Wed 12/23 @ 8:30PM
The Christmas holidays are a great time to do a temperature check on the local music scene. Many of its best bands, including some that play only a few times a year, books shows in December.
A couple of Cleveland’s most impressive — and popular — bands will join forces to play a “North Coast Christmas” show at the Grog Shop. Both the Modern Electric (above) and Seafair (below) boast big, distinctive sounds and strong live shows, attributes, which have won them sizable local followings over the last several years.
The Modern Electric’s launching pad was a third place finish in the 2008 High School Rock Off. Unlike most high school bands, they’ve stayed together largely intact and sculpted their soaring pop sound into something that sounds much bigger than you’d expect from a quartet. It took them six years to follow up their self-titled 2009 debut with this year’s Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, which they teased by releasing a song a month. But it was well worth the wait.
The six-piece Seafair also boast a wide-screen sound, their symphonic pop produced literally by the use of symphony instruments — cello and violin — as well as lead vocalist Chayla Hope’s keyboards. Forming just three years ago, they almost instantly attracted a large following. They released their latest album The Querencia earlier this year, and they’ve already been back in the studio working on tracks for a release planned for next spring. They’ll be introducing some of the tunes at this show.
Opening the evening is Jivviden, a blues- and folk-influenced quartet who released their debut album, Slow Commotion, last year. Admission is $10.
Cleveland, OH 44106