Positively Cleveland is now Destination Cleveland
Positively Cleveland, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) announced today that it’s immediately changing its name to Destination Cleveland. The organization’s board of trustees settled on “Destination Cleveland” after issues with the Positively Cleveland name surfaced during the two years of research conducted by the Kansas City tourism marketing firm MMGY Global. That research,…
Official Release Party Set for Tom’s Foolery Ohio Straight Bourbon
On Wednesday, November 5th, the Cleveland Bourbon Club will help host the official coming out party for Tom’s Foolery Ohio Straight Bourbon. The event, to be held at Market Garden Brewery (1947 W. 25th St., 216-621-4000), also serves as a book release and signing for “Bourbon, Strange: Surprising Stories of American Whiskey,” penned by renowned…
Watch A Ridiculous Music Video About Johnny Manziel Not Playing
People are still interested in Manziel stuff, right? Regardless, this video popped up online this week and you may laugh watching it (if only for the cringeworthy singing). It was created by New York City-based Geoffrey Stevens, and stars Abby Holland. Here’s the description of th the video, per the “Happy In New York” blog:…
Northeast Ohio Media Group Pulls Video of Editorial Board Interview with Governor Candidates
Remember when Gov. John Kasich bailed on the City Club’s gubernatorial debate last week? Well, he managed to make it to Northeast Ohio Media Group HQ in downtown Cleveland the next day, and his body language spoke volumes. The NEOMG has provided audio of the editorial board interview, featuring Kasich ignoring Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald…
Sue Cavanaugh Talks Textiles at the Cleveland Museum of Art Next Week
Columbus-based textile artist Sue Cavanaugh stops by the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Recital Hall (11150 East Blvd.) next Wednesday to discuss her work. Cavanaugh’s art has been featured in numerous national and international exhibitions – including the Columbus Museum of Art, Ross Museum of Art, Oceanside Museum of Art, Ohio Craft Museum and more. Previously,…
Those Lines on the Street and Those Signs Actually Mean Things, You Ignorant Dolts
Road construction always brings on a bout of ineptitude among drivers. To some people, orange barrels trigger a synaptic breakdown. Bad drivers become worse drivers. Thankfully, with the RNC’s red carpet looming o’er our every waking minute, Cleveland’s never seen more roadwork than what we’re dealing with now. Westside drivers, for our purpose here today,…
VIDEO: LeBron’s First Home Game
Sprite’s latest LeBron James ad arrives just days before the Cavs’ home opener, which, of course, takes place at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans arena on Thursday evening. But the man’s already gotten another home game out of the way, at Akron’s Patterson Park, where he grew up playing ball. Regarding the new ad, LBJ tweeted this…
Schron Announces Jobs Initiative, Donates Money For Manufacturing Scholarship
Republican County Executive hopeful Jack Schron kicked off an all-day bus tour Saturday morning by unveiling a new “Jobs 4 Unity” initiative which Schron said he would make a priority if elected. The initiative would seek to create a countywide mentoring program that pairs local businesses (specifically in high-growth and manufacturing sectors) with area high…
Look How Far $100 Goes in Ohio
$100 goes a pretty long way in Ohio, at least that’s what a recent analysis by the Tax Foundation says. The study, which pooled data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, quotes the value of $100 in Ohio at $112, which is the equivalent of a handful of extra beers or a couple of lunches out (we…
Here’s the Cavs’ New Scoreboard (Yes, It’s Gigantic)
In a post titled “It’s the biggest, the best, and it has flaming sabres!” the Cavs unveiled the details on the Q’s new scoreboard which will be unveiled Thursday night before a regular ole regular season basketball game between the Cavaliers and the Knickerbockers. The specs: The four-sided, center-hung scoreboard has four enormous HD video…
Shop Local at the Screw Factory’s 7th Annual Holiday Open Studio Saturday
In the spirit of the season (no, not Halloween, Christmas — yeah, we know, it’s already shopping time), the artists of the Screw Factory (13000 Athens Ave, Lakewood, OH 44017) invite you to their 7th Annual Holiday Open Studio this Saturday, Nov. 1 from noon to 6 p.m. “I began organizing the shows for a…
Scene Podcast: Movers and Makers With Ken Burns
This week, Scene’s creative director James Krouse chats with Ken Burns (no, not that Ken Burns) of Tiny Circuits, headquartered out of an old tire plant in Akron, about all the uses for tiny circuits, which are myriad. As always, subscribe to the Scene podcast on iTunes here. Download this episode here. Or stream below.
PSA: Updates on Medical Mart and Hilton Hotel to be Provided on Tuesday
The crane operators are certainly keeping busy at the corner of Ontario and Lakeside these days. And they must, what with the RNC’s de facto deadline looming closer with each passing day. The earnest beginnings of the snazzy new downtown Hilton are visible and aspirational. And surrounding the hotel framework, the Global Center for Health…
SPACES Begins Saying Goodbye to Superior Viaduct This Weekend
This Saturday (Nov. 1 from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m.), SPACES celebrates the beginning of the end — at least as far as its current location on the Superior Viaduct goes. Optical Delusions: Last Days on the Viaduct is both a celebration of and a goodbye to SPACES’ home for nearly 25 years of its…
The Modern Ruins to Play CD Release Show at Barking Spider
If you think garage blues duos are a dime a dozen, you should check out the Modern Ruins. The band featuring Baltimore-based singer-guitarist Andy Bopp and Cleveland-based drummer Ken Schopf has been making music for several years now. Bopp’s band Myracle Brah was even signed to a label for a minute and Mojo magazine called…
Here’s This Week’s Cavs Cover of Scene
On the streets and online Wednesday morning filled with what we promise are some of the best Cavs stories you’ll read prior to Thursday’s tip off. Mega thanks to Mike Brenkus for the design.
Photo: The OSU Marching Band Practicing at Lakewood High School Stadium Before Today’s Browns Game
The Best Damn Band in the Land will supply today’s halftime entertainment at the Browns v. Raiders game. Earlier this morning, the OSU marching band threw down a practice sesh at Lakewood High School’s football stadium. (Image and heads-up courtesy of @lkwdcitizen, a must-follow for Lakewood news and commentary.) GO BROWNS
Rock Hall Pays Tribute to Everly Brothers’ Rich Heritage
In his opening remarks he made for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s 19th annual Music Masters tribute in front of a sold out crowd at the State Theatre last night, Rock Hall president Greg Harris spoke about the Everly Brothers, calling their legacy of work “one of the richest catalogs in…
Grind Burger Aims for Patty Perfection by Grinding Beef On-Site Daily
If fresh is best, then Grind Burger (5604 Wilson Mills Rd., 216-761-5145, grind-burger.com) is well on its way to providing one of the best-tasting burgers around. In the pursuit of patty perfection, owners Craig and Michelle Ozan decided that it was essential that all beef be ground fresh daily on site. What’s more, it’s done…
10 of Our Favorite Pierogi Spots in Greater Cleveland
Cleveland’s not a plum, it’s a pierogi. This Eastern European staple has been part of the eating culture here in Northeast Ohio for generations. Here are 10 of our favorite haunts to get your fix.
8 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, OCT. 24 SBTRKT In the past few years, as EDM and dubstep flooded the market, the trick became one of trying to distinguish artist from artist. It wasn’t always easy. SBTRKT, however, showed up on London’s electronic scene and started making waves quickly. This was in the late 2000s, when nights at clubs spent…
Call for Submissions: Second Annual Cleveland Scene Fiction Issue
Scene is pleased to announce, with due pomp, its Second Annual Fiction Issue, slated for publication in late January / early February 2015. Last year, we solicited stories and excerpts from some of the region’s preeminent talents — Dan Chaon, Alissa Nutting, Mary Doria Russell to name a few — and were thrilled to publish…
Scene SportsCast: It’s Almost Cavs Time, Looking Ahead to Browns/Raiders, Plus Kidney Stones
This week, host Craig Lyndall chatted with Will Burge about the few days left before the Cavs and LEBRONMANIA becomes reality, the Browns’ shitty loss to Jacksonville, Sunday’s game against the Raiders, and kidney stones. Of course. Oh, and about all the celebs that’ll be at the Cavs’ opener. As always, subscribe to the Scene…
Mugshot of the Day: This Guy is Screwed (And Knows It)
Meet Emmanuel Rodriguez. He’s screwed, and he knows it. Rodriguez, 30, was taken into custody last night after he held his uncle against his will with a shotgun, and then shot the poor chap. After calling police to report the crime, the victim was flown from a residence in Lorain to Cleveland’s Metro Health Regional Medical…
Youngstown’s Hard-rocking Mettal Maffia on the Rise
When the Youngstown metal group Mettal Maffia went on the road with Primer 55 a few years ago, singer FuBob was so desperate to have some merch to take with him that he sold his car to pay for the swag. “I had just paid it off too,” he says. “And I sold it for scrap…
Photo: Cleveland Makes Room for New LeBron Banner
Yesterday, redditer spyler87 captured a photo of crews taking down the city mural on the side of the Sherwin Willilams building to make room for a massive LeBron James banner that’s slated to go up in the next few days. The banner, which is sponsored by Nike and features James performing his pre-game signature chalk…
Local Rockers Olathia to Make Debut Tonight on 88.7 FM
Ex-Cellbound singer Chris Emig will introduce her new metal band Olathia tonight at 8:30 on Bill Peters’ WJCU Metal on Metal radio show. The band will play two songs, “Hellhound” and “Open Your Eyes,” both of which are from its forthcoming EP that’s slated for an early 2015 release. The band will then make its live…
Downtown Cleveland Residents Association Holds Meeting to Discuss Future of Stanley Block Site After Casino Sculpture Proposal Falls Flat
It wasn’t too long ago that no one was really thinking about what would eventually become of the former Stanley Block building site. That changed quickly when the Horseshoe Casino proposed a sculpture garden that was an ode to a paradise only Biff Tanner could love. The gaudy gambling-themed sculptures quickly drew the ire of…
Cavs are No. 1 — DUH — in Grantland’s NBA League Pass Ratings
Grantland’s Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe, in their annual rankings of NBA teams based on criteria related to their League Pass watchability, have crowned the Cavaliers with the No. 1 spot. There was no other option. Thanks to the acquisition of two pretty good basketball players, a fearless, battle-tested international savant for a head coach,…
One Of These Three People Is Pretty Confident About Winning the Election for Ohio Governor
Can you guess which one? (Pic from Henry Gomez from today’s endorsement meeting at NEOMG with John Kasich, Anita Rios of the Green Party, and everyone’s favorite punchline Ed Fitzgerald.)
One Direction to Play FirstEnergy Stadium in 2015
One Direction, the English-Irish boy band that’s sold something like a gazillion records since forming in 2010 and teaming up with former American Idol judge Simon Cowell, has announced a string of stadium dates for 2015. The band is slated to play FirstEnergy Stadium on Aug. 27. Tickets go on sale on Nov. 1 at…
VIDEO: West Coasters Try Some of Ohio’s Favorite Foods for the First Time Ever
We Ohioans have grown up eating certain foods:Skyline Chili, for example, and Ohio Buckeyes. But do you remember what it was like to taste these things for the first time? More importantly, do you think you’d still like them if you hadn’t grown up eating them? Well, Movoto, the “fun” real estate blog, recently gathered…
A Gubernatorial Debate Without the Guber
We noted not too long ago that the most notable feature of Cleveland’s gubernatorial debate was the simple fact that the incumbent, Gov. John Kasich, wasn’t going to show up. That came to pass, of course, proving, as though it even needed proof, that Kasich and most other Republican incumbents in Columbus don’t give a…
East-Side Mi Pueblo Closed, Replaced by… Mexican Restaurant
Adrian Ortega opened the original Mi Pueblo Taqueria on the west side of Cleveland in 1995. He followed that up three years later with Mi Pueblo Mexican Restaurant on the east side town, to accommodate the growing demand for the cuisine. After 16 years in business, that restaurant has closed. The location, next to the…
10 Things Going on this Weekend in Cleveland (October 24 – 26)
This weekend is going to be shucking awesome, and we mean that literally. On Saturday, join Scene for our first-ever oyster tasting extravaganza, Shuck Yeah, Cleveland, hosted both indoors and outdoors at Tyler Village. After you’ve had your fill of oysters and booze, enjoy Cleveland’s other seasonal festivities, which include several flicks, a costumed 5K,…
Audio: 1974 KISS Show from the Agora Shows Up on Youtube
A terrific mid-1970s KISS show just showed up on Youtube yesterday. It’s awesome. Hat tip to Matt Fish for posting this one on Facebook. Setlist: Deuce Strutter Cold Gin She Firehouse Nothin’ to Lose 100,000 years Black Diamond *** Here’s our roundup of other vintage audio/video from around Cleveland: AC/DC at World Series of Rock…
Umphrey’s McGee Hoses House of Blues Crowd with Bliss Jams All Night
It’s something of a local tradition, this late-October Umphrey’s McGee show at the House of Blues. Everyone who sort of bumps into one another at more grassroots jam band shows all year ends up congregating at Umph in the fall. It’s a beautiful thing. Umphrey’s delivered the goods last night, kicking off a short fall…
Bryan Adams ‘Bare Bones’ Approach Works Well at Connor Palace Concert
Early on in last night’s set, Bryan Adams told the capacity crowd in attendance at Connor Palace, “I’m gonna play as many songs as I can remember.” While he might have stopped short of playing the entire catalog, it was a hefty cross-section that gave generous time to each era. Wednesday night’s gig was an…
National Land Trust Executive on Metroparks: “Very Sophisticated, Very High End, Very Skillful”
In the annual Hope and Stanley Adelstein Endowed forum on the Environment at the City Club Wednesday afternoon, the National Trust for Public Land’s Director of City Park Development Adrian Benepe spoke on the merits of city parks generally and the Cleveland Metroparks specifically. Those merits are only occasionally (and even then, provisionally) up for…
Former Toledo Softball Coach Sues School For Discrimination, Calls Out Other Coaches and Administrator For Relationships With Students And Subordinates
Former University of Toledo softball coach Terrah Beyster filed suit against the school today in Toledo’s federal court, alleging violations of Title IX, the federal educational anti-discrimination act. Beyster “resigned” nearly a year ago, but the suit alleges she was forced out and charged with insubordination after complaining to athletic department administrators about the disparities…
Brooklyn Decker Dumps Her Boyfriend for the Quarterback of the Cleveland Browns (In a Movie)
The film begins by introducing us to a cocaine-fueled limo driver named Stretch (Patrick Wilson), as he’s t-boned by a car running a red light. He’s promptly sent airborne through his driver side window, landing relatively unharmed on the pavement. He walks to see how the driver of the other vehicle is, which is when…
Man Detained in North Korea for Six Months Returns Home
As a tourist back in April, Jeffrey Fowle left a Bible at a Pyongyang nightclub. Christian evangelism being wildly illegal in North Korea, Fowle was arrested and jailed for the next six months. Today, he arrived home after an abrupt release and flight out of that country. Back home in West Carrollton (near Dayton), Fowle embraced his…
Ohio Woman Lies About Ebola Symptoms to Get Faster Medical Treatment for Her Sister
An Ohio woman is facing scorn, scrutiny and possibly charges after lying about her sister having Ebola-like symptoms to get a quicker response from medical personnel. The Columbus woman, whose name has not yet been released, called 911 on Thursday to report that her sister had a high fever and added that she had…
Cleveland’s Upcoming Winter Probably Won’t Be as Bad as the Last
If you still haven’t shaken the memory of last year’s bitterly cold polar vortex, followed by a disappointingly cool summer, here’s a bit of local weather news to warm you up: The forthcoming winter probably won’t be as bad as the last. That is to say, the forthcoming winter probably won’t be as bad as…
Minus the Bear at Grog Shop: Concert Review
Returning to the intimacy of the Grog Shop after 2013’s stop at the House of Blues downtown, Minus the Bear seemed to reconnect a bit more warmly with its rabid fan base. Last night’s show was sold out, and frontman Jake Snider was outwardly happier than at the HOB gig. The crowd was jovial, if a…
Cabin Fever: Singer-Songwriter Chris Allen Went to the Woods to Record his New Album
Singer-guitarist Chris Allen has tried to dodge the alt-country label for his entire career. Rosavelt, the band he’s fronted since the ’90s, often draws comparisons to Tom Petty and Wilco and is regularly lumped in with Americana. And the albums he’s released as a solo artist have been called alt-country too. “To me, so much…
Dress Local: 11 Clevo-Centric Costume Options For Your Halloween Needs
Now that we’ve told you how to make your own costume and where to get the goods, take that new knowledge and put it toward creating a uniquely Cleveland costume. You know the kind — the one that people outside of Northeast Ohio wouldn’t get or care about, but one that’ll have your friends swooning…
Make Your Masquerade: From Scary to Seductive to High Tech, A Guide to DIY Halloween Costuming Around Town
Halloween’s mystique has always been the ability to create your own fantasy. Playing dress-up during the witching hour is at once both sexy and sinister, a chance to indulge in peculiarities by our own hand. Habitually teasing the twisted line of macabre and camp, costumes are the best extension of imagination when made on intimate…
Ghoulishly Good Events: A Few Handpicked Halloween Events to Hit Before Oct. 31
thu 10/23 Boo Are You The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo begins the first night of its annual Boo at the Zoo tonight. This one’s for the kids, of course, so each exhibit is focused on fun, with the Creepy Crawly Animal Show, a Monster Mash dance party and a hay maze and magic show, just to…
Old School Meets New School: Western Reserve School of Cooking Teams with Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen for Downtown Classes
When Catherine and Carl St. John announced that plans to open a satellite of their Hudson-based Western Reserve School of Cooking along the MidTown corridor would have them joining forces with the Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen (CCLK), the collective possibilities seemed limitless. Upon the 43-year-old school’s recent unveiling of its inaugural Cleveland class schedule,…
The Cleveland Connection: Singer-songwriter Marc Cohn Talks About Growing Up in Northeast Ohio
In 1991 when “Walking in Memphis” was breaking nationally, it was getting airplay locally on WMMS. For singer/songwriter Marc Cohn, a Beachwood native, it was a victory that had been a long time coming, as he scored his first hit with the track, which eventually peaked at number 13 on the Billboard charts and it…
Notes From a Twilit Trip to Willoughby Coal, Among the Region’s Most Haunted Buildings
We’re ushered into a musty stockroom. The air feels different here, but it’s tough to say what’s real and what’s faulty perception. Eric Olsen, noted local writer bedecked in fine suit tonight, understands. He’s not always been one to give in to the whims of the supernatural. Of course, that was before he saw something…
Format Busters: Reigning Sound Goes Old School on its Latest Release, ‘Shattered’
For the Reigning Sound’s Greg Cartwright, 42, music has been not only a career, but a lifestyle that he’s wholeheartedly pursued his entire life. Cartwright and his bandmates navigated the special challenge of recording on an eight-track, one-inch recorder for their latest work, Shattered. The album has received overwhelming positive reviews; it’s yet another well-received…
Fear, Ph.D. – A Decade of Scaring the Crap Out of Cleveland
Brodie McDonald has been putting on makeup and carrying a chainsaw around for 11 years now at Bloodview, scaring the crap out of visitors and acting like a deranged psychopath. Eleven years is probably longer than you’ve done most things in your life, which is impressive, even more so when you factor in that it’s…
Seeing Green: Gubernatorial Candidate Anita Rios on the Power of Third Parties to Shape Debate in Ohio
A shift in political momentum nationwide shows a growing interest in and support for third parties. The Old Guard, while still picking up a vast majority of votes, certainly doesn’t hold the same sway for many Americans. Toledo resident Anita Rios, whose 2010 run at lieutenant governor brought 58,475 votes to her and Dennis Spisak’s…
No Rest for the Hallowicked: Insane Clown Posse Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of its Halloween Gig
We tentatively pull up to an unassuming building in Farmington Hills, unsure if we’ve arrived at the right place. The address is right, but we were kind of imagining it to be a bit more … Juggalo. Nothing about the exterior of this sleepy, suburban office building leads us to believe that this is the…
Band of the Week: Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers
Meet the Band: Joe Grushecky (vocals, guitar), Art Nardini (bass), Joffo Simmons (drums), Joey Pelesky (keyboards), Danny Gochnour (guitar), Johnny Grushecky (guitar) The Cleveland Connection: Heartland singer-guitarist Joe Grushecky hails from Pittsburgh, but he owes a debt to Cleveland. He started playing here in the ’70s and has plenty of fond memories. “The first time…
Film Review of the Week: St. Vincent
In a segment called “Delirium” that’s included in the Jim Jarmusch film Coffee and Cigarettes, rappers GZA and RZA have a brief encounter with actor Bill Murray, or “Bill Motherfucking Murray,” as GZA puts it. It’s a short, 8-minute segment, but it shows just how well Murray and his deadpan delivery can liven up any…
Graduate Level Dining: CWRU’s New Tinkham Veale University Center Boasts the Quirkily Named but Delightfully Executed Michelson and Morley Bistro and More
If I wanted to grab a quick meal between classes while attending college at Ohio State University in the late ’80s, I’d pop into the old Ohio Union, a drab, 35-year-old building on the southern edge of campus. Inside the low-ceilinged food court, students had their choice of pizza from Scarlata and Grey, greasy Chinese from…
Film Spotlight: Copenhagen
In Copenhagen, writer-director Mark Raso’s debut feature which opens this Friday in an exclusive engagement at the Capitol Theatre, a disaffected man-child type from New York City tries to track down his grandfather with the aid of a charming young local — extremely charming and extremely young, as it turns out. Midway through the film, the…
Zombie Time: A Theatrical Re-Do of Night of the Living Dead at Blank Canvas Theatre
If you wanted to find a metaphor for the often trumped-up fear of the Ebola outbreak, you could do a lot worse than Night of the Living Dead, now at Blank Canvas Theatre. Zombies are roaming the world in this play and, like Ebola, you need an exchange of bodily fluids with one of these…
In Our Backyard: At the Oldest Art Gallery in Cleveland, a Celebration of Talent from Right Here in Northeast Ohio
Located across Euclid Avenue from Playhouse Square, Bonfoey Gallery is the only local art gallery older than the Cleveland Museum of Art. Last year, the gallery celebrated its 120th anniversary, which is just as impressive as it sounds in a city steeped deeply in the arts. Opening this Friday, Oct. 24, its latest exhibition, The New…
The Everly Influence: Rock Hall’s Music Masters Series Gives JD Souther the Chance to Acknowledge the Duo’s Influence
Count JD Souther among the many who have been influenced by the music of the Everly Brothers. As he points out, it’s a lengthy list of folks, including Sir Paul McCartney, that have loved the music that the Everlys have created across the decades. Souther is no songwriting slouch himself — you’ve heard his work…
