19 minute read
Music
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Flogging Molly comes to town with a rousing new pandemic-era drinking ballad
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By Jeff Niesel
FLOGGING MOLLY FRONTMAN
Dave King has often spoken of the squalid conditions of Beggars Bush, the Irish housing project he once called home. For him, music helped him get through a particularly tough period in his life.
“[Beggars Bush] was really dismal,” he says via phone from Ireland. Flogging Molly brings its co-headlining tour with the Interrupters to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica on Sunday, June 19. “My mother was really into people like David Bowie. I kind of got into people like him, T. Rex, Thin Lizzy and Horselips. This was in the early ’70s. The Horselips were the first rock band to mix traditional music with the music of the day. I used to see them all the time. They would blow your head off. One minute, you would have fiddle and mandolin and next thing you are into a full-blown rock song. That always stuck with me, that kid of energy.”
When the Clash and Sex Pistols and Ramones came out, King says he loved them as well.
After moving out of Ireland, King joined the hard rock band Fastway, but he kept listening to a wide mix of music.
“I would be listening to the Clash and the Sex Pistols and Depeche Mode, and the other guys [in Fastway] would be like, ‘What the fuck are you listening to?’” he recalls. “They just couldn’t understand it. I could listen to David Bowie and then listen to Dubliners, no sweat. I truly feel that Irish music was always punk rock music to me. It might not have had the electric guitars and drums and bass, but it had the emotion.”
King says he didn’t know how to marry his disparate influences until he met fiddle player Bridget Regan and heard her perform.
“I said, ‘Hang on a minute. This could turn into something,’” he says of hearing Regan play for the first time. “Things started to become clearer. There was a vision there. When I heard her playing fiddle, it was a whole new thing.”
In the ’90s, the two started jamming together at an L.A. club called Molly Malone’s Irish Pub, and Flogging Molly came to fruition.
“There wasn’t a game plan of where we were going or who was going to be in the band,” says King. “You heard the stories of the Stones and how they met at a blues club. That’s how Flogging Molly got together, pretty much. We just met organically. There were no ads in newspapers. It just all fell together.”
Initially, the band released Alive Behind the Green Door in 1997, but King says that was merely to finance what would become the group›s fulllength debut, 2000’s Swagger.
“[Swagger] was quite a feat for us at the time,” he says. “To now look back on it, it is amazing. Bands these days don’t have the opportunity to be around for 20-odd years. Touring was hard enough before the pandemic, and it’s harder now. It’s especially hard that for the younger bands. We’re one of the lucky ones. That’s why we do a co-headlining tour every summer. We bring other bands out. It’s like our cruise. We have bands from all over the world come and play. On our last cruise we just did in March, we had a band that features two twin brothers. I saw them busking five years ago. They’re called the Ocelots. Everybody just adored them.”
For its new album due out in the fall, Flogging Molly reunited with producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey), the guy who helped the band record Swagger along with its follow-up, Drunken Lullabies. The new album came about really quickly. It was written in 14 days and pretty much recorded in 14 days.
“When you go to record with Steve [Albini], you know what you’re going to get,” he says. “You get what you sound like at that moment. For us, that was really important. When bands do well early in their career, it’s easy for outside people to come in and put their stamp on it. Sometimes, you lose a bit of your identity. We were starting all over again with this one. We wrote a song a day. No questions asked. It’s not rocket science. It’s just rock ’n’ roll and punk rock and emotions. I think the quicker you get through it, the better. The more you labor over Flogging Molly songs in terms of the recording, the more you lose a certain energy that was originally in the song. On this album, everything is pretty much as you hear it.”
The group recently released the album’s first single, the anthemic “These Times Have Got Me Drinking/Tripping Up the Stairs,” a song that starts with slow but builds in tempo into something resembling a Social Distortion tune as King defiantly sings, “These times have got me drinking as I’m tripping up the stairs to an empty room that’s haunted.” “These Times Have Got Me Drinking/Tripping Up the Stairs” might reference the desperate times in which we now live, but the song strives to offer a sense of hope too.
“I was writing the lyrics up until the very end,” King says of the track. “Lyrically, it’s not a very uplifting song, but when you mix it with that kind of energy that’s in the room, it’s an anthem in the sense that it’s about what we’re going through at the moment. Every time you go to buy some eggs at the store, you buy a bottle of wine or a six-pack. That’s the way we are right now. It’s a sign of our times unfortunately.”
FLOGGING MOLLY, THE INTERRUPTERS, TIGER ARMY, THE SKINTS
6:30 P.M., SUNDAY, JUNE 19, JACOBS PAVILION AT NAUTICA, 2014 SYCAMORE. TICKETS: $37+, JACOBSPAVILION.COM.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
MUSIC
THE FREEWHEELIN’ JEWEL KILCHER
Singer-songwriter embraces her eclectic musical roots on new album
By Jeff Niesel
SINGER-SONGWRITER JEWEL
Kilcher grew up listening to a wide range of music.
“I’m a music fan,” she says in a recent phone interview. Jewel comes to Blossom with Train on Saturday, June 18. “I grew up listening to Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn and Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers and Joni Mitchell. I think that’s really normal. I found it confusing when I got into the industry to see how rigid everything is. There is a country label and a pop label. There are stations that are only this and that. I think that’s really weird. Every music fan I’ve ever talked to listens to multiple things depending on their mood.”
Over the decades, Kilcher has embraced everything from country to electronica.
“I was very confused by people’s reactions that my writing style would be influenced by my listening,” she says. “[The musical styles] all feel authentic to me. That’s the key. It has to be authentic to you, or it smells bad. I look at it like my closet. I have sweat pants and yoga pants and business suits and dresses. No one looks at me and says, ‘Jewel is no longer Jewel because she’s wearing yoga pants or a business suit.’ The music is a natural extension of that. Do I want to dress this up in a banjo or programmed drum loop? Who cares. To me, there is a natural consistency because I’m a singer-songwriter.”
Though she started out in the folk-pop genre, the singersongwriter that Jewel has become certainly can’t be pigeonholed. Last year, as a contestant on The Masked Singer, she sang a bit of everything, including Édith Piaf’s “La Vie En Rose,” Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Bishop Briggs’s “River.” And she pulled it all off with ease.
“Masked Singer was two things,” she says when asked about the show. “I thought it would let me do something artistically, which I’ve never done, which is to just focus on my technical ability as a singer, which was really fun for me. These songs are the ones that taught me to sing. I got to pick them and arrange them. I love the songs. I think they’re heroic. And the other reason was pure strategy. I had an album coming out, and I’m a mom. I can’t go on the road for a year and do two months of promo like I used to. You just make different choices. It’s such a silly show, but I had a really authentic experience. It was nice being stripped of my identity, and as dumb as it sounds, showing my heart.”
For her new album, Freewheelin’ Woman, Kilcher assembled close to 200 songs before whittling them down to the 12 that made the album.
“I always have songs in my back catalog, but I didn’t want to do that for this album because I wanted to see who I was now and come up with something new and fresh and interesting to me creatively,” she says. “I don’t like repeating myself, but the album also incorporates all my styles. There’s pop and country and Americana and folk and an R&B or Muscle Shoals feel to the album as well.”
She basically recorded the album live in Santa Monica with producer Butch Walker, a talented singersongwriter in his own right who works out of his home studio.
“I love Butch,” she says when asked about Walker. “He’s such a talent. He’s really diverse in his abilities. I’ve worked with producers who are so worried about hits; he’s not like that at all. I feel lucky that he decided to do the record with me.”
Driven by spirited horns, the opening track, “Long Way ’Round,” starts the album off with a real bang. Jewel croons evocatively during the album’s soulful intro and sounds sultry as she muses, “Oh I went down the other day/See what the gypsy had to say.”
“It started out as a folk or bluegrass song and morphed with time into this version [on the album],” says Kilcher when asked about the track. “That song just happened in the studio. We weren’t ready for a take yet. We were just getting our sound down. I think it was a bassline that started, and I really liked it. I started humming. The drummer came in during a funny place, and I made up that whole first verse on the spot. I hadn’t cracked the code on the first verse yet. I was still writing it, and it just came together all of a sudden. Thank God that the engineer had pressed ‘record.’”
The character studies found in fiction by writers such as Flannery O’Connor and John Steinbeck inspired the folk-narrative “Half Life,” and the album features collaborations with Train and with singer-songwriter Darius Rucker.
“I just thought it would be fun to have some collaborations on the album,” Kilcher says. “[The collaboration with Rucker] was the first song I wrote for the album. It was one of my favorites, and I thought I would see how it would go with Darius. I was pretty blown away. He gave an incredible performance.”
Kilcher says she’s excited to return to Northeast Ohio, where she’s played often during her career.
“I played there a bunch and have always done a lot of touring in that area,” she says. “It’ll be great to be back there with Train.”
TRAIN, JEWEL
6:30 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 18, BLOSSOM, 1145 W. STEELS CORNERS RD., 330-920-8040, CUYAHOGA FALLS. TICKETS: $30.50+, LIVENATION.COM.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
LIVEWIRE Real music in the real world
THU 06/16
Spirit of the Bear
Blending indie rock, pop, and electronica, Spirit of the Bear utilizes two keyboard players, bringing a unique depth to their sound. The band’s new single “Wires” features crooning vocals and mellow synths but still has enough edge to qualify as indie rock. A new album comes out in July. Expect to hear songs from it when the band plays tonight at 7:30 at House of Blues Cambridge Room. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583.
FRI 06/17
Coin
Formed ten years ago in Nashville, this indie rock band regularly defies categorization by embracing music from a range of different genres. Its latest effort, Uncanny Valley, veers from heavy funk (“Brad Pitt”) to modern pop (“Chaptick”). The band performs tonight at 6 at House of Blues. Check the venue’s website for more info. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.
Kingdom Tour: Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin
The platinum-selling, multi-racial, multi-cultural and genre-bending collective Maverick City Music and 16-time Grammy-winning artist, songwriter and producer Kirk Franklin have teamed up for this special tour. Tonight’s show starts at 6:45 at Blossom. Consult the venue’s website for more info. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.
Tash Sultana
This run will see gender fluid multiinstrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer and engineer Tash Sultana performing their sophomore album, Terra Firma, in North America for the first time. Expect to also hear hits from the Notion EP and Flow State. The concert takes place tonight at 7 at the Agora. John Cashman opens the show. Check the venue’s website for more info. Agora Theatre, 5000 Euclid Ave., 216881-2221, agoracleveland.com.
the tour in support of its latest album, AM Gold, to Blossom tonight. Grammy-nominated singersongwriter Jewel and the multiplatinum rock band Blues Traveler open the show. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. at Blossom. Consult the venue’s website for more info. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.
TUE 06/21
The John Doe Folk Trio
X singer-guitarist John Doe brings his folk trio to the Music Supper Club tonight at 7:30. The group, which also includes bassist Kevin Smith (Willie Nelson) and drummer Conrad Choucron (NRBQ), just released Fables in a Foreign Land, a collection of mid-tempo folk-rock tunes characterized by Doe’s languid vocals and sparse arrangements. 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.
My Morning Jacket
Led by powerhouse singer Jim James, My Morning Jacket brings its tour in support of its latest album, My Morning Jacket, to town tonight. The group performs at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica at 6:30. Indigo De Souza, who released her acclaimed album, Any Shape You Take, last year, opens the show. Check the venue website for more info. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.
WED 06/22
Rex Orange County
Earlier this year, Rex Orange County released his album, Who Cares?, which includes the singles “Open a Window,” “Amazing” and “Keep It Up.” The tour that brings the laid-back indie singer-songwriter to town tonight marks his return to the stage after his 2020 Pony tour which included two sold-out shows in New York City that resulted in his EP Live at Radio City Music Hall. The show starts at 7 tonight at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.
SAT 06/18 THU 06/23
singer-songwriter A.J. Croce has released nine albums over the course of a career that now stretches back decades. Last year’s By Request finds Croce taking on a series of covers. Croce lets loose on the piano for his rollicking take on “Nothing from Nothing” and makes “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” sound like Tom Waits singing gospel. Expect to hear at least some of these tunes when Croce performs tonight at 7:30 at Music Box Supper Club. Check the club’s website for more info. 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.
FRI 06/24
Marco Benevento
Simply titled Benevento, the latest effort from keyboard whiz Marco Benevento includes 40-minutes of “small-batch psychedelia” from his home studio at the base of the Catskill Mountains in Woodstock, NY. Benevento plays all of the instruments with exception of percussion from Mamadouba “Mimo” Camara and backing vocals by his wife and kids on a handful of songs. He also produced and engineered the recording. Lead single “Marco and Mimi” features spacey synths and ratcheting percussion as it possesses a Talking Heads-like energy. Benevento performs tonight at 8:30 at the Beachland Ballroom. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
SUN 06/26
Cracker
Led by singer-songwriter David Lowery, Cracker formed after Lowery’s previous band, Camper van Beethoven, splintered. The band had a few hits in the ‘90s, but its catalog runs deep. Expect the band to dive into it tonight at the Beachland Ballroom. Singer-songwriter Ike Reilly opens the show. Doors open at 7, and tickets cost $22. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
MON 06/27
The Chicks
After nearly 14 years, the Chicks released their fifth studio album, Gaslighter, to rave reviews in 2020. The 12-track record was coproduced by award-winning singersongwriter, producer, and close friend Jack Antonoff, who brings out the band’s pop sensibilities. Tonight’s concert begins at 7:30 at Blossom. Consult the venue’s website for more info. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.
TUE 06/28
Jack Johnson
Meet the Moonlight, singersongwriter Jack Johnson’s eighth studio album and first full-length release in five years, was produced by Blake Mills (Alabama Shakes, Perfume Genius, Jim James) and recorded both in Los Angeles (at Sound City and EastWest) and the Mango Tree (Johnson’s studio in Hawaii). The album stemmed from one-on-one collaboration with Mills (whose contributions included everything from fretless guitar to Moog synth to steel drums). Expect to hear songs from it at tonight’s show. The concert begins at 7:30 at Blossom. Consult the venue’s website for more info. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.
Umi
The neo-soul singer-songwriter brings her Forest in the City tour to House of Blues. The trek supports her just-released full-length debut, Forest in the City. Pensive tunes such as “Sorry” and “Synergy” allow her to show off her soulful vocals and pack a punch despite the downtempo approach. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.
The Zombies
After being nominated a few times but never inducted, the Zombies were finally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. The group just finished recording a new album, but it’s not out yet so don’t expect to hear too many tunes from it. Hits from the ‘60s such as “Time of the Season” and “She’s Not There” should make their way into the set. Tonight’s show begins at 7 at the Kent Stage. Consult the club’s website for more info. 175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.
BIG HOKE
By Jeff Niesel
MEET THE BAND: Tim Lane (percussion), Tom Perish (bass/ vocals), Anthony Papaleo (guitar/ fiddle), Jim Cirillo (saxophone), Tyler Reymond (trombone), Cutty Banner (tuba), Garret Folger (trumpet), Megan Torok (vocals), Liz Smith (vocals), Justin Gorski (piano/ accordion/vocals)
LOVE IS ALL AROUND: Local musician Justin Gorski’s alt-country project Big Hoke dates back more than 20 years. “I just never wanted to use my own name for some reason and came up with the Big Hoke moniker when I was doing solo stuff,” says Gorski. “I wasn’t able to do the original stuff as much as I wanted because I was playing in other bands. After I had some free time, I could do this more. I thought about what band I wanted to get together and put together this version of the band. I’m bringing all the people I love to play with together.”
AUSTIN CALLING: Written and performed by Gorski and produced by Gordy Quist at his studio in Austin, Home, an album Big Hoke released in 2020, was mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Tom Schick. “The reason I went down to Austin is nothing against any of the studios in Cleveland,” says Gorski who runs Cleveland Vegan with his wife. “I would record a weekend here, and then three weeks later, I would get another weekend. That was no way to do an album. I had kept in touch with Gordy from Band of Heathens, a group that I met on the road with [local alt-country act] the Magpies. I told him about the album about four years ago, and he said I should come down to Austin to do it. I convinced my wife to give me about a week. It might’ve just been five days. It was not long. We had everything organized. We just nailed it. I hadn’t released anything in about eight years. I was a little gunshy, but it was a great way to get back into the swing of things, and I thought the album turned out great.”
WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR
THEM: Big Hoke will follow up Home with a new EP, People, which it recorded the album last year at Suma in Painesville. Gorski produced local singer-songwriter Brian Bacon’s album at Suma, and that inspired him to record at the newly refurbished space. “We were out there, and I was helping produce and I thought it was fun and all, but it pushed me into writing more stuff,” he says. “Everything fell into place. Since then, it’s been crazy. I have a whole other EP recorded and ready for release.” In advance of the EP’s release, Gorski released the rollicking, Randy Newman-like single “Bill Murray” along with an accompanying music video that finds him wandering around town in a giant Murray mask. “Every morning, I try to wake up and meditate,” Gorski says when asked about the track. “For some reason, I was just sitting there, and the hook came up in my head. I came downstairs and started thinking about it more philosophically. I was wondering what goes through his head and if he is happy as I think he is? It’s all the questions you would want to ask if you were sitting there bullshitting with him.” Gorski initially recorded it as just a demo with just vocals. As weeks went by, he added handclaps and drums and then some organ. “I would get these little sessions going,” Gorski says. “I called Ed [Stephens] to get bass on it. This local trombone player did the arrangement. I played on accordion what I wanted the horn parts to be. He did a great job. The horn players are awesome on it. It’s what I had in my head when I first came up with it.”
Big Hoke.
Courtesy of Big Hoke
WHERE YOU CAN HEAR
THEM: bighoke.com.
WHERE YOU CAN SEE
THEM: Big Hoke performs with Abby Rose at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 24, at the Happy Dog.
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