Every year when The Ohio State Fair in Columbus, Ohio announces their Concert Series at the WCOL Celeste Center, I always shake my head and say: “There are some great shows.”
When they announced this year’s lineup, there were a few shows I was interested in checking out; my wife, Molly, specifically mentioned this show, and here we are.
When I received approval to cover Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms and Blues Traveler, I started replaying some of the artists’ songs, and I realized how much of a musical influence my sister was on me.
The show on Saturday, Aug. 8 would have been a great one to have taken her to. All three of these bands probably appeared on her series of so-called “Happy Tapes,” cassettes she and her friends made that I stole.
Spin Doctors nailed their role here.
They opened with energy, with lead singer Chris Barron doing some crazy high kicks. Then, they played a few songs before launching into “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” followed by a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” before closing with “Two Princes.”
No time for messing around; they came out, let loose, and ended with their biggest hit. Great performance.
Side note: It was within the last few years that I realized the lyric is “I know what a prince and lover ought to be,” and not, “I know what a bitch a loving heart can be.” Do with that what you will.
The Gin Blossoms opened with “I’ll Follow You,” and then spoke to the crowd, quoting the late, great Roddy Piper from John Carpenter’s 1988 sci-fi film They Live: “We’re here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And we are all out of bubble gum.”
A Gin Blossoms’ song is distinctive. I’m not sure what about it makes it so, but even if I don’t recognize the song, I know it’s a Gin Blossoms tune.
They ended exactly the way they should have, with a string of hits and plenty of crowd hype: “Allison Road,” “Hey Jealousy,” and “’Til I Hear It From You.”
Another side note: “’Til I Hear It From You” was written specifically for Empire Records—a great movie.
Blues Traveler took the stage and wasted little time before letting everyone know they still had it, launching into a jam-band session that started with “Things Are Looking Up,” followed by “Run-Around” and then a bitchin’ cover of Sublime’s “What I Got.”
They riffed and scatted through a few more songs, and frontman John Popper’s harmonica playing was amazing.
They closed with “Hook” and a cover of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown,” with Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms stepping in to help with vocals.
All in all, it was a great night at The Ohio State Fair, and I can’t wait to see who they bring in next year.
Photos: Molly Lynskey
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