Dr. Rock's Music Adventures: Jukebox the Ghost and Mainland at Skully's Music Diner, Columbus, Ohio on 3/3/16

I was excited to see Jukebox the Ghost again. I in fact had never heard of them until I saw their performance at Atlanta's Shaky Knees Festival 2015. I was stunned that I had never heard their stuff as they were quirky, talented, and catchy. I very much looked forward to seeing them again after listening to their CDs.
Venue: Skully's Music Diner is a live music venue, a diner, a bar, and a dance bar. It holds just enough people to be an intimate space while attracting some name bands. A really nice place to catch a show.
Merch: Both the headliner Jukebox the Ghost and the opener Mainland had t-shirts and CDs and some other cool merch. Nice selection.
Opener: I had not heard of Mainland previously. And another pleasant surprise when an opening band plays that I had not previously heard! These guys are going to be make some really good music and get radio play in the future. I like their catchy sound with a mix of NYC garage (ala the Strokes) sound with some rocking but danceable beats from a classic four piece band. Jordan Topf is the lead singer and he has a really good stage presence and voice to match. Corey Mullee and Greg Pitta are other members in the band. After hearing their performance and buying their EP, I look forward to hearing more from them.
Headliner: Jukebox the Ghost were great! I was happy to see a "full show" from them since a festival show is often abbreviated. They did not disappoint. They did so many of the songs I wanted to hear, were funny and quirky, and sounded terrific. They even did a cover of "Under Pressure" by Queen featuring David Bowie. That was the third time I'd ever heard that song live: David Bowie performed it when I saw him (with a female backup singer doing the Freddie Mercury part), Queen with Adam Lambert performed it (with the drummer Roger Taylor doing David Bowie's part), and now Jukebox the Ghost. Somehow JtG has not gotten much airtime (hello, CD102.5) in the Central Ohio area. I hope that changes in the future!
After show: Skully's lends itself to interacting with the band after the show and this show followed that tendency. Mainland came out and were hanging out by the merch table, signing autographs, and posing for pictures. I spoke with Jordan the lead singer. He asked me about my concert t-shirt (sadly, I have no idea which one I was wearing), we talked about Sound City Studios where their EP was recorded, and Jordan signed their EP that I purchased. Good guy, that Jordan.
Next up, I realized all three members of Jukebox the Ghost, Ben Thornewill (lead vocals and piano), Tommy Siegel (vocals and guitar), and Jesse Kristen (drummer), were hanging out, signing autographs and chatting with folks. Each of them signed their latest CD that I purchased after the show. All the guys were friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy interacting with the fans.
Overall a really fun experience. If you are unfamiliar with these bands, check them out.