WonderStruck, Tall Ships Festival, Kevin Hart, Grand Slam Beerfest, 'Thor: Love and Thunder' & more

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Entertainment | Music | Events

THIS WEEK'S TOP PICKS

TOP PICKS

WonderStruck music festival

One of Northeast Ohio’s biggest music events will return this weekend, when WonderStruck music festival brings 28 musicians to three stages over the course of two days. The Lumineers and Vampire Weekend will headline the whole thing, set to take over Lakeland Community College this Saturday and Sunday. Tickets $50+. 7700 Clocktower Dr., Kirtland. July 9-10. DETAILS

Kevin Hart at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Comedian Kevin Hart will bring his “Reality Check” tour to the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for a show on Sunday night. The star is best-known for his roles in movies like “Get Hard,” “Fatherhood,” “Think Like a Man” and the “Jumanji” franchise. Tickets $39.50+ 1 Center Court, Cleveland. 7 p.m. July 10. DETAILS

Tim Meadows at Hilarities

“Saturday Night Live” icon Tim Meadows will showcase his comedy skills on the Hilarities stage this weekend. Meadows is known for more than his famous “SNL” characters (including The Ladies’ Man and Leon Phelps); he’s also starred in “Grown Ups” and appeared as the principal in “Mean Girls.” Tickets $40-$120 for tables that seat two to six guests. 2035 E. 4th St., Cleveland. July 7-9. DETAILS

Cain Park Arts Festival

Visit Cleveland Heights’ Cain Park for its annual arts festival, taking place all weekend long. Artists from Northeast Ohio and around the country will compete in the juried art competition, and visitors can also shop for unique fine arts items. Local musicians Charlie Mosbrook, The Labra Brothers, Liz Bullock, Jeff Varga and more will also perform at the event. Free. 14591 Superior Road, Cleveland Heights. July 8-10. DETAILS

Tall Ships Festival
Seven replica and restored ships from three countries will set sail for Cleveland during the Tall Ships Festival this weekend. Explore the ships, and enjoy live music and activities, at North Coast Harbor this weekend. Tickets $20. North Coast Harbor, Cleveland. July 7-10. DETAILS

'Something Rotten!' at Beck Center
Imagine trying to compete in playwriting at the same time as Shakespeare. That’s the setup behind the comedy “Something Rotten!,” Beck Center for the Arts’ latest production. Follow two brothers who aim to write a hit play in 1595, and end up penning the first musical ever. Tickets $10-$34. 17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. July 8-Aug. 7. DETAILS

CAN Triennial
The Collective Arts Network (CAN) will host its second CAN Triennial this summer, after a year’s delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. The showcase of local artists’ works will appear at various venues in Cleveland, taking on the theme “You Are Here.” More than a dozen exhibitions will make up the event, set to take place once every three years. Free.

An opening reception event is set for Friday night at the Morgan Conservatory (1754 E. 47th St., Cleveland). VIP tickets $100. Various locations in Cleveland. July 8-Aug. 31. DETAILS

'Awake in Every Sense' at Cleveland Botanical Garden
Textile artist Rachel Hayes put together a massive installation at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, titled “Awake in Every Sense.” The cloth creations add a pop of color to the garden’s outdoor spaces. Tickets $12-$16. 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland. Through Sept. 18. DETAILS

Walkabout Tremont
Explore Tremont’s shops and restaurants at the Cleveland neighborhood’s monthly art walk event. Find deals on dining and drinking options, and check out live music and new art displays, at the area’s establishments. Plus, this month, see belly dancing, aerial acrobatics and more. Free. Professor Ave. and surrounding streets, Cleveland
5-9 p.m., July 8. DETAILS

The Beatles: Get Back to Let It Be
This expansive Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit celebrates the legacy of the Fab Four with film clips, audio, custom projections, original instruments, clothing and handwritten lyrics. Artifacts include John Lennon’s iconic wire-rimmed glasses, a black and gray shirt worn by Paul McCartney in the recording studio, Ringo Starr’s maple Ludwig drum kit and more. Tickets, $20-$30. Cleveland residents get in free. 1100 E. 9th St., Cleveland. Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. DETAILS

Looking for more things to do this week in Greater Cleveland?Cleveland.com's Anne Nickoloff has your guide. READ MORE

EAT & DRINK

Grand Slam Beerfest

Progressive Field will host its second-annual Grand Slam Beerfest on Saturday, with more than 200 types of craft beer ready for sampling. Some tickets also offer access to the baseball field itself, along with future Guardians game tickets. Tickets $55-$100 2401 Ontario St., Cleveland. 1-5 p.m. July 9. DETAILS

Have a bite at Luna Bakery & Café

Luna is a mainstay in Cleveland Heights. Bridget Thibeault’s eatery recently marked its 11th anniversary and is planning an expansion to downtown Cleveland. From paninis, crepes, soups and more, Luna has you covered. It’s at 2482 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights. Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends. DETAILS

View and a brew at Collision Bend

With the Grand Slam Beerfest going on at Progressive Field this weekend, we started mulling beer and baseball and were reminded of the recent 10 Cent Beer Night celebration at Collision Bend Brewing Co. on the Flats East Bank. OK, the celebration is past, but Collision Bend offers one of the best views of the water and a great spot to relax, sip a pint or flight, and have a bite while enjoying this weather. The brewery is a great example of a brewpub that offers great food, from a slew of small bites to wood-fired pizza to entrees and more. 1250 Old River Road. Hours: 11:30 a.m.- 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. DETAILS

Milkshakes, fruity margaritas, street corn, loaded hot dogs and more

Summer is here and Yelp Cleveland Community Director Lauren Kotmel gives us the scoop on the food and drink trends taking over Cleveland. Embrace the season with these local favorites from small businesses in the Greater Cleveland area: Ube ice cream, elote (Mexican street corn), mega milkshakes, fruity margaritas and more. READ MORE

New Cleveland restaurants to try this summer

Hopefully, the number of recently opened restaurants this year is a healthy sign – healthy for the hospitality industry and of Covid waning. Throughout the year we look at openings and closings of restaurants throughout Greater Cleveland. More than 20 have opened, from the cool Bright Side in Cleveland’s Ohio City to the relaxing-party vibe of The Yard on 3rd in Willoughby. From restaurateurs like Douglas Katz, Karen Small and Zdenko Zovkic. If you’re hungry or thirsty and want something new, it won’t be hard to find. READ MORE

TV & MOVIES

'Thor: Love and Thunder'
The God of Thunder’s search for inner peace after his retirement from the Avengers is interrupted when a new threat called Gorr the God Butcher emerges, looking to eliminate the gods. He’s aided by the Guardians of the Galaxy and -- surprise! -- ex-flame Jane Foster, who now wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the new Thor. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Christian Bale. Directed by Taika Waititi. REVIEW

’The Sea Beast’
Netflix's "The Sea Beast" brings a "Moby Dick"-like tale down to kid size. The rollicking ocean adventure, directed by "Big Hero 6" filmmaker Chris Williams, is about an orphan British girl (voiced by Zaris-Angel Hator) who stows away on a ship hunting sea beasts. The veteran animator Williams, who co-directed "Moana," returns to the high-seas for a swashbuckling tale made with the kind of accomplished animation often only found on the big screen. It debuts Friday, July 8. DETAILS

‘Maggie’
In the Hulu comedy "Maggie," a professional psychic who sees her own future is in for a rough romantic ride. Maggie, played by Rebecca Rittenhouse, gets glimpses of a maybe not-so-happily-ever life after she gives a reading to customer Ben (David Del Rio). Her forecast has them married and parents, but then he moves into her apartment building with a present-day girlfriend. Will love and, more importantly, hilarity ensue? Nichole Sakura, Leonardo Nam and Chris Elliott co-star in the 13-episode series which debut in full on Wednesday. DETAILS

‘In the Ring: Boxing On-Screen’
The Criterion Channel has a new film series sure to knock you out. "In the Ring: Boxing On-Screen" brings together 16 bobbing-and-weaving movies, from the 1927 Alfred Hitchcock silent "The Ring" to Martin Scorsese's 1980 masterpiece "Raging Bull." The series, streaming in July, argues that boxing and cinema grew in tandem, and remain uniquely suited to one another. Two highlights: "The Set-Up," Robert Wise's sweaty 1949 noir with Robert Ryan as a washed-up boxer whose manager sets him up to take a dive; and Leon Gast's 1996 documentary classic "When We Were Kings," about the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman 1974 bout, the "Rumble in the Jungle." DETAILS

‘America Outdoors’
Writer and commentator Baratunde Thurston goes big with a region-by-region trek in "America Outdoors," debuting this week on PBS. In an effort to understand Americans' "complicated relationship" with the natural world, the six-part series visits with people including wilderness pilots in Idaho; Appalachian coal miners who have turned to beekeeping; Black surfers in Los Angeles, and an ultramarathoner in California's Death Valley. Getting in touch with nature and those attuned to it proved to be one of "the best things I could do with my time," Thurston says. DETAILS

‘The Challenge: USA’
Think you're competitive? The 28 contestants on "The Challenge: USA" have already proven their mettle — in one fashion or another — on "Survivor," "The Amazing Race," "Big Brother" and "Love Island." Players will face mental and physical contests in the series arrived with a 90-minute episode on Wednesday on CBS (streaming on Paramount+). T.J. Lavin hosts the first network broadcast of MTV's international reality franchise, with "Survivor" winners Tyson Apostol, Ben Driebergen and Sarah Lacina among those vying for the $500,000 grand prize. DETAILS

MUSIC

The Stadium Tour featuring Def Leppard, Motley Crue & more

Def Leppard and Motley Crue's massive stadium tour has been a few years in the making due to the pandemic. It finally arrives at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday, July 14, with headline-level acts as the openers in Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. It marks Def Leppard’s first show in Cleveland since being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. DETAILS

Big Time Rush at Blossom Music Center

Big Time Rush, known for its Nickelodeon show following a fictionalized version of its boy band adventures, will headline at Blossom Music Center on Friday night. Fans of the band have had to wait a while for this moment: the band reunited in 2020, following a six-year hiatus. Tickets $19.95+ on Live Nation’s website. 1145 W. Steels Corners Road, Cuyahoga Falls. 8 p.m. July 8. DETAILS

Lil Jon DJ set at FWD

Get low with Lil Jon at FWD Day + Nightclub this weekend. The accomplished rapper will perform a DJ set on Friday night at the Flats club. Tickets $40 on Ticketmaster. 1176 Front Ave., Cleveland. 9:30 p.m. July 8. DETAILS

Neil Young

Neil Young isn't finished opening his vaults. On Friday, July 8, he's releasing the shelved Crazy Horse album "Toast," a set they recorded in 2001 at Toast Studios in San Francisco. "'Toast' is an album that stands on its own in my collection," Young wrote last year. "Unlike any other, 'Toast' was so sad that I couldn't put it out. I just skipped it and went on to do another album in its place. I couldn't handle it at that time." The seven songs on "Toast" explore a broken relationship. In the last song, "Boom Boom Boom," Young sings: "All I got is a broken heart, and I don't try to hide it when I play my guitar." DETAILS

Elton John

Quick, what was the name of the first album Elton John ever recorded? If you answered "Empty Sky," close, but wrong. It's actually "Regimental Sgt. Zippo," a 12-track album that the then-unknown teenager John — credited as Reg Dwight — recorded in 1968 at age 19 with lyricist Bernie Taupin that was shelved. It had a limited release on Record Store Day in 2021, but now it will be available on LP, CD and streaming. Beatles harmonies, harpsichords and flute-like sounds permeate the album, which The Guardian says has a "naïve, endearing charm" and the title track has a trippy animated video. DETAILS

Journey

Journey's "Let It Rain" is one of the singles ahead of the band's next studio album, "Freedom," set for release Friday, July 8 "that brings back the grand scale of the group's greatest moments, along with updated and bold new directions and sounds," says the band. It's their first project of new material since 2011's "Eclipse." The new record also features the tracks "You Got the Best of Me" and "The Way We Used to Be." DETAILS

Flowerpot Records Fest

Nearly 20 local bands will perform at Flowerpot Records Fest in the event’s first return to in-person programming since 2019. The lineup includes Marriah Rodgers, Gelatinus Cube, Owney the Postal Dog, Deep Mauve, Dan Socha and more. Tickets $15. Berea Elks Lodge #1815, 626 N. Rocky River Dr., Berea. Noon-midnight July 9. DETAILS

Biitchseat at Grog Shop

Cleveland indie-rock band Biitchseat will celebrate the release of its latest album “Float” with a concert at the Grog Shop on Saturday night. Runaway Brother and Wife Patrol will join onstage. Tickets $12. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights. 8:30 p.m. July 9. DETAILS

Kultures at Mahall’s

A year after he released his self-titled debut album, Cleveland musician Kultures will celebrate the project with a show at Mahall’s. Joshua Jesty and Tom Fox will also perform. Tickets $12-$15. 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood. 7 p.m. July 8. DETAILS

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

CLE Rocks Presents

The life and times of radio legend Johnny Holliday

Often imitated but never duplicated, the original Johnny Holliday is a true radio legend who got his first big break at Cleveland’s powerhouse station WHK in 1959. WHK was Cleveland’s first radio station and with Holliday at the forefront, WHK would become a juggernaut on the airwaves. Holliday’s impact would earn him a featured spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s first radio exhibit celebrating the most influential disc jockeys from around the country. For the first time in nearly two decades, Holliday returns to Cleveland for “CLE Rocks presents…The life and times of radio legend Johnny Holliday” to talk about his amazing 60-plus year career. The storyteller's event takes place Thursday, July 14, at the Music Box in Cleveland and will be hosted by cleveland.com reporter Troy L. Smith and feature special guest, radio historian Mike Olszewski. It will be recorded as an episode of cleveland.com’s popular CLE Rocks podcast. Find out how Holliday earned his way inside the doors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, became the public announcer for the Cleveland Browns, shared stages with The Beatles and covered events from the Major League Baseball playoffs to the Olympics. Free but reservations required. DETAILS

Listen to the latest episodes of the CLE Rocks podcast

How Belkin Productions and WMMS brought a World Series (of Rock) to Cleveland

Entertainment | Music | Events

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