Brothers Lounge Wine Bar with Brent Kirby

I have written a novel thus far today based on my day Saturday.  West Side Market in the morning followed by breakfast at Mi Pueblo.  I would have one or two more to write had the weather been better and I made it out to Reddstone and or the Winchester if it weren't for the roads being snow covered.  We did make it out to Brothers Lounge to see Brent Kirby from the Jack Fords in the Wine Bar, and I was pretty impressed with Mr. Kirby himself and the Wine Bar.  I was also surprised to see one of my photos gracing the flyers for the event which was kind of cool even though they never asked permission.  I had mixed feelings about it for like 2 seconds but with me being an attention whore I really liked it.

It's been a while, like 6 years, since Brothers went through it's reconstruction period.  The old Brothers was a complete dump.  I mean seriously the dregs of society would crawl to this joint.  There were some pretty shady folks that used to hang out at this place, myself included to play the occasional round of darts and drink on the cheap.  I am speculating but based on folklore and witnessing some weirdness with my own eyes booze and beers weren't the only thing being slung at the old Brothers Lounge.  I never thought I utter the words let's go to Brother for a glass of wine, but that's all changed.  I am guessing the renovations to the place were in the 7 figure range.  Three bars including the main bar, the wine bar and the concert hall.  This is if I recall correctly because I only hit the wine bar Saturday night.  

Now here's the issue I have with Brothers and why I never went back after the last time.  They spent a lot of cash on the sound system in the large concert hall room, but they are not listener or fan friendly.  If you actually come here to see a band you are only going to leave pissed.  Maybe it has changed in the main hall.  I don't know.  They always seem to be packed with private parties in the big room or its just packed period.  It's mostly not packed with people to see the bands.  It's packed with people that like to talk, and talk really loud so you can't really enjoy the show.  The Wine Bar was a little different, but barely.  The music at Brothers seems to be nothing more than an afterthought.  They have great local bands that play both sides of the Lounge but it can at times seem like nothing more than background music to loud conversations.

That being said I did not leave pissed Saturday but I think only because we got there early enough to score great seats at the bar very close to the stage.  Had I been in the back I think it would have changed things a bit.  The Wine Room is gorgeous with tin ceiling tiles and rich hardwood all over the place.  The chairs are super comfy.  The service is pretty good but 2 bartenders might not be enough at times.  The wine and beer selection is pretty extensive with a little something for everyone.  They offer 2 ounce flights of 3 wines for $9.00 to sample to find what you are looking for which I thought was very cool.  The menu looked decent but we only had the Wine Board.  It was decent, you got a couple bread rolls in this giant cone shaped thing and a plate with some capicola rolled up, a couple slices of prosciutto, 4 cheese wedges, a smattering of grapes, crackers and craisins which I thought was a little on the tacky side as a fruit offering on a "Market Price" wine board.  The rest of the menu seemed like standard bar food with an upscale twist.  Prices were moderate but nothing stood out that made me say I must come back to try this. 

The reason we came out on a snow covered Saturday night though was to see Brent Kirby who we saw for the first time a couple weeks back do an abbreviated solo set at Ali-Fest at the Town Fryer.  Brent does triple duty with his solo career, and as front man for The Jack Fords and his new Gram Parsons tribute The New Soft Shoe.  He is a very talented musician and singer songwriter.  He does his own material which is excellent and covers of bands like Wilco, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo and Ryan Adam to name a few.  The way he does his covers you would think he wrote them himself.  He owns the stage and can captivate an audience.  He is a modern day Dylan mixed with a little Jeff Tweedy meets Jack Johnson.  Brent is the kind of guy that would be the center of attention around a campfire slinging his guitar like a master and blowing his harmonica with an equal amount of soul.  He is a professional musician and you can tell he is meant to be on stage.  You can tell he not only enjoys what he does, but he truly gets behind every note he plays and sings.  

The sound at times was hushed by the droning nonstop chatter from the bar patrons.  Again, I have to say at times the music seemed more of an inconvenience to some than entertainment.  I guess that's just the way it is at Brothers though.  Brent drew a nice amount of fans to Brothers on Saturday night but it was about 50/50 on those who wanted to enjoy the show and those who wanted to just hang out and talk.  It is weird going to a bar like this wanting to see a performance.  I am spoiled I think by the many music venues I go to where people are there to watch the bands.  I will say this though, there was no cover and I think with a small door charge it might help remedy that a bit.  So, I didn't have to pay for the show so I shouldn't really harp on it.  

I'd really do plan on seeing Kirby again either solo or with his other projects and possibly booking something under the 52 Weeks of Cleveland banner.  I just think he is that good.  He really gets behind his craft.  He's the kind of guy I'd hang out with and talk music for hours on end with which we did a little bit.  I can't really say I would come back to Brothers without reason though.  It would need to be to see a band or something.  The parking can be challenging, and I am just not part of that scene.  I am there for the music and certainly not the atmosphere.  I am not hating on it although it seems I might be.  I think it is gorgeous lounge.  It is probably one of the nicest looking places I have been to in a while.  I just don't think it is a true music venue.  It's bar first, lounge second in my ever so humble opinion.  They are obviously doing a great business and what they did to the place needs to be applauded at the very least.  So Brothers I truly love what you did with the place but you just missing the mark a bit on the music venue piece of the equation.                                           

Mi Pueblo and the art of Huevos Racheros...2.27.10

First off can I say how difficult it was not to rip into a couple smokies from Czuchrah Meats, or a hot fresh Brat from Frank's at the West Side Market?  It was difficult, let me tell you.  Walking aisles upon aisles of fresh cut meats, smelling the bouquet of fruits coming from the stands in the West Side Market Arcade.  Walking past Frank's Bratwurst multiple times just smelling those juicy brats and fresh sauerkraut boiling could bring a grown man to his knees begging.  I stood there and watched a Cleveland Police Officer order his, and devour it like a starved bear.  However just thinking about a fresh hot breakfast from Mi Pueblo made me hold off from going nutty at the Market Saturday.  For such amazing willpower and self control I think I deserved the reward that was Huevos Rancheros at Mi Pueblo.

Do I know the history of Mi Pueblo?  Nope not at all.  All I know it has been over on the corner of West 122nd and Lorain as long as I can remember.  They specialize in authentic Mexican food from burritos to Menudo.  Yeah, not the Ricky Martin boy band, shut up.  The spicy tripe soup concoction.  Myself, I am not that brave.  I just can't do tripe.  I tried tripe once and was put off by the texture.  The restaurant itself is pretty wide open with tables and booths and a small bar/counter area where you can sit and stare at the slow cooking pork spinning slowly on a spit.  You can also watch the cook prepare your meal on the giant griddle from the bar.

The service is really good here, and has been consistently good each time I have been here.  I would estimate the time of order to plate in front of me was like 5 minutes.  It was dead on Saturday.  I think they just opened the doors when we walked into the joint.  So, we had the whole place to ourselves.  The prices are beyond reasonable.  Most everything is under $10 on the menu with the exception of some of the more traditional dishes.  It's breakfast though and that means Huevos Rancheros which is what I usually get here.  Every once in a while I go off the board and get a burrito that would make the entire Chipotle corporation as a whole cry.  

To start of the meal you get the old standard basket 'o chips.  These are fresh, and even have the malformed ones that stick together so you know they are freshly made in the kitchen.  You get 2 different salsa the red hot salsa and a more mild green tomatillo salsa.  The red was a bit on the hot side for me at 9 in the morning or whatever the hell time it was, but the tomatillo was perfect.  You also get a small dish of Mexican pickled carrots which were fantastic.  There isn't much time before the actual meal comes out so good luck downing all this.  I usually don't because the chips act as a magnificent corn spoon for the part of my breakfast that doesn't make it into the warm corn tortillas.  

The huevos rancheros come with three fried eggs, and generous helpings of freshly made refried beans and rice.  A nice mild red sauce is served over the eggs which normally I really enjoy.  Because this is homemade sort of thing the batch will vary on occasion.  This time I think the garlic was a bit overpowering.  I really liked it but if there was one thing I would change is a little less garlic.  It just at times overpowered the other balanced flavors of the dish.  The corn tortillas are served warm and separate in their own warmer and hold up well the warm gooey goodness that is Mi Pueblos huevos rancheros.  I lost the battle of corn tortilla to egg ratio and ended up using my chips to scoop up the rest.  This is a battle I am more than willing to lose.  Overall it was an excellent breakfast choice.  

After the meal we headed over to the Mexican grocery next door to pick up some goodies to take home.  The store has been there as long as the restaurant but my dumb ass never went in there until yesterday.  They have a great selection of Mexican foods to take home from fresh produce including cactus petals to giant foot long sheets of fried pork skin.  I opted out of both of those options and picked up some corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo ($2.59) and a 12 pack of freshly made pork tamales ($12).  The pico de gallo was incredible but a little on the hot side.  The tamales were unreal.  The best I have ever had since Arizona.  These are the homemade real deal and worth the trip to the store to pick up a pack for yourself.  Don't make the mistake I did and ignore this hidden little treasure of a grocery store.  You will not be disappointed in Mi Pueblo or it's adjacent Mexican grocery. 

        

Cleveland's West Side Market...2.27.10

I woke up early Saturday morning.  Actually a little bit more early than I normally would because I have a dog for an alarm clock.  She is used to getting up with me for work which means pretty much 7 days a week I am up around at 6 in the morning.  Now a lot of times she will give me an extra hour of sleep and she did Saturday which was nice, but I could have used a couple more Zzzzzz's.  This morning I had every intention of heading down to Cleveland's West Side Market, just not this early.  I'm starting this 21 day detox-vegan challenge thing.  It's not really called a detox but when you cut out all meat products and bi-products I would need to call that a detox.  You can check it out or take the challenge by clicking here.  So I wanted to head to the West Side Market to stock up on fruits, grains and vegetables which are not only plentiful here but also half the price of your local grocery store.

According to local history the WSM started in 1840.  The Market as we know it, with the glorious clock tower was built in 1912.  The Market has two sections. The outdoor arcade where you can get any fruit or vegetable you can imagine and the inside concourse with choice cuts of meat, fish and poultry.  Many of the stalls have been family owned and operated for over 50 years like Bacha Produce where my family has shopped since the 70's.  Bacha is always my last stop just for the simple fact I leave with about, no exaggeration here, probably about 15 pounds of fresh produce.  Celery, onions, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes...you get the picture.  You want it and it's a vegetable?  Bacha has it covered.  

Plus, and this is a sad note for a while there other vendors were really selling some junk as far as product goes.  I can't tell you how many times I got bad product from some of the less than scrupulous vendors in the '90's.  I almost quit coming to the market for a bit because of the garbage I was getting.  However it has gotten much better over the last few years.  If you sold poor product you didn't get my business anymore.  I am sure I wasn't the only one who took that stance, and now the bad vendors more or less ran themselves out of business.  I am still on my own as far as fruit goes.  I haven't found the perfect stand like Bacha, but I wish they would branch out because it would be my one stop shop.

So my fruit dilemma continues at the WSM, but I managed to pick up some nice pink grapefruit.  There is tons of fruit to be had at the market but I didn't partake.  They have everything from your basic apples and oranges to giant sugarcane stalks.  If the whole variety thing doesn't suck you in about the market then the prices are the real reason to come.  It is a place where low income families can get good nutritious food at budget prices.  Growing up I lived in the affluent Cleveland suburb of Bay Village.  Times were tight in the 70's with my mom working 2 jobs for a while and my father was left unemployed when the Glidden plant closed over off Berea Road and West 117th.  Because of the WSM we were able to still eat more than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  We ate a things called Chinese Apples, and had oxtail soup.  Now Chinese Apples are known as pomegranates and are a delicacy as well as the oxtails which were basically throw away meats in the 70's that sell for $5.99 a pound today.  

The main concourse can be overwhelming.  It's a vegans nightmare honestly.  It is wall to wall and stall to stall meat, meat, meat and more meat.  There are some bakery stalls, and ethnic cuisine thrown in here and there, but the major percentage of the concourse is dedicated to protein.  There are fish stands, poultry stands, pork stands, dairy stands, and beef stands.  Giant cow tongues and whole sucking pigs sit in glass cases lined with ruby red cuts of the finest beef.  Fresh butchered pork is the pink color of a kids cheeks after a day on the sledding hill.  Whole fish lined up in rows laying on beds of ice stare up at you so fresh you wonder if they might jump out at you.  Loaves of fresh golden baked bread are stacked end upon end.  Frank's serves up hot bratwurst with kraut and Stadium Mustard for breakfast and lunch, and you can wash it down with an amazing cup of joe from Cleveland's finest coffee maker City Roast.

Cleveland has an affection for the smokie.  A ready to eat meat snack in a variety of flavors.  There is only one place I ever get my smokies and Iron Chef Michael Symon will agree that Czuchraj Meats is just that place.  He picked their beef jerky as the best thing he ever ate.  Smokies again, like the Chinese apple and the oxtail back in the 70's were an affordable treat for lower income families.  Now, well they are $5.99 a pound, still affordable but more of a once and a while treat.  These wonderful meat sticks are loaded with flavor, and come in multiple flavors in turkey or beef.  You have the Cleveland original, cajun, cheese, and jalapeno to name a few.  A trip to the market without visiting Czuchraj meats is like going to the ballpark and not having a hot dog.  It just doesn't feel right.  

The yin to Czuchraj's yang in the dairy department is such a hard toss up with 3 to choose from, but I would have to say Meister Foods wins that award.  They have undoubtedly the best selection of cheeses and dairy products along with farm fresh eggs.  The crown jewel is their case would have to be the old fashion, whipped cream cottage cheese.  It is a thick rich non-diet version of what you might find in the store.  It is loaded with large cheese curds and thick and creamy like no other cottage cheese you have ever tasted.  It is so good I have a friend who will dry ice the stuff and fly it back to Florida when he comes to Cleveland.  They also carry fresh Ohio maple syrup and a variety of Ohio honey.  My loyalty will always remain with Meister because back in the day they used to give away the cheese ends on the cheap to my mom.  My dad would make the best Mac & Cheese with it.  Unfortunately that practice has gone to the way of the cheap oxtail.  They cube the ends and sell them in one pound bags for $4.99.  Still affordable but just not the same.  

Cleveland's West Side Market is one of the reasons Cleveland is not miserable.  It is a cultural melting pot of Cleveland heritage.  It's long standing building is rich with history and memories of days past and present.  Everyone has a West Side Market story to tell like me.  Be it chili dogs for breakfast, a Frank's Brat to end a morning of shopping, or a pizza bagel breakfast everyone in Cleveland has their own unique West Side Market tradition.  It is the one single place in Cleveland almost everyone can agree on as one of the things that makes our city what it is today.  It is a small but mighty building with it's clock tower beckoning you in from West 25th street.  It is by far as much of a Cleveland landmark as the Terminal Tower, and will remain a long standing tradition for thousands of Cleveland families.                         

The Pub Road Block: The Linden Tavern

So here is what happens whenever I actually plan on having dinner somewhere.  It ends up to be packed to the hilt or there is a private party.  The Pub in Rocky River was no exception to that rule.  It was packed with A PRIVATE PARTY and of course packed to the hilt.  So that will need to come another day.  Tonight was also supposed to be a night at the Beachland Ballroom to see the infamous Glenn Schwartz and the Schwartz Brothers.  The weather sucks tonight, as it is Cleveland, and February.  The roads are sheets of ice and slush making even the normally short drive to Rocky River an ordeal.  Mr. Schwartz we shall see you again one day.  

So weather sucks , hungry , Rocky River...where to go?  Michael's has an all you can eat fish fry, but seriously Michael's was good for one thing only and that was breakfast.  Well, not just breakfast, but drunken breakfast after the bars closed at 2am on a weekend.  Well that and the Big Mike Burger, and that was again at 2am on a weekend after drinks.  Dun dun duhhhhhhh!  Enter the Linden Tavern.  The Linden Tavern has been a long standing establishment in Rocky River.  Family owned by the Eglinski's since 1989 and serving excellent comfort food including surf and turf specials every Saturday.  Really cheap surf and turf Saturdays mind you as in tomorrows special of prime rib and lobster tail for $19.99.  But we came for the fresh perch fish fry.

Back at the turn of the century emigrants flocked to Cleveland to work in the factories of the industrial revolution.  They formed enclaves through the area and built their churches that still anchor many of the neighborhoods today.  Shortly after the churches came the neighborhood bars, social clubs and taverns.  Back in those days Friday's were still meatless and these neighborhood pubs served up an inexpensive seafood caught fresh in good old Lake Erie.  The Lake Erie yellow tail perch was abundant and right outside Cleveland's front door.  The Friday church or pub fish fry became a Friday night family ritual for many.  It is good to see that in Cleveland this tradition lives on in places like the Linden Tavern.

The Tavern itself is pretty small.  I didn't see the whole tavern as there was a back area and getting back there would have been silly when we were seated in the front.  It is a very narrow tavern.  I am talking double wide at best.  The bar takes up half the joint, and the place is full of regulars that probably have been coming sine 1989.  Our server Joe was really attentive but food service was a bit slow only due to the fact it was completely packed.  We started with a couple glasses of Riesling, a nice fruity one that you know was probably a $12 bottle, none the less it went well with the brie appetizer.  The brie came covered in a berry preserve, had a fair amount of sliced almonds and some grapes on the side.  The bread served with it was a little on the dry side and more like a sliced crouton.  I would have much preferred a nice fresh sliced baguette but hey it's a mom and pop tavern.

The perch dinner was very good.  Unlike my last perch offering from Mitchell's last week was obviously fresh.  It had that gamey Lake Erie flavor to it.  It was moist, lightly breaded, and fried golden brown.  The dinner came with about 6 pieces of perch served on a pile of fries, a side of coleslaw and a roll.  Like I said the perch was fabulous.  The fries were like McDonald's which isn't a bad thing but seriously how hard is it to buy some regular spuds throw them in the old fashioned cutter and toss them in the deep fryer.  So while the fish was great, the combo fell a little short from the perfect fish fry I am searching for.  So, the white whale gets away yet again, but just barely.  I would definitely go back here again to try the rest of the menu especially on one of those surf and turf Saturdays.

Here's the rub, and where I can digress into my funny anecdote story tellin' fool self.  Back in the early 90's I dated a lot.  I also liked to party a lot.  Like really party a lot.  During this time I met this girl named...to protect the innocent we'll just call her "Roxy".  She was a dancer, well no, she was actually a stripper dancer who worked at what was back then the Circus.  Roxy and I ended up dating for a few months, or couple months honestly we are talking 1992 it is vague at best.  Roxy had a substance abuse problem along with a 5th of Jack Daniels a day habit.  Now that doesn't make her a bad person, but the relationship went south real quick after having dinner and meeting her dad at her place.  Little did I know her dessert of choice was cocaine with the old man.  I obviously was way out of my league with this one.  She was used to bad boys that would rough her up and a little more crazy than I was willing to offer.  I was crazy in my own special way at the time.  Plus at the time I was running for city council of my local little suburb trying to make things happen for me.  While it was fun while it lasted it was a horrible heartbreak I think on both sides.  Well where is this going?  I caught Roxy out of the corner of my eye tending bar at the Linden and that isn't a can of worms I have any interest in revisiting.  Plus I like my fish fry without a side order of potential scorned vendetta food tampering.    

I got me a fancy Facebook fan page!

52 Weeks of Facebook

Basically keep up to date on where I will be going so you can come along for the ride if you wish.  Stalk me or whatever.  I don't care.  All that matters is you come out and enjoy what Cleveland has to offer...even if it is for some sick, twisted perversion.

I will also be posting full sets of photos from shows and various other photography projects.  If you think what I post on here is good, you should see the stuff that never makes it up here. 

Beachland Barn Dance 2.20.10

Cleveland never ceases to amaze me at times.  The Beachland Barn Dance was held last Saturday night.  First off I have to say when I heard this was in the Ballroom and Robert Bradley was playing in the Tavern I thought it was a mistake.  No offense...no offense band people but I am ye of little faith I guess.  I seriously thought it would be a smaller crowd just because well, people aren't 100% hip to the bluegrass barn dance thing 'round these here parts.  I was like awesome I can sneak up to the stage with ease and snap some pics.  Boy was I ever fucking wrong.  The Ballroom was packed.  So was the Tavern for that matter but I didn't hit the Bradley show, well just snippets of it when I went out to smoke.  So seven bands took the stage for $7.00, a value at that price for the budget minded folks in this  "miserable" Cleveland economy.

So my first mistake of the night was getting there at like 8:30ish because I missed the first band The Timberwolves.  Sorry guys...I am sure you were good but I was in the car.  I actually got in to see most of the One Dollar Hat set.  One Dollar hat is, I am going to sound like a broken 45 because I'll probably use this phrase more than one, a true Roots-Americana band.  Usually a three piece they were joined on stage by (pardon me if I get this wrong) Nate McDonald on bass.  Nate was on that stage a lot playing with various folks Saturday.  The sound of One Dollar Hat is the sound of the soul of rural America.  Twangy, and picky sometimes somber others downright dancey.  It's just old time stringband music.  Zach Smolko, Gordon & Louise Keller make up the band.

Next up on the 7 band chock full of goodness bill was Pete McDonald and the Waxwings Stringband.  The band is made up of Pete (guitar and guitar-like instruments, vocals) and Nate McDonald (bass, vocals) and Lisa and Laura Cyrocki (oh I give up these gals played everything known to man, banjo, guitar, strings, washboard and vocals) Ok, a little side note on this one and more proof I will never make it as a journalist in the real world I want to say I was introduced to Lisa (could have been Laura, give me a break they are sisters!) after the set.  I melted like I just met Gillian Welch.  Seriously I had become tongue tied and was at a loss for words like I just met a rock star.  Their set was incredible and would love to see them again.  Pete himself seems to have a nice little solo career cut out for him in the folk scene but with this band behind him I was an instant fan.

Holy shit!  It's Heelsplitter again.  Yeah after seeing so many Heelsplitter shows I can do duets with them at this point.  I might even master the Frankenbass in time.  I like them.  I think they put on a great show and they are friends.  So, yep  I have seen them multiple times.  This however was the first time on the Beachland Ballroom stage.  They did a nice quick set that was pretty flawless.  When they played Eff It, also known as Fuck it, children ran for the doors.  Yes there were some kids in the audience.  I am fine with kids at rock shows but if you can't handle hearing an F-bomb being dropped here and there at a concert you probably shouldn't be taking them there.  Plus it was like 10:30pm so maybe it was bed time.  It was just kind of funny how the kids were gone after that set.  So, I had to rub that fact in to them more than a couple times after the set.  Might as well give the little shits some whiskey to calm them down or something if you are bringing them to a concert. It didn't bother me, just amused me.

Next up were The Hiram Rapids Stumblers.  Sorry guys there are 8 of you I didn't get or remember many names.  These cats were good and I expect to see them headlining some stuff on a regular basis or at the very least taking the opening slots for larger national acts.  They are young and full of energy.  They have a style of bluegrass-americana that would actually bring a shot in the arm to pick up some younger fans.  Honestly I think this movement is full of younger fans just because of bands like this (and all of them for that matter that played here).  Indie rock is getting weird, country is pretty shitty, but making real music is making a comeback.  See, that's what these guys do.  They write real songs and with expert craftsmanship turn out some great music.  They put on a great set but like those before them it was abbreviated to allow for the 7 band line up.

Horrible journalist alert.  JP and the Chatfield Boys took the stage next and I think I caught like 2 songs.  Mind you not because they were bad or anything.  I thought they were really good.  I was under mind control of the aforementioned Cyrocki.  Beyond that though I was involved in some great conversations with Leroy and Heidi Sue Jones of Scoliosis Jones, The Heelsplitter and Misery Jackal folks and Miss Firecracker.  What topic wasn't covered?  Booze, drugs, the mortgage crisis, the Forbe's article, Anthony Sowell, the Lottery League we really ran the gambit.  It just goes to show these are some good people.  So, while I missed the set for the most part I really had a great time just chilling out for a few minutes in the bar area.  So after taking in all those bands I deserved a break.  Plus I got a great shot of the Bartender hijacking my Blatz picture.  

Last up was the Misery Jackals all the way from Akron Ohio.  The Jackals are always a favorite.  Described as Pillbilly Browngrass they fit the bill but think bluegrass on a bender.  I do have a crush on Pirate Jenny too though because she is the sweetest person known to mankind.  So they have that special place for me.  Maybe its the outfits I am not sure.  On a down note they lost their part time vocalist full time guitar slinger Beaner Nix.  Honestly the guy was a fucking incredible piece of the Jackals.  So, I can't say he wasn't missed because he was, but stepping into his guitar duties was a fellow that goes by KGB and he was really fucking good.  I think Beaner had a really soulful voice on cuts like Crack and Similac but Jenny was able to hold her own taking the reins.  I did however really miss the accordion but Jenny is still nursing some bad wounds from a recent spill she took.  But because they share so many duties of singing from Sweet Billy C and Doghouse Timmy the exclusion of Beaner was missed but not a nail in the coffin or anything.  Plus it is fun watching Phil Yonder on that hillbilly tuba and the brown jug.  It just worked I guess, needs a bit of a spit shine but that is due to a lot of misfortune in the matter of a few short months.  They will be back to 100% soon enough.  I still liked it just fine.

Pardon any typos and spelling errors.  I am pretty sure they are all over this thing.  I am suffering a spell of vertigo but I wanted to get this done.  Next stop...I have no idea.  I actually have nothing planned for this weekend.  Well Friday I think I am heading to The Pub in Rocky River to get my Lenten Friday fish fry fix.  Saturday, I got nothing.  So invite me somewhere, or I'll just see you around Cleveland.     

My cross to bear...(off topic ramblings)

I suffer from a disease called vertigo.  It is hard for people to understand because when you get down to it Vertigo really isn't really a disease.  It's more of a condition.  The bouts with my condition can be mild and last for a couple seconds or minutes to almost a week.  When vertigo hits the symptoms are completely crippling.  I write this now as I took off from work today for fear of having a stronger spell come on which it eventually does.  My focus wanes.  It becomes hard to form thought and getting words to come out without sounding drunk is a challenge.  I have some of the most severe symptoms of Vertigo you can imagine.  Unfortunately that statement doesn't hold much weight because you really can't imagine what this can feel like.  

My worst bout of Vertigo came a couple years ago where the pressure from an inner ear infection actually burst my eardrum.  The pain was excruciating.  Blood was actually dripping out of my ear.  To begin to describe it would not do it justice.  I dropped more F-bombs on my poor wife that a normal person might have run home to their mom or started filing divorce papers.  The thing is I am not 100% in my right mind when it strikes.  To say that episode hurt would be an understatement.  I have broken bones that didn't hurt as much as that time.  I was pounding on walls, pinching myself just to make the pain stop for a second.  There was nothing I could do about it besides wait for the Antibiotics to run their course which took a couple days.

So that killer infection coupled with the vertigo I was out of it for I think 5 days.  Screaming in pain like I had been shot and unable to focus, or walk.  I would wake up after I finally passed out from complete exhaustion next to the toilet with a towel as a pillow.  To say I suffer from vertigo is an understatement.  Vertigo, when is strikes, completely owns me.  The medication I take decreases the symptoms enough to allow me to function, and that's about it.  I just need to ride the rest out.  There is the Epley maneuver I am supposed to do which tricks the brain a little bit which helps too. So what do you just get dizzy or something?  Yeah I just get dizzy.  Dizzy times 10.  I am trying to think how to describe it as something you might have felt.  Seasickness is a good start at least if you ever had that, or maybe that feeling you get when you step off the Rotor at the amusement park.  See those things are temporary, imagine if that feeling lasted for hours if not days.  

The best way I can describe it is imagine having to actually focus on moving your legs, then imagine if every time you had to make a turn you would have to allow your eyes to focus on where you need to go before your legs could take you there.  Narrow hallways suck and make things worse, and stairs?  Forget about it.  I need to walk to wide open spaces to begin to even function.  Eyes first, legs next.  Normally your legs take you where you need to go but with vertigo your eyes need to show your legs where you need to go before they will work.  If your eyes aren't going first and your legs just do what they normally do, you are probably going to vomit, fall or possibly pass out.  When it hits while I am driving I am a danger to myself and anyone on the road.  I cannot focus on anything but straight ahead of me.  If I look in the rear view mirror it's like watching everything in tunnel vision.  Thank goodness I know well before when it strikes so I am not behind the wheel.  I would imagine it to be like driving completely wasted focusing on the lines on the highway trying to stay straight.

So when does it happen?  I have no control of it.  This time it just came on out of nowhere.  I feel nauseous, and a little off center.  My brain feels cloudy.  It feels like my skull is filled with water.  It's not heavy, it's just doesn't feel right.  The last huge episode I did nothing other than get up too fast from the couch.  So when I don't like to go on amusement park rides you need to understand that feeling of weightlessness might not only last a couple seconds for me.  I might just ruin your day at the park.  Even riding an elevator while suffering a bout of vertigo could make me fall, or vomit.  It's all about having no clear sense of equilibrium.  

I think the worst part of it is when I talk I can't form sentences at times and I forget very simple words.  It is embarrassing at times for someone that is pretty damn articulate to not be able to say a simple word like dog or cat.  I seem to type well as I am in the middle of a minor episode but the motor function of brain to mouth is flawed.  I need to really focus and think in order to actually form complete full sentences.  I might stop mid sentence to search for a word, and I sound drunk at times.  I slur my speech a bit.  My focus again must be 100% concentrated on in order to do the most simple function of walking, or talking.  I lose track of time and can just stare off into space for hours at a time.  I find one spot to look at and focus in on it so I don't have to move my eyes or the nausea will come back as I lose my sense of equilibrium.  I stare off into space until I fall asleep then wake up not remembering where I am for a moment.  Then I do it all over again and take antivert to help the room stop spinning.  Today is mild.  I will get over it but I thought it was worth writing about to better understand what I go through.   

...and more Miserable Fobes article

First off thank you for the kind words about my letter.  I am glad everyone enjoys the first posting.  I think my biggest issue is that when someone wants to take a jab at Cleveland the first thing they do is go back 40 years ago on the Cuyahoga River fire.  This was horrible, yes we caught a river on fire, but let's look at America in the late 60's.  How about we go back a year to 1968 when Cleveland elected the first African American Mayor Carl Stokes?  

So let's forget about the good that happened and started a year earlier paving the way for future African American leaders and an ease of racial tensions.  In 1969 the south needed the court of law to desegregate Mississippi schools in the landmark case Alexander v Homles County Board of Education.  Congress in 1968 had to vote and pass a civil rights bill prohibiting housing discrimination for minorities.  In 1967 Loving v Virginia the United States Supreme court ruled in favor of a mixed race couple whose marriage had been judged illegal by Virginia law. 

Race riots in the 60's were front page headlines in major cities across the United States.  23 People are killed in Newark New Jersey, 43 more in Detroit.  After the assassination of Dr. King in 1968 rioting in Washington, Chicago, Baltimore, Kansas City, and multiple other cities claim the lives of dozens more.  You want to get started on the lynchings, the segregated drinking fountains, lunch counters and public transportation of the deep and not so deep south?  We can go back to just last year in back woods Louisiana and the Justice of the Peace that refused to grant a mixed race couple a marriage license due to personal racist beliefs.  

Our river caught fire June 22, 1969 Mr. Forbes.  Yes, that is a funny little fact to put in your article.  Haha, snicker, snicker ...mistake on the lake.  Is that all you got though?  You want to talk about black eyes?  Let's talk about some real shit.  Let's really sling the mud around and talk about how progressive Cleveland was as a city while our river was burning.  Let's talk about the real deal and how we accepted change while others were still stuck on the Jim Crow laws of the late 1800's in 1960's America.  Cleveland was making leaps and bounds for equality while our river was burning.  What the fuck was everyone else doing?  If it wasn't for the mistake on the lake and our tolerance of other people, cultures, creeds and colors we might not even have a African American as President today.  You cant change history, our river did catch on fire.  Let's forget the positives because Johnny Carson used the burning river bit in his monologue back in 1970.  Apparently that is still funny in your world.  It just isn't in mine.

An Open letter to Forbes Magazine

Honestly, really I want to invite both of you to come to Cleveland.  It could be for a weekend, or a week.  I don't mind at all.  I would love to have the ability to (1) show you why you are wrong (2) the impact of your article on the city of Cleveland. 

First point of contention.  Sports teams are factored in?  Really?  So because of this fact North Dakota was not in this mix?  They have snow and horrible weather 10 months out of the year but we are worse huh?  Let me take you to a game to see the Cavs, the Lake Erie Monsters, Indians, Crushers, Captains, or even the Browns.  Just 2 years ago the Indians were 2 strikes away from the World Series.  The Cavs have been in the Playoffs consistently with James or without him years before him.  Talk to the fans on how much they love these teams and what they bring to the city.

Second point of contention:  Crime is rampant in Cleveland.  South Central LA and other cities are plagued with gang violence where people are afraid to walk down or even drive down sections of of these cities.  In parts of Arizona they kidnap people out of their homes to hold them for ransom in Mexico.  I can walk or drive down even the worst neighborhoods in Cleveland strapped with my cameras taking photos with no fear of being kidnapped, mugged, or be involved in a drive by shooting.  I have been doing it for years now.

Third point of contention.  Foreclosures are on the rise.  Only here?  Really, Cleveland is worse of than say Florida where vacant homes pepper the streets of all the so called growth cities from less than 5 years ago?  How about Arizona again here, same deal.  These are brand new homes we are talking about in these sunny states.  The subprime mortgage crisis rippled through every state.  No major city or suburb was immune to this beast.  We are building up our city with housing, condos, and Townhouses in Cleveland proper.  People want to live in the city again. 

Fourth point of contention.  Steve and Kurt here is where you can have some of that blue collar down home language.  The river caught on fire.  You are an asshole for even mentioning this.  1969, Kurt...40 years ago our river caught on fire.  We even have a local beer called Burning River Ale in honor of this.  We accept this fact and embrace it, but adding something that happened 40 years ago just to drive the point home was incredibly irresponsible.  We live on a major waterway where ships pass through daily, where families take the kids to swim through the summer months at our many public beaches, where we catch fresh fish, jet ski, water ski and boat.  We have an incredible resource in Lake Erie and treat it with respect now.

The reason I would like to take you to Cleveland is not to tar and feather you on Public Square but to show you the what we do have to offer and the people that love this city.  We have a world renowned orchestra.  We have one of the most incredible art museums in the Nation.  We have the Lake Erie Science Museum, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Zoo, acres upon acres of our public Metropark systems, and miles and miles of sandy beaches.  We have restaurants that rival your big city New York pretentious ones.  I would put Michael Symon's Lola and Rocco Whalen's Fahrenheit against whatever you want to compare it too, and I will guarantee you will be impressed.  Want to try some Cleveland soul food?  I'll take you in the heart of the crime infested city to try out Angie's.  How about the best ribs you can imagine at Hot Sauce Williams?  How about nightlife?  I can take you to The Beachland Ballroom, Grog Shop to check out our local artists.  Do you like blues?  Sure let's head over to the Parkview Night Club and check that out too.  How about art?  I am sure I can find 100 different local galleries for you to go to.  How about a spring day in the butterfly enclosure at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens on a perfect Sunday afternoon.  We can grab a quick bite to eat right up the street in Little Italy, or head a couple miles up the road to Coventry to have a vegan feast at Tommy's.  How about a hand crafted brew from one of the many Microbreweries in Cleveland.  We can stop by Great Lakes Brewing Company and have a pint then walk across to the street to long time gem of Cleveland known as the Westside Market where you can find all sorts of fresh fruit and vegetables, choice cuts of meat and ethnic originals.  How about pierogies at Sokolowski's University Inn.  Let's drive by and see the leg lamp at the original Christmas Story house then take in the Tremont Art Walk.  You get the picture.  I can find more unique and positive things in this city than the flecks of dirt you are trying to bury it with.  You just choose to ignore them because that won't sell copy now will it?

The fact here is we laughed at you and your article in spite quite a lot in the last couple of days.  You forget Cleveland has a new serial killer to claim.  We thought about the stupid, harmful, yet oh so witty jokes you would write about it.  "Cleveland smells so bad, they think the smell of rotting murder victims is the smell of the sausage factory next store to suspects house."  See, we can joke about it Kurt.  It is our town.  We have corrupt officials and they will be on their way out eventually.  They are nothing like Ron Blagojevich but ok, maybe we have more in numbers but not in magnitude.  We fear that the Medical Mart is going to fall through because of these idiots.  The thing is Kurt what does an article like this really do in the long run?  Who does it help when you point out the black eyes and bruises of a city trying to rebuild and shake ghosts of Cleveland past?  It helps sell your magazine I am sure and since print media is a dying medium you got to do something shocking to sell your rag.  I get it.  It's business but it doesn't make you any less wrong.  You say you pored over stats, but your stats are flawed.  Sporting teams?  At least we have not just one of them but three of them not counting the minor league teams, most cities have one to none.  Our weather is not the worst around, move to Buffalo see how that feels.  I am sure they have the foreclosures too.  Kurt, our river caught fire 40 years ago, but you manged to light that fire one more time.  You lit a fire under the fans and citizens of "the mistake on the lake" we love and call home.  So I invite you and Steve to pop on down and I'll take you on a tour for a week so you can see how wrong you really are.

52 Weeks of Cleveland takes the Vegan Challenge in March

52 Weels of Cleveland takes the Vegan Challenge in March

So, I read about this little thing called the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program.  (link above).  I am going to give it a shot.  Obviously I will be doing most of the meal planning at home but I intend on hitting some of the more veggie friendly restaurants in the area as well on the weekends so I can keep up my standing in the blogging community.  What's 21 days right?

I have been on and off a vegetarian diet for years.  I wish I could go completely back to that lifestyle but it is so difficult when meat tastes so wonderful.  I could do without pork products pretty easy.  I have never been a fan with the exception of bacon but if you don't like bacon you have something wrong with your fucking head.  Chicken to me is bland and can be replaced with tofu or mock chicken products pretty easy.  I actually have come to like chic-patties more than regular chicken honestly.  Sushi I dig, that's a guilty pleasure...oh it's not meat but it is.  That is one thing I will never buy into in the veg community is Pescetarianism.  Fish are still animals.  They may be dumb fuckers, but they are still just as living as a cow just maybe not as breathing I guess.  I get the Lacto-ovo thing, I really do.  It's a gift from the animal so I am into that.  It is a very Buddhist concept really.  It's just the way those are produced that makes me leery about that lifestyle.  Factory farming, chickens stacked in feces, and filth in crates stacked 6 feet high.  The whole free range is bullshit, the whole organic movement  is bigger bullshit but it beats true barbaric factory farming. 

You ever look into a cows eyes up close?  That is a gentle creature.  I swear you can see their soul in those deep brown eyes.  I don't see flank steak or baseball glove you smart ass.  I feel horrible eating these guys for what they go through.  What a shitty life.  I think it is because my true belief in karma and rebirth why I feel so bad about eating a burger.  I grew up with catholic guilt as a child but I now deal with karmic guilt when I choose to eat meat.  You live and die for one purpose, to be led to slaughter.  It's not a very hopeful existence when you really think about it.  Cows don't even eat grass anymore they eat corn, pigs don't look like the pigs we knew growing up.  I don't remember seeing a pretty pink pig, or maybe one or two.  The ones I remember were different colors like a litter of kittens all with distinct features and colorations.  Now they are hairless, pink, genetically modified pig-like creatures force fed for 8 months in pens not even big enough to turn around in.  Some of them die of heart attacks on the way to the slaughtering ramps because they have never walked more than a foot or two in their entire life.  They actually get so fucking excited to move more than a foot then freak out and die of a heart attack.  Now that's fucked up, and that's where your bacon comes from.

So, yeah 52 weeks is going vegan, completely 100% vegan for 21 days in March.  I am going to hit some of the vegan joints around town and try them out.  Maybe hit Tommy's, go to Akron to check out Chrissie Hynde's new joint, and find some nuts and berries to chomp on.  I don't know, it might be my ass kicking into the compassionate lifestyle a true Buddhist should follow.  Along with the vegan thing I have sworn off booze and liquor, but I agreed to still have some wine if I feel the urge.     

Mitchell's Tavern

I hate giving 2 stars for a place with service this good.  Seriously the service was ridiculously fast.  Three girls running their asses off, super attentive, friendly, and sweet as pie.  The cooks even run their own food to the tables.  We got there a little early so seating was pretty quick but it is pretty apparent this place gets rocking a little after 6pm for the fish fry.  Once again this was 5 star service.  So I don't want to take away from the girls that were running the tables.  but...

The decor is something out of grandma's basement with those stiff metal chairs you see in a cheap banquet hall, the tables match them and plenty of wood paneling that would make an Irish basement proud.  Seriously, you can't upgrade the tables to something from this decade?  It's in Westlake and I am not saying that there is some table-chair rule in Westlake but it just looks cheap.  Then again it matches the tile flooring circa 1978; white with the little flecks of black.

The bar was packed with the blue collar elite of the westside.  Kind of reminds me of the Crooked Fingers song New Drink for the Old Drunk.  We are talking professional drinkers at the bar.  I knew this going in there.  Although I don't frequent the place I heard enough and been there enough over the years to know there are some folks with the shakes that line the bar here.  It's a cheap alternative to the other more upscale bars in the area, walking distance from the apartment complex near by and the trailer park as well.  However there were some of the mom and dads with the kids in the dinning area.  Why...honestly no idea.  I don't think of it as a family kind of place but then again I see weird shit late night at bars that I find more disturbing.  But I heard there was a decent perch fish fry here and I thought I would check it out.

The perch was a nice portion, but $14.95.  They stack it on a smaller plate to make it look bigger than it is.  I would say think chicken finger portions, like six of them served on a handful of fries.  The slaw was from a carton, the fries were cold, and the perch really didn't have much of a flavor.  I like a nice beer batter on my fish like the way you get them at an Irish or British place.  This was like a bland cracker meal breading and the fish were obviously frozen, a bit on the dry side, and very thin.

See in Cleveland we take a couple things really seriously during lent; the traditional fish fry, the Cavs starting the seconds half of the season, spring training and pierogies.  Well and going to church if that's your thing.  I just think $14.95 for so-so isn't a good deal.  Especially with so many options in the area that are probably (I hope) better than this.  Friday fish during lent has been a thing for me since my dad would take me and my brother to Arthur Treachers when we were kids.  Yeah it was Arthur Treachers but still I have fond memories of that sort of thing with my pop when I was a kid.  So when that image gets sullied by mediocre surroundings and blah I've had better at Arthur Treachers and certainly cheaper elsewhere fish I can't give this more than a couple stars.

Even after leaving the silly catholic religion to find enlightenment there is one tradition I will always keep of theirs.  Not because of the holy father or anything but more because of the memories I have of my own father.  I guess my white whale is finding that perfect Friday Lenten Fish Fry.  I always seem to come up short in this area of my life.  I know it's out there I just need to find the right one.  The good news out of all of this is I have nowhere to go but up from Mitchell's fish fry.  If only the fish dinner was as great as the service it would have been perfect.

Town Fryer The Last Supper

Well, it was the last night of the Town Fryer Sunday and they had a nice send off party with Texas blues act Monkey Beat.  It was a Mardi Gras party featuring crawdads, Gumbo and Jambalaya.  I never had a crawdad in my life and it is doubtful I will have one again.  My wife thought they were ok, same with my brother, but too me I just thought they tasted too gamey.  I had to at least give them a try though, and was underwhelmed.  I am sure they were done right because they tasted just like I thought they would.  The Jambalaya was fantastic though as was the black eyed pea and ham soup.  

The place was crowded.  The bar and all the tables were full and there were quite a few folks standing in the back of the room.  I wondered if they were here for the food, the last night of the Fryer or the band.  I think it was a little all the above here.  To pay respect to one of the greats in Cleveland Americana music Susie Porter, see 2 great bands and get their Southern comfort food fix for one last time.  It's kind of funny to look around the tables and not see one Bud Lite or Miller Lite on one of them.  Shiner Bock, the beer of choice was pretty much flowing like a river.  It was also nice to see people I just met over the last few weeks hugging me hello and goodbye.  It's like being in this inner circle of people who actually "get" this kind of music and scene.  Let me tell you it feels great to be a part of that community.  

Me and G.S. Harper got to talking before the show about the whole Agora closing thing and about the small draws that a lot of bands get around town.  Yet if a Cleveland band goes out on a tour they draw a ton more people out of state.  It's a music phenomena I guess and it happens all over the place.  Doesn't matter the state it's just something that happens.  People would rather see someone from out of town because either the stigma is that Cleveland music sucks and or you can just go see that band next month at some other venue.  But this was the last night of not only the Fryer but also the entire Agora complex.  Seriously if you are buying into the fact LoConti is actually going to reopen the Agora you are pretty much fucked in the head.  He is in his 80's, he got caught up with an idiot and stiffed the Black Keys to the tune of around 50K (yes they settled that debt from what I hear).  So tell me exactly who is going to want to play there?  What were the last few shows there?  It was like an even worse version of Peabody's with shit metal bands no one ever heard of and commercial radio rejects.  Not to be mean about it but the master LoConti lost his mojo to the younger clubs out there.  He wasn't bringing in quality anymore in my humble opinion. 

OK back on topic.  If you had any nostalgic feeling about this place why wouldn't you want to be at that last show?  I didn't give a fuck if it was midgets Jell-O Wrestling.  It was the last show at a venue where I saw The Church, Yorn, Butthole Surfers, Wilco, Motley Crue, The Strokes, Erasure, Public Image, Stone Temple Pilots...and countless others.  I chalk it up to people not really giving a shit.  What the fuck is a Monkey Beat?  It's a blues show?  I don't like blues.  Well you must not like music then I guess or you get too hung up on the minor details of the band and not being part of a moment in time you are never going to be able to experience again.  Personally I liked both bands, but only got to see about a half hour of Michael Bay and the Bad Boys of Blues.  However I did get to see the whole almost 2 hour set of Monkey beat, and they were pretty damn good.  

Monkey Beat is the project of George Thorogood's rhythm guitarist Jim Suhler.  To say he is a great guitar player is an understatement.  Jesus think about it, the dude sits on Thorogood's bus getting lessons from him I would imagine just to kill time on the way to the next show.  Honestly they started off a little on the slow side for me and I could have done without a couple of the slower numbers through the set.  I came in wanting to hear some dirty Texas funk and while I got it there were some yawners in there too.  I think Suhler is an amazing player but the band was pretty tight too.  Bass player Carlton Powell had the cool thing going with his rose colored specs on and did a great job slapping that thing around with little effort.  The drummer, Jimmy Morgan didn't miss a beat either.  For me though I think the element that made this work the most was Shawn Phares on Keys and accordion.  He was like John Medeski good, smacking that keyboard around like an ivory bitch.  We are talking deep funk, 70's porno line shit here.  I am talking the real deal that gave a really great blues guitarist a unique blend of southern dirty funk to the mix.  The highlight of the set had to be hearing them cover "Hush" because it was an open invite for each musician to shine.  

I was really digging G.S. and his band of sinners too, but after 2 nights of bands and 2am to bed I was done in before midnight on Sunday.  But here is where my shitty review skills come into play.  I don't recall anyone who was in the band.  I don't write it down, and rather than sit here and say the other guy with the guitar was fucking awesome.  I'll just say they sounded tight together even though G.S kind of threw the band together to play the show they sounded like they played together for years.  I am a photographer and artist what more do you want from me?  I really did enjoy what I heard of the set.  G.S. Harper is part of the success of the Fryer and it was only fitting for him to close it up.  

I learned a lot of stuff at the Fryer Sunday, the first part is even without an instrument that makes sounds I carry an instrument to every concert I go too.  It just happens to be a camera.  I am the historian documenting that this shit actually happened.  I don't mind that at all.  I sit back and watch these bands and I see these amazing musicians.  I get the fact I am accepted in this music community for what I add to it.  It's not a sound just a moment in time I am able to capture to show everyone that it actually happen, and I am cool with that.  I'd love to be up on that stage one day, and maybe I will, who knows what I will do.  I just dig that I get respect for what I bring to the table.  I didn't get that 100% until this weekend and I thank all of you for that.  OK, enough of that bullshit...to Susie Porter sweetie, queen of the Cleveland rodeo I say one thing...ok 2 things...thank you...and Prosit!!!