By Jeff NieselMetal bands Shok Paris and Eternal Legacy are in Germany for a two-week tour that culminates at the huge metal festival Wacken Open Air, where Eternal Legacy will play alongside headliners Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, and Slayer before an expected crowd of 100,000 people. The two groups are part of the locally based Auburn Records stable. Label head/road manager/babysitter Bill Peters is their escort. "This will be my 12th or 13th trip to Germany with my Auburn bands," says Peters, who has assembled "Team Auburn Europe" to assist with the tour. Shok Paris and Eternal Legacy will perform some club shows together in between the festival appearances. Find more info at auburnrecords.com.
Hefty Cleveland rapper Koohl Cardi, a former high-school football phenom, has just released his debut EP, The Midnight Snack. It recalls Native Tongues artists De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, with Cardi keeping the positive vibes flowing in cuts like the breezy "Superman Is Alive." Find more info at koohlcardi.com.
Goth duo Nox Arcana (multi-instrumentalists Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski) has just released Theater of Illusion, an album of Danny Elfman-like melodies that would sound perfect at your Halloween party this year. "I wanted to create something specifically for magicians and fans of dark fantasy," says Vargo. Find more info at noxarcana.com.
Veteran Cleveland and Akron indie rocker Christopher Seink has collaborated with Eric Matthews (Cardinal) on the mostly instrumental project, Seinking Ships, which has just released its full-length debut, the orchestral Museum Quality Capture. Find more info at myspace.com/seinkingships.
Describing itself as "a group of
music-minded folk that gather to
play music, have a few drinks, and
see what we can make," the Northeast Ohio Drum and Music Jam collective comes to the Beachland Ballroom for
a free show at 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Go to beachlandballroom.com for
more information.
Ultra-earnest indie rockers House of Heroes release their fourth album, Suburba, this week. The Columbus band hosts a CD-release party at Musica in Akron at 8 p.m. on Friday. Baby Bear and Treaty of Paris open. Tickets are $10. Find more info at myspace.com/houseofheroes.
Electronica/noise band 9-Volt Haunted House comes out of hiding for its first show of 2010 at 9 p.m. on Saturday at Bela Dubby. The gig will also mark the debut of Mirror Maze. Bridesmaid and Dead Pleasant Insurance round out the bill. Donations are requested. Find more info at myspace.com/ninevolthauntedhouse.
Cleveland native Jim Brickman headlines Summer Musicfest at Eastlake's Classic Park starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The classically trained new-age pianist haas enlisted a group of like-minded mellow acts for support, including Shaker Heights singer-songwriter Anne Cochran. Tickets range from $39 to $149. Go to brickmanmusicfest.com for more information.
Akron-based rapper Blackwell returns to his hometown to headline the 6th Annual African American Heritage Fest that takes place at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Northend Ballfield in Steubenville. Find more information at myspace.com/blackwell612.
Dead for almost a decade, goth-industrialists Lestat will be resurrected for a reunion show at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Peabody's. Led by singer Evan Nave, the group will play material from all three of its albums: 1990's Theatre of the Vampires, 1991's Grave Desires, and 1994's Visions of Sorrow. Also expect to hear songs from a new CD slated for release later this year. Lucid Dream Project, Encoder, and Bridge Party open the show. Tickets are $10. Learn more at lestatmusic.com.
Indie rockers Gabe Schray, Cloud Nothings, White Pines, and Dreaded perform at 9 p.m. on Saturday at Musica in Akron to celebrate the seventh anniversary of Square Records. Find more info at squarerecordsakron.com.
The family-friendly Americana group Hey Mavis will hold a CD-release party this weekend to celebrate its new album, Red Wine. Produced by Don Dixon (R.E.M., Smithereens), the record's alt-country and bluegrass mix sounds like a cross between Natalie Merchant and the Dixie Chicks. The trio performs at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Lockview in Akron. Find more info at heymavis.com.
Reggae band Jah Messenger plays the 48th Annual Jamaican Independence Celebration from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday at Kerruish Park in southeast Cleveland. Find more information at myspace.com/jahmessengers.
Noise rockers Fascist Insect celebrate the release of their new split 7-inch with the Florida thrash band Generichrist with a show at 9 p.m. on Tuesday at Gomorrah (a.k.a. the Church). The single is out on green vinyl, manufactured by the locally based Gotta Groove Records. Nyodene D, Arsonists's Prayer, Gomorrahizer, Seidr, and Peregrin open the show. Find more info at myspace.com/fascistinsect.
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