I was supposed to be away at camp this Labor Day weekend, but when that got canceled, I was excited to participate in one of the few (only?) techno music festivals I’ve seen in Cleveland! Not that I was interested in any particular DJs, as ZEDD was the only name I recognized (other than some local regulars), but I was just happy to support this kind of event in the city. I was also enjoying being outside on one of our last beautiful days of summer! Check it out.
I was on my way to In Training on this night, and had some time to kill. I checked out the Winchester Music Tavern’s schedule and saw they had a decent band booked. They didn’t sound terrible, so I figured this would be a good time to check out the venue! Musically, they're not really my thing, but it was great to see the renovated space. They moved the stage and it’s a much better setup! I just hope to see some bands that are more my speed being booked there in the near future!
We’ve been getting pretty familiar with Betty Who here in Cleveland these last couple years, and it showed on this night. The crowd was LIVING for this show. Everyone knew the words, and were just eating up the dancers (rightfully so). While I’m not all that familiar with her music, it was a fun night out!
Geographer opened. I saw him back in 2013 and am still liking what I’m hearing today, though I seem to enjoy his live stuff a bit more than the recorded stuff.
I’ve heard about Roar Along the Shore in the past, and was glad to see it revived! The bands were a regular cast of local characters, with one of my favorite being Herzog. Here are some shots from the night and a clip of Herzog (who will also be performing at Studio-A-Rama on 10/7)
A random stop in Slavic Village to check out a show at the Magalen! It’s such a cool space, and one that I love to support.
If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a good pop show, especially when they’re at one of our smaller venues. Betty Who has been no stranger to Cleveland these past couple years, and she’s really beginning to get some traction in the music industry. This Friday night she’ll be performing at the Beachland Ballroom ($16/$18).
Opening is Geographer, who I saw back in 2013. Make sure you’re early enough to catch him!
The Mynabirds just came out with a video for a superb new song, Golden Age. Lilly Hiatt has a PledgeMusic campaign for a new album, as well as a new video for The Night David Bowie Died. Jamila Woods has an excellent new video out for LSD with Chance The Rapper.
Bonus: I really liked Lianne La Havas when I saw her open for Leon Bridges back in October last year. Loving the new song and video for Tokyo.
Kaki King has been on the fringe of my musical interest for over 10 years. I first checked out her …Until We Felt Red album from 2006, probably intrigued by her song “Gay Sons of Lesbian Daughters." Her new album was interesting and this show at the Beachland had me very interested. Adding Uno Lady as the opener made this an easy choice. Kaki had a stationary guitar in place on the stage, with some amazing visuals accompanying her performance. For most of the show, there wasn’t much talking. At one point she played an entire song, telling her story from the perspective of her unique guitar and it’s unusual sound. The moral of the story is to just keep playing and being yourself, which is exactly what Kaki King has done. Her guitar work can bridge the gap between new (classical) music while dipping into some heavy metal riffs. It really is a sight to be heard!
Uno Lady opened, demonstrating her mastery of looping on stage. There’s something about the process of building a song that I find really enjoyable. Not so long ago I purchased a piece of art, where I was able to witness the process of it’s creation happening, connecting me even closer with the end product. That’s how I felt here.
It was a gorgeous day for Akron’s inaugural Pride event! Dare I say a better experience than Cleveland’s! A nice big open park in the middle of a residential & commercial area of Akron, with two stages, and the availability to have your drink and watch the live music (how novel)! And then there’s Martha Wash.
