Richard Lloyd

Jam-uary rocks!

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

Let me be the 427th person to wish you a Happy New Year!

But also let me be the first person to wish you a Slappy New Year!

My resolution is to let you know about the cool musical artists coming to our area as we celebrate “Jam-uary” – which is a rockin’ portmanteau that I totally stole from Camp Springs Tavern in scenic Camp Springs, Kentucky. CST is putting the “jam” into January by hosting live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday all month long:

  • Bluegrass Jam on Thursdays – Jan. 8, 15, 22, and 29 – starting at 6pm (shows below start at 7pm)
  • Slim Pickin’s on Friday the 9th
  • Stick & Bindle on Saturday the 10th
  • Betsy Smith on Friday the 16th
  • Witches of the Rifle Range and Kait & the California Kings on Saturday the 17th
  • Dave Webster on Friday the 23rd
  • Kurt Adams on Saturday the 24th
  • T. Lipscomb on Friday the 30th
  • South of Sin on Saturday the 31st

Whereas I will be jamming more Fig Newtons into my piehole all month long.

OK, let’s take a gander at the other gigs:

Tonight, The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars play… you guessed it… the Comet. Note: The Comet bar is not to be confused with the cleaner that young Robby Benson used to hawk.

On Thursday:

  • Maggie Antone plays Southgate’s Sanctuary, with Ava Hall opening
  • A1A (the official and original Jimmy Buffett tribute show) will be at the Ludlow Garage

Hmm, that “A1A” name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?

On Friday:

  • Joe’s Truck Stop plays Northside Tavern
  • Bogart’s has Ten, A Tribute to Pearl Jam
  • The Funky Ducks play MOTR with the Brian Bacon Band and SUN.DYLE
  • Laid Back Country Picker and 9 LB Hammer play Southgate.

Hmm, “Hammer” sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before?

Catch Richard Lloyd Group with The Dummy Ups at MOTR on Saturday. (Richard Lloyd was in Television. Word on the street is that he’s a decent guitarist…)

That same evening, the Liberty Theater has bluesman Mike Milligan & Steam Shovel, and Bogart’s hosts The Four Horsemen. They are billed as “the only album-quality Metallica tribute” but this one works too:

Real Estate plays the Woodward on Tuesday, January 13. I’ll be there, and you should be too! Note: purchasing a ticket to Real Estate does not require a regular mortgage or a reverse mortgage.

G. Love & Special Sauce will be at the Ludlow Garage on Wednesday, January 14. (G. Love & Special Sauce is not to be confused with “Glove and no special sauce” which was a scene from Animal House.)

Jess Lamb & Friends play MOTR on Thursday, January 15, and Southgate has Noah Smith’s Crooner Circus songwriter showcase.

On Friday, January 16, Amythyst Kiah plays Southgate, and Ludlow Garage has The Ultimate Doors. (“Ultimate Doors” in a Garage are not to be confused with the garage door company named after Amy and Erin.)

On Saturday, January 17:

  • Trampled by Turtles plays the Taft
  • Denitia (an NPR “artist to watch”) plays the Liberty Theater, with Maria Carrelli opening.

Eaglemania hits Ludlow Garage on Sunday the 18th. Note: Eaglemania may result in excessive hotel charges.

Liberty Theater has Back2Mac (Fleetwood Mac tribute) on Thursday, January 22.

On Friday, January 23:

  • Charlie Starr (of Blackberry Smoke) plays Ludlow Garage
  • Bogart’s gets in on the tribute band action with Thunderstruck (“America’s AC/DC tribute band.”)

Low Gap plays Southgate on Saturday, January 24, with Julia DiGrazia as the opener, and Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Souther-Hillman-Furay Band) is at Ludlow Garage.

Hey look, it’s another tribute band: Pet Sounds plays Ludlow Garage on Sunday, January 25. Note: “Pet Sounds” (the Beach Boys tribute band) is not to be confused with a See ‘n Say:

On Monday, January 26, The Faux Frenchmen play Memorial Hall.

The Sadies and Krystal Peterson play Southgate on Wednesday, January 28.

On Thursday, January 29, it’s The Infamous Stringdusters with Mountain Grass Unit at the Taft.

Gigs on Friday, January 30:

  • Umphrey’s McGee plays the Peter Brady
  • Woodward Theater has a very nice triple bill with Sharp Pins (GBV-esque), Good Flying Birds, and Artificial Go. I’ll be at that gig with list member Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube (he’s on Inhailer Fridays 11a-3p)
  • Southgate has a Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds tribute band called Monkeys on a String.

Annnd the month wraps up on Saturday, January 31 with:

  • The Collies (my son’s in that band!) playing The Vault in Mt. Lookout from 8-11 p.m. First beer’s on me!
  • Jimmy Davis Blues at Liberty Theater
  • And yes, there are not one but two tribute band shows: Let’s Groove Tonight (Earth, Wind & Fire) plus a Kool & the Gang tribute band at Ludlow Garage, and Madison Theater has “Tell Me Lies: The Fleetwood Mac Experience.”

We love it live!

Erika Wennerstrom playing a sold-out show at The Columbia: spellbinding! (Great to see list members Kevin, Tom, Jamie, Rico, and Coffee Kyle in the house too!)

(If you’re keeping score at home, Erika’s show was Concert #40 for me in 2025.)

The dreaded “In Memoriam” section

Joe Ely was a rare gem.

Raul Malo had a voice from the heavens.

Steve Cropper was a soul man through and through.

Record exec Howie Klein was one of the few good “suits.”

Perry Bamonte played guitar with The Cure for 15 years and rejoined them for their recent tours.

My admiration for their admiration

I get positively giddy when artists I like show some love for other artists I like.

And Chuck and Lisa from Wussy gave a shout-out to Buffalo Tom on one of their recent “Forever Sounds Radio” shows on WAIF-FM:

Speaking of Buff Tom, lead singer Bill Janovitz speaks the truth:

A list of the lists

The website Album of the Year (one of my go-to sites for new releases) has links to dozens of year-end “best of” lists.

And shout-out to John Richards of KEXP for putting this 2025 release from the band Suzzallo on my radar – it’s a rocker:

Here’s Suzzallo’s live in-studio performance on KEXP:

Shameless self-promotion

The three most recent “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast episodes feature Dave Tellmann and I chatting with:

  1. the folks behind Undertow Music (they book the house shows that I’ve hosted).
  2. Chris DeVille, the managing editor of Stereogum and author of the new book Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion.
  3. former 97X DJ Rictile and list member Todd Butler about the old 97X Home Invasion live broadcasts (warning: post contains photos of scantily clad men).

Out, out, damned Spot(ify)!

Speaking of Stereogum’s Chris DeVille, he lists several bands who have pulled their music from Spotify.

Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds) also makes a strong case for choosing an alternative on the Undertow site.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has invested €600m Euros — nearly $700m USD — in Helsing, an AI military start-up of which he is now Chairman. Spotify is literally using money generated from artists’ work to create death and destruction in our world. And recently, Spotify has started taking money from their US subscribers to pay for ICE recruitment ads.

Hot ticket alert

Wussy is playing a full band show at The Woodward on Friday, February 27. Get tickets here.

Letters to the editor (and hope for the future)

From list member Lisa Collins:

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s): New Year, New You!

Leg warmers sold separately.

I’m all for figure control, but if I tried Fran’s cover pose, I’d fracture several vertebrae.

Yes, “Boogie” will be my morning exercise routine in 2026. Especially if I can scale walls and crash through windows like the S.W.A.T. team:

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.