A definition of Underground :
contrary to prevailing culture: separate from a prevailing social or artistic environment, and often exercising a subversive influence.
A few yrs ago I was in New York city visiting friends, Brooklyn to be exact, Williamsburg to be precise. After some pre-gaming and bad habits we left for a night of barhopping. It was a Saturday night so there was a lot of groups of friends that were out that we met up with and did shots with. By the time we got to the third I realized that in the last two hours we had now met a total of 6 people that were from Ohio, (2 from Cleveland). At Galapagos we got into a discussion with an ex-Ohioan that started off on a rant about how he`d never move back and didn't understand why we still lived there. I thought about my house, the street I lived on, Coventry,the Lake, Browns games and because we had just seen a live performance at The Stinger I thought of how many shows I had seen at The Grog Shop, or The Agora, or Edisan`s , The House of Swing or at Blossom and Peabody's Down Under. We did more shots then most of that night got blurry after that but what I do remember was that conversation.
The attitude this individual had about their and my hometown made me realize something.
Cleveland Ohio may be the best example of what underground is. And not underground like the way musicians describe themselves just because they haven't signed a major deal and sold out yet, but underground in a "exercising a subversive influence" Cleveland is the city you're in before you leave and hit it big, or think you've hit it big, or pretend to be hitting it big. If I was to illustrate it physically we would be the last step on the staircase right before you get on a stage. Defectors come back in their mid 40's because they now have two kids and need to leave whatever Metropolis they reside in order to completely kick their coke habit. Then buy a house in the same neighbourhood they grew up in as kids and enjoy the manageable cost of living. The only people that stay are people like me who are OK with shoveling a foot and a half of snow from the driveway to go and watch a 2-12 Football team in 15 degree weather. We are a certain type of people that stay in Cleveland. We weather everything from snow storms to getting ragged on by everyone from ESPN sportscasters to Late night Talk show hosts to Screenwriters in movies to Musicians who even though claim to want to keep it real would rather play in some swanky club in LA or NYC than sweat it out with the rest of us at B-side, Beachland or The Grog.
The reason why they hate us is because we remind them of where they came from. It makes them sad to remember how long their journey has been or is. Those memories of being the third string running back on a 2-12 Browns or reporting on an accident on 185th in Collinwood during a snowstorm or doing a show in front of 50 people at the Euclid Tavern or just sitting around on the Coventry steps on a Friday night with nothing to do seem to invoke disdain instead of Nostalgia when those same people have just won the Superbowl or are sitting at the Anchor desk at CNN or in front of 20 ooo at Coachella or while sipping Martinis in Tribeca.
Ive found that the only people that seem to be ok with Cleveland apart from the ones that actually still live here are
a) People from other Cleveland Like cities on the way back up who suffered the same fate of ungrateful defectors eg. every city in New Jersey and Indiana.
b) Ex-Clevelanders who are still crawling their way up to success in other cities who ironically become those same now successful Condescending Doushebags you talk to in bars at Thanksgiving or Christmas while their home visiting.
Cleveland is a state of mind, its the Home that some can never come back to because they began to measure their success with the very act of leaving it. We will continue to be the origin and the springboard for many athletes and musicians and actors and business people all over the country and world. Some who acknowledge it some who keep acting like we an illegitimate child that could ruin their careers if word of it ever got out.
Big S/O to Coventry, Lee Rd, W9, W6, Browns Stadium, Tremont, 105, St Claire,The Q, Jimmy Johns, West Bank, Dick Goddard, Melt, Josh Cribbs, Joe Haden, Cedar Lee Theatre, Ritchie, Nightown's Dublin Lawyer, Euclid Ave, Christies, Lakewood, Metroparks, The MUNI,
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