Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #107: The Rick Ray Band, Wake Magnolia and Buzz Balldrin

November 4th, 2023

Maple Grove Tavern 14832 Pease Rd, Maple Heights, OH 44137

Hello my friends and welcome back to my rambling nonsense, otherwise known as the Rustbelt Rock Review. This weeks edition will be set at the Maple Grove Tavern, where I was fortunate enough to be attending the second installment of the Level Up Concert Series, presented by my buddies Big Bri and Pat of Level Up Cleveland. This show featured the talents of legendary artists The Rick Ray Band, with support from Wake Magnolia and Buzz Balldrin. I arrived shortly before 6pm and met up with my homie Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of Roxxxstarradio. Together we were going to be doing a live radio stream from 6:30-8:00pm. The Dook had his portable radio station all set up in the back of the club. There we kicked back behind the mic’s, hyped the show, spun tunes and talked all things Metal. While we did our thing the bands arrived and began to set up. We ran into some difficulty at times, trying to do a broadcast with musicians present. You see, it is a scientific axiom that no drummer can be near a drum and NOT play it. They simply need to. It is in their nature; an instinct that cannot be denied. So as The Dook and I did our thing we were frequently interrupted by thumping from the nearby stage. It was comical. None the less we persevered and succeeded in having a great time along the way. 8 o’clock struck and the stream came to a close. The Dook packed up his gear and I got down to the business of covering the show.

First to the stage was Buzz Balldrin, a three piece band made from Guitar/Vocals, Bass and Drums. They were introduced by Big Bri and with that the show was off and running. Buzz Balldrin plays a bitchin Hard Rock style, with mostly clean vocals with some screams for effect. They started up their set with an uptempo number that contained a wicked Guitar solo. This was something I would find in great abundance in this set, but it seemed I would have to wait to discover that fact. Due to some unfortunate humming from the Bass amp, we had a brief delay in the set. Jeremy Jones, the maestro behind the Maple Grove Tavern’s soundboard, was quick to rectify the problem and Buzz Balldrin proceeded with all haste. And I use the word haste deliberately. You see, Buzz Balldrin plays fast. It was at high speed that they continued and they stayed that way for the vast majority of the set. The fog machine was rolling as they kicked off their second song. I noticed some nice Bass work here and the song had an excellent drum interlude leading up to its climax. Their third track had this absolutely gorgeous Guitar solo in it. It was lengthy and ripping, and it left me in awe. Next they played “The Saboteur” which continued with the speed. It was packed with killer riffs and my notes read: “This could be the soundtrack to a demolition derby.” “Billionaire Space Race” followed and it was a banger. The Bass pounded and the Vocals came rapid fire as the song built toward a very heavy finish. Their sixth number had a really cool opening riff. The drums were particularly impressive here, with a hyper quick cadence and some considerable complexity to the rhythm. They closed out with a song I believe was called “Orb.” It began slow and plodding and then picked up considerably. With a lot of changes; switching from fast and heavy to grooving and funky and then back again, this song was most definitely a musical journey. The song had a strong finish and it earned the band a big round of applause. Buzz Balldrin absolutely killed it. With high energy and impressive skill at all positions they put forth a set that was incredibly entertaining. They played with a real fire that I particularly enjoyed and respected. Without a doubt they are a band that highly recommend to all Hard Rock connoisseurs.

Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of the Rustbelt Rock Review. @ericstevensonart

Second on the evening’s agenda was Wake Magnolia. This is a two man operation constructed from Guitar/Vocals and Drums. After another introduction by Big Bri, Wake Magnolia was set loose upon the Maple Grove. They opened up with an upbeat rock sound, utilizing clean vocals with some screams for emphasis. Immediately I noted that the frontman of the band had great stage presence as he Rocked out behind his mic. Beneath a cloud of fog they began their second number with some clean, lightly strummed Guitar chords. When the distortion eventually kicked in, it was a hard hitting moment. The Drummer was playing especially hard here and I was impressed. Add that to the fact he was wearing an “Animal” shirt from The Muppet Show, and I have to say I liked this guys style. Next they played “Windmill,” which had a melodic, kind of love song feel. I made a note that read the singer got pretty intense on this number. Their forth track was described as “an angry song” and was appropriately titled “Hate the World.” The frontman upped the intensity, adding some nice growls to his voice. He also delivered a Guitar solo that left the crowd cheering. Their fifth song was about “self love.” It was slower, melodic and kind of sing-songy. It also packed in another tight solo that impressed the fans. On their sixth song Wake Magnolia continued with the melodic stuff and it was delivered with passion. Their seventh cut was jam packed full of “Whoa’s!” and had an Alternative Rock feel with some serious Punky vibes. Their eighth song was a new one. It started out slow, but built toward a big finish and had some cool Guitar work along the way. On their ninth track they got especially heavy for their style of play. With crashing Drum work and the singer allowing a snarl to creep into his voice, this song was delivered with power. Closing out the set they played their track “Bruiser,” which had some outstanding and pounding drum work. Wake Magnolia had been a very good act. Their style of Punk infused Alternative is one that is sure to to make you want to sing along to every song. They play hard and with a load of passion and for some reason, I always dig a two piece act. Check out Wake Magnolia for a fun vibe with a lot of heart.

Finally, closing out the evening was our headlining performers, The Rick Ray Band. This is a legendary band who has a whopping thirty-seven albums to their name and decades of experience under their belts. They are built from four musicians: Bass/Vocals, Guitar/Vocals, Saxophone and Drums. Due to issues with a sore throat, Bassist “Shaggy” would be handling lead Vox for the show, as opposed to Mr. Ray himself. After another introduction by Big Bri, The Rick Ray Band was set for launch. They opened up with a Sax heavy instrumental jam. The Guitar riffs were on point and the solo that followed was amazing. The Bass line was bouncing, grooving and oh so smooth. The song unfolded and I was blown away by the Classic Rock sound. The rest of the crowd apparently agreed, joining me in my raucous applause. Second they broke into the title track from the The Rick Ray Band’s newest album, “The Gremlins are Listening.” I noted that the Bass sound was phenomenal as was the Shaggy’s stage presence. He spun in circles while playing then returned to the mic to deliver the verses. The music played out in a smooth flow during the vocal portions then evolved into a very jam sort of feel in the breaks between. The exceptional musicianship continued at all positions, as the musical trek unfolded. “The Note Police” was next, and I’ll tell you I loved this one. It opened Sax heavy with some spoken word vocals and was very Rockin’ to begin. Then it dropped into a melodic portion with a haunting Sax line and impressive Guitar flourishes. Returning back to that Rockin’ rhythm it rolled on and alternated this way. Fast and dance worthy then melodic and emotional. It was an excellent composition. On “From Absent Friends” they put forth a softer feel. It had an incredibly emotional quality to it, expressing mourning, longing and had an overwhelming sort of Rainy Day vibe, that I just can’t convey it properly here. Suffice to say this song had an abundance of heart and soul.

Their fifth and sixth songs were both instrumentals. They were both incredible pieces of music with exceptional play across the board. My notes here read things like “Rockin to the core!,” “Absolutely danceable,” “Exceedingly smooth jam” and “The Bass just flows.” On “All Debts are Paid,” a song about “Avoiding the Space Mafia,” we got another Vocal track with a grooving Bass line, a toe tapping rhythm, great Sax melody and an especially ripping Guitar solo. “Use Your Pinkie Frank” was next in the playlist and it was another upbeat instrumental number. That was followed by “Ladder Level” an instrumental inspired by old school video games. More excellent soloing filled this number and my notes read “The Bass just rolls on and on.” On their last song, another Vocal track and the only one Mr. Rick Ray personally sang, we got another supremely monstrous jam. The Bass work was off the charts and there was a sweet, trippy Guitar solo. All in all I put down it was an astounding closing number, but The Rick Ray Band wasn’t done yet. The crowd began screaming for “One more song!” and the band happily obliged us. The encore was fast, strong and energetic. Sax driven and with a killer solo this one broke down into a very solid closer. It was a show stopper. The crowd applauded wildly and sent The Rick Ray Band off in fantastic style. If you are a fan of Classic Rock. If you love old school jams and lengthy compositions. If you long for Rock n’ Roll the way they did it in the music’s greatest era, then you need to check out The Rick Ray Band today.

With The Rick Ray Band a finished it was time for me to hit the road. It had been a long night and I was ready to put an end to it. I said my goodbyes and headed out into a chilling November night. Yes, it had been a long night, but it had been a good night as well. A great night in fact. The Maple Grove Tavern always puts on a fantastic show. It is one of my favorite spots to see a gig, and there are plenty of reasons why I keep going back. My time playing DJ on Roxxxstarradio with The Dook had been a lot of fun. It was really cool picking tunes and talking Metal with one of the coolest dudes in the scene. Buzz Balldrin rocked. The played with a pile of energy and I was really impressed with the quality of their Guitar work. Wake Magnolia was a good time and the played hard. Their music packed in a lot of heart and for only being a two piece act, they sound much larger. Finally The Rick Ray Band exceeded all expectations. They played with a level of expertise that only true masters can achieve. Their music contains skill beyond reason and songwriting light years passed comprehension. They put on a show that was impressive, and emotional and a hell of a lot of fun. And, come on, who doesn’t love a good Sax solo?! Am I right, or what? So there you have it, my friend. That was my Saturday night in a nutshell. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Thanks for reading.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

11/5/2023

Links:

The Rick Ray Band

https://rickray.net/

https://therickrayband.bandcamp.com/album/the-gremlins-are-listening

Wake Magnolia

https://www.facebook.com/WakeMagnolia/

https://wakemagnolia.bandcamp.com/music