Conversations with Jae Kristoff

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jae Kristoff.

Hi Jae, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Cleveland Lottery League as a project began in 2008 as a creative experiment built around a simple idea: What would happen if you took musicians from different bands, backgrounds, and corners of the local music scene, randomly put them together, and gave them a couple of months to create something entirely new?

The idea was to remove some of the usual ways bands form. Instead of choosing friends or musicians with similar tastes, the Lottery League would introduce chance into the process. Musicians would be drafted into new bands with people they might never have met or considered collaborating with. They would then have to develop their own identity, write original music, and eventually perform together at an event we call the BIG SHOW.

What started as an experiment became something much bigger than we ever imagined. Over the years, more than 700 musicians have participated, creating more than 275 bands. We’ve brought together people from different generations, musical styles, and communities throughout Northeast Ohio.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I think some of the challenges are also what make the Lottery League so special.

One of the biggest challenges is simply the scale of the project. We’re bringing together musicians with different backgrounds, personalities, schedules, and approaches to making music. In 2026 alone, we formed 44 bands with more than 170 musicians. Coordinating all of that, from the initial draft through rehearsals and ultimately the BIG SHOW, requires an enormous amount of communication, planning, and flexibility.

There’s also an element of unpredictability built into the entire concept. We intentionally put musicians into situations where they don’t know who they’ll be working with or what kind of music they’ll create. Sometimes those combinations click immediately, and sometimes they take a little more work. That’s part of the experiment. Learning to embrace that uncertainty rather than trying to control every outcome has been important.

Funding and sustainability have also been ongoing challenges. We’ve always wanted the Lottery League to remain accessible, with our major events free to the public. That means relying on the generosity of sponsors, community partners, volunteers, and people who believe in what we’re doing. Every season involves finding creative ways to make something pretty ambitious happen with limited resources.

Another challenge is balancing the enormous amount of work that happens behind the scenes with our regular jobs, families, and personal lives. The Lottery League is a labor of love, but it can become almost a second full-time job during an active season.

Over the years, I’ve learned that you can’t anticipate everything, especially with a project built around chance. Things will go wrong, plans will change, and unexpected challenges will come up. But some of the most memorable moments have come from people finding creative solutions together.

Ultimately, the fact that so many musicians, artists, volunteers, and community partners continue to participate and support the Lottery League is what makes those challenges worthwhile.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Lottery League is organized and directed by the Lottery League Council, consisting of myself and Michael James. We’ve worked together on the project since its beginning in 2008, and while our backgrounds and roles are a little different, we share a passion for Cleveland’s music scene, creative experimentation, and bringing people together.

I’ve been involved in Cleveland’s independent music community for many years, playing in a number of bands, organizing shows and collaborative music projects, and serving as General Manager of WCSB 2010-2014

I also co-founded the Cleveland Softball League, which was created to provide free, accessible recreation for musicians, artists, service industry workers, and friends who might not otherwise participate in organized sports. Like the Lottery League, the idea was to create something welcoming, where people from different circles could come together and build relationships.

I continue to organize smaller music and experimental creative projects outside of the Lottery League, while also making my own music.

Michael James has been a co-organizer of the Lottery League since the beginning and serves as the MC of our events. He’s also a longtime musician who has performed in bands and as a solo artist over the years. Beyond music, Michael hosted the long-running sports radio program *Defend Cleveland* on WRUW, bringing his own distinctive voice and personality to Cleveland’s independent radio community.

Together, we oversee the creative direction, organization, and production of the Lottery League, working alongside an incredible network of musicians, artists, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners who help bring each season to life.

What I’m most proud of isn’t necessarily the size of the Lottery League or the number of bands we’ve created. It’s the relationships, collaborations, and unexpected creative outcomes that have come from it. We’ve watched musicians who might never have crossed paths become friends, form lasting bands, and discover new approaches to making music.

I think what sets the Lottery League apart is that we’re not trying to discover the next big band or create a competition. We’re creating an environment where the process of collaboration is just as important as the music itself. The randomness removes expectations and gives people permission to try something different.

After nearly 20 years, seeing that idea continue to resonate with new generations of Cleveland musicians is probably the most rewarding part of the work.

Any big plans?
We have some big plans for the future of the Lottery League! Work has already begun on both a book and a documentary that will explore the history of the project, the musicians who have participated, and the many stories that have come out of nearly two decades of creative collaboration. With hundreds of bands and musicians involved over the years, there’s an incredible amount of material and history that we want to preserve and share.

We’re also always looking for ways to make each biennial Lottery League season bigger and better while maintaining the original spirit of the project. As we approach our 20th anniversary in 2028, we’re excited about the possibilities for what comes next.

A big part of what’s possible is thanks to the continued support of the Panza Foundation. John and Jane Panza, along with everyone involved with the foundation, have done so much for Cleveland’s music community. Their dedication to supporting local musicians has been remarkable, and they’ve played an important role in helping us bring so many musicians together through the Lottery League.

We’re equally fortunate to have Ingenuity Cleveland as our home for both Draft Night and the BIG SHOW. The leadership, production team, and engineers at Ingenuity have been incredibly supportive of our ideas and are often just as excited about exploring new possibilities as we are. It’s a creative partnership where everyone brings something to the table.

Looking ahead, Michael and I want to continue building on these relationships, finding new ways to bring musicians and artists together, and documenting the history of what we’ve created along the way.

More than anything, we want to see the Lottery League continue for many years to come as a lasting part of Cleveland’s music and arts community. It’s never been about just one event or one generation of musicians. It’s about creating something that can continue to evolve, inspire new collaborations, and connect people long into the future.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotteryleague
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LotteryLeague