Wednesday night at Covington’s Mad Hatter, local Rock foursome Rosemary Device celebrates the release of its self-titled debut. Openers for the Thanksgiving Eve show are The Brothers and The Sisters, Famous Mr. Nobodies, The Lions Rampant and Crashing Plains.
Rosemary Device (pictured) formed when guitarist Brett Scharf — then trying to keep his band Spindle together after lineup shifts — got together for a test writing session with Brandon Migliorisi, formerly of Krinj. The chemistry was immediate and the duo added drummer Markie Schulte and bassist Ben Franks to flesh out the new band. The debut was largely recorded with producer/engineer Mike Major, the Florida-based mixman who has worked with At the Drive-In and Sparta.
Major gives the band’s tracks a big, beefy sound, but it’s the tunefulness of Rosemary Device’s radio-friendly songwriting that makes the band so effective and destined for wider exposure. Though peripherally similar to some of the Pop/Emo music that gets a lot of attention these days, RD’s songs come off less forced and calculated and, therefore, a bit more timeless. Songs like “I Believe” and “Blackout November” have huge, anthemic choruses that soar form the speakers, while Scharf’s guitars offer an interesting textural component.
With such a strong introduction, Rosemary Device should have no problem picking up where Spindle (which had a record deal and tour dates with bands like Fall Out Boy before falling apart) left off and taking things even further. Get show details here.
Pre and Post Turkey Musical Feasts
• The amazing local Power Pop trio psychodots hasn’t been a “full-time” band for several years, but Ohio fans always know that, come Thanksgiving, they’ll have a chance or two to catch ‘em. The group’s annual shows (by the band’s account, this will be the 666th) happen Wednesday at Canal Street Tavern in Dayton (canalstreettavern.com) and Friday at the Southgate House in Newport. Cincinnati’s Maurice Mattei opens the Dayton show solo and is joined by his band The Tempers for the Southgate concert. Get Southgate show details here.
• As Iggy Pop rotates band members in his ongoing reunion of pre-Punk legends The Stooges, this Wednesday at The Comet you can hear a more, ahem, youthful spin on Stooges classics as local trio Sparrow Bellows turns into a Stooges cover band for the night. The band’s free 10 p.m. show will feature Bryan Dilsizian of The Long Gones on lead vocals. The Mudpies open the show, followed by a “normal” Sparrow Bellows set. Then it’s all Iggy, all night. Get show details here.
• Thursday night after you overeat with your friends and/or family, head to The Mad Hatter for the annual “Franksgiving” celebration. The event was started five years ago by some friends of Jeff Pfetzer, a Covington Catholic High School alum who passed away in 2002 after accidentally falling from a three-story window. The annual celebration raises money for the Jeff Pfetzer Memorial Scholarship Fund set up in his honor. Performing at this year’s 9 p.m. event: The Turkeys and Pete Dressman. Get show details here.
CONTACT MIKE BREEN: [email protected]
