A: Everything. Q: What’s Wrong with the Greater Cleveland Aquarium?
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium won’t be the greatest Cleveland Aquarium — wink wink — until it addresses some pretty serious drawbacks, according to a recent PD poll. More than half of respondents (55 percent) said that ticket prices need to lowered before the aquarium can expect increased attendance. Twenty-two percent voted that an increase in…
Dispatches from The Jauntee’s First Show in Cleveland (With Slideshow)
ERIC SANDY/SCENE The Jauntee at Beachland Tavern More often than needed, the jam scene can’t help but dig into questions about who the ascendant bands are. And that’s all fine and well, but the question usually manifests around the idea of an heir to, say, Phish’s “throne.” Here’s the latest example, via Relix’s Jambands.com blog:…
Industry Vets to Open Ambitious Flats Music Club
It seems that the West Bank of the Flats is getting in on that neighborhood’s growth spurt. The Nautica Entertainment Complex now has a new tenant lined up for the former Club Coconuts space next to Shooters. The Music Box Supper Club, the brainchild of owner’s Mike and Colleen Miller, will bring a split-level live…
Cleveland native Devil Doll returning to town for two shows
“I’ve always been devil doll,” says Colleen “Devil Doll” Duffy when asked about when she adopted the name that she currently uses when she records and performs. “Just ask my grade school teachers. I’m like the kid with the uniform and combat boots.” A Cleveland native who went to grade school at Brooklyn’s Our Lady…
Moondog Was the Life of the Party at Local Wedding
On August 10, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Mascot Moondog was invited to attend “Ben and Ashlees” wedding reception. He was a real hit. Via Moondog: “Two great Cavs fans became one and we partied all night long in sunglasses.” Check out Moondog’s Flickr for more photos from the party. (Moondog doesn’t stay in a shirt and tie…
The Top 5 Dive Bars in Cleveland
The days are gone where you can just belly up to the bar and drink shots and beer. Local dives have been replaced by gastro-pubs and trendy watering holes. Sometimes you just want a bar where you might just get a bottle broken over your head. Check out these five dives and make sure you…
Wednesday Evening: ‘Woman to Woman Safety Forum’
The Glenville Recreation Center is hosting the “Woman to Woman Safety Forum” tomorrow night from 5:30 to 8 p.m. “It’s about solution making,” said the event’s organizer, Twon Billings, a former gang leader in Cleveland who is now a self-defense trainer and a leading advocate for women’s safety in the area. Cleveland Municipal Court Judge…
Video: Machine Gun Kelly Got a Blowjob on Stage (NSFW)
Maybe you’ve had your fill of onstage blow job antics in the hip-hop world, or least of talk about such public oral escapades, but Machine Gun Kelly hasn’t. At Friday night’s show at the Monroe Lounge in Dallas, MGK got some extra attention from porn star Rachel Starr as she casually and publicly went to…
What Can the Washington Redskins Debate Teach Us About Wahoo?
If you’ve got a friend on Facebook vaguely interested in (or, on an off chance, authentically plugged into) Native American culture, you may know that there’s an important vote happening in South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation today. If you’re not, about the only “Native American” news you’ve likely heard lately has been this brouhaha about…
Mike DeWine Rejects Marijuana Ballot Issue
Ohio Attorney General Mike “Buzzkill” DeWine is rejecting the proposed End Ohio Cannabis Prohibition Act. Saying the summary language of the petition had “four defects,” DeWine insists the petition being circulated for signature-gathering is a bit misleading to voters. Read the amendment online. Responsible Ohioans for Cannabis submitted the amendment (complete with 2,304 signatures from…
Keith Stone Arrested for DUI After Driving Into a House
Even if he didn’t share a name with the fictitious Keystone Light character, 27-year-old Keith Stone’s drunken escapades would be worthy of ridicule and shame. Eastlake police got a call around 4 a.m. Saturday of an “unknown intoxicated male” at a home. When they arrived, they found Stone, but more importantly, they found his car,…
Timelapse: A Whiskey Island Sunset
Via Vimeo user Matt Howard (click for his page) Ohio may have one of the mosts polluted coastlines in the country, but it sure does look nice when the sun sets in Cleveland. Vimeo user Matt Howard just uploaded his video from Whiskey Island, condensing a full sunset into three and a half minutes, and…
Abandoned Ohio: 22 Photos of Ohio’s Deserted Landmarks
Urban exploration is about three things: history, photography, and exploring your surroundings. At least that’s what it means for the folks at Great Lakes Urban Exploration, a local organization comprised of a group of friends who grew up taking pictures, climbing onto rooftops, and crawling through the drain tunnels of Ohio’s abandoned locations. Since their…
Hundreds of Chronic Gamblers Ask To Be Banned From Ohio Casinos
By mid-2013 now, we’re knee-deep in casino culture across the fair state of Ohio. That’s all thanks to Dan Gilbert and the Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming (and, of course, the voters who green-lit this whole thing). The state is about to churn out $6 million in gambling addiction treatment and prevention measures. And complementing the…
Ohio Man Restores 8 Foot Green Goblin Head from Stephen King Horror Film
Photo Courtesy of Tim Shockey, Facebook An Ohio man recently restored an enormous green goblin head back to its glossy glory, decades after it was featured in a Stephen King horror film. Tim Shockey of Piketon, OH began fixing up the 8 foot fiberglass face last year after the prop had spent years taking up…
“Notoriously Banal” Public Square one of 10 Public Spaces to Watch
According to the Landscape Architects Network (LAN), Cleveland’s Public Square is one of 10 public squares to “watch out for” in the coming years. Cleveland and Detroit were the only two American cities with proposed projects on the international list. LAN calls Public Square “notoriously banal,” but says the proposal could inject new life into…
Drunk Man Shoots Caring Friend in the Chest During Violent Cleveland Night
Update: Java Bowling III, the 43-year-old man who was shot in the chest by his drunk friend after trying to snag his keys and convince him to not drive while drunk, has died from his injuries. Scott Campbell Sr. had been charged with felonious assault. Prosecutors will likely be filing more charges after this tragic…
Gas is Sort of Cheap! Here are the Cheapest Places to Fuel Up
Via AAA, and the PD’s John “King of” Funk, gas prices in greater Cleveland have fallen 13 cents in the past week. The average per-gallon cost in the region now sits at $3.45. Though the paranoia over gasoline’s ebb and flow (and the attendant machinations of Big Oil’s villainous execs) has waned somewhat over the…
Backstreet’s ‘Back’ — group plays to capacity crowd at Jacobs Pavilion
In the world of rock ’n’ roll, it’s tough for teen stars to transition into adulthood. The Jonas Brothers have certainly struggled (and they played to a half-full Blossom earlier this summer). At least the Backstreet Boys, the best-selling boy band of all time, aren’t trying to fill outdoor amphitheaters or big arenas on their…
LeBron’s Back in Town to Give a Pep Talk and New Bikes to Students at St. Vincent
Photo Courtesy of WKYC The King is back in town today to give a pep talk, new bikes, and new uniforms to students at his alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary. This is his second Akron stop of the week- He was spotted on Thursday reporting for jury duty. Nearly 700 kids and their families are…
The Top 10 Dog Friendly Patios in Cleveland
Restaurant patios have become a popular destination for guests to bring their four legged canine companions. And these days it is not uncommon to see many dogs enjoying the summer months al fresco chilling with their human family. With popular walking neighborhoods like Tremont, Ohio City, Cleveland Heights, and East 4th it seems only natural…
The Cult not quite ‘electric’ at House of Blues
We’ve had enough of bands playing albums in their entirety. Earlier this week, prog rockers Yes played not one, not two, but three albums in their entirety at Cain Park. And last night at House of Blues, Brit alt-rockers the Cult opened their two-hour set by playing their 1987 album Electric in its entirety. Admittedly,…
Viral Craigslist Missed Connection from Brooklyn is Really Similar to One From Cleveland
Did you guys see that touching, lengthy Craigslist missed connection out of Brooklyn a couple days ago? Gawker called it the “Ultimate” Craigslist post: “Ultimate” meaning both the greatest and the last, because after this inimitable exercise in pining for lost love, no one will ever dare miss a connection again. Arriving mysteriously on Brooklyn’s…
Ohio Inmate Billy Slagle Found Dead in Cell: UPDATE
UPDATE: Two corrections officers working at Chillicothe Correctional Institute were placed on administrative leave, following Slagle’s death. Their jobs included checking in on each inmate every 30 minutes. Slagle was days away from his scheduled execution and hours away from being placed under constant monitoring. ***Originally posted Aug. 5: Billy Slagle was supposed to die…
6 Cleveland Bartenders We Absolutely Love
A great bartender does much more than dispense booze-filled glasses. The best are witty conversationalists who can amuse barflies while dishing out the latest gossip, news and snark. Without them, the bar experience feels less fulfilling, Here are a few of our favorite ‘tenders, the pals on the other side of the bar making you…
Linndale Is Really Concerned About Traffic Safety (And Money)
With boundless creativity and financial panache, Linndale Village Council green-lit a plan to rebuild the local economy. Speeding tickets. They’re doing the speeding ticket thing again. Earlier this year, State Sen. Tom Patton’s vendetta against Linndale’s black hole speed trap (shared by, uh, everyone) came to fruition via a rider he slapped on an unrelated…
Here’s an Amazing Sculpture Currently at the Cleveland Museum of Art
This incredible picture was just tweeted out by @GalleryatGrays. It’s an image of Damien Ortega’s “Controller of the Universe,” on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Glass Box gallery until September 29. Because my description — “Where’s Magneto?” — might not cut the scholarly mustard, here’s the museum’s official literature on the piece(s). Ortega…
The hopelessly optimistic Cleveland sports songs of 2009
Music about Cleveland sports: hilarious. Music about Cleveland sports from four years ago: even better. Six songs from The Cleveland Sports Band’s 2009 album “Cavaliers, Indians & Browns” were just uploaded on Youtube and, thanks to the benefit of hindsight, the otherwise cheery and hopeful anthems showcase the futility of being a Cleveland sports fan.…
Ohio Man Robbed at Gunpoint of Pants and Diamond Pinky Ring
Garfield, OH police are looking for two suspects who allegedly robbed a man of his pants, pinky ring, and several other valuable personal effects. Police confirmed that on August 5, two men were seen packing guns and riding in a gold 2009 or 2010 Chevy Cobalt, NewsNet5 reported. The men reportedly followed the victim to…
Video: Drunk Ohio Man Dances and Laughs During DUI Stop Because He Knew He Would Fail Anyway
Rather than acting composed or trying to hide his inebriation after being pulled over by cops in Gahanna, OH, in a DUI stop, this cheery gentleman named Dale chose to dance. Yes, dance. After the first roadside test, Dale knew he was going to fail anyway, she he started making jokes with the officer, dancing,…
10 Bacon Lover Dishes You Can Find in Cleveland
This week for Q104 our dining critic @Jasonthefoodguy compiled a list of the best bacon dishes in and around the Cleveland area. One thing’s for certain- area restaurateurs have whipped up some truly creative and delicious dishes. From delectable truffles, to sandwiches, and seafood, this list will surely make your mouth water.
The Promise Hero Kicks off the Scene Sessions
Bobby Vaughn of the local indie rock outfit the Promise Hero stopped at our offices today for the first of what we hope will be a weekly in-office music series. He played three tunes from his new album, Deja Vu, which just came out this week. The Promise Hero plays a CD release show at…
The Overblown Reaction to the ‘Detroit’s Bankrupt’ Chant
My seat for last night’s game Wouldn’t it be great if people were talking about actual baseball after the 14-inning game between the Indians and Tigers? Is the story about the matchup between a promising young pitcher and the Triple-Crown winner that boring? Is a well-played game between the top two teams in the division…
Marigold Catering Stepping in to Help Fill Void Left By Sammy’s
The sudden shuttering of all Sammy’s operations earlier this week has left many workers unemployed and some high profile venues scrambling to find both catering and restaurant replacements. Large local catering company Marigold Catering has stepped up in both regards, holding a job fair for the affected workers and stepping into Severance Hall to plug…
We Sold the @PlainDealer Handle Back to the Plain Dealer for a Case of Oktoberfest and a Six Pack of PBR
If you missed it yesterday, in the midst of its digital-first redeployment, the Plain Dealer forgot to claim/reclaim the @PlainDealer handle on Twitter, so we registered it. A representative from the PD — or was it Cleveland.com, or was it the Northeast Ohio Media Group — called us yesterday to politely ask for the account…
21 Stunning Photographs of Cleveland’s Urban Decay by Photographer Seph Lawless
SEPH LAWLESS Photographer Seph Lawless spends his days exploring abandoned ruins across the country. He lives in Ohio City, so much of his work revolves around Cleveland’s own urban decay. We spent an afternoon wandering around a ravaged church on the city’s East Side recently and profiled his work in the Aug. 8 issue of…
The Cleveland Beer Bracket Final Four
After a week of voting, the top 64 beers in Cleveland have been whittled down to the Final Four. Yes, three of them are from Great Lakes, which we imagine is a byproduct of both the quality of GLBC’s brews and the name notoriety around town. Quibble if you’d like, but these were your choices.…
Yes adheres to prog rock standards during Cain Park concert
Critics tend to dismiss prog rock acts like Yes because of the lack of passion and rock ’n’ roll gusto. And the fact that the groups indulge in long, conceptual pieces that have classical or even operatic aspirations doesn’t help matters either. Last night before a sold out crowd at Cain Park, Yes certainly didn’t…
LeBron is in Akron Doing Jury Duty
In case anyone’s wondering, LeBron James was just spotted in Akron, reporting for jury duty: LeBron James spotted in Akron court house, reporting for jury duty. — Phil Trexler (@PhilTrexler) August 8, 2013 James seems, if anything, sort of excited: Jury duty time. Time to serve my civic duty http://t.co/7OgkVM74Er — LeBron James (@KingJames) August…
Review: Elysium (Or, Why Jodie Foster’s Atrocious Accent Can’t Sink This Ship)
If you’re willing to overlook Jodie Foster’s on-again off-again (read: “bad”) British accent, there’s very little on the surface of Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi action flick Elysium to dislike. It’s his 2009 in-your-face indie alien thriller District 9 but with a bigger budget (a reported $115 million, compared to District 9’s $34 million), A-listers (Matt Damon,…
Paul van Dyk delivers set of melodic trance at Liquid
Courtney Abbott Summer is the season of music festivals, and this year, the number of EDM festivals that have taken place this summer is the highest it’s ever been. And while Paul van Dyk is one of the rockstar-status DJs that you would find playing to a field of thousands of people during this time…
Man Captured on Video Stealing Bike From Hotcards Lobby
Hotcards, a business card printing outfit on the near East Side, is crowdsourcing the investigation of a recent bike theft. Here’s how the company explains the case: Last week, an intruder made a very bold move and stole one of our bikes in plain sight, right in the middle of the day. Luckily we got…
Deadspin: Why the Cleveland Browns Suck
Deadspin Click for Deadspin’s 2013 Browns preview Deadspin’s NFL preview series (Why Your Team Sucks) profiles each team in the league and, for Browns fans, today is the day you can read why your team sucks… The fantastic Drew Magary reviews the 2012 season (“you have to deliberately plant staph fungus in the locker room…
John Mayer steers clear of his hits at Blossom
Anyone who went to last nights John Mayer show expecting a slew of one hit singles from his past would have been pretty disappointed. A two-year battle involving multiple surgeries on his vocal cords halted any promotion of the singer’s album Born And Raised, and now Mayer seems unable to reach the same range some…
Scene Podcast No. 2: Author and Former Player Nate Jackson Talks About Eric Mangini and His Time With the Browns
Podcast No. 2 is here and ready for your enjoyment. Today, Nate Jackson talks with host Craig Lyndall about his new book, Slow Getting Up (HarperCollins, Sept. 17), which is excerpted in this week’s issue. Jackson played eight season in the NFL, six of those with the Denver Broncos. Before the 2009 season, Jackson was…
Wine Lovers: Let’s Explore a Brew or Two
Just as beer drinkers are wise to bolster their knowledge and appreciation of wine, so too are wine lovers well served by opening up their palates to embrace the attributes of great beer. And with the hot and muggy season upon us, what better time to begin the exploration? Before you get your grape-stained shorts…
Zinni, Zidi, Zici: Fox 8’s Mark Zinni on Working for TV News, Gossip, Black Bears, his Coworkers and More
Mark Zinni: I’m off today, so it doesn’t matter how long we talk. Vince Grzegorek: When do you sleep? Weird schedules because of your early morning hours on the weekend morning show? My schedule is pretty basic. I work Saturday and Sunday mornings, so I get up at 3:30 a.m. on the weekends. But during…
Band of the Week: The Promise Hero
Bobby Vaughn: (vocals, guitars) Promising Beginnings: Early in 2006, singer Bobby Vaughn and guitarist Daniel Weiss, both of whom played together in high school in the indie rock band Honor Roll, started the Promise Hero. The group issued its self-titled that same year and picked up some momentum by opening shows for the popular local…
Regional Beat: Scott Loehrke & the Ticket
Scott Loehrke & the Ticket (self-released) scottloehrkemusic.com Local singer-songwriter Scott Loehrke keeps it low key on this six-song EP that he recorded at Michael Seifert’s Somewhere Recording. Opening tune “I Turned Around” has a bit of twang to it as Loehrke croons, “I can’t help but feel the way that I do.” It’s a bit…
Savage Love: Bros
Dear Dan — I’m a 25-year-old male. After a tragic set of circumstances, I am now the legal guardian of my 15-year-old brother. He’s gay. Fortunately, our parents took care of “the talk” and taught him how to use condoms. Unfortunately, he has started dating a senior at his school who is about to turn…
Letters On: “Ohio Bank Forecloses on Wrong Home, Repossesses Innocent Woman’s Stuff”
That bank is going to owe way more than 19,000 if this thing goes to court and that is where it should go if they refuse to admit full fault and pay her the modest sum she is asking for.”Not paying market value” my butt! She is right, she did not have a yard sale,…
Also On Stage
A Musical Adventure Mercury Summer Stock This production at Mercury Summer Stock, so visually arresting in many respects, has a firm grip on the magical idea of a flying fairy carting off three earth-bound kids to Never Never Land. But there are a number of air pockets in this supposedly soaring show, where this production…
Tangled up in Shakespeare: A Convoluted Plot in “Cymbeline” Still Manages to Entertain at the Ohio Shakespeare Festival
You’d think a play featuring a freshly decapitated head, a cross-dressing young woman, battle scenes, mystical chemical concoctions, skullduggery, two long-lost sons and murder plots would be one of Shakespeare’s most popular pieces. But no, Cymbeline is a rarely produced work, probably because of the large cast and the storyline that thrashes about in the…
The Art of the Autopsy: Photographer Seph Lawless Spends his Days Documenting Decaying Ruins
The shuttered cathedral is vast and desolate. It’s a sunny Thursday afternoon, and we’re standing where clergy once presided over religious services many years ago. Now, apart from the gentle wheeze of traffic, it’s quiet. The floor, the walls, the pillars — everything here is crumbling. Camera in hand, photographer Seph Lawless leaps down…
Culinary Trailblazer: Ricardo Sandoval
Some of the most admirable culinary trailblazers happen to be those you don’t read about every day in the press. While some “celebrity chefs” are busy promoting themselves to anybody who will listen, others simply put their heads down and do the hard work of running a business. Success for these people isn’t a reality…
Mess is More: Unite CLE Returns with Lowered Expectations and an Old-School Schnauzer Show
Last year, local promoter JC Koszewski — a guy who’s been booking bands in Cleveland for about a decade — set out to create a concert that would “unite all the local musicians.” He called the three-day event UNITE CLE and he had a little bit of everything: hip-hop, metal, dubstep. Cleveland metal band the…
Packy’s Picks: Packy Malley Provides an Overview of the 22nd Annual Midwest Reggae Fest
“It was a disaster,” says Patrick “Packy” Malley when asked about last year’s Midwest Reggae Fest, which he moved from Nelson Ledges to Whiskey Island. “During the hottest, driest summer on record, it rained and was cold the entire time. The overwhelming consensus is that people want the camping and swimming experience.” So Malley, who…
Hart & Brain: The Mickey Hart Band Brings its Exploratory Improvisation and-get this!- Sonic Brain Activity Jams to the Kent Stage
Mickey Hart’s career, which includes a lengthy tenure as one of the Grateful Dead’s drummers and global travel in search of the ancient instruments of long-forgotten cultures, has often been focused on the world and universe at large. These days, the percussionist legend is looking inward, toward cells and neurons, with the Mickey Hart Band.…
Cute at Home: Fans of Cured Meats have no Shortage of Options
Charcuterie is nothing new. Heck, the method of preserving meats through various forms of curing is practically ancient. But as more and more chefs hop aboard the slow-food train— Cleveland food authority Michael Ruhlman calls charcuterie “the slowest food”—employing whole-animal butchery and nose-to-tail cookery, diners are seeing more and more brilliant housemade charcuterie. Walk into…
Mangini’s Mess
Nate Jackson played eight seasons in the NFL, six of those spent with the Denver Broncos from 2003 to 2008. As the rigors of the game took their toll on his body, the tight end bounced around the league recovering from injuries and seeking a roster spot. His new memoir, Slow Getting Up (published by…
Film Spotlight: Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013
For the past decade, singer-guitarist Eric Clapton has hosted a Blues Crossroads concert every three years. For the concerts, he brings together many of the genre’s biggest stars on the same stage. This year, the fourth festival was held at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Not exactly known as a blues mecca, the city proved…
Culture Jamming
TOP PICK The Place Beyond the Pines (Universal Studios) An ambitious attempt to weave together the story of two fathers and their respective sons, Derek Cianfrance’s epic 282-minute film ultimately falters in the final half. But for the first half, it’s a gripping account of a hardended criminal (Ryan Gosling) and the self-righteous cop (Bradley…
Review of the Week: We’re the Millers
We’re the Millers is the kind of comedy that could easily disintegrate into a series of stupid sketches that are so boring and mindless, you’d wish you hadn’t wasted your time and money with the movie. Fortunately, that’s not the case. The premise is admittedly flimsy. Drug dealer David (Jason Sudeikis) is content to just…
A Nearly Blind 98-Year-Old Man Creates Stunning Digital Magic with MS Paint
Type “MS Paint” into Google. One of the top results should direct you to the eight-minute documentary, The Pixel Painter. The video profiles 98-year-old nearly blind Rocky River artist Hal Lasko, who creates sprawling but finely detailed landscapes and science-fiction images on Microsoft’s rudimentary image-creation software. Last Friday, August 2, the short film passed a…
Up, Up, and Lillet
“Three measures of Gordon’s. One measure of vodka. Half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it over ice and then add a thin slice of lemon peel.”—James Bond, Casino Royale. Had Agent 007 invented the Vesper Martini at home in his underwear with the TV on and not in the middle of a high-stakes poker…
