Wow, can you believe it’s December already? I don’t think I’m ready for the “holiday of savings” or the “sale-a-bration” or the “December to Remember” or whatever other slogan some poor junior copywriter has to come up with (until s/he’s replaced by A.I.).
But I AM ready to rock… always. (And Alvvays!)
Let’s take a gander* at the upcoming shows.
*no relation to the Christmas goose… we hope, because if he is, we have some bad news to deliver.
Tonight:
- Braxton Brewing’s Dark Charge release day features live music from Tracy Walker, Zeb South and Jeremy Short
- Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real are at Bogart’s
- Ben Levin 3 plays Wiedemann’s
- Camp Springs Tavern has an evening with Alex Salcido (of The Harmed Bros.)
- Ludlow Garage hosts Aja: a Tribute to Steely Dan
- Ramblin’ Rob’s “Dead to the Core” show at Annie’s is a benefit for WAIF-FM
- NoahIMean? and Tobotius of Animal Crackers host a turntable workshop at the Music Resource Center (tickets)
On Sunday, Jason’s Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening will be at the Greg Brady (because Greg was a rock god too!).
Want your own Johnny Bravo moment? On Tuesday, you can be a movie star! Jerry King & the Rivertown Ramblers will be playing a FREE show in the Southgate House’s Revival room. And the honky tonkers and rockabilly boppers in the crowd might end up in a movie, because the show is being filmed for an upcoming documentary. (More here.)
The Preservation Hall Brass Band plays a Creole Christmas show at Memorial Hall on Wednesday, and Meshuggah will be rocking the Jan Brady.
Pop (or bluegrass) quiz: “Kentucky Thunder” is:
- the street name for off-brand Oxycontin.
- Ricky Skaggs’ backing band.
Trick question… it’s both! But only #2 will be playing Memorial Hall (with Ricky) on Thursday.
That same evening, Steel Panther plays Bogart’s and Thunderstruck (“America’s AC/DC”) plays Annie’s.
On Friday:
- Ben Levin plays Element Eatery
- Ludlow Garage hosts Christmas with the Celts
- Carriers play live at Music Resource Center
Next Saturday‘s smorgasbord:
- Heartless Bastards play the Woodward
- You can see Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (the band at the Madison Theater, or the YouTube channel from the comfort of your own home)
- Welshly Arms will be arm’s length away at Madison Live
- Mike & the Moonpies play Southgate, with Justin Wells and Erin Viancourt
- LEZ Zeppelin will be in Ludlow Garage
On Thursday, 12/14, you can catch Tab Benoit and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Taft, or see A John Waters Christmas at Ludlow Garage.
On Friday, 12/15, Over the Rhine kicks off a three-day stand at Memorial Hall. (Sunday 12/17 show is at 4 p.m. for those who want to catch a show, catch the early bird special at Bob Evans, and catch a full night’s rest.)
Other 12/15 shows:
- Pink Talking Fish (a fusion of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish) plays the Madison Theater
- Bone Thugs-n-Harmony plays a hip-hop holiday show at the Ovation
- Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits hosts an Olde English Christmas at Ludlow. That show might be BYOB:
On Saturday, Dec. 16th:
- Mike Oberst & Justin Cefalu play Camp Springs Tavern
- Motherfolk plays “A Very Motherfolk Christmas” at Bogart’s
- The Atlanta Rhythm Section is so into the Ludlow Garage
- Woodward Theater hosts a screening of Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.
And on Sunday, 12/17, you can jazz up your life by seeing Ben Levin at Schwartz’s Point.
I’ll have a Blue(s) Christmas without you
Speaking o’ young Ben Levin, he’s hosting a great lineup of Blues artists for a good cause on Solstice evening:
I’ll have a Blue Christmas without Shane
R.I.P. Shane MacGowan of The Pogues. Worst teeth, best songs.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before…
Guided By Voices has a new album out. Nowhere To Go But Up is merely their 39th studio album, and only the third of this year.
And guess what? It rocks! Check out the Paste review. I love this line from it:
To be a Guided By Voices fan is to be happy within your place orbiting around a flaming sun that, somehow, still burns as aggressively as it did in the early 1990s.
Pat king, in his Paste review
Geddy Lee Effin’ Rocks!
Geddy wrote a memoir. This CBC interview is well worth watching. Here’s a quick clip where Ged talks about being a part of Canada’s premier power rock trio (suck it, Triumph!):
Album Cover(s) of the Week(s)
Seems like a kids album, right? Guess again, my friend:
If you have an especially keen eye (or too much time on your hands), you might’ve also noticed the song entitled “Marty Feldman Two Step.”
This album seems pretty innocuous too… I was afraid to check out the track list.