Obsession
In this week’s issue:
* vYbe Snapshot with 20-something writer and educator Kelly Harris
* Cool Cleveland Sounds reviews CD The Wizard of Northland from Junkyard Todd
* Birol’s Business With Fans Like These…Fear and Hedging on Mahogany Row by Cool Cleveland business commentator Andy Birol
* RoldoLINK Awaken Citizens, The Pickpockets Are Coming Again on our corporate obsession with a convention center
vYbe Snapshot
Social activist, performer, and writer Kelly Harris
In Cool Cleveland’s ongoing vYbe feature, we hook you up with 20-somethings who have something more to offer our city creatively and intellectually. As the youngest full-time employee for the City of Shaker Heights, Kelly Harris is forging a new definition of up-and-coming young African American females in Cleveland. Her activist ideology has led her to complete her third year in the Art in Prison program, inviting artists into the facilities to enrich inmates and potentially contributing to their rehabilitation. Kelly has worked for the Poet-in-Residence Program at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and was also producer of The Poets’ & Writers’ League’s First Stage, a poetic drama featuring the writing of high school students. In 2002, she was honored to receive the Wendy L. Moore Emerging Artists Recipient from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, the youngest and only poet to receive the honor.
Cool Cleveland: Is Clevelands leadership embracing its young professionals who are in positions of influence withing the workplace?
Kelly Harris: Unfortunately, I don’t think so. But I have been very blessed; I interned at both American Greetings and CEOGC [Council for Economic Opportunity in Greater Cleveland], but having professional mentors and opportunities to offer concrete input is rare for young professionals. The young professionals I know have had to create their own organizations and support networks in Cleveland. Honestly, many professionals I know have left Cleveland because they feel the professional opportunities here are reserved for daughters and sons of the chiefs. Its hard to break through here if you dont know somebody who knows somebody…
Read vYbe with Kelly Harris here
Convention center obsession Remember a little over a year ago when public antipathy over the prospect of building (and paying for) a new convention center caused Mayor Jane Campbell to abruptly abort the project? Now, without resolving the question of whether or not the community needs a new center, the Convention Facilities Authority, itself funded in part by bed tax dollars that used to flow to the Convention & Visitors Bureau, is forging ahead with two proposed sites: Forest City’s site behind Tower City (hanging over Collision Bend of the Cuyahoga River), and the existing Convention Center site on Mall B. Neither site is perfect, as The Plain Dealer architecture critic Steve Litt points out, and the question of how the project might be funded, possibly the most critical issue, has yet to be addressed. See here and here.
Cleveland’s edifice complex Rather than looking for a silver bullet to solve our problems, we’d be better off stimulating an environment conducive to entrepreneurialism and promotion of our stellar arts, culture and technology assets. John Kroll, the deputy business editor at the PD makes sense in his column here as he urges us to flip around Daniel Burnham’s famous phrase “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood.” Burnham planned both Cleveland and Chicago, and is credited with our beautiful Public Square and Mall plan. Instead, Kroll suggests this motto: “Make no grandiose plans. They only feed the egos of the politicians and the pockets of the wealthy.” Instead, we should put our efforts towards strategic, achievable, innovative ideas.
How to lose money, Part 1 Just in time to add spice to Cleveland’s new corporate convention obsession, researcher Heywood Sanders and the Brookings Institution have released another report studying the faltering convention market. Because of the glut of new convention centers (53 have been built since 2000 and 44 more are being planned), and because systemic trends such as the growth of the Internet have reduced the need for conventions, attendance has dropped to 1993 levels, and by as much as 30% in peer cities such as Indy and Baltimore, while capital expenditures on new centers has doubled. We should be looking at a multi-use facility that would include venues for arts and culture, education, and public meeting rooms and facilities. See report here.
Online sales skyrocket This just in: holiday online sales increased sharply by 25% in 2004, according to VeriSign Inc. Shoppers are ignoring the mall hype and opting for the easier shopping experience that the internet offers. Women who shop online are also the ones to watch, as their shopping habits contributed to the online shopping phenomenon’s increase. http://www.Resource.com/perspective/commerce.php
Urban Scrawl Speaking of innovative ideas, The Civic Innovation Lab’s Urban Scrawl is on display at the Cleveland Foundation. Cool Cleveland’s friends, colleagues, and other greater Clevelanders scrawled over 150 ideas on the Lab’s mural at the December Cool Cleveland Art/Tech/Dance event; see it here. Some of these ideas are already underway, but others need to be implemented! The PD’s Regina Brett quoted many of the ideas in her column here. The Lab hopes the writers are inspired to act on their great ideas and take the first step toward being an idea champion by submitting a proposal to the Lab. Forms are available at http://www.CivicLab.org
Is this marketing or what? When the Civic Innovation Lab wanted to make a big impact among young professionals in Cleveland, they didn’t fall back on some lame public relations stunt. Lab Director Jennifer Thomas worked with Cool Cleveland to develop a program to promote the Lab to Cleveland’s young professionals at our Cool Cleveland parties. After consulting and brainstorming with Cool Cleveland marketing director TL Champion, Thomas hatched the idea to ask Clevelanders to write their civic ideas on a big sheet of paper at their booth at the Cool Cleveland party. Not only did this result in a great event and huge publicity for the Lab, the suggestions actually met their organizations’s mission of developing excellent civic ideas. Talk about effective marketing and PR! If your organization wants to explore this type of integrated marketing, contact TL Champion today at TL@CoolCleveland.com
Y-Haven saves lives with art Drama is a positive form of release and self-awareness, and it has resulted in the joint drama program that combines Y-Haven’s residents meeting up with Cleveland Public Theare to create new collaborations was the idea of Charles Joseph, Y-Haven’s executive director. He was at an outdoor production of a CPT event, and found one of the residents from Y-Haven in the audience. Joseph noted, “You don’t survive on the streets unless you can think creatively.” See Cleveland Jewish News here
Flannery pushes school funding reform Emboldened by the fact that his petition drive came just short of the 100,000 sigs he needed to get his petition to reform Ohio school funding in front of the state legislature, former State Rep Bryan Flannery is charging ahead to gain the remaining 10,000 sigs by December. His plan, detailed on his web site, calls for reform of Ohio school funding by requiring the state to calculate the actual cost of education a student (something they are assiduously avoiding) and then setting aside that much for state education. Then local districts would only have to come up with 20 tax mills, instead of the current system which relies primarily on local school tax levies. But if he can get 330,000 sigs by August, he can put his proposal directly on the ballot in November as an amendment to the Ohio Constitution. http://www.FlanneryForOhio.com
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The Best Value in Downtown Condominiums Let the Pointe at Gateway show you the way to affordable, downtown living. These 1 and 2 bedroom condominiums are located in the center of the bustling and revitalized Gateway neighborhood. Take your pick of light-filled, one-bedroom units and spacious two-bedroom units with two full baths. These units feature historic details, large windows filled with natural light, and plush carpets with available upgrades to hardwood floors. Add lofty ceilings, modern appliances, ceramic tile in the kitchen and bath, ample closet space and urban views. Residents of the Pointe at Gateway can walk to the Jake and the Gund, and take advantage of all of the excitement of the East Fourth Street Neighborhood and the House of Blues. One bedrooms start at $77,900; two bedrooms start at $129,900. Plus, there’s tax abatement and special financing. Why rent when you can own and enjoy a low monthly payment? Open this Sun 1/23, 2-4 PM at 750 Prospect (next to Winking Lizard). And while you’re there, visit the Sincere Building at E. 4th/Prospect — open Sun 1/23, 2-4 PM. For a complete list of open houses this weekend, please visit www.ProgressiveUrban.com
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Wind power manufactured in PA Harnessing energy from the wind of special interest to economic development poobahs in Cleveland, including the bright minds at the Cleveland Foundation, mainly for the advanced manufacturing jobs the industry could provide. Now the largest Spanish wind-energy company is building a plant that will manufacture wind turbine generator blades near Johnstown, PA, 70 miles east of Pittsburgh, investing $40 million and creating up to 1000 permanent and temporary jobs. The state of Pennsylvania kicked in loans, grants and tax credits of $9.3 million to make it happen. Maybe our region should have chased that one down. Read more here.
Lamps for leukemia Satiate the crave to create with Vivid Art Gallery as they host the Light the Night Fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They’re seeking artists to create lamps to be auctioned off. Submit your drawing of the lamp to be created, along with a list of the materials and send along your artist’s statement. Artists drawings must be submitted by Tues 2/1, and the lamps will be auctioned off at a gala event on 4/23. Each lamp auctioned will have a minimum bid of $75; artists will receive half of the final bid amount. Contact Vivid Art Gallery at 241-7624. http://www.VividArtGallery.com
Sculpture artists sought The Sculpture Center seeks Ohio artists for On a Pedestal, a 3D sculpture exhibition juried by Richard Hunt, the internationally-renowned sculptor with works in major museums and galleries worldwide. Robert Thurmer, Director of the University Art Gallery at Cleveland State University, will pre-screen the entries. Any Ohio artist who creates 3D works in any sculptural medium, at any stage of their career can apply. Find details and application forms at 229-6527 or here
Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
Project Connect What help do you and your nonprofit need with your technology? Training? Technical Support? Project Consulting? Email? Databases? Websites? Form Letters? Participate in a survey for all Ohio nonprofit executives as Project Connect will use your input to design its 2005 programs, by surveying nonprofit executives throughout Ohio about their technology capacity and needs. The goal is to determine what services that will help Ohio nonprofits the most. Take the survey here. Once they’ve conducted the analysis, the results of the survey will be posted on their site: http://www.infolineinc.org/connect.htm
RTA ridership up Clevelanders are busing it, as ridership increases. For the second time in 25 years, RTA has posted back-to-back increases in ridership: up 1.5% in 2003 and up 3.7% in 2004, when ridership was 55.5 million. here
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Lots More from Moore Acclaimed singer, philanthropist, and civil rights advocate at the side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Melba Moore isnt slowing down anytime soon. Over the course of her long career, Moore has received the prestigious New York Drama Critics Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. Celebrating the upcoming holiday, the Cleveland Public Library will host a presentation on her behalf, where she will discuss her experiences with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This presentation takes place on Sun 1/23 at 2PM in the Main Library Auditorium, Louis Stokes Wing, E. 6th Street and Superior Avenue. It is free and open to the public. Contact www.CPL.org or 623-2869 for more information.
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Government incentives for film, TV & video readers and legislators or any legislative wannabee will want to investigate the successful government incentives for film, TV and video. As Northeast Ohio could use some help stepping out in a new direction through the creative arts, it just may be a way to drive a new economic resurgence. Find out more at http://Bodwin_Theatre.tripod.com
New Words 2005 Akron Art Museum Announces Call for Poets All Ohio poets are invited to participate in the Akron Art Museum’s New Words 2005 poetry contest honoring National Poetry Month. The competition offers cash prizes and have the opportunity to read their poems during an awards ceremony at the museum’s poetry reading on Sun 4/24 at 2:30PM. Entries will be accepted now through Fri 2/25. See the guidelines at http://www.akronartmuseum.org/programs_poetry_f.html
Picture This is the local screenplay competition for Ohio screenwriters and filmmakers; our regions only short screenplay competition. Categories are: Best Screenplay, Best Student Screenplay and Best Screenplay on the 2005 theme of Contemporary Issues: Immigration. Entries must be received by Tue 2/1, and winners will be chosen by 4/15. There are no constraints on genre, content, or subject matter. For complete guidelines and entry form, visit http://www.csuohio.edu/com/picturethis. Mail all submissions to: Picture This Screenplay Competition, School of Communication, MU 265, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115 or picturethis@csuohio.edu.
Wanted: more women & minority lawyers in Cleveland While people of color make up about 4.32% of partners in the nation’s law firms, they represent only about 3% of Cleveland law firm partners. Women, on the other hand, account for 17.06% of the partners nationally, while they only make up 15.2% at Cleveland law firms. Either we have fewer women and people of color in Cleveland, or something else is going on. Read the data at National Association of Law Placement here
Cash for your bright ideas Good news for those itching to become a millionaire the old fashioned way. Find out about the $1 million dollar loan fund that’s waiting for you. Got new product ideas and good plans that will generate jobs in the Cleveland area? Then CAMP (Cleveland Advanced Manufacturing Program) is offering entrepreneurs and companies with less than $50 million of annual revenue loans that don’t require interest or principle payments for three years. To apply, call 432-5366 or see http://www.CAMP.org
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Intense, Deep, Rich and Jammed with Flavor European Wine Imports is dedicated to providing Cleveland with hard-to-find direct imports for a great value. This months feature is Tobin James, named after the Ohio winemaker who grew tired of using his skills to make other wineries famous. Now Tobin James (Shumrick) makes his own wine many are gold medal winners in Paso Robles, California which is known to produce some of the best wine grapes in the world. With over a dozen varieties to choose from try the zinfandels called James Gang Reserve or Liquid Love. Other varieties include a muscat called Dream Catcher and Radiance chardonnay. These fine wines can be found at Heinens, the new Constantinos Market on W. 9th Street, and good wine stores in your neighborhood.
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Cool Cleveland This Week
1.19-1.26
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
Local poet & professor Thomas Sayers Ellis is author of The Maverick Room, newly released from Graywolf Press, and gaining momentum. Check out his appearance this Wed 1/19 at 7PM for a book signing and reading at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Bob Holman, the “Ringmaster of the Spoken Word” (New York Daily News), and the “Poetry Czar” (Village Voice), notes, “he jazzes june, the pain thin as a paper cut, evanescent, ever-present, dirty, intellectual. Since his days with Dark Room Collective, Ellis has always been a poet to watch. Now he’s a poet to read, to listen to, to study. The book’s last two poems, “Groovallegiance” and “All Their Stanzas Look Alike,” are harrowing.” http://www.tsellis.com
Passport Project Vibrations Series with Tatsuya Nakatani, Michel Doneda and Jack Wright, seasoned veterans of the high art of improvised music. Enter into sound experimentation as they demonstrate their ability as innovators and creators of experience that leads audiences into a journey of listening on Wed 1/19 at 9PM. Call 721-1055. Passport Project Global Community Arts Center, 12803 Buckeye Rd. http://www.PassportProject.org
From Songwriters to Soundmen: People Behind the Hits is a brand new interview series giving audiences a glimpse into the music business not often seen. This month, Miles Copeland is on board; he’s often referred to as the fourth member of the Police, since he managed the Police and Sting. Copeland was also the owner and operator of IRS records, which was responsible for bands including R.E.M. and Fine Young Cannibals, but he’s notorious as the Sex Pistols’ agent throughout their first European Tour. The series will take place the third Wednesday of every month beginning this Wed 1/19 at 7PM. Harkness Chapel, 11200 Bellflower Rd. on the Case Western Reserve University campus. http://www.RockHall.com
FutureHeights Community Revitalization presents Donovan Rypkema, one the nation’s foremost experts on community revitalization. A dynamic speaker, Mr. Rypkema is sure to stimulate thought and discussion of the important issues facing our community. Meet Mr. Rypkema and hear his presentation, Competitive Neighborhood Commercial Districts – What Is Their Future? As principal of Place Economics in Washington, D.C., Donovan Rypkema has been a national and international keynote and plenary speaker on Smart Growth and related topics, specializing in real estate and economic development and redevelopment, and the reuse of historic structures, emphasizing rehabilitation, and community development. A reception will immediately follow at Studio You! Event begins Wed 1/19 at 5:30PM. Future Heights, 2163 Lee Rd, Suite 103 in Cleveland Heights. Call 320-1423. http://www.FutureHeights.org
Master Class in Contemporary Technique with internationally known performer, choreographer and teacher of modern dance and rhythm tap dance, movement analyst, and writer, Bill Evans. With an MFA in modern dance from the University of Utah, he is also a Certified Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst. His performances have graced Canada and Mexico, as well as in Australia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia. Light up your eyes and imagination with his movements on Thu 1/20 from 10-11:30AM. Call 687-4883. Cleveland State University Dance Studio, 2121 Euclid Ave. in the Physical Education Bldg, #214. l.deering@csuohio.edu
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On RED Alert Are Mozart and Beethoven at odds for stage time at Reds upcoming concerts? Is that why the baby grand pianos are disappearing off the stage, right in front of us? Follow the case of the disappearing pianos during REDs one-day exclusive showing of 3,2,1
Piano on Sun 1/30 at 3PM at the Masonic Auditorium, 3615 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland. This program, features Sergei Babayan, Christina and Michelle Naughton (twin 15-year-old sisters). Contact 440-519-1733 or www.RedAnOrchestra.org for more information.
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Get on Board: Developing Along the Euclid Corridor RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese will offer his insight about the impending development of Euclid, while participating in a panel sponsored by the Urban Land Institute and Downtown Cleveland Partnership on Thu 1/20 from 8-10AM. Register by calling 800-321-5011. The lower level amphitheater of the U.S. Bank Building, 1350 Euclid Ave.
Chic Cleveland Myley is Cleveland’s fresh fashion design group, that has grown out of Cleveland during the past decade. They’re presenting their phenomenal spring clothing line that’s dressing Cleveland head-to-toe in sensually couture. Reinvent your wardrobe and watch the runway spin off models with hair by Salon Mandalfino and make-up by MAC; with dinner & drink specials on premises. Sway over to the after party at XO Restaurant and Bar held immediately following the show on Fri 1/21; doors open 7:30PM, show begins 8:30PM. 1300 Art Gallery, 1300 W. 78th St. http://www.Myley.com and http://www.13Hundred.com
Topographic Skim your eye over new visions of where we live and dream; where outside worlds collide with inner space in this multi-media exhibition, with artists utilizing everything from web streaming and oil paint, revealing truths about nature and urban civilization. Opening show is Fri 1/21 from 5-9PM. Show runs till 3/11. Call 621-2314. SPACES, 2220 Superior Viaduct. http://www.SPACESgallery.org
Toward the Light: Meditations on Nature Engles composites consist of four prints of the same image, two printed positive, and two with the negative reversed (physically turned over in the film carrier). The images are then arranged either radially symmetrically, or symmetrically side-by-side, to create abstract, meditative works that have the qualities of a mandala. Gary Engles photography collection is prominently displayed in numerous private collections. Catch the opening Fri 1/21; hours are Mon-Sat 9AM-8PM. Sun noon-5PM. Call 521-2540. Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood. http://www.BeckCenter.org
SPACELab: Transpositional Adaptations this SPACE-alicious exhibit treads upon the paths of survival, adaptation and shelter, as artist Brad McCombs of Cincinnati creates an installation through a series of performances on three Fridays at SPACES. Building structures in three different environments simulated through video projection and props: tundra, rainforest, and alien planet, the scenery and action changes weekly; make the opening reception on Fri 1/21 from 5-9PM. On 2/4 witness the rainforest, and on 4/11 see the alien planet installation. Call 621-2314. SPACES, 2220 Superior Viaduct. http://www.SpacesGallery.org
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Teach Your Children Well And one great way to help your children learn is to read with them. This February, make a commitment to your kids by joining Cuyahoga County Public Library and their Families Reading Together program. This month-long program encourages your children to read and offers fantastic family events, offers and rewards through partners like the Great Lakes Science Center, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Tower City Center. Reading together as a family for at least 60 minutes each week in February qualifies you to receive a cloth book bag and a chance to win prizes like one of twenty $250 gift certificates to Tower City Center, one of 28 Disney beach packs, or a Disney cruise for four people on the cruise ship Disney Wonder! Spend meaningful, memorable time with your children and have some fun along the way – register now at one of the 28 CCPL branches. Cuyahoga County Public Library – providing your community open access to resources that inform, entertain and enrich. www.CuyahogaLibrary.org
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Psychological Expressionism featuring an octogenarian (rare in the world of contemporary artists), Mr. Rheuban, whose works are created by painting on one side of a sheet of clear plexiglass using oil or acrylic paint. The image gains depth and luminosity when viewed through the unpainted side of the plexiglass, allowing viewers to experience the work from two different emotional perspectives. See the opening reception Fri 1/21 with a talk commencing at 4PM; a reception follows at 5PM. Call 687-2103. Cleveland State University Art Gallery, corner of East 23rd St. and Chester Ave. http://www.csuohio.edu/art/gallery/gallery.htm
Arabica Acoustic Justin Markert has performed two years in a row at the MTV.com Shake Stuff Up Tour, and was selected to perform at the 2004 Mid Point Music Festival. When he’s not playing Cleveland, he finds himself on the national cusp of music; he has opened for a number of national acts including Evan Dando and Sondre Lerche among others. Cmon out, caffeinate yourself, and listen up on Fri 1/21 at 9PM. Call 791-0300. Arabica, 11300 Juniper Rd.
The Lakewood Project is Lakewood High School’s rock orchestra, and they know how to blow the roof off of any venue. This year, be there for the benefit concert that will enable the school to purchase equipment. Volunteering to advise and jam with the students this year is Wish You Were Here, collaborating with The Lakewood Project as they play the first half of the show. The second half will be comprised of Pink Floyd music from the band’s guests on Sat 1/22 at 7:30PM. Call 529-4047. Lakewood Civic Auditorium, 14100 Franklin Bvd. in Lakewood.
Melba Moore’s Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Moore’s career is stellar, as she was the first African American actress to replace a white actress in a Broadway production. Moore then received the prestigious New York Drama Critics Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Tony Award for the Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. Hear her discussion entailing her experiences with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including fund-raising for the Civil Rights Movement on Sun 1/23 at 2PM. Call 623-2869. Event is open to the public. Main Library Auditorium, Louis Stokes Wing, E. 6th St. and Superior Ave.
Art on the River takes place this Sun 1/23 from 1-4PM featuring Jenn Doss, Ted Theophylactos and other local artists at the Riverbend Condominiums, 1444 W. 10th St. on the east bank of the flats. They will be showcasing the art, having snacks and holding an open house for the 4 available condo units in that building. http://www.progressiveurban.com
Consumerism in Healthcare Healthcare is a rapidly changing market, and you’ll want to get ahead of the curve and learn what the Cleveland Clinic is doing to stay on top of the industry. Topics dissected will include key forces driving consumerism, the new healthcare consumer, and the power of brands on Mon 1/24 beginning at 11:30AM with a luncheon. RSVP at 573-6363. Windows on the River, 2000 Sycamore in the Flats. http://www.SmeCleveland.com
Wrestling with Manhood Cases Center for Women will co-sponsor filmmaker and educator Sut Jhallys screening of which explores the connection between the popularity of professional wrestling among young males and violence against women. As the first educational program to pay attention to the enormous popularity of professional wrestling among male youths and its connection to real-life violence, the documentary probes the social values that sustain wrestling as a powerful cultural force. Jhallys talk will be followed by a dialogue with the audience and a complete screening of Wrestling with Manhood, offering a new way to think about the enduring problems of mens violence against women, it’s designed to engage the wrestling fan as well as the cultural analyst. Stop in to “wrestle” some of our most serious social problems on Tue 1/25 at 7PM. Call 368-0985. Cleveland Cinematheque, 11141 East Blvd. http://www.Case.edu/provost/centerforwomen
WCLVnotes A new look at classical music is being taken by “Offbeat”, a production of The Cleveland Institute of Music, being heard on WCLV 104.9 FM, Saturdays at 12:07PM. Hosted by Mary Peckham, cellist of the Cavani String Quartet, the one-hour program is designed to answer some pressing questions about classical music…well maybe not so pressing, but thought provoking none the less. Questions such as “What a piano technician does, or how you make an oboe reed, or just how a music critic thinks.” Next Tue 1/25 at 9PM, another new look at classical music takes place when WCLV presents the concert by Red {an Orchestra} called Schubert Unfinished/Refinished. a Cool Cleveland partner www.WCLV.com
Media Relations and Crisis Communications In the event of a crisis, everyone is going to want answers – fast. They say it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only a few seconds to destroy one. In a split second you could find yourself in a position where you need to know how to handle the media or be a public spokesperson. Cleveland Bridge Builders is offering a lively session with well-known crisis counselor Bruce Hennes, covering a whirlwind of practical techniques that positively prepare you to handle media relations and crisis communications on Tue 1/25 from 5:30-8:30PM. Trinity Commons, 2230 Euclid Ave. Register at http://www.ClevelandBridgeBuilders.org/lifeline_descriptions.asp
Rock and Roll Night School is a monthly series of educational, discussion-based night classes jumping into the history of rock and roll from its roots to its current incarnations. Jason Hanley, a musicologist and Education Programs Manager at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, will lead classes, with special attention will be given to the musics impact on society, its reception by fans, and its most innovative practitioners on Wed 1/26 from 7-8:30PM and continuing on the 4th Wednesday of each month. Held at Harkness Chapel, 11200 Bellflower Rd. on the Case Western Reserve University campus. http://www.RockHall.com
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
Birol’s Business
With Fans Like These…Fear and Hedging on Mahogany Row
When it comes to nurturing local businesses, why do so many of our current generation of intermediaries turn into shrinking violets or fair weather fans? With all the brouhaha about the Plain Dealers Quiet Crisis series, accountants, lawyers, and investors could face their share of the music. While we are still recovering from the Arthur Andersen/Enron era, and should institute ever-better financial safeguards, intermediaries here in Northeast Ohio must also become bigger supporters of risk takers. It is one thing to provide fiduciary oversight, it is another to be a wet blanket.
As service providers or intermediaries, if we dont point out everything our clients need to grow, we are playing it too safe. Clients should be discouraged from destructive ways or ultimately be fired. If we upset or lose a client because we pushed them too hard, we are doing our jobs and the region a favor. If we are good, then there will always be new and better clients to replace the ones who fired us. Our newly found time can be better spent not only serving the rest but also admonishing them to grow. Its all about the confidence we can give business owners. Northeast Ohios businesses, just like the Indians and the Browns need to make the most of what they have. Intermediaries need to step up and lead. Heres how…
Read Birol’s Business here and here
Cool Cleveland Sounds
The Wizard of Northland
Junkyard Todd
JT/U Go Potty Music
A Seattle native, Todd Thurman took his run at Los Angeles, which included a stint with the Brian Setzer band, and then wound up here in Ohio, due to illness in his wife Judyth’s family. After joining Paranoid Lovesick for a bit, Thurman decided to use his new home studio to his advantage and The Wizard of Northland is the second disc he’s come up with since moving to Lakewood. “Thank God For You Know What” gives a nod to the Ramones via few chords and a cloud of dust as “Also Ran” is raw and primitive and casts a shadow on early U2. “Mari Who Died” appears to be a tribute to his late ex-sister-in-law Mari Springer-Kalina and “Sonny & Cher” is border line power pop with a good guitar solo in it. One thing that caught my eye in the Thurman bio was the line “I decided that the best way to determine what was ‘good’ was to go only with the first and second takes, especially on lead vocals.” If I had been given early input on The Wizard of Northland, I would have said to rethink that quickly. Actually, the mix is the problem on a majority of cuts here as the vocals are too buried, with “L.A. Story” and “Karma 2 Burn” being two prime examples. By the time “Trailer Park Season” pops up, you’ll wish Thurman had taken his work to another studio in town just to get a second set of ears involved in the final process. And, one of my pet peeves is always the “hidden track” trick on a release, with the thinking if it is good enough to go on the disc, it should have a title and be numbered. Par for the course on these things, the one here is one of the better cuts on the project. Not sure what it is called, but it has some good guitar work on it. Actually, I’m working off an advance copy of The Wizard of Northland, so I can’t really give you much in the way of production notes, but I’m going to assume Thurman did all the guitar work here. Interesting in some areas and less in others, this CD needed one or two more waves of the magic wand to get the rabbit completely out of the hat. http://www.JunkYardTodd.com from Cool Cleveland contributor Peanuts, a longtime Ohio music critic and writer.hostofthenorthcoast@yahoo.com
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RoldoLINK
By Roldo Bartimole
Awaken Citizens, The Pickpockets Are Coming Again
A brief conversation with a member of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Authority reveals how seriously the city-county commission sees its job to determine the need of a new convention center. Dennis Lafferty, Executive Assistant to the managing partner of the Jones Day elite Cleveland law firm, made that clear.
I asked if he were going to follow through on inviting experts to speak to the authority to expand its knowledge, “Oh, yes,” he said.
Are you going to invite Heywood Sanders? I asked. Lafferty smiled knowingly and said that he was not. Why not? I asked. I want only positive input, said Lafferty, because Im for this. (Haywood Sanders, Trinity University professor, studies the convention center business. He calls Clevelands desire for a new center a futile effort. Maybe Doug Clifton will ask him to write an op-ed piece because the Cleveland PD editor is so intent about the public having adequate information.) Why bother with the phony meetings and public dog and pony show when the decision has already been made. You, the public, via your County Commissioners, are paying some $400,000 for this fake performance…
Read RoldoLINK here
Cool Cleveland Preview
gemINi @ Cleveland Public Theatre
A six thousand year old Hindu myth, the myth of the heavenly twins is a story the Greeks retold a mere three thousand years ago, provides the inspiration for gemINi, a collaborative performance duet at CPT this weekend. For performer Zoe Schultz, the myth “represents the balance between two people. In a relationship (lovers, friends, siblings) one person may dominate, but ultimately they need each other to balance each other out.” In a good working collaboration, that’s what happens. The collaboration between Schultz and co-creator Aaron Rapljenovic, Schultz says, began with “a lot of time in the studio exploring, improvising, brainstorming. Aaron is a visual artist and a mover and I’m a dancer.” While Schultz’s Butoh influenced eclectic dance background (Schultz describes Butoh as “a Japanese style of dance improvisation”) became a mainstay of the evening length piece, Rapljenovic, says Schultz, came up with a lot of the technical ideas for the show. “It’s a true collaborative piece; we came to the studio with clean slates.” What about music? Costumes? They’re not talking: “We’ve had a lot of people ask us about details,” says Schultz, “but we like the element of surprise.” Like all the Cleveland Public Theatre Big [BOX] performances, gemINi is in the James Levin Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave. Fri 1/21 and Sat 1/22 at 8PM and Sun 1/23 at 3PM. Call 631-2727. http://www.cptonline.orgfrom Cool Cleveland contributors Elsa Johnson and Victor Lucas mailto: vicnelsa@earthlink.net
Photo by Steve Wagner
Instant Karma
Quick reviews of recent events
Going out this weekend? Take along your PDA and your digital camera. Scratch out a few notes to send us with a picture of it for our Instant Karma real-world reviews of what’s really happening. We’d love to hear from you. Send your stuff to Events@CoolCleveland.com
MOMIX @ Palace Theatre 1/14 Dance rarely leaves the realm of the human body. Lighting, choreography, costuming and musical accompaniment are almost always combined to honor the human form, the perfect bodies of dancers. But MOMIX dance theatre has found a way to move beyond the mere depiction of humanoids. In sometimes shocking vignettes, some as short as a couple of minutes, the athletic dancers of MOMIX link limbs to create alien figures, centipedes, headless spiders, futuristic forms. Their new show, Opus Cactus is truly a masterwork, but one that no other dance company would dare. With loud, throbbing audio from Brian Eno, Australian didgeridoo, tribal drumming and Arabic religious music, the experience was at once overwhelming and compelling, with people rushing back to their seats after intermission. A sold-out success for presenters DanceCleveland, MOMIX proved that people will enjoy contemporary dance if they are made to feel welcome. Cool Cleveland took care of that with a pre-concert Warm-Up Party for 500+ in the lobby (see photos of our Night Out here) most of whom had never been to a production at Playhouse Square, and even the PD’s review remarked on the coolness of the evening [here]. Keep your eye on Cool Cleveland for another Night Out soon, and stay tuned to DanceCleveland for Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal in February. http://www.DanceCleveland.org
Mo Pas Connin @ CPT 1/9
What: Nina Domingue’s electrifying solo show, a tribute to an extended family of African-American women in New Orleans.
Reasons to go: Her eyes rolling up into her head, Domingue expertly channels a series of interrelated female characters, all dealing with different crises. She does it via the medium of an elderly voodoo priestess whose goddess, Mami Wada, orders her to send psychic messages of healing to the “lost daughters” of her family. The mostly young characters show sass, humor, and heart, and they’re beautifully observed and meticulously performed. There’s a smart-mouthed former crackhead afraid she’ll lose her children to Family Services, and her teenage daughter working an assembly line in a hot sauce bottling plant. A precocious 6-year-old dresses down her teacher for calling her “colored,” and a teenage “good Catholic girl” discovers she only feels a worshipful spirit when she dances African-style in Congo Square. Domingue isn’t afraid to dig deep: the most heart-wrenching is the apparently autobiographical tale of a young pregnant woman whose own mother was a suicide from post-partum depression.
Caveats: The narrator character is the thinnest-written, and there’s one near-misfire, a furious college girl who spews in her journal about the lynching of a cousin by skinheads, a monologue that’s all heat but little character development. Although the subtitle of the evening is “Torment,” that belies how funny and essentially inspiring the evening actually is. The biggest caveat is that, like all Big [Box] shows, its 3-performance run is already over. Somebody needs to pick it up, pronto, and give her a bigger audience.
Backstory: Big [Box] is CPT’s 6-week series showcasing area artists in new work. Domingue is one of the area’s most accomplished actors; she won a 2004 Cleveland Theater Collective Award for her red-hot performances in Sincerity Forever (Foxy Brown as an ass-kicking Jesus H. Christ), Nickel & Dimed (a Puerto Rican male cook and an elderly maid), and Uncle Tom’s Cabin (a mesmerizing Topsy). Now we know she’s one hell of a writer, too.
Target audience: Anyone who wished there was another show like Shange’s “for colored girls” — this one’s for you. The multiracial CPT audience, from teens to grannies, was mesmerized.
Details: Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave. Call 631-2727. http://www.cptonline.org. from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein Linda@coolcleveland.com
Yr Turn
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On The Beachland Ballroom [here] We celebrated New Years Eve at the Beachland Ballroom dancing to the utterly fantastic and totally unbelievable sound of Los Straitjackets, the best live party band in the United States. My husband and I flew in from Los Angeles on the red eye specifically to make the show. After ten days in Los Angeles, hanging with professionals plugged in to the LA music scene, we returned to Cleveland for the best live show around. Cindy Barber of the Beachland Ballroom is a true visionary. In addition to booking the best established musicians, she often books groups on the cusp of making it big. Friends living on the east coast put it this way, “If this was a club in New York, it would be packed every night.” We all agreed that this club would be wildly successful in a city such as New York or LA. Stop being complacent Cleveland. WAKE UP! Do not settle for being spoon fed some pre-chewed entertainment at a venue owned by big business. Cleveland offers the real deal. The Beachland Ballroom is a tremendous asset to the Greater Cleveland area and is definitely the hip place to be. Check it out.
from Cool Cleveland reader Kathleen Sonnhalter ksonnhalter@mac.com
The Beachland needs to get themselves positioned like Tipatina’s in New Orleans! You took Padukes to the right place (if it survives). Wish I was more on top of the acts that play there.
from Cool Cleveland reader Maryann Zapior MZapior@porterwright.com
Thanks for the article on the Beachland Ballroom. I had the pleasure of meeting Cindy Barber this summer when our group Ohio Votes registered voters at the club. She was a class act, always welcoming and looking for ways to help us out. I lived in Chicago when the Beachland opened and was excited to hear about it when I moved back I have no doubt the Beachland would be selling out in Chicago and be the hub of a trendy neighborhood by now. Thats not a knock on Cleveland, I just dont know if this area has enough people interested in what the Beachland has to offer. I hope that as more storefronts open on Waterloo, the Beachland will be able to grow its crowds. If you havent ever been to a show there, make a date to see one and youll want to go back again. Cindy & Mark deserve to have a success in the Beachland, and Cleveland would be a lesser place without their club. P.S. Thanks for all the work you put into Cool Cleveland. Getting it is the highlight of my week.
from Cool Cleveland reader Adam Jusko jusko@blue-house.com
On A Lost Art: Two-Way Conversations or “Enough About You, Really.” here] Just saw your item in CC past issue, and Im all ears, and all palms (in applauding). I thought it was only me who felt this way. I used to teach literature, and one of my favorite internal monologues in any novel is in The Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield complains several times that nobody knows how to have an intelligent conversation anymore. His observation always seemed right on target, but because he is a character on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I figured that this complaint was part of larger issues in his life, and I was concerned that since I shared his views, maybe I was on the edge, too. No more we really have lost the art of conversation. At my fathers funeral several years ago, several people approached me and told me what a great conversationalist my father was, and how he made them feel so much smarter. It turns out that he really listened to people and let them do most of the talking, at least for the early part of the conversation. Maybe listening is the key. If you see the movie The Aviator (I did over the weekend), keep an eye out for the scene in which Howard Hughes encounters the conversationally dysfunctional Hepburn family in their home. I was the only one in the theatre who was laughing, very loudly. But enough about me . . . nice job.
from Cool Cleveland reader Jim O’Hare johare@earthlink.net
Thanks for calling attention to this serious social problem (and no, Im not kidding). Over the years I have developed a phobia about the same types of gatherings that I used to anticipate with much excitement and wardrobe planning! While I continue to enjoy meeting new people and hearing their *short* stories, more and more I find that I take my leave of people who have told me far more about themselves than I needed to know while asking no more of me than my first name. When caught in the grasps of these social vampires, I find my heart racing until I can no longer hear their babble over the rushing of blood in my ears, and my fear of being rude is overcome by my fear of fainting. Too bad too few will recognize themselves in your writing, but its nice to know Im not alone…
from Cool Cleveland reader Lorraine Schuchart lorraineschuchart@yahoo.com
On Cleveland Crips here] I was curious as to the age of Rosemary… Ive been disabled since 1952. Thank God for the polio vaccination! As a teenager, my disabled friends and I never saw an elderly disabled person. We always wondered if we would die by the time we would reach our twenties. Lo and behold when my family moved to a home located on the Westside in 1965 one my neighbors next door was an elderly post polio woman in a wheelchair. I immediately called my friends and announced, “There is life for us after all.” As I had mentioned before, I think the Cool Crip language is great, but my personal favorite: Gimp or Gimpette…If disabled men are Gimps, its only logical that disabled women would be Gimpettes…
from Cool Cleveland reader Joyce M. Metheny Ranger91@core.com
On election reform The last Cool Cleveland linked to Senator Boxer [here] …but Representative Tubbs-Jones also has her remarks posted on her website [here]. I hope that Cool Cleveland readers whose political affiliations are of every color in the rainbow can join with her and Senator Boxer in calling for election process reform, so that we can have confidence that the principle of “one person, one vote” is implemented with integrity.
from Cool Cleveland reader Sandy Piderit piderit@mac.com
Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com
Top 5
Cool Cleveland uses Opticast tools to track which articles were clicked the most. Here are the Top 5 from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.
1) The Beachland Battles for the Future of Waterloo As owner and manager of the Beachland Ballroom, Cindy Barber spends most of her waking hours there; booking bands, paying bills, managing staff, and jumping in to tend bar when things get hot. Music Saves The Beachland
2) Cool Cleveland Night Out Get wound up in haute style with Cool Cleveland – our last event in December attracted the masses. Newsletter/Party
3) City approves Steelyard Commons plan The $90 million retail center project being developed by Mitchell Schneider and First Interstate Properties Ltd. west of the ISG steel mill will feature four big-box stores, a supermarket, and a bevy of retailers and restaurants. www.Cleveland.com
4) American youth are mired in debt They’re maxed out with college loans and personal credit debts during a challenging job market that’s tight, and indicators suggest they may be the most indebted generation of Americans ever. http://MoneyCentral.MSN.com
5) Euclid Corridor Project community meetings Curious about what’s happening with the Euclid Corridor Project? Attend one of the upcoming meetings planned by officials of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). www.RideRTA.com
Hard Corps rock it CC’s beloved urbanites stalk the trenches and seek ideas, people, and events that keep Cleveland on the rockin’ edge. If CC is on your lust list, thank Tisha Nemeth, TL Champion, Linda Eisenstein, Bill Nagode, Peanuts, Victor Lucas, Roldo Bartimole, George Nemeth, Ivan Jackson, Marcus Bales, 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
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