…money don’t grow on trees! Truer words were never spoken. This band, Cage the Elephant, could not be greater! They fall into my love of really good “alt rock”. Love The Offspring, Better Than Ezra, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews Band, Spoon, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Cracker, CAKE, The Black Keys, Collective Soul, Fitz & The Tantrums, Franz Ferdinand, Gorillaz, Oasis, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Gin Blossoms and I love Cage the Elephant! I am sure I missed a few more, but time and alcohol make that difficult. Because Cage was founded around 2008, I cannot talk about them from memory, because my musical memory stopped around 1984. I could Google stuff, but so can you. I like to talk music from memory and experience here. I have seen this wonderful band and would like to do so again.
You know there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Money don’t grow on trees
We got bills to pay, we got mouths to feed
There ain’t nothing in this world for free
I know we can’t slow down, we can’t hold back
Though you know, we wish we could
Oh no, there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Until we close our eyes for good
Since money don’t grow on trees, I continue the grind. But this time, doing so in an amazing way. I have worked for CIFF in the past, but this time it is a completely immersive experience. I will participate in all the opportunities surrounding the festival, including karaoke nights and film maker networking events. My outfits will also be put together with great thought, variety and with a touch of class and style. I will be seen; I will be positively noticed. I am in an amazing space, Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, the second largest theater district (after Broadway) in the country.
Friday,April 10, 2026, Day Two of CIFF, the first day of regular programming. My shift was the second shift to closing. I cannot properly tell you here how amazing my experiences are here. I cannot even remember every amazing interaction. Kindness after kindness. Laugh upon laugh. Compliment after compliment. Many people walking up to me, asking if I work at the art museum. Many saying they were intimidated when I chide them for not saying hello there. One very memorable encounter was with two lesbian ladies I met while having my dinner (the cherry in the fantastic smoked Old Fashioned). We talked for a good half hour, and it was tremendous. They have been together for 30 years and are huge music fans. So of course, when speaking with a lesbian music fan, I brag about my time with Brandi Carlile (an icon to many LGBT music fans).
This evening Playhouse Square was so alive! And I was smack dab in the middle of the traffic flow, chatting up person after person. We had two theaters going, Bob Dylan performed in another theater and three other theaters had various plays. I just love the energy on days like these! I had quite a bit of fun helping out on our Red Carpet (see at right below), taking pictures for various film makers and talent. For me, it’s funny. I could literally be talking to the current equivalent of Paul Newman or Robert Redford, and I would have no clue. All simply human beings to me.
Joy, it’s out there, find it!
Sunday, April 12, 2026, was yet another amazing day! The day was capped with an evening at The Clevelander and CIFF’s annual film maker karaoke night! Of course, I tortured those there with three songs. I crushed the recently mentioned “Suspicions”, butchered The Offspring’s “Hit That” and was so pleased to have been asked by one of the film makers (more on her soon), with whom I have struck up a friendship (even though she is literally young enough to be my daughter). We dueted on Foreigner’s “Juke Box Hero”, her selection. For Suspicions, I pulled up a bar stool, sat cross-legged, and crooned the song from memory, without the karaoke screen. Each day gets better than the last, but I have to say, this is exhausting! Here was my daily photo shoot and a great outfit at Playhouse Square. My fashion sense is clearly being noticed by many, the feedback I have received is wonderful!
If you have Facebook and click the above photo, you can see me (thankfully not hear me) performing with my film maker friend!
Be kind (read the shirt)!
2 Responses
KR…I would’ve thought you’d choose Cigarette Daydreams from CTE for a reference as you oftentimes allude to your driving profession. Huh. They do have a few bangers but ‘Cigarette’ is just one of those great tunes that says so much by saying so little.
No argument here!