The Final Concert Calendar of 2011
It's been a busy two months in terms of concerts. Since last time I saw 11 shows. The list:
November
W 11/09 - Fu Manchu @ Grog Shop. A favorite of Mitch, who hosted the much missed WJCU radio show "Kick Out the Jams"
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. They certainly weren't when last I saw them, a half dozen years or so ago.
F 11/11 - Supersuckers / Nashville Pussy / Whiskey Daredevils @ Grog Shop. If you like it loud and crude, this is a good show for you.
S 11/12 - Ray Davies @ HOB. The Kinks front man, of course, and priced commensurately, alas.
S 11/12 - Booker T. Jones @ Nighttown. As in the front man for Booker T. & the MGs. Yeah. If I didn't already have plans, I'd drop the $50.
Su 11/13 - Mike Doughty & His Band Fantastic @ Beachland Ballroom. His new album is not so hot, but hopefully he's still good live.
T 11/15 - Judas Priest @ the Q. My company didn't get freebies for these, or I would have tried for them.
R 11/17 - Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators @ Nighttown. Classic Music from the 20's, 30's, and 40's; sounds good for fans of Your Father's Oldsmobile.
R 11/17 - The Wilderness of Manitoba @ Beachland Tavern. $8 bet; plus, the name reminds me of "The Rural Alberta Advantage." What? No one said this list was scientific.
S 11/19- Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ Beachland Ballroom. The very definition of high energy. Sold out!
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." Nevin says they are just average at best.
Su 11/20 - Trampled by Turtles @ Beachland Ballroom. The best band from Duluth since Low. When I saw them they were bluegrassish, but they are apparently expanding their sound in new directions. Of course, don't all bands say that?
M 11/21 - Mates of State @ Beachland Ballroom. Veteran indie rock goodness. The new album has some fun tracks; try the cut "Total Serendipity"
W 11/23 - Herzog @ Happy Dog. Local band's release party for their new CD "Cartoon Violence".
Su 11/27 - Straight No Chaser @ PSQ. Indiana acapella to end Thanksgiving weekend. I'd go, but...
Su 11/27 - Marketa Irglova @ Beachland. The girl from Once, The Swell Season. Her new album has some gorgeous tracks on it. [NOTE incorrectly listed in January on last several calendars]
T 11/29 - John Doe @ Beachland Tavern. With the Whiskey Daredevils. He's good in X, and arguably better solo. In the Tavern? Bliss.
W 11/30 - April Verch @ Nighttown. Canadian National Fiddle Champion combines Folk, Bluegrass, & Jazz.
December
R 12/01 - JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound @ Beachland Tavern. Fun sounding Chicago neo-soul band, and I do love me some soul. Plus, $10.
F 12/02 - Cello Fury @ the Winchester. String trio and drums performing rock & roll. Why not?
F 12/02 - Hank III, aka Hank Williams III @ HOB. Loud and country, at the same time. Much, much more interesting than his dad, and it's hardly his fault he can't match his grandfather.
12/07 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.
W 12/07 - Block Cello @ Beachland Ballroom. Member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble; played with Mark O’Connor’s Appalachia Waltz Trio. Both of these groups showed up on my old radio show Classical Delirium, so I'm interested to see what an alumnus of them can do.
F 12/09 - Rocket From The Tombs @ Beachland Ballroom. In their original incarnation, they existed but briefly but created a legend. Pere Ubu precursor.
T 12/20 - Classical Revolution @ Happy Dog. Classical Revolution is a group that brings live classical music to places it doesn't normally appear, like coffee houses and rock clubs.
Next Year
F 1/06/12 - Iris DeMent @ Kent Stage. Folk.
F 2/24 - Emilie Autumn @ Peabodys. zodarzone gave her a good review from her last appearance.
3/14/12 to 3/18/12. CityMusic Cleveland at various locations. It's hard to say no to good free classical music.
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 (apparently dead for now), Nautica Pavilion, Lakewood Civic Auditorium, E.J. Thomas Hall (Akron), CityMusic Cleveland, Now That's Class, Happy Dog.
Remember, the radio show "Fantasy For Transmitter and Two Hosts" plays every Sunday from 2pm to 4pm on 91.1 FM (www.wruw.org). My cohost Shari and I frequently play music from upcoming shows, and even give away tickets when we can get them. So listen for the latest concert news, not to mention tons of other good music.
- Studio-A-Rama 2011 with (opener to headliner) Shisho, Cereal Banter, Lionel Jefferson Airplane, Screaming Smoldering Butt Bitches, The Modulated Tones, Filmstrip, Ohio Civil War, This Moment In Black History, Scrawl, A Place To Bury Strangers
- the only 80s tribute band worth mentioning, The Spazmatics (in a pool party in Vegas, no less)
- soul band the Dynamites, headed up by Charles Walker
- Eliza Rickman played a solo show in my fricking living room
- X played with all four original members
- Then I saw Eliza again in Chicago with a full band.
- I crossed punks NOFX and Anti-Flag off the bucket list
- I caught CityMusic performing Beethoven and Dvorak
- Hot Club of Detroit was really good, but they were upstaged by Cyrille Aimée
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings did their typically awesome set, with solid support from The Wrong Numbers
- We Were Promised Jetpacks proved that their Cleveland debut in March of 2010 was no fluke
November
W 11/09 - Fu Manchu @ Grog Shop. A favorite of Mitch, who hosted the much missed WJCU radio show "Kick Out the Jams"
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. They certainly weren't when last I saw them, a half dozen years or so ago.
F 11/11 - Supersuckers / Nashville Pussy / Whiskey Daredevils @ Grog Shop. If you like it loud and crude, this is a good show for you.
S 11/12 - Ray Davies @ HOB. The Kinks front man, of course, and priced commensurately, alas.
S 11/12 - Booker T. Jones @ Nighttown. As in the front man for Booker T. & the MGs. Yeah. If I didn't already have plans, I'd drop the $50.
Su 11/13 - Mike Doughty & His Band Fantastic @ Beachland Ballroom. His new album is not so hot, but hopefully he's still good live.
T 11/15 - Judas Priest @ the Q. My company didn't get freebies for these, or I would have tried for them.
R 11/17 - Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators @ Nighttown. Classic Music from the 20's, 30's, and 40's; sounds good for fans of Your Father's Oldsmobile.
R 11/17 - The Wilderness of Manitoba @ Beachland Tavern. $8 bet; plus, the name reminds me of "The Rural Alberta Advantage." What? No one said this list was scientific.
S 11/19- Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ Beachland Ballroom. The very definition of high energy. Sold out!
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." Nevin says they are just average at best.
Su 11/20 - Trampled by Turtles @ Beachland Ballroom. The best band from Duluth since Low. When I saw them they were bluegrassish, but they are apparently expanding their sound in new directions. Of course, don't all bands say that?
M 11/21 - Mates of State @ Beachland Ballroom. Veteran indie rock goodness. The new album has some fun tracks; try the cut "Total Serendipity"
W 11/23 - Herzog @ Happy Dog. Local band's release party for their new CD "Cartoon Violence".
Su 11/27 - Straight No Chaser @ PSQ. Indiana acapella to end Thanksgiving weekend. I'd go, but...
Su 11/27 - Marketa Irglova @ Beachland. The girl from Once, The Swell Season. Her new album has some gorgeous tracks on it. [NOTE incorrectly listed in January on last several calendars]
T 11/29 - John Doe @ Beachland Tavern. With the Whiskey Daredevils. He's good in X, and arguably better solo. In the Tavern? Bliss.
W 11/30 - April Verch @ Nighttown. Canadian National Fiddle Champion combines Folk, Bluegrass, & Jazz.
December
R 12/01 - JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound @ Beachland Tavern. Fun sounding Chicago neo-soul band, and I do love me some soul. Plus, $10.
F 12/02 - Cello Fury @ the Winchester. String trio and drums performing rock & roll. Why not?
F 12/02 - Hank III, aka Hank Williams III @ HOB. Loud and country, at the same time. Much, much more interesting than his dad, and it's hardly his fault he can't match his grandfather.
12/07 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.
W 12/07 - Block Cello @ Beachland Ballroom. Member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble; played with Mark O’Connor’s Appalachia Waltz Trio. Both of these groups showed up on my old radio show Classical Delirium, so I'm interested to see what an alumnus of them can do.
F 12/09 - Rocket From The Tombs @ Beachland Ballroom. In their original incarnation, they existed but briefly but created a legend. Pere Ubu precursor.
T 12/20 - Classical Revolution @ Happy Dog. Classical Revolution is a group that brings live classical music to places it doesn't normally appear, like coffee houses and rock clubs.
Next Year
F 1/06/12 - Iris DeMent @ Kent Stage. Folk.
F 2/24 - Emilie Autumn @ Peabodys. zodarzone gave her a good review from her last appearance.
3/14/12 to 3/18/12. CityMusic Cleveland at various locations. It's hard to say no to good free classical music.
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 (apparently dead for now), Nautica Pavilion, Lakewood Civic Auditorium, E.J. Thomas Hall (Akron), CityMusic Cleveland, Now That's Class, Happy Dog.
Remember, the radio show "Fantasy For Transmitter and Two Hosts" plays every Sunday from 2pm to 4pm on 91.1 FM (www.wruw.org). My cohost Shari and I frequently play music from upcoming shows, and even give away tickets when we can get them. So listen for the latest concert news, not to mention tons of other good music.