Richmond this week: Big Ass Truck I.E., Primer 55 and more

Two loud nights at The Canal Club anchor a Richmond week (Nov 9–15) that also takes in shoegaze noise on Thursday, synth-pop at The National and a Goonies matinee at the Altria.

If you only clear one night this week, make it Friday, and get there early. The Canal Club starts its hardcore bill at 6:30pm, and the five bands on it will want the whole evening.

Richmond has 28 shows on the calendar for Nov 9–15. Here are the ones worth planning around, night by night.

Thursday, Nov 12 — A Place to Bury Strangers at Richmond Music Hall, 8pm. A 300-capacity room is about as close as you'll get to one of the loudest bands in guitar music. Detroit's ADULT. shares the bill and The Treasury opens. Some cities on this run bill it ADULT. first, some A Place to Bury Strangers first. However the poster reads, it's a double headline night of noise and cold synths, and earplugs aren't optional.

Thursday, Nov 12 — Honey Revenge at The Canal Club, 8pm. On the same night across town, the pop-punk crowd gets Honey Revenge with Hunny and Broadside. It's a three-band bill that should fill the 720-cap room with people who know every word.

Friday, Nov 13 — Big Ass Truck I.E. at The Canal Club, 6:30pm. First, a clarification: this isn't the 1990s Memphis band. The I.E. stands for the Inland Empire, and this Big Ass Truck is a heavy hardcore band from Southern California. They've just signed to Nuclear Blast and have been putting out bruising singles like "Pushed Beyond the Brink" and "Dragging Meat". The undercard is stacked: Restrictor Plate, Surfaced, Chamber and San Jose's Mugshot. That's five bands for one ticket, and the pit will be moving from the first band to the last.

Friday, Nov 13 — George Clanton at The National, 7:30pm. If you'd rather drift than get hit, George Clanton brings his hazy, sample-soaked synth-pop to the 1,500-capacity National.

Saturday, Nov 14 — Richmond Symphony at Altria Theatre, 2pm. The family pick of the week is a Pops matinee of *The Goonies* in concert. The orchestra plays the score live while the film runs, so bring the kids, or just bring the version of you that was a kid in 1985.

Saturday, Nov 14 — Hot Freaks at Richmond Music Hall, 8pm. Hot Freaks bring their Soft Body Tour to the Music Hall's small room, with Thesaurus Rex opening. It's a cheap-feeling, close-quarters indie night, the kind this town does well.

Sunday, Nov 15 — Ax and the Hatchetmen at The Broadberry, 8pm. The Broadberry hosts a stop on The Late Checkout Tour 2026, a nice title for the last night of the weekend.

Sunday, Nov 15 — Primer 55 at The Canal Club, 7pm. The week closes back at the Canal Club, with Primer 55 headlining over Sicksense and REdEFIND. At $16–$20, it's the cheapest heavy night on this list.

That's three nights at The Canal Club in four days, which tells you where Richmond's loud crowd will be spending its week. If you can only make one, make it Friday: show up for the 6:30 start, stay for all five bands and take the long way home.

Sources: Big Ass Truck I.E. hitches their hardcore rig to Nuclear Blast Records (nuclearblast.com); Big Ass Truck I.E. – Pushed Beyond The Brink (No Echo) (noecho.net); Listen: Big Ass Truck I.E. is Dragging Meat on new song (Metal Injection) (metalinjection.net); Big Ass Truck (Memphis band) – Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org); About Mugshot (27 Magazine) (27magazine.com); Place to Bury Strangers / ADULT. – Destination DC (washington.org); ADULT./A Place to Bury Strangers – Richmond Music Hall tickets (eTix) (etix.com); Honey Revenge – The Canal Club (Tixr) (tixr.com); Big Ass Truck – The Canal Club (Tixr) (tixr.com); George Clanton – The National (AXS) (axs.com); Richmond Symphony Pops: The Goonies in Concert (eTix) (etix.com); Hot Freaks Soft Body Tour – Richmond Music Hall (eTix) (etix.com); Ax and the Hatchetmen – The Late Checkout Tour 2026 (eTix) (etix.com); Primer 55 – The Canal Club (Tixr) (tixr.com)