To anyone who knew late veteran musician/promoter Johnny Schott, it should be no surprise that there will be a huge “Commemorative Concert” in his honor loaded with tons of local performers this Sunday. Schott was not only a kind soul, but he assisted and mentored many local artists. When the call went out for performers, I’m sure that phone line was swamped with calls of support because those artists know Johnny would have been there for them. (Schott passed away unexpectedly this past January at his farm in Tennessee.)
As such, the show — at Mount Lookout venue The Redmoor — is an all-day affair, kicking off at 3 p.m. and scheduled to run until around 11 p.m. (doors open at 2 p.m.). The show is presented by (and a benefit for) Play It Forward, the local organization that helps area musicians in need of health, financial or other assistance. Schott was — surprise, surprise — one of the first people recruited by the organization’s founder, musician and local radio legend Gary Burbank, to help get the charity off of the ground.
Among the many artists who will be on hand to perform and pay their respect: Tickled Pink, Marcos Sastre, Steve Schmidt, Cheryl Renee, The Bromwell Diehl Band, Robin Lacy and Dezydeco, Leroy Ellington and E Funk, The Bloody Tinth (featuring Schott’s wife, Rachel Sams Schott), Ronnie Vaughn, Bob Cushing, Larry Goshorn, Dan Marshall and many, many others.
The $10 donation at the door — along with proceeds from raffles and silent auctions — all go to Play It Forward. For more info and to donate to the cause, visit pifcincy.org.
Rumors, Lies and General Misunderstandings
• Though it feels like it was only yesterday that we cleaned up the final beer cup from the MidPoint Music Festival’s wildly successful 10th anniversary event last September, submissions for artists interested in performing at MPMF.12 are now open. This year’s MidPoint is set to return to even more venues in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood Sept. 27-29.
The early submission deadline is March 31; submission fees go up after that and will be accepted until the drop-dead deadline date, May 11. To submit, artists will need to prepare their Sonicbids press kit, with an updated bio, photos, press clips and at least three songs. After last year’s success — 185 acts across 18 stages performing for 23,000 music lovers — competition for slots is expected to be higher than ever. Be sure to get yourself in the mix early.
Visit mpmf.com for full details.
• Excellent local Rock trio Sparrow Bellows plays its final show (at least for quite a while) Saturday at The Drinkery in Over-the-Rhine. Longtime local guitar ace and masterful songwriter (and occasional CityBeat contributor) Ric Hickey is heading to California soon to pursue job opportunities. The band performs Saturday at 7 p.m., followed by Granville, Ohio’s Black Owls (featuring the Bellows’ rock-solid drummer and another former CityBeater, Brian Kitzmiller) at 8 p.m. The Bourbon Holler Brothers will be doing a set at 5 p.m. (outside, in front of The Drinkery) and another excellent local band, Goose, performs at 6 p.m.
• The Celtic/AltRock band Voodoo Loons, which splits its time between Ireland and Cincy, headlines Saturday’s big St. Paddy’s event on Fountain Square at around 8:30 p.m., the group’s first in-town show since last St. Patrick’s Day. The Loons are prepping a new album release, which is already receiving attention for its first single, “The Winter Trail” (the song is getting spins on satellite radio), and plan on playing some of the newer songs on the Square. The celebration begins at 10:30 a.m. (with a break to watch the parade at noon) and, along with food and, of course, beverages, there will be more music throughout the day from Unlucky Charms, Silver Arm, Blarnacles, Roger Drawdy & The Firestarters and more. (voodooloons.com)
• One of the city’s finest Roots/Folk Rock bands, Josh Eagle and The Harvest City, has been in the studio working toward its third album release. Friday night at Northside Tavern, the band headlines a free, 10 p.m. show with Evans Collective and Athens, Ohio’s Corbin Marsh Band. Eagle says they will be debuting lots of the new material the band has been working on for the new release. (josheaglemusic.com)
• Be sure to visit the blogs at citybeat.com for regular reports from Austin, Tex., where numerous local bands and businesses are strutting their stuff at this year’s South By Southwest music showcase/conference/festival. Local reporter/photographer Emily Maxwell is covering the event for CityBeat this year. Along with the frequent posts from the fest online, make sure to pick up next week’s issue for a full wrap-up.
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