Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker of the band Wussy are two of the best songwriters in the known universe. They’re also an absolute blast to talk to about (in no particular order): music, their Forever Sounds radio show, bad movies, Swedish Eagle, the Eagles, TV show filling station characters, ball peen hammers, ascots, super-glued teeth, and other important matters. Oh, and fecal matter too – because we’re erudite!
Wussy is doing a full band show at The Woodward Theater on Friday, February 27. Advance Base (the latest project from Owen Ashworth, formerly of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone) and Moontype open the show. Get tickets here.
Chuck and Lisa also do a radio show on WAIF-FM every Tuesday morning (i.e. Monday night when the clock strikes midnight). As Lisa mentioned in our podcast interview, they play music like you’d hear on stations like 97X. And their on-air banter is equal parts enlightening and hilarious. You can find a full archive of their past episodes on Mixcloud and Apple Podcasts.
The Wussy oeuvre is chock-full of gems – there are so many amazing tunes that it’s tough to single out just one. But here’s Chuck’s favorite Wussy song:
Lisa’s description of the interplay between her voice and Chuck’s as a flipped version of John Doe and Exene Cervenka of the band X is a fitting comparison.
You can really hear it in a song like “Airborne.”
Chuck and Lisa also did an digital album of cover songs as a fundraiser for WAIF.
You can get that album here for a pledge of $25 or more.
97X fans no doubt know that Chuck also was the front man for the fantastic Cincinnati band Ass Ponys. (Or “A-Ponys” as we sometimes had to refer to them on 97X in their early days.)
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.
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”
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…
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
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.
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:
The Who
The Kinks
The Rolling Stones
Herman’s Hermits
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!”
Lisa+Collins
Oh, I am @ing you, Damian! Blasphemy!! And after I sent you that Replacements video this week – hahaha!
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!”
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