It’s the season for snow,
it’s that time of year
So go to the show,
there’s music to hear
Here’s a list of twenty-five concerts to know happening this month in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area.
Kid Cudi, the twenty-five year old Grammy-nominated rapper signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music label, stops by the Madison Theater tonight for a sold out show. Featuring opening act, Chipper the Ripper.
Sparrow Bellows, the band formerly known as The Emeralds, are the Southgate House’s weekly residential artist this month. Featuring former members of Cincinnati greats like The Stapletons and Trojan Rabbit, they will be performing every Wednesday night in the lounge.
Singer/songwriter Nathan Holscher, brings his dark and smokey folk songs to keep you warm this Friday, January 8th, at the Northside Tavern. Also playing is Dan McCabe’s (of CityBeat and the MidPoint and Lite Brite Music and Film Festivals) band, The Kiss Me Everlasting.
Indie rock band, SOHIO, celebrate the release of a new album at the Southgate House on Friday, January 8th. Let’s just stick with the description of their sound that they give on their MySpace page: “Wilco reading bedtime stories about the Stones, to Bob Pollard as he drifts asleep to R.E.M.” Also playing that night, are the Black Owls, Cash Flagg and The Transport.
The Tillers, who were winners at last year’s CEA’s for Folk and Americana (they’ve also jammed with Tom Brokaw), celebrate the release of a new album; the long-awaited follow-up to Ludlow Street Rag. At the Southgate House Saturday, January 9th, with the Dirt Daubers and Magnolia Mountain.
It’s a good thing that the guys from Coltrane Motion (a couple of Ohio natives) didn’t move too far away when they left town for Chicago. The electro-rock duo make their way back home several times a year, one being this Saturday, January 9th. They’re playing the Northside Tavern with the Eagle to Squirrel Variety Hour and Bullying Ben Jones.
One of the better up-and-coming indie-folk bands, Bowerbirds, return to the Southgate House on Wednesday, January 13th. Opening the show is Canadian singer/songwriter, Julie Doiron.
The Rivertown Music Club’s One More Girl On A Stage concert returns the weekend of January 15th and 16th at the York St. Cafe. Benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the two-night event will feature music from artists like Kelly Thomas and Ryan Malott, Tupelo Honey, Wonky Tonk, the J. Dorsey Blues Revival, Kristen Key, Stick Figure Drawings and Shiny and the Spoon, among many, many more. The event also features a silent auction, an art gallery and belly dancing from the Keshvar Project.
Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, an Americana act from Boston who were nominated for an AMA last year for their album, The Stars Are Out, come to the Southgate House on Friday, January 15th. Opening the show is Nashville rock and roll outfit, The Deep Vibration. Playing upstairs in the parlour are 2009 CEA World Music winners, The Pinstripes, with The Frankl Project and Stretch Lefty.
It’s gonna be a great weekend at the Northside Tavern on the 15th and 16th. Friday night, you’ll get three of the area’s best power pop, roots rock and one man band shows in The Mighty, The Kentucky Struts and Wake the Bear, all respectively. Saturday night, it’s one of the area’s more popular reunited bands, The Minor Leagues, with the Fairmount Girls and Midstates and the Choir of Ghosts.
Speaking of power pop, you’ll get the treatment from some Cincinnati legends, the Screaming Mimes, when they host a CD release party at the Southgate House on Saturday, January 16th.
Brooklyn experimental, indie rock band, Fiery Furnaces, return to town Thursday, January 21st at the Southgate House. They played a packed outdoor show last year at Fountain Square’s Indie Summer.
One of the area’s finest hard rock outfits for the past several years, Noctaluca, play at the Southgate House Friday, January 22nd, with Chiva Knievel, The Bad Words and The Killbillys.
Last month, one half of the Black Keys (Dan Auerbach) canceled his show at the Southgate House, but this month, you’ll get to see the other half of the Black Keys, with Patrick Carney and his new band, DRUMMER. Oddly enough Carney manages the bass duties in this outfit. That’s okay though. Both Auerbach and Carney are highly respected in the music world, both as performers and producers. It’s sure to be nothing short of an awesome show, as two of Cincinnati’s best, The Lions Rampant and The Guitars, are opening the show. Saturday, January 23rd.
It should be a good night of music on Saturday, January 23rd at the Northside Tavern. Playing are rock and roll bands Goose and legendary Cincinnati musician, Roger Klug with his power trio.
If you thought the mix of hip hop and rock was a phase in the late 90′s with bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, think again. One of the best new local acts, Small Time Crooks, will show you that this style of music doesn’t have to suck, despite the crap that came from Fred Durst’s mouth. Small Time Crooks are headlining the show at the Mad Hatter, with other bands like Loudmouth, Pilot Around the Stars, The Brothers and the Sisters and When All Else Fails. Saturday, January 23rd.
Popular bluegrass outfit, Chatham County Line, return to the Southgate House on Thursday, January 28th.
Just one day before Mule rocks the Taft, a former opening act for Mule will be playing, this time headlining their own show. That band is Tea Leaf Green and they’re playing the 20th Century Theater on Thursday, January 28th.
Cincinnati can’t get enough of guitar virtuoso, Warren Haynes, who seems to drop by about once or twice a year. It’s been a few years since the Allman Brothers Band came to town, but on Friday, January 29th he’ll be returning with his other band, Gov’t Mule, who play the Taft Theatre on Friday, January 29th.
Legendary political punk rockers, Anti-Flag, should fill Covington’s Mad Hatter wall to wall with both young and old punk rock fans, when they play Friday, January 29th. Also on the bill are Aiden, Cancer Bats and Star Fucking Hipsters.
Things changed a bit for both the Heartless Bastards and the Greenhornes, when their lineups changed over the past several years. But if you haven’t yet heard, there’s this band called OxfordCotton, which is actually just as strong a collective featuring musicians from both of those bands. Think of it as sort of like a supergroup. They’re playing the Northside Tavern on Saturday, January 29th.
It’s time once again for the Winter Blues Fest brought to you by the Greater Cincinnati Blues Society. Although the lineup has not yet been announced, it’s sure to be a great time, packing the venue on all three floors with music from bands who have both a traditional, older blues sound and some younger bands with new variations on what it means to play the blues. It’s happening Friday and Saturday, January 29th and 30th.
You’ll want to get to the Northside Tavern on Saturday, January 30th. Four reasons: one, there’s a memorial concert benefiting Esme Kenney. Two, it’s a rare chance to see Karin and Linford of Over the Rhine. Three, Kim Taylor is also performing and, four, The Hiders are also playing.
