Livewire: 20 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland in May

THU 05/09

Los Straitjackets
This wild and zany garage rock act whose members wear Mexican wrestling masks when the band performs initially formed back in 1988 but then quickly broke up. It would reform in 1994 and release its debut album, the aptly titled The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets, in 1995. A great collection of surf rock instrumentals with some garage rock bite to them, the album established the group an underground sensation. The band brings its 30th anniversary tour to Beachland Ballroom. The show begins at 8 p.m. Televisionaries open.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

FRI 05/10

Our Day Will Come
Chrissy Strong, The Crones, Eaten By Kittens, Elliott Carter, Jinni Fontana of Rubber Heads, Moon Echo Garden, Patty No!, Alison Garrigan with Queue Up, The Super Babes and Vanity Crash will perform at this special concert acknowledging women rock artists from Cleveland and Akron. It begins at 8 p.m. at Jilly's Music Room in Akron.
111 N Main St., Akron, 330-576-3757, jillysmusicroom.com.

Our Last Night
As if to prove there is an audience for just about any band with a gimmick, this group has made a name for itself by playing hardcore versions of popular tunes. In 2022, it continued that tradition with Disney Goes Heavy, a release featuring 23 cover songs from popular Disney movies such as Encanto, The Lion King and The Nightmare Before Christmas. It turns "When You Wish Upon a Star" into a Trans-Siberian Orchestra-like rocker, and it cranks up the guitars for "Let It Go." The group brings its the Covers Only Tour to the Agora at 6:30 p.m. Broadside and Normandie open.
5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

Chris Young
Nearly 20 years into his career, this country singer-songwriter continues to refine his songwriting. His latest effort, Young Love & Saturday Nights, features carefully curated tunes. The album veers from sentimental ballads ("All Dogs Go to Heaven") to gutsy rockers ("Young Love & Saturday Nights"). Young performs tonight at 6:30 at Jacobs Pavilion. Singer-songwriter Bryan Martin opens.
2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

SAT 05/11

Ghost-Note
Led by Snarky Puppy’s multi-Grammy-winning duo of drummer-keyboardist Robert Sput Searight and percussionist Nate Werth, this group contains members who've played with the likes of Prince, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock and Kendrick Lamar. The current tour that brings them to the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights supports Mustard n’Onions, their first new LP in six years. The Labra Brothers and Apostle Jones open.
2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs.

Our Day Will Come
Local acts such as Charity Cunningham, Girl Cologne, Jinni Fontana, Kristine Jackson, Lilieae, Moon Echo Garden, Queue Up with Alison Garrigan, The Super Babes and Vanity Crash will play this special show that celebrates women musicians from Cleveland and Akron. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

Shadows of the ’60s: A Tribute to Motown's Super Group
Dave Revels, the Creative Director of Shadows of the' 60s, is a former member of The Drifters, and the current lead singer, record producer and vocal arranger of the a cappella group, The Persuasion. With his backing, this tribute appears legit. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Goodyear Theater in Akron.
1201 East Market St., Akron, 330-659-7118, goodyeartheater.com.

Uriah Heep and Saxon
Led by guitarist Mick Box, Brit rockers Uriah Heap enjoyed commercial success in the '70s and '80s when its style of heavy metal and progressive rock became popular. Not willing to just rest on its laurels, the group returned last year with Chaos & Colour, an album of wailing vocals and heavy guitars with a progressive bent. Like Uriah Heap, Saxon also enjoyed a certain amount of commercial success in the '70s and '80s, and singer-bassist Peter "Biff" Byford has somehow kept the band going all these years. The two veteran acts play tonight at 8 at TempleLive at the Cleveland Masonic.
3615 Euclid Ave., 216-881-6350, masoniccleveland.com.

Young Rising Sons
Thanks to the popularity of their new single, "(Un)Happy Hour," a song with a great pop hook and snotty punk rock vocals, Young Rising Sons have generated a buzz for themselves. Inthe past, the group has toured with acts such as Halsey, Weezer, Bleachers, Kongos and the 1975. The current headlining tour brings them to 20 Lanes in Lakewood, where they perform tonight at 7.
13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-3280, mahalls20lanes.com.

SUN 05/12

Axis: Sova
Recorded it with indie rocker Ty Segall at Harmonizer Studios in Los Angeles, Blinded by Oblivion, the latest effort from the psych-pop trio Axis: Sova features Gang of Four-like tunes that possess a real sense of urgency. The group performs tonight at 8 at the Beachland Tavern. Burning Plastic Blues Band opens.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

Portugal. The Man
Although Portugal. The Man was originally formed as a side project for lead vocalist and guitarist John Baldwin Gourley, the band has risen to prominence in the experimental rock scene. The band has built a reputation as “one of the most exciting and sought-after live bands on the touring and festival circuit,” as it's put in a press release, and has sold out venues around the world and held main stage slots at festivals like Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, and many more. The group performs tonight at 7 at the Agora Theatre. Ryna Tropical opens the show.
5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

MON 05/13

Chest Fever — The Official Revival of the Band
This San Diego-based act pays tribute to the Band and will honor the 55th anniversary of the Band's self-titled debut with tonight's show at the Beachland Ballroom. The Band's Robbie Robertson reportedly gave the group his blessing, and the band has even played Massey Hall, the Toronto venue where the Band played in 1970. The concert begins at 8.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

TUE 05/14

The Furious Bongos
The members of Furious Bongos, a tribute act to the late, great Frank Zappa, have some serious musical credentials. A self-proclaimed “freak of nature,” drummer Filip Fjellstrom can play just about anything, including a toilet seat. Keyboardist Kevin Bents toured with Frank Zappa’s son Dweezil Zappa and worked as Jewel’s musical director at the height of her career. Bassist and band leader Conrad St. Clair has worked with people like Mick Fleetwood and Yo Yo Ma, and singer Jenna Paulus has a Master's from Boston Conservatory. They're well-poised to bring Zappa's complex compositions to life. The tribute act performs tonight at 8 at the Beachland Ballroom.
15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

WED 05/15

The Alarm
The '80s British New Wave group led by singer-songwriter Mike Peters comes to TempleLive at the Cleveland Masonic tonight at 8. Back in the '80s, the group toured with U2, and that righteous approach to writing inspiration rock anthems can be heard in tunes such as "Sixty Eight Guns," the group's biggest hit.
3615 Euclid Ave., 216-881-6350, masoniccleveland.com.

Trey Anastasio and Classic Tab
The Phish guitarist comes to the Agora tonight with the "classic" version (Dezron Douglas, Russ Lawton, Ray Paczkowski) of the Trey Anastasio Band. If the shows the group played last year are any indication, you can expect to hear a mix of Anastasio solo tunes as well as Phish songs. The show begins at 6:30.
5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

THU 05/16

High on Fire
Led by singer-guitarist Matt Pike, a founding member of sludge rock icons SLEEP, High on Fire represents the rare metal band that has actually won a Grammy. The group rightly joins the ranks of Black Sabbath, Motorhead and Metallica in that respect. On tour in support of its new album, Cometh the Storm, the veteran stoner rock act returns to the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights for a show that starts tonight at 7:30.
2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
A formative moment in this singer-guitarist's life took place when he was only 13. Blues musician Bryan Lee invited him on stage to jam. He was hooked and got to work on what would become his debut, 1995’s Ledbetter Heights. He comes to town tonight as part of a tour in support of last year's hard rocking Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 1. The show begins at 7:30 at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage.
10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark.mgmresorts.com/en.html.

SAT 05/18

Kamelot
This symphonic metal band formed in Florida in the 1980s but its predilection for over-the-top arrangements makes it sound European. The group comes to House of Blues as part of a tour in support of its latest album, The Awakening. Cinematic tunes such as "The Great Divide" sound as if they could be on the soundtrack for any fantasy film or TV series. The show begins tonight at 7.
308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

SUN 05/19

Brit Floyd
The British rock group Pink Floyd made several classic albums before splintering. Since the group doesn't tour anymore, tribute acts such as Brit Floyd travel the globe recreating the band's music for its diehard fans. Tonight at 7, Brit Floyd brings its latest tour to Jacobs Pavilion.
2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

City and Colour
This indie rock act serves as a side project for singer-songwriter Dallas Green, who also plays in the post-hardcore group Alexisonfire. A collection of highly personal tunes, City and Colour's latest album, The Love Still Held Me Near, shows off Green's soulful side. He evocatively croons on album opener "Meant to Be" and adopts a near-falsetto for "A Little Mercy." The group performs at 7 tonight at House of Blues.
308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

WED 05/22

Dave Mason's Traffic Jam
Traffic keyboardist Steve Winwood reportedly once complained that guitarist Dave Mason thought of the group as his backing band and would bring the guys finished songs and then expect them to play them exactly as they were written. That created a certain amount of friction, but now, Mason, who's become a successful solo artist, has his chance to take ownership of the classic rock band’s music. The former Traffic songwriter and guitarist brings his Traffic Jam tour to the Kent Stage tonight. The show begins at 6:30.
175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.

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