Whew, Cleveland. Long week for you, too? Good thing we’ve got a lot of good music in town this weekend.
We’re thinking the best place for you to be is at the Beachland Ballroom to catch The Jezabels, Yukon Blonde and The Commonwealth, tonight! With a sound that quietly embraces your ears in a lush electronic-laden cloud one song and rocks hard the next, The Jezabels are sure to invigorate you for the weekend to come. Joined by Yukon Blonde, which bears a more direct folk/rock sound, and locals The Commonwealth, this show promises to put some pep in your step.
They say everything happens for a reason. People are placed in your life and every interaction we have possesses greater meaning. For Hannah Hooper, Christian Zucconi, Sean Gadd, Andrew Wessen, and Ryan Rabin—the five members of GROUPLOVE—having met at a music retreat in Greece and forming a band that is now touring the world, they’re touching the hearts of fans, and selling out venues left and right.
We had the opportunity to chat with drummer/producer Ryan Rabin and get to know what GROUPLOVE truly is and who’d have your back in a fight.
Was there a particular artist or album growing up that really inspired you to make music?
There’s so many, but the first I started loving when I was young and listening to every day was Michael Jackson. I used to turn on Bad and dance to it until my parents would dose me with sleeping pills to get me to put it down.
When you met the other members of the band how did you know you wanted to collaborate together?
We didn’t really. We kept in touch and about a year later, Hannah, Christian, and Sean came out to visit Andrew and me in Los Angeles. I was producing and recording for other artists in my little home studio. They came over and we were thinking about what to do one day, so we decided to just mess around and play some of the songs that we had heard each other play in Greece when we first met. So we said, let’s try to record something for fun.
We were just going to do one song, then it turned into two songs, and a month later we had done our first EP. It was never actually planned. I don’t think we ever thought directly, wow, we really want to collaborate together, I think it just happened naturally, which is what’s nice about it.
It’s the first weekend in October, so we’re going to shake things up a bit, Cleveland. It’s okay; change is good. It’s time to take a break from those noise bands you’ve been checking out to pay a little homage to another side of Cleveland. Yeah, yeah, we’ve got the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame here. We get that. But the great city that we live in is also home to one of the best orchestras—if not the best—in the world.
The orchestra in question is the Cleveland Orchestra, which calls Severance Hall its home. Now, your music assignment isn’t to get over there quite yet. We know, you’re kind of afraid to leave the bar scene. That’s cool. There’s a solution! Some members from the Cleveland Orchestra—as well as other students, alumni, and faculty of the nation’s best music conservatories—will come together to perform for you in a setting that is far more laid back than within the walls of Severance.
They call themselves Classical Revolution Cleveland, and this week you can catch them at the Barking Spider Tavern at 3pm on Sunday. They will feature string quartets, opera arias, and a cello/piano duo. We first heard them at Happy Dog last summer, and it simply blew us away.
It’s Tuesday, Cleveland, and you should have recovered from a fairly exciting weekend filled with great shows by now. Which could only mean one thing: time to start the week off right with more breathtaking shows. First up on your concert calendar this week should be Exitmusic at the Beachland Tavern tonight. Tickets are $8, doors at 8:30PM, and local support will be Cereal Banter and The Buffalo Ryders.
Exitmusic is the kind of band that is going to play to your emotions, and if you don’t keep yourself in check, you may find yourself overwhelmed. The New York City duo wants you to feel that intensely; they are purposefully confrontational about facing your feelings.
The goal of their music is to remind themselves, alongside the audience, of their humanity and embrace vulnerability.
September flew by, didn’t it? In a last-ditch effort to win your allegiance, it seems that many of Cleveland’s local venues have scheduled fantastic shows this weekend. If that’s not enough to confuse your decision, Cincinnati is hosting its annual MidPoint Music Festival, which has an impeccable lineup as always.
We really think you ought to catch Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s at Grog Shop tonight. This band first caught our ears because of its lush orchestration, but since its earlier years, the band has grown and embraced a heavier sound, often switching from tender moments of pop purity to hearty moments that are a darker rock. The band released its fourth full-length album, Rot Gut, Domestic, earlier this year.
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, here’s the best of the rest:
It’s Wednesday, and if you’ve had the sort of week I suspect you have had, you’re in need of a little music therapy. Fret not, Clevelanders, for the Grog Shop has a show for you that will get you out of your midweek rut featuring The Henry Clay People, Tracy Morgan Freeman, and Wooly Bullies!
LA’s The Henry Clay People consists of brothers Joey Siara (vocals/guitar) and Andy Siara (guitar/vocals), and Jonathan Price (bass/vocals), and Eric Scott (drums).
Formed in 2005, the band has released numerous EPs and LPs and their most recent effort, June’s Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives, displays a maturity and is anything but predictable.
Oh, the music that comes out of…Baltimore. It’s from where J Roddy Walston and the Business hail—embracing a classic rock sound, laced with blues, connoting thoughts of the deep South.
And this band will have you dancin’ in no time.
The quartet has the youthful exuberance of adolescents who are up to no good. They’ll wrestle your attention the moment they take the stage—from the joyful bass-slappin’ and singing of Logan Davis, to sultry guitar lines delivered by Billy Gordon, to the hard-hitting drums of Steve Colmus, straight to the center of the stage where J. Roddy Walston himself beats the piano and delivers vocals doused in grit and alcohol.
We tracked them down to find out what’s good in Cleveland, TN, how they met, and why they love Instagram.
Tell me a little bit about growing up in Cleveland, TN.
Walston: It’s pretty typical small town South. Lots of churches, lots of football players. It was good, it was fun. You could kind of get away with a lot because people were okay. Like, you’d get in trouble, and someone could call someone in and be like, “You’re a decent kid, we’ll let you off this time.” It was fun.
How much of an influence would you say church music had on you?
A lot. Growing up, almost entirely. I wasn’t not allowed to listen to other music, it was just kind of a big part of the way I grew up. As I got older, 10 or 11, I branched out. I was really into Boys 2 Men early on. Steve knows that, boy bands. The hard stuff. (laughs)
This week, Cleveland’s local record press Gotta Groove Records, celebrated its third anniversary by pressing an album that had yet to hit vinyl. The album in question is Luna’s Bewitched, which originally came out in 1994 via Elektra. Gotta Groove Records has donated an early test pressing (with full cover, label, etc.) of Bewitched to us to be given away to one lucky reader so that you can join in on celebration.
Containing members from bands such as The Feelies, Galaxie 500, and New Zealand’s The Chills, Luna was originally the three-piece of Stanley Demeski (drums/percussion), Justin Harwood (bass), and Dean Wareham (guitar/vocals), which then expanded to a quartet with the addition of Sean Eden (guitar) before their second album, Bewitched. Together they released eight albums before calling it quits in 2005, with a best of compilation in 2006 following their separation.
The team at Gotta Groove Records thought it criminal that Luna’s Bewitched wasn’t pressed to vinyl earlier, so they’ve made it happen. Here’s your chance to own your very own copy.
WHEW. Made it through another week, Cleveland. Why don’t you reward yourself by heading out to see some great live music this weekend? There’s plenty going on.
We think you should check out Cellar Door Records’ show on Saturday night. There’s a million reasons why you should be there. Tucked away inside a brick building in the heart of Cleveland is this gem, with high ceilings and rustic wooden floors that make the atmosphere and acoustics great. This is also the only Cleveland venue we know that boasts a record store featuring ALL local artists. How cool is that?
I know, so cool you nearly forgot about the live music side of it. Playing Saturday night are a bunch of Cleveland favorites—The Commonwealth, These Knees, Joshua Jesty and Cellar Door Records’ own Justin Markert. This is a $7 expenditure you won’t regret.
Tonight, Cleveland has the distinct honor of hosting the album release for bombastic Kent two-piece, Cherry Cola Champions at local indie rock favorite the Grog Shop. The dynamic duo first caught our attention when they performed at Weapons of Mass Creation festival in Cleveland, OH earlier this year.
Months later, their much-anticipated LP is ready to greet your ears after being recorded and produced by Tim Gerak at Mammoth Cave studio in Denver and pressed at Cleveland’s own Gotta Groove Records in three colors, including cherry cola red.
Joining the band will be four other regional acts you should cock your ears toward—Annabel, The Marine Electric, Wake Island, and Pomegranates. Annabel is a four-piece that also hails from Kent. Their music is a straight-forward layering of guitars, drums, and vocals delivered in true punk-rock fashion. The Marine Electric is a four-piece that claims its members are the four nicest guys you’ll meet. They’re straight out of Brooklyn and theirs is a sound that’s an edgier brand of punk, filled with guitar solos and gritty vocals over hard-hitting drums.
Whoa, Cleveland! I hope you’re ready for an action-packed weekend in the music world. If not, grab that double shot and get ready because we’re not slowing down. This weekend goes out to the locals.
This weekend we welcome the addition of Cellar Door to the list of local venues that will be supporting live music and boasting a record shop, too! Cellar Door Records began as a label and booking company, but now they’re expanding. Some great Cleveland bands are playing—The Modern Electric, The Lighthouse and The Whaler, Humble Home & Brian Straw. So come out and celebrate this new and exciting venue!
If you’d rather hit the rock scene than indie folk/rock, you should head on over to Happy Dog to catch the Shitbox Jimmy LP release. These cats funded the pressing themselves and are releasing 500 copies of their new album, which was made here in Cleveland at Gotta Groove Records!
This past weekend was filled with many talented musicians as Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati greeted the festival world with a clever juxtaposition between big bands that hit deep, and smaller bands that deserved the crowds for which they played. One of the bands I was most interested in seeing was Manchester Orchestra, a five-piece from Atlanta that hooks your ears with hard-hitting guitar riffs and drums, against the distinct voice of frontman, Andy Hull.
At Bunbury, Manchester Orchestra began its set by quietly pulling the crowd in with heavy, chordal guitars and then catching fire, taking us all on a journey that left us whirling like dervishes as we worked out our demons alongside the band.
We had the opportunity to chat with Chris Freeman who provides the band’s keyboard/percussion/backing vocals. He spoke of the band’s deep faith and the importance of honest music.
Was there a musician while you were growing up that had an impact on the way you listen to or play music?
Growing up, I wasn’t really allowed to listen to non-Christian music, outside of oldies. So, like anybody like Keith Richards or any of the Beatles, outside of DC Talk or Carmen on the Christian music circuit.
When the band began, did you want to pursue music as a career or did that just happen?
I wanted to be a drummer in a band since I was thirteen or fourteen, so it’s definitely something that I have always wanted to do as a life goal. I failed a lot of classes in high school. I remember my mom asked me what I wanted to do with my life and I said I wanted to be a drummer. So I think from a pretty early stage we all had that mentality like I do.
Of the record Class Clown Spots a UFO, drummer Kevin Fennell says,”You need to hear it. It kicks ass. You need to hear it repeatedly. I mean, it’s like everything we do. Our music takes repeated listenings; the more you hear it the better you like it.”
Guided By Voices are at it again with its classic lineup of Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennell, and Greg Demos since 2010 when they played Matador’s 21st anniversary bash. Many love the band so much that they made the trek to Bunbury just for GBV. Get to know a bit of the band from drummer Kevin Fennell.
Why did you guys decide to record lo-fi originally?
It was kind of out of necessity. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had a lot of ideas that we felt like we needed to get down on vinyl at the time. We couldn’t really afford to go into a big studio, so we figured Tobin had a four-track recorder, and he was pretty good at that, and we kind of liked the sound. Initially it was out of necessity, but when we heard the finished product, it reminded us a lot of the music that we were hearing growing up in the sixties.
A lot of that stuff was done on four-track, and it sounded more raw; it wasn’t slick and polished, and we kind of prefer it that way. It has a more real sound to it. Of course, we got criticized a lot for it.
Well, Cleveland, you were not forgotten, even though I left the city for Cincinnati this weekend. If you’re not making the trek to a festival this weekend (Pitchfork, Forecastle, or Bunbury), shame on you, but I still have love for you. And there’s still a ton of music going on this weekend in Cleveland.
Our suggestion? Head on over to the Grog Shop tonight for mewithoutyou. They’re playing with a great Philadelphia-based band called Buried Beds, and both prove to be a lot of fun and a good experience for your ears!
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, here’s the best of the rest to keep you musically satiated this weekend!
It’s time to check out the lineup for Bunbury again and introduce you to another band that’s making waves. Another great band you’re going to need to check out is an “art pop” four-piece hailing from Cincinnati.
The band is called Pomegranates and comprises Isaac Karns (vocals, guitars, keyboard), Joey Cook (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dan Lyon (guitar), and Jacob Merritt (drums). Get to know the band—courtesy of drummer Jacob Merritt—and be sure to slate them into your schedule for Bunbury!
How did the band form?
Isaac and I were in different bands when we first started off four and a half years ago. We both knew that we both wanted to do music full-time, so we got together to see what would happen, jammed a little bit, and things kind of just clicked at that first little practice. That was the first time that we met Joey. We called him up and invited him over, and yeah, we’re still doing it almost five years later.
