Cereal Killers

Tofurkey tunes

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music, woxy.com

There are NO turkeys in this lineup o’ live tunes.

Before we get to the main courses for the next couple of weeks, let’s take a gander at a really big show coming to The Columbia in December.

I’ve often dreamed of spending an intimate evening with Erika Wennerstrom… now I’ll get to do it in an old church! Tickets are available here.

OK, now let’s see what’s cooking a bit sooner.

On Thursday:

  • 10,000 Maniacs (the non-Natalie version) play Ludlow Garage
  • MOTR features Clay Cole (Pavement and Wild Flag) solo with Bridget Battle (Tweens) and Lisa Walker (Wussy)
  • NAS does Illmatic live with the Cincinnati Pops at Music Hall

On Friday:

  • Whiskey City’s Liberty Theater has a Four Roses tasting 5-8 p.m., followed by Heather Redman & the Reputation
  • Draven & the Ravens at MOTR
  • You can da-doo-ron-ron to Ludlow Garage to catch former teen heartthrob Shaun Cassidy.

If there are any Shaun Cassidy leftovers, be sure to store them properly.

Saturday shows:

  • Rhett Miller (Old 97s) and Bob Schneider at the Madison Theater
  • The Steep Canyon Rangers at Memorial Hall
  • The Local Honeys and Maria Carrelli at the Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg
  • Kashmir: The Spirit of Led Zeppelin Live! at Ludlow Garage
  • KC & the Sunshine Band at the Lawrenceburg Event Center
  • The Trans-Siberian Orchestra plays two shows at the Coliseum

On Sunday Black Violin is at the Taft, and Wishbone Ash settles into the Ludlow Garage.

Little Image and Coastal Club are at Madison Live on Tuesday, and Sevendust plays the Ovation with Cory Marks.

Silverstein (not Shel) plays Bogart’s on Wednesday.

Shows on Thursday, GO-vember 20:

  • Brett Dennan at Ludlow
  • Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle at Southgate
  • a free Songwriters in the Round at Liberty Theater, with Billy Alletzhauser & Ali Edwards (of Ruby Vileos)
  • Kitchen Dwellers and Them Coulee Boys at Madison Live

Gigs on Friday, November 21:

  • Molly Tuttle at Memorial Hall, with Birdtalk and Cecilia Castleman
  • An Evening with the Trey Anastasio Band at the Greg Brady
  • Hunter Root and Harley Day at the Liberty Theater
  • Honour Rae plays an album release show at Southgate, with Tracy Walker
  • The Taft Theatre has a tribute two-fer: Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience with Electric Duke: a Tribute to Bowie
  • Madison Theater has Signs of Life: The American Pink Floyd.

Wait, I thought this was the American Pink Floyd:

On Saturday, November 22:

  • Pigeons Playing Ping Pong play the Madison Theater, with Dizgo
  • Kruger Brothers are at the Liberty Theater
  • Domecrusher (feat. list member Todd Q.) plays North Second in Hamilton
  • The Jonas Brothers (another generation’s Shaun Cassidy) play the Coliseum
  • The Collies (my son is the drummer) play the Valley View Tavern in scenic Williamsburg, OH
  • Lauren Ruth Ward plays an Undertow show in the 45202 zip code. Get tickets here.

Here’s an excerpt from Lauren Ruth Ward’s interview on a site called c-heads:

Johnny Gill (of New Edition) plays the Ludlow Garage on Sunday, November 23.

Feast week starts Monday, November 24, with BOTH of my son’s bands (The Collies and Van Winkle) playing The Comet in Northside.

On Wednesday, November 26 (a.k.a. Thanksgiving Eve, a.k.a. the biggest bar night of the year), The Distractions (a.k.a. Cereal Killers) will be doing an all-Elvis (Costello) set, along with Dot.Dot.Dot. doing R.E.M. at The Village Theater in Covington. Be there!

Other shows that same evening:

  • The Woodward has An Evening with Ray’s Music Exchange. They will be joined by members of Ernie Johnson from Detroit, who will then play at MOTR starting at 10:30.
  • The Liberty Theater features an Adam Wade Gilliam album release show, with The Spectacular Fantastic.
  • Southgate’s Revival Room features Shelter from the Storm (Dylan tribute) and the Dead Revival Band (GD tribute)
  • List member Keith Neltner has created another cool design for the Maker’s Mark album featuring tunes from The Tillers and Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle. The release shows (plural this year!) are at Arnold’s on 11/26 and 11/28:

Friday, November 28 (a.k.a. Black Friday):

  • Freekbass plays his Funksgiving show at Urban Artifact (look for a 97X Rumblings podcast interview with Freekbass coming soon)
  • Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle at Arnold’s
  • Mama Said String Band plays the Liberty Theater, with Dave Lacey & Ten Pound Hammer
  • Stolen Faces (Grateful Dead tribute band) play the Woodward

On Saturday, November 29:

  • Bela Fleck and the Flecktones play a “Jingle all the Way” (not sure if that’s a Christmas reference or a revenue reference) show at the Taft
  • Tripping Billies (DMB tribute) at Ludlow
  • Last, but certainly not least, The Mynabirds play an Undertow show at The Columbia on Eastern Avenue. Tickets are available here.

If you’re not familiar with The Mynabirds (solo nom-de-stage of Laura Burhenn), check out her new release on Bandcamp.

Bandcamp, not Spotify… here’s the only Mynabirds song selection you’ll find on Spotify:

Right on!

Finally, Stevie Nicks plays a sold-out show at the Coliseum on Sunday, November 30. Resale tix in the cheap seats are going for $350 (and TicketBastard will once again charge exorbitant fees on the resale, even though they already collected fees on the original sale).

A Halloween treat

Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) and her twin sister Allison (Swearin’) teamed up with MJ Lenderman and super-producer Brad Cook to form the band Snocaps, and they dropped a tasty album on 10/31. Read more on Stereogum.

Forever Sounds: forever cool

Lisa Walker and Chuck Cleaver do a weekly show on WAIF-FM called “Forever Sounds” and they’re giving out a digital album of cover songs (GBV, Bill Fay, Joni Mitchell, The Bats, Hüsker Dü and many more) to folks who pledge to support their show.

You’ll find the pledge form and past episodes here.

The full Wussy band also did a couple of songs — including a brand new one — at the new Cincinnati Public Radio studio with former woxy.com Lounge Acts engineer Brian Niecz.

Places (and People) that are gone

Tommy Keene is gone.

We love it live!

The Beths in Nashville: amazing!

Kathleen Edwards and her fantastic band the next night in Louisville: transcendent!

Three nights of Buffalo Tom in Boston – including John Wesley Harding, Moving Targets, and a Pogues tribute band as openers, an acoustic set that included several tasty covers (see setlist below), a band Q&A, and much more: Stupendous!

Wishy at Madison Live last night: not too shabby!

But we don’t always love it live

Rickie Lee Jones played a great set at Memorial Hall.

Patty Griffin? Not so much. I understand the desire to feature several new songs – I expect that from most artists with a new album out. But to completely ignore a large part of your catalog — including the most popular songs — is not my cup of tea. The set was pretty much a snoozefest.

Wright State pitching star on Miami U. turf

Good old Robert Pollard – he can make a cool tune out of city and school district names.

Forget Bitcoin – invest in Lu!

Chuck Prophet can see the future. And the future is pure Lucinda Williams gold!

The full post is here. Chuck’s Substack is worth a subscribe.

Mailbag

In case you missed this fun exchange in the comments section of our last post, list members Lisa Collins and Dan Lewis took issue with my Beatles ranking:

Here’s that Westerberg clip that Lisa Collins sent me:

And Dan Lewis is right about me fitting in with the Goad Family. I certainly have the wardrobe for it:

Speaking of retired Cincinnati Reds superstar salesman Herb Tarlek Dan Lewis, I’m happy to report that he has found another modeling gig that’s perfect for his golden years. He’s the official spokesperson for this product:

“Fall” doesn’t mean the season, it means taking a tumble. Here’s Dan modeling the product:

“Collision to the elderly head” would be a great name for a punk band!

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s): Hair today, gone tomorrow

Her hair took up so much space on the cover that they had to reduce the font size of the type.

Ditto for “Lee Michaels” (we all know it’s really a young Richard Lewis.)

One response to “Tofurkey tunes”

  1. Dan Lewis Avatar
    Dan Lewis

    Tyrannical power at its worst. I’m reminded of the Holy Grail Monty Python quote “see the violence inherent in the system. Help help, I’m being repressed.” You can’t fight city hall…

    Reply

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97X Rumblings from the Big Bush: Howard Cohen is the main Distraction

97X, Concert Listings, Music, podcast

Howard Cohen, lead singer of the “Rumblings from the Big Bush” house band Cereal Killers, joins the “Rumblings” dynamic duo to talk about a fun gig the night before Thanksgiving, when he and his bandmates will be covering Elvis Costello & the Attractions songs as “The Distractions.” And they’ll be joined on the bill by the band Dot.Dot.Dot. covering R.E.M. tunes, and Chalk Eye. Howard also talks about 97Xposure and why he and his bandmates keep on keepin’ on. 

You can find out more about the Cereal Killers on their Facebook page.

Dot.Dot.Dot. – the band on the bill covering R.E.M. — includes Wes Pence of Middlemarch and The Ready Stance, as well as Justin Lynch (Filthy McNasty, Poke, and Wojo) and Aaron Zlatkin (Wojo) with Kyle Knapp (The Turkeys) handling the Michael Stipe vocal duties. You can read Brian Baker’s profile of the band in CityBeat for more info.

Here’s a shot of Cereal Killers as The Ramones from Halloween last year.

And here’s Howard with his cherished 97X box cutter.

See you at the show on 11/26!

Boo! And Now-vember!

97X, Concert Listings, Music, podcast

I’m back from my all-too-brief sojourn to sunnier climes. But I feel better than Tricky Dicky back in the day!

Let’s TCB and dive into the upcoming gigs.

Tuesday’s shows run the gamut from throwback to… older throwback:

  • Everclear plays Bogart’s
  • The Music Box performs Genesis Live (a 1973 release) at Memorial Hall
  • Yes plays “The Fragile 2025 Tour” at the Taft. The Fragile came out in 1972. Which was a big year for audiophiles.

Joshua Radin plays Ludlow on Wednesday, and Otis Gibbs is there on Thursday.

Otis Gibbs is a songwriter, storyteller, painter, photographer, and planter of 7,176 trees. He once wrestled a bear and lost. He’s been called “the best unknown songwriter in music today,” but if you ask him, he’ll just say he’s a folksinger.

Friday is Halloween!

That evening, White Reaper plays Southgate, with Worlds Worst as the opener. When I think of orange, scary, and “World’s Worst” I think of this:

You can smash that pumpkin in Mt. Washington on Saturday.

Or you can just sit around feeling guilty.

Saturday is also the start of Now-vember!

That evening:

  • Jeremy Pinnell plays an album release show in the Southgate Sanctuary, with Kristina Murray and Cristina Vane
  • Tooth Lures a Fang also has an album release show at Southgate, this one will be in the Revival Room with Bear the Moon, and Boy Bandicoot
  • Steve Hackett plays a “Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights, and Solo Tour” show at the Taft.

Meanwhile, I’ll be down in the Music City to see The Beths at Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville. Check out this KEXP live session and you’ll see why I’m willing to make the road trip.

Aging rockabilly fans should note that Sunday’s Lee Rocker show at the Ludlow Garage has been cancelled, and a young popster named Knox will be there instead. Meanwhile, I’ll be making my way back from Nash-vegas by way of Lexington, to catch Kathleen Edwards at The Burl. Dave Purcell sent me.

Next Monday (11/3), there’s a hobo in your garage! Hobo Johnson & the Lovemakers play the Ludlow Garage.

Next Tuesday, November 4, is Election Day. Rock the vote!

Josh Ritter is at the Taft that evening, and Memorial Hall has “Both Sides Now: The Music & Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.”

Wednesday, November 5 is another Ween Wednesday at The Columbia in the East End. They’ll be spinning The Friends EP and La Cucaracha from 6-10 p.m. Stop in, hang out. BYOB!

Judy Collins plays Ludlow Garage on Thursday, 11/6. Meanwhile, I’ll be up in Boston for Buffalo Tom’s three-night “Please Come to Boston” festival.

Shows on Friday, November 7:

  • ekoostik hookah plays the Liberty Theater
  • Southgate House has An Evening with Cory Branan in the Revival Room, and Clownvis Presley in the Sanctuary
  • Tito Puente Jr. plays Ludlow Garage (I listened to his dad for years and thought he was fabulous)

Shows on Saturday, November 8:

  • Memorial Hall hosts the return of the Blues & Boogie Piano Summit featuring Ben Levin, Carl Sonny Leyland, Ethan Leinwand & Valerie Kirchhoff (St. Louis Steady Grinders) and Ricky Nye
  • All Time Low with Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong and The Paradox at the Cindy Brady
  • Jon McLaughlin & Eric Hutchison at the Ludlow Garage
  • There’s a Downtowne Listening Room show at the Mansion Hill Sanctuary featuring Karly Davidson with Charlie John

Wishy plays Madison Live on Tuesday, November 11. Their debut full-length Triple Seven was one of my 2024 faves – please join me for that gig!

That same evening, The Stray Cats will be at the Taft. (We see what you did there, Lee Rocker!)

On Wednesday, NOW-vember 12, Thomas Dolby plays Bogart’s (“She blinded me with Lysol”), and The Mars Volta plays Ovation.

On Thursday, 11/13:

  • 10,000 Maniacs (the non-Natalie version) play Ludlow Garage
  • MOTR features Clay Cole (Pavement and Wild Flag) solo with Bridget Battle (Tweens) and Lisa Walker (Wussy)

Feast on these big shows Thanksgiving Week!

Check out that promising band of youngsters The Collies at Valley View Lounge in scenic Williamsburg on Saturday, November 22. Then, because Thanksgiving Week is about overindulgence, catch The Collies again at The Comet in Northside on Monday, November 24. Also on the bill that evening is yet ANOTHER band for which my son Gabriel is the drummer. Double-double your fun!

Another super-cool gig, on 11/26 (Thanksgiving Eve), features “This Week in Live Music” faves Cereal Killers masquerading as “The Distractions” and doing a full set of Elvis Costello tunes, along with Dot. Dot. Dot. (featuring more local luminaries) doing R.E.M. covers.

[Fantastic gig poster is the handiwork of Justin Lynch, who will be playing with Dot. Dot. Dot.)

I don’t even know if The Village Theater serves beer, but if so, the usual Cereal Killers offer of “first beer’s on me” holds, just use the secret phrase “Less than Zero.”

Then, on Black Friday, you can dance away that third helping of Aunt Edna’s stuffing with Freekbass during his “Funksgiving” show at Urban Artifact. Get tickets here.

On Small Business Saturday (November 29), The Mynabirds will be playing an Undertow Show at… an undisclosed location. But it’s in the East End. And it hosts “Ween Wednesdays”… and the name of the venue rhymes with “The Dolumbia.” Get yer tix here.

Singer-songwriter Laura Burhenn has made music as The Mynabirds since 2010, releasing four critically acclaimed and stylistically different albums on Saddle Creek: What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood (2010) & GENERALS (2012), both produced by Richard Swift, Lovers Know (2015), and Be Here Now (2017). Her 5th album, It’s Okay To Go Back If You Keep Moving Forward, will be out 11/7/25.

Pour some (more) Sugar on me

Bob Mould’s post-Hüsker Dü trio (with David Barbe and Malcolm Travis) released a new tune (below) and announced two shows each in NYC and London next May. More here from Stereogum.

Oh, Neko…

I’ve previously chronicled the Neko Case hissy fit at the Taft from many moons ago. She’s still at it. Look, I totally understand her discomfort with an armed guard. But making an 11th hour request and then still refusing to play? Uncool!

What’s the Rush?

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are hitting the road next year with drummer Anika Nilles for a Rush “Fifty Something” tour. As a longtime Rush fan (first concert was Rush at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock, Arkansas back in ’81), I’m happy that Ged and Alex will be performing the songs that they wrote the music for, after a decade away. Sure, it won’t be the same without The Professor, but that’s not the point. Neil’s not coming back, and Geddy and Alex deserve to do what they love.

Shameless self-promotion

ICYMI (and you’re not alone), the 97X Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast is back. (Dave and I are trying to get our listener count above 13.) The most recent episode features our interview with Tim Quirk and Jay Blumenfield of Wonderlick (and formerly of Too Much Joy). They were a joy to chat with, their new album is a dandy, and they have interesting day jobs too.

Mailbag

In case you missed list member Jay Stowe’s comment on last week’s post, here it is:

“A Quick One (While He’s Away)” cannot be beat. I may be going out on a limb here, but I’m willing to defend this statement: The Who at their motherloving best.

Amen, Brother Jay! The video is worth a second spin.

And not that you asked, but if you did give me the old “Beatles or Stones” question, my answer would be:

  1. The Who
  2. The Kinks
  3. The Rolling Stones
  4. Herman’s Hermits
  5. The Beatles

(Don’t @ me, Lisa Collins!)

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

Oh, yeah, baby, back that Jass up!

It IS a bit of a head-scratcher, as you don’t appear to have any redeeming qualities other than excellent taste in hairstyles and attire.

4 responses to “Boo! And Now-vember!”

  1. Lisa+Collins Avatar
    Lisa+Collins

    Oh, I am @ing you, Damian! Blasphemy!! And after I sent you that Replacements video this week – hahaha!

    Reply
    1. Damian Avatar
      Damian

      Sorry Lisa! That Westerberg/SNL clip was very cool. Speaking of very cool, I just updated my list and put Gerry & the Pacemakers above The Beatles.

      Reply
  2. Dan Lewis Avatar
    Dan Lewis

    You’ll Walk Alone…. After the Hermits and Pacemakers rankings. And you look like you’d fit right in with the Goad Family.

    Reply
    1. Damian Avatar
      Damian

      The Goad Family and I are taking a cruise next summer. It’s a Ferry Cross the Mersey.

      Reply

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Hot August Night

97X, Concert Listings, Concert review, Music, podcast

Yes, it’s time for the obligatory annual Neil Diamond album cover:

We certainly hope he’s playing air guitar and not miming… er… playing the upright organ.

Then again, our current president’s signature “dance move” makes him look like he’s… pulling a Rick Wakeman and playing with two organs at once.

But enough about that wankfest.

Speaking of hot August nights, it’s also time for the semi-annual promotion of a Cereal Killers live gig. Their shows are more precious than a diamond (Neil or otherwise), and they’re back at Big Ash Brewing this Saturday, August 23.

My usual Cereal Killers offer will be in effect: show up, rock out to their vintage punk, modern rock, and new wave tunes (it’s 97.7% straight from 97X playlists – Elvis Costello, The Clash, X, REM, Guided by Voices, The Jam, Billy Bragg, The Smiths, Squeeze, The Cramps, Southern Culture on the Skids… ), and get a free beverage from me! Worth it just to watch the moths fly out of my wallet!

But before you get thee to Big Ash on Saturday, here are a few other gigs to consider.

On Thursday:

  • Noah Smith’s Crooner Circus (a recurring songwriter showcase) rolls into the Southgate House Revival Room (lineup is here)
  • Rachel Mousie and the Casey Campbell band play Washington Park
  • Ludlow has Black Circle, a Brazilian band doing 90s grunge songs.

On Friday, Dave Tellmann (co-host of the 97X Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast*) and I are seeing a free house concert in Hamilton by Wonderlick (band featuring Tim Quirk and Jay Blumenfield of Too Much Joy). Well, I think we’ll be seeing two former members of Too Much Joy play an acoustic house show… it’s quite possible that some rando from Hamilton mentioned “two dudes” and “too much joy” to Dave and offered him a free “Wonderlick.”

*If you were one of the 13 regular listeners of the 97X podcast and wish Dave and I would do some new episodes, you wish just might be granted. Soon.

Other Friday gigs:

  • Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band is doing a free show at the Levitt in Dayton
  • Lou Barlow (Sebadoh) and Bobby Bare Jr. (GBV) are doing an acoustic song swap at Southgate
  • Stacy Mitchhart plays Ludlow Garage
  • The Outlaws play the Fraze in Dayton
  • The Collies (a.k.a. the band my son Gabriel plays drums in) will be at Big Ash Brewing

Saturday shows:

  • Cereal Killers at Big Ash Brewing (great tunes, free beer)
  • Southgate hosts the world film premiere of Honky Tonkin’ and the Honky Tonk Hoedown with Jason Ringenberg, The Royal Hounds, and Jerry King & the Rivertown Ramblers.
  • The Del McCoury Band plays the old Annie’s – this gig has been cancelled
  • The Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg has Briscoe with Miles Miller
  • 311, Badflower, and Sitting on Saturn are at the Ovation
  • Rob Thomas is at the PNC Pavilion
  • Mama’s Black Sheep and Courtney Wilder play a Downtowne Listening Room show at the historic Boone County Courthouse

On Sunday, Pat Sajak’s favorite band, Caamp, plays an outdoor gig at the Jan Brady, and Ozomatli plays Ludlow Garage.

Gary Clark Jr. plays the Peter Brady on Monday, and Creed (not the good ones) plays the Mausoleum.

Tuesday:

  • The Tedeschi Trucks Band and Whiskey Myers play Riverbend
  • Robert Randolph plays Ludlow Garage

Ruthie Foster plays Ludlow Garage on Wednesday, August 27.

Shows on Thursday, August 28:

  • UB40 at Bogart’s
  • Rebirth Brass Band plays Ludlow Garage
  • Deke Dickerson & the Whippersnappers play Southgate with Kyle Eldridge opening
  • Liberty Theater has a free Songwriters in the Round show with Keagan Hatton and Dave Hudson
  • Improvement Movement and Magoo play a freebie at RiversEDGE in Hamilton (“Home of the Wonderlick!”)
  • Ben Knight and Willy Tea Taylor do the free Washington Park roots show
  • Fraze hosts the Happy Together Tour featuring The Turtles, Jay & The Americans, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett, The Vogues, and The Cowsills – sponsored by a reverse mortgage company and/or a lift chair brand, perhaps?

On Friday, August 29:

  • JP Harris and Anthony Ray Wright are at the Liberty Theater
  • You wanted the best, you got the best… Völkerball is Germany’s Best Rammstein tribute band! They’re playing the Ovation.
  • You wanted the ultimate, you got the ultimate… Rumours: the Ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute – at Ludlow Garage
  • You wanted the weirdest double bill tribute, you got the weirdest double bill tribute: Sabbath (“the complete Black Sabbath experience”) with Night Moves (“the ultimate tribute to Bob Seger”) at the old Annie’s. NOTE: this gig has been cancelled.

Shows on Saturday, August 30:

  • Jim Trace & the Makers play Rabbit Hash General Store at 5 p.m.
  • Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe at the old Annie’s
  • Emi Sunshine and Wonky Tonk are at Southgate
  • The Levitt Pavilion in Dayton hosts Reggae Fest

And list member Mark Griffin has a reco for all of us (via FB):

Past episodes of Mark’s most excellent streaming music show Gray Days and Gold can be found here.

We love it live!

Emma Swift put on a great show at The Columbia. New tunes (her new album drops 9/12) plus some amazing Bob Dylan covers (her album Blonde on the Tracks is top notch!) in an old church (The Columbia at 4311 Eastern Avenue – home of Ween Wednesdays!) with stellar acoustics.

We love it live… but we love our spouse too!

I showed amazing restraint by NOT dragging my wife to the Mountain Goats/Craig Finn show that just so happened to be in Bar Harbor, Maine while we were vacationing in Vacationland.

Besides, we were getting up before the crack of dawn the next day to see the sunrise at Acadia and then hike the Beehive Trail. We were the Mountain Goats!

Of course, when we got back to the ‘nati, my wife sent me this Instagram clip:

She knows me too well.

Real country

I think the “S.G.” in S.G. Goodman stands for “so good.”

Real Horny

No, this is not about a “Wonderlick.”

I’m digging what Jim’s digging

Jim Wilbur of Superchunk is exactly as down-to-earth and no-frills as I thought he’d be in this clip where he shares some fave albums:

Everything’s fair game for the Gamecocks

True story: when I went to see Ozzy at the Pine Bluff (Arkansas) Convention Center back in early 1982, it was shortly after Ozzy’s bat biting incident (and two weeks before Randy Rhoads passed away) and venue security was patting down pretty much everyone. My long-haired friends gave me the pint of whiskey they hoped to sneak into the show, telling me “you’re clean-cut, they won’t frisk you.” Sure enough, they all got stopped and I waltzed right through with the Jack Daniels jammed into my jeans. Security probably thought I had the wrong date for Baptist Youth Night. Ah, memories…

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

They might be the opener for Wonderlick.

I just feel like we needed a palate cleanser after my most ribald post ever.

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Tunes in bloom

97X, Concert Listings, Concert review, Music, podcast

Those April showers are a distant memory. They’ve been replaced by May pollen.

But plenty of live tunes are in bloom too, including a rare Cereal Killers show. Let’s get into it!

Tonight, you can catch Cockburn at Memorial Hall.

Oops, my bad, the video above is Frank Cockburn. It’s Bruce Cockburn who is playing Memorial Hall this evening.

Other shows tonight include:

  • The Arcadian Wild w/ River & Rail at the Woodward
  • Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass at the Taft
  • Ovation is hosting a Clown show. I hear there will be lots of jugglers there. Oops, my bad. Juggalos.

Tomorrow night, the Smoking Popes will be at Madison Live. They’re from Chicago, just like the white smoke Pope!

Also, Lettuce and GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan will be co-headlining a show at the Taft.

And Dave Mason brings his “Let it Flow 2025 Tour” to Memorial Hall. It sounds a little something like this:

On Thursday, you can choose Furious Bongos (Ludlow Garage) or Napalm Death (Bogarts, with The Melvins).

Or you can chill out with the Farm Jam at Lost Bridge Beverage Company (North Bend, OH), featuring Sean Geil of the Tillers. And Liberty Theater has the Tray Wellington Band with Adam Gilliam.

Tray Wellington Band is a high energy progressive bluegrass band, led by IBMA award winner Tray Wellington. This band continues to push themselves musically to draw on the influences that continue to shape their musical mold.

Oh, and Jim Gaffigan kicks off six shows over the course of four days at the Taft.

This Friday and Saturday, Springfield will be the center of the musical universe.

Springfield, Ohio is hosting a FREE music festival called IndieCraft. Here’s the lineup:

Wild Pink and Aaron Lee Tasjan for free? You’re damn right I’ll be there Saturday!

(I like what I’ve heard from Snarls too. And I’ll be there in time for The Back Alley – the ticket price is right.)

Shows a bit closer to home (unless you live in Springfield) Friday evening:

  • Tommy Prine plays Southgate with Conrad Moore and Jordan Lee King
  • Rachel Baiman is at Liberty Theater with Maggie Noëlle of Magnolia Boulevard
  • Ben Levin plays Arnold’s
  • Alex Salcido (of The Harmed Brothers) plays Lost Bridge Beverage Co. in North Bend
  • Ludlow Garage has FJ: a tribute to Foreigner AND Journey featuring Constantine Maroulis (“sixth-place finalist on American Idol season 4!”)

For some strange reason, you see a lot of FJ band fans on the golf course.

And the Madison Theater has Kid Kentucky and the American Badass Band… yes, that’s a Kid Rock Tribute. Or you can go to the waste treatment plant on Kellogg Avenue near Lunken Airport for free. Potato/Po-tah-toe.

Speaking of punchable faces, Truist Arena (NKU) has Gutfield Live on Saturday.

And here’s the list of shows that actually will be entertaining on Saturday:

  • The aforementioned freebie Wild Pink, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Snarls show in Springfield
  • JJ Grey & Mofro w/ The Marshall Tucker Band on the lawn outside the Hard Rock Casino
  • Jeffrey Osborne at Ludlow Garage
  • Plazmatic album release show with Electric Indigo and Cousins at the Woodward
  • Hyryder (Grateful Dead tribute) at the Madison Theater

On Sunday, The String Cheese Incident and The Wood Brothers play the Rose Music Center, and Travis Talbert will be at the Lost Bridge Beverage Co.

On Monday and/or Tuesday, you can be part of a massive 69 at Memorial Hall.

The Magnetic Fields will be performing their 1999 triple album masterpiece 69 Love Songs in its entirety over those two nights.

Also on Monday:

  • A Place to Bury Strangers, The Serfs, and The Mall play Northside Tavern
  • The Toasters play Southgate

Next Wednesday, May 21, the always progressive, cutting edge lineup of shows at Riverbend kicks off with… (checks list)… Billy Idol and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Who needs the Bill & Ted phone booth when you can just buy a ticket to a Riverbend show?

Next Friday, Dark Star Jubilee weekend kicks off in Legend Valley (nee Buckeye Lake):

Other shows on Friday, May 23:

  • Blues singer Carolyn Wonderland plays Southgate’s main room with Scotty Bratcher opening
  • Angela Perley and Hello June are upstairs in the Southgate Revival Room
  • Ricky Nye Inc. plays the Southgate Lounge for free
  • Hunter Root plays the Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg, Indiana
  • The Ben Levin Quartet plays The 1931 (at the Hilton Netherland downtown)

On Saturday, May 24, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The Cereal Killers play Big Ash Brewing!

Regular readers* of this…uh, whatever the heck this is… know that I’m cuckoo for CK and their amazing repertoire of classic punk, new wave, power pop, and just plain damn fine songs. It’s like a 97X Modern Rock 500 come to life!

*all 3 of them

Cereal Killers gigs have been as rare as hen’s teeth over the past several months. They are the local band equivalent of a century plant:

Some flowers are so rare and extraordinary that they bloom just once in a lifetime—or even once in a century! These plants may require decades of patience, but when they finally burst into bloom, the display is nothing short of spectacular.**

Rare and extraordinary? Check. Decades of patience? Well, maybe just months, but it feels like decades. “The display is nothing short of spectacular” is 100% accurate!

As usual, I’ll be offering my “first beer’s on me” guarantee that this show will be time well spent. Just present this voucher (which I totally did NOT steal from some unsuspecting artist on the interwebs) on your phone and I will buy your first beer.  

**it should be noted that although I compared the Cereal Killers to a plant that blooms only rarely, I am NOT comparing them to the corpse plant, whose unique aroma when it blooms every 7-10 years has been described as “smelling like cheese, garlic, smelly feet, diapers, or rotten fish.”

Other Saturday shows that you won’t be attending because you’ll be at Big Ash drinking free beer and rocking out to great tunes:

  • North by Northside kicks off a two-night run at the Northside Tavern
  • Carriers have an album release show at the Woodward with Gardener and Dyan
  • Maria, etc. has an album release show at the Liberty Theater with Anna Applegate
  • Brit Floyd “Wish You Were Here” 50th anniversary show at the Rose – it’s sold out, but fear not, you can catch the same band on the same tour at the same venue in August…

On Sunday, 5/25, Kinda Grassy plays Lost Bridge (Carriage House Farm).

Monday, May 26 is Memorial Day, a day when we pay tribute to fallen soldiers… typically by grilling hot dogs at the pool.

The Garcia Project (Jerry Garcia Band tribute) plays the Woodward on Tuesday, May 27.

On Wednesday, May 28, I’ll be motoring up to Cleveland to catch The Wedding Present and The Tubs at the Grog Shop.

Peelander-Z and Penfold’s Revenge play Southgate that evening too.

Young Widows play the Woodward on Thursday, May 29 with Kowloon Walled City and Fotocrime on the undercard. And Stanley Clarke kicks off a two-night stand at Ludlow Garage.

Midwest Fest kicks off on Friday, May 30.

Other shows on Friday, May 30:

  • Casey Campbell plays Lost Bridge Beverage Co.
  • Nikka Costa is at the Woodward
  • Dallas Moore w/ Pure Grain at the Liberty Theater
  • Taft Theatre has An Evening with Jon Stewart… it’s sold out

Wrapping up the month, Italian guitar phenom Matteo Mancusco plays Ludlow Garage on Saturday, May 31.  

American Aquarium plays the Southgate House on Sunday, June 1, with Justin Wells opening. I plan to hit that show. Eric Johnson is at Ludlow Garage that same night.

We love it live!

Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube, his friend Suzanne and I went up to Columbus to see Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds on 5/2. What a show! Our seats were pretty far back on the main floor, but we bum-rushed the stage during the 2nd song and stayed there for the duration of the gig. Nick’s a live wire!

List member couples Rico & Ashley and Jay & Alyssa also were in attendance. Nick loves us all.

“When I tell the audience that I love them, the sentiment is entirely true. I feel an emotional transaction with the crowd that is powerful and profoundly intimate. I stand before you all – strangers – witnessing you both individually and collectively, and sense an unbounded love. This love is true. It is not symbolic, metaphorical, or platitudinous. I see before me a group of human beings, precarious and vulnerable, granted a brief time on this earth, each filled with a shocking potential for beauty and terror, good and evil, and with the extraordinary capacity to give and receive love. At that moment, love is the appropriate response.”

From Nick’s Red Hand Files: https://www.theredhandfiles.com/how-can-you-love-a-total-stranger/

True to his word, “Disco Dan” Lewis was at the Son Volt show, along with his friends John W. (also a list member) and Steve (the voice of “The Oasis” – the station that is now on 97.7 FM… I remember that frequency!).

Other list members in attendance: Dan Bockrath, Gene Dow, Mark Morse, Tim Morse, Andy B., Tom W. and Jamie. Dan Bockrath summed up the show quite nicely:

Fantastic show from Son Volt at The Ludlow Garage. Bumped into many longtime music friends at the gig. Up close and personal for a career spanning set. Amazing!

Meanwhile, list member Kevin Sullivan snuck down to Nashville to catch Lucy Dacus at the Ryman:

An updated version of the 97X Modern Rock 500… with a new spin!

Inhailer Radio (catch Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube Fridays 11a-3p!) is doing an updated version of the old 97X Modern Rock 500, counting down the top 500 indie songs over Memorial Day Weekend.

And this year, they’re expanding the list of songs and extending the listening window with “qualifying laps”:

If you tune in to the 500, you might just catch your ol’ pals Dave and Damian doing a few breaks.

Shameless Self-Promotion (while also promoting the Indie 500)

Dave and I also interviewed Inhailer’s Music Director, Nils Illokken, about the station and this year’s countdown for a “very special episode” of our “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast. You can catch that episode on 97Xbam.com here, or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, or any other podcast platform that hasn’t banned us yet.

Hot Ticket Alert

X and Los Lobos play the Rose Music Center on Sunday, September 21. They’re calling it the “99 Years of Rock ‘n Roll” tour.

I already have my ticket, courtesy of Steve “El Blanco” White.

The Sad Section

A heartfelt FB post from list member “The Lovely & Talented Elizabeth Cannon”:

Follow-up single “Spirit of ’76” — which Peters co-wrote, as he did for most of the band’s songs — recounted his early days of discovering punk rock and name-checks the likes of Johnny Rotter and Siouxsie Sioux.

“The song is about the most important time in my life,” Peters wrote in the program for the Strength tour. “I had my whole life mapped out before me and life seemed pretty unexciting. Then I saw bands like The Jam and The Buzzcocks and U2, and things and they really had an impact on my life. It gave me the courage to leave something behind and go out and try to build a new life for myself.”

From this article.

Here’s a shot of Mike Peters with Mr. K and Jetson from 97X, along with some fans (not pictured: The Lovely & Talented Elizabeth Cannon):

And R.I.P to singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, who died in a house fire.

Sobule was known for taking control of her career by fundraising so she could make her next album. In 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album.

“The old kind of paradigm, where you’ve always waited for other people to do things, you’d have your manager and your agent,” she said at the time. “You’d wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this.”

From this article.

Shortly before her death, Sobule had written and recorded a provocative song titled “J.D. Vance Is a C***” in collaboration with friends Michelle Lewis and Kay Hanley under the name Sugar Tits. The song, filled with biting satire and rhymes, quickly went viral on social media, thrusting Sobule back into the spotlight in her final days. It’s not radio-friendly. It’s not my best song, but it does get to the point.”

From this article. Her JD song is here.

Public Service Reminder for hipster parents of teens

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

There’s so much to love in this one. The outfits, of course. The amazing hairdo on the woman… or is that a beaver pelt? And best of all, the band name that’s illegible on that busy background. But we don’t need to read that! Everybody who is anybody knows that’s Johnny & Nadine Rexroat (and the Gospel Travelers).

“Great day for a hike! Let’s put on our best dresses and our white high heels and start ‘going through the land.’”

One response to “Tunes in bloom”

  1. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    “And the Madison Theater has Kid Kentucky and the American Badass Band… yes, that’s a Kid Rock Tribute. Or you can go to the waste treatment plant on Kellogg Avenue near Lunken Airport for free. Potato/Po-tah-toe. ”
    I was eating and almost spit out my food LOL

    Reply

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Spring Music Flings

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music

Like an agitated monkey, I’m about to fling some poop at you.

But you should be used to it by now – I do it every few weeks! If you can navigate around the verbal shite, you’ll find some cool concerts to check out.

Shows on tap for tonight:

  • Henhouse Prowlers and Moonshine Drive at the Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg
  • William Elliott Whitmore and Dave Hause at the Woodward, with Micah Schnabel opening
  • The Screaming Orphans at Ludlow Garage
  • Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is at the Coliseum

Saturday shows:

  • Sylmar does two sets at MOTR
  • Buffalo Nichols plays the Liberty Theater
  • Southgate hosts the Newport Music Roots Festival (doors 3 p.m.) – details below
  • Woodward Theater has “Play for L.A.” – a benefit for fire-impacted musicians. The lineup includes Rae Fisher, The Montvales, Jess Lamb, Siri Imani and more.
  • Mike Detmer and Adam Gilliam play the Lost Bridge Beverage Co. in North Bend
  • Christine Harvilla Duo with Colleen Clark plus Sami Riggs at the Boone County Courthouse
  • Annie’s hosts Grateful River III (a benefit for Down Syndrome) – details below

On Sunday, Ben Levin Blues Band is doing the Rabbit Hash Music Behind the Stove Series at 2 p.m., and the band Lawrence plays Bogart’s in the evening.

Woodward has An Evening with Yo La Tengo on Tuesday. I’ll be at that gig, along with several other list members. Because Georgia, James and Ira are badasses!

Shannon McNally plays Southgate on Wednesday.

Thursday gigs:

  • Shadowgrass in Southgate’s main room, and Jake Blocker in the Revival Room
  • “Sons of Cream” (Kofi Baker, Malcolm Bruce and Rob Johnson) play Ludlow Garage. (Maybe they should call themselves “Half & Half”?)
  • Liberty Theater has a Comedy Night featuring Adam Minnick

Concerts next Friday, March 28:

  • The Blind Boys of Alabama with Shemekia Copeland at Taft Theatre
  • Chicago Farmer & the Fieldnotes at Southgate
  • The Outlaws at Ludlow Garage
  • Cody Ikerd & the Sidewinders Album release show w/Joe Clark at Liberty Theater
  • Little Miami Brewing’s event center has “Night Moves: The Ultimate Bob Seger Experience”
  • Blue Note in Harrison hosts The Prince Experience (pancakes not included)

The slate on Saturday, March 29:

  • Liberty Theater has a Rebel Whiskey tasting (4 FREE tasting!) from 5-7, followed by the Lowdown Brass Band
  • Blackhawk at Ludlow Garage
  • Lily Rose at Bogart’s
  • Bumpin’ Uglies at Madison Theater
  • Willi Carlisle at Southgate in the Revival Room
  • Annie’s has the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella
  • Blue Note features “Midnight Blue” (Foreigner Tribute) with One Way to Rock (Sammy Hagar tribute)

Shows on Sunday, March 30:

  • The Star Devils play Rabbit Hash in the afternoon
  • Sarah Shook & the Disarmers are at Liberty Theater (I plan to go to that show)
  • JD Simo and Luther Dickinson (of North Mississippi Allstars) at Southgate

Ricky Nye will be tickling the ivories as only Ricky can on Monday, March 31 at Memorial Hall, and Taft has The Faint with Plack Blague.

Shows on April Fools’ Day:

  • The Surfrajettes with Black Widow at Madison Theater
  • Al Stewart & Livingston Taylor at Memorial Hall
  • The Righteous Brothers “Loving Feeling Farewell Tour” makes a stop at Taft. (If you’ve lost that loving feeling, see your urologist!)

Wednesday, April 2 is another WEENsday at The Columbia in the East End (4311 Eastern Ave.) and this month’s featured WEEN album is Chocolate and Cheese… so they’ll have some chocolate-covered cheese to share.

I plan to attend that event. You should too – The Columbia is a very cool space (with a vintage jukebox in the basement), and WEENsdays are free and you can BYOB!

Tunes & Blooms kicks off at the Cincinnati Zoo on Thursday, April 3. Moonshine Drive and Pickin’ Pear will be on the T&B stages. The full April lineup is here. That same evening, right down the street, you can catch The Seven Wonders (yes, yet another Fleetwood Mac tribute band) at Ludlow Garage.

The Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg has a Record Fair April 4-5.

Shows on Friday 4/4 include Judah & the Lion* at Bogart’s and Eaglemania “The World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute”** at Ludlow Garage.

* If Bogart’s says their bathrooms are clean, they’re lion… er, lyin’.

**Pretty sure the world’s greatest Eagles Tribute is playing the Sphere in Las Vegas.

On Saturday, April 5:

  • The Young Dubliners play Ludlow Garage
  • John Waite is at the Taft
  • Queensrÿche plays Belterra Casino in Florence, Indiana
  • Patterson Hood is at the Whirling Tiger in Louisville, with Lydia Loveless as the opener

Sunday, April 6, Ludlow Garage has The Phil Collins Experience (warning: contains no Phil Collins).

We love it live!

MJ Lenderman and Wild Pink at the Green Lantern Bar in Lexington KY was off-the-charts amazing (set list is here). A Top 5 all-time show for me, thanks to list member Frank B.

This GQ profile of MJ is nice too. Money quote:

“Once music and work and money all become the same thing, it gets hard to do it casually. But that was the reason I was able to do anything meaningful in the first place,” he admits. “You can see that through my whole life, just being able to go to a friend’s house and make something and not worry about what it is.”

Now hear this!

The new album from The Tubs is top-notch. Richard Thompson meets Hüsker Dü.

Speaking of Richard Thompson, Bandcamp has a great feature about his influence on younger artists. Sayeth Mary Timony:

“His tone is always amazing, but here’s the thing—most importantly—his songwriting is great. He’s kind of the total package, in that he does both songwriting and playing guitar very well.”

Neil Young to The Cure: Why can’t I be you?

Neil is following Robert Smith’s lead on ticket prices. Could Neil wearing guyliner be next?

Ohio All The Time

New songs from Mommy and Sun Kil Moon reference the Buckeye State.

Of course it’s not Sun Kil Moon’s first Ohio rodeo:

The Best Video Ever

Today is the greatest… actually, 30 years ago was better

Fake Album Cover of the Week

This one (which came our way courtesy of Cereal Killers frontman Howard Cohen) has been doctored, but it should have been real:

Here’s the original album cover:

Speaking o’ our friends Cereal Killers, their drummer Chris Glen recently had surgery for prostate cancer. Here’s an update and his PSA P.S.A.

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

Yet another PSA P.S.A.

The Clarion Trio was waaay ahead of the curve on “throuples.”

The Music, Man.

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music

Ya got concerts, folks! Right here in the River(front) City. Concerts with a capital “C” and that rhyme with “G” and that stands for “Gee, I should probably go to a show or three.”

Speaking of Shirley Partridge Marian the Librarian, The Mercantile Library hosts Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler of Over the Rhine on Tuesday as part of their “Words and Music” series. The event is sold out – good thing I got my tickets long ago.

Meanwhile at Ludlow Garage, Patty Griffin, Hayes Carll, and Lori McKenna are doing a sold-out “sharing the stage” gig. And Amythyst Kiah plays Southgate.

Here’s an interesting show on Wednesday:

That same evening, the Hackensaw Boys play Southgate (with Mike Oberst & Justine Cefalu opening). And Dawes plays the Taft. Remember when Dawes was called Simon Dawes and they played a gig at the old Alchemize bar in Northside back in 2006 with Chad VanGaalen and Band of Horses? I do, because I was there!

Speaking of cookies with jam, Camp Springs Tavern hosts their bi-weekly Bluegrass Jam on Thursday.

Johnny Delaware goes to Indiana on Friday, to play the Liberty Theater, with The Hiders also on the bill.

Saturday is a big day for shows:

  • Flatland Cavalry plays the Bobby Brady
  • The Paul Thorn Band is at Memorial Hall
  • Jess Williamson (who recently collaborated with Waxahatchee) plays Southgate
  • Madison Theater has Start Making Sense: A Tribute to Talking Heads
  • Everclear and Buckcherry are at the Lawrenceburg Event Center… we’re assuming it’s called “The Compound Words Tour”
  • Warrant and Lita Ford play the Hard Rock Casino (Aqua Net hairspray sold separately)

Last, but certainly not least on the Saturday roster, Ludlow Garage has the tribute show you never knew you needed… “Toast: The Ultimate Bread Experience.”

There must be a lot of folks in the Tristate who said “Baby, I’m-a Want You” to this, as there are not one but two shows (3pm and 8pm).

Personally, I’d rather go for Toast on a Stick.

Low Cut Connie plays the Liberty Theater next Sunday (11/17), with the band Sweat (good luck Googling “Sweat Band”) as the opener. List member Dave Tellmann and I will be at that show. That same evening, Will Hoge plays the Southgate.

Next Monday, 11/18, Woodward Theater screens the Ani DiFranco doc 1-800-On-Her-Own.

Wishbone Ash plays Ludlow Garage on Tuesday, Nov. 19th.

Wishbone Ash: pairs well with Toast!

Craig Finn of The Hold Steady plays the Woodward on Wednesday, November 20th, with Katy Kirby as the opener. List member “Rico” and I will be there. Remember when Craig Finn played that house concert in Cincinnati back in 2017? I do, because it was my house!

That same evening, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder play Memorial Hall.

Americana power couple Gillian Welch and David Rawlings play the Taft on Thursday, 11/21 and Wayne “The Train” Hancock plays Southgate.

Shows on Friday, 11/22:

  • The Wood Brothers at Taft
  • The Tubes at Ludlow Garage
  • Tiny Moving Parts at Southgate
  • TyeDye Band (featuring list member John Sandman) at Plain Folk Cafe in Pleasant Plain, OH.
  • Liberty Theater hosts a free Singer/Songwriter Night

On Saturday, 11/23:

  • The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and Joe’s Truck Stop play Southgate
  • Ric Hordinski and Kim Taylor play the Woodward
  • Hyryder (Grateful Dead tribute) at Madison Theater
  • Mark Gibson and Danni Nicholls play a “Downtowne Listening Room” show at the Hellmann Creative Center in Covington, KY
  • Ludlow has Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience… with special guest Electric Duke (tribute to David Bowie)

On Sunday, 11/24, Ballyhoo! and Keep Flying are at the Liberty Theater, Ace Monroe is at Southgate, and Hard Rock Casino has Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening.

The Reading Room

Bon Iver interview in The New Yorker. Money quote:

“I believe in the power of the individual — don’t get me wrong — but I’ve always just found that it distracts from the point. Why do we like a song? Is it because of who’s singing it to us? Or is it the song? And I just think it’s the song. For me, it is. For me, it’s about the song and what the music does. It can be very distracting when it becomes, ‘Oh, I love Bon Iver so much. I want more Bon Iver. I want to see Bon Iver. I want to get his autograph.’ I’m sensitive to it, and the attention can be overwhelming. I’m also uncomfortable with it because it distracts from the point that music delivered me to myself.”

We need some “Divine Intervention”

Matthew Sweet recently suffered a debilitating stroke in Canada. There’s a GoFundMe to help pay for his medical bills and ongoing therapy and care.

And you thought 8-tracks were weird

Here’s the live link to the Demastered site.

We live for live

I couldn’t make the Cereal Killers show at Big Ash the weekend before Halloween, but I love their Ramones vibe:

No, I didn’t get tickets for the Jack White show at Bogart’s. But list members Dave Tellmann and Rico did.

I DID, however, catch all three Buffalo Tom shows during their “Please Come to Boston” festival, along with comedy from Eugene Mirman and Dave Hill, book readings from Tom Perrotta, Bill Janovitz, and Dave Hill, and a band Q&A hosted by comedian/actor Mike O’Malley.

Dave Hill is hilarious, btw.

And last night Wussy and the Chris Brokaw Band (feat. Chris Brokaw from Codeine and Come, and Clint Conley from Mission of Burma) were fantastic at the Woodward.

(That’s Brenda Sauter of The Feelies sitting in on bass.)

Todd, Regi, Tom, Jamie, Matt, Pam, Jay, Alyssa, Dave, Ken, Michelle, Dave, Kevin, Dr. David… it’d be easier to cite the list members who weren’t there – great to see such a strong turnout for our friends in Wussy.

Their new album was on sale at the show – the official release date is this Friday.

Album Covers of the Week(s)

These guys can’t count, but they look really slick.

They’ve gotten worse at counting. And/or they found out about their dad’s clandestine second family.

The 1/4 un-lonely is because his belt is off.

If my math is correct, this guy isn’t wearing pants. And/or T.G. Sheppard just walked in on him.

Tricks and Treats

97X, Concert Listings, Concert review, Music, podcast

It’s Spooky Season!

It’s also Mookie Season!

Do the Right Thing and support live music. Here are your options over the next couple of weeks:

This Wednesday, Richard Lloyd (of Television* fame) plays the Woodward Theater with a full band. Static Falls also is on the bill.

*Television the band, not the medium. But here’s Television on (Spanish) Television:

Also on Wednesday, Judy Collins plays Memorial Hall. Speaking o’ Spooky Season, ol’ “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes” is looking more like a Hocus Pocus witch these days:

Alice Peacock plays the Southgate House on Thursday. She’ll be in the Revival Room, with a lead pipe.

Wait, wrong Peacock!

Friday shows:

  • The Steep Canyon Rangers play Memorial Hall
  • Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle are at Southgate (maybe the ghost of Pete Rose will show up)
  • America plays the Taft (they won’t have a headless horseman, but they will have a horse with no name)
  • Ludlow Garage has Dead Letter Office, a tribute to R.E.M.

This Saturday, Cereal Killers play Big Ash Brewing!

(Continuing my string of ill-timed trips, and jeopardizing my status as a Cereal Killers superfan, I once again will be out of town for their gig. Our whole fam-damily is going to Bloomington, Indiana to see the perennial football powerhouse Hoosiers take on their longstanding Big 10 27 rival, the Washington Huskies.)

Other Saturday shows include the sold-out “BEAT” show at Taft

Former King Crimson members ADRIAN BELEW and TONY LEVIN band together with guitar virtuoso STEVE VAI and explosive Tool drummer DANNY CAREY for the first time to create BEAT, a creative reinterpretation of the three iconic 80s KING CRIMSON albums – Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair. 

  • ekoostic hookah plays the Liberty Theater
  • Blues Traveler brings their “30 years of Four” tour to… Turfway Park
  • Pappy’s Jam Band plays Neltner’s Farm Fall Fest (1:30-4:30)
  • Lotus Land (a tribute to Rush) plays Ludlow Garage

On Sunday, the Casey Campbell Project plays Neltner’s Farm, Pink Martini plays Memorial Hall, and Taft has Mania, the ABBA tribute.

Next Tuesday (10/29), the Buena Vista Social Orchestra is at Bogart’s.

Next Wednesday:

  • KMFDM and the Morlocks play the Ovation
  • The Woodward hosts two showings (7:30 and 10:30) of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with a shadow cast
  • Daphne Eckman plays Southgate’s Revival Room
  • Disco Biscuits (hold the Yung Gravy) play the Madison Theater

Next Thursday is Halloween.

That’s “hallow”-een not “hollow”-een… Hollow is for Easter.

“Rollvember” kicks off a week from Friday. There are several shows slated for Friday, 11/1:

  • Los Honchos play Southgate
  • Anthony Ray Wright and Andrew Hibbard are at Liberty Theater
  • Stacy Mitchhart plays an album release gig at Ludlow Garage
  • The Jacksons (R.I.P. Tito) play the Hard Rock Casino

I’ll be up in Boston that weekend for the Please Come to Boston festival. My favoritest band Buffalo Tom will be doing three concerts in three days (including an old-person-friendly “matinee” show on Sunday). They’re playing a different album from their 90s oeuvre each show, and the festival also features comedy sets from Eugene Mirman and Dave Hill, and something called “Punk Rock Aerobics”… I’m sure it’s quite the workout!

On Saturday, Nov. 2nd,

  • Gipsy Kings play the Hard Rock
  • The Peter Brady hosts “Life is a Carnival – The Last Waltz Tour ’24” with Ryan Bingham, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Jamey Johnson and more.
  • Trippin’ Billies (Dave Matthews Band tribute) are at Ludlow Garage.

Here’s some Trippin’ Beverly Hillbillies:

The Drive-by Truckers play a Southern Rock Opera Revisited show at Bogart’s on Sunday, 11/3. Shut your mouth and get your ass on that plane into that show!

On Thursday, Nov. 7th, “Turn to Stone: A Tribute to ELO” will be at Memorial Hall, and Yngwie Malmsteen plays the Madison Theater.

On Friday, 11/8:

  • Goose opens up a three-night stand at the Carol Brady
  • Billie Eilish plays the Coliseum
  • Noah Wotherspoon plays the Liberty Theater with Noah Pavey

Saturday, 11/9 gigs:

  • Wussy plays a full-band show at the Woodward, with the Chris Brokaw Band as the opener.
  • Jimmy Webb (“America’s Songwriter”) is at Memorial Hall
  • Samantha Fish plays Ludlow Garage, with Mitch Ryder performing as part of Samantha’s band, and Canned Heat as the opener
  • Moonshine Drive plays Arnold’s

City & Colour are at Bogart’s with Pedro the Lion on Monday, 11/11.

We live for live

It’s been quite a fortnight for your music-addicted editor. Charly Bliss at the Exit/In in Nashville was great…

The opener, Pronoun, was cool too. And Marc from the one-hit-wonder band Len came up on stage for the encore to do “Steal My Sunshine” with Charly Bliss.

A week ago, list member Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube (check out his show on Inhailer Radio, Fridays 11a-3p) and I went to Columbus to see Superchunk. They rocked!

(Bassist Jason Narducy’s set list – he gave it to a kid in the front row… classy!)

For the final song of the encore, noted Breeder Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery of R. Ring came on stage to do their song “Cartoon Heart/Build Me a Question.” (R. Ring drummer Laura King is touring with Superchunk right now.)

The opening band, Quivers, was stellar too.

While Ken was waiting in line to get Mac from Superchunk to sign his poster (yes, Mac was at the merch booth – dude’s top-notch in my book), I chatted with the members of Quivers – Mike, Holly, Bella and Sam. They were super-nice to this old man, and funny as heck. Check out their recent live in-studio set at KEXP and you’ll be hooked by their hooks:

List members Dave Tellmann, Todd Butler, Carl “The Truth” Williams and I caught the Eddie 9V/Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears double bill at the Woodward on Wednesday.

And those shows were just the warm-up for another Chuck Cleaver/Lisa Walker Wussy Duo house show at my place this past weekend.

List members Todd, Regi, Tom, and Jamie were in the house, and they can attest that it was amazing.

I didn’t make the Mountain Goats show at Taft, but their stage setup was interesting:

Malin on the mend

Here’s a nice CBS Saturday Morning sessions interview with Jesse Malin.

Shameless Self-promotion

Dave Tellmann and I got the “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast out of mothballs to chat with Randy Malloy, who went from unpaid college intern to owner of WWCD-FM in Columbus (nee “CD101″… and later “CD102.5″… and finally “CD92.9” before signing off under duress earlier this year).

The Randy interview is here, and you can catch all the episodes on your favorite podcasting platform.

Album Covers of the Week(s)

Here on earth, I’m a bit disappointed that a band named “Rebels” chose conformity in their outfits.

On the other hand (the one with five fingers), at least Rebels don’t struggle with basic math. Or perhaps the dudes are the Gospel Four and the woman is there because her hair is heavenly.

Summer’s slipping away

97X, Concert Listings, Music

Wow, can you believe Summer’s nearly gone? It’s almost Earth, Wind & Fire month!

Gonna keep this post short and sweet… or at least shorter on the jazz hands and snark. While it’s a labor of love, there’s still labor involved, and I’m heading to Denver later today to see Alvvays and The Beths. Let’s get to it!

Cereal Killers play Big Ash Brewing tonight!

I’m bummed I can’t make it – but you should go (7:30-11pm) to catch all those 97X and 97X-adjacent favorites, performed by a stellar group of upstanding individuals. Oh, and Howard Cohen is in the band too!

Other shows this evening:

  • Pat Travers plays the Ludlow Garage
  • Speaking of “out go the lights” the Cincinnati Nature Center hosts Music Under the Moon with the bluegrass band Moonshine Drive playing
  • Saving Escape has an album release party at MOTR, with Sylmar
  • Gable Price & Friends and Coastal Club play the Woodward Theater
  • Foreigner (basically Mick Jones and some hired hands), Styx (sans Dennis DeYoung), and John Waite play Riverbend
  • “Forever Diamond” (a Neil Diamond tribute) plays a freebie at Blue Ash Towne Square – that seems fitting for a not-so-hot August night.

Saturday shows:

  • The Avett Brothers play Ovation, with Sammy Rae & Friends opening
  • Marc Cohn will be walking playing six feet off of Beale under Ludlow at the Garage
  • Ray’s Music Exchange is back for a reunion show at the Woodward
  • The War & Treaty play a free show at the Levitt Pavilion in Dayton
  • FireHouse and Nelson (yes, that Nelson) play the “Big F’N Tour” at the old Annie’s

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

  • King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard play the Ovation in Newport
  • Blackberry Smoke and 49 Winchester play the old Annie’s
  • Glass Animals* are at Riverbend (*not to be confused with Glasses Animals)
  • (Hed) P.E. is at Madison Live
  • Mac Sabbath (yes, folks dressed like McDonald’s mascots playing Sabbath tunes… nothing weird about that) is at the Woodward Theater

On Tuesday, Built to Spill plays Bogart’s, celebrating the 30th anniversary of There’s Nothing Wrong with Love. I’ll be at that gig with list members Deuce and Matt (no relation to Gunnar and Matthew of Nelson fame).

Also on Tuesday:

  • The Gaslight Anthem, Joyce Manor, and Pinkshift play the Carol Brady
  • Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, and Jason Bonham rock Riverbend with Van Hagar tunes. Loverboy is the opener. Mike Reno is still sporting the bandana, but he’s also sporting some extra heft.

The Lauryn Hill & The Fugees show slated for Wednesday at Riverbend has been cancelled.

Thursday features a lot of free (or free-adjacent) shows:

  • Bedel & Hibbard play the Roots Revival free show at Washington Park
  • Texas Flood (a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan) and Bedford play the RiversEDGE freebie
  • You can see The Eagles Project at Lawrenceburg Civic Park
  • Thomas Rhett plays a concert after the Reds game at GABP

GBV’s Heedfest 12 also kicks off on 8/29 in Dayton, Ohio. Love the promo:

Shows next Friday (8/30):

  • Cage the Elephant plays Riverbend, with Young the Giant and Bakar
  • O.A.R. is at Ovation, with Ripe, and DJ Logic
  • King Buffalo headlines the Fountain Square free show

On Saturday, August 31st, Domecrusher, a band featuring list member Todd Quincy, plays 513 Hamilton. Here’s Todd’s description of the band:

Other 8/31 shows:

  • Southgate House hosts MidWest Friends Fest (“21 awesome local, regional, and touring indie, punk, emo, rock, alternative, and power pop bands. 3 super rad stages. 1 awesome venue”)
  • Wailing Souls play for free at Levitt Pavilion on Dayton
  • Catalina Wine Mixer and The Eagles Project play Ovation
  • The Prince Project is at the old Annie’s
  • Sungaze has an album release party at the Woodward, with Fern Murphy and Ascension Day also on the bill
  • Aja (Steely Dan tribute) plays the Fountain Square freebie
  • JBO and Mark Messerly play The Overlook Lodge in P-Ridge
  • Tesla is at the Greg Brady

Simple twist of fate fun fact: Greg Brady drove the original Tesla:

On Sunday, September 1st, the corporate-sponsored fireworks display from the corporate radio station will probably feature some Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin on the soundtrack. Just like every other year. That damn frog is soooo tired.

After that, it’s all quite on the concert front until after Labor Day. I’ll holler at you before then.

Speaking of evil corporate radio overlords though:

I just threw up a bit in my mouth. How about a palate cleaner?

Wussy house concert tickets on sale Wednesday at 11 am

Show is Saturday 10/19. If you don’t know the venue, you haven’t been paying attention. (And house concerts are sooo hot right now, per the WaPo.)

Ticket link: https://undertowshows.com/products/cincinnati-oh-october-19

I talked to Chuck and Lisa yesterday – such sweet human beings who also happen to be amazing songwriters/musicians. They should have some new tunes to sell at the show.

A heartfelt message from list member “Rico”

I lost my brother to cancer five years ago, and 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, which provides scholarships to young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Our primary fundraiser is a memorial golf outing, which will be held this year at California Golf Course on October 5, 2024. In the first three years of our outing, we have raised funds to award 60 of these scholarships, and we hope to add on a bunch more this year with the help of friends like you. Whether that is getting a team together to play in the scramble, providing sponsorship, or donating items for auction, any and all support is welcome and appreciated.

You can sign up to play or donate here.

The Bottle Rockets deserve a movie

And here it is:

Album Covers of the Week

Hat tip to list member Whit Gardner for these gems:

They’re good at identifying fountains, but not so good at counting.

Gary’s “little black book” appears to be brown. And he appears to be “getting down to business” with it. In a Flight of the Conchords sorta way.

Tune in to the Tunes

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music

Where has the merry month of May gone? It’s darn near Memorial Day. Which means it’s hot dog grilling season. Let’s be careful out there.

Speaking o’ sizzlin’ hot and tasty, feast your ears on the new album from Mammoth Penguins:

Public service reminder: Do not attempt to grill mammoth penguins.

Speaking o’ cool like penguins, Inhailer Radio is currently spinning the 2024 Indie 500. From the press release:

For those who may not know, Inhailer Radio is deeply rooted in the legacies of two iconic predecessors: WOXY and WNKU. WOXY, also known as “97X,” was a trailblazer in the world of alternative and indie music, while WNKU was renowned for its commitment to showcasing local and independent talent. These stations laid the foundation for what Inhailer Radio stands for today. In 2023, we had the honor of hosting the highly successful 97X Modern Rock 500, a nostalgic reunion for listeners and DJs alike. This year, we’re building upon that success with the Indie 500, marking a “passing of the baton” from 97X’s Modern Rock 500 to Inhailer Radio’s Indie 500.

This 2024 Indie 500 grants a nod to the rich histories and contributions of WOXY and WNKU, as well as a celebration of our vibrant Cincinnati independent music community. Inspired by the legendary Memorial Day marathons hosted by 97X, The Indie 500 will showcase the top 500 indie songs curated by our team of dedicated music enthusiasts.

Former WOXY, WNKU, and Inhailer Radio DJs will be joining us for this historic event, hosting their own segments and sharing their unique perspectives and insights. It’s a chance for them to pay homage to the stations they once called home and the audiences they once captivated.

List member and longtime 97X staffer Dave Tellmann and I teamed up to do a few breaks. Because we’re both half-wits, so we figured two heads would be better than one.

Geez, would you look at the time? Here I’ve been prattling on and it’s practically Memorial Day Weekend. I’ll take the “Live Music” category for $200 please, Alex.

Wednesday night, RiversEDGE in Hamilton (city motto: “Quit calling us Hamil-tucky – we have craft breweries now!”) opens their outdoor concert season with Scotty Bratcher and GA-20. And 21 Savage plays Riverbend (unless it’s underwater.)

On Thursday, it’s Orgy Time!

Uh, the band Orgy plays the Madison Theater to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their album Candyass.

Speakin’ o’ candyass, your Peeps should be sufficiently stale by now. Have at ’em!

Tab Benoit plays Madison Theater on Friday, and The Broken Relics play the Southgate Lounge.

On Saturday, it’s time for Boys’ Life:

The Po’ Ramblings Boys and the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys play Southgate’s Revival Room.

That same evening, Don Was and the Pan Detroit Ensemble play Memorial Hall.

Speakin’ o’ Pan Detroit:

Laura Jane Grace graces the Madison Theater stage on Sunday. Sunday is also race day in Indianapolis.

Monday is Memorial Day.

You can enjoy your day off from work by checking out the movie Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero at the Woodward Theater.

Next Tuesday (5/28), Parliament Funkadelic plays the Bobby Brady, with special guest Dumpstaphunk.

Next Wednesday (5/29), Flock of Dimes (a.k.a. Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak) is playing a house concert in Cincy. Actually, the venue will be an art gallery in Mariemont. Hard to believe an Undertow artist would want to play anywhere other than my place, but it happens sometimes. Nevertheless, I’ll be there as a paying customer.

I have an extra ticket – HMU if you’d like to join me. That same evening, Mr. Big (the band, not the “Sex & The City” character) plays Ludlow Garage, and TyeDye (feat. list member John Sandman) plays Wunderbar in Covington.

On Thursday, 5/30:

  • Ruth Moody of The Wailin’ Jennys plays Ludlow
  • Ben Chapman & Co with Abby Hamilton at RiversEDGE in Hamilton
  • Camp Springs Tavern hosts a bluegrass jam

Gigs on Friday, 5/31:

  • Brainiac plays the Woodward with opener Exit Angles
  • Leftover Salmon is at the old Annie’s

Speakin’ o’ Leftover Salmon:

But that’s just the appetizer. The main course is on Saturday, June 1st:

Hooray and huzzah! Cereal Killers will be bringing their vintage punk and new wave music to Big Ash Brewing. For the uninitiated, the standard “CK One” rules will apply: I will buy your first beer. No coupon necessary!

Other 6/1 shows:

  • Railbird kicks off in Lexington (lineup is here)
  • Highly Likely plays Plain Folk Café
  • Tommy James & the Shondells play Ludlow Garage
  • Pokey LaFarge plays Memorial Hall

Speakin’ o’ Pokey:

On Sunday, June 2nd, you can catch Day 2 of Railbird or see birds of a different feather: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at the Ovation in Newport.

And don’t forget the big Pixies/Modest Mouse/Cat Power show at the Jan Brady on Wednesday, June 5th.

Speakin’ o’ Cat Power:

I let you down (yet again)

I forgot to mention Kraftwerk’s gig at Ovation in my last post. So sorry. To make it up to you, here’s some exclusive live footage from the show:

In my defense, the gig was a bit of an outlier.

The Engineer has left the station

Steve Albini didn’t produce your favorite album. But only because he didn’t like the “producer” label. He did work the knobs for Pixies, The Breeders, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, and hundreds of other bands, both big and small, often for a fraction of the market rate. He passed away earlier this month, just as his band Shellac’s new album came out. Matthew Berlyant pays tribute to Steve here.

We love live music

But we need to catch our breath after a great run of shows: GBV/Wussy at Madison Theater (tons of list members at that gig), Wussy at The Lodge in Dayton, KY (with list member Dave Roberto), Wussy at my house (several list members in attendance), Robbie Fulks/Scott Miller at Southgate (with noted Cereal Killer Howard Cohen in the house), They Might Be Giants at Madison Theater (hat tip to list member Chris Jones for the ticket – list member Jason Hipskind also was there)… and last but certainly not least, Violent Femmes at the old Annie’s.

The Violent Femmes concert featured a cavalcade of list members, including Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube (Fridays 11a-3p on Inhailer Radio), Dave Tellmann and his rock star son Joe (This Pine Box), Todd Butler, John Sandman (Tye Dye Band), and Chuck and Christine Ackerman. Chuck and Christine (a.k.a. “C+C Music Factory”) get a special shout-out for some way-too-kind words about this lousy little music blog/newsletter/dog’s breakfast. Clearly they had been overserved.

It’s hard to explain the ’70s… but here’s a crash course

After my Star Wars references in the last post, list member “Rowdy” Rob Ervin shared the gem below. As Rob said: Redd Foxx, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Lynde:  TV Magic! I don’t know if hard core Star Wars fans count this as canon, but they should. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/U4dlah65c9A

And of course I’m such a voiceover nerd that I thought I detected the dulcet tones of the legendary Thurl Ravenscroft (original voice of Tony the Tiger and singer of the Grinch song… and Disney’s “Grim Grinning Ghosts”… as Darth). But he wasn’t listed in the credits. Sure enough, the interwebs confirmed my eardrums:

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

Praise hands! Because Amy Grant and leg warmers go together like peas and carrots. Or like Amy Grant and The Young Fresh Fellows: