12.05-12.12.18
Singing
This time of year, all our creatives seem to be singing out loud.
They’re creating harmony in the community with the Heavy Metal food drive, the Woodchoppers Ball supporting the homeless, Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols at Trinity, Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op’s Cyclebrate fundraiser, and local holiday markets near and far at Coventry Village, 78th Street Studios, Zygote Press, Canton’s Oddmall, and Hale Farm & Village.
There’s $5K up for grabs as high school students have been writing original songs about topics such as bullying, the refugee crisis, racism and drug abuse which they will perform at the Rock Hall. The Cleveland Field Kitchen hosts workshops and readies a solstice pop-up dinner. Liz Maugans sings the praises of local artists as she transforms the Worthington Yards Apartment building into an array of spaces showcasing art.
We honor one of the biggest singers of all time in January as we premiere a new show, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell focusing on David Bowie’s deep cuts and overlooked classics (on Sat 1/12, plus an expanded version of An Evening With(out) David Bowie covering his entire life (on Fri 1/11).
Our new CoolCLE PODCAST #11 explores the roots of our Christmas traditions in an interview with Samantha Kay of Spring Hill Historic Home, plus a sample of some local holiday music from Ohio City Singers and Michelle Romary. Join us as we sing at the top of our lungs. –Thomas Mulready
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Ever wonder where our modern Christmas traditions come from? Join Samantha Kay of Spring Hill Historic Home as she discusses the origins of Christmas – from it being outlawed & pagan practices to Victorian & German values that we recognize today – ahead of her Christmas in the 1800s talk at Wadsworth Public Library on December 12th.
Plus get a good dose of local Christmas music from Cleveland’s Ohio City Singers and Michelle Romary.
It took David Bowie almost ten years of full-time work in the entertainment industry in London before he scored his first hit, “Space Oddity.” But save for a few obvious efforts to produce a hit single (“Starman,” “Let’s Dance”), Bowie’s life work was to create concept albums, one after another. And along the way he recorded deep cuts and album tracks that were, in our estimation, far superior to his radio-friendly output so familiar to us today.
On Sat 1/12, check out our new show, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell: David Bowie’s Deep Cuts, focusing on overlooked classics, epic suites too long for radio, and delicious gems that languished as deep album tracks if they were released at all. It all goes down at the acoustically superior BOP STOP, 2920 Detroit Avenue.
But if you want to hear all the inside stories about David Bowie’s entire life and artistic output from birth to his final album ★ Blackstar (and beyond), you should also be there the night before, Fri 1/11, for An Evening With(out) David Bowie, updated with newly released box sets and rarities.
Both nights feature rare video, hi-def audio, trivia and giveaways presented and directed by Thomas Mulready. And each evening is capped with a sizzling live music set by Cleveland glam punk superstars Vanity Crash. Get your tickets soon, as these shows tend to sell out. Photo of Bowie live in Cleveland 1976 by Janet Macoska.
The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage’s Stop the Hate program is needed now more than ever. It began 11 years ago as an essay contest for students in grades 6-12 sharing how they felt they could help build a more tolerant, inclusive and loving world.
That competition is for individual students, but more recently, it’s added a component that focuses on teamwork. For Youth Sing Out, classes of high school students have been working with teaching artists to write original songs about topics such as bullying, the refugee crisis, racism and drug abuse. They’ll perform them tonight on the Rock Hall’s lobby stage and the winning class gets $5,000 for their school. Wed 12/12.
The Cleveland Field Kitchen has evolved since Kelly Hanley-Potts founded it six years ago as a mobile cooking school called the Agrarian Collective. Now it’s become a boutique catering and event company that still offers cooking classes and workshops such as the wreath making workshop at FOUNT leather goods Thu 12/6.
But it also hosts dinners and retreats with an eye on creating “slow living” events that center on garden, kitchen, pantry and table. One such event is the upcoming Winter Solstice pop-up dinner Fri 12/21 – location to be disclosed but it’s “pure winter magic,” she says, adding “As the longest night of the year, the winter solstice forces us to slow down and embrace the warmth of the winter season.”
VIDEO: Glow Burns Brighter in 2018
Now in its 7th year, the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s GLOW celebration has ramped up the visual and interactive fun.
“We’re showcasing the creative work of the community: 30 garden clubs that decorate these trees, and dozens of gingerbread houses put together by families in the community,” says Dave Lowery of Holden Forests and Gardens.
For 2018, designers were brought in to help make the indoor and outdoor lighting even more artful and elegant. Extended hours means families can stay late on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 8pm to enjoy the hands-on crafts for kids to make and take home, the Garden Express train that runs through the Hershey Children’s Garden, and an expanded array of adult beverages. Open now through Sat 1/5/19.
One of the signs of the season in Cleveland is the return of the Ohio City Singers, an ensemble of noted Cleveland musicians, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Allen, that pops up around town this time of year to perform their own holiday music. Started as a lark and an informal jam 15 years ago, it’s morphed into a serious project with three albums and an evening’s worth of original tunes.
While the next album isn’t due until next year, they’ll be unveiling a pair of new songs at their upcoming shows at the Music Box Sat 12/8 and the House of Blues Fri 12/21. Allen describes “What’s the Name of Santa’s Sleigh” as a “really fun song for our set,” and “Hey! Hey! Hey! (It’s a Holiday)” as “a classic kind of pop song … like it came out in the late 50s.”
Evan Burgess was born in 1994 with a rare heart condition, with doctors giving him only two years to live. He passed away on October 17 at age 24, after a life of optimism and adventure, living in London and Vancouver before recently returning to NE Ohio.
Many in the area music scene know his father, Chris Burgess, creator of Beat Farm Studios and member of many local bands. Chris and Evan’s mother Bonnie Perkovich came up with an idea to honor his memory: they’ve gathered more than 100 stuffed bears from around the world and donated them to Ronald McDonald houses in London, Vancouver & Cleveland for children with serious medical issues. Learn how you can contribute to Evan’s Bears, which they will donate annually.
Sandwich Specials: 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon Melt, Parmageddonator & Parmageddon. Seasonal Sides: Cheesy Cheddar Broccoli & Herb Roasted Potatoes. Bread Pudding: Cookies & Cream Bread Pudding. Beer Feature: Citra Noel. Cocktail Feature: Krampus in Bourbon.
Melt News: Awesome December Beer Features! Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA & Founder CBS Imperial Stout. Melt Bar and Grilled gift cards are the perfect stocking stuffer or appreciation gift during the holiday season. Melt Independence Pinball Tournament Thu 12/15. Holiday hours- 11/24: 11AM-4PM; 12/25: Closed; 12/31: 11AM-6PM; 1/1: Open regular hours. Enjoy the holidays!
Studies have shown that playing chess is mind-building, helping to develop thinking and strategizing abilities. That’s why Invest in Chess has programs to encourage kids to take up the game. They can dive in today at the Cleveland Public Library’s downtown branch where people of all ages and levels of experience can take a turn at the board. Sat 12/8.
Click here for more CoolCleveland Kids events
It’s the 10th year for the Heavy Metal food Drive at the Beachland Ballroom & Tavern where a dozen LOUD bands will play for free to solicit donations for the Cleveland Food Bank, Friends of the Cleveland Kennel and the Alzheimer’s Foundation. Sat 12/8
Read more picks by Anastasia Pantsios here
It’s true that all artists have vision. They create something new from the world around them. But some artists’ vision extends beyond the work, beyond the artist, and connects to wider community.
Liz Maugans’ latest vision is Yards Project, an array of spaces inside the Worthington Yards Apartments in Cleveland’s Warehouse District that Maugans has curated to feature local artists through rotating exhibitions, talks and community events, along with offsite studio visits and gallery talks. Check out this innovative concept for yourself at their 2019 Artist Select Exhibition & Artist Holiday Mixer on Thu 12/6 at 6PM.
WED 12/5
Gather on Public Square with Downtown Chabad and Mayor Jackson for the lighting of a giant Menorah. There will also be a magic performance and a kosher food truck.
Click here for more events on Wed 12/5
THU 12/6
Do Otis, the Loganberry Bookstore cat, a favor: come into the store this evening for its holiday open house with wine, cheese, acoustic music and their pop-up shop, Otis’ Old Curiosity Shop. Your purchases will pay for his cat food.
Click here for more events on Thu 12/6
FRI 12/7
Will Santa trade his sleigh for a bike for tonight’s Cyclebrate fundraiser at the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op? Maybe, but we do know there will be adult beverages, raffles, a winter cycling fashion show and “lightning talks” by cycling celebrities.
Click here for more events on Fri 12/7
SAT 12/8
The Cleveland Bazaar, the area’s largest and longest-running major handmade holiday market, takes over most of the sprawling 78th Street Studios complex today and tomorrow.
Click here for more events on Sat 12/8
SUN 12/9
The Final Goodbye is a “noir thriller” directed by Clevelanders Robert Swanson and Donn R. Nottage. It’s got kidnapping, murder and a hidden Nazi treasure – what more could you want? And it’s screening tonight at the Atlas Cinemas in Euclid.
Click here for more events on Sun 12/9
MON 12/10
As much as computers have made work easier and expanded our horizons, they’ve also fueled the growing field of cybercrime. FBI agent G. Ryan McFarlane will tell you all about it at tonight’s Science Cafe at the Music Box Supper Club.
Click here for more events on Mon 12/10
TUE 12/11
Every December, Akron musician Ryan Humbert puts together a holiday extravaganza at the Akron Civic Theatre to benefit Muffins for Mammograms. This one will feature a 12-piece band backing him and fellow vocalist Emily Bates on jazzy big band and pop versions of classic Christmas tunes and originals. There are three performances: tonight, tomorrow and Thursday.
Click here for more events on Tue 12/11
WED 12/12
Bonfoey Gallery in Playhouse Square has been in business longer than even the Cleveland Museum of Art. Find out what they do, the types of artists they show and represent and the services they provide to collectors at a “Behind the Scenes” tour.
Click here for more events on Wed 12/12
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
When we established the Vineyards of Chateau Hough, Damien was one of the first people to reach out to us and offer any assistance we might need. In the spirit of cooperative friendship, we shared expertise, loaned each other equipment and supplies, shared great times and talked about our visions of a better time for our people by encouraging self-sufficiency…
* Reentry Under Attack For reentry to take hold and work, government at all levels had to take the leading role in offering second chances. Only then would private industry follow along. And Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has been in the forefront of this movement since the very beginning…
* Owning a Home While Black The prestigious Brookings Institution recently issued a devastating report on black home ownership in America. Its research showed that when all factors are equalized, homes in black communities are valued 23 percent lower than comparable homes in white communities. This has a profound impact on black wealth….
Read other stories from Mansfield Frazier here
A look back at the last week
Submit your own review or commentary to Events@CoolCleveland.com
THEATER REVIEW: Ella Enchanted @ Dobama Theatre by Roy Berko
THEATER REVIEW: Rapture, Blister, Burn @ Convergence-Continuum by Roy Berko
THEATER REVIEW: Chicago @ Playhouse Square by Laura Kennelly
THEATER REVIEW: Chicago @ Playhouse Square by Roy Berko
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Sing Out,
–Thomas Mulready
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