Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #236: Guy Snowden & The Citizens, Bessemer Saints and Marcus Smith & The Rapscallions

Beachland Ballroom 15711 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland, OH 44110

April 3rd, 2026

Good Evening friends and welcome aboard the ongoing voyage of the USS Rustbelt Rock Review. This week my voyages carried me to the back to the Beachland. There I would be checking out an evening of Hard Rock. By my side was my homeboy Joha. We arrived on the scene shortly after 7pm doors, and were greeted almost immediately by your friend and mine, Jimmy “The Dook” Fedor of ROXXXSTARRADIO. Together with The Dook we dipped into the parking lot and burned a doob, putting us in a far better state of mind. After that it was straight back into the Ballroom and to center stage for the first of our evening’s entertainment.

Up first was Marcus Smith & The Rapscallions. This is an interesting one. This group is a NINE piece featuring a Vocalist, two Guitars, Bass, Drums, Keys/Backing Vocals, Saxophone, Trumpet & Trombone. They crowded onto the sizable Ballroom stage and prepared to start. They then brought us some high energy, music that I guess I would describe as something akin to R&B with touches of Funk and Hip-Hop. It was slick, it was smooth and it was utterly funky. The vibe was grooving and the sounds were absolutely danceable from the ground up. There were great vocal harmonies between Mr. Smith and his keyboard player. The keys were a nice touch, adding a needed layer of melody to the mix. Across from the keyboard stood the Horn section and they really stole the show. They moved and grooved to the music while laying out blaring blasts of brass. What many bands do with prerecorded samples, Marcus Smith & The Rapscallions do with live instruments and the end result is soooo much better. There is a power to live Keys and Horns that can never be captured with a sample. That power is something that Marcus Smith & The Rapscallions have seized and they wield it with authority. With excellent stage energy they performed a passionate set that lit up the stage and warmed the crowd up nicely. I believe they played a total six tracks, closing with an interesting mash up, consisting of pieces of “Jump” by Kris Kross, House of Pain’s “Jump Around” and Nirvana’s “Smell Like Teen Spirit.” The crowd seemed to really enjoy the music, applauding heavily after every song. All in all, Marcus Smith & The Rapscallions were a solid band and a lot of fun to check out. With their set at a close we adjourned to the parking lot to enjoy the night air and another round of joints.

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

Soon enough we were back at the stage and ready for our second band of the night, the Bessemer Saints. This is a four man outfit made up of Vocals, Guitars, Bass and Drums. The play a style of Bluesy, barroom Rock N’ Roll that will stir your soul even as it makes you shake your ass. Their musicianship is top notch, with each artist being a master at his position. Meanwhile their singer has a voice that is second to none. Smokey and smooth, Corey’s pipes are a thing to experience. Standing beneath their trademark “pants flag,” they opened up with “Like I Care” followed by “Find a Way” both of which had the crowd dancing from the get go. I was really impressed with Terry’s Drum work on the new song, “Low & Slow.” Here they also announced that a new album is in the works. Fourth came “Come Find Me,” which was aptly described as “a song about checking on your friends.” Next, with a proclamation from Bassman Shaggy... it was “Time to Boogie!” Meaning it was time for Bessemer Saints to break out their top shelf, fun time jam, “Another Night with Whiskey.” This song always gets the crowd fired up! People were dancing, singing and clapping along to the music. Nearby The Dook and Laura of the Blunts were doing shots as The Saints brought down the house. I watched in awe as bonafide ax master Tommy, laid out riff after smoking riff. Next they did a cover of an old Willy Dixon tune, where Shaggy took the lead on Vocals for a verse. “This Dark Age” brought a trippy, spaced out intro that gave way to a slowly building monolith of a song. The Bass throbbed, the Guitar picked quick targeted notes. The Drums rumbled and Vocals murmured as the song incrementally grew and grew. Eventually, hitting a crashing crescendo “This Dark Age” explodes into a wave of sound. The crowd erupted in cheers as this mammoth song concluded. Finally closing out, the Bessemer Saints broke out their hard nosed, strong as steel anthem, “Fire Tested.” Tom fired off blistering lead licks, Shaggy thundered and Terry rumbled. Corey’s voice soared as the set came to a crushing conclusion. Bessemer Saints had rocked the Ballroom like only they can and the fans roared in appreciation. I, for one, was floored. Without question, it had been an amazing set. The fans dispersed and we returned to the parking lot to smoke another round of doobies.

At long last we settled in and prepared for our final set of the evening, Guy Snowden & The Citizens. This is a four piece band featuring Bass/Vocals, Guitar, Drums and Keyboards. They are known for their big old school Rock sound. In fact, my notes read that they have a style that is “Tailor Made” for that “Classic Rock Station” here in town. This is a band out of time. They are musical time travelers. They have a sound that would fit perfectly in to the arenas of the late 1970’s. I could easily see them sharing the stage with the likes of Bad Company, Foreigner or Foghat. Their frontman, Guy Snowden, has an amazingly powerful voice. He sings soft and smooth at one point then flips a switch and is delivering soaring, piercing notes. I was really impressed with the play of the Guitarist. He served up solos of considerable skill on a regular basis. And don’t even get me started on that Keyboardist... That dude has lightening in his fingertips! Guy Snowden & The Citizens Rocked the house and had the crowd dancing on songs like “Dirty Love,” “I’m Free” and “Footsteps.” They performed a sizable set, playing thirteen songs by my count, and even held a raffle before calling it a night. The crowd cheered mightily giving Guy Snowden & The Citizens a strong ovation to see them off. Then it was over. The lights came up and the crowd vanished like smoke in the breeze.

Joha and I said our goodbyes and headed out to the car. We buckled up and headed east toward the dawn. Along the way we chatted about all things musical and discussed what was next on our ever evolving concert calendar. It had been a good night. Much dope was smoked and much Rock N’ Roll was heard. We saw many friends and had many great conversations. And we were fortunate enough to party with three bands of varying styles, which kept the night interesting. In time Joha dropped me off and it was straight to the fridge for some cold pizza, then off to bed. And that, my friends, was how my Friday night went down. Thank you for reading this and for supporting me, as I in turn support our Scene. It is a living breathing ecosystem and your readership helps to keep it alive. For that I am eternally grateful. So bang your head, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

4/4-4/5/2026

Links:

Guy Snowden & The Citizens

https://guyandthecitizens.com/

Bessemer Saints

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

Marcus Smith & The Rapscallions

https://www.marcussmithmusic.com/