RVA Shows You Must See This Week: June 14 – June 20
FEATURED SHOW
Friday, June 16, 8 PM
Ms. Jaylin Brown, Alex J. Dimas @ The Tin Pan – $22.50 (order tickets HERE)
For obvious reasons, I pay a good deal of attention to what’s going on and what’s being talked about in the Richmond music world, and I feel pretty comfortable speaking on which local artists have the biggest buzz around town. With that in mind, let me just tell y’all if you don’t already know: Ms. Jaylin Brown is at the top of that list right now. Last year’s Take It Easy EP impressed a lot of people from all corners of the scene with it’s memorable sound. The quiet, stripped-down sound of this record, which mostly consisted of nothing more than Ms. Brown’s voice and electric guitar, could be tough to pin down with a genre label. The one I heard most often was neo-soul, but when I listened, I found myself thinking just as often of Jeff Buckley as of Erykah Badu.
With that EP setting the stage for Ms. Jaylin’s next big step, it seemed reasonable to expect that the release of a new album from her would break the entire city wide open. Well, the time has come, y’all; Audible Love was just released by Shockoe Records, exclusively on CD, and this Friday night throwdown at The Tin Pan is the celebration that this album’s release so richly deserves. It’s fitting that Shockoe Records is releasing Audible Love, because it actually captures her live performance at Shockoe Sessions Live last November, when she decided to forgo her usual minimalist approach in favor of fronting a six-piece band featuring talented Richmond musicians like Calvin Presents and Steven Boone, among others. The results were stunning, as anyone who watched that performance live, either at In Your Ear or over the Shockoe Sessions live stream, can certainly tell you.
Ms. Jaylin Brown will recreate that full-band performance for the record release celebration at Tin Pan this Friday night, and if you missed that performance last November, you definitely are going to want to be there for this one. Calvin Presents will be returning on piano, and other Richmond heavy hitters including saxophonist Charles Owens and guitarist Forrest Link of Weekend Plans will also be part of the ensemble during this performance, so top quality sounds are guaranteed. If, like me, you’ve heard Take It Easy often enough to familiarize yourself with its tunes, hearing them played by a full band will be a revelation. The show will begin with an opening set from RVA indie singer-songwriter Alex J. Dimas, who has several excellent singles available on streaming services these days, and will be well worth showing up on time for. And of course, at a fancy spot like The Tin Pan, it’s never a bad idea to show up early enough to have dinner before the show. It’s the perfect date night, so go see Ms. Jaylin Brown with someone you love this Friday night. You won’t regret it.
Wednesday, June 14, 7 PM
YOB, Pallbearer, Mister Earthbound @ The Broadberry – $25 (order tickets HERE)
Doom metal fans should already be super-stoked for this one, but on the off chance that any of y’all have been hiding out, let me break the news to you now: YOB are playing in Richmond tonight, and they’ve got the legendary Pallbearer along on tour with them. That’s all some of you needed to hear, I’m sure, but if you’re not a veteran connoisseur of slow-motion headbangs, let me explain. YOB are legendary in stoner/doom metal circles, having originally established their credentials as top-notch purveyors of progressive doom epics over 20 years ago with the release of their debut album, Elaborations Of Carbon. They went on hiatus for a while circa 2006, with vocalist, guitarist, and chief songwriter Mike Scheidt restarting the band with a revamped lineup for 2009’s The Great Cessation. That trio held together for over a decade, even after Scheidt suffered a major health scare that nearly killed him and inspired a career highlight, 2018’s Our Raw Heart.
Other than a one-off Deep Purple cover released last year, that’s been it from YOB over the past five or so years. But now they’ve been revitalized once again with the addition of drummer Dave French, formerly of the Tad Doyle project Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth. They will soon issue Elaborations of Carbon on vinyl for the first time, and one can only hope that these signs of a new productivity mean that a new album is also in the offing. The best way to find that out is to go see YOB tonight at The Broadberry, where you can be sure you’ll get a tremendous performance regardless of whether they focus on new or old material. Arkansas doom metallers Pallbearer, who I’d consider to be headliners in their own right, will also be along on this jaunt, and while these folks have a slightly more Sabbath-ish retro touch to their brand of doom, anyone who loves YOB will certainly enjoy this quartet, and vice versa. Richmond heavy groove combo Mister Earthbound, whose late 2022 debut, Shadow Work, was an inspired slab of Kyuss-style desert metal, will get this one started. It’s gonna rule.
8
Thursday, June 15, 7 PM
Spiral Fracture, Temple Witch, Melk @ Another Round Bar & Grill – $10
If you frequently visit Another Round Bar And Grill out there on Lakeside Ave, you’re sure to have encountered Spiral Fracture by now. This quartet is a frequent highlight of the more metallic evenings out at Another Round, and if you’ve heard the self-titled LP they released last year, you know why. With a collection of mid-paced technical riffs that hide their deceptive complexity beneath an always driving groove and a vocalist that forgoes the standard screams of today’s groups for a throwback approach that resembles that of Queensryche’s Geoff Tate, these guys play in a sound that’s actually rather hard to find in the 2023 metal scene (though fans of fellow Richmonders Merciful Zero are sure to notice at least a few points in common). Spiral Fracture play quite often in Richmond, but this local show is actually the kickoff for their Fractured Temple tour, which sees them leave town for a week on the road with Kent, Ohio’s Temple Witch, who deserve every bit as much of the spotlight as Spiral Fracture.
While Spiral Fracture have been playing their technical metal trade for over a decade now, Temple Witch is a relatively new band, having formed in 2020 and released their debut album almost exactly two years ago. That album, Hand In Hand With Chaos, shows this trio to be a powerful force in the death metal scene, one that isn’t afraid to draw a song out to proper epic length. Their first album may only contain five songs, but it stretches out over 50 minutes, with the majority of songs topping 10 minutes in length. These epics are the most riveting form of death metal, the form that expresses a tortured emotional state — one that shows itself in song titles like “Save My Soul” and “A Time To Atone.” With the sheer hypnotic power of its slowed-down heavy grooves, Temple Witch’s set is sure to feel like it took no time at all — except for the fact that your neck will remind you the next morning about all the headbanging you did. Richmonders Melk will open things up with a set of 90s style groove metal that’ll get this one going in proper fashion.
Friday, June 16, 8 PM
Happy Birthday Paul!, feat. Goldrush, Kenneka Cook, David Long @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Prabir Mehta has been an institution on the Richmond music scene for at least two decades now, fronting a series of noteworthy indie/power-pop projects. Throughout that time, he has always been very upfront about his obsessions and loves; indeed, if you’ve been following his career for a while, you know what a bunch of them are. Science is one, the culture of India is another. And of course, a big one for Prabir is The Beatles. Therefore, I can’t say I was surprised to discover that, on the occasion of Paul McCartney’s 81st birthday, Prabir put together a big tribute show to celebrate Paul’s birthday. If anyone in Richmond was gonna do a show like that, it was gonna be Prabir Mehta.
Which is extremely good luck for us all, because there aren’t many bands in Richmond as well equipped to pay tribute to the legacy of Paul McCartney and the Beatles as Goldrush, who’ve reunited for this show for the first time since they did a similar show last year for Paul’s 80th birthday. Goldrush brings Prabir’s well-documented talent for creating top-notch power-pop together with Matt and Treesa Gold, two classical string players who add a strong orchestral element to Goldrush’s rock n’ roll foundation. This crew will present us with a lengthy set featuring many Beatles and Paul McCartney solo tunes… and even a few Goldrush classics, all of which took inspiration from McCartney. Kenneka Cook and David Long will be on hand to open the show with solo sets of their own, and quite a few guests will join Goldrush during their set for guest vocals and other miscellaneous contributions. It’ll be a glorious tribute to Sir Paul, and it’ll also be a great chance for Richmond’s music-loving faithful to get an all-too-rare glimpse of Goldrush in full fighting form. This isn’t one you want to miss.
Saturday, June 17, 7 PM
Hellion Child, Strictly Hip-Hop, Crawler, plus screening of Magnetar @ Cobra Cabana – Price TBA
As it is for a lot of people, my BMX-riding days were a passing phase. I switched over to mountain bikes, then road bikes, and at this point, it’s probably been over 25 years since I rode a BMX at all. There are people who are not like me, though — people who make riding BMX bikes, and doing mind-blowing tricks with them, a way of life. This Saturday, the folks behind Radshare will be bringing a huge amount of BMX lifers together at Gillies Creek Park’s BMX track for the third annual Rumble In Richmond. That’s not what this post is really about, though — it’s really about the afterparty, which will take place at Cobra Cabana after the Rumble In Richmond ends. You may or may not be interested in The Rumble In Richmond. But whether you love BMX bikes or haven’t ridden one in decades (or ever), you’ll find a lot to love at this event at Cobra Cabana.
The evening will begin with the first ever Richmond showing of Magnetar, a full-length film showcasing the talented hijinks of a variety of BMX bikers associated with Fast And Loose BMX. I can’t do any of the crazy tricks these riders can do, but I definitely always enjoy seeing what they’re able to pull off, and I’m sure you will as well. After the film, we’ll be treated to sets from three bands who all bring the harsh, heavy sounds in their own way. Headliners will be Richmond-based thrashers Hellion Child, who always bring the rippin’ rage like Motorhead on a black metal binge. They’ll be joined by Baltimore’s Crawler, a scathing metallic grind band with some intriguing hardcore tinges, as well as by Strictly Hip-Hop, a Boston trio whose name might lead you astray but whose music will surely bring a smile to the face of those who love Infest, Crossed Out, and Spazz. Even if you don’t hit up the Rumble In Richmond, you’ll find a lot of great things going on at this afterparty. And if you do get a chance to make it out, you’ll get a full Saturday of awesomeness. Either way, everyone’s a winner!
Sunday, June 18, 7 PM
Riders In The Sky @ The Tin Pan – $45 (order tickets HERE)
And now for something completely different. If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool indie rocker, you may not think you know Riders In The Sky, the Western music quartet with a four-decade history. But I am certain you know at least one of their songs: “Woody’s Roundup,” the Grammy-winning tune they composed for Toy Story 2. I can see why, knowing only that song, you might think Riders In The Sky are a total novelty act. But actually, this band has had a prolific career playing old-time cowboy songs and country classics, appearing everywhere from the Grand Ol’ Opry to Hee Haw. They even had their own TV show for a couple of seasons back in the earliest days of TNN (which I think is called the Paramount Network now). As their career has advanced, they’ve slowed down a bit, but back in the 80s and 90s, it was rare for a year to go by without them releasing an album. And even now, after 45 years in the music business, they’re still releasing new albums on a regular basis.
Now, I’ll grant you that old-time Western music isn’t the sort of thing most of us would listen to on a daily basis. That said, it makes a lovely change of pace, and when it’s done by true legends of the genre, you can’t ask for a better way to spend an evening out. What’s more, their performances are always full of laughs and fun — and unlike most of the stuff I usually write about, you can actually bring your kids to this show without having to worry about freaking them out. Not that I have kids — but at my age, I realize that I’m a bit of an anomaly, and some of you might love the opportunity to go out and see some good music without having to find a sitter. Even if you’re child-free like me, though, Riders In the Sky at The Tin Pan is sure to be a great time. PS — My wife, who is a huge Riders In The Sky fan, wants me to let all of you know that Too Slim from Riders In The Sky is the one who started that whole “Paul McCartney is dead” conspiracy theory back in the 60s. How cool is that? I wonder if Prabir knows that story…
Monday, June 19, 7 PM
.gif From God, Thirdface, R-Complex, Fleshing Machine, Glut, ROTWLCFTSCBMH @ Bandito’s – $10
And now we return to your regularly scheduled programming with this Monday night extravaganza headed up by the one and only .gif From God, who admittedly are my friends but are also one of the best bands in this city, so don’t just assume I’m biased. .gif From God proved their awesomeness all over again a couple of months ago when they released their latest EP, a six-song scorcher of sassy metallic hardcore chaos called Digital Red. And now they’re proving it all over again by bringing us a killer double bill that sees them paired up as headliners with the almighty Thirdface. If you don’t know Thirdface, it’s time to change that. This Nashville hardcore quartet blew everyone who was paying attention straight out of their shoes with their 2021 debut, Do It With A Smile, and while they haven’t given us any new sounds since then, the fact that they’re touring enough to have made it up to Richmond is a very good sign. No matter what songs they play in their set, though, it’s sure to be devastating, as their relentless energy and incredible hyperspeed riffs pair perfectly with Kathryn Edwards’s powerful, scathing vocals. With a set from .gif From God in the offing, their combined powers just might be too much for all of us.
And that’s not even to mention the many excellent openers on this bill. R-Complex is the solo project of Prisoner guitarist Pete Rosza, and their digital soundscapes are sure to be every bit as harsh and pummeling as they were on last year’s Overlord LP. As for Glut, I can’t find anything about them online except for the fact that they played a local noise fest back in 2021. So if you dig R-Complex, this project should be right up your alley. ROTWLCFTSCBMH is always a fave, with their hectic horrorcore take on grind, and while I thought at first Fleshing Machine was a typo for local faves Flesh Machine, this is actually a completely different Richmond band with a spooky industrial sound that reminds me at least a little bit of Skinny Puppy. So yeah, there are a lot of different sounds and styles represented on this bill. What they have in common is that they’re all harsh, heavy, and totally awesome. I don’t care how blue and stormy your Monday turns out to be — you need to end it with this show. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Tuesday, June 20, 7:30 PM
Shockoe Sessions Live presents Knifing Around @ In Your Ear Studios – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Let’s end this week’s column back where we started: with Shockoe Sessions Live. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, no matter what’s going on in this city on slow nights of the week, I never have to worry that there won’t be anything to write about on a Tuesday night, because I know if nothing else Shockoe Sessions Live is going to have something cool going on. This week it’s a particularly cool week at Shockoe Sessions Live, because they’re presenting a performance from Knifing Around. This local electro-punk group has been gaining a strong buzz over the past year or so, and the sounds on their debut EP, Don’t Stab Your Hand, demonstrate exactly why that’s the case.
If you love the bands from the postpunk scene of the early 80s that sound like very depressed disco/funk groups, or you wish VCR and Lost Sounds were still around, Knifing Around have exactly what the doctor ordered for you. The five quick songs on their first EP were way too brief to leave you sated, but their performance at Shockoe Sessions Live should extend the running time quite a bit and ensure you get your fill from this fascinating group — who, based on the reaction I got from them last time I mentioned it, really are named after that old Space Ghost Coast To Coast bit (I guess I’m not the only one who remembers it, either, since that year-old video has nearly 50 thousand views). And as cool as that is, their music is even cooler. So listen, whether you’re in person at In Your Ear or just streaming it on your phone, make sure you’re tuned in for this one. It’s gonna be great.
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
Not taking commissions right now — much as I could use the money, I’m just stretched too thin. But please consider supporting my Patreon, where I’m documenting my progress on two different novels and (sometimes) writing about music of all types. patreon.com/marilyndrewnecci
