Tag Archives: Cleveland

Download This!, Electronic, Jam, Music, Music News, Music Video, New Release

The Disco Biscuits To Release New Material In 2010

Leave a comment

It’s been three years in the making but The Disco Biscuits are finally ready to release an all new album entitled Planet Anthem.  The electro-jam band seem to have changed up their sound since I last heard them and I must say I am curious to hear this release.

So far the only two songs I have heard are the recently released heavy electronic “On Time” and the rockier “You And I”.  Both songs are far from the jam band tunes I am used to but I enjoyed them both and can not wait to hear Planet Anthem.

I have always liked the Disco Biscuits ever since my pal Gary introduced them to me.  I think I was more partial to the electronic sounds over the jam but still I liked them enough to grab all of their CDs and even see them three times, twice at the Odeon (RIP) in Cleveland.  They are a band that caters to many music loving groups and their live shows are something that needs to be seen.

Check out the video below as well as the link I included for a taste of the new tracks I just mentioned.  I really think that this time around the band is going to be getting even more recognition than they have already received in their almost 15 year career as a band.

The following is from a press release I received:

Planet Anthem is the product of three fruitful years of labor, during which the Disco Biscuits absorbed everything from hip hop to pop to indie rock into their sound. The band collaborated for the first time with multiple producers, songwriters, and outside musicians, including Don Cheegro and Dirty Harry (Ludacris, Chris Brown, Beanie Sigel). While the album still bears the signature Bisco sound, it also broadens the group’s palette and contains a mountain of meaty hooks.

Now that I learned they are mixing hip hip and indie rock I am pretty certain that their new release is going to be causing some ruckus.

DOWNLOAD THIS! – “On Time”

Babble Blog, Good Eats, Good Times, Photography, Random

Babble Blog: The Weekend TX Invaded OH

3 Comments

The internet is a crazy thing and of course we have Al Gore to thank for it…

Within the last couple months a friendship was created between a guy in Ohio who likes to blog and a girl in TX who found his blog through Twitter.  Small talk started and things slowly progressed to the point where phone conversations started.  Music taste was shared as well as appreciation for literature, art, and history.  It was clear that these two people had a lot in common.

Weeks later a plane ticket was purchased and TX invaded OH.

If you have not figured this out yet, I am OH and TX is my pal Jenn who I am more than thrilled to have started a friendship with.  Last weekend she visited me and I thought I would re-cap some of the fun we had.

Friday was one of those work days I wanted to hit fast-forward on until the shift was over.  It was a long day because in my mind I was trying to figure out all the things I wanted to show Jenn.  As soon as 2:30 hit the clock I was out of the building and off to the Akron / Canton airport to pick up Jenn.

After the initial meeting he hopped on Route 8 and searched for something to eat.  I immediately thought of an Akron staple and headed to Luigi’s Pizza where we caught up face to face and lunched on some great food.  After lunch we headed to Highland Square as I wanted to show her one of my favorite Akron music stores, Square Records.  We checked out some other shops in the area and decided to head back to my pad to hang out as Saturday was going to be a busy day.

Saturday was one of those days that I had been planning in advance for weeks upon hearing Jenn confirm she was going to visit OH.  We started the day by heading out to Lakewood to eat an early lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland, Melt Bat & Grilled.  I called the ever cool Matt from Addicted To Vinyl as he agreed to meet up with us to see if he was awake or passed out in a ditch somewhere.  Surprisingly he was not only awake but waiting for us to arrive at Melt.  He even put his name in for a table and stated we only had to wait 30 minutes!

I actually had something to take care of upon entering the Melt establishment that i had been meaning to do for quite some time.  So the moment I walked in and was greeted I rolled up my sleeves looking for a staff member…and showed them my Melt tattoo.

Yes, a Melt tattoo.

Melt Bar & Grilled started a tattoo promotion recently where if a loyal fan of the establishment gets the Melt logo or a variance of it they will receive 25% off their sandwich, FOR LIFE.  As a grilled cheese fanatic I could not pass this up so I had my tattoo artist Ronnie Castro tattoo the permanent coupon on my arm in November.

Now that I was standing there in Melt it was time to get into the gang of loyal grilled cheese lovers.  After some appreciated compliments, photos, and the ever important “Tattoo Family Member” card I joined Matt and Jenn at a table for some grilled goodness.

Matt the trendsetter ordered a “Mighty Mac Melt”, the sandwich of the month and as a huge fan of mac & cheese I had to order the same.  Jenn had to be a rebel and ordered an Italian grilled cheese.  The three of us chatted so much that it seemed like only moments passed until we were served our sandwiches.  That meal was a highlight of my year!  No joke…  My sandwich was a giant friend mac & cheese nugget snug in a grilled cheese.  My arteries clogged and I only ate half (don’t worry I saved the rest for dinner, as did Jenn) but it was worth it.

After we stuffed ourselves silly Jenn and I said by to Matt and I decided to take Jenn to the park down the street to see the Cleveland skyline.  I do not care how cold it is outside, there is something about the Cleveland skyline I think everyone needs to see from Lakewood Park.  She really enjoyed it a lot as did I.

Once our fingers turned blue we decided to pack it up and head downtown.  I drove up and down the streets and gave Jenn a mobile tour of one of my favorite cities.  We really did not make any stops as I wanted to get to Collinwood before it started to get dark so Jenn could see Waterloo during the daylight.

After a couple of laps through the city we hopped back on the highway and headed out to the artsy district of Cleveland also known as Collinwood.

Stopping at Music Saves and Blue Arrow Records were on my agenda while out there but much to my surprise I was informed while at Music Saves that there was a Rock N Roll flea market going on at the Beachland Ballroom.  With plenty of time we headed down there and checked out what was good.  I really wanted to buy stuff there but money is tight these days on the BHP ranch so I was a good boy and looked with my eyes and kept the $1.27 I had in my wallet.

I plan on checking that out again one day when I have a couple bucks to spend.  There was a guy there who’s name escapes me but he had this box full of CDs from local Cleveland bands of the 90’s.  There were a few bands in there I remembered hearing about or even seeing live as a young music lover.  If I had it my way I would have grabbed a bunch just for the memory.  The guy said he had vinyl too but left it at home so I am hoping next time he is there.  We shall see.

Merchants were starting to pack up so I headed down to see Pete at Blue Arrow Records to see what was good.  I love that store and I had to show it off to Jenn.  While there I flipped through endless vinyl and found a Pacific Gas & Electric LP I had been looking for so you could say I was excited.

As we headed back to good ol’ Akron, OH it started to snow ever so slightly.  It was a nice end to a long day.  Once home we just kicked it and geeked out (relaxed) for the duration of the evening.

Sunday morning I did my best to make a breakfast of sorts and was pleased with the outcome. I cubed up some potatoes and fried them up as well as made eggs and refried beans.  I then fried up (with Jenn’s help) some corn tortillas and make tacos.  The outcome was an OH take on a Tex-Mex staple breakfast meal and I was thrilled.

I scored major brownie points there.  Speaking of brownies, the night before while we were geeking out I snuck in the kitchen and made brownies with chopped up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  Yeah, they were amazing.  I pride myself on those.

Sunday morning I did not want to do much of anything but relax and Jenn was ok with that.  Suddenly I came up with the great idea of taking the pups up to Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls to show Jenn the fun little area as well as the Cuyahoga River.  While walking around she took tons of pictures and I just soaked in the beauty of the river and surroundings.  I love having that place just down the street from me.  The pups had fun dragging me all over the place.

Right before heading back home I noticed that the open light was on at Metropolis Popcorn so we picked up some snacks for afternoon football watching.  I got my favorite Chicago style popcorn (cheddar mixed with caramel) and Jenn chose the dill popcorn.  Both were amazing.

The rest of Sunday was chill and of course the Browns lost but at this time it does not bother me anymore.  There is always next year – and a hopeful first round draft pick.

Monday was departure day.  I know Jenn had fun because she thanked me multiple times throughout the morning.  I thanked her as well for coming up.  Not only was it a pleasure to have met her face to face but it was also awesome just to show her around Cleveland/Akron at the places I love.  Had we more time I would have taken her to many more places but I think I did good with what was shown.  Still, I wish I would have dropped by Cleveland Hts. and showed her Coventry.  Oh well, next time right?

Jenn is back in TX and I am sure she left OH with a good idea of how fun our city is, well at least I hope she did.  Upon exiting my car at the airport she reminded me that I was always welcome to visit her in TX and I hope to do that one day very soon.

Hardcore, Live Shows, Metal, Music, Review

Concert Review(s): Converge 10-19-2009 / Gallows 11-08-09 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH

1 Comment

In the past month or so I attended two of the craziest shows I have been to in quite some time. This year I have seen a lot of different genres of music live and really nothing was that out of hand to the point where I left almost laughing at the insanity of the performance of both band and crowd. The last two shows though that I attended at the Grog Shop, not only did I leave satisfied with the show, but also was just blown away at the insanity created during it.

A few weeks back I was invited to see longtime hardcore act Converge play a small show with special guests High On Fire and Keelhaul. Converge and High On Fire were taking a break from the [adult swim] sponsored Mastodon / Dethklok tour. As much as I wish Mastodon and Dethklok made a stop as well in Cleveland I knew that Converge and High On Fire would play longer sets at the smaller venue.

Keelhaul, a local metal band, played a great, mostly instrumental, set to  small but growing crowd. I was pleased to see these old school (to me) Clevelanders take stage and deliver some solid sludge metal. At times they were heavy and out of control while other times formulated into a Clutch like jam the whole crowd appreciated.  They were solid and really into their performance and I am glad I got there in time to see them.

I saw High On Fire previously over the summer at Bonnaroo so I was already aware that they would put out a sick performance. The band rocked from the moment they took the stage until their final song. Playing for just over 45 minutes I enjoyed seeing a good metal set and was even treated to a new track from their upcoming release. Lead singer Mike Pike admitted that they had not played a small venue in a while and perhaps that is why they all seemed so pumped to play that night.

High On Fire Setlist:
Fury Whip
Blood from Zion
Devilution
Eyes and Teeth
Turk
Commeth Down Hessian
Waste of Tiamat
Frost Hammer
Rumors of War

Sadly some people actually left once High On Fire was done. Why? Who knows…their loss.

Now where do I begin with Converge? I have to admit that I missed them all of the previous times they came through Cleveland for whatever reason so this was my first taste at live Converge. All I have to say about their set is this…WOW. They played a huge array of tracks including a couple of their newest album Axe To Fall which was recently released through Epitaph Records.

For a band that has been around for 17 years they are just as incredible as ever. I have never seen anyone like lead singer Jacob scream so hard into a mic.  The fans were eating it up with the hardcore kids flailing about carelessly just enjoying themselves.

As a seasoned concert goer I stay away from the pit. I am old and get tired quickly. I can not do roundhouses with grace nor do I want to jump on top of other fans in attempts of getting the mic pushed in my face for a chance to recite a lyric. Now if I were younger you can bet your ass I would have been jumping around and kicking and singing through the set just like many of the younger fans did. It was incredible. These kids were true fans pushing out every lyric of every song with ease. I could only look at the kids and think back to the days when I did stuff like that.

Converge played songs old and new and just tore it up. It was one of the better shows I have been to all year. Hardcore is not dead by any means and Converge is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Converge Setlist:
Plagues
No Heroes
Bare My Teeth
Reap What You Sow
Cutter
Worms Will Feed
Axe to Fall
Eagles Become Vultures
The Broken Vow
Drop Out
Hope Street
Bitter and Then Some
Last Light
Dark Horse
Heartache
Hellbound
Concubine

A few weeks later one of my favorite UK bands invaded Cleveland once again. There was no way in hell I was going to miss this show. Sadly a lot of my friends punked out but my pal Josh and I trucked up the the Grog Shop on a Sunday night in hopes of a great show featuring none other than Gallows.

Local openers Wreak Havoc and Above This Fire were both decent openers. I have heard of each act and have seen their names posted around Cleveland for some time now yet never checked either out.   Their fans were all about both sets as they jumped on top of each other and kicked and danced around the pit. I do need to note one particular instance of the night though that cracked me up during Above This Fire…

There was a younger fan, a female fan, who was a little shorter than the rest. She stood her ground at the front of the stage with a mean pissed off look that honestly resembles mine. Every once in a while she would take a lap around the pit and push people around and clearly was just into the set doing her thing, being hardcore. For whatever reason during one of the rounds she decided to go into the crowd and punch me straight in the kidney. On purpose or not, I was laughing too hard to feel the pain… Don’t worry, I did not retaliate.

This was my third time seeing Gallows live and there is a reason for that…they own.  Frank Carter and crew put on a killer performance and the kids were jumping and kicking and screaming their hearts out. I thought for sure Carter was going to take the mic into the pit and sing in the crowd as he has done previously but this time he planted his feet on stage.

I don’t know if it is from constant touring or what but Carter just looked tired and not himself.  He sang on point but lacked the overzealous attitude I usually am humored by.  He is usually outspoken and just a bad ass but this time around he seemed tame.  Even the crowd did not seem as insane as when I saw them at the Warped Tour.  During the Gallow’s cover of Black Flag‘s “Nervous Breakdown” I thought for sure the Grog Shop was going to be one giant circle put but it did not even make it past the pillars in the center of the venue.

On occasion Carter dipped in the front row while singing but never stepped foot in the pit until the last song.  Covering songs on both albums it even seemed as if they could have played a little longer but before I knew it Carter announced it was the last song and busted into “Orchestra Of Wolves”.

During that last song he let the fans take over singing duties as he jumped in the crowd and pushed himself to the back of the pit where I was standing. After a few moments the sweaty skinny hardcore Englishman thwarted back in the pit and back on stage. Once the song was done that was it. No encore, show over, and I loved it.

Sadly I was not paying a lot of attention to the set because I had one too many PBR‘s during the show.  If anyone knows of the set the Gallows slammed out that night let me know and I will gladly post it.

As I finish this blog up tonight it was brought to my attention that the Gallows jumped off the AFI tour due to illness in the band.  Perhaps that is why Carter and crew did not seem nearly as energetic.  Direct from their website they stated:

We will not be appearing on the remaining 5 dates with AFI we were scheduled to play. This is due to members of the band being very sick & we need some urgent rest. We’re very sorry to anyone who bought tickets to see us on these shows, we will be back soon!

Rest up Gallows.

I may be getting up there in age but I can tell you that I had a blast at both shows even if I stood at the base of the put and did not move at all.  Crossing my arms and nodding my head is my way of approval these days and I can tell you I did a lot of that at both shows I attended.

Akron, Babble Blog, Cleveland, Live Shows, Music

Why Is It…

1 Comment

…that so many bands skip Northeast Ohio?  I swear out of all the tours I hear about with bands it seems like less than 50% of them stop in Cleveland or Akron.  Someone will be talking about a band that is going on tour but when I look at their dates there is no Cleveland or Akron to be found.

Seriously, what gives?  Are you too cool for Cleveland?  Do we smell?

Don’t get me wrong, a ton of bands have played in Akron/Cleveland this year but there were a few shows (ahem… NIN for example) that never made a stop when they should have. I;m sorry, I am not going to make the drive to another state every time there is an amazing tour that misses us.  I just don’t have it in me.  I have done it in the past and have had fun but let’s be realistic…Cleveland and Akron both are capable of holding their own tours.  We have arenas, clubs, amphitheaters, and they have housed tons of bands for many years now.

For those bands that did stop and perform in Akron/Cleveland, thank you.  You have no idea how many music fans appreciate it.

For all you other bands out there I would like to know reasons why you skip Akron/Cleveland.  If you can play in Pittsburgh or Detroit, you can play here.

To help your concert promoter throw a stop in Northeastern Ohio next time I decided to help out by compiling a list of good things about Akron/Cleveland…

  • It’s not that bad of a city…really it’s not.
  • There are some pretty amazing concert venues in the area that generally have good outcomes no matter what day of the week year round.
  • Fans will travel in blizzards if they have to just to see the band they love.  It’s Ohio, we are used to driving in crappy weather.
  • Great Lakes Beer is brewed here.  Seriously if you have not had one of their beers on tap yet you are missing out.
  • We are not out of your way.  Generally bands drive through Ohio when they travel from Detroit to Pittsburgh, you might as well stop for a night.
  • We have excellent eatery establishments in the area.  There’s Melt in Lakewood, Chili Peppers in Collinwood, Lolita in Tremont, Crave in Akron, and tons all over the place.
  • We are a music rich area, people love seeing live shows whether it be a small club show or a sold out arena performance.

No Columbus does not count as an Akron/Cleveland stop either.  Get your show up here.  I am not pointing fingers at anyone specifically but I am sure many can agree with me when I say that Akron/Cleveland is passed up a lot by bands some of us can not afford to travel to see.

Bragging Rights, Cleveland, Music, Music Video, Punk

New Rancid Video!!!

Leave a comment

Rancid just posted a new music video for “Up To No Good” today!  Check it out:

The video actually shows in the background a map of sorts showing all of the cities the band toured at over the summer including Cleveland.  I only wish I was able to see them more than one time but I am not complaining at all about that, after all I was back stage for their performance…more on that HERE.