Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More
Multi-Grammy award winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Chicago will return to Huber Heights, OH for a performance at Rose Music Center
Hailed as one of the “most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era”, the legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, came in as the highest charting American band in Billboard Magazine’s Top 125 Artists Of All Time. Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six consecutive decades.
Join us this year as we celebrate the Blues Fest, part of the Amplified Series sponsored by the City of Dayton.
Doug Hart: Doug Hart, a Dayton, OH native, discovered his passion for music early, starting with the trumpet and later teaching himself guitar. Influenced by iconic bands like Van Halen and Led Zeppelin, Doug formed his first band post-high school and eventually immersed himself in blues, inspired by legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 1998, he founded the Doug Hart Band (DHB), which has become a staple in the southwest Ohio blues scene, competing in the International Blues Challenge and performing at renowned venues such as Buddy Guy’s Legends and B.B. King’s in Memphis. Doug released his debut album “Reckless Life” in 2005, with a follow-up in progress. The current DHB lineup includes Rob Thaxton on bass and Craig Comer on drums, promising a dynamic blues/rock experience.
Shaun Booker Dammit Band: Shaun Booker, a Columbus, Ohio-based singer/songwriter and international recording artist, draws inspiration from her spiritual and blues roots. Known as “The Empress of Beale Street,” she has been inducted into The Columbus Blues Hall of Fame and won the 2023 Columbus Blues Challenge. Her band, The Shaun Booker Dammit Band, was a top 5 finalist at the 2024 International Blues Challenge, promising to captivate audiences with their soulful blues performances.
Anthony Gomes: Anthony Gomes, a Canadian vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer, electrifies blues and rock with his powerful performances. Known for his fret-burning guitar skills, he has topped the Billboard Blues Chart, earned endorsements from legends like B.B. King, and performed globally. His latest album, “High Voltage Blues,” showcases his unique blend of blues and rock. Gomes has shared the stage with icons such as Buddy Guy and Joe Bonamassa, and his music continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
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Let’s face it, CHICAGO is a mainstay of Broadway shows… and TheatreLab Dayton is bringing you the CHICAGO you are hoping for. Punchy, funny, poignant, and true to the script….they are giving you the energy you need! Giving us a minute of their time, Mackensie King (Director) and Abby Kress (Roxie) sat down to talk about the upcoming stage staple.
937: Hi ladies, thank you for taking some time with us. I can tell you, from the outset, I love CHICAGO, but in its intended form, not the contemporary, less showy versions. I understand; you’re intentionally bringing it back to the Chicago we love. How did all of this come to pass?
MK: We really wanted to embrace the vaudeville spirit at the heart of the show. It plays with the classic ‘show within a show’ trope, and we’re intentionally breaking the fourth wall to invite the audience right into the fantasy unfolding on stage. The script itself has plenty of humor, but this cast has taken it to another level — they’re truly leaning into the comedy and delivering some big, belly laughs. And then there’s the choreography: Gage Wayne has created some absolutely stunning numbers. I think audiences will be tapping their feet and wishing they could jump up there and join in.
AK: This is a beloved musical by many so I hope audiences walk out having that classic Chicago itch scratched. I also hope they can identify the similarities this heightened, vaudevillian world has with the current political and social scenes we experience today.
937: Abby, I know Roxie is a beloved and coveted role….how are you feeling about it? And congratulations to you!
AK: Roxie is a dream role to take on, and challenging for sure. Physically of course, as the entire show is driven by song and dance numbers. Unlike other leading ladies, Roxie’s redeeming qualities are not heavily apparent in the script, that’s Chicago! As an actor, this poses another challenge to justify her choices throughout the show in order to deliver an authentic performance in the heightened world we’ve created.
937: Awesome….so ecited to see it. With that in mind, Mackensie, this season for TheatreLab has been interesting. How does CHICAGO fall into the theme?
MK: Reflecting on this season, one theme shines through: the powerful act of reclaiming one’s story. Chicago slots seamlessly into that narrative—giving center stage to women who not only find their voices but boldly rewrite the script. I’m always drawn to stories led by deeply flawed, complex characters. They invite us to see the world through their lens, challenging our assumptions and stirring empathy. Because really—who among us is perfect?
937: You have elevated those stories for sure this season. LIZZIE, FULL MONTY….people making their place in the world!! Ladies, what are you hoping people leave that theater feeling, or thinking?
AK: This show has a beautiful combination of TheatreLab veterans and fresh new faces! This cast is dynamic, talented, and so eager to entertain you. Chicago is the 2nd longest running show on Broadway, gripping audiences for over 25 years for a good reason. We are so excited to put a Dayton touch on a renowned favorite!
MK: She’s right….and beyond that, Now more than ever, we’re seeing just how much media — and our level of media literacy — shapes the way we view the world. With this piece, I really wanted to remind people that things aren’t always what they seem. Just because something is beautifully worded doesn’t mean it’s truthful. Art has always been one of the most powerful mirrors of our time, and I think it’s essential to dig deeper and find meaning, even in the material we think we already know.
937: Wow….what a great way to wrap this all together. Break many legs, and best to all of you! For more details:
https://www.simpletix.com/e/chicago-tickets-214975
The show runs
Grammy award-winning musician, actor and New York Times best-selling author Rick Springfield will hit the road this summer on the 2025 edition of his “I Want My 80’s Tour”. The tour will also include special guests John Waite, Wang Chung, and Paul Young. The tour will visit 42 American cities and feature such enduring hits as “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “Missing You” “Everybody Have Fun Tonight,” “Every Time You Go Away,” “On the Dark Side,” and many more of the most iconic songs of the 80’s. This special tour is sure to delight music fans of what is regularly described as the greatest decade in pop/rock music.
This event begins at 5:00PM with line dancing followed by Home of Urban Creative Arts Community curated ceremonies, commemoration, and concert. Experience poetry, African dance, musicians, drumming, performances, commemoration, food trucks, live choir, creative sculptures, and Goapele.
5PM – Line dancing
6PM – Community Celebration
7PM – Goapele takes the stage
8:15pm
JUN 14 noon
Lebanon Music Academy students featuring vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, bass and ukulele.
Ohio Based/Nashville Recording Artist/Singer/Songwriter/Performer/Working Mama/Dream chaser
4pm
A dynamic three-piece country band that brings the spirit and energy of the 80’s and 90’s music to life.
American singer, musician, and songwriter. Featured on American Idol, season 14.
9;00pm
Nashville recording artist from Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Lebanon Country Music Festival is an annual festival held in Lebanon, Ohio to celebrate country music, family fun, and one-of-a-kind vendors.
Festivities kick-off on Friday evening. Saturday brings you amazing music, great food, drinks, and shopping with Main Street Lebanon merchants and visiting vendors.
Last year we had 12,000 people come and enjoy this festival and we want you to be a part of it this year as we grow with you! So come on and start Stompin’ in the Street!
FREE Community event offering shopping, Artisan Crafts, food and Country Music held in downtown Lebanon. 🤠 RAIN OR SHINE- THIS IS A FREE EVENT!
Food trucks and beer sales will be available for guests to enjoy. Friday night Party in the Park events begin at 5:30 p.m. and feature The Heart of Centerville and Washington Township’s vendor village with more than 30 local vendors and kids’ activities ahead of the 7:00 p.m. concert.
Heartsiq is a queer focused arts and entertainment group based in Dayton, OH that presents monthly curated live music and visual arts events around town, monthly “Queeraoke” events at The Oregon Express, and other queer focused events throughout the year.
On June 7th, they’re presenting their 3rd Annual Mixtape Festival featuring queer artists, live musicians, DJs, MCs, vendors, and more on multiple stages at The Brightside Music and Events Venue.
“We’ve changed the game this year for Pride!” Kacie Clover, Heartsiq Partner said. “Get ready for a local vendors market, a DJ rave room with go-go dancers, a talk show, local acts, and so much more!”
Heartsiq has grown over the last three years from a monthly showcase to their third annual Mixtape Festival over Pride weekend with dozens of events at multiple venues every year.
“We need Pride now more than ever. Queer joy is important. Queer joy is necessary. Queer joy is revolutionary” Ky Heart, Founder and Partner said. “We’re here and we’re not going anywhere. This festival is going to be Heartsiq like you’ve never seen it before! ”
If you’re interested in attending Heartsiq’s Mixtape Festival or other events, organizers say these events are for everyone.
“The definition of queer people and queer identities is always growing,” Clover said. “Heartsiq is a home for every single person.” She continued “Hosting Heartsiq has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The opportunity to promote LGBTQ artists, as well as spread queer joy has been a dream,” Heart said.
Attendees can get more information and tickets at heartsiq.com
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Doors 5pm
All ages – must have 21+ ID to drink alcohol
Tickets:
Single ticket – $12 in advance
5 Ticket Pack – $50 in Advance
At the door ticket – $15
Venue:
The Brightside Music and Events Venue
905 E. 3rd St. Dayton, OH 45402
https://www.
Heartsiq’s 3rd Annual Mixtape Festival – June 7thSide A – Ballroom Stage
6pm to 1am
DJ FEZ @boostohhs
DJ Sexbox @dylanfauxreal
Illwin @_illwin
Side B – Bar Stage
Starting at 9pm
Leggy @leggyband
Trade Like Qualities @trade_like_qualities
Izzie Morrow @izziemikael
Burlesque Dancers
Ophelia Plenty @defective.deity
Thrillda Swinton @thrilldaswinton
Indica Blows @cultofindica
Eris Minx @erisminx
Rude Burlesque @rudeburlesque
Ethera @ethera___
Magnus Lovesong @magnuslovesong
Zinnia Butterfly @zinnia.butterfly.burlesque
Kiara The Bearded Beauty @kiara_thebeardedbeauty
Cinnamon Spell @catinth3dark
Glad Ala Jara @guad.ala.jara
Moon Lyte @moon.lyte.dancer
Gertrude The Cherry @gertrudethecherry
Delusiona Grandeur @ballerinadentata
Elixir The Enigma @elixirtheenigma
Today, Seether and Daughtry announce their 2025 co-headline tour. The 24-city tour includes a stop in Huber Heights, OH for a performance at Rose Music Center on Friday, October 10.
Daughtry’s latest single, “The Day I Die,” dropped in April, following the release of their Shock To The System (Part One) EP in September 2024. The band is currently supporting Disturbed and will be joining Creed on select 2025 tour dates. Seether is fresh off the release of their ninth studio album, The Surface Seems So Far, which was released in September 2024, and just wrapped up their own spring headline run.
Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning at 10AM on Friday, June 6 atTicketmaster.com and the Rose Music Center Box Office.
ABOUT SEETHER
Since forming in Pretoria, South Africa in 1999, Seether (Shaun Morgan, Dale Stewart, John Humphrey and Corey Lowery) has amassed a global fanbase that has grown organically with purpose and commitment, offering their fans around the world camaraderie, comfort and a sense of personal power. Their impressive sales and chart history includes three platinum and two gold albums, 22 #1 singles, 21 Top 5 multi- format hits, single sales topping 17 million and over 2 billion streams worldwide across all platforms. Seether is Billboard’s #8 All-Time Mainstream Rock Artist, which covers the 40-year history of the chart’s existence.
ABOUT DAUGHTRY
Daughtry, one of the most visible and best-selling rock bands of the 21st century, has sold out concerts across the globe. Their debut album, the self-titled Daughtry, was the top-selling album of 2007 and was the fastest selling rock debut album in Soundscan history. The record was nominated for 4 GRAMMY® Awards and won 4 American Music Awards, alongside 7 Billboard Music Awards, including “Album of the Year.” Subsequent albums, Leave This Town (2009), Break The Spell (2011), and Baptized (2013) have all gone Platinum, with Cage To Rattle (2018) certified Gold. In 2021, the band released their record Dearly Beloved, with singles “World On Fire,” “Heavy Is The Crown,” and “Changes Are Coming,” all cracking the Top 10. Following yet another Top 10 success with their 2023 smash cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” featuring Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, Daughtry ushered in a new sonic era with their debut Big Machine Records single, “Artificial.” The return to their rock roots scored the band their first No. 1 single in the Active Rock format, generating back-to-back No. 1s with their subsequent single, “Pieces,” and laid the groundwork for their new EP, Shock to the System (Part One), out now on all platforms. Catch Daughtry on the road this spring alongside Disturbed on The Sickness 25th Anniversary Tour. For tickets and more information, visit daughtryofficial.com.
The Rose Music Center box office will be open on Friday, June 6 from 10am – 4pm for the Seether & Daughtry on sale.
Lanita Smith, a dynamic singer, songwriter, and musician from Memphis, began her musical journey in the soulful embrace of the church. Her talent quickly caught the eye of industry legends, leading her to win Guitar Center’s Singer Songwriter 4 and collaborate with top artists like Sia, Labrinth, and Post Malone. As a co-founder of Little Monarch, Lanita’s hit single “No Matter What” garnered over 22.5 million streams on Spotify. With performances at Coachella and Jimmy Kimmel Live, Lanita’s soulful voice and raw emotion make her a standout artist.
Gem Series Opener: Feyth M.
R&B singer Feyth M. was born and raised in Dayton, OH. In 2018, she released a single in honor of her late sister titled “Hold on Tight.” Her debut EP, The Process, followed in 2019.
All concerts are free. Food trucks and beer sales will be available for guests to enjoy. Friday night Party in the Park events begin at 5:30 p.m. and feature The Heart of Centerville and Washington Township’s vendor village with more than 30 local vendors and kids’ activities ahead of the 7:00 p.m. concert
We are thrilled to welcome Jake Speed & The Freddies to The Brightside on Friday, May 30th! This fantastic Cincinnati-based band plays a mix of traditional & original folk, country blues, & ragtime tunes.
Known as the Woody Guthrie of Cincinnati, Jake Speed uses a traditional folksy delivery to compose timely and timeless songs that tell great stories with a bit of a lyrical edge. The band, built out of guitar, mandolin, fiddle, tenor guitar and upright bass (with hints of harmonica, kazoo, and washboard), has been hailed by CityBeat magazine as a “…a fixture of Cincinnati’s traditional Folk scene” since releasing its first of five albums, Queen City Rag, in 2002.
GRAMMY Award-winning country music legend Dwight Yoakam brings The Cosmic Roundup & Rodeo Tour with special guest The Mavericks to Huber Heights, OH for a performance at Rose Music Center on Saturday, September 27.
21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner and country superstar Dwight Yoakam’s first new album in nine years, Brighter Days, is out now on Via Records/Thirty Tigers. Listen HERE.
Written and recorded over the last three years, Brighter Days features 12 brand-new songs written/co-written by Yoakam, as well as three seemingly disparate covers—“Keeping On The Sunny Side” by the Carter Family, “Bound Away” by Cake and “Time Between” written by Chris Hillman of The Byrds—artfully woven into the same body of work in the unmistakable style that could only be Dwight Yoakam.
At once timeless and timely, Yoakam self-produced Brighter Days, infusing a modern appreciation for country music’s history with the trailblazing rock and roll spirit of California. The result is an album that reflects a sense of craftsmanship and immediacy, capturing the quintessential Dwight Yoakam “cool” that has set him apart from his country contemporaries since the beginning of his legendary career. As always, Yoakam’s lyrics throughout the album are both deceptively effortless and profoundly poignant. The album was mixed by world-class engineer Chris Lord-Alge.
Dwight Yoakam has sold over 26 million albums worldwide, with five reaching the #1 spot on Billboard. He is a 21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner. He has 12 Gold albums and nine Platinum or multi-Platinum albums. Yoakam is the recipient of the Artist of the Year Award from the Americana Music Association, the prestigious BMI Country Awards’ President’s Award and has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received a Lifetime Achievement Honor at the 2024 Americana Music Awards. He has collaborated with everyone from Beck to Kid Rock, ZZ Top, Hunter S. Thompson and Jack White. He has toured with the likes of Buck Owens, Johnny Cash and Hüsker Dü. Yoakam’s last album, Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars…, was released in 2016. Rolling Stone Country raves, “Yoakam sounds right at home on these new versions,” while NPR Music praises, “You can hear Yoakam making masterful choices on every phrase.”
In addition to his musical career, Yoakam has appeared in more than 40 feature films including Sling Blade, Panic Room and Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky with Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig, as well as a role in the Amazon series “Goliath.” Over the course of his storied acting career he has worked with the likes of Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey and more.
In 1977, Yoakam left Kentucky for Nashville to embark on a music career but found that the Music City was moving away from traditional country roots to more pop-country. He found himself better suited to the post-Bakersfield movement and became one of the founding fathers of the L.A. Cowpunk Scene influenced by second-wave rockabilly and punk alongside X, Los Lobos, The Knitters, Rank & File and The Blasters.
Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning at 10AM on Friday, May 23 at Ticketmaster.com and the Rose Music Center Box Office.
Soul Express will be back at Zinks to get your weekend started right with the golden 1960s and ’70s hits of artists like the Temptations, the Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas and Sly and the Family Stone! It’s always a party at Zinks! See you there!
