This Friday, Aug. 31, the Cincinnati Indie Pop group Pomegranates returns to the concert stage for the first time in since 2015, when the band released its Healing Power album with a pair of shows at Southgate House Revival.
Pomegranates were regulars on the national tour circuit and released several well-received and critically lauded albums between 2008 and 2015, for labels like Afternoon Records (part of Warner Music Group) and Modern Outsider (also home to releases by artists like Walker Lukens, Black Pistol Fire and Soft Swells). When the album that became Healing Power was being shopped, it failed to get any industry traction and the group changed its name to Healing Power, creating some confusion. The musicians decided to call it quits after about a year as Healing Power, playing one “final show” in 2014 for a fan’s wedding in Virginia.
The band came back together to celebrate the limited release of what currently stands as its final album, Healing Power. The buzz was so high, the release concert sold out, so the band added an early show.
At the time, CityBeat asked Pomegranates drummer Jacob Merritt whether the group might do more work together in the future. (Read the full story here.)
“I would say, ‘We’ll see,’ ” Merritt said. “Obviously, we aren’t opposed to things happening if and when the time arises to play a show here or there. Beyond that, I’m not really sure.”
The time that has arisen sounds like a fun night of music and a great party. Friday’s AGAR Block Party is a free outdoor celebration of the 10th anniversary of Cincinnati marketing/events company AGAR, the engine behind (among many other things) BLINK Cincinnati and the Ubahn Music Festival.
The festivities begin at 6 p.m. Music will be performed on a stage in front of AGAR’s offices at 1205 Walnut St., between 12th and 13th streets (Walnut will be closed off in that block for the celebration).
Capping off the night is Chicago production duo The Hood Internet, who are renowned for their Hip Hop.EDM/Indie Rock mashups. Great local bands Knotts and Passeport will also perform, and DJ HD will be on hand to spin tunes.
AGAR’s Rob Mason says the event will also include other fun aspects. “This party will incorporate much of the AGAR spirit, with some elements from BLINK, some live painting and poetry while you wait from some (Art Academy Cincinnati) students, food options from Thunderdome and way more,” he says.
Click here for more on the AGAR Block Party.
This article appears in Aug 22-29, 2018.