Cleveland Rocks Velvet Revolver

When Velvet Revolver headlined Tower City Amphitheater May 17, it marked the end of a whirlwind working tour of Cleveland. The supergroup, featuring most of Guns N' Roses' classic lineup as well as Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, recorded a new song, spent Monday night at Rockstar, and staged an impromptu GNR reunion of sorts at Peabody's.

Under a tight deadline to finish recording "Come On Come In," a track for the upcoming Fantastic Four soundtrack, Velvet Revolver stopped by Lakewood's Lava Room Recording, which the band had learned about from a mutual acquaintance. The group got into town Monday afternoon, and Weiland and producer Doug Grean immediately hit the studio to finish vocals for the track. Lava Room partner and chief engineer Mike Brown engineered the session.

"It's a great track," says Brown. "It's pretty aggressive. Scott was really rippin'. He did a few megaphone parts, bringing some of the Stone Temple Pilots parts to the band. They were definitely professionals. Scott's really serious about what he does, a real perfectionist. They were very easy to work with. We had a good time."

While the newly sober Weiland was working, ex-Gunners Slash and Duff McKagan were hanging at Rockstar, the upstairs bar at Peabody's that's been visited in recent months by members of Hoobastank, the Used, and Slipknot. Former GNR guitarist Gilby Clarke was playing Peabody's that night, and Duff joined Clarke's band for sleazy renditions of Guns' "It's So Easy" and the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Slash then joined the band for a cover of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter," and Clark stepped back in for Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."

"Last night was another amazing night for the rock-and-roll history of Peabody's," said club owner Dan Cull.

· Every Tuesday, Lakewood's Hi-Fi Club (11729 Detroit Avenue) hosts Spitboxers Reloaded, a hip-hop battle that's Northeast Ohio's only live weekly hip-hop event. On Tuesday, May 31, Spitboxers will host the Grand Champion Battle of the second annual Producer's Battle of the Belts, a competition between some of the area's top mixmasters. The show starts at 7 p.m.

· Lakewood's Capsule is now closed.

· The Akron thrashers of Hatecore Inc. have signed to the fledgling Rubber City metal label Detained Records. The band's debut, This Pure Hatred, is slated for June 1 release. Hatecore has also signed a sponsorship deal with Jägermeister's Jägermusic program, which provides free band swag at shows.

· The punk group Who Killed Marilyn kicks off a 16-date national tour Friday, May 27, at the Pirate's Cove (2083 E. 21st Street). The trek will take the band from New York to Kentucky. Keratoma's Tom Shaffner and Mushroomhead's Rick "Stitch" Thomas are recording the band's sophomore EP, The Transition Diaries, which is due soon.

· Cuyahoga Falls' Rockin' on the River concert series kicks off Friday, May 27, with a set by Jonah Koslen's Breathless at 4 p.m. Now in its 19th year, the series of free shows presents regional talent with an emphasis on classic rock and singer-songwriters, including the JiMiller Band, B.E. Mann, and Zach. Visit www.rockinontheriver.com for a full schedule.