Sat 3/2 @ 7PM

Guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Brian Alan Hager first got local notice when he played lead guitar for Cleveland glam band Vanity Crash in the mid 2000s, and then gigged as guitarist for veteran Cleveland blues/soul artist Travis “Moonchild” Haddix. Now he performs primarily as a solo artist at clubs, wineries and festivals around northern Ohio and nearby states, building a reputation as an accomplished guitarist as well as a songwriter.

Last spring, he showcased his songwriting on a four-track album called Rock and Soul (Side A), the first segment of a project he calls “a tribute to the rock and roll, blues rock, and soul music” that have influenced him over the years. The second part, Side B, was released earlier this month, with another four tracks that display country as well as rock and soul influences. The full 12-song Rock and Soul album, which will feature four new songs in addition to those on Side A and Side B, will be coming out this summer.

Hager’s shows have been mostly solo since the 2020 pandemic, but this week he’ll be doing his first full band show in several years at Broadview Brewing Company in Broadview Heights, Ohio. The band includes his son Jonah Hager on guitar, Jonah Benchek on keyboards and Max Reynolds on drums. The group will do new arrangements of Hager’s tunes and he’s promising “special guest appearances” by other area musicians.

He’s got a busy schedule planned for this year to accompany the new release. Find a complete listing at his website.