SHOW REVIEW: Mickey Avalon at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac

Mickey Avalon played the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac on Friday, June 29 and MCB was there to make every effort to fully capture the experience.

If you’re familiar with Mickey Avalon you probably came across him by word of mouth. Or, more literally, the dirty words that flow from Mickey Avalon’s mouth. Mickey Avalon is a rap artist from California who has a bit of notoriety for taking sorted stories from his life and rapping about them in hilarious songs of debauchery on his 2 albums, his 2006 debut self-titled album and this year’s recently released “Loaded.”

Knowing what we know about Mickey, it was appropriate that on this tour he’s the poster boy for Jagermeister, as they sponsored the tour and supplied a steady supply of alcohol on stage. The warm up acts AJAX and Millionaires did their own great job getting the crowd excited for MA (you can read about them in this post). But, when Mickey Avalon took the stage donning a gestapo hat along with a dancer at his side visually expressing Mickey's wordplay, the stage became his pulpit and he let the fans know that life on the shady side is indeed shady as well as a whole lot of fun.

Mickey took little time between songs for small talk and easily slipped from one song into the next with the help of his DJ. The crowd often chanted along with words and the catchy choruses of his songs. Highlights included some of his new songs from ”Loaded” including “Girlfriend,” “I’m Hot”, and "Dance" as well as his older classics like “Waiting To Die” and “Jane Fonda”. His dancer provided most of the shows visual entertainment as she made several outfit changes as well as dancing and undressing along to the music. She held her own (literally) with plenty of flirting with Mickey and the crowd and she even performed on a trampoline during the song "Drugs".

 The crowd seemed to be waiting for Mickey's encore song “My Dick” because as soon as it started the crowd’s shouting of the rap engulfed Mickey’s own lines. Mickey hasn’t made many trips to our side of town, in fact this may have been his first, however, from the crowd’s reaction and his performance I think it is safe bet he’ll be back soon.

After his performance Mickey was gracious enough to take time in his busy schedule (he had a strip club after party appearance to make later that night) to talk to MCB. Mickey Avalon is the real deal which was quite evident backstage. He talked candidly with us and was more than happy to sign items for the few lucky fans who made it back there.

Our discussion with Mickey as well as highlights of the show captured on film by Casey Schwochow can be viewed below....

Part 1 of 3


Part 2 of 3


Part 3 of 3


Enjoy these photos taken at the show by Kevin Soney...

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Enjoy these photos taken at the show by Mikel O.D. Pfeiffer...

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Credits:
Review: Mikel O.D. Pfeiffer and Casey Schwochow
Photos: Kevin Soney, Mikel O.D. Pfeiffer, and Rachel Lazere
Video: Casey Schwochow

SHOW REVIEW: Dirt Nasty & Mickey Avalon in Detroit (with video)

 

 

Rappers Mickey Avalon and Dirt Nasty have a long history with each other. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Mickey was befriended by ex-MTV VJ Simon Rex who encouraged Avalon to rap and ended up collaborating with him. The two began passing out demos to Hollywood clubs and soon developed a following among fans of the Santa Cruz nightclub scene. The rest is music history as Simon adopted the name Dirt Nasty and him and Mickey soon created careers out of performing catchy rap tunes.

 

The two recently released the free downloadable EP Married To The Game and are currently on tour to support it, along with their solo work. The duo recently made a stop in Detroit and MCB was there to capture all the action.

 

St. Andrews Hall was packed on a Tuesday night with much anticipation of the reunited Dirt Nasty and Mickey Avalon for their Married To The Game 2016 tour. The show opened with a short but high energy set by local rapper/producer AJAX. St. Andrews was literally vibrating from the bass coming from the speakers. The vibrating would continue throughout the entire evening.

 

Dirt Nasty was up next and opened with "Fuck Me, I'm Famous" off his album Nasty As I Wanna Be. Dirt let it be known that he was in awe of the packed house and expressed his love for Detroit throughout the set. At one point he requested a Mexican female from the audience to come up on stage as he needed one for his ode to a Latino lover entitled "Cracker Ass Fantastic". A girl ended up being pulled on stage, but it turned out she was Arabic. Dirt told her to just say she was Mexican and joked about her being Albanian.

 

Dirt performed songs of his two full length albums as well as some material off his new album Dirty Nasty Sux which was just released this week. During his set Dirt brought up the fact he was smelling marijuana. As he was asking where it was coming from, an audience member through a joint on stage which Dirt took a hit from. Dirt Nasty was having a blast on stage and mixed his comedic talents with his ability to rap and put on a well received show. Dirt had much communication with the audience and requested to borrow a large gold chain from an audience member and wore it for his popular song "1980". Dirt Nasty finished his 35 minute set with the song, but would return later on in the show.

 

                                                   Dirt Nasty performs "1980" LIVE

 

                                       Dirt Nasty performs "Fuck Me, I'm Famous" LIVE

 

 

Next up was "Mr. Right" himself- Mickey Avalon. Mickey opened his set with "Waiting To Die" off his self titled debut album. During the song he was joined by his stage dancer who strutted around the stage showing off her assets as well as moves to match. She stayed on stage to entice the crowd even further as Mickey went into his next song "Mr. Right". Mickey performed songs off his two full length albums, his "I Get Even" EP as well as non album tracks "Bitter Sweet Surprise" and "Red Light District".

 

Mickey's set had some technical difficulties involving his backing tracks and at one point had to restart his song "I Get Even" because of them. He apologized for some of the errors and kept the party going. Mickey's dancer had several outfit changes during his set. One included a ski mask and whip during "I'm Hot" and a cheerleader outfit during "Fuckin Em All".

                                                    

                                              Mickey Avalon performs "Mr. Right" LIVE

 

 

                                               Mickey Avalon performs "I'm Hot" LIVE

 

50 minutes into his own set Mickey brought out Dirt Nasty on stage to perform the song "What Do You Say?" with him. The two collaborated on the song for The Hangover Soundtrack in 2009. Dirt Nasty would stay on stage for the rest of the set and the duo performed songs of their new Married To The Game EP including "My Girlfriend", "Netflix and Chill", and "Do It All Over". Dirt would stick around and act as a hype man as Mickey performed more solo tracks including "Jane Fonda" and "Tight Blue Jeans". Breasts were exposed by a female audience member who was on top of her companions shoulders at the request of Dirt Nasty before Mickey began the song "Stoke Me". 

 

Dirt asked the audience "What is the one song you wanna here?" before closing out the evening with their song "My Dick". They invited the ladies in the audience to join them on stage and a dozen of them obliged. They danced and gyrated against Mickey, Dirt, and each other as they sang along to the lyrics. As the song ended they quickly approached Dirt Nasty for selfies which he was gracious to do with them.

 

                             Dirt Nasty & Mickey Avalon perform "What Do You Say?" LIVE

 

                                 Dirt Nasty & Mickey Avalon perform "My Girlfriend" LIVE

                               **all LIVE footage courtesy of Ambervillain Films**

Dirt Nasty & Mickey Avalon continue their Married To The Game US tour and currently have dates till the end of March.

SHOW REVIEW: The Misfits/JuiceheaD at Harpos (with VIDEO and PHOTOS)

The Misfits made a tour stop in Detroit this past Saturday to play Harpos in support of their new album "The Devil's Rain". I was lucky enough to witness and document the show.

I last saw The Misfits live back in 1996. At the time the band had recruited Michale Graves to take on vocal duties since Glen Danzig passed on the reunion. Graves was out of the band come 2000 and original member Jerry Only took over lead vocal duties in addition to playing bass guitar in the band. Several lineup changes later the current lineup includes Only, Dez Cadena (Black Flag) on guitar/backing vocals and Eric "Chupacabra" Arce (Murphys Law) on drums.

I noticed instantly upon arrival that Harpos had many youths in the building. It seems the Misfits fan base keeps getting younger which makes me hopeful. Glad to see that the iconic Misfits skull logo that's branded across the young hot topic wearing scene is not just for show and that many of them actually do go out to seek the band behind the image. Jerry hasn't changed much over the years and Dez Cadena looked pretty damn spooky with his face paint on. The set was filled with classics such as "Skulls", "Halloween", "Die, Die My Darling". And by the sound of the new songs like "The Devil's Rain" and "Vivid Red" Jerry is surely not letting The Misfits legacy get watered down. Horror rock lives on.

Jerry Only is a very fan friendly man. He hung out after the show to hang with "fiends" and stayed till everyone got what they needed out of him, whether it be an autograph, a picture, or just a simple hug.

Visit The Misfits online.









Primary support for the night was JuiceheaD from Chicago. JuiceheaD are label mates to The Misfits on their Misfits Records imprint. They offer a old school power punk feel in the vain of Rancid.

Visit JuiceheaD online.

SHOW REVIEW (with live video) : WHO'S BAD: THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE at The Magic Bag

(photo by Rachel Lazere)

I was happily surprised at the near capacity crowd at the Magic Bag for WHO'S BAD: THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE last Friday because of the winter blast that fell upon the city that day that left the roads snow covered and treacherous. But Michael Jackson is so larger than life that people, myself included, will brave any conditions to hear the songs that made him the "King Of Pop".
The crowd was diverse as you could get. A true melting pot. From twenty something's to seniors, and even the Insane Clown Posse (sans makeup) were in attendance donning Michael Jackson apparel. The whole crowd was moving right from the start with the bands first song "Jam".
WHO'S BAD: THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE gives you the total Jackson live experience. It's a total live band. You have musicians playing the guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, and trumpet. And boy did the trumpet player ever move. I think the guy has jello in place of bones. The vocalist was fantastic. He kept the energy level high all night with fantastic dance moves to match his singing. It's not a easy task to match "the king", but he came as close as I've seen.
Songs spanned Michael's total career from the Jackson 5 to his solo material. From “I'll Be There” to “Billie Jean” to "Black or White".
The band also brought up audience members a few times during their set to dance and sing with them. The place felt bonded through the music. So much positive energy in the packed house. Michael Jackson's legacy exists with the songs that will never die. And I'm happy to see such a act bringing them on the road to perform live and giving them justice.

Words can only explain so much so please sit back and enjoy this live video I filmed of the band performing "Smooth Criminal"...

SHOW REVIEW: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at The Fisher Theater

Attended by first ever show at Detroit's Fisher Theater on Wednesday night to catch the Broadway musical "MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET" which is currently on a National tour and in town till February 5.
Anyone who knows me is aware of my passion for music. And the core of great music to me is Rock and Roll. You can categorize, label, and put it in genres, but if it's good it's just plain Rock And Roll to me.

I've always been a fan of early originators of Rock and Roll whom four legendary ones are represented in "Million Dollar Quartet". "Million Dollar Quartet" is set on December 4, 1956, when an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together. Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” who was responsible for launching the careers of each icon, brought the four legendary musicians together at the Sun Records storefront studio in Memphis for the first and only time. The resulting evening became known as one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll jam sessions in history.

The set design for the stage was very impressive. The majority of the show takes place in Sam Philips studio, control room, and just outside (for the occasional smoke, discussions, and run for drinks). It looked genuine and really transported me to a time that I love, but never got to experience.

The show starts with Sam Phillips (Christopher Ryan Grant) and Sun Records newly signed Jerry Lee Lewis (Martin Kaye). These two were my favorite of the entire show. Martin had Jerry's infamous hair and was a true character. I'm a big Jerry Lee Lewis fan and I can truthfully said he nailed it. And Christopher Ryan Grant should never be out of work for the rest of his life. The guy can act. I kept my eye on him for the entire show to see if I would see a break in character, but it never happened. So are all Broadway musical actors this good?



Slowly more of these early Rock and Roll pioneers come strolling into Sun Studios including Carl Perkins (Lee Ferris ). Johnny Cash (Derek Keeling), and Elvis Presley (Cody Slaughter). Elvis brings his girlfriend Dyanne (Kelly Lamont) (at the real session, Elvis' girlfriend was a dancer named Marilyn) along to the studio with him. Rounding out the musicians jamming are Fluke (Billy Shaffer) on drums and Jay Perkins (Chuck Zayas) on bass.
The musicians jam on their own songs, do cover tunes, and jam on each others tracks. Sam Phillips helped bring Rock and Roll to the masses. With that came money and the business aspect of the music industry which is represented in this show as well. Elvis at this point was mainstream and was a big success. He was craving the old days of being on a small label since he had left Sun for the monster label that was RCA. Johnny Cash was getting too big for Sun and was heading to Columbia Records which Sam Phillips was unaware of. Then you had Carl Perkins who was a great guitar player and writer, but mainstream success was always fleeting him. One case in point was when Elvis had a huge hit with the song "Blue Suede Shoes" which Carl wrote. And then there's Jerry Lee Lewis. A cocky newbie to Sun who could only foresee success in his future with Sun and he was right.



The legendary night is brought to life with a eclectic score of rock, gospel, R&B and country hits including "Sixteen Tons,” “Who Do You Love?,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Matchbox,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” and more. Elvis' date Dyanne gets in the action as well and does a great version of Peggy Lee's “Fever”.
The sound was fantastic and the show was backed by great acting and musicians. The Sun Studios story was wrapped up with a actual picture of the four legends taken that night on December 4, 1956. I've been viewing that photo for years now and to see the cast posing below it in the exact setup surely made me feel the show was something special. It was as close I was going to be to that evening.

After that legendary tale was told, the studio set came up and a Vegas style stage show complete with a wall of lights behind the cast was revealed and each artist rocked out to some of their biggest hits after putting on their shiny sequined jackets of course.
I was mostly surrounded by people 20 to 30 years my senior who stood up from their seats during Elvis' "Hound Dog" and made it feel like a real rock show.



I can't recommend this show enough. Take your parents, or better yet take the children and school them in real music.
The Fisher Theatre is a fantastic venue with easy and free parking so what are you waiting for?
For more info on the "MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET" which is in Detroit till Feb. 5 please check out...http://www.broadwayindetroit.com

SHOW REVIEW: SHREK THE MUSICAL at The Fisher Theater

I made by return to the stunning Fisher Theater in Detroit on Tuesday night to catch "SHREK THE MUSICAL" which is currently on a National tour and in town till March 11.
Alongside me for this show was my "6" year old niece Addison. She's a huge Shrek fan so who better to give me the kids perspective on this show.
The first thing I noticed upon my arrival to the theater was the amount of adults who did not bring along any children. I wondered if they were season ticket holders or just those who enjoy Broadway musicals regardless of the age demographic or subject.



SHREK THE MUSICAL is based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks film as well as the novel that started it all and features a score of 19 all-new songs.
The plot for the musical revolves around a faraway kingdom turned upside down. An unseemly ogre named Shrek shows up to rescue a feisty princess and find a home for over a dozen other fairy tale misfits. He also has to deal with a donkey who won't shut up, a villain with a "short" temper, and a Dragon.

Within the first 10 minutes I could see why so many adults could show up without young ones and be fully entertained. The show has a edge and has adult humor that I forgot was in the Dreamworks movie that I have not seen in many years. This was proven by the Isaac Hayes look a like with a Jeri Curl who was seated,by himself, behind my niece and I. The gentleman was having the time of his life and was laughing loudly and proudly throughout the musical. So how's that for a demographic?

The staging was a visual eyegasm. Top notch costume and set designs. I was always anticipating the next scene because it would bring another stunning sequence.



Lukas Poost who plays Shrek was great. I was checking out his green makeup and face moldings in great detail and I can honestly tell you that I believe he may be a orge in real life.
The very short Lord Farquaad was played by Merritt David Janes who has his real legs strapped up behind him and hidden by a black curtain, but is not afraid to make his presence known as the mastermind puppeteer.
Other great characters is that I enjoyed seeing were Pinocchio who just can't seem to stop lying and having that nose of his grow and a talking cookie with a attitude.
The 17 foot tall Pink Dragon who guards Princess Fiona is the ultimate special effect in this musical. It's creature design is epic and is operated by several puppeteers dressed in black. The Dragon appears both menacing and flirtatious, while dancing up a storm!




I can easily recommend this show to anyone. It is indeed a show that would appeal to any age. If you have a sense of humor you will be good to go with this one.

The show runs 2 hours and 30 minutes which includes a 15 minute intermission. Keep this in mind if your bringing young ones. My niece loved the show, but could not sit still for the whole thing. I was hoping Addison would give a review after the show, but she was short with words. She did state that she found Princess Fiona to be "very pretty".


The show runs from February 28, 2012 to March 11, 2012
Show times are:
Tuesday - Saturday at 7:30pm
Sunday Evenings at 6:30pm
Saturday Matinee at 2:00pm
Sunday Matinee at 1:00pm
Special signed performance on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 6:30pm.

Children 5 and under not admitted to this event.

at
Fisher Theatre
3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit
Tickets $29-$79
Call (800) 982-2787

For more info visit: http://www.broadwayindetroit.com

SHOW REVIEW: ANDREW W.K. at Saint Andrews Hall

Saint Andrews Hall was packed to the brink for the homecoming of Andrew W.K. It's been 10 years since his debut full length album "I Get Wet" was released and his stop this past Saturday in Detroit saw the Michigan native perform the classic album in it's entirety for this 2012 anniversary tour.

I was quite anxious to see who would turn out to see Andrew in 2012. I was around for the original "I Get Wet" tour and saw Andrew start out at the Shelter and then slowly build momentum and a highly energetic and devoted fan base that took him from St. Andrews Hall, to Clutch Cargos, and then eventually to the Ozzfest stage. The second half of this past decade Andrew has faced legal disputes,album release issues, and even the departure of him performing with a live band. These are just a few factors that have taken him out of the live concert touring spotlight.



But it was apparent as I walked through the doors on Saturday night that nothing has changed in regards to his rapid fan base. His fans have not forgotten and now most of the people in the crowd were old enough to drink, which wasn't the case in 2002, so the level of party mode was extremely high. People lined up at the merch booth, and as they did back the day, were donning their own homemade "party" shirts.





Only two of his Andrew's original "I Get Wet" band members are taking part in this tour, but that hasn't stopped the current members from dressing and styling themselves after the original members to give it that reunion feel. In addition to the new players they also have Andrews wife Cherie Lily joining them on stage. She supplied backup vocals and a mass amount of energy on stage.
The entire "I Get Wet" album was performed in chronological order. The crowd erupted with the first track "It's Time To Party" and I was knocked off my filming perch for the first time that night instantly. I believe the final tally of me getting knocked off my perch totaled about a dozen times during the show. The floor was just that packed with movement. The crowd never lost it's intensity for the songs and were often seen jumping on stage to sing with Andrew which was accepted and well received by him. The stage diving was quite impressive as well considering St. Andrews Hall had the barricade much farther from the stage then I have every remember seeing in the past.
One fan was spotted with a pretty bad cut above his eye which was dripping with blood. I caught wind of it when his friends got my attention so it could be documented with my camera as the fan was smiling and was proud to continue rockin' out despite the wound.






Andrew would improvise songs on his keyboard between the "I Get Wet" songs that would amount to keyboard solos. Andrew had many kind words to say about his home state of Michigan throughout the set and even changed the lyrics to his "I Love NYC" song to "I Love The Motor City".
After the entire "I Get Wet" album was performed, the show continued with tracks off later albums including "The Wolf" and "Close Calls With Brick Walls" as well as a new song entitled "headbang".




You don't get many shows with as much energy as a Andrew W.K. come around much anymore so don't skip out if he comes back around which I sure hope he does.
I felt nostalgic entering the show that night and walked out feeling good that 10 years can still feel like yesterday. Thank you Andrew W.K. ! LONG LIVE THE PARTY !




Pics:Rachel Lazere
Video:Casey Schwochow (Ambervillain Films)

ROAD TRIP: MCB does Cleveland - The Road to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame : Prologue

Casey from MOTORCITYBLOG here. So MCB was invited by Positively Cleveland to come out for a visit to explore its repertoire of legendary music venues, rock bands, record stores, restaurants and, of course, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. All this is leading up to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland on Saturday night.


I've always had a love for Cleveland since I made my first journey there back in June of 1994. I had met a couple at a concert at The Magic Bag here in Ferndale and after finding out the band playing that night was making a stop in Cleveland the next night we all decided to go on a road trip. After all, it's only two and a half hours away and we didn't want the fun to stop. Armed with no map, but four wheels, we high tailed out to the legendary Grog Shop (it's original location on Coventry Rd.) and arrived to discover a venue with a much larger turnout then the night before. This was my first experience realizing that Cleveland was indeed a rock town. I've been back dozens of times over the years with bands and the town has never let me down in regards to the venues and the turnouts to the shows. Cleveland surely deserves the Rock and Roll of Fame residence it's city.

I have my trip Itinerary in my hands as I write. Happy to see I'll be making return stops to my three favorite rock venues on the trip as well as a stop to a business that all lovers of Rock and Rummage would surely enjoy.More on those later in the week folks. The trip is also going to bring me to restaurants that I have never experienced in town as well as a vinyl pressing plant. I'll also be attending some events and concerts as well. One will be headlined by the legendary George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic.

This will all be leading up to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony which I will have the distinct honor of attending. Three inductees this year- Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Beastie Boys supplied the soundtrack of my youth. By far the biggest talk about the ceremony this year is the possibility of the reunion of the original lineup of Guns N' Roses. It's all a mystery right now and the 16 year old me with the Appetite For Destruction cassette blaring in his first car is very excited to see what will unfold.

I plan on reporting daily on my Cleveland experience starting Thursday so stay tuned to MOTORCITYBLOG for updates.

You don't have to be a V.I.P. to take part in the numerous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Week festivities. Come down to Cleveland this week and visit http://www.clevelandrockweek.com/ for details.

-CASEY

MCB INVITED TO CLEVELAND FOR ROCK HALL INDUCTION
DAY ONE (THURSDAY) BLOG
DAY TWO (FRIDAY-Part 1) BLOG
DAY TWO (FRIDAY-Part 2) BLOG
DAY THREE (SATURDAY-Part 1) BLOG
DAY THREE (SATURDAY-Part 2 + Epilogue) BLOG

ROAD TRIP: MCB Does Cleveland- The Road To The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame DAY ONE (Thursday)

The drive to Cleveland was a breeze. It took 2 hours and 40 minutes because I took the scenic route of OH-2 which I highly recommend taking instead of the toll roads. You pass a Drive In Theater, a Gentlemens Club, a Wild African Drive Thru Safari, A Ice Cream Parlor, and of course the legendary Happy Hooker bait shop all on the way to Cleveland so imagine the possibilities on the way there or back.


Arrived in Cleveland and met up with a couple members of positively Cleveland. They arranged this adventure I'm going on and were very informative and helpful. There are 7 other writers/bloggers from across the country taking part in this same trip with me as well.



Our first stop was The Ritz Carlton. This is Cleveland's only four star hotel and it's not just speculation that participates in the Induction are staying at this very hotel. We were told ahead of time that if we see any "celebrities" that we would have to behave ourselves (I.E. not taking pictures, asking for autographs, or dry humping John Mellencamps leg). I was greeted with a vinyl record with my name on it as soon as I reached my table inside The Lobby Lounge on 6's. How awesome is that? On the reverse side was a selection of a couple of there famous "Rocktails" which are cocktails inspired by hit songs. The staff was very fun to be around and they also showed us their restaurant MUSE, but I'll have to eat there another time for another location was waiting for me in regards to dinner.




Our stop for dinner was The Prosperity Social Club. It's located in the Historic Tremont neighborhood and is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of Downtown. The neighborhood is arty and full of independent business . I was greeted with a greatest hits CD featuring numerous Cleveland bands at my table. It's a classic 1938 bar complete with vintage beer memorabilia (yeah schlitz), chestnut walls, and even a old-fashioned bowling machine. A bowling machine in a bar. Now how cool is that my friends? Apparently there was only 70 of these models produced and the Prosperity Social Club is a proud owner of one of them. They served us several plates of appetizers and I also ordered a hamburger and fries which I enjoyed. I also tried tilapia for the very first time and I liked it. There was even a band playing as I ate and it was the perfect volume to accompany conversation and good eats. The PSC is surely a place I could see myself hanging out if it was closer to home. Be sure to stop in if your in town.






To round out the evening we headed over to the Quicken Loans Arena to see a free concert for Cleveland with performances from George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic as well was Cleveland's own Kid Cudi.



George and P-Funk tore it up as they brought the funk to Cleveland. Hits such as Flashlight, We Want The Funk, and Atomic Dog sounded great. George may shaved his head, but he's still fun to watch. He sat down a few times during the set, but what do you expect from a 71 year old. He still dances like a 20 something and he always has a youthful P-Funk doing their parts.



Kid Cudi was a surprise for me. The guy can sing. He was backed by a live band and the crowd was really into him. A nice fusion of Hip Hop and Rock N' Roll.I will have to check out some more from Kid Cudi in the near future, but for now the evening must come to a close. I have a lot on the plate for tomorrow and the alarm will be ringing bright and early.







-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can check out the websites of those talked about above at...

The Ritz Carlton

The Prosperioty Social Club

The Q Arena

George Clinton and P-Funk

Kid Cudi

I plan on reporting daily on my Cleveland experience starting Thursday so stay tuned to MOTORCITYBLOG for updates.

You don't have to be a V.I.P. to take part in the numerous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Week festivities. Come down to Cleveland this week and visit http://www.clevelandrockweek.com/ for details.

Follow my adventures in Cleveland...

MCB INVITED TO CLEVELAND FOR ROCK HALL INDUCTION
DAY ONE (THURSDAY) BLOG
DAY TWO (FRIDAY-Part 1) BLOG
DAY TWO (FRIDAY-Part 2) BLOG
DAY THREE (SATURDAY-Part 1) BLOG

DAY THREE (SATURDAY-Part 2 + Epilogue) BLOG

ROAD TRIP: MCB Does Cleveland- The Road To The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame DAY TWO (Friday- part 1)

Day two in Cleveland started out at the West Side Market. Built in 1912 it's the largest indoor/outdoor market in the country. It turns 100 years old this year and features over 180 private vendors with the freshest selection of meats, fruits, and vegetables. So fresh that I saw a pig carried in and thrown down on a booth counter. I ate at the Cafe located on site at the Market and had blueberry pancakes and sausage with syrup for breakfast. A nice place all around.





After the Market we headed out to the Rock and Hall of Fame. The place is going to get a adventure blog entry of it's own so stay tuned for that. Let's skip ahead shall we...

I took in lunch at Happy Dog. Happy dog is yet another cool old fashioned neighborhood corner bar. They also have live music and live polka packs the place. The menu is quite simple. They specialize in only hot dogs and a vegan sausage. Not adventuress enough for you? They have 50 toppings for the hot dog. From something as simple as homemade ketchup to warm-pineapple-ginger-currant chutney. You can get a side of French Fries or tater tots and that's it in regards to food and that's all you'll need. A large selection of alcoholic beverages rounds out the drink menu. The happy dog is opening "The Underdog" downstairs soon and I got a advance look at the place. It's a separate bar downstairs complete with pinball machines, shuffle board, and TV screens displaying retro movies/TV shows. A great vibe to the place.






Next stop was Gotta Grove Records. Gotta Grove is one of only 14 vinyl record pressing plants in the U.S. The owner Vince Slusarz was happy to give us a tour of the place. They produce 10,000-15,000 records each week. I got schooled on the process of producing a record and got to witness it myself. Seeing Vince holding vinyl in it's purest organic compound form in his hand and knowing that after the process it would be become a record was a experience.





The plant was busy as record store day is and there are always jobs in line including one for Film Maker and Musician David Lynch. We met the quality control people who make sure that what comes out of the plant is top quality.






On the way out Vince offered up some records to take home and he hooked me up with a copy of the Dead Kennedys "Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death" which is a fantastic album that I have never owned on vinyl. Thanks Gotta Grove Records!



Next stop was Peabody's. I've been going to this venue since the late 90's and have filmed live bands and music videos at the venue over the years. It's a true Rock And Roll club with Metal and Rap amongst it's popular genre fields. I have never seen the club so early in the day, but the PBR's being busted out made it feel like anytime in that club is the right time to be in there. The Peabody's complex is actually three venues in one so there's usually something to do on any given night in regards to live entertainment. Peabody's does all ages shows and has a capacity of around 800. Peabody's two smaller clubs are The Pirates Cove with a capacity of 150 and The Rockstar with a capacity of 200. When in town be sure to stop into this Cleveland music institution.




After a nice dip in my hotels swimming pool I headed out to dinner with the crew to AMP 150. Amp is quite classy for being a airport restaurant. It's located in the Cleveland Airport Marriott. We had a large private room and started out with appetizers. For my main course I had the Ohio Raised Beef Sirloin which was nice and tender as well as my preferred steak state of being bloody. Ice Cream for dessert was the perfect way to round out the dining experience.



To conclude the evening we heading out to another one of my favorite Cleveland rock venues and that is The Beachland Ballroom.It's two venues in one with the Ballroom being the larger at 500 capacity and the Tavern being the smaller with a 150 capacity. Located in the basement of the Beachland Ballroom is "This Way Out" This place is thee place to shop for vintage clothing, accessories, albums and other wonderful one-of-a-kind things. Imagine a brick and mortar version of my own business Rock And Rummage. Myself and the crew had a good time here and scored some great finds.







The Beachland was hosting the "Appetite For Induction" show which featured local bands covering the songs made famous by Donovan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beastie Boys, and Guns N' Roses. The Donovan band was fantastic. The Chili Peppers cover set was good musical, but I was hoping they would have took the effort to look like the band. But I guess I was the one to do that task as the lead singer of the band announced to the crowd that I looked like the Red Hot Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis and had me turn around to face them. I have heard people, mostly complete strangers, tell me this numerous times over the years so it came to no shock, but I just don't see it.






Our trip coordinator had to pull us out of the club before the Beastie Boys and GN'R cover bands could play. It was for our own good because we have another long day tomorrow and after all, I get to see the real deal tomorrow.
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Please visit the websites of the venues mentioned above.
West Side Market and Cafe-
Happy Dog -
Gotta Groove Records-
Peabody's-
AMP 150-
This Way Out-
Beachland Ballroom-

I plan on reporting daily on my Cleveland experience starting Thursday so stay tuned to MOTORCITYBLOG for updates.

You don't have to be a V.I.P. to take part in the numerous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Week festivities. Come down to Cleveland this week and visit http://www.clevelandrockweek.com/ for details.

Follow my adventures in Cleveland...

MCB INVITED TO CLEVELAND FOR ROCK HALL INDUCTION
DAY ONE (THURSDAY) BLOG
DAY TWO (FRIDAY-Part 1) BLOG
DAY TWO (FRIDAY-Part 2) BLOG
DAY THREE (SATURDAY-Part 1) BLOG

DAY THREE (SATURDAY-Part 2 + Epilogue) BLOG