Since it’s such a huge, kick-ass music festival that spotlights the newest and best of the local, original music scene from several genres, we thought we’d give you a little heads up on next week’s Clifton Heights Music Festival so you can make plans early.
The event returns April 6 and 7 to five venues around the University of Cincinnati in the Clifton Heights neighborhood, which (like Over-the-Rhine and other parts of the city) is on the verge of a huge revitalization. The event has run biannually since debuting in 2009.
Like seemingly every Clifton Heights Music Festival fest, this year brings some changes. The first is the event’s name, which is now simply
The Heights Music Festival
. Organizer
Far-I-Rome
is also adding a “Day Fest” this year on Saturday. Day Fest events are open to all ages and run from 3-6 p.m.
The nighttime music runs from 7 p.m. until about 1 a.m.
Rohs Street Café
(245 W McMillan St., Clifton Heights; www.rohsstreetcafe.com) is also all-ages, not just Saturday but throughout the fest. On Friday, April 6, Rohs has
The DeBauches
,
Incline District
,
Shoot Out The Lights
,
The Minor Leagues
and
Josh Eagle & The Harvest City
. Rohs’ eclectic Saturday Day Fest lineup features
Jessi Bair & Noah Wotherspoon
,
Greg Zoller
,
Sound Museum
and
The Stratfords
.
Dan Orlando
kicks off Rohs’ April 7 night festivities at 7 p.m., followed by
Us, Today
,
Gorges
,
Cabin
and
Archer’s Paradox
.
Roxx Electrocafe
(214 Calhoun St., Clifton Heights; www.roxx.biz) is also open to all ages all the time. On April 6, the gaming café features
Dick Reynolds
,
Blue Caboose
,
The Apricots
,
Indigo Wild
and
Sullivan
. On April 7, Roxx’s presents
Animal Mother
,
Elia Goat & His Natural Horns
,
Wonky Tonk
and
Michael McIntire & The Marmalade Brigade
(from 3-6 p.m.), then, Saturday night, they’ll have
Emily & The Complexes
,
Merely The Mocs
,
Bright Eyed Youth
,
Bull Dancer
and
Sassy Molasses
.
Christy’s Biergarten
(151 West McMillan St., Clifton Heights; www.christysandlenhardts.com) welcomes rockers
Chakras
,
The
Black Owls
,
State Song
, the
Zachary Burns Band
and Mad Anthony on April 6. Christy’s Saturday Day Fest lineup features
Dead Beat Dolls
,
The Altered Statesmen
,
Vivid Youth
and
The Ohms
. On the night of April 7, Christy’s hosts
The Comforts
,
Kissing Daylight
,
Lemon Sky
,
The Never Setting Suns
,
Automagik
and
Skeetones
.
Mac’s Pizza Pub
(205 West McMillan St., Clifton Heights; macspizzapub.com) opens the fest April 6 with
Lunchbox
,
Pharaoh Loosey
,
Majestic Man
,
Revenge Pinata
and
Perfect Norm
. Saturday afternoon’s Day Fest at Mac’s features
The Ghost Trees
,
The Turkeys
and
Jimmelegs
. For the nighttime lineup April 7, Mac’s has
Sassafraz
,
Jamwave
,
The MJ’s Blues
,
Plastic Inevitables
,
Lackluster
and
Loudmouth
.
Baba Budan’s
(239 West McMillan St., Clifton Heights; www.bababudans.com) April 6 lineup kicks off with a comedy set hosted by Mack Harden at 7 p.m., followed by
Big Rock Club
,
Belle Histoire
,
Playfully Yours
,
The Instruction
and
The Kickaways
. Day Fest at Baba’s features
Deadwood Floats
,
The Ridges
,
Evans Collective
and
The Yugos
. And later on April 7, Baba’s hosts
Dinosaurs & Thunder
,
The Desert Gun
,
Those Guys
,
The Natives
,
Trademark Aaron
,
Da 3rd Element
,
SHADOWRAPTR
and
Eclipse
.
Tickets are available now through www.cincyticket.com. Individual passes for April 6 and 7 are just $5 in advance. You can also purchase a two-day pass for $10 in advance. For full details on The Heights Music Festival, visit www.theheightsmusicfestival.com.
More Local Notes
• Blazing West Chester rockers
Total Dudes
are celebrating their fifth anniversary and the birth of their new baby — their latest recording, Top of the Dude Chain — this Saturday at downtown’s Mainstay Rock Bar. The swaggering, hard-charging, Punk-fueled trio is joined by
Chiva Knievel
and
Stained Glass Jesus
for the 10 p.m. show. Admission is $5. Give the Dudes a listen at www.reverbnation.com/totaldudesrocks.
• The online review site Yelp is teaming up with more than 30 local non-profits for what sounds like an amazing event this Friday at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center on Clifton Ave. The Yelp Helps After School Special party will feature free food and drinks from several local establishments, performances and displays from local arts and music organizations, info on the various non-profits involved and lots of other “extracurriculars.” There will also be live music from great local Indie rockers
The Never Setting Suns
, and
DJ E
will spin throughout the party, which runs from 8-10 p.m. Visit Yelp.com’s Cincinnati site and search “Yelp Helps” for more details and to RSVP.
CONTACT MIKE BREEN:
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2012.