Luckily for the Richmond music scene, veteran rocker Nathan Grice (Big No) is now booking shows at Studio Two Three. And he’s got a big one for his first scheduled gig: Widely respected Richmond post hardcore band, City of Caterpillar, is headlining a Saturday evening bill that includes Ooozing Meat and Continuation.
Often described in the press as screamo, City of Caterpillar broke up in 2003 and has played only sporadically since then, earning praise online from outlets such as Brooklyn Vegan.
“They just got back together a couple of years ago, I’m excited to see them,” says Grice. “They had a big cult following in the early 2000s and share members from Pg. 99. Ryan Parrish, their drummer, is from Iron Reagan … They sound like a screamy punk version of Godspeed you Black Emperor.”
Also on the eclectic bill are local noise band, Oozing Meat, another abrasive project featuring local noise king Jason Hodges (Chaotic Noise Productions) as well as brand new group Continuation, which includes Brian Markham and KennyClose (Positive No).
“Continuation is pretty good, they just played their first show three months ago,” adds Grice. “They reminded me of Galaxy 500, Spacemen 3 a little. Kind of poppy psychedelic.”
This is Grice’s first big show at Studio Two Three, a 48 by 48 room with around 250 people capacity. It’s mostly just an empty room, which for punk bands can become an intimate, bonding experience.
“They usually do a lot of weddings. In the future, I’d like to have more drag shows, comedy, more music,” says Grice. “I’m working on some kinks to make it an easier place for people to play. Right now it’s very much a rental space.”
Grice could use strong local support for this gig to gain momentum for his bookings at the nonprofit venue. And considering he’s a top notch songwriter and musician himself — it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the space.
Tickets for the Saturday, July 27 evening show at Studio Two Three (3300 W. Clay St.) are $10 and there is no pre-sale. The gig will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., ending in enough time for people to attend a Warthog show at Wonderland.
