The West Bank of the Flats was transformed into the five-stage festival village last night for the
10th annual Brite Winter Festival. "Brite Winter is
the Cleveland festival to me," says Ray Flanagan, who played the indoor McCarthy's stage with his band The Authorities. "It represents the toughness of Midwesterners. There is a defiance to winter that's pretty rock 'n' roll." We collected the best of last night's fest.
The Weather Was The Real Star.
Starting out at mid-40s and climbing to more than 50 degrees, Saturday brought the best kind of February day in Cleveland. There was a little bit of a mist, but none of the downpour that was expected. The warm weather freed up tents and indoor stages and made the winter music fest a pleasant and comfortable experience.
The Nikki Delamotte Tribute Was Beautiful.
With a message of “Nikki Forever,” an image of
the late Cleveland.com reporter’s signature cat-eye glasses was projected upon the base of the bridge and watched over the crowd. "Beautiful, wise and fiercely independent," read the tribute, "Nikki Delamotte loved telling the stories of creatives who make Cleveland such a vibrant place — including artists, writers, makers, musicians and small business owners. Her writing crackled with wit and energy, as the passion she had for the city and it's people shone through." The homage was a touching sentiment for those who knew her or her work and celebrated the legacy of a vital figure in Cleveland’s art scene.
Ray Flanagan & The Authorities Paid Tribute To "Sur Lawrence" And Rocked McCarthy's.
Ray Flanagan might have just released a
beautifully understated and blissful album, but when he gets with The Authorities, you know it’s going to be a rocker. Playing the indoor McCarthy’s stage, Flanagan reminded everyone that he's one of the best rockers in town, as he shredded his wood Fender Telecaster to the point of breaking a string and threw it on the floor during his final song. That song was
“Eldorado,” a swaggy tribute to Larry "Sur Lawrence" Trupo, a local songwriter and artist who died Dec. 28 and frequented
Brent Kirby's popular 10x3 Songwriter Showcase. The song proclaims, "I think I'll quit my job and get on welfare," but we pray Flanagan doesn't quit any time soon.
Ezri Showed Love To The Cleveland Crowd.
With bangers like “Bald” and “Goodbye,” which was featured in the movie
The Land, Ezri is a Cleveland rapper on the verge of superstardom. He showed his star power last night by headlining the outdoor K&D stage in front of one of the night's biggest crowds. While he has his sights set on eclipsing Cleveland fame, he still showed love for his city. "We out here in the cold like this, 15,000 people deep, really creating a memory for the city," he told the crowd before launching into his newest release,
"Matter Over Mind." "This is something that's going to last in the city forever."
Brite Winter Is A Playground For Clevelanders.
Three large-scale immersive art experiences celebrated the golden age of travel in the most psychedelic way imaginable. The Hangar brought revelers aboard an airplane at 30,000 feet that featured funky beats, an inflight roller skate arena and faux oxygen masks that were deployed for remainder of the flight. Soundtracked by world music, By Land was a sand-filled adventure with trippy camels, a massive train replicas and a tea tent. Across the Flats, By Sea featured a DJ spinning tracks in the driver seat of a motor boat while the nautical-themed bar was overtaken by a giant octopus. With games throughout the festival grounds like a Mahall's 20 Lane's bowling alley, and everyone’s favorite dive bar, Harbor Inn, packed as Dive Bar on a Saturday night, Brite Winter was a weird, wonderful and scenic representation of Cleveland's best artists, makers and musicians.