Ween

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.

Spring Music Flings

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music

Like an agitated monkey, I’m about to fling some poop at you.

But you should be used to it by now – I do it every few weeks! If you can navigate around the verbal shite, you’ll find some cool concerts to check out.

Shows on tap for tonight:

  • Henhouse Prowlers and Moonshine Drive at the Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg
  • William Elliott Whitmore and Dave Hause at the Woodward, with Micah Schnabel opening
  • The Screaming Orphans at Ludlow Garage
  • Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is at the Coliseum

Saturday shows:

  • Sylmar does two sets at MOTR
  • Buffalo Nichols plays the Liberty Theater
  • Southgate hosts the Newport Music Roots Festival (doors 3 p.m.) – details below
  • Woodward Theater has “Play for L.A.” – a benefit for fire-impacted musicians. The lineup includes Rae Fisher, The Montvales, Jess Lamb, Siri Imani and more.
  • Mike Detmer and Adam Gilliam play the Lost Bridge Beverage Co. in North Bend
  • Christine Harvilla Duo with Colleen Clark plus Sami Riggs at the Boone County Courthouse
  • Annie’s hosts Grateful River III (a benefit for Down Syndrome) – details below

On Sunday, Ben Levin Blues Band is doing the Rabbit Hash Music Behind the Stove Series at 2 p.m., and the band Lawrence plays Bogart’s in the evening.

Woodward has An Evening with Yo La Tengo on Tuesday. I’ll be at that gig, along with several other list members. Because Georgia, James and Ira are badasses!

Shannon McNally plays Southgate on Wednesday.

Thursday gigs:

  • Shadowgrass in Southgate’s main room, and Jake Blocker in the Revival Room
  • “Sons of Cream” (Kofi Baker, Malcolm Bruce and Rob Johnson) play Ludlow Garage. (Maybe they should call themselves “Half & Half”?)
  • Liberty Theater has a Comedy Night featuring Adam Minnick

Concerts next Friday, March 28:

  • The Blind Boys of Alabama with Shemekia Copeland at Taft Theatre
  • Chicago Farmer & the Fieldnotes at Southgate
  • The Outlaws at Ludlow Garage
  • Cody Ikerd & the Sidewinders Album release show w/Joe Clark at Liberty Theater
  • Little Miami Brewing’s event center has “Night Moves: The Ultimate Bob Seger Experience”
  • Blue Note in Harrison hosts The Prince Experience (pancakes not included)

The slate on Saturday, March 29:

  • Liberty Theater has a Rebel Whiskey tasting (4 FREE tasting!) from 5-7, followed by the Lowdown Brass Band
  • Blackhawk at Ludlow Garage
  • Lily Rose at Bogart’s
  • Bumpin’ Uglies at Madison Theater
  • Willi Carlisle at Southgate in the Revival Room
  • Annie’s has the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella
  • Blue Note features “Midnight Blue” (Foreigner Tribute) with One Way to Rock (Sammy Hagar tribute)

Shows on Sunday, March 30:

  • The Star Devils play Rabbit Hash in the afternoon
  • Sarah Shook & the Disarmers are at Liberty Theater (I plan to go to that show)
  • JD Simo and Luther Dickinson (of North Mississippi Allstars) at Southgate

Ricky Nye will be tickling the ivories as only Ricky can on Monday, March 31 at Memorial Hall, and Taft has The Faint with Plack Blague.

Shows on April Fools’ Day:

  • The Surfrajettes with Black Widow at Madison Theater
  • Al Stewart & Livingston Taylor at Memorial Hall
  • The Righteous Brothers “Loving Feeling Farewell Tour” makes a stop at Taft. (If you’ve lost that loving feeling, see your urologist!)

Wednesday, April 2 is another WEENsday at The Columbia in the East End (4311 Eastern Ave.) and this month’s featured WEEN album is Chocolate and Cheese… so they’ll have some chocolate-covered cheese to share.

I plan to attend that event. You should too – The Columbia is a very cool space (with a vintage jukebox in the basement), and WEENsdays are free and you can BYOB!

Tunes & Blooms kicks off at the Cincinnati Zoo on Thursday, April 3. Moonshine Drive and Pickin’ Pear will be on the T&B stages. The full April lineup is here. That same evening, right down the street, you can catch The Seven Wonders (yes, yet another Fleetwood Mac tribute band) at Ludlow Garage.

The Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg has a Record Fair April 4-5.

Shows on Friday 4/4 include Judah & the Lion* at Bogart’s and Eaglemania “The World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute”** at Ludlow Garage.

* If Bogart’s says their bathrooms are clean, they’re lion… er, lyin’.

**Pretty sure the world’s greatest Eagles Tribute is playing the Sphere in Las Vegas.

On Saturday, April 5:

  • The Young Dubliners play Ludlow Garage
  • John Waite is at the Taft
  • Queensrÿche plays Belterra Casino in Florence, Indiana
  • Patterson Hood is at the Whirling Tiger in Louisville, with Lydia Loveless as the opener

Sunday, April 6, Ludlow Garage has The Phil Collins Experience (warning: contains no Phil Collins).

We love it live!

MJ Lenderman and Wild Pink at the Green Lantern Bar in Lexington KY was off-the-charts amazing (set list is here). A Top 5 all-time show for me, thanks to list member Frank B.

This GQ profile of MJ is nice too. Money quote:

“Once music and work and money all become the same thing, it gets hard to do it casually. But that was the reason I was able to do anything meaningful in the first place,” he admits. “You can see that through my whole life, just being able to go to a friend’s house and make something and not worry about what it is.”

Now hear this!

The new album from The Tubs is top-notch. Richard Thompson meets Hüsker Dü.

Speaking of Richard Thompson, Bandcamp has a great feature about his influence on younger artists. Sayeth Mary Timony:

“His tone is always amazing, but here’s the thing—most importantly—his songwriting is great. He’s kind of the total package, in that he does both songwriting and playing guitar very well.”

Neil Young to The Cure: Why can’t I be you?

Neil is following Robert Smith’s lead on ticket prices. Could Neil wearing guyliner be next?

Ohio All The Time

New songs from Mommy and Sun Kil Moon reference the Buckeye State.

Of course it’s not Sun Kil Moon’s first Ohio rodeo:

The Best Video Ever

Today is the greatest… actually, 30 years ago was better

Fake Album Cover of the Week

This one (which came our way courtesy of Cereal Killers frontman Howard Cohen) has been doctored, but it should have been real:

Here’s the original album cover:

Speaking o’ our friends Cereal Killers, their drummer Chris Glen recently had surgery for prostate cancer. Here’s an update and his PSA P.S.A.

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

Yet another PSA P.S.A.

The Clarion Trio was waaay ahead of the curve on “throuples.”

New Year, New Tunes

Concert Listings, Music

Happy New Year, my friend! May your 2025 be rockin’!

I hope your resolutions are holding up well, too.

It’s not exactly a monster lineup of concerts, but let’s check the ol’ calendar to see what’s brewing the the live lab.

Tomorrow night, Memorial Hall has Queen Of The Queen City, The Musical Times of Mamie Smith. The band will be Ben Levin, Candice Ivory, Noah Wotherspoon, and Brandon Pettiford. And the Woodward Theater screens Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story.

On Wednesday, Hillary Hahn (the NKY singer-songwriter, not Hilary Hahn, the violinist) plays Arnold’s, and The Gilmour Project: Wish You Were Here is at Memorial Hall. The Gilmour Project is:

  • Pete Lavezzoli (drums with Black JGB, Oteil & Friends), and Hilary Hahn plays Arnold’s
  • Jeff Pevar (lead guitar with CSN, David Crosby/CPR, Joe Cocker, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, Phil Lesh & Friends, Ricki Lee Jones, Marc Cohn)
  • Berry Oakley (bass & vocals with Allman Betts Band, North Mississippi All-Stars, Blue Floyd & The Doors)
  • Mark Karan (guitar & vocals with Bob Weir, RatDog, The Other Ones, Dave Mason)
  • Scott Guberman (keyboard & vocals with Phil Lesh & Friends, Keystone Revisited)

The Gilmour Project isn’t: David Gilmour.

Thursday, The Daniel Wayne Band (more on them later) plays MOTR. And if you’re into pro wrasslin’, Lori’s Roadhouse in West Chester has something big… er, little, in store.

Shows this Friday:

  • Peter Mulvey plays Southgate
  • Ernie Johnson from Detroit is at the Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg, IN
  • Ludlow Garage has The Ultimate Doors
  • Ludlow Theater rolls out the red(s) carpet for the Bronson Arroyo Band

On Saturday:

  • Pelican and Knife the Symphony play the Woodward
  • Southgate House hosts Blind Mouse (a Radiohead tribute band)
  • Annie’s has the KISS tribute band Strutter

I wonder if, when Strutter hits the stage, they say “you wanted a reasonable facsimile of the best, you got a reasonable facsimile of the best”…

A week from tomorrow — on MLK Jr. Day, no less — it’s inauguration day for, as Jeff Tiedrich calls him:

a quadrice-indicted twice-impeached once-convicted popular-vote-losing adderall-huffing insurrection-leading ear-diapering testimony-ducking judge-threatening lawyer-ignoring debate-avoiding witness-tampering day-one-dictatoring disabled-veteran-dishonoring inheritance-squandering rube-fleecing clown-makeup-smearing language-mangling sneaker-hawking serial-sexual-predating draft-dodging casino-bankrupting butler-bullying daughter-perving hush-money-paying real-estate-scamming bone-spur-faking ketchup-hurling justice-obstructing classified-war-plan-thieving golf-cheating stock-manipulating weather-map-defacing war-criminal-pardoning horse-paste-promoting paper-towel-flinging race-baiting tax-evading evidence-destroying charity-defrauding money-laundering diaper-filling 88-count 78-year-old fluorescent-tangerine narcoleptic fart factory. 

Next Tuesday (1/21), local singer/songwriter/all-around-great-guy Todd Lipscomb plays Arnold’s.

Liberty Theater has a free Songwriters in the Round show next Thursday (1/23) featuring Harley Day and James Reed.

Shows on Friday, Jan. 24:

  • Webb Wilder and Bucket play Southgate
  • Mosant is at MOTR
  • Papadosio kicks off a two-night stand at the Madison Theater
  • Meshell Ndegeocello plays Ludlow Garage
  • Little Miami Brewing Co. hosts The Eagles Project
  • The Blue Note in Harrison has Captain Fantastic (Elton John tribute) with 52nd Street (yes, a Billy Joel tribute band)

On Saturday, Jan. 25:

  • Memorial Hall has “On a Winter’s Night” with singer/songwriters Cliff Eberhardt, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, and Patty Larkin
  • Magnolia Boulevard plays the Liberty Theater, with Pure Grain also on the bill
  • The Montvales play the Woodward, with The Harmed Brothers and Rae Fisher
  • Papadosio is papa-doing it again at Madison Theater
  • Adeem the Artist plays Southgate
  • JD Legends in Franklin, OH has Thunderstruck (America’s AC/DC)
  • The Aronoff hosts The Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular

Noah Wotherspoon plays the Rabbit Hash “Music Behind the Stove” series on Sunday, Jan. 26 (2 p.m. show start) and Tinfoil Hat Cowboys play two sets that evening at MOTR.

The Faux Frenchmen play Memorial Hall on Monday, Jan. 27. Here’s my favorite faux Frenchman:

Memorial Hall has “All You Need is Love: An All-Star Tribute to the Beatles” on Tuesday, Jan. 28.

  • Kasim Sulton – Vocals, Bass, Guitar (Meatloaf, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, Blue Oyster Cult, Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick, Cyndi Lauper, Patty Smyth, Joan Jett)
  • Steve Kimock – Guitar, Bass (Zero, Oteil & Friends, Jazz Is Dead, The Other Ones, RatDog, Rhythm Devils, Phil Lesh & Friends, Kingfish, Heart of Gold Band)
  • Prairie Prince – Drums (The Tubes, Journey, Todd Rundgren, Blue Floyd, Jefferson Starship, Phil Lesh & Friends, XTC, George Harrison, Chris Isaak)
  • Bobby Lee Rodgers – Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Sitar Simulation (Jazz is Dead, The Codetalkers with Col. Bruce Hampton, Vassar Clements, Warren Haynes, Widespread Panic, George Porter Jr.)
  • Gil Assayas – Vocals, Keyboard (Kasim Sulton’s Utopia, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia)
  • Mark Rashotte – Guitar (Jake Clemons, Creed, Photograph)
  • Andy Forgie – Vocals, Theatrics (Creed, Photograph)
  • Narrated by Michael Des Barres (The Mistakes, Power Station, Detective, Silverhead)

Not part of the band: Pete Best.

Go to church on WEENsdays

Here’s a pretty cool monthly event going on down on Eastern Avenue (where it’s still called “Eastern Avenue” not the hoity toity “Riverside Drive” section). My friend Eric’s wife Laura runs The Columbia, an old church that’s been converted into a performance space.

I’ve visited the venue, it has great acoustics, a cool vibe, and a vintage jukebox in the basement.

And it’s available for audio and video recording (Ruby Vileos, The Hiders, and Daniel Wayne Band all have test driven it), rehearsal space, private shows, social gatherings, and more.

Follow The Columbia on Instagram, and email the.columbia.cincy@gmail.com for more info.  

A+ on SNL

I’m not the biggest Hozier fan in the world, but he and his band and backup singers did justice to one of the best Xmas songs ever.

Wurster has Slim musical knowledge

Jon Wurster (drummer for Mountain Goats and Bob Mould, formerly with Superchunk) is a great follow on Instagram. His #mynewworstfriend posts are consistently hilarious (see below for a prime example). But he also is a student of the the scene, and his tribute to the late great replacement Replacement Slim Dunlap was fantastic:

List member Joe Sampson and I will always fondly remember talking to Slim at the old Southgate House. The liquor store named Cabooze figured prominently in the conversation.

Jon Wurster also played on this tune (as did Wilco’s John Stirratt):

Winter weather is the Wurst

From the aforementioned Jon Wurster Instagram, where folks can submit weird and wacky photos/images to claim the daily title of his new worst friend.

America is catching on to Wussy

Their new album Cincinnati Ohio made several 2024 year-end best of lists. #50 on the Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Indie Rock Albums, #50 in the Stereogum Top 50, and #36 on Paste’s 40 Best Rock Albums.

Album Covers of the Weeks

My new year’s resolution. It’s a lot better than my current “work and stay poor” plan. I’m struggling with the “think” part, though.

Drinking and driving… what could possibly go wrong?

R.I.P. Slim