RADIO HANNIBAL

Jack Fords release new model with victory lap show tonight

Jack Fords are easily one of the best bands in Cleveland with an impressive line up featuring Brent Kirby on lead vocals and guitar, Bobby Latina on lead guitar, Ed Sotelo on bass and Jim Wall behind the drum kit.  A line up that's been intact for about half of the band's 10 year run.  The Plain Dealer's Michael Heaton interviewed Kirby this week, Brent Kirby of the Jack Fords talks about new album 'There it Is'.  

2015 not only marks the 10 year anniversary of the Jack Fords who got their start at the defunct Town Fryer.  The band released their third album, and only second studio effort, this past Tuesday.  There It Is is available on iTunes.

Better yet, pick up a copy of the CD at the Jack Fords release party tonight at the Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern.  It promises to be one hell of a night with Ray Flanagan & The Authorities providing warm up duties at 8:30pm.  As good as the new album is, you have to see Jack Fords live to appreciate the power behind this outfit.  

A Jack Fords sampler

Winter Reggaefest should warm you up as the cold sets in

The high temperature on Sunday is going to be 2 degrees.  Cleveland hasn't seen a day that cold since the early 90s.  It makes us all dream of being on a Caribbean island.  But if you're stuck here I have the cure.  

The annual Winter Reggaefest takes place Friday night at the House of Blues.  There's been a lot of reggae music the past couple of weeks as folks celebrate Bob Marley's 70th birthday which was February 6th.  The annual Reggae Brunch was held last Sunday at the Parkview and there's the new Working Man's Reggae Show every first Thursday of the month at the Grog Shop where the music gets underway at, the reasonable, 7pm. 

Tomorrow night's winter fest features The Ark Band, Carlos Jones and P.L.U.S. along with some Marley videos and DJ sets.  I wonder if HOB could crank the heat up to about 85 and dump a bunch of sand on the floor? 

Looking for a drummer

I'm putting a band together.  Well, a couple of my friends and I are and we need a drummer.  Here's how the want ad goes.

Location:  Cleveland, Ohio

Looking for an adequate drummer to join three other non-polished musicians who have never been in a band before.  Actually, the bass player was in a band at Kent State in the late '70s.  In other words, we're not looking for someone great.  Just someone who has always had the desire to be in a band but never considered themselves good enough.  You will join me, the singer and rhythm guitarist, another guitarist and, said bass player.  You should dig the Dave Clark Five, The Ramones, The Kinks, Rolling Stones, Monkees and other 60s pop and garage sounds.  Practice space to be determined but could be on the far east or far west side.  Ideally you'll be as bad as us and fit right in.

Hopefully we'll get this thing off the ground.  

 

 

 

Miss Alexandra Huntingdon to play Cleveland's Bop Stop

It's not often that you come across a singer/songwriter with an operatic voice.  Add a bawdy stage presence to the act and you've got something quite original.  Her name is Miss Alexandra Huntingdon. 

It may all be a put on created by Megan Elk, the real woman behind Miss Alexandra, but the songwriting chops and performance are hardly a joke.  The Pittsburgh native, who teaches voice in the Aurora school district as well as giving private lessons (I'm one of her students), invented Huntingdon a couple of years ago and has been playing shows at venues about town. 

Last summer she invited an audience to a space in the 78th Street Studios to help her record a live album.  This Saturday she's releasing that session on CD at a special engagement at the Bop Stop, the once shuttered jazz venue on Detroit Ave. in Cleveland's Detroit/Shoreway neighborhood which was recently taken over by Cleveland's Music Settlement. 

Her band for the evening features Neil Chastain on drums, Theron Brown on piano, and Dan Pappalardo on bass.  You can buy advance tickets at The Music Settlement Site.  The combination of Huntingdon and the Bop Stop promises to be one of the music highlights in Cleveland this winter. 

Cleveland's Gram Parsons tribute band celebrates 5th anniversary at Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern

Every second Thursday of the month for the past five years Brent Kirby has assembled a, mostly, consistent group of musicians for the sole purpose of paying tribute to Gram Parsons.  As Brent always says to the uninitiated in attendance, if you don't know who Gram is then look it up. 

Parsons was highly influential in his melding of country and rock music, paving the way for bands like The Eagles.  His life reads like a novel culminating in an untimely death at much too young an age.  

You'd think a guy like that would be well-known.  That's hardly the case but those that discover his music become fast fans.  And once a month many of them here in Cleveland gather for what can only be described as the closest thing you'll get to seeing him live.

To celebrate the 5th anniversary of this love affair known as The New Soft Shoe that features Kirby, Tom Prebish, Al Moss, Andy Leach, Jon Niefeld and Justin Gorski, proceedings will be moved, for the first time, to the recently opened Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern.  A special event deserves a special occasion.

The New Soft Shoe, Thursday January 8 at 8pm at The Happy Dog at The Euclid Tavern, 11625 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 

It's not Christmas Eve eve without The Boys From County Hell

I've been part of a Christmas Eve eve tradition going back to the 1980s.  It all started when I was home from college for the holidays in Fairview Park.  It was a relatively warm evening and a friend had borrowed his father's powder blue convertible.  A big boat of a car but I don't recall the make or model. 

We ended up dropping the top and cruising around the streets of the westside eventually pulling into the Zephyr at W.150th and Lorain Ave. for a drink.  We'd never been in the place before. 

Inside the mood was depressive.  So much so that then and there were swore to come back every year to cheer the place up.  The date eventually moved to Christmas Eve actually, and we had some grand get togethers over the next 10 to 15 years or so.  At it's peak there'd be about 30 of us in the joint. 

The tradition died when we married off and began families of our own.  The Zephr eventually closed and I don't recall the name of the bar right now. 

Now I'm part of a new Christmas Eve eve tradition.  For the past decade or so The Boys From County Hell have been playing their rip roaring tribute to The Pogues at The House Of Blues on this night.  It started in The Cambridge Room and has grown to the point where they need the big hall to accomodate the revellers. 

Mary's Lane will be warming up the crowd as they did last year and word is The Boys have some special guests on keyboards, pipes, and horns. 

 

Ohio City Singers rock the big stage at House of Blues Friday night

The first public performance by the Cleveland Christmas rock collective, The Ohio City Singers, was in the Cambridge Room at the House of Blues.  Through the years word has spread, they've recorded three albums of original Christmas music and grown their fan base to the point where they'll be taking the main stage at the House of Blues Friday night. 

Every Christmas season The Ohio City Singers travel northeast Ohio performing in various venues.  The concerts all lead up to the big show which is tomorrow night.  A couple of weeks ago the band played to a sell out crowd at the annual family show at Music Box and Saturday night's show at G.A.R. Hall in Peninsula is sold out as well. 

The Plain Dealer's Michael Heaton did a nice Q&A with the band's founding member Chris Allen, Ohio City Singers perform annual Christmas show at HOB Friday.

You can avoid the line at the ticket booth and save a couple bucks by buying tickets in advance at Live Nation. 

Oh, and yours truly will be introducing the band that night.  It's a thrill. 

You can listen to the three albums on Spotify in preparation for the show so that you can sing along.  And then buy the CDs and some of the clever merchandise that will be available as they make the perfect Christmas gifts.

There's certain things that are part of the tradition during the holiday season here in Cleveland.  A box of Malley's chocolates, Great Lakes Christmas Ale, The Christmas Story House, and others.  The Ohio City Singers are now part of that wonderful tradition.  

Ohio City Singers family show makes the season bright

Nothing gets me in the Cleveland Christmas spirit better than the traditional Ohio City Singers family show.  I'm trying to recall how many years they've hosted this special afternoon.  Locations have included Around The Corner, House of Blues Cambridge Room, and Vosh.  And tomorrow at 2pm you can be a part of this sweet and festive occasion when they take the stage at The Music Box.

It's one thing to see the greatest Christmas band in the (Cleve)land kicking it up with adults but when the room is filled with children it really takes on the true spirit of Christmas. 

Last week someone saw me mention the band on Facebook.  They'd never heard of them.  I was a bit surprised since the super group, of sorts, has been together for the better part of a decade.  With three official albums full of original Christmas songs under their big black pantent leather belt, The Ohio City Singers are one of the real holiday treasures here in Cleveland.

 

The Ohio City Singers from left:  Nick Stipanovich, Matt Sobol, Kelly Wright, Tom Prebish, Chris Allen, Austin "Walking Cane" Charanghat, Brent Kirby and Doug McKean

Saul Glennon reunites for 20th anniversary show at Happy Dog this Saturday

The mid 90s through the late 00s saw me removed from the local music scene.  I was raising a child and had little free time.  It's a common occurrence for parents.  But once your kid becomes a teen they have little time for you in their world.  It's a hard truth, though it did allow me to get back into the local scene. 

During that absence I missed out on Saul Glennon, the band fronted by Jack Rugan, my friend and band mate in another group.  I did catch a short warm up stint they did for Jack Snyder and The Balls of Fire a couple of years back. 

For this official reunion they've been practicing hard, as you can see in the photo below. 

Rugan promises they'll have 20 semi-polished songs under their belt.  They can't be too polished or they'll stray too far from the indie-garage pop sound the band was formed on.

The show takes place this Saturday at the Happy Dog with an 8pm start time if you want to catch the warm up act.  

You can find their discography here on Spotify. 

New album by Cleveland's Chris Allen calls for a party at the Happy Dog

Cleveland singer/songwriter Chris Allen's new album Everything Changes But The Rodeo has actually been available for a few weeks now.  You can get the mp3 download on iTunes, the CD on CD Baby or stream it on Spotify.  But if you want a limited edition vinyl copy of it you best be at the release party tomorrow night at the Happy Dog.  

This is the first solo album for Allen since Acetate, four years ago.  Though his long running band Rosavelt came out with a very impressive album a couple of years back. The new album is more of the same from Allen.  That is, songwriting from the heart of a guy who where's it on his sleeve.  

Jeff Niesel of Scene Magazine recently sat down with Allen to discuss the album, Cabin Fever: Singer-Songwriter Chris Allen Went to the Woods to Record his New Album.   

Full disclosure.  I'm going to miss the show Saturday night as I'll be attending the Rock Hall Masters Series tribute to The Everly Brothers.  Luckily I caught the band at a private release party for financial backers of the album a couple of weeks back.  And, believe me, if I weren't at The State Theatre I'd be sitting on a bar stool at the Happy Dog Saturday night.  So you can have my seat.