THU 03/07
Hour
A neo-classical ensemble fronted by Philadelphia’s Michael Cormier-O’Leary, Hour comes to Shepard Records/West of Venus Vintage today as makes its way to SXSW in Austin. The group recorded its latest album, Ease the Work, with ten musicians in an old off-Broadway theater on Peaks Island in Maine. The local acts Talons and Woodrow Vine will open. The show begins at 8 p.m.
9712 Madison Ave., sipsman.com/Hour.
Bobby Rush
Just last year, singer Bobby Rush recorded an album of brand new spirited blues numbers. Dubbed All My Love for You, it finds the 90-year-old singer in great form. Rush recently re-recorded his 1971 hit “Chicken Heads” with his old friend Buddy Guy, and he penned his autobiography, I Ain’t Studdin’ Ya: My American Blues Story. Tonight at 8, he comes to the Beachland Ballroom. Austin “Walkin” Cane and DJ Pete London open.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
FRI 03/08
Alkaline Trio
Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs, the latest effort from this emo act, shows off the band’s ability to balance harmony and heavy music. Album opener “Hot for Preacher” features the kind of Smiths-like vocals for which the band is known. The group brings its tour in support of the album to the Agora tonight at 7. Drug Church and Worries open.
5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.
Blue October
Blue October, a group that sounds a bit like the Dave Matthews Band, formed in 1995 in Houston, Texas and initially self-released its debut on the label run by the parents of frontman Justin Furstenfeld and his brother, drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld. Now, they’ve moved well beyond those humble beginnings and found commercial success. They come to TempleLive at the Cleveland Masonic tonight at 8.
3615 Euclid Ave., 216-881-6350, masoniccleveland.com.
Karan Casey
Irish singer-songwriter Karan Casey performs tonight at 8 at G.A.R. Hall in Peninsula with her trio as part of a special tour celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and International Women’s Day. A former member of the Celtic band Solas, she’s a leading advocate for gender balance in the Irish folk and traditional music scene and is touring behind her latest solo album, Nine Apples of Gold, which topped the Irish and U.S. folk radio charts and is themed around telling of Irish women’s stories.
1785 Main St., Peninsula, 330-657-2528, peninsulahistory.org.
An Evening with Ekoostik Hookah
The grandfathers of Ohio’s expansive jam band scene — culturally and musically — have always maintained close ties to the Cleveland area. From 1991’s Under Full Sail to 2013’s sweetly grooving Brij, Ekoostik Hookah have kept their fire burning across time. Check out “Whiskey Woman” for a fine example of the hookah-laden chops still hooked around each of the band’s compositional outings. Given the band’s personal history, rife with small shows and Hookahville festivals alike, every chance to be a part of the fun is a necessary diversion from life out there. The jam band returns to the Beachland Ballroom tonight at 8.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
SAT 03/09
Avenged Sevenfold: Life Is But a Dream North American Tour
Avenged Sevenfold, the veteran hard rock band that formed in 1999, returned with its eighth album, Life Is But a Dream, last year. Inspired by the writings of existentialist author Albert Camus, the songs center on abstract concepts. The soaring single, “Nobody,” features operatic vocals and cinematic synths. Tonight at 6:30, the group brings the tour in support of the album to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Poppy and Sullivan King open.
1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.
Joywave
This indie rock act formed in Rochester, NY back in 2010 and has steadily toured and recorded ever since. Its most recent album, 2022’s Cleanse, an album of shimmering synth-pop tunes that explore the feelings of isolation and desolation brought about by the pandemic. The group performs tonight at 7 at the Roxy at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood.
13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-3280, mahalls20lanes.com.
SUN 03/10
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
A self-described “throwback carnival” that has toured the world on the popularity of its music videos that have given the band huge followings on YouTube and Facebook, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox offers a range of clever covers, including a woozy take on “All About That Bass” and a particularly soulful rendition of Beyonce’s “Halo.” The group performs tonight at 7 at the Agora.
5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.
Matisyahu — Hold the Fire Tour
Released on his own label Fallen Sparks Records, Matisyahu’s new album, Hold the Fire, centers on the four earth elements. The EP’s first single, “Fireproof,” addresses Matisyahu’s unwavering ability to keep his artistic fire burning. The reggae singer-songwriter brings his tour in support of the album to House of Blues at 7 tonight.
308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.
MON 03/11
Dervish
A traditional Irish group that dates back to the late 1980s, Dervish has been called “an icon of Irish music.” The Sligo Borough Council’s Decision awarded the band the Freedom of the Borough of Sligo, putting it in the same company as the Irish poet William Butler Yeats. The group performs tonight at 6:30 at the Kent Stage.
175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.
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This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 12, 2024.
