President’s Letter
09/05/24
Hello Everyone,
This Sunday marks the opening night of our 2024/25 Leo Coffeehouse season, and the beginning of QCB’s 61st year. It’s going to be an exciting year, I can just feel it.
Here’s the latest QCB news:
Sad News
Norwood Lateral Westbound
Leo Coffeehouse, Sunday, September 8, 2024
Looking Ahead
Reference Information For New Subscribers (Below my sign off)
Sad News
I learned yesterday that QCB member Steven Schild passed away on August 21, 2024. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Rachel, his sons, Todd and Jason, and all his other family and friends. Steven will be missed.
You can read Steven’s obituary on Legacy here.
Norwood Lateral Westbound
You may have noticed that the westbound lanes of the Norwood Lateral are still closed. The original schedule had them reopening on August 31, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the contractor has extended the reopening until sometime during the week of September 9. If you’d like to know more, ODOT has the scoop.
Leo Coffeehouse, September 8, 2024
5:15 PM Songwriters’ Collaborative led by Ellen Mershon
Ellen will elaborate on “Music of the Heart”.
5:15 PM Open Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.
Performances: 6:40 - 9:00 PM
1st Set: Ellen Mershon
Local singer songwriter with deep roots in the Cincinnati music scene. Her passion for American Roots music shines through her folky, soulful and eclectic style. (Facebook: Ellen Mershon Music)
2nd Set: Melissa Deaton
Musical artist, songwriter, painter, jewelry and crafts designer who has shared the stage with some of the world’s most renowned performers over the years, her voice has been heard on radio shows broadcast all over the globe. Overcoming countless personal and professional obstacles on the way up, Melissa continues to work hard each and every day to keep her musical journey moving forward. Melissa’s greatest joys are being a mother raising her twin children, writing music, singing and sharing her gift. (Facebook: Melissa Deaton Music)
3rd Set: Michael Johnathon
Folksinger Michael Johnathon has a long-standing career in the arts as a concert performer, songwriter, playwright, composer of the opera, Woody: For the People, and as the host of the live audience broadcast of the WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour. Visit Michael’s website here.
Looking Ahead:
Leo Coffeehouse, September 15, 2024
5:15 PM: Open Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony (held upstairs).
5:15 PM: Guitar Roundtable Workshop
A forum for players of any skill level to exchange ideas so we can all make better music together. Bring a question, share a tip. Learn a new lick or chord. Gain a new perspective, share your own with us. Enrich your guitar experience.
6:00 PM: All Evening Open Mic
Sign up at 5:30 PM to perform 1 or 2, or sometimes, 3 songs. The time available, and the song limit, will depend on the number of people who sign up. Four minutes per song is our guide. The sound system will be set up.
Looking Ahead:
Leo Coffeehouse, September 22, 2024
5:15 PM: Looping workshop led by Jeff Miller
Learn from the "master of the loop/sampling pedal"- Adrian Bischoff, KZSU.
5:15 PM: Open Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.
Performances: 6:40 - 9:00 PM
1st Set: Bobcat
A one-man band drawing inspiration from garage rock, soul music, power pop, rhythm and blues, rockabilly, punk rock, psychobilly, new wave and indie rock. Visit the Bobcat website here.
2nd Set: Jeff Miller
Nashville-based songwriter/musician, Berklee College of Music graduate, a husband, and a father, Jeff has co-written many songs, aside from his own. His live-looping technique has become ubiquitous for new guitarists and his skills as a teacher and mentor are in demand.
Visit his website here.
3rd Set: Fresh Baked Bluegrass
Doug Hatt and Trina Emig have been playing bluegrass and original music since early 2023. Trina is a veteran of the tri-state area music scene, having performed with many bands, including her own, since she first picked up a banjo in the 1980s. Doug is a relative newcomer to the local music scene, having moved here from New York City in 2018. This year, Fresh Baked added singing bass player Jim Gaube to the lineup. This is the band’s second appearance at the Leo Coffeehouse.
(Facebook: Fresh Baked Bluegrass)
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
Facebook:
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
We are keeping our standard annual QCB membership dues at $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest. Last year, knowing that the pandemic cut into our contingency funds, as we continued to pay overhead expenses with no income, some members donated larger amounts to QCB. We very much appreciate the support of all QCB members at all levels.
We are exploring setting up our website to allow the payment of different levels of dues support. For now, if you’d like to pay the standard dues, you can pay them online here or by a check at Leo. (We’ve discontinued our P.O. Box, I will have a mailing address in the next newsletter for those who wish to mail their membership dues.)
If you would like to donate more than the $20.00 standard dues, you can do so by check, or through our website. When you get to the page with the box to relay instructions, just note that you are paying a larger amount for your dues.
For visitors who prefer not to become a member, a donation of $5.00 (cash) per person helps us pay the rent for our non-profit organization. Donations can be slipped in the box at the welcome table outside our performance room, Founders Hall. If you can’t afford that, pay what you can afford or nothing at all. We will welcome you to join us either way.