Vol. #258: Bessemer Saints with The Road Warrior
Rustbelt Rock Review
By: Z.M. Delgado
Volume #258: Bessemer Saints with The Road Warrior
October 2nd 2026
At Witz End
Hello my dear friend and welcome back to the wonderful world of Cleveland underground music. This week I found myself receiving a special treat: a rare east side show. That’s right, for once I didn’t have to go out to the Scene, because for all intents and purposes, the Scene had come to me. So Joha swung by my house around 7:45 and scooped me and we headed East towards At Witz End. We arrived on the Scene to find the party was already in full swing. The entire Heavy on Cleveland team was present and many of the constant Scene members were in attendance. It was a family vibe at the corner bar as everywhere I looked I saw familiar faces. We milled about inside and out, hanging around both in the bar and on the patio... passing the time, twisting our minds and enjoying each others company. In good time, somewhere after 8:30, The Road Warrior took to the Stage and the show began.
The Road Warrior
The Road Warrior is a three piece Rock N’ Roll band from Ashtabula, Ohio. They are made up of Guitar/Vocals, Bass/Backing Vocals and Drums. They opened up the night with some straight up Hard Rock. Though new to me, their style was familiar in a lot of ways. In fact you could say it had a “vintage” feel, as their sound had echos of the Classic Rock era. However I define or describe it, I can tell you it was solid and people seemed to really dig it. Most impressive to me was their Guitarist. He had some masterful skills, dropping ripping riffs and serious solos, all while delivering passionate Vocals with strong stage presence. The Drummer was on point on “Speed Demon” and on “Give it Some Gas” there was some killer Bass work. All in all they were a good band with a great sound. If my count is correct, they played 16 songs of Rock N’ Roll thunder before calling it a set. While The Road Warrior took their bows and off loaded their gear, we adjourned to the patio for some mind enhancement and conversation.
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Bessemer Saints
In what felt like no time at all we were back at the stage, and ready for the main event, one of my favorite acts in the Scene, the mighty Bessemer Saints. For those of you who are new to the RbRR, Bessemer Saints is a four man Rock N’ Roll act made up of Vocals, Guitar, Bass/Backing Vocals and Drums/Backing Vocals. They are well known for their Blues heavy Rock sound, their good time atmosphere and their exceptional musicianship. On the cusp of releasing their third full length album, they have been teasing out new tracks, one by one, for months now. Well tonight was no different, and they dove into the new material immediately. Hearing this was a relief to me, as the sound was exactly what I, as a fan, wanted. It was that same uncouth, bluesy, Rock N’ Roll that I have come to rely on. I observed as each of the boys did their thing. At center stage Corey’s Vocals soared with that smokey, smooth tone. Behind the kit, Terry rolled out a rock solid rhythm, with precision and plenty of flourish. On the low end, Shaggy produced infinite groove as he plucked the four strings and danced continuously. And of course, blowing minds one chord at a time, was Tommy. His six string skill unrivaled. His style uncontested. He riffed with a vengeance; he soloed without mercy. Note by gorgeous note the boys reminded me how much I love Bessemer Saints and why I come back time after time. They thrilled us with multiple new songs, all of which slayed. They also hit us with a flurry of classic tracks, as well as covers by U.F.O. and Howlin’ Wolf. The set climaxed with an absolutely epic rendition of “This Dark Age” followed by the hard nosed, “Fire Tested.” The fans applauded heavily and the Saints said thank you, as they stopped to take a break. You see, we were far from finished. That was actually just the first of two sets the BS boys would be performing! After another trip to the patio, we returned and were treated to an entirely different set from the best damn band in the land. This second batch included more new material as well as Rockin’ favorites such as “Like I Care,” “Waste of Space” and “Change” They also showed off their softer side with two of my personal favorites “Got To” and “The Cycle.” They closed out with their show stopper “Another Night with Whiskey” then returned with an encore of yet another new song. (I think they played seven new jams!) All told I believe that brought my Bessemer Saints grand total to roughly 22 songs performed… it was amazing. Two hours of BS is exactly the prescription my soul needed on a Friday night.
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The boys off loaded their gear. We said our goodbyes then we headed out to the car and hit the blacktop home. Once that was accomplished I fell into the sack and had sweet dreams of Bluesy riffs all the long night through. And that, my friends, was how I spent my Friday evening. It was a banger of good time. Good friends, great music and a short commute home... What more could I ask for? Nothing, that’s what. I find myself sonically satisfied. I suppose on that note, I will call this installment to an end. Thank you for following me down this little rabbit hole again. Don’t forget to bang your heads, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs.
Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,
-Z.M. Delgado
Rustbelt Rock Review
10/3/26
Links:
Bessemer Saints
https://www.facebook.com/BessemerSaints/
The Road Warrior
Voice of the Underground
