I miss Speak in Tongues!

11/15/2024

I’m not a musician, I’m a bandmate. I accompany people and we make something together. It’s a fun process, which often consists of realizing you can add the most by being heard the least.
Aaron Cometbus

I wasn’t in the band but I’m sure grateful I was along for the ride!

Grain live recording from 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley CA. July 24, 1995

📸 at the Neil House 👍🏻

Thank you Tenzin for bringing this to life!

https://youtu.be/gqPTDKMc8wQ?si=GkRbSDsr3QkFdTkQ

0:00 intro0:18 The Thrills Of A Race Car Driver5:15 Homestead9:28 ? - "This one's for Dan"12:09 Trout17:47 Void - "This is a slow burner"22:34 ? - "This is ...

10/10/2024

If you have an idea you’re excited about and you don’t bring it to life, it’s not uncommon for the idea to find its voice through another maker. This isn’t because the other artist stole your idea, but because the idea’s time has come.
Rick Rubin

For years after being a part of Speak in Tongues I had this idea that I would put together a book using all the flyers, calendars, and possible interviews with the bands that played the venue. Since then two small books have been published about the venues; and while the effort is appreciated I still felt the right story was not being told. A few days before I left for this short trip to Cleveland my former roommate at SIT and amazing artist Jake Kelly reached out to me to tell me that he and his partner Aaron at their publishing company wanted to create a book of all the found flyers from those years at SIT. He sent me a drop box of images so I could start identifying the flyers that I created for shows. Last night we met at his home in Larchmere and shared stories and laughed a lot about those years that still fuel our lives with amazement! I was on board when he messaged me and after last night I am 1000% on board!

Coming spring of 2025, title TBD a book of flyers that share the story of Speak In Tongues through Stone Church Press. Note - this is not my book, Jake and Aaron grabbed the idea and are bringing it to life!

I’m Big Dan, and I approve this message ❤️

10/22/2023

Everyone has got to realise you can't hold onto the past if you want any future. Each second should lead to the next one
Joe Strummer

Speak in Tongues … what can I say? It shaped a community and a city. I am beyond amazed and grateful at what we were able to pull off in this building - Modest Mouse, Murder City Devils, June of 44, Shipping News, Tortoise, Five Style, the Sea and Cake, Lee Ranaldo, Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt, Jim O’_Rourke, Low, Ida, the Delta 72, the Warmer, Karate, The Mountain Goats, J Church, the Parasites, Get Up Kids, Ethyl Meserve, Boys Life, Knapsack, Golden, Trans Am, the Ex, Joan of Arc, Jimmy Eat World, and the Promise Ring .. more bands than I can count and I hope I never forget a single one. Meeting up with Brian, Dean, and Jay of Grain; along with Solid Brass Records head honcho and dear friend Jason put a ribbon on this trip home. Thank you Cleveland; you continue to give when I think there is nothing left to give

07/26/2022

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgdEWjEpyOQ/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Daniel Santovin shared a post on Instagram: "Link to the podcast is in the Bio!". Follow their account to see 6017 posts.

07/25/2022

It’s always a little strange when you here your own voice. I never wanted to be the guy who said, “hey! Look at me!” But today I’m happy to share what I thought was a great interview with my old friend Dan Moore, or more affectionately “Little Dan”.

We cover me being raised Mormon in Ohio by convert parents (we had no idea what we were doing), getting my first skateboard, finding music outside of the home, moving to California, working for “famous” people and then moving to Arizona to wander the desert for 11 years.

It’s been an adventure! I hope you enjoy .. let me know what you think!

Link in the Bio

Yes, I do love sports - Lebron is amazing and the Guardians will always be my Major League

07/15/2022

Speak in Tongues alumni Dan Santovin (Big Dan) will take to the podcast of Dan Moore this week .. I’m sure we’ll talk about SIT 🤷🏻‍♂️

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why ~
Mark Twain

Born and raised and a little bit crazed … Ohio runs through my veins. Some of my favorite people and favorite memories. On Saturday I’m recording a podcast with my old friend Dan Moore and we are going to talk about Cleveland, music, skateboarding, California, Arizona and Anasazi .. I’m really looking forward to it!

07/28/2020

One of the relationships that was so vital to Speak in Tongues was with WCSB Cleveland States radio station. I was friends with many of the DJ’s of the mid 90’s when SIT was at it’s peak. Sandra Bencic was not only a good friend of mine and SIT but she was a champion for twee pop and indie rock. Sadly, today I found out she passed away from COVID-19. She was a wonderful person and I am sad to hear this news. Please please please be careful out there. Keep an eye out on each other and do your best to keep yourself and others safe.

07/17/2020

Here we have Grain in 1996 at Studio of The Stars in Minneapolis, Minnesota . I am taking a tinnitus causing nap while Jay finishes up doing his dood a lee doos. Photo by Bryan Alft

Original post by Brian Strazek

05/22/2020

These are photos sent over by our friend Randy Mack from an article written in the Cleveland Scene in 2001. This was the last year the club was open as it closed on New Years Eve 2001 and was to be no more rolling into 2002. There article in my opinion is very descriptive of parts of the club’s history it wasn’t always that way. There were times when there was great pride in the venue (cats and battered couches) and it thrived with bands truly from all over the world. If you came to the club and all you noticed was the cats and the smells and the heat you may have been missing the point about what Speak In Tongues was. But we are all entitled to our experiences and opinions. As for me (Daniel P Santovin) it was my home, my friends home and a place where we made many friends and saw amazing bands that some would have probably played other places and some would have never had a place to play at all. We built a community where more than just the band and venue mattered ~ all if not most were welcome ~ No way to know for sure which was which. I do appreciate the outside perspective as it is a good starting point for objective reflection. Anyways, take it for what it’s worth and feel free to share a memory or two in the comments below .. I do truly miss Speak in Tongues! 💔

05/21/2020

Who remembers dance party’s with the Delta 72?
Photo by Pat Graham

11/17/2019

Back in the mid 90’s a young Pat Carney would come with all his friends from Akron to come see shows at Speak in Tongues (our venue). His band Church Builder would play a show or two but mostly Patrick was a fan of music. I was lucky enough to watch this amazing young man become an even more amazing human and friend ... so proud of you and Dan and the Keys .. thank you for the kindness and generosity to have us our out to the show here in Phoenix

10/08/2019

As a fan of skateboarding when Black Heart Procession played Speak in Tongues I was super stoked to see drummer Mario Rubalcaba as Black Heart’s drummer. After the show the band stayed at my house and we became acquainted. Later when I moved to Oceanside I re-met him when he was working at Black Box Distribution. Last night we got to hang out again at the Grog Shop (which I always loved, thank you Kathy for all the amazing shows over the years!)

10/08/2019

As a fan of skateboarding when Black Heart Procession played Speak in Tongues I was super stoked to see drummer Mario Rubalcaba as Black Heart’s drummer. After the show the band stayed at my house and we became acquainted. Later when I moved to Oceanside I re-met him when he was working at Black Box Distribution. Last night we got to hang out again at the Grog Shop (which I always loved, thank you Kathy for all the amazing shows over the years!)

Not only did I get to see Mario rip for one of his bands Earthless play, but I got to see some of my North County More For Less crew in Anthony “Doogie” Meier and Matt Weiss! Such a fun night!

12/01/2018

In 1997 our friends Modest Mouse rolled through town .. always an amazing show! Our friend Pat Graham was on tour with the band and took these amazing photos. Check out his other work and his photos of his time spent with Modest Mouse on the road ..

Originals at