Fall (season, not band) means it’s time to sip on your Pumpkin Spice latte. Or dip your Pumpkin Spice Oreos into Pumpkin Spice Almond Milk. Or have a bowl of Pumpkin Spice Frosted Flakes. Or spread some Pumpkin Spice cream cheese on your Pumpkin Spice bagel. Or snack on some Pumpkin Spice pretzel crisps, or Pumpkin Spice graham cracker Goldfish, or a Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tart.
Or better yet, just put on some Pumpkin Old Spice deodorant, and get thee to a Fall gig or three.
You’ll be falling for Fall shows so much that your friends will start calling you Mrs. Fletcher.
Tonight, the Front Bottoms “10 Years of Back on Top” tour is at the Ovation in Newport. And Peach Pit plays Bogart’s* the Madison Theater… although it’d be more on-brand if they played the Peach Pit After Dark in Beverly Hills.
It’s worth noting that Steve was ahead of the curve on non-alcoholic “functional” beverages. They later helped him fight flying sharks.
*Note: several recent and upcoming shows have been moved from Bogart’s to the Madison Theater. Apparently, Bogart’s had some “unforeseen venue maintenance” – which probably means all those years of having hideous restrooms are coming back to haunt them.
On Thursday:
The Avett Brothers play Ovation, with Heartless Bastards – great double bill!
Leo Kottke is at Ludlow Garage
Southgate hosts the monthly “Crooner Circus” songwriter showcase
Friday shows:
Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls play PNC Pavilion
John PayCheck (son of Johnny) and Wes Shipp are in the Southgate Sanctuary
Eric McM and Sharp Toys play “a doom-folk nightmare carnival” free show in the Southgate Lounge
Mosant, Harlow, and Happy Tuesday are at MOTR
GWAR is at the Madison Theater… bumping TUSK: the classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute… and breaking the Cincinnati area’s streak of having a Fleetwood Mac tribute band every month.
We’re at that age where rock stars are at that age
Billy Joel cancelled his Paul Brown Stadium gig with Rod Stewart that was originally slated for Saturday. And the X & Los Lobos “99 Years of Rock ‘N Roll” show at the Rose in Dayton on Sunday has been cancelled. In fact, that entire tour has been scrapped. Major bummer, as I was really looking forward to that gig.
But there still are a few shows on tap for the weekend.
Saturday:
Inhaler (a.k.a. the band that Bono’s son is in, not Inhailer Radio) plays Bogart’s The Madison Theater (you definitely didn’t want to inhale when you were in Bogart’s bathrooms)
Sungaze, Leggy, and Laveda are at MOTR
Sunday:
Mat Kearney is at the Taft
Walter Trout plays Ludlow Garage
Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds play MOTR with Motorbike
On Monday, The Damned plays Bogart’s Madison Theater (Bogart’s bathrooms were damned… and the toilets and urinals were dammed).
Papa Roach and Rise Against are at PNC on Tuesday.
Next Wednesday, 9/24, Kaleo plays the Taft with Stephen Day and Júníus Meyvant. Meanwhile, your humble scribe will be in Detroit, to see The Tubs at Third Man Records.
The Whispering Beard Festival kicks off on Thursday, September 25. Tickets.
Also on Thursday, the always-entertaining Low Cut Connie plays the Woodward, and Liberty Theater has a Songwriters in the Round free show with G.W. Garner and Ben Turner.
Shows on Friday, 9/26:
Dwight Yoakam and The Mavericks (great double bill!) play PNC
The Gibson Brothers play the Liberty Theater
Whispering Beard keeps on beardin’ with beardos
The AmpFibians (surf rock) play Southgate’s Lounge (tickets are $2 – a low-dough show!)
Ludlow Garage has “Live from Laurel Canyon” – billed as “an evening of live music and narrated stories of some of the most influential songwriters who lived in Laurel Canyon in the mid 1960’s and 70’s.” (not scheduled to appear: some of the most influential songwriters who lived in Laurel Canyon in the mid 1960’s and 70’s)
The Talk low festival (similar to the old MusicNow festival) kicks off and runs through Monday, 9/29. Full lineup is here.
On Saturday, 9/27, the Filthy Heathens play the Liberty Theater. “Filthy heathen” was what Aunt Esther loved to call Fred G. Sanford.
Other 9/27 shows are of the tribute variety:
Signs of Life: The American Pink Floyd at RiversEDGE (free!)
The Redmoor double dips their Macca with The Ultimate Beatles & Wings Experience (unless it’s just a Beatles tribute band and a sale on Buffalo wings).
On Sunday, 9/28, Matt Hecker and Joe’s Truck Stop play the Southgate, and Lene Lovich is at Ludlow Garage.
Monday, 9/29 features the show you’ve been waiting for all month – if you’ve been waiting for the legendary double bill of BabyTron and ShittyBoyz. They are playing Bogart’s The Madison Theater. (When you think of ShittyBoyz restrooms, you naturally think of Bogart’s.)
Septuneber (yes, it’s still a thing!) wraps up on Tuesday, 9/30 with:
Garbage and Starcrawler at the Ovation (indoor show)
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Nicholas Kristof will discuss his new book Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life at the Aronoff. Tickets. (BTW, balcony seats are $5, Loge is $10, and Orchestra level is $15.)
We love it live!
James McMurtry and his band were superb, as always, at the Woodward. List members Geoff S. and Kevin S. (no relation) were in the house.
The next night I was back at the Woodward for Momma and Villagerrr. Taylor from Inhailer was there, of course. He goes to more shows than I do!
Noted local photographer Jon Calderas was there too, and offered me tickets to the Weird Al/Puddles Pity Party show last night…
… where I ran into list members David and Amy G. Weird Al put on a great show, too!
My house concert worlds are colliding
Craig Finn (who played my house in 2018) interviewed Chuck and Lisa of Wussy (who have played my house several times) for his That’s How I Remember It podcast. The episode is great, and it’s here. It also features Lisa’s shout-out for 97X:
You can never step into the same River Roots Festival twice
Because you’ve changed. And the River Roots Festival organizers have cancelled the headliners.
My guess is that “a changing entertainment landscape” = “we’d have a mountain o’ debt because tickets aren’t selling.” Speaking of “a changing entertainment landscape” I hope the Bogart’s bathrooms are OK.
Maybe Big in Iowa will finally live up to their name
Dave Tellmann shared this AmericanaUK (not an oxymoron, I suppose) article about Big in Iowa in their “More People Should Really Know About” series.
“So why are a band defunct for over 25 years worth seeking out? Because they were good. They released four albums that should be in any self-respecting collection of Americana…”
Shameless self-promotion
Speaking o’ Dave Tellmann (“the Gene Rayburn of modern rock” – shown below), he and I chatted with longtime 97X listener and “Rumblings from the Big Bush” superfan Jayson (not Jason) Alexander on our latest episode. Check it out and get some bonus content here.
Kids these days…
They have talent! List member Anne Robinson shared this clip of a local 16-year-old guitar virtuoso, playing live in the new Cincinnati Public Radio studio recording space.
Town Hall invaded by robot!
I hope he comes to a Cincinnati City Council meeting next. See the amazing footage here!
Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)
In honor of Roktoberfest…
Oh Käpt’n, my Käpt’n!
The Vokal Produktion on this album is wunderbar! And the cover model is the Teutonic Olivia Newton Johann.
Hey, if “classic rock” radio stations can use the terms “Rocktober” and “Rollvember” then the staff at 97Xbam (all one of us) can coin our own phrase for the 9th month of the year.
We hope your Labor Day weekend was gloriously labor-free. Now let’s get back to work on the gigs:
Tonight:
Ani DiFranco plays the Taft with Hurray for the Riff Raff opening
Woodward Theater has The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis with Touchdown Jesus
It’s another Ween Wednesday at The Columbia. Tonight they’ll be spinning the Ween album Quebec
Thursday:
Ludlow Garage has the Texas Headhunters feat. Ian Moore, Jesse Dayton, and Johnny Moeller
Burning Witches play Madison Live
(Remember that before you burn a witch, you have to make sure she weighs the same as a duck.)
The Whimmydiddle Festival kicks off a two-day stand at RiversEDGE in Hamilton on Friday, with The Devil Makes Three and Town Mountain on the bill. Saturday, Grace Potter headlines with Taylor Hunnicutt and Clay Street Unit.
Other Friday shows:
Red Wanting Blue and Justin Wells plays Southgate’s main room
Colby T. Helms & the Virginia Creepers play the Southgate Revival Room
Electric Cars and Tragic Blonde Weekend are at the Woodward
CFG & the Family play the Liberty Theater
Miller & Other Sinners do the free gig at the Levitt in Dayton
The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout hosts Fleetwood Gold, which is either a Fleetwood Mac tribute band or a classic Cadillac
Ludlow Garage has Toast: the Ultimate Bread Tribute
Note: Toast is the Ultimate Tribute to the band Bread, and this is the ultimate tribute to toast:
It should be noted that Ludlow’s Toast is NOT on a stick.
Saturday is jam-packed with gigs:
Whimmydiddle Night 2 (Grace Potter, Taylor Hunnicutt and Clay Street Unit in case you’ve already forgotten the info from a couple paragraphs ago… and I get it!)
Carriers play a free show at MadTree Oakley, with the Wussy Duo and Lylak also on the bill, starting at 6 p.m.
Bonnie Raitt plays the Rose in Dayton, with Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-a-Whirl Band opening
The War and Treaty play Music Hall
The Brooks Werner Band will be at the Liberty Theater
Barrington Levy plays Ludlow Garage
The Red Clay Strays and The Dip are at the Carol Brady
The Redmoor has the Dead Revival Band
Dead Centric is at Stanley’s, with I Dig Pig as the opener
Back in high school, I dug the Pig too. My afterschool job was at the Piggly Wiggly in Morrilton, Arkansas.
Morrilton is also home to Petit Jean Meats, makers of a Mock Chicken Loaf.
Was there really a need in the lunch meat category for “mock chicken loaf”…???
Speaking of mockery, The Beach Boys play the Fraze on Sunday.
That same evening, Jerry Cantrell and Filter play Bogart’s, and Southgate House features Renegade: The Songs of Warren Zevon.
Shows this coming Tuesday:
Bob Mould does his solo electric thing at Memorial Hall, with J. Robbins
Bogart’s has the Yacht Rock Revue
Katie Pruitt and Jess Nolan play Southgate’s Sanctuary
Upstairs in the Southgate Revival Room, it’s Thelma and the Sleaze with Leggy
Shows next Wednesday, the 10th of Septuneber (yes, I’m sticking with it until it sticks):
Leon Bridges and Charley Crockett (“The Crooner and the Cowboy”) play the outdoor stage at the Marsha Brady*
Soccer Mommy is at Bogart’s
Chevelle plays the PNC Pavilion
AJ Lee & Blue Summit (California bluegrass) at Southgate in the Revival Room
Skerryvore (Scottish music) plays Ludlow Garage
*we chose Marsha for the outdoor stage because it always reminds us of this classic outdoor clip:
Shows on Thursday, Septuneber 11:
Gangstagrass plays Ludlow Garage
Scotty Bratcher and Johnny Mullenax play a free show at RiversEDGE
Liberty Theater has a free Songwriters in the Round show with Ryan Moore, Dave Lacey, and TC Eckstein
Erin Viancourt (country music… from Cleveland!) and Andrew Hibbard are at Southgate
Little Big Town plays Riverbend with Wynonna Judd and Shelby Lynne
(Morrilton, Arkansas is a Little Big Town, because it has a population of 6,992 yet it still has the temerity to mock chicken.)
Friday, Sept.(up to you whether it’s an abbreviation for September or Septuneber) 12:
James McMurtry and his band play the Woodward, with Betty Soo opening (I’ll be at that gig)
Bonnie Raitt and Jimmie Vaughan circle back to the area to play the Greg Brady
The Doobie Brothers and the Coral Reefer Band play Riverbend
Carson Lowe & Kayla Rose with Harley Day at the Liberty Theater
Poppy plays Bogart’s with MSPaint
Southgate House has Back to Mac, which is either a tribute to Fleetwood Mac or Mac Davis (Mac D. had the better perm back in the day)
Shows on Saturday, September (I give up) 13:
Momma plays the Woodward, with Villagerrr (not a typo) – I’ll be there!
Conan Gray is at Riverbend
The Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg, Indiana has an improv comedy show (featuring one of my co-workers in the troupe called Crash Course)
Tuesday, September 16:
“Weird Al” Yankovic and Puddles Pity Party are at the Ovation in Newport
blink-182 is at Riverbend – this was their finest hour:
We love it live!
I think we had a record number of folks cash in their “free beer” coupon at the last Cereal Killers show at Big Ash. Which was great. But the tunes from Cereal Killers were even greater.
Dave T. and I also attended a joyful house show featuring Jay and Tim from Too Much Joy — now in the band Wonderlick — in Hamilton.
(Tim and Jay might be coming soon to a podcast near you… )
Speaking o’ podcasts
The Kelce Bros and T-Swift…
… are no match for the “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” Bros and Julie Maxwell.
Saw this posted on a shop window in Portland and fell even more in love with Maine:
It’s a New Tunes Bonanza!
Uh, that’s not what I had in mind. (But I still love you, Hoss!) I was referring to the new releases from Superchunk (below), Kathleen Edwards, and The Beths. Put yer ears on ’em!
Reason #2,327,097 why I love Chuck Cleaver
This exchange between Dave Tellmann and Chuck on FB was pure gold!
Akron rules!
Album (and 45 rpm) Covers of the Week(s)
The Bonanza cover above was a bonus. But here’s the back cover, so you can see an action photo of Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Pernell Roberts contributing those sweet vocal harmonies to mix:
Spoiler alert: It involves booze. Thomas returned to the Hotel Chelsea, declaring, “I’ve had eighteen straight whiskeys. I think that’s the record!” Which means the record above is a record of the record.
Yes, it’s time for the obligatory annual Neil Diamond album cover:
We certainly hope he’s playing air guitar and not miming… er… playing the upright organ.
Then again, our current president’s signature “dance move” makes him look like he’s… pulling a Rick Wakeman and playing with two organs at once.
But enough about that wankfest.
Speaking of hot August nights, it’s also time for the semi-annual promotion of a Cereal Killers live gig. Their shows are more precious than a diamond (Neil or otherwise), and they’re back at Big Ash Brewing this Saturday, August 23.
My usual Cereal Killers offer will be in effect: show up, rock out to their vintage punk, modern rock, and new wave tunes (it’s 97.7% straight from 97X playlists – Elvis Costello, The Clash, X, REM, Guided by Voices, The Jam, Billy Bragg, The Smiths, Squeeze, The Cramps, Southern Culture on the Skids… ), and get a free beverage from me! Worth it just to watch the moths fly out of my wallet!
But before you get thee to Big Ash on Saturday, here are a few other gigs to consider.
On Thursday:
Noah Smith’s Crooner Circus (a recurring songwriter showcase) rolls into the Southgate House Revival Room (lineup is here)
Rachel Mousie and the Casey Campbell band play Washington Park
Ludlow has Black Circle, a Brazilian band doing 90s grunge songs.
On Friday, Dave Tellmann (co-host of the 97X Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast*) and I are seeing a free house concert in Hamilton by Wonderlick (band featuring Tim Quirk and Jay Blumenfield of Too Much Joy). Well, I think we’ll be seeing two former members of Too Much Joy play an acoustic house show… it’s quite possible that some rando from Hamilton mentioned “two dudes” and “too much joy” to Dave and offered him a free “Wonderlick.”
*If you were one of the 13 regular listeners of the 97X podcast and wish Dave and I would do some new episodes, you wish just might be granted. Soon.
Other Friday gigs:
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band is doing a free show at the Levitt in Dayton
Lou Barlow (Sebadoh) and Bobby Bare Jr. (GBV) are doing an acoustic song swap at Southgate
Stacy Mitchhart plays Ludlow Garage
The Outlaws play the Fraze in Dayton
The Collies (a.k.a. the band my son Gabriel plays drums in) will be at Big Ash Brewing
Saturday shows:
Cereal Killers at Big Ash Brewing (great tunes, free beer)
Southgate hosts the world film premiere of Honky Tonkin’ and the Honky Tonk Hoedown with Jason Ringenberg, The Royal Hounds, and Jerry King & the Rivertown Ramblers.
The Del McCoury Band plays the old Annie’s – this gig has been cancelled
The Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg has Briscoe with Miles Miller
311, Badflower, and Sitting on Saturn are at the Ovation
Rob Thomas is at the PNC Pavilion
Mama’s Black Sheep and Courtney Wilder play a Downtowne Listening Room show at the historic Boone County Courthouse
On Sunday, Pat Sajak’s favorite band, Caamp, plays an outdoor gig at the Jan Brady, and Ozomatli plays Ludlow Garage.
Gary Clark Jr. plays the Peter Brady on Monday, and Creed (not the good ones) plays the Mausoleum.
Tuesday:
The Tedeschi Trucks Band and Whiskey Myers play Riverbend
Robert Randolph plays Ludlow Garage
Ruthie Foster plays Ludlow Garage on Wednesday, August 27.
Shows on Thursday, August 28:
UB40 at Bogart’s
Rebirth Brass Band plays Ludlow Garage
Deke Dickerson & the Whippersnappers play Southgate with Kyle Eldridge opening
Liberty Theater has a free Songwriters in the Round show with Keagan Hatton and Dave Hudson
Improvement Movement and Magoo play a freebie at RiversEDGE in Hamilton (“Home of the Wonderlick!”)
Ben Knight and Willy Tea Taylor do the free Washington Park roots show
Fraze hosts the Happy Together Tour featuring The Turtles, Jay & The Americans, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett, The Vogues, and The Cowsills – sponsored by a reverse mortgage company and/or a lift chair brand, perhaps?
On Friday, August 29:
JP Harris and Anthony Ray Wright are at the Liberty Theater
You wanted the best, you got the best… Völkerball is Germany’s Best Rammstein tribute band! They’re playing the Ovation.
You wanted the ultimate, you got the ultimate… Rumours: the Ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute – at Ludlow Garage
You wanted the weirdest double bill tribute, you got the weirdest double bill tribute: Sabbath (“the complete Black Sabbath experience”) with Night Moves (“the ultimate tribute to Bob Seger”) at the old Annie’s. NOTE: this gig has been cancelled.
Shows on Saturday, August 30:
Jim Trace & the Makers play Rabbit Hash General Store at 5 p.m.
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe at the old Annie’s
Emi Sunshine and Wonky Tonk are at Southgate
The Levitt Pavilion in Dayton hosts Reggae Fest
And list member Mark Griffin has a reco for all of us (via FB):
Past episodes of Mark’s most excellent streaming music show Gray Days and Gold can be found here.
We love it live!
Emma Swift put on a great show at The Columbia. New tunes (her new album drops 9/12) plus some amazing Bob Dylan covers (her album Blonde on the Tracks is top notch!) in an old church (The Columbia at 4311 Eastern Avenue – home of Ween Wednesdays!) with stellar acoustics.
We love it live… but we love our spouse too!
I showed amazing restraint by NOT dragging my wife to the Mountain Goats/Craig Finn show that just so happened to be in Bar Harbor, Maine while we were vacationing in Vacationland.
Besides, we were getting up before the crack of dawn the next day to see the sunrise at Acadia and then hike the Beehive Trail. We were the Mountain Goats!
Of course, when we got back to the ‘nati, my wife sent me this Instagram clip:
She knows me too well.
Real country
I think the “S.G.” in S.G. Goodman stands for “so good.”
Real Horny
No, this is not about a “Wonderlick.”
I’m digging what Jim’s digging
Jim Wilbur of Superchunk is exactly as down-to-earth and no-frills as I thought he’d be in this clip where he shares some fave albums:
Everything’s fair game for the Gamecocks
True story: when I went to see Ozzy at the Pine Bluff (Arkansas) Convention Center back in early 1982, it was shortly after Ozzy’s bat biting incident (and two weeks before Randy Rhoads passed away) and venue security was patting down pretty much everyone. My long-haired friends gave me the pint of whiskey they hoped to sneak into the show, telling me “you’re clean-cut, they won’t frisk you.” Sure enough, they all got stopped and I waltzed right through with the Jack Daniels jammed into my jeans. Security probably thought I had the wrong date for Baptist Youth Night. Ah, memories…
Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)
They might be the opener for Wonderlick.
I just feel like we needed a palate cleanser after my most ribald post ever.
We were sweatin’ to the oldies (and the new songs) for most of July.
But August has been refreshingly mild so far. (“Refreshingly mild” also is a great description for Chuck Mangione’s catalog. RIP, Chuck!)
Summer sounds are sweet. But they may not be Sweet. Newly minted list member Scott R. pointed out that the “Sweet” listed on the bill with Molly Hatchet and April Wine at the Rose this past weekend is not the real Sweet.
I spent the next several hours tumbling down the Sweet rabbit hole. It was totally worth it, if for no other reason than seeing Andy Scott’s… wait for it… sweet hairstyle:
Currently, there are two versions of Sweet that are active, this one we wrote about, which features the original member Andy Scott and another one which was formed by Steve Priest. But Priest passed away in 2020 and the band continues actively using the name and touring with no original members, especially in United States and Canada. While Scott’s version usually tours across Europe. Source: https://rockandrollgarage.com/sweet-announces-their-final-studio-album-full-circle/
We pride ourselves on our journalistic integrity (currently we’re 0-2 on both journalism and integrity) so we apologize for directing you to the not-so-Sweet imposters.
While we’re on the topic of switcheroos, I also need to note a Minnesota mix-up from my last post. Semisonic had to bail on their tour with Toad the Wet Sprocket and Sixpence None the Richer (Semisonic bassist John Munson had a stroke in February and is still recovering). But their Twin Cities* counterparts The Jayhawks are taking their slot on the bill tonight at the Rose Music Center.
*Jayhawks leader Gary Louris is from Toledo, the Glass City!
Another concert of note this evening is Emma Swift, playing a show at The Columbia in the East End.
Emma in an old church will be heavenly! There are still a few (pew) seats left. Get your tickets via Undertow (same company that books the house concerts I’ve hosted). I’ll see you there!
The Black Crowes, will be roosting at the Rose on Wednesday. And Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys play Southgate, with the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys opening. That’s a lot of Boys.
It’s also another Ween Wednesday at The Columbia (4311 Eastern Avenue). Stop by anytime between 6-10 p.m., listen to a Ween album (this month’s is Live at Stubbs 7/2000) and meet some really cool people. Oh, and I might be there too – but I will leave if I’m messing up the vibes.
Tons o’ gigs on Thursday:
Men I Trust are at the Mike Brady. (The show was originally supposed to be Men I Don’t Trust but they bailed out at the last minute.)
Maria Carrelli and Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle play the freebie at Washington Park
RiversEDGE has a freebie too: The Eagles Project. (Maybe halfway through their set, substitute Don Henley will kick substitute Don Felder out of the band.)
More free tunes: Rubén Albarrán (frontman of Café Tacvba) plays the Levitt in Dayton*
The Temptations and the Four Tops play the Rose
The Aronoff has Piano Men: Generations (a tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel)
the Voices of America country festival kicks off at Voice of America Park in West Chester – Darius Rucker and Carly Pearce are on the bill.
Annie’s hosts Spafford… not to be confused with OG Wheel of Fortune co-host Susan Stafford.
*that’s a new music list record for most diacritical marks in one bullet point! We are well on our way to journalistic integrity!
On Friday evening, The Funky Ducks play Stanley’s. Two of the Ducks played an acoustic set at the home of list members Chuck and Christine Ackerman this past Friday, and they sounded great!
(I know what you’re thinking right now: “How did that moron get invited to Chuck and Christine’s house?” The short answer is: “They needed someone to clean the pool.”)
The Arcade Music Festival also kicks off a two-day stand in Covington on Friday, with strong “old school MPMF” vibes:
The festival transforms the underutilized, historic Arcade Tunnel on Pike Street into a main stage with immersive light activations by BLINK artist Dan Shields. Featuring 50+ bands, 40 vendors, and performances across 8 venues, it turns downtown into a walkable celebration of sound, art, and community. (Source: CityBeat) Get tickets here.
Other Friday gigs:
America plays the Rose
Ashes & Arrows are at the Levitt, with M. Ross Perkins
Andrew Dice Clay… yes, he’s still around… plays the Ovation in Newport
Carrying Underwear headlines the VOA Country Festival. (Wait, make that Carrie Underwood. Carrying Underwear is at another festival.)
Speaking of carrying underwear, Ludlow Garage hosts Hollywood Nights (please note the spelling of “nights,” this is a Bob Seger tribute, not a tribute to The Hollywood Knights, that classic 1980 movie starring master thespian Tony Danza)
Oh, and my neighbor Jim Tucker has an art exhibition opening on Friday at Redtree Coffee & Art in OTR. More here. The exhibit runs through 10/10.
On Saturday, Arcade Fest continues in Covington, Indigenous plays a free show at the Levitt, and Ludlow Garage has Lovesong: The Cure tribute.
Oh, and this guy is headlining the VOA festival:
He’s billed as “Hardy” but I’m 95% sure it’s David Arquette doing some sort of Joaquin Phoenix performance art thing.
According to chief meteorologist Nelly, it will be getting hot in heerre at Riverbend on Sunday.
Ja Rule, Eve, and “special guests” are also on the bill. There’s no Guest more special than this one:
According to Far Out Magazine, the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne, watched “This is Spinal Tap” at a movie theatre in 1984 and didn’t find it funny. But it wasn’t because he was offended by the satirization of rock ‘n’ roll debauchery as Steven Tyler was; as the outlet explains, Osbourne thought he was watching an actual documentary about a real-life band. Source: https://www.grunge.com/1184003/why-steven-tyler-and-ozzy-osbourne-didnt-like-this-is-spinal-tap/
R.I.P. Ozzy. And please note that the “Nelly” headlining the Riverbend show is American rapper Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. and not Half-Pint’s nemesis from Little House on the Prairie.
Also on Sunday, “Bailey Zimmerman” is the headliner for the VOA festival. Please note this is not the former Arkansas Razorbacks women’s b-ball guard whose father went to high school with your humble scribe.
The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse are at the Marcia Brady next Tuesday (8/12). Davy Jones said Marcia had some flaming lips.
Train plays a post-game concert at Great American Ball Park (former home of legendary salesperson Dan “Reds in 2025!” Lewis) on Wednesday, August 13. Danielle Nicole is at Ludlow. Flamy Grant (great name) is in Southgate’s Revival Room. And Chuck Brisbin & the Tuna Project play the free “Fountain Blues” series on Fountain Square. (Please note it’s Chuck and Tuna, not Charlie Tuna.)
Next Thursday, August 14:
Brit Floyd plays the PNC Pavilion
Hippies & Cowboys are at the Woodward
Darrin Hacquard and Williams Matheny play the Washington Park Roots series
MojoFlo (a neo-funk band, not the Progressive spokesperson) is at the Levitt
Shows on Friday August 15:
Smithereens play the Ludlow Garage, with John Cowsill (of the Cowsills) handling lead vocals
Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Bobby Rush play the Lawrenceburg Event Center
The Woods play the Liberty Theater
The old Annie’s has Powerslave: The Iron Maiden Experience… but wait, there’s more, the opener is Whitesnake’d: a Tribute to Whitesnake!
Plenty o’ shows on Saturday, August 16:
RiversEDGE in Hamilton has Jared’s Jam, featuring Neal Francis and Crowe Boy
Eilen Jewell plays a freebie at the Levitt in Dayton, with Basura Basura as the opener (it means “trash trash”… thanks Duolingo!)
The Garcia Project (tribute to the Jerry Garcia Band) is at the Woodward Theater
Lil Wayne is at Riverbend
Screeching Weasel plays the old Annie’s (please note that “Screeching Weasel” is the Chicago punk band, and not the punk who closes Taft Road when he’s in town)
On Sunday, August 17:
The Sadies play Southgate
Brit Floyd makes their 2nd appearance of the summer at the Rose
Skillet plays the Fraze
Please note that Skillet is a Christian rock band, and not what mamaw uses to make her famous cornbread.
On Tuesday, August 19, Styx, Kevin Cronin (of REO Speedwagon) and Don Felder (the real one, not the one who got kicked out of The Eagles Project) play Riverbend, and Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox is at Ludlow Garage.
The SNL nepo-baby video crew Please Don’t Destroy does a live show at Bogart’s on Wednesday, August 20. And Frontier Folk Nebraska and the Williamson Brothers are at Southgate.
On Thursday, August 21:
Noah Smith’s Crooner Circus (a recurring songwriter showcase) rolls into the Southgate House Revival Room (lineup is here)
Rachel Mousie and the Casey Campbell band play Washington Park
Ludlow has Black Circle, a Brazilian band doing 90s grunge songs.
We love it live!
Dinosaur Jr. and Snail Mail both rocked the Bobby Brady. List members Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube (Fridays, 11a-3p on Inhailer Radio), Jarrod M., Craig D., and Mighty Joe Sampson also were in the house.
My son’s band, The Collies, played a fun patio show at Anderson Township Pub. (Dumbass Dad forgot to take any photos…) Great to hang out with list members Whit, Barb, Dan, Anne, Phil, and a bunch of other folks.
Nothing’s more psycho than this
Hundreds of ukuleles doing the Talking Heads in Dublin. Why not? (Hat tip to list member Chuck W. for the link.)
Fashion Alert!
The Jeff Tweedy decree makes sense. (Hat tip… mine doesn’t have a fake flower clipped to it… to list member Michael O. for the link.)
News alert!
In a related story, the animatronic Make Believe Band is now seeking a new lead singer.
Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)
Carl’s right, we need to live a little. Put on a fringed shirt, sit on a fence, and sing a love song to a horse…
Carl Smith’s horseplay is no match for Xavier Cugat mounting a big baguette. Better wrap it in plastic, X, or you’ll get Celiac Disease!
We hear the CEO of Astronomer is a big fan of stepping out to see Coldplay in concert.
Uh, make that the former CEO of Astronomer.
Let that be a lesson to you: if you’re gonna be on a kiss cam, make sure you’re in full KISS makeup!
Let’s turn our attention to the state of affairs in concerts, instead of affairs AT concerts.
Tonight, Beck plays PNC Pavilion with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Molly Lewis — a whistler! — is the opener.
Tuesday shows really run the gamut. You’ve got Mavis Staples (Memorial Hall), The Crane Wives (Bogart’s) and Pantera (Riverbend).
Thursday is action-packed:
Silverada (formerly Mike & the Moonpies) at Southgate
Ben Turner and TyeDye (featuring list member John Sandman) play the free “Roots Revival” show at Washington Park – I’ll be at that gig
RiversEDGE in Hamilton has Jeremie Albino and CFG & the Family for free
Silversun Pickups play the Burl in Lexington
The Cincinnati Music Festival kicks off with a celebration of Hip Hop at the Carol Brady (Scarface, Goodie Mob, Sugarhill Gang with the Furious Five, and Young MC)
The Village People hit Ludlow Garage
Breaking news, the Village People gig has been cancelled. Guess they’re too old to tour anymore.
Friday shows:
Dinosaur Jr., Snail Mail and Easy Action play the Jan Brady (I’ll be there!)
Rick Wakeman (keyboard wizard for Yes) plays Ludlow Garage
The Offspring will be at Riverbend with Jimmy Eat World and New Found Glory
The Cincinnati Music Festival moves to Please Pay Trey Hendrickson Stadium, with Earth, Wind & Fire headlining
Punkadelick and Us, Today play Northside Tavern
Goldpine and The Burney Sisters are at Southgate in the Revival Room
Coastal Club plays MadTree’s Pop-up Christmas Party in their Oakley taproom/dog kennel
More breaking news: the Rick Wakeman show has been postponed. He must’ve sprained his ankle playing pickleball with the Retirement Village People.
On Saturday:
Sami Riggs has an EP release show at Southgate, with Coy Comer, The Laurelys, and Veronica Grim also on the bill
LL Cool J tops the CMF lineup
The Rose Music Center in Huber Heights features Bachman-Turner Overdrive with The Marshall Tucker Band and Jefferson Starship
If you’re up for a road trip, Ducks Ltd. play the Rumba Café in Columbus next Monday.
On Tuesday, July 29, Cyndi Lauper plays Riverbend, and Todd Lipscomb hosts the open mic session at MOTR pub.
On Wednesday, July 30, you’re in for a surprise… a Rainbow Kitten Surprise. They play an outdoor show at the Ovation in Newport.
Next Thursday, July 31, there are a trio of free shows on the docket:
Sonya Moomaw and Bedel & Hibbard play the freebie at Washington Park
Ace Monroe plays the Levitt in Dayton
Queen Legacy (a Queen tribute band) plays RiversEDGE in Hamilton, with The Wonderlands opening
And Sheila E. kicks off a two-night stand at Ludlow Garage (the Friday show is sold-out)
On Friday, August 1, the On Point Music Festival kicks off a two-day run at Sawyer Point, with a boatload of local bands. Here’s the full lineup:
Other 8/1 shows:
of Montreal plays the Woodward
Ovation has John Lodge of The Moody Blues (“John Lodge” would be a great name for the communal restrooms at a KOA campground)
Sheila E. is back in the Garage
The Harmed Brothers play Southgate’s Revival Room with Sug Daniels and The Pinkerton Raid (the leader of Pinkerton Raid is a friend of list member Chuck W.
Blueprint plays a freebie at the Levitt in Dayton
Jim Trace & the Makers play at Arnold’s
One of the 5,827 country artists named “Luke” plays Riverbend
On Saturday, August 2, The Collies (a.k.a. the band my son Gabriel is in) play the patio at Anderson Township Pub.
Stop by, say hi, listen to some rock covers and a few originals. First beer’s on me!
Other 8/2 shows:
The On Point Music Festival continues at Sawyer Point
MOTR has Saving Escape, Mosant, and Satellite Dog
April Wine, Molly Hatchet, and Sweet play the Rose
If you prefer savory to Sweet, Dayton still has you covered: Fraze Pavilion hosts Bacon Fest!
If you prefer blues to bacon, Dayton’s Levitt Pavilion has Chambers DesLauriers with Heather Redman & the Reputation
On Sunday, August 3, you don’t need a time machine…
… you just need a ticket to one of these throwback shows:
Macy Gray is at the Ludlow Garage
Air Supply celebrates 50 years of soft rockin’ your face off at the Rose
Toto, Christopher Cross, and Men at Work play Riverbend
Seeing Toto and Christopher Cross on the Riverbend bill reminds me that I need to remind you to watch ALL of the Yacht Rock spoofs. But Toto and CC figure prominently in this one:
More time machine tunes are sailing into the Rose on Tuesday, August 5 – this time it’s the 90s, with Toad the Wet Sprocket, Semisonic, and Sixpence None the Richer.
We love it live!
Great show from Father John Misty, Lucinda Williams, and Hamilton Leithauser at the Bobby Brady last week (with list member “Rico”). Lu is one of my all-time faves, and while the stroke she had a few years ago has slowed her down, she’s still out there rockin’ in the free world, and her voice is still amazing.
Another road dog, Chuck Prophet, put on a fantastic (and totally free) show at the Levitt with his Cumbia Shoes band on Thursday. List members Kevin S. and Geoff S. were in the house (we should’ve carpooled!).
Keep that Ford Econoline going, Chuck!
We’re talking Honky Tonkin’!
List member Eric Weltner has a new movie premiering at the Southgate House on August 23. And because the movie is about Honky Tonkin’, there will be some lively live music too!
The official movie trailer is below, you can learn more about the project on Facebook here, and you can get tickets to the flick/gig here.
River Roots: it’s “Sweater” weather
The old “Tall Stacks” is sorta-kinda back – it’s now called “America’s River Roots Festival.” The musical headliners for Oct. 10, 11, and 12 are Mt. Joy, Weezer, and Maren Morris, respectively, and the full lineup is here. It’s not quite up to the level of some of the old Tall Stacks lineups, which were killer.
Shameless self-promotion (while also promoting reading)
In addition to my day job (trying to make corporate communications slightly less boring – wish me luck!) and my second job (playing pickleball) and my third job (whatever this music blog/newsletter thingy is…), I sometimes manage to carve out a bit of time to do something productive. In this case, it’s a story in the July issue of Cincinnati Magazine about Freekbass.
Check it out! Cincinnati Magazine‘s July issue is on sale now wherever fine periodicals are sold. But list member John Fox (editor of the aforementioned Cincinnati Magazine) and I both think you should subscribe. Come for the Chicken Parm, stay for the Freekbass.
I even got a byline on the cover. This is the sort of spontaneous publicity — your name in print — that makes people!
Tell a buddy, bring a friend
A tip o’ the cap to list members Dan Bockrath and Geoff “Swine Dawg” Schwein (who makes the world’s best spicy pretzels… I can hook you up if you want proof!) for sharing the music list love with some friends who have subscribed (against their better judgment, no doubt). If you know someone who enjoys haphazard lists of local concerts, delivered sporadically, in a difficult-to-follow “format”, then by all means send them my way! Maybe I can eventually monetize this mess and sell some ads, like this one:
“Talented musician”… we all know it’s former REO Speedwagon keyboardist Neal Doughty.
Guess he had to settle for the first two items on his list, as he never found “music innovations.”
Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)
(Photo taken in Newport Beach, California by Neal Doughty talented musician)
I have no idea what’s going on in this album cover photo, but I know a talented musician who wants in on the action.
Four score and seven years ago… Keith Richards celebrated his 50th birthday.
As you celebrate the 4th of July this weekend, don’t forget to pay tribute to our founding fathers.
And remember the words upon which our great nation was founded:
We the Party People, in order to form a more perfect Union, insure domestic tranquility*, and promote the local music scene, do ordain and establish this list of concerts…
*except when the missus gets mad because we go to too many shows
Tonight:
Ween Wednesday at The Columbia (4311 Eastern Ave. – between Streetside and Terry’s Turf Club) will be spinning White Pepper
Greensky Bluegrass at the Rose in Dayton
Manchester Orchestra at the Burl in Lexington
On Thursday, the Northside Rock & Roll Carnival kicks off:
Rachel Mousie and The Montvales play the free Roots Revival gig at Washington Park
Mason’s “Red, Rhythm & Boom” (awful name!) has Better than Ezra and Tonic
Coral Moons and Pitts & the Vipers play a freebie at the Levitt Pavilion in Dayton
Hearing the name “Better than Ezra” always reminds me of one of my favorite Norm MacDonald lines from SNL:
Friday… hey, baby, it’s the Fourth of July!
And remember:
Independence Day shows (most of which are free, because so is our country… for now):
Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top headlines the Red, White & Blue Ash freebie
the Danny Frazier Band plays the Newport Blast
RiversEDGE has That Arena Rock Show with Dangerous Jim & the Slims
the Levitt in Dayton features The Scotty Bratcher Band
Stanley’s Pub has the Dead tribute band Graciously Departed ($10… that gives me the U.S. Blues)
If the ‘splosions aren’t still ringing in your head on Saturday, you can check out Sinkane at the Levitt, or Sonny Moorman playing the free concert series in Glendale.
Sunday Funday shows:
Steve Earle: Solo & Acoustic at Ludlow Garage
Robin Trower plays the Taft
Chicago is at the Rose
“Weird Al” Yankovic plays a sold-out show at the Fraze
(If you’ve yet to watch the Weird Al “biopic” you really should check it out.)
Shows on Tuesday:
Todd Rundgren plays the Mike Brady
The Lumineers and Hippo Campus are at Riverbend
Next Wednesday, Aldo Nova plays Ludlow Garage, and Ben Levin plays the free “Fountain Blues” series at Fountain Square
On Thursday, July 10, Maria Carelli and Megan Bee play the Washington Park freebie, and John “Papa” Gros plays the Levitt.
Friday, July 11 is jam-packed with jams:
Iron & Wine and I’m with Her play the Taft
Indigo De Souza plays the Woodward
Dumpstaphunk, Headhunters, Ernie Johnson from Detroit, and Matt Waters play the old Annie’s
The Staleys play Ludlow Garage
Yam Yam and Empire Pool are at the Levitt
Sylmar, Moontype, and Brianna Kelly play MOTR
Whiskey Daredevils and Veronica Grim play Southgate’s Revival Room
Moonshine Drive and The Foles play Sawyer Point
The Menus play the Fraze
Sam Bush is at The Burl in Lexington
Paul McDonald plays RiversEDGE in Hamilton, with Bee Taylor* opening
*it’s not Aunt Bea from Mayberry… we checked!
The (90s) hits just keep on coming on Saturday, July 12, as Blues Traveler, the Gin Blossoms, AND Spin Doctors play the Rose.
Other shows that evening include:
The Swell Season at the Taft
A “Christmas in July” show featuring Jake Speed & the Freddies and The Turkeys duo at the Falcon Theater in Newport. Request tickets to this Downtowne Listening Room show here.
Electric Citizen has an album release show at Northside Tavern
Davina & the Vagabonds at the Levitt
Wiz Khalifa headlines a Riverbend show, with Sean Paul, DaBaby, Chevy Woods and more.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony play the Hard Rock Casino’s lawn on Sunday, July 13, with the Ying Yang Twins.
On Tuesday, July 15:
Father John Misty plays the Carol Brady, with Hamilton Leithauser (The Walkmen) and Lucinda Williams (the best!) also on the bill.
The Budos Band and Benny Trokan play the Woodward
Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth are at the old Annie’s
Gigs on Wednesday, July 16:
Big Sandy & his Fly-Rite Boys are in Southgate’s Revival Room, with Kyle Eldridge opening
Leftover Salmon and The Infamous Stringdusters play the Rose
The High Kings play Memorial Hall
Ke$ha, Scissor Sisters, and Slayyyter play Riverbend.
Chuck Prophet & His Cumbia Shoes play a freebie at the Levitt in Dayton on Thursday, July 17. I’ll make the drive for that one.
Shows closer to home on 7/17 include:
The Harmed Brothers Duo and Jolly Old Hawk at Washington Park
A Songwriters in the Round show at the Liberty Theater featuring Ethan Hopper and Caden McMullen
The Bacon Brothers play Ludlow Garage.
On Friday, July 18, the two-day Big River Get Down kicks off at RiversEDGE in Hamilton.
That same evening, Carlene Carter plays a free show at the Levitt.
Sunday, July 20:
Ryan Adams plays the Taft
The Head & The Heart, Wild Rivers, and Marfa play an outdoor show at the Marsha Brady
Yelawolf plays Bogart’s
Live, Collective Soul, and Our Lady Peace play the Rose
We’ll wrap up this list of concerts where we began: with a Greensky Bluegrass show (they play the old Annie’s this time around)
OK, one more: Beck plays a show with the CSO at PNC Pavilion on Monday, July 21.
We love it live!
It’s been a whirlwind tour of tours for your humble scribe. Nelsonville was a very cool festival — two of the stages have plenty o’ shade — and it was great to see list members Dan “Reds in 2025… or 2026” Lewis and Bruce Frasure there with their lovely brides, along with list members Matt & Pam (with their kids) and happy camper Jeff B. (with his son Finn, who is as cuckoo for concerts as I am!). Friday night’s run of MJ Lenderman, Bug Club, Waxahatchee, and Dehd (on alternating stages) will be tough to top. Other highlights included Being Dead, Ryan Davis, Styrofoam Winos, Low Cut Connie, Garrett T. Capps and Gardener.
Then it was Devo at the Cindy Brady with list members Ken “The Lobby Boy” Laube, Jarrod M., and four Cereal Killers! A perfect old man show: no opener, started at 8, played a great set, wrapped well before 10.
On Thursday, I saw the Rush Tribute Project at Memorial Hall with my buddy Craig and a bunch of other pickleball old-timers. I could do without two of the band members dressing like Geddy and Neil, but with 27 songs over two sets, they certainly delivered a reasonable facsimile of the ol’ Rush concert experience. Neil’s not coming back, so it’ll have to do.
This past Saturday, my lovely bride and I… and list member Heather E. — drove up to Over the Rhine’s Nowhere Else Farm to see Patty Griffin play in their restored barn (with a short opening set from Linford & Karin). What a great space to see such top-notch singer/songwriters!
What, no Puppet Show?
In advance of the Spinal Tap sequel that Rob Reiner credits Kate Bush for, several theaters are playing the OG This is Spinal Tap this Saturday/Sunday/Monday. Check listings here. Unlike Stonehenge, it’ll be huge.
We should give the R&R HoF an “It’s about damn time!” award
He came through the industry in an indirect way, which is how he came into a lot of things — by taking his own strange route. And he earned his reputation and fan base through hard work. People who really put value on songwriting know the influence his songs have had on his peers. They appreciate his lyrics and poetry and the commentary on humanity, heart, and humor. – Ariel Zevon
“In the same way you’ll hear Philip Seymour Hoffman called an actor’s actor, to musicians (Zevon) is a musician’s musician. He was in his own separate box. It’s that Stravinsky influence and classical background he had…that made him think a little different than everyone else. I’ve had instances where I’ve had to cover his songs and you go, ‘Wait, he went to THAT chord? That’s the wrong chord,’ but it works.” — Jordan Zevon
Don’t let the TicketBastards and Ticket Shysters get you down
Huge tip o’ the 97XBam hat (it’s a Mojo Nixon trucker cap) to list member Frank B., who found a great way for me to sell my Waxahatchee/MJ Lenderman tickets for their show near Syracuse, NY. (I bought those tix before the Nelsonville lineup was announced – same weekend.) It’s called CashorTrade, and you can use it to buy or sell tickets without scalpers or brokers. I was able to sell my two tickets for face value, and the whole process was pretty easy.
I’m sure the TicketMafia will figure out a way to shut them down, but for now, check it out!
Rust Never Sleeps, especially in Akron
Before the Devo show, list member and Super Spud Jarrod M. shared this wild, woolly, and wacky ’78 collab between Neil Young and Devo:
Speaking of douches, how about that taxpayer-funded $45 million BD party for the Mango Mussolini?
OK, political rant over (maybe).
Just remember, the best way to combat that “not-so-fresh feeling” is to see some live music.
Tonight:
The Allman-Betts Band plays the old Annie’s
the Marsha Brady hosts Dispatch with John Butler and G. Love & Special Sauce + Donavon Frankenreiter
Emily Nenni and William Matheny will be at Southgate House
Queens of the Stone Age play a sold-out show at the Jan Brady on Wednesday.
Speaking of Queens of the Stone Age:
Gigs on Thursday:
The String Cheese Incident at the Cindy Brady
North Mississippi Allstars at Ludlow Garage
Sean Geil of the Tillers hosts the Farm Jam at Lost Bridge Beverage Co.
Murder by Death: The Farewell Tour 2025 with Laura Jane Grace at Southgate
Genesis Retouched: The Essence of the Phil Collins Era of Genesis at RiversEDGE
Megan Bee and Ma Crow & Company at Washington Park (free)
The Red NOT Chili Peppers play the Madison Theater
Shows on Friday:
James Arthur plays the Greg Brady
Robbie Fulks headlines the FREE show at the Levitt Pavilion in Dayton
Sungaze and Horsehell are at the Liberty Theater
Garrett T. Capps and Nasa Country, Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band, and Styrofoam Winos play the Southgate (in advance of their Nelsonville sets)
Ally Venable plays Ludlow Garage
Dexter & the Moonrocks play the Ovation
MadTree Oakley has a summer solstice party with Jess Lamb, Siri Imani, Abby Vice, Aunty JoJo and KY Honey
Also, on Friday, the Nelsonville Music Festival kicks off with MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, Dehd and The Bug Club topping that day’s lineup. I’ll be there, as will list members Matt & Pam (not to be confused with Matt & Kim).
Oh, and the kids TV show stars The Wiggles have a show at the Rose Music Center in Dayton, but they really should be ashamed of and/or arrested for the show’s title:
Does Chris Hanson know about this?
Saturday is the first day of summer!
It’s also the longest day of the year. Perhaps not coincidentally, it’s my wedding anniversary! My lovely bride of (nearly) 28 years plans to join me at the Nelsonville Music Festival to:
a. see a bunch of bands she’s never heard of (Styrofoam Winos, Low Cut Connie, Esther Rose, Watchhouse, Being Dead, Bonnie Prince Billy, Charley Crockett and Black Lips) and
b. celebrate setting a new Guinness record for “most years married to a ne’er-do-well who spends most of his free time going to concerts and writing a really weird music blog.” (The Guinness folks are getting reeeeeally specific these days, and it’s a bit hurtful, tbh. They should stick to categories like “World’s Heaviest Twins”)
Also on Saturday, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit kick off a two-night “Evening with” stand at the Peter Brady. (It should be noted that the McCreary brothers never called what they were wearing an “outfit.”)
Other Saturday shows:
The Gaslight Anthem at Bogart’s
Say She She plays a show that’s free-free at Levitt Pavilion in Dayton
Taj Mahal is at the Ludlow Garage as a tune-up for his Nelsonville gig the next day
The Little River Band plays the Lawrenceburg Event Center
the Daniel Wayne Band headlines a show in Southgate’s Lounge
Tracy Walker plays a 5pm freebie at Smale’s Castellini Esplanade
Covington Metal Fest at Madison Live (bring 2 sets of earplugs)
On Sunday, the Outlaw Music Festival rolls into Riverbend, with Willie Nelson, Timothée Chalamet Bob Dylan, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles, and Myron Elkins.
That same evening, Jason Isbell plays Night #2 at the Bobby Brady. Southgate House has the California Guitar Trio and Kaki King, Nelsonville has The War & Treaty and Taj Mahal on tap, and Band of Horses plays an outdoor show at The Burl in Lexington.
Sweet Baby James Taylor plays Riverbend on Monday, 6/23, and the Rose in Dayton hosts “I want my 80s” tour featuring Rick Springfield, John Waite, Wang Chung, and Paul Young.
Get yer energy domes out on Tuesday, June 24 for Devo at the Carol Brady. (I’ll be there!)
Come to think of it, Carol Brady did have a bit of a Devo “hair helmet” vibe going on back in the day:
Other shows that evening:
Less than Jake at Bogart’s
The Mission UK with Poppy Jean Crawford at Ludlow Garage
The “I want my 80s” tour plays Riverbend. Which means if you are really ambitious, you can Wang Chung tonight for two nights in a row!
Double the Wang, Double the Chung, Double the Fun! (Er, let me modify the start of that last sentence… lest Chris Hanson pay me a visit.)
Did you know the 20th Century Theater in Oakley still has the occasional show? Neither did I, which is why we both missed out on getting tickets to see Fred Armisen’s sold-out “Comedy is for Musicians but Everyone is Welcome” show there on Wednesday, June 25.
Gigs on Thursday, June 26:
Billy Corgan and the Machines of God play Bogart’s
Sam Hibbard and the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys play the free Washington Park Roots Revival show
Across the street at Memorial Hall, it’s The Rush Tribute Project (I think it should be called “Out of the Rutsey” or “Closer to the Peart” or “Xana-don’t” of “La Villa Doppelgänger”…)
Way up yonder in Dayton, the Jayne Sachs Band (winner of 97Xposure 1995) plays a reunion show at Brightside (Dave and I talked to Jayne for an episode of the 97X “Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast back in 2021.)
Mr. Nicole Kidman plays Riverbend
Friday, June 27 is bursting at the seams with live music:
Young the Giant and Joywave play the Hard Rock lawn
Mannequin Pussy is at Bogart’s (they might’ve gotten their name from the infamous “Wheel o’ Sex” in Bogart’s backstage office)
Paleface plays a free show in the Southgate Lounge
Bear Hands and OK Cowgirl play Madison Live
Tyler the Creator is at the Coliseum, with Lil Yachty and Paris Texas
The old Annie’s has the AC/DC tribute band Back in Black
The Rose Music Center hosts The Fab Four: USA Meets the Beatles
Saturday, June 28 isn’t too shabby in the concert department either:
Patty Griffin plays Over the Rhine’s Nowhere Else Farm, with OTR doing the opening set (I’ll be at that gig!)
Sinkane and Moonbeau play the Liberty Theater
The Avett Brothers are at the Fraze
Dayton’s Levitt Pavilion hosts the Dayton Blues Fest
The Sun Ra Arkestra plays Memorial Hall on Tuesday, July 1.
Shows on Wednesday, July 2:
Manchester Orchestra at the Burl in Lexington
Greensky Bluegrass at the Rose
Ween Wednesday at the Columbia in the East End 6-10pm). They’ll be spinning White Pepper. BYOB. I was there last month, as was the legendary Billy Alletzhauser (Ass Ponys, Ruby Vileos, The Hiders) and the equally legendary Taylor Fox of Inhailer Radio. It’s a cool hang – stop by!
Ass Ponys sighting… OK, hearing
A recent episode of the Sound Opinions podcast (hosted by longtime Chicago music writers Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis) is about “Regrettable Band Names.” Jim talks quite a bit about the Ass Ponys (any publicity is good publicity, right?), and Greg calls Wussy a great band. (The segment starts around the 34:50 mark.)
Bootsy!
Tune in here. Or see Bootsy’s outfit when you watch it here. Bootsy always stays on the one.
We love it live!
Well, I missed the American Aquarium show (it was a lazy Sunday…) but I hear it was great. I did, however, catch Blonde Redhead and Squirrel Flower at the Woodward with list member Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube (also of Inhailer Radio fame – Fridays 11a-3p).
We mourn the dead
R.I.P. to Brian Wilson and Sly Stone.
“Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable.” (from his family’s statement)
We’re not getting any younger either!
Shirley’s had BOTH hips replaced. She’s still hip, though. Check out her interview on the Broken Record podcast here.
My angel former co-worker is a centerfold
List member Dale Doyle (the OG D2) was on The Tonight Show – Jimmy Fallon shows off the artwork Dale created for Matt Berninger’s new album, including a quick peek at the centerfold at the end of this clip:
The Reading Room
The Oxford American has a lovely “on the road with…” profile of Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee. Katie’s twin sister Allison (Swearin’) is also part of the story as Katie’s A&R rep for Anti- Records, and in an interesting bit of sibling symmetry, the feature was written by Jenn Pelly, whose twin sister Liz wrote the book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist. (Highly recommended.)
The “We can’t read” Room
That’s the album title, not a song title. Nice try, AI! Article is here.
What a lineup!
There’s only one possible reaction to that bill…
Details are here. Wish me luck convincing my wife that I need to go. Or better yet, buy my ticket.
Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)
E, L, and P are clearly trying to steal Jay Ferguson’s Thunder, but they don’t have the proper footwear:
Remember, when you have a hankering for falling down laughing in the wet grass, or nights in the cool sand, accept no substitute… ask for Jay Ferguson by name!
June is chock-full o’ live tunes. And that’s no jive!
Let’s get into it.
Tonight, American Aquarium plays the Southgate, with Justin Wells as the opener. I’ll be at that gig.
Eric Johanson is at Ludlow Garage… not Eric Johnson as listed in my last post. Can’t believe I confused those two guitarists… it’s like that time I called Jim Hagar Jon Hagar at the Hee Haw convention.
On Tuesday, Alison Krauss & Union Station (featuring Jerry Douglas) will be at the PNC Pavilion.
This Wednesday is WEENsday at The Columbia (4311 Eastern Avenue). They’ll be spinning The Mollusk and it’s BYOB. But they supply crayons.
Wednesday shows include Kids that Fly and Belle Blue at the Woodward, and CFG & Family at the Fountain Square “Fountain Blues” free series. (The full summer lineup is here.)
Thursday:
Brent Cobb plays Southgate, with Chloe Kimes opening
Los Lonely Boys are at Ludlow Garage
Ray Vietti & Jeremy Short play the freebie “Roots Revival” show at Washington Park (6-9 p.m.) The full series lineup is here.
The Liberty Theater has a free Songwriters in the Round with Andrew Hibbard, Anthony Ray Wright and Emilie Clepper
The Turkeys play a free show at the Behringer Crawford Museum in Devou Park
There are a slew o’ shows this Friday:
Blonde Redhead plays the Woodward with Squirrel Flower
The Secret Sisters are at Memorial Hall
Clay Street Unit and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes play a free show at RiversEDGE in Hamilton
Jake Speed & the Freddies play a freebie at Sawyer Point
The Levitt Pavilion in Dayton has a freebie show with the REO Classics Band (featuring Terry Luttrell, the original lead singer for REO Speedwagon)
Ludlow Garage features a Van Morrison tribute show (not a Jim Morrison tribute show… )
Please note: Friday is June 6th… during the dark of the moon, anyone over the age of 60 is required to fire up their CB radio and alert Rubber Duck and Pigpen about any police presence.
On Saturday, the Ludlow Garage has the Hot Red Chili Peppers… NOT the Red Hot Chili Peppers (or the Red Hot Chili Pipers)
Other Saturday shows:
Teddy Swims plays the outdoor stage at the Marsha Brady
My Brother’s Keeper has an album release show at the Liberty Theater
Joe’s Truck Stop, The Local Honeys, The Montvales and several other bands play the “Gemini Jam” at Southgate
Soul Pocket plays the Fountain Square freebie gig
Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat are at the Fraze
The Levitt hosts the Dayton Pride Afterparty featuring Molly Grace
Also, on Saturday and Sunday, the Woodward Theater screens Pavements, the weird and wild movie about Pavement.
Oh, and Saturday also is the grand opening of Jukebox in the Deerfield Towne Center.
Jukebox is America’s first custom sparkling beverage studio, where creativity meets refreshment. We mix premium ingredients, fresh flavors, and endless customization options to craft beverages that are as unique as you.
The dude behind Jukebox is list member Jay Scherger, who left his gig in corporate America to add more flavor to your life with a “quirky cocktail bar without the cocktails.” Read more in Cincinnati Magazine and and CityBeat. Check it out… you may hear a familiar voice doing some promo breaks between songs on the in-house sound system.
On Sunday, Avril Lavigne plays her Greatest Hits tour with Simple Plan and We The Kings supporting, Valley Maker is at MOTR, and David Spade does standup at the Taft.
On Tuesday, June 10:
Barenaked Ladies, Guster, and Fastball play the PNC Pavilion
Buddy Guy plays the Taft with Eric Gales opening
Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ are at the Rose in Dayton
Shows on Wednesday, June 11:
Counting Crows and Gaslight Anthem at the Fraze
Honey Island Swamp Band at the Ludlow Garage
Leroy Ellington plays the Fountain Square freebie
Thursday, June 12:
Mt. Joy plays the outdoor stage at the Ovation in Newport
Sunny Sweeney and Cam Pierce are at Southgate
The Lost Bridge Beverage Co. in North Bend hosts the 2nd Thursday live broadcast of BlackFork Radio
Ludlow Garage has Close Enemies, featuring Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton
Washington Park has another Roots Revival show… performers are TBD (that’s not a band…)
Travis Tritt plays the old Annie’s
Friday, June 13 has a full slate:
Band of Horses plays the Lawrenceburg Event Center
The Dave Matthews Band will make their annual stop at Riverbend
Motherfolk and Moonbeau play the Woodward
Augustana is at Ludlow Garage
Thee Sinseers and The Altons (retro soul/R&B) play a free concert at RiversEDGE in Hamilton
Kyle Eldridge & the Kentucky Cowhands play the freebie at the Levitt in Dayton
On Saturday, June 14, an enterprising young band called The Collies plays the back patio at the Anderson Township Pub from 7-10 p.m. I’ve heard their music (mostly rock covers, with a few originals) many, many times… because they practice in my son Gabriel’s room. (He’s the drummer.)
Stop by and check ’em out. I’ll buy you a beer.
Then tell your friends, because right now my retirement plan consists of hoping The Collies make it big.
Other shows on 6/14:
Tab Benoit plays the Taft
Buddy Guy is at the Rose
Houndmouth will be at the Ovation
Coastal Club, Mosant, and Deaf Andrews are at the Madison Theater
Boney James plays Ludlow Garage
On Sunday, June 15:
The Wallflowers play Bogart’s
Laurelview Ramblers are at the Lost Bridge Beverage Co.
Lynyrd Skynyrd (featuring ZERO original members) plays the Rose
We love it live!
The bad news: Wild Pink was a late scratch from the IndieCraft festival lineup in Springfield, Ohio.
The good news: No dogs or cats were eaten during the festival.
The better news: Aaron Lee Tasjan did two sets to cover for Wild Pink, and Snarls absolutely crushed it during their outdoor set.
Thanks to a ticket from Ken “The Lobby Boy” Laube (catch him on Inhailer Radio Fridays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.) I caught Night 2 of The Magnetic Fields doing 69 Love Songs at Memorial Hall. I’m pretty sure it’s the first show I’ve seen where all the band members were seated, but the set was stellar.
The Cereal Killers killed it at Big Ash Brewing. It was great to see so many list members in attendance for that gig: Whit, Barb, Dan R., Dan B., Mike, John, Dave, Phil, Aron… A great evening of music – here’s hoping for another CK gig soon!
It was great hanging out with the Inhailer Radio crew (and list members Amy, Ken, and David) at Hi-Wire Brewing on Memorial Day during their Indie 500 countdown.
This past Wednesday, I went up to Cleveland to catch The Tubs opening up for The Wedding Present at The Grog Shop. I’m so glad I made the long drive – both bands were outstanding!
Hot ticket alert
Emma Swift is playing an Undertow show in Cincinnati on Tuesday, August 5th. You can get your tickets here. I can neither CONFIRM nor deny that the venue will be The Columbia (home of WEENsdays).
At least one D2 has talent!
Congrats to list member Dale Doyle (the OG D2) for his fantastic design work on Matt Berninger’s new solo album, which came out Friday.
At least one (former) Foo Fighter has a sense of humor
Josh Freese was relieved of his drummer duties, but he seems to be taking it in stride. Here’s his IG post from the next day:
Take me to the RiversEDGE… and you’ll Levitt in Dayton
Hamilton’s free summer concert lineup is below. And the outdoor stage is just a stone’s throw an empty beer can’s throw from Municipal Brew Works too!
And here’s the lineup for the free concerts at the Levitt Pavilion in Dayton – highlights include Chuck Prophet, Robbie Fulks, Carlene Carter, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Say She She, Eilen Jewel, and Sinkane. You can BYOB (cans) too!
Out with the old (music), in with the new
Music historian Ted Gioia talks about the challenges of today’s music biz (accent on the “biz” part) in The Atlantic:
Those April showers are a distant memory. They’ve been replaced by May pollen.
But plenty of live tunes are in bloom too, including a rare Cereal Killers show. Let’s get into it!
Tonight, you can catch Cockburn at Memorial Hall.
Oops, my bad, the video above is Frank Cockburn. It’s Bruce Cockburn who is playing Memorial Hall this evening.
Other shows tonight include:
The Arcadian Wild w/ River & Rail at the Woodward
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass at the Taft
Ovation is hosting a Clown show. I hear there will be lots of jugglers there. Oops, my bad. Juggalos.
Tomorrow night, the Smoking Popes will be at Madison Live. They’re from Chicago, just like the white smoke Pope!
Also, Lettuce and GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan will be co-headlining a show at the Taft.
And Dave Mason brings his “Let it Flow 2025 Tour” to Memorial Hall. It sounds a little something like this:
On Thursday, you can choose Furious Bongos (Ludlow Garage) or Napalm Death (Bogarts, with The Melvins).
Or you can chill out with the Farm Jam at Lost Bridge Beverage Company (North Bend, OH), featuring Sean Geil of the Tillers. And Liberty Theater has the Tray Wellington Band with Adam Gilliam.
Tray Wellington Band is a high energy progressive bluegrass band, led by IBMA award winner Tray Wellington. This band continues to push themselves musically to draw on the influences that continue to shape their musical mold.
Oh, and Jim Gaffigan kicks off six shows over the course of four days at the Taft.
This Friday and Saturday, Springfield will be the center of the musical universe.
Springfield, Ohio is hosting a FREE music festival called IndieCraft. Here’s the lineup:
Wild Pink and Aaron Lee Tasjan for free? You’re damn right I’ll be there Saturday!
(I like what I’ve heard from Snarls too. And I’ll be there in time for The Back Alley – the ticket price is right.)
Shows a bit closer to home (unless you live in Springfield) Friday evening:
Tommy Prine plays Southgate with Conrad Moore and Jordan Lee King
Rachel Baiman is at Liberty Theater with Maggie Noëlle of Magnolia Boulevard
Ben Levin plays Arnold’s
Alex Salcido (of The Harmed Brothers) plays Lost Bridge Beverage Co. in North Bend
Ludlow Garage has FJ: a tribute to Foreigner AND Journey featuring Constantine Maroulis (“sixth-place finalist on American Idol season 4!”)
For some strange reason, you see a lot of FJ band fans on the golf course.
And the Madison Theater has Kid Kentucky and the American Badass Band… yes, that’s a Kid Rock Tribute. Or you can go to the waste treatment plant on Kellogg Avenue near Lunken Airport for free. Potato/Po-tah-toe.
Speaking of punchable faces, Truist Arena (NKU) has Gutfield Live on Saturday.
And here’s the list of shows that actually will be entertaining on Saturday:
The aforementioned freebie Wild Pink, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Snarls show in Springfield
JJ Grey & Mofro w/ The Marshall Tucker Band on the lawn outside the Hard Rock Casino
Jeffrey Osborne at Ludlow Garage
Plazmatic album release show with Electric Indigo and Cousins at the Woodward
Hyryder (Grateful Dead tribute) at the Madison Theater
On Sunday, The String Cheese Incident and The Wood Brothers play the Rose Music Center, and Travis Talbert will be at the Lost Bridge Beverage Co.
On Monday and/or Tuesday, you can be part of a massive 69 at Memorial Hall.
The Magnetic Fields will be performing their 1999 triple album masterpiece 69 Love Songs in its entirety over those two nights.
Also on Monday:
A Place to Bury Strangers, The Serfs, and The Mall play Northside Tavern
The Toasters play Southgate
Next Wednesday, May 21, the always progressive, cutting edge lineup of shows at Riverbend kicks off with… (checks list)… Billy Idol and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Who needs the Bill & Ted phone booth when you can just buy a ticket to a Riverbend show?
Next Friday, Dark Star Jubilee weekend kicks off in Legend Valley (nee Buckeye Lake):
Other shows on Friday, May 23:
Blues singer Carolyn Wonderland plays Southgate’s main room with Scotty Bratcher opening
Angela Perley and Hello June are upstairs in the Southgate Revival Room
Ricky Nye Inc. plays the Southgate Lounge for free
Hunter Root plays the Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg, Indiana
The Ben Levin Quartet plays The 1931 (at the Hilton Netherland downtown)
On Saturday, May 24, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The Cereal Killers play Big Ash Brewing!
Regular readers* of this…uh, whatever the heck this is… know that I’m cuckoo for CK and their amazing repertoire of classic punk, new wave, power pop, and just plain damn fine songs. It’s like a 97X Modern Rock 500 come to life!
*all 3 of them
Cereal Killers gigs have been as rare as hen’s teeth over the past several months. They are the local band equivalent of a century plant:
Some flowers are so rare and extraordinary that they bloom just once in a lifetime—or even once in a century! These plants may require decades of patience, but when they finally burst into bloom, the display is nothing short of spectacular.**
Rare and extraordinary? Check. Decades of patience? Well, maybe just months, but it feels like decades. “The display is nothing short of spectacular” is 100% accurate!
As usual, I’ll be offering my “first beer’s on me” guarantee that this show will be time well spent. Just present this voucher (which I totally did NOT steal from some unsuspecting artist on the interwebs) on your phone and I will buy your first beer.
**it should be noted that although I compared the Cereal Killers to a plant that blooms only rarely, I am NOT comparing them to the corpse plant, whose unique aroma when it blooms every 7-10 years has been described as “smelling like cheese, garlic, smelly feet, diapers, or rotten fish.”
Other Saturday shows that you won’t be attending because you’ll be at Big Ash drinking free beer and rocking out to great tunes:
North by Northside kicks off a two-night run at the Northside Tavern
Carriers have an album release show at the Woodward with Gardener and Dyan
Maria, etc. has an album release show at the Liberty Theater with Anna Applegate
Brit Floyd “Wish You Were Here” 50th anniversary show at the Rose – it’s sold out, but fear not, you can catch the same band on the same tour at the same venue in August…
On Sunday, 5/25, Kinda Grassy plays Lost Bridge (Carriage House Farm).
Monday, May 26 is Memorial Day, a day when we pay tribute to fallen soldiers… typically by grilling hot dogs at the pool.
The Garcia Project (Jerry Garcia Band tribute) plays the Woodward on Tuesday, May 27.
On Wednesday, May 28, I’ll be motoring up to Cleveland to catch The Wedding Present and The Tubs at the Grog Shop.
Peelander-Z and Penfold’s Revenge play Southgate that evening too.
Young Widows play the Woodward on Thursday, May 29 with Kowloon Walled City and Fotocrime on the undercard. And Stanley Clarke kicks off a two-night stand at Ludlow Garage.
Midwest Fest kicks off on Friday, May 30.
Other shows on Friday, May 30:
Casey Campbell plays Lost Bridge Beverage Co.
Nikka Costa is at the Woodward
Dallas Moore w/ Pure Grain at the Liberty Theater
Taft Theatre has An Evening with Jon Stewart… it’s sold out
Wrapping up the month, Italian guitar phenom Matteo Mancusco plays Ludlow Garage on Saturday, May 31.
American Aquarium plays the Southgate House on Sunday, June 1, with Justin Wells opening. I plan to hit that show. Eric Johnson is at Ludlow Garage that same night.
We love it live!
Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube, his friend Suzanne and I went up to Columbus to see Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds on 5/2. What a show! Our seats were pretty far back on the main floor, but we bum-rushed the stage during the 2nd song and stayed there for the duration of the gig. Nick’s a live wire!
List member couples Rico & Ashley and Jay & Alyssa also were in attendance. Nick loves us all.
“When I tell the audience that I love them, the sentiment is entirely true. I feel an emotional transaction with the crowd that is powerful and profoundly intimate. I stand before you all – strangers – witnessing you both individually and collectively, and sense an unbounded love. This love is true. It is not symbolic, metaphorical, or platitudinous. I see before me a group of human beings, precarious and vulnerable, granted a brief time on this earth, each filled with a shocking potential for beauty and terror, good and evil, and with the extraordinary capacity to give and receive love. At that moment, love is the appropriate response.”
True to his word, “Disco Dan” Lewis was at the Son Volt show, along with his friends John W. (also a list member) and Steve (the voice of “The Oasis” – the station that is now on 97.7 FM… I remember that frequency!).
Other list members in attendance: Dan Bockrath, Gene Dow, Mark Morse, Tim Morse, Andy B., Tom W. and Jamie. Dan Bockrath summed up the show quite nicely:
Fantastic show from Son Volt at The Ludlow Garage. Bumped into many longtime music friends at the gig. Up close and personal for a career spanning set. Amazing!
Meanwhile, list member Kevin Sullivan snuck down to Nashville to catch Lucy Dacus at the Ryman:
An updated version of the 97X Modern Rock 500… with a new spin!
Inhailer Radio (catch Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube Fridays 11a-3p!) is doing an updated version of the old 97X Modern Rock 500, counting down the top 500 indie songs over Memorial Day Weekend.
And this year, they’re expanding the list of songs and extending the listening window with “qualifying laps”:
If you tune in to the 500, you might just catch your ol’ pals Dave and Damian doing a few breaks.
Shameless Self-Promotion (while also promoting the Indie 500)
Dave and I also interviewed Inhailer’s Music Director, Nils Illokken, about the station and this year’s countdown for a “very special episode” of our “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast. You can catch that episode on 97Xbam.com here, or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, or any other podcast platform that hasn’t banned us yet.
Hot Ticket Alert
X and Los Lobos play the Rose Music Center on Sunday, September 21. They’re calling it the “99 Years of Rock ‘n Roll” tour.
I already have my ticket, courtesy of Steve “El Blanco” White.
The Sad Section
A heartfelt FB post from list member “The Lovely & Talented Elizabeth Cannon”:
Follow-up single “Spirit of ’76” — which Peters co-wrote, as he did for most of the band’s songs — recounted his early days of discovering punk rock and name-checks the likes of Johnny Rotter and Siouxsie Sioux.
“The song is about the most important time in my life,” Peters wrote in the program for the Strength tour. “I had my whole life mapped out before me and life seemed pretty unexciting. Then I saw bands like The Jam and The Buzzcocks and U2, and things and they really had an impact on my life. It gave me the courage to leave something behind and go out and try to build a new life for myself.”
Here’s a shot of Mike Peters with Mr. K and Jetson from 97X, along with some fans (not pictured: The Lovely & Talented Elizabeth Cannon):
And R.I.P to singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, who died in a house fire.
Sobule was known for taking control of her career by fundraising so she could make her next album. In 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album.
“The old kind of paradigm, where you’ve always waited for other people to do things, you’d have your manager and your agent,” she said at the time. “You’d wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.”
Shortly before her death, Sobule had written and recorded a provocative song titled “J.D. Vance Is a C***” in collaboration with friends Michelle Lewis and Kay Hanley under the name Sugar Tits. The song, filled with biting satire and rhymes, quickly went viral on social media, thrusting Sobule back into the spotlight in her final days. It’s not radio-friendly. It’s not my best song, but it does get to the point.”
Public Service Reminder for hipster parents of teens
Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)
There’s so much to love in this one. The outfits, of course. The amazing hairdo on the woman… or is that a beaver pelt? And best of all, the band name that’s illegible on that busy background. But we don’t need to read that! Everybody who is anybody knows that’s Johnny & Nadine Rexroat (and the Gospel Travelers).
“Great day for a hike! Let’s put on our best dresses and our white high heels and start ‘going through the land.’”
One response to “Tunes in bloom”
Fred
“And the Madison Theater has Kid Kentucky and the American Badass Band… yes, that’s a Kid Rock Tribute. Or you can go to the waste treatment plant on Kellogg Avenue near Lunken Airport for free. Potato/Po-tah-toe. ”
I was eating and almost spit out my food LOL
Geez, I was so busy going through my Signal chats that time got away from me and I missed a couple of days of Ye Olde Koncert Keeper. Well, they weren’t MY Signal chats, per se, but somehow I got included on them.
Maybe it’s a signal that I should stick to concert listings. Let’s take a look.
Saturday night:
Los Honchos play a free show in the Southgate House lounge
The Laurelys play at the Lost Bridge Beverage Co. (Carriage House Farm)
The Aristocrats are at Ludlow Garage
Madison Theater hosts Greggie & the Jets: A Tribute to Elton John
On Sunday, Joseph Huber and Sean Geil (The Tillers) play Southgate
Tuesday gigs:
Blues rocker Beth Hart plays the Bobby Brady
Memorial Hall hosts “Our House: The Music of CSNY”
Woodward Theater has Season to Risk, Sofa King, and Old City*
*Old City was the original name of Del Boca Vista
Thursday is May Day!
That evening:
The Mystery Lights (garage/psych band from Brooklyn) play the Woodward, with M. Ross Perkins and General Baxter also on the bill.
Tinfoil Hat Cowboys play a free gig in Southgate’s Lounge
Liberty Theater has a free Songwriters in the Round show with Dave Lacy and Jaden Decker
Lissie is at Ludlow Garage.
Lissie fun facts: Lissie has recently appeared in TV shows Twin Peaks and Loudermilk, as well as co-owns the music genre-themed popcorn company Otts Pops Indie Pop and is involved with land conservation.
Next Friday (May 2), you get Five for Fighting.
Uh, it’s the band Five for Fighting, not the hockey penalty. They’re at Ludlow Garage. Other shows that evening:
Mosant at Liberty Theater
Brie Salmena at Southgate
Runaway Gin (a band “inspired by Phish”) at the old Annie’s
Madison Theater has Jump: “America’s Van Halen Experience”
(I thought Van Halen was “America’s Van Halen Experience”… )
Shows next Saturday (May 3):
Camp Springs Tavern hosts “Jam on the Creek” with Ralph Martin, Dave Webster, South of Sin, and Northern Kentucky Derby
Michelle Robinson has an album release show at Liberty Theater
Noah Wotherspoon plays Fretboard in Blue Ash
Dead Centric and Plazmatic are in Southgate’s main Sanctuary
Carrie Nation & the Speakeasy, Dead Man String Band, and Run Rabbit Run play upstairs in the Southgate Revival Room
Spyro Gyra at Ludlow
Next Sunday is May the Fourth!
That evening, Jackie Venson will set her guitar phasers to “stun” as she plays Southgate’s Revival Room.
The band Knotts will open for Jackie. Some people claim that the band members are half-siblings fathered by Mr. Furley with Cindy Snow and Terri Alden.
Monday, May 5 is Cinco de Mayo!
That evening, The Dirty Grass Players and Mama Said String Band will play the Liberty Theater
On Tuesday, May 6, Nashville indie-pop artist Genevieve Hayward plays a free show in the Southgate House Lounge.
Shows on Wednesday, May 7:
Anvil plays Southgate (main room) – don’t tell Wile E. Coyote
Matthew & the Atlas and Foreign Fields are in the Revival Room
Matisyahu plays Ludlow Garage
The Columbia in the East End hosts their first Wednesday “WEENsday” playing Ween’s Golden Country Greats album. (I went this month – it’s a fun hang!)
Thursday, May 8:
Son Volt plays Trace and pays tribute to Doug Sahm at Ludlow Garage (I’ll be there!)
Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue at Memorial Hall
Carriage House Farm in North Bend hosts the second Thursday live broadcast of BlackFork Radio
On Friday, May 9:
Rumpke Mountain Boys are at the old Annie’s
ekoostik hookah plays the Liberty Theater
Josh Radnor plays the Woodward
Bendigo Fletcher is on the Madison Theater rooftop, with Producing a Kind Generation
Ludlow has Live at the Filmore (Allman Bros. tribute) and Broken Arrow (Neil Young tribute)
Saturday, May 10 is action-packed:
Kaleta & the Super Yamba Band at Liberty Theater
Mason Jennings with Lydia Shae at Southgate
The old Annie’s has Fillmore On The River, with an Allman Brothers tribute band (Nathan Jenkins Band) and a Grateful Dead tribute band (I Dig Pig)
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons play a “The Last Encores” show on the lawn at the Hard Rock Casino
Phillip-Michael Scales plays the Liberty Theater on Sunday, May 11. Can’t wait to see ol’ Tubbs!
Wait, my bad, that’s Philip Michael Thomas. But my mistake gives me a convenient excuse to subject your eyeballs to this:
Shows on Tuesday, May 13:
Bruce Cockburn plays Memorial Hall (when I worked at 97X, his albums had a sticker on them with “it’s pronounced ‘Coe-burn'”… I appreciated the help.)
The Arcadian Wild plays The Woodward Theater with River & Rail opening
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass play the Taft – that show is BYOWC (Bring your own whipped cream)
Insane Clown Posse plays the Ovation – that show is BYOF (Bring your own Faygo)
We love it live!
There’s no way Alejandro Escovedo is 74… he tore it up at Southgate, even coming into the audience to do a couple of unplugged tunes. Great songs, great stories!
It was fun hanging with Steve “El Blanco” White too, but we missed our friend Dave Tellmann, who is on injured reserve for a bit. Get well soon, my friend!
Kevn Kinney, the opener for Alejandro, did a fine job too!
And list member John Kennedy was in the house too. But our former co-worker Dan “Reds in 2025” Lewis was nowhere to be found. Rumor has it that since he retired from the Reds, “Disco Dan” spends most evenings cutting a dashing figure on the dance floor and showcasing his killer moves at the hottest nightclubs.
Gone but not forgotten
R.I.P. Clem Burke
And R.I.P. David Thomas (Rocket From the Tombs, Pere Ubu). Choice quote from the Guardian tribute:
We’ll leave you with his own words, which sums up who he was better than we can: ‘My name is David Fucking Thomas… and I’m the lead singer of the best fucking rock and roll band in the world.’”
Best Commencement Speaker Ever!
Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)
The woman on this album cover – model Dolores Erickson – is the same woman who appeared on the cover of the Herb Alpert Whipped Cream & Other Delights album.
Erickson, who wore a bikini with the shoulder straps pushed down and hidden, was for the most part surrounded by cotton batting and many cans’ worth of shaving cream because actual whipped cream turned runny and smelly under hot lights. The real thing was used only on her head and on the index finger she touched to her lips. Adding to the not-really-very-sexy-at-all atmosphere was the fact that Erickson was three months pregnant with her son, Brett.
Who needs mariachi when you’ve got marinara?
2 responses to “You MAY be entertained”
Dan “Vincent Vega” Lewis
Disco Dan will be at the Son Volt show cutting the rug.
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