BY LARRY NAGER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Who's booking? Here's a guide to some of the area's promoters and where they put their events.
KMB Productions -- Former Ripley's owner Kevin Blum remains the local king of reggae, but he was also one of the first to do the swing thing. He books Sycamore Gardens, the Swing Lounge, the 20th Century, the Beach and some out-of-town shows.
Magus Productions -- John and Brenda Madden book singer - songwriters and Americana roots rockers into Southgate House and York Street Cafe.
Rich Mischell Productions -- Mr. Mischell books the season at the Little Nashville Opry in Nashville, Ind., as well as regular country shows at Cincinnati Gardens.
Nederlander of Ohio -- The biggest dog in the pack, Nederlander books Riverbend, the Crown, the Taft and occasional shows at various area venues from Ripley's Alive to Hara Arena in Dayton. They just signed a three-year deal with Pepsi Jammin' on Main, which they've booked since 1997. Nederlander's booking philosophy is just as varied -- Celine Dion, Spice Girls, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Lyle Lovett, Lenny Kravitz, Jimmy Buffett, Riverdance.
Platinum - Midwest Concerts -- Gerald Johnson specializes in R&B, comedy packages and gospel musicals, booking shows into Music Hall, the Aronoff Center and various smaller spaces.
The Santangelo Group -- Joe Santangelo and partner Steve Schildmeyer book just one event a year, but it's a big one -- the all-star R&B stadium show currently known as the Coors Light Festival.
Thigmotrope Productions -- Matt Barth and Dan McCabe book the newest in new rock for Sudsy Malone's in Corryville and have recently been booking the much larger Annie's Riverside Saloon.
Cincinnati Arts Association -- CAA manages the Aronoff, Music Hall and Memorial Hall, presenting about 24 shows a year. Vice president Steve Loftin describes CAA's booking philosophy as "a real variety, not a lot of focus on any one thing." But CAA seems to have found a niche in upscale roots and world-music packages in concerts by African choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the House of Blues package tours and New Orleans' Neville Brothers.
Club-based promoters
Blue Note (921-8898) -- Former Overdue bassist Joe O'Hara's Noteworthy Management buys the rock talent for this Price Hill club. Upcoming national shows include such up-and-comers as Dada and the Murmurs (Sept. 27) and grizzled vets like ex-Triumph guitarist Rik Emmett (Friday).
Coyote's Music & Dance Hall at Oldenberg Brewery (341-5150) -- This cavernous country bar at Drawbridge Estate in Fort Mitchell regularly brings in top country talent, big names who are not quite big enough to play arenas.
Dingo Boy Productions (861-6800) -- Dan Morris and Rob Stratton have teamed with Nederlander for a couple of Bogart's shows, but the pair usually stay busy booking their UC campus-area club, Ripley's Alive.
Greenwich Tavern (221-1151) -- Jerry Dorizas is booking his family's reopened restaurant - bar, bringing in some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz, including Ahmad Jamal, Terence Blanchard and Ray Brown.
Hayes Brothers Music Center (581-8422) -- Rick and Ron Hayes are going where no one in the Tristate has gone before -- they present top-shelf bluegrass bands in the theater setting of their converted movie house on Covington's Main Street. With a first-class sound system, it's the best regular showcase for bluegrass the area has seen.
Jefferson Hall (723-9008) -- Jim and Tony Cafeo's tiny Main Street club features top blues bands as well as such western swingers as Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys.
Silver Saddle (521-8615) -- The club is back in the country business after a brief stint with oldies. New owners Andy Hill and Meg Terhar book the newest country folks, singers with barely one national CD to their credit.
