MUSIC

MUSIC MUSIC

Sam Richardson, owner of Feel It Records

PHOTO: JULIE FERGUSON Sam Richardson, owner of Feel It Records

PHOTO: JULIE FERGUSON

Sam Richardson of Feel It Records May Be Curating Cincinnati’s Next Big Thing Sam Richardson of Feel It Records May Be Curating Cincinnati’s Next Big Thing With punk-rock artists and a DIY ethos, the local record label is thriving.

With punk-rock artists and a DIY ethos, the local record label is thriving. BY JASON GARGANO

BY JASON GARGANO

The idea of a music label as a community-building endeavor with a signature aesthetic is alive and well in Feel It Records. Founder and lone proprietor Sam Richardson started the label as a university student in Richmond, Va. in 2010. Nearly 13 years and a recent relocation to Cincinnati last summer, Feel It has become a respected go-to source for those interested in the punk genre and its multifarious o shoots — post punk, indie, dark wave, trash pop, garage rock and more.

Feel It Records’ well-curated catalog features dozens of in-print LPs, 7-inch singles and even the occasional vintage reissue. Check out Cincinnati’s own purveyors of icy industrialized atmospherics Crime of Passing, whose haunting 2022 self-titled record lodges itself into one’s subconscious whether one wants it there or not. en there’s Kansas-based Sweeping Promises, whose stellar 2020 full-length debut Hunger for a Way Out recalls e GoGo’s by way of e Slits, as unconventional hooks surface amid rudimentary beats and zig-zagging guitar and synth lines, all anchored by the zzy vocals of frontwoman Lira Mondal. e trio’s equally ear-wormy latest single “Pain Without a Touch” dropped in November as a collaboration between Feel It, which is handling the domestic release, and Sub Pop Records, which is overseeing the rest of the world. A new Sweeping Promises full-length is set for release in the near future, and there’s sure to be more from elsewhere within Feel It’s ever-expanding roster universe.

“I didn’t have this kind of expectation for it,” Richardson tells CityBeat about the label’s relative success. “It was de nitely more of a hobby label [at the beginning]. I had some friends I was lucky to have right down the street from my dorm room who had a record store called Vinyl Con ict. e original owners had a label called No Way Records that did a lot of hardcore and punk stu that I was into. ey were a good source of information on how to get something o the ground and bounce questions o of.” ere’s a rich history of DIY ingenuity in the punk scene, and that tradition is a big part of Feel It’s approach to music. It’s also one Richardson has seen as a member in his own various bands over the years.

“ rough touring I met a lot of new people in bands,” he says. “I think the idea of making it a larger thing than just a regional hobby label kind of came to mind through that. Feel It started putting out ve records a year, then 10 records a year. en last year it was 15. And I have a crazy year lined up now [for 2023].”

Among the new releases are e orts from Cincinnati-based bands like e Drin, Corker and Beef, in which Richardson plays guitar. e quality of the current crop of local out ts — including e Serfs, which specialize in a jagged, art-damaged version of electro-dance music, as well as scene mainstays Vacation and others — was enough to convince Richardson to move his operation to the Queen City from Richmond. Ready for a new creative environment, he bought a house last spring that doubles as Feel It’s current headquarters on the West Side of Cincinnati. “I love it here,” Richardson says. “I really like the community. I’m from a smaller town to begin with, so I was thinking, ‘Where would I go with the label?’ It just feels right here. I met a lot of cool new friends. e music scene is really happening right now.” Dakota Carlyle is a central gure in the scene. As a member of e Serfs, e Drin and Crime of Passing, he’s seen things build over the last several years. Carlyle was a fan of the stu Feel It was putting out and in 2021 decided to email Richardson out of the blue to see if he would be interested in releasing the Crime of Passing record. “We started making it in December of 2019,” Carlyle says. “And then with the pandemic, everything just got really delayed for a long time because of the virus itself and the mental state that put me in. I cold-emailed Sam. I never met him or knew who he was at all. It was a bit of a crapshoot. He emailed me back and loved it. And then we talked on the phone a bit and planned everything out with the record.” “When e Serfs were touring a few months later, we went to Richmond where he was at. at was the rst time that I actually met him,” Carlyle continues. “He moved here a couple months T he idea of a music label as a community-building endeavor with a signature aesthetic after he stayed at my place. It happened really fast.” Richardson says it was a no-brainer to release the Crime of Passing record.is alive and well in Feel It Records. “I just really love what they did with Founder and lone proprietor Sam Rich- it,” he says. “ ere’s so much texture. ardson started the label as a university ey’re able to cross between so many student in Richmond, Va. in 2010. little sub-facets of the genre. I would say Nearly 13 years and a recent relocation that it’s the most popular thing I put out to Cincinnati last summer, Feel It has in 2022.” become a respected go-to source for ere’s a desolate, almost spooky those interested in the punk genre and vibe to Crime of Passing’s music that is its multifarious o shoots — post punk, at once hypnotic and alienating. at indie, dark wave, trash pop, garage rock approach is also apparent in what Car-and more. lyle does with e Serfs, which recently

Feel It Records’ well-curated catalog announced their rst European tour.features dozens of in-print LPs, 7-inch “Desperation is very clear in a lot of singles and even the occasional vintage the music that we make,” Carlyle says of reissue. Check out Cincinnati’s own the in uence his surroundings have on purveyors of icy industrialized atmo- his art. “Until recently, it’s always sort spherics Crime of Passing, whose of fallen on deaf ears. Flyover country haunting 2022 self-titled record lodges is a bit of a joke to coastal cities. I think itself into one’s subconscious whether that was always motivating in its own one wants it there or not. en there’s way. I think just the industrial living in Cincinnati has had a large impact

Kansas-based Sweeping Promises, whose stellar 2020 full-length debut Hunger for a Way Out recalls e GoGo’s by way of e Slits, as unconventional hooks surface amid rudimentary beats and zig-zagging guitar and synth lines, all anchored by the zzy vocals of frontwoman Lira Mondal. e trio’s equally ear-wormy latest single “Pain Without a Touch” dropped in November as a collaboration between Feel It, which is handling the domestic release, and Sub Pop Records, which is overseeing the rest of the world. A new Sweeping Promises full-length is set for release in the near future, and there’s sure to be more from elsewhere within Feel It’s ever-expanding roster universe.

“I didn’t have this kind of expectation for it,” Richardson tells CityBeat about the label’s relative success. “It was de nitely more of a hobby label [at the beginning]. I had some friends I was lucky to have right down the street from my dorm room who had a record store called Vinyl Con ict. e original owners had a label called No Way Records that did a lot of hardcore and punk stu that I was into. ey were a good source of information on how to get something o the ground and bounce questions o of.” ere’s a rich history of DIY ingenuity in the punk scene, and that tradition is a big part of Feel It’s approach to music. It’s also one Richardson has seen as a member in his own various bands over the years.

“ rough touring I met a lot of new people in bands,” he says. “I think the idea of making it a larger thing than just a regional hobby label kind of came to mind through that. Feel It started putting out ve records a year, then 10 records a year. en last year it was 15. And I have a crazy year lined up now [for 2023].”

Among the new releases are e orts from Cincinnati-based bands like e Drin, Corker and Beef, in which Richardson plays guitar. e quality of the current crop of local out ts — including e Serfs, which specialize in a jagged, art-damaged version of electro-dance music, as well as scene mainstays Vacation and others — was enough to convince Richardson to move his operation to the Queen City from Richmond. Ready for a new creative environment, he bought a house last spring that doubles as Feel It’s current headquarters on the West Side of Cincinnati.

“I love it here,” Richardson says. “I really like the community. I’m from a smaller town to begin with, so I was thinking, ‘Where would I go with the label?’ It just feels right here. I met a lot of cool new friends. e music scene is really happening right now.”

Dakota Carlyle is a central gure in the scene. As a member of e Serfs, e Drin and Crime of Passing, he’s seen things build over the last several years. Carlyle was a fan of the stu Feel It was putting out and in 2021 decided to email Richardson out of the blue to see if he would be interested in releasing the Crime of Passing record.

“We started making it in December of 2019,” Carlyle says. “And then with the pandemic, everything just got really delayed for a long time because of the virus itself and the mental state that put me in. I cold-emailed Sam. I never met him or knew who he was at all. It was a bit of a crapshoot. He emailed me back and loved it. And then we talked on the phone a bit and planned everything out with the record.”

“When e Serfs were touring a few months later, we went to Richmond where he was at. at was the rst time that I actually met him,” Carlyle continues. “He moved here a couple months after he stayed at my place. It happened really fast.”

Richardson says it was a no-brainer to release the Crime of Passing record.

“I just really love what they did with it,” he says. “ ere’s so much texture. ey’re able to cross between so many little sub-facets of the genre. I would say that it’s the most popular thing I put out in 2022.” ere’s a desolate, almost spooky vibe to Crime of Passing’s music that is at once hypnotic and alienating. at approach is also apparent in what Carlyle does with e Serfs, which recently announced their rst European tour.

“Desperation is very clear in a lot of the music that we make,” Carlyle says of the in uence his surroundings have on his art. “Until recently, it’s always sort of fallen on deaf ears. Flyover country is a bit of a joke to coastal cities. I think that was always motivating in its own way. I think just the industrial living in Cincinnati has had a large impact

Beef

PHOTO: ALEXZANDRA ROY Beef

PHOTO: ALEXZANDRA ROY

Crime of Passing

PHOTO: ALEXZANDRA ROY Crime of Passing

PHOTO: ALEXZANDRA ROY

on the music we make. I mean, I work in a warehouse. I live in a warehouse. ere’s a lot of freight elevators. ose sounds have de nitely found their way into the music.”

Richardson agrees that the area has its own unique take on underground music. at, coupled with the lower cost of living and real estate, was a big reason he decided to move to Cincinnati.

“ ere’s a re ection of how gray it can be out here in a lot of the music,” he says. “ e Midwestern ethic is a little more down to earth. I don’t think there’s as much of people necessarily trying to t into a genre. You’ll look at some bands from New York that are just doing nothing to rewrite or be original with their music.”

I feel like there’s a lot of great musicianship here,” Richardson adds. “People have time to go about their art, whereas in other places you have to work three or four jobs just to pay your rent. at’s kind of re ected in a lot of these projects where people have more time to think about their art and rehearse and get it out there.”

Richardson says a move to a

on the music we make. I mean, I work in a warehouse. I live in a warehouse. ere’s a lot of freight elevators. ose sounds have de nitely found their way into the music.” Richardson agrees that the area has its own unique take on underground music. at, coupled with the lower cost of living and real estate, was a big reason he decided to move to Cincinnati. “ ere’s a re ection of how gray it can be out here in a lot of the music,” he says. “ e Midwestern ethic is a little more down to earth. I don’t think there’s as much of people necessarily trying to t into a genre. You’ll look at some bands from New York that are just doing nothing to rewrite or be original with their music.” I feel like there’s a lot of great musicianship here,” Richardson adds. “People have time to go about their art, whereas in other places you have to work three or four jobs just to pay your rent. at’s kind of re ected in a lot of these projects where people have more time to think about their art and rehearse and get it out there.” stand-alone space with a warehouse and maybe even a few paid employees is in Feel It’s future, as is his continued commitment to release music he believes should get more attention in the wider world. “ e rst basically 10 years of the label, I was a pizza delivery driver on the side and just did the label when I could,” Richardson says. “I toured in a bunch of bands, too.” All that came to a grinding halt during COVID. But there was a silver lining to the shutdown — it gave him the ability to work on the label full time, which led to multiple fruitful collaborations. “ at Sweeping Promises LP really helped the pro le of what I’m doing,” Richardson says. “It sold really well, and it also led to some cool submissions to come my way. I get exceptional submissions. I don’t know if you can say that about every label out there. I really feel like there are people making music that are seeing what I do and are impressed and want to send it my way. at keeps me inspired to keep doing it, for sure.”

Richardson says a move to a stand-alone space with a warehouse and maybe even a few paid employees is in Feel It’s future, as is his continued commitment to release music he believes should get more attention in the wider world. “ e rst basically 10 years of the label, I was a pizza delivery driver on the side and just did the label when I could,” Richardson says. “I toured in a bunch of bands, too.” All that came to a grinding halt during COVID. But there was a silver lining to the shutdown — it gave him the ability to work on the label full time, which led to multiple fruitful collaborations. “ at Sweeping Promises LP really helped the pro le of what I’m doing,” Richardson says. “It sold really well, and it also led to some cool submissions to come my way. I get exceptional submissions. I don’t know if you can say that about every label out there. I really feel like there are people making music that are seeing what I do and are impressed and want to send it my way. at keeps me inspired to keep doing it, for sure.”

Feel It Records, Feel It Records, feelitrecordshop.com. feelitrecordshop.com.

SOUND ADVICE SOUND ADVICE

Dan Bern

PHOTO: SRSLYGUYS, FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS Dan Bern

PHOTO: SRSLYGUYS, FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

DAN BERN DAN BERN Feb. 4 • Southgate House Revival

Dan Bern is a busy guy. e Iowa native and current New Mexico resident has created an astronomical number of songs over his three-decade run as a singer-songwriter. e 63-year-old troubadour has dropped more than 25 studio albums over that period, largely in the straight-ahead folk style of his idols Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, spewing forth a ood of pointed lyrics that tackle everything from George Floyd’s death to the ribald habits of Babe Ruth.

Bern’s best-known songwriting gig was as a supplier of tunes for Walk Hard: e Dewey Cox Story, the 2007 satirical comedy/biopic about a Johnny Cash-like gure aptly portrayed by John C. Reilly. Bern wrote dozens of songs for the lm, a handful of which ended up in the nal cut. Bern’s latest e ort, the freshly minted Songs for Mr. Tony, might be his most curious project yet — a two-volume, 50-song ode to Tony Kornheiser, the crusty sports-columnist-turned-radio-and-television-talkshow-host.

Bern started by submitting baseballthemed songs before branching out to any sports-related tune he could muster. Kornheiser’s producer eventually agreed to use one of the songs on the program.

“Getting to be part of a show I love so much in this way continues to be a thrill every single time,” Bern wrote in the Bandcamp notes that accompanied

Feb. 4 • Southgate House Revival Dan Bern is a busy guy. e Iowa native and current New Mexico resident has created an astronomical number of songs over his three-decade run as a singer-songwriter. e 63-year-old troubadour has dropped more than 25 studio albums over that period, largely in the straight-ahead folk style of his idols Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, spewing forth a ood of pointed lyrics that tackle everything from George Floyd’s death to the ribald habits of Babe Ruth. Bern’s best-known songwriting gig was as a supplier of tunes for Walk Songs for Tony. “And getting a laugh out of Mr. Tony — that’s all any song could hope for.” Bern’s dedication to the live setting is just as important, touring relentlessly over the years, with each appearance a chance to relay an art form he can’t help but share. He also was also one of the rst artists to livestream shows when the pandemic had shut down inperson events. Dan Bern plays Southgate House Revival at 7 p.m. Feb. 4. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Info: southgatehouse.com. (Jason Gargano) Hard: e Dewey Cox Story, the 2007 satirical comedy/biopic about a Johnny Cash-like gure aptly portrayed by John C. Reilly. Bern wrote dozens of songs for the lm, a handful of which ended up in the nal cut. Bern’s latest e ort, the freshly minted Songs for Mr. Tony, might be his most curious project yet — a two-volume, 50-song ode to Tony Kornheiser, the crusty sports-columnist-turned-radio-and-television-talkshow-host.

Bern started by submitting baseballthemed songs before branching out to any sports-related tune he could muster. Kornheiser’s producer eventually agreed to use one of the songs on the program.

“Getting to be part of a show I love so much in this way continues to be a thrill every single time,” Bern wrote in the Bandcamp notes that accompanied Songs for Tony. “And getting a laugh out of Mr. Tony — that’s all any song could hope for.” Bern’s dedication to the live setting is just as important, touring relentlessly over the years, with each appearance a chance to relay an art form he can’t help but share. He also was also one of the rst artists to livestream shows when the pandemic had shut down inperson events. Dan Bern plays Southgate House Revival at 7 p.m. Feb. 4. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Info: southgatehouse.com.

(Jason Gargano)

MACY GRAY MACY GRAY Feb. 4 • Ludlow Garage

Like many successful artists, Macy Gray’s musical narrative starts casually. e Ohio native went o to college in California, and started playing around with songwriting in her dorm. Before Gray became acquainted with jazz singers like Billie Holiday, she perceived her award-winning voice as a shortcoming. But expanding her knowledge of vocal performance styles changed everything.

“I started kind of working on it, and I really got into it,” the singer told Forbes in 2022. “Even though I thought it was not a real singer voice, I started trying to make it work, style wise and stu like that.”

By 2001, Gray had honed her vocal stylings so e ectively that her single “I Try” won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. e song was one of four singles on her multi-platinum 1999 debut album On How Life Is. Gray has released nine additional studio albums since her debut and has collaborated with pop icons like Ariana Grande and Black Eyed Peas. Her success in the early aughts led to the launch of her acting career, which has included roles in Spider-Man, Training Day and Scary Movie 3.

Plans for her latest release, e Reset, were put on hold in July, when Gray made headlines for her transphobic

Feb. 4 • Ludlow Garage

Like many successful artists, Macy Gray’s musical narrative starts casually. e Ohio native went o to college in California, and started playing around with songwriting in her dorm. Before Gray became acquainted with jazz singers like Billie Holiday, she perceived her award-winning voice as a shortcoming. But expanding her knowledge of vocal performance styles changed everything. “I started kind of working on it, and I really got into it,” the singer told Forbes in 2022. “Even though I thought it was not a real singer voice, I started trying to make it work, style wise and stu like that.” By 2001, Gray had honed her vocal stylings so e ectively that her single “I Try” won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. e song was one of four singles on comments on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored. e singer has since attempted public apologies on Today in July, and on e Tamron Hall Show in November. Gray told Fox News that the album title e Reset started as a reference to the pandemic and the racially-motivated hate crimes that partially de ned 2020. Macy Gray plays Ludlow Garage at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Doors open at 7 p.m. Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com.

(Katrina Eresman)

her multi-platinum 1999 debut album On How Life Is. Gray has released nine additional studio albums since her debut and has collaborated with pop icons like Ariana Grande and Black Eyed Peas. Her success in the early aughts led to the launch of her acting career, which has included roles in Spider-Man, Training Day and Scary Movie 3.

Plans for her latest release, e Reset, were put on hold in July, when Gray made headlines for her transphobic comments on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored. e singer has since attempted public apologies on Today in July, and on e Tamron Hall Show in November.

Gray told Fox News that the album title e Reset started as a reference to the pandemic and the racially-motivated hate crimes that partially de ned 2020.

Macy Gray plays Ludlow Garage at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Doors open at 7 p.m. Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com.

(Katrina Eresman)

Macy Gray

PHOTO: BRUCE BAKER, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Macy Gray

PHOTO: BRUCE BAKER, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Taylor Swift

PHOTO: GILLES DUFRESNE, FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS Taylor Swift

PHOTO: GILLES DUFRESNE, FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

Adam Sandler

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/SANDLER Adam Sandler

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/SANDLER THE TAYLOR PARTY

THE TAYLOR Feb. 4 • Bogart’s PARTY

Feb. 4 • Bogart’s Taylor Swift lovers know all too well the bitter taste of disappointment after thousands of fans were left locked out of buying tickets to the star’s upcoming sold-out visit to Paycor Stadium. Before anyone takes to doing any vigilante shit, however, Bogarts is offering a chance for fans to shake it off. The Taylor Party traveling show has stopped in Cincinnati before and promises to once again be a night straight out of a fan’s wildest dreams. This dance party is “Taylor-made” for T-Swizzle fans and advertises a safe, fun place to let loose as a DJ plays songs spanning every era of Tay Tay’s decade-and-a-half-long career. Thinking of bringing along some delicate youngsters? Don’t blame me, but this event is for ages 18 and up, and a valid ID is required at the entrance. It’s time to write your dear john letter to any kiddos who were hoping to come, hand ‘em some pizza money and tell ‘em, “You’re on your own, kid.” The Taylor Party starts at Bogart’s at 9 p.m. Feb. 4. Doors open at 8 p.m. Taylor Swift lovers know all too well the bitter taste of disappointment after thousands of fans were left locked out of buying tickets to the star’s upcoming sold-out visit to Paycor Stadium. Before anyone takes to doing any vigilante shit, however, Bogarts is offering a chance for fans to shake it off. The Taylor Party traveling show has stopped in Cincinnati before and promises to once again be a night straight out of a fan’s wildest dreams. This dance party is “Taylor-made” for T-Swizzle fans and advertises a safe, fun place to let loose as a DJ plays songs spanning every era of Tay Tay’s decade-and-a-half-long career. Thinking of bringing along some delicate youngsters? Don’t blame me, but this event is for ages 18 and up, and a valid ID is required at the entrance. It’s time to write your dear john letter to any kiddos who were hoping to come, hand ‘em some pizza money and tell ‘em, “You’re on your own, kid.” The Taylor Party starts at Bogart’s at 9 p.m. Feb. 4. Doors open at 8 p.m. Info: livenation.com. (Deirdre Kaye) Info: livenation.com. (Deirdre Kaye)

ADAM SANDLER

ADAM SANDLER Feb. 6 • Heritage Bank Center

Feb. 6 • Heritage Bank Center “They’re all gonna laugh at you!” “They’re all gonna laugh at you!” Well, at him.

Veteran comedian and actor Adam Sandler has been touring frequently over the past few years (except for the COVID-19 pause), with the latest tour launching in October. During the shows, Sandler typically performs both stand-up and music, including a tuneful tribute to his close friend and former Saturday Night Live co-star, the late Chris Farley. During a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Sandler said that the song – which he’d debuted while hosting SNL in 2019 – remains emotional because of his continued connections with Farley’s family.

Sandler was part of a popular SNL cohort in the early 1990s that included Farley, David Spade, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock and Rob Schneider. His characters like “Canteen Boy,” “Opera Man” and “Gap Girl” made the show essential viewing for people of a certain age, and his skit songs “Lunchlady Land,” “ anksgiving Song” and “Hanukkah Song” were staples on morning radio shows and in high schools. e show launched Sandler and his friends into the lm world, where he became a bankable star in Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore and e Wedding Singer.

But the guy who compelled us to laugh at fart jokes is even more of a force now. eatrical lm and TV o ers have continued over the decades, but Sandler has turned his

Well, at him. Veteran comedian and actor Adam Sandler has been touring frequently over the past few years (except for the COVID-19 pause), with the latest tour launching in October. During the shows, Sandler typically performs both stand-up and music, including a tuneful tribute to his close friend and former Saturday Night Live co-star, the late Chris Farley. During a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Sandler said that the song – which he’d debuted while hosting SNL in 2019 – remains emotional because of his continued connections with Farley’s family. Sandler was part of a popular SNL sights largely to streaming. rough a major deal with Net ix, Sandler’s company Happy Madison Productions has produced a number of top-rated family hits and adult comedies. Even legitimate arts in uencers are recognizing the Sand Man’s many talents. e John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts recently announced that Sandler would receive its Mark Twain Prize for American Humor during a ceremony this May. Adam Sandler performs at Heritage Bank Center at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6. Doors open at 6 p.m. Info: heritagebankcenter.com. (Allison Babka) cohort in the early 1990s that included Farley, David Spade, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock and Rob Schneider. His characters like “Canteen Boy,” “Opera Man” and “Gap Girl” made the show essential viewing for people of a certain age, and his skit songs “Lunchlady Land,” “ anksgiving Song” and “Hanukkah Song” were staples on morning radio shows and in high schools. e show launched Sandler and his friends into the lm world, where he became a bankable star in Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore and e Wedding Singer.

But the guy who compelled us to laugh at fart jokes is even more of a force now. eatrical lm and TV o ers have continued over the decades, but Sandler has turned his sights largely to streaming. rough a major deal with Net ix, Sandler’s company Happy Madison Productions has produced a number of top-rated family hits and adult comedies. Even legitimate arts in uencers are recognizing the Sand Man’s many talents. e John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts recently announced that Sandler would receive its Mark Twain Prize for American Humor during a ceremony this May. Adam Sandler performs at Heritage Bank Center at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6. Doors open at 6 p.m. Info: heritagebankcenter.com. (Allison Babka)

Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White

PHOTO: STEVE PROCTOR, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White

PHOTO: STEVE PROCTOR, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

RICKY SKAGGS RICKY SKAGGS Feb. 10 • Memorial Hall

Ricky Skaggs is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and 15-time Grammy winner. The icon also is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, Bluegrass Hall of Fame and too many more to list. He’s helped keep bluegrass and roots music alive over the last five decades.

Skaggs has direct connections to the most significant musicians in bluegrass history. He was invited on stage at the age of six and later befriended and worked with Bill Monroe, known as the “Father of Bluegrass.” Skaggs performed with Flatt and Scruggs at seven on a televised performance, and when he was a teenager in 1970, Ralph Stanley

invited him to join his band the Clinch Mountain Boys. By the late 1970s, Skaggs had performed in progressive bluegrass acts and been a member of singersongwriter Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band, eventually becoming a major label country star in the 80s starting with the 1981 hit album Waitin’ For The Sun To Shine. He had an impressive run that produced 12 numberone singles, including “Country Boy,” “Crying My Heart Out Over You” and a cover of the Bill Monroe song “Uncle Pen.” He helped to redefine and breathe new life into the genre, with Nashville legend Chet Atkins Feb. 10 • Memorial Hall Ricky Skaggs is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and 15-time Grammy winner. The icon also is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, Bluegrass Hall of Fame and too many more to list. He’s helped keep bluegrass and roots music alive over the last five decades. Skaggs has direct connections to the most significant musicians in bluegrass history. He was invited on stage at the age of six and later befriended and worked with Bill Monroe, known as the “Father of Bluegrass.” Skaggs performed with Flatt and Scruggs at seven on a televised performance, and when he was a teenager in 1970, Ralph Stanley even saying Skaggs saved country music. Skaggs returned fully to bluegrass and roots music in the ‘90s with his band Kentucky Thunder, more than ever becoming an ambassador of the genres and maintaining the virtuosity and charm of the bluegrass greats for new generations. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2020. There’s even a Cincinnati connection in Skaggs’ story. On 1530 WCKYAM, the “WCKY Jamboree” program broadcasted country music that reached a young Skaggs in Kentucky, influencing and building his understanding and love of the genre. Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder play Memorial Hall at 8 p.m. Feb. 10. Info: memorialhallotr.com.

(Brent Stroud)

invited him to join his band the Clinch Mountain Boys.

By the late 1970s, Skaggs had performed in progressive bluegrass acts and been a member of singersongwriter Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band, eventually becoming a major label country star in the 80s starting with the 1981 hit album Waitin’ For The Sun To Shine. He had an impressive run that produced 12 numberone singles, including “Country Boy,” “Crying My Heart Out Over You” and a cover of the Bill Monroe song “Uncle Pen.” He helped to redefine and breathe new life into the genre, with Nashville legend Chet Atkins even saying Skaggs saved country music.

Skaggs returned fully to bluegrass and roots music in the ‘90s with his band Kentucky Thunder, more than ever becoming an ambassador of the genres and maintaining the virtuosity and charm of the bluegrass greats for new generations. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2020.

There’s even a Cincinnati connection in Skaggs’ story. On 1530 WCKYAM, the “WCKY Jamboree” program broadcasted country music that reached a young Skaggs in Kentucky, influencing and building his understanding and love of the genre.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder play Memorial Hall at 8 p.m. Feb. 10. Info: memorialhallotr.com.

(Brent Stroud)