Last month Google shut down six music blogs without warning. One of them was I Rock Cleveland (which has since restarted as blog.irockcleveland.com) prompting furrowed brows of confusion. Cleveland a hot bed of rock music? The city in the Great Lakes area, which was recently described by Forbes as the most miserable metropolis in the USA, a nurturer of musical genius? Turns out that it's just that and more - and to prove it here's 10 of the most vibrant music venues you'll ever have the joy of sweating in.
1. Beachland Ballroom
When Cindy Barber opened the Beachland back in 2000 it was because she "wanted to turn this neighbourhood into something dramatic". Since then the former Croatian music hall has hosted everyone from the White Stripes to the Black Keys. Cindy herself has worked in the music industry for almost 40 years, meaning the jukebox is impeccable and a spirit of grungy authenticity permeates everything, from the vintage clothing store downstairs to the flickering neon light filtering through the tavern windows. Word of warning: the doors on the ladies toilets don't lock – so don't spend too long perusing the graffiti or you may get caught out.
• 15711 Waterloo Road, +1216 383 1124, beachlandballroom.com.
2. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
"If you take into account the size of the city, there's an inordinate amount of people playing music in Cleveland," says Jeff Niesel, music editor of the Cleveland Scene. But Cleveland has been at the forefront of rock music ever since DJ Alan Freed took over the city's airwaves in 1951. Credited with popularising the term "rock and roll", Freed also hosted one of the earliest rock concerts in 1952. The 150,000 square foot museum has enough memorabilia, films and exhibits spread over its seven floors to keep you occupied all weekend. It is basically a rock and roll theme park and you could hardly describe it as earthy, but it's a good place to brush up on your who's who before wowing the crowds at Beachland with your in-depth knowledge of the 1954 radio industry.
• 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, +1 216 781 7625, rockhall.org.
3. Prosperity Social Club
Taking up residence in an original 1938 barroom, the Prosperity has retained all the art-deco twists required to make it charming, but added in enough talented musicians to keep it cutting edge. The feel is pretty mellow, with bluegrass, jazz, folk and country being the sounds of choice. The gin and tonics are hilariously strong which makes for an entertaining few games of bowling on the retro machine in the back room before the bands come on.
• 1109 Starkweather Avenue, Tremont, +1 216 937 1938, prosperitysocialclub.com.
4. Mitzi Jerman's Cafe
Straight out of Prohibition and into the 21st Century without so much as a blink. Mitzi's has oft been touted as the number one dive bar in North America - but if you don't knock on the front door loud enough to gain entry, you'll never know. The curtained and battered bay windows peer out at the abandoned factories in this rather bleak area of Cleveland, but once inside it's like pulling up a sofa in Mitzi's front room. Which to be fair, it almost is. Mitzi Jerman's family opened the bar in 1908 and she ran it until her death aged 92 in 2006. The drinks are pretty cheap and the pool table in the back is only 25c. Plus you get a story every time you head to the bar. Now that's value.
• 3840 St Clair Avenue, +1 216 361 8771.
5. House of Blues
When musical behemoth House of Blues took up residence among the neon frivolity of East Fourth Street – the ready-made entertainment hub of downtown - it instantly rubbed more grassroots venues up the wrong way. Nevertheless the big bands keep coming including Scissor Sisters and The Used. It's big, it's brash, it's a carbon copy of every other HOB in the USA. But if its a huge mosh pit you're after you can't really go wrong.
• 308 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44114, +1 216 523 2583, houseofblues.com.
6. Music Saves
Once you've been inspired by the talent onstage at the Beachland, hot foot it down the road to Music Saves. It's a music emporium with a bamboozling amount of records but an atmosphere of joy and light. Yes the staff know much more about music than you do but no this is not a cause for embarrassment, rather an opportunity to plunder them and their store for enlightenment. Besides Sam Beam from Iron and Wine has been here. Nuff said.
• 15801 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, 44110, +1 216 481 1875, musicsaves.com.
7. Grog Shop
Upon entering Grog Shop it is normal to suddenly feel very naked from your lack of tattoos. Never fear – everyone inside this indie nightspot is too busy leaping around to notice. It's not a huge venue, providing a certain amount of intimacy as you sweat, but it is fast reaching legendary status as the place to catch up and coming indie and rock bands. The only downside is the bar stays open very late – and then bands come on even later - so you may have trouble remembering the music come the next day.
• 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd +1 216 321 5588, grogshop.gs.
8. The Greenhouse Tavern
This restaurant became the first LEED-certified (confirming its green building credentials) restaurant in Ohio and has spectacular food that embraces the farm-to-plate movement. As well as championing good food, chef and owner Jonathan Sawyer also likes his music. And he plays in a band. The restaurant has a small stage area where Jonathan has been known to get on down. The Greenhouse may not be strictly rock and roll – although I'd wager chips dipped in egg yolk almost qualify - but if you need some sustenance and can't face another chilli dog, there is no better place.
• 2038 East Fourth Street, +1 216 443 0511, thegreenhousetavern.com.
9. Steve's Lunch
Speaking of chilli dogs there's one place in Cleveland that does them by the bucket load alongside a supremely excellent tabletop jukebox. Steve's Lunch is a greasy 24-hour diner in a rather shady part of town where the chili cheese dogs are worth the muscle tensing needed to brave the surrounding area. The walls are coated with what looks like 50 years' of hot dog detritus. Don't look at them. Or rather only enter after 2am, slam on some Elvis on your jukebox and then you won't care because the food more than makes up for it.
• 5004 Lorain Avenue, 44102, +1 216 961 1460.
10. Pats in the Flats
If a place could be successful based on love alone, Pats in the Flats would be Cleveland's answer to the Brixton Academy. If nothing else this tiny venue is a fantastic excuse to venture into the industrial steel flats of Cleveland, the architectural brutality of which constantly draws the eye to the darker side of life. Professional drinkers rub shoulders with upcoming local bands and young music connoisseurs in an environment which is so rustic it makes House of Blues look like Disneyland.
• 2233 West Third Street, Cleveland 44113, +1 216 621 8044, patsintheflats.com.
