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.
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
Dan Andriano, also known as the bassist/singer of Alkaline Trio, recently released an impressive solo album called Hurricane Season. Under the moniker Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room, the man took the album into his hands, literally. He wrote all the songs, played/sang all the music (sans the organ, piano, and a couple of harmony vocals), and even produced it. It is safe to say that Hurricane Season is indeed a true solo album. The man even took it upon himself to supply the photos as seen throughout the album and booklet.
Andriano, in case you live under a rock, is one of the impressive three that make up the popular punk rock band Alkaline Trio. Formerly of Slapstick, he is known these days for his distinguishable signing in many AK3 songs (including “Fine” as heard on AK3’s last full length This Addiction). Andriano has toyed with side projects in the past including a 2002 split as well as been a part of the punk rock supergroup The Falcon. He writes, he plays, he performs, and this time with help from Asian Man Records, he has given his talent a challenge of sorts and dropped quite the impressive album.
“It’s Gonna Rain All Day” opens the ten track album with Andriano doing what he does best; write heavy, meaningful lyrics. Such the sorrowful track with piano sneaking in and out of acoustic guitar playing making for one of my favorite tracks on the release. “Hurricane Season” followed in a more upbeat rock feel with some familiar cries coming from Andriano’s pipes. “Hollow Sounds” was more of an acoustic jam with many the reference to addicting temptations and comparisons revolving around a heartfelt memory.
“Let Me In” was a busy rock track throughout, impressive when you think that one man put it together by himself. “On Monday” had a nice country/rock feel to it. “The Last Day We Ever Close Our Eyes” was the closest thing on the entire album that resembled a heartfelt track. Then came, “From This Oil Can”, a seemingly happy ending to Hurricane Season that easily was meant to swoon someone in a clever, direct way. I really enjoyed this closing track a lot.
Hurricane Season was an album full of songs that easily could have been mistaken for AK3 b-sides or acoustic jams, but I know that is not at all what he was looking to do. Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room was more of a personal sounding voyage with deep tracks most likely that have been trapped in his mind for quite some time.
Andriano does contribute quite a lot to AK3, so it is not surprising that a lot of the tracks on Hurricane Season are dark and lost. Knowing though that this album is a solo release means that Andriano has offered so much more to it over the the typical 1/3 he probably does in AK3 as the two other members help make AK3 what they are too. The result is a personal tribute to himself. If anything, an amazing musician who probably just wanted to play some songs all by himself for others to listen to did just that. I just hope he takes this solo project on the road, only time will tell. See tour dates below. No Cleveland show, but who knows, maybe next time!
Fall Tour Dates:
Sept. 9th – Gainesville, FL at The Double Down
Sept. 10th – Naples, FL at Flieschmann Park
Sept. 11th – Ybor City, FL at Crowbar
Sept. 13th – Charlotte, NC at The Evening Muse
Sept. 14th – Chapel Hill, NC at Local 506
Sept. 15th – West Columbia, SC at New Brookland Tavern
Sept. 16th – St. Augustine, FL at Cafe 11
Sept. 24th – Chicago, IL at The Bottom Lounge
