THURSDAY NOV 28
Vicki Chew/Brent Kirby: 8:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
Jam Night with Tower City Blues: 8:30 p.m. Grillers Pub.
The Kickdrums/Thunder St. Clair/Smoke Screen/Atari Jones: 9 p.m., $10. Grog Shop.
Ms Ross Reunion Concert & Talent Showcase with Kinsman Dazz Band/Scott & Raven/Sherena Wynn/Joe Little: 7 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. Agora Ballroom.
FRIDAY NOV 29
Moises Borges Quartet: 8:30 p.m., $10. Nighttown.
Ekoostik Hookah/Jones for Revival: The grandfathers of Ohio's expansive jam band scene — culturally and musically — have always maintained close ties with the Cleveland area. From 1991's Under Full Sail to the present year's sweetly groovin' Brij, Ekoostik Hookah have kept their fire burning across great leaps of 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. Tonight's gig at the Beachland, with Jones for Revival in tow, adds another local notch to an impressive tradition. 8:30 p.m., $15. Beachland Ballroom. (Sandy)
Fifty Amp Fuse: 9:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
K. Michelle/Sevyn Streeter/Tiara Thomas: 9 p.m., $27 ADV, $30 DOS. House of Blues.
Mo' Mojo/Pilgrim/George Foley & Friends: 5:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
Night Sweats CD Release/Midwestern Electric/Bobbipin: Punk rockers Night Sweats are relentless, intense and unforgivingly energetic. Overdriven guitars and fast, explosive drums outline their songs while lead singer Brandon Abate delivers the melodic vocals. Almost uncharacteristic of the genre, New Sounds puts the vocals atop the heavy tracks. Easily one of the more talented post-punk outfits on the local scene right now, the group is finally releasing a full-length album. Tracks like "Post Party Depression" and "Thank You and Goodnight" have surfaced online; they show the band's overt skill and mastery of the genre. If these tracks indicate the quality of the album, it's definitely going to be one you'll want to pick up. With the equally high-powered energy of opener Midwestern Electric, you're going to want to drink some caffiene before this show. 8:30 p.m., $5. Beachland Tavern. (Patrick Stoops)
Smack Daddy/We the People/Neil Chastain Trio/DJ Schway/Baby Paw: 9 p.m., $7. Grog Shop.
The Speedbumps CD Release/JD Eicher and the Goodnights: 8 p.m., $10. The Kent Stage.
This Moment in Black History/Tyvek/WetBrain: In a similar fashion to groups like Pere Ubu and Rocket from the Tombs, This Moment in Black History is creating a lasting legacy for itself in Cleveland's punk scene. Now with more than ten years of performing behind it, the group regularly receives critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. Not unlike a fireworks display over a minefield, their wildly explosive post-punk is as experimental as it is energetic. The band is far from being an old or repetitive act. Weapons in their arsenal include songs like "About Last Night" and "The Last Unicorn"; the tracks include up-tempo beats and wild guitars, proving the band to be one of the local acts you don't want to miss. (Stoops), 9 p.m., $6. Mahall's 20 Lanes.
Travelin' Johnsons (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
Warbringer: 7 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Agora Ballroom.
SATURDAY NOV30
Papadosio: Music is a power unlike any other. Forms of artistic expression, as varied as the moments in a day, bear with them an ability to change society and the way we think as one. The guys in Papadosio — Ohio natives from the creative playground of Athens — would say that music can end the illusion of separation we've imposed on ourselves. Thankfully, they chose to spread that message by way of an incredible, sprawling double-disc album released last year. T.E.T.I.O.S. — To End The Illusion of Separation — is a masterwork culled from the experiences of a band that cut its teeth performing improvisational electronic music. The band — Mike Healy, Robert McConnell, Billy Brouse, Sam Brouse and Anthony Thogmartin — now calls Asheville, N.C., home. But the guys really live on the road. Familiar with the summer festie circuit, including their own Rootwire Festival, they fill out robust tour schedules seemingly every season. More so than geography, though, is how far the band has come musically. For instance, what might be known as the Bionic Man Suite on the album encompasses a galaxy of emotions and moods. Rounding out a healthy portion of the album's first disc, this seven-song constellation reels in road-tested classics like "Method of Control" and places them within a tidal pool of new tunes like "Puddles for Oceans." Everything contained within is top-notch playing. The layering throughout the album demonstrates how meticulously each band member works in crafting his music. That's been a trait of the band from the beginning. The fall of 2007 saw the release of the band's debut album, Margreenery. The music they wrote and performed at that time became an Athens institution, leading to late-night chill sessions in apartment living rooms and dorms across the city for years. And as the band found success among the cultural exploration of Ohio University and the foothills of Appalachia, it broadened their horizons and began to tour the state and region., Whether via the brick-lined streets of Athens or the dedicated fanbase that trekked alongside them to shows, the band has always maintained a firm commitment to the people who have tuned in. Along the way there has been considerable growth: T.E.T.I.O.S. may be rightfully described as a full-grown, rather mature album. And the live show is the hallmark of the Papadosio experience. Check them out tonight at House of Blues and be a part of the (r)evolution. 9 p.m., $18 ADV, $20 DOS.
Diamond Dogs: 9 p.m., $10. The Winchester.
The Extremes: 8:30 p.m. Peppermill Pub and Grill.
I-Tal/Primal Rhythms: Going back to the late 1970s, I-Tal is one of the foundational elements of reggae music both in Cleveland and, really, across the U.S. Many reggae and rock bands that formed since then can draw their lineage directly to the influences of early I-Tal shows. Frontman "Papa" Dave Smeltz told Scene last year: "We were playing reggae with a lot of rock influence. Being from Cleveland, that's what you gotta do." And that legacy still bares its soul every time the band takes the stage. Luckily, they're doing so tonight at the Grog Shop. Also: If you're wondering about the band's name, Smeltz says it came from reading Penthouse, where he saw the word within a list of reggae terms. It means "natural" or "vital." And the music has always landed right in that very "ital" wheelhouse. 9 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop. (Sandy)
K. Stewart Benefit Show with Deche/Drug Frenzy/Fertile the Drip/Iron Oxide/Vengeance Space Quartet/Birdsounds: 9 p.m., $5. Now That's Class.
Legends of Hip-hop Vol. 7: Famous for tunes such as "Just Having Fun (Do the Beatbox)" and "The Show," a track he recorded with the Get Fresh Crew, Doug E. Fresh emerged in the early days of hip-hop before gangsta rap. A talented beatboxer, Fresh laid down innocent raps about being the "original entertainer." He's the host for Legends of Hip-hop Vol. 7, a showcase that features Fresh and "friends." The supporting acts at previous tour stops on this incarnation of the tour have included old school acts such as Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Slick Rick, Sugarhill Gang and Whodini. 8 p.m., $22.50-$62.50. State Theatre. (Jeff Niesel)
Ripper Owens & Friends/Fracture/Red Sun Rising: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. The Kent Stage.
Seafair/Texas Plant/Filmstrip: 9 p.m., $5-$10. Mahall's 20 Lanes.
The Story So Far/Stick To Your Guns/Such Gold/Rotting Out/Heart to Heart: 7 p.m., $16 ADV, $18 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.
Take This Hammer/Adam Luhta/Kevin McCarthy: 6:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
Wes & Joey (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
Whiskey Daredevils/Lords of the Highway/Dirty Biscuits: When the Cowslingers, a great local cow punk band that even garnered a bit of critical acclaim, called it quits, singer Greg Miller assumed he was probably done with music. The Cowslingers had issued 11 full-length records in 14 years and played everywhere imaginable. But when drummer Leo P. Love and Miller's bass-playing brother Ken came to him four months later and wanted to start a new band with guitarists Bobby Lanphier and David Bowling, Miller was into it. That was several years ago, and the alt-country band is still kicking, albeit with a different line-up. For tonight's show, however, it'll reunitedwith Lanphier, and the band promises to play tunes from the time that he was with the group. 9 p.m., $8. Beachland Tavern. (Niesel)
