Sat 12/22 @ 8:30PM
Sun 12/23 @ 8:30PM
Mon 12/24 @ 7PM
Many clubs are winding down for the holidays, giving their employees (and patrons) a break. The Grog Shop is just ramping up with a schedule that is, as usual, heavy on local talent.
On Sat 12/22, the club presents its Cleveland Sessions holiday concert with three local, high-energy, indie-style rock bands: Ottawa, Captain Kidd (now based in Columbus where its members are OSU students) and Polars. It’s the one-year anniversary of the Cleveland Session series, which showcases bands “you should know about.” None of these bands are particularly back-burner — they’ve all played locally a lot — but they should make for an evening of accessible, entertaining music. You’re invited to wear that ugly holiday sweater you’ve been sporting lately; there will be seasonal festivities. Tickets are $12 in advance, $12 at the door.
The next night, the tone changes for Red Black & Green Christmas, with the emphasis on black music genres. The long-running local hip hop ensemble MuAmin Collective, who usually play with a live band, and the irrepressible Revolution Brass Band with their blow-the-roof-off horn-and-percussion mix of jazz, R&B, funk, rock and New Orleans-style music, perform, along with Stoke, Populi and DJ Candi Fesrca. Admission is $10.
Finally, the Grog is one of a handful of bars that doesn’t close down early on New Year’s Eve and shoo everyone home. They always invite those at loose ends to come on down for a free evening of camaraderie. Usually they all it a “just a bar” night, but this year they’ll be doing “Shitshow Karaoke” where you can get on the mic, be terrible to your heart’s content and people will still cheer for you. “We have plenty of eggnog to go around,” they promise. It’s free.
Cleveland, OH 44106