Event: Chamber Music in the Atrium: Love is in the Air
Date: 2/14
Price: Free
Come watch classical musicians from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Musical Upcoming Stars in the Classics perform this Friday in the atrium of the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA). They will be playing a selection of chamber music celebrating love, from sonatas to waltzes, with a dance accompaniment from the Ohio Contemporary Ballet. If you love classical music or dance, or want to love classical music and dance, this event will surely be of interest to you. A second Valentine’s Day concert will also be occurring at the CMA right afterward, and a third will overlap both at the Maltz Performing Arts Center up the road.
Event: Melancholy Play
Date: 2/14
Price: Free
Join Players’ Theatre Group at Eldred Hall this Friday to watch a play directed and performed entirely by your peers. The premise is odd but intriguing: Perpetually depressed Tilly inexplicably becomes happy and must save her now-melancholy hairdresser, Frances, who has turned into an almond. If anything, with a plot like that you’re guaranteed not to be bored, and to get to explore a far weirder side of Valentine’s Day than most.
Event: Club 90’s Presents Justin Bieber Night
Date: 2/14
Price: From $13
Join Club 90s’ traveling dance party at the House of Blues and dance the night away to hits from 2010s heartthrob Justin Bieber. Promotional material for the Cleveland location has not been straightforward as to whether they’ll be playing exclusively Bieber or rather recession pop hits from a variety of artists; however, the Cincinnati website was clear that if it wasn’t by Bieber, it wasn’t going on the setlist. If you find that daunting consider yourself warned. On a lighter note, though, the event is open to all those 18 years of age or older, so underclassmen can enjoy a night out with Club 90’s as well.
Event: Lake Erie Folk Fest
Date: 2/15
Price: Daytime program free; evening concert $10 for students
Immerse yourself in a full day of (mostly) free live music, beginning in Thwing Atrium from 1-6 p.m. and ending in the Florence Harkness Memorial Chapel, with doors for the evening concert opening at 7 p.m. In addition to performances from local musicians, there will also be music workshops, music history lessons and jam sessions. For anyone interested in music and/or getting involved with the greater Cleveland community, attendance is a must.
Event: Love Club: An All Out 2010’s Night
Date: 2/15
Price: $10
If you love the music of the 2010s but not necessarily just Justin Bieber, I’d urge you to consider a very similar and slightly cheaper event instead. Mahall’s promises hits from Rihanna, Katy Perry, Kesha, The Black Eyed Peas, Pitbull, Lorde, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, to name a few of the artists listed on their website. “It’ll be like your iPod on shuffle,” they urge, which is enough encouragement for me. This event is also 18+.
Event: UPBonbon
Date: 2/17
Price: Free
Sometimes the best events are the simplest. Join the University Program Board (UPB) in Thwing Atrium to enjoy a Willy Wonka-themed makeshift candy store. Snap a picture with an Oompa-Loompa at their photo booth, and if you’re one of five golden ticket winners you get to take home a special prize. As of the time of writing this article there are limited spots left on CampusGroups, so make sure you and your friends are the ones to fill them! For those familiar with last year’s viral, catastrophic “Willy Wonka Experience” in Glasgow, you know that the sky’s the limit here for potential entertainment value. I’m personally hoping that the promised Oompa-Loompa is just someone from UPB in orange face paint.