Feeling impulsive? Sometimes, a music fan needs to follow the urge to catch that late show or afterparty, no matter when. For instance, the show that’s happening now. Yes, right now.
This week, Feedback salutes the fleeting nature of the Tuesday night gig with a look at two bands performing the day this paper hits the streets. If you missed ’em, not to worry—both acts have more in the works.
Where to start? How about with the return of a deadly band of mixed martial artists?
Gunchux, reloaded
The last proper Gunchux gig in town came only a few weeks before the death of guitarist R.S. Hornsby, nephew of legendary songwriter Bruce Hornsby, in January 2009. “We didn’t really do anything for a couple months,” said lead singer Rob Cheatham, who brings Gunchux back as a trio with a Tuesday night gig at Is. “We never really got to go on the road with this band.”
Gunchux started in late 2008 as a way for Cheatham to release music outside of The Nice Jenkins. “We had four songwriters in one band,” said Cheatham of Jenkins. “Though it was very awesome at times, you couldn’t make all your songs be songs—you had to give and take. We all started other projects so those songs could come to life.” Feedback grabbed Gunchux’s five-song EP during the band’s 2008 “Rocktoberfest” gig at Rapture, and the album has plenty of life—a mid-’90s alt-rock feel, with plenty of space-funk guitar work from Hornsby.
Now, a slim, steady version of Gunchux has a few East Coast gigs lined up for June, and a few new songs to unveil at Is. “It’s definitely been a weird beginning of the year,” says Cheatham. “But I feel pretty good. I wanted this gig to be a ‘moving forward’ thing, and not so much a ‘looking back’ thing.” Expect more from Gunchux in the coming months.
Join the caravan
Maybe a bit of gypsy jazz is more your speed on weeknights. You know who we’re talking about; heck, Rick Olivarez himself admits that the gypsy jazz community is “pretty tight-knit.” Our resident prog-rock and Django fan (he knows his Rush as well as his Reinhardt) usually spends Tuesdays at C&O, but adds a gig with his trio at Bel Rio on Wednesday, June 17 at 7pm* for a one-time-only, free set with the Gonzalo Bergara Quartet.
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Gypsy king: Rick Olivarez and his trio join forces with the Gonzalo Bergara Quartet on Tuesday night at Bel Rio. Act fast if you want to catch the gig! |
Bergara and his band will hit our city following a featured spot at this year’s Django in June festival, an annual gathering in Massachusetts. According to Olivarez, Bergara “was able to hone right in and look for gypsy jazz groups in Virginia—I don’t think there are that many.”
While you can still catch Olivarez’s other weekly gig at the usual time and place (Sunday at Bel Rio), the man shines when he shares the stage with a member of the Reinhardt tribe. “The last time we had a special guest was quite some time ago, a very old friend of mine from Montpelier—he’s a blind accordionist,” Olivarez told Feedback. “He played with us over at C&O and, I’m not kidding, people are still talking about that night.” Trust your impulses, readers.
Worn, with pride
One final recommendation: Last week, Worn in Red drummer Brad Perry shared a few new tracks with Feedback in anticipation of the band’s Friday night gig at Is. It’s sure to be a great one; head to the Feedback blog for more on Worn in Red, along with a Feedback Session with Sons of Bill.
*Date of show updated on Tuesday, June 16.