Ohio Man Who Bit Off Part of His Wife’s Lover’s Ear Has Been Sentenced
Update: The Toledo man who made headlines earlier this month for biting off part of his wife’s lover’s ear has been sentenced, the Sandusky Register reports. Virgil Bates III was slapped with six months in a correctional treatment center, a $5,600 fine made payable to the victim, and a four-month work release program. As for…
End-of-Summer Closing Receptions Riddle 78th Street Studios Third Friday This Week
While the big news at 78th Street Studios this month is definitely the opening of Derek Hess’ new gallery, Third Friday guests will have plenty more to feast their eyes upon. Here’s a small preview of some of what you’ll find in Cleveland’s 170,000-sq.-ft. “Art Maze.” A new exhibition this month features work by Deborah…
Indie Rockers the Spill Canvas Bring Anniversary Tour to Grog Shop
They say location is everything but the Spill Canvas, a successful indie rock act out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has proved that theory wrong. The band formed nearly 15 years and after a short hiatus has come back to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of its 2005 album One Fell Swoop, an album that, with…
Say Hello to Noodlecat 2.0. Streamlined Menu Heralds New Quick-Serve Format
It’s been four years since Noodlecat (234 Euclid Ave., 216-589-0007) pounced on the scene, bringing a mix of traditional and contemporary Japanese noodle dishes to the heart of downtown. Looking back at the original menu, a diner would have been given a choice of three different categories of noodle soups, each boasting multiple variations, along…
Idina Menzel Is Coming to Cleveland This Weekend
Broadway superstar Idina Menzel will bring her hallowed pipes to Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls on Friday night as part of her current tour. Known for her roles as Maureen in in 1996 stage version and 2005 film adaption of Rent, Elphaba in the stage show Wicked, and, most recently, the voice of Elsa in…
Two Weeks After Getting Canned, University of Akron Press Staffers Rehired
Two weeks after the University of Akron Press was dissolved as part of sweeping cuts, two staffers who lost their jobs have been rehired. Scene interviewed one of them, Amy Freels, shortly after she received word of her dismissal. She and Carol Slatter will be “re-engaged” at their same compensation level. UA President Scott Scarborough…
One of These Three Dudes Will Try to Fill the Shoes Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic Kicked Off
Two Democrats and a Republican squared off in the second 2015 mayoral debate down in Akron Monday night. The city is gearing up for the first mayoral election since the birth of Christ that won’t feature incumbent Don Plusquellic. Plusquellic, as you’ll no doubt recall, stormed out of office earlier this year, fed up with…
New Derek Hess Gallery to Open During 78th Street Studios Third Friday
Months ago, we told you about Derek Hess’ busy schedule. Forced Perspective, the documentary based on his life and career won an award at the Cleveland International Film Festival, and he had just completed his latest book, Black, White and Red All Over. As we mentioned during the film festival, Hess and his longtime business…
‘Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen’ Premieres Tonight with Anthony Sowell Episode
Chris Hansen — he of To Catch a Predator’s pedophile-ambush programming — returns to TV tonight with a new show: Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen. The show airs at 10 p.m. Monday nights on Investigation Discovery. We bring this up only because tonight’s premiere focuses on serial killer Anthony Sowell of Cleveland. The episode will chronicle the tragic…
La Cave Du Vin Turns 20
We can recall having some pretty good times at La Cave Du Vin (and probably a few others that we can’t quite recall), and we bet you’ve had your fair share too. Since opening in 1995, the Cave has become a Cleveland Heights mainstay, sating both beer and wine lovers alike in the cool, eclectic underbelly…
Social Distortion Revisits Breakthrough Album at Sold Out Show
It was appropriate that the T-shirt Social Distortion singer-guitarist Mike Ness wore at last night’s sold out show at House of Blues advertised the name of a boxing gym. With his hair slicked back, the heavily tattooed, broad-chested Ness looked a bit like Robert De Niro in Raging Bull. And he moved with a boxer’s…
Here Are a Few New Bars Around Cleveland to Try
Over the weekend, the Ohio Department of Commerce announced that liquor sales in Ohio have almost surpassed $1 billion this fiscal year, setting a state record and proving, once again, that the Buckeye State sure enjoys hitting the sauce. What’s more, the commerce department says that sales in the last few months alone are rivaling numbers typically…
Video: Ohio State Highway Patrol Officer Saves Man’s Life
Dashcam footage of a heroic April 2015 rescue was released this past week, showing Ohio State Highway Patrolman Eric Devers saving the life of a truck driver whose vehicle had veered off the roadway and plunged down a 60-foot embankment. Devers is seen running from his vehicle toward the truck, where driver John Depue lay wounded. “Keep…
After Long Hiatus, Seoul Hot Pot to Reopen its Doors Today
Great news for Korean food fans; Seoul Hot Pot (3709 Payne Ave., 216-881-1221) will reopen its doors beginning today, August 17. The Asiatown restaurant was forced to close back in 2013 after nearly 30 years in business when one of the owners was sidelined with an illness. Back in April, we reported on the imminent…
Thief Suspected of Zygote Press Break-In May Be Tied to Chagrin Falls Crime
At just before 3 a.m. on Aug. 15, an unidentified man broke into Zygote Press on East 30th Street near Superior Blvd. Avenue. He broke in through the front door and stole money from the nonprofit organization’s petty cash drawer. Cleveland police have surveillance footage and fingerprints. However, they aren’t the only ones looking for…
Indie Rockers the Good Life Issue First New Studio Effort in 8 Years
An indie rock act out of Omaha, the Good Life hasn’t put out a new studio album in eight years. The group has just broken the dry spell with Everybody’s Coming Down, a terrific collection of the type of off-kilter songs that made Pavement famous. It’s been a long, strange trip for singer-guitarist Tim Kasher,…
Channel 19 = Throwback Channel 3, Entices Mark Nolan to Anchor at 4 and 6 p.m.
Cleveland.com has reported that former WKYC Channel 3 anchor and current WMJI 105.7 morning show personality Mark Nolan has agreed to co-anchor Channel 19’s 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts. He will read the headlines with former Channel 3 chum Romona Robinson. “It will be great fun working with Romona again,” Nolan told the Plain Dealer’s…
7 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, AUG. 14 Total Babes Heydays, the latest effort from the local band Total Babes, is a great indie pop record that features sharp hooks and accessible songs. The tune “Bone Dry Eyes,” for example, benefits from raspy vocals and escalating guitars. “It’s about being bored with the environment you’re in,” says singer Chris Brown…
LeBron James Family Foundation Partners with University of Akron on Full-Ride Scholarships
LeBron James — he of the Akron-centric philanthropy — announced this week a new plan to send students involved with his “I Promise” program to four years of college on full-ride scholarships. The LeBron James Family Foundation and the University of Akron are still working out the details, but the new scholarship program will cover…
Indie Rockers Plastic Ants Deliver Compelling Chamber Pop on Their Latest Effort
Plastic Ants singer-guitarist Robert Cherry has called Cincinnati home for the past decade, but he still looks back fondly on the time he spent in Cleveland. While in Cleveland, he served as the editor of Alternative Press magazine for ten years. He also played in numerous bands and was a fixture on the local music…
Lufthouse Co-Founder Moves to Philly, Shares Praise for Cleveland Startup Scene
Joan Soskin is the co-founder of Cleveland-based Lufthouse, a startup that “developed a proximity-based technology for museums and tradeshows using iBeacon and Bluetooth,” as Technically Media Inc. explains. She recently moved to the emerging tech scene in Philadelphia, though, and spent time in a recent interview praising the way Cleveland’s entrepreneurs do business. Here are…
Local Photographer Janet Macoska to Discuss New Book at Rock Hall
Over the years, local photographer Janet Macoska has taken some amazing photos. She’s captured rock icons such as David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, the Clash, Devo, Heart, AC/DC and the Kinks. In All Access: Cleveland—The Rock and Roll Photography of Janet Macoska, her new book that she’s co-authored with local writer Peter Chakerian, she documents 40…
Cleveland Fugitive Dies in Toledo Police Standoff After Killing Police Dog
Earlier this week, a man on the run from Cleveland police ended up in Toledo, where he shot and killed a police dog before dying in a standoff with Toledo police. Reginald Marshall, 27, was wanted in Cleveland on murder charges stemming from a May shooting. Marshall and an unknown man were targeted by Toledo…
Chow Chow Kitchen Bringing a Little Taste of the South to Lakewood
Lakewood citizens will be pleased to learn that the next restaurant to join their ranks will not be another burger bar, pizza joint, taco shop or Asian fusion concept. No, Chow Chow Kitchen, as the name implies, is rooted in the Deep South, specializing in comfort food dishes gleaned from various temperate regions. On the…
ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr Talk About Their Upcoming Grooves and Gravy Tour
When we told Blackberry Smoke singer-guitarist Charlie Starr that we intended to ask both him and ZZ Top singer-guitarist Billy Gibbons the same set of questions about their upcoming Grooves and Gravy tour, he joked that he would give us ZZ Top answers and that we could ask Gibbons to give us Blackberry Smoke answers.…
German Teen Sent Home For Wanting To Vacation in Cleveland
It seems BuzzFeed’s Trump correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, isn’t the only person to ponder why anyone would ever go to Cleveland if they didn’t have to. Apparently, the U.S. border patrol wonders the same thing. According to Susan Glaser with Cleveland.com, 19-year-old Aimee Schneider, from Marburg, Germany, was sent back to her home country after U.S. customs…
Minds Matter Cleveland to Host Annual Gala Preview Party at Progressive Field
A few weeks back, we caught up with Minds Matter Cleveland’s Sara Elaqad to chat about her role as the senior VP of programs and the ongoing work she and dozens of other volunteers are doing to aid local high school students from low income families achieve academic excellence and land spots at some of…
Plain Dealer Journalist: Cleveland.com Focuses on Quantity, Not Substance
An anonymous Plain Dealer journalist, in an email to media blogger Jim Romenesko, argued that Cleveland.com has “dug its own grave” by focusing so heavily on the quantity of its posts as opposed to the content therein. “[Management is] currently pushing everyone to increase their number of posts and page views by 25% compared with last…
Local Newgrass Act Honeybucket Debuts Music Video for ‘Pursuit of Happiness’
A few years back, the guys in the local newgrass outfit Honeybucket worked up a cover of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” The band half-drunkenly played the rap song for the first time at a party for its 2013 video release. Now, it’s become a fan favorite. “I heard it at my old job on a…
Another Judge Denies NEXUS Pipeline Request to Access Residential Properties
Last month, it was Medina. This week, it’s Green and New Franklin and thereabouts. A Summit County judge yesterday denied a NEXUS Pipeline-related request for a temporary restraining order against some 91 private property owners — an attempt to force access onto their land to track and survey the pipeline’s planned route. Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands…
LeBron James Is Too Tall for Cedar Point Roller Coasters
LeBron James is too tall to ride some of the most popular coasters at Cedar Point, Ohio.com is reporting today. Standing at a tremendous 6 feet, 8 inches tall, James misses the height limit for the Millennium Force, the Maverick, the Top Thrill Dragster, the Wicked Twister, and the new Rougarou by a solid two inches. “That’s ironic,” Ohio.com’s Craig…
Here’s the 2015 – 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers Schedule
It’s here: The regular season kicks off in Chicago against the Bulls on Oct. 27. The first home game is slated for Oct. 30 against the Miami Heat. View a full page version of the schedule here.
New Club Expected Next Season Behind Home Plate at Progressive Field
The Indians announced Phase 2 of the Progressive Field upgrades today, including plans for a new club that will be located behind home plate. “[The club] will feature a full bar, access to the new concessions options, a customer service center and a glass front for viewing the game. The club will be available for…
ResponsibleOhio Marijuana Legalization Model Makes Ballot, State Auditor Expresses Opposition: UPDATE
So about an hour after we posted this story, the state auditor’s office certified ResponsibleOhio’s signatures. The group’s marijuana legalization model will be put to the voters on Nov. 3. Original story below: *** According to at least one news story out of Cincinnati, ResponsibleOhio’s Ian James is confident that the marijuana legalization campaign has…
Headliners on the Multi-Band All Stars Tour Don’t Deliver
The All Stars Tour that rolled into town yesterday for a stop at the Agora didn’t quite deliver. Jam packed with ten touring bands and some local support, the concert started in the afternoon and went into the night. However, with such a long run time compared to normal shows, this one never really got…
Annual Devo Convention Coming to Beachland Ballroom This Weekend
DEVOtional, the annual convention dedicated to the Akron new wave band Devo, returns to the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern this weekend. Billed “the world’s largest gathering of DEVO fans in the entire world,” it’s a big event. Band members Jerry Casale, Josh Hager and David Kendrick will be in attendance. The two-day event kicks off…
Country Singer Garth Brooks to Play Two Nights at the Q
Way back in 2000, country singer Garth Brooks announced his retirement. But Brooks, who was arguably at the height of his career at the time, couldn’t stay away. First, he played a series of shows in Las Vegas. Then, he started touring. Last year, he released Man Against Machine, his first studio effort in 13…
Put in Bay Village Council Votes to Can Police Chief Ric Lampela
After a five-hour hearing Monday, Put-in-Bay’s Village Council voted 4-1 to remove hotheaded police chief Robert “Ric” Lampela from his post. Lampela was placed on paid administrative leave in March after Attorney General Mike DeWine charged him with aggravated menacing, dereliction of duty and falsification, to say nothing of the pending lawsuits which allege that…
Lauren Davies Takes Over Former William Busta Gallery Space Downtown
Last week, Lauren Davies received the keys to the gallery formerly known as William Busta Gallery. Now known simply as 2731 Prospect (its address), the gallery will officially open its doors with a grand opening reception on Friday, Sept. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m. Taking time away from her preparations, Davies recently introduce herself…
80-Year-Old Jaworski Meats Keeps Polish Meat Market Tradition Alive and Well
The very same year that Eliot Ness was brought in as Cleveland’s new safety director, Fred Jaworski opened up a small butcher shop in Slavic Village’s old Newburgh Market, which happened to be within walking distance of Kingsbury Run, where another “butcher” had recently set up shop. Jaworski’s was just one of countless Polish meat…
Biopic ‘The End of the Tour’ Offers Insights into Fame and Ambition
Jason Segel portrays literary giant David Foster Wallace in The End of the Tour, a quiet, contemplative film that chronicles a five-day conversation between Wallace and Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky during the final leg of Wallace’s Infinite Jest publicity tour. The film opens Friday at the Cedar Lee and should immediately become the best…
Band of the Week: Total Babes
Meet the Band: Christopher Brown (vocals, guitar), Jayson Gerycz (drums), John Elliott (synthesizers) and Nathan Ward (bass) Garage Rock: The band began in 2010 as an outlet for the pop songs that weren’t quite right for Brown and Gerycz’s “noisy project” Swindlella. The band recorded the album in a Medina garage. “We didn’t have much…
Mary Poppins Plays Her Trump Card and Wins
One day after the first Republican presidential candidate debate here in Cleveland last Thursday, this reviewer headed off to see the light and airy musical Mary Poppins at the Mercury Theatre Company. And try as I might, my impressions of this show — with music and lyrics by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman and…
Film Spotlight: Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Man from U.N.C.L.E., which opens areawide on Friday, pre-dates me. Despite having grown up in a basic-cable home filled with Perry Mason, Dick Van Dyke Show and Green Acres reruns, I had no familiarity with the characters or the premise behind this particular beloved 1960s television series. The film reboot stars Superman Henry Cavill (a…
Machine Gun Kelly’s EST Fest Drew Thousands to Nelson Ledges Last Year. So Where’d the Money Go?
The dread hadn’t yet settled in for Elizabeth Russell and Jeff Walters, even by the time the work was done and their bags were packed. Through nine long days of uncertainty — including a torrential thunderstorm — they did their jobs and tried to keep the dread from overwhelming them. In late July 2014, the…
Dentist Steven Katz Is Outfitting CMSD Football Players with Customized Mouth Guards
On Friday, Dr. Steven Katz, Dr. Tom Coreno and a team of volunteer dentists examined the mouths of football players from three Cleveland Public High Schools. They’re out to improve mouth safety on the football field and they’ve secured the funding to achieve their goals. Katz took a break from his jam-packed day cleaning cavities…
