Ohio Not Getting Grounded Space Shuttle
The least we could have landed was a big orange rocket. Once again, Ohio got the shaft thanks to the country’s coasts. After it looked like Dayton’s National Museum of the U.S. Air Force would land one of the four retired NASA space shuttles, the organization announced today it was shipping off the old hardware…
Politics Breaks Up State Senators’ Living Arrangement
Who got the flat screen? You know politics is really starting to get ugly when it’s breaking up homes. Even just temporary-swingin’-state- capitol-pad-type homes. For state reps, it’s not uncommon for a few to roomie-up in an apartment or condo in Columbus. It’s kind of like college, except with more beer bongs and less responsibility.…
Keith Whitnight, Building Owner, Threw Dog Poop Into Tenant’s House (Updated)
You’re supposed to clean up dog poop, not throw it. Update: Via the Chronicle-Telegram, Keith Whitnight pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct Monday in connection with his feces-flinging incident last year. *** Tenants and landlords are bound to have tiffs every once in awhile. A drain clogs, a service call delayed, rent is late —-…
‘Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland’ Slotted for 2011 Release
The first among the many scheduled posthumous releases of Harvey Pekar’s work will be out this year. “Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland,” a 112-page graphic novel on Cleveland history and Pekar’s life, will be published by ZIP Comics and Top Shelf. Joseph Remnant, who worked on the Pekar Project, illustrated the book. Via Comics Alliance: According to…
Video: Crazy Cavs/Pistons Fight Last Night
Fun times in Detroit last night. Charlie Villanueva got into a scuffle with Ryan Hollins after a hard screen. Then Villanueva seemed to level some punches at Hollins’ bathing-suit area. Then the scuffle continued, only to be broken up while refs sorted everything out, only then to be continued when Villanueva charged at Hollins and…
Hear an Exclusive Song From the Big Sweet’s New Album
Can’t wait for cake! We like Cleveland-Canton teen indie rockers the Big Sweet. And apparently they like us. The band just gave us the first song from their new album, Ultraviolet Rain, which comes out in June. If the new album is anything like last year’s debut, Shot of Bliss, then we’re probably gonna like…
Young People Love Cleveland’s Grit and Funk, or Something
The latest good news squeezed out of a depressing Census: Young smart people love us. The number of college-educated young professionals who moved into the city rose by 49 percent since 2000, according to a recent crunch of the numbers. This means we beat out such allegedly desirable locales as Boston, Chicago, Columbus, and Cincinnati.…
Bill Would Allow Recall of Ohio Officials
As Ohioans stewed over statewide budget cuts last week, two state representatives held an understated press conference to announce plans for a bill that would allow a recall of Governor John Kasich. In order to make the November ballot, the bill would require collection of signatures amounting to 15 percent of all votes cast in…
The Quality of Cleveland Life Report
Your guide to thriving in fabulous Cleveland. Cue the Madden Jinx : Browns stud Peyton Hillis advances to the final four in online fan voting for the cover of Madden ’12. And now we know how Mike Holmgren has spent his NFL lockout so far. We’re Twitteriffic: Australian study reveals Cleveland is America’s 24th happiest…
The Man Behind the I-X Indoor Amusement Park Jingle
There you are, mindlessly watching television and even more mindlessly letting your brain float away during the commercials, and then… BAM: the I-X Indoor Amusement park jingle comes on. Earworm defined. “It’s here to stay”? Yeah, that’s about right. It’s April, so if this hasn’t happened to you yet, it will soon. What dastardly, craven,…
Sly Noodle-Slurping Cat Hints at New Noodle Shop
Over the past few days, Cleveland Facebook users have been catching glimpses of a cheeky noodle-slurping feline. The mascot is heralding the opening of a new Japanese noodle shop, Noodlecat, but the real mystery has been the identity of the owners behind the Cheshire-like grin. Well, the cat is out of the bag. “We wanted…
Peyton Hillis in Final Four for Madden Cover
Browns fans are great at a few things: showing up in blistering cold, supporting awful teams, drinking, tailgating, and, apparently, stuffing the ballot box. ESPN and EA Sports teamed up to run a contest for the next cover athlete on Madden 12. The public has been voting in a tournament-style bracket on SportsNation for weeks…
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams to Open Scoop Shop This Week
Northeast Ohio foodies have so embraced the products of Columbus-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams that owner Jeni Britton Bauer selected the region as the site of her first scoop shop outside her hometown. Located at 67 N. Main Street in Chagrin Falls, adjacent to Starbucks, Jeni’s officially opens its doors at 11 a.m. this Friday,…
Holy Crepes! Le Oui Oui is on the move
Our favorite frenchie, Denajua, just announced that she’ll be closing her petite yet popular creperie near the Case Western Reserve Campus on Saturday April 16. “I couldn’t just shut down without giving my customers a chance to say good-bye,” says the city’s most notorious crepe maker. “So I hope everyone will stop in sometime in…
Former Indians Prospect Wins $1 Million in Lottery
The Cleveland Indians cut 21-year-old Joel Torres from the minor league system last month. Bummer. His hopes and dreams of one day landing in the majors and collecting a big pay-day took another blow. As far as cash flow goes, however, he will be just fine. The outfielder had bought a “Sweet Millions” lottery ticket…
Concert Review: Starfucker at the Grog Shop
Stafucker, playing with their balls. It was a high-energy show from the start at the Grog Shop last night with Starfucker headlining. A younger crowd staggered in slowly to the late-starting concert, welcomed by the Nude Acid American Revolution Band, which established the tone by playing a brief set of sour-tuned rock & roll before…
Concert Review: Sharon Van Etten at the Beachland Tavern
Sharon Van Etten enjoys breakfast. Within a two-year timespan, Brooklyn-based Sharon Van Etten has released two albums, toured and collaborated with the National, and contributed to a number of other artists’ albums. Quite impressive for someone who writes songs alone in a basement. Last night at the Beachland Tavern, Van Etten crafted a cozy platform…
Stealing Christmas Ale is Not Cool, Man
Yank my GPS unit. Take my loose cash. But, man, don’t go stealing my Christmas Ale in March when I won’t be able to buy more. Via GLBC’s Facebook page:
Inmate Mailed White Powder to Judge
And the headline isn’t even the weirdest part of the story. Deaerre Smith, Lorain inmate and sex offender, was sentenced by Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands back in the day. Smith went off to the slammer and Judge Rowlands went back to her job, but Smith wanted to, um, keep in touch. He started by sending…
Local Beer a Bit Pricey at Indians Games
Credit the Indians for offering more options to fans each year. For example, the “Your Dad’s Beer” selections, including sub-$5 PBR, Blatz, and other offerings usually only found at the bottom shelf of beer coolers and atop beer-pong tables. The thrifty and hipstery are thankful. In addition to the domestic swill your grandfather digs, the…
E-Check Might Get Easier
As a general rule, E-Check sucks, and that’s not going to change, but two Ohio politicians are behind new bills that should make it suck less. Currently, drivers have to navigate their way to one of the not-so-conveniently located E-Check stations and wait for some old dude in a jumper to plug something into your…
Pizza Pan’s Lawsuit Over the Exclusive Rights of Brian Robiskie
We can’t believe we’re writing this sentence, but here it is: Pizza Pan is involved in a lawsuit over the exclusive right to use the likeness of Browns wide receiver Brian Robiskie in the “quick-service” restaurant industry in Ohio. Yes, there’s not just one pizza chain that desperately wants to use Brian Robiskie to sell…
Vandals Cover Woman’s Car in Burritos and Cheese
If you’re the one covering this woman’s car in cheese and burritos, she’d really like if you stopped that. Thanks. From the Mexican food-loving land of Parma Heights: CRIMINAL MISCHIEF, BERESFORD DRIVE: A woman called police April 1 to report that someone had put cheese and burritos all over her vehicle — again. Apparently, the…
Drunk Man Calls 911 On Himself (Updated)
Update: Hale pleaded guilty yesterday to disorderly conduct and misuse of 911. His sentence of 30 days in jail and a $150 fine were suspended on the condition that he be a good little boy for a year. (Chronicle Telegram) *** Earlier this week, 34-year-old William Hale was out in Strongsville and downed a fifth…
Half-Baked Prince
This stoner comedy – about two medieval princes on a quest to rescue a beautiful princess – would totally suck if Danny McBride and James Franco weren’t so amiable as the stoner pair and Zooey Deschanel didn’t make such a fetching princess. As it is, it just kinda sucks. After Fabious’ (Franco) virginal bride-to-be (Deschanel)…
Pic of the Day: Tribe Sweeps Red Sox
The Indians completed a 3-game sweep over the vaunted Red Sox this afternoon. Yeah, the team everyone has winning the World Series and the same squad that was being asked recently if they might be the best Boston team ever. No one told your Wahoos, though, who topped the Sox 1-0 to send the Sox…
What We Imagine Jimmy Dimora’s Backyard Looks Like
Inspired by Cleveland Magazine’s “The Luau King” post, here’s what we imagine Jimmy Dimora’s backyard looked like pre-FBI raids. Yes, we are horrible people. (Not Safe For Work? Eh, it’s just Not Safe For Anyone.)
Jimmy Dimora Lost 9 Pounds
What happens to a fat cat, big-time (alleged) bribe-taker once the Feds shutter the doors on his operation? Well, fewer comped steak dinners and free tubs of ice cream, for starters. One might even start clipping coupons, portioning out meals, and — gasp! — eating at home. Jimmy Dimora is appearing in Akron federal court…
Boston Reporter Doesn’t Like Chicken and Waffles at Jacobs Field
The Tribe is finishing up its three-game set with the Red Sox this afternoon, and Heidi Watney, a reporter with NESN, was dispatched to the Jacobs Field concourse to sample some of the Tribe’s concessions. Among the options? A chicken and waffle sandwich. Who doesn’t love chicken and waffles? Heidi Watney. That’s who. Video below…
Q&A: Director of “Cleveland Versus Wall Street,” Jean-Stephane Bron
As we reported in this week’s paper, Forest City returns to the big screen this week with the local opening of “Cleveland Versus Wall Street,” a kinda-documentary that serves as a dry run for the city of Cleveland’s lawsuit holding 21 big banks accountable for the foreclosure disaster. The film, which started out as a…
Video: Two Guys Kissing at the Indians Game
Two gentleman locked lips in a brief kiss during last night’s Indians game broadcast. The in-game host was doing a live interview in the seats, and then… boom… the duo kissed right in front of her. Best part: listening to Matt Underwood giggle like a 5th-grader. (Via SI Hot Clicks)
John Boehner Cried Again
The waterworks sprang strong and wet from the peepholes of John Boehner again this week. What caused Mr. Speaker to cry this time? Via ABC and Gawker: According to sources inside the meeting, it happened while Boehner was speaking to the group about the latest on his negotiations with Democrats over government funding. Boehner talked…
Another Concert Postponement — This Time It’s Hot Club of Cowtown
“Come on, let’s go. Looks like we won’t be playing Cleveland this week … ” It hasn’t been a good week for concerts in Cleveland. Apparently that old adage about the show going on no longer holds true. Yesterday Bob Seger pushed back his show until next month. Now Hot Club of Cowtown’s scheduled show…
Arthur’s Alcoholiday
Russell Brand’s drunken, druggy past served him well in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, where he basically played himself. So he was a natural choice for this remake of Dudley Moore’s 1981 hit about a drunken libertine forced to change his lifestyle to avoid losing an inheritance. A surprising level of…
County Council Passes Ethics Code
Squeaky clean since 2011. In some positive news coming from Cuyahoga County, the new county council passed a piece of legislation last night that will actually try to instill some ethics into the government process. No seriously. Come on, stop laughing. I’ll wait here all day . . . The new ordinance passed 10-0, according…
New York Times Editorial on SB5
The paper of record weighed in on the controversial SB5 debate with an editorial. Here’s a snippet: Supporters of these measures say they are acting out of concern for their state’s budget. There is little doubt that the real goal is to weaken unions and their ability to back Democratic candidates. The Associated Press reported…
We Don’t Got Tonight: Bob Seger Postpones Concert
“Hello, Cleveland! Are you ready to … cough, cough, cough … ” Looks like Clevelanders are going to have to wait another few weeks to catch Bob Seger on his new tour. Mr. Rock & Roll Never Forgets has postponed tomorrow’s concert at Quicken Loans Arena until May 26. According to a press release, “Bob…
Hopkins One of the 15 Most Unfairly Overpriced Airports
Nate Silver, stat-guru and Five Thirty Eight proprietor, tackles unfair airport pricing in a New York Times piece. Airline pricing data is readily available in any number of rankings, but Silver takes it a step further (and in a more useful direction). Instead of pinpointing which airports have the highest fares, he figures out which…
Ashtabula Solicitor Michael Franklin Not Happy With Council’s Financial Management
A trip into the wonderful world of Ashtabula’s city finances shouldn’t be this entertaining. And in general, it’s not, but City Solicitor Michael Franklin took the entertainment value up a notch this week. Here’s the set-up: Ashtabula recently reduced now-resigned systems analyst Charlene Pfouts’ and Treasurer Lori Mackey’s workweek from 40 to 20 hours and…
1,300 Young People Moved to Downtown Cleveland… Since 2000
We suppose this data is something to smile upon, a beacon that despite a myriad of problems in downtown Cleveland, young professionals still see something —- even if it’s just proximity to Red Bull and vodkas being slung in bars on W. 6th — that merits living downtown. But, 1300 over a decade? Is that…
Feds Investigating Raid on Ex-Lorain Cop’s House
Montelon in 2008. Since the Lorain Police Department stomped through his Wickliffe home in 2008, ex-LPD officer Joseph Montelon has been a constant megaphone for misconduct allegations against his former employer. Law enforcement claims the raid was done because Montelon — who was booted from the force in the 90s after pleading guilty to sex…
Pic of the Day: Tribe Minor Leaguer’s Awesome Mustache
Akron Aeros pitcher Eric Berger is going all Rollie Fingers this spring. Just beautiful. (Pic via Indians Prospect Insider.) Via the ABJ’s Tribe blog: On Tuesday, Berger joked that he grew his handlebar moustache throughout the off season “to honor all the old timers.” Pressed further, he quipped: “Seen anyone else these days who has…
Loud Sex Upsets Neighbor
More fun from the police blotters this week. This time we travel to the ever-amorous land of Avon. Via Patch: A Crab Apple Lane resident unhappy about their neighbor’s headboard banging into their units’ common wall over and over around 3:40 a.m. on April 1 pounded on the wall in response. Yelling ensued, police were…
Ohio Man Charged With Barking at Police Dog
Taunt a police officer, get in trouble. Taunting a police dog is apparently a no-no, as well. Cops in a Cincinnati suburb charged 25-year-old Ryan Stephens with teasing a police pup. An officer was working a crash scene near a bar when he heard his faithful K-9 companion barking. He returned back to the car…
CD Review: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Jason Isbell learned all about writing stories with very real characters as a member of the Drive-By Truckers on two of their best albums, Decoration Day and The Dirty South. His solo records miss the interplay of other singer-songwriters and their perspective, so they tend to take familiar and predictable paths that wind down about…
CD Review: Ray Davies
There’s no such thing as an excellent duets album. There are either crappy ones or ones that aren’t so crappy. Ray Davies’ See My Friends, which reworks 14 Kinks classics, turns out closer to the latter when the guests don’t try to show up the star. Mumford & Sons join Davies on a low-key medley…
CD Review: Robbie Robertson
The last two albums by former Band member and Dylan sideman Robbie Robertson explored his Native American heritage. So it’s nice to have him back making records with more widespread appeal. How to Become Clairvoyant is his best album in 20 years, a meditative piece on growing up and growing out. The record reflects its…
CD Review: The Dave Sterner Quintet
Backed by a group of veteran jazz sidemen, Cleveland saxman Sterner plays a little bit of everything here, from straight-ahead bop (“Mine or Yours”) to funky New Orleans groove (“Where Y’at”). Sterner, who teaches at Cuyahoga Community College and directs the Lakeland Community College Civic Jazz Orchestra, swings with the best of them. He can…
On View This Week
From the Heart Physician’s love of Italy captured on film Marcello Mellino’s concern is for the heart: both in its literal, fleshly aspect (since his primary career is as a physician with West Side Cardiology Associates) and as the figurative seat of sensation. His Bella Italia show celebrates the latter — specifically the romantic timelessness…
Deep in the Heart
What is it with Texas and singer-songwriters? Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Guy Clark. To paraphrase Robert Earl Keen, also a Texan: “The road goes on forever, and the troubadours never end.” Austin’s Hayes Carll isn’t sure why Texas is such a fertile musical breeding ground, but he thinks “having wide-open spaces and…
At the Arthouse
The African Queen John Huston’s classic romantic adventure — starring Humphrey Bogart in his only Oscar-winning performance — celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. And there’s no better place to see this sprawling work than on the big screen, perfect for taking in Huston’s colorful vista. (Bonus points: It’s a restored 35mm print!) Bogart plays…
The Buzz Report
It’s pretty much common knowledge that 2010 was a suck-ass year for music. Besides Kanye’s CD, and maybe Arcade Fire’s and a few others, it was a dismal 12 months to be a music fan. Experts blamed the lack of superstar albums. Just wait till 2011! they said. Well, here we are. And while the…
Ladies Room
In her 1949 classic The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir wrote, “For a long time I have hesitated to write a book on woman. The subject is irritating, especially to women … after all, is there a problem? And if so, what is it? Are there women, really?” And yet, indeed there are women, and…
Stay In!
TOP PICK — VIDEO GAME Homefront (THQ) Apocalypse Now screenwriter John Milius penned this game’s story about a near future where Korea pretty much has the United States in a headlock and freedom fighters kick ass in the pursuit of liberty. But the single-player action in this first-person shooter (for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox…
Bites: More Emerging Chefs
Emerging Chefs, the Cleveland group that specializes in distinctive culinary events designed around up-and-coming chefs, has announced the chef, theme, and location of its next culinary adventure. Dubbed “Dinner by Design,” the event will feature AMP 150 chef Ellis Cooley and will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on April 13 at the historic…
And Bawdiness Ensues
As anyone knows who passes by the Soldiers and Sailors’ Monument during St. Patrick’s Day revelries, dropping trou is not an uncommon or even startling event. But for a woman to lose her bloomers a hundred years ago on a crowded German street was something else again. That’s the setup in The Underpants, now at…
The Idiot Diaries
There’s been exactly one punk-rock moment so far in the Cleveland Confidential Book Tour, a national road show featuring three guys who used to sing about how much life sucks but now talk about how happy they are to have survived it all. It happened back in February at Moe’s Books in Berkeley, California. Mike…
On Stage This Week
An Evening With Lucille Ball: Thank You for Asking: Created and performed by celebrity impersonator Suzanne LaRusch, this one-woman show was co-written by LaRusch and Lucy’s real-life daughter Lucie Arnaz, who also directs. The play is crafted in the spirit of the lectures Lucy enjoyed giving throughout her career, exploring personal memories as well as…
We Get Mail
No Use for Whores What? Sexual activity going on in the VIP rooms of strip clubs? I thought all that went on in those rooms was good clean fun [“Akron-Area Strip Club Raided, Real Crime Uncovered,” from the Scene & Heard blog]. How dumb do you have to be not to realize that strip joints…
Local Band In Focus
Meet the Band: Andrew Saltzman (vocals and guitar), Jim Garibaldi (bass), Ian Goodnight (guitar), and David Nees (drums) March Madness: These Akron-Kent natives formed last summer and have since led a riot parade of jam-band rock across the region. Ready for Their Close-Up: Opening for jam-band favorites Ekoostik Hookah last year really got the band’s…
Fracas 2.0
Three short months after its opening, the owners of Fracas, a new gastropub inside the former Centrum Theatre in Coventry, have ditched their original concept and decided to try again. We can’t say that we blame them. From the moment we first set foot in Fracas, things seemed a little off. For starters, the host…
Concert Calendar
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band The first single from Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band’s upcoming album is a drooping cover of Tom Waits’ “Downtown Train,” a song Rod Stewart already distilled for people who find Waits’ voice too abrasive. But you’re not going to a Bob Seger concert to hear new…
Down With the Farm
Music has been a big part of the Kamm’s Corners Farmers Market since it opened in West Park back in 2008. Joe Outlaw, a neighborhood guy who has professional relationships with local musicians, and Dan McMillan, who plays guitar in the band Brand New Hat, have been responsible for recruiting local artists to play while…
Get Out!
Thursday | 07 A Retooled Classic Returns: Les Miserables Storms the Palace Producer Cameron Mackintosh’s ginormous 25th anniversary rendition of Les Miserables returns to the Palace Theatre, with 15 performances scheduled between now and April 17. Featuring new staging, new orchestrations, and reimagined scenery — including projection designs based on the paintings of Victor Hugo,…
All the Right Moves
After his first two films, 2003’s The Station Agent and 2007’s The Visitor, writer-director Tom McCarthy laid claim to being that most unfashionable of entities on the American indie circuit: a dyed-in-the-wool humanist. Post-modern irony, pop-culture referencing, and other hipster trappings of his peers are as conspicuously absent in McCarthy’s movies as CGI effects. McCarthy…
Home Movies
Tron: Legacy (Walt Disney) The original Tron, from 1982, isn’t a great movie. But it is an innovative one — a state-of-the-art geekfest featuring some of the greatest special effects of its era. Last year’s sequel, which picks up 28 years after the original, plays a similar game: It’s a great-looking movie with just a…
Drink of the Week
The phrase “like a kid in a candy store” gets bandied about a lot. But take it from us, walking into the brand new West Side sweets shop Sweet Moses is akin to visiting Willy Wonka at work. Owner Jeffrey Moreau did more than simply recreate a 1920s-style soda fountain, complete with period-style equipment and…
Film Capsules
Hop (PG) — It’s the story of two twentysomething slackers with overbearing fathers. One (James Marsden) is a jobless human; the other (voiced by Russell Brand) is the future Easter Bunny, who’d rather play drums than deliver baskets. Their worlds collide when Fred the human hits E.B. the rabbit with his car and reluctantly agrees…
New CLE-Based Culinary Tours Designed Around Neighborhoods
“Restaurants have been absolutely vital to the success of Cleveland’s neighborhoods,” explains Todd Gauman over beers at ABC Tavern. “The West Side Market has been in Ohio City for over 100 years, but it took Great Lakes Brewing Co. to really set things in motion. Look at what Lola did for Tremont.” For Gauman, a…
