Picture a band refusing to give in to exhaustion, baring their souls, covered in sweat, oozing alcohol for a crowd that never wants them to stop performing. Imagine a scene where rapscallions are discharging some of the finest locally grown hard-driven, twang-filled, bar-brewed rock 'n roll sure to please generations from the past to the current. A sound for our time.
Admittedly, several friends were much earlier to ride The Magpies' wave and board their ship than I was, mostly due to my skepticism, and needing to see them deliver the goods in a live environment before joining their legion of fans. It was only when I unexpectedly caught The Magpies play a holiday party last month that I finally started to "get" them. This roots rock band just plays music that is honest and real and for all of us.
There seems to be a familiarity that The Magpies possess, an aplomb that, even when the listener does not know the lyrics or melody, that allows each and every song to creep right in and make you feel at home. You really cannot get much more Cleveland than an Americana band that not only plays wholeheartedly for three to four hours, but also features a talented accordion player (fitting, in the polka-friendly town of Frank Yankovic).
Cover of The Magpies Eastern Standard Time
Drawing from a massive range of influences - Dylan to Chopin to Motown to The Clash - they are a perfect band for Cleveland's 21st century. The Magpies have truly proven to be the embodiment of our North Coast spirits, taking the best from the past while combining it with our town's modern hope and passion, and most important, knowing how to cut loose at the end of the day.
The vibrancy of their performance cannot be fully captured on record, but what is captured are lyrics that at their core tell stories we want to hear. Stories of loss, sadness, regret, and love. "Roger [Hoover] does the lion's share of the songwriting. He'll usually demo something and bring in a completed version of it. We then deconstruct it, add sections, dynamics, etc and work it into something that works for the four of us," says Magpies' bassist and vocalist, Doug McKean.
With a handful of shows booked in Northeast Ohio throughout the next couple months, the band notes, "The Happy Dog is sort of our home base. Great people, great food, our friends and fans love it there. Just a good vibe. We play shorter sets at the Beachland Ballroom sometimes too, which is always a good time. Gotta mention Brother's Lounge which is also a really nice place to play or see a show." Having played with the likes of local acts such as The Jack Fords, Lazy Susan, and Exploding Lies, they have the versatility to play with just about anyone.
While listening to The Magpies and feeling how much pure enthusiasm their die hard fans exude, I cannot help but to be reminded of a line from Rob Sheffield's Love is a Mix Tape when referring to his favorite local band, The Hold Steady:
"Sometimes I think: man, all the people I get to hear this song with, we're going to miss each other when we die. When we die, we will turn into songs, and we will hear each other and remember each other."
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