Robbie Fulks

Sizzlin’ Summer Shows

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

OMG, it’s Summer’s Eve!

Speaking of douches, how about that taxpayer-funded $45 million BD party for the Mango Mussolini?

OK, political rant over (maybe).

Just remember, the best way to combat that “not-so-fresh feeling” is to see some live music. 

Tonight:

  •  The Allman-Betts Band plays the old Annie’s
  • the Marsha Brady hosts Dispatch with John Butler and G. Love & Special Sauce + Donavon Frankenreiter
  • Emily Nenni and William Matheny will be at Southgate House

Queens of the Stone Age play a sold-out show at the Jan Brady on Wednesday. 

Speaking of Queens of the Stone Age: 

Gigs on Thursday: 

  • The String Cheese Incident at the Cindy Brady
  • North Mississippi Allstars at Ludlow Garage
  • Sean Geil of the Tillers hosts the Farm Jam at Lost Bridge Beverage Co. 
  • Murder by Death: The Farewell Tour 2025 with Laura Jane Grace at Southgate
  • Genesis Retouched: The Essence of the Phil Collins Era of Genesis at RiversEDGE
  • Megan Bee and Ma Crow & Company at Washington Park (free)
  • The Red NOT Chili Peppers play the Madison Theater

Shows on Friday: 

  • James Arthur plays the Greg Brady
  • Robbie Fulks headlines the FREE show at the Levitt Pavilion in Dayton
  • Sungaze and Horsehell are at the Liberty Theater
  • Garrett T. Capps and Nasa Country, Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band, and Styrofoam Winos play the Southgate (in advance of their Nelsonville sets)
  • Ally Venable plays Ludlow Garage
  • Dexter & the Moonrocks play the Ovation
  • MadTree Oakley has a summer solstice party with Jess Lamb, Siri Imani, Abby Vice, Aunty JoJo and KY Honey

Also, on Friday, the Nelsonville Music Festival kicks off with MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, Dehd and The Bug Club topping that day’s lineup. I’ll be there, as will list members Matt & Pam (not to be confused with Matt & Kim).

Oh, and the kids TV show stars The Wiggles have a show at the Rose Music Center in Dayton, but they really should be ashamed of and/or arrested for the show’s title:

Does Chris Hanson know about this?

Saturday is the first day of summer!

It’s also the longest day of the year. Perhaps not coincidentally, it’s my wedding anniversary! My lovely bride of (nearly) 28 years plans to join me at the Nelsonville Music Festival to:

a. see a bunch of bands she’s never heard of (Styrofoam Winos, Low Cut Connie, Esther Rose, Watchhouse, Being Dead, Bonnie Prince Billy, Charley Crockett and Black Lips) and

b. celebrate setting a new Guinness record for “most years married to a ne’er-do-well who spends most of his free time going to concerts and writing a really weird music blog.” (The Guinness folks are getting reeeeeally specific these days, and it’s a bit hurtful, tbh. They should stick to categories like “World’s Heaviest Twins”)

Also on Saturday, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit kick off a two-night “Evening with” stand at the Peter Brady. (It should be noted that the McCreary brothers never called what they were wearing an “outfit.”)

Other Saturday shows:

  • The Gaslight Anthem at Bogart’s
  • Say She She plays a show that’s free-free at Levitt Pavilion in Dayton
  • Taj Mahal is at the Ludlow Garage as a tune-up for his Nelsonville gig the next day
  • The Little River Band plays the Lawrenceburg Event Center
  • the Daniel Wayne Band headlines a show in Southgate’s Lounge
  • Tracy Walker plays a 5pm freebie at Smale’s Castellini Esplanade
  • Covington Metal Fest at Madison Live (bring 2 sets of earplugs)

On Sunday, the Outlaw Music Festival rolls into Riverbend, with Willie Nelson, Timothée Chalamet Bob Dylan, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles, and Myron Elkins.

That same evening, Jason Isbell plays Night #2 at the Bobby Brady. Southgate House has the California Guitar Trio and Kaki King, Nelsonville has The War & Treaty and Taj Mahal on tap, and Band of Horses plays an outdoor show at The Burl in Lexington.

Sweet Baby James Taylor plays Riverbend on Monday, 6/23, and the Rose in Dayton hosts “I want my 80s” tour featuring Rick Springfield, John Waite, Wang Chung, and Paul Young.

Get yer energy domes out on Tuesday, June 24 for Devo at the Carol Brady. (I’ll be there!)

Come to think of it, Carol Brady did have a bit of a Devo “hair helmet” vibe going on back in the day:

Other shows that evening:

  • Less than Jake at Bogart’s
  • The Mission UK with Poppy Jean Crawford at Ludlow Garage
  • The “I want my 80s” tour plays Riverbend. Which means if you are really ambitious, you can Wang Chung tonight for two nights in a row!

Double the Wang, Double the Chung, Double the Fun! (Er, let me modify the start of that last sentence… lest Chris Hanson pay me a visit.)

Did you know the 20th Century Theater in Oakley still has the occasional show? Neither did I, which is why we both missed out on getting tickets to see Fred Armisen’s sold-out “Comedy is for Musicians but Everyone is Welcome” show there on Wednesday, June 25.

Gigs on Thursday, June 26:

  • Billy Corgan and the Machines of God play Bogart’s
  • Sam Hibbard and the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys play the free Washington Park Roots Revival show
  • Across the street at Memorial Hall, it’s The Rush Tribute Project (I think it should be called “Out of the Rutsey” or “Closer to the Peart” or “Xana-don’t” of “La Villa Doppelgänger”…)
  • Way up yonder in Dayton, the Jayne Sachs Band (winner of 97Xposure 1995) plays a reunion show at Brightside (Dave and I talked to Jayne for an episode of the 97X “Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast back in 2021.)
  • Mr. Nicole Kidman plays Riverbend

Friday, June 27 is bursting at the seams with live music:

  • Young the Giant and Joywave play the Hard Rock lawn
  • Mannequin Pussy is at Bogart’s (they might’ve gotten their name from the infamous “Wheel o’ Sex” in Bogart’s backstage office)
  • Paleface plays a free show in the Southgate Lounge
  • Bear Hands and OK Cowgirl play Madison Live
  • Tyler the Creator is at the Coliseum, with Lil Yachty and Paris Texas
  • The old Annie’s has the AC/DC tribute band Back in Black
  • The Rose Music Center hosts The Fab Four: USA Meets the Beatles

Saturday, June 28 isn’t too shabby in the concert department either:

  • Patty Griffin plays Over the Rhine’s Nowhere Else Farm, with OTR doing the opening set (I’ll be at that gig!)
  • Sinkane and Moonbeau play the Liberty Theater
  • The Avett Brothers are at the Fraze
  • Dayton’s Levitt Pavilion hosts the Dayton Blues Fest

The Sun Ra Arkestra plays Memorial Hall on Tuesday, July 1.

Shows on Wednesday, July 2:

  • Manchester Orchestra at the Burl in Lexington
  • Greensky Bluegrass at the Rose
  • Ween Wednesday at the Columbia in the East End 6-10pm). They’ll be spinning White Pepper. BYOB. I was there last month, as was the legendary Billy Alletzhauser (Ass Ponys, Ruby Vileos, The Hiders) and the equally legendary Taylor Fox of Inhailer Radio. It’s a cool hang – stop by!

Ass Ponys sighting… OK, hearing

A recent episode of the Sound Opinions podcast (hosted by longtime Chicago music writers Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis) is about “Regrettable Band Names.” Jim talks quite a bit about the Ass Ponys (any publicity is good publicity, right?), and Greg calls Wussy a great band. (The segment starts around the 34:50 mark.)

Bootsy!

Tune in here. Or see Bootsy’s outfit when you watch it here. Bootsy always stays on the one.

We love it live!

Well, I missed the American Aquarium show (it was a lazy Sunday…) but I hear it was great. I did, however, catch Blonde Redhead and Squirrel Flower at the Woodward with list member Ken “Lobby Boy” Laube (also of Inhailer Radio fame – Fridays 11a-3p).

We mourn the dead

R.I.P. to Brian Wilson and Sly Stone.

“Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable.” (from his family’s statement)

We’re not getting any younger either!

Shirley’s had BOTH hips replaced. She’s still hip, though. Check out her interview on the Broken Record podcast here.

My angel former co-worker is a centerfold

List member Dale Doyle (the OG D2) was on The Tonight Show – Jimmy Fallon shows off the artwork Dale created for Matt Berninger’s new album, including a quick peek at the centerfold at the end of this clip:

The Reading Room

The Oxford American has a lovely “on the road with…” profile of Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee. Katie’s twin sister Allison (Swearin’) is also part of the story as Katie’s A&R rep for Anti- Records, and in an interesting bit of sibling symmetry, the feature was written by Jenn Pelly, whose twin sister Liz wrote the book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist. (Highly recommended.)

The “We can’t read” Room

That’s the album title, not a song title. Nice try, AI! Article is here.

What a lineup!

There’s only one possible reaction to that bill…

Details are here. Wish me luck convincing my wife that I need to go. Or better yet, buy my ticket.

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

E, L, and P are clearly trying to steal Jay Ferguson’s Thunder, but they don’t have the proper footwear:

Remember, when you have a hankering for falling down laughing in the wet grass, or nights in the cool sand, accept no substitute… ask for Jay Ferguson by name!

May the tunes be with you

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music

It’s almost time for that very special holiday:

Uh, not May the 4th… a.k.a. Spock’s birthday. Or maybe his “Life Day.”

The big day is May 10th – members of Wussy are playing a gig at my house. It’s the 3rd appearance for Chuck & Lisa, and to celebrate #3 they’re bringing a third member: Mark Messerly.

Mark and I are twin sons of different mothers – or we just have similar tastes in cool band t-shirts:

BTW, Mark’s solo project INERT has a new album out soon. Here’s the lead track:

But there are plenty of other cool (albeit less exclusive) gigs coming our way in the merry month of May. Let’s eyeball ’em.

Tonight (5/1):

  • The 502s and Daniel Nunnelee play Bogart’s
  • Kelsey Waldon is at Southgate
  • Todd Lipscomb and Easy Mark play MOTR

On Thursday:

  • The Tillers play the “Tunes & Blooms” gig at the Cincinnati Zoo
  • Red Wanting Blue plays Southgate
  • Camp Springs Tavern hosts the bi-weekly Bluegrass Jam
  • The Breakers (a tribute to Tom Petty… or to ’91 Keanu and Swayze) play Ludlow Garage

Friday night, the Wussy Trio (Chuck, Lisa, Mark) plays The Lodge in Dayton, KY.

That same evening, local Mumford-adjacent band Jim Trace & The Makers plays Arnold’s. That group features two of my co-workers… and a name clearly dreamt up on the bourbon aisle of a liquor store. (Perhaps “Cabooze” – the train caboose retrofitted to be a liquor store that was a famous landmark in Newport, KY.)

Saturday, in the new-Newport, Ovation hosts The Ultimate Doors: a tribute to The Doors. (Now I really miss the old Sin City… and the doors of Cabooze.)

Shows on Tuesday, May 7th:

  • Rufus Wainwright plays Ludlow Garage
  • Stiff Little Fingers are at Bogart’s (and also on my pickleball paddle hand)
  • The Messthetics (drummer Brendan Canty and bassist Joe Lally from Fugazi) play the Woodward. Opener is James Brandon Lewis w/Siren Suit

Kamasi Washington plays Ludlow on Wednesday, 5/8, and EXTC (with XTC drummer Terry Chambers) plays Radio Artifact.

On Thursday, 5/9, it’s time to bust out the pipe.

The Verve Pipe plays the Woodward Theater. That same evening, Tenille Townes (no relation to “Captain &” or “Van Zandt”) plays Ludlow, and Thievery Corporation plays Bogart’s. Thievery Corporation has a pretty cool logo:

Hah, that’s just a little good-natured ribbing there, my IRS friends… no need to audit me for that jibe. My “Cabooze” deductions are research expenses, and therefore completely legit!

On Friday, May 10th, Chuck Cleaver, Lisa Walker, and Mark Messerly of Wussy will be playing in my living room! (A rare occasion when I’m not the only wussy in the house…)

That same evening, Stanley Clarke plays the first of two nights at Ludlow. And Southern Culture on the Skids plays Southgate. Their poster is pretty cool:

Stanley Clarke is back at it on Saturday, 5/11 at Ludlow Garage.

Other 5/11 shows:

  • Robbie Fulks and Scott Miller play Southgate’s Revival Room (I’ll be at that gig)
  • Snõõper. Fruit Loops and The Serfs play the Woodward (list member Dave Tellmann’s son Jack produced some Snõõper tracks and has an engineering credit on their new album)
  • Bendigo Fletcher is in Southgate’s main room

Social Distortion and Bad Religion play the Cindy Brady on Sunday, May 12th, and Tommy Prine plays Southgate.

(My neighbors occasionally listen to live Wussy too!)

They Might Be Giants play a two-night “An Evening with…” stand at the Madison Theater on 5/14 and 5/15. The bill promises “2 very different shows. 8 piece band. 3 horns. 2 sets. 0 openers. Starts early. Gets loud.”

Another cool gig on Wednesday, May 15th is Parker Millsap and Robert Ellis doing the solo acoustic thing at Southgate.

There’s another bluegrass hootenanny at Camp Springs Tavern on Thursday, 5/16. Bring your own instrument.

Also on 5/16, Kraftwerk is playing the Ovation in Newport.

Friday, May 17th is a big night for shows:

  • The Violent Femmes will play their first two albums in a row during a show at the old Annie’s (I’ll be there. I already bought tickets… I got “two, two, two for my family” but now my son can’t go, so LMK if you want my extra, free of charge.)
  • The Secret Sisters play Southgate, with special guest Tyler Ramsey, formerly of Band of Horses
  • The jam band Houseplant plays Madison Theater
  • Ludlow Garage hosts “Live at the Fillmore – the definitive Allman Brothers tribute”
  • Saxon and Uriah Heep will rock Bogart’s… well, it’s more like Sagsome and Heap of Urologists now, but still, more power to ’em.

On Saturday, May 18th, the PNC Pavilion opens the shed season with… Brit Floyd… celebrating the 30th anniversary of a post-Roger/”meh” PF album (The Division Bell). (Sigh.) But at least on your way in, you can check out the progress on the destruction of the beloved Coney Island Pool. Maybe this guy can save it:

Webb Wilder closes out the weekend with a 70th Birthday Bash at Southgate House on Sunday, May 19th.

Love it live

Suzanne Vega put on a great show at Memorial Hall, and it was great to see quite a few list members there, including Janet W., who hooked me up with the presale code for Jayhawks tickets. Score!

Alvvays played a great set at Bogart’s. I went with list members “Deuce” and Matt V. List member Mighty Joe Sampson also was there with his 21-year-old daughter Maggie.

The GBV/Wussy show at Madison Theater was top-notch. Great to hear the full Wussy band. List members David and Amy Groff were there, but their daughter Maggie wasn’t… she’d better up her concert game!

John P. Strohm (Blake Babies, Lemonheads, Antenna, Velo-Deluxe) wrote a really nice Substack post about Guided By Voices. Check it out here.

The Far Side said it best

Then again, it beats the alternative. But old age does create some challenges:

Visual/caption above from this New Yorker piece called “How to dress for a concert in your thirties.”

Fast forward a generation and this happens:

Album Cover of the Week(s)

Ever the gracious hosts/hostess. Hold the lobster. But bring your dentures!