Thursday, July 18
The Sheaves (Phoenix, Arizona) with Ultra Bleach and Workers Comp at Bandito’s Burrito Lounge
Read our interview with Workers Comp here. Doors open at 7 p.m. Cost of show is $10.
Friday, July 19
Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto at Get Tight Lounge
Why not try something different? Sure, it can be hard when your favorites are constantly pumped into your brain from ubiquitous media devices designed to keep those soma levels topped off (if you forgot Aldous Huxley’s book “Brave New World,” you may want to re-read it, since we’re living it). But we digress: Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto is a traditional cumbia folk group formed in the Caribbean region of Colombia way back in 1940. They have some acclaimed recordings on the legendary Smithsonian Folkways label, and in 2007, even won a Latin Grammy for folkloric music. Just think: On what will likely be a muggy summer night in Richmond, Virginia, you could get to watch one of the most important gaita ensembles from Colombia since the 1950s, a group that brings the best of Colombia’s Afro-Indigenous culture to audiences worldwide. Three cheers for diverse bookings! Cost: $24.25. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Deau Eyes w/Shera Shi and Catie Lausten at The Camel
Three full bands. Three, powerfully talented, Richmond-affiliated lead singers. Three great reasons to head to the Camel on Friday. Headlining will be the Newlin Prize-winning rock of Deau Eyes, fresh off a blazing mid-June Friday Cheers set that included backup singers, choreography and the sizzling new tune, “Hot Rocks.” Also performing will be Shera Shi, whose ranging, futuristic sound is anchored by the knockout vocals of singer and guitarist Britt O’Neill. Rounding out the bill is singer-songwriter Catie Lausten, who will have celebrated the release of a new single just one day before. The song’s title, “Come Back to VA,” carries with it some light irony, in that this Camel performance kicks off a string of Lausten tour dates that begins in Virginia before continuing on to the Northeast and Midwest. Catching Lausten before she hits the road is yet another reason to stop by when the doors open at 9 p.m. Music starts at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 ($15 at the door) and can be purchased at thecamel.org.-Davy Jones
“Plunky Day in the RVA” Celebration at Kanawha Plaza
Saxophonist James Plunky Branch is one of the area’s most significant native sons. Born in Richmond, he left for a cross-country series of adventures as an activist, draftee, fugitive, and, with his band Juju, as a “new African jazz” visionary on the San Francisco scene. Inspired by legendary free jazz innovator Ornette Coleman’s Artist House, he returned home in 1974 to establish a similar artistic hub in his hometown. Over the decades since, he has performed innumerable local shows, produced records and a documentary, written hundreds of songs, and seen his earliest work recognized for its vital contribution to musical history. But this may be the most important thing for anyone thinking of coming to the “Plunky’s Day in the RVA” celebration of his continuing legacy: The man knows how to put on a charismatic, blazingly positive, prime-time funky show. For the Kanawa Plaza event, Branch will be joined by go-go artists E.U. and Sugar Bear, appropriately since his music was one of the taproots of that DC rap-adjacent scene. The event will also feature RVA favorite singers Desiree Roots and Corey-El. Friday is one of those triple-witching days where there are an unusual number of good options; but only one features, pays tribute to, and celebrates the 77th birthday of a man who played a foundational role in making the RVA scene what it is today. Plunky Day in RVA with E.U. and Sugar Bear, with Afrobeats artist Rhythim, and music by DJ Danja Mowf, takes place at Kanawa Plaza from 5-10 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance and $15 for children.–Peter McElhinney
Comedian Danae Hays at the Carpenter Theater, Dominion Energy Center
Billed as “equal parts ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Andy Samberg and Carole Burnett,” Danae Hays has earned a lot of followers on TikTok for her “zany” Southern characters and parodies of country music songs. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $33.50 plus fees.
Saturday, July 20
Black Pride RVA: Day of Purpose Festival at Greater Richmond Convention Center
Self-billed as a “vibrant event that highlights the beauty and strength of the BIPOC LGBTQIA+ community.” There will be live music, dance performance, art displays and various vendors and products looking to connect “like-minded individuals and organizations that support BIPOC LGBTQIA+ excellence and equality.” 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. www.blackpriderva.com.
Mother’s Little Helpers at Hardywood Richmond
Richmond’s own Rolling Stones tribute group goes for capturing the feel, not so much the pouty looks and prancing. $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Show starts at 7 p.m.
Monday, July 22
Faye Webster with Julie and Benet at Brown’s Island
Presented by WNRN and part of the Live Loud concert series, this should be another popular gig on the island featuring Faye Webster, a 27-year-old, pop singer-songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia who is big on the kids’ TikTok scroll. Check out her recent performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live below. Tickets range from $38 to $48 plus fees. All ages. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Mary Timony with Speedy Ortiz at Canal Club
Would you believe it’s been 15 years since Timony released a solo album? Her new one, “Untame the Tiger” (Merge Records), reflects and expands on the work she’s done since. Her guitar heroics remain but are more varied in texture; swap distortion for dynamics and clarity and enter ‘70s British folk-psych inspo. Lyrically, the songs benefit from a candor rarely captured in band affairs. For Richmonders of a certain age, the bill is a call back to when Speedy Ortiz (from Northampton, Mass.) opened for Timony’s garage rock power trio, Ex Hex, at Strange Matter. See her now at new heights of her prowess. 7 p.m. doors. $20 plus service charges, in advance and $25 at the door.—Tim Abbondelo
Wednesday, July 23
Loud Night with Fredag den 13:e, Sweeties and Ivy Creep at Cobra Cabana
Is there a new wave of Richmond heavy metal upon us? If so, Loud Night is its most qualified leader. The band’s 2020 debut, “Mindnumbing Pleasure” (Vinyl Conflict) is a joyride of punk-metal belters. Now celebration is in order on the occasion of the band’s new split-release and East Coast tour with Gothenburg, Sweden’s Fredag den 13:e. The pairing and new material are more hell-bent for d-beat hardcore than leather, but melodic riffs aren’t going anywhere with the recent addition of guitarist Paul Kirk from Mel Machete. They’ll be joined by Sweeties, whose new album, “Drivin’ a Truck,” delivers hard-and-heavy rock tunes in (ace of) spades, and the band, Ivy Creep. You wouldn’t know it’s a Wednesday by the degree of intensity assembled. Turn your weak night into a loud one. Go! 7 p.m. doors. $12 (cash encouraged).—T.A.
