'The Conductor,' Oldboy roused fans at The Grog Shop

The Conductor and The Creator packed the house at The Grog Shop on Saturday night, playing, in jest, under a naughty pseudonym, “Ralph Geer and the Flesh Lights.”

(If you’re wondering what a “flesh light” is, as did this reporter, you’re better off left in the dark; just beware unabashed pokes from below the belt.) Led by frontman Rob Geer, the group’s popular rock sound is a bricolage of early British pub rock (before the punk revolution), blues rock and modern alternative with folk and swing influences. Ultimately, this band offers a unique sound complementary to easy-listening or a full-on progressive jam fest. It was no secret that this artistic group has made an impression with audiences as the wall-to-wall crowd dissipated following the conclusion of the band’s set.

Lydia Loveless followed up with a country-bluegrass set. A long, curly haired rube slapped the upright bass on stage left as the singer from Coshocton, Ohio, crooned angsty, down-home melodies sure to rile up a boondocks bonfire. Loveless proved herself a talented vocalist and songwriter, but, on first impression, she seems to lack the stage presence to back it. The singer’s indifferent demeanor may be in line with a “country outlaw” persona but drove the set into a lull in between songs. Luckily, the band was able to pick up the energy with each twang of the guitar and bass strings. I’d like to catch this artist on her home-turf to watch her liven up. [Read up on this artist's debut album on donewaiting.com. The Rhythm Report review is available here.]

Headlining act Oldboy closed the night on a high note. The band’s Americana-jam-band sound harkened me to an open-field festival in mid-August. The dynamic five-piece is fronted by the energetic Shawn Brewster, who pulled the audience in with quirky, so-bad-they’re-good jokes and lighthearted commentary on familiar individuals in the crowd. Brewster’s vocals channel a Dave Matthews quality; perhaps contributing to why I felt as if I ought to be dancing in the lawn area of Blossom during the set. Alas, at the show’s end, winter chilled to the bone outside but Oldboy provided a nice breakaway into the mind’s favorite memories of summer. Perhaps we’ll see this group opening for arena acts in the future.

Oldboy was recently featured as the "Local band in focus" in Cleveland Scene magazine and also received a media hit on Cleveland.com.

Watch The Rhythm Report's latest videos, including Rob Geer performing Assassin live at The Grog Shop.

Article written by Priscilla Tasker, editor and creator of The Rhythm Report