts, their BOB Records imprint released important early albums by Fun Size and The Ernies, among others. After they changed their name to Fighting Gravity in the mid-90s, they expanded their sound to incorporate alternative rock elements while retaining some of their old-school ska flavor. Albums like 1996’s Forever = One Day and 1998’s You And Everybody Else made waves outside the region, but they never quite broke through into the mainstream, and by the early 00s, frequent lineup changes had killed their momentum. But they had quite a run there in the 90s, and they’ll be recapturing that magic this Saturday night at Brown’s Island, where I imagine a lot of grown-ass adults will be finding out the hard way whether or not they can still skank.
Don’t let that scare you away, though, because even if the old heads are doing very cringe dances, the music will be super great. Not just because of Fighting Gravity, either — legendary Raleigh indie/alt-rock band The Connells will be on hand as well, and that will certainly be a treat. If, like me, you were coming of age in the mid-Atlantic region at the dawn of the 90s, The Connells were probably up there with R.E.M. and 10,000 Maniacs as one of the first true alternative bands you got into. Those classic albums from the late 80s and early 90s — Fun And Games, One Simple Word, Ring — still hold up wonderfully today, and what’s really amazing is that 2021’s Steadman’s Wake, the first new Connells album in 20 years, is every bit as great as their classic albums. No matter what era these guys choose to focus on, you’ll be hearing some really great sounds from them.
Not to be outdone, the legendary Awareness Art Ensemble will be opening this one up with a bang, providing a true treat for folks who dug on the Central Virginia underground reggae and ska scene back in the 80s and 90s. These guys were heavy hitters back then, and remarkably, band founder Olamina is still putting it down nearly 50 years after beginning his career. So show up for this one on time, and groove on the sounds of a band whose efforts helped put reggae on the map in Richmond back in the early 80s. These groups were fundamental building blocks of the music scene we have in this city and this region today, and whether you know exactly what I’m talking about or are still a little fuzzy on why exactly that is, you owe it to yourself to show up at Brown’s Island this Saturday night for a musical history lesson.
Wednesday, July 10, 7 PM
Shauna Dean Cokeland, Jesse Detor, Deathcat @ The Camel – $15 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
And now for something completely different: Shauna Dean Cokeland, a youthful singer-songwriter with a sardonic wit and a fuck-it-all punk rock attitude borne of Zoomer anomie and the frustrations of growing up in a shit town where there’s nothing to do but sit around getting high, and even that wears thin very quickly. She references Britney Spears and Taylor Swift at times, but has a sound that feels like it owes more to Ani DiFranco and Nicki Minaj than any of those bleached-blond pop stars she grew up soaking in via osmosis. People will tell you her tunes are folk-punk, and I guess I can see it, but there’s a pop sensibility at work here, and the hyperspeed verbose wit of her lyrics feel like they’ve got a bit of hip hop flow stirred in.
What’s most important is that Shauna Dean Cokeland is incredibly creative and unpredictable. She’s even capable of total left turns like her most recent single, “Courtesy Of The Red White And Blue,” which rewrites Toby Keith’s meathead pro-Iraq war anthem into a pull-no-punches elegy for the dead children of Gaza. Indeed, that might be her most punk move yet. I’m not sure exactly how her solo acoustic numbers will come across when she plays at The Camel tonight, but I am sure it’ll be an entertaining show full of unexpected moments lit by the creative fire of youth. Who doesn’t love that? Bostonian emo-punk singer Jesse Detor is also on this bill, and her recent Sofia I’m Sorry EP finds her mixing the chunky emo guitars and irresistible vocal melodies of Beabadoobee with the sharp-tongued punk-pop approach of Paramore at their best. This bill is rounded out by local punk trio Deathcat, who have had my ear for a while and definitely need to put out a record already. Show up on time tonight and rock out with them, then stick around for the out-of-town awesomeness to come.
Thursday, July 11, 7 PM
Upchuck, Art School, Rat Fight @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Some people out there might tell you that old-school punk rock eventually gets boring, that all the bands sound the same after a while and there’s nothing new under the sun. I am most definitely NOT one of those people. I’ve loved punk rock for 35 or so years now, and I’ve seen new young bands come along with fresh takes on the genre so many times that I’ve long since learned never to count out the endlessly renewable resource that is punk fucking rock. If your faith is somewhat on the ropes, though, you’ll definitely need to head over to The Camel this Thursday night. Because if there’s one band I can point to on the scene right now that’s guaranteed to restore all your faith and then some, it’s Atlanta quintet Upchuck. This youthful ensemble got their start as teenagers and quickly made a name for themselves with wild and crazy live performances that ensured they wouldn’t be forgotten by anyone who saw them. Indeed, their first LP, Sense Yourself, features a picture of singer KT in mid-performance, her head covered in blood from smashing into a shopping car during the band’s set. She didn’t care — she finished the set. That’s commitment.
You can hear that same sense of no-fucks-given commitment to punk rock rage on their latest release, last year’s Bite The Hand That Feeds LP. The songs on that album mix classic 82 USHC sounds along the lines of The Necros or Urban Waste with a rumbling rock n’ roll energy that makes me think of the legendary 9 Shocks Terror. It’s awesome, and they’re even awesomer in a live setting — so get stoked for that, y’all. Richmond punk rockers Art School are also on the bill, and their more melodic take on the genre is less hardcore and more descended from The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers, but who could be mad at that? These guys will give us plenty of snotty punk rage during their set, and it’s sure to be quite a gift. Local newcomers Rat Fight will get things started with some noisy punk vibes of their own, which will simultaneously please both Jesus Lizard and Circle Jerks fans. This whole night’s gonna be a ripper for the ages — make sure you’re in attendance.
Friday, July 12, 7 PM
Rest Ashore, Better Place, Closet Space, Padfoot, Fight Cloud @ Imperial Lounge – $8 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a fun one for all you fans of mathy emocore sounds — and not just because Fight Cloud is playing this show, either. New Jersey band Rest Ashore are the top band on the marquee for this one, and for good reason. Frontwoman Erica Butts combines the string-tangling guitar pyrotechnics of Marnie Stern with the catchy riffage bands like Algernon Cadwallader or even Fall Of Troy were always so great at. On 2023’s Erotomania, this all adds up to an album that is just nonstop bangers, all of which have strong potential to get stuck in your head for weeks. That’s twice as true when you see them live, as you’ll have the pleasure of doing if you head out to Imperial Lounge this Friday night. That would definitely be a solid move if you ask me.
Rest Ashore are far from the only reason why. Their co-headliners, Better Place, are from as far south of here as Rest Ashore are north — specifically, they’re from Florida (eep). These guys have a strong sense of emo melody, but instead of mixing it with math-rock guitars a la Rest Ashore, they add in punk energy and distortion, resulting in the kind of sound that this world has been sadly deprived of since Posture And The Grizzly split up. They recently followed up the album they released in March, Martial Arts & Forest Animals — which was already really great — with a new single, “Dayman, Fighter Of The Nightman,” that takes their entire sound to the next level. Make sure you catch these guys; they’re on the cusp of something great. Where openers are concerned, Richmonders Closet Space will bring us a set of their lovely indie tunes. Virginia Beach trio Padfoot bring some of the guitar pyrotechnics of Rest Ashore, but use them in service of more straightforward pop-punk tunes, a la Joyce Manor. And of course, Fight Cloud are a longtime personal favorite from the local math-rock scene, with some of the most unforgettable yet impossible to predict indie guitar melodies I’ve heard in the past 15 or so years. It all adds up to an amazing bill you’re definitely going to want to catch in its entirety.
Saturday, July 13, 7 PM
Oddisee, Noah-O @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Hip hop is a scene that often gets obsessed with massive success: big money, big record sales, world domination, all that good stuff. And I get it, I really do — I wouldn’t exactly say no to big money and world domination myself. But I come from the world of punk rock, where the emphasis is more on keeping things human-scaled and remaining a part of the community where you came from. Therefore I’m stoked to encounter a hip hop musician who keeps that same energy. Rapper-producer Oddisee is such a musician, one who focuses on staying creative, challenging himself, and always remaining rooted in his community. You can see exactly that attitude on his new EP, And Yet Still — specifically on the track “Live From The DMV,” which shouts out Richmond, Baltimore, DC, and all the smaller communities inbetween, overtop of some thick soul-jazz grooves that take you right back to hip hop’s golden age in the early 90s.
That’s not all Oddisee has to offer, though — he’s certainly not afraid to mix it up genre-wise, to try on everything from drill rap to disco-soul, all in the space of six songs. Once he stretches out to a full set and can pull from his extensive back catalog, as he’ll do at Richmond Music Hall this Saturday night, he’s bound to explore many more different sonic approaches. And by now he’s certainly proven that he finds gold in any approach he takes. Oddisee might not be the biggest name in hip hop, but he’s definitely one of the most creative. If you don’t know his name by now, you should certainly learn it this Saturday night. He’s joined on this bill by Noah-O, a Richmond rapper who is similarly community oriented and just as creative and prolific as Oddisee. By now I hope y’all know that, and know enough to show up early to this one to see what Noah-O has to offer. And if you didn’t know, now you do. Take this one to heart.
Sunday, July 14, 6 PM
Snooper, True Body, Pyrex, Black Button, VV @ Cobra Cabana – $15 in advance, $20 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Just in case you were still looking for proof of the endless creative excellence of punk rock after the Upchuck show, Snooper is coming to town a few days later to further drive the point home. This Nashville ensemble are known for integrating electronic drumbeats and postpunk-ish synth textures into their driving punk tunes, but if anything it just gives them even more frantic energy. Devo is an obvious touchstone for this band, but that hardly tells the full story; if anything, you’ve got to imagine Devo collaborating with Redd Kross in their early teenage days and channeling the funky nervous anxiety of Gang Of Four. Even then, I don’t feel like I’m fully capturing it — Snooper’s work is beyond a mere agglomeration of reference points. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s catchy, and it’s punk as hell without sounding all that much like what you’d stereotypically expect from “punk.” In a word, it rules.
A variety of other groups are on this bill as well, some of which will be more familiar to Richmonders than others. True Body should definitely be well-known; this gothic postpunk pop group has been plying their trade around the city for most of a decade now, and just keep getting better and better. For proof, look no further than 2022’s Temple Of Song EP, without a doubt the strongest set of songs this veteran group has released thus far. They’re sure to capture all comers with their powerful sound. Brooklyn band Pyrex goes in a completely different direction, preferring to raise an unholy lo-fi ruckus that lands somewhere between postpunk and noise rock. It hits just as hard, though, so they’ll certainly be a highlight of this show. Rounding out the bill are Richmond punk rockers Black Button, whose primitive attack is unrelenting in the best possible way; and local postpunk/noise trio VV, who always bring the heat when they hit the stage. Don’t miss a minute of this one, lest ye regret it forever.
Monday, July 15, 7 PM
Dan Spencer, Drug Country, Bucko @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
On a regular basis, this column prompts me to fall in love with an artist I’d never heard of before I started prepping the column for that week. Last time this happened, it was the band Arms Like Roses, and this time around, it’s Dan Spencer. You might think from a quick Google that Dan Spencer is a black metal musician. His Instagram account is @danspencermetal, his latest LP is called Return To Your Dark Master, and he writes songs about, in his words, “being in caves and hating the sun.” His recent single “Fat Vampire” even starts with a note-perfect 10-second blast of black-metallic roaring, screaming, and hyperspeed drums. But then everything shifts, and Dan Spencer’s true nature reveals itself, as everything breaks down to acoustic guitar strums, which lead into the excellent alt-country/folk tunes that are Spencer’s actual stock in trade.
You might think this sounds gimmicky as hell, and listen, I’d agree with you if it weren’t for the sheer brilliance of Spencer’s songs. The aforementioned “Fat Vampire” channels Drive-By Truckers/Lucero riffs through a Cradle Of Filth-style worldview — during the quiet midsong breakdown, he croons, “In the graveyard I still hunger for a poison that is too sharp to be bled.” Indeed, the juxtaposition of dark, metallic lyrics and iconography with melancholy country-folk melodies adds a new dimension to both sides of what Spencer’s doing, pointing out the too-often overlooked forlorn alienation at the heart of most raging metal music. Maybe, as Spencer declares in a song, the blues and black metal aren’t so different after all. One thing’s for sure: in his hands, the combination of the two is sheer brilliance. This evening also features opening sets from two Richmond bands who are at least somewhat like-minded. Drug Country vent frustrations in a raw yet vaguely twangy roots-rock style on their latest EP, How To Keep A Band. Bucko are more straight-up country, but still have a loose rock n’ roll heart running through their sound. All three of these groups will bring notes of melancholy sweetness to your Monday night. You know what to do.
Tuesday, July 16, 8 PM
Joyfriend, Jeff In Leather, The Treasury, Every Eye @ Fallout – $12
Well dang, it’s been a while since this column pulled on its shiny black leather outfit to make a trip down to the dark and spooky underground of Shockoe Bottom and visit our favorite fetish-goth club, Fallout. They’re still there, bringing us all the most excellent gothic, industrial, and new wave awesomeness, and this show is the perfect occasion to check in with them once more. Queer darkwave project Joyfriend are coming through town, bringing us a night of wonderful pounding industrial dance tracks to stomp our mirrored black 20-hole Doc Martens to. Landing somewhere on the industrial heaviness scale between the classic EBM thrash of Nitzer Ebb and the moody gloom of classic Sisters Of Mercy, Joyfriend ups the ante with some delightfully queer lyrics and party-at-the-end-of-the-world vibes that are sure to make this show a total blast of sexy fun.
Joyfriend are on tour with Jeff In Leather, a truly heavy industrial artist whose synth chords and programmed beats pound you over the head Front 242-style on their new JIL EP. It’s hard to imagine a project this intensely dark and gothic coming from Omaha, Nebraska, but in fact that is Jeff In Leather’s hometown. Don’t let it bother you, though — their hard beats and pounding dancefloor anthems are as intense as anything you’d hear in a Berlin disco at 5 am on a Sunday morning. Richmond-based industrial newcomers The Treasury will bring a slight retro-80s note to this bill, while ambient gothic project Every Eye finds members of Gusher and Toxic Moxie stretching for ethereal dream-pop perfection. The whole thing starts off with a DJ set from the local show promoter known as Behavior, who’s sure to get you into the proper headspace for this night of heavy industrial gothic excellence. Get stoked.
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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