With the fracturing of the local music scene due to myriad reasons, Tony Casa and local favorites Zoo Trippin’ wanted to bring everyone together for a weekend of music that celebrates the local scene.

With 16 bands, 7 acoustic acts, 10 comedians and more taking to two stages at The Shrunken Head on Friday (January 19) and Saturday (January 20), the idea of Columbus Covers Columbus that had its genesis many years ago will come to fruition.

“For me personally,” Casa said, “when I was just getting into the scene, I remember hearing so much good music from so many different bands within the city. When I started playing, we would try and riff around on different bands and thing s we would see. I remember thinking, I want to say it was Skashank Redemption, they covered one of our songs and we were so overjoyed with it.”

Here’s just a few of the many items available at the event…
(puppy not included)

“It was so cool, the sensation of having somebody else cover your music. I mean, it’s not nationwide or getting airplay at that time, but it was cool that anybody knows your music and wants to take time to learn it. And that was around 2010 or so.”

There is a certain amount of respect and pride that goes into covering someone else’s music, especially when it’s one of your peers within the local scene.

Casa continued, ” In the past three or four years, we started talking about how much fun it would be to cover other people’s sets. It was in the last year or year-and-a-half that I really wanted to make it a reality. I had started noticing some little rifts and divisions forming in the local scene, where people seemed to be hating on each other more often than before. Some people might have normal fall-outs, where they would have shows that didn’t go well together, and then they would dislike each other because of that.”

“I don’t know if it’s social media being such a big thing now, or whatever, but people seem to be vocalizing it more. It just doesn’t seem to be as big of a melting pot as when I first got into it. Before, it seemed like people just hyped about each other’s work. And now, it seems like there’s a trend forming, almost a hipster thing, where people get enjoyment from sitting back and hating on things.”

The weekend schedule for Columbus Covers Columbus is as follows:

Friday, January 19:

6-630 doors

630-7 live podcast stage A

7-710 Angie Healey stage B

710-740 SCUBA stage A

740-755 Benjamin Marshall stage B

755-825 Keating stage A

825-835 Amber Falter stage B

835-840 message from sponsor

840-910 Ex-Nihilo stage A

910-925 Frankie & Ranke stage B

925-955 The Up All Nights stage A

955-1005 Walta Yoseph stage B

1005-1010 message from sponsor

1010-1040 Mistar Anderson stage A

1040-1055 The Castros stage B

1055-1125 Zoo Trippin’ stage A

1125-1135 Cecil Heyman stage B

1135-1145 Wonder Doug stage B

1145-12am LethalFX stage B

12am-? Lackluster stage A

——————–

Saturday, January 20:

6-630 doors

630-7 live podcast stage A

7-715 Will Freed stage B

715-745 Jeff & Paige stage A

745-755 Dustin Meadows stage B

755-825 Flying Eye stage A

825-835 Mark Lucas stage B

835-840 message from sponsors

840-910 Ever Burning Bright stage A

910-925 Brian Clash stage B

9225-955 Miller & The Hunks stage A

955-1005 Bianca Moore B

1005-1010 message from sponsors

1010-1040 The Turbos stage A

1040-1055 Jasmine Rosario stage B

1055-1125 The Original Soundtrack stage A

1125-1135 Ian Miller stage B

1135-1145 Travis Irvine stage B

1145-12am Group photo

12am-? Bobby D stage A

Flow arts in both days by Anadono

Tickets:

7$ for 21+

9$ for under 21

10$ for 2 day pass for 21+

15$ for 2 day pass for under 21

The event is being sponsored by: Borgata Pizza Cafe, CD1025, Dr. Z. Designs, Dustin Bennett, Nick Magoteaux, Wonder Doug, Jon Hayes, Anja Merchant and Zoo Trippin’

Gift basket sponsors: Studio 35, Woodlands Backyard, Gateway Film Center, The Garden, Suzi Cues, Evolved, Rendezvous, Scylla

A portion of the proceeds from Columbus Covers Columbus will be donated to the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

The brainchild of Tony Casa has the promise of bringing disparate musical factions back together, which is how it should be.

“I think there is true enjoyment to be gained from this cover project,” Casa concluded, “on both sides. I think it will generate good feelings all around.”