#Columbus

PLAYING COLUMBUSdidi Grows into Their Second Album

Out of the 90 minutes I spend talking with didi, 30 are consumed by parking troubles. Circling foggy blocks in the Richmond District ahead of the group’s San Francisco show, guitarist/vocalist Meg Zakany tries fitting their tour van into one tiny spot after another, only to eventually find that the...

Kaiya Gordon

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PLAYING COLUMBUSGalen Tipton Sparkles on First LP Nightbath

As the dusk of May began to fall on Ohio, I discovered fireflies. The first time I saw them, flickering across my cobbled neighborhood street, my overjoyed reaction made my roommate laugh: pointing and squealing like a kid, I couldn’t get over the shock of them, the way that they zipped through the...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSRevisiting Queer Kevin's "If I Had Known"

This is how I wrote this review: I listened to If I Had Known for an entire day, ears devouring my headphones as I walked from my office, to get food, to my home, and again as I rode the bus downtown, where I was set to be a Legal Observer at a political action, and again on the bus home, after I...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSStems Fearlessly Fuse Prog and Hip-Hop on Debut

In the past year, the group – which members describe as “prog-hop” – has released an EP, two singles, and an album; they’ve been featured by Columbus’ Mouth Mag and The Dispatch; and on...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSThree Ohio Acts That Slayed SXSW

Remember Sports photo by Jess Flynn While Columbus geared up for yet another snowstorm last week, Austin was getting ready for South by Southwest (SXSW), a yearly conference and festival highlighting music, film, and art. SXSW is notorious for its sprawl – the festival spills over the city limits...

Kaiya Gordon

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PLAYING COLUMBUSThe Turbos Critique Police Brutality with New Video

" These powerful lines open The Turbos' latest release, "'Murica." Filmed by Caden Huston, the video that accompanies the new song shows the four-piece playing in front of a...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSDamn the Witch Siren Makes 'Magic' on New album

Their first album since 2015’s Back to Dreaming, Damn the Witch Siren’s latest release, Red Magic is brooding and addictive. The band’s tags on Bandcamp almost say it all: “electronic, electropop, pop, sex, witch rock, Columbus,” they read. But along with the sex, and the dance beats, and the fizzy...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSSaintseneca Returns to Their Roots

Columbus' Saintseneca has grown a lot since their start in 2007. But when they returned to Columbus on tour, playing two sold-out nights at Ace of Cups, it was clear that their hometown base hasn't budged. Joined by two other burgeoning local acts – Counterfeit Madison and Connections...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSBands to Watch - An Annotated Playlist

Grunge Dad is one of Columbus Alive's Bands to Watch. Imagine: Columbus Alive just released their much anticipated lineup for their annual Bands to Watch concert, and the coffee shop conversation is relentless. The show – which will include Sarob, Grunge Dad, Akula, Souther, and Future Nuns – is...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSAbsinthe Father on Making DIY Spaces Safer

Haley Butters of Absinthe Father doesn't stop at making music - they also advocate for safer, more inclusive DIY spaces. All photos by Kaiya Gordon. Haley Butters of Absinthe Father has been running DIY spaces since they were 16. “It was really time consuming,” they admit, “and probably not the...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSRapper/Activist Vada Azeem to Release Poignant Children's Story

Vada Azeem is irrevocably tied to Columbus. After growing up on the Northeast side of the city, Azeem studied at the Columbus College of Art and Design for a year, and then mentored youth at the Central Community House in Old Towne East (which you can support at no personal cost by signing up for...

Kaiya Gordon

PLAYING COLUMBUSHoliday Round-Up

Whether you think Columbus is as cold as I do (@ me, midwesterners) or not, shorter days and darker skies can drag at anyone's energy. And for those estranged from family or friends, this time of year is especially hard. If the holiday festivities are draining you, fear not! Check out our Playing...

Kaiya Gordon