Happy Christmas, You Scumbags
In accordance with a Scene tradition that six people know or care about, we say thanks for another magical year and suggest you improve your Christmas Day by spending four minutes of it listening to the best Christmas song ever made. Happy Christmas, you scumbags.
Update: Simple Plan to Headline the Cleveland Stop of Warped’s 25th Anniversary Tour
Update: Earlier today, the Rock Hall announced that it has partnered with the Vans Warped Tour to create a special new exhibit, Forever Warped: 25 Years of Vans Warped Tour. The exhibit documents the history of the tour from its inception in 1995 through the final cross-country run in 2018. It includes artifacts from acts such…
These Cleveland-Area Officials Scored Spots on a ‘Parks and Recreation’-Themed Good Government Ranking
Two area leaders got top honors on a new good-government ranking, and it is, literally, blowing our minds. But let’s back up for just a minute and talk about the best part of all of this first. The 100-spot ranking is released every year by good government group Engaging Local Government Leaders, and it’s named…
John Kasich Vetoes Ohio Heartbeat Bill
Saying that it is likely unconstitutional given recent federal ru lings, and that fighting over the issue in court would be lengthy and expensive, outgoing Ohio Governor John Kasich today vetoed the heartbeat bill recently passed by the Ohio legislature. His statement: “As governor I have worked hard to strengthen Ohio’s protections for the sanctity…
Barrio to Take Its Tacos to Michigan, Plans to Open New Location Next Fall
Barrio announced today it’s opening yet another location, this time in East Lansing, Michigan, specifically on the Michigan State University campus. The Cleveland-based taco spot with the cult-like following already has locations in various area neighborhoods and suburbs as well as an outpost in New Hampshire. This new move up north will be the restaurant…
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Brings Its 20th Anniversary Tour to the Q Next Weekend
In its 20-year history, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has put up some impressive numbers. The band has played more than 1,600 shows for more than 11 million fans. For the past several years, the band’s winter tours have consistently ranked in the Top 10 for attendance and grosses. This year, it’ll visit 65 cities across North America…
There’s Still a Chance Cleveland Could See a White Christmas
In news that may seem shocking, on this the first day of winter, Clevelanders can expect snow, slushy rain and cold temperatures over the four-day long weekend. Normally that wouldn’t be big news, but the past week of December has brought rain paired with temps spiking almost into the 50s. But now, according to the…
Here’s the Lineup for Brite Winter 2019
The organizers of Brite Winter, the annual winter music and arts festival that takes place on the west bank of the Flats, have just announced the lineup for this year’s event, which takes place on Saturday, Feb. 23. The L.A.-based indie rock act Smallpools will headline the event, and some of the city’s best local…
36 Bands to Compete in This Year’s Tri-C High School Rock Off
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) saw it as a way to reach out to area high schools and provide the kind of outlet that students might not have. Two decades later, the event, now…
Andy Warhol Endangered Species Exhibit Comes Out of Hiding at Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is going full Warhol. Starting Saturday, Andy Warhol’s famous Endangered Species series comes out of hiding for a nearly three-month engagement. Owned by the museum, but rarely on display, this set of 10 silkscreens were commissioned in 1983 and are just one of 150 such sets found on the planet.…
Hunky Jason Momoa Can’t Save Waterlogged ‘Aquaman,’ DC Extended Universe Still Trash
Aquaman, the latest and brightest detritus leaking from the DC Extended Universe’s garbage can, stars Jason Momoa as a half-man, half-Atlantan meta-human who can breathe underwater and speak to fish. The bloated two-and-a-half hour action epic is visually indistinguishable from a Lisa Frank folder. In keeping with DC’s model, character development takes a back seat…
NPR to Tape Saxophonist Joe Lovano’s Upcoming Shows at the Bop Stop
About a year and a half ago, the folks at National Public Radio approached saxophonist Joe Lovano about participating in their Jazz Night in America Recording Sessions, a program that features live performances by jazz luminaries like Lovano. “I have worked with them in the past, but they wanted to do something new with me,”…
Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Over Inhumane Conditions at Cuyahoga County Jail
A federal lawsuit filed today on behalf of seven inmates of the Cuyahoga County Jail details the unconstitutional and inhumane conditions of the facility and asks for an independent monitor to take over the operation. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened; court orders have included such direction twice before. The concerns of the…
Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ Opens Tonight at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas
Michael Symon’s two-and-a-half-year-old Mabel’s BBQ in Downtown Cleveland has been so well received that the restaurant was included as part of an ambitious $690 million renovation at the iconic Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. That restaurant opens tonight at 5 p.m. PST. Located on the main floor of the Palms, immediately adjacent to the…
Kinship Care in Ohio: The Burden of a Blessing
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Thousands of Ohio children are spending their holidays in the care of relatives. While kinship caregivers can be a blessing for families in crisis, these caregivers often are burdened with unplanned expenses. When children cannot remain safely at home with their parent or caregiver, kinship-care placements allow the child to stay with…
Coming to House of Blues Next Weekend, Too Many Zooz and Turkuaz Make For a Potent Double Bill
The New York-based trio Too Many Zooz came through town earlier this year, but since that time, the band has been plenty busy. It teamed up with UK star Jess Glynne to record a new version of “Warriors.” The group, which describes itself as Brass House on account of the way it draws from hip-hop,…
Federal Judge Dan Polster Allows Massive Opioid Suit to Go Forward
A lawsuit against drug companies by municipalities across the country including Cincinnati will go forward after a decision by federal judge in Northern Ohio yesterday. U.S. District Court Judge Dan A. Polster, who sits on the bench in the Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division in Cleveland, refused a motion from drug companies to dismiss…
Poetry for People Who Hate Poetry, No. 4
This is the fourth in a monthly series by Dave Lucas, the Poet Laureate of the State of Ohio. You can read the September Installment, (No. 1), here; the October Installment, (No. 2), here; and the November Installment (No. 3), here. *** What makes poetry poetry? Ask a dozen people and you’ll get as many…
Bill That Would Give nuCLEus Project Huge Tax Credit Stalled for Now
A bill that would provide an upfront 10-percent rebate to “transformational mixed-use development” projects (TMUDs), originally tailored to the proposed nuCLEus skyscraper in downtown Cleveland, will not pass in the Ohio General Assembly this year. The Plain Dealer’s Michelle Jarboe reported this week that the bill simply ran out of time as it made its…
7 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, DEC. 21 Jessica Lea Mayfield/Emily Keener Growing up playing in her parents’ bluegrass band alongside her brother David, a wonderful singer-songwriter in his own right, Jessica Lea Mayfield has been making music on stage essentially since she can remember. Her teenage years were full of sketchy shows and also last-minute opener gigs, including at…
The Accidentals Record a New Song with the Cleveland-Based Contemporary Youth Orchestra
The Accidentals — violinist-guitarist-bassist Sav Buist, singer-cellist-guitarist Katie Larson and drummer Michael Dause — all met in a high school orchestra program in Michigan, where the members grew up, so it makes sense that when they had a chance to record with the Cleveland-based Contemporary Youth Orchestra, they would take advantage of it. This week,…
The Sequel to the 1964 Musical, ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Lacks a Purpose
Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to the 1964 classic film that starred Julie Andrews in the title role, has plenty going for it. For one, it features Emily Blunt as Mary. Blunt plays Mary with her trademark sternness and does a decent job of singing too. Her sharp British accent alone is enough to make…
How to Catch a Glimpse of Snowy Owls and Their Feathery Brethren in Northeast Ohio
Word travels fast in the birding community. When Cleveland Metroparks naturalist Jen Brumfield dogged a rare long-eared owl along the lakeshore and posted a splendid photo on Facebook in late November, eager crowds followed her footsteps. Within the week, at another Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve birding walk led by Brumfield’s colleague, Jake Kudrna, that’s the…
Beat the Winter Blues by Springing Into Self-Care in Cleveland
The natural reaction to a Cleveland winter is hibernation. And while you know you should be exercising and abstaining from all the pizza and beer (hello, New Year’s resolutions), digging down deep and finding the motivation can be rough. That’s why we also recommend — as Tom and Donna taught us on Parks and Recreation…
Watch a Masterclass in Acting With Ronan vs. Robbie in ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’
A historical drama based on the John Guy book Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart, the new film, Mary Queen of Scots, features compelling performances by both Saoirse Ronan, who plays the film’s title character, and Margot Robbie, who portrays her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. Even though Ronan is Irish and Robbie…
Band of the Week: Bob Frank
MEET THE BAND: Bob Frank (vocals, guitar) BLUEGRASS AND BEYOND: Born in Cleveland, guitarist and producer Bob Frank has lived in Northeast Ohio his whole life. He was working as a radio salesman but quickly realized “that was not what I wanted to do.” After that didn’t pan out, he became the musical director for…
Savage Love: Quickies Again, Again
I’m a kinky single woman who keeps attracting the wrong men for me — specifically, submissive guys into face-sitting. I’m submissive myself, and face-sitting is not a turn-on for me. I think it’s a size-related issue — a my-size-related issue. I’m a full-figured/curvy woman with a big butt. Granted, it’s a fabulous butt, but my…
Where to Celebrate New Year’s Eve 2018 in Cleveland
Also known as ‘Amateur Night,’ New Year’s Eve offers everyone the chance to hit the reset button (or at least the booze button) and begin another year with a fresh perspective. Whether or not you intend to celebrate the beginnings of a new and better you in 2019, or cruise into the new year in…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Long Christmas Weekend
WED 12/19 A Christmas Carol This Great Lakes Theater production of Charles Dickens’ classic never fails to engage and delight. Framed cozily as a story within a story in this Gerald Freedman adaptation, the production really comes alive once the ghost of Jacob Marley appears, dragging his chains and creaking eerily with every movement. This…
The Socially Awkward Fart Fan is Back, in ‘Shrek the Musical’ at Beck Center
In order to get through life successfully you need at least two things: An ogre friend who is big and green, and a sassy donkey. At least, that’s the message that’s being sent to youngsters in Shrek, the Musical, now at Beck Center. That, of course, makes success hard to attain for most of us,…
