As we circle the sun once again, it’s natural to look back and also look forward. At CoolCleveland, we are predisposed to look ahead, with our email previews for the past 21 years and over 1100 (!) consecutive weekly issues. But we’re also naturally optimistic by nature, as is obvious in considering our moniker, CoolCleveland. You either pass it off as an oxymoron, or you acknowledge that we believe in this region’s future. On a personal note, we’re thrilled that our band Vanity Crash has been invited on a rock & roll Caribbean cruise in March to perform alongside rock legends, so we’re mounting shows in CLE & AKR to celebrate.This week, we examine a day in the life of a local tattoo artist, as CoolCleveland correspondent Liv Ream reports, while receiving the tattoo. And we suggest a wide range of year-ending and year-beginning events to get you off to a hopeful start: Everything from drag bingo, to skating around Wade Oval, to classic soul with the Day Nites, to Clevelander Packy Malley’s reggae event at the Beachland to raise money for farmers in Jamaica, where he’s stationed with the Peace Corps.
Looking forward to 2024, we suggest that County Exec Chris Ronayne bring the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) board into compliance by appointing two artists. And CoolCleveland correspondent Liz Maugans takes stock of the welcome improvements we’ve seen at the CAC, due to relentless advocacy. Then she looks forward with her wish list of necessary changes: more artist representation, updated language in the legislation as we prepare to renew the critical arts levy, and most importantly, a change in leadership. We are, as always, hopeful.
CoolCleveland correspondent Liv Ream interviews tattoo artist Brayden Sweitzer about his experience in the industry.
From his own experiences to what inspires him, Sweitzer covers a range of topics as well as a portion of our correspondent’s leg with a mystery tattoo! Read more.
There are only a few dates remaining to experience Wild Winter Lights presented by NOPEC. Don’t miss Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s winter wonderland with more than 1.5 million lights.Visit Santa’s workshop where guests can take photos with Santa Claus and see the magical musical light shows. Get your tickets now before Wild Winter Lights concludes on Dec. 30th. Read more.
Cleveland-based glam rock artists Vanity Crash are thrilled to announce they will be joining Foreigner, Dave Mason, WAR, Don McLean, Peter Asher and many other major acts as a featured artist on the 70’s Rock and Romance Cruise on the luxury ship Celebrity Summit, departing Miami on 3/14/24 for a week, with stops in Aruba and Curaçao. Vanity Crash fans wishing to join the cruise can take advantage of the discount code BOWIE.
Before they set sail, Vanity Crash makes two appearances in Northeast Ohio previewing the shows they will perform on board the ship: on Fri 1/12 at Jilly’s Music Room in AKR with Birth to Ziggy (1947-74), exploring the artist’s formative years; and on Sat 1/13 at BOP STOP in CLE with “Heroes” to the End (1974-2016), covering the second half of his life and music, both complete with interviews, video and Vanity Crash originals. Read more.
County Executive Chris Ronayne is set to appoint two new board members to the embattled Cuyahoga Arts and Culture in March 2024. Charna Sherman, a vocal opponent of CAC executive director Jill Paulsen, is term-limited. Karolyn Isenhart could be re-appointed.The Ohio Revised Code states that at least two members of the board “shall be persons who devote a major portion of their time to practicing, performing, or teaching any of the arts.”
Currently no one on the board meets that standard, and Ronayne recently appointed/re-appointed two board members with no arts background at all. Given the tension between Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and much of the artist community, it’s a situation that would benefit from being remedied. Read more.
The most frequently used word popping up in the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s social media posts about the two baby Amur tigers, born at the zoo in December, is “adorable.” They’re too young to take up residence in the Rosebrough Tiger Passage yet, but you should be able to see them by early spring. Meanwhile, the zoo is posting adorable pictures. Read more.
Cleveland’s BorderLight Theatre Festival, which launched in 2019, takes place next July 24-27, 2024. Applications are currently open for performing acts of all kinds — the more innovative the better — for this coming year’s festival. Apply now through February 4. Read more.
CoolCleveland Culturati columnist Liz Maugans takes some time from her hectic schedule of activities for a year’s-end reflection on the good changes that have happened in the arts and culture community in recent months, the positive signs for the coming year, and the areas that still need improvement.
“Advocacy has delivered some optimism at the end of 2023 for the individual artists of this region,” she writes, and continues with her wish list for 2024, including artist representation on the CAC board, plus: “a paid artist advisory board,” “redrafting of the language of the Ohio Revised Code/bylaws prior to the next levy renewal,” and “artists demand new leadership at the CAC.” Illustration by Liz Maugans.Read more.
MON 1/1 Inductions Revisited The 2023 Rock Hall induction event took place in NYC in November—boo. You can get a taste of what it was like when ABC broadcasts highlights from that show tonight.
TUE 1/2 Listen & Laugh The B-Side’s weekly Lyrical Rhythms open mic music & comedy night gives people a place to go and hang out on a sleepy Tuesday evening while cheering on creative performers.
WED 1/3 Showcasing Songs Local musician Brent Kirby has been hosting his 10 x 3 singer/songwriter nights for a decade now, and many talented area performers got their start there.
Abolished in United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations decades ago, the felony murder doctrine remains the law in most jurisdictions in the United States, including the federal court system. It provides that a defendant can be charged with first-degree murder for the death of a person when that death occurs during the commission of a dangerous felony, even if the defendant is not the killer. People should be punished for their crimes, but there are times when our criminal justice system goes into overdrive, especially if you are poor, brown or black. Read more.
Ignorance and stupidity are taking over our society. Neanderthals are controlling our school boards and legislatures under the umbrella of what they call conservative values. I would be willing to bet that most school board members who vote to ban a particular book have never read the book. Knowledge is power. And we are taking that power away from our students. Do you want your child to be the person that brags that they have never read To Kill a Mockingbird or The Diary of Anne Frank? Read more.
