Concert Slideshow: Yngwie Malmsteen at House of Blues
Guitar shredder Yngwie Malmsteen kicked off his U.S. tour last night at House of Blues. Mugging for the photographers in the pit at the front of the stage, he posed more than he played and the performance unintentionally came off as parody. The evidence: he played in front of a giant stack of precariously balanced…
Jimmy Haslam Holds Press Conference Addressing Pilot Flying J Allegations
In other legal snafus, Cleveland Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslam continues to feel the heat in the Pilot-Flying J audit fiasco. A small trucking company in Georgia has now filed a class-action lawsuit, alleging that drivers were cheated out of promised rebates based on established diesel fuel prices. Haslam held a special news conference in Knoxville,…
Eugene Miller on Sweeney’s Team, Doesn’t Know His Alphabet
What a fun week for Eugene Miller! The bantamweight Freshman Councilman from Ward 10 openly admitted his allegiance to Council President Martin Sweeney in connection with the new ward map that has now undergone revisions and another vote in City Hall. According to the PD’s Leila Atassi, rumors had been circulating that Sweeney was buttering…
Concert Review: The Devil Makes Three at House of Blues Cambridge Room
Looking at the three members of The Devil Makes Three, which played to a sold out crowd at House of Blues Cambridge Room last night, you wouldn’t necessarily think they belong in a band together. With his short cropped hair and vintage suit, singer-guitarist Pete Bernhard looked like he could play in a swing band…
Walnut Wednesday and Pop-Up Parties kick off in May
Downtown Cleveland Alliance and the NineTwelve District will kick off the popular Walnut Wednesday food truck meet-up next Wednesday, May 1. Now in its third year, the weekly event attracts a dozen or more food trucks — and the people who love them — to Walnut Avenue and E. 12th Street. Hours this year run…
Ed FitzGerald Officially Announces Run For Governor’s Office
Ed FitzGerald speaks in Cleveland April 24. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald promised “to do something about it” during his BIG ANNOUNCEMENT Wednesday. While the “it” he was referencing was vaguely connected to government corruption and mismanaged budget books, it more closely resembled little more than the open rumors pointing to his run at the…
Law Enforcement Pushes Back on Potential Traffic Camera Ban
In probably one of the more *surprising* headlines of the year thus far, The PD’s Rex Santus’ Ohio Statehouse story this week is christened with this tidy summation: “Ohio traffic camera ban is a bad idea, police say.” Indeed, as a bill aimed at banning those traffic-monitoring cameras works its way through committee, law enforcement…
Browns Linebacker Quentin Groves Arrested for Solicitation
UPDATE: Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis says: “We are aware of the situation and do not have any further comment.” *** New Browns linebacker Quentin Groves was arrested last week on charges of solicitation after being caught in a sting run by the Orange and Beachwood police along with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Scene has…
Pic of the Day: Abandoned Rubber Duck Warehouse in Little Italy
Via Reddit user mr_sneakerhead, this abandoned warehouse in Little Italy filled with rubber ducks.
Buttfaced Mike Brown Will Be New Cavs Coach
The gentleman making that butt face to your right will almost certainly be the new coach of Cleveland Cavaliers once again. Mike Brown, ladies and gentleman. Sources reported that Brown had dinner with Dan Gilbert on Sunday evening, and the Akron Beacon-Journal reported today that the Cavs and Brown had reached a “handshake agreement,” expected…
The Appleseed Cast’s ‘Illumination Ritual’: New Music Tuesday
Expanding on a sound that has been steadily fomenting for more than a decade, The Appleseed Cast churns their patently crestfallen attitude into murky post-rock glory on their latest album, Illumination Ritual. Album opener “Adriatic to Black Sea” encapsulate the slow-build mentality espoused by the cream of the post-rock crop. The band sets the stage…
Cleveland Metroparks to Take Over Lakefront Parks
City Council voted last night to transfer control of six Cleveland lakefront parks from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to the Cleveland Metroparks. It’s almost as if they put a “Nature” vote on the docket to commemorate Earth Day. Attaboy, Sweeney. Edgewater Park, East 55th Marina, Gordon Park, Euclid Beach Park, Villa Angela…
Security Video Shows ‘Person of Interest’ From Aliza Sherman Murder
Per 19 Action News, the Cleveland Police Department has released video footage of a “person of interest” seen just after the murder of Aliza Sherman on March 22. The video focuses on the area near East 13 Street and Hamilton Avenue, just east of the Galleria downtown. No arrests have been made in the past…
New Chapter at Old Brooklyn’s Wexler’s Tavern
Though it takes its name from 1930s-era racketeer and Theatrical owner Morris “Mushy” Wexler, Wexler’s Tavern (4555 State Rd., 216-398-5000, wexlerstavern.com) is a more modern invention. Original owner Lou Gentile opened it back in 1987, converting the former Hillcrest Tavern into the archetypal neighborhood pub. Gentile sold the operation in 2002, only to retake control…
The Burning River Ramblers Are Vying For a Very Cool Opportunity
The Burning River Ramblers Hard Rock Rising, a global Battle of the Bands-style competition is under way and Cleveland most certainly has representation. The Burning River Ramblers, hailing from both Cleveland and Athens, recently won the local competition at the Hard Rock Cafe. The band now represents Cleveland (and Ohio) against 95 other bands from…
Twinsburg Gets EPA Assistance in Urban Planning
Happy Earth Day! In between attempts to dodge windswept litter on the beaches of Lake Erie this afternoon, take a moment to contemplate what the city of Twinsburg will be doing with its fresh EPA grant: The Congress for the New Urbanism (which just has to be more interesting and effective than the nonsense simmering…
Concert Review and Slideshow: Mindless Self Indulgence at House of Blues
Though 95% of the time they’re careless, Mindless Self Indulgence has carefully tailored itself to be unique and considerably inaccessible. But a packed House of Blues last night would prove that MSI has a strong following regardless – and considering that the crowd was chanting “anal sex” before MSI took the stage, they were definitely…
ALO at Beachland Ballroom: Concert Review
ERIC SANDY/SCENE ALO jams onstage at Beachland Ballroom. To be clear, by the time the ukulele started shooting green lasers into my eyes, it was well past that most hallowed of also-ran holidays, “4/20, maaan.” But then, of course, there was the rum to account for. ALO’s set at Beachland Ballroom last night – the…
The Hybrid Sessions at Grog Shop: Concert Review
COURTNEY ABBOTT/SCENE Members of the one-off band CLE-Zoo rock out onstage at the Grog Shop. With all due deference to, you know, the Civil Rights Movement, it’s worth pointing out that sit-ins hold a special place in jam lore. Save for the cultural and political revolution, Cumulus Entertainment set out to explore that practice last…
Concert Review: Bob Dylan at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron
A couple years back, singer Bob Dylan played a string of dates at minor league baseball parks, including Classic Park in Eastlake. As much as the novel concept made for a unique concert-going experience, it didn’t yield the best musical performance (and a terrible sound mix didn’t help). Dylan fared much better last night at…
Video: Foo Fighters With Rush at Rock Hall Inductions
Last night’s Rock Hall inductions in L.A. (boo) won’t air on TV for a while, but here is some fan video of Foo Fighters (in wigs!) playing Rush’s 2012 “Overture” during last night’s ceremonies before being joined by Rush themselves for “Tom Sawyer” and “The Spirit of Radio.” Yeah, the latter two songs aren’t part…
Cavs’ Courtside Reporter Allie Clifton is Tweet-Flirting So Hard with C.J. Miles
Though much less pointed than J.R. Smith, Allie Clifton is still getting super flirty with C.J. Miles over social media. Look at some of these outrageous tactics! Miles’ original message: Just landed in Dallas safely… 🙏🙏— C.J. Miles(@masfresco) April 19, 2013 Clifton’s response, with double exclamation points and smiley face. @masfresco Enjoy your time off…
The Proclaimers at Beachland Ballroom: Concert Review
ERIC SANDY/SCENE The Proclaimers at Beachland Ballroom Those thinking that it’s OK to write off The Proclaimers as one-hit wonders who slunk into the mainstream solely by way of 1988’s “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” just wouldn’t understand what took place at the Beachland Ballroom last night. In one word of thunder: Passion. Craig and…
Epic Eats: Camarones del Pacifico @ Si Senor
Si Senor Restaurant, located in the West Park neighborhood, is a tasty little Mexican restaurant operated by first-generation immigrants. Regardless what you choose here — fajitas, chile con queso, chimichangas — you will leave satisfied and toting a doggie bag. If you’re looking for some guidance, we suggest the #53 — aka camarones del Pacifico…
This Week In Creeps: Naked Burglar and Truth-or-Dare Rapist Edition
Image: Sandusky Register Moriarty Here’s what we call the “Cleveland pickup”: man meets girl at corner store, asks her out, and when she refuses, shows up at her house completely naked asking for money and/or sexual favors. A 16-year-old girl says that she met perpetrator Steven Walton at a store near her E. 148th street…
Medina Police Chief Accidentally Shoots Himself
Poor Medina can’t do anything right. As if the controversy with school superintendent Randy Stepp wasn’t enough, Medina Police Chief Patrick Berarducci accidentally shot himself in his thigh this morning, local media reports. Fortunately, Berarducci remained conscious and was able to walk his wife through trauma care before medical help arrived. He has already been…
Man Ignores Cops Pulling Him Over for DUI to Go Through Burger King Drive-Thru
When you need it, you need it. Any tipsy late-nighter on a bend knows that. Something greasy, something quick, and preferably something cheap, since you dropped all your dough on booze. But you should absolutely avoid driving while intoxicated, even though those hunger pangs are pounding away at your pickled belly. And you should absolutely,…
Dayton Air Show Pulls Atomic Bomb Reenactment
First off, why does Dayton still get an air show? Anyway, the planes will be a-flyin’ in Dayton this summer, so feel free to amble southward to get your fix of mouth-breathing and aircraft-watching in. But thanks to widespread criticism, there won’t be a massive atomic bomb dropped on the city. A reenactment of the…
Chris Hodgson to Compete on Food Network Star
Well, the worst-kept secret is a secret no more: Chris Hodgson will be on the next season of Food Network Star, which begins airing Sunday, June 2. The winner of this popular reality show earns his or her own show on the Food Network. Hodgson, of Hodge’s restaurant, taped the show in New York earlier…
Bye Bye Byron: A Photo Narrative
First it was like this. Byron Scott had vision and experience and energy. Without Lebron, he knew it’d be a tough row to hoe in Cleveland, but he kept his chin up. But the first season was really, really rough. Byron Scott’s face became a helmet of sorts, a triune mold. Each expression was a…
Guitar Hero
With a career that stretches back some 30 years, Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is one of the metal’s most accomplished players. His new album, Spellbound, commences with a blistering guitar riff and then rarely lets up (the shredding only subsides for a brief moment during a mid-album string arrangement.) Malmsteen, who kicks off a lengthy…
Rebirth of the Cool
The opening party for the 34th Tri-C JazzFest is designed to set the tone for the annual event. Organizers boast that the free party, which takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 19 in the State Theatre lobby, will be “funky, cool, spiritual and fresh.” “[The zydeco act] Nadir & Distorted Soul…
Savage Love
Dear Dan — I am uncircumcised, and the opening at the end of my foreskin is not large enough for the head of my penis to pass through. This means my foreskin doesn’t pull back when I get an erection. The internet says this is a condition called “phimosis,” and a lot of medical websites…
Also On Stage This Week
White People None Too Fragile Theater Sometimes, a playwright sets himself a challenge he can’t surmount, such as writing three penetrating monologues for three Caucasians who are racist in different but very familiar ways. That’s what J.T. Rogers attempts in his play White People, now at None Too Fragile Theater in Akron, and it never…
Know Your Roots
We’re all walking our own spiritual paths in life. Although, if you’re listening to Rusted Root these days, you’re more likely dancing along your spiritual path. The band’s 1994 debut When I Woke brought with it sterling levels of success and a niche that, on first blush, would seem difficult to escape. But rather than…
Castin’ America
I’ve been waiting in line for an hour and fifteen minutes among timid, malnourished men and I’ve got to pee in the worst way. We are snaked around the eastern bulge of the Carnegie West Branch of the Cleveland Public Library in Ohio City, standing here in a damp pre-storm cold with our headshots…
Culinary Calendar
On Saturday, April 20 Latitude 41 N will feature Breakfast Menage A Trois. For just $4.95 diners will get two eggs, two strips of bacon, a homemade sausage patty, house potatoes and toast. Also included is a cup of Colombian or flavored coffee. For an extra buck, you can choose two more sides from a…
Top Pop Culture Picks for the Week
Repo Man (Criterion) The Criterion collection version of Alex Cox’s sci-fi cult classic shows just how much this movie holds up over time. Harry Dean Stanton is terrific as the title character, a fearlessly roam the streets of L.A. to repossess vehicles. The excellent soundtrack features tracks from L.A. punk bands. Django Unchained (Weinstein) <pQuentin…
Game On
Brad Petty realized he had a problem on his hands. As managing partner of B Side, he had cultivated a reputation for the East Side venue as one of the premier rock dance clubs in town, attracting top-flight DJs and the coolest of crowds. So, what’s the problem? “We were fortunate to become known as…
Gift Horse
If one were to offer a concise comment on the script of War Horse, now at PlayhouseSquare, it might read: It’s an after-school special about the love shared between a boy and his horse, with bullets. But this show is much more than that, thanks to three things: some invigorating scenic effects, a ripping good…
Welcome to the Neighborhood
The last time I ventured into Old Brooklyn to eat was back in 2009. The restaurant was so unremarkable that I barely wrote about it and completely forgot about the entire experience—until I walked into Drink Bar and Grill. That’s because the restaurant—located in the old Theo’s spot on Pearl—is precisely where I had my…
Coded confessions and conspiracy theories collide in Room 237
One day while browsing websites while his infant daughter slept, producer Tim Kirk stumbled across an article about how The Shining was Stanley Kubrick’s coded confession that he had faked the footage of the Apollo moon missions. He knew one guy who would appreciate that theory: director Rodney Ashcher. “[He] was the only one person…
First Look
First Look: The Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts Program at Tri-C is one of the best in the region. Three years ago when the Eastern Campus of Tri-C built a state-of-the-art full service restaurant, things got even better. Named Cafe 4250, this gem is helping to mold our region’s future hospitality work force. The restaurant…
Opening: Oblivion
Oblivion director Joseph Kosinski, the same guy who pooped out that shiny, stupid Tron: Legacy piece of shit with those Xena disco boomerang things, has now pooped out a Tom Cruise sci-fi action flick. It’s a movie which only vaguely nods in the direction of character development as it labors to forcibly congeal an involved…
Beer of Dreams
Vermilion resident Lance Rice started collecting beer cans on Monday, July 8, 1974. As the years went on, Lance’s autism kept him from having what most others would consider a “normal life.” But through his fascination with the history of beer, Lance created a rich, vivacious world of his own. His nephew and best friend,…
Rob Zombie discusses the genesis of Lords of Salem
Rob Zombie originally started writing The Lords of Salem, several years ago, just before he turned his attention to remaking the cult classic Halloween (and then its sequel, Halloween II). “My initial inspiration was a book I was reading about the Salem witch trials,” he says. “I was just reading it for the hell of…
Movies Out
Thursday apr 18 Holy Motors This French art house movie had a short run at the Cedar Lee Theatre earlier this year but it’s such a strange movie, it’s better suited to the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, which tends to champion such oddities. Directed by Leos Carax, the man behind the 1986 cult sci-fi…
Monk-y Business
There really are only two things you need to know about the alchemists of the Middle Ages: They wanted to turn ordinary items into gold, and they wanted to live forever. Needless to say, neither was a viable career path. Though the world has since moved on from the transmutation of lead and “elixirs of…
Movies In
You guys remember Snatch? That Guy Ritchie crime movie from 2000 with a poster reminiscent of Entourage and a cast that seemed to feature not one female? About the only thing I remembered about it was Brad Pitt as the Irish gypsy bare-knuckle boxing champion (and what I considered a pretty unconscionable ratio of screen…
Beyond Their Years
Readers of criticism learn that an artist’s ”maturity” is something good, whatever this obscure quality may be. If it is anything, it is command of powers, and especially the ability to make newness. At the start of their careers, artists copy lessons, repeat without adding, and stumble on clever “discoveries” that have been new a…
We Get Mail
On: “Free Indians Shuttle a Reality for Tremont” Great, have people go to a place where you can’t find a parking space anyway to catch a shuttle to the game. OR maybe this is why we couldn’t find a parking space to have dinner Saturday night and had to leave and eat in Lakewood. Rona…
Adventures in Argyle
Last week, Scene unveiled the 2013 edition of Best of Cleveland, which can also be called, “The most anticipated release besides Great Lakes Christmas Ale and the Chuck Norris Total Gym Workout Machine.” It was a hit and covered the best and brightest Cleveland has to offer. After giving this year’s selected categories a once-over,…
Band of the Week
Meet the Band: Alan Brooks (vocals, guitar) A Native Son: Born in Cleveland, Brooks started writing songs when he was still in high school and cut his musical teeth at open mic nights hosted by local folkie Charlie Mosbrook. Then, when he was in college in Chicago, he started playing at local coffeehouses and wine…
The Wrong Side of Rights
The sun was already rising well above Lorain’s scant skyline as police officers turned into a vacant parking lot to follow up on a lead the morning of Aug. 8, 1991. Marsha Blakely, a 22-year-old woman from the neighborhood, had been murdered that night. A group of men stabbed her at least 25 times and…
CD Review: Synical Son
synicalson.com The guys in this hard rock outfit cite a wide range of musical influences that includes Jethro Tull, Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, and Journey, but it’s hard to hear the Tull and/or Journey influences on this six-song EP that commences with the driving, Foo Fighters-like “Back Inside.” In fact, the heavier the…
Ohio Is Getting Poorer
The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, a network of organizations that provide resources for low-income Ohio residents, just released its 2012 State of Poverty in Ohio Report, and it’s a pretty sobering read. The OACAA’s data is based on the federal poverty threshold, which is calculated yearly by the U.S. Census Bureau and is…
