Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #179: Myth & Company w/ Bessemer Saints

February 28th, 2025

At Witz End, 38501 Lakeshore Blvd, Willoughby, OH 44094

Greetings and salutations to you, my friend. I hope this message finds you well. I, Z.M. Delgado, have once again returned with a tale to tell of Rock N’ Roll magnificence. This week I journeyed to the East, to a new location, to see some old friends throw down hard. This new location was At Witz End, a spot I’d not visited in a decade easily; long before I began the intrepid voyage that is the RbRR. The old friends were the boys of Bessemer Saints who were gracing us with a rare east side performance. With The Saints playing in support of Myth & Company it looked to be a promising evening. In addition to this solid lineup, I had special guests: my three favorite dudes, my father and two brothers. Now I have been talking up The Saints to these three for a good long time, and I was excited to finally get them out to see a gig. I arrived early to find my fam, along with Joha, nestled up to the bar, engrossed in the Cavaliers game. With the Cavs locked in furious combat, with their hated rivals from Boston, there was an added layer of drama present for my crew as we waited for the show to begin. I tried to focus on the game, but me being me, I was often drawn away in talks with musicians and concertgoers. Naturally my most important conversations came from my esteemed colleague, Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor. The Dook was there to support The Saints as always, but tonight was a special event for him, The Saints and myself. You see it was the night where Jimmy was awarding... The Guitar. Now for those of you who have been paying attention to The Dook’s hi-jinks, you’ll surely be aware that he has been running a multi-week contest. More or less, you must either listen to Roxxxstarradio or read the RbRR. Then you answer questions about my article’s and you get entered to win a guitar, donated by Bessemer Saints. There was more to it than that, but, that’s the gist of the thing. So long story short, The Dook had selected a winner, and she was in the house ready to receive her prize. So in the midst of this I found myself in a tug-o-war between wanting to watch the game with my fam, and performing my preshow duties. The Cavs were getting killed, so it made it a little easier to ignore the game. None the less I drifted back and forth. Soon enough 9 O’clock rolled around and it was time for some BS!

Finally kicking off the music was my friends and countrymen, the fearsome foursome better known as the Bessemer Saints. This is a hard Rockin’, hard drinkin’, fun lovin’ band made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They play a stone solid style of blues influenced Rock n’ Roll. The room was well stocked with fans, and as the band plugged in, collectively the crowd turned and addressed the stage. The BS faithful were out in force, and I recognized many familiar faces as the set began. Kicking things off with “Like I Care” the room was flooded with the bands contagious energy. It flowed out of the speakers and across the fans. The veterans banged their heads and cheered, while the newbies were caught unawares by the electric vibrations that Bessemer Saints produced. “Find a Way” rang out as the room grooved to the sounds; folks drinking at the bar, seated at cocktail tables, or shooting pool all seemed to have redirected their attention the to The Saints. Up on the stage Bass master Shaggy was laying it down like only he can. Movin’ and Groovin’ Shags broke it down while delivering a pulsing presence on the low end. “Waste of Space” brought fast, intense Vocals from front man, Corey. His passionate performance did not go unnoticed by the crowd, who were undoubtedly locked in. The Drums absolutely hammered as Terry pulverized the skins in a classic display of power and precision. Up next in the set we got treated to one of my favorites: “This Dark Age.” The Bass line throbbed and the Guitar licks danced as this song slowly crept into existence. The crowd was entranced as the track slowly progressed; building and growing with each passing measure. Tommy’s Guitar work was a thing of beauty. The riffs came in plenitude and constantly gained momentum as the song moved toward it’s eventual climax. (Coinciding with the peak of this song, behind the bar I noticed as the Cavaliers stole the lead from the Celtics in the fourth quarter.) “This Dark Age” reached it’s crescendo, and came to a close. The room erupted in cheers. But the BS were far from done, no they still had plenty more in store for us. Next they hit us with “Steak Next Time” which is a Rockin’ fun jam. They followed that with “Fire Tested” which is like a freight train loaded with some serious soloing. After that they dropped one of my personal favorites: “Come Find Me.” Corey described it simply as a “song about being there for your friends,” but beside that it is a hell of a lot of fun. Finally closing out the set they brought their show stopping single, “Another Night With Whiskey.” This has become one of the all time great drinking songs in my mind, and it kills live every time. Bessemer Saints threw down one in finality and they threw down hard. With it’s bouncing cadence and party ready lyrics, “Another Night With Whiskey” is a home run closer to be sure. The crowd erupted with cheers, among them my crew, who apparently had been sold on the Bessemer Saints. And they were certainly not alone, it seemed the BS sound had won over the patrons of At Witz End, as the applause was loud and long.

Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of Rustbelt Rock Review

Following the set, The Dook played MC for the presentation of the Guitar. He and I joined, The Saints on stage and announced our winner: A very nice young lady named Ashley. She accepted her reward and then with it in hand, we headed off. I don’t really remember the order of events in the break. At some point in there Ashley bought me a shot, which was really nice of her. And together with The Dook we went outside and blazed. But all that blew by in a blur of booze and bud. I returned to the bar and got a very positive review of The Saints from my dad and brothers, Meanwhile, Myth & Co. were preparing to take to the stage.

Myth & Company are new to the RbRR. They are a three man act made up of Bass/Vocals, Guitar and Drums/Backing Vocals. I suppose you could say they were a Hard Rock or Alternative Rock band. The crowd was packed in tight and it seemed no matter where I stood, I was in somebodies way. The band began and immediately I liked their big groovin’ Bass sound. The Bassist also delivered clean vocals that had some light grit when pushed into more intense realms. He harmonized with the drummer, who sat behind an illuminated Drum kit. It glowed like the beacons of Gondor behind his energetic band mates. Their Guitarist had excellent stage presence, an amazing hat and a pair of wildly colorful pants. They opened up with some fast energetic Hard Rock and the crowd immediately gave up a very positive response. Their second song had a far more Funky feel. The kick drum pounded and the whole room took on a party vibe. Down in front people were dancing and when Myth & Co. started hand clapping, many in the crowd joined in. On song three, they took on a partially reggae vibe. It was a very grooving track, that reminded me of The Police. Their fourth song had a nice Guitar solo tucked inside. The crowd was completely engaged and cheering loudly throughout. I made an additional note about the bands strong stage presence on their fifth track. Unfortunately they ran into some technical difficulties around their sixth song, losing their Bass and prompting a chord change mid song. Sometime around here, The Dook directed my eyes upward. There I saw hundreds of dollars bills tacked to the ceiling. This ceiling is REALLY high, so no human was simply reaching up to tack one in place. He asked me, and I wondered for the rest of the night, “How do they get the dollars up there?” But I digress… up on stage the singer was producing some high end “Whoos,” and the Guitarist manifested another solo, wowing the fans. Another big cheer went up as the band did some synchronized high kicks on their seventh song. The eighth song was heavily Reggae influenced and had some slick Wah Wah Pedal action on it. The singer produced soulful vox, with that light grit we discussed earlier. The next one had a mellow intro. It also had some slick Guitar work and a big instrumental portion that was really nice. On track number ten they brought out a really interesting Bassline. Immediately I could tell this track was a fan favorite. The crowd began to join in early, and by the time the chorus kicked in a full blown sing along had ensued. This one definitely received a big cheer upon completion. Closing out the set they brought an upbeat old school Rock N’ Roll vibe. This song had another nice solo, and some really impressive, fast handed cymbal action behind the drum kit. The crowd let loose a mighty cheer and with that the set came to a close. In total they played eleven songs of high energy alternative Rock. The band promised to return for a second set later, but I had places to be and people to see. I made my rounds, said a few quick goodnights and then absconded to the parking lot. There The Dook and I, together with Ashley the victorious and Laura of the Blunts, blazed down.

Then it was off into the night, to convene with my fam, and eventually to fall into my bed. But wow, what a great night it had been! I got to visit At Witz End for the first time in over ten years and I have to say I love what they’ve done with the place. It’s far less ominous than it was the last time I step foot within it’s doors. (They’ve clearly renovated.) I have to say they had great music, and good sound. What more could I ask? And how about that music? Bessemer Saints and Myth & Co. both laid out excellent Rock N’ Roll for all to enjoy. The drinks flowed, the sounds were smooth and the company was exemplary. All in all, it was a great night. On that note I will bit you farewell. Bang your heads, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs!!!

Until Next Time, Rock on, Rustbelt!

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

03/02/2025

Links:

Myth & Co.

https://www.mythandcompany.com/

Bessemer Saints

https://www.facebook.com/BessemerSaints/