Happy Memorial Day! The popular annual food-fest Taste of Cincinnati ends today (Monday), your last chance to hear some solid local music and eat some excellent local grub (at least until the next downtown street event). Today’s musical offerings kick off on a bittersweet note. At 1 p.m., the Katie Reider Spirit of Music Award will be given posthumously to longtime local bassist and music scene presence Chris Walker, who passed away last year after battling injuries sustained in a serious car accident in 2007. —-
The award was first given out in 2009 to its namesake, the late, local singer/songwriter Katie Reider, who died in 2008 from complications from a rare tumor when she was just 30. The award was designed to honor musicians in the local music scene who personify Reider’s “essence and that of the Cincinnati music scene.” Last year’s recipient, Kelly Thomas, received the honor for her numerous musical charity events over the past several years.
Walker’s sister and former bandmate Carole Walker Luley will accept the award at 1 p.m. today at the Metromix Stage at P&G Gardens. Thomas and her Roots/Country band, the Fabulous Pick-Ups, perform on the stage at 1:30 p.m.
Here are a few other recommendations for Taste of Cincinnati musical exploration:
Monday 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Fountain Square Stage
Blues ace Sonny Moorman has been on the forefront of the local Blues scene for over 15 years, releasing several albums that have received attention from the international Blues community. Moorman’s discography is loaded with “live albums,” a testament to the natural power of Moorman and his band in concert.
