Style Weekly
Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
You may know him as Spits from his traveling gig as a guitarist in the popular, punkish bluegrass group, the Hackensaw Boys, but Ward Harrison has always been involved in numerous side efforts — from Van Halen cover bands to his current incarnation of tears-in-your-beer, honky-tonk bliss, the Ruinaires. This band, which also features Tim Stanton on pedal steel, B.J. Williams on Fender bass, and artist Kris Krull on drums, plays classics from the likes of George Jones, Hank Williams, Johnny Paycheck and Townes Van Zandt alongside some originals. As a bonus, Hackensaw Boy co-founder David “Shiner” Sickmen is playing out again and will open the band's Dec. 10 show at Comfort with a solo set of originals and maybe a Hackensaw tune or two. Sickmen has a new band based in Lynchburg with the great name, the Bellwether States. You can catch this band the next night at Plaza Bowl, playing full on rock 'n' roll that early fans have described as a mixture of the Replacements and Wilco. The Ruinaires with David Sickmen at Comfort: 200 W. Broad St., 780-0004. 10:30 p.m. Free with donation. David Sickmen and the Bellwether States at Plaza Bowl: 523 E. Southside Plaza. 233-8799.
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