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August 25, 2007
They called it called Cleveland Fest and it consisted of fourteen bands from LA, NY and (of course) Cleveland. They all came together here at The Hook (18 Commerce St, Brooklyn) to make some noise, eat some BBQ grub and raise money for men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS. All of the money raised from ticket sales went to the Elizabeth Glasier Pediatric AIDS Foundation and The Cleveland AIDS Taskforce. My friend Luis Vega who works at Rolling Stone Magazine got me in touch with the guy in charge of the event. Alex Lombardo—who also works with Luis—greeted my sweaty, walk-ridden self as he was escorting various bands and partygoers to wherever they needed to be. Throughout the day he would be all over this place. In the large main room, by the door, in the BBQ area, down in the basement ... a virtual blur of organization. I was getting tired watching him keep this large fandango together. I let Alex get on with his work and went to the front entrance where his dad was working the door. His mom was there too wearing a fresh, new Cleveland Rocks t-shirt. I gladly made my donation, making a mental note of the ATM just in case I got carried away with the $3.00 PBR special. I would later discover the machine to be busted and luckily I would have some money at the end of the night to get a t-shirt for myself. Anyway, this place is huge and dark. Very dark. It was hard for a photo novice like me to get any shots of the antique European-feel bar that was inside this massive industrial cavern without blinding everyone with the flash. It's almost as if a quaint French bistro was swallowed by a factory and I was now in the belly. Outside was the colorful courtyard decorated with a fiesta of holiday lights and hanging lamps. This is where many people would hang for good chunks of the day despite the oppressive heat. I thought it was because they were all smokers, but like me a lot were simply out here for the food. There was a delicious assortment of grilled goodies provided by Schnack (122 Union St, Brooklyn). I had the double mini-cheeseburger which went well with my ice-cold PBR. People around me were raving about the veggie dogs and the mac & cheese while I was making friends with a little gray cat who apparently lives at the club. Back inside, the guitarist for Heathers bellowed the chorus to Cleveland Rocks a cappella style. I was very happy that I remembered my ear plugs as the band tried desperately to rip my very head off with their wonderfully pure punk heaviness. Soon after that, I ran into my friends Jase (he too works with Luis) and his girlfriend Mia. We had met at Luis's wedding and it was nice to see them. Among the assortment of bands, a friend of theirs named Ryan was playing drums in a progressive, experimental group called Rahu-Ketu. Soon it was back out into the heat for more food as Jase and I tried to bum smokes. Yes, we're those guys at a party. I noticed a figure weaving thru the crowd. With him came music and as bodies parted and his sound grew, I realized it was the accordion player for Roger Hoover. This was his very effective way of getting people to go back inside. The band hit the stage with really great, rough-around-the-edges folk rock songs. It was at this moment that I realized just how diverse the day's music has been and would be. I popped into the basement where there was another stage of bands, but didn't get to see anyone play. It was sadly time for me to leave. Red Hook is a fantastic area with a growing music community. Still it is fairly difficult to get to and from fo rthose of us crossing two rivers. There's limited subway access. The Hook for example is a good 10 to 15 minute walk from the nearest stop. And catching a cab even at just 10:00 PM seemed an impossible task. Jase and Mia walked with me to a bus that was going to the 'A' train stop right by their apartment. As nice as NYC has become, there are still areas such as this that are all but abandoned at night where I would not feel comfortable walking alone. Don't get me wrong. I've actually always been more uncomfortable in the 'new' New York of glitz and family values than I ever was in the grit of these old industrial areas. I grew up in such an area and look back on those days with sincere joy. Still I know one must be safe. So if you have a group of friends that wants to go to Red Hook, by all means go. There is safety in numbers and it's worth the schlep. This is only the second time I've been to Red Hook and both times I was greeted by great music, kind people, cold drinks and grilled food. It was the perfect recipe for a great summer's day and I now have my Cleveland Fest t-shirt and memories to remind me of this great event. For those of you who weren't there but are interested in helping the cause, Alex says he still has t-shirts for sale. Check out the Cleveland Fest MySpace page for details. Links:
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