Tag Archives: Newport Music Hall

Jon Spencer and Columbus go way back

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By this point, everyone knows about local musician Sam Brown sitting behind the kit in the indie-rock supergroup Divine Fits, who will return to town Wednesday at the Newport Music Hall. Less known, perhaps, is the Columbus connection of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, which was recently added to the Newport bill (moved from the Basement).

In the early ’90s, sometime around the dissolution of Spencer’s previous band Pussy Galore, he and wife Cristina Martinez joined an incarnation of the off-kilter country/blues/rock Columbus outfit Gibson Bros. with Don Howland (Bassholes) and Jeff Evans (’68 Comeback), who had recently relocated to Memphis. A couple years ago, Howland told me about playing an RL Burnside cassette for Spencer during a Gibson Bros. tour.

“He was stunned by it,” Howland said. “By the time we got to Memphis to record the last album, we were covering an RL Burnside song with Jon singing it.” Spencer went on to record and tour with Burnside, exposing the bluesman to an audience he’d never before reached.

Columbus folks also speak about the influence of Evans’s “twisted-Elvis” onstage persona, and how it shaped Spencer’s approach as a frontman. You know all those self-referential “Blues Explosion!” shout-outs? It was part of the Gibson Bros. schtick very early on. “Gibson Brothers, ladies and gentleman, Gibson Brothers!” Evans would exclaim like a snake oil salesman during live shows.
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Monday: Two Door Cinema Club, Friends, Guards @ The Newport

We were digging Friends’ ’90s-Luscious-Jackson-vibe when the Brooklyn-based band was in Columbus late last year. In June, Friends released Manifest! featuring a dozen danceable, new wave, pop nuggets that fans of Madonna’s earliest work might enjoy.

Friends returns to Columbus on Monday night performing with CD 102.5 favorites Two Door Cinema Club and Guards, featuring Richie James Follin (Willowz, Cults), at The Newport. Tickets are $25 at the door.

The National to play free show in Columbus on Wednesday

Ohio natives The National are partnering with Obama for America’s Ohio field offices “for a series of events to remind everyone how important it is to vote in the November 6th election.” The band will play a free show at the Newport in Columbus on Wednesday, then another freebie at the Emery Theater in Cincinnati on Thursday. Details on how to acquire tickets below:

“Securing tickets for the Ohio shows is a two step process. First, sign up online by following the link for the show you’d like to attend:

Newport Music Hall, Columbus, October 3rd:
https://my.barackobama.com/page/s/see-the-national-in-columbus

Emery Theater, Cincinnati, October 4th:
https://my.barackobama.com/page/s/see-the-national-in-cincinnati

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive ticket pick up information as follows:

10/3, Newport Music Hall Ticket Pickup:
Tuesday, October 2nd
10:00am until 7:30 pm or when tickets run out (first come, first served)
Ohio State University OFA-Campus Field Office
1570 N High Street
Columbus, OH 43201

10/4, Emery Theater Ticket Pickup:
Wednesday, October 3rd
10:00am until 7:30 pm or when tickets run out (first come, first served)
Over the Rhine OFA-Field Office
1130 Main Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

We’ll do our best to let you know via twitter (@The_National) when all tickets have been handed out. Hope to see some of you this week & please remember to vote!”

Video: Theophilus London Records “Lisa” For Rose Island Vol. 1 Mixtape

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Theophilus London is playing Columbus 6/28 at the Newport with Santigold. Above is a video of  showing Mr. London’s process for recording his song Lisa at  Converse Rubber Tracks . “Lisa” is off London’s upcoming mixtape Rose Island Vol. 1 which will drop next week.

Tour Dates after the jump.

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Friday: Loyal Divide @ The Newport

They may have left Columbus to make it big in Chicago (and they’ve been doing a good job playing on some great bills and generating a buzz not only in the Windy City but on the world wide web), but Loyal Divide has not forgotten about their Buckeye past. It seems like they are playing here more now then they did when they were based in Columbus.

I’m always at a loss on how to exactly describe these guys – they come from seemingly an indie rock (everything from The Cure to Modest Mouse) background but have fully embraced technology and bring a Nine Inch Nails electronic flavor to their output.

Electraplay Studio recently had Loyal Divide into the studio where they recorded “MDLD” which you can see below.

Loyal Divide will be joined by LD, Boombox and Alpha Delta tonight at The Newport. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9. Tickets are $20 at the door.

Photos: Head and the Heart, Drew Grow & the Pastors’ Wives, Black Girls @ Newport Music Hall

The Head and the Heart, Drew Grow & the Pastors’ Wives, Black Girls
Newport Music Hall
March 10, 2012

Head and the Heart
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Drew Grow & the Pastors’ Wives
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Black Girls
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Wednesday: Warbringer @ The Newport

Shit happens. In the five years I’ve been using a digital recorder to record interviews, I’ve never encountered any technical issues. So I’m sitting down to transcribe the interview I did with John Kevill, the lead singer of Warbringer, and as I load up the file, I find nothing but 15 minutes of static.

Here’s what I can tell you that we talked about – Warbringer’s INSANE tour schedule. When this 32-date tour opening for Symphony X and Iced Earth wraps up (Columbus is the fourth to last date), they will have traveled in the neighborhood of 12,841 miles – starting in Connecticut (Jan.31), going across Canada to California and then heading back east for a final date in Clifton Park, NY on March 11. Kevill told me it’s all part of the business, getting out on the road and playing as many shows as possible is part of the responsibility for a band that is promoting a CD.

Warbringer’s currently out supporting Worlds Torn Asunder (released in September 2011), a throwback thrash album that sounds like it came out of the underground San Francisco scene in 1986 (which is pretty amazing considering the guys in Warbringer may not have even been alive in 1986!). If you’re a fan of early Slayer, Exodus, Death Angel, Forbidden (the list goes on), you’ll feel right home with any of Warbringer’s three CDs.

Despite the constant touring over the last four years (and when I say constant, no joke, Warbringer plays probably 200 shows a year), they’ve somehow never managed to play in Columbus. So, show up early for this show, Warbringer goes on first, and give ’em some Columbus metal love so that they’ll come back in the future.

Doors open at 6. Warbringer should go on around 7. Tickets are $20 in advance, $22 at the door.

Sweatin’ Presents “What Next Ohio” : A Huge January 14th Electronic Showcase


Sweatin is putting on quite the showcase for our cities’ burgeoning Electronic Scene. I mean with Cassius Slay getting all types of love from Diplo and Funerals get touted by Vice Italy, seems like a good time to ask “What Next”.

Cassius Slay /Young Robots/Sweatin

Cassius Slay-Body Rocka

Check out music by each artist performing at “What Next OHIO” after the jump.

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Thursday in Columbus: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

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In what is a pretty big deal for the Columbus “modern funk” community, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings make their Columbus debut at the Newport on Thursday night. For those unaware, Jones and her band have been one of the leading lights of the modern soul revival for the last ten years. The Dap-Kings provided most of the backup for Amy Winehouse’s “Back In Black” album, among other projects, and have spawned multiple other successful outfits like the Budos Band and the Menahan Street Band (well, they were sampled for a Jay-Z single, good enough for me) on their namesake label, Daptone Records.

Finally, the band’s endless touring schedule brings them to our fair burg to present their exuberant live show. I’m not sure of the official theme/purpose of this tour, but they do have a new single and a new album of unreleased tracks and B-sides, Soul Time! is forthcoming (Note: This is currently looking like an import release, with no mention yet at the Daptone site, but the CD/vinyl will be available as part of the Black Friday RSD promotion). Doors open at 7pm, Detroit’s The Wrong Numbers open.

(EDIT: Scheduled release information for Soul Time!, direct from Daptone:

– Germany – October 28th
– Rest of Europe – October 31st
– USA – Black Friday, November 25th. Record Store Day exclusive!)

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Photos: Mates of State, Tin Armor, Flotation Walls live

Last Saturday was a busy one! I was able to hop around Columbus from Mates of State with Other Lives at the Newport. Then down to Gallery Hop to catch Tin Armor at the 83 Gallery and finally Flotation Walls at Carabar.

Mates of State
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Tin Armor
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Flotation Walls
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