Category Archives: Good Times

Akron, Good Times, Got Local?, House Show, Live Shows, Music, Music News, Pop, Punk, Rock, The Awesome

Daytrader & Mixtapes @ It’s A Kling Thing House – This Sunday!!!

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Screw you Valentines Day.  I never liked you.  You do nothing for me at all and I refuse to buy your stupid cards/flowers/crap to proclaim my love for someone special in my life on just one special day…  Granted I am flying solo this year, but still.  Screw you!

This weekend is going to be all sorts of red and pink and all lovey dovey and honestly, I am not into it.

Luckily for me (and those who are not suckers for V-Day) there is going to be a sweet house show this Sunday featuring two of my favorite newer acts Daytrader (from NY) and Mixtapes (from Cincinnati, OH).

The show will take place in the basement of the glorious It’s A Kling Thing House located on (you guessed it) Kling St. in tropical Akron, OH.  The fun starts at 8 p.m.  Local openers Northwestern will be performing their very first show, so make sure you get there early!

Daytrader features current and ex-members of Crime in Stereo, Latterman/Bridge and Tunnel/Monikers, the Motorcycle Industry and Divider. The band recently released an ever-so-addicting EP entitled Last Days Of Rome, a release that I have been listening to daily since it dropped.

I caught Daytrader just before Jesus Day last year at the Grog Shop and they killed it on stage so obviously I have high expectations seeing them again live.

Mixtapes, a band that just can’t seem to stop releasing songs (no, that is not a bad thing), hails from Cincinnati, OH and really have grown on me thanks to my other pop-punk loving friends who insisted I keep listening to them.  I started loving them the moment I realized I (at my thirty-ish prime) can actually identify with their lyrics as they sing about staying home and drinking Diet Coke.  Recently the band shared a two-song EP on Death To False Hope Records.  The first song is a cover to some Nickeldeon show and the other acoustic song titled “Hey Baby” bashes a Strung Out / Tim Burton loving lady who sucks.  Grab yourself a copy by clicking HERE.

It’s A Kling Thing House is a donation based DIY house so many sure you bring plenty of donation money to help out these hard-working bands.  Merch will be sold there, BYOB, and don’t be a jerk.

Looking forward to seeing everyone out there. Sunday can not come soon enough!

Cleveland, Documentary, Film, Good Times, Metal, Music, Punk, Review, Rock, The Awesome

Lemmy: The Movie

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Last night was a blast.  In case some of you missed it, there was a screening of the new Lemmy documentary called LEMMY: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch at the Beachland Ballroom in good ol’ Cleveland, OH.  It was a great film and I invite anyone who is a Motorhead fan to check it out when it comes out on DVD in a couple of weeks.

I would like to consider myself the soul reason the movie appeared last night at the Beachland.  It was not because I organized the event or got in touch with director Wes Orchoski and asked him to come out and do a Q & A – That was Matt @ Addicted To Vinyl.

The reason was because I provided the Blu-Ray player.  Yes friends, if it were not for me last night, none of this would ever have happened…

Ok, it was not my Blu-Ray player.  Still, I was the one who brought it in and hit “play” when the lights went out.  I had a job to do last night and I did it well…

It really did not go that smoothly though…

I arrived a little early to the Beachland Ballroom after a couple failed attempts at doing some vinyl shopping on Warterloo.  I forgot it was Sunday and the shops tend to close earlier.  It worked out to my advantage though as the sound and video folk at the Beachland were waiting for my arrival.

We hooked up the Blu-Ray player as the tribute band set up and then just hung out in the soon to be filled ballroom.  During the downtime I hung out with Wes who is a really kick-ass guy.  He talked about his statewide tour showcasing his project that took him four years to create as well as some of the musicians he interviewed.  Needless to say, I was jealous.

By 8 o’clock the place was packed.  It was funny because I snuck downstairs for a bit to chill out  abot 20 minutes earlier and when I came back upstairs almost all the seats were filled.  It was a full house.  All the chairs were filled and people were standing, all waiting for the film to start.

I was asked to join WJCU/Auburn Records Owner Bill Peters and Chris Akin on stage to introduce Wes to the stage for a shot opening speech by Wes and then was given the cue to start the movie.

So what do I do?  I screw up.

I forgot to take out the screensaver disc and enter the blu-ray into the player.  As I stood there confused the crowd was wondering what the hell the kid in the Social Distortion jacket was doing on the side of the state.

It was me vs. the crowd and I did what I do best – ignored them…for a moment at least.

I stood there looking at the screen wondering why the damn movie was not playing and then it hit me…  I quickly realized what I forgot to do, exchanged discs, and threw up a fist-pump for the crowd (many who cheered).

I am an idiot.

The movie started and all I can tell you is this:  It was a funny, truthful, honest, and real documentary on the hardest working musician on the planet.  I loved all the interviews Wes was able to capture including some great stories from Scott Ian (Anthrax), Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters/Pro-Bot), and Henry Rollins (duh).

There was plenty of music throughout and also some history of Lemmy that many probably are not aware of.

Lemmy himself was a blast to listed to talk, when I could understand him – thankfully there were plenty of subtitles throughout.

It was one of the better documentaries I have seen in my time and enjoyed every moment.  Wes asked me to go back up stage with him and kill the movie once the credits ended so I made my way up there and turned the Blu-Ray player off.  Lots of the crowd wanted more and thankfully Bill Peters introduced Wes one more time for a Q&A.  This gave me enough time to get everything packed out and I snuck off the side of the stage.

Everyone who joined in on the Q&A had some good questions for Wes.  Well that is not entirely true as one lady asked why Lemmy didn’t come…  Anyways, it was a blast to see the crowd interact with Wes.

The tribute band immediately followed and rocked out.  All who stayed enjoyed their performance.  I stayed for a few songs and made my way to the exit.

I had a blast helping out with the event and make some really awesome new friends.  I was 1/16th rockstar that night as I got to stand on stage and miserably fail at starting a simple movie.

The crowd rocked, the documentary was entertaining, and now of course now I want to go out and buy all the Motorhead and Hawkwind vinyl I can get my hands on.

Thanks to Addicted To Vinyl’s Matt for putting on the event, thanks to all who showed up, and special thanks to Bill Peters and Chris Akin for helping out as well.

Interested in checking out the Lemmy movie?  CLICK HERE.

Festival, Good Times, Music, Personal Entry, The Awesome

The Awesome: SXSW 2011

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So in 2009 I made a promise that I could not keep.  I said that I was going to go to SXSW in 2010.  Sadly it did not happen that year…

Luckily for me 2011 is a new year.

I have made arrangements with friends in Austin, TX and will be heading down there having absolutely no idea what to expect.  SXSW has been something I have wanted to attend for years now and I could not be happier to finally be a part of it.

I have been to tons of concerts and festivals throughout the years, but can’t say that I have been to something quite like SXSW.  I am looking forward to seeing as many bands (and maybe even movies) as possible in one of the, in my opinion, greatest cities in the world.

March can not come soon enough.

Akron, Eye Opener, Good Times, Indie, Live Shows, Music, Music Video, Pop Rock, Rock, The Awesome

They Are Called Fort Wilson Riot

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Earlier this year I had one of those evenings that made me remember why I do what I do.  Before you start thinking dirty thoughts, I am talking about my love for music and sharing it with all of you wonderful readers out there via this high tech blog.  I don’t get paid for this (yet), but I can tell you what, I will do this for as long as I can just because I love doing it…

Great, now where was I?

Oh yes, that one evening earlier this year when I remembered why I love music and my blog and blah blah blah…  Flashback time.

It was a warm summer evening and my favorite Columbus folk-duo The Electric Grandmother were playing a show at Annabell’s in Highland Square (a hipster rich area in Akron).  We arrived just before the show was to start and I remember helping them move their gear into a side room of the bar as there was another act scheduled before them.

Mary Alice & Pete (aka The Electric Grandmother) offered me a delicious tall PBR as a thank you for helping them get situation (who later in the night dedicated a song to me – how thoughtful).

As I sat there and enjoyed that 24oz. of goodness, there was a male/female duo getting set up.  I remember specifically stopping everything I was doing the second they started their soundcheck.  All I could think of was “who in the hell is this?”  Mind you I was dead serious and not sarcastic…

The band was called Fort Wilson Riot and they just so happened to fill in a last minute slot at Annabell’s as some unnamed venue in Cleveland cancelled on them.  They were not looking rushed but you could tell they were moving as fast as they could to get set up.  It was then and there they started that song that my attention was captured.

The song they played was called “Snakes & Scorpions” and featured the duo singing in a perfect harmony backed by an electric guitar and electric keyboard as well as a drum machine providing the beat.

It was a simple set up but the sound was not what I expected at all.  The duo consisting of Jacob Mullis and Amy Hager reminded me of everything I liked about acts like Dresden Dolls, Mates Of State, Matt & Kim, and even The White Stripes.  Why?  Because they complimented one another perfectly.  It’s like the ying and yang of music.

I liked what I heard and apparently so did everyone else in the bar that night as the entire basement of Annabell’s filled up after a couple songs in by Fort Wilson Riot.  They were indie rock, they were pop rock cabaret-style…they were…good.

No one was expecting to hear that kind of music that night.  I know I wasn’t.

I remember looking at Pete & Mary Alice and then looking around at all the people who gathered to see this mysterious band play.  It was one of those acts where we could see people mouthing the words “who are these guys” followed by “they are really good.”

When I see people do that while watching a band I can not help myself but smile.  That is why I love music and that is why I like to share it.  Chances are I am not the only one who decided to tell someone about Fort Wilson Riot.  I know I have multiple times, and here I am telling you all.

After their set I greeted them and throughout the night we chatted.  I found out that they were from Minnesota and once were considered an “indie-rock opera” before slimming down to the duo.  They were touring in a van on their own and had been touring with Ice Palace before making the stop in Cleveland.

Amy and Jacob hung out with us for the rest of the night and by the end of the evening they hooked me up with a copy of their latest album Predator Prey, a self-made album that once I listened to, turned me into even a bigger fan.

Not only is it the duo on the CD but they also enlisted a bunch of their talented friends to put together one great listen.  I highly recommend checking out “Forgotten Language”, “All My Friends”, “Snakes & Scorpions” and cabaret-heavy “Diamond Blues”.

Have you found yourself interested in this band Fort Wilson Riot I speak of?  Fear not you can check them out by heading over to their Bandcamp page.  The album is only $8.  What are you waiting for?

Fort Wilson Riot “Snakes and Scorpions” from Fort Wilson Riot on Vimeo.

Fort Wilson Riot “All My Friends” from Fort Wilson Riot on Vimeo.

Babble Blog, Blog On, Good Times, Live Shows, The Awesome

Talkin’ Bout My (Black Shirt) Generation

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Chances are if you have been to a concert, you are like me and have purchased a concert shirt.  It’s a way to support a band while at the same time show everyone who it is you listen to.  It is almost a bragging right if you think about it – there is nothing more satisfying then sporting a concert shirt the day after the show.  If you are lucky, someone will notice it and ask you how the show was (face it, you love it when this happens).

It’s a form of expression.  People will judge you for the shirt you wear.  Trust me, I know this. 

The concert shirt, for me, has become almost a staple in my life.  I have tons of them and they all carry certain memories.  For the longest time, I made sure that I purchased a shirt at every show I went to.  It was an obsession, an addiction that I just adored.  After having counting over 400 shirts one day I decided it was time to chill on the addiction and even pack some up and donate to Goodwill.

I can not tell you how difficult that was for me… 

Sure, a lot of the shirts were ones I hadn’t worn in years and were by bands that were meaningless to me, but there were a few that held such fond memories I just could not let them go even though I knew I would never wear them again. 

I took about 50 or so of them and jammed them in a giant Rubbermaid tub and put them in my attic.  I’m no pack-rat, but I know sometimes you should not get rid of something when it holds a fond memory of a good time… 

I know I am not the only who shares this addiction / ritual.  There is at least one other person I know who does.  Her name is Sara and she started the blog Black Shirt Generation.  The site is great in that she shares the same love for the concert shirt but has turned it into a project, if not a mission, to find out all the fellow concert tee lovers out there as well as collect their stories.

Rather than sit here and tell you why she started it, I figured I would give her the honors; so Sara, take it away:

Black Shirt Generation is an idea that’s taken me some time to figure out.  A long time ago, someone, on some drunken night downtown, put a little idea into my head that one day I was going to “write teen anthems”.  Not believing him for a second, I quickly dismissed him…but I must admit, almost 10 years later, I still thought about it.

A few months ago, I was standing in my closet, trying to figure out what I was going to wear, and I started cracking myself up.  I have probably 100 black band t-shirts in my closet.  I only wear a dozen or so of them, and it STILL takes me forever to pick out one of them.

It got me thinking about how many other music fanatics were out there with the same issue.  Closets and drawers chock full of nothing to wear – but also full of memories and stories of days gone by.

From there, the ideas started coming in about maybe THIS is what I was “meant” to do.  This was going to be my outlet to the world.  It might not be a “teen anthem”, so to speak, but it’s definitely the voice of a generation.  My generation, my voice, my story, my memories…

That being said, I wanted the scoop on others’ takes on their love affair/obsession with music as well.  Punk rock, rock n’ roll, tattoos, booze, fighting, heartbreak – everything that comes with that uniform of black cotton with your heart and soul silk-screened on across the front. 

So I’m looking to you, your friends, their friends and anyone who wants to make it known why they love that holey, frayed shirt that was black at one point in time…and why you or they never got rid of it – even though it would never be worn again.

Thanks Sara.  Very cool idea.

Got a fond memory you want to share?  Head over to Black Shirt Generation and let her know!