books

Spring-ing into action

books, Concert Listings, Music

Last things first if you’re into Devo (and if you’re not, why read this blog?): there’s a free The Beginning Was The End book event tonight at the OTR Stillhouse, courtesy of our friends at the Mercantile Library.

Details and the free registration link are here. I’ll see you there – I’ll be the guy wearing the Energy Dome.

Let’s take a gander at the music shows coming our way.

Tomorrow night, catch Mom Jeans at Bogart’s

Thursday:

  • Colin Hay is coming all the way from the Land Down Under to the Taft Theatre
  • Brandy Clark and Hayes Carll play the Ludlow Garage
  • Less Than Jake (no relation to Better than Ezra) plays Bogart’s
  • Too Many Zooz (more like too many z’s) plays Madison Theater
  • Bumpin’ Uglies and Bikini Trill play Madison Live

Friday it’s time for a Come to Jesus session. Jesus Jones, that is, at Ludlow Garage.

On Saturday, Alex Salcido of The Harmed Brothers plays Camp Springs Tavern, and the Madison Theater hosts the jam band Spafford. (No relation to Susan Stafford, the original letter-turner on “Wheel of Fortune.”)

Blues dude Noah Wotherspoon plays the Rabbit Hash General Store’s “Sunday Music Behind the Stove” series on 3/21 – music starts at 2:30.

Breaking news: this coming Monday, we’re shutting down our music blog.

Beach Fossils are at Bogart’s next Tuesday, 4/2 with Nation of Language.

TC Superstar plays a free show at MOTR next Wednesday, 4/3.

I really hope their band name is a tribute to T.C. the true superstar of “Magnum, P.I.” (apologies to Larry Manetti).

Shows next Thursday, April 4th:

  • Raul Malo of The Mavericks brings his amazing voice to Ludlow Garage
  • Chicago Farmer & the Fieldnotes play Southgate with Joe’s Truck Stop
  • Camp Springs Tavern hosts their bi-weekly Bluegrass Jam

On Friday, April 5th:

  • William Fitzsimmons plays Southgate
  • The Rabbit Hash String Band will be at Plain Folk Café in Pleasant Plain, OH
  • Badfish (a tribute to Sublime… or to gas station sushi) plays the Madison Theater

Ludlow Garage hosts Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam on Saturday, 4/6.

The Tillers play the Rabbit Hash Music Behind the Stove series on Sunday, 4/7.

Supremely talented singer/songwriter John Moreland plays Ludlow Garage on Thursday, April 11th.

That same evening, Brothers Osborne play the Mike Brady.

Hot Ticket Alert!

The Violent Femmes are playing the old Annie’s on Friday, May 17th. Not only that, but they’re playing their first two albums cover to cover!

Get yer tix here.

And come November 3rd, Drive-by Truckers will be bring their Southern Rock Opera Revisited Tour to Bogart’s. Let there be rock!

Tickets for that gig go on sale to the general public on this Friday.

Podcast Promo/Hot FREE Ticket Alert!

If you’re old enough to remember the 1990s, and if you’re even slightly into music, and you appreciate great writing, you really owe it to yourself to check out the 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s podcast.

Rob Harvilla, a senior staff writer for The Ringer, spends each episode breaking down a single song from the ’90s. Actually, he spends about half of each episode on a series of digressions, often about his time growing up in northern Ohio in the 90s, before finally getting to the featured song. And the digressions are great – brilliantly written, completely engaging, and typically hilarious… and the humor is usually self-deprecating.

Rob’s written a book to accompany the podcast, and he’ll be talking about both at the OTR Stillhouse on Friday, April 26th. Better yet, list member Jay Stowe will be conducting the interview!

It’s yet another freebie from our friends at the Mercantile Library. Sign up here. (Unfortunately that event is the same night as the Guided by Voices/Wussy show at Madison Theater, so I’ll have to cut out early to get across the river in time for Wussy’s set.)

Speaking of Wussy…

They’ll be playing a trio house concert (Chuck, Lisa, Mark) at Casa de Dubbatrubba on Friday, May 10th. If you’re keeping score at home, this’ll be their third home show at my home. Much to my utter delight… and my wife’s ever-increasing odds for sainthood.

Hot tunes

Waxahatchee’s new album Tigers Blood is fire.

The album’s songs got their live debut during a club show at the Empty Bottle in Chicago – check out some clips in this Stereogum article. (Hat tip to list member Joe Sampson for the link.) And here’s an interview with Katie Crutchfield in Pitchfork.

Cleveland’s own Dave Hill is right up there with Rob Harvilla on the writers-who-are-hilarious-and-musically-inclined scale. (Check out his books Parking the Moose, Tasteful Nudes and Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore for proof.) Dave’s also a musician, and his band Valley Heat has a rockin’ new single out.

Here’s to Music Moms

I’m not a fan of The Facebooks, but I loved this post from Buffalo Tom bassist Chris Colbourn (and the comment from his bandmate Bill Janovitz):

(Hat tip to list member Lisa Collins for bringing it to my attention.)

Here’s to the faithful departed

R.I.P. Karl Wallinger (The Waterboys, World Party) and Eric Carmen (The Raspberries, cheesy movie soundtracks).

Video above courtesy of list member Todd Butler.

Album Cover of the Week(s)

Nothing says “raising hell” like a crewcut, a sports coat, and a piano singalong.

March(ing) Bands

books, Concert Listings, Music

Happy John Philip Sousa Month!

Let’s see what’s on the ol’ Koncert Keeper, shall we?

Tomorrow night:

  • Mike Mains & the Branches play Madison Live
  • Alex Salcido (of The Harmed Brothers) plays the Southgate House lounge
  • Camp Springs Tavern hosts their bi-weekly Bluegrass Jam

On Friday:

  • Lydia Shae has an album release show at the Woodward Theater, with Daniel Noel and The Laurelys
  • Ron Pope plays Ludlow Garage
  • The old Annie’s has The Broken Hearts: Ultimate Tom Petty Tribute

Saturday, Southgate House hosts a benefit show that kicks off at 1:30 p.m.

Other Saturday shows:

  • Sammy Rae & Friends at Bogart’s
  • Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band at the Lawrenceburg Event Center in Hoosier country
  • Grateful River 2 – a benefit For Down Syndrome – is at the old Annie’s
  • The Ark Band: 7th annual Bob Marley & the Wailers tribute concert at Ludlow Garage
  • Flying Underground and String Theory play Taproom on Ludlow

Oh, and don’t forget to “Spring forward” on Saturday evening.

This Sunday, the Stardevils play Rabbit Hash General Store at 2:30 (which will feel like 1:30). In the evening (which will feel like the afternoon), Josh Ritter plays a solo show (“Works in Progress + Songs You Know”) at Memorial Hall and Hannah Wicklund plays Top Cats.

The California Guitar Trio plays Southgate on Monday, 3/11, and the Woodward Theater screens Ghosts of the Chelsea Hotel.

On Tuesday, 3/12, The Dollyrots are at Southgate.

Celtic band Screaming Orphans plays Ludlow Garage on Wednesday, 3/13. (‘Tis the season…)

On Thursday, 3/14, Marc Broussard is at the Taft Theatre and Leslie Mendelson plays Southgate’s Revival Room, with Ashley Peacock.

Friday, 3/15: Spokes (a band featuring Jeffrey Seeman and Mickey Foellger of the band Wheels… see what they did with the new band name?) plays Southgate.

Shows on Saturday, 3/16:

  • Camp Springs Tavern celebrates 8 years with music from Mike Oberst (Tillers), Justine Cefalu, Todd Lipscomb and The Northern Kentucky Derby – and food from Marty’s Waffles and wine from 4 Mile Wine Co.
  • Emmaline plays Ludlow Garage
  • The Downtowne Listening Room features Brittany Gillstrap, Taylor Henry, and Sami Riggs in the round at Memorie Makers Café in Florence, KY

Sunday, March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t forget to Irish Spring forward.

On St. Paddy’s evening, Margo Cilker plays the Southgate House. I plan to attend that show – her new album Valley of Heart’s Delight is delightful.

Stop Making Sense will be on the big screen at Woodward Theater on Monday, 3/18.

Sierra Hull plays Memorial Hall on Tuesday, 3/19 with Gabe Lee as the opener.

On Wednesday, 3/20:

  • Rhiannon Giddens plays Memorial Hall
  • Grouplove (the band, not the orgy… also not the band Orgy) is at Bogart’s

Beth Bombara plays Southgate’s Revival Room on Thursday, 3/21, with The Montvales opening the show.

Gigs on Friday, 3/22:

  • Shovels and Rope play the Southgate House (I’ll be there)
  • Black Violin is at the Taft
  • Joshua Radin plays Ludlow Garage

Saturday, 3/23:

  • JJ Grey & Mofro at the Taft
  • Karla Bonoff and Livingston Taylor play Memorial Hall

Jill Sobule is at Southgate on Sunday, 3/24 and Ambrosia plays Memorial Hall.

Raisins rocked the house

Great reunion shows from Rob, Bob, Ricky and Bam at The Woodward Theater.

I’ve got a fever… for Cabin Fever

The Cabin Fever festival at several unique venues (including a funeral parlor!) in Ludlow, KY a couple of weeks ago was fan-freaking-tastic. Highly recommended next year for catching up on some stellar singer-songwriters and local bands. It’s a DORA district too, so you can drink as you bop down the street. Proceeds benefitted Music Fund Cincinnati, a non-profit started by list member John Sandman.

Byrne, baby, Byrne

From David Byrne’s How Music Works book. It’s powerful stuff too!

Buffalo. Boston.

New tunes from my favorite band, that talented trio from Beantown known as Buffalo Tom? Yes, please!

Album Cover of the Week(s)

We’re not sure if this counts as “dancin'” or old Mack had too much chili before his gig.

Album Liner Notes of the Week(s)

I signed up… and included the 25 cents for postage too!

A fool’s errand

97X, books, Concert Listings, Music

If I told you that I’ll be co-hosting a book discussion at The Mercantile Library, you’d think it was some sort of early April Fools’ Day joke, right?

Can’t blame you for that. But it’s legit:

You can register here and pre-order the book here.

Speaking of books, let’s see who has booked a gig in this area over the next fortnight.

On Wednesday, The Queers play Madison Live, with Suzi Moon and The Raging Nathans also on the bill. And a Frank Zappa tribute band called The Furious Bongos will be playing Joe’s Ludlow Garage.

Thursday, Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar play Southgate, and Beth Harris wraps up her March residency at The Loon, with Abiyah and Heather Redman.

Thursday also is Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds. List member Dan “Laying the groundwork for 2024” Lewis will be throwing out the first pitch… to companies who haven’t purchased any Reds advertising yet!

Friday evening, Steve Forbert plays Southgate, Leggy has a free album release show at MOTR (10 p.m. start), Emmaline is at Ludlow Garage, and Orleans is doing a 50th anniversary acoustic show at Memorial Hall.

Guess what happens on Saturday?

Oh, and an Irish band called Seafoam Green is playing Camp Springs Tavern that evening.

The band is highly recommended by the tavern’s proprietor, Keith “Smoovie” Neltner. Irish folks in a tavern… what could possibly go wrong? (Don’t tell Liam Neeson I said that.)

Also on Saturday, Jim Messina will be at Ludlow Garage.

Next Monday, April 3rd, Combo Chimbita plays the Woodward Theater.

On Wednesday, April 5th, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers hit Southgate.

Great news for my inner teenager: Rush is playing Memorial Hall on Thursday, April 6th!

Wait, upon further review, that’s TOM Rush. The good news is he’s not a fly-by-night artist. The bad news for teenage me is he’s also not a “Fly By Night” artist.

Another 4/6 gig of note is Fantastic Negrito at Ludlow Garage.

Friday, 4/7, Ellis Paul plays a 30th Anniversary Tour show at the Redmoor in Mt. Lookout, and Molly Hatchet tears up Ludlow Garage.

A different Ludlow takes the spotlight on Saturday, April 8th. Bircus Brewing in Ludlow, KY has music from the Tom Petty cover band Tom the Torpedoes.

On Sunday, April 9th, after you find all the Easter eggs, Ben Levin plays Schwartz’s Point.

Ahead of her time

Given what we know now about clergy abuse scandals, isn’t it time to reexam Sinead O’Connor’s Saturday Night Live appearance back in 1992? This episode of the Sound Opinions podcast weighs in, and cohosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot (two longtime Chicago music writers/critics) interview Kathryn Ferguson, the co-writer/director of a documentary about Sinead.

https://youtu.be/-VLy1A4En4U

An artist’s job is sometimes to create the difficult conversations that need to be had.

Sinead O’Connor

Alright, sorry to get so serious on you. Let’s lighten the mood with two of the absolute best SNL character actors, Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman, playing Sinead and Sinatra.

Mark your calendar… better yet, Howard your calendar!

List member Howard Cohen and his fellow band members in the Cereal Killers have three – count ’em – three gigs coming up over the next three months:

  • April 22nd (Earth Day!) at Fries Cafe
  • May 19th at MadTree Brewing
  • June 10th at Big Ash Brewing

Album Cover of the Week

Baby bunnies and bouffant hairdos for the win!

Modern Rock 500: The Mother of all Lists

97X, books, Music, podcast

The annual Memorial Day Weekend “Modern Rock 500” was always a highlight of the 97X year. Listener James Brubaker decided to crunch the numbers year by year and create a Meta-list… a “Modern Rock 500 Top 500” as he calls it.

James (a.k.a. Dr. James Brubaker, Ph.D.) is originally from Dayton. He’s an author (book links on his website) and teaches at Southeast Missouri State University, where he also serves as editor of the University Press.

Here’s James’ original email to us:

Hi Dave and Damian,
I’ve really been enjoying the podcast. I actually stumbled across it while doing some research for a project I was working on, and figured I’d share it with you guys. Here goes… 
I recently came across the archive of Modern Rock 500 lists on Craig Froehle’s website, and thought it would be fun to crunch some numbers and come up with a Modern Rock 500 Top 500. So, with the caveats that I had to do some data entry that might have some mistakes, and that Froehle’s site is missing lists for 94 and 98 (well, lists are there, but they appear to just be the 95 list repeated), here’s a ranking of the Modern Rock 500 Top 500:

https://jamesbrubaker.net/the-modern-rock-500-500/

Anyway, the podcast is a nice mix of nostalgia and fun behind the scenes info. I’m really digging it. Keep up the awesome work. 
Sincerely, James

Thank YOU, James, for doing all that digital digging, and for digging our podcast. You’re #1 on our list!

This Week in Live Music: September 30-October 6

books, Concert Listings, Music

Wow, it’s nearly October. Or should I say Rocktober? You know the month will rock you like a climate-change-induced hurricane.

Let’s get right to the rock. And the tober.

Monday, Nashville band The Medium is at MOTR, with Nave Netoow opening. Here’s the promo photo of Nave:

Note to self: if Nave offers a carrot/orange smoothie, politely decline.

On Tuesday, Yung Gravy is playing Bogart’s. He’s a rapper from the hip-hop hotbed of Rochester, Minnesota. After watching one of his videos, I can’t figure out if he’s serious or if it’s an Andy Samberg short from SNL.

You can chase that Gravy with some Catfish, as Catfish & the Bottlemen are at Bogart’s on Wednesday. That same evening, Church Girls are playing Urban Artifact, with Soften and Fycus, and Lee Ann Womack is at Memorial Hall with Sarah Siskind.

Thursday, Mt. Pleasant String Band plays the Southgate Lounge, Blackfoot Gypsies hit Madison Live, Bam Powell performs solo at Latitudes, Cody Johnson is at Bogart’s, Mynah Tones play MOTR, an Eagles tribute band (The Eagles Project) is at Memorial Hall, and Ben Levin will be playing the “Top of the Park” rooftop at the Phelps Hotel.

Plenty o’ music from which to choose on Friday:

  • the Adrian Belew Power Trio plays Ludlow Garage with Saul Zonana
  • Sublime with Rome is at Riverfront Live
  • Com Truse plays Madison Theater
  • Dead Centric is at Urban Artifact
  • Chris Comer plays The View at Shires Garden
  • Riverfront Coliseum hosts the Legends of Hip Hop featuring E-40, Mystikal, Scarface, 8 Ball & MJG, Too Short, Bun B and Pastor Troy.

Saturday has a full slate o’ tunes too, including the Cripple Creek Music Festival in Fort Mitchell:

  • The Harmed Brothers play Neltner’s Farm Fall Fest starting at 1:30
  • Jukebox The Ghost is at Madison Theater
  • Plastic Ants, This Pine Box and the Amprays play MOTR
  • ghost man on second is at Lucius Q
  • Ludlow Garage has the tribute band The Dirty Doors
  • If you’re into clean comedy instead of Dirty Doors, Nate Bargatze is at Taft.

Last but not least, there’s a free show in Eden park:

The event is a fundraiser for the Community Program for Recovery, a non-profit that helps recovering alcoholics and addicts living in transitional recovery housing.

On Sunday, Neltner’s Farm has a Kentucky Showcase: The Poor Hours, T. Lipscomp, Chris Lloyd, Randy Steffen and Sami Riggs. Luckman Coffee in Mt. Washington is hosting a #LocalFoodRocks event from 4-6 p.m., featuring local food and local bands BackBeat and Prestige Grease. That evening, Man Man plays Top Cats… with GRLwood also on the bill (let’s hear it for Title IX!) and Go Go Buffalo.

Good Reading

Actor Griffin Dunne has a funny story about his former neighbor Ric Ocasek. And there’s a great interview with Tommy Stinson of the Replacements in Rolling Stone. Money quote:

Obviously, we wanted to be successful with everything we did. But we also were the first ones to fuck it up half the time. … Most of the time in fact. … OK, all the time!

Tommy Stinson of The Replacements

Speaking of the ‘Mats and f-ing up, list member Mighty Joe Sampson ordered the new Replacements deluxe set called Dead Man’s Pop, which contains the original Matt Wallace mixes of Don’t Tell A Soul (on LP and CD), plus a 29-song live concert recording from 1989, and a disc of outtakes, including some tunes with Tom Waits. Perhaps because Joe is 10 times the Replacements fan as anyone else I know, Amazon sent him 11 copies, not 1.

Thanks, Bezos!

Joe even contacted Amazon to alert them of their $600 error, but they told him to keep his bounty.

It’s not like Jeff Bezos needs the money for alimony payments or anything. Joe was kind enough to gift me with one of the sets. Much obliged!

Hot Ticket Alert

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein from Blondie will be at Walnut Hills High School on Monday, October 7th, with artist/director Rob Roth, for a Joseph-Beth sponsored book event for Debbie Harry’s new memoir Face It, along with a “visual presentation.”

Ticket price includes a pre-signed copy of the book.

Grace Potter plays Taft on January 22. Tickets are on sale now.

Concert review

Brett Newski rocked the house at the Parlor & Patio show on Friday. He’s a very entertaining dude, and a nice guy to boot. Parlor & Patio has two more shows on tap for 2019, you really should get to one… or both!

Shameless Self-promotion

You’ll find a new episode of the 97X Rumblings from the Big Bush podcast on this website, as well as on Spotify, iTunes and Podbean. Dave Tellmann and I chat with “Gentleman Jim” Mercer, the dean of all part-time DJs at 97X.

Have a rockin’ month!

How will the wolf survive?

97X, books, Music

Louie Pérez gets it. He knows what being in a band and making music are all about. I’ve been reading the book More Fun in the New World, co-written by John Doe of the band X. It features essays from several early 80s luminaries from the L.A. punk/cowpunk scene: Dave Alvin (The Blasters), Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey (The Go-Gos), Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks), Mike Ness (Social Distortion), Maria McKee (Lone Justice), Sid Griffin (Long Ryders), Peter Case (Plimsouls), Chip Kinman (Rank & File), plus contributions from now-famous fans such as Shepard Fairey and Tony Hawk.

Louie Pérez of Los Lobos wrote about how they became part of that scene. On May 4th, 1980, they opened for Public Image Ltc. and got pelted with spit, beer bottles, loose change… whatever the punk fans could get their hands on. But they didn’t let that dissuade them. Shortly thereafter, they met The Blasters, and became friends with that band. Their big break came when they opened for The Blasters at the Whisky a Go Go. According to Louie, there was a bit of hesistation from the audience, but at least there were no projectiles:

Community… spirit… a good vibe. Yeah, that’s the stuff. Tell us more, LP:

Having a great time with new friends, bonding over a shared love of music. Man, I totally understand that. I feel like the community he’s describing in L.A. in the early 80s also existed among the people who worked at and/or listened to a tiny radio station in Oxford, Ohio, from the early 80s through the mid 2000s.

Our humble abode

That’s why Dave Tellmann and I do our podcast – to share stories, reconnect with the tribe, and keep the flame alive.

The book is well worth a read. And the music made by those bands is certainly worth revisiting.