If someone were to ask me for my 30 second elevator pitch on why I love living in Cleveland, I know that without question, The Winchester would be one of the reasons on my list.

I like to think of The Winchester as “the little venue that could.”  While other venues in Cleveland have had the benefit of being the cool hip joint for status seekers to be seen, The Winchester often flies under the radar instead.  They rely on a weekly club ad and email blast, and a whole lot of word of mouth to get the message out.  Similar clubs have been just as cool, and similar clubs have come and gone – against all odds, The Winchester continues to exist.

Perhaps it’s about good karma.  Owner Jim Mileti and his wife Rebecca are good folks operating a safe haven for fans of good music.  You don’t have to know people to get the VIP treatment from the club – all are eligible for the same perks, and it’s that same kind of treatment that also keeps artists – some of whom don’t normally play a club the size of The Winchester – coming back around for repeat visits!

This week’s show of the week puts the spotlight on The Winchester, which celebrates its 7th anniversary on Wednesday night with a mystery artist and “his band.”

Hmmmmm.  I’m usually pretty good at figuring stuff like this out, but I’ve got no idea – and I can’t wait to find out who the surprise artist is!

From the Winchester’s website:

We will present a special holiday rock show performance by a secret mystery guest musician and his band. It’s all very hush-hush, but also very awesome!

If you are a friend of the Winchester then YOU ARE INVITED! In addition to this super secret mystery performer, there will be other surprises. Admission is free (!) because we love and appreciate you. Showtime is 9pm. You may want to come early because once we are full, then that’s it!

And some further information, from their blog:

We would like to sincerely thank all of the music fans who have supported us over the past 7 years. We would also like to say that we are looking forward to continuing to present great music into the future.

Amen!

Congrats to The Winchester – here’s to many, many more wonderful years of live music!

P.S. – There is already one show booked at The Winchester in 2010 that we’re really excited about.  Stay tuned for the details…