Rock Hall Announces 2016 Inductees (Updated)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has just announced that Kendrick Lamar and Kid Rock will be presenters at the upcoming inductions. Lamar will induct N.W.A and Rock will induct Cheap Trick. *** The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has just announced that it will host an exclusive live…
Local Musician Forms New Band to Protest Rock Hall’s Exclusion of Prog Rock Acts (Updated)
ProgNation, the local tribute act that formed last year in response to what members perceive as the exclusion of prog acts from the Rock Hall, has just announced a series of concerts. The first show takes place at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, at New Heights Grille in Cleveland Heights. The Cigars, a rock…
East Cleveland’s Website Is Finally Back Online
Update: We don’t know when exactly, but East Cleveland’s website is back up and functioning, reminding everyone of the city’s mission: The City of East Cleveland works to empower our residents, schools and businesses and ensure that our neighborhoods are safe and desirable places to live, work and play. *** (Original story 12/16/2015) Jeremy Pelzer…
Our Favorite Scene Cover Stories of 2015
As we proudly kick off 2016 with our fourth annual Comics Issue, we also look back on 2015. In the words of Mayor Frank Jackson, it was a “troubling year” for Cleveland. That represents a step back from 2014, which, again in Frank Jackson’s words, was a year of “incredible highs and incredible lows.” All…
Red Wanting Blue Returns to Ohio for a Pair of New Year’s Shows in Cleveland
There is a small chain of hotels that grace the western U.S. For decades, they have served as bastions of relief and comfort along, for instance, the flat contemplations of I-80 in Wyoming. And when he and his bandmates needed a moment of solace a few years back, Scott Terry, the lead singer of Red…
A Look Back at the High School Rock Off as It Turns 20
When the annual High School Rock Off launched some 20 years ago at the Odeon, the promoters at the locally-based Belkin Productions (now Live Nation) intended it to serve as a way to reach out to area high schools and provide students with the kind of outlet that they might not have. Two decades later,…
Petitti’s Garden Center Spreads Holiday Cheer, Donates 60 Trees to West Side Catholic Center
Petitti’s Garden Center has donated 60 Christmas trees to the West Side Catholic Center. The trees are free for anyone who wants or needs one, and can be picked up in WSCC’s back parking lot. “Thank you for making the holidays merry,” the West Side Catholic Center posted to its Facebook page — no kidding.…
PHOTO: Here’s What the Cleveland Public Square Renovations Look Like Right Now
Thanks to Twitter’s EMSinCLE we’ve got this pretty neat snapshot of the Cleveland Public Square renovations as they currently stand. last update for 2015 Terraforming of #CLE public square @Cleveland_Scene @TowerLightsCLE pic.twitter.com/W078W5WsB9 — EMSinCLE (@EMSinCLE) December 22, 2015 After a bit of a delayed start, things are well underway on the $32 million dollar facelift that…
Michael Brelo Pleads No Contest in Summer Attack on His Brother
Cleveland.com reports that Michael Brelo has entered a no-contest plea in Rocky River Municipal Court for an attack on his brother in Bay Village in May. The altercation occurred four days after Brelo was acquitted of all charges in the shooting deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams, an acquittal that resulted in days of protesting in…
Chief Wahoo Could Be Next Native American Trademark Overturned with New Petition
Lawyers for local Native Americans have drafted a petition asking for the immediate cancellation of the Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo trademark. The petition, they say, will be filed with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board as soon as funds for filing fees become available. “The [Chief Wahoo] logo is a crude caricature of a proud…
MetroHealth ‘Whistleblower’ Alleges Retaliation After Exposing Botox Thefts
According to a lawsuit filed Monday in Cuyahoga County, the director of internal audit at MetroHealth recently reported that two MetroHealth vice presidents and at least one employee’s relative had accepted free Botox injections and other services from MetroHealth’s Pepper Pike Dermatology Clinic. During a Dec. 15 quarterly presentation to the Audit Committee, Simpson Huggins III…
Lakewood City Council Unanimously Votes to Close Lakewood Hospital
Lakewood City Council formally began the process to close Lakewood Hospital on Monday night with a unanimous vote. Even though city attorney Robert Cahill repeatedly claimed the master agreement between the Cleveland Clinic and the Lakewood Hospital Association was nothing more than “a piece of paper” as late as Monday afternoon, the document is now…
Northeast Ohio Mother Shares Brutally Honest Obituary Following Daughter’s Heroin Overdose
In a brutally honest obituary, Northeast Ohio mother Kim Bishop attempts to shed light on the harsh realities of her daughter’s heroin addiction in hopes of warning others against the danger that so quickly stole 24-year-old Cindy Marie Pitman’s life. Pitman, a college graduate and licensed massage therapist, had just revealed to her mother that…
Angry Jimmy Haslam, the Mismatch in Seattle, Charles Woodson and More — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
On the mismatch in Seattle, an angry owner, the A-Z workout plan and Charles Woodson. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Android users can find the RSS feed here. Download the episode directly here. Or stream below.
Pop Singer Rick Springfield to Perform at Hard Rock Live on Valentine’s Day
If you’ve ever wondered who the hell Jessie is and why anyone would want his girl, you’ll now have a chance to find out. Singer-guitarist Rick Springfield, the soap star-turned-rocker who wrote “Jessie’s Girl” and songs such as “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “An Affair of the Heart,” “I’ve Done Everything for You” and “Love Somebody,”…
Next Year’s WGAR Country Jam to Take Place at Lorain’s Black River Landing
For years, WGAR’s Country Jam, an annual event that brings many of country’s biggest stars to town, has taken place at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. Now, WGAR has announced that next year’s event will take place at Black River Landing in August. The Band Perry will headline the event, which is now in its 25th…
Five to Try: Jamaican Joints Offer Island-Style Fare on the North Coast
You might not expect Cleveland to be a hotbed of Caribbean cuisine, but there’s a pretty strong undercurrent of island-style cooking bubbling through the landscape. Apart from a few exceptions, the Jamaican shops around town tend to follow a blueprint that includes enthusiastic owners, dismal interiors, huge portions of interesting food, little if any seating,…
Oberlin is Latest College to Revoke a Bill Cosby Honorary Degree
Oberlin College, that bastion of cultural hyper-sensitivity in higher ed, has at last revoked the honorary doctorate in humanities it awarded to Bill Cosby in 2010. The college’s board of trustees voted on the decision at its meeting this month. “Mr. Cosby’s admitted actions are not congruent with Oberlin College’s commitment to supporting survivors of…
Maynard James Keenan’s Artsy Side Project Puscifer to Play Akron Civic in April
With Puscifer, an even weirder and artsier band than Tool and A Perfect Circle, the two other bands he fronts, Maynard James Keenan says the emphasis is on the live performance. “This show is so much more than just a band regurgitating songs,” he says in a press release announcing the band’s 2016 tour, which…
Cleveland Native Steve Harvey Takes the Crown for 2015’s Biggest TV Mistake
As your Facebook friends have been kind enough to point out all day, longtime Family Feud host and Cleveland native Steve Harvey hosted the Miss Universe Pageant last night in Las Vegas, where he crowned the wrong woman the winner. Oops! Harvey announced Miss Colombia as this year’s winner, but soon realized that Miss Philippines was…
Video: A Teaser for ‘Star Wars, Cleveland Awakens’
Here’s a cool if brief (it’s 15 seconds long) video combining Star Wars and Cleveland. Want more info? Us too. Here’s the brief rundown via Reddit: I guess to put it simply, we’re messing around with some Star Wars vfx. The basic plot is a Kylo Rem esk figure is invading Cleveland while a Jedi…
Here’s the 911 Audio of Iman Shumpert Delivering His Baby Last Week
On Thursday, TMZ broke the news that Cleveland Cavalier Iman Shumpert helped deliver his baby daughter in his own home and ended up using his headphones to tie the umbilical cord. It’s an incredible story, made only more touching by the release of the 911 audio from his call with medical personnel during the birth.…
Kyrie Returns As Cavs Crush D-League Sixers
The Cavaliers gave the Sixers what they had coming. They’ve had it coming all year and have gotten it on the regular. Unlike their last visit which ended in just a six point deficit, the Wine and Gold showed up properly primed with their missing superstar back on the floor and wiped it with the…
Grog Shop Offers Buy One Ticket, Get One Free Promotion This Weekend
As a holiday special, the Grog Shop, the eclectic indie rock club located in Cleveland Heights, will offer a special ticket promotion this weekend. Fans that purchase one ticket to a show happening in January, will receive one free ticket. In order to redeem the promotion, use the access code BOGOGROG at Ticketweb.com. The promotion…
Hard Rock Rocksino Unveils Michael Stanley Video Lottery Terminal
Earlier this afternoon, Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park celebrated its second anniversary with the induction of Michael Stanley’s video lottery terminal (slot-like device). The machine joins the Hard Rock’s “VLT Hall of Fame,” and sits near a Bernie Kosar video lottery terminal (slot-like device). “We’re honored to have you here today to celebrate not only…
Cavaliers Hear Thunder But Won’t Let It Reign
Coffee, as Alec Baldwin notes in Glengarry Glen Ross, is for closers. They’re the type of people that gets things done whatever it takes. They don’t look askance, they look inward. They don’t make excuses, they seal the deal. Life’s full of obstacles, they don’t make themselves one of them. While the Cavaliers can’t consider…
Lakewood Woman Found in Car With Dead Body Pleads Guilty to OVI
One of the stranger stories to slip across the local news cycle started with an apparently routine OVI stop this fall in Crawford County. What law enforcement found behind the wheel was not only an eight months pregnant Lakewood woman, but the dead body of a 34-year-old Lakewood man in the seat next to her.…
Local Indie Rockers Filmstrip to Headline Free Show at Mahall’s
Filmstrip singer Dave Taha follows the fabled tradition of the singing storyteller, but not in the same way folkies do. Growing up listening to a range of sounds from Bob Dylan to Nirvana, Taha decided to pursue the lyrical middle ground between folk’s ramblin’ man rhymes and grunge’s self-absorbed obscurity. But rather than tell his…
Alligator Uncovered in Cleveland Home, Owner Arrested
After receiving a call about a domestic disturbance, police reported to a Cleveland home Thursday afternoon to find a man barricading both himself and his pet alligator inside. According to WKYC, a SWAT team arrived at the home after the unlikely pet was discovered. The alligator found in the Cornelia Avenue home was turned over to…
7 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, DEC. 18 Ohio City Singers About 10 years ago, local singer-songwriter Chris Allen and his sister Molly worked up four Christmas tunes at their father’s request and then threw a big Christmas party to which they invited their musician friends. They played the four original tunes they had penned as well as a few…
‘Modern-Day Slavery Exists All Around Us’; Feds to Target Sex Trafficking in Cleveland
The Northern District of Ohio was selected as one of six federal districts to participate in the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team Initiative. More effective prosecution is the goal here, with this new team “streamlining the investigation” of federal human trafficking offenses. In short, the program will provide a broader and deeper range of resources — collaborations…
Undercover Boss Sneaks into Cleveland Store
It’s not every day the CEO of a major corporation bleaches his hair blonde and rocks over-sized glasses to evaluate his employees. But that’s just what the CEO and president of Shopper’s World, Sam Dushey, did at his Cleveland’s location for CBS’s Undercover Boss. According to Cleveland.com, the New York retail magnate was enlisted by…
Go See Star Wars Pronto
If you didn’t make it out opening night, we’re here to echo the breathless exhortations of your Facebook friends: Go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and do it as soon as possible. It seemed unlikely that any film could live up to the manic hype that’s been manufactured over the past year or so.…
Rising Star Coffee Partners with Humble Pie Bakery to Launch Own Bakery
Since opening its first shop in Ohio City, Rising Star has always offered baked products from various local producers. But soon they will be producing those products themselves thanks to a new partnership with Diane Sikorski of Humble Pie Bakery. The high quality pastries will be produced in a kitchen in the Hildebrandt Building, where…
Ohio Man Rents Out Entire Movie Theater for Star Wars Release
Cuyahoga Falls’ Cinemark theater was pretty sure tickets to Star Wars: The Force Awakens would sell out. But it never expected to be literally booked for the entire night. Kent resident Craig Foreman wanted to ensure he would be able to see the continuation of his favorite franchise, and he wanted to make sure that…
Crain’s Editor Elizabeth McIntyre Named Interim Publisher, Campanelli’s Future Uncertain
The current editor of Crain’s Cleveland Business, Elizabeth McIntyre, will now also serve as acting publisher. (Acting = at least until suspended publisher John Campanelli’s indecent exposure charges are “reviewed internally.”) It’s unclear what Crain Communications VP and group publisher Mary Kramer intends to uncover in an internal review — A clearer picture of Campanelli’s…
Halestorm Singer to Perform with Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Q
The front woman of the Grammy-winning band Halestorm, singer Lzzy Hale (pictured) possesses one helluva voice. The featured vocalist on “Forget About The Blame (Moon Version),” the first radio single from Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s newest release, Letters from the Labyrinth, Hale will join TSO on stage in Cleveland to perform the tune. A Top 40 hit on…
Akron Native’s Documentary Film About Disney’s ‘Dark Side’ to Screen at Akron Public Library
A Digital Filmmaking Artist-in-Residence with Young Audiences New York and a member of the Tribeca Film Institute’s Teaching Artist roster, director Philip Swift, who grew up in Akron, has built an impressive resume of films. His short documentary “Sincerely, PV Reese” was shortlisted for the 2010 Vimeo Awards (and it served as the opening night…
Metroparks to Raise Zoo and Golf Rates in 2016
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will increase admission prices by one dollar in 2016. The Board of Park Commissioners voted on the proposal at their jam-packed final meeting of 2015 Thursday morning. Zoo Executive Director Chris Kuhar presented the proposal. He said a price increase would still keep Cleveland competitive with peer zoos in the region.…
So Iman Shumpert Just Delivered a Baby and Used His Headphones to Tie the Umbilical Cord
TMZ reports today that Cleveland Cavalier Iman Shumpert can add temporary OB/GYN to his list of off-court accomplishments. Via TMZ: R&B superstar Teyana Taylor says she had no idea she was in labor until she felt the child’s head making it’s way out of her around 6 AM. “It took two ten count pushes with…
Silverstein and Senses Fail Share the Spotlight at House of Blues
Good double bills are hard to find. But touring together for the first time since 2004, Senses Fail and Silverstein didn’t disappoint last night when they played House of Blues. The crowd was packed with both long-time loyal fans as well as newer fans who’ve recently jumped on board for the latter half of both…
$60 for a 13-Second UFC Fight, Meaningless Early Season NBA Games, and More — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre Knott discusses spending $60 for Conor McGregor’s 13-second victory. The fellas discuss how much meaning the NBA regular season actually has, and Anthony Lima (@SportsBoyTony) makes a guest appearance. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Android users can find the RSS feed here. Download the episode directly here. Or stream below.
Cleveland Museum of Art Wins Award for ‘Adventurous Programming’
Throughout the year, the Cleveland Museum of Art presents a slew of terrific music and arts-related performances. Several exotic groups play its annual Summer Solstice party, and the museum regularly brings avant garde groups to perform at the Transformer Station in Ohio City. All that additional programming hasn’t gone unnoticed. The museum has recently won…
Innovative Guitarist Fareed Haque to Perform at Heights Music Shop
Classical and jazz guitarist Fareed Haque has won numerous awards during a career that stretches back decades. At 8 p.m. on Friday, he appears at Heights Music Shop (2174 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights) to give a performance on the Moogtar, an innovative analog future-guitar developed by the Moog corporation. Haque and his trio will “transport…
Video: Here’s Ramon Rivas Getting Some Love From Comedy Central and Telling Jokes About His Niece
Our hometown swarthy Latino and acclaimed sandwich artist/consumer Ramon Rivas is one of Comedy Central’s comics to watch. Yay! He’s on Comedy Central’s Snapchat channel today and there’s also this little bit of video from a show at Carolines in NY where he talks about his niece calling him fat and ugly. Enjoy.
New Home for Popular Taste of Jamaica
For eight years, Taste of Jamaica was the place to go for fiery jerk chicken, pudding-soft braised oxtails with rice and beans and flakey beef patties – as long as you didn’t want to stick around to eat it. The small, largely take-out operation featured an open kitchen and almost zero seats. The on-street parking…
Hard Rock Act Clutch Is in a League of Its Own
Like many teens that grew up in the ’80s, Clutch guitarist Tim Sult gravitated to the hard rock music of the era. “I got into rock and classic rock and heavy metal when I was a younger teenager,” he explains via phone from his Maryland home. “I was influenced by stuff like Deep Purple, Led…
Feds Indict Cleveland Man for Human Trafficking
Today, U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach indicted Ronnie Pratt on human trafficking charges relating to his “pimp” relationship with two girls. From Dettelbach’s office: He did this by taking photos of his girls and posting the photos on www.backpage.com. Pratt handled all text communications with potential customers and transported the girls to “dates.” He kept a…
Hard Rockers Living Colour Are Still a ‘Proven People’s Group’
The year was 1989, and Living Colour was on the road opening for the Rolling Stones on their now-famous Steel Wheels stadium tour. The group had already had two big radio hits with the intense “Cult of Personality” and the Mick Jagger-produced follow-up, “Glamour Boys,” both from Vivid, their 1988 debut album. But as frontman…
Hopkins Ranked Worst Mid-Sized Airport in America
In a study published Wednesday by JD Power & Associates, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport was ranked last among North American medium-sized airports. That’s right, Clevelanders: Of the 33 surveyed airports in the United States and Canada that emplane 1.9 to 7 million passengers per year, Hopkins ranked 33rd. The survey measured travelers’ satisfaction in seven…
Tinder Bios Become Art in One-Night Special Event at Canopy Collective
As art truly imitates life, the latest event at Canopy Collective might hit a little too close to home for some of you. Emma Shepard’s Tinder Graveyard is a one-night only special event exploring themes of identity, mortality, social media/technology and their role in contemporary dating and mating rituals. “I was searching on Tinder and…
Umami in Chagrin Falls Makes OpenTable List of Top 100 Restaurants in America
When Matt Anderson left his post last year as executive chef of Umami in Chagrin Falls, a position he held and excelled at for five years, to join ranks with Steve Schimoler over at Crop Kitchen, the obvious question was: how would this affect the restaurant. Apparently, not negatively. “Since Matt left for Crop we’ve…
Cavaliers’ Second Half D Shows Celtics Who’s the Boss.
The best thing about banging your head against the wall (or watching Tony Danza “act”) is the sweet relief when you stop. It’s a lot like second halves for the Cavaliers. Last night they ended the first half down by six to the Boston Celtics, 46-40. It’s the eighth time in the last 15 games…
CMA Staff Art Show Will Showcase Employees’ Talents
Cleveland’s long-departed (but still quite beloved) hometown hero Drew Carey made waves throughout Northeast Ohio last week when he commented on the pathetic state of our sad excuse for a football franchise. “Concentrate on the Museum (of Art) — it’s one of the best in the world,” Carey said last week. While most of the…
20 Holiday(ish) Events and Activities to Put on Your Calendar This Winter
Your Facebook page is probably inundated with event reminders and invitations, and your family has probably already booked you for a Christmas play or concert or something. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t use a few more events in your life, especially in late December and early January when you finally have some free time. We…
Although a bit Earth-bound on opening night, Peter and the Starcatcher at Dobama Theatre is set to soar
If you love the story of Peter Pan (and who doesn’t?), then the idea of a prequel certainly fires the imagination. How did Peter come to be the boy who won’t grow up? How did Captain Hook lose his hand, and is his surname just a happy coincidence? These answers and a lot more details…
A New Documentary Examines the Life of Innovative Art Collector Peggy Guggenheim
Back in 1978 and 1979, art collector and socialite Peggy Guggenheim gave what would become her last interview. She spoke to Jacqueline B. Weld for her biography, Peggy: The Wayward Guggenheim. Those tapes were thought to be lost before director Lisa Immordino Vreeland (Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel) found them as she was…
Spotlight: More Holiday Movies
The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque continues its holiday-themed programming this week with a screening of Tangerine. Set on Christmas Eve, the film centers on trans woman sex worker Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) who gets out of prison only to realize that her pimp boyfriend cheated on her while she was locked up. The…
