Last Wednesday, Radio Rubber Room served up two of my current favorites – Machine Gun Mustache and Legion of Doom. MGM I dig on account of their reckless, wild, insane nature (coupled with a touch of finesse and composure, like a schizophrenic hobo wearing a well-tailored suit). Legion of Doom, as always, keeps the grooving funk bar set sky high and gives us a chance to hear some of Richmond’s best young talents.
I remember the first time I saw Machine Gun Mustache; I got a huge kick out of their uncontrolled, ululating, herky-jerky momentum. The key offsetting element in this band is their apparently classically-trained violinist, Justin Cullum. It seems to me that if you ever simply want a boost of credibility or validation, inject a violin into the situation--any situation. Bring a violin to your next job interview.
In any case, that pseudo-careless aspect is still what I like about the band, but – due most likely to time and natural progression – MGM is now significantly more polished, at least where they needed/wanted to be.
MGM has been at it long enough to have developed some catchphrase moments in their set, such as the segue into “Get Off My Shit," where Immanuel the Liberator adequately explains, “This song is about my shit, and how you should get off it.” I messaged one of the guys, asking how they achieved the gnarly sound bites in the intro of that song, but I didn’t hear back. The mystery lives on.
When Legion of Doom is on stage, I’d say there’s about a 25-yard tractor beam in all directions that will unfailingly draw people towards the music. They’re rock fucking solid, and they make it look so easy. Last week, they were on a ‘blind date’ with a new guitarist, Arman Khalatbari, who did more than just hold his own on his first night out.
And I’ve got to make mention of the young Andrew Sisk on drums. Sisk is one of my favorite up and coming drummers in the city; he’s sharp, inventive and most importantly, he’s reserved. He’s also a cool ass dude. The Legion of Doom will next assemble at The Fishbowl, March 23.
This Wednesday at the Republic, Radio Rubber Room presents Richmond’s resident badass brigade, Soundstorm. They’re all taking a break from their hectic rock and roll lifestyles to come rock out the entire night. That’s right, one night, one band. I would say that it’s a steep charge, but I’ve seen Soundstorm play for hours on end, and they can undoubtedly manage it.
As with any band that’s as busy as Soundstorm, I recommend catching them when you have the chance. You never know, one day they might run off into the world, never to be seen again. So be there, at The Republic, 10pm.
Words by Dan Mulrooney
Images by Tyler M. Conta