The country-rock duo
Redneck West has been getting its hootenanny on every Saturday night since the ex-gay-club Hamilton's switched up its clientele to hetero Cleveland State coeds last year. For owner Marc Hewlett, the raucous mix of hoedown harmonies eases the sting of the homophobes walking by on Playhouse Square. "They say negatively, 'There's that gay bar,'" he says. "It pisses me off." Hewlett gets over it when the band unleashes its song sets, which are inspired by country staples like Big & Rich and Toby Keith. They also perform their debut single, "Pour Me a Double (I'm Single Again)." "It's a loud, drunken, country-music party," says Hewlett. "I've never seen anything like it." Redneck West kicks up its cowboy boots at 9 tonight at Hamilton's High Noon Saloon, 1415 Euclid Avenue. Admission is free. Call 216-241-7721 or visit
www.myspace.com/redneckwest.
Saturdays, 9 p.m., 2008
