09.04-09.11.19
Freshness
This town knows how to keep things fresh. Beyond our political leadership, which always seems stuck in neutral, the general vibe of our region during the past decade or so has been to reinvent, rejuvenate and refresh our culture with new ideas, unique approaches and creative achievements.
Fresh Fest Cleveland, featuring food tastings, cooking demonstrations, art vendors and a music festival, kicks off in the “Forgotten Triangle” at Rid-All Farm and Otter Park in Kinsman. Bike Cleveland fills the gap that NEOcycle left by launching their own Fundo, with 10- 30- and 60-mile options, plus vendors and a post-ride meal, designed to accommodate the growing numbers of bicyclists of all skill levels.
Taste fresh local wines at five Grand River Valley wineries at Casks, Corks and Forks, or sample local craft beers at History on Tap at the Cleveland History Center. The Testaments, the new sequel to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, is welcomed with a party the night it goes on sale at Mac’s Backs. Cleveland-based Belt Publishing hosts ex-felon Robert Wideman and editor Elaine Frantz to talk about giving voice to the incarcerated at the monthly Belt University. Sounds like everyone’s getting a fresh start. –Thomas Mulready
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Photo by Laurie Klasa IG: @_orla_belle, courtesy Cleveland Photo Fest
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Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground and The Exploding Plastic Inevitable
The new show When Andy Met Lou throws a fresh spotlight on the fascinating period during 1966-67 when the most influential band of all time was just forming, and the biggest pop artist in the world was moving beyond painting into the new media of films, light shows, live performance and happenings. Their collaborative live project The Exploding Plastic Inevitable laid the groundwork for performance art, raves, EDM and rock shows. Interestingly, while much of the focus is on key figures like Reed & Warhol, it’s a group of women artists who sparked that collaboration and infused it with a unique character and longevity.
Women like Barbara Rubin, who actually introduced Warhol to The Velvet Underground, and the “chanteuse” Nico, a singer and actress who served as the striking Teutonic face and voice for the mixed-gender band. Androgynous drummer Moe Tucker brought a primitive but disciplined feel to the music that many claim led directly to the sound of punk rock 10 years later. Actress, model and Poor Little Rich Girl Edie Sedgwick was literally Warhol’s mouthpiece, spouting responses for him during interviews and high-profile celebrity appearances. Transvestite and transgendered “Superstars” like Candy Darling, Jackie Curtis and Holly Woodlawn influenced the films and music being created, and became the infamous subjects of Reed’s later hit, Walk On The Wild Side. Pictured (l to r) are Nico, Warhol, Tucker, Reed, guitarist Sterling Morrison and violist John Cale.
Thomas Mulready creates a multi-media presentation featuring rare video, needle drops, and recently unearthed photos, followed by a sizzling live music performance by Cleveland’s own Vanity Crash. The show will be presented at two venues: BOP STOP in Cleveland on Fri 9/13 and Sat 9/14, then debuting at Jilly’s Music Room in Akron for a Velvet Brunch at noon on Sun 9/22. Men and women of all ages are welcome.
Rid-All Farm, in the so-called “forgotten triangle,” is the perfect location for the first, and hopefully not last, Fresh Fest Cleveland, promoting healthy eating with a fun all-ages events that’s also a music festival. The day-long event features a farmers market giving away food, tastings, cooking demonstrations and food trucks, along with art vendors, art installations and hands-on activities.
There’ll be a full lineup of music, including 80s/90s rap hitmaker Biz Markie, and locals such as Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band, FreshProduce, The Katy, Red Rose Panic, DJ Red-I, Toobe Fresco and Candi Fresca. “We want to bring people together to do art, make art, have fun, party and enjoy themselves with food, art, music and culture,” says Kim Foreman of host organization Environmental Health Watch. Sat 9/7.
Each September for the last five years NEOcycle filled Edgewater Park with a weekend of activities including a music festival, beer garden, athletic contests, a huge vendor village, dog diving and a variety of rides for all ages & skill levels of cyclists, including a night ride that shut down the Shoreway.
In its aftermath, Bike Cleveland, one of the main voices of advocacy for bicyclists in NE Ohio, jumped into the breech with its fundo, its less overwhelming one-day event more specifically focused on biking. It offers 10-, 30- and 60 mile rides, beginning and ending at Edgewater, where participants will get a meal at the new beach house, and a select group of vendors – mostly bike shops and event sponsors. Sat 9/7.
SPONSORED: Hoppy Hour Series to Kick Off with Barks and Brews at the Cleveland Botanical Garden The Hoppy Hour craft beer series returns to the Cleveland Botanical Garden this month with unique themes each week. Bring your dog to the Garden as you sample craft brews at Barks and Brews on Wed 9/11 at 5:30PM. Themes for later weeks include Sustaina-Brew (9/25), Game Night (10/9), and Boos and Brews (10/23). Admission half-price after 5PM, beers extra. More info at CBGarden.org.
September is the perfect month to take in an artwalk like the monthly first Friday one in the Waterloo Arts District. The streetscape that rejuvenated the street in 2014 added stage on the plaza at Waterloo & E. 156th where bands perform to passersby. This month catch singer/songwriter Lawrence Daniel Caswell and smart popsters Goodmorning Valentine.
There’s lots of art, of course. Two shows to make a point of seeing if you didn’t catch them last month are Dan Miller’s Some Disassembly Required at Waterloo Arts, drawings addressing the artist’s nearly fatal motorcycle accident two years ago, and on a lighter note, over at Space:ROCK, photographer Bob Perkoski’s shots of the glittery, glamorous burlesque performers who grace the stage of the Beachland. Fri 9/6.
The Cleveland Photo Fest officially kicks off this week, launching the first iteration of this event, which features multiple exhibits throughout September and October at galleries and other venues all over town. It opens Cutting Edge, featuring nine boundary-pushing area photographers who use photography as the base of their creative work. It’s at Lakewood’s Good Goat Gallery. Fri 9/6.
* Cleveland-based Internet radio station oWow has made additions to its weekend special programming, expanding Alan Greene’s BluesTime show to two nights, Saturday and Sunday, and debuting a Sunday evening re-broadcast of its Happy Hour concerts at the Music Box, both starting this weekend. Sat 9/7-Sun 9/8.
This September, start drooling over the Up in Smoke (pictured), with boneless slow roasted pork ribs, Hickory Smokehouse BBQ sauce, creamy crunchy slaw, spicy garlic pickles, BBQ kettle chips, and smoked Gouda, with a Vegetarian version available.
Curious what beer is on tap at your favorite Melt location? Check out our new online draft beer list for all Melt Bar and Grilled locations. The current and up-to-date list can be found attached to our specific locations pages on our website! MeltBarAndGrilled.com.
CWRU radio station WRUW 91.1 FM’s Studio-A-Rama, its long-running free all-day outdoor concert, returns to Mather Courtyard after a two-year run up the street at moCa’s Toby’s Plaza. It returns from October to early September as well. Sat 9/7
Read more picks by Anastasia Pantsios here
WED 9/4
Keep Talking’s storytelling event at the Happy Dog invites participants to share a story about an experience or memory of “My Cleveland” that reveals what the city means to them, for better or worse. Another takes place at the Collinwood Library Mon 9/9.
Click here for more events on Wed 9/4
THU 9/5
The Cleveland Jewish FilmFest opens tonight at Shaker Square with the humorous film The Unorthodox, and continues through Sun 9/15 with 20 more films – comedies, romances, shorts, serious films & documentaries on topics ranging from the founders of legendary jazz label Blue Note to how Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rose to power.
Click here for more events on Thu 9/5
FRI 9/6
Oberlin’s Allen Memorial Art Museum just opened Afterlives of the Black Atlantic, exploring the impact of the slave trade on identity, belonging and memory, through the work of 15 artists of different backgrounds such as the Cuban Belkis Ayon (work pictured). Today, another artist in the show, Jose Rodriguez, joins the opening reception while he’s in town to install his site-specific altar.
Click here for more events on Fri 9/6
SAT 9/7
Pet skunk owners from around the region descend on North Ridgeville for the annual Skunkfest in South Central Park, where visitors can meet these domestic-bred critters which come in lots of colors, not just black & white. Various rescues – dogs, ferrets, cats, birds – show up each year, so this event is paradise for animal lovers.
Click here for more events on Sat 9/7
SUN 9/8
If looking at cars that cost more than your house – in some cases WAY more – floats your boat, head out to the Molto Bella Auto Show at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, where 400 high-end cars will be on display, along with hot rods from the collection of Kent’s Elton “Sonny’ Hunt, aka the Rodfather, who passed away in January.
Click here for more events on Sun 9/8
MON 9/9
With Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale, increasingly looking like it’s ripped from today’s headlines, readers are eagerly awaiting the sequel The Testaments. Mac’s Backs in Coventry Village is hosting a party at the store prior to the book going on sale a midnight, where you can watch episodes from the TV show.
Click here for more events on Mon 9/9
TUE 9/10
The president says that crisis-riven Kashmir, nestled between India, China and Pakistan, has “such a beautiful name.” Learn about what is behind the conflict there from people who know more than he does about it at the City Club-sponsored monthly free event, Happy Dog Takes on the World.
Click here for more events on Tue 9/10
WED 9/11
Cleveland-based Belt Publishing hosts monthly Belt University discussions at the Happy Dog. This month ex-felon Robert Wideman and Elaine Frantz, editor of an anthology of prisoner writing, will talk about giving voice to the incarcerated.
Click here for more events on Wed 9/11
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
When Brazilians elected a right-wing strongman as president in January, many environmentalists and climatologists were fearful of the harm he might allow profiteers to do to the Amazon rainforests, and their worst fears have been realized…
* Sometimes I Hate Being Right Of course it could be a mere coincidence that the same pickup truck that the mayor’s grandson, Frank Q. Jackson, has been arrested in on more than one occasion for crimes where guns were involved was just towed from the mayor’s house…
Read other stories from Mansfield Frazier here
A look back at the last week
Submit your own review or commentary to Events@CoolCleveland.com
PHOTOSTREAM: Great Geauga County Fair by Anastasia Pantsios
THEATER REVIEW: Shakespeare’s R&J @ convergence-continuum by Roy Berko
MUSIC REVIEW: South Pacifc @ Blossom Music Center by Roy Berko
Read and comment here: http://www.coolcleveland.com/blog
Maybe you need a refresher,
–Thomas Mulready
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