Weekend Picks: Hamaganza, Skalidays 2015, Carbon Leaf, Bio Ritmo, Very Star Wars Xmas Party

'Twas the weekend before Christmas, and all through the town, lots of good bands were playing, all working on their sound. All their amp rigs were hung, on the stage with great care, in the hopes that a crowd, would soon be there.

Thursday night, Star Wars mania hits The Camel  with a Very Star Wars Xmas Party featuring The Milkstains, Imaginary Sons, Venus Guytrap, and The Wimps. It's a FREE show. Doors open at 8, music starts at 9. Star Wars your own self up and get ready to rock like you're in Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Here's The Milkstains at Strange Matter on 10/26:



And hopefully one of the bands will play this. Is Marty Balin singing into a light saber?

Bio Ritmo will play all the salsa Christmas songs they know Friday night at The Broadberry. Maybe they'll even play the Star Wars theme salsa style. Or not. It's $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 and no opener is listed. This show will celebrate the release of their vinyl 45 "Oriza". Here's a full Bio Ritmo set from 2010:

Hamaganza celebrates it's 21st year at The Camel Friday night. Doors open at 8:30, show starts around 9. It's a benefit for Feedmore and CodeVA and you get in with either a $10 donation or a juicy ham. Diamond Heist (Neil Diamond tribute), League of Space Pirates (w/Noah Scanlin), Summerhaus (w/Melissa Chase) and Iggy Plop (Iggy Pop tribute) will provide the musical entertainment. There will also be the usual amount of chaotic, anarchic mayhem led by MC Dirtwoman and including jugglers, comedy, whistlers and other stuff. Here's the latest episode from League of Space Pirates. Or this could be a bootleg copy of Star Wars: Episode VII. You be the judge.



Saturday night, Carbon Leaf returns home for their now annual show at The National. Tix are $16 in advance, $20 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Look Homeward. There are only a few tickets left so if you are on the fence, get off quickly. (That's what she said!) Here's Carbon Leaf doing a song from the classic Christmas special "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas":

The Skalidays 2015 celebration takes place Saturday at Broadberry. Tix are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. The show features Murphy's Kids, Major and the Monbacks, Mighty Joshua, Neighborhood Friendly, and Nesta. Doors open at 8 and the music gets under way at 9. Bring some canned goods and warm clothing to donate because the show benefits Richmond Food Not Bombs, Central VA Food Bank and Performing Statistics. Here's Murphy's Kids rocking Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" a few days ago:



That'll do it. Have a great weekend! I'll leave you with Carrie Fisher's Life Day song from the end of the Star Wars Holiday Special. Carrie said she was so high she doesn't even remember doing this. I love Carrie Fisher.



And now, a word from our sponsors. Like Willie, I enjoy soldering more than anything. And that Sunday night CBS lineup looks hot! Reggie bars!



Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: Col. Bruce Hampton & Aquarium Rescue Unit, Bruce Hornsby,Commonwealth of Notions 5, Milkstains, Beach Boys

The weekend starts Thursday night with classic 2nd wave jam band, Col. Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit at The National. Tix are $35, doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Col. Bruce & the ARU were part of the original H.O.R.D.E., second generation of jam bands which included Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors and Widespread Panic. Col. Bruce & ARU would play together intermittently over their now 26 years together. Members of the ARU have played with every major jam band there is. Jimmy Herring has played guitar with Phil Lesh and is now in Widespread Panic. Oteil Burbridge is/was a member of the Allman Brothers Band. And drummer Jeff Sipe has played with Phil Lesh, Trey Anastasio and a host of others. Make sure you get in for openers Hard Working Americans, featuring the great singer-songwriter Todd Snider and Dave Schools, the bass player for Widespread Panic. Here's Col. Bruce and ARU doing "Fixin' to Die" a few nights ago in Atlanta:



And here's Hard Working Americans with some extra goodness as Jason Isbell sits in with them:

Strange Matter hosts a great set of rock and roll bands on Friday night. The Milkstains, Desert Sharks, Sea of Storms and Lady God will take the stage with the doors opening at 9 and only $7 to get in. Here's The Milkstains "Broken Bones":

Saturday night, it's the start of Volume 5 of the WRIR & Commonwealth of Notions shows which will continue next weekend too. But on this night, they'll be at Gallery 5 for a whole heap o' fantastic RVA bands including Goldrush, Anousheh, Positive No, Lady God, Various Eggs, Way, Shape or Form, and Manzara. It's just $5 to get in, doors open at 5 and the fun begins at 6. Positive No just had their new video "Pedal Through" debut on NPR's web site this week. The video is both a parody of 90's indie rock AND the classic documentary "Heavy Metal Parking Lot".



Fresh off the Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well gigs, Bruce Hornsby hits The National with his band, The Noisemakers on Tuesday night. Tix are $35 GA Standing and $40 for reserved in the balcony. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 and there is no opener so don't dilly-dally in getting there. From his setlists so far, besides original Hornsby music you might hear some Grateful Dead, Dylan, Sam Cooke, Prince, James Brown, Leadbelly and maybe even a little Floyd. You never know with Bruce. He'll just throw something in off the top of his head. Here they are a few weeks ago at the Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Washington:



Wednesday night at Innsbrook, what's left of The Beach Boys will don their Hawaiian shirts and perform in that God-forsaken hell hole of an industrial park. But don't let that deter you from going. Gates open at 5, show starts at 6 and tix range from $20 - $60. This is billed as "An Evening With The Beach Boys" which usually means no opener. Here's The Boys doing it again:



Have a great weekend! I'll see you at Col. Bruce and the ARU tonight!

I'll leave you with Haim doing "The Wire" on SNL a couple years ago:



Tony Jordan

Weekend Picks: Psychedelic Furs, Bill Kirchen, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Bio Ritmo, Ultra Kings, Dismal Swamp Lords, Rocket Queens

Memorial Day weekend! If you're not leaving town or going to be at bar-b-q's all weekend and you want to see live music, you'll want to do it Friday night.

Thursday night has a couple options first, including yacht rock cover band Three Sheets to the Wind at The Broadberry. Doors open at 8, there is no opener listed. Tix are $15 in advance, $18 day of show and $35 for VIP. Here they are doing Christopher Cross' "Ride Like the Wind":



Tarrant will be with Faceship at Poe's Pub Thursday. Show will start at 9. The cover is $5. Here's Tarrant at The Camel in April:



Friday Cheers has their annual local band night this Friday. It's only $5 to get in, it looks like it will be a gorgeous evening and there is a little something for everyone musically. The headliner is internationally renowned salsa band from the RVA, Bio Ritmo. Bring your dancing shoes. If you can't move when they play, you must be dead. And I'm not kidding about world renowned. This summer they play Philly, Winston-Salem, Toulouse (France) and Istanbul. Also, on the bill are the psych/surf/garage sounds of The Milkstains and country music from Honky Tonk Heroes. So come down and join me for a beer or two (or three). I hope my leftover beer ticket from Riverrock works. Here's Bio Ritmo with "Oye Hermano":



Ashland Coffee & Tea has great honky-tonk rock guitarist Bill Kirchen and his All Texas Band. Show starts at 8, tix are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Here's his press blurb; "Get ready to be blown away by Bill’s reknowned licks!  Bill Kirchen has become widely known for the trademark big-rig guitar riffs that powered the Commander Cody hit “Hot Rod Lincoln” into the Top 10 in 1972. Since 1993, he has recorded seven critically acclaimed albums of his own that have made him one of the musical elder statesmen of today’s Americana music, which in truth was pioneered by acts like Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen back in the ‘70s." Here's Bill and his band wishing for a "Rockabilly Funeral" when they die:

Bluegrass/Americana band Jackass Flats is at The Broadberry Friday night. Doors open at 8 PM, Captain Grandpa and Faceship will open. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 day of show. Here's Jackass Flats in March 2014 doing a Pink Floyd tune:



Classic 80's band, Psychedelic Furs, are at The National on Friday. Tix are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers Black English. Here's the Furs doing "Heartbreak Beat" from 1986:

Over at Poe's Pub Friday night, it's raw rock n' roll/surf/rockabilly/blues from The Ultra Kings (from my old stomping grounds in Lehigh Valley PA) and Dismal Swamp Lords (RVA). I know the Dismal Swamp Lords have been recording some tunes recently so they may have something new for you. Show starts at 9 and it's $5 to get in. This is gonna be a fun show with some fun bands doing straight up, no frills, good time rock n' roll. Here's The Ultra Kings:



Saturday, Hardywood is busting out their Peach Tripel, an Abbey-Style Tripel Ale refermented on peaches. Sounds rather yummy. And what better way to celebrate that beer than with all-female Guns N' Roses cover band from NYC, The Rocket Queens! The beer gets tapped at 2. Some other bands will be announced over the next couple days. Check the Hardywood site for the schedule. Here's "Nightrain" from The Rocket Queens, which was the first GNR tune I ever heard:



Don't forget that besides being Memorial Day, Monday is also Towel Day. Be a hoopy frood who always knows where his towel is.



The great Dirty Dozen Brass Band from New Orleans will be at The Broadberry Wednesday. Tix are $13 in advance, $15 at the door. Doors open at 8 and Kings open the show. Here's Dirty Dozen in Austin this year doing an amazing version of "Use Your Brain":



I'll see you at Friday Cheers, Poe's for the Ultra Kings/Dismal Swamp Lords show and maybe Hardywood Saturday. Now I'm going to go watch Dave Letterman's last show. I hope I don't cry and I hope he goes out doing something really silly.

In honor of Memorial Day and the Americans who have fought and died so we can enjoy the freedom of music and dance with our kids, here's Jason Isbell's "Dress Blues":



Tony Jordan