Chimaira — Cleveland's international ambassador of heavy metal — will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a special headlining gig on Saturday, July 12, at Peabody's (2083 East 21st Street). The sextet will perform three or four songs from each of its five releases, dating back to 2000's This Present Darkness EP.
"We're going to play stuff that the new fans will respond to and the oldies that the older fans will like hearing," says guitarist Rob Arnold. "We're tight, and we're going to make it happen."
The set should run between 60 and 90 minutes. It will be the last live performance until December's Chimaira Christmas 9. The band will work on its new record between the two shows.
Chimaira first practiced together in August 1998, uniting members of Skipline and Ascension at Rock & Roll City Studios on the West Side. The group signed to Roadrunner Records for 2001's Pass Out of Existence, which made fans, including Slayer guitarist Kerry King. The Impossibility of Reason (from 2003) sold more than 100,000 copies. The New York Times called 2005's self-titled CD "bleakly thrilling." Last year's Resurrection (released on indie label Ferret Music) has sold 76,000 copies.
Arnold, guitarist Matt DeVries, and bassist Jim LaMarca will appear at the Cleveland Sam Ash store (5700 Mayfield Road) on Saturday, July 12, at 1 p.m. They'll meet and greet fans, and promote Chimaira's new signature series of guitars and Arnold's new instructional Metal Guitar DVD.
LaMarca's LaMafia management company has changed its name to Straight Razor Entertainment. The company still has the same principal players, including producer Ben Schigel and former Mushroomhead manager Trent Weller. Its hard-and-heavy lineup now includes Seattle's Darkest Grace and Cleveland metalers The Ohio Sky and Years of Fire, which features original Chimaira guitarist Jason Hager. Years of Fire will open Chimaira's anniversary show.
"We take a deep breath sometimes and say, 'Wow, it's been 10 years,'" says Arnold. "We don't feel like we've crossed the hill now and we're on the way down. Maybe we have another 10 years in us."
• Black Wolf will play a special set on Friday, June 11, at Pat's in the Flats (West Third and Literary streets, Tremont). The Cleveland-Kent psychedelic groove artists' special "blowout" lineup of 10 musicians will feature two drummers, bassists, guitarists, singers, and string players.
• Cleveland-based record company Telarc International has signed Los Angeles singer Melissa Morgan, a classically trained jazz vocalist. Telarc singer-songwriter Keri Noble will perform material from her upcoming Leave Me in the Dark EP on Tuesday, July 15, at the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Road). All Music Guide compared the Minneapolis-based pianist to Norah Jones.
• Vh1 Soul and Vh1.com have added the video for Youngstown rapper Pryslezz's "More Than a Love Song," which features Grammy-nominated singer Dwele.
• Former Warrant guitarist and current Hi-Fi manager Billy Morris can play . . . and he can ride: The axeman scored a six-foot trophy, taking first place in the Senior 2 class at Tippecanoe's Bender Memorial Hare Scramble, a grueling two-hour motorbike race.
