It Has To Be From The Heart: Firewater

By Ann Clarke

Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH
May 30, 2008

Photo © Julie Finley

When I found out that Firewater was scheduled to perform at the Beachland in Cleveland, I was all over that ticket like stink on shit! I had seen them perform in 2003, and it was one of those shows that was so good, when it ended, I was sad! I figured it was a one-time-only-moment-in-life type of thing. I had heard that they (I should really say “Tod A”) were going to be releasing an album this year—which was a great bit of news for this fan—but a tour didn’t seem likely, since Tod has taken refuge on the other side of the planet due to his disgust with the U.S., and its incompetent boss running the show! So the odds of him coming back here to do a tour were very slim. Boy, was I a happy girl when this unlikely scenario scheduled itself in my town!

When I got to the venue, I walked in and pretty much saw Tod immediately. Firewater wasn’t performing yet, but one of the local opening groups were (and let me just say, they were one of Cleveland’s most pretentious and shitty. . . torture when you’re waiting for the band you came out of the woodwork to see). Tod was by himself (a very tall figure wearing his signature cap), so I introduced myself and said hello. I asked him if it would be okay to shoot photos of the performance, and his response was “Yes. . . but it has to be from the heart!”

That made me smile! I don’t shoot photos unless I have the passion to do so, so I knew where he was going with that. I chatted with a him a little longer and let him know I was the same girl that photographed Firewater the last time they played in Cleveland. He remembered that night, as well as how I was having problems with my clunky old Zenit (Russian Leica knock-off), and I wished I had a good digital camera. (Luckily I own several now.) I can’t remember what the hell we talked about after that, but I had to get the hell out of the room since that opening band was driving me nuts, and he had shit to take care of.

Photo © Julie Finley

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