Until recently, the only way you could get me to listen to WNCX 98.5 past the end of the Howard Stern Show would have been to put a gun to my head, and even then I would have had to think it over for a bit. In fact, a certain on-air personality for the station who will remain nameless (hint: his initials are B.L. and he thinks Bowie stopped releasing albums after Ziggy Stardust) is still on my ass-kicking list for cheap shots he fired at the Ramones when they got inducted to the Rock Hall of Fame. But all that has changed thanks to one man, the talented multi-instrumentalist and Sopranos actor Little Steven Van Zandt, host and creator of Little Steven's Underground Garage.

The Underground Garage does something neither the crap 'classic' rock stations or crap 'alternative' stations have ever dared to do, something that has previously been confined to the realm of college radio: it manifests the link between the gritty rock of the sixties to the indie rock of the eighties to the contemporary garage rockers reviving the scene today.

The real rock does exist. Always has. Always will. It is out there, and, thankfully, Little Steven is sharing it with the nation. More importantly, on February 21st he will be sharing it with Cleveland live at the Beachland Ballroom. Headliners the Romantics have a new disc with a great garage rock crunch, but the real prize is a band that has worn the mantle of garage gods since the early eighties, Rochester, NY's Chesterfield Kings. Last time I saw them was opening for the Hoodoo Gurus at the Phantasy Nite Club many a moon ago, along with New Salem Witch Hunter Dave Swanson playing in the excellent power pop band the Reactions. That night the Kings WERE the Rolling Stones (Brian Jones, era, naturally), the Pretty Things, the Fantastic DJ's, etc. Not because they played through Vox amps, but because they invoked the primal gods of garage and frugged like titans.

This show promises to be all that and more as Little Steven not only produced their latest, "the mindbending sounds of the Chesterfield Kings", but cowrote and played on the lead track. So, it would seem a safe bet that the littlest Soprano will be doing more than just introducing the bands. Join Steven in manifesting the true history of rock and roll.

from Cool Cleveland contributor Sean Rapacki

Little Steven's Underground Garage airs in Cleveland on WNCX 98.5FM on Sundays from 10PM-midnight

Little Steven appears this Sat 2/21 at 9PM at the Beachland Ballroom featuring The Romantics, The Chesterfield Kings, The Reigning Sound, The Fondas, and Cobra Verde. For tickets, visit http://www.BeachlandBallroom.com

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