Summer’s here, and more than just fireworks are going boom. As in sonic boom, with an explosion of new music announcements this week: Cory Grinder and the Playboy Scouts drop their 2nd album, and former Jehovah Waitresses Alan Grandy and Jeff Harmon are teaming up in the two-man outfit The High Season. Apollo’s Fire will start back in person in October and Les Delices will stay virtual until February.Sorry if we’re startling you, but the whole region is waking up: al fresco forums on Cleveland’s Public Square, reggae at Whiskey Island, a tree walk at Mentor Marsh, dragonflies and damselflies at Summit Metroparks, and a mini-maker market at B-Side Lounge. The Rock Hall, Holden, BOP STOP, the Cinematheque, the Peninsula Flea… all are back at it once again.
Vanity Crash is showcasing new sounds discovered during the lockdown. The Dunham Tavern is even reading the Declaration of Independence and putting it into context. That should be eye-opening.
School of Rock Music Camps offer an incredible selection of experience from beginner music camps to intermediate and advanced sessions.Our music camps include performance camps, instrument specific camps, songwriting and more – there’s a camp for everyone!
Use code COOLCLEVELAND15 to receive 15% OFF! Read More
After a pandemic year in which major city fireworks displays, including Cleveland’s, were cancelled to avoid bringing together crowds of people, we’re back to being able to celebrate the 4th in the usual manner.Zambelli Fireworks will “Light Up the Lake” at dusk from Dock 20 downtown so there’ll be plenty of good viewing places.
The City of Akron, meanwhile, is still somewhat in pandemic mode and will host four synchronized neighborhood displays to keep crowds smaller. Have a safe & happy fourth! Read More
Cory Grinder and the Playboy Scouts have just released their second album, Honky Tonkin’ Beauty Supreme, on Cleveland’s Blue Arrow Records, and are currently on the road touring their two-stepping’ and tearjerkin’ tunes from Nashville to Oklahoma City to Chicago. Read More
Guitarist/vocalist Alan Grandy and drummer Jeff Harmon have been playing together since their Jehova Waitresses days in the 1990s and later with Sputnik. Now they’ve got a new, countrified project called The High Season and a just-released album of the same name. Read More
Two Cleveland early music ensembles, Apollo’s Fire and Les Delices, got through last year mainly on virtual concerts. For the 2021-22 season, Apollo’s Fire will go back to a full in-person schedule in October, while Les Delices will present several more virtual concerts before returning live next February. Read More
The Mentor native has rowed solo across the Atlantic, run across four states, and biked across the US. With a broken pelvis. Now she’s finishing 11 ultra-marathons in 11 days across Ohio, arriving at Edgewater Park this Thursday, raising money for water in Africa. Wow. Read More
“The tools and instruments have existed for some time,” explains Vanity Crash leader Dennis Van Crash, “we just decided to invest in the right technology to be more creative remotely.” The result? A new batch of edgy music to be premiered at BOP STOP on Fri 07.23 for a limited live audience. Read More
THIS WEEK
WED 6/30 Rare June Days
One of the best places to enjoy a summer morning in northeast Ohio is Holden Arboretum in Kirtland. Everything’s in bloom & you can get a bird’s eye view from the Murch Canopy Walk and Kalberer Emergent Tower. They’re not usually open Monday but they will be July 5.
While the CIA Cinematheque has kept feeding fans a steady diet of virtual films, it’s Peter B. Lewis Theater now opens its door for a collective experience.
SAT 7/3 Blossom’s Back Cue the cannons and fireworks! The Cleveland Orchestra’s “An American Celebration” opens the first Blossom season in two years tonight and tomorrow. The program includes the Americana standards plus two pieces by black woman composers.* Peninsula Flea holds its July market at Heritage Farms.
MON 7/5 Groove at Whiskey Island Two of the area’s most popular reggae bands will play this afternoon at Whiskey Island, a perfect place to get over your holiday hangover. Hang out and watch the sun set over the lake.
