All posts by Brian Mc

Free Show!!! – Ninja Gun @ Kent, OH This Sunday!!!

So as many of you know, Broken Headphones has turned 3 years old this month.  I am so stoked to have been able to continue fueling this site with nonsence and without you, the reader, it would never have been possible.

So thanks to everyone out there that has wasted some of their life on my site.  It means a ton to me.

In a celebration of sorts, I have gotten a few bands to play a show in Kent on Aug. 28th.  That’s this Sunday for those of you who may not have a calender handy.

On Sunday night, The Stone Tavernin Kent, OH will host Valdosta, GA’s Ninja Gun with special guests Playoff Beardfrom Pittsburgh and local heros (and fellow homies) Worship This!.

I have made acquaintances with the folk/punk/country/rock Ninja Gun thanks to this site.  Jonathan Coody, the lead singer of the band, emailed me a while back thanking me for giving a review I did on their sophomore release Restless Rubes.  We have kept in touch ever since.  Mixing a bit of country and folk into rock and punk has never sounded so good.

Punk rockers Playoff Beard (love the name) hail from Pittsburgh and Kent (I know one of the members is a fellow alumni).  I wish I could say I knew more of their material, but I guess I will find out more in a couple of days.  I will be sure to fill you all in.

Worship This! are a group of good guys who I am happy to call friends.  They also have a good thing going for them as their DIY punk rock band is just awesome.  I try and not talk up my friend’s bands a lot, but I am just thrilled about their sound.  Recently the foursome opened up for Iron Chic in NYC.  That right there is bad ass.

The show is going to start around 9pm and is 21+ only.  Formerly Professor’s Pub, the Stone Tavern is in the heart of Kent located at 110 E. Main St., Kent, OH, 44242. 

This is a free show, but donations are encouraged for the touring band.

Come out and have fun.  The Stone Tavern has a great beer list and is just a fun place in general to hang at.

Who cares if the show is on a Sunday night?  Get your music-loving butts out to Kent and come see these kick awesome bands!!!

Daytrotter’s Barnstormer 5 Is Coming To Akron, OH!!!

Something cool is going to happen on Aug. 31st in Akron, OH…

The ever cool Daytrotter (also known as the Horseshack recording studio) is bringing Barnstormer 5 to Akron.  Daytrotter had the clever idea years ago to bring together up and coming country, folk, rock, and indie acts together and had them play in barns, hence the tour name.

The Akron stop will take place at the Conrad Botzum Farmstead Barn in the beautiful Cuyahoga County  National Valley. This place rules and I can honestly say that as one of my best buds and his lovely wife tied the knot there almost a year ago.  The barn is amazing as is the scenery that surrounds it.  This is a show not to be missed.

The Akron stop will feature White Rabbits, Doug Paisley, Wildlife, Priceton, and Hacienda.

Tickets are $20 in advance and can be purchased through the Daytrotter website.  Tickets will be $25 the day of show. 

Doors are at 5:30p and the show starts at 6:30p.  Conrad Botzum Farmstead Barn is on 3486 Riverview Rd., Akron, OH 44333.

For more info, head over to Daytrotter.  While you are there, check out all the amazing bands they work with and download some sessions!!!

Here’s a couple of videos from past performances:

Don’t Miss The Inner Sanctum 18th Anniversary Concert On The Pier This Saturday!!!

Tomorrow, Inner Sanctum (as heard on Radio 92.3) will be celebrating 18 years of Pat The Producer and friends pimping out local music to Cleveland by throwing a huge festival downtown. 

Featuring live music by a bunch of great Cleveland musicians/acts like the Suede BrothersPrisoners,  Craig Ramsey, Leah Lou & The Two Left Shoes and many more, this is going to be one hell of a day-long fest!!! 

The fun starts at 1pm on Saturday the 20th at The E. 9th Pier located next to the Rock Hall.  There will be plenty of local food vendors to keep your stomachs full and even an on site tattoo shop if you care to get that tramp stamp you always wanted (I actually told Pat that I would get Pat The P tattooed on me if someone else paid for it…).

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.  If you would like to purchase tickets now, click HERE and grab one!!!

See you there tomorrow!!!

Free Show Tonight @ The Rock Hall w/ Murder By Death & The Buried Wires

Created by Aaron Seachrist at OKpants.com

Summer is coming to an end folks, but that does not mean it is over just yet.

Tonight the very talented Indiana rock/country act Murder By Death will be playing a FREE show at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.  This show will take place outside in front of the Cleveland staple and is open to everyone who attends. 

I just checked the weather and it looks like it is going to be the perfect evening for an outdoor show.  I have been getting in to Murder By Death over the years after being introduced to them through some friends of an ex of mine.  At first I was not entirely sold, but the more and more I listen to them, the more I really appreciate their style.  This is a band that I have been wanting to check out live for a while now.  Looks like that will happen tonight.

Local rockers The Buried Wires will be opening the night off around 7pm.  Make sure you get there in time to see this up and coming act.  Named by Scene Magazine as a “Band To Watch” in 2010, it is safe to say they will be putting on a great show.

The FREE show is part of the Rock Hall’s Summer In The City Series and sadly, this is the last one of the year. Summer in the City is sponsored by Ohio Natural Gas, Magic Hat Brewing Company, Amtrak, KeyBank and Jim Beam.

Direct Hit! – My Latest Internet Craze.

I hate the term “latest internet craze” when it comes to all those stupid, time-killing photos tons of internet addicted humans who fancy themselves comic reliefs by “planking”, “owling”, “horsemaning”, and oh, let’s not forget “cone-ing” (although I will admit it was funny the first time I saw it). 

If you have no idea what I am talking about, a.) you are lucky and b.) google them for more explanation.  It’s not a craze.  It is stupid and shame on you mainstream media for evening bringing it to light thinking any of it is funny. 

When I think of a latest internet craze, I think of something that is a little more meaningful than some douchebag laying on a curb while some other douche takes a picture of them.  Seriously, that is NOT FUNNY.  Get off the hotel sign and quit pissing me off.

Anyways, enough of my rants today.  I will tell you about the latest internet craze…  DIY bands offering up their music online (some for free).  Skipping “the man”, these DIY bands take care of it all by themselves with help of independent labels and work hard doing it.

That right there is way more interesting to me that seeing a some huge dude perch like an owl (honestly it looks like he is trying to poop his pants).

DIY bands are nothing new, but boy are they becoming more and more plentiful these days.  There are tons of websites out there (some labels and some just hosts) that host DIY bands and their music like Death To False Hope Records, If You Make It, and BandCamp.

One DIY act in particular that I have been digging lately is Direct Hit!.  Last night I downloaded their newest LP called Domesplitter that was put out by Kind Of Like Records.  I found the download on their BandCamp page after receiving an email from one of the band members self-promoting the new release (I think I was on a mailing list from downloading one of their EPs earlier on Death To False Hope Records – I am ok with that as it is not spam).  I will admit that I did not pay anythingfor the download, but I am planning on order ordering Domesplitter  on vinyl (in fact, I just did, so there! Redemption on my end!).

Milwaukee’s Direct Hit! is a pop punk act with an edge.  Domesplitter was a little heavier than I was anticipating and for that I loved it more.  This is the band’s first full length release that actually contains songs from the band’s first five EPs – an anthology have you.  Even if the album is technically not brand new material, I must say I am impressed with it.  Full of hooks and anthem-like sing-a-long opportunities, the songs on this release are down right fun to listen to.  This is a band I should have been a fan of since the beginning.

Check out their BandCamp page.  Or head over to Facebook and be a fan or if you still can tolerate MySpace… 

Here’s a couple entertaining videos for your viewing pleasure:

I love this video and may have posted it before…