On Wednesday night at the Music Box Supper Club, the Mekons were the best bar band in Cleveland.
I mean that in the best possible way, even if it runs the risk of being reductive. After all, the Leeds, England-hailing outfit is much more than that, as it’s well-versed in rock, folk, country, reggae and sea shanties. It’s also armed with an incredibly creative songbook amassed over five decades, and the 20 songs the band blasted through were just a taste.
Led by the now-Chicago based musician and artist Jon Langford and fellow singer Sally Timms, the band has built a small but devoted fanbase over the years as it shifted from the 1970s English punk scene to something more unique. It’s touring behind last year’s album “Horror” and a companion dub remix record, “Horrorble,” done with former Pere Ubu bassist and Cleveland native Tony Maimone. “Horror” was well-represented during the show, making up a quarter of the set, with songs referencing war, Irish migration and Oliver Cromwell.
The focus was strictly on the music. Save for some minor theatrics by Langford and Timms, this was a band content to concentrate on their playing and singing. As a result, they were tight and in sync with each other, and the occasional false start couldn’t derail the momentum the sextet (two members were absent) generated from the get-go.
Timms also took time to mention her memories of the city, shouting out the long-defunct Pat’s in the Flats and joking that the band “self-inducted” itself into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier in the day.
And while Langford and Timms are undeniably the onstage leaders, each member (save for bassist Dave Trumfio, who seemed content to hold down the bottom end somewhat in the shadows) got time to shine. Violinist Susie Honeyman quietly delivered “Last Dance” while letting the rest of the band get louder on the chorus. Keyboardist and accordion player Rico Bell stepped into the spotlight several times, including on a ferocious “32 Weeks,” and drummer Steve Goulding also took a turn at the mic.
The show simmered for most of the main set, with the band content to ride one groove after another while making room for singalong choruses and energy spikes. But as the Mekons closed the main set with a raucous take on 1985’s “Hard to Be Human Again,” it kicked into highest gear of the night.
The band returned for a three-song encore, with Timms taking the final lead vocal on closer “Simone on the Beach.” After 90 minutes, they had laid claim to the best bar band in Cleveland title they no doubt weren’t seeking. It may be a minute before another artist can take the mantle.
Setlist:
1. Weimar Vending Machine
2. War Economy
3. Land Ahoy
4. Oblivion
5. Insignificance
6. Last Dance
7. The Western Design
8. Last Weeks of the War
9. Slightly South of the Border
10. Secrets
11. Last Night on Earth
12. Fallen Leaves
13. Cockermouth
14. I Am Crazy
15. Mudcrawlers
16. 32 Weeks
17. Hard to Be Human Again
Encore:
18. Sanctuary
19. Dickie, Chalkie & Nobby
20. Simone on the Beach
Eric Heisig is a freelance writer in Cleveland. He can be reached at eheisig@gmail.com.