WDOK Gets Rid of Trapper Jack, Jim McIntyre
WDOK is getting rid of longtime Cleveland radio voices Trapper Jack and Jim McIntyre, it was announced today. Their contracts will not be renewed. Listen to Trapper Jack give a classy goodbye here.
ChopHouse Closing January 1
After a 14 year-run, New Year’s Eve will be the last day of business for the Cleveland ChopHouse. The official statement blames the recession for their decision. They expressed gratitude to their loyal customers and extend an invitation to join them on December 31 as they bid a fond farewell.
Umbrella Confusion Sends Hudson High School Into Lockdown
Any matters involving school security and student safety have been incredibly tense and very serious in the days following the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. And rightfully so. This morning, Hudson High School went into lockdown mode as a possible gunman was sighted in the parking lot. School officials…
ESPN Reporter: Cowboys Senior VP Alec Scheiner To Become Browns President
Per a Tweet via ESPN contributor Adam Schefter, the Dallas Cowboys’ senior vice president and general counsel, Alec Scheiner, has agreed to become the Cleveland Browns’ president. “Scheiner will likely handle contracts and salary cap management while the Browns hire a personnel executive to oversee football operations,” according to Schefter. Scheiner has been at his…
Barberton Bans Feeding Animals After Dark
With the Monday night passage of a controversial ordinance, Barberton residents are no longer allowed to feed animals after sunset. Though a vocal opposition group stated their case against the measure for several months running, City Council members explained that the law is meant to slow a growing stray animal threat. It’s a safety precaution…
Charter School Boards’ Lawsuit Against White Hat Remains Pending
The ballooning era of charter schools in Ohio comes with plenty of good news, as well as an ongoing spate of unsettling events. NPR’s StateImpact recently checked in with representatives of the some of the charter school boards currently engaged in a lawsuit against their former governing authority White Hat Management. They’re still waiting for…
Parma Man Gets 10 Years For Stabbing Incident Over Jay-Z Trivia
A New Year’s Eve party last year got a little heated when Ronnie Deaver of Parma got into an argument over whether or not Jay-Z and Beyonce were actually in a relationship. To Deaver’s credit, he was right about the facts of the matter. But he went too far when he stabbed the other man…
Tuesday Quote: Kasich Talks Gun Legislation
“I’m a Second Amendment supporter and that’s not going to change.” That’s Gov. John Kasich yesterday on the matter of H.B. 495, which would grant greater breadth to concealed-carry permit holders in the state. Essentially, the legislation would allow people to bring a gun into the Statehouse parking garage in Columbus and would allow anyone…
Searching For Bigfoot In Ohio
Matthew Moneymaker, co-host of Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot,” shared his thoughts on the mythical creature’s whereabouts with USA Today recently. Ohio’s very own Salt Fork State Park made the list of Bigfoot stomping grounds. (Hooray?) He elaborated on the park’s attractions for the Bigfoot research crowd: “It has been going on there longer than anywhere…
Is That A Sawed-off Shotgun In Your Pants Or…?
Martin Oh, come on! It’s a classic line and there’s never been a more fitting time to use it. 19 Action News has the low-down on Matias Martin, a Cleveland resident who caught the attention of Akron police following up on a robbery report Dec. 14: When officers approached the man … they asked if…
Black Keys To Begin Recording New Album
From Akron to Nashville and, now, northward to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Black Keys are hibernating in a North Michigan studio this winter, laying down preliminary tracks for the follow-up to last year’s “El Camino,” according to reports. Recording will pick up again in Nashville late next year, with a hopeful collaboration with producer Danger…
Concert Review: Sufjan Stevens at the Beachland Ballroom
You would have to be a real Scrooge to not get a kick out of Sufjan Stevens’s spectacular holiday show that came through town last night. Playing to a sold out audience at the Beachland, Stevens held nothing back for the concert he dubbed “The Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant…
Monday Morning Reading From Around Cleveland
Monday morning in Cleveland – Where the news flows like wine and the tenacious politicians instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. OK. Here’s our morning reading roundup: – Are you looking for a hearty dose of gubernatorial talk? The PD’s Henry Gomez has a terrific take on which governor we’ll see in 2013. “Pugnacious…
Concert Review: Sons of Elvis at the Grog Shop
Some bands will do anything for their biggest fan. Take Sons of Elvis, for example. The Cleveland alternative rock act hasn’t played together in some 15 years. But because “super fan” Matthew Morrissey wanted to hear them perform one last time, the guys agreed to do a reunion show even though bassist Dave Hill and…
Gotta Groove Records issues Christmas Single
Last year, Gotta Groove Records, the local vinyl pressing plant, sent out a Christmas single (pressed on vinyl, of course) to its friends and clients. It has continued the tradition this year and has just issued a 7-inch single (on translucent green vinyl) that features employees performing a few choice Christmas classics. “We pressed a…
State Highway Patrol Nabs Massive Pot Stash Wrapped Up For Christmas
In sort of a drug-addled take on the classic Grinch tale, the Ohio State Highway Patrol seized 30 pounds of marijuana wrapped up as Christmas gifts yesterday. The stash clocked in at around $192,000. Armando Flores Deleon, 33, of Madison, Wis., was driving a 2005 BMW X3 SUV when he was pulled over for swerving…
Local Hard Rock Act Hot Ham & Cheese Taking Pre-Orders for New album
The local hard rock act Hot Ham & Cheese (the band fittingly describes its sound as “hard rock mixed with sludge and doom metal”) has plans to officially release its new album, Wake Part 2, in 2013. Diehard fans have the opportunity to purchase it early; the group is selling it on its website and…
Friday Morning Reading From Around Town
Coupla interesting things coming off the local presses this morning. Here’s Scene’s morning reading roundup: – Didja catch the Geminid meteor shower last night? WEWS has some pretty far-out video of the show via NASA this morning. Let us know what the best soundtrack for this kinda thing is. (Flaming Lips’ take on Dark Side…
Concert Review: 2 Chainz at House of Blues
It took two hours after the last opening act performed before rapper 2 Chainz arrived on stage last night before a sold out crowd at House of Blues. Even though he only played about an hour, he still managed to play all of his hits. Touring in support of his new album Based on a…
Drunk Driver Asks Solon Cop For Directions, Gets Arrested
Lakewood resident Perry Allen, 34, got a little lost on his way to Stouffer’s on the east side last weekend. The drinks he had had earlier that night probably didn’t help much. Either way, he pulled into a Sunoco gas station to ask for directions, according to Solon’s Patch blog. The guy he spoke with,…
“A Christmas Story” Dinner at Touch
Touch Supper Club is presenting “A Christmas Story” Dinner and Party on December 22. The evening begins with “A Christmas Story” dinner complete with Peking duck and wine tasting. Guests are encouraged to stay for Touch’s Holiday Party consisting of 2 floors of entertainment with sets by 6 DJs: Steve “Sleepy C” Cinch, Mike Metz,…
Former WMMS Music Director receiving attention for Rush’s Rock Hall Induction
Given the dismal state of commercial radio in Cleveland today, it might be hard to fathom that there was a time when you could actually hear good new music if you flipped on the radio. WMMS was instrumental in introducing music fans to great new bands. Donna Halper, the music director at WMMS in 1974,…
Naughty Claus Dinner at Speakeasy
The Naughty Claus Dinner, presented by Emerging Chefs on December 20th, from 8pm-12am, at the Speakeasy, basement level of Bar Cento/Bier Markt will feature Santa’s Sassy Menu. Chef Adam Lambert will be whipping up a five-course meal for just about everyone on the naughty or nice list. Service provided by naughty elves. Don’t be surprised…
The Quality of Cleveland Life Report
Akron-based Sterling Jewelers sues Zales for using the phrase, “the most brilliant diamond in the world,” in its advertisements. Also, they have a problem with you calling your baby the cutest on the block. Ed FitzGerald finds a sucker to take the long vacant Ameritrust building off the county’s hands. Next up: helping Mike Holmgren…
Brian Okin Out at Luxe
Brian Okin is no longer executive chef at Luxe Kitchen & Lounge, according to Owner Melissa Cole. Cole is not wasting any time looking back. “Brian is moving onto bigger and better things. He’s been around a long time,” she says. “He has developed a following with his Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, Ad Hoc kind of…
Creep Show
When producer Tyler Davidson introduces Compliance when it screens at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and at 7:15 p.m. on Friday at the Cleveland Cinematheque, he’ll be plenty ready for the types of difficult questions the film often provokes. Based on an incident that occurred at a Kentucky McDonald’s in 2004, the film centers on a man…
We Get Mail
Better Than Nothing, We Guess For years the PD has been a poor excuse for a newspaper. [“Can The Plain Dealer Be Saved?”] The writing was sub par. But for Cleveland not to have a daily paper is sad. The city is finally making a turnaround and now this. What major city does not have…
Band of the Week
Meet the Band: Rodney Rose (rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar), James Bucceri (guitarist), Aaron Dalison (bass), Jim Trivanovich (drums), Zac Pirillo (singer-guitarist), Dan Morris (steel guitar) Outlaws at Heart: The band formed five years ago after Rose and Bucceri started writing songs together and put the group together with guys they knew from the local metal…
CD Review: Attack Cat
This indie rock duo —Rachel Hoskins and her husband, Dave Douglas — often keeps it simple, but it goes for a bigger sound on this five-song EP of Christmas songs. In fact, “We Three Kings” is so anthemic that it sounds like an orchestra and chorus is performing behind the duo. The title track is…
Blast From the Past
At its peak in the mid-’90s, indie/alternative act Sons of Elvis appeared to be the next big thing. The New York/Cleveland band signed to a label and gained some traction, making an appearance on the nationally televised Jon Stewart Show. It also toured with big-name acts such as Bush and Alanis Morissette. After a 15-year…
Bruce Almighty
As he approaches 60, veteran singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby has developed a more esoteric approach to his roots rock and pop music. Rather than just play his hits, such as “Mandolin Rain” and “That’s Just the Way It Is,” he refashions them and incorporates jazz and classical harmonies and structures. Currently on a solo tour, Hornsby…
Meeting of the Mayfields
Brothers and sisters don’t always become best friends. But because they were both homeschooled while growing up in Kent, singer-songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield and her singer-songwriter brother, David, who have both gone on to become national recording artists, bonded on a deeper level. “My Barbies would always just so happen to have a run-in with…
A Witch Hunt With No Witches
At a recent Seven Hills caucus meeting on November 19, former mayor and current councilman-at-large David Bentkowski made an allegation, which is what David Bentkowski does for a living. This time it surrounded the Seven Hills Home Day Committee and $4,000 that he says is missing. According to committee chairman and fellow councilman Matt Trafis,…
HorseScrooge
When the Horseshoe Casino opened its doors on May 14, it unwittingly siphoned millions of dollars that had previously flowed into the pockets of local non-profits the previous seven years. Since 2005, the Nautica Charity Poker operation had stood as a one-stop fund-raising shop for charities. It was quick and painless, reliable and lucrative. About…
Savage Love
Dear Dan: At a dinner party, a straight man put a question to my boyfriend and me. He assumed that we, being gay men, would have an answer for him. We did not, Dan, and so we turn to you. What happens to one if one has to fart while one is wearing a butt…
A Different World Awaits
It’s fun to be invited into a private club, just as if we were members ourselves. That way, we get to enjoy the rush of instant friendliness and shared intimacies without all the nasty bits, such as attending committee meetings and raising funds. This is the heady atmosphere that is created in The Secret Social,…
Top Pop Culture Picks for the Week
TOP PICK Bruno Mars Unorthodox Jukebox (Atlantic) Mark Ronson, Diplo and Jeff Bhasker have production credits on this, Mars’s follow-up to his platinum selling debut, 2010’s Doo Wops & Hooligans. Mars does a bit of everything as he evokes Prince on the sultry “Gorilla” and gets all funky on the infectious “Treasure.” Mission Impossible: The…
Winter Rays
The long Thanksgiving weekend and preparations for holiday craft fairs conspire to thin out Cleveland’s gallery openings in early December. However, the aesthete willing to make the short trip down I-77 to the Akron Art Museum are rewarded with fresh treasures with Adolph Gottlieb: Sculptor, a collection of historic work rarely seen in America. Ironically,…
Italian Reconnaissance
For Jonathon Sawyer, opening a new restaurant always involves travel. We’re not talking about a short trip, parachuting in to check out the markets and hit some restaurants, but rather a complete immersion in the region’s culinary culture. It’s how you nail down the authentic details. Sawyer lived in Rome before opening Bar Cento. He…
Let’s Get Offended!
W. Kamau Bell is taking the formula that’s worked so well for comedians like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Maher and ushering it into the 21st century with style. Equal parts comedian, social commentator, and activist, Bell knows there’s greater power in asking questions than giving answers. His new show on FX, “Totally Biased…
Incredible Bulk
Due to its importance, this review will run in three parts. Next week, a cover story, and the following week, an entire issue of Scene. On billboard-sized paper unfolding into a giant wraparound to completely enclose you with its glow-in-the-dark ink (3D glasses included). Just kidding. But you get the point about bloat and hype.…
