Together Again
Janet Jackson headlines the triumphant return of the Cincinnati Music Festival, with three nights of music and more events at Paul Brown Stadium and the Andrew J. Brady Music Center.
After a two-year absence, the country's largest urban music festival, the Cincinnati Music Festival, returned July 21–23 with Janet Jackson headlining an outstanding lineup of R&B stars.
Photos by Shae Combs.
Want to relive the magic of CMF? Listen to these curated playlist from artists from this year’s festival
Rule of Three
Three sisters, '70s influences, and plenty of rock 'n' roll with Haim at Brady Music Center.
HAIM, brings their “One More HAIM Tour” with special guest more* to the Brady Music Center on Sunday, rescheduled from their original May 19 date.
The three sisters create infectious pop/rock with influences ranging from Fleetwood Mac to '80s synth pop.
The band’s Grammy® nominated album Women In Music Pt. III debuted at #1 in the Album Sales Chart, Alternative Chart, iTunes albums chart, and Rock Album Chart in the US. WIMPIII also entered the Billboard 200 in the Top 15 at #13.
Born and raised in Southern California, Este, Danielle, and Alana, began performing in the family band Rockinhaim, which played sets of classic rock covers at charity shows.
Haim formed in 2007, but the sisters drifted apart, musically speaking attending college and working as session and touring musicians for other bands. They re-grouped 2012, focusing on creating music together. Over the next decade, the band has been praised by critics, garnering a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2015, and playing sold-out shows as a headliner.
Finest Worksong
Get to know the workplace bands performing in Cincy Jams before you see them at Hard Rock Cafe.
If You Go
Cincy Jams
Hard Rock Cafe
May 19, 7 p.m.
Admission is FREE. Radio One’s R&B, Hip-Hop and “The People’s Champ” DJ Don Juan Fasho hosts the event.
Vote for Fan Funded Winner!
Some co-workers have taken their water cooler conversations to the next level!
CincyJams, a workplace band competition from ArtsWave, features more than 10 bands from throughout the region who will take the stage tonight at Hard Rock Cafe. More than just a show, the event is a fun way for people to cheer on their coworkers while raising money for the arts in the region.
The top two bands – the “Fan Favorite,” selected by audience applause and the “Fan Funded,” selected by funds raised to support the arts – will have the chance to perform at this year’s BLINK, illuminated by ArtsWave, happening October 13-16.
You can support the “Fan Funded” band by going to artswave.org/fanfunded. So far, Cincy Jams has raised more than $10,000 for ArtsWave, the region’s engine for the arts. Along with the BLINK performance, members of the “Fan Funded” band will receive pairs of tickets to this year’s Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G, featuring headliners Charlie Wilson and Janet Jackson.
The “Fan Favorite” band will have the chance to cut their own album as they prepare for their appearance on stage at BLINK, with recording time at Studeō Par- in Northside through Cincinnati Music Accelerator. Prior to the recording session, they will receive two one-on-one coaching sessions – one from the family of Bootsy Collins and the other from Drew Lachey. The runner up team to the “Fan Favorite,” will receive Beer for a Year.
CincyJams is part of the 2022 ArtsWave Campaign, the largest community campaign of its type in the nation and the primary local source for funding the region’s arts. After two years of a pandemic that has created $140+ million in losses to the nonprofit arts sector, CincyJams is a way everyone can come together in an enjoyable way to support the region’s arts.
Water Music
500 Miles to Memphis kicks off Rockin' the Roebling tonight, as the live music series returns to the Schmidlapp Event Lawn by Moerlein Lager House every Thursday during the summer.
500 Miles to Memphis May 19
Noah Smith May 26
Erin Coburn June 2
Push Play June 9
Brother Smith June 16
NKG June 23
DV8 June 30
Noah Wotherspoon July 7
Natural Progression July 14
Tropicoso July 21
Trauma Illinois July 28
Strange Mechanics August 4
The Menus August 11
Just Add Beer August 18
Crown Watts August 25
Bad Habit September 1
Summer in Cincinnati means listening to great bands outside with good friends and good beer.
Rockin' the Roebling, an outdoor concert series at the Schmidlapp Event Lawn adjacent to the Moerlein Lager House at The Banks, kicks off next Thursday, May 19.
Opening the series is 500 Miles to Memphis. Founded by Ryan Malott is 2002, the Americana/punk rock band released their first completely DIY recording, “Hard to Love,” last October.
From pop punk to salsa and Americana to ‘80s hits, Rockin’ the Roebling features an all-local lineup, continuing Moerlein Lager House’s longtime support of Cincinnati’s music scene. The concerts continue through Sept. 1.
The series is presented by Moerlein Lager House, Cincinnati Parks, and the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, with $1 from every beer sold by the Moer To Go concession window donated to the Cincinnati Parks Foundation.
Food and additional beverages will be available at from the Moerlein Lager House. The event is located within the Banks DORA area.
Cinco-pated Rhythm
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Salsa on the Square, which kicks off its season on Thursday, May 5.
In a perfect match of date and event, Salsa on the Square kicks off this year on Cinco de Mayo!
2022 Salsa on the Square
May 5 – Dayton Salsa Project & SalsAires
May 12 – Son Del Caribe & Volaré
May 19 – The Amador Sisters & Chévere LF
May 26 – Tropicoso & Diana Hoffman
June 2 – Mambo Combo & Elizabeth Asgian
June 9 – Al Son Del Iya & Cuban Salsa Cincinnati
June 16 – Grupo Saoko (featuring Pavel) & Heather Sommer
June 23 – ¡Zumba! Band & Diana Hoffman
June 30 – Tropicoso & Elizabeth Asgian
July 7 – Max Rosado & Volaré
July 14 – Nuyorican Lf & Chévere LF
July 21 – Ky Salsa All-Stars & Elizabeth Asgian
July 28 – The Amador Sisters & Heather Sommer
August 4 – Dayton Salsa Project & Cuban Salsa Cincinnati
August 11 – +Flow & Volaré
August 18 – Al Son Del Iya & SalsAires
August 25 – Son Del Caribe & Cuban Salsa Cincinnati
Sept. 1 – Dayton Salsa Project & Diana Hoffman
Sept. 8 – Nuyorican Lf & Chévere LF
Sept. 15 – Grupo Saoko (featuring Pavel) & Heather Sommer
Sept. 22 – Tropicoso & Diana Hoffman
Sept. 29 – Son Del Caribe & SalsAires
A free weekly dance party – complete with dance instructors –held every Thursday on Fountain Square, Salsa on the Square runs now through Sept. 29.
Salsa on the Square began in 2008, inspired by the energetic crowd and incredible musicians in the band Tropicoso. Since then, dozens of bands, from specializing in salsa, merengue, cumbia, and Latin jazz, have performed on the Fountain Square stage.
Adding to the fun this season, Mazunte will be serving tacos, tostados, and guacamole on the Square.
Getting Piggy With It
Walking, running, or working in the yard, we found the perfect soundtrack.
Maybe you’re not running in the Flying Pig events, but you still need to get pumped up for tackling that Spring cleaning or finally planting those annuals.
Follow the Flying Pig on Spotify to find playlists perfect for whatever you’ve got planned. With lists for training, warm-ups, and running, your workouts – from yoga to Peloton – will be a lot more fun.
Along with the Pig, playlists have been created for the Queen Bee (Pat Benatar! Taylor Swift! Beyonce!), Bockfest, and even one for specifically for kids.
Give a listen to this year’s playlist, whether you’re on the run or running errands.
Get the Funk Out
With Cincy Jams, ArtsWave brings a grown-up battle of the bands to town, with a little help from Bootsy, baby.
One Night Only!
May 19 at 7 p.m.
Hard Rock Cafe.
Presented by Accenture and a brand extension to ArtsWave CincySings, ArtsWave’s choral and employee engagement competition, CincyJams is a free-admission, easy-to-enter event.
Radio One’s R&B, hip-hop and “The People’s Champ,” DJ Don Juan Fasho will emcee the evening.
For all the information on how to enter Cincy Jams at artswave.org/cincyjams.
If the work softball team isn’t your thing and nature hikes aren’t your idea of teambuilding, ArtsWave has a better way to have some fun with your co-workers.
ArtsWave, the region’s engine for the arts, is in search of local bands as it launches CincyJams, the regions’ first workplace “battle of the bands.”
Not only could you win bragging rights around the office – and the city – you could also play at one of the biggest events of the year.
The top two bands – the “Fan Favorite,” selected by audience applause and the “Fan Funded,” selected by funds raised to support the arts – will perform on stage at BLINK®*, happening October 13–16.
Leading up to BLINK, the “Fan Favorite” band will have the chance to cut their own album, with recording time at Studeō Par in Northside through Cincinnati Music Accelerator. Prior to the recording session, they will receive two one-on-one coaching sessions – one from the family of Bootsy Collins and the other from Drew Lachey.
Members of the “Fan Favorite” band will receive pairs of tickets to this year’s Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G, featuring headliners Charlie Wilson and Janet Jackson.
In addition, the winning bands bands will receive merchandise from Hard Rock, along with an array of tickets to the region’s arts.
CincyJams will bring employees together in businesses across the region to play music and cheer on their coworkers, while also raising funds for the region’s arts. Participating companies will have at least two employees, and friends and family are encouraged to join. Workplaces can have one or more bands representing them.
CincyJams is part of the 2022 ArtsWave Campaign, the largest community campaign of its type in the nation and the primary local source for funding the region’s arts.
“ArtsWave is the way the region funds its arts. As the community comes together in support of hundreds of arts organizations and artists who create thousands of shows, concerts, events, exhibitions, educational experiences, and festivals, this event reminds us that we all ‘play’ a part of the arts – whether we jam with our colleagues and friends at CincyJams or cheer them on as audience members,” said Dean Kuroff, Accenture’s managing director. “After two years of a pandemic that has created $140+ million in losses for the region’s arts, we need everyone’s help this year in giving what they can to make our arts – and our region – strong. Encourage your employees to get a band together and come out and support them. It’s a good cause, and we promise you an evening you won’t forget!”
In addition to presenting sponsor Accenture, CincyJams is supported by these sponsors: Hard Rock Cassino Cincinnati, Cincinnati Music Accelerator, the Bootsy Collins Foundation, Lachey Arts and Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G.
All This Time
If You Go
Heartless Bastards with The Flaming Lips
Tuesday, April 5
The Andrew J Brady Music Center
The Banks, 25 Race Street
Tickets and info: bradymusiccenter.com/concerts
No one loves a hometown-girl-made-good story quite like Cincinnati.
From her humble beginnings as a bartender at Northside Tavern, Erika Wennerstrom has become an indie rock superstar. She returns to Cincinnati on Tuesday, opening for The Flaming Lips at the Andrew J Brady Music Center.
She is supporting Heartless Bastards first album in over five years, “A Beautiful Life.” Continuing a history of collaboration, Wennerstrom is joined on the album by guitarist Lauren Gurgiolo (Okkervil River), drummer Greggory Clifford (White Denim), multi-instrumentalist Jesse Chandler (Mercury Rev, Midlake), keyboardist Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket), guitarist David Pulkingham (Patty Griffin), and longtime Heartless Bastards bassist Jesse Ebaugh.
“It’s so easy to get caught up in the material goals that are prioritized by our society and the every-man-for-himself mentality of late-stage capitalism,” Wennerstrom says of the album’s central themes. “That way of thinking presents a false idea of what a beautiful life is, and I think it’s so important that we as individuals all ask ourselves what it truly means to have a beautiful life.”
Photo by Aaron Conway
In the Flow
See Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, as part of ArtsWave's Flow series
Hailed by The New York Times as “among the most exciting young vocalists in jazz,” Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn has emerged as one of the brightest stars in jazz today.
Her 2019 album, Love and Liberation, is filled with daring musicality, emotional power and a message of immediate relevancy. Horn’s original compositions and covers, both breathe and bend jazz tradition, with tasteful touches of R&B and hip-hop, reveal a marked inventiveness.
Jazzmeia Horn
Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, 8 p.m.
Aronoff Center, Jarson-Kaplan Theater
650 Walnut St.
Tickets: $55 | $65
More information at www.artswave.org/flow.
Horn performs for two nights at the Aronoff Center, as part of ArtsWave’s Flow series of quarterly performances by renowned Black artists and ensembles working in various disciplines.
Along with the performances, Horn will offer a master class on Saturday, from 12–3 p.m., hosted by Laura Gentry, board member for the Jazz Education Network. In the workshop, she will teach singers how to perform jazz music, with a focus on the qualities and traits of a good vocalist. Using “Jazzmeia's Approach,” she presents a cultured perspective that balances the rich history of jazz in the African American experience and the spirituality of its essence.
Horn will share her approach to stage presence and how to break into the jazz industry, after which she and her pianist will personally instruct seven students from local universities and schools on how to use her performance techniques, allowing for Q & A from all participants observing.
Peace Offering
CCM students create concerts for a cause to aid Ukraine.
The stories from Ukraine are terrible and horrifying, yet for many of us they remain distant and remote.
But for a group of CCM students, it is close to home.
Andrii Isakov, Diana Chubak, and Maksym Mahlay, all Ukrainian musicians, have created a series of benefit concerts to help raise money for humanitarian aid for the citizens and soldiers protecting their homeland.
Find out more about upcoming concerts.
The initial concert, held Sunday at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Clifton, began with the stirring Ukrainian national anthem by Myhailo Verbytsky. The after included works by Ukrainian composers Viktor Kosenko, Boris Lyatoshynky, and Myroslav Skoryk along with an original piece by Mahlay.
The concert raised $3,000. More events are planned in the coming weeks, offering the local community the chance to those in need so very far away.
Any Time, Any Place
Cincinnati Music Festival is back! See the lineup for the biggest musical weekend in town and how you can get into the groove.
Get Tickets to CMF!
Tickets are are on sale now at www.cincymusicfestival.com/tickets.
After a two-year absence, Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G (CMF) returns to Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati from July 21-23, 2022, with an exciting lineup of R&B music featuring Janet Jackson, Charlie Wilson, The O’Jays and more headlining the event over the three days.
The performances on Thursday, July 21 will be held at The Andrew J. Brady Music Center for the first time.
The 2022 lineup includes:
Thursday, July 21: the Chicago Kid plus one act TBD
(Program at The Andrew J. Brady Music Center)Friday, July 22: Charlie Wilson, Anthony Hamilton, Toni! Tony! Tone!, Jonathan Butler, Another Artist TBD at Paul Brown Stadium
Saturday, July 23: Janet Jackson, The O’Jays, Tank, After 7, Kirk Whalum at Paul Brown Stadium
“We are excited to be back, bringing the best acts back to Cincinnati for the 2022 Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G,” said Joe Santangelo, producer of the Festival. “We will abide by any federal, local and state health guidelines that might be in place at that time, as our priority is to keep everyone safe. We will release more information as we get closer to the dates.”
Originally called the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival when it was first held in 1962, the Cincinnati Music Festival grew to become a two-day event on Cincinnati's riverfront. Starting as an all-jazz concert, the festival evolved to include R&B, jazz, soul, and hip-hop, as well as up and coming artists. Past performers include Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Gerald Levert, Patti Labelle, New Edition, Earth Wind and Fire, Lakeside, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and many others.
In 2015, through a new partnership, the festival became the Cincinnati Music Festival Presented by P&G and now includes Festival 513, a street festival with food and vendors at The Banks. The Cincinnati Music Festival is the largest tourism weekend in Cincinnati, according to a recent study conducted by the UC Economics Center and commissioned by the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, with an economic impact of $107.4 million to the region.
“P&G is proud to sponsor Cincinnati’s largest annual tourism driver and support the community in which our employees work and live,” said Monica Turner, P&G President - North America. “We are looking forward to coming together safely to celebrate music and community fellowship.”
“Summer in Cincinnati isn’t summer without the Cincinnati Music Festival, and we’re thrilled to be back together,” said Damon Jones, P&G’s Chief Communications Officer. “CMF remains a keystone cultural moment for our city and for music fans across the country who join year after year to celebrate the rich heritage of R&B music, fuel dozens of small, minority owned businesses and enjoy everything the City has to offer.”
A Day in the Life
Need inspiration for your road trip mix? See the limited run of Get Back in IMAX at Cincinnati Museum Center.
If You Go
The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert
Cincinnati Museum Center
Friday, Feb. 11 , 6 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 12, 2 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 13, 2 p.m.
Tickets for the exclusive three-day engagement are $17 for non-Members, $14 for CMC Members. Tickets are limited so purchasing in advance is recommended, cincymuseum.org/the-beatles/.
Along with the rest of the world you may probably watched The Beatles: Get Back on Disney+. But to get the full effect of one of the most influential bands in history, you need to see them on the big screen. The REALLY big screen.
The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert is playing for three performances only in the OMNIMAX® Theater at Cincinnati Museum Center. The 64-minute film features the entire 40-minute concert performance and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the Fab Four’s preparation and excitement to perform in front of the live audience below. The OMNIMAX® Theater powerfully conveys the mystique of the last-minute concert and the charisma of the iconic band in their final live performance together.
“If you were on the streets of London in 1969, you wouldn’t feel as close to the Beatles’ iconic final concert as you will in the OMNIMAX® Theater,” said Dave Duszynski, president of Mercury Museum Services, a subsidiary of Cincinnati Museum Center. “The theater’s sound system, paired with the Beatles’ music, shakes you in your seats for an unbelievable, immersive concert experience.”
Feeling Good
Feeling "Good"? Better Than Ezra and Tonic bring ‘90s guitar hits to Hard Rock Casino this Saturday.
If You Go
Better Than Ezra w/ Tonic
Saturday, Jan. 22
Hard Rock Casino, 1000 Broadway
Tickets available at https://www.hardrockcasinocincinnati.com.
If you were old enough to drive in 1995, you’ll remember hearing “Good” every 20 minutes or so while driving around. The catchy, guitar-driven song was the biggest hit for Better Than Ezra. They followed up with other hits, but built a loyal fan base based on their smart and melodic pop sensibility, touring and releasing new material over the past two decades.
With their hummable melodies, unshakable guitar riffs, and confessional lyrics it’s no surprise Billboard chose the band as one of “100 Greatest Alternative Artists of All Time.” Better Than Ezra kick off Hard Rock Casino’s 2022 concert series on Saturday.
Another ‘90s radio staple, Tonic, also plays Saturday night. You may not know their name right away, but you definitely remember “If You Could Only See,” which was the voted the “#1 Most-Played Rock Song of 1997.”