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Crooks on Tape Show on January 30th

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Crooks on Tape January 30th show

Misra Records artist Crooks on Tape will be in Dayton on January 30th with Swim Diver, Bearer of Bad News and Swarm at Rock Star Pro Arena.

CROOKS ON TAPE is John Schmersal (Enon, Brainiac), Rick Lee (Enon, Skeleton Key, Butter 08) and Joey Galvan (Mannheim Steamroller, Anthrax). The band was created out of a simple idea of discovery and musical creation – in their own words: “convene, improvise, and record every moment.”  You can listen to their record Fingerprint at The A.V. Club website.  Crooks on Tape have been described by this columnist as an exciting and rocking John Cage and Philip Glass sound experiment!  Do not miss this opportunity to see them in the area.

Swim Diver is an exciting new band featuring members of Brainiac, Captain of Industry, Oh Condor, Me & Mountains, Human Reunion, The Dirty Walk, and Vinyl Dies.  Swim Diver’s music is based on appreciation of the grand and glorious Dayton music tradition.  If you are a fan of rock and roll that appreciates your intelligence, than this band is for you.

Bearer of Bad News— one of Dayton’s finest hard rock outfits is also on the bill for that evening with music that melts the rusted fields of the Miami Valley into a sonic attack that is cathartic and empowering at the same time.  Swarm plumbs the noise-metal-thrash adrenaline rush of 80s and 90s punk into an organic cacophony of sound with social, cultural and political criticism.

This show promises to be an exciting evening of musical exploration.  This is an opportunity to see some terrific bands!   Go here to check on PRESALE TICKETS!

Cross posted at Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative.

REVIEW: Bobaflex Plays Black Friday

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Bobaflex on stage at McGuffy's (Niki Forte Photography)

Bobaflex on stage at McGuffy’s (Niki Forte Photography)

Bobaflex is West Virginia’s answer to the finest cut high-octane spit and shine hillbilly rock this side of the rolling river. They came, played, kicked ass and left. They also braved to play on the one day where the rough, riotous crowds and moshpits were more dangerous at any given retail giant than at any sophisticated metal show. Where the fights draw blood, especially with high-heels and the deal/discount diving shoppers have less mercy than angry drunks in a Slayer pit (concert goers at least have the common courtesy to help each other up when they go down before the mauling). They came to Dayton on the blackest of days and the only Friday more infamous and violent than the 13th.

McGuffy’s  will compensate you, if no one survives Black Friday, Bobaflex. Luckily plenty of people did and showed up for a raucous good time. ViFolly braved the Dayton traffic along with returning Columbus artists Xfactor1 and Dayton’s own Black Cloud Syndrome.

Xfactor1 (Niki Forte Photography)

Xfactor1 (Niki Forte Photography)

Making their first appearance since Halloween, the out of costume Xfactor1 returned with seven songs that would make great stocking crushers for all the little naughty elves in the family. In Gibson and sunglasses we trust, however QBall just doesn’t look the same without the bloody surgical scrubs, though he performs with the passion of a natural born killer. They open with It’s My Life, because without girls, there’s no guys. Over and Out is more than CB talk, it’s a deep, emotionally played, melodious tune with tone and feeling. QBall pulls out Scott Stapps voice giving it a darker, harder Vedder edge. The light will follow even if they Paint It Black. Who doesn’t wanna be like a Rolling Stone?

The day after Thanksgiving’s the biggest shopping/party day of the year. Time to Live Another Day and find a way to survive. The next song’s about pulling the best part of yourself out and being that person every day because we must believe in ourselves and have Hope For Tomorrow. Whatever technology and industry brings, they can’t tear us away from our humanity or Break You down because no matter how much convenience comes, real-life hard work and passion cannot be faked. They break out Rock on the Range tune Never Live then get a little extra ‘exercise’ putting some metal thumpin power behind the Stroke. Peace love and alcohol.

ViFolly (Niki Forte Photography)

ViFolly (Niki Forte Photography)

Straight from Eaton/New Lebanon/Cincinnati, ViFolly bring an impressive resume to the stage: recording music for Bret Michaels’ Rock of Love: Bus and Rock of Love alumni Taya Parker. They’ve also played live at MMA fights in Cleveland and there’s talk about future fights in other states as well.

All songs are written, recorded and pre-produced by ViFolly in their recording studio in Eaton Ohio.  They’ve worked with Bon Jovi’s producer Fab Dupont and will be releasing a new record in March with Dupont at the helm. Playing over 100 shows in 20 states in 2011, they’ve opened for Seven Dust, Jackyl, Drowning Pool, Sick Puppies, Tantric, 60 date tour with Hawthorne Heights, Saliva, members of (Molly Hatchet, Black Foot and Lynrd Skynrd) and the list goes on.

They take a rock sound inserting high, sometimes frantic notes giving an unsettling, melancholy feeling to the music with a mixture of Bush vocals and Tool tones. The guitar whistle’s the opening of Kettle Doll then the guitars go nuts on Crazy. Sweet Revenge has those weird notes, sweating off sanity. The seven minute opus Feathers starts swimming in guitar tranquility, turning up the rock with haunting harmonies, singing us a wicked little nursery rhyme Opeth style. Under scarlet lights we feel the Burn as dreamlike, nightmarish notes escape the stage. They also play tracks from the upcoming CD, All For Nothing and Heaven Help Me. Finishing as King(s) of the Castle, they’ve taken the dark side of the Beach Boys, and adding some of that haunting calm Opeth charm.

Black Cloud Syndrome (Niki Forte Photography)

Black Cloud Syndrome (Niki Forte Photography)

Black Cloud Syndrome brings the heavy hard rasp of Shannon’s Bobby Blitz meets David Draiman with R Lee Ermy commanding vocals. They enjoy their Freedom and love to sing it. Music’s in their blood, have another shot; its 100 proof metal strong; it’s a Revolution Rising. There’s some guitar churning, slow heavy groove in this Never Ending War to Exposure the Truth with some heavy drilling sound. Nobody Rides 4 Free, you have to earn your metal keep. I Am has a disturbing influence as Planet X comes to ya live from the shed to the McGuffy’s stage. They finish with the newest F’n song Stand and Fight!

Bobaflex are supporting their newest CD Charlatans Web, now available, with the first single Bad Man charting at #34 (BDS) and #35 on (Mediabase). CW is their follow up to 2011’s Hell In My Heart featuring stage anthem Bury Me With My Guns On (inspired by The Preacher comic), Chemical Valley and the Simon and Garfunkel inspired Sound of Silence. Formed in 1998, the ‘flex is one of the hardest working bands in the country, the heart and soul of the McCoy brothers, Shaun and Martin, actual descendants of the Hatfield/McCoy legacy. Though their side might’ve lost a few more than the other, anyone who’s seen or heard Bobaflex are the real winners. A historic truce was made between families in the early 2000’s. The band had their share of turmoil when an earlier label went bankrupt losing rights to their name and songs to a bank for a few years. Eventually getting them back, Charlatans Web is a satirical shot at the music industry.

And now a few choice words for a former manager… a mix of George Thorogood, Skynrd, Georgia Satellites, The Ramones and Wasp, Bobaflex emerges bringing the black-leather biker pride to the stage with a road-blistering sound. They’re motor-heads on diesel, steroid dust and gasoline dreams straight from the mind altering, booze guzzling Chemical Valley. They keep the loaded ride flowing and going swerving down the disillusioned road of the Low Life.  We take a hit from the chemical valley one more time and Rise to the occasion with a loud battle cry, we’re not one of your kind. Better Than Me is visited from Apologize For Nothing. For all the online stalkers and voyeurs who love getting their sick-fix through the webcast feed, Pretty Little Things is your sweet unfiltered cyberspace song of fantasy, for a fee.

Bobaflex (Niki Forte Photography)

Bobaflex (Niki Forte Photography)

The next single from Charlatans Web, the excessively happy, sick, twisted, conniving glee of I’m Glad You’re Dead, has a nice sing along chorus. Sticking with the dark, decomposing and deadly theme we have a draining visit with the rock n roll Vampire. Life really sucks when you find the wrong succubus that leaches off you. There’s still more sin to indulge in as we get our love-sexy groove on swaggering down the neon lit halls of any said sex club, bottle in hand, working our way into a Slave state of mind, looking for a limber agile pole-rider.

We get down to the bottom of the bottle ready for more dirty behavior with the tambourine shaking, gypsy waltz and some filthy southern brewed blues, playing the Bad Man with the Charlatan watching from above. We get down to back-dirt roads stringed basics singing about Home, where the dream started and the stage, where the dream’s lived.

It’s all about the beautiful sickness we have inside; when we indulge ourselves we lose our minds. We enjoy the peaceful Sound of Silence courtesy of The McCoy’s and Simon and Garfunkel. Charlatan stretches out her treacherous black webbed claws one last time, if you’re entangled, you’ll Never Come Back.  They make their last stand, true outlaw style going out in a blaze of glory, so they can be buried with their guns on. When they get to the other side, they can show what it feels like to die. When they fall from heaven they can shoot the devil right between the eyes, HEY!

Images courtesy of Nikki Forte Photography.

“Elvis” Live At Gilly’s

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qagjq7n505hqbjxfey8fbgtcmr2vhz9dInspired by an Elvis performance he attended when 10 years old, Ryan Roth has since steadily worked toward a professional singing career. He was headlining a rock oldies show at Cedar Point by the age of 20.

He won ‘Be a Star” performing on TNN in 1994. Since then he has devoted himself to performing as Elvis, his greatest musical influence, bringing the excitement and entertainment to Elvis fans across the USA with a powerful tribute to the King.

Even Date and Time: Saturday, January 4, 2014 at 8:00 pm.

Cost: $10

Come out and support this talented and fun performer!

 

 

Jazzy Music Returns to the top of the Crowne

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chris comer trioThe Chris Comer Trio will be performing at The VIEW 162 rooftop jazz lounge at the Dayton Crowne Plaza Hotel on New Years Eve, Dec 31 2013. The performance will begin 8pm through the Midnight hour. Chris Comer on piano, joined by longtime Dayton bassist Vinnie Marshall and on drums Bart Foster from Cincinnati, originally from Perrysburg Ohio. Chris Comer performs jazz standards and classic jazz compositions.

    Having received the above on Chris Comer’s NYE gig got me to thinking about all the music Rosemary and I have taken in over the years at the top of the Crowne. Aside for our own Monday Night Jazz Series for one season (after football) we attended many events by the likes of Dave Greer’s Classic Jazz Stompers, the Shawn Stanley Trio, the John Slate Trio and Tammy Powell with Randy Villars. In life, things change; the hotel got new owners, remodeling began and the music dried up; After what seemed like a long dry spell I started receiving messages and flyer postings and recently attended musical entertainment by Randy Fankell, Deron Bell and James & Moore. There have been changes; the remodeling turned out extremely well and I’ll really miss some of the old acts but some things remain the same. The atmosphere is that of a true jazz lounge, laid back, relaxing and comfortable with one of the best views in town. They now call it “View 162” instead of “Top of the Crowne” but it’s still the best bad weather venue with Event Center parking and a skywalk right to the hotel for a great high and dry entertainment experience. One big improvement derived from the remodeling; the main dining room is next and open to the lounge area so now folks may choose to sit close to the music or pick a more remote location according to their desires.

As to celebrating New Years Eve, the Chris Comer Trio is a Cincinnati group that is quickly becoming a Dayton favorite at the Crowne. It’s my understanding the hotel has a special NYE dinner offering at $60 per person and there is no cover charge for the music, which has to make this one of the best New Year’s celebration deals around. Call in to confirm my information and to make your reservations.    

 

More Upcoming Music at the Crowne:

Here is their January schedule – call the phone number below for times and information:

 

Sat 1/4-Deron Bellview 162

Fri 1/10 James and Pamela Moore

Sat 1/11 Randy Fankell and the Jazz Militia

Fri 1/17 Tim Jennens

Sat 1/18 Chris Comer Trio

Fri 1/24 James and Pamela Moore

Sat 1/25 Tim Jennens

 

Cityfolk Passes Legacy to Local Universities

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CF_logo.1After several months of exploring its options, the Cityfolk Board of Trustees this week voted unanimously to dissolve the organization and transfer its assets to the University of Dayton. The transfer, expected to take place this month, will be the final step as Cityfolk closes its doors permanently.

According to Cityfolk president, Matt Dunn, the University of Dayton Arts Series has been a long-time partner with Cityfolk’s World Rhythm Series and a variety of residencies. In addition, the University’s ArtStreet and Fitz Center were partners in Cityfolk’s Culture Builds Community Program. As the sole recipient of Cityfolk funds held at The Dayton Foundation, the University of Dayton will build on the already existing partnership and be able to expand its programming to be more inclusive of jazz, a specific requirement of the funding.

Said Dunn, “The synergy between the Arts Series, ArtStreet, and the Fitz Center demonstrated to our board that the University of Dayton will be committed to opportunities that not only serve UD students, but the wider community as well.” Rather than being partners, Cityfolk will cease to exist as the University carries on Cityfolk’s legacy as a presenter. Several board members will serve on an advisory committee established by the University to oversee programming associated with the funding.

The partnership will help continue Cityfolk’s tradition of visiting artists who bridge performance and education, build relationships and create great music with students and musicians in the Miami Valley, said Paul Benson, dean of the University of Dayton’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“We welcome the chance to expand the university’s efforts to promote and present the arts to people throughout our community,” Benson said. “We are especially pleased to be able to continue the legacy of Cityfolk’s jazz programming, which occupies such an important place in America’s cultural heritage and in Dayton’s own artistic traditions.” For more on the University of Dayton’s vision for jazz programming, visithttp://bit.ly/1kmE7Fk.

The Cityfolk Board also decided to donate Cityfolk’s records and files – dating back to the origins of the organization – to the Special Collections and Archives of Wright State University where they will be cataloged and preserved.

“Cityfolk has a rich history and was an integral thread in the fabric of Dayton’s arts and cultural life,” Dunn said, “Preserving its history and making files available to be studied would inspire anyone interested wanting to know about traditional and folk music and its place in shaping our cultural heritage.” Among the files are recordings by artists presented by Cityfolk, stories from the Dayton Stories project, and files on every band and artist presented by Cityfolk.

The Cityfolk organization, which presented the Cityfolk Festival each summer, a concert season, folk dances, and educational programs announced in July it was suspending its operations for financial reasons. “Our decision was a difficult one, but the right one. Finding a successor to carry on our legacy was the appropriate thing to do,” said Dunn.

For more information about the University of Dayton Arts Series go to:http://www.udayton.edu/artssciences/artsseries/.

Enjoy a Free Sounds of the Season Concert

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0ek5obpne5vwkiecu4bvo479c6p5xf5wEnjoy “Sounds of the Season,” a FREE concert featuring performances by members of the Chaminade Julienne Performing Arts Department. We cordially invite you downtown for a musical celebration of Christmas. The evening will feature sacred and secular songs performed by the concert choir, concert band, liturgical choir, percussion ensemble, string ensemble, Hands in Harmony, and a cappella groups Vega and Age V. Guests are invited to stay for refreshments following the concert.

 

To Canal Street: With Love, Dayton

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photo courtesy of Shelly Hulce

photo courtesy of Shelly Hulce

On Saturday night, Shrug will take the stage at 308 East 1st Street and when they are finished, the space will no longer officially be called Canal Street Tavern as founder Mick Montgomery’s association with the venue he founded over 30 years ago will end.  Right now reports say that the space will continue to host live music under its new ownership, and both fans and musicians will keep careful watch in the months to follow to see how this new reality for the space fits into our music community.

photo courtesy of Greg Simerlink/Grog

photo courtesy of Greg Simerlink/Grog

Like so many of us, Canal Street was the cornerstone of my musical education with side lessons in friendship and community.  I learned to be a listener in that room whether I was jumping up and down screaming along to the Luxury Pushers or finding truth in Tod Weidner’s lyrics in a room paying such close attention, you could have heard a pin drop.

I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Mick tell the story of the founding of Canal Street a few times.  Once, I even got to sit on a panel with he and Jerry Gillotti about the Dayton music scene, an honor I still question whether I deserved.  Mick certainly succeed in his goal of creating a listening room, a place for music to be appreciated without pretense, but I wonder in those early days in 1981, if he knew that he was also creating a family as tight-knit and diverse and downright quirky as anything you’d see in a movie but a thousand times better.  This family would celebrate weddings on stage, send some of our best and brightest out into the world with one last show and welcome newcomers from near and far with open arms.

It’s in this spirit that I’ve invited some of my musical family, individuals who I met either directly or indirectly because of Canal Street, to share their thoughts, their memories and to say thank you to Mick for the time and energy he’s given our community.  It won’t be forgotten, and things we learned onstage and in the audience will carry on wherever we find ourselves playing or listening.

**UPDATE:  an online fund has been set up to help with bills from Mick’s Montgomery’s recent hospital stays.  More information on how to donation via the link.

 

photo by Juliet Fromholt

photo by Juliet Fromholt

Eric Cassidy

I played my first Musician’s Co-op, when I was 15 years old. Brian Wells, Thadd Brittain, and I played a bunch of Velvet Underground, Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam covers. We were probably terrible. Regardless, we were on a real stage, with real lights, PA, sound tech, listening audience…it was unbelievably cool. With King Droopy, Shrug, Human Cannonball, and solo performances, I’ve since been on that stage more times than I can count. KD did the Dayton Band Playoffs a couple of times. We got more votes than we deserved, and got to play with some great bands that blew our minds, and taught us about etiquette and connecting with audiences. When we got knocked out of the competition, we started getting show offers from the guy who counted the ballots. Enter Mick Montgomery.

If you love Canal Street Tavern, you love Mick Montgomery…the man behind the curtain. He has channeled passion, charm, elbow grease, and unrivaled stubbornness into the improbable anachronism that is CST. As a result of this work, he provided the community with an incubator for young performers, a reliable source of gigs for local bands, and intimate access to some of the best acts in the world. I’m very grateful to have been in this time and place to enjoy the spoils of Mick’s labor. I have shared that stage with incredible performers, who have often become incredible friends. I can’t express how much joy CST has brought into my life.

You want to sit 10 feet from Arlo Guthrie? Done.
You want to see Glenn Tilbrook stand on your table with no PA, singing your favorite Squeeze song? Done.
You want to hear Jay Bennett dish about Jeff Tweedy pretending to be sick in the Wilco movie (whether that’s true or not)? Done.
I could name drop all day. Just as special to me are the many weddings, birthday parties, and unforgettable events that I got to see and be a part of. The memory of hearing the words “This is for Gregg Spence” still sends waves of emotion over me.

Mick has also provided a place for like-minded and not-so-like-minded music lovers to get around the normal bar nonsense, and focus on the music. It’s such a great place to be a fan or performer; there are no TVs, blenders, games, or anything else that makes noise. If it’s a quiet performance, loud talking is not tolerated. The patrons enforce the rules as often as the staff. It’s just the right thing to do. Would you have a conversation during a movie? My CST friends replaced most of my school friends. The club is at least partly responsible for my wife and I getting together. Maybe it was the right time. It was certainly the right place. How many happy relationships can draw a path back to this room?

In return for giving us this special place, Mick has received very little.  He never made a fortune, sold out, or compromised (much) for anybody. I hope that he feels satisfaction of doing things his way, and the love of an obviously appreciative group of fans and friends. I can’t thank him enough.

 

photo courtesy of Greg Simerlink/Grog

photo courtesy of Greg Simerlink/Grog

Greg Simerlink/Grog

All Good Things…

Yeah, I know but still! I for one love change and really am not a fan of tradition, but Canal Street Tavern has been such a part of my life I have a hard time seeing it cease to exist as it has for so very long.

Among some of the most memorable moments for me:
– Playing my first show with The Oxymorons!
– Being the last place I played on stage (11/24/12)
– Having my first wedding & reception there (Mick gave away the bride!)
– Went on the first date there with my current wife
– Playing on stage to bring in the New Year
– Held several benefit shows there for my old zine Mutant Renegade
– Played my first sold out show

I’m sure I’ve played on that stage over 100 times and have seen hundreds of other bands there over the years. I’ve made countless friends with patrons, fans, employees & musicians at Canal Street. I have shared so many wonderful experiences there I cannot think anywhere else can ever replace it.

So, Mick it was great while it lasted. Thank you for doing so much for the Dayton music community. I for one really appreciated everything you did even if I didn’t always say it. Also thank you to all of the wonderful friends who have worked at Canal Street over the years.

R.I.P Canal Street Tavern…

 

Photo courtesy of Shelly Hulce

Photo courtesy of Shelly Hulce

Tim Pritchard

Canal Street Tavern is where I cut my teeth as a musician, bought my first (legal) drink, played my first sold out show, and basically came of age.  As a kid, it was the only place I wanted to hang out and my folks were gracious enough to make that happen once and a while.  I may have even snuck in under the radar from time to time on my own.  My teenage band landed a gig there when I was 17 and I accomplished what had perhaps been my most lofty goal to that point of my life.

I could go on and on about all the shows I’ve played and seen there since, but I’ll just mention a few of the moments that I’ll never forget.
-Playing Tod Weidner’s beat-to-hell Takamine for the first time at a Musician’s Co-Op, followed by “guess what I just got to do” type phone call to my best friend who’d moved to Nashville to go to school.  We both kind of idolized Shrug at that time.
-Flyaway Minion’s EP release in 2006 to a sold out bar sponsored by Camel (what the fuck?).  Crazy night.  Incredible.
-Seeing Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson a few years ago.  Still perhaps the best performance by a two-piece I’ve ever seen and completely enthralling as Hillman is a person hero of mine.
-Talking to Mick Montgomery for well over an hour, after closing time, about Donavan’s visit to Canal Street.

 

E. Ryan Roth

My fondest memory of Canal Street

I had been to my first show about a month earlier.  I had snuck into a Velour/Shrug show.  Shrug was just a 3 piece at the time, but I instantly was a fan. I liked the music, but the lyrics were pure poetry.  Such playful use of language used to paint Hemmngway-esque verbal pictures.  On my way out, an old hippy approached me.  I figured I was busted, but instead he asked me if I liked what I heard.  I of course said “yes”.  The man then told me if I liked that, then I should tell my parents to bring me back the next week to see a “Songwriters in the Round”.  I found a friend who was going the next weekend ( a member of Velour named Patrick Himes) who’s Dad would claim me as his own.  The next Sunday I entered the club legit for the first time in my life.  The first set of 3 songwriters wasn’t bad.  One guy wrote joke songs that were mildly funny, the other two were country guys….not my cup of tea.  At that point, I felt like the old hippy had steered me wrong.  Then set 2 happened.

photo by Sara Lynne Walsh

photo by Sara Lynne Walsh

The old hippy, now known to me as owner Mick Montgomery, introduced possibly the best set of music I have seen to date….and this includes Radiohead shows.  A possible giant named Tod Weidner was to play first.  I recognized him from the previous weekend.  A quite petite lady sat next to him.  Her name was Jayne Sachs.  Next to her was a pretty exotic looking lady named Phyllis Turner.

The sounds and words I was exposed to for the next hour rival the thrill of a skydive.  Tod played a song called “Drowsy” that instantly forced me to buy his album.  Jayne followed with a song called “Waiting”.  A beautiful melody and heartbreaking song that forced me to ask to buy her album as well.  She gave me both of her CDs for the price of 1 instead.  Phyllis lacked song titles that evening, but her voice cut through the other two like ginsu. “Disposable Soul”, “My Problem, “Special Neurotic Boy”, “On the Edge” and more followed.  I talked with Tod, possibly the most intimidating experience of my life the same night.  He and Mick told me about their musicians co-op on Tuesday nights if I liked what I heard that night.  In the years to come I would play a hundred or so times on that stage.  Some big shows, some for just a few people, some shows with bands, a ton of shows solo including a few dozen times getting to play a Songwriters in the Round, but like anything else in life, nothing burns brighter than the first time.  Thanks to Mick realizing that the 16 year old kid that just snuck into his bar was there for the love of music and not to get drunk, he made a fan for life.

Thank you sir.  The universe owes you at least three.

 

Chad Wells

photo by Ian Bonnett

photo by Ian Bonnett

You hear about those places… Magical musical venues where magical musical things happened – CBGB’s, The Fillmore, The Ritz, The Whisky A Go Go, The Troubador, First Avenue, The Bluebird Cafe, The 40 Watt Club and so many more – some still presenting music several nights a week – many fallen to history. Dayton, Ohio has Canal Street Tavern.

My first time stepping inside that building was around 1992 and I’ve played that wonderful little stage many times and whether the crowd was spilling over onto the stage and into the street or if we just played to a half dozen other singer songwriters at a Musician’s Co-Op, there has always been magic in that room. The historical location is likely beholden to some sort of energetic power spot or maybe it’s just the apparent amount of true love poured into that old wood through the years by Mick Montgomery and the myriad of musical spirits that have drifted up those steps and onto that stage.

There’s something about Canal Street that very few people understand – I had the awakening while attending a show at the Ryman in Nashville – all that old wood and organic material is, nightly, vibrated with the sounds that are pushed through the air and it retains an impression of that energy. Those old church pews and hard wood floor really are haunted by the songs that have been played there. If everything that exists is made of the same subatomic space stuff and the illusion of solidity is really just particles and waves acting and reacting at different frequencies then you have to imagine the intricate patterning inside that structure that we’ve come to know as Canal Street Tavern. Just like the graffiti and stickers that wallpapers the tiny backstage area, the sounds and spirit and love that has been shared and received at that particular longitude and latitude will be forever there. Whether the bank papers state the same name or even if that building eventually falls to the ages and some new, strange creature erupts from that corner… You will always be able to hear – or feel – the music that has been concentrated into that piece of ground. Thank you to Mick Montgomery and the countless staff members who made the room feel like home and kept the music playing.

 

photo courtesy of Shelly Huce

photo courtesy of Shelly Huce

Tod Weidner

Memories of Canal Street: Can’t choose. Won’t choose. Here are some, though. Meeting and becoming good friends with Peter Mulvey. Iodine, any time they played there. Christopher Corn’s co-op set after Tim Taylor died. The 93 and 95 Playoffs. The Monster Hops. Bill Frisell. Opening for the Aquarium Rescue Unit. Meeting Sharon A. Lane within minutes of walking in there for the first time. Opening for Richard Lloyd and listening to him reminisce about roller skating with Cheetah Chrome to a star-struck me and Jamy Holliday. Bill Kirchen. Opening for Ronnie Dawson. James McMurtry. Filling in as a janitor for a week for Will Dalgard. Going to the Century Bar and helping put in the bench seats along the walls. Hammel On Trial. Brian Cates. Settling up with Mick Montgomery and having him call me an “old rounder” (the highest compliment one can get from him). Songwriters In The Round. Gregg Spence. Hosting Co-op. Flying by the seat of my pants onstage more times than I can count. Being so pissed off at my performance one night that I punched a hole in the dressing room wall (it’s still there- I can show you). Hell, THE DRESSING ROOM WALL (and trying to remember where the perfectly-camouflaged electrical outlet is on it). Meeting girls. Meeting my wife. Weddings. Wakes. Learning how to be a musician and person over the course of 22 years and literally thousands of gigs on that stage.

 

courtesy of Shelly Hulce

photo courtesy of Shelly Hulce

Gladgirl Shelly Hulce

I invented myself there, many times over. And I witnessed the same of others.

It was my life in my early 20’s, then I dropped out of the scene to do the pregnancy/parenting thing.  When I was released from “baby jail,” I started revisiting my old identity to see if it was in tact.  Not long after re-entry, a band I was in entered the band playoffs. One night after a playoff session,  Mick pulled me in the office saying, “Good to see you back, kid. You look happy.” I said “Yeah, I guess I’ve come  full circle Mick.”  Mick, as usual, put things in perspective with one sentence “ Life isn’t one big circle Shell, it’s lots and lots of circles. You have lot’s of circles ahead.”  Mick is one of a few “gurus’ in my life. He and the late Greg Savage (Dingleberries founder) have big notches on the timeline of my life.

CST is home base for me. I was there watching the birth of GBV.  I was there watching the birth of The Breeders.  Had we only known what that would mean to the rest of the world….!

That room was everyone’s living room. The transition is like having your parents move out of your childhood home.  I always went there for comfort. I always felt safe, and there was never any trouble. It was my home. Not a lot of people have that luxury in their towns, a safe place you can go and be with your “family”. A very forgiving place where, if you fail, people help you back up. When you succeed, they lift you on their shoulders. This is where we got our news, and where we “made” our news.

Canal Street is a state of mind, a culture. It’s in Dayton’s DNA. (And most of Dayton’s DNA is in there as well.)  I witnessed many couple meet there for the first time. I’ve attended weddings there, and witnessed some break-ups and the awkward re-entry after those break-ups. That goes for bands too, not just couples.

From the outside, the place might not look like much, but for those who live and breath Dayton music, it’s romantic and gritty and real. It’s to Dayton what CBGB was to New York. I have many heroes locally, and in my mind they will always be bathed in the red glow of the CST stage. Some have aged and dropped out, others moved on to international fame, some are from the more current circle. I watched my heroes grow up there too: Tod Weidner, Jesse Remnant, Eric Cassidy, Dan Stahl. We, as a family, celebrated  the birth of many new voices, and clung to one another as some of our favorites fell silent.

If you’ve ever seen CST in the day time, or with all the lights on, it’s a real shocker. It’s like seeing your favorite performers at the pool or something. It messes with my perception. I like the dreamy mind set it created for me. I got most of my hug therapy there!  For me, the most beautiful and iconic piece of Dayton art is the dressing room of CST. The saying “If these walls could talk…” is fitting to say the least.

One personal favorite memory of mine is being in the Playoffs in 2003 ( I could be wrong on the year) .The band I was in, Ruetschley, advanced a few rounds and it was fun. We decided that I would transfer over to synth, and I was scared to death, having never played keys in a band before. So I took clear tape and wrote the chord on the keys and had a cheat sheet for which patch numbers to dial in for which songs. We had in ear monitors too (looking back, that was insane for that stage). So the first night I am to play keys in this band, during Playoffs, I put the monitors in my ears and I could hear my heart racing and every breath I took. This made me even more nervous, like I was ready to walk on the moon or something. Knowing I had all these notes and keys written was my safety net and my only source of comfort…..THEN they turned the house down and the red stage lights on. I couldn’t read a damn thing. I was terrified, but I faked my way through the first song. When it hit me that all the people in front of me were on my side, I was okay.

The biggest surprise to me when it came to playoffs was how supportive the bands were, at least the year I was in it.  When we would beat a band in a round, they would rally their fans to come support us, and we did the same when we got beat. It was then that I realized that Mick was a leader in building community.

As an events promoter, Mick taught me a lot too. I cut my teeth there by throwing shows. He knew I was there to learn. He has a lot of grace for people who care to keep learning. Must be the old school teacher in him.  I appreciated his love for antiques and whimsical things too. The styles of handwritten signs, the file they are kept in, the boards of THIS WEEK and  COMING UP that flank the stage…. I love those. Sharon’s piano, Rev. Cool’s big head, Woody Guthrie big as life, the crows nest with chairs that always ruined your pants, the creaky floor….. I love it all.  It’s home.

I love it that I could stand inches away from a guitar player and watch every pedal being used, read every note and setlist they had on the floor and feel the breeze come out of their amps. It’s magic and church and love and sex one song at a time.  I can truly say I have had a religious experience there many times over, especially with the Buffalo Killers. Those shows were every bit as Pentecostal as any alter call I experienced as a child raised in the church. The stained glass windows were no accident if you ask me!

 

photo courtesy of Shelly Hulce

photo courtesy of Shelly Hulce

Steven Gullett

November 30th is the last show at Canal Street Tavern. I worked there for 10 years and played onstage in 7 different bands, I grew up in that bar. It will always be a major part of who I am as a person musically and otherwise. I hope it gets a great sendoff. Thanks for everything Mick.

 

Angelle Haney Gullett

I knew about Canal Street as soon as I was old enough to read. The weekly ad in the newspaper seemed like a window into a rarefied and exotic world where people made lives around the most important thing in the world – music. I used to clip those ads, even though I didn’t know any of the bands, and paste them into a scrap book. It was the world I desperately wanted to be a part of.

When I was in grade school, my friend’s mom was a jazz and blues artist. I thought Sharon Lane was just about the most glamorous, amazing woman I had ever seen, and she worked at Canal Street Tavern.

When I finally got my job at Canal Street, I was neither glamorous nor amazing. I was 19, an unemployed high school drop out, and scared beyond belief because I had no idea what I was going to do with my life.

Canal Street Tavern had all my answers, even if I didn’t know it.

I watched my friends enter, lose, and eventually win the Dayton Band Playoffs. I got my high heels stuck in those hundred-year-old floorboards. I learned how to say no. I learned how to say yes. I met the man who would become my husband and the people who are my lifelong friends. I made the decision to get my GED. I started college. I waited tables, worked the day bar, remembered people by the drinks they ordered and saw hands-down the greatest live music of my entire life, night after night.

And I mean, I saw everything. Because Mick booked live, original music six nights a week, I found myself listening to everything from folk to alt-country to zydeco to Hawiaan slack-key guitar, all against the never-ending thrum of local punk, metal, and rock n’ roll. I only worked there for three years, but I kept coming back to see music, several nights a week, until I finally moved away. When I wanted to make my first movie, of course it was about Canal Street’s Musician’s Co-Op and how special it was.

Today, I live, work and see music in Los Angeles. I would like to say that I didn’t know how special Canal Street, and by extension the Dayton music scene was until I got away, but that would be a lie.

It was obvious to me that I was part of something very special the first time I stepped through those doors. I knew that bands like Iodine and Braniac and Shrug and Real Lulu and The Mystery Addicts were giving me the best nights of my life, even as it was happening.

And I owe that to Mick Montgomery, who always allowed 18 year olds in, because that’s the age when music matters to you so much you can’t survive without it. Who never let a blender, a pool table or a television screen through the door. Who always cared about the music first, the bar second, and the business third. Who made it very clear that, even though I was a cocktail waitress, I did not have to take a drunk’s disrespect, and neither did the people on stage.

Mick’s children are all grown now, and like them, I grew up in Canal Street Tavern. It made me who I am. It showed me what was possible, if people cared enough to make it happen. Whatever happens to the building and the bar, that’s a legacy that will grow and live on.

That’s Mick’s gift to all of us. And I will be forever in his debt.

Angelle Haney Gullett
Canal Street Tavern, Class of ‘94

This is for Mick, Sharon, Steven, Jamy, Amy, Heather, Rob, Cates, Stacy, Melissa, Elizabeth, Katy, Liz, Sandra, Doug, and Kimberly.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGkN2pjKGWw’]

Such A Night! A Celebration of The Band’s Last Waltz to Benefit WYSO

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o8bm3ppzje61tdstrttu43kcb4dg6qf1On November 27th, nearly thirty local musicians will gather and celebrate the music of the Band and the historic performances of The Last Waltz live on the stage of the NCR Theater at the Dayton Art Institute at 456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton Ohio.

Proceeds from Such A Night! A Celebration of The Band’s Last Waltz will benefit WYSO.

Such a Night features many of Dayton’s most talented musicians, including a 7 piece horn section. The original film The Last Waltz featured performances by Dr. John, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris, Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan and documented The Band’s final concert on November 25th, 1976.

Event details:
Such A Night! A Celebration of The Band’s Last Waltz
Wednesday, November 27th at 7pm
NCR Theater at the Dayton Art Institute
456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton
$15 in advance/$20 at the door
For tickets, call the Dayton Art Institute at 937.223.5277
or buy them online athttp://www.daytonartinstitute.org/shop/eventexhibition-tickets/such-night-last-waltz-liv

REVIEW: Legends Of Thrash Wreck Columbus

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Warbringer

Warbringer

On Tuesday November 5th, The Legends Of Thrash Tour presented by Columbus Events Group swept through Columbus stopping at the Alrosa Villa like a sonic whirlwind as bodies crashed and collided into each other in the pit like a human tornado of souls.

LA’s young guns Warbringer brought the early battle cry with Germany’s Euro-thrash heroes Kreator screaming in at over 30 years of devastation and New Jersey’s green lit thrash veterans Overkill, who’ve been on a screeching bat-winged blitz-krieg since 1980. Tonight was stop number seven on the twenty-four date North American Tour.

It’s a double fisted metal spiked, thrash hammer to the face and guitar shredding to the ear as Overkill continues touring in The Electric Age and Kreator brings America the Phantom Antichrist. With Warbringer unleashing their new October released Warbringer IV: Empires Collapse on the state capital, they’re promoting their new video for Black Sun, Black Moon. Filmed in the forbidding desolation of the Mojave Desert under pitch-black nightfall, Black Sun is a vintage highway throwback to Judas Priest.

The war begins as they open fire with the razor-sharp riffs and cutting edge technology via science of the hunter-killer, the Living Weapon. The pit opens immediately as we wake into the nightmare of Severed Reality staring into the black murky void before us. John Kevill hand chops the crowd samurai style summoning their energy ready for a throat-slicing good time. The Turning of the Gears is what we hear tonight but for them it’s day after day, year after year. When it’s over John Kevill’s yell, John Laux and Jeff Potts’ guitars will still be stuck in our ears. They tear across the dusk lit illusive highway under the mystic fading blaze and rising glow of the Black Sun, Black Moon. Scars Remain from the pit of inner pain, as you’re Living in a Whirlwind of addiction and mother nature’s metal fury. They break out classic Exodus, Sepultura inspired Combat Shock. As Laux and Potts throttle blasted their guitars, Kevill called for one more pit before the show ended. Want musical pestilence, famine and conquest, Warbringer cometh.

Kreator

Kreator

Kreator bathed in a feast of strobes, coming forth as Mars Mantra played, opening with the obliterating Phantom Antichrist and conjuring up a pit at will. “Destroy this f*@&er!” Mille Petrozza yelled, starting From Flood Into Fire and harnessing the energy from all sides. Columbus, The Kreator has returned! They bring out the madness of the Reich on Warcurse, splitting the crowd in two, preparing the biggest pit of the night. Counting to four in German he wanted to see what a floor wide Ohio Coma of Souls circle pit looked like, in return they gave us Endless Pain. Are you ready to kill? Are you ready to kill, each other… Pleasure to Kill. It’s everyone against everyone in the Hordes of Chaos, a Necrologue for gladiators and ‘pit’ fighters alike.

Petrozza shreds, reveling in the roaring feedback before calling for a dance floor thrash pummeling Riot of Violence. Purity and innocence are killed by the Enemy of God. A paranoid Phobia forms, is someone following you? The Patriarch roars over its metal family warning of Violent Revolution. Sami Yli Sirnio plays the acoustic into United in Hate. Let there be darkness tonight with the Civilization Collapse.

Petrozza brings the flag of Kreation on stage, waving its emblem high and proud. They tease Billie Jean’s bass intro and drums on Painkiller before finishing with Flag of Hate and unleashing the Tormentor. The Kreator will return!

Overkill

Overkill

The legendary East Coast wrecking crew, Overkill, opened old school with Deny the Cross. We get modern-day Ironbound with Bring Me the Night. Blitz asks for/demands crowd noise, he’s got “f*@&in’ high standards, you better f*@&in’ remember that sh!t.” We watched them shake and bake with the Electric Rattlesnake and got knocked on our ass like a Hammerhead via 1985. Blitz grins announcing “it’s an old school f*@&ing show tonight. You motherf*@&ers get uglier every year” because Columbus is Rotten to the Core! From the back alleys and street sludge of Franklin County, welcome to the mother f*@&in’ gutter! Ohio’s one hell of a metal state and together we’re strong, together we’re Ironbound!

Wrecking necks for over 30 years with 16 records, 2 live albums, 2 DVD’s and a video-documentary; you know they’re doing fine, basking in the light of the Necroshine. The days Horrorscope said, Thanx for Nothin’ so take a trip with the pale rider at midnight to Overkill and seal your fate. Time to quit fuckin’ around and pay attention, long ago and far away like a runaway train the record was called The Years of Decay. Time for some E-limination!

Encoring with Horrorscope, Skullkrushers worldwide know when you go see the ‘kill and it’s time for the last song, you don’t wanna sound like a pussy. Columbus, we don’t care what you say, F*@& YOU!

Photography by Samantha Stewart.

REVIEW: Mushroomhead Bring 20 Years of Halloween Havoc to Dayton

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What’s cooler than one of Ohio’s own, Cleveland’s masked men playing doomsday in December last year coming back the following October and playing Halloween night? Dayton was the third to last show on Mushroomhead’s 40 date fall tour with returning vocalist JMann. Though mother-nature brought the rain and winds of fury, postponing several little demons and dragons’ stroll through candy land and once again darkened a few house lights, McGuffy’s House of Rock was packed and celebrating All Hallows Eve under the influence of Mushroomed metal.

Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Pagan New Year, Samhain and the night before All Saints Day. The harvest is over and the winter/darker half of the year begins. The name meaning ‘hallowed’ or ‘holy’ evening has origins in both Christian and Pagan history. To any devout horror or heavy metal fan, the 31st is definitely the scariest day of the year and deserving of all day worship. Even mask-wearing, heavy-breathing, knife wielding, silent fictional slashers deserve their own day too.

Forces of Nature

Forces of Nature

Dayton hometown heros Forces of Nature started the hallowed evening. Last year’s lone Armageddon playing partner to the headliner. Notwithstanding what mother-nature was doing outside. Forces played their patented Pantera meets Slayer mid-pit stomp pounding the piss out of each other sound, ripping open the metal kegger with the face smashing Magnus Lee. Tate Moore’s voice has the devil sandpapering his vocal chords. Since the Apocalypse didn’t happen on schedule last year, they decide to court global danger and play a heavy, angry, defiant song about it with a few guitar licking tastes of Morbid Angel for extra heavenly hierarchal rebellion.

ASOT (As Seen On TV) rips out Udo Dirkschneider’s soft vocals ramming them down Tate’s hoarse, coarse throat, and together they make beautiful music along-side Marc Godsey, Jimmy Rose’s ripping guitar-flesh playing and Johnnie Wallace’s vampiric bass blood wallop. Of course any foursome of metal beasts are lucky to have a fair beauty among them, and the drums are pleasantly hammered by metal matriarch Shannon Godsey. The Godsey’s were also celebrating their 23 year anniversary.

The second showing of local support comes from Dayton’s self-made Moshpits & Lighters creators, In The Cut, led by event marketing mastermind Daniel DeDoncker. Breaking right into Killswitch Engage’s Until the End, they’re each a silent army of one and collectively sold out McGuffy’s with all local talent.

They play a song about all the assholes, particularly the ones out on Halloween doing stupid sh- (present company excluded). Here’s some Hatred Divine. Aaron Noble poured out the power on keys with the black eyes of Alice. He also broke out the skull and bones keyboard decor using two freshly pulled spines courtesy of one ugly motherf-…..  They finish with a fun, fan friendly dip into the 80’s rock power ballad vault singing Separate Ways. There were a few zombies onstage that just happened to be in the band and the night couldn’t end without a cute and innocent love bite amongst monstrous brothers. The end also marked a first time event as DeDoncker stopped mid-song announcing McGuffy’s owner Julia’s birthday.

The Xmembers

The Xmembers

Next up, from the birthplace of the Mushroom, comes the answer of what Quentin Tarantino in a heavy metal band would sound like. The X Members are birthed in musical freedom, bathed in whiskey and bred to destroy. Self-described as a beautiful train wreck of punk, rockabilly, metal, swing and hard rock, they’re greasy, mean and good at it too. Comprised of current and former members of Cleveland talent Pitch Black Forecast, State of Conviction, The Missing, Keratoma and Horror Madonna, they’re equal parts Astro-Creep mixed with Horton Heat.

They opened with the fast, twitching high impact Swinging Neckbreaker. Whether demon alcohol fueled or play acting, singer Elliot Barry does the zombie stagger a bit too realistically. The musical head-bobbing concussion begins with a trip down the devil’s highway burning up the whisky fueled roadster. It’s Quarter To Three and time for some Seltzer’d rockabilly metal and a few hotrod smoking streaks from Ministry with the hard crunch of oiled up bike chains and greasy gears. Ladies, in the sweetest of southern (Cleveland) sincerity, they want to see your special F Hole, and they’re willing to play with hardcore punk speed, serenading with the most mosh friendly tune a bunch of cowboy hat wearing, slick styled, metal hillbillies from up north can play on Halloween, if you’ll be so kind to oblige. Just like Anthrax, they’re startin’ up a posse. Indrid Cold is a hard hitting, bass thump’n return home if Slayer, Buck Cherry and The Black Crowes were born in the same place.
Nothing More (Than a Dream) cruises down the road with a silver skull on the shifter, slick backed hair in the wind and a cigarette smile heading to the Black Flag show. It’s a windmill mosh pit come to life. Antemorten Overdrive cranks out the smoke induced haze with some skeletons from the closet riding shotgun in the Jesus built hotrod. Everyone’s got a Dirty Little Secret, they just choose to scream about theirs turning it into an amped up merry go round of punk chain fisted southern charred horse power.
The X Members are a blood drenched wild-west biker gang movie on stage. From dusk till dawn, they play their mosh pit twang faster than a hole in the wall one night stand in the making can pound down Jager, Jack and Jim and feel coyote ugly in the morning. They were also celebrating their tenth show in ten days with Mushroomhead.
Xfactor1

Xfactor1

Columbus’ XFactor1 is American blue collar passion and intensity with a second to none with do it yourself attitude and an unquenchable desire for success. They open with Break You.  Singer QBall is dressed for the evening in metal surgical scrubs ready for the scalpel and some bloodshed. With a sound combination of Hellyeah, Seether and Shinedown with hints of Staind and Creed, they Bring It On with every show, with deep dark powered background vocals, clean strong lead vocals and a muscle bound hard rock sound stringing the metal carrot at the audience.

The rap rock POD power punch of Parasite could blare over any PA system as a fighter walks toward the octagon. They finish with a classic cover because everyone wants to be like the Rolling Stones and Paint it Black.
Austin based co-headliner One Eyed Doll arrived onstage with the evening’s playful animated playmate, skeleton boned Kimberly Freeman.  She’s your friend to the end, but ‘she’ won’t kill you…yet. Formed in 2007 with Jason ‘Junior’ Sewell on drums, they’ve toured the country playing a unique brand of rock, punk, metal with vaudeville humor and stand up slapstick encompassing an all-around entertaining show. Freeman and Sewell have released five OED records with creepy comedic videos for You’re a Vampire, Envy, Committed and Be My Friend along with a special 90 minute gonzo tour rockumentary on YouTube. Freedman’s been featured as Revolver’s hottest chick in Hard Rock in 2011 and 2012 and is listed in Guitar Player Magazine’s top 20 most extraordinary female guitarists. She also has four solo albums under her name with Sewell producing and is a real life character in the game Adventure Quest Worlds.
One Eyed Doll

One Eyed Doll

Alanis Morissette with the dark side of Smurfette and a twitter of Tinkerbell, Freedman resembles a sweet swirling mixture of what made Babes in Toyland, L7, Courtney Love and the Cycle Sluts from Hell so alluring to kids and enduring to concerned mothers everywhere. With a raw performance style of The Great Kat and voice ranging from high pitched innocent girl next door to loud feminine roar, she’s her own switchblade banshee donning many hats on stage, including a cowboy and the pope. The demented dolls open with Committed. Freeman, the Chelsea grinned painted princess playing the bad seed asylum escapee roaming the empty roads and backwoods churches in search of her sanity. She could be a sideshow freak or a lost child of the corn.

Unbeknownst to many but the few they’re secretly an easy listening, smooth jazz, hip-hop, contemporary Christian, Kenny G inspired band. In fact the next song was covered by Celine Dion and Michael Bolton also appearing on the soundtracks of Titanic, My Little Pony: The Movie and Passion of the Christ. Crowd chants of Hail Satan were acknowledged but not endorsed by Freeman. So in honor of these musical/movie influences they get ‘Dirty’ with the Black Sabbath/Slayer inspired Plumes of Death.
Crowd participation from Dayton, Texas was needed and politely demanded for the next song. They brought out fellow misunderstood friends Michael Myers and some dead guys borrowed from The Walking Dead. Their show and message is all about friendship and just like touring bands and axe murderers, serial killers are people too. “If you take away the voices I’m just like you. I’ll hack you up and bury you in my yard. So why does making friends have to be so very hard?” She led the crowd though the hardcore metal, country twanged Yee-Haw sing along first verse. The second verse conversed about religion as Freeman sported His Holy Eminences’ head gear proclaiming our two choices (you’ll be forced or converted either way) Amen or….Hail Satan (despite the crowd’s heavily biased dark side, only half-heartedly endorsed by Freeman).
They finish as she proclaims her true calling and identity as a dedicated woman of the metal law threatening to arrest anyone (with a show of horns in the air) who wasn’t metal. It was time to Break… the law One Eyed Doll style with slow motion hard ramming speed. She finishes crowd diving, surfing her way back to the merch booth.
Next, the Cleveland masked men return after playing and escaping the Mayan apocalypse to play Halloween celebrating 20 years of shroom-influenced metal. They open playing heavily from XX and XII, going straight in for the keyboard lobe shattering mind hemorrhage and religious confusion playing like dog faced gods. The leeches and the lepers in the crowd start to salivate as the predator stalks its prey preparing to Kill Tomorrow.
We take a mind expanding music tablet trip and get Bwomp’d on history’s leaders and who’s trying to control us. Would we be better with the convicted maniacs in charge, creepy crawling the country forward?  Ever been offered candy by a water drum playing human Borg reindeer? Only on Halloween.
Mushroomhead

Mushroomhead

Mushroomhead count their blessings, being around/fan supported for 20 years and counting. They’re fed up with the status quo and ready to fight and kill for what they believe in. Do you really wanna f- with a band that looks like that tonight? The Sun Doesn’t Rise at all until the past is put behind.

We take a slower ballad like breather as they Save Us from the flawed masterpiece of humanity. There’s only one way, forward.  Inner torment, pain and memories fester inside bleeding your life away, Never Let It Go. Everyone has their own cards to play in life and the inner struggle of good VS evil, right and wrong and what you choose to self-deal.
Everyday life takes its toll on the road, Becoming Cold, missing home. They dedicated The Dream Is Over to lost friend and original guitarist JJ Righteous and called for a pit in his honor.
They encored, changing faces to pumpkin grins and maniacal cut out smiles filling the empty spaces on the floor with some Floyd, proving that every successful band with staying power is Born of Desire.
Forces of Nature photos courtesy of Tom Wilson.
All other photos courtesy of Nikki Forte Design & Photography.

REVIEW: Katz Goes Aces High on Halloween

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Aces High take the stage at Katz (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Aces High take the stage at Katz (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Saturday October 25 the Pre-Halloween bash was going full scare all over Dayton. Katz in Kettering trumped everyone bringing in Aces High, ‘The’ Iron Maiden tribute band playing homage to metal’s scariest and coolest mascot, Edward the Great. The night’s Yankee played British invasion included two, 90- minute sets with a costume contest in between and plenty of grisly ghouls, a major French Kiss and some very lovely iron maidens.

Aces High pulled out familiar classics, crowd favorites and a few vintage tunes. Bathed in the vibrant green illumination of Osiris and eye of Horus, they start the evening’s maiden voyage to Egypt walking the sands of time as the names of ancient hailed deities are whispered through the air, telling us why we have to be a Powerslave and a slave to the power of death. Well, you know what they say, if you’re gonna die…. Die With Your Boots On! We get another nicely sliced Piece of Mind as dawn breaks above the ground. The only escape is air-born on your wings like an eagle, fly as high and touch the sun with Icarus, yeah. 11:58 came early at 10:19 with the glamour, the fortune, the pain. For anyone who doubts the power of Maiden, we’ll show the unbelievers. They’ll go anywhere, even Bavaria Where Eagles Dare.

French Kiss (photo by Mike Ritchie)

French Kiss (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Singer of all things Dianno and Dickinson, Tony Oliver said hello to the crowd and costumed incognito members of ‘French’ Kiss. “The fake Kiss came to see the fake Iron Maiden,” he quipped. We get our first Number of the Beast, walking along-side the doomed Children of the Damned. We skip ahead a few years to the late-eighties and get cultish with old creepy Crowley with the seven deadly sins, seven ways to win, seven holy paths to see Aces High as the first song from Seventh Son begins. Then they return to the beginning, since no one brought their daughter to the slaughter they play the next best thing, the blood red instrumental about Dracula’s home turf. Speaking of old-school Killers, they play another Dianno drenched bloodlust tune.

We take a time warp forward into an Eddie’fied future but before we’re caught in time we have to go back to the golden coast across the seven seas and search for those Wasted Years. You might need a Clairvoyant to find them. Back to killers in the literal sense as we get pseudo Poe’d in the Rue Morgue. Whether it’s the Rue Morgue, Mockingbird Lane or the Whitechapel district, we’re Caught Somewhere In time. Time catches up to even the greatest of legendary man, even Alexander.

As the band rested, the creatures of the night have their moment in the spotlight. A robust personal trainer, some iron maidens, Joker and Batgirl, the Mighty Son of Hercules and his queen, the ‘French’ Kiss, a straight jacket laced zombie and a solo feminine Gene Simmons among others rounded out the party guests. Though French Kiss had the bread and Pierre, crazy’s always in and the insane zombie won the night.

Aces High (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Aces High (photo by Mike Ritchie)

The Book of Revelation opens as the ominous voice of Barry Clayton reads its verses: “Woe to you, oh earth and sea, For the Devil sends the beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short, let him who hath understanding, reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.” The song partially inspired by Omen II starts its epic intro and iconic scream. Sticking with the beast we are labeled number six by the new number two but we proclaim our freedom as free men, not a Prisoner. We get medieval in Egypt witnessing the swordsman seeking vengeance.  Flash of the Blade is Oliver’s first Maiden song performed on stage. Dario Argento also used it in his 1984 film Phenomena.

The condemned is waiting in his cold cell when the bells begin to chime, at 5 O’clock he’s taken to the gallows pole.  The sands of time run low and he doesn’t have much time. Iced Earth, Cradle of Filth and Machine Head have each taken the walk. Hallowed be their names. Churchill rallies the troops for war, they shall defend their island and fight…everywhere, whatever the cost may be, and never surrender. Aces High lives to play the opener from the legendary Live After Death Tour. After the fighting’s done we head down to Acacia Ave for some well- deserved decadent debauchery.

Aces played an impromptu fan request of Good Times Bad Times before connecting with some Infinite Dreams. Then go straight to Boleskine House for some Sacred Magick rituals to bring about Revelations. Then we hear the most epic song written by metal heads, inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. We’ll never look at birds the same way again. Five minutes later the stage is sprayed in laser light and smoke as the ship sails wayward. The timbers stretch and creak as the captain spins his tale of strange happenings followed by one of the coolest bass lines…ever, from Randy Gaines and the tale goes on and on and on.

We go from a seas tale to the Crimean War and battle back to back with The Trooper. Even the Mighty Son of Hercules and his fair lady worship at the stage of Maiden going crazy for The Wrathchild. The Evil That Men Do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones. So says mighty Caesar. We finish the evening with the iconic show closer of confrontation between Indians and Anglo-Saxons. Run To The Hills, run for your life!

Oliver thanked the crowd for coming as they only do a select amount of shows each year. He thanked the band, Dave McCarty, drummer Brian Harris and guitarist Dan Briley for upgrading/sprucing up the stage design and props and there is… no Iron Maiden tribute without Randy Gaines.  Till next time, scream for me Katz in Kettering, scream for me Katz in Kettering!

 

That 70’s Night Hosted by ‘Del Boca Vista’

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2w2ci0q1q7zmpkgnqbniplzuwn1md535No disco, but lots of cool ’70’s singer/songwriter music performed by numerous local musicians. Get dressed up in your best bell bottoms and enjoy the groove!

Featured craft draft includes:
Ithaca Flower Power IPA Two Bros Heavy Handed IPA
Two Bros Heavier Handed IPA
Revolution Anti Hero IPA

Featured musicians:
Meghna & Aaron (6:00-6:40pm):
Michael DeMonico (6:50-7:30pm):
Del Boca Vista (7:40-8:20pm):
Chris & Jamie Suttle (8:30-9:10pm):
Jonathan Hamilton (9:20-10:00pm

REVIEW: Club Panama Hosts 8th Annual For Love Of Sonny Juvenile Diabetes Fundraiser.

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On Friday October 4th and Saturday the 5th for the eighth straight year Susie Maynard and Springfield’s Club Panama have held the annual For Love of Sonny benefit show honoring her son that passed away from juvenile diabetes and raising money, awareness, knowledge and community support for disease research. This year’s event brought in over $1,300 which will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Prizes, raffles and auctions were held both nights featuring gift cards from Fazoli’s, Rudy’s Smokehouse, Red Lobster, Roosters, O’Charley’s, Cousin Vinny’s, Golden Corral, Cracker Barrel, Frickers and Olive Garden. Beth’s City Salon and Keg N Kork Liquor also donated prizes along with two chocolate cakes, Jell-O shots and sugar free cupcakes made by Janeen Naugle. This was the only sugar diabetics are able to eat and patrons were invited to try one. Over $150 dollars was also donated by Abby Rowley Execute Director of www.facebook.com/ShadesofPassionandRomance  and www.abbythefunlady.com.

Other popular spirited prizes included a bottle of Crystal Head Vodka and a half gallon of Jagermeister. Two high quality Viking pool sticks were donated by Donnie Propst , a Bud Light cooler/speaker system and homemade candles by Jessica Wallace. Featured auction items included two dream-catchers handmade out of bass/guitar strings by Springfield artist Nan Mitch of Nan’s Daydream Designs. Other contributors included Joel Naugle, Jeremy White, Heidelberg, Bobby Fisher Distributing for the event banner, Tod Panstingle for MC’ing the raffle and auctions and Shaffer Amusement & Vending.

The weekend show featured 12 bands performing an eclectic collection of music from rock, metal, electric acoustic and unplugged with bongos and a standup bass. Local talent included Element of Surprise, TBH (This Blessed Hatred), Fletcher Munson, Blackout Method, National Headcase, Killed By Art, The Defendants, Mothers Onion, Dead Beat, Gathering Mercury, Silver Skull and Abrade The Regal.

 

The Element of Surprise (photo by Mike Ritchie)

The Element of Surprise (photo by Mike Ritchie)

The Element Of Surprise is always a good advantage and handy weapon to have on the battlefield of music and war, but the Union Ohio benefit openers proved a ton of screeching, screaming noise head on can be even more devastating. The four man noise bashers gave the stage its first coat of sweat and dirt of the weekend, giving the crowd a little early evening dose of Regicide-Ragicide followed by Facebook/Reverb track “By Myself.” Singer/guitarist Brett Wheeler crushed boundaries immediately jumping stage into the crowd bringing them closer into their elemental Ssssnakepit.

Troy’s Fletcher Munson has experimented with sound and pitches on their own, paying homage to their audio term, test namesake, also claiming they’ll be the least heavy band of the evening, but…. they DID listen to Bolt Thrower and Suffocation on the way there. Even though they open Penny-less, it’s for a great cause. An empty bottle of gin can lead to broken noses and broken hearts as the ole Ball & Chain explains with a bluesy, jazz, jam band sound, a bit like Social Distortion gone country. Crystal puts on the shades, shimmering like a boozed up recording session between Foo Fighters, Skynyrd and Blues Traveler.  It’s a two guitar onslaught with bass and drums hard but mellow with a few whisky shots of heavy sound. We get an acoustic country twanged hangover with our only friend, the Ragin’ Alcoholic, no coffee just moonshine in the cup.

Springfield sons TBH (This Blessed Hatred) feature 2 bass players for that extra deep throated chord pounding as Chad Whaley’s cement coated throat spreads a heavy shellacking on the crowd. Delivering a darker, angrier Alice in Chains sound accompanied by bassist Jared Hooten’s red haired Erik Rutan appearance and sub guitarist Tim Estep’s finger playing, delivering a double thick wall of thudding sound, they start down the Dark Path with strong bass drags, twisting chords and frantic, frenetic fretwork. The Dead Seed is planted for the next death harvest.  The night got sophisticated with some moody bass and atmospheric Death meets Joe Satriani with some great sax on guitar, along with pummeling tempo with guitar expressionism and experimentation. Think jazz room mosh pits straightening up, taking a breather to enjoy the finer slower parts then moshing again. There’s a murky light in the distance walking through the mist to find safer ground. It’s a 100 fists smashing sound effect with strange Morbid Angel erratic, cathartic notes and alarming effect. Technical playing with an Opeth sound and Rush on metal guitar.

Now for some groove metal from the armpit of the Midwest, National Headcase, Dayton’s answer to a jam band consisting of Mastodon, Down and Red Fang.  Welcome to the Fallout opens with Chris Porter’s spoken word growls encompassing a more frantic, busier Crowbar sound with guitars having the all engines go on full Motorhead charge with freight train riffs. Continuing with Burning at Both Ends from their 2011 demo, it’s Alice in Chains on full prescription adrenaline with guitars that could split and rise up pavement, break out the concrete sledge. They go old-school on Brother’s Keeper playing some gasoline guzzling bearded brutality with a shovel headed kill beat. NHC is a drunken fist fight over the last beer music. Oracle lets the industrial hammer pummeling begin with stage shaking corrosion, finishing with the circling Vultures ready for the blitzkrieg swoop and devour scavenger hunt.

Mike Defendent (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Mike Defendant (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Another of Springfield’s pride and joy, Blackout Method came out swinging with some cool hard rock/metal covers with plenty of Rage, ready to kill diabetes in the name of Sonny and everyone else fighting for a cure and ready to throw down and Break Stuff to prove it. They got the crowd up and dancing to some sweet angst and Sugar courtesy of the System. After giving the crowd a nice Shinedown, we get Face to the Floor with Chevelle finishing off the Rage with the Bulls on Parade.

Friday’s headliners Killed By Art finished the late evening, early morning marathon. All they Ever Wanted was to make you happy. History proves, it repeats itself, so learn from it. Karma comes around for everyone so make it good. They played one of singer Kim Weiss’s favorites, One Last Bomb with its tribal Congo beat continuing into Roots’s swampy guitar groove. KBA also played new tunes Trouble and Dark Hero finishing up playing the numbers game with Clutch.

Saturday’s show started with Mike Defendant, the guitar playing, singing rebellious half of acoustic hardcore punk duo The Defendants. Defendant brings a one man acoustic jam to the stage playing the strings with more force and power than the instrument was built for. He plays Broken Mirrors about the evils and issues of government regulation carrying a street musician cred singing some solo social commentary. Kick the government when they’re down! He drives to speak the truth like his protest artist hero’s before him like a new age old-school throwback to the 60’s musical revolution. He threatened to pull a ‘GG Allin’ to close the show but there were youths in the crowd.  He sings a sad song about a girl that tried to go to LA to see the Ramones but never got there, damn hooded hoodlums.

Gathering Mercury (photo courtesy of Mike Stacey)

Gathering Mercury (photo courtesy of Mike Stacey)

Dayton’s Gathering Mercury played its first full band acoustic set with new bassist Jack Green on the standup along with two acoustics, two bongos and a stomp box. Giving listeners’ eardrums another cool dose of unplugged as I Give opens with Miss Stacey’s sweet husky voice, becoming the hard acoustic riffed Fixation of everyone there. Softer strung Give in to Me was followed by new tune Aamona and Bliss. They Break us out of the mercury trance finishing with final new tune Carousel.

The second night of metal begins with the unique chill of winters early embrace and the echoes of the forest seeping from Mena Popp’s keyboard. Franklin’s Deadbeat is a mixture of loud screaming metal, keyboard metaphor/ambiance and some sinister killer lyrics about the dark fantasies that some people have but would never ever do. Smoke poured with the creepy keyboard notes as Deadbeat needs to be seen to be Believed. Singer/guitarist Scott Wilson has a strong Randy Blythe inspired fury and focus, ferociously growling/screaming lyrics with a wide-eyed pissed off enthusiasm. Popp’s hands glide over the keys casting spells through the speakers taking listeners to the darkest parts of the forest for a special bonfire witches dance on the Sabbat. Sawed Off will make you laugh, cry and make your insides feel all fuzzy, right before they’re removed with a body truck chug pace. You’ll be ripped limb from limb with raged cruelty, body parts sawed off in your face with a masochist’s war cry. The blood reign continues with a short tribute to Slayer/Jeff Hanneman (RIP) as the blood rains down so bow your head and bang in reflection and respect as the keyboard growls. ‘Your Head is Mine’ yells Wilson with an evil grin as he prepares to unleash Daddy’s Little Psycho. Hell hath no fury like daddy’s little girl slightly agitated stalking in the woods with a stained pick axe surrounded by Euro horror movie music by Popp. I Murder rings out the basement psycho warning alarm before the lotion can be applied or hacksaw meets face. They finish with the thrash march of the walking dead on keyboards and the New Born King.

Englewood’s Mothers Onion is an eye watering cool collection of covers and originals. They break out the STP applying some elbow grease and Vasoline in case anyone in the crowd was getting Cumbersome. They peel out an original about The Night the Rain Came then pay homage to Bon Scott with some Springfield deeds done dirt cheap. They’re Never Gonna Stop raising money in Sonny’s name cranking out some Zombie then take a ride with Dr. Feelgood before drawing the Ace of Spades, but that’s the way they like it baby and don’t forget a jack and coke for Lemmy. Time for another original about all those Things You Say then pour some Gasoline on the guitar, Voodoo Chile style with Jimi. They leave us with a hard Godsmack to the face the Rocky Mountain Way.
Silver Skull (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Silver Skull (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Now one of the weekend’s highlights, with over 300 shows already under their bullet belts and a combined age of 33, the brothers Endres: 19 year old guitarist Josh and 14 year old drummer Justin of Silver Skull took the Panama stage as their own playing a solid, mystifying blend of black metal tinged with thrash and speed. No need for bass, Josh makes most of those sounds come out of his guitar with a deep, guttural, speaker vibrating feel while Justin plays the kit like a human mosh pit with Bonham strength and Peter Criss presentation. The crowd rose, edging closer watching the awe inspiring duo tear up the stage. With faces painted shiny bone pale, they’ve taken corpse paint to its most decayed form. Justin stands as the eerie intro plays raising horns praising Dimebag, Dio, Steele, Schlundiner, Hanneman and all metal gods that have passed on to the big stage in the sky. Josh pulls no punches opening with pure in your face Annihilation, the speakers and our eardrums are already Suffering but smiling. Straight from the netherworld’s depths comes the Hellbound Hate into the delicately brutal beginning of Destruction before the killer chugging and unholy spirit trapped in chains screeching/growling begins. If Slayer spilled the blood, Silver Skull Spread The Blood with crimson noise gushing from the guitar as Justin symbolically gives ceremonial blood rites. Josh gives the hair one more air windmill whiplash playing a solo straight to the Immortal gods of dark metal. Heavily influenced by Chimaira, they’re a two man, arena band that’s opened for Overkill, Obituary, Sepultura, Death Angel and Soulfly among many others. Destined for guitar god mastery status and drummer of the year/decade The Endres brothers are both experienced and professional at a very young age, if you book them, they will come.

The weekend for Sonny finishes with Springfield’s Abrade the Regal thrashing it out with some early Sunday morning loud grunge draining the last bits of predawn energy Club Panama had left. They took to the crowd, standing on tables, wailing on guitar in true rock star fashion cranking out Release, Erase and the dirt pit riffing of Nothing to Say. You can’t Walk Away from its soft tender notes/rocking melody without remembering it. For the eighth straight year Club Panama, all performing bands and benefit participants have Screamed at the World to help fight JD and find a cure. Their spirit and will Can’t Be Broken, and Sonny, they’ll continue the Fight for You.
Gathering Mercury pic courtesy of Mike Stacy.

Show Planning On Making Community ‘Feel The Beat Of The City’

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drum-dayton-courthouse-squareThe universal language of drumming has many layers to it.  The rhythm and beat to drumming is beautiful, exotic, and spiritual.  For some cultures, drumming helps with the lines of communications within their group or other tribes.  Some cultures see drumming as a way of healing.  For most folks, hearing the rhythmic drumming symbolizes good times, and have individuals gather around to dance with another, laughing, smiling, and being carefree.  Places like the legendary city New Orleans will have groups of drummers play in the streets all day and night.  These type of events that Peter Benkendorf and the group The Collaboratory got the idea that will come to life this Saturday night at Courthouse Square in Dayton.  The affair is titled Drum Dayton-Feel the Beat.

The Collaboratory is part of Benkendorf’s own group which he founded, Involvement Advocacy.  Involvement Advocacy was born in 1992 in Chicago, and the mission was to provide citizens the opportunity and resources to address systemic challenges facing the community, by providing frameworks for new possibilities and collaborative action.  According to Involvement Advocacy’s website, they are fostering imaginative, pioneering, civic engagement and community building initiatives that touch on issues ranging from public housing and urban renewal, to the arts and the environment, from youth development and cross-cultural connections, to technology advancement and community gardens.  “We really want to get everyone back to coming out and really supporting this great city”, Benkendorf explained.  “This city has a lot to offer and we want people to witness that themselves.”

Drum Dayton will be presenting drum lines, drum groups, individual drummers, and collaborations, followed by a community “drum circle”.  The goal is to present the elegance of communicating through drumming, and present to attendees the rich history and splendor that drumming offers.  “We wanted to have everyone come and see drumming that they haven’t witness before”, Benkendorf said.  “We want people to maybe even get influenced to the point that they maybe would like to get involved in drumming.”

The tentative schedule for Drum Dayton is:

4:00   Chaske Hotain Native American Drummers

4:30   Joseph Glenn Steel Pan Duo

boku

Baoku Moses

5:00   Michael Bashaw’s Bamboo Stick Orchestra

5:30   University of Dayton Drumline

6:00   Wright State University Percussion Ensemble

6:30   Baoku – Nigerian Hand Drummer

7:00   Dayton Phil. Orchestra Percussion Trio

7:30  West Side Drum Corps

  • Dakota 3DI
  • Dayton Young & Gifted
  • T.R.S.S. Drumline

8:30   DrumDayton Collaborative

9:00   Community Drum Circle

 

Don’t worry, food trucks will be at the event all night for those who develop a hunger of watching the show.  The vendors who will be there are:

• McNasty’s

• El Meson Express559555_377404845671954_1674175345_n

• Horseless Buggy Eatery

• Courtland’s Mobile Grill

• Sweet Eats

 

Drum Dayton will be providing the community a shot of fresh life that will once again give the people in town even more reason to say that they live in one of the best cities in the United States.

For more info, click on the event Facebook page here.

‘The Spark’ Ignites Kevin Heider

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‘Patience is a virtue’

The quote above is more than just a phrase.  It’s something that most of us try to live by.  It is hard to patient.

Remember when you were a kid, and it was Christmas Eve?!  You placed a couple of chocolate chip cookies on a plate, along with a half-filled glass of milk on a table near the Christmas tree.  The sweet treat was for the jolly man who would shimmy down the chimney and drop off presents for you and your family.  Your mom and dad would tell you to head to bed, and you would just lay there-wondering when he would arrive.  Late in the evening, you would tip-toe down towards the tree just to see if Santa arrived earlier.

How about going for a job interview, and being told that you will be called within a couple of days.  This is the job that you have been waiting for since you can remember.  All the time you stayed in, studying your craft when you could have been out and about.  Putting in the extra work to make sure that when your name is called on, you were going to be ready to roll.  Now you have met with the one person that will make or break this dream.  Days feel like years.

It’s those moments in our lives that make having patience extremely difficult.  I will admit-I have struggles with being patient sometimes. When it comes to one of my favorite bands releasing new music, I can’t wait to get my hands on it.  It happens to all of us at one time or another.  You get excited.  You can’t wait to see what will happen.  However, we have to understand and come to grips with that whatever is supposed to happen will happen.  We have to remain calm and cool and the endgame will be worth it.

 This was the mindset that Kevin Heider had to have when he was courting his wife.  “It took me four years to have go on a date with me.    (Laughing) Four years!” Heider says to me during our sit down together recently at Ghostlight Coffee on Wayne Avenue.  “She didn’t think  that we could work, and she was coming off from a relationship.  I just had to wait.” Heider would make subtle comments along the way,  making playful remarks from time to time, mentioning that they are perfect for each other.  Heider was never pushy, though.  He knew that  patience was in order.  So after four years of waiting and wishing, the day finally came.  Heider finally got that date and the rest is now  history.

Kevin Heider is a hometown boy that is starting to get his feet back on the pavement here in town after recently living in the  Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area for a couple of years.  For the past few years, Heider has been traveling the United States, playing music full-time.  It was living in this area where he would meet the future Mrs. Heider.  As much as he enjoyed living in the area, the Dayton area just calling him back.  So Heider came home for the holidays.  The move back home quickly became a no-brainer for Heider and his new bride agreed.  “I always loved this city”, Heider says he slipped on his cup of coffee.  “It would take me over an hour just to meet up with friends who weren’t far away from me.  It was nice for a while, but I really wanted to get back home.  When we came to see my folks, my wife feel in love with the city also.”

Heider recently released his newest double album, The Spark back in March of this year.  His first album To Whom It May Concern was released in 2009.  The acoustic piano album provides a warm, heartfelt view of the world in his eyes.  The following year The Salzburg Revolution came out.  This album started to feature what is now Heider’s indie rock/folk sound.  In 2011, Ready, Set, Become… dove into the good and bad that is involved with families.

Recorded in Innovation Studios in Steubenville, Ohio, The Spark is the biggest album that Heider has done to date.  He dives into the human spirit, with the first half of the album diving into the dark side of a person who is dealing with some dark undertones.  ‘St. Brigit’s Fire’ is a fantastic Irish drinking song that should be added to all pubs around the United States.  One of the most powerful songs in the first half of the album is the bonus track ‘The Spark (A Reprise for the Folks in Newtown)’.  “I was in the studio when it all was unfolding”, Heider talked about when describing the unfortunate events that took place in Sandy Hook.  “I was like everyone else I am sure-completely horrified with what was unfolding.  So I went into the recording area and just starting playing.  I didn’t think much of it while I was recording it, but it turned out wonderful.”

The second half dives into the individual having a ‘spark’ fire up inside them, and finds the beauty and love in the world.  Some of the songs are actually pretty personable to Heider, for they are footprints from his life.  ‘Lonely In St. Louis’ starts with an acoustic guitar then builds to a crushing rush of guitars and organ play as Heider talks about not wanting to wait to see his love.  ‘Girl from Frederick’ explains his wife and his first date.  The French horn and mandolin add a beauty to the song that is written and ready to be placed in a romantic comedy.  Overall, the album is blistering with full-fledged folk rock to be sure to make everyone who enjoys national acts like The Lumineers and Phillip Phillips will for sure dive into The Spark with pure enjoyment.

Kevin Heider is about to embark the road again after getting married and settling in back home in Dayton.  Has I have learned from talking with Heider, and hearing about being on the road, meeting his wife and waiting for her to go on that first date-he’s not afraid of being patient.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvf4yJ6FLjc&feature=c4-overview&list=UUd7leBNe07u-xTBkFj_mhOg’]

REVIEW: Red Moth Records Swarm of Talent Infest Oregon District

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I Died Trying (photo by Mike Ritchie)

I Died Trying (photo by Mike Ritchie)

On Friday, September 20 Red Moth Records took over Blind Bob’s for an evening of nightmarish stylistic mental flossed loud metal, some heavily metaled influenced hard rock and some unique 70’s rock throwback instrumentals. Red Moth mates I Died Trying, Mangrenade, Bearer of Bad News and head honcho Close the Hatch played an entertaining bill of uniquely diversified sound along with Kentucky’s Bad People.

Dayton’s answer to the sound of a mental ward’s subconscious I Died Trying opened the rainy night with two songs, rapturous in sound and nearly impossible for the brain to decipher on first listen. Eerie guitar suspense sends us traveling down an old west road as the sun sets as the strings fight each other to the death and the weather beaten outlaw stands in the dirt ready to kill. Hell’s intercom opens for a three way conference call electric screamfest. Tony Goff’s guitar proves instruments can have souls, playing music to satisfy every personality a person could have. Napalm Death meets Nile with NIN and Godflesh in a barroom brawl adding moments of unnerving tranquility to pleasant insanity. The music’s a challenge for the mind’s ear to interpret but less difficult than trying to make sense of the mind in Goff’s bald, bandana wrapped head. These are The Things We Think and Do Not Say.

Swallowing Swords has a jazzy beginning with Goff playing violin, opening with those creepy insomniac eyelid chords as the mind walks a tight rope between skyscrapers with no balance beam, finishing with some bizarre hooks of 80’s guitar solos. IDT is like punching someone in the face full force with your brain, putting it back in and closing with a bad sewing job.

Bad People (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Bad People (photo by Mike Ritchie)

From Lexington comes the multigenerational influenced loose morals of Bad People, who almost didn’t make it due to mother’s nature’s pissy mood, but nothing stops a dedicated band from a gig. The instrumental foursome took turns giving audience face time playing high energy, solid blues, modern progressive rock with a jam band feel and solid song structure. HQ 1 has a happy jump up and down good hearted feel. Tool meets Sabbath then Soundgarden in the classic 70’s rock arena, keeping the pedals busy with a hard snarled note swagger. They play the majority of their upcoming CD (to be released in October), finishing with HQ 2 blending elements of 60’s psychedelica with Rush and a more technical take on Opeth with some space age rocket ship trip blasting effects from the machines.

Cincinnati drunk rock Mangrenade is as metal as it sounds…for a band that doesn’t play it. They’re a selective punk pastry with influences from Lenny Kravitz to Sabbath with some Rage Against the Machine/Alice in Chains experimentation. Playing three cuts off their newest EP Lions in the Parking Lot and two from January’s More Than A Handful EP. Godless Heathen has the guitar driven Kravitz rock groove. Where Swagger Turns to Stagger is an inebriated dirty street chugger played to collapse with an early Sabbath guitar sound all over the pile of discarded bottles. There’s some peppered C.O.C. in Deep Cut’s Soundgarden of 70’s sound. I’m the One carries some Cobain like shrieking with its rockabilly punk Henry Rollins angry rebellion attitude, taking a breather half through to calm down. Lions in the Parking Lot roar with a Misfits charm, bass groove and whisky wailed vocals. Bassist Ben Morgan is a short haired Steve Vai with glasses. They also might be the first band to inspire an interpretive dance pit on hardwood as select patrons performed gymnastics, ballet moves, summer salts and breakdancing during the set.

Bearer of Bad News (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Bearer of Bad News (photo by Mike Ritchie)

From the spawn left from the urban decay and industrial rot inhabiting downtown Dayton cometh Bearer of Bad News. Covered in diesel, dust and blood red tattoo ink they create raw, abrasive, angry and loud sounds because this is the life they live and the music that’s inspired them. Their sound mutated from the likes of Motorhead and Biohazard with some Chrome Division exhaust inhaled a bit later. On video Brian Brenner’s rasping deep tirades take the form of a muffled straightforward Glen Danzig, live Evan Seinfeld, Cronos, Udo Dirkschneider and Dez Fafara take ripping hold of his vocal chords.

The basement door closes as the muffed sounds of what’s never talked about is heard from the basement as Black Top Blues starts shoveling basement backroom dirt in your ear and some hard gravel embedded guitar chords down your throat. Don’t look in the corner.

Like the Priest’s slowly deliberate bass pace gives the pit brethren a pit break. The Blame Game blends the Cavalera Conspiracy with some railroad power chords and chain-gang riffs.  Bearer of Bad News carries a hard glove studded wallop and strong underground sound (some of their videos are shot in claustrophobic unfriendly basements). 2012’s Triple Homicide and Involuntary Manslaughter EP’s are available on iTunes or at shows.

 

Close the Hatch (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Close the Hatch (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Red Moth Records artists and founders Close The Hatch came on to deliver the evening’s final abrasive set of cathartic musical misanthropy. Guitars, keyboards, drums and a keytar (yep) bring this moody, broken glass menagerie of concocted sound and abysmal bliss to fruition. Their sound carries that feeling of dark trapped ecstasy right before your face gets ripped off by Cenobite hooks.

A sadists pleasure of growled vocals and face stretching sound of metaphorical noise. Songs about dark dreamscapes in the mind and the last remaining fragments right before waking. Kali starts, going back and forth with its brain erasing sound erosion quickly changing to kinder more gentle chords before repeating a few times. Beyond the Wolves starts with a creepy dripping cave dance along dark buried walls. Right before the stalking intruder meets the fire red narrowed eyes of his demise. Stephen Barton growls out the beast’s fury as he plays chase on guitar.  People have been known to slam-dance into walls at their shows, and themselves. There’s also some surprise classical music played against hell’s roaring guitar choir. The closing 11 minute Wolves plays some clanking off notes reminding you of the sound the wind makes when hitting old strung bottles and cans outside that forgotten cabin no one should go to. We get into sludgier sound as the warned visitor opens the rotted cellar door descending into the bad, dark memories that wait around the corner.  Close the Hatch resembles a chainsaw turning on in the brain.