Moonbeau

June’s tunes

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music

It’s June!

June is chock-full o’ live tunes. And that’s no jive!

Let’s get into it.

Tonight, American Aquarium plays the Southgate, with Justin Wells as the opener. I’ll be at that gig.

Eric Johanson is at Ludlow Garage… not Eric Johnson as listed in my last post. Can’t believe I confused those two guitarists… it’s like that time I called Jim Hagar Jon Hagar at the Hee Haw convention.

On Tuesday, Alison Krauss & Union Station (featuring Jerry Douglas) will be at the PNC Pavilion.

This Wednesday is WEENsday at The Columbia (4311 Eastern Avenue). They’ll be spinning The Mollusk and it’s BYOB. But they supply crayons.

Wednesday shows include Kids that Fly and Belle Blue at the Woodward, and CFG & Family at the Fountain Square “Fountain Blues” free series. (The full summer lineup is here.)

Thursday:

  • Brent Cobb plays Southgate, with Chloe Kimes opening
  • Los Lonely Boys are at Ludlow Garage
  • Ray Vietti & Jeremy Short play the freebie “Roots Revival” show at Washington Park (6-9 p.m.) The full series lineup is here.
  • The Liberty Theater has a free Songwriters in the Round with Andrew Hibbard, Anthony Ray Wright and Emilie Clepper
  • The Turkeys play a free show at the Behringer Crawford Museum in Devou Park

There are a slew o’ shows this Friday:

  • Blonde Redhead plays the Woodward with Squirrel Flower
  • The Secret Sisters are at Memorial Hall
  • Clay Street Unit and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes play a free show at RiversEDGE in Hamilton
  • Jake Speed & the Freddies play a freebie at Sawyer Point
  • The Levitt Pavilion in Dayton has a freebie show with the REO Classics Band (featuring Terry Luttrell, the original lead singer for REO Speedwagon)
  • Ludlow Garage features a Van Morrison tribute show (not a Jim Morrison tribute show… )

Please note: Friday is June 6th… during the dark of the moon, anyone over the age of 60 is required to fire up their CB radio and alert Rubber Duck and Pigpen about any police presence.

On Saturday, the Ludlow Garage has the Hot Red Chili Peppers… NOT the Red Hot Chili Peppers (or the Red Hot Chili Pipers)

Other Saturday shows:

  • Teddy Swims plays the outdoor stage at the Marsha Brady
  • My Brother’s Keeper has an album release show at the Liberty Theater
  • Joe’s Truck Stop, The Local Honeys, The Montvales and several other bands play the “Gemini Jam” at Southgate
  • Soul Pocket plays the Fountain Square freebie gig
  • Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat are at the Fraze
  • The Levitt hosts the Dayton Pride Afterparty featuring Molly Grace

Also, on Saturday and Sunday, the Woodward Theater screens Pavements, the weird and wild movie about Pavement.

Oh, and Saturday also is the grand opening of Jukebox in the Deerfield Towne Center.

Jukebox is America’s first custom sparkling beverage studio, where creativity meets refreshment. We mix premium ingredients, fresh flavors, and endless customization options to craft beverages that are as unique as you.

The dude behind Jukebox is list member Jay Scherger, who left his gig in corporate America to add more flavor to your life with a “quirky cocktail bar without the cocktails.” Read more in Cincinnati Magazine and and CityBeat. Check it out… you may hear a familiar voice doing some promo breaks between songs on the in-house sound system.

On Sunday, Avril Lavigne plays her Greatest Hits tour with Simple Plan and We The Kings supporting, Valley Maker is at MOTR, and David Spade does standup at the Taft.

On Tuesday, June 10:

  • Barenaked Ladies, Guster, and Fastball play the PNC Pavilion
  • Buddy Guy plays the Taft with Eric Gales opening
  • Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ are at the Rose in Dayton

Shows on Wednesday, June 11:

  • Counting Crows and Gaslight Anthem at the Fraze
  • Honey Island Swamp Band at the Ludlow Garage
  • Leroy Ellington plays the Fountain Square freebie

Thursday, June 12:

  • Mt. Joy plays the outdoor stage at the Ovation in Newport
  • Sunny Sweeney and Cam Pierce are at Southgate
  • The Lost Bridge Beverage Co. in North Bend hosts the 2nd Thursday live broadcast of BlackFork Radio
  • Ludlow Garage has Close Enemies, featuring Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton
  • Washington Park has another Roots Revival show… performers are TBD (that’s not a band…)
  • Travis Tritt plays the old Annie’s

Friday, June 13 has a full slate:

  • Band of Horses plays the Lawrenceburg Event Center
  • The Dave Matthews Band will make their annual stop at Riverbend
  • Motherfolk and Moonbeau play the Woodward
  • Augustana is at Ludlow Garage
  • Thee Sinseers and The Altons (retro soul/R&B) play a free concert at RiversEDGE in Hamilton
  • Kyle Eldridge & the Kentucky Cowhands play the freebie at the Levitt in Dayton

On Saturday, June 14, an enterprising young band called The Collies plays the back patio at the Anderson Township Pub from 7-10 p.m. I’ve heard their music (mostly rock covers, with a few originals) many, many times… because they practice in my son Gabriel’s room. (He’s the drummer.)

Stop by and check ’em out. I’ll buy you a beer.

Then tell your friends, because right now my retirement plan consists of hoping The Collies make it big.

Other shows on 6/14:

  • Tab Benoit plays the Taft
  • Buddy Guy is at the Rose
  • Houndmouth will be at the Ovation
  • Coastal Club, Mosant, and Deaf Andrews are at the Madison Theater
  • Boney James plays Ludlow Garage

On Sunday, June 15:

  • The Wallflowers play Bogart’s
  • Laurelview Ramblers are at the Lost Bridge Beverage Co.
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd (featuring ZERO original members) plays the Rose

We love it live!

The bad news: Wild Pink was a late scratch from the IndieCraft festival lineup in Springfield, Ohio.

The good news: No dogs or cats were eaten during the festival.

The better news: Aaron Lee Tasjan did two sets to cover for Wild Pink, and Snarls absolutely crushed it during their outdoor set.

Thanks to a ticket from Ken “The Lobby Boy” Laube (catch him on Inhailer Radio Fridays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.) I caught Night 2 of The Magnetic Fields doing 69 Love Songs at Memorial Hall. I’m pretty sure it’s the first show I’ve seen where all the band members were seated, but the set was stellar.

The Cereal Killers killed it at Big Ash Brewing. It was great to see so many list members in attendance for that gig: Whit, Barb, Dan R., Dan B., Mike, John, Dave, Phil, Aron… A great evening of music – here’s hoping for another CK gig soon!

It was great hanging out with the Inhailer Radio crew (and list members Amy, Ken, and David) at Hi-Wire Brewing on Memorial Day during their Indie 500 countdown.

This past Wednesday, I went up to Cleveland to catch The Tubs opening up for The Wedding Present at The Grog Shop. I’m so glad I made the long drive – both bands were outstanding!

Hot ticket alert

Emma Swift is playing an Undertow show in Cincinnati on Tuesday, August 5th. You can get your tickets here. I can neither CONFIRM nor deny that the venue will be The Columbia (home of WEENsdays).

At least one D2 has talent!

Congrats to list member Dale Doyle (the OG D2) for his fantastic design work on Matt Berninger’s new solo album, which came out Friday.

At least one (former) Foo Fighter has a sense of humor

Josh Freese was relieved of his drummer duties, but he seems to be taking it in stride. Here’s his IG post from the next day:

Take me to the RiversEDGE… and you’ll Levitt in Dayton

Hamilton’s free summer concert lineup is below. And the outdoor stage is just a stone’s throw an empty beer can’s throw from Municipal Brew Works too!

And here’s the lineup for the free concerts at the Levitt Pavilion in Dayton – highlights include Chuck Prophet, Robbie Fulks, Carlene Carter, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Say She She, Eilen Jewel, and Sinkane. You can BYOB (cans) too!

Out with the old (music), in with the new

Music historian Ted Gioia talks about the challenges of today’s music biz (accent on the “biz” part) in The Atlantic:

But there’s hope for the future:

The full article is here.

Punk’s not dead, it just moved to Tennessee

Article is here.

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

Glenn is trying to hoodwink us. That woman doesn’t want to “share his life” – she has been abducted by Glenn and taken out to international waters.

The Devil IS real, and his name is Glenn Yarbrough, the kidnapper.

Out with the old, in with the new*

Concert Listings, Music, podcast

*does not apply to the annual summer calendar of shows at Riverbend Music Center (unofficial motto: “where every year feels like 1985”)

Wow, 2024 is almost over!

We still have a few more shows before we make like Bob Seger and turn the page to 2025 (a.k.a. The Year of the Snake Rat Pig… at least in D.C.)

Shows tomorrow:

  • Marcus King plays the Hard Rock Casino
  • Rumpke Mountain Boys play Annie’s
  • Halfway Hammered plays the Liberty Theater, with Wes Shipp opening
  • The Wonderlands and Coastal Club have a holiday show within the decidedly un-festive confines of Bogart’s
  • Abiyah plays Southgate with Radar
  • Northside Tavern has Abandoned Malls of America, Moonbeau, Bear the Moon, and Knavery
  • OYOXOYO / Static Falls / Oh Condor triple bill at MOTR

Tinfoil Hat Cowboys play two sets at MOTR on Sunday.

Kate Wakefield has an album release party at The Comet on Monday.

Tuesday is New Year’s Eve (a.k.a. “Amateur Night”). Watch out for all the drunken Dicks out there!

You can ring in the new year with… Rebecca Black?

Yep, she’s at the Hard Rock Casino. Or you can enjoy “Weird Year’s Eve” at the Woodward with Ernie Johnson from Detroit and several other bands.

Madison Theater, Ovation, Ludlow Garage, and MOTR also have NYE celebrations.

[Speaking of balls dropping, New Year’s Eve also is the 60th birthday of your favorite creator of weird concert listing posts. Maybe Chrissie Hynde will stop by.]

On Thursday, Jan. 2nd, list member Keith Neltner and I will be celebrating our BDs (Keith’s is that day!) with a super-casual happy hour gathering at Camp Spring Tavern. Stop by if you’d like. First beer’s on me.

BTW, Camp Springs Tavern has live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday all month long:

Also on 1/2, Joe’s Truck Stop kicks off two months of “Honky Tonk Thursdays” in the Southgate House Lounge.

Blanche will probably be there…

But Fred and Lamont won’t.

Next Friday, Jan. 3rd, 2025, Lez Zeppelin (“All Girls, All Zeppelin”) plays Physical Graffiti in its entirety at Ludlow Garage.

The Woodward Theater unspools a couple of classic rock docs soon:

  • Stop Making Sense on Monday, 1/6
  • Don’t Look Back (the Bob Dylan doc by D.A. Pennebaker) on Tuesday, 1/7

The Loon Wine Bar in Northside hosts a Folk Jam Session with Mike Oberst of The Tillers on Weds., Jan. 8th.

On Friday, Jan. 10th:

  • Tommy Prine plays Southgate
  • Ludlow Garage has the Pink Floyd tribute band Floyd Nation – they’ll be doing a Wish You Were Here-inspired set list and light show.

The Maria Carrelli Band plays the Liberty Theater on Saturday, 1/11, and Warren G will regulate at Bogart’s.

[Oops, my bad, that’s Warren, E (D). She’s also a big fan of regulatin’.]

On Sunday, Jan. 12th:

  • The Rabbit Hash General Store’s “Sunday Music Behind the Stove” series kicks off with The Tillers at 2pm – full slate is below.
  • The Woods (folk rock trio) and Jonathan Cody White (Cincy singer/songwriter) play a Downtowne Listening Room show at the Historic Boone County Courthouse

On Monday, 1/13, Woodward Theater screens Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story.

(I’ve heard good things about this documentary – here’s the Sound Opinions podcast interview with Redd Kross founders, brothers Jeff & Steve McDonald.)

Shows of Note(s)

  • Kim Deal is playing the Woodward on 2/21… that show is already sold-out.
  • Robyn Hitchcock will be at Southgate on 3/1.

A screen grab of this Insta (courtesy of list member Whit Gardner) really sums up how I feel about live music:

Reading is Fundamental

Here’s Amanda Petrusich’s year-end list of favorite albums from The New Yorker.

And from that same magazine, this book review/article about Spotify is scary and depressing for true music fans.

Money quote:

The Internet was supposed to free artists from the monoculture, providing the conditions for music to circulate in a democratic, decentralized way. To some extent, this has happened: we have easy access to more novelty and obscure sounds than ever before. But we also have data-verified imperatives around song structure and how to keep listeners hooked, and that has created more pressure to craft aggressively catchy intros and to make songs with maximum “replay value.” Before, it was impossible to know how many times you listened to your favorite song; what mattered was that you’d chosen to buy it and bring it into your home. What we have now is a perverse, frictionless vision for art, where a song stays on repeat not because it’s our new favorite but because it’s just pleasant enough to ignore. 

Watch This!

Waxahatchee on NPR’s Tiny Desk… chef’s kiss!

Holiday fun(nies)

(If Baby Jesus had been born in Toronto instead of Bethlehem, he could’ve played “YYZ.”)

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

“A dramatic comparison to death.” Geez, that sounds like a really uplifting album. (Or me describing a two-hour “long range planning” meeting at my work.) Can’t we listen to something happier?

Ah, yes, that’s more like it. (Vestal doesn’t realize that the boys are laughing at her hairdo!)

Hot June, Hotter Tunes

Concert Listings, Music

Gee Willikers, it’s not officially Summer yet, and we’re already melting. Just as the great Rod Serling predicted.

We’ve got more sizzling shows than Rozzi Famous Fireworks, so let’s plunge right in.

On Thursday, you have your pick of freebie shows:

  • The Tillers play at Washington Park
  • The Menus serve up a freebie at Ault Park
  • Noah Wotherspoon will be (blues) Rockin’ the Roebling (Smale Park)
  • Fairfield Village Green hosts the Fooz Fighters
  • Proxima Parada and Happy Landing are doing the free show at RiversEDGE in Hamilton
  • Wildermiss and The Smug Brothers play Levitt Pavilion in Downtown Dayton (BYOB!)
  • Lawrenceburg Civic Park has an Elton John tribute

If you insist on spending your hard-earned cash, you can check out Al Di Meola at Memorial Hall or Robert Glasper at Ludlow Garage.

Friday night:

  • Reverend Horton Heat and Supersuckers (Eddie Spaghetti! Metal Marty! Chango!) play the old Annie’s
  • TyeDye Band (feat. list member John Sandman) plays Plain Folk Café in Pleasant Plain, OH
  • The Used are at Bogart’s (seems fitting – that venue is quite used)
  • Mike Wade and the Nasty NATI Brass Band play a freebie at Levitt in Dayton
  • Last and certainly least, New Kids on the Block, Paul Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff will be at Riverbend.

Or a colonoscopy.

Friday (June 21st) also marks the 27th wedding anniversary of your humble scribe and his long-suffering wife. She will be celebrating by going to West Virginia for a “trail run.” Which basically means that instead of spending time with me, she’d rather hang with this guy:

And no one in their right mind could possibly blame her for that choice.

The Right Reverend Horton Heat is back in action on Saturday, this time playing a free show at Levitt Pavilion in scenic downtown Dayton. (Or maybe it just seems scenic after you’ve had a few free beers.) I’ll be at that show, stocked cooler and lawn chair in hand, along with list member Dave “the Father Murphy of Modern Rock” Tellmann and our friend “El Blanco.” Earlier that day, Tracy Walker plays for free at the Smale Esplanade (5-7 p.m.)

Non-free shows that evening include Charlie Musselwhite and Elvin Bishop at Ludlow Garage, Matt St. George at MOTR, Mr. Speed (a KISS tribute band) at Fraze, and Janet Jackson at Riverbend. I’m sure the Janet Jackson show will be Dyn-O-Mite!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday:

  • Kurt Vile and the Violators play the Taft
  • Moonbeau is at Madison Live
  • Will Kimbrough is at Southgate
  • Krystal Peterson plays Carriage House Farm in North Bend (1 p.m. show)
  • The Robert Randolph Band plays a freebie at Fountain Square, with Lauren Eylise and The Perfect Children (that’s a band, not to be confused with my kids)

Blues rocker Carolyn Wonderland plays Southgate on Tuesday, June 25th, with Shelley King opening the show.

Next Wednesday (6/26), Noah Wotherspoon plays a free show at Fountain Square, and Donny Osmond plays the Carol Brady.

Next Thursday (6/27) is plenty busy too:

  • Eric Johanson (blues) plays Ludlow Garage
  • Chris Knight plays a full-band show at Southgate
  • Ben Levin performs at HighGrain Brewing’s new Brentwood location
  • Dreamboat Annie (a Heart tribute band) will play Lawrenceburg’s Civic Park
  • Camp Spring Tavern has their bi-weekly Bluegrass Jam

Next Friday (6/28):

  • Dada does a “Return to Dizzkneeland” show at Southgate
  • Santana and Counting Crows at Riverbend
  • Ghostface Killah at Madison Theater
  • Hollywood Nights (a Bob Seger tribute band) at Ludlow Garage
  • The Vindys with The Hathaways at Levitt in Dayton. Who’s your favorite Hathaway? Here’s mine – she’s smokin’:

Buddy Guy plays the Taft on Saturday, June 29th, with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram as the opener. Did I ever tell you about when I was working at B-105/WDJO (“all oldies all the time!”) back in the late 80s and somehow finagled a photographer’s pass for that year’s Chicago Blues Fest, and was front row for Buddy Guy and Junior Wells playing an acoustic set? Lying pays off, kids!

[The photo above wasn’t taken by me (Paul Natkin took it), but it could’ve been if I knew how to operate the prop camera I brought along.]

Other 6/29 shows include The Arcadian Wild at the Woodward, Mad Anthony at Southgate, Yonder Mountain String Band at the old Annie’s, and Nashville singer/songwriters Sarah Peacock & Dannie Nicholls playing a Downtowne Listening Room show at the Hellmann Creative Center in Covington.

The Beach Boys, having tired of Aruba, Bahama and even Kokomo (Indiana), are taking their surfboards to Kettering, Ohio on Monday, July 1st. Because it’s the Fraze that pays.

On Tuesday, July 2nd, Riverbend will have a show by Third Eye Blind… as predicted by the great Rod Serling:

We can’t tout two Reverend Horton Heat shows without also mentioning a rockin’ Sister.

Er, actually it’s Sister Hazel. And the only people who could make you believe that they are as good as Sister Bertrille would be the best spin doctors. Well, it’s your lucky day, because Spin Doctors are on the bill with Sister Hazel at Mason’s “Red, Rhythm & Boom” show on July 3rd! SH and SD both will be opening up for Rozzi Famous Fireworks.

[Sidebar: I get the “rhythm” and the “boom” part of the Mason show, but what’s up with the “Red”?… Is it because it’ll be “red hot”? Or because it’s MAGA country? If they’re trying to play off “Red, White & Blue” then “Rhythm” is… out of rhythm… OK, I realize I’m giving this waaay too much thought. Better to be like the WVa banjo player.]

That same evening, Tinfoil Hat Cowboys will play the free “Wildcard Wednesdays” show at Factory 52.

Ernie Johnson from Detroit will bring a different kind of fireworks to Smale Park on the 4th of July and Hamilton’s RiversEDGE has That Arena Rock Show, just as our Founding Fathers intended.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers will sock it to you at Riverbend on Friday, July 5th.

Domecrusher (a band featuring list member Todd Quincy on keyboards) plays 513 Hamilton on Saturday, July 6th.

The holiday weekend wraps up with The Amish Outlaws at the old Annie’s on Sunday, 7/7.

We love it live

Pixies/Modest Mouse/Cat Power at the Brady was a great triple bill.

I met up with a college buddy in D.C. for GBV at a tiny club (The Atlantis, modeled after the famous original 9:30 Club) – killer show!

On Father’s Day, I got to see my son’s band play a brief opener set at Madison Live.

(He’s on drums… drummers never get much photo love.)

And last night, Dave Tellmann, Todd Quincy, Todd’s wife Christy (or Christi, or Kristy, or Kristie, or Kristi…) and I were treated to Los Lobos and Little Feat. Los Lobos are an American treasure – always stellar. And Little Feat “knew the assignment” – they were “Willin'” to play the hits.

Have van, won’t travel

I also was supposed to see S.G. Goodman at Southgate this past Friday, along with list members Matt and Pam Fellerhoff, and “Rico”… but S.G.’s van had other ideas:

Thankfully Rico and I, along with another co-worker and their friends, made lemons out of lemonade by having dinner at Tuba Baking Co. in Dayton, KY (great German food, including veggie options) and then playing semi-inebriated pickleball in Ft. Thomas. Because I am humble, I can neither confirm nor deny that I crushed Rico and our colleague Cathy in a 2 vs. 1 match, then proceeded to beat Rico in a head-to-head matchup (because he thought Cathy was “holding him back.”) *Ron Howard “Arrested Development” voiceover: “Cathy was NOT holding him back.”*

A gentleman never reveals the score of his pickleball matches. But suffice it to say that the next point Rico scores against me will be his first.

Album Covers of the Weeks: Whipping out the organ

Exactly what type of “organ” are we talking about here?

Oh, I see, the woman on the first album cover is staring at Eddie Layton’s organ. We’ve gotta admit, it’s quite impressive! And apparently he’s into bondage.

OK, enough of these organ double single entendres. Let’s switch to something wholesome, like piano.

There, that’s much better. No one could possibly find something puerile and vulgar about a Dick Hyman album, right?