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Oregon Express

Dayton Bar Stars – Gretchen Kelly

May 9, 2017 By Brian Petro

Dayton Bar Star Gretchen Kelly

Gretchen Kelly, about to do some work…

The University of Dayton is an amazing asset for the city. It is one of the best Catholic universities in the country, educating roughly 10,000 students in a variety of disciplines. Their development has helped the city, from their incredible law and entrepreneurship programs to their basketball program with has drawn national attention. The school is continuing to grow, taking an active role in the rebirth of the Arcade downtown and providing a solid foundation for growing businesses around campus. The number of events that occur at the university, from small gatherings in the library to hosting the First Four, are staggering. It is not too much of an exaggeration to say if you go to an event at the University of Dayton, Gretchen Kelly has had some hand in the drinks being poured there.

Gretchen has been working at the University of Dayton for years, starting in the dining halls and working her way up to a supervisor for all of their catering. But when she has the opportunity, she is back with the staff pouring drinks for thirsty guests. To work some of the events there, she has one accolade that few other bartenders in the city can claim; Secret Service clearance. Serving some of the patrons at Flyer games requires clearance by some of the top officers in the country. You may have seen her more recently at The Main Event, the huge gala was thrown by the Dayton Metro Library to provide a sneak peek at their beautiful new library. You may have even noticed her at an Art Ball or two, bartending with Kohler Catering.  Her skills are in high demand at some of the top events in the area. They are also in demand at the Oregon Express, where you can find her on the odd night mixing cocktails, pulling beers, and enjoying the live bands that toll through that venue.

Dayton Bar Stars

Her radio show will be back in June, with unknown bands you need to hear.

If you have not been on the receiving end of her bartending abilities, it is possible you have enjoyed one of her other passions: working with musicians. She has been booking bands for years at notable venues like the Canal Street and her home bar, Oregon Express. Her bartending adventures have taken her as far as Loveland, OH, where she ran the stick for a bar owned by the head cheerleader for the Cincinnati Bengals. She is still booking talent at the Express, even as she is transitioning to a new format for her radio show. The station and the show will be launching in June. Her one-hour show will focus on up-and-coming unsigned bands from around the world.

Gretchen has been a staple at the University of Dayton for years, and it looks like she will be one for many more. From small breakfast meetings to an UD Arena filled to capacity, she will be there taking care of her guests with a smile. Yet another amazing asset at UD.

How did you get into bartending?

After three years as a server at the Oregon Express, they trained me as a bartender. I had four different people train me.

Dayton Bar Stars Belle Of Dayton Vodka

Gretchen with one of her loves.

What is your favorite drink to make?

A Chocolate Martini with the chocolate syrup swirled in the glass.

Which drink makes you internally cringe?

When it’s busy, anything with a blender!

Do you have a favorite spirit you like to work with?

Vodka, because you can mix it with anything.

When you go out for a drink in Dayton, where is your favorite place to go?

Too many places to name!

Who is the most famous person you have served?

Band members from LIVE and Collective Soul.

What do you do when you are not bartending?

Work some of my other jobs. I have an internet radio show (Can I get more information on this new venture?)

Dayton Metro Library Main Event

A small part of The Main Event Crew.

What are your favorite trends from the last year?

It seems more people are drinking Tullamore D.E.W., an Irish whiskey.

What trends do you see coming to Dayton over the next six months?

I will love any trend that does not require a blender.

What advice do you want to give bartenders just getting into the business?

The best way to learn is from other experienced bartenders. Then you can develop your own style of drinks.

What do you love most about Dayton?

Most everything!

Most interesting thing you have seen from behind the bar?

Tending bar at an event at the Boonshoft Museum and watching my friends slide down the slides while wearing evening gowns and tuxedos.

Getting ready to go at the Oregon Express.

How has bartending changed in the time you have been in the industry?

Too much technology at some places. It takes more time to ring up drinks on a system at times. Some of the pre-measuring takes away from the speed and unique techniques of a good bartender from making the perfect drink.

Any interesting stories about having to deal with a difficult customer?

I had a guy at a wedding once say to me ” If I get too drunk you are driving me home.” I replied, ” Here is your Coke.”

What do you wish customers knew that helped you do your job?

Do NOT to try and get our attention by saying “Hey baby.”

If you were not a bartender, what career would you be pursuing?

Bartending for me is like breathing. I have to bartend.

Filed Under: Dayton Bar Stars, Dayton Dining, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Beer, catering, cocktails, Dayton Bar Stars, local bands, Local Music, Oregon Express, University of Dayton, vodka

Monday Pizza Lovers Deals in Dayton

August 29, 2016 By Lisa Grigsby

wafswectpmbr0zmug9lyPizza is a $30 billion industry in the United States and while Chicago and New York may get a lot of buzz for their pizza, Dayton is right up there for pizza lovers.

Smart Asset compared 137 U.S. cities and determined the top 25 cities for pizza lovers by looking at “factors which would matter most to a true pizza-lover,” according to its website.  Dayton ranked 7th in their most recent rankings.  Those factors included the cost of living, the number of pizza places per 10,000 residents, the average Yelp score for pizza places, and the percentage of pizza places on Yelp with a rating higher than 4.4.

Approximately three billion pizzas are sold in the United States every year, plus an additional one billion frozen pizzas.  Pepperoni is the most popular topping in the United States, found on 1/3 of pizzas.  The average American eats 23 pounds of pizza each year.

For Dayton pizza lovers Monday is bargain night -check out these 5 great pizza deals offered every Monday night in the Miami Valley:

1/2 off pizza 1/2 off pizza

Get half off any large deep dish or tavern cut pizza every Monday, dine in only.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
Monday August 29, 2016 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
1/2 price pizza 1/2 price pizza
Half price all Large & Extra-Large pizzas all day every Monday.
You can’t beat that!

South Park Tavern
Monday August 29, 2016 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Pizza BOGO Deal
 Pizza BOGO Deal
Buy one, get one FREE any 12, 14, or 16 Pizza
Carry out only.
Pizza Factory
Monday August 29, 2016 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM
All You Can Eat Pizza Buffet
All You Can Eat Pizza Buffet
Just $6.99 for adults and $1.99 for children 10 and younger gets you
all the pizza, salad, and bread & pretzel bites you can eat.
Beavercreek Pizza Dive
Monday August 29, 2016 4:30 PM – 08:00 PM
25% off pizza
 25% off pizza
Our Legendary Pizza’s are 25% OFF every Monday starting at 5pm!
Dine in only!
Oregon Express
Monday August 29, 2016 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Filed Under: Dayton Dining, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Beavercreek Pizza Dive, Bj's Brewhouse, Oregon Express, pizza, Pizza Factory, south park tavern

No More “Silence”; An Interview With Tom Gilliam Of Ghost Town Silence

April 10, 2015 By Dayton Most Metro

(Photo Courtesy: Art Jipson)

This Saturday, Ghost Town Silence will take the stage in support of the  release of their EP Shadows at Oregon Express.  Formally The Rebel Set,  the set will mark the end of an era for the band.

Before Ghost Town Silence, the five piece group The Rebel Set formed in  2005 when lead singer/guitarist Tom Gilliam and vocalist/upright bass  Gavin Spencer enlisted members Jason Johantges (rhythm guitar), Adam  Kempf (drums/trumpet) and Ken Hall (keyboards/trombone) to join.  With  the releases of their 2008 debut Ghost Town Silence and the 2009 follow  up Across The Relentless Sea, The Rebel Set saw their live performances at  the local establishments filled to near capacity.  Their fanbase followed  them to every place they played at.  In 2010, Gilliam mentions while we  met up recently that they were at their highest point of being together.  It  was hard to not mention The Rebel Set as being one of the most popular  bands in town.

With all of the work they were putting in around that time, life began to start take over.  What was pretty standard of playing on most weekends now transitioned-with the band performing a few shows during the year.  Most of the members starting having their families grow larger when children started coming.  Johantges made the move to Marysville and has been the most recent to have a baby.  Overall-the band started to shift their focus onto their other responsibilities.

Even with all of the changes happening with each member of the band’s lives, they continued to get together and write music.  In August of 2013, The Rebel Set went into the studio to lay down some songs at In the Red Recording, hopeful to release a full-length.  The first five songs were mix, mastered and put on CD while the last half was still being worked on.  In November while the band was taking a break from recording, Hall made the decision to leave the group to concentrate more on his newborn and his other bands-Human Cannonball and Shrug.  With his parts already done with the first five songs, the second half of the full-length was up in the air.

“(Hall) committed to doing the rest of the album,” Gilliam mentions.  “It was just the other five or six songs were in various levels of completion.  We just let him go.”

The Rebel Set decided to release the finished five songs now planned on being released as an EP titled Shadows.  Right as they were getting prepped to set up photography with EP cover, the band faced even more roadblocks.  In 2010, a Tempe, Arizona band that also went under the name The Rebel Set bought the naming rights to trademark themselves.  The signing of Burger Records, supposed radio airplay with their music overseas, and an upcoming tour propelled the group to send a message to Gilliam requesting him to change his band’s name.  It was also mentioned that legal action would be taken if the adjustment wasn’t made.  The Dayton group could have gone to court and fought to keep the name. Gilliam and the band instead opted to adjust the title.

“It just seem that the time was right for one anyways,” Gilliam said.  “There were all these signs that were saying ‘do it’”.

No longer being allowed to be called The Rebel Set, the band went to work on configuring a new name.  While Gilliam went to work scrolling through the internet, other members began logging down names.  Along with it being the title of their first album and Gilliam simply liking it, Ghost Town Silence had some history.  It was also a lyric in the song “130” and had a huge part to do with the cover.  The choice of Ghost Town Silence was chosen by the band during a practice down in Spencer’s basement.  Before he could declare the name to be a contender, Spencer uttered the name out loud.  Ghost Town Silence was greenlighted from that moment on.

The other business that needed to be taken care of was the departure of Kempf in June of last year.  With accepting a new job occupation, the need to fill in the holes became menacing.  Lucky for Ghost Town Silence, the empty roles that Hall and Kempf held in the band were quickly filled with Nathan Warden on keyboards and drummer Brian Winter.  Warden has been already playing at times with the band, but Winter was brand new.

No longer does the looming cloud of uncertainty covers the band.  Gilliam indicated that there was times when the band’s status as active was seriously in doubt.  All was not lost in that time, though.  With the somewhat hiatus that Ghost Town Silence was ensuing, Gilliam took his passion for photographer to another level.  He started snapping pictures of a variety of subjects; raging from landmarks to various events.  Today-Gilliam currently is the founder of the well-known account DaytonGram.  Sharing the Dayton, Ohio area’s past, present and future through photography & community (aka Instameets).

With Winter and Warden being integrated as full-time members of Ghost Town Silence, the duo have brought new life into the band.  Gilliam mentions that has soon as the EP Shadows is released, Ghost Town Silence will be moving on.  The band has been currently working on new material.  With a name change, new members, and an upcoming slot in the upcoming Sideshow festival-it will start a new era.    

And it will start this Saturday as soon as their set is finished.

Ghost Town Silence will be releasing their EP Shadows this Saturday at Oregon Express.  Performing with them will be Todd theFox and Akillis Green.  Showtime is at 10pm,  $5cover.  21 and up

Filed Under: Dayton Music Tagged With: Dayton Music, Ghost Town Silence, Oregon Express

Introducing NEW Food Adventures Crew & Fried Chicken at Lily’s Bistro ($25 Gift Card)

September 25, 2014 By The Food Adventures Crew 7 Comments

Food Adventures Just Got More Adventurous !

Food Adventures just got a whole lot more adventurous….. and you can benefit by winning a $25 gift certificate to Lily’s Bistro in the Oregon district.

*** FOOD ADVENTURES WITH BIG RAGU and THE CREW ***

Blazing the trails in the foodie forums since 2008, Food Adventures has developed a large following…

Today, we add some big players to the mix.  They include Chefs, Foodie Fanatics, royalty and an appetite for Dayton that has never been bigger.  Although we have a couple of new faces, FOOD ADVENTURES with BIG RAGU and THE CREW, is still the same FOOD ADVENTURES you have come to love.  We will continue to have the MUST EATS, killer food photos that make your mouth water, and multiple visits to a place before we write an article.  Will continue to give you “THE SKINNY” on our favorites.  Follow our relentless pursuit of the best eats in the Miami Valley!

Together, your humble Food Adventurers will seek out locally owned restaurants, unique places off the beaten path, and even give our slant on some familiar favorites. Whenever we visit a place, we call it a “Food Adventure.”  You can expect pictures of each Food Adventure we embark on. You can expect us hugging waiters, visiting mom & pop establishments, posting nostalgic blogs, tongue-in-cheek comments and emotionally eating our way through life.   We don’t take ourselves seriously, enjoying the adventure all the way.  “We are not food critics, we just love to eat!”  Food Adventures won’t limit ourselves, we try it all – NO RULES !  We will leave no plate unturned.

You know the Big Ragu already ...

You already know The Big Ragu

We will continue to set the trends, host Food Adventure dinner events, and give our unique spin on Dayton’s best “Mom and Pop” places in the Miami Valley.  Food Adventures with Big Ragu and the Crew will continue to attend and support numerous local food and charity events.   We eat it all, and the photos are ours. No stock pics here.  We aren’t a share and click site.  We are Dayton Originals, so all of our stuff is original content. Often imitated, never duplicated, accept no substitutions.

You can find us here:

Facebook Page: Facebook.com/foodadv

Website: DaytonFoodies.com 

Twitter: @food_adv

Instagram: Instagram.com/Dayton_Foodies

 

Our recent “Meeting of the Mouths” happened last Sunday at Lily’s Bistro on Chicken Dinner night.  We will get into the Must Eats from that night shortly, but first…,

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to MEET THE NEW CREW !

 

Chef House - expert foodie !LEEANNE HOUSE aka “CHEF HOUSE”:

Chef House or “The Sriracha Mamma” is all about the heat.  Lover of all things spicy she is constantly in the kitchen coming up with fun new ways to whip up veggies and add a little spice.  She is a Dayton native, with lifelong experience in the restaurant industry, working with some of the best chefs in the Miami Valley.  She loves to keep it local especially in the summer when beautiful produce is plentiful. She is a true foodie who knows we have a lot to offer in Ohio!

Chef House’s Top 5 Favorite Local Places for a Food Adventure :

(in no particular order)

1) Meadowlark (they do veggies right!)

2) Rue Dumaine (it never disappoints)

3) Fresco (best chef hands down)

4) Oregon Express (favorite pizza since I was a kiddo)

5) My kitchen ! …  duh!!!!

***************************************************

 

JACLYN SCANLAN aka “HUNGRY JAX”:

Jackie relocated to the Dayton are in 2006. This Italian from Upstate NY found herself in a very different culinary atmosphere than what she was used to back home in Utica, NY.  However, different proved to be good a she fell in love with not only this “gem” of a city, but also the food and foodies within it! Cooking is a passion of Jackie’s.  She loves to use her husband, John, and two daughters, Coraline and Ashlyn, as her lab rats to test recipes out.  Some of her recipes have even been published in National Food Magazines!  But as much as she loves to cook, she also loves to take a night off from her kitchen and enjoy eating out and letting someone else do all the work (and the clean up)!  Other foodie interests include years of volunteering at the Dorothy Lane Market School of Cooking and being an Alton Brown fan since way back when he wore bowling shirts.  Jackie is excited to be part of the Food Adventures team and is looking forward to experiencing some new eats!

Jackie’s Top 5 Favorite Local Places for a Food Adventure:

1) Lock 27

2) The Cakery

3) Sweeney’s Seafood

4) Dorothy Lane Market

5) Zombie Dogz
 *
  ***************************************************
 ***************************************************
 And our final Food Adventurer…
The King - all smilesBLAKE KING aka “THE KING”

After hopping the globe with the Air Force, The King recently touched down in Dayton with his wife and daughters. Flying recon for great local food, the Big Ragu has set the course for his newest wingman, and he is logging some serious mileage. The King is a dessert FREAK! There is no shake too shaky, pie too flakey, nor cake to…cakey for this lunatic. He wants to find the best dessert in Dayton. Please help him. He needs it, a lot.

The King’s Top 5 Favorite Local Places for a Food Adventure:

1) Taco Loco

2) Jet Freeze

3) Bill’s Donut Shop

4) Hasty Tasty Pancake House

5) Submarine House

 

 

Now to the food of the day .. not a typical article for us, this is just about one dinner …. The Sunday Chicken Dinner at Lily’s Bistro

Get your hens ready….

HERE’S THE SKINNY: 

— The dinners go from 5pm – 9pm on Sundays only

— The menu is pretty much fried chicken, with the sides, appetizers, and desserts changing from week to week.

— The prices are $9 for a 2 piece dinner, $16 for a 1/2 chicken dinner, and $28 for a whole chicken

— Sides are $3,  good prices, no clucking around

Now we ruffle our feathers and give you our patented.. Must Eats!

 

Buttered Johnnycake..

Johnny Cakes at Lily’s Bistro. Click to Enlarge the Goodness

MUST EATS:

— JOHNNY CAKES:  It might have been chicken night, but the appetizers and sides stole the show !  We couldn’t stop talking about the Johnny cakes. Pancakes, as an appetizer? This was right up our alley. The King wished he could have bottled the scent to keep by his pillow at night. Made with jalepeno, for just enough contrasting kick to the sweet buttery mapleness.   These cakes were  slathered in butter and syrup and simply amazing.  Who would have thunk it?   Crispy, sweet and spicy made for a perfect combination, and Chef House’s favorite dish of the night.

— SMOKED SALMON DIP:  Another great appetizer of the night, served with bagel “nuggets.”  We started out polite, then found ourselves thumb wrestling for the last bits.  Addicting, and addiction is an ugly thing.

— HOMEMADE MASHED POTATOES: We are talking the real deal, mashed with decent sized chunks in them.  We wondered why conversation stopped, it was as if all the Food Adventurers discovered these at the same time and were very quietly stuffing their faces.

— COOLDADDY COCKTAIL:  This spicy cocktail is a must.  Who could pass up a drink that features Chef House’s Sriracha sauce? Tequila, handmade pepper syrup, strawberries, cilantro are also among the ingredients.

— BEIGNETS:  Pronounced “Ben-yays.”   Known in some circles as “pizza frite”, “zeppole” or fried dough, these puffs of dough are a perfect end to a rich dinner.  Ever so slightly covered with sifted powdered sugar, Big Ragu had white on his “man bib vest” in no time.

 

Smoked Salmon Dip with Bagel nuggets - a must eat

Smoked Salmon dip, made in house, with Bagel Bites

Honorable Mention:  The mac n cheese and hand breaded, fried okra deserve a nod!

Thank you for reading our special  Food Adventure with Big Ragu and the Crew!

We always visit a place multiple times before we write a story, so we are ready for a trip back to Lily’s.. want to join us?  COMMENT BELOW on the story for a chance to win!

**** CONTEST **** WIN a $25 Gift Certificate to LILY’S BISTRO WITH BIG RAGU AND THE CREW !!   Just comment on the story below for a chance to win.  One entry per person, please.  A winner will be chosen at random.  We will revisit this restaurant for an another Food Adventure and you are welcome to join us !
Follow Food Adventures by giving us a like on Facebook.
[flagallery gid=109]

Filed Under: Food Adventures, The Featured Articles Tagged With: #dayton_foodies, #daytonfood, #food_adv, bagel, Beer, beignets, Big Ragu, BIll's Donuts, blake king, Cakery., chef, chef house, chicken, chunks, cocktail, cocktails, crew, dayton #dayton, DaytonDining, dinner, DLM, donut, Dorothy Lane Market, fazio, Food Adventure, Food Adventures, Fresco, fried, fried dough, fritters, Hasty Tasty, housemade, hungry jax, Jackie, Jaclyn, Jaclyn Scalan, jet freeze, johhny cakes, johnnie cakes, LeeAnne House, Lily's Bistro, mac, mashed potatoes, Meadowlark, most Metro, New Holland, okra, Oregon Express, pancake house, pizza frite, Rue Dumaine, salmon dip, Scanlan, school of cooking, sriracha, submarine House, Sunday, Sundog, Taco Loco, the crew, the king, zombie dogz

Hot House! Local Chef Heats Things Up With New Sriracha Sauce

May 30, 2014 By The Food Adventures Crew 2 Comments

Hot stuff in Dayton

Dayton Chef LeeAnne House, with her Housemade Sriracha Sauce !

We’ve got the boss with the hot sauce right here!  Want to heat up your Food Adventures at home?  Then look no further.

Local chef, our own LeeAnne House has made her mark in the kitchens of upscale area restaurants. Now she is out on her own, with a new company called Housemade.  Her first bottled product is a popular one, called Housemade Sriracha Sauce. She started experimenting with new sauces in her apartment kitchen and the batches grew, and so did the demand.  Now she has taken her saucy self corporate.

Believe it or not, sriracha is a style of sauce, and not a brand name.  We are all familiar with that plastic bottle with the rooster and green spout.  This gives that sauce a kick in the pants.

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— LeeAnne grew up in the food industry.  Her parents at one time owned various restaurants like Lincoln Park Grille, Oregon Express, and others.  LeeAnne worked her way up from bussing tables to chief hottie.

bottling plant

Bottles of Housemade Sriracha, Ready to be Labeled

— The sauce took a year and a half to perfect.  Originally home cooked and home produced, she is now off  to the big time with the same, natural recipe.  Food Adventures have been trying her home batch sriracha sauces for months, so we are especially happy to see her recent success.

— This sauce won 1st prize in the 2014 Louisiana Cajun Hot Sauce Festival, for the best specialty chili sauce, and is being blogged about nationally from California to Nashville.  Foodies and Food Adventurers agree, it’s fantastic!

— A bottle of this sauce goes a long way, good thing there is a 2 year shelf life.

 

WHY IS THIS SAUCE A MUST EAT?

— FLAVOR:  That is the most important thing, right?  Not just heat for the sake of heat, but good flavor is what a sauce is all about.  Housemade Sriracha is sweeter, hotter and meaner than the sriracha you are used to.   There is a good amount of tang and zing to get your tastebuds rolling.

 — ALL PEPPERS in this sauce are Thai Chili Peppers, and the sauce has NO STEMS.  This is huge, because most mass produced sauces have stems ground into them, thereby changing the flavor of the sauce.  Housemade keeps the flavor truer to the pepper itself with the tedious process of stem removal.

— NATURAL INGREDIENTS:  We wont give away the recipe, just read the side of the label for the natural ingredients.  Did we mention it is vegan and gluten-free ?

— LOCALLY MADE – Whenever possible local ingredients are used, local farmers, and the sauce is assembled from Dayton to Chillicothe.  Hello, support local, buy local.  Expect different sauces from Housemade in the future !

 

The Big Ragu knows you can get Housemade Sriracha at Foremost Seafood

The Big Ragu knows where to get Housemade Sriracha, and now, you do too !

The Big Ragu loves the sauce on chili, shrimp, wings and anything mexican (nachos, tacos, tortas, burritos and sopes).

LITE BITES: Try the sriracha on egg white omelettes, roasted veggies, homemade vegetable soups, and quinoa.

 

Housemade Sriracha Sauce has made its way into local restaurants and has been appearing on specials at Lily’s Bistro, and pizzas at  Oregon Express to name a couple.  We expect more locally owned restaurants to follow this trend.  In fact, the demand has been so good, that a second batch has already gone into production.

 

WHERE CAN YOU BUY THE BOTTLES OF HOUSEMADE SRIRACHA?

— Arrow Wine & Spirits

— Clash Consignments

— Eclectic Essentials

— Foremost Seafood

— Healthy Alternative Markets

— The Spice Rack

— Yankee Street Market

 

In more ways than one, it is the hottest product in Dayton.  Housemade Sriracha, we love you, you hot thang you ….

Speaking of hotness, check out Food Adventures on Facebook  and “like” them HERE

Also, see more of LeeAnne and her hot sauce in the photo gallery below!

[flagallery gid=90]

 

Filed Under: Food Adventures, The Featured Articles Tagged With: #daytonfood, #daytonfoodies, 1st place, Arrow Wine, batches, Big Ragu, blazing, boil, cajun, champ, chef, Chili, Clash Consignments, cooking, Dayton, DaytonDining, Eclectic Essentials, festival, food, Food Adventure, Food Adventures, Foremost Seafood, Gluten Free, habenero, Healthy Alternative Markets, heat, hot, house, housemade, kitchen, lee anne, leeanne, lincoln park, louisiana, Olive, Oregon Express, pepper, peppers, sauce, spicy, spirits, sriracha, sweet, taste buds, The Big Ragu, The Spice Rack, vegan, winner, Yankee Street Market

‘Queens Of The Scene’ Showcasing Local Music Scene To The World

March 12, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro 2 Comments

The Professors ontsage circa 2005 (photo by Juliet Fromholt)

The Professors ontsage circa 2005 (photo by Juliet Fromholt)

Gretchen Kelly begins with the story of one of the most wild and exciting nights that she’s been a part of as a show booker for the Oregon Express. She goes in depth about the Saturday night when local band The Professors took the stage.  The Professors are a fuzz-inspired, psychedelic rock band that featured heavy riffs and 1960s style songwriting.  Their style of music made them a big draw and would capture the audience’s attention anywhere they would perform.  The Professors were more than just a band that would come and play music; they became one of the premiere acts in town.  The band decided that it needed to take a break, and after 14 months they decided to return to playing live.  The band came to Kelly one night and expressed their interest in coming out of their hibernation and playing at Oregon Express.  The show would be the very first the band would play after their hiatus.  Kelly jumped on the opportunity and agreed to book the gig.

A typical live music show goes as follows- crowd will show up and grab a seat in the viewing area where the show takes place.  The staff quickly serves everyone without really having any issues throughout the duration of the show. Number of people will roam around, back and forth between the two sections of the bar.  At the end of the night, everyone walks away completely satisfied.  A pretty typical night at any venue.

But you never know how the evening is going to go.  The night that Kelly talks about was a night that the script was changed.  It’s the nature of the beast when it comes to setting up live shows.  Before the night of the show, Kelly warned the staff that because of the popularity of The Professors there will be a need of additional help that night.  As the night came, one of the staff called off due to illness.  Being short staffed seemed okay at first due to the low volume at the start.  Then out of nowhere, the crowd came in large numbers.  The bar was difficult to move around as soon as everyone came in.  Kelly goes on to end the story explaining that this was the second biggest night of door money that she ever obtained, right behind the CD release of another Dayton local band The Rebel Set’s Ghost Town Silence.  After her story wrapped up, Kelly proceeded to fire up The Professors song ‘Pay the Price’.

 Kelly, along with Emily Wegh, hosts a weekly show called Queens of the Scene on RadioPureGently.com.  Radio Pure Gently is an  internet radio station that has been in production for a couple of years now, and is still growing.  The website began when Rob Puricelli was doing an internet radio show in 2010.  Puricelli was producing his own show on a community based station  Radio Thetford.  The show was based in his home country in England and it focused on independent music.  Unfortunately, Puricelli  couldn’t continue the show due to his employment changing and other commitments.

Four dedicated listeners of Puricelli’s show felt that there was a void afterwards.  After getting together and doing some talking,  they decided that they would set up their own radio station together.  On August 16th, 2012, Rohan Tarry (Bristol, UK), Larry Lang  (Dayton, OH), Chris Duff (The Midlands, UK), and Micky Dodds (Armagh, UK) each did a half hour set, and would have their shows  broadcast every Thursday at 7pm (UK time).  The four men would call their project Radio Pure Gently because Tarry thought that it  sound very similar to Puricelli.  On August 16th, 2012, the first show went live.  In 2013 Terry passed on his slot to Matt Clayton, who resides in Sellersburg, Indiana.  In the summer of 2013, RadioPureGently.com was launched, and the focus turned to promoting and  introducing new bands, artists, and musicians.

Kelly has been part of the scene in Dayton for many years.  She started waiting tables and helping out the bands that played at Oregon Express.  In 2007, the folks that were setting up the shows decided to step down and recommended Kelly to take over.

“I had no experience in booking bands”, Kelly said during our conversations.  “However, I knew that I could be good at it, and I developed a system that worked.”

Kelly would book one band for Saturday nights, and have them bring in any 2 bands that they wanted.  By coordinating shows this way, Kelly gives the bands all the control of door sales and how it trickles down.  It also is a wonderful opportunity for the band that was originally booked to have another band come in and play.  In 2009, Kelly decided to step down as booker.  She returned to the position after the owner of Oregon Express called her up and asked her to come back.  “I am so very glad the owner called, because I missed being a part of the Dayton Music Scene. It’s where my heart is.”

For Emily Wegh, home is a little farther away.  Born and raised in the outer parts of Chicago, Wegh decided to study marketing at the University of Dayton.  Wegh loved the campus and the friendly atmosphere, but what really drove her were the opportunities for community involvement.  Currently, Wegh works in the UD dining services on campus, where she met Kelly.  The two quickly bonded over the local music scene, along with independent music.  “She eventually ended up asking me if I would be interested in doing a radio show with her and the RPG guys,”Wegh explained.  Being part of the show, along with her majoring in marketing, has also given her another job.  “As soon as the guys found out that I’m a marketing major, I was promoted to heading up our marketing campaign.”

Queens of the Scene, which debuted on January 21, 2014, is a two hour show broken up into two parts:  one hour features Kelly, and the other hour features Wegh.  Kelly dives into more of the music that is being played and produced in the Dayton scene.  The New Old-Fashioned, Motel Beds, Shrug, SOHIO are among some of the local bands that Kelly presents on her segment.  Wegh explores other independent artists in her hour’s segment.  She also dives into how the songs and/or artists she has played as impacted her.  On the Valentine’s Day show, Wegh jokingly played music about love and heartbreak.  Both hours are full of great music, both local and from around the world.  Each week, both ladies record their vocals and insert the music into the recording software program REAPER.  With the vocals and music in place, the ladies will then transfer it to Micky Dodds.  The original idea was for both Wegh and Kelly to produce the show together.  Unfortunately it hasn’t been able to happen due to the schedules.  Kelly and Wegh do plan to eventually have them both do the show together instead broken into two segments.

The road is paved for Radio Pure Gently to really make a splash, especially over the pond, Kelly explains.  “I was talking to my friend in who lives in London, Shamus Dark, who is a jazz singer. We were talking about how RPG will be adding more programing and he message me something that I though was interesting.  The live music scene is slowly dying in the UK. There was a program on BBC about all the small venues that have closed in the last few years. They’re called ‘toilet venues’ because they’re so small, but it’s where Oasis, Manic Street preachers, Pulp and many others started out. It’s all very worrying.  He thinks RPG and others like it can help save the real music versus the television talent shows.”

The shows on the website are constantly working on improving not only their sound, but also their content.  Independent artist and bands all over the world are being able to have their music played.  Listeners can go to this website RadioPureGently.com, or they can click on to http://mixlr.com/radio-pure-gently/chat.

For Kelly, Wegh, and everyone involved with Radio Pure Gently, the experience of being a part of the website is thrilling.  “It’s especially exciting for me to be working on something like this because it’s so diverse and international.  It has been a terrific and one of a kind experience for me so far, and I’m really stoked to see where it continues going,” Wegh said.

Kelly added, “We all love doing this.  It’s like having a bunch of new brothers.”

Queens of the Scene is broadcast every Tuesday afternoon at 2pm when you can also hear more stories just like the one about Kelly’s wild and magical Saturday night with The Professors, and of course more music.

Filed Under: Dayton Music Tagged With: Dayton Music, Oregon Express, Radio

Barstools & Brushstrokes Combines Cocktails and Creativity

September 25, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

barstools-and-brushstrokesBarstools and Brushstrokes is the newest twist for your happy hour!  Explore your creative side while recreating the featured nights painting with step-by-step guidance from the instructor.  Classes are for both the artistic and the not-so-artistic… the main objective is to have fun!!!

Instructors will guide you, step by step, recreating the featured nights painting. We provide all materials needed (canvases, easels, paints, aprons, etc…) just bring yourself and your creativity! It’s fun, easy, and totally stress free! You’ll go home with a 16X20 masterpiece that is “uniquely yours” and hopefully a new found talent that you’ll want to explore! All materials are provided (canvases, easels, paints, aprons, etc…) just bring your own personal style and we do the rest!

Upcoming classes:

 Oregon Express 7-9pm Wed, Sept 25th

Blind Bob’s 1-3pm, Sun, Sept 29th

 

**Events have food and/or drinks available for purchase.  
Check schedule to see specific event details and happy hour specials!**

Because of limited seating, signing up in advance is always recommended. Register online to confirm your spot in a class . If a class is sold out,  you can be  put on a waiting list or just show up at the scheduled event…though they don’t promise anything, due to last minute cancellations, they can almost always get you in!

– All supplies are provided, including aprons, but it is still recommended that you wear something you don’t mind getting dirty or possibly stained.  Barstools and brushstrokes cannot be responsible for any paint damage.

Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment Tagged With: Barstools and Brushstrokes, Blind Bob's, Oregon Express

Meghna’s ‘Kind of Friend’ Set To Put Singer On The Radar

December 13, 2012 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

Lyrics to songs tell stories.  To most songwriters, their songs tell the story of relationships in their lives.  When I spoke with the lead singer of the band Heartless Bastards Erika Wennerstrom this past summer, she told me that she would write about past relationships and how they molded her to be what she is today.  Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam’s earlier work dealt with his relationship with his family.  During a sit down with local artist Meghna, she made perfect sense when she described what relationships are in her eyes, “They aren’t black and white.  There is a lot of gray.” On Saturday night the Oregon Express Bar and Restaurant, located in the Oregon District, will be presenting Meghna.  Meghna and her band, The Majority, will be releasing her third album, Kind of Friend.  Playing on the same bill is The Charlie Tipton Band.

MeghnaMeghna Mahambrey began singing when she took the stage in her elementary school musical.  In middle and high school, she participated in talent shows, where would sing songs from Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and the great Etta James.  With her love for singing, she decided to record her first EP in 2005 with the help of production team Music Without Borders.  Then she released her first LP, My Little Tape Recorder.  The album, released in 2007, was a creative fusion of R&B, mixed with the influences of music from around the world.  In 2010, Meghna teamed up with an old high school friend and released the album, Home.  The album, which she co-wrote most of the songs, ranged from folk to rock.

However, Kind of Friend is Meghna’s pride and joy to date.  In 2011, Meghna started to write songs about her recent relationships and friendships.  “I have some good relationships and some bad relationships”, Meghna explained.  “They have dramatically shaped me as a person, and that is what the new album is about.”  With the album, Meghna wrote all the songs, and worked with producer/owner of In The Red Studios Chris Suttle, guitarist Ken Walker, pianoist Jamie Preston, bassist Nathan Warden, and drummer Aaron Farrier.  The group helped Meghna start to play the keyboard again, an instrument that she hasn’t played in some time.  “The album is very heavily influenced of music from Norah Jones and The Civil Wars”, Meghna said to me during our sit down.  So, be expecting some great jazz influence, along with hints of country and folk.

 

The Charlie Tipton Band is another fantastic band that will be performing on Saturday night.  The band provides great Americana music, with the influences of Ryan Adams and Willie Nelson that leaves the crowd breathless.  The band also combines rock and roll into their live performance, adding a level of angst that keeps you on your toes.  If you haven’t had the chance to see The Charlie Tipton Band, this will be one of the best times to see them.  Both acts Saturday night will be telling great stories about love, friendships, and life through their music.  Show starts at 9pm at the Oregon Express Bar.  

 

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUxxatWgdfU&list=UU2QhtIdAttjrRwx0D2fNZKA&index=2′]

 

Filed Under: Dayton Music, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Charlie Tipton, Dayton Music, Meghna, Oregon Express

Architecture Week 2012 – Dining by Design

May 7, 2012 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

 

AIA Dayton, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, has been celebrating Architecture Week with 2 full weeks of events and invites the public to join them for 2 events this week that will highlight the urban culture of some of our favorite bars, restaurants and galleries.

Join a historic Bar Hop on Tues, May 8th from 6-9pm. You’ll Laugh and Learn as your tour guide, Terry Welker, AIA and Alexis Larson (former culture writer for the DDN and now with the Dayton Art Institute) give you a history of some of

Dayton’s oldest bars, artifacts, brewing and distilling history.  Tour will start at The Century with a history of the bar, bourbon history and tasting. Next you’ll

go to Jay’s for more Dayton bar history and the new Dayton Beer Company tasting.  Lastly we’ll head to the Oregon Express to see the famous train bar and relax on the upper deck as we watch the sunset with some craft beers and OE Pizza. Cost: $45/person. RSVP with form located  here.

 

Perhaps you’d prefer to “Sustain that smile” as your local art guides give you the highlights of Dayton’s art scene, give insights on collecting art and help you tap into the creative side of life over a private dinner at the acclaimed “Olive – an Urban Dive” whose locally sustainable food sources are magically transformed into seasonal masterpieces on Thurs, May 10th.  This tour will start at DVAC with the opening of Art & Arias where we see the new show and connect with the Dayton Opera over a glass of wine.  Next you’ll head to the New CADC and the Oregon District for a short stop at the Color of Energy on the way to Gallery 510 where gallery owner Loretta Puncer shares her insights on collecting for beginners and long standing patrons over a glass of wine.  Finally, we’ll stop briefly by Press, a coffee house gallery on our way to Olive for a relaxing private dinner party starting at 9:00pm.

 

Time: 6:00 – 10:00 PM

Leaders: Terry Welker AIA and Eva Buttacavoli (Executive Director for the Dayton Visual Arts Center)

Tour Maximum: 28 + 2 guides

Venues: DVAC, Color of Energy, CADC, Gallery 510, Press, Olive

Charge: $58 per person

Includes wine and appetizers, dinner at Olive

 

These events require a fee and this registration form sent via fax (937‐698‐6153) or email to the AIA Dayton office at [email protected].

 

Filed Under: Dayton Dining, The Featured Articles Tagged With: AIA Dayton, CADC, Century Bar, Dayton Beer Company, DVAC, Gallery 510, olive an urban dive, Oregon Express

Jane’s Best Bets (5/11 – 5/15)

May 10, 2011 By Jane Krebs Leave a Comment

My Awesome GenD Day Team at DVAC!

I hope you had a terrific week!  Thanks to all who “got out” and “gave back” this past Friday for Generation Dayton Day…it was a huge success!  Dayton is fortunate to have many wonderful young professionals!  This week, be sure to “get out” again, as there are many great things going on in our community!

On Wednesday, find out how trash can be turned into treasure with the exhibit, ‘Trash? Look Again’ at the Dayton Art Institute.  For some great networking, attend Business After Hours at Dayton Convention Center.  Afterwards, head to Fifth Third Field as the Dragons play the Lake County Captains or to Wiley’s for Dirty Little Secret Sanitarium.  If you’ve had a crazy day and need to relax a bit, make your way to The Wine Gallery for their Weekly Wine Tasting.

On Thursday, attend the Junior League of Dayton Town Hall Lecture Series at the Schuster Center, featuring Gina Barreca, a best-selling author who will keep you laughing.  Over at the Dayton Visual Arts Center, attend their Gallery Talks, in which artists Maureen Schaffer and Deborah Barr will talk about their art.  While you’re there, check out the fantastic spackling/sanding/paint job my GenD Day team did there!  Meet fellow Gen D’ers (a.k.a. fantastic young professionals!) at the Generation Dayton Thirsty Thursday at The Pub at The Greene.  ALL young professionals are welcome!  Also at The Greene, if you’re hungry for some delicious food, make your way to McCormick & Schmick’s for their Benziger Wine Dinner.  At Oregon Express, you will be able to grab a beer and learn about religion as part of Dayton Theology on Tap.  While there, be sure to have some of their amazing pizza!  I had some this past weekend and it was delicious!  And finally, don’t delay in getting your tickets to watch the Dragons as they play the Lake County Captains at Fifth-Third Field.

On Friday, downtown is THE place to be, even if you call the suburbs home.  The main attraction is Urban Nights, which is a free event in which you will be able to see downtown’s dining, nightlife, art, music, retail, urban living options, and MUCH more.  It only happens twice a year, so don’t miss your chance to attend this huge downtown open house!  For more info, be sure to become a fan of the “Urban Nights” fan page.  Urban Nights truly has something for everyone, so that is really my only best bet for Friday.  If you’re not there, you’re missing out…and I’m going to leave it at that!

On Saturday, all you car lovers will want to drive to the Webster Street Market for the British Car Meet (not to be confused with “meat,” although I’m sure they’ll have that too!).  Many of our dogs may have gained a few pounds over the cold/snowy winter since they haven’t been able to get out and exercise.  So, get them moving at the Furry Skurry 2011 at Miami Valley Hospital South to support the Humane Society.  If you don’t have a furry friend, you can still walk as part of the Walk Away From Violence event at RiverScape MetroPark, in which funds raised will benefit the Artemis Center, which helps to raise funds for victims of domestic violence.  At The Greene, watch the Hunks in Heels race, all the while supporting Clothes that Work.  This should be a super fun event!

Photo Credit: Andy Snow

Support Dayton Children’s Medical Center by attending Cha-Cha: Reasons to Celebrate at Sinclair’s Ponitz Center, which will feature live entertainment, fine dining, and both live and silent auctions!  You will be able to contribute to the Breast Cancer Foundation of Dayton by attending the 2nd Annual Sis-Boom-Ball at St Paul’s Episcopal Church.  All you “creatives” will want to attend The Sideshow VI at Garden Station Community Garden and Art Park.  At the Dayton Convention Center, the Come to the Cabaret – DCDC’s Soulstice event will be happening, which will include a wonderful mixture of live music, casino games, dancing, and dance performances by the amazing DCDC (although it says “D.C.” twice, they are actually located in Dayton…and we are so blessed to have them!).  If you enjoy watching dance but are on a strict budget, consider attending Order My Steps at Stivers Schoool for the Arts.  At the Schuster Center, you will be able to see the Dayton Philharmonic’s ‘Bernstein’s MASS’.  In addition, other options for Saturday include Honk! Jr. at Town Hall Theatre, Mauritius at the Dayton Theatre Guild, and The Women of Lockerbie at Sinclair’s Blair Hall Theater.

On Sunday, start the morning off with Sunday Brunch at The Barnsider…I’m hoping the lines won’t be as long since it’s not Mother’s Day!  Sunday also has several theater options, including  42nd Street at WSU’s Festival Playhouse, The Women of Lockerbie at Sinclair’s Blair Hall Theater, Honk! Jr.at Town Hall Theatre, and Mauritius at the Dayton Theatre Guild.  And if you love beer, you won’t want to miss PubFest at The Pub at The Greene!

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…

Why did the mouse run under the beer truck?  Because he wanted to get smashed.

These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar.  There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today!  Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it– it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE!  And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!

Have a great week Dayton!

Filed Under: DMM's Best Bets, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Business After Hours, clothes that work, Dayton Children's Medical Center, Dayton Dragons, Dayton Visual Arts Center, DCDC, Furry Skurry 2011, generation dayton, Hunks in Heels, Junior League of Dayton, Oregon Express, The Pub at The Greene, Things to do in Dayton, Urban Nights

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Early Risers

8:00 am | Virtual Event

Knights of Columbus Council 3754 Fish Dinner

5:00 pm | Marian Manor Hall

Antioch Shrine Center Fish Fry

6:00 pm | Antioch Shrine Center

Karaoke!

6:30 pm | Yellow Cab Tavern

Comedian Kevin White

8:00 pm | Wiley’s Comedy Club

Diversity & Inclusion Speaker Series

9:00 am | Virtual Event

The Dayton Off Road Expo & Show

9:00 am | Roberts Centre

Dayton’s Wedding Show & Expo

10:00 am | Presidential Banquet Center

Auditions for Magnificent Hubba Hubba

11:00 am | ZOOM

Climate Change in Ohio Agriculture

1:00 pm | 621996

St. Pittie’s Day Dog Party

1:00 pm | mack’s tavern

Route 88 Unplugged

6:45 pm | Dayton 73 Moose

Doug Hart Band

7:00 pm | The Phone Booth Lounge

Comedian Kevin White

7:15 pm | Wiley’s Comedy Club

Velvet Crush Unplugged

7:30 pm | Good Time Charlie’s

Linus Tate Acoustic

8:00 pm | The Brick Tap & Tavern

Sunday Brunch

9:30 am | Salt Block Biscuit Company

The Dayton Off Road Expo & Show

10:00 am | Roberts Centre

Friends of WCPL Children’s Movies & Music – Blu-Ray, DVDs, Music CDs Sale

1:00 pm | Woodbourne Library

The Sunday Comic’s

7:15 pm | Wiley’s Comedy Club

Free Boot Camp Workout

5:30 am | The Park at Austin Landing Miamisburg OH

Dog’s Nite Out

10:00 am | Ritter’s Frozen Custard

25% Off Pizza Monday

11:30 am | Oregon Express

$2 burger night

5:00 pm | Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro

Taste of New Orleans

6:00 pm | Smith’s Boathouse

Trivia Tuesday

7:00 pm | The Brick Tap & Tavern

PubLit at Home – Days Without End

7:00 pm | Virtual Event

ALL YOU CAN EAT!

5:00 pm | Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro

Trivia w/ DagaTrivia

6:00 pm | Eudora Brewing Company

Trivia Night

6:30 pm | Troll Pub at the Wheelhouse

Heath Bowling

7:00 pm | The Barrel

Acoustic Music with Thomas Hayes Freel

6:30 pm | Mr Boro’s Tavern

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