The Week ahead, 5/17-5/23

My attempts to chronicle the upcoming events for all you dudes out there in the virtual ether has fallen off, but I'm trying to get things more consistent here again. This one is gonna be short and sweet, since (a) I'm STILL suffering at 8:57 PM from a righteous hangover and (b) I'm gonna be out of town in DC all next week and, as a result, have not paid much attention to stuff going down around Clevo while I'll be gone. There are some cool things, though, so without further ado, here is your week, should you elect to enjoy yourself.

Sunday, 5/17 is Day 2 of Hessler Fest, so get your tie-dye out of the closet and go eat some ethnic food and listen to local jam bands. And when that gets boring, go down and drink beers at the Euclid Tavern. Last time I was there, they had some bacon buffalo wings on special - how could that not be worth a sample. If it is no longer on the menu, please accept my apologies.

Monday, 5/18 Atmosphere is playing at the Beachland. Stop on down and have a bite before the show at the newly-opened Waterloo Cafe. Get the chicken melt on pita wedges dish - awesome.

Tuesday, 5/19, is Album Release Day, so hit up Music Saves (or your other preferred local indie record store) and grab some new releases (or other releases that are not as immediately new). I'll be hitting the stores in DC in eager anticipation of the new Jason Lytle (formerly of http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifGrandaddy) solo album. He's one of my all-time favorite male vocalists, after Tim DeLaughter, Daniel Johnston, and Wayne Coyne (sense a pattern?). Other good ones include the long-awaited Passion Pit LP, the new Au Revoir Simone, the new Clues album (featuring members of Arcarde Fire and the Unicorns), and a new one from White Rabbits. Tell them I sent you and maybe that'll earn me some nice record store karma. Or don't, you selfish jerk.

Wednesday, 5/20, check out a Roberto Rossellini classic, The Rise of Louis XIV, at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Make a night of it and pick up some Hot Sauce Williams fried chicken on the way home - the best in America. Seriously!

Thursday 5/21 - I got nothing for you. Sorry.

Friday 5/22 Attend the Friends of the Cleveland Kennel 5th Annual Art for Animals benefit and auction. Seriously, folks, this is important! And it is only $15. Please please please go to this. I have a much more compelling argument, with all the pertinent details, posted here. If you hate animals, but still want to do something cool, you could also check out another film at the CMA, Medicine for Melancholy, which is my second biggest regret about not being in town this week (after the benefit).

Saturday, 5/23 Check out the Joe Grand & Leonard Trawick opening at Pentagon Gallery on Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights. I actually own a piece by Grand and dig his work. I don't know Trawick's work nearly as well, but the two pieces I've laid eyes on are pretty impressive. There are also a couple interesting films back-to-back at the CIA Cinematheque, The Red & the White (a 1967 Hungarian take on the Russian Civil War) and Serbis (a Filipino/French movie described as "a raw, rambunctious drama set in and around a dilapidated, X-rated Philippine movie house owned - and occupied - by a three-generation family").

There you go - I'll try to post another update next weekend, but travel may prevent me. If not, I'll be back to this on a regular basis the week after. In the meantime, keep the following dates/events in mind as you play out your late May/early June calendars:

- Norweigian pop awesomers I Was A King at the Beachland on May 27
- San Diego fuzzy awesomers Crocodiles (with Holy Fuck, one of the greatest band names I've heard in a while) at the Grog on May 28
- The Beachland Prom on May 29
- An Awesome three-fer at the CIA (Silence & Cry, Katyn, and Two Lovers) on May 30
- The last day to catch the Friedlander photo exhibit at the CMA on May 31
- The long-awaited reunification of my doggie and me on June 1
- Screening of the documentary "Food Fight" hosted by local author extraordinaire Micheal Ruhlman at the Museum of Art on June 3
- Art gallery openings everywhere, including Asterisk, MOCA, and William Rupnik (formerly Artchitecture) AND the next Music Saves Alley Cat Friday on June 5
- The Waterloo Walls mural #1 opening and a Meat Puppets/Mystery of Two show at the Grog on June 6
- The incredibly promising "This Is Cleveland" photo exhibit at Low Life Gallery AND a show down the block at the Beachland featuring The Phoebe Cates & Party of Helicopters on June 12
- and much, much more!

Vivo Clevo!