Music

native, singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin writes catchy indie pop songs about his feelings.

“I think there’s just a bunch of different, small things that happened in my life that ultimately ended up in my desire to pursue music,” he says in a recent Zoom interview. Alec Benjamin brings his (Un) Commentary Tour to the Agora at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22.

Benjamin’s sophomore album, (Un) Commentary, was released earlier this year.

“When the pandemic hit, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to continue to make music or have this as a career anymore. A lot of people weren’t lucky enough to make it through the pandemic with their career intact,” says Benjamin. “I wrote this album with no expectation of if it was even gonna come out or not. I just made the music ’cause I wanted to.”

This new approach led Benjamin to making his most honest album yet. The title came from the social commentary the album contains and the fact that it’s uniquely from his perspective.

“I didn’t feel like people were having a nuanced conversation about a lot of the stuff that was happening in the world,” he says. “My album is my attempt at having the conversation that I feel like other people aren’t necessarily willing to have. So, it’s my uncommon commentary.”

The song “Nuance” expresses exactly this sentiment. The album also features tracks like “Nancy Got a Haircut” and “Hipocrite” — both tunes touch on politicians saying one thing and doing another.

Benjamin doesn’t subscribe to any political party, but he wishes that people who did could think a bit more critically about the people on their side of the aisle.

“You can be a Democrat and be like, ‘Hey, it wasn’t cool that [Nancy Pelosi] got a haircut, when she told everyone else to stay home.’ We can all agree on that. It’s sort of less political and more philosophical, and I think that right now that’s an important thing to do because— even if we’re all people who disagree — there’s a lot of places where we can unite,” says Benjamin. “But everything’s became so tribal, where it’s like, ‘If you’re a Democrat, then you have to love Nancy Pelosi and everything that she does.’ And it’s like, when did that happen? Why is everything so monolithic. Why does it have to be that way?”

The track list also contains songs that dive into the intricacies of Benjamin’s personal life.

“The Way You Felt,” the first single that Benjamin released leading up to the album release, is an upbeat song that details a romantic heartache; he later coupled it with a Mandarin Chinese version. Benjamin also dropped “Older” prior to (Un)commentary’s release date, giving it a Mandarin version as well.

“Older” is a painfully relatable track written by Benjamin, Ryan Tedder, Charlie Puth and Zachary Skelton about the growing pains of transitioning from childhood to adulthood.

Though both “Older” and “The Way You Felt” have amassed over 40 million streams on Spotify, to Benjamin’s surprise, it’s “Devil Doesn’t Bargain,” which he almost left off the album, that has the most traction right now.

“I wrote it about two different things. One is the perspective of me talking to a friend who was in a relationship that I felt wasn’t necessarily healthy for either party,” says Benjamin when asked about the track. “But then, also, my uncle talks to me all the time about decisions that I make in my life. I’m sort of a naïve artist when I go into different business deals. It’s easy to develop an emotional connection with people that you work with—like a mentorstudent kind of thing. You have a love for those people.”

Benjamin says his uncle cautioned him to remember that at the end of the day those are still transactional business relationships with a different dynamic to them than other friendships.

“So, it’s like from both points of view,” he says. “Although one is romantic and one is, obviously platonic and a business relationship — the feelings of heartbreak can be equally painful.”

Benjamin is blown away by how many people are making TikTok videos using the “Devil Doesn’t Bargain” audio. He didn’t expect people to relate to it in so many ways. The song talks about neverending toxic patterns with certain people or things in your life, and how hard it is to come to the realization that you will continue to get hurt if nothing changes.

“As long as they get the emotional thing I’m trying to communicate, I feel like it’s a success, but to see how people have sort of the same heartbreak — like sometimes people are going back to a drug or an abusive parent — it’s like, people feel the same emotion in all these different scenarios. I didn’t even realize like how broadly people would be able to relate to it,” he says.

Benjamin says he’s excited to take his diverse new repertoire on the road and see which songs connect the best with the in-person audiences.

By Halle Weber

8 P.M. THURSDAY, SEPT. 22, AGORA THEATRE, 5000 EUCLID AVE., 216-881-2221. TICKETS: $37+, AGORACLEVELAND.COM.

Photo: Chris Casella

By Jeff Niesel

rockers the Melvins are known as relentless road warriors who are constantly touring. That wasn’t always the case, however. Singerguitarist Buzz Osborne originally declared the band would never tour again after it hit the road shortly after forming in the 1980s.

“We came back from our first tour in the summer of 1986, and we vowed to never tour again,” says Osborne via phone. The Melvins perform on Sunday, Sept. 25, at the Grog Shop as part of the Grog Shop’s 30th Anniversary Celebration. “We were met by a bunch of dangerous and highly aggressive skinheads who liked long-haired music. I didn’t want anything to do with those people. We didn’t tour again for probably four years. The skinhead thing irritated me. I thought that if that’s what those people like, I have to do the exact opposite. Five years later, all those same people had long hair and were wearing Sub Pop shirts. Whatever way the wind blows. That didn’t make me any happier about them.”

In the wake of that first jaunt, the Melvins have remained a rock ‘n’ roll juggernaut. Just last year, the band released two new albums, Five Legged Dog and Working With God. The group recorded the LPs during the downtime caused by the pandemic.

“Two years off — we didn’t take it off,” says Osborne when asked about how the guys made it through the pandemic. “We did a lot of recording and did three Melvins TV online streaming shows. We did interviews and live stuff. I put together a photo book that’s just coming out now. We did a whole bunch of stuff like that, but [not being able to tour] wasn’t good. I don’t know if it’s the kind of thing I’ll get over. As time goes on, I wonder if people will come to the realization that the whole thing was just a waste of time. Maybe. I don’t know. I tried to do everything suggested. I just don’t know if it did any good. I’ve got limited amount of time in my life that I can work at the level I want to. I’m kind of a workaholic, but there are worse things to be addicted to than work.”

Osborne is happy that the Grog Shop survived the shutdown. He says the band has always enjoyed performing at the Cleveland Heights club.

“I like Cleveland in general,” Osborne says. “I’ve been in California since 1986 or 1987, and I’m not a fan of the winter weather [in Cleveland]. I could do without it as far as that’s concerned. We did a tour this year with Ministry [that came through Cleveland], and it was a rough go of it. There was snow, and it was cold. I just thought, ‘I’m not cut out for this crap.’ I don’t miss it. I’m of the philosophy that even birds fly south for the winter.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, Osborne released a solo acoustic album with bassist Trevor Dunn. While Osborne’s tour in support of that album was cancelled, he enjoyed the process of making a strippeddown release and thought an album of acoustic Melvins tunes would be a fun endeavor.

“I had acoustic [music] on the brain at that point,” he says. “We weren’t sure what the capacity for touring would be once this thing is done. We thought maybe we would only be able to do an acoustic tour. We thought if we did something like [an acoustic album], we would have something we could sell that would make sense. If we needed to do an acoustic tour, then it wouldn’t be dumb. Once we got into it, one record seemed like it was not enough. We’ve done double albums, so we thought we’d do that. When we got to three sides, we thought we might was well do four. That was the thought process that went into it. It wasn’t much more than that. Anything that is worth doing is worth overdoing.”

The album commences with “Edgar the Elephant,” a psychedelicpop song with heavy drums and soft vocals that proves the Melvins can sound ominous and foreboding even while unplugged.

“It’s an odd one,” says Osborne when asked about the tune. “It’s on one of our newer records. I worked hard on the odd nature of it, and it has odd chords and a weird structure. I did that guitar solo first. I was really happy with the chord structure I had. It’s an odd tuning as well. Most of it is just my own design. I just figure it out. I don’t read music.”

The other album the band put out last year, Working with God, features an approximation of the original Melvins lineup from 1983. It’s a much more typical Melvins album in that it includes irreverent takes on classic pop tracks such as the Beach Boys tune “I Get Around.” The Melvins recast the song as “I Fuck Around.”

“We had been messing around with that song in soundcheck just for a laugh,” says Osborne when asked about the tune. “I thought people would think it was funnier, but nobody really cares. But whatever. You can’t help that.”

8 P.M. SUNDAY, SEPT. 25, GROG SHOP, 2785 EUCLID HEIGHTS BLVD., CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, 216-321-5588. TICKETS: $28.50, GROGSHOP.GS.

you didn’t know your summer was missing, Exes & Hexes, the latest offering from Chicago-based Bev Rage & the Drinks, features layers of guitars, synths, theremin, backing harmonies and “powerful” drums.

Frontperson Beverly Rage, a 7-foot tall drag queen in hair and heels, dug deep to write songs about heartbreak, revenge and sex.

A Northeast Ohio native, Rage was in the Cleveland bands the Vermin, Interceptors, Vista Cruisers and Thunderthighs before moving to Chicago in 2008 and eventually launching a new chapter of her musical career with Bev Rage & the Drinks.

“I was always a punk rock kid,” says Rage, who grew up in Canton and went to college at Kent State University. Bev Rage & the Drinks perform with Slug Fest and Total Downer on Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Happy Dog. “I got involved in the local music scene in the early 2000s. I started playing in bands when I was 16 and even went on a tour. I was involved in the scene until I left in 2008. I was in four or five bands. This was back when the old Grog Shop was around. Things have changed, but I still have kept in touch with a lot of the music people there, and we try to make an annual trip there.”

After moving to the Windy City, Rage took a hiatus from music before forming Bev Rage & the Drinks in 2014. The band started playing shows in early 2016.

The group recorded and produced Exes & Hexes, a garagepop affair that departs from the lo-fi sound for which the group is known, at Altered States with its owner, engineer/producer Brian Fox.

“We were a lot more lo-fi prior to this album,” says Rage. “We are still a little lo-fi, but this new album is leaps and bounds ahead of our other albums. We have two new members. They are both accomplished musicians, and our drummer is touring with a band on Alternative Tentacles. They’re called the Darts. She’s just an amazing drummer. We are lucky to have her.”

Exes & Hexes features album art by Mikaela Jane, a Chicago artist who has also worked with bands such as Against Me!, the Starting Line, Bartees Strange, Pup and Charley Bliss.

“She’s a local artist, and we try to use local artists with everything we do,” says Rage. “I got familiar with her through her other work. She’s worked with some other bigger punk bands. The artwork is really cool. The album is called Exes & Hexes, and we talk about the exes of the dating world and the hexes you have to overcome. The album cover image is my face with flowers and symbols in my hair. We were going with a witchcraft theme on this album. We did our research and consulted with people who are witches to know what flowers and symbols to pick. All the flowers and symbols are actually things that used within witchcraft rituals.”

With snotty vocals and loud guitars, the band takes on issues such as mental health (“Machines Get Cleaned), queer dating (“Confident”) and politics (“Attitude”).

“A lot of people know us as this funny, silly band,” says Rage. “That’s not where I come from as a songwriter. This one feels very formed in its content. There are still some jokes and funniness in there, but it’s peppered within these more serious songs, which are amplified by the fact that most of this was written during the pandemic. We were all going through a lot. These concepts don’t go away. Queer people wait a little while to figure out what we’re doing, so I write about overcoming mental health issues and trying to figure out how to date as a 36-year-old. It’s kind of a memoir in a sense. It’s about going through these issues and being a weird, queer musician in a big city. It’s just an all-encompassing album. We’re really proud of how the lyrics came out.”

Recently, the group has performed at some of the largest street festivals in Chicago, including Wicker Park Fest with the Spits and two of the largest LGBTQ+ Pride events in the city. The band has also kept true to its punk rock roots by playing at mainstay clubs like Sleeping Village, Beat Kitchen, Schubas and Liar’s Club.

“Depending on where we play, we alter what the live show looks like,” says Rage. “If we played the equivalent of the Grog Shop in Chicago, we might not bring all our props and fog machines. If we play a festival, we’ll bring all the props, but even with the club gigs, we don’t hold back. I’ll do a costume change. One the reasons I decided to form this band was because I would see these bands I liked and be bored by the live show. I don’t want anyone to be bored. I can promise you that nobody ever is.”

9 P.M. SATURDAY, SEPT. 24, HAPPY DOG, 5801 DETROIT AVE., 216-651-9474. TICKETS: $10+, HAPPYDOGCLEVELAND.COM.

By Jeff Niesel

Courtesy photo

Originally slated to tour the States in 2020, Australia’s Quivers spent lockdown writing the music for their second album, Golden Doubt. The jangle pop band excels at earworm indie pop, as songs such as “”Burnt My Maps” attest. The band recently supported the Hold Steady at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. It plays tonight at 9 at the Happy Dog. Sure, Machine, Jason Kaminski and Laughing Chimes open. Tickets start at $10. 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com.

Texas-born singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Koe Wetzel has become a touring phenom. He reportedly sold more than 120,000 tickets last year alone. Following a slew of sold-out dates in support of his latest album Sellout, he made Pollstar’s Top Worldwide Tours in 2020 and 2021. Wetzel’s latest single “April Showers,” was released earlier this year. It features his husky vocals and shows crossover potential. Tonight’s show begins at 7:30 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

Rapper Denzel Curry comes to the Agora. See: Friday, Sept. 30. Photo: Adrian Villagomez

of the venue’s 30th anniversary. The Missed and Little Lions Den open. The show begins at 8:30 p.m. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., 216-3215588, grogshop.gs.

Since releasing original demos on his YouTube channel at the age of 15, singer-songwriter Conan Gray has become increasingly popular and delivered commercial hits such as “Heather” and “Maniac.” He comes to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica tonight at 7:30 as part of a tour that’s his first in support of his second full-length album, Superache. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

On the hard-driving “Strength to Survive,” one of singer-guitarist Toronzo Cannon’s best tunes, Cannon sings about how “real life” is getting in the way of his dreams. He describes himself as a “broken man” who can’t look at himself in the mirror. It’s heavy, emotional stuff and the riveting guitar solos possess a real weight too from the Chicago City Bus Driver who’s became the latest highly rated blues export from the Windy City. He comes to Music Box Supper Club tonight at 8 in support of his latest effort, The Preacher, the Politician or the Pimp. 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.

An indie rock act out of Cleveland that’s become a legitimate national act, Cloud Nothings play the club tonight as part of a weekend-long celebration

Finally inducted into the Rock Hall in 2020, this industrial rock band with Cleveland roots wraps up its summer tour with this blowout concert. Ministry and Nitzer Ebb, two veteran industrial rock acts, open the concert. The show begins at 7 p.m. at Blossom. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

After Buffalo Springfield splintered in the late ‘60s, singer-guitarist Jim Messina and Richie Furay found success with the seminal countryrock act Poco. Messina would go on to cut a few records with Kenny Loggins and then embark on a solo career. The veteran musician performs tonight at 6:30 at the Kent Stage. Tickets start at $33. 175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.

Post Malone recently released his fourth full-length, Twelve Carat Toothache, which features appearances by Roddy Ricch, the Weeknd, Doja Cat, Fleet Foxes, Gunna and the Kid LAROI. This tour that stops at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse tonight at 8 supports the album. 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

It would be unbelievably inaccurate to confine Chicago band, the Claudettes, to a solitary genre. The band fuses jazz, blues, vaudeville, soul, and classical. Though their diverse yet structured style is fresh, their live shows are a throwback to early 20th century performances from a 1930s big band club to a 1920s speakeasy. Tonight, the group returns to Jilly’s Music Room in Akron as it brings its tour in support of its latest effort, The Claudettes Go Out!, which arrives next month via Forty Below Records, to town. The show starts at 8; tickets cost $10. 111 N Main St., Akron, 330-576-3757, jillysmusicroom.com.

Rapper Denzel Curry recently appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series for a performance of songs from his critically acclaimed new album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future. The performance served as part of NPR’s celebration of Black Music Month and found Curry working with L.A.-based Cold Blooded Soul. The Tiny Desk Concert’s release comes in the wake of performances at Governors Ball, Bonnaroo and Something in the Water. Curry performs with AG Club, redveil and Playthatboizay at 7 tonight at the Agora. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

“Party Mode,” the latest single from country singer-songwriter Dustin Lynch has helped turned the Tennessee native into a superstar. With its catchy refrain and subtle slide guitar, the poppy tune shows off Lynch’s crossover potential. He performs tonight at 7 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. Adam Sanders opens the show. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

Indie noise rock pioneers Dinosaur Jr. have maintained their stature in the genre for decades now, and they’re not letting up. Fronted by the evercreative J Mascis, the band vaults madly between chest-thumping, bonecrushing punk structures and more laid-back, contemplative melodies. Bring earplugs. These guys like it loud. Doors to tonight’s show at the Agora open at 7. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

Foreign Air’s Jacob Michael and Jesse Clasen first crossed paths while playing in different projects; they formed this electronica act in 2016 and released the single “Free Animal,” a song with heavy drums and soulful vocals, that same year. The group performs tonight at 7 at House of Blues. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

In the wake of the release of its new single, “AfterLife,” the hard rock act Five Finger Death Punch embarked on a 2022 North American headlining tour with the veteran rock act Megadeth. The jaunt rolls into Blossom tonight. The HU and Fire from the Gods share the bill. The show begins at 6:30. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

This experimental jazz group that formed in San Francisco in 1978 comes to the Bop Stop for a special performance. A jazz festival favorite, the group performs at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20. 2920 Detroit Ave., 216-771-6551, themusicsettlement.org. scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

By Jeff Niesel

MEET THE BAND: Levi Benton (vocals), B.J. Stead (guitar), Justin Aufdemkampe (guitar), Ryan Neff (bass, vocals), Jerod Boyd (drums)

MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Benton, who grew up in Troy, OH, says his mom was a metalhead, but he initially didn’t like anything his mom liked. “I was anti-whatever my mom was into,” he says. “I didn’t think metal was cool until I found it.” He formed Miss May I when he was still in high school; the group would draw from a variety of metal acts for its heralded 2009 debut, Apologies Are for the Weak. “We all liked Underoath and that led to As I Lay Dying and that got us into Killswitch Engage and All Shall Perish,” he says. “We were not trying to be in a band and make it a career. We were skater kids and honestly just punk-ass kids. We would just go to our friend’s house where there were instruments, and we could play until our parents could pick us up. It was our after-dark activity. If it didn’t work out on our first tour, we all had college lined up.”

LOCKDOWN: The band wrote the music for its new album, Curse of Existence, during the height of the pandemic. “We had ideas prior to the pandemic because we were supposed to go into the studio during the summer of the pandemic, and then the world stopped,” says Benton. “We were in the longest album cycle. This album represents five years between albums. It was a difficult album to make. Our songs are never complete until we get to vibe out [during a performance]. We don’t know where the kinks are until we play it together. We don’t have a rehearsal space because we tour all the time. Only a couple of guys could come into the studio at a time. It took like a year to workshop the album. I didn’t want to write the pandemic album. When we were writing it, we were dealing with real life stuff. It was almost like going from 14 years old to 30 years old. Life just hit us like a freight train. There are a bunch of layers. It’s very deep and cool because it’s so truthful.”

THEM: With their highly technical guitar solos, “Into Oblivion” and “A Smile Does Not Exist” come off as thrash classics. “Unconquered” serves as an empowering anthem with its melodic chorus that offsets growing vocals and snarling guitars. “I think every album, our musicianship goes up,” says Benton. “It comes with us being comfortable with each other. We got to showcase some of our influences. The longer we are a band, the more we study metal. All our songs start with the guitars. They just let it go. It was exciting because with this album we wanted to show our deep, deep influences. The most current metal albums are going futuristic compared to us. We’re going into the roots.” Benton says the live show will feature the most significant amount of production ever. The group has also added a separate VIP performance that will feature an intimate set that focuses on deep tracks. “We would just do sound checks back in the day,” he says. “Now, we want the shows to be better than ever. [The VIP performance] features songs that we would love to play that have been requested for years but just don’t make sense in the set. It’s fun for both the fans and for us. We get to play these crazy songs we always wanted to play. It’s a hodgepodge and a free-for-all. The production will be there too.”

Photo courtesy of Adrenaline PR

WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM: missmayimusic.com.

THEM: Miss May I performs with Currents, Kingdom of Giants and LANDMVRKS at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Beachland Ballroom.