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Things To Do In Dayton (10/29 – 11/1)

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Dayton Featured EventsTime for this week’s installment of Things To Do In Dayton from our DMM Event Calendar…

First up, Thursday 10/29 you can laugh and make a difference at Wiley’s Comedy Club with the Comedy for a Cause: Breast Cancer Benefit! Or check out some live theater at one of our favorite venues – the Loft Theater – for a production of Man of La Mancha…And if live local music is your thing then you’d be remiss to miss a very special homecoming when Swearing at Motorists (with Smug Brothers) comes back from the dead for a one-night engagement at Canal Street.  Those of you who followed the music scene in Dayton “back in the day” know that this is a must-see show!

On Friday 10/30 get your Smashburger on with a side of local music when the winner of the Call for Dayton’s Best Rock Talent/Smashburger Hosts Local “Rock Your City” Band Competition plays a set at Dayton’s newest burger joint (yeah, strange – we know).  Or feed your hunger for scary movies with the ArtStreet Studio B Friday Film Series Screening of Psycho.  Or feed your thirst for live music at Gregory’s with John Derrickso for jazz or Pacchia with Sharon Lane & Danny Sauers for some bluesy folk.

And then – HALLOWEEN! <insert evil laugh> on Saturday 10/31 – start off in Greene County with the Howl-O-Ween Dog Pawty.  Check out Creative Soul of Dayton Exhibition in the OD before it ends – you won’t regret it.  And then the Halloween party of the region – HauntFest on Fifth 2009!  It is ONLY $5 to get in and it is the BEST people-watching event of the year!

Finally if you’re not completely beat on Sunday 11/1 – well, there are a bunch of things – just go check out our calendar for that day.  Or go watch football at one of the many sports bars in the region.

These are just some featured events from the DMM Calendar – go over there for even more things happening this week and beyond. And if you have an event you’d like to promote or just want to help us become the number one event calendar in the Dayton Region then be sure to submit your events.

Cheers!

Hauntfest 2009

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It is that time of year again as Dayton’s Oregon District gears up for THE Halloween event of the year for the entire region – HAUNTFEST 2009!

OregonHauntFest2009Poster-FINAL-3OCTOBER 31st (Halloween night!)

Gates open at 7pm.  (enter at Fifth/Patterson or at Fifth/Wayne or Jackson/Wayne)
Beer sales are until 12:30am
Event closes at 1:00am
Entry fee is $5 (This represents a 50% reduction in cost from 2008!). 
Advance tickets available at all Oregon taverns as well as Coco’s Bistro and Fifth St Wine and Deli.
Purchase of advance tickets will allow speedy entry into the event as we will have special entrance for holders of advanced tickets.
AFTERHOURS will be at your choice(s) of Oregon’s Taverns until their closing times.  Most taverns are not charging a cover charge on the evening of Hauntfest (Sloopy’s, Tumbleweed will be charging an entry charge).
There will be food vendors, live music from The Story Changes and Skilless Villans until 1230 as well as music provided by Clear Channel’s The Kegger.   A costume contest will offer cash prizes.

There will be a Craft Beer and Wine Garden at Fifth and Pine Streets serving Redhook Longhammer IPA, Goose Island Honker’s Ale, Harvest Ale, 312 Urban Wheat, Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale, Jack’s Pumkin Spice Ale, Abbaye d’Leffe Belgian Blonde, Hoegaarden Witbier, Redhook ESB and Michelob Dunkel Weiss.

The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is being presented by The Miami Valley Restaurant Association from 3pm until 7pm on Fifth / Wayne / Brown Streets as well that day.

Dayton Mayor/Commission Race Poll

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updayton Candidates ForumNext Tuesday, voters across the Dayton Region will be going to the polls to vote for (or against) levy renewals, state initiatives, trustees, city councils, school board members, commissioners and mayors.  And though the City of Dayton has a city manager form of government in which the mayor is actually a part-time position that has no significant power and is in fact simply one vote out of five, it is still considered an important position because whoever holds it is the spokesperson for the city and the region.  Despite the limited role the mayor plays, he or she is still considered by city and suburban residents alike as the defacto leader of the city.

And then there is the commission race, with incumbents Joey Williams and Nan Whaley, and challenger David Esrati. Top two vote-getters on Tuesday win the two seats up for grabs.  While most of the attention is on the mayor race, it should be noted that the mayor is simply one vote of five, so the commission race is just as important.

Corpus Christi – Dayton Playhouse

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CorpusChristiPoster260x480Controversial art and theater are typically reserved for the bigger cities like New York – not so much in the more reserved Midwest.  But that isn’t always the case…

The Dayton Playhouse will present the controversial drama Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally this November 13-22 at their facility in Wegerzyn Garden Center just off Siebenthaler Avenue in Dayton.  In it, a modern day Jesus-like figure and the Apostles are depicted as gay men living in Texas – a daring theme that caused the playwright to receive death threats and the Manhattan Theater Club to receive bomb threats when it first opened in NYC in 1998 (as noted in this NYT review of a 2008 revival of the show).

Corpus Christi features a cast of some of the finest young actors in the area staged in a “presentational” style by Director Michael Boyd.  “I’ve wanted to produce this play for almost 10 years and finally, the Dayton Playhouse has given me the opportunity to tell this wonderful story!”  Boyd said. “It’s the story of a young, Christ-like figure, Joshua, played by actor Sean Frost, who leads 12 men on a journey of self-discovery and love — only to be betrayed by his closest friend and lover.” he continued. “It’s a deeply spiritual story that will not fail to move you with its compassion, conviction and love.”
For mature audiences only, the play opens on Friday, November 13th at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 Siebenthaler Avenue, Dayton, OH and runs two weekends.  Check out the event listing on the DMM Event Calendar for show days & times and a one-click link to add this event to your own personal calendar.

Want to be great?

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BookClub_000When it comes to business, why be good, when you can be great?

Author Jim Collins explores this question in his 2001 book Good to Great. Based on five meticoulous years of research, Collins’ book examines how good companies can become great companies, and outlines the methods and strategies needed to procure long-term sustainable success.

Collins and his team of researchers sifted through the approximately 1,400 companies that have made the Fortune 500 and selected a dozen that met his criteria of transitioning from goodness to greatness, and becoming leaders in their respective industries.

Generation Dayton, the area’s largest networking organization for young professionals, will host a “Books on Business” Meeting on Nov. 10 to discuss “Good to Great.”

Anyone interested in improving the culture of their business or organization, and forging a top-notch team is encouraged to attend this free event. The group will meet up at Pacchia’s at 410 East Fifth Street in the Oregon District from 6 to 8 p.m.

The book should be read prior to the meeting. Pick up a copy from the local library, used book store or Amazon and dare to be great!

If you plan on attending, contact Shanon potts at shanon.potts@gmail.com.

MetroParks Park Trek 2009

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pictures-1557

While volunteering on this important campaign for Issue 4, former MetroParks employee Angie Sullivan discovered something unsettling. “People just don’t know about the MetroParks,” Sullivan laments. “Most folks I talk to might be familiar with one or two parks they frequent, but when I tell them we have 25 facilities located throughout the county, they’re shocked.” Responses like those are the reason the Kettering resident decided to do something that would showcase all Five Rivers MetroParks has to offer – Sullivan, along with her fiancé Shane Sheldon, will hike to each MetroPark in just one week.

The couple will cover about 125 miles in approximately seven days, blogging, tweeting and snapping photos of the parks along the way. “We thought this would be a great way for people at home to take a virtual tour of all the MetroParks,” says Five Rivers MetroParks Outdoor Recreation Department Director Greg Brumitt. “It’s imperative during this election season that we make sure the voters know exactly what they get with a ‘yes’ vote – or what they’ll miss out on if they vote ‘no.’ Our park-wide festivals and entertainment events are fun, but if you just visit the parks during festivals, you’re not getting the whole picture. Park Trek will raise awareness of all our facilities in a context of nature and conservation, the core reasons why citizens founded the MetroParks in 1963.”

pictures-1805Park Trek started and will end in downtown Dayton. A kickoff celebration and press conference took place this past Saturday at the National City 2nd Street Market. Then, Sullivan and Sheldon commenced their Park Trek, heading to Eastwood, Huffman and Carriage Hill MetroParks. The next day, the couple traveled to Taylorsville, Aullwood Garden and Englewood MetroParks. Monday’s stops include Trotwood’s Wetland Mitigation Bank, then onto Germantown MetroPark. On Tuesday, the couple will hike to Twin Creek and Possum Creek MetroParks, followed by Cox Arboretum and Sugarcreek MetroParks on Wednesday. Hills & Dales, Sunrise and Wesleyan make up day six of Park Trek, and Sullivan and Sheldon wrap up the first-ever Five Rivers MetroPark facility circumnavigation at Wegerzyn Gardens, Island and Deeds Point MetroPark. When the couple arrives at Deeds Point at about 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, Sullivan, who is registered to vote in Montgomery County, will hike to the Board of Elections in downtown Dayton and cast her vote to “protect our parks.”

pictures-680Sullivan and Sheldon say they understand the importance and unique value of Park Trek, and they are looking forward to getting to know the MetroParks in a new way as well as generate awareness about the park system. “I know what people might think when I tell them Shane and I are going to hike 125 miles in a week,” Sullivan laughs. “But we love taking on challenges like this. It took us five months to hike the 2,170-mile Appalachian Trail, so I think it’s safe to say we’re prepared for Park Trek.”

Follow Angie and Shane’s Park Trek on their Trail Journal blog, Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter.

(from a post at the MetroParks 2009 Levy website)

Downtown Dayton Police Present “The Gateway Project”

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pedxingThe Dayton Police Department will hold two presentations aimed at downtown property owners on Thursday Oct. 29 to inform them how they can assist in maintaining a safe downtown environment.

The presentations, co-sponsored by Sinclair Community College, are a part of an ongoing effort by the police department and local business and civic leaders to develop strategies to create a more inviting downtown space.

downtownIdeas discussed will include:

  • Building Lighting
  • Landscaping
  • Way-Finding
  • Enhanced Walkways
  • Walkway Lighting Systems

The event is free and open to the public.

  • WHO: The Dayton Police Department’s Central Business District
  • WHAT : “The Gateway Project” presentations
  • WHEN : Thursday, Oct. 29 at 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
  • WHERE : Sinclair Community College, Building 12, Smith Auditorium
  • WHY : To discuss strategies developed for the safety of the patrons and business owners of downtown Dayton.

For additional info, contact Lt. Larry Faulkner at (937) 333-2336.

Local businesses expanding in downtown Dayton

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servicesDayton is dying?

Not everyone thinks so.  Two local businesses just announced plans to expand their operations in  downtown Dayton.

Cincinnati-based Integrated Solutions and Services, Inc will migrate from their current E. First location to more spacious quarters at 1024 W. Third St. (Inner West Priority Board) in early 2010.

ISS provides information technology and management for for federal agencies.  They plan to add six to eight employees to their staff, according to the City of Dayton.

Following approval of a grant from the Dayton City Commission, Dayton Head & Neck Surgeons will renovate and expand their facilities at 369 W. First St.  They also plan to hire additional staff.

As small as these expansions may seem in the grand scheme of things, I’ll take any positive business growth in this city after we were abandoned by General Motors and slapped in the face by NCR.

Nevertheless, despite all the nonsensical venom being spewed by those outside and inside of Dayton, (DDN comment trolls, I’m talking to you) there are economic success stories in this city.

Some information in this post provided by The City of Dayton.

Idle Hands and the Devil’s Plaything

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davedonjosh

…by this point, we’re fairly certain most of you are aware of the pending arrival of one Dave Doughman to the Gem City next Thursday, October 29 for a single performance of Swearing at Motorists at Canal Street Tavern. Along with original drummer Don Thrasher, S@M will perform, in its entirety, the acclaimed 2000 album, Number Seven Uptown. We recently spoke with Doughman about his hiatus, the pending show, and what it all means…

The Buddha Den: It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard anything from Swearing at Motorists. What has kept you silent for the past three years? What drove you out of the US? Do you miss us?

Dave Doughman: well, i’d say Swearing At Motorists kept quiet, but not exactly silent…
there were a couple of tracks on compilations, a few shows in Berlin, but yeah nothing major has happened in the “World of ‘Motorists” since the release of “Last Night Becomes This Morning” and “Exile On Gipsstraße” in 2006.

December 7, 2004, in the middle of a European tour, i fell in love with Berlin. During our set, i asked from the stage if anyone knew of empty flat or room for rent… after the show i ended up with a decent list of names and addresses! so i went to my favorite Berlin after-show drinking spot, 8mm, and asked the bartender which of the addresses was closest to the bar…
the next day i went to that address and gave the landlord a deposit.
finished the tour, went back to Philly to tidy some loose ends, and moved into my flat at Gipsstraße 23 on February 02, 2005.
i needed a change.
of scenery,
of lifestyle,
i needed a new muse(geographically speaking of course, not romantic… )
and to concentrate on just making music…

but in January 2007, my son was born,
my new focus was on being a great father,
i found caring for and playing with my son more enjoyable than creating new music…

now he is almost 3, and in the last year has shown a real interest in music, so i started writing again,
first with him, just for laughs,
then more seriously on my own when he is asleep…

TBD: With all this down time, what projects have kept you busy? Anything new in the works? A new album perhaps?

DD: lately i have been recording demos for a new album, i’ve trimmed my list to about 22 songs. i think a sequence of 14-16 of those will make a great album. hopefully we can finish the proper recording before winter is over…

TBD: After a 3-year absence, it seems peculiar that you would return to Dayton for a one-off show. On a Thursday, no less. Care to elaborate on the motivation behind such a bizarre phenomenon?

DD: the truth is,
i realized my license was about to expire and since i needed to fly from Berlin to Chicago for work Oct 30, i thought i would fly to Dayton a day early, renew my license, then drive to Chicago. so i was looking online, to see what i could do on my one night in Dayton, and noticed, there was nothing i wanted to do, no bands were playing that i wanted to see. so i decided it would be cool to book a show and invite a band i really wanted to see to play with me…

i am really excited about the show, not only because it’s been 3 years since i’ve played in North America,
but because we are going to do something we have never done before.
the idea to play Number Seven Uptown in sequence came from being a fan of the All Tomorrow’s Parties “Don’t Look Back Concerts” , where ATP commission artists to perform their “critically acclaimed” or “classic” albums live in sequence…
i was joking with a friend that the 10 year anniversary of Number Seven Uptown was next year,
so i’d better start rehearsing it in sequence,
you know, just in case ATP wanted us to play it as a Don’t Look Back Concert…
and then i thought, hey why not do this in Dayton?
to make it different than just playing Canal Street Tavern again…

so we will play the album, ATP style as i like to call it,
then if people want, we will play some more songs.

i think it’s going to be a great night in Dayton,
a bunch of old friends getting together for some good music.
it’s going to be a Dayton Rock-n-Roll Family Reunion, ‘Motorists’ style!
i mean cmon, Jay Madewell spinning Fab Gear before between and after!?!
DANCE PARTY!
i’m pretty excited to see Smug Brothers play,
as i am a big fan of the Fortune Rumors Ep series…
and of course anyone too cool to show up early and see the Rev. Davis Kettering open the show at 9pm,
will be missing out on a performance i guarantee will be talked about for ages…
oh, for those of you who will be there, you should be quiet, as he is prone to violence against talking audience members…

yep, it’s going to be a great night

SWEARING AT MOTORISTS 11pm
Smug Brothers 10pm
Rev. Davis Kettering 9pm

Fab Gear 8-9pm
between bands
and after S@M ’til Mick kicks us out…

TBD: What inspires you to continue to create these days? What keeps you motivated? What is your current working method like, now that you’re essentially on your own? Still home recording?

DD: i can’t help myself… i hear this stuff in my head, and i just try to get it to come out of the speakers… i’m very lucky to be on such a great label as Secretly Canadian, but if i wasn’t, i would still be making songs and records, burning cdrs for my friends. i mean this whole “band” started as a cassette i made for a friend… and my son motivates me, because i want him to respect me as an artist, to realize when he is older, that making music is not what i do, it’s who i am. and he has changed my “working habits”…
now i can’t stay up all night drinking red wine and smoking,
waking up the next afternoon in bed next to a guitar and a notebook full of words…
i can’t just wait until inspiration hits…
so i spend a few hours each morning Mon-Fri in my home studio,
trying to write, or at least play guitar, while he is at preschool…

TBD: Having put down roots [at least tentatively] in a number of locations, what keeps you tied to Dayton? What essence do you feel Dayton possesses that keeps those that leave calling it home?

DD: Dayton is where i began making music, it’s where the 2nd phase of my musical education took place. long before i lived here, when i would visit my mother, i would buy records at Trader Vic’s. Mike Justice is responsible for getting me hooked on all the local Dayton bands.
He’s the one who insisted i buy Brainiac’s Smack Bunny Baby Lp, instead of some Pavement import 7″…
i moved to Dayton at an important time musically, and was very fortunate to end up in a supportive circle of friends that made some pretty amazing music. and lucky that some people were interested in hearing my bedroom recordings…

TBD: Will it ever be as good as it was? Was it ever that good? Is now better than what some would say?

DD: it can be as good or even better for someone else, for someone who wasn’t there maybe…

…as a special treat, Doughman has been kind enough to provide an exclusive download via The Buddha Den of the S@M side of a split 7″ with ex-touring partners, Spoon. Grab that goodie while you can, since it’s previously unavailable digitally…

MP3: Swearing at Motorists “Bitch(Idle Hands and the Devil’s Plaything)/Bad Drawing of the Worst Photograph”
Download audio file (Bitch.mp3)

Things To Do In Dayton (10/22 – 10/25)

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Dayton Featured EventsTime for this week’s installment of Things To Do In Dayton from our DMM Event Calendar…

First up, Thursday 10/22 you all have another chance to check out the Creative Soul of Dayton Reception at the Armory (Oregon District) – lots of diverse local art to see for free!

On Friday 10/23 if you’re a horror movie buff then you’re in luck because the Englewood Cinema is hosting Horrorama Dayton.  Continuing with the Halloween theme, the SMAG Dance Collective introduces SMAGMARE – a Halloween ballet at the Excelsior Building in the OD (also happening on Saturday).  Like Latin Jazz-Funk?  Then head over to Pacchia for Clave Sonic.

More Halloween fun Saturday 10/24 with Bow Wow Ween at The Greene (family-friendly).  For you beer lovers, check out the Miami Valley Beer Fest at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds (with Masquerage there last week, is this turning into party central?).   And for local music lovers check out New Vega, The Professors, The Satin Peaches at Canal Street Tavern (well, The Satin Peaches are from Detroit but whatever).

And yet more family-friendly Halloween action on Sunday 10/25 with Young’s Dairy Pick your own pumpkin and Cowvin’s Corny Maze. More ScreenPeace at the Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs AND The Neon in Downtown Dayton.  And for all you crazy chocoholics (you know who you are), an event not to be missed – All You Can Eat Chocolate Party at the Bellbrook Chocolate Shoppe (in Centerville, not Bellbrook – yeah, we know – confusing)!

These are just some featured events from the DMM Calendar – go over there for even more things happening this week and beyond. And if you have an event you’d like to promote or just want to help us become the number one event calendar in the Dayton Region then be sure to submit your events.

Cheers!

Good Neighbor House provides support

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help is hereDo you know anyone needing help paying for expensive prescription drug costs?

Help is on the way courtesy of the “Help Is Here Express” bus tour.  The Partnership for Prescription Assistance launched the “Help Is Here Express” bus tour in an effort to reach the millions of Americans who qualify for public and private prescription assistance programs.

The buses, or “rolling information centers” are equipped with computers and telephones that allow trained specialists to identify if a patient qualifies for a program. Many patients get their medicines free or at a substantially reduced cost.

The bus tour rolls into Dayton on Oct. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. at  Good Neighbor House located at 844 S. Patterson Blvd.

For additional information, please contact Cassandra Ways at (937) 224-3003.

Good Neighbor House provides  support such as food pantry services, clothing, household, and furniture items to  families throughout the Miami Valley.  They also provide a network of no or low-cost medical services to uninsured workers.

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Good Neighbor House is always looking for volunteers to perform a variety of tasks like stocking shelves, sorting donations, working in the clinic or simply answering the phone.

Volunteer commitments range from working once a week to once a month.

Interested parties for volunteering should contact Marcia Ehlers at (937)-224-3003 Ext.108.

Local group proposes I-75/I-70 monument

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75 monument depictionNew York City, Paris, St. Louis – What do these cities have in common?

An identifiable icon in the form of the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and the Gateway Arch, respectively.

The Wright Image Group wants to add Dayton and the Wright Flyer III to that list.  The local, nonprofit group is garnering support to install a Wright Flyer III monument at the intersection of I-70 and I-75.  Weighing over 80,000 pounds and rising 220 feet high, the structure would commemorate the Wright Brothers’ aeronautical accomplishments, while giving Dayton an easily identifiable icon that would be seen by over 150,000 passengers daily.

The State of Ohio and Singer Properties donated 2 acres of land for the project, which is projected to cost approximately $7.5 million, according to the Dayton Daily News.

To help rally support, The Wright Image Group will be hosting an open house and information session on Oct. 25 from 5:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. at the Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport on Route 741 in Miamisburg. Event attendees will be able to climb into the pilot seat of a Wright “B” Flyer and have a photo taken free of charge.  Following food, drink and fellowship, the group will present its goals for the monument and answer questions from the general public concerning the project.

For additional info, call 937-276-2963.

What are your thoughts on the matter?  Would this be a good thing for Dayton or should we focus our efforts in another direction?

Things To Do In Dayton (10/16 – 10/18)

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Dayton Featured EventsTime for this week’s installment of Things To Do In Dayton from our DMM Event Calendar…

On Friday 10/16 for all those people who rode their bikes to work downtown on this nice & warm October day(there are hundreds of you, right?), head over to the Second Street Market at noon for Five Rivers MetroParks “Bike To The Polls!” ride and vote Yes on the MetroParks levy (as well as the Dayton Public Library levy).  Later, check out the closing reception at Space 11 in the OD for Alinement.  If you’re in Yellow Springs then you’re in luck because today is 3rd Friday Fling in the Springs – their version of First Friday with art gallery hops, shopping, music and more.  Finally, help out the Miami Valley Firefighters/EMS Memorial Fund AND have a good time at Newcom’s Tavern in the OD as they’re having a Jonathan Dayton Birthday Bash.  (oh sure, he never actually came to the city named after him while he was alive but now that he’s dead….)

Don’t stay out too late on Friday because you have to get up early on Saturday 10/17 for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Fifth Third Field.  For some Halloween fun check out Haunted Huffman and their walking ghost tour, haunted house and more.  And then the party of all parties and one not to be missed – Masquerage!  And don’t forget your mask!

Finally to close out the week on Sunday 10/18 with ScreenPeace – DAVID AND FATIMA showing in both Yellow Springs and Downtown Dayton.  Or see the Miracle Worker at Dayton Playhouse.  And then get your local music fix with Reviver (UT), Led Astray, the Pledge at the Dayton Dirt Collective!

These are just some featured events from the DMM Calendar – go over there for even more things happening this week and beyond. And if you have an event you’d like to promote or just want to help us become the number one event calendar in the Dayton Region (we’d like to believe we already are) then be sure to submit your events.

Cheers!

The Buddha Den Presents: Jesse Remnant & the Trainwrecks/The Fervor/Yazoo Street Scandal-TONIGHT @ Canal Street Tavern

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…it’s been a little while since we’ve hosted a show and we’re pretty excited to present this lineup tonight at the legendary Canal Street Tavern. Along with the sunny tunefulness Jesse Remnant & the Trainwrecks, you’ve got the moody Americana of The Fervor [on tour out of Louisville], and the fiery local up-and-comers Yazoo Street Scandal who blew minds at the NTRO/XPO last month. We’ll see you there…

MP3: Jesse Remnant & the Trainwrecks “Same Sun”

Download audio file (Same_Sun.mp3)

King of the Queen City Author Comes to Shake It Records

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…thanks to Joe at Each Note Secure for bringing this to our attention…

…for longer than most people realize, this region has served as fertile soil for many genres of music. One of the most influential, yet unacknowledged, forces in the region was the formidable King Records. One of the pioneering independent labels in American music, King Records put Cincinnati on the musical map in the 1940s and 1950s with an impressive stable of acts, ranging stylistically from blues to bluegrass to R & B to western swing…

…the author of King of the Queen City: The Story of King Records, Jon Hartley Fox, will appear at Shake It Records in Cincinnati this Sunday, October 18 at 2 pm to discuss the new book. Here’s a little background on the book:

King of the Queen City is the first comprehensive history of King Records, one of the most influential independent record companies in the history of American music. Jon Hartley Fox tells the story of a small outsider record company in Cincinnati, Ohio, that attracted an extremely diverse roster of artists, including the Stanley Brothers, Grandpa Jones, Redd Foxx, Earl Bostic, Bill Doggett, Lonnie Johnson, Ike Turner, Roy Brown, Freddie King, Eddie Vinson, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and even a young James Brown. While other record companies of the day made their fortunes by concentrating on one style of music, King Records was active in virtually all genres of vernacular American music, from blues and R & B to rockabilly, bluegrass, western swing, and country.

Wright mansion open for tours

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hawthorn hill frontHawthorn Hill, the Wright brother’s “success mansion” is available for educational tours thanks to a partnership between Dayton History and The Wright Family Foundation.

Constructed in 1913, the opulent Oakwood mansion was home to Orville, Katherine and their father Milton Wright.  Orville lived in the mansion nearly 35 years until his death in 1948.

05 - Hawthorn Hill - Living Room - by DCMany distinguished visitors have been guests at the house, including Charles Lindbergh, President Franklin Roosevelt, former Ohio Governor James Middleton Cox, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.

Tours are conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.  Advance, prepaid reservations are required; space is limited.

Tours depart from Carillon Park via shuttle promptly at the aforementioned times.  Ticket price is $12.00 per person.  A special combination ticket for admission to both Carillon Historical Park and Hawthorn Hill is available for $15.00.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991, the home provides a fantastic glimpse into the mind or Orville Wright, who designed the estate.

For additional information or to make your reservation, call Guest services at 937-293-2841.