White Christmases in Richmond aren't common, but for Magazine33's Holiday Showcase, the snow flew. It was piling up by the inches when we got to The Camel, where the bar was full of people who braved the weather for a drink to warm up. While I watched the snow fall outside my office window earlier that day, I grew more and more apprehensive. We'd already had a few understandable cancellations, leaving us with two bands, but as Magazine33 Director of Events Matt Sthreshley said, the show must go on!

And it sure freakin' did! Rock-solid punk band T-Division crammed a bunch of people into an Escalade and braved the elements, getting stuck on the Willey Bridge on the way. Los Sanatamarias were slotted for the last sets of the evening and showed up a bit later, and by that time the snow has shut down most, if not all, other venues in the area. But with the help of the Camel, Magazine33's showcase persevered!

Festivities were pushed back while we waited for everyone to arrive, but don't think we sat around twiddling our thumbs. Staffers Robin Marschak, Mary Catherine Gaulding and Ben Cokeley stomped in from the snow where outside the bar patrons were constructing the largest snow-camel Richmond has ever seen. Along with near-constant snowball fights, the evening was a fun adventure.

When all the members of T-Division arrived, thankfully not having killed anyone on the way, we got the show started. They kicked it off in their usual fashion, loud, hard and in-your-face. I'm not incredibly familiar with the Richmond punk scene, but I do know this: T-Division is good. Real good. They're punk stripped down to its roots, Dead Kennedys style. Yes, they're loud, but they maintain the critical rhythmic structure characteristic of great music. It's punk before the genre became terminally ill with Hollywood produced "punk" boy bands (Good Charlotte anyone?). You'll find T-Division's strength in the talent of its members and the passionate, fueled melodies that pour from the stage.

They created a big set of shoes to fill for the next act. Fortunately, the three brothers of Los Santamarias are deceptively amazing musicians. With their young appearance and modest attitudes, many people seeing them for the first time aren't prepared for what this band delivers. As they took the stage, one of the members of the audience leaned over to me and said "...Really?"  I only had one answer for him: wait and see. After their first song, the same man turned back around to me, saying,

"If I had just seen this one song, just that one, it'd have been worth the drive from Fredricksburg."

Yep. Deceptively amazing. They took the stage and made it their own. They played with a spunky attitude that matched well with T-Division's in-your-face approach. Each instrument has its own distinct identity that flourishes within the structure of each song. They are, simply put, an awesome act to catch.

As the night wound down to a close, as the Santamarias wrapped their set and T-Division collected their merchandise (including a terrific looking EP produced by Dan-O at Snake Oil). People paid their bar tabs and piled into taxis, the snow camel nearly covered by a new layer of snow. I am always excited by the camaraderie that heinous weather can create. For all of us in the bar, it was the fact that we were here, in front of two groups of amazing musicians, enjoying quite possibly the only live music available in Richmond. It was an amazing thing to see everyone in the bar truly appreciate the dedication these guys all showed by making it out. I think it exemplifies the spirit of the local Richmond music scene. It was cold outside, the snow (and snowballs) still flying, but I want to hope that we all left The Camel a bit warmer than when we arrived. Of course, that could be the pint of Legend's Chocolate Porter, but I like to think it's a bit more.

Be sure to check out the Holiday Show Reprise on January 9^th, also at The Camel! And let's hope the snow holds off until the show's over this time.

Thank you so much to everyone who made it out, to Rand at the Camel for not cancelling on us, and the BIGGEST thanks to T-Division and Los Santamarias!

Links:

T-Division on MySpace

Follow T-Division

Los Santamarias on MySpace

By Author: Meredith Ripple

Meredith Ripple is a recent VCU graduate living in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom. She writes for a local marketing company during the week and frequents shows at local venues in the evenings and weekends (Cary St. Café and Emilio’s most often). Her dad introduced her to music from a very young age, ranging from the Beatles to David Benoit and she’s been hooked ever since. She’s lived in Detroit, eastern Pennsylvania and Williamsburg, VA before moving to Richmond four years ago. She’ll be covering Richmond’s active and energetic jam and folk scene for Magazine33, her first journalistic endeavor.

Comments(1):

1. Mag33 Music Showcase/Snake Oil

   Meredith I must thank you once again for the gracious mention. It's really nice that you include the studio's/producers/engineers behind the work the artists create. It's a joint effort that many don't fully realize. I also feel everyone will hear more about T-Division as they truly are an excellent punk band. Thanks for noticing and please keep up the great work. Dan-O Snake Oil Recording

   Monday, January 04, 2010 Dan-O