FEATURE SHOW
Friday, September 20, 7 p. m.
Eric Copeland, Karacell, Scoughs, Mutwawa, Daggering @ Gallery 5– Price at door/All Ages.
Eric Copeland is one of the most influential experimental musicians around. Having this member of the seminal electronic experimental group Black Dice in Richmond for the first time has everyone talking. The streets of Jackson Ward are abuzz with word of Copeland’s forthcoming performance. Copeland is touring in support of two amazing DFA records releases, the "Masterbater" 12" and the Joke in the Hole double LP. Joke, which is more noisy than a usual Copeland endeavor, has received strong reviews, and has put Eric Copeland right back where he belongs--at the top of the experimental/indefinable music world. Norfolk noise outfits Karacell and Scoughs lend out of town support. By the way, the mass chaos of noise rock Scoughs dishes out is flat out amazing. The time I saw them, I was blown away and punched in the ear. It’s a no-brainer you will be too.
Local freak-outs Mutwawa and Daggering open this night of fried brains going haywire. Totally expect a completely erratic, yet beautiful collage of experimentation, noise, and sounds that come from instruments and sound devices you plug into your mouth. Show up to this--it’s Friday night, for Satan’s sake!
Wednesday, September 18, 9 p. m.
Deaf Scene (Photo by Ashley Garland), Asian Teacher Factory, The Silo Effect @ The Camel - $5/18+
Deaf Scene is a delightful trio out of Baltimore playing experimental instrumental music. This band continues to grow faster than a John Waters film. As a drum, bass and guitar trio, Deaf Scene encompasses a vast range of sounds. All sonic boundaries are covered with this tantalizing trio from Charm City who are sure to charm us.
Touring support comes from Asheville avant-garde prog rockers, Asian Teacher Factory. Local support comes from that space rock band everybody in Richmond loves, the Silo Effect. This show is sure to be better than a ride on the space shuttle, so celebrate hump day at the Camel. By the way, every time I see that Geico commercial with the camel telling everybody its "hump day," I want to shoot myself in the face with a shotgun.
Thursday, September 19, 10 p. m.
Warren Hixson, Hypercolor @ Balliceaux - $5/21+
Great outdoor amphitheater debacle! This is a Show of the Year candidate if there ever was one. This show just fell from the sky and has everyone wanting to drink, do drugs, write term papers, and eat tacos along Hull St on a rainy day. Excuse me while I bounce off the ceiling after reading scripture.
Warren Hixson is a magical ride through the interactive spectrums that group hug the souls of methodical dance frames. This psych/garage/independent from all norms of a band creeps out from under the Fan District gallows to give us arguably the best music in Richmond. Oh, I’m arguing all right. This project of vocalist/guitarist Brent Delventhal has come full circle, and it’s time for Warren Hixson to become the most celebrated band in Richmond. Talent is taking over, everybody, so look out!
Not since I went number one in one of those miniature urinals you find in the boys room at an elementary school have I heard more positive hype regarding a Richmond band. That band is Hypercolor. Hypercolor holds on to hope and partakes as the amphetamines of your mind. This lo fi, fuzzy, indie band is a bona-fide, scintillating, keep-those-damn-hands-a-clapping kind of outfit. You, like me, must listen to the ceremonial songs featuring hooks and grandeur by Alexandra Spalding and Adrian Olsen. Surrounding the vision of Alex and Adrian are veteran musicians that get me out of the bed every morning: Cre Moore, Hugo Haggie, and Chrissie Griffith. Hold on to your hats, or even your tattoos for that matter, because you can’t spell miracle without Warren Hixson or Hypercolor.
Friday, September 20, 8 p. m.
Black Liquid presets Face Melt FridayXVII featuring Black Liquid, New Juice Crew, Doeboy Da Dude, Spazz, Scuba, Fundamental, Goad Gatsby, The Heroz, Rich P, A. Day, Ace of Spades, 5yve Footaz, Broad St. Elite, music by Bandolero& Swerve 36, plus many more local emcees @ Strange Matter -$5/18+
The best of the best emcees in Richmond are back at it at Strange Matter, aka Black Liquid’s laboratory. Easily one of, if not the best monthly event in Richmond, Face Melt Friday is a guaranteed glorious time. Lyrical cats take the mic only to serenade it with all their vocal might. Rhyming is free in this expensive world, but Richmond’s underground will never cease to pound the street sound. Be outside your own personal box tonight and show hip hop your utmost love. See you at Strange Matter tonight.
Friday, September 20, 9 p. m.
Christian Death, Lost Tribe, Name of the Rose @ Fallout - $12/18+
The Goth and death rock of Christian Death--sans the late, great Rozz Williams, of course--is still doing it, and will make a visit to Richmond this fine Friday night. Christian Death will feature Valor Kand, the band’s guitarist/vocalist since the mid eighties, along with vocalist and bassist Maitri, who has been with the band for 20 years. Christian Death is a pioneer in Goth industrial music and one of the most recognizable bands from that genre. The death rock sound pretty much grew out of the dark punk of Christian Death’s early days. Richmond peace punkers Lost Tribe are the perfect opener as they are a modern version of Christian Death’s sound.
Saturday, September 21, 10 p. m.
Charged Up Ent. & HipHopVa presents Beat Battle 2K13 @ The Camel– price at door/18+
Noah O is at it again as he delivers us the best underground beats in Richmond straight up. Tonight will be a beat battle royale between beat maestros. The special guest judge for this contest of all contests is none other than Nottz Raw. The super-producer himself is in the house. Now you might be asking, will there be rhymes over these beats? Well of course there will be. Expect some of the best emcees under the Charged Up umbrella and the city as a whole to be killing it over these beats per miracles.
Sunday, September 22, 10 p. m.
Cheap Time, Hot Dolphin, Gunboat, Banshee Beat @ Strange Matter - $8/18+
Nashville garage rockers Cheap Time are everywhere of late. That’s because everybody is talking about this freakin’ awesome band that rip you a new one with their pivotal high energy shows. The last time these guys were in Richmond they almost burnt down the National. They no longer need to be a supporting act, as they always steal the show. This time, they headline tonight at Strange Matter. These guys are sure to be on a high as the following night they open for Mudhoney in DC. Watch out, Mudhoney. Anyway, what a perfect excuse to go out on a Sunday night, as Cheap Time’s garage rock will take you to a better place. Local support comes from the lively psychedelic garage rock of Hot Dolphin and the postpunk of Gunboat. Banshee Beat’s dirty garage rock opens.
Monday, September 23, 9 p.m.
Lugweight, Tendril (pictured above), Rotted Ear, Brown Piss @ Strange Matter - $5/18+
Looking for harsh soundscapes along with harsh noise? Well, look no further. Experimentation has turned into the loss of hearing. You’re trapped in the abyss, and nothing but scientific madness rings in your ears. Get carried away by Lugweight as you are losing your innermost thoughts. This is almost drone overload, coupled with the thinning out of a guitar making love to reverb. Virginia Beach’s Tendril will supply the evening’s noisy punk rock, while Rotted Ear, noise lord Gary Stevens’ new joint, will be disturbing. Oh I like that. So will old white ladies. Jason Hodges, not to be outdone, will introduce Brown Piss. Sounds disgusting--see you there!
Tuesday, September 24, 7 p. m.
RVA Noise Night #14 featuring Insomniacrobats, Slow News Day In The Vampire World, Stress Orphan, Negative Gemini, Caves Caverns, Broken Colors, The New Loft, TT, Dumb Waiter, Ausbrecher, Brandon Hurtado @ Gallery 5– Donations please/All Ages
The noise and upside down experimentation continues on in this week of and-now-for-something-completely-different. Can you believe it, RVA Noise Night turns fourteen. Oh what a bratty teenager this night has been, but we love it. So long to the norm as noise is the wave of the future. It’s not metal, punk, indie, folk, hip hop or jam music - it is just crazy shit. If you enjoy bathing in dirty water infested by soot, then this night is for you. If you care about nothing, well, this night is for you. Anyway, ‘weird’ is a hippy word not to be used here. Let’s call this evening, well, how about ‘obtuse.’
Stress Orphan is a harsh noise parade from DC. Insomniacrobats is a CNP Records all-star explosion of sins. Slow News Day In the Vampire World is lo-fi avant-garde. Brandon Hurtado is an ambient jewel. TT is not TT Boy, yet harsh noise from Tony “Photograph” Lynch. New Loft is the best free jazz this side of the Powhite. Caves Caverns is fencing naked. Negative Gemini is keyboard infatuation. Ausbrecher is no-wave noise for your cheerfully bleeding ears. Dumb Waiter is that prog/math music we need on a Tuesday night, and then, of course, no Noise Night would be complete without the beautiful synth noise of Broken Colors. See you in the Ward tonight. I’ll be the guy hanging myself in the women’s bathroom.
By John Lewis Morgan (onewayrichmond.com)