Editor’s Note

 

Welcome to our Music Issue.

With our feature story on, and incredible photography by, long-time Cleveland rock-and-roll photographer Janet Macoska, we’re honoring the region’s role in rock history. She’s got tales — plenty of them — and she shares a few in our music section that starts on page 30

We also know that music covers many genres. We’ve put together a list of places to enjoy for free, or mostly free, outdoor music. From folk artists to opera singers, one of the best places to listen to music is outdoors, in a park or sitting around a community bandstand, letting a warm breeze push the notes through the summer air.

Many of us indulge our love of music later in life. We’ve got profiles of several Northeast Ohio residents who’ve rekindled their passion and reframed it for the second stage of their lives, sharing it with others along the way.

And our music issue wouldn’t be complete without our pop culture columnist Mike Olszewski weighing in. He talks about NEO’s music venues and the personalities who performed there. We’re also happy to print an excerpt of his latest book, co-written with his wife, Janice, “Smoky, Sweaty, Rowdy, and Loud: Tales of Cleveland’s Legendary Rock & Roll Landmarks.”

 

Don’t Judge

 

Some people can’t imagine life without music. I’m not one of them, or at least I don’t think I am. As the first of four kids, I didn’t have older siblings to influence my musical development. The best we had was a console stereo and hand-me-down albums from my bachelor/ cool, Uncle Don. He owned a Corvette. I remember a Marty Robbins album with the song “A White Sportcoat and a Pink Carnation” — and that’s it; a sorry foundation for a ‘70s teen.

A high school friend — an enviable only child —  introduced me to The Beatles.

...

’Tis the season of fuzzy memories and sharp expectations. My mind runs a loop captured from images in old 8 mm home movies: Thanksgiving dinners with great-aunts in dressed-up softness passing mashed potatoes in china bowls. Choppy Christmas mornings of sleepy kids in matching pajamas stumbling into a roomful of Santa surprises. ...

One day I’m busy doing my 50-ish-feeling-great-thing, and the next day I’m laid low with a calendar full of doctor appointments and — as of the past two weeks — a collection of borrowed crutches, a walker and a cane. ...

 

Our theme for this May/June issue is “Inside the Great Outdoors.” Summer is my favorite time of year, and I spend a lot of time outside enjoying the sun, the heat and yes, even the humidity.

The best part about being outside are the plants and trees that change daily — sometimes hourly if you’re watching closely. I start most mornings in my flower beds with a walking tour in my pajamas, drinking coffee and pulling an occasional weed. I go back in the evenings, usually spending an hour or two tinkering.

The worst part about being outside is the animals — snakes, specifically; horses more broadly.

Animals fall into three categories: Animals I Love, Animals I Don’t Like, and Animals That Terrify Me. Dogs, birds, cats, turtles and bees are in the Love It category. I’ll toss in amphibians and most farm animals, reptiles, insects and mammals.

Fleas, lice and yellow jackets are in the Don’t Like category. I haven’t experienced bed bugs, but I’ll go ahead and throw those in there, too. I’m guessing I wouldn’t like them very much.

During my first trip to the Spicy Lamb Farm (our cover story), the dynamic owner Laura Minnig introduced me to her horses, casually warning that one “tends to eat clothes.” That’s just one of my issues with horses.

I’ve given horses a chance — lots of them. It’s never worked out. They’ve kicked me and thrown me. One gave me a concussion. I don’t trust animals that are so intuitive that they sense my fear — at least that’s what their owners always tell me. I’ve been married to a dear man for 32 years who isn’t half that intuitive.

Because it was chilly when I visited the Spicy Lamb, I didn’t see a snake. I know they’re there.

...

While we’re buried in our phones and work and Netflix binge-watching and other decidedly un-nature-like activities, it’s easy to forget the value of paying attention to the season’s cues. Some people want to do good deeds. Others want to improve their health. I want to be more like my chickens. Over the next two months, I intend to follow their example to recharge this winter, a season that inexplicably surprised me by arriving on time. ...

Do you remember making the shift from a gift-getter to a gift-giver?

It happened to me in my 20s — late by some standards, for sure. One Christmas Eve I realized I was more excited about the presents I was giving than the ones I was getting. It was a good feeling, this newfound generosity. All the sappy carols and sentimental cards suddenly made sense. Like the Grinch, my small heart grew three sizes that day.

The volunteers featured in this issue and on our cover are givers, and in Northeast Ohio we’ve got a lot of them. Unlike me, they didn’t require a holiday epiphany to jump-start their generosity. Instead, they saw a need and enthusiastically stepped forward to help, donating countless hours and a dizzying array of talent.

All of them have gotten something in return for their big-heartedness, and it’s got nothing to do with money or gifts. They’ve made new friends, sharpened skills and have grown in ways they never expected. Volunteers give, get and then give again and again. All of us benefit.

I hope you’ll like reading about some of these givers (and getters) in our story on page 30. Feel free to be inspired.

In keeping with our “Give” theme this issue, we’ve got plenty of stories about how, when and where to give.

If you like to give parties, check out our story on page 20, filled with fanciful yet frugal tips to celebrate the season. Nothing says the holidays like a low-key gathering with friends and family. We’ll help you get started.

Feel like traveling? Then give yourself a road trip. Our story on page 24 offers three delightful destinations to put you in the Christmas mood. Take in the lights, cross a few items off your gift list, and enjoy the scenery — all you need is a couple of tanks of gas and a sense of adventure.

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