The 2018-2019 Cavs Were the Worst Shot-blocking Team in NBA History. And it’s Not Close.
The 2018-2019 Cavaliers blocked only 195 shots over 82 games, the lowest mark in NBA history. Only seven other teams — two in the 70s, one in the 80s, one in the 90s and three in the 00s — blocked fewer than 250 shots across a full season. And more than 150 players in the…
Cost of Ohio’s Medical Marijuana is Still Higher Than Street Prices
Maybe don’t burn your weed dealer’s number just yet. Since the first four legal Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries opened on Jan. 16, the cost of legal. medically prescribed marijuana is significantly higher than more traditional street sales. According to the Cleveland.com, the average cost of an ounce of legal marijuana on the first day of…
$UICIDEBOY$ Coming to the Agora in August
Following the release of their official studio debut, I Want To Die in New Orleans, the New Orleans-based rap duo $UICIDEBOY$ have just announced that they’ll embark on a 22-date North American tour this summer. The tour includes a stop at the Agora on Aug. 7. Pre-sale tickets to select shows are available for purchase starting at…
A Pop-Up Lego Bar is Coming to Cleveland This Summer
Riding the wave of childhood nostalgia-themed events (think the up-coming Mario Kart Race), a pop-up Lego bar is coming to Cleveland in July. Called the Brick Bar, the traveling toy-themed pop-up is put together with more than 1 million Lego pieces and includes plenty of extra Lego sets for guests to play with at their…
Cleveland Indians Opening Day Protests: 526 Years (and Counting) of Dignity and Resistance
The annual Native American protests at yesterday’s home opener for the Cleveland “Indians” MLB team were quiet, if otherwise typical. Most typical being the constant sneering and shouting at the protesters by the (mostly Caucasian) fans of the team who were upset that anyone would question their right to make a mascot out of a…
Carly Rae Jepsen to Perform at House of Blues in July
Most famous for the hit tune “Call Me Maybe,” singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen will release her new album, Dedicated, next month. Earlier this week, she announced that she’ll follow up the album release with a summer headline tour. She performs on July 14 at House of Blues. Starting today, fans who pre-order Dedicated will receive…
Not a Blame Game: Women Demand Equal Pay and Equity
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Monday was April Fool’s Day, but an observance today is no joke to working women in Ohio and across the U.S. April 2 marks Equal Pay Day, the date on the calendar representing how far into 2019 a woman has to work to earn the equivalent of a man’s wages in 2018.…
Ohio Steps Up Measures to Combat Sexual Violence
For one Ohio trafficking victim, the opening of the accredited rape crisis center at the YWCA Dayton last year proved crucial to quelling her inner demons, which lingered long after the physical pain subsided. For years, her abuser raped and beat her daily. She must never tell anyone, he threatened, because it would “open Pandora’s…
NEOSonicFest Continues With New Music and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
NEOSonicFest continues this week with three new music events, beginning on Wednesday, April 3 with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony’s latest New and Emerging Composers concert, featuring college and university composers. Steven Smith conducts the Orchestra in music by Chris Neiner (Cleveland Institute of Music), Steve Chauvette (Baldwin Wallace), Zachariah Thomas (Bowling Green), Robert Hosier (Cleveland…
Now Open: Cosmic Dave’s Rock Club in Former Barking Spider Tavern on Case Campus
For 30 years, the Barking Spider Tavern drew scores of live music lovers to a charming carriage house on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. That brilliant chapter of Cleveland nightlife closed for good in September of 2016, when the legendary watering hole ceased operations. After months of construction, that iconic club’s replacement has…
CLASH to Deliver 10,000 Signatures to City Council Today in Pursuit of Lead Legislation
Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) has announced that its members will deliver more than 10,000 citizen signatures to City Council this afternoon, setting in motion a process that could put lead legislation on the November ballot if Cleveland City Council fails to act before then. Only 5,000 signatures are required, but CLASH, whose…
Documentary About Elite Model Airplanes to Have Its World Premiere This Week at CIFF
Friends since they met at Shaker Heights High School, Cleveland-born filmmakers Phil Kibbe and Ben Saks will will host the world premiere of their new documentary film FLOAT this week at the Cleveland International Film Festival, where it screens in both the Local Heroes competition as well as in the Film is Art sidebar. The movie centers…
Here’s Who The Plain Dealer Laid Off Today
Among the 14 veteran journalists laid off Monday from the Plain Dealer are the following: Joanna Connors, first hired by the paper in 1983, who has served as a feature writer, book and film critic. Her series on sexual assault: “Beyond Rape: A Survivor’s Journey” became the basis for her recent book, I Will Find…
Co-Headlining Tour Featuring Psychedelic Furs and James Coming to the Agora in July
Earlier today, veteran UK alternative rock bands the Psychedelic Furs and James [pictured] announced the dates of a special North American co-headlining tour. “We are so happy to be returning to the U.S. and honored to be co-headlining with the Psychedelic Furs, a band we have loved since day one,” says James lead singer Tim…
As Another Ohio City Addresses LGBTQ Protection, Legislature Mulls Statewide Bill
The town of Worthington, Ohio may soon take a big, progressive step forward. It’s the latest Ohio city to propose anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ residents. If the legislation passes, Worthington would join nearly two dozen other municipalities — including Cleveland and Cuyahoga County — with such protections in place. An updated ordinance, which recently passed…
Ohio Health Centers Hope to Avoid Another Funding Cliff
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Community health centers in Ohio and other states have faced a federal funding cliff in the past, and there are new efforts to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Charleta Tavares, chief executive of PrimaryOne Health in Columbus, said community health centers are the health-care home for some 740,000 Ohioans, providing an…
Cleveland Play House Announces 2019 New Ground Theatre Festival Lineup
“At Cleveland Play House, we’re interested in doing thrilling, mind-expanding entertainment and we want to bring exciting new writers to Cleveland,” Rachel Lerner-Ley, Cleveland Play House’s (CPH) literary manager and resident dramaturg, said. Lerner-Ley emphasized these qualities when describing the 14th New Ground Theatre Festival (NGTF), an annual festival held by CPH that showcases new…
This Week’s Performances of ‘Coppélia’ Exemplify Cleveland Ballet’s Rapid Growth
When Gladisa Guadalupe began Cleveland Ballet in 2014, she wanted to put Cleveland back on the map as a destination for dance in the U.S. What she didn’t expect was that by 2019, Cleveland Ballet would also be recognized as a destination for ballet internationally. Cleveland Ballet’s quick growth is well represented by its previous…
Cedar Point’s ‘Wild Card’ Offers Scream of an Unlimited Deal for First Two Months of Season
Cedar Point is offering a scream of a deal on unlimited admission for the first two months of the upcoming season. The park just announced its “Wild Card” offer, where roller coaster enthusiasts can visit the Sandusky attraction on the daily for only $59.99. Of course, the “unlimited” deal has its limits, as it’s only…
Scene’s United We Brunch Returns This Weekend
It’s time to once again celebrate Cleveland’s favorite as Scene’s United We Brunch returns this weekend. Join us this Saturday, April 6, at the Madison (4601 Payne Ave.) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (VIP tickets get early entrance at 10 a.m.) by grabbing your tickets right here. General admission runs $50, and that’ll get…
Fourth Annual Kitten Krazy Fundraiser Begins on Friday
Local rock photographer Joe Kleon, a volunteer at the the Kitten Krazy in Medina, holds an annual auction to raise money for the free-roaming shelter. He’s just announced the details for his fourth annual Furrever Home Fundraiser. To date, Kleon has raised $4977 for the shelter that offers fully-vetted cats and kittens for adoption on Tuesdays through…
Bon Iver Sells a Trippy, Beautiful Mess to a Sold-Out State Theatre Audience
Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon decided a long time ago he wasn’t going to be another guy with a guitar. Even when he first burst onto the indie scene in 2007 with For Emma, Forever Ago — written supposedly Thoreau-style in a secluded winter cabin in Wisconsin, his home state — he won over hearts with…
Tribe, Zion and More — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac are back. They talk baseball, Twitter misery, Zion and Odell Beckham in the latest edition of A to Z. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
Thirty Years Ago, An Article Described How a ‘Benign Conspiracy’ of Corporate Executives Took Over Cleveland
Exactly thirty years ago, on March 29, 1989, an article published in Fortune Magazine described how Cleveland’s corporate executives took control of the city in an explicit — and in their view, public-spirited — power grab. After the tumult and populist fervor of the Dennis Kucinich administration (1977-1979), the local business community had had enough.…
New Owner is Dusting Off Long-Dormant Palazzo Restaurant
It’s hard to find a restaurant with a more compelling backstory than Palazzo. The building, located at 10031 Detroit Ave., began life across the street as the Spaghetti Grill. The business was purchased in 1947 by Palmina DiFilippo and her daughter Theresa, who opened Palmina’s. At some point, the building was relocated across the street to make…
Appeals Court Rules Cleveland Trio Exonerated for 1975 Murder Can Sue Cleveland Police
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week that Ricky Jackson, Kwame Ajamu and Wiley Bridgeman can sue the Cleveland police department and the officers who put them behind bars for a 1975 murder for which they were later, much later, exonerated. The ruling, first reported by Cleveland.com, reverses an earlier decision by U.S.…
You Now Have to be 21 to Buy Tobacco, E-Cigarette Products in Lakewood
As of this month, you have to be 21 or older to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes within the city of Lakewood. The legislation was proposed at the end of 2018 by Councilman John Litten and follows similar moves by 21 other communities across the state that have raised the smoking age, including Cleveland and…
A Friendly Reminder You Can and Should Bring Your Own Food Into Progressive Field
The Indians will this afternoon gather an assortment of TV news assignment reporters, Cleveland.com’s Facebook Live reporter (which is a real thing), probably someone from Crain’s and whoever else is still working around 4 p.m. and whose coverage area generally includes ballpark food to unveil the new offerings at Progressive Field this year. That’s all…
Ariana Grande Shows Off Her Vocal Chops During Heavily Choreographed Concert at the Q
Before pop starlet Ariana Grande even took the stage at the Q last night fans screamed like it was their last night on earth. And then, it began. Grande rose from beneath the stage like a born again skin-perfecting Snapchat filter, belting out her hit “God is a Woman.” Grande was a pocket-sized force teetering…
Live Taping of NPR’s News Quiz Show ‘Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!’ Comes to Blossom This Summer
Anyone who listens to National Public Radio on the regular has accidentally stumbled upon a broadcast of “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” on Saturday mornings. Full of dad-joke humor, the news quiz show rewards celebrities and listeners alike in ridiculous on-air contests, usually from its home studio in Chicago. But this summer, the show goes on the…
The Avett Brothers to Perform at the Wolstein Center in September
Ten years ago, the indie folk act the Avett Brothers dropped its major label debut, I and Love and You, and entered the mainstream. The band’s regularly delivered chart-topping albums and played to big crowds ever since. Their most recent album, 2016’s True Sadness, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Albums chart and garnered two…
Local Musicians to Pay Tribute to Emo Rockers Saves the Day at the Happy Dog in April
For years, local singer-guitarist Bobby Vaughn has performed and recorded as the Promise Hero. He recently announced that he’ll ditch the Promise Hero moniker and simply release music and perform under his own name. He just completed recording his debut EP in Nashville with Will Pugh (singer of the pop-rock group Cartel). He also just…
Night Market Cleveland Returns, Announces Dates for 2019 Season
After three wild summers, Night Market Cleveland was forced to sit the 2018 events season on the sideline. The Asian food-filled street market burst onto the scene with all the force and fury of a firecracker in 2015, attracting upwards of 20,000 visitors on those balmy Friday evenings. The following year picked up right where…
‘STOMP’ is Tri-C’s New Mascot After Besting Four Other Names in Community Poll
“It’s big, it’s teal … and this summer, it gets real!” Hell yes. Cuyahoga Community College’s new triceratops mascot now has a name. More than 1,000 respondents in a community poll this month selected “STOMP” as their favorite option among five, which also included Tank, Tricky, Trike and Spikey. Stomp’s costume is still being designed, but…
I-X Indoor Amusement Park Kicks Off 30th Anniversary Season This Weekend
The I-X Indoor Amusement Park is back this weekend to tide you over until fair season hits Ohio this summer and Cedar Point opens its doors in May. Kicking off Friday, the annual tradition celebrates its 30th anniversary with a host of new rides (some more thrilling than others), performances and attractions running through April 22. Staring…
New Owners of Paragon in Euclid Will Introduce ‘Map Room’ Style Pizza
In January, Chris Hammer sold his five-year-old Collinwood bistro the Standard, and now he’s unloading his nearly 10-year-old Euclid restaurant Paragon (21920 Lake Shore Blvd., 216-731-9463). The moves will allow Hammer to join the family business, a longstanding importer and distributor of fine wines. “This is going to be a really good transition for the business,”…
Forced Lockdown a Factor in Cuyahoga County Jail Inmate’s Attempted Suicide
The 27-year-old Cuyahoga County jail inmate who attempted suicide on Saturday evening by jumping from a balcony to the floor below cited extended lockdowns — the practice known as redzoning where inmates are locked up in their cells for up to 23 hours a day because of short staffing at the facility — as a…
Get Lit for Liberation Fundraiser to Shed Light on Injustices at the Cuyahoga County Jail
A collaboration between the Cleveland arts community and local activists, Get Lit for Liberation, a fundraising event that takes place on Saturday, April 13, in Ingenuity Cleveland’s IngenuityLabs space at the Hamilton Collaborative, aims to “shed light” on the injustice and inhumanity in the Cuyahoga County Jail. Sponsored by the Ohio Student Association, the fundraiser…
Bop Stop to Host a David Bowie Tribute in May
[image-2] Through visual art and music, Cleveland artist Jeff Ritchie (aka Fredpaints) will pay tribute to the late, great David Bowie with A Lad Insane, a show that celebrates Bowie as an artist and muse. The event takes place on May 9 at the Bop Stop. The art and music featured in the show will…
5 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, MARCH 29 Mdou Moctar/Guerilla Toss Guitarist Mdou Moctar hails from a small village in central Niger in a remote region steeped in religious tradition. Growing up in an area where secular music was all but prohibited, he taught himself to play on a homemade guitar. Eventually, he found a “real” guitar and taught himself…
Country Star Luke Combs Coming to the Q in November
Earlier today, CMA and ACM Award-winning singer-guitarist Luke Combs announced that he’ll extend his Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour through the fall. Combs recently made history as the first artist to simultaneously top all five Billboard country charts for multiple weeks. The tour comes to the Q on Nov. 16. A Ticketmaster Verified Fan…
Here’s a Fun Proposed Rebrand of the Cleveland Indians; Meet the Cleveland Buzzards
Wahoo is gone but the name remains. For those who believe the Cleveland baseballing team should shed the Indians’ name as well and rechristen itself anew with fresh branding, many good and fine options have been previously discussed. Scene’s contest to rebrand the Tribe, for example, produced some exemplary ideas — the Guardians, the Spiders,…
Toledo TV Newscast Goes Full ‘How Do You Do, Fellow Kids’ ~KEWL~ And Lord Help Them
If you have not yet enjoyed the best worst few minutes in local TV newscast action yet, do watch the crew from WTOL 11’s cringe-worthy, earnest, real-life performance of “cool” adults trying to be cool. Some choice cuts: “Good morning, TPS students! It is testing week, and it’s time to slay all day!” “YAAASSSS! Toledo…
Now Open: Sittoo’s, the Fast-Casual Version of Aladdin’s, in Playhouse Square
The wait is over, Aladdin’s fans. Sittoo’s, the fast-casual spin-off of Aladdin’s Eatery, is now open in Playhouse Square (1621 Euclid Ave.). “Sittoo’s is similar to Aladdin’s, but the food is lighter with smaller portions, but also lower priced, with an average of $4-5,” explains founder Fady Chamoun, who along with his wife Sally launched that flagship…
Closed Brandywine Country Club Could Become Part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park
A Peninsula golf course that closed down permanently in 2018 could soon become a part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The current owners of Brandywine Country Club are collaborating with the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit whose work is focused on creating parks and conserving public territories, to turn the golf course into an open…
Browns Table Talks of New Stadium, Focused on Updating FirstEnergy and Improving Pedestrian Access
The internet might be almost exclusively focused on one bit of Browns news that emerged yesterday — the team, not surprisingly, is redoing the uniforms once again with the new duds set to debut in 2020 — but more important than that laundry bulletin is the update on where the Browns stand stadium-wise. Remember, it…
Roxy Music to Reunite for Rock Hall Inductions
The great British rock act Roxy Music will finally be inducted into the Rock Hall this weekend. To mark the occasion, the band will perform at the New York ceremony. Singer Bryan Ferry [pictured] will reunite with original Roxy Music band members Andy Mackay and Phil Manzanera, and the band will be accompanied by a…
This Ohio Man’s March Madness Bracket is Way Better Than Yours, As His is Still Perfect
Perhaps you thought your NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket selections were on point this year. Don’t worry, one Ohio man is here to blow your paltry picks out of the water. Going into the Sweet 16 round of the competition, Columbus’ Gregg Nigl still has a perfect bracket — meaning he has thus far chosen 48 game outcomes correctly. The…
In Advance of Next Week’s Show at the Masonic, Mott the Hoople’s Ian Hunter Talks About the Band’s Connection to Cleveland
Cleveland music fans are among the fortunate few who will get to mark a Mott the Hoople concert reunion off of their bucket list as Ian Hunter brings the surviving members of the 1974 lineup of the group back to the United States for their first dates here on U.S. soil in 45 years. Tickets…
Proposed Ohio Bill Would Make Daylight Savings Time Permanent
A bill proposed by a couple of Ohio Republican state senators would end the annual flip flop of springing ahead and falling back by leaving Ohio permanently on Daylight Savings Time, thus ridding the Buckeye state of a weird temporal vestige whose origins date back to a New Zealand entomologist and postal worker named George…
Savage Love: Revolution Hall
Savage Love Live stormed into Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon. Comedian Corina Lucas absolutely killed it before our sold-out crowd, singer-songwriter Elisabeth Pixley-Fink performed an amazing set, and two lovely couples competed in our first (and most likely last) Mama Bird Cupcake Eating Contest. I wasn’t able to get to all of the audience-submitted questions,…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Week (March 27-April 2)
WED 03/27 W. Kamau Bell A sociopolitical comedian who’s the host of the CNN original series United Shades of America, W. Kamau Bell has received a number of accolades during the course of his career. Notably, in 2017, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. Bell will come to Cleveland tonight to perform…
The Monster Drawing Rally Returns to SPACES Gallery
For the ninth year in a row now, SPACES has herded up yet another 100 artists to participate in the Monster Drawing Rally. The institution offers an opportunity for the public to witness the magic happen from pen to paper — or other materials and supports — by artists from the region. It’s something that…
‘Hotel Mumbai’ is a Terrifying Recreation of the 2008 Attack on the Taj Hotel
On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistanis from the militant Islamist organization Lakshar-e-Taiba executed a series of coordinated attacks across the city of Mumbai, India. These attacks, which generated worldwide attention and horror, resulted in nearly 200 deaths and more than 300 wounded. Of the multiple attack sites, the most prolonged and ruthless assault was at…
Lowered Expectations: Prognosticating the Ins and Outs of the 2019 Cleveland Indians, a Fine Baseball Team
This is going to be a strange season. Hell, it’s already been a strange season and it hasn’t started yet. Never before have expectations been as high for a team whose fan base is so angry. Like last year, the Cleveland Indians are expected to cruise to another American League Central title. (Who doesn’t love…
Compelling Redemption Drama ‘The Mustang’ Shows the Power of Working With Horses
“I’m not good with people,” says Roman (Matthias Schoenaerts), a convict in a rural Nevada prison who’s required to participate in an “outdoor maintenance” program as part of his state-mandated social rehabilitation. That proves to be an understatement. The man barely speaks to fellow inmates and appears constantly pissed off. He regularly winds up in…
James Beard Award-Winning Chef Michael Schwartz’s Michael’s Genuine Opens in Van Aken in April
More than a few years back, my wife and I found ourselves in Miami for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Following the suggestion of some industry friends, we landed at the door of Michael’s Genuine for dinner. Located in the Design District, a manufactured retail neighborhood home to such luxe brands as Cartier, Gucci…
Band of the Week: Post Saga
MEET THE BAND: Luke Mason (guitar, saxophone), Alex Carlson (drums), Levan Mdzinarishvili (bass), Steven Carey (keyboards, guitar), Danna O’Connor (vocals) A RANGE OF INFLUENCES: Formed in Kent two years ago, Post Saga draws from funk, pop, jazz and rock. O’Connor started singing when she was a teen and began writing her own songs back then too. “Me and…
