The Wicked Organ Grinder’s Ball

Cool Cleveland Preview (3.26-4.02.08): The Wicked Organ Grinder’s Ball 

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Dog collar? Check. Thigh-high vinyl boots? Check. Oversized diapers? Um, check. Yes, it must be time for the Organ Grinder’s Ball! Northeast Ohio’s most notorious and anticipated fetish experience of the year will feature fabulous entertainment, sexy-as-hell models, and, as always, an opportunity to indulge and experiment with your kinky side.

 

“Even if you kinda have a quirky little fetish or idea in your head, you’re not the only one,” says Gemma Viets, one of OGB’s organizers. “I think that people are exhibitionists, and it’s one of the few outlets that allows them to express themselves the way they want to and not be judged. We want you to come away thinking, ‘Wow, I can really be myself, that was really a lot of fun.’”…

Jockstraps and Assless Chaps for Charity

Cool Cleveland Ingenious (4.23-4.30.08): Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend 

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Who would have thought that assless chaps and charity would fit so well together? The 7th annual Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW) will once again prove that leather men and women — and their admirers — are among the most generous. “When we see all those people havin’ such a good time,” says Dennis McMahon, president and founder of CLAW, “and then when we present those checks, like to the [Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community] Center and to the AIDS Taskforce, for thousands of dollars… it’s just money that these organizations need.”

Since 2002, CLAW has raised over $100,000 for local and national charities, including Camp Sunrise, the Center for Integrated Therapies, and the Leather Archives and Museum, among many others. CLAW is a four-day, multi-venue leather event that draws thousands of people — and tens of thousands of dollars — from around the country and across the globe to Cleveland each spring. The entire Wyndham Hotel at Playhouse Square is reserved for CLAW guests and various features such as their unparalleled three-day auction, the largest leather vendor mart in Ohio (showcasing over 20 American and international vendors), a Sunday brunch and some spectacular parties. There’s also a juried BDSM art show (one of the few in the country) downstairs in the Halle Building, as well as field trips that will take attendees to the Rock Hall, the Christmas Story house, and a Tribe vs. Yankees game. It’ll be hard to miss 30 guys all dressed in leather at the Prog!…

One Dozen Organ Grinder’s Ball Celebrations

Preview (4.04-4.11.07): Organ Grinder’s Ball 

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Dust off your whips and chains—the Organ Grinder’s Fetish Ball and Fashion Show returns to Metropolis is the Flats on Friday, April 13! There will be sights and sounds to delight and disturb: The Enigma, covered in a puzzle tattoo, will perform stunts to shock and amaze; Rubber City Bombshell Burlesque will bring new meaning to the term eye candy; and there will be a live flogging demonstration with participants from the audience. Four titillating fetish fashion scenes, the usual highlight of the event, will surely not disappoint. There will be equipment set up for voluntary play, and you can also kiss a model for a small fee, with the proceeds benefiting the Cleveland AIDS Taskforce.

 Now in its 12th year, the Organ Grinder’s Ball has continued to evolve and prove itself to be Cleveland’s premier fetish event of the year. Cool Cleveland met with Gemma and Tommy Viets, the show’s organizers, at The Grid-n-Orbit for rehearsal, where, over several cocktails, we delved into their personal history, the genesis of Organ Grinder’s, and what the next step is in their fetish revolution…