Latest featured videos from Western-Star.com

Home > Blogs > Dayton Local Music (Skip to blog navigation.)

Dayton Music Fest line-up announced

The Dayton Music Fest website has now listed the line-up for this year’s indie and rock music fest happening October 4th.

In looking over the list of bands I have decided that this year could be the biggest since it’s creation in 2005.

Many local music mainstays like Shrug, the Story Changes, Lab Partners, and Joe Anderl will again be performing.

Also set to take one of the seven stages of the Dayton Music Fest are fresh faces to the DMF like the Japanese new wave/punk band Jasper the Colossal and the current Dayton Band Playoff semi-finalist the Joose Box.

A large turnout of music-fest-goers is expected this year to see Bob Pollard’s new band Boston Spaceships who will close out the DMF.

The turnout is expected to be so large in fact that the DMF website has a disclaimer for fans headlined as the “Bob Pollard Effect.”

It says the following:

We are anticipating high turnout for some artists at this year’s DMF. Space in the venues is limited, and we cannot guarantee entry once capacity is reached. Ticket holders will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.

I am as giddy as a schoolboy.

Thanks GCR.

Go to the DMF website at www.daytonmusicfest.com to see the complete list of performers along with links to band’s websites and myspace pages.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment More: Dayton Local Music

Tin Can Telephone cd release on Saturday

The final four bands are set to battle this week in the 2008 Canal Street Tavern Dayton Band Playoffs. (Go to www.canalstreettavern.com)

This got me thinking about some of my favorite bands that I first discovered while covering past Dayton Band Playoffs.

One of those bands was heavy rockers and former playoff runner-ups Side Show.

As is often the story of good Dayton bands, Side Show is no longer playing.

However, I recently discovered that Side Show’s former front man and guitarist Parris Graves has a new project.

He is now fronting the dark, heavy, and extremely experimental 5-piece Tin Can Telephone.

“Tin Can Telephone is very patient and open ended,” said Graves. “Very few of the songs even have definite arrangements.”

Sounding like a heavier version of Pink Floyd or the Stooges, Tin Can Telephone incorporates ambient keyboards, a violin, and even a clarinet into a rock format.

“You could call us a jam-band except much darker and a lot heavier than any other jam-band I have seen around here,” said Graves.

Tin Can came together nine months ago when Graves joined up with ex-members from the Dayton rock band Freezerburn.

“When we began jamming we recorded all our practices,” said Graves. “We would go back and listen to the tapes and write songs out of our jam sessions.”

Tin Can Telephone will release a new live recording this Saturday, August 30th, when the band plays at Canal Street Tavern.

The album is titled Super Ultra Mega Live at the Chron-barn and is 45 minutes of edit-free music.

“The only editing that was done to our live cd was volume adjustments,” said Graves. “Everything else is the way it is.”

Also catch Tin Can Telephone at WO Wrights on September 5th and at Urban Nights on September 12.

Visit the band at www.myspace.com/tincantelephone321 for more show info and to hear tracks from the new album.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment More: Dayton Local Music

The Dayton Music Fest band watch begins

Last week the news was dominated by the Barack Obama ‘VP watch.’

There was 24 hour news coverage of Obama’s every move and I eagerly checked my text messages every chance I got.

But, now that Obama has picked Biden we can all move on to who will be picked to play the Dayton Music Fest 2008.

The DMF committee is busy listening to entries and narrowing the field to the top Dayton bands to play this year’s Dayton Music Fest on October 4th.

Although no one will receive a text message when the final line-up is chosen, it is posted on www.daytonmusicfest.com that the schedule will be released by August 31st.

Thus, I am officially on DMF band watch.

The GCR music group, the production company who puts on the DMF and the Bellbrook Jamboree, had 121 entries from local bands who want to play DMF 2008.

GCR announced last month that the Fest’s headliner will be Bob Pollard’s new band Boston Spaceships.

No other bands or headliners have been announced.

The seven area clubs who will host the Music Fest have been announced. The list includes Canal Street Tavern, Oregon Express, Gilly’s, Blind Bob’s, Tumbleweed Connection, Trolley Stop, and Therapy Cafe.

The DMF features the best in local and regional indie and punk rock music. It has been an annual Music Fest since 2005.

As soon as the final band line-up and schedule is released I will post it on this blog. However, I will not e-mail and text all of you local music supporters the minute it is announced.

Just keep checking in.

Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment More: Dayton Local Music

Five reasons Oxymoronatron will win the DBP

Let me say first that I really love the piano-pop kids in the Joose Box and I find Alec Delphenich Trio’s indie-acoustic songs very intriguing.

However, my pick to win the 2008 Dayton Band Playoffs is the sci-fi-robot-punk rock band Oxymoronatron.

Here are five reasons why I think Oxy will win.

Experience - The band has brought robot-tinged rock to Dayton for over five-years. They have played at about every venue in town including performances at the Dayton Music Fest and the Midpoint Music Fest. Oxy will not be phased by growing DBP pressure.

The Fun Factor - An Oxymoronatron show is anything but predictable. The band makes ever moment onstage entertaining. They use toys, gadgets, music playing robots, and multimedia imagery to aid their wild original sound.

Ready To Peak - I have covered the playoffs since 2005 and I have noticed that bands who draw huge crowds in rounds one and two have trouble drawing in rounds three and four. It is simply very difficult for bands to bring fans out to a bar every couple weeks. This trend favors Oxymoronatron who went into round two as the fifth seeded band. Their fans are just beginning to get energized.

Robot Power - The band’s weird tunes about robots and their make believe super-hero persona (saving the world from the evil “Mad Robots”) will surely get them noticed by all Canal Street concert-goers. This attention may give the band an edge with the undecided voters that attend the DBP. Oxymoronatron is hard to forget.

Oxy’s Confidence - If you doubt my opinion about Oxymoronatron winning the Dayton Band Playoffs than just ask the band if they think they can win. They will tell you. “Oxymoronatron will continue in the DBP because that is what we have been programmed to do. We must win the playoffs or the Mad Robots will rule the day and we can’t have that,” said vocalist MC Woodchuck.

Round three of the Dayton Band Playoffs begins this week. Get out and vote.

The Joose Box vs A Familiar Encounter - Wed, August 13th at Canal Street Tavern

Oxymoronatron vs Savant - Thursday, August 14th at Canal Street Tavern

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment More: Dayton Band Playoffs

Blind Bob’s opening September 5th

I got official word from Blind Bob’s owner Lisa Mendenhall that the Tavern will be holding their grand opening on September 5th.

“Things seem to be proceeding mostly on schedule,” said Mendenhall. “Much depends on all final inspections and whether there are any issues to be addressed.”

Back in May Mendenhall and her husband purchased the historic building where the Nite Owl used to dwell in the Oregon District.

They have spent the last two months doing extensive renovations to the bar including a new kitchen and a more-easily viewed stage.

I for one cannot wait to see the changes hidden behind the plywood windows and sheets that are currently covering the space.

Judging by some limited pics on the bar’s website, www.blindbobs.com all my waiting and wondering will be worth it when I finally get inside.

Blind Bob’s is currently booking shows for September and October. Interested bands should visit the website and click on music for more info.

However, Blind Bob’s is booked on October 4th.

The new venue will be taking part in the annual Dayton Music Fest along with Canal Street Tavern, Gilly’s, Oregon Express, Trolley Stop, Tumbleweed Connection, and Therapy Cafe.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment More: Dayton Local Music

DBP tale of the tape

Round two - Dayton Band Playoffs - at Canal Street Tavern - Thursday, July 31st

A Familiar Encounter vs Electric Smoke

This match-up is a classic rock versus roll Dayton Band Playoff match-up. Both bands are grounded in the hard rock genre and fans from either band may cross-over and vote for the opposition. The final vote should be very close.

In round one Electric Smoke had a wild show complete with a near drag-out fight between band members (and brothers) onstage.

A Familiar Encounter, who finished eighth overall in first round voting, seems like the favorite going into Thursday’s competition.

But, anything can happen. The winner will take on the top ranked The Joose Box on August 13th in round three.

Here is how the band’s stack up.

A Familiar Encounter

Band members: Matt Penny (lead guitar), Garret Willis (rhythm guitar), Brad Wendling (bass guitar), and Justin McMurry (drums).

From: Dayton

Established: 2006

Style of music: hard rock influenced by Smashing Pumpkins and Metallica

“We believe that our ability to win rests on the fact that our music is so much different than anything out there right now. Everyone who’s heard us has said they haven’t heard anything like it. We respect Electric Smoke and know how hard they have worked to get here and we wish them good luck.” - A Familiar Encounter.

Electric Smoke

Band Members: Landon McKibben (vocals), Brock McKibben (guitar), Matt Szafranski (bass), Ben Shank (drums)

From: Medway

Established: 2007

Style: hard rock, southern rock, blues

“We are bringing loose, fast, rugged and raw hard rock n’ roll back to the forefront of the music scene, where it never should have disappeared from in the first place. We’re doing it with a liquor bottle of southern rock and a white line of blues.” - Electric Smoke.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment

The Story Changes and My Latex Brain to play Warped Tour

The Warped Tour is hitting Riverbend in Cincinnati next Wednesday, July 30th, and two local bands will be playing alongside headliners like Against Me, Motion City Soundtrack, Angels and Airwaves, Say Anything, and more.

Local pop-punk/rock band the Story Changes and local experimental-rock band My Latex Brain will perform on two stages at Warped Tour.

The Story Changes will play on the Ernie Ball stage performing between noon and two. My Latex Brain will be on the Kevin Says stage and will play early as well.

The Warped Tour is a punk and rock music festival that has been around since 1995. Thousands are expected to attend the Cincinnati leg of the Tour.

I heard from Story Changes front-man Mark Mcmillon this week while the band was on tour in Houghton, Michigan.

He told me that he spent the night in the emergency room nursing a common rock n’ roll injury.

“I’ve been battling a pretty bad inner ear infection on this tour, not fun,” said Mcmillon. “The pressure in my head was so bad on Saturday that I caved and went to the walk in ER in Houghton, MI. I got some medicine it’s slowly getting better, but taking it easy as much as possible.”

The Story Changes this week also released a brand new track on a new Future Destination records compilation cd entitled Good Times.

The song is called ‘I Remember’ and fans can check it out a www.FdrShop.com.

Fans can also leave Mark or the band a ‘get well’ message at www.myspace.com/thestorychanges.

My message to Mark is to get out of Michigan.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment More: Dayton Local Music

Back to top

More entries...


Copyright 2008 Lebanon Western Star/The Western Star. All rights reserved.

By using Western-Star.com, you accept the terms of our visitor agreement and privacy policy. You may wish to note our other business policies.

This website is ACAP-enabled