Dead Rock Stars Concert Calendar
Back in 2012, I said that my top three "must see artists" were David Bowie, Tom Waits and an open third spot I later awarded to Prince. Bowie died earlier this year, Prince died today, and I never saw either of them. Prince played out too, and I just never got my act together, so that's on me.
My proposed new top 3:
[1] Tom Waits
[2] Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
[3] Stevie Wonder
On the more positive side, this year I've seen a solid five shows since the last concert calendar, four of them who I hadn't seen before, and they were all good in their own ways. The year's total is now at 14 shows and 20 bands.
10. Galactic rolled into the Beachland Ballroom on Tuesday, March 22. I went out and saw them for the third time and got very funky. I'm still having fun and would still see them again, but man I wish they could have brought Mavis Staples with them - she sounded so good on their new album.
11. On April 6, gieves and I scored free station tickets to check out a guitar player from Mali named Bombino, again at the Beachland. After a good dinner at Citizen Pie (they had anchovies!), we went in and watched a really fun show. Yes, he's from Africa, but it's not really stereotypical world music so much as straight up rock & roll viewed from some totally different angle that's not sort of vaguely similar to world music. I liked it. Another band called Last Good Tooth opened.
12. The next night, I fulfilled a long held desire and saw the Mountain Goats at the Beachland Ballroom. As John Darnielle admitted, they hadn't been back to Cleveland since 2003. It was worth the wait. They went all over their catalog, played very few songs I knew well, and still entertained me. Hopefully the sold out crowd was enthusiastic enough to get them back again before 2029.
13. "I was thinking of seeing Loretta Lynn, but it's quite expensive." "Isn't she 84? What are you waiting for?" Good advice, Dad, and so M and I saw Loretta Lynn at the Rocksino on April 17. First off, it was my first trip to the Rocksino, and I'm happy to say that it actually sounds quite good, acoustically speaking. Next time I go I'll buy the cheaper tickets, as they aren't that much farther back and they have better sight lines thanks to being stadium seating.
That said, Loretta was a classic nostalgia show. Despite having a new (and quite good) album, she only played one song off of it. Instead she hit all the old hits while being backed by a large band featuring one of her sons and her twin daughters. The show was shorter than I would have liked, but it met my expectations. A woman named Rachel Horter opened, who may or may not have been Loretta's niece; it was never clearly stated.
14. I don't consider myself a huge prog rock fan, but Courtney, who has been to all three of my Matt Pond house concerts, turned me on to The Protomen, who do progish concept albums about Megaman. Yes, the Nintendo character. They rolled into the Beachland Ballroom on April 18, and I'm very glad I checked them out. To start with, any band that dresses up as superheroes (ok, robots) is all right by me. Throw in multiple vocalists, an entertaining stage show and a very enthusiastic crowd that skewed metalhead and you've got everything you need for a fun night at the club.
So what's next? I hear that we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life, and I feel that's best done with a heavy dose of live music. As always, bold means I'm definitely going to a show and italics means that I'm more than usually interested.
April
F 4/22 - The Thermals @ Grog Shop. Their song "A Stare Like Yours" is one of my favorites, but I'm off to seder.
Su 4/24 - Murder by Death @ Grog Shop. Justifiably beloved by my co-host Colleen.
Su 4/24 - The Church @ Music Box Concert Hall. Long running Aussie psych rock band. Performing their album The Blurred Crusade in its entirety.
W 4/27 - Paul Collins Beat @ Happy Dog. So I'm doing this thing on my radio show where I read the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of R&R and play artists I've never heard of. This guy showed up a few weeks ago, and now I see him coming to town. Synchronicity is weird.
S 4/30 - NRBS vs. Los Straitjackets @ Beachland Ballroom. The former is band liable to play anything. The latter is the finest luchador mask wearing surf guitar band in the world. As their ad copy says "There is no Pay-Per-View, and this bout will go the distance."
S 4/30 - Wesley Bright @ the Euclid Tavern. Best soul music in NE Ohio.
May
W 5/04 - Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Beachland Ballroom. This longtime Grog Shop band finally outgrew the Grog and is being hosted at the Beachland.
R 5/05 - The New Mastersounds @ Beachland Ballroom. The videos I listened to made them sound like a jazzed up rock band, which given that they've played with Karl Denson and Maceo Parker makes sense.
F 5/06 - Blair Crimmins & The Hookers @ Music Box Supper Club. Ragtime/Dixieland jazz.
F 5/06 - Buffy Sainte-Marie @ Kent Stage. She rarely tours, so if you like her, take the opportunity now.
S 5/07 - Cracker @ Beachland Ballroom. I missed seeing them back at my college in 1996. Maybe it's time to set that right.
S 5/07 - George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ HOB. Listed for M.
M 5/09 - Otomo Yoshihide @ Transformer Station. Experimental.
M 5/09 - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard @ Rock Hall. Several people have already told me they bought tickets. Certainly worth $5.
M 5/09 - Chain & the Gang @ Now That's Class. Super lo fi rock. Henry Rollins like them.
5/11 through 5/15 - CityMusic Cleveland at various locations featuring violinist Tessa Lark. Lots of Mendelssohn on the schedule.
R 5/12 - New Orleans Suspects @ Music Box Concert Hall. Features a bunch of guys who were in various well known New Orleans groups.
Su 5/15 - Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds @ Now That's Class. Guitarist for The Cramps, Nick Cave.
M 5/16 - Robin Nolan Trio @ Nighttown. Gypsy jazz guitarist ala Django.
T 5/17 - Bella's Bartok @ Beachland Tavern. Balkan inspired party music. I have a good feeling about this one.
W 5/18 - Savages @ Grog Shop. Powers likes them. What else do you need to know?
M 5/23 - DIIV @ Grog Shop. My cohost has been spinning them on the show, and I've liked it.
R 5/26 - Josh Ritter @ Beachland Ballroom. Naturally, I'm probably going to be out of town, but he's one of my favorites and was my show of the year in 2012.
R 5/26 - Fishbone @ Music Box Concert Hall. My #1 show of 1998. Admittedly, there were maybe 3 shows on the list that year.
June
R 6/02 - Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Kent Stage. I like their sound.
R 6/02 - Wombats @ Beachland Ballroom. Happy Brit popish stuff.
F 6/03 - Dixie Chicks @ Blossom. I'm trying to get free tickets, and if I don't get them I may buy in. Don't judge me. Much.
S 6/04 - Florence & the Machine @ Blossom. Apparently they are bigger than I thought.
W 6/08 - John Doe @ MBCH. I've seen X, and I've seen Doe solo, and both are great.
R 6/09 - Damien Jurado @ Beachland Ballroom. I tried and failed to get a house concert from him a few years back.
F 6/10 - Bela Fleck & the Flecktones @ Cain Park. Wooten and Futureman and Fleck return! Tickets went on sale 4/15; this will sell out. I've got mine for the lawn
S 6/11 - The Weight Band @ Kent Stage. Surviving members of The Band and Levon Helm's solo project doing songs by The Band, as is their prerogative.
S 6/11 - Flight of the Conchords @ PSQ. Not too much my thing, but I know lots of you like them.
S 6/12 - The Blasters @ Beachland Ballroom. As in Phil & Dave Alvin.
Su 6/12 - Blitzen Trapper @ Grog Shop. Portland based indie.
F 6/17 - Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine @ HOB. Weird lounge music. Too bad I loathe Rage Against the Machine.
F 6/17 - King Khan & the Shrines @ Beachland Ballroom. I had a great time at King Khan & The BBQ Show, and I like the albums better on this side.
Su 6/19 - Hayes Carll @ Kent Stage. I'll always list him because of the genius that is "She Left Me for Jesus."
Su 6/19 - Bonnie Prince Billy @ Beachland Ballroom. Indie rock. I like several of his songs.
R 6/23 - Tommy LiPuma's Big Birthday Bash! @ Tri-C Jazzfest @ PSQ. Featuring Dr. John, Leon Russell and Diana Krall. What?
F 6/24 - Weird Al @ Akron Civic. I'm a fan.
F 6/24 - Chick Corea @ Tri-C Jazzfest @ PSQ.
F 6/24 - David Sanborn/Maceo Parker @ Tri-C Jazzfest @ PSQ.
S 6/25 - Terence Blanchard @ Tri-C Jazzfest @ PSQ.
S 6/25 - We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Grog Shop (not on the website, but on FB) I've seen them three times and their first two albums are killer. Not so much their third album, alas.
S 6/25 - Jackson Browne @ Akron Civic. The one I've never seen (in a year when all the rock stars are dying) or the one I know I like?.
Su 6/26 - Against Me! @ Grog Shop. Punk.
July
S 7/02 - Pere Ubu @ Beachland Ballroom. If you love experimental rock, this is the band to see. If I was in town I'd be there.
Su 7/03 - Sonny Knight & the Lakers @ MBSC. An old soul guy whose career came back via the soul revival.
F 7/08 - The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall. My friend Dashon is singing with them this night.
R 7/14 - Guided By Voices @ Grog Shop. Will sell out. Quickly.
S 7/16 - Ladysmith Black Mambazo / Sweet Honey in the Rock @ Cain Park.
T 7/19 - White Lung @ Beachland Tavern. Well worth the $12, I had a great time the last time I saw this woman fronted punk band.
R 7/21 - Femi Kuti @ Beachland Ballroom. I saw him once before, and if you like afro-pop, you can't go wrong with this.
W 7/27 - Lyle Lovett & His Large Band @ Rocksino. If I can work the schedule, yes!
Su 7/31 - Diana Ross @ Rocksino. The tickets for the leading lady of Motown are ungodly expensive, too much for me to consider it.
August and Everything After
Su 8/07 - Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle @ MBCH. Insanely expensive dual show.
F 8/12 - The Bacon Brothers @ Kent Stage. As in Kevin Bacon. It's as close as you'll get to having a Bacon number that isn't undefined.
S 8/13 - Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble @ Blossom. He was my show of the year in 2013. Alas, I'm out of town.
W 8/17 - Paul McCartney @ the Q. This guy's been dead for years and he still tours. Hardly seems fair.
F 8/19 - Dick Dale @ Grog Shop. I maintain that everybody needs to see surf legend Dick Dale at least once.
S 8/20 - Walk the Moon @ Nautica. I spent much of last year with their single "Shut Up and Dance" stuck in my head.
S 8/27 - Kurt Elling @ PSQ. Chicago-based (I think) jazz vocalist. On my list to see for ages.
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, Euclid Tavern (aka, Happy Dog East), Mahall's 20 Lanes, Tri-C Jazzfest, Dionysus (Oberlin), Oberlin College, Cleveland Museum of Art, Transformer Station, Hard Rock Live, The Music Box, The Odeon.
I will not spend hundreds of dollars on Guns N' Roses tickets, I will not spend hundreds of dollars on Guns N' Roses tickets, I will not spend hundreds of dollars on Guns N' Roses tickets...
My proposed new top 3:
[1] Tom Waits
[2] Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
[3] Stevie Wonder
On the more positive side, this year I've seen a solid five shows since the last concert calendar, four of them who I hadn't seen before, and they were all good in their own ways. The year's total is now at 14 shows and 20 bands.
10. Galactic rolled into the Beachland Ballroom on Tuesday, March 22. I went out and saw them for the third time and got very funky. I'm still having fun and would still see them again, but man I wish they could have brought Mavis Staples with them - she sounded so good on their new album.
11. On April 6, gieves and I scored free station tickets to check out a guitar player from Mali named Bombino, again at the Beachland. After a good dinner at Citizen Pie (they had anchovies!), we went in and watched a really fun show. Yes, he's from Africa, but it's not really stereotypical world music so much as straight up rock & roll viewed from some totally different angle that's not sort of vaguely similar to world music. I liked it. Another band called Last Good Tooth opened.
12. The next night, I fulfilled a long held desire and saw the Mountain Goats at the Beachland Ballroom. As John Darnielle admitted, they hadn't been back to Cleveland since 2003. It was worth the wait. They went all over their catalog, played very few songs I knew well, and still entertained me. Hopefully the sold out crowd was enthusiastic enough to get them back again before 2029.
13. "I was thinking of seeing Loretta Lynn, but it's quite expensive." "Isn't she 84? What are you waiting for?" Good advice, Dad, and so M and I saw Loretta Lynn at the Rocksino on April 17. First off, it was my first trip to the Rocksino, and I'm happy to say that it actually sounds quite good, acoustically speaking. Next time I go I'll buy the cheaper tickets, as they aren't that much farther back and they have better sight lines thanks to being stadium seating.
That said, Loretta was a classic nostalgia show. Despite having a new (and quite good) album, she only played one song off of it. Instead she hit all the old hits while being backed by a large band featuring one of her sons and her twin daughters. The show was shorter than I would have liked, but it met my expectations. A woman named Rachel Horter opened, who may or may not have been Loretta's niece; it was never clearly stated.
14. I don't consider myself a huge prog rock fan, but Courtney, who has been to all three of my Matt Pond house concerts, turned me on to The Protomen, who do progish concept albums about Megaman. Yes, the Nintendo character. They rolled into the Beachland Ballroom on April 18, and I'm very glad I checked them out. To start with, any band that dresses up as superheroes (ok, robots) is all right by me. Throw in multiple vocalists, an entertaining stage show and a very enthusiastic crowd that skewed metalhead and you've got everything you need for a fun night at the club.
So what's next? I hear that we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life, and I feel that's best done with a heavy dose of live music. As always, bold means I'm definitely going to a show and italics means that I'm more than usually interested.
April
F 4/22 - The Thermals @ Grog Shop. Their song "A Stare Like Yours" is one of my favorites, but I'm off to seder.
Su 4/24 - Murder by Death @ Grog Shop. Justifiably beloved by my co-host Colleen.
Su 4/24 - The Church @ Music Box Concert Hall. Long running Aussie psych rock band. Performing their album The Blurred Crusade in its entirety.
W 4/27 - Paul Collins Beat @ Happy Dog. So I'm doing this thing on my radio show where I read the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of R&R and play artists I've never heard of. This guy showed up a few weeks ago, and now I see him coming to town. Synchronicity is weird.
S 4/30 - NRBS vs. Los Straitjackets @ Beachland Ballroom. The former is band liable to play anything. The latter is the finest luchador mask wearing surf guitar band in the world. As their ad copy says "There is no Pay-Per-View, and this bout will go the distance."
S 4/30 - Wesley Bright @ the Euclid Tavern. Best soul music in NE Ohio.
May
W 5/04 - Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Beachland Ballroom. This longtime Grog Shop band finally outgrew the Grog and is being hosted at the Beachland.
R 5/05 - The New Mastersounds @ Beachland Ballroom. The videos I listened to made them sound like a jazzed up rock band, which given that they've played with Karl Denson and Maceo Parker makes sense.
F 5/06 - Blair Crimmins & The Hookers @ Music Box Supper Club. Ragtime/Dixieland jazz.
F 5/06 - Buffy Sainte-Marie @ Kent Stage. She rarely tours, so if you like her, take the opportunity now.
S 5/07 - Cracker @ Beachland Ballroom. I missed seeing them back at my college in 1996. Maybe it's time to set that right.
S 5/07 - George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ HOB. Listed for M.
M 5/09 - Otomo Yoshihide @ Transformer Station. Experimental.
M 5/09 - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard @ Rock Hall. Several people have already told me they bought tickets. Certainly worth $5.
M 5/09 - Chain & the Gang @ Now That's Class. Super lo fi rock. Henry Rollins like them.
5/11 through 5/15 - CityMusic Cleveland at various locations featuring violinist Tessa Lark. Lots of Mendelssohn on the schedule.
R 5/12 - New Orleans Suspects @ Music Box Concert Hall. Features a bunch of guys who were in various well known New Orleans groups.
Su 5/15 - Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds @ Now That's Class. Guitarist for The Cramps, Nick Cave.
M 5/16 - Robin Nolan Trio @ Nighttown. Gypsy jazz guitarist ala Django.
T 5/17 - Bella's Bartok @ Beachland Tavern. Balkan inspired party music. I have a good feeling about this one.
W 5/18 - Savages @ Grog Shop. Powers likes them. What else do you need to know?
M 5/23 - DIIV @ Grog Shop. My cohost has been spinning them on the show, and I've liked it.
R 5/26 - Josh Ritter @ Beachland Ballroom. Naturally, I'm probably going to be out of town, but he's one of my favorites and was my show of the year in 2012.
R 5/26 - Fishbone @ Music Box Concert Hall. My #1 show of 1998. Admittedly, there were maybe 3 shows on the list that year.
June
R 6/02 - Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Kent Stage. I like their sound.
R 6/02 - Wombats @ Beachland Ballroom. Happy Brit popish stuff.
F 6/03 - Dixie Chicks @ Blossom. I'm trying to get free tickets, and if I don't get them I may buy in. Don't judge me. Much.
S 6/04 - Florence & the Machine @ Blossom. Apparently they are bigger than I thought.
W 6/08 - John Doe @ MBCH. I've seen X, and I've seen Doe solo, and both are great.
R 6/09 - Damien Jurado @ Beachland Ballroom. I tried and failed to get a house concert from him a few years back.
F 6/10 - Bela Fleck & the Flecktones @ Cain Park. Wooten and Futureman and Fleck return! Tickets went on sale 4/15; this will sell out. I've got mine for the lawn
S 6/11 - The Weight Band @ Kent Stage. Surviving members of The Band and Levon Helm's solo project doing songs by The Band, as is their prerogative.
S 6/11 - Flight of the Conchords @ PSQ. Not too much my thing, but I know lots of you like them.
S 6/12 - The Blasters @ Beachland Ballroom. As in Phil & Dave Alvin.
Su 6/12 - Blitzen Trapper @ Grog Shop. Portland based indie.
F 6/17 - Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine @ HOB. Weird lounge music. Too bad I loathe Rage Against the Machine.
F 6/17 - King Khan & the Shrines @ Beachland Ballroom. I had a great time at King Khan & The BBQ Show, and I like the albums better on this side.
Su 6/19 - Hayes Carll @ Kent Stage. I'll always list him because of the genius that is "She Left Me for Jesus."
Su 6/19 - Bonnie Prince Billy @ Beachland Ballroom. Indie rock. I like several of his songs.
R 6/23 - Tommy LiPuma's Big Birthday Bash! @ Tri-C Jazzfest @ PSQ. Featuring Dr. John, Leon Russell and Diana Krall. What?
F 6/24 - Weird Al @ Akron Civic. I'm a fan.
F 6/24 - Chick Corea @ Tri-C Jazzfest @ PSQ.
F 6/24 - David Sanborn/Maceo Parker @ Tri-C Jazzfest @ PSQ.
S 6/25 - Terence Blanchard @ Tri-C Jazzfest @ PSQ.
S 6/25 - We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Grog Shop (not on the website, but on FB) I've seen them three times and their first two albums are killer. Not so much their third album, alas.
S 6/25 - Jackson Browne @ Akron Civic. The one I've never seen (in a year when all the rock stars are dying) or the one I know I like?.
Su 6/26 - Against Me! @ Grog Shop. Punk.
July
S 7/02 - Pere Ubu @ Beachland Ballroom. If you love experimental rock, this is the band to see. If I was in town I'd be there.
Su 7/03 - Sonny Knight & the Lakers @ MBSC. An old soul guy whose career came back via the soul revival.
F 7/08 - The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall. My friend Dashon is singing with them this night.
R 7/14 - Guided By Voices @ Grog Shop. Will sell out. Quickly.
S 7/16 - Ladysmith Black Mambazo / Sweet Honey in the Rock @ Cain Park.
T 7/19 - White Lung @ Beachland Tavern. Well worth the $12, I had a great time the last time I saw this woman fronted punk band.
R 7/21 - Femi Kuti @ Beachland Ballroom. I saw him once before, and if you like afro-pop, you can't go wrong with this.
W 7/27 - Lyle Lovett & His Large Band @ Rocksino. If I can work the schedule, yes!
Su 7/31 - Diana Ross @ Rocksino. The tickets for the leading lady of Motown are ungodly expensive, too much for me to consider it.
August and Everything After
Su 8/07 - Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle @ MBCH. Insanely expensive dual show.
F 8/12 - The Bacon Brothers @ Kent Stage. As in Kevin Bacon. It's as close as you'll get to having a Bacon number that isn't undefined.
S 8/13 - Yo-Yo Ma & Silk Road Ensemble @ Blossom. He was my show of the year in 2013. Alas, I'm out of town.
W 8/17 - Paul McCartney @ the Q. This guy's been dead for years and he still tours. Hardly seems fair.
F 8/19 - Dick Dale @ Grog Shop. I maintain that everybody needs to see surf legend Dick Dale at least once.
S 8/20 - Walk the Moon @ Nautica. I spent much of last year with their single "Shut Up and Dance" stuck in my head.
S 8/27 - Kurt Elling @ PSQ. Chicago-based (I think) jazz vocalist. On my list to see for ages.
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, Euclid Tavern (aka, Happy Dog East), Mahall's 20 Lanes, Tri-C Jazzfest, Dionysus (Oberlin), Oberlin College, Cleveland Museum of Art, Transformer Station, Hard Rock Live, The Music Box, The Odeon.
I will not spend hundreds of dollars on Guns N' Roses tickets, I will not spend hundreds of dollars on Guns N' Roses tickets, I will not spend hundreds of dollars on Guns N' Roses tickets...