A Hearing Impairment Inspired Some of the Songs on Indie Rocker Peter Silberman’s New Album
Taking a page out of the musical playbook of the late, great Elliott Smith, singer-songwriter Peter Silberman inflects the somber songs on his first solo album, Impermanence, with a quiet intensity. The press release announcing its release explains that the album serves as “a continuation of the emotional odyssey he began in the Antlers with albums…
Disabled Veteran Alleges Ongoing Harassment by Cleveland Police in Anti-Panhandling Lawsuit
John Mancini, a disabled veteran and the named plaintiff in a lawsuit against the city of Cleveland and its anti-panhandling laws, filed an affidavit over the weekend that alleges continued harassment from police officers. (See the original story and the signed affidavit below.) Mancini asserts that he was panhandling March 11 on Euclid Avenue near…
Pink Martini Band Leader Talks About the Tracks on the Band’s New Album
Pink Martini bandleader Thomas Lauderdale originally thought he’d enter politics and run for mayor of his hometown, Portland, Oregon. As he started going to fundraisers, he realized that the music most politicians played at their events was so bad that he could easily come up with something better. He then put together a self-described “little…
FiveOne Experimental Orchestra at Market Garden and Five More Classical Music Events to Hit This Week
All three of the operas Mozart wrote on libretti by Lorenzo Da Ponte will hit area stages this spring. First up is the Cleveland Institute of Music Opera Theater’s production of Così fan tutte, which plays at 7:30 pm from Wednesday, March 1 through Saturday, March 4 in Kulas Hall at CIM. Director David Bamberger…
In the Fight to Outlaw Marital Rape Exemptions, Ohio Republicans Go Silent
[image-1]Despite marital rape being illegal in most cases across most of the U.S., the Ohio Revised Code allows for several gaps where a spouse may not be charged with rape in the event of what otherwise seems exactly like rape. In Ohio, there must be some “force or threat of force” in order to warrant…
Culture of Rampant Sexism, Wild Parties Revealed at Akron-Based Sterling Jewelers
In a scorching report from the Washington Post, unsealed statements and other arbitration documents from a class-action suit against Akron-based Sterling Jewelers revealed a corporate culture that “fostered rampant sexual harassment and discrimination.” At Sterling’s subsidiary jewelry stores across the country — Kay Jewelers, Jared the Galleria of Jewelry among them — managers groped and…
Bilingual Features, Arts Activism Showcased in New Edition of ‘CAN Journal’
Each issue of CAN Journal, Northeast Ohio’s premiere visual arts quarterly magazine, seems to get bigger and better. Be the first to pick up a copy of the latest CAN Journal during a Spring Issue Launch Party at MOCA Cleveland from 6 to 8 p.m. this Friday, March 3. The night includes free admission to…
Is Waiting In Line for a Paczki Today Worth It?
No. Related Stories
Alonzo Mitchell III Announces Ward 6 Cleveland City Council Run
Cleveland promoter Alonzo Mitchell III, who is still most widely known for his short-lived “Ohio Homecoming” New Year’s Eve celebrations, has announced that he will run for Cleveland City Council. In a Facebook Live video Monday night, Mitchell succinctly declared that Cleveland was in desperate need of new leadership. He has been encouraging civic engagement,…
‘If We Lose the EPA, We Lose Lake Erie,’ Great Lakes Scientist Says
Researchers and environmental scientists around the world have been circling the wagons in the wake of the Nov. 8, 2016, U.S. presidential election — and for good reason. During the recent Binational Meeting of the Lake Erie Millennium Network, for instance, Jeff Reutter, special adviser for the Ohio Sea Grant program, said, “If we lose the EPA, we…
How Much Is Too Much for a Quarterback? — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre is packing his small clothes into a big bag for spring training, but before he departs he and Zac look ahead to the handshakes and hypotheticals of the NFL Scouting Combine. They debate the price of a franchise quarterback and discuss what really can be gained from spending a few days in Indy. Subscribe…
Armond Budish Is a Willing Accomplice to Dan Gilbert’s Latest Arena Subsidy Scam
Last Tuesday afternoon, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish stood at a packed County Council meeting and emotionally pleaded for Council to approve the most recently proposed $70 million public handout to Dan Gilbert for upgrades to Quicken Loans Arena. Even though there is no legal obligation for the public to provide the proposed subsidy, the…
Melt, Virtual Reality Coaster Among New Attractions at Cedar Point for 2017 Season
Cedar Point will open the 2017 season on May 6, which means it’s not all that long before the thrill-seeking set can once again let all those roller coasters hit them with a temporary face lift. Last weekend at the Winter Chill Out event, the coaster park gave a preview of the new attractions folks…
Vocal Powerhouse Ariana Grande Enthralls Q Crowd
As her career unfolds, it’s becoming harder and harder to write Ariana Grande off as simply a pop star. Her songwriting can run a bit cliché at times, but her vocal range and ability to perform is basically unrivaled by other contemporary pop singers. Last night, as the Academy Awards presentation was taking place simultaneously…
Gallery W at American Greetings Showcases Five Artists with Ties to Cleveland Institute of Art
American Greetings’ gorgeous new world headquarters at Crocker Park includes a public art gallery, Gallery W, which regularly showcases work by local, national and international artists. Free and open to the public, Divergent Explorations: Works by 5 Contemporary Artists is just the fourth exhibition since the gallery opened last September. “The ideas presented by each…
Two Men Who Were Wrongfully Convicted of an East Cleveland Murder are Suing the City and the County
Two of the men who were wrongfully convicted in a 1995 murder are now suing the city of East Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, along with several specific attorneys. Known as the East Cleveland 3, Derrick Wheatt, Laurese Glover and Eugene Johnson have been free since 2015. The state and its prosecuting attorneys, however, have refused…
Video: Here’s Eric Church Singing Michael Stanley’s “My Town”
With all due respect to the Black Keys, Bone Thugs, Machine Gun Kelly, the Pretenders, Pere Ubu, Joe Walsh and all the other notable musicians who launched out of Northeast Ohio, not one of them can hold a flame to Michael Stanley. So when Mr. Eric Church comes to town for an epic four-hour set…
126 Non-U.S. Citizens Have Voted in Ohio Elections Since 2013
[image-1]Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted released another update to his biennial investigations into the matter of voter fraud. Since 2013, he says, 126 non-U.S. citizens have voted in Ohio elections. All told, he’s found 821 non-U.S. citizens on the voter rolls in the last four years. In Cuyahoga County, Husted identified 61 non-U.S. citizens…
Country Singer-Guitarist Eric Church Delivers an Epic Set at the Q
Cut from the same musical cloth as classic rockers such as Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, country singer-guitarist Eric Church writes narrative-based songs about the American experience. And like those aforementioned rock icons, he tours and records with a killer band that can bring those narratives to life. His Eric Church Band capably…
Cedar Lee Theatre Partners with Local Cat Shelters for ‘KEDI’ Screenings
Set to open on March 10 at the Cedar Lee Theatre, the documentary film KEDI centers on a handful of the hundreds of thousands of cats that roam the streets of Istanbul, Turkey. For thousands of years, Istanbul street cats have wandered in and out of people’s lives, and the film documents those wanderings. To…
First Look: Barrio Tacos in Cedar-Fairmount, Opening Next Week
The transformation from Mad Greek to Barrio Tacos (2466 Fairmount Blvd., 216-862-3498) is just about complete at the top of Cedar Hill in Cleveland Heights. The local restaurant group purchased the property last summer and has been hard at work transforming the space into a restaurant that better fits with the company’s spirited ethos. Barrio…
Ohio is Rolling Out More Rules on Medical Marijuana Law
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is providing more details in its proposed rules that will govern the medical marijuana policies in the state. This week, the board announced a fairly restrictive cap on the amount of medicinal “plant material” that patients can purchase: six ounces of bud with THC content under 23 percent or four…
Singer-Guitarist John Mayer to Play Blossom in August
When singer-guitarist John Mayer played Blossom back in 2013, he started the show with “Queen Of California” and moved directly into the single “Paper Dolls” during a concert that showed off the range of his music. Nearly every song was extended by several minutes to allow for solos and dancing on the lawn. Earlier today,…
Video: Watch the FirstEnergy Lakeshore Plant Get Demolished
The FirstEnergy Lakeshore plant went boom last night at 1:00 a.m. as crews used 200 pounds of explosives to demolish the 106-year-old structure. Here’s what that looked like. The Lakeshore plant is no more. A post shared by Mike Vielhaber (@mvielhaber) on Feb 23, 2017 at 11:38pm PST
Bakersfield Tacos, Tequila, Whiskey Back on Track for Spring Opening in Ohio City
Attention all aspiring tortilla makers: your time to shine might be just around the bend. It’s been two and a half years since we broke the news that Bakersfield Tacos, Tequila, Whiskey, a small but growing Cincinnati-based restaurant group, was preparing to take over the old Grind spot (2058 W. 25th St.) at the corner…
Life on the Road Inspired the Latest Album From Alt-Country Singer-Songwriter Nikki Lane
Born in South Carolina, alt-country singer-songwriter Nikki Lane grew up listening to a wide range of music. Because her parents were divorced, she lived in what she calls “separate worlds.” “I grew up in a town outside of Greenville,” she says in a recent phone interview from her Nashville home. She performs at 8 p.m.…
The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars to Headline Annual Lakeland Jazz Festival
The annual Lakeland Jazz Festival, which takes place from March 17 to 19 at the college’s Dr. Wayne L. Rodehorst Performing Arts Center (Building D), offers a celebration of jazz music with performers ranging from up-and-coming students and new artists to more established veterans of the jazz scene. Since its inception, the festival has aimed to…
London Label to Issue Local Bassist Gabriel Schray’s New Solo Album
Over the past ten or so years, local musician Gabe Schray has played with indie rock acts such as Houseguest, Intelligent Knives and Genetically Yours. He’s also played trumpet for Six Parts Seven, Beaten Awake and Churchbuilder. Now, he’s announced the London-based label Last Resort will release his new album, Gabriel. It will mark the…
Crave Owner to Expand from Akron to Cuyahoga Falls With Crave Cantina
[image-1]Aaron Hervey opened Crave in Akron 12 years ago, but he’s been itching to expand for almost half that time. “I’ve been trying to do something else for the past five years and I just couldn’t get there; I got there as fast as I could,” he says. Much of the delay, he notes, has…
Cow Advocates Will Be Protesting the Mac ‘N Cheese Throwdown on Saturday (Yes, Really)
[image-1]There is no shortage of protests these days and given the political climate it’s not particularly shocking, but there’s one scheduled for this weekend that was an udder (pardon the pun) surprise to us. The Mac ‘N Cheese Throwdown, a sold-out fundraiser for W.A.G.S. 4 Kids, is being targeted by a small group of picketers because…
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears Return to Their Roots for ‘Backlash’
Joe Lewis, frontman for the grunge-y classic soul and punked-up R&B band Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, has come a long way from the days when he worked at an Austin pawn shop. Though he doesn’t look back fondly on the gig, he admits it gave him the opportunity to learn to play guitar.…
Sen. Rob Portman Bans Democrats from Speaking Event, Fundraiser in Ohio
[image-1]Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman spoke at the Lincoln Day Dinner in Seneca County, an event sponsored by the Seneca County Republican Party. (Seneca County is just south of Sandusky.) Before the event, Portman’s staff made the decision to check the political party registration of each attendee and then deny entry to event-goers…
Only One More Showing of Dynamic ‘Amadeus,’ Part of National Theatre Live at Cedar-Lee Theatre
If you’ve ever felt a bit sorry for those people in an orchestra who are forced to sit still and play their instruments, you’ll be happy to know they’ve been set free in this remarkable production of Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. This is a film of a live stage production at the National Theatre, presented…
2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game Announced
BREAKING NEWS: The @dallascowboys will play the @AZCardinals in the Hall of Fame Game! #PFHOF17 pic.twitter.com/X5VpsLbkbf — Pro Football HOF (@ProFootballHOF) February 23, 2017 There you have it. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced that this year’s Hall of Fame game will feature the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. But don’t get…
Stream Sun Kil Moon’s New Tune ‘God Bless Ohio’
Sun Kil Moon’s next LP is out, and, like he has on previous albums, singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek has included a poignantly dark song about Ohio. “God Bless Ohio” can be streamed here. Over a snappy snare rhythm, singer-songwriter Kozelek kicks around some of the recent tragedies that Ohio has had to deal with — and…
Pixies to Perform at the Agora in October
When Pixies last played in town in 2015 at the Masonic Auditorium, the influential alternative rock act opened with “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song),” a song from the David Lynch flick Eraserhead. It started the show on a somber note, but the band let the songs provide a sense of momentum. The band…
Twenty Percent of Cleveland Public High School Students Attempted Suicide in 2015
News Channel 5 reported this morning that students at Cleveland Public High Schools are among the most likely to attempt suicide in the country. A Center for Disease Control (CDC) report found that 20 percent of high school students enrolled at CMSD tried to kill themselves in 2015. This was the highest rate of attempted suicide among…
9 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, FEB. 24 Eric Church When country singer-guitarist Eric Church last played in town in 2014, he delivered a compelling two-hour concert in front of a packed house at Quicken Loans Arena. Drawing on his rock roots, he put on an energetic show that came off as the country equivalent of a Springsteen concert. Church…
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters to Perform at the Q in September
Though the Rock Hall has only reluctantly inducted progressive rock acts over the years, the UK act Pink Floyd bucked the trend when it made into the hall in 1996. The early induction was certainly merited. During its heyday in the ’70s and ’80s, the band essentially defined the art of the concept album. Now,…
Euclid Jail Supervisor and Officer Under Investigation After Allegedly Misusing LEADS Police Database for Personal Reasons
[image-1]A corporal and an officer at the Euclid Jail, which is run by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, are under investigation after allegedly misusing LEADS, the law enforcement database, for personal reasons, according to a source. LEADS is the Ohio Law Enforcement Automated Data System, which is maintained by the Highway Patrol. It’s an essential…
Heated Deliberations Begin for the Q Renovation Plan
County Executive Armond Budish has seldom appeared more exercised than he did yesterday, when he addressed Cuyahoga County Council about the proposed Quicken Loans Arena renovation plan. After more than 30 public comments, passionately delineating familiar notes of opposition and support, Budish took to the podium to present a doomsday scenario in which the county…
At the Drive-In Returns to the Agora in June
Back in November of 2000, the post-hardcore act At the Drive-In delivered a mesmerizing set at the Agora. At the time, critics touted the group as the “next big thing.” While the band didn’t entirely become a household name, the group did leave a lasting impression thanks to its visceral live shows. Now, the band…
More Details Emerge on Cleveland Hustles: Chain Reaction
“The behind-the-scenes work has already begun and we’ll start airing in July with businesses open by December,” explains Alan Glazen, whose company Glazen Urban has partnered with COSE and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress to produce this spinoff show of “Cleveland Hustles.” This new production is independent of LeBron James and CNBC, but it has the blessings…
Singer-Songwriters Diana Chittester and Royal Wood to Bring Their Co-Headlining Tour to the Music Box
A few years ago, singer-songwriter Diana Chittester moved to Cleveland from Pittsburgh, and started playing open mic nights at places like the now-closed Winchester. She released her first EP in 2008 and followed that with 2012’s In This Skin, an album which features local Cleveland blues musicians. She continues to play the local circuit and…
Boogie Cousins, Terrelle Pryor and Andre’s Pre-Camp Physical — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac try to make sense of the DeMarcus Cousins trade, relate it to other situations, touch on what the Browns are battling in their negotiations with Terrelle Pryor and — as usual — bust out a healthy round of fat jokes. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here.
Ushabu to Launch Lunch Service Next Week, Liquor License on its Way
[image-1]Starting next Tuesday, February 28th, Ushabu in Tremont will begin serving lunch. Diners who have visited and enjoyed the restaurant by night should expect a very different, albeit equally pleasant, experience, says GM Michael Flaherty. “Lunch will be a different, brighter, livelier atmosphere,” he says. “The idea is to have almost a completely different restaurant by…
Kevin Young, Suspect Acquitted in 1990 Murder of Lisa Pruett, Has Died
Kevin Young, who was acquitted in the 1990 murder of Lisa Pruett, after a highly-publicized and divisive trial, has died. He was 44. Christopher Harris, spokesman for the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, says Young was found dead in January in his East Side apartment. A cause of death has yet been determined, but a…
Missing South Texas Man Found Happily Living New Life in Northeast Ohio
After weeks of frantic search parties and community prayer services, a missing South Texas man has been found in Northeast Ohio. But what’s still unclear is if he wanted to be found at all. Lee Arms, a 44-year-old man from Falls City, Texas, disappeared on Sunday, February 5. Police found his Ford Focus abandoned on…
Ukrainian Genocide Film Better Suited for History Channel
Unlike last year’s Son of Saul, which told a specific story of the Holocaust in a gripping way — hand-held camera, over-the-shoulder close-up shots; each scene urgent, antic, dizzying in its horrors — Bitter Harvest, which opens Friday at Cinemark Valley View, tells a general story of the Holodomor (the genocide-by-starvation perpetrated upon the people…
Spotlight: ‘The Red Turtle’
Without a single line of dialogue, The Red Turtle,by debut filmmaker Michael Dudok de Wit, has been nominated for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award. And based on the strength of its old-school animation, its orchestral score and its fairytale-like storytelling, it’s a unique deep dark horse in the category. It opens Friday at the…
Savage Love: Fantasy Scenarios
Dear Dan, I am a straight married man. My wife and I have a 4-year-old and a 3-month-old. We’ve just started having intercourse again. For Valentine’s Day, we spent the night in a B&B while grandma watched the kids. We had edibles, drank sparkling wine, and then fucked. It was amazing. After we came and…
An Innocent Middle Eastern Man Runs Away From Danger, and Himself, in ‘I Call My Brothers’
It is often said that a movie or play is “ripped from the headlines,” and that is sometimes a careless trope. But you can believe every fear that’s released in I Call My Brothers now at Cleveland Public Theatre. Written by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, the acclaimed Swedish novelist and playwright, the play is a fictionalized…
An Excerpt From: ‘You’re Welcome, Cleveland; How I Helped LeBron James Win a Championship and Save a City’
I left Cleveland to go to writing school in Iowa in 1984. I always figured I’d come back to live, but my first wife, a westside girl I met at CSU, got into med school in Iowa, and we moved to Philly for her residency, and I started to work for men’s magazines in 1993,…
A Dated Menu and Uneven Execution Hamper Merchant Street Eatery’s Hopes of Lasting
“So, will the curse finally be broken?” asked a friend, referring to the revolving-door restaurant situation that has plagued Tremont’s notorious park-side bistro for nearly two decades. I’m not optimistic, I replied. At least, not unless things change. Like countless other diners, I’ve been smitten by John McDonnell’s charms since the first time I dined…
Luchita’s Mexican Restaurant Celebrates 35 Years in Business
Eduardo Galindo, owner of Luchita’s Mexican Restaurant (3456 West 117th St., 216-252-1169, luchitas.net), has never had to travel far to get a good home-cooked meal. The family-run establishment was opened in February 1982 by his grandmother Maria de la Luz Galindo Muñoz and his father Jorge Galindo. At the time, it was one of very…
Powerful Portrayals of Civil Rights, Race and Profiteering Prisons in Spaces’ New Exhibitions
After a grand opening weekend attended by hundreds of patrons eager to celebrate the launch of its new home in Hingetown last month, Spaces Gallery got right down to business and debuted its first new exhibitions of the year. The address might have changed but those shows, which include work by New York-based Australian collective…
Band of the Week: Dorothy
MEET THE BAND: Dorothy Martin (vocals), Dylan Howard (drums), DJ Black (guitars) and Gregg Cash (bass) A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: San Diego-born Martin says she sang since she was a kid and found inspiration by sifting through her father’s vinyl collection. “I listened to everything from every different genre,” she says. “I think I…
