Category Archives: TVD Cleveland

Thousands of northeast Ohio millennials took their annual pilgrimage to Blossom Music Center this past Friday to see Dave Matthews Band. “I like this building,” Matthews said about Blossom (the only venue in the country housed in a National Park). “It’s good to be back,” to which the crowd roared in agreement.

The near-constant rain couldn’t dampen fan enthusiasm as the band worked its way through highlights from its extensive catalogue. Most notably, DMB busted out “Dive In” for the first time since 2021, while also treating the crowd to a 15-minute-long “Crush,” an “All Along the Watchtower” cover with a “Stairway to Heaven” nod in the middle of it, and several additional fan favorites.

The tour continues into the fall, so there will be plenty of opportunities to catch Dave on the road in the next few months.

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Toronto jazz standouts, Badbadnotgood, transformed Cleveland’s newest venue, Globe Iron (side note: it’s awesome), into a fully immersive, visual, and sonic Art with a capital “A” experience this past Wednesday night.

Their style is collaborative in spirit and practice, so it’s no surprise that they chose to share the bill with up-and-coming Fayetteville singer/songwriter, Baby Rose, who joined BBNG mid-set to perform songs off her 2024 EP, “Slow Burn,” among others. Additionally, they employed the services of artist Sylvain Chaussée, who uses custom 16mm film projectors to display video and images that synchronize to the music in real time. The result is, as mentioned, Art of the hypnotic sort.

Chester Hansen (bass), Alexander Sowinski (drums), and Leland Whitty (sax, flute, guitar) make up the core trio of Badbadnotgood, but in recent years they’ve been joined in the studio and on stage by Juan Carlos Medrano Magallanes (percussion), Felix Fox (keyboards), and Kae Murphy (trumpet). Between them all, talent is truly staggering. Their set leaned heavily on 2024’s Mid Spiral, but also gave love to earlier albums. One particular moment of “wow” was Whitty’s stunning 10-minute sax solo during “Unfolding (Momentum 73).”

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Clevelanders got a treat from “down under” (Lloyd Christmas voice) recently as Melbourne’s Amyl and the Sniffers stopped by The Agora for a sweaty night of riotous fun.

The crowd was dressed to impress for the special occasion: Many Amyl-esque outfits were on display, plus lots of skin, lots of tats, some leather catsuits, ripped fishnets, and several shirts. The band itself, comprised of Amy Taylor, Bryce Wilson, Declan Mehrtens, and Gus Romer, rose to the occasion, serving fans with a healthy dose of personality and punk rock emancipation.

Taylor is a force live, even on the tail end of a sickness that forced them to cancel their Toronto stop a couple of nights previous. It doesn’t seem to affect her at all, though, as she spins, bangs, and screams her way across the stage. Every human in the house is immediately sucked into her powerful vortex. It’s a vortex that doesn’t give a fuck. Unless, of course, you’re a racist, misogynist, ageist, homophobe, classist, transphobic, and/or ableist. If that’s the case, then fuck you. And to that I say, “Fuck yeah.”

Speaking of strong frontwomen, Tina Halladay of opener Sheer Mag has some serious pipes! She not so much sings but growls, a perfect complement to the band’s sound, which is a little classic rock, a little punk rock, and a little hair rock. I can see why Third Man Records signed them a couple of years ago.

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The prolific Bill Callahan brought his dry sense of humor and signature baritone voice to Cleveland’s Treelawn this past week. “I’m trying to say something profound here…without saying anything profound,” he joked in between strums. “That’s my whole M.O.”

And joke or not, he’s done it effectively for nearly four decades now. His songs are like meditations, and his performance of them solo is equally transfixing. I typically prefer live arrangements with a full band, but Callahan’s songs work either way. The Treelawn audience was so locked in, you could hear a pin drop.

The setlist pulled from just a few of his extensive list of (truly excellent) studio albums, YTILAER (2022), Gold Record (2020), Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest (2019), Apocalypse (2011), and Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (2009). Callahan concluded this night with some fan favorites from his earlier years, when he went by the moniker “Smog.”

I was particularly psyched to hear “Say Valley Maker,” “Let’s Move to the Country,” and his concluding epic Smog’s-Greatest-Hits mash up during “Let Me See the Colts.” (For fellow Bill Callahan nerds, we’re taking snippets of “Dress Sexy at My Funeral,” “Cold Blooded Old Times,” “Sycamore,” and “Teen Spaceship.”)

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Fresh off their brand new and critically acclaimed fourth album, I Got Heaven, Philly’s Mannequin Pussy brought the buzz to Cleveland’s beloved Grog Shop on Friday night.

The sold-out crowd danced hard and belted lyrics harder. Mannequin Pussy—Marisa “Missy” Dabice, Kaleen Reading, Colins “Bear” Regisford, Maxine Steen, Carolyn Haynes—appear to be at the height of their powers, captivating both as songwriters and performers.

Also worthy of that praise? Openers (also Philly’s) Soul Glo—Pierce Jordan, GG Guerra, TJ Stevenson, Winston Hightower—proved even more captivating than their recent NPR Tiny Desk appearance where the audience was moved to mosh. To see both bands in such an intimate space was a treat.

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Despite the January temperatures in Cleveland, it was a steamy night at the Grog Shop, as a sold-out crowd sandwiched together to see alt-country noise band, Wednesday.

The Asheville, NC band—consisting of members Karly Hartzman, Jake Lenderman (a.k.a. MJ Lenderman), Xandy Chelmis, Ethan Baechtold, and Alan Miller—have gained a whole new audience following the release of their awesome, critically-acclaimed, 2023 album, Rat Saw God. They gave the crowd a heavy dose of it, along with an excellent, show-opening cover of Edie Brickell & New Bohemians cover, “Ghost of a Dog,” as well as some previews of tracks from their next album.

The visceral “Bull Believer,” my personal favorite from Rat Saw God, inspired some guttural screams and crowd surfing. They conclude their winter US tour with Brooklyn’s Hotline TNT (who I unfortunately missed) mid-month and immediately head to New Zealand, Australia & Japan through March. Catch them in a smaller venue while you can.

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There are several high production pop artists who know how to put on a jaw dropping show. Beyoncé, Taylor, Gaga, Adele, and Billie are just a few of the powerhouse performers touring on the regular. We are truly blessed.

But there’s only one pop star who can flip and twirl on a rope from the ceiling while singing; who performs acrobatics while bungee jumping from the rafters; who will quite literally fly above you while belting a power ballad. It’s P!nk.

P!nk brought her massive Trustfall Tour to Cleveland last Wednesday. An ecstatic crowd at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse watched in awe while P!nk and her entourage of incredible dancers and musicians dazzled. Aside from stunts, P!nk cracked jokes, expressed her gratitude to her fans, and enjoyed some Twizzlers, which she adamantly asserted are better than Red Vines to laughter and protests from Red Vine advocates.

The US tour continues through November before heading to Australia and New Zealand in February.

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For the 27th and final time of their 50-year career, glam metal pioneers, KISS gave Cleveland a pyrotechnic, hard rock extravaganza like only they’re capable of doing.

The night was as one would expect from KISS—an over-the-top stroll down memory lane full of tongue wagging, hip shaking, and pelvic thrusting. The KISS Army was especially enthralled by the occasional stage stunts, including puffs of fire, rising stages, and a war with aliens won by Tommy Thayer’s dual-threat guitar, which served as both a shred machine and a firework-spraying gun.

The Starchild, The Demon, The Spaceman, and The Catman conclude their End of the Road World Tour in New York City at Madison Square Garden in early December. So if KISS is on your concert bucket list, you better get on it!

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This year, beloved underground hip hop genre-benders, JPEGMafia and Danny Brown, teamed up for a joint album and a co-headlining tour.

To our delight, they included a stop in good ol’ Cleveland at the Agora Ballroom. The show was cleverly divided into segments, with the two sharing the stage to perform songs from their Scaring the Hoes collaboration before mini solo sets featuring some of their individual hits.

As anticipated, it was a high energy show, and one that made me wish I had even 2% of JPEGMafia’s stamina. The youthful crowd was elated and sang along, moshed, and crowd-surfed themselves into a sweaty, happy frenzy. The tour concludes at the end of the month, but here’s hoping there’s more to come from these two.

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Not long after her stint opening for Harry Styles, everyone’s favorite psychedelic country songstress, Jenny Lewis, is back on the road with a new album and a headliner slot.

The album—and tour—entitled Joy’All is doing just that: giving folks immense joy in both sound and sight. And on the day of her Cleveland stop at the House of Blues, she received some joyful news herself—her single, “Psychos,” hit #1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. A nice honor for a musician who’s delivered several songs throughout the years deservant of a #1 slot.

As for the concert itself, it was everything I’ve come to expect from a Jenny Lewis show: a showcase of her beautiful voice and lyrical transparency; a top tier backing band; lots of sparkles; some cherry chapstick; a phone call from a dog; balloons with said dog’s face on them (cheers, Bobby Rhubarb); and some hearty belly laughs. Hop on the Joy train, y’all!

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Seattle’s Fleet Foxes kicked off their much anticipated Shore Tour at Cleveland’s Agora Ballroom on June 13th.

Since their inception, the band has released one critically acclaimed album after another, with 2020’s gorgeous Shore even receiving Grammy recognition. Led by Robin Pecknold, Fleet Foxes’ vocal harmonies and stunning string arrangements are enough to melt you—especially live. If there was any rust from being off the road, it was imperceptible.

The crowd was transfixed from the first note of “Sun Giant” to the last note of “Helplessness Blues.” Their tour carries on through the summer and will certainly give audiences a beautiful evening to reflect on.

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The Flaming Lips have been an American psychedelic rock staple since the early ’80s, but truly began receiving due recognition for their instant classic albums, The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots in the late ’90s.

Since, they’ve become a “must see” live act, overloading the audience’s senses in the best ways. For this particular tour, they’re celebrating the 21st anniversary of Yoshimi by playing it in full for set one, with set two being a perfect mixture of fan favorites.

Lead singer and only remaining original member, Wayne Coyne, was captivating as usual. The sold-out crowd at The Agora revelled in the interactive opportunities throughout the night, from confetti (in the shape of robots) showers to laser lights to bouncing balls to Coyne’s signature crowd surfing in a hamster ball. Their tour continues throughout the summer and if you’re looking for a fun (and colorful) night out, I suggest getting yourself a ticket.

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Folk rock divinity, Father John Misty, graced the stage of the Agora this past week, utterly dazzling the sold-out crowd with his showmanship and witty storytelling.

The full band and horns section made for sweeping and orchestral song arrangements—much like FJM’s most recent release, 2022’s Chloë and the Next 20th Century. The whole performance felt (and looked, with the blue and red lighting) incredibly cinematic.

His tour continues through the fall and attendance is encouraged.

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Cleveland loves Andrew Bird and I’m happy to report that the feeling is mutual.

During his sold-out Agora show, Chicago’s beloved son shared that he began his day in a crummy mood (tour exhaustion, the state of the world, etc.) and a day at the ballpark throwing out the first pitch at the Cleveland Guardians game and mingling with “kind folks,” shifted his state of mind. “I like Cleveland,” he declared. We must erect a statue of him now.

The setlist was heavy on his latest (fantastic) release, 2022’s Inside Problems (it’s the Inside Problems Tour, after all), but included some older fan favorites such as “Anoanimal,” “Sisyphus,” and “Pulaski at Night.” As has come to be expected of an Andrew Bird show, it was a simply gorgeous evening of music with his violin soaring through his signature speakers, along with a healthy dose of whistles. He plays Boston tonight before the tour heads to the west coast.

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Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band made their triumphant return to Cleveland, or “the Asbury of the West,” as some like to refer to it (such as the guy seated behind the stage holding a sign that said so) this past Wednesday.

Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse was filled to the brim with beaming fans who were served a three-hour, nonstop rock ‘n’ roll performance by The Boss and the band. I had no idea how many devil horns I’d see punctuating the fan skyline, but there’s just no telling what “Bruuooooooooose” will bring out in ya.

While the setlist doesn’t vary from city to city, Cleveland did get the tour debut of “Atlantic City,” as well as a few other improvised moments, including Springsteen ripping his shirt open (impressive physique at 73!) and later signing a kid’s arm cast. The tour heads east, culminating in New Jersey in what’s sure to be an epic homecoming, before heading abroad for the start of their European run.

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