Tag: Columbus
Royal Blood set to grace Columbus stage
Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher might fall under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, but the rock duo’s name, Royal Blood, is inspired by another country’s sovereignty. “It’s a bit of a long story, really,” Thatcher said. “Mike (Kerr) was traveling in Eastern Asia, and he got to stay with this royal family out there, and he got really friendly with the princess,” Thatcher said. “Mike came back from traveling, and I picked him up from the airport, and he was like, ‘I thought of a really good name for the band.’” Although they are no longer mingling with nobility, lots of exciting things are happening for the up-and-coming U.K.… Read more
Review: Neutral Milk Hotel proves ageless with fresh sound
“You should put into your article that these guys are the only hipsters to ever melt people’s faces off.” This opinion by the man next to me seemed to be one the rest of the audience at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion shared, as Neutral Milk Hotel took the stage amid thundering applause Sunday night. Earlier in the evening, though, as the people trickled in and I staked out my spot on the lawn, the Columbus band Connections opened the festivities for the 2014 Next@Wex Fest, a show put on by PromoWest Productions, the Wexner Center for the Arts and alternative Columbus station CD102.5. Given the picnic-like vibe on the lawn,… Read more
Clutch second half keys Crew comeback win over Montreal Impact
The Columbus Crew seemed to be heading for another disappointing result Saturday night when they entered halftime trailing 1-0 to the Montreal Impact, but the sellout crowd of more than 21,000 at Crew Stadium was in for a redemption tale. The Crew (5-7-8) mounted a second-half comeback to notch a 2-1 victory on a pair of goals by midfielder Bernardo Anor. “I think we actually get more benefit out of a win like this than if we had come out and won 3- or 4-0,” Crew team captain and defender Michael Parkhurst said after the game. “It brings the team together when you have to grind out a win like… Read more
Review: New melodic mold awakens in Rise Against’s latest effort
Fans of Chicago outfit Rise Against eager to listen to the band’s latest record will be welcomed by a mix of the band’s edgy, older sound, a newly minted blend of backup vocal harmonies and guitar harmonics. “The Black Market,” the punk rock band’s seventh studio album and first since 2011, was released Tuesday and features 12 new tracks. The instrumental work is what has always made Rise Against’s brand of hardcore tick fundamentally, but lead singer Tim McIlrath’s vocal delivery has been the calling card that has differentiated the band from other crowd-rousing modern takes on punk rock. But “The Black Market” could be a sign that points to… Read more
Gallery: 5k colors Columbus streets
The Color Run dyed downtown Saturday. Monikered the “Happiest 5k on the Planet,” according to its website, the un-timed 5k drenches runners with various colored pigments at each kilometer marker. Participants are instructed to wear white at the starting line and end up resembling something like a kaleidoscope when done. At the finish line, there is a festival with music, dancing and even more color. The organization hosted more than 170 events in 2013 in more than 30 countries. The Columbus race began at 9 a.m., starting on West Long Street, crossing the Scioto River and ending on West Spring Street. … Read more
Gallery: Band of Horses, Midlake take the stage at LC Pavilion
Band of Horses with special guest Midlake performed Friday at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion. Band of Horses, a Seattle-based rock band, last released a studio album in 2012 (“Mirage Rock”) and recently put out a live disc of a two-night gig at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The band is known for singles “The Funeral,” “No One’s Gonna Love You” and “Is There a Ghost,” among others. Denton, Texas-based Midlake is a folk rock band whose latest effort, “Antiphon,” came out in 2013. The band’s known singles include “Roscoe,” “Young Bride” and “Acts of Man.” … Read more
Opinion: Ohio’s ruralists, urbanites have chance to unite at State Fair
Growing up in Columbus, the State Fair was an inevitable part of summer. It descended upon the fairgrounds annually and brought with it scads of sweaty ruralists and a determination to deep fry something more outrageous than the year before. I was never a fair type-of-kid. It might have been because I went to a high school of mostly suburban students and lived in a neighborhood just a few miles north of downtown. I desperately wanted to be considered an urban kid, and, to me, the fair was for farmhands who dreamed of butter cows and looked forward to the last week in July like Christmas morning. And the cliche… Read more
Opinion: The return of LeBron James means everything to Cleveland
I will never forget where I was four years ago, when LeBron James broke the collective hearts in Cleveland by announcing his decision to join the Miami Heat. I sat in a Florida hotel lobby as the “King” made his announcement to take his talents to South Beach, and the lobby let out a collective roar. I sank in my chair knowing that the chances of a championship happening in Cleveland were, once again, dashed. Flash forward to today — I sat in my bedroom. Not my school bedroom but my bedroom back home. The bedroom in which I grew up, and I heard the news that James was returning… Read more
Opinion: Self-proclaimed potato salad novice a modern day Johnny Appleseed
A strong case can be made for why the Internet is the most impactful invention in history. Sure, the wheel had a good run, but you can’t watch hilarious videos of a sneezing panda on a wheel. Democracy made its mark, but what good would political participation be without the ability to tweet your thoughts on the issues? Fire certainly changed the world, but the caveman who rubbed two sticks together probably never dreamed that one day a man known as Zack “Danger” Brown would raise more than $40,000 (as of Tuesday afternoon) to make potato salad thanks to this glorious thing known as the World Wide Web. Kickstarter is… Read more
