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Lottery League Talks All Things Panza Foundation

How has Panza Foundation impacted you/your work?

Panza Foundation played a crucial role in supporting the 2024 Lottery League season, and has helped to grow this region-wide art project every step of the way since we first joined the Foundation following our 2019 season. Given an extended span of five years between seasons due to the pandemic, the 2024 season was particularly significant and important to the local music scene. Panza Foundation not only operates as the Lottery League's non-profit fiscal agent, but they also collaborated and assisted in recruiting artists who formed our most engaged roster of participants yet. Remarkably, of the 172 musicians who took part and were drafted into 43 bands this season, 99% of the roster successfully completed the entire season within the band's they were drafted. Without question, Panza Foundation played a vital role in every bit of the success of this season. For the Lottery Leagues' organizers specifically (aka The Council), navigating a five-year hiatus between seasons in regards to managing relationships, making tough decisions behind the scenes, and all while juggling our family and careers, was no small feat. Throughout all of this, Panza Foundation’s support has extended way beyond merely operating as our fiscal agent. We’re thrilled about the Lottery League’s collaborative efforts with the Panza Foundation that went into making our 2024 season the best ever, and we couldn't be more excited about our future with them in working to ensure the Lottery League's sustainability for years to come.

What do you feel Panza Foundation's impact has been on the independent and underground Cleveland music scene?

The sheer number of bands and artists since its formation who have directly benefited from the various means in which Panza Foundation provides support, has truly had an immeasurable positive effect on the local music scene. Their direct support and the developed relationships within the local community of independent and underground musicians are key to what made the collaboration between our project and Panza Foundation such a beneficial pairing for us both.

Photo courtesy of Jae Kristoff

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Talor Smith from Biitchseat Talks All Things Panza Foundation

How has Panza Foundation impacted you/your work? 

Firstly, the Panza Foundation has funded the purchase of several essential items of gear and partially funded the purchase of a vehicle that allows us to tour. Touring is the number one way we are able to make money and gain followers as a band, so having a van to do so in is essential. Secondly, the Foundation promotes our shows and releases on their social media platforms which expands our reach. Lastly, the Foundation has been endlessly helpful in any way they possibly can be- sourcing bookers in unfamiliar cities, providing discounts for in-house recording- they are always looking for ways to help us out and we are endlessly grateful for them.

What do you feel Panza Foundation's impact has been on the independent and underground Cleveland music scene?

As I've heard John say many times: "bands need money!" We do! Having a Foundation that's simple goal is to provide money for small bands that often have quite a need for it is huge. The entire concept of the Panza Foundation is rooting in generosity, and not only is that directly helpful for small bands, it's contagious for the community. I know we personally have been able to let other bands and musicians use our Panza-purchased gear for recording and live shows in the past- we even loan out the van to band's that need transportation for short tours. The Foundation is a sponsor of the newly restored Lottery League- a melting pot for musicians across many genres and disciplines. As a participant in Lottery League, I can certainly say that I met people that were brand new to me from the Cleveland music scene. This expanded my local connections and made me feel more a part of the scene in general. Often it feels as though there isn't a ton of unity within the Cleveland music scene, but the sponsorships, funding of independent bands and organizing that the Panza Foundation is doing helps bring the scene together. I wish every city had a Panza Foundation.

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Q&A with Osi Okoro from Teamonade

In the fourth and final blog post featuring the Panza Foundation’s 2024 Bands, Osi Okoro discusses how she learned to play guitar and the origins of the band’s unique name. Q: What inspired you to form your band? OO: The band formed in 2017. I was writing songs and I met and brought in Ryan and TJ. My inspiration is music. Music impacted me and I wanted to do the same for other people. Q: Where did you learn how to play? OO: I am self-taught. I started watching JustinGuitar online and learned how to play. Q: How would you describe your sound for someone who has never heard you perform? OO: I take a lot of inspiration from Modest Mouse and Alex G. I like their riffs and their lyricism. It’s a lot of indie and guitar music. Q: How did you come up with your band’s name? OO: I love sweet tea and lemonade! I worked at Waffle House and we had that on the menu – like an Arnold Palmer. Q: How did you hear you were a recipient of a 2024 Panza Foundation grant and what does it mean to you? OO: We never check Facebook, but we did and saw we had a message from John [Panza]. I thought “what the heck, this is so cool”. I was so happy and grateful! Q: Any idea how you’re going to allocate the grant funds? OO: We would love to fly TJ in from Seattle and schedule time with John to get into the studio. We’ve got songs that were written a loooong time ago that we’re just now trying to get recorded. Q: What are your thoughts on the local music scene in Northeast Ohio? OO: The music scene here has so many possibilities. There are a lot of venues where you can play. It’s a very nice atmosphere and very welcoming. Q: What’s coming up next for Teamonade?

OO: We’re dropping as much music as we can muster! I don’t put too many expectations on my music. Anything that comes of it is great!

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Q&A with Jen Powers and Matthew Rolin from Powers / Rolin Duo

In this third blog post featuring Panza Foundation 2024 Bands, Jen Powers and Matthew Rolin discuss incorporating a unique instrument into their music and what makes the Cleveland music scene the best in Ohio.

Q: What inspired you to form your band?

JP: Matt and I met through a mutual friend and hit it off. 

MR: Our first time playing together, we winged it. I never thought about playing with a hammered dulcimer player, but we just let it fly. 

JP: Yeah, we agreed on which key to play in, but the rest was very improvisational. Matt is a very melodic musician. 

Q: Jen -can you please about how you two incorporated a hammer dulcimer into your music.

JP: My mom’s cousin had a hammered dulcimer in her attic and gave it to me. I started messing around with it and it felt good!

Q: How would you describe your sound for someone who has never heard you perform?

MR: I would describe our sound as folk music, but not in a traditional sense. Maybe more like spiritual jazz or like drone music with looping and using delays.

JP: Yeah, I’d say our sound is open to interpretation. It sounds like different things to different people. We’ve been categorized as a lot of things – rock, pop, New Age, but I don’t think any of those descriptors fit the bill. I would say we’re tonal, experimental folk.

MR: There are elements of other people, but we are uniquely our own.

Q: How did you hear you were a recipient of a 2024 Panza Foundation grant and what does it mean to you?

MR: John [Panza] messaged us on Instagram. Several Board members on the Panza Foundation advocated for us. They are really great for musicians since they ask you how they can help you instead of you asking them.

Q: Any idea how you’re going to allocate the grant funds?

JP: I think we’re going to allocate those funds to reliable transportation so we can go on tour. We’re planning on going to western Massachusetts; Kingston, New York; and other parts of New England. Having transportation we can rely on just reduces stress and allows us to have more creative energy.

Q: What are your thoughts on the local music scene in Northeast Ohio?

MR: Northeast Ohio has the best music scene in Ohio – better than a lot of the country. Even on a Tuesday night you can play at a small venue and you will find enthusiastic and supportive people.

JP: I think there’s an adventurousness to the local music scene. People who play different types of music are very willing to interact with each other. There’s a lot of small to midsize venues that you can book yourself. That’s not the case everywhere. 

MR: There’s a greater opportunity for the type of music we make. It’s a good place to jam.

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Q&A with Sarah Cuturic from Napsack

In this second blog post featuring Panza Foundation 2024 Bands, Sarah Cuturic shares how her band, Napsack, stayed creative during Covid and reflects on her genuine respect for her bandmates. Q: What inspired you to form your band? SC: Ever since I was little my dad was in bands, so it was always on my radar as something to want and aspire to. Will (Cuneo) and I have been playing music ever since we met, about 8 years ago. Napsack was formed by me, Will, and my brother Malen (Cuturic) in ~2019. Malen eventually moved away to Portland, and A.J. (Graber) stepped in on bass. Then, post pandemic, we picked up Jake (Tisdale) and became a four piece. Q: What was it like trying to keep a band together during the pandemic? SC: I live with Will, so we were able to keep working on things pretty consistently. And our practice space / studio is actually my mom’s house – so we were able to record our album Put You First during the pandemic there, wearing masks, fueled by freshly baked snickerdoodles. Q: How would you describe your sound for someone who has never heard you perform? SC: I always have trouble with this question… I guess I’d say our sound has been influenced by indie rock, country, and rock & roll. I’d also say we’re not super folky, and that we’ve been lightly influenced by post punk. Bands we really like are Wilco, Big Star, and Guided by Voices. Q: How did you find out the Panza Foundation selected Napsack as a grant recipient? SC: We got a message from John (Panza) on Instagram and suspected. All four of us went over to his space, had a fun conversation about it all, got to learn more about the foundation. Then we celebrated with falafel! Q: Any idea how you’re going to allocate the grant funds? SC: We’re torn on getting Jake a gold tooth or getting 1,000 kazoos to split amongst us. Q: What’s next for Napsack? What are you excited about? SC: We have a new batch of songs that we’ve been practicing and recording. This is the most cohesive that it’s ever felt; the writing process has changed and gotten easier. We’re planning to record a live video with Tuck Mindrum and Kyle Osborne soon. Hoping to get out of town. Honestly, I’m mostly excited to keep hanging out with these 3 ridiculous-amazing-Pisces boys, to keep messing around and having fun.

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Q&A with Hip-Hop Duo, Free Black!

Get to know Floco Torres and HR3 from Free Black!, a hip-hop duo based in Akron. Free Black! was selected as a 2024 Panza Foundation band.

Q: What inspired you to form your duo?

HR3: I met Floco in 2017 at Baxter’s Speakeasy in Akron. I gave him a copy of some recordings and we began collaborating. 

FT: Not to sound cliché, but everything came together organically. We were two artists that didn’t know each other, and we just started playing around and getting feedback. We received a lot of support from people in our circle saying our sound reminded them of seeing The Roots or Common. 

Q: Tell me about the name Free Black! 

FT: We actually began collaborating without a group name. We felt we needed one once we got to a place with seven or eight demos. HR3 and I are very different personalities, but we were both experiencing the same things as Black men in America.

HR3: We started a text thread and were throwing around names. We both threw out “Free,” and Floco threw out “Black.” I’m not sure where the exclamation point came from, but we started using it and it never went away. I had always wanted to be in a hip-hop group and was drawn to the creative process of this.

Q: How did you find out the Panza Foundation selected Free Black! as a grant recipient?

FT: We found out on Instagram! [John] Panza was trying to set up a meeting with us, and we went back and forth a bit and then he called.

HR3: To get that message from John, whose Board is musicians, whose foundation was founded by musicians was amazing.

Q: Any idea how you’ll allocate that grant?

FT: We used the grant for equipment for our live shows. Our live shows are our calling card. We’ve been working on tweaking our sound, and the grant helps us do that. 

HR3: We’ll be able to try new things on stage and see what the vibe is with the crowd.

Q: What do you wish people knew about performing in Northeast Ohio?

HR3: It’s an interesting area to be in. There is so much talent here. It feels like one big family. People come up with some really amazing sounds and there are so many venues to see them perform live.

FT: I would invite people to come and be a part of the story! Live music is nothing without people believing in us and seeing us. The Black Keys are not the Black Keys if people don’t come out to see them! You could be the person that says “I saw them perform for two people, and I saw them play to a crowd of 20,000.”

Q: What’s up next for you?

FT: We just released a live album, Live at Cave Akron. Check it out!

HR3: If you can’t make a show, listen to the album and come see us when you can!

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Our 2024 bands have been announced!

Congrats to Powers/Rolin Duo, Teamonade, Napsack, and Free Black! for being selected as our 2024 bands. We can't wait to work with you.

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Time for some fun. November 18 we ride.

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2023 PANZA FOUNDATION BENEFIT

Mark whatever it is you mark! Our annual benefit will be on Saturday, November 18, at the Happy Dog! All four 2023 bands will perform: Uniity, Suitor, Brain Cave, and Slug Fest. Plus there will be a huge raffle of musical gear and other stuff. And...we will announce the 2024 bands!

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We're helping out IngenuityFest again. Note this expanded lineup of local and regional bands. September 22-24!

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Congrats to our 2023 bands! We welcome UNIITY, Suitor, Brain Cave, and Slug Fest into the fold. Learn more about them by following the 2023 link above. 

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2022 Panza Foundation Benefit, November 19th, Happy Dog, Cleveland

Mark what you mark! Our annual benefit will be held on Saturday, November 19, at the Happy Dog. All 2022 bands will perform! That includes Muamin Collective, Biitchseat, Marcus Alan Ward, and Nolan and Ryan of Oregon Space Trail of Doom.

And our annual raffle will have $3000 in musical gear alone. Lots of other stuff too! But you have to attend to win.

See you all in November.

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Additional support in 2022...

Did you know that in addition to bands and musicians, the foundation supports other musical endeavors in the Cleveland area? We do. Take a look at the 2022 area of the site for information on other places and events we are sponsoring this year.

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New Panza Foundation Board Members!

For the past eight years, Panza Foundation has strived to bring financial resources to local independent bands with the sole purpose of helping musicians pursue their craft. Now having sponsored 20+ bands, the foundation has tapped into that pool of talented and well-connected musicians for inclusion on the board. In addition to our founding board members John Panza, Jane Panza, Edward Sotelo, Lauren Voss Clune, and Fred Gunn (who stepped off the board in 2019), the foundation added Christa Ebert (aka Uno Lady) a couple years back.

Coming out of Covid Times and getting back to work on the foundation’s mission, we are adding three new board members for 2022. You might know them! They include…

ALISHA LAMBERT

Alisha is singer and guitarist for Cleveland’s Punch Drunk Tagalongs, a 2019 foundation band. She has been immersed in the Cleveland music scene for the past six years. Alisha previously worked for and taught for the local nonprofit ROAM that provides arts education, musical performances and playing opportunities for audiences and musicians of all ages.

She is a therapist by day and is passionate about the intersection that exists between mental health and music. Alisha’s stage presence is dynamic and transcendent, and her performances are raw and real. Even honorary Panza Foundation board member Eva Panza said of Alisha, “I love her. She is so cool.”

Of the Panza Foundation, Alisha said, “The Panza foundation is a staple in the local music scene. Every year I look so forward to seeing local bands get the financial support that is needed to maintain their art and keep creative momentum in the rust belt.” 

LATOYA KENT

LaToya Kent is a full time artist, musician and healer. Her music career started in her teen years in Cleveland, Ohio when the ground for black female headed rock bands was unheard of. LaToya began her studies of yoga, midwifery, energy work and tantra in high school. She is one of the first certified yoga teachers of color in Cleveland, Ohio. She advocates for natural birth and supporting families and has attended close to 100 natural births.

Latoya has performed her music all over the United States, Canada and oversees as a solo artist and with her current collective, Mourning {A} BLKstar, a 2017 foundation band. Her collective had the opportunity to perform at The Kennedy Center, SXSW, Democracy Now, graced the cover of WIRE magazine and for the Christoph Winkler Dance Company in Berlin.

LaToya runs Cleveland Tapes, an underground art and music platform, with her longtime collaborator RA Washington. LaToya has surrounded herself with the power of creative outlets to keep her motivated in her mission to share her art.

JAMES CAROL

As a talent buyer for Cleveland’s beloved Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, James is a fixture on the music scene. There is scarcely a show in the city where you won’t see James at the bar taking mental notes on the up-and-coming and well-established bands.

He is not a musician but like a rare few in the music industry an encyclopedia of who is playing, where they’re playing, who is in the band, and who we should all be watching for.

Because he is a friend of the foundation, James has unofficially assisted the foundation in previous years as a consultant for bands to consider. Now we bring him on as a board member to prove a valuable point to those in the back row: while not all board members are musicians, all board members know music. We are honored to have James on board.

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2022 Bands!

At our November benefit we announced the bands we are supporting in 2022. They will be two new groups (Muamin Collective and Marcus Alan Ward) and two bands we’ve supported previously (Biitchseat and Oregon Space Trail of Doom) because Covid prevented them from enjoying their time with us in 2020. More info here!

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/11/panza-foundation-awards-2022-grants-to-four-cleveland-bands.html

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HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!