Legendary Corryville Rock club Sudsy Malone’s is the home of this year’s “Battle For Warped Tour” competition, with the ultimate winner earning a slot on the celebrated Punk/Rock fest when it stops at Riverbend July 22. The first round takes place Wednesday at 9 p.m. and features area artists Dusty Bryant, Ukrane Crane, Ailinel, The Defrost Star and Beneath the Sky. Thursday’s round has Lust Hive Motor, Hats Off, The Hypochondriacs, A Present Day Nightmare and The Wankers. The event picks up again July 13, with Northside Creeps, Azygous, Black Tie Bombers, The Kessel Run and Harley Quin, while the remaining semi-final date on July 14 offers up Kabakick, Sket Brock, My Latex Brain, The Killouts and End It All. One band from each semi-final moves on to the final round at Sudsy’s July 20. (sudsys.com)
Going In for The Spill
Area modern rockers The Spill release its debut full-length CD, Canvas, on Saturday at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Maineville, Ohio. The $10 cover charge for the band’s 7 p.m. performance also nets fans a copy of the new disc. The Spill arose from the ashes of Element i, with singer/guitarists Lawrence Adams and Patrick Disney leading the charge. The songs on Canvas are propped up by passionate, spiritual musings that mostly avoid the clichéd overtures of what most people think of when they consider Rock music with a religious aspect.
The band’s music is well constructed, matching the apparent passion of the lyrics with some progressive yet still accessible song structures, slick production, soaring vocals and solid performances from each of the band members.
There’s ambient texturing mixed in with pointier Rock riffage, which makes for an interesting counter-balance. But the writing often gets overbearingly overdramatic — the title track sounds like newer Bon Jovi, if Mr. Jovi was replaced by a musical theater major. “Emotional” is good in music, but there’s such a thing as too much. Still, it’s refreshing to hear a band sing so nakedly from the heart. (thespillband.com)
More Local Notes
· On Sunday at 4 p.m., the 20th Century Theater in Oakley houses “A Life in Tune,” a concert to raise money for the family of Sydney Monet Gershuny, a budding 14-year-old artist — and daughter of Amy McFarland, singer for the local band The Gamut — who was killed in a car accident in May. (Portions of the proceeds will also be donated to ArtWorks’ Summer Youth Program, Camp Livingston, The Walnut Hills Photography Department and the School For Creative and Performing Arts.) Acts performing include psychodots, Tracy Walker, The Gamut, Kevin Fox, The Effrays, The Lounge Project and Brandon Voorhees. For more on the event, go to sydneymonet.com.
· For more benefit show goodness, head over to Agner Hall at the Lawrenceburg Fairgrounds in Indiana Saturday for “Loserfest 2005,” an all-day, all-ages concert featuring area Punk, Indie and Metal bands designed to raise money for UNICEF. Doors open at 11 a.m. and performers include Black Tie Bombers, The Minor Leagues, Ailinel, The Phantastyx, Charlemagne and several others. (loserturdmafia.com)
· For a warm-up to next week’s CincyLatino Fest at Sawyer Point, you can’t get much better than Friday’s “Planet Mambo!” concert at the 20th Century Theater. The annual Latin/Salsa music showcase regularly features the best in the area, and this year is no exception, with scheduled performances by Tropicoso, Salsa Caliente, Son del Caribe and Indianapolis’ Orquesta Bravo. If you go, stick around until the end for a “Latin Mega Jam” featuring musicians from all four bands. Music starts at 9 p.m.
· Local Folk and acoustic music institution Edensong returns for its 41st year Friday at Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park. The long-running, free concert series — presented by local music organization Queen City Balladeers — takes place each Friday in July. For the kick-off, dig the folksy sounds of Wild Carrot, Greg Hansen, Lenny Hall & Linda Callan, Tim Kelly and Wayne & Julie Adkins. Music begins at 8 p.m. (qcballadeers.org)
· On Saturday, local indie home-recording collaborative the Vibrating Needle Recording Collective presents a “summer showcase.” But, true to their D.I.Y. ethic, you won’t be catching it at your favorite local club (they don’t need no stinkin’ Rock clubs!). Instead, the showcase will be held in a converted firehouse owned by one of VNRC’s members. The Collective’s Mike Detmer says consider it a “house show on steroids.” VNRC bands participating are The Minor Leagues, MercuroChrome and The Slow Break; locals The Thirteens and Louisville’s The Pine Club also perform. For the address and more on the VNRC, check out vibratingneedle.net.
This article appears in Jul 6-12, 2005.
