Louie Pérez gets it. He knows what being in a band and making music are all about. I’ve been reading the book More Fun in the New World, co-written by John Doe of the band X. It features essays from several early 80s luminaries from the L.A. punk/cowpunk scene: Dave Alvin (The Blasters), Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey (The Go-Gos), Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks), Mike Ness (Social Distortion), Maria McKee (Lone Justice), Sid Griffin (Long Ryders), Peter Case (Plimsouls), Chip Kinman (Rank & File), plus contributions from now-famous fans such as Shepard Fairey and Tony Hawk.
Louie Pérez of Los Lobos wrote about how they became part of that scene. On May 4th, 1980, they opened for Public Image Ltc. and got pelted with spit, beer bottles, loose change… whatever the punk fans could get their hands on. But they didn’t let that dissuade them. Shortly thereafter, they met The Blasters, and became friends with that band. Their big break came when they opened for The Blasters at the Whisky a Go Go. According to Louie, there was a bit of hesistation from the audience, but at least there were no projectiles:
Community… spirit… a good vibe. Yeah, that’s the stuff. Tell us more, LP:
Having a great time with new friends, bonding over a shared love of music. Man, I totally understand that. I feel like the community he’s describing in L.A. in the early 80s also existed among the people who worked at and/or listened to a tiny radio station in Oxford, Ohio, from the early 80s through the mid 2000s.
Our humble abode
That’s why Dave Tellmann and I do our podcast – to share stories, reconnect with the tribe, and keep the flame alive.
The book is well worth a read. And the music made by those bands is certainly worth revisiting.
Yes, that’s right, for this edition of TWILM we’re throwing in a bonus day absolutely free. That’s nearly 15% more than our regular TWILM at no cost! How do we do it? We buy in volume and pass the savings on to you!
Before we get into this week’s gigs, I need to apologize for not letting you know that Stevie Wonder and Chance the Rapper were playing in Dayton yesterday. My bad.
OK, moving on to this week. Wow, can you believe it’s almost Labor Day? Thanks to WEBN, the station that plays four AC/DC songs every hour, summer in Cincinnati always ends with a bang. Also thanks to WEBN, summer ends with the country’s largest outdoor display of mullets, jorts and prison ink.
Kentucky side or Ohio side? Yes, that’s correct.
It’s a relatively quiet week for live music, and a few of the gigs have a novelty flair to them. Knotts plays MOTR on Monday, with Circadian Clocks also on the bill. Tuesday, Roots of Creation plays Top Cats. Their website bills them as “electronic dance music, jam, reggae, rock, ska, world group from New Hampshire.” Their new album is Grateful Dub: A Reggae-Infused Tribute to the Grateful Dead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2W33u-2J1c
Columbus reggae band Quasi Kings opens. Your dreadlocks must be at least one foot long to enter the show.
Zapruder Point plays The Listing Loon on Wednesday.
On Thursday…
Yes, KISS will be playing Riverbend, as part of an alleged farewell tour. Gene Simmons turned 70 yesterday, so perhaps instead of spitting blood he’ll be spitting Geritol.
In a KISS-related story, Ace Frehley will be playing a Dodge dealership in East Hanover, NJ next month.
On Friday, Macy Gray was supposed to play Ludlow Garage, but that gig has been rescheduled to October 15th. But here are the gigs that are on: Dailey & Vincent play Memorial Hall; Will Payne Harrison, Chelsea Ford & The Trouble and My Brother’s Keeper are in Southgate’s Revival Room; Lagniappe is playing Bircus Brewing in Ludlow, Kentucky, with circus acrobats also working the room (really!); the Nick Netherton Band and Noah Smith play the free show at Sawyer Point; Ben Levin and Noah Wotherspoon play Mansion Hill Tavern; The Doors of Chicago are at Bogart’s; and This Pine Box plays Blind Bob’s in Dayton’s Oregon District, a venue and district that both could use some positive vibes.
Saturday, Steve ‘n’ Seagulls, a Finnish band that plays bluegrass versions of metal songs (seriously, I couldn’t even make that up), is on Southgate’s main stage, with ClusterPluck as the opener.
Meanwhile, the Steepwater Band plays Southgate’s Revival Room, Lagniappe (and tightrope walkers) are back at Bircus, and Pearl Crush is at Northside Tavern along with Britt and Brooklynn Rae.
Sunday, Judah & The Lion, Steven Puth and Public play Sawyer Point as part of the fireworks festivities, starting at 5 p.m. Mike & The Moonpies are at Southgate, and rockabilly band Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones are at MOTR.
List member Dave Tellmann, the Detective Phil Fish of Modern Rock, has caught wind of a block party in Mt. Adams called The Annual, featuring tunes from 3 p.m. until midnight, including an Allman Bros. tribute band at 7:30 and the Just Strange Brothers (CCM folks) doing a tribute to Talking Heads at 10 p.m. I’m intrigued. I’m hoping to go, even though I’ll probably have to walk a bit due to the fireworks cluster/closed streets. Who’s with me?
Next Monday is Labor Day. This song is required listening:
Notes from last week
List member Todd Butler and I caught Todd Lipscomb (and friends Brandon and Adam) at Camp Springs Tavern on Saturday night. Camp Springs Tavern is a neat little bar owned by list member Keith Neltner, whose multi-generation family farm is just across the street. If you haven’t been to CST, you really need to check it out, it’s got a great vibe, a nice little outdoor patio, and live “down-home” music most weekends.
There are only a handful of tickets left for the Brett Newski house concert at Parlor & Patio (the home of list members Jacqui and Dave Killen) in Ft. Thomas on Friday, Sept. 27th. Get yours here with the password Parlor
Mini movie worth watching
Hat tip to list member Joe Sampson for the link to a mini-movie about the making of the Tiny Changes album, an all-star tribute to Frightened Rabbit’s brilliant 2008 release The Midnight Organ Fight.
Band name of the week (NSFW variety)
Album cover of the week
If only they still taught kids in grades K-6 how to do “The Monkey” and “Funky Broadway”… the world would be a better place.
John “J.J” Jesser worked side by side with The Bakerman on the original Breakfast Club morning show in the early days of 97X… and he’s got the coffee mug and t-shirt to prove it.
JJ started out as a part-timer during his Miami University undergrad days, and did news, DJ shifts, production… and played in local bands like The Vagrants as well.
JJ on the left, his friend, roommate and bandmate Mr. K on the right
In this podcast episode, Dave and Damian talk to him about those early days, find out what he’s up to now… and discuss his “metal name” and pet poop.
These days, John works for a company that makes an app that connects patients with doctors for live online visits. He’s still rocking too, playing guitar and singing in the Cleveland band Verve Daddy.
Sorry, Neil Diamond won’t be in town this week. Neither will any Neil Diamond tribute bands. But every time you yell out “So good! So good! So good!” when they play “Sweet Caroline” at a sporting event, YOU are part of a Neil Diamond tribute band. Never forget that!
Monday, Melissa Etheridge will be at the Taft Theatre. Tuesday, it’s crickets (and not the Buddy Holly kind). On Wednesday, the only music on my radar isn’t a live gig, it’s a movie called Cinema Strangiato, featuring “the Holy Trinity of Rock”: Geddy, Alex and Neil.
https://youtu.be/Jow3-DVntj8
I love Canada’s premier power rock trio (sorry Triumph, thanks for playing, here’s a year’s supply of Rice-a-Roni and a copy of our home game) but I don’t know if I’ll make it to a “theater near you” for live highlights from the R40 tour and some interviews.
Neil Peart (center) with Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart
On Thursday, the pace finally picks up. The Whispering Beard Folk Festival kicks off in its new location: Smale Park in downtown Cincy. Here’s the lineup for that evening:
Reverend on a Thursday – that’s hot!
Also playing Thursday: Vincent at Top Cats, Habibi with Fruit & Flowers in Southgate’s Revival Room, and the artist with the fantastic stage name of Popa Chubby will be playing Southgate’s main stage (a.k.a. Sanctuary).
Popa Button is more like it
Friday is a very busy night for live music. The Whispering Beard Festival continues with Peter Rowan, M. Ward and the Felice Brothers on the main stage, and you can also buy tickets for exclusive riverboat shows.
Urban Artifact also kicks off their BeWILDERfest, with three stages (including a tented courtyard stage) over two evenings. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is the Friday headliner. Here’s that night’s schedule:
Two festivals in one weekend, wow, that’s almost “two” much to handle…
Better make that a try-fecta, because if you’re really ambitious, you can also try to attend Farmula Fest this Friday and Saturday, at A.J. Jolly Park in Alexandria, KY.
It’s the only festival to feature kayaking… so that’s a plus. It’s also the only festival to feature Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad as a headliner. They are no relation to Urban Dance Squad. Or the Mod Squad.
Weirdest show intro ever! Thanks Aaron Spelling.
Other Friday gigs: Carriers have a vinyl release show at the Woodward, with Turtledoves, Joesph and Molly Parden. Big Freedia is bouncing into Bogart’s. Knotts are playing Northside Tavern with Superlow and Freedom Nicole Moore. Lauren Eylise & The Part Time Lovers are at MOTR, and The Brummies and Coastal Club play the free Fountain Square gig. At Southgate, Kellie Loder plays the Revival room and the Lounge hosts The Cousin Kissers, a Country/Americana supergroup of local luminaries Jeff Leist, Jimmy Davidson, Neil Sharrow and Bill Craig.
Last and certainly least, the Motor City Madman, Ted Nugent, will be at Riverfront Live.
70s rocker, now off his rocker.
On Saturday, T. Lipscomb is live at the Camp Springs Tavern. I hope to make that gig. Ben Levin & The Heaters play a free show at Keener Park in West Chester, and the Beard and BeWILDERfest both wrap up – lineups below.
Whispering BeardBeWILDERfest
On Sunday, Umphrey’s McGee plays Fraze Pavilion, Stanley’s hosts their weekly open jam, and the Ben Levin Trio will make some noise in the Campbell County Library from 6-7 p.m.
Photos from last week
Rob Fetters at the Ludlow Garage 50th anniversary at Eden ParkSpookfloaters sounded fantastic at Fretboard’s outdoor stage
Hot ticket alert
The Raconteurs are playing Taft on Saturday, September 14th, and Ben Folds (and a piano) are at Taft on Thursday, October 24th. Also, the Wilco show on Saturday, November 9th is nearly sold out. Remember, go to the Taft box office to purchase Taft, Riverbend and PNC Pavilion tickets and avoid the ridiculous TicketBastard fees.
Album of the Week
The new Hold Steady album Thrashing Thru The Passion sounds great (nice to have Franz Nicolay back in the fold). But I’ll have to give the nod to this classic LP:
My podcasting partner in crime, Dave Tellmann (we’re both guilty of caring way too much about a tiny little station that went off the air long ago) often claims that he is “The Reuben Kincaid of Modern Rock” because of how often he promotes his two musically talented sons.
But Dave’s been slacking, so I’ll have to carry the torch. Dave’s younger son Joe is a blues guitar superstar in the making. (He also plays with local band This Pine Box.) He’s attended the Pinetop Perkins Blues Camp in Clarksdale, Mississippi for many years, first as a student and more recently as a counselor. Through those connections (and his prodigious talents), he was invited to attend and perform at a blues festival in Notodden, Norway, and attend Little Steven’s Blues School.
Joe and his friend Jesse White worked with two Norwegians to write an original song, and then had a little help mixing and producing it from some dude in a bandana.
He looks a bit like that guy from The Sopranos.. Joe T is in the middle
The mixing board is from Stax Records in Memphis, and was used for sessions with Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs and all those great Stax artists from the late 60s/early 70s.
This is so friggin’ cool on so many levels that it might actually reverse global warming. Nice work, Joe!
I hope the dog days of summer are treating you well. I’m experiencing a bit of festival fatigue after a couple days at Bellwether, but it was totally worth it. I really enjoyed Cake, Guided by Voices, Real Estate, Pinback Sego, STRFKR and Cold War Kids. Beach House sounded great, but they had the stage lit (or rather, unlit) so that you couldn’t really see them… I’m not into shadow puppets. A few list members attended the Railbird Festival in Lexington, and that had a killer lineup. And list member Dave Tellmann was down in Nashville checking out Violent Femmes and Ben Folds.
Breaking news: we have our first concert review! List member Dan Bockrath breaks down the energetic set from Guided By Voices at Bellwether. Check it out here. The post also includes some stellar photography from Gene Dow (a friend of Dan’s from college, and, as Cincinnati fate would have it, an old co-worker of mine at an ad agency).
Bob’s yer hard-drinkin’ uncle! (photo courtesy of Gene Dow Photography)
OK, on to this week’s gigs. On Monday, it’s An Evening with Foreigner at Rose Music Center. These days, an evening with Foreigner means an evening with Mick Jones (not The Clash/Big Audio Dynamite guy, but the founding member/guitarist for Foreigner) and a bunch of folks he hired in 2003 to keep his income coming in. ( They are putting together a tour book and you can submit your memorabilia:
We’re gearing up to put together the first Foreigner tour book in many years and we’re asking you, our most loyal fans, for help. We’d like to feature an assortment of memorabilia spanning the band’s career in the tour book and are seeking high res scans of Foreigner memorabilia circa 1977 to the present–U.S and foreign magazine covers, covers of vintage tour books, foreign picture sleeves, record company promotional photos, backstage passes, personal photos you took of the band in concert that are high quality, etc.
I saw Foreigner and Billy Squier at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock, Arkansas back in June of 1981, but the only souvenir I got was a hangover from the Mickey’s Big Mouths that I drank in the parking lot before the show.
Ah, youth… so refreshing!
Tuesday, Cincinnati’s youngest piano maestro (Ben Levin) is doing a solo show at Cincinnati’s oldest bar (Arnold’s). I wonder if they serve Mickey’s Big Mouths…
On Wednesday, the Stray Cats 40th Anniversary tour struts into Rose Music Center (see what we did there?). Front Country and the Cave Twins are at Southgate, and Jeremy Clyde (of Chad & Jeremy fame) is at York Street. Where’s Chad, you ask? From what I understand, Chad has been hanging in Florida since 2000.
Thursday, Robbie Fulks plays Woodward Theater, with Maria Carelli as the opener. Canadian duo Madison Violet is at Southgate, the Chris Comer Trio entertains tennis fans at the W&S tourney in Mason, and Iron Maiden rocks Riverbend. Good old Eddie still shreds.
Not GWAR. But run to the hills.
Perhaps by Thursday you’ll be over your festival fatigue, because the Birds of a Feather Music & Arts Festival kicks off at “the beautiful Thornhill Dragstrip” (gotta love PR folks) in Morning View, KY . Rumpke Mountain Boys, Goose, Restless Leg String Band and several other bands are on the bill. And there’s morning yoga for all those campers who managed to set up their tent on a rock or tree root. In other words, it’s for all campers.
Friday, John Paul White is at Southgate… for real this time, it’s the rescheduled show from a month ago when JPW was illing. Caleb Elliott is the opener. Ben Levin brings his backing band the Heaters to Arnold’s (they don’t serve Mickey’s – I checked). The Chris Comer Trio plays the Findlay Market Biergarten at happy hour (5-7 p.m.). Wicked Peace — stars of a living room show at Parlor & Patio a few months back — are at Jerzee’s Pub & Grill in Newport. Meanwhile, Chris Staples is playing a living room show through Undertow (same company that booked Eric Bachmann at my house). I don’t know much about Mr. Staples (pretty sure he’s no relation to Pops or Mavis), but this KEXP session is pretty sweet. Looks like the show will be in the Northside area.
Friday is also Grateful Dead Night at the Reds game. Local jam band Spookfloaters (featuring my wife’s cousin Mike on guitar and vocals) are playing the pre-game concert, and they’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Dead’s Woodstock performance by playing that entire set (and more!).
Spookfloaters are back at it Saturday, playing Fretboard Brewing from 7-9 p.m. Chelsea Ford & The Trouble are at Camp Springs Tavern, Castlecomer is at Madison Live, Chris Comer Trio plays Padrino in Milford, Mike Zito and Johnny Fink play Southgate’s main room, and Ricky Nye Inc. featuring Blake Taylor is playing the Southgate Lounge.
Saturday is also the Ludlow Garage 50th Anniversary Reunion, a free show in Eden Park’s Seasongood Pavilion. That gig is organized by Jim Tarbell, who used to book the original Ludlow Garage back in the day [Kinks, Allman Brothers, Stooges, Dr. John, Staples Singers (no relation to Chris Staples), Santana, et al.]. He also booked the first Grateful Dead gig in Cincinnati, and later became a vice-mayor and mural model. Here’s the show lineup:
Jim Tarbell used to own Arnold’s. I bet he served Mickey’s Big Mouths!
Ricky Nye keeps the party going Sunday, playing Wiedemann Brewery & Taproom. He’ll be playing solo, but not so-low that you can’t hear him.
Sell!
That same evening, Korn and Alice in Chains are at Riverbend.
She learned it from her dad.
JD Simo plays Southgate, and the Downtowne Listening Room is hosting Icecreamapalooza with Matt Waters and Sami Riggs. That show is sold out… but you can attend the backup Icecreamapalooza next to my fridge. BYOB (bring your own butterscotch).
Hot ticket alert: Houndmouth is playing Southgate on Friday, November 22nd and Saturday, November 23rd.
From the TWILM mailbag, list member “Mighty Joe” Sampson commented on our mention of the time he prevented the Goo Goo Dolls from beating up the sound guy at Day in Eden back in 1993:
The far greater crime committed by the Goos has been on display for past 20 years: shift from great punk pop albums of late 80’s through early 90’s to present day adult contemporary elevator music. I still dig those early Goo records most notably Superstar Car Wash is killer.
That’s Joe in the red cap, third row right… before he strong-armed the Goos
And while I hate to end on a sad note, we do need to mention the passing of David Berman of Silver Jews (and the recent Purple Mountains album). Here’s my post about it, and you really should read the recent article from The Ringer about David. Big shout-out to list member Jay Stowe for this comment on the blog:
Thanks for this, Damian. I got to know David a bit in college and briefly afterwards in New York. The bond was basically music. He was an occasional deejay at WTJU in Charlottesville during school; I credit him (and Bob Nastanovich) with introducing me to a ton of great bands. He had a unique view of the world we live in, and despite his struggles, came at it with a dry wit from a refreshingly skewed angle. He also had a beautiful way with words. He told me one time about sitting across the table from Kim Gordon after a Sonic Youth show at Trax in C’ville; he said she had the look of a “sultry tigress.” I called him once when I was an editor at Outside and asked him if he’d write an “epic poem” about America for a travel package. It was a fairly dopey idea, but he indulged me kindly. He had a generous spirit, a wonderful sense of the absurd, and some darkness that followed him around. All of which made him, in my eyes, one of the most eloquent voices of my generation. It hurts to think he’s gone.
In the midst of their set, Guided By Voices leader Robert Pollard thanked the Bellwether Music Festival promoters for inviting them to perform a 75-minute show. With a wink and a nod, he then wryly boasted that the band frequently plays 3-hour plus shows on tour. (They played 54 songs in over two and half hours at their late June concert at the Woodward Theatre…and plan on performing a 100 song show at a sold out New Year’s Eve concert in New York City.)
Born, raised and currently living in nearby Dayton, Ohio, the former 4th grade school teacher and his band ripped through 29 songs in their allotted time. At 61 years old, Pollard maintains the swagger to be one of the best rock and roll frontmen in the business. Confidently strutting the stage, he threw in several Daltryesque microphone swings and managed to sneak in one of his signature high kicks. He has slowed down a bit on the legendary beer chugging, but did take several dips into the cooler throughout the evening.
photo credit: Gene Dow Photography
The band opened with three
hard charging songs from their fine 2019 double album Zeppelin Over China before tearing into crowd favorites Cut-Out
Witch and Tractor Rape Chain. Pollard
then matter-of-factly announced that the band will be releasing their 3rd
record in 2019 in the fall titled Sweating
The Plague (the 24-track Warp And
Woof was released in April). They
then performed the first single, the anthemic “Heavy Like The World”. You can
listen to it here.
Sweating the Plague will be the ultra-prolific Guided By Voices 29th studio
album. And Pollard seemed rather proud of his ability to make three records in
one year as he wondered aloud why some other bands put out records once every
seven years.
Back to the show.
Long-time fans were treated to many favorites from the GBV catalog, including Echos Myron, I Am a Tree, Chasing Heather Crazy, The Best of Jill Hives, My Kind of Soldier, Motor Away and Teenage FBI. Doug Gillard was a beast as always on lead guitar and relative newcomer Bobby Bare, Jr. was windmilling his heart out on rhythm as the dual guitar attack, accompanied by bassist Mark Shue and drummer Kevin March, provided a face full of melodic rock and roll to charge up the relatively mellow sun-kissed crowd. (GBV were sandwiched between STRFKR and headliners Beach House, so many of the younger fans were a little thrown off by ol’ Bob and his band of misfits).
Gene Dow took this photo…
And this one…
Yep, Gene Dow again.
The band was just hitting their stride of greatest hits when they were told they only had three minutes left in their set. With that, Pollard broke into the opening of “Glad Girls” to send the fans off in style.
You probably wouldn’t guess it based on the haphazard “style” of my weekly music posts, but there actually IS a wee bit of planning involved in them. I use a Milanote board to capture my digital scribbles and random brain droppings.
Not quite as scary as the stalker photos on a serial killer’s basement wall… but close
Just yesterday morning (to paraphrase James Taylor), I wrote down this note about an album I wanted to mention, because I was thoroughly enjoying it:
Purple Mountains is the new project from David Berman, who headed the band Silver Jews from the late 80s through the oughts. The self-titled album Purple Mountains, which came out a few weeks ago, was David’s first new release after a decade-long, self-imposed break from the music industry. And it’s brilliant. Here’s a great blurb from Kayleigh Hughes’ review of the album on Consequence of Sound:
David Berman is one of our greatest living songwriters and he’s returned in beautiful, melancholic form as Purple Mountains to speak to the lifelong nihilistic depressive in all of us. Several moments on the album suggest his return to music-making came almost without a choice. Things haven’t been going so well for him these days, he says, and he’s just, well, he’s writing some stuff about it.
Then last night, my “I know the things you do” smartphone served up this headline:
On the cusp of his first tour in forever, David passed away. So sad.
David formed Silver Jews with Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich, who later started the band Pavement. Bob’s statement sums up a lot of people’s feelings:
“I was saddened to hear that David died. Stephen called me to tell me this afternoon.
For most of my life, I was amazed by David as a person, a humorist and a writer. It was enlightening to have such a talented friend at a young age and realize that the talent wasn’t always a blessing.
David battled mental illness for nearly all of his life. He had professional help and the unyielding support of hundreds of good friends. He had many loving and devoted fans.
Please try to cherish your memories of him and his words and music including his last album Purple Mountains.
I know I will and I’m grateful that the list of good memories and stories is long.”
I read this article from The Ringer when it came out a month ago. It provides a lot more insight into David’s struggles, and is well worth a read. He’s gone, but his music lives on.
Before we get into this week’s live tuneage, let’s dwell for a moment on last week’s live shows. Big shout out to the list members (and friends of list members) who came to the Eric Bachmann house show at my place: Jacqui, Ken, Jeff, Bob, Dan and Martha, Rico, and Rico’s buddies Cody and Louie. What a great gig! And getting a chance to chat with Eric afterward was just as cool… I’m going to begrudgingly forgive Neko Case for her antics last time she played Taft, as Eric (who was in her touring band) gave us the backstory.
Eric Bachmann at Damian’s house
The Cereal Killers performed a stellar (albeit too brief) set in Mt. Adams on Friday. We need to get them a recurring gig – any suggestions for a venue that might be amenable to hosting a killer band that plays great tunes from the late 70s/early 80s indie/college rock pantheon?
Cereal Killers in Mt. Adams… that’s not Eric Bachmann on guitar, it’s his doppelganger Matt Hueneman.
And finally, a shout out to list member Dan “Come to the Trevor Bauer Power Hour” Lewis for checking out the Ben Levin Trio at the Overlook Kitchen + Bar at the Summit Hotel in Madisonville. That hotel feels out of place next to a UDF, but their restaurant/bar patio is a very cool spot to hang out… especially when Ben Levin is playing.
OK, on with the show(s)… Tonight, Max Frost is playing the 20th Century Theater, with Swells as the opener.
On Tuesday, The Regrettes are at Madison Live, Joe Bonamassa is playing Fraze, Knotty G’s are at Stanley’s, the Local Music Showcase at Sawyer Point features Jordan Wilson Coalition and Brother Smith (6:30-10 p.m.) and Tesla (the band, not the car… actually maybe both) is at Rose Music Center.
Jake Speed & the Freddies are this week’s featured band in the Wednesdays in the Woods series at Burnet Woods. The Royal Hounds are playing Southgate’s Revival Room with NP Presley and The Ghost of Jesse Garon.
On Thursday, JJ Grey & Mofro are playing PNC Pavilion with Jonny Lang and Marc Brussard. List members Whit and Barb Gardner will be at that show. Joyce Manor is playing Woodward that evening, with Saves the Day and awakebutstillinbed, the band named after my teenage kids. Jamestown Revival plays Top Cats, and Madison Theater will host the Squirrel Nut Zippers.
This just in: list member/junior correspondent Madeleine Meeks informs our news desk that The Dip will be playing a free show at RiversEdge in Hamilton! Ohio on Thursday evening, and they’ll be playing an intimate gig at Plaid Room Records on Friday night. They are, per Madeleine, “seven young, gorgeous men from Seattle playing jazzy, old timey, classy, sexy tunes”… that blurb sounds a lot better coming from her than from me.
The summer is flying by, and it’s Bellwether Weekend… and Railbird weekend. Bellwether kicks off Friday in Waynesville at the Renaissance Festival grounds, home of giant turkey legs and jousting… and perhaps jousting with giant turkey legs.
The Bellwether schedule is below, headliners include Real Estate and Cake on Friday, and Guided By Voices, Pinback and Beach House on Saturday. I’ll be in attendance both days.
Railbird is Saturday and Sunday at Keeneland in Lexington, KY. Here’s the list of performers:
There are a slew of local shows on Friday as well:
JJ Grey/Jonny Lang/Marc Broussard play Rose Music Center
Willow Tree Carolers are at Camp Springs Tavern
Vesperteen headlines the free show at Fountain Square
ghost man on second is playing Lucius Q
Wyatt Edmondson is at Stanley’s with Electric Son
The Darling Suns, Heavy Hinges and Darity are playing Northside Tavern
Ben Levin Trio plays BrewRiver
And there are plenty of gigs on Saturday too:
Chuck Cleaver, Lisa Walker and Mark Messerly of Wussy are at MOTR, playing solo stuff as well as collaborating on some Wussy tunes.
Santana plays Riverbend with the Doobie Brothers. List members Whit and Barb will be at that gig too… they are cuckoo for concerts this week.
The Newbees have a 15th anniversary show at Southgate
Megan Wren is at Southgate too, in the Revival Room
500 Miles to Memphis headlines the Fountain Square freebie
John Butler Trio is at Rose Music Center
The Gotobeds (named after me talking to my teenage kids) are playing Northside Yacht Club, with Vacation and Cold Stereo
Flying Underground and Maurice Mattei & the Tempers are at Urban Artifact
The Generics will be at Fretboard Brewing in Blue Ash.
I’m just phoning it in now.
Sunday is a bit quieter, at least from a volume (of shows) standpoint. Death Valley Girls and Moonwalks are at MOTR, and JP Harris & the Tough Choices are playing Southgate, with Jeremy Pinnell opening the show.
I’m really digging the new album from Bleached called Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough (which is what my kids say to me when I’m reaching for my third slice of cake).
And the latest episode of the 97X podcast features Barb Abney talking about her 25+ year career playing modern rock (97X, the woxy.com, then The Current in Minneapolis, and now KFAI.) All episodes of the “Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast are now available on Spotify, too.
Barb Abney spent more than a decade at 97X and woxy.com, starting in the summer of 1994 and doing middays from 1998 through 2006, when she moved to Minneapolis to work for The Current for 8+ years as woxy.com moved to Austin.
In this podcast episode, Dave and Damian talk to Barb about dressing for success, her collection of 97X paraphernalia, stalking the Afghan Whigs, and lessons learned in the station’s bathroom.
Barb continues to play great music and support local bands as the morning show host at KFAI-FM in the Twin Cities. You can stream KFAI, so check out Barb’s show weekdays from 6-8 a.m. CDT (7-9 EDT). You can also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Barb on the air at 97XBrian J., Mike Taylor, Shiv and Barb on the final day broadcasting from Oxford. Here’s Barb in the outfit she wore to her 97X interview… which she described as “VIP at Lilith Fair”
