Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
A musical buffet
The Brightside kicked off the new year with its second Battle of the Bands on Jan. 13. Each round featured acts performing funk, rock, hip-hop, R&B, punk, metal and other styles. The event continued weekly with the top act each round advancing to the finale on Feb. 26. Bohemian Funk took the grand prize, knocking off Intergalactic Space Force, Stringus Khan, Eman Jones, Gabe Maas & The Bruins and Clemmer. The venue also hosted some big shows in 2022 with national acts like Talib Kweli, Heartless Bastards, John Gros and Ekoostik Hookah.
In the classical realm, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra had a full slate of concerts, some of which included appearances by special guests like Carmen Bradford, Brandon Patrick George, Aleksandra Kasman, Vadim Gluzman and Herbert Woodward Martin. DPO also backed Dayton Performing Arts Alliance partners Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet.
Local organizations like Dayton Music Club and Bach Society of Dayton continued to book concerts with area musicians, while University of Dayton’s ArtsLive programmed a diverse mix of concerts with touring acts including Bria Skonberg, the David Hazeltine Trio, the Harlem Quartet and Trio Virado.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
After many postponements, KISS finally brought its final tour to the Nutter Center on May 12. The venue also welcomed Dave Matthews Band, Thomas Rhett, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Casting Crowns and other acts. Dayton Live hosted a variety of concerts from the area including the return of Dailey & Vincent and the ongoing series of shows from Classic Albums Live to the first local concert from The Red Hot Chilli Pipers. In addition to being the home of the Dayton Philharmonic, the Schuster Center housed a diverse array of international acts including Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Black Violin and Alan Parsons Live Project.
Mix 107.7 and the American Heart Association presented “We Will Yacht You,” a night smooth rock of the ‘70s and ‘80s from Stranger at Dayton Masonic Center on Feb. 12. The iHeart Sweetheart Concert featured special guests Bill Champlin, formerly of Chicago, and Franke Previte from Franke and the Knockouts. The bill was repeated at Fraze Pavilion on Aug. 19. Masonic Live also brought in some big-name touring acts like the Oak Ridge Boys and Drive-By Truckers, and for the first time, hosted “Such A Night: Last Waltz Live,” the annual fundraiser for WYSO and Dayton Art Institute.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Outdoor shows
The summer of 2022 was one of the busiest tour seasons in years as acts pushed to make up for time lost to COVID-19 shutdowns. Months and months of outdoor concerts enticed patrons at Levitt Pavilion in Dayton, Fraze Pavilion in Kettering and Rose Music Center in Huber Heights.
The Levitt continued to offer free concerts Thursday through Saturday with a mix of local and national acts beginning with California-based Mexican pop group Suenatron on June 2. The 2022 Eichelberger Concert Season also featured We Banjo 3, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Lee Rocker, Will Hoge, Incendio and the return of Lakeside.
Steve Martin and Martin Short opened the summer season at Fraze Pavilion on May 28. The outdoor venue also booked acts like Justin Moore, Melissa Etheridge, Jeffrey Osborne, Joe Bonamassa and Killer Queen. Rose Music Center had top talent come through like Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow, Darius Rucker, Gov’t Mule, Bonnie Raitt, Ziggy Marley and the Cult.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Multi-act bills
Music festivals definitely made a big return in 2022, starting with Winterfolk Fest 2022 on Jan. 15. Level Up Productions presented the annual event at Yellow Cab Tavern with the Katawicks, Biscuits & Gravy, David & Heather, Charlie & Amanda and the Nautical Theme.
On March 10, Hawthorne Heights hosted Dayton Is For Lovers at The Brightside. The sixth annual all ages music festival included groups like Nightbeast, Better Anyway and Abertooth Lincoln. The band supersized that concept with the help of LiveNation with three larger festivals, including Ohio Is For Lovers at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati on Sept. 10. Headliners included the Descendents, New Found Glory, Motion City Soundtrack and Hawthorne Heights.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, named Entertainer of the Year at the 2019 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, hosted spring and fall installments of its Industrial Strength Bluegrass Festival. The event, at the Roberts Convention Centre in Wilmington, featured Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers, Appalachian Road Show, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and others March 24-26. The Del McCoury Band headlined the Nov. 10-12 festival, which also featured the Dan Tyminski Band and the Grascals.
Guided By Voices headlined IndieCraft, a new festival at Mother Stewart’s in Springfield May 13-15. The lineup also included Motherfolk, Texas King, Speaking Suns and M. Ross Perkins.
Albannach, Drowsy Lads, Father Sons and Friends were among the acts at Celtic Fest Ohio at the Ohio Renaissance Fairgrounds in Waynesville on June 18. United Irish of Dayton Celtic Festival returned to RiverScape MetroPark July 29-31 with headliners such as Gaelic Storm, Scythian and Socks in the Frying Pan.
After being canceled in 2020 and 2021, Canoegrass returned to Masters Outdoor Retreat in Houston, Aug. 5-7. The eighth festival on the water featured folk and bluegrass acts like the Goldsberrys, the Repeating Arms and Amber Hargett, roots rockers the New Old-Fashioned and R&B/funk group Jah Soul.
The Collaboratory hosted the annual Dayton Porchfest on the lawns and porches of homes in the historic St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood on Aug. 20. The eclectic lineup ranged from rappers Tino, K. Carter and Ty Spacely and acoustic acts Amber Hargett, Charlie Tipton and Kyleen Downes to full bands Neo American Pioneers, Sadbox and Age Nowhere and world music Fin Tan, Miami Valley Klezmer Ensemble and Five Rivers Drum Ensemble.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
More festivals
Rapper K. Carter organized the second For Dayton By Dayton festival at RiverScape MetroPark in Dayton on Aug. 14. The family-friendly event featured a diverse array of talent like modern folk duo the Nautical Theme, roots rockers the New Old-Fashioned and rappers Eman Jones and Atlas. K. Carter also appeared at Sound Valley Music Fest at Yellow Cab Tavern in Dayton on Aug. 27 alongside Enmy, Heather Redman & the Reputation and Seth Canan & the Carriers.
Local musicians including Nathan Peters, Patrick Himes, Brian Hoeflich, Brian Greaney, Kent Montgomery and Seth Gilliam tackled the catalog of the Fab Four with two nights of classic music. Come Together, A Rooftop Beatles Tribute was presented on top of Yellow Cab Tavern on Aug. 19 and 20. Peters was also the main man behind Dayton Music Fest, which returned from a two-year absence with showcases at Blind Bob’s and Yellow Cab Tavern on Oct. 21 and 22. The local multi-act event included reunions by the Haunting Souls and the Mulchmen and performances by the Raging Nathans, Paige Beller, XL427, Amber Hargett, K. Carter and others.
After being canceled in 2020 and 2021, Fairmont High School once again hosted the Kettering National A Cappella Festival for high school and college a cappella groups on Nov. 11 and 12. The largest event of its kind in the United States had activities for participating singers but also had public performances by student groups and national act Six Appeal.
The Story Changes helped bring the year to an end with HoliDayton 20 at The Brightside in Dayton on Dec. 17. Hawthorne Heights headlined the 20th year-ending festival with a rare full-band acoustic set. Lioness, Moira, Safe Money, Knavery, Rind also performed.
That’s just a small taste of 2022. Here’s hoping 2023 will have even more musical goodness.
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.
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