Nothing in Cleveland

About Nothing

Nothing is the project of Domenic Palermo, a Philadelphia-based musician who makes guitar-driven noise that sits somewhere between shoegaze's wash and post-punk's teeth. Since the project's start in the early 2010s, Palermo's built a catalog of records that blur distortion and melody into something genuinely unsettling—not in a gimmicky way, but in the way repetition and feedback can actually get under your skin. Albums like 'Tired of Tomorrow' and 'Dance on the Blades' showcase Palermo's ability to construct songs that feel both brutally heavy and oddly vulnerable, with vocals that sit low in the mix, like someone speaking through walls. Nothing's music appeals to people who don't mind their guitar music damaged and their hooks buried under layers of noise. The project has a small but devoted following, mostly because Palermo doesn't make music designed to please—he makes it to explore a particular space between aggression and melody.

Nothing shows are loud and immersive in a way that feels more like standing in a storm than watching a performance. The crowd tends to be quiet and focused rather than cheering, drawn into the wall of sound. Palermo doesn't interact much—he's focused on the music, creating an atmosphere that's intense without being theatrical.

Known for Bent, Don't Start, A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut, Vertigo

Nothing in Cleveland News

• Derrick Stroup: Mad About Nothing Tour Cleveland Jewish News · Mar 2, 2026
• Manacorda, Cleveland Orchestra magic leaves nothing ‘Unfinished’ at Severance (review) Cleveland.com · Feb 6, 2026
• Foo Fighters to perform at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland in August 2026: How to buy tickets WKYC · Oct 23, 2025
• Foo Fighters 2026 Stadium Tour dates announced Cleveland Browns · Oct 23, 2025
• Concert Photos: Disturbed Celebrated 25 Years of The Sickness at Rocket Arena in Cleveland Cleveland Scene · Apr 1, 2025

Live Music in Cleveland

Cleveland's indie and alternative scene has always had a soft spot for bands that blur the line between noise and melody. The city produced the Breeders and Rocket from the Crypt, and there's a real appreciation here for guitar-based bands that don't play it safe. Nothing's shimmering, distortion-heavy take on pop hooks should fit right into that DNA.

Cleveland road trip to see Nothing?

Stay in Ohio City, where Victorian brownstones meet serious coffee shops and galleries. Dinner at Fairmount, where chef Jonathon Sawyer sources locally and cooks with real technique—expect seasonal American food that doesn't announce itself. Spend an afternoon at the Cleveland Museum of Art, which is free and genuinely excellent. Walk through the West Side Market before the show, grab something you don't need, and feel the bones of the city. The whole neighborhood has that working-class dignity that makes Cleveland distinct.