While being no more than three years on the scene, Akron's Shivering Timbers has bloomed rapidly into one of the most touted bands from the Northeast Ohio region. Composed of husband-and-wife duo Jayson and Sarah Benn, the group's sound comprises folk-tinged indie rock that blends enough styles to make it nearly uncategorizable. The band's strength is in its ability to shift dynamically from sing-songy nursery rhymes to noisy jams that bring to mind the more cohesive compositions of Cap 'n Jazz. In between, the group dabbles between gospel, punk and blues. The band's records are truly a tes...
Being a Cirque du Soleil newbie has more pluses than minuses. I had never witnessed the live acrobatic, body-bending, twisting, high-flying artistry of the world-famous touring Canadian theatric troupe live before, I was curious. After all, I had only seen them like many on television. Are all the productions that awe-inspiring and eye-popping as they are on the screen? Yes. That was what I determined after witnessing the opening night at Cleveland’s Wolstein Center last week of Cirque’s Alegria spectacular. For Cirque, the show is old hat. Alegria, which means joy or jubil...
