Valentine's Day Concert Calendar
Ok, so this isn't really a Valentine's Day concert calendar. But it's too late to call it a New Year's Concert Calendar, so you'll just have to put up with it.
Since I posted my last 2014 concert capsules I've only been to two concerts. It's not great, but I've been busy. At least the two concerts were pretty good.
- On January 10 I made my first concert visit to Mahall's Bowling Alley. It's close enough to my house that I could have walked or biked if it wasn't a gazillion degrees below freezing. In any event, the occasion was a $5 bet on a local band called the Fiscal Spliff Band. They do Fela Kuti style Afro-beat, and they do it very well.
- The following Friday I saw something much stranger at the Art Museum. Intonarumori were experimental instruments constructed in Italy back before World War I. Those ones were lost, but they have been recreated by musician and academic Lucian Chessa as well as the historical record will allow. He was in town with his 'orchestra'. I personally thought it was strange and bizarre and fantastic, with strange atonal noises coming from the stage. I liked it. It's probably not for most people though. This may explain why so many of my radio colleagues were there!
Anyway, on to the calendar. As in calendars past, bold means I'm in for sure, and italics means I'm more than usually interested. Everything else is listed for radio usage or my own entertainment.
February
R 2/12 - Bettye LaVette @ Music Box Concert Club. 60's Soul R&B singer who had a career revival about a decade ago.
F 2/13 - Hot Sardines @ EJ Thomas. 1920s style jazz.
Su 2/15 - Shemekia Copeland @ Music Box Concert Hall. Blues.
W 2/18 - Fleetwood Mac @ The Q. They got the whole band back together.
W 2/18 - Dirty Dozen Brass Band @ Kent Stage. You know how I feel about brass bands.
F 2/20 - Mojoflo @ Musica. My god, there are neo-soul bands everywhere now. I give it another year or two before the fad implodes.
T 2/24 - 2Cellos @ EJ Thomas. "Hey, we can get more people watching us if we play pop songs on cellos." "Yeah, Apocalyptica proved that years ago." Their new album is fun and includes a cover of Iron Maiden's The Trooper.
W 2/25 - Booker T. Jones @ Music Box Concert Hall. As in Booker T. & the MGs. He had an album a few years ago, so he's still keeping his hand in.
W 2/25 - Murder by Death @ Grog Shop. I missed them last time and am excited for this gig.
W 2/25 - ROBOT PLANET RISING - An Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel @ Playhouse Square. This isn't a concert, but does look very interesting.
R 2/26 - Barry Manilow @ Wolstein Center. I have a ticket, thereby destroying any indie cred I might have actually had.
F 2/27 - Doug Gillard @ Grog Shop. His resume includes Guided By Voices, Death of Samantha, Cobra Verde and My Dad is Dead. Cosponsored by my radio station.
S 2/28 - Buckwheat Zydeco @ Mahalls. It must be Mardi Gras season again.
March
W 3/04 - Cyrille Aimee & Diego Figueiredo @ Nighttown. For this, I'll skip Crossfit. They're both amazing musicians, her on vocals and him on guitar.
F 3/06 - The Juliana Hatfield Trio @ Music Box Concert Hall. Marking the 21st anniversary of “Become What You Are."
S 3/07 - Dave & Phil Alvin & The Guilty Ones @ Beachland Ballroom. Ex X, Blasters, Knitters. Beachland's 15th Anniversary weekend. Where does the time go?
S 3/07 - The Church @ Grog Shop. They have a new album to go with their huge back catalog of rock, mostly psyche-ish (at least what I've listened to).
S 3/07 - Dwight Yoakam @ Hard Rock. I'd certainly consider going to see him, or at least playing him on my show. Quit judging me!
Su 3/08 - Lotus @ HOB, cosponsored by Beachland. Jazzy jams, as recommended by my friend AP.
M 3/09 - Justin Townes Earle @ Kent Stage. I haven't seen Steve's son yet, but he's got some good albums and doesn't sound particularly much like his dad or his namesake.
T 3/10 - Gang of Four @ Grog Shop. Ok, so there's only one member so it's more like Gang of 1/4. But still, Gang of Four!
R 3/12 - Of Montreal @ Beachland Ballroom. Deerhoof opens, which would be the major attraction for me.
W 3/12 through Su 3/15 - CityMusic Cleveland at various venues. Free classical.
S 3/14 - Young Widows @ Grog Shop. I know little about them, but they sound interesting.
Su 3/16 - Cursive @ Grog Shop. They were the hot new rock band back in 2003. No idea if they are now.
F 3/20 - The Slackers @ Grog Shop. Always room for ska.
F 3/20 - Roomful of Teeth @ Cleveland Museum of Art. Grammy award winning vocal group featuring my friend Dashon! Well, normally. After I bought my tickets I found out he wasn't going to be a this gig. Dammit!
S 3/12 - Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas @ Music Box Supper Club. Hey, I need something to play next to Buckwheat.
Su 3/22 - Galactic @ Beachland Ballroom. I have a ticket.
M 3/23 - Leon Russell @ Kent Stage. I like having an excuse to play his stuff.
W 3/25 - Andrew Jackson Jihad @ Grog Shop. Reputedly loud and weird.
W 3/25 - Banda Magda @ Music Box Supper Club. Strange pop mix; won't see it myself but will check to see if we have it at the station.
S 3/28 - Mivos Quarter @ Transformer Station. I have tickets; if I ditch them due to travel I'll give'em away.
April
W 4/01 - Shakey Graves @ Beachland Ballroom. My friend Faith highly recommends this one. If I was in town I'd go on her word alone.
R 4/02 - King Tuff @ Beachland Ballroom. With Herzog. Looks like fun.
S 4/04 - The Smithereens @ Music Box Concert Hall. I like one song a lot. Not enough to pay these rates.
T 4/07 - The Moody Blues @ EJ Thomas. One of Mom's favorite bands. My mom, that is, not mom's in general.
S 4/11 - Dopapod @ Beachland Ballroom. I'm not much into jam bands, but I've listed these guys in the sure knowledge that AP will call me out if I don't :-)
T 4/14 - The Calder Quartet @ CMA. Classical quartet. I have tickets.
T 4/14 - Foxygen @ Rock Hall. $5 bet on another neo-soul band.
R 4/16 through S 4/18 - The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance. Bolero.
R 4/16 - Hot Club of Cowtown @ Music Box Supper Club. I'll wait until they return to Nighttown, hopefully.
R 4/16 - Sufjan Stevens @ Cleveland Masonic Hall, sponsored by Beachland. On the plus side: Illinoise. On the down side: Christmas Unicorn.
F 4/17 - Nightwish @ Agora Ballroom. Operatic metal.
S 4/18 - The Monday Sound @ Happy Dog. My friend Emma is fronting a band. Everything else she does is awesome, so I can't see why this wouldn't be.
T 4/21 - They Might Be Giants @ Beachland Ballroom. "Hey, can I hear some pretentious accordion-oriented 1980s college eclectica?"
W 4/22 - Neutral Milk Hotel @ Cleveland Masonic Hall. One famous album, but what an album it is. Alas, I'm out of town if all goes according to plan.
W 4/22 - Joan Armatrading @ Kent Stage. Again, way too expensive, but I need to delve into her back catalog some anyway so on the list she goes.
W 4/22 - Mountain Goats @ Wexner Center in Columbus. Because John Darnielle hates Cleveland and won't come near here. If I was in town, I'd drive to this show or the one the next night.
R 4/23 - Mountain Goats @ Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh. John Darnielle still hates Cleveland.
R 4/23 - The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Grog Shop. Country-rock. Quite good the one time I saw them.
F 4/24 - Jon Spencer Blues Explosion @ Beachland Ballroom. Generally loud and generally good.
F 4/24 - Trampled By Turtles @ HOB, cosponsored by Beachland. The bluegrass-traditional oriented pride of Duluth. And to think I saw them in the Tavern years ago with a tiny little crowd.
M 4/27 - Primus @ Cleveland Masonic Auditorium, sponsored by Grog Shop. Look, I've seen various Primus variants several times and never been much impressed, but this time they are playing a concept album based on the Gene Wilder Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Really. And it's actually a pretty good album.
R 4/20 - Acid Mothers Temple @ Grog Shop. Psyche rock.
Beyond
S 5/02 & Su 5/03 - Arlo Guthrie @ EJ Thomas. My father says he is a lot of fun live.
W 5/06 - Neil deGrasse Tyson @ EJ Thomas. Advance notice for all you Cosmos fan boys and fan girls.
W 5/06 - FIDLAR @ Grog Shop. A bunch of my coworkers are super excited about this.
R 5/07 - Xavier Rudd @ Beachland Ballroom. Apparently he's gotten real popular since I saw him in Australia in 2004, since the show goes for $30. Anyway, he used to play world music-ish rock, complete with didgeridoo.
T 5/12 - Matt Pond PA @ Grog Shop. I saw him years ago when heheadlined Studio-A-Rama. It was good. It seems odd to be doing a "ten year anniversary" for his album Several Arrows Later, but it was a really good album.
R 5/14 - Welcome to Night Vale @ Playhouse Square. The podcast goes on tour.
F 5/15 - The Antlers @ Beachland Ballroom. Hot indie rock band.
R 5/28 through S 5/30 - CityMusic Cleveland at various venues. Free classical.
S 5/30 - Weird Al @ Nautica. Weird Al puts on a better show than 87.54% of the other bands.
S 6/03 - Taylor Swift @ The Q. I have a feeling I have friends who will be super excited about this.
M 6/15 - Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion @ Music Box Concert Club. He's still around.
F 6/26 - Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn @ Cain Park. The power couple of banjo music. If I'm in town, I'll be there, but it looks like I won't be.
F 8/21 - Idina Menzel @ Blossom. Seems like a weird venue for her to play; I guess Frozen really made her huge.
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, The Music Box.
Please tell me what shows I missed, especially for bands who are skipping Cleveland but hitting Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit and other nearby places.
Since I posted my last 2014 concert capsules I've only been to two concerts. It's not great, but I've been busy. At least the two concerts were pretty good.
- On January 10 I made my first concert visit to Mahall's Bowling Alley. It's close enough to my house that I could have walked or biked if it wasn't a gazillion degrees below freezing. In any event, the occasion was a $5 bet on a local band called the Fiscal Spliff Band. They do Fela Kuti style Afro-beat, and they do it very well.
- The following Friday I saw something much stranger at the Art Museum. Intonarumori were experimental instruments constructed in Italy back before World War I. Those ones were lost, but they have been recreated by musician and academic Lucian Chessa as well as the historical record will allow. He was in town with his 'orchestra'. I personally thought it was strange and bizarre and fantastic, with strange atonal noises coming from the stage. I liked it. It's probably not for most people though. This may explain why so many of my radio colleagues were there!
Anyway, on to the calendar. As in calendars past, bold means I'm in for sure, and italics means I'm more than usually interested. Everything else is listed for radio usage or my own entertainment.
February
R 2/12 - Bettye LaVette @ Music Box Concert Club. 60's Soul R&B singer who had a career revival about a decade ago.
F 2/13 - Hot Sardines @ EJ Thomas. 1920s style jazz.
Su 2/15 - Shemekia Copeland @ Music Box Concert Hall. Blues.
W 2/18 - Fleetwood Mac @ The Q. They got the whole band back together.
W 2/18 - Dirty Dozen Brass Band @ Kent Stage. You know how I feel about brass bands.
F 2/20 - Mojoflo @ Musica. My god, there are neo-soul bands everywhere now. I give it another year or two before the fad implodes.
T 2/24 - 2Cellos @ EJ Thomas. "Hey, we can get more people watching us if we play pop songs on cellos." "Yeah, Apocalyptica proved that years ago." Their new album is fun and includes a cover of Iron Maiden's The Trooper.
W 2/25 - Booker T. Jones @ Music Box Concert Hall. As in Booker T. & the MGs. He had an album a few years ago, so he's still keeping his hand in.
W 2/25 - Murder by Death @ Grog Shop. I missed them last time and am excited for this gig.
W 2/25 - ROBOT PLANET RISING - An Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel @ Playhouse Square. This isn't a concert, but does look very interesting.
R 2/26 - Barry Manilow @ Wolstein Center. I have a ticket, thereby destroying any indie cred I might have actually had.
F 2/27 - Doug Gillard @ Grog Shop. His resume includes Guided By Voices, Death of Samantha, Cobra Verde and My Dad is Dead. Cosponsored by my radio station.
S 2/28 - Buckwheat Zydeco @ Mahalls. It must be Mardi Gras season again.
March
W 3/04 - Cyrille Aimee & Diego Figueiredo @ Nighttown. For this, I'll skip Crossfit. They're both amazing musicians, her on vocals and him on guitar.
F 3/06 - The Juliana Hatfield Trio @ Music Box Concert Hall. Marking the 21st anniversary of “Become What You Are."
S 3/07 - Dave & Phil Alvin & The Guilty Ones @ Beachland Ballroom. Ex X, Blasters, Knitters. Beachland's 15th Anniversary weekend. Where does the time go?
S 3/07 - The Church @ Grog Shop. They have a new album to go with their huge back catalog of rock, mostly psyche-ish (at least what I've listened to).
S 3/07 - Dwight Yoakam @ Hard Rock. I'd certainly consider going to see him, or at least playing him on my show. Quit judging me!
Su 3/08 - Lotus @ HOB, cosponsored by Beachland. Jazzy jams, as recommended by my friend AP.
M 3/09 - Justin Townes Earle @ Kent Stage. I haven't seen Steve's son yet, but he's got some good albums and doesn't sound particularly much like his dad or his namesake.
T 3/10 - Gang of Four @ Grog Shop. Ok, so there's only one member so it's more like Gang of 1/4. But still, Gang of Four!
R 3/12 - Of Montreal @ Beachland Ballroom. Deerhoof opens, which would be the major attraction for me.
W 3/12 through Su 3/15 - CityMusic Cleveland at various venues. Free classical.
S 3/14 - Young Widows @ Grog Shop. I know little about them, but they sound interesting.
Su 3/16 - Cursive @ Grog Shop. They were the hot new rock band back in 2003. No idea if they are now.
F 3/20 - The Slackers @ Grog Shop. Always room for ska.
F 3/20 - Roomful of Teeth @ Cleveland Museum of Art. Grammy award winning vocal group featuring my friend Dashon! Well, normally. After I bought my tickets I found out he wasn't going to be a this gig. Dammit!
S 3/12 - Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas @ Music Box Supper Club. Hey, I need something to play next to Buckwheat.
Su 3/22 - Galactic @ Beachland Ballroom. I have a ticket.
M 3/23 - Leon Russell @ Kent Stage. I like having an excuse to play his stuff.
W 3/25 - Andrew Jackson Jihad @ Grog Shop. Reputedly loud and weird.
W 3/25 - Banda Magda @ Music Box Supper Club. Strange pop mix; won't see it myself but will check to see if we have it at the station.
S 3/28 - Mivos Quarter @ Transformer Station. I have tickets; if I ditch them due to travel I'll give'em away.
April
W 4/01 - Shakey Graves @ Beachland Ballroom. My friend Faith highly recommends this one. If I was in town I'd go on her word alone.
R 4/02 - King Tuff @ Beachland Ballroom. With Herzog. Looks like fun.
S 4/04 - The Smithereens @ Music Box Concert Hall. I like one song a lot. Not enough to pay these rates.
T 4/07 - The Moody Blues @ EJ Thomas. One of Mom's favorite bands. My mom, that is, not mom's in general.
S 4/11 - Dopapod @ Beachland Ballroom. I'm not much into jam bands, but I've listed these guys in the sure knowledge that AP will call me out if I don't :-)
T 4/14 - The Calder Quartet @ CMA. Classical quartet. I have tickets.
T 4/14 - Foxygen @ Rock Hall. $5 bet on another neo-soul band.
R 4/16 through S 4/18 - The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance. Bolero.
R 4/16 - Hot Club of Cowtown @ Music Box Supper Club. I'll wait until they return to Nighttown, hopefully.
R 4/16 - Sufjan Stevens @ Cleveland Masonic Hall, sponsored by Beachland. On the plus side: Illinoise. On the down side: Christmas Unicorn.
F 4/17 - Nightwish @ Agora Ballroom. Operatic metal.
S 4/18 - The Monday Sound @ Happy Dog. My friend Emma is fronting a band. Everything else she does is awesome, so I can't see why this wouldn't be.
T 4/21 - They Might Be Giants @ Beachland Ballroom. "Hey, can I hear some pretentious accordion-oriented 1980s college eclectica?"
W 4/22 - Neutral Milk Hotel @ Cleveland Masonic Hall. One famous album, but what an album it is. Alas, I'm out of town if all goes according to plan.
W 4/22 - Joan Armatrading @ Kent Stage. Again, way too expensive, but I need to delve into her back catalog some anyway so on the list she goes.
W 4/22 - Mountain Goats @ Wexner Center in Columbus. Because John Darnielle hates Cleveland and won't come near here. If I was in town, I'd drive to this show or the one the next night.
R 4/23 - Mountain Goats @ Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh. John Darnielle still hates Cleveland.
R 4/23 - The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Grog Shop. Country-rock. Quite good the one time I saw them.
F 4/24 - Jon Spencer Blues Explosion @ Beachland Ballroom. Generally loud and generally good.
F 4/24 - Trampled By Turtles @ HOB, cosponsored by Beachland. The bluegrass-traditional oriented pride of Duluth. And to think I saw them in the Tavern years ago with a tiny little crowd.
M 4/27 - Primus @ Cleveland Masonic Auditorium, sponsored by Grog Shop. Look, I've seen various Primus variants several times and never been much impressed, but this time they are playing a concept album based on the Gene Wilder Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Really. And it's actually a pretty good album.
R 4/20 - Acid Mothers Temple @ Grog Shop. Psyche rock.
Beyond
S 5/02 & Su 5/03 - Arlo Guthrie @ EJ Thomas. My father says he is a lot of fun live.
W 5/06 - Neil deGrasse Tyson @ EJ Thomas. Advance notice for all you Cosmos fan boys and fan girls.
W 5/06 - FIDLAR @ Grog Shop. A bunch of my coworkers are super excited about this.
R 5/07 - Xavier Rudd @ Beachland Ballroom. Apparently he's gotten real popular since I saw him in Australia in 2004, since the show goes for $30. Anyway, he used to play world music-ish rock, complete with didgeridoo.
T 5/12 - Matt Pond PA @ Grog Shop. I saw him years ago when heheadlined Studio-A-Rama. It was good. It seems odd to be doing a "ten year anniversary" for his album Several Arrows Later, but it was a really good album.
R 5/14 - Welcome to Night Vale @ Playhouse Square. The podcast goes on tour.
F 5/15 - The Antlers @ Beachland Ballroom. Hot indie rock band.
R 5/28 through S 5/30 - CityMusic Cleveland at various venues. Free classical.
S 5/30 - Weird Al @ Nautica. Weird Al puts on a better show than 87.54% of the other bands.
S 6/03 - Taylor Swift @ The Q. I have a feeling I have friends who will be super excited about this.
M 6/15 - Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion @ Music Box Concert Club. He's still around.
F 6/26 - Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn @ Cain Park. The power couple of banjo music. If I'm in town, I'll be there, but it looks like I won't be.
F 8/21 - Idina Menzel @ Blossom. Seems like a weird venue for her to play; I guess Frozen really made her huge.
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, The Music Box.
Please tell me what shows I missed, especially for bands who are skipping Cleveland but hitting Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit and other nearby places.