Author: Brian Koscho

  • Best of Ohio 2012: Part One

    Best of Ohio 2012: Part One

    Aquabear is kicking off a brand new year-end tradition by asking some of the state’s best musicians and music related folks to share their favorite Ohio music finds and experiences of the year. Look for a whole bunch of these before the start of 2013! Here’s the first batch featuring Keith Hanlon (Columbus – The…

  • Anyway Records Celebrates 20 Years at Ace of Cups

    Anyway Records turns 20 this year and Bela Koe-Krompecher is throwing a big party over at Ace of Cups in Columbus to celebrate! Two nights of music (Friday and Saturday) featuring some of the best bands to come out of Ohio since the label’s beginning in 1992 including New Bomb Turks, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments,…

  • A Very Special Aquabear Christmas at Casa on Saturday!

    Aquabear Legion will host its A Very Special Aquabear Christmas at Casa Cantina in Athens, Ohio on Saturday, December 22 at 10:30pm. The night will feature music from three great Athens bands: Weird Science, Princess, and Elton Johnny. Admission is $3 and proceeds will benefit the 2013 Aquabear County Fair which will celebrates its 7th…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Fifteen (Week 15)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Fifteen (Week 15)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Fifteen (Week 15) The Browns three game winning streak and slim playoff hopes come to end with a loss to the Washington Redskins in Week 15. Luckily, Brian got to go this game and even better yet he is joined by none other Brian Wiebe. The guys recorded this…

  • Donkey Features Four Great Songwriters on Sunday

    Donkey Features Four Great Songwriters on Sunday

    Lots of great shows happening here in Athens around the holidays, we’ll be talking about some of them in the next week here on Aquabear. Sunday, December 16 features four of the finest songwriters around all on one stage at Donkey Coffee: Matthew Milia (from Michigan’s Frontier Ruckus) and Michael Nau (from Maryland’s fantastic Cotton…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Fourteen (Week 14)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Fourteen (Week 14)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Fourteen (Week 14) Another Win! Against a team that sort of looks like the Browns from a few years ago??? I’ll take it! Our host discusses the amazing and unbelievable fact that the Browns have not been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, asks for your predictions of where…

  • NEW MUSIC: Valleyboys “Chronic Youth” for Free

    NEW MUSIC: Valleyboys “Chronic Youth” for Free

    Athens-based Dark Circles Records is a sweet label run by Chris Lute that has put out stuff by Whale Zombie, Homemade Drugs, and a few other Ohio acts. Dark Circles has two new Athens releases for FREE on the ol’ Bandcamp right now that you all should go stream and download. Chronic Youth is the…

  • Bram Riddlebarger Novel “Earplugs” Published + Release/Show at Casa Sunday

    Bram Riddlebarger Novel “Earplugs” Published + Release/Show at Casa Sunday

    Athens’ own Bram Riddlebarger was one of the first folks involved with Aquabear Legion lending his songs, writing, and live performances to many a project over the years. Bram is releasing his first novel, Earplugs, was published on November 30, 2012 by Livingston Press. To celebrate the books release there is a party at Casa Cantina…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Thirteen (Week 13)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Thirteen (Week 13)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Thirteen (Week 13) Browns win again! 2 in a row! 1st road win since September 2011, the Browns come through 20-17  over the terrible Oakland Raiders and improve to 4-8 on the year. Brian is joined on supercouch in the studio by 3 co-hosts this week: Brian Wiebe and…

  • 6 B’s and a P: Episode Twelve (Week 12)

    6 B’s and a P: Episode Twelve (Week 12)

    6 B’s and a P: Episode Twelve (Week 12) The Browns win for just the third time this year beating a hated Pittsburgh Steeler team reeling from injuries. But who cares! They win against their rival for only the 2nd time in the last 18 games and to celebrate Brian invites Kris Poland on to…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Eleven (Week 11)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Eleven (Week 11)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Eleven (Week 11) The Browns lose… again. This time, they take longer than normal doing it losing to the Dallas Cowboys 23-20 in Overtime. We think it’s Pat Shurmur’s fault mostly and once again try to be positive and talk about more positive things like Phil Taylor’s metal beard,…

  • Halfway to Nelsonville Music Festival Party

    I am biased when it comes to the Nelsonville Music Festival and Stuart’s Opera House because I work there. But nevertheless, the Nelsonville Music Festival has grown to be one of the finest festivals around over the years and has been a big supporter of Ohio music. The have hosted everyone from Flaming Lips, Willie…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Ten (Week Nine)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Ten (Week Nine) Oh man, what a horrible football game. The Browns lose again despite Kicker Phil Dawson’s attempt at beating the Baltimore Ravens on his own with 5 field goals, and fall to the hate Baltimore Ravens 25-15. The good news is that this week’s episode features the…

  • ACRN Looking For Ohio Music Submissions

    ACRN, Ohio University’s only student-run radio station would like you to share/submit your bands’ music for our radio station’s local/regional section. They are looking for current local music from around Ohio and the region, so if you are in a band send some music along. If you’re interested, please send all media and media related news…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Nine (Week Eight)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Nine (Week Eight) BROWNS WIN! It wasn’t pretty (at all) but the important thing is the Cleveland Browns won another game and beat the San Diego Chargers 7-6 on a rainy, cold, windy day on Lake Erie. Just a quick episode this week from Brian, recorded right before he…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Eight (Week Seven)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Eight (Week Seven) The Cleveland Browns lose again. What a difference a week makes. Brian welcomes co-host Kris Poland to discuss what’s wrong with this football team among other topics including Josh Cribbs’ Instagram account and electrocuted former Browns players. We have another (newly coined) Don Fleming Memorial Trivia…

  • Mike Watt and the Missingmen at The Union on Monday with Makebelieves!

    Monday, October 22 at The Union Bar in Athens, Ohio | Mike Watt + The Missingmen and Makebelieves I love Mike Watt (Minutemen, firehose, the new incarnation of The Stooges) and I don’t know what I would have done had I not heard the car engine start at the beginning of Double Nickels on the…

  • Dude Locker 4 in Columbus This Saturday

    Way back when the Aquabear was just a baby bear cub… one of the first folks we ended up working with and meeting in this crazy world of Ohio music was Joel Archibald (at the time of Lemon House Collective, The Husher, and a whole bunch of other things). Like minded people just end up…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Seven (Week Six)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Seven (Week Six)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Seven (Week Six) It has finally happened! The Browns win! Our host celebrates by opening up the phone lines and taking calls from fans of the show, make sure to earmuff any small children when the Angry Ohioan calls in. We all talk about the joyous occasion by talking…

  • Rocket From The Tombs at Union Saturday Night!

    Big awesome show at The Union this Saturday, October 13. Cleveland legends Rocket From the Tombs will be joined by two of Ohio’s finest bands around: Obnox (featuring Lamont Thomas of This Moment in Black History,Bassholes) and The County Pharoahs (Chris Biester of Appalachian Death Ride, Scott Winland and Brandon Robinson of Dropdead Sons). Don’t…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Six (Week Five)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Six (Week Five)

    6 Bs and P: Episode Six (Week Five) Well… Brian’s had enough. This week’s installment of 6 Bs and a P covers the now 0-5 Cleveland Browns, the only winless team in the NFL currently. The Browns are actually in the middle of an 11 game losing streak going back to last season, without a…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Five (Week Four)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Five (Week Four)

    6 Bs and P: Episode Five (Week Four) Well, the Browns are 0-4. So why is Brian still not complaining too much? This can’t possibly go on for much longer. No guest on this quick episode reviewing last week’s loss to the hated Ravens and a preview of the Giants game this coming Sunday. We…

  • Ohio’s Record Stores: Used Kids

    This article originally was published in Issue 24 of Ghettoblaster Magazine, Thanks to Ghettoblaster and David Obenour for allowing us to republish this. This is the first in a series profiling Ohio’s record stores. If you are interested in writing about your favorite drop us a line at contact@aquabearlegion.com. Used Kids 1980 N. High Street. Columbus,…

  • Stolen Gear Benefit at The Union This Saturday

    Stolen Gear Benefit at The Union This Saturday

    Some jerks stole all of Dropdead Sons (Scott Winland, Chris Burget, Brandon Robinson, Chris Corbin) gear from their rehearsal space last week. Scott put together a really great show to help raise money to get that gear back. The Union in Athens, Ohio will host  a reunited Whale Zombie, The County Pharoahs, Wheels On Fire,…

  • 6 Bs and a P: Episode Four (Week Three)

    6 Bs and a P: Episode Four (Week Three)

    Six Bs and a P: Episode Four (Week Three) Brian Michael is joined by another Brian Michael. All the way from Chicago, Illinois, by the magic of technology for the fourth episode of 6 Bs and a P. Brian Wiebe guests this week on a special “longer than 10-15 minutes” episode of our favorite football…