The new year is now fully in swing, which means a whole new year of fantastic shows to attend in the Queen City. On the night of January 20th, MOTR will play host to the can't miss combination of regional Indie favorites OHMME and The Ophelias.
Opening up the show is The Ophelias. Formed in Cincinnati while still in high school and each of the founding members were playing as “the token girl in various dude bands.” The band consists of Grace Weir (bass), Spencer Peppet (guitar/vocals), Micaela Adams (percussion), and Andrea Gutmann Fuentes (violin). In 2015 Yoni Wolf of the band Why? discovered the band while they were playing the Northside Rock n’ Roll Carnival and instantly fell in love. From there, Wolf sent their debut LP Creature Native to Joyful Noise Recordings' “White Label Series”, where the album was featured. The band released its latest album, Almost, in 2018. The album made The Ophelias an instant hit in the Cincinnati music scene, which culminated in the band being named Indie/Alternative Artist of The Year in 2018 at the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards; and also earned some national attention by such highly regarded music sites as Pitchfork and Stereogum.
The Ophelias sound is catchy, groovy, and artsy. Their sound blends many different influences to create a sound that is familiar but still distinctly different. The bands sound fits within the realm of lo-fi indie rock bands like Soccer Mommy, Free Cake For Every Creature, and Hovvdy but with a unique classical aspect in the dynamic addition of a violin to their sound.
Headlining the show is OHMME. Formed in Chicago in 2014, the two-piece band consists of multi-instrumentalist Sima Cunningham and Maice Stewart with their friend Matt Carroll pitching in on the drums. Cunningham and Stewart met each other in high school while growing up in the Chicago music scene. Since forming OHMME they have accomplished much in just five short years. They have toured with bands like Iron & Wine, Jeff Tweedy, Wilco, and The Joy Formidable. They have also recorded music with other prominent Chicago musicians and bands, including Twin Peaks, Whitney, and Chance The Rapper. On top of all that, their latest album Parts received national attention and was covered by Pitchfork, NPR, and The Chicago Tribune. They even got to play a live session on Audiotree’s popular “Audiotree Sessions.”
When seeing OHMME live you can expect to feel like you are at an experimental rock show. Many of OHMME’s songs have an experimental aspect to them, whether from unique guitar playing techniques or unusual instrumentation. When you put it all together you have a sound that flirts the line of indie rock and experimental. But just because their music has an experimental dynamic doesn’t mean you can’t tap your foot to it. Their sound, while strange at times, is still mostly comparable to bands like Ava Luna, Lala Lala, and Madeline Kenney, and will get your head bobbing in no time.
If you’re looking for a show that features two bands that are not just great, but are also pushing the boundaries of indie/alternative rock, then MOTR is the place to be on the night of January 20th. With bands like The Ophelia’s and OHMME, it is sure to be a great show, and while you are there come say hi to us at INHAILER. We will be there, and would love to geek out about music with you as well.
When: January 20, 2019 at 9:00PM
Where: MOTR
How Much: FREE!
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