CLEVELAND SESSIONS

Live webcasts, concert video, event schedule and band blogs

Cleveland Sessions: Hot Cha Cha, Miss Melvis and the Buford Pusser Experience to perform Aug. 27

by John Benson - Special to The Plain Dealer

Sunday August 24, 2008, 4:30 PM

On the Cleveland Sessions stage: This week's Cleveland Sessions performance, 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, features Cleveland act Hot Cha Cha, which recently released its debut EP "Rifle, I Knew You When You Were Just a Pistol." Formed just a year ago, the quartet -- Mandy Aramouni (guitar), Jovana Batkovic (vocals), Lisa Paulovcin (drums) and Heather Gmucs (bass)-- features a gritty indie rock vibe. Also on the bill are Miss Melvis and the Buford Pusser Experience. You can watch the action live for free at the Rock Hall.

HOT CHA CHA: J'ACUSSE

'Cleveland Sessions' Featured Indie-Minded Rain and Garage-Rock Yawns

by John Benson

Wednesday August 13, 2008, 9:51 PM

Considering showers were a distinct possibility, it was a perfect evening for Rock Hall officials to feature local bands Expecting Rain and the Dreadful Yawns for the eighth "Cleveland Sessions" concert series Wednesday night (August 13) at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Even though Mother Nature may have forced the bi-monthly event indoors, a decent sized audience did show up to hear the evening of free music. Expecting Rain opened with "Tonight," which is from the group's recent album "Saint Cecilia Sound System." The band set the evening tempo with simple guitar chords and warm keyboard sounds, which built into a nice groove while singer-guitarist Nick Tolar sang his lyrics with a detached, nearly unemotional flair. Eventually the song took an unexpected turn into Death Cab for Cutie territory with its extended guitar-led ending.

"This was great," said Expecting Rain lyricist Tony Vorell. "I saw Andrew W.K. here like five years ago. I also saw The Skatalites here. It's really cool that established Cleveland bands have done this, so it gives us a path to follow."

Continue reading "'Cleveland Sessions' Featured Indie-Minded Rain and Garage-Rock Yawns" »

Dreadful Yawns, Expecting Rain to perform Aug. 13 at Rock Hall

by John Benson/Special to The Plain Dealer

Friday August 08, 2008, 9:58 AM

On the Cleveland Sessions stage: This week's Cleveland Sessions performance, 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, features indie rock act Dreadful Yawns, which recently released its fourth studio effort "Take Shape," and Lakewood-based indie folk-act Expecting Rain. Watch the action live for free at the Rock Hall or by visiting this page.

'Cleveland Sessions' Provides Launching Pad for Hard Rock Noise

by John Benson

Wednesday July 30, 2008, 9:51 PM

Humid air and crazy sounds loomed heavy in the downtown Cleveland air for the seventh "Cleveland Sessions" concert series, which took place Wednesday night (July 30) with performances from Clan of the Cave Bear, Self Destruct Button and National Suicide Day on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Key Plaza.

A quintessentially unpredictable Northeast Ohio day, featuring bouts of rain, clear skies and above-normal temperatures, carried over into the live local music on the shores of Lake Erie.

Loud, distorted and chaotic, Clan of the Cave Bear ripped through its 20-minute set with ferocious intensity. The duo - drummer John Delzoppo and guitarist Brendan Sedlak - defined the notion of experimental hard rock with moments of psychedelic din morphed into heavy grooves.

Continue reading "'Cleveland Sessions' Provides Launching Pad for Hard Rock Noise" »

Sessions archive featuring National Suicide Day, Self Destruct Button and Clan of the Cave Bear

by cleveland.com

Wednesday July 30, 2008, 3:57 PM

Click the play button below to watch the Cleveland Sessions concert series archive from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame featuring National Suicide Day, Self Destruct Button and Clan of the Cave Bear.

Cleveland Sessions Podcast: National Suicide Day thrives with blend of dark, brooding rock

by Michael Norman/Plain Dealer Online A&E Editor

Tuesday July 29, 2008, 3:10 PM

This week's Cleveland Sessions headliner is National Suicide Day, a Cleveland-based trio that's been creating a buzz with its dark, blend of brooding rock. The band is guitarist-vocalist Jason Conrad Schafer, bassist-vocalist Lawrence Daniel Caswell and drummer Sean Djuricic.

They will be performing Wednesday, July 30, on the main stage at the Rock Hall as part of the Cleveland Sessions, a new concert series sponsored by the Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com and the Rock Hall.

Plain Dealer Online Arts & Entertainment Editor Michael Norman spoke with Schafer and Caswell about the band, it's upcoming album, "Peacefield." You can hear the podcast by clicking the player below.

This week at Rock Hall: National Suicide Day, Self Destruct Button and Clan of the Cave Bear

by John Benson - Special to The Plain Dealer

Tuesday July 29, 2008, 9:55 AM

On the Cleveland Sessions stage: This week's "Cleveland Sessions" performance, 7 p.m., Wednesday at the Rock and roll Hall of Fame, features a triple bill of local music. The show includes the soul shaking National Suicide Day, which includes Northeast Ohio music scene veterans Lawrence Daniel Caswell (This Moment In Black History, Lives Of The Saints), Jason Conrad Schafer (Lives Of The Saints) and Sean M.F. Djuricic (Interfuse), as well as the experimental sounding Self Destruct Button and Clan of the Cave Bear. You can watch the action live for free at the Rock Hall or by coming back to this page at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 30.