Cincinnati: MidPoint Music Summer Series Preview
Austin, Texas rockers The Bright Light Social Hour return to Cincinnati for the 3rd time in the last year to kick off the MidPoint Summer Series at Fountain Square tonight. Their first appearance was at last year’s MidPoint Festival along with a return show in January, and if that wasn’t enough, they will be returning for a fourth time in July for the inaugural Bunbury Musical Festival. In case you’ve missed our previous coverage of the band, you can check out my preview of the January show featuring a live video of hit “Shanty” along with a Thought on Tracks exclusive interview. In support of the group will be local acts Buffalo Killers and The Kickaways.
If you’ve never been down to see a MidPoint Summer show, this is the perfect one to get your feet wet. A stage set up at Fountain Square sets up an incredible scenic venue right in the heart of downtown, and best of all, every show is FREE. Oh, and The Bright Light Social Hour put on a fucking great show. So there’s that reason to go too. The acts on the series represent a wide variety of genres and styles so there is sure to be a show for everyone, not just the stuck up indie crowd like myself. That said, the nights of the MidPoint Summer Series line-up that I find to be particularly intriguing and “must see” are below. You can view the complete list here.
Also, the initial line-up for the always fabulous MidPoint Music Festival in September is scheduled to be announced next week on June 6th. Early bird tickets are currently available for a steal at just $59 for 3 days of live music in venues all over OTR.
A few MidPoint Summer show you won’t want to miss:
June 15th
The Seedy Seeds
Wymind Miles
Belle Histoire
July 27th
Orgone
The Cliftones
Eclipse Movement
August 3rd
Bear Hands
Lighting Love
Fort Lean
August 17th
Class Actress
Vito Emmanuel
Crown
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Written by Greg Dahman
Tonight: Caveman at MOTR Pub in Cincinnati
We here in Cincinnati are in for another treat this evening as NYC’s Caveman makes a stop in town in support of their debut album CoCo Beware. This show closes out a solid week of national acts in the Queen City with Sharon Van Etten and Oberhofer performing last weekend. Full of easy listening melodies and a deep drum beat, this is sure to be a special treat for those in attendance. And of course, for all you fence-sitters, check out a live performance of “Vampirer/Old Friend” below from their Backyard Sessions performance. If seeing this doesn’t convince you to come, well, you probably ought to get your ears checked. As always at the MOTR Pub, this is a FREE show so be sure to get down early for a few drinks and be sure to leave your bartender a generous tip. Hope to see you there.
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Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 
Cincinnati: MidPoint Music Festival Announces Initial Lineup
I like to think of the Queen City as the hidden jewel of the Midwest. We tend to be a city ignored by the East Coast driven media except for when bad things happen. So naturally Cincinnati is often thought of in a negative light. When I left Indianapolis and moved back to Cincinnati almost two years ago, it came with great reservation at the time even though I grew up in a northern suburb. Cincinnati and its urban, cultural areas were an enigma…I really just didn’t know what to expect. As I moved into the area and began discovering the countless fabulous restaurants and neighborhood pubs in and around the renaissance occurring in Over the Rhine, I eventually came to the realization that Cincinnati is a fabulous place to live while in your mid twenties.
And perhaps my favorite event that takes place here every fall is the highly underrated MidPoint Music Festival held all throughout OTR. This year’s festival will take place September 27-29. Last year brought about my first three-day experience at the Thursday through Saturday festival and I woke up on Sunday with a massive hangover and a smile on my face. While last year’s lineup was stellar, the team at MidPoint may have just outdone themselves with the first announcement of initial lineup yesterday.
The Lineup:
Grizzly Bear | Dirty Projectors | Sleigh Bells | Dinosaur Jr. | Best Coast | Cloud Nothings | Imperial Teen | Willis Earl Beal | Frankie Rose | Tennis | Julia Holter | Laetitia Sadier | Craft Spells | Seapony | Lord Huron | The Black Belles | Zeus | The Growlers | J.C. Brooks & The Uptown Sound | Andrew Bird | The Walkmen | The Antlers | Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys | Hospitality | Rich Aucion | Stepdad | White Arrows | Eternal Summers | F. Stokes | Hume | Wooden Wand | Sidewalk Chalk | Dirty Bourbon River Show | Hundred Waters | Army Navy | Tim Easton | Golden Boy | Kitten | Holy Ghost Tent Revival
Wow. That’s about all I can say. A limited number of Early Bird passes are still available for just $59, so if you’re interested act fast as the Loyalty Passes already have sold out. Christmas came early this year Cincinnati. Check out some of the links beneath the post for a taste of what’s to come.
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Written by Greg Dahman
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