The tent-covered stage in Grammer's parking lot is once again the spot to see the biggest bands playing the 10th annual MidPoint Music Festival.
Okkervil River headlines there tonight, and it's Cut Copy on Saturday (see descriptions below). The choices mount after 11 p.m. when the music ends at Grammer's.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra: This Portland, Ore.-based trio, led by transplanted New Zealander Ruban Nielson, contains a dimension missing from the effeteness of today's indie rock: a guitar player that shreds. Look and listen for some Sonic Youth and Bailter Space-style endless electric guitar leads from Nielson atop a steady and simple rhythm section. SCPA Corbett Theater, 108 W. Central Parkway, 8:30 p.m.
Okkervil River: This Austin, Texas, indie rock band has released a string of records championed by music critics thanks to bandleader Will Sheff's songwriting, which the band frames in assorted folk, rock and pop textures. The group's latest album "I Am Very Far," charted in the Billboard Top 40, following last year's "True Love Cast Out All Evil," a collaboration with Austin legend Roky Erickson. Grammer's, 1440 Walnut St., 9:30 p.m.
Booker T. Jones: Jones is probably the most significant booking in the history of MidPoint in terms of his place in popular music. The Hammond B-3 maestro was the namesake leader of Booker T. & the MGs, famous for the enduring 1962 Memphis-soul instrumental single "Green Onions." Jones has carried on as a solo act and as a sideman and producer. His latest record, "The Road to Memphis," features backing from members of the Roots and guests Jim James and Sharon Jones. Cincinnati Club, 30 Garfield Place, 11:30 p.m.
Izzy and the Catastrophics: From Western Swing one minute to Thelonious Monk the next, this Brooklyn combo can play it all and make it all rock. The group is full of excellent players, including Izzy Zaidman, once a lead guitarist for Wayne Hancock, and trombonist Chapman Sowash, a former Cincinnatian who played with the Pinstripes. Blue Wisp, 318 E. Eighth Street, 12:30 a.m.
Delicate Steve: Steve Marion and his band play a brand of loopy, polyrhythmic indie-rock appealing to the exotic tastes of David Byrne, who signed Delicate Steve to his Luaka Bop label. The music jumps out in the live setting; a pair of local appearances this year by the New Jersey act have drawn enthusiastic crowds. Drinkery, 1150 Main St., 12:30 a.m.
Saturday
Cut Copy: This Australian electronic band's headlining set will draw the biggest crowd of any MidPoint show this year, and it will provide the best people-watching opportunity, as the gravel lot at Grammer's becomes a humongous dance floor. Cut Copy's latest album, "Zonoscope," released earlier this year, matched the critical and commercial success of its 2008 breakthrough "In Ghost Colours." Grammer's, 9:30 p.m.
Conspiracy of Owls: This Detroit band, made up of members of a seminal Motor City group the Go (who counted Jack White as an occasional member), has become one of the most-talked about bands among Cincinnati musicians. COO's hard-to-get debut album is an incredible collection of poppy rock jams that sound like forgotten classic '70s singles. Expect wall-to-wall attendance for this show. The Hanke Building, 1128 Main St., 11 p.m.
Two Headed Dog: This newish band is another terrific Cincinnati practitioner of garage rock, and it distinguishes itself with a Black Sabbath feel. The quartet piles the heaviosity onto its take on '60s- and '70s-style psych-blues rock, using such building blocks as guitarists Ross Dolan's wah-wah and singer Victor Valentino's wail. Bringing ear plugs wouldn't hurt. Courtyard Café, 1211 Main St., 11:15 p.m.
The Felice Brothers: On their new record "Celebration, Florida" (their first on the Fat Possum label), the Felice Brothers expand the boundaries of their definition of Americana music. The New York group incorporates more modern music styles and electro beats into their typically folkie sound, and it will be interesting to see how it comes together in a live setting. Cincinnati Club, 11:30 p.m.
Man or Astro-man?: A favorite on the '90s indie-rock touring circuit their sci-fi-inspired visuals and costumes completed the package of surf rock charged with punk rock energy. After taking off most of the previous decade, the Alabama band is back playing its first Cincinnati show in several years. It's hard to imagine this performance won't be as wild and engaging as those shows at Sudsy Malone's in the old days. Hanke Building, midnight.
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