Swensons in University Heights Opening on Jan. 8
Update: Things are already looking up for 2018. Swensons officially opens its long-awaited location in University Heights on Cedar Rd. (next to Jack’s Deli) on Jan. 8. May the new year be filled with Galley Boys for everyone. *** (Updated 6/22/17): After much speculation, Swensons Drive-In is coming to University Heights, and could be open…
Here’s an Animated First Look at Cedar Point’s New Water Park
The re-branded and updated Cedar Point Shores water park will make a splash next month, opening its doors for the first time May 27. And to whet people’s appetites, the park recently released a sneak peek video showing a (perfectly bright and animated) glimpse of what’s to come. As Scene previously announced, park goers can…
Joseph Arthur’s Redemption’s Son 15th Anniversary Tour Coming to the Music Box
Over the course of his career, singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur has released 14 albums under his own name and 11 official EP’s. The Akron native also been involved with several side projects such as Fistful Of Mercy, a group that featured Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison. Since this year marks the 15th anniversary of the studio album Redemption’s…
Why is the Cleveland NAACP Supporting the Further Enrichment of a White Billionaire?
In what two black Cleveland City councilmen regarded as “strange,” and what local political onlookers regarded as a glum surprise, the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP has endorsed the Quicken Loans Arena renovation deal. (Not that anyone’s support or opposition ever mattered much.) The deal will contribute public dollars to a massive arena upgrade that…
Six Shootings in Two Hours on Cleveland’s East Side
During a two-hour span Monday night, six people were shot in multiple incidents on Cleveland’s east side. Police have now identified some of the victims. 1) At about 8:30 p.m., per the police, Antonio Tucker, 18, was shot in back in South Collinwood, near the intersection of Clermont and Larchmont. After being shot, Tucker was…
Police Report Released in Euclid Officer’s Fatal Shooting of Luke Stewart
The Euclid Police Department today released the police report of the March 13 fatal shooting of Luke Stewart. The document does not include a narrative report from Officer Matthew Rhodes, the officer who shot and killed Stewart. Euclid’s public information officer tells Scene that the Euclid Police Department did not take statements from Rhodes or Officer…
4,531 Ohio Highway Drug Arrests So Far This Year: What We’re Reading
[image-1]Mother Jones took a ride with the Ohio State Highway Patrol recently, garnering a close look at how officers intercept drugs being trafficked across the state and, otherwise, “hunt criminals.” It’s a good read. With the heroin addiction crisis growing worse by the hour here in Ohio, the OSHP plays a vital role in the law…
Local Singer-Songwriter Selected as a Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition
Led by local singer-songwriter Angie Haze, the Angie Haze Project features the one-woman sensation Angie Haze, an Italian-American who sings while wearing bells around her ankle and playing a handmade tambourine shoe, drums/percussion, a guitar, a cowbell, melodica, and a kazoo. The top regional artist played on 91.3 WAPS for six consecutive months last year, she…
City Council Just Misses Two-Thirds Vote For Emergency Q Deal Passage; Will Likely Pass Measure Next Week
Zack Reed – Ward 2 T.J. Dow – Ward 7 Mike Polensek – Ward 8 Kevin Conwell – Ward 9 Jeff Johnson – Ward 10 Brian Cummins – Ward 14 It’s not much, but it’s something. The above six councilmen voted “NO” to suspend council’s rules at Monday night’s council meeting. That means that ordinance…
The Famous ‘Shawshank Redemption’ Tree in Mansfield is Officially Gone
[image-1]After hanging by a thread the last few years, the once-majestic oak used in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption has been chopped into pieces and removed from its Mansfield, Ohio, property. The rotted-out tree, which was partially damaged back in 2011, and again last summer, was a popular site along The Shawshank film trail. Film…
First Look: Collision Bend Brewery in the Flats
The Watermark restaurant on the East Bank of the Flats closed its doors almost 15 years ago, but the space will once again come alive on Monday, April 17. That’s when Collision Bend Brewery (1250 Old River Rd., collisionbendbrewery.com) opens to the public in that historic brick warehouse, which dates back to the late-1800s. Interestingly…
‘Dreamland’ Author Sam Quinones Will Visit Akron on Wednesday
Dreamland took the country by storm two years ago, igniting a broad conversation about the dramatic increase in heroin overdose deaths in the Midwest and elsewhere. Author Sam Quinones is regarded as one of the expert voices on this public health crisis and the social, political and economic causes behind it. Quinones will be in Akron…
YES Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman to Perform at Goodyear Theatre in September
The prog rock act YES apparently aims to make the most of its recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This summer, two versions of the band will tour. Both groups will perform in Northeast Ohio. One version featuring guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison and…
Cleveland Skylift Project Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (But Has Sort of Stalled)
John Stahl, owner and co-founder of the Erie-bobbing software company LeanDog, made a presentation to the Cleveland Planning Commission last week, re-introducing his infamous “Skylift” proposal. Stahl told Scene last year that he was “fine-tuning” his project, a shoreline cable-car transit pipe dream that emerged a few years back as a one of several wacky…
Bernie Sanders Will Speak at City Club of Cleveland Event on May 1
You’ll soon be able to “Feel the Bern” once more in Cleveland when Senator Bernie Sanders is welcomed by the City Club on May 1. Interested? You currently have to be a member in order to hear his remarks. Memberships start at just $100 ($25 for students) and you learn more about them and join…
Ohio Legislators Introduce FirstEnergy’s Nuclear Power Plant ‘Bailout’ Plan
[image-1]For years now, FirstEnergy has lobbied the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and, invariably, state legislators in support of what many have called a nuclear power plant “bailout”: increased rates for customers, who will ostensibly foot the bill of FirstEnergy’s competition with newer, cleaner energy production sources in the state. Rates would increase by at least…
Country Icon Marty Stuart to Play the Beachland on His ‘Backwoods’ Tour
With his latest tour, country singer-songwriter Marty Stuart will finally play his way out of the woods. He’ll land at the Beachland Ballroom on April 19 for an intimate show in support of Way Out West, his newest record. As Stuart shares with us during a recent phone conversation, the tour represents the culmination of…
Cuyahoga County Jail Officer Demoted After Sharing Video of Faulty Cell Door Locks With Media
Back in late 2016 a video appeared on Fox 8 that showed at least two cell doors at the Cuyahoga County Jail that could be unlocked by inmates with something as simple as a plastic spoon. It’s been an ongoing problem dating back years now and despite the County’s assurances that they’ve been fixed officers…
Record-Breaking CIFF Will Return to Tower City in 2018
The Cleveland International Film Festival does nothing but break attendance records. Over the course of its two-week run, CIFF, which concluded Sunday night, tallied 106,504 total attendees. That’s up from the record-breaking 102,255 who attended last year. And there was more exciting news at the closing ceremonies around the Tower City fountain last night: CIFF…
Local Indie Rockers the Commonwealth Release New Single
One of the city’s most active indie rock acts, the Commonweath released their debut EP, Souvenir, back in 2011. In the wake of that first album, they’ve steadily played around town and recorded. Now, the band has issued a new single, “Birthday Song,” in advance of its new album, The Victory Garden. <a href=”http://thecommonwealth-music.bandcamp.com/album/the-victory-garden”>The Victory…
Yuri’s Night Returns to the Great Lakes Science Center Tonight
Since 2001, an international community of scientists, researchers, and self-styled geeks has been celebrating manned spaceflight with Yuri’s Night, a festive commemoration of where we’ve been and where we yet may go. Tonight at the Great Lakes Science Center, the cosmic cocktail party launches at 7:30 p.m., with live music from Tricky Dick and the…
Cedar Lee Theatre to Host Q&A with Troma Entertainment’s Lloyd Kaufman
Romeo and Juliet has gone through many iterations, but none quite like the wild and shocking Troma Entertainment’s take on Shakespeare’s classic. Troma, the independent film company responsible for cult classics like The Toxic Avenger and Surf Nazis Must Die, sets the famous play in Manhattan and renames it Tromeo and Juliet. The aesthetic is…
Breckenridge Brewery’s Breck Trek Festival Heading to Cleveland in May
Famous for its nitrogen-charged canned series as well as various other speciality brews, Colorado-based Breckenridge Brewery has grown into one of the largest breweries in the U.S. The brewery now distributes to 37 states. This spring and summer, the brewery will sponsor Breck Trek, a unique music and arts event. The three-day experience hits Cleveland from May 16…
Beachland Ballroom to Host Inaugural Hispanic Burlesque Showcase
Hispanic, Latina, Latinx, Mexican and Afro-Latina performers will participate in the inaugural Hispanic Burlesque Showcase that takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 5, at the Beachland Ballroom. The show will focus on “the celebration and visibility of performers of these backgrounds and their vibrant heritage.” Performers such as Lola Coquette (Portland), Ms B…
Tony Grossi Thinks the Browns Are Taking Advice From an ESPN Writer Who Might Secretly Be Working for Them But Most Definitely Is Not
[image-1]Tony Grossi uses his comfy platform at ESPN Cleveland 850 to pass along not much information about the Browns and plenty of hatred for their analytics-inclined front office. That’s about all you need to know to enjoy the rest of this. This morning’s column, which has since been deleted but which you can read here,…
Q Deal Admissions Tax Revenue Projections Could be Dangerously Off the Mark
The number most often associated with the city of Cleveland’s contribution to the proposed Quicken Loans Arena renovation is $88 million. That comes from a portion of the city’s eight percent admissions tax on ticketed events (for venues that hold more than 750 people) and represents, as council president Kevin Kelley has rightly noted, an…
‘I Will Not Be Whoring Out My Medical License to Recommend Pot’: Physicians Don’t Seem Thrilled With Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Law
We’ve been taking a close look at Ohio’s in-progress medical marijuana law, which should provide the state a fully functional cultivation and dispensary program by the fall of 2018. There’s a lot to learn, and everyone in the state is digesting these new rules together. We’ll publish a longform feature on the law later this…
Police Dispatcher, Officer Laugh About Unconscious Woman Who Fell Off Downtown Balcony on St. Patrick’s Day: AUDIO
There’s nothing in Cleveland’s police consent decree that says officers can’t laugh about unconscious women who have fallen off balconies, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good look. Police dispatch audio from St. Patrick’s Day is making the rounds this week. Here’s the gist: An officer calls in a report of a “26-year-old female with…
On a Snowy Day, Mix: Revel at Cleveland Museum of Art Celebrates Flowers, Warm Weather and Sunny Skies
As if there weren’t enough art-related events on the first Friday of each month, the Cleveland Museum of Art hosts its monthly Mix event, an evening of art, music, dancing, refreshments and mingling. With spring in the air, April’s Mix theme is Revel, celebrating flowers, warm weather and sunny skies. Mix: Revel takes place from…
‘Labio De Liebre’ Delivers Powerful Statement on Tragedy
As Ebenezer Scrooge once learned, a guy can get some nasty nightmares resulting from a bad bit of meat or, you know, a rotting morality. In Labio de Liebre, produced by Teatro Publico de Cleveland (TPC) under the auspices of Cleveland Public Theatre, an ex-military man experiences some darkly humorous interactions with ghosts who just…
8 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, APRIL 7 Bombadil/Daniel & the Best Dressed With a nice lineup of albums in the rearview, Bombadil opened 2017 with their latest: Fences. It’s a charming album that fits well with the rest of their stuff and builds on a sterling reputation for arrangement — both onstage and in the studio. “Not Those Kind…
Local Indie Rockers Hiram-Maxim Return With a Noisy New Album
A local event that pairs together local musicians from an array of different bands, the Lottery League has generated a slew of bands since its inception a few years ago. Few acts have stuck like Hiram-Maxim, the indie noise band that releases its second album, Ghosts, next week. Band members didn’t know much about each…
Craft Workshop Series Begins Tonight, Leading Up to ‘Bal: Aquatique’ Event
In preparation for Ingenuity Cleveland’s upcoming annual benefit, Bal: Aquatique (Saturday, May 6), the organization is hosting four community workshops to help create the event’s atmosphere, centered around this year’s underwater theme. The public is invited to attend any one workshop or all four throughout the month of April. The first workshop takes place from…
‘Cleveland Chain Reaction’ Will Invest in Five Businesses in One of Four Cleveland Neighborhoods
Alan Glazen was one of the investors on Cleveland Hustles, the LeBron-produced CNBC reality show that paired investors with local Cleveland businesses in Detroit-Shoreway. The end of that show, which aired in August of last year, doesn’t mean the end of the idea though. Building off the momentum that saw expansions and new locations for…
WKYC Lawsuit Forces Autopsy Release: Lafeyette Township Trustee Bryon Macron Was Stabbed Multiple Times
[image-1]Lafayette Township trustee Bryon Macron was stabbed multiple times, according to the Medina County Coroner’s Office. He disappeared last December under mysterious circumstances, and his body was found in Chippewa Lake on Feb. 21. For weeks, though, the coroner’s office was refusing to release the autopsy results in this case, citing apparent jurisdictional issues. Now,…
Young Mayoral Candidate Ja’Ovvoni Garrison Backs out of Race
Twenty-seven-year-old Cleveland mayoral candidate Ja’Ovvoni Garrison has stepped out of the race, announcing the decision in a Facebook post yesterday. “I sincerely have had a great experience and I appreciate those who’ve supported [me] throughout the past months,” Garrison wrote. “Overall, me stepping out of the race I believe is a mature choice as far…
Violence, Con Games and Dead Presidents in ‘Harm’s Way’ at convergence-continuum
How many times has a mother been frustrated with trying to get her small son to eat a sandwich? And how many times has a son been upset by being forced to eat something he didn’t want? Billions of times, or trillions? But usually, the encounter doesn’t conclude with mom shooting her tyke dead and…
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Founder Paul O’Neill Dies at 61
When we spoke to Trans-Siberian Orchestra founder Paul O’Neill in 2015 for a long feature story on the prog rock group, we were supposed to spend about 15 minutes with him. He chatted with us for close to an hour before giving us so much TSO swag we could’ve manned our own merch table. Generous…
It’s Official After Only Three Games: Don’t Go To Bed Early on the Tribe This Season
If you, like some of us, went to bed when the Indians were trailing the Rangers 6-4 last night only to wake up to texts of “Frankie!!”, let it be a lesson that you shouldn’t turn in early on the Tribe this year.
Yes to Perform at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in August
The prog rock act Yes will have officially been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by the time its summer tour starts. In advance of their imminent induction, the band revealed initial summer touring plans live on SiriusXM last night during an exclusive in-studio audience event. Dubbed YESTIVAL, the tour will feature…
Cavs Aren’t Afraid of No Celts!
Playing their third game in four nights, the Cavaliers stole the Celtics’ Lucky Charms, fitted the leprechaun for cement loafers, and salted the Boston Garden with a ferocity and focus that makes Sherman’s March to the Sea seem like a moonlight stroll. Boston entered the night as the Eastern Conference’s top seed and exited it…
Punk Act X Brings its 40th Anniversary Tour to the Kent Stage in September
A couple of years ago, the punk band X came to town to play its first four albums over the course of a four-night stand. The shows were remarkable and demonstrated just how well the band’s music has held up — the group’s mix of rockabilly and punk remains unparalleled. Now, the band has just…
Rock and Classical Worlds Collide in ‘ROCKTOPIA : A Classical (R)evolution’
A concert that celebrates the combination of classical music and opera with classic rock, ROCKTOPIA: A Classical (R)evolution, a touring musical that stops at the State Theatre on Thursday, April 13, features world-class vocalists and top rock musicians with the aim of celebrating “the combination of classical music and opera with classic rock.” The show…
3.0-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Wayne National Forest, Fracking Operations Temporarily Halted
The eyes of the seismological and environmental worlds have focused on Wayne National Forest this week, the sight of a 3.0-magnitude earthquake on Sunday. For now, fracking operations in the forest have stopped. The earthquake’s epicenter was not within any of the forest’s recently leased parcels, but it was located in and near parcels that…
Cuyahoga County Launches Expansive Opioid Risk Awareness Project
In a multi-pronged campaign, Cuyahoga County today launched a massive opioid awareness project, including as its centerpiece a broad ad campaign that will spotlight the dangers of painkiller addiction and, inherently, the heroin overdose public health crisis unfolding here at home. The move happens to coincide with Gov. John Kasich’s decision to restrict painkiller prescription…
BW’s Bach Festival and Six More Classical Music Events to Hit This Week
Pianist Mitsuko Uchida returns to Severance Hall on Thursday, April 6 at 7:30 pm and Friday and Saturday, April 7 and 8 at 8:00 pm to lead and solo in performances of Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos. 13 and 20 with The Cleveland Orchestra. The program also includes Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 2. Tickets available online. This…
Q Deal Negotiators Are Fudging Numbers — Again — And This Time it’s Serious
On Saturday, the Cleveland Gladiators arena football team will play their 2017 home opener at the Quicken Loans Arena. It’s one of seven games, through July 8th, that the Gladiators will play on their home turf. (In 2016, they played eight games at the Q). The Gladiators are one of three teams owned by Dan…
Baby Rhino Expected at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
The Cleveland MetroParks Zoo will soon have a new baby for visitors to “ooh” and “ahh” over. Kibbibi, an eastern black rhino housed at the zoo, is pregnant. Yes, you may have had enough pregnant zoo animal news lately, and this one will keep you waiting too: The gestation period for rhinos is around 15 months,…
Andre Knott on His Favorite Tito Moment, Brantley, the Tribe Cutting Through the Browns Noise, and More
Andre Knott is probably best known as the better-looking half of the A to Z Podcast, proudly brought to you by Scene, of course. But when he’s not podcasting he moonlights as the Tribe in-game reporter for Fox Sports Ohio. We caught up with Andre before the Indians opened the season against the Rangers to…
Cannibal Flick ‘Raw’ Transcends its Gross-Out Reputation
Raw, the French college-cannibal horror flick from debut writer-director Julia Ducournau, has accrued a notorious reputation on the Euro festival circuit. Tales of nauseous viewers abandoning theaters, and critics vomiting and fainting as they sprinted to the exits at Cannes, have co-opted reports of the film itself. They’ve created a sadistic meta appeal, one that…
Savage Love: Domme and Dommer
Dear Dan, I’m a woman in my late 40s. In my early 20s, I married a much older man. We did all the requisite things: kids, house, intercourse once a week. When the sex fell off due to his declining health, he surprised me by suggesting we open our marriage. He said I was too…
Nope, There’s Nothing Diminutive About the Woman Sharing the Title Role in This ‘Hamlet’
Just so we don’t bury the lead, let’s point out that in half of the productions of Hamlet, now at the Great Lakes Theater, the title role is being played by a woman. This is only fair, since back in the day (Shakespeare’s day that is) all the women’s roles were played by teenage boys.…
Spotlight: ‘The Void’
The Void, a new horror film from directors Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski, is much more ambitious in scope than a standard horror flick; unfortunately, those high ambitions cause the film to miss a few of the targets it aims at. The film uses a familiar horror setup: After police officer Carter (Aaron Poole) finds…
The Makeovers Keeping Dave’s Supermarket in Step With the Times in Ohio City
You wouldn’t realize it by looking at the neon marquee, with its checkered, retro-inspired backdrop, but Dave’s Supermarket (2700 Carroll Ave., 216-274-2940) recently underwent extensive interior renovations in an attempt to keep pace with the changing tastes of Ohio City residents. An expanded craft beer and wine selection, the addition of Maha’s Falafel and aesthetic…
CIA Grad Evan Fusco Opens Empathetic Solo Show For One Night Only
Since graduating from Cleveland Institute of Art’s Sculpture and Expanded Media program in 2016, Evan Fusco has become an active member of the local art community — not so much for showcasing his own artwork, but for his steadfast support of other artists. Whether you’re “Walking All Over Waterloo” or enjoying Third Fridays at 78th…
Two New Ohio City-Based Fast Casual Eateries Offer Bang for the Buck
When Fady Chamoun, a Lebanese immigrant, opened the first Aladdin’s Eatery in 1994, the concept of falafel was foreign to just about every Cleveland diner save for those who frequented Tommy’s on Coventry. These days, it is as commonplace as vegans, vegetarians and fast-casual restaurants. Which brings us to Boaz Cafe. Set inside the crisp,…
Band of the Week: Red Rose Panic
MEET THE BAND: Luminari (vocals), Styxx (guitars), Reo Dinero (drums), Smokeface (bass), Gold Frame Quis (keyboards) and Mike “Rich Ass Mike” Rich (guitar) JUST THE TWO OF THEM: The Akron-based hip-hop group started as a duo. Best friends for years, Luminari and Styxx began performing together and even recorded an EP together before they recruited…
Get Out: The Things To Do This Week (April 5-April 11)
WED 04/05 CIM/CWRU Joint Music Program Tonight at 6 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art, you can catch a performance of the CIM New Music Ensemble. The young artists, presented as part of the museum’s annual CIM/CWRU Joint Music Program, will be playing in Gallery 229B, where they will perform a mixed program of…
Meet the Guy Making Sure Something Like the Indians’ 1948 Pennant is Never Lost Again
Jeremy Feador was a pretty popular guy last fall. Anything and anyone connected to the Indians during the World Series run was popular, of course, but it’s not often the media is seeking out the team’s archivist and historian for interviews. Everyone wanted to rehash the story of the 1948 pennant. You know the one.…
