Reviews of the Cinematheque’s weekend films
The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque is showing several great movies this weekend. Here are reviews of two of them. Jerichow (Germany, 2008) It’s apparent from the opening scene that there aren’t too many nice people in the German noir Jerichow. Thomas (Benno Fürmann) is pulled away from his mother’s funeral by a small-time gangster…
Facials Release New CD
Cleveland punk quintet the Facials will introduce their new album, …Minutes to Live, at 8 p.m. on Saturday at RockStar, upstairs from Peabody’s. The CD was recorded last summer and fall at Athens’ Hideout recording with producer/engineer Eddie Ashworth (Pennywise, Sublime, Unwritten Law), who also produced the band’s 2005 CD Ingredients for a Revolution. ……
Pan-Cleveland Orquestra Plays Sparx’s Last Block Party
The final West 9th Street after-work block party, Sparx Thursday Night Live, takes place tomorrow. West 9th Street from St. Clair to Johnson Court will shut to traffic, and the street’s restaurants offering a variety of specials. Sponsored by the Sparx in the City program, which schedules street entertainers all over downtown throughout the summer,…
A WORST-CITIES LIST WE AVOIDED
Cleveland steered well clear of the “10 meanest cities” list that was part of Homes Not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities, a new report by The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and The National Coalition for the Homeless According to the executive summary, “The report documents cities with the worst…
PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE CRASH
I’m all for protecting kids — got two of them myself. But if we’re now going to require parents to buy yet another type of car seat (Big Baby’s lobbyists were behind this, I’m sure), shouldn’t we also try to prevent accidents by banning cell phone use while driving? You’d think, but as the New…
What If…. 1961 Indians
For anyone who has read Terry Pluto’s fantastic The Curse of Rocky Colavito, the misguided decisions of Frank Lane back during his tenure with the Tribe are no surprise. Freaking incompetent. Hardball Times, thanks to the magic of the Way Back Machine, every once in awhile likes to look back at a team and a…
Lollapalooza Photo Show
Jeff Niesel spent three whole days at Lollapalooza over the weekend. Above is his photo document.
Posters on my Bedroom Wall
I was perusing Dustin Canalin’s blog (he of the brain behind UNDRCRWN), admiring the redesign of the shop, when I came across this post. Do I remember those posters? Yes, yes in fact I do. I know you do as well, because these were the gold standard of cheesy bedroom decorations in the 80s and…
Empty Nest makes its Cleveland premiere tomorrow at CMA
A drama about a couple that struggles to cope after its children move out of the house, Empty Nest has its local premiere tomorrow night at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art as part of the Museum’s “Friday Night First-Runs” series. It also screens at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14. Here’s our review. Empty…
WTF of the Day: Elton John Plays on Alice in Chains CD
We’re not sure what the hell Elton John is doing on the reunited Alice in Chains’ upcoming album, but he’s on there. John will play piano on Black Gives Way to Blue’s title track, a tribute to the band’s late singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002 of a heroin-and-cocaine cocktail. (How much you wanna…
Tuesday Music News Roundup
Miley credits Britney for those cooter-flashing pictures you’re probably gonna see any day now. Boring American Idol gives props to the crazy lady who helped give him a career. Now if only Toby Keith will hang up his cowboy hat … The world’s unfunniest comedian makes the news for an unfunny joke. If it takes…
eBay Item of the Day: Cleveland Lumberjacks Tie
If you’re going to buy a tie for someone, you might as well make it an abomination of fashion. That’s the only way it’s worth it. Nothing gets worse than a tie from a defunct IHL team with a beaver in the logo, does it? Didn’t think so. Dad will be so proud. Hurry! The…
Two New Kix
Really, I have little interest in sneakers, but after attending the Nike Air Max LeBron VII release and summit in Akron last Friday, I’m kind of in sneaker-mode, or at least as much in sneaker-mode as a guy who only wears Sambas can be. Anyway, presented here are two Clevo/Buckeye-related kix that were just released.…
Rock Hall Honors Janis Joplin
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will honor Janis Joplin in November as part of its annual American Music Masters Series. The week-long program, which starts on November 9, is titled Kozmic Blues: The Life and Music of Janis Joplin. Events will take place around town, including lectures and concerts at the…
Money Where Your Mouth Is: Corissa Bragg
C-Notes’ music writers are busy chatting over Internet rumors about Radiohead. So, rather than rave up singer-songwriter Corissa Bragg, we’ll let her say describe herself. And she does it in ways that we couldn’t. Artist: Corissa Bragg Website: www.myspace.com/corissabragg Hometown: Cleveland Sounds Like: “Weepy vagina rock.” Fun Fact: “I only let cute boys play my…
FBI TARGETTING SENSIBLE EYEWEAR
I wear prescription glasses. Anyone with similar eyesight impairment knows that there is one of three ways to get your eyes some shade if you eschew contacts but still desire to see the world with non-blurry edges. There are the gigantic “sunglasses” that wrap around your glasses. Horrible. Old men wear these. So might 10-year-olds…
This Just In: Concert Announcements
This week, we have 16 new shows, including Asylum Street Spankers, the return of D.R.I., Playing for Change, the Meat Puppets, the much reviled Brokencyde and Dr. Acula — get it?! “Dr. Acula”! Asylum Street Spankers: Ballroom, Sat., Nov. 21, 8:30 p.m., $14. Beachland. Ballyhoo!: Wed., Sept. 30, 8 p.m., $8. Grog Shop. Bobbie Peru,…
Square Records Anniversary Party Review
Square Records celebrated its sixth anniversary at Akron’s Musica on Friday by throwing down an evening full of the best indie rock Akron has to offer. Tiger Fighter, Dinomania, local legends the Bizzaros and Drummer (which features five local drummers, including the Black Keys’ Patrick Carney) hammered through sets. Gearing up for their first tour,…
WIN TICKETS TO BURNING RIVER FEST
Great Lakes Brewing Company holds its annual Burning River Fest on Saturday, 4-11 p.m. at the Historic Coast Guard Station, located at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on Whiskey Island. Raise a pint to the “watershed moment” that raised a new level of eco-consciousness, the 1969 burning of the Cuyahoga River. This recognition of…
Lost Son of Havana — ESPN 10 p.m. Tonight
The acclaimed documentary on Luis Tiant — Lost Son of Havana — screens tonight on ESPN at 10 p.m. Here’s our film editor’s short review: The Lost Son of Havana (US, 2009) Former big-league hurler Luis Tiant is the subject of this terrific documentary directed by Jonathan Hock. Tiant, one of the first Cubans to…
Phuck ‘Em, Really
Yep. Birdland and the great Phillies blog The Fightins dropped some new tees recently, and Cliff Lee naturally got his own design. To their description we go!: “Welcome to The City of BrotherCliftonPhiferLee Love…please stay, like, a really long time. I think I love you, man. Red 100% cotton shirt.”
Want But Can’t Afford: No Mas Finisher Bags
Every kid my age (mid-20’s) had one of those Starter jackets. It was a must have on the block. I had a Browns one, and so did most of my friends. Hell, I think one of my friends still wears his. No Mas has been collecting Starter jackets for awhile, wondering what to do with…
Jon Stewart Has Trouble With Sherrod Brown’s Judicial Logic
The Daily Show tackled newly-minted Supreme Court judge Sonia Sotomayor last week, and more specifically, the endlessly entertaining but absolutely useless speeches both Dems and Republicans gave regarding the confirmation. Two classics: First, a Republican who admits that he knows nothing about judicial affairs and says that Judge Sotomayor’s legal intellect is way above his…
eBay Item of the Day: Browns/Steelers Tic Tac Toe
Because a pen and paper, a marker and some empty space on a wall, a pencil and a tablecloth are all too unwieldy and expensive for this game. Hell, this is like buying a little football to play paper football with. On the upside, this gives the Browns their only chance of beating the Steelers…
Road Trip Concert Review: Lollapalooza, Day 3
While they weren’t considered headliners, New York’s Vampire Weekend certainly drew as big a crowd as any of the bigger names on the Lollapalooza ticket. The band didn’t disappoint. Dedicating a song to the late John Hughes, the director whose films were such an important part of ’80s pop culture, the group kept things poppy…
8/12: Maia Sharp at Nighttown
On Maia Sharp’s fourth album, Echo, producer Don Was and legendary drummer Jim Keltner add a crisp vivacity to the singer-songwriter’s canvas. While past albums have showcased Sharp’s lyrical flair and indomitable spirit, the records’ production — particularly on 1997’s jazzy debut, Hardly Glamour, and 2002’s self-titled lite-rock follow-up — tended to over-gloss and underplay…
Classic Cleveland Force Brawl
You know what’s great about indoor soccer brawls? When players get testy and want to kick the crap out of each other, they charge just like baseball players, but then they kick. They jump kick. They slide kick. They drop kick. They go for stomachs, heads, legs, backs. It’s beautiful. I came across this classic…
Photo Gallery: Nike Air Max LeBron VII Release, Akron
LeBron’s latest and greatest shoe was given a proper introduction, as the Nike Air Max LeBron VII was treated to an international reception at the Ed Davis Community Center in Akron on Friday. Before LeBron embarks on a 10-city tour to promote both the movie and the shoe (which both technically premiere in October), Nike…
Road Trip Concert Review: Lollapalooza, Day 2
Day two of Lollapalooza started with a Playboy brunch at the Hilton, which overlooks the Grant Park festival grounds. The brunch was essentially a mass-marketing endeavor designed to promote both the mag and some new Axe body spray that smells like leather. While we suspected the so-called Playmate hosts were really just a handful of…
8/11: Trashcan Sinatras at the Grog Shop
The Trashcan Sinatras have been together for more than 20 years, and not all of them have been easy. In 1996, the guys declared bankruptcy after they were dropped from their major label. The band reemerged a few years later seemingly unscathed, still cranking out pop creations with sweet harmonies and gentle grooves. The Scottish…
G.I. Joe is the summer’s better toy story
A group of terrorists led by arms dealer McMullen aka Destro (Christopher Eccleston) plots to take over the world. The only thing that can stop them is G.I. Joe, an elite team of international soldiers. There’s also a subplot about Joe member Duke (Channing Tatum) being involved in a star-crossed romance with femme fatale the…
Road Trip Concert Review: Lollapalooza, Day 1
Now in its fifth year as a destination festival, Lollapalooza got off to a soggy start yesterday in Chicago. It started to rain just about the time the doors opened and it didn’t let up for most of the day. The dreary weather was somewhat appropriate for the moody, dour music of Bon Iver and…
8/10: Cuyahoga County Fair
Can you smell the motor oil? Can you hear the sound of crumpling fenders? That’s right: The Northeast Ohio county-fair season revs up this week when the Cuyahoga County Fair opens its gates at 5 p.m. today and runs through Sunday, August 16, at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds (164 Eastland Rd., off Bagley, in Berea).…
Some Old Dude in Aerosmith Falls Offstage
Seriously — anyone dancing around like this with no freakin’ music playing deserves to fall offstage. And if you’re old enough to get a sizable discount on your Grand Slam Breakfast at Denny’s, you shouldn’t be dancing like this at all. Period. We’re all for rockers trying to keep the show going when technical screw-ups…
Who Ya Callin’ a Reatard?
Waiting For Something – a short documentary about Jay Reatard If you’ve been asking yourself, “Who is this Jay Reatard dude and what the fuck is up with his name?” the above mini-movie oughta fill you in. Waiting for Something is a 20-minute documentary about Reatard, his music and the people around him who try…
Friday Music News Roundup
Another reason old guys should leave the rockin’ to the young dudes. Paula Abdul prepares for a life of post-Idol batshit craziness. Looks like Rihanna-beater Chris Brown will have to find another company to whore himself out to. Like his last couple of albums, Michael Jackson’s insurance policies are worthless. Britney Spears will show up…
Mission of Burma Headline Studio-A-Rama
Case Western Reserve radio station WRUW-FM 91.1 has announced that Mission of Burma will headline its annual, free all-day concert Studio-A-Rama, whose 28th edition takes place on Saturday, September 5, in the courtyard behind the Mather Building (11220 Bellflower Rd.), where the station’s studios are located. Guided by Voices, Enon, the Sadies and Naked Raygun…
Concert Review: Los Campesinos! at the Grog Shop, 8/6
If I was writing from the perspective of the six-foot-tall girl standing in front of me, spreading horrible B.O. as she flailed her arms in a wild attempt at dancing, I would say that Los Campesinos! was the greatest band on Earth. I would say that their music infected my bones and embraced my muscles,…
8/9: Cleveland Orchestra with Garrick Ohlsson
Garrick Ohlsson has been one of the world’s busiest pianists since 1970, when he became the first and so far only American to win the prestigious Chopin Competition. Since then, he’s performed in a startling range of repertoire and settings. Besides gigs with orchestras, Ohlsson is an active recitalist and a frequent collaborator with string…
8/9: Onyx at Peabody’s
Hardcore hip-hop group Onyx looked like they were poised to take over the world in 1993. Their debut album, Bacdafucup, went double platinum on the strength of the hit single “Slam” and underground banger “Throw Ya Gunz.” Already popular with white rock audiences, the group crossed over further when they rerecorded “Slam” with Biohazard. The…
Hausu has its local premiere tonight at CMA
An old Japanese horror movie that’s found a second life as a cult classic, Hausu has its local premiere tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art as part of the Museum’s “Friday Night First-Runs” series. Here’s our review. Hausu (Japan, 1977) This Japanese horror movie was made more than 30 years ago, and…
A Perfect Getaway is a satisfying summer thriller
Screenwriter Cliff (Steve Zahn) and his new wife Cydney (Mila Jovovich) are an annoyingly cutesy couple on a Hawaiian honeymoon. They’re having a great time taking helicopter rides and making plans to hike to a secluded beach, but there’s trouble in paradise. A pair of killers is at large on the island, which Cliff learns…
Sen. Feingold Gives Props to Bon Iver and Wilco
A few montha ago we told you about Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold’s new project, Feintunes. Between pushing his support for health-care reform and Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation and opposing the deployment of more troops to Afghanistan, Feingold solicits suggestions from the public for new tunes to program into his iPod and posts his monthly artist pick…
Cousin Brucie Broadcasts From Rock Hall
The name — and his style of announcing — may be a little cloying and outdated, but “Cousin Brucie” Morrow (real name: Bruce Meyerowitz) was one of the legendary Top 40 disc jockeys of the ’60s. He was tapped to introduce the Beatles at their 1966 Shea Stadium concert, back when that was a sign…
eBay Item of the Day: Browns Advent Calendar
This, of all the bizarre, random, and useless items found on eBay, is the absolute example of a team sticking their logo or licensing their logo on anything because people will buy it. People will buy this advent calendar, because who wouldn’t want a bear, that might be a monkey, with a Browns dog logo…
Photos and More — The National Sports Collector Convention
So last weekend the National Sports Collector Convention took over the IX Center for many days of many, many, many sports-related collectibles, nostalgia, garbage, baseball cards, and …. well, they had freaking everything there. I spent most of the morning and earlier afternoon on Thursday checking out the wares with ESPN’s Paul Lukas (find Paul’s…
Shaq Vs. Update: If the Big Man Loses in Volleyball, He’ll be Donning a Pink Speedo
Shaq has already filmed the first episode of Shaq Vs., his new reality show where he will compete each week with an athlete in their respective sport — and, hopefully, avoid injury at the same time. The Big Witness has also issues challenges to Lance Armstrong and David Beckham, but neither superstar has acquiesced to…
Whiskey Daredevils Tour Diary
The Whiskey Daredevils just returned from a road trip in Europe. Frontman Greg Miller fills us in on what happened. Day 14: Vitoria, Spain Ken and I taxi over to the other hotel and immediately see the van hasn’t moved. Two glorious downtown “temporary” Barcelona parking spaces are filled by our giant van, and have…
This Week in Reunion Shows: The Waynes
They say things happen in threes, and that’s definitely the case with reunion shows by Cleveland pop-rock bands from the early-mid ’90s. With the World in a Room reunion in May and the Jehova Waitresses show last weekend out of the way, this weekend it’s the Waynes’ turn. They’ll be performing at the Happy Dog…
8/8: Bug City at Garfield Park
You know whether your kids will be fascinated or grossed out — there’s probably no middle ground — by Bug City. From 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. today, the Garfield Park Nature Center at the Garfield Park Metroparks Reservation (11350 Broadway Ave., Garfield Hts., 216.341.3152) turns into a hive of activities relating to creepy, crawly things. “Mayor…
8/8: Les Delices at Harkness Chapel
Baroque oboist Debra Nagy leads the well-mannered chamber-music group Les Delices, who explore the relationship between French baroque music and its flashier Italian counterpart on their latest album, The Tastes Reunited. The playing is highly refined and beautifully balanced, and it doesn’t sound like the soloists are showing off. That’s because French composers (like Francois…
8/8: Pink Eye One-Year Anniversary Party
It’s been a year since Ian P.E. and Leigh Ring launched their bi-monthly zine Pink Eye. It started out with a print run of only 250 copies, but it’s transformed into a glossy mag (with a circulation of around 5,000) that gives equal weight to the underground rock and local art scenes. To celebrate, Pink…
8/8: Redneck Festival in Pierpont
Yee-haw! Are you a redneck? You don’t have to be one to head on out to Ashtabula County this weekend for the Redneck Games and Festival. “It’s gonna be a Redneck Woodstock,” promises the event promotion, which describes it as “taking place in the middle of nowhere” (actually, it’s happening at Animal Lover’s Retreat and…
8/8: Temporality at Brandt Gallery
There’s an inescapable relationship between film and time. Whether it’s a movie, a photo or video, shooting something with a camera extracts it from the passage of time, so the moment can be revisited again and again or put aside for later. In her new show Temporality, artist and educator Cynthia Penter explores time, the…
Reviews of the Cinematheque’s weekend films
The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque is showing several great films this weekend. Here are our reviews. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Britain, 1964) During the depths of the Cold War, director Stanley Kubrick wanted to make an anti-nuke doomsday statement that would blow away films with…
Cleveland native Anthony Russo discusses his upcoming projects
Not to be confused with the slasher flick by the same name, Donkey Punch is a 15-minute short film with a few Cleveland connections. The movie, which premieres this weekend at the 5th annual Hollyshorts Film Festival, was produced by Clevelander Anthony Russo (Welcome to Collinwood) and written by his Benedictine High pal John Hlavin,…
Delonte KFC T-Shirt
Busy today, so that’s why the blog’s been very slow. But this absolutely has to be posted. Glen Infante, the mastermind behind the Delonte Donuts t-shirt, took some new inspiration from Brotha Red’s recent freestylin’ rap while waiting on some KFC and has a new shirt that should be ready for production soon. Stay tuned…
Dreadful Yawns Take a Break
The Dreadful Yawns are “closing up shop for a while,” according to their MySpace page, although the exact nature of their future appears fuzzy even to them. “Are we breaking up? No, probably not,” they write. “The Yawns in some form or another will carry on. Are there going to be lineup changes? I suppose…
8/8: Temporality at Brandt Gallery
There’s an inescapable relationship between film and time. Whether it’s a movie, a photo or video, shooting something with a camera extracts it from the passage of time, so the moment can be revisited again and again or put aside for later. In her new show Temporality, artist and educator Cynthia Penter explores time, the…
8/8: Les Delices at Harkness Chapel
Baroque oboist Debra Nagy leads the well-mannered chamber-music group Les Delices, who explore the relationship between French baroque music and its flashier Italian counterpart on their latest album, The Tastes Reunited. The playing is highly refined and beautifully balanced, and it doesn’t sound like the soloists are showing off. That’s because French composers (like Francois…
8/7: Verb Ballets at Cain Park
Verb Ballets’ varied influences come out in full force tonight. The program reaches into Cleveland’s dance heritage with the company premiere of a work by former Cleveland San Jose Ballet dancer Ginger Thatcher: the classical ballet piece “Urban Study.” Also on the program is the revival of Ohio Ballet founder Heinz Poll’s 1968 dance, “Elegaic…
8/7: On an Average Day at BNC
John Kolvenbach’s play On an Average Day is about two long-separated brothers reuniting in an apartment. One seems to have his life together; the other is a sociopathic slob, facing jail time for throwing a man from a car. The two of them unfold a shared history of abandonment that culminates in a protracted fight.…
8/7: Oh, That Is Sooooo Last Year at Rupnik Gallery
William Rupnik Gallery continues its evolution with Oh, That Is Sooooo Last Year, a group effort featuring new and old work by more than 20 artists (Rupnik typically offers one- and two-man shows). Some of the artists — like Ryan Jaenke, Paul Rogers and Paul Sydorenko — have long associations with the gallery. Other artists…
8/7: Antaeus/MorrisonDance at Lincoln Park
The Antaeus and MorrisonDance troupes play up their connection to the neighborhood in this weekend’s performance, which is part of the Arts in August program at Tremont’s Lincoln Park. Sarah Morrison says her company will honor all the servers who work in Tremont restaurants with “Tray Magnifique.” They’ll also give a nod to her husband…
8/9: Cleveland Orchestra with Garrick Ohlsson
Garrick Ohlsson has been one of the world’s busiest pianists since 1970, when he became the first and so far only American to win the prestigious Chopin Competition. Since then, he’s performed in a startling range of repertoire and settings. Besides gigs with orchestras, Ohlsson is an active recitalist and a frequent collaborator with string…
Wilbert’s asks, What’s it worth to ya?
As the economy continues to falter, concert promoters and nightclub owners are getting creative as they vie for a cut of your paycheck. The world’s biggest concert promoter is dealing in volume. And in downtown Cleveland, one club owner is using a performance-based honor system. This week, Wilbert’s owner Michael Miller has debuted a model…
WHAT’S IT WORTH TO YA?
As the economy continues to falter, concert promoters and nightclub owners are getting creative as they vie for a cut of your paycheck. The world’s biggest concert promoter is dealing in volume. And in downtown Cleveland, one club owner is using a performance-based honor system. This week, Wilbert’s owner Michael Miller has debuted a model…
8/7: Verb Ballets at Cain Park
Verb Ballets’ varied influences come out in full force tonight. The program reaches into Cleveland’s dance heritage with the company premiere of a work by former Cleveland San Jose Ballet dancer Ginger Thatcher: the classical ballet piece “Urban Study.” Also on the program is the revival of Ohio Ballet founder Heinz Poll’s 1968 dance, “Elegaic…
8/7: Twins Festival
Cleveland’s own little piece of cultural weirdness gets attention from around the world today, when the 34th annual Twins Day Weekend in (where else?) Twinsburg kicks off. Twins — and triplets, quads and other “multiples” — descend on the Cleveland suburb for three days of twin-centric activities. There are lots of typical summer festival activities:…
8/7: Twilight at the Zoo
Grownups can get a very different — and kid-free — view of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (3900 Wildlife Way, 216.661.6500) and support its activities from 7 p.m.-midnight tonight at the zoo’s annual Twilight at the Zoo benefit. The entire zoo is backdrop for the event, which includes food, drinks and 14 bands playing a variety…
8/7: The Ragbirds at the Wincester
“Folk rock” is often used to describe a narrow alley between early Dylan and the Byrds. But in the case of Michigan quintet the Ragbirds, it encompasses a planetary expanse that includes world music, American roots, Celtic folk, Eastern modal and gypsy overtones. Frontwoman Erin Zindle’s vocals veer from willowy to smoky over vibrant rhythmic…
8/7: On an Average Day at BNC
John Kolvenbach’s play On an Average Day is about two long-separated brothers reuniting in an apartment. One seems to have his life together; the other is a sociopathic slob, facing jail time for throwing a man from a car. The two of them unfold a shared history of abandonment that culminates in a protracted fight.…
8/7: Oh, That Is Sooooo Last Year at Rupnik Gallery
William Rupnik Gallery continues its evolution with Oh, That Is Sooooo Last Year, a group effort featuring new and old work by more than 20 artists (Rupnik typically offers one- and two-man shows). Some of the artists — like Ryan Jaenke, Paul Rogers and Paul Sydorenko — have long associations with the gallery. Other artists…
8/7: Mid-West Reggae Fest at Nelson Ledges
Now in its 18th year, the annual Mid-West Reggae Fest has expanded into a three-day affair at the spacious Nelson Ledges Quarry Park (12001 Nelson Ledge Rd., Garrettsville, 440.548.2716). Presented, as always, by reggae fanatic and chocolate maven Packy Malley, this year’s lineup includes veteran reggae artists like Beres Hammond, Freddie McGregor, the Wailing Souls…
8/7: Bat Night at Lake View Cemetery
How goth can you get? As night falls over Lake View Cemetery (12316 Euclid Ave., 216.421.2665), you could be picking your way among the gravestones searching for bats at tonight’s Bat Night adventure. From 8-10 p.m., naturalist Tim Krynak will lead a group of hikers as he talks about the varieties of bats that live…
8/7: Antaeus/MorrisonDance at Lincoln Park
The Antaeus and MorrisonDance troupes play up their connection to the neighborhood in this weekend’s performance, which is part of the Arts in August program at Tremont’s Lincoln Park. Sarah Morrison says her company will honor all the servers who work in Tremont restaurants with “Tray Magnifique.” They’ll also give a nod to her husband…
8/6: Mitchel Musso at HOB
Mitchel Musso is the latest Disney TV star to give a musical career a shot. The Hannah Montana co-star is touring behind his eponymous album and insists that it’s always been music first and acting second for him. “I was involved with music since I started playing the piano at six,” he says. “I had…
Free Summer Mix
Nylon magazine is giving away a free summer mix here. Normally we stay away from these kinda things, since most of the bands suck. Or we never heard of ’em. But Nylon’s mix — an iTunes download — includes tracks by Crystal Antlers, Little Boots, Passion Pit, Phoenix, the Horrors, the Pains of Being Pure…
8/6: CKY at Peabody’s
Don’t be too quick to dismiss CKY as a knuckle-dragging skate-metal band. Blame this misconception on obnoxious MTV dwarf Bam Margera, whose brother Jess is CKY’s drummer. The group makes a fascinating and unique kind of hard rock — featuring Moog synths as prominently as loud guitars — which owes as much to early ’80s…
8/6: Lil Wayne at Blossom
Lil Wayne’s new CD — the long-delayed rock one he’s been promising all year — is supposed to come out in a couple of weeks. But it’s missed a few other deadlines, so we’re not holding our breath. If Rebirth’s first two singles — “Prom Queen” and “In Your Face” — are any indication, the…
24-Hour Rascal Flatts Giveaway
We got a pair of tickets to Rascal Flatts’ sold-out concert at Blossom Music Center on Friday. You’ll also get to meet the band. All you have to do is send your name, phone number and e-mail address to freetickets@clevescene.com. We’ll pick a random winner at 10 a.m. tomorrow, August 6.
Departures is better than expected
The surprise winner of this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Departures, Yojiro Takita’s tale of yuppie redemption, is a lot better than expected. When his symphony orchestra goes belly-up, newly unemployed cellist Daigo (the likable Mashahiro Motoki) takes a job as assistant to the local mortician (Tsutomo Yamazaki, terrific). Because of Japan’s cultural…
Film Capsules For Your Heart’s Delight
Opening The Big Trail (US, 1930) John Wayne had his first starring role in this western, which has just been restored. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. At 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story (US, 2009) A portrait of Disney’s sibling songwriting duo, Robert B. and…
Arts District: Your source for local arts news
Artist Lacey Petrovich says her paintings in Cannibalicious are “an illustrated look into the parts of the brain that have not developed past the age of 13.” It’s a bawdy show that uses pop-culture images — not surprising given that Petrovich is a member of the local burlesque troupe the Pussyfoot Girls. It’s an adults-only…
Around Hear: New From Joshua Jesty
Former This Is Exploding frontman Joshua Jesty releases his first fully formed CD, Girl, on Saturday at the Winchester (12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood.) Filled with harmonies and hooky guitar melodies, the dynamic disc alternates between big power-pop and gentle, unplugged introspection. Jesty describes the sound as a mix of “Sufjan Stevens and Sunny Day Real…
Good Vibrations
It’s not that far to Vermilion from downtown Cleveland — half an hour or so west on I-90 — yet it seems much farther, like a quaint slice of Connecticut or Rhode Island transposed to our own low-sodium shore. The lighthouse, the hand-dipped ice cream and the boats are what you would expect. A Chelsea-quality…
King of the Hill
TOP PICK Little King’s Story (XSEED) One of the best real-time strategy games for the Wii is also one of the best videogames of the year. There’s a whole world to explore as a newly appointed king of a land that’s filled with engaging characters and involving storylines. Prepare to put some major time in…
Home Is Where the Hurt Is
Argentine writer-director Daniel Burman (Lost Embrace) has said his film Empty Nest is about “accepting one’s own decline.” That statement alone should clue you in that this is heady stuff. Character-driven and philosophical to a fault, Burman’s film is, as its title implies, about a couple who must confront their problems after their children leave…
Emotional Rescue
You’re not imagining the chaos you hear swirling among the feedback and other glorious guitar noises on Silversun Pickups’ second album, Swoon. It’s very real. And even if the Los Angeles band didn’t actually intend for that feeling to meld with that sound, it couldn’t help but to seep into the grooves, since disorder, confusion…
Local Music Reviews
The Very Knees (Gravity Place Art & Commerce) myspace.com/theveryknees The sonic excess of this 7-inch perfectly captures the Very Knees’ aggressive style of rusty-kitchen-sink rock, offering a dissident dishwater mix of Mudhoney and Guitar Wolf. You’ll want to spin this two-song garage-punk set every time you need your noise-bliss fix. David Petrovich directs the two-piece…
Feel Good Music
What’s the last thing a drummer says in a band? Let’s try one of my songs. If there’s a kernel of truth to that joke, it’s surprising Akron’s Drummer even exists. Yet it’s a supergroup of sorts, featuring current or one-time Akron area skins-pounders Patrick Carney (Black Keys) on bass, Jamie Stillman (Harriet the Spy/Party…
Reel Cleveland: 23rd Anniversary of the Cinematheque
The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque (11141 East Blvd., 216.421.7450, cia.edu/cinematheque) celebrates its 23rd anniversary this weekend with the showing of three exclusive movies. At 5 p.m. Saturday, it screens The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story, a documentary about the songwriting duo responsible for the tunes in classic films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and…
HIGH IN THE BASEMENT
In his “Metaphors of a Magnifico,” American poet Wallace Stevens wrote about individual perspectives on the same experience: “Twenty men crossing a bridge/Into a village/Are twenty men crossing twenty bridges/Into twenty villages/Or one man/Crossing a single bridge into a village.” Last week, Ingenuity Festival director James Levin took about 30 people across the subway level…
CD Review: Modest Mouse
Since signing to a major label in 2001, Modest Mouse have continued to act like they’re still on an indie. The band regularly issues vinyl singles and puts out random collections of tunes like this disc, a compilation of eight limited-edition 7-inch singles the band recently released. The album commences with the constipated vocals of…
ALL THAT PIPPIN
At Cain Park’s Alma Theater, Pippin audience members are handed paper fans, presumably to cool down the blush from all that sexual excess generated by the mostly collegiate exhibitionists on the stage. Commencing the musical debauchery is a Catherine Zeta-Jones look-alike in the role originally played by a black male. Gazing defiantly out from her…
CD Review: Joe Pernice
Released in conjunction with his novel of the same name, Joe Pernice’s latest CD features covers of nine songs mentioned in the book, an instrumental by the narrator’s fictional band and several spoken excerpts from the novel. Anyone who’s appreciated Pernice’s previous work will find a lot to love in this collection. It marks a…
SPANISH ACCENTS
The La Boca barrio of Buenos Aires is a colorful arts district surrounded by a blue-collar neighborhood. How fitting, then, that the newest restaurant to join the burgeoning Gordon Square District, an artsy borough tucked into the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, is called La Boca. Situated a stone’s throw from Cleveland Public Theatre and the soon-to-open Capitol…
CD Review: Quieting Syrup
Quieting Syrup is more than just a moniker for Denali bassist Stephen Howard’s solo project. It’s a perfect description of the 12 tracks on Songs About a Sick Boy. Howard offers mollifying, drowsy ballads that move at the speed of dripping molasses. The deliberate drumming, shimmering guitars, bare-bones production and pillow-talk vocals recall the maudlin…
Bites: ABC Tavern Set for a Makeover
Fans of the West Side Market Café (1979 W. 25th St., 216.579.6800, westsidemarketcafe.com) have Randy Kelley and Linda Syrek to thank for its remarkable turnaround. Since taking over the restaurant three-and-a-half years ago, their team has grown from four employees to nearly 20, and business has never been better. Soon, the duo will attempt to…
CD Review: Fruit Bats
Tuck the sun into Wilco’s pocket and swap Jeff Tweedy for Eric D. Johnson. That’s how you get “My Unusual Friend” from the Fruit Bats’ fourth album. The uptempo keyboard plunking, cheerful pop guitar solos and simple melody are Wilco’s Summerteeth all over again. The rest of the album stretches away from the mold, with…
Half-Baked
Meryl Streep and Amy Adams may get top billing in Julie & Julia, but all the delectable food the pair whip up over the course of the film deserves at least equal billing. This movie is based on a book by Julie Powell, a real-life cubicle drone who decides to change her life by cooking…
CD Review: Royalchord
Australians Tammy Haider and Eliza Hiscox, put together their third album on the road, writing songs in Guatemala, France and Germany. After assembling the tracks in “bedrooms, studios, mezzanines, vocal booths, lounge rooms, restrooms and hallways” and going through several lineup changes, the duo finally settled on light, upbeat pop melodies with Middle-Eastern-sounding music. On…
The Cardiff Kids
It started simply: A few kids at Cardiff University hung out between classes and wrote songs about algebra homework, fizzy party drinks and dressing up in costumes. Effervescent happiness and a chipper attitude permeated the university halls, where seven college kids messed around with instruments. Drummer Ollie and the other six members of Wales’ Los…
CD Review: Iron Age
It’s a safe guess that most of Iron Age’s iPods would reveal Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All and other vintage thrash as influences. Singer Jason Tarpey’s iPod, on the other hand, would surely sport a playlist packed with tunes by metal/hardcore crossover legends Disfear. While the guitars on The Sleeping Eye are chugging, riffing and ripping…
Good Luck, Chuck
Just looking at Chuck Mosley, you can tell that nothing comes easy for him. As he steps out of his silver Escalade EXT in front of Ante Up Studios one afternoon in early July, he’s a frazzled mess. His trademark medusa-like cornrows are even more disheveled than usual, his Hawaiian-print shirt is wrinkled and unbuttoned,…
OBJECTION OVERRULED
You’d be hard-pressed to find a topic that Cleveland law director Robert Triozzi is more eager to discuss than home rule. The provision to the state constitution was created here in Cleveland a century ago, at the desk of his famed predecessor, Newton Baker, lawyer to legendary ex-Mayor Tom Johnson. It’s a source of hometown…
Scene and Heard: WHAT’S IT WORTH TO YA?
As the economy continues to falter, concert promoters and nightclub owners are getting creative as they vie for a cut of your paycheck. The world’s biggest concert promoter is dealing in volume. And in downtown Cleveland, one club owner is using a performance-based honor system. This week, Wilbert’s (wilbertsmusic.com) owner Michael Miller has debuted a…
Soundcheck: Graeme Edge
For more than 40 years, the Moody Blues have soldiered on as progressive-rock giants, unfazed that the world has moved beyond the type of high-minded art-rock they pioneered in the late ’60s and early ’70s. But nostalgia for classic rock doesn’t die easily. The band is now touring behind the DVD release of Live at…
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER R, AS IN RECESSION
Cleveland public broadcaster Ideastream, the downtown entity that runs PBS affiliate WVIZ and NPR station WCPN 90.3, plans to cut 9 people from its staff of 107. The cuts, which represent a 7 percent reduction of total expenses, will be implemented October 1, which marks the start of Ideastream’s fiscal year. Because the cuts haven’t…
