Weekend Picks: Commonwealth of Notions 6, Wild Reeds, Silent Music Revival, Garbage, Joe Walsh, CJ Chenier, Schooley Mountain Band, Taters, Atkinsons

Maker of some of the funniest songs in classic rock and some of the best to play air guitar to also, Joe Walsh hits Innsbrook on Thursday night. Doors open at 5, show starts at 6 with openers JD & the Straight Shot. Tix run $25 - $65. Joe is sober now. He says, "I only got drunk once...for about 30 years". Here's Joe doing "Rocky Mountain Way" at Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004. By the way, check out the backing band on this one. It's Booker T & the MGs!



If you prefer some primo zydeco, head to The Broadberry Thursday night for CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers The Hazletones. Tix are $12 advance, $15 at the door. Here's CJ & the band doing the zydeco classic, "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)":

Friday and Saturday night, Commonwealth of Notions Volume 6 takes place and it will benefit WRIR 97.3 FM and feature some great local music. Friday night, it goes down at Gallery5. Here's the info for that and the band lineup:

Friday, July 22nd 

Gallery5 - 200 W. Marshall Street

Doors: 6:30PM

Music: 7:30PM 

Cover: $5

Imaginary Sons - https://imaginarysons.bandcamp.com/

Clair Morgan - http://www.clairmorgan.com/

Nelly Kate - https://nellykate.bandcamp.com/

Antiphons - https://antiphons.bandcamp.com/

The Wimps - https://thewimpsrva.bandcamp.com/releases

The event moves to Strange Matter Saturday night. Here's the lowdown:

Saturday, July 23rd

Strange Matter - 929 West Grace Street, 

Doors: 6:00PM

Music: 7:00PM 

Cover: $7

Naked Pictures - https://nakedpicturesrichmond.bandcamp.com/

Smoke Break - http://badnoterecords.bandcamp.com/releases

The Veins - https://theveinsrva.bandcamp.com/

Dadmobile - https://dadmobilerichmond.bandcamp.com/

Shy, Low - https://shylowmusic.bandcamp.com/

Recluse Raccoon - https://recluseraccoon.bandcamp.com/

Get in the Car - https://getinthecar.bandcamp.com/

K.A. PEDERS - https://myspace.com/myfriendkyle

Head out to one or both nights. Low price, great bands and it benefits the best radio station in RVA. (OK, I volunteer there so I'm a little biased!), But you won't find WRIR's mix of independent news and eclectic music anywhere else on the dial.

Here's a quick taste of Imaginary Sons:

Americana band The Atkinsons are at Isley Brewing Company on Saturday evening. I always want to type Isley Brothers Brewing Company. Just think. Their beers could be Shout Stout, It's Your Thing IPA, Fight The Power Sour Gose, That Lady Lager. Perhaps Isley Brewing could team up with the Isley Brothers? The Atkinsons will play from 6:30 - 9:30 and it's FREE to get in. Sounds like a fine way to start the evening with good beers and good music.

It's Ladies Night at The Camel on Saturday and by that I mean they'll be featuring Women Who Rock with four bands with talented grrrls. And, appropriately, part of the proceeds will be donated to Girls Rock! RVA. It's $6 in advance, $8 day of show. Doors open at 8, show starts at 8:30. The Schooley Mountain Band (blues-rock) headline the show. Other acts on the bill include RVA's own lovely, soulful and talented Sam Reed; Haint Blue (Americana/pop) and The Folly. Here's something from The Schooley Mountain Band:

The Taters are at Tin Pan Saturday night. $10 to get in. Doors open at 6, show starts at 8. The Taters recently announced that they'll be doing a show with The Richmond Symphony on Feb. 24. While they play many originals, they also do some choice covers, including one of my favorite 70's soul tunes, "Kiss and Say Goodbye":



Long Strange Night, the Beatles, blues and Dead cover band, will be at Keagan's Restaurant and Tavern Saturday night. Music will get underway at 9. Looks like it's FREE to get in. Here's the band rocking a nice "Shakedown Street > Another Brick in the Wall" earlier this month:

Hardywood is doing a Christmas in July benefit for Richmond Public Schools. It'll run from noon until 6. They'll be busting out their Christmas beers which, in my opinion, are their best beers. Mmmmm, Christmas Morning Bourbon Gingerbread Stout.... Sorry, me and my taste buds drifted off for a minute. Benjamin Shepard starts the music at 3 with his anti-folk rock. Then, the fabulous harmonies of The Wild Reeds take the stage. They are a great folk-country band out of LA. I just started listening to them and I think I'm falling in love. Here they are in a video made a few weeks ago doing "Love Make A Fool":

Gallery5 will combine a classic silent movie with live music on Sunday evening when they match Buster Keaton's "The Goat" (1921) with The Dharma Bombs in the latest Silent Music Revival. The show starts promptly at 8:30 PM. There is no cover but donations will be appreciated. As an added twist, the band doesn't see the film prior to the event so they will improvise the score. Here's The Dharma Bombs doing "Sunny Always":



Garbage comes to The National Monday night. Tix are $34.50 advance, $38 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Kristin Kontrol. Garbage is out supporting a new album, "Strange Little Birds", that's getting some of their best reviews since their debut album in '95. Here's the first single off that album, "Empty":



That's it. Have a great weekend! I'll leave you with Queens of the Stone Age and "I Sat By the Ocean":



Tony Jordan