Braid Celebrate 25 Years of Frame & Canvas at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland

(Above artwork by Maxwell Stern of Signals Midwest)

Even with the weather being consistently hot this summer here in Northeast Ohio, fans broke out the black jeans and flannels as influential emo/punk band Braid came to town on tour to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of their widely acclaimed album, Frame & Canvas. They were supported by 84 Tigers and Signals Midwest, leading to a packed show at the Beachland Ballroom just outside downtown Cleveland.

84 Tigers

First up for the night was Michigan’s punk trio 84 Tigers. From the start, the energy they brought to the room was electric. Almost immediately people were headbanging, some light moshing, and clearly invested in them.

The Tigers consist of Mike Reed (singer/guitarist), Ben Reed (bassist), and Jono Diener (drummer). The Reeds got their start with Small Brown Bike, while Diener got his with The Swellers.

Even though 84 Tigers was the youngest on the bill this night, having only formed in early 2021, they already have one hard-hitting album in their repertoire, Time in the Lighthouse, released in October of 2022. The album was recorded in 2021 with the help of Marc Jacob Hudson (Against Me!, Taking Back Sunday).

84 Tigers does not currently have any shows upcoming but can be found on Instagram, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, and their website, all linked below.

Signals Midwest

One of my favorite bands to shoot, Signals Midwest comes from right here in Cleveland Heights, OH. This was their second hometown show of the year, with the first being the Brite Winter Festival back in February (you can go check out my article on that).

Not only was this their first show opening for Braid on this tour, the band also used it as a celebration of their 15th anniversary together, having formed in 2008. The band consists of Maxwell Stern (singer/guitarist), Jeff Russell (guitarist), Ryan Williamson (bassist), and Steve Gibson (drummer/backing vocals).

Embodying pure punk rock energy, Signals was the perfect choice to open a punk show of this caliber. Frankly, they were possibly the hardest band of the night for me to get photos of, not only because of the dark and pink conditions of the Beachland, something that plagues every photographer who shoots there but simply because no member of the band would stop moving for more than five seconds. While there were many I didn’t use, the number of photos of one person or another in a position a human shouldn’t be able to be in while on stage was amazing.

Signals Midwest will be on tour with Braid for four more dates in July, the 25th, 27th, 28th, and 29th on the west coast. They can be found on Instagram, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, and Bandcamp, all linked below.

Braid

Around 9:55, Braid finally took the stage.

A long and storied history follows this band, having formed in 1993 and disbanding twice between then and 2011, the current lineup of the group consists of Bob Nanna (guitarist/vocalist, pictured with short hair and an all-black shirt), Chris Broach (guitarist/vocalist, pictured with a hat and an all-black shirt), Todd Bell (bassist), and Damon Atkinson (drummer).

While I was not too familiar with them and their music, only knowing a few songs going into the night, the opposite was true for the crowd. From the moment they stepped on stage and immediately began playing The New Nathan Detroits, the first song off the album that brought them here, the fans were already singing along.

This trend continued throughout much of the night, with few breaks between songs, as if you were listening to Frame & Canvas in its entirety, and fans singing along the entire time. When the first 12 songs that comprised the record were done, the band went on to play 7 more songs, spanning through multiple eras of their discography, even with 3 of those 7 being off of 2014’s No Coast (East End Hollows, No Coast, Damages!), the band’s last full album.

Braid has 4 studio albums to their storied name along with many EPs and collections.

Braid will be continuing the Frame & Canvas party through the end of July with Signals Midwest and Recover. They will also be playing three festivals in the fall, Riot Fest in Chicago from September 15-17, Furnace Fest in Birmingham, AL on September 22, and The Fest in Gainesville, FL from October 27-29. Braid can be found on Instagram, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, all linked below.