The Wedding Funeral / RJVJ / Donna Lynch (spoken word)
The Wedding Funeral, a gothic-Americana duo from New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, makes its Washington, D.C. debut at a bill presented by The Blackout. Darren Deicide and Ethel Lynn Oxide combine dark acoustic music, unsettling storytelling, and raw, theatrical intensity, using instruments such as musical saw and cigar box guitar to create an eerie, intimate atmosphere.
The evening also features RjVj, the duo of Rob J Girardi and Veronica Jay Clay, whose sound blends post-punk, goth, electronic, and classical influences with themes drawn from storytelling, film, nature, and the cosmos. Donna Lynch brings spoken word grounded in horror, folklore, true crime, personal experience, and mental and physical health.
When: Friday, October 16, 2026
Schedule: Doors open at 6:30 PM, and the show begins at 7 PM. The event is scheduled to run until 10:30 PM.
Tickets: $15–$20
Venue: Rhizome DC
Lineup: The Wedding Funeral, RjVj, and Donna Lynch
The Wedding Funeral: Darren Deicide and Ethel Lynn Oxide draw on campfire stories and psychological horror, pairing acoustic guitar picking and open-throat vocals with homemade vernacular instruments. Their music is designed to unsettle, provoke, and evoke a world of gothic Americana, darkness, and cynicism.
RjVj: Rob J Girardi and Veronica Jay Clay create an ethereal, symphonic-gaze sound. Girardi’s guitar moves from howling drones to shimmering arpeggios, while Clay contributes haunting vocals and synth strings over pulsing bass and drums, producing a tension between hope and pain.
Donna Lynch: Lynch is a dark-fiction writer, poet, and spoken-word performer who has received nominations for the Bram Stoker, Elgin, and Shirley Jackson Awards. She is also the singer and co-founder, with her husband Steven Archer, of the electronic/post-goth rock band Ego Likeness, signed to Metropolis Records.
Donna Lynch’s work: Her books include *Isabel Burning*, *Red Horses*, and *Driving Through the Desert*, along with the poetry collections *In My Mouth*, *Twenty-Six*, *Book of Keys*, *Ladies & Other Vicious Creatures*, *Daughters of Lilith*, *Witches*, *Choking Back the Devil*, and *Girls From the County*. Her poems and short stories have appeared in anthologies including *Into the Forest*, *HOWL*, and *Found*.
Donna Lynch’s performance: In 2024, Lynch performed in 16 U.S. cities, presenting readings and spoken-word material about horror in legend and folklore, true crime, personal experiences, and mental and physical health.