Sweet Basil Neapolitan Style Pizzeria

Well Sweet Basil in Westlake sure made me feel stupid today.  They have been in business for over 2 years, and 5 minutes away from my house but I never got around to try them in all that time.  I notice them every time I drive down Canterbury Road and the Center Ridge intersection. They are going on speed dial first and foremost and will become one of my top pizza destinations in the area.  I know this place does a great business because during peak times the place is packed.  I am Still shaking my head as to why it took me so long to register that in my head that they make a good pie.  

Today was one of those weird and wonderful days that just sort of worked out where my wife and I got out a little early from work.  Why I thought Sweet Basil, you got me.  The voice of reason perhaps telling me to try something new and the pile of dishes in the sink I just didn't want to get around to were a huge help.  The place was quiet, well the place was dead but it was like 3 in the afternoon.  The dining area is spotless, everything looks clean.  The Owner, Dan Joyce, came over to take our order and we were finished out by Kathleen who many folks will remember from Danny Boys in River because she was there for years.  Dan is proud of his restaurant, you can tell.  He helped out us first timers by suggesting getting a half and half pizza. The one half was The Queen Margarite and the other half a more traditional sausage and pepperoni pie.  We also split a house salad.  One is big enough for two people easily and the house dressing is phenomenal.  He also showed us how to drink our Shocktop Ales we ordered.  I never knew there was a trick to them.  It is a beer with instructions on the bottle.  Hey figure it out yourself this is about the pizza.

The pizza took about 15-20 minutes to cook.  The craftsmanship of this pizza itself was a thing of beauty.  Dan was tossing the dough the old style way.  This is no easy task, when I try it at home(1) it never works (2) I get holes in it, rip it, and get really pissed off.  Dan on the other hand makes it look easy.  So when you order a pizza here know it is being made fresh.  I think fresh is the whole key in this entire review.  Everything is made fresh.  The sauce, the dough, the salad dressing all fresh and homemade.  The pizza is thin crust.  It's that New York style that everyone pretends they can make but never quite pull it off.  Sweet Basil pulls it off perfectly.  

The crust is still a little chewy with just the right amount of crisp to it.  So many times you order a thin crust around here and it's like a cracker.  That is fine and all but it's not true Neapolitan style crust.  This is the pizza you see the Guidos eating in the mafia movies.  You can't fold it all the way over until you get a few bites in.  The slices are huge. The pizza is huge as a matter of fact and an 18 inch will cost you around $15.  The toppings are generous as well with thick cut pepperoni and thinly shaved real Italian sausage.  There is this incredible balance of flavors they are able to pull off by using fresh ingredients and real Romano and Mozzarella cheese.  You can taste different flavors in each bite.  Fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil obviously but also the fennel in the sausage and the Mozzarella they use has an incredible flavor.  

We got to talk a bit to the Chef who brings it all together.  The guys name is Justin and he has a true passion for what he is creating.  He seems to be a very creative and talented guy.  They do some great sounding sandwiches for lunch along with the basic pizza menu.  There are no deep fryers, poppers, chicken fingers or ranch dipping sauce here and there really shouldn't be.  There is no reason when you do pizza as well as they do.  I can see this guy having a Melt-esque following down the road because the Owners really seem to give him freedom to make some unique items.  It is a great thing to see local businesses like this doing well in these tough times.  It is also frustrating to know there are people that still go to Domino's, Pappa Johns, and Pizza Hut when something this good and as reasonably priced is in our own backyard.  If you want cheap pizza made from canned ingredients stick with the chains.  If you want a unique and authentic Neapolitan style pizza you really need to check this place out.  

Bar Symon Pork Fiesta

I just want to do a short little photo blog from the awesome Sierra Nevada and Pork pairing at Bar Symon last Monday.  I think I have said a lot about the talent of Matt Harland and of Bar Symon itself.  It was an incredible meal yet again and well worth checking out.  Only $50 and the beers were flowing like the Cuyahoga River, and 2.5 nonstop hours of delicious dish after dish.

Pulled Pork Sliders

 Chef's Choice fine Sausage

 Pork Pate and the famous Bertman's Stadium Mustard

 Panzanella Salad with Braised Pork Belly

Bar Symon Chef Matthew Harland and the Sierra Nevada Beer 

fellow who I completely am blanking on his name.

Neck Bone Pork Tacos with tomatillo Salsa and whipped avocado

Spicy Pork Loin with peaches, arugula and almonds

There was desert as well but I neglected to take a photo before I inhaled it.  It was a warm apple and bacon crisp with thyme caramel sauce and blue cheese anglaise.  The Sierra Nevada beers served were the Summerfest, Pale Ale, Kellerweis, Southern Hemisphere Harvest and Bigfoot.  All excellent choices and complimentary to the delicious pork offerings.

Bar Symon itself is a treasure and welcome addition to the Avon area located on Walker Road just south of 83.  They serve some of the best beers I have ever seen on tap and the micro and craft bottle collection would rival even the most well stocked bar in Cleveland.  Prices are affordable for regular dinners and they have great nightly specials.  The restaurant is clean and spacious.  The patio is perfect with ample tables and comfortable couches and chairs to sip cocktails all night.  It has a perfect mix of neighborhood bar and casual dinning.  The staff is efficient and friendly and Nolan Cleary who runs the floor is a class act.  He doesn't just run the show he choreographs every minor detail to make the ultimate dinning experience.  As I have said before and probably will continue to say once a month the last Monday of the month is one of the best deals in town.  Join me next month for the Founders Ale Feast, or just try it for yourself any day of the week.     

Arturo's, Ned's Beverage and Deli & Garage Bar

Friday night brought many choices with many incredible options.  There was a big concert at Now That's Class featuring Cobra Verde, Uncle Scratch and more.  Then there was something else but honestly I have no idea what it was now.  I was tired, worn out if you will from a rough week.  We decided to hit an old reliable for dinner, and went out to Arturo's in North Olmsted.  I am not a stranger to "Art's".  We have been going here for the better part of the last few years.  The food is always good, and the atmosphere is always friendly.  I have not been there in months honestly and this was my regular haunt.  We didn't miss a beat since our last time out and hung out with some old familiar regular Arturo friends.  These are just good, friendly people.  Plus Dino was behind the bar.  Dino is one of the heirs to the Arturo's throne.  He's a good guy minus his strange love for the Denver Broncos.  

I always go in with the intention of getting a pizza because honestly it's probably the best pie in the area.  With Pizza around my side of town you have multiple options.  I hit a bunch of different places depending what I am in the mood for.  Quick delivery goes to Marco's, New York style Capri, authentic Italian pizza from scratch, well that's Arturo's.  However I never get the fucking pizza anymore.  I curse the daily specials menu because there is always something really good on there.  My wife had this Steak Romano that was ridiculously good.  It was pounded steak rolled, stuffed with cheese, breaded, deep fried served with a side of spaghetti.  I got the cold pasta salad entree and the Cajun Popcorn Shrimp Basket with Fries.  The shrimp and fries I am always a fan of.  It's just true comfort food.  Fried goodness.  The cold pasta salad I wasn't a huge fan of.  It was OK, but I know I could have done better after I tried the wife's steak, sweet Jesus was that good.  The pasta salad was just a tad too seasoned for me.  Next time I go though I will not deviate from getting a pizza.  I miss that Arturo's pizza pie.  We left incredibly full and spent the rest of the night on our respective couches watching Where the Wild Things Are.    


Saturday I thought I had the memorial service for my friend Gilly, but I was off by a week.  It's not until next Saturday.  So all suited up we stopped in Ned's Beverage and Deli in Fairview Park.  I never have been to this place but have driven past it multiple times and I was kind of hungry.  Counting on the fact that every deli needs to have a signature corned beef sandwich I knew what I would be eating for lunch.  The store itself isn't too bad.  It has your basic staples, and a surprisingly excellent beer selection, plus they sell live bait.  A corned beef sandwich there runs you $6.99 and comes with a pickle.  Truly you really can't fuck up a sandwich especially something as simple as corned beef.  

However, I wasn't a fan of the heating of the sandwich in the microwave bread and all.  It made the rye bread a little sticky.  It wasn't a deal breaker but at the same time I thought that was a little silly.  The sandwich itself was a decent size but when you eat a corned beef sandwich from a deli and you live in or about the city of Cleveland you compare it to Slyman's.  Slyman's is the best of the best and the measure of the greatness of any corned beef sandwich.  Ned, you make a good sandwich but there really is only one Slyman's and your sandwich was about half the size of a Slyman's, and the whole microwave thing was a turn off.  In a pinch sure you do a nice sandwich but when I want the Cleveland original I will make the trek down to East 31st and St. Clair for the real deal.  

After some laziness around the house we geared up to get down to some rock and roll at Garage Bar on 25th in Cleveland.  I am not going to lie I had not been back to Garage Bar in over two years.  The last couple times I went here I absolutely hated the place.  It was full of "those guys".  You know the ones.  The sideways visor, Ed Hardy, shirts 2 sizes too small douchebag club.  It was wall to wall pretentiousness.  It was a meat market with the beautiful girls with their spray on tans and noses stuck high in the air looking for Mr. Right Now.  The service completely sucked.  They played horrible music and it was a DJ (not Larry Szyms) selecting the finest cuts of the worst 80's shit music possible.  Honestly it was everything I hate about the whole West 6th Street vibe only moved a few blocks down the road.  So I never went back after my last poor experience and I want to say that was at least 2 years ago.

I am not going to say it has completely changed because some of that same element was there, but it was not so prominent.  What has changed though is the service as it was nothing short of phenomenal.  The bar is still the same.  It's a gearheads paradise with motorcycle and automotive memorabilia adorning the walls.  The beer taps are old lit up gas pumps.  The beers on tap are so so at best but they have a great selection of micro, import and craft bottles as well as a nicely stocked bar.  The patio is spacious but the chairs look like they are made from recycled swimming pool ladders, and they are not comfortable at all.  They are more devices of torture than they are stools.  The bathrooms were decent, and pretty clean but there is this grate under your feet at the urinal.  Think about a puppy at the pet store.  It's like a urine drain pan of sorts and that was pretty amusing-disturbing-disgusting.  There is an elevated back bar area and it seemed this is where the douche crowd hung out like vultures wearing the latest Old Navy collection stalking their prey.  

A funny thing has been happening to me lately and I think I might have a stalker.  It is a very odd thing because a couple weeks ago at the Happy Dog and now here at the Garage Bar Kenny Crumpton was lurking in the crowd.  I think Kenny is a great guy but I think he is trying to steal my thunder.  Well, either that or he reads my blog and knows I am the guy that knows where the action is.  Honestly I don't buy into that at all.  It just is weird and worth mentioning I keep running into Kickin' it with Kenny all over the fucking city.  I respect his celebrity and leave him alone but if he shows up at another bar we are going to have to have a talk about boundaries.  No one really bugs the guy though.  He seems like such an animated guy on Fox in the Morning you would think he would be the center of attention.  I have seen other Cleveland "celebrities" out and about and a lot of them are complete assholes.  Kenny seems pretty approachable and chill.  

There had to be a damn good reason to get me back to the Garage Bar after my couple year hiatus, ban or whatever you want to call it and that was the rock and roll bands.  My friends, those Jones, from Scoliosis Jones were headlining a 3 band bill.  The first band was actually all the way from Long Beach California.  Nice SoCal punk rock 3 piece called Adams Dagger.  They played about a 40 minute set of nonstop 3 chord punk rock and hardcore.  It reminded of of bands like 7 Seconds, Social D and Agent Orange.  There really is no mistaking that SoCal sound and they had it down pretty good.  The 2nd band was a 4 piece from Toledo called Homeward Bound.  They were pretty good.  I just couldn't figure out the sound.  Hardcore?  Rockabilly?  It was hard to pinpoint.  I also don't think they were very into playing up here for whatever reason.  The crowd was pretty sparse in the bar so that might have been part of it.  It was just a nice patio kind of night.  

Scoliosis Jones took the stage pretty late in the night.  Honestly lost track of time watching the bands and hanging out.  They put on a really good set of PBR fueled rockabilly.  I think I ripped into them pretty hard after the Spitfire show, and I was just being honest.  This was like seeing a completely different band from that night.  The new drummer AC Jones had the time to gel with them much better.  You would think he was with them from the get go.  Heidi Sue was absolutely on with her vocals and so was Ty.  He was seriously up there manhandling his bass, riding it, spinning it around, and slapping the shit out of it in general.  Tox was on with the guitar licks and pulled out the slide for a couple cuts that sounded great.  I always thought he had some talent up there but there were actually moments of guitar genius on the stage that night.  I was so impressed I got him a shot of Jim Beam Black to end the night right.  

Scoliosis Jones was a different band last night.  They sounded well rehearsed.  They dropped the chip off their shoulder they had at the Spitfire and just had a good fucking time entertaining the crowd with some good old rock and roll music.  They brought quite the crowd with them last night as people were dancing on the floor and the front of the house was pretty packed.  They are going to be playing next Friday with the Jim Rose Circus, and Lords of the Highway at the Cleveland Burlesque Fest International at Now That's Class which should prove to be very entertaining.  If this was a warm up for what they are bringing next Friday it is a show not to miss as that is one hell of a line up.                       

        

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo & Sokolowski's University Inn

So, woke up early this morning to an unexpected day off which was honestly very nice after a long week of, as Chuck Barris would say "more stuff".  All is good, no worries.  We headed out to one of our favorite Cleveland landmarks; The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.  I have been coming to the zoo longer than I can even remember.  The zoo has been an affordable option for Cleveland residents since the 1800's.  However, I have only been coming since the 70's as a kid.  I remember back in the day when you could feed the animals.  We would stop off at the Wonder Bread outlet store and pick up countless loaves of the stuff to throw to the lions, tigers, bears and monkeys.  This was way before the days when animals were on silly restricted healthy diets.  I am not 100% certain when the change took place but I think it is funny to look back and think holy shit what were we thinking?  It probably saved on the food bills for the zoo but I am guessing the animals had shorter lifespans and were fat as fuck.  

I remember the times of the Zoo Key which at the time was high tech gadgetry.  They sounded like a busted Taco Bell Drive-thru, and spouted little snippets and factoids about the animals that were probably bullshit like "The Polar Bears love eating stale Wonder Bread".  I don't know or remember because we never had the coveted Zoo Key, we obviously spent too much money on Wonder Bread to get a key.  I knew the zoo layout like the palm of my hand as a kid.  To this day my favorite animals are still in their same spots.  The zoo itself has changed over time including multimillion dollar projects including the Rainforest and the Elephant Crossing which is being built now.  The zoo itself is always being updated in one way or another.  I still want to know what happened to the old monkeys on Monkey Island though.  I think some weird fringe conspiracy shit went down there, but then again I am nuts.  

The mission today?  Go see the lonely Polar Bear.  There is nothing sadder in life than a lonely bear.  I think the bears name is Aurora if I am not mistaken but the poor thing just lays around most of the day with no interaction except from the folks that come to visit.  It is kind of sad to see.  So hey Zoo..go get another Polar Bear dammit.  Steal one of the ones at Erie or something.  While we were in the Northern Trek we checked out the various other bears, and the sea lions who were very active except for one guy who looked hilarious sleeping in the sun.  You had to take the Zoo Tram to get to the Trek due to the bridge they have been building for what seems like 20 years above that general area.  That was fine by me because that hill totally sucks anyhow.  It was quiet and we were the first tram up to the Trek so it was nice to have the place to ourselves for a bit.  

Next stop was over to the Dinosaurs! exhibit.  No, I am not yelling it is "!" Dinosaurs.  Honestly these guys are pretty cool.  They scared the bejesus out of some of the kids, as they should, and others loved them.  They even had a couple of them that spit out water if you are so inclined to be spat on by a dinosaur this is the place for you.  They are completely interactive with lifelike movement and dino-growls.  I love this new little exhibit however I think it's bullshit people are more into the fake animals than the real thing.  I think it is really there to make up for the crowd pleasing Elephants since they are in Columbus waiting for their new home.  The new Elephant crossing looks amazing for the record and I can't wait to see the grand opening.  The Zoo is an amazing place for all ages to enjoy.  It's an affordable option for something fun to do all day.  You can tackle the zoo in one day or make a weekend of it checking out the main zoo one day and the Rainforest another.  Either way you do it, it is a Cleveland treasure.

On the way home we decided to hit Sokolowski's University Inn for lunch.  I have been here many times but this is the first time this year.  It is a popular place for lunch because it is cheap, affordable and pretty amazing.  It is a cafeteria style eatery; grab a tray and go on down the line.  Salads and deserts are first, then the soda fountain then comes the entrees.  I had to grab a rice pudding first off which was excellent.  I saw they had Vernors Ginger Ale on the fountain which I had to get.  Where do you ever see that?  For lunch I had the Salisbury Steak with beefy mushroom and onion gravy (phenomenal), mashed potatoes (so-so), and potato pancakes (awesome).  The Salisbury Steak is more like a mini-meatloaf smothered in a wonderful rich thick beef gravy.  I get it every time and will never deviate from that menu option.  I will change side dishes here and there because they have some of the most amazing pierogies around.  

The portions are enormous and you won't ever leave hungry.  The one thing I have never figured out is the drink thing.  The fountain pop thing is in the middle of the line making it impossible to jump back in for a refill.  So I don't know if you can even get refills because you would be going against the lunch rush tide in order to get a refill.  I never asked to be honest but I was super thirsty as I drank my Vernors way too fast.  So my drink to lunch ratio was all out of whack which was bothersome.  So here's the deal, as I tell the Cleveland institution that is almost 100 years old how to do business, get bigger cups or figure out a way to make it easier to get a refill.  It is irritating.  Other than that I love you.  You are a long standing Cleveland tradition serving up good old fashioned homestyle ethnic eats.  I think every one in Cleveland needs to eat here once in their life.  It should be a right of passage to be able to call yourself a citizen of the city.           

Wayne "The Train" Hancock @ The Beachland Tavern

When Wayne "The Train" Hancock comes to town you know you are in for a great show.  Not only a great show but a really long one at that.  Wayne rolled into town last night to The Beachland Tavern.  As much as I could try to muster folks to come up to the show I didn't get much buy in.  Kind of like the whole polka DJ Kishka thing at the Happy Dog or some raspy voiced singer named Ryan Bingham who just won an Academy Award with some guy name T-Bone Burnett for a song from Crazy Heart.  If you don't get it, you either never will or you are going to catch on too late.  One thing I truly do appreciate about the Beachland is their support from artists like Wayne Hancock.  They have such an eclectic mix of music that plays the tavern and ballroom sides.  For as big of a country town as Cleveland is (I think WGAR is always up there in the ratings or at least they used to be) they sure as hell don't have many "country" shows outside the the major label acts that come to Blossom.  The Beachland has tons of Alt & Outlaw country artists coming in the next few months.  By tons I mean Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Blackberry Smoke, Old 97's, The Sadies, The Waco Brothers and countless others.  They also really look out for local artists in that genre with the multi-band Barn Dances and throwing bands like The Not So Good Old Boys, Heelsplitter, and Misery Jackals, an opening spot when they can.  

So Wayne the who?  Wayne is old time country.  He makes no bones about his feelings on some of the stuff that passes for country music these days.  Call him a throwback or whatever you want but the guy has the soul of Hank Williams in his voice.  He is the kind of guy that could write a song in a matter of minutes, and the songs he writes you would think they came from the early days of Sun Records.  He takes the best of the swing days of country throws in a little Hank Williams, mixes in a little surf guitar and the lyrical prowess of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash.  He is a gifted and talented songwriter to say the least.  

He rolled into town as a three piece and played well over 2 hours of nonstop originals, country classics and standards.  His backing band consisted of Shane Kiel on the upright bass and Matt Thomas on the electric guitar.  Shane Kiel comes from The Two Timin' Four and is no stranger to the Hancock's music.  He plays the bass like an old pro and could go toe to toe with Lee Rocker in skills and tattoos.  Thomas is a Austin native and his guitar chops are amazing.  His guitar sound is unique being a combo of surf-Hawaiian, country and juke joint jive.  There was a point when a piece of the guys guitar fell off. Sure obviously nothing too important as he continued playing.  Not only didn't he miss a lick, he didn't even notice until Wayne pointed it out to him as it lay on the floor of the stage.  Both are incredibly talented players and you can tell they love sharing the stage with Wayne.  

The banter between songs was comical, the songs sounded incredible and the packed in crowd loved every minute of it.  The sound was dead on and the audience was respectful throughout despite the NASCAR look of them.  They were hardy drinkers that's for sure and honestly a very diverse crowd of real hardcore Hancock fans.  I tend to get creeped out when I am out of my element however I have come to learn I no longer have an element.  It is just a great thing to see real fans coming out to see a true roots country show.  The next time Mr. Train comes rolling into town you really should hit it up.  You won't be disappointed at all if you truly love the roots of country music.  Hell even if all you know is that ass clown Toby Keith or think Carrie Underwood is real country you would enjoy seeing this cat live.  He is a yodelin', guitar strummin', country croonin' real McCoy.              

Playing Catch Up...Cleveland Police Auction, Mi Pueblo, Urban Exploration, Cranky's

Last Saturday, beautiful weather to go out and hang out all over the city.  I heard about the Cleveland Police auction so I got up early to check it out.  Can I tell you I had to take the most fucked up detour to get down to this thing since the bridge was out?  You normally would get down to West 3rd without an issue by hooking a left before the Carnegie Bridge.  Well, the bridge down that desolate industrial parkway is closed for repairs.  I had to take a 20 minute detour just to get down there.  I was "mother fucking" the whole way down there, and got lost twice.  The detour signs SUCKED.  When I got there I found out it was cash only.  It is doubtful I would have bought anything, but still I was willing to write a check.  I mean seriously who would give a bad check to the cops?  

The auction consisted of various junk, and a lot of it.  Broken lawnmowers, old computers, cameras, TV's, tools and bikes.  It was like a hillbilly garage sale for the most part.  I am sure some folks got some good deals, but it is total buyer beware.  You have no idea where this stuff came from, did it work, did it work well or is some drug dealer taking down your license plate number to come back and get his shit back.  The building itself is very nondescript.  I probably drove past it countless times not even knowing what it was.  Now I know never to mess with breaking in there at the very least.  

So as that was a bust I drove around the post industrial wasteland of the city and over to the flats.  There are tons of great places to take pictures if you are into the urban exploration sort of thing.  However the area was crawling with cops for whatever reason.  Without a lookout I was kind of limited to what I was able to pull off.  I have mentioned this in the past but some of my photo shoots are not necessarily 100% legal from a trespassing point of view.  I have been run off by cops in the past but from a safety perspective I don't like going into this buildings alone as you never know who or what you might run into inside of some of this creepy abandoned buildings.  For the most part I stuck to the main drags, railroad tracks and various bridges which are all in abundance in that area.  

After a couple hours cruising the desolate ruins of the once vibrant Flats area I had enough and headed over to pick up dinner for later in the night from Mi Pueblo.  As far as Mexican dining goes the restaurant is one of the best options in the Cleveland area.  The grocery store attached is wonderful for grabbing some takeout, fresh meats, guacamole and various other Mexican favorites.  They have wonderful to go tamales, pork or chicken at basically a buck a piece.  Well worth the $12 for the dozen.  The chicken ones are good but the pork are out of this world.  I picked up some seasoned skirt steak that awaits becoming a soup one of these days in my freezer.  Aside from the food they sell various other items including cds.  So I went through the cd rack, looking for the guys that looked the best in their coordinated suits and picked that one up.  No idea who they were, still couldn't tell you the name for them.  It is a wonderful cd though, don't get me wrong.  I just don't speak Spanish in the least.  

So after eating way too many tamales we headed over to Visible Voice Books over in Tremont to shoot the shit with the guys there and look for some reading material.  Visible Voice is a great local independent book shop.  It's small, they have a patio, and the serve wine.  I think that is something the chains can't offer.  They offer new releases, a section of used and a great local section.  It honestly is a great little pitstop or a lazy afternoon kind of place to hang out.  It's pretty quiet there but it really has a charm to it that makes it a hidden treasure in the area.  The house next door to it?  Well, that is another story completely.  Let's just say it kind of adds to the fun of the shop.  They are harmless but well I don't know what else to say about it.  Just go check it out for yourself.

We headed over to Cranky's Manatee, the former Matinee over on 25th to check out Afternoon Naps, Very Truly Yours, and Trouble Books.  Honestly I knew the Afternoon Naps, the others I had no clue.  The night started off with Akron's Trouble Books who were just a nice ambient kind of shoegazer indie rock 4 piece.  I really enjoyed their sound.  It was ust really different.  Hard to explain really, but worth checking out.  One thing I would have liked to see was a bit more harmonizing on the vocals from them.  They sounded great singing alone but when it came to backing vocals for each other it sounded a bit off.  Was it supposed to sound that way?  No idea, so no offense if that is what you are going for.  I still really enjoyed the sound of these guys and gals overall.

Next up was the 5 piece Very Truly Yours out of Chicago.  I dug these guys in that Yo La Tengo kind of way.  Just nice subdued indie rock.  By the time these cats were done the place was packed so for the most part we just listened to Afternoon Naps out on the patio.  It was a nice night for patio drinking.  A little chilly and the patio is so-so at this joint but we made due with what we had.  Cranky's isn't a bad little place honestly.  They have some old school video games to play, but they seem to have way too many shitty beers for my liking.  There were some decent choices too but tall boys of cheap crap were the crowd favorite.  They could stand a few more liquor choices too. I think you really need to cater to the crowd and their crowd appears to like large volumes of cheap beer.  They serve some sandwiches and wraps which I did not witness myself.  

The bar itself looks very nice, ample seating, long bar and a damn good bartender, who I suspect is the owner as well.  One guy being able to handle a packed house is a huge plus in my book.  Sound system had some hiccups, but I am sure that will work itself out in time.  They have a small area with a pool table, however it was blocked off with gear cases from the bands.  It was a Saturday, I know, but the 10:30 start on a 3 band bill was a little late for my liking.  One big "watch out" though.  Watch out for the first step going in.  It is poorly lit at the entrance and had I not looked I probably would have fallen on my ass.  A big plus is the parking.  They have their own lot which provides a lot of space.  They have a patio bar now that was not open when I was there.  Like many of the bars in the area there is that "funk" smell about it that will hit you in the nostrils from time to time especially in the downstairs bathrooms.  Honestly I hope this place does well as I think they are doing a lot of good for the local music scene.  It is new, there are some kinks to work out but I think they are moving in the right direction.       

Brothers Lounge

Well it was a long quiet week for me here due to the passing of my old friend Gilly.  So in that I kind of lost my voice for a bit there more or less.  However early in the week we headed over to The Brothers Lounge over on Detroit in Cleveland.  A long time mastermind of Cleveland Bar Management took over the joint by the name of John Golubic.  John has been the man behind quite a few successful restaurants and bars.  He has a knack for thinking outside of the box and his promotion style is unique.  He has run the Ironwood Cafe in its heyday, took over the Sunset Grille and turned it into the Summer yacht rock party mecca and now he is over at Brothers to work similar magic. 

I had issues with Brothers previously for a couple of reasons.  The first is the whole parking thing which there is pretty much nothing you can do about.  It is not their fault the place is jumping on the weekends.  The second was the whole bar over the band thing.  The bands I thought were second to the crowd.  No one was really there to listen to the bands they were more there to drink and talk.  So at times I would get annoyed a bit.  On a personal level I'd like to see them open it up to more than the blues thing too which they seem to have been doing but get out of that cover band mode.  I guess you need to cater to the crowd though and to get bodies in the door most folks want to see something like a Journey cover band over some of the folks that play at the Beachland, Grog or Happy Dog.  However a once a month Cleveland showcase would be nice.

Tuesday is sushi night and they do sushi pretty damn good.  We had the Cajun Blues Sliders as well which were awesome.  Little mini-burgers cooked to order with blue cheese and some spice.  So how is a Blues bars sushi?  It was actually pretty decent.  The shrimp tempura ones were the best of the bunch, simple, and full of flavor.  Tempura battered shrimp, avocado and masago.  The dynamite roll was pretty good too with spicy tuna, salmon and avocado.  The Brothers roll was just kind of meh however the biggest of the rolls and the most expensive clocking in at $8.00 (the others are quite a deal at $5).  It was crab, wasabi, mayo, lettuce, avocado and cucumber.  The crab tasted off kind of gamey.  It could have been canned or it might have been fresh shredded, no idea but it the crab overpowered any of the other flavors.  Presentation was what you would expect at a sushi joint.  It all looked amazing.  They have an extensive beer list and a decent happy hour.  The service as well was spot on, exceptional, knowledgeable and friendly. 

To even say Brothers Lounge conjures up fears to folks who have not been in years.  It used to be a dump.  I mean a huge dump.  As in junkies, and whores dump.  I used to play darts there years ago when I was in a league with friends and there was always something questionable going on there.  Well, the remodel they did on it was amazing.  The only thing that is the same is the name.  However while not the white glove Disneyland of the House of Blues it is very clean.  At times too clean especially for those of us who have been to the old Brothers.  I don't know how to explain this because it is stupid but it's almost too sterile.  It's like the scene in Slap Shot when they start smacking the bus with sledgehammers to make it look mean.  I want something in there to look rock and roll however a lot of it comes over as Applebees.  So, if being too clean is a bad thing they lose, but I am probably 1 in 5,000 who would even think that so what do I know?  I just like my music clubs to have a little bit of grit to them.  However, Golubic + good food + excellent service + solid entertainment = ???.  We shall see in the upcoming months how Johnny G makes things happen.  I have faith things are going to at the very least get interesting at Brothers.   
           

Rick "Gilly" Gilmour RIP old friend

He was known as Newsradio WTAM 1100’s “Media Darling.”

Former talk show host Rick Gilmour has passed away at the age of 48 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Gilmour, known to listeners as “Gilly”, was born on May 30, 1961. Gilly graduated from Fairview Park High School in 1979.

Rick worked in radio at college station WCSB, 1300 AM-WERE and here at WTAM 1100 from August '97 to 2004.

He was hired by program director Ray Davis after the resignation of Morton Downey Jr.

Rick Gilmour is survived by his mother, Irene.

Gilly was a friend of mine.  When I first heard the news over a year ago that he was sick I was kind of shocked.  I saw him only a week or two before at one of the local watering holes over here in North Olmsted.  We were drinking cheap beers, smoking way too many cigarettes and trying to have a game of Scrabble, but kept getting interrupted by the lack of attention span of my friend Elliott or something.  I don't recall 100%.  It's honestly the last time I saw him in all of his vibrancy.  

Gilly was one of the smartest people I ever met.  He knew everything about cars you ever needed to know and saved me multiple screwings by less than scrupulous mechanics around town.  To say he knew cars is an understatement.  However Gilly wasn't just some dumb grease monkey he was incredibly smart to the point of being gifted.  He had genius wit and timing.  He knew what to say, and when to say it just at the right time to make everyone bust out laughing.  I remember nights out in Fairview Park drinking it up at the Cleveland Motel Lounge or Gunselmen's just shooting the shit until the wee hours of the morning.  

 I remember the now famous time going to the white trash filled (now defunct) Cleveland Motel Lounge.  I walked up to the bar, sat next to Gilly, ordered whatever was "cheap, cold and easy" as Gilly would say, walked over to the jukebox and played Michael Jackson's "Black or White" 12 times in a row.  No one noticed until about the 3rd time but after that it was like all hell broke loose.  Gilly tried to convince them it was a different song after the first go around but the slack jawed yokels at the bar weren't buying it when it came on the 5th time.  Needless to say I was kicked out for a bit after that, but I was probably back there the next week throwing darts, playing Sinatra and drinking and smoking with Gilly.  

I remember being down in Tremont the night his cohort in crime Gary died.  I was at Hotz partying with friends when what seemed to be every police car in Cleveland zoomed passed heading towards Professor.  I thought something bad happened and man was I ever right.  As the way Gilly told me he turned his back for one second from his friend Gary only to turn back a split second later to see Gary more or less swallow a bullet at his own hands.  Gary suffered with depression for years.  He was a shy kind of guy.  I always enjoyed being out with him quite honestly.  Outside of the shyness I didn't see someone that would take his own life.  It is hard to even get me to go into Edison's anymore after that.  I have been there since but I just can't be comfortable there anymore.

Anyhow, Gary, I miss you too, but Gilly, Jesus man.  The one guy who always seemed larger than life to me wasn't supposed to die of cancer.  Especially not brain cancer.  He was legendary.  He was this college radio jackass funnyman that somehow made it into the hearts and homes of 10's of thousands of people that listened to him on the AM radio dial.  He was funny, smart, witty and humble.  He was gifted and talented and a good friend.  The kind of guy where months would pass by and we would pick up just right where we left off.  He was kind to others but still had a sarcastic wit to him that would crack me up every time.  

When I heard the news today he died I lost it.  I wasn't there at all.  It was the entire shock of hearing the news.  Gilly wasn't supposed to die.  I was worthless from 11AM this morning until...well honestly until I talked to our buddy in common Mark from WCSB.  Death sucks because of the fact you keep thinking of the person gone.  Nope, I'll never see Gilly again, but I have some great memories of my friend because honestly there are no bad ones.  We never got in a fight, never got pissed at each other.  We complimented each other when we were out and about.  We played off each other like a old vaudeville comedy team.  I worked in blue while he was the G-rated straight man.  I'm rambling now but all I want to really say is Rick "Gilly" Gilmour you will be missed by many but to the ones who you were close to you are never going to be forgotten.           

Jack Fords "The Way Things Should Be"

I've been on that whole Jack Fords kick for the last few moths first seeing them at the former Town Fryer earlier in the year playing for a handful of folks at a benefit show.  I saw them a couple times now but last night was unreal.  There is much to be said about a band that can play a 2 and a half hour set nonstop.  Honestly, there's not because no one really does it anymore.  Well, the Jack Fords do, but outside of that you are lucky to get an hour or so out of most of the shows I have been to.  National acts hardly do an hour and a half with an encore yet the Fords can go all night.  Cleveland is on the cusp of greatness with having some of the most hard working bands in the Nation.  There is more talent playing out any given night around town than any buzz city around.  Seattle in the 90's?  Fuck 'em.  Boise Idaho today?  Fuck you too.  Why Cleveland is so under the radar bugs the piss out of me.  

You can't say we don't support our local bands here.  We do, but we get overlooked for whatever reason on a national level.  Hearing and seeing bands like The Jack Fords, Hot Rails, Sweet Apple, Whiskey Daredevils, Scoliosis Jones, Heelsplitter, Misery Jackals, Lou Reeds, Cobra Verde, or anyone on the Exit Stencil label for that matter proves Cleveland is rock and roll to the core.  Venues out there thrive on this music scene and make a home for many of these folks to play and sell their stuff.  Well, I should say the Independent venues in Cleveland really embrace this entire thing we got going on right now.  I say that because of the fact alone based on last night this show with pretty minimal advertising was packed.  Packed as in getting to the bathroom was as much of a journey as getting off a Japanese subway car at rush hour.  Packed as in, hey House of Blues why are you still plugging cover and tribute bands when you could have had this show downtown in the heart of downtown Cleveland last night?  I guess I'll never get them.  I have noticed a lot of their cover band bullshit is gone, but I still get bitter if only because of the simple fact I have to pay a $1.00 toll to wash my hands after taking a leak. It is piss extortion.  

Anyhow the venue choice for the release of the Jack Fords "The Way Things Should Be" was a place I am no stranger to, The Happy Dog.  I think it was a great choice.  The blue collar old school Cleveland feel made me remember exactly why it is one of my favorite places to visit.  It defines Cleveland.  It has the old world charm of Cleveland when taverns were the place the working men and women of would unwind after a hard week at the factory.  It takes me back to my late 80's early 90's Cleveland where people craved something new and different.  This is where I saw little bands like Nine Inch Nails at the Phantasy or national acts like like Nirvana would come to the old Empire downtown.  It's clean enough to make me comfortable but gritty enough to keep me sucked in.  The food, well we talked about this before the hot dogs are incredible.  The beer selection is ridiculous, and the staff is 100% top notch friendly.  Even with some 50 year old woman sticking her tongue in my ear and grabbing my ass I was able to order cocktails with minimal effort and much ease.  I am left a little scarred from it, but it just makes me a stronger person.  God love the women of this world that have the unique gene that causes them to have a Kevin James fetish.  

The crowd...oh the crowd.  Cleveland I love you but we are a rough and tumble bunch of weird mother fuckers are we not?  You had your hipsters, scenesters, old timers, and normal folk.  It was diverse to say the least.  A little 52 Weeks of Cleveland etiquette though for ya'll.  People sitting at tables got that privilege by coming in early so standing in the way of said sitting folks is pretty much an asshole move.  If you worked out in the yard all day go take a shower or at least give yourself the once over with the Speedstick.  My table is actually not the place your empty beer bottle goes.  What you do is this.  You return it to the bar where they will throw it away for you and they will allow you to purchase another one.  It's a great system.  Now the biggest faux pas of all was the ass in the face thing.  Outside of maybe the gay community (no offense LGBT) an ass in the face is actually not cool to a lot of people.  I do not want your ass or your crotch in my face neither does my wife.  Start being more mindful of your ass or crotch to face proximity.  I would say a good foot is a perfect starting point for that.  I know it is crowded but that is just kind of rude.  Just be mindful of the ass to face rule and the world will be a better place.  Ok, on to the show.         

The warm up was great Chris Allen acoustic with Tom Prebish on bass.  Chris and Tom both play across the city in many different bands and I have seen them a few times in many of these bands.  They also appear on the "The Way Things Should Be" cd so it was fitting for them to start it off.  It's a different kind of thing seeing that live acoustic with the electric bass.  They ran through about a 45 minute tight set.  It was a great little combo to start off the night.  Allen is an incredibly talented songwriter and musician.  Prebish owns the bass plan and simple just like his playing style.  He doesn't jump around or rock it out like Gene Simmons he just hangs out and adds his craft to the already great song styling of Allen.  The crowd was into it and it honestly was like this perfect mellow pairing to compliment the rock and roll that was about to come.

After a short set The Jack Fords came to the stage.  The band itself is animated by a couple of things, the first being Bobby Latina on guitar.  He has a rock and roll swagger to him that takes from some of the greatest showmen in the game.  It's not just the way he plays that guitar which is flawless rock and rock but it's the way he owns the fucking stage.  His facial expressions lead you to believe that he is working as hard at making that thing sound good as John Henry did digging his tunnel.  He is serious but you can still tells he is just up there having a good old time as he scans the crowd and gives you that little nod as if to say I see you out there, I am doing this for you.  He'll joke with other band members and no matter how I attempt to throw him off his game he will still crack up like Jimmy Fallon in a Will Ferrell skit but not miss a note.  He might miss a chance at the backing vocals but he won't miss a lick on that guitar.  

The other folks in the band are equally as tight. Ed Sotelo is the bassist and Jim Wall on drums.  First off something has got to be said about the complete annihilation of the drum kit.  I can't walk for 2 and a half hours yet Walls can play that kit with unparalleled intensity for a complete set.  He doesn't just play his drums he owns them.  He plays them with such vigor if there wasn't a mic hooked to them you would still hear them down the street.  He doesn't go easy and gives his all on every song.  Sotelo is a machine.  He is not a stand in place kind of guy.  He is always moving around the stage, albeit the stage is small, but he still needs to be constantly on the go up there.  He slaps that thing around like a former playboy model in a trailer park by an abusive husband.  To put it mildly his bass is his bitch.  There are moments where he loves and respects it but for the most part he is a rock and roll bass player that wants to make the floors shake from the sheer power of his tool.  

Brent Kirby is the center of attention with this part of him not knowing why all this attention is being given to him.  He is a humble rock and roll front man along the lines of a Jeff Tweedy.  He is there to entertain the masses yet at the same time doesn't realize what he is doing is as good as it is.  He is unassuming up there and honestly just having fun.  He is the real deal entertainer.  It could be for 10 people at some dump on a Tuesday night or the packed house at the Happy Dog last night.  It doesn't matter to him.  He is up there as a performer and never once have I ever heard him say shit about a show with a small turn out.  Small room or large he is up there doing what he loves.  He is proud of his work and still getting comfortable in his own skin writing real lyrics about the heartland of Cleveland.  He writes blue collar rock and roll songs for a blue collar town and introspective ballads about his life that we all can relate to.  

On his solo release he was a little more subdued.  With the release of "The Way Things Should Be" some help of a slew of incredibly gifted musicians, Bobby Latina and Eric "Mother Fucking Roscoe" Ambel (ok so embellished his nickname a bit but come on the guy is a legend) it is no holds barred Cleveland rock and roll.  If Wilco, The Stones, ZZ Top and The Who fucked this record could have been the outcome.  It is a lot of rock and roll mixed with a southern twang roots Americana thing.  The cd starts with the track "Cutting Blow" which is just this epic balls out rock song with serious props being paid to southern rockers like ZZ Top.  It is bluesy without being too over the top like a bad George Thorogood song.  You could put this one on repeat and crank it a few times before heading on to the next track but when you do get there it's a Matthew Sweet infused pop tune called "Old Habits Die Hard".   Just enough rock to keep it flowing until the third track "Cover's Blown" that really accents Kirby's vocal chops.  

The next cut "Who Do You Trust" takes me into the Stones reference.  Subdued in the back is Chris Hanna with some honky tonk key work.  It's reminds me of a slowed down Mooney Suzuki cut.  There is this polished garage sound to it to make it poppy enough to be radio friendly but dirty enough to keep the White Stripes crowd in check.  Next up is the album title track "The Way Things Should Be" which follows in the same vein as the last cut only a little more polish to it.  Next up is the balladesque "Brightest Star".  Slowing it down a bit not a true "ballad" really but more of a Neil Young kind of slow down.  "Bent Out of Shape" we kind of pick up the pace a bit and showcase the rock again only to set it up for the real stripped down "Together We Rise" which could have easily been on a Ryan Adams record.  Saying well that's enough of the slow stuff we get back into full tilt boogie with "Done You Right" leading into Who-esque rock and roll guitar in "Smoke 'N' Spirits".  It has this Cheap Trick meets The Who thing going on to it with guitar solos and everything.  Just when you think it is over it almost is.  They throw in a nice slow one called "All Over Now" and end it rocking out the way it started with "Last Call Whistle".

To say it is a great record is an understatement.  You can tell just how much effort went into this thing.  It's great to see someone like Roscoe producing the record too.  The guy just knows exactly how to mix in the right elements to showcase all the talent that is contained in the disc.  There are standout tracks, yet there are no throw away cuts or easily skipped tracks.  It all flows together into an incredible body of work.  It amazes me this is self published.  You have incredible talent in Kirby, Latina and the backing band, an amazing producer yet no label backing.  Sure it is not easy to get a record deal these days, but fucking-a man it is a excellent record!  All I have to say has been said before on the Jack Fords if you have yet to see them stop waiting get out there and check them out.  As far as just straight forward rock and roll goes between them and like the Whiskey Daredevils and Hot Rails Cleveland actually does have more than a handful of rock and roll saviors and they are one of the best ones around.