People’s Blues of Richmond are counting down their final shows of 2015 and then looking ahead to 2016. The group will next appear on December 17 at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC and will ring in 2016 in Tampa, FL at Ella’s Americana. Their January itinerary includes their first-ever headlining a show at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom followed by a January 16 appearance in Washington, DC at The Hamilton. Today we’re premiering a live video from the animated trio, which finds them at Camp Barefoot 9 on 8/21/2015.

The group’s lead singer/vocalist Tim Beavers reflects on the song “Nihilist Blues,” telling Relix, “I’ve always found peace in the thought that there is no magic and that there are no big scary religious truths. That this world is beautiful just from the natural selection and survival of all the amazing life forms that inhabit it. That we all have our mothers and fathers and friends and ancestors to thank instead of a higher power. That this world is a result of the fortitude and effort of those that inhabit it. I think that in many ways the philosophy of nihilism is empowering to all of the life forms that are here and all of the life forms that strove before current generations. When I say “nothing is sacred,” I don’t mean that there isn’t anything sacred; I mean that the absence of a higher power makes everything more sacred: Nothingness is sacred; we are strong enough to do this alone. Musically, it’s one of my favorite songs because it combines driving blues verses with one of the heaviest chorus riffs to ever come out of this band. The bravery of the verses’ lonesome philosophy juxtaposed with the humble chorus lines (“I ain’t no poet, but you ain’t no muse”) plus a spoken word breakdown that builds into a feverish climax, all make for a barn burner of a rock n’ roll song.”

As for Camp Barefoot, bassist Matt Volkes adds, “Camp Barefoot has been a great experience—we’ve been playing the festival for the past four or five years, and every year it seems like the family is getting bigger. The festival is largely a culmination of the West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland music scenes, but they grab a little from all over the country. The music has always been really diverse and top quality. I mean, just a few of the bands that have played—Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Lettuce, Motet, Papadosio, Dopapod, Pimps of Joytime, Tauk… really way too many to name. There’s no cellphone service there, which is amazing. It allows you to step away from technology, phones, TV, etc., and lets you focus on what you’re there to do—have a good time. As a band, it’s been amazing—we have had latenight sets the past few years and let’s just say we get rowdy. You’ll have to come check it out for yourself. There is a team and a family behind this festival, and they have made it so bands and fans can enjoy themselves. A lot of times, since we are always on the road, we miss our friends’ bands and don’t get a chance to support them as much as we’d like, but we always take the weekend off, stay three or four days, and get to rock out to all of our friends’ bands, sit in and hang for the whole weekend. It’s a lot of fun.” READ MORE…