This post is written by Tim Simeone, Visitor Services Specialist for Experience Columbus. You can follow Tim on Twitter @TimSimeone .

My wife and I stumbled upon Elijah Aaron, local musician, at one of the Short North Gallery Hops . He performs in front of his father’s cartoon shop, Palnik Studios at 14 E. Lincoln. His most recent song called “The Buckeye City,” commemorates the city’s bicentennial. You can listen to it here .

When asked about the process of writing his latest song, The Buckeye City, he said “Every songwriter would agree that occasionally there is a song that just flows out without any effort. The Buckeye City was one of those songs.”

The song plays like a tour of Columbus mentioning some great attractions and several neighborhoods. Though it is Elijah’s personal experience of Columbus, it is still one that locals could relate to and visitors could appreciate. Aaron recruited his whole family towards the end of the song, “The singing of O-H-I-O at the end was sung by my brother, sister, girlfriend, and father.” The creativity runs in the family.

Aaron grew up in Bexley, went to school in Boston, and performed his music in St. Louis and throughout the Midwest. He has most recently moved back to Columbus. On why he returned to his home town he said, “Columbus has a lively arts community and I am discovering its vitality daily. Columbus rocks creatively…that is why I came back.”

Elijah didn’t start out playing the guitar. He studied world percussion while in Boston and trained with Jamey Haddad, Paul Simon’s lead percussionist. He is currently playing percussion for Columbus’ BalletMet and OSU Dance Department, “I love the energy of dance and really get into accompanying modern dance.” Aaron’s talent with his guitar and percussion are what make his music so unique and masterful.

When he’s not playing music all around town he likes to visit German Village . “It’s a fascinating place to wander around in,” he says. He also enjoys the Columbus Museum of Art , the Zoo , and he will “never turn down a trip to the North Market .”

We play his music and other local Columbus musicians in our Visitor Center downtown. If you want to see Elijah perform check out his website at www.elijahaaron.com .

This week’s photo of the week comes via Twitter from K. Mulloy , who spent last weekend exploring Columbus. Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver performed bluegrass music for the crowd on the lawn on a near-perfect summer night.

I’m going to start off with a disclaimer: I’m a pescetarian (I eat seafood, but not other meat.) You’d think that would make the Jazz and Ribs Fest (July 22-24) low on my list of favorite summer festivals, but you’d be very wrong! There’s so much energy in this event that it’s hard to stay away - even if I’m grabbing a fresh squeezed cup of lemonade rather than a rack of ribs.

Set at North Bank Park and McPherson Commons in the Arena District, it’s a great place to spend a summer day. This year, the festival is even more special, because it’s the first big event to take place near the newly opened Scioto Mile park along the city’s riverfront! It’s a beautiful setting, made even better by the presence of cooling fountains and relaxing bench swings perfect for a break from the sunny July weather, just a short walk from the hustle of the festival. Even better, the festival is free!

Every year, the Jazz and Ribs Fest brings in more than 40 top national and local performers to fill downtown with music on three stages. This year, headliners include Dave Koz and Big Bad VooDoo Daddy and Latin Jazz virtuoso Bobby Sanabria, and local favorites MoJoFlo and Derek DiCenzo are always great to catch.

People tell me the ribs are outstanding, and having the chance to taste samples and meals from 23 different vendors in one location is pretty amazing. You’ll have to let me know - I’ll stick to the fair fries! You can even get tips for improving your own barbeque from the Great American BBC Tour

If you’re coming into town for this three-day festival, the Downtown Crowne Plaza is just a short walk away from the center of action. So come out and enjoy the music, the food and the new Scioto Mile! What are you looking forward to most?

It’s the time of year when children’s activities start shifting from outdoors to indoors. For a great indoor option this winter, check out PBJ & Jazz.

The Jazz Arts Group organizes PBJ & Jazz at the Lincoln Theatre. These concerts introduce jazz music to young children through a very informal setting. There was seating for those parents with shy children, also for children who just prefer a seat. There was also a large area for parents to sit on the floor and children to dance.

There was a great display of toddler and preschool dance moves, which are always original and fun to watch. My two-year-old daughter started with some light toe tapping while listening to the musicians warm-up. Twenty minutes later, she was up near the stage with some other children moving and grooving.

It was also a great opportunity to point out the different types of instruments and check out the beautiful Lincoln Theatre. PBJ & Jazz is a children’s activity that is also very enjoyable for parents and grandparents.

A tip if you go: Be sure your child has a snack beforehand, since the concerts are at 11 a.m. Each child is provided with a small peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Girl Scout cookie and juice. Depending on the child, it may be considered more snack size than full lunch size.

The next PBJ & Jazz is on Saturday, January 8. Click here for more details.

Photo:
PromoWest Productions

A couple Saturdays ago Serena Ryder, an amazing folk-singer who opened for Howie Day at The Basement , asked the concert goers to sing along with her. When her request was met with the majority of the crowd joining in on her chorus, she exclaimed, "Man, I love you Columbus!" As I swayed along to the beat, singing the lyrics myself, I looked around the venue at my fellow concert patrons and felt a surge of pride.

Of course, I can’t say that all Columbus concert-goers display the utmost respect and enthusiasm at every concert, but I think there’s a deep level of music appreciation in Columbus. I feel especially thankful for the presence of smaller, intimate concert venues in Columbus that allow me to experience all sorts of musicians.

There’s something so appealing about small venues. There’s a special connection between the musicians and the crowd. For example, I just recently attended an intimate preview concert of the Barenaked Ladies at A&R Music Bar . The band members were talking a lot between their songs and really engaging with the audience. I think this is partly because the A&R Music Bar has a fun, casual atmosphere that creates a comfortable vibe and allows the musicians and crowd to relate easier.

A similar vibe occurs at The Basement. When Howie Day came on to perform, he made a comment about how whenever he plays there, he feels like he’s in high school, in a friend’s basement while the parents are out of town. Of course, I don’t know of any basements that have such a large bar, but I can definitely relate to the comment because whenever I’m there, I get the sense that I’m with a whole bunch of friends, just hanging out and enjoying some music. There’s that comfortable, low-key atmosphere that really makes the music resonate that much more.

Yet another smaller concert venue is Newport Music Hall , located on The Ohio State University campus. While this venue is substantially larger than A&R Music Bar and The Basement, it still allows for you to get close to the stage with a general admission ticket. You also have the option of viewing the concert from the balcony, if you’d prefer that perspective. The venue itself is an older building that has a concert hall feel to it, and all in all, it’s another great Columbus concert venue to add to the list.

I love concerts of all sizes, but I have a distinct appreciation for the smaller venues. And as an avid concert-goer, I’m especially grateful for these precious Columbus gems.

For more info on these venues and concert lineups, check out the PromoWest Productions Web site .

Photo: Columbus Clippers

Saturday is going to be a memorable day in Columbus’ history with the opening of Huntington Park . When the Clippers take the field, they will be doing so under the affiliation of one of Ohio’s most historic and beloved sports franchises, the Cleveland Indians.

Also on Saturday, the Blue Jackets take on the Red Wings in the second game of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs from Detroit (there’s a viewing party at the Arena Grand ), and Fleetwood Mac will perform live at Nationwide Arena .

With so much happening in the Arena District on Saturday, it might be helpful to have a rundown of events and tips for getting around:

Noon
Clippers standing room only seats go on sale at the Center Field entrance of Huntington Park, located at the corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Neil Avenue. There’s a limit of 4 tickets per purchase.

1:15 p.m.
Opening Day Parade begins at High Street and Nationwide Boulevard and will make its way west to Huntington Park. The parade will feature more than 50 participants, including former Cleveland Indians Bob Feller, Len Barker and Joe Charboneau and several ex-Clippers. Former Franklin County Commissioner and minor league baseball executive Harold Cooper will be grand marshal of the parade.

2:15 p.m.
Ribbon cutting ceremony and unveiling of Harold Cooper statue at the Center Field entrance. After the ceremony, Franklin County Commissioners will officially open the ballpark to the public and Party-at-the-Park begins featuring the Danger Brothers .

4:05 p.m.
First pitch at Huntington Park is thrown out and a new era in Clippers baseball begins.

6:00 p.m.
Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings in Game 2 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Detroit. The Arena Grand Theatre is hosting the official viewing party and admission is free.

7:00 p.m.
Doors open at Nationwide Arena for Fleetwood Mac in concert .

Parking in the Arena District is only $3 for Clippers Games; a parking map and directions are available here . If traveling from out of town, there are still hotel rooms available within walking distance of the Arena District; click here to book a room.

The Experience Columbus Visitor Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Stop by and see Ben for info about more fun things to do or where to grab a bite to eat.