Children of the Night: Vampire Bacchanal

On Children of the Night: Vampire Bacchanal (originally aired 9/22/18 3 - 5 AM Saturday on WRIR 97.3 fm Richmond Independent Radio): Hope your Friday night is quite the bacchanal! We’re partying with the children of the night here and we’ve got the music to do it. An eclectic mix of music with Wrongtom Meets The Ragga Twins, Spain, Daron Malakian and Scars On Broadway, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, The Byrds, Big Gigantic, Little Wings, Wax Idols and more. So let the drunken revelry continue on to the dawn!

Here's the link to the show: http://files.wrir.org/shows/201809220300.ChildrenoftheNight.mp3

Children of the Night: Vampires of the Storm

For those of you that might still be on my mailing list, HI!

Thought I might post the links to my radio shows on here, in case any of you are interested in listening and to keep the blog active.

So here's the info for last week's show and a link to the show.

On the 9/15 episode of Children of the Night: Vampires of the Storm (3 - 5 AM WRIR 97.3 fm Richmond Independent Radio): Beware of the Hurricane, er, the tropical storm, er, the rain! Yeah, the rain! While I’m glad Florence missed us, it did mean I had to scrap my plans to play Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane” for three hours straight. Instead, we’ll have to make due with this eclectic mix featuring new, live R.E.M., IDLES, Neil Young And The Bluenotes, Roger Waters, Local Natives, Phish, Mates of State, The Delfonics and more.

Here's the link to the show. Note that there is dead air from 45 seconds in until 1:35 (that's a minute and 35 seconds): http://files.wrir.org/shows/201809150300.ChildrenoftheNight.mp3

This Is The End....

...Beautiful Friends.

Yes, all good things must come to an end. And this blog too. After 15 years, I will no longer be doing the Weekend Picks. We started as a weekly email to co-workers who had moved from the SF area and wanted to know what there was to do in Richmond. We went to the blog format in 2007 and have been going ever since and we've had fun!

Why stop now? I now have a weekly radio show on WRIR, 97.3 FM. It is called "Children of the Night" and will be eclectic, heavily psychedelic, sometimes funkadelic, maybe blues, perhaps pop, occasionally country. I don't have enough time to do both the show and the blog or I would never get out. So I'm going back to my original love, radio.

Getting the radio show is the good news.

The bad news is it is on from 3 - 5 AM on Saturday mornings.

The good news is I get to pre-record it so I don't have to be awake.

The other good news is that you don't have to be either. It will be available in the Music Show Archives at http://wrir.org/listen/ for two weeks after each show. I also plan on posting them here on the blog where they will remain for all eternity.

Just a few stats:

• This is the 1580th blog entry
• The three most popular all time: "IMDB for Music" 12/5/08 w/9400+ hits. "Weekend Picks: Robert Earl Keen,,.", 3/14/17, 1500+ hits, and "Springsteen & Richmond", 8/13/08, 600+ hits.

Thank you to all who have read the blog over the years. Some of you have been with me since the email days and I truly appreciate all of you. I've also made friends with some of you through the blog and I hope to see you around town at shows too.

NOTE: I will not be sending any more emails from my personal email account when I update the blog with the radio shows. If you wish to get an email from Blogger when I add a post, please sign up in the upper right of the blog.

That'll do it. Have a great weekend, year, life. I'll see you at the next show!

Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: RIP Col. Bruce, Pixies, Anderson East, Lee Fields & the Expressions, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, David Bazan, Clair Morgan

Philly indie pop rock band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah check into The Camel on Thursday night for a show that starts at 8:30 with excellent Americana opener Laura Gibson. Doors open at 7:30 and tix are $16 advance, $18 day of show. You might dig Clap Your Hands Say Yeah if you like Arcade Fire, Talking Heads, Modest Mouse, Yo La Tengo, The Feelies, or The Pixies. From Clap Your Hand Say Yeah's latest album, "The Tourist", here's "Down":



RVA Americana band The Atkinsons are at Garden Grove Brewing Company Thursday night. It's FREE to get in and the show runs from 8 to 10 PM. Here's The Atkinsons talking about "Lyin' and Honesty":



For me, festival season begins on the first Friday of May when the first Friday Cheers happens. Back on the river at sunset with great music, great beer (lots more tasty microbrews this year!) and great friends and family. My two boys, aged 12 and 9, really enjoy going for the music and food but mostly for hanging out with all the other kids and playing on the hill. It's a great family atmosphere and the music is always superb, with lots of up and coming bands who often go on to bigger things (anyone remember seeing Alabama Shakes there?).  This year starts off with a soulful bang with Lee Fields and The Expressions (8 PM) and RVA opener KINGS (6:30). It's only $5 to get in. Lee Fields and the band recently played Coachella and are hitting other big festivals all summer like Outside Lands and Telluride Jazz Fest. Like Charles Bradley, or the late, great Sharon Jones, Lee Fields is an elder soul singer with a crackerjack young band. He's gonna move ya and groove ya. Here's a 30 minute set they did for Ray-Ban:



Soulful Southern roots rock singer/songwriter Anderson East is at The Broadberry on Friday night. Tix are $17 advance, $20 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Noah Kahan opens. In May, Anderson will be part of the Dylan Fest show at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium with Wynonna, Shakey Graves, Boz Scaggs, Moon Taxi, Shooter Jennings, and others. Not bad company. Anderson just completed his new album a couple weeks ago so I'm sure we'll hear a few tunes off of that. Here's Anderson and his band live from Daryl's house doing Anderson's "Devil In Me". Music starts at 1:30.

It's a May Flowers and Beer Showers celebration with Charlottesville's rock, soul, funk, and blues band Erin & The Wildfire at the Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House Downtown (my that's a long name) on Friday night. It's FREE to get in. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with Bethany Gates and Cassidy McAdams opening. Here's Erin & the Wildfire's set at Harrisonburg's Rocktown fest last week. The sound is a little rough at first but it gets better.

Clair Morgan continues their First Friday residency at The Camel this week. They always make it a benefit show and this month the show helps Girls Rock RVA. "Girls Rock! RVA empowers girls, gender non-conforming and trans youth through music, art + activism. They run a free, week-long musical empowerment camp every summer, and make their store of instruments available to Richmond youth year-round through their Free Richmond Instrument Lending Library." Big Baby, Atta Girl, and Georgie Isaacs open the show. It's $6 advance, $8 at the door. Doors at 8, show at 9. Here's Clair Morgan's set in September at The Camel:



Reggae band King Easy skanks it slow (and fast) at Isley Brewing Company from 6:30 to 9:30 Saturday. Here they are at The Camel a couple weeks ago.



David Bazan, of band Pedro the Lion, has a new album, Care, which Paste Magazine has said is one of the 20 Best Albums of the Year (So Far). He'll be at the Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House Downtown (now I kind of like typing it out. It's a challenge.) on Sunday night. Tix are $14 advance, $18 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Saw Black. Here's David performing "Both Hands":



Tuesday night, seminal alternative rock band The Pixies come to The National. The Pixies were a huge influence on grunge rock and unfortunately, broke up right about when grunge hit, perhaps missing a chance at commercial success. However, they are one of those bands that a thousand kids heard and started bands because of them. Tix are $43. Doors open at 7 and be sure to get in by 8 to see opener Cymbals Eat Guitars. From The Pixies, "Fans can expect a set list comprised of the classics and catalogue rarities as well as newer songs from Indie Cindy and the band's latest release, Head Carrier.  As is the norm, there will be no firm setlist for Pixies’ shows; their sets, while pulled from nearly 90 songs that the band has rehearsed and is prepared to play, will change somewhat from night to night with every number determined just before it’s performed." From their new album, "Head Carrier", here's "Bel Esprit":



That'll do it. I'll see you at Anderson East and The Pixies. Hoping to get to Cheers for at least a little bit depending on when Anderson East starts.

I'll leave you with the late great Col. Bruce Hampton. Col. Bruce collapsed on stage last night at the end of a big 70th birthday celebration concert for him. He was taken to the hospital and passed away. He died doing what he loved and surrounded by those that loved him. Col. Bruce was a member of the Hampton Grease Band who was, not surprisingly, signed to Frank Zappa's label because they shared Zappa's surrealist, and sometimes humorous, take on music. But he will be best known for being a father figure, mentor and guru to a generation of jam band musicians. Derek Trucks likened him to a minor-league baseball scout, who could spot talent and nurture it. His Aquarium Rescue Unit was a huge part of the second wave of jam bands that included Phish, Widespread Panic, and Blues Traveler. Members of his bands went on to play with Phil Lesh, Dead & Company, Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic, Rolling Stones, I saw the Aquarium Rescue Unit back in '92 on the HORDE tour and then was lucky enough to see the reunion tour in 2015 when the came to The National. I also got to see him over the last few years at Lockn' and the Capital Ale House. He was truly a unique talent. Here he is with the Aquarium Rescue Unit. You'll see Jimmy Herring on guitar, who played with the most celebrated version of Phil Lesh and Friends and then (and currently) Widespread Panic. Oteil Burbridge on bass played with the Allman Brothers Band from '97 to '14 and is now the bass player for Dead & Company.



Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: Robert Randolph, Steve Winwood, Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band, No BS! Brass Band, King Easy, Toxic Moxie, The Atkinsons

You can kick back on the roof to some cool reggae sounds Thursday evening when King Easy plays at Kabana Rooftop. The show will run from 6 to 9 PM and it's FREE to get in. Here's King Easy earlier this month at The Camel:

It's gonna be a honky-tonk hootenanny throw down of epic proportions when Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band takes over the Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House Downtown Thursday night. It's $15 to get in, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Derelicts of Grace. RPBDB will be playing in Spain & Switzerland this summer along with playing the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Here's the new video from RPBDB's new album, "Front Porch Sessions". Things get kind of crazy on their front porch...



Down in Hopewell Thursday night, pedal steel guitar player extraordinaire Robert Randolph & the Family Band take the stage at The Beacon Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 and Luke Wade will open the show. Tix range from $20 advance/$25 day of show to $60 advance/$65 day of show with a couple price points in between. From their press blurb: "Often called the “Jimi Hendrix of the pedal steel guitar,” and named one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke, Randolph has, since the turn of the century, revolutionized the role of his chosen instrument." They're out now promoting their new album, "Got Soul". Here they are live in the van a couple weeks ago in LA:

The Atkinsons bring that Americana groove to Poe's Pub Friday night. Music starts at 9:30 with Brandon Martin. If there is a cover, it won't be much. Here's The Atkinsons at the Tin Pan last year:

It's a night of cool Virginia power dirty disco punk headlined by RVA's Toxic Moxie at The Camel Saturday night. Spooky Cool, Illiterate Light (experimental indie rock duo), and Majjin Boo (math rock featuring members of Spooky Cool) open the show. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9. $8 advance, $10 day of show. Toxic Moxie with have a couple new songs for you that night. Here's Toxic Moxie's full set from January 28 at The Camel:

No BS! Brass Band does another "matinee" show at The Broadberry on Sunday. Doors open at 6, show starts at 7 with Angelica Garcia. Tix are $12 advance, $15 at the door. It's an all ages show so you can bring your mopey teen, get them groovin' and still get them home in time for bed. Here's No BS a couple years ago playing for tacos, the best kind of currency.



The great singer/keyboardist/guitarist (he really is an excellent guitar player) Steve Winwood is at the Carpenter Theater (Dominion Arts Center) Tuesday night. Tix range from $69 to $89 though I did see some on GroupOn the other day for $30+. The show starts at 7:30 with Steve's daughter, Lilly, opening. Steve will play stuff from throughout his illustrious career with bands such as Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and his solo career. This is one of my favorite Steve Winwood solo songs with some great guitar work in it. The video reminds of many a late night of MTV watching in the early 80's.



That'll do it. Have a great weekend! I'll leave you with two songs. First, I heard the original version of this today but I was singing the version below all day after that. It's a good thing Norah had Elmo to console her.



On a sad note, director Jonathan Demme died today. Besides making movies such as "Philadelphia", "Something Wild", "Silence of the Lambs" and "Caged Heat", he made great rock movies. He made films with Justin Timberlake, Robyn Hitchcock, Neil Young and videos with Bruce Springsteen and The Pretenders. And, of course, one of the greatest concert films of all time, Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense". The way the concert builds piece by piece is truly brilliant and Demme's camerawork never gets in the way and stays on the onstage action. Watch it here:



Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: Robyn Hitchcock, PJ Harvey, Perpetual Groove, Testament, RVA Earth Day Festival, SUSTO, The Make-Up, Fear of Music

The fun begins on Wednesday with the English psychedelic folk-pop of Robyn Hitchcock. He started way back in 1976 with The Soft Boys and has been making music on his own since 1981. On my college radio show (1987 - 1990), barely a show went by without my playing something from his albums, "Gotta Let This Hen Out!", "Globe of Frogs" or "Queen Elvis". And he's still making great music, with his latest album, Robyn Hitchcock, getting great reviews. I'm really looking forward to seeing the show at the Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House Downtown Wednesday. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Cale Tyson. Tix are $20 advance, $25 at the door. Here's Robyn wanting to tell you about what he wants:

However, you may want to rock your face off on Wednesday night. If so, head to The National for the Testament, Sepultura, Prong show. Doors open at 6, head banging starts at 6:30. Tix are $23 advance, $26 at the door. From Testament's "Brotherhood of the Snake" album, here's "The Pale King":



Jam band Perpetual Groove is at The National Thursday night for, cough, cough, 4/20. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with Trae Pierce and the T-Stones & Galaxy Dynamite opening. Tix are $19.50 advance, $23 day of show. Here's a nice "Green Tea" sandwich from P Groove in May 2015:



Celebrating 4/20 at The Broadberry is Fear of Music, Richmond's Talking Head tribute band. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with opener Camp Howard. Tix are $10 advance, $12 day of show. Here's the promo for the show:



Saturday from noon to seven PM, it's the RVA Earth Day Festival in the Manchester section of town. There will be food, beer, kids art & activities, and local vendors along with some great bands. They don't have all the set times but this looks like the running order:

1. Colin & Caroline (12)
2. Photosynthesizers (1:45)
3. Mighty Joshua & the Zion #5
4. Life on Mars (5:15)

Mighty Joshua was one of the winners of last week's Rockn' to Lockn' contest at the Broadberry. (Anthony Rosano and The Conqueroos was the other.

And Life on Mars will be debuting their new singer. Original singer William Gorman amicably stepped down as the lead singer. William was great and will be missed, but I'm sure the band will come up with someone new to fill his thin white shoes.

Here's a taste of Mighty Joshua:

The dynamic PJ Harvey is at The National on Saturday night. Tix are $45 day of show, $50 day of show. Doors open at 7:30, show starts at 8:30 and no opener is listed. This show was sold out but they released some tickets today so get them NOW if you want to go. Here's PJ's "The Orange Monkey":



The Make-Up, Puff Pieces, and Cigarette play Strange Matter Saturday night with DJs Marty V & Adam A spinning between sets. I'm gonna cheat and print a bit from The Make-Up's press blurb:

THE MAKE-UP was an American post-punk band from Washington, D.C. formed in 1995, consisting of ex-Nation of Ulysses frontman Ian Svenonius on vocals, James Canty on guitar and organ, Steve Gamboa on drums, and Michelle Mae on bass guitar. The Make-Up were joined in late 1999 by a fifth member, Alex Minoff (of the groups Golden and Extra Golden), who played guitar with the group until the band's dissolution in early 2000.

The Make-Up combined garage rock, soul, and a self-styled liberation theology to make a new genre they called "Gospel Yeh-Yeh". This style led to an emphasis on live performances and interaction between the band and their audience, incorporating the audience into the performances as a "fifth member", creating what one reviewer described as ""highly energetic and participatory live shows." Parallel to the band's gospel musical stylings, the Make-Up produced music under a communism-influenced political philosophy that they saw as counter to the capitalist form of modern rock and roll and pop music.

 Here's The Make-Up doing "I Am Pentagon":

Beatles, blues and Grateful Dead cover band Long Strange Night are up in Ashland at the Iron Horse Restaurant on Saturday night. Show starts at 9 and it's FREE to get in. You can listen to their last show HERE. Perhaps the band will play this one:

Alt-country-rock band SUSTO is at The Camel Sunday night. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 and get in on time because Parker Gispert of The Whigs is opening. Here's SUSTO's "Chillin' On The Beach With My Best Friend Jesus Christ ". I like chillin' with Jesus too, especially when he turns water into microbrews.



That's it! Have a great weekend! I'll see you at Robyn Hitchcock, RVA Earth Day and maybe PJ Harvey. In fact, I'll leave you with some PJ Harvey. Here is the haunting "Down By The Water":



Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: Coathangers, Surfer Blood, Rockn' For Lockn', Lydell Williams, Erin & The Wildfire, The Taters, Suggesting Rhythm

The road to Lockn' begins Friday night at The Broadberry when the Rockn' for Lockn' competition takes place to see who will represent Richmond in the finals. The finalist winner gets to play the big Lockn' stage in August. The bands in this round are Big Mama Shakes, The Atkinsons, Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos (out of Memphis Norfolk), and Mighty Joshua. If you have a favorite, head out to support them. If you don't, head out because you're going to see great music from all the bands and you can vote with no bias. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9. $10 to get in.

Grateful Dead tribute band Suggesting Rhythm is at Steam Bell Beer Works Saturday evening from 7 - 10. Don't cost nothin' to get in. Maybe they'll play something like this:



The Taters are over at The County Seat Restaurant in Powhatan Saturday night. Show runs from 7 to 10. Looks like it's FREE but reservations are recommended. Here's The Taters at The Tin Pan last week doing a soul classic:

Neo-soulman Lydell Williams does a show at 150North Restaurant & Lounge Saturday night. Doors at 8. Showtime at 10 PM. You can reserve a seat for $5 or a booth for $40 and there will be an additional cover charge at the door. Lydell has a new album out "The Sound of My Melodies". Here's some music from the new album. This one's called "Soul Tie":

A former Rockn' for Lockn' winner will be at Cary St. Cafe on Saturday night. Erin & the Wildfire bring the soulful rock heat with Schooley Mountain Band kicking things off at 10 PM. Doors open at 9 and just $7 to get in. And this is a NO PANTS DANCE! "Booty shorts, granny panties, boxers, briefs- all perfectly acceptable forms of not pants. You are welcome to wear your pants to the show and remove them upon arrival." Because nothing welcomes the Easter Bunny like a bunch of hippies dancing with no pants on. Here's Erin & The Wildfire four months ago at The Southern in C'Ville:

Surf/garage/punk band The Coathangers are at The Camel Sunday night. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. $15 to get in. The Smirks and VV open. The Coathangers are out promoting their Parasite EP which comes out 6/30/17. Here they are playing "Captain's Dead" for Daytrotter last week. Language NSFW.

Indie/pop/psych rock band Surfer Blood are at Strange Matter Sunday night. Tix are $13 advance, $15 day of show. Doors open at 8, Lazyeyes and The Trillions open. Here's Surfer Blood doing an acoustic version of "Frozen" from their new album "Snowdonia":



That'll do it. Have a great weekend! J. Geils, guitarist and namesake of the J. Geils Band, passed away today. "Blow Your Face Out" by the band is one of my favorite live albums and a guaranteed party starter. Here's the band in their prime, with "Must of Got Lost":



Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: Delbert McClinton, Jonathan Richman, Clair Morgan, Gallery5 12th Anniversary, Taters, Killer B's, Suggesting Rhythm

Friday is the big night this week. Decisions will need to be made. Or maybe you can hit parts of a few different shows.

Let's start with Gallery5's First Friday 12th Anniversary Party. It starts at 6 and it's FREE to get in, but please consider donating some dolla. There will be a Burlesque and Variety Hour (hubba hubba!) four bands playing Georgie Isaacs, Lobo Marino, Prabir w/ quartet and The Trillions and art everywhere. Outside Gallery5, Party Liberation Front Presents the Pyro Circus Street Show with professional fire arts, dance, and tunes provided by DJs Mr Jennings, Reinhold, and Roukin. Here's the haunting and hypnotic music of Lobo Marino:



Delbert McClinton brings his blues/rock to The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell on Friday night. Doors open at 6:30, Robbie Meade with Brad Brewer open. Tix range from $30 to $105. Delbert is out promoting his new album, "Prick of the Litter". Delbert did one of his classics on Music City Roots in January. Here it is:



The Killer B's will be playing their danceable classic rock at Steam Bell Beer Works Friday evening from 7 to 10. Don't cost nothin' to get in.

Clair Morgan continues their First Friday residency at The Camel. Shy,Low, Manazara and Geometers open. Doors open at 8, music starts at 9. $6 advance, $8 day of show. The show is a benefit for ReEstablish Richmond, which helps refugees establish roots, build community, and become self-sufficient. Here's Clair Morgan's full set from 9/23/16 at The Camel:



Grateful Dead tribute band Suggesting Rhythm is at Cary Street Cafe Friday night. Show starts at 10 and it's $5 to get in. Hopefully, they'll play this one.



The Taters are at The Tin Pan on Saturday night. Doors open at 6, show starts at 8. Just $10 to get in. No opener. Here's the band playing Paul Simon's "The Boxer":



Indie pop icon Jonathan Richman is at The Camel on Tuesday night. Doors open at 8, show at 9, no opener is listed. $15 to get in. Jonathan helped invent indie pop with his band, The Modern Lovers, in the 70s. But he's been consistently good to this day, still writing touching and humorous songs. Here he in on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1993 singing about a"Vampire Girl":



That'll do it. I'll leave you with this outtake from The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street":



Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: Eighth Blackbird w/Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Laura Stevenson, Four Year Strong, Joey DeFrancesco, Travelin' McCourys, People's Blues of Richmond,

A bunch of good hump day music this week. Punk-pop band Four Year Strong is at The Canal Club Wednesday as part of their 10th anniversary tour. Helping them celebrate are openers Can't Swim, Sleep On It, Light Years and Flight Club. Doors open at 6, music starts shortly thereafter. $15 advance, $18 day of show. Here's their latest video, "Men Are From Mars":



Classical pop (is that a thing?) group Eighth Blackbird team up with Will Oldham aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy for a show sponsored by U of R's Modlin Center but held at the Leslie Cheek Theatre in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Wednesday night. Tix range from free for U of R students to $28 for most of us and a few other price points in between depending on your demographic. Here's the press blurb about the performance:

“The sextet Eighth Blackbird is simply the most exciting force for new music on the concert stage today” – Cincinnati.com

The centerpiece of the program by four-time Grammy® Award-winning sextet Eighth Blackbird is Murder Ballades, a work by composer Bryce Dessner, guitarist for indie rock band The National. “The ‘murder ballad’ has its roots in a European tradition, in which grisly details of bloody homicides are recounted through song,” Dessner writes, and his set of seven instrumental ballads reflects his twists on the tradition.

The music of singer-songwriter Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy, has been linked to Americana, folk, roots, country, punk, and indie rock, and Will himself has been described as an “Appalachian postpunk solipsist” with a voice that is “a fragile sort of warble frittering around haunted melodies in the American folk or country tradition.” He joins the ‘Birds once again to perform a set of original songs, along with Frederic Rzewski’s iconic Coming Together, a touchstone piece of classical music’s young, underground, independently minded set.

The evening’s program will also include David Lang’s learn to fly.

The show starts at 7:30 with no opener. Here they are performing "One With The Birds":

Laura Stevenson, a pop-rocker with influences like The Go-Go's, Gaslight Anthem, Lemonheads, Liz Phair, Replacements, Juliana Hatfield (who she'll open for in April) and Weezer will play Strange Matter Wednesday. Doors open at 8. It's $10 to get in. Bad Magic and Sammi Lanzetta & Friends open. Here's Laura solo (she's with her band Wednesday) last year:

Up at the new Groove Music Hall in Woodford/Thornburg VA, it's the Grateful Ball Tour with bluegrass bands Jeff Austin Band and the Travelin' McCourys. The show will feature a set from both bands followed by a special collaborative set of the music of the Grateful Dead. Show starts at 8. Tix are $20 advance, $25 day of show. If you are interested in playing bluegrass, you can join the three-day DelFest Academy and learn from the Travelin' McCourys and some other great bluegrass artists. Here's Cumberland Blues and Althea from when they got together in February:

Does humor belong in metal? Find out Thursday night at The Broadberry when The Mockstrosity Tour comes to town. The show features Mac Sabbath, a band that plays fast food parodies of Black Sabbath songs with members Ronald Osborne, Slayer Mac Cheeze, Grimalice, and the Cat Burglar. Also on the bill is Metalachi, as far as I know the world's only heavy metal mariachi band. Rounding out the bill is Okilly Dokilly, the world's only Nedal band, performing music inspired by The Simpsons character, Ned Flanders. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8, $20 to get in. Here's Mac Sabbath performing "Organic Funeral" based on Black Sabbath's "Electric Funeral":

The Rock & Roll Jubilee brings the music of the 50's to life at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen for three shows, Friday & Saturday night at 7 and a matinee on Sunday at 2 PM. All the greatest stars will be there or at least reasonable imitations of the big stars like Elvis, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Everly Brothers and Ricke Nelson. RVA favorites Craig Evans, Brad Tucker, Brian Sulser, George Garrett, Jim Wark, and BJ Kocen will portray the artists and perform all the greatest hits. It's $28 to get in and you if you want dinner before the Friday or Saturday shows catered by DeFazio's, you can get that for an additional $23. Here's a little taste from their show last year with Brad Tucker performing "I Believe What You Say" as Ricky Nelson:



Earth, Wind & Fire come to Altria Theater Friday night. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 and no opener is listed. Tix range from $60 to $126. Founding members Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson lead the current lineup. I saw them a couple years ago at Innsbrook and they sounded fantastic. I was especially impressed that Philip Bailey can still hit those amazing high notes just like it was 1977. Here's the classic lineup performing "Reasons":

At The Broadberry Friday night, it's the return of homeboys People's Blues of Richmond. Dalton Dash and The Slank open the show. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9, it's $15 advance, $18 at the door. After this show and one in Ashburn, they'll be hitting the road with London Souls and The Revivalists. This show is also a fundraiser. Here's the deets:

Join Advocates of Change as we host a fundraiser for the International Rescue Committee and a toy drive for local refugee children with People's Blues of Richmond at The Broadberry with support from Dalton Dash and The Slank!

Advocates of Change will collect donations of toys for 25 refugee children and funds for a dinner party for refugees that have recently come to Richmond (more info in posts below). We'll be giving away art created and donated by artists local to Richmond and beyond!

Suggested donations are as follows:

$3 = one entry into art giveaway

$5 = two entries

$10 = five entries

$20 = fifteen entries

And TOYS! There are 25 children ranging from ages 2-15, and you'll be entered into the art giveaway when you donate!

A bit about the IRC: The International Rescue Committee's mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Their programs in Richmond include Resettlement, Employment Services, Education and Integration, and Health Services. 

The Resist Group is a local group of activists who've decided to throw a dinner party for the 55 refugees to welcome them and help integrate them into our community.

Funds raised by AoC at this concert will go directly toward this dinner party.

Help us welcome these immigrants to their new home!

Here's PBR doing "Quit or Die":



Jazz great Joey DeFrancesco is at Tin Pan on Saturday night with his band, The People. Doors open at 6, show starts at 8 and no opener is listed. Tix are $35 advance, $40 at the door. Here's a little bit about Mr. DeFrancesco:

DeFrancesco has recorded and/or toured with his own groups as well as numerous renowned artists that include Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, James Moody, John Scofield, Bobby Hutcherson, Jimmy Cobb, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, David Sanborn and many more. The three time Grammy® Award-nominee, with more than 30 recordings as a leader under his belt, has received countless Jazz Journalist Association awards and other accolades worldwide, including being inducted into the inaugural Hammond Organ Hall of Fame in 2014, the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame in 2016 as well as topping the Critics Polls in DownBeat Magazine eleven times over the past fifteen years and the Readers Polls every year since 2005. 

 Here's the Joey DeFrancesco Trio live at Dizzy's in NY in Aug 2016:



That'll do it. Have a great weekend! We didn't do a tribute to the late, great Chuck Berry last week so here's Chuck with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:



Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: RIP ET, James McMurtry, Eternal Summers, Minus The Bear, Martin Barre, Mandolin Orange, Charles Walker Band, Trongone Band

Well, never doubt the power of Robert Earl Keen. He reposted my blog post on Facebook last week and I had my second biggest week ever with over 1500 page views. Thanks, REK!

Alternative pop rock band Minus the Bear is at The National Thursday night. Tix are $19.50 advance, $23 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Make sure you get in early to see openers Beach Slang and Bayonne. Minus the Bear is out promoting their new album, VOIDS. AllMusic said about the album, "There's a bit more pure pop intention to be found on Voids, but it retains the left-field charm that made them one of the more captivating acts to watch amidst the alt-to-indie rock shift that dominated the late '90s and early 2000s." From their 2010 album, Omni, here's "My Time":

Over at Vagabond (right next door to The National) on Thursday evening, it's the RVA based Turkish pop band, Yeni Nostalji. Music starts at 9 PM and it's $7 at the door. No opener so it won't go too late, if you're worried about that. Here's their entry for the NPR Tiny Desk Contest this year.

Rock/pop/psych/punk/dream punk/trio Eternal Summers is at Strange Matter Friday night. $10 to get in. Doors open at 8. RVA band Opin will be co-headlining and celebrating the release of their new record, Opin. Dumb Waiter, and Big Baby open and DJ Resin will play in between sets. Eternal Summers was recently featured on Judd Apatow's show Love on Netflix. The character chose to play "Come Alive" off of their 2015 album, "Gold and Stone". Here it is:

The Trongone Band return to town for a show at The Broadberry Friday night. Carl Dufrene of Anders Osborne's band is filling in on bass while regular bassist Todd Herrington spends some tine out West. Tix are $12 advance, $15 at the door. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9, No opener is listed. The band was recently part of an Everyone Orchestra show which saw them playing with Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band, Dead & Company, Aquarium Rescue Unit), Claude Coleman Jr. (Ween), Holly Bowling, Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), and Natalie Cressman (Trey Anastasio Band). Here's their opening set for that show.

Saturday and Sunday, you've got your Church Hill Irish Festival going on. 10 AM to 7 PM Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM Sunday. From their Facebook event page:

In addition to great entertainment, there will be plenty of family fun, including children’s games, face painting and Irish-themed crafts. Over thirty Irish vendors will be in attendance! Food and refreshments will also be available. Enjoy wonderful “Irish Lasagna” prepared by the Ladies of St. Patrick’s, “Fish and Chips” and other favorites provided by Rare Olde Times Irish Pub, Rosie Connolly’s and many more.

A huge children’s play area will be sponsored by the great folks from “LINC”.

Proceeds benefit the St. Baldrick’s Society and their fight against childhood cancer, the Church Hill Association, the Church Hill Crime Watch, Richmond Hill, Child Saver’s Clinic of Richmond, St. John’s Church, the St. Peter’s Meals Program, St. Francis Home, Stone’s Circle of Friends and many other neighborhood causes. Proceeds also benefit the historic preservation of St. Patrick’s Church, a “little church with a big heart” built in the 1850’s by Irish Immigrants to Richmond, and its outreach programs. A $5.00 donation will be collected at the gate.

You can check out the music lineup in the picture up there. Should be nice and warm both days. Shorts weather!

Saturday night at The Broadberry, it's the lyrical-country-grassy-folk band with one of the greatest band names ever, Mandolin Orange. It's $15 to get in. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with opener Dead Tongues. Here's Mandolin Orange performing "Wildfire":



Charles Walker Band bring the funky soul to The Camel Sunday night to make sure your weekend doesn't end too early. It's only $7 to get in. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with RVA blues band, The Bush League, opening. Here's Charles Walker Band on a local news morning show last month in their hometown of Milwaukee.



The guitarist from Jethro Tull, Martin Barre, is at The Groove Music Hall in Woodford, VA. He'll be playing Tull classics and deep cuts along with music from his own solo albums. GA tix are $35 advance, $38 day of show and you can do VIP for $75. Here's a clip from when Martin played The Tin Pan in October last year.



Speaking of The Tin Pan, great singer-songwriter James McMurtry is there on Monday night. Tix are $30 advance, $35 at the door. Doors open at 6, show starts at 8 and no opener is listed. This is a solo show which is just fine because it will allow to hear the great storytelling of Mr. McMurtry. Check this guy out if you like Robert Earl Keen, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Lyle Lovett and those other Texas alt-country troubadours. Here's one of my favorites, "Choctaw Bingo":



A great bass player and a great friend, ET Snider, decided to catch that glory train last Wednesday night. I'll miss the twinkle in his eye, his great smile, talking (and arguing) about music, and giving each other gentle ribbing about our football teams (his Redskins, my Eagles). I was thinking about writing more, but I thought I'd let the music do the talking. A few songs from his many bands and then a few songs that remind of him. Even though I'm still angry at him for leaving us too soon, I know next time I see him, after I yell at him, I'll give him a hug and tell him I love him.

This is from a Headstone Circus reunion show in 2015.



One of ET's favorite bands was Black Sabbath. He formed a kick-ass Sabbath tribute band.



And with swamp rock band Dismal Swamp Lords. He could play it all.



And here's a few songs that make me think of him. We shared a love for the Beach Boys and both obsessed over "Revelator". Hopefully, he's somewhere watching the waves and moving the fader. And the last one is a desperate and haunting song about another bass player and gentle soul who left us too early from a band I was happy to turn him on to.








Thanks for being my friend.

Tony Jordan