Brian Niesz engineered more than 400 live on-air performances at the woxy.com studio in Longworth Hall in Cincinnati, as well as dozens more during the station’s short-lived stint in Austin, Texas. No one had more of a hand in capturing the magic of those live music moments than he did. Brian tells us how he connected with woxy.com, lists some of his favorite live performances, and shares how he’s keeping “Lounge Acts” alive at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati.
Brian cites the Magnolia Electric Company performance as one of the most memorable. Here’s the audio from that session from 2009:
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings stopped by the Austin studios in 2010 as part of the SXSW performances:
And here are two performances from Frightened Rabbit:
Brian also toured with Heartless Bastards, mixing front-of-house sound for that band.
As Brian mentioned in our interview, he’s keeping the “Lounge Acts” brand alive in his current role as a multimedia producer at Channel 9 in Cincinnati.
You can check out all of the performances here: WCPO Lounge Acts. Below is the latest one, from the band Lung:
Ritt & Wilder Dietz play a sold-out gig at Parlor & Patio
Marc Cohn plays Ludlow Garage
The Ghost of Paul Revere is at Taft
Bitch, Katie Cash and Kristen Ford are in Southgate’s Revival Room
Night Owl and The Hiders (duo) play a free gig in the Southgate Lounge.
Chris Gaines Garth Brooks opens a two-night stand at Paul Brown Stadium.
On Saturday:
The Cereal Killers, fresh off their fantastic gig at Fries Cafe, have a matinee slot (3-5 p.m.) at MadTree Brewing’s “One Good Party”:
First beer’s still on me!
Look for me at the CK gig, I’ll be the guy up front in the open front shirt:
Made you look… twice… and again!
On Saturday evening:
Ben Levin’s Blues Revue is at 20th Century Theater
Houndmouth plays the Madison Theater
Oliver Wood (of the Wood Brothers) will be in the Taft Ballroom
Willy Tea Taylor and Jeffery Martin play Southgate
Garth Brooks plays another evening at PBS
After your kids ride the carousel at Smale, take them over to the Mike Brady center for a family-friendly lineup of Danzig, Cradle of Filth, Crobot and Necrofier
On Sunday, The Who returns to Cincinnati for the first time since their ill-fated 1979 concert at the Coliseum. Pete Townshend talks about that heart-crushing tragedy in this clip from his Audible “Words + Music” release. (Read more here.)
It was a very sad situation – sending good vibes to anyone adversely affected by that event.
Shifting gears: of course any mention of The Who brings to mind the famous comedy bit from Harry “Derek Smalls” Shearer and David “Squiggy” Landers.
Also on Sunday, the Rumjacks (kinda like an Aussie version of The Pogues) play Southgate.
Foy Vance plays Memorial Hall on Tuesday. Hearing the name “Foy” brings to mind the old Foy-Johnson Paint Co. in Cincinnati, and their “It’s a joy to paint with Foy” tagline. (I can’t remember my wife’s birthday but I remember taglines from defunct paint companies. Welcome to my twisted brain!)
It’s a joy to paint with Bob too!
Something old, something new…
Thursday has a primo gig for the kiddos, and a sop for the silver-haired set: Haim plays the Jan Brady, with Faye Webster as the opener… and Janis Ian plays Memorial Hall with Tom Rush opening the show. (Janis Ian is no longer “At Seventeen” and Tom Rush is no relation to Rush or Big Time Rush.)
Welcome to the (time) machine
To paraphrase Mark Twain, “When the end of the world comes I want to be at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, because their lineup is always 30 years behind the times.”
Mark Twain… he licked his fingers a lot.
Want proof? Tears for Fears and Garbage are playing there next Friday. But at least both of those bands are still making new music, which is more than you can say for 85% of the Riverbend lineup every year.
2022 may be the Year of the Tiger (Who Dey!) but next Friday is the Year of the Cat as Al Stewart plays Ludlow Garage.
Thoroughly modern artist Will Kimbrough plays Southgate that evening too. And the two-day Big River Get Down kicks off at RiversEDGE in Hamilton, featuring hometown hero David Shaw.
Tickets on sale
Wilco plays the Ovation on August 16th. Tickets are on sale today. Wilco’s new album is a country music set… call me old-fashioned but I liked Wilco’s country music better when it was called “Uncle Tupelo.”
Other upcoming shows with tix on sale today:
Letters to the Editor
List member Rob Ervin sent along this note about a month ago when we referenced the Uproxx article ranking all the Red Hot Chili Peppers albums.
More deserved RHCP snark. Kinda long, but this guy is funny and makes a lot of good points. For a band as boring and blah as the Peppers are, I’ve spent way too much time considering their mediocrity lately.
And Lisa Collins had this to say about last week’s Album Cover of the Week:
the Leif album cover was terrifying – please don’t find Shaun Cassidy – hahaha!
Album Cover of the Week
Sorry Lisa, but I’m a sucker for personalized white bell-bottom overalls…
Sorry to start off on a sad note… notes, actually… but ye olde music list is a man down. He was a good man too. Mark Celsor – longtime Cincinnati Recreation Commission staffer, Mt. Washington neighbor, active in the community, musician, music lover… just an all-around great dude. Heart attack. 65. I just spoke with Mark at the Waxahatchee show… of course he was there – Mark attended tons of concerts over the past 50 years. A week later, he was gone. R.I.P. M.C. You’ll be sorely missed by friends and family.
While we’re still in sadness mode, I want to remind you that May is Mental Health Awareness Month… and it’s also the month that we lost John Erhardt (Ass Ponys, Wussy) and Scott Hutchison (Frightened Rabbit). Those factoids are related.
It’s not just about musicians, though. It’s about family, friends and neighbors. The link above has some good resources and suggestions for ways to reach out and help out.
May is also the month we lost my friend Kim Collins (sister to three folks on this list, friend to countless others) to a heart attack, at age 52. Kim was an avid music fan, and her way-too-soon passing was both the inspiration and the impetus for this list of live gigs. Go to a show… and savor it!
Friday night Cereal Killers play Fries Cafe in Clifton, from 7-11 p.m. First beer is on me, as we drink a toast to Mark, Kim, John, Scott… and to the music that touches our hearts. (Watch out for Cereal Killers lead singer Howard Cohen though… he might touch lower.)
Other notable gigs on Friday:
Leon Bridges plays the Jan Brady.
Heywood Banks is at Ludlow Garage.
Run to the (Western) Hills to catch Iron Maidens (female Iron Maiden tribute band) at the Blue Note in Harrison. The lead singer’s stage name is Bruce Chickinson. Not sure if they have an monster mascot named Edwina… but they probably use the same hair care products.
Speaking of great hair, there’s one more show on Friday – it’s a supermarket matinee. Local musician Chris Cusentino plays the Hyde Park Kroger (great tunes, good prices!) from 4-8 p.m.
Tune up on Aisle 7!
I’m not sure what section Chris will be in (Produce? Not Dairy because he isn’t cheesy…), but his gig will be more melodic — and just as entertaining — as the “show” at another retail location:
Chris Cusentino is playing the Hyde Park Kroger again on Saturday… from 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. (Is he sleeping in the stockroom?) Chris’ brother-in-law is a big Deadhead, and he always asks Chris to play “China Cat Sunflower”… which Chris refuses to play. So if you’re picking up some delicious Kroger® Sea Salt Dry Roasted Sunflower Kernels (just $1.99!) and roll past CC, ask him to play “CCS”… it’ll be a hoot!
Saturday (and some Sunday) evening shows:
Camp Springs Tavern hosts Jam on the Creek, with great local music (Randy Steffen, Michael Moeller, The Pour Hours), food (Little Rock Farm) and beer (Fifty West).
Joe’s Truck Stop has an album release party in the Southgate Lounge, while upstairs in the Revival Room it’s The Mango Furs.
Coney Island hosts Appalachian Festival (Sunday too!).
Yonder Mountain String Band headlines both evenings (Sat-Sun) of the Rivergrass music festival at the old Annie’s.
Testament, Exodus and Death Angel play a sold-out (and likely quite loud) show at Madison Theater.
Must be a UK fan…
On Sunday, in addition to the aforementioned festivals above, Mudhoney plays the Southgate House, and Deftones play the Cindy Brady.
Mud. Cindy Brady. They go together. But they’re separate shows.
On Tuesday:
AJR kicks off the Riverbend season (Good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise…).
Band of Heathens and Chicago Farmer are at the Woodward.
Last — and least — the Mixtape Tour (i.e. New Kids on the Block, Salt ‘n Pepa, Rick Astley and En Vogue) hits the Coliseum (speaking of ancient artifacts).
Wednesday:
Guitar wizard Eric Johnson plays Ludlow Garage.
Victor Wooten/The Wooten Brothers play Memorial Hall.
Lung is at MOTR.
Next Friday marks the return of the Parlor & Patio house concert series, with Ritt & Wilder Dietz playing at the home of list members Dave and Jacqui Killen, in scenic Ft. Thomas, Kentucky. Ft. Thomas is known for its “cake eaters” but at P&P, they serve pie!
The P&P show is sold out (live music + pie = high demand), but they have Jesse Terry booked for 6/16. Get yer tix now!
Other shows on Friday, May 13th:
Marc Cohn plays Ludlow Garage (he’ll be walkin’ in Clifton….)
The Ghost of Paul Revere gallops into Taft
Bitch, Katie Cash and Kristen Ford are in Southgate’s Revival Room
Night Owl and The Hiders (duo) play a free gig in the Southgate Lounge.
Garth Brooks opens a two-night stand at Paul Brown Stadium.
Gig radar
King Cobra is gone for good, but Timberwolf is back, baby!
Standing ovation, every ride!
And for this year’s Timberwolf Amphitheatre shows, you don’t have to purchase a ticket to the amusement park. The Avett Brothers kick off the series on Tuesday, June 28th. Full summer lineup and ticket links are here.
The Afghan Whigs just announced a hometown show at Bogart’s on Sept. 11. And Built to Spill is playing the Woodward on Monday, August 22nd.
Dave Tellmann spent nearly a decade on the air at 97X (1988-1997)… and sometimes he thinks he’s still on the air there! Dave combed through his “aircheck” cassettes from 1993 and put together some snippets of audio that give you a feel for what listening to the station was like back in the day. Come for the Eavey’s commercial, stay for the Marge Schott news story.
Dave in the luxurious production studio – for much of his time at the station, he was in charge of the produced audio elements – commercials, promos, station IDs, etc.
Not surprising that Farrah loomed large in Dave’s life. After all, he was the “Bosley” of Modern Rock.
Legends of The Fall… because Dave and Bake are Legends, and they played The Fall.
Dave and Rictile present an Elvis tapestry to legendary Reds broadcasters Joe Nuxhall and Marty Brennaman.
Jae Forman (far left) and Dave (far right) with a fan on the Lollapalooza “butt cooler”
Dave also served as Music Director for quite a while – here he is with Program Director Phil Manning
Dave and Elvis and Rictile…
Rictile and Dave also started the Ken Fan Club.
Dave would often have some fun with the DJ who was on the air before or after him during the “handoff.” Here’s the time that I acted like I was Lou Reed…
And here’s the time Jae Forman helped us tee up a contest drawing…
Dave probably should read this before our next podcast… Nah, let’s keep winging it!
Hello friend! It’s purt near May (that’s how we say it in Arkansas) which means it’s purt near time for another Cereal Killers gig… or two! But I reckon we have a few shows before then too. Let’s take a look-see.
Friday, Khruangbin and Toro y Moi are at the Sam the Butcher Music Center. You remember Sam the Butcher, don’t you? He was the one who always delivered meat to Alice the cook at the Brady Bunch house.
Nice package!
Other gigs on Friday evening:
Gavin DeGraw plays the HorseshoeJack Hard Rock Casino
Brit Floyd is at the Taft
Ben Levin rocks BrewRiver
Sierra Ferrell plays Southgate. According to list member Dave Green (who also plays bagpipes in the 35th Indiana Pipes & Drums), Sierra likes to make her own stage costumes by modifying thrift store clothes. I think she should call this outfit “Partridge Family Bus”:
C’mon get happy…
On Saturday evening, you can get some clean laughs with Brian Regan at the Mike Brady Music Center.
Or you can head to Camp Springs Tavern to enjoy a cold beverage, served up by guest bartenders (and brothers) Chris and Nathan Dye, founders of the local brand design agency Dye Brothers (fitting name, ain’t it?).
All tips earned that night will be donated to the Karen Wellington Foundation for Women LIVING with breast cancer, so it’s a good time for a great cause. The missus and I will be there for a spell. Hope you can join us!
NRBQ plays Southgate on Sunday.
On Wednesday, The Happy Fits are at Top Cats.
Thursday, the Walter Trout Band plays Ludlow Garage.
Next Friday (5/6), the Cereal Killers play at Fries Cafe in Clifton!
Remember, the first beer is my treat.
That same evening, Leon Bridges plays the Carol Brady. Which was your favorite Carol Brady hairdo?
The only correct answer is #3.
Ben Levin plays Wiedemann’s Brewing.
Comedian/guy who sings “Toast” Heywood Banks is at the Ludlow Garage.
And Engelbert Humperdinck plays the Taft. I hear he does a cover of “The Humpty Dance,” while wearing the glasses…
Next weekend features a flurry of festivals
Here are the gig posters:
Support local artists
Music Fund Cincinnati is a new non-profit established to promote free events and provide financial assistance to local musicians.
Please consider volunteering your time and/or making a donation.
A Public Service Announcement to the people who go to shows to talk
I’d like you to STFU. Andrianne Lenker of Big Thief put it a bit more politely:
“When music is happening in a room, there’s a performer onstage playing and doing their craft, when you enter into that space, try to be mindful of what’s happening and pay attention and don’t talk,” Lenker said. Later in the message, she rephrased the same thought: “When you come into this space where music is happening, even if you’re coming just to see a specific act play, be mindful if there is somebody performing and playing, to either listen or at least be quiet so that other people can listen. Or go and put yourself elsewhere.”
I couldn’t agree more. Wanna chat? Go to the lobby… or just go home!
Gig pix
James McMurtry put on a stellar solo show at Memorial Hall. I knew he had a way with words but was impressed by his gee-tar pickin’ too!
Valley Heat is spreading…
Remember the podcast I touted last week, called Valley Heat? We have another convert – Cereal Killers frontman/Great Lakes Brewing rep Howard Cohen:
The show is so damn funny, including the music. Check it out posthaste.
Album Cover of the Week
List member Ted Gardner wants to know if this is the worst or best album ever made? What say ye? You can put your ears on it below… enter at your own risk!
I come to you with cap in hand, asking your forgiveness for my disparaging comments about the local nine (technically 10 now that there’s a DH) last week. As a wise man once said:
“How about everybody just settle down and celebrate and cheer for the team.”
The guy whose dad bought the team
I was so very wrong last week when I said that this year’s Cincinnati Reds roster consists mostly of players from the Reds’ minor league affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts, only now they’re wearing uniforms with less of a “Mr. Potato Head eyes” vibe.
In reality, the team is more like players from the Reds’ low-A minor league affiliate Daytona Tortugas, only with a logo that has less of a juice pouch vibe:
But, as a wise man once said, “be careful what you ask for.”
OK, enough yapping about baseball. Let’s get to the gigs.
Moon Tooth is at Top Cats on Monday. List member Ken Laube once lost a tooth at Top Cats, in a fight with Chris Knight. (I’m kidding… although singer Chris Knight did get into a fight there…) Wait, breaking news: the Moon Tooth show has been cancelled. But Chris Knight is OK. So’s Ken.
On Tuesday, Justin Bieber is at the Coliseum. I’ve already incurred the wrath of Phil Castellini, so I don’t dare risk pissing off the Beliebers. But I will say I liked his music better when he was in NSYNC.
Wednesday night, Dylan is at Southgate House! (That’s Dylan LeBlanc.) And Candlebox plays an unplugged show at Memorial Hall.
Thursday, James McMurtry plays a solo show at Memorial Hall. List members John Sandman, Michael Orzali and I will be there. You should be too – Mr. McMurtry’s last album was one of the best of 2021.
Or you can check out local reggae band The Cliftones at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Tunes & Blooms. Admission is free after 5 p.m., music starts at 6, and you just might run into list member/Cereal Killers frontman Howard Cohen at the Great Lakes Brewing table. (More on the Cereal Killers later.)
Other Thursday shows:
Stick Men (featuring Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson plus eight-string touch guitarist Markus Reuter) is at Ludlow Garage.
Ashley Cooke plays Top Cats (list member Ken Laube used to cook at Zino’s, just down the street…) Breaking news: the Ashley Cooke show has been cancelled… but Ken can still make you a Zinover.
Ben Levin plays Shire’s Garden.
Comedian Lewis Black will be ranting at the Taft.
Friday is Earth Day. Hug a tree…
… or better yet, plant one.
On Friday evening, Olivia Rodrigo plays a sold-out show at the Alice the Cook Brady Music Center.
Olivia is so hot right now… but so was Alice back in the day!
A whole slew of shows is slated for Saturday:
Jimmy Webb plays “The Glen Campbell Years” at Memorial Hall.
The Quebe Sisters play Southgate House’s main room, and Addison Johnson teams up with Mic Harrison (of the late great V-Roys) for an acoustic duo set in the upstairs Revival Room.
Aly & AJ are at Bogart’s
Kenny Loggins plays the Hard Rock Casino
Ludlow Garage hosts Lotus Land – A Tribute to Rush.
You’ve gotta have a monster pair of brass balls to try to fill Neil Peart’s drum stool. (Oh, you’ll also need a metric ton of drums and cymbals, some wind chimes, maybe a gong…)
On Sunday, the always-entertaining Robyn Hitchcock plays the Southgate House… and Journey plays the Coliseum.
Looks like the “new” Journey has removed the Steve Perry Journey literal video of “Separate Ways” from YouTube… (ironic when you think about how they discovered their current lead singer) so you’ll have to go hereto enjoy it.
The following week is rather light on gigs, so let’s cover those here:
Suzanne Vega plays Tom’s Diner Ludlow Garage on Wednesday, April 27th.
On Thursday, April 28th:
Leo Kottke plays Ludlow Garage
Chuck Mead (of BR-549) is at Southgate
Restless Leg String Band plays the Zoo’s Tunes & Blooms
Steve Hackett is at the Taft
On Friday, April 29th:
Sierra Ferrell plays Southgate (list members Dave Green and Michael Orzali are big fans)
Khruangbin and Toro y Moi are at the Brady
Gavin DeGraw plays the Hard Rock Casino
Brit Floyd is at Taft
Ben Levin plays BrewRiver
Comedian Brian Regan plays the Brady on Saturday, April 30th, and NRBQ will be at Southgate on Sunday, May 1st.
Must-see May gigs
The Cereal Killers are back with their inimitable combination of songs from late ’70’s British & American punk, with a dash of the New Wave, a dollop of garage rock, a heaping helping of hijinks, and a side of shenanigans. It’s like 97X is still on the air, but better because it’s live! If you’re on this list and you’re in the house for this gig, the first beer’s on me!
Actually Damian says “Hell Yes!”
And if you can’t make that raucous evening gig due to your advancing years, fear not, Cereal Killers have a matinee show (3-5 p.m.) at MadTree on Saturday, May 14th!
Then you can take a quick nap — or enjoy the early bird special at Bob Evans — before catching a fantastic blues lineup at 20th Century Theatre:
Mark the calendar in your Day Runner now, and put it in your PalmPilot too!
Concert reviews
The Waxahatchee show at Woodward was stellar – and it was great to see list members Bruce Frasure (and his lovely bride), Taylor Fox (of Inhailer Radio), Kevin Sullivan, Dave Roberto and Joe Sampson in 3-D. (Mark Messerly of Wussy also was there and said a new album from Wussy is forthcoming!)
Katie Crutchfield’s beau Kevin Morby joined her on stage (in a stunning jacket from the Fess Parker collection, no less!) for a few songs, including covers of Magnolia Electric Co. and Dylan (Bob, not LeBlanc).
Meanwhile, list member David Reid thoroughly enjoyed the Jack White gig at the Carol Brady Music Center that same evening:
Just got home from the Jack White show. So good! Dude is the complete package: Nasty-great guitar, empassioned, from-the-gut vocals, good songs and dynamic stage presence. Left knowing I’d seen something pretty special.
My new favorite podcast
OMG, Valley Heat is hilarious! It’s like A Confederacy of Dunces meets Arrested Development meets Fernwood 2 Night. Doug’s deadpan delivery, a wacky cast of characters, fun music references, the bogus promo spots, and great theater-of-the-mind audio all combine to create a perfect storm of humor. I binged every episode this weekend and was laughing the entire time.
It’s a Small (Woody) World…
Last week’s wacky album cover:
Prompted this comment from list member Lisa Collins, whose mom (Carol Jean) lives in Florida:
Just an FYI, Woody Woodbury is an acquaintance/friend of Carol Jean. He is 98 years old and lives in Fort Lauderdale. He goes every Sunday to breakfast at the same place Mom goes. They’ve become breakfast buddies – haha.
And list member/Cereal Killers frontman/online detective Howard Cohen tracked down a lovely archival photo of the spot where the album was “taped, unexpurgated and unrehearsed from the night club floor of the Bahama Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale”:
Album Cover of the Week
Remember Dionne Warwick? Remember Pricing Charts? Remember K-Mart? (This album is in pretty good shape for being 50 years old.)
Jim Vinch was a Cleveland-raised classic rocker… until he moved to Oxford for college and caught the earliest years of 97X. Jim credits the station and its community of listeners with helping him be open not just to new music, but to new ideas. As he puts it, “I am now an assistant visiting professor at Miami and every time I step onto campus I can’t help think about how the university and the local radio station exploded my small little Midwestern world.” We talk to Jim about those connections, some concerts he saw back in the day, and his day job protecting America’s waterways as an environmental lawyer for the EPA.
Jim connected with us via email – here’s the wonderful note he sent to us:
Just finished listening to Episode 68 and, even though it was the shortest, it was by far the best. Doug and Linda’s thesis that 97X is still alive really resonated with me.
I graduated from Miami in 1984, and so only caught the very earliest years of WOXY. Having grown up on a fairly sheltered environment, college was an explosion of new ideas and experiences for me. Truly life changing in every way. I came to Miami as a rock fan mostly raised on the sounds of WMMS in Cleveland, Springsteen being the center of my musical universe. At Miami, I met friends from Chicago who exposed me to “new” music and I was immediately hooked. 97X, though, “set the hook.” It was about the music, but also much more.
My Miami friends tell me I should move on. “97X was 35 years ago” they say. However, 97X is a part of me. I cannot move on from it any more than I can move on from other important milestones in my life without giving up who I am.
I wish I had something as powerful to say as what as Jen L. shared with you. 97X might not have “saved me” but my life would not have have been as rich and vibrant if I didn’t have that experience—or worse— had I chosen to “move on” as my friends have suggest. In the grand scheme of things, 97X might not warrant a mention on my resume, but it’s as essential to who I am as any job held or degree earned.
I am now an assistant visiting professor at Miami this year and every time I step onto campus I can’t help think about how the university and the local radio station exploded my small little Midwestern world.
Thanks for what you do.
Jim Vinch
Please note that Jim isn’t just a run-of- the-mill visiting professor at Miami University, he’s a distinguished visiting professor:
As far as Dave and Damian are concerned, that puts him in great company:
Now that 30 billionaires have settled their differences with 700+ millionaires on how to divvy up the incoming millions, Major League Baseball is underway across America. Except in Cincinnati, where the roster consists mostly of players from the Reds’ minor league affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts, only now they’re wearing uniforms with less of a “Mr. Potato Head eyes” vibe.
That’s because the Reds, in the words of GM Nick Krall “must align our payroll with our resources.”
Don’t worry, though, this payroll reduction doesn’t affect list member Dan “The Reds – learn their names along with us!” Lewis, who is still being compensated quite handsomely for “HELPING PARTNERS ENGAGE/ACTIVATE WITH OUR FANS IN THE BALL PARK, ONLINE AT REDS.COM AND ON REDS ON RADIO.”
(We rarely use “quite handsomely” in the same sentence with “Dan Lewis” but in this case we mean Dan gets his pick of bobbleheads, and any leftover popcorn from concession stands. Score!)
Speaking of Herb Score, the Reds take the field Tuesday afternoon for their home opener against the Cleveland Indi…er, Guardians.
And after the game you can stick around downtown to see a live performance from a real rock star:
No, that’s not Queen’s Brian May, or REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin, or the ghost of Ronnie James Dio… it’s noted curmudgeon Fran Lebowitz. She’ll be at the Aronoff on Tuesday evening.
I don’t often engage in hyperbole (except when talking about Dan “Moneyball” Lewis’ salary) so believe me when I say that this Wednesday is the Humping-est Hump Day ever!
It’s an embarrassment of musical riches:
Waxahatchee will be at the Woodward Theater with opener Madi Diaz – list member Joe Sampson and I will be there, with bells on.
Jack White plays the Jan Brady Music Center.
Jim Lauderdale is doing a solo gig at the Southgate.
Country Westerns will be at MOTR.
Penny & Sparrow are at Ludlow Garage.
Last, but certainly not least, the Taft hosts Baby Shark Live.
Speaking of Jack White and baseball, check out his version of the Star-Spangled Banner at the Detroit Tigers home opener:
We’re really digging Jack’s Papa Smurf-meets-Devo-plastic hairdo
On Thursday, Loudon Wainwright III plays Memoria Hall, much liked he played the M*A*S*H 4077 back in the day:
That same evening, Celtic Women play the Aronoff, and the Cincinnati Zoo’s “Tunes and Blooms” series features the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys.
On Friday:
Bill and the Belles play Southgate.
Hyryder (Grateful Dead tribute) plays Annie’s.
Keiko Matsui is at Ludlow Garage.
Local band Gentle Leader XIV opens for System Exclusive at a free show at MOTR. A member of Gentle Leader XIV works with list member Anne Robinson, and Anne encourages all of us to attend. And another “Gentle Leader 14” is willing to bet it’ll be a great show.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise plays the Ovation on Saturday, with The Brook & The Bluff as the opening band. Aronoff hosts Rain: a tribute to the Beatles. And Ludlow Garage has “Live at the Fillmore: the definitive original Allman Brothers Band tribute.”
Baseball season is also Festival season
Strong lineup for this year’s Bourbon & Beyond:
But it’s no match for the original Borbón:
New Tunes
This week, new albums came out from Lucius, Calexico, Wet Leg, Father John Misty, Jack White, Orville Peck, and Pillow Queens. And check out this delightful song from The Loyal Seas, which is Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, Breeders and Belly – try to top that trifecta!) and Brian Sullivan:
Happy Trees Tripping
From this article on Dangerous Minds: A man named Alexander Reben has created the ultimate psychedelic Bob Ross artifact. It’s called Deeply Artificial Trees. According to Reben, “This artwork represents what it would be like for an AI to watch Bob Ross on LSD.”
Album Cover of the Week
Woody is also looking at two to four years in prison for invasion of privacy…
And finally, the song that’s been in your head since you read the headline of this post, if you’re an old-timer like me:
Former 97X/woxy.com DJ Barb Abney will be back on The Current in Minneapolis St. Paul this evening!
You’d be hard pressed to find a radio host more dedicated and more engaged with listeners than Barb. She was a fast friend to anyone who tuned in, at 97X, at woxy.com, at The Current, and at the other radio stations where she worked after being unceremoniously and undeservedly being let go at The Current back in 2015.
Barb spent nearly 10 years as the midday host on The Current before the rug was pulled out from under her.
We’re thrilled for Barb, and happy for The Current listeners – some of whom have already voiced their approval in the comments section of The Current’s announcement.
Seven years seems like a lifetime, and it’s clear from the comments that these listeners still feel such a strong connection with Barb. There’s no better testament to her dedication. And no better argument for why radio still matters.
Welp, list member Dale Doyle didn’t win a Grammy today. Then again, I’m pretty sure he was the only list member who was nominated. And you know what they say:
Congrats, D2 on your stunning work.
And if you’re wondering who did get the Grammy for best package design, it was:
Other Grammy winners include… I have no idea. You think I’m going to watch an awards show? Well, other than this one:
But unless it’s the Bono Awards, I’d much rather see a live concert!
Body parts — and the lack thereof — will be on display Tuesday. The Flaming Lips play the Bobby Brady Icon Music Center, with Heartless Bastards as the opener.
Bobby needed ice cream to cool his flaming lipsHeart surgically removed. Bastard intact.
Wednesday, The Minks plays Southgate House. This show is highly recommended by list member Jim Siegert, who has attended a gazillion concerts (conservative estimate), so he really knows shows like no one else. Here’s what he said about The Minks:
I saw them twice at AmericanaFest last September, and they’re awesome. Check out their YT channel when you have a chance. https://youtube.com/c/TheMinksss
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers play the Taft on Thursday. [These are over-the-counter Painkillers (active ingredient: killer chops) so no prescription is required. Side effects may include head-bobbing, toe-tapping, rockin’ pneumonia and boogie-woogie flu.]
The weekend will bring a deluge of shows.
Friday:
alt-J and Portugal. The Man and Cherry Glazerr play Ovation (I think it’s called “The weird punctuation and spelling tour.”)
The Louisiana Swamp Stomp, featuring The Iguanas and Kevin Gordon, rolls into Southgate’s main room (Sanctuary).
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience deals the tunes at the Hard Rock Casino.
Mike Farris and the Fortunate Few play Ludlow Garage.
Christian Nicholas Gough has a show in Southgate’s upstairs Revival Room, with Miranova and Closest Relative also on the bill. True story: my friend Art’s son Sam (who also is a member of the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team and a world-ranked pinball player) is playing bass with Miranova.
Saturday shows:
Jess Lamb headlines the Fountain Square Spring Music Series free show at… you guessed it… Fountain Square.
Baroness plays Southgate’s Revival Room.
Suzanne Santo plays the Taft Ballroom.
John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band plays Ludlow Garage (the Esquire Theater should do a matinee showing of Eddie and the Cruisers that day).
Next Sunday (April 10), Rise Against plays Ovation, and Ludlow Garage hosts Progject: The Ultimate Prog Rock Musical Experience. From the press bio:
ProgJect Features:
Michael Sadler (Saga) – Lead Vocals, Keys, Bass & Percussion Ryo Okumoto (Spock’s Beard, Asia, Phil Collins, Chris Squire) – Keys & Vocals Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Dweezil Zappa, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, The Zappa Band) – Guitar Matt Dorsey (Sound of Contact, In Continuum) – Bass, Pedals, Guitar, Keys & Vocals Jonathan Mover (GTR, Marillion, Satriani, The Tubes) – Drums, Percussion & Vocals
With a two-plus hour set that includes “Squonk”, “Firth Of Fifth”, “Cinema Show”, “Siberian Khatru”, “Roundabout”, “Heart Of The Sunrise”, “From The Beginning”, “Karn Evil 9 – 1st Impression”, “21st Century Schizoid Man”, “Lark’s Tongues In Aspic”, “Xanadu”, “Solsbury Hill”, “Money”, “Living In The Past”, “Rendezvous 6:02” and more… ProgJect is going to drop your jaw and blow your mind.
Hmm, didn’t know the guy from Saga had it in him.
But Series-ously, Folks
We mentioned a Fountain Square Spring Music Series gig – the full series lineup is here on CincyMusic.com.
And speaking of music series, Parlor & Patio is back! List members Jacqui and Dave Killen will once again be hosting shows in their Ft. Thomas home. Huzzah!
Their first two announced shows:
Friday, May 13: Ritt & Wilder Deitz (tickets on sale here)
The album overall has the feel of a late-period U2 album. Which doesn’t sound like a compliment, though I am genuinely impressed that they could make a record this unhorny. In that respect, The Getaway is genuinely subversive, a Chili Peppers record without a cucumber in its trousers.
Speaking of trouser cucumbers, Jason Isbell cracked me up with his comment on a poorly worded Stereogum headline:
Shameless self-promotion
List member Dave Tellmann and I continue to crank out top-quality slapdash episodes of the “97X Rumblings from the Big Bush” podcast, garnering worldwide acclaim comments of “oh, that’s nice” from our spouses. (We’re currently #27 on the list of “Top Podcasts to Fold Laundry to.”) The most recent episodes are a two-parter (like a “very special episode” of Punky Brewster, only with less pigtails) with former station manager Jay Batista, who, along with Steve Stenken, helped flip the format of WOXY to modern rock. Part 1 of our chat with Jay is here, and Part Deux is here.
Album Cover of the Week
The unpicturesque field… the uncomfortable pose… the lack of a tight focus on the subject… but all is forgiven because the Cousin Eddie shoes match the fence.
