Poetry for People Who Hate Poetry, No. 16
This column is part of a monthly series by Dave Lucas, the Poet Laureate of the State of Ohio. You can read his previous columns here. *** This is the final installment of “Poetry for People Who Hate Poetry.” In my first column, I wrote: “I don’t want to convince you that you should love…
Despite Its All-Star Cast, ‘Cats’ Falls Flat
There was probably a time and place when it made sense to turn Cats, the musical that made its debut in 1981, into a theatrical release. But that time and place has placed. Even though the musical continues to draw crowds wherever it plays, the songs and storyline in the Andrew Lloyd Weber play clearly…
Maltz Museum Announces Programming for Its Annual MLK Day Celebration
The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage will once again feature a day of free programming on Monday, Jan. 20, to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The free all-day event will feature three special programs, including a sermon by Cleveland’s Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. [pictured], a performance by the…
Crooked River Arts Council Donates $12,000 to Local Organizations
The Crooked River Arts Council (CRAC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting music, arts and culture, community support services and education, donated more than $12,000 to area organizations this year to assist in fulfilling their missions. The money went to places such as Habitat For Humanity, Main Street Kent, Family & Community Services (Grill For Good event), Big…
Lauryn Hill is Finally Coming to Northeast Ohio, Performing at MGM Northfield Park in March
The one and only Ms. Lauryn Hill is coming to Northeast Ohio next year, the singer recently announced. Twenty years ago the R&B/hip-hop artist released her one and only solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Now in celebration of that release, the Fugees member is in the midst of a worldwide tour, with…
Edwin’s Bakery Opens in Buckeye-Shaker This Friday
Brandon Chrostowski isn’t one to sit on his hands. Since launching the pioneering EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, the chef, restaurateur and philanthropist has expanded the scope of his skills-based program for formerly incarcerated men and women to include EDWINS Second Chance Life Skills Center and EDWINS Butcher Shop. He also is a consultant on…
Browns, Bronny and Kluber — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac are back. They discuss the broken Browns, a wild Saturday night in Columbus and the Corey Kluber trade. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
The Cleveland Orchestra’s Christmas Concerts and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
As the month grows older, classical music events begin to thin out after a big burst of activity earlier in December. Here are a few items to add to your calendar before 2020 arrives. Seven Cleveland Orchestra Christmas Concerts remain between Wednesday, December 18 and Sunday, December 22, led by Richard Kaufman and Lisa Wong,…
Greater Cleveland Aquarium to Again Team Up With United Black Fund for Annual MLK Day Celebration
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium has just announced that it’ll again team up with the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. (UBF) for a community fund- and friend-raiser that takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, at the aquarium. Every guest who donates $1 or more to UBF on that…
Cleveland Public Library Workers Could Go on Strike if Bargaining Session Goes South
Librarians, clerks, custodians and other front line staff at the Cleveland Public Library are this week bargaining with library leadership for higher wages and increased staffing levels across the system. If an agreement is not reached after this week’s sessions and an additional session planned for Dec. 27th, the nearly 400 workers who are members…
Bear Hands to Play the Grog Shop in March
The indie rock act Bear Hands toured extensively this year with acts such as Twenty One Pilots, Foals and X Ambassadors. Now, the band has announced a string of headlining dates for 2020. It performs on March 8 at the Grog Shop. The tour supports Fake Tunes, an album the band issued earlier this year.…
Indie Rockers String Machine to Celebrate Their Latest Album’s Re-Release at CODA on Jan. 17
Originally a solo project for David Beck, the Pittsburgh-based indie rock act String Machine came to fruition after Beck enlisted a number of friends to help him perform, turning the band into a collective. The group released its debut, Threads from the Youth Fossil, in 2017 and followed it up this year with Death of…
Pornhub’s 2019 Year-in-Review Reveals Ohio Women Are Way Into Feet Porn
Porn giant Pornhub recently released its annual roundup of data insights, and amid the dizzying array of global wanking trends, a state-by-state breakdown of users’ smut preferences revealed something, uh, interesting about the way women in Ohio look at porn. Namely, that women in the Buckeye State are very much into foot fetish porn. Now,…
Fired County Budget Director Lawyers Up, Says She Was Retaliated Against
The administration of Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish fired its budget director, Maggie Keenan, last week in an explosive personnel move that could reverberate across the ongoing investigation of county government. Keenan, in a flurry of emails to Cleveland.com the night of her dismissal, said the county made a mistake firing “the one who knows…
A Festivus for the Rest of Us Celebration Comes to Market Garden Brewery Wednesday
Festivus — the holiday made up by everyone’s favorite Seinfeld father, sweet, sweet Frank Costanza — is getting its due here in Cleveland with a big celebration at Market Garden Brewery in Ohio City Wednesday While the holiday is technically supposed to be observed on Christmas Eve Eve, no one is probably going to mind…
Donnie Iris and the Cruisers Coming to the Canton Palace Theatre in March
Now one of rock’s elder statesmen, singer Donnie Iris regularly still makes his way from his Pittsburgh home to perform in Cleveland with his backing band the Cruisers. The guy’s career goes back decades. In 1970, he earned a gold record with the Jaggerz for “The Rapper.” In 1978, he joined Wild Cherry, and in…
Holidays Not to Blame for Seasonal Affective Disorder in Ohio
The winter solstice is nearly upon us, and for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans, the shorter days and falling temperatures can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD. As a clinical psychologist who treats SAD, Sally Weinstein from the University of Illinois at Chicago explains the symptoms can be distressing, and include a lack…
Ohio’s Christmas Bird Count: ‘There’s a Lot to be Seen’
If you want to contribute to more than a century of science about the feathered friends in your community, the National Audubon Society’s 120th Christmas Bird Count starts Saturday. In various parts of Ohio, volunteer groups will span out over a 15-mile radius in designated areas and count every bird they see or hear. Jeffrey…
Knuckle Puck to Perform at Mahall’s in February
The Chicago-based rock band Knuckle Puck spent almost all of 2019 off the road working on the new effort. Slated to be released in 2020, the album will follow the group’s previous LPs, 2017’s Shapeshifter and 2015’s Copacetic. Earlier this week, the the five-piece announced that it’ll debut songs from the forthcoming record on a…
Cuyahoga County Settles One Jail Lawsuit for $140,000, Faces Another New One
Cuyahoga County has already and will continue paying out hefty sums to settle lawsuits brought by inmates of the troubled jail who have documented and alleged gross misconduct and use of excessive force. One plaintiff, Corrionne Lawrence, this week reached a settlement with the county for $140,000. Lawrence had filed a federal civil rights lawsuit that…
Singapore Street Food-Inspired Dang Good Foods Opens Today in Lakewood
Less than a year ago, Daniel Ang launched the popular Singapore-style food truck Dang Good Foods, selling foods inspired by his childhood. There, he grew up eating a melting pot cuisine with roots in Chinese, Indian, Malay, Japanese and Korean cooking. When Thai Thai announced its plans to relocate to a larger space down the…
Ohio’s Own Dave Chappelle to Perform at Connor Palace Dec. 30
After retiring from his popular comedy sketch series Chappelle’s Show, comedian Dave Chappelle has returned to doing standup comedy and continues to have a huge following even though his show no longer airs. He’s just announced that he’ll perform at 8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 30, at Connor Palace. Tickets go on sale at 10…
Turns Out Clevelanders Didn’t Just Search for Porn on Google in 2019
We don’t want to alarm you, but 2019 is soon coming to a close. And while we’re pretty sure the top Google searches this year had to do with pornography, the search-engine has provided us with a roundup of the clean-ish things that trended on its site not only in Cleveland but also Ohio throughout…
Ohio House Passes Bill Forbidding Municipalities From Banning Plastic Bags
Municipalities in Ohio would be prohibited from banning plastic bags under a proposed law the Ohio House of Representatives passed yesterday. Supporters of the legislation — mostly Republican lawmakers and business groups like the Ohio Chamber of Commerce — say it will keep business owners from having to navigate a “patchwork” of regulations and fees…
Agencies Say No Excessive Radioactivity Found in Detroit River After Storage Site Collapse, Elected Officials Hosting Meeting Today
State and federal elected leaders, along with environmental activists, are hosting a meeting Thursday for Detroit residents potentially impacted by a long-contaminated riverbank that collapsed into the Detroit River on Thanksgiving Eve. The idea is to get more answers and provide “a solutions-oriented path forward.” The public was unaware of the potential contamination until the…
Plum and Good Company Team to Unveil Two New Food Stalls at Ohio City Galley
Change is once again afoot at the Ohio City Galley. It has been a little more than a year since the incubator-style food hall opened its doors and already we’ve observed plenty of movement. Some of that is to be expected given the nature of the endeavor, one designed to help small business owners test…
Celebrating a Number of Milestones, 10,000 Maniacs to Play Next Week at the Music Box
The alternative rock/modern folk group 10,000 Maniacs recently celebrated a handful of anniversaries. Two years ago, the band’s breakout album, In My Tribe, turned 30. Last year, singer Mary Ramsey celebrated 26 years with the group as its lead singer (she replaced Natalie Merchant back in the early ’90s), and last year also marked the…
Extended Protective Netting Coming to Progressive Field in 2020
After a year in which fan injuries came to the forefront of baseball’s attention, all 30 MLB teams will feature extended protective netting at their ballparks next season, commissioner Rob Manfred told CNBC yesterday. The Indians being one of those teams, that means extended netting will be installed at Progressive Field. Teams have taken the…
Brubeck Brothers to Pay Tribute to Jazz Great Dave Brubeck at the Kent Stage in April
Next year marks the centennial year of the late jazz and classical musician and composer Dave Brubeck, and to celebrate his life and legacy, Brubeck’s sons Chris and Dan Brubeck, who began performing and recording with their father in the 1970s, have curated a special multimedia show featuring their band, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. Through…
Cities & Coasts and Dan Miraldi and the Albino Winos to Reunite to Play CODA on Dec. 27
Two Cleveland expats, singer-songwriter Nathan Hedges and Dan Miraldi, will return to town to perform on Friday, Dec. 27, at CODA in Tremont. In addition, the bill will feature Miraldi’s and Hedges’ early Beatles-inspired pop-rock band the New Preservation Society, a group that’s released four singles this year and has an EP ready for release…
Native Clevelander Dave Hill Coming to Visible Voice Books on Dec. 21 for a Book Reading
When he was just a kid, native Clevelander Dave Hill would regularly hear his grandfather, who was Canadian, talk about wonders of Clinton, Ontario. Every Sunday at dinner, he’d insist Canada was the “best.” As a result, Hill, an accomplished writer, comedian and musician, has always thought fondly of our neighbors to the north and…
Clevelanders Named Their Dogs Baker at an Alarming Rate in 2019, a New Report Finds
Clevelanders continue to name their pets in the same way they name their children — mostly with human names. A new report from Rover.com, a site that connects pet owners with part-time pet-sitters, has released the Top 5/Top 10 cat and dog names for most major cities in America, including Cleveland. According to the report, 25 percent…
RTA Board Gets Two New Appointees, at Capacity at Last
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) announced this week that two new members have been appointed to its board of trustees. One of them, Mayor Frank Jackson appointee Luz Pellot, fills a seat that has been vacant since Kelley Britt resigned from her post in August, 2018, after a ruling from the Ohio Ethics…
Comedian Whitney Cummings to Perform at the Agora in April
Comedian Whitney Cummings has just announced dates for her upcoming How Dare You tour. The jaunt kicks off on Friday, March 13, in Royal Oak, MI, and comes to the Agora Theatre on April 25. This will be Cummings’ first tour since she released her popular Netflix special, Can I Touch It? “I’ve been lucky…
Lake Erie ‘Dead Zones’ are Impacting Northeast Ohio Drinking Water Every Summer
A report by Tony Briscoe in the Chicago Tribune last month explained how “dead zones” in Lake Erie are leading to an increase in manganese levels in the local water supply. These dead zones, largely the result of dying algae from expansive algae blooms, are forcing Cleveland’s Water Department to experiment with treatment in real…
Ohio ‘Anti-Protest’ Bill Could Move to House Floor
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio House committee could vote today to approve so-called “anti-protest” legislation. The House Public Utilities Committee is holding its seventh hearing on Senate Bill 33, which would increase penalties for those who physically damage or tamper with critical infrastructure facilities. Randy Cunningham with the Cleveland Environmental Action Network says it is…
Fine Acting Can’t Save None Too Fragile’s ‘Neville’s Island,’ A Tired Old Tale of Middle-Class Ennui
Four middle-aged Brits wash up on a desert island: a grouch, a nerd, a peacekeeper and a pious man. It makes a great setup for a joke. But while Neville’s Island evokes a number of laughs, the punchlines ultimately prove stale and the stakes never feel high enough to merit much audience investment. The 1992…
An FAQ on the Lingering Issues at the West Side Market
Mike Turczyk last week announced that after 36 years in business, Turczyk Meats would be closing up shop at the West Side Market. It is not the only stand that’s expected to shutter this year, as vacancies, especially in the produce section, pile up. With precise regularity, a stand closure triggers a fresh bout of…
CFP, Bowl Games and OBJ — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac talk broken refrigerators, the broken baseball system and more. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
State Rep. Stephanie Howse Unleashes on an Outrageous Abortion Bill and the Destructive Legislating of Ohio Republicans
Ohio’s House Bill 413 is one of the most outlandish pieces of abortion legislation pursued to date in the United States. Like Republican lawmakers elsewhere, those in Ohio are salivating at the notion of overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 high court decision legalizing abortion. Medical professionals, scholars and constitutional experts are baffled at…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Week (Dec. 11-17)
WED 12/11 The 11th Annual Ryan Humbert Holiday Extravaganza The 11th annual Ryan Humbert Holiday Extravaganza, a benefit for the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank, returns to the Akron Civic Theatre today. The special performances will feature Humbert’s terrific honkytonk band the Shootouts as well as alt-country group the HawtThorns and local singer-songwriter Gretchen Pleuss. A…
Blank Canvas’ ‘Yippee Ki-Yay’ Subverts Parody, Offers Hilarious Holiday Hijinks
The debate is finally over. Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and it’s gotten the holiday treatment. Chicago’s greatest theatrical import has come to Cleveland with Blank Canvas’ regional premiere of Yippee Ki-Yay, Merry Christmas, a musical parody more baked than a fresh batch of gingerbread men and wrapped in enough pop culture references and…
Dobama’s ‘The Old Man and The Old Moon’ Changes How You View That Orb in the Sky
Like magicians, many theater creatives have mastered the art of illusion. You’ll see productions where clever trickery with light, special effects and design create near-impossible imagery that makes you wonder, “How the hell did they do that?” This isn’t a question you’ll be asking yourself after attending Dobama Theatre’s production of The Old Man and…
Il Venetian’s Stellar Service and Solid Execution Matches Its Big Price Point
I’ve never eaten in an executive dining room, those sumptuous corporate sanctuaries reserved for top-rung employees, but after a few meals at Il Venetian, I can now imagine what the experience must be like. Outside, passersby trudge anxiously to awaiting court dates at the Justice Center. But on this side of the wispy curtains, well-dressed…
Band of the Week: Canterbury Arts Club
MEET THE BAND: James Douglas (guitar, vocals), Brandon Lichtinger (guitar), Rob Carter (bass), Mark Bradbourne (drums) OBSESSED WITH MUSIC FROM AN EARLY AGE: Local singer-songwriter James Douglas started playing guitar when he was only 5. “I then started writing songs when I was 9, and I haven’t stopped,” he says. Douglas played in a band…
Savage Love: Kink Monsters
My husband and I (straight male/bi female couple) have been married 15 years. We are in our early 40s. When we met, he was inexperienced and crippled by shame from having grown up in an extremely sex-negative atmosphere. I have no hang-ups about sex and was happy to get him involved in some more adventurous…
‘Atlantics’ Tells An Urgent Story of Love and Ghosts
The French-Senegalese director Mati Diop’s debut film Atlantics is one of the more original and surprising films of the year. Though it begins as a conventional third-world realist drama — construction workers in Dakar, Senegal, without wages for months, flee by boat to Spain to seek a better life — the film transforms midway into…
Clint Eastwood Takes the Mass Media to Task With ‘Richard Jewell’
Director Clint Eastwood has said that his interest in the story of Richard Jewell, the security guard falsely accused of planting a bomb at Centennial Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics, stems from the fact that it’s a “great American tragedy.” That might well be, but despite a great performance from I, Tonya’s Paul Walter…
