Around Noon: August 2008

NPR Special Coverage: Senator John McCain in Dayton
Friday, August 29
Around Noon will not be heard today as ideastream brings you NPR's live coverage from Dayton where John McCain introduces his choice for Vice President - Sarah Palin.

The Reluctant Mr. Darwin, Erie Shipwrecks & The Two Man Gentlemen Band
Thursday, August 28
Dee Perry discusses The Reluctant Mr. Darwin with author David Quammen, whose book was chosen as the common reading selection for the students at Case Western Reserve University. Then Dee dives for Lake Erie Shipwrecks with team members from the Great Lakes Historical Society. Plus, we tune into the incredible kazoos of The Two Man Gentlemen Band, who play the Beachland Ballroom tonight.

The Cleveland Scene & Johnny Koenig
Wednesday, August 27
Dee Perry welcomes the editorial staff of the new Cleveland Scene, to discuss the merger with the former Free Times and the direction of its arts coverage. Plus, the new polka kid on the block Johnny Koenig performs in the Key Bank studio as he gets ready to raise the roof at the Berea Octoberfest.

Alternative Press Fall Music Preview
Tuesday, August 26
The editors of Cleveland's Alternative Press magazine create a playlist for Dee Perry featuring the hottest new releases for the Fall season, including new songs from Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T's and Ben Folds.

Summer-to-Fall Fashion Show
Monday, August 25
Plain Dealer style editor Kim Crow looks back on the summer season and ahead to what to wear this Fall, as Dee Perry opens the phones for another fashion call-in show. Also joining the discussion are CWRU's Mary Davis, author of Classic Chic, and Connie Korosec, Chair of Ursuline's Fashion Department.

Harry Bacharach
Friday, August 22
Harry Bacharach, monkeys around with Dee Perry in the Key Bank studio for a live performance featuring songs from his new CD -- Velvet Tango - as he gets ready for his monthly gig tonight at Boulevard Blue, and every Monday and Thursday night at the Velvet Tango Room.

The Rocker and The Magpies
Thursday, August 21
Rainn Wilson and Teddy Geiger talk about their comic romp The Rocker which is set in Cleveland and opens this week. Then Dee Perry really rocks out with The Magpies, who perform live in our Westfield Insurance Studio Theater, as they get ready for their gig Downtown at Dusk for the Akron Art Museum tonight. Photo credit: George Kraychyk

Jonathon Sawyer & Troubadours of Divine Bliss
Wednesday, August 20
Bar Cento chef Jonathon Sawyer cooks up a conversation with Dee Perry about his career and working with Iron Chef Michael Symon on the Food Network's Dinner Impossible, which gets its premiere tonight. Then Dee travels to the Key Bank studio for a performance by The Troubadours of Divine Bliss, who play Brothers Lounge this evening.

Young Adult Book Call-in Show
Tuesday, August 19
Dee Perry opens the cover on what young adults are reading this summer with Plain Dealer book editor Karen Long , the Cleveland Public Library's teen coordinator Rollie Welch, and Nancy Pearl who's in town to work with Cuyahoga County Public Library on its Reconnect with Reading initiative.

Jeff Corwin, Indigenous and The Cleveland Orchestra in Salzburg
Monday, August 18
Jeff Corwin of Animal Planet shares his wild story prior to his appearance at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Plus, Dee Perry travels to the Broken Lands of Indigenous with the band's frontman Mato Nanji prior to their performance at the Beachland Ballroom. And, we hear from music critic Norman Lebrecht of London's Evening Standard, who attended The Cleveland Orchestra's performance of Rusalka at the Salzburg Festival, last night.

Lords of the Low End
Friday, August 15
Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten and Marcus Miller (AKA SMV) join Dee in the Key Bank Studio for a live performance preview of their Cain Park concert tonight.

Revelations, Superman House & George Bilgere
Thursday, August 14
Award-winning photographer Mike Levy shares the Revelations of his new photography book about Cleveland's African-American churches. Ideastream's David C. Barnett takes Harvey Pekar and Tom Batiuk on a tour of the home where Superman was born. Plus, regular irregular guest George Bilgere waxes on the intersection between sports and poetry.

Live Remote Broadcast: Ohio City Restaurants
Wednesday, August 13
Join Dee Perry as she broadcasts live from the heart of Cleveland's Ohio City for this special remote broadcast, produced in partnership with Northern Ohio Live Magazine. From outside Bar Cento and the Bier Markt on West 25th Street, Dee looks into the "Grassroots Gastronomy" of Ohio City to discover why restaurants are important to a community, and what ingredients are needed to make the relationship between community and restaurant work.

Lemon Anderson, Bill Rudman and Walking the River
Tuesday, August 12
Tony-award-winning Def Poet Lemon Anderson speaks with Dee Perry about bringing Literature to Life for area students at Playhouse Square. Plus, Footlight Parade's Bill Rudman celebrates the life and music of Richard Rodgers in a new CD. And Walking the River with a pair of local filmmakers who're taking a new look at Cleveland's old man river -- the Cuyahoga.

Martha Wainwright, Shaw High School Marching Band & Mike Polk
Monday, August 11
Today Dee Perry shares her interview with Martha Wainwright prior to her performance at the House of Blues Cleveland tomorrow night. Plus, we get an Olympic perspective from a few students from the Shaw High School marching band, who spent their summer vacation performing in China. And, local comic Mike Polk makes a Last Call for comedy with his internet sensation -- Spanish Mike.

Franz Welser-Möst
Friday, August 8
Franz Welser-Möst, music director for the Cleveland Orchestra, previews this weekend's Blossom performances and the upcoming Salzburg Festival performances of Dvořák’s New World Symphony and Rusalka. Image courtesy The Cleveland Orchestra.

Romancing the Train
Thursday, August 7
All aboard for a special show filled with stories, interviews, and songs that explore America's fascination with trains -- large and small. We'll share a conversation with former race car driver and lifelong train hobbyist Sam Posey, author of Playing with Trains. Plus, meet the owners of Stewart's Hobbies and Collectors, and ride the rails with the Lake Shore Live Steamers at Penitentiary Glen.

Esperanza Spalding and Cinematheque’s John Ewing
Wednesday, August 6
Esperanza Spalding the bassist and vocalist whose star is rising over Nighttown tonight, joins ideastream® music director Bobby Jackson in the Key Bank studio. Plus, Dee chats with regular irregular guest John Ewing of the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque and the Cleveland Museum of Art film program.

Sam Cooke: A Change is Gonna Come
Tuesday, August 5
Twistin' the Night Away, You Send Me, Wonderful World, Having a Party... and the list of Sam Cooke hits goes on and on. From the producers who created the award-winning documentaries on Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams, 90.3 WCPN ideastream pays tribute to legendary soul sensation and social activist, Sam Cooke, in Sam Cooke: A Change is Gonna Come. This profile of the pop music superstar is told through his music and the stories of the people who knew him best, as listeners are taken on a tuneful journey that traces Cooke's amazing life and mysterious death.

Along the Cuyahoga
Monday, August 4
First broadcast in 1996 for the Cleveland Bicentennial, this documentary looks back on the earliest days of Cleveland and life along the Cuyahoga River. For a period of 10 years, the Cuyahoga River was the Northwest boundary of the United States, with the land east of the river US territory and the land west of the Cuyahoga home to Native Americans. This program examines the lives and relationships among the early settlers of Cleveland like Lorenzo Carter and Hannah Huntington, to the Native Americans of the Cuyahoga River Valley like Stigwanish and O’Mic.

Louis Ramey
Friday, August 1
Louis Ramey, one of the finalists for this year's Last Comic Standing, shares his standup routine with Dee Perry, before taking the stage at Pickwick and Frolic's Hilarities Comedy Club this weekend.