Review: Diana Chittester at The Screaming Rooster

is a great place for many reasons, the least of which is its tendency to host a lot of awesome folk and folk-rock artists.

Diana Chittester, a young, energetic and sassy guitarist from Pennsylvania, is no exception.  

Chittester had a great, if not a little quirky, selection of covers, from Tom Waits’ “Jocky Full of Bourbon” to “Walking on Sunshine,” along with more folk standards like “House of the Rising Sun.”

Her guitar playing was dynamic and always interesting, with the texture and feel changing several times each song.

Chittester's chops are solid: percussive chords jab out over smooth bass lines, giving her accompaniment a slightly funky groove that freshened up a lot of the classics. And her voice has a raw soulfulness, and just enough sass to accentuate the finer lyrical turns of her repertoire.  

She put a lot of energy into her playing, and the result is a very engaging experience. She’s not afraid to sass patrons (and Patch photographers) in between songs, and was having a blast every time she got on stage.

Overall, Diana Chittester is someone to keep an eye out for.

Since moving to Cleveland in 2008 she’s been gigging around town and really developing as a musician.

With an album scheduled to be released at the end of the year and a schedule full of at least one show every week (including an appearance at the Burning River Festival later this month), you’ll have a lot of options if you want to check her out.