I hope this wonderful weather we're experiencing continues all weekend. If you're looking for something to do, check out Cage The Elephant at the House of Blues this Saturday. The band was in town with Silversun Pickups about a year ago and from what I hear they put on a great show.

"Cage the Elephant’s raucous live show — which made this red-hot Kentucky-bred band the talk of this year’s South-by-Southwest music festival, and led USA Today to single them out as a band not to miss at 2009’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — is the perfect showcase for their buzzed-about self-titled debut album for Jive Records. Recorded over 10 days with Grammy Award-winning producer Jay Joyce, and a Top 40 hit when it was released on British indie label Relentless in the U.K. last June, the album is a genre-defying blend of rock n roll and raw youthful punk energy all propelled by Matt’s taunting, Dylan-esque rhythmic vocal delivery, Brad Shultz and Lincoln Parish’s furious twin guitar assault, and bassist Daniel Tichenor and drummer Jared Champion’s rock-steady funk grooves."

“The music comes from a pure place,” Matt says. We really like the energy of music that feels passionate, raw, unplanned emotion. That’s what we were really trying to capture in the studio.”

Even though I've seen G. Love & Special Sauce several times, I'm still excited for the show in Cleveland on Wednesday March 10th. They've always put on a great performance and I'm sure this show will be no different. Tickets are available at LiveNation.com

Opening act: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad

Wednesday 03/10/2010
Doors: 07:30 PM
Show: 08:30 PM
Prices:
$20.00 - GA standing room - Advance
$25.00 - GA standing room - Day of show
$29.50 - Balcony Reserved seating

Hope to see you there!

Irish folk rock band the Saw Doctors are playing a gig at the House of Blues in Cleveland. The band brings their hook-laden sounds of 1960s rock bands like the Beatles and the Byrds and the working-class imagery of Bruce Springsteen are combined with the musical traditions of Ireland and the intensity of punk rock by the Saw Doctors.

The Saw Doctors were a little-known local bar band in Tuam (pronounced "Chewam") in County Galway when they were invited by Mike Scott to be the opening act on the Waterboys' 1988 tour of Ireland and the United Kingdom. In the decade since, however, the Saw Doctors have emerged as the most successful Irish rock band since U2. The Washington Post referred to the Saw Doctors as "one of the world's most appealing roots rock outfits."

Here is ticketing information for the show:

The Strokes lead singer Julian Casablancas is supporting his first solo album with a lengthy tour that will stop in Cleveland in early April. The new album is called Phrases for the Young and is being offered for a special price on iTunes for only $4.99. Tickets for the Cleveland concert are on sale now and are priced at $19.50 with a four pack at $58.

Here are the complete tour dates:

These days there may be lots of rockers making kid-friendly records, but there is only one Ralph Covert, an irrepressibly enthusiastic performer who rocks just as hard for kids as he does for grown-ups. Ralph is bringing his show to the Cleveland area on Sunday April 18th at the Grog Shop.

Perma-grin on his face, lime-green Chuck Taylors on his feet even at the Grammies! his traveling circus of catchiness known as Ralph's World is equally loved by cool-seeking parents as it is by children, fortunate to be living in an era where their music both rocks and respects their intelligence and curiosity. Look no further than The New York Times, which said, in a front-page Arts section story, It is possible that Mr. Covert will turn out to be [the] genre s Elvis Presley, or at the very least its Elvis Costello. Covert is the ringmaster of a packed tent of creativity, even beyond Ralph s World. He s an award-winning playwright, has written books (including the circus-themed Sawdust and Spangles), music for dance and still plays gigs with his grown-up rock outfit, The Bad Examples to say nothing of the Ralph's World videos that put his winning personality into family rooms worldwide. Given all that, it s no wonder that Disney sought out the indefatigable performer for its Disney Sound label, which is releasing The Rhyming Circus, Ralph's World's latest.

Ben Folds has announced a concert date the House of Blues on April 15th. Over the last 15 years, Ben Folds’ first-class melodic gifts, irony-laced lyrics, and punk-rock tendency to play piano as if it were a contact sport have earned the North Carolina native a legion of devoted fans of all ages.

Folds has been going pretty much non-stop since the 2001 release of his debut solo album Rockin’ the Suburbs, which has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. In short order, Folds has released a live album (2002’s aptly titled Ben Folds Live) and a pioneering series of three Internet-only digital EP’s: Speed Graphic, Sunny 16, and Super D in 2003-2004; co-wrote and produced William Shatner’s 2004 solo album Has Been; released 2005’s pensive Songs for Silverman (which featured the Adult Top 40 hit “Landed”); contributed three original songs to the soundtrack for the 2006 film Over the Hedge; and produced a forthcoming solo album by Dresden Dolls frontwoman Amanda Palmer.

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson was recently asked by the Melbourne Sun what he thought of bands that ask for charity during their gigs. It hit a nerve with the 62 year as he replied:

"When I was a working man I didn't want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa. I'm sorry mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done.

"It just makes me angry. I become all tyrannical."

Johnson added that he does do charity himself but he and his band likes to do it privately. He put a parting shot at Bob Geldoff who helped stage the Live Aid concerts in the 80's by saying:

Heavy Metal Superstars Playing Tower City Amphitheatre

Slayer and Megadeth are thrilled to announce the new, confirmed routing for the American Carnage North American Tour, which will commence with the rescheduled Canadian Carnage East dates in Quebec City on Friday, July 23. Slayer will then head to Europe for a run of festival dates, returning to kick off the American Carnage leg in Albany, NY on August 11. American Carnage will play 26 dates across the United States and Eastern Canada up to the Labor Day weekend, ending in Portland, OR on September 4. Testament will be Special Guest on all shows. Tickets purchased for the American Carnage shows when they first went on sale late last year will be honored for these rescheduled dates. The tour will make a stop in Cleveland August 18th.

Due to venue availability and other conflicts, the shows originally scheduled in El Paso, Houston, Nashville, Duluth, and Louisville cannot be rescheduled at this time, and ticket holders may obtain refunds at point of purchase. However, new cities have been added to the American Carnage itinerary, with dates now scheduled in Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego, and Sacramento. The confirmed, complete itinerary is below.

Will Play Gig in Lorain in March

Rock royalty will be in Northeast Ohio on March 12th. Ray Davies, lead singer and songwriter for The Kinks - one of the most prolific and long-lived British Invasion bands, has announced a solo show at Lorain Palace Theatre. Tickets for the gig are priced at Reserved Seat Tickets:$39.50 / $55.00 at are available through Live Nation.

Tickets for the show in the Cleveland area go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. Here is a complete rundown on tour dates:

Pierre Boulez leads The Cleveland Orchestra in program featuring Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn at Severance Hall on February 11, 12, and 13th

In the second week of Cleveland concerts marking the 85th birthday year and the 45th anniversary year of Pierre Boulez’s American professional orchestra debut with The Cleveland Orchestra, the conductor/composer will lead the Orchestra in a program of music by Mahler at Severance Hall on Thursday, February 11; Friday, February 12; and Saturday, February 13, at 8:00 p.m. Mr. Boulez will also conduct the Orchestra in an all-French program on February 4, 6, and 7. (A separate concert announcement has been issued.)

The program for February 11, 12, and 13 begins with Gustav Mahler’s Adagio from Symphony No. 10 in F-sharp major. After intermission, the program concludes with Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn (“The Youth’s Magic Horn”), Songs for Voice and Orchestra. Vocal soloists joining the Orchestra will be mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená, in her Cleveland Orchestra debut, and baritone Christian Gerhaher.