Weekend Picks: St. Pat's Day Fests, Dar Williams, Mary Gauthier, Melvin Seals & JGB, Mekong Xpress & Get Fresh Horns, Jackass Flats

Five St. Patrick's Day Festivals on Saturday. As on Wednesday evening, the weather is looking iffy so be sure to check on their websites and/or Facebook pages on Saturday to make sure they are still on before you head out. Nothing like showing up in your green finery. looking like an overgrown leprechaun, only to find there is no one else there.

But first, let's talk about Friday night. The Camel has the soul/rock/funk of Mekong Xpress & the Get Fresh Horns. This band is made up of members of Modern Groove Syndicate, Bio Ritmo, Mathew E White's band, Particle, Former Champions, The Big Payback, DJ Williams Projekt, New Belgians and Beast Wellington. A RVA supergroup, if you will, and they are promising lots of special guests at the show. It's $7 to get in, doors open at 8, the show will start at 9:30 with Blaqtronic and DJ Phil Dice will be spinning before and between sets. And be sure to congratulate trumpet player Bob on the birth of his daughter. Here's Mekong Xpress playing at the place that gave them their name, Mekong, in August:

It's bluegrass & Americana over at Broadberry on Friday night. Jackass Flats headlines with openers Seth Stainback and Roosterfoot, and Matt Jones and the Bobs. Doors open at 8, it's $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Here's Jackass Flats live at Camp Barefoot in August:



Let the St. Pat's Day fests begin. Saturday at Sine' it's their 16th Annual St. Pat's Day Street Party and it's FREE. The event starts at 10:30 AM. Bands include Broke by Monday (noon - 2), Teaze Band  (3 - 5), Type Cast (6 - 8), Doc Grin Band (9 - midnight).

At Rosie Connolly's Pub in Shockoe Bottom Saturday, their Block Party goes from 11 AM  - 6 PM and is FREE. There will be music by Sutor Brothers, Patchwork, Scalaheen, Pipes & Drums from the Metro Richmond Emerald Society and Irish Dancing from the Southern Academy of Irish Dance.

Concurrently in the Bottom, it's Shockoe Fest, which goes from 11 AM - 5 PM and features music from Bucket, Patchwork, Jimmy Catlett Group, Roper & Furley, RPG, Sutor Brothers, Pipes & Drums from the Metro Richmond Emerald Society, Hearts of Ireland, and Irish Dancing from the Southern Academy of Irish Dance.

Shamrock the Block takes over The Boulevard Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM and is FREE. The bands there are Dirty Bangs (11 - noon), These Wild Plains (12:15 - 1:15), Jackson Ward (1:30 - 2:30), The Kairos Effect (2:45 - 3:45), Tigerman Woah (4 - 5). This one also has a Kids Area for the wee ones, but they warn to get there early because the lines can get long.

St. Paddy's Palooza is out at Innsbrook Pavilion on Sunday (this was changed from Saturday) and proceeds go to St. Baldrick's Foundation to help kids with cancer. It will run from 11 AM to 5 PM. This one is definitely the most family oriented and music will be provided by Cary St. Ramblers, Flat Elvis, members of Honky Tonk Heroes, and much Irish dancing.

If you are looking for a quick breakdown:

• Family oriented: St. Paddy's Palooza
• Biggest: Shamrock the Block
• Most traditional: Shockoe Fest/Rosie Connolly's Pub
• Close proximity: Shockoe Fest/Rosie Connolly's Pub/Sine (all within a few blocks)
• Best Bands: Your guess is as good as mine. I don't recognize any of the bands. Expect lots of cover bands if they aren't playing Celtic music.

If you party too much at one of those St. Paddy's Day fests and want to come down with blues, brunch and the hair o' the dog, head to The Camel on Sunday for Blues Brunch with The Bush League. Brunch begins at 11 AM, the band plays from 2 PM to 4 PM and it's FREE to get in. It is also the birthday of both of their guitarists. Here they are in February at the 2015 International Blues Festival in Memphis:

Monday night at The National, it's Melvin Seals and JGB (Jerry Garcia Band). Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and there is no opener listed. Tix are $20 in advance, $23 at the door. Melvin played in the original Jerry Garcia Band with the original Jerry Garcia Band and now he carries on the JGB tradition. Here's the band on 3/3/15 doing the Smokey Robinson & The Miracles classic, "Second That Emotion":



On St. Patrick's Day itself on Tuesday, FW Sullivan's has their Sixth Annual St. Paddy's Day Celebration. They'll party inside the bar and also close down Stafford Avenue outside the bar for their Street Stage with music from local Richmond bands, which had not been announced as of 3/11. Sully's opens at 11:30 AM and the street festival starts at 4 PM. It's FREE but it is 21 and over only.

Punk band Perfect Pussy will be at Strange Matter Tuesday night. Doors open at 9 PM and it's $10 to get in. The Nervous Ticks and Men's Room will open. Here's their video for "I":



Folk singer/songwriter Dar Williams will lead a discussion and also play some tunes at a talk called Conflict & Protest at the Jepson Leadership Forum at University of Richmond, Camp Concert Hall, Booker Hall of Music on Wednesday at 7. Tickets for this event are FREE and can be reserved by calling the Modlin Center Box Office at (804) 289-8980 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays. She will discuss how artists have used music to facilitate socio-politico transitions and resolve conflicts, and will share samples from her beautifully crafted portfolio of songs of protest, power, and tolerance. Here's a short (22 mins.) concert Dar did for Paste Magazine back in 2010:



Wednesday night at Ashland Coffee & Tea, it's an evening with singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier. Show starts at 8, it's $17 in advance, $20 day of show. This Sunday, she'll be recording a Mountain Stage radio show (NPR) with the Drive-By Truckers, the Barr Brothers, Allison Moorer and Carlos Nunez in Morgantown, WV. Can't wait to hear that one! Here she is performing "Another Train" at the 30A Songwriters Festival:



May be out for Mekong Xpress, one or more of the Irish fests, and/or Bush League this weekend and I will definitely be at the Dar Williams talk on Wednesday. Have a great weekend!

Here's the late, great NYC via Ireland band, Black 47:


Tony Jordan

Dr. Dog, Dar Williams, Wino, Xiu Xiu, Fang Island, Mickey Hart, Drive-By Truckers tix on sale, Steve Vai

Gonna try to do the next two weeks in this one since I will be in the Outer Banks next week, which means no blog next week. I just heard the collective "Awwwwwwww" go up around the Richmond area. Thanks, guys. You like me! You really like me!

We start on Thursday night with alternative pop rockers Dr. Dog at The National. Tix are $20 in advance, $22 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Cotton Jones. Here's Toby & Zach of Dr. Dog doing "Lonesome" at Pickathon 2012 whatever the hell that is:

Black Girls will be at Balliceaux Thursday night. Show starts at 10 and Madam Macadam will open. It's $5 to get in.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 AM for two Drive-By Truckers shows at The National on Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27. Get 'em early because they usually sell out. Just saw that you can buy tix on a pre-sale site HERE if you don't want to wait until they go on sale on Ticketmaster on Friday. I just bought my pair for the 10/27 show! Can't wait! DBT! DBT! DBT!

Folk songstress Dar Williams will be at Capital Ale House downtown on Saturday night. Advance tix are $25, day of show they'll be $30. Show starts at 9 with an opener tba. Dar has a new album out called "In the Time of Gods" so I'm sure you'll hear some stuff off of that. Here's her video for "As Cool As I Am":



Sunday night, guitar wiz Steve Vai will be at The National. Tix are $35 reserved seat orchestra / $30 reserved balcony / $30 reserved balcony / $25 GA standing floor. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and Beverly McClellan will open. Here's Steve playing "Tender Surrender" at the TEC Awards 2012 which are no doubt awards for guitar wonks:



If you are more in the mood for underground heavy metal on Sunday night, Strange Matter has a bill that will kick your ass, headlined by Wino & Conny Ochs. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Doors open at 9, music starts at 10 with openers Josh Small and Dorthia Cottrell. Here's Wino and Conny rocking out but acoustic-like. The video kicks in around 0:17.



Tuesday night at Gallery 5, experimental rock group Xiu Xiu will perform. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Doors open at 7. Dead Fame and Ghost Lotion will open. You might dig Xiu Xiu if you like The Cure, Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective or Joy Division. Here's their video for "Born to Suffer":



Hard rockin' Fang Island will play Strange Matter on Wednesday, August 29. It's $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers Adebisi Shank (nice shout out to "Oz" there) and Sports Bar. Here's Fang Island on a cable access show in Chicago the other night being interviewed by a puppet named Ratso and then playing a song and rocking out with some kids:



Friday, August 31, No BS! Brass Band will be at The Camel. It'll be $7 to get in. The show starts at 9 with The Compass Rose Orchestra. Here they are doing "Thriller" a couple weeks ago. The video is dark but the sound is good:



Also Friday, August 31, chill reggae singer/songwriter Trevor Hall will be at Capital Ale House downtown. Tix are $13 in advance, $15 day of show. Show starts at 9 with Session Rockers. When not on the road, Trevor passionately spends his time in Allahabad, India working with the orphaned children of Yoga Vedanta Kutir. Over the past four years, Trevor has helped raise over $15,000 for these children by collecting donations from fans and friends at every tour stop. Here's Trevor's video for "Other Ways":



Finally, on Sunday, September 2, a show I'll be hitting at The National, Mickey Hart, drummer for the Grateful Dead, brings his band to town for some groovealicious world music and tasty Dead treats. Tix are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. No opener because the Mickey Hart Band will play two full sets, bitches! Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Dave Schools, usually the bass player for Widespread Panic and a Richmond VA native, is playing bass in Mickey's band this tour. HERE is a short review of the show in Buffalo. Here's the band playing "Cut the Deck" in Denver in May:



Have a great weekend and week! I'll see you when I get back at the Mickey Hart Band show!

Tony Jordan

Toad's Place Is Back!, Dar Williams, Derek Trucks, White Rabbits

Toad's Place is finally back in business and will now be known as the Hat Factory. Maybe all the artists who play there will wear a silly hat in honor of the name. Or not. Or maybe they'll let anyone who wears a silly hat in for free. Or not.

They'll be opening in early September under new management who sound like they should know what they are doing. The article in Style also says they'll be doing live music outdoors on Friday afternoons as if we need another reason to leave work early and start the weekend. Hopefully, they can overcome some of the fears people have about going downtown and specifically to the canal at night. It doesn't help much that nothing else has really materialized in that area along the Canal Walk. Looking forward to see what these guys can do with the place. Here is the article from Style: CLICK HERE.

Pollstar shows the first show there (as of now) is the Ten out of Tenn tour on Friday, 9/25. When I Googled to see if the Hat Factory has a web site yet, I also found out that Robert Earl Keen is booked there on 11/17 and that is confirmed on REK's web site.

Onto what is happening this week. Neo-folkies Dar Williams & Stephen Kellogg play at the Capital Ale House Downtown on Thursday night. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8, tix are $30. Here's what the press release on the Ale House web site says about Dar:

"Williams' growth as a person over her 15-year career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist. Raised in Chappaqua, NY, and educated at Wesleyan University, Williams spent 10 years living in the thriving artistic community of Northampton, MA, where she began to make the rounds on the coffeehouse circuit. An early fan of her music was Joan Baez, who took Williams out on the road and recorded several of her songs. Williams self-released her debut album, The Honesty Room in 1993, then signed with Razor & Tie Entertainment in 1995, which has been her label home ever since. She has released one live album — Out There Live (2001); six studio albums — The Honesty Room (1993), Mortal City (1996), End of the Summer (1997), The Green World (2000), The Beauty of the Rain (2003), and My Better Self (2005); and one live DVD — Live at Bearsville Theater (2007).

Through it all, Williams' motivation as an artist is to "experience meaning without fooling myself," she says. "There are these moments where everything feels connected, and I think my art is about trying to find the stories that make us feel connected. That's the verve of my life. It's what keeps things interesting."

I saw Dar many years ago at an outdoor festival in Philly. I liked (and still do) hearing here tunes on the radio but that day she was just OK. It was hot, it was a fairly large amphitheater on the river and I was probably waiting for Los Lobos to come on so it may have been me. I would definitely give her another chance, especially indoors in a smaller venue, which I think would play to her strengths, and having a couple fine microbrews, which would play to my strengths. And she's kind of cute, so seeing her close-up would definitely add to the experience. For me anyway. Here she is doing her song "The One Who Knows" earlier this month:


Guitar great Derek Trucks and his band will play at The National on Friday night. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Jesse Chong Band. Ticket prices are Orchestra 1 seating $35, Orchestra 2 seating $30, Balcony seating $25, Standing genral admission $20. Since Derek is usually associated with jam bands which are usually associated with dancing, I was a bit surprised to see this as a reserved seats event. Though he can get pretty jazzy with his band so perhaps he wants to allow people to chill. If you like blues guitar and you haven't seen Derek, be sure to check him out. I guarantee you a few absolutely jaw dropping moments. Here's a little video to tell you all about Derek Trucks Band while you groove:


The Low Anthem will be at The Canal Club on Friday night. Doors open at 7:30 and will open with Alex Enggist, Cannery Row, and Nathan Moore. Tix are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. You can check out the full set The Low Anthem played at The Newport Folk Festival on August 1 courtesy of NPR HERE. You might dig these guys if you like folky/country Neil Young, Dylan, or Ray LaMontagne.

Fiery Furnaces and White Rabbits play at The National on Sunday night. Tix are $15 in advance, $18 day of show, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener "a Special Guest". Both bands are of the Indie Rock variety so you'll probably dig them if you like White Stripes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Velvet Underground, The Who, Dylan, The Stones, Patti Smith, or PJ Harvey. Here's the video for White Rabbits' "Percussion Gun":


Wanted to throw in a couple reviews of recent shows from special correspondent, Mike L. "Had a great weekend of rock’n’roll. Soulive [opened for Wailers at Innsbrook last Friday] was really great with 2 sax players, drummer, lead guitar and keyboardist. The keyboardist played the bass line with his left hand and it was phenomenal. They’re out of NYC and were all instrumental until they brought out a guest singer for the last two songs. He reminded me of Al Green. Wailers were OK, not as good as two years ago. They’ve got a new lead vocalist who just didn’t’ have the energy level of the last time around. Their lead guitarist who I stood in front of was soaring off in the heavens. Not a bad night for $15 entrance fee and $4 beers.

DMB keeps getting better with age and I felt the new sax player was my MVP for the night. They had a full video screen behind the band that was outstanding technology - high definition. The place was packed and all the kids around me knew all the words to all the songs. I went with 3 - 17 year olds and boy do they know their music. Only downside is getting out of the parking lot at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow which is an exercise in futility as you prepare for the 2 hour ride home. All in all a great weekend."

I'll leave you this week with a song my kids are lovin' right now. Even little Willie (almost 2!) asks for "Yoda":


Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Drive-By Truckers & Dar Williams

The big story this weekend is the return of the Drive-By Truckers to The National. They are working on a new album but have decided to squeeze in a few shows and thanks to their connection to Richmond (lead singer Patterson Hood named the Richmond show on 3/28 as one of his top five DBT shows of last year), they will be here on Saturday night. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8, tix are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show. If you are planning to go, get your tix in advance because they sold out last time, which I unfortunately found out. I would totally be going to this show, but my string of bad luck/timing with DBT continues. My dad and his wife are coming this weekend and we couldn't change the date because they wouldn't be able to come down from Philly again for at least a month and they are anxious to get the kids their Xmas gifts before Valentine's Day hits. I will hopefully see them when they return again later this year.

If you are wondering whether you would like to see DBT, ask yourself, "Do I like rock n' roll?" If yes, then go. The music is a cross between Neil Young (who they play with on Booker T (of the MGs) new album), Lynyrd Skynyrd, 80s alternative/punk, Widespread Panic and Social Distortion and the lyrics are like if Bruce Springsteen grew up in Alabama in the 70s and read a lot of William Faulkner.

Also on Saturday night, Toubab Krewe play at the Capital Ale House Music Hall. Doors open at 8 and tix are $10. Here is what the Ale House web site says about them: "Blending Malian, American, and "Dirty South" influences into a genre all its own, Toubab Krewe "has set a new standard for fusions of rock 'n' roll and West African music," says Banning Eyre at Afropop Worldwide. Members of the group developed their unique sound over the course of numerous extended trips to West Africa, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied and performed with masters such as Lamine Soumano, Vieux Kante, Madou Dembele, and Koungbanan Conde. The magnetic instrumental quintet formed in early 2005 and has attracted a diverse and devoted national following, captivating crowds everywhere from the Bonnaroo Music Festival and the Blue Note to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The band's energetic performances and acclaimed self-titled debut have won them praise from the New York Times, Global Rhythm, and Afropop Worldwide."

On Monday night at The National, Dar Williams brings her folk-pop in. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8:30 and tix are $20. Joshua Radin and Jesse Harris are opening. This is a reserved seat show. In the article in today's Times-Dispatch, they mention that she had help on her new album from Gary Louris (of the Jayhawks), Rob Hyman (The Hooters) and Suzanne Vega. You'll like Dar if you like John Hiatt, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Jonathan Brooke, and Paula Cole.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan