HOT
Madison Makeover

Covington's Madison Theater, which reopened Dec. 31, 2001, following a $3 million restoration, is facing another big renovation, this time from a booking standpoint. After being put up for sale last year, the club found a buyer who will likely shake up the live music scene in Greater Cincinnati. Charles Attal Presents, an Austin, Texas-based promotional group that books Austin's Stubb's (as well as several other Texas venues, not to mention their role in presenting the acts at the mammoth Austin City Limits festival) has taken over the 1,200-capacity club, offering some real competition in the Clear Channel-dominated local market. In just a few years, CAP has become a major player in the promotion biz, climbing the charts as one of the top grossing promoters in the country. In conjunction with House of Blues, CAP has already announced shows by Atreyu (Feb. 18), Danzig (Feb. 26), Dope (Feb. 27), Black Label Society (March 25) and Ekoostik Hookah (April 2). With one more quality venue equipped to handle larger, national shows in the area, your entertainment options should improve greatly. We could see artists who might have initially balked at playing the local market (for whatever reasons) return to play the Madison. Now if they could just do something about all of that pastel.

WARM
R.I.P.

The great local Jazz and Blues singer Bill Caffie passed away on Jan. 22. With his remarkably rich baritone, Caffie was one of the most respected and beloved singers to ever call Cincinnati home. Caffie worked with King Records artists like Otis Williams and Hank Ballard, as well as the Count Basie Orchestra and, in recent years, he was a vital presence on the local club scene. Local pianist Steve Schmidt, who has known the singer for 25 years, played with Caffie for his last public performance on Dec. 10 at Simone's. "Personally, my life has been enriched by Bill," Schmidt says, "by being lucky enough to perform and record with him and by being able to call him a friend. He had joy, loads of humor and the depth of human experience that made his soul deep. I call him 'The Total Package' because he sang well, performed well, was a total gentleman and always looked totally sharp. I also called him 'The Secret Weapon' because, if our instrumental music wasn't going over, I could always count on him to win the audience over when he got up to sing. Bill was a beautiful, generous man and I -- along with many who knew him well and not so well -- will miss him dearly."

COLD
Cup o' Joe, Hold the Jazz

You can still get your caffeine fix and browse through the shelves of old books. But Kaldi's Coffee Shop and Bookstore, boho central and a Jazz and Bluegrass oasis in the Main Street Entertainment District in Over-the-Rhine, has cancelled its live music schedule indefinitely. The coffeehouse -- always an excellent, more subdued alternative to the cover-band and dance-club madness that has often dominated the area (it was also the designated acoustic showcase spot for the annual MidPoint Music Festival) -- has given up its liquor license and now closes at 9 p.m.

Jammed on Main

Main Street is also suffering another live-music loss, but on a grander scale. The popular but troubled Jammin' on Main street festival will not return this year, due to increasing costs. Organizers say their dedication to keeping an affordable ticket price and the lack of major sponsorships has made a 2005 Jammin' unfeasible. While the event stooped to booking token Classic Rock has-beens every year, the bills were usually balanced with more intriguing artists (Ween, The Roots, Ben Lee, etc.) and a good mix of local acts. Saddest of all, Dennis DeYoung and Journey might now have to start playing church fish fries or bingo halls when they come to Cincinnati. Oh, wait, that's not sad at all.