Back in the mid-’80s when I was in high school, I was befriended by a group of social misfits who wanted to play some music. One of the first times we hung out, they took me across the river, to then “seedy” Newport, and an even seedier little music club called The Jockey Club. While the legendary Punk Rock venue didn’t exactly “change my life” — well, I could make a case that serving underagers $1.50 Foster’s oil cans paved the way for my eventual alcoholism — my experiences there with other outsiders and musical adventurers definitely shaped who I am today.
The Jockey was Greater Cincinnati’s CBGB’s in a lot of ways. It had the same grimy charm, but it also helped keep local early Punk fans satiated with shows by bands that might have otherwise skipped over the area, including The Cramps, The Ramones, minutemen, TSOL, Black Flag and Husker Du, to name but a few. The club was also one of the few places popular local bands like SS-20, Human Zoo, BPA, The Afghan Whigs, The Refused, The Edge and Doc and the Pods could get regular gigs, making it something of a clubhouse for musicians on the fringe.
On Saturday night, the Southgate House hosts the event “Jockey Club Reunion ‘08: A Tribute to Shorty.” Still-standing bands The Libertines US, SS-20 and BPA will be joined by reformed Jockey regulars The Thangs (a precursor to The Tigerlilies) and living-beer-can-targets The Reduced. Music starts at 9 p.m.
Read more about the event here.
