Cleveland’s Brite Winter Festival is Saturday February 23, and do you have your boots, scarves and mittens ready? While it’s going to reach a mild 50 degrees over the weekend, you never know when that gust of wind is going to come soaring off the lake and hit you right in the face. Clevelanders are tough, and maybe a little bananas for having an outdoor music festival in the middle of February. But this festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and every year it gets bigger with more surprises around every turn in the Flats.
This year, there are a lot of newcomers to the stages, as well as more art installations than ever before. Going there might be a little overwhelming if it’s your first time. There’s 40 bands, and 5 different stages. This doesn’t include all the amazing art installations and food trucks that will be awaiting you. So I’ve narrowed it down to the Top 5 must-see bands or art installations. This list was really hard, because I’d love to include everyone, and if you have the time, bounce around as much as you can. But when I’m there, I’m definitely not missing these 5 things:
The Katy
If you haven’t heard The Katy, you might want to give them a listen right now. In fact, head over to our Brite Winter preview interview with them here. The trio has only been around since 2016, but with the release of their EP Collage in 2017, they’ve been gaining notoriety in Cleveland and have been branching out to other cities outside of Northeast Ohio. Lead singer and bassist Cathalyn’s smooth-as-honey vocals is the cure to beating the chill outside.
The Katy play the Ports Petroleum stage at 4:40 p.m. View the map.
Mimi Arden
Mimi Arden is a creative collaboration between three friends, Michelle, Lee and Mathieu. Much of the music the band plays stems from the solo work of the band’s lead singer, Michelle Gaw. The band’s debut album was released last summer in part thanks to crowdsourcing. Mimi Arden is looking to release new music in the next few months using the same crowdsourcing method on Indiegogo to raise the funds in order to record a new EP and single for fans. Give them a listen and come out to support!
Mimi Arden plays the McCarthy’s stage at 5:40 p.m. View the map.
Counterfeit Madison
I first saw Counterfeit Madison when they opened for Tank & the Bangas back in 2017 at Columbus’ Spacebar. Self described as the granddaughter of James Brown and Kurt Cobain, lead singer and keyboardist Sharon Udoh is a force to be reckoned with. For anyone who hasn’t seen the Columbus-based trio before, you’re in for a treat. Udoh doesn’t hold back, putting all of her energy into the music as she pounds on the keys and wails into the mic. This is a must-see performance, so get ready to shake your ass!
Counterfeit Madison plays the Cleveland Clothing stage at 9:35 p.m. View the map.
Mourning [A] Blkstar
Since 2015, Mourning [A] Blkstar has been turning heads and opening hearts. Founded by Cleveland author and artist Ra Washington, the multi-piece band is made up of talented jazz singers, percussionists and a brass section. Together, the band plays music that melds soul, blues, electronics, avant-poetics w/ futurist beats. Better yet, M[A]B also released a new single, “Feels”, on February 20. Fingers crossed, the new single will be performed live tonight.
Mourning [A] Blkstar plays the covermymeds stage at 7:50 p.m. View the map.
“The Hood” Art Installation
Brite Winter provides so much more than great music. If you’re in between bands, take a stroll around the Flats to see the ice sculptures, eat some food, and experience the art installations. One of the must-see installations is “The Hood” located in the Hangar tent. “The Hood” will feature a row of shelters made from suspended, hinged car hoods. According to one of the installation’s participants, Robert Darkmatter, “The Hood” means making your own safety and comfort out of what is available to you at the time.
“The Hood” project can be seen in The Hangar art experience tent. View the map.
Whether or not you can make it out tonight at Brite Winter, support local music and artists by buying their music, and catching them live at a venue near you!