Designs that Rock

Concert Listings, Music

If I told you that I had an album autographed by a Grammy-nominated artist, you might think I was referring to the recording artist.

That’s Matt Berninger’s solo album, Serpentine Prison, but the autograph isn’t Matt’s. It’s from my good friend (and list member) Dale Doyle, who created the album artwork. And Dale is the one up for the hardware:

I’m thrilled for Dale, (a.k.a. “the original d2”). He and I worked together at the Cincinnati office of Landor Associates. Dale spent 23 years there, until he was “downsized” back in 2018. In hindsight, it was the best thing that could’ve happened to him professionally.

Speaking of getting fired from an ad agency and being nominated for a Grammy, Japanese Breakfast is up for “Best New Artist” this year. (Even though this year’s release Jubilee was their third album… where was the Grammy committee when JB put out Psychopomp in 2016, or Soft Sounds from Another Planet in 2017, or when they were just blowing us away live in the Taft Ballroom back in 2018?) Bandleader Michelle Zauner talks about how she used her two-months’ severance from an ad agency to pursue a music career in this Broken Record podcast:

The moral of the stories: if you want to win a Grammy, the first step is being let go by an ad agency.

OK, let’s get into this week’s list of live shows:

Freekbass is hosting Funksgiving tonight at Ludlow Garage, Darlene has a record release show at MOTR, Ben Levin plays Arnold’s, and Patti LaBelle is at the Hard Rock Casino.

Saturday’s shows run the full gamut of genres and venues: The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band is at Southgate, The Lions Rampant are at MOTR, Ben Levin plays Ghost Baby in OTR, local Tom Petty tribute band Tom the Torpedoes plays the Redmoor in Mt. Lookout… and Michael Bolton is at the Lawrenceburg Event Center in the Hoosier State.

Ben Levin is at it again on Sunday morning (must be trying to work off that extra helping of turkey yesterday), playing the Blues Brunch at the Hard Rock Casino from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. If 10 p.m. is more your style, Gringo Star and The Harlequins play MOTR that evening.

Tuesday, author David Sedaris is at the Aronoff. (Yes, I know it’s not a music gig but he’s a rockstar writer and just so damn entertaining in a live setting.)

On Thursday, Devotchka plays the Woodward Theater, with Milquetoast & Co. as the opener. The irrepressible Ben Levin plays Shires Garden. And if you need more cowbell, Blue Oyster Cult will be at Ludlow Garage.

Max Weinberg’s Jukebox makes a stop at Ludlow next Friday (12/3). And yes, Ben Levin has a gig – he’s playing Muse Cafe.

Next Saturday (12/4), Shakey Graves plays Bogart’s, local Dead/jam band Spookfloaters play Fretboard (my wife’s cousin is in that band, so I’ll be there), Ben Levin (him again!) plays BrewRiver, and Jess Lamb & the Factory will be at Findlay Market for a 5 p.m. happy hour gig.

That brings us full circle to yet another great design on a record: Keith Neltner (who worked with Dale and me at Landor) did the artwork for the limited edition 7-inch vinyl record featuring two songs from Jess Lamb & the Factory.

The record — a collaborative effort among Neltner Small Batch, Otto Printing in Newport, Musicol (recording studio/pressing plant in Columbus), Arnold’s, and Maker’s Mark — was released at Arnold’s on Wednesday evening, and a handful of the splatter vinyl copies went on sale today at five local record stores (Shake It Records, Everybodys Records, Plaid Room Records, Torn Light Records and Herzog Music).

Jess Lamb & the Factory band member Warren Harrison also worked at Landor…

Shop local stores. Support local artists (recording and otherwise). They might wind up winning a Grammy someday!

No Turkeys in Our House

Concert Listings, Music

No thugs either. But for sure no turkeys.

Let’s get to this week’s listings on the old 97X Koncert Keeper.

Tonight Shovels & Rope at Ludlow Garage, Bendigo Fletcher plays the Woodward with Sylmar as the opener, and the local Allman Bros. tribute band The Almond Butter Band plays their “Butterball” at the Redmoor in Mt. Lookout.

(Sidebar: after the year we’ve had, I can understand if you want to take a time capsule back to 1982. If so, you’ll be glad to know that Journey and Toto will be playing the Coliseum next April 24th. Tickets go on sale today. Warning: “Steve Perry” might look a bit different, but he still sounds the same.)

Beach Bunny has a sold-out show at Southgate on Saturday night. Didn’t get a ticket? That’s OK, you can “shop local”: Jeremy Pinnell will play two free sets at MOTR to celebrate the release of his new album Goodbye L.A., from local label SofaBurn Records.

You can read list member Gil Kaufman’s interview with Jeremy for Cincinnati Magazine online. (We love Gil’s “resting outlaw face” turn of phrase.) Jason Gargano’s profile in CityBeat is here. And here’s the video (shot in Cincy/NKY) for “Wanna Do Something” from the new album:

Also on Saturday, Ludlow Garage features “Broken Arrow: The Music of Neil Young.” And if you’d prefer to laugh it up that evening, you have two fine choices:

Jim Gaffigan is at the Coliseum
Iliza Shlesinger is at the Taft (check out her Netflix specials, pretty damn funny)

On Sunday you can take a load off with The Weight Band, featuring members of The Band (revamped edition… no Robbie or Garth) and the Levon Helm Band (we still miss you, Levon). They’re playing Ludlow Garage. Wait! Looks like The Weight was too much to bear, and that show has been postponed.

Taft Theatre has a Scribble Showdown on Monday. But it’s an improv animation game, not a throwback to the old hip-hop Scribble Jam.

On Thanksgiving eve (Wednesday, 11/24), you can catch “All Together Now – A Beatles Thanksgiving Celebration” featuring the Newbees – it’s at Memorial Hall. Or you can head to Annie’s to enjoy the song stylings of the band that many* have called “The new Beatles”: Jackyl.

*these people are stoned out of their gourds

Ernie Johnson from Detroit will be at MOTR on Wednesday too.

On Thursday, Bird is the word.

Or in my case, Tofurkey.

Wanna dance off your turkey/tofurkey coma next Friday? Get your booty down to Ludlow Garage for Freekbass and his “Funksgiving 2021” celebration.

Next Saturday, 11/27, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band plays Southgate, and Tom the Torpedoes will be at the Redmoor.

Watch this

Johnny Rotten on The Masked Singer is so 2021.

Speaking o’ punk, Devo is a band that doesn’t get nearly the credit they deserve. Check ’em out live in 1977 in NYC:

More Devo footage from that era is here.

Road trip next summer?

This festival lineup is redonk:

Whereas this pairing — Psychedelic Porn Crumpets with Acid Dad as the opener — is an early contender for twin billing of the year.

2021 favorites – care to share yours?

We’re heading down the homestretch of this year (2020 Part Deux: More Dumpster, Slightly Less Fire). If you care to share your list of favorite albums, EPs, songs, TikTok clips, whatever, you can add them here.

Album cover of the week

When you go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house for Turkey Day, don’t forget to bring along some Sloppy fifths. Rated “Code E” for everyone.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Go-vember

Concert Listings, Music

It’s time to GO to a gig.

And you’ll have several opportunities this week. Tonight, Gary Clark Jr. plays the Icon, The Wild Feathers play Madison Theater, and Spyro Gyra plays Ludlow Garage.

Saturday, you can head to Memorial Hall for the North Mississippi All-stars with the Rebirth Brass Band and Cedric Burnside. The show sounds pretty cool:

For one special night, these three artists will be playing their own favorite selections as well as collaborating throughout the show on an array of great songs, exploring the musical connection between the Mississippi Delta and Bourbon Street… right down Highway 61.
From the Memorial Hall website

If you fancy a bit of a road trip, you can catch Hamilton Leithauser and Kevin Morby at Headliner’s in Louisville. If you’d rather stay home, Rob Fetters is streaming another house show on the YouTubes.

Sunday has a few gigs of note:

Ben Levin & Friends are doing the boogie-woogie brunch at Hard Rock Casino
Tab Benoit is at the Taft with Alastair Green
Carl Palmer plays Ludlow Garage
Sebastian Bach will be at Bogart’s for a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Skid Row’s Slave to the Grind. Maybe 20 years from now he’ll do an anniversary tour of the time he sang “Hollaback Girl” on Gilmore Girls.

On Monday I’ll probably be at MOTR Pub enjoying the sweet song stylings of Lydia Loveless, with Amber Nash as the opener. It’s a rare ticketed show for MOTR (most are free), but $15 is cheap for that gig. Doors at 7, show at 8.

Tuesday Southgate House has Alice Peacock with Tim Grimm and the Family Band: A Concert to Benefit The Music Resource Center.

Hayes Carll plays Southgate on Wednesday with the splendid Caroline Spence as the opener, and David Cross will be at Bogart’s. No word on whether any other members of Dr. Fünke’s 100% Natural Good-Time Family Band Solution will be there.

Ben Folds (hold the Five) is playing Taft on Thursday. That same evening, Olivia Jean and Leggy are at Southgate, and Edwin McCain plays Ludlow Garage.

Ludlow will be hosting Shovels & Rope next Friday, November 19th.

Dr. Shovels, with the Rope, in the Garage

Hot Ticket Alert!

Lucy Dacus (her latest album is one of my 2021 faves), will be playing Ovation (the PromoWest venue in Newport) on Friday, February 11th, 2022. Tickets go on sale today at noon (and yes, the “convenience fees” are redonk). Ovation also recently announced a Bon Iver show on June 21, 2022, with Bonny Light Horseman as the opener. The PromoWest lineup of shows had been rather underwhelming thus far, but these tasty gigs give us hope that, as list member Ken Laube put it, “maybe we’re finally getting out of concert jail.”

Gig Pics

Brett Newski and the No Tomorrow played a thoroughly entertaining set at MOTR on Wednesday. Then the band stayed at the home of list members Dave and Jacqui Killen – the same place where Brett played a Parlor & Patio gig pre-pandemic. Now that’s hospitality!

Brett had a “virtual tip jar” set up at his merch booth – take a page from the book of list member John Sandman: if you’ve been listening to a band’s music on Spotify, why not Venmo them some $ (or give them some cold hard cash… that’s still a thing) to make up for what you would’ve spent on an album? That little bit of extra moolah — and the occasional free “bed & breakfast” from friendly hosts — goes a long way for up and coming bands.

Words of wisdom

“Punk taught me that music didn’t have to express consensus. You could use music as a way to set yourself apart from the world, or at least some of the world. You could find something to love and something—perhaps lots of somethings—to reject. You could have an opinion, and an identity.”
Kelefa Sanneh in his new book Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres (Hat tip to list member Cullen Lewis for the reco)

Watch this

The Sparks Brothers, the new documentary about the band Sparks (streaming now on Netflix) is delightfully entertaining. Well worth a watch.

As they point out in the doc, Sparks really invented the “Molly Ringwald” Breakfast Club style of dance. It’s merely one of many examples of the ways that Sparks blazed the trail for others musically and stylistically.

Random Album Cover of the Week

The John Denver-meets-Miami-Vice vibe is entertaining enough (as advertised), but the inscription really seals the deal:

I think ol’ Jim might be confused about how the whole brother-sister thing works. It’s not like she had a choice.

Have a great week… GO to a gig!

Roll-vember

Concert Listings, Music

Let’s get rolling with the concert rundown…

First, the Melvin Seals & the Jerry Garcia Band show that was supposed to happen tonight at Ludlow Garage has been postponed. But the Del McCoury Band gig at Memorial Hall is still a go, and the Ben Levin Trio plays Dead Low Brewing with special guest Noah Wotherspoon.

It’s gigs galore on Saturday:

The Steeldrivers play the old Annie’s
Silversun Pickups are at Ovation in Newport
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening rock and rolls into the Icon (see what we did there?)
The Yugos play Bircus Brewing in Ludlow
Last but certainly not least, Styx will be rockin’ the ~~Paradise~~ Hard Rock Casino. No Dennis DeYoung, but Tommy Shaw, James Young and the living Panozzo brother (Chuck).

Oh, and Rob Fetters kicks off another round of “Fetters is Cheap” – streaming live shows from his home. He promises “crowd faves plus more debuts of rarities.” You can tune in via Rob’s website.

Early on Sunday, Ben Levin & Friends will again be playing the Hard Rock Casino from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Davy Knowles and the Noah Wotherspoon Band play the Southgate House, and there’s a Play It Forward benefit concert at the Madison Theater, with my old radio boss Gary Burbank listed as a “speaker”… makes sense, as he was a Pioneer in radio (see what we did there?).

Tuesday is an evening for music legends. Bob Dylan plays the Aronoff, and John Hiatt & the Jerry Douglas Band will be at Memorial Hall.

If he were really “me” he’d still go by Robert Zimmerman

That same evening, someone named TobyMac has a sold out show at Taft. I thought TobyMac was a menu item at Keystone Bar & Grill, but apparently he’s an “American Christian hip hop rapper and singer.”

On Wednesday, I’ll be at MOTR Pub, along with list members Jacqui and Dave Killen (remember their Parlor & Patio house shows? I miss them…). Former Parlor & Patio performer (say that three times fast) Brett Newski and his full band (“The No Tomorrow”… they’re from Milwaukee, you do the math) will be playing at 9 p.m., followed by Adam Flaig (of Mad Anthony). Brett’s a very entertaining dude, and you can’t beat the MOTR ticket price. Join us, won’t you?

Also on Wednesday, The Lone Bellow plays Taft, and the Hooten Hallers are at Southgate.

Thursday, GWAR plays Bogart’s and Dennis Quaid plays Ludlow Garage. Yes, that Dennis Quaid, the actor. Guess he got tired of punching the clock with his fellow actors on movie sets.

Bogart’s and Ludlow Garage are pretty close to each other – fingers crossed that GWAR sits in with Dennis for his encore. Or vice versa… although that might not end well for DQ. Also on Thursday, Neal Francis plays Taft. I don’t know much about Neal’s music, but I know his promo photo makes him a dead ringer for Nigel Tufnel:

Next Friday, November 12th, Gary Clark Jr. plays the Icon, The Wild Feathers play Madison Theater, and Spyro Gyra plays Ludlow Garage. When I was younger, I used to love Spyro Gyra…

Spyro Gyra… no, wait…

Gig Pics

What a fabulous show by the Cereal Killers at MadTree last Friday — including a special guest appearance by our neighbor Amy Hueneman doing vocals on a Pretenders song! Great crowd too, including list members Dave Tellmann, Whit & Barb Gardner, Bruce Roy, Todd Butler, and Dan Bockrath (who brought several of his high school buddies – do NOT attempt to keep pace with them on drinking).

On Sunday morning, I joined Dave & Mindy Tellmann at the Hard Rock Casino for the Ben Levin brunch show with Chicago blues legend Bob Stroger (I misspelled his name last week – sorry Bob!). Bob is 90 years young… amazing voice and great stage presence. Noah Wotherspoon was on guitar too!

Dave, Mindy and I were joined by Dave’s son Joe (of This Pine Box), Joe’s friend Liam and none other than one of Joe’s non-traditional CCM classmates: John Curley of the Afghan Whigs! When you go to live shows, good things happen.

**Two feet from stardom**. I had the French toast… John had an Impossible Burger.

Dave and I interviewed John Curley on our 97X podcast in April of 2020. Just sayin’.

Words of wisdom

And in case you missed it (I sure did), apparently the Mountain Goats song “No Children” went viral on TikTok. (Read more here.) Lead singer John Darnielle has the right perspective on it:

But when people do find it, it affirms for those of us who make indie music that when the broader public is exposed to it, there’s more people who would like it if they get a chance to hear it. The consolidation of radio and the diffuse nature of the media landscape means that there’s lots of good stuff that people don’t generally hear unless it gets a viral moment…
…Our childish dreams of how these things work have value. So when something like this happens in my life, well, that’s a dream come true. We did not tell people, “Check out ‘No Children,’ you’re gonna love it.” No. they took it and they ran with it, and it’s beautiful. If there was more stuff like that in the world, the world’s a better place. Not just for me, but for whoever, because there’s a million fun songs out there for people to find that people do not need to be told by the influencer factory which one to listen to.
John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats in this Variety interview

Watch this

The War on Drugs live in a studio… amazing.

You can see all three songs that The War on Drugs performed on CBS Saturday Morning via the embedded videos in this article.

Random Album Cover of the Week

I don’t need a gym membership, I just need a turntable. Upper arms, waistline and hips don’t lie.

Have a great week!

Elvis is Everywhere

Concert Listings, Music

Elvis Presley truly is everywhere… ever since he went undercover in 1977, as part of the secret agent program he joined in 1970.

But thank goodness the best Elvis (Elvis Costello) usually comes to Cincinnati on his tours. Mr. Costello (a.k.a. Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus) and his fantastic band The Imposters will be playing the Icon this Saturday. I really like Elvis…

But Elvis isn’t everywhere on Saturday… Cowboy Junkies will be at Ludlow Garage (list member Tom Woeber will be at that gig), local Tom Petty tribute band Tom the Torpedoes play Fretboard, and Pat Metheny is Memorial Hall. Check out Pat’s sweet hairdo in the promo photo:

He looks like he could be a member of Fraggle Rock:

Speaking of family-friendly fun, load the kiddies in the family truckster and head to Neltner’s Farm in Camp Springs, KY for their Fall Fest, going on now through October 31st. List member Keith Neltner’s family has operated a farm on that patch of land since 1892, so it’s legit, not like those “throw some pumpkins and hay bales in a parking lot” joints. Neltner’s Farm Fest activities including horse-drawn wagon rides, a model train display, a corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkin patch, petting zoo, pony rides, homemade food and ice cream, farm shop, seasonal apples, barrel train and so much more… including live music 1:30-4:30 p.m. on the weekends (weather permitting). The Kentucky Struts play this Saturday and Randy Steffen plays on Sunday. The full slate is here.

The fabulous Jimmy Vaughan plays Ludlow Garage on Sunday. That same evening, David Ramirez and Matt Costa are at Southgate.

Church Girls (the band, not the personality type) will be at Northside Tavern on Tuesday. I really like this band’s sound and am very tempted to go… then again I’m an old man – I’m not even sure I’m allowed in Northside. Besides, it’s a school night. But you can talk me into going.

Also on Tuesday, Bad Bad Hats (Pat Metheny sure could use one) are at Southgate.

You have several options for live tunes on Thursday:

Chris Stapleton plays Riverbend on a very nice triple bill with The Marcus King Band and Yola.
Lucero and Morgan Wade play Taft’s basement Ballroom (a show that was moved from the Icon… which is like being banished to the kids table at Thanksgiving Dinner).
Mannequin Pu$$y (that’s the official Cincinnati Enquirer spelling) is at the Woodward Theater.
Suzzy Roche and her daughter Lucy Wainwright Roche play Southgate’s main room…
… while Stephen Babcock and Brad Goodall of the fine band Ona play a free gig in Southgate’s Lounge.
Camp Springs Tavern hosts an Open Bluegrass Jam. It’s BYOB. (Bring Your Own Banjo.) I hear these open jams are almost as good as when Jed Clampett danced while Flatt & Scruggs played:

Next Friday (October 22nd) is a big night for gigs too:

Bob Mould plays Memorial Hall. List member Dan Bockrath and I will be at that one. It’s a solo electric gig, but his touring band buddy Jason Narducy will open the show.

If you thought Pat Metheny’s hair was impressive, it’s nothing compared to the dudes in A Flock of Seagulls.

They’re playing the Ludlow Garage next Friday.

That same evening, Ben Levin has an album release party at BrewRiver, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is at Icon, and The Bronson Arroyo Band plays Bircus in Ludlow, KY. (List member Dan “I Heart Former Reds” Lewis will probably be at that gig.)

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that my mother-in-law’s favorite artist, Michael Bublé, is at the Coliseum. Although frankly, I’d rather see this guy in concert:

“You are looking live…”

Here’s a very cool set from Waxahatchee, live at KEXP studios in Seattle (hat tip to list member Bruce Frasure for the link):

But you’re not hearing it live…

There was a snafu at the Austin City Limits Festival and they pulled the plug on Phoebe Bridgers’ set during “I Know the End”… and Phoebe was not amused. (Rightfully so, that song was the killer set closer when list members Mighty Joe Sampson, Michael Carrico and I saw her in Columbus a few weeks ago.)

Speaking of Mighty Joe, Phoebe’s sound snafu was almost as bad as when the Cincinnati Parks hired-gun audio dude cut the sound on the Goo Goo Dolls when their set went over its allotted time during their Day in Eden performance at Eden Park back in 1993. Mighty Joe (who weighed about a buck-twenty) had to put Robbie from the Goos in a headlock to keep him from attacking the sound guy.

Gig pics

List member Dan Bockrath and I were treated (thanks for the freebies, list member Geoff Curless!) to a great double bill at PNC this past Tuesday: Margo Price and her band opened up for Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. Both artists crushed it!

List members Jeff and Jill Franco also were in attendance. Jill has been a teacher at Sands Montessori for years – she taught Dan’s daughter and all four of my kids. So of course we had to get a pic with “Miss Jill” to send to our now-grown kids, just to prove that their grade school teacher still rocks!

Photo credit: Jeff Franco… taken while balancing a beer can and a pizza box

Well, that should do it for this week’s edition… STOP!

Oh, thanks for helping promote the 97X Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast, Elvis. The newest episode features our interview with Dayton-based singer/songwriter Jayne Sachs.

OK, we’ll finish right where we started, with a bit of “Elvis is Everywhere.”

https://youtu.be/mpb4ZAAP6Z4

Fun fact: Mojo Nixon has a degree in political science and history from Miami University in Ohio.

Have a great week!

Workin’ for the Weekend

Concert Listings, Music

True story: When list member Howard Cohen joined us on a Zoom meeting for a live version of the 97X podcast, he had been painting a room in his house, and was wearing a bandanna that made him look like a dead ringer for the lead singer of Loverboy.

Uh, to be clear, we’re talking the 1982 version, not the 2014 look.

That led to a few jokes about Howard fronting a fictitious Loverboy cover band named “Coverboy.” (We trademarked it, so don’t try to steal it.)

Second true story: Howard actually fronts a real band, Cereal Killers, and they do a ton of great covers. (Sorry Mike Reno, no Loverboy… yet!) And Cereal Killers will be playing MadTree on Friday, October 29th, starting at 7 p.m. What a Halloween weekend treat!

Speaking of treats, if you show up and say “boo” to me (I’m no John Hiatt), I’ll buy you a beer. Tell a buddy, bring a friend, but don’t you dare miss this big show.

Speaking of big shows, let’s quickly run down this week’s gigs (all subject to covid-related cancellation, so check the venue website first):

Jeremy Pinnell has an album release show tonight at Southgate House.

Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers (guess his former backing band imploded…thanks, I’ll be here all week) play Southgate on Monday.

On Tuesday, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats will be at the Icon, with Margo Price as the opener. List member Geoff C. hooked me up with two tickets – caller #7 right now gets to be my “plus one” (wait, is that supposed to be a prize?).

Victor Wooten featuring the Wooten Brothers (sounds like Victor’s doing double duty) will be at Memorial Hall on Tuesday as well.

Dispatch will be at 20th Century in Oakley on Wednesday. If they don’t sell dispatchouli™ at the merch table, they are really missing a great revenue opportunity. (I’ve already trademarked it…). That same evening, the Lydia Lunch Retrovirus plays Southgate, and The Toadies play Madison Theater in Covington, with the Reverend Horton Heat as the opener.

Thursday you can pick up what Brand X is selling at Ludlow Garage.

Nothin’ doing next Friday. Would be a great night for the debut of Coverboy™. Just sayin’.

New Tunes

A new song from The War on Drugs? Yes, please! A new song from The War on Drugs with Lucius doing background vocals? Even better!

The new album from Strand of Oaks is quite tasty:

This song is a real earworm – love the lyrics too:

ICYMI

Most local venues are requiring proof of vax (or, in some cases, a recent negative test). HT to list member Lisa Collins for the article here. Got a problem with that? The singer from Trampled by Turtles has something just for you:

Gentle Reminder

If you’ve yet to contribute to the Kevin Carrico Scholarship fund, which will provide need-based financial support to young adult cancer survivors between the ages of 18 and 35 who are pursuing higher education throughout their treatment and beyond via the National Collegiate Cancer Foundation, you can donate here. Thanks on behalf of list member Michael Carrico (Kevin’s brother) and myself.

Quote of the Week

“Music is magic and I feel like the luckiest person in the world that I’m allowed to share it.”
Tim Showalter of Strand of Oaks

It’s Friggin’ Rocktober!

Concert Listings, Music

Where does the time go? Seems like only yesterday it was September. Oh wait, it was. But the time for Earth, Wind & Fire is over. (And Green Day‘s mom just woke them up.) Now it’s Rocktober, which is way cooler than the Catalina Wine Mixer.

And Rocktober is starting strong with…. (wait, are you sure… can you re-check the date… really?)… Earth, Wind & Fire. Wow, sorry that I prematurely put you out to pasture, EWF. I guess Mark Twain was right when he said “When Rocktober starts, I want to be in Cincinnati, because they always get concerts one month later.” Or maybe it was Hal Holbrook who said that… same difference.

Twain also said, “Earth, Wind & Fire is my jam!” They’re playing the Icon downtown tonight – the show is sold out. But fear not, you can catch Pure Prairie League at the Ludlow Garage. Wait, that show is sold out too. Welp, maybe you can just stay home and watch the documentary about Superchunk’s 2001 tour of Japan.

Or check out the new album from Jesse Malin. It’s a bop, as the kids say.

Tomorrow Walk the Moon is playing Bogart’s… they originally booked shows for both Saturday and Sunday, but the Sunday gig is cancelled. It’s like Twain said, “when you are a one-hit wonder, there are no second acts.” Wait, maybe that was Hal Linden.

Something’s Fish-y about this case…

Also tomorrow, local Tom Petty tribute band Tom the Torpedoes will be playing Big Ash Brewing. My friend Chris Comer is in that band, playing keyboards. Benmont Tench’s shoes are mighty big ones to fill, but Chris is up to the task. I’d be there for sure if I weren’t out of town.

Btw, if you’ve yet to listen to the Broken Record podcast episode with Benmont Tench, please do so post-haste.

Local fave Ben Levin will be tickling the ivories at Wiedemann’s tomorrow night as well, with another blues wunderkind, Noah Wotherspoon, also on the bill. (You can see the full list of Ben’s gigs on his website.)

Tuesday, Roctober 5th: Modest Mouse plays the Icon with Future Islands also on the bill, and Chris Thile is at Memorial Hall.

Wednesday, Roctober 6th: The Struts amble into the PromoWest Pavilion in Newport. List member Gil Kaufman, who has seen a gazillion shows (all for free… the perks of being a big-time writer) is a big fan and says they put on a fun show.

Larkin Poe plays Bogart’s on Thursday (I’m sure you’re as tired of the Rocktober shtick as I am). Local fave Jeremy Pinnell has an album release show at Southgate next Friday.

Don Felder (a.k.a. the guy whom Glenn Frey and Don Henley railroaded… hot take) is playing the Lawrenceburg Event Center on Saturday, 10/9, and “Lynyrd Skynyrd” is playing Riverbend. I put quotes around “Lynyrd Skynyrd” because IMHO, that band came to an untimely end on October 20th, 1977.

I know I’ve been slacking on these updates. I’ll do better in the future, I promise.

Speaking of promises, I have a favor to ask of you. My friend and co-worker Michael “Rico” Carrico lost his brother to cancer a couple of years ago. His brother Kevin passed away while he was in med school working to become a pediatric oncologist… after he had beaten Hodgkin’s Lymphoma as a teenager… a cruel twist of fate which is heartbreakingly tragic on so many levels.

Before he passed, I promised him that I would do anything that I could to help fight the terrible disease that took him from us too early. One of the initiatives that our family has taken up is to help fundraise for the National Collegiate Cancer Foundation to provide services and support to young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer.
List member Michael Carrico

My ask of you, faithful reader (even though I’ve been a less-than-faithful writer), is to contribute to the Kevin Carrico Scholarship fund, which will provide need-based financial support to young adult survivors between the ages of 18 and 35 who are pursuing higher education throughout their treatment and beyond. You can donate here. Think of all the concert tickets you didn’t purchase over the past 18 months (for example, I know for a fact that Dan “The Reds are the Walk the Moon of MLB” Lewis was planning to go to both shows at Bogart’s), and maybe divert some of that cash to an extremely worthwhile cause. Thanks so much. You rock harder than Rocktober!

Substance over Style

97X, Concert Listings, Music

Your live music connection has become unplugged. Sorry, I’ve been busy going to Red Rocks for Tedeschi-Trucks and Jason Isbell/Lucinda Williams shows. But I don’t want to let down Dan “The Reds are going to win it all… this year!” Lewis.

I totally missed out on letting you know about both Hall and Oates. (They’re at Riverbend tonight… from my palatial estate in Mt. Washington I can sometimes hear tunes emanating from that venue, so I stuck my head outside the window earlier in hopes of catching the sweet strains of “Maneater”… no dice.)

Apologies for the slacking. Let’s get to the list, and skip the ol’ jazz hands.

The Wallflowers open up for Matchbox Twenty tomorrow at Riverbend. Guess I’ll have to stick my head out the window earlier tomorrow night. (The Wallflowers new album is a solid effort, btw… but “One Headlight” is still my favorite dance tune.)

Also Tuesday:

Shakey Graves plays Bogart’s
Enjoy a free local show with Ricky Nye Inc. at the Blue Ash Nature Park. (Pro tip: don’t make the same mistake I did… it’s a nature park, not a naturist park… wear clothes!)

Todd Snider is playing the 20th Century Theater in Oakley on Wednesday, with the amazing Aaron Lee Tasjan as the opener.

On Thursday, Buddy Guy plays the PNC Pavilion with Robert Randolph & the Family Band. Wait, this just in, that show is CANCELLED.

Friday, it’s a Yacht Rock special at Ludlow Garage: Pablo F-ing Cruise!

Wait, this just in… the Pablo Cruise show has been cancelled. Next thing you know, they’ll cancel the Catalina Wine Mixer.

https://youtu.be/RGB8QgwxZqw

Still slated for Friday: Live at the Fillmore (“the definitive tribute to the Allman Brothers Band”) and Joshua Ray Walker play outdoors at my new favorite venue, RiversEdge in Hamilton! Ohio. And Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Cheap Trick play PNC Pavilion. I won’t have to stick my head out the window to hear Rick Nielsen’s guitar.

Saturday is a huge day for gigs:

Maroon 5 plays Riverbend… I’ll stick my head out the window and hear every middle-aged woman in the Tri-State — including my wife and her Jazzercise friends — squealing about the lead singer. (Oh, and probably Dan Lewis too.)

Also on Saturday, Soul Asylum is playing the old Annie’s with Local H. Juliana Hatfield was also supposed to be on the bill, but she dropped out of the tour due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

Plenty o’ local bands in action on Saturday as well:

This Pine Box is playing Southgate with Buck the Taxidermist and Circle It.
Lung has an album release party on Fountain Square, with Paige Beller and Small Reactions.
Last but certainly not least, list member Dave “Lenny” Lenehan’s band Outta Here (“a good time blues-rock band) is playing Wiedemann’s taproom.

Looking ahead to next week (because I’ve been slacking and probably won’t get another post out before then), St. Paul & the Broken Bones are at the old Annie’s on Tuesday, 8/31. And Kings of Leon and Cold War Kids are playing Riverbend. (Although they cancelled a show in Cleveland last week due to a positive COVID test for a band staffer.)

Thursday, September 2nd, Drive-by Truckers are playing the old Annie’s… and I’ll be down in Louisville for the Waxahatchee show at Headliner’s. Jefferson Starship plays Memorial Hall that night too. And Ben Levin will be at Big Ash Brewing. (Ben’s also opening for Booker T. Jones on Thursday, September 9th… amazing!)

JJ Grey & Mofro plays RiversEdge on Friday, September 3rd, with opener Jackie Vernon. This is the only show of the season where general admission isn’t free. But JJ Grey is totally worth it.

That same evening, Neko Case plays Memorial Hall with A.C. Newman… a double dose of New Pornographers! Let’s hope Neko is in a better mood than she was at her gig at the Taft a few year’s back. And The Roots are at the Icon.

On Saturday, September 4th, Meshell Ndegeocello is at Memorial Hall, and the Legendary Wailers (featuring Julian “Junior” Marvin) are at Ludlow Garage.

Tuesday September 7th:

St. Vincent plays the Icon
Chris Hillman is at Memorial Hall with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson.

Lots of venues and artists are requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test… I’m on board with that. As is my bud Jason Isbell:

I feel like some of us saw the exit, and the building was on fire, and now we are trying to talk everyone into following us to the exit so we don’t get burned. It’s pretty much as simple as that. And also, I just don’t think that our business is going to be able to continue this way unless we put some restrictions in place. I know my crew and my band might not be able to withstand another shutdown, and I think a lot of people are in that same situation. So I’m just happy that it’s happening and that people are getting on board.
Jason Isbell in this Variety interview

Reading list:

Tip o’ the hat to list member Dave Tellmann for the link to this great article about how Happy Chichester of the Royal Crescent Mob (97X faves from back in the day) nearly joined the Foo Fighters.

Listening list:

Speaking of Dave Tellmann and 97X, the newest episode of our podcast features another interview with former station owners Doug & Linda Balogh. Tune in via the 97Xbam website or on Podbean, Spotify , Google Podcasts, TuneIn or Apple podcasts. You can even tell your Amazon or Google ~~spying machine~~ device “Play the latest episode of the 97X Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast” and hear it.

Must-see TV

I leave you with this gorgeous Tanya Donelly cover by Gabi Lima (who also sat in on bass and vocals on “Darl” when I saw Buffalo Tom in L.A. a few years ago and crushed it). Gabi’s dog isn’t blown away by it, but I am.

Live Music, a reason to Live

Concert Listings, Music

Live music is a thing again! Last Friday, I saw a concert featuring national acts for the first time since… forever ago. And what a way to get back into the swing of things – the Aaron Lee Tasjan/S.G. Goodman gig in Hamilton was out-freakin-standing!

The concert organizers wisely decided to move the show under cover – it rained buckets a few times – but the precipitation didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowd or the performers. S.G. Goodman is the real deal. Her debut album is soooo good. But don’t take it from me, take it from list member Michael “Rico” Carrico:

And Aaron Lee Tasjan was a delight too… amazingly talented and an engaging performer.

Here’s a brief snippet of Aaron Lee playing keyboards:

Before the show, we had a pregame beverage (OK maybe two…) at Municipal Brew Works, where The Todds were able to join forces.

List members Todd Butler and Todd Quincy… “High five!”

I know I made fun of Hamil-tucky last week, but I’ve done a 180… downtown Hamilton has got it going on (and by “it” I mean urban renewal).

In fact, I’ll be back in Hamilton again this Friday with list member John Sandman for the Arlo McKinley/Morgan Wade show… and the weather gods will allow this one to be at the RiversEdge outdoor amphitheater.

Check out more tunes from both artists here. General admission is free… and the first pre-show beer is on me at Municipal Brew Works. C’mon show Hamilton some love.

Other shows of note in the upcoming weeks:

Ben Levin plays Wiedemann’s taproom this Saturday (plus a few other gigs – check his list here.)
The Reverend Horton Heat & the Hackensaw Boys play Southgate this Sunday
Foo Fighters open the new Icon venue in downtown Cincinnati. (Didn’t get tickets in the 12 minutes before the show sold out? Me too – let’s meet at Smale Park and listen for free.)
Paul Thorn with opener Scott Miller at Memorial Hall on Thursday, July 29th… that same evening, Whiskey Myers & The Steel Woods have a sold-out show at Taft and Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle play a free show at Washington Park.
The Smithereens play Ludlow Garage on Friday, July 30th, with special guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw.
Local faves This Pine Box play Big Ash Brewing, also on Friday 7/30.
Steve Earle is at the old Annie’s on Saturday, July 31st.
The Black Crowes play Riverbend on Tuesday, August 3rd, as part of the ~~Make Your Money, Robinson Brothers~~ Shake Your Moneymaker Tour
On Wednesday, August 4th, Emmylou Harris and Los Lobos play a co-headlining date at PNC Pavilion. Talk about two American treasures — you’d be hard-pressed to find more talent on one stage than Emmylou and “just another band from East L.A.” And that show has some Arby’s “We have the Seats” cheap seats in the upper corners for a mere $24… As always, we remind you to purchase Riverbend, PNC and Taft show tickets at the Taft or Riverbend box office to save on the ridiculous TicketBastard fees.

I’m bummed that I’ll be out of town for a lot of the shows listed above – but don’t feel too bad for me, as I’ll be seeing Tedeschi-Trucks at Red Rocks on Friday, 7/30… AND Jason Isbell with Lucinda Williams at Red Rocks on Sunday, August 1st. I love Jason and Lu… and have always wanted to see a show at Red Rocks. Bucket list, checked!

Speaking of Mr. Isbell, this tweet about his wife mishearing Springsteen lyrics cracked me up:

So curb your Ted Lasso binge, get off the couch, brush off that Cheeto dust and go see some live music. Hurry, before the anti-vaxxers ruin it for all of us.

Take me to the River

Concert Listings, Music

I hate to start out with bad news, but since you’re such a fan of great music, you should know:

That’s right, kids (I mean kidz), your favorite show of the summer is no more. Here’z hoping you get over it. I mean, you can still see Hoobastank.

They are playing “the old Annie’s” (a.k.a. Riverfront Live) tomorrow night, along with Everclear, Living Colour and Wheatus. The old Annie’s also has Phil Vassar on Friday and Hyryder on Saturday (all are indoor shows).

Take me to a different part of the river… and a different river

But enough about Riverfront Live, and there’s no need to even discuss Riverbend. Instead let’s focus on another river perspective: RiversEdge. It’s an outdoor amphitheater in Hamilton! Ohio. And this Friday, they have a great double bill of S.G. Goodman and Aaron Lee Tasjan. Not familiar with them? Check out their latest releases below.

Do not sleep on this show… because it starts at the old-person-friendly time of 7 p.m. And even better, general admission on the lawn is FREE!

Yours truly will be there (weather permitting – fingers crossed), along with list members Todd Butler and Todd Quincy (who is part of the RiversEdge committee). It’s always a good time with a Todd or two.

Come join us, won’t you? If you can’t make Friday’s show, RiversEdge has a few more ace shows up their sleeve. Wait, check that, it’s Hamilton, so they are probably in a sleeveless Harley shirt…

Anyhoo, Arlo McKinley plays RiversEdge next Friday, July 23rd, The North Mississippi Allstars are there on August 7th, The Infamous Stringdusters & Sierra Hull play on August 21st, and JJ Grey and Mofro are booked for September 3rd. (Other than the JJ Grey gig, lawn admission is free.)

Speaking of gratuitous shows (of the non-Hoobastank variety), I need to profusely apologize to you for not alerting you to the recent freebie shows at Fountain Square. Cracker was there on July 3rd (several list members were in attendance, including at least 50% of The Cereal Killers), and Red Wanting Blue played there on July 9th (list members Whit and Barb Gardner were there). Needless to say, list member Dan “The Reds are in in to win it” Lewis was not pleased with my recent lack of concert communication, as witnessed by his email to me on June 29th:

Sorry to let you down, Dan. The full list of Fountain Square Friday and Saturday gigs is here…. I highly recommend the Brett Dennan gig on August 6th. And I know you’re a big fan of The Mavericks (Taft on 9/24) and Todd Rundgren (Icon on 10/30), so please make a note of those dates. By the way, have you considered a corporate partnership with Warren Beatty?

Other gigs in the near future

The Casey Campbell Band plays a freebie at Washington Park this Thursday night, and the Reverend Horton Heat & Hackensaw Boys are at Southgate on Sunday, July 25th.

Venting my spleen

How is it that the Cincinnati area has two brand new indoor/outdoor venues opening when every friggin’ band in America is jonesing to tour, yet we still cannot manage to book more than a handful of decent shows? Case in point – Phoebe Bridgers is playing the PromoWest venues in Pittsburgh and Columbus on consecutive nights, yet is NOT playing the PromoWest venue in Newport… she’s also playing Indy and Louisville, so our Bermuda Triangle status remains in full effect.

Notable Names in the News

List member Gil Kaufman made the New York Post… but not Page Six. He’s quoted in this article about how MTV stopped playing music and jumped the shark.

“I have two teenage kids, and they know that I worked for MTV, but they’ve never seen MTV,” said Kaufman, who, after working at the network for 15-plus years, is now a senior contributing writer at Billboard. “They wouldn’t even know where to look for it.”

And Dan McCabe (co-owner of MOTR Pub and The Woodward Theater) talks about the struggles of local music venues in this Cincinnati Business Courier article.

“Survival happened. We’re certainly not whole,” McCabe said.” But we owe people money. Survival costs a lot of money. Then there are repairs that need to happen. These are both old buildings. A year and a half without maintenance shows up.”

List member Dave Tellmann and I interviewed Dan about that same topic on our 97X “Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast several months ago. Speaking o’ the podcast, all 65 glorious episodes are available on Podbean, Spotify , Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn , iHeart Radio, Pandora and Apple podcasts. It’s never been easier to tune in… or to completely ignore us.