Scene Music Festival 2007

Describe your sound: Power pop getting kicked in the balls by an aging metalhead.

Three bands you would open for: Alice in Chains, Slayer, and Spinal Tap.

Favorite venue to play: The Odeon (R.I.P.) and Peabody's.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: If chicks ever want to make out with us, anywhere is excellent.

Mayor Jackson should . . . shave! Good Lord, you're the f*cking MAYOR.

Best part of town: Anywhere near the lake, so as long as we can fish.

We'll never forget . . . when Jeff Niesel slammed our first record, then honored us with a spot on Scene's "Top 10 Worst Bands of 2000."

Your music sounds best when drinking . . . the blood of our enemies.

Which band will rule the Scene Music Festival? American Werewolves, especially if Trevor coldcocks some drunken idiot.

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American Werewolves

12 A.M., TEQUILA RANCH

Website:

www.americanwerewolves.com

Personnel: Trevor Moment, Tony Scambony, Brendan Moore, and Nate 68.

Your best release: We have a new disc coming out in October. It's the best one yet.

Describe your sound: Violent, '50s rock and roll, with the energy of early '80s hardcore.

Three bands you would open for: Dion, Bad Brains, and Crowd Deterrent.

I'll never forget . . . the Summer of Hate show '07. What a bloodbath.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: Ask some emo scenester. We're grown men.

Your biggest influence: Doo-wop and early hardcore.

Mayor Jackson should . . . stop jocking me. We have the community at its knees.

Ever swim naked in the Cuyahoga? Yes -- it sucked! I thought I was going to die. I saw a big rat swim by.

Which band will rule the Scene Music Festival? Do you really need to ask?

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Mick Boogie

7 P.M., LIQUID/FUSION

Website:

www.myspace.com/mickboogie.

Personnel: Commissioner of the League Crew (Cleveland's most popular DJ crew).

Your best release: Mick Boogie & Little Brother's And Justus for All. Considered a classic in underground hip-hop circles.

Describe your sound: Cross-genre musicality expressed through a hip-hop style of deejaying.

Three classic DJs you would open for: Jazzy Jeff, Funkmaster Flex, and Kid Capri.

Favorite venues to play: Anatomy and Touch Supper Club.

Mayor Jackson should . . . get a Chipotle downtown. And can we get some stores down here? Any store would be nice.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: My bed -- and I'm single now, ladies.

Your biggest influence: Jazzy Jeff. The greatest who ever did it. Humility, skill, intelligence, and showmanship -- the four best qualities a DJ can have.

Best part of town: East Fourth Street. It's the only part of downtown that gives a fuck about developing a neighborhood for its residents.

Why we need to see you: I play everything and anything, and make it sound like it was supposed to go together. If you love music, you'll love a Mick Boogie party.

Ever swim naked in the Cuyahoga? No. But I had sex in the Rock Hall.

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Will Bowen

10 P.M., TEQUILA RANCH

Website:

www.willbowen.com.

Personnel: Will Bowen, Mikey Gould, Rufus Jones, and Sam Getz.

Your best release: The soon-to-be-released Love Is War disc, because of the growth in songwriting and the major-label-quality production.

Describe your sound: Accessible pop rock with an edge.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: The Foundation Room at the House of Blues. Very classy.

Your biggest influence: Bryan Adams. He may be cheesy, but he wrote simple love songs that millions of people love to this day.

Best part of town: Although I'm an East Sider, I say Tremont for the culture and nightlife.

Cleveland's greatest band: Cactus 12, because of their amazing talent and good looks.

Why we need to see you: It's been a while since Cleveland produced a strong pop-rock band that can grow. If that's what you enjoy, come see us.

Which band will rule the Scene Music Festival? Local bands need to support each other, so I say every band will rule it equally!

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Cory Branan

11 P.M., BAR FLYY

Website:

www.corybranan.com.

Personnel: Just me and guitar.

Your best release: 12 Songs. It's newish.

How long have you been around? My first record, The Hell You Say, came out in 2003, but I came out in December 1974.

Describe your sound: I've heard people call it anti-folk, but it feels like folk music to me.

Two bands you would open for: Thin Lizzy, and Mudboy and the Neutrons.

Favorite venue to play: I played the Beachland once with Marshall Crenshaw. It had a kind of sock-hop feel in the best way possible.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: Being from Memphis, I wouldn't know . . . yet.

Your biggest influence: John Prine. His music was the first time I ever heard country haiku.

Why we need to see you: I gots to pay the light bill.

Ever swim naked in the Cuyahoga? Nope. But I lost a shoe in the Mississippi once.

Who will rule the Scene Music Festival? Roger Hoover and the Whiskeyhounds!

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Clouds Forming Crowns

7:20 P.M., VELVET DOG, FLOOR ONE

Website:

www.tobias-music.com

Personnel: Tim and Todd Tobias write and record all the music. Then Brian Noga, Scott Pickering, Brian Strazek, and other heroes and villains bring it to life onstage.

Describe your sound: Guitars and drums.

Three bands you would open for: Thin Lizzy, Wire, and the Smut Midgets, this crazy Dutch band from the early '70s.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: Kingsbury Run.

Have you ever broken up? You can't break up with your brother.

Mayor Jackson should . . . Musicians have no business commenting on politics or religion. Have you ever talked to a musician?

Cleveland's greatest band: Too many to count, but there was a band called Shitmother back in the early '90s that killed.

Ever swim naked in the Cuyahoga? Of course -- don't you?

Which band will rule the Scene Music Festival? Coffinberry!

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Coffinberry

11:40 P.M., LIQUID/FUSION

Website:

www.coffinberry.net.

Personnel: Anthony Cross, Pat O'Connor, Tony Janicek, Nick Cross, and Kooky Pants.

Your best release: Our new record, God Dam Dogs, because we worked so hard on it.

Describe your sound: Power pup. Powder rock. Like sonic hedgehogs doing freak rock.

Two bands you would open for: the Dave Clark Five and the Strawberry Alarm Clock.

Favorite venue to play: Our basement or the Phantasy.

Have you ever broken up? No, but we hope to one day.

Best part of town: We like downtown, 'cause it's cool.

Cleveland's greatest band: The Mice, because their music, like Jurassic Park, is good.

Ever swim naked in the Cuyahoga? No, but we once connected our Slip 'n Slide to a friend's Crocodile Mile.

Which band will rule the Scene Music Festival? Whichever band does the best job and makes it a safe place for women.

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Copperfoot

11 P.M., TEQUILA RANCH

Website:

www.copperfoot.com

Personnel: Jeff Boyer, Gary Boyer, Adam Constantine, Meghan Clay, and Dano.

How long have you been around? About two years.

Describe your sound: We are a rock band, with roots in country, folk, blues, and R&B -- in that order. But who isn't?

Three bands you would open for: Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, and Joe Cocker.

Favorite place to play: Around the Corner in Lakewood.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: Don't ask this question. We are all married.

Mayor Jackson should . . . do more drugs.

Your music sounds best when drinking . . . You're damn right it does!

Cleveland's greatest band: Audi Badoo. My father and uncle were in it, as well as Colin Dussault's father. It makes us living legacies. No pressure.

Ever swim naked in the Cuyahoga? Drummers with three arms. Guitarists and keyboardists with extra fingers. Vocalists with multiple throats. You might be on to something.

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Disown

10:40 P.M., LIQUID/FUSION

Website:

www.myspace.com/disown.

Personnel: Jae Rohrer, Mike Davis, Krystle Dawn, and Scott Kaczmarek.

Your best release: The Requiem of One CD is a work of art, just like Disown.

Describe your sound: Electronic industrial rock.

Three bands you would open for: A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails, and Linkin Park.

Favorite venue to play: The Scene Pavilion! (aka the Plain Dealer Pavilion).

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: We like make up.

We'll never forget . . . when Outback Steakhouse confused us with Tool. We were checking out the new Tool DVD while ordering. The waitress asked if we were in a band, and we said yes.

File-sharing: godsend or the death of music? Everyone should upload our songs and spread them to the rest of the world!

Why fans need to see you: Because we're artists, and the audience is our canvas.

Which band will rule the Scene Music Festival? They all will. Disown has faith in local music.

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DoHM

7:30 P.M., BLIND PIG, FLOOR ONE

Website:

www.dohmsound.com

Personnel: Brian Noll, Brian Pritchard, Max Dixon, Conor Heldorfer, and Levente Nagy.

Your best release: Our latest work with Ante Up Audio for the studio's upcoming Best of Cleveland Metal compilation.

Describe your sound: An aural assault that encompasses the scope of human emotions.

Three classic bands you would open for: Tool, the Deftones, and Pantera.

Favorite venue to play: Verlie's Café.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: Any alley.

Your biggest influence: Filmmaker David Lynch. We strive to be his musical equivalent.

Mayor Jackson should . . . legalize gambling, prostitution, and recreational drug use.

Your music sounds best when drinking . . . Miller High Life -- the champagne of beers.

File-sharing: godsend or the death of music? The suits have always been the true enemy of creativity.

Why we need to see you: So you can see how we recreate the stunts we pull on record. Ever swim naked in the Cuyahoga? We wouldn't be surprised if our swarthy Hungarian bass player has.

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Drop Soma

12:40 A.M., LIQUID/FUSION

Website:

www.myspace.com/dropsoma.

Personnel: Will Wells, Mike V., John Bennett, Jared Lees, and Ryan Germany.

Describe your sound: What hip-hop was meant to be in the first place -- organic, soulful, and real.

Three bands you would open for: The Roots, Ozomatli, and Gym Class Heroes.

Favorite venue to play: The Q -- just give us a little time.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: Akron, damn it.

File-sharing: godsend or the death of music? Takes a big chip out of big acts, but great exposure for indie artists.

Cleveland's greatest band: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Devo, and Nine Inch Nails.

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Mike Filly

10 P.M., VELVET DOG, FLOOR TWO

Website:

www.myspace.com/mikefilly216.

Personnel: I'm a DJ. It's just me, myself, and I.

How long have you been around? Long is the key word. Let's say I have staying power.

Describe your sound: Accessible but cutting-edge.

Three bands you would open for: The Smiths, Slowdive, and Echo & the Bunnymen.

Favorite venue to play: The Mercury Lounge.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: I have to keep that secret.

Your biggest influence: Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez of Masters at Work. The man understands groove and rhythm like no other.

Best part of town: East Side. Everything is there, and it's full of classic architecture and history.

Your music sounds best when drinking . . . lychee juice or Sapphire & tonic.

Which band will rule the Scene Music Festival? Return of Simple. They are an emerging band in the area. I love them.

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4 Degrees by Sunday

10:40 P.M., VELVET DOG, FLOOR ONE

Website:

www.4degreesbysunday.com

Personnel: Tony Colon, Weedge, Adam Hines, and Art Koch.

Describe your sound: We could be labeled Americana pop. We've been told we sound like Sister Hazel, with a hint of Ryan Adams.

How long have you been around? Three years.

Your best release: The So Nice CD from 2006. We love the songs, recording, and production quality.

Favorite venue to play: The Jigsaw Saloon & Stage in Parma.

Mayor Jackson should . . . revitalize the Flats. Fix the potholes.

I'll never forget . . . opening for Loggins & Messina at Blossom.

Cleveland's no. 1 make-out spot: The Velvet Dog.

Cleveland's greatest band: The Raspberries. They influenced so many bands, and they're in the Rock Hall.