Finally! Empress Of has a new album coming out, and this is the video for her delightful first single, When I’m With Him. There’s nothing complicated about how delightful this new video is from Mursa Masa. Computer Magic just put out another video for Clouds, from their excellent Danz release this year.
Bonus: Our own Marcus Alan Ward droppes an *excellent* dance video for his new single, Please.
Once in a while, an album comes out and completely bowls you over. The more I listened to Mt. Joy as the show approached, this is what happened. Nearly every song on their only (?) album is amazing, and since this was moved from the Tavern to the Ballroom, I guess I wasn’t the only one to noticed. It was a young and enthusiastic crowd at the Beachland Ballroom, and you’ll see that towards the end of the video!
Equally as great on stage were the openers, Oliver Hazard, a great group of guys from Waterville, OH. Again, so many great songs on their one (and only?) album! I chatted with these guys afterward about a possible house concert. Keep your eyes peeled!
This is my third Honcho Campout, and probably one of the best. They’re finding their groove in this new location, and you can tell by the number of people making their way out to this remote Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary. A fabulous mix of people and music, and beautiful natural surroundings to envelop them. Also, I know the video is pretty dark, but that’s probably for the best. ;-)
I can’t even remember how I found out about this show, but I love it when friends reach out about how good a band sounds that they see on my TZA calendar! Loved what I heard from this indie rock band, and their live show held up very well!
Opening was Jared & The Mill, a very capable (and cute) band. A little more folk / jam than Lydia, but that’s never a bad thing.
I’ve been pretty busy these past couple weeks and have a lot to catch up on, but I really wanted to share these videos for tonight’s show at the Beachland Ballroom. I’ve been enjoying Mt. Joy for awhile now, and was particularly excited when I saw they were going to be at Beachland’s Tavern. But as I would expect, they were selling really well and got moved to the Ballroom. Good for them. These are some cool guys, with some great songs and videos to match. Check them out below.
De Lux kinda snuck up on me. Turns out I had some random "Scion AV Presents De Lux” EP from 2016 that I had enjoyed, and then readily moved on from. The speed at which I discover new music, I’ll often move past bands that probably deserve more attention, and this was one of those bands. Thanks to Songkick monitoring my artist list in iTunes, they alerted me to their concert coming up at the Grog Shop. I probably wouldn’t have even recognized their name had I not wondered - "why is Songkick telling me about this show?” After getting reacquainted, I quickly updated my library with their new stuff, and the more I listened, the more I loved what I was hearing. Every song was great! Opening the was Cleveland’s own Key to the Mint, who I’ve seen several times. They’re an interesting local band with a dark, throwback synth sound is. I’m hoping for the best for these guys.
Next up were Traps PS, but we checked out for this band. Then, L.A.’s De Lux took the stage and I never left the dance floor. Their Bandcamp page describes them as: "a post-disco dance-punk DIY duo that sound like they could have come out of 1979 or 1982 just as easily as the present.” Right on. The Grog Shop should’ve had a LOT more people there for this show, but this was also their first time in Cleveland. Hopefully not their last! So much fun… I live for concert nights like this.
What a 90’s throwback show! There was a time that both of these women held prominent places in my CD collection. For this to be my annual trip to Cain Park for a concert was pretty exciting, though more so for Joan than Lisa. I’ve continued to follow Joan and have always appreciated her dedication to her blues roots. Lisa went on to make a bevy of children’s music. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, she was a consummate performer weaving in her one-hit wonder and filling the rest of the show with charming stories and insights. She was delightful.
Joan was polished, poised and sounded great. I couldn’t have been happier when she played my favorite, St. Teresa. I only wished more people would have turned out for this show on this gorgeous night at Cain Park (and that my photos and video could have been better)
I’m in love with this new song and video by Troye Sivan (feat. Ariana Grande) for Dance To This. Fresh off seeing Bomba Estéreo at the Grog Shop, they just released the video for Amar Así with quite the unexpected ending. I’ve been loving Kiesza for some time now, but wasn’t expecting this creepier version of Pee Wee’s Playhouse, in her new video for Phantom of the Dancefloor.
Bonus: Big Freedia is back again, this time with additional vocals by Lizzo. Nice work!
I first caught wind of the Columbian band, Bomba Estéreo, back in 2011 from La Blogotheque, such a stunning performance (and visuals!). Since then I’ve been following along and enjoying just about everything they’ve been putting out - except for that crappy song / video with Will Smith. But hey, they’re just trying to make it. When I heard they were coming to Cleveland and performing at the Grog Shop, I was shocked. Unfortunately, this evening the sound setup wasn’t quite on their side. Some muddled vocals really took away from the night. Still, I’m so glad they came and that I was able to see them.
This explains a lot. While I can very much relate (see Guster), I’m always prioritizing new music. Whether that’s conditioning or wiring, I feel rather unique in that way.
"And researchers have uncovered evidence that suggests our brains bind us to the music we heard as teenagers more tightly than anything we’ll hear as adults—a connection that doesn’t weaken as we age. Musical nostalgia, in other words, isn’t just a cultural phenomenon: It’s a neuronic command. And no matter how sophisticated our tastes might otherwise grow to be, our brains may stay jammed on those songs we obsessed over during the high drama of adolescence."
(Via Musical nostalgia: The psychology and neuroscience for song preference and the reminiscence bump..)
While I could consider Guster a total college band, I didn’t really get exposed to them until just after. But still, their sound totally resonates as that level of fun nostalgia for me. Looking back, I thought I had actually seen them multiple times, but turns out it was just one disastrous show with Ray LaMontagne at John Carroll University (and a guest blog from my friend Tim!). This show was a great reprieve all these years later. They’re light, fun, and a great sing along band. Representative of their aesthetic, check out the Scene article below about their frontman hanging around town with some locals before the show. :-)
"Pam, with her 72-year-old mom Benji in tow, picked Miller up and drove him around the city showing off the sights. They stopped for lunch at Simply Greek on Uptown Avenue and chatted about their lives and, presumably, their love of Guster's music. The women then returned Miller to HOB just in time for soundcheck."
(Via Guster's Frontman Explored Cleveland Yesterday With Random Fans | Scene and Heard: Scene's News Blog.)
Van William opened. I was a big fan of his earlier band Port O’Brien days and have been following him since. Wasn’t able to catch the whole set, but I liked what I heard and I’m happy to hear he’ll be back at the Beachland Ballroom this fall for a headlining show!
