Best of Cleveland 2011: Entertainment & Attractions

Musical Tribute

Harvey Pekar wrote underground comics, yes, but he was also a critic for the nation's top jazz magazine, Downbeat. He once dubbed Ernie Krivda "one of the greatest jazz tenor saxophonists in the world," seeing the local bandleader as a kindred spirit, another international talent stubbornly rooted in Cleveland. A year after Pekar's death, Krivda responds with the bebop album Blues For Pekar. Flush with a $20,000 arts grant, Krivda hired the Detroit Connection, some of the Motor City's best jazz musicians. In five classic bebop tunes and two originals, Krivda's sax solos swing, leap and tumble, giving improvisation new vitality. Harvey would admire the artistry. erniekrivda.com

Celebrity Twitter Feed

Josh Cribbs is pure entertainment, both on the field and on Twitter. The Cleveland Browns wide receiver keeps his more than 82,000 followers tuned in with funny photos (like the time he tweeted a picture of himself dressed as the Easter Bunny), inspirational thoughts ("Have a great day ppl in whatever it is u do, u have another chance to live great, enjoy!!!"), and trivia questions for cash and prizes (the first response to "What is the college Alma Mater of Our 2nd round draft pick Greg Little" won two tickets to the Aug. 13 game). "I do a lot of trivia; that makes everyone happy," Cribbs explains. "I would give $100 for certain answers, and then it became too expensive, so I dropped down to $50. Now I'm doing game tickets because it's season time." Follow @JoshCribbs16, and you quickly learn he bleeds brown and orange and likes to interact with fans. Watch for clues, and you just might meet him in person. "At the @BSpot once again 4more eat eat!!" he tweeted in August. "Let's say grace: rubba dub dub thanks for the grub!!! Amen Burgers Brats Beers." @JoshCribbs16

Original Band

Erik Urycki doesn't know how to describe his band's sound. "People say we created our own genre," says the Speedbumps' lead singer and guitarist. "I've never wanted to sound like somebody else." Formed in 2005 by Urycki, Sam Kristoff and Pat Hawkins, the Kent-based group combines acoustic guitar, stand-up bass, cello and a plethora of other instruments (such as ukulele and mandolin) for a graceful musical mélange that everyone can jam to. The band's acoustic-alternative mix shifts so quickly, it might give your ears whiplash. "Oh My Mistakes" off the band's latest album, The Moon Is Down, has a breezy, Jack Johnson feel, but the title track has more of a classic blues vibe. Although the band frequently switches up instruments, there is a constant: "A lot of my earlier influences used cello," says Urycki. "Without that, there's really no Speedbumps." thespeedbumps.com

Renovation

The Tudor Arms waited 40 years to become a hotel again. The 1931 Carnegie Avenue landmark, now on the National Register of Historic Places, dazzled guests from the '40s through '60s with its stately Tudor Ballroom and elegant Crystal Ballroom. But after decades as a Job Corps center, it needed a major makeover to attract customers again. MRN Ltd's $22 million renovation burnishes the ballrooms and other classic elements — the stone-stepped entryway, the slate and iron main stairwell — while introducing a redesign that fits with its new status as a Doubletree by Hilton boutique hotel. Guest rooms, many with views of downtown or University Circle, boast new wood floors, abstract art and stylish furniture. The very vintage-British lobby, with its dark-wood walls, offers an angular front desk decorated with a gauzy backlit fabric that cycles through each color of the rainbow. 10660 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, 216-455-1260 doubletree.com

Iconic Art

The sandstone sentinels on the Hope Memorial Bridge haven't budged since 1932, yet lately it seems the Guardians of Traffic are swarming the town. They're turning up on one T-shirt after another and in every street-fair photo collection. To shake off Guardian-art fatigue, check out subtler studies of our winged icons of travel at the Paul Duda Gallery in Tremont. Duda has made art from the Guardians' images for 10 years, framing the statues close-up, without background clutter. Some of his works are simple photographs, others a combination of photography and painting. Duda uses a digital process to paint golden-hued details of the statues' faces in sunlight then prints the artwork with pigmented ink onto archival paper or canvas. "I try to examine them from every different angle, at different times of day, in different lighting conditions," Duda says. "To me, they symbolize an era of Cleveland at its peak." 2342 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-589-5788, pauldudagallery.com

Quirky Museum

So many saints, so little time to spend with them. Walk into the Museum of Divine Statues, and you'll see the faces of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Hedwig of Poland staring benignly back at you. The museum, which opened this April, is housed in the former St. Hedwig Parish and was created to preserve the artwork from many of the 50 Cleveland Catholic churches that were closing. "I thought to myself, It would be a shame if our artwork left Cleveland," says museum founder and operator Lou McClung. There are more than 80 pieces on display, including statues with lifelike glass eyes, and stained-glass windows. McClung, a professional restoration artist, has his work cut out for him, running the museum and restoring every single piece he acquires. A Catholic himself, McClung says he felt for those losing their spiritual homes and wanted a way to help them get over the shock and grief. "In order for people to truly move forward, if they feel that their history is preserved, it makes it just a little easier," he says. "I think that's one of the most important things that we do." 12905 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-228-9950, museumofdivinestatues.org

Tribute Band

To say Bon Jovi fans are wildly enthusiastic is like saying Jimmy Buffett fans are fond of Corona. It also explains why Cleveland's Bon Jovi tribute band, Wanted, garners the reaction it does. Some of this summer's Twilight at the Zoo crowd acted as if Jon, Richie, Tico, David and Alec had jumped onstage themselves. "Everybody in our band really is dedicated to doing it the way it's supposed to be, as close as you can make it, note for note where possible," says Wanted guitarist Randy Slama. In just a year, Wanted has already perfected more than 25 Bon Jovi tunes. "If you're going to be a tribute band, pay tribute," Slama says. "Don't put your own spin on it. Nobody wants to hear it." wantedtributeband.com

Pseudo Supergroup

Is that Slash on guitar, Bret Michaels on vocals, Angus Young on bass and Elvis on drums? No, it's Slush, Rocko Love, Angus Beef and The King — the onstage alter egos of the men behind the rock 'n' roll chameleon known as Almost Famous. But a quality cover band cannot live on costumes alone, and this group shows off a wild range that can swerve from Outkast's "Hey Ya!" to Ah-Ha's "Take On Me." Some nights, Kid Rock look-alike Cid Rock takes the stage in place of Rocko Love. "We'll do a different show with each singer," says Chris Torok (aka Angus Beef). "With Rocko Love we do a little more pop stuff or R&B, disco, '70s stuff. Then with Cid we do more rock stuff, a little more hair bands." And once the good times roll, they keep rolling. When a few women jumped on stage during a recent performance, the guys embraced it. "The concept is it's a giant party," Torok says. "If we get the crowd involved and they become part of the show, they'll tell their friends." myspace.com/almostfamouscleveland

Scary Ride

The oozing scabs; dark, hollow eyes; and blood-drenched clothes could have been mistaken for the zombie apocalypse. Instead, it was last October's inaugural Dead Ride, which found 150 bike riders dressing up and tearing off through the streets of Cleveland. "There was one little kid that saw us and went screaming into the house," says Crank-Set Rides co-founder Lindsey Bower. The zombies will rise again on Oct. 22, beginning at Lincoln Park Pub in Tremont and looping through Gordon Square and Ohio City. If zombie isn't your normal look, get your undead makeover at the pre-ride Blood Booth, where professional makeup artists will make you look like you've just risen from the grave in exchange for a donation to Protect Your Brains, a program that Crank-Set recently founded to give free helmets to bikers. cranksetrides.com

Top 40 Band

Brittany Lobas merges a playful stage persona with powerhouse pipes as she leads The Curve through a set list that spans the decades. She's equally at home belting out Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason" as she is the Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." And though Lobas may be the focal point, the rest of the group is the engine behind the band's big sound. Guitarist Jimmy Maler is a riff monster, busting into occasional instrumental interludes such as one that merges AC/DC's "Back in Black" with Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Meanwhile, bassist Nathan Hedges, who holds down the rhythm section with drummer Mike Gould, pitches in with vocals, giving The Curve added dimension to an already smoking live show. thecurveworldwide.com

best of cleveland

12:00 AM EST

September 20, 2011

Story:

Carly Toyzan
Jim Vickers
Erick Trickey
Kim Schneider
Kelly Petryszyn
John Hitch
Jennifer Bowen Sima
Chris Sweeney
Sarah Filus
Gina Kuzmick
Lisa Robertson
Hallie Rybka
Lori Weber

Editor:

Kim Schneider