RVA Shows You Must See This Week: September 25 – October 1
FEATURED SHOW
Friday, September 27 & Saturday, September 28
Swag Fest
Day 1: Friday, September 27, 6 PM
Destructo Disk, Strawberry Moon, Trapcry, Bonemachine, Tentative Decisions, Shagg Carpet
Day 2: Saturday, September 28, 6 PM
Destructo Disk, DuctTape Jesus, Mikie Mayo, Braids, Earfthgirl, White Beast
@ The Camel – $20 for one night, $30 for two-day pass (order two-day passes and Friday tickets HERE, order Saturday tickets HERE)
It’s been pretty remarkable over the past few years to see the rapid rise of Destructo Disk. Having started their career in punk rock when the entire trio was still living in the small Appalachian city of Winchester, VA, they eventually moved to Richmond and immediately made a huge impact on the local scene. These days, they are veritable monarchs of the river city’s musical underground, and their label, Sockhead Records, has become one of the essential record labels documenting the underground scene here in RVA. All of these awesome rising tides are culminating this weekend with Swag Fest, a two-day throwdown at The Camel that celebrates five years of Sockhead Records with a showcase of nearly a dozen Sockhead-affiliated artists and bands. And I’m just here to tell ya — if you want to know what’s happening with music in this city right now, attendance at both days of Swag Fest is absolutely mandatory.
There’s a lot going on this weekend, too. Before I get to the music that’s in plentiful supply at both of these shows, let’s talk about the cool Sockhead Records stuff going on. For starters, there’s the incredible Sockhead Records & Friends (SHRF) Vol. 2 compilation, out now in digital form on Bandcamp and available in super limited CD form at the shows this weekend (but grab it quick, because I fully expect it to sell out). 30 different artists/bands are represented on this disc, mostly from Richmond, and including every artist performing at Swag Fest this weekend. And then there’s the massively colorful repress of Destructo Disk’s first LP, Punk Rock For Kids Who Can’t Skate, which will make its first appearance in the world at Swag Fest this weekend. If you didn’t pre-order yourself a copy, you’ll definitely want to snag one at the show.
And speaking of Punk Rock For Kids Who Can’t Skate… you may have noticed that Destructo Disk are headlining not one but BOTH of these two shows. Not to worry, though — you aren’t getting the same set twice. Instead, the Friday show will feature the band’s current lineup playing recent material and some deep cuts (perhaps including the Cure cover they contributed to SHRF Vol. 2?), while the Saturday show will see original drummer Danny return to the fold to play Punk Rock For Kids Who Can’t Skate in its entirety. Whether you’re a Destructo Disk OG who goes crazy for the early material, or a new jack like me who thinks Kelly Green Hardcore is their best stuff yet, you’ll get plenty of what you want from Destructo Disk this weekend.
And then there are all the other amazing groups playing these two shows! We all probably know at this point of the amazingness on offer from such artists as indie-punks Strawberry Moon, blunted rap icon DuctTape Jesus, and noise-rock up-and-comers Bonemachine. However, I’m actually most stoked about a couple of the lesser known artists on this bill, whose tracks on SHRF Vol. 2 are my first proper listen to them. Braids is one; their bouncy, catchy punk is full of melody and energy, all aimed in a highly positive direction. Meanwhile, Earfthgirl’s hazy, electro-gaze vibes are off the charts, making you feel like you’re cruising through the stratosphere as 8-bit video game characters bounce and bloop all around you. As for Mikie Mayo, who is entirely new to me, their track on SHRF Vol. 2 makes me think of Machine Gun Kelly’s current emo era crossed with some bizarro cross of 100 gecs and The Armed. Can’t wait to hear more of this one. Really, I can’t wait to hear more from all of these groups. The Camel is the place to do it! Get the lowdown on the Richmond music community circa 2024 by coming out to this one.
Wednesday, September 25, 7 PM
Kal Marks, Shutups, Gnawing, 1000 Bliss @ Bandito’s – $15
Tonight it’s time to get heavy over at Bandito’s. Only, as I say that, it’s clear that there’s a good bit more nuance to this event than that. Noise-rock combo Kal Marks, who hail from Brooklyn and Rhode Island, have made their name with heavy noisy grooves of the sort that typically brings a smile to the faces of Jesus Lizard and Melvins fans everywhere. However, they’ve always had a subtle depth to their music, one that has become clearer than ever on their brand new album, Wasteland Baby. This album finds them continuing to write heavy, punishing grooves, but lacing them with layers of melody that have become very clear — and tremendously catchy. The tunes on the new album are downright anthemic, worthy not only of frantic headbangs but triumphant singalongs.
Onstage at Bandito’s tonight, Kal Marks is sure to sound incredible. And so will their touring partners, Shutups, who have an intense indie rock sound that recalls Cursive, which they leaven with a sardonic sense of humor that is best represented in the names of their two albums, 2019’s Every Day I’m Less Zen and 2022’s I can’t eat nearly as much as I want to vomit. While the Shutups are indubitably less heavy and more melodic than Kal Marks, they remain every bit as intense as their touring partners, and a great pairing on a lineup full of intriguing contrasts. Richmond alt-rock mainstays Gnawing are prepared to bash through some powerful anthems of their own, bringing the analog spirit and distorted guitar firepower of classic mid-80s alternative rock a la Dinosaur Jr. or Husker Du. Gotta love it. The lineup’s rounded out by 1000 Bliss, about whom I know basically nothing other than that they just got started; apparently they played their first show less than a month ago. Really, though, how can you go wrong? This lineup is so incredibly stacked. You definitely want to be a part of it. I promise you that.
Thursday, September 26, 7 PM
Kind Of Kind, Precious Little Life, Hippie Love Party, Camp Werewolf @ Bandito’s – $10
Here’s one for the emo kids. Upstate New York combo Kind Of Kind are coming through in the company of tourmates Precious Little Life, who come from Philly, and both of these bands have plenty to offer the discerning fan of tangled yet catchy lead guitar lines, intensely emotional lyrics, and melancholy yet undeniably catchy riffage. Kind Of Kind’s most recent LP, Sustenance Pill, is full of catchy tunes with snappy titles like “Nice Means Of Production You Got There” and the kind of energetic, complex melodies that are sure to please the American Football (the band not the sport) fans among us. At the same time, this band’s also capable of strong, intense moments that cross over into the kind of angst-ridden catchy punk that Joyce Manor has always excelled at. It’s really the perfect sound for all the kids out there who wish the emo revival had kept reviving a little bit longer.
As for Precious Little Life, this group has expanded from a quartet to a six-piece over the last year or so, and their sound has thickened considerably as a result. Their recently released Four’s Company four-way split with Armbite, Knuckle Deep, and Home Remedies finds them taking their whole sound to a new level that hits harder than ever and bringing a ton of emotional resonance. When this band hits the stage you can expect heavenly levels of guitar fuzz and emotional angst, and it’s going to be amazing. Virginia Beach trio Hippie Love Party might make you think based on their name that they’re going to be some kind of goofy acoustic jamband-adjacent sort of thing, but in fact they fit right in with Kind Of Kind and Precious Little Life, kicking the emo intensity up a notch in a manner that sorta reminds me of the Hated (not that that will mean anything to anyone under 40 reading this. Trust me, y’all, it’s a compliment). The evening will open with the quietly beautiful melodies of Richmond indie rockers Camp Werewolf. The whole thing is gonna be great. Be there.
Friday, September 27, 7 PM
The Beaches, Charlie Houston @ The National – $35-$136 (order tickets HERE)
For a country that is just to the north of the one we all live in, Canada can sometimes be a bit of a mystery. Between their CanCon requirements and our own country’s massive addiction to our own content, a lot of great stuff produced by our neighbors to the north completely passes us by. The Beaches are a great example; I first heard them last year, in the run-up to the release of their excellent second album, Blame My Ex. This quartet create flawlessly snarky power-pop tunes that deserve the kind of reception they’ve gotten in their native country, where Blame My Ex won the Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year, and they were nominated for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. Meanwhile, here in America, I was lucky to stumble across them at all. I’m so glad I did, though, because I’ve been able to enjoy the irresistible hooks of Blame My Ex‘s many bangers — including not only sorta-title-track “Blame Brett” but “Everything Is Boring” and “Shower Beer,” among others — even as it feels like the rest of America snoozes on the very existence of this kiler band.
Obviously I’m not the only one who’s cottoned on, though — The Beaches are playing The National when they come through town this Friday night, and that’s hardly a hole in the wall. That said, there are plenty of tickets still available, and if you dig bouncy, catchy power pop that sounds sort of like The Go-Go’s and Haim making a collaborative album together, you should snap one up. This is going to be a massively fun night of music, one that’ll act as the perfect capper to yet another tough week at work, and get your weekend started on a massively triumphant high note. Fellow Canadian musician Charlie Houston is joining The Beaches on this date, and based on the excellent sound of her new single, “Slut For Excel,” she’s well worth showing up on time for. Imagine Wet Leg with the funky, multilayered Eno-style production of Talking Heads circa Remain In Light and you’re well on the way. All in all, this will be an incredible musical evening. You know what to do.
Saturday, September 28, 5 PM
Baby Bugs, Solya, Lyell @ The Canal Club – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Does Richmond realize we have a phenomenon in our midst? I ask because I don’t hear nearly enough discussion about how big the buzz is about the local singer-songwriter who records under the name Baby Bugs. TikTok is apparently the reason, and my feeble attempts to use that site have led me to feel like it’s way too much work to make videos for social media. That said, I occasionally hear about stuff going on in that world, and hearing that people are stoked enough about Baby Bugs that we had people showing up at their Auricular in-store at Plan 9 last month who’d driven eight hours to be there tells me that we’ve got a legit homegrown phenomenon on our hands. You can get some sense of what all the shouting’s about by checking out the newest Baby Bugs EP, Burn My Mirror. While some of their earlier material was closer to punk rock, the newest material combines dark folk with electro-goth vibes that are hard to pin down but have an undeniable spooky resonance. It sticks with you, is what I’m trying to say.
The new EP contains a track called “Baby Baby” that finds Baby Bugs collaborating with Solya, who they’re currently on tour with. Solya is a singer-songwriter from Texas who I think is 18 years old, and has also picked up a strong internet following from her moody gothic pop tunes. I hadn’t heard of her before this show came on my radar, but it seems clear she’s the Baby Bugs of another city halfway across the country. I imagine not only the Richmond date but every date on this tour will be full of young music fans thrilled to see these two hot young phenoms on stage in the same place. Opener Lyell appears to be a bit of an internet phenom herself, though she’s more of a guitar-driven rocker than the other two artists on this bill. Nonetheless, this is going to be an evening full of buzzworthy soon-to-be stars, and you could do a lot worse than heading over to The Canal Club this Saturday night, rubbing elbows with the zoomers, and finding out what the next big thing sounds like before any of your friends do.
Sunday, September 29, 7 PM
Blood, Shagg Carpet, Tentative Decisions @ Bandito’s – $10
I love a band name that gets right to the point, and on that level, Philadelphia band Blood are the most satisfying band I’ve encountered in quite a while. You might not have that strong an idea of what genre to expect from a band with a name like that, but you know to expect intensity, perhaps even a certain amount of violence. For Blood, at least on their new debut album, Loving You Backwards, the violence is largely emotional, but the intensity is right there in your face. Blood’s songs seek catharsis through blunt lyrics about the difficult state the world is in today, and how hard it is to come of age in 2024 without feeling totally hopeless about everything. Frontman Tim O’Brien has some heartbroken undertones to his voice that may feel familiar to those who once loved the music of Conor Oberst, but Blood attack their songs so much more fiercely than you’d ever expect from Bright Eyes.
At the end of the day, the best way to describe Blood is as intense. Their music is gripping, impossible to turn away from. And it’s sure to hit three times as hard when they’re laying it all on the line right in front of you on that good old foot-high Bandito’s stage, blasting their sound through what is secretly one of the best sound systems in the city. Expect to feel this set burning into the soles of your feet. As for the two openers on this gig, you may very well have gotten to see them only a couple of nights before, if you went to Swag Fest, but you’ll surely only be that much hungrier for more. Both Shagg Carpet and Tentative Decisions play fuzzy, punky indie tunes that embody the ramshackle glory of the best music that straddles that particular genre divide. I hear Pavement, I hear Guided By Voices, I hear Parquet Courts and Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Both of these bands are awesome, and we’re lucky to have both of them operating in Richmond at the same time. Add them together with the headlining set from Blood, and we’ve got a sure-fire recipe for musical excellence on a Sunday night.
Monday, September 30, 7 PM
Puddled, Deathcat, ArtSchool @ Bandito’s – $15
Here’s a truly amazing fact: this show column has featured a remarkable four shows taking place at Bandito’s this week, and I have somehow managed to get through three of the writeups for these shows without mentioning how great Bandito’s nachos are. I am consciously choosing to break that streak, though, because the word must be spread, especially since I’m writing about a show on a Monday night, which will allow you to partake in Bandito’s happy hour taco special if you show up early enough. My advice? Do that. Then you can watch this show with a belly full of tacos. What could be better?
Well, let’s talk about how great the bands on this bill are. At the top of the lineup, we’ve got Baltimore quartet Puddled, who are just about to release their seven-track debut mini-LP. Right now, only one song can be heard online, so I can’t give you too detailed of an impression, but I can tell you that “Between” rocks like a classic Liz Phair tune circa Exile In Guyville, only with a bit more of a crunch to the guitars — so maybe add in a bit of Courtney Barnett? Whatever the exact recipe, the result is certainly pleasing to the ear, and one can only imagine that the full set from these folks will be similarly pleasing. They’re joined on this show by one of my favorite new Richmond bands, the moody punk trio Deathcat, whose recent two-song demo captures the same kind of fun fury this band cranks out at their shows. You can catch some of that at this one. As for ArtSchool, their old-school political punk reminds me of great Bay Area bands of the late 80s and early 90s — you know, Crimpshrine, J Church, that sort of thing. It’s fun, just like actual art school. Liven up your Monday night and get down with it.
Tuesday, October 1, 7 PM
Mexican Slum Rats, Winona Forever, Israel’s Arcade @ The Camel – $15 in advance, $20 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Let’s wrap up this week of shows with a band whose name is certainly evocative: Mexican Slum Rats. These folks actually come from Los Angeles, which isn’t Mexico… or at least, it isn’t anymore. But regardless of where they’re from, they bring an energetic and fun sound that’s sure to kick your Tuesday night up a couple of notches. Their latest album, See You Around, is full of upbeat rock n’ rollers that have an undercurrent of punk rock piss n’ vinegar but are mostly just driving and catchy, full of loud guitars and well-built song structures that are sure to appeal to anyone who ever enjoyed any band you could describe as alternative rock.
Alternative rockers of a certain age might recognize the phrase “Winona forever” from an ill-advised tattoo Johnny Depp got decades ago, back when he and Winona Ryder were still a thing. These days, it lives on in the name of a band from Vancouver, who are just about to release an album called Sound Argument. They’re at the stage in the promotional cycle when the album isn’t out yet, but a good third or so of the songs are available to stream online in various places, so we can get a good idea of what their new record will sound like — and, by extension, how their set at The Camel will sound this Tuesday night. It’s smooth, catchy, guitar-driven but still a good bit more pop than rock. Power-pop, maybe, but with some subtle Caribbean flavors in the mix as well. The point here is that it’s good. Really good. As for Israel’s Arcade, the California band who round out the bill, let me first assure you that they’re named for lead vocalist Israel Pinedo. Nothing controversial going on here. Instead, there’s something really good; a driving Latin-infused take on desert rock with a strong indie sensibility. These guys are definitely worth showing up on time for.
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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