This week in Live Music: August 19-25

Hey kids, ready for a hot August night of music?

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.

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.

Tuesday Memes – Rush – 2loud2oldmusic
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 Beard
BeWILDERfest

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 Park
Spookfloaters 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:

Blatant plea for Cystic Fibrosis donations

I’m biking 30+ miles in the Cincinnati Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life event on September 14th and would love it if you could make a donation to support me and help fund research to find a cure for this insidious disease. Here’s the link to my fundraising page: http://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR/Cycle/42_Greater_Cincinnati_Cincinnati?px=2458867&pg=personal&fr_id=7574

Thank you, and have a great week!

One Reply to “This week in Live Music: August 19-25”

  1. Lisa

    So much music, so little time – haha! Another great edition for those of us musically challenged – haha! Thanks for riding in the CF event!!

    Reply

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