Scott and I aren't big on tangible gifts, so a while back, we mutually decided that any present beyond an inexpensive gesture would be an experience instead of an object. For our birthdays this year, we traded concert tickets. I went semi-classical, with Ben Folds performing with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra on the Columbus Commons (top). We didn't arrive early to stake our grassy claim, but we managed to find a small plot where we could lie down and watch the clouds drift past before the notes did. Scott went old school, with a stop on the The Breeders "reunion" tour (bottom left). It was fun to watch the band members so clearly enjoy playing with one another and to see opener Horsegirl so spiritedly gallop down the same girl-rock path.
Speaking of groups with animal names, I corralled Scott into seeing Donna the Buffalo with me at Natalie's Grandview (left). I'm not a loyal member of The Herd, but still, I was excited to immerse myself the zydeco-inspired jam-band experience with him. He was impressed enough that he bought me a T-shirt. So of course I was happy to roll with him to a Steel Wheels show at Woodlands Tavern. Mostly, they stick to peppy Americana-infused tunes, so their a capella ballad was a pleasant surprise (right). I was impressed enough that I bought him their latest CD.
One of our favorite wallet-friendly ways to see music is when experienced bands feel obligated to return to their Ohio origins. Columbus cult heroes Great Plains, featuring two of Scott's cousins, came to the Midwest to help celebrate the 21st anniversary of Lost Weekend Records at Natalie's (top left). And Dayton legends Guided by Voices got their groove back at The Athenaeum (top right). They put on a high-energy show, but I was particularly enamored with the local -- and extremely young -- troupe they picked as their opener: The Laughing Chimes started their British punk-inspired sound in small town Shawnee and now perform frequently in small college town Athens (bottom).
We splurged on seeing a last-chance performance by Peter Gabriel for his i/o tour. The stop in Columbus was before his full album was out, but it was definitely a fully-thought-out spectacle through and through (top). The mix of new releases and classic hits was accompanied by innovative displays inspired by international artists (bottom left). Perhaps the most poignant moment came when the star left the stage during the closing number, while the audience continued to chant his melodic ode to Steve Biko (bottom right).
From my perspective, all of the concerts were well worth the money, but there's nothing wrong with taking in some tunes for free, right? During the closing weekend of Put-in-Bay, the Round House Bar brought in a clear crowd favorite, Ray Fogg. He kept the tipsy audience's attention with his spoofy songs, despite the distractions of a Browns game and a patron dressed in a cow costume (left). But by far, the most bang for your musical buck, in my opinion, is Johnny Law and the Choir Boys. Perhaps I am biased by my connection to some band members, but I thought their set at Honeyfest in Lithopolis was a banger (right).
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“The East Village Other.” East Village Other, The, vol. 4, no. 52, Dec. 1969. JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.28035914. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.
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