I just want to bite that lower lip
I finally saw Bruce Springsteen on November 10, 2009. I’ve been trying to figure out since then why I felt disappointed. It was just me that was disappointed. The reviews were great, the person I went with was in awe. Once I got home I DM’d Matt Wardlaw on Twitter to get his thoughts. Yup. It’s just me. But why?
I’m a good bit late. Like 30 years. Growing up in Cleveland in the late 70s/early 80s meant knowing Bruce from the legendary ‘78 Agora concert. That concert was personal. I was 13 years old. And he was speaking to me. I was introduced to Bruce on WMMS (and by a boy I had a crush on in Junior High, but that’s another story). But I became a fan because of that concert. YouTube – Bruce Springsteen – GROWIN UP 1978. (not the Agora show but close)
So was that what I was expecting? The 1978 show? I expected everything and there’s no way a 3 hour concert can do that. There’s no way he could give me the songs I wanted to hear, my choices, directed at ME. And Cleveland. It looked like he was enjoying himself. For god’s sake he crowd surfed the floor with no worries; singing the whole way. Bruce sounded great. the band was right on it. Why am I disappointed?
I wasn’t disappointed in Paul McCartney in 1990. Was it just because it was Paul McCartney? My second cousin introduced me to the Beatles. She lived through Beatlemania. When I found out Paul was coming to Municipal Stadium, I called her to see if I got her a ticket, would she come to Cleveland and go to the show with me? She hesitated and then said she would. I was 25, she was 40. We had a gang of six going. We jumped on the rapid and took it downtown, everyone on the train was going to the show, and we were all singing together, and shrieking at our good luck. Like Beatlemania. It was the best show I’ve ever seen.
The next day she explained why she hesitated. She grew up (and still lives) in New York. About an hour from the city. In 1966, she had a chance to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium. Her best friend had the ticket for her. Her parents said she could go. She declined. Because it would have meant too much. I didn’t get it.
I do now.
OSU Marching Band. FSR records 6503
What’s the record of the week? “Fight The Team Across The Field.” One of the greatest college fight songs ever. By the “incomparable” Ohio State Marching Band. TBDBITL. I can’t find much about the record online as far as a pressing date. It does say that the band director on this is Charles Spohn who was director from 1964-1969. So it must be a mid 60s or so record. In NM condition. I also found that I’ve gotten a bargain on it. I paid $3 for it at a record show. Some sources are trying to sell it for $15.
across_the_field.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object).
So on game days, I fire up the jukebox and put this in the selector at A 1… Start of game? Hit A1. Touchdown? Hit A1. Big play? You get the idea. The best part of this record and what is also appropriate for this week is the flip side.
B side. "A Hard Day's Night"
Yes! “A Hard Day’s Night. ” So is this my favorite Beatles cover? Probably. I’m not real fond of Beatles covers anyway. I’m a purist.
If you grew up in Ohio and did not have ties to Notre Dame or (gasp) Michigan, your team is Ohio State. I grew up in Berea, Ohio, home of the Browns, Lou “The Toe” Groza and OSU Coach Jim Tressel. Maple Street in Berea was renamed after his father Lee Tressel who coached at Baldwin-Wallace. It runs south through the campus from Bagley Road. Berea High was an OSU crazy place (even though it is next to B-W–hey– a good team too, but not Big 10). I think every teacher and administrator was alumni. The answer to any question asked of Mr. Schuff (student counselor), boiled down to getting an education at a good school, like oh, I don’t know…OSU. I KNOW the band director was an alum. Mr. Fudale ran an OSU style marching band. I’m surprised they didn’t do a “Script Berea.”
And now the disclaimers:
I did not attend Ohio State. Not as a student anyway… Does bar-hopping on High Street count? That’s how I attended OU as well… Nickel progressive beer night at The Cat’s Eye. Crazy.
Go Bucks. Fight the team across the field!
1979's U.S. release of The Clash on CBS Records
A post on Twitter let me know that Joe Strummer would have been 57 today if it hadn’t have been for a heart defect. I haven’t done a Record of the Week for a while so here it is. The Clash. Released in 1979 in the U.S. I was 14 and that was it. It was all over.
But how did a 14 year old GIRL from suburban Cleveland Ohio find out about The Clash? I’d been reading CREEM magazine since I was 12.
CREEM covers circa 1978
Yup, at my local Convenient Food Mart store, right next to Teen Beat and all that rubbish was CREEM. Hmmm. What’s this? It looks kinda like a teen magazine… But Mick Jagger is one the cover. Hmmmmm. What– it says there’s a poster inside… Only a dollar? Forget the six packs of grape Bubble Yum I came in for. It’s mine!
I was obsessed with the Stones in 1978. The Beatles were done and Paul McCartney was full of Silly Love Songs at that point (Not that I didn’t love them anyway). But the Stones had a NEW album. Some Girls actually had a buzz around it. It was The STONES, man. And it was a whole new sound. And it was my album. No apologies for it. I love this album. If you listen to it again with fresh ears you will understand. It’s the last great Stones album. There. I said it. I bought it when it came out at The Shoppe in Berea; $4.99. Original artwork before they were sued.
So when I see Mick Jagger on the cover of CREEM I buy it. And I am opened to a whole new world of rock music.
CREEM was the best rock magazine. Crazy hilarious and not afraid to show rock and rollers at their worst. The writers included the legendary Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, Robert Christgau, Nick Tosches, Greil Marcus and Cameron Crowe to name a few. R. Crumb designed the “Boy Howdy” icon. And it was published in Detroit so it almost felt local.
Again I started buying it when I was 12. My parents didn’t seem to care.
So CREEM has been credited with coining the term Punk rock. And every issue I bought had articles and pictures and/or “CREEM Profiles” (a parody of old Dewar’s Scotch ads) of Punk rockers and New Wave starters like The Clash, Joan Jett, Blondie, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders and Nick Lowe. CREEM ONLINE: Creem’s Profiles. I ate it up.
Which is why when The Clash came out in the states I was practically in line to buy it at The Shoppe. (I have an original U.S. release of The Clash that my friend Greg is jealous of ) The album starts with this: YouTube – The Clash – Clash City Rockers [Original Version]. And that’s all it took.
So this turned into more of the memory around the discovery of The Clash and not the music. But that’s o.k. It doesn’t matter. If you don’t know The Clash you haven’t read this far. And THAT doesn’t matter.
They were the “Only Band That Matters.”
My Mind's Eye, Lakewood, OH
Lakewood is one of my favorite places. It’s a suburb with a city feel. I lived here for 5 years, leaving 15 years ago and even though a lot has changed, much more is exactly the same. On these CLE+ daytrips, I’ve tried to look at things with fresh eye. It’s not as easy here, since it’s so familiar. I’ve lived South, East and West in Lakewood. My best friend lived with me East and then moved North. My sister lived North, South and East and now has bought a house right in the middle. The ex-boyfriends that lived with us East, still live there. Familiar. So I decided to give you MY familiar instead. The pictures tell that story. Lakewood 7/22/09 – a set on Flickr.
The reason for coming to Lakewood is my favorite record store, My Mind’s Eye, 13727 Madison. MY MINDS EYE RECORDS : STORE. (Please read the testimonial) If you like Punk, Metal, Garage, Psych or anything even slightly related. Charles has it. I first went in here several years back after ordering a pizza at Angelo’s. While waiting, I walked across the way to My Mind’s Eye. After wandering around awhile, the owner (Charles) asked if I was looking for anything in particular. Off the top of my head I asked if he had any Remains. His eyes lit up and he walked to the LP racks and pulled a new re-issue of the only album they ever made. Oh man. He then told me the whole history of the band, the label, the release date, everything. Whatta guy.
On my tour stop, I went to the 45 bin and found two classic/garage rock faves (Remains, Pretty Things) and two of the Norton Rolling Stones series. (just 16 more to go!) I told him what I was doing and he thought it was a fun idea. On the counter were cards from other record stores. OTHER record stores. Blue Arrow (Collinwood) and Square Records (Akron). I commented on this and told him they were on my tour. He said that he thought Square Records was the BEST store in the area. Not HIS store. The OTHER store. Because he can find records there that no one else has, and they’ve introduced him to other music. Charles is humble if anything. Really. Whatta guy. Whatta store. Sorry Charles, I think your store is the BEST in the area. Total: Remains, $6.00 the Nortons, $4.00 each and Pretty Things EP $4.00. $18.00, good job.
I got to Melt early (which if you want a table is the only way, it was packed on a Wednesday night!) and put my name in for a table. I ordered an electric blueberry lemonade ($5.00 and delicious) and took a look at my Kenny Rogers album/menu. Once Matt, Mel and Paul arrived and we were finally seated in the smallest table available…. we ordered. I had the Parmageddon sandwich which is potato and cheese pierogi, vodka kraut and cheddar cheese grilled to oozing goodness. mmmmmmm. Oh yes, I’ll have another electric blueberry lemonade. Yes please. Sandwich $9.50, another drink, $5.00. Total 19.50. So over by a couple of bucks. Still not bad. My new pal Paul gave me permission to spend more since it was the finale. Thanks Paul. Had a lot of laughs and good conversation with my new friends. Thanks guys for sharing the last day of the great CLE+ Record Store Tour with me.
Or maybe they just wanted an excuse to go to Melt.
Music Saves (left) and Blue Arrow (right)
So is it a “Tale of Two Stores” or a “Battle of the Bands on Vinyl?” It’s more of a tale of an area that is moving forward in thinking and development. Thanks to the music.
The Waterloo District in Cleveland’s North Collinwood neighborhood is going through a resurgence, largely due to music. Just a few years ago there wasn’t much there. In 2000, Cindy Barber took a chance and turned the former Croatian Liberty Home into The Beachland Ballroom. The Beachland is host to every type of music: punk, classic rock, independents, folk, bluegrass, whatever she and Mark Leddy think is interesting and will bring some folks in. I’ve seen everyone from The Kings of Leon and The Mooney Suzuki to Glenn Tilbrook, The Zombies and Ian Hunter at The Beachland. It it truly a great place to see a show in Cleveland.
Springing up on either side of The Beachland there are now galleries, a vintage store, the Waterloo Cafe, Shoparooni for fun toys and the two record stores I came for. Music Saves and Blue Arrow Records. This was an afternoon trip since the stores don’t open till later in the day, so lunch would now be dinner, and since there were two stores to visit, I had to split my money between them. (Actually there is a THIRD record store–This Way Out– in the basement of The Beachland, but they were not open yet).
Music Saves was up first. They are at 15801 Waterloo Rd. just down from the Beachland. Also here: MUSIC SAVES | Independent Record Store | Cleveland, Ohio. It’s a store that stocks what people call “indie.” A look through their website listed the recent top sellers as Dinosaur, Jr., Wilco, Neko Case, The Dead Weather and Sonic Youth. Most of the vinyl in stock is new, so there aren’t a lot of 45s for me, but I did find a 45 of The Dead Weather (Jack White of The White Stripes) for $5.99 and The Dirtbombs, (who I’ve been meaning to check out for some time) for $4.99. $11 down. $9 to go. The verdict? it’s a great store that does a good job of stocking the new music that I need to learn more about. Say hi to Vinyl the cat while you’re there…
A couple of doors down is Blue Arrow Records. Blue Arrow is a different kind of store. It’s big, it’s handmade, and it’s nearly all used vinyl. And on the day I visited, the “shrine area” was all CLASH. The only band that ever mattered (RIP Joe). This was my second trip to Blue Arrow and the owner actually remembered me. Pete’s a sweetheart, and has put a lot into the store. He covered every inch of the floor with old record covers and about a bazillion coats of urethane to keep it in place. When he couldn’t find bins to hold the records, he built them. He has a diverse mix of 45s for me to covet, from jazz and blues to 80s pop. On this visit I found a couple of 50 year olds… Chuck Berry and Dale Hawkins on Chess and Checker records. (Which were actually the same company) Total $9. I’ve got $10 left for dinner! Check the website Blue Arrow Records and Books for in-store shows and promotions. And hey, go buy some records so Pete can get air conditioning installed.
I had been to The Waterloo Cafe (corner of Waterloo and E. 156) before but my friend Lu hadn’t so we went there next. Friendly people there that are not afraid of using CHEESE! It’s a nice space with a full bar, lots of beer choices, wrap sandwiches, salads, bakery and coffees. I ordered the pita melt which was jack cheese and cheddar, with olives and tomato for $5.25 and a Great Lakes Grassroots Ale for $4. I went under budget by .75. Lu had the hummus and pita plate and Grassroots for the same price. This is a vegetarian-friendly place. Come by for a quick bite before a show at The Beachland….or anytime! Home of the Waterloo Cafe Online | thewaterloocafe.com.
The Beachland area of North Collinwood is a great place to spend an evening of fun shopping, concerts and food. Here’s the pix: Beachland 7/21/09 – a set on Flickr.
Next up, Lakewood.
Square Records, Akron, OH
If it’s Monday it must be Akron. I like Akron a lot. I think they have done a great job of keeping downtown clean and friendly. The integration of The University of Akron and it’s students has created a community feeling in a city. So that’s where I started. In the UA area of downtown. There is some great architecture around UA, old and new. The Dale Chihuly “Rock Candy” sculpture is a great piece of public art and a nod to Akron’s history in the development of polymers. The Northside District is newly residential, with loft space sharing an identity with Akron traditions like Luigi’s restaurant. And Highland Square has been preserved as a funky hip place. I really need to get down here more often.
In keeping with the rock and roll theme, and on a recommendation from Twitter’s @flee2thecleve, I had lunch at Chrissie Hynde’s VegiTerranean restaurant. It’s located in the Northside Lofts and it’s a modern, industrial hip space. It would have been really easy to go over $10 in this place, but I decided on the Rockin’ (vegan) burger with Chrissie fries. The Chrissie fries rival some pomme frites I’ve had. $9.50 and I ate every bit. Good stuff even tho I’m NOT vegan.
Which brings us to Square Records in Highland Square (824 W. Market St.). It’s a funky store in a hip neighborhood. My hope was that I would find some old Akron punk 45s here, but to my surprise I found NEW Akron punk 45s. Aaahhh the ’70s a magical time for music in Akron. I bought 2 Tin Huey 45s and a Bizarros, in mint condition, never played. Also some reissues of Jerry Lee Lewis and a split Alarm Clocks from a series from Norton Records that I need to find more of. There is a lot of new and used vinyl LPs here. All the indie faves and more. Unfortunately only 2 small areas of 45s for me to look through, but I easily found 7 gems (exactly $20). Their website boasts a list of new releases each week so it’s worth a check on new release day. Square Records on MySpace Music – Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads. And hey The Bizarros have re-formed and are playing the Square Records Anniversary party on 8/7/09.
So how did I do on my budget? .50 UNDER! $9.50 on lunch and $20 on records.
It was a beautiful day in Akron, found some great records and would certainly stop in at Square Records again when I’m in the area. If you go make sure to say hi to Cali the cat. She’s laying on the front counter or running under your feet…
There’s more to the story on my flickr gallery here: Akron OH 7/20/09 – a set on Flickr.
Tin Huey: Tin Huey – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Bizarros: The Bizarros Official Web Site.
The Alarm Clocks (Parma, OH) ALARM CLOCKS YEAH.
Record Den in Mentor, OH
I can’t believe I haven’t been to this store before. Located at 7661 Mentor Avenue in Mentor OH–oh that’s why. It’s nearly an hour from my house. But I will be back. This is another store that has been selling records and CDs since forever. My quarry is 45s, and after a quick look around I thought I found the only bin of them and dove in. I quickly found my budget’s worth and then looked down to see 2 boxes full of 45s–and across the store—another bin. Curses. I couldn’t put back what I’d already found and start over. I HAVE TO GO BACK!
It’s a classic rock store all the way, which is right up my alley. Plenty of titles that you will not find in the store across the street (Best Buy) CD prices were around $15. They also have VHS (!), DVDs, used LPs, and NEW 180g–200g vinyl. This is another store that has always been a record store first– not a used record store, so the 45s I bought were new and unplayed. And a bargain at $1.99 each. The more interesting finds have picture sleeves and some are colored vinyl marked “jukebox only” A lot of ’80s and some re-issues in the bin.
As I was collecting all my crap (camera, list, purse, records), a kid came in and asked if they had the Nuggets compliation. { Amazon.com: Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968: Various Artists: Music } The owner starting rifling through a CD bin…the kid said, “Oh, no, I was hoping you’d have it on vinyl.” After my own heart.
The damage on the day? $4.50 for a deep-fried dawg with coney sauce and cheese and a small drink at Scooter’s Dawg House. $26 for 12 records in pristine shape. (one record was $3.99, but on white vinyl) Again, .50 over but I needed the cheese sauce, man.
Here’s the pix: Mentor, OH 7/19/09 – a set on Flickr
It was a beautiful day to take a drive. The main objective was to visit Spin-More Records at 165 E, Main St. I love this place. It’s chock full of 45s. I collect them to feed the jukebox in the basement. The store is owned by Phil Peachock who was there today along with Dot. There are LPs here, some CDs and even cassettes. But there are thousands of 45s. Keeping my tour budget of $30 a day was tough, I had to put some things back, like the Record Store Day Black Keys 45. Oh well.
So back to the store. They have used records, but also NEW old stock. They were a NEW record store to begin with. Rarely do I have to clean a record I buy here. That’s priceless. My collection is heavy on 60-70s rock. Beatles, Stones, Who, and then 70-80s punk and new wave. Although I looked around at others artists, I concentrated on the big box of The Who 45s. Found some great stuff and stayed in my budget today. Lunch was $4.55 and the records I bought were $26. Alright, if you’re going to be picky, I went over by 55 cents.
If you are in the area, it’s really worth a few hours. Or days… For a gallery of pix of my trip go to Kent Ohio 7/16/09 – a set on Flickr.
Well I’m on vacation. Tomorrow starts my tour of the CLE+ looking for 45s and cheap eats. I’ll be posting pictures here everyday and generally messing around with this blogging thing. So tag along…
