Fri 5/2 @ 9PM

Sat 5/3 @ 8PM

Cleveland musician Joshua Jesty has been kicking around the music scene for 25 years, playing with bands such as This Is Exploding, which I loved, as a solo artist and in combination with friends. He’s done some traveling as well. (And he still doesn’t have a decent photo, which is why you’re seeing his cat and dog above.)

But he’s ambitious and prolific so this weekend he’s going to release two full-length records and play two release shows —“’Cause nothing makes sense anymore so why not have a good time.”

Welcome to Rock Bottom is a diverse anthology of songs recorded between 2020 and 2023 that dip their musical toe into different genres, while sticking to pop-style hooks and sarcastic lyrics. Jesty calls the other album “a short car ride,” a collection of “songs about love, disguised a death songs.”

Jesty’s band, Joshua Jesty and the Succession of the Plebs, will perform at the Five O’Clock Lounge on Friday May 2 with the Faraways, the Well Worn Grooves, Nite Club, and DJ Sam Sinister and on Saturday May 3 at the Treelawn with Maura Rogers and the Bellows, and the Cowboy Princess Brigade.

The cat and dog will probably be at home sleeping.