Fri 1/23 @ 8PM
If you’ve been around Cleveland’s underground rock scene at all in the last decade or so, you’ve undoubtedly run into John Kalman. He played bass with the manic Roue which had two albums out in the mid ’00s, then moved on to the frontman position with rockers Founding Fathers. Currently he’s added False Flag, a trio featuring two other noted Cleveland indie rock players, drummer John Panza and guitarist Aaron Koonce, to his resume.
Now Kalman’s stepping out on his own for his first full-fledged solo album—a nine-song vinyl LP called A Drive, Awake. He’s abandoned any vestiges of aggressive noise rock on these sparse, lonely tunes. Some, like “Green Red Blue,” feature a rootsy, rustic air, while others, like “Fuck All,” seemed so weighted with sadness they feel emotionally paralyzed.
In what could roughly be dubbed “indie folk,” Kalman pours his mournful vocals over his own acoustic guitar with other instruments added in judicious pinches. Brian Straw, who recorded the album, contributes guitars, harmonica and percussion; Alex Tapie of Likenesses adds some vocals; Rob Kovacs plays some piano, and strings brush the tunes here and there courtesy of violinists Ariel Clayton and Beth Hiser and cellist Tara Hanish of Seafair.
Kalman actually released the album last month, but he’s doing the official record release party thing. It’s taking place, appropriately, at the Survival Kit Gallery where Straw’s recording studio is located. Straw opens the show, alone with Uno Lady, the one-woman act whose music is based on looping, layering and manipulating her own vocals.
Admission is $5.
