The Auricular

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: February 18 - February 24 - The Auricular FEATURED SHOW  Friday, February 20, 7 PM Suppression, Ostraca, The Slads, Cicada, Service Weapon, Curriculum @ Studio Two Three – $10 The threat is real. One of the best things …

It's Wednesday, local music fans! You know what that means! Here's @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social with your guide to shows you must see February 18 to February 24!

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: February 11 - February 17 - The Auricular FEATURED SHOW Tuesday, February 17, 7 PM Get The Flock Out Benefit Show, feat. Deau Eyes, Holy River, Brookhouse, Benjamin Shepherd @ Gallery 5 – $10 suggested donation Let’s get …

Whether you're standing up for privacy & accountability or simply looking to tune out the headlines for a night, this week's concert calendar delivers. Here's @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social with your guide to shows you must see February 11 to February 17!

So join us on Wednesday, February 18th at Plan 9 Music so you don't miss your chance for a true musical marvel, care of HOTPANTS. And did we mention it was free?

...songs driven by rich storytelling, melodies that balance fire and tenderness, and arrangements that feel like welcome companions on the open highway or in a packed barroom. For listeners who crave music that feels honest and alive, the search is over with HOTPANTS.

Their latest record, Ghost Of Rock And Roll, was released in 2025 on Vocal Rest Records and features all of the hallmarks of their heartfelt, high-energy sound:

Centered on the songwriting of frontwoman Mackenzie Roark, the band is filled out by Billy Bacci on lead guitar, Caroline Vain on violin, Matt Moran on bass guitar, Drew Barnocky on drums, and Leigh Pinner on backing vocals, with each member adding to the dynamic harmonies.

A true musical force, HOTPANTS are a powerhouse ensemble rooted in the soulful sounds of Americana and shaped by the timeless grit of rock and roll.

On Wednesday, February 18th, The Auricular proudly welcomes the electrifying sounds of HOTPANTS to Plan 9 Music for an exciting in-store performance!

As Richmond starts to thaw, the concert calendar is doing the exact opposite! As always, @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social has all the details on the shows bringing the heat this week. Here is your guide to shows you must see February 4 to February 10!

We've got the remedy for your winter cabin fever right here. Seven great shows over the next seven days to catch when you're willing and able to break out of your home. Here's @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social with your guide to shows you must see January 28 to February 3!

Listen to the album today before its official release on Friday, January 23rd via Noxious Ruin, and don't miss Disrotter's album release show on Thursday, January 22nd at banditos alongside Prisoner, Anti-Sapien, and Paradiso, presented by Rival Booking.

Premiere: Disrotter Unleashes A Grinding Reckoning Without Escape On Perish Forth - The Auricular What is true horror? The sheer cruelty of the world around us, or our unsettling ability to continue to live alongside it without interruption? It's too hard to tell these days. Sure, we pause when we...

ALBUM PREMIERE: Grinding death metal quartet Disrotter unleashes a reckoning without escape on new album, Perish Forth.

www.theauricular.com/news/premier...

Don't let your snow storm planning and panicking sap all of your energy. Save some of it for another incredible week of live music here in Richmond. Here's @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social with your guide to shows you must see January 21 to January 27!

www.theauricular.com/news/rva-sho...

Premiere: Christina Louise Finds Musical Fire Waiting In The Ashtray On "Half-Smoked Cigarettes" - The Auricular The instinct to connect is ingrained in our existence. To search for friends, mentors, companions, and confidants. To find the relationships and spaces where we feel seen and needed. It’s here that we...

SONG PREMIERE: Christina Louise draws on musical fire found waiting in the ashtray on her stirring new single, "Half-Smoked Cigarettes."

Listen to the song today before its official release on 1/20, and don't miss her performing on 1/19 at Révéler Experiences alongside Caroline Vain.

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: January 14 - January 20 - The Auricular FEATURED SHOW Thursday, January 15, 8 PM The Damage, Destruct, Arrogants, Subjects @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10 (Main photo: Ryan del Rosario) Maybe this isn’t what most people want to …

From a hardcore riot to a gospel revelation, we mean it when we say this week's show column has something for everyone. Here's @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social with your guide to shows you must see January 14 to January 20!

Main photo by Ryan del Rosario.

Join Tristan Dougherty and The Heart Pines at a pastoral crossroads in the new video for "Indecision Waltz," shot by Vertical Sandbox at Sill & Glade Cabin.

www.theauricular.com/news/tristan...

Richmond MC GQue has the perfect antidote to the post-holiday lull with "Ran It Up," his latest single from the Frequency EP as well as the newest entry into Rick Blair's RVA Live performance series.

Don't take our word for it. Watch Radio at Plan 9 on Wednesday, January 21st and witness true hip-hop excellence.

That grounded perspective reflects the community-first philosophy that has defined his career, from creating platforms like RVA Rap Elite to curating the annual Flag On The Moon showcase, initiatives that continue to shape and elevate Richmond's hip-hop culture.

His latest album, The Internet Is Fake, puts that ethos into sharp focus, examining the fraying of attention and authenticity in the digital era with Radio B situated squarely in the struggle, coping and combating with the same distractions and dependencies as his listeners.

His rich catalog--highlighted by monumental releases like Stop Looking For Noise and All Art Ain't Pretty--showcases a gifted MC whose work is deeply introspective and unwaveringly intentional.

Over the past two decades, Radio B has cemented himself as not only one of Richmond's premier performers, but one of its most essential voices.

The Auricular's performance series at Plan 9 Music kicks off 2026 in dynamic fashion with @radioblitz.bsky.social taking the stage on Wednesday, January 21st!

Photo by Sterling Giles.

ALBUM REVIEW: @midlifepilot achieves potential and takes their sound to a new level on Talk In Your Sleep.

Words by @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social.

Lil Grits Explores The Work Behind The Wish In "Dreams" - The Auricular Anything is possible when you close your eyes and let your mind drift. All of your wishes, as well as all of your fears. Both exist in that unrealized space, and the only way to achieve one and preven...

Work for your hopes and against your fears, per Lil Grits aka @swellthy.bsky.social on "Dreams" in the new video shot by nightcr_wler.

choline Amplifies The Noise For A Much-Needed "Clean Slate" - The Auricular It’s hard to imagine desiring a reset just nine days into the new year, but here we are. As the news becomes more distressing and depressing with every alert, the idea of a blank canvas seems pretty d...

Shoegaze act choline amplifies the noise for a much-needed reset in the video for "Clean Slate," off of the new album Unspool, the latest in a prolific run from the mastermind behind @petrifiedentity.bsky.social and Pale Throne.

Sun V Set Portray Piercing Renewal On "Ankle Biter Thorn" - The Auricular In 2005, David Foster Wallace presented a new spin on the term “rat race,” electing to redefine it as “the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.” Over two decades later,...

Experience piercing renewal, courtesy of the stirring Sun V Set, in the new live video for "Ankle Biter Thorn" shot at Go West Recording.

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: January 7 - January 13 - The Auricular FEATURED SHOW Saturday, January 10, 8 PM Fundraiser for Cel’s Surgery Recovery, feat. Ten Pound Snail, Shagg Carpet, Sprawl @ The Camel – $12 in advance, $15 day of show …

This week's concert calendar offers the perfect chance to discover new bands, while also giving you a chance to bid farewell to a longtime favorite. Here's @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social with your guide to shows you must see January 7 to January 13!

Album Review: Burn In Heaven - Decalogue by Leather Hearse - The Auricular Back when I started going to shows in Richmond, it was the early ’90s, and noise rock was the big thing in the local scene. When I was still a teenager, I mainly went to all-ages shows and seeing Avai...

ALBUM REVIEW: Leather Hearse maximize brutality and go for the throat with new album, Burn In Heaven – Decalogue.

Words by @annihilatethisweek.bsky.social.

Premiere: Elle Christine Grapples With Possibility On "Rabbit Hole" - The Auricular New year, new you? The burning question each time we prepare for the ball drop, and the stinging taunt that follows months later when we survey our broken promises and wayward ambition.

SONG PREMIERE: Folk-pop artist Elle Christine surveys a sea of possibilities on her new single, "Rabbit Hole."

Listen to the song today before its official release on Tuesday, January 6th.