CLEVELAND, Ohio – A word to all you fellas wondering about what to get for Valentine’s Day: Not all the jewels are in stores. Some of them are on Cleveland-area concert stages.
Patti LaBelle, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, Hard Rock Rocksino. The T-shirt says, “I may be old but I got to see all the cool bands.” Fortunately for the kids, though, some of those cool bands are still around. That would include Patti LaBelle, whose groundbreaking 1950s group the Blue Belles was in the forefront of music’s push into politics, sexuality and race. The feisty LaBelle, who is just months shy of her 73rd birthday, hasn’t wavered from that track, either. And she’s not about to give up. “The more I do, the younger I get. I get up every morning and thank God,” she told me in a 2013 interview. ‘Hopefully, it’s going to be a great day, but if it’s not, I can still deal with it.” I know she’s playing in a venue built for gambling, but I wouldn’t bet against her. Tickets, $65 to $95.50, are available at the box office, online at ticketmaster.com and by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Albert Lee, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, the Kent Stage. Lee has visited Northeast Ohio many times, putting his unique style of guitar work on display. That’s “many times,” not “too many times.” The Englishman who got credit for, then later refused to take that credit for, the reunion of feuding brothers Phil and Don Everly was the guitarist and musical director for that 1983 reconnection show. He is, without question, the consummate showman . . . and gentleman. His Grammy-winning career began in 1959 and has seen him work with everyone from the Everlys to Emmylou Harris to Joe Cocker to Eric Clapton and more. Five times, he’s been named the best guitar picker in country music by Guitar Player Magazine. In short, the dude can play. Tickets, $25, are available at the box office, online at thekentstage.com and ticketfly.com and by phone at 330-677-5005.
Hubb’s Groove, with Mariama Whyte and Myron Davis, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, Nighttown. What a great way to celebrate the day before Valentine’s Day. And I guarantee you’ll lose your heart to Whyte, whose silky voice is one of the best in Cleveland. This is R&B and soul the way it was meant to be played . . . and heard, in the intimate venue that is Nighttown. Tickets, $20, are available at the box office, online at nighttowncleveland.com and by phone at 216-795-0550.
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