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CMA launches Third Thursdays: a conversation with Gabe Pollack

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by Max Newman

If you are looking for musical experiences in Cleveland that are both thoroughly enjoyable and wholly unique, look no further than the programming put on by the Cleveland Museum of Art. Whether it be the eclectic concerts that grace Gartner Auditorium, the danceable, outdoor fun of City Stages, or any of CMA’s other wonderful offerings, there is truly something for everyone within the Museum’s programming.

Now, CMA is kickstarting another event series — Third Thursdays at Transformer Station — which will have its first show on June 20 at 7:00 pm. (Note that the concert is now sold out.) Admission is free, but tickets are required.

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Cleveland Museum of Art’s Performing Arts Series returns

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by Mike Telin

The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Performing Arts Series is back with a new director and a full schedule of diverse shows. To get a sense of it all, I spoke with Gabe Pollack, who came to that post at the Museum after many years of serving as manager of the Bop Stop. Here’s what he told me.

I started the job in October 2022 and I inherited three programs. A couple were rescheduled concerts that had been canceled during COVID. And since booking those shows was taken off my plate, that allowed me to just learn the processes involved with producing a show at the Museum.

This 2023-24 season is truly my first Performing Arts Series. The “Summer Solstice” and “City Stages” are signature programs of the Museum. But they operate separately from the Performing Arts Series in Gartner. So when I was hired, my main task was to program those events.

I had a lot of fun booking “Solstice.” I think it takes a mix of skill and luck, especially when dealing with international artists because they have to be in the U.S. and have permits that allow them to perform here. And they have to be in the region around the time of “Solstice.” But I thought the artists complemented each other very well.

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Has the Pandemic Changed the Definition of Live Music?

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by Max Shain

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the shape of the live music industry, impacting musicians, audiences, curators, managers, venue owners, festival directors, and recording engineers. Not only have revenue streams shifted, but it has caused many to rethink their definition of live music.

I spoke with six people from different sectors of the music industry to find out how their perception and experience of live music — as well as their expectations for its future — have changed over the past year. I also spoke to a few of my friends who served as proxy “Jane and Joe” audience members.

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Downtime, anxiety, hope: checking in with five area musicians

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by Jarrett Hoffman

How are you? That question feels more meaningful than usual right now, not just a greeting but a real entry point into each other’s changed lives.

I reached out to five area musicians to see how they’re steering themselves through the Coronavirus crisis, and how they’re spending their time when the slate of performance work has been wiped clean.

Their replies by email — a mix of serious, thoughtful, and lighthearted — touched on a variety of topics: their downtime, their feelings about social media, what they miss about live music, their anxiety, and their hopes for the future.

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Re:Sound Festival of New Music kicks off inaugural season on June 7

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by Mike Telin

ReSoundlogo(color)A year and a half ago, saxophonist Noa Even and cellist Sophie Benn got together to discuss ways to promote new music in Cleveland. They soon brought drummer Stephen Klunk and Bop Stop manager Gabe Pollack into the conversation, and the idea of starting a new music festival in the city was born. Beginning on June 7 and running through June 10, the inaugural Re:Sound Festival of new music will feature twenty-seven musical acts across seven concerts at five venues.

“An aspect of the festival we like to emphasize is just how new the music is,” Noa Even said during a telephone conversation. “All of it is from 2000 or later, so it’s truly a showcase of what people are creating today, improvised and composed. ‘New music’ encompasses so many styles and influences, and hopefully the Festival will capture that diversity.”  

The performers were chosen from a pool of over 100 applicants who responded to the organizing committee’s call for proposals. Those included soloists and existing chamber music ensembles ranging from duos to sextets, as well as composer/performers and experimental artists.

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Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project to host “Toasty Tunes” at the Bop Stop

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by Mike Telin

Even-BennConversations between two like-minded people over coffee can often inspire great ideas. Such was the case a year and a half ago when saxophonist Noa Even and cellist Sophie Benn got together to discuss ways to promote new music in Cleveland. The result of that meeting was a new addition to the area’s music scene — the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project.

On Thursday, January 18 at the Bop Stop, CUSP will host “Toasty Tunes,” a winter fundraiser to support the organization’s Re:Sound New Music Festival, to be held from June 7-10 of this year. The doors will open at 7:00 pm for a meet-and-greet with the evening’s performers and the CUSP team. Performances by saxophone duo Ogni Suono (Noa Even and Phil Pierick) and saxophonist/composer Nick Zoulek will begin at 7:30 pm. Attendees can learn more about CUSP and Re:Sound during a conversation with the founders moderated by me, Mike Telin. Click here for tickets and event information. The evening will conclude with a late-night improv jam session at 10:00 pm. Bring your own instruments and join in — that session is free but donations will be appreciated.

Noa Even said during a recent telephone conversation that the timing of that meeting over coffee was fortuitous. [Read more…]

BOP STOP enters its second season: a chat with manager Gabe Pollack

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by Mike Telin

POLLACK-GabeAnyone who’s a fan of the long-running television sitcom Cheers will undoubtedly remember the show’s catchy theme song which includes the “philosophical” line,  ‘sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.’ Since the BOP STOP began regularly presenting concerts during the fall of 2014, manager Gabe Pollack has taken that line to heart.

He’s usually the first person to say hello when you enter the inviting venue — if he doesn’t know your name, he soon will. And by the time you leave you’ll likely know the names of most of the other audience members, as well as those of the performers. Pollack is the venue’s Sam Malone, and his friendly staff is the supporting cast. Between June 27, 2014 and September 6, 2015 Pollack welcomed nearly 8,000 “Bop Stoppers” to performances at The Music Settlement’s West Side venue. [Read more…]

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