| Owners settle deal that closed the Free Times | |
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In an unexpected development, Free Times owners Village Voice Media and Scene owners New Times Media have signed a consent decree, essentially settling the suit brought by the Justice Department, and requiring each party to “aid the opening of new weekly papers in Los Angeles and Cleveland by selling assets, including the rights to the names of the closed newspapers —The Cleveland Free Times and The New Times Los Angeles — as well as lists of advertisers, office equipment and newspaper racks.” And each was fined $375,000. That’s the good news, although how the Free Times would rise from the ashes in this economy is difficult to fathom, especially if everyone is losing as much money as they claim to be. The bad news, however, goes on and on: These jokers get to sell the assets of the departed newspapers twice and keep the proceeds both times? They avoid a potential fine of up to $10 million each? They cripple their competition and basically get a slap on the hand? What a great deal for us. The sale must happen within 30 days or Justice takes over again. Multiple ironies abound, including why Justice even pursued this relatively minor matter in the first place. The executive director of the association of newsweeklies said he found it “odd that the government decided it must prevent two small newspapers from closing after it stood on the sidelines for years as the AOL Time Warners of the world swallowed entire industries.” |
| I love music | |
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I really do. In the year 2000 alone, I spent $6000 on CDs (isn’t it amazing what Quicken can tell you about yourself?). Then I bought a CD burner. In 01, I spent $600. And for 02, it’s closer to $60. In fact, in the first 6 months of 02, CD sales fell 11% overall. Wired magazine isn’t much worth reading these days like it was in the 90’s, but they hit the mark in their 2/03 issue with a nice series on changes in the music business: Rip, Mix, Burn: The Year The Music Dies, with features on RIAA lobbyist Hilary Rosen (the most hated name in music), the race to kill Napster-heir-apparent KAZAA.com, and the civil war between Sony Electronics (who want to sell you cool download/mix/swap equipment), and Sony Music (who want to install copy protection on their CDs so computers—even Sony PCs—can’t play them). |
| Progressive Urban Real Estate | |
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********************** SPONSORED LINK *************************** |
| Richard Florida’s Innovation Center | |
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may have to relocate outside of his hometown of Pittsburgh, where he teaches at Carnegie-Mellon. If you’re a Cool Cleveland reader, you’ve probably got a well-read copy of his book, The Rise of the Creative Class, and how it’s transforming work, leisure, community and everyday life. And you may have even caught one of his three or four appearances here in Cleveland in 2002, preaching from the podiums of the City Club or University Circle, Inc., about how Cleveland needs to become more tolerant and diverse, focusing on the arts, technology and creativity in order to attract, harness and mobilize the key 30% of the population that Florida calls The Creative Class: those individuals such as designers, software developers, financial wizards, legal eagles and medical geniuses. Now he finds that his message may be more welcome outside of Pittsburgh. He wants to start an institute devoted to the issues of the creative class and to put those ideas into action, and places like the University of Toronto, the New School in NYC, the Gates Foundation in Seattle, and supporters in Kansas City, Chicago and LA have stepped up to make him offers. It is always the prophet who is ignored in his own land, but is this an opportunity for Cleveland? He only needs $5-6 million for a staff of 5 to start. What could such an institute do for CWRU, the City of Cleveland and NEOhio? |
| Convention Center controversy | |
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Now that the Campbell-imposed deadline of 2/15 is fast approaching for a recommendation by city leaders (otherwise known as the rich and well-connected), more voices are joining the fray (thank goodness!). CrainTech notes that the two favored sites (Ratner’s W. 3rd location and the current Mall site) have major problems (no staging areas for trucks, no contiguous non-obstructed space on one floor), while the PD cranks out a predictable “woe is us” reminder that the current facility is “outdated” and “dingy.” And they still haven’t opened the process up to the community. A public debate is noisy and messy and absolutely necessary. Let’s hope we get a full airing of our options before another debacle like the Browns Stadium is foisted upon us. Even County Commissioner Tim McCormack admits that it is a waste to be locking up prime lakefront land for decades, just to be used only 8 times a year. “This is not going to be Browns Stadium 2,” he says. Everyone seems to be slowing down a bit, but the process still ain’t public. Yet. |
| Cleveland City Council Opposes the War in Iraq | |
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When Cleveland City Council met on Monday night, they voted 18-0 to pass a resolution opposing the war in Iraq, following speeches by mayor Jane Campbell, several members of council and a state congressman. Cleveland is not the only one: check out the 54 other cities who have passed similar resolutions. But it was odd that the Plain Dealer’s article the next day, which covered the meeting, didn’t even mention it. On Tuesday, the Internet was on fire with every major Cleveland list fuming about this “example of the press manipulating the public by controlling what information they receive,” and urging people to write the paper demanding that they write about the resolution. Apparently it worked, because the “oversight” was “corrected” (my words) on Wednesday, when they matter-of-factly reported the resolution in a small box. |
| American Splendor | |
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the film based on Clevelander Harvey Pekar’s life in the comix world, has won the top prize at Sundance, the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, awarded to the best dramatic film. Pekar is typically unimpressed, citing the fact that Forrest Gump won the Academy Award, but crediting producer Ted Hope and directors Bob Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, stating, “…if I had contact with people like that every day, I wouldn’t be depressed and everything.” See Sundance Film Festival here. If you’re a fan of comix, don’t forget to visit SPACES for Page Me: the art of ‘zines, comix, and other artist-made books, thru 2/21 at 2220 Superior Viaduct, 621-2314, for a faceful. |
| Technology of the Year | |
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According to InfoWorld magazine, the Top 10 for this year are: Wireless networks, XML web services, Apple platform (OSX), publish/subscribe technologies (such as Kenamea and KnowNow), digital rights management, business intelligence/business performance management (Brio Metrics Builder), 10 Gigabit Ethernet, open source, fibre channel, and hyperthreading CPUs (Intel Xeon). Now you know what to keep your eye on. |
| TeamNEO | |
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which was just formed last week, is broke already. The regional economic development group representing 13 counties has only half of the $7 million it wanted at startup. Why won’t area businesses (who will most directly benefit from TeamNEO’s work) pony up the cash? They are “frustrated with the fits and starts” among the dozens of similar groups, and “there’s a lot of confusion about who does what. The names and acronyms all get muddled,” admitted the president of the NEOhio Area Chambers of Commerce. So now they need to tap non-profit and philanthropic sources? Give me a break. With 93% of money raised going towards staff salary and benefits, this looks like a sweet deal for the connected. And again, the PD blindly boosts these efforts that benefit business but are paid for by scarce foundation money. |
| Do you know Joe? | |
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If you care about the arts in Cleveland, you should know Cleveland City Councilperson Joe Cimperman. He’s a one-man dynamo promoting the economic development potential of the arts in Cleveland. He was instrumental in organizing the two Arts Summits at City Hall last year. He helped pass the live/work ordinance opening up cool spaces downtown to artists who want to live in their workspace. He passed legislation giving the city landmarks commission veto power over historically and artistically significant properties. Next up: passing a levy to institute public support for the arts to bring Cleveland up to par with virtually every other city of its size. Read up, shake his hand, offer your talents. He works really hard, but he’s gonna need your help. |
| Cool Cleveland This Week 1.29 – 2.5 | |
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| US Poet Laureate Billy Collins | |
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reads at the Lombardo Student Center Conference Room of John Carroll University, 20700 North Park Blvd, Univ Hts. Wed 1/29 7:30PM. Call 397-4663 and get there early—it will be jammed if not sold out. |
| Unseen Video Series | |
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A great idea to cull rare and unreleased videos of some of the greatest rock artists in history—this week James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and other funk/soul artists Wed 1/297PM Rock Hall, 1 Key Plaza, 781-ROCK |
| Marshall Crenshaw | |
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the spawn of Buddy Holly and John Lennon, mixing Memphis rockabilly, British power pop and 70’s soul, at the Beachland Ballroom Wed 1/29 15711 Waterloo, 383-1124 |
| Great Universities and Their Cities | |
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Kudos to CWRU President Dr. Edward Hundert and Mayor Jane Campbell for co-hosting this first-ever national conference on how universities and their communities can work together for mutual benefit. While it seems like a no-brainer, most colleges are strangely disconnected from their local neighborhoods, and its especially gratifying to see CWRU and the city of Cleveland take this issue seriously enough to invite keynote speaker Yale President Richard Levin to talk on how his university works with New Haven, CT on technology development. Other topics include cultural development, downtown revitalization, race relations, biotech, technology transfer and K-12 education. All wrapped around the official inauguration of Pres. Hundert, with an afternoon plenary session hosted by NPR’s Neal Conan. Thu 1/30 9:30AM- 4:30PM Severance Hall, 368-4806. Check Cleveland.com for Jane Campbell and Ed Hundert’s PD op-ed pieceLinking Knowledge and Opportunity, and Ed Hundert’s vision for CWRU. More info here. You can even view a webcast of the inauguration at 4:30PM. |
| Memoir Writing: Telling Your Stories | |
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by Larry Smith. First, Smith will talk about how he wrote literary biographies of Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Kenneth Patchen, then he’ll get you going with some exercises to help you tell your life stories. Thu 1/30 7:30-9PM, Poets and Writers League of Greater Cleveland Literary Center, 12200 Fairhill, 421-0403 |
| Is It Real | |
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a gallery talk by UofA professor and noted photographer Penny Rakoff, on the work of James Casebere, now on exhibit at MoCA (James Casebere: Picture Show, thru 2/2), as part of their Artist on Art series, explaining how Casebere creates fiction through photography. Thu 1/30 7PM MoCA, 8501 Carnegie, 421-8671 |
| Around Noon | |
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zooms in on the new exhibit at SPACES on Thu 1/30 Page Me: the art of zines, comix and other artist-made books, then a visit with Chardon singer-songwriter Clarence Bucaro, as he performs his new album Sweet Corn live in the studio. Then on Fri 1/31, guest host Jim Goldurs looks into this weekend’s show at the Beachland Ballroom, featuring East L.A.’s Grammy-award-winning group, Los Lobos. WCPN 90.3FM |
| Confronting Sexual Violence in Ourselves and Our Communities Conference | |
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Presented by Cleveland Men Against Sexism, and focusing on activist communities and inviting everyone “male, female, trans, queer, straight, white, black, brown,” this conference features a Fishbowl Session (with women sharing their experiences of sexual violence—another one will feature men speaking), and breakout sessions on: Sexism and Sexual Violence, Special Concerns for Activitst, Sexual Violence and Queer/Trans People, Self-Defense, a discussion of Rape Culture, How to Support a Survivor of Sexual Violence and Healing Ourselves and our Communities.Fri 2/1 7AM-7:30PM, Pilgrim Church, 2592 W. 14th St. 491-4513. |
| Dutchman and The Grand Prix | |
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Congrats to Karamu House for stepping out with a couple of “Mature Adult Themed” one act plays in their intimate Arena Theatre. See the shocking ending to a subway encounter between a white woman and a middle-class black college student in the LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka (who may be coming to town soon) 1964 Dutchman, and catch the world premiere of Cleveland native Cornel Calhoun III’s The Grand Prix, winner of the 2002 R. Joyce Whitely Arenafest Festival of New Plays, about a corporate medical center intent on imposing eminent domain on their community (interesting, with Cleveland Clinic just down the street from Karamu). You were aware that Karamu House is the oldest African American Cultural Arts Institution in the United States and is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places? Fri 1/31 thru 2/21 Karamu House, 2355 E. 89th, 795-707 X226 |
| Seiji | |
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a founding member of the Bugz In The Attic crew, has been touring Japan, the UK and Europe, and now gets down with the Nitty Gritty at Touch on Fri 2/1, plus live salsa every Friday. Touch Supper Club, 2710 Lorain, 631-5200 |
| Afro-Cuban Fusion Dance Class | |
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with the Travis Gatling Master Class, presented by Lake Erie College Dance Department on Sat 2/1 10-11:30AM and 12:30-2:30PM, Free, LEC Dance Studio Fine Arts Building, east side of campus off Gillette St. Register at: 440-639-7856 or dicello@lec.edu |
| Third Annual Brigid Peace Festival | |
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Shopping and networking will open the festivities on Sat 2/1 6-9PM at the Muse Market, where celtic arts, crafts and books will be available for purchase. Visit with local peace activists and experience free Polarity bodywork. Jordan Davis, accompanied by Jocelyn Chang on the Dilling harp and Michael Leese on the flute, will present a poetic meditation on war with poems by W.H. Auden and others and original music for harp and flute created by Chang and Leese. Then Tyrian, a learning community dedicated to empowering creativity, healing and peace, will honor Debra Wuliger with its first Artist of the Year Award for Sophia Sings, her seven 10-ft. silk hangings depicting the seven days of creation, presented by Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Stephanie Tubbs Jones at 8PM. Former First Lady of Ohio and recently ordained Roman Catholic priest Dagmar Braun Celeste will be the master of ceremony for the evening, which will conclude with a healing ritual for peace led by Evelyn Hunt, president of the National Women’s Ordination Conference and Kay Eaton, co-founder of Sacred Space. Trinity Cathedral Hall, 2230 Euclid Avenue 371.2547 |
| Los Lobos | |
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at the Beachland Ballroom is sold out on Sat 2/1 Don’t you wish you were paying a little closer attention a couple of weeks ago? Maybe you should go to their site and see what’s coming up, like The Life of Bob Marley (unreleased film & video) on 2/13, or, say, David Thomas and the Two Pale Boys on 2/15, or, maybe Link Wray on 2/21, or ? and the Mysterians on 3/1. But that’s up to you. 15711 Waterloo, 383-1124 |
| Edgar V | |
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Catch Miami’s legendary DJ spinning at Cleveland’s hottest late-nite dance space Moda, with it’s 10,000 square-foot dance floor and a DJ tower built on a separate foundation, Sat 2/1 Moda, 1871 W. 25th St. |
| Sing-along Sound of Music | |
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at the Palace Theatre thru 2/2, a great idea that couldn’t be more appropriate (I keep thinking about that last scene where they sneak off stage one by one to the strains of So Long, Farewell,rather than join Hitler’s war machine). Playhouse Square, 1505 Euclid Ave, 241-6000 |
| Ars Nova | |
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with Paul Hillier conducting Scandinavia’s premier choral ensemble for early and contemporary music, making a rare Cleveland appearance as part of the ethereal Trinity Cathedral Brown Bag lunch series. Includes music by Orlando Gibbons, Luciano Berio, Per Norgard, Carl Nielsen and Arvo Pärt. Wed 2/5 11:55AM, lunches available, Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid, 771-3630 |
| Four short plays by Cleveland women | |
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Check out new work by Cleveland playwrights every Wednesday evening at Cabaret Dada, presented by TCBBT. On Wed 2/5 at 7:30PM, catch Pieces Parts and The Angel by Elise Geither, and A Word Before Dying and A Good Day for a Killing by Gwen, followed by a Q&A. Cabaret Dada, 1210 W. 6th St. |
| Instant Karma quik reviews of last week’s events |
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| SAFMOD | |
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at CPT 1/24: Considering Cleveland’s perennial issues with segregation, discrimination and racism, in my opinion, everyone in Cleveland should see how these 20 young people (SAFMOD with Shri Kalaa Mandhir dancers, the Ground F/X-Boy Squad and collaborating composers, musicians and visual artists) work and play together, creating work that speaks to a world that’s just trying to get along. Especially Ahisma (Hindu for non-violence), with Korean co-founder Young Park and collaborator Sujatha Srinivasan interweaving Bharthanatyam and modern dance styles, epitomizing the Ghandi quote, “It is not non-violence if we love merely those that love us. It is non-violence only when we love those that hate us.” The closing number, The Playground,swinging and banging on sculptor John Ranally’s metallic pyramid bars, is a celebratory ritual, complete with a frenzied attack on the Percussion Contraption (you have to see it to believe it) and eleven five-gallon buckets. Fortunately for you, the show continues this weekend thru Sun 2/2 at Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave, 631-2727. go, go, go… |
| Leon Russell | |
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at The Winchester 1/24: More smoke and aging hippies than I’ve seen in one place in a long time. The six-lane-bowling-alley-converted-to-a-concert-club is just funky enough that you feel like it’s an event, not just another show. The man may be getting old, but he can play the keys. I had problems with the electronic V-Drums (they should sound better than that), but it was fun to watch his 15?-year-old daughter play percussion (unmiked). Opening act Cats On Holiday went acoustic and captivated the crowd. A Cool Cleveland reader writes: “Old fogey rock & roll: Before you get all offended, let me say that I AM one of those old fogies (56, to be exact). Let me say also that I hate “Oldies” radio with “Hits of the 60s and 70s.” I especially hate those nostalgia tours where Jay & the Americans (or whoever) try to recreate their earlier hits as if nothing had changed. Hey, we’ve changed, the world has changed, music has changed… get used to it. So I was a bit hesitant about going to a Leon Russell (remember him?) concert last Saturday. But the tickets were free, thanks to the Cool Cleveland newsletter, so how bad could it be? I walked into The Winchester, a small Lakewood, Ohio concert club. Looking around the crowded, smoky room, I couldn’t see anyone who was under 30, and I’d put the median age at about 45. Is this bad? Not necessarily. Just a little weird. Made me feel, well, mature. Leon Russell himself made it even more obvious: when he made his way to the stage he needed a cane to steady himself. But… once he began to play there was nothing the least bit shaky about him. Gave me hope for our generation. From the first wall of sound that he launched when he sat down at the piano and continuing for about 90 minutes, Leon & the band never let up. I was counting: no more than 3 seconds elapsed between songs. It was obvious that these were pros who’d been playing together a long time, and who enjoyed their work. Clearly there’s something to be gained in playing for all those years. Their hard-edged updating of Dylan’s Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall was one of my favorites. Leon and the band may have played some of the old hits, but this was no nostalgia-fest. For that at least one old fogie says thanks. I enjoyed (openers) Cats on Holiday in their more subdued “unplugged” mode, but i’ve heard them before with the full band and danced my ass off. of the two, i’d have preferred the latter. either way they’re an enjoyable band.” |
| Deviant at Abbasso Lounge | |
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A pleasant and well-maintained little dance club in the heart of downtown for late-night throbbing on the dancefloor. DJ Deviant was laying down the grooves last weekend to the delight of young hipsters. This place is comfortable, with nice seats, and a great bar, friendly people, reasonable prices, and, best of all, it’s open till 5AM on Saturdays. Don’t let anyone tell you there’s nothing going on late night Cleveland. Abbasso Lounge, beneath Bottoms Up of Cleveland, 1222 Prospect, 566-7278. |
| Cole Porter’s Anything Goes | |
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premiered Friday night 1/24 by Great Lakes Theater Festival at Playhouse Square. A Cool Cleveland reader writes: “It’s a jewel, it’s world class, it’s as if the passion and magic of theater comes and kisses you in the mouth: in theater and in life when it happens you are lucky to be there. This wonderful production had the traditionally restrained Midwestern audience roaring with laughter, tapping their feet and clapping spontaneusly with the music. OK, yes, they have Cole Porter’s songs… that helps but the cast is solid and some of the actors are simply extraordinary. Steve Routman as Moonface Martin singing the Bluebird song was the peak of the night but all along everyone in the cast had their solo or their moment to show their xtraordinary skills (one of my other favorites: David Kortemeire singing The Gipsy in Me). This play is a real treat. If you never go to the theater, go to see this play. If you don’t particularly care about musicals, this is an extraordinary exception: it doesn’t get any better than this (and I am a New Yorker saying this!) As lovers of art and theater we really need to support these efforts. Cleveland shines and grows more beautiful with new plays and entertainment opportunities. It’s up to us to keep them strong by promoting them with our attendance and our involvement. Charles Fee, the producing artistic director, made an appeal for Cleveland’s people to be more active supporters of their theater. The producers also want to know what audiences think about what the future course of Great Lakes theater should be: should they go back to the grassroots summer Shakespeare festival that they originally were? Should they do these summer events in downtown Cleveland? Go see the play: the raw energy, the sheer joy it brings about are rarities in a world that grows sadder and more worrisome everyday.” |