James McMurtry

Septuneber

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

Hey, if “classic rock” radio stations can use the terms “Rocktober” and “Rollvember” then the staff at 97Xbam (all one of us) can coin our own phrase for the 9th month of the year.

We hope your Labor Day weekend was gloriously labor-free. Now let’s get back to work on the gigs:

Tonight:

  • Ani DiFranco plays the Taft with Hurray for the Riff Raff opening
  • Woodward Theater has The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis with Touchdown Jesus
  • It’s another Ween Wednesday at The Columbia. Tonight they’ll be spinning the Ween album Quebec

Thursday:

  • Ludlow Garage has the Texas Headhunters feat. Ian Moore, Jesse Dayton, and Johnny Moeller
  • Burning Witches play Madison Live

(Remember that before you burn a witch, you have to make sure she weighs the same as a duck.)

The Whimmydiddle Festival kicks off a two-day stand at RiversEDGE in Hamilton on Friday, with The Devil Makes Three and Town Mountain on the bill. Saturday, Grace Potter headlines with Taylor Hunnicutt and Clay Street Unit.

Other Friday shows:

  • Red Wanting Blue and Justin Wells plays Southgate’s main room
  • Colby T. Helms & the Virginia Creepers play the Southgate Revival Room
  • Electric Cars and Tragic Blonde Weekend are at the Woodward
  • CFG & the Family play the Liberty Theater
  • Miller & Other Sinners do the free gig at the Levitt in Dayton
  • The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout hosts Fleetwood Gold, which is either a Fleetwood Mac tribute band or a classic Cadillac
  • Ludlow Garage has Toast: the Ultimate Bread Tribute

Note: Toast is the Ultimate Tribute to the band Bread, and this is the ultimate tribute to toast:

It should be noted that Ludlow’s Toast is NOT on a stick.

Saturday is jam-packed with gigs:

  • Whimmydiddle Night 2 (Grace Potter, Taylor Hunnicutt and Clay Street Unit in case you’ve already forgotten the info from a couple paragraphs ago… and I get it!)
  • Carriers play a free show at MadTree Oakley, with the Wussy Duo and Lylak also on the bill, starting at 6 p.m.
  • Bonnie Raitt plays the Rose in Dayton, with Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-a-Whirl Band opening
  • The War and Treaty play Music Hall
  • The Brooks Werner Band will be at the Liberty Theater
  • Barrington Levy plays Ludlow Garage
  • The Red Clay Strays and The Dip are at the Carol Brady
  • The Redmoor has the Dead Revival Band
  • Dead Centric is at Stanley’s, with I Dig Pig as the opener

Back in high school, I dug the Pig too. My afterschool job was at the Piggly Wiggly in Morrilton, Arkansas.

Morrilton is also home to Petit Jean Meats, makers of a Mock Chicken Loaf.

Was there really a need in the lunch meat category for “mock chicken loaf”…???

Speaking of mockery, The Beach Boys play the Fraze on Sunday.

That same evening, Jerry Cantrell and Filter play Bogart’s, and Southgate House features Renegade: The Songs of Warren Zevon.

Shows this coming Tuesday:

  • Bob Mould does his solo electric thing at Memorial Hall, with J. Robbins
  • Bogart’s has the Yacht Rock Revue
  • Katie Pruitt and Jess Nolan play Southgate’s Sanctuary
  • Upstairs in the Southgate Revival Room, it’s Thelma and the Sleaze with Leggy

Shows next Wednesday, the 10th of Septuneber (yes, I’m sticking with it until it sticks):

  • Leon Bridges and Charley Crockett (“The Crooner and the Cowboy”) play the outdoor stage at the Marsha Brady*
  • Soccer Mommy is at Bogart’s
  • Chevelle plays the PNC Pavilion
  • AJ Lee & Blue Summit (California bluegrass) at Southgate in the Revival Room
  • Skerryvore (Scottish music) plays Ludlow Garage

*we chose Marsha for the outdoor stage because it always reminds us of this classic outdoor clip:

Shows on Thursday, Septuneber 11:

  • Gangstagrass plays Ludlow Garage
  • Scotty Bratcher and Johnny Mullenax play a free show at RiversEDGE
  • Liberty Theater has a free Songwriters in the Round show with Ryan Moore, Dave Lacey, and TC Eckstein
  • Erin Viancourt (country music… from Cleveland!) and Andrew Hibbard are at Southgate
  • Little Big Town plays Riverbend with Wynonna Judd and Shelby Lynne

(Morrilton, Arkansas is a Little Big Town, because it has a population of 6,992 yet it still has the temerity to mock chicken.)

Friday, Sept. (up to you whether it’s an abbreviation for September or Septuneber) 12:

  • James McMurtry and his band play the Woodward, with Betty Soo opening (I’ll be at that gig)
  • Bonnie Raitt and Jimmie Vaughan circle back to the area to play the Greg Brady
  • The Doobie Brothers and the Coral Reefer Band play Riverbend
  • Carson Lowe & Kayla Rose with Harley Day at the Liberty Theater
  • Poppy plays Bogart’s with MSPaint
  • Southgate House has Back to Mac, which is either a tribute to Fleetwood Mac or Mac Davis (Mac D. had the better perm back in the day)

Shows on Saturday, September (I give up) 13:

  • Momma plays the Woodward, with Villagerrr (not a typo) – I’ll be there!
  • Conan Gray is at Riverbend
  • The Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg, Indiana has an improv comedy show (featuring one of my co-workers in the troupe called Crash Course)

Tuesday, September 16:

  • “Weird Al” Yankovic and Puddles Pity Party are at the Ovation in Newport
  • Todd Lipscomb plays Arnold’s
  • The Close Trio and Jonathan Cody White play a Downtowne Listening Room show at the Historic Boone County Courthouse
  • blink-182 is at Riverbend – this was their finest hour:

We love it live!

I think we had a record number of folks cash in their “free beer” coupon at the last Cereal Killers show at Big Ash. Which was great. But the tunes from Cereal Killers were even greater.

Dave T. and I also attended a joyful house show featuring Jay and Tim from Too Much Joy — now in the band Wonderlick — in Hamilton.

(Tim and Jay might be coming soon to a podcast near you… )

Speaking o’ podcasts

The Kelce Bros and T-Swift…

… are no match for the “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” Bros and Julie Maxwell.

Tune in via the link below.

The “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast is back, baby!

Maine gets it

Saw this posted on a shop window in Portland and fell even more in love with Maine:

It’s a New Tunes Bonanza!

Uh, that’s not what I had in mind. (But I still love you, Hoss!) I was referring to the new releases from Superchunk (below), Kathleen Edwards, and The Beths. Put yer ears on ’em!

Reason #2,327,097 why I love Chuck Cleaver

This exchange between Dave Tellmann and Chuck on FB was pure gold!

Akron rules!

Album (and 45 rpm) Covers of the Week(s)

The Bonanza cover above was a bonus. But here’s the back cover, so you can see an action photo of Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Pernell Roberts contributing those sweet vocal harmonies to mix:

Spoiler alert: It involves booze. Thomas returned to the Hotel Chelsea, declaring, “I’ve had eighteen straight whiskeys. I think that’s the record!” Which means the record above is a record of the record.

The 80s sure were a different time.

Down to Earth

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music

I come to you with cap in hand, asking your forgiveness for my disparaging comments about the local nine (technically 10 now that there’s a DH) last week. As a wise man once said:

“How about everybody just settle down and celebrate and cheer for the team.”

The guy whose dad bought the team

I was so very wrong last week when I said that this year’s Cincinnati Reds roster consists mostly of players from the Reds’ minor league affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts, only now they’re wearing uniforms with less of a “Mr. Potato Head eyes” vibe.

In reality, the team is more like players from the Reds’ low-A minor league affiliate Daytona Tortugas, only with a logo that has less of a juice pouch vibe:

But, as a wise man once said, “be careful what you ask for.”

OK, enough yapping about baseball. Let’s get to the gigs.

Moon Tooth is at Top Cats on Monday. List member Ken Laube once lost a tooth at Top Cats, in a fight with Chris Knight. (I’m kidding… although singer Chris Knight did get into a fight there…) Wait, breaking news: the Moon Tooth show has been cancelled. But Chris Knight is OK. So’s Ken.

On Tuesday, Justin Bieber is at the Coliseum. I’ve already incurred the wrath of Phil Castellini, so I don’t dare risk pissing off the Beliebers. But I will say I liked his music better when he was in NSYNC.

Wednesday night, Dylan is at Southgate House! (That’s Dylan LeBlanc.) And Candlebox plays an unplugged show at Memorial Hall.

Thursday, James McMurtry plays a solo show at Memorial Hall. List members John Sandman, Michael Orzali and I will be there. You should be too – Mr. McMurtry’s last album was one of the best of 2021.

Or you can check out local reggae band The Cliftones at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Tunes & Blooms. Admission is free after 5 p.m., music starts at 6, and you just might run into list member/Cereal Killers frontman Howard Cohen at the Great Lakes Brewing table. (More on the Cereal Killers later.)

Other Thursday shows:

  • Stick Men (featuring Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson plus eight-string touch guitarist Markus Reuter) is at Ludlow Garage.
  • Ashley Cooke plays Top Cats (list member Ken Laube used to cook at Zino’s, just down the street…) Breaking news: the Ashley Cooke show has been cancelled… but Ken can still make you a Zinover.
  • Ben Levin plays Shire’s Garden.
  • Comedian Lewis Black will be ranting at the Taft.

Friday is Earth Day. Hug a tree…

… or better yet, plant one.

On Friday evening, Olivia Rodrigo plays a sold-out show at the Alice the Cook Brady Music Center.

Olivia is so hot right now… but so was Alice back in the day!

A whole slew of shows is slated for Saturday:

  • Jimmy Webb plays “The Glen Campbell Years” at Memorial Hall.
  • The Quebe Sisters play Southgate House’s main room, and Addison Johnson teams up with Mic Harrison (of the late great V-Roys) for an acoustic duo set in the upstairs Revival Room.
  • Aly & AJ are at Bogart’s
  • Kenny Loggins plays the Hard Rock Casino
  • Ludlow Garage hosts Lotus Land – A Tribute to Rush.

You’ve gotta have a monster pair of brass balls to try to fill Neil Peart’s drum stool. (Oh, you’ll also need a metric ton of drums and cymbals, some wind chimes, maybe a gong…)

On Sunday, the always-entertaining Robyn Hitchcock plays the Southgate House… and Journey plays the Coliseum.

Looks like the “new” Journey has removed the Steve Perry Journey literal video of “Separate Ways” from YouTube… (ironic when you think about how they discovered their current lead singer) so you’ll have to go here to enjoy it.

The following week is rather light on gigs, so let’s cover those here:

Suzanne Vega plays Tom’s Diner Ludlow Garage on Wednesday, April 27th.

On Thursday, April 28th:

  • Leo Kottke plays Ludlow Garage
  • Chuck Mead (of BR-549) is at Southgate
  • Restless Leg String Band plays the Zoo’s Tunes & Blooms
  • Steve Hackett is at the Taft

On Friday, April 29th:

  • Sierra Ferrell plays Southgate (list members Dave Green and Michael Orzali are big fans)
  • Khruangbin and Toro y Moi are at the Brady
  • Gavin DeGraw plays the Hard Rock Casino
  • Brit Floyd is at Taft
  • Ben Levin plays BrewRiver

Comedian Brian Regan plays the Brady on Saturday, April 30th, and NRBQ will be at Southgate on Sunday, May 1st.

Must-see May gigs

The Cereal Killers are back with their inimitable combination of songs from late ’70’s British & American punk, with a dash of the New Wave, a dollop of garage rock, a heaping helping of hijinks, and a side of shenanigans. It’s like 97X is still on the air, but better because it’s live! If you’re on this list and you’re in the house for this gig, the first beer’s on me!

Actually Damian says “Hell Yes!”

And if you can’t make that raucous evening gig due to your advancing years, fear not, Cereal Killers have a matinee show (3-5 p.m.) at MadTree on Saturday, May 14th!

Then you can take a quick nap — or enjoy the early bird special at Bob Evans — before catching a fantastic blues lineup at 20th Century Theatre:

Mark the calendar in your Day Runner now, and put it in your PalmPilot too!

Concert reviews

The Waxahatchee show at Woodward was stellar – and it was great to see list members Bruce Frasure (and his lovely bride), Taylor Fox (of Inhailer Radio), Kevin Sullivan, Dave Roberto and Joe Sampson in 3-D. (Mark Messerly of Wussy also was there and said a new album from Wussy is forthcoming!)

Katie Crutchfield’s beau Kevin Morby joined her on stage (in a stunning jacket from the Fess Parker collection, no less!) for a few songs, including covers of Magnolia Electric Co. and Dylan (Bob, not LeBlanc).

Meanwhile, list member David Reid thoroughly enjoyed the Jack White gig at the Carol Brady Music Center that same evening:

Just got home from the Jack White show. So good! Dude is the complete package: Nasty-great guitar, empassioned, from-the-gut vocals, good songs and dynamic stage presence. Left knowing I’d seen something pretty special.

My new favorite podcast

OMG, Valley Heat is hilarious! It’s like A Confederacy of Dunces meets Arrested Development meets Fernwood 2 Night. Doug’s deadpan delivery, a wacky cast of characters, fun music references, the bogus promo spots, and great theater-of-the-mind audio all combine to create a perfect storm of humor. I binged every episode this weekend and was laughing the entire time.

It’s a Small (Woody) World…

Last week’s wacky album cover:

Prompted this comment from list member Lisa Collins, whose mom (Carol Jean) lives in Florida:

Just an FYI, Woody Woodbury is an acquaintance/friend of Carol Jean. He is 98 years old and lives in Fort Lauderdale. He goes every Sunday to breakfast at the same place Mom goes. They’ve become breakfast buddies – haha.

And list member/Cereal Killers frontman/online detective Howard Cohen tracked down a lovely archival photo of the spot where the album was “taped, unexpurgated and unrehearsed from the night club floor of the Bahama Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale”:

Album Cover of the Week

Remember Dionne Warwick? Remember Pricing Charts? Remember K-Mart? (This album is in pretty good shape for being 50 years old.)