Weekend Picks: Mountain Goats, Peals, Built to Spill, Willie Nelson, Amos Lee, Lumineers, Ben Folds, Alice In Chains, Popa Chubby, Unknown Hinson, Fear of Music

There is no reason not to start your weekend on Wednesday. After all, it's hump day (as that damn camel will you) so it's all down hill once you get to Wednesday evening. There's a really good blues show at The Tin Pan on Wednesday with NY blues man Popa Chubby in the house. You may remember Popa from the hit he had back in the 90's "Sweet Goddess of Love & Beer". He plays hard blues influenced by people like Richard Hell (whose band, The Voidoids Popa was once in), The Stooges, Buddy Guy, Motorhead, Muddy Waters, Hendrix, Robert Johnson, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Cream and Led Zep. Here's Popa a couple months ago doing "Sweet Goddess" and "Further on Up the Road":

Mellow, soulful singer-songwriter Amos Lee is at The National Wednesday night. General Admission the floor is $33, reserved in the balcony is $43. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Lauren Talese. You can listen to a Spotify playlist curated by Amos of songs that inspired his new album, "Spirit" HERE. It includes tracks from Wayne Shorter, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Hall & Oates, Al Green, D'Angelo and more. From that album, here's "Vaporize":



Thursday night, American icon Willie Nelson is at Innsbrook After Hours. Gates open at 5, show starts at 6 with opener Aaron Lewis. Tix range from $30 for GA to $45 and $65 for Gold Circle. Here's a track from Willie's new album, "For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price":



Unknown Hinson bring his humorous horror rockabilly (humorhorrorbilly?) to The Broadberry Thursday night. Tix are $20 advance, $23 day of show. Doors open at 7, music starts at 8 PM with opener Chrome Daddy Disco. Here's Unknown with "Venus Bound":

At Gallery5 Thursday night, Future Islands’ William Cashion and Bruce Willen of Double Dagger join together to become Peals. Tix are $12. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers Moss of Aura and Energy 2000. Peals will be celebrating the release of their new album, "Honey". From that album, here's "Become Younger":


Peals "Become Younger" from Friends Records on Vimeo.

The Lumineers are at Classic Amphitheater at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night. Why they don't use that Amphitheater to pull more acts, I do not know. I wish they would pull some of the stuff that the Charlottesville Pavilion gets. Anyway, doors open at 6, show starts at 7. Borns and Rayland Baxter open and make sure you get in early to see them. If you want a preview of the show, their show on Thursday from Cary NC will be webcast live for free HERE. It will start at 8:55 PM. And here's their brand new (just came out today) video for "Angela":



Talking Heads tribute band Fear of Music is at The Broadberry Friday night. Tix are $12 advance, $15 at the door. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with Dalton Dash. Here's one I had never seen before tonight. This is the official video for "Crosseyed & Painless" featuring some early breakdancing.



Ben Folds is at The National on Saturday night. This is a solo tour with just Ben and a piano. Tix are $29.50 advance, $33 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and no opener is listed. Here's Ben's "Capable of Anything":



Monday night, Alice in Chains is at the Altria Theater. Tix range from $59.50 to $75. Show starts at 8 and no opener is listed. Of course, original members Layne Staley (died in 2002) and Mike Starr (who I had a beer with once and unfortunately passed away in 2011) won't be there. But original members, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez (replaced Mike Starr in 1993) along with "new" singer William DuVall (with the band for 10 years now) will perform the old hits along with songs from their later albums with the current lineup. Here's one of my favorite Alice tunes, "Would?":

Whimsical, lyrical folk rock band The Mountain Goats are at The National Monday night. Tix are $20 advance, $23 day of show. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30. No opener is listed, but I believe Oh Pep! may be opening. You can get a free sampler of Mountain Goats and Oh Pep! songs HERE. Last year, The Mountain Goats put out an album of songs about professional wrestling called "Beat the Champ". From that album, this is the excellent song, "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero":

It's a fine emo indie rock show at The National on Tuesday night with good bands from top to bottom. Tix are $19.50 in advance, $25 day of show to see Built to Spill, Hop Along and Alex G. Doors will open at 6:30 and Alex G kicks things off at 7:30. You might dig Built to Spill if you like Dinosaur Jr., Flaming Lips, Sebadoh, Modest Mouse, Ben Folds, Beck, or Wilco. Here's Built to Spill's full show from the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in SF in 2014:



I'll see you out at the Popa Chubby show on Wednesday night. I'll leave you with a little more Willie, performing with the late, great Ray Charles. This one made me smile.



Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan