… and I’m really tired of shivering.

But I do love pie. Except for the Shepherd’s kind.

You can’t spell February without “F-U.”

Let’s warm up our weary bones with some hot live tunes.

Tomorrow night (2/20):

• Robert Ellis plays Southgate
• Young Heirlooms, Mol Sullivan, and Annie D are at the Northside Tavern
• Liberty Theater has a Songwriters in the Round free show with Anthony Ray Wright and Andrew Hibbard

Kim Deal (Pixies, Breeders, Huber Heights, OH) plays a sold-out show at the Woodward Theater on Friday night. I’ll be there, along with list members Mighty Joe, Deuce, Lobby Boy, Matty V, Jarrod, Shay-Shay, and a cavalcade of stars. It’ll be like the greatest episode ever of The Love Boat

Other Friday shows:

• Justin Wells has an album release show at Southgate, with Casey Campbell and Adam Lee also on the bill
• Susto and Rose Hotel are at Ludlow Garage
• Cincy Brass plays a free show at MOTR (9:30)
• Jim Trace & the Makers (featuring two of my co-workers) play an album release show at Northside Tavern, with The Electric Indigo and The Laurelys

On Saturday, the Cabin Fever Festival takes over historic Ludlow, KY. I went last year and loved it – it’s a great showcase for the amazing roots/Americana/bluegrass talent in this area, in some really cool venues (including a Funeral Parlor!).

Needless to say, I’m going again this year. (I just hope the funeral home folks don’t try to stick me in a coffin.)

Join me, won’t you? (At the festival, not in the coffin.) Tickets are dirt cheap too – get ’em here.

Other Saturday shows:

• Nicholas Jamerson plays Southgate, with Jonathan Peyton as the opener (I really like Jonathan’s latest release)
• Mike Detmer has an album release show at Liberty Theater, with Rob L. Ford, and Adam Gilliam
• Annie’s hosts Fillmore on the River 2 with the Almond Butter Band and Scarlet Fire
• The HercuLeons (feat. Bluegrass Hall of Famer John Cowan and fiddler/vocalist Andrea Zonn) play Ludlow Garage
• Memorial Hall has The Drowsy Lads

On Sunday, Mike Oberst and Justine Cefalu play the Rabbit Hash “Music Behind the Stove” series and Tinfoil Hat Cowboys play MOTR.

The Nasty Nati Brass Band is at Memorial Hall on Monday.

On Tuesday, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddler from Molly Tuttle’s band) is at Southgate, and the Mercantile Library’s Memoir Lecture is from Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart and also lead singer of Japanese Breakfast. (That appearance is sold-out.)

Taft Theatre has An Evening with Drew and Ellie Holcomb next Wednesday (2/26).

The Joe Stamm Band plays Whiskey City’s Liberty Theater on Thursday, Feb. 27th, with Clint Park as the opener.

The Noah Smith Band is at Liberty Theater on Friday, 2/28, and Southgate has a couple of shows going on that evening:

• Eddie Spaghetti and “Metal” Marty Chandler from Supersuckers play the main room (Skunkdog opens)
• Logan Ledger plays the Revival Room, with Mason Via.

Plenty o’ shows on Saturday, March 1st:

• Robyn Hitchcock plays Southgate (I’ll be there with list member Dave Tellmann) – Robyn has a great interview on the Sound Opinions podcast
• Noah Wotherspoon Band at Liberty Theater
• Lydia Shae, Amy Jo, and Stone & Snow play Southgate’s Revival Room
• Helles Belles (all-female AC/DC cover band) play Ludlow
• The Blue Note in Harrison hosts Crown Watts: An Evening of Rush

Shows on Sunday, March 2nd:

• Burning Caravan plays Rabbit Hash (2pm)
• Tommy Castro & the Painkillers are in Southgate’s main Sanctuary
• Flamy Grant and Heather Mae play the Southgate Revival Room
• Dropkick Murphys are at the Bobby Brady
• Comedian John Caparulo plays a 6:30 show at the Woodward

Gigs on Wednesday, March 5th:

• Jordan Tice plays the Liberty Theater
• Crumbsnatchers play Southgate (bio description: “Hailing from Nashville, Crumbsnatchers’ catchy songs echo the wit of Pixies and Talking Heads, backed by the fervent force of Beastie Boys.”)
• It’s WEEN Wednesday at the Columbia – the album featured will be Pure Guava

Life is a carnival. Summer is a festival (or seven).

Bourbon & Beyond has crammed about five festival’s worth of artists into their lineup:

Nelsonville hasn’t announced their full lineup yet, but they had me at Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman, Dehd, and Low Cut Connie.

Hear, here!

The new album from Ex-Vöid is great!

One of the principals in Ex-Vöid is Owen Williams from The Tubs. I’m obsessed.

Waxahatchee has a new non-album track out (with M.J. Lenderman on guitar and backing vocals). It’s delightful.

And Katie Crutchfield harmonizes with Patterson Hood (Drive-by Truckers) on a track from his upcoming solo release. As list member Mighty Joe Sampson says, “This is the good stuff. Harmonies to melt your ears on a cold winter day.”

The Reading Room

This article from The Atlantic is heart-breaking for any record collector, or really any music lover.

And in the WaPo, Will Leitch expresses his admiration for the way that R.E.M. did their thing, then closed up shop.

In his interview with Allmusic, Bob Mould gives a shout-out to stations like 97X:

“There were a lot of radio stations that had been around. College stations, and then stations like WLIR in New York. So, that was all part of building the firmament, as well. It was a long process. It didn’t just happen out of thin air. And WBCN, and Matt was DJing down in South Jersey. So, that late ’80s through ’91/’92, all of that was critical infrastructure, as well. It’s just funny – you know this and I know this – but there’s sort of a ‘mainstream history,’ like, ‘There was all this hair metal, and then Nevermind came, and it changed.’ There was a lot of people who did a lot of work to get to that point.”

Amen, Brother Bob! Here’s the title track from his upcoming album:

Album Cover of the Week

I picked up this gem of an album, in this condition, note and all, at the Mt. Washington St. Vincent de Paul store. (On “Senior Sunday” when I get a 25% discount!) My best guess is that the two-time owner of the album found someone who DIDN’T like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.