In this week’s Spill It column in CityBeat, we did a roundup of a few holiday-oriented shows by local musicians coming up this weekend, but it only scratched the surface. With clubs being faced with Christmas Eve and Day falling on what are normally two of the bigger bar nights of the year (the weekend between Xmas and New Year’s), many bar owners and area artists have crammed their holiday parties into this coming weekend. Below is a quick run-through of some more of the many live local music options with a seasonal slant going down over the next several days.
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• Over the Rhine’s annual “home for the holidays” shows are this weekend. The big event is Saturday at the Taft Theatre where the band is joined by opener Joe Henry, producer of OTR’s forthcoming album The Long Surrender (due in February). But wait, Over the Rhine fans, there’s more!
As has become part of the tradition, the band is offering VIP ticket packages that will get superfans in to two additional events. Tonight at the Aronoff Center, the band performs The Long Surrender in its entirety with Henry and others from the recording sessions. Only VIP package purchasers will be able to attend. Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., OTR presents its annual Sunday Soiree show, playing an intimate acoustic set and mingling with their fans. Non-VIPers can nab tickets for $20.
Find links to buy tickets and more info here.
• Old-school OTR fans will well remember original guitarist Ric Hordinski. After leaving the band, he went on to become a highly successful producer and has continued making music as a solo artist. Tonight, Ric presents the intimate, candle-lit “Occasionally Annual Holiday Concert” at his Walnut Hills performance space/recording studio, The Monastery. Stunning young fingerstyle guitarist Ben Lapps also performs.
Here’s Ric’s description of the event from an email blast: “We’ll gather the candles, dust off the christmas lights, prime the eggnog and share an intimate evening of music with you. we’ll have the usual caroling before the show )and you’re welcome and encouraged to bring some cookies and drinks to share.) i’m still finalizing the details, but i know for sure that the band will include two very special musicians who are also dear friends. David LaBruyere, who’s played on nearly every one of my recordings but has also shared the stage with people like Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Indigo Girls … the list is too long to even get into. let’s just say that he’s from New Orleans and can play any Meters song at the drop of a hat (preferably a Mardi Gras hat…) Playing drums and other instruments will the Dan Dorff. Dan is an amazing musician who generally plays drums (but will scare you on the piano as well..) he’s just finished touring with Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore and Jim James (from My Morning Jacket.) i guarantee you’ll be blown away by his musicality. i really can’t tell you how excited i am to be playing with these two gentlemen. we’re learning a lot of new christmas material and we’ll bring back a thing or two from the past.”
Showtime is 7 p.m., and tickets are $20. Click here for more info.
• Grab a horrific Christmas sweater from Mom’s extensive collection (you know she has one) and head to the Ugly (or Just Misunderstood) Sweater Party tomorrow at The Mad Hatter in Covington. Besides marveling at the audacity of your fellow attendees attire, you can also catch some great music from three fantastic bands with a dance-ready sound: Cincinnati’s Eat Sugar and Walk the Moon, as well as Louisville-based The Pass (a favorite at this year’s MidPoint Music Festival). Interactive art is a part of the fun, too — get a Rudolph nose painted on or take a stab at decorating the Christmas tree community canvas. The bar will also have some holiday-themed drink specials.
The all-ages show begins at 9 p.m., and admission is just $5 (so you can drink even more nog!). Get details here.
• Jazz and Blues more your speed? Are you a big piano player buff? Then head to The Northside Christmas Party at (appropriately) Northside Tavern Sunday night at 9 p.m. The free event features Jazz from The Chris Comer Trio and Boggie Woogie Blues from Ricky Nye. The show promises oodles of holiday tunes and a slew of special guests, including Jason Arbenz of Goose/Throneberry fame and Rob Ervin, member of High Strung Lifters and also the former radio partner of Comer’s on the hilarious Chris & Rob Late Talk Show, which ran for 17 years before ending in 2007.More info here.
• Elsewhere … well, pretty much any bar/club you hit over the next few days you’re going to run into some sort of “holiday”-inspired merriment. Blues club Mansion Hill Tavern in Newport hosts a Christmas party Monday starting at 5 p.m., with music by John Redell and special guests starting at 8 p.m. On Saturday at the VFW hall in Harrison (9160 Lawrenceburg Road), area Country label SOL Records presents its holiday party at 9 p.m. featuring music by SOL’s Dallas Moore Band and Pure Grain. Tickets are $10. Click here for details. And at the Blue Wisp tomorrow, Jazz up your holiday with Phil DeGreg and many “special holiday guests” (we hear Santa is Coltrane-like on the zither). Music starts at 8:30 p.m., and admission is $10. Club details here.
This article appears in Dec 15-21, 2010.