Interviews with three CSU students highlighting their bands and musical careers.
Written by Kirsten Kimbler
“There are a lot of great venues in Cleveland that are open to having different types of music,” Grier said. “It doesn’t matter the size of your band, everyone is open to supporting each other.”
Cleveland is known for its historic influence on the music scene and currently hosts a thriving community of local musicians. With Cleveland State University (CSU) being only minutes away from dozens of iconic venues – such as The Grog Shop and The Agora – it is the perfect place to inspire, cultivate and support student musicians. CSU’s music program also contributes to success by creating an excellent, but realistic, performance experience, which allows these three students to pursue their music careers.
Huntmere
Originating from the School of Rock in Westlake, Ohio, Huntmere is a modern alternative rock band. The band’s members met while attending the music school eight years ago, and instantly knew they wanted to create their own band.
The band consists of five members with their lead singer, Elise Bonezzi, currently attending CSU as a part of the music program. All five members are familiar with the Cleveland area, playing multiple venues throughout the city and Lakewood.
According to Bonezzi, the best part about the Cleveland music scene is the understanding and companionship that comes with being a performer here.
“I love meeting all of the new people and connecting with them through music,” Bonezzi, 24, said. “There’s this mutual understanding you have if you are a musician.”
Being a musician is a unique experience that comes with its own challenges, but those challenges are navigated as a community in the Cleveland scene.
“You understand the grind of being a musician,” Bonezzi said. “In the scene of Cleveland, you understand the ins and outs of which venues are good and what the difficulties are of booking your band.”
According to Bonezzi, there’s a special passion and dedication that is shared among the Cleveland music scene. Huntmere is a wholesome and dynamic band that is currently finding their sound through the Cleveland scene.
Bonezzi credits CSU’s music program with some of her success as a musician and her love for making people happy.
“Cleveland State has taught me a lot about how to be in a band and how to perform,” Bonezzi said. “I am definitely glad I’m here, it’s changed my perspective.”
The Open Doors
Led by front man Sam Grossman, The Open Doors are a four-piece local indie rock band that performs at loud, energetic shows.
The band started in 2021 with just two members, including CSU student Nate Rosenhaus. After a year, they welcomed Grossman, then added a bassist to finally complete their group.
The band has faced several challenges since forming, with the most difficult being scheduling. Since the band members are spread across multiple colleges and lifestyles, it can be demanding trying to get all four of them together at one time.
“Trying to find times where all four people can come together at once is difficult,” Grossman, 21, said. “You can get eight opportunities, but can only expect to do one.”
Despite their challenges, The Open Doors have accomplished a lot and found the rewards of performing to be much greater than its difficulties.
In the summer of 2023, The Open Doors went on tour, visiting cities like New York City, which had a major impact on the band.
“Touring to actual crowds of people was crazy,” Grossman said. “The fact we have done that creates a veteran experience of performing.”
Personally, Grossman finds the most rewarding aspect of being in The Open Doors to be performing on stage in front of people. The instant gratification of being a performer is the reason why Grossman wants to pursue music full-time and continue to grow the band.
“I like playing music and performing in front of people,” Grossman said. “Entertaining people is necessary for me.”
The Daze
The Daze is a Cleveland-based rock group that was formed by Eddie Grier during the 2020 pandemic. Despite taking on various members, Grier has consistently remained the front man and guitarist for the now three-piece band.
From simple jam nights with friends to performing in front of sold-out crowds, the band has thrived since its formation four years ago. Grier described The Daze’s sound as honest, loud chaos that is unique to their personality as a group.
According to Grier, the band is incredibly proud to have released their debut album “Methomania” in July 2023, and have since spent their time working on more introspective songs and performances.
“It was always a dream of mine to have my own album,” Grier, 20, said. “An album that specifically tells a story.”
Releasing music and booking live performances are not something that can be done without the musicians around them is something The Daze has learned throughout their career.
Not only is there a Cleveland community, but also a larger “Midwest community” that fully supports one another, which The Daze is very much a part of, according to Grier.
“We all want to make it out and be successful,” Grier said. “So we all support each other and stay in contact with one another.”
Putting together a performance can be a challenging responsibility for local bands, so Grier keeps contact with any bands they may have formally played with. This makes creating a bill, the lineup of artists for a show, a much easier task for The Daze.
Another supportive aspect of the Cleveland music scene are the venues themselves. Several venues have asked The Daze to return for live performances and are welcoming to all local musicians.
“There are a lot of great venues in Cleveland that are open to having different types of music,” Grier said. “It doesn’t matter the size of your band, everyone is open to supporting each other.”
If you are interested in hearing and seeing any of these bands, you can find all three on Instagram:
All three bands post upcoming performances and updates on their music on their accounts.