Category Archives: Cleveland

Cleveland, Good Times, Live Shows, Music, Music Video, Punk, Review

The Bouncing Souls, The Loved Ones, Black President – Grog Shop – Cleveland , OH – 05/07/09 – Concert Review

11 May, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

It was a memorable punk rock event Thursday night at the Grog Shop thanks to The Bouncing Souls, The Loved Ones, and Black President. The three bands actually had just performed to a packed the house the night before as the bands made a two night stop at the well known Cleveland venue. Having not been able to attend both shows I am glad I was at least able to be at one seeing how great of an evening I had.

New Jersey’s The Bouncing Souls have taken this entire year to celebrate being a punk rock band for 20 years. To commemorate their success the band has been releasing a song a month for download available on their own label’s website Chunksaah Records for the entire 2009 year. The band also will be releasing a limited edition 7″ every third month of the year available online, at select music shops, and of course at their live shows. If that was not good enough for a festivity, the band decided to hit the road on a string of tours to select cities. Accompanying The Bouncing Souls were friends The Loved Ones and punk rock super group Black President.

Bouncing Souls Celebrating 20 Years — Bouncing Souls Celebrate 20 Years

The venue filled up quickly and featured all sorts of fans, many who were at the previous night’s show. Punk rockers of all ages hung out in the dark venue waiting for what was to come. I joked to my friends how old I felt seeing that I saw The Bouncing Souls open for NOFX in 1998. Still I refused to let age affect me and was excited to be a part of the evening as I had been looking forward to this show for weeks.

Black President started off the evening and pretty much set the mood for the rest of the evening with their energy. Formed in 2005 well before Barack Obama because his quest, a lot of ticket holders thought that the band name was created after the fact of our current president. The band consisting of some pretty important punk rockers like Charlie Paulson of Goldfinger and Dave Raun of Lagwagon did not get the full credit they deserved by all who attended from the start but the crowd seemed to warm up to them. I myself was enthralled the moment the band broke into a Motorhead cover of “Iron Fist” and then announced it was their first time playing the song live. Blasting through selected songs from their self titled debut release including “Last F#cking Hope” the band won me over and much of the crowd as well.

The Loved Ones, hailing from Philadelphia, may not have been around for twenty years but they took stage and played their hearts out to the welcoming crowd. This Fat Wreck Chords act has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years now so it was great to finally see them play the stage. Playing songs from their recent EP Distractions as well as former releases Build & Burn and Keep Your Heart, including the catchy song “The Bridge”, the band sounded solid and looked to be having a great time performing to the near sold out crowd.

Before The Bouncing Souls even took stage fans were screaming the trademark Bouncing Souls soccer chant “Ole” jointly. The moment the Bouncing Souls took stage and started playing the temperature rose a good ten degrees in the venue from all the movement in the crowd. With arms in the air, and some legs too, the fans were truly going ballistic for the main act of the evening.

Greg Attonito and crew were all smiles as they ripped through show starter “True Believer”. Classic tracks such as “That Song”, Here We Go”, Lean On Sheena”, and “I Like Your Mom” continued the set with almost all the fans singing along to. At times the lead singer looked more of a lounge act as he slowly graced the stage to the left and right and just seemed so at peace with the environment surrounding him.

Towards the middle of the set Greg Attonito grabbed an acoustic guitar and played a very chill version of the Misfits‘ “Hybrid Moments” which brought grins to the faces of all the real punk rockers in the crowd. I sang along with everyone else and for a brief moment felt like a kid all over again.

I was not at a Bouncing Souls show that night, I was at a Bouncing Souls celebration for them being a punk act for 20 years. Having been a fan of them for most of those 20 year I felt so fortunate to be a part of the festivities and enjoyed every moment of the evening. Openers Black President were a treat to see live as were The Loved Ones making for an ultimate night of punk rock fun.

I managed to take a couple of photos that night at the show but the Grog Shop has terrible lighting and I do not use a flash out of repsect for the artists performing. Here are a couple that came out that looked ok in black & white. I would have gotten closer for some shots but the pits for all three performance were pretty insane and I love my camera too much to risk damage to it.

(ok, I’m not going to lie…these pics SUCK. Better luck next time I guess…)

Here is a video of the acoustic version of “Hybrid Moments” taken from another venue:

Black President music video:

The Loved Ones music video:

Cleveland, Good Times, Live Shows, Metal, Music, Progressive Rock, Review

Mastodon – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH – 05/02/2009 – Concert Review

5 May, 2009 Brian Mc 1 Comment

I am sure it is safe to say that there was a lot of ringing going on in the ears of many fans who attended the Mastodon show at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH. Of the hundreds of shows I have attended in my time, this was by far one of the loudest. The show was sold out, and had been for months, so needless to say there were a lot of excited folk in the house.

When I first heard that Atlanta heavy metal / prog rock artists Mastodon were going to be playing at the Beachland Ballroom with special guests Intronaut and Kylesa, I knew it would sell out quickly because of the smaller capacity venue. Sadly I was not able to get a ticket in time and I really thought that I was going to miss this show. As luck would have it someone reached out to me with an extra ticket. Matt, you are my hero.

Before I even continue I need to make it clear that I am “one of those fans” meaning that I am not a long time Mastodon fan. I have heard of them since they started and checked out their material but it was not until Crack The Skye that I really started to appreciate them. Since the release I have collected the band’s entire catalog and realized what I had been missing. Call me what you want, Crack The Skye is still my personal favorite album by the band so one could imagine my excitement to witness the entire album being played start to finish with no interruptions.

My two friends Shannon and Josh from West Virginia had mentioned they were making the 4+ hour drive to see Mastodon and that they had purchased tickets earlier. We decided to meet up and attend the show together. After many hours of showing them around Cleveland (My Mind’s Eye was a fav stop for them) we finally arrived to the Beachland Ballroom three hours prior to showtime. We arrived early to meet up with Matt and also check out Music Saves as well as other shops on Waterloo.

As luck would have it members of Mastodon, more specifically Brann Dailor the drummer, and guitarist Bill Kelliher were checking out Waterloo Ave, mostly looking for some food. Shannon spotted Brann while we were shopping inside Music Saves, and being the huge fan she is she took off out the store and was able to get the ultimate concert souviner, a photograph of her and Brann. Brann was more than kind to pose with her and even thanked her for having the picture taken with him. Shannon’s day was complete and the show hadn’t even started.

Metal fans young and old filled up the Beachland Ballroom at a quick rate and Intronaut began the show to cheering fans. Having never heard their material before I got a kick out of how they would throw in almost jazzy sounding instrumental breaks in between their brutal heavy metal playing. Sadly they only knocked out a couple of songs and left the stage leaving some of the fans wanting much more.

Kylesa was up next and having never heard them either I was not sure what to expect. While the band set up Josh noted that there were two drum sets on stage and in no time the sludge metal act were hammering out songs impressing me and my out of town concert buddies. I loved how the singing duties revolved around the stage while the duel drummers almost seemed to out drum one another. I’ll be checking this Georgia act out some more soon.

The crowd in the venue seemed to double just before Mastodon took stage. Just prior to them doing so I was able to exit the Beachland Ballroom and hand off a ticket to Adam who had to work late but managed to meet us there just in time. We all found a spot just in front of the soundboard and planted out feet for what was to come.

It seemed that Mastodon came to Cleveland to do their job and then leave. They never said hello, they just picked up their instruments and began playing “Oblivion”, the first song off of Crack The Skye. The stage was clear of distractions with the exception of a giant screen hung behind them. During the performance, strange visuals were propped up on the screen showing black and white images that reminded me of something H. P. Lovecraft might have written a story about with helmeted warriors, wizards, and fair maidens as well as a cosmic atmosphere.

The band members some bearded and messy haired, minus drummer Brann Dailor who is more of a clean cut chap, were not there to entertain, they were there to perform. The band collectively kept concentrated while executing their latest masterpiece to the fans and did so very well. The band continued playing until the album was covered start to finish and then left the stage for a break. Hearing the entire album played live was just incredible.

While on their short break a great Mastodon album cover morph animation displayed on the screen that kept repeating itself almost hypnotizing the fans making them scream louder and louder for the metal band of the night to continue their performance.

The band returned to stage and offered a selection of tracks from their past albums Blood Mountain, Leviathan, and Remission. The songs were much faster and, to some, were songs fans came to see. Even if I am “one of those fans”, I enjoyed what I heard and a couple of the tracks were familiar to my ears. I was enjoying every eardrum destroying moment and felt cheated when the band finished their final song and exited stage. I was selfish and I wanted more.

Considering the band will be touring with Metallica this summer I think it is safe to say this is the last time Mastodon will play smaller venues. I am glad to have been a part of a more intimate show that evening as were everyone else surrounding me. It was a top notch performance by an up and coming metal band I have the feeling will be going places in the music world.

Here’s a video a fellow concert goer took of Mastodon opening the show with “Oblivion”. Not the greatest quality but it should give you a taste of what I experienced that amazing evening:

Cleveland, Live Shows, Metal, Music, Progressive Rock, Rock

Coheed & Cambria Join Heaven & Hell This Summer

4 May, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

This is a huge annoucement!!! Coheed & Cambria were hinting about something good today on their Twitter account…

Coheed & Cambria were selected by Heaven & Hell (Ronnie James Dio, Tony Ioomi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice) to join them for a summer tour.

The following comes from a Sony Music announcement:

(May 4, 2009 – New York, NY) Coheed and Cambria, the progressive rock outfit who are recording their fifth album, are also spreading their wings by playing to new audiences in 2009 creating more visibility in the metal world, as well as the jam and indie circles more than ever. Earlier this year, the band supported the heavy metal juggernaut, Slipknot, and now mix that with varied festivals such as Mountain Jam, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits it’s hard to find a current band that can stretch those kinds of boundaries.

There is another reason for Coheed supporting H&H. Black Sabbath (Dio version) was Claudio and Travis’ favorite group growing up, and Claudio’s very first concert – at NY’s Beacon Theater in October of 1992. “The night would prove to be one of the most influential of my life. I got the overwhelming feeling that the whole stage was alive–the lights seemed to be as controlled by the sounds as everyone there, and I would exit the venue that night with a fire lit under me.”

Seventeen years later, the band shares the stage with their mentors.

HEAVEN & HELL TOUR DATES
8/07 – Vancouver, BC – Thunderbird Arena
8/10 – San Jose, CA – Event Center Arena
8/11 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theater
8/12 – Phoenix, AZ – Dodge Theater
8/14 – Albuquerque, NM – Journal Pavilion
8/15 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks
8/18 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion
8/19 – Chicago, IL – Charter One Pavilion
8/21 – Detroit, MI – Meadow Brook Pavilion
8/22 – Cleveland, OH – Nautica Pavilion
8/23 – Baltimore, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion
8/25 – New York, NY – WaMu Theater @ MSG
8/27 – Wallingford, CT – Chevrolet Theatre
8/28 – Boston, MA – Bank of America Pavilion

This is going to be a unique show for sure and I am planning on checking out the Cleveland stop. I’m shocked to see the Cleveland stop is being played at Nautica, a smaller venue than the last venue that Heaven & Hell played at. This show will be selling out so make sure you get your tickets as soon as they go on sale.

I have a feeling many of the Heaven & Hell fans are going to be asking why Coheed & Cambria was chosen and not another metal band… After all the last time I saw Heaven & Hell tour a few years back, Machine Head and Megadeth opened for them.

I think that once Coheed & Cambria takes the stage in front of those questioning fans and dish out a few songs they will not wonder anymore. Live Coheed is amazing and I am hoping will be appreciated by Heaven & Hell fans.

Heaven & Hell released their first album in 17 years titled The Devil You Know.

Coheed & Cambria recently released Neverender a box set of a live show they played in NYC last October where they played four nights, each night playing an entire album start to finish.

Cleveland, Live Shows, Metal, Music, Pop, Progressive Rock, WTF

Crack The Circus

29 April, 2009 Brian Mc 1 Comment

I’ve been keeping a secret of sorts for the last week from you all. It has to do with music so I hope none of you are too shocked… I have two shows lined up this week that I am attending.

Tomorrow I am headed to Columbus to one of them.

Who am I seeing you ask? Good question.

First let me tell you who I am seeing this Saturday with Matt and two of my out of town friends…

Mastodon

On the night of Gaslight Anthem a couple of weeks ago Matt gazed into my eyes and asked “do you like Mastodon and would you be interested in catching them in a couple weeks?” My answer was of course yes. The show is sold out at the Beachland in Cleveland and until Matt hooked me up I really thought I was not going at all. My friends Shannon and Josh from West Virginia reached out to me a month ago stating they were driving all the way up here to see them. I told them we would all go so it will be even more enjoyable now.

A lot of people are loving Mastodon’s new album Crack the Skye with the progressive metal wizard rock. Some on the other hand think the band went soft because this album is not as hard as the others and there is actually harmonic singing this time. I think it is awesome and from what I heard the band will be playing the entire Crack the Skye album start to finish during one set followed a second set full of older material. I can not wait! The CD is one of my favorite releases so far this year.

Still wondering who I am seeing tomorrow? I will give you a couple of hints…

-I am not a fan at all
-Under normal circumstances I would not be caught dead at this type of show
-I own nothing by this artist

So if I am not a fan and would not want to be caught dead at this show then why am I going you wonder?

Well I used to be a part of an alt-girl pin up website where I met a lot of cool people. After leaving I stayed in touch with a few of the members who were more so friends. Actually Shannon and Josh, my WV pals, are from the site. Anyways one of the guys on the site went by the name Prendick. He and I became good friends while I was on that site and continued to keep in touch after I left.

Prendick had something happen to him last week that will change his life forever. To respect his privacy I will not discuss what happened but he reached out to me last week saying he had tickets to a show in Columbus and asked if I would take the place of someone. Under the circumstances I told him of course I would attend.

Tomorrow night I am going to see Britney Spears.

Brokenheadphones at a Britney Spears concert??? Yes, I laugh at it too but I am actually looking forward to it now. Mostly I am looking forward to hanging out with Prendick but I have been told the show has been entertaining. I will do my best to take a few photos and post them here.

So this week is all about pop rock and metal. This shockingly is not the first time I have been through something like this.

Years ago during the same week I saw Pink and a couple days later Slayer. I remember sitting 4th rock center at the Pink show surrounded by screaming girls in pink shirts as I slammed beers and wore a CKY shirt. Pink actually looked at me for a second because I stuck out so bad.

Anything is possible I guess.

Have you ever been to a live show that you did not tell your friends about or have you ever gone to a show that you never in your life thought you would? I want to know!

Cleveland, Listing It Up, Live Shows, Music, Punk, Top 12

My Top 12 Live Punk Rock Albums

28 April, 2009 Brian Mc 6 Comments

I just viewed a clip of an amazing video taken from a Bruce Springsteen live show recently where he brought punk rock legend Mike Ness on stage to play “Bad Luck”. Have you seen it?

This was just another one of those random concert highlights made possible by a live show with a performer who had a good idea for the evening and the fans who were all in attendance that night now have ultimate bragging rights as they can say “I was there.”

I have always been a fan of live shows and will always be. It’s one of those things in life that I enjoy doing and can not see myself quitting anytime soon. The atmosphere alone with screaming fans and endless smiles makes the experience worth returning to. I love being a part of the evening and telling friends what I saw the next day followed by a bold “I was there” bragging statement about something only the ticket holders that night got to see before anyone else.

I admit I do not attend as many shows as I used to but I still make an effort to hit a few local venues and festivals every year just to keep the momentum going. If a band I am a fan of rolls through town I do what I can to make arrangements to get to the venue that night to see them.

When not driving downtown to see shows I like to occasionally listen to a live show from the comfort of my home. It’s easy to say I would rather be in a packed club listening to live music as the experience is like none other, but sometimes just hanging out at home is good enough as well.

Having a decent collection of live albums I thought I would narrow things down a bit and ask myself:

What Are My Top 10 Live Punk Rock Albums?

Scratch that…

What Are My Top 12 Live Punk Rock Albums?

Twelve is much better of a number to work with where there is so many live CDs to choose from.

Sure I could have a top live shows list from all genres but that would take me forever. As a music lover there are a ton of recorded shows out there that I own or have listened to that have had a huge impact on me. I think it would be best to start with baby steps with the genre of music that means the most to me; punk rock. I also decided to keep it to actual releases by record labels and include no bootlegs (although I have some amazing live shows that never were released…)

After pondering this question for a couple of days I soon realized how hard this was for me to answer. I had a nice sized list of live shows in my head but found it was no easy task to narrow down. For the record, this was a very difficult list to compile for me as a fan. There are so many other bands that deserve to be on this list but these top twelve mean the most to me.

In no particular order I here are my top twelve live punk rock CDs:

Social Distortion – Live At The Roxy
Mike Ness and crew always put on a good live show and this CD is listening proof. Having been a long time fan of this band it was clear that this CD needed to be on my list. Mike Ness more than a punk rock legend, the guy, to me, is a god and will be playing his heart out on stages all over the world until he is 100 years old. I will never grow tired of this CD ever.

NOFX – I Heard They Suck Live
Without a doubt this was one of the most entertaining live CDs I have ever heard. I remember buying the cassette and playing it over and over memorizing even the talking in between songs. NOFX puts on a fine show as well featuring all sorts of independent hits. I find it humorous that I list this CD directly after Social D because this show was played at the Roxy as well to a crowd of rowdy fans. If you have not heard it you are missing out, unless you are not a fan of NOFX.

The Clash –From Here To Eternity Live
Ok I am sure you are wondering why this album has a big line through it. Truth is I loved this CD for years until I heard a recent live release…

The Clash –Live At Shea Stadium
Now before you all jump on me and remind me that this CD is just The Clash (minus the original drummer) playing more popular songs hear me out. This show was not even a headlining show (they were opening for The Who) and the year was 1982; right about the time The Clash was headed on a downward spiral the would lead to the dismissal of the group. The set was shorter than their other live CDs but to me it was a great listen start to finish. I have listened to this CD a lot since it was released and it has made me reignite my love for one of the greatest punk bands of my time.

The Dead Kennedy’s – Live At The Deaf Club
Just thinking of how this shoe was recorded in 1983 still amazes me. My first and only taste of a live performance by this band was when I heard the improv “Night Of The Living Rednecks” on Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death. I was sucked in by Jello Biafra’s method of story telling on this track and of course a fan of The Dead Kennedy’s so it was more or less a bonus to me when a full length live CD was finally released. It also kills me that I was 2 years old when this concert took place. I’d love to hear from someone who was at this show just to hear their personal experience.

Ramones – Loco Live
Do I really need to explain myself here? Over thirty quick punk rock classics on one CD from the band that started punk rock in the states. I don’t think many folk can disagree that this CD belongs in anyone’s live punk CD list. It’s not top quality but it sure is fun as hell.

Bad Religion – Tested
This CD was not added into my collection for quite some time mainly because the CD was not readily available locally to me. Once I did get my hands on it though it became one of my favorite CDs to listen to by Bad Religion. I loved how the band recorded this CD, by plugging directly into their mics which in turn eliminated a lot of the crowd making for a more solid listen. With a solid setlist and exceptional performance by the punk rockers this is one of my favorite love CDs out there.

Flogging Molly – Alive Behind The Green Door
This Irish punk rock act is, without a doubt, one of the greatest bands to see live in my opinion. One thing I love about this disc is that it was released before any of their studio albums and recorded at Molly Malones, the bar where this band got their start. There are not a lot of bands out there that have followed this approach by releasing a CD full of songs that later would be studio recorded on to various releases over the years. The performance is clearly under the influence but ever so much fun.

Misfits – Evilive
The recording of this live show is horrible yet I love it. It is about the closest listen I have ever gotten to true live Misfits from back in the day. I did once witness the Misfits when Michael Graves took over the singing duties but it was no Glen Danzig and spite the good time I had it was not a genuine Misfits experience. This is a show I only dreamed of saying “I was there.” Full of classic songs, I also loved hearing Henry Rollins guest sing on “We Are 138.”

Death By Stereo – Death Alive
Many people may have not heard this CD when it first released as it was first given out for free with issues of the Volume 3 issue of Law of Inertia magazine in 2003. In 2007 the live performance was reissued by the band as Law Of Inertia went out of print and many fans missed out on this incredible recording. If you are a fan Death By Stereo or just good wholesome hardcore punk you really should check out this CD. This benefit show is full of so much energy I am surprised no one was hurt in the recording of it.

Face To Face – Live: Face To Face
Trevor Keith and crew have always had a special place in my punk rock heart. I love this band, always will, and this CD is listening proof of how great they are. The songs are all raw and full of energy and just impress track after track. When I think of a live album that I could listen to over and over again this is the one.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Live From The Middle East
Ska is not dead, never was, never will be. Ska may not be very popular these days but if you are a fan of the genre I suspect will be making a comeback soon, I am sure you know who the Bosstones are and very well have heard this CD. The performance contained in this CD makes it worthy of multiple listens. Such a great CD from beginning to end.

Against Me! – Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live In London!!!
Singing and shouting and good times for all on this CD. If you only have New Wave in your collection I think it would be best to put that down and go out and find this CD. I find myself singing along as if I were actually at the show while listening to this CD. That to me is a good live album.

Again, this list was so hard to compile. I would make a list of a whole bunch of band’s live CDs and then start crossing them out once I thought of another. I am sure I will be hearing from a lot of folk telling me I missed someone and at that time I will smack myself in the head and hate myself for 9 seconds because I forgot about a phenomenal show. I am ok with that though because I know there are a lot of awesome shows out there. A lot of artists can be put in this list but after all, it is my top 12.

I’d love to hear what your top 12, 10, even 2 are! As music fans we are entitled to what we like and sharing the love for music is a great thing.