DO YOU REMEMBER ROCK AND ROLL RADIO?
Northeast Ohio’s newest radio station is targeting a wide audience that spans from classic-rock fans to younger listeners who go to shows at the Grog Shop. Lorain’s 107.3 FM WNWV switched to Adult Album Alternative format on December 28, after 22 years as a smooth jazz station. The new station is nicknamed Boom! The locally…
RUH-ROH — REFT BEHIND!
Certain Christian denominations believe in a phenomenon called the Rapture. It’s pretty complicated, and the details vary from sect to sect, but basically it’s a series of events surrounding Christ’s return to Earth, including the sudden beaming to Heaven of most good God-fearin’ folk. Or something. Anyway, we know from the Left Behind novels that…
See You Next Year
C-Notes is taking a little break during the holidays. We have some last-minute shopping to do, some parties to hit and some movies to watch (can you believe we haven’t watched Elf yet?). So we’ll see you next year, all shiny and happy and ready to bitch about 2010.
WE’LL ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY ANYTIME, MR. WENNER
New York City’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC will close January 3, just over a year after it opened. The nondescript 25,000-square-foot SoHo facility hosted rock memorabilia like Bruce Springsteen’s 1957 Chevy and special exhibits like the currently-running John Lennon: The New York City Years. Admission was over $25, more than most…
12/30: Rusted Root at HOB
This Pittsburgh band can’t quite shake its dubious legacy. They’ve sold more than three million records over the past couple of decades, but they’re basically known for one song: “Send Me on My Way.” Still, it doesn’t seem to bother them or their fans much. Rusted Root’s music has appeared in a handful of TV…
12/30: Bob Fraser and Ki Allen at Nighttown
There’s nothing but acoustic guitar and voice on Fraser and Allen’s Calling Card, but that doesn’t mean they need a bigger band to fill out the spaces. Allen’s voice has a deep tone that falls somewhere between Sarah Vaughn’s and Cassandra Wilson’s. Cleveland Orchestra veteran Fraser plays subtly, with full chords and a few arpeggios…
12/29 & 30, 1/2 &3: Sebastian Maniscalco at Hilarities
Sebastian Maniscalco first went national courtesy of the Vince Vaughn-produced comedy tour and film Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights — Hollywood to the Heartland. The Chicago native nearly stole the show from the relentlessly funny John Caparulo, which is a big deal since Caparulo is one of the funniest comics on…
12/28: Chris Isaak at HOB
Love gone wrong isn’t often seen as a good thing, but in Chris Isaak’s case, it’s been the stuff of success. Over the past couple of decades, the California-bred singer-songwriter has spun seductive tales from love’s dark side, at times dosing classic rock ’n’ roll heartache with sophisticated noir atmosphere. His retro-rocker stage persona is…
Remembering Diane Duncan
Artist/musician/teacher Diane Duncan passed away a couple of weeks ago at the far-too-young age of 47. Duncan was best known in the local music scene as the vocalist for the boundary-pushing indie-rock quartet the Vivians in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The group’s 1989 EP Vivicide featured five tracks of the band’s unsettling music,…
12/28: Harlem Globetrotters at the Q
The Harlem Globetrotters have become as much of a holiday tradition as any of the stuffy old shows you’ll find on theater stages this time of year. And a Diamond Cutter ball roll is way cooler than some dancer prancing around in a giant mouse costume. You pretty much know what you’re getting with the…
12/27: State Fair at the Grog Shop
The four members of State Fair — Britton Roberts, Jim Fenske, TJ Breslin and Seth Robinson — will unveil their debut album, Best Regards to Earth, at CD-release show tonight. The record includes some new tunes along with some reworked versions of songs from the band’s two EPs. At times, the music nearly bursts at…
12/27: Chimaira Christmas Show at HOB
Chimaira’s 10th annual Christmas show will be filmed for the band’s first stand-alone DVD (they’ve included DVDs with albums in the past). Frontman Mark Hunter says the video, due in the summer, will cover the group’s still in-progress world tour for The Infection, released in April. It reached No. 30 on Billboard’s album chart and…
Ongoing: Julian Stanczak at MOCA
In his review of Julian Stanczak’s show on view at MOCA Cleveland, Scene art critic Douglas Max Utter writes, “The list of art ‘stars’ living in northern Ohio is short. Briefer still is the roster of those whose accomplishments are recognized internationally. Cleveland Institute of Art emeritus professor Julian Stanczak’s status as one of the…
12/26: Michael Stanley and the Resonators at HOB
In a very tangible sense, Michael Stanley’s connection to Cleveland bears a strong resemblance to many heartland rockers and their home bases: Bob Seger and Detroit, John Mellencamp and Southern Indiana, Bruce Springsteen and Asbury Park. Stanley didn’t become as nationally ubiquitous as his higher-profiled peers, but he came close in the ’80s. He remains…
Ongoing: Paul Gauguin: Paris, 1889
Imagine this happening in the 21st century: A stockbroker loses his job in a market crash, decides to try to make a living as a painter and begins traveling the globe. At a World’s Fair in Paris, he organizes an art show at a coffee shop so he and a bunch of buddies can show…
12/26: Old Home Night
Prepare to be surprised, delighted and perhaps even confused. For six years, a loosely affiliated cadre of local experimental and avant-garde musicians and artists has gathered at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124) around this time of year to hang out and see what transpires performance-wise. For the seventh year, they’re offering “an evening…
The Best Christmas Song. Ever.
As C-Notes prepares to shut down shop for a couple weeks, we leave you with the best Christmas song of all time.
12/25: Chinese Food and Movie Day
People joke about how Chinese restaurants have one of their busiest days of the year on December 25, serving Jewish families left out of the ubiquitous Christmas hullabaloo. The <a target="new"href=”http://maltzmuseum.org”>Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage (2929 Richmond Rd., Beachwood, 216.593.0575) pays playful tribute to the semi-tradition with its Christmas Day offering of egg rolls and…
12/24: Christmas Eve Services
A Christmas Eve service is not a performance, and it shouldn’t be treated as one. Nonetheless, Cleveland’s downtown churches will offer plenty of great sounds today. Expect them to glow within their expansive stone interiors. For Episcopalians, Trinity Cathedral (2230 Euclid Ave., 216.771.3630) begins its late-night service with a prelude at 10:30 p.m. with the…
12/23: 45365 at CMA
45365 is a movie about Sidney, Ohio, but it really could be about any Small Town, U.S.A. The documentary by native Ohioans Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross took home the Best Documentary Feature award at SXSW 2009 and garnered nothing but praise when it was first shown in Cleveland earlier this year. Catch it…
12-23 & 12/30: Music Near the Market
Most of Ohio City’s landmarks are old and large. But down a side street, inside Trinity Lutheran Church, sits a mechanical Beckerath pipe organ — the first of its kind in the U.S. Built in Hamburg in 1956, it came up the St. Lawrence Seaway on a ship with craftsmen who reassembled it at Trinity.…
12/23-24, 26-30: December Days at the Zoo
It may be the darkest, coldest time of the year, but over at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (3900 Wildlife Way, 216.661.6500), things are merry and bright during its December Days celebration. Today and tomorrow, and again December 26-30 (the zoo is closed on Christmas Day), there’ll be a ton of stuff to do, much of…
It’s Because He’s Black, Right?
Cleveland-bred rapper Kid Cudi was pulled over by cops and held at gunpoint yesterday after LAPD’s best figured Kanye’s pal and his crew must be robbers because, you know, they’re black. Apparently Cudi was doing a photo shoot for British music magazine NME when police officers pulled over Cudi and his three-car entourage and ordered…
Further Proof That Radio Is Clueless
Wanna know the No. 1 reason radio is dying? Because it sucks. According to decade-end Nielsen stats — I’ll send you to The New York Times for the full story — Tim McGraw’s “Something Like That” was the most-played song of the 2000s. Really? Can anyone out there even tell me how that song goes?…
Cleveland Music Sales: The Decade in Numbers
Check out this week’s Scene for a rundown of the Northeast Ohio’s ten biggest music-related stories of the decade. It covers the changing music business and the careers of the scene’s top-selling artists, including the Black Keys, Kate Voegele and Chimaira. (R&B singer Avant, a 1995 graduate of the Cleveland School of the Arts, hasn’t…
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
Still no plans for New Eve? Pick up the December 30 issue of Scene for a full, detailed list of Northeast Ohio’s parties. Or get a jump on your planning by clicking here to see Scene’s clubs listings. It’s an advance look at some of the biggest clubs and coolest parties. —D.X. Ferris
Fisticuff, Round 2: Finals
Akron’s Fisticuff have reached the final round of this year’s Project Independent contest. More than 900 groups entered; the local metal band is one of 20 remaining now. They were just 300 votes out of the lead in the semifinals, and now the counts have been reset to zero. The winner will receive a spot…
This Just In: Concert Announcements
Bitch (ex-Bitch and Animal): Thu., Apr. 1. 8:30 p.m, $12. Beachland Tavern. Frode Gjerstad Trio: Tue., Jan. 26. 8 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Toubab Krewe/the Heavy Pets: Tue., Mar. 16. 9 p.m., $12. Beachland Ballroom. Joseph Wooten: Hands of Soul: Fri., Feb. 12. Two shows: 8 p.m. Friday,Fe. 12. And 1 p.m. Sat., Feb. 13.…
Frankly Speaking
With the timing and exactitude that Frank Zappa demanded of Ike Willis during the course of his tenure with Zappa’s strenuously rehearsed band (over a decade and a half, longer than any other musician that Zappa ever employed), you might assume Willis has maintained that rigid routine in the 16 years since Zappa’s death. Given…
Local CD Review: Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman (self-released) rogerfriedman.com Pianist Roger Friedman’s Going My Way? is a fine, sparkling jazz album, attesting to Friedman’s affection for Brazilian music, the Great American Songbook and songwriting itself. The originals are the keepers, particularly the sweeping, complex “Love Is All We Know,” the effervescent “Cinque Stelle” and “The Funkifier,” a robust plunge into…
Y2ROCK
The decade was fruitful and fractured. From hip-hop to hardcore, Northeast Ohio’s music scenes produced more than their share of creativity and controversy. Major corporations retreated. The underground thrived. Labels launched, disappeared or plugged away. Deals were signed and torn up. Venture capital was burned. Paradigms shifted. Bands broke up, talked shit, lied about it…
DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER
Hypothetical: You’re allowed to watch one decade of Cleveland sports and one decade only. Which do you choose? Remember, you will never see games from another decade. Things to consider: Does the overwhelming success of one team mean more than all-around success in more than one sport? Do you weigh championships and playoff appearances more…
All I Want for Cleveland…
Cleveland is what we make it. In that spirit we asked some Northeast Ohioans of varied professions and backgrounds to share their hopes for the region in the new year. EQUALITY It’s mind-boggling to me that we live in a state where it’s still possible, in many cases, to openly discriminate against someone who is…
Around Hear: Matzoh Ball and Holiday Latke Party
Christmas night, Blue Lunch will host their 2nd annual Matzoh Ball and Holiday Latke Party at the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Rd.). Frontman Bob Frank says the band’s fifth CD, Sideswiped, may be available that night. If the disc isn’t ready, fans can settle for non-kosher potato pancakes, which the Beachland will add to its…
WAXING MOON
Yehuda Moon was riding his bicycle on a secluded road in a snowstorm when someone he’d seen before pulled alongside, shouted, “Remember me?” and ran him into a ditch. Months earlier, Yehuda and the same motorist had a confrontation over where bicycles belong. The driver yelled “Sidewalk!” Yehuda — a commuter, advocate and shopkeeper —…
Drawing to a Full House
Joe Lieberman probably wouldn’t vote for any health-care plan that covers a session of Dr. Sketchy’s art therapy. No matter: Like chicken soup, Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School is cheap. And even soup can hardly top the benefits accruing from this doctor’s cocktail of wine, women and song. Distributed through a web-driven, viral franchise system, Dr.…
In Da Club
TOP PICK Fight Club: 10th Anniversary Edition (Twentieth Century Fox) One of the best movies of the past 10 years celebrates a decade of mindfucking with its Blu-ray debut. Bonus material includes commentary by director David Fincher and stars Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, deleted scenes and a couple of cool interactive features. Best of…
THANK YOU, COME AGAIN
Often, a view from without can paint a rosier picture than one from within. Judging by the recent flood of praise that Cleveland restaurants garnered in the national press, one can’t help but assume 2009 was a banner year. Esquire magazine’s John Mariani included L’Albatros in his roundup of “20 Best New Restaurants in America.”…
Half Way
Director Rob Marshall did the near impossible with 2002’s Chicago: He turned a beloved and successful Broadway musical into a hit Oscar-winning movie that was actually fun to watch. He got rousing performances out of Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and Queen Latifah. And most of all, he made a stuffy and somewhat creaky play cool…
Ex Marks the Spot
It’s Complicated *** 1/2 Writer-director Nancy Meyers specializes in the postmenopausal romantic comedy, in which a 50ish woman, living in a gorgeous home, revives her flagging sexuality via an awkward liaison with an inappropriate man. In Something’s Gotta Give, Diane Keaton’s uptight authoress succumbed to the charms of Jack Nicholson’s potbellied Lothario, who learned —…
Ordinary People
Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend might not be paparazzi bait like Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom. They’re more ordinary/human-looking than specimens of exaggerated physical beauty. Yet Blunt and Friend’s onscreen pairing as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in Quebecer Jean-Marc Vallée’s The Young Victoria is off-the- charts combustible and, yes, sexy as hell. That palpable…
Reel Cleveland: Working the Late Shift
Looking ahead to 2010, director Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi flick 2001: A Space Odyssey launches Cleveland Cinemas’ new Late Shift film series at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, January 2, at the Cedar Lee Theatre (2163 Lee Rd., 216.321.5411, clevelandcinemas.com). Late Shift aims to take the Cedar Lee Cult Series concept to other Cleveland Cinemas-owned theaters. “The Cedar…
Film Capsules
In Theaters Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel It’s hard to believe that 2007’s Alvin and the Chipmunks grossed more than $200 million at the box office. Featuring My Name Is Earl’s Jason Lee as chipmunk pal Dave Seville, the film catapulted the furry fellows to such fame that we’re now stuck with Alvin and…
Back in the Saddle
For 13 years, Cleveland’s Cowslingers roamed the countryside, peddling a wonderfully bizarre mix of musical styles. “We’ve always had an equal appreciation for country, rockabilly and punk rock, and there aren’t a lot of people who listen to all three,” says Greg Miller, the Cowslingers’ singer-songwriter, drinking a beer at the Tremont Tap House on…
