This Fortnight in Live Music: October 21-November 2

Yes, it’s another double shot of TWILM… a Two-fer Tuesday on a Sunday! I’ll be out on the Left Coast next weekend for a Ragnar Relay (similar to a Bourbon Chase race). Our 12-person team will do a 200-mile relay run from San Francisco to Napa from Friday morning until Saturday evening. Most members of our team are hardcore runners… I’m the “anchor” who will bring down our time. To make up for that, I’ll be DD the DD for our Wine Country tour on Sunday.

Run Forrest Run!

Okey-dokey, let’s get to the double dose o’ live tuneage:

Monday evening, there aren’t any music shows of note, but David Sedaris will be at the Aronoff. I’ll be at that show.

Tuesday, Southern Culture on the Skids plays Southgate. The SCOTS are always a fun time. Bring your 8 Piece Box! That same evening, the kids will be at Riverfront Coliseum for the sold-out Twenty One Pilots show. Actually, looks like some of the kids might be camping out Monday night, according to the Coliseum website:

Also on Tuesday, at Bogart’s, UFO will be playing their “50th Anniversary and Final Tour” show. I saw UFO open for Ozzy Osbourne back in 1982 at the Pine Bluff (Arkansas) Convention Center. This was at the height of “Ozzy is a devil worshipper” paranoia, shortly after ol’ Ozzy bit the head off of a live bat. So security was heightened at the venue, and my high school buddies made me sneak in the whiskey bottle. “You’re clean cut, they won’t ever suspect you.” Sure enough, I waltzed right in with contraband hooch crammed into my Levis, while my long-haired friends were patted down. Saints be praised!

Why yes, that is a 375 ml bottle of Jack Daniels in my pants. But I’m happy to see you too!

(Perhaps a more notable historical tidbit is that Ozzy’s guitarist Randy Rhoads died in a plane crash two weeks later.)

On Wednesday, Bumpin Uglies (“East Coast Ska/Punk/Reggae”) will be at Madison Live, and Marc Roberge of O.A.R. does a solo show at Ludlow Garage.

Thursday, Ben Folds plays Taft Theater. Many moons ago, the Ben Folds Five played the bar that’s now Below Zero in OTR, and after the show my friend Chris Comer asked the band to stop by his Chris & Rob Late Night Talk Show on WAIF-FM… and they did show up, and played a game of “Stump the Band” where listeners could call in and request a cover tune… I think Ben played a recorder.

[Sorry this post has turned into “Area man tries to remember stuff from decades ago.”]

That same evening, Kelsey Waldron plays Southgate’s Revival Room, Sawyer Fredericks is in the Southgate Sanctuary… and the bombastic Celine Dion will play the Coliseum. I don’t think anyone will be camping out for that show.

Sacrebleu!

Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s plays a solo gig in the Taft Theatre Ballroom on Friday. In Real Life plays Top Cats, Ben Levin is at BrewRiver, the Mt. Pleasant String Band plays Camp Springs Tavern, and Inhailer Radio takes over all three of the Southgate House stages for INspired, a fundraiser for the station featuring local bands doing original music and cover songs of bands who inspired them.

If you’ve been jonesing for a Lachey Bros fix since their OTR bar went out of business, please note that 98 Degrees is at the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg. Also, please consider getting a life.

Saturday, Mat Kearney has a sold out acoustic show at Memorial Hall, Dudley Taft has a CD release show at Madison Live, and Root Cellar Xtract is the featured band at Neltner’s Farm Fall Fest.

On Sunday, October 27th, Chelsea Ford & The Trouble are at Neltner’s Farm, Joshua Radin and The Weepies play Memorial Hall, Mystery Skulls is at Top Cats, and Ricky Nye and Paul Ellis play Wiedemann’s taproom (5pm show).

Boz Skaggs shuffles into the Taft on Wednesday, October 30th, and Michael Franti & Spearhead will be at Riverfront Live.

On Halloween, Elizabeth Cook and Will Hoge are playing Southgate.

Friday, November 1st is a big day for live music:

  • Talented singer/songwriter Ian Noe, who reminds me a lot of John Prine, plays Southgate (I’ll be at that gig – check out the video of Ian below. Tickets are a mere $10 in advance.)
  • Asleep at the Wheel will be at Memorial Hall, with the Quebe Sisters
  • William Duvall (of Alice in Chains) plays Top Cats
  • 999 and The Clap will be at Ludlow Garage
  • Blue October plays Bogart’s
  • Root Cellar Xtract is at Fretboard Brewing in Blue Ash
  • Ohio Valley Salvage plays Camp Springs Tavern
  • Local jam band Spookfloaters have a sold-out “For the Faithful” gig celebrating all things Grateful Dead, at the recently-opened Dead Low Brewing (near Riverbend)
  • Speaking of Dead-related bands, Terrapin Moon plays Stanley’s
The other Bob.

On Saturday, 11/2, Bircus Brewing in Ludlow, KY (the Northside of NKY) is screening the film When It Breaks at noon. List member Keith Neltner highly recommends it. Here’s the synopsis from imdb.com:

When It Breaks is the inspiring story of Special Education teacher Konrad Wert and his personal journey to avoid becoming another victim of teacher burnout. Stepping away from the classroom, Wert turns to his musical side career as a means to tour the country with his family and engage teachers, parents, and audiences in a conversation about the current state of Special Education. As opportunities arise, Konrad must decide how his service is most effective- as an advocating artist or as a teacher in the classroom.

That evening, Jonathan Edwards and Jon Pousette-Dart are at Memorial Hall and Hiroshima plays Ludlow Garage.

Sunday, November 3rd, John Cusack will be at Taft for a screening of the movie Say Anything, followed by a live conversation. Not bad if you enjoy paying a minimum of $52.75 (plus fees) to watch a 30-year-old movie.

Hot ticket turned cold ticket alert

Wussy is playing a living room show on 11/22, but tickets sold out in a few hours.

Poll question: what’s your favorite hidden gem cover tune?

Here’s mine: Little Feat’s “I’ve Been The One” as done by Golden Palominos, with the inimitable Syd Straw on lead vocals. The original tune is very nice, but I absolutely adore this version. “And I’ve tried everything that whiskey cures, but the pain endures.”

Have a great couple of weeks!

2 Replies to “This Fortnight in Live Music: October 21-November 2”

  1. Marc Allen

    Favorite hidden gem cover tune: Widespread Panic with Jason Isbell covering J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High”, Raleigh, NC 4/30/16

    Reply
  2. Rob Ervin

    Ben Folds played a melodica on the Chris and Rob Show. It was his first interview west of the Appalachian Mountains or something like that.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Rob ErvinCancel reply