LOVELAND — A crowd amassed at Cappy’s Taproom and Bottle Shop on April 25. “Saturday’s Children,” a regional Grateful Dead tribute band from Southwest Ohio, performed their standard three-hour set of transformative covers.
The six-piece band, which refers to themselves as the premier Grateful Dead experience in the Cincinnati region, formed in 2022. Over the last few years, they’ve earned a dedicated following of both young fans and veteran “Deadheads” hoping to recapture that nostalgic 1970s festival spirit.
The crowd outside of Cappy's Wine & Spirits.
Saturday’s Children features two drummers, Justin and Nathan, who have mastered the art of syncopation. Sam and Jack, the band’s guitarists, also keep the energy high with melodic solos and hypnotic riffs that create seamless transitions between songs. Alongside support from bass and keys, the band kept the venue packed all night.
Connect Clermont music correspondents interviewed fans in attendance. This wasn’t the first show for many of them.
“I’ve been following this band for a couple of years now,” Mikey Nielson said. “Sam is just the greatest guitarist in Cincinnati, and of all time, I think.”
Reporters spotted some other familiar faces in the crowd. Members of the popular Cincinnati rock band Dead Humor were also floating around the venue.
“They are good as always. Every time I see them, it makes me appreciate The Dead even more,” guitarist Tony Dallalio of Dead Humor said.
Saturday's Children performs at Cappy's.
Saturday’s Children has an impressive ability to attract music-lovers of all tastes and genres. Troy Pratt, bass player for the local metal band Maintenance Bay, said that he’s seen Saturday’s Children play at Cappy’s twice, as well as at Little Miami Brewing.
Music correspondents caught up with drummer Nathan Howler after the set. “If you want to know about the crowd here at Cappy’s, it’s always so cool. There are always people out here in the streets. We’ve played here a couple of times, and they always treat us so well.”
The band performed some of the most recognizable Grateful Dead tunes, including Fire on the Mountain, Truckin’, and Sugar Magnolia.
For Loveland locals and guests, Cappy’s is an ideal location to watch local bands and have a drink. The venue includes an outdoor stage with seating near the parking lot. Though many patrons preferred to sit on their truck beds and watch the show from the street.
There was no shortage of dancing, singing, and tie-dye shirts near the stage. Later in the evening, the energy was so high that a couple of fans lost their grip on their drinking glasses; shattering them on the brick dancefloor below.
Saturday’s Children performs all over Clermont County and the Greater Cincinnati Area. Local venues can book with them by contacting Justin Van Wagnen via the group’s social media. Members of the band also perform in a variety of other original and cover acts.
The sun goes down but the party rages on.
The staff at Cappy’s demonstrated the five-star service that Loveland residents praise them for online. Bartenders were quick to serve patrons, and the bathrooms were clean. Staff made sure everyone left the venue safely at the end of the night.
Local bands who want to schedule a gig at Cappy’s can contact the venue directly through their online booking form. The team only asks that each band bring a crowd that can stick around, a requirement that Saturday’s Children had no problem meeting.
Subscribe to Connect Clermont for more local music news.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here