Review:
This gig was well attended (I don't think there was a free seat in the place, plus people were standing around the edges), especially for a Sunday evening and Kasim played for almost exactly 90 minutes.

The opening act was Colette Gschwind who played for about 30 minutes from 8.00pm. She played an acoustic set and that included a couple of cover songs but her arrangement was so that they didn't sound much like the originals which disappointed me.

For most of Colette's set, as the stage at this venue is not much higher than the floor, all I could see of her was her forehead from my seat so I moved to stand at the back so that I could see Kasim clearly. He came on stage at about 8.50pm and was wearing a black jacket and white shirt (I always think he looks really good in white!) and jeans. I didn't even bother taking photos as this venue is far too dark for my camera.

Kasim used two guitars in this set (as he did in Chicago). I'm not technical enough to know what guitars they are but it was his green metallic one and his brown / orange wooden looking one that is also made out of metal (I think).

Although I enjoyed tonight's gig, I actually didn't think that Kasim's voice was as clear as it usually is but I spoke to 4 other people afterwards who all told me that they thought he sounded fine so I wondered if possibly it was the acoustics where I was standing but now that I've listened to my recording, I don't think it was as he sounded fine at the beginning of the set but I thought his voice showed signs of strain by the end of the set (but that's just my opinion!). Despite all that I thought it was a great set (although I preferred Chicago slightly as the crowd were more receptive).

Kasim started his set by saying how much he enjoys playing in Cleveland and then joked that he'd bought a band with him! He then counted in "his band" and sang I Just Want To Touch You straight into Set Me Free. Next Kasim spoke about the TV show that he performed on in Cleveland on Wednesday and remarked that he'd had to do his own make-up for the show and his first attempt made him look like death walking! He then played the song he sang on that show, Sacrifice.

Kasim then told us the story about his car being broken into in Chicago before he sang Sweet Little Accident straight into Summer's Gone. (Kasim later joked that Todd paid someone to break into Kasim's car just to unnerve him!)

Apparently there was a VIP in the audience tonight as there was a former Miss Illinois there. Kasim explained that she'd only managed to catch half his show in Chicago so she'd come to Cleveland to see the whole set. Kasim said that he was nervous because she was there so this then became the running joke of the evening - he even asked us at one point if we were nervous because she was there!

Cliché was next followed immediately by his own Yellow Cab song. After Kasim had wished us a happy St Patrick's Day (for Tuesday) he joked that he'd been cooking corned beef all weekend and then sang There Goes My Inspiration.

Kasim followed that by singing The Cars Drive and then he changed guitars to sing Watching The World Go By which is a song that Kasim said he wrote by himself (not a collaboration with Phil Thornalley).

The One Sure Thing was next and no matter how many times I hear that song, I can't get over how beautiful those words are. It's beyond me why that song hasn't been picked up for a movie soundtrack or by an established "name" to cover!

Kasim then told us it'll be 20 years this year since he's had a drink or used drugs and then told us about his funny theory regarding that and pickled cucumbers (you had to be there!) before playing Libertine. During that song he told us to imagine "his band" playing a screaming guitar solo in the middle of it!

Following Libertine Kasim played Are You Happy Now straight into I Don't Mind At All. (Kasim actually played the same songs as he did in Chicago except that these two songs were switched.)

Another one of Kasim's new songs were next which was Endless Summer. He explained that this was only the second ever time that he'd sung it on stage but tonight we had an unusual version as someone went out near the beginning (presumably for a smoke) so Kasim changed a couple of lines to ask where they going!

Back On The Street was also an unusual version tonight as Kasim sang the whole of the first verse quietly in a slightly deeper voice which was effective.

Yet another unusual thing then happened as someone called out for a Meat Loaf song so Kasim sang (quite quickly) the chorus to Anything For Love which I don't remember him doing before on stage! He then said that the next song was for us (the fans) and it was Nik Kershaw's Somebody Loves You.

Kasim's final song in the set proper was One World (with everybody joining in for the clapping). Thankfully Kasim was persuaded to sing an encore so he finished with his signature song, Don't Hold Me Back.

And that ended another brilliant Kasim Sulton solo gig. The more I see him play these solo gigs, the more I really wish that that was all he did all the time.