The Afghan Whigs are local legends around these parts. If you live in the Tristate area, are a Rock fan and somehow have never managed to hear of them, here’s the rundown: Birthed in the late 1980s initially as a Garage Punk outfit, the scrappy lads became critical darlings and cult faves in the ’90s after gradually morphing into an AltRock group with an ear for Post Punk and R&B. They cut a series of albums for the ever-lauded Sub Pop label under the direction of lead crooner Greg Dulli.
The Whigs were on two major labels and then went kaput about eight years ago. We’ve let ’em age long enough, and it looks like it’s high time to take the old bottle off the shelf, blow the dust off and uncork it for a vintage round. So grab a glass and head to the Southgate House on Saturday night for “Your Attention Please …,” an Afghan Whigs cover show featuring around 20 local bands paying tribute to their forbearers. The show will also include a raffle of CDs, gift certificates and Whigs memorabilia. A DJ will also play between-set songs by recent and modern-day Whigs spinoff groups. And another great bonus: Proceeds from the show go to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
As of press time, the following bands will be churning out your favorite Whigs songs: Billy Catfish, Culture Queer, Caterpillar Tracks, The Chocolate Horse, Fairmount Girls, Lovely Crash, The Mighty, Koala Fires, The Pressure Drops, Abiyah, The Polly Esthers, Moon and the Stars, The Beau Alqiozola Band, The Green Room, Goose, Mike Fair and the Adventure Seekers and Holy Crap. The show starts at 9 p.m. and costs $7 ($10 for ages 18-20). (myspace.com/afghanwhigstribute)
Incidentally, fans should also turn their attention to an upcoming disc called Summer’s Kiss: A Tribute to The Afghan Whigs, which is slated for release Tuesday. It features Mark Lanegan, Joseph Arthur, local faves Wussy and others taking their favorite Whigs tunes out for a spin. (summerskissrecords.com)
Daniel Martin Moore Plays New Phil’s
Phil’s Records, with its impressive selection and variety of merchandise, has served as Northern Kentucky’s flagship independent music outlet for upwards of 30 years now. Recently, though, the resident record retailers have undergone a rash of store moves, slowly creeping further and further from the freeway. From a strip mall right off I-471 in Fort Thomas to a strip mall (and much larger space) next to a Kroger in Erlanger and now to a strip mall at 3800 Alexandria Pike in Cold Spring — here’s hoping Phil’s has finally found its permanent strip-mall home. Fittingly, Alt-Folk singer/songwriter Daniel Martin Moore, another much younger SubPop artist of local origin will help Phil’s celebrate its grand re-re-opening with a free instore performance Friday at 7:30 p.m. The mellow fellow’s unsolicited demo caught the ears of the Seattle label’s higher-ups, and they released Moore’s debut, Stray Age, last October. (philsrecords.com)
CONTACT ALEX L. WEBER: [email protected]
