The guy in the photo above might look like a surly biker dude, but really he’s a sweetheart – one of the kindest folks you’ll ever meet. [photo credit: Anna Stockton]
Hi name is Chuck Cleaver. Yeah, I know, it sounds like the stage name of a wrestling “heel” in the WWE. But that’s his real name. And he’s one of the best songwriters in the WWW – the Whole Wide World.
Five Saturdays ago, Chuck and Lisa Walker, his fellow songwriter and co-leader of the band Wussy, played a house concert at our house.
It was amazing. Spectacular, in a low-key way. Spine-tinglingly beautiful. They did a lot of songs from their upcoming album. A lot of those songs are tributes to… remembrances of… mournings for… their dear friend and fellow Wussy bandmate John Erhardt, who passed away a few years ago. John also was Chuck’s bandmate in his pre-Wussy band, The Ass Ponys. All those years spent in a van, traveling from gig to gig, turned them into more brothers than bandmates.
Three Saturdays later, Chuck and Lisa and their bandmates played a sold-out show at a local venue. It was only their second time performing as a full band since John passed away.
The love from the audience — and the band’s appreciation of that love — were palpable. Once again, they played several songs from the new album, the one for John. (He’s featured in the cover artwork, and his beautiful pedal steel work is on a couple of tracks.)
“It’s very definitely a record for John,” Cleaver says. “It’s a mourning record. We had to make it.”
The album had its official release a week ago Friday… and is amazing (as are all the other Wussy releases… as Jason Cohen said in his article linked above “There’s no middle ground with Wussy: They are either one of your very favorite bands or you just haven’t heard them yet.” I’m firmly in the former camp.)
That record-release Friday should’ve been a different type of release as well: a day of joy… celebration.
But on the Tuesday between their sold-out show and the Friday that their new album came out, Randy Cheek — Chuck’s longtime bandmate in the Ass Ponys — passed away.
I know life is a series of peaks and valleys. But my heart aches for Chuck, who was in the valley so long after losing John, and now, on the verge of a peak moment, got gut-punched back down into another valley. It’s not fair. And it sucks.
“Time is an assassin, when it finally tracks you down
You can’t tiptoe around it or conveniently skip town
So try to face it screaming and beating on your chest
So when it drags you to wherever, you know you did your best
Sure as the sun… ”
— “Sure as the Sun” from Wussy’s new album Cincinnati Ohio
I got to know Randy a tad, during my 97X radio days. He was exactly as Chuck described him: sweet, kind, truly hilarious.
It was nice to see Randy, John, Dave and Chuck back on stage together at the Ass Ponys reunion shows back in 2015. (Two nights – you’re damn right I went to both shows.)
(Jason Cohen’s Cincinnati Magazine article about those reunion shows is here.)
I took Chuck’s advice and cranked up this song that Randy wrote.
Playing Ass Ponys and Wussy tunes… it won’t bring John and Randy back, but it keeps them in our hearts. That’ll have to do.
Dear Friends Mysterious doorway Future life For better for worse Life’s blessings In heaven we know Our own glories
Glories of the sacred In the wonder days The wonder gifts The wonder story
In the quiet moments of reflection, let us honor Randall’s memory by embracing the beauty of each fleeting moment, knowing that his spirit resides in the eternal tapestry of existence, forever woven into the fabric of our hearts.
In case you hadn’t noticed, dear reader (all one of you), I’m a bit cuckoo for music. So it may not surprise you to learn that last weekend I went to Boston to see three concerts in three days. What might be a bit surprising is that all three shows were by the same band: Buffalo Tom. (They’re from Boston, of course… hence the name… or not. )
They’re my favorite band. I first heard them on the radio… when I played them on radio! I was working a Sunday evening shift at 97X back in the early 90s and “Velvet Roof” was on the playlist – the song practically jumped right out of the speakers and right into my ears and heart. I immediately tracked down a promo copy of the CD from our station “prize closet” and proceeded to wear out the entire album.
But all three members of Buffalo Tom have kids and day jobs. They’re in my age bracket, too. So even though they still put out new albums, the prospect of cramming into a van to do a tour isn’t very appealing. But their small-but-mighty fan base would often pepper them with “Please come to [insert city name here]” requests on social media. Instead, they flipped the script, and created a festival called “Please Come to Boston.”
Their diehard fans were rewarded for their efforts with a trifecta of concerts… including a “matinee” show on Sunday for those who needed to get back to work on Monday – or just needed to recuperate after a couple of evening gigs.
Buffalo Tom played an entire album front to back each show. To make the mini-festival more festive, they also featured some music openers, comedy, book readings, even “punk rock aerobics.”
How was it? Fan-freaking-tastic! The albums that they featured are some of my favorites – not just in the Buffalo Tom oeuvre, but in all of music. (Let Me Come Over is my all-time favorite – it’s the album that “Velvet Roof” is on.)
But the additional performances were standout too – Tom Perrotta is the author of Election and Little Children (both were turned into Oscar-nominated movies) and The Leftovers (which became an HBO series).
Eugene Mirman (the voice of Gene Belzer on “Bob’s Burgers”) and Dave Hill were hilarious. (If you’ve never seen Dave Hill’s special “The Pride of Cleveland,” check it out here to get a feel for his zany brand of comedy with music. And check out his books, which are funny as heck.)
The band Q&A was hosted by actor/writer/comedian Mike O’Malley.
I hope there’s a “Please Come BACK to Boston” festival next year – I’d go in a heartbeat!
On other thought on the weekend’s lineup: Artists will always find a way to share their art, even if it means pivoting from their original goals. The book readings were courtesy of Earfull, which hosts public author readings combined with music.
EARFULL BEGAN as the brainchild of bookstore connoisseur Tim Huggins, and Boston musician and author Jen Trynin, created from their shared goal of bringing book and music fans together. They believe that – given the right environment – book people will love the experience of live music, and rock people will realize how cool it is to hear great authors reading their work aloud.
We played Jen Trynin’s song “Better than Nothing” on 97X back in the 90s too.
Since 2000 PRA has said NO TO THE STATUS QUO and to limiting notions of beauty, fitness, and ability. We aim to inspire, empower and create an inclusive and fun environment where you can laugh your ass off.
Hilken was in a band called Fuzzy back in my 97X days . Rolling Stone named their 1994 song “Flashlight” one of the top 50 songs of the 90s.
Maybe in an alternate universe Jen and Hilken would be hosting their own festivals.
Mike O’Malley starred in “The Mike O’Malley Show” back in 1999. It lasted three episodes. More recently, he created the series “Extended Family” starring Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) and Donald Faison (Scrubs). That one lasted 13 episodes.
In an alternate universe, maybe his ’99 show hits it big and he’s another Ray Romano… or maybe the 2023 series turns him into the new Chuck Lorre. But Mike has continued to hustle and continued to act and write. He was the showrunner for the Netflix series “Heels.”
A week and a day ago, I left work a couple hours early and drove down to Nashville to see Charly Bliss in concert at the Exit/In. They were awesome, as I knew they would be.
A dude like me, in his late 50s, has no business driving four hours each way to see an power pop group of 20-somethings. But I love Charly Bliss’ music. And Nashville was the closest city to Cincy on their tour itinerary. Sometimes you have to roll before you can rock.
And as the cherry on top, Marc from the band Len did their song “Steal My Sunshine” with the band as part of the encore:
$25 for the ticket
$67 for the hotel room in Franklin, KY (free breakfast the next morning too!)
$30 for gas
Totally worth it – I’d do it again in a heartbeat. In my humble opinion, Charly Bliss deserves as much attention as Taylor Swift, if not more. Better lyrics, more energy on stage, and a true band vs. a singer with backing musicians. (Put your ears on their new album Forever before you come at me, Swifties!)
Two days ago, my friend Ken and I went up to Columbus to see Superchunk at Scully’s Music Diner. They were awesome, as I knew they would be.
Dudes like us, in our late 50s, have no business driving 100 miles each way on a Monday evening to see a concert. But — and stop me if you’ve heard this before — this tour stop was the closest they’d come to Cincinnati.
I was treated to a fantastic opening band, Quivers:
I’m a sucker for Aussie indie pop, and they were great. Their set included a cover of a Lucinda Williams song, which melted my heart. (The song is called “I Just Wanted To See You So Bad” which seemed especially appropriate given our road trip.)
I talked to the band members (Mike, Holly, Bella and Sam) at the merch booth after the show and they were super-nice and fun. (Mike took extra care in cutting the plastic album covering off so they could slide it back on after they autographed a vinyl copy of their new album Oyster Cuts.)
And Superchunk is one of my favorite bands of all time. They’ve been doing their thing for 35 years, but they still have that raw energy that makes their live show so brilliant.
And as the cherry on top, Kelley Deal (from The Breeders and R. Ring) and Mike Montgomery (R. Ring) came up on stage to do an R. Ring tune during the encore:
$30 ticket
$26 for a round of beers for Ken, his friend Dave, and me (Ken drove to the show)
Totally worth it – I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
One good minute could last me a whole year One good minute will last me a whole year
Superchunk “The First Part”
I’m not, I’m not dead Even if I was I’d wish that I f*cked up ‘least twice as much And had like double the fun But I’m not dead I’m not, I’m not done I’m looking down from starlight, glass-eyed I still got some time left, I’m not dead
I love live music, but I’m not really a stadium tour kinda guy. I’ve really only been to two stadium concerts in my life – the first was in 1986 (I think) at Cleveland’s old Municipal Stadium to see The Who on the first of their gazillion “farewell” tours. The second was two nights ago – Foo Fighters at the Reds stadium. The opening acts were Mammoth – the band led by Wolfie Van Halen, son of Eddie and Valerie Bertinelli – and the Pretenders, a band I adore.
I wasn’t planning to attend – the ticket prices for those big shows are waaay too high to suit me. I’d rather spend $200 on eight $25 club shows. But my friend Paul had an extra ticket. And I’d always wanted to see the Foo Fighters live. How could I refuse?
Photo credit: Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer
I’m really glad I went. I see what all the Foo fuss is about. Dave Grohl is incredibly energetic and charismatic, his band mates are extremely talented, and they put on a heck of a show. Their song catalog is perfect for stadiums too – a lot of singalong anthems. I don’t know how Grohl is able to scream his way through two-and-a-half-hour shows on a regular basis. My vocal cords would be shredded into sawdust.
Photo credit: Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer
I have some high-fidelity noise-reducing earplugs (as a regular concert goer, I highly recommend them – here’s my brand) but didn’t bring them because I didn’t think I’d need them in an open-air stadium. I was wrong. It was LOUD.
The Foos hit the stage at 8 p.m. and wrapped up their main set at around 10:15, then came back for an encore. As my friend Paul said, “Now there’s a guy (Dave Grohl) who loves his job!”
Photo credit: Sam Greene, The Cincinnati Enquirer
It was really cool to see a show like that where 38,000 fans were singing along. But after the sun set, I found it hard to keep my eyes from straying from the band on stage to the giant TV screens to the left and right of the stage. It’s hard to not look… but then you’re essentially watching a show on TV vs. seeing a concert.
Net-net: I loved it and I’m really glad I got a chance to see them live. But I think I’ll go back to my club shows. Stadiums are cool, but I’m a “small ball” music dude at heart.
Chances are, 99 out of every 100 people won’t recognize those names. Heck, it might be more like 999 out of 1,000. And that’s a shame. Because those are the dudes that have been together in the band Los Lobos for more than 50 years. They were joined by the “newbie” Steve Berlin in 1982, and have been a fantastic five-some ever since.
Los Lobos’ new album, Gates Of Gold, comes out Sept. 25.
If you’ve never heard of Los Lobos, that’s a shame. If you’ve only heard their cover of “La Bamba” that’s OK, but you’re still missing out on so much great music.
They are a self-proclaimed “Just another band from East L.A.” But they’re so much more than that. This paragraph from their bio really sums them up nicely:
Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well its music embodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot. In it, styles like son jarocho, norteño, Tejano, folk, country, doo-wop, soul, R&B, rock ’n’ roll and punk all come together to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Amen to that! You could rightfully argue that they are the quintessential American band. Children of immigrants (Conrad, Louie, David) or immigrants themselves (Cesar), joined by a kid from the East Coast (Philly) who had moved to the West Coast to pursue his music dreams.
Last night I saw Los Lobos in concert. I’ve seen them many times and they always crush it.
They opened for Little Feat, a band that has only one original member left. If it were up to me, the roles would be reversed. But I get the sense that the members of Los Lobos don’t really care about “headliner” status. They’ve come a long way from being a wedding band.
“If you were married between 1973 and 1980 in East L.A., we probably played your wedding.”
Louie Pérez
They’re not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Now there’s a real shame.
While regarded as highly influential and deserving by many, the iconic East L.A. band Los Lobos has surprisingly not yet been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after being eligible for almost 20 years
They haven’t gotten what they deserve – but that’s out of their hands. Instead, they use their hands, hearts and voices to always give the fans what they deserve: a stellar set of music.
Will the Wolf survive? Heck yeah! Not just survive, but thrive!
Gather round, kids. Grandpa Dubbatrubba’s gonna tell you about a time when there was this thing called “radio.” You could listen to “stations” that played different types of music – you know, like those Spotify “Daily Mix” playlists.
And certain stations — they were usually the small ones, semi-neglected ones, with weak signals, would play all sorts of music that other stations wouldn’t. Up-and-coming bands with weird names. It was called “college rock” and it was amazing.
And if you were a “college rock” band and you wanted to tour, you had to make connections with other like-minded bands. And maybe your parents helped out:
So much has changed about the music business. But there’s still room for “college rock” bands. And they still need friends and family to help promote them.
Buffalo Tom‘s new album Jump Rope came out on May 31st.
They’re still great.
They’re doing a bit of touring, mostly the East and West Coasts, with some European dates, and then a three-night homecoming festival near their Boston hometown.
Tell a buddy, and bring a friend.
Oh, and a bit closer to home, a band called The Collies has been added to the bill for a show at Madison Live in Covington, KY this Sunday. Father’s Day. My oldest son is in that band. They get a cut of the tickets they sell. Want one? Call the drummer’s dad. If you sound like you’re from the South, I’ll talk to you for an hour.
You done said…