Mad Anthony is returning home to The Southgate House Revival tonight! They have been on a 65 day tour that took them from Cincinnati, through Ohio, Michigan, into Canada, all the way east of Maine to Sydney, Nova Scotia and back again through the states out west past Lincoln, NE. The homecoming show is tonight at The Southgate House Revival with Hurts To Laugh, and Tom Pappas' Collection (featuring members of Superdrag).
The ferocious three pieces that make up Cincinnati's volatile rock n' roll unit, Mad Anthony, are driven and true. They have enough gumption to fill their big yellow van till it burst at the seams, and enough pride to carry themselves across the Midwest to hundreds of shows year-in and year-out, grabbing headlining spots at North by Northeast, Midpoint Music Festival and Canadian Music Week, they're road worn and quality tested. Dropping 70,000 units of their single 'Bear Attack' in Classic Rock Magazine across Europe, placing songs in the PBS distributed documentary Roller Derby Queens, and regular rotation on college radio airwaves in the towns they infect; Mad Anthony is the Rustbelt Revivalists that the next generation of Rock n' Roll needs.
I sat down with Mad Anthony in anticipation of the homecoming show tonight.
Tell us some highlights from your tour!
As soon as we rolled into Toronto it was like a homecoming parade; Reuniting with old friends and playing a packed house in the Headlining slot on Opening Night of Canadian Music Week at The Bovine. It is always nice to see old friends while on tour but another highlight was playing new territory with our new friends The Motorleague. Really great guys who are passionate about their music and bring a ton of energy to their show every night. Together we played a string of shows that took us into foreign lands and new time zones. We trekked along the eastern region hitting cities in New Brunswick all the way to Sydney on the tip of Nova Scotia and back.
When our tour came back around to Toronto we were able to put a call in to our old friends Bella Clava (MPMF veterans), and Caitlin and Scott joined us on stage for a set at Cherry Cola's (owned by The Cherry Cola of Eagles of Death Metal fame). It was fun playing as a five piece band, and gave the audience a chance to see our songs in a new light with some new arrangements. It's always fun to collaborate with musicians you respect and love.
For every high there's a low though. When we crossed back over the border from Canada to The States our van's transmission started having trouble and we had to check it into the doctor. We had to cancel our Kalamazoo show, the first show we've ever missed in our five years as a band, and we were bunked up in a seedy motel for a few days with no cash for entertainment as we anxiously awaited the diagnosis.
Run us through a typical day on the road.
-Everyday is a little different, but usually starts with a late wake-up followed by a group discussion recalling the events from the night before. Marc staggers around until he finds coffee, Adam eats everything in the fridge, and Ringo does his hair. We do as much business as we can with limited internet access, which sometimes means landing at a McDonald's for a few hours as we respond to booking requests and press inquiries. Then we jump in the van and roll to the next city, load in, sound check, and make friends with the other bands and bartenders. Somehow, we find another floor or couch to crash on, and then we repeat.
How long are you home? What are your plans? Where can we catch you playing while you are home?
-Mad Bananthony (our infamous yellow van) crawls back into Newport's Southgate House Revival on May 18 with Tom Pappas Collection (members of Superdrag) and Hurts to Laugh (Nashville, TN). After that we start a 40 day tour through The Northeast playing shows in Baltimore, Philly, New Jersey, Brooklyn, Boston, Maine, and more before spitting us back across the border into Canada as we run ourselves full force into another Canadian tour and North by Northeast Music Festival.
What's one thing our audience can do to help build up the Cincinnati Music Scene?
-We've always believed the best thing we can do as a band is to play shows, and the same can be said for music fans. GO TO SHOWS! Cincinnati is extremely fortunate to have a wildly talented, diverse and historic music scene. Most shows are free, with regional and national acts stopping in on a regular basis. So, go out, buy merch, buy drinks, offer your floor to sleep on, and tell your friends!
Mad Anthony w/ Hurts To Laugh, and Tom Pappas' Collection
The Southgate House Revival
8p Doors / 9p Show
$7 for 21+ / $10 for 18
