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

Weekly Picks: Robert Randolph, Drive-By Truckers,Moody Blues, Blitzen Trapper, WRIR Benefit, St. Pat's Day Parties, Floodwood

If you've got iTunes or can download it, you can watch the iTunes Festival from SXSW this week. Wednesday night sees a rap lineup with Kendrick Lamar (11 PM), ScHoolboy Q (10:10) and Isaiah Rashad (9:40). Thursday is the highlight for me with Soundgarden at 11 PM where they'll play their classic album "Superunknown" in it's entirety starting at 11 PM, Band of Skulls (9:45) and Capital Cities (9). Friday sees a pop lineup with Pitbull (11 PM), ZEDD (9:45 PM) and G.R.L. (9). Saturday it's country with Keith Urban (11 PM), Willie Nelson (9:45), Mickey Guyton (9).

On Thursday night, Robert Randolph & The Family Band will be at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell. Tix range from $17.50 to $30. Doors open at 6 and the show starts at 6:30 with a "special guest" opening, which usually isn't all that special but there will be an opener. Robert Randolph plays pedal steel guitar and is quite simply one of the greatest guitarists alive right now. In fact, Rollling Stone recently put Robert on it's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. Damn, I think I just talked myself into going to this show. Here's Robert and the Family Band doing "Peekaboo" for Radio Woodstock on Valentine's Day:

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If you like your 80's songs done bluegrass style, and who doesn't, head to Ashland Coffee & Tea on Thursday for Love Canon, the band that plays 80's songs bluesgrass style. Show starts at 8 (no opener) and it's $12 in advance, $15 day of show. Here they are dropping the sledgehammer on ya:

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Friday, Tarrant and Wayfarer play at Lounge 207 at 207 W Broad. Doors open at 6:30 and it's $11 to get in. Here's a short video from Tarrant's recent sessions at Sound of Music studio and it should give you a good taste for their Americana sound.

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At Strange Matter on Friday, it's a benefit for WRIR with The Milkstains, The Trillions, Tungs & Dave Watkins. Doors open at 9, show starts at 10 and it's only $5 to get in. Here's The Milkstains at Strange Matter on 9/28/13:


The Milkstains - 2013 Sept. 28 - Live at Strange Matter - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger on Vimeo.

Also, Friday night, world renowned salsa band from Richmond, Bio Ritmo is at The Camel. It's $10 to get in and the show starts at 9:30 with Quatro Na Bossa. Here's a remix of Bio Ritmo's "Majadero":



Saturday is just filthy with St. Patrick's Day parties. I'm just gonna list them here. You can click the links to check them out and help decide which one to go to. The biggest and I'll say the best based on their band line up is Shamrock on the Block, which somewhat controversially moved to The Boulevard this year from the 17th Street Farmers Market. It's FREE, they've expanded the kids area and the band lineup along with the amount of space. Should be a good time. Highlights bandwise are The Southern Belles from 2 - 2:45 and Black Girls from 4 - 4:45. Here's the rest:

- Shockoe Fest - taking the place of Shamrock the Block at the 17th Street Farmers Market.
- 15th Annual St. Patrick's Day Party at Sine' - this one goes the latest for those that want to party into the night.
- St. Paddy's Palooza at Innsbrook - the most family oriented but they still have beer. Because it's St. Patrick's Day.

If you are still standing after the St. Patrick's Day parties, there are two great bands playing. First, one of my favorite bands of all time, Drive-By Truckers will be at The National. I am all tore up that I can't make this show, but I'm hoping they'll visit Charlottesville on the second leg of the tour. Tix are $30, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with Blitzen Trapper and get there early to see them. If you like great, rootsy, Southern, punk rock n' roll with hints of Springsteen, Skynyrd, Social Distortion, AC/DC, Rolling Stones, go see this band. The music will make you move, the lyrics will make you laugh, they'll make you cry, they'll make you get drunk (along with the band) and by the end of the show, you'll be a sweaty, hoarse mess after seeing one of the greatest rock bands you'll ever see. Here they are on Conan the other night doing their new single, "Sh*t Shots Count":

Over at Capital Ale House Saturday night, Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico from moe. get a little bluegrass thang going called Floodwood. Jackass Flats will be opening and that ain't too bad either. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9, tix are $12 in advance, $15 day of show. Here's Floodwood doing "Spend Some Time" in Buffalo. Not a place where I want to spend time, though I do hear they have some tasty chicken wings.

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Sunday, classic rock band Moody Blues will be at the Landmark Altria Theater. (It's gonna take me a while to get used to saying that, if ever). Tix are $55 - $90, show starts at 8 PM, and there does not appear to be an opener. It's not too late to get a cabin on the Moody Blues Cruise which starts April 2 and features Roger Daltrey, The Zombies, Carl Palmer, Starship, and Little River Band. Here's the Moody Blues at the famous Isle of Wight festival in 1970:

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If you are looking for somewhere to go on St. Patrick's Day proper (Monday 3/17), check out all the locations of Capital Ale House with much Irish music and beer, beer, beer.

Just downloaded this show the other day from the Pearl Jam site. Found this on YouTube tonight. It's the full Pearl Jam show from Charlottesville on 10/29/13 with HQ audio and the editor put the video together from multiple audience shot video. Really well done. Maybe you can spot me in the audience.

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Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Weekly Picks: Black Girls, Jackass Flats, Bio Ritmo, Trongone Band

Had a great time at the Blackberry Smoke / Delta Saints show Wednesday night at The National. If you like old-school Southern Rock, you'll definitely want to check out Blackberry Smoke. Their brand of Southern Rock tends toward the country-er side of things and you'll hear elements of Dickie Betts, Allman Brothers (they threw in a snippet of "Midnight Rider" much to the crowd's delight), Outlaws, Tom Petty, Black Crowes and The Band (they closed with funky cover of "Don't Do It"). The Delta Saints out of Nashville really won over a skeptical crowd with their brand of blues rock. They converted the whole crowd, who was hootin' and hollerin' by the end of their set. Hope they come back to Richmond on their own after they finish this 4 month tour with Blackberry Smoke.

Not a very busy week musically. Friday is the hopping night. We'll start with salsa band Bio Ritmo at The Camel with James Brown tribute, The Big Payback, opening. Get your dancin' shoes on for this show. Doors open at 9, Big Payback comes on at 10, Bio Ritmo at 11:30. Bio Ritmo will have some new music for you at the show. Here they are doing "Carnaval" with footage from when they toured the Republic of Georgia.



At the Capital Ale House Friday, classic rock cover band, Trongone Band, plays with CBDB opening. Show gets underway at 10 PM and it's FREE. Trongone Band will hit the stage around 11.

At Balliceaux, glam/pop/soul band Black Girls perform. It's $5 to get in and the show starts at 10 with Borrowed Beams of Light. Black Girls will be shooting a video in town this weekend and are looking for extras.The shoot will be Saturday morning from 11 AM until 1 PM. If you are interested in joining them, message them on their Facebook page.

Saturday night, get your bluegrass on with Jackass Flats. They'll be at The Camel with Tarrant opening. Doors open at 8 and the show starts at 9. $7 cover charge.

That's it for this week. Here's 33 Fascinating Songwriting Stories from one of my favorite sites, Mental Floss. Have a great weekend!


Tony Jordan

Cvurches, MGMT, People's Blues of Richmond, Fear of Music, Trongone Band

Not a whole lot going on this weekend but a local band on the rise, two local cover bands and couple hip national acts should be enough to provide entertainment for all types if you need to get away from the relatives or take them out for a rockin' good time.

You can get the weekend started by taking out those relatives who saw the Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead in the 70's to Cary St. Cafe on Wednesday. Trongone Band is playing, starting at 10 PM and it's FREE to get in so you won't have to cut into your Black Friday shopping budget.

Is that cousin in town who used to drag you to go see "Stop Making Sense" at the midnight show every Saturday night in high school? Bring him to The Camel on Thursday night to dance off that Thanksgiving dinner in that herky-jerky David Byrne style with Talking Heads tribute band, Fear of Music. This is also a FREE show. Doors will open at 8 and the show starts at 11 PM so you can get a nap in to sleep off the triptophan (sp?) before you head out. Here's the promo video for the show:



And here is the Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)":

Friday night, Cvurches (yes, you spell it with the v) will be at The National. Cvurches is an indie synth pop band which you might like if you like Prince, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode, Lorde, or Polica. Tix are $20 in advance, $23 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Wet. Curches has been nominated for Indie Album of the Year, Best Artist Discovery and Best Song Discovery for the SiriusXMU End of Year Awards. Here's their latest number, "Lies":



Saturday, psychedelic electronic pop band MGMT are at The National. Tix are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Kuroma. See these guys if you like Flaming Lips, Polyphonic Spree, Tame Impala, Of Montreal, Capital Cities, David Bowie, Suicide or Pink Floyd. Check out this freaky video for their new track, "Alien Days":



If you prefer your music less freaky and more raw, like pouring whiskey into an open wound, get down to The Camel on Saturday night for the power blues of People's Blues of Richmond. The Green Boys and Tarrant will open. Doors open at 9 and it's $7 to get in. PBR is just back from a tour of Colorado where I am sure they tested the new Colorado marijuana laws. Here's PBR doing "Free Will":



Thanks for reading the blog everyone! Thank you!

Tony Jordan