CLEVELAND, Ohio - This past week has given us a taste of what spring will bring, weatherwise. Now, this week's Also Playing gives us a taste of the musical diversity of what's coming during the summer concert season.
Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles, 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, Beachland Ballroom. Not familiar with Cory Henry? Maybe not by name, but chances are, you've heard this Hammond B-3 virtuoso. Here's a partial list of artists with whom he's worked: Yolanda Adams, Sara Bareilles, Stanley Brown, Ray Chew and The Crew, P. Diddy, Kirk Franklin, Rob Glasper, Ron Grant, Lalah Hathaway, Derrick Hodge, Israel Houghton, Joe, Shaun Kingston, Donald Lawrence, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, Michael McDonald, Boyz II Men, NAS, Snarky Puppy, Tommy Sims, Bruce Springsteen, the Roots, Hezekiah Walker, Bishop Jeffrey White, Betty Wright and the late Timothy Wright. Didja see the word "partial'' there? His sound is a mix of funk tinged with gospel and jazz, so it's almost a genre unto itself. Chantae Cann also appears. Tickets, $15 to $40 (the latter is a VIP ticket that includes a soundcheck/meet-and-greet) at the box office, online at beachlandballroom.com and by phone at 216-383-1124.
21st Annual Tri-C High School Rock Off Final Exam, 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The word is that this year's competition is among the tightest in the 21-year history of the event. Erie, Pennsylvania's First to Eleven is going for unprecedented back-to-back-to-back titles, and if the band is able to pull that off, they'll be the stuff of legends. Each of the 12 bands will play a 15-minute set. Here is the order of play: Man Cried Wolf, Assault, Lonely Pirate Committee, the Frats, Bucyrus Xband, Last Minute, Funeral Proposals, the Waves, First to Eleven, Time Out, Montage, No Good Solutions. All the finalists recorded a song at Cuyahoga Community College's Center for Creative Arts, produced by Jim Stewart Recording and Tri-C's Recording Arts program students, and that recording should be available online for free download at rockhall.com/rockoff. Tickets, $12, are available from participating band members, the Rock Hall box office and online at rockhall.com/rockoff.
Ariana Grande, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, Quicken Loans Arena. Last time Grande - Ari to her fans - was in town, The Q was full to the brim with cute little preteen girls sporting kitty ears. Now, though, she's moved upward. The May 2016 release of her album "Dangerous Woman'' has her sporting instead pleather bunny ears. Though there's some debate over who originally said it, the Ari's new 'do proves the axiom is true: "The world is not only stranger than we imagine, it's stranger than we CAN imagine.'' Little Mix and Victoria open. Tickets, $29.95 to $199.95, plus fees, are available at the box office, at Discount Drug Marts, online at theqarena.com and by phone at 1-888-894-9424.
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