· Cincinnati-bred singer/songwriter Katie Reider is in the middle of a fight for her life. The 30-year-old Reider has a rare medical condition called myofibroblastic inflammation, which has resulted in tumors all over her body, including behind her eye (she has lost sight in her left eye), jaw, skull and behind her heart. Reider began feeling ill while touring in 2006; she played her final concert at Taste of Cincinnati last year. Reider is currently undergoing treatment in New York City. According to her largely optimistic health blog (go to myspace.com/500kin365 to read Reider's updates), she can no longer sing, but the chemo treatments have done some good in shrinking the tumors.
A project at 500kin365.org has been set up to raise funds for Reider's medical bills and keep a line of communication open between the singer and her many fans. A nine-song retrospective album download called Katie's Voice is available at the site for just $1. The goal is to get a half million hits over the next year.
· A benefit for another ailing local musician takes place Saturday at R.P. McMurphy's. The show is being put together by Big Whiskey, one of the numerous acts for which Chris Walker provided bass.
The bassist was seriously injured in a car accident last year; he is still undergoing physical therapy for his spinal injuries. That means there are still bills to be paid and that's what Friends for Chris Walker — the umbrella group that promotes the numerous benefit shows — is all about.
Big Whiskey will be joined Saturday by Austin Speigel, Ten Foot Big and Hyde Park Outrage. The music begins at 5:30 p.m. and there will be raffles and other fundraisers throughout the night. For details on all of the Walker shows, go to myspace.com/friendsforchriswalker.
More Local Notes
· Powerhouse Factories, the amazing local group of artists, designers and printmakers specializing in concert and gig posters, has moved its homebase/gallery from Covington to Newport. And on Friday they'll be throwing a party to celebrate the move. The design firm/print shop's grand re-opening will include a performance by locals A Decade to Die For, as well as opportunities to buy prints both new and old. The company is currently moving into design work for larger, national companies, but the gig posters will continue to be a cornerstone. The new space is at 33 E. Ninth St. in Newport, on the first floor of the redecorated Max Cromer building. For more info and to check out some of the firm's amazing work (some available for purchase through the PHF Web site), go to phfdesign.com.
· A benefit for a young boy with a potentially fatal brain disorder takes place at the Keystone Grill in Covington this Friday. Nicholas Licata had surgery in Chicago on his brain, but because it was out of state, the insurance company won't pay the bill. So Saturday, Dick and the Roadmasters, Dark Moll, Swarthy, The Flock, Elliott Ruther and The Midlife Crisis Ramblers perform to help out with that bill. Music starts at 7 p.m.
