Bloggapalooza

One of the many hats I wear reads “blogger” across it. At Cool Cleveland, I have the ability to instantly get things off of my chest, with observations ranging from amazing Cleveland event experiences (e.g. CMJ, Ingenuity) to when a Cleveland pseudo-celebrity’s behavior jumps on my last nerve.

I’m not always prompt or punctual in feeding such a hungry monster, but after writing for 15 years, blogging always gives me a rush. And if blogging does that for me, imagine what kind of chemical reaction happens inside Cool Cleveland CIO George Nemeth’s head for a minute.

Four years ago, Nemeth launched a personal weblog, the ubiquitously titled Brewed Fresh Daily, to begin exploring a then-new online phenomenon. With a cup o’ java in hand, he expressed personal views and aggregated others’ for discussion on his site. He now receives some 200,000 unique hits a month, including those from members of the Cleveland media.

“I was hearing a lot about blogs,” Nemeth says of the uncharted territory. “And I just thought I'd just give it a try. At the time there were only a handful of bloggers in the area.”

Last summer, he launched another blogging endeavor: Meet the Bloggers. The site was “to be a collaborative effort between bloggers” and ultimately had a hand in mobilizing that online community he’d connected to in Northeast Ohio. Their goal today is to get answers out of politicians and public servants for questions other local media outlets were simply unprepared to ask.

But this story isn’t about George... it’s about celebrating grassroots, the power of suggestion and empowerment that comes when citizen activists engage as community change agents. It's about celebrating change for this town, just as Cool Cleveland does every week.

Bloggapalooza is a street festival that celebrates those things, just as it celebrates the first birthday of Meet the Bloggers. The event will be held this Saturday, July 22, 2006 from 2-10PM at the Town Fryer at East 39th Street. Bloggapalooza will feature great music on two stages, good food, ice-cold bevvies… and, as is the Town Fryer specialty, deep-fried everything! As with all great block parties, East 39th will be blocked off from motorists.

There’s a queue of local music being featured, including recent Cool Cleveland Sounds bands Woodshed Mercy and Word of Mouth—that latter group featuring blogger Scott Bakalar at the helm. And when the bands are quiet, George’s enigmatic iPod and poetry readings from Cleveland “Tech Czar” Michael DeAloia and blogger/poet Adam Harvey will fill the air with intrigue.

Admission to Bloggapalooza is free; however, donations are encouraged to help defray MTB operating costs. There will be a raffle with many donated items, including a very special “Death of Rock” collectible music package from yours truly; there are also Bloggapalooza sponsorship opportunities for your business. If you’re interested in that angle, contact George at georgenemethATgmail.com.

For more information on Bloggapalooza: http://www.brewedfreshdaily.com/bloggapalooza

From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com (:divend:)