The Camel

Now that I’m all old and stuff, I don’t get to go out as much as I used to.  Every now and then I dress my old bones in something cute, drag The Hubs out the door, and head out to see a friend’s band play.  A while back, a friend’s band was playing at The Camel, and since there is something very cool going on there in the next couple of days, I thought I’d tell you about the experience.

First off, the outside looks like this:

Only it has lights and sometimes bikes tied to posts outside, and some people loading in and out their musical gear, and a general hubub of different activity.  And, I saw it in the nighttime.  The inside looks like this:

and this:

They have art all over the place.  They also serve great drinks, and just in case you forget what you ordered, some cups even have the name of the drink on them:

No word yet on whether or not The Hubs will get mad at me for putting up that picture.  Only time will tell.

As for The Camel itself, it is “a space for music, art, poetry, video, political forums, and conversation – anything that brings people together in the spirit of a free flow of ideas.”  I took that directly from their website.  I hope they don’t mind.  They are a place that hosts lots of live music, but you can also rent space there for an event.  The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and it’s the kind of place you can go and not feel like you’re supposed to belong to some special young people (or even Extremely Cool Older People) club to go there.

Menu-wise, there are vegan and vegetarian options, as well as all different kinds of paninis, sandwiches, pizzas, and pastas.  We just had an appetizer when we went (the Caprese), but the people next to us got a full meal and they were totally happy with everything they had ordered.  The prices are reasonable, the ingredients seem fresh, and it’s an all-around well-liked place.

You remember when I went and talked to Reggie Pace from NO! BS Brass?  He listed The Camel as one of the band’s favorite places to play, and several other of my musician friends feel the same way.  Incidentally, The Camel is hosting NO! BS Brass’s CD Release on Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2, and there will be DJ sets to round out the evening.  Friday will give you DJ COOL PAUL, and Saturday will give you DJ HARRISON.  On Saturday, NO! BS Brass will play two sets – one beginning at 8PM (that’s the one I’ll be attending – see the old reference above), and the other will start around 10.

Learn more about the goings-on at The Camel on The Camel’s website, or, better yet, go check it out for yourself.  You won’t be sorry.

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An Interview with Reggie Pace of NO BS! Brass and More

I recently had the opportunity to meet up with local musician Reginald Pace, co-founder of NO BS! Brass and a fellow who is involved in a staggering number of creative projects.  He was kind enough to meet me at Kuba Kuba, a favorite that I was SURE I’d reviewed before, but guess I haven’t.  It’s awesome.  You should go there.

Back to Reggie.  I first got the idea to interview Reggie when I saw NO BS! Brass play at Gallery 5‘s Halloween bash last year.   They absolutely rocked my face off.  I mean, I was so impressed I couldn’t stand it.  I talked about them for days.  I told my mom about them.  I was like a little geek fan girl all over again.  It was great.  It had been a long time since I’d gotten jazzed over a local band.

So I contacted the band, and Reggie wrote back.  Right away.  That was back in NOVEMBER, but we finally met up and he told me all about the band, his projects, and more, so here you go, Richmond – the sweetest guy in Richmond showbiz:

From the time Reggie was a small child, he has loved music.  He wasn’t like most kids, who jump on a musical bandwagon and later discover what their taste is really all about.  He started off seeing the beauty and complexity in movie themes, and Merry Melodies songs.  He discovered Hip Hop when he was in middle school, and his own style became a wonderful, crazy combination of Hip Hop, Funk, Prog Rock, Jazz, Metal, and movie soundtracks.  This style carries over into NO BS! Brass, a band he started with co-founder Lance Koehler in 2006.

NO BS! Brass is a 10-piece band made up of a group of friends who have a love for music.  Many of the members have conservatory experience, and the entire group practices one time per week.  That’s dedication.   The members knew each other through school – Reggie graduated from VCU in 2005 and went on to teach trombone, tuba, and trumpet at Richmond Music Center.  He still does that, in addition to directing the University of Richmond’s Pep Band, all the while keeping up with his independent musical endeavours.

In addition to NO BS! Brass, Reggie is involved in at least 5 other bands.  Glows in the Dark specializes in jazzy, experimental movie music.  The guitar player, Scott Burton, writes whole suites of music for movies he likes.  That’s Reggie’s kind of collaborator.  They play once per month at Commercial Taphouse – the next show is on September 19th.  Fight the Big Bull is an indie-ish Jazz/Southern Rock 8-piece that has a wild sound.  Fight The Big Bull will be playing September 17, 18 and 19 at Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, NC.

That’s not all.  The Big Payback is a James Brown tribute band that plays all over the East Coast.  The Trio of Justice is a roots experimental band that, to my chagrin, played just days before this post will go live.  Finally, ETAKA is an electronic/drum/trombone duo Reggie’s in as well.  There might be more.  There probably ARE more.

But what about NO BS! Brass?  Many of the other 9 members of the band have multiple projects going on at one time.  Lance runs Minimum Wage Studios, Taylor is a doctoral candidate, and Bryan is a professor at VCU.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  There is only so much information you can squeeze out of an hour long conversation, even when the interviewee is as easygoing and forthcoming as Reggie.

Despite the crazy schedules, the multiple projects, the crappy economy, the hot hot weather, NO BS! Brass practices every week.  They manage to bring a lively, honest party attitude to every show and they are, to quote Harry Kollatz, “sheer musical joy.”  Reggie says that they have fun playing together – that they are a bunch of nerdy music school people – and that they take that nerdy music school stuff and make it danceable – and therefore accessible.  Their music is about 95% original, and the covers they do choose to play are an absolute delight to the audience.  Put it this way, I didn’t expect to hear Led Zeppelin, but I was sure glad when I did.

A new, self-titled album will be released at a two-day event at The Camel, one of the band’s favorite places to play. It’s their third studio album, and the CD Release Party promises to be an amazing time.  It’s October 1st and 2nd, at The Camel.  Tell your friends.

If you want to see the band play before that, you can head on over to Balliceaux this Thursday, August 26th.  That’s another favorite venue of the band’s.  They also love playing outdoors (you might have seen them at Best Friend’s Day this past weekend) and they like playing Gallery 5, which is where I first saw them.  They are super good about posting their news on the NO BS! Brass blog, so bookmark that thing and get ready to rock out.

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Ringing in the New Year in Richmond, Virginia

It’s that time of year again.  We’re making our resolutions, we’re getting are party shoes polished, and we’re slowing building up our tolerance for alcohol and late nights.   If you don’t want to have all of your friends over to your house to drink all your booze, eat all your food, and likely sleep on your couch, floor, or front porch, check out these goings-on in our fair city and you might very well have the time of your life.

The picture above is from the Carytown New Year’s Eve celebration.  This year, there is no Carytown New Year’s Eve celebration.  This picture is the closest you’ll get to that this year, or any other year in the near future.    The Carytown Merchant’s Association cannot handle the cost.  Not in a down market, not when revelers asked to pay $2 upon arrival don’t.  Also, the city has developed more red tape than ever and the association just can’t handle it.

Just because there won’t be the grand Carytown celebration doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate in Carytown.  New York Deli is having a bash that should be worth attending, with a champagne toast, music, and lots of yummy food.

If you’re looking to shake a leg, spend a mere $20 for a ticked to the End of the Decade New Year’s Eve Dance Party at Artspace Gallery (Plant Zero).  Fantastic Richmond band No BS Brass Band will be playing (I just love those guys), and there will be a cash bar and snacks.  Eat before you go, because the snacks are never enough and that McDonald’s right there is awful.

The Canal Club’s 10th anniversary party is New Year’s Eve, and the B.A. Flyers are playing.  $10 gets you apps and a champagne toast at midnight.

For more ideas check out Richmond.com.  If you have more suggestions, post ‘em in the comments.  Have a safe and happy new year!

photo by RVADrewsPix

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