Weekend Picks: Legendary Shack Shakers, Shawn Mullins, New Stew, Big Mama Shakes, Taters, Runaway Gin, Hazeltone

No alternative facts here. Just the real deal on who's playing where in the RVA this weekend.

Start your weekend right with The Legendary Shack Shakers blues, punk, rock and country Southern Gothic hell-for-leather roadshow at The Broadberry on Thursday. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers The Brains & The Delta Bombers. Here's a taste from the Shack Shakers press blurb:

Although not legendary upon being named, the band has grown into its reputation the last several years due to their heavy tour schedule, six critically acclaimed studio albums, and songs that have been featured on television shows such as HBO’s True Blood. Past tour mates and fans include Reverend Horton Heat, Rancid, The Black Keys, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, and Hank Williams III. Robert Plant is also a noted Legendary Shack Shakers fan, and picked the band to open for him on his 2005 tour of Europe. Plant named the band's third album Believe as one of his favorite records of 2005. The list of esteemed admirers goes on to include horror novelist Stephen King, who listed “CB Song” as among his iPod’s Top Five in a 2008 Entertainment Weekly article. Such a wealth of devoted fans over the years has only added to the mystique that the Legendary Shack Shakers possess, carrying them down the road toward new creative pursuits and barn-shaking tunes.

Here's the Shack Shakers playin' in the "Mud":


Louisiana singer/songwriter Marc Broussard is at The Tin Pan Friday night. The show might be sold out, but if tix become available they'll run $45 advance, $50 at the door. Door open at 6 and Jamie McLean Band opens the show at 7:30. Get there early to see Jamie. He used to play with Dirty Dozen Brass Band and his band has been touring with Gregg Allman, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Drive By Truckers, Gov't Mule, Soulive, Jackie Greene, Blues Traveler, North Mississippi Allstars and more. Here's one from Marc:



And one from Jamie:



At Capital Ale House Downtown, help yourself to a big serving of The New Stew Friday night. Who's in the Stew, you say? Here's the lineup:

Corey Glover – Vocals (Living Colour, Galactic)

Roosevelt Collier - Lap Steel/ Pedal Steel (Lee Boys)

Yonrico Scott – Percussion (Derek Trucks Band, Royal Southern Brotherhood)

Dave Yoke – Guitar (Susan Tedeschi Band, Dr. John, Scrapomatic)

Jared Stone – Drums (Stone's Stew)

Matt Slocum – Piano (Oteil and the Peacemakers, Col. Bruce Hampton & Aquarium Rescue Unit, Lee Boys)

Jonathan Meadows from The Congress is going to sit in too. These soul/jazz/blues vets will pay tribute to the classic album "Bill Withers - Live from Carnegie Hall" by playing the album in it's entirety. Tix are $20 for GA or $32.50 for VIP and you can get a $20 discount HERE. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Here's the band performing "Harlem/Cold Baloney" from that album last year:

The Taters kick off their 20th year with a show they are calling Bridge of The Cyber Taters. Will this be a prog-rock sci-fi epic rock opera? (Probably not.) Will they wear robot costumes? (Maybe!) Find out at O'Tooles Friday night. The show starts at 8 and goes until 11. Here's the band last week on Cary NC:



Phish is off the road for a while and if you miss them already, head to The Camel Friday night. Runaway Gin - A Tribute to Phish will take the stage at 10:30. There's no opener and the doors open at 9:30. Tix are $10 advance, $12 at the door. This is the Richmond debut of the band, who have played 200 shows, earning them the self-appointed title of World's Most Active Phish Tribute Band. Here they are doing "Tweezer > Sneaking Sally Through The Alley" in November:



Big Mama Shakes will shake your big ass Saturday night at Garden Grove Brewing Company. This will be a release party for Big Mama Brown Ale. I always loved Big Mama Brown and I'm glad they named an ale after her. Oh wait, it's a brown ale? I get it. It's a collaboration between the band and Garden Grove to make a fine brown ale. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with openers Dharma Bombs. It's FREE to get in. The band can rock the Southern/classic/blues rock thing pretty loud but they get a little introspective on this song, "Places":



Americana band Hazeltone is at Poe's Pub Saturday night with a special guest opening the show. Doors at 9, show starts at 10. No cover charge is listed. Here's their description of themselves:

We play B side, off the wall stuff from the Tom Petty, Rolling Stones, REM, David Bowie, Neil Young. Our originals lean towards Better than Ezra ,Petty Doors, John Mayer influence. We are a 7 member band that includes 12 & 6 string acoustic, harmonica, 6 string electric guitar, violin, piano, accordion,sax drums, and bass...We are an all original song band with some hand crafted covers.

Shawn Mullins is at The Tin Pan Sunday night. Doors open at 5, show starts at 6:40 with opener Rick Brantley. Shawn's big hit was "Lullaby" in 1998 but he's continued to make great storytelling music: emotional, romantic. sometimes cynical, sometimes humorous. Tix are $25 advance, $30 at the door. Here he is performing "Gulf Of Mexico" last March.



That'll do it. I'll see you at Legendary Shack Shakers on Thursday. Maybe Taters or Runaway Gin on Friday. Maybe Big Mama Shakes Saturday. I'll leave you with "Magic", a song Bruce Springsteen wrote about "alternative facts" during the Bush II era. Who knew it could get worse.



Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan