Category: StudioB News
Mike Rutz’s show Activate! on WRIR is known around the station as one of the most challenging shows to do, especially since you’re sitting in for Mike who does it every week. He’s used to it. It’s an audio music calendar featuring music from bands and artists who will be playing in the Richmond area over the next week. So you have to do a lot of research for it in a short amount of time and also find music to play which should represent the artists appropriately. Do you play the new single? Or do you play an old favorite? What do you play by local artists who listeners may or may not know? It’s fun, but you want to do it justice.
I sat in for Mike on Thursday and even though it’s a relief to find plenty of music to play and plenty of live dates to promote, there is always so much more that you could play and highlight. And that speaks highly of Richmond’s live music scene which is pretty cool.
2022 0414 Activate! – Host Jay Smack (in for Mike)
FM SKYLINE – Astral Baths (local)
Black Iris; April 16 @ 8:30pm (w/ Alfred; FM Skyline; DHEMO; DJ Bedspread Radio)
HOTSPIT – Epitaph (local)
SIPPER – Party (NYC)
Hotspit (w/ Loving; Sipper) @ The Broadberry; April 21 @ 7pm
AUDACITY BRASS BAND – Raise Your Glass (local) Brambley Park; April 15 @ 9:30pm
DUCTTAPE JESUS – Fiddy Cent (local)
The Camel; April 18 @ 7pm (w/ Hunting Dog; Digital Hell)
DEAD BILLIONAIRES – Engines (local)
PRABIR TRIO – America (local)
Dead Billionaires EP , The Camel; April 20 @ 7pm (w/ Dead Psychic; Prabir Trio; Sweet Potatoes)
DUMB WAITER – Frzk (local)
GULL – Mouth To Mouth (local)
Gallery 5; April 16 @ 7pm (w/ Gull; Payton Baril)
LUCY IN BATTLE ARMOR – Funk Jedi (local)
JJ SPEAKS – Sneaky Little Wizards (local) – news of a special show in Sept later BABY BUGS – Hey Bunny
Bandito’s; April 16 @ 9pm (Lucy In Battle Armor, JJ Speaks; Baby Bugs)
.GIF FROM GOD – take the flesh; make it stretchy (local)
Benefit for Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project at Ask a punk; April 20 @ 8pm (w/ Prisoner; Terror Cell; Cimitir)
PRISONER – Tyrant (local)
Benefit for Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project at Ask a punk; April 20 @ 8pm (w/ .gif from god; Terror Cell; Cimitir)
CIRCLE JERKS – Coup d’Etat (live)
7 SECONDS – Here’s Your Warning
The Broadberry; April 18 @ 7pm (w/ Negative Approach; 7 Seconds)
SEA OF STORMS – Gentleman’s Jam (local) DARK WATERS – Mazy (local)
Cobra Cabana; April 15 (w/ Dark Waters; NC 17)
SUPERCHUNK – Endless Summer (Chapel Hill)
Richmond Music Hall; April 16 @ 7pm (w/ Torres)
DELTA SLEEP – Planet Fantastic
COLIN PHILS – Trust/Fall
GENDER ROLES – Dead or Alive
Canal Cub; April 19 @ 7pm (w/ It Looks Sad.; Gender Roles; Colin Phils)
DEAD FORMAT – Daybreak (local)
NINTH REALM – All Hail Treachery (Maryland)
The Bike Shop; April 15 @ 7pm (w Heavy Is the Head; Defying Death; Wasted Space; Dead Format; Ninth Realm; Gradal Slip)
HOT TUNA – I See the Light The Tin Pan; April 18 @ 7pm
TIN CAN FISH BAND – Long Time Blue
Sound of Music; April 16 @ 5pm (w/ Craigslist Jerry; Kooler Heads)
THE JOB – Here For You (local) -new
SEPARATION – Rise of Kings
MURDERSOME – Living Is Illegal
I AM THE LIQUOR – Destroyer of Worlds
Reunion show Sept 17 at Canal Clubwith Murdersome, I Am The Liquor, Fallen Under, JJ SPeaks
Cover image: “Cha Cha Palace” by Angelica Garcia. Designed by Angelica Garcia, Marissa Alper, Mariela Gavino. Photography by Marissa Alper.
Angelica Garcia is an artist from Richmond who is starting to light the world on fire. Originally from the L.A. area, her music is absolutely intoxicating, always with a heavy groove, thick beats, and musical elements from her Mexican and Salvadoran roots providing the foundation. The video for her single “Lucifer Waiting” was released a few months ago (April ’20) and like everything else she releases, it’s catchy, captivating and totally addictive. After hearing it once, you won’t find yourself wanting to hear it again so much as NEEDING to experience it again. There’s no real chorus, but her mischievous, sultry, trilling vocals return to the title refrain “Lucifer Waiting In The Corner” over and over and over again until, like the song itself, you eagerly await its return. The kick drum pounds reliably along underneath to a steady 4 that feels like it wants to be coaxed into something faster as the snare shuffles and sways and drags the listener along. I promise you, as you listen something in you or on you will start moving, if not both. There’s a darkness to the bass-driven melody which bubbles slowly in a mysterious, smoky E minor vamp, (it actually reminded me of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” which I love) but it also has a celebratory quality to it reminiscent of a street party, something often present in her music. Enough rambling breakdown. Watch the video and enjoy the song. And good luck getting it out of your head.
It should be noted that on this video her RVA-area label Spacebomb Records worked with RVA-area marketing agency and design firm Arts and Letters to create the animation and graphics.
MORE Angelica Garcia:
Her performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series
Her song “Jicama” was chosen by President Barack Obama for his end of 2019 playlist.
Her YouTube Channel including singles “Jicama” and “Karma The Knife”
Todd Feldman of The Rocket Factory, organizer of SparkJam 2020 talks about the upcoming event. SparkJam 2020 is a virtual online event being held Friday June 26 from 8am to 6pm to benefit the Virginia 30 Day Fund. It will feature speakers, music performances and will address challenges facing small businesses in 2020.
Performers include Saw Black and Landon Elliott with a panel of speakers including:
- Andy McGraw – Moderator, University of Richmond/Rumput
- Reggie Pace, No BS Brass /Hustle Season Podcast/Bon Iver
- Ben Baldwin, Spacebomb Group
- Anthony Smith, Virginia Repertory Theater
- Lucas Fritz, The Broadberry
- Carlos Chafin, In Your Ear Studios
- Andrew McEvoy, Classical Revolution RVA
Go to sparkjam2020.therocketfactory.net for more info and tickets.
David Judson Clemmons joins me live from Germany via Skype. He’s a Richmond guy who moved to L.A. to play music and ended up moving to Germany where he’s been ever since. His new album “Tribe and Throne” is out now and available everywhere. We talk about his travels, his time in Richmond, what he’s up to in Germany, connecting with fellow RVA music Greta Brinkman and more. This episode is also on YouTube in 2 parts.
Watch the episode on YouTube below.
Part 1
Part2
Richmond’s Brickwall Jackson performs in-studio at Red Amp Audio and talks about their new video for “Gun Truck”, recording, gigging and, of course, gear.
Doug Nunnally from the Richmond music website The Auricular is in-studio to talk local music and spin some recent tracks he’s digging. We pay special attention to The Auricular’s Feb 1 – 8 Richmond Roundup.
Artists featured:
Indira & Guppy Jo
Arkaza
Angelica Garcia
Ladylike 804
Greg Garner Feat. Timothy Bailey
Erin Lunsford
Johnny Cigs
Hankychief
I X R A
The Firnats
Mister Earthbound
Addy
Andrew Godfrey does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to his musical projects Transylvania Stud and Navaeh, with a little help from his friends. He’s been in bands and had some help with instrumentation, but on the latest TS release “White Witch”, he wrote and plays everything. We hang out for a meandering conversation that includes making records and shooting videos on a budget (having talented friends with great gear helps), his time in Nashville, underrated bands, lost civilizations and conspiracy theories.
Todd Murray and Chip Hale of Sincerely, Iris are in-studio today at Red Amp Audio performing a few songs and talking about some upcoming gigs, recording and some of their other collaborations. See Sincerely, Iris at The Dark Room Wed. Feb 5.
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