Article Contributed by Philip Andrews
Published on 2026-10-14
LaMP | The Broadberry | Richmond, VA | October 13th, 2026 - photos by Philip Andrews
There is something special about seeing world-class musicians in a room the size of The Broadberry. You catch every glance between players, every grin when a jam lands somewhere unexpected, and you feel the kick drum in your chest from anywhere on the floor. On Tuesday night, LaMP made the most of that closeness and brought the light to Richmond.
For the uninitiated, LaMP is Russ Lawton on drums, Ray Paczkowski on organ, and Scott Metzger on guitar, with the name pulled straight from their surnames. Lawton and Paczkowski are the rhythm and keys engine of the Trey Anastasio Band and have played together as the duo Soule Monde for even longer. Metzger is best known to this crowd as the guitarist in Joe Russo's Almost Dead. Since forming at Nectar's in Burlington in 2018, the trio has put out a self-titled debut, a live record from that same club, and last year's One of Us. Put the three together and you get something that lives somewhere between a classic organ trio, a New Orleans funk band, and a jam band that knows exactly when to stretch out and when to get out of the way.
I'll be honest. I was only vaguely familiar with LaMP going into this show. I knew the names, I knew the resumes, and I had heard a handful of tracks. I left a lifelong fan.
What grabbed me first was the feel. This is soul groove music that hits you right in the feels. Lawton plays with a pocket so deep you could lose your car keys in it, Paczkowski's organ swells and stabs fill every corner of the room, and Metzger threads melody through all of it without ever crowding the other two. Nobody hogs the spotlight. It is three players listening hard and answering each other in real time, and the crowd was right there with them all night.
The timing makes it even more impressive. LaMP was only a few days removed from the Wish Benefit Tour, a four-night Northeast run with Oteil Burbridge that raised money for Make-A-Wish. Anyone would totally understand if they wanted to ease into a mellower Tuesday night in Virginia after that. Instead, they came out hot and fast and did not let up until the lights came up.
The first set opened with "Mimi Digs It," a Soule Monde tune that has become a LaMP staple, and slid right into "Some Days." That one-two set the tone for the evening: funky, melodic, and never standing still for long. From there the band worked through "Jazz Secrets," "The Ting Is," "Compared to Jody," and "Lowboy" before closing the frame with "Tango" and Metzger's "Pork 'N Slaw." It was a first set that would have satisfied most crowds on its own.
The second set opened with "Bernard" and dug even deeper. "Cosmo," the opener from One of Us, led into "Out of Curiosity," "Puggsley," and the album's title track. The back half of the set ran through "Frenzy," "Allah Uya," and Abdullah Ibrahim's "Elsie's River," a cover that points straight at the jazz roots running underneath everything this band does. A trimmed-down "Influence" closed the night as the encore.
Offstage, LaMP is refreshingly old school. Much like Organ Fairchild, they seem to handle most of the road work themselves, with Russ Lawton's wife pulling double duty as chief roadie and merch momma. Watching musicians with resumes like these load their own gear and chat with fans at the merch table says a lot about who they are and why they do this.
It was also nice to see that LaMP embraces tapers. A few were set up on the floor capturing every note, which means there is a good chance this show will be making the rounds soon. That openness is part of the same tradition that built this scene in the first place, and it fits a band whose music is meant to be shared.
Nights like this are why I keep coming back to rooms like The Broadberry. You get world-class players up close, nothing between you and the music, and the feeling that you are in on something special. If LaMP rolls through your town, go. Get there early, get close, and let them bring the light to you too.
Set 1:
Mimi Digs It, Some Days, Jazz Secrets, The Ting Is, Compared to Jody, Lowboy, Tango, Pork 'N Slaw
Set 2:
Bernard, Cosmo, Out of Curiosity, Puggsley, One of Us, Frenzy, Allah Uya, Elsie's River
Encore:
Influence (shorter ending)
