Sisters of Mercy was painted in 1989 by London's Peter Howson, a Falkland War vet and former bar bouncer. The oil-on-canvas work depicts a gnarled man at the edge of a cliff. Fretting women, angry skies, and religious symbols exude consternation--hey, just like Live!
Museum spokesman Bill Prenevost says Stevens is more a Howson devotee than a Live fan: "I don't think the group has anything to do with it. I think that's more coincidental."
Stevens is one of thirty individuals or companies who loaned to Cleveland Collects Contemporary Art. The exhibition features seventy paintings, sculptures, and photo-based works. The show is virtually Dead-Guy-free; all but one of the artists are living and working. Cleveland Collects runs through January 10.
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The Tellers have a flair for timing. They debuted their new lineup and new album, In Living Memory of Rock 'n' Roll, at Detroit's Gold Dollar Club on the city's infamous "Hell Night," named for the series of arson fires
set each October 30.
The choice to unleash the album amid such mayhem seemed a perfect choice to Tellers vocalist/guitarist Sam Teller: "Hell Night personifies our attitude and music: Chaotic, crazy, and fun."
The Cleveland-based band will bring the chaos to Pat's in the Flats Thursday, November 12. Studio drummer Mike Telling recently left the band to play with rockabilly legend Ronnie Dawson; he's been replaced by Paul Strachan of Terrible Parade and Sellouts fame. Organist Lou Vogel is also new to the lineup, which is rounded out by Derek Told (guitar) and John Cozart (bass).
In Living Memory is available exclusively on vinyl, and no plans appear in order to broaden the release's format. "I like the warmness of the sound," Teller said of vinyl. "It's a lot more personal. And going with the album's title, it's more nostalgic."
Johnny Legend will also play at Pat's.
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When Blue Lunch signed on to perform for the Cleveland San Jose Ballet's benefit for its Dancing Wheels program last week, the band's members wouldn't have guessed they'd be sharing the stage with a Tony award winner. But singer/actor Ben Vereen joined the band onstage and proceeded to share the spotlight for a rendition of "Kansas City." "It was a ball," Blue Lunch's Norm Tischler says. "I was impressed."
Vereen, known most recently for his part in a series of Old Navy commercials, was the keynote entertainer at the November 8 event.
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The legend of D'Poo's will live on Friday, November 13, at U4ia. The onetime Flats hotspot, located on the spot currently occupied by Hooters, has been commemorated annually with a reunion party at U4ia. The event is planned each year by U4ia owner Dick Korn, who also owned the former D'Poo's.
Highlighting Friday's reunion is Kerry Pollock, longtime host of the defunct club's "Magic Monday," who will be joined by a handful of magic specialists from the days of D'Poo's: Tim Hill, the Great Skilldini, the Amazing Laurisini, and Juan and Woody Anderson. Rallying around the motto "If we don't have it, you don't want it," the evening is sure to be more than a simple trip down memory lane.
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The Delicate Balance Crew's last area show for the next few weeks comes Friday, November 13 at Stinger's in Euclid. Following the show, the band will be working its music in New York City. DBC's follow-up to the 1997 release Melange is tentatively titled No More Cigars for the Lady. No release date has been set.
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The Lords of the Highway have organized a three-band "Rockabilly Freak Show" to take place at Nemeth's Lounge in Painesville Saturday, November 14. The band will be joined by Sandusky's Cult of the Psychic Fetus and Pittsburgh's Highway 13, both of which are veterans of Nemeth's live stage.
The Lords have finished their second CD, Dangerous Curves Ahead, which is expected out in time for the show. The album is an 11-song collection of truck-driving tunes mixed with original Lords music. The Nemeth's show will also mark the end of the Lordettes run with the band. The go-go dancing duo is calling it quits in light of one member's pregnancy.
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Heeere's Michelle! Cleveland modern rock quartet Heeere's Johnny will be a quintet starting with the band's Saturday, November 14 show at the Flying Machine in Lorain. Vocalist Michelle Heilman has joined Heeere's Johnny, which performs modern rock covers and original music. Heilman will share singing duties with frontman Mark Petrich. In addition to taking on a new singer, the group also plans to return to the studio to rework some of the songs on its self-titled debut release from last summer, while adding new tracks to the mix, as well.
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Blue Taxi will appear on 91.3-FM WAPS's Listening In program Monday, November 16, according to the band's drummer, Bob Capuano Blue Taxi will use the platform to meditate on its latest release, Ridin' Shotgun, which was released last summer. The program airs at 11 p.m.
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Cornerstone is one of eight bands united in support of Harry Sullivan, father of the Rebound Lounge's Diane Border, who is battling lung cancer. Joining Cornerstone for the Sunday, November 15 event at the Rebound Lounge is Shadow Canyon, Double Cross, Road House, Midnight Rodeo, Texas Storm, County Line, and the High Rollers.
