15+ Things To Do in Cleveland This Weekend (August 7-10)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 08/07 Laufey: A Night at the Symphony The Icelandic-Chinese singer and pianist will play both original songs as well as “a few unexpected surprises” when she performs tonight at 7 at Blossom with the…
Cleveland’s the Jötunn To Host RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) Fundraiser
Ten years ago, the Jötunn’s Paul Kahan tried to put together a charity concert that would raise awareness about sexual assault and violence. While that show never came together back then, he’s just announced that his band, the Jötunn, will headline a concert on Friday, Sept. 5, at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood to benefit RAINN (Rape Abuse…
First Look: La Casa de Luchita’s, Opening on Shaker Square Friday, August 1st
This Friday, August 1st, Luchita’s will make its triumphant return to Northeast Ohio. The Mexican restaurant closed in 2022 after a remarkable 40-year run. Family matriarch Maria de la Luz “Luchita” Galindo opened the restaurant in 1982, making it one of the first Mexican restaurants on Cleveland’s west side. Now, Reynaldo Galindo — the founder’s son and…
Nick Wilkinson & the Featured Players to Play Reunion Show on August 22 at Jilly’s Music Room in Akron
Singer-songwriter Nick Wilkinson currently lives in Chicago and plays the open mic circuit with his band the Featured Players, but his roots are in Northeast Ohio. He’s just announced that his original band members from group will reunite for a special show on Friday, Aug. 22, at Jilly’s Music Room in Akron. Rye Valley’s Brett…
Canton’s Shootouts Garnering National Acclaim for New Album
A country/Western swing group from the Akron/Canton area, the Shootouts have recently received a good deal of national acclaim. Led by singer-songwriter Ryan Humbert, the band draws from rockabilly, Western swing and old school country on its latest album, Switchback, which came out earlier this year. The group has spent the better part of the…
Why Cleveland’s Leaning Hard Into the Housing-First Model to Help the Homeless
Two years ago, Robert Lucas was living in a homeless camp on a secluded grass lot close to the Conrad’s off West 144th and Lorain. There were about 50 similar homeless camps around the city in recent years, some popping up as authorities came in and shut others down, others enjoying relative longevity and stability,…
Rising Star Baristas Seek Union Help Following Safety Concerns at Lakewood Café
This article was updated at 10:45 a.m. July 30th, 2025 to include an official response from Rising Star, which did not arrive prior to publication The seeds of the itch to organize at Rising Star Coffee in Lakewood started with a bad smell at the café. One that might’ve proved fatal, according to assistant manager…
Livewire: 15 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Week
WED 07/30 Marc Roberge O.A.R. has always had a knack for crafting catchy, meaningful tunes — songs that stick with you and tend to capture the essence of fun summers along the north shore. Marc Roberge, guitarist and singer, is the man behind many of the most iconic moments in O.A.R. songwriting. Tonight and tomorrow…
Ohio Planned Parenthoods Will Remain Closed Despite Federal Success in Ongoing Lawsuit
News of a block in a Trump administration attempt to “defund” Planned Parenthood won’t impact a decision to close clinics in Southwest Ohio. Two clinics in the Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region will still close, despite a federal judge’s ruling on Monday indefinitely allowing Medicaid reimbursements to continue to health clinics nationwide who provide abortion…
Methodical, Measured Growth has Allowed the Talents of Chef Liu Fang to Blossom Organically at Abundance Culinary
The French have a saying: “petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid,” which translates to “little by little, the bird makes its nest.” That adage comes to mind when I think about Liu Fang’s culinary journey. In place of bold action and pricy gambits, the chef plows steadily ahead in her efforts to build a…
Sunny Sweeney Delivers Balanced Mix of Country and Honky Tonk on New Album
Sunny Sweeney started out as an actor and comedian before becoming a singer-songwriter. When she made the transition in the early 2000s, she did so with the understanding that she wanted to be involved in entertainment in some capacity. “I don’t even bring [the acting and comedy] up anymore,” she says via phone as she…
Blank Canvas Theatre’s ‘Pippin’ is at Once Minimalistic and Fantastical
“Pippin,” a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson, has undergone numerous changes since it was first conceived. It opened on Broadway in 1972 as a one-act show directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse that took place on a relatively bare stage. The Broadway revival of the musical…
Ohio Electric Bills Likely to Keep Going up after Latest PJM Auction
Ohioans can expect their electric bills to keep going up. Last year’s auction to ensure the grid operator serving Ohio could meet demand saw capacity prices shoot up more than 830%. In the most recent auction, prices rose even higher. When the 830% increase came down last year after an auction held by electric grid…
Concert Review: Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll, and Everything Else that Happened at Kesha’s Sold-Out Blossom Show
Attending a Kesha concert should, in theory, mean joining a sea of millennials as they desperately cling to their trashiest 2010s memories. Instead, the sold-out crowd at the “Tits Out” show at Blossom Music Center on Monday night was weirdly young — like high school young — proving the pop diva is not just a…
Cincinnati’s Reaper on Red Refines Its Dark Wave Sound on New Album
About 20 years ago, Robert and Carla Cherry, the husband-and-wife who currently play together in the indie act Reaper on Red, recorded a tune named “Zodiac Lights.” Reaper on Red had not yet formally formed, and the tune went onto a hard drive with a slew of other tunes. Then, about four years ago, Robert…
Mark Johnson Hired by WKYC Parent Company Tegna
Summer storms are back, and so is Mark Johnson. Though, it turns out, not reporting the weather in Cleveland. As he did for three decades. At least not yet. This month, after a two-and-a-half month hiatus, Johnson will be talking highs and lows for the parent company of WKYC for other stations owned by Tegna.…
Federal Education Funding Reportedly Being Released Following Outrage From Ohio, National Educators
School districts in Ohio and across the country will now be receiving billions of dollars that were being withheld by the Trump administration, funds local public education workers and supporters said are critically needed as the new school year approaches. The Trump administration halted distribution of $6.8 billion in funds allocated by Congress in March,…
Shah’s Halal to Open in Former Lefty’s Cheesesteak Spot in University Heights
A little more than one year after opening, the Deshaun Watson-backed cheesesteak restaurant Lefty’s in University Heights has closed. The Detroit-based fast-food chain is in the midst of a major contraction, shuttering two dozen locations in multiple states. The University Heights shop was the only Ohio restaurant. But the east-side property already has been spoken for.…
Cap’n Taco to Close After Nearly 50 Years in Business
Cap’n Taco (16099 Brookpark Rd., 216-676-9830), an institution on Cleveland’s west side, will be closing its doors in two weeks. Since 1976, the modest drive-thru Mexican restaurant has been the source of countless taco, enchilada, burrito and tostada dinners. The last day of service will be Tuesday, August 12. “It was not our decision. The property was sold and…
My Review of Cleveland Area Strip Clubs
Safely insulated by volumes of water and space, I sat in a double kayak paddling down the Cuyahoga River in the Flats. My partner and I notice a service practitioner, sitting outside on the patio of Christie’s on a warm summer day, still in her work attire. She sat cross legged in 6-8 inch see…
Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist: Is Polyamory Right for You?
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 guess I am curious if you think polyamory is actually sustainable? If so, how do I even begin to figure out if it’s right…
Bibb Welcomed Democratic Mayors Summit to Downtown Cleveland With a Party Rebirth Idea: Be Authentic
The Democratic Party, according to most observers, failed to deliver the right messaging to help elect Kamala Harris last November. The reasons underlying her defeat to Donald Trump run the gamut. Harris turned down too many interviews with press. She leaned too much on the I’m-not-Trump campaign messaging. She didn’t adequately address what some felt…
Hingetown Jazz Festival Returning in Late August
Now in its third year, the Hingetown Jazz Festival, a free event held on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, will return to the Ohio City neighborhood on Aug. 30. “Our mission is to celebrate Northeast Ohio’s rich jazz community by showcasing talented local and regional artists, from skilled veterans to emerging talents,” reads a…
ICE Continues to Hold Ohio Cleric. His Defenders Say the Government’s Claims Are Bogus
The Trump administration is continuing its efforts to deport an Ohio cleric using what the cleric’s defenders say is a shifting, false rationale. Meanwhile, Covington, Ky., authorities are walking back some of their charges against two journalists after police there violently ended a July 17 protest against the cleric’s detention. Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian national,…
Last Week in Cleveland Food News: Build the Pho’s Second Spot, Coppia’s New Home and More
– Coppia is now open in its new home in Willoughby. Here’s what chefs Hedy and Talia Trovato had to say about the move and what the new space brings that the original spot in Chesterland couldn’t. Related – After seven years, Re:Bar is closing its doors next week. Related – Build the Pho is now…
Ohio Postal Workers Charged with Using Stolen Credit Cards From Mail Routes at Walmart and Home Depot
Two mail carriers for the United States Postal Service were charged this week with using stolen credit cards to buy $13,046 worth of items at a Walmart and Home Depot in Northeast Ohio. Barbara Smith and Brian Dudinsky, USPS workers in Rome, Ohio, were indicted in the U.S. Northern District of Ohio federal court on…
Cordelia to Host Cookout to Benefit Dee-Jays Custom Butchery on Monday, August 4
On April 30, a fire destroyed Dee-Jay’s Custom Butchery in Fredericktown, a family-run establishment that has been supplying quality meats to local restaurants since the early 1990s. Now, many of those same restaurants have banded together to help recover some of the losses. On Monday, August 4, Cordelia will be hosting a casual cookout for Dee-Jay’s,…
Noble Beast Biergarten on Pace to Open Spring of 2026 in Ohio City
It’s no secret that Shaun Yasaki has been on the hunt for property on which he can expand the brand that he’s cultivated for the past eight years at Noble Beast Brewing (1470 Lakeside Ave.). “It’s been over two, three years,” Yasaki says of his quest. “We weren’t really trying to force anything.” That search…
Former East Cleveland Deputy Clerk Charged with Embezzling Federal Funds
A former employee of East Cleveland Municipal Court has been charged in federal court for allegedly stealing $10,571 in cash payments originally meant for the city. Orlando Chappell, a former deputy clerk with the courts, was accused in the U.S. Northern District of Ohio of two counts of federal program theft, for embezzling federal assistance…
Ohio’s Governor, Lawmakers, and Grassroots Organizers Are All Wrestling Over Property Tax Reform
Earlier this week, Ohio lawmakers scrapped summer plans to take action on property taxes. “We really need to do something,” State Rep. Bill Roemer, R-Richfield insisted. “We need to fix property taxes in Ohio.” The state’s tax rates rank 8th in the country, he argued, ahead of New York, California and Florida, not to mention…
What Happens When Someone Dies Inside One of America’s Worst Jails?
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. The Cuyahoga County jail has been called one of the worst jails in America, a title it earned following a scathing investigation…
Cleveland Ska-Punk Band SABON To Play Release Party at Grog Shop
Though she’s only 16, Sophia Parke, who fronts the local ska-punk band SABON, says playing and recording music is a priority in her life. A junior in high school, she’s not certain she’ll attend college right after graduating since it might disrupt the momentum the band has picked up since forming two years ago. “Three…
Republican Politicians Looking to Gerrymander Ohio and Texas to Protect U.S. House Majority
Ohio and Texas could do it. Both states could steal enough congressional seats with new gerrymandered maps for voting districts to fortify the Republican majority in the U.S. House next year. Rigging the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections with gerrymandered congressional districts drawn to guarantee GOP wins is paramount to protecting the Trump regime…
Music Inspired by Takashi Murakami and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
As we move into high summer, some classical music producing and presenting organizations are also shifting into high gear. – Ohio Light Opera continues its season at The College of Wooster’s Freedlander Theatre. The opening performance of Herman Haller and Eduard Künneke’s The Cousin from Batavia is on Wednesday, July 23 at 2 pm (repeated…
Livewire: 11 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Week
WED 07/23 Pantera The heavy metal band led by gruff-voiced singer Phil Anselmo returns to Blossom. Ansemlo and Co. will pay tribute to two founding members who’ve died, drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell, with a set that will showcase its decades-long career. The show begins at 7 p.m., and the metal act Amon…
Akron’s Minus the Alien Returns with Highly Personal EP
Akron-based rapper Ameer Williamson, who tours and records as Minus the Alien, first gravitated to the music of Michael Jackson. “Seeing that floor lighting up [in the ‘Billie Jean’ music video] was the first time I knew I wanted to be an entertainer and that it was something I loved and wanted to do,” he…
Ohio Governor: Children Sentenced as Adults Are Too Risky for Youth Detention
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. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a proposal designed to keep children convicted of felony crimes in youth facilities instead of immediately sending…
Cleveland Developer to Build Age-In-Place Housing, But City Needs to Be More Proactive, Advocates Say
Until now, homebuyers in Cleveland’s Detroit Shoreway neighborhood who were looking for a property with a first-floor bedroom were typically out of luck. Most of the neighborhood’s housing stock is older, and as a result, the bedrooms are located on the second floor. Even the newer units that are being built tend to be vertical…
Ohio Republicans Plan to Appeal Ruling That Private School Voucher Program is Unconstitutional
Ohio Republican leaders announced their plan Monday to pursue an appeal of a Franklin County decision ruling that the state’s private school voucher program is unconstitutional. In a media briefing with Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman and others on Monday, state Attorney General Dave Yost said his office plans to appeal the recent decision in…
Re:Bar Downtown to Close Saturday August 2
Since taking over at Re:Bar, an off-the-beaten-path bar and cafe in the Gateway District, owner Rachel Ulloa has endeavored to create a unique, diverse and inclusive venue. “I wanted to create something more than just a bar,” she said. “I wanted a space that felt like home — a place where people from all walks of…
‘School of Rock’ at Porthouse Theatre Hands the Kids the AUX Cord
While the “School of Rock” musical follows the same story as the hit 2003 film upon which it was based, the musical delves deeper than the film’s source material. In addition to the inclusion of a slew of new songs, the musical version with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater and a…
Why You Should Be Dining at the Fidelity Hotel in Cleveland
(Editor’s note: Every Saturday, Scene dining editor Doug Trattner takes you behind the scenes of the beat in Cleveland Bites, his weekly newsletter, to share notes on what he’s eating and what he’s doing. Here’s an entry from last week’s dispatch. Subscribe to Scene’s dining newsletter here if you haven’t already.) The cover story of…
Despite Spending Billions to Create Jobs, Ohio Near the Top in Unemployment
Ohio in May had the fifth-highest unemployment in the United States. The people behind state programs that are supposed to create jobs aren’t taking credit for Ohio’s relatively high jobless rate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on June 24 released May unemployment rates. Ohio tied with Rhode Island for the fifth-highest rate at 4.9%.…
