Tip From Mother Led Cleveland Police to Identify Boy Whose Remains Were Found in Abandoned House’s Yard
Update: The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner today released the identity of the child whose remains were found in the yard of an abandoned house on the west side back in September. He was 4-year-old Eliazar Ruiz. Cleveland police released a composite sketch in December in the hopes the public could help with the process. They’d…
The Scene Stories You Loved Most This Year
We went to Mars by way of Brook Park; we caught up with, and unspooled the untold story of, the man behind a classic Cleveland anthem; we had a corndog and a long conversation with a very open and honest Jason Kipnis; we dug into the digital redlining of Cleveland’s poorest neighborhoods and the state…
AK-216: Automatic Weapons Deliver a Full-Length Debut That’ll Shoot Your Eye Out
There’s nothing like a record to capture musicians’ senses of artistic growth. It remains a near-perfect medium for bands interested in sharing their talents with an audience. For new bands with something fresh and unclaimed to prove, it’s even more vital. We’re talking about Automatic Weapons here, which has made a splash in the local…
Bon Jovi Leads List of Rock Hall Inductees for 2018
Radiohead, the one act we considered to be a shoe-in for induction into the Rock Hall in 2018, didn’t make the final cut. Instead, the Rock Hall will induct a list of long-overlooked acts. The 2018 inductees — Bon Jovi, the Cars, Dire Straits, the Moody Blues and Nina Simone — have all been eligible…
Wizards of Winter Pick Up Where Trans-Siberian Orchestra Began
Back in 1999, Wizards of Winter musical director and keyboardist Scott Kelly and his wife were at the first Trans-Siberian performance at the Beacon Theatre in New York. Kelly instantly embraced the concept of presenting Christmas music with a prog rock theme. “I loved the music of TSO, and we became fans,” he says in…
Cleveland Composer’s Oratorio Shines Musical Light on Lake Erie Plight
In a new oratorio titled Voice of the Lake, Cleveland composer Margaret Brouwer presents the beauty and the toxic challenges flowing through Lake Erie. It’s an exceptionally timely piece. Brouwer’s work was first reported by Great Lakes Today’s Elizabeth Miller, and aired on regional public radio stations this week. The composition premiered last month at…
City of Cleveland Honors Local DJ and Record Label Owner Bill Peters
Yesterday, the City of Cleveland honored Bill Peters with a Resolution of Congratulations for the 35th anniversary of his radio show and charity work. Council President Kevin J. Kelley presented the recognition award to Peters at City Hall. “This was totally unexpected!” says Peters, a WJCU DJ who throws an annual fundraising metal concert at…
New Live Music Series Kicks Off This Friday at 78th Street Studios
A new live music and “interactive” performance series kicks off this Friday at smARTspace, the gallery on the first floor of the 78th Street Studios. The series, which will take place at every First Friday event at the 78th Street Studios, will commence with a performance by Brazilian-born guitarist Moises Borges. Borges, who has lived…
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo to Perform at Hard Rock Live in April
When Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, a Cleveland native, performed at Hard Rock Live a couple of years ago, we wrote that they played nearly all of their hits during a show that opened with the harmony-soaked, synth-driven “Shadows of the Night” and included numbers such as “Promises in the Dark” and “Everybody Lay Down.”…
Car Menorahs Take to the Streets of Cleveland in ‘Light of Hanukkah’
Joining a growing tradition across the country, the Cleveland Menorah Parade will soon bring a procession of candle-topped cars from the Beachwood area to Public Square and back again. The police-escorted event, free and open to all, starts on the third night of Hanukkah (traditionally spelled Chanukah) this Thursday, and includes the large menorah lighting ceremony…
Black Box Fix Opens Tomorrow at Legacy Village
There appears to be no stopping Eric Rogers. The passionate chef parlayed a fast-casual sandwich concept in Cleveland Heights called Black Box Fix into a mini-empire that shows little sign of slowing down. When a larger space became available down the block, Rogers moved and expanded his popular sandwich concept into a full-service restaurant called…
‘The Land’ Filmmaker Steven Caple Jr. to Direct ‘Creed 2’
Local filmmaker Steven Caple Jr., who directed The Land in 2016, has signed on to direct Creed 2, the sequel to the 2015 boxing film starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. Deadline has reported that Caple is taking the reins from Stallone himself, who will reprise his iconic role as Rocky Balboa but will no…
Narratives, Biases and (Sashi) Browns — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac discuss the podcast’s favorite college basketball team, the Browns’ change atop the power structure, the brutal march to 0-16 and Touchdown Sunglasses.
The Orchestra Does “Nightmare Before Christmas” and Six More Festive Classical Music Events for the Holidays
Christmas takes over the classical music agenda for the next two weeks. Here’s a selection of concerts that venture outside the usual. Want to sing Handel’s Messiah without having to join a choir? Trinity Cathedral in downtown Cleveland invites you to join Todd Wilson and Trinity Chamber Orchestra for its annual flash mob-style Messiah Sing…
Fantasy Author Neil Gaiman to Appear at the State Theatre in March
Author of more than 20 books, Neil Gaiman has had a remarkable career. His bestselling contemporary fantasy novels such as Coraline and American Gods have won countless awards. His children’s novel, The Graveyard Book, is the only work to win both the Newbery and Carnegie medals. Gaiman’s Sandman comics, which Stephen King has said “turned graphic…
Update: Local Rocker Michael Stanley Postpones Upcoming Hard Rock Live Shows
Updated Post: In the wake of his recovery from coronary surgery, singer-guitarist Michael Stanley, who’s just released Stolen Time, a new studio album, has postponed his Dec. 22 and 23 shows at Hard Rock Live. New dates will be announced shortly. Original Post: Last year, local singer-songwriter and WNCX DJ Michael Stanley underwent radiation treatment after…
Local Band No Matter What to Reunite for Food Bank Benefit Concert
Popular locally in the late ‘90s and early ’00s, the Cleveland cover band No Matter What has just announced it will reunite for a special show at House of Blues on Saturday, Jan. 13. The band, which features singer Jen Farley, singer-guitarist Tom Tonkli, guitarist Joe Del Re, bassist Pete Scorzino and drummer Bob Horwatt,…
NOACA Announces Multi-million Dollar Funding for Dedicated Bike Projects in Ohio City, Downtown
In news you may have missed from late last week, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, a planning agency that delves out state and federal funding for regional transportation projects, announced major, multimillion dollar funding for two dedicated, protected bike lanes. It’s yet another recent development giving hope to bike and transit advocates that Cleveland,…
Campaign Seeks Recreational Marijuana Amendment on Ohio Ballot in November 2018
A team of prospective southeast Ohio marijuana investors will aim for a constitutional amendment to be placed before voters in November 2018, which would fully legalize pot across the state. You may remember these folks: Jimmy Gould, Ian James and others ran the 2015 ResponsibleOhio ballot campaign, which ultimately failed by a 64-36 vote margin.…
Be Sure to Get Your Tickets to Scene’s Flavor Event, Happening This Thursday Evening
There are only a couple of days left before Flavor, Scene’s annual dining event, happening this Thursday evening from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum at the Western Reserve Historical Society. Tickets are just $40 in advance ($55 day of) and get you unlimited food from 30+ restaurants and…
Katy Perry Concert at the Q Caters to the Singer’s Young Fanbase
As close to an hour elapsed after the dance pop duo Purity Ring’s opening set at last night’s Katy Perry’s concert at the Q, parents and teens alike began to grow restless. At one point, the kids even started to chant, “Katy! Katy! Katy!” Perry would eventually emerge on a mechanical star-like swing that extended…
Listen to These Local Christmas Songs Instead of The Same 12 Tunes on the Radio
The only thing worse than the incessant 12-song cycle of Christmas songs on your Corolla’s FM radio is the incessant whining about those songs, about how we’re all “just so sick of it already!” Well, you’re in luck. You live in Cleveland, where good music flows like the murky Cuyahoga. We’d like to share with you…
‘Coco’ Focuses on Mexican Traditions With Care, and the Spanish Dub Emphasizes Its Emotional Core
Disney Pixar’s Coco has become the biggest box office hit in Mexico’s history, with $43 million in ticket sales to date. In the U.S., it’s currently holding a tight grip at the box office as well. I went to watch Coco with high hopes. My aunt bestowed enthusiastic praise after the film’s October release in…
Cleveland Whiskey to Host a Special Holiday Open House Tomorrow
Hansa Brewery will be on site tomorrow from noon to 4 p.m. at Cleveland Whiskey to offer tastings of its newly brewed Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal bourbon-barrel aged stout as well as its Oktoberfest bier. The occasion? It’s Cleveland Whiskey’s special holiday open house. The limited barrel release will only be available at the distillery…
Local Rapper Archie Green Seeks to Put His Own Spin on Outreach and Engagement at MoCA Cleveland
Mostly known for his work as a rapper and mental health advocate, Archie Green has quietly been making waves as the newly minted Community Outreach & Programs Manager at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA Cleveland) and is dedicated to giving a voice to those who often go unheard. And he’s doing it his way.…
Ohio Attorney General Threatens to Sue Columbus Crew Owner Using ‘Art Modell Law’
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today sent a letter to Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt notifying him that the state may take legal action should he follow through with his threats to move the Major League Soccer club to Austin, Texas, if the team doesn’t get a new stadium. The legal basis here dates back…
Thrilling Brahms Brings Audience — and Maestro — to Their Feet at Severance Hall
The only thing more predictable than a Mozart rondo is a standing ovation at Severance Hall. The enthusiastic ovation following Richard Goode’s performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat major, K. 456 was far from trivial, though. The orchestra got off to a bumpy start on Thursday night as strings and woodwinds couldn’t quite agree on…
Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive Sets New Record for Donations
Last year’s Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive, an annual event organized by WJCU DJ/Auburn Records owner Bill Peters, set records in terms of how much food and money it generated for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and Friends of the Cleveland Kennel. This year’s event, which took place this past weekend at the Beachland Ballroom,…
7 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, DEC. 8 Will Hoge Band/Augustana/Dan Layrus Originally, singer-songwriter Will Hoge intended to be a basketball coach and school teacher. When that didn’t work out, he started the rock band Spoonful in the mid-’90s. He’s been touring and recording ever since and has written songs for Eli Young Band and Lady Antebellum. A solo tour inspired…
Lived Experience Grounds Local Rapper Kipp Stone’s Debut Album
Rapper Kipp Stone opens the door of his East Cleveland home in an Adidas hat and tracksuit bottoms, and a dark Cavs sweater. He winds downstairs to a concrete-floored basement, the room occupied by laundry machines and bisected by a few sheets hung from the ceiling. With a sweeping hand, Stone unveils his laboratory behind…
Rock Hall Inductee Steve Winwood to Play the State Theatre in March
A Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Steve Winwood has had a remarkable career. A member of the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and Go, Winwood, who’s also had a successful solo career, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic in 2004. Though primarily a vocalist and keyboardist,…
Pianist Jim Brickman Talks About Why His Music is So Well-Suited to the Holidays
When pianist Jim Brickman moved to Los Angeles in the ’90s, he tried to get signed to a record label. Given that he’s an instrumentalist, it wasn’t easy. “The most common reaction would be, ‘There’s no singing or anything? There’s no rhythm section? There’s just piano? It’s just you?’” he says via phone from a…
Rapper Scarface Delivers Two Solid Sets at the Grog Shop
Rapper Scarface may be “deeply rooted” in Houston, as the title of his latest project suggests, but the former members of the Geto Boys is certainly becoming more comfortable in Cleveland. Last year, he played shows on back-to-back nights at the Grog Shop, but this time around, Scarface, who played the Grog Shop last night,…
Cavs Guard Isaiah Thomas Featured in New Kids Foot Locker Video
[image-1]Cavs guard Isaiah Thomas recently visited Campbell’s Sweets Factory in Ohio City and the Greater Cleveland Aquarium as part of a new Kids Foot Locker video series that follows NBA players who were recently traded to new teams to help show new-to-town young fans around their respective cities. The campaign kicked off today with the…
In Advance of Their Upcoming House of Blues Concert, Ohio City Singers Look Back at Their Last Decade Together
More than a decade ago, local singer-songwriter Chris Allen, his sister Molly and singer-guitarist Doug McKean worked up four Christmas tunes and then threw a big Christmas party to which they invited their musician friends. They played the four original tunes they had penned as well as a few choice covers, recorded them and delivered…
Sashi Brown is Out, Hue Jackson is In for 2018
[image-1]The Browns have “relieved” Sashi Brown of his “duties,” effective immediately. The team is “going in a new direction,” and the executive VP of football operations will not be along for the ride. Head Coach Hue Jackson remains onboard, and will continue to serve in that capacity next season. Here’s the statement from Pilot Flying…
There’s a Snowy Owl Population Boom in Cleveland Right Now
For the casual birdwatcher, any general uptick in a species’ transient Cleveland population is cause to grab the binoculars and get outside. Right now, there’s a nice surge in snowy owls along the north shore — more than typical for this time of year, in fact. It’s not yet clear why the population has increased…
Indie Duo Shawn & Shelby Releases New Music Video
A couple of years ago, Oldboy’s Shawn Brewster and Shelby Lynn Sangdahl launched the indie folk band Shawn & Shelby. Two years on, the band is still going strong and has now just released a new music video for the eerie ballad “Emergency.” “Shelby and the production company, Elements Pictures, came up with the concept…
Tower City Cinemas to Show the Spanish Version of ‘Coco’
The makers of the new Pixar film Coco went to great lengths to ensure that the film, an account of one boy’s journey into the world of the dead, respectfully represents Mexican culture. The film even held its premiere in Mexico City. To connect with the local Spanish speaking audience, Tower City Cinemas has announced…
Violinist Damien Escobar Brings Energy and Showmanship to House of Blues Concert
Damien Escobar is a violinist from New York City and was previously in a group with his older brother Tourie called Nuttin’ But Stringz. Starting out as street performers, the duo soon found themselves winning talent contests at the Apollo Theater, appearing in movies (2006’s Step Up), on television shows (NBC’s America’s Got Talent) and…
Cleveland Bagel to Open an East Side Location
It’s been four and a half years since partners Dan Herbst and Geoff Hardman peddled their first homemade bagel at the Gordon Square Farmer’s Market. Since then the bagel boys have moved production from Herbst’s apartment to Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen to rented space at Ohio City Pasta and finally to their current home,…
Indians Announce Extended Safety Netting for 2018 Season
The Indians today announced they will be installing expanded safety netting around the field before next season. Spanning sections 140 through 164, the extended protection will run from the end of one dugout clear to the other. Safety concerns over scorching foul balls and bats that slip loose from players’ grips and fling, helicopter-style, into…
Chuck Todd was in Cleveland Yesterday and Walked a Mile for a Slyman’s Corned Beef Sandwich
Chuck Todd, of NBC’s Meet the Press, was in town for a speaking engagement with the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland yesterday. At some point, he got a jonesin’ for corned beef. So how bad did I want some decent corned beef today? On a recommendation, walked a mile in 40 degree weather in…
Donut Fest Returns to Cleveland for Second Year, Date Announced
If last year’s inaugural Donut Fest in Cleveland was any indication, you’d do well not to miss this year’s installment. Organized by Bobalky and Gnocchi, a company out of Chicago, the Donut Fest, which also includes events in Chicago and New York, will return to the shores of Lake Erie on February 10, 2018. A location…
Cheeseburgers and a Bad Night for Football — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac discuss NFL violence, California sunshine, rap music, the College Football Playoff and Andre’s lifelong love affair with Swenson’s cheeseburgers. Subscribe on iTunes (and leave a review) here.
Former Channel 19 Anchor Sharon Reed Responds to Atlanta Viewer Who Called Her N-Word
Sharon Reed, the former Channel 19 news anchor who’s now in Atlanta at CBS 46, responded live on air last night to a viewer who sent her an email calling her the n-word. Race has taken center stage in Atlanta as the city, which hasn’t elected a white mayor since 1973, voted in a tightly…
The Lighthouse and the Whaler Releases New Holiday-Themed Single
After having just wrapped up a four-week tour in support of its terrific new EP, Paths, locally based indie rockers the Lighthouse and the Whaler have just released a new holiday tune, “Oh Holiday!” “We are very excited to release our first ever original Christmas song!,” the band writes on its Facebook page. “May it…
‘The Chaste Genius and His DeathRay Gun’ is a Fascinating Play About an Electrical Marvel
How can you tell when you’re famous? Well, when your name is used as an official unit of measurement, is also the name of an electrical transformer, and is emblazoned on a high-end automobile, you can safely assume you’ve achieved fame. Of course, many of the tributes to Nikola Tesla (the Tesla unit of magnetic…
Get Out: Everything You Should Do This Week in Cleveland (Dec. 6-12)
WED 12/06 Chamber Music in the Galleries Now in its sixth season, this monthly concert series at the Cleveland Museum of Art places young musicians from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University in the CMA galleries. The series features “mixed programs of chamber music” for “a unique and intimate experience.” The…
Savage Love: What Happened
Dear Dan, I used to be a fan of your column, Dan, but something happened to you. Maybe it’s stress, the current political climate, or some other issue — I don’t know. I used to look forward to your columns because they were fun, smart, and helpful — but I don’t enjoy what I’m seeing…
Movie About Cult Classic ‘The Room’ Finds a Sweet Spot
The Disaster Artist, opening Friday in limited local release, pulls back the curtain on one of the most beloved, and worst, cult movies of all time: The Room. James Franco directs and stars, and he has achieved the first (and perhaps most difficult) task for a movie about a notoriously bad movie and its notoriously…
‘Dream Boat’ is a Whole Lot More Than Scenes of Half-Naked Men Dancing in the Sun
A gay European cruise might sound like a wild good time, but in the new documentary Dream Boat, writer-director Tristan Ferland Milewski doesn’t focus on the frivolity, though there’s plenty of that. Rather, he provides compelling profiles of the men who show up to board the ship because it represents a safe place. The movie…
Abo’s Grill is Flying Under the Radar, and It Shouldn’t
If diners can’t get behind a place like Abo’s Grill, I said to my wife during a recent visit, what hope do other indie restaurants have in today’s chain-heavy landscape? This two-year-old sleeper of a place in Lyndhurst does all right, don’t get me wrong, but considering the facts, it doesn’t generate the sort of…
Band of the Week: Peter Oren
MEET THE BAND: Peter Oren (vocals, guitar) STAN’S HIS MAN: Born and raised in Columbus, Indiana, singer-songwriter Peter Oren grew up playing piano. But by high school, Oren, who possesses a rich baritone, had switched to guitar and started writing poetry. “My voice didn’t start out like this,” he says. “It’s taken some time to…
Kevin Kelley’s Community Chest
Last month, Ward 13 Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Kelley was re-elected as council president by a unanimous vote of his colleagues. The unanimity was assured by an outdated political instrument known as the Unit Rule, which mandates that all council Democrats must vote with the majority or else face banishment from the party caucus. While…
