Beachland Barn Dance Friday

Just wanted to throw out another additional plug for the Beachland Barn Dance Friday night going on in the ballroom.  You can still get tickets now for $5 or pay $7 at the door either way it's a bargain for what you get.  Six bands, well plus Miss Firecracker hosting is always a treat, so you really get 7 bands in total.  That, my friends, is a great deal.  I never have been good on math but you are looking at less than $1.00 a band pre-sale price.  Nonstop entertainment from 8pm until the wee hours of the morning, or when the cows come home but don't ask me my country watch is broken.   

The thing about Cleveland which might shock the outsiders looking in is that we have an incredible growing Americana music scene here.  Hell even as a long time resident of the area I had no idea of the growing underground country scene we had going here until I saw a show a few months ago featuring a string band outfit called One Dollar Hat and a high speed east side bluegrass on speed sounding band called Heelsplitter.  Call it Outlaw Country, Alt-Country, Bluegrass, Folk, Browngrass, Pillbilly or whatever you want this ain't your mama's country.  Some of it might be your great grand mama's country in some cases because the bands are all over the board from traditional Appalachian folk to New Grass.  None the less you will hear some of the most amazing twangy strummin', hoedown fiddlin', jug blowing mother fuckers you will ever lay your ears on.  

You will be amazed, and awestruck by the line up that is playing the Beachland on Friday.  Most of these folks are from the area with the exception of the showcase band Hoots and Hellmouth who hail from PA.  (check out their CD here The Holy Open Secret or Hoots and Hellmouth)  All share one common bond though in expressing the times we are living in by throwing back to real roots Americana music.  This isn't some Toby Keith overproduced Ford Truck commercial music.  This is down home music with a feeling and true American soul.  These are young kids playing like The Hiram Rapids Stumblers along sided seasoned vets like One Dollar Hat.  These are family folk making music fueled by beer and just to have a good time like Heelsplitter.  These are barkers and buskers playing on the city street festivals just because they love to play.

I think new music has proven one thing over the last couple of years.  Nickleback's will come and go, and I do sincerely hope they do go and keep going into obscurity.  True America folk will always be around.  The music of the past is making a come back.  Woody Guthrie would smile down upon any one of these bands for continuing on the great American songbook the way they do.  I applaud the Beachland for fostering this scene over the last few years and letting it grow to be as big as it is now.  The last show was packed.  I expect the same this Friday.  If you want to jump in on this New Grass revival then come on down and sit a spell on Friday night.  I'll be there.  This is music in it's most bare form; naked, unplugged, straight on true American made, God bless A-fucking-merica, born in the USA, no frills, hoot and holler hootenanny music.  See y'all there.