Radio Birdman, New Bomb Turks, This Moment in Black History. Cleveland Beachland Ballroom. 09.06.06

It was an impressive turnout at The Beachland Ballroom last night for Radio Birdman, The New Bomb Turks, and This Moment in Black History. It is even more impressive when you consider that Radio Birdman were making their first ever appearance in Cleveland on their first tour of the states on the heels of their first new cd in 25 years. As if you needed more of an incentive, Columbus, OH's New Bomb Turks were also making a rare live appearance. I was curious to see how the fans would react to Radio Birdman, a band that many have been listening to years, without the faintest hope of ever seeing them live. As it turned out, it was a dream come true for many of the rockers in Cleveland last night. From the opening notes, you could see the front of the stage slamming, pogoing, and sloshing bottled beer everywhere. The biggest compliment I can give Radio Birdman, is that while most where there to hear classic songs like "Smith and Wesson Blues," "Do The Pop"," and "Burn My Eye," they didn't stop the slamming, sloshing, and bobbing once Radio Birdman played "You Just Make It Worse" or "We've Come So Far (To Be Here Today)" off of Zeno Beach. Openers, The New Bomb Turks, tore through a set that leaned heavily on their first three recrods, Destory Oh Boy, Information Highway Revisited, and Scared Straight, while Cleveland's own This Moment in Black History did a fine job setting the table for a night of rock with their manic punk and garage rock.