RADIO HANNIBAL

Cleveland - on the verge of greatness

What a fantastic weekend I had in Cleveland.  It's easy to become oblivious to your surroundings.  The town you live in becomes mundane.  I love the advice I once heard about trying to see your city through the eyes of a tourist when you make your daily rounds. 

Friday night I met up with old friends at a relatively new spot, The Oak Barrel, in Valley View on Canal Rd.  It's in the same space once occupied by Hoggie's.  This sunny afternoon found people playing cornhole in an outdoor rec area complete with fire pit.  That it was an island in the middle of a big movie theater parking lot didn't really detract from the vibe.  A live band was setting up on the adjacent patio. 

Inside, the remodel of the Hoggie's space felt warm even in the cavernous room though it does get quite loud.  The chatter of the good looking crowd made for a lively happy hour.  I hear the food is great too. 

Saturday I headed to the upscale sports bar in Rocky River, The Market, to watch the Preakness.  I just don't get a good vibe in this place.  The bartenders act as if they're doing you a favor.  And when I had to surrender my credit card to run a tab while the guy next to me didn't I was somewhat offended by the profiling.  I guess longer hair and a Stones t-shirt scares people. 

Later that night I made my way to The Winchester in Lakewood to catch Grant-Lee Phillips.  I wrote about him on Friday.  Of course I ran into some fellow music freaks who's taste in good music mirrored mine.  I was even offered a seat at a reserved table by a couple of them.  Thanks Matt and Annie. 

Phillips was in fine form.  His amicable personality never came through in Grant Lee Buffalo shows but this night he told great stories and had us laughing.  Phillips warm, resonant voice sounded great in the acoustically ideal venue. 

Sunday was Cleveland's day to shine.  And I'm not merely talking about another perfect weather day.  It was the running of the Cleveland Marathon as I took to my own road race on my mountain bike riding from West Park to University Circle for the long running Hessler Street Fair. 

I happened to ride past Severance Hall and the Church Of The Covenant as the Case Western Reserve University graduating class poured onto the street in cap and gown with diplomas in hand. 

The Hessler Street Fair, with its historic hippie vibe, was made even more far out by a band list stacked heavy with local reggae acts.  The juxtaposition of the decidedly liberal Hessler hippies and grads with their families dressed to the nines made me smile.

If I weren't so magnetically drawn to the reggae music I'd have checked out the Asian Fest in midtown as well.  Instead I took a break and walked over to the newly opened ABC Tavern Uptown right next to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).  The calamari app for $6.75 was delicious. 

To top it off the Cleveland Indians continued their tear with back to back walk-off wins Friday and Saturday and a blow out on Sunday against Seattle.  I'll take Cleveland over Seattle and I'm not only talking about baseball. 

Riding a bike from one side of town to the other is so easy now.  There's a bike lane that runs along Euclid Avenue from Public Square to University Circle.  I'm hoping the one in the works for Detroit Ave. on the westside happens soon.  

As I rode along the route, the magnificent architecture looking even more grand in the setting sunlight, I came to feel the palpable change in Cleveland.  This town is on the verge of greatness.   

Jah Messengers

 

Gram Parsons tribute band plays special early show tonight

I first wrote about The New Soft Shoe, a Gram Parson's tribute band here in Cleveland back in March of 2010, Gram Parsons Tribute Band Soon To Be The Rage In Cleveland.  And while it may not be the rage it does bring out a large crowd to its 12 annual appearances at the Happy Dog.  

The homage always takes place on the second Thursday of the month and tonight's performance has an early start time of 7pm.  I'm a fan of these early start shows.  The set concludes at 9.  Plenty of time to get home and get a good night's sleep for the majority of us who have to work in the morning. 

It may also be an insentive for those of you who are fans of Gram Parsons but have not caught this terrific band.  As a friend of mine, who is out seeing live shows more than just about anyone I know, said "there's no better group of musicians in town performing on these Thursday nights". 

Don't confuse me for a critic

When I started writing this blog nearly eight years ago I did it with one thought in mind.  To enrich people's lives through the sharing of music.  It's also been my life's mission statement for many years before that. 

So it doesn't make any sense for me to write about something I don't personally enjoy.  That's what critics do.  They take an artist or an album and analyze is it, determining if they deem it good, bad or just meh.  My thought is that there's too much music out there so why waste any time telling you about something you shouldn't listen to when I could be exposing you something else worthy of your attention. 

I had no idea that local musicians would begin sending me their music.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy getting CDs in the mail and discovering some of the great talent here in Cleveland.  Of course they're expecting me to write about the album.  And if I like I it I do just that.  If I don't like it I won't write about it.

I'm a sensitive guy.  And, rightly or wrongly, I care about what people think about me.  If I lambaste a person's music in a public forum like this I can't help but feel bad about it.  It's my nature.  On the other hand, in a personal setting when discussing music with friends (something I do all the time) I have no qualms about skewering music.  Even if it's something the other person finds enjoyable.  I love debating music, just not here in what I perceive as a bully pulpit. 

David Bowie's long time producer, Tony Visconti, said it best in an interview I heard a few years ago.  He said that he is not a critic for many of the same reasons I just explained but, rather, a promoter.  I can live with that assessment. 

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)

Cleveland's Miss Melvis now rocking the Austin scene with new album

Melanie Fioritto, or Miss Melvis as she's known when her guitar is in hand, may have moved to Austin, Texas but the University Heights native's discordant rock is still reverberating in Cleveland.  Her new album, Deep Inside, contains some pop touches not found on past efforts. 

In Cleveland Fioritto was a member of various groups such as Chump, The Heathers and Flat Can Co.  Left up to her own devices as was the case with Flat Can she opted for a post-punk, noise rock sound.  Those shows were an assault on both the ears and eyes. 

That harsh rock sound is still present on Deep Inside, but I'm hearing melodies and hooks not found on her previous solo material.  In other words, Fioritto is maturing as a song writer.  Not surprising given the fact she lives with one of the great American songwriters today, Alejandro Escovedo.  Certainly she's been taking lessons. 

An acoustic guitar even makes an appearance in "Beautiful" which also features a melody harp and Miss Melvis's reverbed vocals. Though most of the time it's her guitar turned up to 10 that's driving the music. 

Deep Inside is Fioritto's most accomplished and accessible album to date.  There's definitely something in the water down in Austin. 

Listen to Miss Melvis - Deep Inside on Spotify

 

 

A call for a return to the 40 minute album

One thing that iTunes and online MP3 buying has brought about is a refocus on the single.  In the 1960s it was all about the 45 rpm record.  It wasn't until the late 60s that most artists put effort into making a cohesive sounding album in the hopes that fans would buy it and listen to the whole thing. 

Those vinyl albums usually ran about 40 minutes.  Unless you really crammed the grooves together as Todd Rundgren's Utopia did to create an hour long LP. 

In the 80s the length of the album grew substantially.  That's because you could now put 80 minutes of music on a single disc.  That was too much music.  It diluted the album.  Editing is important in making a great movie.  The same is true in creating a great album. 

So now people are buying singular songs again.  And an interesting thing is occurring.  The length of the album is shrinking. 

There's a school of thought that a musician should only release singles.  Maybe one every other month or so.  It keeps the artist in the news cycle on a more regular basis.  But that idea is hard for the artist to grasp. 

Gathering a group for recording sessions is not easily done.  It's unlikley that they'll be able to convene every other month to record a single song.  And what if the mojo's working.  The idea is to conjure up that mojo and get as much of it recorded as possible. OK, so you do it that way and now have, say, ten songs in the can.  But by the time you release that tenth song is that really where you are as an artist? 

I'm listening to a very enjoyable new album with local ties that I'll talk about soon.  The album runs about a half hour.  Perfect.  In this day and age something of that length is even considered an EP in some quarters.  Nothing wrong with that. 

In fact, we're seeing more EPs.  It's kind of a compromise between the bloaded CD album and the single concept. 

It's something musicians should consider.  Maybe the best idea is to release two shorter EPs over a six month span instead of one 60 plus minute album. 

Again, I understand the hassle.  That means two CD pressings, two sets of artwork, etc.  And, in the end, more up front money spent.  

CDs and physical media are slowly going away.  It's probably not a good idea for a local artist to abandon the format because it gives you something tangible to sell at a show.  But figuring out some sort of new model may make sense. 

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.

Art gallery dedicated to rock and roll opens today with Cleveland exhibit

Cleveland's rock and roll roots are deep.  We know that.  But sometimes a picture or two is needed to remember just how much rock and roll has been a part of the local culture.  Space: Rock, a gallery dedicated to rock and roll, is having it's grand opening this evening, Friday April 5, to help us remember.  

Part of the non-profit Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future founded by The Beachland's Cindy Barber, Space: Rock happens to be located right next door to said venue.  The opening exhibition is curated by Cleveland rock photographer Anastasia Pantsios who will be displaying a collection of her photos centered on the Cleveland rock scene from 1969 to 1974.  There will also be posters, LP covers and other memorabilia shown.   "The Golden Age of Cleveland Rock: 1969-1974" opening night runs from 6pm until 10pm this evening.

Personally, I was a bit too young to be clubbing during this period but I still remember these bands fondly through radio, records and local TV appearances.  Bands include The Damnation of Adam's Blessing, The Raspberries, The James Gang, Glass Harp, Michael Stanley and others. 

Even if you weren't around during this fruitful period in Cleveland rock history the exhibit should be inspiring to local musicians and Clevelanders in general.  And you may just pick up some wardrobe ideas as well. 

The Damnation of Adam's Blessing, taken at an Upbeat TV show appearance

Irish music fills the air on St. Patrick's Day

The Boys From County Hell

The Boys From County Hell

The Craic Brothers

Jim Tigue and Eroc

Brigid's Cross

Mary's Lane

 

Irish music takes over Cleveland, here's your schedule

It's the week of the Irish here in Cleveland, culminating in St. Patrick's Day this Sunday.  And as we wait for dispensation from the Bishop in order to eat corned beef on Sunday during Lent the air is filled with the sound of fiddles, jigs and reels.

My good friend and a member of the The Craic Brothers, Bernie McCafferty,  curates a list of all the Irish music taking place in Cleveland throughout the year.  But this is the pinnacle week for the genre and so I thought I'd share the list with you.  Bookmark the page so that when you're out and about and looking for some live music you can use this list on your smart phone. 

Live Irish Music In Cleveland, St. Patrick's Week 2013

3/11 - Jim Tigue & Francis Quinn @ Pug Mahone's - 7:30 pm
3/11 - Craic @ Grog Shop - 7:30 pm
3/11 - Tossers @ Grog Shop -
3/13 - Harp City @ Stamper's - 9:00 pm
3/13 - Lunasa (Ireland) @ P. J. McIntyres -
3/14 - The Sprigs (from Boston) @ Stamper's - 9:00 pm
3/15 - Boys From the County Hell @ Happy Dog - 9:30 pm
3/15 - Donegal Doggs @ Mullarkey's - 9:30 pm
3/15 - Drowsy Lads @ Stamper's - 9:00 pm
3/15 - Loch Erie @ Croagh Patrick's - 9:00 pm
3/15 - Mary Agnes Kennedy @ IACES (East Side IA) -
3/15 - Marys Lane @ Park Tavern - 9:00 pm
3/15 - New Barleycorn @ Sully's Medina -
3/16 - Boys From the County Hell @ Stone Mad - 3:00 pm
3/16 - Craic @ Mavis Winkle's Independence - 7:00 pm
3/16 - Craic Brothers @ Treehouse - 9:00 pm
3/16 - Donegal Doggs @ P. J. McIntyres - 8:30 pm
3/16 - Harp City @ Stamper's - 9:00 pm
3/16 - Marys Lane @ Sully's Medina - 9:30 pm
3/16 - Morrison & McCarthy @ Hooley House - Brooklyn - 6:00 pm
3/16 - Two2Many (Columbus) @ IACES (East Side IA) -
3/17 - Boys From the County Hell @ Flannery's - 1:00 pm
3/17 - Boys From the County Hell @ House of Blues - 9:00 am
3/17 - Boys From the County Hell @ Harp - 9:00 pm
3/17 - Ceud Mile Failte @ Great Lakes Brewery - 12:00 pm
3/17 - Craic @ Great Lakes Brewery - 4:00 pm
3/17 - Craic @ Mavis Winkle's Independence - 10:00 am
3/17 - Craic Brothers @ Moriarty's - 2:00 pm
3/17 - Craic Brothers @ Claddagh Lyndhurst - 6:00 pm
3/17 - Donegal Doggs @ Treehouse - 3:00 pm
3/17 - Donegal Doggs @ Stone Mad - 8:30 pm
3/17 - Donegal Doggs @ Quaker Steak Austintown - 10:00 am
3/17 - Harp City @ Stamper's - 7:00 pm
3/17 - Irish Cottage Boys @ Stamper's - 3:00 pm
3/17 - Loch Erie @ Sully's Medina - all day
3/17 - Marys Lane @ P. J. McIntyres - all day
3/17 - Morrison & McCarthy @ Hooley House - Mentor - 2:00 pm
3/17 - Pat Shepard @ Pickwick & Frolic - 2:00 pm
3/17 – Prodigals @ House of Blues – 2:00
3/17 - Pitch the Peat @ Treehouse - 8:00 pm
3/17 - Two2Many (Columbus) @ IACES (East Side IA) -
3/18 - Marys Lane @ Treehouse - 5:00 pm
3/21 - Saw Doctors @ House of Blues -
3/22 - Callahan & O'Connor @ Sully's Medina -
3/23 - Fior Gael  @ Harp - 9:00 pm
3/23 - High Strung Irish @ Sully's Medina -
3/23 - Marys Lane @ Cleats Strongsville - 8:00 pm
3/23 - Pat Shepard @ Public House - 9:00 pm
3/29 - Kevin McCarthy @ IACES (East Side IA) - 7:30 pm
3/29 - Pat Shepard @ Mullarkey's - 9:00 pm
3/30 - Donegal Doggs @ Mullarkey's - 9:30 pm