“Peace is here… if you want it,” to paraphrase John Lennon.
But we have to make peace together, and that will be the hard part.
While we figure that out, take a few moments at the end of one of the worst years in memory to savor the brilliance of the musicians in our region, especially now when they really need our support. You’ll enjoy our video interview with blues master Bob Frank, who has just launched a podcast, Blues You Should Know. The Rock Hall announces an audacious plan to add event space and onsite archives to enhance their campus. And prepare to be blown away by the stream of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, conducted, produced and edited by Oberlin’s Tiffany Chang. Revolutionary and moving.
You can enjoy the holiday spirit from the peace and quiet of your own home with a different cool online program each evening: Home for the Holidays from FAA; Joyful by the good folks at Karamu House; Cleveland Opera Theatre’s Amahl & the Night Visitors; carols & poetry from Les Delices; holiday traditions at Cleveland History Center; A Christmas Peril for the kids from Beck Center; seasonal music from Severance Hall; and a virtual program of music, spoken word and storytelling that will bend your heart from Near West Theatre.
Believe it or not, there’s still time for that last-minute X-mas gift for the David Bowie fan in your life (even if it’s you). We’re mounting a new livestream show just in time to celebrate the artist’s birth and death anniversaries in January, A Lad Insane: The Beautiful Mind of David Bowie, and tix are on sale now. Peace out.
Thirty-three-year-old businessman and political novice Justin Bibb has announced his candidacy for next year’s Cleveland mayoral race. He’s huffy about the idea of “waiting his turn.” But should he be in line for a “turn” at all? Columnist C. Ellen Connally looks at his background and campaign finance reports to try to discern who or what is behind this blank slate of a candidate. Read More
Free holiday fun from your couch! Watch The Fine Arts Association in Willoughby feature their Creative Arts Therapies clients in their holiday musical special Home for the Holidays and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.
In his new podcast, “Blues You Should Know,” Bob Frank goes layers deep into the lively background of some of the greatest musicians you’ve never heard of. But he’s never told his own stories before.
Here is part one of a new video interview series by Jordan Davis of CoolCleveland, looking at the musical travels of veteran guitarist, storyteller and producer Bob Frank. Check out the interview and his podcast here.
Looking for the perfect gift for the Bowie fan in your life? Secure your tickets to this unique livestream show celebrating the artist’s birth and death anniversaries in January.
A history of mental illness in his family weighed heavily on Bowie throughout his career, from early songs like “All The Madmen,” through explicit references to an asylum in the video for “Ashes To Ashes,” and he admittedly merged his own personality into his wildly popular characters such as Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and the Thin White Duke.
Explore rare videos and demos, talk with professionals, unearth fresh details of the artist’s life, and hear original and Bowie music from Vanity Crash. Read More
The vision and skill of 39 NEO women artists is on view in Ursuline College’s Wasmer Gallery with New Masters 2: Women Artists of Northeast Ohio. View safely from home at https://bit.ly/3npfxsv.
Old Fashion Hot Dogs on Lorain closed in June after more than 90 years, and its iconic sign was moved to nearby vintage store All Things for You. It now has a line of merch so you can take the image of the sign home with you. Read More
Local small music venues and arts groups have been lobbying Congress heavily for relief, since they operated on a shoestring before being forced to close — and many knew they couldn’t survive. We’re happy to report that the Save Our Stages Act they were pushing is included in the pandemic relief bill. Read More
Need some yoga or meditation to de-stress but your favorite class has shut down for pandemic-related reasons? The Cleveland Public Library has loads of free resources to help you keep up your practice at home. Read More
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled ambitious plans to add more space for event and education programming and traveling exhibits, as well as onsite archives and a museum campus connecting it with Great Lakes Science Center. Read More
Strumming your guitar in front of your laptop on Zoom during COVID has become a cliché. But understandable, because technically, it’s an easy way to get your music out. However, when your goal is to mount the huge Beethoven masterpiece Choral Fantasy, with two orchestras in two cities, a quartet, six soloists, a chorus and the renowned pianist Peter Takács, the challenge might seem insurmountable.
For Oberlin conductor Tiffany Chang, it meant months of planning and logistics, COVID-safe rehearsal and piece-by-piece audio and video recording at the highest level, even teaching herself video editing over the summer and spending 420 hours on the final edit. But what a virtual masterpiece they created. Hear (and see) how she did it in this exclusive CoolCleveland interview. Read More
Highest and Best Use
Will the construction of the Cleveland Foundation headquarters in proximity to my home and winery improve conditions and bring much-needed resources to my community? Of course we all stand to gain. What baffles, puzzles and confounds me is why some folks from outside of our community happen to be so troubled by this opportunity that will assist us in improving our lot in life… Read MoreAn Open Letter to Mike Seals
Now, I know you’ll either be immediately dismissive of these projects or think the Cleveland Foundation’s decision to build on East 66th Street played no role in their development. However, you’d be wrong. I’ve been involved with the 66th Corridor Project for years and nothing took off until the Cleveland Foundation announced it wanted to move into the neighborhood… Read More
