Paste Magazine Showcases Ohio Bands to Watch
Paste Magazine, a music lover site that dives through the lower frequencies and comes topside with cool new bands so you don’t have to, is sending Ohio a little love today. The site’s ongoing 50 States Project is a cross country march offering up sampler platters of new bands from each chunk of the union.…
Why Didn’t We Think of That?
While construction of your $465 million downtown Medical Mart rolls on, plans for what anybody will actually do with it continue to change. After a September Scene article in which Med Mart GM Brian Casey said the project’s original plans to feature equipment showrooms won’t work, Cuyahoga County Exec Ed FitzGerald appointed a panel to…
Sketchy Cleveland Movie Project Falls Apart
Back in March, word surfaced about a casting call for the latest film promising to turn Cleveland into Hollywood East, minus the fake boobs and superhero panhandlers. It’s called Retro: The Kat Jones Story, about a 1940s black burlesque star. Director Mark Gargiulo rolled in with boasts of a $40 million budget, courtesy of a…
Judge Orders Prosecutors to Retry or Clear D’Ambrosio Co-Defendant
Joe D’Ambrosio, wrongly accused. Re-try the case or toss out the conviction – that was the order handed down this week from the federal bench regarding Michael Keenan, the man convicted alongside now-exonerated Joe D’Ambrosio of murder. Judge David Katz told Cuyahoga County prosecutors Tuesday they have 180 days to act, according to the Plain…
Here’s What You’ll Read After the Browns’ Draft
You can go ahead and wait until the weekend, after the Browns have used all their draft picks, to read about what happened. Or you can just read our summary of the proceedings below, which is pretty much what will appear on your sports page Friday. And Saturday. And Sunday. (It won’t appear Monday. That…
The Mexican Cartel Hitman Who Was Hiding in Sandusky
The quaint city of Sandusky has always extended open arms to outsiders, the better to share its world-renowned amusement park, its animatronic dinosaur attractions, and its plentiful Jimmy Buffett wannabes. That must be why it’s so beloved by tourists, big-city weekenders, and the occasional stray Mexican drug cartel hit man. So it was that Edgar…
The Quality Cleveland Life Report
Your guide to living in fabulous Cleveland.Don’t Drink the Water: More than 28,000 fish turn up dead in the Rocky River, sparking an investigation into the possible cause — and unlikely praise for Governor Kasich’s private Office of Dead Fish Counting, which earned every penny of its $23 million budget this weekend. The King of…
That’s One Way to Hide From the Police
Snapped during the College Fest mess at Kent over the weekend. This is the sort of hiding spot you think of when you have a Kent State education. (Low blow, we know.) More pics at Kent Wired.
Pic of the Day: New Downtown Cleveland Signage for Casino
Downtown Cleveland is rolling up its sleeves in preparation for the new Horseshoe Casino, which should go live and start decimating our paychecks sometime in mid-May. In order to make sure the suburban masses that haven’t been downtown since the ’97 All Star game can find the destination, city crews are hoisting up new signage.…
Everything You Need to Know About Ohio’s New Driver’s Licenses
The Dayton Daily News has a comprehensive look at the new Ohio driver’s licenses that will arrive in January 2013 and be mandatory by 2017 (though for federal purposes, they’ll be the only valid ID accepted as of 2014 for most people.) Yes, Ohio just got new driver’s license designs just a few years ago…
Jimmy Dimora Will Stay in Jail Until July Sentencing
Jimmy Dimora will be sentenced in July after being convicted on 33 counts of douchebaggery and corruption earlier this year. Judge Lioi had previous ordered the former Cuyahoga County Commissioner and elastic waistband aficionado detained in custody until then. Dimora’s attorneys had pressed for release, pleading that Jimmy was a man of the people and…
Cleveland Law Director Tipped to Firefighter Scheme Two Years Ago
The ongoing investigation in the city’s firefighter scandal — wherein guys paid others to work their shifts while collecting their full paychecks and never fully repaying the hours — got a little more interesting this week when Frank Jackson released an email from a fire captain to a city law director, sent two years ago,…
‘The Daily Show’ Shows How No One, Including Rob Portman, Wants to Be Mitt Romney’s Vice President
Mitt Romney’s running mate? The one American job no one wants. The Daily Show examines. The Daily Show with Jon StewartGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
Today in Fake Medical Conditions: Financial Cyberchondria
“Honey, the Smiths just bought a new scooter with big rims. Get your credit card, we’re going shopping.” Social media is really only good for three things: 1) Voyeuristic glimpses into your friends’ lives to see how much better you’re doing than them. 2) Egotistical bragging so that your friends know you’re doing better than…
Tear Gas and Bottles and Beer and Police at College Fest in Kent
College Fest down in Kent, an annual bacchanalia on College Avenue where students live, has had issues in the past, most notably violence, riots, damage, and arrests in 2001 and in 2009. This year’s affair didn’t reach the those proportions, but it did feature a heavy police presence which led students to throw bottles at…
Concert Review: Lambchop at the Beachland Ballroom
“We’re from Nashville and, if you liked us, we’re Lambchop,” said frontman Kurt Wagner at the Beachland Ballroom last night. “If for any reason you’re disappointed, we are Kings of Leon.” Lambchop proved capable of providing levity to a set heavy on themes of loss and death – largely culled from this year’s Mr. M…
How Not to Respond When Burger King Doesn’t Make it Your Way
You have to walk into fast food restaurants with low expectations. It’s the only way to maintain your sanity and trick your stomach into thinking that what your shoveling in your maw actually tastes good. Sometimes you stumble on a surprise, a fleeting moment when that $1 menu item truly hits the spot and the…
Pic of the Day: How Did That Car End Up There?
Via the Cleveland police Facebook page, this pic of a car balanced perfectly on a cement median divider at W. 117th and Berea Rd. “No reported injuries….this photo seems to picture an attempted “stunt” by a non-professional driver,” they wrote. “The Cleveland Division of Police must insist that no one attempt to re-create or re-enact…
Adios, 806. Hola, Barrio en Tremont!
Put a stick in 806: it is officially dead. Since it opened way back in 2003, the swanky cocktail lounge with a dress code has changed hands, concepts and management multiple times. But starting May 5, the place at 806 Literary Road will be known as Barrio. New owner Joe Kahn has two decades in…
Mike Nowak Snags Dragonfly, Reveals Plans for New Restaurant
The odd, ugly and sad drama surrounding Dragonfly has ended in the most favorable way possible. The Ohio City space, originally opened by Jeff Allison in 2010 and later assumed by Marlin Kaplan, should be successfully occupied by its next tenant for years to come. Chef Mike Nowak, along with his wife Karrie, will open…
The Agora Did Not Burn Down
Just an FYI, Cleveland: There was a small fire on the roof of the Agora today but everything looks A-OK. No Michael Stanley albums or vintage drumsets in the basement were damaged. WOIO reports that the sparks started on the roof as roofers were re-roofing. No one needs to raze the roof, for it is…
Terry Pluto’s Talkin’ Tribe & Sustainability
Sometimes I think I’m full of crap. Talking to myself about the Indians’ efforts to be more “green”…Say, what happens over at the ballpark when the Indians aren’t playing there? The team invites media folks over to eat salad and talk about their sustainability efforts. Sustainability. Is that like how they make sure the ketchup…
The Avengers is Actually Good, Shocked Reviews Say
Tough act to follow, but they might have pulled it off. So, we’re going to suck in our gut and admit it: we didn’t have high expectations for The Avengers, the Marvel comic book action flick that was filmed in our fair land not long ago. Sure, we reasoned, it would have some good booms…
Five Pounds of Pot Stuffed Inside a Care Bear, Delivered to Wrong House
Folks try all sorts of ingenious ways to hide marijuana. You can’t, after all, just fill up a cardboard box with baggies of weed and ship it through the mail. If you’re using the United States Postal Service to deliver the goods, you have to be a bit more clever. More than that, you have…
Drunk Hayride Driver Causes Hayriding Accident (Updated)
Update: In case you were wondering, that drunken hayride out near Sandusky wasn’t some little thing that’s passed from everyone’s radar because it was back in October of last year and hey, it was your fault for getting on a hayride in the first place. There were plenty of injuries, plenty of trouble, for both…
Rob Portman Not Interested In Veep Gig (Updated)
“If you say pretty please . . . ” Update II: Portman has been the popular guess for Mitt Romney’s running mate lately (even Jon Hunstman’s daughter thinks it will be Rob), but that doesn’t mean anyone except political insiders has an opinion of him. In a recent poll, only 8% of respondents said Portman…
Chef Claims Joey’s Restaurant Space in Chagrin Falls
It’s official: Shawn Monday has signed a lease to take over the old Joey’s Restaurant space (44 N. Main St.) in Chagrin Falls. The chef-owner of One Red Door and Flip Side in Hudson (and Columbus) says the space is perfect for his Flip Side burger concept. “Chagrin Falls is the dream location,” Monday explains.…
Buy the Hat Jose Canseco Wore in Cleveland the Night a Fly Ball Bounced Off His Head for a Homer
Via Big League Stew and BuzzFeed comes news of the most important baseball memorabilia item to hit the market this week. The hat Jose Canseco wore during this all-time great blooper moment — — is up for grabs at auction. For the low, low price of $400, it could be all yours.
The NFL Now Thinks the Browns Might Not Go 0-16
The NFL released the 2012 regular season schedule earlier this week. For some reason, it was a big thing despite the fact everyone already knew who everyone was playing, just not in what order. Anyway, baseless predictions and endless, pointless banter from the bottomless sphincter that is sports media isn’t the point here. (Though one…
Kucinich Becomes President… In ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Flash Forward
A couple weeks ago, “How I Met Your Mother” centered an episode on Ted and Marshall looking ahead to the future and dreaming what their older, better selves would be like. Each sequence was accompanied by a flash forward that was accentuated by future newspaper headlines. Poynter gathered the headlines (no screengrabs, unfortunately), and Dennis!…
Every Car Looks Like a Cab When You’re Drunk
It’s last call on a busy weekend. The flood of tipsy loud drinkers pours out of the bar. No one can drive, and you’re doing the responsible thing: catching a cab. But where’s a cab? Did someone call for one? Do they just come down this street at all? Hey, look, there’s a cab. Oh,…
Former Bengal On Trial for Babysitter Sex
Down south in Cincinnati, former Bengal Nate Webster is sweating through the opening moves of a criminal trial for allegedly having sex with his 15-year-old babysitter. The former NFLer isn’t denying the illicit interaction went down, just that the girl was at the time in question 16 – Ohio’s age of consent – despite admitting…
Ohio Haunted Inn on the Market
The Buxton Inn, inhabited by spirits Somehow, we got on the email list of a website called toptenrealestatedeals.com, featuring spectacular homes way out of our price range. And while most of the offerings are out of our geographic area as well, one of the latest looks intriguing — and it’s within driving distance of Cleveland…
Free Cupcakes Gone Wrong
Local foodies went into hissy-tweet mode earlier this week—over free cupcakes. It’s not that anyone thinks free cupcakes are a bad thing, it’s what people were being asked to do to get one. In an ill-considered PR move, Colossal Cupcakes tweeted: “Write a 5 star yelp review (only if we deserve it) and get a…
CD Review: Janis Joplin
The studio chatter, alternate takes, and leftover tracks that make up this two-disc expanded edition of Janis Joplin’s last album (released three months after her death in October 1970) don’t reveal anything new about the rock icon. Except that she nailed every song gathered here. Despite her wild and boozy reputation, Joplin was a total…
Rock Hall Induction Week Wrap Up
Good thing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony rolls into town only once every three years — we’re not sure if we could keep up with everything going on if we had to do this every 12 months. For more than a week leading up to the big show at Public Hall…
High Society
Even though she didn’t land the big Top 5 debut that so many people were anticipating (damn you, Hunger Games soundtrack), Esperanza Spalding’s No. 10 bow on the album charts a few weeks ago is still a major achievement for a jazz artist whose 2008 album didn’t even crack the Top 130. Her 2011 Best…
CD Review: Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz is like that one dude in the bunch of bros who isn’t a total dickhead. While his buddies get a little too loud and obnoxious, Mraz is the guy in the corner sipping his beer and smiling sheepishly, avoiding the stares of offended bystanders. It’s exactly those qualities that make him such a…
CD Review: Spiritualized
Spiritualized ringleader Jason Pierce isn’t immune to ’90s nostalgia. It provided an excellent opportunity to revisit his band’s 1997 masterwork Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space during a 2009 tour, which helped inform the new Sweet Heart Sweet Light. On 2008’s Songs in A&E, Pierce chronicled his near-death experience from pneumonia; on their…
Love Hurts
Romeo and Juliet is a play about a tragic love affair. But in today’s context, you could think of it as an early version of The Hunger Games, documenting the damage inflicted on innocent teens by a cruel adult society. The teenage angst of Shakespeare’s classic is one of many elements that a new production…
Local Band in Focus
Meet the Band: Ryan Johns (guitar, vocals), Molly Lape (bass, vocals), Tyler Sickels (guitar), and Adam Paduch (drums). Graduation Day: Most high school bands never make it out of the drummer’s basement, but Two Hand Fools have spent the past five years performing a half-dozen tours of the East Coast and Midwest, and recording two…
CD Review: Jae B.
(jaebonline.bandcamp.com) If you find yourself unable to stop bobbing your head while taking in rapper Jae B.’s new mixtape, don’t worry — you won’t be the only one. Its rhythms, paired with the man’s booming baritone, make it just about impossible not to get your body moving. On songs like “Ball on ‘Em,” he slathers…
At the Arthouse
Weekend Anyone who’s had to sit in rush-hour traffic knows there’s nothing more excruciating than the imperceptible crawl of a line of cars to someplace that suddenly seems like a thousand miles away. Jean-Luc Godard’s 1967 apocalyptic parable throws a bickering couple into the middle of an endless traffic jam and lets the fun begin…
Home Movies
Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (Paramount) We completely understand if you didn’t rush out to catch this movie late last year. The previous three outings in the series weren’t exactly must-see classics. But this fourth turn achieves the near-impossible: It not only tops every other Mission: Impossible; it’s also one of the best action movies of…
On the Fast Track
If there’s a holiday somewhere, chances are that Clevelanders will celebrate it. Take Kentucky Derby Day. At SoHo Kitchen & Bar, plans for the big bash are already under way. “We’re hoping to turn Derby Day into an annual thing,” says chef-owner Nolan Konkoski. “We want it to be a big deal — a big…
On Stage This Week
Verb Ballets Presents Carmen: A Story of Passion “I’ve brought everything down to Carmen’s essence: the point where passion becomes an obsession,” says Verb Ballets choreographer Richard Dickinson. While loosely based on Bizet’s famous 19th-century opera, Carmen: A Story of Passion is distinctively contemporary. “I have an image in mind of someone who is so…
Home Base
My first drink in a bar was at Edison’s Pub in Tremont. It was a Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, and I was not yet of legal age. Looking back, it couldn’t have happened at a better place. A friend who was a cook in Brecksville would go there with his kitchen buddies and eventually invited me to…
Culture Jamming
TOP PICK Hercules in the Haunted World (CAV) Right before his career as one of horror’s greatest directors took shape in films like Black Sunday, Mario Bava made this 1961 sword-and-sandals pic. It’s arguably the best of the glut of similarly themed muscleman movies that came out of Italy in the late ’50s and early…
We Get Mail
Lady Loves Her Pimp My great-aunt once scolded our entire generation for being too serious [“The Soul of the Super Pimp,” April 4]. “At your age,” she would say, “I was out dancing every night” in pre-War Cleveland. Super Pimp is preserving the legacy. Ann Malone They Broke the Mold We used to say that…
Downright Dotty
The Missing Piece, like its creator, Dott Schneider, defies easy description. It does not open this week at the West Side gallery Legation so much as it commences from a starting point, like a scavenger hunt or a search party. It is part exhibition, but it’s even more a guided meditation of sorts. Schneider, artist…
By the Book
Two men sit side by side in the front row of a throng of people, listening to the introduction of Professor Shkolnik, who is being accepted into the National Israel Academy of Sciences in the Israeli drama Footnote. The younger man is in a suit, bearded and bespectacled, his expression soft and warm. The other…
On View This Week
Akron Art Museum: Stranger in Paradise. The late Rev. Howard Finster is one of America’s most recognizable outsider artists, even creating album covers for R.E.M. and Talking Heads. Like a William Blake of the pop-art era, his oeuvre juxtaposes religiously laden illustrations arising from his vivid visionary experiences with more worldly subjects. Through June 3…
No Place Like Gnome
On a brisk Monday morning in late February, Nicole Barille and Sam Meister are standing on the apron of their century home in Chardon, bidding a visitor farewell. The vista of pine-dotted hills is streaked with snow, but much less than usual in snow-belt Geauga County at this time of year. A TV news chopper…
Film Capsules
Bully This straight-from-the-headlines look at bullying in U.S. schools will either make you bounce around options for surgical sterility or rage against the politically correct culture that’s taken hold in public school administrations, a why-can’t-everyone-get-along attitude the documentary suggests is actually giving bad kids a hall pass to harass more timid members of the herd.…
Pasta Perfect
Dante Boccuzzi’s new D.C. Pasta Co. may be the most cheerfully interactive Italian restaurant around, and it likely would do well in every corner of town. Indeed, if Boccuzzi ever manages to catch his breath — this summer’s debut of DBA in Akron will be his third restaurant opening in a little over six months…
Savage Love
Dear Dan: I’m gay and a junior in high school, and I’ve had a boyfriend for a year. (He’s one year older than me, so relax!) We are out to our parents, and everyone is supportive. We are not bullied or suicidal or using drugs. But we are frustrated! We had sex education, but they…
