Nearly five years ago, Dave and Damian started a podcast about 97X. They had no idea what they were doing.
They still don’t know what they’re doing, but they DO know that as they stumbled through nearly a hundred episodes, they had a blast reconnecting with station staffers, listeners, advertisers, record reps, and even some bands that made the station so special.
But now they’ve caught up with nearly everyone affiliated with the station (in both the 97X and woxy.com era).
They had the distinct privilege of co-hosting the Mercantile Library’s event with 97X book author Robin James.
They helped usher the 2023 97X Modern Rock 500 from crazy idea to amazing reality, thanks to more than 30 former DJs, Dave’s son Jack (producer extraordinaire) and our friends at Inhailer Radio.
Dave and Damian sucked at promoting the podcast, but somehow, some way, through the magic that was and IS 97X, listeners found it:
“I am not sure you guys realize just what impact having this modern rock format has had on my life… your podcast has brought about all of these thoughts, feelings, and memories of the soundtrack of 21 years on my life. I thank you for playing your part in it back then and I thank you for creating this podcast to help me process just what those 21 years have meant to me.”
“Anyway, I know you’ve heard it before, but you did a hell of a job preserving the mental health of lots of weird sullen people in our corner of the Rust Belt. I cried real drunken tears from Baltimore when the terrestrial signal died and I’ll never be able to tell you how important you all were in helping me get to adulthood.”
“Thanks for the pod. It is like finally being able to talk with someone about the treasure that was WOXY.”
“There are so many bands and songs that make me think so fondly of 97X. 97X will forever have a place in my heart.”
“That was about the only good thing about where I lived: 97X came in crystal clear and was like an oasis among the fields of corn. The music you played opened my mind and heart to soundscapes so different than anything I’d ever known. You took me to places I was sure I’d never get to go. How lucky was I!… Really I just wanted to let you know how much 97X meant to me in my teen years. You truly saved me. I can’t fully express how much you did. But I am Here in large part because of this station. You gave me hope and an outlet. I heard you, and my spirit felt heard in return.
Thank you, friend, for listening. So long for now…
Did you go to the big show downtown last night? I did! It was everything I hoped for and more!
I’m referring, of course, to the Dave Alvin & the Guilty Ones show in downtown Dayton at the Levitt Pavilion, with Dayton’s own The Mulchmen doing a stellar opening set.
Why yes, that is Jim McPherson of The Breeders on drums for The Mulchmen. I challenged him to an arm-wrestling contest after their set. It did not end well for me.
The Mulchmen and Dave Alvin both sounded great – Dave even busted out a few Blasters tunes. Admission was free, and Levitt Pavilion allows attendees to bring their own food and beverages (cans only). Such a deal!
Alrighty, let’s take a gander at some upcoming live shows in the Tri-state area.
Tonight, it’s The Invasion of the Swifties, Part II. I’m not a Taylor-lover (or ex-lover… no songs about me) but I’m also not a hater. CincyMusic had a great take on Taylor-mania:
Just down the street from Paul Brown Stadium (that payroll company isn’t paying me, so I’m using the old name), local blues wunderkind Erin Coburn will be playing at Sawyer Point at 4 p.m., followed by The Classic Rock Experience (6pm) and the AC/DC tribute band Thunderstruck (8pm).
Greensky Bluegrass is at the Bobby Brady.
Levitt Pavilion in Dayton (perhaps you’ve heard of it?) has another freebie show tonight, featuring Ernie Johnson from Detroit.
Last but not least (except in Liam Gallagher’s rankings), Noah Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Garbage and Metric are at Riverbend.
Then there’s a bit of a lull in live gigs as we celebrate our independence with discount fireworks.
On Thursday:
Tab Benoit plays a free show at the Levitt Pavilion in Dayton (yes, that place again)
Noah Wotherspoon will be “Rockin’ the Roebling” in Smale Park (the stage by Moerlein)
The Harmed Brothers Duo does a freebie at Washington Park
Candlebox is at Bogart’s
Chicago is at the PNC Pavilion
(Yours truly will be at Summerfest in Milwaukee, watching Jenny Lewis, Horsegirl, The Regrettes, The War on Drugs and perhaps a bit of Dinosaur Jr.)
Friday:
Lettuce and Steel Pulse play the PNC Pavilion
3 Doors Down and Candlebox are at the Rose Music Center
The Steve Miller Band will be at The Hard Rock Casino (“Take the money and run”…)
Kansas plays the Taft
The Sunburners play a free show at Stanbury Park in scenic Mt. Washington (a.k.a. “Anderson Heights”)
(Yours truly will still be in Milwaukee, watching the Reds-Brewers game)
Saturday (7/8) shows:
Future Islands are at Bogart’s
Lettuce and Steel Pulse head up the road to the Rose
For those who just can’t get enough T-Swizzle (or couldn’t drain their bank account for tickets), RiversEdge in Hamilton! has Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience for free.
Dream Theater is at the Ovation in Newport on Sunday (7/9) and Post Malone plays Riverbend.
Belinda Carlisle goes (or Go-Gos) to the Rose Music Center on Tuesday, July 11th.
The High Kings play Memorial Hall on Thursday, July 13th, and RiversEdge has “Nirvani” and “Fooz Fighters.” (Isn’t “Dave Grull” in both of those bands?)
Braxton Brewing in Covington, KY is hosting the Paradise Music and Beer Festival on 7/14-15:
Also on Friday, July 14th, Jessica Lea Mayfield headlines the free show at Fountain Square. I’ll probably make that gig. You should join me, unless you’re the type of person who likes Neil Diamond, then you can catch Super Diamond, the Neil Diamond tribute band, at Ovation.
Other shows on Saturday, July 15th:
Ruby Vileos has an album release show at The Loon in Northside, with special guest Tyler Ramsey (formerly of Band of Horses).
Fall Out Boy plays Riverbend
George Thorogood & the Destroyers are at Fraze Pavilion
The Cincy Blues Fest happens in Fairfield
Jesse is a friend…
… and he needs our help. Longtime “This week in live music” favorite Jesse Malin was climbing onto the bar at Webster Hall in NYC during a concert in late March…
In early May, he suffered a rare spinal stroke, and has been paralyzed from the waist down since. A Sweet Relief fund has been set up to help with Jesse’s medical bills.
“The reports from the doctors have been tough, and there’s moments in the day where you want to cry, and where you’re scared. But I keep saying to myself that I can make this happen. I can recover my body.”
We mentioned the Ruby Vileos album release earlier… Billy Alletzhauser’s other band The Hiders also is working on some new music. Dave Tellmann and I chatted with Billy and his Hiders bandmate Beth Harris about that (and towns in Arkansas… and Ass Ponys… and much more) in the latest episode of the 97X Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast.
Modern Rock 500 heavy hitters
97X superfan Scott Buckley created an interactive data visualization that allows you to get a snapshot view of the various artists in the 2023 97X Modern Rock 500 on Inhailer Radio and quickly see where their songs landed. Check it out here.
Speaking of Inhailer Radio, former 97Xers Matt Sledge and Jae Forman now have weekly airshifts there, along with list member Ken Laube (Fridays 3-7pm).
Album Cover of the Fortnight
Dennis Coffey makes his own Declaration of Independence. He’s a red, white and blue (and maroon and fuchsia) hero!
On May 11th, author Robin James discussed her new book The Future of Rock & Roll: 97X and the Fight for True Independence at The Mercantile Library, with your friendly neighborhood podcast hosts Dave and Damian. The event was streamed via Crowdcast, but due to the dreaded technical difficulties, the first 10 minutes of the discussion have been lost to the ether. However, we reconnected with Amy Hunter from the Mercantile Library staff so she could reprise her intro and then this episode picks up the discussion when the audio came onto the Crowdcast feed.
The event was co-sponsored by Downbound Books and Shake It Records. Approximately 200 folks were in attendance, many sporting their vintage 97X and band t-shirts:
Amy B. Hunter gave the intro. Learn more about The Mercantile Library here.
Dave – the James Lipton of modern rock.
Many 97X staffers and loyal listeners were in attendance. L to R above: Gentleman Jim Mercer, Dave, Robin James, Damian, Matt Harris.
Bill “Billy D” Douglas and his lovely bride serve as book models. (If you’d like to order a copy or three of Robin’s book, you can do so here through Downbound Books.)
Howard Cohen from Great Lakes Brewing supplied the adult beverages. (Howard also is lead singer of the local band Cereal Killers.)
I let you down yet again (you should be used to it by now). I’m tardy with my list of gigs so I didn’t get to tell you about the New Pornographers show at Memorial Hall last night. That said, the show was sold out. Besides, I don’t know why people need New Pornographers, the old ones still work just fine.
Tonight, Southgate House is hosting The Nude Party. (It’s a band, get your mind out of the old pornographers gutter.)
OK, let’s focus on the future. The Future of Rock and Roll, that is. Robin James wrote the book about 97X, and thanks to Northside’s Downbound Books and Shake It Records, she’ll be talking about it with a couple of knuckleheads at the Mercantile Library this Thursday. If you’re one of the faithful 200 who registered for this event, you can hear from Robin, get a book signed and enjoy some tasty Great Lakes Brewing Co. beverages courtesy of our ol’ pal Howard Cohen (Cereal Killers… more on them later).
If you can’t attend in person, you can stream the event on Crowdcast here. (Great Lakes Beer not included.)
Tomorrow night, Richard Thompson plays a solo acoustic show at the 20th Century Theater. I’ll be there, of course. Forget about King Charles III, to me, King Richard is the Brit who rules.
KT Tunstall and Martin Sexton are also playing a double bill tomorrow, at Memorial Hall.
On Thursday, if you can’t make the Merc, Memorial Hall is hosting An Evening with the Cowboy Junkies.
Wait, wrong sort of Cowboy Junkie…
Friday night, Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker from the band Wussy are playing at my house. (Apparently they didn’t learn their lesson from the first time I hosted them back in October of 2022 and totally fanboyed out.)
John “Don’t call me Cougar” Mellencamp also kicks off a two-night stand at the Aronoff on Friday. And The Comet hosts BurritoFest 2023 on Friday and Saturday.
The Taft Theatre has some interesting shows lined up:
An Evening with Natalie Merchant on Sunday
The Wood Brothers with Shovels & Rope on Tuesday, May 16th
David Cross on Thursday, May 18th
Roger McGuinn does a “Songs & Stories” gig at Memorial Hall on 5/18.
On Friday, May 19th, Cereal Killers play at MadTree Brewing in Oakley. 7-11 p.m. First beer’s on me.
I won’t be dressed like that… unless you ask nicely.
That same evening, Frank Turner plays Bogart’s and Leo Kottke is at Ludlow Garage.
On Saturday, 5/20, Dopapod is at the Madison Theater, Steve Goodie and Eric Gnezda play a comedy music show in Florence, KY, and Fountain Square hosts the KISS tribute band Strutter.
The Gem City shines
Dayton, Ohio (birthplace of flight… and the Deal sisters) has some really nice freebie shows coming up this summer at the Levitt Pavilion downtown, including Dave Alvin, John Doe, Tab Benoit, Ernie Johnson from Detroit, and Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys. The first gig is The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band on Thursday, June 1st. Check out the full lineup here.
Mailbag
List member Mighty Joe Sampson, a resident of a posh Cincy suburb, wrote:
This longtime subscriber is formally objecting to your slanderous comment about Madeira aka “the friendly town.”
You’re right, Joe. Madeira is very accepting of strangers… as long as they follow the instructions to leave the DoorDash food delivery on the front porch.
Those wacky Brits… I don’t know how in the heck you can guard a horse when your helmet obstructs 70% of your field of vision and your “chin” strap is well above your chin. But… “tradition!”
After 97X signed off in 2004, “the future of rock and roll” stayed alive as woxy.com – with many fits and starts (and stops) along the way. “Angel investors”… LaLa.com… Future Sounds… Oxford… Longworth Hall in Cincinnati… Austin, Texas. The dot-com version had several homes, and more lives than a cat, before finally ending quite abruptly on March 23, 2010.
We talk to the folks who experienced all those ups and downs, and lived to tell the tale: Shiv, Mike Taylor, Joe Long, Brian Niesz, and Bryan J. Miller share their stories of the woxy.com era.
Matt Shiv (l) (music director) and Mike Taylor (program director) from WOXY.com
One of the highlights of the move to woxy.com (and the move to a former recording studio in Cincinnati) was the expansion of live, in-studio performances – the fabled “Lounge Acts” engineered by Brian Niesz.
And Brian Niesz, who moved back to Cincinnati after the Austin demise of woxy.com, now works at WCPO-TV (Channel 9) and revived the Lounge Acts format.
Kerry Gray was the program director at 97X in the late 80s/early 90s, and a radio “lifer.” He was a real live wire – super-energetic, enthusiastic, funny as heck… and also completely into the music. In fact, Kerry and Phil Manning teamed up to expand the back catalogue of the station, and they also launched the first ever “Modern Rock 500” in 1989.
In this episode, Julie Maxwell, Julie Maxwell, Jeff Rohrs, Mike Taylor and Steve Baker join Dave and Damian to share their remembrances, and the episode wraps up with some archival audio of Kerry and Brett Heartz on-air at 97X back in October of 1989.
Kerry also launched the radio career of “Bubba the Love Sponge” – whom Kerry met at a nightclub in Terre Haute, Indiana, then brought onto his show as an intern. In 2016, Kerry was on his way a new job as co-host of a syndicated morning show with Bubba in Florida when he was in a car accident. At the hospital, testing revealed multiple tumors on his brain… and Kerry battled brain cancer for a year before passing away in March of 2017 at the age of 50.
Very fitting that Kerry’s celebration of life was a dance party.
KERRY began his radio career at 15 and spent 30+ years in radio, which included WEQX/MANCHESTER, VT-ALBANY, NY, KBCO/DENVER, WEDG (103.3 THE EDGE)/BUFFALO, and CJXY (Y108)/HAMILTON, ON.
KERRY had a larger-than-life personality and a really great heart. His presence made people around him want to be better. He was one of the sweetest and weirdest guys I ever knew.” — former WEDG Program Director James Kurdziel
It’s pretty exciting stuff if I do say so myself… granted, I’m not exactly an impartial observer.
Let’s observe the bands who are coming to town over the next couple of weeks, shall we?
Tonight, Southgate has Rock’n Revival for the Cure, with a slew of local bands:
And Ark Band plays Ludlow Garage.
On Sunday, Ben Levin plays Schwartz’s Point, and Ludlow hosts Nektar… no relation to keytar.
On Wednesday, The Dollyrots play Southgate, with The Von Tramps at the opener, and Altan fiddles around at Ludlow Garage.
Thursday evening, Billy Strings kicks off a sold-out three-night run at the Greg Brady.
Greg Brady loved Strings!
That same evening, Kenny Wayne Shepherd will at the Taft, doing a 25th anniversary tour of his Trouble Is… album.
Friday, Billy Strings has a second helping of the Peter Brady.
Don’t Bogart your Billy Strings tickets.
That same day, Ben Levin plays happy hour at Element Eatery, The Huntertones and Doc Robinson play Woodward, and Vanessa Carlton is at Ludlow. Oh, and ’tis St. Paddy’s Day, too.
Next Saturday, Bogart’s hosts Rumours: A Fleetwood Mac tribute. And Billy Strings plays Night 3 at the Marsha Marsha Marsha Brady.
Marsha Brady thinks Billy Strings is hotter than Alice’s pot roast
And NRBQ rocks the Ludlow Garage.
Southgate House has an embarrassment of riches on Tuesday, March 21st:
The Casey Campbell Band and El Dorado play the main room
Adam Weiner (of Low Cut Connie) plays the Revival Room upstairs
On Wednesday, March 22nd, The Quebe Sisters are at Southgate, and Dead Letter Office (yes, an R.E.M. tribute band), plays Ludlow Garage.
On Thursday, 3/23:
Beth Harris and Freedom Nicole Moore play a freebie at the Listing Loon in Northside
Leo Sayer plays Ludlow Garage
Blake Shelton plays the Coliseum
On Friday, 3/24:
Whiskey Bent Valley Boys, Slippery Creek and Mike Oberst are at Southgate
Them Dirty Roses and The Josephines play the old Annie’s
Aronoff Center has The Blues is Alright tour:
Pokey Bear, second cousin of streetwise informant Huggy Bear on Starsky & Hutch
On Saturday, March 25th:
They Might Be Giants play a sold-out gig at Madison Theater.
Florence Dore plays Southgate (her backing band includes Will Rigby and Gene Holder of the dBs, and Son Volt’s Mark Spencer)
Aronoff has The Simon & Garfunkel Story (per the press release: “The show features huge projection photos, original film footage, and a full live band performing all of Simon & Garfunkels’s hits, including “Mrs. Robinson,” “Cecilia,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” and many more.” In other words, since Paul and Artie will never share a stage again, holograms will have to suffice.)
And if the fates cooperate and the stars align, your humble scribe will be in NYC that evening for this show:
On Sunday, 3/26, New Edition (which really should be called Old Edition at this point) will be at the Coliseum, with Keith Sweat, Guy and Tank. Note: “Guy” is a band and “Tank” is another band… in case you were expecting this:
Instant Karma
In our last missive, we mentioned that Dan “Reds: 2027 World Series Champs” Lewis loves Debbie Gibson… right after we listed some incorrect tickets-on-sale info. So who do you think pointed out our error almost immediately?
I’ll refrain from pointing out that we listed TTB, not DTB…
Dan is a superfan of both Dwight and The Mavericks, so the PNC gig is a dream date for him. (So is Debbie Gibson, btw.)
Like father, like son
Dan’s son Cullen also is a music superfan, and in a recent edition of his Substack newsletter he linked to this really cool “Music Map” site where you can type in the name of a band you like and it’ll suggest other bands you may enjoy.
Your own personal hit factory
HT to list member Todd Butler for the link.
Album Cover of the Week
This album came out yesterday. If your band’s name is “The Atomic Bitchwax” you are contractually obligated to play the Freak Valley Fest. It’s a combination as classic as peanut butter and jelly…. or Dan Lewis and Debbie Gibson.
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two decades since that fateful evening when Steve Baker said “goodbye to the future of rock and roll.” For current and former staffers and loyal listeners, it was like the death of a loved one. We reunited an all-star cast of folks who were at the station at the bittersweet end (Bakerman, Shiv, Barb, Mike Taylor, Sledge, Bryan J., Gentleman Jim Mercer) to share their memories of that time.
But we’re not just here to rue the day and mourn once again. There’s actually a future for “the future of rock and roll.” We’re getting the gang back together for one last heist Modern Rock 500 this May.
It’ll be just like old times. Maybe even better. It’s like getting a present from your old friends, in the present day. We can’t wait to share the music and the love with you!
Speaking of love, you gotta love the Bakerman’s “now and then” coda for the episode:
97X, BAM, THE FUTURE OF ROCK AND ROLL RETURNS WITH THE 2023 97X MODERN ROCK 500
(Oxford/Cincinnati, OH) – March 9, 2023 – It’s been 20 years since the legendary Oxford, OH-based alternative radio station WOXY FM, aka “97X, BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll” first left the airwaves. Celebrating what would have been its 40th anniversary, 97X makes its triumphant online return in May 2023 with the 2023 97X Modern Rock 500 countdown.
In partnership with Cincinnati-based streaming station Inhailer Radio, 97X and WOXY.com present the 2023 97X Modern Rock 500, airing May 22 – 29, 2023 on Inhailer Radio, also available on the Inhailer Radio app and WGUC 90.9- HD3 in Cincinnati.
The 2023 Modern Rock 500 will air on Inhailer Radio in five 100-lap segments from May 22-26, 2023, and repeat in the 500’s traditional Memorial Day weekend timeslot from May 27-29, 2023. Plans are in the works for an on-demand archive of the broadcast.
As a special treat, the broadcast is hosted by over 30 station DJs sharing memories from WOXY’s 40-year run. From its fledgling 80s days to the explosion of the format in the 90s and its time as an online entity in the early 2000s, the 2023 Modern Rock 500 is represented by the people who were there making it happen.
If there was one signature program that became synonymous with 97X, it was the annual Modern Rock 500. Borrowing thematically from the nearby Indianapolis 500 and broadcast over Memorial Day Weekend, the 97X Modern Rock 500 counted down the best alternative songs as “laps”. The Modern Rock 500 aired on 97X from 1988-2003 and continued on WOXY.COM from 2005-2009.
Now it returns for one final countdown.
The broadcast also serves as a wrap-up of the 97X-focused podcast Rumblings from the Big Bush (a reference to a distinctly large shrubbery located on the station’s Oxford, Ohio property), hosted by former DJs Dave Tellmann and Damian Dotterweich.
“Rumblings over the last few years has caught up with former air talent, station employees, fans of the station, and some of the artists that we played at 97X. It’s been a blast! The podcast has about run its course; but the idea of capping it with the Modern Rock 500 couldn’t be a better way to sign off,” said co-host Dave Tellmann. Rumblings… episodes can be found on all major podcast player sites and on 97Xbam.
“We here at Inhailer are honored to hand over the airwaves to the people of 97X who influenced our own musical journeys and the music we play here”, adds Taylor Fox, Founder and Program Director at Inhailer. “We’re downright giddy with excitement!”
“This new Modern Rock 500 will be limited to those songs that landed on the countdown in the past. It’s taking a look back from a present-day point of view”, states Mike Taylor, 97X Program Director from 2001 to 2010. “Any way you slice it, it’s gonna be 500 great tunes.”
The 2023 97X Modern Rock 500 is a love letter to its loyal legion of listeners and to station owners Doug and Linda Balogh, for giving the world something super special. We’ll see you at the starting line…
Full list of featured talent:
Aaron Borns
Ali Castellini
Barb Abney
Bill Douglas
Brian Ewing
Bryan Jay Miller
Damian Dotterweich
Dan “Danny Crash” Reed
Dave Tellmann
Dorsie Fyffe
Forrest Griffen
Julie “Jae Forman” Clay
Jeff Rohrs
Jim Mercer
Joe Long
John Jesser
Julie “Maxwell” Argonis
Keri Valmassei
Luann Gibbs
Matt Shiv
Matt “Sledge” Waller
Matthew Harris
Mike Taylor
Mike Winstead
Nick Pleimling
Phil Kollin
Ric “Tile” Cengeri
Rob Ervin
Robin Plan
Stase Wendland
Steve Baker
Tina Kristina Mueller
If all the old bands can reunite, so can we. Long Live 97X – The Future of Rock and Roll!
Whatever happened to The Long Winters? I loved that band.
Let’s talk live music during our long winter… which could get even longer if a rodent sees his shadow in the week ahead.
Tonight:
The not-always-cheerful Neko Case plays Memorial Hall
Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) is at Ludlow Garage
The Mortals headline a MOTR show
Bret Michaels (of hairband and hair band fame) plays the Hard Rock Casino
Wait, I’ve just been informed that it might be Fergie who is playing the Hard Rock:
On Saturday, the Tillers play Southgate, the Harlequins play Northside Tavern, and The 5th Dimension (featuring one original member… no, not Marilyn McCoo… no, not Billy Davis Jr. either) brings their beautiful balloon all the way down to Ludlow Garage.
The Wailin’ Jennys are at Memorial Hall on Wednesday.
The Way Down Wanderers play Southgate on Thursday. It’s Groundhog Day, so if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, they will play there for six weeks.
Next Friday, there’s a tribute to local legend David Rhodes Brown at Southgate House, featuring members of the Warsaw Falcons, 500 Miles to Memphis, Chalkeye, The Star Devils, The Tammy Whynots, Maria Carrelli, Dead Man String Band, The Modified, Missy Fairmount, Paul and Sylvia Mitchell, KY Timbre and the Hillbilly Harem, Mister Moriah, Veronica Grim.
R.I.P. D.R.B.
That same evening, John Cowan plays Ludlow and .38 Special plays the Hard Rock Casino. They will be rockin’ into the night slot machines.
On Saturday, Feb. 4th:
Dan Bern plays Southgate, with Brandon Costello as the opener
Macy Gray plays Ludlow Garage
Ovation in Newport hosts An Evening with Lotus
On Sunday, 2/5, Bogart’s has Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime
Noted opera singer Adam Sandler plays the Coliseum on Monday, 2/6.
On Tuesday, 2/7, Supersuckers are at Southgate.
The Dirty Streets and Heavy Hinges play Southgate on Thursday, 2/9.
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder are at Memorial Hall on Friday, Feb. 10th. Kentucky Thunder is usually a harbinger of Kentucky Rain… which has been known to create this:
There’s quite a grab bag of shows (and venues) on Saturday, Feb. 11th:
Blackberry Smoke plays the Lawrenceburg Event Center
Joe’s Truck Stop, Willy Tea Taylor and Jordan Smart play Southgate’s Revival Room
The Judds (featuring one original member!) are at the Nutter Center in Dayton
The Coliseum hosts the Legendz of the Streetz Tour (in case you hadn’t guessed from the use of the “z plurals” — there will be hippin’ and/or hoppin’ at that show. Per the show description, it will be “an interchanging ensemble of some of the most Iconic names in Hip-Hop including Rick Ross, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Jadakiss, Cam’ron with Special Guest Jucee Froot”
Last, and most incongruously of all, Michael Bolton will be at the Hard Rock Casino. (Which might be the first time that “Michael Bolton” and “Hard Rock” have been used in the same sentence.)
The Dearly Departed
I’m afraid to check the news these days, as it seems like musicians young (Jeremiah Green of Modest Mouse), not-so-young (Terry Hall of The Specials) and old (Christine McVie, Jeff Beck, et al.) are shuffling off this mortal coil at an ever-increasing pace. I do want to note two folks who did a lot to champion indie music:
Gary Smith was the founder of Fort Apache Studios in Boston.
As a producer and manager, Gary shepherded the careers of some of the era’s most influential artists, among them Pixies, Throwing Muses, Tanya Donelly, Juliana Hatfield, and Natalie Merchant. But his impact transcended the realm of records and contracts. Gary brought people together, cultivating a sense of family that sustained him and the many outsiders, misfits, and dreamers fortunate enough to travel in his orbit.
Snail Mail on Tuesday, May 2nd (list member Mighty Joe Sampson and I will be in the house for that one)
F*cked Up on Friday, May 5th (lead singer is Damian… cool name!)
Damien Jurado (great guy, despite misspelling his first name…) on Friday, June 2nd.
Hot tunes alert
boygenius (Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers) announced a full-length album. Check out three choice tunes from it here on Stereogum or below.
Hot Pod Alert
Remember that time when a Goo Goo Doll tried to beat up a sound man? The staffers who were at 97X back in ’93 (Steve Baker, Phil Manning, Jae Forman, etc.) recall that ill-fated “Day in Eden” concert that turned into a day from hell, and they share their memories here.
Recommended Reading
The New Yorker has a nice (albeit short) feature on Wet Leg. Love this quote from Rhian Teasdale of that band:
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