Weekend Picks: The Wonder Years, Branford Marsalis, Future Rock, Beer Parties

Philly punk-pop band, The Wonder Years (yes, they named themselves after the TV show) will be at The National tonight. Tix are $19. Doors open at 6, show starts at 6:30 with openers Fireworks, Citizen, Real Friends and Modern Baseball. Certainly getting  a lot of bands for your money there. Here's Wonder Years' new video for "Dismantling Summer".



Jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis will be at the Modlin Center with his Quartet tonight. Show starts at 7:30 and tix range from $10 - $40 depending on your demographic. Here's the press blurb on Branford in case you don't know him:

NEA Jazz Master, renowned Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and Tony Award-nominated composer Branford Marsalis is among the most revered instrumentalists of his time. Having cut his teeth in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and his brother Wynton’s quartet, Marsalis has become one of jazz’s most forward-thinking, innovative, and prolific practitioners. Marsalis has performed and recorded with jazz legends including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and Sonny Rollins and has collaborated with everyone from Sting to the Grateful Dead. 

 Here's a half-hour of the Quartet live from Germany in 2003:



People's Blues of Richmond will rock The Camel Friday night. Shack Band will open, doors will open at 8 and it's $5 to get in. This is the start of a tour that will take PBR to NC, GA, SC, a big dip through FL, LA (including New Orleans), MS, AL, TN, and then returning to RVA and The Camel on 5/3. Good luck on the tour, boys and stay out of the swamps! There be gators there. Though a gator skull would look cool on top of your amps. Here they are doing "Die, Die, Die" at The Camel on 11/30/13.



Saturday, it will be a beautiful day to drink beer (well, what day isn't, really?) but it will be even more beautiful at RVA Rocks On Tap on Mayo Island. It'll run from noon until 5 with all of your favorite local craft breweries, and ONLY local craft breweries, providing the suds. Please, please, please, don't embarass yourself by asking for a Coors Light. Tix are $25 for GA, $40 for VIP. Both tickets get you unlimited sampling and you can buy a 16 oz. beer for $6 - $7 each. VIPs get in an hour early, have a catered VIP section, preferred parking and a free treat at the official after party at Southern Railway Taphouse. There will be bands too, but they don't list who.

Saturday night, it's jamtronica time, so you can dance until the binky falls out of your mouth with Future Rock, The Manhattan Project, and Groove Status at the Canal Club. Tix are $10 in advance, $15 at the door and the doors open at 9. Here's Future Rock on New Year's Eve 2013 with "Reaching New Heitz":

Sunday it's more beer and bands with The Southern Belles at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery for their release of their Capital Trail Pale Ale (say that three times fast), and we know Richmond loves their pale ales. Things get underway and besides beer and the Belles, the food trucks will be out too so you can chow down. Here's the Belles full set at The Camel on 4/4/14:



Have a great weekend! More on next week's bands next week.

Tony Jordan

Shooter Jennings, Future Rock

A couple shows on Thursday night:

Groovin' In the Garden kicks off its season tonight at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Its good to have them back after a year off. Shooter Jennings (son of Waylon) will play if the rain holds off. Tix are $15 and doors open at 5:30. I heard that they have made some improvements to the stage area to improve sight lines, which weren't that bad before. Shooter plays alt-country that definitely has a heavier rock feel to it.

At the complete opposite end of the musical spectrum, electronica/jamtronica band Future Rock w/ Shout Out Out Out Out play at the Canal Club tonight. Show time is 10:00 and tix are $15. Here is what the Live Music Blog had to say about them:

"As a Chicago native, I’m always proud to give a shout-out to Chi-town bands. I lived in Chicago for about four years and was able to catch Future Rock rock out the local club circuit a number of times with their unique brand of live electronic rock. In my opinion, this trio doesn’t get nearly enough respect in the electronic rock or "jamtronica" scene (ugh, I really dislike using the latter label, but it is useful). So it’s great to see these guys grabbing a nice headlining slot at the Metro and a spot at this year’s Rothbury Festival, because they’ve been serious tour workhorses for the last five+ years, and they keep putting together great tunes and a killer live show. Although Future Rock is just as likely to get the house jumpin’ as a band like Lotus or the Disco Biscuits, their sets are a bit more geared towards the songs and crafting cool textures and themes. They also have picked some great covers to hone their sound (check out their takes on Daft Punk and Aphex Twin for some great examples).

Bottom line: These two should make for a nice, dance-friendly show, but with enough exploration and substance to keep you interested."