Returning once again to Fountain Square is the Indie Summer Concert Series, sponsored by MidPoint. Happening every Friday night, the event is free and features some of the best local and regional bands. There’s generally three bands every Friday night, however, you will see that a number of nights have added a fourth band. Immediately following the bands, you have the Open Mic Singer/Songwriter night, in which anyone with an instrument can sign up to showcase their talents. Comedians are also welcome. Food, beer and wine are available at reasonable prices, with your generous donations and tips going to local charities. Did I mention all this great music is free! Here’s the schedule:
May 29
7 pm Iolite (Cincinnati) Jazz/Neo-Soul
8 pm Fairmount Girls (Cincinnati) Indie/Rock
9 pm Peter Adams (Cincinnati) Folk/Indie/Pop
June 5
7 pm J. Dorsey Blues Revival (Cincinnati) Blues/Roots
8 pm Mysts of Time (debut show, ex-Cincinnati Suds) Garage/Psychedelic
9 pm The Lions Rampant (Cincinnati) Blues/Garage/Rock
June 12
7 pm Wake the Bear (Cincinnati) Acoustic/Electronic
8 pm Cash Flagg (Cincinnati) Indie
9 pm Cari Clara (Cincinnati) Alt Pop
June 19
7 pm The Emeralds (Cincinnati) Garage/Rock
8 pm Lovely Crash (Cincinnati) Indie/Pop Punk/Rock
9 pm The Hiders (Cincinnati) AltCountry/Rock
June 26
7 pm The Sleeping Sea (Cincinnati) Experimental/Freak Folk/Post Rock
8 pm The Damn Thing (Cincinnati)
9 pm Culture Queer (Cincinnati) Electro/Experimental/Pop
10 pm Enon (New York) Electronic/Indie/Pop
July 3
7 pm Eagle to Squirrel (Cincinnati) Electronica/Experimental
8 pm Abiyah (Cincinnati) Dub/Rap
9 pm Freekbass (Cincinnati) Funk
July 10
7 pm Enlou (Cincinnati) Indie/Post Rock
8 pm Bloodsugars (Brooklyn) Indie/Pop
9 pm Pomegranates (Cincinnati) Indie/Pop
July 17
7 pm Pasquali (Oakland/Columbus/Brooklyn) Indie
8 pm The Tigerlilies (Cincinnati) Indie/Power Pop/Rock
9 pm Roundhead (Cincinnati) Alt/Experimental/Prog
10 pm Wussy (Cincinnati) Indie/Noise Rock
July 24
7 pm Thing One (New Jersey) Electro/Indie/Rock
8 pm A Decade to Die For (Newport, KY) Indie/Pop Punk
9 pm You, You’re Awesome (Cincinnati) Electronic/Experimental
10 pm Bad Veins (CD release show) Indie/Rock
July 31
7 pm Messerly & Ewing (Cincinnati) Americana/Rock
8 pm Nathan Holscher and the Ohio 5 (Cincinnati) Americana/Folk Rock/Indie
9 pm Matthew Shelton’s Picnic (Cincinnati) Acoustic/Folk
10 pm Baby Teeth (Chicago) Indie/Pop
August 7
7 pm The Chocolate Horse (Cincinnati) Alt Folk/Rock
8 pm Fists of Love (Cincinnati) Psychedelic/Rock/Soul
9 pm Brian Olive (formerly of The Greenhornes) (Cincinnati) Psychedelic/Soul
10 pm The Fiery Furnaces (New York) Experimental/Indie/Pop
Though typically they are just a brother and sister team consisting of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, they often add three members while on tour: Jason Loewenstein, Bob D’Amico and Michael Goodman. Always challenging themselves, the Fiery Furnaces are very complex when it comes to creating, whether it be the rock-opera album, Blueberry Boat, the radio-drama, conceptial album, Rehearsing My Choir, or the more conventionally-structured album, Bitter Tea. Interesting facts: their name comes from both the Book of Daniel in the Bible and the film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
August 14
7 pm Goose (Cincinnati) Rock
8 pm The Harlequins (Cincinnati) Pop/Psychedelic
9 pm The Hot Pipes (Nashville) Indie/Pop
10 pm The Wrens (New Jersey) Indie/Rock
Although they formed in the late ’80s, the Wrens are still adding to their fanbase, despite turning down a million-dollar contract with the now-defunct Grass Records, who were looking for more “radio friendly” songs. They’re well known for their “explosive stage presence”, as Last FM puts it, and have been influenced by Guided by Voices and the Pixies. Sounds like just the type of band many of the MidPoint board members are into. Here’s to hoping they come back at the end of September.
August 21
7 pm The Krononauts (Cincinnati) Electro/Experimental/Pop
8 pm The Koala Fires (Cincinnati) Indie/Pop/Rock
9 pm Roger Klug (Cincinnati) Indie/Power Pop/Rock
10 pm The Newbees (with the String Quartet) (Covington, KY) Folk/Pop/Rock
August 28
7 pm Slow Claw (Cincinnati) Indie/Pop/Rock
8 pm White Girls (Cincinnati) Psychedelic/Punk/Rock
9 pm The Sundresses (Cincinnati) Aggro-Blues/Rock
10 pm Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s (Indianapolis) Chamber Pop/Indie
Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s are an eight-piece, indie rock, orchestral pop band, that have drawn comparisons ranging from Arcade Fire, the Decemberists and the Shins, to Paul Simon and Conor Oberst. Several harmonic vocal parts and instruments like cello, violin, lap steel, trumpet and various percussion. Other bands you might like include Dear and the Headlights, Manchester Orchestra, Annuals and Ra Ra Riot.
September 4 & 5
TBA
