Queen City Music Spotlight: Catch These 10 Cincinnati Concerts Featuring Local Acts in June

Beef, The Stools (Detroit), Sugar Tradition (Detroit) and The Cowboys (Bloomington/Cincinnati) at The Nest

It’s easy to make a guarantee this early and ahead of time that this is one of the best lineups of the summer. Richmond, Virginia, transplants the fuzzed-out and angular punk of Beef along with two of the most exciting bands to pump new life into the Nuggets-Stooges-'90s revival garage tradition, Detroit’s The Stools and Sugar Tradition, alongside the soaring power pop of The Cowboys, a band whose members stretch between Cincinnati and Bloomington, appear on one stellar bill. Additionally, it’s a record release show for The Stools’ R U Saved? out on Cincinnati-based label Feel It Records and a showcase, of sorts, for the somewhat newly Cincinnati-based label.
9 p.m. June 3. $10. The Nest, 3097 Westwood Northern Blvd., Westwood. instagram.com/@beefandtonic.

Dallas Moore (record release), Ricky Nye and Billie Gant at Southgate House Revival

Honky tonk and outlaw country singer-songwriter Dallas Moore releases a new record titled No God in Juarez at the Southgate House Revival with special guests the renowned, award-winning blues, boogie-woogie and jazz piano extraordinaire and Cincinnatian Ricky Nye and, billed as “special guest of honor,” original era outlaw country singer-songwriter Billie Gant. Moore was a 2016 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards winner for Singer/Songwriter and Best Country Artist of the Year, as well as Nye, who has won “Best Local Musician” in 2018 and “Blues Artist of the Year” in 2019. All three have performed all over the world.
6 p.m. June 4. $20 advanced; $25 day of. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. Sixth St., Newport. southgatehouse.com.

Maria Keck (album release) and Megan Wren at Southgate House Revival

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Maria Keck releases her debut full-length album at this celebration in the Revival Room at the historic Southgate House Revival. Keck recently had a residency at MOTR Pub and performed at The Comet’s whole-house, three-day festival last month. Her record, The Gardener and Me, is led by the flowering, delicate and forward-thinking folk of its first single, “Forest Queen,” and may be an indication of what's to come. Soulful Americana singer-songwriter Megan Wren will also be on hand.
7:30 p.m. June 9. $10. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. Sixth St., Newport. southgatehouse.com.

Sayler Park Sustains Festival at Nelson Sayler Memorial Park

This riverside festival on the West Side features a full day of live music, including multi-time Cincinnati Entertainment Award winners for Best Folk and Americana Act, The Tillers; soulful folk from Rae Fisher; roots-inspired harmonies of The Montvales; traditional four-piece bluegrass outfit the Rabbit Hash String Band; and more. It’s billed as an event meant to teach “do-it- yourself sustainable practices” for daily life and engage the community. In addition to sustainability workshops and music, there will be food trucks, vendors and craft beer on hand.
12-10 p.m. June 10. Free. Nelson Sayler Memorial Park, 6600 Gracely Drive, Sayler Park. facebook.com.

Quotah, Brandon Isaac and Umin at MOTR Pub

The shining and metallic exploratory pop of Quotah led by singer, keyboard player and guitarist Yusef Quotah and backed by bass player Nick Vogelpohl, Emily McColgan (Dinge, Cross Country) on guitar and Nate Wagner (Electric Citizen) on drums is accented by Umin’s experimental instrumental pieces blending electronic sounds, homemade instruments and acoustic elements into a natural collage of sound. They are joined by rapper and poet Brandon Isaac for a night of adventurous and wide-ranging sound.
10 p.m. June 10. Free. MOTR Pub, 1354 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. motrpub.com.

CLEÖCRT and Pacstar Boomin at William Frances Theatre

Billed as “a night with CLEÖCRT,” this stands out as an eventful evening with a performer in a historic performance hall, held in the William Frances Theatre. Catch rising neo-soul vocalist CLEÖCRT in a cabaret-format show, labeled Love Jones Edition. The press release reads: “Join us for a night of music, poetry, drinks and good food.”
8 p.m. June 10. $20. William Frances Theatre, 6819 Vine St., Carthage. instagram.com/@cleocrt.

Blood Chill and BabyBaby_Explores (Providence) at MOTR Pub

Cincinnati band Blood Chill makes driving pop with elements and hints of dark-toned garage rock and punk held at bay by tender and melodic vocal delivery. They open for critically acclaimed experimental and forward-thinking (maybe by a decade) art-pop band Babybaby_Explores from Rhode Island.
9:30 p.m. June 15. Free. MOTR Pub, 1354 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. motrpub.com.

Northside Summer Sideshow at Hoffner Park

The Northside Rock and Roll Carnival is an Independence Day tradition held over Fourth of July weekend in Northside’s Hoffner Park each year and this year features a welcomed addition of monthly “Sideshow” performances in the park. You can see local new(ish) comers Earthly Delights with their exploratory genre-bending soulful rock and roll along with moody indie pop band Sylmar and the psychedelic bedroom pop of ZOO for this month's edition of the Summer Sideshow.
Opens 6 p.m. Music at 7 p.m. June 17. Free. Hoffner Park, 4101 Hamilton Ave., Northside. facebook.com/events.

Motorbike (record release), TVO (Philadelphia), Willie and the Cigs and Axed at Northside Tavern

Hard-hitting and raw rock and roll local supergroup Motorbike, featuring members of local heavyweights Vacation, Tweens, The Serfs and Dog Heaven (Cincinnati/England) release their debut, self-titled record on Feel It Records with explosive Philadelphia punk band TVO, local country fringed garage rock outfit Willie and the Cigs and hardcore punk locals Axed.
8 p.m. June 18. Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside northsidetav.com.

Mol Sullivan and Ethan Samuel Brown (Nashville) at MOTR Pub

Local favorite Mol Sullivan’s music is adventurous, dreamy and effortlessly pleasant. Her latest EP and, possibly, most realized yet, is full of fleshed-out art-pop gems built for longevity and plenty of relistening, and her live performances measure up to the dynamic and vibrant records. Catch her with her full band on the MOTR stage with Nashville-based Americana pop singer-songwriter Ethan Samuel Brown.
10 p.m. June 24. Free. MOTR Pub, 1354 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. motrpub.com.