…a couple of years ago, Jake Giesege disbanded Dayton faves Wild & Free and headed out of Brooklyn. Upon landing in the big city, he began work on a new outfit, The Judy Blooms, which have played sporadically in NYC. Tonight Giesege will return to his hometown of Dayton for a show at South Park Tavern with close friends and compatriots Andy Smith [of Andrew & the Pretty Punchers], Mascot, and Mike Justice [of Wetnight]. This will be a free show and music gets going around 10 pm. We’ll see you there….

MP3: The Judy Blooms “Now There’s a Famine [demo]”

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MP3: Andrew & the Pretty Punchers “Love Like the Child”

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MP3: Mascot “If They Like You”

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…continuing the Pacchia Secret Show series this evening, you have an interesting bill to close out the month of May. From the unbridled sonic assault of Stone the Mayor Sheriff to the engaging A/V exploits of Outside Residential and Kanible to the humble folk-pop of Mascot, this bill has a lot to offer. We’ll see you there…

…we’re continuing our April Residency at The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO tonight with The Turkish Delights. In case you haven’t joined us over at the Oregon Express yet this month, the trio are catching a serious wave and have turned in two excellent performances. We’d highly encourage you to join us this evening, especially since it’s totally FREE. Opening the evening will be Mascot. We’ll see you there…

MP3: The Turkish Delights “Dig Yourself”
MP3: Mascot “Solar Party”

…you could feel it as soon as you walked in the door. With the near glacial avenues of Dayton finally reemerging as legitimate walkways, the need to break out into the streets was overwhelming. Even early on in the night the restless crowds poured into J-Alans, seeking any sort of respite from the tedium that has beleaguered this city in the throes of winter. Alas, the promise of even a modicum of joy in this, the depths of the season, pulled so many out for the promise of a night of music. Following a short, but spirited, set by Mascot, Jesse Remnant offered a sparkling set of pop gems from his highly underrated debut, The Human Cannonball, as well as string of masterpieces from GBV’s Bee Thousand, that induced the revelers into a momentary singalong…

…without a doubt, however, the din had come to witness Andrew & the Pretty Punchers. Over the past 18 or so months, each subsequent appearance garners further accolades from their peers and adulation from their audiences. Yet again, this formidable unit stepped into the lights and channeled the collective angst and optimism of life in this post-industrial wasteland. Unraveling tales of drunken nights and jaded hope, in their unbridled enthusiasm Andrew & the Pretty Punchers deliver a catharsis that, if only for a brief shining moment, enables this sleepy city to revel in near-perfect rock n’ roll bliss…

…in our ongoing efforts to bring you the most for the least, everyone here is very excited about our first show at J-Alans (121 N. Ludlow St., right around the corner from the Schuster Center). Of course, you’ve the big bang that is Andrew & the Pretty Punchers. Word is they’re well on their way to following up their stellar debut, Goodbye Ohio, later this summer and are currently in the throes of a top-secret side project. No worries, we’ll keep you posted as details emerge. Also along for the ride are Squids Eye Records‘ Jesse Remnant, whose debut The Human Cannonball was one of the best discs to come out of Dayton in 2008. Opening the evening will be Mascot. Oh yeah, did we mention that this show is FREE??? Yep, we got you covered. See ya there…

…if yr out on the streets of Dayton tonight, you’ve got a great pairing of shows to check out. Head down to the Dayton Dirt Collective early to catch a couple of locals and couple of touring acts. In from Cleveland, you’ve got regional buzz band Mystery of Two who serve up an infectious blend of twitchy jangle doused in sheets of swirling noise. Highly recommended. Rounding out the bill are Aura (from Buffalo) and locals Hospital Garden and Mountain Screamer. Show starts at 7, so head out early…

…if you’re still out later, head over to Oregon Express to check out some new projects from old Dayton faves. The remnants of Snake Oil have reformed as Suicide Hill and the country-flavored indie of Twin Arrows emerged from the ashes of Late Nite Drivers. Opening the night will be Mascot. See ya out…

…it’s difficult to say for sure whether the closing of Nite Owl has really affected music-going in Dayton, but from recent turnouts on Thursday nights at Pearl, it would seem that the lack of quality weekend shows in recent months has turned the Pearl into the de facto weekend show on Thursday nights. Steady turnouts for all manner of shows bears this out, and last night was no exception…

…after a short opening set by Mascot, new buzz band Electric Banana whipped into the Pearl to lay down their self-proclaimed “fuck music” for the kids. The duo clearly seem more concerned with shredding than with quality backing tracks, as their drum-and-bass tracks were called up using a Discman. After struggling through the first half of the set with PA issues, the guitars finally cut through and by the time the band reached the climax of their set with the title track of their Denim on Denim album, Electric Banana were finally able to deliver on the promise of the recorded material. While much of their act relies on schtick and swagger that suggests the band may be little more than another Tenacious D, the fact remains that Billy Blanco and Jimmy Spade can shred on their guitars. The pair also know how to serve up jams that crack and smile and get heads banging simultaneously (see “The Mexican Jam”, a tale of l’amour at the local Mexican joint) that get people up and moving. We’d like to think that as Electric Banana puts in a few more hours that we’ll see these guys outstrip the gimmicks and seriously make a mark on the local scene. We’re gonna keep an eye on these guys and we recommend you do the same…



…next up were one of our favorite newer bands, Hospital Garden. The only other time we’d caught them, the PA was simply no match for the band’s sound and the vocals never broke through. On this night, however, the vocals of Lucas came through clearly and the plaintive, earnest vocal delivery recalled everything from Alex Chilton to Paul Westerberg to Conor Oberst. The rhythm section of Sarah and Ian Spencer nailed down the structure as Lucas slashed across the tunes with utterly fuzzed out bursts. As this band continues to solidify, we highly recommend that you try and check them out…



…closing out the evening was one of Dayton’s best-kept secrets, Towhee. Why this band continues to remain at the fringes of the local scene baffles us, as on this night their mastery of indie pop music was in full display. Between the stunning melodic guitar interplay of Brandon and Valen to the solid dance beats laid down by Josh to the solid, yet incredibly playful bass lines laid down by Sarah, Towhee is a band that begs to break through. The band are currently wrapping up their second album and we can’t wait to hear it….

For more photos from the evening, go here.

…thanks to the kids over at Sarasvati Productions, you’ve got a pretty eclectic mix of Dayton flavor over at Pearl tonight. From the melodic grunge of Hospital Garden, to the impeccable indie craftsmanship of Towhee, back through the metal throwback of newcomers Electric Banana, to Mascot, there’s a lot of styles being presented this evening. Head on down and check it out. We’ll see you there…

…we at The Buddha Den have a very special treat for you this evening. The Buddha Den is hosting a Songwriters-in-the-Round tonight at Canal Street Tavern. For those of you unfamiliar with the format, there will be two sets, each featuring four musicians. Each player will do one song at a time for four rounds. Tonight we will be featuring some of Dayton’s finest songwriters: Nathan Peters (Captain of Industry), Tod Weidner (Shrug), Nick Tertel (Sleepybird), Andy Smith (Andrew & the Pretty Punchers), Dustin Rose (Toads and Mice), Derek Gullett (Switchblade Serenade), Mascot, and Miranda Pennington. We will also be recording this evening for future release as a FREE DOWNLOAD through The Buddha Den, so keep an eye out for that. We’ll see you tonight…

…as the weather warmed in Daytonia last eve, it seemed as if everyone was itching to get out and have a good time. Fortunately, there was quite a fine bill of music at South Park Tavern to be enjoyed…

…opening the evening was the debut of The Boombarians. Decked out in vines and flowers in celebration of the full arrival of spring, the band reveled in their raw, guttural approach. As the band howled and gyrated throughout their perfectly brief set, their absence of pretense and embrace of the more visceral aspects of rock n’ roll left us hoping that we’ll see more of this outfit around town…

…after a set by Mascot, Audrey Ryan brought her one-woman-band to the stage. Recalling everything from Joanna Newsom to Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, Ryan’s set commanded undivided attention from the audience. Oscillating between electric guitar and accordian, and always playing both kick drum and tambourine with her feet, Ryan’s undeniable musicianship left us hoping for a return to Dayton very soon (for those of you that missed her last night, Audrey Ryan will be at the Trolley Stop tonight as well)…

…closing out the evening, newer outfit Hospital Garden plowed through a set of uncompromising indie/grunge, the likes of which would appeal to fans of Dinosaur, Jr. and other pre-Nirvana indie acts. Not only was their sound incredible, guitarist Lucas raved around the stage as if himself amplified, spitting shards of blistering guitar over top of an incredibly solid rhythm section. Splashing their sound with hints of Pavement and GBV as well, we’re looking for more great things from Hopsital Garden in the coming months…

For more pics from the show, click here.