Cincinnati Metalcore band I Am The Messenger signed a record deal with Iowa-based indie label Bombworks Records and this weekend the band celebrates the first results of the new partnership with a Saturday show at Covington’s Mad Hatter.  

You'd never guess it, but Ryan Rockwell's all-time favorite band is Counting Crows. See, he has loads of tatas and his T-shirt has a gun on it. Long basketball shorts hang down his legs. His hair, dyed black. Rockwell smirks. "Can I just talk about local bands that suck and cause controversy?"  

Two local bands team up for a dual release party celebrating their latest creations. And the disparity between the their musical styles (Small Time Crooks's Pop/Hip Hop blend and I Am the Messenger's Metal/Punk) is a great testament to how local bands don't seem too concerned about genre classification, at least in terms of what bands they play shows with.  

This Friday at Covington's Mad Hatter, two local bands team up for a dual release party celebrating their latest creations: Small Time Crooks (Hip Hop/Pop) and I Am the Messenger (Punk/Metal). The disparity between the their musical styles is a great testament to how local bands don't seem too concerned about genre classification, at least in terms of what bands they play shows with.  

This Sunday, local musicians and the fans who love them will be getting gussied up for the 13th Cincinnati Entertainment Awards honoring local musicians. The CEAs will be presented at a 7 p.m. ceremony at Covington's Madison Theater, a first for the event, and feature live performances from six nominated acts.  

Local musicians and the fans who love them will be getting gussied up for the 13th annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for Music Sunday night at Covington's Madison Theater. Even if you disdain the concept of award shows, the CEAs are always one of the best parties of the year and totally down to earth. The afterparty ranks up there too — buy a ticket and get into the post-ceremony shindig at The Mad Hatter, where The Fairmount Girls will hand out their Fashion Trashie Awards.