Cold Nights/Hot Music + A Mellow Sunday Night

When the weather is cold and snowy I really like going out to some bar and listen to a few bands. Very gemutlich.

The show was called “Winter Dance”, but for me it was “Cincinnati Night” at the OE last Saturday, which is turning into one of the best evenings for original live music. Since we are living in “Daytonnati” one can expect some interaction between the two scenes, and Columbus.

Finishing up the weekend by mellowing down easy at Canal Street Tavern with a Sunday night singer/songwriter.

Oregon Express

I missed the opener (The Give-Ups) and closer (Goody Two-Shoes), so saw these two Cincy acts.

Turnbull AC's Interesting, but didn’t really grab me that much. Meltones over at the Bhudda Den had a good review, though.




OE is becoming a Dayton "Cavern Club" (becausse it feels like a tight, intimate basement bar, particularly closer to the stage) good place to hear young, energetic rock acts playing original tunes.
(incidentally there was a basement music venue in Dayton in the very late 80s, where the Cafe Boulevard is now)
And a good example are The Lions Rampant. Now this group was right up my alley. Remember the Professors? Lions Rampant are very similar but maybe a bit more updated. One of the best shows I’ve seen in some time. They did a mix of covers and originals (closing with “Gloria” was a good touch)


Good craic at the Oregon Express. .

Canal Street Tavern

Sunday night. From Bowling Green, Luke James. Came late, missed the opener, but this fellow is a pretty good singer-songwriter were I can’t play the “sounds like” game. Entertaining and personable stage presence. Just really a good show for a Sunday night.




Yer humble host recommends:

Thursday: If you can make it, Canal Street Tavern, on Thursday, will have a very good alt country group up from Cincy... The Hiders , opener the well-known local music guy Joel Andrel, who got some attention with his "Dayton is a Freind to Me" song. Also on the bill is Frontier Folk Nebraska (who are not Nebraskans but from Northern KY).

This weekend: Dry Branch Fire Squad. Opener Anne & Phil Case.

A must-see for trad fans. What more can be said about DBFS? They are such fun! This is one of our areas musical exports; probably better known, appreciated and loved outside the area than within They tour a lot. But they do return to CST for a wonderful winter concert every year.

Anne & Phil Case are based out of Germantown and are a fitting opener, doing old timey songs and duets from the appalachian trad/string band, parlor song, and spiritual traditions that preceded modern country and bluegrass. In that they are akin somewhat to Norman and Nancy Blake, but have a local spin on their music, including setting an early Dayton gallows oration to music.