Dennis Kucinich Hired As Fox News Contributor
Former U.S. Rep. Dennis! Kucinich seems to have found his post-politics calling: Working as an analyst for the Fox News Channel. Wha- Wha- What?! He’ll begin work Thursday on The O’Reilly Factor, though his dashing mug will inevitably be seen across all programs. According to the AP, “Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes said he’s always…
The Scoop on Scoops
Tremont Scoops to open with new owners. According to Paul Weinzimmer, “Tremont Scoops is undergoing some light renovation since closing right before Christmas.” When Tremont Scoops reopens they will keep their focus on ice cream, milk shakes, sundaes and a vegan menu. Weinzimmer says, “We hope to offer as many as 20 flavors and hope…
Meet Robert Wheeler, international rock star
This photo of Wheeler ran in the Sandusky Register It would be one thing if David Thomas, the oversized singer of art rockers Pere Ubu were recognized while walking down the street. Usually dressed in a black trench coat, the guy has a distinctive look. And he lumbers as much as he walks, making it…
Madison Avenue on East 4th
Mad Men want to know more about Society Lounge A new “Mad Men”-era cocktail lounge, Society Lounge, will be opening at 2061 East 4th Street, in the lower-level of the Frederick Building, which also houses Saigon Restaurant & Bar. Society Lounge owner Andrew Pucella says, “Although our décor will reflect the era between 1950 and…
Jonathon Sawyer Talks Flu Remedies
Via Bon Appetit: Across town, Greenhouse Tavern chef-owner Jonathan Sawyer is all about packing in as many antioxidants as possible when he falls prey to winter viruses. He swears by green tea, cranberry, celery and kale smoothies—plus an intense soup of barley, miso, and garlic with a side of his wife’s homemade goldfish crackers. “This…
Let’s all start calling Browns’ touchdowns “Chud Muffins”
The popularity of the pass among NFL offensive schematics currently in vogue might have more to do with marketing than anything else. New Browns coach Rob Chudzinksi appears to be the latest poster boy. His “vertical, downfield” style is the not-so-secret weapon in Jimmy Haslam’s escalating war against, not the run game, but the HD…
What We’re Reading in Cleveland This Morning: Jan. 16
– George Gund III died yesterday: George, along with his brother Gordon, bought the Cavaliers basketball franchise from Ted Stepien in 1983 for $20 million. They sold the team in 2005 to Quicken Loans founder and billionaire Dan Gilbert in 2005. He also served on the board of the George Gund Foundation, which his father…
And Now, A Few Choice Words From Machine Gun Kelly
Cleveland’s own Machine Gun Kelly was caught riffing with The Good Guys recently. He broke down the basics of what it means to be a young entertainer coming up in Cleveland’s hip-hop scene. Here are some context-free snippets from his interview: “I just did outlandish things like pull up to high schools – you know,…
Turns out Ed FitzGerald’s “perfect” DNC compromise is actually the opposite of perfect
Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald has been angling for the Democratic National Convention to come to Cleveland. He found out at the DNC in Charlotte last summer that Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman would love to land it as well. In a speech in Columbus on Saturday, FitzGerald said he’d cooked up the “perfect” compromise:…
‘Obama Phone Lady’ Gives Lengthy Interview, Has More Things to Say
Remember Obama phone lady? Sure you do. (If not, watch the clip at that link to get up to speed.) She has more opinions to share — for example: “Where I live at — and where I was at — the police here’s running it. I’ve seen it with my own eyes…I just moved from…
Pain, Anger and Loud Noises: Social Reaction To ‘FirstEnergy Stadium’ News
Alright, three… two… one… EVERYONE FREAK OUT ABOUT THE NEW BROWNS STADIUM NAME! That was the gist of today’s festivities following the 2 p.m. announcement of “FirstEnergy Stadium, Home of the Cleveland Browns.” Read more input below: [View the story “Cleveland’s post-FirstEnergy freakout” on Storify]
An Expo for Foodies
Chris Walters Matt Fish, Chef/Owner, Melt Bar and Grill, will demo “Classic Comfort Food at its Best” at The Great Big Home & Garden Expo 2013 The Great Big Home & Garden Expo is focused on food lovers. If you look at the events planned for this year’s 2013 The Great Big Home & Garden…
Five Gun Deaths in Cleveland Since Newtown’s Tragedy
We’re just over a month out from the shooting in Newtown, Conn., and gun violence is maintaining a strong hold on the nation. Cleveland is no different. Slate has partnered with @GunDeaths to provide information on gun deaths in the U.S. – with the obvious caveat that accuracy isn’t 100 percent guaranteed. Since Dec. 14,…
What We’re Reading in Cleveland This Morning: Jan. 15
– Some quick follow-up, via WKYC, from the family of Charlie Kho, whose killer was sentenced yesterday: “”I really thought she was going to get some kind of time. They would have been happy with 180 days. Six months. But that lady will not spend a day in jail. Nothing,” his grandmother says. – Aaron…
Sentenced: House Arrest, Restitution for Woman’s Hit-And-Run Cover-Up
Helen Fettes, 81, was sentenced to five years of house arrest and $128,000 in restitution this morning for covering up an October 2011 hit-and-run that left a 13-year-old boy dead. Her charges included vehicular homicide, failure to stop after a motor vehicle accident and tampering with evidence. It was a story that garnered a great…
Would a Browns Stadium by any other name smell as dank?
“Rob Chudzinski” and “Norv Turner” may not be the only — nor the most exciting — new names in Cleveland next football season. Rumors have been circulating that the Browns have struck a naming rights deal with Akron-based electric utility FirstEnergy Corp. Owner Jimmy Haslam indicated when he took over the franchise in August that…
Pic of the Day: Cleveland Kids Are Smart
Via Reddit:
Let’s All Rehash The Central Question of Our Time: LeBron in Cleveland?
The local sporting press is really flexing its navel-gazing muscles with the return of an overworked thought process: Might LeBron James come home? The Akron Beacon Journal reignited talk this week with a trade deadline article: Executives and agents around the league are convinced the Cavaliers won’t do anything to jeopardize their ability to sign…
What We’re Reading in Cleveland This Morning: Jan. 14
– We think this is absolutely rich: An Ohio teacher is suing the Mariemont school district for forcing her to teach children. The hell, man?! Here’s more via The Cleveland Leader: If you thought that all teachers must love children in order to go into their line of work, you’d be wrong. One teacher in…
Concert Review: High School Rock Off Round 2 at House of Blues
<slideshow-1. The second round of the 17th Annual High School Rock Off, which took place yesterday afternoon at House of Blues, wasn’t as eclectic the first round and featured bands that, for the most part, loosely fell into the emo/punk/alt-rock category. The four-hour affair started with Cromagnid, an alt-rock act out of University School that…
The Promise Hero starts recording new album
The local indie rock act the Promise Hero has finally started recording the follow-up to 2008’s Wait for the Sun. The band is currently in the studio with producer Jamie Woolford (Punchline, Gin Blossoms, The Format), who also produced Wait for the Sun, an album that sold some 3,000 copies to date. “I would say…
Glazen’s Waterloo. Or, not
ABC The Tavern, Ohio City Met up with Alan Glazen at his Ohio City ABC outpost Friday night and asked him about ABC Uptown’s progress. Glazen says, “We’re on track to open the first week in March. It will be the last ABC to open in Cleveland.” But, he quickly added, “That doesn’t mean we…
Jeff Mangum at Cleveland Masonic Auditorium: Concert Review
It’s become a bit of a rite of passage for lost souls tussling around in the throes of adolescence: Pick up a copy of In The Aeroplane Over The Sea and place it on the highest pedestal you can find. Former Neutral Milk Hotel frontman Jeff Mangum set up shop at the Cleveland Masonic Auditorium…
Take 5 Rhythm & Jazz replaces Prime Rib Steakhouse in Warehouse District
The liquor license transferred this week from Prime Rib Steakhouse in the Warehouse District to Take 5 Rhythm & Jazz. It will be the place to go for jazz, rhythm and blues, and occasionally comedy. Their menu will consist of small plates and will include full bar service. They hope to be open by the…
Concert Review: High School Rock Off Round 1 at House of Blues
<slideshow-1. Round 1 of the 17th Annual High School Rock Off, which took place last night at the House of Blues, featured a bit of everything. The Better Scene, a crisp-sounding indie pop act from Olmsted Falls started the four-and-a-half concert off with a solid set that featured covers of tracks by Foster the People…
‘BURN’ Documentary Screening Coming to Cleveland Next Week
BURN, a documentary showing life as a firefighter in Detroit, will be screened in Cleveland Jan. 14 and 15 at Tower City Cinemas. Press materials for the film highlight possible parallels between our (woefully inadequate) neighbor in Michigan: Detroit is a picture of the future of American industrial cities in a post-industrial age: One foot…
Locavore Whiskey
Jenna Conforti Be prepared Cleveland Whiskey is Coming Cleveland Whiskey is weeks or maybe only days away from launching. They are awaiting “gov’mint” approval on their labels and a few other technicalities. Bottles are ready and everything appeared in place as the noisy distillation process was underway. What founder/CEO Tom Lix has created is nothing…
Breakfast Club plays final shows with long-time singer
Perhaps Cleveland’s most popular cover band, the Breakfast Club will play two final shows this weekend with singer Dave Brooks who’s leaving the group to, as it’s put on the band’s website, “try something new.” Hopefully, that means Brooks, who was once described as “semi-homeless” in a Scene cover story that documented his trials and…
Montpelier: First Ohio School District To Arm Staff Members
The Toledo Blade reported this week that the Montpelier school board voted to arm the district’s custodial staff with handguns. It’s a first for the state of Ohio. School officials say that having armed personnel – believed to be the first for any school system in Ohio – is designed to thwart incidents of violence…
Akron Woman Remains ‘Numb’ To Ray Lewis’s Involvement In Her Son’s Murder
Coming up on the 13th anniversary of the deaths of Akron residents Richard Lollar and Jacinth Baker, Lollar’s mother explains to USA Today Sports that she’s still numb to the course of events. She doesn’t talk about her son in the past tense and she keeps on eye on the front door of her house,…
Meet the White Guy From Ohio Who Is Part of a Korean Pop Group Sensation
Busker Busker. Heard of ’em? Probably not, but they’re huge across the Pacific where 28-year-old drummer and Ohio native Brad Moore is one third of the group that just wrapped up a stint on Superstar K3, a wildly popular reality show in Korea that churns out K-Pop superstars. (That’s Korean pop, of course, which had…
Chudzinski! …And Other Things We’re Reading This Morning: Jan. 11
– The BIG NEWS today, clearly, is that the Browns hired Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinksi as the new head coach. So the absolute cream of the local sporting press are thrusting their wood all over town and alternately ranting and shedding tears of joy, because the BIG NEWS has arrived and it’s time…
Man Charged for Barking at Police Dog
If Cameron Dunn had been a Scene reader the last couple of years, he would have known that barking at a police dog is a crime. Did you know that? Probably not, but you’ve also probably never had the inclination to bark at a police dog. This happened at least once before, back in April…
Video: “Jimmy Haslam” Advertises the Browns’ Coaching Gig
This guy looks suspiciously like Josh Mandel. Weird.
What We’re Reading in Cleveland This Morning: Jan. 10
– With the new Inner Belt project starting to kinda take shape, The PD’s Tom Breckenridge points out some of the massive traffic problems coming our way. Beginning this fall and running through 2016, eastbound commuters are essentially screwed. Breckenridge also wrote about RTA’s Red Line makeover taking place this year; that may be a…
Spidey Sense
When did this whole comic thing go from a hobby to something you knew you could do for a living? You’re going to think I’m being coy about this, but I made a proclamation at my house when I was 5. I said I was going to be the artist of Spider-Man. I got obsessed…
Film Capsules
The Impossible Based on the true story of a Spanish family that somehow survived the horrible tsunami that ripped through Thailand in 2004, the new film from Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage) benefits from the fact that it has a natural arc that lends itself to the big screen. Bayona does a good…
We Get Mail
Beware Big Words Watch this word regionalism very carefully, and pay special attention to who is saying it. If suburbs are talking about combining for economic benefit, that could be a good thing. When the City of Cleveland starts saying it, it is the City trying to recapture the tax base it lost because of…
Band of the Week
Meet the Band: Carl Dolvin (vocals), Justin Sobota (guitar, vocals), Luke Fockler (guitar), John Calo (bass/keys), Tony Castillo (drums) Suburban Living: These guys all call Cleveland home but they hail from different parts of Northeast Ohio. “We kind of just came together from different bands that fell apart,” says Sobota. “I started the band in…
CD Review: Dead Federation
facebook.com/deadfederation Led by longtime punk and former Knifedance and Stepsister front man Tom Dark, Dead Federation evokes campy punk acts like the Cramps and the Misfits on this six-song EP. If the producers of The Walking Dead are looking for songs to add to the TV show’s soundtrack, they’ll find plenty of good material here.…
Blues Traveler
Cincinnati-based blues singer-guitarist Kelly Richey is a true road warrior. She estimates that she’s traveled some 800,000 miles to play some 3,700 shows in the course of her 25-year career. For Richey, who started playing Cleveland early on — she used to perform at Wilbert’s when it was located in the Warehouse District — touring…
The Sauce Boss
Not many of the alt-rock and hip-hop acts that MTV made famous in the ’90s are still kicking. G. Love & Special Sauce is the exception. Nearly 20 years ago, the singer-guitarist G. Love and his two-piece band released their self-titled debut and had an instant hit with the woozy blues-meets-hip-hop number “Cold Beverage.” In…
Screens
Happy New Year, everybody. I love the start of a new year for many reasons, but mainly because it means that The Cleveland International Film Festival is only a few months out (April 3rd thru 14th this year). Why not program your own mini film festival compiled from CIFF films past until then? Hunker down…
Savage Love
Dear Dan: I’m a straight male, 21 years old. I love women, I’ve always loved women, I’ve always loved having sex with women. However, in the last year, here and there, I’ve jerked off to transsexual porn. One night, after drinking with a friend and smoking some hash, I arranged a date with a trans…
Opening: Zero Dark Thirty
Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow’s (The Hurt Locker) drama about the pursuit of terrorists Osama Bin Laden. The movie opens with a scene in which CIA agent Dan (Jason Clarke) tortures a suspected terrorist he thinks might have ties to Bin Laden. Dan completely humiliates the guy and eventually wears him down, obtaining a key…
Back With a Band
Ultravox singer Midge Ure can’t quite remember when he last played Cleveland. “I was taking a break from Ultravox and I did a solo tour,” he says via phone. “In fact, I did two. I did one opening for [pop singer] Howard Jones and then I went back out and did a club tour and…
Opening: A Haunted House
The fart jokes come fast and furious in A Haunted House, a satire aimed at Paranormal Activity. Marlon Wayans, who also wrote the script, stars as Malcolm, a bachelor who takes the plunge when he invites his girlfriend KIsha (Essence Atkins) to come live with him. Little does he realize, however, that she has had…
Opening: Gangster Squad
Gangster Squad centers on Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), an ex-boxer who’s trying to be the main mob boss in L.A. in 1949. Police Chief Parker (Nick Nolte), an honest cop who surreptitiously assigns his top sergeant, John O’Mara (Josh Brolin), a fearless World War II vet, to disrupt Mickey’s plans and send him packing. John…
Top Pop Culture Picks for the Week
TOP PICK Samsara (MPI Media Group) The visuals in this film from Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, the guys behind the movies Chronos and Baraka, get trippier as the film progresses. With imagery that ranges from the natural to the surreal, Samsara provides a stunning look at slices of life on five different continents as…
The Comics Issue!
1932: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster create Superman. 1976: The first issue of “American Splendor” by Harvey Pekar is published. 2013: Scene debuts its first annual comics issue. We asked five artists to craft full-page comics for this inaugural issue, all based on the loose theme of “Cleveland: Past, Present, and Future.” The lineup: John…
Down South on the North Coast
All I can assume is that Johnny Schulze, chef/owner of the Cajun/Creole-inspired Zydeco food truck, was in the midst of profound research when he called me from the Big Easy over the holidays, because he’s bringing New Orleans to Cleveland. You may have already enjoyed his food at Rockwell on Wednesdays, or maybe you’ve been…
An Original Gem
Who knows where or how I find out about restaurants? It helps that everyone I know enjoys going out to eat as much as I do and that many of my friends are in the service industry, and those trusty folks tend to have the best recommendations. I found out about this spectacular spot on…
