The Cleveland area has long been known as a bastion for musical talent. Despite ever-changing musical tastes and trends, the talent that has launched (and taken root) here over the past 50 years is impressive beyond measure.

The first annual Big Cool Cats Music Festival shines the spotlight on Cleveland's venerable music scene with an all-day music showcase and festival concert Saturday, June 20, from noon - 11 p.m. at Cain Park's Evans Amphitheatre. Offering a dynamite, mainstage lineup, plus "unplugged" acoustic performances in the Colonnade, this inaugural event, created by Cleveland
Heights resident Steve Presser (owner of Big Fun Toy Store) and Lakewood residents Thomas Mulready (founder of the CoolCleveland.com online network) and Denis Devito (leader of the Cats on Holiday band), is sure to give music fans a thrill or two.

The idea was born over a cup of coffee between Presser and Devito. Presser had longed to attend a music festival showcasing some of the region's hottest talent, but no one had stepped up to create such a thing. They phoned Mulready, who created Cleveland's Performance Art Festival and co-founded the Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology, and quickly hatched a plan for the day-long concert. The event is co-presented with the City of Cleveland Heights, which operates Cain Park.

In addition to the "swamp-pop" style of Cats on Holiday, the festival features a diverse range of multicultural sounds: legendary Cleveland reggae outfit I-Tal, polyrhythmic world beat band Mifune, Americana-rockers the Magpies, "zydecajun" group Mo' Mojo, and alt-pop band 70 Lewis all comprise the mainstage entertainment.

Acoustic artists Jessie Barnes, Jack DiAlesandro and Jon Mosey will be featured on a special stage, assembled by the Cleveland Heights non-profit arts education organization Roots of American Music (ROAM).

A Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker guitar will be raffled off at the Big Cool Cats Music Festival, with the proceeds benefitting Heights Arts, the nonprofit community arts organization offering art classes, public art projects and venues for arts in Cleveland Heights. Raffle tickets can be
purchased at the festival starting at noon on June 20 or in advance at Heights Arts, Big Fun and the new Big Fun Cleveland.

Co-sponsored by CoolCleveland.com and Big Fun, The Big Cool Cats Music Festival's partners also include Gibson Guitars, Jak*Prints, Positively Cleveland, COSE Arts Network and IBuyNEO.com.

For tickets and information, visit www.BigCoolCats.com. For ticket discounts and special offers, please visit www.CoolCleveland.com.

Peter Chakerian is a correspondent for CoolCleveland.com.