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”
We gave away tix to see JamPacked Craft Beer & Music Festival feat. Lotus, Moon Taxi + more at Brown’s Island 8/9/25 on Handful of Brains! (originally aired 08/06/2025, 7 – 9 PM on WRIR 97.3FM Richmond Community Radio)
We’ve also got an eclectic mix of music, including Robyn Hitchcock, TRIXIE WHITLEY, Grateful Dead, Beastie Boys, & more!
On Handful of Brains (originally aired 03/21/2023, 7 – 9 PM on WRIR 97.3 FM Richmond Independent Radio), you could win a pair of tickets to see Spafford w/ LITZ at The Broadberry, Th, 3/23! We’ve also got an eclectic mix of music including Moon Taxi, Page McConnell + Trey Anastasio, Iggy Pop, Béla Fleck · Zakir Hussain · Edgar Meyer · Rakesh Chaurasia, Circles Around The Sun, Kendall Street Company, TIM & NEKO, FIDLAR, The Innocence Mission, Black 47, & more!
If you want to catch a show this weekend before Snowmageddon '16 hits, and you've got some cash, head to The Tin Pan on Thursday night for New Orleans boogie-woogie piano player, Marcia Ball. I've seen Marcia a few times and she always puts on a fun show. Get a table near the wall so you can get up and dance. If you go, get there early if you want to get in. The Tin Pan web site says tickets will be available at the door but the advance tickets sold out. You may want to call The Tin Pan before heading over if you want to be sure. Show starts at 8, there is no opener and tix are $50. If you miss Marcia here, you can always head down to the New Orleans Jazz Fest this year and see her on the last day of the festival. Soooooo many good bands at this festival this year. Here's Marcia playing at the Kessler Theater in Dallas in December:
I'm going to keep the two Friday and Saturday listings short because I'm assuming that most of these shows will be postponed due to the impending snowy doom. The State Police are telling people not to drive and to stay home so do check the conditions and, of course, check with the venues before heading out.
Saturday - Carpenter Theatre, Jackson Browne. This is billed as "An Evening With Jackson Browne" which usually means no opener. This show is Sold Out, but if they have it, you might find some tickets if people bag out, and if they postpone it, you might find some tickets for the new date if people get refunds. Doors open at 7, show at 8.
You may have caught Moon Taxi at Friday Cheers last summer. Now, they'll be at The National on Tuesday night. Described as an indie alternative progressive jam band, when I saw them at Cheers, I just thought they wrote some catchy, upbeat songs and they didn't seem to jam too much at Cheers. Maybe they stretch out more when they have a longer time to play. Find out on Tuesday. I'm sure they'll play lots of stuff from their new album, Daybreaker, too. They'll also be at Coachella this year, where they'll kinda, sorta be opening for Guns n' Roses. OK, they are playing on the same day. But that counts, right? Tix are $18 in advance, $20 day of show. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 with now RVA band, The Congress. Here's Moon Taxi performing the reggae influenced "Who's To Say?" a month ago in Birmingham AL:
Next Wednesday (1/27), Americana/jam band, Yonder Mountain String Band, take the stage at The National. Tix are $25, no opener is listed, doors open at 7, show starts at 8. YMSB has been recording some new music so maybe they'll bust some of that out for ya. YMSB recently posted some free downloads of covers from our recent dear departed classic rockers Glenn Frey (Life in the Fast Lane) and David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust). Here's some of that "Life in the Fast Lane":
Ashland Coffee & Tea hosts singer-songwriters Grant-Lee Phillips and Steve Poltz on Wednesday (1/27). Show starts at 8, tix are $15 advance, $18 day of show. Rolling Stone recently listed Grant-Lee Phillips' upcoming album, "The Narrows", as one of the most anticipated country albums of 2016. Here he is performing "Loaded Gun" which will be on that album:
That'll do it! Have a great weekend! Stay warm and safe, but get out and play in the snow a little.
In honor of Glenn Frey, here's a favorite of mine from his solo career, from those Miami Vice days, this is "Smuggler's Blues":
It's always nice to start the Weekend Picks with a psychedelic poster. This one is for the show at Sound of Music Recording Studios Thursday night. Indie progressive pop rock band Blanko Basnet out of Durham, NC are on the bill, as are Way, Shape or Form, Houdan the Mystic, and Dumb Waiter. If you go, bring your own beverages and $5 cash to get in. Blanko Basnet's songs have the clarity, space, adventure and instrumental prowess of a progressive rock band, but their songs are 3 to 4 minutes and groove enough that they don't fall prey to some of the self-indulgent solos sometimes associated with prog rock. From their self-titled LP of 2013, here is "Layabout":
Bust out your air guitars, jukebox heroes! Foreigner will be at Innsbrook Friday night. Gates open at 5, show starts at 6 with opener Craig Wayne Boyd. Tix are $20 (GA lawn), $40 (Gold Circle reserved), and $55 (Gold Circle Preferred). Only band leader, lead guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones is left from the band's heyday of '76- '84 but lead singer Kelly Hansen has been with the band for 10 years now. They'll be heading off on tour with Kid Rock this summer so this a good chance to catch them at a small venue before they head off to play the sheds. Here's "Jukebox Hero":
Friday Cheers, which was just voted "Best Local Music Series" in Style Magazine's Best of Richmond issue, has Moon Taxi this week. Gates open at 6, show starts at 6:30 with Richmond band, Sleepwalkers, who are very good so get in early. It's $5 to get in. Moon Taxi is a jam band that leans toward alternative pop, like Modest Mouse, Arctic Monkeys, alt J, or MGMT, as much as Phish or Medeski, Martin & Wood. After Cheers, Moon Taxi is hitting festivals like Governor's Ball in NYC and Bonnaroo. I've been digging this song a lot recently when it pops up on my iPod. It's catchy as hell. This is "Morocco":
At Circle Thrift & Art Space Friday, it's a triple bill of local with psych-rock power poppers Lady God, Fat Spirit and Grass Panther. It's a $3 donation to get in the door and you'll want to bring your own beverages. Show starts at 8:30. Lady God was featured on Style's Sounds of Richmond 8 "mix tape" which is available for free download HERE. And please, let me introduce you. Please meet Lady God:
Americana singer/songwriter Jonathan Byrd and The Pickup Cowboys are at Ashland Coffee & Tea Saturday. Show starts at 8, tix are $12 in advance, $15 day of show. If you want to help out the people of Texas who have suffered in the recent floods and get some mighty fine music, you can purchase The Barn Birds album from Jonathan and 100% of the proceeds goes to the American Red Cross of Central Texas. Here they are playing an appropriate song about two weeks ago, "May the River Run Dry":
Hard rock band in the spirit of Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Mastodon and Wishbone Ash, Valkyrie is at Strange Matter Saturday night. Inter Arma & Battlemaster open a show that will not be for the weak of heart. Doors open at 9 and it's $10 to get in. Valkyrie is out of Rockbridge County VA but is gaining momentum outside of VA after signing with Relapse Records. Here's a track from their latest album, "Shadows":
Innsbrook has a rare triple bill on Sunday. The gates open early at 3 PM if you want to hang out. Music starts at 6 with KOA and then Rusted Root and The Wailers will perform. Looks like Rusted Root will go on first and then The Wailers close, but don't hold me to that. Just get there early enough for both. Tix are $20 GA Lawn, $30 Gold Circle Reserved, $40 Gold Circle Preferred and $79 Gold Circle Platinum. This is the second date of a three month tour for Rusted Root so they'll be nice and fresh for you. Here's The Wailers back in 1980 when some dude named Bob Marley was in the band:
At The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell Sunday, Americana duo Striking Matches headlines a show with Secret Sisters and Fillmore Duo opening. Doors open at 6, tix are $16.50 in advance, $20 at the door. You might dig Striking Matches if you like Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek, or The Civil Wars Make sure you get in early to see Secret Sisters too. This sister duo has a real old time country sound with wonderful harmonies. Let's do one from each band. Here's The Secret Sisters with "You've Got It Wrong":
And here's Striking Matches 'Make a Liar Out of Me":
At The National Sunday, Bleachers, the side project of Fun.'s Jack Antonoff, will be in town. Tix are $21 in advance, $24 at the door, doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 with openers Joywave and Cruisr. I'll let Ellen introduce the band:
Monday at The National, trip-hop/pop band Phantogram take the stage. Tix are $22.50 in advance, $25 at the door. doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers Ki:Theory. Here's Phantogram's 26 minute performance on KEXP last summer:
I'll leave you with one for fans of The Mountain Goats or pro wrestling or funny videos, "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero":
It's a pretty slim weekend for music. Next weekend picks up nicely as there will be a lot of local bands and national bands from Richmond home for the holidays and squeezing a show in for their local fans and family before Christmas.
Up and coming alternative/progressive/jam band Moon Taxi will be at Capital Ale House Downtown on Friday night. Tix are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 9:30, show starts at 10 with opener The Shack Band. You might like Moon Taxi if you like Steely Dan, Rush, King Crimson, Medeski, Martin & Wood or Phish. Here's a song from their last album, "Cabaret". This song is called "Mercury":
Over at The Camel, local (but spreading throughout the East Coast) jam band Southern Belles plays with The Heritage opening. Doors will open at 8, music will start after 9 and it's $7 to get in. Here's the Belles doing "Getaway" at Capital Ale House in September:
At Strange Matter on Friday evening, alternative/indie/emo/pop bands Polar Bear Club, Citizen, Diamond Youth and Sainthood Reps will give you a full night of rock and roll. Doors open at 6 PM, show starts at 7 and it's $15 to get in. Here's Polar Bear Club doing "Blood Balloon" (NSFW language):
That's it for this weekend. As you may have heard by now, former political prisoner, then South African President Nelson Mandela died today. I'll leave with two songs to commemorate him.The first is a brand-new U2 song that came out in the biopic "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom". The second is the song I first thought of when I heard he died, an early MTV staple from The Specials. RIP Nelson Mandela.
Jam-prog-rock band, Moon Taxi,will be at Capital Ale House downtown tonight. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with openers The Shack Band. It's $12 to get in. Moon Taxi got a big buzz going after a killer set at Bonnaroo this year. Here's their new video for "Let's Go Back" from their latest album, "Cabaret":
More jammy goodness tonight at Cary St. Cafe with locals The Southern Belles. Show starts at 9 with an opening set from The Northeners and there is no cover. It's Southern Belles one year anniversary tonight and they'll be performing some stuff from their new album, "Sharp as a Knife" along with their usual mix of covers of the Dead, Phish, The Band, The Beatles and others. And if you want updates and free swag like guest passes and free merch from the Belles, email them at info@thesouthernbellesmusic.com. Here they are playing "All Night" at The Camel in September:
And if all that wasn't jammy enough for you, one of the godfathers of jam band, Mr. Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead, will be doing a webcast from his TRI Studios at 8:30 PM ET. Go HERE for that. Bob will play some songs and answer some questions, hopefully, more of the former than the latter. Bob often sits in with the bands that do webcasts from TRI. Here he is jamming with Slightly Stoopid on a song called "Ocean":
Tonight on The Daily Show is Neil Young. Probably talking about his new bio. Hopefully doing a tune or two. The Daily Show is on at 11 PM on Comedy Central and then repeated a few times over the next 24 hours.
