Bangin' Birthday Weekend!

For a happy hour stop, you really can't do better than Fifth Street Brew Pub from 7-9:30 p.m. They are bringing up Green Morning Light, an exciting three-piece from Cincinnati, to play in their lovely biergarten area. If you are a fan of Train or The Fray, this sweet little show was made for you. No cover - just enjoy!

Still having fun? Well hop on down the street to Yellow Cab Tavern for the Sock-Hop-Alypse! Apparently there are six giant asteroids hurtling through space at this moment and doomsayers predict at least one will strike the earth on or near Sept. 25th, wiping out civilization as we know it! The solution? Organizers of this event say: "There is none. So you might as well grab your dancing shoes and spend your last hours on earth with great music and friends at Yellow Cab!" Well, I must admit, watching The Boxcar Suite and The Hiders (from Cincinnati) is not a terrible way to go, that's for sure! I remember seeing members of both these groups in the "Such a Night: The Last Waltz" recreation a couple years back. They are all very cool, equally talented and entertaining. This will be great show for music fans. (Unless the world really does end! eek!) 8:30 p.m. doors, 9:30 p.m. music. $7 at door.

I'm really curious to check out Missouri-born songster Todd Day Wait, who's stopping by The Dublin Pub on his current tour. Todd is described as a seasoned roadman whose homespun and heartfelt original tunes have an honest and approachable style. Touring with his companions as Todd Day Wait's Pigpen, this group honed their style in New Orleans, and has this French girl swooning!! If you enjoy folk, country, Americana -- this is gonna be a good one. Music starts at 9 p.m.

Keep going down through the district and you will find local Blues mainstay Doug Hart Band at Tumbleweed. Always a fun vibe there! And country fans will be at home at Oregon Express with local country rocker Mack Mckenzie.

Blind Bob's is serving up their usual coolness with this line-up: The Florals, Pilot Rouge (from Nashville), and Lunar Lounge. Pilot Rouge has a dreamy alternative sound that is really pleasing to listen to!  The Florals are a quirky male/female two-piece that has a dynamic sound that you'll find yourself unconsciously head-bopping to. And Lunar Lounge...well, it's their first show! I'm really excited to see these eclectic groups, and encourage you to check them out too.

Love punk rock? The infamous Barb Wire Dolls are in town, all the way from Crete, Greece! The night kicks off with local support from  Red Hot Rebellion ,  Two Punch Gun and A Shade of Red. Extra cool! Rockstar Pro Arena on 3rd St. 7 p.m. doors. All ages. Pre-sale tickets only $10!

Rock fans will also be happy campers over at Canal Public House with long time local favorites Brothers in Arms and Black Cloud Syndrome .  Show runs from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $5 cover.

Jam band fans, I have not forgotten about you! Head over to

for a night of

(from Cleveland) and

(from Ann Arbor). It's always nice to get some fresh faces to this scene! Dragon Wagon is a driving 6-piece bluegrass band, and Yosemight lays down jammy grooves to get funky to. Sounds like a solid night! Music gets going at 10 p.m. $5 cover. Also!

(superstars!) and The French will be over at

Bouce back and forth?? Might have to do that!

Out of the Dayton area? Got you covered, friends! North of town, the lovely Sharon Lane and special guest, CAMP are taking the stage at the new downtown Troy venue, Square Roots Records. If you haven't been there yet, it's a really special, intimate space. Show starts at 8 p.m. $10 cover. BYOB. This is a family-friendly show!

To the east, there are two fun shows happening in Yellow Springs: Nasty Bingo will be at the Emporium from 7-10 p.m., with special guest mandolinist Brian Spirk. There is wine tasting too, which sounds perfect for an early ladies night! And for the late night crowd, something altogether harder: punk bands Throttle and Legbone will be rockin' out Peach's Grill.

Do you see what I mean?? Decisions... And Saturday just gets crazier!

Saturday, September 26th

Although not a music festival per se, there are a lot of musical offerings at the highly anticipated Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest. From accordion super groups to cover band favorites The Menus, there is variety and fun packed into this 2-day beer festival! Keep in mind there are several convenient RTA shuttle stops throughout town. You can go early to DAI and then get off the shuttle at a bar featuring live music, and keep the party going!

A great option post-Oktoberfest is Ye Olde Cabaret VII. The entertainment gets going at 7 p.m. and features AUTOMATON (steampunk metal), The Skashank Redemption (ska) and The Skeletones (shockabilly), along with belly dancers, burlesque, cirque and fire. Don't miss this unique downtown event! $10 advance, $15 door.

Really excited for

s "Low-Down Dirty Summer Nights" album release party at

. Special guests

and Harold & Max from The Repeating Arms will be on hand to help their friends celebrate this achievement.

I enjoyed the first album, and ready to hear more! All ages welcome. 8 p.m. $5

, $7 door.

Local improv super group Subterranean is celebrating their 4 year anniversary, and the birthday of their of biggest super fan - this girl! Ha! Yes, I was awfully pleased to see SubT (as they are affectionately known) playing on my special day. Adding to the fun is Sandusky's funky Big Black Galactic. This Intergalactic Meltdown will be at Jimmie's Ladder 11. Music 10 p.m. Cover $5.

On the other side of South Park you can catch The Snopes Family Band at South Park Tavern. They promise the only sousaphone in town, and I'm willing to bet they are the only ones that will be playing one of those! This group blends Mississippi roots music with New Orleans blues. Good stuff! Check it out.

Heading back into the Oregon District, you will find The Repeating Arms at Dublin Pub. At the far side, Willow Tree Caroler's & Friends at Oregon Express. Both bands have a folk, Americana style and wonderful songwriting.

Rock fans will be over at Blind Bob's for a full night of music, with Grand Mammoth, Back Stabbath , Bourbon Train, and Tombstone Tremblers.

If you love electronic music, this is the night to boogie over to Therapy Cafe to see Miami's DJ Craze. He's won the DMC World Championships 3 times over, and is ready to show Dayton how it's done. Get tickets quick! This highly-anticipated show already has 80% of the VIP tables sold out (which go for $300 a pop!). Pre-sales are available at Therapy, Clash Dayton, or online here. Tickets start at $15.

Heading out of the downtown area, you can catch one of Nashville's rising stars, Los Colognes, at One Eyed Jacks across from WSU. Self-described as "jam music for fans of songwriters, classic rock for a younger generation" fairly well sums up their sound, but you'll have to see them live to get the full effect. Local reggae band Jonny Dread & the Mystiks provide opening entertainment. Ready to let loose and just have fun? This is a fantastic way to do just that! Plus - no cover! To add to the night, they've deemed it Pirate Night! Come dressed as a pirate for a chance to win cash prizes. Sweet deal!

Out in Yellow Springs, you can find Jojo Stella with Will C & The F.A.M.I.L.Y. Band at Peach's Grill. Both these bands are hip, soulful, and interesting listens. Have fun!

Sunday, September 27th

Not ready for the weekend to end? Check out Robert Harrison, a folk-punk singer/songwriter from Fort Wayne, at Canal Public House.

Blind Bob's continues their eclectic mixes with an indie rock night with bands Grayscale (from Philadelphia), GGOOLLDD (from Madison, WI), NO/NO (Milwaukee, WI) and Colossal Brother (Springfield).

Tuesday, September 29th

I know it's a Tuesday night, but the NYC Punk Legend Sonny Vincent, from the band Testors and who frequently played the notorious CBGB club, is in town! Cool points for attendance! He will be bringing his special brand of drama and destruction to Blind Bob's. Special guests The New Regrets , Zin Vetro and The Give Ups will be warming up the stage, so stop by early.

Musical Theatre Shout Out: I know it's a bit unusual, but I have to give a live music shout out to the Human Race Theatre. An early birthday gift was going to see their production of The Full Monty at the Loft Theatre with a girlfriend. My face literally hurt from smiling so much! It's a lot of live music, by some pretty great singers, who -- um -- well, you know. Ha! Seriously, check this performance out. So fun! Tuesday through Saturday performances start at 8 p.m., Sunday performances start at 2 p.m. Check the calendar for dates and ticket availability here. It's run is almost over, so make sure you get tickets!

As always, thank you for supporting the live music scene in Dayton.

Your Dayton Music Insider,

Libby Ballengee

Note to Readers:   The information above is for September 25th-29th. If I don't list a price, that's because I'm not sure what the price is. Generally cover charges for local shows are $5. Please click the links to find out information about the bands, venues and events, including start times, directions and pricing. Always check with the venue about start times and ticket availability. As you can see, I try to promote as many shows as possible, but there will be some I miss. Keep me in the loop:  @LibbyBallengee. You can also keep up with my adventures on Instagram here.