Thursday, May 29
The 47th annual Richmond Greek Festival at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Thursday through Sunday, June 1)
Can you believe we’ve had nearly 50 years of the Richmond Greek Festival? Come enjoy moussaka, spanakopita, pork and chicken souvlaki, and (one of our faves) yahni, green beans slow-cooked in tomato sauce. There will be live music and dancing, plus a special Cathedral Choir Concert on Saturday, May 31 at 2 p.m. Drivers be prepared for crowds around Grove and Malvern area (also, be aware that drivers have been getting nailed with speed camera tickets near Mary Mumford School, that’s why it looks like every car is in slow motion now). The Greek Fest runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 1. Free to attend, pay as you go. Part of the proceeds go to various local charities. For more detailed information, visit their website.
Steve Earle: Fifty Years of Stories and Songs, solo acoustic at The Tin Pan (also Friday, May 30)
A protégé of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Earle is one of the most talented songwriters of his generation and was recently bestowed the honor of becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry (read our interview here). 8 p.m. There may be a few tickets left, check Eventbrite. Both nights could easily sell out.
Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys at Broadberry
The son of the Virginia bluegrass legend carries on his father’s legacy of traditional downhome music. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show.
Charged Up Fest at various venues (through Sunday, June 1)
One of the city’s biggest local hi-hop fests has been going on all week and closes out with a big finale over the weekend. Thursday features a community bike ride from 7 to 9 p.m. a music showcase at Yellow House Studios 2.0 and a Kick-off concert at Vagabond at 8 p.m. To get the full details and schedule, visit their website.
Friday, May 30
Friday Cheers presents Josiah and the Bonnevilles with Jonathan Paige Brown Jr. at Brown’s Island
If you’re into country-leaning singer-songwriters who bring plenty of raw emotion with them when they step onstage, Brown’s Island is the place to be this Friday. Headlining this week’s Friday Cheers will be Josiah and the Bonnevilles, led by the Tennessee-born former “American Idol” competitor, Josiah Leming. Leming has shown himself to be a comeback machine, whether he’s signing to Warner Records after being prematurely ousted from his “American Idol” run or leveraging social media and Patreon to turn demo tracks into renewed career momentum. While Leming has already lived multiple musical lifetimes, Jonathan Paige Brown Jr.’s is just getting started, as he’s been generating buzz all around Richmond with his impassioned performance style and captivating covers. Doors open at 6 p.m. and music starts at 6:30 p.m. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets are $10 ($15 at the door) and can be purchased at venturerichmond.com.—Davy Jones
Nicholas Hamilton at Fountain Bookstore
Aussie actor, musician and online mixologist Nicholas Hamilton (he was the bully kid in “It” and also appeared in “Captain Fantastic”) has gone from movies to TikTok fame and now has a new cocktail book “Sipsy-Doozy.” Here’s a rare chance to hear him talk about it. Registration is required. Free. 6 p.m.
Palm Palm double header at The Camel (also Saturday night)
Palm Palm ends May with a double barrel blast of kinetic rock and roll. The band struts with a transgressive panache recalling the pre-metal hard rock bands of the late 1960s and the post-punk revival of the mid-’80s. Most of all, they are exceptional performers, their shows a high-energy swirl of color and motion. Keyboardist/vocalist J. Roddy Watson assembled the band in 2020 and it includes: Charlie Glenn (The Trillions) providing cool guitar heroics, and a rhythm section of bassist Andrew Carper (The Southern Belles) and Raphael Katchinoff (The Congress) laying down the driving foundation. Watson adds the wild man energy at the heart of the performance. These two nights celebrate the release of Palm Palm’s long anticipated debut album, “The Natural Anthem” (double vinyl).
Countering Palm Palm’s male energy, each night’s opener has a nominally, if not sonically, softer side. On Friday, it is Charlottesville’s social justice/LGBTQ-oriented power trio Shagwüf. On Saturday, Community Witch, a Norfolk-based, all-women quartet with a sound redolent of the midnight reverb of surf music, provides a counterpoint to the testosterone tsunami. Expect both nights to be well-attended. When the music starts, expect people to be in motion. Doors are at 9 p.m. and music starts at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.—Peter McElhinney
Hot Lava record release with Camo Face and Sweet Touch at Gallery5
Meet me in the bathroom for the triumphant return of this long dormant Richmond pop rock force of nature, once again set to erupt. The band’s new album “Queen of Fools” was recorded, mixed and produced by Russell Lacy at the Virginia Moonwalker. The results still trade in the familiar sonic turf of your favorite indie sleaze of yesteryear for a bouquet that’s somehow equal parts Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Moldy Peaches and The Strokes. This is not meant to diminish what the band accomplishes here, but more to highlight the otherwise barren pop territory they reign over. It’s hard to picture Hot Lava’s principal singer-songwriter Allison Apperson going in any other direction, even if it took her a while to arrive back here. Just as the name Hot Lava seems redundant — when is Lava not hot? — the band’s sound is intrinsically its own. Preeminent drum-and-bass duo, Camo Face, is a natural fit for this coronation of Hot Lava’s new record. Expect melodies stuck in your head and competing for dominance in the days following. Doors are at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $15.—T.A.
The Pink Stones with Ma’aM and Chris Leggett at Richmond Music Hall
This pair of new-to-me, giggin’ cosmic country bands will appeal to a large swath of Richmond’s local music scene, where folk and country music often commingle with the indie rock set. If the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “burrito bowl” is spinning your favorite Gram Parsons record from the comfort and privacy of your own home, this show is for you. The Pink Stones hail from Athens, Georgia; the band’s first album “Introducing…The Pink Stones” demonstrated the group’s verve for twangy ballads more akin to Neil Young at his most contemplative — check out “Sweat Me Out”. But the band leans more into its Tennessee tendencies on sophomore album “You Know Who.” The opening track “Baby, I’m Still Right Here (With You)” is a duet in the grand ‘ole tradition with rising indie-country star Nikki Lane; here’s hoping opening band Ma’aM’s Araelia Lopatic has enough energy left to fill in on any missing duet duties. It’d be understandable if the entire Ma’aM band spontaneously combust after its set though, still smoking from the heat coming off new album “Out the Window” released earlier this month. If other bands hint at roots music in their rock’n’roll cocktail, Ma’aM is more likely to dump its entire drink over listeners’ heads with an arsenal of noisemakers: guitar, slide, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, Farfisa organ and brass — vocals, too. Lopatic’s got that department covered. [Editor’s note: Also on the bill is local musician Chris Leggett, who noted on social media that he will be kicking off the show with Matt Elgin as a duo]. Doors are at 7 p.m. and cost $20 (fees included).—Tim Abbondelo
Saturday, May 31
Heritage India Festival at Richmond Raceway Expo, Building 1 (Also Sunday)
Originally the greater Washington metro area’s premier South Asian cultural, arts and commerce festival, the Heritage India Festival is expanding to Richmond and Philly this year. Come check out the cuisine, the shopping and more. Saturday noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday, June 1, noon to 7 p.m. For more details, visit the website.
The second annual Chesterfield Outdoor Fest at Chesterfield County Fairgrounds
Outdoor adventure demos like rock climbing, biking, archery, and fishing. There will be live music, live shows, a kids zone, airdogs and more. 10300 Courthouse Road. Free, pay as you go. Visit the website to learn more.
Takaat with Buck Gooter, Black Button and Hard Copy at the Warehouse
No longer just the rhythm section of Mdou Moctar, the sensational Nigerian rock band named for its virtuosic guitar frontman, Takaat is now behind one of the best new releases of the spring with “Is Noise, Vol. 1.” The band’s name is Tamashek [a dialect spoken by the Tuareg] for “noise,” and Takaat and this EP are built loud, but also razor sharp and exuberant. Motorik drumming meets handclaps and elite riffing on the band’s lone single, “Amidinin.” At just over four minutes, the song feels constrained but it’s an easy fix when played on repeat. I can’t wait to hear more from the band. The rest of the bill is equally exciting and runs the gamut of sounds with the common thread being unfiltered expression. Prolific DIY champion Buck Gooter arrives from Harrisonburg with its newly released album “King Kong Lives: Thereminsanity” — recommended for fans of off-the-wall industrial punk weirdness, new and old. Meanwhile Black Button and Hard Copy dispense their own brands of hardcore and post punk, respectively, with gusto. Doors are at 7 p.m. and admission is $12 in advance and $15 at the door.—T.A.
Roller Derby Double Header at Greater Richmond Convention Center
Are you ready to rumble? If you haven’t checked out Richmond Roller Derby maybe this weekend is your chance. Doors are at 4:30 p.m. and game one (River City Riot vs. Charlotte A Team) starts at 5 p.m. with game two (River City Rats vs. Charlotte B Team) at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free. Concessions will be open. Don’t forget to bring non-perishable food items to support their local mutual aid food drive.
Hercules and Love Affair at LOSO
Fans of underground club culture, disco and house will be thrilled to have the option of two impressive DJ sets from the dance music project created by American DJ and musician Andy Butler. 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at 2727 W. Broad St. Doors are at 8 p.m. 21 and up. Note: General admission advance tickets are sold out.
Sunday, June 1
“Ultimate Dinosaurs” opens at The Science Museum of Virginia
Kids and adults alike should love this all-new exhibit featuring 17 life-sized skeletons of dinos made from fossil molds and much more. Organizers say this touring exhibition “will challenge guests’ understanding of the prehistoric predators through groundbreaking research from scientists around the world. Discoveries reveal the amazing variety of dinosaurs that evolved in isolation in South America, Africa and Madagascar — creatures that are distinctly different from their more well-known, North American relatives.” Stay tuned for a preview from Style Weekly.
Admission is available through a discounted combination ticket that includes a feature in The Dome. Tickets are $25 for adults; $22 for youth (ages 6–12) and seniors (ages 60 and older); and $17.50 for preschool-aged children (ages 3–5). Also, according to organizers: “Discounts are available for teachers, military personnel and EBT cardholders through the Museums for All program. Discounted tickets must be purchased in person at Guest Services. Science Museum members receive unlimited free admission to ‘Ultimate Dinosaurs.’ From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Science Museum will offer extended hours each Friday to give guests additional opportunities to take in “Ultimate Dinosaurs” and “Dinosaurs of Antarctica.” Summer operating hours are Saturday–Thursday from 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m. All Science Museum experiences will be open during these extended hours.” The exhibit runs through Sept. 1.
Combo Chimbita at Get Tight Lounge
Based in New York City, but with deep roots in Abya Yala, the never-quite conquered borderland between Colombia and Panama, Combo Chimbita’s sound intertwines the rhythmic mélange of cumbia with Sun Ra Afrofuturism and mystical psychedelia — a communion with the ancestral spirits on the dance floor. Lead singer Carolina Oliveros’ vocals cut and soar through a mesmerizing of layers of synthesizer atmospherics from Prince of Queens, sinuous guitar lines from Niño Lento es Fuego, and the polyrhythmic propulsion of drummer/producer Dilemastronauta. The band came together at Barbès, Olivier Conan’s increasingly venerable Brooklyn Bar that is the epicenter of hyper-cool, semi-underground borderless music. Combo Chimbita’s name, in colloquial Colombian, means “amazing combo” (if that sounds pretty tame, it is also an off-color double entendre.) Alternative label Anti, home to artists as diverse as Neko Case, Mavis Staples, and Tom Waits, released the band’s latest album, “IRÉ [Go].” The Get Tight Lounge has had many great international acts, and the back patio is an intimate space to suspend time in a swirl of seriously fun music under the late spring stars. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $24.25.—P.M.
An Evening with Richmond Pops band at Altria Theater
A free concert and tradition since 1977, Central Virginia’s finest community concert band will play movie themes by John Williams plus “a number of band classics, concluding with [their] traditional Memorial Day musical tribute to our American Armed Forces. The band will be joined by outstanding local musical artists, including vocal soloists Emma Potts and Pablo Talamante, trumpet soloist David Moore, composer Rob Blankenship, and guest conductor Ryan Stahl.” Doors open at 5:15 p.m and show starts at 6:30 p.m. Show is free but tickets are required.
Tuesday, June 3
Broadway in Richmond presents “Some Like It Hot” at Altria Theater
The great big musical comedy made famous by the movie starring Marilyn Monroe is in town for five days of singing and dancing. Winner of four Tony awards (including Best Costumes and Best Choreography) as well as a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Runs through June 8. Read our preview by Rich Griset. Runs through June 8.
