Author Archives: Kev Henry

TVD Live: Flogging Molly at the House of Blues, 2/19

Having never been involved in what I can only describe as “The Flogging Molly Experience” (not to be confused with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, that’s a different experience), I was surprised, dumbfounded, intrigued, amped up and entertained by the resulting shock-and-awe campaign put into motion.

This is accomplished by the band as well as the participation of the fans themselves, who demonstrate a total immersion into the music that makes Flogging Molly not only a seven-piece Irish-infused rock group, but one with a rotating line up of hundreds depending on what city they happen to be in. It’s something I’ve never really seen first-hand until last Sunday at the House of Blues, a band inspiring a sold-out crowd of drunken hooligans into a cult like fervor, all in synchronization, and all creating the atmosphere of an epic pub hoe-down, complete with crowd surfing and mosh pits.

By the time Flogging Molly took to their throne, the crowd was already jittery and pretty beered up. Fittingly, they came out with their classic, “Drunken Lullabies,” which instantly endeared them to their loving fans. A frontier of even faster songs followed, building up to “Speed of Darkness,” which got everyone going with its catchy ascension. I began to see the appeal of what was happening on the stage, as their Celtic-infused speed pacers were driven by the stage energy of the band members and singer-guitarist Dave King’s rapid-fire strumming and duckwalking.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Cleveland | Leave a comment

TVD Live: Shit-Box Jimmy and The Very Knees at The Beachland Ballroom, 2/3

The Beachland Ballroom served as charming host to a couple of rollicking acts this past Friday night. I was mainly in the house to get a second look at Shit-Box Jimmy, who romanced me last week at Now That’s Class.

The thing about last week that was on my mind was that Shit-Box played in a cramped, intimate setting, and it worked really well. This time out they had the more airy environment the Ballroom offered, and while I prefer to see them in overcrowded dungeons personally, they still put on a great performance. The whole she-bang was for the benefit of the 3rd Annual Waterloo Alley Cat Project Fundraiser, with headliners The Very Knees. They’re another story entirely, and I’ll get to them in a moment.

First, Shit-Box Jimmy went on, in all their lowdown twangy-ness, and stomped their way through 11 songs. When I hear this band I feel like we’re getting the best version of what was going on in 1976. They came out firing with a garage pounder, and I can’t emphasize enough how much lowdown twang is in every song. It’s this kind of sound, complemented by romantic Enchantment-Under-The-Sea-Dance-melodies that make up the brunt of what they do. They can draw out a song this way and then give you an exploding chorus no problem.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Cleveland | Leave a comment

Weekend Shots!

Hey guys, ladies, men, gals, mammajambas, animals, cats, dogs, elk, etc. It’s been a week of ups and downs. The weather can’t seem to make up its mind (it’s either been a whiteout blizzard or a melted, wet, muddy no man’s land), and if you are generally experiencing a sensation of feeling drawn and quartered, you’re not the only one, trust me.

What we need to do is pick out a cozy show, kick back a few, and relax, with the added benefits of being indoor with no chance of frostbite!

This week’s featured show is at the Beachland Ballroom on Saturday. Critically-acclaimed New Jersey indie rockers Real Estate will be headlining an excellent show with fellow rockers in crime The Babies and Herzog. Enjoy the shows! Champagne wishes and caviar dreams for you all.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Cleveland | Leave a comment

Band You Oughta Know: This Moment in Black History

What the…? What have you been breeding, Cleveland? If I had known a band existed in the area that could inspire me to get up in the morning and top out my stereo volume so I can hear the fuzz from all the way downstairs while I’m makin’ the coffee—then come back and not actually turn down the volume while I’m drinkin’ the coffee—and just sit in stunned disbelief while I obtain the momentum that instills in myself the feeling of reaching the top of the Agro-Crag, I suppose my life could have been a lot different these past few years. I would certainly have been this band’s roadie by now.

I was introduced to This Moment In Black History on Christmas Eve Eve at the Beachland Ballroom with a set that left me hanging on every riff. The thing about TMIBH is that they have the ability to leave in their wake a feeling of being mugged and punched upside the head. It’s a grand thing.

This band began their career in 2002! I was a young Spritle cutting my teeth on the classics (somewhere between Green Day and Judas Priest) back then, not yet ready for the sonic burden a band like this lays on you. The time has come, now, to inherit their sound into my ears, and it’s a great coming of age story that may be picked up as the next Disney Channel movie special. Where I have been since this band has hit the ground running is another matter entirely, but seven years were spent in Tibet. In any case, this has been a fine time to discover them because they seem to be in their prime.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Cleveland | Leave a comment
  • SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL INDIE SHOPS SINCE 2007


  • Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text
  • Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text