This Week in Live Music: November 4-10

Concert Listings, Music

Welp, our Ragnar Relay from San Francisco to Napa was a bust; it was cancelled due to wildfires. Some may blame global climate change, but I know the real culprit is Michael Martin Murphey.

The cancellation actually worked out pretty well for our 12-person team. We got to skip the tired, sweaty, smelly, trying-to-sleep-in-a-van parts, and just did the fun tourist parts. On Friday, we did a 6-mile run from the beach at Golden Gate Park, along waterfront cliffs and across the Golden Gate Bridge. That was pretty cool.

You know what else is cool? Live music! Let’s get to the gigs.

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

On Monday, 11/4, The Japanese House plays the Taft Ballroom, and list member John Sandman’s Tye Dye Band appears at The Lounge in Anderson. (If you’ve never been to The Lounge, it’s the Anderson Township equivalent of the cantina in the original Star Wars.) John was the captain of our Napa relay team and did a great job making lemonade out of the lemons we were handed.

John’s in the center of the photo above, in the tie-dye shirt and the unicorn headgear. If he wears that ensemble tomorrow at The Lounge, he’ll fit right in.

Tuesday, 11/5 is election day, so you need to rock the vote.

After the polls close, you can enjoy any of these gigs:

Lucy Dacus plays Woodward, with Liza Anne as the opener (check out her fun cover song at the end of this post)
Tool is at Riverfront Coliseum, with opener Killing Joke
Icon for Hire plays Top Cats
Madison Theater hosts An Evening with Billy Corgan

Wednesday, 11/6 has a crowded concert menu too:

Joan Shelley plays Southgate
Dream Theater is at Taft
The California Honeydrops play Riverfront Live
The Kingston Trio plays Memorial Hall. Perhaps the opening acts will be Mitch & Mickey, The Folksmen and The New Main Street Singers.

And last but not least, list member Mark Celsor’s new band Left of Center is at Urban Artifact on Wednesday. Here’s a blurb from Facebook event page:

Join us for the sweet taste of victory, or the haunting solemness of defeat, the day after this year’s election with the modern folk, labor and protest music stylings of Left of Center as they perform new and classic American folk songs.

On Thursday, November 7th, you can see Kung Fu at Ludlow Garage. [NOTE: This does not mean you’ll watch the movie Kung Fu Panda with an actual panda… although I’d pay $52.75 for that!) Ben Levin plays BrewRiver that evening, too.

Friday (11/8), Ricky Nye and Paul Ellis play Wiedemann’s taproom, Marcus Miller is at Ludlow Garage and Bogart’s hosts Yacht Rock Revue, which is absolutely nothing like this:

Saturday, 11/9 is a musical buffet of the non-Jimmy Buffett variety:

Wilco will be at Taft. List member Joe Sampson and I saw Jay Bennett-era Wilco at Ripley’s in Clifton back in February of 1997. Killer show, complete with Cheap Trick and Replacements cover songs and a few Uncle Tupelo tunes (setlist is here). Hard to top that one.
The Amy Helm Band plays Miami U-Middletown
Katie Toupin (formerly of Houndmouth) is at MOTR
Shemekia Copeland plays Memorial Hall
Mayday! is at Top Cats
Randy Steffen plays Camp Springs Tavern
Ben Levin plays Overlook Kitchen & Bar at the Summit Hotel in Madisonville.

On Sunday, November 10th, the Outlaws will be at Ludlow Garage. List members Whit Gardner and Professor David Reid will be in attendance, and I may join them. Also, The Wood Brothers play Taft with Nicole Atkins, and Bogart’s has a quadruple bill of Newfound Glory, Hawthorne Heights, Free Throw and Jetty Bones, and King Buffalo will be at MOTR.

Hot ticket alert

Primo songwriter Jimmy Webb is playing a cool gig at Memorial Hall on Saturday, March 21st, 2020:

JIMMY WEBB: THE GLEN CAMPBELL YEARS highlights some of the 100+ recordings from the Webb/Campbell songbook, pulling the audience in with various accounts each night of the personal side of generational touchstones like “Honey Come Back,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston” and more from decades of shared musical memories.

Hot ticket turned cold ticket alert

The Jesse Malin show at Southgate on 11/15 is no longer listed on Jesse’s website or the Southgate website. I was really, really, really looking forward to that gig because Jesse’s a fantastic performer and his new album Sunset Kids (produced by Lucinda Williams) is a gem. However, this is not the first time that a Jesse Malin show was scheduled at Southgate and then vanished. #FML

Shameless self-promotion

Check out the newest episode of the “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast, where Dave Tellmann and I chat with intern-turned-record label exec Aaron Borns. Episodes are on this website, and also available on Podbean, Spotify and iTunes.

I also try to update the song and video on the top of the 97Xbam.com home page every couple of weeks, and you’ll always find fresh news from the website Under The Radar in our RSS feed, including a “best songs of the week.”

Tip o’ the cap

Thanks to my cousin-in-law Mike Holmes for putting us on the guest list for the Spookfloaters sold-out show at Dead Low Brewing (near Riverbend) on 11/1. Their acoustic set was outstanding, and Dead Low has a nice layout which includes a big patio and an indoor stage. I’m looking forward to hearing more live music from local bands there.

Answers to our poll question: what’s your favorite hidden gem cover tune?

Dan “2020 Reds season ticket packages are on sale now” Lewis picked Dwight Yoakam covering the Rolling Stones:

Marc Allen got very specific, selecting Jason Isbell joining Widespread Panic for an incendiary live version of J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High” back in 2016:

Bruce Frasure didn’t pick a cover, he was just glad to find a fellow Syd Straw fan, and mentioned this fantastic tune from her and some dude named Michael (who has been in the news of late).

Speaking of covers, here’s Lucy Dacus (at Woodward Theater this Tuesday) doing a rockin’ version of an Xmas evergreen:

Have a great week!

This Fortnight in Live Music: October 21-November 2

Concert Listings, Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hot ticket turned cold ticket alert

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

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

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

Have a great couple of weeks!

This week in Live Music: October 15-20

97X, Concert Listings, Music, podcast

Howdy kids, I’m back from the City of the Big Shoulders, the Windy City. I’d like to propose a toast to my wife, who ran the Chicago Marathon yesterday.

And I’d also like to propose a toast to my Chicago-dwelling friend Jessica, who hooked me up with an extra ticket to the Luna concert at Lincoln Hall last night, where they played their album Penthouse in its entirety.

OK, short week, short post.

Tuesday, Macy Gray plays Ludlow Garage. All That Remains and Lacuna Coil are at Riverfront Live. Capstan plays Top Cats and local musician Zapruder Point is at the Brew House.

On Wednesday, Just Friends, Save Face, the Sonder Bombs and Pool Kids play the Southgate House; Andy Frasco and the UN are at Madison Live; The New Mastersounds are at Ludlow; Sarah Asher plays MOTR with Mavis Guitar, Billy Alletzhauser and Beth Harris; and list member John Sandman’s Tye Dye Band plays Tina’s downtown from 4:30-8 p.m.

Della Mae is at Memorial Hall on Thursday, Charlie Parr has a CD release show in Southgate’s Revival Room, and Brit blues artist Joanne Shaw Taylor is in Southgate’s main room. Brand X is at Ludlow Garage that evening… not to be confused with Kroger’s old generic brand.

Friday, you can enjoy Cigarettes After Sex… at the Madison Theater. Or you can go to the zombie party hosted by 500 Miles to Memphis at Southgate, in the Sanctuary. The Minks and the Nailers are in Southgate’s Sanctuary, and Arlo McKinley & the Lonesome Sound play Madison Live.

Murphy’s Pub is celebrating 30th years with Dirty Thirty gigs on Friday and Saturday. You can read more in CityBeat.

Taking Back Sunday kicks off a two-night stand at Bogart’s on Friday. Apparently they are trying to corner the market on weekends.

On Saturday:

Warrick & Lowell play Neltner’s Farm Fall Fest
Rickie Lee Jones is at Ludlow Garage
the father-son duo of Ritt & Wilder Dietz plays the Parlor & Patio house concert in Ft. Thomas
Maurice Mattei is in Southgate’s Lounge
Rob Harris & Marcia Ramirez play a special Downtowne Listening Room show at Covenant First Presbyterian Church
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage are at Miami U – Hamilton
The Cliftones play MOTR
Comedian John Mulaney is at Miami’s main campus

Sunday, John Morgen plays Neltner’s Farm, the Aquadolls are at Top Cats, and the Q102 Bosom Ball is at Madison Theater, with Ingrid Michaelson as the headliner and Maddie Poppe, the Season 16 winner of American ~~karaoke~~ Idol, also on the bill.

My Favorite Record Label

Merge Records was founded by Mac & Laura from Superchunk, so naturally I’m biased, but they have a stellar stable of artists. This year, they were celebrating their 30th anniversary and I subscribed to their “Born Under A Good Sign” promo, which got me a quarterly shipment of surprise/limited edition tunes and some other swag. This quarter, it was a Polvo reissue on green vinyl and a Holiday Sampler on peppermint vinyl.

Dude to follow on the socials

Speaking of Superchunk, if you’re not following Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster (also drummer for Bob Mould and The Mountain Goats and co-star of The Best Show), you’re missing out. On Insta, he does a “new worst friend” thing when someone sends him a weird photo:

And his tweets are great too:

Shameless self-promotion

The latest episode of the 97X “Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast features our chat with Rik Helton, the former owner of CD World, who used to promote his record store by attending indie rock concerts dressed in superhero tights. We also play some other throwback commercials from the 97X airwaves.

This Week in Live Music: September 30-October 6

books, Concert Listings, Music

Wow, it’s nearly October. Or should I say Rocktober? You know the month will rock you like a climate-change-induced hurricane.

Let’s get right to the rock. And the tober.

Monday, Nashville band The Medium is at MOTR, with Nave Netoow opening. Here’s the promo photo of Nave:

Note to self: if Nave offers a carrot/orange smoothie, politely decline.

On Tuesday, Yung Gravy is playing Bogart’s. He’s a rapper from the hip-hop hotbed of Rochester, Minnesota. After watching one of his videos, I can’t figure out if he’s serious or if it’s an Andy Samberg short from SNL.

You can chase that Gravy with some Catfish, as Catfish & the Bottlemen are at Bogart’s on Wednesday. That same evening, Church Girls are playing Urban Artifact, with Soften and Fycus, and Lee Ann Womack is at Memorial Hall with Sarah Siskind.

Thursday, Mt. Pleasant String Band plays the Southgate Lounge, Blackfoot Gypsies hit Madison Live, Bam Powell performs solo at Latitudes, Cody Johnson is at Bogart’s, Mynah Tones play MOTR, an Eagles tribute band (The Eagles Project) is at Memorial Hall, and Ben Levin will be playing the “Top of the Park” rooftop at the Phelps Hotel.

Plenty o’ music from which to choose on Friday:

the Adrian Belew Power Trio plays Ludlow Garage with Saul Zonana
Sublime with Rome is at Riverfront Live
Com Truse plays Madison Theater
Dead Centric is at Urban Artifact
Chris Comer plays The View at Shires Garden
Riverfront Coliseum hosts the Legends of Hip Hop featuring E-40, Mystikal, Scarface, 8 Ball & MJG, Too Short, Bun B and Pastor Troy.

Saturday has a full slate o’ tunes too, including the Cripple Creek Music Festival in Fort Mitchell:

The Harmed Brothers play Neltner’s Farm Fall Fest starting at 1:30
Jukebox The Ghost is at Madison Theater
Plastic Ants, This Pine Box and the Amprays play MOTR
ghost man on second is at Lucius Q
Ludlow Garage has the tribute band The Dirty Doors
If you’re into clean comedy instead of Dirty Doors, Nate Bargatze is at Taft.

Last but not least, there’s a free show in Eden park:

The event is a fundraiser for the Community Program for Recovery, a non-profit that helps recovering alcoholics and addicts living in transitional recovery housing.

On Sunday, Neltner’s Farm has a Kentucky Showcase: The Poor Hours, T. Lipscomp, Chris Lloyd, Randy Steffen and Sami Riggs. Luckman Coffee in Mt. Washington is hosting a #LocalFoodRocks event from 4-6 p.m., featuring local food and local bands BackBeat and Prestige Grease. That evening, Man Man plays Top Cats… with GRLwood also on the bill (let’s hear it for Title IX!) and Go Go Buffalo.

Good Reading

Actor Griffin Dunne has a funny story about his former neighbor Ric Ocasek. And there’s a great interview with Tommy Stinson of the Replacements in Rolling Stone. Money quote:

Obviously, we wanted to be successful with everything we did. But we also were the first ones to fuck it up half the time. … Most of the time in fact. … OK, all the time!
Tommy Stinson of The Replacements

Speaking of the ‘Mats and f-ing up, list member Mighty Joe Sampson ordered the new Replacements deluxe set called Dead Man’s Pop, which contains the original Matt Wallace mixes of Don’t Tell A Soul (on LP and CD), plus a 29-song live concert recording from 1989, and a disc of outtakes, including some tunes with Tom Waits. Perhaps because Joe is 10 times the Replacements fan as anyone else I know, Amazon sent him 11 copies, not 1.

Joe even contacted Amazon to alert them of their $600 error, but they told him to keep his bounty.

It’s not like Jeff Bezos needs the money for alimony payments or anything. Joe was kind enough to gift me with one of the sets. Much obliged!

Hot Ticket Alert

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein from Blondie will be at Walnut Hills High School on Monday, October 7th, with artist/director Rob Roth, for a Joseph-Beth sponsored book event for Debbie Harry’s new memoir Face It, along with a “visual presentation.”

Ticket price includes a pre-signed copy of the book.

Grace Potter plays Taft on January 22. Tickets are on sale now.

Concert review

Brett Newski rocked the house at the Parlor & Patio show on Friday. He’s a very entertaining dude, and a nice guy to boot. Parlor & Patio has two more shows on tap for 2019, you really should get to one… or both!

Shameless Self-promotion

You’ll find a new episode of the 97X Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast on this website, as well as on Spotify, iTunes and Podbean. Dave Tellmann and I chat with “Gentleman Jim” Mercer, the dean of all part-time DJs at 97X.

Have a rockin’ month!

People (still) have the power!

97X, Music

A tip of the ol’ 97Xbam cap to Dan Reed (yes, THE Dan Reed of WXPN) for sending a nice essay our way. The Medium post decries the rise of music recommendations that are increasingly made by machines instead of people. In short, algorithms ain’t got no rhythm. The piece was penned by Craig Snyder, yet another kid who was “ruined” by listening to 97X in his formative years:

Craig later worked at EMI (shh, don’t tell Johnny Rotten) and is now Director of Music Partnerships at ReverbNation. Please read the entire piece. I love Craig’s passion for the music, and how he’s encouraging all of us to rage against the machine(s):

Amen to that, Brother Craig! Taking his cue, I’ll mention yet again that the new album from Jesse Malin is fantastic, and I’m offering my Double D Money Back Guarantee™ for his show at Southgate House on Friday, November 15th. If you go to the show and aren’t completely satisfied by Mr. Malin’s music and stage presence, I’ll refund your ticket price out of my own pocket.

People still have the power. Let’s use it!

This Fortnight in Live Music: September 9-22

Concert Listings, Music

Yes, this time aroundwe’re covering a two week stretch, a.k.a a fortnight. But not Fortnite. Apologies to all our tween subscribers.

WORST BURP EVER! - Fortnite Funny Moments with the Crew ...

I’ll be out of town most of next week, inspecting Hurricane Dorian damage in the Outer Banks of North Cackalacky (from the comfort of a hot tub). So let’s get to it… and two it!

Glen Hansard was scheduled to play the Taft on Monday. But it got cancelled:

We are sorry to announce that have to cancel tomorrow night’s show in Cincinnati due to illness. This is something we hoped to avoid as we know how much time and energy goes into making a show happen. We would like to thank all of folks who planned on coming for their understanding. Again we apologize for this inconvenience and look forward to returning to The Taft soon. Refunds are available at point of purchase.
https://tafttheatre.org/events/2019/09/glen-hansard

On Tuesday, ZZ Top and Cheap Trick play Rose Music Center. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s spinning guitars and five neck guitars, respectively.

That same evening, Elizabeth Moen is at Southgate, and Ben Levin plays at Arnold’s.

Wednesday, Adam Ant brings his Friend or Foe tour to Taft, and Morrissey is scheduled to play Fraze Pavilion, with Interpol as the opener. (We say “scheduled to play” because Moz has been known to flake out on shows before. He’s like the bastard son of George Jones and Axl Rose.)

Shonen Knife is at Southgate, with Me Like Bees opening. Them Coulee Boys are also at Southgate, in the Revival Room, with the Restless Leg String Band. “Thrash crossover legends” (just reading the press release) DRI play Northside Yacht Club, with Deathwish, Uncle Sammy & the Warlords and (earmuff it, tweens) Fuckin Basterd. Meanwhile, the resurgent Jonas Brothers play the Riverfront Mausoleum.

Thursday night, Lord Huron will be holding court at Taft. Lord Licorice will still be playing Candyland.

On Friday, Chuck Cleaver plays the early show (7 pm) at Urban Artifact, with William Matheny, then Nappy Roots plays the late show (9 pm) with Triiibe and In2itv3. Chely Wright plays Southgate’s main room, and Honeysuckle is in the Revival Room. Bad Suns are at 20th Century, Starset plays Bogart’s, and Gladys Knight is at Taft.

Meanwhile, in the Land that Time Forgot (West Siiiiiidddee!) Sebastian Bach plays the Skid Row album at the Blue Note in Harrison.

The Raconteurs come to the Taft on Saturday, with opener Olivia Jean. CityBeat has a nice profile of the Raconteurs Cincinnati rhythm section (Jack “Little Jack” Lawrence and Patrick Keeler). Will Johnson plays a living room show in the Lebanon area, and Andrew Salgado and Jonathan Cody White play the Downtowne Listening Room.

Keb’ Mo’ has a sold out solo show at Memorial Hall on Sunday, and the Denim Wedding Tour with Blake Berglund and Belle Plaine is at Southgate in the Lounge.

Monday, Sept. 16 — Sunday, Sept. 22

Monday, Sept. 16, Sun Kil Moon plays Woodward, continuing the Woodward’s tradition of scheduling shows that I’d really like to see for dates that I’m out of town (see also Built to Spill). And in a “you got chocolate in my peanut butter” show, Blink 182 and Lil’ Wayne play Riverbend. It’s the greatest pairing since Robby Benson and Donny “Ralph Malph” Most in a Reese’s commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwGQ_w9lgHw

In the 70s, lots of people walked down the street with an open jar of peanut butter.

Kacy & Clayton play Southgate on Tuesday (9/17), and Marianas Trench is at Madison Theater.

Ludlow Garage has been rescheduling a lot of the shows that were supposed to happen over the past few weeks, but as of this writing, it appears that the Tyler Hilton show on Wednesday 9/18 is a go.

The much-anticipated Ludlow Garage 50th Anniversary show is Thursday (9/19), with Dweezil Zappa playing his dad’s Hot Rats album. That same evening, Indigo Girls are at Taft, and MeatWound, Thunderclap and Ball of Light play Northside Yacht Club.

The Bourbon & Beyond Festival kicks off Friday in Louisville at the KY Expo Center.

And the Overcast Hip Hop Festival starts its two night stand on Friday. It was originally slated for Top Cats but has been moved the Thompson House (old Southgate).

Also on Friday, 9/20:

The Mavericks play Taft
The Breeders play a free show at Dayton’s Levitt Pavilion
The Ghost Wolves visit MOTR
Steel Pulse plays Ludlow Garage
Murder by Death is at Woodward
Jason Eady is playing Southgate
Erica Blinn plays Camp Springs Tavern.

If you like to gamble on whether or not marginal bands from the 90s will still be any good in 2019, Eve 6, Fastball and Vertical Horizon are playing the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Saturday 9/21:

Dan Bern is at York Street Cafe
Unknown Hinson and Vincent Neal Emerson play Southgate
Crash Test Dummies play the 25th anniversary of God Shuffled His Feet at Memorial Hall
Agnostic Front ups the anniversary ante by playing a 35th anniversary show at Northside Yacht Club with Prong and Spear
Horace Greene, Life Brother and Mom & Dad are at Urban Artifact
Frank Gambale is at Ludlow, with Dennis Chambers, Sean Wayland and Mike Pope.

On Sunday, the Outlaw Music Festival comes to Riverbend, with Willie Nelson & Family, Bonnie Raitt, Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne and more.

That same evening, Ludlow hosts Jimmy Herring and the 5 of 7.

Notes from last week

The Avett Brothers show after the Reds game was a lot of fun. I took my 16-year-old daughter Leah – so glad that she’s finally acquiring her old man’s stellar taste in music. 🙂 Leah and I also saw Jake Speed & The Freddies at Stanbury Park in scenic Mt. Washington (a.k.a. “Anderson Heights”) on Friday night. Well, I call him Jake Speed, but Leah calls him “Mr. Riordon, my 7th grade English teacher at Walnut Hills.”

Album of the Week

One of my all-time favorite under-the-radar artists, Jesse Malin, has a new album out called Sunset Kids, produced by Lucinda Williams. Please put your ears on it now and thank me later.

Album of the other week

Since this is a fortnight post, let’s double down on the tunes. Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby and Maren Morris have teamed up to become The Highwomen (a distaff version of the Willie/Waylon/Johnny/Kris Highwaymen). Their self-titled debut is out now.

This cover isn’t on the album, but it’s on a movie soundtrack:

Shameless plea for Cystic Fibrosis donations

As noted in a previous post, I’m riding 32 miles in the Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life event in Cincinnati this Saturday. Thanks much to those who have already donated. If you haven’t, there’s still time… and I’m only $25 away from hitting the $1,000 mark in donations, which would be pretty friggin’ cool. Don’t feel obligated, but if you are so inclined, you can do so here: http://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR/Cycle/42_Greater_Cincinnati_Cincinnati?team_id=82559&pg=team&fr_id=7574#teamRoster

Album cover of the week

Have a great week! And have a great next week!

This Week in Live Music: September 3-8

Concert Listings, Music

Hello, Cincinnatti (sic)… are you ready to rock?

Yes, KISS had a typo on their commemorative t-shirts (Only $50! Such a deal!). But it’s doubtful that many of the faithful in attendance even noticed. The KISS Army just wants to rock and roll all night, they don’t want to have a spelling bee.

Lett’s gett intto tthis week’s shows, shall we?

Meek Mill is free! But his concert at Riverbend on Tuesday night isn’t free. Future also will be present, as will YG and Megan Thee Stallion. At Stanley’s, it’s RumpRyder the portmanteau band featuring members of the Rumpke Mountain Boys and Hyryder.

Wednesday, Orchestral Manoeuvres (not a typo, I’m not British but they are) in the Dark (a.k.a. OMD) is playing Bogart’s, Rachel Baiman and Mike Oberst are at Southgate, and Live, Bush (that last comma was much-needed) and Our Lady Peace are appearing at the Rose Music Center.

On Thursday, local bands Moonbeau and This Pine Box are playing the free show at Newport on the Levee, 7-10 p.m. Flying Lotus is at Madison Theater, Adam Lee, Dylan Walshe and Brooke Blanche triple-headline the Southgate House Revival Room, and the Ben Levin Duo double-headlines BrewRiver.

Friday night, the pace picks up:

Amos Lee plays Taft with Madison Cunningham as the opener
Stabbing Westward is at Riverfront Live (formerly Annie’s, and host to many stabbings over the years)
Harbour (again, not a typo, and I’m still not British) has an album release show at Woodward, with Sylmar, Spirit of the Bear and Coastal Club
Walk Off The Earth plays Bogart’s
Southgate House has all three rooms going – Hank von Hell haunts the Sanctuary, Patrick Sweany is in the Revival Room and New Moons, Tigerlilies and Oso Bear are in the Lounge
The Almond Butter Band (a tribute to the Allman Brothers Band) plays Fretboard
Last but certainly not least, Dr. Noah Drake (Rick Springfield) is playing PNC Pavilion, with Patty Smyth and Scandal and Greg Kihn also on the bill. Remember when Patty Smyth and Scandal played a free show at the Serpentine Wall in the mid 80s? I do. My friend Tom was going to the show, and I could have joined him, but he was meeting up with his high school buddy “Skid” and in the interest of avoiding jail time, I make it a rule to never hang out with someone named Skid… unless his last name is Roper.

On Saturday, you can finally see a winner at Great American Ball Park: the Avett Brothers are playing an on-field concert after the 4:10 p.m. Reds-Diamondbacks (not a typo… D-backs is stupid) game. Your ticket to the game is also your ticket to the concert, per Dan “Trevor Bauer just needs to tweak his mechanics” Lewis. I’ll be in Section Nosebleed, Row O.

That same day, David Shaw’s Big River Getdown is getting down at Rivers Edge in Hamilton!, with The Revivalists, The War and Treaty, Brent Cobb, Southern Avenue, Neil Francis and Chris Gelbuda. Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band is playing a free show at Levitt Pavilion in Dayton. Rick Springfield, Patty Smyth & Scandal and Greg Kihn roll up to Huber Heights to play the Rose Music Center. Leon Bridges is playing a Cincinnati (not Cincinnatti) Children’s Hospital fundraiser at the Aronoff, Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) is at Top Cats, Wonky Tonk plays Camp Springs Tavern, and the Jay Jesse Johnson Band and Sonny Moorman (acoustic) share a bill at Fretboard Brewing. Jay Jesse Johnson is no relation to Raymond J. Johnson Jr… or maybe he is.

Sunday, The Head and the Heart plays PNC Pavilion, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are at Riverfront Live, the B-52s play Rose Music Center with Berlin and those hard working folks in OMD. And Pat Metheny is playing Memorial Hall… I hope he packs a blow dryer on his tour bus:

Pat Metheny… or Dennis Quaid after sticking his finger in a light socket… or a Fraggle Rock cast member

Also on Sunday, comedian Brian Regan will be at Taft Theatre. He’s a funny dude.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5W6JyF7br8

Notes from last week

That house concert in Mt. Adams on Sunday was great. Noah Wotherspoon was killer. The Almond Butter Band (Allman Brothers tribute band – playing Fretboard this Friday) was great, Just Strange Brothers did a fantastic set of Talking Heads tunes, and the kids in Jukebox (including Joe Tellmann and Jacob Strom) were outstanding. Mark your calendar for next year.

Hot ticket alert

Devotchka and The Joy Formidable form a nice double bill for the Woodward on Friday, Sept. 27th, and Michael Franti & Spearhead are playing Riverfront Live on Wednesday, Oct. 30th.

Good reading

The Washington Post has an interesting article about The Hold Steady and how they are ditching some conventions with their music releases and touring plans, and there’s a nice feature about the first solo release from Ass Pony/Wussy member Chuck Cleaver in Cincinnati Magazine.

But I’m more interested in newer stuff, and for lack of another word, indie stuff. Home projects. There’s a certain type of creativity that I enjoy.
CHUCK cLEAVER

Album cover of the week (please avert your eyes)

Summer’s gone, but the music is still going strong.

How will the wolf survive?

97X, books, Music

Louie Pérez gets it. He knows what being in a band and making music are all about. I’ve been reading the book More Fun in the New World, co-written by John Doe of the band X. It features essays from several early 80s luminaries from the L.A. punk/cowpunk scene: Dave Alvin (The Blasters), Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey (The Go-Gos), Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks), Mike Ness (Social Distortion), Maria McKee (Lone Justice), Sid Griffin (Long Ryders), Peter Case (Plimsouls), Chip Kinman (Rank & File), plus contributions from now-famous fans such as Shepard Fairey and Tony Hawk.

Louie Pérez of Los Lobos wrote about how they became part of that scene. On May 4th, 1980, they opened for Public Image Ltc. and got pelted with spit, beer bottles, loose change… whatever the punk fans could get their hands on. But they didn’t let that dissuade them. Shortly thereafter, they met The Blasters, and became friends with that band. Their big break came when they opened for The Blasters at the Whisky a Go Go. According to Louie, there was a bit of hesistation from the audience, but at least there were no projectiles:

Community… spirit… a good vibe. Yeah, that’s the stuff. Tell us more, LP:

Having a great time with new friends, bonding over a shared love of music. Man, I totally understand that. I feel like the community he’s describing in L.A. in the early 80s also existed among the people who worked at and/or listened to a tiny radio station in Oxford, Ohio, from the early 80s through the mid 2000s.

That’s why Dave Tellmann and I do our podcast – to share stories, reconnect with the tribe, and keep the flame alive.

The book is well worth a read. And the music made by those bands is certainly worth revisiting.

This week in Live Music: August 19-25

Concert Listings, Music

Hey kids, ready for a hot August night of music?

Looks like Jimmy Page…
…Wayne Newton…
…Ed Helms’ dad

Sorry, Neil Diamond won’t be in town this week. Neither will any Neil Diamond tribute bands. But every time you yell out “So good! So good! So good!” when they play “Sweet Caroline” at a sporting event, YOU are part of a Neil Diamond tribute band. Never forget that!

Monday, Melissa Etheridge will be at the Taft Theatre. Tuesday, it’s crickets (and not the Buddy Holly kind). On Wednesday, the only music on my radar isn’t a live gig, it’s a movie called Cinema Strangiato, featuring “the Holy Trinity of Rock”: Geddy, Alex and Neil.

https://youtu.be/Jow3-DVntj8

I love Canada’s premier power rock trio (sorry Triumph, thanks for playing, here’s a year’s supply of Rice-a-Roni and a copy of our home game) but I don’t know if I’ll make it to a “theater near you” for live highlights from the R40 tour and some interviews.

Tuesday Memes – Rush – 2loud2oldmusic — Neil Peart (center) with Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart

On Thursday, the pace finally picks up. The Whispering Beard Folk Festival kicks off in its new location: Smale Park in downtown Cincy. Here’s the lineup for that evening:

Also playing Thursday: Vincent at Top Cats, Habibi with Fruit & Flowers in Southgate’s Revival Room, and the artist with the fantastic stage name of Popa Chubby will be playing Southgate’s main stage (a.k.a. Sanctuary).

Friday is a very busy night for live music. The Whispering Beard Festival continues with Peter Rowan, M. Ward and the Felice Brothers on the main stage, and you can also buy tickets for exclusive riverboat shows.

Urban Artifact also kicks off their BeWILDERfest, with three stages (including a tented courtyard stage) over two evenings. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is the Friday headliner. Here’s that night’s schedule:

Two festivals in one weekend, wow, that’s almost “two” much to handle…

Better make that a try-fecta, because if you’re really ambitious, you can also try to attend Farmula Fest this Friday and Saturday, at A.J. Jolly Park in Alexandria, KY.

It’s the only festival to feature kayaking… so that’s a plus. It’s also the only festival to feature Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad as a headliner. They are no relation to Urban Dance Squad. Or the Mod Squad.

Weirdest show intro ever! Thanks Aaron Spelling.

Other Friday gigs: Carriers have a vinyl release show at the Woodward, with Turtledoves, Joesph and Molly Parden. Big Freedia is bouncing into Bogart’s. Knotts are playing Northside Tavern with Superlow and Freedom Nicole Moore. Lauren Eylise & The Part Time Lovers are at MOTR, and The Brummies and Coastal Club play the free Fountain Square gig. At Southgate, Kellie Loder plays the Revival room and the Lounge hosts The Cousin Kissers, a Country/Americana supergroup of local luminaries Jeff Leist, Jimmy Davidson, Neil Sharrow and Bill Craig.

Last and certainly least, the Motor City Madman, Ted Nugent, will be at Riverfront Live.

On Saturday, T. Lipscomb is live at the Camp Springs Tavern. I hope to make that gig. Ben Levin & The Heaters play a free show at Keener Park in West Chester, and the Beard and BeWILDERfest both wrap up – lineups below.

On Sunday, Umphrey’s McGee plays Fraze Pavilion, Stanley’s hosts their weekly open jam, and the Ben Levin Trio will make some noise in the Campbell County Library from 6-7 p.m.

Photos from last week

Rob Fetters at the Ludlow Garage 50th anniversary at Eden Park

Spookfloaters sounded fantastic at Fretboard’s outdoor stage

Hot ticket alert

The Raconteurs are playing Taft on Saturday, September 14th, and Ben Folds (and a piano) are at Taft on Thursday, October 24th. Also, the Wilco show on Saturday, November 9th is nearly sold out. Remember, go to the Taft box office to purchase Taft, Riverbend and PNC Pavilion tickets and avoid the ridiculous TicketBastard fees.

Album of the Week

The new Hold Steady album Thrashing Thru The Passion sounds great (nice to have Franz Nicolay back in the fold). But I’ll have to give the nod to this classic LP:

Blatant plea for Cystic Fibrosis donations

I’m biking 30+ miles in the Cincinnati Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life event on September 14th and would love it if you could make a donation to support me and help fund research to find a cure for this insidious disease. Here’s the link to my fundraising page: http://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR/Cycle/42_Greater_Cincinnati_Cincinnati?px=2458867&pg=personal&fr_id=7574

Thank you, and have a great week!

Little Steven and Little Joe

Music

My podcasting partner in crime, Dave Tellmann (we’re both guilty of caring way too much about a tiny little station that went off the air long ago) often claims that he is “The Reuben Kincaid of Modern Rock” because of how often he promotes his two musically talented sons.

But Dave’s been slacking, so I’ll have to carry the torch. Dave’s younger son Joe is a blues guitar superstar in the making. (He also plays with local band This Pine Box.) He’s attended the Pinetop Perkins Blues Camp in Clarksdale, Mississippi for many years, first as a student and more recently as a counselor. Through those connections (and his prodigious talents), he was invited to attend and perform at a blues festival in Notodden, Norway, and attend Little Steven’s Blues School.

Joe and his friend Jesse White worked with two Norwegians to write an original song, and then had a little help mixing and producing it from some dude in a bandana.

He looks a bit like that guy from The Sopranos.. Joe T is in the middle

The mixing board is from Stax Records in Memphis, and was used for sessions with Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs and all those great Stax artists from the late 60s/early 70s.

This is so friggin’ cool on so many levels that it might actually reverse global warming. Nice work, Joe!

2 responses to “Little Steven and Little Joe”

Lisa

August 15, 2019

So very cool!!!

Jay Stowe

August 16, 2019

Holy crap! Does Little Steven travel with the old Stax board or what? How did it get there? That is a piece of history that no one should trifle with. Not that I’d ever accuse Little Steven of “trifling” anything, but still. I am shocked and awed. Congrats Little Joe!