Late Night Pick: Manchester Orchestra

Manchester Orchestra's new album, "Cope", comes out tomorrow and it's getting great reviews so far. You can hear something from that album tonight when MO is on Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35 PM on CBS. Here's the band doing "Simple Math" from their album of the same name:



This is Tame Impala with "Mind Mischief" from the repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly that ran on Friday night:

Late Night Pick: Tame Impala

Tonight, watch neo-psychedelic band Tame Impala on a repeat from January of Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35 AM, NBC). For Record Store Day (April 19), which supports independent record stores like Plan 9, the band will release a 9 song live limited edition vinyl EP called "Live Versions" recorded at a 2013 show in Chicago. Here's "Be Above It" from that EP:



And to get you rocking on a Friday, here's Arctic Monkeys "Evil Twin". Drink enough this weekend and perhaps your evil twin will appear.

Late Night Pick: The National

The National (the band, not our local venue) will be on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon tonight on NBC at 11:35 PM. They'll be out promoting their new documentery, "Mistaken for Strangers". What makes this rock doc different from other rock docs is that it was filmed by lead singer Matt Berninger's brother, Tom. It doesn't just follow them on the tour but also shows the good and the bad that come with being a rock star's brother. Here's the trailer:



And here's London Grammar performing on last night's Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Weekly Pick: Dave Hause, PT Gazell, Beer Parties, PT Gazell, No BS! Brass Band, My Darling Fury, Black Girls, King Solomon's Marbles

Jazz harmonica player PT Gazell will start the weekend off at Ashland Coffee & Tea on Thursday night. Show starts at 8, tix are $10 in advance, $12 day of show. Here's the press blurb for PT:

"Hot, swingin, smooth, original, clean, lyrical, faster than a speeding bullet, diatonically chromatic, one of a kind, masterful, the swingingest, Oh yeah, like what? Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, Louie Jordan, Ben Webster, Sweets Edison, …that’s what!

With 4 Solo CDs under his belt, including his double Grammy nominated 2011 release, “2 Days Out,” PT Gazell continues to expand the musical boundaries for the harmonica. Using his own signature model instrument, the Gazell Method diatonic, he proves that the harmonica is capable of much more than what most of us believe.

PT likes to think of his performances and CDs as an on going musical conversation between himself and his fans. Judging by the music he delivers, he’s quite a compelling and articulate speaker.

No other player combines his phrasing, his melodic style, his song choices and his improvisational abilities…  his singular style may draw comparisons to others, but in the end, it’s a style all his own.

Dig It!"

And here's PT playing a Beatles tune and he'll tell you a little about his technique before he gets to the song:

Friday night, No BS! Brass Band is at The Camel. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with opener Gina Sobel and The Mighty Fine. It's $10 to get in. Here's the bands full set at the chilly Mardi Gras Block Party on March 4.



At Cary St. Cafe on Friday, Grateful Dead tribute band King Solomon's Marbles gets trippy for you. Show starts at 10 and it's FREE to get in. This is KSM's Spring Fling and God knows we are all ready for a little spring. Here's the good ol' Grateful Dead doing Truckin' in 1980:



If your tastes run more 80's than 60's, check out the bluegrass band that does 80's songs, Love Canon. They'll be at Capital Ale House Downtown Friday night. Show will start at 10 and it's $10 to get in. They'll be at the Gathering of the Vibes festival up in Bridgport, CT on July 31 - Aug 3 with such bands as Widespread Panic, John Fogerty, moe., and Umphrey's McGee. And here they are playing The Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep" in Charlotte earlier this month:



If it's Saturday, it's time for beer! Ok, really any time is time for beer. But especially Saturdays! And Hardywood has another new one that they'll bust out this Saturday. It's the Hoplar Imperial IPA and the wooden Virginia Tulip Poplar kegs get tapped at 2 PM. The food trucks will be there so you can eat. And there will be music from Black Girls (sets at 5 and 7) and My Darling Fury (sets at 6 and 8). Here's My Darling Fury's "Friendly Parasite" set to animation from a Russian film from 1972:



More beer on Sunday because beer. It's Strangeways Brewing March Hops Madness at the Strangeways Brewery. They'll be releasing their new Tripel IPA (hope you like hops this weekend), they'll have the food trucks out, and music from Yankee Dixie, Tasty Specials, and Kung Pao Quartet. It'll run from 11 AM until 7 PM.

Next Wednesday (4/2), check out roots/punk rocker Dave Hause at The Camel. It's' $10 to get in, doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with openers Northcote and Rob Huddleston. The show will be done by 11:30 so you can still make it to work the next day. I think I'll be hitting this one up, so please, join me, if you would. Not sure if Dave will be solo or with a band on Wednesday night, but here he is with a band doing "We Could Be Kings":



And I'll leave you with this totally insane video from DJ Snake & Lil' Jon. This is not safe for work if your workplace doesn't like invincible private parts (covered) that dance by themselves.



Hopefully you'll party like they do in that video this weekend. Have a good one!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: London Grammar

Tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, 11:35 AM), atmospheric electronic pop band London Grammar will appear to play something off of their debut album, "If You Wait". You may have heard their cover of INXS' "Devil Inside" on a recent trailer for the new season of "Game of Thrones" (I can't wait for that to start again!). And here that is:

Late Night Pick: The Belle Brigade

I've been digging The Belle Brigade's Fleetwood Mac-ish harmonies on their cover of Bob Dylan's "No Time To Think" lately. Tonight, we'll get to hear them do some of their own music on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS at 12:35 AM. The Belle Brigade's new album, "Just Because", came out today so I bet they'll play something from that.

Here's that Dylan cover (audio only):



And here is their excellent tune "Losers" from their self-titled debut. And look, it has a puppy in it!:



And here's Vampire Weekend last night on the Tonight Show:

Late Night Pick: Vampire Weekend

Tonight Show Starrring Jimmy Fallon has Vampire Weekend on tonight at 11:35 PM on NBC. Tickets are on sale now for Vampire Weekend's show at the Charlottesville NTelos Wireless Pavilion on June 10. Here's VW's "Diane Young":



And speaking of the Tonight Show, here's Kevin Bacon's fabulous entrance to the show the other night.

Late Night Pick: Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire

Watch a repeat from one of the week of shows alternative, indie, Americana band Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire did on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight at 12:35 AM on CBS. And it's always good to say hello to Geoff, Craig's skeletal sidekick. You might dig RH&TLF if you like Tom Petty or Wilco. Here's the band doing "Bright Light Fever". Look for a quick cameo from Kris Kristofferson and Roddy running throughout Glasgow:


Roddy Hart And The Lonesome Fire - Bright Light Fever on MUZU.TV.

Here's Kanye West, Big Sean and Rick Ross on last night's Arsenio Hall show:

Late Night Pick: Rick Ross, Kanye West, Big Sean

It's a leaders of rap music summit tonight on a repeat of an Arsenio Hall show from earlier this month. Rap music titans Rick Ross, Kanye West and Big Sean will appear together on the show. Arsenio comes on in Richmond on WUPV at 11 PM. Check Arsenio's site for times in your area. I always find Kanye the most interesting of the group because of megalomaniacal insanity combined with his ability to actually write personal songs which show great insight into the struggle between his ego and insecurity. He also likes to call out rampant consumerism as he does on this one on SNL, "New Slaves" which features the memorable line, "There's leaders and there's followers. But I'd rather be a d**k than a swallower."



Here's Sting on a repeat of Late Show with David Letterman last night, doing the Beatles classic, "Drive My Car" with Ivy Levan and Mike Einziger:

Late Night Pick: Sting

Sting will be on Late Show with David Letterman tonight on CBS at 11:35 PM. I suspect Sting will be talking about his recent tour with Paul Simon and the 25th anniversary show of the Rainforest Fund Benefit Concert. That will be at Carnegie Hall and while the other performers haven't been announced yet, past performers have included Elton John, Billy Joel, Springsteen, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and more. If you want to get tickets, they start at $1000, so it's gonna raise a lot of money. Sting will not be just another Englishman in New York tonight or that night:


Here's The Head and the Heart doing "Another Story" on Conan last night on a show originally broadcast on 12/17/13. Jonathan Russell of Head and the Heart played right here in Richmond last night. For a review of the show, check out the blog, "I Could Go On and On".

Weekly Picks: Ava Luna, 2 Chainz, Southern Belles, Avers, Church Hill Irish Fest

Southern Belles will be at Cary St. Cafe Wednesday night starting at 10 PM and with no cover charge at the Cafe (as usual). The Belles have added Andrew Carper to the band so head to Cary St. Cafe and check Andrew out and what he does. After this show, the band heads out on tour for a month, hitting sites in VA, NC, TN and NYC. Good luck on your tour boys and we know you'll represent RVA well! Here's their full show (w/pro audio) from The Camel on 3/7, which opens with their killer version of the Grateful Dead's "Mississippi Half-Step Toodleloo":



The latest Richmond buzz band, Avers, will be at The Camel Thursday night with Sister/Lovers and Sleepwalkers opening. Doors will open at 7 and it's only $5 to get in. Avers is also spreading their wings heading out to NC, DC, Philly, NYC, and C'ville after this show. The RVA music scene is on the move! It's only a matter of time before Pitchfork or Rolling Stone calls us the best music city in the US and we are inundated with crappy musicians and music biz leeches which bring the scene to the ground. OK, maybe I'm being a bit pessimistic but enjoy it while you can.

Indie rock/pop/soul band Ava Luna will be at Gallery 5 Thursday. After a description like that you can see they like a little of everything and the influences they list on Facebook run through Fugazi, Clarence Carter, Prince, Bauhaus, Al Green, and Can. Whatever you want to call them, I like their sound. Doors open at 7:30, show starts at 8 with openers Krill, Navi, and Naked Baby. Here they are down at SXSW a couple weeks ago:



The gangsta rap Too Good to be T.R.U. tour comes to the Altria Theater (the theater formerly known as The Mosque and The Landmark) on Friday night. Show starts at 8 and features 2 Chainz, Pusha T and August Alsina. Tix run from $34.50 to $54.50. Here's 2 Chainz new single, "Fork":

Saturday and Sunday it's the 29th Annual Church Hill Irish Festival in Church Hill (duh!) at Broad and 25th. It's only a $5 donation to get in and that benefits a bunch of local charities. It'll run on Saturday from 10 AM to 7 PM and on Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM. They'll have music all day with both rock n' roll and traditional Celtic music represented. Lots of food, beer (though everyone is always well behaved), a kids area, crafts and more. It's always a good time.

And just for the hell of it, here's Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band doing "Stayin' Alive". This really kicks ass way more than you might think it would.


That'll do it. Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: The Head and the Heart

Indie folk band The Head and the Heart will be on a repeat of Conan tonight on TBS at 11. The Head and the Heart will be at The National on June 2 with Lucius opening. Here's TH&TH doing "Down in the Valley" which is on their self-titled album from 2011:



And here's Black 47 from last night's Tonight Show:

Late Night Pick: Black 47

Get your Irish on tonight with Black 47, the NYC based band made up of Irish ex-pats. They'll be on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon tonight at 11:35 PM. During the 90s, I saw Black 47 many times and their raucous brand of rock n' roll always made the pints go down easy. I was stunned to hear that they are calling it quits after 25 years after a final tour, which unfortunately is not brining them to Richmond. If you have Sirius XM, you can listen to Black 47's 25th and last St. Patrick's Day show tonight live from BB King's Blues Club in NYC. I couldn't find out what station they'll be on but you SiriusXMer's will probably have a way to find that out.

Here's Black 47 with the autobiographical tale "Funky Ceili":



Here's the segment on Madi Diaz from Friday night's Last Call with Carson Daly:

Late Night Pick: Madi Diaz

Alt-country, singer/songwriter Madi Diaz will be on Last Call with Carson Daly tonight on NBC at 1:35 AM. New wave influenced band St. Lucia will also be on the show. You might did Madi if you like Cat Power, Neko Case (coming to Friday Cheers this summer!), Tift Merritt, Patty Griffin, Sheryl Crow or Shawn Colvin. Here's Madi's "Gimme a Kiss":



Didn't do a Late Night Pick yesterday because I cut out of work and headed right down to the newly refurbished Beacon Theatre in Hopewell. Was a really easy 30 minute drive to get down there and saw the always great Robert Randolph & the Family Band, who showed us why Rolling Stone recently named him as one of the top 100 rock guitarists of all time.

So  here's what Damon Albarn did on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night:

Late Night Pick: Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn of Gorillaz and Blur fame will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC at 11:35 PM tonight as Jimmy continues his week at SXSW in Austin. If you want to stay up really late tonight, you can also catch Damon's SXSW set at Stubbs on the NPR website. Damon will close the program with his set starting at 1:30 AM ET. Prior to Damon, Perfect Pussy will start things off at 8:50 PM ET, Eagulls at 9:40 PM, Kelis at 10:50 PM, and St. Vincent at midnight. Really good line-up there. Here's the lead single and title track from Damon's new, and first, solo album, "Everyday Robots":

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Here's Gary Allan's performance of "It Ain't The Whiskey" from last night's Late Show with David Letterman:

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Weekly Picks: Robert Randolph, Drive-By Truckers,Moody Blues, Blitzen Trapper, WRIR Benefit, St. Pat's Day Parties, Floodwood

If you've got iTunes or can download it, you can watch the iTunes Festival from SXSW this week. Wednesday night sees a rap lineup with Kendrick Lamar (11 PM), ScHoolboy Q (10:10) and Isaiah Rashad (9:40). Thursday is the highlight for me with Soundgarden at 11 PM where they'll play their classic album "Superunknown" in it's entirety starting at 11 PM, Band of Skulls (9:45) and Capital Cities (9). Friday sees a pop lineup with Pitbull (11 PM), ZEDD (9:45 PM) and G.R.L. (9). Saturday it's country with Keith Urban (11 PM), Willie Nelson (9:45), Mickey Guyton (9).

On Thursday night, Robert Randolph & The Family Band will be at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell. Tix range from $17.50 to $30. Doors open at 6 and the show starts at 6:30 with a "special guest" opening, which usually isn't all that special but there will be an opener. Robert Randolph plays pedal steel guitar and is quite simply one of the greatest guitarists alive right now. In fact, Rollling Stone recently put Robert on it's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. Damn, I think I just talked myself into going to this show. Here's Robert and the Family Band doing "Peekaboo" for Radio Woodstock on Valentine's Day:

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If you like your 80's songs done bluegrass style, and who doesn't, head to Ashland Coffee & Tea on Thursday for Love Canon, the band that plays 80's songs bluesgrass style. Show starts at 8 (no opener) and it's $12 in advance, $15 day of show. Here they are dropping the sledgehammer on ya:

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Friday, Tarrant and Wayfarer play at Lounge 207 at 207 W Broad. Doors open at 6:30 and it's $11 to get in. Here's a short video from Tarrant's recent sessions at Sound of Music studio and it should give you a good taste for their Americana sound.

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At Strange Matter on Friday, it's a benefit for WRIR with The Milkstains, The Trillions, Tungs & Dave Watkins. Doors open at 9, show starts at 10 and it's only $5 to get in. Here's The Milkstains at Strange Matter on 9/28/13:


The Milkstains - 2013 Sept. 28 - Live at Strange Matter - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger on Vimeo.

Also, Friday night, world renowned salsa band from Richmond, Bio Ritmo is at The Camel. It's $10 to get in and the show starts at 9:30 with Quatro Na Bossa. Here's a remix of Bio Ritmo's "Majadero":



Saturday is just filthy with St. Patrick's Day parties. I'm just gonna list them here. You can click the links to check them out and help decide which one to go to. The biggest and I'll say the best based on their band line up is Shamrock on the Block, which somewhat controversially moved to The Boulevard this year from the 17th Street Farmers Market. It's FREE, they've expanded the kids area and the band lineup along with the amount of space. Should be a good time. Highlights bandwise are The Southern Belles from 2 - 2:45 and Black Girls from 4 - 4:45. Here's the rest:

- Shockoe Fest - taking the place of Shamrock the Block at the 17th Street Farmers Market.
- 15th Annual St. Patrick's Day Party at Sine' - this one goes the latest for those that want to party into the night.
- St. Paddy's Palooza at Innsbrook - the most family oriented but they still have beer. Because it's St. Patrick's Day.

If you are still standing after the St. Patrick's Day parties, there are two great bands playing. First, one of my favorite bands of all time, Drive-By Truckers will be at The National. I am all tore up that I can't make this show, but I'm hoping they'll visit Charlottesville on the second leg of the tour. Tix are $30, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with Blitzen Trapper and get there early to see them. If you like great, rootsy, Southern, punk rock n' roll with hints of Springsteen, Skynyrd, Social Distortion, AC/DC, Rolling Stones, go see this band. The music will make you move, the lyrics will make you laugh, they'll make you cry, they'll make you get drunk (along with the band) and by the end of the show, you'll be a sweaty, hoarse mess after seeing one of the greatest rock bands you'll ever see. Here they are on Conan the other night doing their new single, "Sh*t Shots Count":

Over at Capital Ale House Saturday night, Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico from moe. get a little bluegrass thang going called Floodwood. Jackass Flats will be opening and that ain't too bad either. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9, tix are $12 in advance, $15 day of show. Here's Floodwood doing "Spend Some Time" in Buffalo. Not a place where I want to spend time, though I do hear they have some tasty chicken wings.

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Sunday, classic rock band Moody Blues will be at the Landmark Altria Theater. (It's gonna take me a while to get used to saying that, if ever). Tix are $55 - $90, show starts at 8 PM, and there does not appear to be an opener. It's not too late to get a cabin on the Moody Blues Cruise which starts April 2 and features Roger Daltrey, The Zombies, Carl Palmer, Starship, and Little River Band. Here's the Moody Blues at the famous Isle of Wight festival in 1970:

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If you are looking for somewhere to go on St. Patrick's Day proper (Monday 3/17), check out all the locations of Capital Ale House with much Irish music and beer, beer, beer.

Just downloaded this show the other day from the Pearl Jam site. Found this on YouTube tonight. It's the full Pearl Jam show from Charlottesville on 10/29/13 with HQ audio and the editor put the video together from multiple audience shot video. Really well done. Maybe you can spot me in the audience.

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Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Gary Allan, Phish Summer Tour 2014

Neo-traditionalist country artist Gary Allan will be on Late Show with David Letterman tonight on CBS at 11:35 PM. Here's Gary's "Best I Ever Had":

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Phish announced their summer tour today including two shows in Portsmouth (7/29 & 30). Who's in?

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Here's the three songs White Denim played last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Watch these. This band is getting big. Don't say I didn't warn you.

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Late Night Pick: White Denim

This must be the week when all my favorite bands play on late night TV. Prince and Drive-By Truckers last week. And White Denim out of Austin TX on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight (11:35 PM, ABC). Jimmy's show is down in Austin this week for SXSW. White Denim will be opening some shows for Arctic Monkeys in June, but still no White Denim dates here in Richmond. It's been too long. Here's White Denim's weird, psychedelic video for "Pretty Green" from their latest album, "Corsicana Lemonade":



Here's Broken Bells on The Tonight Show on Friday night:

Late Night Pick: Broken Bells

Experimental indie/pop band Broken Bells will be on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon at 11:35 PM on NBC. Broken Bells is made up of James Mercer from The Shins and Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse). Their 3rd album, After the Disco, came out a month ago and has been getting good reviews. When David Letterman had his Beatles week last month, Broken Bells covered "And I Love Her" with the help of virtual Ringo Starr. Check it out here:



Here's the Drive-By Truckers on last night's Conan with "Sh*t Shots Count":

Late Night Pick: Drive-By Truckers

Another easy pick for me. My favorite band of the last decade, Drive-By Truckers, will be on Conan tonight on TBS at 11 PM. Unfortunately, this is the closest I'm going to get to a DBT live show for a while as I can't make it to their show at The National on 3/15. But I will be heading out to get their critically acclaimed (as usual) new album, English Oceans, which just came out Tuesday. I will be heading out this weekend to pick up the album at Plan 9 and get back into that seedy Southern gothic DBT world of alcohol, adultery, murder and down on their luck characters that will occassionally touch your heart. Here's DBT doing "Righteous Path" on "Austin City Limits" a few years back:



Here's the three songs Prince did last night on the Arsenio Hall show. Two new ones and one of my favorite b-sides (a-side was "Raspberry Beret". Kids, ask your parents what an a-side and a b-side were), "She's Always in my Hair":

Friday Cheers 2014 Schedule Announced

Here's the press release from Venture Richmond announcing the full schedule for Friday Cheers this year. I'm most excited about Lord Huron, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Funky Meters, St. Paul and the Broken Bones and Neko Case, but it all looks tasty! More on each in our weekly picks column as the shows approach.

(RICHMOND, VA) March 6, 2014 – Celebrating its 30^th season, Venture Richmond's premier outdoor concert series, Friday Cheers, presented by Coors Light and Blue Moon, returns to Brown's Island on May 2,  with a stellar line-up of bands you won't want to miss, at one of RVA’s most beautiful venues.  Enjoy breakout bands, national acts and Richmond's hometown talent. Children 12 & under are free.

May 2  –Vintage Trouble and Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers , $10.

May 9 – Lord Huron with The Northerners, $10.  

May 17-19 –  Dominion Riverrock, featuring The Infamous Stringdusters, Matisyahu, FREE.

May 23 – RVA Music Night featuring Richmond bands: Avers, Todd Herrington: Things and The Green Boys, $5.

May 30 – J. Roddy Walston & The Business and Kopecky Family Band, $5.                                                                         

June 6 – Futurebirds and Spirit Family Reunion, $5.

                                                                                      

June 13 – Funky Meters with Mekong Xpress & The Get Fresh Horns, $10.                                                                                           

June 20 – Houndmouth and St. Paul & The Broken Bones, $5.                                                                              

June 27 –Neko Case with Laura Veirs $10.                                                                                                

Advance tickets for individual shows and season passes to Friday Cheers are available online at Ticketstobuy.com starting tomorrow, Friday March 7.

Season Passes cost $35 from March 7th – April 1^st and $45 after.

Watch Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers on YouTube: http://youtu.be/55CAwpERvH0

Watch Vintage Trouble on YouTube: http://youtu.be/7XyUcJiXOi4

Watch Lord Huron on YouTube: http://youtu.be/xFcxnQ0nsts

Watch Kopecky Family Band on YouTube: http://youtu.be/dj_IknoZ260

Watch J. Roddy Walston & The Business on  YouTube: http://youtu.be/vdn1VVxMbqo

Watch Futurebirds on  YouTube: http://youtu.be/_IUxkcVZWJU

Watch Spirit Family Reunion on  YouTube: http://youtu.be/sefX1Ievnog

Watch Funky Meters on  YouTube: http://youtu.be/erNpDYGcE2k

Watch St. Paul & The Broken Bones on  YouTube: http://youtu.be/nkJULXCqX9U

Watch Houndmouth on  YouTube: http://youtu.be/_l-dFMTJbFA

Watch Neko Case on  YouTube: http://youtu.be/_FhVbyeWFvo

For more interviews with the bands, insider and behind- the-scenes info, and back stories on the artist, visit the Friday Cheers blog.

Presented by:  Coors Light and Blue Moon
Sponsored by:  103.7 Play, Classic Rock 96.5, K95, Hot 100.9, Hilton Garden Inn, Style Weekly, Richmond.com and Pasture

To be entered in a weekly drawing to win tickets to Friday Cheers, like Friday Cheers on Facebook!

Venture Richmond is a non-profit organization which engages business and community leaders in partnering with the City of Richmond to enhance the vitality of the community, particularly Downtown, through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy and events.  Venture Richmond also produces TEDxRVA, Easter on Parade, the Second Street Festival and the Richmond Folk Festival, and partners with the Richmond Sportsbackers to produce Dominion Riverrock. For more information visit  www.venturerichmond.com.

Late Night Pick: Prince

Some nights the pick is easy. The reclusive Prince will be on Arsenio Hall Show tonight to talk (perhaps) and play (definitely). Prince is the only one on the show. So he's gotta do something. He will most likely talk about and play tunes from his new, guitar-driven album, "PlectrumElectrum" which is due out sometime this spring. The album features his all-female band, 3rd Eye Girl. Hopefully, there will be a tour too. Perhaps his Royal Badness will announce that tonight. Here's "Fixurlifeup":

From last night's Tavis Smiley show, here's the interview with jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter:

Weekly Picks: Widespread Panic, Miniature Tigers, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Southern Belles, Lyceum Experience, Black Girls

Indie/dream-pop band Miniature Tigers will be at Strange Matter on Wednesday night. Doors open at 9, show starts at 9:30 with openers Total Slacker (lo-fi, garage rock) and Bear Hands (synth pop). Tix are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. You might like Miniature Tigers if you like Weezer or The Cars or groovy dancable indie pop. Here's the Tigers "Sex on the Regular":

Widespread Panic starts three sold-out nights at The National on Thursday. If any tickets do go on sale, they'll be $45 in advance, $50 at the door. The doors open at 7 each night and the shows start at 8 with no opener just the usual two sets of Panic. These will be rare acoustic shows from the band. If you miss them at The National, they will be playing the Lockn' Festival in Arrington VA in September. They just announced today that they will be joined by the great Steve Winwood for one of their sets. Here's the band doing "Love Tractor" at the Austin City Limits festival:



Friday night is First Friday and as part of the First Friday festivities, Reverend D-Ray and The Shockers (Western surf-a-billy) will play at Aces & Eights Tattoo Emporium on Broad. There will also be an exhibit of classic car & pin-up photography by Melissa Duck of Precious Images Photography. The event runs from 7 PM until 10 PM with the band hitting the stage around 7:30.

Later in the evening, it looks like I'll be heading to The Camel to see Southern Belles as they continue their First Friday residency there. It's $7 to get in. Doors open at 9 and The Lawsuits from Philadelphia will kick things off around there.This is the third of four shows the bands are playing together, so expect some co-mingling of bands because that's what usually happens at these First Friday events with the Belles. Here's an original by The Belles called "All In Time" recorded about two months ago in Herndon VA:

Saturday, it's more art and music mixed at the Lyceum Experience at 3300 W Clay St. It will run from 7 PM until 11 PM and it's free to get in.There will be gallery exhibitions from over 20 RVA artists, music performance (Fool's Errand, an Americana band I've been seeing lately and enjoying, comes on around 9), comedy, and poetry.

Black Girls celebrate the release of their new CD, "Claire Sinclair", with a show at Balliceaux on Saturday night. It's $10 to get in and the show will kick off with Sleepwalkers and DJ Rattan will spin between sets. Black Girls will be augmented for the show (power ups!) with Charlie Glenn on keys and members of No BS! Brass Band. Should be a fine and funky show.

On Sunday, Scottish indie pop band We Were Promised Jetpacks (love the name) will be at The Camel. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Tix are $13 in advance, $15 at the door. Honeyblood will open. WWPJ sold our their show in Chicago on Monday. They've also got a new live album, "E Rey", which they recorded in Philly out now. Here they are doing "Medicine":



Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Wayne Shorter

Legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter will be on Tavis Smiley tonight on PBS. My usual word of warning when musicians are on Tavis' show is that they may or may not perform but Tavis always gets a good interview out of them. Check Tavis' site for the time and date of the show. Here in Richmond, it's on WCVW at 3 AM so set those DVRs. In this recent broadcast on BBC Radio, Wayne talks about his inspriations (from Mozart to Art Tatum) and his work with Miles Davis and Weather Report. Here's Wayne playing in the Miles Davis Quintet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams:



Here's Roddy Hart and the Lonesome Fire's performance of "Bad Blood" on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Friday night: