Reddit mentions of The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio--A Memoir

WMMS, the radio station Donna worked for, has a fascinating history. Besides Rush they helped Bruce Springsteen achieve a national following, as well as helping David Bowie break into the American market.

This book is a good read for anyone interested in the history of American FM rock radio.

In the summer you can literally go any day to a free music performance (Mentor Rocks Tuesday, Wade Oval Wednesday, Edgewater Live Thursday, Euclid Beach Live Friday, etc.). They may not always be rock bands, but often are. In addition to the Porchfest, Hessler Street Fair is going on this weekend.


The Grog Shop, Beachland, Agora, etc. are smaller concert venues that have concerts year round in addition to concerts at the Q, House of Blues, Nautica, Blossom. This is a much larger number of live venues than cities of comparable size (and even more than larger cities, such as in Houston). Historically there were underground/smaller concert locations such as Speak in Tounges, Barking Spider, Euclid Tavern (the latter two being recent RIPs in University Circle).


The history of rock in Cleveland also includes the market serving as a test ground for tracks in the USA before doing a nationwide release. This book has a great history of WMMS - voted the best rock station for 9 straight years by Rolling Stone (when radio and magazines still mattered) - https://www.amazon.com/Buzzard-Inside-Cleveland-Radio-Memoir/dp/1598510517 Wish that WMMS wasn't a bought out, generic, I heart radio crap station now


I agree w/ @richard_cranium - that the average Clevelander doesn't know this history. And likely doesn't go out to concerts of underground/local bands at the grog that much. But rock has a history here and still lives on.