RVA Shows You Must See This Week: September 18 – September 24
FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, September 22, 8 PM
Shagwuf Staff Picks Residency Night 3, feat. Shagwuf, The Trillions, White Beast @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Shagwuf are definitely a Central Virginia institution at this point. The psychedelic punk trio from Charlottesville have spent the past decade-plus making their mark on the Commonwealth’s underground music scene, and have steadily amped up not only their unique musical aspects but also their wonderfully weird presence and their progressive political energy. Their annual Sweet Freakshow extravaganza up in C-ville, is never to be missed, and really any show they play gets a huge kick of energy and queer joy — the sort of thing that’s hard to find in this desperate modern era. The fact that The Camel’s staff picked Shagwuf as the latest band to spotlight with their ongoing Staff Picks residency, giving Richmond a wonderful month of Sundays with the sweet freaks themselves, feels not only eminently appropriate but like the very thing that we all need to shine some light during this end-of-summer rainy season.
Here’s what’s even more fun about all this: Shagwuf started the month by springing their third album on us all. Tres Animales finds the group taking their sound in some surprising and excellent directions, integrating big dollops of Latin funk and electro groove into the heavy-catchy punk and psyched-up alt-rock mix they’ve been working with for quite a while now. You can’t actually get your hands on the vinyl just yet — as you read this, pre-orders closed yesterday (womp womp) and the official record release show doesn’t happen for another few weeks. BUT! You can jam it in digital form on your favorite streaming platform, or download it over at Bandcamp. That way, when you show up Sunday night, you’ll be entirely ready to sing along at the top of your lungs to all the great new Shagwuf tunes the band is no doubt planning to shower us all with. This weird trick can help you maximize your fun! Don’t miss out.
You also don’t want to miss out on the two Richmond-based openers for this set. Each week of this residency offers just as much joy from the inspired selection of openers on offer as it does from the headlining Shagwuf set, and this week is no exception. The Trillions are a long-running local quartet who’ve been keeping things relatively low-key over the past few years as frontman Charlie Glenn did time in supergroups like Avers and Palm Palm. But the boys are back together once again to give us all a delightful dish of subtly complex power-pop, like Beatles and Sloan songs being fed through a TI-85 graphing calculator. Nine years have passed us by since the last Trillions album, 2015’s Superposition, so we can only hope they’re cooking up something new for us all. That said, a set of old favorites would do us all just as much good. Up and coming bass & drums duo White Beast will get this one started with some incredibly catchy tunes that both rock hard and prove that rhythm sections don’t need lead guitar players to crank out memorable choruses that you’ll be thinking about all day. Come get freaky at this one; you’ll be glad you did.
Wednesday, September 18, 7 PM
Amenra, Primitive Man, Blackwater Holylight @ The Broadberry – $25 (order tickets HERE)
Belgian band Amenra come from an intriguing corner of the metal world — one where a band’s heaviness and devastation is always understood, even if they push their music in all sorts of unusual directions. To be a fan of a band like Amenra, you have to appreciate how heavy, how gloomy, how METAL it can be to release an album full of mostly atmospheric soundscapes composed as the score for a film about unstable parents and the struggles they put their children through. That’s what Amenra did this year with their latest album, Skunk (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). Before that, they joined Cave-In and Marissa Nadler on an album of Townes Van Zandt covers. Indeed, even Amenra’s last proper metal album, 2021’s De Doorn, is hardly the straightforward sludged-up downer doom some half-dozen-word description of their sound would lead you to expect. Mark my words, though: Amenra is always a very heavy band. Even when they’re at their most atmospheric, this band always has the potential to crush you — musically, emotionally, or both at once.
The set they’ll be presenting tonight at The Broadberry is sure to create an atmosphere all of its own, an all-encompassing emotional climate that is brutal even in its quietest and most beautiful moments. And isn’t that really what life is all about? If I’m getting a little too abstract for you right now, never fear — Amenra will still offer plenty of slow-motion headbangs to all the doom OGs who don’t have time for all my emo nonsense. Those folks will probably get even more of a kick out of Primitive Man… albeit a very slow kick, as this band is just about as sludgy as they come. Their last full-length, 2022’s Insurmountable, stretched four songs out to nearly forty minutes in length, and never let up on the crushing riffage. Folks who miss Japanese sludge legends Corrupted will be delighted by what Primitive Man have to offer. Openers Blackwater Holylight will, true to their name, add the most light to the evening’s proceedings, bringing us a set of downcast, heavy, yet undeniably melodic tunes that land not too far from that whole “extremely heavy shoegaze” thing Jesu had going on at one point — though Blackwater Holylight definitely interject a subtle psychedelic element that will appeal to everyone who wishes heavy music was just a little, you know… trippier. Trip your way over to the Broadberry for this one.
Thursday, September 19, 7 PM
Dark Waters, Joyful Forfeit, Bellweather, Soft Catch @ Bandito’s – $10
I’ve been a fan of local quartet Dark Waters ever since they hit the scene. Featuring veterans of Richmond legends like Race The Sun, Sea Of Storms, and Deep China, these guys have spent the past few years balancing between warring instincts to go full-on emo and embrace their love for forlorn anthems of heartbreak, and to get good and heavy and let out a few tortured screams and pounding chug riffs. On their brand new third EP, Piedmont, Dark Waters remain teetering on the fine line between those two extremes, though as on their previous EP, they tilt a little more into the melody. This results in some truly catchy tunes that will no doubt charm anyone who can appreciate a subtle undercurrent of despair running through a heavy pop song. These guys will deliver these songs at top volume at Bandito’s Thursday night, and it’s all guaranteed to hit that much harder. You really don’t want to miss this one.
Pennsylvania emo group Joyful Forfeit are also on this bill, and if Dark Waters keeps elements of heaviness running through their music, Joyful Forfeit are much more willing to embrace melody and quiet moods. Their debut EP, Everything Came To Light, has a bit of the glittering guitar melodies and foggy atmospheres of 80s UK guitar bands like The Chameleons or House Of Love, though there’s also an element of heartland twang tied into it all as well. Considering they hail from the same part of Pennsylvania as legendary alternative rockers The Ocean Blue it all makes quite a bit of sense. Local shoegaze rising stars Bellweather will offer support for this killer bill, showing off the fuzzed-out melodic bliss of their recently released second EP, Pass The Noise. Richmond newcomers Soft Catch will kick things off with a set of upbeat, hazy power-pop. This one will rule from beginning to end — don’t miss a minute.
Friday, September 20, 7 PM
Age Of Ruin, Beggars, Walk The Plank, Bataan Death March, Inurvah @ Bandito’s – $10
Here’s a name I never expected to see again. Metalcore quintet Age Of Ruin were originally a band from the late 90s until the late 00s, and being based just up the road in the DMV area, they played in Richmond quite a few times, lighting venues up both figuratively — with their searing brand of Scandinavian-influenced metalcore — and literally — with their propensity for blowing huge fireballs during performances. After 2008’s One Thousand Needles LP, they went quiet for a long time, but around 2019, founding siblings Daniel Fleming (guitar) and Christopher Fleming (bass) started things back up with a slightly altered lineup, now incorporating former members of defunct DC metalcore bands Absolute Vengeance and Left Unsaid. In 2023, they released their third LP, Thieves, which surpasses their earlier material in sheer brutality, and shows that, 25 years in, this band is better than ever.
Age of Ruin return to Richmond in the company of fellow DMV quintet Walk The Plank, who bring a semi-melodic, fully ferocious hardcore punk attack on their most recent EP, Loathe. These guys are sure to bring a ton of energy to the stage, and consider they mention that they are “taco aficionados” in their Instagram bio, they’re sure to be stoked about playing a show at the taco/nacho/burrito paradise that is Bandito’s. Come out to this show and crush a couple tacos in their honor. And while you’re at it, don’t miss the Richmond-based acts providing local support. I know for sure you’ll get a set from Beggars, who’ve definitely got a metallic edge but also bring filthy guitars and raging, guttural vocals for a sound that combines the best aspects of dark hardcore and evil metalcore. That alone is reason enough to be stoked. As for the final band on this bill, I’ve seen some flyers indicating that it’s Richmond newcomers Inurvah and others claiming it’ll be raging reprobates Bataan Death March. I don’t think you can go wrong with either one of these, so show up to this one on time, and hit the Diablo Room with a full plate of tacos. You won’t regret it.
Saturday, September 21, 8 PM & 10 PM
Deau Eyes + R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND @ Reveler Experiences – $20-$30 (order tickets HERE)
Carytown venue Reveler Experiences is a great place to see shows that are a bit out of the ordinary, and they’ll certainly be bringing us an extraordinary evening of programming this Saturday night. Indeed, it’ll be split up into two shows, each of which will feature 80 or so minutes of music from two different local musical powerhouses that have joined forces to produce a sound that we haven’t heard from either of them before. There were hints that something like this might be coming if you were paying attention — for example, earlier this year Deau Eyes released a cover of the classic Joni Mitchell tune “All I Want,” which found bandleader Ali Thibodeau at the head of a jazzy, piano-driven combo rather than her usual electro-power-pop sound. That being said, nothing is going to prepare us all for what will happen when Deau Eyes join forces with R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND to give us all a program mixing Deau Eyes originals with classic covers done in a totally new style.
Just as local indie pop fans know they’re in for a good time whenever Deau Eyes takes the stage, those who follow Richmond’s fertile jazz scene know that any configuration in which bassist Andrew Randazzo chooses to appear to us will offer musical fireworks that can’t be found anywhere else. His most famous project is Richmond jazz sensations Butcher Brown, for which he wields the bass, but he does all sorts of other amazing things too — from working with sax powerhouse Charles Owens (who has also collaborated with Deau Eyes quite a bit) to his regular performances with the typographically challenging R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND, best known around town for their annual holiday salute to Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack composer Vince Guaraldi. Put all these things together, mix in some new arrangements of Deau Eyes favorites as well as some great covers, and you’ve got an evening that we’ll all remember. Get a ticket to the early set and head to Galaxy Diner for a late dinner afterward, or bring a date to the late show and show off how hip and full of secret musical knowledge you are. Either way, you’re in for an outstanding night.
Sunday, September 22, 6 PM
Gatecreeper, Frozen Soul, Worm @ The Canal Club – $23 in advance, $25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Let’s wrap up our weekends with a band that’s gone from an underground sensation to a metal mainstay in less than a decade. Gatecreeper, who come from Phoenix Arizona and have the desert-scorched thrash metal sound to prove it, got their start with 2016’s Sonoran Depravation, a slab of scathing death-metal riffage and roaring vocal harshness. That album showed Gatecreeper following in a path that has borne fruit for a lot of bands over the years: blend the heaviest and harshest elements of death metal with the riffs and song structures of the heavy end of the hardcore scene. The result will remind you exactly why Entombed and Hatebreed toured together back in the day, as well as making it clear why Gatecreeper released early splits with bands like Homewrecker and Young And In The Way.
On their latest album, the freshly released Dark Superstition, Gatecreeper are bringing in a bit more melody and taking things in a direction that should please anyone who enjoys bands like Lamb Of God and All That Remains, without losing track of the brutality that has a been a fundamental element of Gatecreeper’s sound from the beginning. If anything, they are catchier and more fun to listen to than ever, so if you haven’t checked out what they have to offer yet, this is definitely the time. Come prepared to headbang — you’ll definitely be doing it. An opening set will be provided by Texas quintet Frozen Soul, who have a solid throwback Florida death-metal sound that shines on latest LP Glacial Domination. Rounding out the bill is Worm, a spooky doomed-out combo from Miami with some Autopsy-style death sludge up in the mix. This will be a blast. Don’t miss out.
Monday, September 23, 7 PM
Quarters Of Change, The Hails @ The Broadberry – $19.99 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s one that was a real revelation for me: New York’s Quarters Of Change, an alternative-rock band that definitely reminds me of a lot of the catchy guitar-driven bands I was listening to back in the mid-00s. Their new album, Portraits, has a moody edge to it, and while at times I find myself thinking of more mainstream groups like first-LP Bush or pre-Kid A Radiohead, there’s a more gothic element in there that at times reminds me of Jeff Buckley, early Mars Volta, or total obscurities like Wax On Radio (search them on YouTube, they ruled). The melodic hooks are subtle, but once they get you, they do not let go. This band has been growing on me steadily ever since I first heard them, and I have no doubt that seeing them live will take anyone’s fandom up to nuclear levels.
South Florida group The Hails may be opening this one up, but I can tell you for sure that they have quite a bit of buzz on their own behalf. Debut album What’s Your Motive mixes electronic textures with hard rock guitars and brings us a whole grip of catchy tracks. One listen is more than enough to help you understand why these guys are making a lot of fans in the indie pop underground. I am still a bit more stoked about Quarters Of Change, but The Hails will definitely provide a delightful kickoff for this killer Monday night at the Broadberry. Wear your dancing shoes to this one.
Tuesday, September 24, 7 PM
Coral Moons, Darling.jpg, Human Worm @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
There’s a good place for folky indie pop in this city, and I think The Camel is probably it — especially on a Tuesday night, after we’ve all spent the weekend rocking the fuck out and sweating away the last days of summer. Having said that, don’t think the arrival of Boston group Coral Moons to The Camel on a Tuesday night is an occasion for relaxing and tapping your foot to some chill acoustic tunes. No no, don’t get me wrong, these guys are gonna have you up and dancing for sure. New album Summer Of U is full of catchy, bouncy tunes that sorta remind me of Taylor Swift if she joined up with Waxahatchee or something. I don’t know, that comparison might be too weird for even me — suffice it to say that there’s a strong pop sense at work here, but it’s tempered by a fundamental grounding in classic folk-pop stylings and a modern indie sound.
That’s what Coral Moons have to offer, and you can expect a set full of pop classics that just haven’t been canonized yet (give them a few years). As for the Richmond openers, I don’t know a ton about them, but I’m definitely intrigued. For one thing, Darling.jpg has a brilliantly original name. For another, the band features Sarah Kinzer, who has previously played with So Badly as well as doing solo bedroom pop since she was quite young. How this new project will sound, I don’t exactly know, but based on her previous work, I’m expecting good things. You could say similar things about Human Worm, a new project featuring Strawberry Moon’s Katie Bowles and certainly appearing to be a classic indie-punk group, but with programmed drums and synths instead of standard acoustic drums. I’m not sure what this will all add up to, but I can certainly tell you I’m intrigued. Let’s all find out together, shall we? See you next Tuesday.
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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