There is no denying that there has been a wave of '90s nostalgia in the music world lately, and some of the most beloved bands from 20 years ago are reuniting and releasing music to cash in on the craze. But some bands from the decade have been consistently going strong and evolving without slipping into obscurity. One such band is The Offspring, those punk-drenched dudes from California with huge hits like “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” and “Come Out And Play,” among many others. The band is not only celebrating the 20th anniversary of its second album, “Ignition,” this year, but...
Since forming in 2008, Akron’s Mockingbird, made up of Chadd Beverlin (drums), Mike Gilpatrick (bass) and Andy Strickland (guitar, vocals), having been shredding the scene in the Rubber City with its heavy hybrid of stoner rock and progressive metal. Since releasing its self-titled debut record in 2010, the band has been through a few changes. Fans of the band will notice than they are back down to a three-piece, as bassist Gilpatrick explained: “We were working with a few guitar players, looking for a bigger sound, but it just wasn’t working out like we thought it would.” Accordingly...
If you think the Canton music scene has struggled in recent years compared to other northeast Ohio cities, you must not have heard Come Wind. Choosing not to settle for the typical metal sound found in the area, the boys of Come Wind have instead crafted a sound that would make fans of the mid-’90s indie music scene smile cheek to cheek. Singer Nick Sayre, guitarist Aaron Troyer and drummer Ben Roth first got acquainted in the hardcore band Forthewhile before meeting up with bassist Tal Miller to try a different angle. “That band broke up, and we wallowed around with nothing to do ...
Hailing from Philadelphia, Good Old War has strived to create rapturous indie folk tunes for the last three years. Comprised of Keith Goodwin, Daniel Schwartz and Tim Arnold, Good Old War splits its time between recording folk-rock songs that would make Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel blush and serving as Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green’s backing band, both in the studio and on the road. Goodwin and Arnold originally made waves with the progressive rock band Days Away before calling it quits and forming Good Old War. The band obtained their unique name from taking portions of each music...
-by Zachariah T Baer I was expecting to see the best concert of my life. What I got instead was one of the worst heavy metal shows of all time. I nearly shit myself when I first saw it advertised. Damageplan was playing at the Alrosa Villa for $8. To see a band like this in a 640 capacity venue was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They were not a big band. They only had one album under their belts and hadn’t even been on the radar for more than a year, but the guitarist and drummer were living legends. Dimebag Darrell and his brother Vinnie Paul had formed the band Pantera in the eigh...
About a year ago, when Dead City Dealers guitarist Mario Sapanero heard his singer wanted to pursue other interests, he didn’t skip a beat. For one, the guitarist and his motley crew of misfits and rif-raff have an insatiable work ethic, and their attitude of playing anytime, anywhere for anyone wasn’t about to go out the window for something as trivial as a front man leaving. For another, there were show opportunities. Simply put, since the group’s inception in 2007 the Dead City Dealers’ ethos is being on the stage. “The first two years of the band we played an absolute a...
“I’d like to dedicate this to all that Nashville pussy.” And so begins the cut “Wang Dang Sweet Pootang” from rock ‘n’ roller Ted Nugent’s “Double Live Gonzo” album. It would stick in the minds of a bunch of metalheads in Atlanta, who in 1997 would pay tribute to Nugent with the formation of their own band, Nashville Pussy. According to guitarist Ruyter Suys, it was a chance to come up with something uniquely their own — but then again, obvious other reasons existed as well. “We were trying to come up with something that was never going to be allowed to be said on t...
Fu Manchu- Wednesday, November 9th at 8pm (with Honky / The Shrine) Tickets- $12 in advance/ $15 day of show "Fu Manchu will be preforming their album In Search Of… at the Grog Shop! Released in 1996, In Search Of… is still praised as the ultimate st0ner rock album! Originally formed in 1985 as a Black Flag-influenced hardcore punk band called Virulence / Fu Manchu has since become one of hard rock’s most celebrated names. The band released its first single, “Kept Between Trees” in 1990 and in the years following, helped give rise to a celebrated style of heavy music tagged “...
Rolling into town just four days before their sophomore album "Billy Jack" is set to drop, the HoneyHoney duet features warm acoustic strains from guitarist Ben Jaffe and the mournful, twangy vocals of Suzanne Santo. The effect is a sound as doubly sweet as the name. Joshua James, who's garnered comparisons to Bob Dylan, Conor Oberst and Neil Young, will appear with them tonight at the Grog Shop. 10/20 Grog Shop • Cleveland...
Rival Schools Born out of a hearty hardcore pedigree, the members of Rival Schools stepped to the plate with a phenomenal history and the qualities that would point towards an amazing future. Singer and guitarist Walter Schreifels began making waves as the guitarist for ’80s hardcore pioneers Gorilla Biscuits and then went on to influence the entire post-hardcore movement with his influential work in Quicksand. We highly recommend your attendance. 10/16 Grog Shop • Cleveland ...
9/30 - Akron, OH @ Musica $ Head over to the band’s Facebook page now (www.facebook.com/allgetout) for a free download of the title track, “The Season.” The album is also now streaming in its entirety on Spinner: http://aol.it/eQucDi and at http://soundcloud.com/allgetout/sets/the-season. “Loud and personal,” is one of the ways that lead singer/guitarist Nathan Hussey describes All Get Out. One might add the term road tested, lest anyone think they haven’t earned the buzz that’s been building around their band. "We sound like we've been on tour for three years. We've ...
There ain’t a white girl around that could belt like Candye Kane without having a reason for it and this girl definitely has plenty. Whether it’s being the spokesperson for the outcast or being a teenaged mother, a pin up girl, a cancer survivor or a punk blues singer, Candye Kane has had her fair share. And it’s left her with so much soul that this white girl can really belt the blues. This album is filled with just the blues and there couldn’t be a better artist for this genre than Candye Kane. She’s got the voice, she’s got the soul and the songs she helped write for her newe...
Initially formed by guitarist Jeremey Poparad as a way to jam out with a handful of friends who were moving out of state, Axon-Neuron became something else entirely. Within a matter of a few months, the band banged out a full-length and even booked a few gigs in the Akron area. The result was Bring Songs, the band’s first full-length album in which they recorded in May of this year. The members of Axon-Neuron call themselves a rock band with jazz and classical influences but this writer sees things a tad bit differently. At first listen, the jazz and classical inspirations stick out like ...
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (known to their fans as D.R.U.G.S.) is a post hard rock band formed in 2010. Their lead singer is Craig Owens, ex-Chiodos member. The band has found itself quite a following in the past year and has just released a new EP “Live from Hot Topic.” The (B)interns got a chance to sit down with their guitarist, Matt Good. Carmen: Do you get bras thrown at you? Matt: Not on the regular, but we do have a few. Carmen: Do you have a collection going? Matt: No, I don’t keep them. That’d be kind of creepy. Carmen: So, do you burn them afterwards or ...
This Cleveland-born guitarist has played with a long list of blues luminaries like Pinetop Perkins and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. His band plays a blues tinted with funk and R&B, anchored by John's soulful vocals and daring guitar playing. 8/4 Ripper Owens Tap House • Akron ...
This New York City based guitarist embodies the classic jazz sound as he plays standards. His original tunes are interpretations of classic jazz with a modern flair. 8/7 Nighttown • Cleveland ...
Blues/roots guitarist and vocalist Tommy Castro will perform at Wilbert's Food & Music in Cleveland tonight. Castro will be performing songs from his Alligator Records debut, Hard Believer. Castro won four 2010 Blues Music Awards -- more than any other artist -- including, for the second time in his career, the coveted B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award (the very highest award a blues performer can receive) as well as the award for Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year (for Hard Believer) and Band of the Year. Castro's brand new Alligator...
As one of his many side projects, The Dead Milkmen’s guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro, under the name Joe Jack Talcum, plays a toned-down style of music reminiscent of his early ’80s punk-rock days. This summer he’s touring with The Bassturd, with whom he recorded a split 7-inch. ...
Most local musicians go unsung in the rest of the nation, destined to play area venues not far from their home base. That’s not the case for local boys Annabel. Formed shortly after high school, the DIY indie band is the product of brothers Ben and Andy Hendricks. After a demo or two and a few short-lived members, the boys met up with bassist Scotty Moses. Two years later the band hooked up with keyboardist Corey Willis and the legendary lineup was set. As singer/guitarist Ben puts it, “It’s been paradise ever since.” Following their first official EP, “Now That We’re Alive,...
For the last decade, Interpol has been one of the darlings of the independent music scene. Their seminal first album, “Turn On The Bright Lights,” was released in 2002 to massive critical acclaim. Nearly ten years later, they’re still going strong. Interpol is famous as a New York City band, but part of their roots are right here in Ohio. Their very first U.S. tour began in Cleveland, at a little spot called the Grog Shop. Ever since, they’ve made a point of stopping in Ohio when they can. “We always have good shows in Ohio,” said Daniel Kessler, guitarist, vocalist and founding...
