Weekend Of Music Wraps Up At The Pub With The Vims

The Vims perform at The Pub on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10:30 p.m. with blues band, The Kenton Lands Band, opening at 9:30 p.m.

If you are looking for something to do after the Band of Helping Hands Blues Festival at the Fort this Saturday, look no further than the Olde Fort Pub.

The Vims with ties to Fort Thomas are ready to entertain with an evening of "witty, modern rock mixed with alternative music nostalgia reminiscent of the sub pop records glory days."

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Playing together for only a year, these guys have already hit the music scene hard, performing at the Southgate House Revival in Newport; The Drinkery, The Mockbee, Urban Artifact Brewery in Cincinnati; and The Cure Lounge in Louisville.

Fort Thomas natives and Highlands graduates, Drew Lehmkuhl (2009), Preston Brown (2009), and Keegan Kruse (2010) first got their start playing in HHS talent shows in 2008 and 2009 with the band "Skoop Jackson." They came together last year with friends Lewis Mergler and Jay Minihan to make up The Vims. Playing all originals they wrote together, The Vims are often compared to The Strokes, Kings of Leon, Incubus and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Vims are Drew Lehmkuhl (Rhythm Guitar), Preston Brown (Bass Guitar),
Keegan Kruse (Lead Guitar), Lewis Mergler (Vocals) and Jay Minihan (Drums). Steve Ziegelmeyer photo

This April, The Vims won first place out of 72 local bands at the 2017 Madison Theater Band Challenge, playing in front of nearly 900 attendees. Since then, they have been busy recording an EP at Moonlight Studios in Cincinnati with sound engineer Austin Nivarel and with Kyle Edwards of The Cordial Sins, who played this year's Bunbury Festival.

The Vims playing at the 2017 Madison Theater Band Challenge. Steve Ziegelmeyer photo

Lehmkuhl calls Saturday's gig The Vim's first 'home game,' so to speak.

"I think we see playing the Pub as a bit of a milestone for our group. Playing across the river at places that people consider bigger music venues is great and all, but playing in our hometown bar in front of the community that raised us is going to be an absolute blast," Lehmkuhl said.

The Vims first single off of their upcoming EP.

You can check out The Vims on Facebook and at the Olde Fort Pub this Saturday, September 23rd.