Weekend Picks: Todd Rundgren, WRIR Commonwealth of Notions Fest, Richmond Bluegrass Fest, Chris Stapleton, Sister Hazel, Horsehead, Three Sheets to the Wind

Todd Rundgren is in town Thursday night at The National. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Tix are $20 GA Standing, $25 Reserved Seated Balcony. Always unpredictable and following whatever muse strikes him, this version of Todd finds him with his guitar, a DJ and two backup singers making up the whole band and playing electronic music. But he'll still play some of his biggest hits. Here's Todd performing "Terra Firma" a few days ago in Salisbury Beach, MD:

Friday night out at Short Pump Town Center there is a free show with Sister Hazel and Lee DeWyze (of American Idol fame). Lee takes the stage at 6, followed by Sister Hazel. Here's Sister Hazel's big hit from 1997, "All For You":



The WRIR Commonwealth of Notions Presents Volume 5 festival kicks into high gear this weekend with three shows at local venues featuring great local bands. They'll be at Strange Matter Friday, Sound of Music on Thursday and Broadberry on Sunday. Here's the lineups and all the info.

AUGUST 21ST - STRANGE MATTER - http://www.strangematterrva.com/
929 W. Grace St; Richmond, VA 23220
COVER: $5
DOORS: 7PM
SHOW: 8PM
 Wow Owls! - https://bestpractices.bandcamp.com/album/wow-owls-last-recording
Big No - https://www.facebook.com/BIGNOBAND
Everyone Dies In The End - https://everyonediesintheend.bandcamp.com/
Ultra Flake - https://www.facebook.com/Ultraflake
The Mad Extras - http://themadextras.com/
Victorious Trees (feat. DAVE WATKINS + SAMANTHA PEARL) - https://soundcloud.com/samantha-pearland http://www.davewatkinsmusic.com/

 AUGUST 22ND - SOUND OF MUSIC - http://www.soundofmusicrva.com/
1515 W. Broad St; Richmond, VA 23220
COVER: $5
DOORS: 7PM
SHOW: 8PM

LINE-UP
Toxic Moxie - http://toxicmoxie.com/
Gull - http://gullface.com/
Lobo Marino - http://www.lobomarinomusic.com/
Among The Rocks and Roots- https://amongtherocksandroots.bandcamp.com/

AUGUST 23RD - The Broadberry - http://www.thebroadberry.com/
2729 W. Broad St; Richmond, VA 23220
COVER: $5 IN ADVANCE/$7 DAY OF SHOW (ADVANCED TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/877969)
DOORS: 7PM
SHOW: 8PM
 LINE-UP
Canary Oh Canary - https://www.facebook.com/canaryohcanary
White Laces - http://whitelacesmusic.com/
Mikrowaves - https://www.facebook.com/microwavesric
Ben Shepherd - http://benjaminshepherd.bandcamp.com/
Manatree - http://manatree.bandcamp.com/

 Let's try to get one video from a band at each show. From the Friday Strange Matter show, this is Big No:

From the Saturday night show at Sound of Music, here's Toxic Moxie:



And from the Sunday show at Broadberry, check out Canary Oh Canary:

The Richmond Bluegrass Festival goes down at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery on Saturday starting at 2 PM. It's FREE to attend and all ages are welcome. There will be beer (duh), bluegrass music (double duh) and lots o' food trucks for your culinary pleasure. The music starts with Ragged Mountain String Band at 2, followed by East of Afton, River City Band, The Whiskey Rebellion, and The Hot Seats will wrap things up when they go on at 7:30. Here's The Hot Seats performing a very funny song at the Gate to Southwell Festival in earlier this summer:



Country-rock singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton is at The National Saturday night. Tix are $22.50 in advance, $27.50 day of show. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 with opener Sam Lewis. Chris will be playing at the American Roots Music & Arts Festival in Raleigh in October with Eric Church, Modest Mouse, Sheryl Crow, The Roots, Willie Nelson, Warren Haynes, Grace Potter, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon, Greensky Bluegrass and more. That's a pretty tasty festival! Here's Chris the other night on Late Night with Seth Meyers playing "Might As Well Get Stoned":

Americana rock band Horsehead is at the Capital Ale House downtown on Saturday with Demon Eye and Dorthia Cottrell opening. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9, tix are $5 in advance, $8 at the door. Horsehead has a new CD out called "Casual Dracula" so expect to hear a bunch of stuff off of that. Perhaps they'll make some videos of songs from the new album. The latest I could find was from three years ago when they played Gallery 5. But it's a good one. This is "Hard Hand to Hold":

It's yacht rock time again with yacht rock tribute band, Three Sheets to the Wind, at The Broadberry Saturday. Tix are $12 in advance, $15 day of show, and you can go VIP for $35. Doors open at 8 and there is no opener. Here's the band playing "Reeling in the Years > 2 Tickets to Paradise":



That's it. Have a great weekend! Perhaps I'll see you at the Richmond Bluegrass Festival.

I'll leave you with this classic from Chic with one of the greatest bass lines ever:



Tony Jordan