GCR to host series of shows at Blind Bob’s

By Kris Neises | Thursday, November 27, 2008, 09:03 PM

GCR Music Group, the guys that brought you the Dayton Music Fest and the Bellbrook Jamboree, are set to put on a series of shows at Blind Bob’s.

The shows will feature bands that will be performing at next year’s Bellbrook Jamboree.

The shows will be monthly and will begin this Saturday, November 29th, at 9 pm.

Folk singer/songwriter Jordan Hull and bluegrass act Rock Island Plow Co. will perform alternate sets on Saturday. The cost is $5 at the door.

May 16th, 2008 was the inaugural Bellbrook Jamboree, but GCR is poised to continue the three day folk and bluegrass festival in 2009.

They hope the shows at Blind Bob’s will bring added awareness to the event which last year featured over 30 folk and bluegrass acts including the Dan Tyminski Band, Josh Ritter, and Dry Branch Fire Squad.

Visit www.bellbrookjamboree.com for more info. Also, give a listen to Jordan Hull’s tunes at www.myspace.com/jordanhull. He has one of the most distinctive voices in town.

And by the way. Blind Bob’s kicks.

I was in there last Saturday watching Towhee and XL427 (both of whom have just finished cds and will release them soon), and the bar/eatery looks great.

The food was good, the sound was good, and the stage can be seen from anywhere inside the club (unlike the old Nite Owl that used to occupy the building).

Blind Bob’s reopened in late September and has been bringing in great acts since.

In October they were part host to the Dayton Music Fest and later in December Blind Bob’s will host the annual punk rock and singer/songwriter Winter music fest Holi-Dayton. It will feature performances by the Story Changes and Joe Anderl.

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Austin’s Asylum Street Spankers coming to Canal Street

By Kris Neises | Sunday, November 23, 2008, 09:15 PM

Besides the turkey, cranberry sauce, and football, there is one more Thanksgiving weekend tradition that is celebrated every year in Dayton.

That tradition is the Americana/Folk music of the Asylum Street Spankers live at Canal Street Tavern.

For the past nine years the light-hearted Austin, Texas eight piece, the Asylum Street Spankers, have performed their fun and eccentric stage show in Dayton for Thanksgiving weekend.

This year is no different.

“It is sort of a tradition now for us to be in Dayton during Thanksgiving. We love Dayton and Canal Street, and we always have a great time when were there,” said Spankers founding member and singer Christina Marrs.

The band is closing out a very successful year. They just released a double album of songs from their Broadway show entitled What? And Give Up Show Business?.

The show debuted on Broadway last January and got raved reviews from the New York Times, the Village Voice, and Variety.

The new double disc was recorded live in New York and hit stores last month.

The band mixes wit and humor into a set of pickin’ and grinin’ banjos, fiddles, washboards, steel guitars, harmonized voices and an upright bass (just to name a few).

These days the multi-instrumentation is amplified, but Canal Street owner Mick Montgomery told me in the old days the band would play completely acoustic. No amps or mics. Just the band and the sounds they created.

I would have loved to have seen that.

Catch them this Saturday, November 29th, at Canal Street Tavern. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are $20.

Visit www.canalstreettavern.com or www.asylumstreetspankers.com for more info and to hear samples of the band’s music.

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Meet Hawthorne Heights this weekend in Cincinnati

By Kris Neises | Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 06:36 PM

As part of their ‘Never Sleep Again’ tour Hawthorne Heights will be stopping by Shake-It Records in Cincinnati on Friday, November 21st at 4pm.

The Dayton-born emo-metal band will play an acoustic set, sign autographs, and have a question and answer session with fans.

This is Hawthorne Heights first tour since the passing of the band’s original guitarist Casey Calvert in November 2007.

Back in August the band released their third album entitled Fragile Future.

The record came out after a long dispute with the band’s record label Victory records. The band dropped a lawsuit against the label last June and has since made a pledge to fulfill their contract.

I guess those would be my questions to the HH guys: What really happened with Victory Records, and How does it feel to finally be back on the road?

Although, I think the questions most pressing to the younger fan base of the band will be more about their video game habits and hair gel tips.

Click the comments and post the question you would ask Hawthorne Heights?

For directions to Shake-It Records visit www.Shakeitrecords.com.

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Dingleberry’s in Yellow Springs is closing

By Kris Neises | Sunday, November 16, 2008, 09:05 AM

Another local record store is closing up shop.

Dingleberry’s in Yellow Springs are closing their doors for good on Christmas Eve of this year.

But, Dingleberry’s owner, Adrienne Savage, wants patrons to know that there is “No need for the hanky.”

“We’ve had a good run, and for a half a dozen valid reasons, it’s time to move on,” said Savage.

The original Dingleberry’s, which was opened in 1974 in Centerville, closed in February 2006. The Yellow Springs store carried on the legacy for nearly three years longer.

Dingleberry’s long history includes visits by the biggest names in the industry. Michael Jackson, Ted Nugent, Todd Rundgren, Charlie Daniels, Journey, Dokken, Queensryche, Poison, Pantera, the Cranberries, L7, the Melvins, and Mindless Self Indulgence are only a few who have shopped at Dingleberry’s over the years.

Much of the memorabilia from the original store is still on display in Yellow Springs. Some of it is even being sold as the Dingle-era comes to an end.

Dingleberry’s has always been supportive of local music and bands. They have always allowed bands to hang posters and sell their cds in the store. They also employed many struggling local musicians over the years (including myself).

I will really miss Dingleberry’s. I will miss the smell, the poster covered walls, the cheap vinyl, and the good-hearted people.

However, this news should be worrisome to all who shop independent. It seems that every year Dayton loses another indie-record shop or clothing shop.

I guess we will all be imprisoned to Wal-Mart and Best Buy soon.

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HQAX calling it quits

By Kris Neises | Thursday, November 6, 2008, 06:11 PM

One of Dayton’s most entertaining live bands HQAX announced Thursday that they are disbanding after their November 29th show at the Oregon Express.

Through a Myspace bulletin the band told fans: “November 29th will be our final show as HQAX. The four of us feel we’ve taken it as far as we can as HQAX and want to explore something different musically. We’re still the best of friends and will most likely be working with each in the future.”

HQAX was the creation of four local art students in 2002. They put out three studio albums including 2007’s No Less Impressive which earned them local and regional notice. CD’s and samples of the band’s music are available at their website www.hqax.com.

Comments from fans have been appearing on the band’s Myspace page ever since the announcement. Fans seem to be very supportive of the band and are excited to see them one last time on November 29th.

One fan wrote, “Is this what happens when Obama gets elected?”

Another writes, “I wish you all the best with whatevers next. its been a good run.”

I for one am a bit shocked by the news and want to ask the band if they would reconsider?

An HQAX show is always fun because the infectious power-punk rockers make it so. Their joyful stage energy makes every HQAX show unique, spontaneous, and unpredictable.

Not to mention they rock pretty hard too. Dayton will miss them.

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Dayton bands compete to open for Shiny Toy Guns

By Kris Neises | Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 07:13 PM

I know you thought the political season was over, but there are some Dayton rock bands that want your vote.

The Cincinnati radio station 94.9 The Sound is hosting a local band contest this week. Through an online vote three area bands will land an opening slot for Shiny Toy Guns at Madison Theater on December 6th.

Bands from all over the Dayton/Cincinnati area have been submitting songs to the Sound’s website since mid-October.

A panel of judges have narrowed down the selections to the best songs.

Through November 9th fans can vote for their favorite band at www.949thesound.com.

The Dayton bands competing in 94.9 the Sound’s “local band challenge” include the Seedy Seeds, Jasper the Colossal, the Sailing, and 8 Kount.

I got a Myspace message from the Sailing asking me to vote.

The message was a note to all their fans and it said “please send Band@949TheSound.com a message telling them that you wanna vote for The Sailing, that’d be great.”

So I voted for the Sailing. Twice.

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Pollard and Zeta-Jones in ancient Egypt?

By Kris Neises | Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 06:49 PM

Long story short.

Director/Producer Steven Soderbergh (Michael Clayton, Good Night and Good Luck) is planning to make a 3-D, live action, rock ‘n’ roll musical about Cleopatra.

Catherine Zeta-Jones has been approached to play the ancient Egyptian queen, while Hugh Jackman is the first choice to play Marc Antony, according to Variety.com.

It is also being reported that Dayton’s own Bob Pollard will be writing and performing the soundtrack for the film.

This rumor only makes sense because the script was written by former Guided By Voices bass player and Spin magazine journalist James Greer.

So, will GBV reunite in the name of rock n’ roll period piece musicals everywhere?

Maybe not, but I did find an interesting 2006 interview with Pollard from Popmatters.com.

In the article he is quoted in saying “I was a big fan of the early ’70s double albums like Tommy and Jesus Christ Superstar.” (Both musicals.)

Although there has been no official word from Pollard on the matter, I am going to go ahead and call the rumors about his involvement in the production true.

That is considering his 2006 declaration of his love for musicals, his pre-rock star days as a school teacher, and the fact that the Egyptians were one of the first people to brew beer.

Yup, it must be true.

The 50-year-old Pollard, who earlier this month headlined the Dayton Music Fest in front of a capacity crowd at Gilly’s, is currently touring with his new band Boston Spaceships.

Speaking of the DMF: I heard from DMF founders Dan Clayton and Shawn Johnson recently. They told me that 800 - 1000 people attended the October 4th indie music festival at seven different venues downtown.

“We felt that the festival was very successful. Dan and I were unable to get around as much as we wanted because we were running doors and stages. But everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. We have been very lucky with weather every year and the bands were great,” said Johnson.

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