JAZZY FOLK | Matilda Dae
w/ Grace Joyner, Chloe Kay
Thurs. Jan. 24
9 p.m.
$5
The Royal American
Matilda Dae’s 2016 EP We Never Talked About It starts with a comforting melody and a strange request. “This hurricane weather has taken over me, show me the bad, show me the ugly,” she sings. The essence of the intro’s sound is ubiquitous for the rest of the album — smooth jazz riffs and cathartic observations are found in each track, and it’s really hard to put down. “I’ve always been playing music and writing songs, but it’s not until I came here to Charleston, maybe three and a half years ago, that I really started to do shows and release my music,” says Dae. “I think Charleston was a perfect place to do that because the music scene feels like a big family.” Dae is working with Corey Webb (Billie Fountain) for her new EP, and says that his influence on production adds an electronic element to the sound. “The songs are still very driven by the vocal melody, by the lyrics — but working with Corey, we’re adding different layers,” she says. —Heath Ellison THURSDAY
PSYCHEDELIC POP-ROCK WEIRDNESS | Zack Mexico
w/ Dear Blanca, Wolfgang Zimmerman & The Invisible Low End Power
Fri. Jan. 25
9 p.m.
$10
The Royal American
Back in the late 1960s, groups like Roky Erickson & the Aliens, the Mothers of Invention, and Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band made some truly weird, disturbing music that housed itself loosely under the title of rock, only because there were electric guitars floating around somewhere in there. Similarly, the North Carolina sextet Zack Mexico could, conceivably, be filed under throwback garage rock if the stuff they’ve tossed on top of their guitar-bass-drums foundation wasn’t so goddamn weird. Off-kilter cartoon voices float by reciting lyrics that are either deeply philosophical or complete gibberish, and a sort of woozy, seasick keyboard sound lends a disturbingly off-balance feel to the proceedings, as if there were water in one of your ears. And possibly the weirdest thing about it all is how catchy the sounds can be without managing to sound completely deranged. Early Genesis-style song titles like “The Page The Pope And The Hanged Man” and “The Weak Whisper of a Dying Gelfling” add further mystical confusion to the mix, and their
whole vibe is simultaneously compelling and puzzling as hell.
—Vincent Harris FRIDAY
DRAG SHOW | Divas of Drag
Sun. Jan. 27
12 p.m.
Free
The Royal American
Four hours. A dozen drag queens. One new brunch menu. Sundays will never be the same at the Royal American after the Divas of Drag Brunch. Dreamed up by Vive le Rock Productions, the rapid-fire drag show will act as a benefit for LGBTQI advocacy and support organization We Are Family. “I wanted to raise money for them,” says organizer Simon Cantlon. “I started reaching out to drag performers and had an overwhelming response.” That’s an understatement. Twelve performers in four hours, each with a larger-than-life personality and popular music to sing, is a full day. Carmella Monet Monroe, the reigning Empress of Charleston, will host the proceedings. In addition to the fierce performers, the Royal American will debut the new brunch menu, which will be served every Sunday after Jan. 27. All proceeds from vodka, bourbon, and rum punches will go directly to We Are Family.
—Heath Ellison SUNDAY
JAZZ | Evening Jazz Series
w/ Ben Wells, Dan Voss, Ron Wiltrout, Gerald Gregory
Thurs. Jan. 24
7 p.m.
$13/adv., $16/door
The Commodore
Funk and soul club The Commodore spreads its wings to rep a new genre — jazz — and fittingly so, considering the club’s rich history as a jazz and R&B staple in the African-American community. The new Evening Jazz Series is in its second round this week with bassist Ben Wells, drummer Ron Wiltrout, saxophonist Dan Vos, and pianist Gerald Gregory. The usual band of Wells, Wiltrout, and Gregory play improvised and occasionally experimental songs. “We just play some standard jazz tunes but with a weird quirky twist, as we do,” said Gregory. “We’ve been playing together for a long time, so we kind of have a dialogue happening between the band members.” —Heath Ellison THURSDAY
INDIE ROCK | Late Night TV
w/ MJ Lenderman, Wednesday, Daddy’s Beemer
Wed. Jan. 30
9 p.m.
$5
The Royal American
Late Night TV released their debut single “Ulysses” at the tail end of 2018. With a quiet punch and buzzy lead guitar woven through the tangible energy, the band was added to the expanding list of new, local indie-rock bands to check out. “We listen to a lot of Kurt Vile and the Strokes,” says guitarist and vocalist Justin Moffitt about the band’s influences. Late Night TV is recording a full EP called Good Mourning with Corey Campbell of Babe Club, aiming for a March release. “It kind of has a watery feel,” describes Moffitt. “It’s more poppy than we play live.” Late Night TV is also holding open auditions for bass and lead guitar, as current members Holden Curran and Bow Smith will move to Portland in March. —Heath Ellison WEDNESDAY
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.
