"Hey, Fred!" 05/15-05/21/2024
Goings On in Columbus, OH: Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Andyman's Treehouse | Chicano Batman | Wave Rowanne | Aaron Scott's Birthday | MadLab's Theatre Roulette Turns 25
Music
05/15/2024
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Andyman’s Treehouse
Little Rock, 944 N High St
May 14-19, various times
Free
As two hubs of the local music scene, bartender/manager/singer/bandleader Quinn Fallon, and radio host/local personality/seems-to-remember-every-single-person John Andrew “Andyman” Davis, had a wealth of contacts and a great idea to join forces on a little bar just off the at-the-time (in a lot of ways still) High Street heartbeat of the Columbus music scene. I saw some of the best shows anywhere in town in that little bar - just off the top of my head: Eric Bachmann, Amy Lavere, more Sovines shows than I can count, Christina Carter (solo and I think with Charalambides), the first time I ever saw Jack Rose live, In Gowan Ring, release shows for Megan Palmer and The Black Swans.
While I was never a super regular, I’m overjoyed Quinn is paying tribute to the treehouse’s 25th anniversary at his current bar, Little Rock. I’m writing this too late to hype up the reunion of Joe Peppercorn’s open mic (which I attended yesterday). Still, I wanted to throw some light on the non-missable other days of this, which feels like a class reunion I actually want to attend, with returning heroes from out of town like Jon Chinn and Electric Grandmother, to legends like Marcy Mays and Colin Gawel, to reunited acts that imprinted the Treehouse’s era of Columbus rock like Mrs. Children and BA Baracus, and delightful resurrections of themes like Chuck Oney and Keith Jenkins’ classic ‘80s Power Ballad Night. Look for some old bartenders also behind the stick and a few surprises. The best article about this celebration is at Matter News, with great comments from several dear friends of mine.
Schedule:
May 16, 7 pm: Jon Chinn, Fletch, and Colin Gawel pay tribute to Treehouse residencies
May 17, 7 pm: Chuck Oney and Keith Jenkins host ‘80s Power Ballad Night
May 18, 5 pm: The Vague, B.A. Baracus, Bookmobile, Mrs. Children, Electric Grandmother, X-Rated Cowboys
May 19:
5 pm: Marcy Mays, Willie Phoenix, The Last Hotel, The Kyle Sowashes
8 pm: Sunday Spin with Citizen Dorian S
05/15/2024
Chicano Batman with Lido Pimienta
The Bluestone, 583 E Broad St
May 15: Doors at 7:00 pm
$33 Tickets Available at https://liveatthebluestone.com/blog/event/chicano-batman-may-15-2024/
I think I’ve seen LA-based psych R&B band Chicano Batman twice, both at A&R Bar, once opening for Curtis Harding and the other opening for Khurangbin, and even with the high expectations set by the headliners - Harding’s Soul Power is my favorite summertime record of the last decade, and the follow up is only a hair off it in my estimation - they still knocked me over. A beautiful melding of sweet Philly and low-rider West Coast soul with swirling, destabilizing textures, they return to Columbus supporting their great new record Notebook Fantasy. I’m looking forward to seeing them with a little more room to dance.
I became a big fan of opener, Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter Lido Pimienta with her 2016 record La Papessa, and have never gotten to see her live, so that should be a treat.
05/17/2024
Wave Rowanne
Woodlands Tavern, 1200 W 3rd Ave
May 17: 7 pm
Tickets starting at $15 available at https://www.woodlandsproductions.com/event/13517563/wave-rowanne-at-woodlands-tavern/
Wave Rowanne, the collaboration of producer-trumpeter Wave Magnetik and singer Rowanne Atallah is the kind of cross-genre work I associate with Woodlands and a stream of their booking I wish they indulged in more. The songs I’ve found are infectious dance music, fizzy exuberance with some really interesting textures.
Aaron Scott’s Birthday
Dick’s Den, 2417 N High St
May 17: 10 pm
Cover at door - guessing $10
Aaron Scott is one of Columbus’s treasures - an astounding drummer in every context, from colorful chamber jazz to tough-swinging hard bop to snarling blues rock, and a hell of a good friend. His birthday gig on Friday the 17th at the haunt and magnet Dick’s Den uses the Colin Lazarski Organ Trio - Scott on drums, Lazarski on guitar, Jon Eshelman on organ - as its base and promises a murderer’s row of Columbus’s brightest lights as guests: saxophonist Michael Cox (CJO, Science Gravy Orchestra); guitarists John Boerstler (Hoo Doo Soul Band), Steve Sweney (Ekoostik Hookah), Rick Collura (The Blue Cats, the Fabulous Mojo Kings), Paul Brown (Science Gravy Orchestra), Brett Burleson (The Bygones, Psandwich). Highest recommendation.
I blame the algorithm that I can’t find any video of Scott’s work on Youtube.
Theater
05/16/2024
Theatre Roulette 25: A Radical Retrospective
MadLab, 227 N 3rd St
May 16-June 1: 8 pm Thursday through Saturday
Tickets including a great festival price deal available at https://www.madlab.net/index.html
Theater Roulette - a series of shorts - is a mixed bag by its definition. But there are always enough gems that this 25th anniversary retrospective, lovingly put together by former company Artistic Director Andy Batt, should be dynamite. I had a great talk catching up with Batt and current AD James Blackmon which I wrote up for Columbus Underground, so I’ll let that do the talking - but this is an institution for a reason and this is a great opportunity to remind yourself of that.