12.19-12.26.2018 You Are Not Alone

12.19-12.26.18
You Are Not Alone

Loneliness is around every corner this time of year. As family and friends return to NEO to celebrate the holidays, let’s not forget those who are on their own and need our support.

Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless is hosting its Homeless Memorial Service/candlelight vigil, which aims to dignify and humanize those who have died in the preceding year.

Bob Frank has released his first solo record after years of work with Blue Lunch, which continues to be one of the joys of our local music scene. They’re headlining the annual Latke Party on Christmas Day for non-Christian music lovers. That day the Maltz Museum has Pay What You Can Day, asking for donations of canned goods which will be donated to the greater Cleveland Food Bank along with visitor-created New Year’s cards to welcome new immigrants and refugees to the Cleveland area.

Our latest PODCAST #13 offers a very spiritual episode on modern theology and arts, while featuring Cleveland-based artists Valerie Victoria and male gospel group Still Under Construction. David Bowie Weekend is happening in January with new and updated shows, and a couple of tickets would make a wonderful holiday gift for that lonely person in your life. –Thomas Mulready

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Photo by Anastasia Pantsios
CoolCleveland is dedicated to George Nemeth

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Get Ready for David Bowie Weekend at BOP STOP

It seems that everyone is a David Bowie fan these days. That’s what happens when a cult artist becomes a touchstone for a generation, and they pass it along. He taught us it’s OK to be yourself, it’s OK to change, it’s OK to be weird.

On Sat 1/12, get ready for a brand new show, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell: David Bowie’s Deep Cuts, digging up Bowie’s overlooked classics, epic suites too long for radio, and precious pretties that languished as deep album tracks if they were released at all. It all happens at the wonderfully sounding BOP STOP, 2920 Detroit Avenue.

But if you’re dying to hear all the details about David Bowie’s entire life and artistic output from birth to his final album Blackstar (and beyond), you need to also be there the night before, Fri 1/11, for An Evening With(out) David Bowie, freshly updated with newly released box sets and rarities, outtakes, demos and just-discovered gems. Prepare yourself.

Both nights you’ll enjoy rare video, hi-def audio, trivia and giveaways presented and directed by Thomas Mulready. And each evening is capped with a sizzling live music set by Cleveland glam punk superstars Vanity Crash. Get your tickets soon, as these shows will probably sell out. Photo of Bowie live in Cleveland 1983 by Janet Macoska.

CoolCLE PODCAST #13: How Theology Influences Pop Culture with Pastor Clark

Feed your soul this week with Pastor Clark of Brecksville United Methodist Church. Pastor Clark talks about how we are made in the image of God, destined to create music, poetry, fiction, dance and other works of art. And although our modern art may not resemble or sound like that of the Renaissance or the Medieval period, it can still be influenced by Christian theology and can be held close to people’s hearts just as scripture.

The music is provided by Cleveland-based male gospel group, Still Under Construction, and Valerie Victoria, who is now based in California, but began her Christian music journey in Cleveland.

On his Own

Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bob Frank is well known in the area music community as the leader of the long-running swing/jump blues/rock & roll ensemble Blue Lunch and before that Hotfoot Quartet. But he’s never released a solo album – until now.

True Stories and Outrageous Lies, which he’ll debut at the BOP STOP Fri 12/21, features 11 originals and one cover, and unlike the blazing energy of Blue Lunch, he takes a stripped-down approach, drawing from acoustic pre-war blues. It took him until age 65 to take the solo plunge. He says, “I’ve been thinking about doing it for a few years, so it’s been percolating around for a long time. I mean, why not? I had the enthusiasm, and I couldn’t see waiting any longer.”

SPONSORED: $100,000 Essay Contest Stop The Hate is a groundbreaking program to encourage students grades 6-12 to write essays on their experiences with injustice and the actions they are taking to become leaders and upstanders in the face of racism, gender bias, religious persecution and the innumerable small cruelties of daily life. Deadlines: Grades 6-10: Wed 1/9/19; Grades 11-12: Wed 1/16/19. Details: MaltzMuseum.org

History in Motion

Inlet Dance’s latest project, Building CLE, has been two-and-a-half years in the making. During that time they have been working with residents of Judson Park and Judson Manor aging facilities, learning their stories about growing up in Cleveland to prepare to interpret them in dance.

“One of the things we do frequently at Inlet is we make work that is by, with and for the people we’re working with, specific populations,” Inlet’s founder/artistic director Bill Wade says. “This is about reengaging your life story with the creative arts so that your life story becomes something that’s performed on stage.” They’ll debut it at Ohio City’s Breen Center Fri 12/21.

Making Dreams Come True

Coworking spaces are popping up all over, as more people opt to freelance, consult or start small businesses caught in the space between a home business and a full-scale office. Most offer at minimum use of basic office equipment, work space, meeting space and a conference room.

Dream Creative Complex is thinking bigger. The Bedford Heights complex, which held a launch party last week, aims to be a complete multimedia work studio for creatives of all types: in film, music, podcasting, fashion, gaming and much more. “We noticed that there was nothing in place to meet the true need of creative entrepreneurs,” says co-founder TerDawn DeBoe. “We combined our knowledge, skillset and resources to become a creative coworking space.”

Cleveland Independents Holiday Gift Ideas

If you’re looking for holiday gifts that are cool, local and delicious, you’ve come to the right place.

Chef Matt Anderson of Cleveland Independents meets up with CoolCleveland and brings along some of the many unique gift ideas that our local chefs have cooked up.

The Deck: playing card-style gift certificates good for $10 OFF a $30 food purchase at 48 of the region’s finest restaurants, plus 2 Joker cards to return to your favorites; Sumptuous cookbooks featuring some of the most delicious recipes from top area chefs; and Gift Cards good at any of the 80+ Cleveland Independents restaurants. Give a gift that no one will want to return. And support the largest group of independent chefs and restaurants in the country.

A Classic Made Accessible

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has been a holiday theatrical staple for decades. For families, an alternative to an expensive, full-length evening is Lantern Theatre’s seventh annual A Cold, Cold Reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, taking place in the barn at Canal Corners Farm in Valley View.

The one-hour, stripped-down performance – six actors and a pianist – is followed by a Christmas carol sing-along, and there’s cocoa, hot cider and baked goods, making this more of a party than a sit-and-watch expedition to the theater. Sat 12/22 & Sun 12/23.

Click here for more CoolCleveland Kids events

A little more than five years ago, Brandon Chrostowski opened Edwins, a fine-dining establishment in Shaker Square with an activist goal: to give people returning from prison a set of in-demand skills with which they could make a living.

He’s expanding on that initial vision now with the opening of Edwins Butcher Shop on Buckeye. It offers not only affordable, high-quality meat products but groceries, staples, beverages and prepared foods as well. Our columnist Mansfield Frazier, who also does reentry work, explains why this project is a win/win/win.

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

Think and Drink at CMNH: Winter Solstice

Raise a glass and increase your knowledge of the natural world at Cleveland’s brainiest happy hour!

Each #ThinkandDrink event highlights a different science topic and offers exclusive access to professional staff and researchers, unique experiences and interactive demonstrations. Enjoy a drink from our beer and wine bar, and grab a bite to eat at Exploration: A Zack Bruell Restaurant located off Wade Oval lobby. This month’s theme is Winter Solstice and takes place on Thu 12/20.

Think & Drink with the Extinct is from 6-10pm on the third Thursday of the month from October through May (with the exception of November which will take place on the second Thursday). The event is free for members.

If you’re just about ready to hear someone kick the stuffing out of those annoyingly ubiquitous holiday tunes, check out Broken Ornaments at the BOP STOP, six experimental musicians who work their deconstructive magic on those moldie oldies. Thu 12/20

* Les Delices & Quire Cleveland join forces for Charpentier’s Midnight Mass and traditional French noels. Fri 12/21-Sun 12/23.

* Informal Beau Coup reunion and all-star cast of local musicians highlight benefit at the Music Box. Sun 12/23.

* Kent’s Jessica Lea Mayfield performs her emotionally challenging music at the Beachland. Fri 12/21.

* The P.L.U.S. Band and Big Ship bring post-Christmas good vibes to the Music Box. Wed 12/26.

* Rock Hall inductee class is announced; induction ceremony is in Brooklyn, NY Fri 3/29/19.

MGK Takes A Walk On The Wild Side

Taking a walk on the wild side is exactly where Cleveland’s own Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) finds his life these days.

This past fall the platinum MC watched his new single “Rap Devil” become a top-10 hit. The “Binge” EP tune was a diss track in response to Eminem targeting MGK on his “Kamikaze” album. Naturally, the back and forth garnered plenty of TMZ attention.

Also, MGK (real name Colson Baker) was busy this past year appearing in three feature films, the most notable of which is “The Dirt.” The Motley Crue biopic, which finds the talented actor playing drummer Tommy Lee, will be released this spring. As for now the rapper is thinking about his “XXMAS Show” taking place Sat 12/22 right here in Cleveland.

CoolCleveland talked to MGK about life in the fast lane, Tommy Lee and his future, which one day may find him choosing acting over rapping.

WED 12/19
Latitudes Poetry Night at Akron’s Compass Coffee winds up the year with its final open mic and a special guest: published poet Crystal Stone, who will lead a mini-workshop and kick off the readings with some of her own work.

* Rock & roll roadie and Euclid native Kevin Dugan comes back from L.A. to talk about his experiences at the Music Box Supper Club.

* The film The Flat, which tells the story of the people who live in a Tel Aviv apartment, starting with escapees from Germany in the 1930s, screens at the Maltz Museum.

Click here for more events on Wed 12/19

THU 12/20
Think & Drink with the Extinct, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s adult evenings for learning about science in a fun setting, focuses on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, which is tomorrow. There will be nocturnal animals and no holiday music!

* Hang out with NE Ohio’s most passionate LGBTQ activists at the Stonewall Democrats’ holiday party in Ohio City.

* Come swing dancing with Red Light Roxy at Forest City Brewery.

* Ensemble Theatre presents one-weekend-only run of I’m Not Rappaport. Through Sun 12/23.

* Missile Toe returns to the Akron Art Museum with its goofball take on holiday music.

* Come share your poetry or just listen at Visible Voice Books’ monthly open mic.

Click here for more events on Thu 12/20

FRI 12/21
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a warm, cozy place to celebrate the holidays. Many of the city’s homeless live on the streets – and some die there. The annual candlelight vigil/memoria at the West Side Catholic Center pays tribute to those homeless individuals and friends of the homeless who passed away in 2018 .

* The Whiskey Daredevils heat up the Yuletide season at the Beachland.

Click here for more events on Fri 12/21

SAT 12/22
Neighborhood Pets opened in Slavic Village two years ago to help provide low-income pet owners with low-cost of free services and supplies. The organization is hosting a holiday party at the Magalen, and invites everyone to join them for food, drink and a visit from Santa … Paws?

* Andy Warhol endangered species prints go on view at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Through Sun 3/10.

* Find cool and nerdy gifts at the Last Minute Geek Holiday Show at Lakewood’s Side Quest.

* Drag Bingo takes on Christmas with Veranda L’Ni at the Music Box.

Click here for more events on Sat 12/22

SUN 12/23
Tremont’s iconic St Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral, more than 100 years old, invites the community to attend its annual Christmas concert by its Cathedral Choir, with a sing-song and reception to follow.

* The annual Red Black & Green Christmas show at the Grog Shop spotlights black music genres with MuAmin Collective’s hip hop and Revolution Brass Band’s jazz/funk/rock blend topping the bill.

* Ex-Mormon comedian Bill Squire hosts Christmakwanzakah night of comedy at the Agora.

Click here for more events on Sun 12/23

MON 12/24
The Cleveland Botanical Garden isn’t usually open on Mondays but it is today to give people extra hours to visit its Glow holiday show and see the facility transformed indoors and out with colored, moving lights, decorated fir trees, winter flowers, gingerbread houses and a train for kids to ride.It runs through Sat 1/5/19.

* The Christmas eve concert at University Circle Methodist Church features noted soprano and liturgical dancers.

* Those at loose ends on Christmas Eve are invited to the Grog Shop for some “Shitshow Karaoke.”

Click here for more events on Mon 12/24

TUE 12/25
Blue Lunch’s Latke Party at the Beachland has become a Christmas tradition for non-Christian music lovers. Dance to the bands spicy stew of swing, jump blues, R&B and old-school rock & roll, and then order some of those Jewish potato pancakes from the Beachland’s menu.

* The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is open today and invites visitors to bring canned goods for local food banks and make cards to welcome new immigrants.

Click here for more events on Tue 12/25

WED 12/26
Now that the anticipation is over, the kids may be getting restless. Take the whole family down to Summit Metro Parks’ Seiberling Nature Realm & Visitor Center where all ages can play nature bingo, led by a park naturalist, and then take a walk on one of center’s short, easy trails.

* Those more cold averse might want to check out the newly opened exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art featuring NE Ohio artist Charles Burchfield’s youthful Ohio watercolor landscapes. Through Sun 5/5/19.

Click here for more events on Wed 12/6

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Try to Follow the Money – If You Can

Know this: The insurance industry (which bail bondsmen are a part of) is the richest and most powerful in the world. It loans banks money. And their lobbyists are among the cleverest in the country; in fact, they’re slicker than snot on a doorknob. Sherlock Holmes would be challenged to find the trail of money from the insurance industry coffers to the pockets of lawmakers and judges….

Read other stories from Mansfield Frazier here