BILLY BASS &
ANASTASIA PANTSIOS
LIVE IN PERSON 

Tickets are now ON SALE for DAVID BOWIE IN NEO, exploring our region’s intimate connections with one of the most creative and influential artists of the past century. On Sat 7/11 and Thu 7/16, the show will feature live music, video interviews, and…

We are thrilled to announce special guests appearing live on stage, including WIXY & WMMS DJ and Program Director Billy Bass (7/16 only) who will discuss how he helped discover and break the artist in the U.S., and how his career and life became permanently intertwined with David Bowie.

Also live on stage, special guest photographer and writer Anastasia Pantsios (7/11 only) will talk about the multiple David Bowie concert appearances she photographed and the artist’s cultural importance. Anastasia’s photos will be featured throughout the show, and prints of her unique and exclusive photos will be available for sale. Tickets are available NOW.

 MATT FISH LAUNCHES
PROOF PUBLIC HOUSE
IN OHIO CITY 

Matt Fish is no stranger to opening new restaurants. He’s opened a dozen in his long and consequential career as a groundbreaking chef who brought the buzz back to Ohio eateries with Melt Bar & Grilled outposts stretching from Cedar Point to Dayton, Ohio.

But Proof Public House is his first new concept in 18 years, and his first in the hot neighborhood of Ohio City. While carrying over some of the rock & roll vibe, Proof Public House doubles down on the punk visual and audio aesthetic, while offering even more vegan/veg options with a focused, seasonal menu. Matt talks with CoolCleveland’s Thomas Mulready about his passions and his plans for a renaissance.

The courtyard patio is a nice addition, with a smoker for meats & tofu, and the art by Jake Kelly and Derek Hess is an in-your-face reminder of the edgy culture in his new neighborhood, and one that Matt Fish has always championed.

 AKRON BAND PLAYS
AVANT-GARDE SURF MUSIC 

Akron quintet Golems of the Red Planet has a unique mission: to apply 3^rd wave surf-style exploration to avant-garde composer John Zorn’s Masada songbook. These were songs he started composing more than 30 years ago, based on modes found in Ashkenazi (European) Jewish music. It now comprises three books and 613 songs.

With violin and cello, they’re not like any other surf band you’ve heard. You can catch an earful of their signature sound when they celebrate the release of their debut album Surf Masada: The Compositions of John Zorn, with a show at the Beachland Tavern. 

 FBI RAIDS RAISE ALARMS ABOUT VOTER SUPPRESSION 

On Thursday June 11, the FBI raided the Cleveland offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, which works to give a voice to lower-income and working people through advocacy for social, racial and economic justice and voter registration drives. They also fanned out across the state and accosted workers and volunteers at their homes.

It’s unclear what they were looking for or what they suspected the organization of doing. But it comes at a time when Republican candidates for statewide offices and the U.S. Senate in Ohio are facing serious challenges from Democratic opponents. Sending more than 100 agents to swoop in on so many locations smacks of intimidation theater. Where are the charges? What is the crime that requires an operation worthy of busting a sex trafficking ring? 

 PHOTOSTREAM:
PRIDE IN THE CLE 

You may have read all the handwringing stories about corporate entities pulling out of Pride events. That didn’t seem to impact the massive parade that preceded the June 6 Pride in the CLE Festival. There were delegations from LGBTQ+ groups, arts groups and civic groups, of course, but law firms, banks, retail chains, healthcare systems, nonprofits and dozens of churches packed the long procession too. 

 AVANT-GARDE PHOTO AND VIDEO SUBMISSIONS WANTED FOR SHOW 

The next show presented by Photo Cleveland is called Intentional Unconventional: Experimental Photography and Video. It invites local artists to submit images and film that “challenges mainstream imagery, in favor of abstract concepts, non-linear structures, and unconventional techniques.”  Submissions are due June 27.