We keep our voices strong. We hang together as a community. We develop our own style. We tip our beanie to the Rock Hall, which is launching a summer full of local music performances. We join the legendary Numbers Band as they launch (for the 39th time) the Akron Art Museum’s Downtown@Dusk. We are there as Italian folk/jazz ensemble Alla Boara records a live album at BOP STOP. We pick up some cool local art at the Cain Park Arts Fest. We stroll the neighborhoods during the return of Garden Walk Cleveland. We take the family to enjoy the Youngstown Summer Festival of the Arts. We take the opportunity to experience local glam superstars Vanity Crash at a rare club appearance… with no cover charge. We check out live music on one of the largest city squares in the country at free concerts by local artists on Public Square.
Liz Maugans, in the second installment of her new CoolCleveland column CULTURATI, asks the question, “Does Cleveland have an art style that influences our public image?” The answer (spoiler alert) is yes, but read on to hear her explanation of what exactly the Cleveland style is.
Democracy is purple. Not red or blue. Register to vote by next Monday 7/10, and start early voting on Tuesday 7/11. Plan to VOTE NO on Issue 1 on or before the Tuesday 8/8 election to defeat the heinous effort to limit your voice in state government. We didn’t pick this battle, but we’re fighting like patriots to keep democracy alive in Ohio.
Jump on the rare opportunity to witness the Vanity Crash experience in an intimate club setting at Lakewood’s Mercury Music Lounge this Sat 7/8, with no cover charge. They’ll be premiering some fresh material, along with favorites and classics on a beautiful hot summer night. Check out their cool new video.
Vanity Crash, says Jeff Niesel of Scene, is “one of the only bands on the local circuit that keeps the glam rock flame burning brightly… pumping out good, gritty records with regularity.” Free is good. Mark your calendar now. Read more.
“Does Cleveland have an art style that influences our public image?” That’s the question Liz Maugans addresses in the latest edition of her CoolCleveland column CULTURATI, offering ideas for thought and discussion as she reflects on the civic and economic situations that influence how local creators create.
“I believe that Cleveland has a particular trait and character to the arts and culture, and like the French concept of terroir, we have a style different from anywhere else,” she say. “I would call it a collage-like aesthetic, a technique of art creation primarily known in visual art but has its roots in music.” Read more.
This is it, guys. You need to be registered to vote by Monday July 10 if you want to have a voice in the August 8 election which will decide whether voters will have any say in Ohio government and policy going forward, or if the state will be a failed democracy.
Even if you think you’re registered, it’s a good idea to check. And you can vote as early as July 11 at your board of elections. It’s also a good idea to review the new voter ID regulations, which have changed, not because earlier ones were inadequate or even a single incident of in-person voter fraud had occurred, but simply to confuse voters. Read more.
Last year, the creative writing nonprofit Lake Erie Ink put together a book of writing about food and cooking. This year it’s expanding on that program, again soliciting submissions for publication. But it’s also hosting a series of workshops at area eateries & food spaces, with one this Sunday July 9 at Gordon Square’s Ninja City. Youth and adults are welcome! Read more
