The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Gospel music, punk making news locally

Marshall Gorby The Defendants (from left), Damian Smith, John Jones and Mike Jones), a Springfield punk band, will open for national acts in Cleveland.

ENLARGE PHOTO

The award-winning Southern gospel quartet Ernie Haase and Signature Sound is back for a concert tonight, but this time to benefit the Nehemiah Foundation.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Taste of Cincinnati expected  to draw 500,000 people
5/23/12
Local ingredients key for bartender
5/16/12
How well do you know Kings Island?
5/13/12
Time cover shows mom breastfeeding 3-year-old
5/11/12
Local heroes bring a touch of realism to 'Avengers' Cleveland set
5/2/12
> More headlines

By Andrew McGinn, Staff Writer 9:32 AM Friday, February 3, 2012

SPRINGFIELD — There are times when you just go, “Hey, that’s kind of weird.”

Last year at this same exact time, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound came to town to perform on behalf of the Salvation Army.

Now, the award-winning Southern gospel quartet is coming back, only this time on behalf of the Nehemiah Foundation.

Led by the namesake tenor, the group will play Kuss Auditorium at 7 p.m. today.

Tickets are $30 for the artist circle, $25 for adults, $20 for senior citizens and $15 for students. Visit pac.clarkstate.edu or call (937) 328-3874 to order.

A former member of the famed Cathedral Quartet, Haase formed his own group in 2003.

Since then, the group has been nominated for a Grammy (for the 2008 album “Dream On”) and won the Dove for Southern gospel album of the year (for 2007’s “Get Away Jordan”).

On Tuesday, the group will release “Here We Are Again,” its first new album in three years.

Punk band’s big gig

Imagine opening for some of your favorite bands.

Would you be nervous?

“Nah,” Mike Jones explained. “It’s a punk show. They won’t like us, but at the same time, I don’t care if they like us.”

The way he sees it, he’ll at least get to see the show for free.

Jones’ band, the Springfield punk group The Defendants, will open for English Dogs, The Casualties, Toxic Holocaust and Havok.

The all-ages show is on Feb. 15 at Peabody’s Concert Club, 2045 E. 21st St., in Cleveland.

“The Casualties are one of my favorite punk bands,” he said. “As soon as I found out they were going on tour, a year ago, I started watching the dates.”

He dropped them a line and the rest is history.

“It means the world,” he said.

Jones has a handful of tickets for $15 apiece; give him a call at (937) 450-0449 and support your local punk band.

Or maybe donate gas money instead.

Contact this reporter at amcginn@coxohio.com.

Share this article