Weekend Picks: Bleachers, Walk the Moon, Carbon Leaf, Bio Ritmo, DJ Williams Projekt, Skydog, Brown Sabbath, Everwilde

Country-rock band Everwilde did a fine job opening for Delta Saints at The National last week and they'll be at one of their regular spots, Uptown Alley, Friday night. The band gets underway at 8:30 and goes until 11:30 and it's $5 to get in. They'll also be raffling off a holiday prize pack of a signed guitar, t-shirt and CD. Also, if you bring a new, unwrapped toy for the charity Mason's Toy Box, you'll get a $5 game card. Here's Everwilde doing "This Time":



Saturday, Hardywood  busts out their new Christmas Morning brew which is their Gingerbread Stout conditioned on locally roasted Brazilian and Sumatran coffee beans. The beer gets tapped at 2 PM, music starts at 4 PM with square dancing with the Cary Street Ramblers. At 6:30, Loversville brings the classic country. And at 8:00, Andy Vaughan and The Driveline end the night with their Country Honky Tonk Americana Rock. Here's Andy Vaughan and The Driveline with "Sam's Place":



Local boys done good, Carbon Leaf, do their now annual Holiday time homecoming show at The National. Tix are $16 in advance, $20 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 and the show starts at 8:30 with opener Chamomille & Whiskey. The band may still be looking for a few Forest Rangers. Here's the ad:

Looking for a few Tree Committee volunteers to help set up and tear down the Christmas pines at our annual holiday show at The National this Saturday, Dec. 13th in Richmond, VA. Helpers get a ticket to the show! Please indicate if you can work between 2-5pm for set up and/or 11pm-12am for tear down. Email Jay or Holly at info@carbonleaf.com

Here they are doing a song from the great Muppet Christmas special, Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas:


Ever wonder what would have happened if Black Sabbath had opened for the Allman Brothers Band? If you did, then you should go see the Skydog (Allman Brothers tribute band)/Brown Sabbath (Black Sabbath tribute band) show at The Broadberry on Saturday night. It's $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with Brown Sabbath. We'll join Skydog here in the middle of "Jessica":



Salsa sensation Bio Ritmo is at The Camel on Saturday night. Doors open at 8 and the show will start shortly thereafter. It's $7 to get in. The NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Bio Ritmo did a couple months ago is already up to over 21,000 views. Congratulation, Bio Ritmo!



Tuesday night at Broadberry it's ladies night with DJ Williams Projekt. The doors open at 8, show starts at 9 and it's $7 to get in, but ladies get in for free before 11 PM. Here they are at the Little Gem Saloon in New Orleans in May with Scott Frock sitting in on trumpet:

Wednesday at The National it's night #1 of XL102's Miracle on Broad St with Bleachers, Walk the Moon and Prinze George. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30, tix are $25 in advance, $28 day of show. Here's Bleachers at the Made In America fest Labor Day weekend in Philly:



And here's Walk the Moon with their latest single "Shut Up and Dance":

Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Bahamas

While it would be nice if tonight's late night pick was me taking a red-eye to the Bahamas islands, alas, it is actullay Canadian indie/pop/rock/alternative/singer-songwriter/folk band Bahamas, which is the recording name of Afie Jurvanen. They'll be on Conan tonight at 11 PM on TBS. Bahamas are certainly big in Canada as they have been nominated for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year at the CBC Music Awards. From 2012, here's Bahamas' "Caught Me Thinking":



Here's J. Cole on last night's Late Show with David Letterman:

Late Night Pick: J. Cole

Rapper J. Cole is getting fine reviews for his latest album, "2014 Forest Hill Drive" (address of his childhood home in Fayetteville, NC) and you can check him out on Late Show with David Letterman tonight (11:35 PM, CBS). By the way, Dave announced today that his last show will be May 20, 2015. I can't wait to see how he goes out. I hope he does something insane and doesn't let it bog down in sentimentality. That would be the Dave way. From 2011, here's J. Cole's "Work Out" (language NSFW):



Here's Tune-yards performing "Water Fountain" on last night's Conan:

Late Night Pick: Tune-Yards

Conan (TBS, 11 PM) hosts quirky art pop band, Tune-Yards, tonight. Tune-Yards are still out supporting their well received album, Nikki Nack. From their 2009 album, Bird-Brains, here's "Real Live Flesh":



Here's Al Green on last night's Late Show with David Letterman doing two of his greatest hits:

Late Night Pick: Al Green

The legendary Al Green will be on Late Show with David Letterman tonight (CBS, 11:35 PM). Al became a Kennedy Center honoree yesterday along with Tom Hanks, Sting, Lily Tomlin and ballet dancer Patricia McBride. Here's Al singing a song as relevant today as the day it was written by Sam Cooke:

Late Night Pick: Alt-J; 2014's Best Reviewed Debut Albums

Alternative/indie rockers, Alt-J, are on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35 AM, NBC). Alt-J will be playing South American Lollapalooza in Argentina, Chile and Brazil in March if you'll be down there. Here's "Breezeblocks" from their 2012 debut album, "An Awesome Wave":



Speaking of debut albums, were you wondering who had the best reviewed debut album of 2014? Of course you were and Metacritic provides the answer HERE.

Here's The Decemberists on last night Conan:

Weekend Picks: Black Keys, St. Vincent, Delta Saints, Lone Bellow, Robert Ellis, The Wailers, Old Testament, No BS! Brass Band

This looks like a really good weekend for music and, as all good weekends do, it starts on Thursday night with The Delta Saints at The National. I first caught this Nashville blues-rock band at The National early this year when they opened for Blackberry Smoke. Totally unknown to me at the time and seemingly unknown to most of the audience, by the end they had captured the whole crowd with their energetic, swaggering rock show and, dare I say, they stole the show from the headliner. They've only got 3 shows left in 2014 after this one, so you know they'll be trying to end their year with a bang. Tix are just $12.50, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Everwilde. Look for me there. Here's Delta Saints with "Cigarette:

Trongone Band just finished up the last of their long running Thursday night residency shows at Cary St. Cafe two weeks ago. Wasting no time, they start a three week Thursday night residency at The Camel this week. Doors open at 8 and the show starts shortly thereafter with The Ron Holloway Band. It's FREE to get in.

No BS! Brass Band is at Balliceaux Thursday night. Show starts at 10 and it's $5 to get in. Here they are at a popup party here in RVA in September.


Friday night, Southern Belles take over The Camel. Doors open at 8 and the show opens with The Royal Noise. It's $7 to get in. They play mostly originals but they like to slip in a nice cover or two also. Here's one that was once the theme song to "The Dick Vermeil Show":

Post by The Southern Belles RVA.

Saturday night it's the big show at Richmond Coliseum with The Black Keys and St. Vincent (not to be confused with the new Bill Murray movie). This is gonna be a killer show front to back with both bands' latest albums hitting many end-of-the-year best-of lists. In fact, Paste Magazine just named St. Vincent's self-titled album the #2 Best Album of the Year. Show starts at 8 and make sure you are in on time to see St. Vincent. Tix range from $44 to $79 (that includes the service charges) and are still available for the first and second level. I'll be down on the sold out GA floor so I can stand up like I like to. The Black Keys just recorded an Austin City Limit show that you can see on Jan. 31 on PBS. Let's do one video from each band.

Here's the Black Keys, "Next Girl":



And here's St. Vincent's "Marrow":



Modlin Center for the Arts also has a really great Americana double bill on Saturday night with The Lone Bellow and Robert Ellis. Tix range from $10 to $22 depending on your demographic. The show starts at 7:30. Be sure to get there early for Robert Ellis who put on a really good show at Friday Cheers a few years ago. Expect new music from The Lone Bellow as their new album, "Then Came the Morning", comes out on January 27. Let's do a video from each artist here too.

Here's the title track from The Lone Bellow's new album recorded live at WFUV in October:



Here's Robert Ellis asking "What's In It For Me?":

Blues band, The Bush League, will be at Poe's Pub on Saturday night. Show starts at 9, It's $5 to get in but if you bring a canned good you'll get $5 off of the Bush League merchandise. They'll also be raffling off some items as well.

Sunday night, cast off the cold weather and feel Jamaican, mon, when The Wailers play at John Marshall Hotel Ballroom. Tix are $20 for GA, $75 for VIP Balcony, doors open at 6, show starts at 6:30 with Richmond's own Trongone Band. Here's The Wailers at this year's Glastonbury Festival.



Tuesday night at Strange Matter, it's LA Americana/psychedelic rock band Old Testament leading a bill that includes The Shine Brothers, The Diamond Center, and Dorthia Cottrell. Doors open at 9, it's $8 in advance, $10 day of show. Here's Old Testament a couple years ago in LA.



Have a great weekend! See you at The Delta Saints and The Black Keys/St. Vincent!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: The Decemberists

The Decemberists are back with a new album, well, almost. "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World" is the title and a sentiment I can agree with. And the album will be out next month on January 20. And tonight, they will be on Conan, peforming "Make You Better" from that album. Here's one of my favorite Decemberists songs. If you think you know how this one is going go, wait until the 90 second mark or so when the guitar riff and female vocalist, Shara Worden, kick in. Stunning.



Here's two from Walk the Moon on last night's Jimmy Kimmel Live. First, "Shut Up and Dance" from their latest album. And then, "Anna Sun".

Late Night Pick: Walk the Moon

Pop rock band Walk the Moon will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight (ABC, 11:35 PM). They'll be in town for the XL102 Miracle on Broad Street show with Bleachers at The National on Dec. 17. Here's their great song, "Anna Sun", from their self-titled debut album:



Mary J Blige was on the Tonight Show last night and she performed her new song, "Therapy":

And from last night's World Aids Day show in the middle of Times Square, Bruce Springsteen with U2. Thought Bruce sounded a little rough as he stretches out his voice as the beginning of "Where the Streets Have No Name" but by the end of the song, I had goosebumps.

Springsteen, U2, Kanye on free live webcast tonight; Late Night Pick: Mary J. Blige

THIS JUST IN: In honor of World Aids Day, (RED) and Bank of America are putting on a free concert tonight in Times Square. Bono is still ailing after his bike accident so U2 will have a couple friends singing for them: Bruce Springsteen & Chris Martin (Coldplay). Not bad. Also performing will be Kanye West and Carrie Underwood. The show will be webcast on YouTube starting at 7:30 ET HERE.

Tonight's late night pick is R&B diva, Mary J Blige on Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:35 PM). Mary has a new album, "The London Sessions", coming out tomorrow. Speaking of U2 and Mary J Blige, here they are together doing U2's "One":