Better Than Ezra Rediscovers Its Love of the Recording Studio
For some bands, having a monster hit song becomes an albatross around their necks that they just can’t shake. That’s not the case with Better Than Ezra. When “Good,” a song with nasally vocals that alternates between loud and quiet moments like so many of those ’90s alt-rock hits (think Gin Blossoms or Toad the…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (May 2-5)
THU 05/02 Always… Patsy Cline Patsy Cline’s friendship with fan Louise Seger started in 1961 and continued until Cline’s death. This humorous and heartfelt tribute features 27 songs and many of Cline’s unforgettable hits such as “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Walking After Midnight.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the…
Marital Rape Loophole Closed by Ohio General Assembly, Bill Moves to Governor’s Desk
After several years of attempts through multiple general assemblies, the Ohio legislature closed a loophole on Wednesday that kept spouses from being prosecuted for rape and other sex offenses. In a unanimous Wednesday floor vote, the Ohio Senate passed House Bill 161, which eliminates exemptions for married couples, who previously were protected from prosecution unless…
The Singers Club Does a Game-Show Concert and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
This week’s recommendations fall into categories that resemble a bride’s list of good luck charms. SOMETHING OLD: – Trobár Medieval sets the clock back to the Italian Trecento — the 1300s — when soprano Elena Mullins Bailey, medieval harpist and wind player Sian Ricketts, tenor Nathan Dougherty & percussionist Allen Otte serve up polyphonic works,…
Progress in Cleveland Police Reform ‘Stagnated’ Last Year, Consent Decree Monitoring Team Says
Though it was somewhat staggering and uncomfortable to hear for the 60 or so in attendance Thursday night, no progress was made last year as far as the Cleveland Police Department’s pursuit of compliance with its federal consent decree, the newly-hired Independent Monitoring Team found. Since last June, that team of 17 from the Washington,…
Cedar Point Denies Sandusky Register Access to Annual Media Day Event
Cedar Point today will host its annual Media Day, with this year’s main draw being the preview of Top Thrill 2, the park’s new, record-breaking ride. It’s the sort of event The Sandusky Register, the local hometown paper, would normally cover. After all, the paper dutifully details just about everything having to do with the…
First Look: The Kraken Room, Opening in Willoughby in Mid May
Earlier this year, the Vergara family made the decision to streamline the offerings at its Willoughby property. What had been a three-headed concern, with Pulpo Beer Co. and Hola Tacos downstairs and Barroco Arepa Bar on the second level, was consolidated to Pulpo operating on the main level with a new “greatest hits” style menu. The…
Food Truck Lunch Events Arrive in Downtown Cleveland Every Weekday for the Summer Starting May 1st
Walnut Wednesday, the popular food truck roundup, has been rolling into downtown Cleveland for more than a dozen years. The weekly event at Perk Plaza (E. 12th & Chester Ave.) offers a diverse lineup of cuisines, live entertainment and a pleasant environment in which to enjoy an alfresco lunch. Walnut Wednesday — which kicks off for…
Cleveland Artist’s ‘the rage project’ Showcases Women’s Expression, Emotion
Christina Ramirez has been visually documenting rage for a year now. She describes her work, “the rage project,” as giving “women and AFAB (assigned female at birth) folk a place to safely and fully express their anger so that more of us are encouraged to do the same.” Ramirez, who was raised in Chicago, holds…
The “Radical Feminist” Group Helping Push Ohio’s Trans Bathroom Ban
A “radical feminist” group called the Women’s Liberation Front, that has helped shape anti-trans laws nationwide, has also played a role in a proposed Ohio law that would ban transgender people in schools and on college campuses from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity and appearance, emails obtained by the Ohio Capital Journal…
Livewire: 16 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland Through May 6
THU 04/25 Angela Perley Singer-guitarist Angela Perley, who put together the terrific alt-country act Angela Perley & the Howlin’ Moons in 2009, has since just performed as Angela Perley as the lineup of her backing band has changed. She shares tonight’s bill at the Beachland Tavern with Handsome Jack. The music starts at 8. 15711…
At Pizzeria Uciuni in Old Brooklyn, a Barber and Self-Taught Pizza Maker Has No Phone, But Does Have Delicious Pies
People discuss pizza differently than they talk about pasta, smash burgers or matzo ball soup. From message boards to social media, the dish comes with a healthy dose of zealous online debate. The latest circular obsession percolating through social media hails from a spartan storefront in Old Brooklyn. Cleveland’s newest “best pizza” is open just…
At Forum Over Planned Hingetown Street Closure, a Focus on Safety and Kids
Over the weekend, as New York City shut down 53 streets to car traffic, a similar energy was being discussed in Hingetown. On Saturday morning, some 40 Clevelanders took over the front seating space of Larder Deli off West 29th Street to discuss what seems to be, regardless of some pushback from a few skeptics,…
MIKE Shines at The Grog Shop and Talks About His Musical Trajectory and Latest Project
MIKE is an artist’s artist. In a musical climate where the question “Is hip hop dead?” continues to dominate the narrative, MIKE answers with ease: hip hop is alive and well and isn’t going anywhere…at least not on his watch. However, his humbleness is refreshing. In an industry where brashness and bravado is the name…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (April 25-28)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 04/25 Amadeus Peter Shaffer’s award-winning parable about the famous composer comes to the Outcalt Theatre, where performances continue through Sunday. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30. 1407 Euclid Ave, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. Clue The play…
Cleveland Museum of Art’s City Stages To Return in July
The Cleveland Museum of Art has just announced that City Stages, its festive summer concert series, will return to the Hingetown neighborhood this summer. Slated to take place on July 10, 17, and 31, the event features acts from around the world. An alternative electronic and Latin group, Pahua, the brainchild of producer and DJ…
Five Years Later, Cleveland Mother Retains Hope Her Son’s Murder Will Be Solved
Kenetta Bey wakes up and starts every day the same way — by visiting the National Gun Violence Memorial website and lighting a virtual candle for her son, Johnshae’ Boyd Bey. “Every morning, I wake up, I light a candle on that page for him,” says Bey. There’s not a day that goes by where…
Ohio Doctors Fear Effects of Emergency Abortion Care Case Set to Go Before U.S. Supreme Court
A federal law that allows emergency departments to treat patients without regard to their ability to pay will be under U.S. Supreme Court scrutiny this week, and Ohio doctors are concerned about the case’s local impact on emergency abortion care. The nation’s highest court will hear oral arguments in Idaho v. United States, an appeal…
Cleveland City Council Hesitantly Approves More Money to Fund Lakefront Study
Back in September 2022, spirits were high at City Hall upon the selection of James Corner Field Operations—the New York starchitects who created the High Line—to design the makeover for the long-neglected lakefront. The price tag for their help? $500,000, the city said in their agreement. Come last November, the Cleveland Planning Commission and the…
Aurelia in Chagrin Falls to Close, Brad Friedlander to Revive Moxie in Space This Summer
After nearly six years in business, Aurelia (16 North Main St.) in Chagrin Falls will be closing its doors at the end of April. Owners Diane and John C. Moore — along with chef-partner James Balchak — transformed the former North Main Diner (and Dink’s) into a gracious, unpretentious farm-to-table restaurant that stood out in a very challenging…
“Who’s Gonna Want to Move Here?” How Fracking Around Ohio’s Salt Fork State Park is Changing the Area
Terri Sabo has a breathtaking view of Salt Fork State Park from her dining room window in Guernsey County. She and her husband Rick Sabo have lived in their ranch home since 1983 — three years after they moved to Cambridge from Canton. Terri loves the dark night skies the park provides, but more recently…
Pressure Mounts on Bibb for Hire of Former Roommate Accused in Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit
The City of Cleveland has a new Senior Public Safety Advisor in town— former D.C. Police detective, Phillip McHugh—despite allegations of him violating an elderly couple’s civil rights, which led to McHugh being part of lawsuit back in 2015. (Note: McHugh was not found liable in the case and was dismissed as a party in…
East Palestine Concerns Linger Over Vinyl Chloride Exposure
Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, say they continue to live with health problems, including rashes, nosebleeds and respiratory issues following last year’s massive train derailment and chemical spill. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 177 tons of solid waste of solid waste and 68 million gallons of water have been transported out of East Palestine…
Cavs Downtown Training Facility Design Approval Stirs Excitement For Resident Access to the Riverfront
In December 2022, when Bedrock announced its plans to build a $3.5 billion neighborhood south of Tower City on the riverfront — currently home to a sea of parking lots— the local public collectively gasped: Finally Clevelanders could have close access to the Cuyahoga south of Downtown. Friday morning, the lofty ideal of that Cuyahoga…
Scene’s Best of Cleveland 2024 Finalist Voting is Now Open
After thousands of nominations across hundreds of categories, the finalists for Scene’s Best of Cleveland 2024 have been chosen by you, the readers. Now it’s time to make your voice heard again by voting for the very best of the best before May 20th at 11:59 p.m. You can vote once per day, so don’t…
El Carnicero in Lakewood to Permanently Close
Opened 11 years ago by Momocho chef/owner Eric Wiliams, El Carnicero carved out its own niche in Lakewood as far more than a dupe of its Ohio City sister. But after a decade, it will be closing its doors in May. “It’s time to say adios,” an announcement posted to social media read. “Thanks to…
Bill to Rid Ohio of Spousal Rape Exception Receives Support in State Senate
This story mentions rape and sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673. Survivors of sexual assault perpetrated by their spouses had a simple request for the Ohio Legislature with regard to a loophole in state law that keeps their spouses from being held accountable. “Please…
Case Western Students Host ‘Die In’ Protest During University’s Annual Open House
About 80 or so Case Western students dropped “dead” in the middle of the university’s bustling Tinkham Veale University Center on Friday morning, as prospective students and their parents were scheduled to attend an open house ceremony nearby. The protest, led by the campus’ Students for Justice for Palestine chapter, was a signal to university…
‘Stomp’ Gives the Audience What it Wants at Playhouse Square
It’s not hard to understand why we all appreciate rhythmical music with a strong percussive element. After all, we were born with a drumbeat in our chest that plays nonstop every day of our lives and when it stops, we do. That’s one way to get your attention. Another way is to attend Stomp, the…
Alvvays Shows Off Dream Pop Power at Agora Show in Cleveland
If there’s one thing Canadian band Alvvays is, it’s consistent. Both on record and at its concerts, as evidenced Thursday by its show at the Agora, the band never strays far from its washed out, poppy, dreamy indie rock sound. It’s a good sound, and the quintet knows how to pull it off, so why…
Mendel Segal of Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ to Open Kosher Italian Restaurant at Eton Chagrin in Woodmere
“I am going out of my comfort zone on this one,” says Mendel Segal, a man who made his name on the kosher barbecue circuit. Early last year, Segal opened Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ (20314 Chagrin Blvd., 216-266-0035) in Shaker Heights – a northern expansion for the restaurateur who also once owned and operated Mendel’s…
DeWine Says Randazzo’s Ties to FirstEnergy Were Well Known, But the Evidence of This is Lacking
The office of Gov. Mike DeWine has for months been saying that connections between the guy he picked to be the state’s top regulator and a utility at the center of an epic bribery scandal were well known around Capitol Square when DeWine nominated him in January 2019. If the relationship were common knowledge, it…
ATM Stolen From Huntington Branch in Buckeye That Bank Had Sought to Close Due to Crime
In February, Huntington Bank attempted to permanently close its branch near the intersection of East 118th St. and Buckeye Road, claiming crime in the neighborhood was an encroaching threat on both business and tellers. Buckeye residents balked and rallied. Taking away this branch would leave only one other one, a Key Bank, a block over.…
Fayrewether To Play 50th Anniversary Show at House of Blues
In the ’70s and ’80s, the Cleveland-based band Fayrewether was one of the city’s more popular acts, and the group became known for its renditions of songs by Genesis, Jethro Tull and Alex Harvey as well as its own original material. At the height of the band’s popularity, it reportedly filled rooms all over the…
Livewire: 12 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Week
THU 04/18 Alvvays When it came time to start on Alvvays’s third album, 2022’s Blue Rev, singer-guitarist Molly Rankin retreated to the Toronto Islands to focus on songwriting. The resulting songs reflect an intense focus on emulating some of the great indie rockers of the ’80s and ’90s, and the influence of acts such as…
Frontier Airlines Announces Newly Launched Direct Route From Cleveland to Jamaica Already Ending
Northeast Ohioans were pleased as all rum punch when Frontier, the budget airline set for a major expansion in Cleveland that included a local crewbase in March, announced that it would offer non-stop flights from Cleveland to Jamaica, among 12 other new direct routes. But one month after takeoffs began from Cleveland Hopkins Airport to…
I’m an Ohio Emergency Care Resident. My Ability to Provide Abortions Has Saved Lives
I’m an emergency care medical resident working at a busy one-level urban trauma center in Ohio. My days are never short of surprises. But as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in a case that could roll back reproductive rights by decades, one day’s surprises keep replaying in my mind. Two patients…
Want Free Ice Cream? Start Nabbing ‘We Buy Houses’ Signs Off the Streets of Cleveland
Ward 13 Councilman Kris Harsh has a proposition for you: Take down as many “We Buy Houses” signs off of Cleveland’s streets as possible in the next two weeks. Those who take the most? He’ll buy you ice cream. “Here’s the deal,” Harsh said in a video on Twitter/X from his driveway on Tuesday. “I’m…
Best Ebony Cams: 11 Top Sites to Find the Hottest Black Cam Girls
Best Ebony Cams: 11 Top Sites to Find the Hottest Black Cam Girls Ever find yourself in the mood for a little solo entertainment with some sizzling cam shows? Well, let me ask you this – when was the last time you landed on a site and were greeted with a bunch of amazing ebony…
The Yard on 3rd in Willoughby to Open For the Season on Friday, May 10
Season three of The Yard (38040 3rd St.) in Willoughby kicks off on Friday, May 10. Launched at the former Lure Bistro site in 2022, the attraction is equal parts outdoor bar, food truck park and family friendly gathering spot. This year, fans of the seasonal event can expect a mix of old and new…
University Circle to Become a ‘Special Improvement District’ in Effort to Bolster Security
In a move to bolster safety efforts in University Circle, Cleveland City Council approved legislation on Monday that will form a special improvement district inside the East Side neighborhood. Such a district would be used to evenly raise money—some $4.3 million—to better financially back police patrolling and transportation in about a 1.2-square-mile area, Kate Borders,…
Cedar Point Reaches Settlement With Woman Who Suffered Traumatic Brain Injury in Top Thrill Dragster Accident
Cedar Point and the family of Rachel Hawes this week announced a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit brought against the park and the ride manufacturer after the woman suffered tramautic injuries after being struck in the head by a part from the coaster while waiting in line in August 2021 The ride closed…
Angie’s Soul Cafe to Open at Superior and East 123rd in Cleveland
Akin Affrica will open a new Angie’s Soul Café location at Superior and East 123rd. It’ll be the fourth Angie’s property – and the second to go into a former Hot Sauce Williams restaurant. The first opened at Carnegie and E. 79th back in 2020. “This is a historical location because it used to be…
Ohio Lt. Gov. Husted Won’t Say If He Knew About $1M FirstEnergy Dark-Money Contribution
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is refusing to say whether he was aware of a $1 million contribution in 2017 to a political group that was supporting his bid for governor. Instead, his office is only reiterating that the group wasn’t affiliated with the Husted campaign. The massive donation came from Akron-based FirstEnergy, which over…
‘Amadeus’ at the Cleveland Play House is a Sumptuous Duel of Talent and Envy
There’s nothing better than a juicy yarn about a battle between two powerful people. From Alexander Hamilton vs. Aaron Burr to J. Robert Oppenheimer vs. Lewis Strauss, the sparks fly and we are left fully entertained by the end. The stage version of such a tilt, Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, is now at the Cleveland…
Greyhound Likely Staying in Downtown Cleveland Following Playhouse Purchase of Historic Building
Transit activists and travelers can breathe easy: Greyhound isn’t straying too far away from its original spot. And neither is its general aesthetic of its historic home. All that’s thanks to the Playhouse Square Foundation, which bought the somewhat neglected Art Deco bus hub for $3.4 million last week, with high hopes to integrate the…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: New Destination Dining in Willoughby, Taco Week and More
– A couple of years and a sizable chunk of cash has turned an old mansion in Willoughby into a 10-bed inn with a new restaurant called Julia’s 1902. Learn all about what’s in store before it opens in a couple weeks. Related – Scene dining editor Doug Trattner, like everyone who’s stepped through the…
Ohio’s True State of the State: Relentless Misrepresentation, Extremism and Corruption
You wouldn’t know it from Gov. Mike DeWine’s State of the State Wednesday, but Ohioans are currently suffering under a state government captured by corruption and yoked to extremist lawmakers racked with dysfunction and intent on little more than imposing radical ideology from the safety of unconstitutionally gerrymandered districts. Sweetheart Republican special interests often get…
WJCU is the Best College Radio Station in America and They Have the Award to Prove it
As if celebrating its 55th anniversary this year wasn’t enough fanfare, 88.7 FM WJCU last month walked away from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s annual conference in New York City with the award for the best college radio station for schools with fewer than 10,000 students. “We’ve had a whole bunch of success recently and it…
The Cleveland Catholic Diocese Has a List of Clergy Credibly Accused of Child Abuse. Advocates Want the Church to Finally Release It
In 2002, following a groundbreaking investigation by the Boston Globe into child sexual abuse by Catholic priests and the steps the church took to protect them, Cleveland prosecutors and grand jurors soon came up with a list of 145 local priests who allegedly abused children. The problem then, even after years of work by then…
First Look: Julia’s 1902, Opening Thursday, April 25th in Willoughby
After working together for years at Felice on Larchmere, Paul Neundorfer and José Coronado were searching for their next restaurant opportunity. They stumbled upon it by accident. “We looked at a church in Willoughby three separate times but decided that it just wasn’t going to work,” explains Neundorfer. “We went to go get a cup…
