A bunch of Ohio bands are playing this weekend at the Nelsonville Music Festival (May 28th-31st). A few of them will also appear on this year’s Aquabear Legion Volume 5 Double LP. Don’t miss this amazing festival and all the great bands involved. Now in its 11th year.
Here’s a list of Ohio bands performing at the NMF15
* Connections – Columbus (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
Good English – Dayton
Bummers – Columbus
* The D-Rays – Athens (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
* Speaking Suns – Yellow Springs (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
* Weird Science – Athens (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
* Dead Hand Of Man – Athens (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
The Summoners – Athens
The Wild Honeybees – Athens
Chris Biester – Athens
Ryan Jewell – Columbus
Scott Hedrick – Athens
Ben Stalets – Toledo
Mike Elliott – Athens
The Teardrops – Athens
Bram Riddlebarger – Athens
Chris Monday – Athens
Nathan & Brendan Moore – Athens
Megan Wormz Bihn – Athens
* Weedghost – Athens/Fairborn (Featured on ABL Vol. 5)
Stuart’s Afterschool Bands – Athens County
Heatwave Dance Party – Columbus
Dj Barticus – Athens
John E. Clift – Columbus
Honorary
Bassholes – Asheville, NC
Adam Torres – Austin, TX
Michael Hurley – Portland, OR
Shilpa Ray plays The Smiling Skull this Saturday, March 21 with Blam Blams and Dana
Our good friends over at Blackout our presenting a great show this Saturday, March 21st when Shilpa Ray comes to her “second home” of Athens, Ohio for a night of rock and roll. (attend on the facebook here) Shilpa is no stranger to Athens have played here many times over the years in various incarnations and she is heading back from a SXSW tour in promotion of a new EP (stream it here) and an upcoming full length, both put out by the fine folks at Northern Spy Records. In addition to singing backup vocals for Nick Cave and putting on some great records (including one on Cave’s own label) she has made time for new material including an EP of Lou Reed and Dinah Washington covers. We had a chance to talk with Shilpa while she was out on the road and thought we would share. Go this show.
AQUABEAR:Â You’ve been a staple in Athens music scene since the days of Beat the Devil and now for years as a solo artist and with the Happy Hookers, what makes Athens special for you?
SHILPA RAY: I’ve always loved the music scene there. It heavy on Rock n Roll and you down get that in Brooklyn much. I’ve also been adopted by various people in Athens so it really is like my second home.
AB:Â What’s your favorite Athens show memory? Or Ohio memory overall? SR: There’s a few. Some are painful so I’ll stick the fun shallow ones instead. Let’s see… When Dirty Johnny of the Makebelieves dressed up as Curious George for Halloween and started rolling around stage with someone dressed as Snow White. That was visually stunning. Getting trapped in a snow storm. When our van broke down and we played as a CCR cover band to pay for the repairs. The after parties. ALWAYS the after parties
AB:Â Favorite Ohio band from over the years? SR: The Makebelieves, Dropdead Sons, We March
AB:Tell us about the new LP, Last Year’s Savage. SR: I wrote and recorded it through years of severe depression. It’s pretty raw and heavy.
AB:Â With the Make Up EP, what made you decide to release a cover EP? How did you select the songs? SR: This is my story and I’m sticking to it:Â Make Up – I had an epiphany about this song when I was in Palermo around Christmas time after the Bad Seeds tour. Lou had died late October. I found out 10 minutes before I had to play solo before a sold out crowd at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. Needless to say his passing had a massive effect on me. He was my childhood hero. Europe was hard to grasp for me in a lot of ways. The culture, language barriers,the overload of dairy and ghettos of freshly placed refugees from countries, some I had never heard of before. I was exhausted and getting drunk outside a bar where you can get Marsala for a Euro, basically all I could afford. There were tons of kids dancing in the streets getting high and happy, when this stray yellow lab comes up to me and starts swaying back and forth. The song Make Up came on and I started swaying with the dog. It was one of those rare moments I felt alright.
What A Difference A Day Makes – We had decided to go to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame during a tour stop in Cleveland. I was pretty cynical about the whole thing and tour hadn’t been smooth. I had to send a dude home for being a brat in Kansas City among other places and was feeling pretty exposed as the bad guy. It was a stressful situation and trying to justify my actions in the passive aggressive world of music where no one’s making any money felt daunting. I separated myself from the group, the costumes, the Katy Perry and the Beyonce and hung out in the listening booth for hours. Dinah Washington came on and put every wannabe singer, myself included, to shame. What a voice! She draws her breath so long and never loses the listener. I had to challenge myself with this one. I hope I can sing like her someday.
AB:Â You are out on tour right now, are you debuting new material? If so what is it like to play those songs in front of audience after working on the album? SR: Yes! It’s kind of freaky cause it’s never as tight as the rest of the set. It can be a mind fuck at times, to sing, play, remember and get judged all at the same time.
AB:Â What are you listening to right now? SR: This very second? Chris Bell – I Am The Cosmos (editors note: hell yeah)
To celebrate our 10th birthday the Aquabear decided to release a double LP featuring 24 Ohio bands and set up an Indiegogo page to collect pre-orders and support to help make it happen. The Aquabear is thrilled to be at 56% of our goal with 34 days remaining and a total of $2801 of $5000 raised! Thanks to all who have supported this project, so far 68 of you have directly contributed to making this thing happen. You are awesome.We need to keep spreading the word to reach our goal, there is still a lot more to go. If you can share this link, and tell anyone you think might like two records of Ohio music we would be thankful. Look for some sketches from Charlie of the liner note art (that will become the awesome limited edition prints that start at the $75 level w/ a record) coming soon.
Below is the track order for the compilation, it’s subject to change of course but it is a really good sequence so it probably won’t. Share the link and support an awesome project.
AQUABEAR LEGION 2015
SIDE A
Joseph Airport  “If I Had An Airplane (I’d Be There)”*
Herzog  “Oh No”
Sport Fishing USA Â “Feeling So Strange”*
Connections  “Everybody High”*
Supernobody  “Quicker Than the Eye”*
Weedghost  “Excerpt from I”
SIDE B
WV White  “Multiple Bathrooms”
Motel Beds  “Stay Out of Riverdale”*
Unmonumental  “Sword”*
The D-Rays  “High Tide”*
The Guitars  “She’s Got Your Heart”
Nick Tolford & Company  “Cancel Your Plans”
SIDE C
Weird Science  “Gimmie Some Time”*
Kid Tested  “#1 Hit”
Hyrrokkin  “Astrionics”
Murderedman  “Love Under Ground”*
The Kyle Sowashes  “A Faster Asshole”*
Dead Winds of Summer  “He’s Gone Man”*
SIDE D
Dead Hand of Man  “Dark Invader”*
Hookers Made Out of Cocaine  “Milky Way”*
Speaking Suns  “Sleeper”
She Bears  “Beach Fires”
Black Owls  “Whorehouse Joke”*
The 1984 Draft  “Scarlet & Cream”
The Aquabear (painted here by Athens artist Emily Beveridge) will release a double LP, 24 song vinyl comp in Spring 2015.
The Aquabear (painted here by Athens artist Emily Beveridge) will release a double LP, 24 song vinyl comp in Spring 2015.
Since 2004, Aquabear has worked with over 200 bands and dozens of visual artists and filmmakers. And in that time produced 10 releases including compilations of Ohio music both physical and for free on aquabearlegion.com. But we REALLY want to put out some vinyl. And since we just celebrated our 10th birthday it seemed like a double LP is the way to go. 24 songs from 24 of Ohio’s best bands on 2 LPs. Printed, pressed, designed, and played in Ohio. You can support this project and pre-order your copy at our Indiegogo page here. Please help us spread the word folks!
To help raise money and make some more things in the process we are partnering we a couple local artists for some really cool special items. Charlie Touvell will be making some limited edition prints based on his artwork for the record’s liner notes and even some custom drawings too. We will be making some brand new hoodies and of course have t-shirts, colored vinyl, and countless random Aquabear items we might send along. We sincerely appreciate your support of this project.
Aquabear 2015 will include music from 24 Ohio bands on 2 LPs:
The 1984 Draft, Black Owls, Connections, Dead Hand of Man, Dead Winds of Summer, The D-Rays, The Guitars, Herzog, Hookers Made Out of Cocaine, Hyrrokkin, Joseph Airport, Kid Tested, The Kyle Sowashes, The Motel Beds, Murderedman, Nick Tolford & Company, She Bears, Speaking Suns, Sport Fishing USA, Supernobody, Unmonumental, Weedghost, Weird Science, and WV White.
We have always wanted to make a record, and these are some really amazing songs to do it with. The plan is that if this works we will keep doing it with more and more bands in the future. Here’s a video!
Today was a sad day in Athens, Ohio. In the early morning hours of Sunday, November 16th a fire broke out somewhere on West Union Street between Court Street and Congress. Extensive fire, smoke, and water has damaged buildings including The Union Bar and Grill, Jackie O’s Public House, Jack Neal Florists, Kismet, Campus Sundry, and Smoke Zone Smoke Shop. The Union and Jackie O’s both received considerable damage, as of now it appears that Jackie O’s kitchen and Public House will be closed indefinitely though the hope is the Brewery side will open soon. The Union received significant damage and more details will be known in the coming weeks. Aquabear Legion stands in full support of all of the business owners and people who lost their homes, a GoFundMe donation site is already up to help Union Street employees during this difficult time and more benefits and work is already in planning. You can read about all of the events here over at WOUB Public Media.
Simply put, the Aquabear Legion would not exist without the Union. It is an essential part of the Athens music community. It has hosted countless Aquabear shows and 6 of our County Fairs, not to mention served as the place for all underground rock and roll existing in our town and all that passed through.
When I came to Athens in 2001 as a Freshman at Ohio University I felt as I imagine a lot of kids feel: excited and confused to be out on my own and in general a little out of place. That feeling was short lived because I set foot in the Union after only being in town for a couple weeks. Instantly I felt at home. In the 13 years since then I have since graduated and made Athens my home that place has become a central location for some of the most important events in my life and led to countless friendships, creative collaborations, amazing shows, and even eventually to my own wedding. The Union is an institution. Having a space like that is essential to a vibrant community, for over 90 years people who were looking for all of the other folks who didn’t fit in found them by looking there.
The Union has been a central location to my life for the last 13 years and I cannot imagine where I would be without it. In terms of firsts alone: I had my first beer (at a bar) there and played music in front of people for the first time, and it was the first place I went to after graduating college and marrying my wife Sherri who would be found the night of our wedding in her wedding dress downstairs surrounded by all our friends. The list of great bands I saw there is endless, some from far away towns and cities and some from right down the street. I had the privilege to play shows there in every band and project I have been in and believe that I still will play on a stage at that building again. Â I feel honored to be a part of that family and the Athens music community, and I believe that with the support of that community we will be able to rebuild the home base for Athens rock and roll and make sure that institution is there for generations to come.
My thoughts are with all of those affected at this time, especially those whose homes and businesses were destroyed and all of the wonderful people who will be dealing with the loss of work as a result of the damage. The damage to all of the businesses and housing is unbelievable, and the loss of The Union and Jackie O’s Public House in the immediate future will be huge for the Athens music community and the Athens community members who work in those places.
William Hooker Trio will play The Union on August 15th, tickets on sale now.
The Aquabear Legion mainly focuses on Ohio music but every once in a while we get a chance to bring in a non-Buckeye musician or band and cannot pass it up. William Hooker’s body of uninterrupted work beginning in the mid-seventies defines him as one of the most important composers and players in jazz. Aquabear presents the William Hooker Trio at The Union in Athens on Friday, August 15th at 9:00pm. Tickets will be only $5 in advance because we don’t want any excuses on this one You can buy them at Haffa’s in advance and they will be more at the door. As bandleader, Hooker has fielded ensembles in an incredibly diverse array of configurations. Each collaboration has brought a serious investigation of his compositional agenda and the science of the modern drum kit. His coming to little old Athens, Ohio on a Friday night to play for you dudes. Hooker’s trio includes an Ohian in Edward Ricart (of Aquabear favorites Hyrrokkin among many more) and DC underground jazz lynchpin Luke Stewart. This will be incredible and I suggest you don’t miss it.
His work is frequently grounded in a narrative context. Whether set against a silent film or anchored by a poetic theme, Hooker brings dramatic tension and human warmth to avant-garde jazz. His ability to find fertile ground for moving music in a variety of settings that obliterate genre distinctions offers a much-needed statement of social optimism in the arts.
William Hooker (drummer,composer and poet) has created works that range from jazz and “new” music to experimental genres. He has released over 60 CDs a a leader. Mr. Hooker has performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Atrium at Lincoln Center, Wadsworth Atheneum, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Walker Art Center,MTV, The Kitchen, Roulette, Real Art Ways. He has also presented his work at the JVC Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, CMJ Music Festival,Vilnius Jazz Festival, Experimenta Argentina,The Knitting Factory and the Victoriaville Music Festival. William Hooker has received commissions and support from the New York State Council on the Arts, Meet the Composer, Tokio Marine Insurance Company and colleges and universities such as Oberlin, Fordham, Columbia, New York University, Boston University, Princeton, Dartmouth and many more. Accompanying musicians have included Billy Bang, David S. Ware, William Parker, Thurston Moore, David Soldier, Roy Campbell, DJ Spooky,Steven Bernstein, Zeena Parkins, Lee Ranaldo, Jason Hwang, Sabir Mateen, Elliott Sharp, David Murray, Ted Daniel, JD Parren and many more.
Edward Ricart is a guitarist and bassist presently located in Yellow Springs, OH. His creative outlets include avant-rock power trio Hyrrokkin; free jazz/noise rock quartet Haitian Rail; free-rock duo Matta Gawa; and the Edward Ricart Quartet, alongside Herb Robertson, Jason Ajemian, and Andrew Barker. He has also collaborated with William Hooker, Marshall Allen, Merzbow, Peter Brotzmann, Paul Dunmall, Andrea Parkins, and members of the rock groups Tortoise, Black Flag, and Fugazi, among many others.
A veteran of Washington DC’s creative music underground, his weekly New Atlantis series of concerts earned him the designation of ‘Avant Garde Savior’ and Best in DC by the Washington City Paper. The series blossomed into a vanguard record label, with an exemplary roster of rising stars and established legends. His work incorporates the processes of new music- including serialism, through-composition, and free improvisation, braced with the dissonant, polyrhythmic backbone of creative rock music
Luke Stewart is an emerging voice on the bass, whose efforts have a pronounced impact on the Washington DC community. As production manager at the storied WPFW radio station, Stewart has worked with Chuck Brown, Yusef Lateef, Randy Weston, Muhal Richard Abrams, Juma Sultan, and Amiri Baraka. He produced many successful programs including a month-long commemoration of Black Music Month. He also co-produced a month-long tribute to pianist Horace Tapscott Los Angeles based community organization UGMAA (Union of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension). Also notable, he produced Washington, DC’s first live radio appearance of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal on the program Jazz and Justice with Tom Porter.
Stewart has also helped establish CapitalBop.com, a DC-based jazz website, as its Avant Music Editor. Through the site, he helped launch a live jazz performance series dubbed the “DC Jazz Loftâ€, presenting talented jazz artists in and around the DC area. He has also presented other jazz performances in his “Red Door Loft†series, showcasing artists such as David Ornette Cherry, Ken Vandermark, Rob Mazurek’s Starlicker, Acid Birds, Khan Jamal, Juini Booth, and Elliot Levin. Stewart has played with Trio 000 since 2010 and has performed at many of DC’s historic venues including Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, and HR-57.
The 16th annual Athens Community Music Festival is this Saturday, August 9th. 32 Athens bands will perform at 6 stages around town.
The 16th annual Athens Community Music Festival is this Saturday, August 9th. 32 Athens bands will perform at 6 stages around town.
I am a bit biased, but Athens Ohio has an incredible community of musicians. Folks who have spent decades and years writing and playing music in our little town, but also putting on shows, putting up posters, and making things happen. One of the countless examples of that is the annual Athens Community Music Festival, each August tons of Athens bands play all around town for one night. This year ACMF turns sweet 16 on Saturday, August 9th in uptown Athens! 32 local acts play at 6 stages including The Union, Casa Cantina, Donkey Coffee, Smiling Skull, and two stages at Jackie O’s in the Public House and the Brewery side. Pay only $5 per venue, or $8 for an all venue pass and see some of the best music around right up the street. Plus you can join us all for the Aquabear Legion Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, August 10th from 1pm-3pm at UCM at 18 N. College Street in Athens. Here’s the schedule!
(“all venue passes” available at each of the participating venues, night of show.)
Proceeds benefit The Gathering Place, Arts/WEST, Athens Rock Camp for Girls and The Bryan Winland Memorial Arts & Music Scholarship.
Joe Anderl and his band The 1984 Draft join the County Fair lineup from Dayton, Ohio
Joe Anderl and his band The 1984 Draft join the County Fair lineup from Dayton, Ohio
The 8th annual Aquabear County Fair is September 5-6, 2014 in Athens, Ohio with Connections and WVWhite heading down from Columbus for a FREE weekend of Ohio music. We are excited to announce another round of bands to join the two we have already announced! Dayton’s The 1984 Draft (Joe Anderl in new full band mode) joins Athens acts The D-Rays, The Heartlanders, Supernobody, and Ohio noise supergroup Weedghost. A few more acts still to come and the whole weekend is FREE. Shows will take place at The Union in Athens on Friday (The D-Rays, WVWhite, The Heartlanders, more TBA) and Saturday (Connections, The 1984 Draft, Supernobody, Weedghost, more TBA) and we will also host a special afternoon acoustic showcase at Haffa’s Records right across the street on Saturday afternoon! Joe Anderl (of 1984 NFL Draft) will be playing along with a few more still to be announced. More information on the Haffa’s show coming soon.
This whole weekend is FREE because we want everyone to come out and enjoy Ohio music and have one less excuse on why they are not watching awesome music. But, Aquabear still pays the bands because we think artists should get paid. We’re having our annual fundraiser (and an event I have dubbed “the best day of the year”) the Aquabear Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, August 10th from 1pm-3pm at UCM in Uptown Athens. All local food from such great partners as Snowville Creamery, Donkey Coffee, Casa Nueva, Shagbark Seed & Mill, Fluff Bakery & Catering, Pierogi Mountain, Fullbrooks Cafe, and many more. $5 in advance (look for tickets at Haffa’s soon, or buy them from us) or $6 at the door for all you can eat pancakes and coffee PLUS $1 upgrades will be available for an exclusive AquaBLUEbear Pierogi Mountain pierogi, local bacon, Casa soysage, and more. Come hang out and eat some killer pancakes.
Aquabear's annual Pancake Breakfast is Sunday, August 10th at UCM in Athens, Ohio
Aquabear’s annual Pancake Breakfast is Sunday, August 10th at UCM in Athens, Ohio
The Aquabear Legion will present our 8th annual Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, August 10th from 1:00 pm-3:00 pm at UCM in Uptown Athens, Ohio (18 N. College Street). All money raised at the breakfast will go to pay bands at the 8th annual Aquabear County Fair which is September 5-6, 2014 at The Union Bar & Grill. It’s the best day of the year. A whole bunch of great local food and pancakes to support a whole bunch of great local music. We will have delicious food from: Snowville Creamery, Casa Nueva, Donkey Coffee, Shagbark Seed & Mill, Fullbrooks Cafe, Fluff Bakery & Catering, and many more!
$5 in advance
$6 at the door
*includes all you can eat pancakes made from Shagbark Seed & Mill spelt flour and coffee
PLUS: We will offer $1 UPGRADES for a slice of bacon, Casa Nueva soysage (vegetarian!), choice of lots of sweets + desserts, or special Aquabear exclusive pierogi from Pierogi Mountain
More info coming soon, come out and support Ohio music and eat amazing food. And it’s the morning after the annual Athens Community Music Festival so it’s the perfect thing to do when you roll out of bed the next morning/afternoon.
Connections will headline the 8th annual Aquabear County Fair on September 6 at The Union
The Aquabear County Fair will happen for the 8th time (whoa) on September 5-6, 2014 in Athens, Ohio. With this years event featuring two nights of ALL FREE Ohio music at The Union with another surprise or two to be announced. The Aquabear is excited to announce one band for each night already and both hail from up US 33 in Columbus, Ohio: Connections (on Saturday, September 6) and WV White (on Friday, September 5). Lots more bands to be announced as we get closer! And remember: this weekend is FREE cause we want you to come watch Ohio music but we do pay all the bands so donations are welcomed! We will be hosting our annual Aquabear Legion Pancake Breakfast in Athens this August, so be sure to check back for details on that delicious event. All proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast go to the Aquabear County Fair.
Water Liars, Supernobody, Adam Remnant, and Dead Winds of Summer at The Union on Tuesday, Mach 4
Water Liars, Supernobody, Adam Remnant, and Dead Winds of Summer at The Union on Tuesday, Mach 4
Aquabear Legion loves Ohio music, but sometimes we bend the rules on hosting shows when a band from another state is as mindblowingly awesome as Mississippi’s Water Liars. On Tuesday, March 4th, Aquabear teams up with Blackout Booking and Peacock Productions to welcome Water Liars to The Union along with Athens staples Supernobody, Adam Remnant, and Dead Winds of Summer. Water Liars are fresh off the release of their self-titled third LP on Fat Possum’s Big Legal Mess label. Joining Water Liars that night will be local Athens acts Supernobody, Adam Remnant, and Dead Winds of Summer. Tickets are $8 in advance and available at Haffa’s Records in Athens, Ohio and are $10 at the door. Music will begin around 9:00pm. Here’s the event on Facebook. Help us spread the word and come out to watch a fantastic night of live music in Athens, Ohio.
Friends of the Shelter Dogs benefit show at The Union on Saturday, December 7! Good cause, 6 bands, 5 bucks.
If you believe in a supporting a great cause (for an even better reason) all while listening to some of Athens, Ohio’s best rock and roll then Aquabear has a suggestion for your Saturday night. On Saturday, December 7th, The Union hosts a Friends of the Shelter Dogs benefit show with Weird Science, The D-Rays, County Pharaohs, DUNE, Dead Hand of Man, and Supernobody! The evening (and its charitable cause) are to honor the memory of Kimberly Fleming, a friend of many of the fine folks involved, Athens resident, and animal lover. Music starts at 9pm sharp (doors at 8:30) and $5 gets you 6 of Athens finest bands, with proceeds going to Friends of the Shelter Dogs in Athens County.
Missy Pence Coleman (bassist in Athens’ own surf rockers The D-Rays) put the show together as a tribute to her late friend Kimberly Fleming. Fleming called Athens home for years and passed away last August, and as Missy put it, “just seemed we needed to do something for her here and there was a lot of interest right off the bat. She was an animal lover, and we wanted to do something good in her memory.” Coleman told Aquabear that the lineup came together pretty quickly, “I sent out a message to her old friends in bands here, which got the original bill going– us, County Pharaohs, Dune and Weird Science. Then a few more bands, Supernobody and Dead Hand of Man volunteered to play too, so it just took off.”
9:00 Supernobody
9:50 Dead Hand of Man
10:40 DUNE
11:30 County Pharaohs
12:20 The D-Rays
1:00 Weird Science
Help support a great organization, Friends of the Shelter Dogs, by seeing some great live music! Six bands for $5! Doors open at 8:30 and the show starts promptly at 9:00.
Friends of the Shelter Dogs is a group of Athens County, OH citizens dedicated to the welfare and rescue of dogs from the Athens County Dog Shelter.This show is also a local opportunity to remember our dear friend Kimberly Fleming. All of the proceeds of the show will go to FOSD in her name.
The 7th annual Aquabear County Fair is THIS COMING WEEKEND: September 5-7 in beautiful Uptown Athens, Ohio. Things kick off on Thursday, September 5 at The Union at 10:00pm with Weird Science (athens), Palaces (cleveland), Princess (athens), and Night Stalker (athens). Friday, September 6 we move a few block away to Casa Cantina with music from The D-Rays (athens), Hyrrokkin (yellow springs), Supernobody (athens), and The Dead Hand of Man (athens). And we finish off the weekend back at The Union on Saturday, September 7 at 9:00pm with Wussy (cincinnati), Â being joined by a slew of Athens bands including County Pharaohs, Hex Net, Unmonumental, Weedghost, and the night will close out with a performance from We March. ALL FREE. It’s on Facebook here, share this link, bring friends, support Ohio music
The 7th annual Aquabear County Fair is September 5-7 in Athens, Ohio! The weekend features 14 Ohio bands playing three nights for FREE and here’s the final lineup (times TBA):
Thursday, September 5 at The Union, 10pm
Weird Science (athens)
Palaces (cleveland)
Princess (athens)
Night Stalker (athens)
Friday, September 6 at Casa, 10pm
The D-Rays (athens)
Hyrrokkin (yellow springs)
Supernobody (athens)
Dead Hand of Man (athens)
Saturday, September 7 at The Union, 9pm
Wussy (cincinnati)
We March (athens)
County Pharaohs (athens)
Hex Net (athens)
Unmonumental (athens)
Weedghost (fairborn/athens)
All shows are FREE. We still pay the bands so if you’d like to help by making a donation let us know: contact@aquabearlegion.com
Athens' own We March join the Aquabear County Fair lineup and will close out The Union on Saturday, September 7
Athens’ own We March join the Aquabear County Fair lineup and will close out The Union on Saturday, September 7
The 7th annual Aquabear County Fair will take place in beautiful Athens, Ohio on the weekend of September 5-7, 2013! And the Aquabear has another round of bands to announce for this ALL FREE weekend of Ohio music featuring (after about a year off) the Athens legendary punk rockers We March who will close out The Union on Saturday night after Wussy’s set. Joining We March in this round of announcements as well are Hyrrokkin (yellow springs), County Pharaohs (athens), Hex Net (athens), and Princess (athens). The new announcements join a lineup that features Wussy (cincinnati), The D-Rays (athens), Weird Science (athens), Supernobody (athens), Unmonumental (athens), and Weedghost (athens/fairborn). More bands are still to be announced and the entire weekend is FREE. We gladly take donations to help pay the bands, drop us a line at contact@aquabearlegion.com if you’d like to help.
7th Annual Aquabear County Fair
Athens, Ohio – Â ALL FREE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
The Union, 10pm
with: Weird Science, Princess, and more
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Casa Cantina, 10pm
with: Hyrokkin, The D-Rays, Supernobdy, and more
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
The Union, 9pm
with: Wussy, We March, County Pharaohs, Hex Net, Unmonumental, Weedghost
Cincinnati’s Wussy will headline the 7th annual Aquabear County Fair!
The 7th annual Aquabear County Fair will take place September 5-7, 2013 in beautiful uptown Athens, Ohio! This year’s Fair will feature tons of great Ohio bands playing all throughout the weekend in Athens FOR FREE and will be headlined by Cincinnati’s acclaimed rock and roll legends Wussy on Saturday, September 7th at The Union. Joining Wussy in this first round of announcements are some of Athens’ finest including The D-Rays, Weird Science, Supernobody, Unmonumental, and Weedghost (dates, venues, times to be announced), with a whole lot more to come. The weekend will kick off on Thursday, September 5th at The Union and continue on Friday, September 6 at Casa Cantina before closing out on Saturday, September 7th back at The Union. There will still be a few more shows and surprises to announce as we get closer. And again, this whole weekend is FREE. If you are an Ohio business interested in sponsoring the Aquabear County Fair to help pay some bands, send us an e-mail at contact@aquabearlegion.com, and if you are a person who thinks this all sounds like a good time and want to support Aquabear you can make a donation here, even a few bucks is a big help.
Check out Wussy’s full KEXP performance from 2012’s SXSW show at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop
The best day of the whole year is almost upon us, Aquabear Legion Pancake Breakfast day! Sunday, February 17th at 1:00pm at UCM at 18 N. College St. in Athens, Ohio. Once again we are partnering with some great local food producers to make this meal ALL LOCAL including Shagbark Seed & Mill, Snowville Creamery, Sticky Pete’s Maple Syrup, Donkey Coffee, Fluff Bakery & Catering, Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery, and King Family Farm. All proceeds benefit the 7th annual Aquabear County Fair in Fall 2013, money raised will pay the bands for playing and keep all the shows free. Tickets are $5 in advance (look for them this week on the website here and at Haffa’s Records) or $6 at the door, and your ticket includes an all local meal with: ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT pancakes with Sticky Pete’s Maple Syrup and homemade Snowville butter, Donkey Coffee, various treats, along with bacon upgrades for $1. The breakfast will run from 1:00pm-4:00pm.
Hope to see you there, and please help us spread the word. Attend on Facebook.
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 year and will feature a full weekend of great Ohio music at venues around Athens for FREE! Â And we should have some t-shirts and cd’s if you still need a gift for someone.
Aquabear Legion is based in Athens, Ohio and is a collective of Ohio musicians and artists. Since 2004, Aquabear has worked with over 150 bands and dozens of artists and filmmakers from the state of Ohio. We work to promote and support Ohio musicians by releasing compilations of music, putting on shows and events, hosting podcasts, and covering Ohio music on our website at www.aquabearlegion.com. To date Aquabear Legion has released 9 compilations of Ohio music, 8 of them are available for free stream or download on their website, and one is a physical release available for purchase, 2011’s Aquabear Legion Volume 4. The Aquabear Legion provides a community network for creative people. We are dedicated to supporting and enhancing independent music and art in our extended region. We focus on collaborative relationships to create opportunities for independent musicians and artists.
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 Jones, who will be playing this year’s Nelsonville Music Festival) will join Athens’ own Adam Remnant (Southeast Engine) and Athens’ own/Oregon’s current own Justin Gordon (Hoover Administration). Don’t miss this one folks. $7 at the door, show starts at 8:00pm.
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 new album from Valleyboys (and it has “Ghost” on it, also found on Aquabear Legion Volume 4) and it is joined by Fitness a new release from Athens project Vodou featuring Chris Lee (Melk), Charlie Milter (Weird Science, Valleyboys), and AJ Hitmar (Valleyboys, Cop Hugger). Go check them out and support sweet stuff.
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 in Athens on Sunday, December 9 at 6:00pm and run through the night. Bram will read from the book from 7-8-pm, followed by a signing. Bands will start around 9pm. Hex Net and Weird Science will play as well as a stripped down Heartlanders set.
From Earplugs press info: “In this charming novel, a quest for earplugs tries to stave off old age, unrequited love, and the burden of change. But like dark ships appearing on the horizon of small-town ear canals, bobbing masts signal beginnings and ends. A town overtaken by a new order. Antique dealers selling off the living room. Relationships that ignite and do not last. Eau de Auld versus Odeur Nouveau, in brief.”
Go pick up the book at Casa on Sunday and Bram will sign it for you, if you can’t make it to that check at local places around town (Little Professor, Haffa’s), and if you are out of the area you can buy it on Amazon by clicking here.
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 Nelson, and Guided By Voices to a huge list of Ohio bands from Wheels On Fire to Weedghost. Now in its 9th year, the 2013 Nelsonville Music Festival will take place May 30-June 2, 2013 and will no doubt be another amazing weekend of music. It’s almost halfway to this year’s fest, so Stuart’s is throwing a big party at Athens’ own Rollerbowl Lanes (28 Palmer Street) to celebrate on Saturday, December 1st!
The party will feature live music from Nick Tolford & Company (Columbus) and The D-Rays (Athens) and more along with beer, bowling (2 games are included with admission), a silent auction featuring lots of sweet stuff, and even some lineup announcements for next year’s Nelsonville Music Festival. Proceeds from the show and silent auction will put right back into the festival to continue making it awesome. Tickets are only $10 in advance or $15 at the door and you can get them online right here.
And if you are feeling like halfway is still to far… go take a listen to the Sometimes the Bear Eats You coverage from the 2012 Nelsonville Music Festival.
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 Dime. That changed my life. And now Mr. Watt is coming to my favorite rock and roll bar right here in Athens, Ohio and Athens’ own Makebelieves are getting back together for a rare appearance to open up the show! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE. Matt Presutti himself is flying in from South Dakota to play sweet riffs for all of you. See you there around 8pm (that’s what Facebook says). Tickets are available at Haffa’s Records in uptown Athens.
Here’s some info on Hyphenated-Man, the opera Watt is performing on his “2nd Heapin’ Helpin’ of 3rd Opera 2012 Tour” from his website:  “hyphenated-man” is the name of my third opera, “contemplating the engine room” (1997) being the first one and “the secondman’s middle stand” (2004) being the second. I expressly put together the missingmen (on guitar: tom watson and on drums: raul morales) for this proj a couple of years ago and now w/the mastering by john golden (august 19, 2010), I am so glad to say it has now been realized. it’s first release was october 6, 2010 in japan on parabolica records and then released everywhere else on my own clenchedwrench label on march 1, 2011..
whereas “…engine room” dealt w/my pop’s life in the navy as a metaphor for the story of the minutemen and “…middle stand” was a parallel to dante’s “comedia” dealing w/an illness that almost killed me in 2000, this third opera is quite different in that it has no standard narrative (libretto!) meaning no regular beginning-middle-end and is as it were “simultaneous” in the way a mirror from just inside my head – right in this middle-age moment of mine – was then shattered into thirty pieces and then each piece stuffed in the head to show a piece of my state of mind (or out-of-mind) as of now. “thirty tunes?” yes, they’re little ones… actually they’re “thirty parts” of one big tune. back in 2005, too heavy to really hear minutemen stuff for many years, I had to face myself and get the nerve up to hear it again when I agreed to let keith scheiron and tim irwin make the “we jam econo” documentary (many thanks to them and all who helped out on that). I even did a few gigs w/george hurley w/us as a duet doing some of the old tunes and it was trippy for me, like I was digging on how “econo” those tiny tunes were – no filler, right to point and distilled down to the bare nada. also, a big influence was those little creatures in those old hieronymus bosch paintings – I read a theory about them maybe being visualizations of proverbs or aphorisms and me, not knowing much about sixteenth century dutch/flemish culture, made up my own meanings! the main parallel I saw w/the minutemen was how many little trips could roll up into one big one. the other thing that came into play was this idea of dorothy (from that “the wizard of oz” movie) kind of tripping on what men do to “be” men – me, taking that perspective on the story and not caring whether mr baum – or the people who adapted his work for that film – intended it or not (though no disrespect to him or the others). so I piled those trips into one pile and that’s where this third opera came from.
oh, it was kind of trippy how this piece was actually made. I wrote all thirty parts on one of d. boon’s telecaster – the black one he got in kent, ohio in 1984. now I’m not a very good guitarist but tom watson was quite the righteous man in his patience and determination to take the palsy demos I gave him and bring them to the piece. he’d join me a my prac pad w/his guitar and me w/d. boon’s and while clearing up uncertainties by actually showing him where my fingers were on the neck, we both would play along and I would have raul try out different drum things so I could piece his parts together. I wanted him to stretch from what he was used to but still have it be natural for him. the main thing I was trying to do was get what I considered an “interesting conversation” between them musically. then in the middle of the “prac’n the 3rd opera” missingmen tour (trippy cuz not once in that whole tour did we play and 3rd opera songs for anyone but I would relentlessly pound the piece into tom and raul’s head every day while we were driving in the boat!), we took three days off in the middle (may 3 – 5, 2009) and put into studio g in brooklyn, ny w/one of my bass heroes tony maimone to record just the gutar and drums – no bass or spiel at all. in fact, tom and raul never heard one word or bass note ’till I spent a week doing that stuff in at the g w/tony during june of 2010 and then still not yet ’til he had did the final mix a month and a half after that while I was out on tour w/the stooges. damn, what would this piece be w/out bass brother tony! big respect, same for tom and raul. it might’ve came out of my head but these dear cats helped me big time realize it. I am truly grateful to them, truly.
Help raise some money to replace stolen gear with some awesome music this Saturday at The Union!
Help raise some money to replace stolen gear with some awesome music this Saturday at The Union!
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, Scubadog, and more on Saturday, September 29 starting at around 8pm.
Besides going to the show, you can donate via PayPal to blackoutbooking@gmail.com or even send a check to Scott Winland to The Union, ATTN: Scott, 18 W. Union Street, Athens, OH, 45701. You can attend and share on Facebook too.
