Supremely Pissed: Reader Thinks We’re Idiots about Diana Ross
The comparison between Beyonce and Diana Ross [“Diva-Come-Lately,” August 15] is uncanny. But you, my friend, are the biggest idiot out there. Why not talk about all the benefits Diana is doing or her influence on other artists? There were two books that came out this year that you should have read. But you’re a…
Law student, charged with rape despite passing polygraphs, is acquitted
Sahil Sharma passed three lie-detectors — and still got prosecuted. Last week, Sahil Sharma, a law student at New York’s Touro college, was acquitted after being charged with sexually assaulting a family friend at a Cuyahoga Falls wedding. The case was unusual because Sharma had gone through – and passed – three polygraph tests. The…
Senator Larry Craig: The Alex Arshinkoff of Idaho
It seems to be a recurring motif: Anyone who protests too loud about the sins of homosexuality is likely a homo himself. The latest is U.S. Senator Larry Craig, a Republican from Idaho, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to disorderly conduct in Minnesota. It appears that Big Larry was caught soliciting an undercover cop…
Toxic Wonderland: More Alarm Bells Over IMG’s Painesville Sports Resort
Earlier this month, Scene brought you the story of IMG’s plans to build a luxury sports resort community on a 1,100-acre plot of land that once housed the Diamond Alkali plant in Painesville Township [“Badlands,” August 1]. Alas, there was one small problem: For years, people next to the land have been dying in hordes…
Franklin County Struggles with that Whole Patronage Thing
Here in Ohio, patronage is not just the lay of the land – it’s the law. Following a gubernatorial election, the winning party can choose its own workers to run the polls at each precinct the party carried. Whoever’s in charge of the precinct gets 95 bucks and the swanky new title of “presiding judge,”…
Anthony Bourdain hits Cleveland, visits … Mittal Steel and Skyline Chili?
Anthony Bourdain: the chef who doesn’t know shit. The new season of the Travel Channel’s hip show No Reservations, starring celebrity chef/author Anthony Bourdain, debuted last night in one of the world’s most cool and happening places. Oh, wait, that’s next week. Last night he came to Cleveland. Bourdain, used to sampling delights such as…
This Just In: Concert Announcements for Cleveland, by Cleveland
Bone Thugs pour one out for their hometown on September 7. This week, 37 new shows: Hip-hop icon KRS-ONE. Old-school punks the Avengers. Cleveland rap greats Bone Thugs. Post-hardcore standouts Chiodos. High-budget UK Queen Tribute One Night of Queen. Latin Heritage Month, with Chuchito Valdes, at Nighttown. And much more. But the find of the…
Long Grounded, Party of Helicopters is ready for take off
Party of Helicopters flies again this Wednesday. It’s been three years since the Party of Helicopters have blessed the stage with their caffeinated blend of metal riffage and shoegazer hooks. In the fall of 2004, the Kent four-piece announced they’d finally run out of steam. After nearly seven years of international touring and three full-length…
Euclid City Council Should Repay that Blown $600,000
Euclid’s election system is biased, a federal judge ruled last week. No black person has ever been elected to Euclid’s city council or school board, though the city’s expanding black population tops 30 percent. The council consists of four ward seats and a president and four at-large members who run citywide. Voters fill the at-large…
The Cleveland Schools Lose One of Their Best Minds.
The Cleveland schools recently celebrated some unusually good news. Last year, they scraped their test scores off the bottom of the barrel and met a handful of state standards, earning the district the envious designation of “continuous improvement.” In layman’s terms, it essentially means “you don’t suck quite as much as you use to.” Schools…
Travel Channel’s No Reservations to highlight Cleveland cuisine tonight
Yeah, we’re poor, and yes, the middle class is skipping town at Mach 4. But one of the undeniably great things about Cleveland – besides that LeBron kid and really cheap beer — is the city’s good eats. The country will find this out tonight at 10 p.m. when the Travel Channel airs No Reservations…
Mikey G’s Picks of the Week: Talib, the Bangles, and Disney teenie boppers
Aly & AJ play the PD Pavilion Wednesday. This week’s top arts and entertainment picks around town, from the guy who’s paid to pick them: Monday: Local artist Alane Potokar Sandoval piles on the abstract shapes, colors, and skewed perspectives in Drawings & Paintings, now on view at the Beck Center. The exhibit features a…
Goo Goo Dolls’ Cleveland show moved, Dale Watson’s canceled
The Goo Goo Dolls’ Lake County show has been moved to the Agora in September. The Goo Goo Dolls Lake County show, scheduled for August 28, has been postponed and relocated. The Buffalo alt-rock veterans will now play the Agora Theater (5000 Euclid Ave.) Wed., September 26, at 7 p.m. Tickets for the previous show…
Rock Hall to Screen Black Sabbath’s Dio-Lineup DVD
The new Live From Radio City Music Hall DVD from Heaven and Hell — that’s Black Sabbath, with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, performing only Dio-era material, which rules — will screen Wednesday, August 29, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1 Key Plaza). The free event starts at 6:30 p.m.…
File it Under “No S*#t”: ESPN Names Grady Sizemore Face of the Franchise
We know – you’re shocked. Clearly, some of us wanted to believe that, deep down, our female fans really lusted for Shin-Soo Choo. So naturally we bit when ESPN posted findings from its Major League Baseball “Face of the Franchise” poll. We had to see for ourselves what this ragtag collection of writers, bloggers, and…
ClevelandFEST: Local bands, transplanted partiers, random New Yorkers party for good cause
Though Alex Lombardo has been living it up in NYC for the past four years, working as a fancy designer for Rolling Stone, his heart still beats for our Bologna on the Lake. So Lombardo, a native of Lakewood, decided there’d be no better way to honor his Rust Belt roots than by hosting a…
More Weird Adventures in the Board of Elections Recount Rigging Case
Special prosecutor Kevin Baxter seems none too pleased that he’s back in court for the infamous Board of Elections trial [“Guilt by Association,” January 31]. When we last left our hero, he was successfully prosecuting two low-level election board employees for allegedly rigging the 2004 presidential recount. There was no question the actions of Jacquie…
Wonder Bar: The first-ever wine bar with no wine!
We love the Wonder Bar (2044 East 4th Street, 216-298-4050), the new, swanky addition to downtown’s East 4th District. Great scenery — love the swirly, colorful paintings and the good looking after-workers. Great food — love the Mediterranean plate, although we’re not quite sure about the veal bratwursts. And great staff — sort of. The…
Scientists recreate out-of-body experiences. C-Notes localizes!
According to a really important study in a very reputable scientific journal, sex with this man would not be fun. Being a scientist can be a frustrating job. Whether you’re searching for elusive cures to the world’s killer diseases, hopelessly scanning outer space for traces of alien life, or doing something else all scientific and…
One More Rip-Off For Old Time’s Sake: City throws Ciaccia a retirement party
Julius Ciacca: narrowly escaping indictment for 30 years! After surviving five mayors, two major corruption trials, and 30 years working for the City of Cleveland, retiring Public Utilities Director Julius Ciaccia, Jr. deserves a drink, or nine. Luckily, his dedicated minions at the city water department are throwing him a party to do just that.…
Akron Publisher to Print New Baumbach Novel: The Squid and the Whale this ain’t
Noah Baumbach’s Oscar-nominated The Squid and the Whale was one of the big screen’s greatest odes to family and dysfunction. Who could forget Jeff Daniel’s ruthless portrayal of Bernard, a shameless egoist of a father, whose greatest concern is collecting 30 cents in change from his oft-neglected sons. What’s even more disturbing is that Bernard…
We Want Her Job: Artist shows off beer bottle-cap creations at Spaces Gallery
Most of us would say our jobs drive us to drink. But only a very rare few can actually claim that for their job, drinking is requirement. Count Diane Dickens among these blessed few. A folk artist, Dickens’ latest muse has been buzzing when the canvas is made from of beer-bottle caps. In the last…
Take it to the Pharcyde: Saturday’s hip-hop night at Touch
Mick Boogie. Terry Urban. A tiny, steamy, dark, basement dance floor. Enough booze to frighten even the most battle-tested liver. And a steady, surprising mix of some of the best damn songs ever played at my middle-school dances. What better way to celebrate another Brady Quinn pre-season gem (or, more likely, a meteoric fall to…
Turn On the Lights: Bricco to debut on Playhouse Square
It will be good to see the house lights back on in the former Gene Hickerson’s restaurant in the Hanna Building this November, when restaurateur David Glenny launches an outpost of his Akron showpiece, Bricco, on Playhouse Square. At 7,500-square-feet, the newly renovated space will include a 200-seat dining room, a spacious bar and lounge…
Mikey G’s Weekend Picks: a 92-cent sandwich weekend!
Mikey G claims he doesn’t know who Amanda Bynes is. Mikey G’s wife must read C-Notes. This weekend’s top arts and entertainment picks around town, from the guy who’s paid to pick them: Friday: The Bad Boys of Rock tour comes to town tonight with a bunch of shirtless tattooed guys who like their music…
Euclid is racist after all, federal judge rules
“New Black City,” November 8, 2006″ A federal judge on Tuesday ended the years-long battle between the city of Euclid and the U.S. government, ruling that the city’s system for electing public officials is biased against black voters [“New Black City,” November 8, 2006]. At the conclusion of the two-week trial, U.S. District Judge Kathleen…
Action Rock Novak conquers the Projekt Revolution Tour
Rest assured that Walter Novak, our Action Rock Photographer, sweat the sweat of 1,000 child laborers, or at least one Martina Hingis, to capture these photos of Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, and that 22-year-old woman you’ve been seeing, who, although she claimed to have dinner plans with her mother, seems to be puking herself…
Slangin’ coke, and other easy tips for fixing the mortgage crisis
Here in Cleveland, the nation’s foreclosure crisis is not news. We’ve been dealing with predatory lenders and abandoned houses for so long, the visitors bureau has even started featuring them in brochures: Slavic Village — your boarded window to the world! Of course, being Cleveland, the political “Land of Opportunity, Presuming You’re a Moron and…
Cleveland’s Warehouse District Festival Rescheduled; livers everywhere rejoice
The bad news: Last Sunday’s Warehouse District Festival — perhaps the summer’s best excuse to get drunk on a Sunday, not counting Browns games, Indians games, and the fact that it’s Sunday — was canceled, due to Wizard of Oz-like conditions downtown. The good news: It has officially been rescheduled for Sunday, September 23rd from…
Let There Be Rock
Lock up your daughters. The Bad Boys of Rock tour comes to town tonight with a bunch of shirtless tattooed guys who like their music loud. The three bands — Hinder, Papa Roach, and Buckcherry — share more than an affinity for partying like they were in Led Zeppelin circa 1975. Apparently, none of them…
Plundering, Episode 923
It’s hardly a surprise that the massive $1.5 billion Cleveland schools’ construction project has dissolved into chaos. Thanks to the usual suspects, it’s now over budget and behind schedule. Officials are working to eliminate schools from the plan, and may even ask you, dear taxpayer, for more money to finish [“Bait & Switch,” May 23].…
The PolyRhythm Addicts
Four acts described in 10 words or less: SounDoctrine? Funktastic instrumental contemporary jazz. Alison Crockett? Neo-soul songstress with a rock touch. Ace Boogie? One of 67 known rappers nationwide named Ace Boogie. (Really; check MySpace.) The PolyRhythm Addicts (pictured)? Imagine an underground Fugees. In summary, this evening’s edition of the Excursions Concert Series? Pure soul.
Not-So-Blue Bayou
Bluesman Tab Benoit doesn’t play down-in-the-dumps, stick-a-gun-in-your-mouth music. But you wouldn’t blame him if he did. The New Orleans native watched Katrina wash away his hometown a couple years ago. (He’s even featured in the IMAX documentary, Hurricane on the Bayou.) On his new album, Power of the Pontchartrain, Benoit celebrates the Big Easy’s swamp…
Battling the Steel Baron
LTV couldn’t die. When the steel company declared bankruptcy in 2000, no one believed it could be the end. Those furnaces had been hot since steamships cruised the Cuyahoga River and women with parasols strolled down Euclid Avenue. You might as well have told people the lake was about to dry up. Politicians gave speeches.…
Floetry
Urban music doesn’t get much hotter or cooler than London’s Floetry, a girl group that spits a smooth combination of hip-hop, song, and smooth neo-soul. The don’t rock the mic — they own it. If you didn’t see sultry singer Emily King wow crowds on the John Legend tour, now’s your chance to make good.…
Sweet Spot
The last time comedian Tommy Blaze played Cleveland, he was half of the He Said She Said Comedy Tour. The nationwide jaunt, which he created, featured two comics (one male, one female) dishing on the opposite sex. Much to Blaze’s surprise, people were celebrating Sweetest Day when he was in town. “From what I gather,…
MC Shuck, with DJ Jive
Special guest: Lil Black Sambo? The package tour has nothing to do with the decline of hip-hop performances or records [“Big, Bad Package,” August 8], but rather the establishment (i.e., music corporations). They have reduced hip-hop audiences to hedonistic social deviants with no appreciation for art, and they promote and support the raunchiest, most degrading…
T-Pain
The epiphany T-Pain experienced prior to recording his sophomore album seems to have been this: If I keep on emulating my mentor, Akon, I will sell a shitload of records. That’s hardly an earth-shattering realization, but at least it’s accurate. Epiphany recently debuted at no. 1 with a sound even more indebted to Akon’s softcore…
Bon Appetit!
It’s no secret that Clevelanders love to eat. Today’s annual Taste of Legacy Village outing offers plenty of opportunities for gorging. “As Legacy Village has expanded, so has the diversity of food,” says Scottie Pitt, bar manager at Bar Louie, which will dish out a few of its specialties this afternoon. “People’s tastes continue to…
Leather and Lead
“It just got fluffy,” Miranda Lambert says of mainstream country music from the ’80s and ’90s. That’s a fitting view, considering Lambert sang about dousing a no-good ex with kerosene on the title track of her 2005 debut. “Everything just got so happy,” she explains, taking a call before a concert in Tampa, Florida. “But…
The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers rarely grab listeners the first time around. Even after two or three spins, their songs don’t reveal that much — a tiny hook here, a slight turn of phrase there. Challengers, their fourth album, is no different. At first, it sounds like a solid if not particularly melodic set of songs. But…
And You Don’t Stop
Today’s City Xpressionz Urban Art Festival is about more than folks tagging canvas and busting some Shabba-Doo-style moves. It’s also about putting across your very own mad skills for everyone to see. “It’s about self-expression,” says Tiffany Graham of Cleveland Public Art, which hosts the sixth-annual event. “Everybody [becomes a] part of this great city…
Motor City Harmonies
On a recent Sunday evening in Detroit, as the sun bleeds into the twilight, Keith Collins and I stroll onto a playing field where the city’s 40th-annual Soul Day is coming to a close. The crowd may be small, but the band onstage, the Detroit Emeralds, are sizzling on a letter-perfect rendition of the Staple…
M.I.A.
The “world” section at your local music retailer is just a way to pile together all the stuff that isn’t from America or the U.K. But M.I.A.’s Kala truly deserves to be called a world album. The English-born Sri Lankan (born Maya Arulpragasam) did a lot of jumping from continent to continent, capturing the musical…
Feet Beat
Today’s OutRun Ovarian Cancer event includes a 1-mile family run and a 5K race and walk. It also features live entertainment along the entire route — presumably to keep runners’ minds off the copious amount of sweat they’re spilling. The fourth-annual outing — which has a rock and roll theme — kicks off at the…
Fierce Ruling Mama
Betty Davis was different: Egyptian-warrior-from-outer-space-getup-on-her-album-cover different. And a whole lot more besides. For decades, Davis’ uniqueness was known only to rare funk specialists and assiduous beat diggers. But now, thanks to Seattle-based Light in the Attic Records, her self-titled 1973 debut LP and 1974’s They Say I’m Different are available to the general public in…
Tracy Nelson
Tracy Nelson has never risen above cult-level status. That’s because her music has always resisted easy categorization. She emerged from San Francisco in the late ’60s with Mother Earth, a group that juggled jazz, R&B, country, and folk. Although Nelson’s solo work found her heading in a bluesier direction, the singer’s latest harks back to…
Capsule reviews of current area theater presentations.
Always, Patsy Cline — You’d think a play about an iconic singer who died in a plane crash at 30 would present a chance to take a profound emotional journey. But Ted Swindley, author of Always, Patsy Cline, turns this show’s namesake into a walking jukebox. Still, even such a wretchedly written show can’t torpedo…
It All Started With Tom
Singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat has a lot of friends — more than 161,000, according to MySpace. Less than a year ago, the California native was named one of Rolling Stone’s best unsigned artists. Last month, Universal Republic released her debut album, Coco, and Caillat joined the Goo Goo Dolls and Lifehouse on a cross-country summer tour.…
Homegrown Vinyl
On a rainy Thursday evening, Jon Mack, owner of Hodad’s Music, slips a classic Johnnie Taylor LP onto his dusty turntable. A warm crackle and some funky southern R&B fills the store. Over the music, Mack chats with shop regular Armin Unger, who’s flipping through the store’s progressive rock section. The pair discusses the going…
Total Life
Growing has always been one of America’s most listenable drone outfits. Not only does the New York duo churn out thick and heavy washes of feedback; it crafts pop hooks as well. That of course is a strange thing to say of a band that fuses ’60s minimalism and stoner-metal atmospherics into 20-minute soundscapes. But…
Capsule reviews of current area art exhibitions.
Exposure Cleveland — It’s hard out there for a photographer. Images are everywhere, and standing out is difficult. This makes the accomplishments of certain artists in this large, diverse exhibit all the more notable. Several of the photogs — who all belong to a year-old community called Exposure Cleveland, which was formed through the photo-sharing…
Sketch Pad
Local artist Alane Potokar Sandoval piles on the abstract shapes, colors, and skewed perspectives in Drawings & Paintings, now on view at the Beck Center. The exhibit features a dozen recent works by the Kent State University grad. Best of all, Sandoval will be alternating new pieces throughout the run. So there’s a good chance…
By the Numbers
After 36 years of gigs and modest international acclaim, 15 60 75 (aka the Numbers Band) is close to finishing its first professionally produced studio album. The band’s eighth LP is being produced by Pere Ubu main man David Thomas. “Anyone familiar with their recorded work knows that they’ve never been recorded properly, or even…
Forever in Terror
Restless in the Tides, Forever in Terror’s debut, boasts the right combination of sounds and connections for it to become the next big thing in Cleveland metal. The disc is the band’s first for the revered Metal Blade label; it features a vocal assist from Chimaira frontman Mark Hunter and artwork from Derek Hess, who…
The Sympathetic Spy
The Lives of Others (Sony) Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s film, easily the best of last year, exists on many levels: as tragedy, dark comedy, and love story — not between a man and a woman, but between two seemingly opposite men bound by the same damnation. On the one hand is Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch),…
A Spicy Group
Sultry dance steps, explosive colors, and south-of-the-border rhythms take center stage at today’s Latino Heritage Day celebration at the Rock Hall. “Latin culture has made so many valuable contributions to music,” says the museum’s curator, Howard Kramer. “It’s intrinsically tied to rock and roll — as well as to rhythm and blues, soul, and hip-hop.…
Dark Meat
Like all those freak-folk collectives, Dark Meat is a massive, ever-revolving gaggle of musicians and friends — Day-Glo southerners caught in a train wreck between the Cockettes and the USA Is a Monster. Dark Meat, however, is no campfire sing-along. Hailing from Athens, Georgia, the outfit’s screaming freak rock recalls such classic proto-punks as Debris,…
B.E. Mann
Believe it or not, Cleveland reggae soldier B.E. Mann sounds straight outta Trenchtown. His lovers rock is always solid if not blazingly original. On his 24th LP, Mann pays tribute to U.K. artists, most of them reggae greats. Mann passes around a double-dose of THC with Jermaine Forde’s “Just a Little Herb” and his own…
Bend It Like Bowser
The first worthwhile online-compatible game for the Wii has finally arrived. And in at least one way, Mario Strikers Charged is just like real soccer: Sometimes it scores, and sometimes it’s just a kick in the balls. The sequel to Super Mario Strikers, Mario Strikers Charged continues the Nintendo tradition of releasing nearly identical follow-ups…
Wing Commanders
A real-life bat-man headlines today’s Bat Gala at South Chagrin Reservation. And even though Rob Mies doesn’t sport a rubber costume, he does know a thing or two about daring rescues in the dark. The founder of the Organization for Bat Conservation has dedicated his life to the nocturnal flying mammals. “Bats are very important,…
Paleo
David Andrew Strackany hails from Elgin, Illinois, but would just as soon call the road his home. Beginning on April 16, 2006, Strackany (aka Paleo) began recording and uploading a new song every day for an entire year. Shortly thereafter, he embarked on a basically endless tour that’s seen him crisscross the country several times.…
Middle East Marathon
Even 10 years ago, Middle Eastern cuisine was uncharted territory for many Greater Clevelanders. Today? It’s as familiar as a midsummer thunderstorm. In fact, our taste for tidbits like hummus (puréed chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic), baba ghannouj (chargrilled eggplant, puréed with tahini, lemon juice, and spices), and falafel (deep-fried balls or patties…
Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week:
Broken English (Magnolia) The Ex (Weinstein) Exorcism: Special Edition (BCI) The Far Side of Jericho (First Look) The Films of Michael Haneke (Kino) House of Games: The Criterion Collection (Criterion) House: Season Three (Universal) JAG: The Fourth Season (Paramount) Man About the House: The Complete First and Second Series (BCI) A New Wave (THINKfilm) Perfect…
Let’s Roll
More than 80 teams from the Midwest and Canada come to town this weekend for the 24th-annual Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce. Organizers at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club have a little surprise for players: They assembled roofs over six of the seven courts. “When you have so many people coming in from out of state,…
Talib Kweli
“Conscious rap” needs to be eliminated from hip-hop’s vernacular. Or at the very least, Talib Kweli’s name should be stricken from its rolls. Nobody’s quite sure what the term means: Music that doesn’t focus on rims and butts? Songs in which the listener’s life isn’t explicitly threatened? Kweli himself has said he doesn’t like being…
The Tour Stops
Al’s Deli — 55 Erieview Plaza, Suite 130, 216-589-9223, www.als-deli.com. This bright, airy deli near the Galleria offers a solid menu of salads, soups, sandwiches, and breakfast items, along with a handful of homemade Middle Eastern specialties. Inexpensive. Hours 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Ali Baba Restaurant –…
Here are the week’s best releases from the pop-culture universe:
DVD — Inland Empire: David Lynch’s latest mind-fuck is about an actress who falls a little too deep into her latest movie. We think. Like most of the director’s films, interpretation is left to the viewer. Either way, it’s a stunning work. Disc extras include more than an hour’s worth of additional scenes and a…
Let’s Roll
More than 80 teams from the Midwest and Canada come to town this weekend for the 24th-annual Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce. Organizers at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club have a little surprise for players: They assembled roofs over six of the seven courts. “When you have so many people coming in from out of state,…
DEVOtional 2007
We’re all DEVO. It cannot be denied. Ohio’s gift to the world, the band of Akron mutants put malformed genetics to music. Its theory of “De-Evolution” has blossomed in so many ways in our young century. Is it any coincidence that the Buckeye State also help re-elect our de-evolved commander in chief? Those who understand…
Sort of Another Teen Movie
It seems fitting that a movie about debate competition produces ambivalent feelings. As one top debater says in Rocket Science, a strong opinion is a luxury the great ones don’t allow themselves. What matters is being able to argue either side with equal conviction, based on the evidence available. So on one hand, Rocket Science…
Party People in the Streets
DJ Bob Ganem provides the soundtrack to today’s Dancin’ in the Streets block party. Enjoy the tunes — Ganem says this is his “last hurrah” before he retires his CD collection and begins taking business classes at Cleveland State University. He plans to mix things up today with a combo of tribal-house and hi-NRG tracks…
Smooth!
Silk owner Roger Loecy says his new nightclub is a lot like a Las Vegas casino, but without the slot machines. It opens tonight in the spot next to Shooters, his flagship bar. After Jillian’s pool hall shuttered last year, Loecy bought the space and installed a dance floor, patio, and 15 wide-screen TVs. He…
Helmet
Helmet mainman Page Hamilton spoke at the Rock Hall last month. For two hours, he chatted about music theory, postgraduate education at New York’s Manhattan School of Music, the German language, and an apprenticeship with avant-garde composer Glenn Branca. The 47-year-old singer and guitarist barely touched on the band that put him on the map.…
Sources Say, “Blah”
Resurrecting the Champ is a solid portrayal of the newspaper business — specifically, of how a well-intentioned writer occasionally makes a mistake totally by accident, a mistake that is pretty much victimless and easily fixable with a retraction. If it sounds mind-erasingly boring, that’s because it is. Josh Hartnett plays Erik, a Denver Times sports…
Beer Drinkers and Deep Thinkers
Despite their reputation as hell-raising Irish punks, the Saw Doctors have always been an introspective lot, says singer Davy Carton. “But our upbeat songs get more notice,” he says. “We’re just trying to capture something people understand.” On last year’s The Cure, the quartet turned even more pensive. “We just went into the room and…
Mob Rules
Triad Election is Hong Kong’s Godfather, a first-rate gangland saga that combines intricate power plays and brutal violence. The sequel to 2005’s Election (which also shows at the Cinematheque this weekend) details the twisted schemes of two crime factions struggling for domination. The machinations are both complex and vicious (one guy is dismembered and ground…
Steel Train
In the late ’90s, Steel Train started out as a duo of subway buskers in New York. But vocalist Scott Irby-Ranniar and guitarist-singer Jack Antonoff eventually enlisted a rhythm section. This transformed Steel Train into a full unit, specializing in back-porch acoustica, touches of classic rock, and the occasional jam-out when the group plays live.…
Bugaboo Confidential
The hatred of one’s boss has become a literary cottage industry of late, with the appearance of several surprise best-sellers about the disgruntled underlings of the rich and famous (or the merely rich). Most of the books are so fatally predictable in their bile-spewing, they make you wonder when some CEO will counter with a…
Canuck Yucks
New Yorker Mike Dambra headed north for fame and fortune several years ago. Soon, he was a hit on the Canadian stand-up circuit — where he claims to rank as one of its top three highest-grossing comics for five straight years. “All I hear is ‘How you doing, eh? What’s going on, eh? Eh? Eh?…
The Big Picture
It took a Chicago transplant to put together the definitive photographic document of our city. Margaret Baughman (along with Ron Burdick) compiled Historic Photos of Cleveland from the Cleveland Public Library’s vast collection of pictures, which were taken by hundreds of amateur and professional shutterbugs over the years. “We wanted photographs that had a lot…
The One AM Radio
Life would be a lot worse if there were no girlfriends. And while they might not enjoy the grace of Fernando Cabrera’s slider or the majesty of the Bugatti Veyron’s W16 engine, they’re only human, and they need their own music — woozy, melancholic music that envelops them like a soft, expensive sweater. Enter Los…
One Man Out
If Fox Sports ever puts a show together on “The Best Damn Baseball Windups,” former Indian Luis Tiant should top the list. His twisting pre-release contortions were a marvel of anatomical misdirection. A theatrical production can have a similarly arresting “windup” — one that’s full of dazzle and flash, but obscures an ultimate delivery that’s…
Eat Like an Egyptian
Prepare to party like the pharaohs at this weekend’s Egyptian Festival in Seven Hills. It’s the 19th-annual outing of the area favorite, which features tons of food, music, and crafts inspired by the land of pyramids. “We celebrate everything,” says coordinator Layla Rizk. The fest includes county-fair staples like rides and games. But it’s the…
Skurban Myth
The heat and humidity of a July afternoon make the Lakewood skatepark feel like a sweaty locker room. That doesn’t stop the boys from coming. Passion and boredom provide the motivation. Fashion divides them into two camps: Half are wearing T-shirts with jeans or shorts baggy enough they’d be wrapped around their ankles if not…
Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay is back, in black leather, fresh from a VH-1 reality series that documents his ongoing quest to reclaim the heavyweight crown of comedy. The belligerent and foulmouthed funnyman is working his way back to arenas and — he hopes — Giants Stadium, one club at a time. Expect a set filled with…
