Fiddle About

The latest program by Apollo’s Fire is all about weather. David Greenberg — who plays Cape Breton fiddle music as well as baroque violin — says composers like Vivaldi, Rebel and Rameau weren’t the first to evoke storms, oceans, volcanoes and earthquakes in their music, but they were among the first to have success with it. Greenberg (pictured, who performs with Apollo’s Fire this week) says the vibrato-free baroque style forms emotional narratives in the music. “To me, if you take away vibrato as a de facto part of the sound, you open a range of extra emotional possibilities — the whole expressive palate is available,” he says. “If I were to talk to you in a loud voice, you’d go away wondering, why is he screaming at me? I think this opening the palate to the widest range is exactly what the baroque is about.” Greenberg will solo on Vivaldi’s concerto La Tempesta di mar and on an arrangement by music director Jeannette Sorrell that mixes and matches movements from several baroque violin concertos — something composers of the period routinely did. The program, titled “Earth, Wind & Fire: Vivaldi and Rameau Do Battle With Nature,” also includes J.F. Rebel’s “Les Elémens,” J.P. Rameau’s Suite From Les Indes Galantes and R. Duchiffre’s La Beauté de la terre. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (2747 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Hts.), 4 p.m. Sunday at Rocky River Presbyterian (21750 Detroit Rd., Rocky River) and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at Fairlawn Lutheran Church. (3415 W. Market St., Fairlawn). Call 216.320.0012 or go to apollosfire.org. Tickets: $10-$60. — Michael Gill

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

Cleveland Orchestra

There’s a whole lot going on at Severance Hall this week, now that
the Cleveland Orchestra has returned from Miami. Cellist Alisa
Weilerstein — who grew up here, playing with the Cleveland
Orchestra Youth Orchestra and studying at the Cleveland Institute of
Music — comes home to perform “Azul,” a new work by Osvaldo
Golijov. After premiering the piece at the 2006 Tanglewood Festival
(where Yo Yo Ma played it outdoors), the composer decided he wasn’t
finished with it yet, so he made some major revisions. He asked
Weilerstein to give it an “indoor premiere” at the Lincoln Center in
2007. “Azul,” which is infused with tango and klezmer music, brings a
few new twists to Severance Hall — like a little amplification
(just enough to boost the cello so it can balance against the
orchestra’s volume) and world-style percussion by Clevelander Jamey
Haddad. Plus, there’s something called “hyper accordion,” played by
Michael Ward-Bergeman. The program also includes Charles Ives’ Ragtime
Dances and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Ludovic Morlot
conducts. Showtime is 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday, and (without the
Ives pieces) 11 a.m. Friday at Severance Hall (11001 Euclid Ave.,
216.231.1111, clevelandorchestra.com). Tickets:
$31-$87. — Gill

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

Fleetwood Mac

Like the Eagles (who played a packed show here a few weeks ago),
Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands that’ll be around until the end of
time. Probably even after that. The veteran group brings its Unleashed
tour to town this weekend, and they’re promising hits and nothing but
hits (which really isn’t all that different than the last few times Mac
played here, but why quibble?). Still, with no new album to promote
— frontman Lindsey Buckingham released a typically tricky solo
record last year, and Stevie Nicks has a new live CD — chances
are pretty good that you’ll recognize every single song they play
onstage. Christine McVie quit a decade ago, so you probably won’t hear
too many of her songs. But who needs ’em when Fleetwood Mac’s catalogue
includes such radio faves as “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Big Love”
and dozens of others? The core quartet is bringing a half-dozen other
musicians onstage to polish the sound, so things should sound
exactly like those records you listened to back in the day.
Showtime is 8 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena (One Center Ct.,
216.241.5555, theqarena.com).
Tickets: $49.50-$149.50. — Michael Gallucci

Ray LaMontagne

Budding musicians around the world might be inspired by raspy-voiced
singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne. He was working at a shoe factory in
Maine a decade ago when he heard Stephen Stills’ “Treetop Flyer.” He
immediately bought the record, quit his job and pursued music as a
career (while doing some carpentry on the side). He’s been busy ever
since, with several of his songs featured on ER, One Tree Hill and Rescue Me. LaMontagne is now on the road working his latest
album, Gossip in the Grain. He’s backed by the same band that
plays on the record, but expect a few solo numbers by LaMontagne when
he plays the State Theatre (1501 Euclid Ave., 216.241.6000, playhousesquare.com) at 8 tonight.
Tickets: $29.50-$40. — Ernest Barteldes

Look Out Cleveland: Bob Dylan & the Band

Kokoon Arts Gallery proprietor William Scheele spent years on the
road with Bob Dylan and the Band, working as a roadie and taking
pictures. This weekend, Scheele unveils Look Out Cleveland: Bob
Dylan & the Band: 1969-1976, a collection of photos and
memorabilia. It opens with a reception from 5:30-9 p.m. tonight, and
1-5 p.m. tomorrow at Kokoon Arts Gallery (1300 W. 78th St.,
216.832.8212, wgsproductions.com). It’s free.
— Gill

The Marriage Play

Edward Albee has better-known plays (Who’s Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?) and more recent ones (the Pulitzer-winning Three
Tall Women), but his 1986 The Marriage Play really
hits audiences with a portrait of a husband who, after 30 years of
marriage, comes home from the office and tells his wife he’s leaving
her. They fight — a lot. But they also realize that they’ve
invested a lot into their three decades together. After postponing the
production last fall, Cesear’s Forum finally opens it tonight. Dana
Hart and Julia Kolibab play the feuding couple, Jack and Jill. The
company’s artistic director, Greg Cesear, directs. Performances are at
8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays through May 23 at
PlayhouseSquare’s Kennedy’s Cabaret (1501 Euclid Ave., 216.241.6000,
playhousesquare.org).
Tickets: $15. — Gill

Slam U Finals

Having Shihan the Poet MC tonight’s Slam U finals at PlayhouseSquare
is kinda like having LeBron calling plays for a high-school basketball
tournament. Shihan is one of the rare few who, against all odds, turned
his poetry into a lucrative career, with Reebok TV spots, MTV’s Rock
the Vote campaign and a Nike Battlegrounds tour. He’s also snagged
National Poetry Slam Championship titles in 2000 and 2001. Tonight, he
hosts a competition that pits four local kids in a battle of words
(they’ve already survived two rounds of fierce competition). The winner
will go on to July’s Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam
Festival in Chicago. It starts at 7 p.m. at the Ohio Theatre (1260
Euclid Ave., 216.241.6000, playhousesquare.com). It’s free.
— Gill

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

The Stooges and the Ramones have rightly received props as watershed
bands. It’s now time King Crimson got their due. Many bands have picked
up King Crimson’s gauntlet — combining formidable technique,
artful dissonance and attitude that’s equal parts adventurousness and
aggression — and did it their way. But few have done it as
successfully as Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Hailing from the San
Francisco Bay area, the group embraces the aforementioned attributes,
adding death metal and Frank Zappa’s sense of the absurd to the mix.
The members typically dress in costumes evoking an acid-fueled Tim
Burton re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz. Bubbling over
with manic gusto, SGM often sound like a different band on each song.
Some folks will find it baffling, others will find it outrageously
invigorating. And in an era where far too many bands can be summarized
in three words or less, that’s a good thing. Dub Trio opens at 9 p.m.
at the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124, beachlandballroom.com). Tickets:
$12. — Mark Keresman

Susan Werner

Many indie singer-songwriters stay away from interpreting other
people’s material. On her latest album Classics, Chicago-based
folksinger Werner re-reads ’60s- and ’70s-era tunes by Paul McCartney,
Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder from a somewhat classical point of view.
This might be kinda challenging for less gifted artists, but Werner
(who’s also an accomplished arranger) has successfully jumped genres
before — on 2004’s Great American Songbook-inspired I Can’t Be
New and 2006’s The Gospel Truth. Onstage, she pairs her
proficient piano and guitar skills with a sharp sense of humor. She
opens for folkie John Gorka at 8 p.m. at the Kent Stage (175 E. Main
St., Kent, 330.677.5005, kentstage.org). Tickets: $25 advance, $30
day of show. — Barteldes

SATURDAY, APRIL 18

Art House Garage Sale

When a neighborhood cultural center Like Art House puts out the call
for a fundraising garage sale, you can bet they’ll get items that
typical spring cleaners would never find in their attics. Coordinator
Elizabeth Emery says that in addition to the usual pots, pans, clothes
and other household items, Art House’s annual garage sale yields things
like paintings donated by a church. “Really interesting,” says Emery.
See what else the Old Brooklyn neighborhood dragged in when the sale
runs from10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Art House (3119 Denison Ave., 216.398.8556;
arthouseinc.org). It’s free.
— Gill

Bach Christmas Oratorio

Every year around this time, the Baldwin-Wallace campus resounds
with brass fanfare as the three-day Bach Festival — touted as the
oldest collegiate Bach fest in the country — gets underway.
You’ll find brass and chamber performances all over campus this
weekend. But the centerpiece is one of the composer’s major works: the
Christmas Oratorio. First performed on Christmas Day 1734 at St.
Nicholas Church in Leipzig, the story tells of Jesus’ birth and his
first weeks on the planet. Bach’s piece is huge, with full orchestra,
chorus and vocal soloists. Performances are at 4 and 8 p.m. at Gamble
Auditorium, (96 Front St., Berea, 440.826.8070, bw.edu). Tickets: $20-$30. — Gill

Tim Barry

For 15 years, Tim Barry fronted Avail, mixing hardcore and melody
for a catchy, sharp-cornered and high-intensity attack. Always a
genre-defying no-boundaries bunch, it was perhaps unsurprising that,
after Avail’s last album in 2002, Barry took up acoustic guitar. He’s
released three albums since then, wrought with the same fiery spirit
and inimitable gruff vocals. More threatening than all but a few of his
singer-songwriter peers, Barry’s no-bullshit/no-apologies/no-quarter
attitude produces a hard-charging sound that shares a pretense-free
straightforwardness with old country and a populist belligerence with
protest folk. Whether reflecting on an old flame in a stinky Motel 6
(the cello-abetted “Avoiding Catatonic Surrender”) or justified
homicide in a case of domestic abuse (“Dog Bumped”), Barry’s raw,
unvarnished honesty tastes like several rounds of whiskey in a
workingman’s bar. Show opener Austin Lucas is a fellow hardcore
graduate who cut his teeth on crusty punk before heading into
Americana. Unlike Barry, Lucas favors a more traditional style, with a
strong bluegrass undercurrent to mesh with his lonesome tenor. He
released his third album, Somebody Loves You, earlier this year.
Josh Small starts things off at 9 pm. at the Beachland Tavern (15711
Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124, beachlandballroom.com). Tickets: $8
advance, $10 day of show. — Chris Parker

Diplo

Mainstream audiences may not know Philadelphia DJ and producer
Diplo’s name, but it’s a pretty safe bet they’ve heard his music. His
most famous cut is “Paper Planes,” the Grammy-nominated, Clash-sampled
single he wrote with M.I.A. Before that, Diplo released dozens of
mixtapes and remixed artists like Spank Rock, Modest Mouse and Gwen
Stefani. (His hilarious reworking of “Do the Bartman” may not seem
impressive, but it’s actually quite brilliant.) Diplo keeps his music
fresh by maintaining a sense of humor — whether it’s silly
remixes or dropping Bell Biv Devoe’s “Poison” into his DJ sets. He also
distinguishes himself by incorporating other cultures’ music into his
tracks. He was turned on to baile funk after a 2004 trip to Rio de
Janeiro and began incorporating it into his sets, sparking somewhat of
a trend in the U.S. In addition to his solo work, Diplo is a member of
two side projects — Hollertronix and Major Lazer — and runs
his own label, Mad Decent. As a producer, he may often be the man
behind the curtain, but Diplo’s talents are certainly the main event.
His show starts at 9 p.m. at the B-Side Liquor Lounge (2785 Euclid
Heights Blvd., Cleveland Hts., 216. 932.1966, bsideliquorlounge.com). Tickets:
$15-$20. — Eddie Fleisher

Everything Is Broken

Lane Cooper’s foundation drawing class at the Cleveland Institute of
Art took on an ambitious assignment: Create an exhibit featuring the
students’ work. They made the art, found a venue, funded the project,
promoted it and launched it with a splashy opening. Kiera Kordes
— who’s responsible for promoting Everything Is Broken — says each person in the class created three works for the show.
The only requirement was that the piece had to have a theme, and it had
to be a drawing. Kordes wants to be an illustrator and says
“interpretation of drawing is any mark on a surface.” Her work is on
view with 17 of her classmates at the opening reception, which runs
from 6-9 p.m. tonight at Loren Naji Gallery (2138 W. 25th St., lorennaji.com). Call 330.727.5583 for more
info. It’s free. — Gill

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

Bayside

To say that Bayside has had a tumultuous nine years is understating
the case. During their first half decade, the N.Y.C. emo-pop quartet
swapped members like George Steinbrenner changes managers (only
frontman Anthony Raneri remains from the original lineup), while
garnering piles of press for their first two albums, 2004’s Sirens
and Condolences and 2005’s self-titled release. The band’s resolve
was severely tested when a van accident took the life of drummer John
“Beatz” Holohan and seriously injured bassist Nick Ghanbarian in 2005.
But Raneri and guitarist Jack O’Shea hit the road as an acoustic duo
until Ghanbarian was sufficiently healed to return to action. Since
then, Bayside have kept recording (on 2007’s The Walking Wounded and last year’s Shudder) and touring relentlessly with new
drummer Chris Guglielmo. The band joins a bill that includes New Found
Glory, Set Your Goals and Verse at 7 p.m. at House of Blues (308 Euclid
Avenue, 216.523.2583, hob.com). Tickets:
$19-$22. — Brian Baker

Dr. Dooom vs. Dr. Octagon

Kool Keith has been making hip-hop records since 1984. Even more
impressive is that he’s still relevant. When his group Ultramagnetic
MCs dropped “Ego Trippin'” in ’86, it was obvious they weren’t like
other rap crews. Sure, they were down to party, but they were doing it
on their own terms. The lyrics were strange; the beats were slightly
off. Keith was clearly the star, and in the mid-’90s, he went solo,
releasing a slew of records under various monikers, most notably Dr.
Dooom and Dr. Octagon. His obsession with aliens, chemistry and sex
spawned some of hip-hop’s weirdest tracks. Little surprise that rumors
surfaced regarding Keith’s sanity. In 1999, Dooom killed Octagon on
First Come, First Served, but the doc re-emerged on 2006’s
The Return Of Dr. Octagon, only to be killed again on last
year’s Dooom 2. Got all that? The ongoing soap opera has become
another element of Keith’s already bizarre world. Fans are now getting
a chance to see the two personalities slug it out on the same stage. If
the idea of watching a pair of fictional musical aliases battle doesn’t
sound sweet to you, you should probably stay home. Otherwise, grab your
freak flag and head to the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd.,
Cleveland Hts., 216.321.5588, grogshop.gs) where Kutmasta Kurt and Muamin
Collective open at 8 p.m. Tickets: $13 advance, $15 day of show.
— Fleisher

MONDAY, APRIL 20

Travis

Over the past several years, everyone has been so captivated by
Coldplay that they’ve forgotten that the fertile soil that produced so
many similar-sounding bands was softened by Travis’ 1997 debut, Good
Feeling and its 1999 follow-up, The Man Who. The Scottish
group (which began as a quintet in 1991 before settling into a quartet
four years later) has crafted a solid catalogue over the years,
including last year’s Ode to J. Smith, which made a slobbering
fan out of Oasis’ Noel Gallagher. Still, Travis just doesn’t get the
love like its moody brethren. Go figure. The Republic Tigers open at 8
p.m. at House of Blues (308 Euclid Avenue, 216.523.2583, hob.com). Tickets: $23-$70. —
Baker

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

Amon Amarth

As great as it was to see Metallica inducted into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, they’re the last of the giants. Given the state of the
music business, it’s unlikely that any metal band will ever get that
big (worldwide arena tours, multi-multi-platinum album sales) again.
The plus side of this is that you can see some of the planet’s greatest
metal bands in small clubs — like Amon Amarth, burly Swedes
who’ve been pumping out anthemic tales of viking adventure since the
early ’90s. And they keep getting better: Last year’s Twilight of
the Thunder God was legitimately epic. Live, the band cranks out
one melodic-but-punishing riff after another, as vocalist Johan Hegg
barks lyrics, stopping periodically to drink beer from a horn on his
belt. It’s guaranteed to put a grin on your face and get your horns in
the air. Goatwhore, Skeletonwitch and Lazarus A.D. open at 6:30 p.m. at
Peabody’s (2045 E. 21st St., 216.776.9999, peabodys.com). Tickets: $20 advance, $23 day
of show.

— Phil Freeman

Neko Case

Neko Case has charted a fascinating career path — from punk
drummer to roots-pop singer-songwriter. The New Pornographers have
provided Case with many memorable vocal moments. But she’s excelled in
her impeccable solo work, which reached its zenith on her third studio
album, 2006’s brilliant and broadly brushed Fox Confessor Brings the
Flood, an almost impossible melding of classicism (Dusty
Springfield, Patsy Cline) and contemporary translation (Emmylou Harris,
Kate Bush). On the new Middle Cyclone, Case retains the elements
that made Fox Confessor infinitely listenable — linking
rootsy tradition with pop modernity, lyrics that engagingly blend
head-scratching obfuscation with mountaintop wisdom and clarity —
and folds in an extra level of sonic exploration, moving from pure
roots-pop purveyor to slightly more esoteric musical provocateur.
Crooked Fingers opens at 8 p.m. at the Allen Theatre (1407 Euclid Ave.,
216.241.6000, playhousesquare.com). Tickets:
$30-$35. — Baker

Jennifer Hudson

The fact that Chicago-born singer Jennifer Hudson was once an
American Idol contestant is now only a footnote to a career
that’s catapulted her far past that hit TV show. She won an Oscar for
her terrific performance in the musical Dreamgirls and has a
Grammy under her belt too. Evoking the old-school soul of Aretha
Franklin and Patti LaBelle, Hudson is a strong-minded woman who doesn’t
take no for an answer. Despite the fact that she didn’t win American
Idol, she’s gone on to have one of the most successful careers of
any of its alumni. Her new tour, which she co-headlines with Robin
Thicke, is proof of just how resilient she is. The show starts at 8
p.m. at the State Theatre (1501 Euclid Ave., 216.241.6000, playhousesquare.com). Tickets:
$10-$69.50. — Jeff Niesel

Tempest

The title track of The Double-Cross, the last studio album by
the San Francisco-based Tempest, relates the misfortunes of Captain
Kidd, the British sailor who went from profiteer to pirate only to be
betrayed and hanged (twice) for his crimes. The lyrics even incorporate
part of Kidd’s farewell message. The band mixes traditional Celtic
instruments with rock guitars, drawing inspiration from various musical
forms — possibly because members hail from countries like Norway,
Cuba and (no surprise here) Ireland. Listen to “Black Eddy,” a
multi-part suite that kicks off with a traditional-sounding groove and
ends on a Norwegian polka. Showtime is 8 p.m. at the Winchester (12112
Madison Ave., 216.226.5681, thewinchester.net). Tickets: $10
advance, $12 day of show. — Barteldes

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

Haunting Valley

Michael Seese was a reporter for the Chagrin Valley Times before he got into information security; William Devol was editor of a
weekly paper in Bedford. They’ve taken their experiences and applied
them to the time-worn tradition of ghost-hunting, and they’ve written a
book about them. Haunting Valley collects 58 spooky stories set
in the towns and townships east of Cleveland. Seese and Devol discuss
and sign the book at 7 p.m. at Joseph Beth Booksellers (24519 Cedar
Rd., Lyndhurst, 216.691.7000, josephbeth.com). It’s free. —
Gill

Juilliard String Quartet

No matter what kind of music they play, groups that last more than a
decade often turn out like small businesses — especially when it
comes to personnel changes. Sometimes it isn’t a big deal (think Spinal
Tap’s drummers). But for the Juilliard String Quartet, the departure of
first violinist Joel Smirnoff is a historic moment. Founded in 1946,
the ensemble has changed members only eight times in 60 years together.
Smirnoff joined the quartet in 1986 and has been first violinist since
1997. He’s leaving to become president of the Cleveland Institute of
Music. He gives his final Ohio performance with the quartet tonight on
a program that places familiar works — Beethoven’s String Quartet
in E-flat Major and Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major — alongside
a relatively new one, Henri Dutilleux’s Ainsi la Nuit (which the JSQ
premiered at the Library of Congress in 1978). It’s also the final
concert in Oberlin College Conservatory’s Artist Recital Series this
year. Showtime is 8 p.m. at Finney Chapel (90 North Professor St.,
Oberlin, 440.775.8169, oberlin.edu).
Tickets: $10-$26. — Gill