The week ahead: 1/3-1/9 (Dawn of the Decade edition)

You know, it isn't ever very hard to find stuff to do the first 24-48 hours of a new year (and decade! I love saying that.). The next couple days, though, things get real quiet. Maybe because everyone is finally giving in to their post-holidays broke-assedness. Or because everyone is putting in extra hours at work to catch up on the pile of behindness that accumulated since mid-December when things started to get festive and lax. Or perhaps because all those service industry workers that had to bust their ass while the rest of us were partying during the holiday weeks are finally getting their much-deserved days of rest. Whatever the reason, the first few days of the new year are often pretty dang culturally deserted.

Which is my handy dandy excuse for having jack shit to suggest to you for Monday through Wednesday. I'm sorry. Truly. And am open to any and all suggestions you might have for me and the rest of the CB readership. Just leave a note in the comments section. In the meantime, here's what I got for you. Little tip - Friday looks cool.

Sunday, 1/3 - Start the new decade out right with a delicious brunch at the Beachland, with the soundtrack provided by neighbor and artist Jacob Lang.

Monday, 1/4 - tba

Tuesday, 1/5 - tba

Wednesday, 1/6 - tba

Thursday, 1/7 - I'm gonna complement my usual film suggestion (in this case the amazing classic Badlands at the CIA Cinematheque) with a jockish one: watching the Cleveland State Vikings do battle with Loyola. The Vikes have struggled through the non-conference season this year, putting up a record of 5-10 as they head into conference play. While there isn't really any way of putting lipstick on that pig, it should be mentioned that CSU has played MAJOR programs like Kentucky (#3 nationally), Virginia, West Virginia (#6), Ohio State (#15), and Kansas State (#12). Our guys weren't able to steal a win in any of those underdog matches, but they did play with dignity, keeping it close with Virginia and only losing the game against 6th ranked West Virginia at the last seconds. Though it isn't reflected in the record, our young team learned a lot through those trials and should stand strong in the Horizon League play in January, February, and early March.

Friday, 1/8 - Today finds us with the exact opposite problem we faced the first several days of the week. Instead of scrounging for suggestions, I have way too many to offer. To keep things simple, I'll go bullet-style:
- Opening reception and lecture for CSU's new "Portraits of Homelessness" exhibit (5:30 PM; Glickman-Miller Hall)
- Cleveland Scene's Bands to Watch showcase featuring NEO's favorite weekly rag's top choices for new bands on the scene. $5 gets you access to both rooms, with CB faves The Modern Electric among the 10 on the bill. Should you go, also pay special attention to Simeon Soul Charger, The Lighthouse and the Whaler, and Megachurch.
- Afternoon Naps headline a top-notch local bill that also includes Casual Encounters, Shiny Penny, and Filmstrip (for, ahem, free) at the Grog Shop. This is my live show pick to click for the week for my frenemy Matt at Addicted to Vinyl. And, more likely than not, this is where you'll find me tonight.
- The second and final screening of Badlands (9:30 PM) at the CIA Cinematheque. Click here for more information about it and the rest of the cinematic goings-on about town this month.
- Tremont Art Walk - of particular note are the openings at Asterisk (Charles Wince and Paul Volker) and Brandt (Scott Pickering). I'm a proud owner of work by artists Volker and Pickering, and find the journey made self-taught, new-wave Columbus rocker Wince to be both fascinating and promising.
Saturday, 1/9 - Another home conference battle for the CSU Vikings, this time we see our boys in green facing off against University of Illinois-Chicago. Tip off is at 5:30, and as long as it doesn't devolve into one of those "foul and free throw" endings that take as long as the entire first half, you should be out (and hopefully glistening from a post-victory glow) and able to make it to the CIA Cinematheque for the one-time screening of the never-before-released-in-America film The Tree, The Mayor and the Mediatheque. (Click here for more info on the film and on the rest of the exciting features coming through NEO this month.)

Other stuff to keep your eye on the following week:
- 1/10 - John G DJs the Beachland Brunch
- 1/10 - Picklefight! at bela dubby
- 1/13 - Bear in Heaven @ The Spot (CWRU)
- 1/14 - Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor @ Now That's Class
- 1/15 - The Dutchess & the Duke @ Grog Shop
- 1/16 - Black Dynamite screens @ CIA Cinematheque
- 1/17 - The Rural Alberta Advantage & The Octagon @ Beachland
- 1/18 - House of Blues annual Martin Luther King Jr celebration