RADIO HANNIBAL

LoveMuffinPalooza grows to three day event starting tonight

Adam's Rich's local record label Love Muffin Records hase been throwing a multi-day music festival for several years now.  The 2013 edition of LoveMuffinPalooza grows to a three day event. 

Tonight's showcase takes place at the Barking Spider on the Case Western Reserve University campus.  while Friday and Saturday night the music moves to the Maple Grove Tavern in Maple Heights. 

Here's the lowdown:

 

LoveMuffinPalooza 2013

June 13-15 Cleveland, Ohio

LoveMuffinPalooza 2013 set for June

LoveMuffinPalooza, the annual concert held by Cleveland, Ohio based label Love Muffin Records, will be held June 13-15, 2013.

Thursday, June 13, will be folk/americana/singer-songwriter night at the Barking Spider (11310 Juniper Rd.) and will feature Kristine Jackson, Claudia Schieve, Sean Benjamin, Dan McCoy, Mallory San Marco, Xela and The Flavor. Friday, June 14 will be hard rock/punk/metal night at the Maple Grove (14832 Pease Rd.) and will feature The Chromes, Skychief, Indians In The Attic and Dead East Garden. Saturday, June 15, will close out the festival with pop/rock/blues also at the Maple Grove featuring Frankie Starr, Xtra Crispy, Balloon Knot, and Phestur. Both venues are 21 and over.

Each evening will also feature a charity raffle with 100% of the raffle proceeds going to the charity. Priz- es include sporting/movie/club tickets, jewelry, autographed CD’s/books, gift certificates and other items. This year’s non-profit organization is The Gathering Place, a cancer support center with locations in Beachwood and Westlake. The Gathering Place provides free programs and services for individuals and families coping with a cancer diagnosis. To find out more on how they support the community visit
www.touchedbycancer.org.

Love Muffin Records is home to The Flavor, The Darker Shore, Skychief and The Chromes.

For more information, please visit the Love Muffin Records website at www.lovemuffinrecords.com, or label owner Adam Rich at info@lovemuffinrecords.com.

Why I could care less about Bon Jovi's stadium appearance

Thankfully Bon Jovi did not make it into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame on the last ballot.  They were on the short list but didn't get the votes to enshrine them.  Hopefully they never will be inducted.  They're just not that good.  

The Cleveland Browns announced that Bon Jovi will be headlining a concert at the stadium, now called First Energy, on July 14.  It sure is a far cry from the World Series of Rock concerts that took place on that spot in the 1970s.  

Michael Stanley and The Resonators are the warm up act.  I'm happy for them as I have friends in the group and I know they're thrilled.  I also happen to think Stanley is a much better artist than Jon Bon Jovi.  

In between the two acts is a Browns pep rally.  Sounds pretty cheesy to me.  

Bon Jovi is on the road in Europe now.  I know this because a Swedish Facebook friend of mine posted a picture of herself at the show.  Original guitarist, Richie Sambora, is not part of the band presently.  He left the band in a huff earlier this year.  It seems Jon is quite hard to deal with though there is word that Sambora may rejoin the band, Richie Sambora Wants Jon Bon Jovi To Stop “Trash-Talking,” Hints At Possible Return.

It's not that I hate Bon Jovi.  I really enjoy "Living On A Prayer".  It's a perfect wedding reception anthem that I play on a fairly regular basis.  And I thought their performance at the Hurricane Sandy benefit was enjoyable.  And hearing, last week, that Bon Jovi called Justin Bieber an asshole for starting his shows late, showing disrespect for his fans made me smile. 

People like to compare Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.  Two guys from New Jersey who were at the height of their careers in the 1980s.  Folks, there is no comparison.  It really works as a litmus test for me.  Liking Bon Jovi over the E Street Band says to me you really don't have a clue about music.  So that's really why I have this bugaboo about Bon Jovi, fair or unfair. 

It'll be a fun night for Cleveland regardless of my personal take, and if I can get a free ticket to catch The Resonators I'll be there. 

My "must see" summer concerts

Memorial Day weekend is the kick-off to summer and I've got concerts on my mind.  More specifically what shows I want to see.  And I'm not limiting it to those with Cleveland stops.  I'll hit the road to catch some of them.  Here's my short list. 

Bruce Springsteen continues his multi-year Wrecking Ball tour.  Last summer I went to Chicago to catch a couple more shows.  This summer I'd love to see a show in Europe.  Where and when is still up in the air. 

Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura are two favorites of mine.  Both are hitting the US this summer and neither have a gig in Cleveland.  Someone pointed out to me that I can see them both in Cincinnati on the last day of the Bunbury Music Festival.  That day also features Yo La Tengo and The National. It's definitely on my calendar.  

There's that Bob Dylan, Wilco, My Morning Jacket traveling AmericanaramA tour.  No stop in Cleveland but plenty of shows nearby and some great special guests depending on the city.

Actually I wouldn't mind seeing Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z at Yankee stadium.  We'll see.

Then there's all the festivals like the aforementioned one in Cincinnati.  There's one this weekend that's only a two and a half hour drive from Cleveland.  That's the Nelsonville Music Festival.  It runs Thursday to Sunday and features acts like Wilco, John Prine, Jonathan Richman, Mavis Staples, and many more.  

I doubt I'll make that fest as I have to DJ a wedding reception on Saturday.  You see, I typically don't make a decision on an out of town show until a few days before the event.  It depends on my schedule, if I can get there and if I can score a ticket.  It's all part of the adventure. 

I know I'm missing some bands that should be on my list.  What am I missing?

The underrated Grant-Lee Phillips plays Winchester in Lakewood Saturday

Grant Lee Buffalo was the most underrated band of the 1990s.  Taking a mix of alt-country, hard rock, classic rock and glam they melded it into a sound that was very much their own.  

I came across their debut, Fuzzy, while DJing at WBWC, Baldwin-Wallace College back when I was a community volunteer in the early 90s.  I'm sure the CD is still int their library with my gushing review taped to the jewel case.  It sounded like a cross between David Bowie and R.E.M. and I was an instant fan.

I saw the band every time they played Cleveland.  Grant-Lee Phillips, who's playing The Winchester Music Hall in Lakewood Saturday (May 18), talks about those Cleveland appearances with Emmet Smith of the Plain Dealer, Grant-Lee Phillips talks native ancestry, fatherhood and getting into trouble in the Flats ahead of Winchester show.

The fans at those shows were as rabid as me, and we were such an eclectic lot.  There were metalheads, folkies, and indie hipsters.  I remember dragging the PDs Michael Heaton to a show in an attempt to convert him.  That show at The Odeon in the flats sticks in my mind for the warm up music played between sets.  I think the opener was Giant Sand.  Between them and GLB Phillips chose to play Brian Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy in its entirety.  I was in heaven. 

So Saturday night I'll be at the Winchester to see a solo Grant-Lee Phillips.  Phillips is much more introspective these days, turning to a more folk based approach.  His last album, Walking In The Green Corn, has nary an electric moment on it.  The songs still remain well written and well sung.  It should make for an intimate performance.  

Grant Lee Buffalo/Grant-Lee Phillips Spotify Mix

 

The Amprays and Rosavelt combine for show at Brothers tonight

So you want to feel the heart of rock and roll in Cleveland beating tonight?  Head to Brothers Lounge for what promises to be one great way to kick off the weekend.

Rosavelt headlines with Clevland's Old Boy doing warm duties.  I caught Rosavelt a few months ago with their new drummer Freddie Perez-Stable.  Freddie's been laying the beat down for Colin Dussault's Blues Project for years.  He's been a fan of Rosavelt from the beginning and his joy in being able to play the material is infectiuous.  I see Dussault's band has a gig in Port Clinton tonight.  I guess we'll have to see who's on drums.

You could say Rosavelt is a Cleveland band were it not for the fact that co-leader of the group, Kevin Grasha, lives in Michigan.  And that's where tonight's show gets really interesting. 

Grasha has another band project called The Amprays who've just released their second album, Brave New Strange.  Jeff Niesel at Scene Magazine just did a write up on it. 

I've been listening to Brave New Strange alot over the last few weeks.  It's terrific.  Co-founder of Rosavelt, Chris Allen, plays on the album.  So it makes sense to combine these songs into a Rosavelt set.  And, in fact, that's what'll happen tonight at Brothers. 

It's an offical CD release show for the new Amprays album that will be showcased throughout the Rosavelt set.  The addition of the Old Boy is icing on the cake. 

The Amprays - Brave New Strange (on Spotify)

Documentary on the Cleveland Agora

Last Friday someone posted a link on my Facebook page.  It's a documentary on the Cleveland Agora, the concert club that helped build an international reputation that Cleveland rocks. 

I hadn't heard anything about the documentary so it was a nice surprise.  As it turns out, Scene Magazine posted about the film last Thursday, 'Hello Cleveland!' Documentary Explores 70s Music Scene.

The title, Hello Cleveland, is in reference to the hilarious scene from Spinal Tap where the band can't find their way to the stage at a large arena show. 

The heyday for the Agora was when it resided on E.24th St., practically on the Cleveland State University campus.  The club and radio station WMMS had a symbiotic relationship so it's natural that the film's creator, Ashley Harrington, a student at Syracuse University,would get Agora owner, Hank LaConti, and WMMS program director, John Gorman, to tell the tale. 

Anyone who grew up in Cleveland can rattle off a list of their favorite Agora show.  Mine would include U2, Lou Reed, Kraftwerk, Nick Lowe, Todd Rundgren, The Ramones, David Johansen and many others.  What are yours?

Here's the documentary in its entirety. 

Dylan, Wilco and My Morning Jacket team up for summer tour

Yesterday Bob Dylan announced a summer tour that could be the ticket of the season.  Dylan and his band will be joined by Wilco and My Morning Jacket on a 26 stop tour.

The tour, named AmericanaramA, will include additional acts at various shows including Richard Thompson and Ryan Bingham.  Here's the tour list.

June 26 - West Palm Beach, FL / Cruzan Amphitheatre   
June 27 - Tampa, FL / Live Nation Amp. @ Forida State Fairgrounds
June 29 - Atlanta, GA / Aaron's Amphitheatre @ Lakewood
Jun 30 - Nashville, TN / The Lawn at Riverfront Park
July 02 - Memphis, TN / Autozone Park
July 05 - Noblesville, IN / Klipsch Music Center
July 06 - Cincinnati, OH / Riverbend Music Center
July 07 - Columbus, OH / Nationwide Arena
July 10 - St. Paul, MN / Midway Stadium
July 11 - Peoria, IL / Chiefs Stadium
July 12 - Chicago, IL / Toyota Park
July 14 - Clarkston, MI / DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 15 - Toronto, ON, CA / Molson Amphitheatre
July 18 - Darien Center, NY / Darien Lake PAC
July 19 - Bridgeport, CT / The Ball Park at Harbor Yard
July 20 - Mansfield, MA / Comcast Center
July 21 - Saratoga Springs, NY / Saratoga PAC
July 23 - Columbia, MD / Merriwether Post Pavilion
July 24 - Virginia Beach, VA / Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
July 26 - Hoboken, NJ / Pier A Park
July 27 - Wantagh, NY / Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
July 28 - Camden, NJ / Susquehanna Bank Center
July 31 - Englewood, CO / Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
Aug 01 - Salt Lake City, UT / Usana Amphitheatre
Aug 03 - Irvine, CA / Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Aug 04 - Mountain View, CA / Shoreline Amphitheatre

Before you start griping about no Cleveland date note that there's no Pittsburgh show either.  The closest to northeast Ohio will be Columbus on Sunday, July 7.  Unfortunately its an indoor show.  AmericanaramA has a bunch of outdoor dates at sheds and ballparks.  I think I'll try and hit one of them. 

 

 

Some live concerts for your viewing pleasure

 

Cleveland's Lottery League 2013 happens this Saturday

If you enjoy live music the place to be this Saturday, April 13, is the Agora.  That's where the Cleveland Lottery League takes place, showcasing 42 bands in their debut performances. 

The Cleveland Lottery League, founded by Jae Kristoff, Ed Sotelo and Michael Pultz, is a way for Cleveland musicians to meet and interact.  The thing is, a musician is out gigging at night, the same time all the other musicians are working too.  They rarely get a chance to hear each other play. 

The idea was to gather all these musicians from disparate genres of music and have a lottery, teaming them up with other musicians to form a band.  The beauty is that you might end up with a heavy metal drummer, a polka playing accordionist  and a free form jazz guitarist.  The newly created band's mission is to come up with 10 minutes of original music.  They have about two months to work together. 

The Plain Dealer's Chuck Yarborough has been writing about the event in a number of good stories. Lottery League 2013: 169 strangers meet to see who they'll make 10 minutes of music with at a free show at the Agora in April,

Lottery League 2013 reaches halfway point and picks time slots for 'The Big Show' on April 13 at the Agora

Lottery League 2013: National expansion plans are on the wish list for organizers,

Lottery League 2013: Tony Erba and his Midwestern Electric bandmates are ready to put a charge into 'The Big Show'

The Lottery League doesn't happen every year because of the complexity of the event and the amount of time the musicians have to give to it.  So catch it Saturday.  The first band starts at 2:30pm and the last band goes on at 1:15am.  Oh yeah, it's free.

A classic 1978 Tom Waits performance

I don't know about you but this weather has me moaning like Tom Waits at times.  It's put me in the mood for some of his music.

So how about a nearly one hour performance of a show he did in 1978?  Here's what Open Culture has to say about the performance, Tom Waits, Playing the Down-and-Out Barfly, Appears in Classic 1978 TV Performance.