RVA Shows You Must See This Week: April 12 – April 18
FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, April 15, 7 PM
Toward Space, Broke Body, Sifter @ Hardywood – Free!
Toward Space are all grown up! The fact that the Richmond garage-rock trio all appear naked (don’t worry, they don’t show any of their naughty bits) on the cover of their new self-titled album, for which the show I’m currently writing about is a release celebration, is only one example of that fact. They couldn’t have done a similar pose back when I first started seeing them at Richmond house shows, since they were a bunch of teenagers back then, but that was damn near a decade ago, and I’m pretty sure they’re all old enough to rent cars and drink in bars by now. You can hear the experience and maturity in the sound of the three advance singles from the new album that they’ve released so far. They’ve left the raw, primitive garage punk of their early EPs behind, thickening up the sound and accentuating the pop sensibility that has always lurked beneath their snotty punk attitude. Thankfully, they retain the garage-punk spirit that’s always animated their sound, for a record that — again, if the advance singles are any indication — is set to take this always-great band to the next level.
Toward Space is actually the first new release from this group since 2018’s brilliant full-length debut, Gently With A Chainsaw, and while it’s been a long wait, Toward Space clearly haven’t just been slacking off in the interim. Indeed, eagle-eyed Toward Space fans will notice that a few songs on the new album initially appeared in lo-fi versions on the digital-only 2021 EP Unreleased Songs From The Unit, which documented a live practice space recording of some new tunes. If you played that EP to death back then, don’t worry, you’ll still be glad to hear the finished versions in all their loud and proud glory. Trust me, it’s a big improvement.
But isn’t this column supposed to be about live music, not new albums? Hold your horses, folks — I’m getting there. With all of the momentum Toward Space have built up due to the imminent release of their brand new album, this record release show at Hardywood should be a proper rager from beginning to end. Toward Space are playing the new self-titled album in its entirety, and they’re sure to bring every bit of the high-octane rock n’ roll energy that they’ve always had flowing through their veins to this no-holds-barred performance at Hardywood. With hard-edged Philadelphia indie-pop trio Broke Body and local punk rippers Sifter also on the bill, this one’s gonna be an entire evening of great tunes. And on top of all that, it’s free! What more could you want? A wild afterparty going all night, you say? Word has it that there is indeed such an event in the offing, taking place at Get Tight Lounge and featuring DJ Willie Kill spinning tunes into the wee hours. But listen: the important part is to be at Hardywood when Toward Space lets loose. Everything else is gravy.
Wednesday, April 12, 6:30 PM
Free Throw, Can’t Swim, Flight Club @ The Canal Club – $20 in advance, $25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Those of you who’ve been following this column since the mid-10s will remember how stoked I was about the “emo revival” sound that was big in that era. At the time, I would have told you that I was aware of every band that came out of that whole movement, that I knew all the big records and was keeping up on even the most minor offshoots of the movement. And yet, it somehow took until the release of Free Throw’s fourth LP, 2021’s Piecing It Together, before I ever checked that band out. When I did, I was sorry for all the time I’d lost; they had a really great sound that straddled the line between the twinkly-guitar emo-AF scene and the more emotional end of the pop-punk scene (which I also loved — and still love). When I checked out their first three albums, I found that they’d been great from day one, and I’d somehow missed out on seven years of awesomeness.
That’s a little bit of a bummer to realize, but why dwell on it? Instead, we should all rejoice in the discovery of a great band we didn’t previously know about — especially when that band is coming to town this very night, offering the chance to go sing along with all those emo anthems we missed singing out on the first time. What’s even cooler is that Free Throw have a brand new single out: “This Is Fine.” carries on with what they’ve been doing on previous releases in fine fashion, and heralds the imminent arrival of a fifth album of emo-pop goodness. I for one can’t wait — which is why I’m glad they’re playing in town tonight. As I type, the show starts in three hours — don’t waste any time getting there.
Thursday, April 13, 8 PM
Tennishu w/R4nd4zzo & DJ Harrison, Cosmic Collective, Stimulator Jones @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
I used to feel like I had a firm grasp on the dividing line between Butcher Brown and the various side projects the quintet’s members had going. They seemed easy to distinguish: Butcher Brown was a classic soul-jazz combo, while Tennishu was Marcus Tenney’s rhymesaying alter ego, and DJ Harrison gave Devonne Harris a chance to mix samples of his own jazz recordings with programmed beats in order to create classic hip hop instrumentals. These days, though, the lines have all gotten very blurry. In 2022, Butcher Brown released Triple Trey, which featured Tenney rapping on nearly every track. Meanwhile, Tennishu’s main release last year was DrumTapes, an album of spacey, jazzy instrumental loops. Now comes this performance, a live collaboration in which Tennishu teams up with both DJ Harrison and R4nd4zzo — the name under which Butcher Brown bassist Andrew Randazzo does his various side projects — to bring us some tunes both old and new. Some of them, no doubt, will point the way forward to the next Tennishu project, BassTapes, a sequel to DrumTapes inspired by the birth of Tenney’s daughter that will be released the morning after this show.
Did you keep up with all that? I barely feel like I did, and I’m the one who wrote it! That said, none of us have anything to worry about. The important thing is not every tiny factual detail; it’s the brilliance of the music. Tenney, Randazzo, and Harris have shown over the past decade that, whether they’re working together in Butcher Brown or separately under a variety of other names, they always bring great tunes into the world. So while I can’t tell you exactly what to expect from their trio performance at this show Thursday night, I can tell you to expect brilliance. That much is always assured, regardless of which genres they decide to dip into. With shifting jazz ensemble Cosmic Collective and musician/producer/beatmaker extraordinaire Stimulator Jones also on the bill, you can expect great sounds from the tippy top to the very end of this Thursday night spectacular at the Camel. Be there.
Friday, April 14, 8 PM
Sea Of Storms, Gusher, Shotclock @ Bandito’s – $10
Here’s a delightful evening of music at Bandito’s that comes together to celebrate a too-rare and always delightful occurrence in Richmond music: Sea Of Storms releasing a new record. This group moves at a pretty deliberate pace: 11 years after the release of their debut EP, they’re only now releasing their fourth overall collection of tunes. As always, though, it’s worth the wait: Control Alt Delete features three new songs that fit right into Sea Of Storms’s penchant for highly melodic yet furiously driven emo-indie tuneage. Indeed, the new EP (which has actually been out for a few weeks, at least online) finds the band in an energetic and frustrated mode, trading some of the pensive introspection of their previous releases for speed and fury. In 2023, though, is that any surprise? As a wise person once said, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”
That said, even I, a member of the conservative media hate machine’s chosen scapegoat demographic of the moment (I’m transgender, in case this is your first time reading), know that there’s a time and a place for everything, including relaxing with a delicious plate of nachos and watching a killer band do the damn thing. And if you ask me, that’s how you should spend your Friday night — watching Sea Of Storms crank out their three excellent new songs and a selection of older favorites at top volume in the Diablo Room at Bandito’s (do they still call it that?). It’ll be an absolute ripper of a show, especially since snarling postpunk quartet Gusher and excellent pop-punk revivalist trio Shotclock (a personal favorite, I must say) are also on the bill. Get there early enough to take advantage of happy hour prices and linger over your plate of tacos, but make sure you stay for every last note Sea Of Storms graces you with. It’s a rare opportunity to indulge in the sound of one of Richmond’s most underrated ensembles.
Saturday, April 15, 6 PM
Gorod, Cognitive, Summoning The Lich, Flub, Gutted Christ, Yeet Cleaver @ Powers BMX – $15 (order tickets HERE)
In the mid-00s, I was paying close attention to what Willowtip Records was putting out. They’d released albums by multiple bands I loved, including Creation Is Crucifixion and Circle Of Dead Children, all of whom seemed to live at the fertile intersection of death metal, technical metalcore, and grind. So when Willowtip released the debut album by French deathgrind group Gorod, Neurotripsicks, I went right out and bought it. Over the decade and a half since, it’s remained a favorite. However, I’ve been a bad fan, because I mostly haven’t kept up with what Gorod’s done since. When I realized that they were playing Powers BMX, though, I decided to check on their subsequent discography — at which time I realized they’d released over half a dozen new albums since I last listened to them. I had a lot of lost listening time to make up for.
What I immediately discovered was that Gorod haven’t lost a single step while I was off somewhere not paying attention. Their seventh album, The Orb, which just came out last month, is a technical death metal masterpiece that if anything makes Neurotripsicks (which, to be clear, I still love) look somewhat amateurish. Gorod have stayed on their grind (pun definitely intended) over the past 15 years, and if you love the sort of technical death metal that bands like Decapitated and Cryptopsy were capable of at their best, you’d be a fool to miss Gorod when they arrive at Powers BMX this Saturday night. The lineup of bands in support of Gorod on this bill is nothing short of spectacular in its own right, with fantasy-inspired brutal death metallers Summoning The Lich and precision-honed deathgrind rippers Flub being particular highlights. I also have to shout out Virginia Beach’s Yeet Cleaver, who kick off this show — I haven’t heard them yet, but no band with a name that epic can be bad. Spend your Saturday evening at Powers BMX, and show up prepared to headbang. You won’t regret it.
Sunday, April 16, 6:30 PM
Archer Oh, Surely Tempo @ Get Tight Lounge – $18.19 (order tickets HERE)
I really wasn’t sure what I’d be getting with this show, but Sunday nights are always a good night to take a chance, right? As soon as I dug into Archer Oh’s backstory, I knew I wouldn’t regret taking a chance on this California quartet. Named as a pun on band founder Arturo Medrano’s first name, Archer Oh take inspiration from the musical heritage of their home state, mingling sun-kissed indie tunes with classic surf guitar sound and melody to come up with a sincere, heartfelt sound. That sound is showcased to stunning effect on their most recent album, Gradients, which is full of memorable tunes you’ll be humming for hours after its running time has elapsed. You’ll probably also be humming them as you Uber home from this Sunday night gig at Get Tight Lounge.
Archer Oh are on tour with fellow Californians Surely Tempo, whose name is also a slightly more obscure pun (though if you think of the name of the long-ago child star who sang “On The Good Ship Lollipop,” you’ll get it). Their brand new self-titled LP isn’t quite as strongly surf-influenced as Archer Oh’s, though there’s still some surf influence there. Mainly, Surely Tempo is a machine for cranking out rad indie pop tunes featuring catchy choruses and plenty of bouncy power-pop energy. With these two bands on the same bill, this show is a guaranteed shot of adrenaline to cap off your weekend and arm you emotionally with some great tunes to help you get through the return to work on Monday. We all need that sort of thing from time to time, am I right? Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity.
Monday, April 17, 8 PM
Midwife, Nyxy Nyx, Keep, SameStory @ Bandito’s – $10
We all like it loud and fast, but a well-rounded musical diet has to consist of more than just rage. That’s why this Monday night gig at Bandito’s will be a refreshing change-up that will give your psyche a bit of a break. Midwife, the ambient solo project of Madeline Johnston, will be topping this bill with their brand of “heaven metal,” a genre tag Johnston created in order to make clear that her soft-spoken tunes, full of ambient guitar atmospheres and quietly delivered vocals, were intended to carry just as much of a cathartic emotional gutpunch as the heaviest death metal songs. On 2021’s Luminol, Midwife delved into difficult topics of heartbreak, alienation from others, and finally alienation from oneself. Rest assured, their performance at Bandito’s this Monday night will hit hard, regardless of how quiet it can sometimes be.
Admittedly, the other bands on this bill will get quite a bit louder than Midwife. Nyxy Nyx, a Philadelphia-based psychedelic indie project notable for having a band name that contains no vowels (what can I say, I notice things like that), will bring their mix of loud guitars and pillowy-soft melodies to the table, while Richmond’s own Keep will follow through on their excellent new album, Happy In Here, by contributing their glowing postpunk shoegaze sound to the evening. Richmonders SameStory may please those who show up to this one expecting metal, though they’ve got a lot more than that going on in their sound — including everything from industrial to synth-pop and maybe even a bit of hip hop. No matter what direction this show may take, rest assured, it won’t ever get boring. Don’t miss out on this one.
Tuesday, April 18, 7 PM
Strawberry Moon, Monsoon, Blush Face @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
At this point it’s been so long since it all started that I can’t tell you what motivated me to make the show column cover a period stretching from Wednesday til Tuesday. What I can tell you is that this has led to the column generally having an energy that peaks at the midpoint and trails slowly downward to the end of the week (which I think of as Tuesday, because I’ve been writing this for so long my whole brain is oriented around it). That’s not the greatest thing, either for the overall pace of my weekly column nor for the prospects of live music fiends looking for something cool to do on one of the first couple nights of the workweek. Thankfully, it doesn’t ALWAYS go that way. This week, both Monday and Tuesday have pretty killer offerings for you. And I for one couldn’t be more stoked.
You should be stoked too, because while I just have to write this column every week, you have to actually find a rad thing to do every Tuesday night. That’ll be easy this time around, because any night of the week is a good night to see rad Richmond alt-rock quartet Strawberry Moon. They’re still riding high off Habitual Creatures, the excellent album they released last year — and if you’ve heard it, you know why. The noisy guitars, stompy uptempo structures, and bandleader Katie Bowles’ always brilliant and incisive lyrics make Strawberry Moon a must-listen — not to mention their live prowess, which has been widely heralded. With wild-rockin’ duo Monsoon and local power-pop all-stars Blush Face rounding out this Tuesday night lineup at Gallery 5, this is sure to be a great way to liven up one of those early-week nights we all dread. Make sure you check out Gallery 5’s 18th birthday art show while you’re already there — just because you can’t listen to it doesn’t mean it isn’t brilliant.
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
Still accepting commissions, so if anyone needs press releases, band bios, or even actual articles written, you should hit me up! Also, consider supporting my Patreon, where I’m documenting my progress on two different novels and writing about music of all types. patreon.com/marilyndrewnecci
