Funk Babblings

A few more ideas for what to do this weekend, for those in Ohio anyway....

( Cleveland/Akron )

( Columbus )

If I were going to be in Columbus Saturday night (not Friday as I first said), I'd be at Skully's for the Third Annual Joe Strummer Memorial Clash Benefit Marathon. It starts a 6:30 with a showing of the film Rude Boy, followed by 16 bands performing three Clash or Joe Strummer songs each. I'd especially want to see The Secret Sound Of The NSA and Red Dahlia (whose music is much better than their web site design).

You say you're not in Columbus? Are you west of Ohio? Well, The Reputation may be coming to your town soon. For example:

• Sun Mar 13 - Lawrence, Kansas
• Thu Mar 17 (my anniversary!) - Austin, Texas (SXSW, which I want to go to someday)
• Sat Mar 26 - San Francisco

Say hi for me. :-)

Update: A bit closer to home, the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland has a couple notable shows this weekend.
Tonight (Friday) is a(nother) reunion of Columbus punk legends the New Bomb Turks. (I doubt I'll make it; besides being exhausted from work this week and not likely up for NBT punk, tonight is also the Canton Drum Circle Meetup, which I haven't been able to get to yet.) Tomorrow night (Saturday) is Alex Chilton, who I first knew only through the Replacements' great song about him, but later through his Big Star songs like "September Gurls", "Don't Lie To Me", and "In The Street" (which became the basis for the theme to "That 70s Show").

Anyone in Columbus looking for something to do on Saturday should head downtown to Madlab for an event they call Volatility. Two stages, 17 performances. It opens at 3pm, goes until after midnight, and it's just $5. "There will also be a silent art auction, beer, food, beer, Flash for Cash, beer and...oh yeah, beer." (Um, what's Flash for Cash? Sounds scary.)

My picks for who to see there? Either Red Dahlia (formerly Planet 12) or Marcy Mays at 9 (two stages can make for tough choices). Earwig at 10. Jon Chinn (from Pretty Mighty Mighty) at 11. Stepford Five at midnight. I believe that "Sacred Shimmy" at 5 may be bellydancing led by former PSA member Raymere. (At least, that's what it was at PSG.) I'm also curious about Cirgy The Imaginary Horse at 6.

Oh yeah, the money goes toward improving the Madlab performance space.

Update: Since I won't be there, if anybody goes let me know how it went and what an imaginary horse looks like.