Eddie Money

"Tell everyone in Cleveland, I'm playing there again because I'm off probation," jokes a particularly garrulous Eddie Money in a short phone interview. After recounting tall tales of car wrecks, late-night drinking binges with now-retired Plain Dealer scribe Jane Scott ("I used to get her so drunk she couldn't even drive home") and sitting around town for two weeks after a snowstorm in 1977, Money concludes, "Cleveland is my kind of town. It's a blue-collar town, and I'm a blue-collar guy," he continues, adding that if he has any chance of getting inducted into the Rock Hall, it'll be once he's "in an urn." But the blue-collar bit is true. Money originally set out to be a police officer but after two years on the job, he turned his attention to his burgeoning rock career. That wasn't a bad move, as his 1977 self-titled debut was a huge hit, spawning the singles "Two Tickets to Paradise" and "Baby Hold On." "Everyone thought I was a black act," says Money, who's got one of rock's more distinctive voices. "The key was that we made sure we had a single on every record." That goes for his latest release, an album of covers such as "Higher and Higher" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" that's titled Wanna Go Back. Its single, a cover of Ray Charles' "You Don't Know Me," actually charted but wasn't enough to make the album profitable. "It's a great record," Money says. "It didn't do shit on the charts but it sells at the shows. I'm in the hole for 120 grand because of it, but you gotta roll the dice." The show starts at 8 p.m. at the House of Blues (308 Euclid Ave., 216.241.5555). Tickets: $25-$35. - Jeff Niesel

Also this week:

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Watershed

Back in the '90s, when exuberant pop-rock acts such as the Gin Blossoms and Matthew Sweet roamed the land, Columbus, Ohio's Watershed seemed to be performing at the Grog Shop every other month, joining such local ensembles as the Waynes, World in a Room and Fifth Wheel on the list of favorites of area fans who liked clear, singable melodies and smart, searching lyrics. The adoptive homeboys snagged a deal with Epic Records and released two discs, a 1994 EP Three Chords and a Cloud of Dust and 1995 full-length Twister. But Watershed never got its big breakthrough, and one might be forgiven for thinking the band had vanished off the face of the earth along with those aforementioned acts. After all, they sang "Youth is rock and roll," on Twister track "Youth Is Confusion," and they're well beyond youth now. But the band's continued to record and play regularly. Since Twister, it's added another five albums to its discography including last year's Three Chords and a Cloud of Dust II, a live album that showcases the quartet's lively renditions of its well-made songs. Anyone who likes bands such as the Goo Goo Dolls or Fountains of Wayne should check out Watershed when it comes to the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124) at 8 tonight with the Black Amps and Bright Young Hopeless opening. It's a $7, all-ages show. - Anastasia Pantsios

Friday, January 11

Bent Left

The guys in the political punk band Bent Left are about to commence their fifth tour in the last two years, something they wouldn't have known if their publicist didn't tell them. "The last two years have been a blur," admits drummer Josh Nelson via phone from his Kansas City, Missouri home. Sounding like a cross between NOFX and Bad Religion, the band's new EP, Pre-Meditated Insanity, features a slew of fast-paced songs about the current state of affairs. It's a bit hard to catch the lyrics, but song titles such as "The Higher You Hold Your Pinky the Fancier You Are" and "A Bologna Sandwich a Day Keeps the Irony Away" suggest the group's interest in a working-class ethic. "Our last release was in-your-face and belligerent," Nelson explains. "It was appropriate for the time. We were involved in grassroots politics. That has now evolved into our political tendencies. To us, it was disheartening. So now, we're a far more philosophically driven band. We try to invoke that kind of thought." Disaster March, No Target Audience and Echoes of Harpers Ferry open at 9 p.m. at Now That's Class (11213 Detroit Ave.). Tickets: $5. - JN

Saturday, January 12

Big Leg Emma

The core members of festival favorites Big Leg Emma started playing together over five years ago in Jamestown, New York. The six-piece now tours relentlessly and has opened for like-minded acts such as Donna the Buffalo, Rusted Root and Old Crow Medicine Show. While tunes such as "Perfect World" and "Someday My Ship Will Set Sail" are hippie anthems, the jazzy "Walls of Jordan" shows off the group's wide-ranging musical abilities. Capable of playing rock, bluegrass and folk, the group's eclectic taste comes across particularly well on Big Leg Emma Live, which it issued last year. The Coal Men open at 9 p.m. at the Winchester (12112 Madison Ave., 216.226.5681). Tickets: $10. - JN

Wednesday, January 16

Murder Mystery

On its debut, Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here It Comes, the indie-rock foursome Murder Mystery meddles with the same kind of off-kilter melodies that made Pavement such a critic's darling. The group's nasally vocals and quirky sensibilities recall They Might Be Giants on "Love Astronaut" and capture a Magnetic Fields vibe on the lovelorn, retro-sounding tune "In a Sentimental Mood." The group's already begun work on a follow-up, so expect to hear some new tunes at this show as well. The Artificial Sweeteners and Return of Simple open at 9 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124). Tickets: $5. - JN

Todd Rundgren

Ever since his days with the prog-rock act Utopia, forward-thinking singer-guitarist Todd Rundgren has had a loyal Cleveland following. Makes sense, since the city was also one of the first places to embrace gender-bending spaceboy David Bowie. Over the years, Rundgren has readily embraced new technology, issuing 1993's No World Order specifically so it could be played on computers, and becoming one of the first to make his music available for download. His solo material continues to be adventurous - making it all the more mysterious why he hooked up with the Cars a couple of years back for a misguided tour and album. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Allen Theatre (1511 Euclid Ave., 216.241.6000). Tickets: $10-$38.75. - JN