Music

“As for me, I’ll hit an Alia Torres gig whenever I can.” by Tom Ingram Editor When I first saw Alia Torres perform, I had no idea who she was. Before a magazine hits the stands, there’s a lot of work to do, and my team was coming off an energizing week of meeting with local business owners, so many of whom support this magazine today. To celebrate, we went to The Loft. My friend…

Jeff Crosby and the Refugees at The Loft Born and raised in Idaho, Jeff Crosby has been sharing his unique perspective of Americana throughout the US and beyond for the past decade. His songs collect his experiences of growing up in a small town in Idaho, living in a shoebox apartment off Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, and living on the road while playing 250 shows a year. After spending the last two years splitting…

In the 1600s, immigrants from Ireland, Scotland and England brought with them the basic styles of music that are thought to be the roots of bluegrass music. As settlers began to move away from the coast and into the mountains of the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, they wrote songs about everyday life in the remote regions they called home. It wasn’t until the early 1900s, with the invention of radio, that this music made…

…Each CD review is guaranteed to be a full one hundred words, because sometimes ninety-nine and a half won’t do. by Curtis Lynch Dan Stevens Runnin’ the Backroads www.DanStevensMusic.com   In the interests of disclosure, I consider Gulfport, Florida-based folksinger Dan Stevens a friend and I’ve listened to his songs on disc and in person many, many times, so please understand I’m not just filling up words when I say that Runnin’ the Backroads is…

Looking for some great live music to move you through the sultry month of June? Start with these shows:   Second Annual Barks and Blues Festival PAWS Humane, a non-profit organization that relies solely on the private support of our community, invites you to the 2017 Barks and Blues Festival. Hosted at the PAWS center on Milgen, the music begins at 1 p.m. with Skyler Saufley, followed by Tracy Stephens, Crossroad Disciples, and at 4:45,…

…Each CD review is guaranteed to be a full one hundred words, because sometimes ninety-nine and a half won’t do.   by Curtis Lynch   Billy Strings “EP” www.billystrings.com   You might have missed this 2016 release. I sure did. Lucky you, I’m here to remedy that problem for you. Billy Strings, twenty-five years old and straight out of Michigan via Kentucky, is a flat-out talented guy, whether you’re talking about singing, flat-picking, or banjo…

Catch the heavy-hitting 80’s band June 24 at Legends   by Keith Northington   When children are asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” most offer the expected answers: doctor, lawyer, astronaut, and a few might even aspire to president. But there is another answer, one that makes mothers tremble with fear and fathers shake their first and curse the sky. That answer? Rockstar. Columbus has a rich music scene, deep…

It’s tough to see live music when you’re under twenty-one. Lance Wisham, founder of The Estate, a do-it-yourself music venue at 1231 Midway Drive in Columbus, knows this well. He remembers playing in the punk shows at Flat Rock Park, when there was almost nowhere else for under-age bands to gig. Lance spent seventeen years playing music, and ten years touring the country and spending very little time at home. As he toured, he began…