Supporting music in Richmond since 2000 - "Oh, I used to be disgusted / And now I try to be amused / But since their wings have got rusted / You know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes / But when they told me 'bout their side of the bargain / That's when I knew that I could not refuse / And I won't get any older, now that angels wanna wear my red shoes" - Elvis Costello, “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes”
Classic smooth country rockers Firefall are at The Tin Pan Thursday night. Doors open at 6, show starts at 8. Tix are $50 advance, $55 at the door. You may know their big hits "Just Remember I Love You" and "You Are the Woman". Here's "Mexico":
Goldrush does the Beach Boys (that sounds kind of dirty) at Savory Grain on Friday night. It's free to get in and there will be drink specials too! Goldrush will do a set of original tunes and then Beach Boys for the rest of the night. Early reports say they won't be playing "Kokomo" which I am thankful for. I had a bad retail job when I got out of college and that was the first song on one of the three video tapes we had to play. It's a bad song that brings up bad memories. And the Beach Boys have so many fantastic songs. Like this one. And hopefully Goldrush will have the matching outfits with the pants pulled up above their belly buttons:
Over at Cary St. Cafe Friday night, Hail! Cassius Neptune, out of Ashland, NC, will headline with Butcher Brown opening, a great double bill. It's $8 to get in and starts at 10 PM. Here's HCN's preview video for the tour:
Sunday at The National, there is a tribute concert to the late Robbin Thompson featuring the Robbin Thompson Band and special guest artists and friends. Doors open at 2, show starts at 3. Tix are $25 - $45. And in case you are wondering, friend of Robbin and band mate in Steel Mill, Bruce Springsteen, doesn't have a concert Sunday, but may be between Rochester NY (where he plays Saturday) and St. Paul, MN (where he plays on Monday). So it's possible. Even if Bruce doesn't show, it will be a great and moving show with lots of the fantastic artists that Robbin touched over the years. Here's the Robbin Thompson Band in 1981 in Hampton:
Strange Matter features soul/R&B/blues man, Son Little, on Sunday night. Some of you may have caught him at Friday Cheers last year. Tix are $10 advance, $12 day of show. Doors open at 8 and Future Prospect and Ritual Magick open. Son will be opening for Leon Bridges in March. He'll also be at the Sasquatch Music Festival in May and the Mountain Jam Festival in June. Here's a 12 minute session Son did when he was in France.
Bandito's has another FREE Sunday night show with soul/jazz band KINGS and Lady God. Things get under way with doors at 9 PM and show at 10. Here's KINGS at Balliceaux in November:
That'll do it. I'll see you out somewhere this weekend. I'll leave you with a song I love from the 90's, "6 Underground" from Sneaker Pimps:
The weekend kicks off on Thursday with funk-jam band Lettuce at The National. Tix are $20 in advance, $25 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers Rome Fortune. Lettuce is already lining up the festival gigs for the spring and summer with appearances at their own festival, Fool's Paradise in St. Augustine, along with Roosterwalk in Martinsville VA on Memorial Day weekend, Gem and Jam Festival, and Mountain Jam. Here's "Phyllis":
Pop-rockers Goldrush play their only show this month Friday night at The Camel. Tix are $7. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9. The Dawn Drapes and Clair Morgan open. Here's the latest video from Goldrush, "Settle Down". But please don't settle down at the show Friday night. It's Friday night, after all!
Over at Capital Ale House Downtown Friday, Sleepwalkers will rock out with The Trillions opening. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Tix are $13 advance, $15 at the door. Here's Sleepwalkers performing "Prey and Pressure":
Movie Club Richmond and Hardywood Brewery give you movies, music and beer Friday night. They will show the classic "Strange Brew" starring Bob & Doug McKenzie (Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas) starting at 9 PM. Coo-loo-coo-coo-coo-coo-coo-cooooooo! Right after the movie, Sports Bar, will play some garage rock for ya, eh. So put on your toque, grab some donuts and drink some brewskis at Hardywood Friday night, you hosers! The event is a fundraiser for Video Fan Forever who help Movie Club present screenings like this, so make at least the $5 suggested donation. I couldn't find any videos of Sports Bar, so here's the trailer for "Strange Brew":
And then there's this:
Susan Greenbaum may wear a toque if it's chilly on Saturday at Ashland Coffee & Tea but we know for sure she'll be performing all of Carole King's "Tapestry" that night as well as on the 22nd in the same place. She'll also do some of her originals. Show starts at 8 both nights and there is no opener. Tix are $20 in advance, $23 day of show. Get your tickets fast though. They are close to selling out. Here's Susan honoring the late Robbin Thompson by playing his song, "Real Fine Day":
As you all know by now, David Bowie passed away this past weekend. I met the thin white duke for one brief moment on the opening night of his North American Glass Spider tour (7/30/87). It was at Veterans Stadium in Philly. My friend knew one of the chefs at the fancy restaurant in the Vet and he arranged for us to get dinner and tickets for the show. We had just completed dinner and one of our party excused themselves to go to the restroom but soon came running back in saying, "Bowie is at the bar! Bowie is at the bar!" We rushed into the bar to see David Bowie in the flesh, taking pictures with some record company bigwigs around a cake to commemorate the tour opening. Almost as soon as we got there, one his handlers was hustling David out of the room, saying he had to get ready for the show. As he walked by me, I held out my ticket stub and he signed it for me. Unfortunately, the ticket stub was lost, but I still have the memories of seeing David fucking Bowie right in front of me. He was as stylish and graceful as you'd think he would be and I still remember that beautiful smile.
I also owe a great debt to the "Ziggy Stardust"album. In the summer of '90, I was adrift. I stayed in my college town over the summer. I had no job other than a part-time bar tending gig as I continued an unpaid internship at WZZO. My parents had just divorced, so I was avoiding going home. Other than hanging out with my good friend, Lia (a Bowie fanatic, as it turns out), who kept me company watching movies and MTV and made me the occasional spaghetti dinner, there wasn't much of a social life for a poor boy like me. I spent much of the summer drinking cheap beer, watching Phillies games (they were really bad) with the sound off on the TV and listening to two albums that had been released on special edition CDs that summer. the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" and "Ziggy Stardust". Bowie's tales of loneliness, alienation and romantic longing touched me deeply that summer as I tried to figure out what to do with the rest of my life and how to get there. "Lady Stardust" in particular, hit me that summer. The melancholy music and plaintive vocals seemed to be mine as I crossed that threshold to the "real world" and mourned the shattering of my family and my lost days as a student. But the hopefulness of the lyrics, touched by sadness, made me feel that I would be alright even if I had to go through this difficult time now and with an underlying message that rock n' roll would save me, or at least soothe me. So thank you, David Bowie, for giving me a thrill with a one time meeting and carrying me through a long, hot, difficult summer.
This weekend is as stuffed with great music as a big ol' Thanksgiving turkey is stuffed with oyster stuffing! And the great part is that most of it is local music so you can see some of the best musicians RVA has to offer this weekend. You've got a four day weekend. You'll want to get out of the house at some point. So grab Cousin Al and head out to see some music this weekend.
If you get out of work early on Wednesday, head down to Hardywood. The Hardywood Give Bock Release starts at 4 PM. They've got a new Bock beer in honor of FeedMore and each beer sold benefits FeedMore's efforts to feed the hungry. Drink beer and fight hunger. Everything is right about that sentence. There will be live music from 5 - 8 PM with The J. Smith Jazz Trio playing jazz and Latin standards along with originals so that should be good for all ages. Bring Grandma along, buy her a beer and chill out with some jazz.
The Tin Pan brings NRBQ to town on Wednesday night. Show starts at 8 (no opener), tix are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Terry Adams of NRBQ just released an album with his arrangement of Thelonious Monk compositions titled, "Talk Thelonious". NRBQ backed him up along with some horns, so you may hear something from that at the show. Here's the band playing "Green Lights":
Wednesday night at Broadberry, Fear of Music: A Talking Heads Tribute will perform for your entertainment. Tix are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 8. Jordan Tarrant and Adam Eubank open the show. Fear of Music will probably do this song pretty straightforward but here's Postmodern Jukebox doing "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" in '40's swing style:
Over at Tobacco Company Wednesday, it's the 5th Annual Gravy Ball. The Shack Band will provide the entertainment. It's $10 to get in and it starts at 9:30 PM. Here's the band performing their Americana rock at Broadberry a couple months ago:
Want to work off dinner on Thanksgiving night? Head to The Camel for Goldrush and Lady God. Doors open at 9 and the show starts shortly thereafter. It's only $5 to get in but if you bring canned goods to donate to FeedMore Central VA Food Bank, you'll get $2 off of admission. Goldrush will make it an extra super special night as they'll do both an original set and a set of Beatles covers. Here's Goldrush live at Gallery 5 back in September:
And here's a Beatles song they kind of have to play on Thanksgiving, right?
Friday night it's an all-star bluegrass show at The National led by Keller Williams. He's calling the show Thanksforgrassgiving. The band will feature Travis Book (bass) and Chris Pandolfi (banjo)from the
Infamous Stringdusters, Jason Carter (fiddle) from the Del McCoury band, Jay
Starling (dobro) from Love Cannon, the one and only Larry Keel (guitar) and Keller on mandola. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with Cabinet opening. Tix are $20 in advance, $23 at the door. Keller is, of course, no stranger to the bluegrass community. Here he is with his Grateful Grass band (they play Grateful Dead songs bluegrass style) doing "Samson & Delilah":
Avers and Rikki Shay (former members of the Black Girls with a new sound and new name) are at The Camel to celebrate(?) Black Friday. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with Rikki Shay. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 at the door and if you buy a pre-sale ticket you'll get a copy of the as-yet-to-be-released Avers EP. It will come out officially on 12/4. From the new EP, here's "Don't Wanna Lose You" which continues refining Avers psychedelic pop sound.
Saturday at Hardywood, Americana bands The Atkinsons and The Hot Seats will provide fine beer drinking music for you. The tasting room opens at 2 and the music gets underway at 5 PM. As always at Hardywood, it's free to get in. Here's The Atkinsons doing "Lyin' and Honesty" at Ashland Coffee & Tea a few months ago:
Speaking of Ashland Coffee & Tea, Susan Greenbaum and her band will perform their annual Holiday Show on Saturday night. Show starts at 8 (no opener) and tix are $16 in advance, $20 day of show. They'll play some of their originals and some holiday classics. Here's Susan's "You Are My Holiday" to get you in the mood:
A holiday show of a different sort, a Thanksgiving Throwdown, will go down at The Broadberry Saturday night with The Trongone Band. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with The Heavy Pets. The Trongone Band has been spending time in the studio so you just might hear some new stuff. They also got to open for Col. Bruce Hampton last week in Charleston. Here's a little sampler of Trongone Band at The Broadberry in September:
The National brings in the raucous rock n' roll of J. Roddy Walston and The Business Saturday night. Tix are $16 in advance, $20 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with RVA's own Sleepwalkers. And, no, they don't dress anything like the poser above. This will be the band's last gig until 2016 as they are preparing a new album. Here they are performing "Heavy Bells":
Saturday at Balliceaux, it's a benefit for FeedMore with Lady God and DJ sets by Bob Nastanovich and Kenny & Tracy. It's $5 to get in and starts at 10:30 PM. Here's Lady God's set in September in Gainsville:
New blues-rocker Elle King, who is riding a big hit with "Ex's and Oh's" right now, is at The National on Monday. Tix are $18 in advance, $23 day of show. Doors open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7:30 with Horse Thief. She'll be on "Dancing on the Stars" tonight (Tuesday) on ABC probably performing the big hit. And here she is playing the song in August:
That'll do it. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend! I'll see you out somewhere this weekend. Too much good music out there not to get out and about. I'll leave you with the Drive-By Truckers "Thanksgiving Filter":
The weekend before Thanksgiving and I'm desperately trying to avoid the early Christmas songs and decorations. I don't want to hear Christmas music until 2 weeks before Christmas. And the decorations shouldn't go up until the day after Thanksgiving. But I guess it's too late to put the genie, or should I say the quest for the $, back in the bottle. Every store is trying to be first now. At some point it just becomes background noise starting before Halloween and it loses its meaning.
But no Christmas music here this weekend (at least I hope not)! Friday night, Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik are at Modlin Center for the Arts. Show starts at 7:30. Tix are $20 - $40 depending on your demographic. They'll play alone and together. Here's the press blurb for the show:
Two of America’s most iconic singer/songwriters, Suzanne
Vega and Duncan Sheik, join forces for one incredible night of music.
Bearing the stamp of a masterful storyteller who “observed
the world with a clinically poetic eye,” Suzanne Vega’s songs have always
tended to focus on city life, ordinary people, and real world subjects. Notably
succinct and understated, often cerebral but also streetwise, her lyrics invite
multiple interpretations. In short, Suzanne Vega’s work is immediately
recognizable as utterly distinct and thoughtful, and as creative now as it was
when her voice was first heard on the radio more than 20 years ago.
After breaking through in the late ‘90s with his Top 20
single “Barely Breathing,” Duncan Sheik spent much of the subsequent decade
taking a breather from the usual rock singer/songwriter rituals. He focused on
albums that broke with pop music conventions as well as theatrical musicals
such as Spring Awakening, the Broadway sensation that won him two Tony® awards
and a Grammy®.
Suzanne recently played at the 60th Birthday Bash for another one of my faves, Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens. Here she is doing "Small Blue Thing". Her voice still sounds amazing.
And here's Duncan Sheik a few days ago performing "Avalanche" from his latest album, "Legerdemain":
Hardywood has created a beer named after one of their favorite local bands (at least I assume that's what happened). The Goldrush beer is a saison and a limited, experimental, small-batch release. Be there and be part of the experiment. Drink the beer, listen to the band, live the experience. Live music starts at 5 with Landis Wine, who should change his name to Landis Beer for this event. Landis plays beat-driven electronic pop and improvisation. He'll be followed by New Boss (vibrant, rambling power-pop) and J. Flax & Heart Attacks (onslaught of surf & rock n roll). The night ends with the beer's namesake, Goldrush, and their psychedelic power pop. Here's Goldrush's "Pale Blue Dot":
The Americana super group Dave Rawlings Machine is at The National Saturday night. Tix are $33 in advance, $38 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. No opener is listed. The DRM is made up of Dave Rawlings, Gillan Welch, Paul Kowert of Punch Brothers and Willie Watson of Old Crow Medicine Show. Besides songs from Dave, expect to hear covers of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, The Band, and Neil Young. Here's the opening track from DRM's new album, "Nashville Obsolete". It's called "The Weekend":
Monday night, The Broadberry will be oozing the funk out of every nook and cranny. Great New Orleans band, Dumpstaphunk, will bring the jams to free your booty and your mind. Dumpstaphunk features Ivan Neville, because if you're a band from NO, you've got to have a Neville and they have two. Ian Neville is in the band too. The Nevilles just keep on comin'! And if they aren't funky enough for you, the funk-o-meter will get turned up even more with local funkmeisters DJ Williams Projekt and Sam Reed Syndicate opening the show. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9, Tix are $15 in advance, $17 at the door. Dumpstaphunk was in the recording studio today (Wednesday) so they've got some fresh tracks to drop on your ass. I'll be there to make sure my soul is properly funkified and to give thanks to the Great Funk God in the Sky. Please join me and you too can feel the funk. Here's Dumpstaphunk with "Liar" from this year's Camp Barefoot:
Have a great weekend! I'll see you at Dumpstaphunk! Maybe Hardywood! Maybe Dave Rawlings Machine!
Speaking of Dave Rawlings, here's Dave with Gillian Welch on her song "Revelator". I am obsessed with this song today. I've listened to it 10 times today. It gives me goosebumps every time.
The weekend starts Thursday with glam rock influenced Black Veil Brides at The National. Tix are $25 in advance, $28 day of show. Doors open at 6, show starts at 7 with openers Memphis May Fire and Ghost Town. Black Veil Brides will be jumping on the Vans Warped Tour this summer which is a great showcase for up and coming hard rock bands. Here's BVB's "Perfect Weapon" in all it's leathery glory:
At Emilio's on Thursday night, Adam & The Yew Banks and Goldrush party down with a show that's just $5 to get in and starts at 10. Here's Goldrush's entry for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Contest, their song "If You Want Me":
A few anniversary shows on Friday night. The bar loved by hippies all over Richmond, Cary St. Cafe celebrates 20 years of bringing jam band music to the masses with their 20th anniversary show. The party starts at 4 when they tap a brew made especially for this event by Smartmouth Brewing, Going Down the Road Feeling Brown. E-String Al will play for happy hour (5 - 7:30) and a band whose various parts have been playing at Cary St. Cafe since the beginning, King Solomon's Marbles, will start at 10 playing good ol' Grateful Dead. A little mouse told me to get there early, say around 9, for a surprise opener. You may want to get there early anyway as this promises to be packed. And it's FREE to get in. Here's a special show the Grateful Dead did when they played in Egypt under the Great Pyramids:
At the Renaissance Ballroom on Friday night, it's WRIR's 10th Annual Birthday Party for the Rest of Us. The party starts at 7 PM and it's $15 to get in which goes to support the station. There will be live performances from Ann Beretta, Murphy's Kids, Ki:Theory, Sam Reed Syndicate, Huckiddy Puppet Show, Classical Revolution RVA, Dave Watkins Big Band w/Navi & Dumbwaiter, Square Dance w/The String Band For the Rest of Us, Bermuda Triangles, R.A.M.ifications a cappella group and WRIR DJs. Here's Ann Beretta playing in Sept. 2014 (fast forward to the 1:52 mark when the band starts) (some language NSFW):
Southern Belles bring their jam band selves to The Camel for their monthly First Friday show. Tix are $7 in advance, $10 at the door, doors open at 8 and Jauntee will open. In March, they'll head out on a tour that will take them to the big sky country of Colorado, Montana and Kansas. They are also working on their second album. The band was recently on CBS6's Virginia This Morning and here it is:
Sunday at The Broadberry, the power pop of Kevin Devine with openers Into It. Over It. and Laura Stevenson will be there. Kevin will be solo acoustic and not with the Goddamn Band (I'm not being mean, that's their name). It will still rock, but quietly. Here's Kevin's "Little Bulldozer":
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell will be at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell on Sunday night. Tix range from $21.50 - $75. Doors open at 6 and Barrelhouse will open. Here's Leon with late, great JJ Cale in the late 70's-early 80's (?).
Here's one just for kicks. Austin City Limits, the wonderful PBS music show, celebrated 40 years last year and here's Joe Ely leading an all-star cast through Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away":
I've been watching since 5:45 now and this may be the greatest event in the history of mankind. I may try not to sleep this weekend. FXX. All day. All night. For the next 12 days. Soon it will be all yellow.
Onto this weekend's events. I may tear myself away from FXX for a while to see if the sun still shines and to drink beer other than Duff.
Perhaps I can go back to a time before the Simpsons. A time when men rocked from yachts, with copious chest hair and gold chains, and amazingly thick and luxourious facial hair. Perhaps those days of yesteryear would be best brought back by a band called Three Sheets to the Wind, the greatest (and to my knowledge, only) yacht rock tribute band in Richmond's history. They'll be at The National on Friday night. Doors will open at 7 and the show starts at 8. No opener. TSTW doesn't need an opener. And it's only $10 for tix in advance, $15 at the door. Here they are doing a Hall & Oates classic:
Like giant monsters? Me too. At the Science Museum of Virginia Friday evening, they combine kaiju and rock music for a showing of the ninth film in the Godzilla series, "Destroy All Monsters" with live music from Richmond's own Goldrush. Hopefully they are learning a cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla". It's $5 to get in. Show starts at 8. Here's Goldrush performing the first song ever played at The Broadberry.
Saturday, it's the Richmond Bluegrass Festival at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. Things get underway at 2 PM and will run until approximately 9 PM. It don't cost nothin' and it's open to all ages. Food trucks will be there with food. Hardywood will be there with beer. Bands will start with Sturgeon City at 2, then River City Band, Green Boys, Long Branch Ramblers and the Hot Seats close it out starting at 7:30. Here's the Hot Seats on the mean streets of Warrenton last week:
Susan Greenbaum and her band will be at Ashland Coffee & Tea Saturday night. It's $12 at the door and the show will start at 8. If you want to pre-party with Susan, she'll also be at The Sefton Coffee Co. at 28 N. 8th St Friday at 4 PM. Here she is a few months ago at AC&T doing "When Will You Learn?":
Still watching the Simpsons.
Tuesday night at Capital Ale House downtown, the River City Blues Society presents "The Golden State-Lone Star Revue" with Anson Funderburg and Little Charlie Baty with Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors.Tix are $15 but you must get your tickets throught the River City Blues web site at RiverCityBlues.org. These guys have won or been nominated for a bunch of Grammys and WC Handy (Blues Music) awards between them. Here they are performing "I'm Gonna Ruin You" at BB King's in NYC a couple days ago:
Richmond's own Talking Heads tribute band, Fear of Music, will be at Cary Street Cafe on Tuesday night. Things go down at 10 PM and it's FREE to get in. Here's the Talking Heads doing "Big Business/I Zimbra":
Wednesday night, Yonder Mountain String Band bring their bluegrassy jam band musical stylings to The National. Tix are $25, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers Henhouse Prowlers. If you can't make it to the show, you can catch a live stream of their show the next night in NC at 8 PM right HERE. Here's the YMSB covering an Ozzy tune. Wait. What?
Another good week for local music so go out and find yourself a new favorite local band.
No BS! Brass Band will be at Balliceaux on Thursday night. Show starts at 10 PM and it's $3 to get in. No BS! has a number of new releases coming out including a new album ("RVA All Day"), a live DVD ("Live at Montrose Studios"), and an EP ("Fight Song - A Tribute to Charles Mingus"). Here they are doing a Rush cover in Roanoke. Sorry that they talk so much in Roanoke.
Also on Thursday, yacht rock tribute band, Three Sheets to the Wind, will be at Republic. Show starts at 9:30 and it's free to get in. Here they are doin' "I Keep Forgettin'/Regulate". Some language is NSFW.
Starting on Wednesday night (1/16), Furthur, the band featuring Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, will be webcasting an entire weekend of shows from Bob's small venue, the Sweetwater Music Hall in Marin County, CA. On Weds. (11 PM ET), Thursday (12:30 AM ET so technically Friday morning), and Saturday night (10:30 PM ET), the show is on the Sweetwater site. On Friday night the show is on the Yahoo Music site starting at 10:30 ET.
Saturday night, an Americana triple bill at The Camel with Horsehead, Allen Thompson and The Atkinsons. The show will start at 8 and it's $7 to get in. Horsehead's album, "Sympathetic Vibrations", is in Amazon's top 20 New Releases for Roots Rock. Here's Horsehead playing "Spinning Your Wheels" at Gallery 5 in November:
Goldrush will be at The Camel on Sunday night. The show starts at 8 and it's FREE to get in. Scolaro will open. Here's Goldrush playing "You Won't See Me Crying" at the Ghost of Pop show last month.
On Tuesday night, Marshall Crenshaw will be Ashland Coffee & Tea. Marshall will be performing with The Bottle Rockets, who are a pretty good band in their own right. Besides still playing and making new music (he just came out with his first album in 6 years, "Jaggedland"), Marshall also does a radio show on the great indie radio station, WFUV. The show will start at 8, tix are $28 in advance, $33 at the door. Here's a blast from the past, with Marshall playing Buddy Holly's "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" from the MTV New Year's Eve party in 1986:
And just for kicks, here's Marshall, Brian Setzer, Dave Edmunds, Carl Perkins, and, yes, that's Joe Piscopo on drums (he was big in 1986) from the same show. Joe is now doing an old school variety show and helping out with a lot of charities so good on ya, mate!
Finally, here's the next video on Paste Magazine's 25 Best Videos of 2012. This is the Ben Folds Five "Do It Anyway" and if you were growing up in the early 80's and had HBO, you will recognize the Fraggles from Fraggle Rock. "Dance your cares away!" Rob Corddry also makes a guest appearance.
Taking the opportunity of a sick day to crank out the weekend band update. Not achy anymore, but still stuffed up. At least my nose is running now and not just compacted in my sinuses. But enough talk about snot, let's discuss what's going on this week.
Rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson is at the Capital Ale House tonight. Tix are $25. Jonny Fritz opens the show around 8, doors open at 7. Wanda has a great new album out ("Unfinished Business") which is produced by Justin Townes Earle and her last album was produced by Jack White, so she still runs in some pretty good company. Here's Wanda with Justin doing "Am I Even a Memory?":
If you are at home tonight or want to set your DVR before heading out, the big 12.12.12 concert to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy is tonight starting at 7:30 on about 30 different TV channels. The lineup is not too shabby with The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roger Waters (Eddie Vedder will perform with him), Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Kanye West and Paul McCartney. You can also stream the show at the link up there.
On Friday night, NO BS! Brass Band does their annual Coat & Food Drive at The Camel. The gig starts at 9:30 with openers Elikeh Afropop. It's $7 to get in and each canned good you bring gets you a $1 off down to $3. A coat donation gets you $3 off the cover charge up to one coat per person. Here they are performing what should become the new Richmond anthem, "RVA All Day":
Also Friday, J Roddy Walston & The Business head a great lineup of bands at Strange Matter with Black Girls and Goldrush opening the show. We last saw J Roddy and company opening up for the Drive-By Truckers at The National in October and they put on quite the soul-inflected, hair-tossin', rockin' show. It's $10 in advance, $12 day of show. Doors open at 8, music starts at 9. Here's J Roddy and band acoustic at WNRN studios a couple months ago:
On Friday night at The National, yacht rock cover band Three Sheets to the Wind hosts the "Company Christmas Party" so get drunk, tell the boss off, hit on that sexy co-worker and start the next day full of regret and shame as you try to remember who you made out with in the coat check room. It's $10 in advance, $15 at the door, and there are VIP packages available. Doors open at 8 and the show will start shortly thereafter. Also, there will be a Tacky Christmas Sweater contest so bust out that one that Aunt Martha gave you a few years ago.
Saturday night, indie rockers Band of Horses will be at The National. Tix are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Jason Lytle (of Grandaddy). They were recently on the wonderful BBC music show "Later with Jools Holland" and here that is:
Tuesday night, DJ Williams Projekt continue their Tuesday nigh residency at Republic with a show starting at 9:30. I do not believe there is a cover charge. Here's a taste of their show from Cafe Diem in July.
Paste Magazine has chosen The Best 25 Music Videos of 2012 so we'll highlight those over the next few weeks. Here is their choice for #1, from M.I.A., "Bad Girls":
Two good shows to choose from tonight. Brandi Carlile comes to Groovin in the Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden tonight. Gates open at 5:30, show starts around 6 with a national act opening, The Lumineers. General Admission Lawn- $25 in advance (Children 9 and under admitted free), General Reserve Seating- $45. Stephen Stills recently gave Brandi some props on an interview on CBS This Morning. Here's her latest video, "That Wasn't Me", starring Kris Kristofferson:
Also tonight at the final Friday Cheers of the season :-( , newgrass band Trampled by Turtles will perform for your pleasure. Tix are $10. Tonight, Cheers will be honoring Ralph White, who was the caretaker of the James River Park System until he passed away [UPDATE: Ralph is not dead! Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. He's just retiring. So say hello to him tonight and tell him you're glad he's not dead. Sorry, Ralph.]and tonight's show will benefit the James River Park System. The show gets underway at 6:30 with opener Goldrush. TBT is quite the road warriors right now, with lot of their own shows, folk festivals, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits fest and a tour of the UK and Ireland coming up over the next few months. Looks like they are really working it and starting to take off. Here's TBT's latest video, "Alone":
If you like your music a little (OK, a lot) louder, check out the RVA Noise Fest going on this weekend at Strange Matter. It'll go down both Saturday and Sunday. Doors open at 5 PM and music starts at 6 PM. The show will feature 10 - 20 minute sets from a whole buncha bands. Check the link above for the full listing of show times. It'll get weird, noisy, psychedelic and experimental.
Tuesday night, July 3, RVA Fireworks on the James will happen on Brown's Island. The island opens at 6, entertainment from the Richmond Youth Symphony Orchestra, SPARC and Richmond Ballet's Music In Motion, starts at 7:30 (was heavy on the show tunes last year) and the fireworks launch from Belle Isle and Lee Bridge around 9:30. Was a really good fireworks show last year. It's all FREE and you can go HERE for more info.
See you down at Friday Cheers and at the fireworks on Brown's Island (I love the island!). Have a safe and happy Independence Day! I'll leave you with this thought which is NSFW.
