12.25.19-01.01.20
Winter Animals
We’re turning into a place that never hibernates, even in winter. Of course, this is the week everyone comes home for the winter break, back to the place they call home.But around here, we never stopped rocking. If it’s music you want, the Rock Hall is open late with live music and Christmas ale; BOP STOP hosts the re-birth of Birth and the release of their double-live vinyl album; three roots/Americana singer/songwriters become Sisters in Song at the G.A.R. Hall; Tropidelic returns to host their NYE show at HOB; and one of the world’s finest percussionists, Jamey Haddad, sets the tempo at Nighttown.
In fact, in this week’s CoolCLE PODCAST, we hear from Michael McFarland, host of the ListenCLE mixtapes on Spotify. And we’re coming up on David Bowie Month with seven shows across five venues in January; maybe your best bet is the Bowie Bargain Badge ensuring you see it all, and at the best price.
Since the family’s in town, see below for our recommendations on cool family events at CMNH, the Geauga Park District, the toboggan chutes at Millstream Run, Glow at CBG, Creative Play Days at Lake Erie Ink, and all the winter animals that also refuse to hibernate: they have a new female Amur tiger, two new Mexican Grey wolves, plus reindeer, bears, sea lions and snow leopard. When you’re ready to leave the little ones at home, this town is standing by with Mushroomhead’s Christmas Krampus concert at the Agora, Anhedonia Delight’s GlamGore Drag Show at the Grog Shop, and a burlesque benefit at the Beachland. Winter around here is cooler than you think. –Thomas Mulready
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Some people want it all. And for them, we’ve got the Bowie Bargain Badge. And it saves you money as well!
Whether you want to experience David Bowie’s entire life (A Friday Night With(out) David Bowie on Fri 1/3 at The Winchester Music Tavern, Fri 1/10 at BOP STOP and Fri 1/17 at CLE Urban Winery), or a deep dive on the overlooked 2nd half of Bowie’s life and music (“Brunch With Bowie” on Sun 1/5 at Jilly’s Music Room and Sun 1/12 at BOP STOP), or a focus on his Ziggy Stardust era (Wed 1/8 at The Brothers Lounge), or an all-request evening (Sat 1/11 Benefit for BOP STOP), the Bowie Bargain Badge gets one person admission to all the shows.
It’s all part of David Bowie Month presenting seven shows in five venues in Akron, Lakewood, Cleveland Heights and Cleveland from January 3-17. We’ll celebrate with rare video, needle drops, trivia, contests and the back stories behind the music and the life of the most iconoclastic artists of them all. Catch every show with the Bowie Bargain Badge and indulge yourself or the Bowie fan in your life. BowieShows.com. [photo of Bowie in Cleveland 1983 by Janet Macoska]
This week, Michael McFarland, curator of ListenCLE Spotify playlists, is with us to share with us how and why he creates his mood-based playlists. We also feature four of the songs listed on the last mix tape, “Holiday Vibes” – Meg and the Magnetopshere, Modern Electric, Fair Dowells and Shawn & Shelby.
You can check out ListenCLE.com for access to all 11 playlists, with themes as like “Feel Good,” “Misery Loves Company,” “Chill” and “Night Driving.”
You know the kids are all amped up about the New Year and want to celebrate, just like you but without the champagne toast. Maybe you know they won’t be able to stay awake until midnight or maybe you don’t want them too. There are family-friendly options ideal for them.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Geauga Park District all have events with special activities revolving around greeting the new year at noon. The toboggan chutes at Millstream Run and Cleveland Botanical Garden’s holiday Glow show offer ways to tire them out so they’ll gladly go to bed before midnight. And if they are night owls and you don’t mind, bring them to the family-friendly popcorn ball drop in Chagrin Fall. Tue 12/31.
Northeast Ohio band Tropidelic knows how to get a party started. Their blend of reggae, funk, hip hop, ska and rock, with a nod to jam-band music, goes over big with college and post-college kids, and has earned the band, which formed in 2007, an increasing national-level audience.
When they perform their annual hometown New Year’s Eve show, this time at the House of Blues, they’ll have a lot to celebrate. This year saw the release of a new album and EP, more touring and many summer festival appearances, including their own annual festival Freakstomp, preparing now for its 2020 edition. Tue 12/31.
Melt Bar and Grilled holiday gift card bonus sale is still happening through December 31st! Still time to get a great deal on some Melt Deliciousness. Purchase $100 worth of cards and receive a $25 bonus card.
Please visit any Melt location to take advantage of this great sale or click the link to purchase from the comfort of your living room! Happy Holidays from Melt Bar and Grilled! Melt Gift Card bonus sale.
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has some new residents who don’t mind the cold.Rosebrough Tiger Passage welcomes a new female Amur tiger, Zoya, joining the two male tigers already living there. The new Tiger Passage habitat features four connected areas for the tigers to romp in, and the chance for visitors to observe them at close range. Over in Wilderness Trek, two young Mexican Grey wolf sisters, Sarra and Meraki, join the three males already there. A stop at Wilderness Trek gives winter visitors the chance to see other animals that revel in the cold including reindeer, bears, sea lions, and snow and Amur leopards.
Both the tiger and wolves are endangered species; you can learn more about what is being done to protect and preserve them.
Local avant-garde jazz trio Birth had a good run from 1998-2004 before its members scattered across the country. They overcame distance to reunite in 2016 and now they’ll release a new vinyl double album at a show at the BOP STOP. Fri 12/27
Read more picks by Anastasia Pantsios here
WED 12/25
The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is open on Christmas Day so stop down before heading to your favorite Asian restaurant for dinner. It’s Can Can day which means pay what you can and bring a can (or more) of food to donate to local food banks. They’ll also have a station to make cards to welcome new immigrants and refugees to Cleveland.
Click here for more events on Wed 12/25
THU 12/26
Join local poets Nicole Hennessy and Russell Vidrick for the monthly open mic poetry night at Visible Voice Books in Tremont, where you can read your own work or a favorite poem, or just sit and listen while enjoying a glass of wine or beer.
Click here for more events on Thu 12/26
FRI 12/27
Tonight and tomorrow the Rock Hall will be open until 7pm, giving visitors more time to check out its current special exhibit Play It Loud: The Instruments of Rock and Roll, hear some live music and enjoy some Christmas ale.
Click here for more events on Fri 12/27
SAT 12/28
This year saw the big celebration of the 50th anniversary of the final Cuyahoga River fire, which helped launch the modern environmental movement. Take a look back to reflect on why it was so impactful at a program at Cleveland Metroparks’ Canalway Center.
Click here for more events on Sat 12/28
SUN 12/29
Comedian Bill Squire, co-host of The Alan Cox Show broadcast on WMMS-FM, brings his Christmakwanzakah show back to the Agora, with his own jaded take on the holidays and a lineup of seven other funny guys and gals.
Click here for more events on Sun 12/29
MON 12/30
Avoid the post-holiday doldrums with a trip to the Cleveland Botanical Garden to catch its annual holiday show Glow, featuring lights, trees, gingerbread houses and even a miniature train taking kids around the premises. It’s open today and tomorrow, closed New Year’s Day and runs through Sat 1/4.
Click here for more events on Mon 12/30
TUE 12/31
If you’re looking for a casual, fun New Year’s Eve party that won’t break your budget, area clubs such as Mahall’s 20 Lanes, the Beachland, Musica and Jukebox offer low-dough parties with music, dancing, drinks and more, while Peninsula’s G.A.R. Hall has a slightly pricier option with a full dinner and a jug band led by David Mayfield.
Click here for more events on Tue 12/31
WED 1/1
There’s a new-ish New Year’s Day tradition of going out to brunch to recover from the festivities of the night before or just to get out of the house. The Beachland Tavern, Prosperity Social Club, Jukebox and Nighttown are among the places offering a special mid-week brunch. Nighttown even offers live music by jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci.
Click here for more events on Wed 1/1
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
The lie the GOP has been spreading for years is that the Democratic Party hasn’t done anything for blacks, so why should we continue to support it, or as they like to frame it, why do we stay on the Democratic plantation? The truth is, Democrats have at times taken black voters for granted, but the bigger truth is…
* The Death of a Giant An independent thinker, Krumholz, who recently died at age 92, didn’t allow himself to be co-opted by wealthy developers and corporate business interests. He was a leading proponent of “equity planning,” which simply meant…
* The End of the Republicrat Era Don King has turned the once-venerated black newspaper The Call & Post into a political rag that most folks wouldn’t even stoop to wrapping dead fish in. But he shamelessly cashes the check he receives from the tRump campaign each month…
Read other stories from Mansfield Frazier here
Bringing out the beast,
–Thomas Mulready
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