Sun 1/5 @ 4PM
Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Jamie Klimek, who passed away on November 6 at the age of 73, was part of a unique Cleveland underground scene that’s still revered in the world of art-punk loving critics and aficionados.
Klimek founded and was frontman of one of Cleveland’s legendary 1970s bands Mirrors. They were part of a scene that featured colleagues such as Electric Eels, Rocket from the Tombs (later Pere Ubu) and Styrenes. Klimek also played guitar for the Eels and Styrenes, whose leader Paul Marotta, also played in Mirrors and Electric Eels. It was that kind of scene.
What it wasn’t was the dominant scene in Cleveland at the time, which was the turf of flashy, proficient copy bands cranking out Led Zeppelin, Doobie Brothers and Bad Company hits. Instead, its bands played self-penned tunes that were noisy, droning, off-kilter and even freeform. They played at hole-in-the-wall clubs and on off nights, not the big dance barns. And if the scene was short-lived (Mirrors existed only from 1973-75, although they released an album called Another Nail in the Coffin in 1991, and did some reunion shows in the 2010s including headlining WRUW 91.1FM’s annual Studio-A-Rama), their influence around the world wasn’t.
The Beachland Ballroom will be hosting a memorial event in Klimek’s memory. All are welcome!
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Cleveland, OH 44110