If you have one arm with a hand attached to that arm and at least 2 fingers than you can be winner at tonight's Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament at BellyTimber!! Its fun, its goofy, it can be drunk brawl of hugs and good times.
Sign up starts at 8pm. For more information you can go HERE.
Every Time I Die, Trap Them, and Howl
November 5 at The Canal Club
Regardless of how much I hate all the violent behavior that goes on at metalcore shows, I can't seem to make myself stay away from them. See, I love a lot of metalcore bands. As a genre, it's like a commercial version of hardcore, or metal without all the cartoonish signifiers that make it seem uncool. It's tailor-made to generate sales at Hot Topic, and there's no getting around that. But let's face it--a genre made up of the most easily understood musical elements of metal and hardcore is going to produce some catchy bands. And when one of those bands not only writes great songs but seems to be driven by intelligence and an impressive amount of creativity, there's no way I'm going to be able to resist. Every Time I Die was playing in Richmond--I had to go. But considering what was in store for me, maybe I should have thought twice.
I arrived at the show late enough to barely miss openers No Signal, which is a shame both because I used to do a zine with the same title and therefore was curious about their sound, and also because friends of mine who made it to the show in time to catch them informed me that everyone in the band was between 12 and 14 years old. Based on secondhand reports, I couldn't really determine whether they were legitimately good, or just good for their age, but either way, it's cool to hear about some young kids getting out there and rocking. Hopefully I'll see them soon.
The first band I saw perform was New England's Howl, who have a slow, steady sound that reminded me somewhat of High On Fire. Their riffing was chunky and heavy, but after a while, the fact that they kep the tempo consistently slow started to wear on me a bit. I like a lot of superslow doom metal, but the stuff that's fast enough not to sound like a sluggish crawl, the stuff that just sounds like a slow march, gets boring quickly. I found myself zoning out after Howl had played a few songs, the music washing over me and disappearing from my memory as soon as I heard it. Part of the problem may have been the weird sound mix they were getting. The singer's guitar sounded strangely muffled, contrasting with their lead guitarist's much clearer tone. It made the parts he was playing disappear into the muddy mix, which was further muffled due to the way the stage was set up. All of the bands had set up their equipment onstage at once, which forced the drummer to play behind three layers of amp stacks. It was as if the drums had been set up in the next room, with only a doorway's worth of space allowing the sound to get out. Some of the drums in his kit were coming through the PA, but others weren't, so some parts of his kit sounded louder than others. The end product was less than ideal, so that might have contributed to my relative disinterest in Howl's performance.
Trap Them was next, and the singer immediately came across as a loose cannon. Over the sound of humming amps, he climbed onto the rail separating band from audience, announced, "Hi, we're Trap Them," and plunged headfirst into the crowd. The actual music didn't start until at least ten seconds later. Once he returned to the stage after a minute or so, he continued with the intense antics, often standing on top of the monitors and flipping them over onto their backs. He'd try to brace them against the railing at the front of the stage, but his jumping and stomping on them kept having the same result. He also swung the microphone around by its cord a good bit, and within the first few songs managed to smack it against the floor at least once. The rest of the band stayed relatively composed compared to the singer, content to merely play their songs. However, the music raised the intensity level all by itself. Trap Them have the sort of downtuned, note-bending, distorted guitar sound that easily conjures up memories of His Hero Is Gone, as well as all of the other dark, angry hardcore bands that have followed in their footsteps. By contrast, Trap Them's songwriting style sticks much closer to the heavy, straightforward hardcore of bands like Hope Consipracy and Pulling Teeth. They effectively straddle the line between these two genres, giving them an appeal to multiple scenes. Indeed, it seemed from the crowd response that Trap Them was the main draw for a significant contingent of fans. Trap Them's performance was certainly the highlight of the night for me--intense, driving music played well and with an energetic, engaging stage performance. It made what came afterward seem like even more of a letdown.
As I mentioned earlier, I am not the sort of person who is cut out to enjoy the typical metalcore show. The violent mosh pits, the hail of flying bodies, the way musicians occasionally cross the fine line between energetic live performance and outright attacks on their audience... it all gives me a big fucking headache, and not just because stagedivers are stepping on my head every 30 seconds. The downstairs space where bands usually play at the Canal Club makes it even harder for someone like me to find a way to enjoy these sorts of shows, since you can either stand in the front, watch the band, and deal with the carnage, or stand in the back and get a view of flailing stagedivers and the backs of people's heads all night. I don't really understand why the upstairs space at the Canal Club, with its higher ceilings that enable fans to avoid the visibility problem of the downstairs room, is so rarely used. I've seen some pretty well-known acts at the Canal Club, and all of them have played downstairs. Maybe it's got something to do with handicapped access? Regardless, it can be kind of a bummer.
Every Time I Die's live sound is also kind of a bummer. On record, their mix of metalcore brutality and fuck-you rock n' roll swagger works perfectly, and while the riffs tend to fit together in rather complex ways, it doesn't seem like they should dissolve into a wall of undifferentiated noise live. And yet, more often than not, that's what happens. It's especially problematic when the band is going fast; when the big breakdowns hit, you can usually follow them, but when they're playing at full speed it can be hard to distinguish what song you're even hearing. Several times during their set, I thought, "Oh wait, I know this one!" as a song reached its halfway point and hit the first big singalong part. I'm hesitant to blame the sound problems on The Canal Club, too, since I saw Every Time I Die several years ago at Alleykatz and had the same problem making out the fast parts then. I feel like they could have a better, clearer live sound if they wanted to, but their live performance seems more based around rocking out and going crazy than actually playing the songs well. It seemed like the crowd they attracted were also more interested in spectacle than performance, and they saw their role in the insanity to be behaving as recklessly and violently as possible. I saw kids do stagedives that I'd consider suicidal--getting enough air to launch 20 feet beyond the edge of the stage, out to where people aren't clustered that tightly together and might just drop you. At times, especially on the final song of the evening, half a dozen or more kids would all stagedive at once. At another point, two kids coming from opposite sides of the stage collided in midair about 5 feet to my left. Both of them went straight down. I'd really hate to have been standing under that collision. I've seen the consequences of this kind of thing way too many times--ambulances carting away showgoers, teeth and blood sprayed across the floor of a club. It didn't get that bad at the Canal Club--everyone seemed to be walking on their own at the end of the show--but it wasn't for lack of trying.
I know I'm talking more about stagediving than I am about Every Time I Die's actual performance, but I'd be kidding myself if I pretended that the main impression I took away from the show was the music. The main impression I got was of having to dodge stagedivers, of wincing as kids did crazy shit, of trying to rock out but getting kicked in the head the second I tried to focus my attention on the music. I'd say it only bothers me because I'm getting old, but really, I hated that kind of show environment when I was 18. If Every Time I Die had been able to back up their antics, and the ridiculous behavior of their fans, with a top-level performance and clearly audible sound, it might have offset the endurance-test aspects of the show. As it was, though, I felt like next time I'd be better off staying home and listening to the records.
Words by Andrew Necci
Photos by Nathan Congleton/Hardstyle Photography
Musicians unite to help out the To The Bottom N Back Bus with a mixtape of good music!! Check out the write up and click HERE to make a donation.
VCU ΣAE Presents: “Beats for the Bottom & Back” – a mixtape benefitting 2BNB
RICHMOND, VA. - November 8, 2010
To The Bottom and Back (2BNB) is a free weekend shuttle serving Carytown, The Fan, VCU, U of R, Shockoe Slip and The Bottom. Four Richmond deejays (Ghozt, M.A.S.S. FX, Drew Izm, and Fili) have collaborated on a mixtape to be sold to the public and 100% of the profit will go to the 2BNB.
The Virginia Chi chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon has endorsed 2BNB’s mission of reducing drinking and driving ever since its inception. 2BNB has safely shuttled thousands of students, entire chapters of fraternities, sororities, and other Richmond residents to and from downtown each and every weekend over the past year. To show their support this November, ΣAE will be selling the $3 mixtape CDs at the Monroe Park VCU campus and a digital version online at beatsforthebottomback.bandcamp.com.
About VCU ΣAE
The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity was founded on March 9, 1856, at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Currently, there are over 8,200 active members at more than 225 chapters in 47 states and Canada. The Virginia Chi Chapter was chartered on February 24, 2007. They now have 51 active Brothers and many of them are local Richmond natives.
Best Of The Blogs: Part 1
No longer does the world have to suffer the carbon footprint of my almost daily musical quests. All I have to do now is sit in front of my computer to find a plethora of unique, non-mainstream inspirations that eluded me, more times than not, when I had to physically travel untold distances to get my fixes. Here are but some of my favorite places to go...
Dedicated to extremes in music and utterly unique sounds, this is one of my favorite blogs. As of late, Mr. Fab has been posting tunes by the little known thrift-store Frank Zappa: Zoogz Rift (born Robert Pawlikowski, July 10, 1953 in Paterson, New Jersey), a man whose prodigious output over the last 30-odd years is virtually impossible to find. The ongoing series features choice cuts from Mr. Rift’s vast catalog of difficult listens, from 1979’s screamingly obtuse Idiots On The Miniature Golf Course, to the tormented anger of 1989’s appropriately titled Torment. If it weren’t for this wondrous site, I would have never have heard India's Milind Tulankar (one of the few virtuosos of the Jaltarang, a collection of 16 bowls filled with varying amounts of water that are struck with sticks), Arnold Schwarzenegger’s exercise record from 2000, Total Body Workout, or Fun-Da-Mental’s anarchist cookbook instructional raps. That would have been horrible. And how could anyone live a life designed to be lived to its fullest without hearing La Lupe’s cosmic lounge oddity, The Lavender Jungle? I shudder to think. My advice to you? Download everything Music for Maniacs posts. It is the good stuff.
It is my informed musical opinion that the blues is dead. People have been raping its 1, 4, 5 corpse for decades. Having said that, there is nothing quite like the blues in its pure original form. It’s so human it hurts. Named after the immortal Robert Johnson tune, Hellhound On My Trail posts crucial acoustic blues gems from yesteryear by Blind Boy Fuller, Memphis Minnie, Lead Belly, William Harriss and a bevy of timeless others to remind you that what passes as blues today is really just dog shit.
Oh, how I suckled on the nipple of punk rock in the early 80’s. All that vigorous nipple sucking made me the man I am today. Killed By Death is a vast resource of adolescent nostalgia for me. I’ve kept a lot of those records over the years, but somehow I lost my copies of Downward Christian Soldiers by DC’s Black Market Baby, the original single version of “I Love Livin’ In The City” by Fear, and the great lost DC compilation of early 80’s racket-making on Dunn Loring, Virginia Label DSI, Mixed Nuts Don’t Crack. Not only does KBD Records post high quality MP3’s of these recordings, they post the original artwork, give insightful historical notes, and provide always-witty commentary on the bands and their influence. It reads like a cheap Xeroxed fanzine. I’m not one for nostalgia, but if you want an accurate, unsanitized site for all things underground/hardcore/punk rock when Ronald Reagan was president, this is the place to, as grandpa used to say, “Flex your head."
Reading/listening to blogs like this, one question comes to mind: where the fuck do these people find the time? If there was a profit motive, I would understand. But seeing as it is extremely doubtful that the gentleman from Wisconsin posting all this great rare African music is making a pretty penny from all his web based diligence, the only motivation I can think of is the music. And this site is work. A lot of work. Everything he posts is transcribed from the original vinyl recordings, and the time and effort put into the biographical information on the artists and bands he champions (Tanzania's Mbaraka Mwinshehe, Rigo Star and Josky Kiambukuta from Kinshasa, Kenya’s Sylvester Odhiambo & the Ambira Boys, etc.) can’t be easily copied and pasted from Wikipedia. As I said before, brother-man puts a ton of hard, time consuming work into this site, and I for one thank my lucky stars for it (as should you).
If for some unexplainable reason you have a burning desire to hear my shitty band from the mid-80’s, The Alter Natives, Archived Records has a couple of our tunes posted for your possible (though highly unlikely) listening pleasure. This site catalogs the myriad of Virginia and North Carolina bands from yesterday and today that went or are currently going nowhere and nowhere fast (notable exceptions being GWAR, House of Freaks and Cracker, though I will never consider the latter to be a Virginian band). Primarily a history lesson, old Richmond favorites such as the Good Guys, Flannel, Near East and Breadwinner are featured with a smattering of tunes and video links. There isn’t a whole lot of biographical information on any of the bands or artists, but that is fitting given the obscurity of the groups. The gentleman who puts together the site is currently looking for music by Mudd Helmet, Fat Elvis and the Sex Police, so if you have any moldy old tapes or long forgotten recordings of these groups or any other bands from Virginia or North Carolina that nobody knows about, he would appreciate being tuned in.
Chris Bopst has been a fixture on the Richmond music scene for over two decades, playing in GWAR, the Alter Natives, and The Holy Rollers, among other bands. His free-form radio show, The Bopst Show, has existed for over a decade, appearing on multiple Richmond AM radio stations before becoming an internet podcast in 2008. Weekly episodes of the podcast can be found at rvanews.com.
The duo of The Low Branches Matt Klimas and Christina Gleixner stopped in to perform for RVA Sessions. You can see them live tonight, Thursday November 11th playing with Homemade Knives and David Shultz at the Camel from 7 to 10pm.
You can visit the facebook event page here for more information.
Directed & Edited by Jonathan Martin, Shot at AVP Studios with Chris Ratterree as Sound Technician.
Pretty Lights (and Bassnectar) with Chali 2na
Nov. 4 at The National
Last week in Richmond, something happened that I have never seen before. Two artists, Bassnectar and Pretty Lights, booked at separate sold-out venues in Richmond, coordinated a plan to leave fans of both in shock and amazement. Having been on tour together across the US for some time now, Bassnectar was booked at the Hat Factory here in Richmond, while touring partner Pretty Lights was booked at the National. Among those “in the know,” there was talk about the artists opening at each other’s shows for a brief, surprise set.
I was in attendance at the National, and was able to catch the opener, a down-to-earth classic hip-hop set by Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na. He played what appeared to be solo material and threw in some of the J5 classics the diehards were hoping for. After his set, stagehands were bustling around stage quicker than normal. I was crossing my fingers that the rumors of a surprise Bassnectar performance would come true.
Sure enough, Bassnectar emerged to the shock of many in the crowd. He informed us that he was very happy to be able to do this surprise set, and that he had “never done a 20 minute set before, so let’s see how this goes.” Skipping his regularly scheduled “buildup intro," Bassnectar flew right into the bass-heavy music that people on the other side of town had sold out his show for. I have never seen such a bass-heavy act at the National before, yet was surprised at how well the sound came through. The bass, the treble and everything in between resonated perfectly. The surprise set seemed to end too soon for many, but who could complain? At the end of his set, Bassnectar thanked the beautiful crowd and was rushed off stage to be driven across town to headline his sold-out show at the Hat Factory.
Like clockwork, Pretty Lights arrived, and shortly after sound check, both Derek Smith, the man behind Pretty Lights, and live drummer Adam Deitch appeared on stage. No time was wasted as they opened up their set with a very groovy tune (which I unfortunately do not know the name of). The energy in the room was through the roof. You could almost see the positive vibes flowing from the waving hands and mass groups of bodies swaying from side to side in the packed crowd. The LED setup and meticulously calculated lighting seemed to work wonders to those who might have been seeing Pretty Lights a little differently than the rest of us, if you catch my drift. The set included musical influences ranging from funk to hip-hop and dance-ready tunes that kept the crowd moving until after midnight. At one point, I remember the lights coming on and the entire crowd was singing the chorus of one of the songs. If you looked around, everyone was smiling. It was a feel good moment for Richmond that evening. Good, clean, fun music had taken over and we all were there to witness it. I have never had the opportunity to see Pretty Lights before, but after that night, I’m sure I will be seeing more of them, and would recommend you do the same!
Words By Alex Rose
Photos By Sam Allen
Trouble & Bass, with Starkey and Supra1
Nov. 10 at U Street Music Hall, Washington DC
Around the corner from the 930 Club in Washington DC exists a nightclub that is quickly joining the ranks of the most enjoyable nightclubs on the east coast. The U Street Music Hall, conveniently located at 1115 U Street NW, provides a place for any dance music lover to go nearly any day of the week. Washington favorite DJ’s, Will Eastman and Jesse Tittsworth, are the primary owners of this nightclub, which opened in March of this year. The amount of detail that went into the making of this club might not be noticeable to you, but having been built and designed by DJ’s, it is in a league of its own--from the state-of-the-art sound system, with bass loud enough to rattle your chest from across the 300-capacity dance floor, to the unique DJ booth which allows the DJ to not only control the music, but the lights and overall atmosphere of the room. Over the past few months, U Hall (as it’s commonly known) has booked some of the most sought-after DJ’s that are playing now. In either the recent past or the near future, they’ve scheduled acts such as: Rusko, Simian Mobile Disco, Borgore, Emalkay, Drop The Lime, Designer Drugs, Borgore. Before U Hall opened, the chances of any of these performers playing in the DC area were very slim. Now, due to overwhelmingly positive feedback and a sound system that will make your pants tight, U Street Music Hall is becoming a must on any given tour.
Wednesday night, one of Richmond’s favorite music labels, Trouble & Bass, hosted their monthly residence party at U Hall. The Trouble & Bass crew, consisting of AC Slater, Star Eyes and the Captain, with special guests Starkey and Supra1, made me realize why I love not only this club, but the artists they frequently associate themselves with. You might remember a DJ by the name of Drop The Lime who has torn Richmond up on several occasions. If you did not already know, he also helped start the label Trouble & Bass a few years ago, and has since gone global with it. The T&B crew were on the decks first last night, taking turns mixing the bass-heavy tunes we have grown to associate them with. AC Slater, who has been considered one of the most talented up-and-coming producers around, combined with the precision of The Captain and Star Eyes’ “darker” influence. The trio was able to play the perfect combination of tracks that sampled their extensive catalogue.
After a two-hour set, special guest Starkey was getting ready to take over the dance floor. By this time, everyone seemed to be loosened up and the dance floor was getting a little heavy. Starkey took over the wheels and, after a spoken-word intro similar to the opening track on Outkast’s Stankonia album, hit the crowd in the face with bass and percussive tones that I could have never seen coming. His high energy level in the booth seemed to come out to us through the music. I was blown away at the intensity of his performance, and would go out of my way to see him again. Rather than dancing to your typical 4/4 groove, Starkey puts your skills to the test, making you move in rhythms you probably did not know you could dance to. Regardless, his songs hit hard and kept you going throughout the duration of his set.
Supra1 emerged close to 1:30 and was set to close out the evening. Unfortunately for him, being scheduled behind Starkey would prove to be costly. While Supra1, who hails from Poland, put on a great performance when judged by itself, I believe that Starkey stole the spotlight for the rest of the evening. Surpra1’s style is not as hard-hitting as Starkey, and while that is perfectly fine, I think we were not ready for a slower-paced set afterwards. Supra1 is relatively new on the scene, having been picked up by Trouble&Bass just over a year ago. There was a ton of good music being played and the only thing I wish I could have changed was his timeslot for that evening.
All in all, Trouble & Bass knows how to party. They throw their resident party once a month in DC with a changing set of DJs each time. I suggest you all clear your schedule on December 8. Make plans to pay U Street Music Hall a visit to hear T&B artists J-Wow (of Buraka von Sistema), Zombies for Money and Star Eyes. You will not be disappointed.
A video demonstrating U Street Music Hall's sound system
Bermuda Triangles - Reptilian Intervention (CNP Records)
I am going to be as objective as I possibly can in reviewing the newest Bermuda Triangles’ LP Reptilian Intervention, released last May on the CNP label. This is going to be a hard one, for these lads are dear friends of mine, but fuck it. I’ve been around music and the life behind it long enough to know this band is the best band currently in Richmond, whether I’m friends with them or not.
When I first heard Reptilian Intervention, I heard the quality sound, engineered and recorded by Kevin Willoughby. To capture the Bermuda Triangles’ sound is an uneven task to say the least, but Willoughby turned front man Jason Hodges’ written songs into pieces of a revolution. Richmond is known for almost everybody doing the same thing, but that was not the route taken by this album of layers, shapes, sizes, space, colors and randomness. I don’t know about you, but shit on shit, we need that in our lives of listening. To compare this experimental, no wave, psychedelic and tropical noise music making foursome to any other band would be a travesty. Hence, it’s time to be a part of this intervention.
Reptilian Intervention charges up the mountain with the first cut, “Bloo.” “Bloo” takes the listener to an upside down Caribbean feel on the back of a haunting background sax, played vigorously by Sean Cassidy. Hodges’ voice and keystrokes are scientific, for this song only prepares one slightly for the mesmerizing quest ahead. The title track, “Reptilian Intervention,” is next in line, and Jesus fucking Christ. This song starts slow and confusing but billows its way into the back of your mind. You will never think the same way about life again. Like with other bands' songs, some songs are just better live than on the album. The song “Reptilian Intervention” is glorious live. Let’s go to song three, shall we.
“Pulses Emitting From Deep Space” is the best song anybody in Richmond has written, let alone performed since McClellan's siege of Richmond. Jared Young and Bill Porter’s percussion here is an easy chocolate that bestows greatness. All together, this song is an orgasm. The forth track is “Leviathan.” Um, not a fan of this song at all. As the middle of the album arrives, I realize I don’t know how to explain the technical side of the way this album was recorded, produced and engineered. But oh how I do respect the way it was all put together--and we’re only half way through.
Track five, “Sleepwalking,” is a perfect song for going outside to smoke a cigarette to. Track six is my personal favorite; “No Proof No Truth” is led by utility man Bill Porter. Porter carries this song. Cassidy’s sax, Young’s precision, Porter’s bullfrog guitar, and Hodges’ voice keep me smiling with this song, and that's why I love and never miss a Bermuda Triangles show. “Riddles In The Sand,” which is at lucky seven, is just that, lucky. Bands need radio-worthy songs that rape society’s attention deficit disorder. This is the cut, my friends. Hodges shines in voice, and Young and Porter’s percussion mesh as nice as a Bev’s Ice Cream float, with Cassidy’s sax sneaking up the backside to round out this fabulous jigsaw puzzle of sound. “Riddles” will leave you in awe.
“The Awesome Power of Reptilian Jaws” takes the eighth spot, and I just have to say that if I was wandering around King’s Dominion, this would be the song in my head. It’s a song that is catchy, yet I need more substance here. Last, but not least is my favorite song Hodges did when Bermuda Triangles was just him solo. Oh how this song has matured. Now that the band is a four piece, “Cannibal Island” is a four star song. It directs you out of Reptilian Intervention in a most auspicious way.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is the hardest working band in Richmond. The Bermuda Triangles are on to something. Reptilian Intervention just solidifies this point. My only advice to the Bermuda Triangles is if you are in the same place as a band you are in now one year from now, well you might want to look into other avenues. Get this album people, but only if you care about music that is ahead of it’s time.
Bermuda Triangles - Riddles In The Sand
Review by John Morgan--originally appeared at One Way Richmond
Friday November 12. The place was the Landmark Theater, front row seats. With an oversized Heineken in hand, and what turned out to be undersized expectations, I watched as the Experience Hendrix Tour 2010 exploded onto the stage.
First up was Billy Cox, bassist on the Band of Gypsies album with Hendrix. Cox was joined by Ernie Isley on lead guitar and Chris Layton on drums. Their rendition of “Manic Depression” was excellent. Next came Living Colour, with what was the most audience-rousing piece of the evening, “Crosstown Traffic.” The band played a high-charged version of the Hendrix hit on stage while singer Corey Glover, wireless mic in hand, roamed through the audience, including the balcony. When he would sing the line “You’re just like--” the audience would sing back, “Crosstown traffic!” We were all sweaty when they finished.
The concert featured a Who’s Who of current blues guitarists. In the lineup, in no particular order, were Johnny Lang, Susan Tedeschi, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, Robert Randolph and Mato Nanji of Indigenous. Also, playing a mean lead guitar, was Brad Whitford, rhythm guitarist for Aerosmith. The set must have included over twenty Hendrix compositions, but who’s counting? There were also continuous variations of players, changing about every two songs.
The evening closed out with Billy Cox back onstage, leading the very bluesy “Red House.“ The entire evening was a wonderful tribute to Jimi Hendrix. If you closed your eyes, he was up on that stage. The tickets were worth every penny. My ears are still ringing.
11/15 Kid is Qual (pictured atop), Sports Bar, Trew, DJ Air Waste @ The Cellar Door (1600 Monument Ave.) 10pm.
- A guy to my right takes over for melancholy…
11/15 EQ pres. EOTO (pictured just above), Archnemesis @ Canal Club 9pm.
- Should DJs run out of gas?...
11/16 The Black Crowes (pictured above) @ The National 8pm.
- Rubber peace and a Voodoo Glow Skulls CD…
11/16 Brian Jones Jazz (pictured above) @ The Camel 9pm.
- Super Jazz Bowl…
11/16 The Richmond Scene and The Foundry are proud to pres. The 1 Year Anniversary of The Listening Room Series feat. Jonathan Vassar & The Speckled Bird (pictured just above), Psalmships, Horsehead @ The Michaux House (1133 W Franklin St. - basement entrance on Birch Street) 8pm.
- We can hear everything including a bag of dope…
11-16 Bear In Heaven (pictured above), Twin Shadow, Sun Airway @ The Southern (Charlottesville), 8pm.
Pic By Nate Congleton
11/17 Dead Beat (pictured just above), Dead in the Dirt, Elitist, Break Away @ The Warehouse (1300 School St.) 6pm.
- Way to go bull’s eye…
11/17 A Skylit Drive, Motionless In White, For All Those Sleeping, Woe Is Me, Scarlett O'Hara, Awaiting Shipwrecks (pictured above) @ Canal Club 5:30pm.
- Teens are ripe for the picking in this mysterious twist from the good folks at Hardy Boys…
11/17 Disgrace (members of Moe. acoustic – pictured above) @ Capital Ale House Music Hall 7:30pm.
- Welcome to news, weather and sports…
11/17 Richard Shindell (pictured above) @ Ashland Coffee & Tea 8pm.
- I’m pleading for lust on sand bag ships of humor…
Pic by Martin Phillips
11/17 Glows In the Dark (pictured above) @ Balliceaux 10pm.
- It would mean the tests are negative…
11/17 This Is Your Life (pictured just above - record release), Hold Tight!, Remain, Family Cat (poster just below) @ Strange Matter 10pm.
- East train…
Written by John Lewis Morgan--originally appeared at One Way Richmond
Stoopid Faded from Luke Tilghman on Vimeo.
What goes on in your head after a night of craziness and a potent concoction of drugs and booze? Les La Britanica's new video for "Stoopid Faded" is kinda close. Eating balloons out of the cereal box? Finding yourself in a video shoot with over-sized cameras and a disco ball on your head? Its kinda like my last hangover.
BTW, check out the interview with Les La Britanica in the next issue of RVA coming out in a few weeks.
Charlie Owens is part of Art Whino's THE TAKEOVER happening at Art Basel Miami this December. One of the over 20 artists that will be working on live installations and workshops throughout the weekend. We are hoping to go this year and cover this for RVA.
Charlie Owens is an Atlanta based artist influenced by today's modern pop and street art. His work encompasses a mixed media process that utilizes illustration, graphic design and fine art skills producing a bold iconic style, all his own. He achieves his look by way of screen printing, stenciling, wheat paste, and the use of a wide range of acrylics, inks and other materials. By combining his love of illustration and design, Charlie has made a name for himself with his stylized female forms and over-sized murals that showcase the depth and dimension of his talent. - Art Whino
Here is more of Charlie Owen's work.
His website has a ton more charlieowens.com.
Here is the writeup.
Art Whino is pleased to announce it will be joining the Multiversal show this year! In conjunction with the Miami Art Basel and surrounding Art Fairs, we will be presenting THE TAKEOVER in Multiversal's outdoor courtyard using our “Elite Delta Force” of artistic leaders to create a unique 11,800 square foot outdoor art exhibition packed with an enormous series of installations/murals. The exhibition will be located in the heart of the Wynwood Arts District along with other accompanying art fairs. 20+ artists will paint large mural/installations around 8’ high and 20’ wide each. Each artist will also exhibit smaller artwork in their installation areas. There will be live painting events throughout the exhibition and under the umbrella of the THE TAKEOVER, will be THE KICKBACK LOUNGE featuring custom furniture with artists' artwork as the upholstery, full scale arcade games featuring customized artwork on the cabinets, and a full bar and snack area.
BRAIN DRAIN is back this month with Chicago’s WILLY JOY! Willy’s been all over, tearing it up for years now, playing countless parties and festivals around the country. Recently killing it on the production tip, his EP with Rob Threezy is out on Trouble & Bass Records and his releases have been getting support from the likes of Diplo, Drop The Lime, Brodinski and Boy ...8 Bit. He was recently asked to accompany Kid Sister as her tour DJ and URB Magazine named him one of the Next 100 artists to watch. Come see him live with the Audio Ammo Crew on Nov. 20th at Hat Factory and you'll instantly know why. GET LOW!
Get your tickets in advance here and be sure to check out the October Brain Drain Vid with Drop the Lime.
11/18 Noah-O & Black Fonzarelli pres. The Rebirth "MixtapeMadness” feat. Shawn Chappelle (pictured atop), Young Richmond Outkasts, Lela Bizz, Ryan Flow, Da Bizniz, Mike Lawless, DJ Swerve 360 (poster just below) @ The Camel 10pm.
- Flapping in the wind is tasty freedom acts gone to the fellowships…
11/18 Cheer Accident, Matta Gawa @ The Camel (early show) 7pm.
- Inside the King doesn’t exactly mean you’ll find the Queen…
11/18 Cutthroats Fall Formal (3rd annual Christmas Bike Fundraiser for Bikes for Kids) feat. DJ Doddie, DJ Dirty Finger (poster above) @ Strange Matter 9pm. free. 21+
- I lust after MCV motherfucker…
11/18 Julie Karr (record release – pictured above), Sundials, Fletcher C. Johnson @ Cous Cous 10pm.
- No more sex or betting on high school football games…
11/18 The Coathangers (pictured just above) @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar (414 East Main St., Charlottesville - (434) 293-9947)
11/19 Music In Memoriam for Nathan Joyce feat. short films by Dave O’Dell staring Nathan. Music sets by Ophelia, Lobo Marino, Now Sleepyhead, Shannon Cleary, Double Rainbow @ Sprout 9:30pm. (Nathan is pictured above)
- I did not know Nathan Joyce, but I wish I had. He was a talented young man who left us too soon, yet left Richmond with beautiful music…
11/19 Turnstyle Soundsystem pres. ‘BOOM’ feat. jazzy jungle from Joanna O. (pictured above), and delectable, classic house music from DJ Jesse Split @ Balliceaux 10:30pm. free.
- I feel the confederate beat of another Richmond rhythm...
Pic by Dominic Butchello
11/19 Andrew Cedermark, White Laces, TUNGS (pictured just above), Alaska @ Strange Matter 10pm.
- Is that a baby shark?...sure is…pass the canella…
11/20 Brad Spivey and The Honky Tonk Experience (pictured just above) @ Shenanigans 9pm.
- And I can also recite the alphabet blindfolded…
Pic by Sleaze
11/20 Sonic Boom - Street Fighter Tourney with music by: Just Plain Sounds & DJ Dizz feat. Oh.Bliv (pictured just above), Just Plain Ant, Gordy Michael, Sleaze, Draztiq, Drano, Joey Ripps, DJ Harrison, Alex Murphy, Junior Wong (poster below) @ Strange Matter 10pm. 18+
- Hold jelly accountable for this mess of DJ’s…
11/20 Flesh Mountain Boys @ Bogart's 9:30pm.
- Westbound and down…
11/20 ‘Every Wall Will Fall’ Benefit Show for The Israeli Anarchists Against The Wall Initiative feat. Caustic Castle (pictured above), joined by Bobby Donne of Labradford; SARS; Head Molt; Positivland @ Ghostprint Gallery 7pm.
- Richmond and Palestine unite and fight!…
11/20 Nick Coward & The Last Battle (pictured just above), Ben Shirley, The Last Monarchs @ Sprout 10pm.
- Yankee doodle Mandy…Moore…
11/20 Joanna Newsom (pictured above), Neal Morgan @ The National 8pm.
- There are not words to describe how cute this girl is…
11-21 The Diamond Center (pictured just above), The Young Sinclairs, Spindrift, Boney Loner @ Strange Matter 10pm.
- Just how young can a diamond be with it’s skin and drifting bones?...
Pic by Jake Cunningham
11/21 Turdus Musicus, Deep China, Hellbear (pictured just above), Templeteka @ The Triple 10pm.
- Punk rock for the hospice care nurses…
11/21 Smile Empty Soul (pictured just below), The Dismissed, Earshot, Edison @ Canal Club 6pm.
- Salad, chives, fruit and the fact Humpy Humpy Hippo went to U of R…
And, art is back in a bloody gridiron kind of way...
'ELI MANNING' at REFERENCE GALLERY (3rd and W. Main St.)
November 19th - December 4th 2010
Featuring work by: Wesley Friedrich, Piotr Łakomy, Oliver Laric, Tibi Tibi Neuspiel, Ilia Ovechkin, Patrick Quinn, Ryan Sawyer, and David Sherry.
Written by John Lewis Morgan--originally appeared at One Way Richmond
Sometimes putting in long hours working on a project, you can start to feel alittle detached from the world and isolated. If I could put it into a visual then this collection from synapticstimuli.com might be close. There is comfort in these images and a calmness that speaks to the reflection of oneself in prolonged episodes of intense concentration. Plus, we love sci-fi stuff. Phillip K. Dick 4-ever!
For more of this kind of stuff you can go HERE. Thanks Elliot.
Sufjan Stevens, with DM Stith
November 9 at The National
I had always been on the fence regarding Sufjan Stevens. I saw immense potential in his back catalog, particularly Illinois. Yet I still found shortcomings in his work that made it difficult for me to completely embrace his musical stylings. This all changed after my experience witnessing the way Sufjan Stevens presents his music in a live atmosphere.
Although the set wasn’t entirely memorable, it should be noted that DM Stith’s set offered itself as a perfect opening set. It lasted all of twenty minutes, and the artist was aware of the audience’s anticipation for the headlining band. While he shared clever anecdotes and displayed an exciting prowess with looping vocal bits, I found myself more compelled by the stage setup behind him. There were two drum kits, keyboards everywhere and a huge screen that dominated the background of the stage. What could possibly be in store for Richmond, Virginia on this Tuesday evening?
As Sufjan Stevens and his band came on stage dressed in costumes, red and blue lights filled the stage. Stevens's voice and lyrics engaged the audience as he sang the opening soliloquy of “Seven Swans” with a set of angel wings hanging off his shoulders. As soon as a momentary bridge arrived, the extremities uncovered on his new record The Age of Adz revealed themselves in his reinterpretations of older material.
There were costume changes. There were wonderful projections that coordinated flawlessly with the set. The audience was completely entranced with the show, so that during the quieter moments you could still retain your focus. Everything was remarkable.
Whether it was Stevens wearing a glowing headset with neon lights or a t-shirt, the back of which read “Be Mine,” there was no way to deny his presence as a performer and entertainer. He had a very comfortable rapport with the audience and, from the feel of his stage show, he wouldn’t be satisfied without giving everyone a performance that could only be described as unforgettable.
Perhaps the reason Sufjan Stevens now appeals to me is my reaction to his new album, The Age of Adz. On this record, he sheds all expectations and leaves the banjos behind. I am a fan of Americana, and I do believe Stevens accomplished phenomenal feats with his foray into that genre. However, there is something about the experimental nature of this new album and the risks taken that I can't help but admire. He not only created an album that challenges his longtime fans, but also created an album that exists as a reaction to the current state of listening to music. In a recent interview, he commented on how, given the MP3 culture, you are unable to truly take in an album as a whole any longer. How does one defeat this notion and continue to flourish as a creative artist? I think that is answered by The Age of Adz. I would find it impossible to simply dissect an album like this and still receive the intended impact. It deserves multiple listens, and it requires your complete attention. Whether it’s the title track or the twenty-five minute long finale, “Impossible Soul,” each song serves a greater purpose in regard to the album as a whole.
As Stevens and his band played songs taken from this recent album, I was flabbergasted. There was a level of intensity I wasn’t prepared for. I have seen several bands that I hold incredibly dear to my musical palate, but I wasn’t certain that I could describe seeing them live as something that evoked excitement. This was the case, though, with Sufjan Stevens. This show was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, with the high level of attention placed towards developing a complete performance that engaged the audience visually and aurally.
It felt fitting that after the triumphant performance of “Impossible Soul,” Stevens would decide to finish with material off of Illinois. In this instance, it offered itself as an intriguing juxtaposition. During the material off of The Age of Adz, the stage was full of neon lights, glowing face paint, post-apocalyptic costumes, and the work of artist Royal Robertson. When focusing on Illinois, the highlights were the songs themselves, and it was a moment to reflect on a time that could feel like an eternity ago. So much time has passed since the release of that much beloved record, and the audience's patience with and concentration on Stevens’ newer material was rewarded with the inclusion of these tunes.
The night came to a tremendous end as Stevens finished his set with “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” It seemed as if everybody was reeling from the cataclysm of events that occurred in front of our very eyes. I can't help but take seeing Sufjan Stevens live as a means of re-imagining the possibilities of what a live performance can be. Whether you are a fan or not, I must highly recommend catching Mr. Stevens when he drops by again. It’s totally worth it.
I was recently in Carrboro NC at a DJ gig and ran into Ryan Ragan, who is a professional surfer. Now, when you're in the middle of NC and run into a surfer, it can be kinda confusing. It seems like a strange place to be talking about surfing, or anything like that, on a cold October day at a festival. However, Ryan informed me of his family being from the area, and of the fact that his mother's battle with cancer has brought him home to take care of her. Ryan's story of having to put his sponsorships and surfing career on hold to take care of his mother really affected me. He was very nice and asked me if I would listen and maybe find a way to help him. Recently he contacted me and sent some information about his upcoming benefit. I told Ryan I would do all that I could to help, so please take a moment to read below, and if you can, help Ryan and his family by showing your support. Thanks!
Dear fellow North Carolinians, surfers and friends,
Professional surfer and Chapel Hill native Ryan Ragan, has faced some of life's greatest challenges, like riding monster waves bigger than a three story house. But nothing from 20 years of professional surfing could prepare him for leaving everything behind to return to North Carolina and become his mother's primary care giver, as her battle with fallopian cancer has yet again taken a turn for the worse.
Ryan's family has strong ties with the town of Chapel Hill. His grandparents opened Thells Bakery on Franklin street and the family successfully ran it for over 40 years. Ryan was born and raised here and in Florida until he relocated to San Francisco when he was ten. It was there that he started surfing. By the time he was fourteen he was competing, and after a string of successes, he was recruited into the rarefied world of Professional Surfing.
In the workweek of Pro surfing you have to actively compete for your sponsors to pay for your airfare, hotels, and basic living expenses. Much like in any professional sport, if you are not out on the tour, you do not get paid. Ryan has had to drop everything and leave the Tour twice to fly home when the call came that his mother, Judy Jernigan Bosniadis, has stage 3C cancer. Last year Judy had to call her son with the hard news that her cancer was spreading, and that insurance pays only 80% of the extremely expensive cost in treating it. Judy was running out of the most basic options, like purchasing medications, eating healthy foods to keep her body strong enough to fight, and just getting to and from the hospital. Ryan returned to become her driver, her cook, her confidant, her coach and her best friend. For a brief time it seemed as the cancer had gone into remission.
Judy encouraged Ryan to participate in a contest in Australia, but two months back into the tour he got the dreaded call from home. The fallopian cancer was back and worse than before. Again he dropped out of the Pro Tour to come back home. But without being at his profession for the last few months, Ryan hasn't been paid and the bills are piling up for Judy, even as the recommended courses of treatment and procedures become more exhausting and expensive.
This fundraiser is just a drop in the bucket for the emotional and physical toll that this mother and son have been through. Your contribution goes directly to helping this family. No middle man. No BS.
Facebook event page: tinyurl.com/Benifit
You can donate directly at the event, on SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21ST, AT THE STATION (Southern Rail) IN CARRBORO.
Or visit our website: www.ryanragan.com
We have a PayPal account setup to go directly to Judy.
Cheers,
Mike Benson (Proprietor, Southern Rail)
Chip Hoppin (Proprietor, The Merch)
Thank You. God Bless You. And see you on Sunday!
Have you ever thought about stealing an 18-wheeler, stacking it full of dynamite, then parking it outside a pedestrian-filled shopping mall on a Sunday afternoon and using yourself as a human torch to light the world on fire? I mean, why not? You gave up your dream of tap dancing years ago to work inside that faded gray polycarbonate cube all day, hammering those finger nubs into a rusty nail laden keyboard, slowly sealing your own coffin shut stroke by stroke. Maybe instead of worrying yourself with how soon you'll come to meet your maker (he isn't who you think he is), you should focus your energy on other, more interesting subjects. The dream's gone so let's figure out how to turn your meaningless existence into something, well, less meaningless and maybe do something worthwhile for a change. You see that kid swingin' his schoolbag in the middle of the street so close to traffic? Turn the wheel a quarter-inch to the left, he swings again. Turn it to the right a centimeter and you just made your weekend. Doesn't that feel good? Sometimes the two-legged creatures on this plank just need a hand, a push in the right direction. And let me clarify that the right direction is 40 stories straight down into a pool of one of my favorite colors. Sucking souls through straws to ward off the insatiable craving caused by the empty hole of a life you created for yourself. I've been doing this as long as there's been a this and I'm here to tell you it's not your fault. It's their fault. So click your pen, stand up, and with gentle force place it into your neighbor's jugular (Google to find it's exact location first, you want it to be messy), and then come see me. We have a lot to talk about.
- Johnny
Johnny is a freelance writer and performer in the new film The Man Who Would Live, currently in the process of raising funds on Kickstarter.com. Show your support of the Richmond film community by visiting themanwhowouldlive.com and making a donation.
From the hundreds of students sweating through the arts program at Virginia Commonwealth University to the range of galleries and supplies stores lining the streets to the elaborate tattooed images on local skin, Richmond is an artsy town. Knowing this, one of the city's most recognized art events is taking place. The Visual Arts Center of Richmond will host its 46th annual Craft & Design show at the Science Museum of Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 20 and Sunday, Nov. 21. With the intent to encourage local appreciation of craft art, this benefit will showcase 70 of the country's most prestigious artists. By selling their work to the public, the event also opens up a physical line of communication between artist and audience, unlike the all-too-common email and phone relationship of most art sales today.
Karen Miller, special events and volunteer coordinator for the VACR, says the most common fear for attendees come from looking at the most expensive works. But after her six years producing the show, Miller says the “artists are there to sell” and the wide range of price points can meet everyone's needs. Last year, in fact, she was able to walk home with a beautiful pair of handmade earrings for only $40. “I always tell people, it's always been the broad spectrum of price points as well. Not everyone can afford a $2,000 glass vase,” Miller said. “There's definitely stuff that's kind of intimidating, and you're like, 'Oh my God that belongs in the Smithsonian!' And some of these artists do have their stuff in big muckety-muck museums. But a lot of the art is still nevertheless very approachable.”
Based on the history, the Craft & Design show always intended to be beneficial for both artists and potential buyers. The Visual Arts Center, then known as the Hand Workshop, opened in 1963, founded by Elisabeth Scott Bocock. She used her own wealth to create a non-profit facility in order to provide art to children that could not afford it. With no compensation to offer the artists that helped her start up and teach there, she developed the Craft & Design show as payment. In this way, artists were able to share and sell their work to a wide audience. Similarly, attendees were able to not only walk away with beautiful pieces of craft, but to discuss the ideas and motivations behind them with the creators.
This history has made an equally long-lasting impact on the annual traditions of some Richmonders. For Maggie Smith, exhibition manager for Quirk Gallery on downtown's Broad Street, the show has been a must-see for many years. "I think it's great. It's something I've always gone to and looked forward to every year,” Smith said. “I went with my mom as a kid and I go now with her as an adult.” To add to the reasons for her excitement, Quirk Gallery also began a partnership with the VACR last year. In addition to participating in the actual show, they now have a fundraiser, raffling off donated works of art for the show, called “Take a Chance on Me." This year, Quirk will showcase the work of 11 artists at their booth.
It is relationships like this that show the growth of the event, keeping up with the ever-changing development of craft art. The size and space of the show, specifically, are recent changes that have given the VACR significant recognition in the art world. The Craft & Design show, which used to be almost 180 booths at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, is now presented in the Science Museum of Virginia, with a more selective group of artists. Nancy Tait, media contact for the SMV, says the new location fits perfectly. “It's a beautiful show and a beautiful museum,” she said.
Miller agrees the change of venue was a necessary, particularly due to the VACR's continuous efforts to have the show be a more refined and polished presentation of craft work. “We are the only show of any sort of caliber, reputation, history, in the entire country that made the conscious decision, in 2007, to be smaller, more edited, and higher quality. [We] kind of rebranded the show,” Miller said.
And these changes have made all the difference. Before 2007, the Hand Workshop worked out of a variety of locations, starting on N. 24th Street in Historic Church Hill. It was not until 1985 that the organization settled in at 1812 W. Main Street, which used to be the old Virginia Dairy Company. With help from fundraising opportunities like this show, the Hand Workshop was finally able to purchase the building in 2002 and begin a major two-part renovation. Completed in 2007, the building now boasts an additional 8,000 square feet of space, including new teaching studios, a photographic darkroom, the digital lab, administrative and reception space, a new gallery, more teaching studios and a landscaped courtyard.
“The organization and the show go hand in hand. It's not just a fundraiser for us. It's really part of our legacy. It's part of who we are as an organization. It's part of our mission, which is to bring fine craft to the area,” Miller said. “It's the one thing that we do that can accommodate thousands of people, that we've been doing for a long period of time, that gets people all pumped up and excited.”
And there's reason to be. The participants at the Craft & Design show are what Miller calls the “rock stars” of the craft world. They produce some of the most beautiful, one-of-a-kind work out there. The selection of artists is based on a judging process where they apply online and, by way of a blind scoring system from a six-person jury, are selected to showcase based on their work. The VACR also tries to make sure the artists are representative of the classes the center instructs. Attendees are encouraged to register for classes relating to the craft work presented, such as ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry and wood.
Financially, an event like this helps better provide for these classes and the influx of students coming through the VACR. Being a non-profit, the fees for classes do not typically cover the cost of the supplies and equipment used. But with a determinative focus on benefiting the community, the VACR continues to offer a multitude of programs for adults and kids. One of the most well-known and utilized ways they give back is simply by encouraging participants in their volunteer program. With over 100 total volunteers, the center still manages to offer compensation by giving free class hours in relation to number of hours put in.
With the array of classes and programs that the VACR has to offer, the center reflects the creativity of the city. Events like Craft & Design are indicators of the progress made over such a long history in Richmond. And according to Smith, the craft world will continue to develop and attract people from all over to enjoy unique forms of art. “The craft world is changing rapidly with the younger generation coming in. They're using traditional craft methods with nontraditional materials. It's exciting to see that.”
Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms (Sunbeam)
To put it as bluntly as possible, I’m really mad at myself that I bought this album. I really should know better by now than to buy into the whole record collector mystique that builds up around anybody who put out a limited album forty years ago then disappeared into obscurity, only to be dragged out of the shadows by the blogosphere. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for a good back story, but Linda Perhacs’s isn’t even that great–just a fairly standard tale of an average-at-best folkie who recorded a few waifish tunes towards the tail end of the first hippie era then dropped off the map to commune with the forests.
One might immediately make a comparison with Vashti Bunyan, not only in the nearly parallel life story but in many of the music’s sonic signatures. But where Bunyan’s better moments survive on a waifish delicacy, a fragility so effortless and pronounced that you might fear her voice might shatter if you listen hard enough, Perhacs trades on a forced hush which comes off sedated rather than sedate, as if she might betray the “good vibes” she so eagerly hoped to convey if she raised her voice at all. There are occasional moments with potential, most notably the studio trickery at work in the title track, but for the most part this is a dated relic, a time capsule so toothless that it makes Joni Mitchell sound like Slayer in comparison. It’s great that so many otherwise unheralded would-be classics are digging their way up from obscurity’s interment, but Parallelograms demonstrates that while many albums were lost to history unjustifiably, some deserved their fate.
