PHOTOSTREAM: Brite Winter Fest Review

 

About an hour after the Brite Winter Fest kicked off at 4:15 Saturday, it started to snow heavily. Kent’s Cherry Cola Champions, playing on one of the event’s two outdoor stages in an alley behind Campbell’s Sweets Factory on West 25th, rose to the occasion. They invited the audience to join them under the tent covering the stage and played their energetic set practically bumping elbows with listeners.

Over on the main stage at West 26th and Bridge Avenue, fest-goers huddled around three bonfires while listening to acts like Cleveland blues rock singer/guitarist Thaddeus Anna Greene and Philadelphia singer Lucy Stone. Despite the snow and frigid temperatures, the games scattered around area attracted a lot of players.

Luckily for us cold wusses, much of the action was inside. At Joy Machines Bicycles, listeners crowded in to hear a series of high-energy rock and punk bands like En Garde, Signals Midwest, and My Mouth Is the Speaker. Upstairs on the second floor of the Cleveland Hostel, young sisters Vivian and Midge performed their smart-alecky Dead Milkmen-inspired folk punk and took questions from the audience. Up the street at Loren Naji’s Gallery, chameleon Cleveland guitarist/singer Xela gave a jazzy reading of Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream,” accompanied by a trumpet player.

The buzz band of the night was Seafair, who performed in the adjoining space at the Naji Gallery. People were packed tight all the way to the back of the room to listen to this up-and-coming six-piece who produce a lush, epic sound, featuring a mix of cello, violin, guitar and keyboards over a rhythm section, topped by Chayla Hope’s powerful vocals. It was clear that many in the crowd were familiar with the band, as they shouted requests and even sang along. And it’s so much easier to be enthusiastic when you’re not freezing.

View the PHOTOSTREAM here.

 

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One Response to “PHOTOSTREAM: Brite Winter Fest Review”

  1. thanks so much Anastasia! so glad you enjoyed it!

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