08.02-08.09.2017 See The Signs

08.02-08.09.17
See The Signs

Your eyes have been opened. They hurt from the sun and you blink. The city slowly comes into focus, so much to see, coming so fast, you can’t read it all at once.

A rainbow of glitter falls like dust and sprawls over 3 days at your favorite Ballroom. Now you’re seeing double: don’t worry – it’s just the Twins Fest. Sports is not your thing, but it’s a religion to your neighbors, and the exhibit on football in Canton is entering your field of view. What’s this? A new dance festival? Of course, we knew this. It’s all becoming evident now.

If you look closely, you’ll see the little signs everywhere, especially in Tremont, where there’s a sort of scavenger hunt going on, if your vision clears up. A new Summerfest in Avon, kids getting Wild In The Woods in Summit county, books for prisoners at Guide to Kulchur, a concert of crickets at the national park. All-Star Larry Doby calls to you. Earthquaker Day rumbles under your feet. You Walk All Over Waterloo, glimpse Twilight at the Zoo, hop an art trolley in Chardon.

And do my eyes deceive? Jehovah Waitresses are back, knocking at our door, like a vision in a dream, with a new record. They used to rehearse next door. We should have seen the signs. –Thomas Mulready

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A Rainbow of Glitter

There seems to be no limit to the size and scope of the Ohio Burlesque Fest. It began six years ago as a one-day event at the Beachland Ballroom featuring a random assortment of mostly local and regional performers. Now it sprawls over three days and features mostly performers from around the country and even as far as Australia. It includes a day of classes for performers and those interested in the art form and an exhibit of photos from previous shows, opening at the Space: ROCK Gallery next to the Beachland on Thu 8/3.

OBF founder Bella Sin, one of the prime movers in NE Ohio’s burlesque scene, has a mission now to make the festival a model of diversity of all types. And that’s exciting for the audience which is assured that each act it sees is different from the previous one. Thu 8/3-Sat 8/5.

The Art of the Kick

Football is like a religion in the Canton area where the Professional Football Hall of Fame is located. So it’s appropriate that the Canton Museum of Art is presenting a social and historical look at the sport in art, called Scrimmage: Football in American Art from the Civil War to Present. And it opens just in time for the HoF’s annual Enshrinement Week.

The exhibit is the first comprehensive look at football in art, and features more than 60 pieces including paintings, drawings, sculpture and new media, including by such prominent artists as Norman Rockwell and Andy Warhol. John Benson talks to the Canton Museum’s Rob Lehr about what’s in store for both football fans and art lovers. Tue 8/1-Sun 10/29.

See the signs

For more than a decade Dave Witzke aka the Sign Guy has been nailing his little pieces of cartoon art painted on wood around Cleveland, especially the near west side neighborhood of Tremont. So Tremont businesses are inviting people to explore the area, look for the signs and post pictures of themselves with them to win prizes. The scavenger hunt will go on through Tue 10/31.

Grab a map, start looking, stop in one of the sponsoring businesses for some fuel (make sure to stop at Prosperity Social Club where Witzke’s work graces the patio) and see everything that’s new in Tremont while you’re at it. Through Tue 10/31.

They Just Can’t Stop Dancing

It seems like the Northeast Ohio dance scene just keeps getting busier with new troupes and veteran troupes jostling for attention locally, and touring ensembles passing through town. The first American Dance Festival at PlayhouseSquare brings even more events to keep dance lovers on their toes.

On Wed 8/2 hip-hop conceptualist Raphael Xavier performs; modern dancer Brian Brooks and his group perform Sat 8/5. Our dance writers Elsa Johnson and Victor Lucas tell us how this event, which also included a day of free activities at PlayhouseSquare Sat 7/29, came together and who made it happen as the talk to DanceCleveland’s Pam Young and Sarah Hricko.

Woodland Adventures

If your kids have energy to burn, take them to the Summit Metroparks where they can get “Wild in the Woods” overseen by naturalists who will keep tabs on them and keep them enthralled with information about what’s out there. They’ll have the chance to make mud pies and “tree cookies” and help build an A-frame fort too. Thu 8/3 & Wed 8/9.

* Avon’s first annual Summerfest is an afternoon of fun for families, with loads of activities for kids. And it benefits a cause that includes all kids: Every Child’s Playground, which is designed for children of all abilities. Sun 8/6.

Click here for more CoolCleveland Kids events

August at Melt Bar and Grilled

Sandwich Special: Smokey & The Riblet; Seasonal Sides: Melt Macaroni Salad & Summer Squash & Smokey Chipotle Corn; Bread Pudding: Campfire S’mores Bread Pudding; Beer Feature: Ithaca Apricot Wheat; Cocktail Feature: Peachy John.

Melt News: Melt Bar and Grilled announces 11th location in Canton, Ohio at Belden Village in November 2017! Melt’s 10th location in Avon, Ohio is near the corner of Route 83 and Detroit Road. New Melt location at Cedar Point is now open! New summer cocktail menu, awesome beer events, new Happy Hour menu, plus online ordering, summertime parties & catering. Stop in to your favorite Melt location and celebrate! MeltBarAndGrilled.com.

It’s peak corn season right now. That’s why the nonprofit Coit Road Farmers Market holds its annual Cliff Schultz Memorial Corn Roast fundraiser at this time of year. Come enjoy corn prepared several different ways, along with BBQ and sides, many of them vegetarian. And of course you’ll be wanting to take home a big tote bag full of the bounty of vegetables, herbs and fruits available now. Sat 8/5.

Read more of CoolCleveland’s picks for Eats and Drinks.

Jehova Waitresses were one of the most original bands in Cleveland’s packed 90s folk rock scene. They’re back with a new album which they’ll debut at Brothers Lounge. Sun 8/6

* Cleveland International Piano Competition’s Encore! benefit presents performances by past medalists. Sat 8/5.

* Welshly Arms plays timeless original rock at Wade Oval Wednesday. Wed 8/9.

* Local jazz musicians gather at BLU Jazz + to honor the life of vocalist John Morton. Thu 8/3.

Read more of CoolCleveland’s picks for Cool Events.

WED 8/2
Jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarellli is known for his ability to put his owns tam on a Sinatra or McCartney tune. He and his trio will be at Nighttown for four shows tonight and tomorrow.

* Come to Summit Metroparks and learn how bats benefit the ecosystem.

* Pianist, composer and educator Bill Dobbins plays at Akron’s BLU Jazz +.

Click here for more events on Wed 8/2

THU 8/3
Out in the woods there are all kinds of strange sounds. Want to get yourself scared in a safe environment? Come out to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for its Campfire Tales program to hear ghost stories around a campfire.

* We Banjo 3 connect Irish and American folk music at the Music Box.

* Lyle Lovett and His Large Band entertain under the stars at Cain Park.

* Painting and poetry art therapy happen at SPACES on first Thursdays.

* PlayhouseSquare’s annual “Cinema at the Square” month of classic movies kicks off with Singing in the Rain.

* Books 2 Prisoners speaker series kicks off at new Guide to Kulchur location.

* Come hear experimental noise punk from Texas at Now That’s Class.

Click here for more events on Thu 8/3

FRI 8/4
Pop life Studio will open on Waterloo Road in the fall, and it’s got a four-sided mural in the works. Come out to Walk All Over Waterloo tonight for the revealing of the first wall.

* Adults have the run of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo at Twilight at the Zoo.

* The history of Ohio’s Zoar Village is on display at the Shaker Historical Society, through Sun 10/29.

* Shop by the lake at the Vermilion Beach Market. Also tomorrow.

* Walk All Over Waterloo features new mural, exhibit of burlesque photos, a fiber art show opening at Praxis and more.

* Cleveland councilman Matt Zone talks about the state of America’s cities at the Global Center for Health Innovation.

* PechaKucha Akron at the Well puts the spotlight on local creatives.

* MOCA’s open projector night lets aspiring filmmakers show their work.

* Cleveland Museum of Art’s monthly MIX takes guests back to the 1950s.

* Millennial Theatre Project presents a play about drug addiction at the Akron Civic Theatre. Also tomorrow.

* Weird world of painter Hieronymous Bosch explored in film at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Also Sun 8/6.

* Meet the bats at Lake View Cemetery on a “Bat Night” educational walk.

* Get a bunch of two-for-one deals at the Twins Festival in Twinsburg. Through Sun 8/6.

* Get a midsummer night’s dram at Vintage Ohio in Kirtland. Also tomorrow.

* Take a trip to Ukraine without leaving Ohio at the Ukrainian Festival in Parma. Through Sun 8/6.

* Enjoy a concert of crickets at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

* Prepare for the upcoming eclipse of the sun at the Wiilmot Wilderness Center.

* Tremont’s Arts in August is back, with a month of theater, music and dance. Through Sat 8/26.

* Erin R. Miller exhibition opens at Praxis Fiber Workshop.

* Come see a dual exhibition of book and paper art at the Morgan Conservatory.

Click here for more events on Fri 8/4

SAT 8/5
Earthquaker Devices’ sound processing pedals are played by musicians around the globe, and they’re made in Akron. This afternoon, they’re holding Earthquaker Day when you can tour the facility, learn from musicians who use the pedals, hear local bands that include Earthquaker employees, compete to show off your licks and check out other local businesses.

* Hear beloved songs from The Music Man performed in concert at Cain Park. Also tomorrow.

* Learn about the Negro Leagues’ All-Star Games from 1933-1953 at the Baseball Heritage Museum.

* Cleveland Orchestra showcases two rising stars at Blossom this weekend. Also tomorrow.

* Coffeehouse concert series at Willoughby Fine Arts Association features local music in a casual setting.

* Brazilian guitarist/ and singer/songwriter Luca Lundaca performs at the BOP STOP.

* Lakewood Arts Fest fills Detroit Avenue with artists of all types for the 40th year.

* Hear how art can transform at neighborhood at MOCA Cleveland.

Click here for more events on Sat 8/5

SUN 8/6
It’s been a rough patch for South Euclid’s Coffee Phix Cafe due to construction at the nearby Marc’s store. “Improv Among the Ruins” features three local improv groups and an improv jam. and they’re asking people to come (it’s free), and buy coffee or a snack.

* Activist/organizer Van Jones brings his “We Rise” tour to PlayhouseSquare.

* Take a trolley between two art festivals in Chardon on the same day.

* Karamu House hosts an evening of blues and jazz at Public Square.

* Explore how cultures come together in Cleveland at the Maltz Museum.

* Burlesco at the 9’s Alex Theater offers a taste of classic burlesque.

* Warehouse District Festival celebrates its 13th year.

Click here for more events on Sun 8/6

MON 8/7
It’s time for that big fair right in our own backyard: the Cuyahoga County Fair at the Berea Fairgrounds. It’s a full week of agricultural and art displays, 4H competitions, live music, bad food, rides and of course, demolition derbies and fireworks. Through Sun 8/13.

* Oddball folk duo Troubadours of Divine Bliss performs at the Music Box.

Click here for more events on Mon 8/7

TUE 8/8
The 1967 film Belle de Jour turned French actress Catherine Deneuve, then 23, into an icon of cool young beauty. If you want to see how the film, considered risque for its time, itself holds up, it screens at the Cleveland Museum of Art today and Fri 8/11.

* Kids, make a zombie survival kit at the Beachwood Library.

Click here for more events on Tue 8/8

WED 8/9
Swedish playwright Hendrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House dealt with the oppressive limits of women’s roles way back in the 1870s, long before “feminism” was a word everyone knew. Cleveland’s Mamai Theatre takes on the difficult play at PlayhouseSquare through Sun 8/29.

Click here for more events on Wed 8/9

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TJ Dow Is “About as Nervous as a Whore in Church”

With the primary election just over a month away (in fact, early voting starts on August 15) things are beginning to heat up. A number of organizations have scheduled candidate forums, which I’m looking forward to participating in. No one expects the incumbent, TJ Dow, to attend any of them since rumor has it that….

Read other stories from Mansfield Frazier here