Looking forward
This is the time of the season we get all the best-of-the-year lists, and think pieces on how badly the year that’s ending sucked. While it’s useful to be reflective, we insist on looking ahead to not only the next week, but the next epoch that awaits us.
Ryan Humbert and his band The Shootouts have had a banner year, and they are looking forward to a bigger one next year, so he’s ending 2023 with the 15th and final installment of the Holiday Extravaganza, benefitting the Akron Canton Food Bank. Cleveland music writer Annie Zaleski has just published her latest book, this one on 100 holiday hits, and the stories behind them. University of Akron students are creating a guide for shopping local in Akron, and we’ve got the scoop.The Cleveland Music Census wraps up this Friday, so feel free to complete the survey if you haven’t already, so we can all get our collective heads around the size, makeup and economic impact of the region’s music business. Looking ahead, the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture meeting is today, it’s open to the public, and it’s critical that artists attend to ensure the dysfunction inside the organization stops before they lose support in the community entirely.
We can look forward to the return of many holiday classics: The Cleveland Ballet’s Nutcracker, the Burning River Brass’ holiday concert in Tremont, TCO’s holiday concerts, and Santa making visits just about everywhere. But we look ahead to some new holiday events: an Irish-Appalachian Christmas from Apollo’s Fire, a holiday trunk show at BAYArts, a year-end party from Tailspinner at their new digs at 78th Street Studios, a holiday-themed afternoon at Shaker Square, even a Latin holiday celebration at Julia de Burgos Center. The anticipation is building.
–Thomas Mulready