Tag Archives: Concert

Concert Review: Hot Water Music, Quicksand, Tim Barry | House of Blues | Cleveland, OH | 06/14/2024

If someone were to ask me how old I was when I first got into Hot Water Music, I would tell you I have no idea because it feels like they have been with me for most of my life. The amount of times that band hits my ears is likely excessive, but if you are a fan, you totally understand why.

I was slightly thrown back when I learned earlier this year, they were playing Cleveland in celebration of being a band for 30 years. Three freaking decades of being one of the most prolific punk bands out there. Wild.

To make things even more amazing with their anniversary tour, they announced special guests Tim Barry and Quicksand would be playing Cleveland. There was no way in hell I was going to miss that. Thanks to an old pal, I even was able to snag a photo pass to make it even more memorable by capturing the night.

Seeing Hot Water Music, Quicksand, and Tim Barry on a Friday night in downtown Cleveland was the best way to start the weekend. Outside there were boomers rocking their Rolling Stones shirts a night early to the show they probably spent more than they should have and just tons of other people were enjoying their evening with food and music on Euclid and around E. 4th.

I can tell you through that they all missed out on the best time inside good ol’ House of Blues. The best part was that it was not overcrowded and there were people of all ages in attendance. Worst part was that there was one dude doing merch for all three bands – nice dude, but come on, nothing beats not waiting in line. Back in my day we cut people to get our merch because we had the cash ready… Ok, I am done being grandpa punk.

Tim Barry started the night off to a slew of adoring fans. Armed with his trusty guitar, he came out and did what he does best. I loved that he played “Dog Bumped” with fans singing along, but the best was “Fine Foods Market” when everyone shouting appropriately how fine they were. Storytelling folk punk rock doesn’t get much more entertaining than Barry. He had a great span of tracks from his solo career, but I personally would have loved to have heard more.

Did I wish I was seeing Avail? Well yes, but seeing Barry live is one of my favorite things as I adore this dude.

Now I have been a fan of Quicksand for a long time now, but never had the chance to see them play. Seeing them rip through songs like “Omission”, “Inversion” and “Brown Gargantuan” had me in pure awe. They sounded amazing and, for a brief moment while I was in the photo pit, I just stood there and stared almost forgetting what I was supposed to be doing there for the first three songs.

I love how happy Walter Schreifels and Sergio Vega were on stage. They were just getting into their songs and eating up the crowd’s reaction. They were certainly well-received by almost everyone there.

Walter, Alan, and Sergio had no problem delivering one hell of a set. I hope some of the younger generation at that venue who may had never heard of this post-hardcore band went home and did their homework. My only complaint is I wished they were able to play a proper set. I understand they were a special guest so their time was limited, but come on, it is freaking Quicksand. Hopefully they will come back again soon.

Chuck Ragan and the rest of Hot Water Music took stage just around 10p kicking things off with “Menace”, a new track off their latest release with Chris Cresswell helping with strong vocals.

I about lost my shit when they moved into “Remedy”, perhaps my all-time favorite Hot Water Music track. Once again, I may have froze in that photo pit for a moment as the 25-yeal-old me was freaking the hell out. Needless to say, I was loving every moment of that track.

One cool part of the night was when Ragan paused and offered thanks not only to his band and stagehands but also to the entire venue crediting it not possible to have lasted this long in the business without their help.

The band played “After the Impossible” after admitting they had not played it live yet. They all took a moment to look at one another and just tore into it. I am not sure about the rest of the folk in the house, but it sounded good.

A memorable part of the evening was when Ragan started talking about reaching out for help if you are in a dark place and admitted when he wrote the song he was about to play that he was in a very bad state of mind. He encouraged people to talk about it and not hold it in. Moments later he broke into “Drag My Boy” and I got chills.

I was thrilled they played “Trusty Chords” but it was their last song that just turned a great evening, into the perfect evening.

As they were thanking everyone for coming out, a stagehand ran out with a mic stand and picked up the mic that was on the ground. They broke into “Simple Song” with Tim Barry. I am fairly certain everyone in attendance sang along. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to hear Barry sing that Avail song. Looked like I got some of that wish that I wanted.

No lie, this was one of the best nights of music I have had in a while. Three of my favorite bands playing their hearts out. It does not get much better than that.

Here are a few photos I was able to take. I love I get to do this. Enjoy.

Concert Review: Lagwagon, Grumpster, Heart & Lung – Mahall’s | Lakewood, OH | 21-SEP-2022

Lagwagon has been a punk rock staple when it comes to music for me since my teenage years. When they announced they were touring to celebrate “30-ish” years as being a band tour with a stop in Cleveland, it was a no-brainer for me to make sure I was there.

I was shocked yet stoked they were playing Mahall’s and not another Cleveland venue. I knew it was going to be more of an intimate performance within a small club. I couldn’t have been more right, the night was everything I could have wanted as a fan.

Lagwagon is a California punk band that started in the late 80s. I’d assume you have probably heard of them if you are reading this, so really there is nothing much more to say other than they rule. They have toured the world over and over and have a fanbase like none other.

For a Wednesday night, the club filled up pretty quick just after 8 and people wasted no time drinking all the hipster beers made available at the bar. I was impressed to see so many folk slamming Black Labels there. Back in my day we drank that shit because it was like $3 a 6-pack.

I should as well add that people of all ages were at this show. Young and old combined to see a band that had a major impact on their lives and I for once did not feel like grandpa punk.

Cleveland sweethearts Heart & Lung opened the show and warmed up the crowd with their catchy ass pop punk fun and never-ending humor. By the time their set was done, a few strings were broken, maybe 1 or 2 egos were diminished within the band, but the club was packed with people who really enjoyed their set.

Grumpster, as bassist/vocalist Donnie Walsh explained: “spelled G-R-U-M-P-S-T-E-R”, were just awesome. I recently got into this up and coming Cali punk act and will say they gave it their all. The place was packed as they busted through song after song and everyone seemingly was eating it up. I can see why Lagwagon asked them to play some shows with them.

Lagwagon finally took the stage and the place was just packed and everyone lost their shit the second they started playing. I seriously felt like I went back in time for a moment there and was living my teenage years all over again. What a feeling.

I may have geeked out slightly seeing Joe Raposo (he’s played in Mad Caddies) playing bass as well as marveled at Chris Flippin just shredding away mere feet in front of me. Joey Cape, however, was mostly the focal point as he went through a decent set of songs spanning over the band’s career.

Standing close to the pit, I sang along as almost everyone else did there and for a brief moment, I let my guard down and immediately someone fell/slammed into me almost knocking me off my feet. This was the one time I am glad that mirror pillar to the left of the stage existed as I quickly grabbed onto it and saved myself from falling onto the ground. I cannot say others were ask lucky as the fans were letting loose and recapturing their younger years. All in good fun.

The setlist included so many great songs including “Violin”, “Sleep”, and even “Mr. Coffee.” I tried hard to keep a record of them all, but honestly I just was sucked into the night and wasn’t taking too many mental notes. Sometimes a fan just needs to be a fan.

The “encore” was humorous as 1/2 of the band left the stage while others kind of just hung out explaining to the crowd what was happening. Cape stole Flippin’s guitar while who left for a moment and started playing “Alien 8” solo only for the big man to come back and almost lift him off the stage by the guitar strap as Cape tried to continue to play.

Ending the night with “May 16”, the band concluded a night I know personally I needed. It wasn’t cut short, people were living it up, and best of all there were so many smiles in the crowd. If you were not having a good time at this show, there was clearly something wrong with you.

Cape said it best “we wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you” as he closed out the night in a most humble way. It was true, the band’s success was based off the fans and on a Wednesday night in Cleveland, it was apparent that many of the fans came out to celebrate over three decades of the band doing their thing. What a wild night.

Concert Review: Elliott Brood / The Pack AD / Leah Lou & The 2 Left Shoes – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH – 03/09/2012

I completely forgot that Toronto’s Elliott Brood was coming to town last week and if it wasn’t for a a good friend of mine, I would have surely missed out on an awesome show.  Luckily for me, my pal Kyle was quick to remind me last Friday, hours before the show, that Elliott Brood was playing the Beachland Tavern.  (Thanks Kyle, you are always looking out for me…)

It was a last minute decision to hit up the show, and I can not tell how how glad that I was able to.  The Ontario country / rock act was just about to finish up a stretch of their tour last week in support of their new release Days Into Years, and made sure that Cleveland was one of their destinations.  Touring with their pals The Pack AD, the band turned what could have been a boring Friday evening into something much more entertaining.

Locals Leah Lou & The 2 Left Shoes opened the night with their cute yet harsh indie pop sounds.  At times, I thought that Ms. Leah Lou was going to smash her acoustic guitar into the ground as it would not tune right for her causing the duo to skip over more than one song from their set.  Instead, she hid away her frustrations and used the free time to get to know the crowd as well as introduce her family to them.  When she was able to play some of her songs, the crowd was just eating it up.  I did notice while Leah Lou played her set that Casey Laforet from Elliott Brood was checking her out and was loving what he heard.  How couldn’t he though?  I love this local act.  Lea Lou reminds me of Regina Spektor mixed with Joanna Newsome, but far sassier.  If you have not seen this local act live yet, you really should.

Up next was Vancouver’s The Pack AD and I will admit, I did not know what to expect from this female duo at all.  The young looking lead signer had a punk rock look to her while the drummer appeared to have been well versed in the days of rock n roll.  I was expecting more of a Runaways / Joan Jett sound but was blown away by what I heard.  Their sound was more or less the White Stripes mixed up with some Black Keys with a span of singing stiles that sometimes reminded me of Justin Hawkins (not the high pitched crap) making for some great tunes.  Guitar, drums, and singing was all these ladies delivered and it was awesome.  I loved “Haunt You” as well as when Becky Black just tore up her guitar during “Lights” and also during “Deer” (at least that is what I think the song title was).  A couple gents from Fort Worth, Indiana, actually traveled 3 hours to see these ladies rock out.  At first I questioned why they would do such a thing, but by the set’s end, I fully understood.  I’m shocked that The Pack AD has not already grabbed some major attention already.  I will be checking these girls out more in the near future.

I’ve missed Elliot Brood in the past when they played Cleveland, so I made sure I found a close standing spot to watch the band.  I actually wound up leaning against the small wall by the stage.  As the band played, I could not help but stare at Laforet’s feet as he played what looked like a drum machine hooked up to some organ pedals while playing guitar.  It was a very makeshift instrument, but it was perfect.  He barely even glanced at his feet while playing songs.  It was kind of impressive.

Throughout their set, Marc Sasso joked with the crowd.  At one time he even paid tribute to the SS&W Boardwalk Bar just down on Waterloo and mentioned how he liked to grab drinks there before shows in the past.  He then went on to inform everyone that is where his parents met and eventually conceived him.  Laforet added that he was conceived on the pool table in the corner pocket.  All jokes aside, the band did let the crowd know that they appreciated everyone for coming out.

The band played a lot of tracks off their recent release Days Into Years including “Lindsey” and “If I Get Old”, but was also quick to jam out to some older tunes like “Oh, Alberta” and  my favorite,”Write It All Down For You” (can I tell you all how much better that song sounds when they play it to you in a tavern?).  It was the highlight of my evening.  I would have liked to have seen Stephen Pitkin beat on a suitcase over a drum set like I heard he used to years ago, but I guess you can’t have everything.  Speaking of percussion, Pitkin actually passed out pie tins and wooden spoons towards the end of the set so that the crowd could help Elliott Brood play songs.

Elliot Brood finished up their set and exited the stage.  They had more important things to do, like hang out with the crowd.  It was a great show to start off my weekend and I am sure that all who were there would agree on that.

Concert Review: Frank Turner – Outland On Liberty – Columbus, OH – 02/22/2012

It’s a known fact:  If you speed, you risk a good chance of getting caught.  I can tell you this first hand seeing how I was speeding down I-71 Wednesday evening on my way to see Frank Turner in Columbus.  I was just outside of the state capitol cruising at about 80 m.p.h. not paying attention at all when I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a state trooper shooting my car with his laser gun.  We made eye contact immediately after, and I knew I was screwed.

In a flash, the trooper was tailing my car down I-71 and the moment I switched lanes thinking that maybe, just maybe he would pull the guy over in front of me, he switched lanes again and turned his lights on.

Crap.

I knew I was speeding and was at fault, so I pulled over and waited for the trooper to approach my car and tell me what I already knew.  I tried to tell the state trooper that I was just cruising along and not paying attention to my speed because of how excited I was to be seeing Frank Turner at a venue in Columbus.  The trooper looked at me and asked who Frank Turner was.  I wanted to tell him all about one of my favorite musicians and persuade him to let me off the hook, but just told him that he was a punk rocker folk artist from England.  The trooper smiled at me and told me that he would be back in a moment with my ticket.

Shit.

So, my trip to Columbus from Akron cost me an extra $130 and I have no one to blame but myself.  Then again, if the trooper knew who Frank Turner was, maybe he would have shared his excitement with me and let me off.  After bidding the trooper a farewell, I jumped back on to the highway and made it to the Outland on Liberty.

Having never been to this venue before, I was not sure what to expect at all.  Hell, I had to ask a parking attendant where is was only to feel like a complete idiot when he pointed to the building directly across the street.  To be fair, it was my first time to the brewery district.

Outside, the Outland did not really resemble a venue at all.  Granted Turner’s tour bus was parked in front of it, I did not notice a sign for it nor did it look like your typical concert club.  There was also a Eiffel Tower metal-looking structure in a patio area that towered over everyone that stood out.  I was not sure what the significance was at all, perhaps a tribute.  Walking inside though, I had a completely different impression of the concert venue.  The place looked like what would happen if Austin Powers’ clubhouse turned into a goth club.  Crosses adored the walls and there was a giant tiered stage full of lights.  It was interesting and to be honest, I kind of dug it.

While asking myself if that stage was for real, I realized that there was in a completely different room that hosted the main stage.  Once I made my way to the stage area, I felt a little better about seeing Turner and crew play a normal stage and not a plexi-glass tiered stage, although that might have been awesome.

There were two opening acts and I will not lie,  I did not watch either of the openers as I was too preoccupied with catching up with some of my friends, new and old, who also were attending the show.  I will say though that I did hear one of the guys singing a song about Touchdown Jesus.  That is pretty bad ass if you ask me, but chances are if you are not from Ohio, you have no idea what that heck I am talking about.

Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls (his full band) took the stage around 10 p.m. to the adoring crowd.  Opening with “Eulogy” from the band’s latest release England Keep My Bones, Turner and crew put forth an amazing set.  Playing songs, old and new, the crowd sung along at the top of their lungs with each song.  It was not just a concert, it was a party, a gathering of friends all having a good time.  Following was “Try This At Home” and I could not help but get lost in the song.

Turner and crew continued on playing tracks such as “I Am Disappeared” as well as his tribute to home “Wessex Song”.  I liked how Turner told everyone that he could care less about songs about NYC and L.A. and wanted to pay tribute to where he grew up.  When he asked the crowd if anyone had ever been to England, a few hands rose, and when he asked if anyone was from England, a girl screamed in excitement that she was. I am sure she appreciated that song more than anyone else that night.

Not just keeping to material the fans knew, Turner played a couple brand new including “Cowboy Chords” and “Four Simple Words”.  The latter of the two was really fun to listen to.  Before he sung it, Turner told the crowd that he hoped one day that the crowd would break into a choreographed dance when he played it.  The crowd did their best to dance together, but it was no Broadway performance.

In between the new songs, Turner played “Dan’s Song” but let the crowd know that no one would be invited on stage to play the harmonica solo as he was afraid that there might be a few people who might get pissed that they were not chosen and punch him in the balls after the show.  Instead, he invited the entire crown to play the “air harmonica”.  Basically, everyone cupped their hands into an O shape and screamed whatever noise they wanted to in their hands.  It was no harmonica solo, but it did the job.

Although one of his more popular songs, I was still psyched to hear the band break into “The Road” and later “I Still Believe”.  I could not help but laugh though when they played “Glory Hallelujah”,  knowing that it was Ash Wednesday.

To end the night, Turner set down his acoustic and took the mic belting out Queen’s “Somebody To Love” while the rest of the band rocked out.  This cover was the perfect way to end the show.

It was kind of suiting that the set ended with a Queen song seeing how in the very first song played that night, Turner sang “not everyone can be Freddie Mercury”.  Did anyone else catch that?

Throughout that impressive cover, everyone went insane and naturally wanted more, so it was no surprise to see Turner return to the stage moments after everyone exited.

To barter with the crowd, Turner promised two more songs during the encore and then added one more .  Turner, sans the Sleeping Souls, played an awesome cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and a lot of people could not help but sing along.  Following was the always fun “Ballad Of Me And My Friends.”

During the last song of the night, “Photosynthesis”, the rest of the band joined Turner  on stage and played along.

Frank piped up just before the last chorus of the song and let the crowd know how he felt about rock n roll and said, “I’m always disappointed when rock n roll turns out to be a bunch of fucking dickheads with a tour bus and a raised piece of flooring who show up and make noise with a bunch of fucking hits and just turn around and go home. And no one talks to anyone anymore and no one fucking interacts and it’s boring and pointless and not the kind of shit we are supposed to be doing with our time.”

He continued with, “rock and roll is and always is, and punk rock especially, was about a run for the people who are equals and who are friends, who don’t have a fucking barrier who are doing something together and something communal, something transcending, something necessary…”

Needless to say, the entire venue went ballistic.  His words may very well single handedly changed they way people look at rock n roll in Columbus.

He was not joking about what he said either.  Once the band finished up, they all hung out with the crowd that stuck around.  Turner actually took time to talk to each and every fan that approached him, allowed photographs, and even signed records, fliers, and even a 20-year-old polo shirt (that was odd if you ask me, but who am I to judge?).  I think the greatest thing though, was that Turner was sincere with each interaction and wholeheartedly smiled and his fans, shook their hands, and even gave out hugs.

When I finally had a moment to chat with him, I thanked him for coming back to Ohio and could not help but tell him about my speeding ticket.  He laughed and grabbed my record  and signed it “Keep Speeding”.  He also was quick to give me a hug after we finished talking and I accidentally head butted him.  I was quick to apologize and he laughed and said “it’s ok, I feel as if we are now closer…”

Star struck?  Not one bit.  The guy is just like you and I.  He is real and does not play out for the paycheck.  He appreciates his fans as much as they appreciate him and that, to me, is beyond admirable.

Wednesday night was a good night in my book, well, not the speeding ticket part, but spending time with with some cool people and listening to one of my favorite acts out there definitely was.

Set List:
Eulogy
Try This At Home
If I Ever Stray
Prufrock
I Am Disappeared
Lore, Ire and Song
Wessex Boy
Fastest Way Back Home
Cowboy Chords
Dan’s Song
Four Simple Words
The Road
Peggy Sang The Blues
One Foot Before The Other
Glory Hallelujah
Long Live The Queen
I Still Believe
Somebody To Love (Queen Cover)

Encore:
American Girl (Tom Petty Cover)
Ballad Of Me And My Friends
Photosynthesis

Rock On The Range 2012 Lineup Announced!

Now in its 6th year, the ever popular Rock On The Range is taking over Columbus, OH, from May 18th to the 20th at Columbus Crew Stadium.

“If you thought last time was a blast, then this time we are gonna blow your f#@*ing mind,” – co-headliner Rob Zombie.

The current lineup for RotR 2012 is as follows: Incubus, Rob Zombie, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson, Five Finger Death Punch, Slash, Megadeth, Chevelle, Cypress Hill, Mastodon, Theory of a Deadman, Volbeat, Down, The Darkness, Halestorm, Escape The Fate, P.O.D., Lacuna Coil, Adelitas Way, Black Stone Cherry, Cavo, Attack Attack!, Trivium, Bobaflex, Falling In Reverse, Redlight King, Aranda, Emphatic, Otherwise, James Durbin, Black Tide, Kyng, 12 Stones, SOiL, Rival Sons, Eve To Adam, and Ghosts of August.

That’s a pretty healthy lineup!  I do not know about you, but there a few bands playing this year that I would not mind checking out, including The Darkness, Volbeat, Mastodon, and Down.

To make things even more fun, the Friday Night 4Play returns, which is an absolutely FREE with every RotR weekend ticket purchase. The May 18th party will be featuring performances from Hairball, Foxy Shazam, Hells Bells and more… Did someone say Foxy Shazam???

Tickets go on sale on Friday Feb. 10th at 10am.

This has proved to be a fun weekend festival year after year.  Don’t miss out!