Cleveland Police Officer, City Sued For Injuries Following Argument About Lebron James, White NBA Players
A Cleveland man is suing the city and a Cleveland police officer for injuries after he was tossed out of a McDonald’s by the cop who apparently was not pleased with his discussion about LeBron James and the lack of white basketball players in the NBA. Charles Smith, the man bringing the suit, is Native…
Rocker Joan Jett in good form on new album
Former Rolling Stone editor and renowned rock writer Dave Marsh once described singer Joan Jett as “the female Chuck Berry.” It’s an apt description. Jett’s career began with the punk-y all-girl rock combo the Runaways, and she capitalized on that experience with her 1981 solo album, Bad Reputation, which delivered radio hits such as “I…
Cleveland Traffic Camera Set On Fire
Photo Courtesy of Fox 8 In a move that’s certainly understandable in no way condoned, a portable Cleveland traffic camera was recently set on fire and is currently undergoing restoration. City police said some kind of starter fuel was used to ignite a fire at the unit’s base, causing cosmetic damage to the exterior and…
Cleveland Crush Franchise Will Relocate to Toledo
After only two years in Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Crush of the Legends Football League — formerly the Lingerie Football League — will relocate to Toledo. According to LFL Founder Mitchell Mortaza, Cleveland has been an incredible home for the Crush, and the Quicken Loans Arena a fantastic venue, but ” the combination did not…
Up-and-coming New Orleans rapper plays House of Blues on Thursday
“Be Real. Be Righteous. Be Relevant.” This is the creed that David Augustine Jr. lives his life by. Professionally known as Dee-1, the New Orleans-based emcee spent some time as a teacher in Baton Rouge before deciding to pursue his passion on a full-time basis rather than just after hours. Dee-1 will be part of…
First High Tech Wendy’s Opens in Ohio
Photo Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons Wendy’s, the Ohio-based fast food giant, opened its first tech-savvy store this morning, across the street from its Dublin, OH headquarters. Folks used to the drab red-and-yellow-hued establishment are in for a shocker— not only is the new store sporting a richer set of scarlets and golds, it’s also…
Is This Cleveland’s Biggest Snowman?
Doug Brown/Cleveland Scene A snowman on Abbey Ave. This snowman is big enough to use an orange traffic barrel as a hat. Well done. Located in a yard on Abbey Ave, between West 19th and West 20th, this snowman recently popped up and we’re extremely impressed. It won’t be around forever, though, because it looks…
Investigation Continues Following Brutal Wayne County Murder
Metsker A 9-year-old girl was reported missing on Saturday in Smithville, Ohio, a small town southwest of Akron. Reann Murphy had last been seen building a snowman with her 24-year-old neighbor, Jerrod Metsker. Murphy’s body was found in a nearby trash dump on Sunday morning. “She was not only killed,” Sheriff’s Captain Doug Hunter told…
Ashtabula Farm Hand Dies in the Worst Way Imaginable
Via the Star Beacon, a farm hand in Ashtabula County who died over the weekend in a gruesome accident is reported to have drowned in a manure storage lagoon, pinned down by an overturned tractor. Is there anything more to say? This poor guy, the 41-year-old Santos Medina de Jesus, had worked at the farm…
Learning How to Breathe: The Endless and Fruitless Search for Chuck Standberry
The clank of traffic shuffles along West 25th Street. It is a Sunday morning, which means everybody’s out for the day. Just off the main drag, Willie and Carla Stanberry are walking up the icy stairs in front of Franklin Circle Church. They’re dressed impeccably because today is, after all, a celebration. Inside, yawning wooden beams…
The Ohio State University Marching Band Uses iPads to Pull Off its Performances
You’ve been watching them for years, but this season the Ohio State University marching band took their half-time performances to a whole new level, re-creating a moonwalking Michael Jackson and a prowling T-rex that actually ate someone. But how exactly does the band pull off these incredible shows game in and game out? Well, apparently…
Rock Hall Announces Inductees for 2014
Hall and Oates The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has announced the inductees for the class of 2014. Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, KISS, Nirvana, Linda Rondstadt and Cat Stevens will be inducted as performers. “This year’s Hall of Fame Inductees really capture the passion of the fans,” says Joel Peresman, President…
Erica Blinn plays Scene Session
Earlier today, alt-country singer-songwriter Erica Blinn stopped by our office to perform a few songs. Her terrific new album, Lovers in the Dust, is due out early next year. She performs tonight at 8 at Wilbert’s with her band the Handsome Machine. Check out previous Scene Sessions with the Promise Hero, Zach, Stephanie Trivison, Diana…
The Owners of Grafton’s Twilight Boutique Were Busted for Selling Synthetic Marijuana
The owners of the Twilight Boutique chain of head shops have been indicted on charges of federal conspiracy, drug and money laundering. Sean and Sherry Lightner of Grafton Township allegedly used their boutique chain to sell synthetic marijuana. Despite the whole illegal thing, the crime itself isn’t exactly original. A head shop selling something that can…
All Good Festival Taking Hiatus in 2014, Will Return in 2015
JACOB DESMIT All Good Festival 2013 in Ohio All Good Festival, which has sown its seeds at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio, the past two years, will not take place in 2014. The jam-friendly music fest will return in 2015 to an unspecified location, organizers say. The idea is to develop a long-term approach for…
Hipster Robs Bank in Lake County
Ironic mustache. Thick (and probably fake) black-rimmed glasses. Knit hat. The guy disguised as a hipster stereotype just robbed a Huntington Bank in Concord Twp., per the pictures and descriptions of the suspect via the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. He walked into the bank around 2:15 this afternoon, handed a teller a note…
20 Reasons Why We Love Winter in Cleveland
The below freezing temperatures and annual whompings of lake effect snow that fall well into April and May have long given winters in Cleveland a bad rap, but this six-month season is actually one of the most wonderful times of the year, and not just because of the holidays. Don’t believe us? We’ve got 20…
A Founding Member of Prison Band DryveTrayne Shares His Story
DOUG BROWN/SCENE Vincent plays guitar as a member of DryveTrayne After Scene published a feature story on the bands forming at Trumbull Correctional Institution, one of the founding members of one band contacted us to reflect on his time in prison and his life after incarceration. Scene did not obtain state approval to use current…
An Akron Man Could End the Ugly Holiday Sweater Shortage
The happiest and most horrific of holiday traditions, the ugly sweater, has become a scarce commodity in Cleveland. Heartbreaking stories from across northeast Ohio are flooding in, recounting failed expeditions through area thrift shops and big box retailers in search of the holiday wardrobe staple. The shortage is putting a damper on everyone’s holiday spirits,…
A Proposed Bill Would Make Ohio A Concealed Firearm Free-for-All
Two Republican representatives are pushing for a bill that would make carrying a concealed handgun in Ohio a whole heck of a lot easier. The bill, which is the brainchild of Representatives Ron Hood of Ashville and Matt Lynch of Bainbridge Township, would allow anyone who is 21 years old and above to carry a concealed…
87.7 Rallies Clevelanders to Save Station
Last week, Scene broke the news that Cleveland’s rock radio station, 87.7, is switching to Latin programming. Since the station’s announcement, Clevelanders as far south as Mansfield have boisterously voiced their disapproval. According to a press release from the station’s staff, “There have been more than 7,000 phone calls from shocked and disheartened listeners, 150,000…
Anamanaguchi puts on colorful show at Beachland
After releasing the wonderful output of songs recorded for the album Endless Fantasy, Anamanaguchi brought innovation to a new aspect of their music; their live show. Funded by fans via the website Kickstarter, the groundbreaking-composers-slash-tech-wizards custom-designed and built their wildly colorful stage show that they brought to the Beachland Ballroom last night. With several giant…
Antun Lewis Found Guilty in Second Trial
1220 East 87th Street The second trial of Antun Lewis, charged with setting the deadliest house fire in Cleveland history, ended today. He was found guilty. Lewis could now face life in prison. This second trial was granted after judges determined Lewis’ first conviction was tainted by questionable testimony from known jailhouse snitches. Additional state…
Accused Eastlake Shoplifter Makes Getaway, Falls on His Face, Is Caught By Police
Kevin Gary, shoplifting genius. An accused Eastlake shoplifter flunked Thievery 101 yesterday after failing to recognize how inclement weather conditions could affect his getaway. 34-year-old Kevin Gary of Willoughby Hills allegedly swiped a few choice items from an Eastlake Walmart and had already been apprehended by police, when he decided to make a break for…
Controversy Strikes: Cleveland Police Have Snowball Fight While On Duty
The latest Cleveland police controversy hit the presses this week when one resident woke to the sounds of laughter and glee outside his window. He peered through the blinds and quickly grabbed a camera because, as he describes it, several police officers were “in the middle of the street in a damn snowball fight.” WEWS…
Brimfield Police Chief Tackles Kanye West’s Moronic Statement
David Oliver, police chief of Brimfield Township/Facebook sensation/author, doesn’t have time for ignorant and moronic statements from the likes of Kanye West. He takes them as disrespect, which they are. We know this because Oliver penned a top-notch and much-needed open letter to the rapper after hearing what he had to say about the struggles…
Memorials for Jazz Broadcaster Bobby Jackson to take place on Monday
The jazz world lost a fierce promoter this past Monday with the unexpected death of Bobby Jackson, one of the country’s leading jazz authorities and a Cleveland resident. An award-winning jazz broadcaster and educator, Bobby was an intimate of greats like Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, and Wayne Shorter. Most recently, he created, wrote, and hosted…
Scene Podcast: The Life of a Mid-Level Bookie
This week, Doug Brown profiled “Steve” and “Luke,” two buddies who fell deeply into debt with their bookies years ago before switching sides and becoming bookies themselves. There’s plenty to love about the story, including a few fun blind items, the details of how running an illegal side business can squelch any semblance of a…
Justin Timberlake Displays Depth at Quicken Loans Arena
Yesterday morning, Justin Timberlake received a Golden Globe nomination for co-writing the Inside Llewyn Davis ’60s-pop trifle “Please Mr. Kennedy.” But on Thursday night, the rakish star put on his pop star shoes and performed for well over two-and-a-half hours in front of an ecstatic, party-ready crowd at the Q. Backed by his current collaborators,…
Oberlin College Student Wins $1000 on “Jeopardy!”
Photo via Sam Bernhard, the Lorain Morning Journal An Oberlin College student took home $1000 earlier this week after appearing on the hit game show Jeopardy! 19-year-old Sam Bernhard was the youngest of the three contestants on Wednesday night’s show, where he competed against an attorney from Washington, D.C. and a retired police officer from…
10 Things Going on in Cleveland this Weekend (December 13 – 15)
As the winter winds whip through our city this weekend, keep warm by sprinting the marathon known as holiday shopping. There are several opportunities to knock out your seasonal shopping over the next few days, including the Tremont BrewHaHa, Cleveland Bazaar, and Christmas on Coventry. Or, if you actually feel like beating the holiday bloat,…
Cedar Point Unveils Two New Attractions for 2014
Cedar Point will soon unleash a couple of new tricks: two new rides will be added in 2014, because you can never get enough Cedar Point. The first addition takes the form of a new family attraction called Pipe Scream, a thrill ride that rocks the rider back and forth over a track some 40…
A New Direction: Doug Katz Reboots His East Side Diner
After six months in business, Doug Katz made the agonizing decision to completely retool his Cleveland Heights restaurant. This week, the Katz Club Diner unveiled its new menu, which has almost nothing in common with the one diners have gotten cozy with since opening day. “It’s an incredibly hard thing to do to open a…
LGBTQ Community Will Gather Dec. 15 to Discuss Recent Violence
Pilgrim United Church of Christ The recent murders of Betty Skinner and Brittany Stergis have galvanized the region’s transgender community, prompting open discussions amid bouts of fright and worry. Skinner, 52, died of blunt force trauma. She was found in her bed at a senior apartment complex in Old Brooklyn. Stergis, 22, was shot in…
Off the Beaten Path: Treehugger’s Café
It’s tough to find a restaurant that works hard to provide healthy, delicious items to vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike. But Treehugger’s Café (1330 Bagley Rd., 440-973-4277, treehuggerscafe.com) in Berea is that rare intersection of good, healthy food and thoughtful sourcing that welcomes all diners. Gluten free? Dairy allergy? Treehugger’s got you covered. The café’s…
Thief Caught Because of Footprints in Snow (This Will Now Start Happening Quite Often)
With the accumulation of snow we’re likely to see over the next few days, be prepared for a steady barrage of police reports citing “footprints in snow” as the reason behind moronic thieves getting caught. It’s already starting! An Akron man was robbed at knifepoint yesterday, losing his briefcase and a roll of money before…
Cleveland Police Set Up Illegal Traffic Cameras in Parma
Cleveland police are once again flaunting their prowess as law enforcers after illegally installing traffic cameras at an intersection in Parma. Cleveland’s cameras and signage went up on Parma property just west of Broadview and Brookpark road, a location, which, per city ordinances, is downright illegal. According to Parma City Hall, school zones are the…
Ranked: Ohio One of the Most Obese States in the Nation
The numbers have been crunched, folks, and this year Ohio comes in as one of the most obese states in the nation. According to new data by the United Health Foundation, there are only 11 other states that rank higher in obesity and only 9 others that rank worse in overall health. We’re also in…
Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight as Cleveland’s Persons of the Year
Berry, DeJesus, Knight With the annual hullabaloo over TIME’s Person of the Year announcement (Pope Francis, if you somehow missed the frenzy), I posed a local variant of the question on Twitter today: Who is Cleveland’s Person of the Year? The answer, of course, is the trio young women who broke free from Ariel Castro’s…
87.7 Sold, Will Switch to Latin Music Programming on January 1, 2014
Update: 87.7 has since confirmed our report on their Facebook page. The station says they’ll be releasing more information on the switch/sale this Friday. They’ve clarified, via Twitter, that is a “programming partnership,” not a full-blown sale. What that means? We’ll have to wait until Friday. *** The landscape of Cleveland radio will change again…
The West Side Market is Upgrading its Restrooms
Ohio City’s beloved West Side Market is finally revamping its restrooms, and will make a series of upgrades to have- wait for it- basic plumbing. via Cleveland.com: Crews began work Tuesday, remodeling restrooms on the south side of the building — a six-month, $1.5 million project intended “to increase the overall visitor experience at the…
Update: The Wife of a North Ridgeville Police Chief is a Repeat Shoplifter
Marie Schrader from AMC’s Breaking Bad Update: The wife of North Ridgeville Police Chief Mike Freeman has been sentenced for her repeat shoplifting offense that occurred earlier this year. Elaine Freeman was given a $250 fine, plus a 10 day jail sentence, which she begins serving today. Once released, Freeman will be on house arrest…
Cleveland Has One of the USA’s Best Santas
In a story published this week on TIME.com, the esteemed inventor-cum-youth-collaborator Kris Kringle at Tower City’s Kringle’s Inventionasium was named one of the nation’s 11 best Santas. “Wearing a red-and-white-striped shirt and green overalls, he sits behind a desk or on a stool instead of a cushiony throne and tells youngsters about his latest invention…
Hotspot Café Returns Quality Diner Fare to Carnegie
Today is Day 3 for Hotspot Café (1332 Carnegie Ave., 216-239-1141, hotspotcafecleveland.com), a new breakfast and lunch spot that took the place of Carnegie Kitchen, which closed earlier this year. Previous operations at this address include Verve and Juniper Grille. The freshly minted eatery is run by CIA-trained chef William Davis, one of the brother-partners…
Liquor in Ohio is a Game of Relationships: How the Winking Lizard Group of Companies Wins by Providing Value for Its Customers, Its Partners and the System
Through the magic of supplier allocation and special purchase orders, almost every rare or limited-release whiskey that makes its way into Ohio eventually finds its way onto the back bar at a Lizardville location in Bedford Heights, Copley or Rocky River. This past month, bottles of George T. Stagg Bourbon, Sazerac 18 Year Old Rye,…
Szechuan Heaven: Szechuan Gourmet is One of Cleveland’s Most Exciting Restaurants Right Now
I’ve been eating at Szechuan Gourmet every other month or so for a year and I still feel like a stranger in a foreign land every single visit. The Chinese restaurant, which opened last year in a space connected to Tink Holl grocery, replaced a short-lived Asian restaurant in the same space. Szechuan Gourmet, unlike…
Pho Nation: It’s Cold. Get Yourself a Bowl and Dive In
Pho (pronounced “fuh”) becomes more popular and more prevalent in Cleveland by the day, and we couldn’t be more pleased given the weather. While ingredients and accoutrements vary from place to place, the dish is one of the most pleasant to enjoy this time of year — a big, warm hug by way of Vietnamese…
Review of the Week: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The natural instinct after sitting through Peter Jackson’s The Desolation of Smaug (pronounced “smowg”) is to question why The Hobbit — a shorter novel than any of the individual books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy — has been trisected for the big screen. The 1977 TV movie The Hobbit clocked in at 90 minutes.…
Film Spotlight: Go For Sisters
The first time we see Fontayne (Yolonda Ross) in John Sayles’ new film, Go For Sisters, she’s peeing into a cup and not long after that, she’s in front of her probation officer Bernice (Lisa Gay Hamilton), crying and pleading for a second chance. It’s a tough role but Ross, who was just nominated for…
8 Bit Boy Band: Anamanaguchi Delivers its Most Successful Album
On a typical day in 1992, the young guy who would go on to become the chip-rockers Anamanaguchi would be hanging out in their parents’ basement. Bottles of Jolt cola might be sitting next to a well-worn copy of Super Mario Brothers or Duck Hunt. A computer in the background would display a screensaver of…
Lights, Lasers, and Pyro: Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Paul O’Neill Reflects on the Band’s Incredible 15-Year Run
For the Trans-Siberian Orchestra it’s been 15 years now that it’s been delivering a unique guitar-driven prog rock-infused holiday experience that melds elements of traditional seasonal classics with classical music, classic rock ‘n’ roll favorites and original material for a show that is truly unique. Lights, lasers and pyro form an essential component of the…
Band of the Week: Erica Blinn and the Handsome Machine
Meet the Band: Erica Blinn (vocals, guitar, harmonica), PJ Schreiner (drums, vocals), Mark Nye (bass, vocals), Greg Wise (guitar, vocals) A Watershed Moment: Singer-guitarist Erica Blinn started her musical career by playing harmonica in bands around the Columbus area when she was only 14. She eventually began writing her own songs and fronted bands in…
Regional Beat: The Commonwealth
Urban Soul (Cellar Door Records) cellardoorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/urban-soul On last year’s Emerald City Blues, the Commonwealth started to experiment in the studio to push the limits of its elegant arrangements and beautiful melodies. With Urban Soul, an album the band has said is thematically about “being in your mid- to late-twenties and trying to start a life,”…
Savage Love: LGBT&P?
Dear Dan — I recently ended things with a guy I liked because he wanted to stop using condoms, but he balked when I said we should both get tested for sexually transmitted infections. He said he felt I didn’t trust him. I tried to explain that trust has nothing to do with it, and…
Impressive Witch Craft: Wicked is Back Again at Playhouse Square, to Dazzle You with Big Tunes, Witchy Spells and Major Glitz
Many people claim the scariest moment of their childhood was when the Wicked Witch of the West appeared in Oz, snarling, “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” All praise goes to Cleveland native Margaret Hamilton, who conjured a witch that has populated millions of shivering childhood nightmares. Ms. Hamilton’s ghost seems…
Also on Stage
A Christmas Story Cleveland Play House Yes, the tale of Ralphie and his BB gun is back. Of course, just when you say there’s nothing new you can discover about this play, drawn from the fertile and clever mind of Jean Shepherd, there’s a pleasant surprise. In this production, that happy occurrence (and a couple…
Your Complete Guide to Cleveland Concerts (December 12 – 18)
THURSDAY DEC 12 Bad Boys Jam: 9 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Bee String Band/Greg Braun: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Tab Benoit/Sol Driven Train: Louisiana-born blues guitarist Tab Benoit started up “Voice of the Wetlands,” a charity focusing on coastal preservation, back in 2003. Thing is, that moniker is also apropos for Benoit. With the grit…
Degenerate, Inc.: The Paranoid and Obsessive Life of a Mid-Level Bookie
“When you win and win big, there isn’t a better feeling in the world — you’re on cloud fuckin’ thirty-nine,” Steve says as he turns on his large TV, plops down on the reclining section of his oversized leather couch and pulls a laptop close. “You want to pop bottles of champagne in the basement…
Fill ‘Er Up: Grab a Growler and Enjoy Fresh Beer at Home
On the surface, growlers might seem uninteresting – merely a utilitarian apparatus designed to transport small amounts of draft beer from here to there. End. Of. Story. But if that were the case we wouldn’t be seeing such an explosion of usage. Three years ago, growlers were strictly the province of craft beer geeks, who…
The Lanci Tribune is a Real Thing and It’s Going Statewide
The first edition of The Lanci Tribune was odd. It’s probably best to leave the editorial comments to the funny pages, but this really is ri-goddam-diculous. Ken Lanci, the guy who lost the mayoral election to Frank Jackson and got Plain Dealer reporters all hot and bothered with his choice of automobile, is actually running…
