The Cheese Ball

In addition to a Cheese Borger in paradise, there'll be just about every Cleveland punk band worth mentioning at the Beachland Ballroom this Saturday. To commemorate the release of his Pie and Ears II compilation of Cleveland punk greats past and present, Scott "Cheese" Borger is throwing his second annual blowout bash, featuring a horde of must-see bands. Pound for pound, 12-ounce for 12-ounce, the hip-shakin' hoods in the Chargers Street Gang just might be Cleveland's best live band. But don't tell that to Stepsister, whose jaundiced migraine rock is bound to break lots of teeth off at the gumline. Then there's the Kurt Cobain-owing Phestur, who will try to knock the crowd dead. You know, just like its muse. And for all you craggy old-timers whose days are spent yelling at the neighbor kids to stay the hell off your lawn, there's plenty for you, too. Vomit-stained vets the Pink Holes aren't shutting up or growing up, but when they look at you, they'll definitely be throwing up. Literally. The Defnics and the Easter Monkeys promise lots more Geritol-abetted antics. Punk's not dead. It just has trouble sleeping through the night without having to get up to go to the bathroom four times.