Local Restaurateur Sean Heineman Found Guilty of Rape: UPDATE
Today, local restaurateur Sean Heineman was found guilty of the rape of a minor. The charges involved one victim — a 25-year-old woman who had been sexually abused by Heineman beginning at age 6, according to the indictment, and who had been raped by Heineman from age 11 to 16. The jury trial, held in…
Jeff Krotine is Dead, But the Mystery of His Wife’s Murder Lives On
I used to go out for hamburgers with Jeff Krotine even though I suspected he may have hired someone to murder his wife. He died a couple weeks ago, at the age of 66. Anyhow, this was back in 2004, my first year at Scene. Jeff had just been acquitted for the murder of his…
Local Indie Rockers These Knees Debut New Music Video
Indie rockers These Knees have just finished their first official music video for the jittery indie pop tune “Pacifica.” Shot in Cleveland Heights, Edgewater Park, Rocky River Metroparks and Lakewood, the video follows singer-guitarist Stephanie Trivison as she sets up a lemonade stand and then rides her skateboard around town. Cleveland filmmakers Danielle Miller and…
Historic League Park Will Officially Open on Saturday
League Park, the site of the 1920 Cleveland Indians’ World Series victory — and Babe Ruth’s 500th home run nine years later — will officially open to the public on Saturday as a rehabilitated testament to the power of baseball. Here’s our April 2013 feature on the ballpark and the restoration plans. At right is…
Photo of the Day: Petty Officer Dameon Smith from Cleveland Aboard USS Gerald R. Ford
Cleveland native Dameon Smith, a 1999 John Hay High School graduate, is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of a hand-picked crew charged with bringing the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier into service. The USS Gerald R. Ford is the first ship in its class and the successor to the Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers that…
Jack White Concert Moves from Wolstein Center to Jacobs Pavilion
The Jack White show originally scheduled to take place at the Wolstein Center at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, has moved to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. The date and show time remain the same and previously purchased tickets will be honored at the new venue. General admission tickets can be purchased at livenation.com/ticketmaster.com, all…
Mr. Gnome Announces Details Regarding New Album
Mr. Gnome, the local artsy hard rock duo that’s legitimately a national act, has announced its new album, The Heart of a Dark Star, will come out on November 18 on El Marko Records. According to the official press release, “This time around [singer] Nicole [Barille] and [drummer] Sam [Meister] are back in their conceptual wheelhouse, but…
Wanderu, Site That Helps You Find and Book Bus Trips, to Launch in Cleveland Wednesday
“I hate the airport experience,” says Polina Raygorodskaya. She’s the co-founder and CEO of Wanderu, a site that helps travelers find and book bus trips which is set to launch in Cleveland this Wednesday. “I hate having to get there so early. I hate the workers who are just super rude and treat people like…
NSFW: Local Billboard Asks Congress if They Have “Testicle Fortitude” to Impeach Obama, Complete With Image of Huge Ballsack
An inflammatory billboard down at Pearl and State asks congress if they have the “testicle fortitude” to impeach Obama. Opting for absolute clarity over subtlety, sign owner Nancy Sysack commissioned the image of a grotesque dangling ballsack on the billboard’s right panel to accompany the question. On the left, a highly suspect silhouette caricature of…
Ohio Officials Worried About Execution Drugs’ Effects, Doctors Sounded Warning Cry
Ben Crair in The New Republic yesterday revealed that doctors had warned Ohio about the “distasteful and disgusting spectacle” that could come from the use of midazolam and hydromorphone as components of a lethal injection. Emails and the controversial execution of Dennis McGuire show that the warnings, as well as Ohio officials’ own concerns, went unheeded. (Remember…
Cracker Helps Consecrate Music Box Supper Club
Mid-way through last night’s 90-minute concert at Music Box Supper Club, Cracker singer-guitarist David Lowery talked about growing up in what he called “Eastern California.” “We were so far east, we thought we were right up against Oklahoma or Texas,” he joked while adding that he and bandmate/long-time friend Johnny Hickman were part of the…
Owner Sells Whiskey Dogg to Open Columbus-Based Taco Concept
This past Saturday was the last night of business for Whiskey Dogg (24532 Lorain Rd.), the North Olmsted-based gourmet hot dog joint launched in January. Owner Joe Kahn sold the business to a new operator who very likely will rebrand the space and concept, says Kahn. Kahn is a co-founder of the popular Barrio taco…
New Nerd-Focused Gaming Bar in Lakewood to Open Late August
By the end of the month, Lakewood will get significantly weirder thanks to the addition of The Side Quest Bar, the “destination for all things geek, nerd and beer.” Located in the former Eddy and Iggy’s spot (17900 Detroit Ave.) Side Quest is not going to offer the typical bar experience. “The Side Quest is…
Survivor Delivers Healthy Stack of Hits at Hard Rock Live
For most people, Survivor is probably best known as that “Eye of the Tiger” band. Certainly, the group, led these days by founding guitarist Frankie Sullivan has been happy to trade on the legacy of the song, which found a huge worldwide audience, thanks to its feature placement in the movie Rocky III in the…
Lizardville One of 50 Finalists for Craft Brewery Association’s Great American Beer Bar of 2014
Craftbeer.com unveiled the 50 finalists in its annual public voting survey to crown the Great American Beer Bar of the year yesterday. A couple rounds of ballot casting are finished already, but another round awaits with a September 5 deadline and Cleveland’s own Lizardville is among the finalists. Lizardville, of course, has gotten is deserved…
Organic Approach Works Well for Singer-songwriter David Gray
Characterized by the subtle use of electronic beats and loops, David Gray’s albums are intensely intricate. Rather than try to duplicate their sound when playing live last night at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in front of a crowd that filled about half the venue, the British singer-songwriter took a more organic approach to the songs.…
Indie Rockers Bambi Kino to Bring Beatles Tribute to Beachland
Taking their name after the Bambi Cinema where the Beatles stayed after playing their first gigs in Hamburg, Germany, Bambi Kino, an indie rock super group of sorts that features Mark Rozzo (Maplewood), Ira Elliot (Nada Surf), Doug Gillard (Ex-Guided By Voices), Erik Paparazzi (Cat Power) — formed in 2010 to celebrate the 50th anniversary…
Scene Podcast: Katy Perry, Phish, and a Summer of Shows
This week, host Craig Lyndall chatted with Eric Sandy about shows, lots of them. Craig saw Katy Perry last night. Eric’s been on a Phish sojourn for most of the summer. And they talked about their favorite concerts otherwise for a very entertaining 30 minutes. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Scene podcast on iTunes…
Last Night’s Premiere of Chef Documentary Impresses Viewers at Capitol Theatre
Last night at the Capitol Theatre was the world premiere of “Rustbelt Rebels: The Steel Fired Story of Emerging Chef Michael Nowak,” a documentary from the good folks at Emerging Chefs. You might remember them from their countless pop-up dinners and fun-filled foodie events, but this was the group’s first foray into film. The short…
Zen and the Art of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan: Meditation in Congress
Last year, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Youngstown) penned a little book called A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit. You probably already have a copy of it, all dog-eared and worn with time. In this mighty tome, Ryan reflects on how mindfulness — meditation,…
75% of Ohio Residents Were Born in Ohio
The New York Times has a fascinating breakdown of where each state’s residents come from and in among the interesting nuggets found is this one: 75% of Ohio residents were born in Ohio. That number of Buckeye Born and Buckeye Bred and Buckeye Staying is only outpaced by two states — Louisiana and Michigan. Separately,…
The Cleveland Indians Have One of the Best Beer Selections in the League
A study by the Washington Post says the Cleveland Indians have one of the best, most diverse beer selections in the majors. To draw that conclusion, the Post gathered beer menus from all 30 MLB stadiums, then compared them on BeerAdvocate.com, giving weight to teams sporting unique, locally crafted brews. The Cleveland Indians came up third…
Katy Perry Proves Herself to Be Diva Worthy
As Marilyn Monroe is to Madonna, Judy Garland is to Katy Perry. Perry, who performed in front of a capacity crowd last night at Quicken Loans Arena is still a diva, but she’s sexy, not slutty. Her concert would be rated PG-13 as she kept her banter with the crowd on the safe side, talking…
The Past and Future of High-Speed Fiber Optic Broadband Internet in Cleveland
Compared to other nations, the speed and expense of broadband internet in the US isn’t anything to write home about. Ookla, a web metrics company, currently pegs America at 31st and 46th respectively in terms of average download speed and upload speed, behind countries like Estonia and Lichtenstein. The United States also has the dubious…
Worthy of Gold: A New Tregoning Exhibit Explores Athletic Performance With Greek Tributes and Nudity
In the Olympics, we carry on the Greek’s enthusiasm for sporting, but otherwise our culture does not reflect their sensibilities. Whereas moderns stereotypically classify beauty as a feminine quality, for the Greeks, the male form was the object of aesthetic appreciation. In the exhibit “Kalos,” Tregoning and Company honors both these legacies in an examination…
Drake was Spotted DJing at Rumor Last Night
One of the biggest names in rap swung through Cleveland last night and stopped in to spin some tunes at Rumor Bar and Lounge. Folks in attendance say Drake spent about two hours at the club and was seen kickin’ it with rapper Ducky Smallz. Tonight, Drake performs with Lil Wayne in Cincinnati.
The Fairmount Bar at Cedar-Fairmount is Getting a Much-Needed Makeover
It’s been just shy of three years since Jake Orosz took over ownership of The Fairmount (2448 Fairmount Blvd., 216-229-9463) near the intersection of Cedar and Fairmount roads in Cleveland Heights, and throughout it all he’s been making incremental improvements to the beer, wine, craft cocktails and food. Screw that, he says. It’s time for…
Rally and Vigil Taking Place Downtown Tonight in Solidarity with Ferguson Protests
In concert with the National Moment of Silence planned for tonight, Clevelanders will gather at the Cleveland Public Library at 7 p.m. From the organizers: “This is in memory of Mike Brown and all others slain due to police brutality. We are looking to have a peaceful event. Make posters and let our silence speak…
Hey Browns Fans: Read Scott Raab’s Mike Pettine Profile in Esquire
#453421496 / gettyimages.com Just a quick PSA to let you all know that Whore of Akron author Scott Raab has written a bitchin’ profile of Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine in the September issue of Esquire. It is now available for your reading pleasure online. Raab travels to Doylestown, PA — Pettine’s hometown — to…
10 Things Going on in Cleveland this Weekend (August 15 – 17)
We may be experiencing an unseasonably cool August, but that doesn’t mean the weekend won’t be heating up. On the docket this week we have the annual Feast of Assumption in Little Italy, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, the Gay Games Closing Ceremony and official after party, and more. Enjoy yourselves, Cleveland.
Cleveland Clinic to Bring Cancer Care Under One Roof at New $276-Million Facility
“The new Cleveland Clinic cancer building will allow us to centralize the cancer care we provide, creating a seamless, personalized experience for patients from throughout the region, nation and world who turn to Cleveland Clinic in their time of need,” Dr. Brian J. Bolwell, chairman of the Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute, said today, announcing the…
Couple Attacked at Motley Crue Concert at Blossom
Jeff Stone and his girlfriend took in the Motley Crue concert at Blossom, or at least tried to. Their visit to Cuyahoga Falls was cut short early with scary and tragic endings: After his girlfriend was bumped into by another woman, during which her entire beer spilled on herself, the girlfriend simply said, “Excuse me,”…
Inaugural Day & Night Music Festival Announces Line-Up
The Cleveland Music Festival has morphed into the Day & Night Music Festival, a three-day music festival that will include “hundreds of local and regional bands being featured on the most renowned venues in the city,” as it’s put in a press release. Slated to take place on Friday, Aug. 29, Saturday, Aug. 30 and…
Video: Indians Use Tarp as Slip’N Slide During Rain Delay
In case you missed it, last night’s Tribe game featured a whole lotta rain and not a whole lotta baseball. Jason Kipnis, Mike Aviles and others killed some time and enjoyed the precipitation by using the tarp as a Slip’N Slide. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes.
Cuyahoga County Inspector General Agency’s Duties and Independence Up For Debate
On Tuesday, Cuyahoga County Council voted 6-5 on a measure to maintain the inspector general agency as a permanent fixture in the county charter. Missing the eight-vote mark, the measure did not move on. At issue is the independent nature of the office. Amendment supporters believe that more protections will guarantee a more independent and…
ICYMI: Steubenville Rapist Back on Football Team
Convicted Steubenville rapist Ma’lik Richmond, 18, is back on the high school football team after serving a one-year sentence and being banned from all extracurricular activities last year. Head football coach Reno Saccoccia, who was revealed in texts to have thrown his weight around Steubenville to prevent punishment for his players after the rape…
More Than A Feeling: Boston’s Tom Scholz Talks About How ‘Dumb Luck’ Had a Role in his Success
It’s been quite a long time since Tom Scholz was a young boy growing up in Toledo. He’s best known these days as the guitarist and creative mind behind the multi-platinum classic rock band Boston, but he’s got fond memories of his Northeast Ohio days. During a recent phone conversation, he said that Cedar Point…
The Song’s the Thing: Cracker’s Johnny Hickman Says Band Members Put Egos Aside In Order to Write Good Tunes
After beloved indie rockers Camper van Beethoven broke up in the late ’80s, singer-guitarist David Lowery approached childhood friend Johnny Hickman about starting a new band. He was up for it and the duo began writing songs together They even played a few shows as the David Lowery Group with drummer Greg Weatherford (since replaced…
The Silent Partner: John Cipriani’s Vital Role in Almost Every New Cleveland Restaurant
Tucked into a dark and dusty corner of Dubick Fixture & Supply, a 65-year-old restaurant supply company in downtown Cleveland, sits a stockpile of used ranges, coolers, mixers and other commercial kitchen equipment waiting to be repaired, cleaned and shipped out to the next optimistic new restaurant owner. “We call this area ‘the land of…
What’s Fresh at: Willeyville
With summer come the perennial favorites of Ohio’s short-lived growing season: sweet corn, crisp beans and bright, tangy tomatoes. Nothing from the store compares to fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes, and Cleveland’s scratch kitchens are making use of these ephemeral beauties while they last — perhaps none more so than Chris DiLisi, owner and chef of the Willeyville…
Operation Maple Bacon: From Canada Back to Cleveland, the St. Edward’s Rowing Team Hopes to Traverse Lake Erie
On Friday, the St. Edward’s rowing team will take a ferry to Erieau, Ontario, to attempt a 54-mile rowing journey back home to Cleveland while raising money for autism research and a cancer fund. We spoke with St. Ed’s director of rowing Matt Previts, who filled us in on all the crazy details. So what’s…
Film Review of the Week: Magic in the Moonlight
Hate to sum things up in a single sentence here, but in Woody Allen’s Magic in the Moonlight, there’s not much magic on the screen. The manic, sexually pedatory auteur’s 44th feature film opens areawide on Friday, and it’s chock-full of Allen’s babbling, bantering, endlessly neurotic and existential characters. Despite a few solid performances, this one’s…
Film Spotlight: The Giver
At the beginning of The Giver, which opens areawide on Friday, Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) literally sees the world in black and white. The movie’s first half is filmed in black and white, and it’s one of the best tricks in director Phillip Noyce’s (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) rather sterile adaption of the Lois…
Also on Stage
HENRY IV, Pt. 1 It’s hard for a father to watch an apparently wayward son find his way in life, and that parental angst forms the personal core of the “history play” Henry IV, Part 1. That is the problem King Henry faces as he muses on his son, the wastrel Prince Halm, who spends…
Nazis, Myths, and Gay Romance: It All Comes Together, Despite Iffy Performances, in Amazons and Their Men by convergence-continuum
If there is one filmmaker whom many cineastes love, and also love to hate, it’s probably Leni Riefenstahl. Her movie glorifying Hitler’s Third Reich, Triumph of the Will, stands to this day as a monumental achievement in cinematography and a craven tribute to a certifiable monster. So how does one sort out the art from…
Band of the Week: Nick D and the Believers
Meet the Band: Nick D’Andrea (vocals, keyboards), Kerry Henderson (guitar, vocals), Joseph Barker (drums) Camaraderie: The band started last year after drummer Joseph Barker moved here from Minneapolis and worked with guitarist Kerry Henderson on a music video he was producing for singer-keyboardist Nick D’Andrea. “We just really clicked,” says D’Andrea. “Joseph has a great…
Water Testing At Home
People concerned about the quality of their water have a number of tests at their disposal. Lifehacker reports that, although such tests offer an idea of the nutrients in your water, “you should never base the cleanliness of your water on test strips alone. Talk to a professional that understands the chemistry of the water…
Tesla Gets Personal on its New Album ‘Simplicity’
Early on, Tesla would learn to stick with their beliefs. They had a song called “Love Song” that wasn’t exactly the definition of “radio-friendly,” but it was one that they believed in. So when a rep from their record label, Geffen Records, came to the band and said, “If you don’t change it, it’s not…
Akron-based Maid Myriad Gets Atmospheric on ‘With Haste on Its Breath’
Maid Myriad With Haste on Its Breath (Nefarious Industries) Nefariousindustries.com This Akron-based band goes for the esoteric and atmospheric in its full-length debut. Singer-guitarist Jeff Klemm wails on the album opener “Encircled.” Elsewhere, the songs stay true to “kaleidoscope rock,” the term the band has used to describe its neo-progressive rock. Heavily textured songs such…
Sinead O’Connor Sounds Sharp on ‘I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss’
Sinead O’Connor I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss (Nettwerk) sineadoconnor.com One of the greatest voices in rock/pop, singer Sinead O’Connor hasn’t put out a chart-topping record in years. But she’s still got a powerful voice. On “The Voice of My Doctor,” she defiantly sings, “You tricked me into that you loved me/you tricked me into making…
A Toxic Algae Bloom Caused a Three-Day Ban on Water Usage for a Half-Million Residents in Toledo. Experts Say it’s a ‘Wake-Up Call’ for Lake Erie
America has a water problem. In California, there’s not enough of it, with the state’s severe drought continuing unabated — even in light of torrential downpours. In Detroit, the city’s water department botched an aggressive campaign to shut off service to delinquent residents, drawing international condemnation and a mad scramble by city officials to save…
Kristine Jackson Offers Gritty Blues on ‘Simply KJ Vol. 2’
Kristine Jackson Simply KJ Vol. 2 (self-released) musicbykj.com Local blues player Kristine Jackson got her start on the trumpet switched to guitar and vocals about 10 years ago. She’s one of the better-known acts on the local scene and this new album confirms how talented the husky voiced singer and guitarist really is. It commences…
Gray Matter: Singer-songwriter Shifts his Sound on his New Album, Mutineers
Singer-songwriter David Gray has won countless awards over the course of his 20-year career. But in the beginning, it was a struggle to get anyone to listen to his folk rock music. His first two albums, 1993’s A Century Ends and 1994’s Flesh, stiffed. Gray took a different approach for 1996’s Sell, Sell, Sell and…
