May 2-7

From the return of Friday Cheers to Cinco de Mayo celebrations, Arts in the Park, La Perla, Lydia Lunch and much more.

Thursday, May 2

Futurebirds at the National

Athens, Georgia-based rock band Futurebirds will touch down at the National this Thursday. The versatile group, which already boasts an uncommonly flexible formation with a bench of three singer-songwriters, is fresh off a string of releases incorporating My Morning Jacket guitarist Carl Broemel: the 2023 live album, “Thanks Y’all,” and a pair of “Bloomin’” EPs that the group eventually combined on a single LP. The chance to snag those releases at the merch table isn’t the only reason members of the BirdFam would be wise to show up early. Opening will be an up-and-coming singer-songwriter named Jack Stepanian, who hails from Richmond. Though currently a student at University of Virginia, Stepanian has a musical toolkit that outpaces his age, including commanding lead singing and blues-based guitar playing. Both are on full display throughout his five-song “Made for Us” EP, which came out in March. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 and can be purchased at thenationalva.com.—Davy Jones

 

Friday, May 3

Friday Cheers presents Bella White with Colby T. Helms and the Virginia Creepers at Brown’s Island

Originally from the Canadian city of Calgary, White is a young, rising country/folk singer-songwriter based in Nashville with a mighty voice that sounds polished beyond her years; as well a father who is a Virginia native and bluegrass player who raised her surrounded by music. Rolling Stone described her songwriting as “sublime Appalachian heartbreak” which just as easily could describe her voice and traditional approach to her material. Based on her debut album, “Just Like Leaving,” the redheaded singer sounds destined for brighter lights, so here’s your chance to catch her before things get expensive, at the kickoff to this year’s Friday Cheers. Southwest Virginia’s Colby T. Helms and his Virginia Creepers bring some real downhome Appalachian flavor to the opening slot at 6:30 p.m. and Bella White goes on at 8 p.m. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Children 12 and under are free.

 

Strike Anywhere with Praise and NØ Man at Richmond Music Hall

Gone are the days when Strike Anywhere shows were commonplace in the commonwealth. Although a majority of the band still live in Richmond, other members have flung as far as California, so their hometown-cum-homecoming shows happen less often. Friday will be their first headlining show in a whopping eight years; more recent local shows have included opening for Bouncing Souls, Hot Water Music and Avail at last summer’s Over the James festival on Browns Island. In any case, it’s an occasion when they perform, well matched for the band’s always-anthemic energy. If you have tickets to their sold-out show this Friday at Richmond Music Hall, make it a point to show up early – that is to say, on time – in order to catch both openers: the melodic hardcore band Praise, and NØ Man, who are among, if not altogether, the most inspired and politically important punk band in action today. And if you don’t have tickets, what were you waiting for? The next Strike Anywhere show could be awhile.—Tim Abbondelo

Strike Anywhere. Photo credit: Josh Casino

 

Saturday, May 4

 Arts in the Park at Byrd Park around the Carillon (Saturday and Sunday)

 Always a popular, family-friendly event, Arts in the Park bills itself as a “nationally-rated, juried art show” which offers original work produced by over 350 “top-quality artists and crafts people from Virginia and throughout the United States.” Takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visit the website for more info. Free event.

Festival Que Pasa at Brown’s Island

 A colorful day of celebration featuring solo acts, dance groups, bands and more. Visit www.quepasafestival.com for the full rundown. Noon to 8 p.m.

 

La Perla, Knifing Around and DJ Crown Vic at Get Tight Lounge

There is everything and nothing traditional about La Perla. The Bogota-based, all-female trio blends a hypnotic array of Latin/Caribbean rhythms with touches of rock and hip-hop, socially conscious lyrics, close harmonies and a playful propulsive delivery. In the decade since winning the Gaita’s Festival of Ovejas, an annual event celebrating the Colombian percussion tradition, they’ve expanded their sound in a series of singles, releasing their first full-length album “Callejera” in 2022. Their billing as “three drum witches from Colombia” is a fair encapsulation of the enchanting, incantatory power in their music. RVA’s high energy, experimental Southern dance rock band Knifing Around also appears. The evening opens with DJ Crown Vic- a.k.a. Bio Ritmo founding member Jim Thomson- spinning an eclectic, globe and genre hopping set of vinyl from around the world. WRIRs Global A Go Go and Plan 9 Records are event sponsors. Doors are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $24.95. –Peter McElhinney

 

Sunday, May 5

Bio Ritmo at Ember Music Hall

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with “Ritmo de Mayo” featuring one of Richmond’s longest running musical institutions, an “ultimate fusion band blending salsa, cumbia, and Latin jazz.” Doors open at 5 p.m. Advanced tickets are $15 available here.

 

The Last Laugh with Lydia Lunch and JT Habersaat at Cobra Cabana

JT Habersaat, the “godfather of punk comedy” (Chicago Now), kicks off this eclectic evening with his “bitingly sardonic comedic storytelling” while the legendary Queen of No Wave and Muse of Cinema Transgression, Lydia Lunch closes it out with her confrontationalist spoken word. The night is hosted by local standup comic Mike Engle. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Doors at 8 p.m. and show starts at 8:30 p.m.

 

Monday, May 6

“Gettin’ Kinda Itchie” book signing at Deep Groove Records

One of the judges for Richmond’s Circuit Court, Richard Campbell, also happens to be among the foremost experts on the Mamas and the Papas, and he’ll be signing copies of his book, “Gettin’ Kinda Itchie,” at Deep Groove Records. While many other historical accounts kick off when the famed vocal group officially began releasing music in the mid-1960s, his book focuses on the road leading up to that point, tracing the evolution of earlier groups like the Journeymen, the Big 3 and the Mugwumps in which John Phillips, Michelle Phillips, “Mama” Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty accumulated the experience that informed their later work. Campbell also chronicles the Mamas and the Papas’ Virginia roots, which often fly under the radar for even fervent fans. (For example, two members attended George Washington High School in Alexandria.) Campbell will sign copies of his book from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. –Davy Jones

 

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