Fall Concert Calendar
Ok, so technically fall doesn't start for a few weeks. Whatever. I already used the title End of Summer Concert Calendar, so this one is clearly the Fall Concert Calendar. Since the last calendar I've only been to one show, Wye Oak, which was quite good; I bought a CD and everything.
Two special events:
On Sunday, September 25 Eliza Rickman is playing in my living room and you are all invited!
On Saturday, September 10 (aka, this Saturday), is the 30th annual Studio-A-Rama at the studios of WRUW. Features headliner A Place to Bury Strangers, plus Scrawl and a ton of local bands. It's totally free. Listen online or over the radio, but it's best if you come see it live. I'll be there in my hideous Mustard Plug t-shirt and Hawaiian print shirt.
September
R 9/08 - Elton John @ Blossom.
F 9/09 - Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves @ Beachland Ballroom. He's a skinny white kid with two good albums and a fine soul sound. I've seen him once and recommend him.
S 9/10 - Studio-A-Rama XXX @ WRUW! Free show. Totally awesome.
T 9/13 - The Zombies @ Beachland Ballroom. If you got the cash, this nostalgia show will probably be worth your time. It features the key members (aka, both Argent and Blunstone), plus an ex-Kinks bassist.
W 9/14 - Eden Brent @ Winchester. Female blues/jazz pianist. She's got at least one good album.
W 9/14 - Matt Pond PA @ Grog Shop. One time Studio-A-Rama headliner. Great live, with several good albums.
F 9/16 - They Might Be Giants w/Jonathan Coulton @ Beachland Ballroom. This show has already SOLD OUT. I hope you bought your tickets. I opted not to.
S 9/17 - Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd @ Beachland Ballroom. Contemporaries of Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, and Dwight Yoakam. Or go next store for
S 9/17 - The Sweetback Sisters @ Beachland Tavern. I've played their new album on my show. It's fun, with some great originals plus a few fun covers, including one of the Dwight Yoakam song "It Won't Hurt When I Fall Down From This Barstool".
Su 9/18 - The Ragbirds @ Beachland Tavern. Does the world need another band combining frenetic dance hooks with folk rock and a fiddle? I say yes.
Su 9/18 - Xiu Xiu @ Happy Dog. Indie rockers.
T 9/20 - Nekromantix @ Beachland Ballroom. Danish psychobilly. If you like psychobilly, you'll like this just fine.
W 9/21 - Carolina Chocolate Drops @ Kent Stage. Bluegrass/countryish, who have parleyed a cover of "Hit'em Up Style" and serious musical chops into recent success.
S 9/24 - Pains of Being Pure at Heart @ Beachland Ballroom. Indie rock goodness.
S 9/24 - The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker @ Beachland Tavern. I've been playing their disc on the show, and it's pretty awesomely funky.
Su 9/25 - Eliza Rickman @ My living room! Really! It's gonna be awesome. Eliza personally guarantees it. RSVP soon!
M 9/26 - Jackson Browne @ EJ Thomas. I'm kind of tempted; his live albums Solo & Acoustic volumes 1 & 2 were really good.
M 9/26 - Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr @ Grog Shop. My co-host Shari thinks that thus far in 2011 their current album is the album of the year. It's word indie rock.
T 9/27 - Cyrille Aimee & Diego Figueiredo @ Nighttown. A French vocalist and a Brazilian guitarist plus gypsy swing mixed with the Dominican sound.
W 9/28 - Fleet Foxes @ Cleveland Masonic Hall (with The Walkmen). Their last album apparently was bigger than I thought. Sponsored by Grog Shop.
R 9/29 - Lydia Loveless @ Beachland Tavern. Name checks Charles Bukowski, Britney Spears and Hank Williams. Worth an $8 bet.
R 9/29 - Zee Avi @ Grog Shop. Malaysian rocker. Looks like an interesting bet.
F 9/30 - Candye Kane @ Winchester. Female blues singer. She's been on my 'to see' list for years - and I'm out of town.
F 9/30 - Sweet Plaintain String Quartet @ Nighttown. Focuses on contemporary works by Latin American composers, among others.
October
T 10/4 - X @ Beachland Ballroom. With all 4 original members (John Doe, Exene Cervenka, DJ Bonebrake, Billy Zoom). If my flight arrives on time I will be there.
M 10/10 - Bryan Ferry @ PSQ. Yes, the Roxy Music front man.
W 10/12 - NOFX w/Antiflag @ HOB. Woo. I may finally get to see NOFX.
R 10/13 - Dick Dale @ Grog Shop. The master of the surf guitar; he's one for the bucket list.
10/12 through 10/16 - CityMusic Cleveland at various locations. Featuring guest cellist Jan Vogler. Beethoven: Leonore Overture Nr. 3; Ligeti, "Concert Romanesc"; Dvorak, Cello Concerto.
F 10/14 - Revolver @ Grog Shop. It's a French pop group. All of the members were classically trained, and then decided pop was where it was at.
T 10/18 - Gillian Welch @ Kent Stage. As heard on O Brother Where Art Thou?, whose soundtrack she helped produce.
W 10/19 - Duran Duran @ PSQ. Fun fact: when they played the Agora a few years ago, they sold every ticket in less than 10 minutes.
R 10/20 - The Bo-Keys @ Beachland Tavern. Features a bunch of Stax alumni and younger guys pouring out the Memphis sound.
R 10/20 - Honeyhoney @ Grog Shop. A duo performing a mix of roots and jazz.
F 10/21 - Hot Club of Detroit @ Nighttown. Django lives!
F 10/21 - The Slackers @ Grog Shop. 20th anniversary tour? Really? I'm old. They aren't the last 3rd wave ska band still touring, but they are the ones sticking closest to ska.
S 10/22 - Melt Banana @ Grog Shop. My old roommate Micah liked them, although he admittedly like some strange loud stuff.
Su 10/23 - Project/Object @ Beachland Ballroom. The music of Frank Zappa, performed by a bunch of fans and occasional Zappa alumni, such as Ike Willis.
M 10/24 - Michael Pollan @ PSQ. Of Omnivore's Dilemna fame.
R 10/27 - Dar Williams @ Kent Stage. Someone else who didn't impress me live, but has a lot of good CDs.
S 10/29 - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings @ Beachland Ballroom. The best $30 you will ever spend.
Su 10/30 - Shelby Lynne @ Beachland Ballroom. Extremely talented country artist, with enough mainstream appeal to make this a pricey show.
Su 10/30 - Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces) @ Grog Shop. I saw the Fiery Furnaces twice. One was sublime, the other phoned in. We'll see what this was.
November
T 11/01 - We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Grog Shop. From Scotland, indie rockish, they were totally awesome when I saw them live and their debut album is excellent. The singles from the new album are promising. Bad news: their opener is the totally horrible Royal Bangs.
W 11/02 - Electric 6 @ Grog. Listed so I have an excuse to play Gay Bar! on my radio show.
F 11/04 - Anthony Bourdain @ PSQ. Must be the month for food-related speakers at PSQ.
S 11/05 - The Toasters @ Grog Shop. 30th anniversary tour? Really? Even the Slackers think they're old. The last 2nd wave ska band that's touring on a regular basis.
Su 11/06 - The Greencards @ Beachland Ballroom. They've toured with Dylan and Willie Nelson. I've seen them, and their roots sound is good.
Su 11/06 - Rachel Yamagata @ Beachland Tavern. Singer/songwriter.
W 11/09 - Fu Manchu @ Grog Shop. One of best loud bands ever.
R 11/10 - Mustard Plus @ Grog Shop. One of my favorite ska bands, although I suspect that they aren't nearly as good as they were in the late 1990s.
Su 11/13 - Mike Doughty & His Band Fantastic @ Beachland Ballroom. I'm in.
S 11/19- Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ Beachland Ballroom. He's in a smaller venue; I don't know if this means his 15 minutes are almost over, but he was pretty good in a big room, in the smaller room he should be amazing.
S 11/19 - Caravan of Thieves @ Winchester. Listed largely because of this line from the blurb: "If Django Reinhardt, the cast of Stomp and The Beatles all had a party at Tim Burton's house, Caravan of Thieves would be the band they hired."
M 11/21 - Mates of State @ Beachland Ballroom. Veteran indie rock goodness.
Su 11/27 - Straight No Chaser @ PSQ. Indiana acapella to end Thanksgiving weekend.
December
R 12/01 - JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound @ Beachland Tavern. Fun sounding Chicago neo-soul band.
12/7 to 12/11 - CityMusic Cleveland at various locations. Featuring guest violinist Joan Kwuon. Corelli Christmas Concerto (Grosso) Op.6, no.8; Dvorak Serenade for Strings; Bernstein Serenade.
Next Year
F 1/06/12 - Iris DeMent @ Kent Stage. Folk.
Su 2/26/12 - Marketa Irglova @ Beachland. The girl from Once, The Swell Season. Now that's planning ahead.
3/14/12 to 3/18/12. CityMusic Cleveland at various locations.
How do you find local shows? Try these: Pollstar. Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, Grog Shop, Peabodys, CSU Convocation Center, HOB, Winchester, Kent Stage, Agora Theater & Ballroom, Wilberts, Quicken Loans Arena, Night Town, Playhouse Square, Rock Hall, Cain Park, Blossom, Tower City Amphitheater, Nautica Pavilion, Lakewood Civic Auditorium, E.J. Thomas Hall (Akron), CityMusic Cleveland, Now That's Class, Happy Dog.
By the way, a new schedule has started at WRUW. As has been the case for many years, I am on Sunday afternoon at 2pm. My co-host Shari & I will be hosting "Fantasy for Transmitter and Two Hosts" and we'll be playing lots of good music, including many of the artists from this concert calendars. You should check us out.
Two special events:
On Sunday, September 25 Eliza Rickman is playing in my living room and you are all invited!
On Saturday, September 10 (aka, this Saturday), is the 30th annual Studio-A-Rama at the studios of WRUW. Features headliner A Place to Bury Strangers, plus Scrawl and a ton of local bands. It's totally free. Listen online or over the radio, but it's best if you come see it live. I'll be there in my hideous Mustard Plug t-shirt and Hawaiian print shirt.
September
R 9/08 - Elton John @ Blossom.
F 9/09 - Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves @ Beachland Ballroom. He's a skinny white kid with two good albums and a fine soul sound. I've seen him once and recommend him.
S 9/10 - Studio-A-Rama XXX @ WRUW! Free show. Totally awesome.
T 9/13 - The Zombies @ Beachland Ballroom. If you got the cash, this nostalgia show will probably be worth your time. It features the key members (aka, both Argent and Blunstone), plus an ex-Kinks bassist.
W 9/14 - Eden Brent @ Winchester. Female blues/jazz pianist. She's got at least one good album.
W 9/14 - Matt Pond PA @ Grog Shop. One time Studio-A-Rama headliner. Great live, with several good albums.
F 9/16 - They Might Be Giants w/Jonathan Coulton @ Beachland Ballroom. This show has already SOLD OUT. I hope you bought your tickets. I opted not to.
S 9/17 - Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd @ Beachland Ballroom. Contemporaries of Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, and Dwight Yoakam. Or go next store for
S 9/17 - The Sweetback Sisters @ Beachland Tavern. I've played their new album on my show. It's fun, with some great originals plus a few fun covers, including one of the Dwight Yoakam song "It Won't Hurt When I Fall Down From This Barstool".
Su 9/18 - The Ragbirds @ Beachland Tavern. Does the world need another band combining frenetic dance hooks with folk rock and a fiddle? I say yes.
Su 9/18 - Xiu Xiu @ Happy Dog. Indie rockers.
T 9/20 - Nekromantix @ Beachland Ballroom. Danish psychobilly. If you like psychobilly, you'll like this just fine.
W 9/21 - Carolina Chocolate Drops @ Kent Stage. Bluegrass/countryish, who have parleyed a cover of "Hit'em Up Style" and serious musical chops into recent success.
S 9/24 - Pains of Being Pure at Heart @ Beachland Ballroom. Indie rock goodness.
S 9/24 - The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker @ Beachland Tavern. I've been playing their disc on the show, and it's pretty awesomely funky.
Su 9/25 - Eliza Rickman @ My living room! Really! It's gonna be awesome. Eliza personally guarantees it. RSVP soon!
M 9/26 - Jackson Browne @ EJ Thomas. I'm kind of tempted; his live albums Solo & Acoustic volumes 1 & 2 were really good.
M 9/26 - Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr @ Grog Shop. My co-host Shari thinks that thus far in 2011 their current album is the album of the year. It's word indie rock.
T 9/27 - Cyrille Aimee & Diego Figueiredo @ Nighttown. A French vocalist and a Brazilian guitarist plus gypsy swing mixed with the Dominican sound.
W 9/28 - Fleet Foxes @ Cleveland Masonic Hall (with The Walkmen). Their last album apparently was bigger than I thought. Sponsored by Grog Shop.
R 9/29 - Lydia Loveless @ Beachland Tavern. Name checks Charles Bukowski, Britney Spears and Hank Williams. Worth an $8 bet.
R 9/29 - Zee Avi @ Grog Shop. Malaysian rocker. Looks like an interesting bet.
F 9/30 - Candye Kane @ Winchester. Female blues singer. She's been on my 'to see' list for years - and I'm out of town.
F 9/30 - Sweet Plaintain String Quartet @ Nighttown. Focuses on contemporary works by Latin American composers, among others.
October
T 10/4 - X @ Beachland Ballroom. With all 4 original members (John Doe, Exene Cervenka, DJ Bonebrake, Billy Zoom). If my flight arrives on time I will be there.
M 10/10 - Bryan Ferry @ PSQ. Yes, the Roxy Music front man.
W 10/12 - NOFX w/Antiflag @ HOB. Woo. I may finally get to see NOFX.
R 10/13 - Dick Dale @ Grog Shop. The master of the surf guitar; he's one for the bucket list.
10/12 through 10/16 - CityMusic Cleveland at various locations. Featuring guest cellist Jan Vogler. Beethoven: Leonore Overture Nr. 3; Ligeti, "Concert Romanesc"; Dvorak, Cello Concerto.
F 10/14 - Revolver @ Grog Shop. It's a French pop group. All of the members were classically trained, and then decided pop was where it was at.
T 10/18 - Gillian Welch @ Kent Stage. As heard on O Brother Where Art Thou?, whose soundtrack she helped produce.
W 10/19 - Duran Duran @ PSQ. Fun fact: when they played the Agora a few years ago, they sold every ticket in less than 10 minutes.
R 10/20 - The Bo-Keys @ Beachland Tavern. Features a bunch of Stax alumni and younger guys pouring out the Memphis sound.
R 10/20 - Honeyhoney @ Grog Shop. A duo performing a mix of roots and jazz.
F 10/21 - Hot Club of Detroit @ Nighttown. Django lives!
F 10/21 - The Slackers @ Grog Shop. 20th anniversary tour? Really? I'm old. They aren't the last 3rd wave ska band still touring, but they are the ones sticking closest to ska.
S 10/22 - Melt Banana @ Grog Shop. My old roommate Micah liked them, although he admittedly like some strange loud stuff.
Su 10/23 - Project/Object @ Beachland Ballroom. The music of Frank Zappa, performed by a bunch of fans and occasional Zappa alumni, such as Ike Willis.
M 10/24 - Michael Pollan @ PSQ. Of Omnivore's Dilemna fame.
R 10/27 - Dar Williams @ Kent Stage. Someone else who didn't impress me live, but has a lot of good CDs.
S 10/29 - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings @ Beachland Ballroom. The best $30 you will ever spend.
Su 10/30 - Shelby Lynne @ Beachland Ballroom. Extremely talented country artist, with enough mainstream appeal to make this a pricey show.
Su 10/30 - Eleanor Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces) @ Grog Shop. I saw the Fiery Furnaces twice. One was sublime, the other phoned in. We'll see what this was.
November
T 11/01 - We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Grog Shop. From Scotland, indie rockish, they were totally awesome when I saw them live and their debut album is excellent. The singles from the new album are promising. Bad news: their opener is the totally horrible Royal Bangs.
W 11/02 - Electric 6 @ Grog. Listed so I have an excuse to play Gay Bar! on my radio show.
F 11/04 - Anthony Bourdain @ PSQ. Must be the month for food-related speakers at PSQ.
S 11/05 - The Toasters @ Grog Shop. 30th anniversary tour? Really? Even the Slackers think they're old. The last 2nd wave ska band that's touring on a regular basis.
Su 11/06 - The Greencards @ Beachland Ballroom. They've toured with Dylan and Willie Nelson. I've seen them, and their roots sound is good.
Su 11/06 - Rachel Yamagata @ Beachland Tavern. Singer/songwriter.
W 11/09 - Fu Manchu @ Grog Shop. One of best loud bands ever.
R 11/10 - Mustard Plus @ Grog Shop. One of my favorite ska bands, although I suspect that they aren't nearly as good as they were in the late 1990s.
Su 11/13 - Mike Doughty & His Band Fantastic @ Beachland Ballroom. I'm in.
S 11/19- Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ Beachland Ballroom. He's in a smaller venue; I don't know if this means his 15 minutes are almost over, but he was pretty good in a big room, in the smaller room he should be amazing.
S 11/19 - Caravan of Thieves @ Winchester. Listed largely because of this line from the blurb: "If Django Reinhardt, the cast of Stomp and The Beatles all had a party at Tim Burton's house, Caravan of Thieves would be the band they hired."
M 11/21 - Mates of State @ Beachland Ballroom. Veteran indie rock goodness.
Su 11/27 - Straight No Chaser @ PSQ. Indiana acapella to end Thanksgiving weekend.
December
R 12/01 - JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound @ Beachland Tavern. Fun sounding Chicago neo-soul band.
12/7 to 12/11 - CityMusic Cleveland at various locations. Featuring guest violinist Joan Kwuon. Corelli Christmas Concerto (Grosso) Op.6, no.8; Dvorak Serenade for Strings; Bernstein Serenade.
Next Year
F 1/06/12 - Iris DeMent @ Kent Stage. Folk.
Su 2/26/12 - Marketa Irglova @ Beachland. The girl from Once, The Swell Season. Now that's planning ahead.
3/14/12 to 3/18/12. CityMusic Cleveland at various locations.
How do you find local shows? Try these: Pollstar. Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, Grog Shop, Peabodys, CSU Convocation Center, HOB, Winchester, Kent Stage, Agora Theater & Ballroom, Wilberts, Quicken Loans Arena, Night Town, Playhouse Square, Rock Hall, Cain Park, Blossom, Tower City Amphitheater, Nautica Pavilion, Lakewood Civic Auditorium, E.J. Thomas Hall (Akron), CityMusic Cleveland, Now That's Class, Happy Dog.
By the way, a new schedule has started at WRUW. As has been the case for many years, I am on Sunday afternoon at 2pm. My co-host Shari & I will be hosting "Fantasy for Transmitter and Two Hosts" and we'll be playing lots of good music, including many of the artists from this concert calendars. You should check us out.