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Cornmeal / Cabinet
Saturday, March 14, 2009 About
The Beachland Ballroom / Cleveland, OH

Review and photo by Ryan Schreiber

On its way back to Chicago after three solid weeks of touring, Cornmeal stopped in Cleveland and gave an energetic crowd another high-powered set. The group, which has become a Chicagoland institution over the last 9 years, never seems to disappoint with its brand of progressive bluegrass, on this particular night, drawing fans from as far as Pittsburgh.

Young and old alike turned out for the show, paying testament to Cornmeal’s appeal to a wide range of music lovers. The quintet took the stage to guitarist/singer Kris Nowak launching into the lively “Travelin’ On.” The energy of the crowd went straight into the groups music as the song turned into a 15-minute long jam that at one point saw bassist (and self-proclaimed “yeehaw guy”) Chris Gangi, along with fiddle player/vocalist Allie Kral, facing off against the other two string players challenging each other in a call-and-repeat.

Mid-set, banjo extraordinaire/vocalist Wavy Dave Burlingame launched the group into the hundred-mile-per-hour jam “Hasten Jason” and the ballroom began to shake from the stomping of feet and clapping of hands. To close out the set, the crowd was treated to an instrumental improv throughout “Black Smoke Rising.” While the last note was still hanging in the air the audience filled the room with cheers and applause, giving the musicians more of that Cleveland love to take home with them.

After set break, Cabinet took the stage and gave everybody another great set to dance to and the energy continued flowing. The six-piece ensemble, who has been building its own following across Pennsylvania and into Cleveland, had big shoes to fill following the first set, and did so very well. With a sound slightly reminiscent of Rusted Root, but still all their own, it’s no wonder that audiences get so wrapped up in its show.