MUSIC

MUSIC MUSIC

Mary Chapin Carpenter

PHOTO: AARON FARRINGTON

Mary Chapin Carpenter Gets DirtyMary Chapin Carpenter Gets Dirty e country stalwart nally gives her 2020 album e Dirt and the Stars the full-band tour treatment. e country stalwart nally gives her 2020 album e Dirt and the StarsBY ALAN SCULLEY the full-band tour treatment.

BY ALAN SCULLEY

Abit into the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, country star Mary Chapin Carpenter wanted to nd ways to stay creative, connect with fans and get some music out into the world at a time when concerts weren’t happening and albums were being put on hold.

One way she accomplished that was with her “Songs from Home” series – solo performances from her kitchen of songs from her own catalog as well as other artists, sometimes with guest appearances by her golden retriever and “producer” Angus and her cat White Kitty. Every week or so, fans could tune in online and see a fresh performance.

It was all quite casual, fun and genuine, and gave fans a bit of a window into Carpenter’s world at home.

Another project meant to provide some solace and entertainment during the pandemic, however, was not so spontaneous or modestly produced. In November of that year, Carpenter and a crew carefully followed COVID protocols and lmed an entire concert at one of Carpenter’s favorite venues, the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia. at show, ultimately titled One Night Lonely, was released on DVD and CD in 2021.

“I just had this idea of wanting to not only keep putting music out there in the form of a concert, but also have it be, understandably, a document of the times that we were in,” Carpenter explains. “So making it abundantly clear that there were no people in the audience [was important], and there was no need in my mind to have patter between songs. It would have been actually kind of ridiculous, I think, to be speaking to no one. But [I wanted to] lm it with

Abit into the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, country star Mary Chapin Carpenter wanted to nd ways to stay creative, connect with fans and get some music out into the world at a time when concerts weren’t happening and albums were being put on hold. One way she accomplished that was with her “Songs from Home” series – solo performances from her kitchen of songs from her own catalog as well as other artists, sometimes with guest appearances by her golden retriever and “producer” Angus and her cat totally sort of world-class production and beautiful lighting and the beautiful stage that Wolf Trap has at the Filene Center.” At 26 songs, it’s a generous set that encompasses nearly the entirety of Carpenter’s career of more than three decades. It also presents her music in a format she had yet to represent on her albums – solo acoustic. Carpenter has played solo concerts over the years and often has included solo acoustic segments in shows she performs with a band. But the Filene Center performance was a unique experience, she

White Kitty. Every week or so, fans could tune in online and see a fresh performance.

It was all quite casual, fun and genuine, and gave fans a bit of a window into Carpenter’s world at home.

Another project meant to provide some solace and entertainment during the pandemic, however, was not so spontaneous or modestly produced. In November of that year, Carpenter and a crew carefully followed COVID protocols and lmed an entire concert at one of Carpenter’s favorite venues, the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia. at show, ultimately titled One Night Lonely, was released on DVD and CD in 2021.

“I just had this idea of wanting to not only keep putting music out there in the form of a concert, but also have it be, understandably, a document of the times that we were in,” Carpenter explains. “So making it abundantly clear that there were no people in the audience [was important], and there was no need in my mind to have patter between songs. It would have been actually kind of ridiculous, I think, to be speaking to no one. But [I wanted to] lm it with totally sort of world-class production and beautiful lighting and the beautiful stage that Wolf Trap has at the Filene Center.”

At 26 songs, it’s a generous set that encompasses nearly the entirety of Carpenter’s career of more than three decades. It also presents her music in a format she had yet to represent on her albums – solo acoustic. Carpenter has played solo concerts over the years and often has included solo acoustic segments in shows she performs with a band. But the Filene Center performance was a unique experience, she

says.

“It felt very weird on the one hand, but also there was a comfort in doing it because that’s what I’ve been doing for so many years,” she says. “Also, I was really just determined to get through it. ere were no retakes, it was all live.” Carpenter says that no songs were spliced together, that the recording is simply the full set as performed.

“And I remember, as I was playing the last song, the weight of it felt, ‘My God, I’ve been up here for two hours plus’ or whatever. It was exhausting in the moment, but at the same time, it was getting very, very cold on stage. I could see my breath on the last couple of songs and my hands were getting cold and ngers were freezing,” Carpenter says. “It was an unusual experience all the way through. But at the same time, it felt just very magical, and all of the people who were a part of the production and had worked so hard to pull it o , everyone just stayed safe and no one got sick. at was really gratifying.” e solo acoustic performances on One Night Lonely allow the melodicism of Carpenter’s songs to shine and put an even bigger spotlight on her thoughtful lyrics as well as her underappreciated skills as a guitarist. e set leans decidedly toward her more serious and meditative material. Playful hits like “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” “Down at the Twist and Shout” and “Passionate Kisses” aren’t included, and the lightest song is arguably “I Take My Chances,” a breezy song with some serious thoughts about Carpenter’s approach to life.

A ve-time Grammy winner who has sold a combined 12 million albums, Carpenter, 64, debuted on the national scene with her 1987 album Hometown Girl. Early on, Columbia Records marketed Carpenter as a country artist, even though her music also had elements of folk, rock and pop.

But the plan worked, and Carpenter’s third album, 1990’s Shooting Straight in the Dark, gave her a breakthrough country hit with “Down at the Twist and Shout.” Carpenter became a major star with her follow-up album, Come On Come On, which spawned four top 10 country hits – “Passionate Kisses” (a Lucinda Williams song), “I Feel Lucky,” “He inks He’ll Keep Her” and “I Take My Chances” – on its way to going quadruple platinum. Carpenter’s next album, Stones in the Road, was another hit and featured her rst chart-topping country single, “Shut Up and Kiss Me.”

Since then, Carpenter has maintained the quality of her songwriting while crafting a more ballad-oriented sound on her eight subsequent studio albums. e hit singles haven’t hit quite as well as they did in the ‘90s, but Carpenter remains a popular concert draw. e Dirt and the Stars, Carpenter’s most recent studio album, is well

says. “It felt very weird on the one hand, but also there was a comfort in doing it because that’s what I’ve been doing for so many years,” she says. “Also, I was really just determined to get through it. ere were no retakes, it was all live.” Carpenter says that no songs were spliced together, that the recording is simply the full set as performed. “And I remember, as I was playing the last song, the weight of it felt, ‘My God, I’ve been up here for two hours plus’ or whatever. It was exhausting in the moment, but at the same time, it was getting very, very cold on stage. I could see my breath on the last couple of songs and my hands were getting cold and ngers were freezing,” Carpenter says. “It was an unusual experience all the way through. But at the same time, it felt just very magical, and all of the people who were a part of the production and had worked so hard to pull it o , everyone just stayed safe and no one got sick. at was really gratifying.” e solo acoustic performances on One Night Lonely allow the melodicism of Carpenter’s songs to shine and put an even bigger spotlight on her thoughtful lyrics as well as her underappreciated skills as a guitarist. e set leans decidedly toward her more serious and meditative material. Playful hits like “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” “Down at the Twist and Shout” and “Passionate Kisses” aren’t included, and the lightest song is arguably “I Take My Chances,” a breezy song with some serious thoughts about Carpenter’s approach to life. A ve-time Grammy winner who has sold a combined 12 million albums, Carpenter, 64, debuted on the national scene with her 1987 album Hometown Girl. Early on, Columbia Records marketed Carpenter as a country artist, even though her music also had elements of folk, rock and pop. But the plan worked, and Carpenter’s third album, 1990’s Shooting Straight in the Dark, gave her a breakthrough country hit with “Down at the Twist and Shout.” Carpenter became a major star with her follow-up album, Come On Come On, which spawned four top 10 country hits – “Passionate Kisses” (a Lucinda Williams song), “I Feel Lucky,” “He inks He’ll Keep Her” and “I Take My Chances” – on its way to going quadruple platinum. Carpenter’s next album, Stones in the Road, was another hit and featured her rst chart-topping country single, “Shut Up and Kiss Me.” Since then, Carpenter has maintained the quality of her songwriting while crafting a more ballad-oriented sound on her eight subsequent studio albums. e hit singles haven’t hit quite represented on One Night Lonely, as she performs the songs “All Broken Hearts Break Di erently,” “Traveler’s Prayer,” the title cut and “Farther Along and Further In.” e latter song opens e Dirt and the Stars and sets the tone for the 2020 album. “ at song in particular, it was important to me to have it open the record because I do think it sort of states a theme that runs throughout the record, which is just the wisdom that comes with growing older and everything that goes into that,” Carpenter says. Carpenter traveled to Bath, England, and Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios to record e Dirt and the Stars. She also recorded her 2018 album, Sometimes Just the Sky, there. “Everything about it is magical and world class, and just a unique place to be creative,” she says of the facility. Per usual, Carpenter didn’t share her songs with the musicians who played on the album until it was time to go to work at the studio. is fosters a collaborative environment for the proceedings, she says. “I have a way of doing it, which is I play the song for everyone just by myself,” Carpenter says. “An arrangement sort of evolves and reveals itself… Everybody brings their own ideas to it, and in the end, it just kind of comes together.” is summer’s extensive tour – which includes a stop at Cincinnati’s Memorial Hall on July 19 – will give Carpenter her rst opportunity to showcase songs from e Dirt and the Stars in a fullband setting. She was set to tour in 2021 with Shawn Colvin before a shoulder injury forced her to drop out. Carpenter thinks she’s recovered but notes there’s only one way to know for sure. “It’s kind of hard to know until you’re right in the middle of it, you know, playing every night and sort of testing it that way,” Carpenter says. “I spent the past year doing physical therapy and trying to build my strength up in my arms, and we’ll see how it goes.” Exactly what songs fans will hear on a given night will vary, as Carpenter plans to change up her set list from show to show. “We’ll move the pieces around like a chess board and ddle with it, you know, for nearly every night. I’m sort of changing things around,” she says. “ ere’s just not enough time [in a show] to play all of the songs I want to play. I guess that at this point in my life, it’s something to be happy about instead of feeling like it’s a detriment.” as well as they did in the ‘90s, but Carpenter remains a popular concert draw. e Dirt and the Stars, Carpenter’s most recent studio album, is well represented on One Night Lonely, as she performs the songs “All Broken Hearts Break Di erently,” “Traveler’s Prayer,” the title cut and “Farther Along and Further In.” e latter song opens e Dirt and the Stars and sets the tone for the 2020 album. “ at song in particular, it was important to me to have it open the record because I do think it sort of states a theme that runs throughout the record, which is just the wisdom that comes with growing older and everything that goes into that,” Carpenter says. Carpenter traveled to Bath, England, and Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios to record e Dirt and the Stars. She also recorded her 2018 album, Sometimes Just the Sky, there. “Everything about it is magical and world class, and just a unique place to be creative,” she says of the facility. Per usual, Carpenter didn’t share her songs with the musicians who played on the album until it was time to go to work at the studio. is fosters a collaborative environment for the proceedings, she says. “I have a way of doing it, which is I play the song for everyone just by myself,” Carpenter says. “An arrangement sort of evolves and reveals itself… Everybody brings their own ideas to it, and in the end, it just kind of comes together.” is summer’s extensive tour – which includes a stop at Cincinnati’s Memorial Hall on July 19 – will give Carpenter her rst opportunity to showcase songs from e Dirt and the Stars in a fullband setting. She was set to tour in 2021 with Shawn Colvin before a shoulder injury forced her to drop out. Carpenter thinks she’s recovered but notes there’s only one way to know for sure. “It’s kind of hard to know until you’re right in the middle of it, you know, playing every night and sort of testing it that way,” Carpenter says. “I spent the past year doing physical therapy and trying to build my strength up in my arms, and we’ll see how it goes.” Exactly what songs fans will hear on a given night will vary, as Carpenter plans to change up her set list from show to show. “We’ll move the pieces around like a chess board and ddle with it, you know, for nearly every night. I’m sort of changing things around,” she says. “ ere’s just not enough time [in a show] to play all of the songs I want to play. I guess that at this point in my life, it’s something to be happy about instead of feeling like it’s a detriment.”

Mary Chapin Carpenter will perMary Chapin Carpenter will perform at 8 p.m. July 19 at Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Emily Barker will open the show. form at 8 p.m. July 19 at Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Emily Barker will open the show. Info: memorialhallotr.com. Info: memorialhallotr.com.

MUSIC MUSIC A Cincinnatian Plays a Big Role in Furthering the Fame A Cincinnatian Plays a Big Role in Furthering the Fame of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’

of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ BY STEVEN ROSEN

BY STEVEN ROSEN

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” — by turns sacred and profane, mournful and determined — has become such a familiar and admired song that it has achieved classic status.

Its remarkably long journey to get there was well documented in the 2012 book e Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Je Buckley and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah” by Alan Light, a Cincinnati native. Because of the book’s success, it has become a signi cant landmark along the “Hallelujah” trail.

Now, there’s a new documentary inspired by the book — Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, which opens August 5 at the Mariemont eatre. Light served as a consulting producer for the lm, which is directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Gold ne.

Coinciding with the lm’s release, Simon & Schuster has published a new edition of eHoly or the Broken that chronicles key events since 2012 in the continuing journey of “Hallelujah” (one of those events was the passing of Cohen in 2016, at age 82). e book’s new edition includes Kate McKinnon — in character as Hillary Clinton — singing a cathartic version of the song on Saturday Night Live’s immediately after Donald Trump shockingly defeated Clinton in Electoral College votes in the 2016 presidential election, despite her popular-vote victory. McKinnon’s performance also coincided with Cohen’s passing. At song’s end, McKinnon — speaking both as Clinton but also as herself — expresses support for those who were dazed, confused and worried about what awaited the country with Trump as president. “I’m not giving up and neither should you,” she said. “It was another catalyst moment for the song,” Light says during a phone interview. “So the story keeps building.” After an overlooked 1984 release, “Hallelujah” began to develop a following in the 1990s via exceptional cover versions by critically favored musicians John Cale and Je Buckley. Its big breakthrough arrived when Cale’s version was featured in the 2001 animated movie Shrek (the movie’s soundtrack album featured a version by Rufus Wainwright). e documentary, like Light’s book, chronicles how Cohen was rst a Canadian poet who became a folkoriented singer-songwriter in the 1960s, garnering considerable respect. By the 1984 album Various Positions, he was looking to modernize his sound. Yet his longtime U.S. record label, Columbia, wouldn’t release it, not recognizing the potential of “Hallelujah” (an independent label distributed it without much initial notice). But the song’s belated success helped allow Cohen a later-inlife triumphant return to recording and touring.

Light’s own a-ha moment with the song didn’t come until 2010, despite the fact his father, Irwin, now a retired neonatologist who practiced at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and also taught at University of Cincinnati’s medical school, was a classmate of Cohen’s at Montreal’s McGill University. Both men were Jewish and raised in Montreal, Canada. “I grew up with Leonard’s

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” — by turns sacred and profane, mournful and determined — has become such a familiar and admired song that it has achieved classic status.

Its remarkably long journey to get there was well documented in the 2012 book e Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Je Buckley and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah” by Alan Light, a Cincinnati native. Because of the book’s success, it has become a signi cant landmark along the “Hallelujah” trail.

Now, there’s a new documentary inspired by the book — Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, which opens August 5 at the Mariemont eatre. Light served as a consulting producer for the lm, which is directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Gold ne.

Coinciding with the lm’s release, Simon & Schuster has published a new edition of eHoly or the Broken that chronicles key events since 2012 in the continuing journey of “Hallelujah” (one of those events was the passing of Cohen in 2016, at age 82). e book’s new edition includes Kate McKinnon — in character as Hillary Clinton — singing a cathartic version of the song on Saturday Night Live’s immediately after Donald Trump shockingly defeated Clinton in Electoral College votes in the 2016 presidential election, despite her popular-vote victory. McKinnon’s performance also coincided with Cohen’s passing. At song’s end, McKinnon — speaking both as Clinton but also as herself — expresses support for those who were dazed, confused and worried about what awaited the country with Trump as president. “I’m not giving up and neither should you,” she said. “It was another catalyst moment for the song,” Light says during a phone interview. “So the story keeps building.” After an overlooked 1984 release, “Hallelujah” began to develop a following in the 1990s via exceptional cover versions by critically favored musicians John Cale and Je Buckley. Its big breakthrough arrived when Cale’s version was featured in the 2001 animated movie Shrek (the movie’s soundtrack album featured a version by Rufus Wainwright). e documentary, like Light’s book, chronicles how Cohen was rst a Canadian poet who became a folkoriented singer-songwriter in the 1960s, garnering considerable respect. By the 1984 album Various Positions, he was looking to modernize his sound. Yet his longtime U.S. record label, Columbia, wouldn’t release it, not recognizing the college yearbook on our shelf,” Light says. e initial rise of “Hallelujah” didn’t make a deep impression on Light, who already was very busy in New York writing and editing music stories (at age 55, he still lives in Manhattan with wife Suzanne and son Adam). But in 2010,

potential of “Hallelujah” (an independent label distributed it without much initial notice). But the song’s belated success helped allow Cohen a later-inlife triumphant return to recording and touring.

Light’s own a-ha moment with the song didn’t come until 2010, despite the fact his father, Irwin, now a retired neonatologist who practiced at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and also taught at University of Cincinnati’s medical school, was a classmate of Cohen’s at Montreal’s McGill University. Both men were Jewish and raised in Montreal, Canada. “I grew up with Leonard’s college yearbook on our shelf,” Light says. e initial rise of “Hallelujah” didn’t make a deep impression on Light, who already was very busy in New York writing and editing music stories (at age 55, he still lives in Manhattan with wife Suzanne and son Adam). But in 2010,

Leonard Cohen

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY SONY CLASSICS Leonard Cohen

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY SONY CLASSICS

Leonard Cohen performs in Denmark n 2013.

PHOTO: TAKAHIRO KYONO, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Leonard Cohen performs in Denmark n 2013.

Light attended a Yom Kippur open service at Manhattan’s massive Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, hosted by an LGBTQ congregation. For the Kol Nidre prayer, a choir sang “Hallelujah” and Light was taken aback. “You could just feel that everyone knew it,” he recalls. “People were in tears, and I thought, ‘How’d we get here; how’d this become the song that lights everyone up on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar at the pinnacle moment?’ And I also thought about what a weird trajectory it was for a song that nobody paid attention to for a long time and now it has become this universal anthem. How the hell did that happen? at’s what started my thought that there was a book in that.”

Light became devoted to music and arts writing while growing up in Cincinnati. One impetus was his mother, Janet Light, a dance critic for Cincinnati Enquirer who shared her work experiences with her young son. At Cincinnati Country Day School, he looked for writing opportunities and as a teenager had a radio show at WAIF-FM.

“It was pretty freeform, I’ve got to say,” Light explains. “It started as ‘60s rock-focused but got increasingly looser and looser. Certainly it was rock-based, but I played Miles Davis records or whatever as I found them.” He has continued with radio and currently has a 4-7 p.m. daily show on SiriusXM 106, a music-talk channel called “Volume”.

At Yale University, where Light majored in American studies with a concentration on American popular music, he devoted nine months of his senior year to a thesis on the Beastie

PHOTO: TAKAHIRO KYONO, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Light attended a Yom Kippur open service at Manhattan’s massive Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, hosted by an LGBTQ congregation. For the Kol Nidre prayer, a choir sang “Hallelujah” and Light was taken aback. “You could just feel that everyone knew it,” he recalls. “People were in tears, and I thought, ‘How’d we get here; how’d this become the song that lights everyone up on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar at the pinnacle moment?’ And I also thought about what a weird trajectory it was for a song that nobody paid attention to for a long time and now it has become this universal anthem. How the hell did that happen? at’s what started my thought that there was a book in that.” Light became devoted to music and arts writing while growing up in Cincinnati. One impetus was his mother, Janet Light, a dance critic for Cincinnati Enquirer who shared her work experiences with her young son. At Cincinnati Country Day School, he looked for writing opportunities and as a teenager had a radio show at WAIF-FM. “It was pretty freeform, I’ve got to say,” Light explains. “It started as ‘60s rock-focused but got increasingly looser and looser. Certainly it was rock-based, but I played Miles Davis records or whatever as I found them.” He has continued with radio and currently has a 4-7 p.m. daily show on SiriusXM 106, Boys’ 1986 Licensed to Ill album. “Plenty of people thought it was goofy, but damn if I wasn’t on the most preprofessional track of any of them,” Light says now. From college, Light wrote and edited for magazines like Rolling Stone, Spin and Vibe. From there, he became an editor at Tracks, a start-up geared to what might be called “adult alternative” forms of contemporary popular music, and which had as a nancial backer Frank Wood, the Cincinnatian who started WEBN-FM’s alternative rock format back in 1967. Tracks lasted from 2003 to 2005. For his book, Light was not able to talk to Cohen, who limited his interviews. However, Cohen’s management was supportive of the project. Cohen’s estate was supportive, too, of the “Hallelujah”documentary. But Light did have one cherished personal moment with Cohen. It came after his book’s 2012 publication, when he was asked to do an interview with the revered singer for a press event related to a new album. “We did 10 minutes,” Light says. “He did stop after my rst question and thanked me for the book and said how much he appreciated and enjoyed it. It meant the entire world to me.” a music-talk channel called “Volume”. At Yale University, where Light majored in American studies with a concentration on American popular music, he devoted nine months of his senior year to a thesis on the Beastie Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song opens at Mariemont eatre on August 5. To purchase or learn about The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah,” visit simonandschuster.com.

Boys’ 1986 Licensed to Ill album. “Plenty of people thought it was goofy, but damn if I wasn’t on the most preprofessional track of any of them,” Light says now.

From college, Light wrote and edited for magazines like Rolling Stone, Spin and Vibe. From there, he became an editor at Tracks, a start-up geared to what might be called “adult alternative” forms of contemporary popular music, and which had as a nancial backer Frank Wood, the Cincinnatian who started WEBN-FM’s alternative rock format back in 1967. Tracks lasted from 2003 to 2005.

For his book, Light was not able to talk to Cohen, who limited his interviews. However, Cohen’s management was supportive of the project. Cohen’s estate was supportive, too, of the “Hallelujah”documentary.

But Light did have one cherished personal moment with Cohen. It came after his book’s 2012 publication, when he was asked to do an interview with the revered singer for a press event related to a new album. “We did 10 minutes,” Light says. “He did stop after my rst question and thanked me for the book and said how much he appreciated and enjoyed it. It meant the entire world to me.”

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song opens at Mariemont eatre on August 5. To purchase or learn about

The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and the Unlikely

Ascent of “Hallelujah,” visit simonandschuster.com.

SOUND ADVICE SOUND ADVICE

Robert Glasper

PHOTO: MANCY GANT Robert Glasper

PHOTO: MANCY GANT

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS WITH X July 20 • Andrew J Brady Music Center

e Psychedelic Furs released seven full-length albums between 1980 and 1991, each reveling in the noisy post punk that dominated the era’s British music scene. And if the Furs moved away from their trashy, Sex Pistolsripping aggression as the years rolled on, they grew only more emotionally resonant by the end of a decade they helped de ne with a slew of memorable singles (including “Pretty in Pink,” which writer/director John Hughes used for his 1986 lm of the same name, and “Love My Way,” so amusingly employed in the 2017 art-house hit Call Me by Your Name). e Furs — whose only current original members are singer Richard Butler and his bass-playing brother Tim — reconvened consistently over the last 20 years for live tours, but an album of new material remained elusive until 2020’s Made of Rain, which had the misfortune of surfacing just as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, eliminating a planned tour. e new songs remain faithful to the Furs’ mid- to late-’80s approach — swirling, psych-tinged pop rock driven by Richard’s modest but heartfelt baritone and side-eyed romanticism. e Furs started playing live shows again in late 2021 following a two-year pandemic-related layo — the band’s longest period of dormancy since reforming in 2000 after an eight-year hiatus.

“Yeah, now we’re looser,” Tim told PopMatters in October when asked to compare the recent touring lineups to their early days. “When we rst got back together [in 2000], we played the songs perfectly. Now we’re bouncing o each other more. On albums like (1987’s) Midnight to Midnight, the songs are very produced. Now when we play them live, it’s more rock ‘n’ roll.” ose looking to hear the Furs’ beloved ’80s output during the Cincinnati tour stop will no doubt be satiated — the aforementioned movieboasting hits, plus “India,” “Heartbreak Beat,” “Heaven” and the ever-timely

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS WITH X

July 20 • Andrew J Brady Music Center “President Gas” are setlist staples — but e Psychedelic Furs released seven expect a heavy dose of Made of Rain, full-length albums between 1980 and too. 1991, each reveling in the noisy post e Psychedelic Furs perform July punk that dominated the era’s British 20 at the Andrew J Brady Music Center. music scene. And if the Furs moved Doors open at 6:30 p.m. X will open the away from their trashy, Sex Pistols- show. ere are no COVID-10 proripping aggression as the years rolled tocols. Info: bradymusiccenter.com. on, they grew only more emotionally (Jason Gargano) resonant by the end of a decade they helped de ne with a slew of memorable singles (including “Pretty in Pink,” which writer/director John Hughes used for his 1986 lm of the same name, and “Love My Way,” so amusingly employed in the 2017 art-house hit Call Me by Your Name). e Furs — whose only current original members are singer Richard Butler and his bass-playing brother Tim — reconvened consistently over the last 20 years for live tours, but an album of new material remained elusive until 2020’s Made of Rain, which had the misfortune of surfacing just as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, eliminating a planned tour. e new songs remain faithful to the Furs’ mid- to late-’80s approach — swirling, psych-tinged pop rock driven by Richard’s modest but heartfelt baritone and side-eyed romanticism. e Furs started playing live shows again in late 2021 following a two-year pandemic-related layo — the band’s longest period of dormancy since reforming in 2000 after an eight-year hiatus. “Yeah, now we’re looser,” Tim told PopMatters in October when asked to compare the recent touring lineups to their early days. “When we rst got back together [in 2000], we played the songs perfectly. Now we’re bouncing o each other more. On albums like (1987’s) Midnight to Midnight, the songs are very produced. Now when we play them live, it’s more rock ‘n’ roll.” ose looking to hear the Furs’ beloved ’80s output during the Cincinnati tour stop will no doubt be satiated — the aforementioned movieboasting hits, plus “India,” “Heartbreak Beat,” “Heaven” and the ever-timely “President Gas” are setlist staples — but expect a heavy dose of Made of Rain, too. e Psychedelic Furs perform July 20 at the Andrew J Brady Music Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. X will open the show. ere are no COVID-10 protocols. Info: bradymusiccenter.com. (Jason Gargano)

ROBERT GLASPER ROBERT GLASPER July 23 • Ludlow Garage

A who’s who of contemporary musical artists have mingled with Robert Glasper, a classically trained pianist whose infectious creativity has propelled numerous projects. e Houston native started making artistic waves while attending the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at e New School in New York City in the late 1990s, eventually falling in with like-minded artists from e Roots and Erykah Badu to J Dilla and Mos Def. Work as a composer and record producer followed, as did a series of solo albums for Blue Note Records, the

esteemed jazz label. In 2012, yearning to expand beyond traditional jazz expectations, Glasper dropped Black Radio, an R&B-centric a air that delves into a broad swath of the Black experience and features collaborations with the aforementioned Badu and Mos Def, as well as Bilal, Meshell Ndegeocello and others. Black Radio won a Grammy and spawned a July 23 • Ludlow Garage sequel, 2013’s Black Radio 2, but the A who’s who of contemporary musi- live experience is where Glasper’s work cal artists have mingled with Robert remains most intriguing. Like buddy Glasper, a classically trained pianist and collaborator Kamasi Washington, whose infectious creativity has pro- Glasper relishes in the frequently sponpelled numerous projects. e Hous- taneous push and pull of the live setton native started making artistic ting, playing o his fellow musicians in waves while attending the School of ways both familiar and unpredictable. Jazz and Contemporary Music at e While Glasper’s contributions to variNew School in New York City in the ous projects in recent years — including late 1990s, eventually falling in with providing some sweet piano licks on like-minded artists from e Roots Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterand Erykah Badu to J Dilla and Mos y and serving as musical producer Def. Work as a composer and record for Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic producer followed, as did a series of Miles Ahead — remained fruitful, the solo albums for Blue Note Records, the pandemic inspired him to return to familiar territory with the recently released Black Radio III, which features

esteemed jazz label.

In 2012, yearning to expand beyond traditional jazz expectations, Glasper dropped Black Radio, an R&B-centric a air that delves into a broad swath of the Black experience and features collaborations with the aforementioned Badu and Mos Def, as well as Bilal, Meshell Ndegeocello and others. Black Radio won a Grammy and spawned a sequel, 2013’s Black Radio 2, but the live experience is where Glasper’s work remains most intriguing. Like buddy and collaborator Kamasi Washington, Glasper relishes in the frequently spontaneous push and pull of the live setting, playing o his fellow musicians in ways both familiar and unpredictable.

While Glasper’s contributions to various projects in recent years — including providing some sweet piano licks on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butter y and serving as musical producer for Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead — remained fruitful, the pandemic inspired him to return to familiar territory with the recently released Black Radio III, which features

Backstreet Boys

PHOTO: DENNIS LEUPOLD, COURTESY OF RCA RECORDS Backstreet Boys

appearances from Killer Mike, Esperanza Spalding, H.E.R., Posdnuos, Jennifer Hudson, Q-Tip and more.

“So much has happened from 2019 to now,” Glasper said in a recent interview with Okayplayer. “I hadn’t done a Black Radio in eight years and I wasn’t going to do another one. But when the pandemic hit, I felt like people needed it. I needed it. e process of it would heal me and help me from going crazy because it would give me something to do.”

Besides a surprise appearance here and there, Glasper’s current tour is unlikely to feature the various guest collaborators that populate the record, which just means there will be more time for him and his core band to do their thing.

Robert Glasper performs July 23 at Ludlow Garage. Doors open at 7 p.m. ere are no COVID-19 protocols. Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com. (JG)

BACKSTREET BOYS July 26 • Riverbend Music Center

Strap on your going-out top, feed your Tamagotchi and swipe on some Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers because Backstreet’s back — at least at Riverbend Music Center.

Cincinnati may be able to claim one of the great boy bands of the late’90s/early-2000s as our own — hi, 98

PHOTO: DENNIS LEUPOLD, COURTESY OF RCA RECORDS appearances from Killer Mike, Esperanza Spalding, H.E.R., Posdnuos, Jennifer Hudson, Q-Tip and more. Degrees — but the fame of Nick Lachey

“So much has happened from 2019 to and Co. is no match for ve harmoniznow,” Glasper said in a recent inter- ing heartthrobs from Orlando. view with Okayplayer. “I hadn’t done a e Backstreet Boys — aka Nick Black Radio in eight years and I wasn’t Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, going to do another one. But when the Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson — pandemic hit, I felt like people needed are one of the best-selling boy bands it. I needed it. e process of it would of all time. And they are bringing their heal me and help me from going crazy unique ~fashun~, facial hair and top because it would give me something to Billboard hits to Cincinnati on the do.” “DNA World Tour.”

Besides a surprise appearance here e tour, which kicked o in Las and there, Glasper’s current tour is Vegas, celebrates the band’s 2019 unlikely to feature the various guest release, DNA. Featuring the Grammycollaborators that populate the record, nominated single “Don’t Go Breaking which just means there will be more My Heart,” the tune proves fans still time for him and his core band to do “want it that way” — it was Backstreet their thing. Boys’ rst song to hit the Billboard Hot

Robert Glasper performs July 23 at 100 in 10 years, per the band, and “went Ludlow Garage. Doors open at 7 p.m. straight to No. 1 on iTunes Top Songs ere are no COVID-19 protocols. Info: and Global charts.” ludlowgaragecincinnati.com. (JG) In honor of the tour, the boys have created a docuseries called Making BACKSTREET BOYS of the DNA Tour to give fans an inside look at the process of prepping for a July 26 • Riverbend Music Center global jaunt. You can hype yourself up Strap on your going-out top, feed your for the Cincinnati concert by watching Tamagotchi and swipe on some Dr. episodes — and practicing the choreogPepper Lip Smackers because Back- raphy to the “Everybody” music video street’s back — at least at Riverbend — on the Backstreet Boys’ YouTube Music Center. channel.

Cincinnati may be able to claim one Backstreet Boys perform July 26 at of the great boy bands of the late- Riverbend Music Center. Doors open ’90s/early-2000s as our own — hi, 98 at 6 p.m. Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem opens. Info: riverbend. org. (Maija Zummo)

Degrees — but the fame of Nick Lachey and Co. is no match for ve harmonizing heartthrobs from Orlando. e Backstreet Boys — aka Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson — are one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. And they are bringing their unique ~fashun~, facial hair and top Billboard hits to Cincinnati on the “DNA World Tour.” e tour, which kicked o in Las Vegas, celebrates the band’s 2019 release, DNA. Featuring the Grammynominated single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” the tune proves fans still “want it that way” — it was Backstreet Boys’ rst song to hit the Billboard Hot 100 in 10 years, per the band, and “went straight to No. 1 on iTunes Top Songs and Global charts.”

In honor of the tour, the boys have created a docuseries called Making of the DNA Tour to give fans an inside look at the process of prepping for a global jaunt. You can hype yourself up for the Cincinnati concert by watching episodes — and practicing the choreography to the “Everybody” music video — on the Backstreet Boys’ YouTube channel.

Backstreet Boys perform July 26 at Riverbend Music Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem opens. Info: riverbend. org. (Maija Zummo)