It’s spring in Cincinnati and that almost always means one thing, the MusicNOW festival. Of course, we have been big fans of this annual festial since it started, and are really excited again this year to help nudge you toward Memorial Hall for three nights of great music. This year, the festival takes place from Wednesday through Friday night, with Wednesday shows taking place at Christ Cathedral Church and the following two nights at historic Memorial Hall.

Today, we take a peek at night number one, which is also the only night you don’t need a ticket to take in the festivities.

I’ve found that when it comes to MusicNOW, when perusing the schedule, the night that seems to have the least amount of “star power” is usually the night that ends up being the best. So while you may not see the evening’s description and get as excited as you will for Sufjan Stevens, it’s certainly not an evening you want to miss. Wednesday night features a free organ concert with James McVinnie at Christ Cathedral Church. The church is located at the corner of 4th & Sycamore, or right here (for the directionally challenged, like myself.)

McVinnie is an organist at Westminster Abbey, and in addition to more traditional stuff, takes a keen interest in new music and has had pieces written for him by Nico Muhly, Graham Ross and Robert Walker. He will be accompanied by Nadia Sirota on viola, will be performing new pieces from Richard Reed Parry and Pulitzer Prize winning composer David Lang along with selections from Philip Glass, Bach, Arvo Part and Nico Muhly.

Also, we get to see a performance from Sam Amidon. If you aren’t familiar with Sam, his sound is similar to other great singer/ songwriters like Horse Feathers, Ola Podrida or J. Tillman. I can’t wait to hear his performance in this church, which has some really amazing acoustics. Have a listen to one of my favorites from Sam below…

The concert begins at 7:30 pm, and is totally free. Do it people, and thank me afterwards.

About Joe Long

Joe started ENS in 2003 after most people he wanted to talk to about music were worn thin by his ramblings. The outlet this site provided helped out, and somehow is still going 9 years later. After a four year stint as a WOXY DJ, Joe returned to Cincinnati and continues to pioneer ENS. In addition to the overall look and feel of the site, Joe provides regular reviews, and kinda makes sure this whole thing stays afloat.