Update: Akron Man Involved In Terrible Cat Kicking Video Allegedly Shot Somebody
Update II: Looks like 21-year-old Roy Hill is averse to friends of both the feline and human variety. Cleveland.com reports this week that Hill has been charged with felonious assault for allegedly shooting a man twice after an argument on Thursday. “Hill and a 44-year-old man argued Thursday morning. The nature of the argument is unknown.…
Ryan Adams to Perform at Playhouse Square on Nov. 11
Alt-country singer-songwriter Ryan Adams and his band return to town to perform at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The prolific Adams has just issued a new music video for the moody “Gimme Something Good,” the single from this new self-titled album that’s due out in September. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m.…
$2,000 Reward Announced for Tips Leading to Poacher Convictions
City Councils the region over have been passing ordinances allowing bow-hunting with few restrictions — a widespread effort meant to curtail the “deer problem.” Those measures transpose into a desperate, violent thrashing against animals. In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international organization, is bringing its efforts to Northeast Ohio in hopes of culling the hunting…
Downtown Dog Park On the Way
The recent stats about Cleveland’s downtown occupancy — 12,500 souls, good for 98 percent of available units — mean a few things. First off, it means that more residential development is on the way. “The 9” for the luxury crowd, Stark’s new E. 4th mega-project and the various loft-refurbs and condos of the Campus District should all…
Tabletop Board Game Café to Open Late Fall in Ohio City
Last year, the most successful Kickstarter category in terms of dollars pledged was the one devoted to gaming. Year-over-year board game sales have been on the rise for more than a decade. And Shiva Risner, a self-described “gamer nerd,” is wagering that the time is right for a Cleveland-based board game café. Set to open…
Up-and-coming Synth-pop Act Bright Light Bright Light to Play Gay Games Tomorrow
It’s been a busy year for Bright Light Bright Light (Rod Thomas). The guy has released two albums, one of which features a song with guest vocalist Elton John. That tune, “I Wish We Were Leaving,” a moody pop song about “a friendship that crosses the line and then goes wrong,” has become such a…
Topless Protests Taken to Southern Ohio Church’s Doorstep Yet Again (Following Ongoing and Clothed Protests Against Dance Club)
The guerrilla war between Foxhole North and New Beginnings Ministries in Warsaw, Ohio, picked up with “mostly peaceful” protest tactics over the weekend, according to the Coshocton Tribune. Here’s the gist: Foxhole owner Tommy George says that the church’s ongoing protests against his exotic dance joints are hypocritical and totally due for a bit of…
Video: Taiwanese Animators Explain the Wiggins/Love Situation Better Than ESPN
Taiwanese Animators have posted this video (embedded below) to clarify the all-but-complete deal which will send Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first round pick to Minnesota for Kevin Love. Rumors circulated this weekend that the NBA could veto the blockbuster trade if Love’s five-year, $120 million extension with the Cavaliers has already been agreed…
Video: Smashing Pumpkins 1991 Acoustic in Tremont
With a Tremont hat tip to former Scene and Free Times art director Ron Kretsch, raw video of the Smashing Pumpkins from 1991 playing two acoustic songs — “Blue” and “Godzilla” — while sitting in the gazebo in Tremont’s Lincoln Park.
Veteran Cleveland Punk Bands Team Up for Tour
Local experimental rock bands X___X and Home and Garden have teamed up for a mini tour that begins on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Empty Bottle in Chicago and includes shows on Friday, Aug. 22 at the Painted Lady in Detroit and on Saturday, Aug. 23 at the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland. The groups have…
The AHA! Light Festival is Pretty Darn Cool
If you’re not prone to peruse the softer edges of our local news media, you might have been wondering to no avail why those crazy laser beams were shooting across the city the past few nights. It’s all thanks to AHA!, a multi-day festival of lights that now boasts several different “exhibits” of sorts around Cleveland.…
Invigorated Tori Amos in Good Form at Cain Park
Few performers can silence an audience like singer-pianist Tori Amos can. As soon as she arrived on stage, a hush fell over the crowd that filled most of Cain Park. Well, at least most of the audience members paid attention to the show. We had the misfortune of sitting in front of a particularly talkative…
Anna Harouvis Inks Deal to Open Healthy Foods Concept at Fairmont Creamery
When the Fairmont Creamery officially opens its doors to residents and commercial tenants this fall, Anna Harouvis will be there too. The healthy foods chef has inked a deal to open Good to Go in a small space adjacent to the Tremont Athletic Club. Currently, she runs two concepts — Anna in the Raw, her…
Fox 8’s Mark Zinni Is Leaving Cleveland
Mark Zinni, who has served as an anchor and reporter on Fox 8 News for the last five years and who recently took home the Scene staff pick for Best Twitter to Follow in Cleveland, announced this morning on his personal Facebook page that he is leaving Cleveland in mid-September. I just spent the past…
10 Things Going on in Cleveland this Weekend (August 8 – 10)
The Gay Games are upon us and that means one thing: there are events abound that will fit almost every Cleveander’s fancy. Do enjoy yourselves this weekend, folks.
OneRepublic Emphasizes Hits at Blossom Concert
OneRepublic is the opposite of a one-hit wonder. The pop band has been churning out commercial radio fodder ever since issuing its 2007 debut Dreaming Out Loud. Frontman Ryan Tedder has lent his talents to other artists too as he’s worked with high-profile acts such as Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce. Last night before…
State Sen. Eric Kearney of Cincinnati Wants the Cleveland Indians to Change Their Name
After years of debate, the result of which really should be a clear thumbs-down on the Cleveland Indians’ repulsive monicker, State Sen. Eric Kearney (Cincinnati) has stepped in, submitted a resolution to the General Assembly, and, in the words of one local pundit, finally “put this thing to bed.” Indeed, the one-time running mate of…
Video: Incredible Heartfelt Interview with Delonte West
Vice Sports sat down with former Cleveland Cavalier Delonte West, and West, the man who’s struggled with bipolar disorder and has become a “boogey man” among NBA pundits and executives, is still just looking for a shot. More than anything, he wants a chance to prove that he’s become a better player and a better…
RNC Circulates Petition in Support of Uber
Here’s a great way to gather a whole bunch of succinct data points from potential voters: Connect your political party to a hip upstart company like Uber. And that’s how the Republican National Committee started its day. An RNC fundraising email slammed into inboxes across the country this morning, touting free market principles and everyone’s…
Girl Talk to Play Free Show at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
When we spoke to mash-up artist Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) earlier this year, he fondly reminisced about the days when he would perform at underground clubs in Cleveland, where he had moved to study biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. “There was a time around 2000 when you could go to Speak in Tongues,…
Downtown Import: Portland’s Urban Steakhouse Fits Nicely into Cleveland’s Dining Boom
If one needs any reminder that dining out is a form of theater, just cross the threshold of the new Urban Farmer restaurant downtown. From the props and setting to the lighting and wardrobe, the entire concept has been painstakingly scripted, right down to the story line. What’s the narrative? Urban Farmer is “Cleveland’s Steakhouse”…
The Homecoming: Beth Richard Learned to Sail in Cleveland. Now, She’s Returning to Compete in the Gay Games
Beth Richard, 52, now lives in California and works as a computer chip design engineer, but she grew up in Cleveland, where she learned to sail. This month, she returns to her hometown — and to the very lake in which she sailed decades ago — to compete in the Gay Games. We caught up…
Spoon Sounds Invigorated on ‘They Want My Soul’
Spoon They Want My Soul (Loma Vista) spoontheband.com Spoon is the rare indie rock band that’s survived the ’90s. The group followed the usual trajectory. It issued its first few albums on an indie imprint and generated a ton of hype. It subsequently signed to a major and then got unceremoniously dropped by a major.…
Blake Skjellerup, Olympian Speed Skater for New Zealand and Gay Games Ambassador, on Coming Out and the Status of Gay Professional Athletes
New Zealand-native Blake Skjellerup, 29, represented his country in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, finishing 16th in the world in short track speed skating. Just a few months after the games, he publicly came out as gay and has since become one of the foremost advocates for gay athletes around the world. He’ll be visiting…
Frightened Rabbit Singer Owl John Makes Strong Impression on Solo Debut
Owl John Owl John (Canvasback Music/Atlantic) owljohn.comScottish singer-guitarist Scott “Owl John” Hutchison’s indie rock band Frightened Rabbit probably isn’t famous enough to ensure that his solo debut receives a ton of attention. But that doesn’t detract from its significance. The album showcases just what a talent Hutchinson really is — he really cranked this one…
Transgender Bodybuilder Mason Caminiti Talks Exercise, Diets, and Getting By Amid Society’s Misconceptions
For 38-year-old Columbus-resident Mason Caminiti, the Gay Games is more than just a contest. It’s about self-acceptance and pride for the transgender man who chose the games as the first time he’d ever get on stage for bodybuilding. We talked about his life, his grueling training, and his nervous excitement leading up to event on…
Tuatura Sounds Sharp on First Release in Six Years
Tautara Underworld (Sunyata Records) brettmartin.com Now that R.E.M. is defunct, former guitarist Peter Buck has got to do something with his time. So why not reconnect with Tuatara, the instrumental outfit with which he’s collaborated since the group formed in 1996. Produced by drummer Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees, Mad Season, Walking Papers) and mixed by…
Party Time: A Guide to the Official (and Unofficial) Gay Games Concerts
On any given day in Cleveland, you can find any number of great concerts to attend. Classical, rock, jazz, dance, country — we’ve got it all. With the 2014 Gay Games in town from Aug. 10 to 15, the number of acts playing in the city has multiplied. Here’s an overview of the official and…
The Gay Games Issue
Sources of pride abound across our great city. It seems anymore that you can’t throw a discus in Cleveland without hitting some marvelous new development. On Saturday night, a truly terrific international wonder kicks off right here in downtown Cleveland: the Gay Games. With its rich history of inclusivity and cultural awareness, the Gay Games…
Rainbow Screens: Three Must-See Movies While You’re in Town for the Gay Games
To Be Takei (Aug. 8-16, The Nightlight, 30 North High St., Akron) As closet Star Trek nerds, Scene was stoked for this film on the man made famous as Sulu on the Enterprise. George Takei, it turns out, is so much more than an actor. Increasingly, he’s become notorious as a purveyor of kernels of…
Also on Stage
The Wedding Singer Some decades are easy to identify at a glance. Once you see a mobile phone the size of a shoebox, for instance, you know you’re in the 1980s. Well, that phone and lots of other ’80s detritus are on display in The Wedding Singer, now being produced by Mercury Summer Stock. This…
Training in Progress: The Gay Games are Here, and So is Northeast Ohio’s Opportunity to Strut its Cultural Competency
With this weekend’s arrival of Gay Games 9 in Cleveland comes excitement about how this international event will shape the city. Really, the Games have been the talk of the town since announcing the sojourn to Cleveland in late 2009. Past events prove that an iteration of the Gay Games involves nearly a decade of work…
The Road to Hell: Lame Jokes, a Few Notable Performances Pave the Way in The Frogs
Conditions being what they are in Washington, D.C., it seems like the perfect time for a musical send-up of political venality and the impotent citizens whom they govern. With Congress refusing to pass any bills that actually might help people, we need artists who will stand up and tell the passive masses that things are…
Nightlife Primer: Get Your Drink and Drag on with these Bar Specials and Happy Hours for the Gay Games
Sat 08/09 [ 3 – 6 p.m. ] Drink & Dazzle at Playhouse Square Enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne thanks to the North Coast Men’s Chorus. The State Theater at Playhouse Square will be bumpin’ bumpin’ this afternoon, even before the official opening ceremonies. [ 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. ] Renaissance Happy hour Matt…
Band of the Week: United Nations
Meet the Band: Geoff Rickly (vocals, guitar), Jonah Bayer (guitar), Zac Sewell (bass), David Haik (drummer) In the beginning: Thursday’s Geoff Rickly, Converge’s Ben Koller and Glassjaw’s Daryl Palumbo started the band eight years ago. The Lovekill’s Jonah Bayer moved from Cleveland to New York in 2007 and hooked up with the guys after Rickly…
Sports Without Balls: The Gay Games Will Get the Sports Talk Treatment it Deserves From a Real Pro
Next Wednesday evening, LA-based comedian Erin Foley will host a live broadcast of her sports podcast Sports Without Balls — a show and title Scene enthusiastically supports — at Hilarities on East Fourth Street. Foley will perform standup Monday and Tuesday evening and will be joined by her comedian friend Fortune Feimster for the podcast.…
Film Spotlight: Going Attractions- The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie
Back in the ’90s, writer-director April Wright started thinking about the fate of the drive-in movie theater. “When I lived in Chicago and then moved to L.A., there were many drive-ins that were shut down,” she says. “I would stop to look at them. They were so big and had such great neon signs. I…
Film Review of the Week: The Hundred Foot Journey
If you were a big fan of Ratatouille — and, I mean, who wasn’t? — or binge watch the Food Network while poring over trendy cookbooks, Disney’s new mouthwatering adaptation of the foodie novel The Hundred Foot Journey, which opens areawide on Friday, is sure to delight and arouse. If not, it’s still a palatable,…
Still Sacrilicious After All These Years: The Supersuckers Sharpen their Songwriting Skills on Get the Hell
The Supersuckers’ last studio effort, Get It Together, came out six years ago, but the veteran cow punk/garage rock band didn’t take a hiatus: It toured regularly throughout that period. So why the hell did the group take so long to issue its new studio effort, Get the Hell? “That was a product of the…
Band of Brothers: Chevelle Regroups for La Gargola, its Best Album Yet
Despite the ups and downs of the hard rock world, the alt-metal act Chevelle has held steady. It helps that the members now have 20 years of experience under their belts. They were just teenagers when the band started in the early ’90s in Chicago. When drummer Sam Loeffler describes the early days, it sounds…
50 is the New Black: Singer-Songwriter Tori Amos’ Teenage Daughter Inspired her New Album Unrepentant Geraldines
Before releasing her new album Unrepentant Geraldines earlier this year, singer-songwriter Tori Amos had been dabbling in classical music and working on The Light Princess, a musical. She had all but given up on making pop records. So what made her return to the pop rock world that she left behind with 2009’s Abnormally Attracted…
Gold Standard: Judy Gold is a Comic First, a Raucous Jewish Lesbian Second
Scene didn’t get a chance to interview the 6-foot-2 Judy Gold in person as we prepped for our coverage of the Gay Games. But even from her home in New York, where Gold paused for a moment to catch her breath during a busy few months of touring, it was clear that her personality is…
On the Line: Behind Every Great Chef, There’s a Great Chef
#sb10063764l-001 / gettyimages.com Cleveland has received its fair share of attention in the food world over the past decade. Michael Symon and Michael Ruhlman are household names. Even local celebrities like Jonathon Sawyer and Dante Boccuzzi make national headlines. But it takes more than a few bright stars to keep the city’s best kitchens running.…
