Tropidelic/Broccoli Samurai/Carlos Jones & the PLUS Band/Drunken Sunday
Regional funk pros Tropidelic return to Cleveland tonight for a hometown bash. Recently, Tropidelic dropped The Hard North, featuring a diverse lineup of slick funk and remixed reggae, dripping with that Cleveland atmosphere. Check out the new take on “Ideal,” which slots an ambient backdrop into the two-four beat. The new stuff here is pretty emblematic of how the band performs their live shows: high-energy multi-instrumentation, with one massive party unfolding in the pit. Trop’s legacy is one of a word-of-mouth fan base in Cleveland and elsewhere, thanks to having “put over 10,000 copies of their first EP in the hands of college kids, festival goers and music fans over the years,” according to the band. Back in December, they played a marquee show to a packed house here in downtown Cleveland. Expect more fun tonight. (Eric Sandy), 6 p.m., $20. House of Blues.
The Sonics
When the guys in the Sonics, the proto-garage rock band that formed in Tacoma, Wash. in 1960, first got together, they weren’t particularly good. And yet, the band’s unique approach meant that its music sounded drastically different from everything else that existed. The vocals were harsher, the drums were louder, the electric guitars were more distorted. Even without the ability to play their instruments as well as they would have liked, the guys still wanted to put forth their best effort. So when it came time to record 1967’s Introducing the Sonics, they knew they should have had an arsenal of songs ready to go. But they didn’t. The group would dissolve in 1969. Since reuniting a few years ago, the band has continued to tour and record and some 50 years since the release of their debut, issued This Is the Sonics, their first proper studio album in decades. Recorded in mono by Jim Diamond (White Stripes), the album still retains that raw power for which the band is known. (Jeff Niesel), 8 p.m., $25. Beachland Ballroom.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25
The Expendables/RDGLDGRN/Tribal Theory
The Expendables have rolled through town several times in recent years, always offering up a fun evening of soulful reggae, punk and balls-to-the-wall shredfests. It’s that amalgamation that has kept the band exciting for more than a decade. To the uninitiated, 2004’s Gettin’ Filthy is a worthy intro to the music. Cue up “Let Her Go” and/or “Sacrifice” for a taste of the touchstone. Guitarist and singer Geoff Weers puts enough transformative emotion into the lyrics to nearly bring you to the Pacific shoreline. Clearly, the band’s Santa Cruz roots play out nicely in the music, and that’s true on the band’s latest, Sand in the Sky, as well. You can see the Expendables picking up a few new electronic tricks, but the California vibes are still there in full. (Sandy), 8 p.m., $18 ADV, $20 DOS. Grog Shop.
Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express/Ray Flanagan & the Authorities
For his latest effort, Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, veteran singer-songwriter Prophet has said he tried to create what he calls “California noir.” The title track that kicks off the album features Kinks-like vocals and twangy guitars as Prophet references the late rock musician's life and mysterious death in 1966. Another album highlight, “Bad Year for Rock and Roll,” relies upon a Tom Petty-like chord progression as Prophet makes reference to the recent death of David Bowie, remarking that there's now "one more star in the heavens now." All in all, the album represents another solid effort from a veteran musician who's never quite gotten his due. (Niesel) 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.
Dwight Twilley/The Rainy Day Saints/Shitbox Jimmy
At 65, singer-songwriter Dwight Twilley can remember the days when commercial radio welcomed up-and-coming artists into the studio for intimate acoustic performances. As much as that might sound like a singer-songwriter’s dream come true, he has said he never cared much for the format. Until now. A couple of years ago, he embraced the format and will perform a solo acoustic show tonight as he comes to Cleveland for the first time in a long while (the local promoter maintains it’s been 30 years since he played in town). (Niesel) 9 p.m., $10. The Euclid Tavern.
SUNDAY, MARCH 26
Albert Ayler Awareness Orchestar 10 Year Anniversary Concert
Ten years ago, a group of Cleveland musicians paid homage to the music and life of the late Albert Ayler, a Cleveland-born an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer, by playing "Along the Eastern Shore, a trippy song/spoken word piece that featured local musicians and poets such as Lawrence Daniel Caswell, Daniel Gray Kontar, Dan Wenninger, Chris Kulscar, Bill Nichols, Neil Chastain, Louis Arrocho Jr, Buddy Akita and Lamont "Bim" Thomas. Tonight, the group will play the piece once more. There will be a "pay as you want" donation at the door. Proceeds from the show will help the band record this piece to vinyl. (Niesel), 7 p.m., free. Bop Stop.
DJ Esco/DJ Corey Grand/DJ Coop/Pressplay MJ
According to fellow Atlanta hip-hop kingpin Future, DJ Esco is “the coolest DJ in the world.” The 26-year-old will bring his much sought-after tastemaking talents to Cleveland’s east side tonight on his Too Much Sauce Tour. Esco made a name for himself as the resident DJ at Atlanta’s Magic City Mondays, the iconic strip club event referenced in lyrics from Drake, Jeezy and Gucci Mane that serves as a proving ground for contemporary Southern hip-hop. Esco, who also serves as Future’s tour DJ, released his album, Project Esco Terrestrial, last year with a blue chip array of featured artists, including the aforementioned Drake and Future, Lil’ Uzi Vert, Young Thug, and Rae Sremmurd. Cleveland hip-hop mainstay and Z107.9 DJ Corey Grand opens. (Lawrence Neil), 9 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. Grog Shop.
Bryan Ferry/Judith Owen
The long list of bands that have yet to be inducted into the Rock Hall but are deserving often includes English rockers Roxy Music. While the band’s output declined after it went on hiatus in 1983 (it reunited in 2001 and toured intermittently throughout the early 2000s), the group successfully experimented with glam, electronica and rock during its heyday. Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry embarked on a solo career after leaving the group. He returns to town tonight for the first time in five years. (Niesel), 7:30 p.m., $39.50 - $100. State Theatre.
Robert Lockwood Jr. 102nd Birthday Celebration Featuring the Lockwood All-Stars and More
For the annual birthday celebration of Robert Lockwood Jr.’s legacy, an all-star lineup is gathering at the Beachland to honor the blues legend’s legacy. With Robert "Red Top" Young, DC Carnes, Gus Hawkins, Benny Mostella, Richard Smith and Vernondo Parker in tow, you’ve got a dynamic set of Midwest masters onstage tonight. Lockwood, who died in 2006, was a Cleveland blues icon and the only guitarist known to have studied under Robert Johnson (who lived with Lockwood’s mother in the 1920s and 30s in Arksanas). On top of the All Stars, the bill also presents performance by the Wallace Coleman Group, the Schwartz Brothers, the Vernon Jones Blues Cartel, the Hollywood Slim Band, Pete & Nolan Cavano and Bob Frank. (Sandy), 7:30 p.m., free. Beachland Ballroom.
Rusted Root/Nicholas David
During the last 25-plus years, Rusted Root has played on some big stages supporting acts such as Santana, the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers Band, the HORDE Festival and the Jimmy Page/Robert Plant reunion tour. Its music has been featured in films like Ice Age, Twister and Matilda as well as in TV shows like New Girl, Ally McBeal, Charmed and Chuck. The band’s music even found its way into Enterprise Rent-A-Car commercials. Singer-guitarist Michael Glabicki, brings the band back to Northeast Ohio tonight to play one its favorite local venues. 8 p.m., $26 ADV, $32 DOS. The Kent Stage.
