Yes, we’ve interviewed 97X station owners Doug and Linda Balogh before (check out Episodes 56 and 57). But they are such founts of 97X knowledge and stories that we had to go back to the well. In this episode, Doug does a 97X role call, we talk about 97Xposure, the station’s charitable endeavors, a Riverbend-adjacent party, and one of Linda’s decidedly unglamorous yet crucial behind-the-scenes role on the prize patrol.
Doug cited 97Xposure as perhaps the finest example of what made the station unique. Every year, dozens if not hundreds of local/regional bands would submit their songs, and multiple 97X staffers would evaluate them to determine a Top 20, and eventually a final four to play in a “battle of the bands” style concert, with the winner getting recording equipment and free studio time.
Sorry for the fuzzy photo
The 97X Modern Rock Cookbook featured recipes from band members, station staffers and listeners, and proceeds went to local charities.
Features “Dave’s Succulent Seven-Layer Salad”…
Doug and Linda mentioned Julie Maxwell’s tireless work to bring the Modern Rock Cookbook to life.
Julie Maxwell, always cooking up fantastic promotions.
Here’s an aerial view of the house in California, Ohio (near Riverbend) that hosted a 97X event on the day of the Elvis Costello/Crash Test Dummies concert. Crash Test Dummies showed up… but Elvis didn’t enter the building.
Live music is a thing again! Last Friday, I saw a concert featuring national acts for the first time since… forever ago. And what a way to get back into the swing of things – the Aaron Lee Tasjan/S.G. Goodman gig in Hamilton was out-freakin-standing!
S.G. Goodman and her band
The concert organizers wisely decided to move the show under cover – it rained buckets a few times – but the precipitation didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowd or the performers. S.G. Goodman is the real deal. Her debut album is soooo good. But don’t take it from me, take it from list member Michael “Rico” Carrico:
And Aaron Lee Tasjan was a delight too… amazingly talented and an engaging performer.
Here’s a brief snippet of Aaron Lee playing keyboards:
Before the show, we had a pregame beverage (OK maybe two…) at Municipal Brew Works, where The Todds were able to join forces.
List members Todd Butler and Todd Quincy… “High five!”
I know I made fun of Hamil-tucky last week, but I’ve done a 180… downtown Hamilton has got it going on (and by “it” I mean urban renewal).
In fact, I’ll be back in Hamilton again this Friday with list member John Sandman for the Arlo McKinley/Morgan Wade show… and the weather gods will allow this one to be at the RiversEdge outdoor amphitheater.
Check out more tunes from both artists here. General admission is free… and the first pre-show beer is on me at Municipal Brew Works. C’mon show Hamilton some love.
Fountain near the RiversEdge stage
Other shows of note in the upcoming weeks:
Ben Levin plays Wiedemann’s taproom this Saturday (plus a few other gigs – check his list here.)
The Reverend Horton Heat & the Hackensaw Boys play Southgate this Sunday
Foo Fighters open the new Icon venue in downtown Cincinnati. (Didn’t get tickets in the 12 minutes before the show sold out? Me too – let’s meet at Smale Park and listen for free.)
Paul Thorn with opener Scott Miller at Memorial Hall on Thursday, July 29th… that same evening, Whiskey Myers & The Steel Woods have a sold-out show at Taft and Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle play a free show at Washington Park.
The Smithereens play Ludlow Garage on Friday, July 30th, with special guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw.
Local faves This Pine Box play Big Ash Brewing, also on Friday 7/30.
Steve Earle is at the old Annie’s on Saturday, July 31st.
The Black Crowes play Riverbend on Tuesday, August 3rd, as part of the Make Your Money, Robinson Brothers Shake Your Moneymaker Tour
On Wednesday, August 4th, Emmylou Harris and Los Lobos play a co-headlining date at PNC Pavilion. Talk about two American treasures — you’d be hard-pressed to find more talent on one stage than Emmylou and “just another band from East L.A.” And that show has some Arby’s “We have the Seats” cheap seats in the upper corners for a mere $24… As always, we remind you to purchase Riverbend, PNC and Taft show tickets at the Taft or Riverbend box office to save on the ridiculous TicketBastard fees.
I’m bummed that I’ll be out of town for a lot of the shows listed above – but don’t feel too bad for me, as I’ll be seeing Tedeschi-Trucks at Red Rocks on Friday, 7/30… AND Jason Isbell with Lucinda Williams at Red Rocks on Sunday, August 1st. I love Jason and Lu… and have always wanted to see a show at Red Rocks. Bucket list, checked!
Speaking of Mr. Isbell, this tweet about his wife mishearing Springsteen lyrics cracked me up:
So curb your Ted Lasso binge, get off the couch, brush off that Cheeto dust and go see some live music. Hurry, before the anti-vaxxers ruin it for all of us.
I hate to start out with bad news, but since you’re such a fan of great music, you should know:
You’ll have to Bop yourself
That’s right, kids (I mean kidz), your favorite show of the summer is no more. Here’z hoping you get over it. I mean, you can still see Hoobastank.
They are playing “the old Annie’s” (a.k.a. Riverfront Live) tomorrow night, along with Everclear, Living Colour and Wheatus. The old Annie’s also has Phil Vassar on Friday and Hyryder on Saturday (all are indoor shows).
Take me to a different part of the river… and a different river
But enough about Riverfront Live, and there’s no need to even discuss Riverbend. Instead let’s focus on another river perspective: RiversEdge. It’s an outdoor amphitheater in Hamilton! Ohio. And this Friday, they have a great double bill of S.G. Goodman and Aaron Lee Tasjan. Not familiar with them? Check out their latest releases below.
Do not sleep on this show… because it starts at the old-person-friendly time of 7 p.m. And even better, general admission on the lawn is FREE!
Yours truly will be there (weather permitting – fingers crossed), along with list members Todd Butler and Todd Quincy (who is part of the RiversEdge committee). It’s always a good time with a Todd or two.
High five!
Come join us, won’t you? If you can’t make Friday’s show, RiversEdge has a few more ace shows up their sleeve. Wait, check that, it’s Hamilton, so they are probably in a sleeveless Harley shirt…
Well, the tattoo is a sleeve of sorts…
Anyhoo, Arlo McKinley plays RiversEdge next Friday, July 23rd, The North Mississippi Allstars are there on August 7th, The Infamous Stringdusters & Sierra Hull play on August 21st, and JJ Grey and Mofro are booked for September 3rd. (Other than the JJ Grey gig, lawn admission is free.)
Speaking of gratuitous shows (of the non-Hoobastank variety), I need to profusely apologize to you for not alerting you to the recent freebie shows at Fountain Square. Cracker was there on July 3rd (several list members were in attendance, including at least 50% of The Cereal Killers), and Red Wanting Blue played there on July 9th (list members Whit and Barb Gardner were there). Needless to say, list member Dan “The Reds are in in to win it” Lewis was not pleased with my recent lack of concert communication, as witnessed by his email to me on June 29th:
Sorry to let you down, Dan. The full list of Fountain Square Friday and Saturday gigs is here…. I highly recommend the Brett Dennan gig on August 6th. And I know you’re a big fan of The Mavericks (Taft on 9/24) and Todd Rundgren (Icon on 10/30), so please make a note of those dates. By the way, have you considered a corporate partnership with Warren Beatty?
Other gigs in the near future
The Casey Campbell Band plays a freebie at Washington Park this Thursday night, and the Reverend Horton Heat & Hackensaw Boys are at Southgate on Sunday, July 25th.
Venting my spleen
How is it that the Cincinnati area has two brand new indoor/outdoor venues opening when every friggin’ band in America is jonesing to tour, yet we still cannot manage to book more than a handful of decent shows? Case in point – Phoebe Bridgers is playing the PromoWest venues in Pittsburgh and Columbus on consecutive nights, yet is NOT playing the PromoWest venue in Newport… she’s also playing Indy and Louisville, so our Bermuda Triangle status remains in full effect.
Notable Names in the News
List member Gil Kaufman made the New York Post… but not Page Six. He’s quoted in this article about how MTV stopped playing music and jumped the shark.
“I have two teenage kids, and they know that I worked for MTV, but they’ve never seen MTV,” said Kaufman, who, after working at the network for 15-plus years, is now a senior contributing writer at Billboard. “They wouldn’t even know where to look for it.”
“Survival happened. We’re certainly not whole,” McCabe said.” But we owe people money. Survival costs a lot of money. Then there are repairs that need to happen. These are both old buildings. A year and a half without maintenance shows up.”
Author and college professor Robin James is a self-described “philosopher of popular music.” She grew up in West Chester, Ohio listening to 97X and is writing a book about the station and the community that formed around it. She’s also going to give a talk about the Modern Rock 500 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame once we get through the pandemic phase. In this episode, Robin gives us an update on when the book will be published… and turns the tables by interviewing Dave and Damian for that book.
Robin James, the coolest college professor ever!
We first chatted with Robin a year ago, on Episode 34. If you missed that show, it’s well worth a listen.
On her blog, here’s how Robin summarizes the 97X book project:
The Future of Rock and Roll: 97X WOXY and the fight for true independence. (Under contract with UNC Press). This is a book about the philosophy behind former modern rock radio station 97X FM/woxy.com. The station and its programming was driven by the idea that true independence is possible only when practiced with and for other people. The book argues that this idea of independence is what we need to fight the 21st century corporate mainstream, which is driven by the false idea that real independence is being left to fend for yourself.
Here’s a link to the draft version of “What was the Modern Rock 500?” – the talk Robin will be giving at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The date for that presentation is still TBD due to pandemic restrictions, but we’ll let you know when it’s happening.
My dad didn’t like music, and I didn’t have older siblings, so the Modern Rock 500 was the curriculum I used to educate myself about cool music and its history.
Robin James
Rumblings from the Big Bush mailbag
Hey guys,
I’ve been a big fan of the show. For years I’ve enjoyed listening to a playlist created from an old Modern Rock 500, and every year I think, I should contact some of the old radio guys and see what would be on the list today. I always think of this leading up to Memorial Day weekend. It would be great if you could get some of the old crew together and make an updated list.
Keep up the good work! – Nick Frisch
That’s a great idea, Nick! Unfortunately, it’s also a rather daunting task, and we have our hands full with the podcast (and our day jobs). We tried to strong-arm longtime 97X PD Phil Manning into creating an updated MR500, but to no avail. If anyone has any suggestions, we’re all ears.
In the interim, the Cincinnati-based online radio station Inhailer recently counted down their Top 500 Albums of All Time, and you’ll find plenty of 97X artists on that list. Former woxy.com DJ Luann Gibbs (a.k.a. “Miss Kitty” – we chatted with her on Episode 43) does weekend shifts on Inhailer, and Taylor Fox, who was quite active on the 97X message boards, is the Program Director and hosts the morning show Tuesdays thru Thursdays, so the station is a kindred spirit of 97X/woxy.com. They play a great mix of music, including a healthy dose of local bands, and have specialty shows on weekends and in the evening. Check it out!
This post on The Cincy Vinyl Trail website also has a nice tribute to the Modern Rock 500.
Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend has always been the unofficial beginning of summer. Schools close, pools open, we honor fallen heroes and the Taste of Cincinnati takes center stage. Memorial Day weekend of years gone by also brought us the 500. No, not the Indy 500, that’s still running. To die-hard music fans, it was the 97X Modern Rock 500. The start of every summer the radio would be tuned to 97.7.
Mark Abuzzahab (who just went by “Mark” on air… we can’t imagine why) was at 97X for a year and change (Jul ’98-Sept. ’99) at the dawn of the streaming era. He then served as music director at several other cool stations all over the map (Vermont, Boulder, Austin, Dallas) and still programs music and promotes cool artists today. We chat with Mark about his 97X memories, his current gigs and how he protected our ears from bad “alternative” music.
Mark still has a going-away present that reminds him of the good time he had at 97X (see what we did there?)
After he left 97X, Mark went to a station in Burlington, Vermont, and eventually recruited fellow 97X alum Rictile to work the morning show there.
Mark now works with VuHaus, the non-profit company that provides content for the Live Sessions on NPR Music.
VuHaus (pronounced “View House”) is a non-profit, digital music video service that introduces emerging and established artists to new audiences. VuHaus aggregates live performance videos, and live stream sessions from leading “Music Discovery” public radio stations from markets across the U.S. With unique local video channels including nationally curated playlists, local market playlists, and custom playlists from artists and tastemakers, VuHaus gives fans a unique window into the country’s most vibrant music scenes.
VuHaus is a collaboration of the country’s leading public radio music stations: KCRW in Los Angeles, KEXP in Seattle, WFUV in New York, WXPN in Philly, KUTX in Austin, The Bridge in Kansas City, KXT in Dallas, opbmusic in Portland, Mountain Stage in West Virginia, KDHX in St. Louis, Live from the Fort from Vermont and WGBH Boston.
Mark also works with Custom Channels, a company that creates custom music mixes for businesses. So you’ve probably heard his handiwork at restaurants, stores and fitness centers.
Steve Leeds has had a long and illustrious (dare we say even Gump-like) career in the music business. Terrestrial radio (Murray the K!). Major labels (Led Zeppelin!). Indie promotions (Joan Jett!). MTV (Adam Sandler!). Today he’s a VP of Talent for Sirius XM and a college professor. If it’s happening, Steve was — and still is — involved. Steve shares his memories of working with 97X (and getting lost leaving…) and what stations like 97X meant to emerging artists.
Check out Steve’s bio – it’s a who’s who of music. Steve’s blog also covers the latest twists and trends in the music biz, from someone who truly has been there and done that.
In our interview, Steve mentioned the 97X Cookbook (featuring “Dave’s Sensational Seven-Layer Salad”). Here he is holding his copy during our chat.
Here’s Steve interviewing the co-authors of the book I Want My MTV: the Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution.
And here are a couple of clips featuring artist promos for U68, a New York-area TV station that Steve programmed with music content.
Here’s a podcast featuring Steve talking about the music biz.
“The Lovely & Talented Elizabeth Cannon™” started working at Riverbend Music Center (Cincinnati’s 20,000-person capacity outdoor concert amphitheater) as an usher when she was 16… and wound up staying there for nearly 15 years. For most of her tenure, she managed Riverbend’s marketing, working closely with local radio and TV stations and record labels on media buys, ad scripts, promotions (ticket giveaways, meet-and-greets), artist interviews, and more. As a 97X listener in high school and a Miami U. grad, she always had a special place in her heart for the tiny modern rock station in Oxford… and the feeling was mutual.
Elizabeth fills us in on her behind-the-scenes work at Riverbend… including why a mullet man was making a sick kid’s heart achy-breaky, and who was cool and who was a tool in CS&N (and sometimes Y).
Elizabeth said 97X was a key reason that Riverbend was able to book up-and-coming acts, because the record labels always wanted to know if there was a local radio station playing those artists. Without 97X, concerts like Lollapalooza, Lilith Fair and H.O.R.D.E. might’ve bypassed this market.
Kneeling: Damian and Rictile. Standing L to R: Steve Baker, Linda Balogh, Jae Forman, Julie Maxwell, Doug Balogh, Phil Manning, salesperson Joe Throckmorton, Brian Ewing, Dave Tellmann and salesman Chris Adryan rocking the sweet fannypack. Sitting on car: Laura KimJulie Maxwell applies a temporary tattoo at a Riverbend show. Jae Forman (left) and Dave Tellmann (right) on the infamous butt coolers at Riverbend.
Doug and Linda Balogh bought 97.7 FM in Oxford, Ohio in July of 1981, adjusted the format to modern rock in September of 1983, and spent 23 years giving their heart and soul to a “mom and pop” radio station. 97X’s signal was tiny, but its impact was mighty, and Doug and Linda guided it every step of the way. In the first of a multi-part interview, Dave and Damian talk to Doug and Linda about why they got into the radio game in the first place, and the station’s formative early years.
Doug & Linda from the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Enquirer Magazine article published June 2, 1985
In our interview, Doug mentions the significance of a cover story about 97X in June 2, 1985 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Sunday magazine. Thanks to 97X superfan (and Episode 25 guest) Mark Griffin, you can read the entire article here — complete with 1985 ads!
World-famous cover model Danny Crash (a.k.a. Dan Reed)
Mark Griffin’s heartfelt tribute to 97X can be found on his blog. We highly recommend it.)
Unlike corporate-owned commercial stations where music is chewing gum and DJs’ on-air personalities range from vapid to outrageous, family-owned WOXY drew in people devoted to the best in new music.
Mark Griffin in his blog post about 97X – linked above
Ad for 97X’s move from High Street in uptown Oxford to 5120 College Corner Pike.
In the mid-80s, Terrence Burke came to Cincinnati from Boston, where he was weaned on a steady diet of Beantown’s finest alternative/indie/college rock stations. He quickly discovered 97X and was hooked. After a few years back in Boston, he returned to Cincinnati in 1993 and was so enamored with how the Cincinnati/Dayton music community had blossomed that he published a ‘zine about it called Screed. (He made several appearances on 97X’s Local Lixx during this time.) Terry also hosted a show at WAIF and worked at CD World, so he was fully immersed in the music scene. After his father passed away suddenly in 2001, Terrence decided to pursue his life’s calling of bringing joy to kids via his Wump Mucket Puppets shows. Terry’s a DIY guy to the core, and it was a real treat to catch up with him.
Here’s Terry joining 97X DJ Dan Cromer on the Local Lixx show on January 18th, 1996 -this episode features songs from Brainiac, Throneberry, The Wolverton Brothers and Stitch.
Local Lixx on 97X, Jan. 18, 1996 with host Dan Cromer and guest Terry BurkeTerry at Screed Zine world headquarters97X ad in ScreedTerry and Shawn Riggs, co-workers at CD World. Check out the new release board in the background. Terry on the air at WAIF-FM. He hosted Dr. 13’s Audio Lab and also appeared on the local music show Kindred Sanction
Terry with Carol Spinney (puppeteer for Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters)
Here’s a profile of Terrence and Wump Mucket Puppets on PBS.
Brian Ewing spent the early to mid-90s on the air at 97X, including three full years doing the overnight shift, which surely must be a record for “the cave.” During that same time, he was also playing in the local band Messerly & Ewing, so music ruled his life. We talk to Brian about his 97X days, including party patio drunks, open mike nights, long-distance tea-brewing, and rocking the vote.
Phil Manning, Damian and Brian “Rock the Vote” Ewing at the 97X 10th Anniversary Show at Bogart’s.
After leaving 97X, Brian still performed as part of Messerly & Ewing. They won the 97Xposure band contest in 2002, and continued to release new music and play gigs through 2014. Here’s their 2011 release on Bandcamp:
And here’s Messerly & Ewing performing live in July 2009 with their full band, featuring MPMF co-founders Sean Rhiney (bass) and Bill Donabedian (drums).
Brian on stage at an Earth Day eventMesserly & Ewing & Woman with Feather BoaMesserly & Ewing performing live on the Fox19 Morning ShowTakin’ it to the streets…Midpoint Music Festival 2009Brian when we chatted via Google Meet last month
