The Vanyo Fight Team is hosting free Muay Thai kickboxing fights the
first Friday of every month at 7 p.m. at J.K. Kang’s Tae Kwon Do (13311
Pearl Rd., Strongsville, 440.238.9842, kicktkd.com). Led by veteran instructor Mark
Vanyo, students like Mark Ondich and Cory Berry square off for three
two-minute rounds — which doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a lot
when you’re getting kicked by someone who can swing his legs like a
ball bat. Other schools, including Cleveland’s Rising Dragon, have
dropped in to compete. Evenings typically include four fights.
Considering the full-contact nature of the sport, the school has an
inviting atmosphere, and the fights don’t feel like you’re walking into
the Cobra Kai dojo. “Our school is meathead-free,” says Chimaira
frontman Mark Hunter, a lifelong martial arts enthusiast who trains at
the school when he isn’t on the road. “It reminds me of a rated-PG
Fight Club. The whole premise is to prepare our students for a
major competition. [Fighting with an audience] helps get the edge off.”
The school also teaches mixed martial arts fighting and may add an MMA
night at some point. Hunter recruited MMA fighter Mavrick for
Chimaira’s 2007 “Resurrection” video, and regularly bucks up for UFC
pay-per-views, including the November match in which hulking former
amateur and pro wrestler Brock Lesnar overpowered MMA legend Randy
Coture. “I thought it was a really good fight,” says Hunter. “I was
pleasantly surprised that Lesnar did something. I think a lot of people
are underestimating his skill.” — D.X. Ferris
TH, 4/2
Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird is moving closer to the mainstream … or maybe he’s so
far away from it, it just seems that way. Two years ago, the
violin-playing and whistling singer-songwriter released his most
accessible album, Armchair Apocrypha. It was filled with buzzing
guitars, baroque trimmings and surreal songs about vinyl couches. It’s
a charming and graceful work, but it’s also a record that shows just
how bizarre Bird can be. He’s one of the most unusual and individual
artists making records today — the kind of guy who fills the part
of a song where a guitar solo should be with whistling. Bird puckers up
plenty of times on his latest album, Noble Beast. But he also
reels in most of his pretensions. It’s a record of glistening beauty
that more often than not justifies its many quirks. Bird plays the
Allen Theatre (1501 Euclid Ave., 216.241.6000, playhousesquare.com) at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $26-$31. — Michael Gallucci
Blind Pilot
Portland’s Blind Pilot have used a variety of techniques to build
their career. The folk-pop duo got things started with a West Coast
bicycle tour in 2007, pedaling from town to town and selling out their
debut EP. They used the cash they made on the road to record their
first album, the gently exquisite 3 Rounds and a Sound, released
last year. Shortly after, Starbucks added “Go On, Say It” to its
website as single of the week. The resulting two-million downloads
landed the group on the Billboard charts, an impressive feat for
a micro-indie release. Blind Pilot was chosen to open the first leg of
the Decemberists’ upcoming tour. Frontman Israel Nebeker and drummer
Ryan Dobrowski augment their stage lineup with four additional members,
allowing them to add the multi-instrumental flourishes that distinguish
3 Rounds’ best tracks. They need vans to haul all that, so you
probably won’t see them peddling their bikes through North Collinwood
on their way to the show. The Unsparing Sea and Josh Jesty open at 9
p.m. at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124,
beachlandballroom.com).
Tickets: $8. — Chris Drabick
Jessica Lurie
Jessica Lurie’s Shop of Wild Dreams offers everything from
straightforward, melodic tunes like “Number Six” to experimental tracks
like “The Usual Things,” which begins with odd-sounding guitars that
provide a backdrop to the Seattle artist’s free saxophone
improvisations. Things sometimes stray a bit: On “Pinjur” and “Circus
Rain,” instruments are all over the place, making for a confusing
listen. But Lurie doesn’t just experiment; “Flying Man” shows just how
well she plays with pianist Erik Deutsch and banjoist Erik Seabrook.
Lurie also works with multimedia artist Danijel Zezelj, who paints
onstage as Lurie and her band improvise. Lurie opens for Big Head Todd
& the Monsters at 8 p.m. at House of Blues (308 Euclid Ave.,
216.523.2583, hob.com). Tickets:
$17.50-$29.50. — Ernest Barteldes
FR, 4/3
Agnostic Front
When punk started out, it consisted of a bunch of art students
entertaining each other (and their friends in the music press) in New
York and London. But seemingly out of nowhere, something awful
happened: Teenage street thugs took the “anyone can do it” rhetoric,
spilled on behalf of the Ramones, Talking Heads and Television
seriously, and hardcore — violent, macho, lunk-headed — was
born. Disgusted critics ran screaming, but the music spread like a
virus, creating its own legendary figures like Agnostic Front. These
tattooed, muscled-up New Yorkers have been shouting their furious
working-class anthems for a quarter century (give or take frontman
Roger Miret’s early ’90s prison term), and 2007’s metal-tinged
Warriors was as ferocious as ever. AF’s core values of fraternal
unity, rage against perceived social injustice and 90-second songs
haven’t changed a bit since 1983, and that’s just the way their fans
like it. Into the pit! Ruiner, Ringworm and Hellmouth open at 8 p.m. at
the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Hts., 216.321.5588,
thegrogshop.gs). Tickets: $13
advance, $15 day of show. — Phil Freeman
All City Art Show
All Cleveland residents were invited to submit work to the All City
Art Show, which resulted in hundreds of pieces being entered. The
judging hasn’t happened yet, but Arts Collinwood, which hosts the
inclusive project for the second year, is celebrating the turn-out with
a party. In fact, there are parties all over Waterloo tonight, which
makes a great excuse to just go out walking. The All City Arts
reception runs from 6-9 p.m. at Arts Collinwood (15605 Waterloo Rd.,
216.692.9500, artscollinwood.org). Also check out
Wunderkind Gallery (16006 Waterloo Rd., 239.293.9458), which is
throwing a grand-opening bash; Lowlife Gallery (16001 Waterloo Rd.,
myspace.com/lowlifecleveland),
which opens Aloha From the Underworld with a reception from 7-11
p.m.; and the Shoparooni Annex (15813 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.3633,
shoparooni.com), which has a show
called Superelectric Press launching at 7 p.m. — Michael Gill
Cynics
How many bands that kicked out the jams in the 1980s are still doing
so today without sounding like parodies or shades of their former
selves? Subtract bands outlasting trends, and among that tiny sum,
you’ll find Pittsburgh rockers the Cynics. Of all the myriad U.S. and
U.K.-based ’80s combos that fall under the rubric of garage-rockers,
neo-psychedelia, jangle-rock and the paisley underground, the Cynics
(formed in 1984) are among the very few retaining a rip-roaring,
rockin’ raison d’être. With hi-voltage guitarist Gregg “Cosmo”
Kostelich and sultan-of-swagger singer Michael Kastelic at the core,
the Cynics summarize the brash, basic (though not sloppy) stomp and
yearning melodies that have always been at the basis of rock ‘n’ roll
— whether it’s 1964, ’78, ’86 or now. Texan tourmates the Ugly
Beats drink from the same waters, and while they’re a bit more stylized
than the Cynics (organist Jeanine looks like she came straight outta
American Bandstand 1967 — not that it’s a bad thing, mind
you), they pound with lean, insidiously catchy, winsome aplomb. The
Rainy Day Saints and Hot Rails open at 9 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern
(15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124, beachlandballroom.com). Tickets:
$10. — Mark Keresman
Monumental Ideas in Miniature Books
Programming coordinator Lisa Heller moved to Cleveland from
Philadelphia last fall to help out at the Morgan Art of Papermaking
Conservatory. She says the studio has a lot to celebrate these days
— especially the warm weather, which has enabled Morgan’s
Executive Director Tom Balbo and other artists to go back into the
gigantic former factory space (it’s way too expensive to heat during
the winter). Three shows open tonight, including Monumental Ideas in
Miniature Books, which was conceived as an international touring
production. Hui-Chu Ying, associate professor of art at the University
of Akron, invited 100 artists from around the globe (including a
substantial contingent from Cleveland) to submit artist books in five
editions so the show could tour in five different locations at the same
time. Also opening are Artist Books Cleveland’s Salon Show and
Zygote Press director Liz Maugans’ Trifold — Book, Print,
Pulp. A free reception runs from 6-8 p.m. at the Morgan Art of
Papermaking Conservatory (1754 E. 47th St., 216.361.9255, morganconservatory.org).
— Gill
Rock the Puzzle
Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital’s planned Autism Initiative
will provide services for children, adults and families affected by
autism at eight sites across the region. To support this innovative and
ambitious project, the Northeast Ohio Autism Group is hosting a
fundraiser, Rock the Puzzle, at House of Blues (308 Euclid Ave.,
216.523.2583, rockthepuzzle.com) from 7 p.m.-1 a.m.
tonight. Allan Fee of Q104 and WKYC’s Andrea Vecchio host. Performers
include Stan Miller, Blues DeVille, Nick Zuber, Second Place and
Breakfast Club. The $100 admission includes “heavy” appetizers and wine
tastings provided by Madison Ohio’s Grand River Cellars, whose bottles
feature labels designed by adults and children with autism.
— Frank Lewis
Kim Simmonds
Singer-guitarist Kim Simmonds has been string-strangling and
shouting the blues for a very long time — as long as most of his
Chicago blues-translating British peers. Unfortunately, Simmonds never
attracted as much attention in his homeland as he did here in the U.S.
His ’60s and ’70s output with Savoy Brown made him a late-night FM
staple and even netted him a couple of radio hits, including the
scorching “Tell Mama” in 1971. Simmonds, who has employed almost as
many blues musicians as John Mayall, continues to tear things up with
his Flying V, an astonishing 44 years after forming the first iteration
of the Savoy Brown Blues Band in 1965. Tell mama, indeed. The show
starts at 9 p.m. at the Winchester (12112 Madison Ave., 216.226.5681,
thewinchester.net). Tickets:
$15. — Brian Baker
Three-Woman Show
Few Clevelanders have had a more colorful life than neon purveyor
Dana Patterson. It’s been a long, hard road for Patterson, who fights
the system for his freedom to screw up how and when he chooses. But he
claims he’s past most of that now. He’s moved into a Kamm’s Corners
studio (17025 Lorain Ave., 216.240.2261) and is struggling, as always,
to keep the lights on. Through it all, he’s doing his best to turn his
studio into a respected West Side gallery. “It’s nice when I sell a
painting, but this is more or less about trying to give back to artists
I believe in,” he says. “I have a venue now to show these people off.”
At Three-Woman Show, Patterson will feature — you guessed
it — three local female artists reaching out for deserved
exposure. All are visually inclined: Heather Lindsey of Euclid, Melissa
Harkins of Berea and Francisca Ugalde, originally from Chile. The show
opens with a free party, from 7 p.m. -midnight. — Dan
Harkins
SA, 4/4
Denny Carleton
Christian folk-rocker Denny Carleton has taught music at Willoughby
Fine Arts since the early ’80s. He’s been in bands around town much
longer than that, including stints with the Choir and the Lost Souls in
the ’60s. This week, the Willoughby Fine Arts Association puts Carleton
in his element with a coffeehouse concert featuring stories, commentary
and original acoustic music. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Main
Gallery (38660 Mentor Ave., Willoughby 440.951.7500, fineartsassociation.org). It’s
free. — Gill
Kaspar Hauser
Led by former Clevelander Thomas Comerford, Chicago’s Kaspar Hauser
turns up the volume on their new album The Sons, which commences
with the rowdy, Son Volt-inspired rocker “Not of this World” and picks
up steam from there. The band’s brand of Americana references all the
touchstones, including Neil Young’s harmonica wail and swagger on the
grunge-like “Frontier.” And they’ll have you singing along to barroom
ballads like “Prodigal Son.” The guys open for local singer-songwriter
Chris Allen at 9 p.m. at the Happy Dog (5801 Detroit Ave, 216.651.9474,
happydog58.com). The $5 admission
includes a copy of The Sons. — Jeff Niesel
On With the Show
In 20 years with the North Coast Men’s Chorus (11 of them as its
director), Richard Cole has played a huge role in shaping the
organization’s personality and concerts. So blame him and give him
credit for the group’s campy shenanigans — like the boys dressing
up as girls and bringing Bernadette Peters and Armistead Maupin to town
to sing with the chorus. This weekend, he’s leading a program of
Broadway hits, On With the Show. Performances are at 8 tonight
and at 3 p.m. tomorrow at Cleveland State University’s Waetjen
Auditorium (2001 Euclid Ave., 216.556.0590, ncmchorus.org). Tickets: $15-$40.
— Gill
Robots, Owls, Bees and Birds
Kris Williams had admired Kris Barnes’ sculptural felted and knit
stuffed toys for quite some time before they met. Williams was selling
some yarn on Craigslist; Barnes called about it. Both make quirky,
whimsical art they thought would appeal only to kids, but they’ve since
found out that they have a budding adult audience too. Williams started
painting in graduate school, when she was studying education. Her work
— which used to be all about her dogs and other animals —
changed when she had a daughter. She still paints animals, but now she
paints big animals paired with baby animals. She says her work also
reflects the taste of the kids she’s close to, including one who really
likes robots. Williams and Barnes open their show Robots, Owls, Bees
and Birds with a reception from 6-9 p.m. at Local Girl Gallery
(16106 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216.228.1802, localgirlgallery.com). It runs
through April 18. It’s free. — Gill
SU, 4/5
Cleveland Philharmonic
When Cleveland Philharmonic music director Dr. Victor Liva asked
Birch Browning to put together a program of Scandanavian music,
Browning uncovered pieces he thought would be crowd-pleasers but not
obvious choices. “There’s so much music out there,” says Browning. “The
trick was trying to find music that would showcase some of the great
Scandanavian composers without dropping to cliché — like
Sibelius’ ‘Finlandia.’ That gets played all the time.” So Browning
chose the same composer’s Symphony No. 5, which he says is “a stretch
for any ensemble” — a work of formal experimentation without folk
tunes or a programmatic theme that often defines music of nations. He
also found a place for saxophonist John Perrine, a Cleveland State
University colleague, who helped him choose the Larsson Saxophone
concerto. “There are only a couple of Scandanavian saxophone
concertos,” he says. “We liked this one because it is neoclassical and,
frankly, I just always wanted to do it.” Browning says they’re taking a
“Mozart-esque” approach to the piece, going for as much lyrical line as
possible. The program starts with “a big strong concert opener,” says
Browning — Nielsen’s Prelude to Act II from the opera Saul and
David. The performance is at 3 p.m. at Tri-C Western Campus Theater
(11000 W. Pleasant Valley Rd., Parma, 216.556.1800, clevephil.org). Tickets: $5-$10.
— Gill
The Color Fred
Fred Mascherino left a cozy gig as guitarist and backing vocalist of
alt-punk juggernauts Taking Back Sunday in 2007 to focus on
spearheading the Color Fred. If it’s possible create a roots-emo album
— think a far indier-leaning version of Dashboard Confessional
— Mascherino did so on the Color Fred’s debut, Bend to
Break, serving up an impressive order of environmental and
animal-rights activism on the side. Meanwhile, Chiodos frontman Craig
Owens’ one-man acoustic set promises to include solo material, Chiodos
songs, choice covers and sunny-by-comparison pop-rock offerings by his
side project Cinematic Sunrise. Before respectively hitting the
This article appears in Apr 1-7, 2009.
Nice write-up of the KH record! You can preview songs from their record at myspace.com/kasparhauserchicago or kasparhausermusic.net.