Band: The Dreadful Yawns
Hometown: Cleveland
Sounds like: Americana slowcore that the band describes as "slumberous psychedelia."
Fun fact: The band is part of the Davenport Collective, a gaggle of psych-leaning rockers that's Cleveland's answer to the Elephant 6 stable.
Playing: 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9, Gibson Stage
Why you should see them: "When the Yawns are playing, the air is cleaner. Colors are brighter. When the Dreadful Yawns are playing, Cleveland's going to be all right. Come help them pretend this is true."
-- Ben Gmetro, vocals, guitar, and harmonica
Band: Roger Hoover & the Whiskeyhounds
Hometown: Akron
Sounds like: John Fogerty on a gospel kick, but still with a bad case of the blues.
Fun fact: Hoover began recording his own roots music on a hand-held tape recorder as a teenager.
Playing: 5 p.m Friday, June 10, MGD Stage
Why you should see them: "I resurrected the spirits of Edward Abbey, Woody Guthrie, and Lenny Bruce, and recruited them to spread our sound like morphine through the river veins of Old America."
-- Roger Hoover, lead vocals, guitar
Band: Plasma
Hometown: Cleveland
Sounds like: Spontaneously combusting punk rock, with a touch of old-school musical showmanship.
Fun fact: "Piece of Me," from the band's latest, Astrofantastic, is not the Skid Row song.
Playing: 4 p.m. Thursday, June 9, Gibson Stage
Why you should see them: "We weren't found on American Idol. We don't do ghetto metal, emo, or swear. Stop searching for the party -- it just found you."
-- Mick Szemplak, guitar
Band: Modena Vox
Hometown: Columbus
Sounds like: Classic college rock, of the era when the term "new wave" was long out of vogue, but before "alternative" was coined.
Fun fact: Like the Smiths' Johnny Marr, guitarists Daniel J. Harris and J.J. De Libera rip, but in a devastatingly simple way.
Playing: 4 p.m. Saturday, June 11, Gibson Stage
Why you should see them: "In relation to some of the national bands we've played with, we've done more in one year than they have in five. We've shared the stage with the Von Bondies. We've sold 2,000 EPs. We've sold out New York City's Knitting Factory on a Saturday night."
-- Anthony Timperman, humble frontman
Band: Rosavelt
Hometown: Cleveland
Sounds like: Raw-throated roots rock that's a couple BPM away from jangling.
Fun fact: Rosavelt works with Don Dixon, who has produced R.E.M. and the Smithereens -- and it shows.
Playing: 4 p.m. Friday, June 10, MGD Stage
Why you should see them: "Rosavelt has been a major part of the Cleveland scene for the last eight years. The high-energy rock-and-roll four-piece toured from New York to Alaska and to Europe and back, opening for the likes of Los Lobos, Rich Robinson, Graham Parker, and more."
-- Chris Allen, lead vocals and guitar
Band: The PB Army
Hometown: Toledo
Sounds like: A fat-riffing, metallic power trio, puffing out its collective chest as if it's about to start a bar fight with Clutch.
Fun fact: At least a dozen Pabst-guzzling Cleveland bands are actively pissed that they didn't think of the band's name first.
Playing: 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 10, Gibson Stage
Why you should see them: "Because we promise we won't be tourists and yell, 'Helloooooo Cleveland!' We promise."
-- Keith Bergman, vocals and drums
Band: Swim
Hometown: Cleveland
Sounds like: Croony power pop, vintage alternative.
Fun fact: The band prefers to present its name as "SWiM."
Playing: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, Gibson Stage
Why you should see them: "Swim consistently delivers songs that rock, ripe with emotion, cunningly developed and woven into a product that an audience can truly appreciate."
-- Jimmy Maler, guitarist
