Cleveland, Ohio
August 2022
My now boyfriend, Avery, and I went to Cleveland, Ohio to see Machine Gun Kelly perform his hometown show of his Mainstream Sellout Tour. The show was absolutely insane, and it might just be my all-time favorite show that I have ever seen live. The opening acts were great, my favorites being Avril Lavigne and Willow. His other opening acts were 44phantom and Trippie Redd. Machine Gun Kelly started his set by performing on a ladder of a helicopter that circled the stadium. It was hardcore. He had Avril Lavigne, Willow, Trippie Redd, and Travis Barker of Blink-182 join him on stage for songs that they were featured in. It was a long concert with the doors opening at 3 PM and we did not leave FirstEnergy Stadium until after 11 PM. Aside from the music, some of the concert highlights for me include MGK ziplining over my head and across the stadium and him smashing a wine glass on his face. He had so much emotion during his hometown show and I could feel the strength of his love for Cleveland. These are memories of a concert that I will forever cherish.
We stayed at Crowne Plaza Cleveland at Playhouse Square. Our room was spacious, and we had a view that overlooked Lake Erie. The location was central with only a short walk to restaurants and attractions, about or under 20 minutes depending on the destination. I particularly enjoyed being in the theater district and I wish that we had more time to spare to go and see a show. Playhouse Square is the largest performing arts center in the US outside of New York City. The service at Crowne Plaza was good and I would stay there again. My one warning would be that we had the option to either park our car wherever we could find space downtown or to pay for valet parking. We opted for valet as we felt that this was the most reliable option, but it did add an additional cost.
Avery and I did a lot of other cool things while in Cleveland. We went to a bunch of restaurants/bars, including Flannery’s Pub, Harry Buffalo East 4th, Indie E 4th, Society Lounge, and Wonder Bar Cleveland. Flannery’s Pub is an American Irish spot that features comfort food and drinks. I thought that the prices were reasonable and that the drinks were good. It was a lively spot and I liked it. Harry Buffalo East 4th is an American chain that features bison burgers and craft beer. We had neither. However, it was still a fun environment for a quick bite. Indie E 4th is a casual spot with great rooftop views. I loved the inside gallery displaying hundreds of music posters. This place was rocking. The food and drinks were good, but the atmosphere was the big seller here. Society Lounge is a speakeasy located down a flight of stairs. I loved this secretive atmosphere and the fancy cocktails. This was a more expensive bar, but I felt like we paid for the experience, which I highly enjoyed. Wonder Bar is known for its drinks, food, and music, specifically jazz. The cocktails were tasty and creative. I enjoyed the unique decor and that the Golden Girls were playing on TV. Overall, we had a nice time trying a little bit of as many places as we could cram into our short stay.
During our stay in Cleveland, we went to A Christmas Story House and Museum. A Christmas Story is one of my favorite Christmas movies. My family and I watch it all day long every Christmas Day. I felt nostalgic touring the home where this movie was filmed. I appreciated learning more about the making of the movie and seeing original pieces from the movie. The admission was $15 per adult. For me, this was a worthwhile excursion since I have an emotional connection to the film. I would recommend this tour for anyone who has enjoyed the movie and wants an up-close encounter with parts of the set, costumes, props, and toys.
Coincidentally, another part of A Christmas Story was filmed in Cleveland at JACK Cleveland Casino. However, it was not a casino in the movie. Any guesses as to what the space was used for? It was Higbee’s Department Store. Higbee’s was where Ralphie first sees the Red Ryder BB Gun. This location is home to many iconic scenes from the movie. When the movie was filmed, the location was an actual department store but today it is now a casino. Of course, Avery and I had to check out this location as well. We briefly walked around and played A Christmas Story themed slot machine (I came out winning). Unfortunately, I did not see any resemblances between the film set and casino. Regardless, it was still cool for me to be in the location where several of the iconic scenes were filmed.
Lastly, Avery and I visited The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The museum is located on the shores of Lake Erie and has a beautiful glass dome exterior. The adult general admission cost was $35.00 per person. I underestimated the size of this museum and the amount of time needed to complete it. Level 1 is the main entrance that hosts a gift shop and cafe.
However, to start your self guided tour, you begin on level 0. Level 0 tells a story through multiple generations from rock’s earliest artists to those newly emerging musicians of today. Level 2 is The Garage where you can test your skills and rock out on a multitude of instruments. Level 3 is The Hall of Fame which is Rock’s highest honor. This floor features the Inductee Signature Gallery and more. Level 4 is Pink Floyd’s The Wall which was designed to mirror the Berlin performance in July of 1990. Level 5 is Legends of Rock which features handwritten drafts of hit singles, performance outfits, and instruments from some of history’s greatest concerts. My favorite part of the museum was being able to see all of the iconic outfits up close. I felt like I was able to connect with the various artists through their artifacts. I would have liked a little bit more time at the museum to read more about the various items and to have longer instrumental jam sessions. I recommend this museum to anyone who enjoys music, fashion, and history. I am so glad that we were able to squeeze the museum visit into our trip!
I enjoyed our Cleveland getaway. Avery and I felt welcomed everywhere we went. It is a city with a lot of pride and passion. I felt honored to dig deeper into some of its attractions. If I am ever back in Cleveland, you can find me at Machine Gun Kelly’s eatery, The 27 Club, which serves coffee, food, and cocktails. Until then, thank you Cleveland and thank you Colson (MGK).
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