Show of the Week: Tommy Womack at the Beachland
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
This week's show of the week is a benefit for Evan Pattison, a local boy with autism, headlined by all-American singer/songwriter/author and general good dude Tommy Womack who you'll know both from his solo work and his collaborative work with buddy Will Kimbrough under the band name Daddy. Womack is 13 albums deep into a recording career that began in 1985 with the band Government Cheese, continuing with his own solo career and additional band work with The Bis-Quits as well as occasional touring work with longtime friend Todd Snider.
Tommy Womack will land at the Beachland Tavern for a show on Friday night featuring country throwback semi-locals Duke Jr. & Smokey Boots, imported from Athens, OH for the evening of entertainment. Click here to grab your tickets!
Here's some additional humorous bio information from Womack himself:
My name is Tommy Glynn Womack. Skot Willis once said I was the craziest person he’d ever met who had his life together. Todd Snider says I’m the only person he’s ever met in Nashville who’s crazier than he is. So I must be crazy, I guess. I can’t tell. Crazy for most folks must just be what normal feels like for me.
I make records, I write. I play shows. And being an artist of, shall we say, minor repute, I am also compelled to spend my Mondays through Fridays at a company that employs 18,000 people, maintains a zero-tolerance drugs and alcohol policy, and - thankfully for me so far - an apparent zero-enforcement of such. Hell, I’d love them to piss-test me, actually; I’ll walk in there with a fresh hot cup of urine and a fistfull of prescriptions and say "yeah, I’m good for that, i’m good for that, and I’m good for that! And as for THAT, well that’s to keep me off the third-floor ledge of the building I work in, naked, with a spray-paint can in my hand and a whole lot to get off my chest!"
zeroShow of the Week: Henry Rollins at the Kent Stage
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
My pal Jack (a.k.a. the guy who should blog again because I love reading his stuff) wrote in with rave reviews for last week's Experience Hendrix gig in Akron. Duh. Like you would have expected anything less than awesome with the list of players attached to that show? Thanks to Jack, I felt like I was at the show, and he shared an additional piece of awesome information with me that I'll share with you in my next post in regards to a forthcoming show that you won't want to miss!
This week's show of the week comes courtesy of Mr. Henry Rollins, who will be at the Kent Stage on Thursday night for a spoken word gig. It's been a little while (we came dangerously close to quoting Staind there) since Rollins has been here for the spoken word thing, and if you want to check this one out, you're going to need to act quickly. As of right now, there are approximately 17 tickets left for the Rollins show, according to the Kent Stage website.
I think you can pretty much guarantee that this one will be sold out before Thursday night's show.
I was lukewarm regarding Hank's recent role on Sons of Anarchy, but I'm definitely looking forward to catching this show on Thursday night. I've seen Rollins Band several times, but I've never been witness to a Rollins spoken word gig, although I owned many of the discs back in the day (The Boxed Life, etc.). D.X. Ferris, Brian and myself will roll out for this one, and there's even a rumored appearance from occasional ATV random blogger Mel. It should be a really fun evening - come out and join us!
moreShow of the Week: Experience Hendrix
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
The good news is that a bunch of really great guitar players will be in Akron tomorrow night.
The bad news is that if you don't have tickets already, you're probably out of luck.
Live Nation Cleveland just announced that the Experience Hendrix show happening on Tuesday night at the Akron Civic, is sold out.
For those that have tickets, you're in for a helluva good night. The Experience Hendrix tour is now in its fourth year, and this is the first time that this all-star tribute to Jimi Hendrix has been in the Cleveland area. I drooled over the first year's lineup, almost drove to Detroit to see last year's show and sadly, I'll be missing this year's show (and I'm very envious of my pal Jack, who has tickets!).
Here are the details for this year's festivities:
Featured artists who will be performing music written and inspired by Jimi Hendrix. Include some of the best known and most respected artists in contemporary rock and blues including Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Brad Whitford (of Aerosmith), Doyle Bramhall II, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Double Trouble's Chris Layton, along with bassist Billy Cox. Cox, who first befriended Hendrix when the two were in the 101st Airborne division of the US Army. Cox played in both the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys and performed with Hendrix at such landmark festivals as Woodstock and the Isle of Wight. Cox commented, "It's a thrill for me to play Jimi's music for audiences now as it was in the 1960s. The Experience Hendrix tours have shown how timeless this music really is." Joe Satriani remarked, "I finally get to pay tribute to my hero the right way, on stage with an amazing, once in a lifetime, line up of musicians!" Sacred Steel featuring Robert Randolph, Susan Tedeschi and David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos are also performing on selected Experience Tour dates.
Various combinations of these music greats will be performing Jimi's signature songs including "Purple Haze," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return), "The Wind Cries Mary," "Little Wing" and "Red House." As has been the case with previous Experience Hendrix tour incarnations, special guests are expected to sit in at many of the dates making the concerts all that much more memorable for both new and veteran Hendrix fans. Past special guests have included Paul Rodgers, Buddy Guy and Carlos Santana.
Sounds like fun, right? For those that are missing out, you might want to check out the Experience Hendrix live DVD that was released in 2008. Take a look at the lineup, and you'll agree that it's a must have!
The current edition of Experience Hendrix wraps up at the end of this week. Most shows are sold out, but there are apparently still a few tickets left for the Atlanta show. Grab 'em while you can!
moreShow of the Week: John Oates at The Kent Stage
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
Friends,
I'll have to admit that I broke my own rules. Last week, I told you about a super-bitchin' show of the week featuring The Brought Low and The Suede Brothers, playing at Nemeth's in Painesville. And then when Saturday night rolled around, I missed it.
"Friends don't let friends miss The Suede Brothers."
Unless of course the powerful tractor beam of the couch at home sucks you in and decrees that you shall sitteth on the coucheth for the duration of the evening.
Such was the case in my world, and instead of inflicting further hearing damage on my fragile eardrums, instead I had a hot date with Whip It, the recent Ellen Page roller girl flick; also notably the directorial debut for one Drew Barrymore. And as the girlfriend pointed out later, there are lots of girls on skates. Sorry, Suede Bros and Brought Low dudes - I'll make it up to you next time.
This week's show of the week has virtually nothing to do with girls on skates, although certainly there are many that hit the rinks in the '80s fueled with a heavy Hall & Oates soundtrack. Even your beloved ATV friend (that's me) was known to enjoy skating to H&O numbers like "Private Eyes," "Out of Touch," and many others.
I'm a big fan. And about five years ago (or perhaps more), I missed the opportunity of a lifetime - the chance to BBQ backstage at Tower City Amphitheater with Hall & Oates prior to their show with Todd Rundgren. My pal Chris Akin had interviewed John Oates in the weeks leading up to the gig, and had a personal invite from John to come back and hang. As a fellow H&O nut, Chris was in heaven, and called me to offer up his plus-one so that I could experience this dream event as well. The only problem was, I was heading out of town for work.
Rats.
Being the good friend that he is, Chris made sure to call me from backstage on the day of the show, to let me know what a cool experience it was. Chalk that one way up on my list of missed show regrets. But it's all good, really.
This week, John Oates will be back in town, playing an acoustic show on Thursday night at The Kent Stage, with Pete Huttlinger adding additional instrumentation.
Here's some more information about the gig from a recent interview:
“When I decided to start doing solo gigs and albums, I figured, I’m going to do something solo; it should be different than what I’ve been doing with my established band — the stuff that people already know me for,” says Oates. “I’m really proud of the work I’ve done with Daryl all these years, and we have an amazing band.
“But I did have a history before I met Daryl, and back then, I was definitely interested in the traditional Americana stuff. That’s what I brought to the blend initially, but as we became more popular, some of the fans didn’t really know what to make of that aspect, so that sort of faded from the mix,” explains Oates by phone from his home in Aspen.
“But as I began playing around with the idea of doing solo shows and albums, I began exploring those styles again, and I rediscovered that those really were the roots of my musical life."
For those that are curious - Oates regrew his famous mustache for last year's 'Stache Bash in St. Louis, but it was a short-lived return for his famous facial hair - Oates shaved it at the conclusion of the event. (And if you look at the picture, can we really call that a mustache?)
The Kent Stage gig will be a mix of solo, Hall & Oates favorites and very likely, a warm story or two remembering longtime H&O bassist Tom "T-Bone" Wolk who passed away recently. H&O fans can look forward to additional Oates solo dates later this week in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Evanston, IL.
Check out more details on upcoming solo dates via John's Myspace page.
And on a related note, The Bird and The Bee are about to release a totally worthy Hall & Oates tribute , Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates. As it happens, this Oates fellow that we've been talking about, made an appearance at the record release show in Los Angeles, an event that also was webcast. If you missed the webcast, they're promising a replay will be available shortly.
moreShow of the Week: The Brought Low & The Suede Brothers
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
It's not often that Cleveland is blessed with a concert appearance by any one of the many great rock and roll bands on the Detroit-based Small Stone Records label. (We're not counting Cleveland's own Red Giant - besides, even those rock dudes need to play more Clevo shows!)
Saturday night, prepare yourself for a brutal rock and roll doubleshot featuring Cleveland's own (and ATV favorites) The Suede Brothers, who will take a break from recording their upcoming third album to play a show opening for The Brought Low, who are SXSW-bound and playing a short set of dates on their way to the Small Stone showcase in Austin, TX. (Dates include stops in Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, St. Louis, Austin (duh!) and Richmond!)
I caught my first show from The Brought Low completely by accident a few years ago at the Hi-Fi Club. They were in town opening a Small Stone related bill that featured Five Horse Johnson and/or The PB Army, and while I came out to see those bands, it was The Brought Low that savagely ripped every inch of my face off (it sounds painful, but it really wasn't) and forced me towards the merch stand where I immediately bought both of their albums. As a Small Stone connoisseur, how had I missed The Brought Low?
A couple of weeks after that show, I was going through the CD stacks in my music room, looking for an album, and came across a dusty, still-sealed copy of one of the two albums that I'd bought that night. It turns out that The Brought Low had been sitting in my music collection for a couple of years without me even knowing it. Oops.
Good rock and roll sometimes comes at a price, and on Saturday night, you'll have to drive to Painesville for the privilege of seeing one of the best rock shows you'll see this year. Fresh from opening for Them Crooked Vultures in NYC, The Brought Low will be playing tunes from their new album, creatively titled, Third Record, an album that my comrade D.X. Ferris compares to a "collection of Tom Petty B-sides," and believe me, that's no slam. Third Record finally captures the energy of The Brought Low's live show, something which I found to be missing from their previous albums - they've done damn good things with this new album, and I can't wait to see some of these tunes live.
The Suede Brothers have been playing material from their upcoming album during recent shows as well, so if you've missed out, Saturday night would be an excellent chance for you to catch up. Friends don't let friends miss The Suede Brothers.
How to get there - a handy step-by-step guide:
1. On Saturday night, point your GPS toward Nemeth's Lounge in Painesville, located at 40 North State Street.
2. Keep your ears open for the healing sounds of lowdown and dirty sludgy guitars, and you'll know that you've reached your destination.
3. Enjoy, dammit!
oneShow of the Week: Two Shows Are Better Than One!
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
I couldn't pick just one show for this week's Show of the Week, so I went out on a rebellious limb and picked two!
Right off the top before we get to those shows, you should know that Stephen Stills at the Kent Stage on Friday night is completely sold out (EDIT: Good news - a second show at 10:30pm that same night is on sale now). You might also be interested to know about the newly announced Kris Kristofferson show happening at the Kent Stage on June 9th - I'm already working to grow out a sweet Kristofferson beard for the show!
Which brings us to this week's Show(s) of the Week, which actually have nothing to do at all with sweet Kristofferson beards. Assembly of Dust are headed to town for a show that will surprisingly enough, allegedly be their first Northeast Ohio appearance. I'll share more details regarding that show in a second.
In the interest of time, you should know first about Chris Duarte's pending Cleveland show, happening tomorrow night (Monday) at The Winchester. Ever since I heard the slinky sounds of "Cleopatra" (from the most excellently titled Tailspin Headwhack), I've been meaning to get out and watch Duarte do his thing. Duarte has been sharing out his bluesy guitar driven funk for a number of years, beginning with his debut release, Chris Duarte & The Bad Boys in 1987.
moreShow of the Week: Radio 92.3 Bands Together Haiti Benefit
Written by: Matt Wardlaw
This week's show of the week was an easy choice to make. While my good pal CB sat at Melt, gorging himself with one of their signature half ton sandwiches, he sent me a quick text message.
"mmmmphshowmmmmripofmmmmph*interrupted*"
*belch*
I realized that he was letting me know that I should pick this week's show of the week.
No problem.
Radio 92.3 has put together a very cool show happening on Saturday evening at 6pm, featuring a boatload of Cleveland's most talented bands and artists, all united to help raise money for Haiti relief. A minimum donation of $5 will get you in the door to see SEVEN great bands. Of course, if you can spare more than $5, it will be very much appreciated.
Feast your eyes on the lineup:
Chuck Mosley and VUA
Leah Lou
Leo
Random Stereo
2nd Half
The Suede Brothers
This Is A Shakedown!
All of the money raised from this event will go to the Red Cross, and all ages are welcome. The event will be held at the Saddle Ridge in Parma, located at 5100 Pearl Road.
Click here for directions and more information about the show.
Speaking of the Suede Brothers, they've got quite a bit going on at the moment - they're currently in the studio working on a new album AND they're also about to release a live album recorded at the Beachland Ballroom. I've heard tracks from that live disc, and let me assure you that you will not want to miss it - it's a rocker!
Mark it down on your list of new music to acquire, and in the meantime, make your plans to join me on Saturday evening for a good evening of rock and roll, Cleveland style!
Cleveland Bachelor’s Show of the Week: Antlers at Musica
Written by: Cleveland Bachelor
Dear ATVians,
Hoping that the thaw will hold through the week, this time I'm gonna endorse a trip down Akron-way this Saturday (1/30) to see the incredible Brooklyn-based indie rock troupe, The Antlers . Fronted by frontman Peter Silberman, who originally started The Antlers as a solo project, the band now features Silberman's guitars and vocals complemented with powerful drumming courtesy Michael Lerner and an all-around instrumental assist from Darby Cicci. The trio are currently touring in support of the band's most recent (and astoundingly awesome) release, Hospice, which is somewhat of a concept record that deals with caring for a terminally ill person who is also emotionally abusive to the caregiver. Parts of this narrative are rooted in Silberman's personal experiences, which makes sense given the clarity and conviction present when the confused and hurt emotions of such a tale come through.
Although the central conceptualization is clearly a dark and depressing one, the record itself is beautiful and challenging. There are several stand-out tracks ("Kettering," "Sylvia," "Bear") that will be absolutely wonderful live, and I encourage each of you to make the trek to Akron's Musica club. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance here.
zero
Cleveland Bachelor’s Show of the Week: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Written by: Cleveland Bachelor
Dear ATVians,
What time is it? Well, in additional to being the appointed hour for getting ill (Beasties-style, not physician-wise), it is also time for the January Cleveland Bachelor Show of the Month! After last month's Bears-headlined NEO showcase, we are back to featuring a promise national act cutting a swathe through the 216 to bring us a night of sonic goodness. Actually, scratch that. This time we're talking about an international act. That's because this month's headliners, The Rural Alberta Advantage, hail from Toronto (i.e., Canada, which despite Bill Clinton and corporate America's best NAFTA efforts, is still a separate country).
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