Romeo’s Press Conference, Translated
Sunday’s home finale was particularly tough for Coach Romeo Crennel — not so much because he and the Browns were planked by God-awful Tampa Bay, but because he knew the team’s nougat-headed beat writers would have an extra day to scribble their monkey best in rhetorical questions for his weekly press conference. And, unlike the…
New Trend in Thieving: Cheese Sandwiches
On November 28, C-Notes reported a rash of cold cut robberies stretching from the West Side to Akron. According to a story in The East Liverpool Review, this recent trend in thieving has stretched as far south as Wellsville, a small Appalaichan village next door to Salineville, where To Rob a Predator took place. It…
One Pissed Off Truck Driver
Driving in front of a car with its high beams on is a bitch — just ask Glenn Rogers, Jr. Rogers, a 40-year-old trucker, was so fed up with inconsiderate drivers, he decided to get even — by launching pieces of iron ore at their windshields. At least that was his excuse when he was…
Concerts: This Just In…
My Chemical Romance is coming to the Wolstein Center In concerts news, My Chemical Romance’s Black Parade will stop at the CSU Wolstein Center Monday, February 26. That and 25 other new shows in this week’s This Just In bulletin. Acid Mothers Temple: Thu., May 3, 9 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Adair/the Secret Lives of…
Ripped Off by Geraldo
Geraldo, seen here in Action Newsman mode. While in town busting open the police shooting of 15-year-old Brandon McCloud, the crack sleuths at Geraldo At-Large must have picked up a copy of Scene. The cover story was “Cheating Death,” the tale of a cross-dressing Nazi serial killer. It had all the elements of a Geraldo…
Geraldo’s on the Case
Though the Geraldo At Large Team looks like the cast of an inexpensive cop show on Spike, it’s really a squad of crack investigators, capable of digging into police shootings and/or holiday gift-giving fiascos Wondering if the shooting of Brandon McCloud — the 15-year-old pizza robbery kid — has evolved into a full-fledged scandal for…
Merry Axe-mas from the News-Herald!
As the holidays approach, be thankful for those few jobs in Cleveland that naturally suck more than yours — like chairing the Kucinich for President campaign. More than that, be thankful you still have a job to complain about. Howie Balaban can’t. In August — a month after he and his pregnant wife moved from…
Legally Bribed
The shock and awe our esteemed leaders are expressing over the recent bribery indictments against Vincent Carbone, president of the construction company R.P. Carbone, are a bit hard to swallow. So, Carbone and the architect Randall Gordon are accused of shelling out $600,000 in bribes to former Lorain County Commissioner Michael Ross and his pal,…
Reality TV Star Writes Book!
After getting dumped from her TV romance, Jen Schefft decided to write a book on the beauty of being single Jen Schefft, the Mentor native most famous for getting engaged to gazillionaire Andrew Firestone on The Bachelor, then subsequently getting dumped has — surprise! surprise!– written a book about the experience called Better Single Than…
Bob Ney needs your help
Bob Ney (R-Where Else But Ohio) is hoping you’ll write him a letter telling the judge all he stole, er, did to help his consitituents Disgraced Congressman Bob Ney needs your help. Ney, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges for his role in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, is asking pals — those not serving…
Chimaira’s Metal Christmas
Just before their seventh annual Christmas show, hometown metal heroes Chimaira will post a new track from the band’s new album, Resurrection. It won’t hit the streets until March 6, but it’s available for a mere $10 if you pre-order it. Visit here for a full track listing and more details. The new song hits…
The Hodel-ay Spirit
Anthony Hodel isn’t exactly the picture of success these days. The scraps of his once-booming Platinum Warranty Corporation are still being sifted through in bankruptcy court after Hodel looted the business, leaving hundreds of customers waiting for checks that never came [“Platinum Tony,” October 12, 2005]. Now he’s adding to his impressive resume as a…
If You Suck at Driving, It’s Aries’ Fault
The next time a car insurance agent inquires about your age and accident record, you might also want to add your zodiac sign. According to a recent study by InsuranceHotline.com, a website that gives drivers insurance rate quotes, your astrological sign may be the best indicator of your driving abilities. (Unfortunately, we are not making…
Jerry Heller’s Homecoming
He’s 60 years old, married to a former Baywatch babe, and has a new book on the shelves One of the critical figures behind making gangsta rap a national cultural force was an old-school Jewish guy from Shaker Heights, Jerry Heller. Heller returned home to speak at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and…
For Sale: Your Schools
Republicans in the Ohio legislature gave their charter school patrons a big Christmas bonus this year: The right to buy public schools at wholesale prices. In their rush to put an exclamation point on the Final Days of Tyranny, Republicans slipped the gag gift into a bill designed to reign in teacher misconduct. The law…
Digging into Ohio’s Pile of Corruption
These kids are probably the only people in Ohio Marc Dann is not currently investigating Marc Dann’s still got a few weeks before he succeeds The Laziest Man in Law Enforcement, Jim Petro, as Ohio’s attorney general. But his to-do list for corruption investigations keeps getting longer. He says finding who gave Tom Noe $50…
The Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Q
Anthony Kiedis at the Q The Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Q — was there any better way to spend your C-Town Halloween in 2006? The answer was…NO! And a sold-out arena agreed after handsome frontman Anthony Kiedis and a green goblin suspiciously looking like Flea gave it away, gave it away, gave it…
Bob Seger Photo Gallery
His hair may be more silver than most bullets these days, but Bob Seger still knows how to fill a house. On December 12, Mr. Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band turned the page before a sold out audience at the Q. Sure, Seger’s hair looks more silver than most bullets these days, but…
Pretenders Photo Gallery
Chrissie Hynde rocks the Agora With her tongue a-wagging, the always-sassy Chrissie Hynde led the Pretenders through a treasure trove of ’80s classics when the Akron native hit the Agora December 10. Here’s how it unfolded: What time is it, Cleveland? I’ll tell you what time it is. It’s time to… get back on the…
Tribute to Robert Lockwood Jr.
Glenn Schwartz A who’s who of Cleveland blues and rock gathered at the Beachland Ballroom on December 15 to honor the late, great Robert Lockwood, Jr., Cleveland’ true blues legend. Walter Novak: Action Rock Photographer was on hand to shoot the festivities, including wicked-sweet pix of C-Town guitar hero Glenn Schwartz. Check out the gallery…
Mercury Lounge: A Christmas Story Party
The Mercury Lounge (1392 W. 6th St., Warehouse District) will host its fifth annual A Christmas Story party Saturday, December 23. Meet Santa’s sexy helpers and enter drawings to win a leg lamp and Red Rider BB gun. If you’re the lucky winner, be careful… you could shoot your eye out. — DX Ferris
Need Another Gift Idea?
The Identifier allows you to tell what kind of bird is talking shit behind your back Need another last-minute gift idea? The Cleveland Metroparks has a few for the outdoors enthusiast on your list. Yaktrax — a traction tool hikers put on the bottom of their shoes that comes in both walking and running models…
A Cafe for North Collinwood
Hungry North Collinwood residents, workers, and hipsters heading to the Beachland Ballroom won’t go without sustenance much longer. Baker and businessman Michael Feigenbaum, owner of longtime Cleveland bakery Lucy’s Sweet Surrender, will open Cafe Marika at 15601 Waterloo Rd., soon after the holidays. Named for Feigenbaum’s wife and business partner, the eatery — nestled into…
Kook Bagged
Elsebeth Baumgartner, a woman so annoying she’s actually considered a terrorist in the eyes of the law, got hammered Monday by a Cuyahoga County judge. Shirley Strickland Saffold sentenced the former patent lawyer to eight years in prison for harassing a judge with bogus lawsuits and slanderous e-mails. The judge was hearing a defamation case…
Keelhaul for Christmas
Keelhaul returns to action Monday, December 25 at the Grog Shop’s annual X-Mas at the Grog (2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., 216-321-5588). “We’re back,” says Will Scharf, drummer of the post-metal crush crew. “We never really went anywhere. We just kind of hermited out for a while. Maybe we’ll do some touring next year. We’re all…
Party Dream and Grand Buffet
Grand Buffet Two of the Rustbelt’s great smartass bands play the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., 216-321-5588) Saturday, December 23: Youngstown new-wave revivalists Gil Mantera’s Party Dream and Pittsburgh alt-rap duo Grand Buffet. Scene interviewed the Dream’s Ultimate Donny and GB’s Lord Grunge. Ultimate Donny Scene: For the set, are you doing anything special…
Psychic Needs a New Line of Work
Jane boldly predicts that Brad Pitt will stay married to Angelina Jolie — though they’re not actually married. Our favorite self-shilling psychic hit us up again today to promote her predictions for 2007. Not that we have anything against fortune teller Jane Doherty. But some of her prognosticating leaves us, well, spellbound. Take her forecast…
The Chinese Drive-Thru Caper
We suspect Tom Newman hasn’t had much of a yen for Chinese food lately. In his chatty bi-monthly newsletter, the director of the Flats Oxbow Association recounts a harrowing trip to the China King drive-thru on Carnegie Avenue on November 2. With his autistic son, Rudy, in the car, Newman says a “pig-headed thug” jumped…
Big Apple Prison Funk
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce the super soul sister internationally known as the Queen of Funk — STING! — she who brings the womanly touch to the Dap-Kings — STING! — she who gets in the groove and makes your whole body move — STING! — Sharon Jones! Although not a direct quote, that’s…
Ciara: The Evolution
Forget evolution — survival is all we could’ve expected from Ciara a year ago, when she debuted with “Goodies,” a monster hit that might well have been her last. But there’s no denying the former crunk & B princess has matured to the point that she’s all but renounced her crown. Sure, Lil’ Jon, who…
Wishful Thinking
Comedian Joel Lindley has a problem with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. “They should call themselves the Make-Another-Wish Foundation,” he says. “I’m pretty sure I know what the first wish is: ‘Can you guys get rid of my tumor? No? Okay, I’ll go to Disney World.’” When he’s not offending charitable organizations, Linley sticks up for his…
Nas: Hip Hop Is Dead
As with 2004’s “Thief’s Theme,” the title track to Nas’ eighth disc is built around a sample of “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida.” But “Hip-Hop Is Dead” also resurrects something else: a theme that’s been floating around since the ’90s. Back then, some argued Nas was not only squandering his talent, but actually killing hip-hop with such platinum duds…
Aimee Mann: One More Drifter in the Snow
The Forgotten Arm, Aimee Mann’s noirish concept album from 2005, climaxed with the profanity-laced boozer “I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas.” Apparently, she did: The former ‘Til Tuesday singer’s new holiday album is a far more family-friendly listen. The mellow collection features two original songs and nine Festivus classics, including “The Christmas…
Worlds Within
Acclaimed German painter Alexandra Huber returns to Headfooters Outsider Art Gallery through the end of the month with Inner Navigations. The exhibit features 37 new pieces painted over the past two years by Huber, whose first U.S. solo show was hosted by Headfooters three years ago. One work on paper checks in at a mere…
Olé Night
Like goodies tucked under the tree, Hudson’s new Emilio’s is a gift, tastefully wrapped and proffered with panache. The dining room’s success can hardly be called a surprise, though. Spanish-born owner Fernando Nunez has been operating eateries for more than 30 years; among other endeavors, he launched the Warehouse District’s popular Mallorca and was a…
Guy Clark: Workbench Songs
As an affable elder statesman of Texas’ country-folk tradition, Guy Clark’s effortless ballads make him a well-matched riding partner with such quintessential Lone Star songwriters as Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson. The strength of the been-thar-done-that observations on Workbench Songs lies in the fact that they’re never softly nostalgic. While “Out in the Parkin’…
Didgeridoos and Don’ts
At tonight’s Fireside Symphony show at Verlie’s Caf, the local duo gets in the spirit of the season by filling the room with peace, love, and harmony. “We’re not loud and in-your-face,” says guitarist Brandon Kocher. “We’re not going to stand up and shout, This is our music! Our message is, Even though we live…
Dream Works
It is said that a great actor or actress can “bring down the house,” but before I saw (and heard) the 25-year-old American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson in the film version of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, I can’t recall the last time I truly feared for the architectural stability of a movie theater. When…
Mr. Gnome: Mr. Gnome
Mr. Gnome’s self-titled second release is just an EP, but it’s one helluva big, sexy record. Even if it didn’t boast singer Nicole Barille’s orgasmic delivery, Gnome’s offbeat fusion of stoner metal and trip-hop could boil blood. “Truffle Shuffle” opens the affair with metal-plated blues plucking, while drummer Sam Meister shifts styles with fierce abandon.…
Towering Tom Hanks
Creeped out by The Polar Express’ CGI rendering of Tom Hanks? Wait till you see him on the massive Omnimax screen! That eerie factor aside, the film version of Chris Van Allsburg’s beloved holiday book is a stunning visual piece that perfectly captures the tale’s snow-covered dreamscapes. Dazzling sights — like a locomotive plowing through…
Rocky Vs. Ahmadinejad
Bankrupt and brain-damaged in Rocky V, a bout fought so long ago that the other Bush was still sucker-punching Saddam, Sylvester Stallone’s titular pugilist returns to issue another beating in Rocky Balboa. How much punishment can an audience take? Even 007 gets his license renewed by younger models every decade, but not Rocky, who by…
Roué: Totally Fuckin Totally
Like Roué’s two previous releases, Totally Fuckin Totally lifts your spirits by kicking your ass. The four-song EP starts like a sunrise, with the long, building jam “Some Future, Some Despair” — four minutes of exploding-heart guitar, bass, and drum interplay. It’s the kind of soul-wrenching tsunami that Sonic Youth pioneered, but the Cleveland indie…
A Gift of Music
Kalliope Stage’s The Tiniest Gift isn’t about the new iPod Shuffle. It’s a cabaret show created by artistic director Paul Gurgol as a present to his theater’s troupe of singers. They belt out seasonal numbers as well as songs by James Taylor and William Finn. Sit back and enjoy a high-culture mixtape. Dec. 22-23, 7…
Re-Gifters
As we brace ourselves for the household damage sure to result from our new Nintendo Wii game controllers (Dad, the remote’s stuck in the plasma screen . . .), it is wise to remember that presents come in all sizes. And one of the more bountiful treasures in local theater is found whenever the Kalliope…
Paul Samuels: Speak
The familiar gets fresh treatment from Paul Samuels, an East Side drummer making a world-class solo debut. Sparked by the funky organ of Dan Wall and the virtuoso, unexpectedly tender saxophone of Greg Osby, Samuels turns in a relaxed, substantial set dominated by ’60s material from John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Wayne Shorter. What raises…
Snow Blind
Akron comedian Mike Conley doesn’t mind touring, but it’s especially tough in winter — particularly when he hits the snow belt. “I was performing in Erie, Pennsylvania, a couple of years ago,” he recalls. “They got 68 inches of snow in three days. And I’m only 64 inches tall!”< Audiences may nod in agreement with…
Pity the Pervert
It appears the fight against wholesome and nutritious tobacco products is being taken all the way to prison. In 2001, Frank Edmonds Jr. was sent to North Central Correctional after being convicted of sexual battery. Despite his apparent lack of interest in women’s health, Edmonds was definitely concerned about his own. The asthmatic requested a…
More Mex
The Galindos, Cleveland’s first family of Mexican food, have opened a Luchita’s in Hudson. The new spot is a smartly appointed beauty, with high ceilings, clerestory windows, and tongue-and-groove yellow pine flooring. The focal point, though, is the maple, slate, and limestone bar, which also serves as a room divider and an artful display rack…
Guiding Lights
Tonight’s Festival of Lights combines a cultural history lesson, an outdoor walk, and lots of luminosity. Experts enlighten folks as to why so many different societies across the globe celebrate the holidays with candles, lanterns, and other forms of illumination. Then everybody eats a hearty seasonal meal before taking a hike through the woods. Thu.,…
A True Horror Classic
When the Levees Broke (HBO) Spike Lee’s four-part doc, easily the best non-fiction film of 2006, gets a fifth part on DVD: a 105-minute epilogue that reveals just how little has changed since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Featuring new interviews with the displaced and displeased, it also contains some of…
Edwin McCain
For years now, Edwin McCain has been milking the success of “I’ll Be,” the dude’s sappy hit from ’93. And why the hell not? You gotta take it as it comes. Besides, McCain ain’t reinventing the wheel anytime soon; although he has managed to carve out a nice little career for himself, singing to weepy…
Capsule reviews of current area theater presentations.
ON STAGE Beauty and the Beast — Merging seamlessly enriching sound effects and a couple of dazzling feats of illusion with his thoroughly committed cast, director Fred Sternfeld creates a spectacular stage experience that should be required viewing for two groups of people: children under the age of 12, and everyone else. Reprising their title…
Marching Band Emo
Monty Are I’s Andrew Borstein says that the Rhode Island emo rockers decided to include the decidedly un-emo-like horns simply because the instruments were handy. The five friends, all in their early twenties, played in high school marching band together. When they formed a rock group eight years ago, they hitched a ride on the…
Posterizing EA
Aside from that new ball, NBA Live 07 may be the worst product to bear the league’s name this year. The new basketball game from Electronic Arts is so glitchy that scores of buyers launched an online petition demanding a do-over. Luckily for the rest of us, consumers have a choice when it comes to…
Chimaira Christmas 7
Chimaira titled its forthcoming disc Resurrection –an odd choice, considering the Strongsville metal sextet sounds stronger with each successive release. Then again, prior to recording, the band had to overcome infighting and label problems, pushing Chimaira to the brink during its 2005 tour. “It’s not that hard to say fuck you to someone and shake…
Capsule reviews of current area art exhibitions.
ON VIEW Barcelona & Modernity — Instability breeds creativity. Cling to that underlying principle throughout this unique, immense, and also indigestible exhibition examining Barcelona’s 1868-1939 transformation — through war, artistic breakthrough, and social upheaval — from provincial city into cultural capital. Catalonia (the Spanish region that includes Barcelona) built a formidable legacy at that time,…
Big Country
There’s less than a week left to check out Catherine Opie’s 1999 & In and Around the Home photography display at MOCA. The exhibit combines a pair of recent series by the Los Angeles-based artist. The color photos capture everything from an ominous-looking cloud to a tiara-sporting child. Opie, a Sandusky native, documents communities that…
The 2006 Modell Awards
The scene: A capacity crowd of upwards of 14 people pack the ornate Nelson Cintron Hall at Renaldo’s Motor Lodge on Clark Avenue. Can I have your attention please? Everyone? [Music dies, sounds of breaking glass, noise falls to a hush. ] Before we begin, I’d like to thank Harvey Markashek for providing the evening’s…
Times New Viking
There’s this myth surrounding Times New Viking: After discovering the Columbus trio’s lost demos, Tom Lax revived his Siltbreeze label solely for the purpose of turning the indie-rock world on to TNV’s genius. That is, of course, mostly bullshit — just like so many tall tales surrounding the legendary imprint. At the same time, there’s…
Here are the week’s best releases from the pop-culture universe:
CD — Mass Appeal: The Best of Gang Starr: An undervalued ’90s hip-hop duo, Gang Starr paved the way for such silver-tongued rhymers as Nas and Common. This single-disc compilation gathers 21 of DJ Premier and Guru’s greatest cuts, like “You Know My Steez” and “Take It Personal.” Be sure to marinate in Premier’s groundbreaking…
Last Round
Three of the Cleveland Metroparks’ nine-hole courses close for the season today, so grab your irons! The greens are open from dawn till dusk. Tee off at Little Met (18599 Old Lorain Road, 216-941-9672), Mastick Woods (19900 Puritas Road, 216-267-5626), and Washington Gold Learning Center (3841 Washington Park Boulevard in Newburgh Heights, 216-641-1864) — weather…
Race Revelations
As Kristi drove home from track practice, she grew more and more incensed. The Nordonia High student couldn’t believe what she was hearing on Opie and Anthony, a talk radio show built on the concept that people adore being offended. The topic for November 28: slave reparations. A caller named Tina was ranting about how…
Xmas at the Grog
Christmas shows almost always feature three, four bands that sound radically different from one another. That’s because promoters scramble to fill holiday bills with whoever is willing to play. Regardless, these gigs, like any pan-Asian buffet worth a damn, promote true diversity — just check out this year’s Xmas at the Grog. As with most…
Our top DVD picks for the week of December 19:
Agnes & His Brothers (First Run) All the King’s Men (Sony) American Pie: The Naked Mile (Universal) The Beauty Academy of Kabul (Docurama) The Celestine Prophecy (Sony) Checking Out (Allumination) Derailed (Weinstein) Dreamland (Sony) Invincible (Disney) Lady in the Water (Warner Bros.) Long Distance (Image) My Super Ex-Girlfriend (Fox) National Lampoon’s Pledge This (Film Mates)…
Mixed Nuts
@cal head 1:Mixed Nuts Don’t go to the Cleveland Play House’s Nutcracker expecting to see the same old Tchaikovsky ballet. Kenneth Kacmar’s take on the holiday staple centers on a little girl who’d rather stay home and listen to music from the 21st century than hang out with her family at the ballet. Soon, she…
A Word From the Coffin Co.
Proud sponsor of Frank Spisak’s burial: I would like to commend you on an excellent article on Frank Spisak [“Cheating Death,” December 6]. It was very well written and detailed. However, I would like to comment on some of the content. My family owns the Langenau Manufacturing Company, one of the places where Spisak worked…
Mifuné
Mifuné once wrote a song called “Patsy Cline,” yet the group’s sound isn’t informed by country & western, but the rebellious West African dance grooves of bandleaders like the late, great Fela Kuti. While this might come off as a strange cultural mix on paper (Mifuné consists primarily of white Clevelanders), the sound created by…
Zoo Crew
The zoo’s annual end-of-the-year blowout, Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Cold, features warm-blooded animals, cold-blooded reptiles, and a guy who makes art out of huge ice cubes. The program starts with a bus tour of the grounds’ Northern Trek, where reindeer, gray wolves, and sea lions romp in the snow. A family of…
Holocaust Art
In the Maltz Museum’s Threads of Remembrance: Artistic Visions of the Holocaust, two artists explore the Holocaust’s aftermath and its effect on survivors. The exhibit combines 45 of Judith Weinshall Liberman’s painted textiles with portraits and stories from photographer Herb Ascherman’s 50 Faces. “I wanted the reality of what they were,” says Ascherman of his…
Back to the Garage
After 40 years of cult notoriety, Parma’s Alarm Clocks will release their first official, original full-length on New Year’s Eve at the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Road). “It’s in the vein of the originals,” frontman Mike Pierce says of The Time Has Come. “It’s definitely ’60s-style rock and roll. Everybody’s saying, ‘Your story’s as good…
Nora Jean Bruso
Blues fans better heed songwriter Jerry Ragavoy’s advice to “Get it while you can,” because we’re down to a handful of elder statesmen; Robert Lockwood’s recent departure made this point crystal-clear. Fortunately, classic Chicago blues is still alive and kickin’ — as is the tradition of bad-ass blues broads — thanks to the balls-out power…
Culture Clash
The Maltz Museum celebrates Christmas today with… moo goo gai pan and fortune cookies? Today’s Chinese Food and a Movie event stems from the Jewish community’s longstanding tradition of going out for Chinese food on Christmas Day. “Probably because so few restaurants are open,” says Lynda Bender, the museum’s director of education and public programs.…
Best in Show
Grange Tavern owner Angel Raphael controls the remote for tonight’s Ugly Betty/Grey’s Anatomy Night. Not that he has to twist any arms — patrons demand to watch the popular TV programs. “They’re women’s shows,” says Raphael. “But so many women watch it, they make their men watch it too.” Between glances at Dr. McDreamy, customers…
The Revelers Yuletide Reunion
Coming together in 1989, the Revelers were still in their teens when they started playing gigs around Cleveland. Exhibiting a willingness to play tiny venues for laughably little pay, the band released a single, but never seemed too serious about receiving more attention for its eclectic mix of ’60s Anglo-pop, reggae, and art rock à…
Gil Mantera’s Party Dream
Ultimate Donny, the frontman half of Gil Mantera’s Party Dream, won’t promise the band will perform “Brave New Christmas.” But he says it’s possible, and adds the new-wave revivalists — they were doing it before all those other cats — will play at least two new electro-rock workouts. Also working out new material will be…
New Orbits
Local singer-songwriter Susan Weber’s headlining gig at Sachsenheim Hall tonight doubles as a preview of the songs that will appear on her new album next year. The still-untitled CD — which features tunes that have been part of her repertoire for more than three years — is due in early spring. “We finally pinned down…
Sipping in Style
Think of Turnstyle as a weekly ladies night where chic fashions take the place of cheesy guys. The regular event at Manja starts with Terrilynn Amos modeling designer dresses and accessories available at her Turnstyle boutique just down the street. During the show and tell, women can buy single-shot mixed drinks or bottled beer for…
Jabbin’ Jibbs
Not long after Jovan Campbell started elementary school, his father had him in the boxing ring. Staying long enough to win a couple of Golden Gloves titles, the young man learned a thing or two about fighting for recognition. Campbell, however, ultimately managed to win that battle with his words, not his hands. If you…
Holiday Hoe-Down
The holiday jam of the year will come at you compliments of Missile Toe, Akron’s only dedicated Christmas band. Featuring members of C.D. Truth, the Professional Againsters, and Peeps, the Toe irreverently adapts yuletide classics into a new rock framework. One favorite sees the all-stars turn “Gloria” into “The Night Before Christmas,” prefacing it with…
A Good Man to Find
Hawk bartender Troy Berry serves up a holiday specialty tonight, while patrons donate food and money to the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland. The 19-year-old drive drums up about $10,000 worth of non-perishables, toiletries, and cash each year. Berry does his part by mixing $3 Gingerbread Man shots, which include Irish cream, cinnamon, and butterscotch…
Straight Outta Cleveland
How did a pasty white boy from Shaker Heights help launch gangsta rap back in the mid-’80s? Find out tonight when Jerry Heller — who brought Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E together in N.W.A — tells his story at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Ruthless Records exec is also the suit…
Sketches of Pain
“Listen. The greatest feeling I ever had in my life — with my clothes on — was when I first heard Diz & Bird together in St. Louis, Missouri, back in 1944.” Thus begins Miles, the (arguably) definitive Miles Davis autobiography, co-authored by Quincy Troupe. Unleashed in 1989, it’s 400-plus pages of warmly recalled motherfuckers,…
Def Leppard: Hysteria
In 1986, Def Leppard was one of the hottest bands in hair metal. Then drummer Rick Allen partied hard one time too many, mangling his sweet ride and losing an arm in the process. But this was only a bump in the road for Leppard producer Mutt Lange. Always square and sober, Lange encouraged a…
Soul Man
Akron native Tom Guarino plays songs from his new CD, Lost Souls, at tonight’s free show at the Barking Spider. Now based in New York City, the acoustic rocker looks forward to showcasing his dark, soulful vocals. “You’re so exposed and vulnerable,” he says of solo performances. “You can’t hide behind anyone. But if people…
