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.
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.”
“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.
The concert slate could use a bit more stuffing. That’s fine, it leaves room for family gatherings… or for watching a WKRP in Cincinnati rerun.
But there are a few shows, which is a reason to be thankful.
Skip the can-shaped cranberry sauce, and feast on The Raisins instead.
Bob, Rob, Bam and Ricky have shows on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at the Woodward Theater. (They also have a documentary movie out that features performances from their March shows – check out the interview on WVXU Cincinnati Edition.) The Saturday gig is sold-out, but tickets remain for the other two shows.
Other Wednesday shows include Northern Kentucky Derby at Southgate House, and State Champs at Bogart’s.
Thursday is Turkey Day! (Or in my house, Tofurkey Day!)
Speaking of expanding waistlines, Bret Michaels is at the Hard Rock Casino on Friday.
Also on Friday:
Jeremy Pinnell kicks off a two-night stand at Southgate House with a solo set, along with Justin Wells.
Freekbass hosts “Funksgiving” at Radio Artifact, with Tracy Silverman Project.
The Raisins are at Woodward
Saturday gigs:
Jeremy Pinnell plays a full-band show in Southgate’s main room, with G.W. Garner and The Montvales also on the bill.
The Ark Band plays Ludlow Garage on Saturday
Memorial Hall hosts Christmas with the Celts
The Whiskey Shambles, Veronica Grim, and The Shivers in Southgate’s Revival Room
The Raisins at Woodward (sold-out)
Unless you’re going to NYC for the Jesse Malin benefit shows on 12/1 and 12/2 (more on that below), there’s a bit of a lull in the ol’ Koncert Keeper. Maybe you can do some holiday shopping.
Or go see your friend’s band:
On Friday, 12/6, the animals (but not The Animals) are out in full force:
Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band at Bogart’s
Spirit of the Bear and Bear the Moon in Southgate’s Revival Room
The Surfrajettes and Kyle Eldridge play Southgate’s main Sanctuary – that should be a rollicking good time!
Ludlow Garage crams three tributes into one band, when Magical Mystery Doors plays tunes by the Beatles, Led Zep, and The Doors
On Saturday, 12/7, Noah Smith’s Crooner Circus takes over all three Southgate House stages:
Other 12/7 shows include:
Tropidelic at Bogart’s
Mosant and Ascension Day at the Liberty Theater
Siren Suit with Girl Gordon and Marsha at Urban Artifact
Ludlow Garage has Aja: A Tribute to the Music of Steely Dan, with shows at 3:30 (when they play The Royal Scam in its entirety) and 7:30 p.m.
Then there’s another lull in the schedule. Maybe you can make sure the Christmas lights are hung.
The English Beat plays Ludlow Garage on Thursday, 12/12.
On Friday the 13th:
Erika Wennerstrom (Heartless Bastards) kicks off three nights of solo shows at The Loon Wine Bar in Northside. (Friday and Saturday shows are sold-out, but they added a 6 p.m. Sunday show. Tickets on sale here.)
Ludlow Garage has A John Waters Christmas on Friday and Saturday
The Tillers have a 10th anniversary vinyl release of Hand on the Plow (with cover artwork by list member Keith Neltner)
Motherfolk has “A Very Motherfolks Christmas” at Bogart’s on Satuday, 12/14.
Tears on our Cheek
R.I.P. Randy Cheek (Libertines, Ass Ponys, The Ready Stance, et al.) Here’s a loving tribute from Chuck Cleaver:
Here’s to you, Randy!
Joy to the Wussy World
Now more than ever, we need the healing words and music of our friends in Wussy, on their new release Cincinnati Ohio.
It’s hard to believe that Eric Bachmann’s recent Undertow show was off my radar. Heck, he’s played an Undertow show at my house before (2019):
And I applied to host his show this time around. But somehow I missed the listing – thank goodness an alert list member tipped me off that morning, and I DID catch the show thanks to list member Jeff B.
Eric played a cool venue in South Fairmount called the Lunken Lounge. Hopefully there will be more shows there in the future.
Craig Finn also ditched my living room for the Woodward Theater this go-round on his solo tour. (Can’t blame him.) What a great storyteller!
List member Dave Tellmann and I finally made it over to Dan McCabe’s new venue, Whiskey City’s Liberty Theater, in Lawrenceburg, IN. What an amazing place to see a show! And we saw a fantastic high energy performance from Low Cut Connie.
The opening band, Sweat, from Pittsburgh, was great too!
Dan McCabe has some great shows lined up over the next couple of months… check ’em out here and support a great dude who has spent decades bringing great music to our area.
List members Joyce, Matt, Pam, and I also enjoyed the “Words and Music” event featuring Karin and Linford of Over the Rhine (photo above)… especially because we got a sneak preview of updated/upgraded/expanded Mercantile Library. It officially reopens on 12/2.
We now occupy both the 11th & 12th floors of 414 Walnut Street and have more seating areas, more workspaces, more light, more bathrooms, more bookshelves, and, most importantly, more books.
The Reading Room
Tip o’ the tam to Kevin Sullivan for the link to a Jesse Malin feature in the NYT in advance of Jesse’s return to the stage on Dec. 1 and 2, with dozens of high profile friends.
They’re just trying to return the kindness Jesse has always shown to them:
Jesse still has his PMA – positive mental attitude:
Live Performance Video of the Week Year
Waxahatchee and M.J. Lenderman at the Americana Music Awards, with an all-star backing band that includes Buddy Miller, Don Was, Larry Campbell, and Jen Gunderman. Top notch!
Album Covers of the Weeks
Cornucopia… accent on the corn.
This “little singing band” used the Thanksgiving tablecloth to make skirts and ties (or are those dickies?).
You can throw the albums shown below onto the turntable after Turkey Day to make those pounds melt away – it’s a miracle!
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.
“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.
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.
