The best, most fun and longest running of the “theme/charity shows,” “’80s Pop Rocks,” returns to the Southgate House this Saturday for its fourth annual event. Once again, the show will feature oodles of local bands playing their favorites from the Reagan era. And, once again, the show is a benefit for STOP AIDS (the organization formerly known as AVOC, which offers education about AIDS and assistance for those suffering from the disease).
The show will feature more than 35 bands, including The Fairmount Girls, Lovely Crash, The Wolverton Brothers, Banderas, Caterpillar Tracks, Eagle to Squirrel, The Tigerlilies, Culture Queer, 24 Hour Flu and many others.
The fun starts at 8 p.m. and will again include raffles, ’80s karaoke and much more. And dress the part — prizes are awarded for the best ’80s outfits.
Bastards Come Home
One of Cincinnati’s most successful contemporary bands, The Heartless Bastards, returns to the Southgate House on Thursday with some new songs and a new lineup. In fact, it may not be appropriate to call the Bastards a “Cincinnati” band anymore, given that singer/songwriter/guitarist Erika Wennerstrom has relocated to Austin, Tex. Though now in Texas, Wennerstrom (a Dayton native) is still keeping strong ties to Cincy.
Replacing Mike Lamping (now in The Chauncers) and Kevin
Vaughn (now with Dayton’s Lab Partners) are Jesse Ebaugh, the jaw-dropping bassist for Pearlene, and Dave Colvin, who played with Shesus (of which Wennerstrom was also once a member). Colvin and Ebaugh have played with Wennerstrom before — they were with Wennerstrom when she recorded her first Bastards demo (the one that caught her label Fat Possum’s attention).
The Mountain, the Bastards’ new album, is due from Fat Possum in January.
Rock For Barack
Mark your calendars, liberal pantywaists (who happen to love Indie Rock) — Cincinnati-bred band The National and Dayton heroes The Breeders will perform a special free show at Fountain Square Oct. 16. The concert (being dubbed “Vote Early, Rock Late”) is in support of Barack Obama, encouraging registered voters to vote early, via absentee ballot. Attendees will be encouraged to vote that night, with busses taking people to the voting location. “The National are incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to support Barack Obama’s inspiring candidacy for President. Bush and his cronies have wrecked this country at home and abroad,” the now- Brooklyn-based National relayed in a statement. “With an economy in freefall and a public education system that is collapsing, we are pouring billions of dollars every month into Iraq to fight an unwinnable war based on false pretenses.
Millions of American citizens can’t afford health insurance and unemployment is soaring across the country, yet the Republican Party continues to preserve unfair tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and promote a Byzantine social agenda to kowtow to an out-of-touch right-wing voter base. John McCain and Sarah Palin promise to carry the torch for Bush and push America ever further into the Dark Ages.” The concert rally is to run from 5-9 p.m.
