The Enclave turned out to be a really good time!

Arriving in Willoughby I pulled up to a great parking spot almost smack dab in front of the coffee house, almost as if someone had reserved it for me, very cool. Went inside, got a big hot cup of green tea, introduced myself to the barista, sat with local guitar player talent Mark (sorry, but Mark’s last name escapes me - me thinks have it written down somewhere) who was there doing some drawing. It’s always good to see Mark around the town, especially at Open Mic Nights when he has his guitar in tow, he is fun to listen too and play guitar with. Anyhow, proceeded to scope out the PA, and got to work getting things setup. This was a new room for me, and it’s a long room at that – I didn’t know what to expect in terms of what equipment would be available, I had brought all my own stuff to work with (and set it all up anyhow for the bass and monitor whatever etc.) it turns out that the Enclave house PA is a really a decent setup (they even have microphones and extra cabling), so no equipment problems.

Steve Pohl arrived shortly after the PA was turned on and he got right to work setting up his contraption kit. S.P.’s kit has always been one of the most unique contraptions, what with all the decoration and vintage parts and mini sized cymbals - but S.P. has really outdone himself recently by adding lights to the kit. Now, the bass drum lights up on the beat, and the snare head glows with this really cool blue light. Very nifty! A brief history: S.P. and I have played music together on several occasions and that’s how we got the “Steve Squared” nick name, all those Open Mic nights with Mary Clare and Sarah Schinko dontcha know. Eventually I decided I liked the nickname enough, changed it slightly too just plain old Steve2, and bought the domain name. So, we got to work playing some tunes. We sounded pretty good in spots, and also a little rough at times – we could use more practice as a duo. Steve really hung in there for the entire evening and did a fine job of playing even though he said his knee hurt real bad, I know all about that, that’s what happens when you start to degenerate into middle age. Probably the highlight of the evening (and some of the best playing) was the jam at the end of our set featuring Tim Fry on electric guitar and Alex Brandy sitting in on bass guitar – they really sounded good and made Steve P. and I sound really good too. Thanks dudes!

My buddy Ryan Smith (Guitar player singer songwriter with Miranda’s Moon) is hinting around that he is coming out to the
Arabica this Saturday to hang out and sit in on a few tunes, and I am looking forward to getting into some jams with Ryan he is one of my earliest Cleveland friends. If he can make it, it will be an extra special evening! This Saturday will be the second time out for the ‘new’ PA (one Peavey PA cab and an amp – early Christmas and birthday gifts to myself – and only a small pang of guilt to go along with the purchase which I put on my credit card – hey, some things you can’t live without) it’s going to be nice to finally have decent equipment out there at Westwood Arabica, in the past I have used ‘problematic’ guitar amps as PA gear and all that nonsense has come to a stop now – no more equipment hassles! Yeah for me!

See you out there?

PEABODY’S DOWN UNDER MONDAY NIGHT NOV. 17TH 2003

Edwin McCain
Brent Kirby
Will Hoge
Connor O’Brien
Mason Jar

Monday evening’s Edwin McCain show at Peabody’s Down Under turned out to be an exciting and well attended event, one of the more entertaining shows I have seen or heard in a mid-sized Cleveland club in weeks. Black painted, cavernous, beer soaked, and smoke-filled with two rooms for music (the main room and The Pirates Cove) Peabody’s is a conveniently located downtown venue in which to enjoy 20 Oz. well drafts, watch beautiful woman, and catch rising talent. This bill was chock full of all three of those most essential elements.

The evening began with Connor O’Brien belting out a selection of songs from “Soliloquy”. The current band assemblage sounded loose, apropos in that Connor has been on an extended performance hiatus for a number of weeks. Well-known chrome domed local hipster Dr. Bob sat in on electric guitar, while another fellow wielded a beat up, duct taped acoustic guitar. A bass player completed the lineup while Connor’s drummer Dave Cottrell sat watching the show with manager Rick Smith. Apparently, Cottrell came prepared to setup and play a full drum kit; however, promoters must have decided (at the last minute?) that this did not jibe with the acoustic singer songwriter theme. At any rate, Connor sang in a clear strong voice, radiating charm and showmanship, while more or less ignoring the occasional experimental sounding rhythms and parts. And while there is no doubt that Connor is a fine voice talent, and that the songs on the album are strong, the music this night did not reflect the crystal clear vision of perfection that is “Soliloquy”.

Next on the bill, we were treated to the sounds of Will Hoge. Up from Nashville Tennessee, wielding an acoustic Gibson Guitar and accompanied by a Piano player, Will played songs from “Blackbird on a Lonely Wire” (released on Atlantic Records). Since I was entirely unfamiliar with his music up to that point, and did not know what to expect, the first couple of songs hit me right where it counts: Great voice, stellar solo delivery. I found his story telling (and the brief blues rendition of “Ittsy Bitsy Spider”) disarming and charming. In spite of the albums huge and precisely orchestrated sounds, Will’s wonderfully spare Peabody’s performance gave the distinct impression that he has rolled hundreds of miles through the deep blue country night with only his voice, a guitar, and a piano player for company. His mist smoked whiskey soaked vocal delivery quavers and glides along well-crafted country tinged songs like a coal train around a Colorado mountain bend. This is some fantastic new music, with immediately accessible hooks and strong writing that demands repeat listening, check out a verse from “Second Hand Heart”:
“Here it comes another lonely night I’m waking up in my clothes – I know this place is poison but I’m coming back for a lethal dose
I got fist full of chances and a washed up angel to fill me up with bad advice – sex and god and lust and I just hope that maybe I can get this right”


At about the same time that Will had the big stage; Brent Kirby was rocking the Pirates Cove with his four-piece band. Brent is a recent addition to the Cleveland stable of singer songwriters, relocated here from Nashville Tennessee. Brent came up to Cleveland to GM a local Sam Ash music store, when he is not on stage you can find him out in Lyndhurst. I have heard Brent Kirby play his songs unadorned and Totally Freaking Acoustic with Chris Nekvinda at the Mudhouse in Lakewood, and I have heard him rocking out on stage with his band. Either way Brent is a charismatic character capable of delivering well-crafted slabs of American Rock and Roll. Brent’s band is certainly beyond reproach, they are well rehearsed and expertly maintain a deeply solid groove with two guitar sounds (Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul) intertwining and sizzling between the bass and the drums. And although I enjoy a good rocking band as much as the next guy, I did not specifically attend this show to hear bands, I had come to hear songs and voices. As voices go, Brent’s possesses a distinct fragile quality, one easily buried under a band sound, and I would have rather enjoyed listening to Brent (and his band) deliver an acoustic set.

Who were those crowd-pleasing guys of “Mason Jar”? This was the first time I had heard them; they played with three acoustic guitarists, one pleasantly hyper bass guitar player, and a drummer. Right off the mark these guys were playing low key up-tempo acoustic rock with clear vocals and a bouncing danceable vibration that seemed to emanate primarily from the kinetic bass player guy. And the audience was into it – they connected with the music and crowded the Pirates Cove, bunching up to the stage like true believers. I noticed that the crowd encompassed many beautiful young professional women (well, the entire facility was packed with beautiful ladies). I spoke with a young corporate lawyer just a few hours removed from a long day slaving away at contract law, somehow she began to fret over her ‘nerdy’ eyeglasses – which (she said) she could not see without. I did my best to reassure her that her sleek, black framed glasses complimented her fabulous good looks, and she in turn made certain that I had the name of her band: The Curve. At about the same time, an attractive and buff young lady had started something with someone (further highlighting the crowd complexity), and for just a minute I couldn’t decide if I wanted to flirt with her or get the hell out of the way. If this is the kind of crowd that Mason Jar is bringing round, then count me in. Just don’t punch me out.

The headlining act, with a voice sounding at least as big as the Montana Sky and as dusky as a Texas sunset, Edwin McCain took the stage accompanied only by his guitar, and a sidekick Baritone Saxophone player who also wielded a magical slide whistle of some kind. Although Edwin is a platinum recording artist with hits "I'll Be," "Solitude," and "I Could Not Ask for More" that have brought him to the attention of fans nationwide, I, (once again - the whole reason to have gone to the show in the first place) was unfamiliar with the songs. Listening for the first time to the voice of Edwin was a revelation - he comes well armed with great songs. Apparently, Edwin is drawing inspiration from multiple sources. His web site indicates he maintains relationships with at least a couple of other Nashville songwriters (Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley) who have helped McCain write "I Want It All". And it looks like this guy has at least a few other irons in the fire, he is currently working up a ‘for cable’ TV series “The Acoustic HighwayTM" that will feature the singer songwriter touring around the country in search of songwriters, great songs, and stories. On the web site the pilot is described as 'Austin City Limits' meets Comedy Central's 'Insomniac' - sure sounds more interesting than about 70 percent of the basic MTV schmaltz.

Overall the Peabody’s Edwin McCain show was an entirely successful offering featuring mixed musical elements and some of the best local and national voice talent that can be heard in medium sized clubs, well worth the small ticket price, they even ended up giving tickets away at the door. If you are a fan of great songwriting, charismatic voice and acoustic guitar, then I heartily recommend catching Edwin and Will Hoge the next time they are in town. In the meantime don’t miss the opportunity to hear our local talent Brent Kirby, Mason Jar, and Connor O’Brien when they are playing next. After all, it might be one or more of our local artists lighting out for point’s unknown and returning to Cleveland with a few platinum hits and a Grammy or two!

This past week the OMNL team attended three Open Mic events that we had not previously visited:


DECENT PIZZA TUESDAY NIGHT OPEN MIC
The first event was a Tuesday night with Charlie Mosbrook at the Decent Pizza on the corner of Mayfield and Coventry roads next to the laundry mat. Given that this is an Open Mic hosted at a pizza joint, the first question to come to your mind ought to be something like “How’s the pizza?” and OMNL found the pizza better than decent, yep we liked it allot - it’s really good! We started the evening off with a sizable slice of plain cheese (in the style of thin crust New York pizza pie). Nibbling from the ‘Wide End’ first, we were impressed right off the bat with the nice, fresh, moist and tender chewy crust. Yum! With a lightly sweet, aromatic and savory tomato sauce, this first slice of Decent cheese pizza made an excellent impression on the entire OMNL staff! Thankfully, Decent Pizza also maintains a respectable selection of bottled beer, so the OMNL team imbibed several cold ones throughout the evening. In addition to ‘regular’ size bottled beers, Decent pizza also offers cutesy little ‘tiny’ bottled beers; we got our small cute beers for one dollar a piece.
The evening’s entertainment began with the Decent Pizza Open Mic host, Charlie Mosbrook, plugging his guitar into the PA and getting the room warmed up. Charlie is a well known and widely respected local singer songwriter possessing a strong, accurate finger picking technique, a smooth vocal talent, great original songs, and a sensitive ear. In addition to Charlie, we heard from the inimitable Aaron Bonk http://www.aaronbonk.com/home.htm). And although you might know Aaron primarily as a fantastic local juggling talent, it turns out that Aaron has a good singing voice and performs a respectable repertoire of songs both original and cover. OMNL also had its ears perked by the original songs of Scott Franklin and Nate Maloney, both of these singer songwriters played short sets of original tunes. OMNL has taken particular note of Scott Franklins plaintive, edgy singing voice, however, there is simply not a whole lot we can say after only one listen other than that we enjoyed the sounds we heard and we hope to have the company of these two performers again in the near future.

BARKING SPIDER OPEN MIC NIGHT WITH GUEST HOST RYANN ANDERSON
Finishing off a second slice of mushroom pizza (a great follow up slice with fresh mushrooms – a little small though) the OMNL team piled into the car and headed off to the Barking Spider for the Open Mic. Although most Clevelanders are familiar with The Barking Spider as a happening music venue, we would like to take this opportunity to remind (any of you who need to be reminded) that the Spider is a wonderfully warm venue with woodsy décor and low ceilings. It is intimate and cozy and with a nice warm fire burning in the ‘stove’ it is the perfect place to sit with a beer or two and enjoy the company of your best buddies. There are games in the Carriage Room and on summer nights the large Carriage Room doors are flung wide to the sweet summer night air. This nights Open Mic featured guest host Ryann “Guitar” Anderson http://www.ryannguitaranderson.com/. If you have never heard Ryann perform, hit his website for the event schedule and pick from among the dozen or so dates that Ryann is playing in November. Ryann has a few MP3 files posted to his site as well, so you can get a taste of what kind of music he plays. Truthfully, the OMNL staff had a 10PM date with a friend at the University Circle Arabica, so we made it over to the Spider a little late; and only heard a few performers. We heard Tim Fry kicking down a set of his songs, and we also heard Jim Unsub play a set of original tunes before taking the stage ourselves and playing several songs. Tim currently is working on his CD, and Jim has had his CD out for several months now, and the OMNL has posted reviews of both of these performers in previous issues, some of that material is available online at the brand spanking new OMNL web log, just drop by www.steve2.net and click the web log link. By the time we had finished our set, the Spider had pretty much emptied out and Ryann picked up his guitar for the last set of the evening. Ryann’s recorded material is available on his website, the CD’s “Hodgepodge” and “Patchwork” sold separately or together as a set for only 15 dollars.

FLYING MONKEY OPEN MIC NIGHT WITH XELA
More recently, the entire OMNL team managed to get itself over to the Flying Monkey in Tremont for last Sunday nights Open Mic event with XELA. Those of you familiar with the Flying Monkey need no introduction, however, this was the first time the OMNL team had been there and we were tickled to find the place really spiffy and bright with a super clean, woodsy, cozy look to it and a fabulous wrap around bar. The Monkey is tastefully decorated with a few choice custom HILL guitars framed and hanging on the walls! How super cool to see custom Jon Hill guitars hanging on the walls of the bar! The HILL guitar shop is right there in Tremont, if you want to know more about HILL guitars take a peek at the website: http://www.hillinstruments.com. Predictably, a number of cold and tasty Buckeye Brewing Micro Beers were consumed, and a good time was had with XELA running a high energy Open Mic night full of musical high jinx and shenanigans.


The OMNL team is currently composed of only one wistful dude who has dreams of writing this column for The Scene or The Free Times. The editor in chief and primary artistic director is Steve2 so please direct all inquiries, complaints, and praise to one of our two primary email addresses: music@steve2.net or smw@speedyweb.org


Here are the approximate addresses for the various Open Mic Events:

Decent Pizza is at 2768 Mayfield on the SW corner of Coventry and Mayfield roads in Cleveland Heights. The music starts at 8PM sign up for 20 minute time slots at 7:30PM

The Flying Monkey Pub is on the south-east corner of Jefferson and Professor in Tremont with live music on Sundays, and happy hour during the weekdays.

The Barking Spider Tavern is at 11310 Juniper Rd. Cleveland, OH 44106