Fall is full of good concert picks
Although summer is winding down, things will be hopping at the area’s favorite music clubs during September and October. Things are really happening at the Winchester in Lakewood starting this Fri 9/9 with the John Ford Coley Band (remember “I’d Really Like to See You Tonight”?). Mississippi Delta blues pianist Eden Brent stops in on Wed 9/14. The month finishes up at the club with the awesome Candye Kane and her band on Fri 9/30. October at the Winchester features Rick Emmett from Triumph doing another solo show at the club on Mon 10/10; the Kelly Richey Band on Sat 10/15; and Debbie Davies on Fri 10/28. The big one at the club this fall will be on Sat 10/22 when Kasim Sulton from Utopia brings his solo band in for a show. For more info about these shows and all the other great things at the Winchester visit http://TheWinchester.net.
Down south in Kent September means the Kent State Folk Festival, and the Kent Stage is the home for some great shows. The festival gets a little rootsy this year with a show on Wed 9/21 with the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the next night with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band [pictured]. The Stage hosts festival headliner Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame on Sun 9/25. Two promising post festival shows are sax man David Sanborn on Fri 9/30 (who remembers “Choice and Sanborn” from the Ladies Choice album?); and everyone’s favorite singer songwriter Richard Thompson on Thu 10/6. Visit http://KentStage.org for info on these shows and a lot more.
Downtown at the House of Blues more than a few Cleveland favorites will be visiting this fall. Sat 9/17 has the BoDeans taking the stage; on Wed 9/21 singer songwriter John Hiatt takes over; on Fri 9/23 Robert Randolph and the Family band make another appearance; and September closes with a tribute night to the music of the late Ronnie James Dio on Wed 9/28. Two October highlights are Ziggy Marley on Tue 10/18 and G. Love and Special Sauce on Sat 10/22. For more info about these shows and everything else going on at the House of Blues, including some great local acts playing the Cambridge Room (check out Dan Miraldi and the Albino Winos on Wed 9/28), go the http://HOB.com/Cleveland.
The Beachland Ballroom will be busy this fall starting Fri 9/9 with “Paperboy” Reed and the True Loves. On Tue 9/13 it’s the Zombies with original members Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent. Wayne “The Train” Hancock returns to the Tavern on Wed 9/14, and there is a sold-out They Must Be Giants show in the Ballroom on Fri 9/16. Wed 9/21 Marshall Crenshaw returns to the Beachland. The last weekend of October finds the Beachland with what should be three great (and probably sold-out/get your tickets early) shows, starting with the living legend Ian Hunter on Fri 10/28; soul diva Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings on Sat 10/29; and one of my favorite Beachland acts on Sun 10/30 — singer/songwriter Shelby Lynne. For info on these shows and more, including a couple of great fall charity events at the club, visit http://BeachlandBallroom.com.
And finally, as always, there are good things going at everyone’s favorite jazz venue Nighttown in Cleveland Heights. Sun 9/11 Fourplay guitarist Chuck Loeb brings his trio to town for a show. Pop and blues diva Maria Muldaer comes in for two shows on Wed 9/21. Try to check it out; she is a lot more than “Midnight at the Oasis” and always puts on a good show. Wed 10/12 local blues stalwarts Blue Lunch will be hosting the “Saxophone Shootout” with a bunch of guests sitting in. And on Fri 10/21 Cleveland favorites the Hot Club of Detroit returns for a show. For more info about all the great things happening at Nighttown go to http://NighttownCleveland.com.
Greg Cielec is a local writer who covers mostly music and sports for a variety of publications and websites. He is also a full time English and creative writing teacher at Streetsboro High School; an adjunct professor at BGSU Firelands College and Lakeland Community College; and a football coach at John Carroll University.
He has published two books of fiction, My Cleveland Story (1998) and Home and Away Games (2006), and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Michael Heaton has called him “the Mark Twain of Cleveland.” Check out his website and blog at http://www.GregCielec.com.