VIDEO: Ian Hunter Rocks Cleveland
Cleveland Rocks Author Rocks the Beachland
Fri 10/28 8PM
When Ian Hunter wrote “Cleveland Rocks,” he did it for a lot of the same reasons that we started Cool Cleveland. Not enough people were appreciating our fair city for it’s hipness. Hunter’s band Mott The Hoople broke in Cleveland before any other city in the U.S., much like their contemporaries Roxy Music, David Bowie, T. Rex and others. Why? Cleveland’s just always been that much cooler, but has never been given its due. So, after Mott broke up, Hunter set the record straight, with a record that went straight onto the charts, then onto our televisions as the theme song to The Drew Carey Show. Cleveland will never be thought of the same again.
Still vital and writing the best songs of his career in his seventh decade, Hunter comes off a three-album trilogy of sorts, all released since 2001: “Rant,” “Shrunken Heads,” and “Man Overboard,” one better than the other. But instead of railing against the record industry as he did in earlier hits like “All The Way From Memphis,” and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” he’s broadened his scope and deepened his raspy voice, covering grown-up issues such as jealousy, politics, capitalism, and the “Soul of America.” His career-spanning 2003 live set with full orchestra, “Strings Attached,” is one of the best live albums released in this decade, and showcases his songwriting and lyrical strengths, proving that only Bob Dylan himself pulls a rock and roll song together any better.
He’s still on the road with his band of crack musicians, lighting up the Beachland Ballroom on Fri 10/28, with Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers opening up at 8PM. And yes, he still loves to sing Mott’s anthemic, “All The Young Dudes,” penned by Bowie and brought to new appreciation recently with an appearance on the soundtrack to “Juno.”
Incredibly, he fronted the reunion of Mott The Hoople in 2009 with a five-day stint at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, including all the original members, although drummer Dale Griffin, suffering with Alzheimer’s has his drum throne filled by old buddy Martin Chambers of The Pretenders, who idolized Mott The Hoople in his own formative years. As did many others, including bands like The Clash and Queen.
Cool Cleveland spoke with Ian Hunter backstage at This Way Out in the basement of the Beachland Ballroom on a visit in 2007, in which he talked about his songwriting, his dear friend and collaborator guitarist Mick Ronson of The Spiders From Mars, and how he actually came to write “Cleveland Rocks.” You can watch the video here.
Doesn’t anybody else think this guy belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
One Response to “VIDEO: Ian Hunter Rocks Cleveland”
Scott W.
Hi
I certainly agree that Ian Hunter is a wothy canidate for the Hall of Fame. He has been a influence on many artists and is admired by some of the biggest names in rock.
I am travelling from Toronto on Friday just to see the show and I can’t wait to hear Mr. Hunter live!!!
Scott W