We are facing a big week in NEO. After 20 steady years of CoolCleveland, we are used to feeling the pulse of the region come and go. This week we are flushed; our pulse is racing.There’s a need for creative spaces for artists in Cleveland, so attend the forum in person at SPACES this Friday to listen, learn and speak your mind. Enjoy a free, live Cleveland Orchestra concert at Severance Music Center about Ellis Island and the dreams of immigrants. Join the Polka Hall of Fame’s Button Box Bash, hear a reading at Mac’s Backs, tour the Cleveland Clinic art collection, and learn how the May 4 Kent State massacre scene became a National Historic Landmark.
We’re super excited to bring you a Brunch with Bowie in May at JUKEBOX in Ohio City. Celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Month with good food and music, and learn something about one of the most influential artists of our age. Try out an effects pedals “Experience Station” at a workshop featuring local manufacturer EarthQuaker Devices at the Cleveland Rocks Shop. Hear about musician Marc Lee Shannon’s sobriety journey through words and music.
And we would be remiss if we didn’t urge you to be there on Wed 4/19 at 4PM at the Downtown branch of the Cleveland Public Library for the public meeting of the board of Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, tasked with distributing the arts tax dollars to artists and groups, a seemingly straightforward role that has drawn criticism for the contentiousness of their meetings and confusion over funding for artists. Read our piece below to get caught up, and make your voice heard. That’s why these meetings are held F2F and are open to the public.
Imagine enjoying a delicious brunch while learning about David Bowie and jamming good to his music.
Brunch With Bowie will take place on Sat 5/13 at JUKEBOX, 1404 W. 29th Street in Ohio City at noon, with doors open at 11:30AM. A full bar and a special brunch menu will be available a la carte for purchase, or just enjoy the show.
Bowieologist Thomas Mulready partners with glam rock superstars Vanity Crash to mark the 50th anniversary of the artist’s classic album Aladdin Sane in a performance featuring live original music by the band plus hits and deep cuts by David Bowie, along with exclusive interviews, in a compelling live presentation entitled, Cracked Actor, with a focus on how the artist nurtured his own mental health. Mmmmmmm. We’re getting hungry already. Read more.
Christa Ebert aka Uno Lady made a splash in the Cleveland music and art scene with her distinctive music, made by processing and layering her vocals.
Since the pandemic she’s expanded her reach and hit the road, making series of short meditative films, recording her vocals without authorization in European cathedrals & moving to Maine. Now she has a new recording called Alaska, influenced by the sounds of nature the national park & preserve where she was working.Read more.
We’ve reported about the confusion and contention going on among the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture board and staff. The board meetings of this organization, tasked with distributing arts tax money, are open to the public, and the public needs to be there on Wed 4/19 @ 4PM at the downtown branch of the Cleveland Public Library. Read more.
If politicians’ twisted efforts to block the reproductive rights ballot initiative are really pissing you off, stop by the Shaker Heights Dems meeting Wednesday April 12 @ 7pm to sign a petition, learn to circulate petitions and hear updates from activist leaders of the initiative. Not in the Shaker area? We’ve got a link to help you find a petition signing event near you. Read more.
A consummate professional, known for his calm, even demeanor, his rigor, and his low-key enthusiasm for any topic he covered, broadcaster and journalist Rick Jackson will be missed as he announces his retirement from ideastream in June. But it may be his humility, his insistence on giving all sides a fair listen, that will be his legacy. Read more.
SUN 4/16 Get Your Dancing Shoes The Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame hosts its 39th annual Button Box Bash, promising more than 60 (!) accordions on two stages, jam sessions and lots of ethnic food.
