Donny Benét with OTNES

Donny Benét plays A&R Music Bar on Saturday, November 7, with OTNES opening the night. It's a Saturday show in the Short North, so it's an easy one to build a whole evening around if you're already planning to be downtown.

If you've come across Benét before, you know the sound: it's a one-man operation that leans heavily into the smooth, synth-driven grooves of the late seventies and early eighties. He writes, records, and produces everything himself, and that DIY approach carries over to the stage. The music is built on a foundation of funk and disco, with a steady focus on melody and a certain breezy, effortless quality that keeps it from feeling like a throwback act. It's the kind of set that works just as well if you're there to dance as it does if you're just leaning against the bar with a drink in your hand.

OTNES takes the early slot, so the music starts well before Benét takes the stage. Between the two, you've got a full night of live music rather than a single set and a long gap. If you're coming from out of town or just planning your route, the venue is at 391 Neil Ave, right in the heart of the Short North.

Doors open at 7 PM, and the music starts at 8 PM. If you're planning to catch both acts, getting there closer to the opening will give you the full run of the night.