An interview with Il Volo, who play Jacob’s Pavilion on Tuesday
Il Volo formed in 2009 to compete on the popular Italian talent show, Ti Lascio Una Canzone, on which they established themselves as a trio of incredible tenors. After the show, the three young singers, Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble, decided to stay together and called themselves “il volo,” meaning “flight” in Italian.…
77-Year-Old Madison Woman Found Dead in Home, Suspects in Custody (Updated)
Update III: On Tuesday the mother and son duo of Danna and Zachary Weimer were indicted for the June murder of a 77-year-old woman from Madison, according to the News-Herald. Each defendant faces 17 counts, including aggravated murder and aggravated burglary. Danna was also packing the big boy drugs when she was arrested shortly after…
What To Do This Week: Get Out!
Never let it be said that Clevelanders would rather work than play. Here are three ideas for getting a jump on TGIF. 1. Tuesday August 14: Fair Time in Lake County. For an event marking its 156th anniversary, the Lake County Fair has no trouble maintaining its identity. “Fairs are about promoting agriculture, first of…
The Cloud Nothings Train Keeps On Rolling
It’s been a busy year for one of our very favorite Cleveland bands, and it just keeps getting busier. In addition to tagging on a few more dates to their current tour, Cloud Nothings recently recorded a song for For No One TV. The clip — for “Fall In,” one of the best songs on…
Pic of the Day: Condoleezza Rice is Still a Browns Fan
The most relevant Browns fan in the world? Probably. Why is she still a Browns fan? Why are any of us? (Via @CondoleezzaRice)
Joe the Plumber Now Wants to Build a Border Fence and Shoot Mexicans
What say you, truthteller? We all know Joe the Plumber — the Toledo-native desperately trying to seduce the 15th and final minute of his Kardashian-grade fame into staying a little while longer by means of political office — thinks deeply before he speaks. Like late-candlelit-hours-in-the-library deep, conscious-rattling-existential-brainwave-surfing deep. And when you’re cooking at such a…
Fox 8 is a Little Excited for High School Football
Fox 8’s promo vid for its Emmy-winning high school football coverage, Friday Night Touchdown, is… interesting. Cheerleaders, Ms. LaForce, Katy Perry — it really has it all. The lesson: You can try to be deliberately over the top and still go too over the top. Also, no one needs to see Dan Coughlin fellate a…
Chefs Announced for West Side Market’s Centennial Gala
The Centennial Gala, to be held on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, will officially kick off the Market’s Centennial fundraising campaign. The massive Gala will mark the first day of the next 100 years for Cleveland’s West Side Market. Co-chaired by Michael Symon and Jonathon Sawyer, the Centennial Gala will also feature a spectacular lineup of…
Ohio Supreme Court Rules in Favor of LeCharles Bentley in Suit Against Browns (Updated)
Seen here during his 11 minutes with the Browns. Update II: LeCharles Bentley has settled his lawsuit against the Cleveland Browns stemming from the staph infection he suffered following a knee injury back in 2006. And it was all solved by a face-to-face meeting between Bentley and Randy Lerner back in June, and there’s some…
Cedar Point’s Next Roller Coaster (Updated)
Update: Back in late May we told you that a new wing coaster would be Cedar Point’s next big project. Yesterday, they officially unveiled the plans and the name. Meet the “GateKeeper.” *** The Sandusky Register got its paws on an internal memo from Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet to the board of directors back…
Kid Cudi’s New Song Is Pretty Damn Good
Now that he’s put his rap-rock project WZRD behind him (hopefully, far, far behind him), it sounds like Kid Cudi is ready to get serious about his career again. The new “Just What I Am” is a woozy, thick-beat-sporting beast that recalls some of the best cuts from his 2009 debut Man on the Moon:…
Reddit Features Former Akron Meth Cook
Tools of the trade. This spring we took you on a guided tour of Akron’s meth world, a culture of backroom chemistry sets churning out a nonstop supply of one of the most addictive drugs you can put up your nose or into your arms or down your lungs. This stuff is pretty terrible, and…
An interview with Sonya Thomas, who will compete at this weekend’s National Hamburger Festival
Sonya Thomas is the nation’s leading woman in the competitive eating circuit. Don’t let her 100-pound frame fool you; she holds 39 world records. Born in Gunsan, South Korea, she’s currently a Burger King manager in Alexandria, Virginia. She holds records for chicken wings, cheesecake, hard-boiled eggs, and chicken nuggets in various competitions; she has…
Pic of the Day: Cell Phones and Driving Don’t Mix, Part 982
Lake County sheriffs say a man was chatting on his celly when he lost control of his truck, hit a few trees, and ended up lodged as you see above after hitting a house. “Um, yeah, I’m gonna have to call you back in a second.” (Pic via WEWS)
Concert Review: 311 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
Joe Kleon When 311 emerged out of Omaha, Nebraska in 1985, the whole rap-rock thing was still in its early stages. Even though the band could hardly be classified as metal, 311, which sounded more like the Red Hot Chili Peppers than Korn, was still considered a forerunner, even though it initially didn’t have the…
Raphael Saadiq to Play Free Show Thursday Night for Obama Campaign
R&B and soul star Raphael Saadiq will be in Cleveland on Thursday to help kick off President Barack Obama’s fall campaign in northeast Ohio. Saadiq will be giving a free concert at the House of Blues, starting at 6 p.m. Along with a sampling of his distinctive style of R&B, he will be pumping up…
Davis-Besse is Still Leaky (Updated)
Update: And the cause of all the problems with Davis-Besse’s shield… Via the Sandusky Register: Officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and FirstEnergy detailed the work that led them to conclude the Blizzard of 1978 — combined with a failure to waterproof the shield building — caused cracking in the structure’s walls. Stupid blizzard. ***…
Youngstown Sexy Coffee Shop Fighting with Landlord
Hot. Coffee too . . . thanks folks, be here all week, tip the waitresses. Of all the ideas people kick around for drumming up this potential business, this probably isn’t the first time a “sexy” coffee shop has been floated. But down in Youngstown, Eileen Benedict was planning on shocking the city’s sensibilities with…
Video: Alligator Attacks Trainer at Cuyahoga County Fair (Updated)
Update: The fair has now canceled the alligator exhibit for the remainder of the fair. Probably a good idea. *** Well, there’s always the chance this will happen. He’s alright, by the way. “Well folks, these things happen. Dan’s going to get some medical care. We’ll be back tomorrow,” the announcer said. The kids screaming…
Ohio City’s Black Pig to Open Wednesday
With official word from the State of Ohio that Mike Nowak can pick up his liquor license, Black Pig in Ohio City will open next Wednesday, August 15. Following a few Friends & Family dinners, chef Nowak believes that he and his crew are ready to go. “They didn’t take it easy on us,” Nowak…
Jimmy Dimora Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison; A Painful Denouement in Akron, Even for the Media (Updated)
Jimmy during happier, more Bat Mobile-y times Update: Jimmy Dimora was transported — lugged? carted? wheeled? shipped via UPS? — yesterday to the FCC Butner prison in North Carolina where he will serve his 28-year sentence. No Carolina BBQ is safe now. His lawyers had requested that location because of its medical services and Dimora’s…
Attention Chefs: Free Restaurant
How would you like to take over an existing restaurant, pay zero rent, and get in on the ground floor of one the most exciting neighborhood development projects in recent time? If that sounds too good to be true, then you haven’t met Alan Glazen. With Operation Light Switch — an ambitious plan to redevelop…
Pic of the Day: Brandon Weeden is Confused
Via Waiting for Next Year, a snapshot of new Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden at training camp that’s just begging for a caption. WFNY
Dredger’s Union Closing
When Danielle DeBoe and Sean Bilovecky opened their boutique department store Dredger’s Union on the E 4th Street restaurant row a little over a year ago, it was greeted with an outpouring of media attention. The duo was praised for taking a risk on bringing new retail to downtown with their mix of stylish clothes…
Re-Bourne
The Bourne Legacy — the fourth Bourne movie, and first without Matt Damon — at times plays like a Bourne copy, not the next chapter in the franchise. It’s not necessarily the fault of Jeremy Renner (who takes over the lead role) or new director Tony Gilroy (who co-wrote the other three movies). The Bourne…
Rock the Vote
When Cam Brady (Will Ferrell), the incumbent congressman of an off-the-map North Carolina district, finally gets an opponent in Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), the shit-slinging begins in The Campaign. Initially, Huggins doesn’t stand a chance; his pug-loving persona and slight lisp get him branded with a Scarlet O (for odd). But after some help from…
What to Do This Weekend: Music Edition
Chiodos, together again Chiodos, with the Most Dangerous Animal and Bell Historire. 6 p.m. Friday at Peabody’s. Post-hardcore band Chiodos are playing some shows this summer, and it’s the same one that was around in 2009, before everyone got all pissed off at each other. Singer Craig Owens — who was kicked out of the…
What to Do This Weekend: Get Out!
Fraulein Maria at the Hanna Cleveland’s jumping this weekend. Here are three good reasons to forget the back-to-school shopping and just get out and have some fun. Friday, August 10, and Saturday, August 11Fraulein Maria Hits the HannaEven as a youngster, choreographer Doug Elkins craved the spotlight — or at least a flashlight. In his…
Arts in Autumn
Apollo’s Fire’s Jeannette Sorrell We hear it’s been a great summer, even if all we know about it is what we could see out the office window. But no regrets: As various arts and entertainment orgs release their new schedules, fall is shaping up as prime time to get out. Here are five of our…
Bad Ideas: Taking a Baby to a Street Fight
Kids learn fast. Here’s how you get them. They put one of yours in the hospital, you put one of theirs in the morgue . . . they pull a knife, you pull a bottle of Similac Advance Powder Formula . . . that’s the Sandusky way. Over in Sandusky (which has, at least in…
Breach in Carp Defense System Causes Concern About Deadly Carp Invasion (Updated)
Update: Busy times on the front lines of the battle between man and Asian Carp, the deadly river fish that could 86 the entire Great Lakes’ ecosystem if they should happen to sneak inside. Last month scientists discovered trace samples of carp DNA at two locations. As a caution, the Columbus Dispatch reports, state officials…
We Get Mail
Just Do It If there is such demand for “local” food … then let the consumers vote with their dollars [“Going the Distance,” July 25, 2012]. Somebody put up the cash and the sweat equity and open a stand at the market, compete with the other vendors on a fair playing field, put your money where…
Southern Man
By the time Clevelanders locked eyes on Jimmy Haslam III, it was love at first sight. Advance word that the Tennessee businessman was about to purchase the Cleveland Browns was enough to defibrillate the hopes of a flatlined fan base. When he finally appeared in person at last week’s press conference in Berea, Haslam offered…
Local Band in Focus
Meet the Band: Max Stern (vocals, guitar), Steve Gibson (drums, vocals), Loren Shumaker (bass, vocals), Jeff Russell (guitar). More Chords: Signals Midwest grew up on steady diet of pop-punk pioneers like Green Day and Blink-182 but expand that sound when it comes to their own music. “We discovered that you could do more with punk…
CD Review: Antibalas
Members of this 12-piece Brooklyn ensemble had major parts in the hit Broadway production Fela!, based on the late African-music superstar's life. So their Afrobeat chops, which may not come naturally, are unquestionably earned. Their first album in five years is more political than past efforts, with songs touching on the economic crisis, but once…
High Weirdness at Edgewater
Bold and bright, like something from another era, the colorful bus at Edgewater Park demanded attention. With rich psychedelic colors swirling and colliding over every inch of its surface, it was no surprise to see a torn cardboard sign propped up in the window reading “Hungry, Hungry Hippies.” Previous travelers had left their mark. Both…
CD Review: Archers of Loaf
These reissues of the last two albums released by the influential North Carolina indie rockers aren't as essential as the first two. But there's still plenty of buzz-saw guitars and larynx-shredding vocals on 1996's All the Nations Airports and 1998's White Trash Heroes, both expanded with bonus discs featuring outtakes and demos. The quartet's experiments…
CD Review: Rebekah Jean
(rebekahjean.org) “This is what it looks like when I break your heart,” Rebekah Jean sings on her debut album. The Burton-based singer-songwriter's direct but plaintive country heart features plenty of traditional melodic and lyrical lines like that. Her conversational tone goes all the way back to Kitty Wells, but that doesn't excuse Jean from her…
Cutting Edge
Gallery Wolfy Part II has always dwelt in that place between visual arts and music. Now with Enjoy Your Life, they delve into works by the inimitable musician Jad Fair. With his brother David in 1975, Fair founded Half Japanese, a punk band that pioneered the studied imprecision of low-fi. The band out-punked punk, embracing…
Jah Willing
As Packy Malley walks into the Rocky River Brewing Company, not far from his home, he greets a few of the bar’s patrons with a friendly “hello” and “how are you.” Plenty of people know Malley. The guy wears many hats. First and foremost, he works at Malley’s Chocolates, the local business his family owns.…
On View This Week
William Rupnik Gallery Ruins, Relics, Revelations. Photographer Brandon P. Davis opens his first solo exhibition with this meditation on urban blight in the Rust Belt. Empty factories, abandoned parks, and deserted classrooms are captured in full but fading color to humanize economic realities. An opening reception will be held Saturday, August 11, from 7 to…
CD Review: Redd Kross
The first in album in 20 years by these California rockers, whose membership and legacy pretty much run through the history of indie rock over the past quarter century, gets in and out of there in about 30 minutes. So things haven't changed much during their break. They still work three chords, they still play…
Field Service
Like most successful ideas, this one started with a revelation. Outstanding in the Field chef and founder Jim Denevan had been hosting popular farm-to-table dinners at a café in Santa Cruz when he got the notion to set one on an organic farm outside of town. That was way back in 1999. Before long, dinners…
Savage Love
Dear Readers: I’m on vacation for the next two weeks. This week’s column features recent Savage Love Letters of the Day. (The SLLOTD goes out to folks who have the Savage Love app for iPhone and Android.) I hope everyone is having a great summer, and I’ll see you in two weeks. — Dan Dear…
Clubland
This summer marks 20 years since Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — the biggest rap act to ever come out of Cleveland — formed and recorded their debut album, Faces of Death, introducing the rest of the world to their distinctive style of rapping. The group went on to sell millions of records and win some Grammys. They’ve…
CD Review: Various Artists
Earlier this year, a bunch of Johnny Cash's friends and famous fans got together in Austin to celebrate what would have been the legendary country singer's 80th birthday. They ran through many of his best-known songs, mostly in Cash's signature style. We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash (part of…
Outside Sources
Who among us can say they’ve had to rent shoes just to attend a culinary affair? Yet that’s the case at least once a month at Mahall's 20 Lanes in Lakewood, where bowling and big-name chefs collide for an odd yet entertaining evening. Mahall’s has a kitchen, but they regularly hand it over to a…
CD Review: Rick Ross
The Miami rapper's fifth LP doesn't stray far from the various solo mixtapes and albums by his Maybach Music Group crew he's released since 2010's Teflon Don. So there's plenty of rhymes about the rich-and-famous lifestyle Ross has immersed himself in since he launched his career. But there's also a sense of coming-down reflection, a…
Film Capsules
Total Recall Less campy than the Arnold Schwarzenegger 1990 version, and thereby less fun, this remake of Philip K. Dick’s sci-fi story about a future where memory implants help folks escape their dismal realities often feels bloated and confused. And for good reason: Director Len Wiseman is responsible for the parade of mediocre Underworld movies…
On Stage This Week
At Cleveland Play House: One Night With Janis JoplinPresented by Cleveland Play House, this regional premiere is both concert experience and reflection on the famous singer’s musical roots. In the title role, former understudy Mary Bridget Davies — who took over after actress Cat Stephani bowed out right before the official opening — turns in…
Soundcheck
Almost 10 years ago, French pop singer Sébastien Izambard left a successful solo career to join three other singers in Il Divo, a multinational operatic classical-crossover group put together by curmudgeonly American Idol/X Factor judge Simon Cowell. The gamble paid off: Il Divo quickly became a world-wide sensation after releasing their self-titled debut in 2004.…
Shaking Off the Dust
Let’s be brutally frank: There is absolutely nothing original or even faintly fresh in the script or songs of All Shook Up, the patched together Elvis Presley/jukebox musical now at Mercury Summer Stock. Even so, you’d best stifle that yawn. That’s because the production itself is thoroughly engaging, thanks to detailed direction and choreography by…
The Reluctant Heir
Randy Lerner wasn’t in Berea last Friday when Jimmy Haslam held his first press conference as the (soon-to-be-official) new owner of the Cleveland Browns. Lerner was on vacation with his kids, a long-planned trip that happened to coincide with the public unveiling of the gas-station magnate to the orange and brown faithful. Even if he…
The Absent Owner
It’s easy enough to understand why the local reaction to Randy Lerner’s sale of the Browns to Tennessee gas station scion Jimmy Haslam has been almost universally positive. Selling the team to anyone who will keep it in town gives Browns fans as much to celebrate as they’ve had in a decade and a half.…
Screens
Hope Springs Steve Carell counsels Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones through their 30-year-old marriage, which predictably has hit a few bumps. Some small-town locals show up for support, but this is mostly the stars’ gripe and grope session. And there are plenty of problems to get through, starting with, but not limited to, the…
Cheap Eats
Hodge Podge It’s three hours into the lunch rush at a recent Walnut Wednesday, and options are quickly disappearing from Hodge Podge’s dry-erase menu; soon, only the popular tater tots will remain. The food truck’s allure could have something to do with its second-place finish on the Food Network's Great Food Truck Race. On the…
Concert Calendar
8/10 Chiodos Trying to untangle the knot of founding, past, and current members of the Michigan post-hardcore band Chiodos can leave you dizzy. But here’s what you need to know right now: The group playing some shows this summer (including a stop at Peabody’s this weekend) is the same one that was around in 2009,…
