10 Things Going on in Cleveland this Weekend

Friday, March 13: A Novelist Idea - Pittsburgh-based comedian Anthony Jeselnik initially wanted to be a novelist. It wasn’t until he relocated to Los Angeles that he discovered there were different avenues for a writer. Jeselnik has written for countless shows including Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. His own show, The Jeselnik Offensive, ran on Comedy Central for two seasons in 2013. Jeselnik’s style of comedy is dark, obscure and witty. He actually left his job writing for Fallon because so many of his jokes were turned down for being too dark. He always loved roasts and called them “the Super Bowl of comedy.” It was only fitting that he got his big break on The Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump. Immediately following his performance, Comedy Central offered him a one-hour special. Jeselnik performs tonight at 8 at the Ohio Theater. Tickets for the performance are $32. (Siegel) Photo via IMDB.

Friday, March 13: Negative Space is the Place - Negative Space Gallery & Studio bills itself as a “unique, multi-sensory stomping ground for creative expression” that “promotes artistic ingenuity and is home to the experts and the admirers of multi-media art, music and dance, poetry and video.” To keep the gallery going, the folks that run the place have put together a “fundraising extravaganza.” Tonight’s event features “an eclectic lineup of musical performances from Cleveland’s emerging music scene.” In addition, there will be live art performances by the likes of Ari Warner and dance performances by Viva Dance Studio. One attendee will win an original art piece created by Gadi Zamir, owner of Negative Space Gallery & Studio. Tickets are $25. (Niesel) Photo via Facebook.

Friday, March 13: Ballet Benefit - Each year, Ballet in Cleveland hosts a gala designed to raise funds for its programming and costs. Internationally acclaimed dancers Misty Copeland (soloist with the American Ballet Theatre) Carlos Lopez (former soloist, American Ballet Theatre and current ballet master of the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company) and Michele Wiles (former principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and current artistic director of BalletNext) will be on hand for tonight’s edition. Copeland’s brother Cameron Koa will perform his single “Halfway Home” and Mayor Frank Jackson will present Copeland with a Proclamation in honor of her many accomplishments. The inaugural presentation of the Misty Copeland Scholarship will also be presented to local dancer Samara Steele. Live and silent auction packages feature exclusive items from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. In addition, there will be commissioned art capturing the essence of Copeland from local artist Mark Howard. The event starts at 6 p.m. at Tudor Arms Hotel. Tickets are $150. (Niesel) Photo via Facebook.

Saturday, March 14: A Spring Thing - Now that the extreme cold is behind us, it’s time to get the running gear out of storage and hit the pavement. You can do that just today at the 35th annual St. Malachi Church Run. The race begins at 9 p.m. on the Detroit-Superior Bridge next to St. Malachi Church with a 2-mile run/walk, which is then followed by a 5-mile run/walk. The finish line is on Center Street in the Flats near McCarthy’s Ale House, where you can pick up any awards you might have won. Registration costs $40 on race day. (Niesel) Photo via Facebook.

Saturday, March 14: Party Time - Near West Theatre’s new home at 6702 Detroit Avenue in Detroit Shoreway neighborhood has been dubbed the “Magical Factory of Transformation.” The new 24,465-square-foot theater celebrates its opening tonight at 8 with a big bash. Wesley Bright & the Hi-Lites and?DJ Donkis will perform. Tickets are $20. (Niesel) Photo via CleveScene archives.

Saturday, March 14: Suicidal Tendencies - In Barry Levinson’s comedy-drama, The Humbling, Al Pacino plays an aging actor, Simon Axler, battling bouts of dementia. After an incident during a Broadway play, he is institutionalized. He eventually returns home and then contemplates suicide. Axler embarks in an affair with a friend’s much younger lesbian daughter, Pegeen (Greta Gerwig) which turns his life upside down. You can catch this adaptation of the Philip Roth novel of the same name tonight at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque at 7:10 along with another screening on Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets are $9. (Harp). Photo via IMDB.

Saturday, March 14: Jonesin' for Howard - In 2013, singer Howard Jones debuted Engage!, a multi-media project designed to celebrate his 30th anniversary. Earlier this year, he just premiered the show in the States in Los Angeles. “I wanted to push myself and do something I had never done before,” he says of “Engage!” “I wanted to present all the different genres of music I love along with visual arts and cinema and there’s even a short ballet scene.” For Jones, who has been a Buddhist for twentysomething years, the show represents the distillation of his beliefs. “One of the themes is that the best thing we have is each other and we need to celebrate each other and our common humanity,” he says. “It’s important to have a positive attitude.” While Jones won’t be bringing Engage! to Cleveland when he plays tonight at Trinity Cathedral, he'll have a band in tow for the performance. He’ll play a few songs from Engage! and the concert will have a multi-media dimension. He promises hits such as “Life In One Day,” “Everlasting Love,” “Things Can Only Get Better” and “No One Is To Blame” will likely be in the set too. (Niesel) $45. Photo via Wikimedia.

Sunday, March 15: Gotta Have Faith - The monthly Gospel Brunch has been a spiritual Sunday staple for years at the House of Blues. Curated by famed gospel singer Kirk Franklin, the recently reinvigorated show puts a bit more emphasis on the music. Today, the local group Lafayette Carthon and Faith performs. Band leader Carthon has performed with acts such as Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Marvin Winans, Mary J. Blige and Vickie Winans. Starting at 11 a.m., the all-you-can-eat musical extravaganza features Southern classics like chicken jambalaya, biscuits and gravy, and chicken and waffles. Tickets range from $18 to $38. (Niesel). Photo via CleveScene archives.

Sunday, March 15: Mike Check - Comedian Michael Palascak has blown up on the comedy scene of late. With appearances on The Late Show and The Tonight Show in the same year, Palascak is starting to get his feet under him. The comic uses stories about his life and his awkward misadventures to open a window onto his inner workings. You can catch a very laidback performance from Palascak tonight at Hilarities at 8. Tickets are $13 to $18. (Harp). Photo via IMDB.

Sunday, March 15: Chelsea Grin - With a new CD released last summer titled Ashes to Ashes that boasted what the band has said as “the amount of material from our last two CD's combined,” deathcore band Chelsea Grin isn't messing around. Featuring live show that will melt your face off, Chelsea Grin is rolling through Cleveland for the Ashes to Ashes tour with support from Carnifex, Sworn In and others. Vocalist Alex Koehler has amazing range - going from his ear piercing highs to his gut wrenching lows. Chelsea Grin will hold nothing back in their performance and will leave any fan banging their head and throwing up horns the entire night. $16 ADV, $18 DOS. Photo via Wikimedia.