Dave Hill
July 26, 2025
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Cleveland OH
By Rob McCune
CLEVELAND — If comedy and rock had a baby, and that baby was raised on metal riffs, expired Yoo-hoo, and chaotic internet energy—it’d probably grow up to be Dave Hill.
The Cleveland-born comedian/guitar god/multi-hyphenate force of nature brought his gloriously unhinged brand of humor and hair-whipping rock to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on July 26, in a set that mashed stand-up, shredding, and straight-up absurdity into one loud, loving tribute to doing whatever the hell you want.
Hill, a cult favorite from viral reels and underground comedy stages alike, is the kind of performer who’ll teach you how to make cereal (“Get a bowl—any bowl. Mix with your hands”) before launching into a face-melting guitar solo worthy of a Dio deep cut. And if you’ve seen a video of a guy kicking over traffic cones to black metal while flipping the bird—you’ve already met him.
He’s opened for Tenacious D and jammed with Bill Murray’s band. He’s penned books about hockey, fake black metal bands (see: Witch Taint, the Norwegian outfit he completely fabricated to international outrage), and his Canadian heritage. He’s voiced cartoon creeps, played characters like “DJ Squeeb,” and most recently—he’s made a comic book about his own creative chaos.
“Honestly, everything I do is just to entertain myself,” Hill told the Every.Thing.After Podcast. Mission accomplished.
But before Hill hijacked the evening, the night kicked off with a fist-pumping set from local rockers Falling Stars. The Cleveland-bred quartet, led by vocalist/guitarist Christopher Allen and axe-slinger Tim Parnin (also the Rock Hall’s VP of digital tech—yes, really), tore through tracks from 2017’s Stranded in the Future, their 2019 EP, and 2023’s Lonely No More. Think Petty meets Gin Blossoms with just enough Rust Belt grit. Bonus points for a crowd-pleasing cover of “I Need to Know” and a head-banging closer: Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” joined by Hill, of course.
Then came Dave.
Part stand-up, part guitar assault, Hill’s set was like an Adam Sandler B-side cut filtered through Sabbath. He spit pickup lines tailored for Clevelanders, told stories about meat heists, rescue dogs, and getting punched by a girlfriend’s brother—then blew out the PA with guitar solos that would make a Viking weep.
Yes, the cones got kicked. Yes, the crowd howled. And yes—Grandpa’s Cheesebarn got the shoutout it richly deserves.
What’s next for the human fever dream that is Dave Hill? He’s heading back on tour with Bill Murray’s band this fall. And after that?
“I’d like to open for Metallica,” he deadpanned on the podcast. “I think I could do a better job than… well, I’m not gonna name names. But yeah, pretty much anyone.”
Ball’s in your court, Lars.
Rob McCune is Every_Thing_After_Photo on Instagram, where he posts his concert photography and reviews, as well as clips from the latest Every.Thing.After podcast, which is available to download on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Watch the full podcast interview with Dave Hill on YouTube (@Every_Thing_After).
