FEATURE SHOW
Sunday, February 17, 11 p.m.
Kid is Qual, The Trillions @ Bellytimber– Free/21+
The sonic thunder of two bassists and a drummer will always leave you screaming for more. Of course I’m talking about Richmond’s own band of extravagance, Kid is Qual. If Kid is Qual doesn’t get you bouncing, then I don’t want to know you. Kid is Qual will be performing at an unusual, yet awesome spot for live music--Bellytimber. You know Bellytimber, it’s where American Apparel gets their ideas from. Anyway, Kid is Qual will be performing material from their vast repertoire, including their nationally recognized EPs, Damn Son and Ladies Choice. Any band that records and performs live with the incomparable Schoolly D is an instant classic in my mind. If you want to hang out with the most beautiful women in Richmond, and actually have a good time for once, well, here is your show. The Trillions are here tonight as well. Double bonus! Even better, since it's Sunday, the bridge and interstate crowd is nowhere in sight. See you at this orgy--no doubt, son!
Wednesday, February 13, 9 p.m.
Jeff Sipe Trio @ Capital Ale House Downtown Music Hall - $10/18+
World renowned percussionist Jeff Sipe is in town with his exclusive band, and if, like me, you appreciate drumming the right way, then by all means, catch Jeff Sipe. Sipe, a founding member of the Aquarium Rescue Unit, has played with everybody in the jam, blues, jazz, and fusion rock world. Having played with or sat in with the likes of Widespread Panic, Keller Williams--my old neighbor, by the way--and Jeff Coffin & the Mu'tet, Sipe is a go-to for percussion that is out of this world. Why not catch this maestro with sticks up front live in person in gorgeous downtown Richmond?
Thursday, February 14, 9 p.m.
Valentine’s Day Cover Show/Singles Night @ Strange Matter - $5 Singles/$12 Couples/18+
Carrying on in the tradition of having local musicians banding together to form fun cover bands in honor of a fun holiday, this cover show at Strange Matter is part of my two choices that will make your Valentine's night complete. The lineup is a delightful tour down rock memory lane. Playing straight to your heart will be Chinese Rocks, a Ramones tribute; The Weeze, a Weezer tribute; and Rock and Roll Nurses, a New York Dolls tribute. How amazing will this night be? Expect even more insanity if VCU beats UMass. Staying home with your hand is not an option for those currently solo. Come to this show! Who knows, you might meet your wife, husband, or significant other here on Grace Street tonight.
Thursday, February 14, 9 p.m.
ANIMAL Presents SUGAR BUZZ: A Valentine's Day Benefit/Dance Party for Hollaback RVA featuring DJ Con (Animal), DJ Sean Lovelace, hosted by Drew Thurston @ Babe’s– Free/21+
There are a million things to do on Valentine’s night, whether single or part of a couple, that I could recommend. I’ve chosen two I feel could be roses. Sugar Buzz is, of course, one of them. This wonderful event, presented by Animal and which is also a benefit for Hollaback, is one of them. Sometimes you just gotta dance. Carytown will definitely be the place to be. Have a drink with cupid and experience the joyful tunes of Sean Lovelace and DJ Con. Fabulous is a word that will describe this evening. Your dancing shoes will be smoking, I assure you of that.
Friday, February 15, 7:30 p.m.
My Darling Fury, Floodwall, and Splendid Suns @ Gallery 5 - $5/All Ages
Gallery 5 always has the finest shows. This will be no different. The ambient indie rock of My Darling Fury, Floodwall, and Splendid Suns will make this event an absolutely cannot miss Saturday night. All three bands are definitely high risers and a perfect collection of well crafted songs that groove along with the time you will be spending at this old fire station. Whether you need a perfect show to take a date to, or you just want to see some really good bands, this Jackson Ward evening is for you.
Saturday, February 16, 9 p.m.
Hanzel Und Gretyl, Low on Sanity, Venal Flesh @ Fallout - $12/18+
Wow, how time flies. For twenty years now, industrial metal band Hanzel Und Gretyl has been electrifying Goth and industrial fans. Kaizer Von Loopy and Vas Kallas are still going strong as they take their aggressive industrial metal sound to further heights. Their last show at Fallout is still being talked about. There isn’t a better duo out there that will flat out bludgeon their way to the darkness inside you.
Take in Loopy’s vocals, guitars, and programming as they mesh perfectly with Vas Kallas’ eerie vocals and bass lines. If you missed their last show at Fallout, do not miss this one. It is sure to be the darkest passion you could ever imagine.
Richmond Goth metal giants Low on Sanity, and DC’s industrial stalwarts, Venal Flesh, open this show of shows. See you there.
Sunday, February 17, 6 p.m.
Breathing Theory, ViliFi, Dividing Face, Against Grace (pictured above by ShaLeigh Comerford), Siix7, Atom Eve Eclipse @ Cullen's Cove - $7/18+
If I could play God and force everyone in Metro Richmond to go to one live music venue in the area just once during their pathetic life, well, that venue would be Cullen’s Cove in the marvel that is Mechanicsville. Talk about a real honest bang for your buck, this show features epic rock and roll beyond Hanover County comparison.
It's headlined by Breathing Theory, and this hard rock metal band from Orlando will set your 80s hair on fire with no remorse. These guys are climbing the charts, ladies and gentlemen, so witness. Following along with Breathing Theory, Florida’s ViliFi will stab you in the ear with their extravagant alternative rock. Richmonders Dividing Face, also a hard rocking sledge hammer of a band, will get your boots-a-knocking for sure. This show has me in tears of jubilation so far.
Against Grace is that alternative dance rock band from right here that, if you haven’t seen, well, put it this way, you are missing the next big thing. This band gains in popularity as I breathe, so make it mandatory, and see this ultra band of foot tapping rock and roll. Hey ladies? Fair warning here--if you toss your brassieres at the Against Grace fellas, they won’t throw them back. Against Grace is against the norm, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. The hard rocking sounds out of Richmond’s Siix7 and Atom Eve Eclipse open this rock and roll heaven.
Monday, February 18, 8 p. m.
Speck Mountain, Hill & Wood, Ocean Versus Daughter @ The Camel - $5/18+
The landscape that is Speck Mountain is an ambient soul outfit that transfixes your Monday evening eardrum. This quartet out of Chicago is worth stepping out on a Monday night for. Fronted by the exquisite Marie-Claire Balabanian on vocals and bass, Speck Mountain is definitely worth climbing. If there was a definition for a true up-and-coming band, Speck Mountain needs to copyright it. They have a divine sound that Richmonders with real taste in music just have to take in.
Charlottesville indie rock darlings The Hill and Wood also lend to a magnificent night in music for the soul. And oh my stars, the battle royale, Ocean vs. Daughter, lend their favorable indie rock to this marvelous night of music and 28 beers on tap.
Tuesday, February 19, 10 p. m.
Mountains, TUNGS, Anduin (pictured above), Thieves of Shiloh @ Strange Matter - $7/18+
Lots of "mountain" bands in Richmond this week. Well, it’s a good thing, because the proof is not only in the pudding, but also in the experimental side of things. Mountains hover over valleys with their eclectic taste on the symmetry of redefined sound. The duo of Koen Holtkamp and Brendon Anderegg form a sound in cohesion with guitars, a cello, organs, and electric piano, then combine them with modular electronics. Mountains is touring in support of their new LP Centralia, off one of my favorite labels, Thrill Jockey, is a pulsating warmth that the ear can go on and on with.
TUNGS is the first runner up in the parade of locals that have something completely different to offer. Easily one of the most underappreciated bands in Richmond, TUNGS describe themselves as psychedelic-free-jazz-punk, and yes, that’s why they are so beautiful. They capture all the flags when allowing you to digest the quantity of quality experimentation. TUNGS is sure to elope with your subconscious.
Anduin may be considered noise, but what is that nowadays? Anduin leads the future of Richmond with his out-of-place soundscapes that put you right inside the square. Climb into experimentation with all its fortitude, and let Anduin take you into a galaxy just for those who view life as a stepping stone to immaculate sonorousness.
JK may be the best sound guy since Ernest Angley, not to mention that the man is an absolute wiz on the ivories. No, this isn’t Ellis Marsalis, or Emerson Lake and Palmer for that matter, yet it’s as if a piano fell ten stories and onto your head. If you can imagine beauty within that sensation, welcome to Thieves of Shiloh.
By John Lewis Morgan (onewayrichmond.com)