Booking Info: Wayne Adkins @ 513-404-6988 or Chris Maines @ 513-919-9879 or mainzy@gmail.com
Upcoming show
Saturday, May 12th, SpringFest, Riversedge Roadhouse Bar, Sydney OH
Friday, May 18th, Froggy Blues, Monroe
Reviews
Jammin with Five O' Clock Friday
I dig cover bands that focus on more show, than showing off. The Menus, Naked Karate Girls, Swagg and the Rusty Griswolds all put the entertainment aspect of the show first. That’s what a good bar band should do, entertain.
People who work all week, deal with screaming brats when they finally get home and tire themselves out cooking, cleaning and keeping up on the never ending task of keeping house and keeping above water look forward to a night of liquor, laughter and letting it all hang out come the weekend. They get dressed up, decked out and head to their pub or club to drink and have a good time. They want to see a band that’s FUN. They don’t care about seventeen minute solos, they don’t care to about musicianship even, they care about the energy, the vibe! People go to clubs to dance and get loose. People go to concerts to study the band and follow every note of a song. Some local bands realize that, some don’t.
What I like about Five O’ Clock Friday is that much like the afore mentioned bands, they focus on the show.
Great lighting and effects, perfect sound and superhero energy are combined with quality musicianship and experienced vocals to provide the crowd with the wild & crazy night out they paid (and hoped) for.
Jeffery Ziehm is the madcap front man on the mic. His vocals flow through a mix of rough, rugged, smooth and soaring. It all depends on the cover. He does damn good. And they play a varied mix for certain. The set list is one hot club tune after the next. Newer sh!t like Nickelback, Finger Eleven and Puddle of Mudd, always cool old sh!t like Van Halen, Aerosmith the Police. Fun sh!t like the Cars and the sh!t that gets the girls up front and center like Bon Jovi, Journey and Def Leppard. “Steve” ain’t afraid to climb up on an speaker stack and slash his searing guitar. He gets into it and does a damn good job as well. “Chris” plays the bass and sings back-up vocals. You could call him the hip cool one with his Scottish plaid shorts and English derby. I dig his five string bass and his smooth “fret-less” style of playing. “Ty” sits in the back under the “Wish you were on acid” lights and tears up the drums. One member not on-stage but just as important as any member is “Scott”. He twists and turns the knobs and flips the switches on the band’s striking light show. With out him, it would be just as loud but black & boring, and what fun would that be?
You could say front man Jeff borrows a bit from the Menus with his confetti filled balloons and costumes, but doesn’t every band borrow? You could say the band follows suit with other big club bands with their tried and true “guitar hero” hit classics and newer 96 Rock mix. But if that’s what the other big clubs play (which they do) then there is probably a good reason. One reason is.. it’s fun, everyone digs it, the girls dance, the “get it on” energy is high and that’s what everyone is there for.
If your a fan of The Menus or Karate Girls, you should check out Five O” Clock Friday. The only place you’ll see them in Cincy outside of Hamilton in June is Traci’s Sports Pub. A quite nice brand new bar in Loveland at the corner of Loveland-Miamiville Rd and Branch Hill Guinea (in the plaza behind UDF).
Traci’s is more of a cool pub than big club so the place should be wall to wall. I expect it will be slammed with a band like this rockin’ the joint. That alone should make it worthwhile. The band is worthwhile too.
Here’s Five O” Clock Friday’s June schedule: 4th- The Warehouse (Bellefontaine), 11th- Meister Haus (Hamilton), July 9th- Traci’s Sports Lounge (Loveland), July 23rd- Tapout Sports Bar (Hamilton).
Check them out at www.5oclockrocks.com.
