Kacey Musgraves in concert, Hasan Minhaj at Playhouse Square, Cavs vs. Thunder, 'How I Met Your Father' & more

View in browser

Entertainment | Music | Events

THIS WEEK'S TOP PICKS

Kacey Musgraves at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

Country crossover superstar Kacey Musgraves performs songs from what has been called her most powerful and personal album to date as she brings her “star-crossed: unveiled” tour to Cleveland. Tickets start at $36.50. 1 Center Court, Cleveland. 8 p.m., Jan. 23. DETAILS

Hasan Minhaj at Playhouse Square

Before you saw him on “The Morning Show,” Hasan Minhaj became known for his smart and funny takes on current events and politics as the host of “Patriot Act” and a correspondent on “The Daily Show.” You can catch his live show “The King’s Jester” at the Connor Palace. Tickets, $45-$95. 1615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. 7 p.m., Jan. 21. DETAILS

Cavaliers vs. Thunder

The rim will be rocking at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen lead the surprising Cavaliers into a matchup with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tickets start at $18. 1 Center Court, Cleveland. 8 p.m., Jan. 22. DETAILS

“Hurricane Diane” at Dobama Theatre

Madeleine George confronts the climate crisis in this play, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2019 and has been described as an “adaptation of the Greek tragicomedy ‘The Bacchae’ through the stylistic lens of ‘Desperate Housewives.” Tickets, $22-$38. 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Through Feb. 13. DETAILS

“Rent” at Akron Civic Theatre

The Knight Stage is transformed into New York City’s East Village, where a group of struggling artists is determined to make the most out of every day. Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical features instantly memorable songs like “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Boheme” and “Another Day.” Tickets, $20. 182 S. Main St., Akron. Jan. 21-22, 28-29. DETAILS

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition

You don’t have to go to the Vatican to experience the wonder of Michelangelo’s famous frescos. This traveling showcase, featuring more than 30 life-sized reproductions of the artist’s Sistine Chapel paintings, opens this weekend for a month-long run at Great Lakes Mall. Tickets start at $19.20. 7850 Mentor Ave., Mentor. Jan. 21-Feb. 20. DETAILS

Third Fridays at 78th Street Studios

Shop or just browse many of the artist studios and galleries inside Northeast Ohio’s largest fine arts complex. This monthly art walk also features guest artisans, live music, local food and adult beverages. Free. 1300 W. 78th St, Cleveland. 5-9 p.m., Jan. 21. DETAILS

Hit the slopes

Unleash your inner Lindsey Vonn or Shaun White at Vail Resorts’ trio of ski areas in Northeast Ohio. Combined, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Alpine Valley offer 25 slopes and 20 lifts for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels. Lift tickets start at $50. Days and hours vary. Check websites for info.

Free Sundays at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Residents of Cleveland and East Cleveland can enjoy free admission every Sunday for the next three years thanks to a $3 million grant from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. Currently featured is “100 Years of Discovery,” an exhibit that celebrates the museum’s centennial and looks ahead to its future. Regular admission, $14-$17. 1 Wade Oval Dr., Cleveland. Sunday hours, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. DETAILS

Cleveland Pops: All that Jazz with Byron Stripling

Trumpeter extraordinaire Byron Stripling returns to the Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center, joining the Cleveland Pops Orchestra for an entertaining night of jazz. Tickets, $31-$107. 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. 8 p.m., Jan. 22. DETAILS

Today’s Bride Wedding Show at the I-X Center

Find everything you need to plan the wedding of your dreams. From dresses and photographers to venues, caterers and live entertainment, over 150 wedding-related vendors will be on-site with fashion shows, giveaways, samples, special deals and more. Tickets, $15. 1 I-X Center Dr., Cleveland. Jan. 22-23. DETAILS

The Rink at Wade Oval

Skate around the ice at Wade Oval’s ice rink this season, under starry lights in Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood. Beyond the ice skating, hot cocoa, coffee and snacks will be available for purchase from a concession stand. Admission and rentals $1-$5. 10820 East Blvd., Cleveland. Through Feb. 27. DETAILS

Cleveland Metroparks Toboggan Chutes

Find your thrill in the chill at the Chalet in Strongsville, whooshing down 700-foot refrigerated ice chutes on an old-timey toboggan. Reservations required. Tickets, $11-$13. 16200 Valley Pkwy, Strongsville. Through March 6. DETAILS

“Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia’s Sacred Mountain”

In a first-of-its-kind exhibition, the Cleveland Museum of Art uses immersive digital technology to take visitors to the floodplains of southern Cambodia to tell the story of one of the most prized items in its collection: a rare, 7th-century sculpture of Krishna. Tickets, $12-15. 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland. Through Jan. 30. DETAILS

Immersive Van Gogh

This popular art experience at the new Lighthouse ArtSpace offers a unique way to experience Vincent Van Gogh’s post-Impressionist works. The projection-based displays unfold on the walls around you, showcasing the Dutch master painter’s iconic works, including his most famous, “Starry Night.” Tickets $39.99-$49.99. Through Feb. 6. 850 E. 72nd St., Cleveland. DETAILS

EAT & DRINK

Dave’s Hot Chicken debuts in Lakewood

The loud music and the brightly colored interior are enough to make any pedestrian or motorist along Detroit Avenue in Lakewood notice the latest entry into Cleveland’s battle for your fast-casual dining dollar. Dave’s Hot Chicken officially opened last week. The Lakewood location is the 40th Dave’s franchise in the United States, with six more slated to open in the coming months around the country. The Lakewood location's owner Nikolas Silea said he already has plans in the works for multiple Dave’s Hot Chicken locations through-out Northeast Ohio. Cleveland.com reporter Brenda Cain has sneak peek. READ MORE

Eat more chicken

Which fast-food burger joint has the best crispy chicken sandwich meal? We tried 6 and ranked them worst to best READ MORE

750ml Wines to hold tasting featuring Stonestreet Estate Vineyards

It’s cool to see more in-person tasting events at wine shops and restaurants in Greater Cleveland. This Friday, Jan. 21, 750ml Wines is holding a tasting featuring the wines of Stonestreet Estate Vineyard in the Brecksville shop. The winery’s Craig Ellick and master sommelier Larry O’Brien are slated to guide the tasting, which is at 6:30 p.m. 750ml Wines is at 8903 Brecksville Road, Brecksville. DETAILS

Burns Night set at Market Garden Brewery

Market Garden Brewery will offer a chance to hoist a pint and a drink, hear a bit of poetry and eat a traditional Scottish meal – all in the name of honoring Robert Burns. Scotland’s national poet would have turned 263 this month, and the Ohio City brewery is holding its eighth Burns Night dinner Friday, Jan. 21. Traditional and curried haggis, shepherd’s pie and other dishes will be served, along with a pint of Beastie Stout and dram of Scotch. Kilts are encouraged. The event is at 6 p.m. Cost is $60. For reservations, email [email protected] or call 216-666-2550. Market Garden is at 1947 W. 25th St., Cleveland. DETAILS

TV & MOVIES

How I Met Your Father”

When a title is as catchy as "How I Met Your Mother," there's reason to think it will be recycled. Say hello to Hulu's iteration, "How I Met Your Father," with Hilary Duff as the woman searching for love and a tale for future offspring. Kim Cattrall, who skipped the sequel to "Sex and the City," is Sophie circa 2050, filling her son in on his origin story and her frisky salad days. Co-stars Christopher Lowell, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran and Suraj Sharma play friends and others in Sophie's circle. The series debuts this week, with new episodes airing on Tuesdays. DETAILS

"As We See It”

Writer-producer Jason Katims, who gifted TV with "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood," is steering Amazon's "As We See It," an adaptation of an Israeli series about 20-something roommates navigating the road to adulthood. Jack (Rick Glassman), Harrison (Albert Rutecki), and Violet (Sue Ann Pien) share something else: They are all on the autism spectrum. (The actors playing them also identify as being on the spectrum.) The eight-episode comedic drama, which also stars Sosie Bacon, Chris Pang and Joe Mantegna, is out Friday, Jan. 21. DETAILS

"A Hero”

Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi latest masterpiece, "A Hero," comes to Amazon Prime Video on Jan. 21. AP Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote in his review that this saga about a good deed gone wrong, in which a man imprisoned for a debt returns a bag of gold to its owner, is "one of the most labyrinthine moral tales you're likely to encounter... Farhadi's film grows increasingly knotty with fictions to cover truths, and vice-versa." DETAILS

Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival kicks off this week and, like last year, it is entirely virtual and movie lovers from around the world can buy tickets to see the films when they premiere from the comfort of their homes. Opening night offerings on Jan. 20 include "La Guerra Civil," a documentary about the rivalry between Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez in the 1990s directed by Eva Longoria, Jesse Eisenberg's directorial debut "When You Finish Saving the World," starring Julianne Moore, and "The Princess," a documentary about Princess Diana that turns the lens on the audience. Or if you can't score tickets to any of the Sundance films this year, MUBI is programming some breakouts and underseen gems of years past, like "But I'm a Cheerleader" (Jan. 23), "Tarnation" (Jan. 20) and "Whirlybird" (Jan. 22). DETAILS

"Munich: The Edge of War”

It's the fall of 1938 and tensions are boiling over as Hitler readies to invade Czechoslovakia and Britain seeks peace in "Munich: The Edge of War," coming to Netflix on Friday, Jan. 21. Based on the book by Robert Harris, this fictional tale directed by German filmmaker Christian Schwochow centers on two old Oxford classmates, one British (George MacKay) and one German (Jannis Niewöhner), who are sent to the Munich Conference for negotiations. Jeremy Irons plays Neville Chamberlain and Ulrich Matthes is Hitler. DETAILS

"Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock”

It's party time again for Gobo, Red, Mokey, Wembley and Boober on the Apple TV+ reboot "Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock," debuting Friday, Jan. 21. New friends are also promised in the 13 puppet-populated episodes with roots in the 1983 series created by Muppets mastermind Jim Henson. Signature elements: Bouncy tunes, silly jokes and good will. The streaming service also is home to the original show's 88 episodes, along with "Fraggle Rock" shorts and specials. DETAILS

MUSIC

John Mellencamp

In the fall of 2021, two quintessentially American singer-songwriters got together for a song about making the most of the time we've got left. John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen's "Wasted Days" is just one highlight of Mellencamp's upcoming album, "Strictly a One-Eyed Jack," set for release Friday, Jan. 21, on Republic Records. Mellencamp's gravely voice and rootsy rock are all over the 12-track collection, the sound of an artist looking back with some regret and at the present with a critical eye. "Worries occupy my brain," he sings in one song. It's not all gloomy, though: In the single "Chasing Rainbows," Mellencamp says our search should end: "At the end of the rainbow/Turns out it's not somewhere/Look around it's everywhere/For anyone who cares." DETAILS

Aurora

Norwegian pop star Aurora is back with a divine new album, "The Gods We Can Touch," out Friday, Jan. 21, via Decca. This time she leans into religion and Greek myths, like the track "Giving In to the Love," which was inspired by Prometheus stealing fire for humans and has the line: "I want to live my life, be all of its pages/And underline that I am not an angel." The lead single, "Cure For Me," is a radical jaunty pop affirmation that dismisses the need for outside approval. DETAILS

Keb' Mo'

Keb' Mo' releases the 13-track album "Good To Be" on Friday, Jan. 21 via Rounder Records. Darius Rucker, Kristin Chenoweth and Old Crow Medicine Show all make guest appearances and Vince Gill produced three cuts. Some of the singles include "Good Strong Woman," "Sunny and Warm," "The Medicine Man" and a cover of Bill Withers' "Lean on Me." The album was written between Nashville and his childhood home in Compton, California. The sunny, welcoming "Good To Be (Home Again)," the musician says, "feels like the title track to my life." DETAILS

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Neil Young and his latest incarnation of Crazy Horse aren’t going on the road just yet, but you can see the group recording its latest album, “Barn,” now -- for free. The documentary that accompanied the album’s December release, directed by Young’s wife Daryl Hannah, is now streaming on YouTube, showing the making of the album -- literally in a 19th century barn dubbed Studio in the Clouds in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. DETAILS

Beatles at Night with The Sunrise Jones at Music Box

Cleveland, come together in the Flats as Cleveland Magazine’s best cover band performs your favorite Fab Four tunes in a show that will make you want to twist and also shout. Tickets, $18-$25. 1148 Main Ave., Cleveland. 8 p.m., Jan. 22. DETAILS

G. Love & The Juice at House of Blues

Philadelphia-based G. Love & the Juice bring their unique sound of hip-hop-infused blues to Cleveland. Tickets, $29.50-$40. 308 Euclid Ave, Cleveland. 7:30 p.m., Jan. 22. DETAILS

Want more concert & music picks?
Cleveland.com's weekly virtual concert guide is HERE
Cleveland.com's weekly new music guide is HERE

Note: Due to the ongoing virus surge, we recommend contacting each venue for the latest info on live events as additional cancellations may occur.

David Bowie and Cleveland

On Sept. 22, 1972, David Bowie touched down in the United States for his first-ever tour in North America. And it kicked off in Cleveland. Public Auditorium’s Music Hall was, perhaps, the most fitting location for Bowie’s first show in the States, as Cleveland played an integral part in Bowie’s rise. The Starman’s relationship with Northeast Ohio will be the subject of cleveland.com’s FREE "CLE Rocks" event at Music Box Supper Club on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Entertainment reporter Troy L. Smith will host the panel discussion, which will be taped live for a CLE Rocks podcast. RESERVATIONS

Listen to the latest episodes of CLE Rocks podcast, with Troy L. Smith

Entertainment | Music | Events

To ensure receipt of our emails, please add [email protected] to your address book or safe sender list. You received this email because you opted-in to the newsletter. Was it forwarded to you? Sign up now!
1801 Superior, Cleveland, OH 44114.

UNSUBSCRIBE PRIVACY POLICY CONTACT US MOBILE APPS