Concert Review: Lucero / The Menzingers | Cleveland, OH

Lucero and The Menzingers kicked off their latest tour at House of Blues Cleveland on Thursday night, bringing their blends of Americana and pop-punk. The night blended punk fervor with Southern soul and sing-along songs.

Indie group Queen of Jeans opened. They’re a relatively new group, especially compared to the veteran main acts, having formed in 2019. The four-piece gave a newer but very welcomed energy to the atmosphere. Singer-guitarist Miri Devora had some great vocal range, sneaking in those high notes. If the internet has anything to say, this group is going places, and after seeing this show, I have to agree. They were a breath of fresh indie air. They “went down easy,” to shoehorn in an unavoidable pun from one of their catchier songs. Guitarist Mattie Glass had some fun licks throughout and bounced around, as did bassist Andrew Nitz. Much like the evening to come, their set started slow and grew to a crescendo. They were clearly having fun on stage, as any young band does.

Billed as a more of a double headlining show, the sound of the two bands might not seem like they go together at first. Lucero is in the more Americana sphere and the Menzingers are more pop-punk, but they ended up pairing well with one another.

Lucero had moments of the more punk sound when drummer Roy Berry got wild during “I Can Get Us Out of Here.” Bassist John Stubblefield’s glorious curls were blowing in the fan breeze the entire time. They also played an impromptu “Bikeriders” from an audience suggestion. The fast-paced lyrics were more like that of a punk singer. The live versions of the translated songs are much harder than the respective album versions. And of course, the Menzingers had their quieter moments as well.

Lucero was the band on the bill with whom I was most familiar. As a fan of theirs since the beginning, with their 2001 eponymous debut album ‘Lucero,’ it’s a certainty that they haven’t lost a step, even with all the evolutions to their sound that have come through the years and over twelve albums. As with most bands that started in the alt-country genre, Lucero’s sound is much more than that label can accurately describe.

Does lead singer Ben Nichols have that twangy southern rock roots to his sound? Of course! Are there driving rock guitars delivered by Brian Venable? Yes! But they have influences all over the board, including some definite punk ones, which blended nicely with the double billing. Their bread and butter are heartbreak and sing-along songs, though. The entire crowd sang along to the closing song, “Tears Don’t Matter Much.” This is where the two main acts also overlap. The crowd fervently sang along to both of their songs.

LUCERO CONCERT PHOTOS; CLEVELAND, OH (05.08.2025)

As someone who wasn’t familiar with the Menzingers, they were a pure joy to witness on stage. A punk band out of Scranton, they showed up with force, full of passion and raw talent that must have never quieted since their formation in 2006. They came out on stage and immediately went into “Good Things,” from their 2012 album ‘Oh, the Impossible Past, ‘and “Try,” from 2023’s ‘Some of It Was True.’ These two songs showed off the true range and energy of the band, vocalists Gregor Barnett and Tom May took turns thrashing it out on each song, backed by Eric Keen on bass and Joe Godino on drums.

At one point, May said how they used to play house shows in basements, one of which was in Cleveland. You could see how that was the case. They had the vibe of a band that naturally stands out in a crowd and have honed that energy to perfection. Other standout songs included “Hope Is a Dangerous Little Thing,” from their most recent release, ‘Some of It Was True,’ when the crowd clapped along as part of the chorus.

As is true with the double-headlining shows, both sets were tight and without filler. Lucero played for a brief 45 minutes, and The Menzingers for about double that. What’s also true about these short sets is that with bands that have so many good songs, you always end up feeling a little greedy and wanting more. There are entire albums full of amazing songs that don’t get represented. It’s a great show to catch! Two main acts for the price of one!