Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #185: Dead Boys, Burn Kit, American Werewolves & HAMS

April 12th, 2025

The Foundry Concert Club, 4256 Pearl Rd, Cleveland, OH 44109

Good evening, or morning or mid afternoon. Whenever it is that you’re reading this, I hope it finds you well. This week I have a fantastic show to talk to you about. Saturday the 12th was the date of the magnificent affair and The Foundry was the location. On the bill for the evening was Punk Rock legends Dead Boys. With them was Boston’s Burn Kit with local support from the mighty American Werewolves and the raucous HAMS. This was my second trip to The Foundry at it’s new location and I was happy to be returning. My first visit to the new spot (RbRR #183) was an absolute blast, so I was hoping for a repeat performance.

I arrived right about 7pm, as doors were scheduled to be opening. I hiked over to the club and immediately bumped into Dill, the Guitarist of HAMS standing outside the load in door. We shot the shit for a time before he realized he had to run to his truck. He took off, leaving me alone to “guard the door,” and direct arriving fans toward the proper entrance. I was apparently so effective at my task that security even tried to give me a wristband. I politely refused and once Dill returned I made my way toward the side door and fell in line. And yes, there was a line. You see this show was sold out and as the bill was significantly stacked, people were arriving early to catch the openers. I made my way inside and ran into Kris, Drummer of American Werewolves/Beast Killer. We caught up for a minute but not for two long. Soon enough 7:30 struck and it was, as they say, go time! With a very respectable early crowd in place, we moved in close to the stage in preparation for the promised spectacle.

Up first was the Swine Princes of Punk Rock, Cleveland’s own HAMS!!! I don’t know how many times I have covered this band by now, so surely you, my loyal readers, are familiar with their work. But for those of you who are new to our publication, I’ll break it down for you. HAMS is a four man wrecking crew made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums. They are known for their wild performances, their aggressive style and of course, the Pig and Wolf masks. With a red hot Bass line to kick things off, they launched into the set with reckless abandon. Immediately I was awed by the bands stage presence. Rippin’ and Rockin’ they moved with the music, bringing their songs to life like Frankenstein’s monster. Not surprisingly, the crowd loved it, screaming and clapping with vigor. HAMS fed off this energy, and hit back, like a hammer in the gut. There were two little girls in the crowd, and I mean little, like less than ten years old. They were taking in the show with a lot of enjoyment, and the boys in HAMS made sure to perform for them. Their singer got down and was singing in the face of one girl. Meanwhile, the Guitarist danced and smiled… hamming it up for the second. It was a cool moment to see the softer side of Cleveland’s bad boys of Punk.

Kids or not, HAMS certainly pulled no punches as they rolled through the set. Their energy was infectious and the still growing crowd responded in kind. On “Riot” the frontman dumped a Pabst over his head. Then on “Bad Things” he began hurling full cans into the crowd, with a total disregard for sanity or safety. It was around this time, while I was dodging flying PBRs, when my partner in crime, Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor from Roxxxstarradio first arrived. The Dook chose a great time to show up, as up on the stage HAMS were killing it. Breaking out a bad ass cover of CCR’s “Bad Moon Rising,” the crowd sang along word for word. They played a total of ten songs, closing out with a cut called “Trouble.” The set of course included home runs tracks like “Kill It,” “Suicide Pact” and my personal favorite “Comeback.” The crowd gave up on hell of a cheer to send HAMS off with the utmost style. I, once again, was impressed. The boys had crushed it and had fired up the room significantly. I bumped into my home boy, Swampy (Bass/Vandalizard) and we adjourned to the patio to burn a jay.

After our patio conference, we returned to stage and gathered around for a dose of Cleveland Punk Royalty: the one and only American Werewolves. You would have had to have been living under a rock for a very long time to have never heard of this act. For those of you who don’t know, American Werewolves are a five man act, made up of Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. By this point the crowd was really packing it in. American Werewolves took to the stage and the lights were cast in red, seeming to wash the band in blood. They opened up, fiery and fast with “Wanderers Forever.” Up next was “Teenage Ghouls Out For Blood.” This song had strong three part backing vocal’s and a lot of great “Whoas,” which I always enjoy. With a hard, fast attack and killer drum work thay broke into “The Stand.” “Late at Night” was an absolute singalong jam. The crowd danced and sang as American Werewolves continued so fire off blasts of Punk Rock Thunder. Their frontman addressed the crowd with power and authority as the broke out “The Lonely Ones.” With fantastic drum action and a truly bitchin’ riff, they brought “Atom Age Vampire.”.

They slowed things down with “For Your Blood,” which begins like a ballad but quickly picks up and unleashed a torrent of chords. The intro to “Lonely Are the Brave” was another great opportunity for the crowd to join in and sing along. This song earned them a huge cheer, but American Werewolves weren’t through yet. With exceptional drum work and an explosive finish, “Final Warning” simply killed. Here we got a real crowd pleaser, and my personal favorite, “Kings of the Cleveland Streets.” This song holds all the nostalgia and it tugs at the heart strings in just the right ways. The crowd lifted their voices once again, joining in on this most powerful of anthems. Finally closing out the set they unleashed the hard hitting, pulse pounding “1968.” With lots of “Whoas” and “Go! Go! Go’s!” this song is a riot captured in audio form. American Werewolves tore through it without mercy and when it ended the crowd exploded in nothing short of a roar. AW took their bows and said goodnight. the lights came up, the crowd dispersed and I returned to the patio.

Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of Rustbelt Rock Review

After a short recess we returned to the packed club to watch our next performance. In from the Boston area was Burn Kit. This Melodic Punk group is made up of five guys: Vocals, two Guitars, Bass and Drums. They fired up their set with a lot of energy and blasted out a long instrumental period. When the vocals kicked in I was initially confused, as I couldn’t see who was singing. Only after eliminating all other possibilities did I realize that their singer was actually using a wireless mic, and was performing from the floor. He moved among the people for a time before climbing on the stage and joining his band mates. The band had great stage presence, all members moving to the rhythms. This was especially evident of the Bass player, who was a bonafide Rock N’ Roll Machine. On their second song the singer left the stage again and jumped into the crowd, trying to start up a moshpit. He had some degree of success, as a few people followed his example. What’s important to remember here is that the crowd had finally started moving. On their third song they managed to summon a circle pit, though it was short lived. You see, during HAMS set there was a lot of spilled beer and as such the floor was quite slick. Bodies flew and tumbled, slipped and slid all over the floor and quickly the circle pit died out.

Despite this the crowd remained engaged dancing, rocking out and applauding vigorously for each and every song. Amazingly the moshing started up again and, on and off, it continued for the majority of their set. The lighting was on point, dazzling the fans and bringing the stage to life. Burn Kit produced danceable jams, one after another, delighting fans and impressing me. Moshing and dancing continued depending on the song and vibe, but whatever it was, the fans were locked in on Burn Kit. Playing a total of twelve songs they closed out with a track entitled “Becoming the Wind.” This summoned yet another wild and powerful moshpit, which once again drew the singer down off of the stage and into the melee. The crowd exploded in cheers as Burn Kit finished strong. They said good night and again the lights came up. I was immediately grabbed by The Dook and together with Nick (Guitar/Galactic Reptile) we headed back to the patio for more mind enhancement.

When we returned the room was balmy to say the least. The temperature had skyrocketed as the sold out crowd assembled. Shoulder to shoulder, fans were packed in tight anticipating the moment we’d all been waiting for. It was nearly time. Dead Boys were coming to the stage. I received a tap on the shoulder and was excited to see my friend Dennis (Drummer/Bittersweet Revenge). We said hello and chatted about their upcoming EP release, but not for long. It was almost time and we both knew it. I bid him farewell and returned to the fray. Weaving my way through the crowd, I found a less than desirable vantage point, from a photography point of view. But at a sold out show, you have to stand where you can, and even if I couldn’t get great photos, I could hear just fine. From the first notes, the crowd was losing their minds. Opening with “Sonic Reducer” room exploded in screams as the riff started and the drums kicked in. Immediately people were clapping their hands, dancing, and singing along. A moshpit erupted and very quickly the first of the evenings crowd surfers appeared. People were in a general state of madness as up on the stage the singer danced and strutted like a Punk Rock Mick Jagger.

Incredible Guitar solos poured from the speakers as living legend “Cheetah Chrome” tore up the six strings. The heat was stifling and it reeked of sweat and booze. Yet, the crowd never slowed or slackened for an instant. It was amazing. The floor was an ever churning mass of bodies, colliding and ricocheting about the room. Every second that wasn't occupied by Dead Boys was packed full of wild applause. The whole room was having an absolute fit and it was glorious to see. Dead Boys performed with energy and showmanship, delivering a powerful dose of Classic Punk on each and every track. They played a total of 13 blistering tracks, blowing away the Cleveland faithful; song by song. The crowd roared, and I mean they absolutely roared. For so much raw noise to come out of a small club crowd is a wonder of the world, yet it happened and it was well deserved. Dead Boys had slayed, but I suppose that’s to be expected. They have been decimating crowds for 50 years now, and based on what I saw, I don’t think they should stop any time soon. They were just too damn good!

And then it was over. The lights came up, the crowd disbanded and I bid the homies a fond farewell. I hopped in my ride and made my way back to the freeway and then onward to home. I drove on with supreme satisfaction in my heart. What a great show; really and truly. For starters, the new Foundry was an impressive and inviting venue that I fully endorse and can’t wait to visit again. As for the music: HAMS opened things up like they pulled the pin on a grenade and then went off with a serious bang. American Werewolves was killer. Their set was pure power and they proved, once again, why they are the Kings of The Cleveland Streets. Burn Kit brought their Boston style to the North Coast and did one hell of a job impressing the local Scene. And finally Dead Boys tore down the house in the way that only they could have. SO yeah, what a night! I got to see four great bands, hang out with some rad people. I made it home safe and sound and passed out happy and high. What more can a guy ask for from his Saturday night? As it turns out, not much. So on that note I will leave you for this week. Bang your heads, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs. Thank you for reading.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

4/13/2025

Links:

Dead Boys

https://www.facebook.com/deadboysofficial/

Burn Kit

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560837023697

American Werewolves

https://www.facebook.com/americanwerewolvesband/