Summer Party In The City

7.28.-8.04.04

Summer Party In The City

Dear Friend,

In this week’s issue:
* Mini-interview with Tim Mueller, who is leaving the Campbell administration
* Tuning In on Connor O’Brien, appearing now in Miss Saigon at Beck Center
* Ghettoization of Poetry on the state of poetry and intellectualism in today’s economy
* Linda Ronstadt’s Vegas by Robert Lipkos, a Rocky River barber who was there
* Report from the Democratic Convention, an interview with Kucinich delegate Charlene Coates
* Cool Cleveland’s party on 7/29 is selling fast. Reserve now and save by clicking here

Summer in the City

We’re inviting everyone to link up with Cool Cleveland as we route our festivities to the Warehouse District for a prime noshing experience with bountiful selections of incomparable hors d’oeuvres from Cleveland’s hottest restaurants: Blue Point Grille, Mallorca, XO and the new Titanic: fresh crab summer roll, broiled spanish sausage, seafood ceviche shooter, coconut-crusted bay scallops. You’ll enjoy these creations of the Warehouse District’s supreme eateries while you commingle and network with a pleasurable mix of our city’s creative and business cognoscenti – all this while you enjoy Downtown Living, the after-work networking party that guides you to the revitalized center of Cleveland. The party begins on Thu 7/29 at 4PM in the afternoon, when cool Clevelanders will get live with an open bar of freshly tapped beer, selected wines from Ohio wineries, and tight tunes from DJ Anonymous. It all happens right in the snazzed out Bingham Building apartments, 1278 West Ninth Street, just North of St. Clair Avenue in the Warehouse District brand new and brimming with interesting architectural details and fitness center. At 8PM, stroll over to SPY Bar and master the intensity of Salsa lessons, lounge and listen to hot swing, free with your Cool Cleveland admission – you get all this for $10 if you register and pay online by midnight on Wed 7/28, or only $20 at the door. Don’t be sold out, our last event blew the doors off, so reserve your spot with us. Register here and pay online by midnight 7/28 and save 50%! Register here: http://www.corpmeetings.com/register/thomas/atd9/index.html?p_aid=%%

Fund for Our Future makes their first move It is expected that the Fund for Our Economic Future, the consortium of 56 foundations and corporations who have collectively pooled $26 million of the $30 million they expect to raise, will distribute about $2 million to each of four large non-profit economic development groups: JumpStart, Inc., Nortech, TeamNEO and BioEnterprise. “If we’re going to do this, let’s do this right. We wanted to support entrepreneurship, new technologies and making sure your largest employers stay and do their growing here,” Brad Whitehead of the Cleveland Foundation, the lead contributor to the Fund, told Cool Cleveland. http://www.FutureFundNEO.org

Sports investment not worth it We may have brought the Browns back to Cleveland, but we’ve done the math and it just doesn’t add up: our multi-hundred-million-dollar public investments in local professional sports facilities just don’t pay off for the community. Except for the owners, of course. Now, our experience in Cleveland has been validated by a study conducted on the New Jersey Nets by Andrew Zimbalist, a leading sports economist, who states, “The general conclusion that comes out of the academic literature on this subject is that a city, county or state should not anticipate a positive economic or fiscal impact from a new sports facility… In a typical case, a community builds a facility to retain an existing team or attract a new team. In either case, the lion’s share of the money spent at the new arena is diverted from existing local expenditures.” Why don’t these investments pay off? Money that families spend at these sports arenas is taken from other local forms of entertainment, not new revenue. Players salaries and owners profits are spent out of the immediate area. And there is “a negative impact on the local economy associated with the diversion of public funds from other investments and services.” But we already knew that. See The Sacremento Bee here.

Revivify your ’04/’05 marketing plans today Businesses in this demanding economy want to strengthen their marketing beyond the typical strategies. Increase your business traffic with Cool Cleveland by advertising with us – we get results through our uncommon and eyecatching Cool Cleveland e-zine, filled with exclusive content. Our audiences are united in supporting what we do and they prove it by clicking thru Cool Cleveland each week. Our culture packed on-line parcel is the new brand of enterprising marketing that circulates thru the internet with tens of thousands of attentive readers absorbing the advertising content each week. Make your marketing work for you every week! Contact Cool Cleveland and we’ll sit down and show you how the internet can advance your businesses marketing today. Drop us a line, and we’ll be in touch. Info@CoolCleveland.com

Microsystems Academy up and running Joining Cool Cleveland as one of the first to be awarded by the Cleveland Foundation’s Civic Innovation Lab, Microsystems Academy in Midtown Cleveland has officially opened for their first 16-week classes offered to inner-city youth. Intensive training in MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) and nanotechnology will be offered to 16 Cleveland high school students, with the possibility of the training leading to an internship with a Cleveland-based MEMS company. As a result of the Civic Innovation Lab, Eric von Hendrix, president and CEO of MWV Pinnacle Management Company, has been serving as a mentor to Colin Drummond of Microsystems Academy, assisting them with their training facility and their mission to create a local workforce experienced in MEMS and nanotechnology. See Microsystems Academy here.

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Only in Ohio City Fries and Schuele in the Market Square district offers a great opportunity to customize your fantasy townhouse! Features include an oversized roof deck, 2 terraces, 3 floors of living space (3200 sf!), vaulted 2 story living room, 2 enclosed parking spaces, a courtyard and lots of windows with great views. Only one townhouse remains! Penthouse units are also available, starting at $274,850. The convenient Ohio City location gives walking access to a grocery store and the West Side Market. Plus, you can walk around the corner for a great dinner at The Flying Fig, or just hangout at Talkies coffee shop. Visit our open house this Sat 7/31 from Noon-2PM – stop by after visiting the West Side Market. For a complete list of properties and open houses this weekend, please visit www.ProgressiveUrban.com
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Sparx lights up Childrens Games While the goal of a Cleveland cultural festival to accompany the Children’s Games never panned out (nor did the anticipated accompanying Digital Cities tech conference, which has been rescheduled to Spring 2005), Cleveland-based Sparx In The City has convinced COSE to put up the money to sponsor two dozen Cleveland street performers to enliven the Games this week. “With Cleveland on a global stage, it’s our opportunity to feature our city’s creative best,” explains Susie Frazier Mueller, co-chair of Sparx in the City. All acts will be positioned throughout the footprint of Festival Village on Malls B & C in Downtown Cleveland. Cleveland area artists include: on Fri 7/30: Ground FX Crew (breakdancing), Manatho Masani (African Thumb Piano), SAFMOD (stiltdancers), Hareem Shar’eem (Middle Eastern dance); on Sat 7/31: Move To The Groove (global jazz), Global Dance & Music Collective (Salsa/Flamenco/Caribbean); on Sun 8/1: Matthew Abelson (hammered dulcimer), Baltic Brothers (accordion & bass); on Mon 8/2: Aaron Bonk (object manipulation). See more here.

Rock Hall open late Saturdays Is the family visiting, or are you just hanging out with your buds on a Saturday night in Cleveland? Now through Labor Day Mon 9/6, the Rock Hall will remain open until 9PM on Saturday nights. Stay up late and see Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair photographer Annie Leibovitz’s show American Music with its iconographic images of artists like The White Stripes, Johnny Cash and Etta James. You can also catch Reflections: The Mary Wilson Supreme Legacy Collection, with over 50 wild costumes worn by Motown’s hugest girl group. http://www.RockHall.com

CC looking for interns Bored this summer? Cool Cleveland is looking for tech savvy individuals who like to stay awake until the wee hours running on adreneline and their burning passion for Cleveland. Must be plugged into some of Cleveland’s underground, ethnic and community circles. Must be able to express yourself fluently, both verbally and in writing. It’s also helpful if you’re open to learning new software, and other fun stuff. Write to us and tell us why we should interview you. Info@CoolCleveland.com

Cincy Sym cutting costs It tough to be in the arts business today, but it’s even harder when you have 99 extremely skilled, highly paid employees on your payroll, including their pension and health care costs. The Cincinnati Symphony, after three years of deficit spending, are considering a price increase and other measures, while they are watching attendance at their Cincinnati Pops division drop 9%. And like everywhere, subscription sales are down, as people wait till the last minute and buy single tickets rather than season packages. See Ohio News Network here.

Akron business successes sought Know a successful NEO business with revenues less than $50 million that you think deserves recognition? Nominate your own company, your clients, or associates. The Second Annual Celebrating Success! program is a chance to tell the world “how you capitalized on an opportunity — increased revenues, reduced expenses, went global, increased market shared, identified a new market, or any important event that happened in your business.” Honorees will be featured and share their stories at The Greater Akron Business Conference on 10/28. Nominations are due by Fri 7/30. 7-30-04. http://www.akronbusinessconference.org.

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We have large codpieces And we’re not afraid to work them! Great Lakes Theater Festival’s Summer Repertory shifts into high gear on Fri 7/30 with the opening of the outrageously funny The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). It’s “pumpkin pants” meets “high tops” as three guys cram all thirty-seven of Shakespeare’s plays into two acts and send the bard rolling in his grave. Be advised that seat belts will NOT be installed in the theater for this production and you must remain seated until the laughter has come to a complete stop. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will play in rotating repertory with The Taming of the Shrew through August 22nd at the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square Center. Come discover Shakespeare’s Great Company. Great tickets are on sale now at great prices; $20 tickets for any show; plus, $11 student tickets – any show, any seat. For more information, please visit www.GreatLakesTheater.org
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Women’s Chamber meets online For their upcoming discussion centering on the Women’s Federal Procurement Program, which helps women working to secure federal contracting dollars, the The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce and National Women’s Lobby are hosting a National Virtual Town Hall on Thu 7/29 from 11Am to noon. Margot Dorfman, USWCC CEO, will lead the discussion and LeAnn Delaney, staff member, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business are featured presenters. Complete the online registration form here: here. 888-418-7922 http://www.USWomensChamber.com

Advertising moving to the Internet The migration of classified advertising advertising from print to the Internet is slow but relentless. Young people comfortable online will continue to contribute to this trend, as will the enthusiasm (or lack of it) exhibited by media owners, both existing traditional outlets and new entrants. The Internet now accounts for 5% of classified advertising in the US, with recruitment ads leading the way. See Center for Media Research here.

Wither arts education? “Arts educators cheered when the arts were declared a “core” academic subject under the “No Child Left Behind” education reform measure signed into law two years ago by President Bush. Since then, the cheers have turned to consternation as school districts around the nation have cut classroom time and funding for art and music.” The issue hits close to home: “We all want a high-quality education for our children and we want schools to be accountable for providing that,” says Donna Collins, executive director of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, “But we can’t just be focused on reading, writing and science.” The big concern? That art and music classes may become a “lost curriculum,” says Brenda Welburn, executive director of the National Association of State Boards of Education. See the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette here.

Wonder of the world So says the Glasgow, Scotland Herald of our venerable Cleveland Orchestra. And they don’t stop there: “Cleveland? The old rustbucket city, formerly more famous for racial disorder than musical harmony? Yet from this once notoriously no-hope city has emerged one of the wonders of the world… so balanced, so luminous, so brilliantly pure, unanimous and gleaming that, at its best, it’s almost miraculous… ” They point to former music director George Szell’s influence, which got the Orchestra all working together. “The spirit got imbued into the orchestra. It evolved. And it is alive and well. We train our own. We take many of them out of the Cleveland Institute [of Music].” Nowadays, it’s time to see if our community as a whole can summon the same spirit of cooperation and harmony. See Glasgow Herald here.

More Tunick If you’re still coming down off the high you got from the nude Spencer Tunick shoot in Cleveland, you can party at MOCA Cleveland when the artist unveils his work in Cleveland on Fri 8/13. See MOCA Cleveland here. Then, join the activities in Buffalo, which is a convenient 2 ½ hours away, on Sun 8/15, Plus, it’s indoors. See Albright Knox Art Center in Buffalo here. Plus, read how Cleveland broke Montreal’s record for the most people in North American to participate in a Tunick shoot at Yahoo.com here. And this from a Cool Cleveland reader: I appreciate the Cool Cleveland email we get regularly. Sometimes I read them, sometimes I don’t have time, but they always have useful information… I participated in Spencer Tunick’s fabulous Pose Nude event. It was so fun, I put up a teeny website to try to re-unite fellow participants and give us a chance to get to know each other, since many of us obviously are of like minds. Would you be kind enough to mention our site in one of your Cool Cleveland newsletters?
from Cool Cleveland reader Brian Stark http://PoseNudeCleveland.com

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Way Cool… Big thanks to the Council of Smaller Enterprises for making sure dozens of Sparx in the City performers will be wowing the crowds at the International Children’s Games this weekend. On Sat 7/31 from 11AM-1PM and 5-8PM, wander Festival Village near the Convention Center and catch some innovative street entertainment including Cleveland’s own intercultural song and dance group Passport Project. Other ground-level entertainment for the weekend includes an African thumb-piano player, Middle Eastern dance troupe Hareem Shar’eem, jugglers, world music artists and the beyond description SAFMOD — all professionals from this area teaming up for an international event. Be proud Cleveland!
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Are you using self annihilating sentances? Check out all your bad habits of speech right here, and nip it in the bud – poor sentance usage is not sexy. http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~rclark/gorn.html

Place your product in new TV series in Cleveland Have you ever seen a real product make an appearance in a TV program? It’s called “product placement,” and done in a creative fashion, it’s a great way for businesses to get their product noticed. Cleveland-based Prelude2Cinema is producing a TV series entitled Out of Darkness, offering businesses a chance to have their product inserted into the series for a small fee. Funds will help with the production, and is a unique way to market your product. Out of Darkness is a cop show in the style of Law & Order and The X-Files based on an Emmy winning TV movie by Alex P. Michaels. Production begins this fall, and they’re seeking sponsors now. For info and prices, go here, and click on the photo of the cop with “This Space for Rent” behind him.

Cleveland Foundation announces opportunities for funding If you’re a grassroots community-based group in need of operating capital, you can qualify to receive $500 to $5,000. Make plans to participate in the orientation meeting to find out about more about obtaining funding Wed 7/28 from 4:30-5:45PM. Application deadline for this round is August 13. Find out more and get applications at http://www.neighborhoodgrants.org

Art On Wheels in search of wheels This local 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing fine workshops and art support is in need of a working vehicle to continue their itinerant arts programs. They’re currently looking for an Art On Wheels angel to assist them in their search for a donated vehicle. Contact them at Art On Wheels, Inc. 1284 Riverbed Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113 or call 941-7643.

Absurdity in the streets of Cleveland Charenton Theater Company has announced their fourth summer touring production, featuring Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano, Sartre’s No Exit and Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter. These three absurd one act classics will be presented free of charge in repertory for five weeks at five locations across the city with opening night on Fri 7/30 at the Fine Arts Garden at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tours continue in Tremont’s Lincoln Park, Edgewater Park, Rockefeller Park and Fairview Park in Ohio City. Performances will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8PM thru 8/28. Browse to http://www.Charenton.org for show information and a list of specific locations and performances.

Urban Markets are hot We’ve been following the issue of revitalizing the urban market, which is one reason why we host the itinerant Cool Cleveland Art/Tech/Dance events all over town (see here.) Now the Brookings Institution has launched an Urban Markets Initiative to “improve the efficiency of urban markets and expand market participation in inner city neighborhoods.” You can pick up their free 20-page “framing paper” and check their site for details of some innovative pilot programs: real-time displays of housing and crime data, measure proximity to transit in order to create a transportation affordability index, and a program to help build the credit ratings of urban customers. Point your browser here.

Cleveland theatre awards Last week, the Cleveland Theatre Collective announced their Second Annual Theatre Achievement Awards. One of the biggest awardees included Cleveland Public Theatre, who were mentioned for their “fascinating and challenging” production of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, for their artistically and commercially successful collaboration with Great Lakes Theatre Festival on Nickel and Dimed, and for actor Nina Domingue who appeared in both those productions, plus convergence-continuum’s Sincerity Forever, as well as Gregory Vovos’ direction of Wait! for TITLEWave Theatre Company at CPT. Also receiving awards were Clyde Simon and Brian Breth of the avant-edge theatre group convergence-continuum, and Charenton Theater Co. for their continued success taking free theater to the streets (and cemeteries) of Cleveland. The physical award itself was designed by Cleveland artist Rod Defoe, furthering the CTC’s committment to local arts. www.CTcollective.org

Cool Cleveland This Week
7.28.-8.04.04

Send your cool events to: events@coolcleveland.com

Cool Cleveland’s Art/Tech/Dance party Join fellow Clevelanders as we route the festivies to the Warehouse District: indulge in the Warehouse District’s finest eateries: Blue Point Grille, XO Restaurant, Mallorca Restaurant and Titanic Restaurante. Downtown Living is the after-work networking party that guides you to the happening epicenter of Cleveland. Savor fresh summer edibles while you party on Thursday, July 29 at 4PM in the Bingham Building apartments, 1278 West Ninth Street, just North of St. Clair Avenue in the Warehouse District. Hit up the wine bar from Ohio wineries, enjoy fresh tap beer, and move to the tight tunes of DJ Anonymous. Tour the slick apartments at The Bingham, then, at 8PM, stroll over to SPY Bar for Salsa lessons or lounge to swing music; it’s all included with your Cool Cleveland admission – you get all this for $10 in advance or $20 at the door. Don’t be sold out, get in early. Register and pay online by midnight 7/28 and save 50%, or just show up on Thursday and have some fun: http://www.corpmeetings.com/register/thomas/atd9/index.html

Neighborhood Connections last orientation session assists those applying for grants specifically for neighborhood projects. Groups are strongly recommended to attend the last orientation for the Neighborhood Connections, a small grant program Wed 7/28 at 4:30PM. And don’t forget – deadline to submit proposals is Friday August 13th, so get crackin.’ Call 623-7018. MLK Branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 1962 Stokes Blvd. http://www.CPL.org/Locations.asp?FormMode=Branch&ID=18

Brazilian style: João Bosco performing at Nighttown for one of only 3 U.S. appearances. This legendary singer/songwriter is straight from Ponta Nova, Minas Gerais; Bosco has colloborated with carioca poet Aldir Blanc to create over a hundred songs since 1970, and has regularly performed at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. Hear this romantic performer in the samba and bossa nova tradition Wed 7/28 & Thu 7/29, both shows play at 7PM & 9PM. Call 795-0550. Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Rd. in Cleveland Hts. http://www.JoaoBosco.com.br/english/index.asp and visit http://www.NightTownCleveland.com

Cinema Trek The Cinematheque is making a trip to the Wexner Center in Columbus to view Playtime by Jacques Tati, a print newly restored from the French negative in a 70mm print with DTS digital sound (Cleveland does not have a venue with 70mm projectors to show this film). Playtime is described as “comedies of motion,” depicting a wry and spectacular goof on contemporary urban life. Show our pals like Dave Filipi, Director of Programming at the Wexner Center what a great film town Cleveland is, and what fantastic and sophisticated film fans we have here Thu 7/29 at 3:45PM, transportation leaves promptly from the Cinematheque parking lot and returns 11:30PM-12AM. Tickets are selling briskly; call to reserve your space: 421-7450. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, 11141 East Blvd. in University Circle. http://www.cia.edu/cinematheque

Subliminal Self, State of Being & Tofu Local synthpop duo Subliminal Self will be performing at the Cleveland’s newest club 10-34, with State of Being & Tofu. Pick up limited number promo copies of their new album, Chapter and Verse available for free during the show (it’s one way to get free music without downloading). While you’re there, hang out with Cleveland’s own State of Being and purchase their new album Haywire that’s receiving critical acclaim. Head out Thu 7/29th, doors open 7PM for an all ages show. Bands will start at 7:30. Call 622-7314. Club 10-34, 12123 Lorain Ave. on the corner of West 121 and Lorain.

Cosi fan tutti An opera buffa (comic opera) of two young officers, confident in the fidelity of the sisters they are engaged to, make a bet with an old bachelor. In the process, disguise and mistaken identity turn a friendly wager into heartbreak Thu 7/29 thru 7/31 at 7PM. Hear Mozart at the summit of his musical powers with Lyric Opera Cleveland. Call 685-5976. Drury Theatre at Playhouse Square, 85th and Euclid Ave. http://www.PlayHouseSquare.com

A Life in Dance talk and dance demonstration with Dominic Antonucci, principal dancer of the Birmingham Royal and New York Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Antonucci will discuss careers in dance and offer walk-through demonstrations of ballet positions and basic choreography. Julie Felix, educated at Rambert Ballet School in London, and teacher at Birmingham Royal Ballet will also talk about what young dancers can expect from a career in dance, and offer tips on nutrition and training. The program is free and open to the public Thu 7/29 at 2PM. Call (330) 653-6658. Hudson Library, 22 Aurora St. in Hudson.http://www.Hudson.Lib.oh.us

Absurdity in the streets of Cleveland Charenton Theater Company is proud to announce the fourth summer touring production of Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano, and Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter showing on opening night Fri 7/30, landing at the scenic Fine Arts Garden in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tours continue in Lincoln Park, Edgewater Park, Rockefeller Park and Fairview Park in Ohio City. Performances will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8PM thru 8/28. Call 990-2665 for more info and visit http://www.Charenton.org for show information and a list of specific locations and performances.

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The kids are all right 3,000 children from 60 countries and 5 continents will be in town this weekend Fri 7/30 through Mon 8/2, as Cleveland becomes the United States’ first host-city for the International Children’s Games. Join The Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland in welcoming these athletes, their families and coaches as they compete in ten different sports competitions. All sporting events are free and open to the public. Be sure to also check out the cool atmosphere of the International Festival Village, located outside of the Convention Center where visitors can enjoy ethnic foods, entertainment and interactive, cutting-edge technology displays. Tickets to the Festival Village can be purchased by calling 216-363-1512; also check out www.Childrens-Games.org for specific event information and schedules.
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GBT’s Garden Party The fifteenth anniversary of one of Cleveland’s most popular events happens during this year’s blue moon: the Lesbian/Gay Community Center of Greater Cleveland’s popular annual benefit. Hailed as one of the hottest and most outrageous events of the summer, 500 members of the local LGBT community celebrate their culture, bid on coveted auction items and sip from the exclusive martini bar and you’re invited to join them at this gender-positive event. Guest can expect surprises and twists thrown in: some of the statues in the ‘garden’ will be real people (actors from Cleveland Public Theatre), and the scene will continuosly shift as the night goes on Fri 7/30 beginning 6:30PM. Call to make reservations at 651-5428. At 6600 Detroit Ave. http://www.lgcsc.org

The City is Our Playground with site specific performances and out of the ordinary workshops by professional choreographers; bring along friends and family members. You’ll learn creative aspects of movement and dance Fri 7/30 from 4-6PM. At the corner of West 11th and University. For info on more events visit http://www.MorrisonDance.com

Music Saves is Cleveland’s newest independent record store where you can find musical redemption through their selections of indie rock, garage, Americana and hip hop. Check out their grand opening and chill out at their outdoor free concerts, to hear local talent Six Parts Seven, Brian Straw and more underground acts Sat 7/31. Store hours are Saturday Noon to 12, Friday 2PM-12AM, Thursday 2-10PM, and Sunday Noon-6PM. Call 481-1875. Music Saves, 15801 Waterloo Rd., just a stone’s throw away from the Beachland Ballroom in Collinwood.

Singer/songwriter collaboration @ Talkies Film and Coffee Bar, where you’ll hear Cleveland’s Ethereal Transmission, Method And Result from Philly and new music from J. Scott Franklin. They’ll duel out their electronics and indie pop songwriting complemented with vocals, electric guitars, upright bass, and Rhodes piano mix with sound recordings made by saxophones Fri 7/30 at 7PM, it’s a free all-ages show where you can pick up customized caffeinated gourmet beverages or hop on the internet free, courtesy of their WiFi. Call 696-3456. Talkies, 2521 Market Ave. in historic Ohio City. http://www.TalkiesCoffee.com and visit http://www.ChainOfWords.com or http://www.EtherealTransmission.com

Cleveland poetry slam team fundraiser, book auction & performance Last chance to catch the 2004 Cleveland slam team in action before they take off for St. Louis to hit the National Poetry Slam where they’ll represent Cleveland. They compete against 69 other teams from across the nation, come out to meet the team, hear their performance and select summer reading material at Mac’s; proceeds will go toward the team’s transportation to the National Poetry Slam. Event happens Sat 7/31 at 8PM. Call 321-2665. Mac’s Backs, 1820 Coventry Rd. in Cleveland Hts. Visit http://www.ClevelandPoetrySlam.com and http://www.PoetrySlam.com

WCLVnotes There will be many ears trained on the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Sat 7/31 at 7PM, when WCLV 104.9 broadcasts the final rounds of the 10th annual Oberlin Piano International Competition, live from Warner Concert Hall. The week long event at Oberlin hosts young pianists from 13 to 18 years of age. Hosts for the broadcast will be WCLV’s Robert Conrad and Jacqueline Gerber. All rounds of the competition as well as festival recitals are free and open to the public, and audience members will vote for their favorite performer at the finals concert. Those who would like to hear the special program in tribute to the late Bill Randle that was broadcast on WRMR 1420 AM on July 11th, will find it in the audio archives on the WCLV website at www.wclv.com. a Cool Cleveland partner www.wclv.com

Nature at Night…Once in a Blue Moon The most extraordinary night of the year is the night of the Blue Moon. According to folklore, a blue moon is the second full moon in the month and it’s a very rare occurence. Discover nature at night with stargazing (and blue moon gazing) through powerful telescopes, join in campfire songs and stories, nocturnal animal presentations, night-time underwater fish viewing, nature hikes, and listen to an evening concert Sat 7/31 from 5-11PM. Call (440) 473-3370. North Chagrin Nature Center at North Chagrin Reservation, 3037 SOM Center Rd. in Mayfield Village. http://www.CleMetParks.com/aboutus

Morlang In this film by Netherlands native Tjebbo Penning, a British painter living with his young muse in a castle on the Irish coast begins receiving phone messages and postcards from his late wife, who killed herself three years earlier. Variety calls it a “sleek, highly stylized arthouse thriller” that goes backwards and forwards in time to paint an image of a relationship riven by jealousy and betrayal. See its riveting surprises that will ruffle even the seasoned filmgoer Sat 7/31 at 6PM – it’s a Cleveland premiere. Call 421-7450. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, 11141 East Blvd. http://www.cia/edu/cinematheque

Fifth Annual National Record Show 40 booths filled with prime collectible 78s, vinyl records, CDs, and music memorabilia from leading dealers in the country, where collectors and dealers will display, appraise, buy and sell rock and roll memorabilia from all eras. Rock out with a series of performances on Key Plaza, in front of the Museum, and stay on for the lectures in the Museum’s 4th Floor Theater. Event is free, so you can spend your cash on lovely budget-priced items for collectors of meager means and high-end pieces that may cause you to drool Sat 7/31 9:30AM-9PM and Sun 8/1 10AM-5:30PM. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 1 Key Plaza. Call 515-1503. http://www.RockHall.com

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Unzipped It’s where fashion, music and style merge; hear irresistible electronic music and rub elbows with hot stylists from San Fran and LA. You’ll get a glimpse of the latest urban couture with a dynamic fashion show, featuring ten collections hitting the runway, backed up with an arsenal of nationally acclaimed DJs, experienced and novice fashion designers, models and acclaimed hair stylists will share the limelight Sat 7/31 starting 8PM-5AM. Proceeds go to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast Ohio. Call 877-226-2747. Karma, 2000 Sycamore in the Flats. http://www.Get-Unzipped.com

Slum Village One of our fave hip hop talents, these Barak/Capitol recording artists continue their underground funk heritage on their newest release Detroit Deli, and if you were paying attention in 2002 you might have caught a jones for their song Tainted off their album Trinity (Past, Present & Future). With divergent subject matter and soulful sonics, T3 and Elzhi represent Detroit with futuristic beats as one of hip-hop’s emergent groups. They’ve been joined in the studio by Busta Rhymes, Kurupt, Pete Rock and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip. Get hit with their occasional hard groove and soul Sat 7/31 at 9PM. They’re joined by Bonecrusher and another headlining act that’s pretty tight, D-12. Call 241-5555. Cleveland Agora, 5000 Euclid Ave. http://www.ClevelandAgora.com

No News: Covering and Uncovering Ordinary Miracles catch this performance by David Pratt fusing myth, pop culture and personal narrative. This artist presents an entertaining and engrossing evening of words. Part news show, part performance art and part exploration in self-understanding, “no news” firmly and gently encourages audiences to wake up with poetry, songs and story-telling. Sun 8/1 at 7PM. Call 696-4242. The Cleveland Black Box Theater, located inside Cabaret Dada, 1210 W. 6th pratts@bright.net

Workmen’s Circle Yiddish Concert See Streiml, New Generation Klezmer, a Montreal-based band known for their diverse repertoire and ability to shift between modern American music and traditional Eastern European folk music Sun 8/1 at 7PM, with pre-concert entertainment on the Terrace; gates open 6PM. Call 381-4515. Cain Park, on Lee and Superior Roads in Cleveland Hts. http://www.WorkmensCircle.org or http://www.CainPark.com

Rhapsody Hip-Hop Summer Arts Camp Participants will develop an appreciation for hip-hop culture and history as they experience first hand hip-hop as a dynamic contemporary art form; explore self expression through the various elements of hip-hop while growing in a fun environment that enhances team work, respect, self esteem and presentation skills. Student participants will explore artistic expressions of hip-hop culture: DJing, creating music using turntables and a mixer, MCing, speaking in rhyme with rhythm; breaking, acrobatic dance and aerosol art Mon 8/2 thru 8/13 from 9:30AM-4PM. Call 556-0337. Sessions take place at Hathaway Brown School, 19600 North Park Blvd in Shaker Heights. To download a registration form, visit http://www.paalive.org and click on “Summer Programs” or e-mail summerprograms@paalive.org

Send your cool events to: events@coolcleveland.com

Tuning In: Top of the Pops with Connor O’Brien

Connor O’ Brien is doing alright. This young Clevelander and twenty-something singer/songwriter has been making a living and a lot of a name for himself by serving as opening act for a bunch of note-worthies in the music industry—from 10,000 Maniacs to Mariah Carey. He’s got a cool website, lots of local print press and air play for his musical endeavors, and the cat just scored a major coup by landing a big role in the Beck Center’s production of the musical Miss Saigon – now playing until August 15th. Armed with savvy management, artistic ambition, a young George Michael-meets-Morrissey image (minus the angst, the controversy, and the sexual ambiguity), and a strong voice, Connor just might be the biggest pop star you’ve never heard of. But that all could be changing, even as you read this interview. Here’s to the winds of Fame…

Hmmm? Connor O’Brien. Conan O’Brien. I bet you hear that reference a lot?
Connor O’ Brien: I do, I was announced as Conan at my very first band show… and fans said it again just last night opening for Rick Springfield in Toledo. I don’t mind, I love Conan, it’s one of my favorite shows. And besides, it is much better than Ryan Adams and Brian Adams.

You’ve got an impressive list of performance credits already under your belt. Mariah Carey, 10,000 Maniacs, the Bacon Brothers, Huey Lewis and the News. I hear Mr. Lewis was quite taken with your, what’s the word they use in the industry…pipes? Anyone else come to mind that you’ve opened for?
Huey was an incredible mentor of sorts, and I’ve enjoyed my fair share of tours. Some others include Edwin McCain, Sixpence None The Richer, The Verve Pipe, and I just got off of the Rick Springfield tour last night where after my set, I joined him onstage to sing harmony to Jessie’s Girl in front of thousands of fans. It was a good time…
Read Tuning In with Connor O’Brien by Daiv Whaley here

Mueller departs Campbell administration
In a surprising move, City of Cleveland Strategic Planner Tim Mueller announced his resignation from Mayor Jane Campbell’s administration last week for greener pastures in the private sector. It was a bold move to bring in an entrepreneur like Mueller who had started his own tech firm, Vantage One, and sold it. His position signalled that Campbell was interested in moving Cleveland beyond its industrial and manufacturing base, and in bringing a more customer-focused approach to city government. Cool Cleveland spoke with Tim Mueller the day of his announcement in this exclusive interview.

Cool Cleveland: We just heard the news that you’ll be leaving Mayor Jane Campbell’s administration.
Tim Mueller: I’m psyched to get back to the private side.

The unique thing about you being in a key position in the city administration is that you are not a career government employee or politician. Your background is in business. And not just any typical Cleveland business such as manufacturing, but from the technology side. You also brought in Tim Moran who served for over a year as the “tech guru” at City Hall, and he also came from the tech business sector. This appeared to be a great experiment to drive the city into the new economy of the 21st Century. Was the experiment successful?
There’s no doubt that the move to bring a couple of guys from the technology sector is an experiment, and that should continue. Neither one of us made a long term commitment. I will send you a list of things that I feel are major accomplishments (see list here). Whether they were promoted well in the paper or not is debatable. I would hope that other people who are still young in their career, would consider doing something like this for a period of time. For the first two years, I took the Mayor on a tour of Termagon or Charlie Stack’s place Flashline, Trevor Jones’ place, the tech stuff going on at the Cleveland Clinic. It allowed her to have a vernacular and an expertise about the exciting things coming out of Cleveland. That’s a big step forward for a Cleveland Mayor. As for [former Mayor Michael] White, we missed the 90s in terms of technology. I only wish we had a little larger technology development fund. I regret that we only got 8 tech companies instead of 20 [to move to Cleveland]. If I knew two and a half years ago what I know now, I would say, absolutely, I would still have done it. Not only for yourself, but we really got some things done…
Read the Tim Mueller mini-interview here

Linda Ronstadt’s Vegas
Robert Lipkos is manager of Dugan’s Barber Shop in Rocky River, Ohio. On Sat 7/17, he was in the audience at the Linda Ronstadt concert at The Aladdin casino in Las Vegas where the media reported that a near riot broke out when she dedicated her encore to filmmaker Michael Moore.

Did you see anyone actually leave, or hear any commotion?
The only thing I heard was when she said she wanted to dedicate Desperado to Michael Moore for his 9/11 film. A couple of people booed and some people were saying, “Sit down, sit down,” so I guess some people were upset that other people were leaving, but none down by us were leaving, we were in the eighth row.

When did you first get wind of the incident?
When we came back that Monday, I was sitting watching TV and they said “There was a Linda Ronstadt riot.” I said, “A Linda Ronstadt riot?” And I saw some of it on the talk shows, but being there, you wouldn’t even have known there was a riot; it was sort of a non-event.

How do you think The Aladdin’s Middle Eastern theme has been selling lately?
Well, from what we heard, most of the people didn’t think anything of it. The new one they built is pretty Arabic, with a pretty strong Middle Eastern theme. They were saying that a lot of people were afraid to fly to Vegas after 9/11, and The Aladdin wasn’t doing so well, and they didn’t know if it was because of the Middle Eastern theme.

Would you use a casino in Ohio if they built one?
Oh yeah, I wish they would. Cause we go to West Virginia, to Windsor, to Detroit. I wish we had them here. They wanted to put some Downtown, and they wanted to put the slot machines in the racetracks. That’s how Mountaineer in West Virginia started. It was just a racetrack, and it was just an airplane hangar when I first went there. They had the coinless machines [with the tokens]. Since we’ve been down there, they’ve expanded ten times; they built a beautiful hotel. And they had a lot of Ohio license plates in the parking lots…
Read the interview with barber Robert Lipkos here

Report from the Democratic National Convention
Ohio is paying close attention to the Democratic National Convention this week in Boston, not only because we are one of the major swing states that will help determine the Presidency, but also because of Cleveland’s connection to some key figures in the Democratic party. A number of Kucinich delegates are in attendance in Boston, pledged to Kucinich, who in turn has committed his support to preseumptive nominee Senator John Kerry. One of those Kucinich delegates, Charlene Coates, has been reporting for Cool Cleveland for the past few months in our regular KucinichBeat feature. She was quoted in the Washington Post this week here. Cool Cleveland spoke with Ms. Coates exclusively from the floor of the convention on the evening of Tues 7/27.

How pleased is Dennis with the way the platform came out?
We were able to get some wordage in the platform calling for a decrease in troops, and that wouldn’t have been in there unless the Kucinich delegates got a 20% vote from the Platform Committee.

Wasn’t he looking for wording about pulling out the troops?
Make no mistake, Dennis still stands stongly behind his platform. However, Dennis knows the art of compromise. He knows it’s made of Com- and -Promise. He also knows that you have to make peace. As in any relationship, or a marriage, you have to compromise for the greater good. Kerry called Dennis after he endorsed Kerry. He told Dennis he’s going to make the White House the department of peace.

Not just a Department, but make the whole White House the department of peace?
Well, that’s what he said. No word on the actual department yet, but he knows that the Department of Peace is Dennis’ priority.
Read Cool Cleveland’s exclusive interview with Charlene Coates here.

The Ghettoization of Poetry

Clevelander Marcus Bales examines the dialectics of poetry, the problematic nature of literary creation in today’s arduous economy, and if pursuit of the “intellectual life” really matters in our culture.

A lot of people in mainstream working-class jobs resent the highly educated — and understandably, too. Education is evidence of wealth they don’t have — and won’t have. They know what a ghetto is, and they’re working hard to avoid it. They resent the lack of educational opportunity for themselves, and that educational opportunity is largely a matter of good luck in one’s parents — a powerful combination of resentments. The natural question, of course, is if it’s so bad to be well-educated, if the life of the mind is so onerous, if the academy is such a ghetto, if poets are so ghettoized, so alienated by the mainstream, why not chuck it all and work at McDonald’s, or as a file clerk, or learn auto mechanics, or the like — why not, in short, get a real job?…
Read The Ghettoization of Poetry by Marcus Bales here

Instant Karma
Quik 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

The Mike Petrone Quartet @ NightTown 7/11
Have you ever seen a guy play rockin’ piano jazz with his feet? Or have the drummer saunter out to your dining table and drum on everything from your wine glasses to your backside? You will if you catch the Mike Petrone Quartet anytime soon. The quartet played at Night Town? Sunday night to a packed house that couldn’t sit still – the music was so good. A group that is known as much for their showmanship as their incredible translation of rhythm and blues, the quartet featured Rob Williams, who was recently awarded the Free Times “Best Instrumentalist in Cleveland.” Williams played a steamy sax and melodic flute, while spicing it up with a range of vocals. The other group members consisted of a very talented Mike Petrone on the keyboards (vocals), Roy King on the drums and Marty Block on bass. A group that has Sardi’s and Tavern on the Green as their New York credits, The Petrone Quartet has also jammed with the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom. If you get a chance to check them out, they also play at Johnny’s Friday nights, and Turner’s Mill on Saturdays. The group has been together for 10 years, but you’d never know it because the high energy and passion that oozes out of their performance leads you to believe that they’ve been magically reunited for the first time in years. I promise that you’ll dig their sultry jazz and jumpin’ R&B with landmark music that takes you from the thirties through the seventies and beyond. from Cool Cleveland contributor TL Champion

Taming of the Shrew Great Lakes Theatre Shakespeare Festival 7/17
It’s always a magical moment when the curtain rises on a new production. From elaborate, descriptive settings to bare-bones arrangements of platforms or fabric panels fluttering in the breeze, the audience may find a portent of what is to come. That’s exactly what happens in this zany new production of ‘Taming of the Shrew’. The set by Narelle Sissons is cock-eyed, and so is the production. Wonderfully so!
Read the review by Kelly Ferjutz here

Lick Bush film night @ Newsense Gallery 7/23 This grassroots benefit for the Kerry Presidential Campaign arrived with a surprise: The BBC, in contact with the Kerry campaign manager in Cleveland, decided to make a stop in our city to cover the Lick Bush event. Has the media finally caught on and determined that Cleveland’s union of intellects and activists are sexy? Lyz Bly, organizer of the event said “The BBC called me on the phone, after Kerry’s Cleveland campaign manager spoke with them, and they decided they wanted to show up.” The Bly’s Newsense Gallery spilled local art activists who gathered to view the political film Unprecedented and Robert Banks’ film AWOL. The momentum picked up when News Channel 5 reporter Angie Lau stopped in to talk with Ohio’s Delegate to the Democratic National Convention, Charlene Coates, and yours truly. Charlene discussed the ineffectual state of health care and how it has affected her family; I voiced concerns about the current political climate and political constrictions of art, the reduction of National Endowment of the Arts funding, and how Cleveland is utilizing the arts as a revenue model for economic development…
Read the review by Tisha Nemeth here

Yr Turn
Cool Cleveland readers write

Send your letters to: letters@coolcleveland.com

On Roldo’s analysis I regret to say Roldo’s editorial at the top of your information is nothing but a politically biased opinion. I started as a student of economic development in this region back in 1959 and have seen the decline in jobs ever since. Some time you and Ed Morrison should look at the Thompson study done while they were part of the CSU Urban Studies. In this study Dr. Thompson concluded the biggest problem for our region was labor management relations; next was labor costs followed by inadequate market reseach and lack of enough r&d. Among the lowest causes of job loss was government and the biggest reason here was that local government did not create an enviroment for keeping companies/jobs. Having been with the County and City of Cleveland’s Economic Development Departments, I can confirm where the problems are.
From Cool Cleveland reader Albert Knute Oberst, JD KnuteOicp@webtv.net

On the PD’s love affair with Voinovich For the last 16 years the same group has been in control of Cleveland/Cuyahoga County. There are probably few cities & counties in the country where there is as strong of a single party control as Cleveland. If you are going to hold George Voinovich responsible for the current Cleveland problems you should at least include all those within the county and city who have been in control of the city for the current 16 years. You give him very little credit for anything good but the city was in default when he took over as mayor and during his term as Mayor the city did pull it back together.
from Cool Cleveland reader Jack Schron jack.schron@jergensinc.com

On Cleveland is Cutting Sandwiched between a dialogue regarding community activism and Instant Karma in the latest CC newsletter, I was disturbed to discover the article titled “Cleveland Is Cutting” (here). While I’m confident the intent was not to imply the disorder is prevelant only in the greater Cleveland area, my mind immediately conujured up that old Sesame Street jingle “one of these things is not like the other, one of these doesn’t belong…” Is this shift from community highlights, interviews and discussions into the behavioral disorders of our residents a permanent thing? If so, a real examination into the societal precursors and influences on Cutting behavior, and the treatments thereof should be included instead of the light overview that probably caused readers beside myself to wonder if they had accidentally stumbled into Seventeen Magazine. I’m curious to hear the rationale for including such a serious and seemingly odd article in a newsletter mostly known for community education and involvement.
from Cool Cleveland reader Cristy Wright, M.Ed in Counseling and Content Editor of Score! Music Magazine

On My Brain Is Crying here …echoed Gertrude Stein: “Disillusionment in living is the finding out nobody agrees with you…. The amount they agree is important to you until the amount they do not agree with you is completely realized by you. Then you say you will write for yourself and strangers, you will be for yourself and strangers, and this then makes an old man or an old woman out of you.” Being honest is, in a sense, throwing your social self on a pyre and hoping the bones don’t burn clean away so that you can knit them back together and keep on walking…
from Cool Cleveland reader Mati Senerchia senerchia@sbcglobal.net

On My Brain Is Crying here For a fascinating take on the value and importance of the individual voice, read James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds here. His premise is that group-think dumbs down, whereas the aggregate wisdom and intelligence of a group of individuals surpasses that of any individual member of the group. For example, consider the election process, if all voters based their choice on actual individual opinion rather than on the opinions fed to them. Technology — weblogs and wikis, for instance — provide a unique means to project the individual voice and then capture the aggregate. Group-think kills the individual voice, and too often, the individual.
from Cool Cleveland reader Bob Rhubart brhubart@yahoo.com

On Punctuation Made Simple here Thank you for posting the weblink for the Punctuation Made Simple. I volunteered to edit PR articles for Leadership Geauga County, and although I hold an advanced degree, I found myself wondering when to use the basic punctuation conventions. This site is marvelously simple, and a useful tool for anyone who may feel grammatically challenged.
From Cool Cleveland reader Kristina Port, MPA kaport@prodicy.net

On Cool Cleveland i love reading Cool Cleveland. I get more info from this than anything else. keep up the good work. from Cool Cleveland reader Wayne Lawson, Executive Director, Ohio Arts Council Wayne.Lawson@oac.state.oh.us

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) Roldo LINK? The Plain Dealer and its Love Affair With George Voinovich by Cool Cleveland contributor Roldo Bartimole. The Plain Dealer And Its Love Affair With George Voinovich

2) Cleveland is a “must-see” Going on the premise that tourists cannot live on the Rock Hall alone, this Best Fares travel advisory notes that “Cleveland stepped up to the plate with the expenditure of tens of millions of dollars on an array of attractions. http://www.bestfares.com/travel/desks/story.asp?id=129694

3) Fear of punctuation, or just grammatically challenged? Disabled by your fear of punctuation and grammar? Proofreading for punctuation and grammar is not just for dorks anymore. http://www.stpt.usf.edu/pms/

4) Cool Cleveland A/T/D/9 Downtown Living You are invited to join Cool Cleveland as we slink into the Warehouse District for a wild jam in the heart of Cleveland’s Downtown excitement. http://www.corpmeetings.com/register/thomas/atd9/index.html

5) Cleve native opens online boutique Back from Boston, once and again Clevelander Shannon Okey has recently opened a slick and hip online boutique called Anezka Handmade. http://www.anezkahandmade.com/catalog/

Cleveland collaboration We’re gearing up with our city’s neighborhoods, cultures and businesses to connect our city and our readers together, and we have alot of gratitude to our readers who help us achieve this by checking out CoolCleveland.com. Tell everyone you know who wants to engage with our city they can do so by visiting CC and finding out what’s new in town; send along friends and co-workers to register for the e-zine at http://www.CoolCleveland.com (and check out the new site) or have ’em send an e-mail to signup@coolcleveland.com

Liberal dose of CC marketing Get your company the competitive edge it needs to survive in this tough economy – market with the successful and far-reaching guerilla advertising offered in CoolCleveland.com. Every week we are invited into tens of thousands of our subscribers’ inboxes, where they dive into our e-zine and visit the links to our sponsors, and then forward the CC e-zine to even more readers who are exposed to our advertisers. Find out more by emailing us a note to info@coolcleveland.com and we’ll get right back to you.

Hard Corps forcefield of energy and creative juices help us coordinate Cool Cleveland every week with social and cultural commentary, bold events and fresh news, filling your in-box week after week. We appreciate all the smart people who make CC what it is today: Tisha Nemeth, Deb Remington, Bill Nagode, Charlene Coates, George Nemeth, Kelly Ferjutz, DJ Hellerman 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

See the Cool Cleveland column each month in Cleveland Magazine. Listen to Cool Cleveland on WCLV-FM 104.9 twice each Friday during drive time. Send your cool events to: events@coolcleveland.com. For your copy of the free weekly Cool Cleveland e-zine, go to http://www.coolcleveland.com

We’ll see you on Thursday…

–Thomas Mulready
Letters@CoolCleveland.com (:divend:)

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