UPDATE: Group Plan Commission, RTA Outline 33 Bus Route Modifications Ahead of Public Square Construction
You’ll note that in the story below we marked Feb. 23 as the likely start date for long-heralded Public Square renovations and bus line re-routing. Scratch that. From WKYC: Jeremy Paris, executive director of the Group Plan Commission, confirmed that work will begin soon but an exact date is still not finalized. If you haven’t…
Busy Night Tomorrow at This Month’s Walk All Over Waterloo
February’s Walk All Over Waterloo features a number of fun events hosted by the district’s various galleries, studios, shops and restaurants. Hours vary by business, but beginning at 5 p.m., the district’s numerous galleries, studios, restaurants, bars and retail shops host a variety of free events. The evening’s highlights include opening receptions for Unfolding Narrative…
Greensky Bluegrass Tightens Their Composition on Latest Album
The opening bars of If Sorrows Swim have something of a cinematic feel to them. The road in front of the driver, the listener, is littered with — with what? Leaves? Memories? There’s a conflict up ahead, and, inevitably, things fall apart. Such is the entry point into the latest chapter in the Greensky Bluegrass…
PHOTO: Great Lakes Brewing Company Reveals New Beer Labels
Our pals over at Great Lakes Brewing Company revealed today the new artwork for their five year-round brews, Dortmunder Gold, Eliot Ness, Burning River, Commodore Perry, and Edmund Fitzgerald. The new labels, crafted by artist Darren Booth, will begin circulating in May. Cheers.
Schedule Announced for Saturday’s Tri-C High School Rock Off Final Exam
Some 48 bands competed in this year’s annual Tri-C High School Off. The top 15 of those bands perform at Saturday’s finale, appropriately dubbed the Final Exam, which takes place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Tickets for the Final Exam are $10 and include admission to the Rock and Roll…
Pittsburgh Novelist Stewart O’Nan Will Read in Beachwood Tuesday
Novelist Stewart O’Nan — a Patriots fan, though he hails from Pittsburgh — will read Tuesday evening at the Beachwood branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. He’s on tour for his new novel, West of Sunset, a Hollywood romance starring F. Scott Fitzgerald as the leading man. West of Sunset finds Fitzgerald in the…
PD Reader Representative Ted Diadiun Pens Farewell Column, Set to Join Editorial Board
Citing the enhanced reader interaction available on digital journalism platforms, Plain Dealer reader representative Ted Diadiun has announced that he’ll be stepping down from his post and joining the ranks of the PD/NEOMG editorial board: a quote unquote “lifelong dream.” “I feel the role of the Reader Rep has run its course,” he wrote in…
The Cavs Topped the Sixers for 11th Straight Win, But Where’s the Love?
If Monday’s game were one of those elementary school report cards, it would read “meets but does not exceed expectations.” The Cavaliers did the expected in beating the 76ers, 97-84, but they did so without flair of much precision. In the process, we received another chapter in the (d?)evolution of Kevin Love saga. Some credit…
Clark Fields to Get Total Rebuild Starting in Spring; Cleveland Dog Kennels to Move to Detroit-Shoreway
A bit of news that anyone who enjoys the Clark Fields — whether that’s softball leagues, Cleveland Plays, fans of the dog park, or directors of Major League — should know about and celebrate: The long process of acquiring the funds and nailing down designs for the rebuild of the park is finally over. Come…
70 Percent of Clevelanders are Single, Study Says
Remember how last year you said that this year was going to be the year to snag that serious significant other; to settle down, to spend less weeknights drunk and less weekends hungover? Well, apparently, you didn’t. This week, the consumer advocacy site NerdWallet released stats suggesting that 70 percent of Cleveland’s population is single.…
Final Countdown for Enticing Receptions at William Busta Gallery: Next Event is Feb. 6
The countdown is on. Last month, William Busta announced plans to shutter his gallery this summer. There are only six more opening receptions left. Stop by this Friday for new work by Timothy Callaghan, Krista Tomorowitz, Taryn McMahon and Jerry Birchfield. Callaghan and Tomorowitz (husband and wife) will exhibit recent collaborations, McMahon will showcase prints…
ResponsibleOhio: The Motliest Crew of Investors You Ever Did See
The list of ResponsibleOhio investors is so bizarre. Featuring marquee names like FROSTEE RUCKER of the Arizona Cardinals and Texas check-cashing magnate William “Cheney” Pruett, you couldn’t find a goofier bunch of profit-hungry weed advocates if you tried. Here’s the list of the big backers publicized thus far, annotated with the seedlings of biography: Rick Kirk: The…
Plenty of Energy in ‘Five Guys Named Moe,’ Even If the Energy is Uneven
It’s big, flashy and loud. It features six performers who can sing and dance with skill. And it presents a whole bunch of songs by Louis Jordan, the renowned hit-maker and sax star from the 1930s to the early ‘50s. Plus, critics like this show because they can drag out all their tired “Moe” puns,…
The Derby League Formerly Known as Burning River Roller Girls Announces Changes for 2015
Burning River Roller Girls, Cleveland’s all-female, skater-owned, flat-track derby league, have just announced that they’re changing their name. They’ll now be known as Burning River Roller Derby. In a press release, league president Grace Kanaan says the name “more accurately reflects the organization and lets fans know that the skaters take this sport seriously.” “Burning…
Here’s an Amish Buggy Doing Donuts in a Snowy Parking Lot in Ohio
The headline is pretty self explanatory. (H/T Reddit)
House of Blues Announces Local Beer and Music Festival
Clevelanders love beer. And they love music. So it makes sense that House of Blues would pair the two together. The club has just announced plans for the inaugural Local Brews Local Grooves, which takes place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 at House of Blues. As they like to say on NPR, let’s…
Nighttown Announces Details for 50th Anniversary Celebration
The Cleveland Heights jazz club Nighttown has played host to great local and national jazz acts for 50 years now. To celebrate, it has booked several special concerts that take place this week. On Wednesday, guitarists Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniola will perform. Vignola is the first act that local promoter Jim Wadsworth produced at…
WJCU Radiothon Benefit to Take Place at Maple Grove on Saturday
To coincide with its 2015 Radiothon, which runs from Feb. 6 to 15, WJCU hosts a benefit concert that takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Maple Grove in Maple Heights. Though students aren’t compensated for working as DJs, the station still needs money to cover operating costs. “Once every year, WJCU…
City Council Debates Flats East Bank Sales Tax Hike
City Council’s amalgamated Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee & Finance Committee looked into the community authority proposal coming out of the Flats East Bank district, which would see an extra 1.5-percent sales tax tossed onto transactions in the future. “Developers made a decision to make these charges,” Economic Development Director Tracey Nichols said, bucking culpability…
Sheffield Lawyer/Alleged Creepy Hypnotist Sued By Former Client
Two months after the Ohio Supreme Court formally suspended attorney Michael Fine’s law license for “hypnotizing clients for his own sexual gratification,” an Elyria woman has filed a lawsuit against Fine, her former lawyer, the Chronicle-Telegram reported this weekend: The lawsuit, filed Friday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court, accused Michael W. Fine of taking…
Happy 70th Anniversary, Pat’s in the Flats
A little Facebook post from the always reliable Cleveland Softball pals pointed out that the venerable Pat’s in the Flats is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. “Congratulations to Patricia Hanych and her family, celebrating 70 years in business for Pats in the Flats! Pat has been through 20 burglaries, 3 holdups and being picketed…
The 9 Cancels Its Artist-in-Residency Program
Well, that didn’t last long. Back in October we told you about the newly christened artist-in-residency program at The 9, Fred Geis’ posh hotel/apartment complex downtown. In addition to Adega, the schmancy restaurant downstairs, and a host of other amenities including the Alex Theater, The 9 offered the showcase as a chance to give back…
Cleveland APL Seizes More Than 100 Cats From Cat Crossing Shelter in Ohio City
Last week, the Cleveland APL Humane Investigations team seized some 150 cats from the Cat Crossing shelter on West 25th Street in Ohio City. Citing “overcrowded conditions among a heavy accumulation of feces and urine,” poor air quality and rampant highly contagious diseases, the APL team executed a search warrant and compiled a hefty amount of…
Johnny Football to Rehab
Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot has tweeted a statement from the Cleveland Browns suggesting that quarterback Johnny Manziel has entered “treatment” for various off-field ailments. “Brad Beckworth, friend and advisor to Manziel and his family, has confirmed that Johnny entered treatment on Wednesday,” the statement read. “Johnny knows that there are areas in which…
Parking Bans are in Effect All Over Northeast Ohio Today
The city of Cleveland— and dozens of other cities across northeast Ohio— have issued parking bans in response to this latest whomping of lake effect snow that hit these parts yesterday and overnight. If you’re venturing out on the roads today to play another round of Who’s Lane is it Anyway?, do remember to avoid…
Your Morning Commute Is Straight-Up Cray
Did you drive in to work today? Are you going to? Are you driving right now? (Please don’t be driving right now.) Shit is straight-up cray out there! I took the new-ish Cleveland State Line (formerly the 55) into downtown this morning and literally saw a man scaling a snowdrift on West 110th, pickaxe and all. Later,…
Frankincense and Myrrh? Our King Brings Victory over Wily Wolves.
The Cavaliers gutted out a 106-90 road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night by climbing aboard the broad shoulders of LeBron James. Playing their fourth game in five nights, many of the Cavaliers starters were dragging a bit, with the exception of LeBron. On a night when Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and JR Smith…
Cavs Usurp the Kings, Look Like Title Contenders
The Cavaliers dispatched of the Sacramento Kings Friday night with ease, building a 10-point first quarter lead from which they never looked back in a 101-90 victory. The game featured the return of LeBron James from a one-game absence (to nurse a sprained wrist) and extended the Cavaliers season-long nine-game win streak. While in a…
7 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
Friday, Jan. 30 The Sidekicks With their new album Runners in the Nerved World, the Sidekicks sound more like the indie act Built to Spill than the punk band Green Day as the band trades in snooty vocals and aggressive guitars for mid-tempo melodies. It recorded the album with Phil Ek (Band of Horses, Fleet…
Fun With Budgets: Rock Salt Positively Disembowling City Spending
Mayor Jackson released 2015 city budget estimates today, forecasting more city spending than in each of the past eight years (at least). The $542 million in budgeted expenditures does not include costs of hosting the Republican National Convention or any costs associated with DOJ Consent Decree compliance. City spokespeople identified four major reasons why spending…
Big Fun’s West Side Store is Closing
Big Fun’s Clifton Boulevard location will be closing sometime in the next few weeks. Here are the details from owner Steve Presser: It is with sadness that we announce that Big Fun Cleveland (West Side) will be closing its doors. It’s not easy in retail these days and we want to put our energy into…
Scene Magazine Presents Vodka Vodka
Let’s shake away those the winter blues… Vodka Vodka, a Scene Magazine event, returns for its second year as Cleveland’s premier vodka-tasting event. The ‘casino royale’ themed event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 7 to 11 pm (VIP from 7 to 8 pm) at downtown Cleveland’s Red Space (2400 Superior Avenue – in…
ICMYI: U.S. Rep Tim Ryan Changes Stance on Abortion
U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, the democrat and zenmaster who represents a slice of Eastern Ohio from Youngstown to Akron, has publicly announced a new stance on abortion. He’s now pro-choice. In a letter to the Akron Beacon-Journal, Ryan said that during his 13 years in office, conversations with women of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds…
Jeff Jarrett to Leave Post at AMP 150 for Top Spot at Hub 55, Sterle’s, Future Restaurant
Rick Semersky’s ambitious plan to breathe new life into his beloved St. Clair neighborhood, Hub 55, has a new culinary guide. Chef Jeff Jarrett has accepted the position as Executive Chef and GM of the entire portfolio of properties. He leaves his position as executive chef of AMP 150, where he has worked for three…
Changes in Store for Tremont Sweet Shop, A Cookie and A Cupcake
Owners of the Tremont gem A Cookie and A Cupcake made some big announcements this week: First, they’re moving from their quaint Kenilworth location to a larger storefront at 2681 West 14th Street to accommodate the ever-growing demand for cupcakes, and to integrate their other business, Churned Ice Cream Shop, into one central location. The efficiency of…
Josh Gordon Pens Open Letter to Charles Barkley, Other Media About His Failed Alcohol Test
Josh Gordon is looking at another suspension, this time for failing a test for alcohol. Following his charges for a DUI last year, the league mandated that the wide receiver abstain from beer and booze for the season, a point he emphasized in an open letter published on Medium today. The last failed test happened…
“What Will We Have Next — 12 Monopolies for Whorehouses in the 12 Largest Counties?” Ohio Auditor Dave Yost and Others Opine on the ResponsibleOhio Marijuana Plan
That right there is a good quote, and Ohio Auditor Dave Yost is as good as any statewide official at this stuff. He and others, including Josh Mandel, sat down with the Associated Press to discuss the future plans for possible marijuana legalization in the Buckeye State. The proposal that’s gained the most traction and…
Kyrie Irving’s Game-Winner and Moments of Perfection
What we witnessed was not only the best scoring performance of the year by any player, but a superstar coming into his own with a 55-point night including a game-winning three-pointer to give the Cavs a 99-94 win over the Blazers. (Find video of every Kyrie hoop by quarter further down.) I know, I know…
Beachland To Host Benefit Concert to Help Pay Its Legal Fees
Last year, the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern and the City of Cleveland came to terms regarding unpaid admission taxes that the city claimed the club owned. The city even agreed to reduce the admission tax for small clubs like the Beachland so that the place could afford to continue to bring great acts to town…
A Food Critic Tried Olive Garden’s “New” Menu
After John Oliver dissected the much-publicized Olive Garden shareholders meeting last year, the one that mentioned serving “a mushy, unappealing product” that can be “barely edible,” the ubiquitous suburban-friendly “Italian” chain went back to the drawing board in efforts to make their food less mushy, more appealing and more edible. Our sister paper up in Detroit…
LeBron James to Launch New TV Game Show, Casting to Take Place in Cleveland on Saturday
In case you haven’t heard, LeBron James is in cahoots with NBC to create a new prime-time game show, offering up to seven figure payouts, sources claim. The gist of the game show is this: Wannabe contestants apply with a friend, spouse, or family member with the hopes of competing in pairs to win “life-changing amounts of…
Summit County Judge Lynne Callahan Nails the Heroin Epidemic In One Quote
The evolution of the justice system’s efforts to curb the heroin and opiate epidemic ravaging the country, and specifically Ohio, has brought us to a parade of headlines that have prosecutors going not just after drug dealers, but those who enable and provide and use with addicts who end up dead. Sometimes that means friends,…
City Responds To Discrimination Lawsuit Filed By Group of “Non-African American” Cleveland Police Officers
On Nov. 29, we brought you the news that nine self-identifying “non-African American” Cleveland police officers filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Cleveland, alleging racial discrimination in the aftermath of their involvement in the 2012 chase and shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. The plaintiffs are nine of the 13 officers who…
Someone Photoshopped a Tweet From Drew Carey to Pimp WKYC’s New Weather Guy; Drew Carey Was Not Pleased
Come the first week of February, Cleveland’s airwaves will have a brand new face guestimating the weather with a white, toothy grin. That’ll be Greg Dee, who’s joining Channel 3 by way of Arkansas. The news was sad for Arkansas but someone with access to the Twitter account at his current station, KARK 4 News,…
Hey, Hey, We’re the Cavaliers, and We Came to Play Some Defense
The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 103-95 last night despite missing 16 of their first twenty shots and making three turnovers during the first eight minutes of the game. But they stuck in the game with their hard work on defense. Yeah, that’s what I said. This team, which was one of the four-five worst teams…
Indie Rockers Seafair Debut Music Video for New Single
Seafair, a local band that we like to think of as Cleveland’s answer to indie rockers Arcade Fire, has just released a music video for the new single “Discovery.” Filmed by Fusion Filmworks, the same folks who also did the Downtown Cleveland Alliance video promoting downtown Cleveland, the video finds band members sharing glasses of…
Here’s How Much Ohioans Need to Make to Be in the Top One Percent
Our pals over at the Economic Policy Institute come to us this week with new data on how much folks need to make annually to be considered the top one percent in their state. In Ohio, it seems, you’d need to pull in $316,000 per year, whereas in Connecticut you’d have to make more than…
Lakewood Community Will Hash Out Wellness Campus Thoughts at Public Meeting Tonight
Tonight, Lakewood residents (and others, likely enough) will meet at the Beck Center at 7 p.m. to discuss the recent news that Lakewood Hospital will transition into new life as a “wellness campus,” per Cleveland Clinic parlance. The city, which owns the property and reaps lease benefits, has signed on to a letter of intent…
J.R. Smith Credits Cleveland’s Sleepy Nightlife for Quick Start With Cavs
After spending years in New York City and enjoying all that New York City has to offer every night after a game or practice, J.R. Smith now finds himself in little old Cleveland. He’s started strong — and the Cavs’ trades in general seemed to have rejuvenated the entire team — but many wondered if…
Ceramics Take Center Stage at BAYarts
The latest exhibition at BAYarts features four ceramicists with longtime, close ties to the organization. Small Still Voice is a celebration of BAYarts new Karen Ryel Center for Ceramic Arts and Education (which will open early this year). Small Still Voices opens with a reception this Friday, Jan. 30, from 7 to 9 p.m in…
Enjoy a “Hallucinatory Trip Into a Man’s Mind in the Moments Before Death” for Two Nights Only at the Transformer Station
For two nights only, the Transformer Station in Ohio City/Hingetown will be screening Cleveland-based Kasumi’s latest video installation. SHOCKWAVES is described as, “A hallucinatory trip into a man’s subconscious mind in the moments before his death.” So, a totally uplifting experience best enjoyed while on a date or with family. Kasumi is a professor of…
SPACES Brings the Mountain to Cleveland This Weekend
From 6 to 9 p.m. this Friday, Jan. 30, SPACES hosts an opening reception for two new installations and an experimental group exhibition. Ever thought to yourself, “What if This City Was a Mountain?” Cleveland-based artist Andy Curlowe did. Drawing inspiration from Cleveland’s architecture, topography, salt mines, bridges, streetlights, etc., Curlowe has created a 3D…
The Fiction Issue
“Pleased as punch” barely begins to scrape the surface of how pleased we are, here at Scene Magazine, to present to you our Second Annual Fiction Issue.
Last year, to kick off what we hoped would be an annual tradition, we solicited work from some of the region’s biggest literary celebs, its quote unquote “hottest…
Band of the Week: The Sidekicks
Meet the Band: Steve Ciolek (vocals, guitar), Matt Climer (drums), Ryan Starinsky (bass) Anti-everything: The band started about 10 years ago when Ciolek was a freshman in high school, learning to play guitar with his friends at Padua High School. He met Climer and the two formed the Sidekicks. “[The band] started through our mutual…
5K
Even at rush hour on a weekday, downtown didn’t have too many pedestrians. Before noon on a Saturday, it didn’t have enough. I walked for miles across the city’s central district and saw zero humans outside of a motor vehicle. Only in the four-lobed square at the heart of the heart of town did I…
Hide And Seek, Jungle Style: An Uncle and His Niece Are Both Hiding From Their Pasts in Slowgirl
Sometimes, an audience has to do some yeoman work to climb over nonsensical barriers before it can enjoy a production. And such is the case with Slowgirl by Greg Pierce, now at Dobama Theatre. This show begins with some head-shaking doozies that you just have to accept on faith. But once you do, there are…
August Burns Red Continues to Push Metalcore’s Boundaries
Lancaster, Penn. doesn’t have a long, rich musical history. So when the guys in the Christian metalcore band August Burns Red were growing up there, they had to create their own damn music scene. “There wasn’t a place for bands to play,” says guitarist Brent Rambler. “The only venue in town was the community club…
Blast From the Past: Former Scorpions Guitarist Uli Jon Roth Revisits His Halcyon Days
Guitarist Uli Jon Roth joined the German heavy metal band the Scorpions before they were hugely popular. He left the band just as it started to become big. Now, he’s revisited those early days on Scorpions Revisited, a double album of 19 “re-invented” Scorpions tracks. The album came out digitally last month and arrives on…
Jellyfish
You only remember fragments of the first few days. Everyone knew, but pretended they didn’t. You kept imagining them whispering the word fragile, and the kindness they displayed just wounded you further. That morning, you force yourself to leave the hotel room. You need to meet your parents (they are afraid to leave you alone)…
Grey Boxes
Blenlick said they’d given us the grey boxes as a sort of formal apology. They would have preferred to give us cash of course, Blenlick wanted to make sure we were clear on that, but how would that look in the future, when it came time to formally apologize to another pack of pencil-pushers? Not…
Laugh or Die/ Or/ Portrait/ Secrets
You have her phone in your hand, and on its screen is a photo of her husband, naked and bent over, an assume-the-position or grab-your-ankles-and-cough snapshot. Can you trust what you think you see — the line between what’s real and distorted blurred? She had said, “Do you want to see something disgusting?” You hesitated.…
My Brothers’ Keeper
One side effect of the priestly vocation is that you measure your life through the accomplishments of others. That is to say, you marry those in love, you baptize those newly born, and you bury those newly dead while being none of them yourself, at least not while you’re a priest. This is perhaps doubly…
Everywhere Stars
The weary face behind her in the bathroom mirror startled Lia. Her mother usually slept in after a late shift at the bowling alley. “Don’t go getting any big ideas,” her mother’s reflection said. “Uh huh,” Lia answered. Lia’s morning routine, bathroom to hallway to kitchen, was slowed by her bathrobed mother who exhaled loudly…
Hand in Hand: New Exhibits from Christopher Pekoc Challenge the Viewer
Christopher Pekoc’s latest exhibitions reveal the rewards of an artist who continues to challenge himself in new and increasingly difficult ways. No, that isn’t a typo; Pekoc currently has two exhibitions in Northeast Ohio. Hand Made at the Akron Art Museum (1 South High St., Akron) is on view through April 26, and Hand Made…
New Grove Order: Grovewood Tavern Oddly Evolves Out of its Beloved Tavern Roots
When the Grovewood Tavern opened, it was widely praised by diners and critics alike as a hidden gem worthy of a trek across town. The Collinwood dive on a blue-collar residential block was a pioneer in the neighborhood saloon-turned-bistro genre that later included places like Tremont Tap House, XYZ Tavern and Bistro 185. What fearless…
Multiplex Blues: The Nightlight Cinema is a Bright Light for Akron Movie Buffs
Steve Felix stays busy. Not only is the Akron native a killer freelance designer and videographer, he’s also the executive director of Akron’s Nightlight Cinema, a single-screen theater which has been showing two films a night to sold-out crowds since July 1. Felix ran Akron Film+Pixel, a film series that screened in pop-up locations around…
Film Review of the Week: A Most Violent Year
Though this is the final weekend in January, a few “award-season” 2014 releases are still trickling into area theaters. For that we should be grateful, if only to spell us from The Boy Next Door and its January ilk. A Most Violent Year, directed by J.C. Chandor and starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, is…
Film Spotlight: Match
When Cleveland native Matt Ratner first saw Stephen Belber’s play Match performed on Broadway in 2004, he told Belber he ought to make it into a feature-length film. “I told him he was crazy,” recalls Belber, who, along with Ratner and star Matthew Lillard, will attend a special benefit screening and Q&A at 4 p.m.…
Country Singer Dustin Lynch Looks Forward to Having One Hell of a Year
Country singer Dustin Lynch is a fast-rising star. He’s just returned from playing Crash My Playa 2015, a blowout country music bash held in Cancun and he’ll be flying from a date in Orange County, California to play House of Blues. And he’ll have one helluva summer, too, as he sets out with singer Luke…
Red, Red Groovy: BoomBox Blends Acoustic and Electronic Traditions on New Album
This story, like many worthy yarns, begins in the desert. Or, to be honest, it begins in Muscle Shoals, Ala., before departing for the desert. There, in the Deep South, Zion Rock Godchaux met Russ Randolph in the course of recording an album. They clicked immediately — Godchaux bringing his love of acoustic songcraft and…
Song of the Week
Guitarist Victor Samalot is best known for his work with the local prog rock outfit Rare Blend but he also plays jazz/rock/pop as a solo act. This particular song has some twang to it, as well, and comes off as it’s the song to a old-time Western movie. The intricate guitar work allows Samalot to…
Terror Turns 10: Pittsburgh Punk Rockers Anti-Flag Revisit their Most Accessible Album
Early in a career that now dates back some 20 years, the guys in the Pittsburgh-based punk band Anti-Flag picked up an important lesson from Brit folk singer Billy Bragg. An ardent leftist who unabashedly expresses his political beliefs in his songs, Bragg told the guys that melody still matters, even if the message is…
For Actor Jeff Daniels, Making Music Has Become a Family Affair
When Jeff Daniels moved from his Michigan home to pursuing an actor career in New York, he threw a guitar in the back of his car because, as he puts it, “I needed to stay sane.” Playing guitar and singing was a hobby for about 25 years until his agents saw him perform and convinced…
Over Yonder: After a Dynamite 2014, Yonder Mountain String Band Has a Hell of a Lot of Good Stuff Cooking this Year
Rounding the corner on some 17 years of music, Yonder Mountain String Band is sounding more vibrant than ever. A series of changes defined the past 12 months for the band, leading to new sounds and old sounds alike. Guitarist Adam Aijala phones in from Raleigh, N.C., on the first night of the band’s winter…
