Dayton Daily News

Br549 ; Country That's a Little Bit Alt, Really

DAYTON -- Elbo's, the downtown club that's earning a reputation for noteworthy, edgy rock shows, is going country Sunday night. Well, make that alt-country. We say that despite the assertions of Chuck Mead, founder and vocalist for the evening's headliner -- the Nashville-based group BR549 -- who has told music writers over the years that he doesn't consider his rowdy, freewheeling outfit anything but plain country.

Alexis[Raves On]

Hot Topics ; the Stuff You'll Be Talking About This Weekend

FORD MOTOR CO. HAS PLANS FOR RECYCLABLE CAR: Glass, cardboard, aluminum, Escort -- we're going to need a new bin.

Fans of Spun Can Take a Spin On Dance Floor and Rock Out

It's a quiet mid-January Wednesday inside Stubbie's in Vandalia. Local musicians Nick Norris (vocals), Brad Loase (bass, vocals) and Jim Tomlinson (guitar, vocals) are eating, drinking and talking about their cover band Spun as the dinner crowd filters in. "We've been together since 2002, and we've had 13 different people perform under the name Spun," Loase said. "It's been crazy. I think this line-up is probably our strongest, and I don't think I'm being biased at all."

Kid Rock ; Hillbilly Homeboy Does It His Way

Kid Rock has a lot to answer for. Just a few short years ago, the idea of blending rap and country was unheard of, but that changed in the late '90s, when the Michigan native burst onto the mainstream landscape like a cocky, hillbilly homeboy on a mission. Rock's mix of rap, '70s hard rock and country was unique when he started dabbling in the genre-blurring arena. Sadly, it opened the door for recent misguided hick-hop aberrations such as Cowboy Troy's I Play Chicken With the Train and Trace...

Cd[Reviews]

rock Yellowcard

'Pop Rocked' ; Art Inspired by Music

If video killed the radio star, CDs destroyed album cover art. "The CD, and what's come to replace it -- downloadable files -- put no value on package art, for decades an essential part of experiencing rock 'n' roll," wrote Paul Grushkin in Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion, co-authored with Dennis King. Rock concert posters have rushed to fill that void, providing visual art to help interpret and promote the music. "There are more posters being made today than in any time in rock 'n' ...

Restaurant Week ; Fine Dining Bargains Abound

If the January bills have put a damper on dining out, take heart: Restaurant Week is back, starting Sunday. There's no need to hunker down on the sofa and settle for leftovers. You could be dining on Filet with Drunken Goat Cheese at El Meson or Basil Mustard Salmon at Carvers or Grilled Prime Sirloin with Blue Cheese Cream at Meadowlark-- all at Restaurant Week's bargain prices $ . a -course .

Katz Lounge

One of the things I really like about Katz Lounge, 1221 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, is the way it's like Reese's Cups. Bear with me on this: It takes two great bar activities -- watching football and listening to live music -- and makes them play nice together, a feat I don't think any other bar in town has managed. The sign on the building says it all: "Spirits * Live Music * Darts * Browns Football." That's a pretty prominent place given to a sport that only plays four months out of the year...

Til Death Do Us Part ; 'Corpse Bride' Warms Over 'Nightmare Before Christmas'

The following movies will be available Tuesday: Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride

The ' Tempest' ; Shakespeare Nut Returns From Jersey for Show Using Stilts and Spandex Bags

Most storms in the Miami Valley arrive from the west or south. The one that brings Brian B. Crowe winging in for a visit comes by way of New Jersey. Crowe, who attended Wright State University and served as company manager of the Human Race Theatre for a few years, has been director of education for Shakespeare Theatre New Jersey for the past decade.

On Stage

KUSS AUDITORIUM

Scott Dunn ; He's Written Novels and Does Guest Spots On 'Bob & Tom Show'

For most of the 1990s, Fort Wayne, Ind., native Scott Dunn was living a comfortable life as a marketing manager for a Fortune 500 company, but he yearned for more. "I started doing open mikes almost immediately after leaving college and starting that job in 1994," said Dunn, who is performing at Wiley's Comedy Niteclub through Sunday. "In high school I used to write jokes down in a notebook, but I didn't really feel I had any access to trying it. When I got to college I was pretty busy, but w...