The CincyPunk Fest has become one of the most consistently great music festivals to come out of the area. Part of it is the fest's evolution, as the "Punk" in the show's name is becoming as all-encompassing as the genre's music has. This year's fest (number seven, if you're keeping track at home) features a staggeringly solid lineup that includes (mostly local) Indie Rock, Pop Rock, Emo, Ska, Post Punk, ElectroPop, Folk, Roots Rock, Rockabilly, straight-up Rock & Roll and, of course, classic and modern variations on Punk Rock.
The fest organizers have commandeered the Southgate House for the fest, with music running Friday and Saturday night on all three of the venue's stages. On Friday, catch Best Revenge, Motorcycle Tape Deck, Riverside Revival, Tuck Me In and The Tillers in Junie's Lounge. The Read, Dead Serious, The Seedy Seeds, Shotgun on Blonde, Sweet Ray Laurel, Team Stray, Sadaharu and Used Kids play the Parlour. And in the ballroom, catch A Decade to Die For, Turnbull AC's, thistle, Mallory, Lost Hands Found Fingers, The Invitational, Covington and Chicago's Tub Ring.
Saturday night, the hits keep coming in the ballroom, with 500 Miles to Memphis, Alone at 3AM, Ampline, Junior Revolution, Knife the Symphony, The Lions Rampant and a special one-off reunion show by former local Pop Punk heroes Saturday Supercade. In the Parlour, catch Caterpillar Tracks, Arms Exploding, The Dopamines, The Frankl Project, Rumble Club, John Walsh and J-Roddy Walston and the Business (from Baltimore). In Junie's Lounge, music is provided by Straw Boss, Eatafetus Trio, Dusty Bryant, Carrie Sample and Cold and Sinus.
As in past years, there is a charitable angle to Cincypunk Fest VII. And this year's awareness/fund-raising has close ties to the local music scene. Money will be donated to Alex Brauer, former drummer of The Lions Rampant who had to quit the band due to his battle with testicular cancer, a disease much more common in young males than most people know. (myspace.com/cincypunkfest)
More Local Notes
· Cincinnati's most popular Reggae crew, Selecter, has announced a name change (perhaps it conflicted with Two-Tone Ska greats The Selecter?). The band -- which features an all-star lineup including members of Zionites, Ray's Music Exchange, Grand Oversoul and Da Lemmings OnSombol -- is now called Super-Massive. To check out some tunes from the band go to their new MySpace page: myspace.com/thesupermassive6. This week you can catch the hard-working group at Stanley's Wednesday, The Mad Frog Thursday and Latitudes in Anderson Saturday.
· Cincinnati-based straightedge Hardcore band Suffocate Faster called it quits last year, but it didn't take long for a new project to emerge from the simmering ashes. Suicide Pact features three former Suffocate Faster members as well as drummer Dustin Dolerhie of Hardcore band Gladiator. Take a listen to the recordings on their MySpace site (myspace.com/suicidepactohio) and then catch the band at the Seventh Dagger Fest, a two-day Hardcore festival coming up at the end of May at the Mad Hatter in Covington.
Contact Mike Breen: mbreen@citybeat.com
