Cleveland Metal Community Unites For Holiday Food Drive

WJCU 88.7 FM and Auburn Records will host a food drive for the Cleveland Foodbank on Saturday, December 11 at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio.

Fans attending the Iron Ingo Cleveland Indoor Air festival are encouraged to bring canned or non-perishable foods to the Beachland to help those in need this holiday season. A donation will be made from the Cleveland metal community to the Cleveland Foodbank.

"Heavy metal fans are the most generous people in the world when it comes to supporting good causes," says Auburn Records president and WJCU "Metal On Metal" host Bill Peters. "The stereotyped negative images many outsiders have of the metal community are simply not true. This is a very intelligent, passionate and tight=knit group who cares deeply about their local community and will rally together to help anyone in need."

Last December's Cleveland Metal Food Drive at the Beachland generated an incredible 340 pounds in food donations.

"The Foodbank was and still is in dire need of food donations due to the poor economy," adds Peters. "Cleveland has been hit very hard by the recession. We filled every inch of a large-sized van with food last year. There was so much food in the van that it was falling out as we tried to close the doors. You couldn't put anything else in there if your life depended on it. The Foodbank was very appreciative of the donations and completely taken back by the response. Our goal is to top that total this year. I know we can do it. We may have to rent a semi-truck to transport them the food but we'll get it there!"

The festival will be hosted by Germany's Iron Ingo Stührenberg. Ingo is a writer for the popular German underground heavy metal webzine Metal Rules. He has traveled to Cleveland from his home in Wiesmoor, Germany, at his own expense, for the second year in a row to be part of this event. His first visit to Cleveland was in 2009.

"I absolutely love Cleveland!" says Ingo. "The city has a very Nordic feel to it, similar in many ways to Hamburg in the Northern Germany area near where I live. It has a reputation in Germany for being a great heavy metal town but it's actually the people that make Cleveland such an amazing place. I do not think the people realize what a special place they have going here. Sometimes you need to be on the outside looking in to fully appreciate things. I have made some long-term friendships with many people in this city. Oh my god, I really love this place!

"Last year my mom could not understand why I had to go to Cleveland this time of year and was not staying at home working in my family company. When I got back home from the USA, I showed all the pictures of my friends from the festival. I told my parents it was a very special free-admission event for metal fans who wanted to come bringing food for the Cleveland Foodbank to help people getting to eat. It was such a big success and the fans brought so much food. The moment my mom saw the pictures of all the food donations, it immediately moved her to tears. She said I absolutely did right to go to Cleveland and was very happy and proud about me. It was a moving moment for me. Everyone else in the family was happy about it too — a perfect Christmas time for all of us!"

Bands performing at the festival this year include: BLACK DEATH, BREAKER, DESTRUCTOR, ETERNAL LEGACY, GROUND ZERO, H.A.T.E., LICK THE BLADE, SHOK PARIS, SOULLESS and VENOMIN JAMES, plus special guest appearances by MAIDEN VOYAGE (performing IRON MAIDEN's "Number Of The Beast" album in its entirety) and THE CLEVELAND BURLESQUE COMPANY girls. Iron Ingo and CELLBOUND's Chris Emig will co-host. The festival runs from 4:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Admission is FREE!

"I have attended hundreds and hundreds of live shows and festivals over the years but never have I seen girls doing burlesque at a heavy metal concert," adds Ingo. "This will be a lot of great fun!"

"It is my pleasure and honor to be involved with not only one of the best charities in Cleveland (Cleveland Foodbank) but also with the best group of people in Cleveland...the heavy metal family!" says Cleveland Burlesque Company co-founder Aurora Sans. "Our group is thrilled to pioneer the first Cleveland metal and burlesque experience a la the newest trend made popular by Queensrÿche Cabaret. We look very forward to adding an extra titillating experience to the whole festival...tassels a twirlin'...shimmying and shakin' our way through the night!"

"It's amazing what music can do," proudly states Ingo. "It can make friends forever and bring people together to help each other. On the 11th of December you are all able to see a free unforgettable show with some great Cleveland metal bands at the Beachland Ballroom. Bill has put a lot of hard work, time and money into setting this event up for me. It's truly unbelievable what this guy has done for the community by bringing everyone together to help with this food drive. He is always helping people. If you want to do us one important favor, please bring a food donation for the Cleveland Foodbank. Even the smallest gift can help a lot. Bring as much food as you are able to and help those less fortunate people get something to eat this holiday season. In union we stand!!!"

Running order and set times for the Iron Ingo Cleveland Indoor Air festival:

GROUND ZERO - 4:00 p.m.
VENOMIN JAMES - 4:45 p.m.
ETERNAL LEGACY - 5:30 p.m.
DESTRUCTOR - 6:15 p.m.
H.A.T.E. - 7:00 p.m.
THE CLEVELAND BURLESQUE COMPANY (Act I) - 7:45 p.m.
SOULLESS - 8:05 p.m.
BREAKER - 8:50 p.m.
LICK THE BLADE - 9:35 p.m.
BLACK DEATH - 10:20 p.m.
THE CLEVELAND BURLESQUE COMPANY (Act II) - 11:05 p.m.
SHOK PARIS - 11:25 p.m.
MAIDEN VOYAGE - 12:10 a.m.

In the photo below: Iron Ingo Stührenberg with some of the girls from the Cleveland Burlesque Company. Pictured left to right: Deliah Von Dagger, Madison, Aurora Sans