‘Toni Morrison Day’ is One Step Closer to Becoming a Reality in Ohio
Update: Feb. 18 is one step closer to officially becoming Toni Morrison Day in Ohio. A bill introduced by Ohio State Reps. Stephanie Howse, (D-Cleveland) and Joe Miller, (D-Amherst), set to honor the deceased writer on her birthday, passed the House with a vote of 84-7 yesterday. “Toni Morrison is the embodiment of the promise…
The Cleveland Area Is About to Get Another Barrio, Whether We Need One or Not
Update: Barrio is officially opening a new location in Strongsville, a new Twitter post revealed yesterday. Earlier this fall (as seen below), the taco eatery had only hinted at the possibility of coming to the westside suburb. Now there’s a sign up and everything. Strongsville, it’s official! 👏🏼🌮 pic.twitter.com/aZW33cWX6C — Barrio Tacos (@BarrioTacos_) December 12,…
Update: Local String Quartet To Perform at Upcoming Beatles vs. Stones Concert at Stocker Arts Center
Update: Abbey Road and Satisfaction, two tribute acts, face off in Beatles vs. Stones — A Musical Showdown, a 125-city tour of the U.S., Canada and Australia that includes a date at the Stocker Arts Center later this month month. The concert’s organizers have just announced that they’ll also receive a little help from a local…
Which Former Baseball Player is a Co-Conspirator in a Cleveland-Area Federal Gambling Indictment?
A tantalizing quasi-blind item emerged in court filings this week for a federal gambling indictment in the Northern District of Ohio. As Cleveland.com reported, the Feds charged a Mentor-on-the-Lake man with running a widespread gambling ring that was pulling in serious money. They now want to seize his house, which they say was largely funded…
Mahall’s 20 Lanes To Host a Benefit for the Tamir Rice Foundation
Shortly after Cleveland police shot and killed her son Tamir Rice, Samaria Rice launched the Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center as “an enriching space to keep children safe from unjust harm.” Now, to mark the fifth anniversary of Rice’s death, Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood has just announced that it’ll host Black at Play, a benefit…
A Terrific Cast Can’t Redeem Lackluster ‘After the Wedding’ Remake
A remake of Susanne Bier’s 2006 film of the same name, After the Wedding features a stellar cast that includes Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Billy Crudup and Abby Quinn. And yet, despite the talented cast, the film falls flat, in part because it hits viewers over the head with its message about the dangers of…
Alea to Bring Wood-Fired Mediterranean Fare to Hingetown Area of Ohio City
Hingetown, that eclectic little corner of Ohio City, will soon have its first full-service, finer-dining restaurant when Alea opens next month near the intersection of W. 29th Street and Church Avenue (2912 Church St.). A concept two years in the making and six months under construction, the restaurant will offer a wide-ranging taste of the…
New Local Hip-Hop Radio Program Features Cleveland’s Up-and-Coming Talent
REAL 106.1 FM has just launched Homegrown, a new local hip-hop program hosted by local DJs Ace and the Insomniac. The show features interviews with local artists, producers and DJs. Prior to Homegrown, Tony “The Insomniac” Ferguson hosted the popular online radio show and podcast The Late Nite Show, a hip-hop program that featured interviews with…
Here’s the Bonkers New Ad Defending Ohio’s Energy Bailout Bill Ahead of Possible Referendum
The Chinese are coming, in a literal invasion, marching into Ohio. That’s how the new ad from a group called Ohioans for Energy Security, which will be spending upwards of a million dollars on TV and radio spots soon, begins, and it continues with even less tenuous grasps on the issues surrounding HB6. That would be…
Put-in-Bay Adding Extra Security for Kid Rock-Headlined Bash on the Bay Concert Thursday
The third-annual Bash On the Bay rolls out Thursday at the Put-in-Bay airport. While other iterations have involved more country-ish acts Toby Keith and Rascal Flatts, this year’s country music festival is headlined by Michigan’s own Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker. As about 17,000 hard-partying music lovers are expected to hit the island (nearly doubling the numbers from…
$2.3 Billion is Plenty, A Response to the Cleveland Foundation’s Conservative Grantmaking
In a guest column published by cleveland.com August 11th, I argued that the Cleveland Foundation could be doing much more to address the problems of this city. Specifically, by raising its payout rate, the foundation could increase its annual grant-making by tens of millions of dollars. Cleveland Scene, in a follow-up piece, sought comment from…
The Little C Music Festival Returns to the Auricle in Canton in September
Hosted by Canton indie rockers Hey Monea, the Little C Music festival, an annual event, features two days of music on Sept. 13 and 14 at the Auricle, a club located in downtown Canton. This year’s lineup includes Anna Rose, Steve Everett, the Woovs, Ethan Sak, Paul Pfau, More Than Me and many other local…
Ohio Attorney General Signs on to Trump’s Legal Fight Against LGBTQ Labor Discrimination Protections
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost joined the Trump administration last week in its argument before the United States Supreme Court that LGBTQ individuals are not protected from workplace discrimination by federal civil rights laws. Yost, a Republican, announced Aug. 23 that he had joined an amicus brief filed by a number of other states supporting…
FBI Warns of ‘Public Corruption Threat’ in Legal Marijuana Industry
Thousands of people have already and will continue maneuvering to get a piece of Ohio’s multi-billion dollar medical marijuana industry. Everyone knows money is a magnet for public corruption, so it’s no surprise the FBI is getting involved in the industry. “As an increasing number of states change their marijuana legislation, the FBI is seeing…
2020 Farmers’ Almanac Predicts a ‘Polar Coaster’ Winter for Great Lakes Region
Here we go again. The 2020 Farmers’ Almanac’s extended weather forecast has predicted an upcoming “polar coaster winter” that will affect the majority of the country — including those in the Great Lakes region. The coldest outbreaks in late January are expected to affect millions of people in both the Great Lakes and the Northern…
Former MTV VJs to Participate in an Interview Session at the Rock Hall
Not so long ago, MTV actually helped launch musical acts by airing their music videos and giving them much-needed national exposure. Sadly, the station has moved away from that approach, but original MTV VJs Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and Martha Quinn will discuss that time period in an interview session and meet-and-greet at 7 p.m. on Thursday,…
Cleveland Popeyes Locations Sold Out of Chicken Sandwich, Expect Reinforcements By Wednesday
This probably isn’t the time to say that the Popeyes chicken sandwich is just, well, a sandwich. But whether you prefer spicy or classic, it is just a damn sandwich. Nonetheless Clevelanders have waited in obscenely long lines since the new food item dropped last week only to find out that the sandwich is no…
Change in Food Assistance Policy Could Hit Ohioans Hard, Critics Say
A change in the way the federal government administers food aid under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could see thousands of Ohioans lose those benefits, some critics say. But federal officials say the change could streamline the program and cut down on wasteful spending and make aid programs more consistent from state to state.…
Local Klezmer Musicians Pay Tribute to the Late Norman Tischler With Their New Ensemble
The late Norman Tischler played in many bands and for Shabbat services at several area synagogues. And for many years, the beloved Tischler was the conductor and lead soloist of the Workmen’s Circle Klezmer Orchestra. Earlier this year, Tischler died after a brief illness. Now, a group of klezmer musicians has rededicated the orchestra as…
Robocalls Are the Worst Agrees Ohio AG, Partnering With Phone Companies in Anti-Robocall Initiative
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has partnered with 50 other attorneys general to help fight illegal robocalls. Yost’s office announced in a press release that 12 major phone service providers — including Verizon, Sprint and AT&T — have agreed to adopt “anti-robocall practices” to help protect consumers and make it easier to prosecute “bad actors.”…
Bird Scooters Now Available for Rental in Cleveland, More on the Way
As fate would have it, Bird, the e-mobility company that dumped e-scooters on Cleveland’s streets last summer and ignited the local debate — and ultimately the local policy — about micromobility, is now the first company with scooters available for rental in Cleveland. City Hall has just alerted the press that Bird has completed its…
Beachwood Place Mall is Adding Its Own Green Space and Outdoor Theater
It’s no secret that malls across the country are struggling to remain relevant in an increasingly e-commerce world. And even high-end malls such as Beachwood Place, which offers cornerstone department stores like Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, are racing to keep up. Friday, mall owners Brookfield Properties announced plans to make the spot even more of…
Former Browns Star Joe Thomas Graces the Cover of This Month’s ‘Swimmer’ Magazine
A couple of years ago when the Browns renovated the lap pool at their practice facility, now-retired star offensive lineman Joe Thomas took up swimming. Because of his incredibly dense bones, swimming didn’t come easily to him. But he stuck with it and has continued to swim regularly post-retirement (he called it a day last…
Remembering Ohio’s Deep Roots in Early Suffrage Movement
COLUMBUS, Ohio – It’s been 99 years since American women gained the right to vote – a milestone achieved thanks in part to the dedication of many Ohioans. Women’s Equality Day is celebrated on Aug. 26 each year to commemorate the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. Megan Wood,…
‘Pulp Fiction’ Turns 25, Proving We’re All Super Old, and the Cedar Lee is Celebrating
Pulp Fiction is turning 25 and that’s a fact. Any Quentin Tarantino fan worth their salt has obviously seen the 1994 masterpiece more than once. But now the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights is having a special presentation of the film on Sat, Sept. 7 at 9:30 p.m. and also Sunday, Sept. 8 at 7…
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Gets Its Own Halloween-Themed Beer Fest This October
The amount of Halloween celebrations in Northeast Ohio can be overwhelming for even the most hardcore of drinkers. But this October, expect at least one more costume-filled adult event in the form of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s first Brew at the Zoo. Going down Thursday, Oct. 10, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., beer lovers…
Ohio’s Dave Chappelle is Hosting a Benefit Show for Dayton Mass Shooting Victims
In the wake of the Aug. 4 shooting in Dayton’s Oregon District that killed nine people and injured 27, a pop-up block party hosted by comedian (and Ohio resident) Dave Chappelle will take place this Sunday, Aug. 25 as a gift to the people of the area and a gesture of healing. Dayton mayor Nan…
At Laaaaaaaaast … RTA Smart Cards are Coming Along
The grassroots transportation advocacy organization Clevelanders for Public Transit and members of the RTA board of trustees have called on RTA to terminate its contract with a company that was supposed to have provided “smart card services” in Cleveland. Conduent, a Xerox spinoff that offers digital platforms for businesses and government agencies, has installed fare…
Cleveland Band Reginleif Launches Kickstarter Campaign To Record New Album at Cumberland Caverns
A local group that describes itself as “post-rock-inspired viking jazz,” Reginleif will record its new album in the Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee. The band features Bob Conner on trumpet, Jeff Larch on drums, Steve Wright and James Thaddeus Dalakas on guitar and front woman Shelby Sangdahl on cello. The group will record the disc on…
Gov. DeWine Announces Ohio School Safety Center to Prevent School Shootings
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Aug. 21 the creation of a new division of the state’s Department of Homeland Security charged with preventing school shootings and other violent acts. The Ohio School Safety Center will work with local law enforcement personnel and school districts to proactively detect threats against schools before mass shootings happen, DeWine…
Cleveland Man Gets Browns Super Bowl Champs Tattoo On Body On Purpose
One super football fan may have taken the “Browns-are-going-to-win-the-Super-Bowl-this-year” line of thinking a little too far. Garrett Howenstine, a 20-year-old Clevelander who is currently studying hard at The Ohio State University, showed off his brand new upper-thigh tattoo yesterday on Twitter with the incredibly hopeful words: “Cleveland Browns Super Bowl Champs LIV.” The work was…
Cleveland’s Unknownphrazes Explores the Relationship Between Reality and Illusion on New EP
A local producer, DJ and singer-songwriter, Unknownphrazes came to Cleveland from Mexico when he was 10. He started creating his own beats and writing his own songs shortly after the move to Northeast Ohio as a way of coping with being a stranger in a strange land. “I started making music when I was 13…
Date Set for Mayor Frank Jackson’s 129th State of the City Address
[image-1] The City of Cleveland cordially invites residents and other thrill-seekers to Mayor Frank Jackson’s annual State of the City address, a humdrum affair that, despite its countless iterations, is always more or less the same. This year’s address — Jackson’s 129th, by our count — will be held on October 10 at 7 p.m. …
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Announces $2.5 Million Gift from Haslam Foundation
Earlier today, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced that the Haslam Foundation has made a $2.5 million gift to the Rock Hall in support of its education programs. As a result, the Rock Hall established the Haslam Scholars Program. The program provides free admission and “expert classroom instruction” to Cleveland Metropolitan School District…
What I Learned on My Blissfully Trump-Free Summer Vacation to Barcelona
The thing about spending two weeks in a blissfully Trump-free vacation bubble is that it’s pretty easy to burn up on re-entry. I’ve been on vacation most of August — first on a cruise ship/floating music festival on the Mediterranean, sailing back and forth from Spain to Sardinia, then spending a week in Barcelona, all…
Lakewood Officials Are Now Into the Idea of E-Scooters and Want Your Input
Following in the footsteps of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, the westside suburb of Lakewood is now considering adding shared electric scooters and bicycles onto its city streets. But first, city officials want resident feedback. Officials recently unleashed a survey on the city website, designed to assess how people would use the dockless devices if the…
5 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, AUG. 23 Jonah Koslen After attending Beachwood High, singer-guitarist Jonah Koslen started up a band called Snake Eyes and then joined the Michael Stanley Band in 1974. He loved playing with Stanley, whom he still considers to be a friend, but got restless and wanted to start his own damn band, so he left…
Pharma Companies Reach Tentative $15 Million Settlement with Cuyahoga, Summit Counties
In a scramble to avoid the first federal trial over the opioid epidemic, two drug companies have agreed to pay plaintiffs Cuyahoga and Summit counties a combined $15 million in lawsuit settlements. In both cases, the charges essentially boil down to the pharmaceutical companies Endo and Allergan downplaying the risks of the potent drugs and turning a blind…
With Their New Single, Cleveland’s Sidekicks Address Our Unhealthy Obsession With Social Media
One of our favorite local indie rock bands, the Sidekicks have just released a new single, “Feed II,” a song that comes across as “a commentary on feeling like we need to present everything we do on social media,” as it’s put in a press release. “’Feed II’ is about the constant online projection of…
What You Need to Know About Sunday’s One World Day
The Cultural Gardens have celebrated One World Day for 73 years, making it one of the area’s oldest continuously running fests in Northeast Ohio. The day features a Parade of Flags, tours of the gardens, a naturalization ceremony for new U.S. citizens, cultural performances, food from many countries and family fun. Last year, people from…
Groups Hope to Deal Final Blow to Ohio’s Heartbeat Bill
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Reproductive- and civil-rights organizations are hoping to strike a final blow against Ohio’s so-called “Heartbeat Bill.” Senate Bill 23 bans abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected, which typically is around six weeks of pregnancy. The law was temporarily blocked from going into effect on July 3, pending the outcome of a…
In Advance of Next Week’s Show at the Kent Stage, Pat Metheny Talks About His Side-Eye Side Project
Back when jazz guitarist Pat Metheny started performing the Kansas City circuit in the early ’70s, he looked to the city’s older musicians for inspiration. “I really learned about music on the bandstands of Kansas City with many of the best players in town of that era: Gary Sivils, Paul Smith, Tommy Ruskin, Russ Long…
Ohio College Graduates Struggle With Skyrocketing Student Debt
Welcome to Ohio, where the average student debt is $28,947, according to a new study by LendEDU, an online student loans marketplace. Ohio’s average student loan debt is smack dab in the middle of the state-by-state rankings, with average student debt ranging from $19,742 in Utah to $38,776 in Connecticut. About 58 percent of all…
How to Stay Sane in College, According to Northeast Ohio Students
Perhaps nothing encapsulates the state of mental health among college students today more than the nets that were installed on gorge bridges across Cornell University’s campus in 2012, following the 2010 suicides of three students who jumped from bridges within a month of each other. Mental health issues among students loom high over the ivory…
Queer on Campus: A Resource Guide
Being queer in college can be a totally different experience than being queer in high school. Young LGBTQ people face considerable risks compared to their heterosexual, cisgender peers. In general, high schoolers who identify as LGB are nearly five times as likely to attempt suicide as straight students, reports the National Alliance on Mental Illness.…
The 5 Best Cleveland Restaurants for the College Budget
Dining out on a college budget sounds like an oxymoron. After room, board, books and beer, what’s left? Fear not, co-eds, for the Land of the Cleve is flush with economical dining options. When it’s our (admittedly limited) money on the line, we always go with ethnic food. Pupuseria La Bendicion 3685 West 105th St.,…
Now’s the Time to Take Advantage of Those Hot Student Discounts in Cleveland
Whether you’re living on ramen or going hog-wild with daddy’s credit card, all students should absolutely take advantage of the college-specific discounts in Cleveland. Grab your student ID, a couple of drinking buddies (unless you’re under 21, of course) and check out these educational yet inspiring experiences. You won’t be a student forever … hopefully. …
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Week (Aug. 21-27)
WED 08/21 Disney’s The Lion King Some 90 million people around the world have seen Disney’s long-running musical The Lion King. The play has won six Tony Awards, and it brings to life the story of a lion and the cub who’ll inherit his father’s kingdom. The musical features the work of Tony Award-winning choreographer…
William Mortensen’s Beautiful Witches Portraits Now at Buckland Witchcraft Museum
If you are at all a fan of vintage Hollywood, photography, technique, history or just really want to see some fantastic portraiture, you will find it all in William Mortensen’s Witches, now on view at the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick (2155 Broadview Rd.), in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood. As we entered, we expected…
Down Syndrome Story is Feel-Good Movie of the Year
The Peanut Butter Falcon, starring Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and newcomer Zack Gottsagen, is a heartwarming summer flick that instantly becomes, and should remain with some ease, the feel-good film of the year. Centering on the friendship between a man with Down syndrome (Gottsagen) and a hard-up fisherman on the run (LaBeouf), the film borrows…
At Omar McKay’s Irie Jamaican Kitchen, Taste and Originality Pave Way for Expansion
I don’t recall who first tipped me off to Omar McKay’s soul-satisfying Jamaican food, but I am forever indebted because the odds of stumbling upon it were zero to none. Situated in the food court of a moribund shopping mall, flanked by the likes of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Charleys Philly Steaks, Irie Patties owned…
Band of the Week: Cody J. Martin
MEET THE BAND: Cody J. Martin (vocals, guitar) HE’S A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY: Martin writes songs that, as he puts it, rest “where folk, blues and country music intersect.” He originally played guitar in numerous bands throughout high school but started his solo career about 10 years ago after gravitating to the music of Elliott Smith,…
Savage Love: Quite Quick
I took Molly with my best bud. We wound up cuddling and telling each other everything. We didn’t mess around — we’re both straight guys — but one of the things I told him is that I would much rather eat pussy than fuck, and one of the things he told me is that he’s…
