Month: March 2023

A fool’s errand

97X, books, Concert Listings, Music

If I told you that I’ll be co-hosting a book discussion at The Mercantile Library, you’d think it was some sort of early April Fools’ Day joke, right?

Can’t blame you for that. But it’s legit:

You can register here and pre-order the book here.

Speaking of books, let’s see who has booked a gig in this area over the next fortnight.

On Wednesday, The Queers play Madison Live, with Suzi Moon and The Raging Nathans also on the bill. And a Frank Zappa tribute band called The Furious Bongos will be playing Joe’s Ludlow Garage.

Thursday, Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar play Southgate, and Beth Harris wraps up her March residency at The Loon, with Abiyah and Heather Redman.

Thursday also is Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds. List member Dan “Laying the groundwork for 2024” Lewis will be throwing out the first pitch… to companies who haven’t purchased any Reds advertising yet!

Friday evening, Steve Forbert plays Southgate, Leggy has a free album release show at MOTR (10 p.m. start), Emmaline is at Ludlow Garage, and Orleans is doing a 50th anniversary acoustic show at Memorial Hall.

Guess what happens on Saturday?

Oh, and an Irish band called Seafoam Green is playing Camp Springs Tavern that evening.

The band is highly recommended by the tavern’s proprietor, Keith “Smoovie” Neltner. Irish folks in a tavern… what could possibly go wrong? (Don’t tell Liam Neeson I said that.)

Also on Saturday, Jim Messina will be at Ludlow Garage.

Next Monday, April 3rd, Combo Chimbita plays the Woodward Theater.

On Wednesday, April 5th, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers hit Southgate.

Great news for my inner teenager: Rush is playing Memorial Hall on Thursday, April 6th!

Wait, upon further review, that’s TOM Rush. The good news is he’s not a fly-by-night artist. The bad news for teenage me is he’s also not a “Fly By Night” artist.

Another 4/6 gig of note is Fantastic Negrito at Ludlow Garage.

Friday, 4/7, Ellis Paul plays a 30th Anniversary Tour show at the Redmoor in Mt. Lookout, and Molly Hatchet tears up Ludlow Garage.

A different Ludlow takes the spotlight on Saturday, April 8th. Bircus Brewing in Ludlow, KY has music from the Tom Petty cover band Tom the Torpedoes.

On Sunday, April 9th, after you find all the Easter eggs, Ben Levin plays Schwartz’s Point.

Ahead of her time

Given what we know now about clergy abuse scandals, isn’t it time to reexam Sinead O’Connor’s Saturday Night Live appearance back in 1992? This episode of the Sound Opinions podcast weighs in, and cohosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot (two longtime Chicago music writers/critics) interview Kathryn Ferguson, the co-writer/director of a documentary about Sinead.

https://youtu.be/-VLy1A4En4U

An artist’s job is sometimes to create the difficult conversations that need to be had.

Sinead O’Connor

Alright, sorry to get so serious on you. Let’s lighten the mood with two of the absolute best SNL character actors, Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman, playing Sinead and Sinatra.

Mark your calendar… better yet, Howard your calendar!

List member Howard Cohen and his fellow band members in the Cereal Killers have three – count ’em – three gigs coming up over the next three months:

  • April 22nd (Earth Day!) at Fries Cafe
  • May 19th at MadTree Brewing
  • June 10th at Big Ash Brewing

Album Cover of the Week

Baby bunnies and bouffant hairdos for the win!

Back to the Future

97X, Concert Listings, Music, podcast, woxy.com

Perhaps you’ve heard that the 97X Modern Rock 500 is making a comeback?

More than 30 former on-air folks (Steve Baker, Julie Maxwell, Dan Reed, Rictile, Barb, Shiv, et al.) will be counting down the top tunes of the 97X/woxy.com era on Inhailer Radio May 22-29. Press release is here, Mike Taylor’s interview with WVXU is here, and Dave Tellmann and I also talk about it during our Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast episode with the folks who were at the station when it signed off the airwaves in 2004.

It’s pretty exciting stuff if I do say so myself… granted, I’m not exactly an impartial observer.

Let’s observe the bands who are coming to town over the next couple of weeks, shall we?

Tonight, Southgate has Rock’n Revival for the Cure, with a slew of local bands:

And Ark Band plays Ludlow Garage.

On Sunday, Ben Levin plays Schwartz’s Point, and Ludlow hosts Nektar… no relation to keytar.

On Wednesday, The Dollyrots play Southgate, with The Von Tramps at the opener, and Altan fiddles around at Ludlow Garage.

Thursday evening, Billy Strings kicks off a sold-out three-night run at the Greg Brady.

Greg Brady loved Strings!

That same evening, Kenny Wayne Shepherd will at the Taft, doing a 25th anniversary tour of his Trouble Is… album.

Friday, Billy Strings has a second helping of the Peter Brady.

Don’t Bogart your Billy Strings tickets.

That same day, Ben Levin plays happy hour at Element Eatery, The Huntertones and Doc Robinson play Woodward, and Vanessa Carlton is at Ludlow. Oh, and ’tis St. Paddy’s Day, too.

Next Saturday, Bogart’s hosts Rumours: A Fleetwood Mac tribute. And Billy Strings plays Night 3 at the Marsha Marsha Marsha Brady.

Marsha Brady thinks Billy Strings is hotter than Alice’s pot roast

And NRBQ rocks the Ludlow Garage.

Southgate House has an embarrassment of riches on Tuesday, March 21st:

  • The Casey Campbell Band and El Dorado play the main room
  • Adam Weiner (of Low Cut Connie) plays the Revival Room upstairs

On Wednesday, March 22nd, The Quebe Sisters are at Southgate, and Dead Letter Office (yes, an R.E.M. tribute band), plays Ludlow Garage.

On Thursday, 3/23:

  • Beth Harris and Freedom Nicole Moore play a freebie at the Listing Loon in Northside
  • Leo Sayer plays Ludlow Garage
  • Blake Shelton plays the Coliseum

On Friday, 3/24:

  • Whiskey Bent Valley Boys, Slippery Creek and Mike Oberst are at Southgate
  • Them Dirty Roses and The Josephines play the old Annie’s
  • Aronoff Center has The Blues is Alright tour:
Pokey Bear, second cousin of streetwise informant Huggy Bear on Starsky & Hutch

On Saturday, March 25th:

  • They Might Be Giants play a sold-out gig at Madison Theater.
  • Florence Dore plays Southgate (her backing band includes Will Rigby and Gene Holder of the dBs, and Son Volt’s Mark Spencer)
  • Aronoff has The Simon & Garfunkel Story (per the press release: “The show features huge projection photos, original film footage, and a full live band performing all of Simon & Garfunkels’s hits, including “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” and many more.” In other words, since Paul and Artie will never share a stage again, holograms will have to suffice.)

And if the fates cooperate and the stars align, your humble scribe will be in NYC that evening for this show:

The Fine Art of Self-Destruction is one of my all-time favorite albums.

On Sunday, 3/26, New Edition (which really should be called Old Edition at this point) will be at the Coliseum, with Keith Sweat, Guy and Tank. Note: “Guy” is a band and “Tank” is another band… in case you were expecting this:

Instant Karma

In our last missive, we mentioned that Dan “Reds: 2027 World Series Champs” Lewis loves Debbie Gibson… right after we listed some incorrect tickets-on-sale info. So who do you think pointed out our error almost immediately?

I’ll refrain from pointing out that we listed TTB, not DTB…

Dan is a superfan of both Dwight and The Mavericks, so the PNC gig is a dream date for him. (So is Debbie Gibson, btw.)

Like father, like son

Dan’s son Cullen also is a music superfan, and in a recent edition of his Substack newsletter he linked to this really cool “Music Map” site where you can type in the name of a band you like and it’ll suggest other bands you may enjoy.

Your own personal hit factory

HT to list member Todd Butler for the link.

Album Cover of the Week

This album came out yesterday. If your band’s name is “The Atomic Bitchwax” you are contractually obligated to play the Freak Valley Fest. It’s a combination as classic as peanut butter and jelly…. or Dan Lewis and Debbie Gibson.

Episode 93: Memories of the 97X station signoff in 2004

97X, Music, podcast, woxy.com

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two decades since that fateful evening when Steve Baker said “goodbye to the future of rock and roll.” For current and former staffers and loyal listeners, it was like the death of a loved one. We reunited an all-star cast of folks who were at the station at the bittersweet end (Bakerman, Shiv, Barb, Mike Taylor, Sledge, Bryan J., Gentleman Jim Mercer) to share their memories of that time.

But we’re not just here to rue the day and mourn once again. There’s actually a future for “the future of rock and roll.” We’re getting the gang back together for one last heist Modern Rock 500 this May.

Read more here.

It’ll be just like old times. Maybe even better. It’s like getting a present from your old friends, in the present day. We can’t wait to share the music and the love with you!

Speaking of love, you gotta love the Bakerman’s “now and then” coda for the episode:

Start spreadin’ the news – 97X is back (for a limited time)!

97X, Music, podcast, woxy.com

97X, BAM, THE FUTURE OF ROCK AND ROLL RETURNS WITH THE 2023 97X MODERN ROCK 500

(Oxford/Cincinnati, OH) – March 9, 2023 – It’s been 20 years since the legendary Oxford, OH-based alternative radio station WOXY FM, aka “97X, BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll” first left the airwaves. Celebrating what would have been its 40th anniversary, 97X makes its triumphant online return in May 2023 with the 2023 97X Modern Rock 500 countdown.

In partnership with Cincinnati-based streaming station Inhailer Radio, 97X and WOXY.com present the 2023 97X Modern Rock 500, airing May 22 – 29, 2023 on Inhailer Radio, also available on the Inhailer Radio app and WGUC 90.9- HD3 in Cincinnati.

The 2023 Modern Rock 500 will air on Inhailer Radio in five 100-lap segments from May 22-26, 2023, and repeat in the 500’s traditional Memorial Day weekend timeslot from May 27-29, 2023. Plans are in the works for an on-demand archive of the broadcast. 

As a special treat, the broadcast is hosted by over 30 station DJs sharing memories from WOXY’s 40-year run. From its fledgling 80s days to the explosion of the format in the 90s and its time as an online entity in the early 2000s, the 2023 Modern Rock 500 is represented by the people who were there making it happen.

If there was one signature program that became synonymous with 97X, it was the annual Modern Rock 500. Borrowing thematically from the nearby Indianapolis 500 and broadcast over Memorial Day Weekend, the 97X Modern Rock 500 counted down the best alternative songs as “laps”. The Modern Rock 500 aired on 97X from 1988-2003 and continued on WOXY.COM from 2005-2009. 

Now it returns for one final countdown.

The broadcast also serves as a wrap-up of the 97X-focused podcast Rumblings from the Big Bush (a reference to a distinctly large shrubbery located on the station’s Oxford, Ohio property), hosted by former DJs Dave Tellmann and Damian Dotterweich.

“Rumblings over the last few years has caught up with former air talent, station employees, fans of the station, and some of the artists that we played at 97X. It’s been a blast! The podcast has about run its course; but the idea of capping it with the Modern Rock 500 couldn’t be a better way to sign off,” said co-host Dave Tellmann.  Rumblings… episodes can be found on all major podcast player sites and on 97Xbam.  

“We here at Inhailer are honored to hand over the airwaves to the people of 97X who influenced our own musical journeys and the music we play here”, adds Taylor Fox, Founder and Program Director at Inhailer. “We’re downright giddy with excitement!”

“This new Modern Rock 500 will be limited to those songs that landed on the countdown in the past.  It’s taking a look back from a present-day point of view”, states Mike Taylor, 97X Program Director from 2001 to 2010.  “Any way you slice it, it’s gonna be 500 great tunes.”

The 2023 97X Modern Rock 500 is a love letter to its loyal legion of listeners and to station owners Doug and Linda Balogh, for giving the world something super special. We’ll see you at the starting line…

Full list of featured talent:

Aaron Borns

Ali Castellini

Barb Abney

Bill Douglas

Brian Ewing

Bryan Jay Miller

Damian Dotterweich

Dan “Danny Crash” Reed

Dave Tellmann

Dorsie Fyffe

Forrest Griffen

Julie “Jae Forman” Clay

Jeff Rohrs

Jim Mercer

Joe Long

John Jesser

Julie “Maxwell” Argonis

Keri Valmassei

Luann Gibbs

Matt Shiv

Matt “Sledge” Waller

Matthew Harris

Mike Taylor

Mike Winstead

Nick Pleimling

Phil Kollin

Ric “Tile” Cengeri

Rob Ervin

Robin Plan

Stase Wendland

Steve Baker

Tina Kristina Mueller

If all the old bands can reunite, so can we. Long Live 97X – The Future of Rock and Roll!