Summer of the Concert Calendar
Somehow I went more than two months since my last concert calendar. Perhaps I was distracted by all the shows I went to in that interval.
- I saw Bela Fleck in yet another iteration, this time with jazz keyboardist Chick Corea at Finney Chapel on April 2. I've come to the conclusion that Fleck's stuff is most interesting when uptempo; this gig, like his one last fall and his one with the Cleveland Orchestra two years back was fun but nowhere near as good as the high energy Flecktones performances.
- I went with several other WRUWites to see The Julie Ruin at the Beachland Ballroom on Monday, April 7. The Julie Ruin is basically Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill. It was fun and loud and I enjoyed it immensely.
- Charles Bradley has flipped off of Daptone records and is touring with a backing band called the Extraordinaires. Wesley Bright opened up for him when they played the Beachland Ballroom on April 22. This was much better than the last time Bradley headlined a show; his previous appearance had a little too much dead time and excessive uninteresting jamming, but this gig was much tighter and all the better for it. However, it's still not as good as it was when he opened for Sharon Jones.
- I went and saw indie rockers Eternal Summers at the Beachland Tavern on May 6 because some of my WRUW friends really like them. It was just ok. If I hadn't written it down on my list I might have forgotten it altogether only a month later.
- Pittsburgh-based, David Lynch-inspired Silencio returned to the Beachland Tavern on May 9. This was third time that I've seen them, and it was the best of the three so far. Moody, atmospheric, lots of saxophone, Silencio is like the weird cousin of Morphine, with occasional obscure 1950s covers thrown in for good measure. I highly recommend them.
- I saw Neko Case for the fourth time (three solo, one New Pornographers) at the Beachland Ballroom on Mother's Day, in what is currently my Show of the Year candidate. She may be the best musician working in America today. Wow. The Dodos opened and were nothing special to my ears.
- I saw my fraternity brother Dashon Burton perform with The Cleveland Orchestra in the Janacek opera "The Cunning Little Vixen" at Severance Hall on May 17. We'd been promised animation, which led me to expect a big animated screen with the singers standing in front of it. Instead, the singers were blended into the animation via little windows in the screen, with complicated masks bringing them closer to the animated figure. Dashon said after that they were very happy with how it came out; I completely understand why.
- I took at $12 bet on Brooklyn-based funk band Turkuaz at the Beachland Ballroom on May 29. The stage was jampacked with two guitarists, a three person horn section, a drummer and two backup singers. This led to some really great moments where the crowd was really grooving, but there was unfortunately some pretty average bits. On the whole, the show underwhelmed.
- Jeremy Messersmith returned to Cleveland for the first time since he played my living room. This time he was at the Beachland Tavern on June 4 with a full band. gieves, Ed, Emma, M and I enjoyed a fun show. I would see him again even if he hadn't played my house.
- I finally crossed The Old 97's off my bucket list when they played the Beachland Ballroom on Thursday, June 5. Lydia Loveless opened up. She was a little lackluster. The Old 97's played for damn near 2 hours, most of it being very high energy. By the end of the gig my knee hurt so much that I was pretty much like "play Time Bomb so I can go home." I'm glad to have seen them, but I think once was enough.
I've now been to the Beachland so many times that Cindy Barber now not only recognizes me but she comes up and says hello. I'm not sure if this is a good sign or not. In any event, thanks for plowing through those descriptions to get to the calendar proper. As usual, bold means I'm in like Flynn, italics means I'm probably in, and everything else is a maybe, or possibly just listed so I remember to play it on my radio show (Sundays at 2pm on 91.1) or so that I can make fun of it.
June
T 6/10 - Hank III @ HOB. Sometimes country, sometimes loud, always good.
W 6/11 - The Black Lillies @ Kent Stage. Americana with rock.
R 6/12 - Carolina Chocolate Drops @ Cain Park. Old-time. Lots of fun the one time I saw them.
S 6/14 - Wanda Jackson w/Alan Leatherwood @ Beachland Ballroom. I've already seen her twice and will be out of town to boot, but my friend Charles of My Minds Eye says this show is essential. It's not often you get to see a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.
S 6/14 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ Grog Shop. One great album.
M 6/16 - John Doe @ Beachland Tavern. He used to be in X. Personally, I think some of his solo stuff is better than anything X ever did, and I say that as someone who loves X. If I was in town I'd absolutely be at this show.
M 6/16 - Elvis Costello @ Playhouse Square. I'm out of town, alas.
T 6/17 - Kaiser Chiefs @ HOB. Dammit, I'm still out of town. They wrote Oh My God.
W 6/18 - Andrew Jackson Jihad @ Grog Shop. I keep hearing good things, but I am out of town.
R 6/19 - Beck @ Playhouse Square. Yep, still out of town.
R 6/19 - Loretta Lynn @ Hard Rock Live Northfield Park. Country legend. And of town.
F 6/20 - Sharon Van Etten @ Beachland Ballroom. My co-host loved her for a while. She was fun when I saw her at a free Rock Hall show.
F 6/20 - Ursula 1000 @ B-Side. DJ I really like. And won't see, since I'm out of town.
S 6/21 - Nikki Lane @ Beachland Tavern. This is a great $12 bet. Her album was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and sounds a little like his solo disc. Again, if I was in town I'd be there.
S 6/21 - Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ Kent Stage. M likes them. If I was in town, I'd take her.
S 6/21 - Lionel Ritchie @ Blossom. Or as Deathtöngue once sang - "Middle of the road, man it stank, let's run over Lionel Richie with a tank." I'd go see Deathtöngue in a heartbeat.
Su 6/22 - Rufus Wainwright @ Kent Stage. Saw him once with Ben Folds & Guster, had a great time.
W 6/25 - Nikki Hill @ Beachland Tavern. A roots/soul type. The station has one track by her, and it's all killer. Definitely worth a $12 bet.
W 6/25 - Honey Wild @ Now That's Class. Indie rock/surf.
F 6/27 - Iron & Wine @ Kent Stage. Indie rock, with some pretention. Ok, lots of pretention.
F 6/27 - Foxy Shazam @ Grog Shop. Someone I trust said this was one of the best live acts he's ever seen. They have one really good song. Why not?
F 6/27 - John Scofield Uberjam w/Trombone Shorty @ Playhouse Square. Part of the Tri-C JazzFest.
F 6/27 - George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ HOB. Everyone with a soul should see P-Funk at least once.
F 6/27 - Gina Sicilia @ Winchester. Blues.
Su 6/29 - Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band @ Nautica. Listed just for MichelleA.
Su 6/29 - JD Wilkes & The Dirt Daubers @ Beachland Tavern. $10 bet on the ex-Legendary Shack Shakers member.
Su 6/29 - Rock & Soul Fest 2014 @ R&R HoF. Line up to be announced.
July
W 7/02 - Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine @ Beachland Ballroom. He's loud, he's angry, bart_calendar says he tour up the stage when he saw him a few months ago. I've seen him do spoken word and am seriously considering going to this.
W 7/02 - Chicha Libre @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series, this one from Cumbia.
F 7/04 - Brave Combo @ Beachland Ballroom. Nothing says Independence Day in Cleveland like polka.
Su 7/06 - Nightmares on Wax @ Grog Shop. Another DJ I like.
T 7/08 - Carsie Blanton @ Beachland Tavern. Looks like an interesting $8 bet on a singer-songwriter.
W 7/09 - Noura Mint Seymali @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series.
R 7/10 - Skid Row @ Agora Ballroom. Statistically speaking, at least one of my friends has to have a worn out copy or two of their albums. Chuck Klosterman did, after all.
Su 7/13 - Phil Ajjarapu @ My Living Room. It's time for another house concert! 7pm at my place. If you aren't on the FB invite, send me a message and I'll add you. Pop from Austin, Texas.
W 7/16 - Conjunto Chappotin @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series.
R 7/17 - BeauSoleil @ Kent Stage. New Orleans zydeco.
F 7/18 & S 7/19 - Diego Figueiredo @ Nightown. Brazilian guitarist.
F 7/18 - Nickel Creek @ Cain Park. Roots music.
S 7/19 - Leon Russell @ Beachland Ballroom. He's good, but I listed this because it's the single most expensive show I've ever seen at the Beachland.
Su 7/20 - Slash @ Hard Rock Live. Slash has more stage presence than anyone I've ever seen.
W 7/23 - Matthew Sweet @ Beachland Ballroom. M wants to see him.
W 7/23 - Baiana System @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series.
R 7/24 - Dick Dale @ Grog Shop. Obligatory surf-guitar legend plug.
R 7/24 - Slaid Cleaves @ Beachland Tavern. I've enjoyed both shows I've seen by this folk rocker.
S 7/26 - Liz Longley @ Beachland Tavern. Another $12 bet on a singer-songwriter.
M 7/28 - Gogol Bordello @ HOB. Gypsy punk. I was underwhelmed when I saw them, but it was at a big outdoor venue. Maybe an enclosed space would help?
T 7/29 Nick Cave @ the Masonic Temple, Detroit, MI
W 7/30 - 7 Seconds @ Grog Shop. The band that named hardcore.
W 7/30 - Mokoomba @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series.
August
R 8/07 - Tori Amos @ Cain Park. Weirdo. This is a good thing.
S 8/09 - Twin Peaks @ Beachland Tavern. $10 bet on on high energy poppy punk from Oregon.
F 8/15 - Survivor @ Hard Rock Live. Do they just play Eye of the Tiger over and over again?
S 8/16 - Yo-Yo Ma & The Cleveland Orchestra @ Blossom. I cannot stress enough how good Yo-Yo Ma is.
S 8/23 - The Cleveland Orchestra performs Carmina Burana @ Blossom. It's just as awesome live as you'd think it was from listening to it.
Beyond
R 9/04 - Orgone @ Grog Shop. Los Angeles's answer to Sharon Jones.
R 9/04 - The Blasters @ Musica. Phil and Dave Alvin's original project.
S 9/06 - The Black Keys @ the Q. That's the night Studio-A-Rama usually is; if it isn't I'll consider it.
M 9/08 - Man or Astroman @ Grog Shop. They've been on my bucket list for ages
R 9/14 - Indigo Girls @ Akron Civic. An old favorite of mine. Judge all you like.
Su 9/14 - Shonen Knife @ Beachland Ballroom. Japanese women doing rock cliches never gets old.
T 9/16 - Sonata Arctica @ Agora Ballroom. Finnish power metal.
R 9/30 - St. Vincent @ HOB. Date changed again. Presented by Beachland.
R 10/02 - The Vibrators @ Now That's Class. One of the first punk bands, now on tour.
S 10/18 - Henry Rollins @ Cleveland Masonic Hall (presented by Grog Shop). Spoken word madness.
10/23 through 10/25 - Hilary Hahn w/The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance. Hahn is an excellent violinist, second only to Itzhak Perlman among the ones I've been fortunate enough to see live.
S 10/25 - Los Straitjackets w/Deke Dickerson @ Beachland Ballroom. Nobody does what they do better. Actually, nobody does what they do, period. Everybody should see them at least once.
S 11/15 - The New Pornographers @ HOB. No idea if Neko will be with them.
F 11/21 - Manowar @ Agora. Crazy Scandinavian metal types.
Su 12/07 - Straight No Chaser @ Playhouse Square. Maybe this is the year I can see their a capella goodness.
I'm gone for one week in June. If I wasn't, it might have been the greatest concert week of the year. I could do John Doe or Elvis Costello on Monday, Kaiser Chiefs on Tuesday, Andrew Jackson Jihad on Wednesday, Beck or Loretta Lynn on Thursday, Sharon Van Etten or Ursula 1000 on Friday and Nikki Lane or Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Saturday. Instead, I'll be camping, so I win either anyway.
How do you find local shows? Try these: Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, Grog Shop, CSU Convocation (aka Wolstein) Center, HOB, Kent Stage, Agora Theater & Ballroom, Quicken Loans Arena, Night Town, Playhouse Square, Rock Hall, Cain Park, Blossom, Nautica Pavilion, Lakewood Civic Auditorium, Severance Hall, E.J. Thomas Hall (Akron), Musica (Akron), Akron Civic, CityMusic Cleveland, Now That's Class, Happy Dog, Mahall's 20 Lanes, Tri-C Jazzfest, Dionysus (Oberlin), Oberlin College, Cleveland Museum of Art, Transformer Station, Hard Rock Live.
On a weird note, The Winchester has been dropped from the roster. The owners closed the club because "selling alcohol did not correspond with their vision of Christian life." Of course, they'd been religious for the last many years and didn't have any problem with it then, but whatever works. I also dropped Wilberts from the list on account of them never having anything I cared to see.
- I saw Bela Fleck in yet another iteration, this time with jazz keyboardist Chick Corea at Finney Chapel on April 2. I've come to the conclusion that Fleck's stuff is most interesting when uptempo; this gig, like his one last fall and his one with the Cleveland Orchestra two years back was fun but nowhere near as good as the high energy Flecktones performances.
- I went with several other WRUWites to see The Julie Ruin at the Beachland Ballroom on Monday, April 7. The Julie Ruin is basically Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill. It was fun and loud and I enjoyed it immensely.
- Charles Bradley has flipped off of Daptone records and is touring with a backing band called the Extraordinaires. Wesley Bright opened up for him when they played the Beachland Ballroom on April 22. This was much better than the last time Bradley headlined a show; his previous appearance had a little too much dead time and excessive uninteresting jamming, but this gig was much tighter and all the better for it. However, it's still not as good as it was when he opened for Sharon Jones.
- I went and saw indie rockers Eternal Summers at the Beachland Tavern on May 6 because some of my WRUW friends really like them. It was just ok. If I hadn't written it down on my list I might have forgotten it altogether only a month later.
- Pittsburgh-based, David Lynch-inspired Silencio returned to the Beachland Tavern on May 9. This was third time that I've seen them, and it was the best of the three so far. Moody, atmospheric, lots of saxophone, Silencio is like the weird cousin of Morphine, with occasional obscure 1950s covers thrown in for good measure. I highly recommend them.
- I saw Neko Case for the fourth time (three solo, one New Pornographers) at the Beachland Ballroom on Mother's Day, in what is currently my Show of the Year candidate. She may be the best musician working in America today. Wow. The Dodos opened and were nothing special to my ears.
- I saw my fraternity brother Dashon Burton perform with The Cleveland Orchestra in the Janacek opera "The Cunning Little Vixen" at Severance Hall on May 17. We'd been promised animation, which led me to expect a big animated screen with the singers standing in front of it. Instead, the singers were blended into the animation via little windows in the screen, with complicated masks bringing them closer to the animated figure. Dashon said after that they were very happy with how it came out; I completely understand why.
- I took at $12 bet on Brooklyn-based funk band Turkuaz at the Beachland Ballroom on May 29. The stage was jampacked with two guitarists, a three person horn section, a drummer and two backup singers. This led to some really great moments where the crowd was really grooving, but there was unfortunately some pretty average bits. On the whole, the show underwhelmed.
- Jeremy Messersmith returned to Cleveland for the first time since he played my living room. This time he was at the Beachland Tavern on June 4 with a full band. gieves, Ed, Emma, M and I enjoyed a fun show. I would see him again even if he hadn't played my house.
- I finally crossed The Old 97's off my bucket list when they played the Beachland Ballroom on Thursday, June 5. Lydia Loveless opened up. She was a little lackluster. The Old 97's played for damn near 2 hours, most of it being very high energy. By the end of the gig my knee hurt so much that I was pretty much like "play Time Bomb so I can go home." I'm glad to have seen them, but I think once was enough.
I've now been to the Beachland so many times that Cindy Barber now not only recognizes me but she comes up and says hello. I'm not sure if this is a good sign or not. In any event, thanks for plowing through those descriptions to get to the calendar proper. As usual, bold means I'm in like Flynn, italics means I'm probably in, and everything else is a maybe, or possibly just listed so I remember to play it on my radio show (Sundays at 2pm on 91.1) or so that I can make fun of it.
June
T 6/10 - Hank III @ HOB. Sometimes country, sometimes loud, always good.
W 6/11 - The Black Lillies @ Kent Stage. Americana with rock.
R 6/12 - Carolina Chocolate Drops @ Cain Park. Old-time. Lots of fun the one time I saw them.
S 6/14 - Wanda Jackson w/Alan Leatherwood @ Beachland Ballroom. I've already seen her twice and will be out of town to boot, but my friend Charles of My Minds Eye says this show is essential. It's not often you get to see a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.
S 6/14 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ Grog Shop. One great album.
M 6/16 - John Doe @ Beachland Tavern. He used to be in X. Personally, I think some of his solo stuff is better than anything X ever did, and I say that as someone who loves X. If I was in town I'd absolutely be at this show.
M 6/16 - Elvis Costello @ Playhouse Square. I'm out of town, alas.
T 6/17 - Kaiser Chiefs @ HOB. Dammit, I'm still out of town. They wrote Oh My God.
W 6/18 - Andrew Jackson Jihad @ Grog Shop. I keep hearing good things, but I am out of town.
R 6/19 - Beck @ Playhouse Square. Yep, still out of town.
R 6/19 - Loretta Lynn @ Hard Rock Live Northfield Park. Country legend. And of town.
F 6/20 - Sharon Van Etten @ Beachland Ballroom. My co-host loved her for a while. She was fun when I saw her at a free Rock Hall show.
F 6/20 - Ursula 1000 @ B-Side. DJ I really like. And won't see, since I'm out of town.
S 6/21 - Nikki Lane @ Beachland Tavern. This is a great $12 bet. Her album was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and sounds a little like his solo disc. Again, if I was in town I'd be there.
S 6/21 - Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ Kent Stage. M likes them. If I was in town, I'd take her.
S 6/21 - Lionel Ritchie @ Blossom. Or as Deathtöngue once sang - "Middle of the road, man it stank, let's run over Lionel Richie with a tank." I'd go see Deathtöngue in a heartbeat.
Su 6/22 - Rufus Wainwright @ Kent Stage. Saw him once with Ben Folds & Guster, had a great time.
W 6/25 - Nikki Hill @ Beachland Tavern. A roots/soul type. The station has one track by her, and it's all killer. Definitely worth a $12 bet.
W 6/25 - Honey Wild @ Now That's Class. Indie rock/surf.
F 6/27 - Iron & Wine @ Kent Stage. Indie rock, with some pretention. Ok, lots of pretention.
F 6/27 - Foxy Shazam @ Grog Shop. Someone I trust said this was one of the best live acts he's ever seen. They have one really good song. Why not?
F 6/27 - John Scofield Uberjam w/Trombone Shorty @ Playhouse Square. Part of the Tri-C JazzFest.
F 6/27 - George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ HOB. Everyone with a soul should see P-Funk at least once.
F 6/27 - Gina Sicilia @ Winchester. Blues.
Su 6/29 - Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band @ Nautica. Listed just for MichelleA.
Su 6/29 - JD Wilkes & The Dirt Daubers @ Beachland Tavern. $10 bet on the ex-Legendary Shack Shakers member.
Su 6/29 - Rock & Soul Fest 2014 @ R&R HoF. Line up to be announced.
July
W 7/02 - Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine @ Beachland Ballroom. He's loud, he's angry, bart_calendar says he tour up the stage when he saw him a few months ago. I've seen him do spoken word and am seriously considering going to this.
W 7/02 - Chicha Libre @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series, this one from Cumbia.
F 7/04 - Brave Combo @ Beachland Ballroom. Nothing says Independence Day in Cleveland like polka.
Su 7/06 - Nightmares on Wax @ Grog Shop. Another DJ I like.
T 7/08 - Carsie Blanton @ Beachland Tavern. Looks like an interesting $8 bet on a singer-songwriter.
W 7/09 - Noura Mint Seymali @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series.
R 7/10 - Skid Row @ Agora Ballroom. Statistically speaking, at least one of my friends has to have a worn out copy or two of their albums. Chuck Klosterman did, after all.
Su 7/13 - Phil Ajjarapu @ My Living Room. It's time for another house concert! 7pm at my place. If you aren't on the FB invite, send me a message and I'll add you. Pop from Austin, Texas.
W 7/16 - Conjunto Chappotin @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series.
R 7/17 - BeauSoleil @ Kent Stage. New Orleans zydeco.
F 7/18 & S 7/19 - Diego Figueiredo @ Nightown. Brazilian guitarist.
F 7/18 - Nickel Creek @ Cain Park. Roots music.
S 7/19 - Leon Russell @ Beachland Ballroom. He's good, but I listed this because it's the single most expensive show I've ever seen at the Beachland.
Su 7/20 - Slash @ Hard Rock Live. Slash has more stage presence than anyone I've ever seen.
W 7/23 - Matthew Sweet @ Beachland Ballroom. M wants to see him.
W 7/23 - Baiana System @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series.
R 7/24 - Dick Dale @ Grog Shop. Obligatory surf-guitar legend plug.
R 7/24 - Slaid Cleaves @ Beachland Tavern. I've enjoyed both shows I've seen by this folk rocker.
S 7/26 - Liz Longley @ Beachland Tavern. Another $12 bet on a singer-songwriter.
M 7/28 - Gogol Bordello @ HOB. Gypsy punk. I was underwhelmed when I saw them, but it was at a big outdoor venue. Maybe an enclosed space would help?
T 7/29 Nick Cave @ the Masonic Temple, Detroit, MI
W 7/30 - 7 Seconds @ Grog Shop. The band that named hardcore.
W 7/30 - Mokoomba @ Transformer Station. Free outdoor concert series.
August
R 8/07 - Tori Amos @ Cain Park. Weirdo. This is a good thing.
S 8/09 - Twin Peaks @ Beachland Tavern. $10 bet on on high energy poppy punk from Oregon.
F 8/15 - Survivor @ Hard Rock Live. Do they just play Eye of the Tiger over and over again?
S 8/16 - Yo-Yo Ma & The Cleveland Orchestra @ Blossom. I cannot stress enough how good Yo-Yo Ma is.
S 8/23 - The Cleveland Orchestra performs Carmina Burana @ Blossom. It's just as awesome live as you'd think it was from listening to it.
Beyond
R 9/04 - Orgone @ Grog Shop. Los Angeles's answer to Sharon Jones.
R 9/04 - The Blasters @ Musica. Phil and Dave Alvin's original project.
S 9/06 - The Black Keys @ the Q. That's the night Studio-A-Rama usually is; if it isn't I'll consider it.
M 9/08 - Man or Astroman @ Grog Shop. They've been on my bucket list for ages
R 9/14 - Indigo Girls @ Akron Civic. An old favorite of mine. Judge all you like.
Su 9/14 - Shonen Knife @ Beachland Ballroom. Japanese women doing rock cliches never gets old.
T 9/16 - Sonata Arctica @ Agora Ballroom. Finnish power metal.
R 9/30 - St. Vincent @ HOB. Date changed again. Presented by Beachland.
R 10/02 - The Vibrators @ Now That's Class. One of the first punk bands, now on tour.
S 10/18 - Henry Rollins @ Cleveland Masonic Hall (presented by Grog Shop). Spoken word madness.
10/23 through 10/25 - Hilary Hahn w/The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance. Hahn is an excellent violinist, second only to Itzhak Perlman among the ones I've been fortunate enough to see live.
S 10/25 - Los Straitjackets w/Deke Dickerson @ Beachland Ballroom. Nobody does what they do better. Actually, nobody does what they do, period. Everybody should see them at least once.
S 11/15 - The New Pornographers @ HOB. No idea if Neko will be with them.
F 11/21 - Manowar @ Agora. Crazy Scandinavian metal types.
Su 12/07 - Straight No Chaser @ Playhouse Square. Maybe this is the year I can see their a capella goodness.
I'm gone for one week in June. If I wasn't, it might have been the greatest concert week of the year. I could do John Doe or Elvis Costello on Monday, Kaiser Chiefs on Tuesday, Andrew Jackson Jihad on Wednesday, Beck or Loretta Lynn on Thursday, Sharon Van Etten or Ursula 1000 on Friday and Nikki Lane or Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Saturday. Instead, I'll be camping, so I win either anyway.
How do you find local shows? Try these: Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, Grog Shop, CSU Convocation (aka Wolstein) Center, HOB, Kent Stage, Agora Theater & Ballroom, Quicken Loans Arena, Night Town, Playhouse Square, Rock Hall, Cain Park, Blossom, Nautica Pavilion, Lakewood Civic Auditorium, Severance Hall, E.J. Thomas Hall (Akron), Musica (Akron), Akron Civic, CityMusic Cleveland, Now That's Class, Happy Dog, Mahall's 20 Lanes, Tri-C Jazzfest, Dionysus (Oberlin), Oberlin College, Cleveland Museum of Art, Transformer Station, Hard Rock Live.
On a weird note, The Winchester has been dropped from the roster. The owners closed the club because "selling alcohol did not correspond with their vision of Christian life." Of course, they'd been religious for the last many years and didn't have any problem with it then, but whatever works. I also dropped Wilberts from the list on account of them never having anything I cared to see.