Join CLE Records founder Jim Ellis as he discusses and plays The Modern Dance by Cleveland’s own Pere Ubu. While commercially unsuccessful at the time, the bands debut album, which drew inspiration from everything from the Rust Belt and garage rock to performance art and Doris Day, is seen as a highly influential turn in the development of post-punk and is consistently ranked one of the best albums of all time.

Tracing his roots to the 1970s punk era, Jim Ellis has always had a passion for the cutting edge. He played bass for the proto-punk band X_X while publishing a cult-classic, independent fanzine named CLE.

After stepping away from the music scene for a while, Jim has returned with the opening of CLE Records in early 2026. This groundbreaking label is set to bring attention to the great vibes shaking The Land. “Quality is really important to me,” said Jim, in talking about the new productions. “There’s great music happening somewhere in Cleveland every night of the week. Live performances are where it’s at. And we work with the best to make sure the recordings capture exactly what they should.”

Founded by Jim Ellis, CLE Records is a fanzine resurrected as a record label and dedicated to the diverse Indie scene in Northeast, Ohio. 

This event is free and open to the public

Drop the Needle is part of our Echoes music series, a free monthly series celebrating Cleveland’s homegrown music scene through five distinct events, each with its own dedicated day of the month. For more information on Drop the Needle and our other Echoes events, check out the link below.