Singer, guitarist and Nashville native Jenny Ward spent a good chunk of her prime braving an often-stagnant life in a series of small Midwestern towns. Hey, a little misery always brings out the best in a singer/songwriter. Luckily, Ward channeled the frustration and ennui of her situation, wrote a bunch of Folk-informed songs to keep herself sane and then hit the road and headed for Cincinnati.  

See what a new generation’s rising creative class has to offer at DAAPworks 2009, an exhibition featuring output by recent graduates of University of Cincinnati’s top-ranked College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning. DAAPworks offers the art-seeking eye a little bit of everything, from highly functional exhibits on community planning, urban studies and industrial and interior design work to purely aesthetic fine art and fashion design pieces. This unique, all-purpose multimedia showcase is likely one of the few events during which you’ll be able to see such a wide variety of up-and-comers’ art and art-related work under one gallery’s roof. Through June 13.  

On their Web site, The Comforts call themselves “crowd pleasers at biker bars and church festivals.” Listening to their latest release, the six-song EP Come On In!, it’s hard to tell whether that nod to their evident fan base is tongue-in-cheek or honest, because the Anderson Township-based band actually sounds pretty damn good for a grown-up bubblegum band content with hitting the suburban circuit.   

On their Web site, The Comforts call themselves “crowd pleasers at biker bars and church festivals.” Listening to their latest release, the six-song EP Come On In!, it’s hard to tell whether that nod to their evident fan base is tongue-in-cheek or honest. These guys (and gal) churn out new-wavey guitar Pop with just the right amount of attitude, playful irony and an unabated sense of fun. They play the Anderson Bar and Grill at 9 p.m.  

Local Alternative poppers Philosopher's Stone took the crown at last November's Legacy Rocks band competition in Newport, and the grand prize included a music video by Bob Mills of Mills Films in Edgewood. Six months later the final product has arrived, and it's in the form of a slick, professional-looking DVD. Philosopher's Stone celebrates the video release with a show at York Street Cafe at 8 p.m. Saturday.  

Our beloved Sundresses return home from their recent Sandwich Tour (whose intent was to challenge the ’Dresses to “eat a sandwich every day and rock the fuck out” on each stop along the way). Fresh from Toledo, the fearsome threesome land at the Northside Tavern Friday for a free 8 p.m. show.  

Folk experimenter and Southgate open mic commando Billy Catfish re-christens his musical self the Billy Catfish Orchestra with a free 9 p.m. show with Steve Girton on Sunday, May 31 in the Southgate House lounge. It seems that even with the newly appended “Orchestra” tag Mr. Catfish will still be a solo act, unless he’s playing with the Chauncers or the Lonesome Tumblers.  

Local “skateboard/music/art/enviro-anarcho-activism/whatever” zine deadramones celebrates its fifth issue with a release show and party, which starts at 9 p.m. at Bunk. Be there and you’ll catch four bands whose styles stray from what you might expect from a show put together to benefit and celebrate a skate rag.  

WKRP (yep, just like the old sitcom) is holding out here in the Tristate. The locally and independently owned station can be found on channel 38 on the old-school TVs and on Insight and Time Warner cable. Their finest two hours might just be a little show called 'Friday Night Fu' (most everyone just calls it 'the Fu'), a cheeky, campy parade of goofy guys, segments featuring Nostradamus-like puppets and, of course, old kung fu flicks. Recently they've added another excellent feature to their program: live performances from local bands.   

WKRP is keeping the Kung Fu tradition alive with Friday Night Fu, a cheeky, campy parade of goofy guys, segments featuring Nostradamus-like puppets and, of course, old Kung-Fu flicks. Recently they’ve added another excellent feature to their program: live performances from local bands. Its season comes to the end of its season with longtime local Punk bands Pincushion this Friday and SS-20 on May 22.