10 Things Going on in Cleveland this Weekend (July 11 - 13)

Singer-songwriter Amy Black’s latest album, This is Home, cooks up a hearty batch of warm, soulful tunes. Opening track “Nobody Knows You” wends around excellent drumming while Black croons soothingly. The whole trip is a very personal endeavor, evidenced by tracks like “Alabama” and “Stronger,” which refract the ups and downs of life through gentle and uptempo songwriting, respectively. The right-hand guitar work is enticing in each song, bringing out a deeper sense of the music either through rhythm and speed or punchy lead confidence. Black infuses her work with enough variety that the listener is kept constantly engaged with her music. Even toward the end of the album, when tracks like “Cat’s in the Kitchen” show up, the terrific instrumentation maintains the collection’s diverse attitude. See her perform at Beachland Tavern. (Sandy) $8 ADV, $10 DOS. 8 p.m.

What’s this now? A weekend baseball series against divisional rivals Chicago White Sox? With fireworks on Friday? And a Kenny Lofton jersey giveaway to the first 10,000 fans on Saturday? Once again, a Kenny Lofton jersey giveaway on Saturday? Say whaaaaa? Damn. But it’s true! Tonight at 7:05, tomorrow at 3:05 p.m. and Sunday at 1:05 p.m., you can go see Dr. Smooth, Lonnie “Don’t Call Me Jesse Pinkman!” Chisenhall, Rubic’s Klubes and the Indians take on lanky Chris Sale, slugger Jose Abreu and the White Sox. And if you head to Progressive tomorrow, be sure to get there early: Those Lofton jerseys (blue with red trim) are mint. The AL Central has been playing really mediocre baseball recently, so with any luck there’ll be plenty of home runs and stuff! Tickets start at $12. (Allard)

The annual Cain Park Arts Festival starts today, bringing together the works of more than 15 artists. Featured pieces include paintings, photographs, hand-pulled prints, ceramics, jewelry, wood, glass and more, effectively making this both a study in the diversity of art and an opportunity to score some one-of-a-kind pieces for your living room. Everything kicks off today with free admission from 3 to 8 p.m. Tomorrow’s hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday’s hours are noon to 5 p.m. Admission for adults is $5 for those days. Kids 12 and under always get in free. (Trenholme)

Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles clearly remembers her first tour. It wasn't pretty. The guys in Maroon 5, who were friends of hers, invited her to accompany them on an East Coast tour. "I had no idea what I was doing," she says via phone from her New York home. "I rented a RV instead of a van. I made so many poor business decisions and lost my ass financially on that tour. I was just a kid figuring it out. I have a lot of fond and nostalgic memories about that period of my life because so much of it was unknown. It's actually a cool thing to have built off." Bareilles has certainly "built off" that initial experience. See just how much tonight when she takes to the Jacobs Pavilion Stage at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $35-$55, livenation.com.

Are you like us? Do you wake up every weekend morning and sulk to your spouse or sister that you’re not running in an organized 5K through a hip Cleveland neighborhood on the rise? Every flippin’ Saturday, am I right? Well, we’re all in luck. Gordon Square is hosting a 5K this morning through Detroit-Shoreway, and we’re all like, finally! It starts at Edgewater Park and ends at the Capitol Theatre (which means, be advised, that you’ll have to walk like half a mile back to your parking spot if you don’t get dropped off or plan ahead). Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. for the 8:30 blastoff, and is $25 on the day of the race. Scenic route, great brunch options afterwards, physical fitness: the triumvirate we all want and deeply need in our lives. (Allard) hermescleveland.com.

Located in Tyler Village, just east of downtown Cleveland, Gotta Groove Records is one of the city’s best-kept secrets. It’s one of only about a dozen vinyl pressing plants in the entire country. A couple of years back, it launched Groove ’N’ Brew, an event for which it partners with Indigo Imp, the brewery located in the same complex. Local singer-songwriter Chris Allen and his backing band the Guilty Hearts will perform and so will garage rockers the Buffalo Killers. Faux Paw, Meanderthals, Party Plates and DJ Alright will also play. Melt Bar and Grilled, Boca Loca Burrito Factory, Urban Sweetness and Betty’s Bomb Ass Burgers will serve food. The Cleveland Flea, which is relocating to Tyler Village, will be on hand for the festivities as well with a pop-up shop. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. (Niesel) 3615 Superior Ave., facebook.com/gottagrooverecs.

Every summer at Blossom Music Center, the Cleveland Orchestra provides listeners with opportunities to hear world-class music in a beautiful outdoor setting. The Blossom Music Festival continues this weekend with two programs. Tonight at 8, Asher Fisch conducts the orchestra in Richard Wagner’s Overture to the Flying Dutchman, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with guest soloist Isabelle Faust. Tomorrow night at 7, Jack Everly will conduct an out-of-this-world performance of your favorite tunes from sci-fi films and television. The concert will feature George Takei, best known for playing Sulu on the original Star Trek TV series and six movies that followed, and will also feature soprano soloist Kristen Plumley and the men of the Blossom Festival Chorus. Tickets to each concert range from $23 to $85. (Gonzalez)

Guide To Kulchur, your favorite indie bookstore/co-op workshop, has been hosting some interesting musical acts recently and tonight will be no different, featuring Chicago-based experimental drummer Frank Rosaly. Expect a mix of improvised avant-garde jazz and eclectic electronics. Also on the bill: homemade synthesizer extraordinaire Fluxmonkey and noise artists RatKingCole and Counterrucking. The event is free with a suggested $5 donation; it begins at 9 p.m. (Gonzalez)

The monthly Gospel Brunch has been a spiritual Sunday staple for years at the House of Blues, but it recently added a new choreographer. Created by famed gospel singer Kirk Franklin, the reinvigorated show puts a bit more emphasis on the music. Starting at 11 a.m., the all-you-can-eat musical extravaganza features Southern classics like chicken jambalaya, biscuits and gravy, and chicken and waffles. Tickets are $44. (Niesel)

Frank Zappa remains among the most cherished composers and artists of the late 20th century. His legacy is strong and alluring. Dweezil Zappa, the late musician’s oldest son, has been carrying the torch since 2006, performing his father’s music with the same sort of zeal originally infused into the Zappa canon. Consistently ranked as one of the most exciting and entrancing live shows touring these days — among fans and the uninitiated alike — Zappa Plays Zappa is an absolute force. It’s apparent that Dweezil cares about the music. Onstage, he takes his role as reverent conduit quite seriously. It also helps that he picked up more than a handful of his old man’s ridiculously talented genes. (Sandy) $25 ADV, $28 DOS. See the show at 8:30 p.m. at House of Blues.