Sat 11/30 @ noon-3PM
Larry Bruner, a key figure in the Cleveland music scene since the mid 60s, died at St. Augustine’s Manor on November 19 after a long illness. He was 81 years old.
Bruner first got involved in music with legendary Cleveland venue, La Cave, located on Euclid Avenue near East 105thstreet from 1962-1969. Starting primarily as a folk club, by the time it closes it was booking many of the bands that were part of the psychedelic rock and blues rock scene. Bruner came on board in the middle of the club’s run as bookkeeper and occasional talent booker, but fully took over management in 1968 when manager Stan Cain was convicted of LSD possession. Bruner got the club’s chaotic business affairs in order, but due to changes in the community and in the music business, the club closed in July 1969.
Later he became a champion for acoustic music in northeast Ohio, creating a newsletter to compile all the live dates in the area, later joining forces with acoustic music nonprofit Folknet to publish it. He served on the board of Folknet for many years and, with Marcia Petchers, was coordinator for the 2000 Folk Alliance convention in Cleveland. Bruner was also a hoarder of documents relating to the influential La Cave and toward the end of his life entrusted them to WRUW-91.1FM folk music host Steve Traina who used them in writing his book La Cave: Cleveland’s legendary Music Club and the ’60s Folk-to-Rock Revolution, published last year. (We’d advise picking up a copy of the book to learn more about this historic venue and Larry’s role in it.) They have now been donated to the NEOSound collection at the Rock Hall Library and Archives, preserving Bruner’s life work.
There will be a celebration of his life at Brennen’s Party Center on Triskett Road on Saturday November 30 @ noon-3pm. Anyone who knew Larry is welcome, with no need to RSVP. Come share your own memories of La Cave, Folknet, the Folk Alliance Conference or any other project in which you interacted with Larry.