The annual exhibition of Greater Cincinnati’s fantastic American Roots music scene, Rivertown Breakdown, presents its 10th anniversary event this Saturday at Newport’s Southgate House. Besides showcasing local music, the event — the brainchild of local Folk music hero Jake Speed — has raised money each year for “river-related” causes.
This year, proceeds will again be donated to the Foundation for Ohio River Education’s “River REACH” program, which sends young students out on the Ohio River in riverboats to learn about its ecology. The program’s usual “floating classroom” sprung a leak and was retired last year; the Breakdown’s donation will help offset boat rental costs.
The Breakdown begins at 8 p.m. and admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. The lineup includes everything from Jazz and Blues to Folk, Bluegrass, Country and beyond. Local acts participating this year include Jake Speed and the Freddies, Magnolia Mountain, The Katie Laur Band, The Turkeys, Faux Frenchmen, Ricky Nye, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Cincinnati Dancing Pigs, David Wolfenberger, Hickory Robot, Voodoo Puppet, Lagniappe, The Sidecars, Cuz ‘n Jake and Tubanjo. (www.rivertownbreakdown.com)
Honoring Patti Page’s Local Ties
After arranging several events to pay tribute to Cincinnati’s Herzog recording studio and its legendary sessions with icon Hank Williams, the Cincinnati USA Music Heritage Foundation (headquartered in the second-floor studio’s former location, downtown at 811 Race St., which is also CityBeat’s home) will honor another Country legend who laid down important tracks at the facility. This Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of singer Patti Page’s sessions at Herzog, when she recorded the songs “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” “Detour,” “Who’s Gonna Shoe My Pretty Little Feet,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “San Antonio Rose.”
To mark the occasion, CUMHF hosts a shindig in the Herzog space at 7 p.m. featuring cool new Classic Country supergroup The Tammy WhyNots. The band — which features Kelly Thomas (Fabulous Pickups, Rivertown Music Club), Todd Lipscomb (Kentucky Struts), David Rhodes Brown (Warsaw Falcons, Magnolia Mountain, 500 Miles to Memphis), Greg Schramm (Tex Schramm and The New Radio Cowboys), John Schmidt (Warsaw Falcons) and Sylvia Mitchell (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, The Hiders) — recently released its debut, Meet The Tammy WhyNots (get yours at www.kellythomasonline.com). The WhyNots are set to play a set of both their own vintage-tinged songs and, of course, the tunes Page recorded in the exact location 60 years earlier. (CUMHF and the band encourage fans to bring equipment to record the band’s set, Grateful Dead-style.)
Page is too ill to attend the celebration, so attendees will be encouraged to send well wishes to the singer. And be sure not to arrive late so you have plenty of time to check out the new Herzog photos on display, as well as the piano recently acquired that reportedly was played by Williams in an apartment next door when he was in Cincy recording.
A donation of $15 is suggested (no advanced tickets to the event will be sold), benefiting CUMHF’s efforts to bring more attention to Cincinnati’s rich musical history. Find more about the organization at takingyoutothebridge.org.
CONTACT MIKE BREEN: [email protected]
