Kate's Queen City Notes

Blundering through Cincinnati, laughing all the way

Tag Archives: OTR


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MPMF15 Must See – Kid Runner

One would think I have had enough indie synth pop; there has been a lot of it for some years now. One would also think that facial tattoos are a bad idea, but that didn’t stop Mike Tyson. Somethings just don’t have an explanation.

These folks are out of Columbus. (Ahem, Ohio against the world!) And this song that’s currently getting all the Spotify love reminds me just a bit of Fitz and The Tantrums. It’s my first intro to them, but I will be looking for them in The Queen City from this point forward, hint hint, Kid Runner.

Will there be dancing at The Drinkery, Sunday Sept. 27 at 9:00. Giddy-up!


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MPMF15 Must See – Zola Jesus

Shimmering, rich vocals backed by dark expansive synth beats and lyrics to burn; this is what Zola Jesus brings. The kid in me that was captivated by Bauhaus, Souxie and the Banshees, and Kate Bush is crushing hard on this music. The fact that I still return to these artists more than twenty years later speaks to the void that they left.

Put on your black eyeliner and black boots. Moody goth dancing is going to happen at 1215 in the Taft Ballroom on Sept 26 at Midpoint Music Festival. See you there.


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MPMF15 Must See – Sylvan Esso

And here it is. My favorite song discovered in my MPMF15 listening.

I love this song so hard I want to marry it. That might be an exaggeration. That song would be difficult to cuddle with.

I am not often a fan of seeing electronic music performed live. Watching people work at computers isn’t a compelling visual for me. As one of my photographer friends said at Bunbury this year, “What’s pleasing to the ears is not necessarily pleasing to the eye.” And no better phrase can sum up my thoughts on seeing DJs or any other performer doing things with technology.

But I am curious to see what Amelia Meath makes of her vocal performance along side producer, Nick Sanborn. The duo come together in the most acoustically pleasing way with Meath’s vocals floating across time by laying the past on top of Sanborn’s modern beats. The contrast is alluring. If you love Portishead, this performance is a must.

Join me at Sylvan Esso on Saturday Sept. 26th at the Christian Moerlein stage at 1045.


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Midpoint Music Festival 2015

This is always the sequence of emotions I experience with the MPMF line-up. Every. Year. EVERY. STINKING. YEAR. SINCE 2005.

  1. I am disappointed because I am thinking of all the indie acts that are on tour that weren’t booked.
  2. I am slightly disturbed by how few of the bands I recognize considering how much indie rock I listen to.
  3. I wonder if the fest has gotten smaller. (This has been true some years. At some point the fest had close to 300 bands. Last year the fest had just under 150. This year it’s just over 100. Net, this is a year where the fest got smaller.)
  4. I start listening.
  5. I notice a few things I like.
  6. I listen A LOT.
  7. I realize that I like most of the acts.
  8. I listen even more.
  9. I start to get excited to see a lot of this live.
  10. I literally listen to the MPMF playlist for weeks on end
  11. I notice the variety of music represented in the line-up.
  12. I start to love a bunch of the acts.
  13. I can’t wait for the fest.
  14. I am certain the fest will be spectacular. (This typically happens in early September.)

I am on step 14, and I haven’t written a single blog entry about what I am going to see. In my defense, I did just move across the country. So, it’s not like I was just playing video games and time got away from me.

I have a little less than three weeks until MPMF15 kicks off. My goal is to blog daily from now until then about what I’m pumped about seeing. And go!

Here’s the Spotify playlist that I made for MPMF15. Have a listen if you wish.

You wanna see past MPMF pictures and such? I have you covered.
MPMF14 – Saturday
MPMF14 – Friday
MPMF14 – Thursday
MPMF13 – Saturday
MPMF13 – Friday
MPMF13 – Thursday


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Midpoint Music Festival 2015: Music’s Holy Days Are Coming

It’s a little late to start browsing Midpoint’s line-up. With around 150 bands to check out, time is critical. I put together a Spotify playlist, set it to shuffle, and heard the first sweet sounds of MPMF15. And sweet they are. While I appreciate Bunbury, The bookings that MPMF snags are on a whole more to my liking. And after months of Bunbury prep, it feels soooo good to be back home. Add the playlist if you are so inclined. More to come.


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Nobody Expects The Ridges or Final Friday

Last night was crazy at MOTR. I don’t  know if spring fever made everyone hungry for a bender. I don’t  know if Final Friday attendees finally succumbed to all their complementary wine tastings throughout the night. Maybe the agressive drunken crowd fell victim to a frothy mix of both of these things. I do know that last Saturday at MOTR wasn’t off the rails like last night was.

Now then, the music. I heard Automagic for the first time. Essentially, any band that brings melodic synth sounds is going to win my heart, and win my heart, they did. I got the sense that they are still figuring out their stage presence, but I am happy to watch their evolution.

Although The Ridges were struggling with sound issues for too many moments for the impatient crowd to endure, they opened their act with a fire in their bellies. This effervescent energy is what keeps me coming back to their shows. Of course  it helps that they are well rehearsed and have rumbling Americana songs that resonate with any Midwesterner. Here’s what I saw.

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Automagic at MOTR Pub

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Automagic laying down their pop goodness.

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The drummer from Automagic is killing it.


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The Ridges at MOTR


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Who doesn't love banjo?


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Sound check blues.


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MOTR is packed!


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Low Cut Connie Blew Up MOTR with Old Style and Jean Jackets

This was my third time seeing Low Cut Connie. They tore through MOTR pub on Friday the 21st in a style that Jerry Lee Lewis would appreciate. They’ve revived a retro rock and roll sound with all the stage energy to deliver it in a brain sizzling wallop. The best way for me to convey the energy of this show would be to describe one of the audience members behavior there. A middle aged man took a shot, mysteriously lost his coat, equally mysteriously gained a Domo toque, and then held the toque aloft as though enticing the audience to engage in battle on behalf of Domo. Here’s a few shots.

Low Cut Connie's piano

The piano was really well tuned. I don’t know how your roll a piano over the Midwest’s pothole riddled highways and keep a piano in tune.

Low Cut Connie performing at MOTR

Low Cut Connie’s drink of choice seemed to be Old Style tall boys.

Low Cut Connie performing at MOTR

His very shiny jacket said nads on the back.

Low Cut Connie's piano

This piano seems to be equipped for rough treatment.

Low Cut Connie performing at MOTR

That’s probably not ergonomically correct.

Low Cut Connie performing at MOTR

The only problem with Low Cut Connie’s show was that it was a little short. More! More indie rock!


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Who Needs Clothes? Automagik Doesn’t

I checked out Automagik on Saturday night at MOTR. I didn’t know much about the band, so I didn’t have expectations. They have a bombastic sound and stage presence. Their high energy reminded me a bit of Cincinnati’s own Foxy Shazam. The vocalist enjoyed the show so much that he stripped down to his boxers for the last half of the show. Everyone deserves some privacy, so I decided to keep the pictures of that to myself. One could argue that all the fans with cell phones have already posted pictures. I’m sure they have. But that’s on them.

Automagik working out out.

Automagik working out out.

Grand pronouncements!

Grand pronouncements!

 


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The Night OTR Exploded Local Music

The Woodward and MOTR were booked with great bands on Saturday. They staggered the set times such that listeners could take a couple strolls across the street and catch all the bands with ease. Local bands the Yugos and The Harlequins were booked at The Woodward, and with tickets at 5 bucks a great value. The Ready Stance and The Locals, ironically the only band that isn’t local to Cincinnati, played MOTR Pub. MOTR is always free. Net, for 5 bucks you could get 4 hours of indie rock goodness.

All the bands sounded great, but the primal energy of The Harlequins popped out for me. I stumbled upon Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” on Sunday; it struck me that The Harlequins energy reminds me of Iggy. I also enjoyed their approach to audience participation. In preparation for their last song, they inquired fast or slow, fast or slow. This simple decision was in harmony with the band’s raw sound and understated stage presence. I loved it.

The Yugos on stage at The Woodward Theater

The Yugos filling The Woodward with their atmospheric rock goodness.

The Yugos performing at The Woodward Theater

The Yugos and, apparently, specks of dust. It’s probably historic dust from The Woodward.

The Yugos on stage at The Woodward Theater.

The Yugos on stage at The Woodward Theater.

The Ready Stance performing at MOTR

The Ready Stance at MOTR

The Harlequins on stage at The Woodward Theater

The Harlequins on stage at The Woodward Theater

The Harlequins on stage at The Woodward Theater

The Harlequins delivering a rock and roll punch in the gut.

The Harlequins playing The Woodward Theater

The Harlequins on stage at The Woodward Theater

The Locals playing at MOTR Pub

The Locals are tearing up MOTR.