Nashville-via-Detroit singer/guitarist Olivia Jean appears to have a soft spot for Greater Cincinnati.
After headlining Newport’s Southgate House Revival in 2018, the Third Man Records recording artist — who broke
away from her role as singer/guitarist in The Black Belles to begin a solo career with 2014’s Bathtub Love Killings — returned to the area and opened for The Raconteurs in September at the Taft Theatre.
But she’d been to the Cincinnati area a few times before that high-profile gig.
In 2016, she played at the site of the historic Herzog recording studios for a celebration of the 65th anniversary of the recording of the classic “Train Kept A-Rollin” at the space. With her thrilling Surf-tinged, ’60s-flavored Garage Pop style, Jean also did some recordings at Herzog (and also at The Lodge in Northern Kentucky) that were featured on her second solo album, last year’s Night Owl. Local engineers Paul Brumm and Zach Gabbard (also a member of Buffalo Killers and touring member of The Black Keys) worked on the album’s “If You Don’t Love Me By Now” and “The Hunt.”
Cincinnati rockers Isabelle Helle & The Hell’s Bells were recently added to the lineup for Jean’s latest Greater Cincy visit.
Earlier this month, Jean released a video for her cover of the rockin’ Bollywood classic, “Jaan Pehechaan Ho.”
9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. $15; $18 day of show. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. Sixth St., Newport, southgatehouse.com.
This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2020.