Beachland Ballroom at 25: It’s the 121-act ‘Hey, you forgot to mention…’ list

Michael Stanley through the years

The late Cleveland rocker and media personality Michael Stanley scored a Cleveland Arts Prize award for lifetime achievement. It was bestowed at the Beachland Ballroom. (Gus Chan | The Plain Dealer)The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio – If there’s one thing Cleveland’s music heads desire, it’s acknowledgement that a show they’ve been to is held in esteem.

One thing is certain: Beachland Ballroom & Tavern has seen a lot of action across a quarter-century and so many shows meet that criterion.

We’re sure we’ve missed something (and know you’ll tell us if we did!!), but here are another 121 acts that have played the storied venue across 25 years:

  1. 15-60-75 (The Numbers Band)
  2. Andrew Bird
  3. Band of Horses
  4. Beach House
  5. Black Lips
  6. Black Midi
  7. Black Moth Super Rainbow
  8. Blitzen Trapper
  9. Bonnie “Prince” Billy
  10. Bright Eyes
  11. Built to Spill
  12. Caamp
  13. Camper Van Beethoven
  14. Car Seat Headrest
  15. Chuck Prophet
  16. Chris & Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes, in separate shows)
  17. Cloud Nothings
  18. 18. Cobra Verde
  19. 19. Cracker
  20. Cranes
  21. Dave Alvin
  22. Dawes
  23. Dead Boys
  24. Deerhunter
  25. Difford & Tilbrook (frontmen of Squeeze)
  26. Dinosaur Jr.
  27. EELS
  28. Father John Misty
  29. Foals
  30. Fountains of Wayne
  31. Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls (Tape Deck Heart tour)
  32. Frightened Rabbit
  33. Future Islands
  34. Gary Numan
  35. Girl Talk
  36. Glenn Schwartz
  37. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
  38. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
  39. Goose
  40. Helmet
  41. Hot Tuna
  42. Ian Hunter Death of Samantha
  43. Japanese Breakfast
  44. Johnny Winter
  45. Jonathan Richman
  46. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
  47. Justin Townes Earle
  48. Kishi Bashi
  49. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
  50. Kinky Friedman
  51. Kings of Leon
  52. Lake Street Dive
  53. Liz Phair
  54. L7
  55. Love
  56. Los Lobos
  57. Low
  58. Lucero
  59. Lucius
  60. Magnolia Electric Co.
  61. Mark Eitzel
  62. Meat Puppets
  63. Melanie
  64. Milk Carton Kids
  65. Minami Deutsch
  66. Mogwai
  67. My Dad is Dead
  68. Neko Case
  69. Noah Kahan
  70. NRBQ
  71. Osees
  72. OK Go
  73. Parquet Courts
  74. Pete Yorn
  75. Peelander-Z
  76. Pere Ubu
  77. Redd Kross
  78. Rogue Wave
  79. Ra Ra Riot
  80. Roky Erickson
  81. Rooney
  82. Shovels & Rope
  83. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
  84. Sharon Van Etten
  85. Shellac
  86. Shovels & Rope
  87. Snarky Puppy
  88. Soft Machine
  89. Son Volt
  90. Soul Asylum
  91. Spoon
  92. Stars
  93. Supersuckers
  94. Sufjan Stevens
  95. Swans
  96. Teenage Fanclub
  97. The Bird & the Bee
  98. The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
  99. The Breeders (Last Splash LSXX anniversary tour)
  100. The Brian Jonestown Massacre
  101. The Church
  102. The Decemberists
  103. The Dream Syndicate
  104. The Hold Steady
  105. The Infamous Stringdusters
  106. The James Gang
  107. The New Pornographers
  108. The Revivalists
  109. The Smithereens
  110. The War on Drugs
  111. Those Darlins
  112. Thurston Moore
  113. Two Door Cinema Club
  114. Travis
  115. Ty Segall
  116. Walk the Moon
  117. Wussy
  118. Wire
  119. X
  120. Yo La Tengo

121. Finally, let us not forget CLE favorite son, Michael Stanley. On May 4, 2019, the singer-songwriter and media personality received the Cleveland Arts Prize Lifetime Achievement Award at the Beachland, which was followed by a benefit concert with him and his bandmates.

What’s your favorite show?

Tell us all about it (but keep it PG, please). Email pchakerian@cleveland.com. Use the subject line “Beachland memories” and stick to 75 or fewer words. If you remember the year, please include. Leave your name and hometown; we might use it in a subsequent story.

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