The rebirth of Cincinnati’s central districts (downtown and Over-the-Rhine) is due to many factors, not the least of which has been the increased activities at Fountain Square, the heart of downtown, as well as the redevelopment of Washington Park in OTR (both are managed and programmed by non-profit real estate company 3CDC). Music has been a big part of both spaces’ success as popular destination points and this month, Fountain Square will be celebrating the beginning of its popular weekly music series, which has showcased local, national and international artists for 10 years now. Refreshingly, for younger people who partake in all that downtown has to offer, it’s now hard to fathom that just 20 years ago, the area was all but deserted after the evening rush hour.
Fountain Square’s celebration of a decade of regular summertime concerts will fittingly feature more free concerts. Beginning May 12 with the return of Bounce music queen Big Freedia (who played the Square as a part of the MidPoint Indie Summer series in 2011; read CityBeat's interview here), the Square will host music from some of the favorite acts to perform on the various series’ bills over the past 10 years (including Indie Rock, Americana, Salsa and Reggae). The “FSQ Flashback” series begins at 7 p.m. each night. Below is the lineup; check myfountainsquare.com for updates on the TBAs.
May 12
7:45 p.m. Abiyah
9 p.m. Big Freedia (New Orleans)
(With DJ Spam spinning throughout the night)
Hip Hop/Various
May 13
7 p.m. Honey & Houston
8:45 p.m. Buffalo Wabs and The Price Hill Hustle
Americana/Roots/Folk
May 19
7 p.m. TBA
9 p.m. DAAP Girls
Indie Rock/Soul
May 20
7 p.m. TBA
7:30 p.m. The Yugos
9 p.m. The Harlequins
Indie Rock
May 26
7 p.m. The Flex Crew (Columbus, Ohio)
8:30 p.m. New Kingston (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Reggae
May 27
7 p.m. Cosa Seria (Louisville, Ky.)
(With DJ AIKON spinning through the night)
Salsa/Latin/Various
