RVA Shows You Must See This Week: March 26 – April 1
FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, March 30, 7 PM
Staff Picks March 2025 residency, feat. Oh Devil!, with Velvet Ruin, New Lions @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Here we are again, at the end of another month of The Camel’s seasonal Staff Picks residencies. Luckily for us, this is one of those months with five Sundays, which means we have one more chance to see Oh Devil! before their residency ends. If you haven’t made it over to The Camel for any of the Sundays so far this month, you’ll definitely want to come around and catch Oh Devil! this Sunday. Meanwhile, if you have made it over there this month, you know exactly what a treat is in store for you every single time Oh Devil! plays — and you should probably head over to The Camel this Sunday too. If you’re now doing the math in your head and thinking, “Did she really just say that literally EVERYONE should go see Oh Devil! at The Camel on Sunday night?”, well, congratulations — your math skills are entirely on point.
“OK,” I hear you say. “But why though?” Listen, even if you’ve never read the multiple columns in which I sang the praises of this up-and-coming local trio, by now you should at least have heard the buzz around town. “Bzz bzz,” it says. “Oh Devil! are a really great alternative rock band with some really catchy riffs. Bzz bzz, they’ve only released one EP so far but anyone who has seen them knows there’s way more awesomeness where that came from.” Those of you who have seen them are nodding your heads — you’ve heard the buzz. Those of you who haven’t seen them yet are maybe a bit skeptical of messages anonymously whispered into your ear between bands at random shows. Who says these bees know anything about anything? Well, for one thing, I say — and I haven’t been getting paid to write this column for over a decade now because people in this town think I have no taste. And for another thing, this trio has way too many fans after only a year or so in existence for anyone to credibly assert any sort of doubt.
OK, I’m getting a little crazy with it as I write this column on my couch at 9:30 pm on a Tuesday, but let me calm down, look you in the eye, and speak calmly and clearly: this is going to be a great show, my friend. Oh Devil!’s songs are tailor-made for folks who love to rock out in that classic alternative style originally propounded by legendary groups like The Breeders and Belly, then brought forward into the 21st century by awesome rockers like Lemuria and Speedy Ortiz. They’re not only fucking awesome in every way, but they’re only just getting started, folks, so jump on that bandwagon now. Supporting them on this bill will be an even newer local group, Velvet Ruin, who have similar alt-rock touches, though they take things in a slightly darker and more gothic direction — perhaps 10% more Mazzy Star in their inclinations. Opening things up will be the most veteran group on this entire bill, New Lions, whose Rescue Team Vol. 1 EP marked a delightful return to action for a killer combo who’ve been too quiet in recent years. Expect New Lions to start this one off right, with some tangled, mathematical twists on killer emo-pop guitar wizardry. And it’ll only get awesomer from there.
Wednesday, March 26, 6:30 PM
Elder Bright, Hardcount, Rubber Dagger, Void! The Sandman @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
Here’s one that’s sure to be a blast. Elder Bright are pretty new to my ears, and it’s no surprise — they’ve been around for a few years, but they’ve only released two songs online thus far, and this Richmond date is the first date of the first multi-day tour for this Wilmington, NC-based band. So yeah, you probably haven’t heard of them either. But let me tell you, this is a band you want to know about. Their bright, energetic take on guitar-fueled indie rock has a touch of the epic to it, and plenty of rocket-fueled melody as well — this might be an obscure reference in this day and age, but to me, there’s a strong element of what made late 90s San Diego alt-rock outfit No Knife so great. Songs that are so catchy it feels like they can’t possibly get away with this much bright pop wonderfulness, but are also brilliantly structured and far from predictable. Their new single, “Thrifted Misery,” is an instant classic that should by all rights be blasting from the headphones of every indie hipster, emo kid, and math-rock lover on the East Coast — and beyond.
You’ll find out all about that for yourself when you show up at Garden Grove tonight. And before you start voicing any objections to getting dragged out in the middle of the week, well before your direct deposit hits your bank account, let me silence those complaints immediately by pointing out that this show is free. Also, just to sweeten the already impossible-to-beat deal, it features sets from three Richmond-based ensembles you know and love (or at least, you should know and love). Hardcount are doing some fun, upbeat surf-tinged punk-pop; Rubber Dagger dish out a raw, jangly take on classic first-wave British punk fury; and Void! The Sandman are cranking out some classic metallic grunge riffs in the manner of the bands I loved when I was in high school in the early 90s (Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Quicksand… you know the ones). This should be an evening of incredible sounds from beginning to end at a really cool venue. And hey, you certainly can’t argue with the price.
Thursday, March 27, 7 PM
Madly Backwards, Sundance Cowboy, Beya @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance, $12 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s been nice lately to find myself talking about shows over at Gallery 5 a bit more often. For a while I worried that this longstanding Richmond art/music venue was getting away from doing cool shows, but lately it seems like they’re doing more and more that grab my attention. Considering they’ve always been a great place for local bands to play, this definitely makes me happy. And here’s a show that should make everyone in this whole city happy: the latest appearance by Richmond rockers Madly Backwards, who like to describe themselves as a “denim jacket rock band.” Certainly they do sound like music that would be favored by people who like to wear denim jackets, but I don’t want to dissuade the rest of you from checking them out by saying that. After all, who doesn’t like catchy rock n’ roll tunes with chunky guitars and lush choruses? This is the kind of music guaranteed to get you tapping your feet.
In particular, Madly Backwards just released their latest EP, Desert Lies, which is full catchy riffs and warm, comfortable vocals. If you can get down with Tom Petty, you’ll dig what these guys are about. As for Sundance Cowboy, who are also on this bill, these Richmond rockers have some of the same heartland-rockin’ groove that Madly Backwards lay into, but Sundance Cowboy adds a big dose of smooth funkiness that lands somewhere between Jeff Buckley and Prince. If the idea of those two late, lamented legends jamming with Tom Petty on a disco dance floor that’s also inside a spaceship appeals to you, well, Sundance Cowboy is the closest thing you’re gonna get to ever hearing that sort of thing (at least, without having Elon Musk’s money). The evening will begin with a set from Beya, who has been making a name for herself around town lately with her folk-country-rockin’ sound. Show up on time and get familiar, then stick around for an evening of tunes as comfortable as your favorite denim jacket.
Friday, March 28, 7 PM
Hot Club of Baltimore, Django Tango @ Reveler Experiences – $25 (order tickets HERE)
Don’t get me wrong, folks, I certainly love jazz. As far as music is concerned, though, it wasn’t my first love, and I came to the genre late — I was well into my 20s before I really connected with folks like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Albert Ayler. As a result, I tend to focus on jazz from the bop and free eras — mainly on the legendary horn players of that time. Only in the last few years have I started to realize that I have massive blind spots where jazz is concerned, and in particular that one of the main ones is guitar-based jazz — all that stuff that descends from the hot swing sound of legendary Romani guitarist Django Reinhardt. Therefore, I’m not quite as familiar with the sound world that Hot Club Of Baltimore are working within as I might like to be… but after listening to what they’re up to, I think I would like to be.
Hot Club Of Baltimore, an ensemble led by jazz guitarist extraordinaire Michael Joseph Harris, plays in a style known in tribute to Django as gypsy jazz. The quartet — which consists of two acoustic guitars, an acoustic bass, and an accordion — mixes classic swing sounds with French waltzes, romantic moods, and bebop touches to create an intoxicating mood that makes you feel like you’ve stepped right into a club scene in an old black-and-white movie starring Marlene Dietrich. Expect plenty of foot-tapping great tunes that might even move you to jump up and dance (try not to get too close to the other tables, though). Richmond’s Django Tango will warm the place up with an opening set featuring plenty more of that classic Django-style gypsy jazz sound, this time from a triple-guitar quintet featuring clarinet, sax, and acoustic bass as well. If you love that classic hot swinging jazz sound, especially when it features guitar as a lead instrument, you definitely won’t want to miss this magical Friday night at Reveler.
Saturday, March 29, 8 PM
Chupaskabra (Photo by Roxplosion), Stuck On A Name, M-60, Gonzo Bomb @ Bandito’s – $10
Saturday night’s a great night to head over to Bandito’s, and not just because you can score a giant plate of nachos while you wait for the bands to come on. Let’s be real, you can do that any night — but how many nights do you get to end your evening with a set of wacky, fun-loving ska-punk roustabouts like Chupaskabra dishing out the soundtrack for maximum skanking? Not that many, so when they come along, it’s always the best idea to grab the opportunity while you can. These folks are ska-punk veterans of the first order, but they also know it’s not a genre that you should take too seriously, so they manage to make some incredible music that’s always a ton of fun. I’ve been a fan of what these guys are up to for a while, and they just keep getting better at it, so if you haven’t gotten down with the Chupaskabra sickness yet, this is the perfect opportunity.
Chupaskabra will be joined on this bill by Stuck On A Name, a reggae-style group who hail from the Middle Peninsula paradise that is Urbanna, Virginia. In fact, there are less than 500 people in that town, which means this band constitutes something like 2% of the entire population. And while I’ve never actually been there, I have to figure these guys are the coolest 2% of Urbanna, since they make such catchy tunes. North Carolinians M-60 hail from the Outer Banks, but their upbeat oi-punk sound feels quite a bit more street-level than that sort of origin point would make you think. The evening will kick off with a set of fast old-school hardcore tunes from relatively new Richmond quartet Gonzo Bomb, which — in the interest of full disclosure — features some old friends of mine, including the drummer from my early-00s band Tri State Killing Spree (shoutout Tink). I’d love them even if I didn’t know them, though — their no-nonsense politically-fueled hardcore sound is the kind of thing that’s sorely needed in these current troubled times. Get in on the ground floor with these guys, and then stick around for a full night of fun oi/ska/punk/reggae awesomeness.
Sunday, March 30, 7:30 PM
Marley Hale, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers, Mackenzie Roark and The Hot Pants @ Get Tight Lounge – $14.55 (order tickets HERE)
While Get Tight Lounge isn’t what I think anyone would consider a full-on honky tonk, they’re certainly the sort of venue who isn’t afraid to go full-on country on any given night. That’s definitely what they’ve got going on this Sunday night as they play host to a performance by Marley Hale, who comes from Texas, previously made her home in California, but is now based in Brooklyn. That may not seem like an auspicious local for a country singer to be based (cue the guys in that Pace Picante Sauce commercial going “New York City?!?!?”), but her debut EP, By My Own Ways, retains a strong dose of Texas soul, right down to occasionally mingling her moody, twangy approach to country with some lovely Western-swing-style horns. I don’t expect Ms. Hale to come through town with the full horn section in tow, but her songwriting is of high enough quality that there’ll be no loss in musical power even if she hits the stage with nothing more than an acoustic guitar. This lady’s sharp lyrics, excellent voice, and masterfully structured songcraft are more than enough to keep you riveted throughout her set.
She’ll be supported by two different Richmond-based country-style singer-songwriters who have just as much musical power in their own right. Cassidy Snider is an incredible vocalist with a unique approach to classic country blues that is subtly tinged with jazz and folk. She and her Wranglers have made their name around Richmond several times over with a legacy of incredible live performances as well as a couple of outstanding releases in the form of 2021’s Losing Lovers EP and 2022’s A Good Heartbreak. At this point, I’m sure I’m not the only one waiting with bated breath for the next Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers release; right now, seeing them live is the only remedy for that particular affliction, so I definitely advise everyone feeling similarly to me to catch them this Sunday night. And of course, you’ll have to show up on time for this one, because it is always a terrible idea to miss a Mackenzie Roark performance — especially when this hot-mess honky-tonk sweetheart of a singer-songwriter is playing with her backing band, the Hot Pants. Every note of this evening’s performances will be essential. Don’t miss a single one.
Monday, March 31, 7 PM
Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade @ Reveler Experiences – $20-$30 (order tickets HERE)
We’re back to Reveler once again this Monday night for another dose of jazz from an instrument I, for one, don’t typically associate with the genre. That instrument is violin, as wielded by the talented performer and composer Jenny Scheinman, and hearing what she’s capable of doing with a violin has definitely been yet another reminder that my perspective on jazz needs to broaden. Scheinman’s 2024 LP, All Species Parade, is the reason she comes to Richmond this Monday night; indeed, she’s on tour with (most of) the ensemble with which she made the album (guitarist Keith Ganz is standing in for legendary jazz guitar slinger Bill Frisell). This album was inspired by a return, after years living in New York, to Scheinman’s homeland of Humboldt County, in the far north of California, where there’s a ton of dense forest (and, legendarily, plenty of homegrown weed).
The musical mood on All Species Parade moves all over the place, from upbeat blues-based bop jazz to funky, moody vibes to atmospheric moments that almost feel like the quieter parts of John Coltrane’s Interstellar Space. Jenny Scheinman’s music clearly has a lot going on, and all of it will be explored when she and her All Species Parade band take the stage at Reveler Monday night. Expect a tour of classic Americana through music, with Scheinman’s jazz violin dabbling in genres from country and folk to funk and blues. You may not think of the violin as a classic jazz instrument, but on this fine Monday night, Jenny Scheinman is sure to change your mind on that score. Come along for this musical ride — you’ll be glad you did.
Tuesday, April 1, 7 PM
T.U.F.T., Gusher, Ultra Bleach, Sad Roach @ Cobra Cabana – $12
Let’s wrap up this week of shows with some raging noisy punk, shall we? Cobra Cabana’s a great place to do so, and this Tuesday night show will rise to the occasion by bringing us the final night of a tour pairing Richmond’s own radical noise-punk quartet Gusher with St. Louis trio T.U.F.T., who are definitely simpatico with Gusher, at least in musical terms. On T.U.F.T.’s debut EP, Dome, they bash through a series of two-minute noise-punk jaunts featuring harsh, panicked vocals and off-kilter riffs that are somehow far more awesome than more straight-up riffage would be in context. If you like your punk rock to be freaky and unwilling to conform to standard genre “rules” and expectations, you’ll dig what T.U.F.T. are up to.
Of course, if you are already familiar with the sounds of T.U.F.T.’s locally-based tourmates in Gusher, none of this should be a surprised. Gusher and T.U.F.T. are well matched, as this Richmond quartet’s angry, noisy sound is somewhere between postpunk and the freakier end of hardcore, complete with frantic vocals of its own. Gusher are a great band, and I think everyone who has heard them knows that; those of you who already agree definitely need to see what their tourmates are bringing to the table as well. DC-based two-piece Sad Roach will augment this freaky punk firestorm with some noisy riff-based metallic punk of their own, while Richmond’s own Ultra Bleach will kick things off with some classic hard-driving punk rage. You really can’t go wrong with this one — especially on a Tuesday night.
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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