WED 09/20
Dance of Oppression
Hosted by the Shaker Community Gallery, Art of Dissent remains on view through Oct. 7. This group exhibition showcases the work of Cleveland-based artists known for expressing their dissatisfaction with the status quo and issues such as economic inequalities, polarizing politics and an abusive culture. Participating artists include Laura and Gary Dumm, Liz Maugans and Michelangelo Lovelace. Tonight at 7, the gallery hosts a discussion titled Dance of Oppression. The panel includes Verb Ballets' producing artistic director Margaret Carlson, City Ballet of Cleveland artistic and executive director Courtney Laves-Mearini, Dancing Wheels Company president and founding artistic director Mary Verdi-Fletcher, and Inlet Dance Theatre executive/artistic director Bill Wade. The exhibition and all related events are free. (Josh Usmani)
3445 Warrensville Center Rd., 216-926-8842, shakercommunitygallery. wordpress.com.
Drawing Power
Once a month, Great Lakes Brewing Company hosts Cleveland's Drink & Draw Social Club. The event is organized by the Rust Belt Monster Collective and sponsored by Carol and John's Comic Book Shop. Drink & Draws are an opportunity for artists of all skill levels to drink, draw, socialize/network and collaborate in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Events take place at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month, including tonight. At the end of each Drink & Draw, prizes are awarded for various superlatives. Admission is free. (Usmani)
2516 Market Ave., 216-771-4404, greatlakesbrewing.com.
Hoppin' Frog Hoppy Hour
Much like the Fat Head's tasting room in Middleburg Heights, the Hoppin' Frog tasting room in Akron is in a nondescript strip of storage facilities and warehouses. But step inside and you'll find a cozy space with a huge array of the brewery's wonderful libations. The place features "hoppy hour" every weekday from 3 to 7 p.m. Tonight, the brewers visit the tasting room from 5 to 7 p.m. While they don't fill growlers, you can drink bottles on site or take 'em to go. The place also offers a Hoppin' Frog Rare & Vintage list as well as a guest bottle list. And you can order from a limited food menu too. (Jeff Niesel)
1680-F Waterloo Rd., Akron, 234-525-3764, hoppinfrog.com/tasting-room.
Kevin McPeek
Standup comedian Kevin "Naked" McPeek likes saying "naked." That's how he received his nickname. One time when he was telling a joke onstage about seat belts, he added that he was "naked" and everyone started laughing. The name stuck. The portly McPeek likes to joke about everyday experiences. In one bit, he says his girlfriend broke up with him because he "wasn't sexually spontaneous enough." So he bought a ski mask and broke into her house in order to get back together. He performs at 8 tonight and at 7 on Sunday night at Hilarities. Tickets are $18. (Niesel)
2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
Walnut Wednesday
Walnut Wednesday is about to wrap up its 2017 season. But today from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Perk Plaza at Chester Commons — at East 12th and Walnut streets — food trucks gather once again to serve up lunch to area residents and employees. Follow the Downtown Cleveland Alliance on Facebook for weekly updates on vendors, entertainment offerings and more. The series continues through Sept. 27. Admission is free, but the food will cost you. (Niesel)
THU 09/21
Luenell
Fearless when it comes to making jokes and making the audience erupt in laughter, Luenell regularly jokes about being a full-figured woman and getting married later in life. She can find humor in any topic and situation. She performs tonight at 7:30 at the Improv, where she has shows scheduled through Sunday. Tickets are $20. (Hannah Borison)
1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.
Playhouse Square Wine Walk
Playhouse Square district bars, restaurants and retailers will offer a wide variety of wine options and specially priced foods for tonight's Playhouse Square Wine Walk. The event begins in front of the Connor Palace, where guests can register and receive a special tote bag filled with goodies. Attendees will also be automatically entered to win two season tickets to the 2017-2018 KeyBank Broadway Series. Registration begins at 5 p.m. and the wining and dining goes on until 9. Tickets are not required. Find more info online. (Niesel)
1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
FRI 09/22
Ingenuity Fest
After a successful relaunch last year in its new home at the former Osborn Manufacturing Company, Ingenuity Cleveland returns to the Saint Clair-Superior neighborhood this weekend. This year's theme is "Metamorphosis," which the organizers say is emblematic of both the organization's evolution, and the transformation of the neighborhood. As in previous years, the three-day festival promises innovative and engaging performances, art, installations, live music and random acts of creativity, as well as a full lineup of live music throughout the weekend. This year's festival takes place from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. today, from noon to 1 a.m. tomorrow and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 per day or $10 for a weekend pass; kids 12 and under are free. (Usmani)
5401 Hamilton Ave., 216-589-9444, ingenuitycleveland.com.
Clockwork Futures reading and afterparty
Local author Brandy Schillace's day job keeps her busy as the senior research associate at the Dittrick Medical History Center at Case Western Reserve University. There, she illuminates the lesser-known niches of our often bizarre medical history in hospital-rich Northeast Ohio. But it's the writerly angle that brings her to the Dittrick tonight, for a reading from her new book, Clockwork Futures. During her reading, which begins at 5:30 p.m., Schillace will take us on a steampunk adventure. Then, at 7 p.m., the afterparty kicks off at Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern. JP and Friends will perform, and Schillace will be in costume to continue presenting material from her book. Who knows? There might even be some historical guests on hand. (Eric Sandy)
11000 Euclid Ave. #3, 216-368-3648, artsci.case.edu/dittrick.
Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge
Director Marie Noelle helms Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge, a biopic about the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist who had an unconventional approach to both her professional and personal life. The movie screens at 7 tonight and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets are $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel)
11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
Music on the Porches
A village-wide happening that celebrates music, arts and culture, Peninsula's ninth annual Music on the Porches kicks off at 8 tonight with a performance at the G.A.R. Hall by the Railsplitters, a contemporary bluegrass band that has emerged as a leader in the Colorado music scene. The main event takes place at 11 a.m. tomorrow as Peninsula merchants and residents alike will welcome musicians to their porches, shops and galleries. Performances will also take place on three main stage areas where artists will "make a joyful noise and fill the valley with music of all genres." This year, in addition to the 20-plus musical acts performing throughout the village, program organizers will offer a series of free workshops and demonstrations along with master classes/workshops. Old-time Virginian fiddler Erynn Marshall and husband Carl Jones will lead an open jam on the G.A.R. Hall patio, and Marshall and Jones will perform at an evening event at the G.A.R. Hall with headliner Tim O'Brien and special guest Sean Watkins. Times and ticket prices vary. Find a complete schedule online. (Niesel)
music-on-the-porches.
Spectrum
One of the more active hip-hop acts on the local circuit, the group Smoke Screen just announced it'll play a special event dubbed Spectrum. Promoters hope the concert, which they've billed as "an evening of underground art and music," will "bring together the young art crowd, hip-hop crowd, dance/club kid crowd, and folks who don't know about either/or and are curious to hopefully work toward building a scene." Pablo Amor, Nic Nacc and DJ Eso will also perform. Artists such as Dan Bortz, Lynnea Holland-Weiss, Zay Williams, Chad Fedorovich and Murphy Welch will have their work on display as well. Local vendors Hollow Eyes Imprint and Stache clothing will also be on hand. The event starts this evening at 9 p.m. at the Lake Affect Studios. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. (Niesel)
1615 East 25th St., 216-298-9018, facebook.com/lakeaffectstudios.
This is Euclid Art Walk
For the second year, Euclid hosts the This is Euclid Art Walk in Triangle Park at Shore Cultural Centre and on Lakeshore Boulevard from East 218th Street to East 228th Street. The event includes a beer garden, art-themed happy hour specials at local restaurants, free ice cream from Maria's Family Restaurant, artist and maker vendors lining the sidewalks, storefronts decorated with student artwork, performances by hip-hop artists 10k and Atlas of AYYEDEESMM, New Orleans-style Phatbone Productions, and jazz band Blu Monsoon in Triangle Park, as well as art-making activities from the Cleveland Museum of Art's StudioGo, Upcycle Parts Shop and Euclid Art Association members. Event hours are 6 to 11 p.m. Come early (3 to 6:30 p.m.) for the Euclid Farmer's Market, featuring live music by Denny Carleton and performances by some of Shore Cultural Centre's artistic programs. At 6:30 p.m., Mayor Holzheimer Gail will give a speech encouraging everyone to utilize downtown Euclid and congratulating the winners of the This is Euclid photography contest, whose work has been enlarged and incorporated into a printed mural at the Beach Club Bistro. More than 750 photos were submitted to last year's contest. Admission is free. (Usmani)
291 East 222nd St., Euclid,
216-289-8578.
Yasmina Reza's Life x 3
A theatrical triptych, Yasmina Reza's Life x 3 offers three variations on a dinner party gone awry. According to a press release, "the repetition and changes in each episode reflect on individual personality with consequential choices inevitable in life decision-making." Known for its satiric wit, Life x 3 provides "a degree of sophistication within an amusing party game-like replay structure." Presented by Cesear's Forum, a local nonprofit professional theater company, tonight's performance takes place at 8 at Kennedy's Theatre, where weekend performances continue through Oct. 28. Tickets are $18. (Niesel)
1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.com.
SAT 09/23
Wizard U.
Many of the kids who read the Harry Potter books have become adults, and Wizard U., a company that bills itself as "the world's premier institution for late-blooming witches, wizards and magical creatures," plans to exploit that as its fall tour comes to House of Blues today. A day of drinking, magic and mischief, the event aims to bring together adult fans of the magical world to "get that school of magic experience they never had as kids." Patrons compete in games like Wizards' Pong, learn how to cast curses and drink specialty cocktails while watching a stage show that celebrates magic. It all begins at 2 p.m., and tickets are $15. (Niesel)
308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.
SUN 09/24
Beyond Function: The ARTneo Annual Benefit Brunch and Silent Auction
Beyond Function: The ARTneo Annual Benefit Brunch and Silent Auction takes place just outside the organization's gallery on the ramp level of 78th Street Studios from 1 to 4 p.m. today. This year's benefit honors local artist Judith Salomon, whose work currently is on display in ARTneo's gallery. Beyond Function: The Ceramics of Judith Salomon features the artist's work from the 1970s, '80s and '90s, from both museum and private collections. Salomon won the Cleveland Arts Prize for Visual Arts in 1990, as well as a National Endowment for the Arts grant, Cleveland Institute of Art's Victor Schreckengost Teaching Award and two Ohio Arts Council artist fellowships. A native of Rhode Island, Salomon earned her bachelor's of fine arts degree from the School of the American Craftsman at Rochester Institute of Technology in 1975 and her master's of fine arts from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 1977. Shortly after receiving her MFA, Salomon became an associate professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she taught for more than 35 years. Salomon has exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, and her work resides in the permanent collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Los Angeles Museum of Art, Manchester City Art Galleries in England, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the National Museum of History in Taiwan. Tickets are $75 ($50 for students) and are available online. (Usmani)
1305 West 78th St., # 016, 216-227-9507, 78thstreetstudios.com.
Cleveland Improv Jam
The Angry Ladies of Improv has hosted the Cleveland Improv Jam for four years now. A few years back, Scene described the show as "fierce, formidable and very funny." The women have some serious experience too. Katie White-Sonby is an actress who's performed at Clague Playhouse, Karamu and Kennedy's Cabaret. Marjorie Preston is an alumna of Something Dada and Rockwell 9 improvisational comedy troupes. The event begins with a short-form set of improv games, followed by a long-form improv set. It begins at 5 p.m. at Coffee Phix. Arrive early if you want to sign up and perform. Admission is free. (Niesel)
4485 Mayfield Rd., South Euclid, 216-381-5706, coffeephixcafe.com.
Ohio City Street Festival
A portion of West 25th Street will be shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today for the Ohio City Street Festival. The fest features live music, performances, games, activities, crafts, inflatables and fun for all ages. A fenced-in Kid Zone includes a maker space with Polis Woodworking, activities from Spaces and the Cleveland Public Library, crafts with the Cleveland Museum of Art's StudioGo truck, music discovery with the Bop Stop at the Music Settlement, and more. The street will be filled with parade puppets and interactive art from the Cleveland Museum of Art, performance art courtesy of Cleveland Public Theatre, the aerial acrobats of Jasmine Dragons and interactive works by local artists Erin Guido and JohnPaul Costello of So Fun Studio. Admission is free. (Usmani)
2525 Market Ave., 216-781-3222, ohiocity.org/ohiocityincorporated.
MON 09/25
Wing Ding Doodle
Blues icon Howlin' Wolf famously covered "Wang Dang Doodle," the old blues tune penned by Willie Dixon. Prosperity Social Club in Tremont has adopted that slogan, calling its wing night Wing Ding Doodle. The weekly event features specials on Buffalo wings and cold brews. Prosperity will not only serve up substantial, $1 whole wings, but it'll also offering meatless Monday "wing" baskets for vegans. Discounted drafts and a playlist of vintage-electric blues and soulful R&B curated by local musician Clint Holley will be on tap as well. Wing Ding Doodle takes place every Monday from 6 p.m. to midnight. (Niesel)
1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com.
TUE 09/26
The Air War in the Museum: The Bombing of Dresden as History and Spectacle
The 1945 bombing of Dresden, a German baroque city, represents one of World War II's most notorious incidents. Today at 4:30 p.m., in Clark Hall's Room 206 on the Case Western Reserve University's campus, associate professor of German, Susanne Vees-Gulani, will discuss how the bombing is represented in two new exhibition spaces in the Military History Museum of the German Armed Forces, and the implications for a new, possibly troubling, German nationalism. Part of the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities lecture series, the talk is free but registration is recommended at the website below. (Niesel)
11130 Bellflower Rd., 216-368-1508, humanities.case.edu.
The Day He Arrives
As a complement to a special exhibition of South Korean painted screens, the Cleveland Museum of Art will show several South Korean movies this month. The Day He Arrives, tonight's film, centers on a film professor who can't escape a loop of repetitive events. The movie screens at 6:45 tonight at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Admission is $11, or $8 for CMA members. (Niesel)
11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
The Imagery of Rock
After Woodstock producer Michael Lang gave Helen Hersh her big break, she became the house artist for the Village Theater. She also designed ads for the Village Voice and worked as the art director for Rock Magazine: A Music Review. The Helen Hersh Collection in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Library & Archives, on the Tri-C Metro campus, contains nearly 100 items donated by Hersh. The collection includes advertisements, flyers, album art, sheet music and concert posters. Tonight at 7, Hersh will speak about her work at the Gil and Tommy Lipuma Center's Black Box Theatre, next door to the Rock Hall's Library and Archives. Admission is free, but guests must register for tickets via the Rock Hall website. (Niesel)
2900 Woodland Ave., 216-515-1956, rockhall.com.
Open Turntable Tuesday
Tonight from 6 to 9, the Winchester hosts its weekly Open Turntable Tuesday. DJ Kris Koch will offer 20-minute time slots to people who want to bring their own vinyl and spin their favorite songs or deep tracks. The Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club and the locally based Gotta Groove Records serve as the sponsors, and turntables will be provided. Each person will be able to play three to five songs during their allotted time, and there will be a mic available to talk about the selections. (Niesel)
12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-600-5338, facebook.com/thewinchestermusictavern.
