Cuyahoga County cribs evacuation plan from Kansas City; Officials found cooler cities’ plans too complicated
If you walked past a Plain Dealer today and decided you didn’t want to read about our county’s emergency evacuation plan, do yourself a favor: Go back and pop 50 cents into that newspaper box. Actually, pop in a dollar. This morning, the PD earned your money. Breaking perhaps the most amusing Government Fuck-Up story…
America Celebrates Wage Hike By Throwing Out Those Crappy Oreo Rip-Offs
In response to the recent wage hike, Americans are burning millions of Hydrox-brand cookies, those crappy generics your mom always bought when you weren’t at the store to shame her into buying real Oreos. Here in America’s Poorest City™, we’re celebrating the recent historic hike in the federal minimum wage, from $5.15 an hour to…
Pissed Off Reader: Jared Klaus is Biased, and His Illegal Immigration Story Totally Sucked
I thought it was a terrible display of journalism on your part to write an article saying that illegal immigration may be the best thing for Painesville [“The Superior Americans,” July 18]. Are you a professional? Did you major in journalism? Did you even go to college? I am dumbfounded that your article was even…
Charles Oakley? Reggie Miller? Which nursing home might the Cavaliers rob?
He may be short, but Earl Boykins is not on the Cavs’ short list, according to some guy. When teams are looking at Penny Hardaway and Reggie Miller for help, you know this year’s crop of unsigned NBA talent sucks. But, as our somewhat-failed parody a few days back proved, people are praying for the…
Myers University: Another Unsatisfied Customer
I am writing to you concerning my wife’s situation. She is currently attending Myers University, where she is taking two online courses and one course in the classroom, at the Rocky River campus [“Mired University,” February 28]. She started this summer, in what they call the Summer II session (she began classes on July 10).…
Get Thrashed at the Rock Hall
The heavy-metal documentary Get Thrashed plays at the Rock Hall Wednesday, August 15. The bad news: It starts at 3 p.m., which is a terrible time, unless you don’t work, in which case you probably have seen too many rock docs as it is. The good news: It’s free. More good news: It looks pretty…
Don’t Hold Your Breath, Foodies: Dante’s opening delayed
Dante Boccuzzi Those of you drooling over the notion of dining at Dante — chef Dante Boccuzzi’s reimagined restaurant in what is soon to be the former Lockkeeper’s space — are going to have keep wiping your chins for a while longer than expected. While plans originally called for Boccuzzi to launch the new hotspot…
This Just In: The latest concert announcements
This week, 37 new shows. The long-time-coming (partial) reunion of David Lee Roth and Van Halen, arguably the most spectacular rock band of all time (see the above “Panama” video, lest 22 years of Van Hagar have made you forget). Blaqk Audio, the AFI electro side project. Chilly folk from Peter Bjorn & John. Montgomery…
Oink! Kucinich, Tubbs-Jones fail RePORK Cards, try to steal them from mailbox before mom gets home
Dennis Kucunich never met a taxpayer’s dollar he didn’t like. The Club for Growth, a conservative advocacy group on Whore Hill, recently released its “RePORK Card,” which grades members of Congress on their willingness to say no to pork. As directed by city charter, our local politicians, who never were that good at anything, failed…
Reader: White Musicians Gotta Lose that Whole Snow Motif
When are white musicians who are playing predominately black music going to stop using the “snow” related monikers [“The Snow Bunni,” August 8? Yeah, you’re white. We get it. Why not go all the way and call yourself Vanilla Snow Ice Bunny? That shit is weak. Jesus H Christ
Disappearing Hummers & Missing Paychecks: Rodney Bowling is Back to Scamming his Employees
It seems no matter how hard we try, Rodney Bowling, con artist extraordinaire, just won’t disappear. When we first met the entrepreneur, he was soliciting contestants for reality television shows that never aired and scamming 10-year-olds out of their talent show earnings [“Reality Bites,” December 12, 2005]. When we finally reached Bowling, he told us…
The Mysterious Case of the Red Parrot Lounge Riot
The Red Parrot Lounge is like most bars in Lorain: dark, a bit salty, and full of loyal, thirsty Poles. It’s rough enough, too, that owner Mitch Karczewski keeps a set of handcuffs behind the bar. But it’s one of the only places in town to catch live music, which makes the Parrot a haven…
Strippers Pull It Off: Group has enough signatures to block law — for now.
If the Stripper Bill becomes law, moments like this might be guys’ only chance to see boobs. The grassroots group Citizens for Community Standards – that’s the strippers against the new state law banning lap dances, not the homophobic group of a similar name dedicated to the fight against Josh Groban, overly enthusiastic high-school wrestlers,…
Mikey G’s Weekly Picks: An ugly-ass scooter makes a comeback!
Try to get drunker than these dudes at Nemeth’s movie night. This week’s top arts and entertainment picks around town, from the guy who’s paid to pick them: Monday: Nemeth’s Lounge in Painesville screens the comedy classic Animal House tonight as part of its Monday movie-night series. Best of all, you don’t have to worry…
Metal Monday: An Interview Behemoth Frontman Nergal
Ozzfest’s four hottest bands are playing an off-date show at the Agora Theater (5000 Euclid Ave.) Tuesday, August 13. The diverse bill brings together the kind of groups that wouldn’t have been caught dead together 10 years ago, and they’ll be raging for an audience that ranges from kids in hoodies to longhaired heavy-metal lifers.…
Akron’s Suicide Bridge takes on a Whole New Meaning
When Scene last checked in on Akron’s All-American Bridge on North Main Street, folks residing the in valley under the snake-like structure were enduring a small problem: Bodies were raining from the sky. Since its construction in 1981, the bridge has served as the launch site for over 45 suicides and countless more attempts [“Suicide…
The Plain Dealer: Introducing You To Shit You’ve Known About Since 1994
In part 4,354 of its continuing series, “Introducing You To Shit You’ve Known About Since 1994,” The Plain Dealer has discovered mixed martial arts. For the six people who hadn’t heard of the sport, The PD included a helpful info box titled, “What is ultimate fighting?” Never mind that ultimate fighting’s been popular for 15…
Gay Men Emerge as Key Ally in Fight for Straight Horny Guys’ Rights
On most days, after spending hours pushing porn and faux vaginas at the Adult Book Store in Brook Park, manager-in-training Tammy Ware doesn’t have much time to hit happy hour and bitch about the dickhead who left a stain on the latest issue of Hustler. That’s because she and her co-workers are on a crusade,…
Akron School boss sued; “lost and found” items expected to turn up on eBay
If a man can’t manage his own bills, can he be trusted with $250 million in taxpayer dough? Conventional wisdom says no, especially if the man in question is gainfully employed and making CEO scratch. What, then, to make of a lawsuit filed yesterday against Akron Public Schools superintendent Sylvester Small? Apparently, Smalls has a…
News You Can Use (if you need some sweet new jeans)
For fashionistas on a budget, boutiques like Legacy Village’s Lush and the Warehouse District’s Clothing Brigade are a nightmare: Tons of well-fitting designer labels that you can’t afford, unless you give up eating for a month. But four times a year, the two clothing stores have (very short) sample sales, where these same upscale items…
Photos By Cleveland, For Cleveland
About a year ago, amateur photographer Jim Polaczynski noticed something: people on Flickr, the popular photo-sharing site he used, started crossing over from being cyber buddies to – gasp! — actually meeting and interacting in person. He decided he’d try and do the same in Cleveland, organizing monthly meetings for a group he called Exposure…
The Real Rock Star: New video from Iced Earth’s Ripper
Now online is the new video from Iced Earth, the power-metal veterans now fronted by local legend Tim “Ripper” Owens. Owens was played by Marky Mark in the crappy movie Rock Star, which was loosely based on Ripper’s days as Judas Priest’s fill-in frontman. “Ten Thousand Strong” is the first single from the group’s upcoming…
Bad News Browns: More depressing news for Cleveland sports fans
“Know how I know you’re gay? Your blog keeps using the same topless picture of Brady.” Some training camp notes from Berea. And by “Berea,” we mean the Internet. *Brady Quinn arrived Wednesday, met briefly with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson – you know, the guys he says he’ll “without a doubt” bury on the…
Rudy Giuliani: His War-on-Terror Credentials are Padded by Bullshit
Nearly six years after 9/11, Rudy Giuliani is still walking through the canyons of lower Manhattan, covered in soot, pointing north, and leading the nation out of danger’s way. The Republican frontrunner is campaigning for president by evoking that visual at every campaign stop, and he apparently believes it’s a picture worth thousands of nights…
Truffles Pastry Shop Closes
A landmark in the West Side’s historic Edgewater/Clifton neighborhood for nearly 25 years, Truffles Pastry Shop (11122 Clifton Blvd.) closed abruptly on July 31. Owner Dan Sheppard could not be reached for comment, but I understand that conflicts with his landlord over building maintenance and increasing crime in the neighborhood played a role. At one…
Five Trades the Cavs Should Have Made
Why not offer LeBron James’ personal manicuring service to prospective trade partners? After advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history, the Cavaliers have apparently decided to stand pat for next season. In the meantime, there’s been a flurry of moves throughout the league, including the trade that sent Kevin Garnett…
Thoughts on Race, Rednecks, and the Liberal Media
How unfortunate it is that people like Mr. Djukich [Letters, July 18, fourth item] continue to give Parma a bad name. Either he was absent from history classes or unable to retain its lessons. Number one: Racial injustice is racial injustice. Period. No one, black or white, deserves ill treatment. It just so happens that…
Reader: Let’s Go Get that Vietnam Imposter
Michael D. Roberts: I am a former Marine, combat vet 69-70 with 3rd. batt., 1st. Marine, 1st. Marine Div. Lima Comp. MOS- Military Occupation Status, 0311 grunt, secondary 0341 mortars [“Vietnam to Iraq,” August 8]. Battalion headquarters was on hill 55 company, 34,25 miles sw of Da Nang. Roberts, I believe you earned your pound…
The Most Offensive Toy Ever Invented
“Not cool, guys. Not cool.” Toy creator Mark Pirro may have created the most tasteless toy ever invented. It’s sort of like a Magic 8-Ball, but instead of an 8-ball it’s a model of Jesus’s head. To get Jesus to answer your prayers, simply twist the crown of thorns and listen to the savior yelp…
Mikey G’s Weekend Picks: Don’t think. Just go.
Get intimate with Mother Earth at Saturday’s Burning River Fest. This weekend’s top arts and entertainment picks around town, from the guy who’s paid to pick them: Friday: Danish director Lars von Trier ’s best films explore the human psyche on the edge of reason. It’s surprising, then, to watch his office-bound comedy, The Boss…
Kidnapping Victim Faces Felony Count of Being a Huge Moron
The Akron Beacon Journal reported today that alleged kidnapping victim James Finch chose 15 minutes of fame over justice. Apparently, Finch was hogtied and robbed by William Archibold back in May. Archibold — who already had a well rounded criminal record with robbery and drug convictions — was quickly charged with felonies, including aggravated robbery…
3 Inches of Blog: An interview with 3 Inches of Blood’s Shane Clark
Ozzfest’s four hottest bands are playing an off-date show at the Agora Theater on Tuesday, August 13. The diverse bill brings together the kind of groups that wouldn’t have been caught dead together 10 years ago, and they’ll be raging for an audience ranging from kids in hoodies to longhaired metal lifers. The headliners are…
Major League Soccer in Cleveland: Could it work?
This humble blog managed to irk the soccer Gods yesterday, when Rebecca Meiser wrote, in a post about Drew Carey, that “it’s pretty safe to say that Major League Soccer will never catch on big here.” No idea whether that’s true or not; if the Wolstein group can pull off its stadium plan , we’ll…
Beer and Bunny Food: They go together Laverne and Shirley or something
According to wine geeks, nothing goes particularly well with salad. Fortunately, suds fans are more forgiving, as indicated by the upcoming Brewmaster’s Dinner at Great Lakes Brewing Company. The August 14 event – which includes a five-course dinner and brewery tour — is a meat-free marvel matching the brewery’s handcrafted beers with all sorts of…
Get the Gore
Amy Gore relaxes on her backyard patio in Royal Oak, Michigan. In front of her sits a copy of Takin’ Back My Name, the autobiography of Ike Turner, a man reviled as a wife-beater, but loved as one of rock and roll’s original innovators. What is it about Mr. Turner that most impresses Gore? “Everything,”…
D. Charles Speer
Some Forgotten Country opens with picket-fence guitar, Harry Smith banjo, and a bluesman spitting marbles: “Going to Atlanta just to look around . . .” I’ve heard this stoned baritone before, almost 40 years ago. He’s the willing trucker “smuggling smokes and folks from Mexico,” the strung-out hillbilly “with a needle and a spoon,” the…
Saying Goodbye To Two Giants of Cinema
Ingmar Bergman directed more than 50 features, but he was a significant figure in 20th-century culture in part because he was so obviously significant. Last week’s inch-above-the-fold front-page New York Times obituary cites Woody Allen’s pledge of allegiance: The Swedish director was nothing less than “the greatest film artist … since the invention of the…
Bow Wow
On her MySpace page, Chicago instrumentalist Alison Chesley declares, “Aggravate the cello.” That pretty much seems the ethos behind Helen Money, her debut solo album. The 11 cello-powered songs range from unnerving to downright menacing (titles like “I’ll See You in Hell” and “Iggy” should give listeners an indication of what’s in store). Chesley was…
Talkin’ Thrash
“Thrash was the pinnacle of metal,” says filmmaker and rabid thrasher Rick Ernst. “It was the fastest, heaviest, coolest stuff you could find.” Ernst’s documentary, Get Thrashed, is currently making its way through the film-festival circuit. A New York screening sold out, and a San Francisco showing had headbangers lined up around the block. Ernst,…
Great White
Asking a cock rocker to address a national tragedy — one caused by his band — might seem like a stretch. But at least he could supply listeners with the label bourbon he’s been drinking to cope. Back to the Rhythm is Great White’s first album of original material since 2003, when the band’s onstage…
The Super Fun of It
In the fall of 2006, David Lynch published a book called Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity. “Ideas are like fish,” he begins, and the book is his guide to their natural habitat (the unconscious); the best way to hook them (transcendental meditation); and the most effective kinds of bait (desire, intuition). Along…
Wet and Wild
Lots of bars celebrate summer with special theme nights. But only one gets folks totally wet: Around the Corner’s weekly Dunk Tank sessions. Every Wednesday, the Lakewood hot spot hauls a giant, water-filled container onto its patio. Then guys and gals take turns sitting in it while beer-lubed patrons throw balls at them. But it’s…
The SnowBunni
Dudes definitely drool over the SnowBunni, not to mention her mouthwatering backup dancers, Kristen and Heather. As the trio’s violent s-curves swiveled and gyrated across Peabody’s stage at a recent AIDS benefit, baggy hip-hop dudes flashed ’em the stare. Of course, most women clutch their handbags and pray for safe passage when spotting the stare.…
Monotract
Monotract has been experimenting with noise rock since the late ’90s. The trio’s latest, Trueno Oscuro (Spanish for “dark thunder”), finds guitar, drums, bass, and tweaked electronics sputtering through 29 minutes of sloppy racket. Instead of producing a finished product, Monotract seemingly documents itself knee-deep in the artistic process. Trueno Oscuro’s peak comes early –…
The Popcorn King
It’s a bright March afternoon on the set of Rush Hour 3, and the mood is tense. After shooting last winter on location in Paris, the production has returned to Los Angeles behind schedule and over budget. The Supermarine Executive Air Terminal of the Santa Monica Airport has been transformed into the Paris—Le Bourget airport,…
Old-School Thrills
The Cuyahoga County Fair celebrates its 111th year by paying tribute to its roots. The annual summer festival started way back in the day as an agricultural bash stuffed with horses, pigs, and other things you’d see down on the farm. While Old MacDonald and pals talked shop, carnival-style entertainment kept the rest of the…
Black Deal
Cleveland’s Black Trinity has signed to Sol Invictus Recordings, a Dutch metal label. “Black Trinity surprised me with their brand of black-meets-death metal,” says label head Guido Heijnens. “It has a feel of old U.S. gods such as Morbid Angel and Acheron, but still mixes this with more European sounds. All in all, very tight…
Grayscale
Bands can make emo without sounding like crybabies. Grayscale proves it on That Flawless Flashing Day, the duo’s debut. Featuring confessionals that other bands would be mortified to publish, the disc revels in nerdy emo insecurity. On “I’m Stuck With Me,” singer Douglas Dunbar actually wishes he was more like Orlando Bloom, dropping lame-ass poetics…
What’s Worse Than an Ex-Girlfriend With a Guitar?
Be careful not to cross New York City chanteuse Kelli Rae Powell. You just may end up in one of her songs. But at least she’ll by sly about it. “If I change just one detail in the story, he’ll never think it’s about him,” she says. “Change the color of the eyes, and you…
Ha-Ha Dogma
Danish director Lars von Trier’s best films explore the human psyche on the edge of reason. Like his characters, von Trier can be a prickly, unlikable cynic. It’s surprising, then, to watch his office-bound comedy, The Boss of It All — which happens to be the filmmaker’s most humane movie. An IT-company owner hires an…
Z-Trip
In 1999, Z-Trip, along with DJ P, dropped a now classic mixtape titled Uneasy Listening. Cut into four segments, the sonic collage fearlessly merged numerous genres into a seamless blend. Uneasy Listening was an indie smash, paving the way for the now ubiquitous mashup. Underground flicks like Scratch and Brainfreeze, the DJ Shadow/Cut Chemist performance…
Shane Vain & the Village Vandals
On Win, Lose, or Draw, Shane Vain & the Village Vandals downplay their punk, emphasizing gutter rockabilly instead. “One More Day” is the kind of traditional spiritual Johnny Cash would’ve dusted off and spruced up — but he wouldn’t have Vandalized it. After delivering the first verse like a backwoods hymn, Vain lets rip an…
Crime Stories
A couple of the Windy City’s tough-talking cops put down their guns long enough to sign copies of their new thrillers at Joseph-Beth Booksellers’ Chicago Crime Writers’ Day event. Sergeant Michael Black’s fifth novel, A Final Judgment, pits private eye Ron Shade against the city’s most relentless prosecutors. Fellow sergeant Dave Case’s Out of Cabrini:…
Dazed and Confused
Yes, Lez Zeppelin is a novelty group. Their name pretty much verifies that. But as far as all-female, maybe-lesbian, Led Zeppelin cover bands go, they’re pretty much at the top of the list. The N.Y.C. combo’s month-old self-titled debut album was produced by Eddie Kramer — who helped shape Jimi Hendrix’s sound back in the…
Webb Wilder
With huge glasses and a towering fedora, Webb Wilder is a true southern character — a rootsy rocker with a wily attitude and humor that spreads like kudzu. In the mid-’80s, Wilder belonged to the same establishment-rattling Nashville scene that spawned Jason & the Scorchers and Steve Earle. He even notched some chart success with…
Caveat Diner
Like shifting ocean currents — but far less predictably — restaurants are always in motion. Visions morph, menus change, chefs resign, and cost-control strategies become more or less draconian — to name just a few possibilities. This is why the joint you loved in June disappoints in August, why a critically acclaimed spot occasionally leaves…
Send in the Sounds
Sex, lies, and waltzing love songs make up Opera Cleveland’s A Little Night Music, now playing at the Cleveland Play House. Stephen Sondheim’s witty take on relationships mixes Ingmar Bergman (it’s based on the director’s Smiles of a Summer Night), trophy wives, and a weekend of bed-hopping. “It’s so organic,” says orchestra conductor Betsy Burleigh.…
Hell-Raiser
Meat Loaf’s made other albums, but listeners only seem to care when the Bat out of Hell name is attached. Last year’s Bat out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose follows the same pattern as its two gazillion-selling predecessors: long, operatic songs with long, operatic titles. “In the Land of the Pig, the Butcher…
Houseguest
The rabble-rousers in Houseguest are determined to refine their image. “We used to write very goofy pop songs about dinosaurs, but recently we’ve been getting into more mature material,” admits Theodore Mallison, the Akron band’s lead singer. “Now we’re writing a series of songs about actual paleontology. It’s much more scientific.” Houseguest has earned a…
Party School
Best Mojitos I ever had? The ones I mixed last Friday, during “Make Your Own Mojito” class at Rumbar, the secluded tropical patio, bar, and grill at the InterContinental Suite Hotel (8800 Euclid Avenue). About a dozen of us showed up for the lesson, vowing to muddle, mix, drink, and repeat until we learned how…
Green Scene
Green is this year’s black — with Al Gore, Live Earth, and the Prius all hogging recent headlines. But that’s old news to the Great Lakes Brewing Company, whose Burning River Fest has given props to the environment for seven years now. Today’s bash at Whiskey Island brings it to the local level. “The way…
Here are the week’s best releases from the pop-culture universe:
DVD — You’re Gonna Miss Me: Roky Erickson is pretty much the U.S. counterpart of former Pink Floyd member and LSD casualty Syd Barrett. This terrific documentary chronicles Erickson’s story — which includes consuming tons of drugs back when he was in ’60s psych-rock band the 13th Floor Elevators, spending part of the ’70s in…
3 Channels
Polish techno? Is that like Albanian love poetry? Who knew it even existed — well, aside from the excellent output of Jacek Sienkiewicz? And how do they incorporate those wacky polka grooves into techno’s 4/4 rigidity? All right, let’s ditch the lame comedy: 3 Channels ain’t no joke. Deeop (aka Grzegorz Demianczuk) and Ketiov (aka…
Dream Cleaver
Stardust is less an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 1999 novel than of its dust-jacket synopsis. That will come as disconcerting news to fans of the author. So far, he’s avoided the fate of fellow fantasy writers and comics creators who’ve had their works mangled by the studios’ clumsy assembly lines. Gaiman — best known among…
Star Performance
Shooting stars light up the evening sky at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center’s annual Perseids Night. Every August, Earth passes through a stream of brilliantly lit meteors that originate from the constellation Perseus. They’re so bright, you don’t need binoculars or telescopes to see them dart across the atmosphere, says Jay Reynolds, director…
Hatebreed
Ozzfest skipped Cleveland yet again, but the tour’s four best bands are playing the Agora on their day off. The lineup proves just how diverse metal has become in the last 20 years. In the late ’80s, longhairs and hardcore kids were still beating each other up at shows, while both factions laughed off the…
Third Time, Still Charming
Chris Tucker still believes in Michael Jackson. You can tell, because in the opening scene of Rush Hour 3, he squeals, grabs his crotch, and throws his arms to the heavens. A Tucker tip-of-the-hat to Jackson is a staple of the Rush Hour franchise, dating back to the 1998 original, in which Tucker’s LAPD detective,…
Back to the Future
The past meets the present in Future Flux, a photo show that opens tonight at Parish Hall. The 22-piece exhibit pairs Rose Marincil’s split-second photography with Matthew Fehrmann’s pictorial exploration of the past. Marincil’s most striking pic, “Facing East,†captures a flock of birds flying out of the picture as one lone creature darts upward.…
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Gram Parsons was a cosmic American. New Riders of the Purple Sage are psychedelic cowboys. There’s a difference. In the early ’70s, Parsons was a country-rock pioneer, baking his dreamy croon in the glorious L.A. sun while pumping his fragile Dixie sounds full of Southern California’s favorite drugs: booze, smack, pills, and coke. So yeah,…
Long Live the King
There’s no entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest time someone has kept his mouth open. But if the folks at Guinness are interested, they might start in the audience of Playhouse Square’s production of The Lion King. From the opening animal gathering in “The Circle of Life” to its reprise…
Still Bad
George Thorogood sums up his career with a baseball story. It’s appropriate — since the classic-rock staple not only spent some time in the minor leagues, he’s more than a little obsessed with the national pastime. “I threw the ball out at a game 20 years ago, and they introduced me as ‘blues artist,’” he…
Scott H. Biram
Scott H. Biram probably didn’t shake hands with the devil at the crossroads. But the Texan’s storied background and demonic fusion of gospel, delta blues, and black metal make one wonder. For example, in 2003 Biram was nearly killed after colliding head-on with an 18-wheeler. He broke both legs, a foot, and an arm. Yet…
Man-Boy Meets World
It is commonly accepted that our world consists of boys and girls, men and women. But for aeons, women have argued that there really are no such things as “men.” Only boys who grow old, but not up. This sweet tension between men and women is at the crux of the salacious musical Nine, now…
Laughing Gas
Cincinnati-based comedian Josh Sneed says he’s an avid people-watcher. “I enjoy sitting around with someone I love and talking about the human trash that walks by,” he says. He also likes dissing his ex-girlfriend. “She was noisy and bulimic,” he quips. “I kept telling her, ‘Honey, keep it down.’” Sneed doesn’t mind sharing stories about…
Vietnam to Iraq
We talk about Iraq as the Marine, a veteran of Desert Storm, sips a beer at the American Café on Miles Road. He says no day passes without some memory of war being triggered by a noise or a smell. Sharp thunder in the night is incoming for a frightful second. The smell of perspiration…
Skinny
Skinny is the band formerly known as 2 Skinny Dorks, which changed its name ‘cuz there are, like, eight people in the band, and they’re not skinny, and they’re not dorks. Anyway, they always pack the bar at Around the Corner, and the laid-back crowd skews young, which makes the party a lot like college…
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…
Moor the Merrier
Despite its iambic-pentameter scheming and super-shady characters, Othello isn’t a total downer, insists Terry Burgler, director of the Ohio Shakespeare Festival production now playing at Stan Hywet. “It has many lighter moments,” he says. The Bard’s famous play centers on foreign-born general Othello and his wife Desdemona, the daughter of a prominent senator. Despite their…
Corruption Made Cheaper
Back when Bob Taft ran this defiled land, you could win a charter-school license with a $3 bet in a craps game. But new Governor Ted Strickland has decided that spending millions on schools that perform worse than Cleveland’s may not constitute reform. So he’s axed funding for start-ups, and is demanding that everyone else…
Big-Hair Wednesdays
Maria of the Buzzard (WMMS 100.7) hosts Big-Hair Wednesdays at the Garage. Every week, it’s a throwback to the good ol’ days when Ratt, Bon Jovi, and Crüe ruled the airwaves. And even more important: It takes place outside on the patio, where you can drink, smoke, and have a big fat burger at the…
Capsule reviews of current area art exhibitions.
New The Russian Eye — If this show were a “safari,” Anastasiy Safari would be the annoying guide who never stops talking. Brilliant as several images here are, the California-based photographer who created them spoils many more by attaching meddlesome titles and numbingly obvious wall text, making it difficult for viewers to comprehend or interact…
How Low Can You Go?
If Janiva Magness hadn’t sneaked into a Minneapolis juke joint when she was 14 years old, she’s certain she never would have become the award-winning blues singer she is today. Magness first heard legendary bluesman Otis Rush on that fateful day 36 years ago. “This man sang every note as if his life depended on…
Hidden Village Agenda
Reading bias in writer’s angle: It is startling to see Scene blaming Lakewood’s rising crime problem on 28 youths who are trying to make it out of the foster system and into the adult world [“Real World Lakewood,” July 18]. Blaming a crime problem on a group of young people and their mentors is nonsense.…
Paul McCartney
Older artists rarely make pop music that rivals the best of their early works. Paul Simon and Bob Dylan have done it. But then again, neither one lives in the shadow of the Beatles. Memory Almost Full possesses a wealth of songs, showcasing Macca’s legendary talents for melody. But the greatest rewards come when he…
Elvis Is Everywhere
Bubba Ho-tep Limited Edition (MGM) Intentional camp is difficult to do well. It’s a contradiction that usually comes off cutesy and forced. The old Batman series pulled it off, and it’s been B-movie god Bruce Campbell’s livelihood. But in a long career of overacting and mugging, Campbell’s peak may be Bubba Ho-tep, the plot of…
Booze and a Movie
Cinephiles can keep their artsy-fartsy “film” houses. At Nemeth’s Lounge’s weekly movie nights, the club unspools screen gems that people actually want to see, says bartender Lou Medgysi. “It’s more comfortable in here. Plus, you can drink beers and shots while you watch movies.” Frat-boy classic Animal House screens tonight. “We show movies everyone has…
The Tomato-Can Man
Jim Holley was not supposed to win. He knew it the moment he got that call in 1989: Boxing promoter Jerry Thomas had a ring, a date, and the West Virginia heavyweight champ all lined up, but he didn’t have an opponent for him. Could Holley fight that Saturday? The pay was 600 bucks for…
Daath, with Nile and Chthonic
Rounding out the most metal week ever, three more Ozzfest bands are mounting their own raiding party at Peabody’s. Taiwan’s Chthonic brings the blackness to a show headlined by death-metal icon Nile, which has carved out a niche by writing concept albums based on ancient Egyptian mythology. But the breakout for the bill is Atlanta’s…
Star Dreck
Stupid video-game logic, rule no. 154: When thousands of fugly, bloodthirsty aliens take over a spaceship, it’s best to send in a lone woman with a flamethrower. That’s the entire plot of Alien Syndrome, a pseudo sequel to Sega’s 1987 “run ‘n’ gun” arcade game of the same name. And despite landing with little fanfare…
No Rest for the Rockin’
The Long Island screamo band the Sleeping released its CD Questions and Answers more than a year ago. Singer Doug Robinson estimates they’ve had only a couple weeks off since then. “We’re just trying to reach new fans now,” he says. The group recently launched its first headlining tour, which Robinson says is a shot…
Big, Bad Package
In 25 years of concert-going, the best hip-hop performance I’ve seen was just a few years ago. It was December 2003 — Jay-Z’s alleged farewell tour. In just 30 minutes, Jigga debunked the popular myth that rappers can’t deliver the goods live. With his band hidden behind a curtain and an intricate light show as…
Bad Religion
Republican presidents always bring out the best in Bad Religion. New Maps of Hell is the sextet’s first full-length in three years, and the disc ranks among its finest. With renewed vigor, Bad Religion continues its fight against religious dogma and political ignorance, trading its long-standing idealism for straight-up rage. Singer Greg Graffin sums up…
Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week:
Beneath (Paramount) Brigitte Bardot 5-Film Collection (Lionsgate) Luis Bunuel: 2-Disc Collector’s Edition (Lionsgate) Disturbia (DreamWorks) The Dog Problem (THINKfilm) The Dresden Files: The Complete First Season (Lionsgate) 8 Simple Rules: The Complete First Season (Buena Vista) The Fly: Collector Set (Fox) Full House: The Complete Seventh Season (Warner Bros.) The Hills: The Complete Second Season…
Buggest Out
The Cleveland Metroparks’ annual BugFest bash doubles as heebie-jeebies central today. In addition to all the insects on parade, culinary experts will share recipes and prepare dishes made with crickets, ants, and other tasty critters. There’s also craft-making sessions, live music, and storytelling — all focusing on creepy-crawlies, of course. The Bug IQ station helps…
