Concert Reviews

[Buckeye Randy]

Sparks in Cleveland, 9/15/25

[Buckeye Randy]

Artist:  Elvis Costello and The Imposters w/Charlie Sexton
Where: Akron Civic Theatre
When: September 27, 2025

Buying tickets for some artists can be a little dicey due to highly focused tours that can explore very specific portions of a career spanning decades.  The stakes are high risk/high reward and it describes Elvis Costello in a nutshell.  His 2025 tour with 40 dates in the U.S. is titled, "Radio Soul: The Early Songs Of Elvis Costello".  For me, earlier is better when it comes to Elvis Costello and being at a venue 15 minutes away makes this a no brainer.

Mrs. Buckeye and I arrive early and enjoy summer temps in the reimagined and beautiful area adjacent to the Civic.  The area known as 'Lock 3' has winding paths through manicured gardens and seating for hundreds to relax.  There was a good buzz on the sidewalk as early arrivers waited for the doors to open and took photos beneath the marquee.  I'm not sure what age I expected but from what I saw it is safe to say most people have been onboard since the early years.  This is in contrast to a band like Sparks who seem to attract fresh fans every decade.

The 3000 seat Akron Civic Theatre is nothing if but spectacular.  It is an atmospheric theatre and the last remaining of 11 movie palaces opened by Marcus Loew in the '20's.  It is designed to resemble an evening in a Moorish garden complete with twinkling stars on the ceiling.  It's the most ornate theatre I've ever been in.  The bonus is I've been coming here for over 50 years.  It started with field trips while in grade school then countless concerts plus graduation ceremonies for two of my kids.  I've seen everything from Marcel Maceau to Iron Butterfly, the place is in my heart.

Elvis and The Imposters take the stage a little after 8:00 to the prerecorded "Fascist Groove Thang" by Heaven 17.  The Imposters are Steve Niev (keyboards), Davey Faragher (bass), Pete Thomas (drums) and and former Bob Dylan guitarist Charlie Sexton.  The Civic has a huge stage but the band is set up as a tight unit toward the front.  I like that they did this, bands seem to lose something when they are spread out over different are codes.

The band jumps into "Mystery Dance"  and the first thing that is noticeable, the sound sucks!  Compounding that problem throughout the show is the fact that Elvis has a penchant of rearranging songs for a live setting.  It made several time tested songs a bit of a challenge.  I enjoy that he rearranges songs, it keeps things fresh and fun.  However, the muddy sound can be a tough listen when you're hearing one thing and your memory banks hear something else.

The show was split into three parts; electric, mostly acoustic and then back to electric.  It was interesting because the band was stage left during the opening and went stage right for the acoustic with only keyboardist Steve Niev not changing posts.  I guess you can do stuff like that with a huge stage.  There were no video screens behind or flanking the band which was a bit refreshing.  The light show was very tuned into what the band was playing.  This is saying something for the lighting crew because the setlist changes nightly.

The between song interaction was tuned into the Akron crowd.  During some shouts that Elvis didn't quite hear, he said, "Sorry, I don't speak Akronese".  He told a few stories and genuinely appeared to have a good time.  Actually, I'm absolutely positive he had a good time because some of the recent tour stops included 22 songs, we got 27 last night.

Surprises?  For the guy wearing the Nick Lowe shirt (me) the best surprise was hearing "Heart Of The City".  That was part of a rapid fire assault to end the show that just kept going and going.  So, the band never left the stage to come back for an encore, they just kept playing.

The ending of "Pump It Up" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" brought the house down.  I must say, I was a little disappointed that he didn't play "Alison". 

Wait, Elvis walks toward the back of the stage and sits down at a piano that was mostly hidden.  He proceeds to play "Alison" and the crowd responded with singing along in a whisper.  It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.  As the song ended, the band continued and Elvis could be heard singing the words, "I Want You".  Even though he didn't have a microphone, you could hear him repeating this as he slowly walked and rejoined the band at the front of the stage.  He casually strapped on his guitar and the band blistered through an extended version of "I Want You" which included a segment of the song by the same name by The Beatles.  Elvis unleased his inner John Lennon and it was in a word, 'Wow'.

The favorites of the evening were just about everything and it was great he included six from his debut.  All said, a near perfect evening and a reminder why I go to concerts.  Well Done!

Set List
Tape intro (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang by Heaven 17

1.    Mystery Dance
2.    Watching the Detectives
3.    Green Shirt
4.    Waiting for the End of the World
5.    Less Than Zero
6.    Little Triggers
7.    Lovers Walk
8.    King Horse
9.    Opportunity
10.    Accidents Will Happen
11.    Lipstick Vogue
12.    No Action
13.    Poisoned Rose
14.    Blood & Hot Sauce
15.    Deportee
16.    Brilliant Mistake
17.    (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
18.    Clubland / Ghost Town
19.    Everyday I Write the Book
20.    Radio Radio
21.    High Fidelity
22.    Heart of the City
23.    (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
24.    Pump It Up
25.    (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
26.    Alison
27.    I Want You

Lights on and a tape outro of Nellie the Elephant by Mandy Miller

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: April Wine w/Molly Hatchet
Where: Goodyear Theatre (Akron, Ohio)
When: December 6, 2025

Waaay back in the summer of 2025 I received an email with a concert announcement for an event titled; "North Meets South'.  The email was not only information about an upcoming show with April Wine and Molly Hatchet but an offer of pre-sale discounted tickets through a promotion called 'Christmas In July'.   Wow, I must be receiving the concert equivalent to frequent flyer miles.   I've been recognized by the concert gods and somehow feel superior.

I logged onto the site and found only eight rows were eligible for presale and I zeroed in on third row balcony seats on the aisle for $25 each.  The non-discounted seats behind mine were $75 each.  Fifty Dollars out the door for two tix with no fees and no nothing.  Winning!

I love to plan things, some would say over plan or control freak.   Regardless, I was particularly pleased because all this came together with virtually no effort.   A Saturday date night with Mrs. Buckeye at a venue 15 minutes from the house seeing two bands from back in the day with pre-sale discounted tickets.   It's funny how things turn out...or should I say turn on you.

Both bands had success in the late '70's and still get airplay on classic rock stations.  As always when seeing bands that I'm not imminently familiar with, I do a little research and read up on historical success, number of original members and various tidbits I can use on trivia nights. 

What I knew about April Wine is verified.  They were huge in their home country of Canada with 5 platinum albums, 3 Gold albums and 21 top 40 singles.   They only had limited success in the U.S. but I can easily name 6 songs so I feel pretty good about seeing them.  Uh oh, no original members but Brian Greenway has been with them since '77 which correlates with their minor success in the U.S. and the songs I know.  The other three members have not appeared on any of the band's studio releases.  Generously speaking, this meets the bare minimum requirement for using a band name. 

The news is not quite as good for Molly Hatchet, all original members...DEAD!  The current line-up has no members that appeared on the first five albums which are the only albums that charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.  Wait, all is not lost!!  Two members have been on board since the mid '80's and Tim Lindsey was in an early version of Molly Hatchet...but he left five years before the debut album.   Pretty sure this is the furthest stretch of using a band name that I've ever seen live.  It's not quite but almost the equivalent of Pete Best touring with Billy Preston as The Beatles. (smiling) 

I check weekly on the progress of ticket sales and it doesn't look good.  I'm pretty sure that the show will be moved to a smaller venue or cancelled altogether.  A funny thing happens, the venue starts releasing rows of tickets for the same discounted $25 I had received.  Seats better than what I purchased are being gobbled up and more rows of seats are being discounted every couple of weeks.  My presale discount is essentially null and void! 

Hey, I'm still going to have a great time on a date night regardless of zero original band members and my pre-sale discount now a non-factor.  Oh, wait...Mrs. Buckeye informs me three weeks before the show that she needs to change plans due to grandmaternal duties.  Yep, she informs me that she'll be out of town that night for grandkids performing in a Christmas pageant.  Hey, I understand that these things happen...I convince myself it's OK.

This isn't exactly going as planned but I will persevere!  Arrgghhh!  My favorite college football team won last weekend and now plays for the league championship for the first time since 2019.  Well of course the game kicks off at the same time that the concert starts.

OK, zero original members in two bands I only marginally like, a diminished pre-sale discount that suckered me in, no date night with my Wife plus I'll miss watching an Ohio State football game for the first time in at least ten years.  I need to circle the wagons and come up with a Plan B.  After careful consideration I decided to ask a friend and former co-worker.  This guy is a music lover and one of his hobbies is buying 8-track tapes for next to nothing at flea markets and he actually listens to them...but I digress.  He readily agrees to a free ticket in exchange for driving and the evening is all coming together.  Woohoo, ready to rock!

Pre recorded music of White Snake's "Here I Go Again" plays as the Molly Hatchet takes the stage.  The band kicks into "Whiskey Man" and the guitars and vocals have the familiar Molly Hatchet feel, strong opening.  This is followed by "Bounty Hunter" and "Gator Country" which are two to their better known songs.  For me, there is a sameness to most of their material but the show flows nicely as vocalist Parker Lee is constantly moving and encouraging the crowd.  High marks to Bobby Ingram's guitar playing that I can only describe as a Ted Nugent boogie style, nearly every song has guitar hero stuff.   

As the show passed the mid point, the band led the crowd in chants of U-S-A and asked all veterans to stand and they were cheered.   This was supplemented with an army vet and a former fireman taking center stage and holding up a flag and then doing a formal flag folding.  The music during this was some creative guitar soloing lifted from "Layla".   The whole thing was slightly smile worthy because the flag folders were the manger and roadie but hey, it got a good response.   The band closed strong with a cover of "It's All Over Now" (The Valentinos) which appears on Molly Hatchet's debut.   Next was a cover of "Dreams" (The Allman Brothers) and the evening predictably concluded with "Flirtin' With Disaster" (Ya'll!).   OK, my expectations going into could have qualified as a trip hazard but the overall performance was really pretty good.  They filled 60 minutes with good energy and musicianship though I probably could have done without the drum solo!  Overall...Well Done!

The band announced they were doing a meet and greet and my buddy wanted to get his recently purchased T-shirt autographed.  We go to the lobby and get in line and wait...and wait.  Finally, the band takes their seats at the table and the line for autographs is moving slow, painfully slow.  The auditorium darkens, doors between the lobby and auditorium close and April Wine starts playing...they happen to be playing my favorite April Wine song, "I Like To Rock".   Surprisingly, I'm not freaking out and keep it all in perspective.  I put my friend's desire to get autographs in front of my own.  Honestly, I don't know who I am sometimes, who is this guy?

My buddy was a little miffed by the timing of all this and just says, "What am I going to do with an autographed shirt"?  We sprint (as fast as two 64 year old men can sprint) up several sets of steps and make it back to the balcony (I won the sprint by several steps).  We just grab a couple seats toward the rear and it was nice not having to look between bobbing heads of concert goers.  We actually caught the ending of the opening song so all good with me.

April Wine's music is nothing like the southern metal boogie of Molly Hatchet.  They are currently a four piece with some intricate arrangements and three of the members take turns on lead vocals plus everybody is on back ups.  I've always felt music like this is far less forgiving in a live environment.

Founding member/vocalist/guitarist Myles Goodwyn died in 2023 and was mostly replaced by Marc Parent.  The guitar interaction and chemistry between Goodwyn and Brian Greenway was good.  Both were very technically competent and there were soloing highlights but all in the context of the songs.   Drummer Roy Nicol and bassist Richard Lanthier have both been on board for over ten years.  Roy Nicol's drumming was particularly good and sounded great.  It is worth mentioning that the sound of both bands was good and not overbearing at all.  No distortion or feedback.

April Wine highlights included hits "Enough Is Enough", "Just Between You And Me" and the set closing "Roller".   I took my first ever concert video of "Roller" because my youngest daughter loves this song.  She was jumping about on furniture playing air guitar before I left for the show.  Biggest surprise for me was the encore of Elton John's "Bad Side Of The Moon".  The band knocked it out of the park. 

An odd pairing of bands that have nothing in common other than 1980 and no original members.  The show exceeded expectations and while I won't prioritize seeing them again, I wouldn't run away either.  Oh no!  I didn't get a chance to share my anecdote of meeting Fee Waybill (The Tubes) and his opinion about April Wine.  Well, I don't want to put a damper on things so I'll just say, Well Done!

April Wine Set List

1.   I Like to Rock
2.   Oowatanite
3.   You Could've Been a Lady (Hot Chocolate cover)
4.   Say Hello
5.   Big City Girls
6.   Anything You Want, You Got It
7.   Weeping Widow
8.   Enough Is Enough
9.   Hot on the Wheels of Love
10.   Before the Dawn
11.   Right Down to It
12.   Just Between You and Me
13.   Sign of the Gypsy Queen (Lorence Hud cover)
14.   Roller

Encore:
15.   Tonight Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love
16.   Bad Side of the Moon (Elton John cover)

 Molly Hatchet Set List

1.   Whiskey Man
2.   Bounty Hunter
3.   Gator Country
4.   One Man's Pleasure
5.   Devil's Canyon
6.   Drum Solo
7.   Beatin' the Odds
8.   I'm Gonna Live 'til I Die
9.   Fall of the Peacemakers
10.   Jukin' City / Layla
11.   It's All Over Now (The Valentinos cover)
12.   Dreams (The Allman Brothers Band cover)
13.   Flirtin' With Disaster

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Samantha Fish, Cedric Burnside, Jon Spencer
Where: Robins Theatre, Warren (Ohio)
When: December 12, 2025

Did I start off liking the blues? I did not.  Sure, any fan of classic rock likes artists that are influenced by blues but I'm not talking about Led Zep.  I'm talking about honest to goodness blues artists.  During the last several years I have found myself not only appreciating some of these artists but also attending their concerts.  It's not really a huge seismic shift but it certainly qualifies as a tweak to my same ole, same ole.  My therapist says I'm growing as a person.

The blues entertainment this evening is titled the 'Shake 'Em Down Tour' and features three artists with three very different stylistic approaches to the blues.  Opener Jon Spencer has had several projects that can be generally categorized as punky garage blues.  Cedric Burnside plays an electric style described as hill country blues which sounds old even if recorded last week.  Headlining is Samantha Fish who is the most mainstream sounding of the three with her band that can ramp up to hard driving blues.

The concert is the showcase of a getaway weekend that includes Christmas shopping (cha ching) and a hotel room (ooh la la).   First off, I love the room because from the window I can see my car safely tucked into a parking spot.  However, does this comforting feeling really help if I see somebody run up, smash the window and drive away?  The third-floor window doesn't even open so I can tell them to stop!

I promised myself to never again mention parking during a review but promises are made to be broken.  The beautifully refurbished Robins Theatre (capacity 1400) sits in an old and neglected downtown area that offers no secured parking.  Having been here two times before, I know there is street parking and several ground lots that range from sketchy to worrisome.  We arrive downtown early hoping to land a spot within a few blocks of the theatre.  As we cruise down Market Street toward the Theatre...lo and behold, mine eyes they must deceive me.  A street parking spot in front of the theatre...it's actually the final spot before an intersection so no parallel parking...just pull in and smile.  I have been going to shows 48 years and this is unparalleled! (pun intended)  This is perfect, we are steps and not blocks from the box office to pick up our 'will call' tickets.  Especially good because the temp is 15f.

We are handed our tickets and told that theatre doors won't open for 45 minutes but the adjacent Robins Club might not be filled up yet.   We walk back to the car which is in front of the entrance to the Robins Club.  We planned on just sitting in the car but the club door opens and the jacketed employee encourages us to come inside.  We aren't really doing anything else so why not.

Oh, this is interesting.  We are immediately given the once over with a metal detector and our tickets are scanned.  We're informed we have entrance to the theater through the rear of the club.  This lounge holds less than 40 people and the doors are locked immediately after we are shown to a table.  We sit and enjoy looking at the autographed guitars and posters from previous shows while sipping on drinks.  It's really cold outside and people are knocking on the door and wanting to get out of the weather but to no avail.  The funny thing is that no sign is hung on the door saying 'full' and the jacketed employees have disappeared.  These poor sidewalk bastards peer through painted glass to see our relaxed and warm bodies laughing over cocktails.  Good things happen to good people.

Jon Spencer has been around and hovering mostly under the mainstream radar for his 40 years of making music.  I know of him mostly due to his popping up on my playlists but that's about the extent.  His current band since 2023 includes bassist Kendall Wind and drummer Macky Spider Bowman formerly of The Bobby Lees.  Two songs into the set and Mrs. Buckeye turns to me and says, "Outstanding".  This was like an epiphany for us.  The band was insanely tight as they rapid fired through their setlist not missing a beat from one song to the next.  The sound was fuzzy and thick, it was an avalanche of noise and I mean that as a compliment.  Jon Spencer was spinning and twirling while screaming in the mic and assaulting his guitar.  Next month. Jon will be doing a headlining show 15 minutes from our house, we will be there.  Well Done!

Cedric Burnside plays old school blues featuring finger picking and repetitive grooves.   It took a couple songs to get acclimated to the more reserved style.  He's obviously very talented but following Jon Spencer was a tough order for me.  I have nothing bad to say but it was the musical equivalent of getting a breather after a workout.  It really was nice set and I'm glad I saw it.

Samantha Fish was simply superb when we saw her 13 months ago and the reason for this festive holiday weekend.  Tickets last time were in the front row of the balcony, tonight is first row in front of the stage.  Mrs. Buckeye had semi-joked in the months leading up to this show that I wanted front row to better see cleavage.  I'm aghast she would think that! (smiling)

Samantha Fish took to the stage wearing all black with leather pants and a lacy top that went to her neck.  Mrs. Buckeye smiled at me, "No boob shots for you, buddy"!  The opener was MC5's "Kick Out The Jams" which set the tone for the ensuing 90 minutes.

Samantha's sound never gets in a rut due to her guitar tech running out a new guitar between nearly every song.  The white SG seems to be her favorite but she also plays an ES-335, a cigar box guitar, flying V and several others.  She makes allot of 'best of' lists when it comes to blues guitarists and it's really easy to see/hear why.

Her 2025 album ('Paper Doll') is nominated for a Grammy and made up about half of the set list.  She's been playing these songs nightly for most of the year and it shows with the polished presentation and every nuance perfectly executed.

Highlights were nearly every song but I'm going to jump to the encore.  The entire crowd is pressed against the stage as Samantha and her band take the stage with Cedric Burnside on guitar.  Right in front of our spot stage left, Jon Spencer's drummer Macky Bowman throws down a rug and starts setting up his drum set while the band plays.  People are everywhere on stage as the jam progresses. Cedric Burnside ends up behind the main drum set and Jon Spencer is on vocals with Samantha. EVERYBODY is on stage as if it's 'We Are The World' except it's a cover of R.L. Burnside's (Cedric's Grandfather) "Let My Baby Ride".  I don't want to get overly caught up in the moment but this was pretty cool.  I don't ever recall seeing this many people jamming and smiling amidst a musical group hug.

This was the third time that the 'Shake 'Em Down Tour' has hit the road.  All I can say is sign me up the next time this show comes to town, Well Done!

[Buckeye Randy]

My 2025 Concerts
I'm only passing out one 5 Star rating and a single 1 Star rating because there must be a best and worst.

The Bouncing Souls ★★★★
Amyl And The Sniffers ★★★★★
Alice Cooper ★★★★
Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter ★
Pat Travers ★★
The Offspring ★★★
Sparks ★★★★
Elvis Costello ★★★
April Wine, Molly Hatchet ★★
Samantha Fish ★★★★

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: The Dead Milkmen
Where: The Grog Shop (Cleveland, Ohio)
When: January 11, 2026

The Dead Milkmen announced last November that they were coming to Cleveland and my son and I agreed this was a must go event.  Tickets went on sale mid-morning and I was a bit busy but wasn't overly concerned being delayed a couple hours buying tickets for a General Admission show...really...SOLD OUT!  I underestimated the draw of mid '80's satire punk music! 

I signed up with the venue to be on a waiting list for any cancellations but my hopes were not high.  A week later I received an email which explained that a second show was added and since I was on the waiting list I would be able to buy tix 30 minutes before the general public.  Woohoo!  The concert Gods were smiling upon me.

The negative of buying advance tix for a January show on the north coast of America is the unpredictability of weather.  Morning of the show...a fresh blanket of snow and a forecast of freezing temps and a wind advisory.  Perfect because the forecast is only calling for limited amounts of additional snow.

The line outside the Grog Shop stretched down the icy sidewalk.  There were the usual conversations highlighted by a Mom and her 18 year old son who drove from out of state to see the band for the first time.  The line started moving and we went from the sidewalk into the relatively warm and postered corridor leading to the entry point.  On the wall were posters for upcoming shows including a colorful poster for J Roddy Walston.  This is a show that Mrs. Buckeye and I will be seeing in May so I snapped a quick picture and sent it to her, she immediately responded, "get it".  Ha, I put this on my to do list.

Are you tired of overly inflated beer prices at shows?  I think I paid close to $20 for a 16 ouncer last summer when I saw The Offspring.  The Grog Shop has always been user friendly in this regard and on this evening 25 oz. of PBR could be had for $6.  The beers even came in cool commemorative cans; my son got Godzilla and I got Mothra.  There is zero seating in the Grog Shop but there are several posts that have sort of a ledge/table around them and we were lucky enough to find a spot.  Ready to rock!

Opening was Cleveland's PAL who took us on a journey into the retro machine.  The four piece band wore matching dark blue work coveralls and plays what could best be called minimalistic music inspired by DEVO...mostly.  Maureen Joyce's talky vocals over the jerky electronic music were quite good but the songs did have bit of a sameness as the set progressed.  PAL was joined on stage by The Dead Milkmen for their final number "Janitor" which in fact is a song by The Dead Milkmen.  Nice opening band and it was great only having one opener!

The Dead Milkmen took the stage and simply lit the place on fire.  The sound was not over amplified and the vocal mix between Rodney Anonymous and Joe Jack Talcum was perfect, absolutely perfect.  This was not the case when we last saw the band four years ago in Wilmington, Delaware.  The whole experience last night was different; type of venue, sound mix, tightness of band, quality of opener, beer prices...everything.  They were good enough in 2022 to make us want to see them again but we weren't quite prepared for how good they could be. 

They played 30 songs with plenty of stories in between and some plugs to fund a local college station.  Favorite moments for me included two songs that had the entire club shouting out every word.  No real surprise that everybody shouted to "Punk Rock Girl" because this was their only 'hit'.  If I was forced to list my favorite song by the band, I would say "Stuart".  Apparently, so would nearly everybody else in the club last night.  This ranks as one of my all time favorite concert moments...ever!  Hard to beat a room full of people shouting with glee, "Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick! Everybody knows the burrow owl lives in a hole in the ground! Why the hell do you think they call it a burrow owl, anyway!?"

The show winded down with the kumbaya anthem of swaying and singing with "Life Is Shit" which abruptly jumped into an erratic cover of "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl).  The band left then returned to the stage claiming they like to finish what they started.  The resumed the chorus of "Life Is Shit" before rifling through a few more to close the evening.

Before the last note faded we were making our way to the exit and that corridor of posters.  We stopped, smiled and carefully peeled the tape from the corners of the J Roddy Walston poster.  Mission accomplished and Mrs. Buckeye was very pleased, we will go frame shopping later today.

An excellent concert experience in every way to start the year, Well Done!

[Lisnaholic]

Who: Samantha Fish, Cedric Burnside, Jon Spencer
Where: Robins Theatre, Warren (Ohio)
When: December 12, 2025

Did I start off liking the blues? I did not.  Sure, any fan of classic rock likes artists that are influenced by blues but I'm not talking about Led Zep.  I'm talking about honest to goodness blues artists.  During the last several years I have found myself not only appreciating some of these artists but also attending their concerts.  It's not really a huge seismic shift but it certainly qualifies as a tweak to my same ole, same ole.  My therapist says I'm growing as a person.

I've also had an ambivalent relationship with the blues, meeting the genre for the first time through Rory Gallager, Roy Buchanan and P Green's Fleetwood Mac. Since then, I have always preferred the wilder interpretations of elec blues over those much-revered original acoustic Delta Blues types, however pioneering and worthy their songs may be: I think my reaction to the artists you saw would've pretty much the same as yours, Buckeye.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading your concert review, parking details and all, because why not? A lot of things have to go right for a concert experience to be enjoyable.

You probably know this band and/or album, but because you write about Cedric Burnside, that's all the excuse I need to mention the North Mississippi Allstars, and to post a track from this live album:-

It's a rather rambling jam, but picks up in intensity at 7:20 when one of Burnside's children introduces, "My father, R.L.Burnside ... the reverend of the blues" and we are treated to his distinctive growling vocals.   

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Handsome Dick Manitoba
Where: The Foundry Concert Club (Cleveland, Ohio)
When: March 28th, 2026

It is impossible to talk about Handsome Dick Manitoba without talking about The Dictators.  It is with a heavy heart that I digest the news of Dictator guitarist Ross The Boss no longer being with us, he died March 26th.  Lighter held high, DFFD.

The backstory/shortstory behind Handsome Dick is as follows.  A roadie turned vocalist for punk rock pioneers, The Dictators.  He appeared on all three albums in the '70's and is credited on the first album as the 'Secret Weapon'.  Over the years, he has been involved in reunions and revamped line-ups including Manitoba's Wild Kingdom (1990) and the excellent DFFD (2001) by The Dictators.   HDM was a DJ on Sirius Underground Garage channel for 14 years (2004 – 2018).  He authored the book, The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists (2007) and his sequined wrestling jacket has been in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame since it opened.  A longer shortstory would include his restaurant in NYC, a pro wrestling career and his stint with the MC5 but if I included those then this wouldn't be a shortstory.  Done.

My concert companion on this evening is my oldest son.  He and I saw an iteration of The Dictators with Handsome Dick in 2013 and that remains a great memory but that line-up included Ross The Boss and other regulars to The Dictators' touring line-up.  Tonight is not The Dictators for sure.  This is all Dick, all night...uh, yeah.

The Foundry Concert Club has been a staple of the Cleveland music scene for 50 years but recently moved to this new location that for me is 15 minutes closer than all other Cleveland clubs.  However...the new location does not have a parking lot...really?  It's all street parking in the surrounding blocks which are mostly residential once off the main drag.  We arrived an hour before the doors opened and found a place on a side road less than a block away.   I would love to know where other people park.  We are the third and fourth people to enter the the club after waiting 15 minutes in freezing temps at a side door.  The club is essentially a bar with no tables and google tells us a capacity of 250.

Before I talk about the music, I should talk about all the things that added to the overall concert experience.  When the crowd was asked by opener The Strains to name the riff being played, I correctly answered it was by The Saints.  I won a free patch from The Strains merch table that I collected after the show.  I created a David Johansen back patch for my jean jacket earlier in the week and two people tapped me on the shoulder to say how good it looked.  The guitarist for HDM gave a guitar pick to the person standing next to me and I asked where is mine?  He grabbed a pick and lifted my flat cap and set it on my head.  I traded comments with Handsome Dick several times during the show along with fist bumps.  I snagged a setlist from the stage and had it signed after the show along with a concert poster, my son captured the moment with a photograph.  I realize these things have nothing to do with the actual performance but it certainly helps the experience,

I will say that other than festival type shows, this was the most solid four band line-up I've ever seen.  All three openers (The A-10's, Robert Conn Band, The Strains) sounded great and kicked ass.  I would not shy away from seeing any of these bands if they came to Akron.

Handsome Dick Manitoba took the stage backed by a four piece band and as expected just owned the joint.  He bantered with the crowd and had friendly exchanges throughout the evening with us lucky enough to be against the stage.  He talked about his son in the military, he talked about Ross The Boss and was generally just a chatty guy.  The set list served as a 'best of' for both The Dictators and Manitoba's Wild Kingdom. 

Three of the first six songs in the set list were from Manitoba's Wild Kingdom; "The Party Starts Now", "New York, New York" and "Haircut & Attitude".  Favorites from The Dictators included "The Next Big Thing", "Two Tub Man" and "Who Will Save Rock & Roll".  Handsome Dick introduced "Stay With Me" as being the closest thing that they had to a hit.  He didn't say this with resentment but I sensed he was thinking 'what if'.  The evening closed with "Kick Out The Jams" which was cool since HDM did a tour fronting The MC5 a number of years ago.

It was an amazing night.  Cool club, good openers, quality family time plus I got a kick ass picture of me and Handsome Dick Manitoba.  I love when everything comes together, Well Done!

DFFD

[Buckeye Randy]

Artist: The Last Dinner Party
Where: The Agora Theatre (Cleveland, Ohio)
When: April 6, 2026

The Last Dinner Party are on my radar for one main reason and that reason would be the wonders of technology.  Their early singles started popping up on my Spotify in 2023 followed by their first album (Prelude To Ecstasy) in 2024.  I was interested enough that I mentioned them at my favorite messageboard which led to good discussions.  They followed their first album by releasing a cover version of "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" originally by Sparks.   For me, that pretty much cemented them as being momentous and consequential and paramount and any other word you want to use for describing a band as pretty darn cool.

The band is currently touring for their second album "From The Pyre" and luckily this tour (unlike their previous U.S. tour) is stopping at the Agora in the semi nearby Cleveland, Ohio.  This is my fourth trip to The Agora in the last year having previously seen; Sparks, Amyl and The Sniffers plus The Bouncing Souls.  The Agora has roughly a capacity of 2000 and normally has GA for the pit and lower levels with some reserved seating in the balcony.  I purchased GA with Quick Passes to avoid the long line and maybe get a place at the stage.

My fellow concert-goer on this evening is my youngest son.  He was designated as such by my family after the process of elimination.  My oldest son just went to a show with me plus he had a work commitment, my oldest daughter lives 90 minutes away and my Wife graciously excused herself from the conversation.   My youngest son was the last person standing...winner winner!   This isn't new territory, we've been to several shows together and it's always a good time.  However, I'm pretty sure his Mom had something to do with this, "Keep an eye on your Father".

We arrive 30 minutes before the doors open and take our place in the quick pass line.  There were probably 80 or so people ahead of us as chilly winds whipped down Euclid Avenue.  The quick pass line was long but absolutely nothing compared to the general admission line going up the walk in the other direction.  Once inside, we chose not to go to the pit that was already three people deep from the stage but chose to be on the railing of the first tier hovering just behind the pit.  This is exactly where we wanted to be if not up front against the stage barrier.  The venue methodically filled over the next 50 minutes and was absolutely packed by showtime.  One thing that was odd was the lack of pre gig music playing. 

Florence Road from Ireland opened and was very well received.  Honestly, it's a head scratcher for me just how well received this band was.  Firstly due to the band's small body of work which is a couple of EPs and some singles.  Secondly, the indie/alternative songs all had a sameness to me.  There were no jump out and grab you type songs after one listen.  All I have to say is, I'm glad people enjoyed them and I wish them luck.

For those of you that don't know anything bout The Last Dinner Party, let me fill you in.  I can tell you that people generally toss around words like baroque, gothic, epic, cabaret and ambitious.  All that is true and they pull it off without sounding pretentious.   There is real commitment to art and they should not be dismissed as an all-female Gen Z  band doing Tenacious D. (smiling) 

The stage had two tiers and was decorated with arches and flowing sheets and gave an overall vibe of a medieval festival.  It framed the evening as being a cinematic presentation fitting with the latest album, "From The Pyre", of which they played every song.   

Lead vocalist Abigail Morris is a force of nature.  She can be delicate as a ballerina while twirling and gesturing to the music but can also command attention with her powerful voice.  Emily Roberts was visually striking with her flowing white gown while supplying guitar, mandolin and flute.  Lizzie Mayland on guitar supplied a visual contrast with her short red hair and dark suit plus generally serious demeanor.  Aurora Nishevci alternated between piano, keys and keytar and all members supplied beautiful harmonies that were highlighted often throughout the performance.  On this evening. Georgia Davies was replaced by Max Lilley due to her recent back surgery.

Abigail's stage banter between songs was polished and calculated.  The band is a hot commodity and she obviously enjoys the responsiveness of the crowd.  The highlights of her interaction (for me anyways) were things specific to Ohio.  The song "Angus Dei" has a line about the banks of the Ohio which the crowd shouted to Abigail's delight.  She mentioned it at least once during the show and talked about the band being in Cleveland for the first time.  The other thing she did was something that I'm surprised I've never seen before.  She informed the crowd that she just learned something before the show and she shouted, "O, H".  This was met with a deafening reply from the crowd, "I, O".  She repeated this several times and giggled.  For those that don't know, The yelling of "O, H" and the shoutback of "I, O" is something synonymous with The Ohio State University football team.  A fun moment that she repeated again later in the evening.

Nearly every song was some sort of highlight either visually or musically and often both.  I think Abigail is a must see performer as her dramatic flair reminds me of both Freddie Mercury and Russel Mael.  Her easy manner of speaking between songs connects with people.  There is a real 'us' atmosphere.  It's going to be allot of fun seeing how this band grows as it gains momentum.  That's talking in the future, as far as last night goes I can't wait to do it again...Well Done!

1.   Agnus Dei
2.   Count the Ways
3.   The Feminine Urge
4.   Caesar on a TV Screen
5.   On Your Side
6.   Second Best
7.   I Hold Your Anger
8.   Woman Is a Tree
9.   Gjuha
10.   Rifle
11.   Portrait of a Dead Girl
12.   The Scythe
13.   Sail Away
14.   Sinner
15.   Knocking at the Sky
16.   My Lady of Mercy
17.   Inferno
18.   Nothing Matters

Encore:
19.   This Is the Killer Speaking
20.   Agnus Dei

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: J Roddy Walston
When: May 16, 2026
Where: Grog Shop (Cleveland, Ohio)

It has been nearly 11 years to the day since my Wife and I last saw J Roddy.  Mrs. Buckeye lists that as the best concert ever.   Wait...you don't know who J Roddy Walston is?  OK, I'll try to give a brief overview. 

J Roddy Walston and The Business had four albums between 2007 and 2017.   The catalogue can best be described as brilliant and unfocused.  My personal favorite is the self-titled second album.  The third album flirted with mainstream success and the last tried to capitalize on that momentum.  I didn't care for the more refined effort and apparently others didn't either because the band was dissolved in 2019.  J Roddy has only one release since then, a very so so Christmas album in 2023.

Wiki gives a description of the band and in one sentence they tell you absolutely everything you need to know.  "The band is what would happen if Queen and Black Oak Arkansas birthed four boys in the backwoods and let them listen to nothing but Cheap Trick and showtunes".  The article continues and namechecks influences being Led Zep, Harry Nilsson, T Rex and Leon Russell.  Wiki can be golden.

So, J Roddy has been touring the last few years but with a new backing band.  I couldn't resist sneaking a peek at the setlist of previous shows on this tour so my expectations would be reasonable.  Who knows, he might be playing a show full of unreleased material.  Ha, that's not the case and I'm more stoked than before!  This is one of the times it's OK to lie to your wife.  "Hey Buckeye Randy, do you think he'll play the old stuff".  "Gee honey, I don't know but I wouldn't get my hopes up."  It was tough saying this without a smile.

What's the best part of the entire concert experience?  Is it lining up a babysitter, parking in a sketchy lot, waiting on the sidewalk with strangers, panicking when you can't find tickets on your phone?  On this day, it all went pretty much as planned and I even had some promo flyers in my inner jacket pocket in hopes of an autograph.  We arrived 45 minutes before doors opened and were 2nd and 3rd in line.  We got to hear soundcheck from the sidewalk and after that had to step aside as J Roddy and his band went to their van to grab stage clothes.  Once the doors officially opened, we staked our place in front of the stage and patiently waited for the show to begin inside the cozy confines of The Grog Shop.

The Grog Shop with a capacity of 400 is in the ever artsy Coventry District.  For those not from Cleveland it's worth mentioning that the Coventry district was the area's counter-culture center in the '60's and the vibe remains.  One notable and challenging thing about the Grog Shop is the low stage, it's not quite knee high.  This means that site lines at the rear of the club are directly related to the height of the people between you and the stage.   Not a problem for us on this evening because as I said, we are at the stage.

Opening was the three piece Goody and The Gospel.  The band played an entirely listenable 8 song set of chunky blues/rock.  I'll certainly check out their upcoming album.  Nice set guys.
 
J Roddy and his band serve as their own road crew and put their equipment and monitors in place.  Included was scooching a very road weary piano with a broken frame and lots of duct tape near center stage.  The piano was missing a caster and they leveled the piano with an old and taped up direct box wedged underneath a corner.  That my friends oozes the essence of rock and roll. 

J Roddy sits down and begins tinkling on the piano and talking about it being Saturday night in a smooth manner.   It had a faux loungey appeal as the three piece backing band took their places.  A few notes here and there seem familiar during this prolonged intro.  The slow meandering piano notes slowly took form as  J Roddy went into "Don't Break The Needle".   He tested the crowd early as the band paused and it seemed like the entire club shouted out the first refrain of "Don't Break The Needle"!  I've seen many opening songs over the years but this moment ranks near the top.

J Roddy bounces and bashes his piano with reckless abandon.  He's the sum of every energetic pianist that's ever played rock and roll, plus one.  J Roddy can carry a show but it's impossible not to compare this band with J Roddy's former band (The Business).  This band seems spot on but doesn't carry quite the same energy.   This fact barely diminishes the overall show but it is noted.

The show was divided into three basic parts.  The first was the largest and featured the band firing through the best known songs.  Crowd pleasers aplenty including my favorite, "Full Growing Man".  There were several sing-a longs highlighted by the ballad, "Brave Man's Death".   The most fun sing-a-long was J Roddy teaching the crowd a new song, "Hot Banana".

The full band segment was followed by J Roddy performing solo on both piano and guitar.  This had a bit of a storyteller feel to it and it was very intimate.  J Roddy is quite comfortable engaging with banter from the crowd and that can be as memorable as the show itself.  One male fan yelled, "I love you."   J Roddy responded by confessing his own feelings at length in a sultry voice over soft piano ending with, "I love you too, it's always been you".   

I was not bored with the solo effort but I was certainly ready for the band to return to the stage.  The band did return for some rocking then disappeared and returned for the encore finishing with "Heavy Bells".   The show was over two hours and I can't remember the last time I saw a show that long in a club. 

The merch table was a little disappointing but we had a nice chat with the opener while we hoped for J Roddy to come out after the club cleared out.  He did not disappoint us as he appeared and made his way across the room.  Mrs. Buckeye and I both had our promo posters autographed plus pics taken with J Roddy.  It took me several decades but it appears I've finally figured out this concert thing. 

I look forward to my next evening with J Roddy.  Well Done!

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Mark Farner's American Band
Where: Robins Theatre (Warren, OH)
When: June 20, 2026

What's most important thing when seeing a '70's retro band like Grand Funk Railroad?  Having the original vocalist? Majority of original members?  The actual name of the band on the marquee?  In this case, only one box is checked.  Mark Farner was the vocalist of Grand Funk Railroad back in the day.  Vocalist is probably the preferred box to be checked but I really don't care.  I just want to hear some great songs by Grand Funk Railroad.

This is my second time seeing Mark Farner and the fifth time seeing some iteration of Grand Funk.  I have never seen Mark, Mel and Don share a stage which I suppose is disappointing on a certain level.  The whole story of GFR is borderline tragic with corrupt management disrupting the band in their heyday and apparently bad feelings between members persist to this day.   I don't overthink this because as I said, I just want to hear some great songs by Grand Funk Railroad.

The Robins Theatre has a story shared with many midwestern theaters.  This 1400 seat theatre was built in 1923 and had a 50 year run before shutting the doors.  The theatre sat vacated for 40 years with the expected deterioration but here is where the story takes a twist.  Instead of demolition, a  rebirth started in 2017 with ambitious ownership and the theatre has been restored and updated and I must say is simply beautiful.  Highly recommended if ever in Warren, Ohio.  Fun fact, Dave Grohl is from Warren and a nearby alley has drumsticks cut from telephone poles in his honor.  It is claimed that they are world's largest drumsticks.  Google it up!

As is usually the case when travelling to Warren for a concert, a room is booked in the nearby town of Niles.  Nice to have some quiet time with Mrs. Buckeye plus we both like to avoid an hour plus drive home after the show.  Ever have the misfortune of trying to book a room when other events are taking place?  Originally, the hotel was asking triple the normal price due to an international baseball game AND a gun convention going on the same day within ½ a mile of the hotel.  I booked a room but checked regularly over the ensuing weeks and jumped at a reservation that was only $100 over the normal price.   A day before the arrival date, I received an email that informed me I had been automatically upgraded with the cost being $150 more!  The original price was restored after sharing a printed copy of my original confirmation email during check in.  Rock n Roll should not be this difficult.  I just want to hear some great songs by Grand Funk Railroad.  Off to the show!

The atmosphere on the sidewalk before doors open is certainly part of the concert experience.  Some fun conversations about Pat Travers, Foghat, Starz and Angel plus plenty of others.  It's times like this that make you realize that you are not alone!  There really are people from your planet.

The lights dim and the video screen comes to life with the music from 2001 Space Odyssey.  A montage of Mark Farner pictures cycle with an accompanying introduction.   "Two number one hits...four top five hits...nine top 40 hits...10 consecutive platinum albums...twelve gold records...40 million records sold...brothers and sisters are you ready to rock...Mark Farner's American Band"!  This might be the most egotistical and bombastic intro I've ever witnessed and I absolutely love it!

The band is a four piece; bass, keyboards, drums with Mark Farner out front.  Mark served as a guitarist and vocalist but sometimes exchanged his guitar for playing keys or simply just holding a microphone.  He did it all.

This evening was the first show of the 2026 summer tour and the setlist was much better and more focused than previous setlists I had looked at from previous tours.  When I say focused, I mean for a fan like me that grew up hearing GFR on the radio.  The setlist was not heavy on deep tracks as on some tours.

I like when bands do raw renditions of songs in a live setting   I gotta tell ya, Mark Farner plowed through some of the most popular songs and I totally approve.  The ones that come to mind are "American Band" and "Bad Time" but there were others.   A couple other classic anthems were performed to perfection and were chilling.  Specifically, "Heartbreaker" was worthy of goosebumps as was "Mean Mistreater".

Besides the music, Mark was very engaging with his between song banter.  He talked about a few different things and all seemed relevant.  He wondered aloud why Grand Funk were not in the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame. He shared how corrupt management affected the band in the '70's and he talked about his relationship with Jesus.  I'm usually bored by meaningless rambling but all this seemed to add and not detract from the show.  Mark Farner commands a stage.

OK, I can't stop before I make comparisons between seeing Mark Farner's American Band  playing Grand Funk songs and seeing Grand Funk Railroad with Mel and Don playing basically the same songs.  I'm going to say it simply.  I enjoyed both but the current Grand Funk Railroad with Mel & Don is a tribute to Grand Funk.  Mark Farner is a rock star.  Well Done!


1.   Are You Ready
2.   Footstompin' Music
3.   We're an American Band
4.   Rock 'n Roll Soul
5.   Bad Time
6.   Shinin' On
7.   Heartbreaker
8.   Mean Mistreater
9.   Hooked On Love
10.   Ohio
11.   I Can Feel Him in the Morning
12.   The Loco-Motion
13.   Some Kind of Wonderful
14.   I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home)

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Teenage Bottlerocket
When: June 25, 2026
Where: The Grog Shop (Cleveland Heights, Ohio)

Less than two years ago I was a very casual fan of Teenage Bottlerocket.  That all changed after my son suggested we see them live.  My fandom is now north of casual and I'm ready for my second show with the band.  Woohoo!

Who and what are Teenage Bottlerocket?  They are a band from Laramie (Wyoming) that formed in 2000.  The band has 10 albums with the most recent being 2025's "Ready To Roll".  The band has a Ramonesy sound but that's just a broad brush description and doesn't really paint a complete picture.  Their matter-of-fact observations and infectious melodies are as endearing as they are contagious.  Is it dumb guy music?  You calling me dumb?  That's what I thought! (smiling)

The Grog Shop is your basic standing type venue with a capacity of 400 and a bar in the back.  The club features up and comers plus established acts that love an intimate atmosphere.  This will be my third time at The Grog Shop this year so there is comfort in familiarity.  The only drawback about the place is a low stage which means that sight lines can be challenging if not impossible when standing at the rear of the venue.  The good thing is free illegal parking!

My fellow concert goers this evening are my oldest son plus a co-worker I've known for five years or so.  This will be the 7th show in the last 14 months between the two of them but the first with all of us together.  All I know is that the old man has not one but two designated drivers and if my math is correct, I'll be drinking two fisted.  Remember kids, math is something you'll use your whole life; stay in school.

Dozens of people congregating on the sidewalk in the general area of the entrance but no real line per se.  That changed as soon as the doors opened at 7PM and people quickly and orderly assembled to file in.  We were in the first wave of people to enter and after a quick stop at the merch table we staked our place at the stage.  This had a different feel than when we saw the band two years ago.  There were clearly more early arrivers as the club steadily filled.

Opening was Cleveland's Whatever followed by Sludgeworth from Chicago.  Notable was that Sludgeworth brought 30 people with them that knew every word of their high energy songs.  Totally enjoyable sets and I wouldn't shy away from seeing either band again.  During these sets the venue went from crowded with minimal body space to a real pit atmosphere.  Certainly, a ton of energy on a Thursday night.

Teenage Bottlerocket took the stage and the area in front of the stage turned into a full contact area.  For those who aren't accustomed to being in a pit, I'll take a shot at describing it for you.  It's like being on one of those old wooden rollercoasters where you try to brace yourself as your body gets tossed around and rattled.  There's a little dose of self-preservation type fear but it is overcome with pure exhilaration. You know that there will be a few bruises but it's all in fun.  That's my interpretation of Thursday night's pit at The Grog Shop.

The first time I saw the band 22 months ago there were probably two or three songs I considered essential.  Last night, I went into the show needing to hear double digit songs and they played nearly every one of them.  The band rifled through fan favorites plus several from their latest album including my recent favorite, "She's The Shit".  Not as many stories or between song banter as the last time I saw them.  It's tough to fit in nearly 30 songs if you're blabbing away. 

If forced to give musical highlights I could list half the set list.  I won't do that, I'll just say that my favorites were "Bigger Than Kiss", "They Call Me Steve" and "Blood Bath At Burger King". 

The most memorable thing of the evening had less to do with music and more to do with two fellow concert goers.  There was a Mom and her 13 year old daughter at the front.  All the people near and around them did their best to keep the pit from collapsing on these two.  Who says chivalry is dead?  Near the end of the show I snagged a setlist from the stage and handed it to the young fan.  The Mom was  prepared for such an opportunity evidenced by the Sharpie in hand.  As soon as the show ended, the band traded fist bumps with all the people against the stage and signed the young fan's setlist.  That's a pretty cool evening!

I'm looking forward to seeing Teenage Bottlerocket a third time when and if the opportunity presents itself.  Well Done!

[Buckeye Randy]

Artist: Nick Lowe w/Los Straitjackets
Where: Beachland Ballroom (Cleveland, Ohio)
When: July 19, 2026

When I look back at all the concerts I've seen over all the years, there is one thing that really sticks out to me.  The number of times I've seen somebody is not always proportionate to how much I like them.  There have certainly been outside forces at play when it comes to missing shows... especially when I was younger.   Oh, you know, things like finances, family or work.  Then there are other instances when an artist just doesn't pass through town as often as I would like.  Sometimes it's a combination of the two but the end result is all the same.  I'm not seeing some artists as much as I would like.

Our case in point today (drumroll please), Nick Lowe.  I've only seen Nick three times in concert which just seems criminally low compared with my fandom.  The first time was with Rockpile opening for Blondie in 1979, that's also the only time I saw Dave Edmunds and the evening is a very good memory...from what I remember!   The second time was the winter of 1982 when a big venue concert by The Cars w/Nick Lowe opening was cancelled due to a blizzard stranding the trucks carrying the sound & lighting gear halfway between Detroit and Cleveland.  A hurriedly scheduled club show with Nick Lowe resulted at The Agora and it was fantastic.  Elliot Easton (The Cars) sat in with the band which included Paul Carrack (Ace, Squeeze).  This show included my passing a cup of beer to Nick on stage and him chugging ¾ of it leaving me a nearly empty beer with a floaty.  This second show also has an accompanying story called 'Blood In The Snow' but that's for another day.  The third time was in 2022 which was part of my '40 Year Revenge Tour'.   What is a '40 Year Revenge Tour'?  In 2022; I saw Sparks, Donnie Iris and Nick Lowe all for the first time since 1982 (40 years).   Nick was being backed by Los Straitjackets at the 2022 show and it was perfect other than having a set list snatched from my hand as the show ended.  My consolation prize is a stolen club promo poster which I have framed.   Sooo...this brings us to my 4th time seeing Nick Lowe in concert.   (I surprise myself how concise I can be, you're very welcome)

The Beachland Ballroom and Beachland Tavern are two of my favorite concert venues that are housed in the same building.  Tonight I'll be in the larger Ballroom which is a big square room with a sunken stage and the only seating being on stools along the walls.  The smaller Tavern also has bands but tonight it is a place where people can kick back and enjoy the pre-concert energy with a beverage before doors open to The Ballroom.  Between the two, I've seen dozens shows over the last 20 years and have some fantastic memories.

For a show like this, I like arriving at least an hour before doors open.  I prefer parking on site beside the venue over parking blocks away plus I like being toward the front of the line to get in which typically stretches down the sidewalk.   Arriving early is not an option today due to...family pictures.  Yep, all the kids and grandkids plus spouses are scheduled for pics at 5PM in a beautiful park.  Sooo, after the pictures and abiding all driving laws, I arrive in the Collinwood district which is home to The Beachland not as early as I would have liked but I'm still here before doors open.   To make a long story short; I park, I change into a concert t-shirt, I buy my ticket and end up 4th in line to enter when doors open which is about 15 minutes away.  Are you kidding me??  The only reason this happens is because nearly all the early arrivers (easily over 50 people) are pounding beers in the adjacent Beachland Tavern and not lined up on the sidewalk to get in the Beachland Ballroom when doors open.  Woohoo, snooze you lose!  Also, while standing there waiting, I notice a very cool Nick Lowe promo poster and I file that info for when I leave in three or four hours.

Doors open and I want to tell you I still get a rush of adrenalin when entering a venue and doing the fast walk/slow jog to the stage.  I stake my place front and center against the stage and wait... Déjà vu all over again, this is exactly where I stood four years ago.  I wait about 90 minutes and now it's showtime for what appears to be a packed house.  I feel fortunate that I was able to buy a ticket before the show.

The band casually takes the stage and gives a few waves and kicks right into "So It Goes" from Nick's debut release in 1978.  It's all clicking; the band is rocking and the crowd is singing the chorus if not in tune at least really loud.   OK, great opener but your opinion of this show is totally dependent on how you feel about Nick's latest 2024 album (Indoor Safari) recorded with Los Straitjackets.   Six songs from that album are performed which is ¼ of the overall show.   If we include those six with the five instrumentals by Los Straitjackets that's basically half the show.  I can see where some people might have a problem with the setlist.  Personally, I love the latest album and I love Los Straitjackets! 

I thought "I Went To A Party" was a great second song to keep the rocking vibe going.  One of the absolute highlights of the show for me was the quiet and reflective, "Blue On Blue".   I think it's great that Nick is working with a band on a full time basis and featuring the material that they record together.  I can't speak for 500 people but the people around me all seemed to love the new stuff.  It really is that good.

One of the best parts of being up close to an artist is seeing their reaction to the happenings of the room and the interaction with the band.  The crowd was outstanding and Nick smiled every time he had to halt his between song banter due to the raucous responses.  He also seemed have fun with his band and the band absolutely embraced egging the crowd on.

The show was split into four parts.  The first part was eight songs with four from the latest album.  Also included was the Rockpile song "Heart" and two of my favorites, "Love Is A Battlefield" ('94) and "Lately I've Let Things Slide"('01).  As these songs were played, you could hear whispered vocals from the crowd, it was pretty cool.

The second part was four instrumentals by Los Straitjackets which are bass, rhythm, lead and drums.   I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this band wears Mexican wrestling masks.  All amps are Fender tube models and a minimal drum kit.  It is a clean Dick Dale type thing and it works perfect with Nick Lowe.  These guys are more than just filler material, they own the place when given the spotlight.

The third part was half the show and included fan favorites; "Without Love" and "Cruel To Be Kind" from '79's 'Labor Of Lust'.   Also included were  "Half A Man and Half A Boy", "Heart Of The City" and "What's So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding" which is a Nick Lowe song made popular by Elvis Costello.

The fourth part was the encore of an unknown instrumental by Los Straitjackets and "I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock and Roll).   This was followed by the band leaving the stage and returning for "When I Write The Book".

Let me explain something here.  "When I Write The Book" is one of my top five songs of all time, all time.  It was not scheduled to be played but Nick was so impressed by the Cleveland crowd he let us know he was giving us a little extra.  Cleveland Rocks!

How do I know it wasn't planned?  Oh yeah, I got a set list from the stage as the show winded down.  I plan of framing it with  some of my pics from the show,  I'm pretty sure you'll be able to pick it up for $3 when the kids have the yardsale when I'm gone.  The only downer was not getting that cool poster taped to the glass near the entrance when I left.  I think I'll be OK!

Well Done!

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Ghalia Volt
Where: Kent Stage (Kent, OH)
When: August 23, 2026

I first became aware of Ghalia Volt when she appeared at a tribute show for Thomas Ruf and Ruf Records.  Who and what are Thomas Ruf and Ruf Records?  Thomas Ruff started an independent record company in 1994 and his record label (Ruf Records) is dedicated to all things blues.   The international twist is that Thomas and his record company are located in Germany. 

He signs old blues acts (Canned Heat, Mitch Ryder) and new blues acts (Samantha Fish) and even promotes blues artists from Europe including Ana Popovic (Serbia) and Ghalia Volt who is from Belguim.  Hats off to Thomas Ruf for dedicating himself to American roots music.

The ticket sales for this show are sort of unusual.  The first eight rows are general admission and everything behind is reserved seating.  So even though I have tickets waiting for me at 'will call', I need to arrive early to try and score a seat up front.  I'm one of the first five in line so I feel confident about being in the first row. 

Earlier in the day there are severe weather warnings forecast for the area.  All is clear when I arrive but the sky goes from light cloud cover to pitch black within minutes and this is 20 minutes before doors open.  There is some cover provided at the entry and under the marquee but not much.  The lone ticket taker decides to open the doors and let us in early, that's nice of her.   The first few people flash their phones with electronic tickets and enter.  This all sounds good until I tell her I have 'will call'.  She points to a nearby table and tells me to go there and wait.   She mentions nobody is at this table yet to help me since she opened the doors early!  I see dozens of people scan their tickets and walk right by me into the venue surely to grab prime seating.

She finally comes over and hands me my tickets which I'm only using one of since I apparently have no family or friends that want to spend an evening with me, I enter the venue solo.  I walked toward the front which had quickly filled up save for one single seat front and center between two old dudes.  Justice is served not only because I'm where I should be sitting but because I look extraordinarily young between these two guys! 

Opening the evening is Kent Burnside and all you blues aficionados will certainly ask; is he related to Cedric and R.L. Burnside?  The answer is...yes; why yes he is!  He is a cousin of Cedric and a grandson of R.L. Burnside.  The common denominator besides blood is all play 'hill country blues'.

Kent and his accompanying drummer played a lively set of hill country blues.  This brand of music lends itself to the minimalist approach and tonight it was crisp and clean.  He seemed genuinely happy to be in a town bearing his name on a Saturday night.  After the show, he climbed down from the stage and walked through the crowd exchanging handshakes and stopping for photos.  It was a nice gesture and a sure fire way to build a fan base.

Ghalia Volt and her two piece backing band (bass, drums) took the stage and quite honestly it surprised me.  The first time I saw her she was a one woman band.  She performed seated playing both bass and snare drums with her feet while playing guitar and singing.   That was what I anticipated but on this evening it was all about ratcheting up the energy!   

The band kicks into the show and the first thing that you notice is how animated Ghalia is with her body language and facial expressions which are an extension of what she is playing.   Some people wear it on their sleeve; she wears it on her face. (smiling) 

Speaking of wearing, let's talk wardrobe.  Ghalia was sporting an all-black outfit highlighted by black shorts and patterned black stockings.  I guess you could say she knows her crowd which was mostly elderly males who may or may have not been there with lecherous thoughts. To clarify, I am not elderly and I was there for music.

It's not a problem per se but I've noticed at blues shows I'm the only one not receiving retirement or disability benefits and at punk shows I'm the only one with seven grandkids.  No golden middle in my current concert life.

The set list was a heaping helping of her latest album which included my two favorites, "No Ice Please" and "Burn Down The House".  At some point she explained how she wasn't on Apple music so her playing these songs is the only way we could hear them.  She played a couple from previous albums and also several blues standards.  Her between song banter was as good as it gets because it was natural and interactive with the crowd.  There were three guitar changes and she made everybody smile when she explained her favorite guitar was a no name piece of shit that nobody else would want but she loved it.  She then connected the dots and applied that philosophy to relationships.

My favorite song of the night was probably "Reap What You Sow" which highlights not only Ghalia's guitar work but her raspy vocals.  I will say that as she went through the setlist a case could be made for each and every song being my favorite of the night.  The last song of the evening was an unrehearsed jam with Kent Burnside with them doing the R.L. Burnside classic, "Going Down South".   

It was an overall positive evening and it finished with a trip to the merch table which was being run by Ghalia herself.  I made a purchase and had her sign my ticket.  Can't wait to see her again, Well Done!