Reviving the Flats isn't gonna be easy. But throwing a two-day electronic-music fest is a good start. Funky Charms 5 features more than 100 DJs on 13 stages, all designed to generate lots of foot traffic. "We are giving Cleveland a no-holds-barred block party that will put the East Bank back on the map," claims event director Christopher Wilson.
The focus is on local talent: Regional mainstays Mike Filly and Misterbradleyp will display their skills, while Helen Keller tends to IDM lovers; Adam Bomb, MPS, and DJ Ra play drum & bass tag, and Furious Styles throws down hip-hop for the masses. Turntablists from Cincinnati, Columbus, and Chicago will also drop in.
The fest's fifth incarnation is aimed toward both club kids and music snobs. "We always like to top our previous years' efforts," Wilson says. It starts at 7 p.m. Friday at Karma (2000 Sycamore Street) and Saturday at the Beachcomber and Tiki Bar (1146 Old River Road). Tickets are $15 Friday, $20 Saturday, which includes admission to four other clubs. Visit www.euphorixprofunk.com for more info. -- Melody Caraballo
Foot Soldiers
Tap dancing meets b-ball in Tap Kids.
SAT 3/20
At 19 years of age, Liz Plott is Tap Kids' resident senior citizen. The Ohio State dance major is the oldest in the cast of nine (the youngest is 11), who back-brushed and heel-dropped past hundreds of other dancers to be in the show. "We knew that whoever we selected would need to be extremely versatile and good at picking up material quickly," says Phillip David Stern, the show's composer. And the dance steps have been as fast as the learning process: In one number, Plott dribbles a basketball in a dueling tap number with another kid. "The talent is amazing, and the individual personalities of the kids are so interesting," Stern says. "It wasn't easy to choose." Tappin' starts at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Palace Theatre, 1519 Euclid Avenue. Tickets are $15, available by calling 216-241-6000. -- Cris Glaser
Comfortably Numb
The marathon prog-metal of Dream Theater comes to town.
SAT 3/20
Dream Theater revels in the sort of pompous hard rock that mostly fell out of favor at least a quarter-century ago. With its long, epic story-songs, finger-bleeding instrumental solos, and concept albums seemingly about the big spiritual questions that mark life and death, the New York quintet is sort of like Pink Floyd, but without all the animal- and brain-damaged-former-frontman imagery. Its latest CD, Train of Thought, doesn't let up: Five of its seven songs clock in at 10 minutes or longer. Progressive metal doesn't get much more progressive than this. Dream Theater is at the Agora Theatre (5000 Euclid Avenue) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $27.50 and $30, available by calling 216-241-5555. -- Michael Gallucci
The Old Razzle Dazzle
3/19-3/21
It was Bob Fosse who brought Chicago, Cabaret, and All That Jazz to the stage. He's also the one to thank for making Broadway sexy. The Tony Award-winning Fosse celebrates the choreographer and director with a show worthy of its legendary subject. It's at E.J. Thomas Hall (198 Hill Street) at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $25 to $52.50; call 330-972-7570. -- Michael Gallucci
