The three co-headlining acts are proudly displayed on the marquee of Newport Music Hall. Credit: Emma Dawson | Lantern Reporter
Four Columbus bands will take over the Newport Music Hall this weekend, bringing some hometown charm to the iconic music venue.
Newport Music Hall will host headlining acts — Adam Paddock, Cousin Simple and Spirit of the Bear — in “Columbus Against the World” Saturday. Left Out, another local indie band will appear as a special guest. According to the event’s website, “Columbus Against the World” is a “celebration of the independent music scene in CBUS” by highlighting local vendors, artists and more.
Paddock said “Columbus Against the World” was his “brainchild,” and from the get-go, he has been involved in logistics ranging from lighting to sponsors. Paddock said while the experience has been intense, he is excited for the show to commence.
“It’s been insane, but I’m glad to finally see it come to fruition,” Paddock said. “It feels like, ‘God, a lot of this work is totally worth it, and everything that has gone unseen is finally being seen a little bit.’”
Cousin Simple vocalist Will Harsh Hoag, referred to as Harsh, said the band was approached by the Columbus iHeartRadio station The Fairly Local Show 105.7, a sponsor for “Columbus Against the World,” about doing a different show at the Newport. Harsh said Paddock later reached out to Cousin Simple with PromoWest Productions, the owners of Newport Music Hall.
“We were all just kind of like, ‘Well, can it just be one? Can we just make this kind of, you know, who’s hot right now in Columbus and who’s kind of going for it and trying to do the best?’” Harsh said. “It was all something that everyone was really excited about and really wanted to do. And it seems like you know, the town’s a little excited about it, too.”
Spirit of the Bear guitarist and singer James Harker said Cousin Simple got his band involved with the event, and the decision to participate was simple.
“We were like, ‘Yeah, of course,’” Harker said. “We always wanted to play at the Newport, it’s a huge bucket list venue. We’ve been pretty close with the guys in Cousin Simple.”
In Spirit of the Bear, Harker is joined by long-term friends Ethan Schwendeman on synthesizer, Daniel Svenson on keyboards and Jamie Vitullo on drums. Vitullo said the group broadly identifies within the “pop-leaning” alternative-rock genre.
Along with Harsh, Cousin Simple features Ryan Ulibarri on guitar and Mitch Whittaker on drums. The group places itself in the indie-rock genre and said audiences should be ready to get on their feet.
“I would say it’s fun to dance to. Fun to like if you’re going to have a dance party,” Harsh said. “That’s kind of how we make all the music, you know, what makes us dance and what makes us want to sing along.”
Paddock said his music is similar to Jon Bellion and pop trio AJR, calling his music “wholesome, energetic and upbeat.”
For many Ohio natives, Newport Music Hall is one of the most iconic venues in the state, hosting bands — such as Nirvana, Paramore and Kiss. As well as being a long-term goal for Cousin Simple, Whittaker said playing at Newport holds a nostalgic value.
“We’ve been to countless shows there all together, dancing in the pit to our favorite bands,” Mitch said. “To have this day that we’ve been dreaming about since we were in seventh or eighth grade, it’s surreal. It really is.”
The opportunity to play at the Newport is also a chance to see how bands have grown over time, Vitullo said, which can be especially inspiring when considering the bands’ histories between each other.
“It’s one of those things where, like, we’ve known these people for so long,” Vitullo said. “We did this together, we have this big thing to celebrate now with this show. I think it’s going to be great.”
At the end of the day, Paddock said events like “Columbus Against the World” give people in the community an opportunity to support the local music scene, uplifting the people that Paddock said are “some of the kindest” people he knows.
“The best people that you have the potential to interact with are at your local scene, just hanging out,” Paddock said. “Everybody is looking for a little bit of community.”
Doors open for “Columbus Against the World” at 6 p.m. Saturday. Tickets can be purchased online and at the Newport box office for $20.
