By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent New
When Second Hand Mojo and Ohio Revival take the stage at Howard’s Club H Saturday Sept. 14, it will be the first time either band has played the venerable downtown Bowling Green venue. That’s not to say that musicians in those bands are strangers to the place.
Neal Anderson, drummer for Ohio Revival, said the members of the quartet have played at Howard’s with various other groups. But never with Ohio Revival, which started in the Fremont area in October 2017.
“The shows like Howard’s are special to us because we get to showcase our music and play with other great local original musicians and in that create amazing musical friendships,” Anderson said.
That camaraderie among bands is special for Chuck Riepenhoff, the vocalist for Second Hand Mojo.
That’s how the band landed on Howard’s stage. He saw that Ohio Revival was booked and asked if they needed another band on the bill.
It’s a complementary pairing. Ohio Revival has a contemporary sound that harks back to the classic 1970s rock. “Ya know, songs that have feeling and simple riffs,” Anderson explained in an email.
Second Hand Mojo layers catchy rock melodies over gritty “southern fried” blues rock grooves, Riepenhoff said in the recent telephone interview.
He also has a long history with Howard’s. When he arrived in the area to study to become a pharmacist at the University of Toledo, Howard’s was the first place he came to hangout and connect with the local music scene.
He went on to play in a number of bands including the Beefcarvers and the WOW Factor. He performed plenty of BG shows at Grumpy Dave’s, Mark’s Pizza Pub, and Tuxedo Junction, but never Howard’s.
Saturday show in a way brings him “full circle.”
His previous musical affiliation before Second Hand Mojo was the kids and family band The Wanna Bees, from 2009 to 2018.
The Wanna Bees played his original songs. In the last few years, he found himself, writing songs that didn’t fit with that family band vibe.
“My songwriting was going in a different direction,” he said. So he went searching the social media channels for collaborators to help him realize the potential of this new material. From Detroit he met guitarist Vern Springer and drummer Scott Brokaw. Both also had original music they needed an outlet for. So about 18 months ago Second Hand Mojo with bassist James Hampton and keyboardist Marq Andrew Speck also on board, was launched.
Collectively members have earned more than Detroit Music Awards, and have opened for dozens of top acts.
Riepenhoff and Springer work together on the songs. Riepenhoff has a flare of the ear-catching melodic lines. That was necessary when writing for the kids band where he had to catch the attention of youngsters and their parents.
He brings in the lyrics and melodies and Springer adds those gritty, rocking grooves.
“They’re the kind of songs that when you hear the song, even if it’s for the first time, you will think you have heard it before,” Riepenhoff said.
They have worked clubs in Toledo that feature original music, and now are expanding their range. After the Howard’s show, they have gigs booked in Detroit.
They’ve recorded their first session, but that won’t be available on Saturday.
Ohio Revival — Anderson on drums, Chase Dull, lead guitar and vocals, Drew Hoerig, lead vocals, and guitar, and Dylan Kromer, bass and vocals — have recorded two four-song EPs.
While their shows have featured some covers, at Howard’s the spotlight will be on their original songs. “There is just something about playing ‘your’ music for others,” Anderson said, “but when you get to share with the guys you’re playing with it’s extra special.”
Show starts at 9 p.m.
