In a brief preview about Powerhouse Factories annual Holiday Rock Poster Party, which takes place Friday at their new digs in Newport, I mentioned that numerous Powerhouse posters populate my OTR loft, including a print for a 2006 show at the Southgate House dubbed iLove that gathered numerous local bands to raise money for a Cincinnati Rock photo album called Where the Kids are Goin’ Tonight. (Speaking of which, anybody still have a copy? I can’t find mine.)—-
A closer look at the poster, which sits on my fireplace mantel next to a bunch of vintage Star Wars action figures, reveals that at least 12 of the 23 bands on the bill no longer exist. Another two have moved on to other cities. Really? More than half of the bands that played that night are no longer with us?
I’d probably sacrifice my cherished Chewbacca figure to experience Ruby Vileos, Chalk or Staggering Statistics one more time. At the very least I’ve give up my beleaguered R2D2, whose right leg was broken many years ago by my then-5-year-old cousin. On the other hand, nearly all of the defunct bands now have members in other outfits, yet another sign of our vital, ever-evolving local scene.
This article appears in Dec 8-14, 2010.