B-Bop Records, which reopened a brick and mortar store earlier this year after being online for 17 years (it was previously located on Reynolds Road from 1987-1990 then on Dorr Street from 1990-94) is continuing its tradition of hosting in-store concerts. Amjad Doumani, the owner, brings in local talents as well as touring bands with unique and rare sounds.

Many times bands come are looking for a nontraditional venue where patrons can focus on the art that is going on instead of being preoccupied with bar activities.

“We have adventurous music that other people would not necessarily book and that goes with the bigger picture, to provide a space where people can feel community and get alternative ways of thinking,” Doumani said.

The space Doumani is speaking of is Third Space, where B-Bop Records is located. I am a “keyholder” to Third Space, which is also home to B-Bop Records as well as the Lucas County Green Party and Media Decompression Collective (check out the film “Garbage Warriors,” there, 8 p.m. Sept. 19).

I try to stop in at every show, at least to hear the sound and check out the scene. Last Saturday, the attendees were treated to homemade pasta made by the headlining band, Tubax. The Italian band was on its second American tour. Accompanying Tubax was Bulldozer from Erie, Penn., and Toledo’s Jesus Time Machine.

If you’re looking to expand your musical taste, check B-Bop Records’ Facebook page and go through all the bands that have played there. Then start checking out some shows. They are all on a sliding scale donation so no one is turned away. It is a relaxing atmosphere where you can sit on a couch and get into the peformance, dance to the music or browse through impressive vinyls, rare memorabilia or the progressive library.

Sept. 22, Paul Stranahan’s Insomnia will perform at B-Bop Records at 8 p.m.

According to a news release about the northeast Ohio band, “PSI was created by drummer and composer Paul Stranahan to facilitate his band to be more creative than the standard jazz gigs were allowing. Since the band’s creation PSI has evolved a sound all its own, grabbing inspiration from multiple sources from Mahavishnu Orchestra, John Coltrane, King Crimson, Tim Berne, John Zorn, and even Meshuggah mixed into their brand of improvisational mayhem.”

“PSI is treading, experimenting and dominating groundwork that has been established long before, but never perfected. Every show is as fresh as the last because of the way they improvise. Though there is framework to every piece, PSI is a terraforming musical machine. They adapt to the environment, adapt to the sounds that happened, are happening, and will happen, and adapt to their audience. These variations create musical mosaics that are beyond genre and form, but toward tranquility and headed for mayhem.”

See you at the show.

Tags: Amjad Doumani, B-Bop Records, Insomina, Stacy Jurich

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 at 2:35 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Music.
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