Music Notes: June concerts include Buckeye Country Superfest, Rick Ross, Hozier - NewsBreak
By Belinda M. Paschal, Columbus Dispatch,
1 hours ago
Welcome to June, the month with the longest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Those extra rays of sunshine will come in handy when Vampire Weekend kicks off this month’s concert lineup on June 2 at KEMBA Live!, 405 Neil Ave.
Despite their name, they won’t erupt into flames or crumble to ashes if exposed to sunlight, so cross your fingers and wish for summery weather because the show is outdoors, rain or shine.
Fun fact: Vampire Weekend’s name comes from a short film that frontman Ezra Koenig worked on while attending Columbia University.
Doors open at 6 p.m. The band Geese will be the opening act.
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Whether you prefer pop or hip-hop, new wave or new country, the list of concerts below offers a musical feast to satisfy assorted appetites!
Rebecca Black sang about “Friday” more than a decade ago, but she’ll be performing on a Saturday at this event supporting and celebrating members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
Started four years ago in Pittsburgh, All Out is making its Columbus debut with local celebrity Nina West as the host. In addition to Black, mainstage performers include Tinashe, Betty Who, Kaleena Zanders, VINCINT, Molly Grace, Jaesyun, Crystal Envy and Luxx Noir London. Local talent will appear on the Queertopia stage.
Part of the proceeds from the fest will go to the Nina West Foundation, which supports local nonprofits serving LGBTQ+ youth and families in Columbus.
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The boundary-breaking Santigold grew up listening to reggae, jazz, Nigerian music, soul, punk and new wave, which influenced her genre-straddling style, which has received praise from critics for its innovativeness.
"The songs get better and weirder as she goes on," NPR’s John Morrison said of the Philly native’s music. "That ain't always an easy thing to pull off, to grow and make better music that's also more forward thinking, more experimental."
Queens of the Stone Age formed after the breakup of frontman Josh Homme's previous band Kyuss. Fun fact: The band's name came from a nickname their producer Chris Goss had bestowed upon Kyuss.
In a 2000 Ozzfest interview, Homme said the band wanted to strike a balance between masculine and feminine in the rock world, and "Kings of the Stone Age" would have been too macho.
"Rock should be heavy enough for the boys and sweet enough for the girls. That way, everyone's happy and it's more of a party. Kings of the Stone Age is too lopsided," Homme said.
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Before we go any further, let’s get one thing straight: Hozier rhymes with “cozier,” not “closure.”
That said, Andrew Hozier-Byrne is quite the dichotomy. On one hand, he’s a lyrical poet who writes songs that often convey his social and political beliefs — e.g., "Take Me to Church," "Eat Your Young" and "Nobody's Soldier.” On the other hand, he’s practically a TikTok deity — some fans adoringly call him “Forest Daddy.”
The Ohio band is probably best-known for their headgear, called energy domes, which have been mistaken for flowerpots, dog bowls and lampshades, and their biggest hit, "Whip It." Fun fact: The Top 20 hit was penned as an anthem of encouragement for former President Jimmy Carter.
This year’s megaconcert will feature double headliners Kane Brown, who first turned heads with his songs on social media, and Jelly Roll, who promoted his music the old-school way: By selling mixtapes out of his car.
Openers Megan Moroney, Treaty Oak Revival, Dasha and Conner Smith will warm up the crowd.
Wanna do a little Superfest pregaming? Head across from the stadium to Fan Fest, a free and open-to-all-ages tailgate party where fans can hang out from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to performances by Austin Snell, Lanie Gardner, George Pippen and Ian Harrison, the event will offer food, beverages, official festival and artist merch and more. No tickets are required!
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If this catchy, darkly humorous Pacific Northwest band is ever looking for a moonlighting gig, they're the perfect fit for television advertising. Their song "Gravity Rides Everything" was featured in a commercial for the Nissan Quest minivan, while their Grammy-nominated hit, "Float On," was used to hawk American Express Platinum. (The latter is also fun to play in "Guitar Hero.")
Performing at the Columbus Bicentennial Pavilion, the Columbus Symphony will usher in the annual summer concert series with “A Night of Symphonic Hip Hop,” with rapper Rick Ross, known for songs such as "Mafia Music," "Money in the Grave" and "Hustlin'."
Before his career blew up, Ross was a correctional officer for 18 months — not exactly the best way to earn street cred … and it gives a whole new meaning to the title of his song “Usual Suspects.”
Entertainment and Things to Do reporter Belinda M. Paschal can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Music Notes: June concerts include Buckeye Country Superfest, Rick Ross, Hozier
