Cold Cleveland

01.29-02.05.14
Cold Cleveland

There’s something beautiful about this place in the winter. Amid the vortex, the shut-downs & the sketchy travel, some of us are keeping our eyes open to the poetry in the frost.

Fresh thinking is coming our way via SPACES’ new director Christina Vassallo; her first local interview is below. We’re looking at Duck Island through fresh eyes. And Hank Willis Thomas challenges even our most cherished East/West, Black/White dichotomies. Using Cool Cleveland on your mobile might take the chill off.

Durstin wonders out loud if the Cavs are Chris Grant are beyond repair, even as Alex examines the Luol Deng trade, while Mansfield recalls a cold, violent episode in the city. Stay warm this week with Eurydice at BW, dig the wearable tech at MOCA, kick the Bass Drum of Death at Mahall’s, grapple with Lez Zeppelin at Musica, go sled-biking at Ohio City Bike Co-op, and tune in to odd electronic music at Now That’s Class. You can call it cool Cleveland if you want. To us, it feels downright cold. –Thomas Mulready

Download the FREE CoolCleveland mobile app for your iPhone or Android

Click here to subscribe or for a web version of this email
Photo by Carol Hunt
Get help receiving the Cool Cleveland e-blast

Fresh Thinking @ SPACES
New director, new exhibitions

It seems fitting that SPACES’ first two exhibitions of 2014 examine space and memory.

With recent announcements of a new director & search for a larger venue to grow into over the next decade or so, the 35-year old staple of Cleveland’s art community is poised to begin an exciting new chapter…
More from Josh Usmani here

We’ve got this online advertising thing down cold. Putting together your budget? Consider CoolCleveland Sponsored Links, Sponsored Features and Sponsored Videos. Info@CoolCleveland.com

SPONSORED: Be the Dinosaur What was it like to be a dinosaur? An innovative exhibit at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History lets you create your own virtual dinosaur. Be the Dinosaur: Life in the Cretaceous combines sophisticated computer simulation with fossil reconstructions to provide a glimpse into the prehistoric past. Opens Sat 2/1 CMNH.org

High school music teacher Arline Kadel sang in the very first Bach Festival in 1932, and she has kept her alma mater Baldwin Wallace University in her thoughts ever since. Thanks to her gift, the BW Conservatory of Music will become one of the small number of conservatories with 100% Steinway pianos. This week, Cool Cleveland was on hand as they rolled in the first dozen Steinways.

Listen to Baldwin Wallace Conservatory director Susan Van Vorst talks with Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready while dozens of student applaud the arrival of the first dozen new Steinways.

Duck Island, the neighborhood sandwiched between Ohio City & Tremont, is getting noticed.

“Due to its fantastic near-west location, Duck Island has gotten a lot of development interest in the past few years,” says Kristen Zeiber, an urban designer with the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC).

“Existing residents, though, are nervous about what that might mean for them…”

More from Sarah Valek here

SPONSORED: See, Hear and Feel the Power of Motown Tri-C Presents brings Detroit’s premier dance company, Eisenhower Dance, to Cleveland for a high-energy night of superior dance set to tunes from Motown and more. 8PM Sat 2/1 at Tr-C Eastern Campus Performing Arts Center, 4250 Richmond Rd, Highland Hills. Buy tickets now: TriCTickets.com

Beyond Black & White
The Works of Hank Willis Thomas

Sports teams trading African Americans like commodities, moved from the cotton field to the football field.

Advertisers putting the black body on display, dehumanized like a lynching.

Media shaping our perceptions and racial views.

Hank Willis Thomas examines these concepts in the current show on display simultaneously at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Transformer Station through Sun 3/9
More from Hollie Gibbs here

SPONSORED: Today, there aren’t many artists who can be called “pioneers” in the classical music genre. Meredith Monk, known for her “extended vocal technique” and “interdisciplinary performance,” can be! Experience the composer, singer, and choreographer dubbed “one of America’s coolest composers” at CIM, 2/21/14. For tickets, call 216.795.3211 or visit CIM.edu

Contemporary Youth Orchestra becomes first youth orchestra in the world to use Google Glass, debuting at their Mon 6/2 show w/ Ben Folds.

* Lakewood named one of the best small cities to retire in America.
* It’s not exactly a bombshell to area radio insiders, but popular, long-running radio man John Lanigan announces his retirement.
* Hey bands — apply now to play this year’s Larchmere Porchfest. Sat 6/21.

Click here for more News and Biz

SPONSORED: Free Tax Prep! Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland offers free tax preparation to residents throughout northeast Ohio as part of the Cuyahoga EITC. NHSGC has earned tax payers over $1 million in refunds and helped save clients over $150,000 in filing fees. IRS Certified volunteers. Quick refunds. Weekday and weekend appointments are available now by dialing 2-1-1. NHScleveland.org

Clevelander Doug Wood has built himself a busy career as a solo acoustic guitarist. But he’s continued to collaborate with other musicians, most notably his former Watts Gnu bandmate, bassist Darren Frate, and Seafair/Akron Symphony cellist Tara Hanish. Now, as the Doug Wood Trio, they’re releasing Cellocentric, marking the occasion with a show at Brothers Lounge. Fri 1/31.

* Fifteen bands are set for the High School Rock Off Final Exam at HOB. Sat 2/1.
* Cleveland baroque chamber group Les Delices plays 18th-century French salon music. Sat 2/1-Sun 2/2.
* Jazz pianist George Foley releases new CD with Nighttown concert. Wed 2/5.
* Cigar box guitarist Jeff Powers shows off new CD at the Beachland. Fri 1/31.
* CIM Orchestra honors composer Bernard Rands on his 80th birthday. Wed 1/29.

Read more picks by Anastasia Pantsios here

As manager of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Shafran Planetarium, Jason Davis has one of the coolest jobs in Cleveland.

Cool Cleveland stopped in while Jason was working on a collaborative project with Cleveland Institute of Music and Cleveland Institute of Art students: 360 Degrees of Sight + Sound: The Planetarium Project, presented Tue 2/25. http://www.CMNH.org

What Are Your Plans?

#CoolCleveland Follow us on Twitter or Instagram @CoolCleveland and keep us in the loop. Use #CoolCleveland and promote some of your favorite events. Every week we pick a winning tweet to publicize and it could be yours.

Let us hear it! Include photos, links and everything in between. We pick the winners on Friday, so start tweeting!

See your own shadow (or not) & meet Cle’s own Lake Erie Eddie at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Groundhog Fun Day event Sat 2/1.

* Ring in Year of the Horse @ Children’s Museum of Cle’s Chinese New Year event. Fri 1/31.
* Warm up by the fire @ the Nature Ctr at Shaker Lakes & enjoy a magic show. Fri 1/31.
* Birds of Prey take over Rocky River Nature Center all weekend. Meet & learn.
* Rid your cabin fever with Arts in the Garden, a collaboration w/ the Beck & the Botanical Garden. Tue 2/4.

Click here for more Cool Cleveland Kids events

WED 1/29
Musician/activist JD Samson grew up in Pepper Pike, came out as a lesbian while still attending Orange High School, joined punk bands & became an outspoken LGBT & feminist activist. Hear her in her latest band, MEN, @ the Beachland.

* Little Fish Records holds networking event @ Brothers Lounge. Learn about mobile marketing.

Click here for more events on Wed 1/29

THU 1/30
The Aliens @ Dobama Theatre is an award-winning play about two aimless thirty-somethings hanging out behind a coffee shop discussing everything from women to Bukowski. Can you relate?

* The Elements Cycle continues @ CPT w/ Airwaves. Sustainability issues + quirky theater.
* The future of fashion is illuminated. Catch a glimpse at IN THE DARK: Wearable Technology @ MOCA.
* Odd electronic music is on tap tonight @ Now That’s Class courtesy of local & out-of-town bands.
* Bookclub in a Bar includes a visit from Sam Thomas, author of The Midwife’s Tale.
* Intergalactic Nemesis is what occurs when comics meet old-time radio dramas.

Click here for more events on Thu 1/30

FRI 1/31
Dancing Wheels brings Art in Motion to MOCA. Arrive early & watch as dancers perform shorter, more intimate works throughout the museum & its galleries.

* Ceremonies in Dark Old Men explores the idea of a generation growing old quickly & a man’s determination to save the next gen.
* Hit the Chocolate Trail in Lake & Ashtabula Counties. Tour wineries. Get chocolate.
* Meridian kicks off local music series @ Cleveland Hts’ Wine Spot.
* Punk/garage band Bass Drum of Death makes it to Mahall’s.
* 8 examines the trials & tribulations of marriage equality.
* Critical Mass in January?? Yes, it’s on. And still fun. Celebrate Chinese New Year & ride to Asian Town Center.
* Weird, wacky NoBunny brings costumes, dancing & chaos to NTC.
* Praying Mantises are undoubtedly cool. Learn all about ’em & the new research completely changing our views.

Click here for more events on Fri 1/31

SAT 2/1
Dentist/sax player Phillip “Doc” Martin plays it smooth @ Nighttown. He’ll glide into town w/ his alto sax & a catalogue of four albums to draw upon. Too lively to be a Novocaine substitute, but relaxing nonetheless.

* Pat Hanych of Pat’s in the Flats to speak at Space: ROCK
* PRESERVE & PROTECT Attend the Sustainability Symposium @ CBG & talk preservation. Plus, view orchids.
* Lez Zeppelin merge women & Led Zep @ Musica.
* Two Hand Fools debut new album at 5-band show @ NTC.

Click here for more events on Sat 2/1

SUN 2/2
Go riding & skiing @ Ohio City Bicycle Co-op’s annual Marmot Meander outing. Yeah, you can bring your own sled to use on the Clark Field hill or rent the co-op’s new ski-bike.

Click here for more events on Sun 2/2

MON 2/3
Big Sandy will rock the house. The So Cal group is primarily known for its live shows, in which it can pull out the stops on its high-energy blend of rockabilly, western swing, classic soul, honkytonk country & good old rock and roll.

* Discuss Super Bowl commercials @ the Cleveland Chapter of the American Marketing Association’s annual event.

Click here for more events on Mon 2/3

TUE 2/4
Akron’s Tuesday Musical series presents accomplished pianist Jeremy Denk (who also has a wicked sense of humor) @ EJ Thomas Hall. He’ll be playing Mozart, Schumann & Ligeti.

* Bill Fox, who fronted ’80s band The Mice, is a Cle power pop legend. He’ll play Happy Dog.

Click here for more events on Tue 2/4

WED 2/5
Trinity Brownbag Concerts open their spring season w/ a return visit from classically trained saxophone players Jake Swanson & Sarah Marchitelli. Bring your lunch or buy one for $5.

* EURYDICE @ BW presents a surreal world for audiences to explore.
* Ridiculousness will ensue at Chucklefck’s SUPERSHOW @ Happy Dog. Grab a hotdog, a drink & see some amazing stand-up & sketch comedy.

Click here for more events on Wed 2/5

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Blueprint Roundtables
Addressing race & identity

An interesting question was recently raised in regards to the “blueprint” that Civil Rights leaders didn’t leave for the current generation of African American men.

The conversation quickly spread and immediately sparked issues of leadership, mentorship and other issues in the African American community.

In an attempt to promote & progress this important dialogue, local leaders have organized a series of Blueprint Roundtables… [Pictured: Your Skin Has the Power to Protect You (detail), Hank Willis Thomas.]
More from Josh Umani here

These are the times that try Cleveland fans’ souls.

The Browns are once again lost in the Ozone; the Indians’ spectacular season last year has done nothing but increase anxiety regarding a collapse this year; and the Cavaliers are less than 40 games away from sinking into oblivion in the eyes of lots and lots of fans…
More from Larry Durstin here

The title of this piece is admittedly a bad pun, considering the fact a five-year-old child and an upstanding, righteous man on his way to work were among those recently killed in Cleveland as the New Year begins.

But the sad fact is… we had better brace ourselves for more news articles regarding senseless killings as the year progresses….

Read this story and others from Mansfield Frazier here

MOBILE: Event Banners in Neighborhoods?!
We’re keeping you on your toes!

It’s where events meet neighborhoods. Get on Cool Cleveland Mobile and check out the new event banners inside of The Neighborhoods Tab. Learn what they’re all about here.

Get Mobile here and experience what it’s like to have the entire city of Cleveland at your fingertips. Find events, check out the Cool Neighborhoods and keep up-to-date with everything happening in the Cool Cleveland community.

Luol Deng on the Cavs
A Cle & Chi-town Perspective

On January 7, just four days after my Polar Vortex drive from Cleveland to Chicago, I read that Luol Deng was traded from the Bulls to the Cavs.

I asked my friends in both towns I once called home to chime in and here’s what they had to say…
More from Alex Sukhoy here

Quick previews & reviews of recent events
Submit your own preview, review or commentary to Events@CoolCleveland.com

REVIEW: Thought-provoking THE ALIENS @ Dobama Theatre by Roy Berko

Comment on our blog here: http://www.CoolCleveland.com/blog

10 Things I Learned About Clevelanders
Very nice attribute to Cleveland! I have been here my entire 48 years and no matter where I travel I am always happy to return…Thank you for taking the time to recognize this beautiful city!…
Paula Price Sedar

KUDOS TO OUR GREAT METROPOLIS!!!…
Francesca Russo Goodman

We desparately need local alternative radio again…
John Ellis

I would say that Cleveland’s music scene isn’t imploding, but is rather transforming. There are a lot of things going on at once here. For one thing there are a ton of people who live and breathe country music. I don’t quite understand why that is, but i’ve seen a trend in that direction….
Jon Christian Dagata

Only ten Jews west of the river is a myth. You have to know where to look. Westsiders are integrated, blending in to the westside culture without being a closed group…
Greg Bauchmoyer

All the reasons I’ve been trying to get back since I moved to Texas in ’99. Great read!…
Aaron Dick

Cleveland is missing exceptional pizza and even passable BBQ, so the culinary scene here does have that going against it. Excellent write-up though….
Ryan Searles

We have excellent BBQ in Cleveland. You just might have to leave your comfort zone to get it….
Amanda

Nice article, Alex. I wonder if you really got into the heart of Cleveland’s music scene? While not every musician in town is trying to hit Nashville or follow in the footsteps of the Black Keys, there is a lot of quality original music being played in this city every night…
Ann

The Battle Has Begun to Tax Some $320 Million in Regressive Taxes
Sin tax is the ultimate irony. We hear that it’s not really a tax :”Folks choose to smoke or drink” goes the line. Sure it’s a tough economy and bigger scoreboards would be nice. But c’mon, what are you really asking here? …
Steve Whiting

Great column Roldo, we know that Joe Roman and his gang of toadies will be hustling hard to pass this stinker, and save their six figure salaries….
Mark Deb

The Men Behind The Curtain are understandably leery about the Democratic process because it cannot be controlled. I suspect their early research suggests that this issue is going to be a steep uphill climb…
John J. Polk

Read and comment here: http://www.coolcleveland.com/blog

Most clicked
Here are the Top 5 most clicked links from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

1) 10 Things I Learned About Clevelanders

2) City of Cleveland plans to add 70 miles of bikeway by 2017

3) MANSFIELD: A Matter of Political Will

4) ROLDO: The Battle Has Begun to Tax Some $320 Million in Regressive Taxes

5) New University Circle Documentary Examines History & Future of Cleveland WVIZ

A warm thank you to our writers: Roy Berko, Marty Bielat, Larry Durstin, Hollie Gibbs, Mansfield Frazier, Anastasia Pantsios, Alex Sukhoy, Josh Usmani & Sarah Valek. And lastly, though certainly not least, thanks to our readers and everyone who partners with us. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: Events@CoolCleveland.com.

Chill,

–Thomas Mulready

Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Cool Networks LLC / 14837 Detroit #105 / Cleveland, OH 44107
All contents (c)2014 Cool Networks LLC all rights reserved

Post categories:

Comments are closed.
[fbcomments]