Wait a minute, something ain’t right with that button…
There, fixed it!
Friends, we’re gathered together today for a very special episode of “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” as we pay tribute to the man who saw Jesus at McDonald’s at midnight. The man who impregnated Debbie Gibson. The man whose antipathy for Don Henley knows no bounds, and whose love for Martha Quinn is eternal. The man, the myth, the Mojo-est MoFo of them all. The Bo-Day-Shus Mr. Mojo Nixon!
(Photo above is from Mojo’s last performance, on the Outlaw Country Cruise.)
Dave “The Dick Cavett of Modern Rock” interviewed Mojo in 1990, and that interview clip is part of this episode – and stick around for his live in-studio performance of “I’m in love with Oprah” from 97X back in 1986.
Here’s a recent photo of Mojo with Dave… Mojo’s wearing the same shirt in this photo that he was wearing during his final performance!
Every performance was entertaining. You’d never know he was a double-major (political science and history) graduate of Miami University…
And every Mojo encounter was memorable… here’s 97X super-listener Dave Lenehan’s tales:
Mojo went out in his trademark, inimitable style.
Here’s another song Mojo did in the 97X studios in 1986, with Mr. K.
A Mojo promo liner from the station:
Vinyl album from the 97X studio:
In recent years, many of us have enjoyed listening to Mojo on Outlaw Country. Here’s their blog post interview with him from 2017.
A Mojo documentary came out last year.
Rest in peace, Mojo… you’ll always be on our Wall of Fame.
He really liked that red shirt… he was even wearing it when list member Dave Tellmann caught up with him a while back.
And list member Dave Lenehan shared a couple of Mojo stories on Facebook:
Someone dug up this audio of Mojo (a Miami U. alum!) and Skid Roper on 97X with Mr. K:
And Ken Katkin paid tribute to Mojo on his Trash Flow Radio show. Listen here.
Outlaw to the very end. Amen.
OK, let’s talk live music.
Friday night shows:
Joe Pug and Hello Darling play the Southgate House
War Hippies and Blake Tyler are at the old Annie’s
Neck Deep plays the Ovation
On Saturday, your faithful scribe will be in Ludlow, Kentucky for their Cabin Fever extravaganza. The lineup of local artists is outstanding:
And proceeds benefit Music Fund Cincinnati, a non-profit started by list member John Sandman and his wife.
Other Saturday shows:
Saving Escape, Sunmates, and Knotts play MOTR
The Aronoff hosts Blackout featuring Siri Imani
Songwriter and longtime Jimmy Buffett Coral Reefer band member Mac McAnally kicks off a three-night stand (Sat/Sun/Tues) at Ludlow Garage.
Bogart’s has Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA. If you go to that gig, be sure to break out your best ABBA threads.
(Not sure if that’s ABBA or stunt doubles from “Logan’s Run.”)
Joe’s Truck Stop plays the Rabbit Hash “Music Behind the Stove” series Sunday at 2:30 p.m. If you go to that show, be sure to wear your best “BJ & the Bear” outfit.
(Greg Evigan hair by Vidal Sassoon. Shirt from Botany 500. Buttons sold separately.)
Mac McAnally wraps up his Ludlow series on Tuesday.
Speaking of (‘Til) Tuesday, Aimee Mann plays a sold-out show at Memorial Hall on Wednesday, with Jonathan Coulton as the opener. And Gaelic Storm storms the Taft.
Next Thursday (2/29) is Leap Day
A.k.a. the 17th birthday of list member Ted Gardner. Teddy Boy can celebrate with Eric Gales at Ludlow, or Bryan Adams at Truist Arena. The opener for the latter gig is “Eurythmics Songbook featuring Dave Stewart”… which is a better name than “the guy without Annie Lennox.”
Next Friday, March 1st, The Raisins reunite for the first of three consecutive sold-out shows at the Woodward Theater. I’ll be in the house for that one.
Other 3/1 shows are Steel Wheels at Ludlow Garage, Moonbeau and Sappha at MOTR, and Mammoth WVH at Bogart’s.
Saturday, March 2nd is action-packed:
The Raisins are back on the Woodward stage
The Tillers kick off a two-night stand at Southgate – both shows will be recorded for an upcoming live album
Joe Bonamassa plays the Taft (giving blues-rock guitar freaks a massa-ive bona)
Madison Live hosts “An Evening with Sofaburn” – acts include Mike Montgomery, Lung, Super City, Shadwick, Wilde with Quiet Hollers, and Mosant
Plain Folk Café in Pleasant Plain, OH has An Evening with Dead Centric (that should be pleasant)
Molly Hatchet plays the Madison Theater
Annie’s hosts Aces High: The Music of Iron Maiden
On Sunday, March 3rd, The Tillers are back at Southgate and rolling tape for the live album.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo plays Memorial Hall on Tuesday, March 5th. And Socks in the Frying Pan and Enter the Haggis play that same venue the following evening (3/6). (“Socks in the Frying Pan and Enter the Haggis – part of this complete Celtic breakfast!”)
Local Lixx
Hat tip to list member Reid McCreary for recommending Mol Sullivan’s new album Goose. Definitely worth a spin or three:
Future Shows of Note
Guided By Voices and Wussy (full band!) play Madison Theater on 4/26.
They Might Be Giants play Madison Theater on May 14 and May 15
Pixies, Modest Mouse, and Cat Power at the Carol Brady on 6/5
Railbird (June 1-2 in Lexington) and Bourbon & Beyond (Sept 19-22 in L-ville) lineups below
List member Howard Cohen shared this one, but he warned me it could be fake news:
After a bit of internet sleuthing, I think it’s the handiwork of graphic designer Cris Shapan, who does a lot of retro fakery that’s friggin’ hilarious. Check out his work on Facebook but be prepared to laugh your buttocks off. Here’s a fake TV Guide listing:
And here’s a fake ad:
Real Album Cover of the Week
This is actually more disconcerting than the fake album cover, TBH.
Why yes, that is a young Corey Feldman at his impish best. (And Casey Kasem with the voiceover at the end.)
Actually, my real anticipation is for new albums, including releases from Buffalo Tom and Waxahatchee. First singles are out already, and they’re delicious:
Superchunk has a tasty new tune out as well… with the less-than-uplifting title of “Everybody Dies.”
Now let’s take a look at the concerts coming our way in the not-so-merry month of February.
Shows on Friday, February 2nd:
The Montvales have an album release party at the Woodward Theater, with Jordan Smart and Maria Carrelli also on the bill.
Lung, Touchdown Jesus, The Metric Ton, and Bug Juice play Northside Tavern
The Outlaws play Ludlow Garage.
A rodent will predict the weather about as well as the Super Doppler-brandishing TV meteorologists usually do.
Yours truly will be volunteering at Winter Beerfest on Saturday, Feb. 3rd. I’ll mostly be volunteering to drink some beer.
Perhaps I’ll get so hammered that Disco Night at Annie’s will be appealing to me.
Or the L.A. Guns show at the Blue Note in Harrison.
Pure Grain plays the Rabbit Hash General Store at 2:30 on Sunday, Feb. 4th.
On Thursday, Feb. 8th, Ellis Paul plays Southgate.
On Friday, Feb. 9th, Umphrey’s McGee plays the Ovation, and The Hiders and Royal Holland are at MOTR.
Shows on Saturday, Feb. 10th:
Dan Bern is at Southgate
Manor House in Mason hosts the Cincinnati Winter Blues Experience V – band lineup is here
Billy Alley & the Pollies play a free show at MOTR
The Downtowne Listening Room is hosting a bluegrass show with My Brother’s Keeper at the Madeira Silverwood Church
Trippin’ Billies (Dave Matthews Band tribute) plays Ludlow Garage
On Sunday, 2/11, The Laurelys play a free show at MOTR.
Jeffrey Martin plays Southgate on Thursday, 2/15.
Friday (2/16):
William Elliott Whitmore will be at Southgate (his new album came out this week -it’s quite good)
Iswhat?! plays MOTR
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony plays the Ovation
The Loon in Northside hosts “The Love Hangover: an evening of lovely and lovelorn duets” – tickets here
Saturday, February 17th is a busy evening for gigs:
Fairmount Girls have a vinyl release show at MOTR, with Scrawl (yes, Scrawl!) opening the show
The Kills play Bogart’s
Domecrusher (featuring list member Todd Quincy on keyboards) is at the North 2nd Street Tap & Bottle in Hamilton – late-breaking news: The North 2nd Street Tap & Bottle (a.k.a. N2) is shutting down:
Seems like a cool place that supported live local music. Shame it’s closing. If you know of a backup venue for Domecrusher to play, let me know.
Get the led out (or in) with ZOSO: Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute at Ovation
Adrian Vanderberg plays Ludlow on Sunday, 2/18.
I have no Soul
Note from list member Lisa Collins about the January edition:
I thought you might have included an RIP for David Soul with this edition. “Don’t Give Up On Us Baby” was a hit for Hutch in the mid- late ‘70’s – maybe he can be one of your album covers next month!
I actually remember the song better than I remember Starsky & Hutch because that fantastic show was on ABC and we couldn’t pick up the signal from the Little Rock ABC affiliate at my childhood shack in Hagarville*, Arkansas.
*Not named after Sammy… or the comic strip Viking.
However, I did feature this David Soul album cover in a “This Week in Live Music” edition from long ago:
R.I.P. Hutch… here’s a posthumous hug from Huggy Bear.
Columbus loses its cool
Columbus radio station WWCD 92.9 (formerly CD101, and later CD102.5 — “Central Ohio’s Alternative”) is signing off tonight after 33 years on the air. It is (soon to be was) an independently-owned station, with live DJs, playing music (including songs from local artists) that you couldn’t hear anywhere else on the dial. Surely that sounds familiar to those who loved 97X.
“Radio done right is about more than charts and ratings – it’s about community, and it’s about people. I was always brought up on the belief that with music and radio stations, even if you own the license, you are beholden to the community that you’re in. A strong music scene is part of the ecosystem of a city that makes it vibrant.”
Randy Malloy, owner and president of WWCD 92.9, in the article linked above
Sticking a fork in Pitchfork
Noted music aficionado Anna Wintour recently gutted Pitchfork, laying off a bunch of staffers and announcing that the remaining skeleton crew will be absorbed into GQ.
Pictured above, Anna Wintour, in her Halloween costume as a member of Lucius. Pictured below: Lucius.
This “small-batch music blog” doesn’t want to let you down, so lemme tout a new album I’ve really been digging. It’s the debut release from an alt-country band from Norwich, England, of all places. The band is called Brown Horse, and the album is “Reservoir.”
