Friday
I often say things like “re-live the past” or “take a step back into time” when referring to bands that are reuniting and such, so let me just say that this will be that type of night in the Southgate House ballroom. Local garage/punk rock heroes, The Customs (or Kustoms) are celebrating a re-release of Long Gone. Also on the bill are Pittsburgh’s The Cynics and locals The Long Gones, who got their name from the same record. Playing in the lounge is Los Honchos. For show times, directions and ticket info visit the Southgate House website.
The Mad Hatter has long been one of the better venues in town to check out harder and heavier music. Tonight features just that kind of lineup, with Slick Idiot, Pluto Revolts, Chakras, Another Tragedy, Blood Werks, Riot Head and Common Man Down. For show time, directions and ticket info visit the Mad Hatter website.
Northside Tavern is one of the better venues on the Ohio side of the river to catch original music. The outside patio’s always nice when the weather’s good, but tonight everyone should be crammed into the newer back room for Culture Queer, The Kiss Me Everlasting and Human Reunion. Shows generally start at 10 pm and are always free, but visit the Northside Tavern website anyways.
There’s always a lot going on during the weekend that is enjoyable at no cost. Some of those venues include The Comet, who’ve got Cletus Romp tonight, Arnold’s, who has the Catfish Evans Trio and Lagnaippe playing, Rohs Street Cafe, who has Kevin Huber, The Seasons and Justin Skaggs playing, and Stanley’s Pub, who has the Suburbanites and Frankly Speaking playing. You can usually find a ton of places around town that offer concerts at a very small cost. Places like the Mad Frog, who have Red Wanting Blue and Eric Matthew Tepe playing, The Redmoor, who has Smooth Jazz Night with Marvin Curry and DJ Perry Simmons, and the Blue Wisp Jazz Club, who has the Rusty Burge Quartet and Delbert Williams playing.
Back over in Kentucky, the classy Madison Theater has a big lineup. On the bill are The Western, Calloused, Last Days, Ghostbear, Anastello, Super Tuesday, Walk the Moon and Back to the Sky. For show time, directions, parking and ticket info visit the Madison Theater website.
Saturday
I’ll go ahead and mention this, although I’m not a fan. The biggest concert of the weekend belongs to Jay-Z and an entourage featuring N.E.R.D., Wale and J. Cole. They’re playing the new Bank of Kentucky Center on the campus of Northern Kentucky University.
My favorite show of the night takes place at my least favorite music venue in town, Bogart’s. Keller Williams, a 39-year old Deadhead/wannabe hippie brings of bunch of guitars, drum machines and live looping equipment to prove he’s the greatest musician who works alone.
It’ll be another packed weekend at the Southgate House. Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin is playing a sold-out show in the ballroom, while Jessica Lea Mayfield and the Old Ceremony play upstairs in the parlour. For show times, directions, parking and ticket info visit the Southgate House website.
A Decade to Die For are releasing their long-awaited full-length, debut album, with a release show at the Mad Hatter. Also on the bill are Counterfeit Money Machine, The Paramedic and Zebras in Public. For show time, directions and ticket info visit the Mad Hatter website.
It’s looking like a nice October afternoon (no rain, highs about 60 degrees), which should be nice for the Sayler Park Harvest Festival. There’s art (which you can either buy or create), there’s music, food, games and a whole lot more. Ryan Adcock/Craig Dockery’s new band, Flaregun, takes the stage at 1 pm. For more info on this festival, visit their Facebook page here.
As for all that other cheaper and free stuff, the Northside Tavern’s got Bootleg Rider, Animal Circles and Cash Flagg, The Comet’s got Sleepy Bird, the Mad Frog has Brooks Bauer and Incline District, Harvey’s (the old Blue Note) has Mad Anthony and California Wives, Arnold’s has Hobo Shamen, Rohs Street Cafe has Mayan Ruins and Faebotica, Stanley’s Pub has Noah Wotherspoon and Jessi Bair, the Blue Wisp has Brasilia and Steve Barone.
Sunday
Sunday’s always a low key day, but there’s still some great stuff going on. Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek returns to the Southgate House for the second time in five months, the Rattlesnakin’ Daddies are at Northside Tavern, the Comet Bluegrass Allstars are playing where else but The Comet and SOUSE are at the Blue Wisp.