6.30-7.07.04
BBB on the record
Dear Friend,
In this week’s issue:
* Cool Cleveland Interview with Cleveland Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett
* Spencer Tunick installation reviews and images from 6/26 event in Cleveland
* Cool Cleveland People with radio poet Clevelander George Bilgere
* Cool Cleveland Commentary on rush hour alternatives by Bob Rhubart
Cool Cleveland Interview: Barbara Byrd-Bennett
Barbara Byrd-Bennett is the charismatic Cleveland Municipal School District CEO, and a transplant from New York where her previous position as superintendent of the “Chancellor’s District” in NYC consisted of some of the most challenging schools in the city. She is known for her purposeful child-oriented focus for the school system and refusal to accept mediocrity. The District has come under fire recently for its $100 million deficit and the teacher layoffs instituted to balance the budget, and the District is expected to ask Cleveland voters to pass a school levy this Fall. In this exclusive interview, Byrd-Bennett speaks with Cool Cleveland about how Cleveland schools relate to technology, the arts and regionalism.
Cool Cleveland: In your mind, what is the connection between Cleveland Public Schools and the broader economy of the region?Barbara Byrd-Bennett: You can see me taking a deep breath. It even astonishes me that you can think of the lifeblood of the city without thinking of the schools as the heart of the matter. The [current $100 million Cleveland Public Schools] budget reduction has helped me focus on human capital and our children and how we can recycle their tools back into the city; also how much of the economy is driven by who we purchase services from. We use resources from University Circle, The [Great Lakes] Science Center, from both small businesses and large businesses; its in the multiple millions. Our operating budget is $667 million, add to that the capital plan….that makes it a $2 billion budget with 12,000 folks working, and the largest workforce in the county.
How does the issue of Regionalism, with its focus on working together collaboratively, breaking down barriers between regions, and a focus on economic development, relate to the Cleveland Public Schools?
Its very interesting the way youve phrased the question. That’s the most comprehensive definition that Ive heard, and I usually dont get a clear definition of terms. What are you saying when you talk about regionalism? If we look at how we use services, and pool the resources to use them in a wiser way, then you cant keep the schools out of that loop. They pump the kids back into the system. If you look at the resources of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Summit [Counties], and you took a look at how many schools are in those districts, the children, the employees and the property values, there would probably be a way to regionalize to save money. Then you probably wouldnt have to raise taxes as often. But what you run into are cultural norms which are harder to impact. I cant imagine that there are too many people who would want my children to cross a border to attend a school in a neighboring community. But if you look at Brown versus Board of Education, that is the spirit of what we should be doing…
Read the exclusive Cool Cleveland Interview with Barbara Byrd-Bennett here
Convention center glut This article called, The Convention Center Shell Game, from the Spring issue of City Journal concludes, “the national competition for bigger and flashier facilities will yield no economic boon to cities.” Boston’s new $800 million facility will need a $12-$15 million annual subsidy from the city to break even. Rather, they become “a drag on civic finances, requiring taxpayer operating subsidies on top of their huge, publicly financed construction costs.” This article, which quotes Cleveland State University’s Mark Rosentraub and the University of Texas’ Heywood Sanders, points out that about 8-10 million additional square feet of convention space is being built in the next five years, while demand for space is barely growing. So why do cities keep building convention centers? “Building big projects is often far more engrossing than building a strong economy, because giant construction projects directed by government agencies offer opportunities to reward friends and potential supporters with plum contracts.” See City Journal here.
Kayaking in Cleveland? This ain’t no typo. Clevelanders are kayaking in Lake Erie this summer, and you can join them. If you haven’t experienced the beauty of our City On The Lake from the water, you’ll want to hook up with the intrepid North Coast Kayak Adventures as they host the following sunset tours from 6:30-9:30PM: Whiskey Island to the Rock Hall on Tue 7/6; Lakewood’s Cliffs and Coves on Wed 7/14; and Rocky River Coastal Paddle on Tue 7/20. No experience or equipment necessary, just an open mind and a desire to explore Cleveland from a different point of view. Point your browser to http://www.kayak41north.com or call 1-866-KAYAK-41.
Wordplay Award winning poet George Bilgere is taking his literary efforts on the air, crafting a radio show with monologues that he writes and performs, connecting it with the contemporary cultural scene. An English teacher at John Carroll University, Bilgere’s most recent book The Good Kiss won the Akron Poetry Prize a few years ago, selected by Poet Laureate Billy Collins as the winning manuscript. He serves up his own version of “Poetry Click and Clack,” with writer Steve Hayward and usually interviews a local poet about his or her work. Recent guests on the show have included Mary Weems, Susan Grimm, CIA director Harvey Hix, and other significant writers. The show is unconventionally funny and surreal, hear it every Wednesday at 12:30PM on WJCU, 88.7 FM or log on http://www.wjcu.org and click on “now playing.” See Cool Cleveland People below for an exclusive interview with George Bilgere.
Spencer Tunick images Were you there last Saturday morning, when 2754 people were down at the Ninth Street Pier at 4:30 in the morning? Read the Instant Karma review below by Thomas Mulready, who participated in the shoot and also spent time in the media booth, and other reviews by Cool Cleveland readers. Then, view the images shot by photographer Herb Ascherman and Mulready here.
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Your Prayers Are Answered with the Brownstones at Derbyshire, a magnificent stone church being converted to luxurious townhouses! In addition, this development will feature new construction, Tudor-style townhomes, and one-bedroom, carriage house-style units. Located in the heart of the Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood in Cleveland Heights, youll be able to walk to shopping and restaurants, or stroll over to Coventry, Murray Hill or University Circle. Church units have many architectural features intact, and feature glorious windows and three floors of living space. The new construction townhouses also feature luxury amenities, such as 2,600-2,800 square feet, 3-4 bedrooms, granite countertops, soaring ceilings, glamour baths with Jacuzzi tubs, and elevated dining rooms. Live above it all! Prices start in the low $400’s. For a complete list of properties and open houses this weekend, please visit www.ProgressiveUrban.com
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Cleveland’s Leadership ages Instead of opening their doors to Cleveland’s bright young talent, the roster of the incoming class of Leadership Cleveland, whose mission it is to “build and strengthen regional leadership through networking, education, partnerships, and service learning for the purpose of improving the quality of life in Greater Cleveland,” is starting to reinforce the perception that “the community is not nurturing new ideas,” according to Crain’s Cleveland Business. See Crain’s here.
Tower Press announces artist subsidy lofts For all professional artists earning less than $25K per year who are in the market for swell live/work lofts, this deal is too good to pass up. Apply to a competitive, 2-part juried process (reviewed by a jury of regional arts professionals), and you could be paying below market rates for a loft in the historic Tower Press Building with exposed brick walls, polished concrete floors, and appliances. To apply, artists should submit a resume (including complete day and evening contact information), 10 – 15 clearly labeled slides of work (at least 10 of current work), a slide description sheet, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope (for return of slides) to: Tower Press Ltd., P.O. Box 91644, Cleveland, Ohio 44101-3644 Submissions must be received by 5PM on Thu 8/5. For details, visit http://www.TowerPress.com or e-mail jssartAtadelphia.net. Tower Press also offers additional live/work lofts from 600 to 1,950 square feet with rents ranging from $625 to $2200/mo. For more info, call 241-4069.
CSU opens Business Center in Beachwood Recognizing their evolving role in the economic development of the region, area colleges are opening regional branches, kicking off new business programs, and opening area business development centers. Last week, Cleveland State University and the City of Beachwood cut the ribbon on the new Beachwood Business Development Center, located at 3 Commerce Park Square, 23230 Chagrin Boulevard, with the mission to “attract new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Beachwood and Northeast Ohio.” With over 200 community partners, the Center won’t act as an incubator that typically provides shared services, utilities, equipment and meeting space, but will focus on programs and services for start-ups and mature companies ranging from banking, marketing and management assistance, communications and executive housing. Noting that Beachwood has already brought 3 start-ups from Israel in the past 12 months, with 15 more in the pipeline, the Center will offer international marketing, training for inbound and outbound delegations, discounts on non-credit business courses, and access to business interns. For more info, call 831-0003, or 875-9715. Read more here.
Call for music writers and Cleveland music Do you know and love Cleveland music? Cool Cleveland is in search of articulate opinions about our city’s local musicians, bands and the music industry/culture for regular contributions on the Cleveland-area music scene. This means local bands, new CD releases, live shows and the economic realities and impact of the music business on our local economy. If you’ve got something to say about it, drop a line to EventsAtCoolCleveland.com or visit http://www.CoolCleveland.com and submit your thoughts on our “Contact” page. Attention musicians: if you have a new CD or upcoming show that you’d like Cool Cleveland to review, you can send it to us at P.O. Box 770886, Cleveland, Ohio 44107.
Neologisms are newborn words that shape our hyper-communicating culture. 3D Job: A job that is dirty, dangerous or demanding; Cosmoceutical: A cosmetic with active pharmaceutical ingredients; Haemosexuality: The sexual basis of the vampire relationship. Browse these and other definitions that you’ll want to pull out at cocktail parties. http://pages.zoom.co.uk/leveridge/dictionary.html
Idea Garage phoenixed If you’ve been immersed in the Cleveland visual arts scene over the past couple of decades, you’ve probably had at least one long conversation with artist and CIA instructor Ed Mieczkowski. You may have even stopped over to his studio/gallery provocatively known as The Idea Garage, where Ed would hold court in an informal series of salons, arguments and discussions rarely seen in this country. The last incarnation of The Idea Garage, an unpretentious, all-purpose space just East of Lake View Cemetery at 12416 Euclid Avenue, presented visual art, sculpture and performance. This Fri 7/2 from 4-10PM, they promise “a world-class multimedia arts event par excellence,” and we’ll find out what’s in store for The Idea Garage this time around, as it’s being “phoenixed from near extinction.”
Mistaken etymology de-mystefies the myths about our language, and the stories behind odd English words and phrases, e.g. ‘head over heels’ – where do these phrases originate? See Telegraph here.
DV Den opens at Cinematheque Overstuffed chairs, couches, cool air conditioning, and a passel of Cleveland’s slinkiest film freaks: for 7 weekends in July and August, the pedestrian Ohio Bell Auditorium (hasn’t their name changed like twice since then?) at the Cleveland Institute of Art becomes the DV Den, showing stuff that’s only released on video or DVD. One film per weekend shown at 7:15Pm and 9:15PM on Fri & Sat. This week, on Fri 7/2 and Sat 7/3, catch Microcinema’s Greatest Hits, including 17 hits from USA, Britain, Austria & Switzerland, plus a film by the Paternite brothers of Akron. http://www.cia.edu/cinematheque
Free entrepreneur training Do you know someone who lives in the Empowerment Zone and already has their GED, HS diploma or college degree? They may be eligible for the free 12-week Entrepreneurial Academy of Kent State University, holding classes at 540 East 105th, beginning Tue 7/6 and ending Tue 9/21. For more information, call 541-4140 or surf to http://www.Minority-Business.org
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Become a Zoo VIP Help save some of the worlds most rare and endangered animals – and have a great time too! Join the Cleveland Zoological Societys ZooKeepers Circle for some fun and philanthropy. As a ZooKeepers Circle member, your gift will help support more than 50 conservation and research programs here and around the world; but it also provides you with some special benefits — a VIP passport to go behind-the-scenes of your Zoo and meet the wild and wonderful animals (and their interesting keepers) which make Cleveland Metroparks Zoo one of our city’s greatest assets. Join the ZooKeepers’ Circle and youll be invited to an exclusive party and tour of Australian Adventure on Tue 7/20 complete with great food and refreshments. Click here for more information on how to become a Zoo VIP today!
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Coffeehouse film festival Isn’t it interesting that a weekly event drawing 30 people to a Staten Island coffeehouse catches the eye of the The New York Times, when Ohio independent film fests, which draw thousands, remain out of their focus. A couple dozen hipsters drinking coffee and watching films on a borrowed projector elicits the comment, “The North Shore of Staten Island is really more like the East Village now.” Gee, if they came to Cleveland during one of our underground film festivals such as the twice-annual 20,000 Leagues Under the Industry or the twice-annual Ohio Independent Film Festival (mentioned in the article), or some of the weekly offerings at the Cleveland Cinematheque, the headline would have to be “Welcome to Cannes On The Cuyahoga.” See NYTimes here.
Cubism: not just an art form it’s an inquiry into life; you’ll either enjoy it or be provoked by its “who the hell are you” premise. SeeThe Guardian here.
Progressive taps out Cleveland tech market It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Progressive has already hired about 3000 IT workers in the Cleveland market. Now it seems, they need to hire about 300 more, and Cleveland just can’t keep up with the demand. They hire a lot of folks from Ohio University, where their telecommunications department throws off a lot of qualified graduates. So they are looking to Colorado Springs for new hires. Plus, they need an off-site redundancy center at least 600 miles away from Cleveland, in case we get hit with another blackout. See CrainTech here.
Angry people are nasty, and so are happy people Researchers reveal that angry people are most likely to give negative evaluations when it comes to making judgements on others, but the same can be true of happy people. Surprisingly, happier people and their complacent everything is fine attitude reduces analytical thought. See New York Times here.
Summerfest blowout Get this: Someone who really loves Cleveland is renting out the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds this Sat 7/3 and Sun 7/4 and throwing one big-ass 4th of July fest. How big? Try five stages, 43 Cleveland bands, the largest fireworks display in NEO, and get this: tix are only $5! With bands ranging from Mushroomhead to The Singing Angels, there’s something for everyone. Who’s behind it all? Packy Malley of the Malley’s Chocolates family. I asked him one question: Why? “I think it will be a blast. That’s the best reason to do it. I wanted to put on a ton of entertainment for an inexpensive ticket price. It’s not like Blossom. People are dropping $100 to see Dave Matthews. I wanted a place where these bands could bring their families; they usually play at midnight in some smoky bar. And they want to see all these other Cleveland bands that they never get to see. Everybody is super-busy, these are the people I’m going after.” Show up between noon & midnight Sat or Sun at the Berea Fairgrounds, 164 Eastland Road, http://www.Cuyfair.com/index_main.htm
Steve Chekey, R.I.P. Quiet, unassuming artist Steve Chekey didn’t say much, but he was always on the scene, usually with a camera or two around his neck. He passed away on 6/18 and he will be missed by those in the avant-garde in Cleveland. His photos are collected in the Performance Art Festival archives, and he was always enthusiastic about art, about artists, about life. That’s how he’ll be remembered. Read more
Win a Harley In one of the more innovative promotions offered by an arts group, Cleveland dance company Verb Ballet is offering to raffle off a sweet $20K Harley-Davidson V-Rod to one of only 350 people who purchase a $100 ticket. They managed to get Harley to cut them a deal on the bike, and they’re running billboards and distributing postcards to promote the fundraiser. More arts groups should think creatively like this. For more info, call 397-3757 or surf over to http://www.verbballets.org/harley_contest.htm
Writers bypass publication in bigger lit zines Talented, emergent writers admit they don’t submit to the bigger little magazines because they believe their work will not receive serious consideration. These writers remain on the fringe and don’t attain the recognition they’re due, and it’s frustrating. Read the interview with Brigid Hughes. http://www.maudnewton.com/blog/index.php?m=200406#3445
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Corrections In last week’s events, we gave an incorrect weblink for the Jewish Big Brother Big Sister Association. By mistake, we linked to the Big Brother Big Sister organization – the correct link is: http://www.jbbbsa.org. However, we’re sure that both groups would be glad to hear from those of you who can become a mentor to a child.
Save the date & view the photos for the upcoming Cool Cleveland Art/Tech/Dance party on Thu 7/29 from 4-8PM at the new Bingham Building in the Warehouse District. Hot hors d’oeuvres, open bar, and a free after-party at SPY. Register now online and save 50%. View the snaps (by photographer Herb Ascherman) from our last soiree on 6/17, and register now for 7/29 by clicking here.
Cool Cleveland This Week
6.30-7.07
Send your cool events to: EventsAtCoolCleveland.com
Y.O.U. Network and party for a cause–get the socializing vibe going, grab a dessert or martini and take part in the benefit Y.O.U., a non-profit organization that helps thousands of Cleveland’s young adults through employability skills, job placement and outstanding programs that incentivize youth to stay in school and graduate; bring an arsenal of business cards and be there Wed 6/30 from 5:30-8PM. Call 566-5445 ext 231. Vivo, 347 Euclid Ave. kfieldsAtyouthopportunities.org and visit http://www.YouthOpportunities.org
Renaissance and Baroque lute festival concert with Case Western Reserve University faculty members, firing out their virtuosity for one night only. Divert yourself mid-week and hear a concert resplendent with wind instruments; it’s part of the Lute Society of America’s second biannual festival Wed 6/30. Call 421-7340. Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd. http://www.ClevelandArt.org
Star-Spangled Spectacular Concert & Festival on Public Square with the Clevo Orchestra & fireworks & a day full ‘o music for the whole family… Starting at 8PM on Thu 7/1, Jahja Ling conducts Bernstein’s On The Town, Williams’s Star Wars, Copland’s Applachian Spring, Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess, Tchaikovsky’s 1812, and, of course, Sousa’s S&S Forever, but get there at 4PM for Dance Afrika Dance, Steven Greenman Klezmer Ensemble, The Red Hackle Pipes and Drums, Rumba Tabaco y Cafe, and the MLK Celebration Chorus. Bring your folding chairs, and enjoy sitting right smack in the middle of Ontario & Superior while waiting for the fireworks spectacular. Call 231-7476 or visit www.ClevelandOrchestra.com.
Split Lip Rayfield Rip it up Wichita, Kansas-style with this quartet’s musically drilling traditions of American music. Dig on their bluegrass, western, honky-tonk and relentless garage rock from the legendary Bloodshot Records label. Their alternative sound has made the presses from Cali to Germany and they’ve stormed concert halls from New York City’s Knitting Factory all the way to the tundras of Alaska. Show happens Thu 7/1; doors open 8:30PM. Call 383-1124. Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Rd. in Collinwood. http://www.BeachlandBallroom.com
HOT is a rotating exhibition with works that will be added continuously, and every week there’ll be new dimensions of art to discover. Gallery owners George and Melissa Kozmon are generating a buzz in Cleveland, spreading their convictions that art is a way to attract and retain talented, young and creative people in Cleveland. You can support this community by purchasing art for your home or office, and now you can be a part of it at the opening reception Thu 7/1 from 4-8PM. Call 479-0303. Thrive-an Artspace, second floor of the Galleria at E.9th & St. Clair http://www.GalleriaAtErieview.com/Thrive.htm
WCLVnotes There are big plans on WCLV 104.9 FM to celebrate Independence Day. This Thu 7/1, 104.9 will broadcast The Cleveland Orchestra Public Square Concert live beginning at 9PM. On Sat 7/3 at 8PM, WCLV goes to Blossom Music Center for a live broadcast of the Blossom Festival Bands July 4th Spectacular conducted by Loris John Schissel. And Clevelands own band superstar Frederick Fennell will be honored for his 90th birthday. On Sun 7/4 at 1PM, WCLV will present a two hour program celebrating the day featuring the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel. WCLVs Bill Rudman hosts. 104.9s traditional American Music Festival featuring music by such American composers as Copland, Gershwin, John Adams and Edward MacDowell runs from Fri 7/2 through Mon 7/5. a Cool Cleveland partner www.wclv.com
Workaholic and Little Bastards: New Works by Tes One and Brian Kelly. Art icons such as Basquiat and Warhol helped pave the way of street art, and now local contemporary artists are using digital art to express the untamed aesthetics of street art. Tes One has conceptualized and painted murals as well as graffiti art throughout Tampa Bay and other areas for 12 years, he also develops traffic-stopping graphic design and web pages for professional clients. Brian Kelly has a background in graphic design and his combination with paint, photography, clippings and other mixed media metamorphoses into deconstructed canvases. This exhibition will surpass your imaginings, be there Fri 7/2 from 8-11PM. Show runs thru 7/17. Call 939-1300. 13Hundred Gallery 1300 W. 78th St. http://www.13Hundred.com and visit http://www.tesone.net
Microcinema’s Greatest Comedy Hits The Independent Exposure series of Microcinema International puts out programs of short films across the U.S. and around the world. Their newest compilation includes 17 riotous crowd-pleasers from their archives: Creature Nites of Ohio by the Paternite brothers from Akron, as well as four comedies by Doug Henry. Catch the Cleveland premiere Fri 7/2 at 7:15PM and 9:15PM. Call 421-7450. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, 11141 East Blvd. http://www.cia.edu/cinematheque
Edwin McCain This group pairs up indie-lite acoustic with chick magnet lyrics and feel good rhythms; they’re touring the midwest to support their newest release Scream and Whisper, an album appropriate for Sunday morning surfacings from weekend hangovers. McCain spent 10 years with Lava/Atlantic Records, and racked up platinum and gold albums on their popular singles Solitude and I’ll Be. Hear their southern-styled soul and acoustic story-telling Fri 7/2 at 8PM. Call 574-2525. The Odeon, 1295 Old River Rd. in the Flats http://www.TheOdeon.com/theodeon/faq.asp
Capturing Cleveland: Pages From a City Sketchbook SPACES gallery presents an extraordinary SPACELab exhibition of over 200 works of art by 21 students from Cleveland Institute of Art showcasing the extraordinary and multi-faceted talent of the institute’s students as they interpret our rich and complex city. The artwork featured was created during a year-long seminar under the direction of Daniel Dove and Sarah McKenzie, Assistant Professors of Foundations and Painting; see how their effort came together Fri 7/2 thru 7/31. Call 621-2314. SPACES, 2220 Superior Viaduct. http://www.SpacesGallery.org/index.html
Hardware 5 – Industrial Strength Darkrave Party Release your supressed Goth tendencies, dig up the blood red lipstick and funeral attire and descend into Industrial/Hard Trance/Futurepop in the Chamber’s Room One. Then cut thru the haze to hear DJ Cable with power electronics in Room Two and DJs Nameless & Haz-Mat, or indulge with more doom tunes of Industrial, Goth and Alternative noise in Room Three with the Chamber’s Resident DJs this Sat 7/3 at 10PM. Call 226-9801. The Chamber At Phantasy Nite Club, 11814 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood. http://www.PhantasyConcertClub.com/chamber
2nd Annual Cleveland Dragon Boat Championships The time has come to bring the dragons back to Cleveland – imagine teams of 20 paddlers, 1 drum beater, and a steersperson racing like hell on the Cuyahoga in the Flats! There’ll be teams competing in 500 meter sprints, plus parades and entertainment drawing thousands to the Flats to blow out the 4th of July Waterfront Weekend Sat 7/3 9AM-3PM. Its great for company team building, civic pride, and getting people onto our river. For info call 440-808-2288. To register visit http://www.ClevelandDragonBoatFestival.org
First Annual Summerfest A multi-arts effort where you’ll be overwhelmed with five stages playing blues, country, rock, swing, gospel, reggae, disco, Latin, German, Irish and polka music. Make the trip out to hear diverse tunes, then eat at the United Nation Café featuring food from around the world and different cultures. Take a film break and enter two buildings converted into movie theaters showing independent films and documentaries of rock bands, then hear some of Cleveland’s best DJs spinning Sat 7/3 and Sun 7/4 from noon till midnight. On Sat 7/3 check out bands like Mushroomhead, Carlos Jones and Wish You Were Here, Roberto Ocasio’s Latin Jazz Project, and Robert Lockwood, Jr. Stay late for Cobra Verde, Ernie Krivda’s 18-piece Big Band, Disco Inferno, Alex Bevan, Cleveland Pops Orchestra with the Singing Angels, and largest fireworks display in NEO on Sun 7/4. Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds/Berea Fairgrounds, 164 Eastland Rd. in Berea. http://www.Cuyfair.com/index_main.htm
Headrush Music Summer Series: Pete Moss a native Boston DJ, this boy’s been playing around the world for the past decade with enviable gigs at Ministry of Sound in London, Headstart with Josh Wink in London, and Centrofly in New York City. He’s also held down the Ovum Records party at the Annual Winter Music Conference in Miami for the last three years and has acquired worldwide attention for his production work and he’s noted in DJ Mag, Mixer, Ministry, XLR8R and BPM Culture. Get down with this house music producer/re-mixer and DJ Sat 7/3 at 9PM-3AM. Call 902-9474. Wish, 621 Johnson Court in the Warehouse District. http://www.HeadRushMusic.com
The Lakewood Project Don’t get so wrapped up in your Fourth of July celebrations that you miss this one. A truly breakthrough concept, The Lakewood High School Rock Orchestra was formed after a meeting with Mark Woods of the Trans Siberian Orchestra, which commissioned him to build eight hand-crafted electrified instruments. The young group features electric violins and violas, bass and electric guitars, drums, and electric viper cellos, tantalizingly building a bridge between classical musicianship and rock repertoires. Directed by Lakewood High School’s Beth Hankins, this compelling project has gained recognition for its combination of professional musicality and accessible entertainment. They make it easy to check it out this week: just come early to one of the area’s best fireworks displays Sun 7/4 from 7-9PM at the Lakewood Park bandshell, just before the fireworks display. The concert and fireworks are free. http://www.TheLakewoodProject.net Lakewood Park, 14532 Lake Avenue, see map here.
Genetically Engineered Foods: Ethics and Policy Phillip Nabors, owner of Mustard Seed Market, will discuss the ethical and public policy issues that concern us as consumers. Mr. Nabors is an expert on genetically engineered foods and has testified before Congress on the Bovine Growth Hormone and the need for labeling of products. It’s part of the Town Hall Brown Bag Lunch Series Tue 7/6 from Noon-1PM. Call 321-5935. Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, 2600 South Park Blvd. http://www.ShakerLakes.org/index.html
Contemporary Movement Techniques: Summer Dance Intensive Transform yourself with the creative spirit of dance with this diverse movement series using release-based work. Classes will explore various elements including a weighted and grounded approach to movement, harnessing the body’s momentum and force, partnering skills and improvisational techniques, beginning Tue 7/6 from 10-11:45AM. It’s part of Cleveland State’s Summer Sessions ’04. Call to register at 687-4883. CSU Dance Studio, Room 71 at the corner of 24th and Euclid. http://www.CSUohio.edu/dance
Divas in the Afternoon Sneak out during lunch, bring something to eat and experience CIM’s Lunch and Listen Series; this week you’ll get treated to six seductive CIM divas singing high-geared soprano opera arias that’ll get you through the afternoon Wed 7/7 at noon. Call 791-5000. The Cleveland Institute of Music, 11021 East Blvd. http://www.cim.edu/index.php
Send your cool events to: EventsAtCoolCleveland.com
Rush Hour, Minus the Rush
by Bob Rhubart
Thank you, American Driver, for your Generosity.
Every morning thousands of Cleveland-area residents hop into their cars and race to one of the spontaneously formed parking lots that can be found with reassuring regularity on any of the various highways leading to Downtown. Its an act of automotive masochism so seductive, apparently, that even the simplest, most logical alternative fails to break the spell. And thats understandable, given the sublime pleasure of sitting at the wheel of a motionless car, watching as time and money and environmental degradation spew out of the tailpipe of the car in front of you, just as the person in that car watches the same thing, and so on, and so on. This is not productive time. And if this is your idea of relaxation, you probably defuse bombs for a living. But be of good cheer, because while youre playing your part in this fossil-fueled daisy chain of stress, you and the other people sitting in their motionless cars on the same highway are picking up the tab for the Cristal that a Saudi prince is pouring down his girlfriends pants in some massive disco on Ibiza. Once you inch your way into Downtown you have to put your car somewhere. So unless parking is part of your compensation package youre probably laying out at least a hundred bucks each month to rent a chunk of real estate the approximate size of a ping-pong table. Whats the return on that investment? And then, at the end of the day, you get to play the tape in reverse. So your workday, which for many of us is a dependable source of the FDAs Recommended Minimum Daily Allowance of wishing you were somewhere else, is bracketed by activities of the sort that have helped to make self-medication the national pastime. And youre worried about carbs?
Make it all go away for $3
Every day, 185,000 Greater Clevelanders make use of the various commuter alternatives provided by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. Among the most popular of these alternatives are the Park-n-Ride routes. The Park-n-Ride system is currently comprised of four free parking lots, located in Euclid, Strongsville, Westlake, and North Olmsted. Each Park-n-Ride route is serviced by MCI coaches, those big Greyhound-looking buses youve probably noticed. The MCI coaches feature luggage racks and high-backed reclining seats, each with a reading lamp and a personal air vent. Airline seats should be this comfortable…
Read Rush Hour Minus the Rush by Bob Rhubart here
Cool Cleveland People: George Bilgere George Bilgere has taken poetry’s silence off the page and onto the radio waves; this award winning poet is taking his experimental style blending monologue, sound and poetry into his radio show Wordplay every Wednesday at 12:30PM, where George hosts a strangely surreal and arresting spoken word show on WJCUs 88.7 FM. His recent accomplishments include winning the Cleveland Arts Prize for Literature, and his book The Good Kiss garnered the University of Akron prize, judged by 1997-2000 Poet Laureate Billy Collins. George has participated in readings at the legendary 92nd Street Y in New York City and at John Carroll University where he’s a professor of English. Cool Cleveland finds out why living in Cleveland made his career take off, Cleveland’s hunger for art, how our community is impassioned with poetry, and why it’s popular in our city.
Cool Cleveland: Youve lived around the U.S. and also abroad. What are your observations about the status of art and creativity in Cleveland compared to other cities?
George Bilgere: There is a real hunger in Cleveland for the arts, and Clevelanders are looking for an artistic center in our community. Its easier for this city to focus on the negative, however, you dont have to look hard to find out whats cool that is going on; here you can experience major writers poet laureates reading, and Cleveland has a mix of academics reading all over the place: cafés, bars, slams, etc. They are breaking the mold of poet-confined-to-the-university; theres a fruitful exchange between the university culture and café culture in our city. Ive never seen a city where it has happened to this extent, this interchange between two worlds. Theres a vitality here in the arts world; Clevelands has so much going on.
How did the idea to bring poetry to the airwaves start out for you?
Theres no spoken word program in Cleveland; I did one in Japan when I lived and worked there in television and radio, so when I arrived in Northeast Ohio I saw a real need for it as a way to promote poetry in Cleveland and our local poets. My show opens with a strange monologue with my radio partner, we then talk about poetry we like and have a guest poet who reads. The idea was to raise the profile of poetry in our city and put local voices to the radio. There is little diversity in radio these days, so this shows offers a new approach; it’s also about pleasure in listening to the human voice.
Read the exclusive Cool Cleveland Interview with George Bilgere by Tisha Nemeth here
Instant Karma
Quik reviews of recent events
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Spencer Tunick installation, Ninth Street Pier 6/26
It’s one thing to look at the photographs and videos that artist Spencer Tunick creates and displays as the outcome of his city-wide massive-scale nude installations. It’s another thing to actually set your alarm and climb out of bed at 3:30AM and actually find yourself in a traffic jam on Ninth Street! And it’s quite another to finally pull off your shirt and pants and join the thousands of other people of all sizes and colors and body shapes in an indescribable flock of humanity. If we had a couple of hours to talk, I could relate a few of the thoughts that ran through my head. First, the delicious excitement of disrobing in a public place, then the embarassment of being naked in front of thousands of other people, a traditional Freudian nightmare. Very quickly the mood changes from anticipation to an almost clinical “let’s get down to business” attitude. Once we were in position, it felt like waiting for the x-ray at a doctor’s office…Read Thomas Mulready’s review of Spencer Tunick’s installation, and view photos by Herb Ascherman and Thomas Mulready here
Spencer Tunick installation, Ninth Street Pier 6/26
Well..what can be said apart from “Go Cleveland”! It turned out that Cleveland created a bit of history today in being the first US city to have worked directly with Spencer Tunick in staging a shoot. And the turnout certainly did the city proud with, I heard a count from Spencer, of approx 2700 folks showing up. I’d been involved in the impromptu shoot earlier in the year during the MOCA opening night where Spencer gathered 15 or so of us for a series of photos on the bar pool table. The main shoot in January had to be cancelled as no Cleveland venue that was approached by MOCA and Spencer were willing to host the gig. So this one was the big one courtesy of the Cleveland Port Authority. The shoot went off without a hitch…folks gathered from 4:00AM onwards…after a couple of hours of waiting the light was finally just right…”OK everyone…1,2,3…as they say in Australia…get your kit off…”
Read the review of Spencer Tunick’s installation by Cool Cleveland reader Brian Asquith here
Spencer Tunick installation, Ninth Street Pier 6/26
Upon arriving, a friend of mine who was there said, “Cav this is a beautiful thing, man, a beautiful thing!” This was the dominant attitude of this largely arts enthusiast crowd. What a beautiful event. People expressed the feeling of being totally exhilarated and free to accept themselves. The reasons for participating in this were as varied as the crowd was diverse. On the walk to the pier I thought, I sure hope Im not the only Black here, and I was not. There were Black men and women who were young and old. There were Latinos Caucasians, Gays, Lesbians, Transgenders, fat, obese, skinny, weak, strong and lame…
Read the review of Spencer Tunick’s installation by Cool Cleveland contributor Cavana Faithwalker here
2004 Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam At Beachland Ballroom 6/25 & 6/26
Cleveland ushered in the Rustbelt Regional with 50 performance poets competing with hell-bent conviction, as competitors went all out denaturing written poetry into the spoken word experience. Verbal inflictions of psychic rape saturated the air, and it was necessary to abandon your personal lifestyle practices, culture, and all social mores to appreciate the over-the-top emotions and crazy ass, unforgettable lines…
Read the review of the Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam by Tisha Nemeth here
Hot ‘N’ Throbbing At convergence-continuum 6/19
What: A killer black comedy about the binding ties between a suburban mom — who writes female porn to put cereal on the table — and her alcoholic stalker ex-husband.
Reasons to go: Cleveland’s most daring young ensemble, convergence-continuum, just keeps getting better. Clyde Simon and his brilliant multimedia collaborators turn Paula Vogel’s tour de farce into a sublime balancing act between searingly-funny comedy and chilling noir. Flinty and unsentimental, Lucy Bredson-Smith rocks as the erotica-writing Charlene. In dirty t-shirt, John Regan plays her hapless ex like a drunken Pillsbury Doughboy. Jovana Batkovic and Geoffrey Hoffman are wonderful as teen children, as are Sheila O’Toole and Cliff Bailey as the embodiment of Charlene’s fantasies.
Caveats: Both the material and the staging are in-your-face in the 44-seat theater — so it’s not for the faint of heart.
Backstory: Vogel’s fractured, un-P.C. takes on sexual situations are notoriously difficult to get right, from the sympathetically drawn pedophile in the Pulitzer-winning How I Learned to Drive to the geriatric hookers of The Oldest Profession. More smart theatre people have messed up previous attempts at Hot ‘N’ Throbbing than you can count, which makes a production this successful as rare as hen’s teeth.
Target audience: A don’t miss for anyone who wants to see the best in contemporary playwriting and pitch-perfect multimedia staging.
Details: convergence-continuum, 2438 Scranton Rd, Cleveland. 216-687-0074. Thru July 17. http://www.convergence-continuum.org
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein LindaAtcoolcleveland.com
Little Women Lyric Opera At Cleveland Playhouse 6/16
In the attic of an old house, a young woman sings were perfect as we are, but her companion says, things change, Jo. These two phrases repeat over and over throughout Mark Adamos Little Women, the opening production of Lyric Opera Clevelands 31st season. Things do indeed change, but this production is virtually perfect as it is. The cast for this production could hardly be improved upon; mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera truly is Jo, the passionate center about whom the opera swirls…
Read the review by Kelly Ferjutz here
Diane Schuur At Severance Hall 6/26
Before she ever makes a sound, her megawatt smile lights up the room, no matter how large the room might be. Even the golden magnificence of Clevelands Severance Hall took on a new luster Saturday evening when Diane Schuur, on the arm of her husband and road manager, Lew Crockett, came onstage…
Read the review by Kelly Ferjutz here
The Art of NOTACON
Applied digital art is a growth industry envisioned for Northeast Ohio by William Scheele director of the Cleveland-based New Center for Art and Technology http://www.newcat.org. Mr. Scheele, in his outreach drive for digital art has a co-outreacher in NOTACON, presented at the Northeast Ohio Technology and Art Conference (held April 23-25, 2004). Directed by Paul “Froggy” Schenider, NOTACON is one of a very few computer geek conferences in the Midwest and is said to be one of the first geek conferences anywhere to have an art venue. It is scheduled to return to Cleveland next April…
Read the review of NOTACON by Lee Batdorf here
Send your reviews of cool events to: EventsAtCoolCleveland.com
Yr Turn
Cool Cleveland readers write
Send your letters to: LettersAtCoolCleveland.com
On a more positive tone After reading about your general disgust with the Plain Dealer in Cool Cleveland I thought you might be interested in the way a community can be more positive instead of divisive about its future. This article illustrates how to be positive about the future instead of focusing on the “Quiet Crisis.” Read the article in the San Diego Union-Tribune here
from Cool Cleveland reader John J. Guthrie jjgcpacAtaol.com
On Spencer Tunick I am pro art. I am comfortable with nudity. But I think Spencer Tunick is a jerk. Not because he photographs large groups of nude people in public. But because of the stupid things he says about those who turn him down, like “Corporate America is not like corporate Europe.” Duh! How long would MOMA be around without corporate support? How could the foundations and wealthy individuals who support the arts do so without their equity investments in corporate America? Then Tunick says “shame” on the board of directors of the Cleveland Orchestra for refusing him Severance Hall. Duh! Severance Hall needs Spencer Tunick like a fish needs a bicycle. The fact is that Spencer Tunick desperately needs Cleveland much more than Cleveland needs him. He’s a Tonight Show punch line waiting to happen. Which is why I will celebrate his eventual departure from our city by getting naked (at home) and listening to a few Cleveland Orchestra CD’s.
from Cool Cleveland reader Richard J. Clark richardclark49Ataol.com
On Cleveland’s unheard music Maybe the way you revive a city is by first finding the pulse. Australian artist Jodi Rose records harmonies in the vibrations of bridge cables all over the world… what is Cleveland’s unheard music? http://www.singingbridges.net%%
from Cool Cleveland reader Mati Senerchia senerchiaAtsbclobal.net
On the Rustbelt Poetry Slam Actually this is the third Rustbelt Slam. Back then it was called the Great Lakes Sludge Poetry Slam Competition. Ann Arbor, Cleveland, Buffalo, Toledo, and Chicago teams came to Cleveland and competed at the Barking Spider. How do I know this, I organized it. Don’t you just love revisionist history.
from Cool Cleveland reader Dan Chambers louisedan96Atyahoo.com
On the Cool Cleveland Art/Tech/Dance event on 6/17 in Cleveland Heights Just wanted to say thank you for putting together the 6/17 Cleveland Heights event. It seemed to be a great success for all! We had over 150 attending “Grease” [from the Cool Cleveland party], most of whom used the Coventry Magic Bus to get here. Great PR for Cain Park, the Bus, Cedar Lee, Cleveland Heights in general, etc. Thanks again for your time and energy. Let us know if you have any “Cool” ideas for the future that we can be involved in.
from Cool Cleveland partners Sally Keyes & Ksenia Roshchakovsky of Cain Park http://www.cainpark.com
On Cool Cleveland I am one of the minions that spend more time reading Cool Cleveland than I should. Keep up the good work!
from Cool Cleveland reader Kathy G kathygAtwelw.com
Send your letters to: LettersAtCoolCleveland.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) Cool Cleveland Interview: Spencer Tunick After a long, protracted and somewhat contentious planning phase, the time has arrived for Spencer Tunick to choreograph his latest installation of an estimated 1000 Clevelanders posing.
Read the interview here, and the review and images from the 6/26 event here.
2) Register Now for July 29 for our next Art/Tech/Dance party, Downtown Living at the Bingham Building in the Warehouse District, where they’ve restored the beautiful Walker and Weeks warehouse (for many years the home of Cleveland’s venerable printing industry), and converted it into 350 apartments, in the heart of Cleveland.
Newsletter/Party
3) Meet Me On The Mall Remember Parties in the Park? So do we. And now the City of Cleveland wants to bring back some of that good-time communal feeling with their Summer series of outdoor events called Meet Me On The Mall, co-produced with ParkWorks http://www.parkworks.org/MallSchedule.htm
4) Coventry on the move Now that the street’s been improved, everyone is invited to a whopping summer of weekly Farmer’s Markets (every Thursday from 6-9PM starting Thu 6/23), three huge Coventry Street Fairs (7/12, 8/15 and 9/9 from 6-9PM) with the street closed to traffic, allowing pedestrians the luxury of walking wherever they please.
http://www.coventryvillage.org
5) Lake Views from Your Bedroom can be yours at the Lake Pointe Townhomes (Phase III); spacious, three-story townhouses in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
http://www.progressiveurban.com
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The Hard Corps make it tight pulling together CC and getting Cleveland’s good stuff to the surface because they love our city madly; props to Tisha Nemeth, Deb Remington, Bob Rhubart, Cavana Faithwalker, Linda Eisenstein, Bill Nagode, George Nemeth, Marc Majercak, Kelly Ferjutz, Lee Batdorff and all our contributors who have a love affair with our good city. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: EventsAtCoolCleveland.com
See the Cool Cleveland column each month in Cleveland Magazine. Listen to Cool Cleveland on WCLV-FM 104.9 twice each Friday during their drive time programming Send your cool events to: EventsAtCoolClevelandDotCom. For your copy of the free weekly Cool Cleveland e-zine, go to http://www.CoolCleveland.com
What’s next, Cleveland?
–Thomas Mulready
LettersAtCoolCleveland.com (:divend:)