Kool and the Gang, featuring ABB’s Digital Output – George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX – March 4, 2015

Our North America CEO, Greg Scheu, introduced Digital Output as ABB’s in-house band out of Wickliffe, Ohio at our 2015 Automation & Power World.  The crowd looked on with reluctant curiousity, waiting out the time until the headliner would come on.  But once the team of ABB employees took the stage, opening with ZZ Top’s Tush, curiousity turned to disbelief….the band was actually good!  No, wait, they were GREAT!



I’ve seen my colleagues play at three or four charity events in the past, a somewhat piecemeal arrangement of engineers from different departments who happen to also play instruments or sing.  I have always been impressed with the way they could pull together and produce great music, but the venues were small, and deficiencies in sound or talent could easily be overcome.  However, when we put them up on a professional stage in front of 3,000+ colleagues, channel partners, and customers, they proved that they were meant to be together.

The band is made up of Roy Tanner (bass, vocals), Patrick Farmer (guitar), Shouresh Amir-Tahmasseb (guitar), Rich Beattie (keyboards, drums), Rick Dolezal (harmonica), Art Lazar (drums), Dave “DW” Smith (drums, vocals),  Wayne Hightower (vocals), and David Farrah (vocals).  They did a good job with the arrangement, substituting band members for different songs without disrupting the flow of the performance.



Roy is the band’s front-man, handling lead vocals on many of the songs, and carrying a very good bass.  Shouresh brought the house down with his guitar solo, Van Halen’s Eruption, and Wayne and DW wooed the crowd with their vocals on hits like Dock of the Bay.  Rick’s harmonica blended nicely, even on tunes that don’t traditionally have the instrument, and he had a few opportunities to shine with solos throughout the evening.  Farmer was killing it on lead guitar, bursting out a some of his own solo riffs as well.  Rich Beattie, possibly the most musically talented member of all, did a fantastic job on drums and keyboards.  The drums were shared by Rich, Art, and DW throughout the night.  The young member, David Farrah, closed the performance with lead vocals on the Beatles’ Hey Jude.

In the end, Digital Output brought the house down!  Customers and ABB employees were all smiling and complimenting the band and its members following the performance.  I suggested to Greg that for the next Automation and Power World we just have a Battle of the ABB Bands, rather than paying for a big name…

…speaking of big names, Kool and the Gang also played.



The band members actually looked much younger than I expected, and their sound was very good.  They had about nine members, including lots of brass.  Once again I was surprised by the number of tunes that I knew from the ’80’s.  Kool and the Gang brought the whole crowd to the front of the stage, and there was a lot of dancing among individuals who probably don’t dance too often in front of their peers…probably had something to do with the free alchohol!

The band closed with their mega-hit, Celebration.  I have to admit, although Kool was pretty good, I was tied up in conversation most of the rest of the evening, mainly talking about the superb performance of our local Wickliffe band, Digital Output!

JACster

South Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes – Hard Rock Rocksino – August 24, 2014

Thank you to Gary Lobaza for inviting me out to see South Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the new Hard Rock Rocksino.  This was my first concert at this new venue, conveniently located about 15 minutes from my home!  The sound quality was great.  You could hear every instrument and vocal.

This was my first real exposure to SSJ.  I’ve heard many of his songs, but have never owned any of his albums, tapes, CD’s, downloads, etc., nor have I followed him or seen him in concert.  He is a mix between James Brown and Bruce Springsteen.  While I was listening to his party tunes I sorta longed to hear The Boss, but I kept coming back to the here and now and I enjoyed their entertainment.  Lots of keyboards and brass, light on guitar, but overall a very enjoyable, sing-along show.

I wouldn’t think he will be touring for much longer, so get out and see him while you can.

JACster

Boston – Jacobs Pavilion – August 19, 2014

Boston was the first concert my wife and I attended together around 1985.  It was either at Akron’s James A Rhodes Arena, or at Richfield Colosseum.  The biggest memory is that it was the loudest concert I ever attended.  My ears rang for at least a week after that.

I know the original band does not exist anymore, and with the passing of Brad Delp the vocals were in jeopardy.  But I love their music and looked forward to hearing it again…loud. 

Jacobs Pavilion is outside on the Cuyahoga River, and a big storm was coming in.  Security said the show will go on, and Boston wanted to start on time (8PM) and get the whole show in.  And they did.  Around 8:20 it began to pour outside, but inside the Pavilion we stayed dry.  Boston played through the storm unhampered.  When the show was over, the rain had turned to a light sprinkle, and the fans all got to their cars and out of the venue without getting wet!

Boston started with a Tom Scholz guitar solo that led into Rock N Roll Band (from what I saw on Youtube, this is how they have started every concert since the ’80’s).  It was all rock and roll from there.  Heavy, heavy guitar.  Melt-in-your-mouth guitar!  Tom and Gary Pihl carried the show and never let us down.

Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, but I have to say that the vocals were pretty disappointing.  The male lead singer didn’t come close to Delp’s range, and the two female back-ups didn’t have Delp’s lower register, so no single performer could match Brad’s original vocals.  That’s okay…your mind fills in what is lacking in a concert.  The main thing is that the instrumentation was authentic and great.

Tom is wearing a knee brace on his left leg, and he has his left forearm wrapped to combat tendonitis….reminds me of myself…getting older, but still pushing hard.  I love the fact that he enjoys sharing his music with the world.  If you get a chance to see them while they are still performing, it’s worth it.  

JACster

Little Big Town w/ Chris Stapleton and Sam Hunt – Jacobs Pavilion – July 12, 2014

Took Lisa and our youngest daughters, Sarah and Rachel, to see Little Big Town.  It was a beautiful evening in downtown Cleveland at Jacobs Pavilion.

Sam Hunt is new on the scene as a country performer, but he is known for writing many big country hits, like Keith Urban’s Cop Car.  He played several well-known songs that he wrote for popular artists, as well as a few new ones that will come out on his own album.  House Party was a favorite that you will soon hear.

Chris Stapleton took the stage after Hunt, and played some great southern rock.  He sang a song for whiskey drinkers, but hit the breaks on his show when he played a slow blues song that about put the audience to sleep.  He quickly recovered with You Should Probably Leave, Livin on Georgia Time (great song!), and he finished with a Waylon Jennings ballad (another let down).

Little Big Town (LBT) started with a great instrumental intro, then sang Turn the Lights On, followed by their maga hit, Day Drinkin’.  They played all of their own hits, but my favorite of the night was their Fleetwood Mac cover, The Chain.  Awesome!  After a slow ballad (another speed bump to the night) they finished strong with Tornado, Pontoon, and Boondocks.

Great performance.  Fun time.  (Forgot my good camera, so had to settle for iPhone pics.)

JACster

 

Maroon 5 w/ Kelly Clarkson – Blossom Music Center – August 26, 2013

We arrived in a party bus full of adults and their 17-year-old daughters through the Valley Gate of Blossom Music Center.  We enjoyed the show from the mosh pit!  Great view.  Wasn’t there to see Kelly, but I wasn’t disappointed with her performance.  Maroon 5 played very good music.  Adam Levine was the attraction of the crowd, but I was there for some of their older tunes, which they played.  Great evening out with friends.

 

JACster

Daughtry w/ 3 Doors Down – Jacobs Pavilion – August 3, 2013

Best venue in Cleveland.  Rockin’ night!

JACster

 

Aaron Lewis w/ Brother Trouble, Jerod Ashley, and Post Road – Perici Amphitheatre, Twinsburg, OH – June 28, 2013

 

 

 

 

Perici Amphitheatre is a small outdoor venue in the woods of Twinsburg, Ohio.  If it wasn’t for the Aaron Lewis show coming to town, I would have never known about it.  Great evening of country music.  Introduced to some excellent local Cleveland bands.  Check them all out.  Aaron was fantastic once again.

 

JACster.

Muse w/ Dead Sara @ Quicken Loans Arena – February 28, 2013

Cold night in downtown Cleveland, but many people were out on this Thursday night as a city-wide dining promotion was going on at local restaurants.  We had a nice dinner at Flannery’s Pub (we were told over 1/2 hour wait, but it took about 10 minutes), one of our favorite dining spots on the corner of 4th and Prospect.

Dead Sara was the opening band.  I knew one of their songs, Weatherman, and was aware they had a female lead singer, but I was surprised to notice after a couple of songs (the lights were very low) that their lead guitarist was also a woman.  She played okay, but the music was mostly cords and rhythm guitar.  The lead singer, Emily Armstrong, has a powerful voice, and she rocked a lot like Janice Joplin, although you couldn’t make out any of lyrics.  Their live performance was okay, but I could barely make out the melody in most of their songs. They came on a little early, and played a surprisingly short set.  They finished with their hit, The Weatherman.

Following a long pause, Muse came on and rocked the house for almost two full hours.  I loved their mix of techno pop and rock.  Their stage show was pretty amazing.  Their video display was in the form of an upside-down pyramid that expanded and collapsed into the ceiling.  And around the circular stage was a 4-foot wall of video projection screens.  They had lots of lights, lasers, and fog to round out the special affects.  Add in lights on their guitars and drums.

I’ve been into their music pretty heavy lately, and my wife surprised me with tickets on Valentine’s Day.  I like the lead guitar of front-man, Matthew Bellamy, and I had downloaded about a dozen of their songs over the past few years.  I picked up a few other favorites at the concert that I’ll add to my collection. 

Muse definitely put on a great show.  The music was loud and sternum-pounding, the way I like it…followed by muffled hearing after the show.  The crowed on the first level of the Q stood for the entire show, and we never sat down.  They kept the energy going through the encore.  Go see them if you get the chance.

Set list:

Unsustainable
Supremacy
Super Massive Black Hole
Panic Station
Resistance
Star Spangled Banner (guitar solo)
Hysteria
Animals
Knights of Cydonia
Monty Jam
Explorers
Follow Me
Liquid State
Madness
Undisclosed Desires
Time Is Running Out
Stockholm Syndrome
Uprising
Encore:
Starlight
Survival

Train – Jacobs Pavilion @ Nautica – August 16, 2012

Train is one of my favorite small-venue groups. Their music is great for live a live performance, everyone knows the lyrics, and even the songs you don’t know are fun to hear.

Lisa and I took Sarah and Rachel, and they each took a friend. (I only saw one concert in high school (Journey in 1982), and these girls have been to about a dozen each!)

I can’t say enough how much I love this small venue at Jacobs Pavilion. This is our favorite, so we look for at least one show each summer to enjoy the outdoors down by the river. The weather was perfect, not hot or cool, probably in the 70’s all evening. Parking and exit are simple, and all seats are GREAT for seeing and hearing the show.

Train played a long performance, highlighted by Pat Monahan singing a duet with his 11-year-old daughter. They played all of their top stuff, like Save Me San Francisco, Calling All Angels, and their latest hit, Drive. Awesome band, awesome show. I’d recommend them in any venue, in any town.

JACster

Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw – Cleveland Browns Stadium – July 29, 2012

This was a scorcher! Probably the hottest weather I’ve ever endured for a concert. Lisa and I went to Browns Stadium with daughters, Sarah and Rachel…all Chesney/McGraw fans. We parked in the Port Authority lot and enjoyed the tailgating…people in Cleveland would tailgate for a funeral!

Did I mention it was hot?? Must have been 95 degrees, and the concert started at 4PM with the sun up high, and it never went down until after 8:30PM. Our seats were about the 50 yard line, at the top of the first level. View was pretty good, but we were on the South side facing the sun. Keeping comfortable was an issue until after dark. People were fighting the heat with alcohol, which turned out to be a big problem for some later on. Like our neighbor in our row. He started throwing up on his own sandaled feet about the time Tim McGraw came on. If you want to see a row of people clear out quickly….

Anyway, the two warm-up (not that we needed any warming up) performers, which I can no longer remember, were just okay. Nothing like the headliners.

Chesney opened up with the Zac Brown Band hit, Toes, and he played all of his classic beach tunes, plus his latest top song, Come Over. I think the performance was enjoyable.

Tim McGraw followed, wearing ALL WHITE. Not too many people can pull off the “ice cream man” look, but the women all seemed to enjoy it. I guess he did have his signature black hat on. Anyway, a typical McGraw performance, although I was extremely disappointed when he FORGOT THE LYRICS to one of his oldest and best hits, The Cowboy In Me. He laughed it off, but it ruined the song for me…and since that’s my favorite McGraw tune, it spoiled the whole performance.

These guys are great performers, but I’ve seen them both at least twice, and that will be the last. There are many other country artists I’d rather spend my money on the next time.

JACster

Craig Morgan & Chris Young – Grand ole Opry – March 20, 2012

Concessions
Crowd – mild, diverse, inquisitive,

jannie seely – writer, singer; not young;

Dailey and Vincent – old time, twangy country; music sold thru Cracker Barrel; mostly gospel; bluegrass strings

John Conlee – old, short; pants too high, grouchy voice, tenor , Stuff That Works

(so far all old time country…)

Steve Wariner – younger (40’s); tall, guitar player, Burning the Roadhouse Down, 4 Grammies,

The Whites – three homely, middle-aged women on guitars or percussion and their father on piano, folky music, average harmony, 28 years as members of GOO

(commercials between sets are read by an MC just like we were listening to radio! Bass Pro Shop, Cracker Barrel, etc)

Craig Morgan -finally, contemporary country music! What I Love About Sundays, this is much better, stopped show so guy in audience could propose…, Red Neck Yaught Club, great song, This Old Boy,

Chris Young – Voices, Gettin’ You Home, Neon, You

Could have just came for the last two acts and would have been just as good.

JACster

Winter Jam 2011 ft. Skillet – Wolsteine Center 01/29/2011

I took my daughter, Meagan, and her friend to a $10 Christian rock concert.  There were about 10 acts, but I really wanted to see Skillet live.  I was very impressed by their performance and sound.  Great show!  Top songs were Awake & Alive, and Monster.  I’d pay normal ticket prices to see them as a headliner any day!

 

 

JACster

Staind w/ Aranda and Egypt Central – Cleveland House of Blues 12/06/2011

Aaron Lewis was back with his band, Staind, for another Cleveland show at the House of Blues.  Enjoyed a great night of rocking from the premium balcony seats and the comfort of the HOB Foundation Room before and after the show.  This is the best venue in Cleveland for an intimate show.  They played several songs from their latest album, edgy, but good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aranda and Egypt Central were decent bands.  I look forward to hearing more out of them as they progress in their respective careers.

JACster

Rock Allegieance Tour ft. Papa Roach, Buckcherry, Puddle of Mudd – Sept 17, 2011 – Classic Park Eastlake, OH

I arrived a little late to catch the end of Alien Ant Farm playing Smooth Criminal…I guess that’s the only song of theirs I would know anyway.  The biggest disappointment was missing Red, a band I’ve wanted to see for a long time, and who all of the other attendees had high praise for their performance.

But the night was not wasted, because I was able to catch two of the top current alternative rock artists from a very close distance in front of the stage:  Buckcherry and Papa Roach.  I’ve seen Buckcherry at least once before, but I have to say that being up close is much better.  We left the comfort of our suite on this cool evening and ventured down to the field of Classic Park where the Lake County Captains, a single-A team for the Cleveland Indians, play their home games.  Since the ball season is over, the infield did not need to be covered.  The stage was setup on second base, and the infield was full of about 3,000 jumping, screaming, moshing fans.

Puddle of Mudd was okay…we watched most from afar behind the crowd.  But we moved in close for Buckcherry and Papa Roach.  The pictures tell it all.  Both bands rocked the crowd.  Whenever the mosh pit stopped bouncing off of each other, we quickly filled the open void and moved up forward toward the stage until we were just a few rows back.

Papa Roach was my favorite.  I loved their hard core songs, like Kick in the Teeth, Forever, my favorite, Lifeline, and the hip-hop Last Resort, which they played as their finale.  While either could have been the headliner, Papa Roach out-rocked Buckcherry by just a small amount.  I would definitely catch Papa Roach the next time they headline in Cleveland.  Buckcherry makes a good second chair, like when they opened for Nickelback a couple of years ago.

JACster

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Kid Rock w/ Sheryl Crow – Blossom Music Center – Aug 16, 2011

I was a little reluctant to take my wife to see Kid Rock in concert, ’cause I knew it would include a lot of profanity and some music that is outside of her comfort zone.  However, Sheryl Crow was a good draw for her, so we made this our one outdoor concert event for the summer.

In the end, I’ve gotta move Kid Rock toward the top of my top live performances!  He brought the house down with a heavy mix of hip hop and classic rock.  I was impressed by his diversity in playing guitar, drums, keyboards, and other instruments in addition to his vocals.  He even took over the DJ job and scratched like Mr. Han for one song.

Not only did I enjoy his classic rock tunes, like Bawitdaba, Devil Without a Cause, and American Bad Ass, but I was introduced to some of his earlier material that I was not familiar with.  Kid Rock has earned his self-imposed title, and at 40 years old he is still rocking like he is in his 20’s.  He celebrated his 40th on this tour with a montage video of all of his albums and pictures that span his career, including shots with many big name artists whose paths he has crossed along the way.

It was a super-charged, hard core rock show.  I was also impressed with Sheryl Crow.  It was surprising how many of her songs that I actually knew.  She has a great voice, and she rocked more than I expected.  She joined Kid Rock for their popular duet, Picture, then Kid Rock did his encore, which included a raga version of All Summer Long.

I’ll also give a call out to the opening act, Leroy Powell and the Messengers.  This southern rock trio sounded very much like a rocking ZZ Top.  Their music was crisp, clear, and very good.  Check them out.

I will definitely catch Kid Rock the next time he comes to Cleveland!

JACster

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Stone Temple Pilots – Classic Park, Eastlake, OH (July 19, 2011)

It was a very hot and humid evening for an outdoor concert, but fortunately we had a suite at the Captains’ stadium for the STP show. We packed the air-conditioned suite with 15 out-of-town ABB salesmen, plus a handful of local fans of the band. We sat comfortably in the air conditioning, or outside on the shaded deck while watching the opening bands, and looking down on the hard-core STP fans who stood in the sun to be front-stage for STP (who didn’t come on until around 9:30PM after the sun went down).

There were two opening bands, Finding Clyde and Rose Hill Drive. Finding Clyde was actually very good, and memorable, but Rose Hill Drive was not impressive at all.

As predicted from the Captains’ staff members, STP arrived in four buses just in time for their set (actually about 15 minutes late). I think they were waiting until it was completely dark outside to enhance the light show experience. Either way, it was no problem for us, we just ordered more beer and ice. The band rocked the house. I’ve never been a big STP fan. When I listen to their music, after three or four songs I wonder if my iPod was set on repeat, because they start to sound the same. They are better live, and those who walked down to join the 1500 people in front of the stage said the sound was much better from there. I enjoyed the show from the suite-level. They were never on my list of top bands to see, but I’m glad I got the chance so I could check them off of my “has seen” list. I probably wouldn’t pay to go see them at The Q or Blossom, but I would welcome seeing them again if they opened up for someone bigger, like Nickelback or Staind.

STP Setlist
1.Crackerman Play Video
2.Wicked Garden Play Video
3.Vasoline Play Video
4.Heaven and Hot Rods Play Video
5.Between the Lines Play Video
6.Hickory Dichotomy Play Video
7.Still Remains Play Video
8.Big Empty Play Video
9.Silvergun Superman Play Video
10.Plush Play Video
11.Interstate Love Song Play Video
12.Big Bang Baby Play Video
13.Down Play Video
14.Sex Type Thing Play Video
Encore:
15.Dead & Bloated Play Video
16.Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart Play Video

JACster

Aaron Lewis with Alexa Carter – Cleveland House of Blues (July 12, 2011)

 

Aaron Lewis at Cleveland HOB

This was the third time my wife, Lisa, and I saw Aaron Lewis in an accoustic show at the House of Blues.  The mellow atmosphere makes for a great date night in downtown Cleveland in the summer.  He played several songs from his lateste solo country album, like Massachusetts, Country Boy, and The Story Never Ends.  I was a little disappointed that he didn’t play Tangled Up in You, my favorite off the new album.  He played several cover songs, or portions of cover songs, like he normally does.  He likes to surprise the crowd with Cindy Lauper’s Time After Time.  He played less Staind tunes than normal.  I wanted to hear a couple classics, like Everything Changes, or at least their 2008 single, Believe. 

Regardless of the song selection, his performance never lets you down.  Aaron has a great voice and keeps the show very intimate.  My biggest issue is with the crowds at these shows.  People just talk and talk through the whole performance, which is meant to be very quiet, so it becomes very disruptive.  Every show I have seen Aaron has had to tell someone in the crowd to shut up.  The venues need to do a better job at controlling the crowds at these events (hear that, HOB?).

Alexa Carter at Cleveland HOB

The BIGGEST SURPRISE of the night was Alexa Carter.  This is the first time Aaron has ever had an opening act, and this was Alexa’s first live performance.  She did a wonderful job, and her original songs were very good.  According to her web site she will work on he first studio album once she is done touring with Aaron, so I look forward to hearing more from Alexa.

Anyway, I would see Aaron Lewis alone or with Staind anytime.  Great show.

JACster

Cheap Trick & Squeeze

Last Saturday Lisa and I went downtown to the House of Blues with Greg and Joann Branstetter to see Squeeze and Cheap Trick.  We used a show from our Live Nation HOB package, so Lisa and I were in the balcony.  Greg and Joann opted for the mosh pit.  Prior to the show we enjoyed East 4th Street and the beautiful July weather, and had dinner outside on the patio.

 

I wrote a quick review online for Cleveland Scene, but it appears I offended a couple of really hard core Cheap Trick fans.  I actually enjoyed their set, but was a little critical of their chosen play list (seemed to choose less-popular hits to reward long-time, dedicated fans), the lead singer’s vocals (Robin Zander), and the rustiness of the lead guitarist (Rick Nielsen).  The gents who read my blog accused me of being deaf and attending a different show.  I guess it’s because I see so many shows these days that I’m a little more critical of the bands.  Plus, I tend to pay premium for my seats, so I’m expecting a little more out of the shows.  Just because I make a few observations doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.  But I will rate the bands against other performances so others can guage the value of their concert dollar.

 

Anyway, Cheap Trick was good.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching Nielsen play, and seeing which guitar would come out next, as he played a different one for each song.  His son played the drums in place of Bun E Carlos.  It’s easy to get by with someone else on percussion (unless you are Rush or Genesis), so that was not an issue except on "Ain’t That A Shame", where the drums for the intro were not even close to the performance on At Budokan.

 

Squeeze was very crisp, well-mixed, and sounded great.  I knew only one song, "Tempted", but I enjoyed them the most.  If Sunday night was a battle of the bands between Cheap Trick and Squeeze, the underdog (Squeeze) came out on top on my card. 

 

Overall it was a nice evening on the town.  Before seeing Cheap Trick, I would recommend Lifehouse, Daughtry, Poison, Styx, Journey, or Shinedown.  Squeeze is a great performance, but if you don’t like spending a lot of money to hear a band that you don’t know, you might want to wait until they open for someone more familiar.

 

JACster

 

 

Daughtry with Lifehouse and Cavo

A beautiful night in downtown Cleveland, Ohio in early Spring.   Daughtry was at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University.  I’ve seen and enjoyed other shows there before, but this experience was not quite as good.  The main problem was our seating:  We were in the upper deck, about 75 degrees from the front of the stage.  The sound was muffled, like we were listening to a band playing in a club in an adjacent room….no dynamic range.  The speaker system was pointed directly forward from the stage, giving a very narrow band of high fidelity sound.  For Daughtry’s encore we walked down to the top of the first level and over toward the front of the stage, and it made all the difference in the world.  It actually felt like we were at a live concert, and not just watching it on TV.  I always get pre-sale or pay premium prices to get good seats, from now on I’m going back to getting the best seats.

 

I saw Daughtry open for Nickelback at Blossom Music Center (we were center stage about 40 rows back), and he was awsome.  That was when he had only one album.  Now he has enough material to be a headliner.  He’s got an awsome rock and roll voice, with good range and no screaming to reach high (loud) notes.  His band is a good, traditional rock and roll band with drums, two guitars (sometimes three when Chris plays), and a bass.  He played two 80’s cover songs:  Phil Collins’ "In The Air Tonight" where they had a slight lasar slow, and I think an INXS song, although I forget the tune at this moment.

 

I saw Lifehouse at the House Of Blues a few years ago.  HOB is probably a much better (smaller) venue, because this band is all about the lead singer’s vocals (Jason Wade).  He does have a great, unique voice for ballads.  Again, our seats sucked for this part of the show, so it could have been better from an audio perspective.

 

This was my first experience seeing CAVO, a new band that I’ve wanted to see for a few months since hearing their song, "Crash".  I think they will be worth seeing in a couple of years once they have more original material produced.

 

Like all recent bands in the past 8-10 years, these three (Daughtry, Lifehouse, Cavo) have no great stage show, no big screens, no props, no pyro, no ward robe changes.  They don’t compare to a U2, Genesis, or AC/DC, but they do get up there and play their hearts out.  If you like there music, get a seat directly in front and close to the stage…

 

JACster

 

Jason of Lifehouse playing encore with Daughtry ("Home").

 

 

The Cult

My college roommate introduced me to The Cult back in the late ’80’s.  I never purchased one of their albums, but I have a pretty good collection of great hits in my MP3 library.  I’ve made CD’s and IPod play lists with The Cult singles that I like to play very loud in my car.  I never thought I’d get an opportunity to see them live, in fact, I didn’t think they were still together.  When I saw they were coming to Cleveland HOB it looked like a great opportunity to unite with an old favorite band.

Since I’ve recently become a Live Nation Concert Club member with HOB Foundation Room privileges, I was eager to enjoy the social events before and after the show.  I must say that the actual performance was a little bit of a letdown for me.  They played their entire Love album for their first set, and I only recognized two of the songs.  While their sound was pretty good, I just wasn’t into it.  The second set was much better when they played favorites like Lil’ Devil, Ciao Baby, and their encore, Love Removal Machine.

Compared to other shows I’ve seen recently at HOB (Train w/ Uncle Kracker, Shinedown), The Cult was just Okay.  They would be a great opening band for Nickelback or AC/DC.