Kids Will Be Kiddo

Walter Novak

Anti-Flag bassist #2, leading the crowd at the Agora Thursday, January 15.

Singer-guitarist Christian Doble is also doubling as Killing Jeffrey, an indie-rock project that plays a January 28 show at the Beachland Tavern, opening for Swell and the Dreadful Yawns.

"It's a lot like the same idea of Kiddo," says Doble. "But just me, acoustic, and slower -- intimate, hook-driven pop. It's a little more personal." Kiddo singer-bassist Liz Wittman may join Doble, who returns the favor at Wittman's solo shows as May Project. Coffinberry guitarist Nick and drummer Tony will back Christian in some songs.

To Doble, the side gigs represent more of a new beginning than an end to Kiddo.

"She'll write songs, I'll write songs, we show each other, one of us will show some interest, and we'll develop it into a Kiddo song," he says. "We have a large stockpile of songs."

Meanwhile, Kiddo has parted ways with drummer Greg Hyland, a reformed metalhead who gave the band's mirthful material some weight. His replacement should do the same: Craig Ramsey used to play with Cleveland swing phenoms Ace and the Ragers, as well as the metal band Ascension. A resident of Texas, Ramsey has family in Cleveland and plans to commute.

Kiddo will play a handful of Cleveland shows in 2004, the next of which is at Pat's in the Flat's on February 21. The band will record its second album for Drive-In Records in April.

· The legend of Dink rears its head: Members of the Kent alt-rock also-rans have regrouped as the House of Sectionals. Featuring drummer Sean Carlin and bassist Jer Herring, House will make its debut at the Phantasy Nite Club Saturday, January 24. Dink scored a minor hit with "Green Mind" in 1995, making it as far as the MTV showcase 120 Minutes. The new group describes itself as a "loop-driven hypnotic blend of guitar, bass, drums, and electronics."

· Gund Arena and the CSU Convocation Center were named among the top 50 arena venues in the world by the tour-industry trade magazine, Pollstar. Venues are selected based on total concert-ticket sales for 2003. The 20,500-seat Gund placed at No. 41, with the 14,500-seat Convo at No. 43.

· If you haven't seen Neil Pert's drum set or Jim Morrison's grade-school report card yet, here's your chance to check 'em out on the cheap: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is offering Cuyahoga County residents $1 admission from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through March. County residents simply need to show a driver's license or Ohio ID.

· After over four years of molten metal, Tocsin is calling it quits. The group will play its last show January 31 at the Phantasy Nite Club's Super Bowl of Metal. Other hard-and-heavy acts on the bill include the reunited Signal 30, Naga, and Alias X. Tocsin frontman Ryan McKay and guitarist Jeff Yehlik are creating a new, heavier band, with a lineup yet to be announced.