See you at the CiN Stage.

Amazing!

Nick Spencer announced the full lineup of the first ever Desdemona Festival yesterday, and it's truly impressive. I mean, I had faith in Nick (he regularly puts on good stuff at his Over-the-Rhine club alchemize), but to be honest, I wasn't sure how many great bands he could lure to play in Cincinnati. But he did it.

Highlights include headliner Ghostface Killah, Euro pop-queen Annie, the Walkmen, the Fiery Furnaces, We Are Scientists, Enon, our own Heartless Bastards and lots more.

It might be smart to get tickets now, kids. But at least put it on your calendar: June 23-25 at Sawyer Point. (OK, I think I'm getting link crazy now..)

CiN's Second Annual Bar Guide is by far the biggest, the baddest and the best Bar Guide in the city. It debuts tomorrow and will be filled with places to grab a beer, drink martinis, party down and have a good time.

A ton of work was put into this bad boy...and to celebrate we're hanging out at Havana Martini Bar for a little happy hour gig. This will be a fabulous way to celebrate and an awesome way to relax after hauling my ass for 26.2 miles on Sunday and working with the CiN Staffers to create such an awesome issue.

Come on out and celebrate! Use the Bar Guide all year...and especially check out the places who advertised with us.

Taste of Cincinnati* is less than a month away, and for me that means finalizing the details on our CiN Stage. We'll have three days of live music at the festival, so you can eat your fried Twinkie and watch some of the best local bands (and a couple national ones too!). Here's the schedule...

SATURDAY, MAY 27
1 p.m. GARDENHOSE (Reader's Choice)
3 p.m. KENTUCKY STRUTS
5 p.m. KATIE REIDER
7 p.m. MARVIN AND THE EXPERIENCE
8:45 p.m. SHAWN MULLINS
10 p.m. SAVING JANE

SUNDAY, MAY 28
1 p.m. BAOKU AND THE IMAGE AFRO-BEAT BAND (Reader's Choice)
3 p.m. KEVIN FOX BAND
5 p.m. 500 MILES TO MEMPHIS
7 p.m. WUSSY
9 p.m. HEARTLESS BASTARDS

MONDAY, MAY 29
1 p.m. KAMIKAZE SAUCERS (Reader's Choice)
3 p.m. G. BURTON AND THE HYDE PARK OUTRAGE
5 p.m. THE SWARTHY BAND

I'd write more about these bands, but I have to go tape my Music Minute because Kelly's hassling me. (Beryl usually tapes them, but he's a busy dude so Kelly is having fun with the camera. She was actually just "practicing" taping me - which was pretty freaky.) But, I will add some links so you can do your own research! One thing to know: all these bands are pretty awesome!

*I'm gonna need some time to incorporate the USA thing. (We just got word this morning that the festival is changing its name to Taste of Cincinnati USA.)