Woodstock Comes To Cleveland

Tuesday night the Woodstock nation came to Cleveland. Okay it has been over 40 years since the Woodstock nation was at it’s zenith but looking at the crowd at the Time Warner Amphitheatre you might have stepped back in time as a huge crowd welcomed Crosby, Stills And Nash back to Cleveland.

It’s been awhile since I last saw them perform and I have to admit I was little worried about going to the show, that afternoon I almost talked myself out of it. C’mon a good scotch gets better with age, fine wines and chesses also but almost 70 year old voices….. especially voices that are as well known for it harmonies….. well that doesn't usually end well.

The verdict, I am glad I didn’t talk myself out of going and missing a great night of music.

It’s nice to go to a show and when the house lights go down the headliner knocks it out of the park with the very first song and that’s exactly what CSN did as they launched into “Woodstock”. For the next two plus hours the audience were treated to one of the iconic musical histories entrenched with idealism that stretched from Laurel Canyon to Woodstock.

“Long Time Gone”. “Southern Cross”, “Just A Song Before I Go”, “Déjà Vu”, “Wooden Ships” and that was just a part of the first set. How about throw in the beautiful Buffalo Springfield song “Bluebird” and you knew you were in for a great night of memories.

The voices, they still have it. The harmonies as always were beautiful but the strength they showed when they took the lead, was at times surprising. David Crosby showed that strength when he belted, and I mean belted out “I Almost Cut My Hair” you would have thought he was twenty years old again and rallying against the establishment! Don’t get me wrong there was a couple of rough spots especially when a moth flew into Stephen Stills mouth when he was singing Neil Young’s classic “Long May You Run” and he must have swallowed it as his voice broke a little through the song. The one thing that really stuck with me throughout the night was how good a guitarist Stills really is. He might be one of the most overlooked lead guitarist of rock and roll.

One of the only complaints, if you can call it a complaint is instead of the covers of other bands great songs they included in the second set is they left out some of their best songs. Granted hearing them do the Beatles “Norwegian Wood” and the Rolling Stones “Ruby Tuesday” (maybe better than the original?) was nice but I would have rather had them do their own great songs. Something like Stephen Stills great “Change Partners” and “Treetop Flyer” or throw in something from the The Byrds or how about just “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”, “Marrakesh Express”, “Guinnevere” or “Wasted On The Way”. With so much in their repertoire I didn’t need them to play The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes” but that again is a small complaint.

In all, It was a night of great music from three guys that at one time helped define a generation and still all these years later can still inspire me.

Two Guys, Two Guitars and A Great Night Of Music

Last Saturday I had the fortune to attend the benefit for Roots Of American Music (ROAM) at the Beachland Ballroom. It was a very cool event to be a part of because A.) It was a great cause for an organization that is doing so much for our schools and doing what it can to help keep the music flowing thru the halls and B.) it brought together two of my favorite musicians on one stage, Michael Stanley and Alex Bevan.

I can’t count the number of times I have seen either of these two artists play thru the years, and when I say thru the years I mean thru the years. I have been listening to them since the early 70’s. I have seen them in every type of venue you can imagine. Bars, arenas, clubs, outdoor venues, headlining shows, opening shows. The list goes on and on but the one thing I can tell you I don’t think I’ve seen the two of them better than Saturday night.

It was as intimate a night of music as I have ever seen and I have to say, it was one of the best nights of music I have heard in my almost 40 years of going to shows and concerts and this includes thousands of shows I’ve seen.

It was two guys, two guitars and their memories of the songs they sang.

I am used to seeing Alex in this type of show. A man with his guitar and his songs alone on a stage and he does it better than almost everyone and has been doing so for years but it was really different to see Michael in this element. I am used to seeing him fronting The Ghost Poets, The Resonators, The Midlife Chryslers and of course MSB but Saturday this striped down, acoustic version of Michael Stanley blew me away.

I think what made the night special was hearing their stories about each song they played. To hear what inspired them to write the song and what the special meaning of the song was for each of them. Michael said during the show “people ask me if I’ll ever write a book and I tell them to just go back and listen to the albums, it’s all there”.

You know what, I think that’s why these two men have had such a loyal following in Cleveland for so long. Over the years they have been writing and singing about things in their lives and in turn us. They are Cleveland thru and thru and in their songs we find bits and pieces of ourselves in them.

As far as the show itself they alternated playing their music and they pulled out all the classics. Midwest Midnight, Carey Come Smiling, Rosewood Bitters, Rodeo Rider, In The Heartland, Skinny Little Boy, Lover, Grand River Lullaby and many more of the songs we’ve come to love over the years. When each stood up and played, Folks this was the way to listen to these songs, stripped down to it’s essence with the voice and a guitar. When one was playing the other would sit on a chair and listen and just like us you could tell they were a fan. When the night first started they would just sit and let the other have the spotlight but as the night wore on you saw things that showed they were having fun and really getting into the music like when Alex was doing “Rodeo Rider” you saw Michael sitting there and singing the lyrics to himself. That was very cool. When Michael was doing “Rosewood Bitters” and playing a rhythm accompaniment you all of a sudden you heard a little bit of a lead guitar being interwoven into the song and you looked over and there was Alex playing along like you would if you were home listening on your stereo with your guitar on your lap. Again a very cool moment. It was these moments and many more that happened that night when you realized these guys really respected each other as musicians and really enjoyed the others songs. Just like us.

You know the night was great when you didn’t want it to end and you wanted more. As we were leaving my wife (Mrs. Bear) just looked at me and said “god they sounded great”. That was it, one comment just summed up the whole night. As I told Alex when I passed him at the intermission, “I hope you have tape running on this”

If you missed this show (and you got to be kicking yourself right now) and still want to do a good thing to help out Roots Of American Music go to www.rootsofamericanmusic.org/ and make a donation. I know in these times it’s hard for most of us but even the littlest donation helps. Their mission is “Preserving the past, enriching the present and inspiring the future” and that is a good thing for kids

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Recommended Alex Bevan albums. available at www.ncweb.com/ent/alex/

"Grand River Lullaby"
The album that made Alex, well "Alex"
Has the beautiful title song "Grand River Lullaby" Simply a classic.






"Springboard"
One of the most beautiful albums I have ever put on a turntable. I've worn out so many copies. "Carey Come Smiling", "Rodeo Rider", "Silver Wings" and so much more. My favorite





"Falls & Angels"
Alex's latest album that has the beautiful "Gunfighters Smile" That song alone is worth the buy.

Recommended Michael Stanley albums. available at http://www.michaelstanley.com/

"Michael Stanley"
Michael's first album it's my favorite. Has my favorite Michael Stanley song "Movin Right Along" as well as the always great "Rosewood Bitters"



"Live At Tangiers"
A thirty song live album done acoustically. Laid back and great with all the hits. Listen to "Lover" and "Let's Get The Show On The Road". Beautiful.

"The Soft Addictions"
One of his newer albums that continues the tradition. Has the amazing "Same Blood (Different Vein)"

Musical Footprints Parts 1 and 2

Sorry for not getting a new story up on the site this week but I have been recovering from surgery and simply put, it's kicking my butt!
So I decided to re-post two (actually Parts 1 and 2) of my favorite stories from the archives for some of my new readers that may have missed it and for my old readers, maybe you want to read it again.
Nuff said...least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Musical Footprints or The Mix Tape Of Life - Originally Posted March 9, 2009

The other day when it was pouring outside I did as I usually do when bored, I put on a movie that I have watched so many times. I watched the great John Cusack movie "High Fidelity" and it rang true to me how music is a footprint of our lives.

Most of us listen to music daily. We listen to music when we wake up on our alarm clocks, while were getting ready for work, in our cars on the way to work, sometimes while at work, on the way home, when we get home and are cooking dinner, sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, on a plane with our ipods, working out, etc, etc, etc.



Music is always around us and for good times and bad we connect songs and bands to moments in our lives.
Musical footprints are everywhere in our lives. We might not even know we have them stored in our minds until a single moment when they are triggered when a song comes out of the blue on the radio, when a good feeling comes over us and we relate it to a song that we heard the last time we felt it or on the opposite when a song is related to a bad time in our lives. This is why music is so important to us and why we surround ourselves with it.

Every time I hear "Born To Run" it throws me back to Friday afternoons with Kid Leo's kicking off the weekends on WMMS as well as "Good Morning" by The Beatles as the wakeup call with Jeff and Flash in the mornings. When I'm out of town and Colbie Calliat comes on the radio I think of my wife because she plays the cd all the time and it makes me happy. "We Belong Together" by Rickie Lee Jones bring back memories of listening to it in the first house we lived in. "I Believe" by Stevie Wonder is pictures of my kids when they were little. "Just One Victory" by Todd Rundgren and "Magicians Birthday" by Uriah Heep take me back to the college dorms. "Captain Fantastic" takes me back to an old girl friend who stole my copy of the album back in 1975 that I would love to forget but can't (hey, can I at least have it back!). Marvin Gayes "Let's Get It On"..... well we'll leave that one alone.

These footprints can also change as new memories happen as a song is playing. "Comfortably Numb" use to have a totally different meaning to me but now when I hear it, it reminds me of seeing David Gilmour on his last tour with my son. We made the trip to Chicago and after the show, the first thing he did was call his college room mate and tell him "I just heard Comfortably Numb live!". This footprint changed because the importance of the footprint changed. I now relate it to the excitement and feeling my son had hearing the song live for the first time.

Our musical footprints can change like we used to do with our old cassette tapes. We record over them and over them, but some are so strong in our psyche that no matter what, for good or bad, they are there in back of our minds waiting to be released. They are our mix tape of life.

Enough writing, I think it's time to go put on "Let's Get It On"

Nuff said, at least till next week

Peace Out

Bear

Musical Footprints Part 2, Your Stories - Originally Posted March 16, 2009

I have to thank the readers here. When I hit on a subject you respond and respond you did. I had over 400 emails this week on this subject alone. The story (Musical Footnotes or The Mix Tape Of Life) was just a little thing about how when I hear a certain song it triggers memories for me and it registered with you also. That is why I am posting Part 2, using your stories.



Just a note here on the stories below. I emailed everyone back and asked their permission first before publishing their stories. Most said "sure go ahead" others were not sure about the statue of limitations!

Most of the ones sent in were funny but some were sad. I did not post the stories where the songs reminded the reader of a loss of a loved one as It seemed personal and I didn't want to bring that back to them in print.

So go ahead and enjoy, maybe some will trigger a new musical footnote of your own. If it does send it to me. There might be a Musical Footprints 3. I definitely have enough material!

"Rockin Down The Highway by The Doobie Brothers" Every time I hear it, it reminds me of going cross country with 2 of my high school buddies and the tape got eaten by the tape deck in Oklahoma. 400 more miles to go and no tunes. (Frank from Bay Village)

"I Love You More Today Than Yesterday by Spiral Staircase" My husband played in a band in the early 70s and that is how I met him. He sang it to me then and on our 30th wedding anniversary he surprised me by having the band to play it and he got up and sang it to me there. (Sue from Mayfield Village)

"Reflections Of My Life by Marmalade" My first girlfriend, if you could call it that in the 5th grade broke up with me and I remember playing that 45 over and over until my older brother broke it in half. God I hate that song! (Mark from Columbus)

"Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band" Going out with my girlfriends to the Cosmopolitan and dancing every Saturday night (Nancy from Mentor)

"Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac" It reminds me of a summer vacation boyfriend in Myrtle Beach. It was only 2 weeks, but a great 2 weeks (Gina from Cleveland)

"Dancing In The Moonlight by King Harvest" Bonfires, drinking wine and dancing in the moonlight, It was great being young (Susan from Avon Lake)

"Melissa by The Allman Brothers" It used to be my favorite song by them but now every time I hear it I'm reminded of that stupid phone commercial! I’ll never buy one of their phones after ruining that song. (Chuck from Toledo)

"Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana" Brings back memories of high school and wanting to get out of there. Seeing the video on MTV for the first time, I related to the people in it. Now I see it and think, I really should have washed my hair and showered more (Mike from Canton)

"Give Me Just A Little More Time by Chairman Of The Board" A girl named Theresa who played it on the jukebox all the time. Every time I hear it her face still pops into my head. (Michael from University Hts)

"Rockin Into The Night by 38 Special" Cruising from bar to bar on the weekends with my friends. This song was always on the tape we played. (Alan from Kent)

"Paradise By The Dashboard Light by Meatloaf" My ex wife. That song could have been the story of our whole life. (Kurt from Cleveland)

You can tell a lot of my readers are from Cleveland as a lot of Cleveland bands and their songs were mentioned, here is a few:

"Tonight by The Raspberries" Anna Marie P_________., what a girl! (Dom from Little Italy) Note: I took out Anna Maries last name, just in case she's reading this

Waste A Little Time On Me by Michael Stanley Band" Stage Pass. I remember being at the Agora when they recorded it and when the album came out. I love that album. Do you think Jonah still has those suspenders he wore on the album? (Marcy from Westlake)

"Skinny Little Boy by Alex Bevan" Seeing him play at the Agora for the Christmas Coffee Break Concerts. It was such a great time in my life. (Alice from Tremont)

"Grand River Lullaby by Alex Bevan" Having Alex play it twice one night at my old bar Cafe Rock because it is my wife's favorite song (Bear - I had to put my own Alex moment in)

"Go All The Way by The Raspberries" The Friday night dances at Marymount High School. Catholic school girls and the Raspberries were always a hit for a 15yr old guy. (Tom from Garfield Hts)

"Stop Wait And Listen by Circus" This song takes me back to the school dances every time I hear it. (Mary from Bedford)

"Funky Poodle by Wild Horses" I put on the Pride Of Cleveland album a few months ago and when Funky Poodle came on it took me right back seeing Billy and the boys playing around the Cleveland bars (Dennis from Cleveland Hts)

Weddings were a big theme for a lot of readers, some very cool choices also:

"Come And Get Your Love by Redbone" It was our first dance at our wedding. (Brenda from Wooster)

"Into The Mystic by Van Morrison" Our wedding song. A little different but so are we. (Erin from Cleveland)

"Always And Forever by Heatwave" It was our wedding song. (Pam from Painesville)
"Get Ready by Rare Earth" It was our wedding dance song. a very cool wedding! (Angela from Mayfield)

"In A Little While by Uncle Kracker" Our first dance at our wedding. (Mark from Lakewood)
"Sweet Child Of Mine by Guns And Roses" She picked it for our first dance at our wedding. (Bob from Cleveland)

"You're My Best Friend by Queen" Our first song we danced to at our wedding. She was right in picking it, she is still my best friend. (Ryan from Chagrin Falls)

"White Wedding Day by Billy Idol" He picked it for our wedding dance. Might be why it didn't last! (Sally from Twinsburg)

There were some other themes that are not hard to figure out:

"The Wanderer by Donna Summer" The first stripper I ever saw, this was playing at the Crazy Horse. (Don from Cleveland)

"Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard" The Crazy Horse. They played this all the time in the late 80's. (Sam from Parma)

"Cherry Pie by Warrant" Reminds me of Tiffanys downtown whenever I hear it. (Tony from Berea)

"One Toke Over The Line by Brewer And Shipley" What else do you think it reminds me of. (Tommy from South Euclid)

"Up On Cripple Creek by The Band" Me and my buddies used to get together on Saturdays. We used to put the album on, roll a couple and the next thing I remember it would be Monday. (Jim from Cincinnati)

"Brain Damage by Pink Floyd" It reminds me of listening to Dark Side Of The Moon at the Pink Floyd light show they used to have at Geauga Lake and just being toasted and sitting in the stands and staring into space with the lights and music all around us. (Bruce from Hudson)

"Panama Red by New Riders Of The Purple Sage" Being able to actually buy Panama Red. The good old days. (Mort from Cleveland)

"Maggot Brain by Funkadelics" They used to play it every Friday at midnight on WMMS, Driving around with by buddies. It would come on and it was time to roll another one. (Phil from Parma)

"Fins by Jimmy Buffett" Summers at Blossom. (Paula from Bath Twp)

"Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett" Blossom in the summer. What a party. (Mike from Medina)

"Cheeseburger In Paradise by Jimmy Buffett" Blossom every summer. (Mark from Akron)

"Let's Get Drunk And Screw by Jimmy Buffett" The parties at Blossom. (Allison from Cleveland)

And one song that became legendary in Cleveland history:

"Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen"

.....Kid Leo and Fridays (Dave from Long Island, NY, formally Cleveland)

.....Kid Leo and WMMS. You knew the weekend started when you heard it. (Owen from Parma)

.....The weekend started when you heard Murray Saul and The Boss (Billy from Cleveland)

.....WMMS. The buzzard was the place to tune to on Friday afternoons (Ralph from Geneva)

.....Kid Leo and MMS. I still get that great feeling. I miss Cleveland (Susan from Nashville, TN)

.....The Get Downs from Murray. I couldn't wait to hear what he had to say. (Rick from North Royalton)

.....The right way to start the weekend. The Boss. (Frank from Slavic Village)

.....The Kid and The Boss. What else would you think of. (Dave from Strongsville

Nuff said, At least til next week
Peace Out
Bear

The Top 10 Game Or Other Reasons To Self Medicate

The Top 10 Game Or Other Reasons To Self Medicate

We love lists. We love to put things in order. We love playing games. What's better than to combine them!

Ever play the game "Top 10"? Come on everyone has, whether it's "Top 10 Albums Of All Time", "Top 10 Greatest Guitarists". "Top 10 Bands Of All Time", "Top 10 Concerts You Saw", "Top 10 Desert Island Albums", etc, etc and I am no exception. Heck, your probably doing it right now in your head while your reading this.

I particularly love the last one "Top 10 Desert Island Albums". Who is one the island with me, the Professor on Gilligans Island? Who is going to build my turntable from palm tree bark and supply the electricity for it? I know I can't. I know after a week on this desert island I'll be like Tom Hanks in that movie Castaway. I'll be drawing faces on rocks and talking to them let alone building a home theater. (there I go again rambling on another road not taken, okay on to the real subject)

On Facebook there is several of these list games going around including new one "The 5 Albums That Shaped Me". Five Albums!. That's it... What happened to Top 10? I need at least 5 albums for each year of my life let alone 5 total.

Okay I get it. I'l figure this out. I got to make 5 work for me.

How do I fit in the Monkees when I was a kid. Do I put them next to Paranoid by Black Sabbath in my pre-teens. How does that fit into Dark Side Of The Moon in my teens or Carolina Dreams by Marshall Tucker in college? Oh my god....If I pick them I only have one spot left!!!! How do I leave out Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye (that helped make the man I am today, yeaaa) or Stage Pass by MSB one of my all time favorites that I have bought at least 6 copies of over the years or Sgt Peppers that even though I really discovered it a few years later than it came out really expanded my mind. Speaking of expanding my mind, how about any of the Grateful Dead albums, they certainly expanded my mind or at least messed with it thru the 70's.

I'm in a quandary here people!!!!!

Do I leave out Born to Run that brought out the rebel in me during those formative years. How about Texas Flood that brought me to the texas style of blues I was missing or Layla that threw me headfirst into the love affair of rock and blues together. How about Hotel California, Highway 61 Revisted, Disraeli Gears, Music From Big Pink, Ziggy Stardust, Trick Of The Tail ? How do I leave them out...

Deep breath Bear, relax you can get thru this....

Where do I fit in the music I listen to now like Once Again by John Legend, Corrine Bailey Rae, Colbie Caillat, as well as Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Les Claypool. These are all still shaping me even at my advanced age.

Where do I fit in country music. I really got into it heavily like almost everyone else in the 90's. Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith to name a few have a least one album that helped make me into what I am. I've been listening to Willie Nelson for over 40 years, I think he has at least one, maybe Red Headed Stranger?

But do I give it one of those precious five spots......

How about Dean and Frank and Miles?



What about my love of Motown? Oh my........ The Four Tops, Temptations, Smokey, The Supremes. I've been listening to them since the 60's they had to help make me....but what do I do!

Bob Marley "Legend" okay it definitely has to be there but what do I give up on my list?

My head is spinning, I don't know if I can take this test!!! Will they still love me on Facebook....

I know, I'm going to do something easier. I'm going to try day trading in the stock market. It can't be this complicated.

I got to get some asprin.

Nuff said, at least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Musical Footprints Part 2 - Your Stories

Musical Footprints Part 2, Your Stories - Originally Posted March 16, 2009

I have to thank the readers here. When I hit on a subject you respond and respond you did. I had over 400 emails this week on this subject alone. The story (Musical Footnotes or The Mix Tape Of Life) was just a little thing about how when I hear a certain song it triggers memories for me and it registered with you also. That is why I am posting Part 2, using your stories.



Just a note here on the stories below. I emailed everyone back and asked their permission first before publishing their stories. Most said "sure go ahead" others were not sure about the statue of limitations!

Most of the ones sent in were funny but some were sad. I did not post the stories where the songs reminded the reader of a loss of a loved one as It seemed personal and I didn't want to bring that back to them in print.

So go ahead and enjoy, maybe some will trigger a new musical footnote of your own. If it does send it to me. There might be a Musical Footprints 3. I definitely have enough material!

"Rockin Down The Highway by The Doobie Brothers" Every time I hear it, it reminds me of going cross country with 2 of my high school buddies and the tape got eaten by the tape deck in Oklahoma. 400 more miles to go and no tunes. (Frank from Bay Village)

"I Love You More Today Than Yesterday by Spiral Staircase" My husband played in a band in the early 70s and that is how I met him. He sang it to me then and on our 30th wedding anniversary he surprised me by having the band to play it and he got up and sang it to me there. (Sue from Mayfield Village)

"Reflections Of My Life by Marmalade" My first girlfriend, if you could call it that in the 5th grade broke up with me and I remember playing that 45 over and over until my older brother broke it in half. God I hate that song! (Mark from Columbus)

"Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band" Going out with my girlfriends to the Cosmopolitan and dancing every Saturday night (Nancy from Mentor)

"Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac" It reminds me of a summer vacation boyfriend in Myrtle Beach. It was only 2 weeks, but a great 2 weeks (Gina from Cleveland)

"Dancing In The Moonlight by King Harvest" Bonfires, drinking wine and dancing in the moonlight, It was great being young (Susan from Avon Lake)

"Melissa by The Allman Brothers" It used to be my favorite song by them but now every time I hear it I'm reminded of that stupid phone commercial! I’ll never buy one of their phones after ruining that song. (Chuck from Toledo)

"Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana" Brings back memories of high school and wanting to get out of there. Seeing the video on MTV for the first time, I related to the people in it. Now I see it and think, I really should have washed my hair and showered more (Mike from Canton)

"Give Me Just A Little More Time by Chairman Of The Board" A girl named Theresa who played it on the jukebox all the time. Every time I hear it her face still pops into my head. (Michael from University Hts)

"Rockin Into The Night by 38 Special" Cruising from bar to bar on the weekends with my friends. This song was always on the tape we played. (Alan from Kent)

"Paradise By The Dashboard Light by Meatloaf" My ex wife. That song could have been the story of our whole life. (Kurt from Cleveland)

You can tell a lot of my readers are from Cleveland as a lot of Cleveland bands and their songs were mentioned, here is a few:

"Tonight by The Raspberries" Anna Marie P_________., what a girl! (Dom from Little Italy) Note: I took out Anna Maries last name, just in case she's reading this

Waste A Little Time On Me by Michael Stanley Band" Stage Pass. I remember being at the Agora when they recorded it and when the album came out. I love that album. Do you think Jonah still has those suspenders he wore on the album? (Marcy from Westlake)

"Skinny Little Boy by Alex Bevan" Seeing him play at the Agora for the Christmas Coffee Break Concerts. It was such a great time in my life. (Alice from Tremont)

"Grand River Lullaby by Alex Bevan" Having Alex play it twice one night at my old bar Cafe Rock because it is my wife's favorite song (Bear - I had to put my own Alex moment in)

"Go All The Way by The Raspberries" The Friday night dances at Marymount High School. Catholic school girls and the Raspberries were always a hit for a 15yr old guy. (Tom from Garfield Hts)

"Stop Wait And Listen by Circus" This song takes me back to the school dances every time I hear it. (Mary from Bedford)

"Funky Poodle by Wild Horses" I put on the Pride Of Cleveland album a few months ago and when Funky Poodle came on it took me right back seeing Billy and the boys playing around the Cleveland bars (Dennis from Cleveland Hts)

Weddings were a big theme for a lot of readers, some very cool choices also:

"Come And Get Your Love by Redbone" It was our first dance at our wedding. (Brenda from Wooster)

"Into The Mystic by Van Morrison" Our wedding song. A little different but so are we. (Erin from Cleveland)

"Always And Forever by Heatwave" It was our wedding song. (Pam from Painesville)
"Get Ready by Rare Earth" It was our wedding dance song. a very cool wedding! (Angela from Mayfield)

"In A Little While by Uncle Kracker" Our first dance at our wedding. (Mark from Lakewood)
"Sweet Child Of Mine by Guns And Roses" She picked it for our first dance at our wedding. (Bob from Cleveland)

"You're My Best Friend by Queen" Our first song we danced to at our wedding. She was right in picking it, she is still my best friend. (Ryan from Chagrin Falls)

"White Wedding Day by Billy Idol" He picked it for our wedding dance. Might be why it didn't last! (Sally from Twinsburg)

There were some other themes that are not hard to figure out:

"The Wanderer by Donna Summer" The first stripper I ever saw, this was playing at the Crazy Horse. (Don from Cleveland)

"Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard" The Crazy Horse. They played this all the time in the late 80's. (Sam from Parma)

"Cherry Pie by Warrant" Reminds me of Tiffanys downtown whenever I hear it. (Tony from Berea)

"One Toke Over The Line by Brewer And Shipley" What else do you think it reminds me of. (Tommy from South Euclid)

"Up On Cripple Creek by The Band" Me and my buddies used to get together on Saturdays. We used to put the album on, roll a couple and the next thing I remember it would be Monday. (Jim from Cincinnati)

"Brain Damage by Pink Floyd" It reminds me of listening to Dark Side Of The Moon at the Pink Floyd light show they used to have at Geauga Lake and just being toasted and sitting in the stands and staring into space with the lights and music all around us. (Bruce from Hudson)

"Panama Red by New Riders Of The Purple Sage" Being able to actually buy Panama Red. The good old days. (Mort from Cleveland)

"Maggot Brain by Funkadelics" They used to play it every Friday at midnight on WMMS, Driving around with by buddies. It would come on and it was time to roll another one. (Phil from Parma)

"Fins by Jimmy Buffett" Summers at Blossom. (Paula from Bath Twp)

"Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett" Blossom in the summer. What a party. (Mike from Medina)

"Cheeseburger In Paradise by Jimmy Buffett" Blossom every summer. (Mark from Akron)

"Let's Get Drunk And Screw by Jimmy Buffett" The parties at Blossom. (Allison from Cleveland)

And one song that became legendary in Cleveland history:

"Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen"

.....Kid Leo and Fridays (Dave from Long Island, NY, formally Cleveland)

.....Kid Leo and WMMS. You knew the weekend started when you heard it. (Owen from Parma)

.....The weekend started when you heard Murray Saul and The Boss (Billy from Cleveland)

.....WMMS. The buzzard was the place to tune to on Friday afternoons (Ralph from Geneva)

.....Kid Leo and MMS. I still get that great feeling. I miss Cleveland (Susan from Nashville, TN)

.....The Get Downs from Murray. I couldn't wait to hear what he had to say. (Rick from North Royalton)

.....The right way to start the weekend. The Boss. (Frank from Slavic Village)

.....The Kid and The Boss. What else would you think of. (Dave from Strongsville

Nuff said, At least til next week
Peace Out
Bear

Musical Footprints or The Mix Tape Of Life

Musical Footprints or The Mix Tape Of Life - Originally Posted March 9, 2009

The other day when it was pouring outside I did as I usually do when bored, I put on a movie that I have watched so many times. I watched the great John Cusack movie "High Fidelity" and it rang true to me how music is a footprint of our lives.

Most of us listen to music daily. We listen to music when we wake up on our alarm clocks, while were getting ready for work, in our cars on the way to work, sometimes while at work, on the way home, when we get home and are cooking dinner, sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, on a plane with our ipods, working out, etc, etc, etc.


Music is always around us and for good times and bad we connect songs and bands to moments in our lives.

Musical footprints are everywhere in our lives. We might not even know we have them stored in our minds until a single moment when they are triggered when a song comes out of the blue on the radio, when a good feeling comes over us and we relate it to a song that we heard the last time we felt it or on the opposite when a song is related to a bad time in our lives. This is why music is so important to us and why we surround ourselves with it.

Every time I hear "Born To Run" it throws me back to Friday afternoons with Kid Leo's kicking off the weekends on WMMS as well as "Good Morning" by The Beatles as the wakeup call with Jeff and Flash in the mornings. When I'm out of town and Colbie Calliat comes on the radio I think of my wife because she plays the cd all the time and it makes me happy. "We Belong Together" by Rickie Lee Jones bring back memories of listening to it in the first house we lived in. "I Believe" by Stevie Wonder is pictures of my kids when they were little. "Just One Victory" by Todd Rundgren and "Magicians Birthday" by Uriah Heep take me back to the college dorms. "Captain Fantastic" takes me back to an old girl friend who stole my copy of the album back in 1975 that I would love to forget but can't (hey, can I at least have it back!). Marvin Gayes "Let's Get It On"..... well we'll leave that one alone.

These footprints can also change as new memories happen as a song is playing. "Comfortably Numb" use to have a totally different meaning to me but now when I hear it, it reminds me of seeing David Gilmour on his last tour with my son. We made the trip to Chicago and after the show, the first thing he did was call his college room mate and tell him "I just heard Comfortably Numb live!". This footprint changed because the importance of the footprint changed. I now relate it to the excitement and feeling my son had hearing the song live for the first time.

Our musical footprints can change like we used to do with our old cassette tapes. We record over them and over them, but some are so strong in our psyche that no matter what, for good or bad, they are there in back of our minds waiting to be released. They are our mix tape of life.

Enough writing, I think it's time to go put on "Let's Get It On"

Nuff said, at least till next week

Peace Out

Bear

The Love Of Vinyl

The Love Of Vinyl - Originally Posted March 2, 2009

I went shopping last week and walked into a Hot Topic store that sold some very cool t-shirts and as I was walking around looking at the displays on the walls my eyes were diverted to a rack in the back corner of the store.

What drew my attention at this new store. Was it scented candles? no. Was it posters of the Jonas Brothers? no. Was it adult toys? ahhhh no.

It was a rack of vinyl. Not CD's but real honest to goodness true 12" vinyl. What caught my eye in the first place and drew me to the rack like a magnet was sitting right up in front, a copy of Dark Side Of The Moon in all it's glory with's it's beautiful cover reaching out to me like a beacon in the dark. What is happening in this crazy world?

By now everyone knows I am a music fan (no, really a fanatic). I listen to music every day, sometimes all day and have hundreds and hundreds of CD's and around 6000 songs on my computer for easy access but what I have kept preserved over the years and take out on those special occasions is my album collection.

These albums that I have bought, played, and some even worn out over the years from the 60's thru the 70's and into the 80's are cherished pieces of art to me. For those of you old enough to own actual albums, do you remember buying that favorite album and carrying it home under your arm, peeling the plastic off the cover, sliding it out of the paper sleeve, balancing it carefully on one hand then only touching the sides as you put it on the turntable, lifting the needle off the holder and gently, gently lowering the needle onto the first groove on the album. Hearing that little bit of static as the needle fell into the groove and then magic!

Vinyl brought a warmth to the music that the digital age of CD's from the mid 80's to now can't reproduce. There is a thinness to the sound of CD's where vinyl produced fuller, warm sound. that filled the room.

The vinyl album was also more than that. There is a great scene in the movie "Almost Famous" where the sister moves out of the house and leaves to her younger brother a gift under the bed to "expand his mind". William opens up the backpack she left him and in it was a collection of albums. As he sat on the floor, staring and slowly leafing thru the albums taking in the artwork of these pieces of art, his hand gently touched them, tracing the artwork and lettering like they were alive.

They were alive. Covers used to done by some of the great artists of the time that tried to express what the musicians were saying with their music. The album cover was an extension of the music in another art form. Take another look at Sgt Pepper - The Beatles, Their Satanic Majesties Request - Rolling Stones, Axis Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix, Captain Fantastic - Elton John, The Court Of King Crimson - King Crimson, Disraeli Gears - Cream, Fragile - Yes, Abraxax - Santana as just a few examples of a lost modern art form. This unique art form cannot be appreciated at 4"x4" or 72 dpi.


Now, I am a lot older and my eyesight is not what it used to be but I don't get that feeling from a CD. I just don't get the same feeling putting on the CD and looking at the cover art, hell I definitely can't read the liner notes on a CD without a magnifying glass. Plus you can't use a CD cover to separate the twigs and boulders (you readers from the 60's and 70's get that one!).
That copy of "Dark Side Of The Moon" in the store drew me back to a great time in my life. I smiled as I walked up to the register remembering buying my copy of it for the first time at the old Shoppe for $3.50.

This time as I took that copy to the register and it rang up at $35.00, it slapped me right back to reality of 2009!


Nuff said, at least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

San Francisco

San Francisco - February 16, 2009

Just got back from San Francisco and while I was there made my pilgrimage to Haight-Ashbury. I love this part of the city. Walking thru the area is a throw back to a time when music was an essential part of the culture and ideas of a generation and it still resonates. Plus it just a great place to pick up some t-shirts and stuff!

If you get there make sure to visit Haight-Ashbury T-shirts. Wall to wall and the ceiling are covered with shirts of every band you can imagine including vintage concert shirts. Also don't forget to walk over to 710 Haight to see where it all started for the Grateful Dead and The Fillmore, The Independent and Golden Gate Park.
I am going thru the new emails sending me in some very cool shows. I am starting to put them up now and will get caught up. Keep them coming in.

Don't Forget! This is a site of music fans so please send me your shows. I am looking for anything for any show you saw. Scans of ticket stubs, photos you took, posters, newspaper ad or write ups and especially your stories about the show. Just send it to me at bear@clevelandrockandroll.com and I will credit you with the submission on the site.

Thanks again to everyone for all your help. I will keep updating the site each and every night until I get all of the info posted. Man it takes a long time to type!

Peace out.
Bear

Grammy Hangover

Grammy Hangover - Originally Posted February 9, 2009

Morning everyone. Just sitting here with my first coffee of the morning trying to calm my Grammy Awards hangover. I know what your thinking: 1. Why the hangover? And 2. Why were you watching the Grammy’s?

Let me answer your question #2 first. Very simple, Paul McCartney. I saw advertised a hundred times that Sir Paul was playing on the Grammy’s and being the Beatles fan I am, was, will always be I had to see the performance I got sucked into. “The Once In A Lifetime Performance By Paul McCartney On The Grammys”
One song…….

That was it, one song…….

This once in a lifetime performance, was one song. Now the song was okay. The song “I Saw Her Standing There” is 36 years old and not one of the finest of the McCartney/Lennon compositions but still it was a chance to see Paul McCartney playing and as that song ended and I waited for him to start into the next, then a commercial.

One song…….

The Grammy Awards must not feel that Paul McCartney is on the same level as the great artists like Justin Timberlake or Jay Z who seemed to sing on every song that was sung last night.

One song…….

Paul McCartney who was penned and performed some of the greatest songs in music history……

One song…….

Now, granted I’ve felt the Grammy Awards are a joke for a long time. I’ve felt this way since 1980 when that great album “Christopher Cross” featuring that alltime standard “Sailing” beat out a little known band called Pink Floyd and some insignificant album called “The Wall”. Wow they Grammy voters got that one right didn’t they! Christopher Cross that year won,”Song Of The Year”, “Album Of The Year”, “Record Of The Year”, and “Best New Artist”. It’s 2009 and what is the imprint in music history that Christopher Cross was left as his legend? The only one I can think of is he thinks (and the Grammy voters think) that he is a better artist than that little band named Pink Floyd. It was after this over site that the cracks started to show in Pink Floyd and the band broke up. Should we blame the Grammys? Christopher Cross? Do you think the heartbreak of losing this prestigious award caused it? Nawwwwwwwwwwww. They probably felt that night same as I did, what a joke.

One song?????

Now answer to question #1. To see the legendary performance of a lifetime I had to sit thru such acts as Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Boyz To Men, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney, Jay Z, Little Wayne, Kanye West and the altime team up of Stevie Wonder and the Jonas Brothers. Did anyone warn Stevie before this who he was playing with? The Jonas Brothers, c'mon. They are the Hanson Brothers of 2009 and the Grammy Awards thought let’s make another music icon insignificant by teaming him up with the Jonas Brothers. Do 10 year olds program the Grammys? By now my head was splitting and then

One song…….

It felt like a hard night of drinking. Listening to bad music. Listening to bad speeches. Listening to bad jokes by presenters. Listening to everything they push as significant on the Grammys. Seriously do you really think any of the nominees for “Best New Artist” will be talked about in 20 years. Pick one between Adele, Duffy, Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum or Jazmine Sullivan as someone that will make their imprint on music or will they be the next Christopher Cross?

One song…….

Can’t wait for the 2010 Grammys!
Bear

Day One

Day One - Originally Posted January 1, 2009

What started out as a hobby now has become an obsession.
I started putting together a list of rock concerts in the Cleveland area and after hitting the 1000 mark I thought why not put it out there for everyone to enjoy.

I'll be updating the site regularly with all of the concert info I have including photos, tickets, posters and any memories that you have that you want to add to that show.
I be adding all of the big rock acts from the 60's, 70's 80's, 90's and even shows from the 2000's as well as favorites of mine including acts like Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis because, well they are Frank and Miles! enough said.

But I want your favorites also, so if you have the time send me the concerts you want listed. Just make sure that the show is confirmed, so send us your photos of the show, scan your ticket stubs, write about the show, anything that can make this site better and I will credit you on the site for your submissions.

Tell your friends about us. Let's get the rock and roll energy back in Cleveland!
Peace out.
Bear