15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (October 2-5)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 10/02 Braxton Cook This Juilliard-trained singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Braxton Cook comes to the Bop Stop tonight as he tours in support of his new album, Everyone Can Go, which draws from…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (September 25-28)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 09/25Adopt-A-Beach CleanupMeet at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium and walk to Wendy Park to pick up litter and keep Northeast Ohio’s beaches clean and safe. You’ll be shocked at the number of cigarette butts…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (September 18-21)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 09/18Bob MarleyComic Bob Marley doesn’t play reggae, but he does sing out of his butt. Like the time his wife put him on the Atkins Diet and, he reports, the “assflac” duck flew…
15+ Things To Do This Weekend in Cleveland (September 4-7)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 09/04 UB40 Formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England, UB40 has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and achieved considerable international success. Expect to hear its biggest hits — “Red,…
The Darkness’s New Album Draws From a Variety of Musical Styles
The Darkness bassist Frankie Poullain says that the band put itself in isolation as it began to write the songs that would become the British rock band’s new album, Dreams on Toast. Members went to an artist retreat in the Scottish Highlands to devote themselves solely to penning material for the release. “I have a friend…
Now Open: Dave’s Cosmic Subs in Fairview Park
In a recent interview with Scene, Dave’s Cosmic Subs owner Paul Sidhu stated that his company has a big target ahead of it. “We’re trying to get to 50 stores within three years – and we’re on track to hit that and probably even exceed it,” he said. As of this month, the popular sub…
Rising Star Workers Union to Host Benefit Show After More Baristas Are Fired
Organizers at the Rising Star Workers Union will be leading a rally this weekend to back recently fired employees. On Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m., nine artists will be performing in a benefit show at Ohio City’s Kentucky Gardens to aid a handful of baristas who were fired from Rising Star’s Lakewood location in…
Local Singer-Songwriter Ceci Taylor Releases New Country-Pop Single
Earlier this summer, local singer-songwriter Ceci Taylor released the single, “On Drugs,” a tune that shows off her country pop sensibilities but also delves into hip-hop thanks to guest rapper Nick Bedzyk. “This is a song I wrote a couple of years ago,” she says via Zoom from her Doylestown home. She performs on Sunday…
Cuyahoga County Deputy Involved in Fatal Chases Accused of ‘Lying’ in Hiring Process
This article was first published by The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook. A Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputy who participated in high-speed chases that killed two bystanders admitted to “lying” during his background check and…
Lawsuit Challenges New Proof of Citizenship Requirement at Ohio BMV for Voter Registration
The women’s political organization Red Wine and Blue has sued Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose over changes to the voter registration process at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Thanks to the federal “motor voter” law, car registration agencies around the U.S. have offered voter registration services to applicants since the early 1990s. New state…
Stephanie Haney Is the New Host of Ideastream’s ‘Sound of Ideas’
Stephanie Haney, the legal expert turned journalist who most recently worked at WKYC, is the new host of Ideastream’s “Sound of Ideas” program, the company announced in a statement this week. Haney, who led “Verify” and “Legally Speaking” segments for the local NBC affiliate from 2019 until earlier this year when her contract wasn’t renewed,…
First Look: Batuqui, Opening in its New Larchmere Home on September 2
After overseeing an ambitious two-year construction project, Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira are nearly ready to move the Larchmere location of Batuqui to its new home down the block. The last day of operation in its current spot will be Sunday, August 31st and the first day of service in the new space will be…
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Celebrate 2025 Winners and 90 Years of Excellence During Cleveland Book Fest
The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards (AWBA), the only national juried prize for literature that addresses racism and diversity, proudly marks its 90th anniversary with a citywide celebration September 19–20, 2025. The anniversary weekend will bring award-winning authors to Cleveland for a series of thought-provoking conversations and readings that honor nine decades of Anisfield-Wolf awardees—writers who shaped…
In Conversation With Organizers of the Great Lakes African American Writers Conference
The Great Lakes African American Writers Conference (GLAAWC) is the African American literary event of the year! As we gear up for this year’s event, Cleveland Book Fest partners sat down with GLAAWC founder Dr. Leah Lewis, the new Producer Nicole D. Miller, and 2025 host Nikki B to talk about what’s ahead. Keep reading…
Cleveland Book Fest Kicks Off a Month of Literary Activity Around the Region
What if every single resident in the Greater Cleveland Area engaged with a book this September? We have come together to find out. Our mission is to nurture Northeast Ohio’s love for literature. No matter the genre, no matter the age, no matter the reading level—we want the whole city to discover a story worth…
Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings To Play Agora for Very First Time
Indie rockers Cloud Nothings, a band that formed in Cleveland some 15 years, recently announced the reissue of two fantastic albums, The Black Hole Understands and Life Is Only One Event. Both were first released in 2020 as Bandcamp-only products, but the records are now on streaming services and vinyl. “We made a few on vinyl…
Northeast Ohio Is a Big Part of Trump Deportation Network
The airport, a jail, and a prison in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley have emerged as a major part of the network the Trump administration is using to conduct mass deportations. As it has, residents and advocates are raising concerns. For his part, the county sheriff said he doesn’t have strong opinions in the deportation debate. He…
Cleveland Museum of Natural History Workers Vote to Unionize in Re-Run Election
Employees at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History chose to unionize in a voted tallied this week, following months of what union leaderes called stalling by the museum over the apparent eligibility of supervisors to participate. Sixty-five workers voted in the second election, with 31 votes in favor and 22 against, sources told Scene. The…
‘Not a National Emergency.’ Retired Military Oppose DeWine Deploying Ohio National Guard Troops to D.C.
Retired military and active-duty Ohio families spoke out against Gov. Mike DeWine recently deploying Ohio National Guard troops to Washington D.C. at the request of President Donald Trump. Trump said earlier this month he would send National Guard troops to Washington D.C. to crackdown on crime and Ohio is one of six states that has…
Sparks Singer Reflects on Band’s Decades-Long History of Musical Innovation
Earlier this year, the pop duo Sparks, the 50+ year project of brothers Ron and Russel Mael, released their “undeniably triumphant” 28th studio album, MAD! It’s another fine collection of offbeat synth-driven tunes with funny lyrics about the idiosyncrasies of human behavior. The group emerged as a musical force in the 1970s when the glammy…
Kyuramen Delivers a Tantalizing and Stylish Tour of Regional Ramen Varieties and Japanese Flavors
Restaurateur Sheng Long Yu has brought the compelling dining destination to Northeast Ohio, with plans for a second location on the east side
Livewire: 14 of the Best Concerts to Catch Through Early September in Cleveland
THU 08/28 Ice Nine Kills The metalcore group that reportedly took its band name from the 1963 Kurt Vonnegut novel Cat’s Cradle brings its summer tour to the Covelli Centre in Youngstown. The group’s latest album, Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2, offers the usual quotient of blistering guitar solos and parched vocals. The…
Commission Prepares Consequential Recommendations for Ohio’s Public Defense Standards
At a July meeting in Columbus, Ohio Public Defender Commission Chair William Creedon put the question plainly: “Do we do a wholesale change of the way indigent defense is delivered in Ohio?” The answer could reshape how thousands of low-income defendants get a lawyer — how the state guarantees its constitutional promise of adequate criminal…
Signal Ohio’s Newsrooms Are Unionizing
Reporters at Signal Ohio’s three newsrooms today announced their union drive. The three-year old nonprofit journalism outfit, funded by millions of dollars from local and national foundations and organizations, operates locally in Cleveland and Akron with a statehouse bureau in Columbus. Plans have already been announced to open a fourth newsroom in Cincinnati. All 14…
Visible Voice Books to Relocate to Larger Space in Ohio City This November
When Dave Ferrante opened up Visible Voice Books in Tremont 18 years ago, he moved in with a belief that a bookstore, done well and sufficiently-stocked, would be a boon to a growing neighborhood. “I felt that the area, for what I was doing, would be supportive,” Ferrante told The Plain Dealer in 2007. “It’s…
Cuyahoga County Deputies Called ‘Cowboys’ for Pointing Assault Rifle Out of Window During High-Speed Chase
Isen Vajusi, a Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputy, pointed an assault rifle out of a moving cruiser’s window while speeding more than 100 mph at times during a December chase of a stolen car, bodycam footage shows. Once the fleeing car crashed and flipped into a telephone pole, Vajusi jumped out, pointed his rifle at one…
Cuyahoga County Debuts Loan Program to Boost Development Along Public Transit Lines
Cuyahoga County wants more Van Akens, more Little Italys, more Gordon Squares and more Larchmere Boulevards. Or to put it in city planner speak: more transit-oriented development. On Monday, the county debuted a program that will soon dole out loans to developers who need to round-off financing for projects on or close by train or…
Anti-Abortion Facilities Get Ohio Grants as Funding for Other Women’s Health Facilities Slashed
As some Ohio women’s health facilities square with federal budget cuts and a new effort to cut funds at the state level, anti-abortion pregnancy resource centers are receiving million in state grants. Even in a state with a constitutional amendment that protects the right to abortion, the difference between the facilities receiving boosts in funding…
In Appalachia, Fracking Is Not the Job Creator the Industry Claims
This story was originally published by Canary Media. As the Trump administration aims to bolster fossil fuels at the expense of clean energy expansion, new research shows the oil and gas sector has so far failed to become a major jobs creator for heavily fracked areas of northern Appalachia. “To the degree that we allocate resources…
My Review of That One Gorilla at the Cleveland Zoo
It was a warm August day in 2023, the kind that made the zookeepers sweat and the ants plot. I, a humble carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus), found myself deep in contemplation, brainstorming new research trajectories, or rather, new galleries to excavate. With the collective wisdom of my colony – a bustling superorganism of minor and…
East Cleveland Jail Closes After Inspections Detail Various Violations
The East Cleveland Jail — made infamous in Season 3 of the podcast “Serial” and at the center of a $30 million court judgment — quietly closed in December after two inspections found dozens of violations. City officials discussed inspection findings and their failure to update the facility with Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction…
‘It Feels Like a Betrayal.’ Ohio College Students Experiencing Effects of New Higher Education Law
Ohio college students are navigating the ramifications of the state’s new higher education law that bans diversity efforts, prohibits faculty strikes, and regulates classroom discussion. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 1 into law on March 28 after it quickly passed the House and Senate earlier this year. Ohio S.B. 1 went into effect…
Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist: I Fantasize About My Neighbor and I Think He Knows
Welcome to Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist. Want to ask Matt a question that could be tackled in a future column? Click here. Now, onto this week’s topic. Hey Matt, I am a 42-year-old woman and I am writing in because I can’t stop fantasizing about my neighbor. A little background, I am married with…
Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill to Open in Former Taco Bell Cantina Space on Public Square
It’s been almost two years since the margarita machines stopped humming and the late-night Cheesy Gordita Crunches stopped crunching. But the former Taco Bell Cantina space off Public Square will soon come to life again. Next March, a trio of restaurateurs will open up a new Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill location from the fast-casual…
Beet Jar Now Open at Van Aken District
Last year, after a successful decade in the Hingetown neighborhood of Ohio City, Beet Jar owners Joseph Joseph and Molly Pamela McKay relocated the business to a larger space in Ohio City, specifically the Quarter (2600 Detroit Ave.) at the intersection of W. 25th and Detroit. Next up was an east-side satellite location within the…
Ohio U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno Brushes Off Boos at City Club of Cleveland
Ohio voters gave Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno a harsh welcome Wednesday during an appearance at The City Club of Cleveland. Unruffled, Moreno defended Republican policy and painted the Trump administration in glowing terms. “He should, and probably will, end up getting the Nobel Peace Prize,” Moreno said of the president. “Those are just facts”…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: A Members-Only Bar, a Lakewood Sweets Expansion and More
– The Writer’s Room, above Cloak & Dagger in Tremont and run by the same team, is thriving as a members-only cocktail bar. Here’s why. Related – Down the street, Crust is calling it a day in Tremont (but not Midtown). Related – And down the street from there, Battr is expanding from the neighborhood…
All the $7 Deals to Try During Cleveland Wing Week, Which Kicks Off Sunday, August 24
Wings, like everything else in this world, have gotten more expensive. Which is all the more reason to get excited about and take advantage of Cleveland Wing Week, which starts Sunday, August 24 and runs through Saturday, August 30. For seven days, dozens of Cleveland’s best restaurants are offering up wing deals starting at just…
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Employees Want Leadership to Take Pay Cuts to Avoid Layoffs, Staff Salary Reductions
A union representing Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio employees is pushing back against layoffs proposed earlier this month meant to keep the reproductive care mainstay afloat after cuts in President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill. Workers backed by the local arm of the Office and Professional Employees International Union want nine C-suite executives at Ohio’s Planned…
Who Saved Who To Play Release Party on Saturday at the Beachland
On Saturday at the Beachland Tavern, the local rock act Who Saved Who will play a show to celebrate the release of its new EP, All You Thought You Could Do. The EP was recorded with new members Paul Perrotti on bass guitar and Jonah Rigby on drums. Steve Perrino, who did their previous singles…
Cuisine of India in Parma Heights to Close After 15 Years
For the past 15 years, Cuisine of India (6857 W. 130th St., 440-842-5907) has attracted diners to its modest strip-mall perch in Parma Heights. The restaurant has earned its reputation as a reliable source for flavorful Indian cuisine and one of the best lunch buffets around. Sadly, this story ends after service on August 24th.…
Fans of Lower Shaker Lake Balk at Sewer District’s Plan to Drain the Body of Water
For two centuries, the Lower Shaker Lake has served a number of purposes. For most of the 1800s, its waters helped power a sawmill, thanks to a dam, operated by large Shaker family. In the 1920s, it was home base to competitive swimmers and the Shaker Lakes Canoe Club. And in the 1960s, at the…
High-Speed Chase Video Adds to Controversy About Cuyahoga County Deputy
This article was first published by The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook. Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Deputy Isen Vajusi pointed an assault rifle out a window while speeding more than 100 mph at times during…
Ohio Gov. DeWine Sending Guard Troops to D.C. Makes Him Complicit in Trump’s Military Occupation
What Pandora’s Box has Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine opened by joining other Republican-led states in sending hundreds of reinforcement National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to join the 800 military already mobilized on the streets of the nation’s capital? Whatever possessed the lame duck Republican governor to become complicit in Donald Trump’s authoritarian power grab…
‘we are continuous’ at convergence-continuum Shifts the Narrative
“we are continuous” is a play that tells the story of a gay man’s relationship with his religious mother, but not in the theatrical way that you’d expect. Instead of watching scenes where the son character, Simon (Noah Christopher), meets his husband, Abe (Michael J. Montanus), the two characters guide us through their first date…
Brio Italian Grille at Legacy Village Has Closed
Brio Italian Grille at Legacy Village has abruptly closed. Signs posted on the door hilariously instruct guests to visit other locations in Columbus or Pittsburgh. Given the current state of affairs for the company, there’s no guarantee those locations will be open either when diners knock on the doors. This week, Orlando, Florida-based Bravo Brio Restaurants,…
How Ohio’s Viral Lesbian Cheesemonger Is Changing the Industry One Wheel at a Time
Madelyn Varela didn’t set out to change the cheese industry – at least not at first. But the 24-year-old is certainly changing the way her 500,000 TikTok and Instagram followers purchase, prepare and enjoy cheese. Varela, a Cleveland-based lesbian cheesemonger goes by Cheezy Talk with Madelyn (@cheezytalkwithmadelyn) on social media, where she delves into the…
Cleveland Power Alliance, New Local Coalition, Aims to Boost Democratic Participation and Working Class Policies
Nearly two dozen community-driven organizations, from immigrant advocates to members of Legal Aid, have banded together to fine-tune a policy wishlist a month before the September primary election and possible shakeup of City Council. The Cleveland Power Alliance, a diverse coalition of 21 nonprofits, announced its presence on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday…
Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist: Why Does Vacation Sex Always Feel Better Than Sex at Home?
Welcome to Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist. Want to ask Matt a question that could be tackled in a future column? Click here. Now, onto this week’s topic. These past couple of years I have been traveling more than I ever have in my life. I realized that a lot of my friends who I…
Annual Cleveland Blues Society Blues Cruise To Set Sail on August 25
The Cleveland Blues Society, a local nonprofit that aims to promote “awareness and appreciation for the blues music” and to provide more opportunities for fans with concerts featuring “quality local and national blues artists,” has just announced the details of its 12th annual Blues Cruise, the major fundraiser for its scholarship and educational programming. The…
Wild Mango Closing at Legacy Village, Saffron Patch to Open in its Place
Wild Mango, which opened at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst back in 2019, will close at the end of August. Owner Jia Wei took over the former Stir Crazy space and transformed it into a luxurious escape from the everyday. The last day of service will be Friday, August 30. The Crocker Park location will remain open and…
Huge Numbers of Ohioans to See Big Increases in Insurance Costs
Experts are warning that more than 500,000 Ohioans are poised to lose insurance subsidies starting next year. In many cases, the increased costs they’ll face will be so big that more than 100,000 will lose their coverage, they warn. However, Ohio U.S. Sens. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno, both Republicans, won’t say whether they’ll act…
With Opening of Agora Lofts, Midtown Adds to Its Residential Neighborhood Credentials
When Emma Croft learned she scored a nursing job at the Cleveland Clinic, she decided two things about what that meant for her living situation: She would live without a car, and she would pick an apartment both close to work and the rest of what the city offered. Last week, Croft didn’t move into…
Crust Pizza in Tremont to Close This Week After 13 Years
Pizza lovers of a certain age can recall a time when Crust Pizza operated out of pocket-size shop on Kenilworth Avenue in Tremont. Despite having a tiny kitchen, no dining room, no air conditioning and no liquor license, the pizzeria thrived thanks to impressive pies built on house-made dough, fresh-baked sub buns and desserts crafted…
Tremont’s Battr Sweets Shop Expanding to Lakewood
Since opening in Tremont two summers ago, Battr (910 Literary Rd., 216-860-0099) has been “on an upward trajectory,” says owner Issa Elkhatib. The sweets shop specializes in Belgian waffles, Hong Kong-style bubble waffles and French crepes, which are rolled into cones and filled with a choice of gelatos. So far, the only obstacle is space; at 600 square feet,…
Review: Neil Young Tears Through 60-Year Career Overview at Blossom Concert
Neil Young has a few things on his mind in 2025. He’s worried about the state of the world politically. He wants the earth to remain habitable. And he’s got mortality on his mind. But Young, not usually one for subtlety, didn’t hit the Blossom Music Center crowd over the head with his messaging as…
At City Club Great Lakes Talk, Positives for Lake Erie and a Push For Localities to Take the Lead
There is a special mirage that we all acknowledge about Lake Erie. Beneath that seemingly endless pool of blue and grey is a whole heap of problems. There’s the algal blooms. The invasive fish and the microscopic pollutants. But all of that must be acknowledged to keep Lake Erie, and its four siblings, healthy and…
Ohio Anti-Gerrymandering Coalition Calls for Fair Maps Ahead of Congressional Redraw
Ohio lawmakers are preparing to draft new congressional districts. Several progressive organizations calling themselves the Equal Districts Coalition are joining forces again to push for fair maps. Lawmakers are going back to the drawing board because they approved maps along partisan lines in 2021. Ohio is actually the only state in the country constitutionally mandated…
The Writer’s Room in Tremont is a Members-Only Bar for People Who Appreciate Cocktails and Comradery
Unlike the private clubs of old, which used high barriers to entry as a way of separating the us from the them, many of today’s members-only businesses do so for more practical economic reasons. That’s what was behind Cory Hajde’s decision to open The Writer’s Room, an intimate cocktail lounge that resides over Cloak &…
Mr. Jeff’s New Children’s Album Addresses Growing Up With a Healthy Dose of Silly
A multi-faceted musician known for his success as both a children’s music artist and a rock musician, Cuyahoga Falls-based Jeff Klemm (aka Mr. Jeff) channels his career as a preschool teacher into music, focusing on educating children while engaging them with rock music and a “healthy dose of silly.” A 2025 National Parenting Products Award…
‘I’ll Fucking Kill You’: Joe Jones Accused of Threatening Coworker; City Council to Vote on Censure in September
A memo released by Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin today recapped the results of an investigation into more allegations against Councilman Joe Jones, who was previously investigated for multiple allegations of misconduct over the years and who stepped down from his committee assignments after it found a “sustained pattern of inappropriate and unprofessional behavior.”…
Cleveland’s Model Martel Releases New Music Video
The members of the local punk band Model Martel — singer-guitarist Tim Gill, bassist Jason Utes, guitarist Chris Provchy and drummer Ryan Kelly — have known each other for two decades. In the past, they’ve played in local acts such as Echoes of Harpers Ferry, Worship This, Sleeper Horse, Seafair, but when those groups dissolved,…
