Review: NEOSonicFest, Ed London Tribute with CCS & CYO at Waetjen Auditorium (Mar. 24)
by Daniel Hathaway NEOSonicFest planned a big agenda for its fourth concert at CSU’s Waetjen Auditorium on Tuesday, March 24. The Cleveland Chamber Symphony brought works by five “Young and Emerging Composers” to life under music director Steven Smith; Liza Grossman and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra reprised Stefan Podell’s Concerto for Two Violas and Orchestra…
Game On: Superelectric to Open Gordon Square Pinball Parlor
We’ve gotten to know the guys from Superelectric – Ben Haehn, David Spasic, Nathan Murray – from their popular Third Friday events at 78th Street Studios, when they transform their art print shop into an eclectic pinball parlor. Or maybe you’ve seen them at the Cleveland Flea, where they transform a dusty corner of a…
Rock Hall to Open Inductee Exhibit on Saturday
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has announced that a new exhibit devoted to the 2015 inductees will open during Celebration Day on Saturday, April 11. It will include artifacts from this year’s class: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The “5” Royales, Green Day, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Lou Reed, Ringo…
Analytics Gurus Calculate “Misery Score” to Determine America’s Worst Sports Towns. Guess Who Topped the List.
Not like this should come as a surprise, but Cleveland is the most miserable sports town in America, according to the analytics wizards at 10 and 3, a Canadian outlet. Using a system which looks at teams from the big four professional leagues — NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB — the statisticians calculated a “Misery Score”…
Mike Gordon Band to Play House of Blues in June
Before Phish embarks on their summer tour — and before guitarist Trey Anastasio performs with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead in Chicago this summer — bassist Mike Gordon will bring his band to Cleveland on June 14 (and elsewhere on other dates). Gordon released his most recent album, Overstep, last year. We wrote…
County Council Members Put Distance Between Themselves and Executive’s Debt Talk
At yesterday’s Finance and Budgeting Committee meeting in downtown Cleveland, Cuyahoga County Council members aired frustration over how Executive Armond Budish has publicly been portraying the county’s debt situation. A brief reminder: [T]he county’s capacity to borrow money has been severely handicapped. County Executive Armond Budish announced yesterday that thanks to massive projects like the…
Hawks Circling Overhead While the Cavs Look for Love
If there are two things that keep Cavaliers fans reaching for the Xanax (beyond an inbred tendency to expect the worst), it’s the Atlanta Hawks’ trapping defense and Kevin Love’s integration into the offense, which pretty much requires busing at this point. The Hawks sprung an aggressive trapping scheme on the Cavaliers aimed at forcing…
Clean Out Your Man Cave, Get Your Collectibles Appraised
Your significant other has probably been nagging you for weeks, but here’s another reason to buck up and clean out your attic or garage: The prospect of cold hard cash. The Western Reserve Historical Society is throwing its annual verbal appraising event this weekend, and in efforts to unearth a wider variety of historical memorabilia…
Zygote Press Features Student Work from Four Schools in ‘4U’ Exhibit This Saturday
Each spring, Zygote Press showcases the work of the talented students and faculty of printmaking programs at four local universities — the Cleveland Institute of Art, Kent State University, University of Akron and a rotating “Wildcard” school. This year’s wildcard selection is Oberlin College. From 1 to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Apr. 11, Zygote will…
Jeff Beck to Play at Hard Rock Live in May
Guitar hero Jeff Beck has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum twice, once as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and once as a solo artist in 2009. Currently in the midst of recording a new studio album, he’s out on tour to test out some of the…
Preview: A Conversation With Pipa Virtuoso Wu Man, Appearing at the Cleveland Museum of Art Wednesday Night
By Mike Telin The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Performing Arts Series continues on Wednesday, April 8th at 7:30 pm with a concert by pipa virtuoso Wu Man in Gartner Auditorium. “I’m sure that people who are coming to the concert are prepared to listen to something they are not familiar with,” Wu Man said during…
Video: Awesome Drone Footage of Headlands Beach State Park
Spacey music, drone footage, and beautiful local scenery mix together here to make a fantastic video. This video of Mentor’s Headlands Beach State Park was just uploaded to Vimeo, and if it doesn’t make you feel like you’re dreaming, there’s something wrong with you. Take a look:
No Fireworks at City Council Caucus, But Important Questions about Capital Spending
Alas, neither sparks nor projectiles flew during a Cleveland City Council caucus Monday afternoon. We’ve come to expect a certain degree of drama and discord at these special confabs — see, for example, last week’s meltdown starring Jeff Johnson — and though the sober account of the city’s five-year capital expenditure plan was important, it…
Cavs Showcase More Threats Than the Bulls Can Handle
In a heist they’ll be studying a decade from now, Cavaliers GM David Griffin exchanged Dion Waiters and a first round Memphis draft pick (no one’s likely to see for two years) for the three missing pieces of the puzzle. It’s as though Dorothy secured heart, brain and nerve for the stick of spearmint gum…
Ohioans to End Prohibition Releases Proposed Amendment Language in Marijuana Legalization Effort
Another campaign aimed at legalizing marijuana in Ohio to one degree or another has released its ballot language. In short, Ohioans to End Prohibition (OTEP) is working toward “advancing an open, transparent, free market solution for marijuana and industrial hemp control that emphasizes patients’ rights and public welfare,” according to directors. The group is referring…
Happy Indians Opening Day, Here Are 20 Years of Tom Hamilton’s Best Calls
The Indians start the 2015 season tonight in Houston. There really isn’t any better day of the calendar year than Opening Day (especially when it falls on Dyngus Day). You’re just killing time until then, so why not relive some of the Tribe’s best moments of the last 20 years through video and the sultry…
Five Classical Musical Events You Should Catch This Week
Pipa virtuoso Wu Man at the Cleveland Museum of Art. A member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Man has worked tirelessly to introduce Western audiences to the many voices of the Chinese lute. On Wednesday, April 8 at 7:30 pm in Gartner Auditorium of the Cleveland Museum of Art, she’ll base her program…
CHART: Here’s What a Middle Class Salary Looks Like in Ohio
A recent post on the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Stateline blog outlines the upper and lower ends of the middle class in every state in the U.S, and concludes that the middle class has gotten smaller across the nation between 2000 and 2013. In the blog post, Pew defines the “middle class” as households earning between…
In Bloom: Dopapod’s Presence in the National Jam Scene Grows Brighter
Prior to this weekend’s show in Cleveland, Dopapod will have been flying across Midwestern highways en route from the exotic locales of Lawrence, Kansas; Columbia, Missouri; Omaha, Nebraska. At each of those three shows, the Brooklyn-based band performed multifaceted two-set shows that flashed signs of brilliance from points old and new within their tenure as…
The Obvious: Cavs’ Offense is Pretty Unstoppable Right Now
The Cavs offense has the potential to be playoff juggernaut. While the defense will dictate a lot in how far they go, their offense will be the difference-maker in the individual games thanks to the difficulty stopping the Cavaliers in the halfcourt offense. The Cavaliers don’t run a lot but when they do the team…
Scene Podcast: Guitar Man, RTA Police, the Ruby Burger, Opening Day and More
This week, host Craig Lyndall sat down with Eric Sandy and Sam Allard to roll through the week’s news and more. Where do you get the Ruby burger and who is Ruby? Do the listening tours have any real chance of affecting change in Cleveland police reform? Who is the man behind Guitar Man? What…
Music Writer Reflects On Cleveland’s Mid-90s Hardcore Music Scene
Over on Vice.com today is “What One Life Crew Taught Me About Hardcore,” a fun read by Brooklyn-based music writer Jonah Bayer, recalling his teenage years as a skinny kid from Cleveland and his introduction to the city’s “hardcore” music in the mid-90s. It focuses on his friendship with the guys of Cleveland band One…
Reminder: Dining Options Abound at Progressive Field this Season
Opening day is right around the corner, so we wanted to remind our readers of all the terrific new dining options slated to hit Progressive Field this season because, after all, who really attends a game just to watch the game? Here’s your quick list of must-hit new joints this Tribe season: 1) Barrio: Cleveland’s…
Cleveland Named One of America’s Best Cities for Sweet Tooths
Cleveland’s dining and drinking scenes are getting a lot of national love lately, and it’s certainly well deserved. This month, we’ve wiggled our way on to Travel & Leisure’s list of best cities for sweet tooths, which ranks the top 20 cities across the U.S. according to their supply of modern and traditional sugar shops.…
Morrissey to Play Akron Civic Theatre in June
Morrissey has just announced a new set of tour dates in support of his latest album, World Peace is None of Your Business. He’s slated to play in Northeast Ohio on June 29 at the Akron Civic Theatre. He’s performed at the venue in the past and we can attest that it’s a great place…
Seven Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, APRIL 3 The Suffers On this 10-piece Houston outfit’s debut EP, it’s clear from the first notes that they mean business. Gripping the neo-soul scene with all the force of a groovy hurricane, The Suffers have already established a gotta-have-it jazzy ensemble vibe. The slinky “Make Some Room” will get anyone with a pulsing…
Scene Theater Critic Christine Howey’s One-Person Show ‘Exact Change’ Gets Eight Performance Run at Playhouse Square
Longtime Scene theater critic Christine Howey wrote and debuted her one-person show “Exact Change” last year at Cleveland Public Theatre. In news we’re just thrilled to pass along, the show has now been booked for eight performances over two weekends in June at Playhouse Square. (Tickets are available now. Do go grab them.) Want to…
New Asian Fusion Restaurant to Open in Lakewood
Build-out has already begun on a 3,000-square-foot restaurant space on Detroit Avenue, adjacent to Dan Deagan’s Humble Wine Bar. When it opens in early June, Voodoo Tuna Sushi Bar & Lounge will bring Asian Fusion to Lakewood. “The interior will be very modern, somewhat Asian-inspired, with bold colors,” says partner Mike Longo, who has no…
East Cleveland Mayor Ushers in Petition-Signing Process to Begin Studying Merger with Cleveland
“We are not only dealing with a situation that, if we allow it to go on and deteriorate — when I said that conditions could become unsavory in the city of East Cleveland, people think that we’re talking about slower response times on ambulances and police. And we are talking about that. But if we…
VIDEO: Watch a U.S. Army Sergeant Surprise His Family at Last Night’s Cavs Game
Here’s a tear jerker to start off your Friday morning: Footage of United States Army Sgt. Keith Brantley surprising his family at last night’s Cavs vs. Heat game. Watch below. VIDEO: you'll need a tissue for this one. Sgt. Brantley and family have been reunited! Welcome home sir. #CavsSalute https://t.co/Yf6sFuj3AK — Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 3,…
Fargo Fans Can See Movie Inspired by Coen Bros. Flick at the Capitol (and Fargo Tomorrow)
Been a minute since you’ve seen Fargo? Cleveland Cinemas won’t let that stand. The Capitol Theatre will show Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, a film inspired by the Coen Brothers’ arguable opus April 3-9. On Saturday, April 4, fans can catch the 1996 Oscar-winning classic starring William H. Macy and Frances McDormand at 4:20 and see Kumiko either…
Scavenger Hunt for Primus ‘Golden Tickets’ Set to Begin Tomorrow
The Grog Shop will present Primus and the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble at the Cleveland Masonic Auditorium on Monday, Apr 27. To promote the show, the club has put together a nifty scavenger hunt that involves four “golden ticket scavenger hunt” prize packages. Each “golden ticket” winner receives two tickets to the concert as…
Bruce Willis Thriller “Wake” is Laid to Rest
[image-1]The Cleveland crew of the Bruce Willis indie-thriller Wake, which began production for ten days in February, received word that the picture was off, at least for now. Due to some producer-level disputes and really tight schedules of the film’s supposed stars — Willis, Ben Kingsley, Piper Perabo, Ellen Burstyn — the film is dead…
Attempt to Recall East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton Stopped in its Tracks Due to Invalid Signatures
The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections reported Thursday that a recall of East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton could not be put on a citywide ballot due to a lack of valid signatures on a submitted petition. Six hundred signatures were necessary for the recall to move forward, but only 298 of the nearly 700 submitted…
Passalacqua Brings Rap Round Robin Tour to Mahall’s
At first glance, Michigan hip-hoppers Brent Smith and Bryan Lackner may seem like an odd couple of sorts — until you come to realize that their association with each other dates back to their early teen years inside of the walls of Hart Middle School. Their formative years were spent apart, but they would reconvene…
Great News for Korean BBQ Fans: Seoul Hot Pot to Reopen
Bok and Jin Hu were forced to close Seoul Hot Pot in 2013 after nearly 30 years in business when one of the owners was sidelined with an illness. At the time, the odds of the popular Korean restaurant ever reopening measured in at slim to none. That was bad news for fans of Korean…
Review: ‘Relentless Incongruities’ at the Maria Neil Art Project
Albert Einstein is widely credited with saying, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” The father of the atomic bomb may seem like an odd starting point for an art review, but the quote perfectly describes Kristin Rogers and Pita Brooks’ Relentless Incongruities at the Maria Neil Art Project. While the exhibition includes individual and collaborative works,…
‘Women to Watch — Ohio’ Exhibition Opens at CIA This Weekend
The days of the Cleveland Institute of Arts’s Gund Building are numbered. With the campus set to unify next fall, the building will permanently close at the end of this school year. While this year’s BFA Thesis Exhibitions are still to come, the final exhibition in the Gund’s Reinberger Galleries features five women artists living…
David Blatt is Called LeBron’s Stooge
Speculation resides in the nether reaches of the journalistic aquarium just past the diver and the treasure chest in the corner behind some rocks. Bubbling beneath those rocks this week was some suggestion about the relationship between Cavaliers Coach David Blatt and LeBron James. We’re not here to disparage ESPN’s TMZ wing. They have to…
Loud in Cleveland with Lowly, The Tree Ghost
Today we present the 12th episode of Loud in Cleveland, one of our favorite podcasts in town and a great spot to dig into our city’s fine music scene. This week, hosts Drew Maziasz and Michael Cornacchione talk shop with Andrew Arbogast and Emily McKitrick from Lowly, The Tree Ghost From Drew and Mike: “As we…
Get Your Deep Fried Peeps Just in Time for Easter
Northeast Ohio sweet shop, The Cute Little Cake Shop, is whipping up a special Easter treat: Deep fried peeps. There’s really nothing more to say besides that they’ll only be available on Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4, as will several batches of deep fried Cadbury eggs. Visit The Cute Little Cake Shop for…
The Ruby Burger: A Gateway to Day Drinking
It all started innocently enough. “Let’s grab a burger and a beer for lunch,” I say. We meet at the Payne Café (3528 Payne Ave., 216-361-9448), a greying den of iniquity in the heart of Chinatown. “It’s more of a lunch place,” a pal says, politely suggesting that it’s best to visit the Payne during…
Bigger Stage Perfectly Suits Brit Rockers Alt-J
When British indie rockers alt-J first began playing together nearly ten years ago, band members practiced in the school dorms and had to keep things so quiet, they weren’t even able to use drums. The band has moved up to bigger stages — it just played in front of thousands at Lollapalooza Argentina and Lollapalooza…
Jury Acquits Chris Heben In Trial About Lying About Bath Township Shooting
Heben’s attorney Jim Burdon, left, and Christopher Heben, right, on the stand Former Navy SEAL and current media personality/car dealer pitchman/security consultant Chris Heben, 45, was acquitted by a jury today of falsification and obstruction charges, following a two day trial in the Akron Municipal Court. He was accused by Bath police of lying to…
“Listening Tour” Report Promises Community Response Will Influence Public Safety Agenda
At a public safety committee meeting Wednesday morning, Cleveland City Councilman Matt Zone presented his report summarizing the “listening tour” he spearheaded on behalf of council in the wake of community outrage over police brutality. The 11-page report, complete with some very nice photos, laid out the highlights of DOJ report; congratulated city council itself…
A Eulogy for Steve’s Lunch
It was with a heavy heart that we reported last month on the unfortunate demise of Steve’s Lunch, after a grease fire started in the kitchen, consuming the building, and forcing its demolition. This week, a Yelper and dedicated Steve’s Lunch patron “Blue O,” also known as Clevelander John Elliott, penned a touching and often hilarious…
Former Police Chief McGrath Apologizes for Incident Involving 16-Year-Old With Down Syndrome; Judge Refuses to Dismiss Lawsuit Against Officers in Case
The story of then-16-year-old Juan Ortiz was covered in depth in a recent Scene cover story. You can read up on all the horrific details there, but the short version is this: Cops received a call back in 2010 for a robbery incident. While canvassing the area for the suspects — one described as white…
Meme De March: Where’s T-Mo?
Now that we’ve apparently given up dissecting Kevin Love’s scoring totals and Mathew Dellavedova’s usage, the best new flashpoint has been Coach David Blatt’s use of center Timofey Mozgov, or the lack thereof in the fourth quarter. It’s a somewhat baffling decision because the team is so much better defensively with the Russian seven-footer in…
An Exclusive Interview With Timofey Mozgov’s Favorite Daytime Bartender at the Brew Garden
The principles involved in the local TV commercial heard ’round the internet probably couldn’t have predicted what would happen after Timofey Mozgov donned a backward basketball jersey a month or so back. Undoubtedly, his performance had talent agencies banging down his door and Nike reconsidering its relationships with LeBron and Kyrie Irving. For the Brew…
In Reviewing Proposed Lakewood Hospital Development Plan, City Offers Three Alternatives
The city of Lakewood is continuing to work with the Cleveland Clinic in the latter’s plans to replace Lakewood Hospital with a “family wellness campus.” This week, Lakewood Planning and Development Director Dru Siley submitted three alternatives to the Clinic’s proposed site plan (see right). At issue is all of the land currently owned by…
Green Day to Play House of Blues on April 16
Slated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on April 18, Green Day has announced it will perform at House of Blues on Thursday, April 16. Unless it’s an April Fool’s joke, an exclusive presale for Green Day’s Idiot Nation fan club starts at 10 a.m. tomorrow until the…
Judge Refuses to Dismiss Civil Suit Against Two Cleveland Cops in 2011 Shooting Death of Parma Man
Daniel Ficker was shot and killed at his home in Parma on July 4, 2011, when two Cleveland police officers, one off duty, both out of their jurisdiction, came calling after Ficker was allegedly fingered as a suspect in a theft incident at a party earlier in the night. (The story was covered at length…
Chicago-Based Soul Food Joint to Plant Flag in Downtown Cleveland
Chicago’s Home of Chicken & Waffles, a popular Soul Food restaurant with three locations in Chicago, will open its next location in Downtown Cleveland. The owners say they have been following our city’s progress and couldn’t wait to dip their toes in our bubbling market. The restaurant will be claiming the 4,000-square-foot space at 1144-46…
Fermentation on Wheels Rolls into Cleveland
“For so long, we’ve been afraid of bacteria,” Tara Whitsitt reminds us from New York, where she has spent a month visiting numerous East Coast cities teaching workshops on fermentation. In fact, since launching Fermentation on Wheels (fermentationonwheels.com), Whitsitt has spent two years touring the country in a 1980s police bus, teaching lessons on producing food…
A Base Tenor Triggers Laughs in Lend Me a Tenor at Beck Center
Come to Beck Center in April and see the Doors. No, not the renowned Jim Morrison rock band — they ain’t getting back together anytime soon. We’re talking about the six doors that fly open and slam shut during the farce Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig, now at the Beck Center for the…
Guitar Man Was Here
“Hey, Hollywood!” Guitar Man is pointing back at a flock of young women seated inside a restaurant on East Fourth Street and mugging for a photo through the front windows. People are always asking for photos. Guitar Man is always obliging. He grips an acoustic Ibanez and really leans into the pose, muscles flexed against…
Band of the Week: Jared & the Mill
Meet the Band: Jared Kolesar (vocals), Michael Carter (banjo, mandolin), Larry Gast III (guitar), Chuck Morris III (bass), Josh Morin (drums), Gabe Hall-Rodrigues (accordion, keyboards) Phoenix Rising: Jared Kolesar and Michael Carter have played music together since they were kids growing up in Phoenix. “We became friends in middle school and then started playing guitar…
Film Review of the Week: Effie Gray
Effie Gray, the Victorian-era drama written by Emma Thompson and starring Dakota Fanning, purports to dramatize the “scandalous” love triangle between art critic John Ruskin, his teenage bride Effie, and Ruskin’s protege, the pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais. What it does in actuality is dramatize a mirthless and certainly sexless marriage, casting Ruskin as the…
Film Spotlight: Backcountry
It’s not a surprise that the concept for Backcountry, director Adam MacDonald’s new horror film about a couple who ventures into the wilderness and encounters a big, bad black bear, came to him on a camping trip. The film screens at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, at the Capitol Theatre and then opens there…
East Cleveland Councilman Nathaniel Martin on his City’s Uncertain Future
When news broke last week that East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton was initiating a signature-gathering effort ahead of a potential merger campaign, we were as surprised as anyone. The mayor, who steadfastly refuses to speak on the record with Scene, has long insisted that he will not pursue a merger with the city of Cleveland.…
Ohio’s First Transgender-Themed Art Exhibition Opens
With all this talk about boycotting Indiana, did you know it’s legal to discriminate against transgender people here in Cleveland? Before you start boycotting Cleveland though, there’s some good news coming out of Collinwood’s Waterloo Arts District. As part of April’s Walk All Over Waterloo, Waterloo Arts is hosting an opening reception for Ohio’s first…
The Artisinal Pickle Movement Comes to Cleveland
In a now-classic Portlandia episode, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein take on the identities of the ultimate hipsters, who manage to remedy a diverse assortment of inventory surpluses with the same riposte: “We can pickle that!” For some strange reason, pickles have become the emblem for the entire hipster movement, the oft-mocked band of brothers…
