The week ahead, 6/14-6/20

Another week in the books and a bunch more reasons for why I love Cleveland along with it. First of all, the weather lately has been AWESOME. A little sprinkle here and there, with mid-70s temps consistently ... AND we have more of the same promised for at least another week. Yesss. This past week was a big one, including my 31st birthday (ewww, he's sooo old!!!), a haircut, the cleaning of the dogder's ears, a fun potluck with some of my favorite friends I've made since moving to Cleveland, an outing to Tremont where I was informed that I am not the LeBron James of anything (lesson learned: always choose your metaphors carefully when communicating with the intoxicated), and - best of all - last night's All This Is Cleveland - All the Stuff I See show at Low Life Gallery. I had a great time there, truly appreciate the friends that came out and am excited about the new folks I met. And now I get to go help another friend paint her walls. (OK - that last one stretches my own labor-phobic definition of fun, especially when the afore-posted ill-advised breakfast choice, but whatever.)

This week bodes well for Cleveland-style fun, too.

Sunday, 6/14 - In addition to the Indie Crafts documentary I blogged about last week being shown at the Akron Art Museum, I'm also holding gallery hours at Arts Collinwood, so have some brunch and bizarre bloody maries at the Beachland, browse the funky stores of Waterloo, and come on in for some art-viewing at AC. In the evening, check out Moscow, Belgium at the CIA Cinematheque.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif



Monday, 6/15 - Hit up Baltimore's The Ghostwrite show at bela dubby in Lakewood. (And while you are there, if they still have it, snag a piece of the richest chocolate cake in the world.) If the idea of going to the west-side frightens you or seems like an extravagant vacation in the midst of the Great Recession, stick on the east side for movies (and beer!) on the cheap at Cedar-Lee for its monthly 3rd Monday discount day. My top picks among this week's showings there are Anvil, The Soloist, and The Girlfriend Experience.

Tuesday, 6/16 - Nothing. Sorry. I'm like 0-for-ever on Tuesdays. Tuesdays kinda suck, I guess. Spend some time with the kids. If you don't have any, go down to the Warehouse District, meet a person you'd otherwise be embarrassed to know, and make some kids.

Wednesday, 6/17 - See a screening of Charuga at the Museum of Art before enjoying the finest pop Cleveland has to offer, courtesy the folks in Afternoon Naps, at the Beachland. Special bonus: the Naps will be opened for by a pair of ATX bands, International Waters and Wine & Revolution, at least one of which being composed by members of Voxtrot (though I don't recall which).



Thursday, 6/18 - Lots of choices this Thursday night. On the west side, you could see the classic film, Truffaut's The 400 Blows, at bela dubby (over fancy beer and cake!) or check out the mini-film fest brought to us by the folks at Food Not Bombs from 7-9 PM at Visible Voice (including a Guy Maddin selection along with Murray Siple's Carts of Darkness, Fischli & Weiss's Der Lauf der Dinge/The Way Things Go, and Stoshi Tomioka's Coin Laundry XYZ -- PLUS free community vision screening). If you go there, try to find the just-in North Korea propaganda art book - totally awesome, and I would've bought it myself if I didn't pick up the Soviet version of the book.



On the east side you could check out the much-beloved Coventry Street Fest (Pt 1 of 2) - there will be lots going on, but nothing of the magnitude of what Mac's Backs has planned, with signings by local hero Harvey Pekar and Russell Howze, the author of a great book on Stencil Art that I'm super happy to own.



Friday, 6/19 - Catch The Volunteers at Now That's Class or infamous cult blaxploitation/puppeteering masterpiece Black Devil Doll at the Cedar-Lee (showing at 10 PM only for three nights, June 19-21).



Saturday, 6/20 - Once again, tons of cool stuff to do. In addition to the much-hyped CMA Summer Solstice Unveiling party (seriously, I bet they could build another wing with the money they spent on the marketing of this party), the Larchmere Porch Fest is going down (including back-to-back performances at Shaker Square by Other Girls, JJ Magazine, and Good Morning Valentine from 6-9 PM), and the inaugural (and pricy) Big Cool Cats Festival at Cain Park.

What I'm particularly excited about, however, is the Mutt Wash fundraiser for Ohio Citizen Action at the Mutt Hutt - from 9 am to noon you can bring your pup and get a wash & nail trim for $15 AND put a little cash in the coffers of one of the hardest-working and behaviorally principled social justice groups in Ohio. I'll definitely be there, if nothing else because Smells seriously needs her nails cut. I have scratches all over from playing with her that make me look like I've got a very active Suicide Girls model for a girlfriend.

Other stuff to keep your eye on the following week:

June 21 - Andrew Kenny in-store at Music Saves
June 24 - Cotton Jones at the Beachland and Fourth Wall Film Night at Visible Voice
June 25 - Interesting shows at the Grog and Beachland
June 26 - ALL KINDS OF SHIT, including the Made in the 216 event on Detroit-Shoreway
June 27 - Waterloo Arts Fest and the Cleveland Bachelor-sponsored This Is Cleveland closing party