Smith will be in concert at 8 p.m. Jan. 11 at Lori’s Roadhouse. At 22 years old and already a seasoned veteran of Nashville’s songwriting community, Conner Smith has become one of country’s most hotly-anticipated new artists, an uncommon talent mixing prime-of-life passion with an old-soul perspective. After penning his first song at age 6 and scoring a publishing deal at 16, the Country prodigy wrote five of the six songs on his Zach Crowell-produced 2022 debut collection “Didn’t Go Too Far” from The Valory Music Co. Featuring his first Top 40 hit “Learn From It,” the viral smash hit “I Hate Alabama,” and the Gold-certified fan-favorite “Take It Slow,” the effort laid a foundation that earned Smith a “2022 Artist to Watch” status from Spotify, Amazon Music and Opry NextStage, while also making him the only Country artist on Pandora’s Ten List 2022 and securing 2023 recognition from “MusicRow” Next Big Thing, “CMT” Listen Up, and more. That momentum continued to rise in 2023 as Smith headlined his first-ever “If I Went to College Tour,” performed at the CMA Festival in Nashville, Tn., and hit the road as a support act for Luke Bryan’s “Country on Tour,” to name a few. General admission tickets start at $15 (plus convenience and handling fees.) Lori’s Roadhouse is located at 4924 Union Centre Pavilion Dr., Suite B. For a complete schedule of upcoming concerts, or to purchase tickets, go to lrhlive.com.
Beartooth: North American Tour 2024 with special guests The Plot In You, Invent Animate, and Sleep Theory
Gold selling, billion-streaming rock band Beartooth released their fifth album in Oct., and the group will kick off a 2024 tour at 6:30 p.m., Jan. 12 at the Andrew J. Brady Music Center. Tickets start at $44.50 (plus applicable ticketing fees.) Support acts for the tour include The Plot In You, Invent Animate, and Sleep Theory. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to bradymusiccenter.com and ticketmaster.com.
Heywood Banks
Audiences won’t want to miss Heywood Banks live on the Sorg stage at 8 p.m. Jan. 13. Tickets are $30 in advance for reserved seating, premium seating tickets are $35 in advance, and super premium seating tickets are $40 in advance. Heywood Banks intersperses humorous observations of life with twisted, inventive, bizarre songs that are sung and played in a variety of styles, from folk and country to rock, pop, and beyond. Stuart Mitchell, the creator of Heywood Banks said his character was born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, where he lived for many years in a log trailer. Banks has been featured in “Rolling Stone Magazine” and “People Magazine.” He won First Place in the Johnnie Walker Comedy Search Contest. Tickets for the show may be purchased at www.cincyticket.com. The performance is made possible in part by grants from the Middletown Community Foundation and First Financial Bank. Sorg Opera House is located at 63 S. Main St., Middletown. Free parking is available behind the building, off Broad Street, and off First Street. Visit www.sorgoperahouse.org for more details.
The Wayfarers in Concert
The Wayfarers will perform at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Fitton Center. Tickets for the concert are $35 for members; $43 for non-members. (Plus, a $1 service fee, per ticket.) “We really want to showcase local talent, being from here in Southeastern Ohio, and we wanted to find a band that had deep roots in Americana and bluegrass to bring to the Fitton Center as part of our programming, and we were able to find The Wayfarers,” said Ian MacKenzie-Thurley, executive director of the Fitton Center. Hailing from Zanesville, The Wayfarers emerged in 2010 with their own brand of American Roots music. Much of the group’s repertoire is drawn from the Appalachian tradition, fusing skilled musicianship of the fiddle, washtub bass, and guitars with tight vocal harmonies and an energetic live show. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit fittoncenter.org or call 513-863-8873, ext. 110. The show is sponsored by the Ruder Bever Family.
Local Music Showcase with Desalitt, Law of One, & Atlas Stone
The Sorg Opera House will host its first local music showcase featuring three of the area’s top rock bands - Desalitt, Law of One, and Atlas Stone at 8 p.m. Jan. 20. Doors open at 7 p.m. All seats are $10 in advance. Tickets for the show may be purchased at www.cincyticket.com. Sorg Opera House is located at 63 S. Main St., Middletown. Free parking is available behind the building, off Broad Street, and off First Street. Visit sorgoperahouse.org for more details.
Credit: David I Muir
Credit: David I Muir
Sons of Mystro
Musical duo Sons of Mystro will play multiple genres of popular music all in one night on violin when the group takes the stage at 8 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Fairfield Community Arts Center. “They use their skills to interpret classical, reggae, pop, and other genres, and they have a DJ laying down tracks and a drummer helping with the beat. So, you’ll hear these songs, and it really is a completely new and fresh experience because of the approach they’ve brought to the music,” said David Sheldrick, marketing specialist for Fairfield Parks & Recreation. Tickets are $36 for adults and $25 for students. (Prices include ticketing fees.) Guests may order tickets by phone at 513-867-5348, stop by the Fairfield Community Arts Center or purchase tickets online at FairfieldOH.gov/Tickets. Sons of Mystro is comprised of the violin duo, Malcolm McNeish, and his brother, Umoja. DJ Venimis and a drummer will join them for the performance.
Hot Red Chili Peppers
Hot Red Chili Peppers, a tribute to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at Cincinnati’s Ludlow Garage. Doors open at 6 p.m. General admission tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of the show. All ages show. To purchase tickets for the concert, and for information on other upcoming performances, go to ludlowgaragecincinnati.com.
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