Pet Iguana Used as Weapon During Bizarre Confrontation at Painesville Perkins Will Be Reunited With Its Original Owner
Update: A happy ending to the age-old tale of iguanas used as weapons at local Perkins chain restaurants… Back in April police responded to the Perkins on Mentor Ave. after a 49-year-old man, during a confrontation with the restaurant’s manager, pulled his pet iguana out of his shirt, twirled it around his head, and launched…
Republican Proposes Ohio Child Exploitation Law After 9-Year-Old Performs in Drag
An Ohio state representative has introduced a bill against “child exploitation” after footage of a 9-year-old performing in drag in his district went viral. Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) proposed House Bill 180, which would ban performances “in which child simulates sexual activity.” The genesis of the bill seems to be 9-year old Jake’s performance as…
Nuevo Modern Mexican Chef-Owner Zack Hirt has Passed Away
The local culinary community lost another member way too soon and tragically. Zack Hirt, chef and owner of Nuevo Modern Mexican, passed away on Friday at the age of 43. Obviously, his loss is a shock to family, friends and colleagues. Hirt, who worked at notable Akron spots like Mustard Seed Market, Piatto and Crave,…
Tacologist, a New Mexican Restaurant in University Circle, Opens Friday
Updated 4-26-19 Management now says that the opening has been pushed back, perhaps one week. Original story: A Tacologist is not a medical specialist who treats patients with an uncontrollable appetite for Mexican food, but rather the name of a new Mexican restaurant that will open its doors this Friday in University Circle. The restaurant, an offshoot of…
SEIU Janitors at ArcelorMittal are Latest to Ratify New Union Contract With Path to $15 Wage
On the heels of new union contracts for janitors at the Cleveland Orchestra and Tri-C, janitors at the ArcelorMittal steel plant ratified an agreement of their own Tuesday afternoon. It will put them on a path to $15 per hour. The 50 ArcelorMittal janitors with Service Employees International Union Local 1 (SEIU) voted overwhelmingly in…
Let’s Watch the 1982 Implosion of Buildings on Public Square That Left Everyone Covered in Dust and Soot
If you think the infamous video of Cleveland’s ill-fated attempt at releasing 1.5 million balloons is the best vintage gem on YouTube showing our proud citizens trying to enjoy something only to spectacularly screw it up, that means you haven’t enjoyed this 1982 clip, captured by WEWS, of the implosion of the Cuyahoga and Williamson…
Punch Bowl Social to Open Its Rooftop for Cinco de Mayo Party
To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Punch Bowl Social will throw its first rooftop patio party of the season from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 5. The event will feature a special $5 El Macho tequila-based cocktail (made with muddled cucumber, house-made cardamom syrup and fresh lime juice). You can try dishes like a…
Parts of Cleveland Now Smell Like Semen, Which Means the Bradford Pear Trees Have Bloomed
If you’ve strolled between Huron and Prospect near East Fourth in the past week and gotten confused because your eyes confirm that you’re in fact in downtown Cleveland but your nose seems to hint that you’re on a Brazzers studio set, you’re not alone. That semen-y smell is coming from aggressively floral Bradford pear trees,…
Mahall’s To Host a Benefit Show on Saturday for the Upcoming Mass Hysteria Comedy Fest
Created by Cleveland show-runners and improvisers Deena Nyer Mendlowitz and Sam Dee, the Mass Hysteria Comedy Fest aims to highlight improv troupes run by women. A huge success, the first Mass Hysteria Fest debuted at Forest City Brewery last year. This year’s festival will be held at Mahall’s from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21. Chicago-based Here the…
Patton Oswalt Coming to Playhouse Square in July
Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt’s lengthy resume includes a long list of TV and film credits. He currently stars in four TV series this year and has roles in The Goldbergs, Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Happy! and A.P. Bio. Over the course of his lengthy career, the diminutive Oswalt has appeared in many films, including…
Moxie in Beachwood to Close, Rebrand, and Reopen in June
To survive 22 years in the restaurant game takes more than a little moxie; it takes flexibility. Over the years, Moxie restaurant in Beachwood has endured more nips, tucks and tweaks than a C-List celebrity. Up next for the pioneering Cleveland bistro is the deepest cut of all. The restaurant, which Esquire magazine included in…
Fairview Park Schools Ditch Warrior Mascot, Replace it With New Warrior Mascot
Fairview Park’s school district is set to retire its previous Native American-themed Warrior mascot and replace it with a new Trojan-inspired figure. Fairview Park is the second district to retire their Native American iconography after last year’s decision to remove Chief Wahoo from the Cleveland Indians’ jerseys. Both the city’s middle and high schools were…
Bar 32 Helps Kick Off Cleveland Patio Season May 10
Is it patio season yet? We keep wondering over here at the Scene offices. We want to be outside on a beautiful sunny day while drinking and eating. We want to finally be warm. Thankfully, there is something to look forward to in downtown Cleveland with Bar 32 officially launching its patio season Friday, May 10…
Curbing Overdose Deaths: All Hands on Deck in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio is among four states taking part in an ambitious effort to stem the tide of the opioid crisis. The state is receiving nearly $70 million in federal funding for The HEALing Communities Study aimed at reducing overdose deaths by 40 percent over three years. A coalition of universities, led by Ohio…
‘Shazam’ is Inspiring Ohioans to ‘Be a Hero for Kids’
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A popular box-office movie about an unlikely superhero is opening the curtain on the plight of children in need of foster care. “Shazam!” is about a 14-year-old boy in foster care who discovers he has superhero powers, which he must learn to master to fight evil forces. While following the filming of…
Bat Flipping, the Browns and the NFL Draft — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac discuss Jeffery Simmons, linebackers, expectations and more in their officially unofficial 2019 Browns draft preview. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
Derf Backderf to Publish Graphic Novel on Kent State Shootings
The Hollywood Reporter has reported that local comic Derf Backderf, who turned to graphic novels after years of producing some of the region’s most distinctive newspaper art, will next year publish a graphic novel about the Kent State shootings in 1970 and the campus climate at the time. Titled Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio, the…
Flogging Molly and Social Distortion Coming to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in September
The Irish-American Celtic punk band Floggy Molly [pictured] and the punk rock band Social Distortion have just announced they’re teaming up for a summer co-headlining tour that includes a stop at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica on Sept. 4. The Devil Makes Three and Le Butcherettes will open the show. A Pandora and CITI presale starts…
Ingenuity Fundraiser the Dreamer’s Bal to Take Place on May 4
The Dreamer’s Bal, Ingenuity’s annual fundraiser, promises to be “an off-kilter gala unlike anything else in town.” Once known as the Bal Ingenieux, the yearly spring event now has a specific theme. It will still pay homage to the Kokoon Club, Cleveland’s exclusive arts club that existed from the 1910s until the 1940s. The event…
Wiz Khalifa to Play Blossom in July
Earlier today, multi-platinum selling, Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated rapper Wiz Khalifa announces the details of his Decent Exposure tour. The jaunt pairs him with guests French Montana, Playboi Carti, Moneybagg Yo, Chevy Woods and DJ Drama; it includes a stop at Blossom on July 30. Khalifa just dropped his new mixtape, Fly Times Vol. 1:…
Eric Church Delivers an Epic Career-Spanning Performance at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
At the start of last night’s epic, three-plus hour concert at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, country singer-guitarist Eric Church warned the capacity crowd about what he had in store. “We are going to give it everything we got,” he said. “If you just meet us halfway, it’ll be the best damn show you ever saw.” He…
Condemn Budish For Jail, But Recognize that County Climate Action Plan is Smart and Necessary
If not for the miserable conditions at the Cuyahoga County Jail and a sweeping corruption investigation, Armond Budish’s annual state of the county address, held Thursday at the Huntington Convention Center, would have been his strongest yet. Though the second-term county executive still delivers remarks like a sixth grader reading a book report, his speech…
When It Comes to Easter Candy, Ohio Gets Down With Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs
Although chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps might be the most obvious Easter candy options, the favorite in Ohio is a different, yet widely preferred kind of treat. This is the hot news that you come to Scene for, we know. Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs are the Easter treat Ohioans want to chow down on most,…
Indians, Braves Team Name Controversies Get the Spotlight as Atlanta Pays a Rare Visit to Cleveland
When the Atlanta Braves visit the Cleveland Indians this weekend for the first time in 12 years, the teams will be renewing an infrequent rivalry that goes beyond just the game of baseball. On the field, the teams are forever linked: the Indians’ last World Series victory in 1948 came against the then-Boston Braves while…
Here’s the New Music Video From the Local Act Maura Rogers & the Bellows
Local singer-songwriter Maura Rogers started songwriting in college at Baldwin-Wallace’s noted music theater program, and she also worked for Great Lakes Theater Festival after college. She’s been a fixture on the local music scene for the past decade. For Always, her latest album with her backing band the Bellows, she spent 11 days recording tracks…
Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Part of Ohio Ban on Abortion Method
A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked a portion of a ban on the most common method of second-trimester abortions passed last December by the Ohio legislature and signed by then-Gov. John Kasich. U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett has prohibited Ohio from legal action against doctors who perform dilation and evacuation procedures as a lawsuit against…
Once Again Kids Ride Free on RTA Buses and Trains this Summer
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees has once again approved a program that allows children to ride free on buses and trains during the summer months. Between June 2 and Aug. 10, when most kids are on summer vacation, anyone 12 or younger can travel for free along with a paying adult who is at…
University Circle to Celebrate Bike Month With a Free Education Class
University Circle just announced that it’ll celebrate Bike Month with a free Bike 101 Education Class. The introductory cycling class will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 6, at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in the downstairs Classroom B. Food will be provided. After the class, participants can join the…
Brassica is Giving Out Free Falafel on Monday in Honor of Earth Day
A new Shaker Heights restaurant is giving away free falafel this Monday to celebrate Earth Day. Brassica, which officially opened April 12 in the Van Aken District (20301 Meade Rd.), is a Mediterranean restaurant out of Columbus that offers everything from hummus plates to chicken salads and brisket sandwiches. The fast-casual spot especially caters to people…
Study: Cleveland Continues to Experience Significant Neighborhood Economic Decline, Little Measurable Growth
If there is one subject Cleveland likes avoiding — and by that we mean hearing anything about it — is the poverty levels and population loss that has been in Northeast Ohio for decades. If there is a study on how Cleveland ranks high on craft beer consumption or the restorative character of downtown chandelier…
Don’t Miss the One-Night Only ‘Legacy of Levent Isik’ Exhibition Tonight at 78th Street Studios
Levent Isik’s artwork is a carnival of clowns, devils and mermaids — nomadic like the artist himself. Born in Istanbul and raised in Montreal, Isik’s father had eventually moved the family to Akron. After high school, Isik then moved to Toronto for roughly six months and then moved back to Akron. It was in the…
This Week in CLE, cleveland.com’s New Podcast, is Not That Bad!
Today, cleveland.com launched a weekly news podcast called This Week in CLE. Styled as a reporters and editors roundtable and hosted by editor Chris Quinn, the podcast is meant to compete directly with WCPN’s Reporters Roundtable, from which Quinn recently announced his departure. “I will miss my weekly conversations with the incredibly talented Rick Jackson,…
Dave Davies Revisits His Garage Rock Glory Days at the Music Box
There’s a great moment in Sunny Afternoon, the terrific British musical based on the music of the Kinks, that captures how excited brothers Ray and Dave Davies must’ve been when they took the distorted guitar riff that propels “You Really Got Me” and really cranked it up for the very first time. When the house…
‘The Brink’ Lets a Deconstructive Steve Bannon Deconstruct Himself
Alison Klayman’s fly-on-the-wall documentary The Brink trails Steve Bannon, the former Chief White House Strategist to Donald Trump, from the fall of 2017 to the fall of 2018 as he re-focuses his life and ambitions after being fired. The film screened at the Cleveland International Film Festival and opens today exclusively at the Capitol Theatre.…
Insomnia Cookies Offers Free Cookies For Stoner Holiday 4/20
Anyone who plans to fully embrace the stoner holiday 4/20 this Saturday, should know that Insomnia Cookies is offering a free cookie for all customers at its Cleveland area shops with no purchase necessary. Open in Cleveland since 2016, with a spot in the Warehouse District and later a location on Detroit Ave. in Lakewood,…
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Keeps Bringing on the Babies, This Time With a New Reindeer Calf
As seen above, an utterly adorable sloth bear cub joined the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo ranks in March. This month, we have a baby reindeer. Born to Petunia and Bumble on April 3, let’s hope the still unnamed animal gets an adorable name like its proud parents. So far the calf has already been spotted checking…
Cuyahoga County Jail Associate Warden Eric Ivey Indicted by Ohio Attorney General’s Office for Tampering With Evidence
Eric Ivey joins the other cast of characters who have been indicted in connection with the ongoing investigation in to the Cuyahoga County jail and the county’s IT department. The associate warden, his current position after being demoted from head warden earlier this year, faces charges of tampering with evidence and falsification. Ohio’s Attorney General’s…
ACLU of Ohio Takes Its Fight Against Mayor’s Courts Straight to the Public With I-90 Billboard
The ACLU of Ohio recently released a report on the many injustices of mayor’s courts in Ohio. To go with the findings Monday, the organization put up its first billboard along I-90 near Eddy Rd., an area where motorists are frequently ticketed by Bratenahl police. In plain language, the sign’s message reiterates the ACLU’s stance that…
Tri-C JazzFest to Kick Off a Gordon Square Arts District Residency Next Week
Earlier today, Cuyahoga Community College announced the details of a residency program featuring Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland performances in the Gordon Square Arts District. Six free events will take place over the next two months. The program begins on Friday, April 26, with Syllable Symposium: From Kerouac to Kendrick, an event that explores the “rich relationship…
3 Doors Down to Play MGM Northfield Park Center Stage in August
Formed in 1995, the Mississippi-based rock band 3 Doors Down has sold some 20 million albums over the course of its lengthy career, and the single “Kryptonite” became a huge hit on commercial radio back in the ’90s. Now, the group has just announced it’ll embark upon a summer tour that includes a stop at…
The Tunnels Beneath Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Open to the Public April 27
[image-1] Downtown Cleveland’s Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, which commemorates the Civil War, has an underside you may not know about. Saturday, April 27, the public is invited to explore the tangle of tunnels that run underneath the stone and metal memorial that keep everything standing upright. The tour, which only happens once a year, is…
Federal Authorities Announce ‘Single Largest’ Crackdown on Illegal Opioid Prescribers, Including Some in Ohio
Federal prosecutors with a regional anti-drug abuse initiative today announced charges for 53 doctors and pharmacists who they say illegally doled out opiate prescriptions in seven states. More than 300 investigators with the federal Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force have been working on the cases since the group’s creation last November. The group works…
Groups say Ohio Clean-Energy Bill Disguised as Nuclear-Plant Bailout
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Republican state lawmakers are working to move a controversial clean-energy bill quickly through the Ohio Legislature. House Bill 6 would create the Ohio Clean Air Program, which would offer incentives to build and maintain power-generating facilities with zero- or reduced carbon emissions. A co-sponsor, Rep. Shane Wilkin, R-Hillsboro, said current mandates to…
ODOT Fines Another Contractor That Caused I-480 Traffic Jam by Failing to Finish Work Before Morning Rush Hour
[image-1] For the third time in recent memory an ODOT contractor failed to finish up overnight work before the start of morning rush hour and caused a massive traffic jam. This time it was on I-480 and the culprit was Karvo Companies, which was supposed to be finished with overnight work on Monday heading into…
7 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Wild Belle A Chicago-born Los Angeles-based sibling duo, the indie rock act Wild Belle features Natalie and Elliot Bergman. The group released its third studio album, Everybody One of A Kind, earlier this year and comes to town tonight on a club tour before opening for Beck, Spoon and Cage the Elephant…
Music Box Supper Club to Launch a Film Cafe Series in May
Earlier today, the Music Box Supper Club announced it’ll launch a new Film Café Series in May. The club has partnered with the Cleveland Film Commission and Cleveland State University School of Film and Media Arts for the series that will offer “a fun environment for fans and other film industry pros to learn more…
Happy Dog Hosts a Music-Filled Hot Dog Fest This Summer
Cleveland’s Happy Dog knows a lot about making the perfect wiener. And this summer, they’re hosting a huge Hot Dog Fest to celebrate all things cased-meat, music and sunshine. Hitting up the Detroit-Shoreway establishment June 15, Hot Dog Fest is just another food-themed festival coming to the lineup this summer (along with festivals dedicated to…
Chef Jonathon Sawyer Opening Columbus Restaurant in Partnership With Jason Kipnis and Forward Hospitality Group
Busy bee chef Jonathon Sawyer will be opening a Columbus restaurant in partnership with Indians’ second baseman Jason Kipnis and the Forward Hospitality Group, which owns and operates FWD, Magnolia, Bell and Flower and a Flipside. Sawyer will add that outpost to his portfolio that includes Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat in Westlake. He’ll also be opening…
Magic, Tiger and the NFL Schedule Release — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac are out of hibernation and the podcast is back with a discussion on Magic Johnson’s departure, Tiger’s crazy victory, the NFL schedule release and more. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
6 Burning Questions Ahead of Tonight’s Browns Schedule Release, the Most Important Sporting Event in Cleveland This Month
In the two decades since Browns football returned to afflict the hearts and minds of Clevelanders, April’s NFL draft has generally marked the apex of each calendar year for fans of the franchise. Outside of some notable exceptions, the myriad losses all seem to blend together, but you probably remember exactly where you were when…
Streetlight Manifesto Coming to the Agora in September
Shortly after forming in 2002, New Jersey-based Streetlight Manifesto released its debut album, Everything Goes Numb, a hyper mix of folk, funk, classical and jazz with a ska twist. The band has been going strong ever since. Its current tour brings it to the Agora on Sunday, Sept. 29. Tickets go on sale at 10…
The Joseph M. Gallagher Middle School Chess Squad is the Cleveland Team We Should All Be Rooting For
“Chess is a challenging game. It’s fun planning moves in your mind and attacking your opponent. This was the strategy of the Middle Ages. It is … it is a mental war.” — Nouh Shaikh, 14 * * * The highest-ranked high school chess team in the state of Ohio is a middle school chess…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Week (April 17-23)
WED 04/17 Cleveland Stories Dinner Party Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is a weekly series that pairs fine food with storytelling. Through it, the folks at Music Box Supper Club hope to raise awareness of the mission of the Western Reserve Historical Society’s Cleveland History Center. The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to…
‘High Life’ Stands Apart From Other Sci-Fi Movies, But It’s Not Easy to Sit Through
Written and directed by Claire Denis, High Life offers a particularly esoteric take on the sci-fi genre. The movie focuses so much on character, you almost forget that it’s taking place in outer space. But while the extremely violent and twisted film certainly stands apart from other movies in the genre, its depiction of human…
Band of the Week: Fancy Legs
MEET THE BAND: Corey Jenkins (guitar, vocals), John Rosenberg II (guitar), Mike Karl (drums), Shaun Berringer (bass), and Chris Burton (synthesizer) RECENTLY REFORMED: This Akron-based /new wave/power pop band originally formed in 2015. “It was me and [guitarist] John [Rosenberg II] and a couple of other people,” says Jenkins. We lost them for various reasons.…
Northeast Ohio’s Osso is the Farm, the Butcher and the Table All in One
Scott Webster guides me to the rear of Osso, the restaurant he and his wife Tara built on their 40-acre farm outside of Chardon. We walk briskly past the bar, through the dining room, and into the back of the sprawling commercial kitchen, none of which garners much consideration. What Webster dragged me back here…
Savage Love: Workmates
When I first started dating my girlfriend, I asked her about past boyfriends and she said she hadn’t met the right guy yet. After dating for nine years, I found out about a past boyfriend and looked through her e-mails. I found out she dated her married boss for three years. She broke up with…
‘1776’ Relays Our Origins in Song and Dance, With Plenty of Chuckles Too
You won’t leave the theater humming any tunes. And the history you learn will be more than slightly fractured. But still, there is something about 1776 that makes it an easy-to-swallow antidote to the cynicism of our times. And as performed by the talented gender- and racially- diverse cast at Ohio Shakespeare Festival, it’s a…
A Surprise Around Every Wall and Corner in Memories in Transition, Now on View at Gallery W
Textual patterns and voluptuous curves greet us as we step into the current exhibition at Gallery W, in the American Greetings Creative Studios at Crocker Park in Westlake. The first thing we notice as we enter Memories in Transition, a two-person show featuring artists Libby Chaney and Alice Kiderman, is how the show is presented…
Mike Leigh’s Historical Epic ‘Peterloo’ is More like Peter-Snooze
Mike Leigh’s Peterloo, which opens Friday, is a historical epic that crams more political oratory into two-and-half-hours than any film ever made. It is a movie of speeches: speeches before British parliament in the high rhetoric of 1819; speeches at taverns and meeting halls and fields, where the weavers and commoners of Manchester agitate for…
