Craig Finn

Going ape for April tunes

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music, podcast

Howdy, I hope you’re staying warm and dry. Aw, who am I kidding? This monsoon season weather has been for the birds – as long as they’re aquatic and like cold weather.

But even Canada geese are probably boycotting our country. Can’t say I blame them.

Maybe the live music schedule will heat things up a bit. I can feel it, coming in the air tonight… when The Phil Collins Experience plays Ludlow Garage.

On Tuesday, ZZ Top plays the Mike Brady. Their longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis has replaced the late great Dusty Hill on bass. He certainly fits the hirsute profile:

Whenever I hear the name “ZZ Top” I’m reminded of the time my high school friend Mauricio Sanchez and I drove from Morrilton, Arkansas (the original “Mo-town”) to Little Rock to see them in concert back in ’83, during their Eliminator tour. Somehow* I convinced myself that spending $25** of my hard-earned*** cash on the sleeveless tour t-shirt was a good idea, even though I had zero muscles. When I put that shirt on in the harsh light of day, it was a sobering experience.

Needless to say, the Top top was “eliminated” from my wardrobe immediately. $25 down the drain.

*it was the beer

**today’s value: $1,500

***Lifeguard at the Morrilton city pool… it was tough twirling a whistle in the sun

The Tallest Man on Earth will be at the Taft on Thursday. (To clarify, it’s the band called The Tallest Man on Earth, not 8′ 11″ Robert Wadlow, that guy from the Guinness Book of World Records.)

Also on Thursday, Jeffrey Martin plays Southgate’s Revival Room, with Lou Hazel opening. And the Cincinnati Zoo’s April “Tunes & Blooms” series features Gina & Johnny plus Linus Tate.

Shows on Friday:

  • Heavy Hinges, Easy Mark and Veronica Grimm at Northside Tavern
  • Midwinter’s Dream and Agents of the Apocalypse at Liberty Theater
  • Kashmir: the Led Zeppelin Show at Madison Theater (it’s “the” Zep show but not the “ultimate” – that’s on Saturday… )
  • Blue Note in Harrison has a hair band extravaganza with Trixter, Enuff Z Nuff, Pretty Boy Floyd

(The answer is Harrison, Ohio…)

The Southgate House presents a real Sophie’s Choice on Saturday. Alejandro Escovedo plays the main room, with Kevn Kinney (Drivin N Cryin) as the opener. I’ll be at that show, along with Dave “the Magnum P.I. of Modern Rock” Tellmann and Steve “El Blanco” White (“the White Shadow of Modern Rock”). But were it not for that gig, I’d be upstairs in the Revival Room for Brett Newski with The Dreaded Laramie and Tooth Lures a Fang.

Other Saturday shows:

  • Jay Ashton’s Gene Loves Jezebel (they have to be billed that way, for legal reasons) at Ludlow Garage
  • Smoke Healer at Liberty Theater
  • Lunar Ticks at Stanley’s
  • ZOSO: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience at Ovation
  • Signs of Life: The American Pink Floyd at Madison Theater

Next Sunday (4/13):

  • Asleep at the Wheel at Memorial Hall
  • The Queers with The Usuals and The Raging Nathans at Madison Live
  • Jason Eady at Southgate

And, if you often find yourself saying “Boy, I really wish I could hear a ukulele orchestra”:

  1. Better change your meds.
  2. Taft Theatre has The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

Tuesday, April 15 is IRS tax deadline day… assuming we still have an IRS by then. We may not need it if those penguins from the Heard and McDonald Islands quit pillaging us.

Lanky local troubadour Todd Lipscomb plays Arnold’s that evening, and Ben Folds will be rockin’ the suburbs woodwinds live with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at Music Hall.

Victor Wooten & the Wooten Brothers play Memorial Hall on Wednesday, April 16, and British blues-rocker Joanne Taylor Shaw will be there on Thursday, April 17.

Other 4/17 shows include The Yardbirds (drummer) [they don’t have to be billed that way legally, but my conscience won’t let me type it any other way] at Ludlow Garage, and Tunes & Blooms at the Zoo features Cecil Jackson & Dry Ridge on one stage and The Laurelys on the other.

Friday 4/18 is a busy evening for gigs:

  • Grayson Jenkins at Liberty Theater
  • Remi Wolf plays Ovation
  • Mol Sullivan with Namby Pamby and Sappha at Northside Tavern
  • Memorial Hall hosts Live Dead & Brothers (music of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Bros.)
  • Sqwerv (jam band from Denver) plays Stanley’s

Shows on Saturday, 4/19:

  • The Bright Light Social Hour at Liberty Theater
  • Blackjack: a Neil Young tribute band at Big Ash Brewing
  • Saturday’s Children (Grateful Dead tribute band) at Stanley’s
  • Bircus Brewing in Ludlow, KY has Pirate’s Creed.

Please note that Pirate’s Creed isn’t taking a page from the Dread Zeppelin playbook. They are NOT a Creed cover band with members dressed in pirate regalia. But it would be pretty cool to hear “Arrrrrrrrrrms Wide Open” and “High-arrrrrrr,” dontchathink?

Looking ahead a bit further, here are the live concerts on Wednesday, April 23:

  • Bright Eyes plays the Ovation, with Cursive as the opener
  • The Fixx and Jill Sobule are at Ludlow Garage
  • Bluegrass band Never Come Down is at the Woodward
  • The Ben Levin Trio plays the rooftop at the Phelps Hotel

We love it live

The Yo La Tengo show at the Woodward Theater was phenomenal. Great to see a whole slew of list members there (Frank, Matt, Pam, Jay, Alyssa, Dave R, Kevin S, Rico, Lobby Boy, et al.)

And I’m really glad I hydroplaned over to Lawrenceburg, Indiana last Sunday for the Sarah Shook & the Disarmers show. They were making it rain more than the thunderstorms were.

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers’ leader goes by River these days, and here’s what they had to say about the music vs. business equation:

It shows! Quote above is from this Brooklyn Vegan article.

Listen here!

Lisa Walker and Chuck Cleaver from Wussy were at the Yo La Tengo show, naturally. If you haven’t checked out their Forever Sounds radio show on WAIF-FM, you can catch the replays here. Come for the great tunes, stay for the playful banter.

Columbus legends Scrawl got a lot of love from Chicago music critics Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis on this seven-minute bonus episode of their Sound Opinions podcast.

The new release from Craig Finn — produced by Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs and featuring a few WoD band members as well as Kathleen Edwards — is really good.

We should’ve heeded the warning Signal

Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)

“We’ve traced the source of the trumpet player… it’s coming from inside the house!”

Oh snap, the Reverend Cleophus… I heard about him from Cab Calloway!

The Music, Man.

Concert Listings, Concert review, Music

Ya got concerts, folks! Right here in the River(front) City. Concerts with a capital “C” and that rhyme with “G” and that stands for “Gee, I should probably go to a show or three.”

Speaking of Shirley Partridge Marian the Librarian, The Mercantile Library hosts Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler of Over the Rhine on Tuesday as part of their “Words and Music” series. The event is sold out – good thing I got my tickets long ago.

Meanwhile at Ludlow Garage, Patty Griffin, Hayes Carll, and Lori McKenna are doing a sold-out “sharing the stage” gig. And Amythyst Kiah plays Southgate.

Here’s an interesting show on Wednesday:

That same evening, the Hackensaw Boys play Southgate (with Mike Oberst & Justine Cefalu opening). And Dawes plays the Taft. Remember when Dawes was called Simon Dawes and they played a gig at the old Alchemize bar in Northside back in 2006 with Chad VanGaalen and Band of Horses? I do, because I was there!

Speaking of cookies with jam, Camp Springs Tavern hosts their bi-weekly Bluegrass Jam on Thursday.

Johnny Delaware goes to Indiana on Friday, to play the Liberty Theater, with The Hiders also on the bill.

Saturday is a big day for shows:

  • Flatland Cavalry plays the Bobby Brady
  • The Paul Thorn Band is at Memorial Hall
  • Jess Williamson (who recently collaborated with Waxahatchee) plays Southgate
  • Madison Theater has Start Making Sense: A Tribute to Talking Heads
  • Everclear and Buckcherry are at the Lawrenceburg Event Center… we’re assuming it’s called “The Compound Words Tour”
  • Warrant and Lita Ford play the Hard Rock Casino (Aqua Net hairspray sold separately)

Last, but certainly not least on the Saturday roster, Ludlow Garage has the tribute show you never knew you needed… “Toast: The Ultimate Bread Experience.”

There must be a lot of folks in the Tristate who said “Baby, I’m-a Want You” to this, as there are not one but two shows (3pm and 8pm).

Personally, I’d rather go for Toast on a Stick.

Low Cut Connie plays the Liberty Theater next Sunday (11/17), with the band Sweat (good luck Googling “Sweat Band”) as the opener. List member Dave Tellmann and I will be at that show. That same evening, Will Hoge plays the Southgate.

Next Monday, 11/18, Woodward Theater screens the Ani DiFranco doc 1-800-On-Her-Own.

Wishbone Ash plays Ludlow Garage on Tuesday, Nov. 19th.

Wishbone Ash: pairs well with Toast!

Craig Finn of The Hold Steady plays the Woodward on Wednesday, November 20th, with Katy Kirby as the opener. List member “Rico” and I will be there. Remember when Craig Finn played that house concert in Cincinnati back in 2017? I do, because it was my house!

That same evening, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder play Memorial Hall.

Americana power couple Gillian Welch and David Rawlings play the Taft on Thursday, 11/21 and Wayne “The Train” Hancock plays Southgate.

Shows on Friday, 11/22:

  • The Wood Brothers at Taft
  • The Tubes at Ludlow Garage
  • Tiny Moving Parts at Southgate
  • TyeDye Band (featuring list member John Sandman) at Plain Folk Cafe in Pleasant Plain, OH.
  • Liberty Theater hosts a free Singer/Songwriter Night

On Saturday, 11/23:

  • The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and Joe’s Truck Stop play Southgate
  • Ric Hordinski and Kim Taylor play the Woodward
  • Hyryder (Grateful Dead tribute) at Madison Theater
  • Mark Gibson and Danni Nicholls play a “Downtowne Listening Room” show at the Hellmann Creative Center in Covington, KY
  • Ludlow has Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience… with special guest Electric Duke (tribute to David Bowie)

On Sunday, 11/24, Ballyhoo! and Keep Flying are at the Liberty Theater, Ace Monroe is at Southgate, and Hard Rock Casino has Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening.

The Reading Room

Bon Iver interview in The New Yorker. Money quote:

“I believe in the power of the individual — don’t get me wrong — but I’ve always just found that it distracts from the point. Why do we like a song? Is it because of who’s singing it to us? Or is it the song? And I just think it’s the song. For me, it is. For me, it’s about the song and what the music does. It can be very distracting when it becomes, ‘Oh, I love Bon Iver so much. I want more Bon Iver. I want to see Bon Iver. I want to get his autograph.’ I’m sensitive to it, and the attention can be overwhelming. I’m also uncomfortable with it because it distracts from the point that music delivered me to myself.”

We need some “Divine Intervention”

Matthew Sweet recently suffered a debilitating stroke in Canada. There’s a GoFundMe to help pay for his medical bills and ongoing therapy and care.

And you thought 8-tracks were weird

Here’s the live link to the Demastered site.

We live for live

I couldn’t make the Cereal Killers show at Big Ash the weekend before Halloween, but I love their Ramones vibe:

No, I didn’t get tickets for the Jack White show at Bogart’s. But list members Dave Tellmann and Rico did.

I DID, however, catch all three Buffalo Tom shows during their “Please Come to Boston” festival, along with comedy from Eugene Mirman and Dave Hill, book readings from Tom Perrotta, Bill Janovitz, and Dave Hill, and a band Q&A hosted by comedian/actor Mike O’Malley.

Dave Hill is hilarious, btw.

And last night Wussy and the Chris Brokaw Band (feat. Chris Brokaw from Codeine and Come, and Clint Conley from Mission of Burma) were fantastic at the Woodward.

(That’s Brenda Sauter of The Feelies sitting in on bass.)

Todd, Regi, Tom, Jamie, Matt, Pam, Jay, Alyssa, Dave, Ken, Michelle, Dave, Kevin, Dr. David… it’d be easier to cite the list members who weren’t there – great to see such a strong turnout for our friends in Wussy.

Their new album was on sale at the show – the official release date is this Friday.

Album Covers of the Week(s)

These guys can’t count, but they look really slick.

They’ve gotten worse at counting. And/or they found out about their dad’s clandestine second family.

The 1/4 un-lonely is because his belt is off.

If my math is correct, this guy isn’t wearing pants. And/or T.G. Sheppard just walked in on him.

I love music… and you!

Concert Listings, Music

Howdy! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I want you to know that you are the Porter Wagoner to my Dolly Parton, and I will always love you.

If you think I look nothing like Dolly, you haven’t seen my moobs lately.

Or maybe I’m the Ralph Wiggum to your Lisa Simpson, and you choo-choo-choose to read this rag because you feel sorry for me.

Let’s take a loving look at the shows coming to the Tri-State Area, shall we?

We covered this in our last missive, but just in case you missed it:

There’s quite a grab bag of shows (and venues) on Saturday, Feb. 11th:

  • Blackberry Smoke plays the Lawrenceburg Event Center
  • Joe’s Truck Stop, Willy Tea Taylor and Jordan Smart play Southgate’s Revival Room
  • The Judds (featuring one original member!) are at the Nutter Center in Dayton
  • The Coliseum hosts the Legendz of the Streetz Tour (in case you hadn’t guessed from the use of the “z plurals” — there will be hippin’ and/or hoppin’ at that show. Per the show description, it will be “an interchanging ensemble of some of the most Iconic names in Hip-Hop including Rick Ross, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Jadakiss, Cam’ron with Special Guest Jucee Froot”
  • Last, and most incongruously of all, Michael Bolton will be at the Hard Rock Casino. (Which might be the first time that “Michael Bolton” and “Hard Rock” have been used in the same sentence.)

On Sunday, Ben Levin plays Schwartz’s Point.

Then there’s a whole lot of nothin’ until Valentine’s Day is over.

On Thursday, The Gibson Brothers play Southgate.

Joshua Redman plays Memorial Hall on Friday.

Gigs next Saturday (2/18):

  • Ana Popovic is at Ludlow Garage
  • Dave Mason plays Memorial Hall
  • Ben Levin plays the Hilton Netherland for the first time
  • Bogart’s hosts “That Arena Rock Show”:
If they don’t play some Ratt, I’m gonna demand a refund…

If you’re more into “That Used-to-Be-Opening-Act at an Arena Rock Show,” Jackyl plays the Blue Note in Harrison.

Gaelic Storm is at the Taft on Tuesday 2/21.

That’s Fat Tuesday, by the way.

Blues-rock guitarist Eric Gales plays Ludlow Garage next Wednesday, 2/22, and if you’re up for a wild road trip, you can go to Kentucky to see Canada. (Cody Canada plays The Burl in Lexington.)

On Friday, Feb. 24th, Silversun Pickups are at Bogart’s, and Rob Fetters plays another “Fetters is Cheap!” home live stream with special guest Bob Nyswonger:

And a couple of Saturdays from now (Feb. 25th), the remaining members of Brainiac (R.I.P. Tim Taylor) will play the Woodward. (The New York Times did a nice article about the tour.)

Or you could observe the Sabbath:

Is that Ozzy or Fran Lebowitz?

They’ll be at Ludlow Garage that evening. After sundown.

Say it ain’t so, Joe Jon

Longtime This Week in Live Music favorite Jon Wurster is leaving Superchunk.

Sure, he’s still the drummer for The Mountain Goats and Bob Mould, and he’s still part of The Best Show… and he’ll still be hilarious on Twitter and Instagram.

But he’ll be missed in the ‘chunk. Oh well, as list member Mighty Joe Sampson said, “we’ll always have our Sudsy’s memories”… including the Superchunk show at that venue when an overpowering acrid smell nearly cleared out the room — and I used that as my opportunity to get closer to the stage.

Breaking news: Ticketmaster still sucks

I don’t know much about the band Lawrence, but kudos to co-lead Clyde Lawrence (great name – his sister Gracie is also in the band) for testifying before the Senate about the ridiculous monopoly that is Live Nation/Ticketbastard:

I hope the $25 towels were extra fluffy.

Summer festivals: coming soon to a venue (not so) near you

Ticket info for this Columbus festival here: https://columbus.resetconcertseries.com/

Speaking of boygenius, they recreated the iconic Nirvana Rolling Stone cover.

Nice interview feature too.

Philly + Minneapolis = Detroit?

War on Drugs and Craig Finn covering Bob Seger…

Won’t you be my Valentine?

Speaking of the ‘mats, Paul’s got more style than Styles, because he wore it first, and better:

Yes, it’s from Jon Wurster… he’s the best!

Album Covers of the Fortnight

Nothing says “love” quite like belly dancing and Jerry Wallace.