What to Do Tonight: Bears
In the spirit of the season, Bears plan to throw their upbeat harmonies and effervescent keyboard plunking into a few non-traditional Christmas songs to mix up their set at this year’s Yulesville Pre-Holiday Bash. The warm tones that radiate from the local band’s swoon-worthy vocals and subtle handclaps help you forget that they’re singing about…
What to Do Tonight: Grant Hart
Bridging rock’s evolutionary gap between 1970s punk and post-Pixies grunge, Hüsker Dü were one of the ’80s coolest and most influential college-radio bands. The group’s kinetic songs alternated vocal and songwriting duties between its creative core of drummer Grant Hart and guitarist Bob Mould. After Hüsker Dü’s 1987 split, Hart recorded solo and with a…
What to Do Tonight: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
A Christmas tradition that seemingly knows no bounds, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has taken its show to more cities and bigger venues since forming in 1999. This season’s tour, which kicked off in early November, runs through early January. TSO is so popular these days, it takes two different touring groups to bring the synth-heavy rock opera…
What to Do Tonight: Jim Brickman
Most noteworthy Cleveland Institute of Music alum perform while sitting in orchestral chairs or standing next to conductors. Pianist Jim Brickman has built a whole different kind of career. To some, his compositions are background music; to others, it’s good date music. He doesn’t mind either setting. Brickman credits CIM theory professor Marshall Griffith with…
The Wonder of It All makes its local premiere tonight at CMA
A documentary about the various U.S. missions to the moon, The Wonder of It All screens tonight at 7 and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 at the Cleveland Museum of Art Lecture Hall. Here is our review of the movie. The Wonder of It All (U.S., 2007) In 1961, with the Cold War creating…
What to Do Tonight: Ugly Radio Rebellion
Ike Willis had been Frank Zappa’s guitarist and right-hand man for more than a decade and a half when he made a promise to Zappa just prior to the legend’s passing in 1993. Willis vowed to keep Zappa’s music alive for subsequent generations — an oath he’s kept through his work with Zappa cover bands…
Avatar puts on a dazzling display
It’s been a dozen years since king of the world James Cameron won a boatload of Oscars for Titanic. He apparently spent the downtime thinking about how to revolutionize movies with Avatar, his bloated and exhausting sci-fi epic about a tribe of tall, tailed and blue-hued creatures called Na’vi. It’s also one of the most…
Reviews of the Cinematheque’s weekend films
The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque is showing several great movies this weekend. Here are reviews of just two of them. Bronson (Britain, 2008) “I came into the world as Michael Peterson, but I come out with my fighting name, Charlie Bronson,” the bad-tempered brawler (played by Tom Hardy in a virtuoso performance) tells the…
This Just In: Concert Announcements
Alesana/A Skylit Drive/Of Mice and Men/the Word Alive/We Came As Romans: Fri., Feb. 19. 6:30 p.m., $13 ADV/$15 DOS. Peabody’s. Attack Attack/Breathe Carolina/I See Stars/Asking Alexandria/Bury Tomorrow: Wed., Mar. 3. 6 p.m., $15 ADV/$17 DOS. Peabody’s. The Audition/the Dangerous Summer/Sparks the Rescue/the Right Coast: Tue., Feb. 16. 6:30 p.m., $10 ADV/$12 DOS. Peabody’s. Bassnectar/Major Lazer:…
Meet the Rock Hall’s Class of 2010
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its induction class for 2010, and it’s pretty much as we expected. Leading the list is Genesis, reformed prog-rockers who turned into a smarmy pop-music machine in the ’80s, and the Stooges, Iggy Pop’s proto-punk band, before he became boring and started believing his own myth. Swedish…
Blimp: Our Unblemished Past wins Akron Film Festival contest
Last week, the Akron Film Festival announced the winner of a contest called “The New History of Akron.” The concept called for local filmmakers to make a mockumentary about Akron that explores an “alternate history” of the city. The winning film, Blimp: Our Blemished Past, is a five-minute long fake documentary about the “beautiful beasts”…
Next Up on “Got City Game”
Clips from the December 22nd episode of “Got City Game.” GotCityGame.tv
See You in the New Year
This blog is going on official hiatus until January 4th, with the possible exception of some Derf cartoons about the Browns, but only because those require little to no work on my part. Until then, happy holidays, be safe out there, and remember, Santas in sunglasses are bitchin’.
Who is Your Duane Kuiper?
SI scribe and native Clevelander Joe Posnanski has written eloquently and often about one Duane Kuiper — second basemen for the Tribe from 1974 to 1982, and he of the one career home run* and unassuming .271 career average. To get the full effect of Posnanski’s love for Kuiper you really do need to read…
AN S.O.S. FOR CLEVELAND’S LAKEFRONT
A coalition of activists intent on stopping the Cleveland Port Authority’s proposed relocation of port facilities to waters off East 55th Street has created a web-site to publicize their concerns. Cleveland Lakefront Alliance brings together environmental and good-government activists from the League of Women Voters of the Cleveland Area, the Dike 14 Nature Preserve Committee…
So, Not Everyone Was Thrilled the Browns Were on Channel 3
While Browns fans spend the morning reveling in last night’s victory, not all Clevelanders are so thrilled. Turns out Thursday’s a pretty big TV night for the non-sporting crowd, and when your favorite shows are moved off the NBC schedule for Browns vs. Steelers, you get pretty angry about it and post your thoughts at…
Concert Review: Rooney at the Beachland Ballroom
The guys in Rooney must have had guilty consciences while writing most the songs off their 2003 self-titled debut album. Titles like “I’m a Terrible Person” and proclamations like “sorry for making your life a living hell” lead us to believe that the five-piece crew wasn’t all that innocent. But all that bumming around never…
Cherry Blossoms returns to CMA
A hit at last year’s Cleveland International Film Festival, Cherry Blossoms comes to the Cleveland Museum of Art for showing tonight at 76:30 and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13. Here is our review of the film. Cherry Blossoms (Germany/France, 2008) Winner of the audience award when it showed recently at the Cleveland International Film…
Auburn Records 25th Anniversary Party Lineup
There’s been a minor lineup change on the big Auburn Records 25th Anniversary show at the Beachland Ballroom this Saturday. Veteran Auburn band Chemikill, who’ll have a new CD out on the label next year, have withdrawn from the bill because singer Fred Flory had to travel to Arizona to be with his sick mother.…
IS VOINOVICH CYNICAL, OR JUST DUMB?
Alleged “deficit hawk” Senator George Voinovich, who voted for every budget submitted by unrepentent spender George W. Bush, has found a new way to crow about his phony credentials. He’s signed on to Senators Kent Nelson and Judd Gregg’s Talk About the Deficit A Lot — Like A Lot A Lot — We’re Totally Serious…
Ryan Humbert Gets Strung Out Again
Back in July, Akron-based singer-songwriter Ryan Humbert did a show at the Kent Stage that he called Strung Out. It featured a nine-piece acoustic group, including a string quartet, performing both Humbert’s originals and covers by Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and Peter Gabriel. That concert was so successful that Humbert has revamped the concept into…
Metallica Hearts the Black Keys
Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammet named the Black Keys’ Magic Potion as his No. 12 favorite album of the decade in a list for Rolling Stone. The Keys’ “You’re the One” (track three from the same 2006 album, produced by Danger Mouse; clip is above) is his No. 24 favorite song of the 00’s, right after…
THIS PROJECT BLOWS
The shells of former automobiles line both sides of the wide, muddy path that runs through the lot behind the office of Pearl Road Auto Parts. Every wheel has been removed, many are missing doors and all are unmistakably worn. It’s the way the Kaplan family has been doing business for four generations — recycling…
Reviews of the Cinematheque’s weekend films
The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque is showing several great movies this weekend. Here are our reviews of just a few of them. Bronson (Britain, 2008) “I came into the world as Michael Peterson, but I come out with my fighting name, Charlie Bronson,” the bad-tempered brawler (played by Tom Hardy in a virtuoso performance)…
Delvon Roe, UNC, and Michigan State
St. Edward product Delvon Roe chose Michigan State as the venue for his collegiate basketball career, but that choice wasn’t without controversy. In a new book by Roy Williams, the UNC coach, without naming names, comes strong after one recruit for backing out of playing for the Tar Heels. Williams basically says that Roe is…
LAKEWOOD’S CHAIR MAN OF THE FLOORED
For over a year, Steve Jambrozy has been trying to get someone’s attention, but his topic is about as unsexy as it gets: library chairs. The Lakewood resident has complained about the “very quick, small wheels on ultra-light chairs” in the main Technology Center of Lakewood Public Library’s main branch to an array of Lakewood…
RECESSION IN REAL TIME
This is like something from a sci-fi movie about a pandemic:
On the Proper Time to Wear a Basketball Jersey With No Shirt Underneath
The answer, really, is never. No one wants to see your guns. No one wants to see your tribal tats. Or how well you fill out the jersey. You’re not playing in a pickup game. You’re not going to impress anyone with your biceps. And if you’re not in shape? No one wants to see…
12/15: Jesse Cook at Nighttown
Despite his Anglo-sounding moniker, Toronto-based acoustic guitarist Jesse Cook was born in Paris to Canadian parents. Raised in southern France, a young Cook took to the sultry 19th-century world-fusion form known as flamenco. Gipsy Kings singer-to-be Nicolas Reyes was a neighbor. Cook expanded his palette in North American music schools, studying and absorbing classical, jazz…
12/15: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at HOB
When Scotty Morris thought about naming his new swing band back in 1989, he looked as far as the poster that blues guitar icon Albert Collins had signed for him: “To Scotty, the big bad voodoo daddy.” Big Bad Voodoo Daddy made their reputation playing in and around their California home base for five years…
12/12: WPA at Kent Stage
History buffs and old-timers know that WPA stands for the Works Progress Administration, the landmark New Deal-era agency that guided public-works construction, social-relief programs and arts projects. It’s this last category that relates most to the band that shares its name. This all-star Americana ensemble began as a partnership between former Toad the Wet Sprocket…
12/12: Tinsel Town at Idea Center
If the holiday bustle at home has made them cranky, bring the kids down to PlayhouseSquare’s Idea Center (1375 Euclid Ave.) from 3-5 p.m. this afternoon for the annual Tinsel Town party. Among the activities at the interactive holiday event: games, crafts, face-painting, storytelling with Santa and holiday treats. For families who want to make…
12/12 & 13: North Coast Men’s Chorus at Hanna Theatre
Unless it’s absolutely necessary, you never want to miss a North Coast Men’s Chorus holiday show. No one knows how to spread seasonal cheer better than these guys — around 70 singers ranging from enthusiastic amateurs to dazzling could-be professionals. On top of a range of tunes from the sacred to the profane, the group…
12/12 & 13: Bazaar Bizarre at 78th Street Studios
Now in its sixth year, Bazaar Bizarre has become more than a mere holiday shopping trip. It’s a social event for a new generation of DIYers, who mix old-school crafting techniques with 21st-century tastes. Local artists will gather this weekend to help keep your gift-giving dollars in Northeast Ohio. Knitter, felter and author Shannon Okey…
12/11 & 13: Sounds of Chorus and Brass
Three local music ensembles will blend their talents for two free holiday concerts. The 56-year-old Chagrin Valley Choral Union and the 17-year-old Western Reserve Chorale offer opportunities for singers of all ability levels to perform classical choral music, while the Cleveland Brass Quintet consists of Cleveland Institute of Music graduates. Together, they’ll present work by…
12/11-12: Xmas Sale and Auction
Running a gallery that shows work by active local artists isn’t something one does for profit. Still, rent needs to be paid, lights need to stay on and promotional materials need to be distributed. Dana Depew has kept the doors open at Asterisk Gallery for eight years, subsidizing costs with his day job at a…
12/11: Geauga County APL’s Rescue Village
Don’t forget the animals this holiday season! The Geauga County APL’s Rescue Village (15463 Chillicothe Rd., Russell Township, 440.338.4819) is inviting one and all to its Peace & Paws Holiday Celebration and Adoptathon, kicking off from 6-8 tonight with a candle-lighting and blessing of the animals in its Krantz Celebration Garden. It will be accompanied…
12/11: Jason Marsalis at Nighttown
In The Godfather Part 2, Michael Corleone commiserates with brother Fredo about life in the shadow of a feted father. Imagine having not only a parent but also three brothers to “compete” with. That’s jazz vibist and drummer Jason Marsalis’ predicament: Pianist-father Ellis is a New Orleans legend, brothers Wynton and Branford are superstars, and…
12/11: Johnny Fiasco at Touch Supper Club
Born and raised in Chicago, Johnny Fiasco began playing guitar and DJing at house parties thrown by his high-school friends in the mid-’80s. He eventually graduated to DJ residencies at now-legendary clubs like Smart Bar, the Shelter and Red Dog. Fiasco’s 1991 remix of DJ Chunk-A-Bud’s “Zig Zag” put him on the map, garnering heavy…
12/10: Raekwon at Peabody’s
Raekwon’s 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx … is one of the best hip-hop records ever made. His group the Wu-Tang Clan made only one better CD, their debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). And while we’re usually against sequels, Only Built for Cuban Linx … Pt. II, which came out a couple months…
12/10: Over the Rhine at Kent Stage
Over the Rhine have an uncanny way with emotion. They’re also pretty good at choosing the most appropriate sonic backdrop for delivery. The band’s tendency toward bleaker psychic explorations has largely disappeared over the past few albums, but it recently added jazzy Americana to its mix. Bluesy cabaret swagger plays alongside gospel nouveau and pop…
12/10-13: The Nutcracker at Allen Theatre
On one hand, a touring production of The Nutcracker is a painful reminder that Cleveland doesn’t have a ballet anymore. But on the other hand, it’s a chance to see a brand-new take on an old favorite. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company — which claims to be the oldest continuously operating ballet company in North…
12/10: Candye Kane at Fat Fish Blue
Blues belter Candye Kane has fought many battles in her life. Growing up on the poor side of Los Angeles, she became a teenage mom and then a skin-mag pinup before turning to her true love of music. “The Toughest Girl Alive” (to borrow an album title) also has combated prejudices and perceptions (like sexism…
12/10: Anthony Roth Costanzo & Cleveland Orchestra
The growing popularity of “early” music has brought a lot of old instruments back onstage, but none has a backstory as impressive as the countertenor’s history. A countertenor is a male vocalist who sings in the range of an alto or mezzo-soprano — parts typically sung by women. It’s actually just a fancy way of…
12/10-13: Cleveland Crown Classic Dog Show
Dog lovers will be in heaven this weekend, when the Cleveland Crown Classic Dog Show moves in to the IX Center (1 IX Center Dr., 216.676.6000). Judging begins each day at 8 a.m. and continues to 5 p.m. But if you don’t care about all the fine points of conformation and just love dogs, there’s…
12/10: A Closer Look at Beck Center
In her efforts to depict nature, Debra Sue Solecki has painted with acrylic, casting images in colored-paper pulp. She’s also used real fish in her printmaking. Lately, she’s turned to close-ups that almost completely remove her subjects from their context to reveal lines and texture. They’re not quite abstractions, but they’re not too far off…
12/10: Rooney at the Beachland
Rooney are ready for the next stage of their career. The L.A. band just released an EP, Wild One, and has a new album due next year. And they don’t plan to rest on their laurels. Named after the principal in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Rooney are best known for showing up on The O.C.…
eBay Item of the Day: Cavs Rocks Glass
I was over at Cleveland Frowns’ house about a week ago and was thrilled when he served a cold beverage in this exact glass. Classic logo on a rocks glass? Where do I sign up? He had a whole set, which basically means he never has to own another rocks glass in his life. Unfortunately,…
A Q&A with Extract director Mike Judge
Mike Judge has a great ear for dialogue, something that’s apparent in both the boneheaded Beavis and Butthead ’toon he scripted for MTV and in the redneck-themed animated series King of the Hill. While his latest film Extract, didn’t exactly go head-to-head with the latest Judd Apatow project when it came out over the summer,…
Graphs!!!
Waiting for Next Year breaks down some important Cleveland sports issues with graphs. Look! Color! Shapes! (Very much worth a look.)
“P.S.: PLEASE SEND SALAMI”
Lots of folks organize drives to send things to troops overseas — but we’re guessing that Cleveland Heights institution Mister Brisket is the first to focus on salami: The idea’s genesis came about during a conversation we had with Max Chandler of Cleveland Heights. Max’s son, Cormac, is the crew chief aboard a Medivac helicopter.…
In Case You Ever Wondered About That LeBron/Jeezy Line in “Empire State of Mind”
“If Jeezy’s paying LeBron, I’m paying Dwyane Wade.” That line from Hova’s “Empire State of Mind” is misheard and misunderstood all the time. “The Really Big Show” tackled the question of what the line means a few weeks ago, brushing aside one theory that it was about cocaine pricing in favor of an incorrect explanation…
OHIO DEMS BOAST STRONG ROSTER, WITH ONE EXCEPTION
The Ohio Democratic Party brought its “Knockout” road show to Cleveland Monday night, the last stop on a tour of the state to generate enthusiasm for the 2010 campaign. Next year, all statewide offices will be up for election, as will two state supreme court seats and George Voinovich’s U.S. Senate seat. And the ODP…
Cobra Verde Meets Dino Jr.
Cobra Verde frontman John Petkovic has a new group, Sweet Apple, featuring J. Mascis, singer-guitarist of indie-rock heroes Dinosaur Jr. The band also features Verde guitarist Tim Parnin and bassist David Sweetapple of Mascis’s metal band, Witch. Petkovic plays guitar and sings. Mascis drums and sings. The band has recorded an album, which is due…
CD Review: Chris Brown
Good luck listening to Brown’s third album if you know anything about his assault on Rihanna earlier this year. Brown’s image used to be that of a young R&B singer exploding with life and talent. Now he’s a portrait of rage — the sort of guy who beats his girlfriend during an argument. Where his…
ANATOMY OF AN INJUSTICE
Detective Phillip Habeeb waited outside the house for the right moment to make the early-morning entry, anxious to confront the 15-year-old boy he suspected of robbing a pizza deliveryman hours earlier. He and his partner, John Kraynik, were understandably upset, having arrested the same kid for a similar robbery six months earlier. They thought he’d…
CD Review: Puddle of Mudd
If it were 2001, Puddle of Mudd’s fourth studio release would fit right into the musical landscape. Producers Brian Hawes and John Kurzweg give the tunes real power, amping up the gnarly guitars and bringing out the rasp in Wes Scantlin’s vocals. Equally rooted in grunge and nü-metal, the album would play nicely next to…
Enhanced Interrogation: JENNIFER BRUNNER
Ohio secretary of state Jennifer Brunner has her eyes on George Voinovich’s soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat and is in the middle of a primary campaign against lieutenant governor Lee Fisher. Fisher has loads of campaign money, but Brunner is casting herself as a progressive candidate who isn’t afraid to speak out on issues that make…
CD Review: Elvis Presley
Elvis 75 presents 100 Presley rock and pop hits, gospel songs, live stunners and passable movie tunes on four CDs, wrapping them up in a bunch of photos and a literate essay. All the hits are there, from the trail-breaking 1954 “That’s All Right” to “A Little Less Conversation,” a 1968 trifle that gave the…
Around Hear: Nine Shocks Terror Reunite
Nine Shocks Terror will reunite for a fundraiser for the family of Richard “Chard” McInall on Saturday, December 12, at Now That’s Class (11213 Detroit Ave.). Chard, a founding member of the band, died in October. He was 40. McInall’s family came to Cleveland from Scotland when he was a teenager. He played in hardcore…
CD Review: Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Christmas isn’t complete without at least one irreverent holiday album. This year’s offering comes courtesy of Frylock, Master Shake and Meatwad, those loveable characters in the Adult Swim cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The opening tune, “Feliz Navidad,” features lyrics about the Mexican fast food they’d like to have for Christmas. They sing “I want…
FIDDLING ABOUT
“Conducting is not at all like playing first fiddle in a quartet,” says Joel Smirnoff, who’s done both enough time to know. He became the Juilliard String Quartet’s first violinist (replacing founding first chair Robert Mann, who held the job for 50 years) in 1997. And he’s been conducting since Seiji Ozawa asked him to…
Film Capsules
Opening Bliss (Turkey/Greece, 2007) A Turkish teen takes his cousin to Istanbul, where he plans to perform an honor killing to atone for her rape. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. At 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. Cherry Blossoms (Germany/France, 2008) Winner of the audience award when it showed recently…
All Net
We Live in Public begins with a title card that announces “This is the story of the greatest Internet pioneer you never heard of.” Maybe. It’s the story of Josh Harris, a webcasting visionary who was worth $80 million at one point. When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, he lost it all. Director Ondi…
Not Your Typical Toon
When John Lasseter took charge of Disney Studios in 2006, he announced he wanted to return to the traditional forms of animation that had made Disney a leader for 75 years. For veteran animator Randy Haycock, that was instantly appealing. “None of us expected it,” he said while he and fellow animator Bruce Smith were…
Reel Cleveland: Never Escape
About a year ago, writer-director Jon Mancinetti, a graduate of the Columbus College of Art and Design, moved back home to Cleveland. He had done a film at school, but he wanted to make another and figured Cleveland was the right place to do it. “I wanted to go all out on something new,” he…
Short Takes: OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA
Invictus **** Another late-career triumph for director Clint Eastwood, this convulsively moving account of the early days of Nelson Mandela’s presidency and how South Africa’s 1995 Rugby World Cup victory helped unite the country is the antithesis of a standard Hollywood message movie. Superbly adapted by Anthony Peckham from John Carlin’s book, Eastwood’s majestic film…
Another Not So Silent Night
Guitarist Neil Zaza left his last fulltime band — popular Cleveland hard rockers Zaza — in 1992. By normal expectations, his music career should have long been history. Yet Zaza — probably one of the best rock guitarists the area has ever produced — has forged an alternative career for himself that has included teaching,…
IRREVERENCE UNWRAPPED
Without a sprig of holly, a dash of New Testament or a smidgen of Scrooge, Dobama Theatre has found ways to satiate some of our most profound Yuletide yearnings. As partakers of Viagra may know, there’s an urgent desire in our society for constant resurrection. So first let us proclaim that the theater’s new space…
O Heavy Night
More than 25 years ago, Bill Peters, then (as now) host of a heavy-metal show on John Carroll’s radio station, WJCU 88.7 FM, ran into a schoolmate he hadn’t seen in a while at a local record store. He told Peters he was in a band and invited him to check them out. The friend…
THE FIRE THIS TIME
If you compare human voices to musical instruments, most of us are equipped with dime-store kazoos. But when James Weldon Johnson wrote God’s Trombones more than 80 years ago, an adaptation of which is now playing at Karamu House, he wasn’t talking about our thin and squeaky voices. His book and the stage adaptation, both…
Soundcheck: JAN “TERRORIZT” DESAEGHER
In recent years, French black metal has earned a stellar reputation within the global metal community thanks to adventurous bands like Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Antaeus and Spektr. These groups, working anonymously and refusing interview requests, make complex, philosophically rigorous music that expands the parameters of the genre in almost every respect: Songs are…
Urban Blight
“I think it takes a lot of nerve, a lot of guts, to be here,” says artist Katherine Chilcote. “You need to really believe that your creativity is meant to survive in a vast gray space, and that your creative energy is able to take you somewhere else. Cleveland has a very steady heartbeat —…
Local Music Reviews
Travis Haddix If I’m One, You’re One Too (Benevolent Blues)TravisHaddix.net While artists with old-school blues roots may be hard to come by these days, the North Coast still boasts of one of the most durable and well-traveled. With his 17th album, septuagenarian Haddix makes a strong case for the adage “age ain’t nothin’ but a…
Arts District: Funding Local Arts Projects
Artists working on educational or neighborhood initiatives in the city are among those eligible to apply for grants from the Cleveland Colectivo. Founded in 2004 by a group of friends who wanted to fund community projects, the “giving circle” makes small grants — from $500 to $5,000 — to help fund innovative local projects. Grantees…
The Russians Are Coming
It’s hard enough for lyricists to find the right words to convey their ideas. But for Chicago’s Russian Circles, the trick is to find the right music. The instrumental trio plays a spiraling, expansive blend of metal, prog and post-rock, interspersing cacophonous intensity and pummeling brutality with passages of melodic reflection and subtle quietude. But…
Read All About It
TOP PICK 1,000 Comic Books You Must Read (F+W) This photo- and fact-filled book looks at 1,000 essential comics from the past 80 years. There are plenty of the usual superhero suspects (Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men), but writer Tony Isabella also has a thing for Archie comics and Carl Barks’ great work on various…
Cole Powered
All it really took was the ring on Cleveland State basketball coach Gary Waters’ hand. Norris Cole, a senior at Dunbar High School at the time, heard the coach’s words when he visited Cole and his family in East Dayton in 2006, but the ring spoke louder. It silently told the story of Waters’ success…
EAT FOR THE WORLD
Discovering Mark Bittman can be revelatory. I was so taken upon stumbling across The Minimalist, his aptly titled New York Times column, that I set about printing and binder-clipping my favorites as “books” — even sharing them. Then I realized (duh) that the Bittman fans are, if not legion, sufficient to keep fat tomes like…
GRUMPY OLD MEN
George Forbes, a cook of some measure, comes in three flavors: sweet, sour and saucy, the latter so biting it can gag. Sauce was boss these recent days as Forbes managed to offend most sensible souls in town when he allowed The Call & Post to attack state senator Nina Turner with an Aunt Jemima…
IS IT A LEAP YEAR? CONNIE SCHULTZ KEEPS JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
We’re beginning to see a pattern. Last week, Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz chided readers who’d complained about the paper’s relentless coverage of the Imperial Avenue serial killer, suggesting they were too sheltered, rich and white to have a point. This week she took a gratuitous swipe at John Tidyman’s new book, Gimme Rewrite Sweetheart:…
