Many fans of the late, internationally renowned Oxford, Ohio Alternative radio station WOXY (aka 97X) were in heaven when they discovered WNKU on their radio dials after a programming change away from folkier Americana music to current and classic Alternative and Indie sounds (while retaining its longstanding attention to local music). But the story of the station on Northern Kentucky University’s campus took a turn that was a little too close to 97X’s eventually disappearing act when it was announced it had been sold off to another company. As was the case with WOXY’s second life (albeit as an online outlet), it even looked as if there would be a last-minute savior (Louisville Public Media) to rescue the station. But, despite the ensuing community outcry, the college’s original deal with a religious broadcasting company was already too far along to reverse course. Making things even sadder, the sale was initiated by cuts to the state’s higher-education funding budget forced by Kentucky’s new over-reaching governor, Matt Bevin.
2. Molly Wellmann (Japp’s)
3. Nonta Perkins (MOTR Pub)
2. Justin Simmons (Sundry and Vice)
3. Bennett Cooper (16-Bit Bar+Arcade)
Popular Northside brewery/venue Urban Artifact attracts a crowd with fresh beer and mostly free live music — it even has a Swing dance night on certain Sunday afternoons, and longtime local favorites the Blue Wisp Big Band perform every Wednesday. Its appeal also expands beyond the expected age range for a “bar.” The brewery has a huge selection of board games and allows kids in with accompanying adults, so some evenings can turn into genuine family affairs, especially on warmer nights, with parents letting their kids run around in the yard between the converted church and the rectory buildings. And you thought the only options for “beer-assisted family game night” were at home or at an overcrowded Dave and Buster’s. Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside, 513-620-4729, artifactbeer.com.
Shopping locally is a great way to avoid those nightmarish day-after-Thanksgiving (aka “Black Friday”) sales at the mall or chain retail outlet stores. And if the person you’re buying a present for is a big music fan, Cincinnati musicians are now regularly providing some cool Black Friday options for your gift list. Timed to Record Store Day’s nationwide Black Friday alternative, local record shops in 2016 offered exclusives from local artists like Country singer/songwriter Jeremy Pinnell (who reissued an expanded vinyl version of his stellar OH/KY album) and Wussy (which put out the rare Funeral Dress II acoustic album on vinyl for the first time). Legendary downtown bar Arnold’s Bar and Grill and Neltner Small Batch Records also teamed up for a great local-music holiday compilation (issued on vinyl), featuring Christmas-themed songs by Honey and Houston, The Part-Time Gentlemen, The Tillers and many other superb Roots/Americana acts.
