Snuck Up On You

#3 in an ongoing series from Junk Drawer contributor RW about his experience working @ The Beachland Tavern in Cleveland, OH.

 

Sometimes it takes a while to get in the groove. It might take half a set to get into a band, especially one that plays a genre you're not into. That's what a lot of the bartenders at the Beachland say.

 

Sometimes what wins you over is the fact that they're working so hard, sometimes it's how enthusiastic they are about what they're doing.

 

Diego Garcia was both. It was a damn cold night in Cleveland. I think everyone was a bit grim. I certainly was, sitting at the door, cursing everyone who came in and lowered my body temperature.

 

I definitely wasn't up for romantic latin ballads. But Garcia and his band were so obviously into the music, so happy to be playing even to a small crowd in Cleveland that it became contagious.

 

Diego Garcia - "Roses and Wine"

 

 

Diego Garcia - "All Eyes on You"

 

 

 

The other band that comes to mind is Angela Perley and the Howlin' Moons. I mean, I like my share of honky tonk, but to be honest, I hardly have any in my music collection, but the guitar player in the band was just blistering that night.

 

Angela Perley & The Howlin' Moons - "18 Feet Under"

 

 

It was country and rock, and we all loved it.  

The Family You Choose

#2 in an ongoing series from Junk Drawer contributor RW about his experience working at The Beachland Tavern in Cleveland, OH.

A jam band is playing in the ballroom. This means there are more blonde dreadlocks, hula hoops  and Cat in the Hat hats than usual at the Beachland tonight.

I'm working the door, checking ID's, making sure people can find the bathrooms and the bar, though not in that order. I wish I was working the Tavern though.

Night Sweats is headlining there (We have two venues, the intimate tavern and the ballroom). And I was hoping to get a look at  Bobbypins debut performance. They are the opener and consist of two regulars here at the club and one of our bartenders, Lyndsey. Actually both bands have staff members in them. Jeff, a manager here plays bass in Night Sweats.

 

No surprise really, club workers in bands. Terry and Melanie (a bartender and a manager) are thinking of forming a band simply because they are some of the few employees who aren't already in one. Of course, they're visual artists, so they're pretty darn close.

It's nice to see everyone supporting each other. Jeff supporting Lyndsey by inviting her band to open for his, the kitchen crew coming out after the kitchen closes to yell “Yes!!” at his band's every screaming punk riff.

A music club can become a bit of a family for the people working there – yes it's a fucked-up dysfunctional family, but what family isn't? The advantage, here at the Beachland at least, is that most every family member is connected by a love of music.

Night Sweats is singing a song called “Piss,” and everyone here feels like they are just where they belong.

Reports from the Beachland with RW

Exciting news here at the Junk Drawer - we have a guest contributor!

My good buddy RW lives in Cleveland and he will be telling us about shows that he sees and other observations from his job at the Beachland.  

That is all I am going to put out as an introduction because I hope my faithful readers that don't already know RW will get to know him and the Cleveland music scene through his writing.  

Thursday 21 November 2013 at the Beachland

Saw Mono. For some reason they didn't do it for me tonight. I've always liked their approach to songs: quiet beginnings that lead to cacophonous walls of sound. 

But tonight the quiet beginnings struck me as precious. They didn't grab me, and I found myself twiddling my fingers, waiting for the feedback.

I remain a fan.

The surprise of the evening was Mick Turner, who opened. I wasn't familiar with him at all. In fact, I thought I'd missed the opening act completely. I thought the older guy on stage was sound-checking Mono's instruments.

He was doing the one-man band act, creating drum rhythms, loops, all with a lyrical and sometimes blistering guitar over the top. It was engaging and beautiful. I think I saw a member of Mono watching admiringly from behind the sound booth.