CLEVELAND LOCAL BANDS

Rock Bands, Concerts and Live Music

Wearing their influences on their sleeves, the Red Giant members - Alex Perekrest (guitar, vocals), Brian Skinner (bass), Damien Perry (guitar, vocals) and Eric Matthews (drums) - play a vital role in the local music scene with their unique, amalgamative sound that caters to many different audiences.

"With us, we've never been strictly punk, strictly metal, strictly hard rock," Perekrest said. "We try to warp all of those styles and influences into one sound, and within one song at times. It can go from a slow, plotting, dirgy Black Sabbath thing into just revved up, full-go Sex Pistols or Black Flag. I guess that's just how it is with us. We have an equal amount of love for all of those different styles. It's not a pair of pants you put on or a haircut, it's just everything that is loud and guitar based.

He added, "Not pretentious shit, just heavy, fun stuff and that's pretty much what we're doing. We're turning our amps up and not getting quiet for any moment in time and just blasting through."

Co-headliners, Second Hand Serenade and Cute Is What We Aim For know how to draw a young crowd. Despite frigid weather and it being a school night, the underage set came out in full force to see these pop rock heartbreakers.

rdouglasAutomatic Loveletter

First off, they're fronted by a girl who can sing like nobody's business. Paramore's Hayley Williams might have a run for her title as pop-rock's residing teen queen. Juliet Simms , 22, has a voice that would make any 13-year old fan weep.

Simm's raspy-edged, sometimes Avril Lavigne-sounding vocals were impressively dynamic. The board had a lot of reverb on her, but she would have sounded good without it. Performing well-written songs with a lot of energy and emotion--every teen fan's number one song requirement--didn't hurt either. Her band, including brother Tommy Simms on lead guitar, played pretty tight even without the aid of missing-in-action back up tracts.

Surprisingly, the headliner's were a less exciting bunch. Buffalo, NY-based Cute Is What We Aim For took the stage following Automatic and delivered a set of entertaining pop-rock tunes that were even occasionally musically surprising.

rdouglasCute Is What We Aim For

Mid-set, lead singer Shaant Hacikyan made a geographical faux pas declaring the Canton-native Marilyn Manson was from Cleveland. Whoops. Do your homework next time Hacikyan.

John Vesely's acoustic rock solo project, Second Hand Serenade ended the night. Serenade struck me as a ho-hum copy cat of Chris Carrabba's Dashboard Confessional. Popular with teens, Vesely, a San Fransisco native became an internet sensation in 2005 via MySpace plays.

rdouglasCute Is What We Aim For

rdouglasSecondhand Serenade

Spreading his creative musical wings is how ekoostik hookah's Dave Katz explains his side project Katz-n-Jammers, which is scheduled to play Nov. 22 at Winchester Tavern & Music Hall.

"It's kind of an alternative outlet for my music, so it just gives me a chance to play some different songs I've written that don't really fit the vein of ekoostik hookah," said Katz, a Shalersville resident. "And it gives me a chance to rework some of my songs I do play with ekoostik hookah.

He added, "I guess what it comes down to, I grew up listening to a lot of different things and a lot of my favorite types of music were more in that vein, they weren't as jam band-oriented. In Katz-n-Jammers, there's still a lot of jamming going on. But it kind of gives me this creative outlet that lets me mimic a little more a lot of things I used to listen to or still do like. I've always been into horns bands like old Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago and stuff like that."

James Blaque, soul-meets-rock

Hometown: Cleveland

Years performing: 10

Day gig: professional musician

For Cleveland native James Penn, the transformation from musician to new stage persona James Blaque has been a seamless evolution. "I've been performing since I was 15 years old," said Penn, a 1994 John Marshall High School graduate. "I was playing a lot overseas, in Germany and Italy, as part of a group, and some on my own. Then I began working with [Cleveland soul-R&B singer] Conya Doss. I started out as a background singer, then bassist and music director, and now I'm producing her projects. Currently, I'm going into my own artistry. For my debut, 'H.i.s.s.t.o.r.y,' I wrote and produced 90 percent of the record. It's a little bit of Marvin Gaye-meets-Jimi Hendrix. Because of my vocal abilities, it's always going to be soulful." Blaque's first album, which is tentatively due out in the spring, features the rocking "Electric Lady" and the smooth soul sounds of lead single "It Must Be You." You can see Blaque open for Doss at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern, 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland. Also on the bill is Poetic Republic. Tickets are $15 advance, $20 day of show. Call 216-383-1124.

Up, up and away: While Royal Suburban Sky members -- Mark Davidson (bass, vocals), Brook Rodia (guitar, vocals) and Suede Brothers member Mike Varga (drums) -- may cite familiar influences, the trio is hoping its sound transcends any local genres. "We play indie alternative music with a little bit of a hint of blues," said Davidson, a 2008 Mentor High School graduate and current Kent State University student. "We get compared to Jimi Hendrix mixed with The White Stripes, and right now we're working on our first album. We're unlike really any other band in our scene." Songs scheduled to be on the band's new album include the acoustic "Wildflower," dirty blues sounding "Abandon" and the in-your-face "Breakaway." Royal Suburban Sky is scheduled to play at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Roc Bar, 1220 Old River Road, Cleveland. Also on the bill are The Brain Brothers, Bessy Lous and Sean Stark. Tickets are $5. Call 216-771-6655.

With his ear to the ground, singer-guitarist Jann Klose continues to provide an eclectic array of sounds and styles on his solo albums.

"The root is in rock music, definitely," said Klose, calling from New York City. "It's rock, blues and jazz, but because I listen to so many types of music and I've picked up on a lot of different kinds of music, it has leanings towards world, folk and even jam. It's a real mix of styles."

Finding light at the end of the tunnel is how At No End singer Jack Sabolich describes the writing process behind his thrash-hardcore band's sophomore album "Urban Holocaust," which is due out in early 2009.

"This CD is very, very deep," said steelworker by day, singer by night Sabolich, a 1988 Cleveland Central Catholic High School graduate. "It touches on what's happening in the streets around where I grew up in Slavic Village, and deals with a lot of personal issues too. From my wife fighting cancer to my alcoholism, I think it's the best writing we've ever done during the five years we've been together."