By: Tina Kaufmann, newsnet5.comCLEVELAND - Up to 1,500 people are expected to rock out at the first free Summer in the City concert series July 11 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Herzog and Cloud Nothings kick off the music series Wednesday night. Cloud Nothings, from Cleveland, is one of the country's most buzzed about up and coming indie rock artists.
They will perform on the Museum plaza (weather permitting) beginning at 7p.m. If rain should pour in, the event will be moved inside to the main stage. Concessions will be available and local food trucks will be on the plaza.
Following the evening's performance, Cloud Nothings will head out to NYC for the Late Show and then Chicago to perform at Pitchfork Music Festival.
Herzog, also a Cleveland-based indie rock band, has been consistently compared to iconic bands in the pantheon of 1990s "slacker rock" acts. Their arrangements are complex and catchy.
Each Summer in the City artist or band can blog on rockhall.com/blog to share their experiences with fans: how they got started, their inspirations, their aspirations for the future and what their thoughts are on performing in Cleveland.
Below is the Summer in the City lineup:
July 11 at 7 p.m.
Cloud Nothings with Herzog
- Cloud Nothings have gone from making lo-fi indie rock in a parent's basement in 2009 to releasing an EP, a handful of singles, a compilation album and two studio albums of new material, as well as touring North America and Europe, where their live performances showcase songs full of energy and precision. In 2010, the band recorded in Baltimore's famed Copycat Building (home to the original Wham City and many of the city's best musicians). The resulting self-titled album released in 2011 featured group founder Dylan Baldi playing all of the instruments. The band released the critically acclaimed Attack on Memory, which was engineered by Steve Albini, in early 2012 and performed at SXSW in March. Cloud Nothings have been featured in Rolling Stone, Spin and the New York Times.
- Cleveland-based band Herzog is an indie rock band consistently compared to iconic bands in the pantheon of '90's "slacker rock" acts. Their arrangements are beautifully complex and catchy, and the instrumentation ideally and intelligently complements the lyrics of each song. The band's new album, Cartoon Violence, is their first full-length since their 2010 album, Search, and embraces sounds ranging from 1970s FM radio ballads, McCartney-esque pop stylings and straightforward power-pop. They have received positive reviews for their albums from the likes of NME, Pitchfork, and NPR's All Songs Considered.
July 25 at 7 p.m.
Torche with Ohio Sky
- Formed in Miami, Florida, Torche has rocked fans, critics, and stereos alike since their inception in 2004. Referred to as "stoner pop," "thunder rock," and "sludge metal," the band was built around lead vocalist/guitarist, Steve Brooks' signature "bomb-string" detonation-detune. Their self-titled album, Torche, was declared as the #7 album of 2005 on Decibel magazine's annual top 40 list. Decibel magazine also ranked the band's second album, Meanderthal, as #1 on their list in 2008. Their latest album, Harmonicraft, was released in April. The band has toured with Mogwai, Isis, Baroness, and in 2010 they opened for Coheed and Cambria on their tour alongside Circa Survive.
- Ohio Sky is a Cleveland-based quintet combining indie aesthetics with pounding rock rhythms and pop sensibilities to form a unique concoction as accessible as it is original. They are known for their boundless songwriting, striking imagery, and winning over crowds with their highly energetic live performances. Their visceral, sonic vibrations range from heavy to light, and are always ethereal. Ohio Sky's honest experimentation with music gives their style a powerful poignancy that's rare to find in a band.
August 1 at 7 p.m.
Bear in Heaven and Mr. Gnome (co-headlining)
- Known for entertaining a crowd while defying musical boundaries, Brooklyn-based band Bear in Heaven emerged in 2003 with their album Tunes Nextdoor to Songs and have delighted listeners ever since. Their sound is ahead of its time with unexpected, futuristic rock music that is written in the present tense but ready to speak to the future. Their latest album, I Love You, It's Cool, was released in April 2012 following their well-received album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, released in 2010. Three days after their performance at the Rock Hall, Bear in Heaven will take the stage at Lollapalooza.
- Inspired by a taste for the surreal, Cleveland's Mr. Gnome has been creating a singular amalgam of gritty, space-psychedelia since 2005, gaining them an ever-growing cult following across North America and Europe, as well as praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, Paste, Spin, Bust and more. Singer/guitarist Nicole Barille and drummer/pianist Sam Meister bring an unfiltered approach to their craft, allowing for emotional and sonic variance. With a nod to the off-kiltered,
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