Cyrus (2000 Sycamore Street, in the Powerhouse complex) hosts live music on its riverside patio. The restaurant's summer season will climax Friday, August 3, with an outdoor concert by superstar DJ John Digweed. Promoters expect a crowd of 1,000 or so.
"Cleveland needs a big, important outdoor event like this to import the kind of nightlife events they have in Miami and L.A.," says promoter Michael Mellon, whose Tru Productions has also put on shows by electronic dance music icons Paul Van Dyk and Rick Ross. "It's a nice event right on the water, and it really shows Cleveland off."
Cyrus sits midway between the Detroit Avenue and Shoreway bridges. Its cement patio and raised deck have an intimate view of the Cuyahoga River, the East Bank, and the downtown skyline.
Although the venue has also been experimenting with different local bands, from Carlos Jones & the PLUS Band to the Websters, live entertainment may not be on the menu once the season winds down.
Partner Nathan Ware, who believes the West Bank can be the flip side of the East Bank, continues to experiment with the club's programming.
"We're trying to provide a different kind of entertainment and not make the same mistakes that have been made," says Ware. "[The East Bank] became a cash grab, and people would do whatever worked in the short term. We're taking a slower approach and seeing what works."
By summer's end, the West Bank will have two new night spots. In addition to Cyrus, which opened in May, Silk (1148 Main Avenue) is set to open later this month. It will be a Las Vegas-style dance club located in the former Jillian's Billiards.
· Mojometer is now You're Among Friends. "We decided it was time for a change," says frontman Anthony Doran. The bluesy power-pop trio has been on the scene since 1997. The band's new disc is available now. The band plays Wilbert's (812 Huron Road East) on Thursday, August 2.
· Autumn has posted two new tracks at www.myspace.com/ autumnmusicinkent. The band's lineup of Akron-Kent veterans includes members of Infinity, Blue Hand Recital, and Kronik. Catch the group at Vicki's (1955 Triplett Boulevard, Akron) on Saturday, August 4, for a set that will benefit Beds for Babies, a Helping Hands charity that buys cribs and beds for needy families.
· Five Northern Ohio bands will play the Ernie Ball Local Heroes side stage at the Vans Warped Tour on Thursday, August 2. Emo and wuss rock are the order of the day.
The Cleveland lineup features Another Found Self, a Boardman emo quintet; This Awkward Silence, a Lakewood rock band; Plague the City, a Bowling Green rock combo; Bleeding a Memory, a Cleveland screamo squad; and Between Thieves, Akron pop punks. The local stage lineup starts when the gates open at 11 a.m.
See Scene's concert listings for a full Warped lineup. And visit www.clevescene.com/blogs for links to all the local bands, lineup updates, and online exclusives from Warped bands, including Throwdown and the High Court.
