In Advance of Upcoming MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage concert, Killer Queen Frontman Talks About Paying Tribute to the British Rock Band
One of the world’s best Queen tribute bands, England’s Killer Queen, arrives in the States next month for a U.S. tour. As part of that trek, the group performs on Friday, April 8, at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. Led by singer Patrick Myers, who takes on the role of flamboyant singer Freddie Mercury,…
Cleveland City Council Approves Mayor Bibb’s Proposed Legislation Designed to Spur Growth at West Side Market
Update: On Monday, March 21, Cleveland City Council approved legislation advanced by Mayor Justin M. Bibb’s office designed to address issues plaguing the historic public market. Alcohol sales, long prohibited, will be considered on a case-by-case basis, lease terms will more flexible, and the disparity between prepared food vendors and traditional food sellers will be eliminated.…
With Extensive Reissue Series in the Works and a 2020 Album To Support, Bright Eyes Comes to Agora on April 2
Bright Eyes composer/arranger/multi-instrumentalist Nathaniel Wolcott admits the last two years have been “pretty wild.” An extremely prolific musician, Wolcott did not sit by idly after touring came to a halt. Rather, he turned his focus to The Stand soundtrack he recorded with fellow Bright Eyes member Mike Mogis. He also worked on an ambitious Bright…
Kishi Bashi To Celebrate 10th Anniversary of Debut Album at Upcoming Grog Shop Show
Prior to the release of Kishi Bashi’s debut album, 151a, Kishi Bashi (née Kaoru Ishibashi) played in the indie rock band Jupiter One. Finding it difficult to make even a subsistence salary with the band, he embarked on a solo career about 10 years ago, dropping his acclaimed debut, 151a, in 2012. To celebrate the tenth anniversary…
Local Business, Nonprofit Communities Giddy over Potential of Greater Cleveland Career Consortium
Dozens of local corporate and nonprofit leaders gathered at the Euclid headquarters of Lincoln Electric Tuesday afternoon to formally launch a collaborative effort designed to get young people into high-demand jobs. CMSD CEO Eric Gordon, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and others celebrated the regional partnership and indexed the merits of…
15+ Things To Do in Cleveland This Weekend (March 10-13)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 03/10 2022 MAC Tournament Many teams in college basketball’s biggest conferences will make it to the NCAA basketball tournament whether or not they win their conference tournament. In the Mid-American Conference, teams must win…
Ritt Momney, Who Plays House of Blues Cambridge Room on March 31, Puts Personal Evolution on Display on Major Label Debut
Indie pop singer-songwriter Jack Rutter, known professionally as Ritt Momney, admits the suburbs of Salt Lake City are “very singular.” “Not in a bad way, necessarily, but it’s a bubble,” says Momney, who grew up as a member of the church of the Latter-day Saints, in a recent phone interview. Touring in support of last…
Savage Love: I’m Still Turned on By My Dead Lover’s Sexts
I lost my lover unexpectedly last weekend. He was a long-time friend and periodic hook-up, and things were finally starting to turn as serious as I’d always secretly wanted them to be. I’m writing because I don’t know what to do with my desire for him, because that certainly didn’t die with him. He’s the…
The City of Cleveland’s Paint Program Could Use a Fresh Coat as Residents Cite Costly Labor and Slow Voucher Approval Process
Tuesday Gibson lives with her mom, Barbara, in a 107-year-old home in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood. Gibson had hoped Cleveland’s Exterior Paint Program, which offers free paint and supplies to help residents repaint their homes and safely remove any hazardous lead-based paint, would provide enough support to give the home a fresh coat. Gibson applied and…
Schnitz Ale Brewery Offers a Free-Spirited Interpretation of Eastern European Fare
You might expect a chilly late-February Monday night to be Deadsville at the local brewpub, but the opposite was true during a recent visit to Schnitz Ale in Parma. Not only was every seat at the bar spoken for, as were most of the seats in the main dining room, but there also happened to…
Cleveland Heights Passes Resolution Supporting Medicare for All
At its meeting Monday evening, the Cleveland Heights City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting Medicare for All. Though Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren previously acknowledged that the legislation is purely “ceremonial,” he said that “every bit of advocacy helps.” Seren himself drafted the legislation, which calls for universal healthcare and notes how urgent sweeping…
Thrice and Bayside Co-Headlining Tour Coming to House of Blues in June
The rock band Thrice just announced it’ll hit the road this summer on a co-headlining tour with the punk outfit Bayside. The group Anxious will join the acts as well. The trek brings the three bands to House of Blues on June 6. “We had a blast on our Horizons/East headline tour last fall and can’t wait to…
Thirsty Dog in the Flats is Closed, Rum Runners to Make its Return in its Place
Thirsty Dog Brewing in the Flats, which closed over winter, will not be reopening, according to a spokesperson for Sly Restaurant Group, the operator of the business. Taking the place of the five-year-old outpost of the Akron-based brewery will be another concept. Next up for the nearly 10,000-square-foot space is Rum Runners, a name that…
University Circle Starbucks is Fourth Cleveland Store that Wants to Form a Union
Workers at the Starbucks location on Euclid Avenue in University Circle have declared their intent to unionize, becoming the fourth store in Northeast Ohio to join the nationwide movement. In a letter to Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson sent Monday, workers echoed many of the sentiments expressed by baristas at other local locations who have filed…
In Advance of Monday’s Show at House of Blues, Manchester Orchestra Guitarist Reflects on Indie Band’s 15-Year Career
Given that a theme of personal loss runs through the songs on The Million Masks of God, the latest offering from indie rockers Manchester Orchestra, you’d think the pandemic informed the tunes. But the group started writing songs in 2018 and finished recording in March of 2020, right before COVID hit the U.S. “We never…
Exipure Reviews – Does It Work for Weight Loss?
Exipure is one of the great weight-loss secrets that burns fat effectively and helps you lose weight. Is this healthy weight loss supplement the next thing you need to add to your diet? Check out our Exipure review. Exipure boosts metabolic processes and speeds up body fat burning. It comes in an easy-to-use, white pump…
Ohio Judge Withdraws From Probes Into HB6 Nuclear Bailout He Helped Write
A state judge who oversees utility cases withdrew himself Friday from four cases involving legislation now at the center of a criminal public corruption investigation. Greg Price, an attorney examiner with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and chief of the electric and energy section, stepped back from investigations into FirstEnergy Corp. He cited the…
3 Palms Pizzeria at Pinecrest is Permanently Closed
3 Palms Pizzeria will not reopen its Pinecrest location, says principal Tiffany Monday. The eatery, which was launched by chef Shawn Monday in Hudson, added locations in Westlake at Crocker Park in 2017 and Orange Village at Pinecrest in 2018. After shutting down in March 2020 along with every other restaurant, 3 Palms Pinecrest did reopen,…
Country Singer Maren Morris To Play Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in August
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Maren Morris just announced the dates of a U.S. headline tour that’ll bring her to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica on Aug. 5. Morris’s new album, Humble Quest, comes out later this month. It features the single “Circles Around This Town,” which broke Amazon Music’s record for most streams for a country song debut by…
Former East Cleveland Mayor Eric J. Brewer is Running for Congress in 11th District as a Republican
Former East Cleveland Mayor, Cleveland mayoral candidate and veteran journalist Eric J. Brewer announced this weekend that he has filed to run for the 11th District Congressional seat currently occupied by Shontel Brown. Brewer, who placed eighth out of nine candidates in the 2017 Cleveland mayoral primary and whose most recent professional adventure has been…
Cleveland Man Wanted for Stabbing of Broadview Heights Police Officer Found Dead in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The Summit County Medical Examiner today identified the man whose body was found last Thursday in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park near the intersection of Valley View Rd. and Sagamore Rd. as 31-year-old Michael R. Stout of Linton Ave. in Cleveland. While the office has yet to officially declare a cause of death, park rangers…
Ohio Saw Jump in White Supremacist, Antisemitic Incidents in 2021, According to ADL Report
According to an annual study released by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, in 2021, extremist groups in Ohio accounted for 270 incidents, including one extremist murder, two police shootouts, 48 antisemitic incidents, and 219 instances of propaganda distribution. In all cases, the data likely represents an undercount but still represents a climb from 2020,…
Chagrin Documentary Film Fest, Little Theatre Team Up for Ukraine Benefit March 30
The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival (CDFF) and the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre have partnered to present a film screening and discussion later this month to benefit humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. On March 30, CDFF will present Music of Survival: The Story of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus. The 90-minute film from 2015 tells the story of…
CSU Board of Trustees Will Not Vote on Law School Name Change Before Commencement
Members of a Cleveland State University student group advocating for the removal of former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall’s name from the law school say that the university’s board of trustees will not vote on changing the name at their March meeting. The March meeting is the board’s final meeting before the university’s May…
Black Victims of Fatal Police Brutality Have Their Say in ‘Kill Move Paradise’ at Dobama
When most people die they are mourned, and the world moves on. But Black men and women who have lost their lives due to police brutality are in a different category. Their names are prayers spoken by those who still have breath, in the hope—no, in the insistence—that change must happen now. In the compelling…
Cleveland Housing Watchdog Group Releases Report on Outside Investors, Blueprint for Crackdown on Bad Actors
A new in-depth analysis of outside investor influence in the Cleveland housing market, one of the largest citywide studies of its kind in the past decade, includes more than two dozen clear-eyed policy recommendations to address what many advocates have called a growing problem. (View a PDF of the report at end of article.) “It’s…
The Cleveland Museum of Art Presents ‘Currents and Constellations: Black Art in Focus’
Featuring work by Black artists who embrace and challenge art history, the ‘Currents and Constellations: Black Art in Focus’ exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art is on display through June 26. It explores established and mid-career Black artists such as Sanford Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Richard Hunt, Dawoud Bey, Lorna Simpson, Jack Whitten, Darius Steward,…
Pianist Min Kwon’s America/Beautiful Project Comes to Kent State University on March 20
Min Kwon, America the Beautiful, Kent State University
Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to Offer Pay Bump for Poll Workers
In an effort to recruit poll workers for the 2022 primary election—which for the moment is scheduled for May 3—the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has announced a pay increase. Poll workers will receive $250 for their day of work, a hike from last year’s $173 and a return to compensation levels from 2020. Workers…
How Omicron’s Mutations Make It the Most Infectious Coronavirus Variant Yet
In November, a new coronavirus variant took the world by storm. Omicron has since caused an unprecedented wave of infections, striking about 90 million people in just 10 weeks. That’s more COVID-19 cases than were recorded in all of 2020. Omicron also left scientists scratching their heads. It’s riddled with mutations, which might normally doom…
Bibb Proposes Legislation to Replace Public Square Jersey Barriers with Retractable Bollards
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has proposed legislation to authorize spending $1.5 million in city funds to remove the ghastly jersey barriers on Public Square and replace them with retractable bollards. The estimated all-in cost of removing the barriers on Superior Avenue, repairing the streetscape that they’ve reportedly scuffed up and otherwise damaged as they’ve sat…
‘Wonderfully Preserved’ 130-Year-Old Shipwreck Found in Great Lakes
A Michigan shipwreck society found the remains of the Atlanta, a 172-foot schooner-barge that sank in Lake Superior on May 4, 1891. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society says it found the wreck 35 miles off the coast of Deer Park, Michigan, 650 feet below the surface of the water. Due to the frigid temperatures…
A Dispatch From the ‘People’s Convoy,’ the Rolling Temper Tantrum of Grievance That Moves Through Ohio Today
St. Louis — Missourians from across the state took to highway overpasses this week to show their support for a rolling temper tantrum of hundreds of flag-covered vehicles, whose main objective appeared to be to piss off as many people as possible by creating huge traffic jams in protest of COVID restrictions, which largely no…
The Ohio Newsroom, Statewide Public Radio Hub, Launches Today
When it formally launches today, The Ohio Newsroom will instantly become the largest daily radio and digital news outlet in the state. With a two-year, $375,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, it will publish content from partner public radio stations in Ohio cities both large and small. Wendy Turner, a member of Ideastream…
Horror Punk Act Wednesday 13 Headed to Winchester in April
The horror punk act Wednesday 13 will embark on a massive 2022 U.S. headline tour dubbed 20 Years of Fear. The tour will feature a special setlist spanning the band’s entire career. The tour comes to the Winchester on April 15, and tickets to the Wednesday 13 concert at the Winchester are on sale now.…
Parquet Courts, Who Play the Agora on March 16, Opt for Dance-y Vibe on Newest Album
Last year, when Parquet Courts released “Plant Life,” a song with swirling synths and woozy vocals, it represented the first new original material from the band since 2018’s Wide Awake! Drummer Max Savage admits that making the follow-up to Wide Awake! wasn’t the easiest thing to do. “There’s always a challenge when you’re making a…
Federal Programs Exist to Help Clevelanders Struggling to Pay Utility Bills, But Residents Say They Aren’t Easy to Access
Rashidah Abdulhaqq worries her electricity and heat will be shut off. These are vital services during normal times, but especially during the winter, and especially when she has a portable oxygen tank she carts around to keep herself alive. Flanked by several windows wrapped in plastic to better insulate her drafty Glenville home, Abdulhaqq said…
Boat Show Coming to I-X Center March 17-20
The annual Cleveland Boat Show is returning to the I-X Center March 17-20 for four days of maritime festivities. Fifty thousand visitors from the region are expected to attend after the pandemic scuttled the 2021 event and postponed this year’s show from its usual January dates. According to Michelle Burk, the president of the Lake Erie…
Nitro Circus’s Good, Bad & Rad Tour Coming to Classic Park in June
Led by NBC America’s Got Talent: Extreme competitors Ryan “R Willy” Williams and the Contraption Kings plus Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, Nitro Circus features a mix of tricks, bone-crushing fails and comedic moments,” as it’s put in a press release. The group of daredevils will bring their new live show: Good, Bad & Rad, to Classic Park on June 25. Tickets to…
Bipartisan Bill to Repeal Ohio’s Death Penalty Closer Than Ever to Passing
An invitation-only hearing will be held by the House Criminal Justice Committee today on legislation which would end Ohio’s death penalty. It’s the fifth hearing on House Bill 183, and the farthest a death penalty repeal bill has gone in the legislative process. Allison Cohen, director of communications for the group Ohioans to Stop Executions,…
Why Are Some Americans Rooting for Putin? An FAQ
Before America was great again, we used to care when ruthless dictators invaded small, defenseless countries. That was a waste of time, wasn’t it? Only recently have we learned that “dictator” is just another word for “strong, decisive leader.” Donald Trump calls Vladimir Putin “savvy” and a “genius.” He won’t try to cancel you or…
Ohio Pension Plans Have $38 Million in Russian-Owned Gas Company, $147 Million More in Region
Two Ohio public employee pension programs currently have a combined $38 million invested a Russian state-owned natural gas company, while another pension program has $147 million invested in the region. The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) has about $25.1 million invested in Gazprom in a combination of stocks and bonds, according to a spokesman.…
![Chris Szajbert Teams Up with Mourning [A] BLKstar Co-Founders on New Project and Album](https://i0.wp.com/www.clevescene.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/chris_szajbert_photo_by_robert_banks.webp.webp?resize=1200%2C900&quality=80&ssl=1)
Chris Szajbert Teams Up with Mourning [A] BLKstar Co-Founders on New Project and Album
Multimedia performer Chris Szajbert has partnered up with Mourning [A] BLKstar co-founders RA Washington and LaToya Kent to form the eclectic trio Children of Artists. Their forthcoming album, Ballad of the Liar’s Tongue, is being released by Kent and Washington’s Cleveland Tapes as part of the label’s 20th anniversary slate of work and will be…
Cordelia to Debut in Former Lola Bistro Space on East 4th Street This Spring
As devastating a blow as it was when Michael Symon closed Lola on East 4th Street, seeds of optimism soon began to sprout. Last summer, diners were thrilled to learn that the iconic restaurant space had been leased, but details surrounding the new business have remained a closely guarded secret. Now, partners Andrew Watts and…
Temporary Spending Bill Helping Struggling Ohioans Ends in March; Groups Want Real Funding
Federal programs that help struggling Ohioans are running on a temporary spending bill that expires in 10 days, on March 11, and hundreds of groups say it’s time for Congress to stop “stopgap” funding. Out of nearly 200 federal programs tracked by the Coalition on Human Needs between fiscal years 2010 and 2021, nearly two-thirds…
Ohio Clinics Sue to Bar New Abortion Bill
A lawsuit has been filed against the newest state abortion restriction and its regulation of doctors’ ability to practice medicine. The ACLU, Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region and Women’s Med Dayton are asking a Hamilton County Common Pleas Court to keep the state from enforcing a law to create “onerous and unwarranted” restrictions to health…
The Yard on 3rd Will Bring Food Truck Park, Geraci’s Pizza to Willoughby This Summer
The Yard on 3rd, a new food truck park, will open this summer in the former home of Lure Bistro (38040 Third St.), the downtown Willoughby mainstay that closed in early 2020 after 20 years in business. On tap next is a large outdoor seasonal bar, with plenty of picnic tables, that will draw a…
Terrestrial Brewing Hires New Chef in Advance of Opening Next-Door Restaurant, Upstairs Event Space
Late last year, Terrestrial Brewing (7524 Father Frascati Dr., 216-465-9999) announced a multidimensional plan to activate its entire building in Battery Park. In addition to the five-year-old brewery, owners Ralph Sgro and Ryan Bennett began building out a full-service restaurant next door and a live-entertainment venue and event space upstairs. In pursuit of those goals,…
Annual Cleveland Humanities Festival To Offer 40-plus Public Events
Founded in 1996 at Case Western Reserve with a gift from Eric and Jane Nord, the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities supports research and creative endeavors and hosts humanities events around the region. For the past several years, it has hosted the Cleveland Humanities Festival, which examines the idea of “discourse” through art, literature and…
Savage Love: You Don’t Need to Totally Overcome Jealousy to Have a Poly/Open Relationship
I’m a 34-year-old straight cis male. About eighteen months ago I met a lovely human that I’m crazy about. When we started dating, she said she needed us to be poly and I agreed. It was a first for both of us! I’d always been interested — my parents are queer and have been poly…
15+ Things To Do in Cleveland This Weekend (March 3-6)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 03/03 Cleveland Auto Show Featuring concept, pre-production and production vehicles from many of the world’s top auto manufacturers, the Cleveland Auto Show is back at the I-X Center. The massive event occupies nearly 1.2-million…
Citing Low Vaccination Rate in Cleveland, CMSD Keeping Mask Mandate But Won’t Enforce It as Much
While school districts across the country have announced the end of mandatory mask policies after the CDC last Friday issued updated guidance saying that universal masking is unnecessary in the vast majority of places where Covid-19 cases have dropped, CMSD will keep its mask mandate but cease enforcing it. The decision, CMSD CEO Eric Gordon…
Clevelanders, Ohio Officials Expressed Solidarity with Ukraine in Sunday Afternoon Prayer Service and Rally in Parma
Sunday afternoon, St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral held a prayer service and rally to support the Ukrainian struggle against Russian invasion. The pews in the nave (body of the church) that seat up to 450 weren’t enough to hold the oncoming swell of support. Still, many found space in the aisles, in the front narthex…
Live Nation To Offer Lawn Passes for Blossom Concerts
Blossom will feature more concerts than ever this summer, and Live Nation has just announced that it’ll offer a Lawn Pass for the summer shows. A Lawn Pass can be purchased for just $199 (plus fees), and it provides access to shows at Blossom all summer long. There will be a limited number of Lawn…
Tall Ships Festival Returns to Cleveland in July
There will be ships, and they will indeed be tall, when the Tall Ships Festival returns to Cleveland July 7 – 10. Usually dropping anchor in Cleveland every three years, except for 2016 due to the RNC’s invasion of the city, the festival kicks off with a parade of sail with eight traditional boats. The…
Happy Dog Joins Newly Formed National Coalition of Independent Promoters
D TOUR, a new, artist-driven collective dedicated to “doing business in the economy of touring,” has just launched. The network of independent venues and promoters from across the country includes the Happy Dog. The program will offer national artists “locally owned, unique venue experiences” across multiple markets. It consists of independent venues and promoters across…
Former Mobster Who Scammed Flats East Bank With Rascal Flatts and Toby Keith Restaurants Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
Frank Capri, a former mobster turned government witness turned developer who scammed the East Bank of the Flats with Toby Keith and Rascal Flatts-branded restaurants that never opened, was sentenced last week to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion. Capri’s scheme, which…
Pop-Punk Act Mayday Parade To Celebrate Self-Titled Album’s 11th Anniversary at Agora on March 15
“We all kind of grew up together, playing music in different bands and going to shows. This was kind of a collective dream for all of us,” says Derek Sanders, lead singer of seasoned pop-punk band Mayday Parade, in a recent phone interview. Mayday Parade’s 11-year anniversary tour for its self-titled album comes to the…
Bond Set, FBI Investigating Possible Hate Crime Charge for Akron Proud Boys Member Who Punched Black Woman While Using Racial Slur
An Akron municipal judge this morning set a $25,000 bond for Andrew Walls, the Proud Boys member who was videoptaped punching a Black woman over the weekend while using racial slurs. Walls was arrested and charged with assault and handling a weapon while intoxicated after a clip of the incident circulated on Sunday and the…
Akron Proud Boys Member Arrested After Punching Woman, Using Racial Slurs
Andrew Walls, a 26-year-old who’s previously self-identified as the vice president of the Akron Proud Boys chapter, was charged with assault and posessing a firearm while intoxicated this weekend after punching a woman in the face. Video of the assault was captured by the victim’s friend and quickly circulated on Sunday. Walls was outside an…
The Used and Rise Against Coming to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in August
The Used and Rise Against! just announced the details of their summer tour, and the two bands will bring their tour to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica on Aug. 17. “We are beyond excited to announce that we will be touring with our longtime friends and partners in crime, Rise Against!,” says the Used frontman Bert McCracken…
Self-Proclaimed ‘Even Grumpier Old Rock Star’ Rick Wakeman Talks About Coming to Kent Stage on March 13
On a trek he’s dubbed the Even Grumpier Old Rock Star tour, keyboard wiz Rick Wakeman (the Strawbs, Yes) returns with what a press release describes as a program packed with “virtuosic piano performances and hilarious anecdotes” inspired by his 50-plus-year career. The show’s repertoire will range from Wakeman’s solo works and his stints with…
Here’s What Josh Mandel, Jim Jordan and J.D. Vance Had to Say at CPAC
Last weekend Ohio Republicans traded Ohio’s chill for Florida sun, and tried to stake out a spot in the reflected glow of their party’s former president. Donald Trump headlined the Conservative Political Action Committee in Orlando. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-OH, and GOP Senate candidates Josh Mandel and J.D. Vance got speaking slots as well. Josh…
‘The Batman’ is Hard-Boiled Super Noir, More Detective Story Than Action Epic
It should come as little surprise that a film directed by Matt Reeves, (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes), is extremely cool. And yet, the marketing for The Batman left me uncertain. More than uncertain, actually. Highly skeptical! The casting, the color palette, the odd contouring of the…
The Chicks To Play Blossom in June
Grammy-award-winning, multi-platinum selling superstars the Chicks just announced their return to the road with a set of summer dates that includes a stop at Blossom on June 27. Singer-songwriter Patty Griffin will open the show. For the trek, the Chicks have partnered with environmental nonprofit REVERB.org to make this year’s tour more environmentally sustainable. At…
LeBron James Museum to Open in Akron in 2023
At the rate he’s going, and going, and going, it’s anyone’s guess how many years it’ll be before LeBron James takes his place in the NBA Hall of Fame and museum three years after his retirement (presumably at the age of 50, after winning a handful of championships playing on the same team as his…
After Seeing News of Village Square Pizza’s Impending Closure, Todd Leebow of Kind of One Concepts Steps in to Buy It
Just yesterday, we published an item about Village Square Pizza shutting down after nearly 50 years in business. For the past 27 years, the Woodmere restaurant has been operated by Joe DeGaetano, who purchased the restaurant from the previous owners in 1995. He will be 86 years old next month and he’s ready to retire. Today we learned…
More Than 5 Million Children Have Lost a Parent or Caregiver to COVID-19
An estimated 5.2 million children worldwide have lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. The tally covers the beginning of the pandemic through October 2021, during which there were about 5 million deaths globally from COVID-19. With each reported death, at least one child became orphaned — losing one or both parents — or experienced…
Here’s When the NPR Radio Station Changes in Cleveland Go Into Effect
Ideastream Public Media this week announced that the upcoming FM dial shuffle from the WCPN/WKSU merger will happen on March 28. On that day, 89.7 FM WKSU will be the sole NPR station in Northeast Ohio with 104.9 FM acting as a repeater channel for programming. And 90.3 FM, currently the home of WCPN, then…
Alton Brown Returns to Cleveland’s Playhouse Square on March 19
Alton Brown, best known for his role as inquisitive host of “Good Eats” on the Food Network, is returning to Cleveland with his live road show. This version of the insanity is called “Alton Brown Live – Beyond The Eats” and it lands at the KeyBank State Theatre at Playhouse Square on March 19, 2022.…
Adrienne DiPiazza Leaving Fox 8, Meg Shaw Leaving Channel 5
The calendar hasn’t even turned to March yet and the new year already has Cleveland saying goodbye to two longtime local TV fixtures. Meg Shaw will be leaving the TV business but not Cleveland, the WEWS Channel 5 reporter announced earlier this week. “Thank you for allowing me to tell your stories, welcoming me into…
GOP Majority on Redistricting Commission Passes Third Round of Ohio Statehouse Maps in 4-3 vote
Four Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission passed a third round of legislative maps Thursday, exactly one week after the Ohio Supreme Court’s deadline passed. The maps just introduced Thursday afternoon passed with a 4-3 vote, with both Democrats voting against as with previously passed maps. The House map presented on Thursday shows a…
OneRepublic’s Never Ending Summer Tour Heading to Blossom in July
The pop/rock band OneRepublic has announced the dates of its Never Ending Summer tour with special guest NEEDTOBREATHE, and the trek comes to Blossom on July 28. OneRepublic just released its new single, “West Coast,” and the group also just premiered the video for the song. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning at 10…
Cleveland to Chicago Hyperloop is Still Just a Stupid, Extremely Expensive Dream
In 2019, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) and the California-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies announced the results of a feasibility study that assessed the costs and benefits of an imaginary Hyperloop corridor between Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. It came to the astonishing conclusion that such a corridor would be worth it. “I am sold…
Oak and Embers Tavern to Close Pinecrest Location in Early March
Owners Marc and Gretchen Garofoli have announced that they will be closing the Pinecrest location of Oak & Embers Tavern on March 3. The location — the Garofoli’s third — opened in late 2019. Marc said that the location at Pinecrest was not a great fit to begin with, a situation made all the worse thanks…
Fiyah Korean BBQ in St. Clair-Superior Neighborhood Now Set to Open in Spring
For more than two years we here at Scene have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Fiyah (1253 E. 55th St.), a contemporary Korean BBQ restaurant taking shape in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood east of downtown. The project, which comes from the people behind Boiler 65 and Yonder, was first announced in 2020, but delays have…
COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Plunge in Ohio
For more than six weeks in a row, COVID-19 infections rates have plunged across Ohio. At an early January peak, the Ohio Department of Health reported nearly 25,000 Ohioans were testing positive per day, to say nothing of those taking at-home tests or with undiagnosed cases. Last week, that daily average fell below 1,500 cases…
Village Square Pizza, an East Side Classic for More Than 50 Years, is Closing
For approximately 50 years, Village Square Pizza in Woodmere has been the place to go for Italian American staples dished up in a no-frills family friendly restaurant. If you happen to live in the eastern suburbs – or grew up there during the past five decades – you likely have enjoyed Friday night meals starring…
Newly Opened Screw Factory Gallery To Host Monthly Drink and Draw Events
Julie Schabel, a local artist who owns Wave Space, a new gallery/screen print shop in Lakewood’s Screw Factory, says she originally intended to open a gallery in New York, where she lived and worked up until about six years ago. But when she realized it just wasn’t feasible, she moved back to Northeast Ohio to…
$7,500 Reward Offered for Information on St. Anthony of Padua Arson
Authorities are asking the public to help identify the suspect(s) behind the Saturday, Feb. 19th arson at St. Anthony of Padua elementary school in Parma, a fire which caused more than $1 million in damage. A reward of $7,500 is being offered and anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 216-252-7463 or…
Black Art Matters Pop-Up Exhibition Opens This Saturday at The Cleveland Gallery
Created to celebrate Black artists and emphasize the importance, impact and influence of their work on society, the Black Art Matters pop-up exhibition opens this Saturday at the Cleveland Gallery (1728 St. Clair) with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Music will be provided by DJ Swahlay and WRAPITUPSHEA will provide food. Sponsored by…
Message of ‘137 Shots’ Doc is Not to Defund Police, Says Director, but to Demilitarize Police
The message of the Netflix documentary 137 Shots is not that American police departments should be defunded, according to its director Michael Milano. It’s that they should be demilitarized. Milano, a Northeast Ohio native, spent years capturing footage in Cleveland in the aftermath of the 2012 police chase and shooting that killed Timothy Russell and Malissa…
Ohio Man, Two Others, Plead Guilty to Plotting a White Supremacist Attack on Power Grid
Three men, one from Ohio, pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges after admitting their plans to attack the power grid “in furtherance of white supremacist ideology,” according to documents unsealed Wednesday. Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of West Lafayette, Indiana, and of Katy, Texas; and Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22,…
Jill Vedaa, Brandon Chrostowski Named Semifinalists in 2022 James Beard Awards
The 2022 James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists were announced today and Jill Vedaa and Brandon Chrostowski both made the cut, the only Cleveland representatives to do so. Vedaa, a semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH), is making her third appearance on the prestigious list and hoping to make the…
Report: Thousands of Ohio Kids Risk Losing Medicaid/CHIP Coverage
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program have been a lifeline for struggling families during the pandemic – and a new report suggests more than six million children in the U.S. could needlessly lose that coverage. A “continuous-enrollment” requirement will be lifted at the end of the public-health emergency, which could be as early as…
Cleveland’s Most Fascinating Medical Stories: “It Was Just a Flash”
Our monthly column on medical wonders, mysteries and amazing human stories in Cleveland’s medical field. For many people whose eyesight is in peril, regular injections into the eyeball is the only thing that can prevent their vision from worsening. This is Greg’s new reality. Greg is a 60-year-old carpenter from Cleveland, who was recently diagnosed…
Zack Reed Joins Bibb Administration in Office of Equal Employment Opportunity
Former Cleveland City Councilman and two-time mayoral candidate Zack Reed has joined the Justin Bibb administration in the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity. Reed confirmed his new position with Scene after the news was first reported by Fox 8. Reed will begin his new post Wednesday, he said, with an official title of Business Development…
Savage Love: I Think My Nephew is a Budding Gay Sub
I’m a submissive gay man with a 15-year-old nephew. Through his actions and words, both his parents and I have gathered he might be gay, which is absolutely no issue. However, we’ve also recently discovered that he seems to be interested in D/s themes with him as the sub. Besides the occasional veiled comments and…
In the Last Few Months, Cleveland Has Become Home to Nearly 700 Afghan Refugees in an Unprecedented Immigration Wave
Throughout August 2021, chaotic scenes from the Kabul International Airport commandeered television screens and social media feeds stateside. The United States was pulling out of Afghanistan after 20 years of sustained conflict, and the Taliban had assumed control of the landlocked Central Asian nation. Afghans who had worked for the United States or British military…
