Tag Archives: Review

80's, Cleveland, Music, Photography, Punk, Review, Rock

Concert Review: Bad Religion / Bouncing Souls / Off With Their Heads – House Of Blues – Cleveland, OH – 10/12/2010

13 October, 2010 Brian Mc 3 Comments

Anyone who was smart enough to go to the Bad Religion / Bouncing Souls show last night can agree with me on one thing – Best Show Ever.

A trio of punk rock bands with a 20 year gap in age difference treated all the fans to one hell of a show in tropical Cleveland, OH last night at the House Of Blues. Honestly it was one of the highlight shows of the year for me and I left the venue last night beyond satisfied. More on that in a second…

30 years ago, a punk rock band by the name of Bad Religion formed. Seeing how I was only three years old, I had no idea who they were and pretty much had no idea who they were until I was about 12 or 13. I can tell you this, the first time I heard them I became a fan instantly. Intelligent and powerful punk rock was exactly what I was looking for at a young age. I remember I used to take the cassette inserts and read the lyrics and look up the words I could not understand in dictionaries and encyclopedias. I was a punk rock dork.

Just a little over 15 years ago I saw my first Bad Religion show and immediately knew I would love this band for the rest of my life. Seeing them take the stage was one of the most important events in my life as a young punker.

I’ve grown up with this band and I have seen them well over a dozen times. Ask me what my top 5 bands are of all time and Bad Religion will be one of them, if not number one. I guess you would be correct in saying that I kind of like these guys.

Any fan of Bad Religion can agree, they are that amazing.

When Bad Religion posted that they were coming to Cleveland once again I was just as excited as I when I was granted permission by my folks to see them in the mid-nineties. Add Bouncing Souls and Off With Their Heads to the bill, and I was even more pumped to be at the show.

When I arrived to the House Of Blues, the place was already crowded and Off With Their Heads were already rocking through their set. From what I heard, they sounded good. The crowd was getting a kick out of them too as they just pushed through their 30 minute set.

New Jersey heroes The Bouncing Souls took the stage to their adoring fans and blew threw a fun set including old and new tunes. The foursome was impressed with Cleveland on a Tuesday night and did their best to keep the excitement overflowing. They sounded better live this time as they played “True Believer”, “Lean on Sheena”, “Gasoline” and a hilarious screw up of “East Coast! Fuck You!” that had lead singer Greg Attontio on his knees laughing his ass off while the crowd took over vocal duties for him.

The band was all smiles on stage and I would have to assume much more excited to not be playing a Warped Tour. Having seen them earlier this summer at the 100 degree nightmare of a festival, not only did the band look more comfortable this round, but there was also twice as many fans packed at the venue to see them.

Finally the punk rock godfathers most had gathered to see, Bad Religion, took their rightful place on stage to what looked like an almost sold out crowd. Pacing the stage, the band took in their well deserved applauds from their fans of all ages. Without hesitation the band ripped into “Do What You Want” and the place went insane.

Rather than focusing on their recently released album The Dissent Of Man, the band played select tracks from their 30 year catalog including “Only Gonna Die”, “Conquer The World”, and “A Walk”. They sounded better than ever to my ears and seemed focused on only one thing – playing the best show that they could for their fans.

In between a couple of songs Greg Graffin talked about their 30 year career and at one time said “when you’ve been in a band for 30 years, every night could be our last show.” Graffin also recalled the first time Bad Religion played Cleveland in the 80’s at some place called Peabody’s.

It was evident that the band was aging, well not Greg Hetson, but the others showed signs of aging. Graffin wore a more “dad-like” outfit while Jay Bentley’s beard was more salt and pepper. The band though did not let age play a part in their performance. In all the times I have ever seen Bad Religion, this was my favorite show.

I was not in the pit this time thrashing around screaming lyrics I held so close to my heart. I sure as hell was not crowd surfing. Instead I perched myself to the side of the stage anticipating which song the band would play next while gently rocking my head throughout.

The continued their set with “Suffer”, “Atomic Garden”, “Wrong Way Kids”, and two of my all time favorites back to back: “You” and “Fuck Armageddon”. They finished their set with “American Jesus” and exited the stage.

The crowd knew an encore was going to happen and no one moved. Instead, they cheered as loudly as possible letting the band know they wanted more. Not even a minute, Bad Religion was back on the stage and Graffin joked “how’d you know we were going to play an encore?”

The encore consisted of three more tracks including two more of my favorite songs, “Infected” and “Sorrow”. Everyone packed in the venue sang as loudly as possible through each song with arms raised high in the air.

It was an amazing night of punk rock goodness. This show was one of the better shows I have seen in my time and I am thrilled to have been a part of it. Punk’s not dead at all. Trust me, I know this.

Bad Religion Set List:
Do What You Want
Sinister
Only Gonna Die
Recipe For Hate
Flat Earth
Before You Die
The Resist-Stance
Conquer The World
Digital Boy
New Dark Ages
The Devil In Stitches
Requiem For Dissent
A Walk
No Control
No Direction
Avalon
Suffer
Atomic Garden
Wrong Way Kids
Meeting Of The Minds
You
Fuck Armageddon
Generator
American Jesus
Encore:
Infected
Los Angeles Is Burning
Sorrow

Acoustic, Folk, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review

Music Review: Jeff Rowe – Barstool Conversations

26 September, 2010 Brian Mc Leave a comment

Growing up in a tough town just north of Boston, Jeff Rowe (no, not the football player) did not not necessarily have it easy. Without going into detail on his life, I can tell you he was in the punk band BoxingWater, a band that released a couple of albums with ideals that revolved around the hard times and then moved along once the band called it splits.

Rather than continuing moving along with a punk rock sound, Rowe took his guitar and headed out of his hometown and found himself spending time in Richmond, VA perfecting his music that turned more of a folk act. Taking personal experiences he assembled songs over time and released Barstool Conversations an album he recorded in Richmond with Lance Koehler (Tim Barry) before returning home.

I know, I know…another punk rock guy playing folk music? Yes, it has been happening a lot and if you are like me you not only like it, you appreciate it. Recently Barstool Conversations arrived in my mailbox, Rowe’s debut solo attempt. I listened to it upon receiving it and then set it aside until I could actually get a better listen. This past weekend I finally popped it back in and really enjoyed the personal, heartfelt tunes Rowe plays on the album with help from a backing band.

The album started off a little slow with “Passenger”, a quite personal track about leaving and returning. “Kate” sped up slightly and with help from Smoke Or Fire vocalist, Joe McMahon on backing vocals, turned in to a fun jam to listen to. “Bastards Love” might be best heard in a hardly filled barroom in the middle of nowhere. The gloomy track perfectly could compliment any bad day alongside a stiff drink.

Things picked up when “An Album’s Point Of View” played as it was more upbeat than previous tracks. I loved this track because of the lyrics that seemed to have Rowe coming with terms on a tough life and making the best of life. “I’ve got friends that are more than blood,” was one lyric that I can attest to.

One of my favorite tracks on the album, “Dead Authors”, was another personal track, almost too personal, with Rowe talking of family problems and foreclosure. The gentle piano behind Rowe’s raspy singing was the perfect compliment to this bittersweet track.

“Service Of Hardship” was a toe-tapping folk jam that hinted heavy on Frank Turner. “Thinnest Strands” was a very soulful track while “Stolen Songs” begged to be sung along with.

“Glenville” was another track I really enjoyed on the album. This is the kind of song I wish I would write to swoon someone with. “No Place” was another perfect barroom jam with captivating back-up vocals throughout. “Pale Face” ended the album with another slower track that perked up midway with piano and accompanying vocals from a slew of friends including Lance Koehler.

Jeff Rowe does a great job writing songs and playing acoustic guitar. I just wish the album was a little more upbeat throughout as many of the songs he wrote revolved around the tougher times of his life. I would love to see him take a stab at another album with a more positive approach. Rowe definitely has some talent and I can not wait to see where it takes him.

Cleveland, Country, Garage, Indie, Live Shows, Music, Punk, Review, Rock, The Awesome

Concert Review: Those Darlins / Turbo Fruits / Henry Wagons – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH – 09/21/2010

22 September, 2010 Brian Mc Leave a comment

Face it, the Beachland Tavern was really not that heavily packed last night, but every music lover that set foot in that bar for the Those Darlins / Turbo Fruits / Henry Wagons show all were treated to an amazing evening of music.

Three bands with three different backgrounds played the small stage not caring one bit how many tickets were sold. They were there to rock out and have fun with their fans, and that is exactly what happened.

It’s been about a year since Nashville’s Those Darlins graced Cleveland with their beauty, not to mention their amazing music making abilities. The ladies had a rough start to the summer when one of the Darlins took a tumble at a Southern Ohio music festival breaking her arm. This was just a small set back but their ladies (and drummer Lynn) had to take an unwanted break. Just a few months later the band regrouped, recorded a second album to be released in 2011, and hit the road doing what they love to do best.

If anyone knows something about the man behind BHP (you know, the guy who writes all this stuff) it is one thing: BHP hearts Those Darlins. I saw them 4 times alone last year. Overly impressed with their sound and live show-woman-ship, I never missed a show. Needless to say when I discovered they were coming back to the Beachland, I made plans to be there. I was excited to see them and hear perhaps a new song or two (more on that in a bit) but what I did not expect was the surprise that was the opening act, a man named Henry Wagons.

The moment I walked into the tavern I looked at the stage and there he was, a 6-foot tall Australian man with an acoustic guitar in hand. With shaggy hair, glasses, mustache and a sweet green headband he was already playing a song to the minimal crowd that seemed to suckle around the edges of the bar. He sung with an outlaw country vibe that immediately caught my attention. I felt I was listening to an Aussie version of Waylon Jennings but also had an amazing sense of humor. He called out the crowd a few times, made reference to the longest walk ever he experienced at Cleveland-Hopkins Airport and ended his songs with comedic heavily acted strums to his guitar.

Playing his own rendition of Kenny Roger’s “The Gambler”, or so he said, the crowd went crazy for it. I laughed when Henry Wagons said just before playing the song , “I wanna be like Kenny Rogers in another 10 to 15 years,” and also commenting that he lacks the silver-lining at the current moment. Another track he played had him screaming “Willie Nelson” over and over, it was amazing.

The winning song of his set to me was a cover of “Never Been To Spain”, a classic Elvis song that was in fact, not written by Elvis. While playing his set he commented that he was just one man from his band back home called Wagons and that it was his first trip to the states as well as his first night with Those Darlins and Turbo Fruits. After taking to his manager, who was touring with him later in the evening, I learned that they could not afford to have the whole band come over this time around but hope to change that next time they go on tour. After buying a Wagons CD after his set and listening to it on the way home all I have to say is this: I can not wait till Wagons plays the states. The CD is incredible.

Up next was another Nashville act called Turbo Fruits. They were a blend of Nashville and Detroit that was overly impressive, think Hank Williams meets Detroit Cobras. They had 50’s riffs in some songs and dipped into a blues feel during other tracks that had me almost overanalyzing them at times. My conclusion of them was simple though, they were a kick ass band that really put on a show. I especially enjoyed “Dreams For Sale” and “Volcano” and even went so far as to grabbing their LP after the show to check them out some more.

Finally the headliners of the evening, Those Darlins, took to the stage. This time around there were five folk on stage, the three Darlins, drummer Lynn, and some other dude. One would assume that they have a touring guitarist to help out with their shows or perhaps even help Nikki Darlin with some of the guitar duties seeing how she did break her arm in half as mentioned earlier.

Regardless, Those Darlins wasted no time jumping into their set starting off with “Who’s That Knocking At My Window”, a familiar track to most of the crowd. They sounded just as amazing as the previous times I saw them, if not better. They looked happy to be up on the stage and aimed to make sure all were going to have a good time.

Things soon changed for the good when the band decided to play a series of new songs from their upcoming release. With no setlist guiding their performance the girls would shout out the names of the songs and jump into them. Playing tracks like “Boys”, “Be A Brother”, and “Waste Away” it was clear that their sound had taken a turn from the country/punk feel their first album displayed so well.

Their new material mixed up 70’s rock with indie rock yet did not drop the sound where they came from. It was a good sound that all in the house went crazy for. I know I am not the only one excited for their upcoming release. To make matters even better, Lynn was providing back-up vocals on some of the tracks while Nikki focused on her singing duties losing the guitar. Every time the girls announced a new song was being played the crowd just stood their in great anticipation for what was going to come next. I can honestly admit that there was not one new song they played that I did not like and I was not the only one who felt that way. These girls were turning heads at the Beachland and it was not just from their good looks.

Wrapping up their set they played “Red Light Love”, “Wild One” and “Night Jogger”, a new track off their recently released 7″ split with Funsticks, a Jesse Darlin and Lynnwood side project. Making things even more fun they played the Funsticks song that appears on the 45 as well. Yeah, I might have picked one of those up al well…

This was one of the better shows I have been to as a whole seeing that I enjoyed all three bands that played. I can not even tell you the last time that I was this entertained by acts I had never heard of before. I went in there looking for a country/rock night and left with a whole other experience. Henry Wagons and the new material by Those Darlins were the major winners for me.

To think I almost skipped out on that show too. I am so glad I talked myself out of it. Totally worth it.

Folk, Indie, Music, New Release, Pop Rock, Punk, Review, Rock

Fake Problems – Real Ghosts Caught On Tape – Album Review

14 September, 2010 Brian Mc Leave a comment

There was a time and place when I liked the band Fake Problems because they sounded like some other band out there that I enjoyed that will remain unmentioned. The similarities between them and this certain Gainsville, Fla. act I speak of were clear but never to be considered a rip off, at least to my ears. I soon learned of their hard working antics, their harsh stories while touring and most of all their passion for what they love to do.

I recall the first Fake Problems release as being an enjoyable punk/folk sing-a-long jam while the follow-up showed a clear change in their style. Now dropping Real Ghosts Caught On Tape,their third full length release, Fake Problems really have evolved from a one time punk rock sounding band into a fine-sounding rock n roll outfit that impresses me on a few different levels.

Still kicking it with Side One Dummy Records, the Naples, Fla. foursome is back with all new material bordering on more of an indie-rock feel without letting go of their roots. There is this major fun change though that is heard throughout making me think that Fake Problems has pointed their style in a different direction almost hinting back to the 60’s. Real Ghosts contains 11 toe tapping songs that will easily compliment any good day you are having.

The opening “ADT” won me over immediately. I loved the drum playing, the white-collar rock n roll strums and of course the, dare I say, heartfelt lyrics. It was easily the catchiest song on the track. Following was “5678”, a more dance-causing, Electric Six sounding, jam worthy of multiple listens. Again, another catchy track especially with the “everybody’s clapping along” chorus.

It’s not all about the fun though on the album, just listen to the lyrics on “Songs For Teenagers”, a beautifully done tune but with a saddened message about letdowns, suicide contemplation and drug use. “Soulless” on the other hand was fun-major, if that makes sense, with tons of energy slapped into the 60’s-ish, girl doo-whopping track Phil Spector would even enjoy (I have the feeling I am not the only one who has said that but oh well…).

Real Ghosts is well written from start to finish and if anything, the band has proved on how they have matured as musicians. With hints towards So.Cal. indie-rock and sandy beach jams they have not forgeotten where they came from. Real Ghosts is a whole more fun and a lot more mainstream friendly than their priors, but don’t be too quick to throw that “sellout” label at them.

In a sense sellouts happen because it there is a certain element that grabs attention – it happens all the time if you think about it (i.e. Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly, 1/2 the bands on the Warped Tour). Sure, sometimes bands throw in a huge twist to earn more green in their wallets but this is not the case with Fake Problems. They are a fun and hardworking act that dropped a great, fun album aimed at anyone out there who is looking for a upbeat and catchy album to listen to.

80's, Cleveland, Good Times, Music, Punk, Review, The Awesome

Swingin’ Utters / The Menzingers / The Facials – Rockstar – Cleveland, OH – 08/27/2010 – Concert Review

30 August, 2010 Brian Mc 1 Comment

Friday night the punk rockers took over Rockstar in Cleveland. The small, and I mean small, venue that which lies on top of Peabody’s, hosted an intimate night of punk rock goodness with help from The Swingin’ Utters and The Menzingers as well as a couple of local acts including The Facials. Regardless of size fans of all of the bands filled up the joint and were treated to an evening of fast, fun, and furious music.

Openers SmyD (oh, NOW I get it…) were local and sounded just like Against Me!. It was not a bad thing at all until I noticed that the lead singer had matching…Against Me! tattoos on his shoulder blades. Still not a terrible thing, but enough to cause a momentary distraction to more than one onlooker. Trying ever so hard to ignore the dual permanent tributes myself, I was able to enjoy their set even if there was a little too much talk and not so much rock going on from the lead singer. Still, I would check them out again. I took this opportunity to enjoy a nice tall refreshing PBR with my friends.

The Facials, another local act and good friend to BHP, hit up the stage next minus one. Even though one of the band members could not make it to the show the band played on and did not sound that bad even if the back-up guitarist had three practices to learn all the bass lines. Kudos to the vest wearing bandanna sporting musician for switching up duties. Fans crept around the corner stage throughout the set and enjoyed their performance. I took this opportunity to enjoy another nice cold tall refreshing PBR with my friends. Do you see a trend here? Well that was the extent of it, after all I did have to drive home. I am responsible.

One of my favorite punk rock bands that I discovered this year, The Menzingers, finally were able to play a show for me. After all the was the reason they came to Cleveland, for me (not really). You see, earlier this year the band was supposed to play a show in Covington, KY but one of the band members succumbed to a nasty stomach virus and they had to make the difficult decision of canceling the show. I was highly bummed out that I was unable to see them live but understood. This time though all of the band members were in house at Rockstar and took to the stage for a very high energy and fun set.

Jumping around and having a good ol’ time the band played through a bunch of familiar songs including “I Was Born”, “Rivalries” (one of my faves), and “No We Didn’t” off their latest release Chamberlain Waits. Their live stuff was move enjoyable to me than their studio material. The boys just were so entertaining and the crowd was so into them screaming along to every song. Music, friends, smiles, and singing – this is what a punk rock show is all about.

I was thrilled to finally be up at the front of the stage watching this amazing band do their thing. If that was not good enough, the band chatted with me throughout the night about everything from the Kentucky incident to the local punk house the Soggy Dog. Greg and Tom were cool as hell and I can not wait till I run into them again. I know, I sound like a freaking fanboy right now but in all honesty it is nice to meet a band that is happy to be in their surroundings and has no problem climbing the stripper pole with you. If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out Rockstar next time you are in Cleveland. Just don’t get too rowdy or else a mustache-clad bouncer might yell “settle down” at you and walk away… very effective I might mention.

Aside from that calamity there was in fact another performance by punk rock legends the Swingin’ Utters. Even though I have been a fan of the Utters since I was a kid this was the first time I had ever seen them live and I could not be happier. A little older and a lot wiser, the band took to the stage and put forth a killer set with lead singer Johnny Bonnel looking like he was feeling real good. I say this not just because we were in a bar but also because in the middle of the set he screamed “piss break” and stumbled off the stage into the crowd and made a b-line for the men’s room. It was hilarious.

Breaking into tracks like “Five Lessons”, “Windspitting Punk”, and one of my favorites “The Next In Live” the 20+ year old band sounded much better than I was anticipating. It was amusing to see Spike Slawson up on stage too as I mostly know him for his cover act Me First and the GImme GImmes. I should comment too that he looked like she shed some pounds since the last time I saw him. Sporting thick rimmed glasses and what looked like an army issued jacket Spike looked calm and reserved throughout the set. He was perhaps the only one who maintained composure of some sort as the rest of the band, and the crowd for that matter, jumped and thrashed about while flinging beers and fists in the air. Oh yes, it was a punk rock show for sure.

There was no encore for the night by the Utters. They finished their set and exited the stage to an adoring crowd of longtime hardcore fans. That was about the time I exited the Rockstar to get some air. Looking around everyone had that look of satisfaction on their faces, you know, the one where you just witnessed something really really good. Not sure when the Utters will make a trip back to Cleveland but I did get a kick out of a Tweet one of the band members posted later in the evening:

I don’t really understand why people make fun of Cleveland. I think Cleveland is kinda awesome. Romantic, even.

Cleveland is kinda awesome. Romantic? Perhaps. Being with great friends and some amazing bands however was just perfect and I would not have wanted to spend my Friday night any other way.