Kate Voegele Makes Entertainment Weekly’s 10 To Watch List
Bay Village native Kate Voegele has long been on our list of local talents to watch. Lately, she’s been so busy, she’s warranted her own regular update column. In January, the MySpace recording artist kicked off a multi-week run on CW drama One Tree Hill. She’ll play a spotlight show at next week’s South by…
Scoundrels in Parma revs up Bike Night
“Let’s go get tanked at Bike Night! Everyone’s doing it!” Gina Lazzarelli doesn’t come across as your stereotypical biker chick when she’s on the road as a commercial-window saleswoman. But let her slip out of a business suit and into a leather jacket and watch her work the room for Scoundrels’ Bike Night every Tuesday.…
CSU Vikings win 20 games, have shot in conference tourney. Huh?
Hot damn. The Cleveland State Men’s Basketball team won their 20th game on Saturday. This hasn’t happened since the 1992 season, back when B.I.G. still rapped with Bone Thugs. The Vikings are guaranteed a semi-final slot in the Horizon League tourney, which puts them two wins away from a trip to the Big Dance. And…
Review: Arcade Fire rocks for Barack
It was supposed to be about Barack Obama. And ostensibly it was. Campaigners milled around the front of the Beachland last night before the Arcade Fire’s free show in support of the Democratic presidential nominee. Kids with clipboards, buttons, and forms hit up folks as they walked into the Ballroom. And loud, obnoxious guys in…
Doors to reopen at Brother’s Lounge, Chez Francois; at Aura, sadly, they’re now closed
Some brief bites from the world of Cleveland restaurants … Trendinistas will want to mark their calendars for Friday, March 14. That’s when the totally remodeled and re-imagined Brother’s Lounge (11609 Detroit Avenue, 216-470-1681) finally reopens for business. Thanks to the spare-no-expense efforts of owners Chris Riemenschneider and Rodger Riggs, the formerly dingy bar has…
This Just In: Jack Johnson, Eric Clapton Cleveland-bound
<div Jack Johnson surf-rocks Blossom in June. This week, 30 new shows to announce. Eric Clapton and Jack Johnson ring in the summertime season with shows at Blossom. The reactivated Breeders are rockin’ the House of Blues. Pitch Black Forecast, the metal supergroup featuring former Mushroomhead frontman Jason Popson and drummer legend Gene Hoglan, will…
Former Solon cop Andrew Kolcinko caught threatening his girlfriend again
The former cop continued to threaten Elizabeth Stevens after he was convicted When we last checked in on Andrew Kolcinko, the former Solon cop had just been convicted of telephone harassment after he was caught making death threats to his ex-girlfriend, Elizabeth Stevens, and their infant son. Stevens handed Garfield Heights police over 15 hours…
Planned Parenthood will hand out free emergency contraception
In 2006, after a two and a half year debate, the Food and Drug Administration finally allowed emergency contraception to be sold over the counter for females 18 and older. To Mary O’Shea, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland, it was a landmark decision, “almost like when the birth control pill became legal.” Previously,…
Pulitzer winner Michael Cunningham coming to Cleveland
Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours Even if you’re not a film buff, die-hard book nerds have a reason to get excited about the Cleveland International Film Festival this year. On March 11, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham will be in town to accept the fest’s first annual award for artists who have made “significant…
Meet Tim Westergren, the mind behind the Pandora music service
When was the last time someone in radio solicited your feedback? (And I’m not talking about that annoying call-out research where you listen to like 30 seconds of three songs.) Displaying an approachableness absent from one-way media like radio, television and newspapers, the founder of the free internet music service Pandora, Tim Westergren, arrived in…
Hello, Cleveland: This Week’s Concert Calendar
The weekend’s concerts begin with the Neptunes eclectic group NERD (see above) Wednesday at the Agora, and features stops by Kingdom of Sorrow, Black Mountain, Sherwood. Read on for the full run-down. — DX Ferris
With newest flier, Joe Cimperman, “Democract For Congress,” loses fourth-grade spelling teacher vote
With tomorrow’s primary looming, all eyes of the 10th District are on Joe Cimperman as his campaign to oust incumbent Dennis Kucinich reaches a fever pitch, and the downtown Councilman dwindles his coffers by leaving stacks of fresh fliers throughout the district. The newest flier (above) looks good at first glance, featuring photos documenting the…
Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor releases new, free-ish album
With zero fanfare, Nine Inch Nails mainman Trent Reznor has released a new instrumental double album, Ghosts I-IV, online. For this release, Reznor is using the Radiohead model, allowing fans to download the album and pay whatever they felt it was worth, even if that amount was zero. Sunday night, the first nine tracks were…
Aloha, Black Keys among local bands headed to South by Southwest
Akron’s The Black Keys are headed to Austin’s South by Southwest. Next week, pretty much everyone who makes a living off the music industry will be in Austin for the annual South by Southwest music festival. We’ll be there too, drinking, listening to music, drinking, and writing, hopefully, for your sake, not in that order.…
Gladiators football and the Film Fest top our Picks of the Week
The Gladiators bring football to the Q tonight. Every Monday, Scene calendar editor Cris Glaser provides a random but reliable sampling of things to do in the week ahead. For more options, log onto entertainment.clevescene.com. And check back Friday for C-Notes’ Picks of the Weekend. Monday: The Cleveland Gladiators inaugurate their new home at the…
For his new, ‘green’ restaurant, Jonathan Sawyer seeks a few good green thumbs
When it comes to details on his planned downtown gastropub, chef Jonathan Sawyer (Bar Cento) is playing close to his chest. The name? He’s not saying — other than to note it won’t be the previously bandied-about “Gastropub.” The address? Forget it. The menu? Wait and see. An opening date? This summer – maybe. But…
Stumping for Barack Obama, Arcade Fire members add second Cleveland show
Arcade Fire members Win and William Butler, Regine Chassagne, Jeremy Gara, and Sarah Neufeld are playing a second show at the Beachland tonight. Unlike the 8 p.m. show – a first-come, first-served deal – you’ll need a ticket for the 10:30 p.m. concert. Fans can pick up free tickets until 4:30 this afternoon at the…
Shawn Kemp still has fans? WTF?
Former Cav Shawn Kemp is known for his supertastic dunking ability, a penchant for booze and blow, and his prolific creation of fatherless children. But Kemp’s official website, www.reignman.com, seems to recall his legacy differently. …
Feagler: TV is for the birds
Today’s topic: With all this election nonsense, Dick’s been watching a lot of cable these days, and he doesn’t like what he sees … I was at the coffee shop, and the guys all agree: TV was way better back in my day. Why back in my day, we had exactly three channels, and we…
Zack Reed goes to Dubai; will lecture and hopefully meet princess
Zack Reed will be looking good and raising hell Cleveland Councilman Zack Reed is planning to head overseas at the end of this month to dispense his wisdom on people who could really use it: the residents of Dubai. The desert city — which Reed dubs the “Las Vegas of the World” — is hosting…
Is Phoenix overpowering Starbucks in the hearts of coffee drinkers?
Erin felt trapped. The barista had to sit through a three-hour espresso refresher course. But Erin had been making espresso for years. Her tall-double-shot-latte was perfect. If a coffee geek from Seattle walked into her store, they’d be impressed. Erin is strong member of the Green Mermaid Army. Still, Erin had no option not to…
Alex Arshinkoff and George W. Bush: A winning combination!
Expect to see a mailer featuring Pol Pot promoting Summit County Republicans With the presidential primary just days away, Ohio mailboxes are for once stuffed with more campaign literature than credit card applications. Still, one flyer sticks out – the one from the Summit County Republican Party. You’d think that after years of war, skyrocketing…
Welcome to Cleveland, Baker & Hostetler barristers!
For the eighth year in a row, dozens of first year Baker & Hostetler lawyers from nine different states gathered in Cleveland to mingle with the firm’s bigwigs. As part of the session, the first-years attended important workshops on things like client etiquette and how to abscond with a senile widow’s Social Security checks –…
To support Obama, Arcade Fire members to play free Beachland show Monday
This just in: Arcade Fire members Win Butler, Will Butler, Regine Chassagne, and Jeremy Gara will play a free show at the Beachland Ballroom on Monday. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is a first-come, first-serve deal. The quartet (which makes up about 3 percent of Arcade Fire’s total membership) is performing the concert…
Michael Kaminski tries to rob video store with cologne bottle
Our hero apparently got his ass kicked in a failed robbery attempt There was a time when Michael Kaminski was making headlines as the guitarist of Cop Shoot Cop, an NYC three-piece whose dark, jazzy dirges landed them spots on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball and tours with Iggy Pop. Now Kaminski is simply getting ink for…
Calling all sneaker addicts: come scrap over kicks at “Cleveland’s Got Sole” shoe summit
To most Clevelanders, sneakers are those things that protect your feet from dog crap and syringes. But to a select, slightly demented few, sneakers are life itself. I believe the term is “sneakerheads” — people so devoted to the collection of sneakers (usually Nikes) that the most extreme will wait in lines for days, fly…
Rubber pants and trailer trash top our Picks of the Week
Every Friday, Scene calendar editor Cris Glaser provides a random but reliable sampling of things to do this weekend. For more options, log onto entertainment.clevescene.com. And check back Monday for C-Notes’ Picks of the Week. Friday: A latex lovefest stretches over this weekend for the first-ever Mr. Rubber Cleveland competition. At 10 tonight, meet the…
Score reopens at Clifton and 117th
After what seemed like an eternity of remodeling, the taps are flowing again on the corner of West 117th Street and Clifton Boulevard, where Score has finally unlocked its doors to reveal a sports-bar vibe, anchored by a ginormous bowling-pin-shaped punching bag in the middle of the club. Yesterday, the club worked out the last…
In Loving Memory of Coventry’s Que Tal
Wanted: The Chipotle Burrito, in the murder of a damn-fine hangover cure. Que Tal, Que Tal, oh how you will be missed. Sure, we enjoyed visiting you for a lunch or dinner of taco-y goodness, with your selection of fresh ingredients and snappy service. But where you truly shined, where you proved how irreplaceable you…
You too can play with Tim “Ripper” Owens
Tim “Ripper” Owens – the Beyond Fear/former Judas Priest-Iced Earth vocalist who recently signed on with guitar hero Yngwie Malmsteen – still has room on his roster for you … if you have the chops. Sunday, March 2, a real-life rock-band contest kicks off at Sadie Rene’s (7200 Whipple Avenue NW, North Canton, 330-499-8246). Judges…
Alternative Press’ 100 Bands list includes Cleveland’s Bears and Salt of the Wound
Alternative Press, the Cleveland-based music mag, shows admirably little local bias, aside from hiring a couple local hacks to write now and then, present company included. But three homegrown acts get the spotlight in the April issue, which includes its annual industry tip sheet, the 100 Bands You Need to Know list. …
Mic Check: The Hives at the Agora on Sunday
The first time we saw the Hives was probably similar to most U.S. fans’ initial experience with the rockin’ Swedes: It was during the Veni Vidi Vicious tour in 2002, and they were playing to a packed club. A very hot and sweaty packed club. For more than hour, singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist and the…
Chuck Klosterman: a bio in six words
Writer Chuck Klosterman made a name for himself by breaking out of the Akron Beacon Journal with the heavy metal memoir Fargo Rock City. The hilarious, insightful book established the Minneapolis native as a sort-of Hunter S. Thompson with pretentious glasses, a guy who can write about himself while (usually) addressing something larger. (Click the…
Mouth off on Mike Symon’s blog: Cleveland’s top chef wants to hear from you
Hot on the trail of a book deal and a new Food Network gig, Cleveland’s Iron Chef Michael Symon (Lola, Lolita) is seeking your input. At least, that’s what he claims on his blog, Symon Says, where a recent posting includes the skinny on such topics as his pending move to Shaker Heights, his upcoming…
Republicans appoint Arshinkoff puppet to Summit County Board of Elections
With Alex Arshinkoff’s last day on the Summit County Board of Elections fast approaching, the local GOP is busy trying to find the gay godfather’s successor. Last week, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner refused to reappoint Arshinkoff to his seat, citing numerous complaints from board workers who claimed that Arshinkoff is a divisive and manipulative…
Reader: Joe Cimperman hastens America’s downfall; Scene belongs in shit tubes
An anonymous caller left a voicemail about our recent story on Joe Cimperman’s Congressional campaign, “Dumping Dennis.” His take on the whole thing is pretty self-explanatory, unless you don’t understand sarcasm, in which case, parts of the following will be very confusing. Yes, I’m calling about the article about Dennis Kucinich, “Dumping Dennis.” I believe…
After Browns tender Derek Anderson, Phil Savage sounds ready to settle on Brady Quinn
There are a lot more awkward Poison-concert moments in Brady Quinn’s Cleveland future. Between now and next week, the face of the Cleveland Browns could be a lot prettier and way less into fishing. Today, the Browns and Derek Anderson failed to reach an agreement on a long-term deal that would keep the Moose in…
Drew Carey gets engaged; women mourn nationwide
Drew Carey: Prime Cleveland beefcake If you see throngs of sobbing women draped in long black veils today, rest assured they are not mourning the death of William F. Buckley — as sad as that may be. No, they’ve just heard much worse news: Drew Carey, Cleveland’s most eligible bachelor, is no longer on the…
What cabaret-awesomeness will Lounge Kitty unleash at Twist tonight?
Lounge Kitty purrrrrs at Twist tonight. The flier on the wall at the gay-friendly Twist says it all about tonight’s drag-show-of-sorts: “Take a cup of cabaret, add a teaspoon of jazz, pour in a pinch of the blues, and top it off with a drop of humor.” And what do you get? The “often silly,…
Review: The Might Be Giants live at the Beachland
You’ve got to hand it to a band that’s been jamming for 26 years and still manages to sound funny and quirky while singing about atomic particles and Istanbul. When They Might Be Giants kicked off their latest tour last night at the Beachland, all their trademark enthusiasm and weirdness was in full swing. On…
Warped Tour once again Cleveland-bound
This just in: The Warped Tour is coming back to the Time Warner Cable Amphitheater on July 17. As usual, there are far too many bands to list. We will note that we’re super-excited to see old-school punk heroes the Circle Jerks on the bill. Most Warped groups wouldn’t even be around if it weren’t…
The Cure coming to Cleveland
Break out the eyeliner and get ready to pout like a little girl! The Cure are coming to the Wolstein Center in June. There’s no word yet on ticket info or on the band’s new album, which is due this summer. In the meantime, we’ll show you, show you, show you the “Just Like Heaven”…
Mic Check: moe. at House of Blues on Sunday
moe. can’t properly punctuate, but they can jam their asses off, which they will do Sunday at HOB. Ever since Jerry Garcia joined that great gig in the sky, dirty hippies with too much time on their hands have been looking for a band to replace the Grateful Dead. For a while, Phish were the…
Tim “Ripper” Owens to sing with guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen
Tim “Ripper” Owens – the former Judas Priest replacement singer, current Beyond Fear frontman, and recently dismissed Iced Earth vocalist – just landed a new gig with guitar icon Yngwie J. Malmsteen. …
Before they join Sadies and Whiskey Daredevils at Beachland, Trashmen do free Q&A at Rock Hall
The Trashmen – best known for the 1963 hit “Surfin’ Bird” — are playing the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124) Saturday, March 1. Before they take the stage, they’ll appear at the Rock Hall for an informal question-and-answer session led by Jason Hanley, of the museum’s education department. …
American Idol viewing parties take over Union Station bar
Why wish a fiery death on Simon Cowell from on the couch at home when you can join the cheering section at Union Station’s free American Idol Viewing Party? Every time the Fox talent show is on, the gay-friendly club, just over the bridge from downtown, broadcasts it on its widescreen TV. ….
Ted Strickland kills flexible work hours for state employees, returns Ohio to 8-to-5
State employees will no longer be able to stay home to watch these two hunky rivals duel for the heart of one Kelly Kapowski. Damn you, Strickland! Governor Ted Strickland has spearheaded a major change to the working schedule of Ohio’s state employees. For the last 18 years, state workers were allowed to maintain flexible…
Restaurant of the Weekend: Leo’s Reserve Inn, Hudson
It’s Restaurant Week in downtown Cleveland, and unless you’ve already snagged your seats at chichi joints like Lola and Crop Bistro, you can probably cross them off your list. Which makes this a fine weekend for a drive out of town and into historic Hudson, that picturesque stronghold of the Western Reserve, where you’ll find…
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are coming to the Allen Theatre
Marketa Irglova The general consensus of professional television watchers was that Sunday night’s Oscar celebration was kind of boring — little more than another Mutual Admiration Society event. The one bright spot was folk-rockers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s performance of “Falling Slowly” from the movie Once – which was shot in three weeks on…
A bad week for the Cuyahoga County commissioners
Jimmy Dimora’s suddenly become reluctant to be screwed on a development dealTYPE CAPTION HERE Something strange is happening over at county headquarters. The commissioners have suddenly become reluctant to hand over huge piles of money to developers, and it’s causing major chaos. In the past week, two big deals appear to have hit the skids…
Slideshow: The Debate at Cleveland State
While most of Cleveland watched from the friendly confines of the couch, photographer Walter Novak strapped on his Nikon and some snow shoes and set out for the Wolstein Center, to capture images from last night’s debate between Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Tim Russert, who was, it turned out, the bitchiest in the bunch.…
Tales from the Debate: Pavlik talks politics, Tubbs-Jones talks boxing, Jesse Jackson talks about what he damn pleases
THE SPIN ROOM — The spin room is the type of place where middleweight boxing champ Kelly Pavlik can pass five feet from Rev. Jesse Jackson, and neither will so much as glance at the other. Yes, Youngstown native Pavlik is prowling the spin room, a little inexplicably, wearing a suit and holding court with…
NY Times: Ohio workers screwed, but not by NAFTA
The New York Times carries an interesting story this morning about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s double-barreled denouncement (or is it rejection?) of NAFTA, which writer David Leonhardt likens to the way Republicans have treated abortion over the last several campaigns — lots of tough talk to satisfy the base, but little to no reform.…
Mic Check: They Might Be Giants at the Beachland on Wednesday
They Might Be Giants, at the Beachland tonight. Up until a couple years ago, They Might Be Giants were this close to becoming one of those nostalgia acts that plays rib fests and chili cook-offs. Then the group hit on the idea of making music for children. It was a brilliant move, considering that many…
Tales from the Debate: Is that you Mike Wallace?
Mike Wallace is a bad ass … 8:40 P.M., THE MEDIA WORK ROOM — I can’t be sure, but from where I’m standing, it looks as if … yes! … Mike Wallace, the don of 60 Minutes, just walked out of the elevator. He is surrounded by an entourage of six, four of whom are…
Tales from the Debate: It’s those damn Internets fault!
11:40 P.M., THE SPIN ROOM — Doug Hattaway, the former national spokesman for Al Gore in the 2000 presidential campaign, stands alone amongst the crowd of reporters. A CSU student is holding a sign above his head, but unlike David Axelrod, Obama’s hired mouth, no one pays Hattaway much attention. Hattaway now makes his living…
Tales from the Debate: The Obama-Farrakhan Question
10:45 P.M., THE SPIN ROOM — Time to break down the debate. Speaking on WKYC-3, Dan Moulthrop, the host of 90.3 WCPN’s Sound of Ideas, says he thought Tim Russert’s question about Louis Farrakhan’s endorsement of Obama was the most interesting part of the night. “You were able to watch Obama think in real time,”…
Tales from the Debate: After Clinton and Obama do battle, Frank Jackson skips the spin room
“The reporters want to do what? Talk? Oh, hell no! 10:30 P.M., THE SPIN ROOM: The “spin room,” set up in a basement of the Wolstein Center, is an aptly named place. It’s where TV reporters (known in the industry as The Sculpted Hair Army) interview politicians and “experts” on the debate they just viewed,…
Red Hunter unleashes Peter and the Wolf at Little Italy’s Lou’s Tavern
Austin-based troubadour Red Hunter, who sings under the moniker Peter and the Wolf, channeled his inner Tom Waits last night at Lou’s Tavern, a neighborhood joint on the backstreets of Little Italy. Cleveland Institute of the Arts students and other assorted drunks filled the place to capacity. Folks had to sit on stairs, share chairs,…
‘3 Squares’ now served, on cable and YouTube
He’s no Rachel Ray, but Cleveland native and sports guy Al Pawlowski (SportsTime Ohio, ESPN) makes a genial host for 3 Squares, the recently launched restaurant show on Time Warner Cable and YouTube. Debuting last November, each half-hour show features three local restaurants. Among recent segments, count downtown’s John Q’s Steakhouse, Avon’s Bubba’s Q, and…
Yahoo! Sports: LeBron will choose Jay-Z, billions, over White Owner Guy, millions
Danny Ferry delivered LeBron his trinkets, and while their sum total is closer to a four-finger gold ring than the iced-out grill he was hoping for, he’s certainly seemed content since the trade. On Friday night against the Wizards, as Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and Joe Smith sat in a luxury box in…
Plenty of misfires at 100th Bomb Group
When it comes to writing off a restaurant, it takes remarkably little to put most diners in a vindictive mood. A cold greeting, a bad seat, a less-than-sparkling restroom: Any of a hundred such oversights can ruin a restaurant visit for deservedly picky guests. As for myself, though, I’m usually more tolerant – jaded, perhaps,…
Comedy Corner: Eddie Griffin, Tom Papa, and Basile in Cleveland this week
Unless you recognize a comedian’s name as That Girl From that Movie or the Dude from That One HBO Special, it can be hard to tell whether a stand-up is worth seeing. Lucky you: Scene did the legwork, and the skinny on this week’s big comedy shows, video included, is just a click away, starting…
Feagler: The presidential debates are for fairies
Today’s topic: Dick thinks debates are for fairies… I was at the coffee shop, and the guys all agree: These presidential debates are light in the loafers. Why, back in my day, if two guys were shooting for the same job, we wouldn’t yap about it on TV. We’d take it out to the parking…
Jason Ricci & New Blood
When Jason Ricci isn’t on the road, perfecting and performing his blend of blues-rock, the raspy-voiced singer and harmonica player enjoys chilling out to the sweet sounds of Paganini and other classical composers. “I like music that doesn’t make me think of what I would do with it,” he says. On his latest CD, Rocket…
Standing in for The Lime Spider, Akron’s Lockview warms the soul one grilled cheese at a time
It’s a blustery Saturday night in Akron, and Main Street is so empty, you could heave a bowling ball down the middle of it without striking a single soul. It’s the kind of frigid night that calls for cozy shelter, someplace where the service is warm, the beer is cold, and at least the remnants…
Let’s Get Political
The A.K.A.s’ guitarist Mike Ski thrashes down Memory Lane tonight, when the punk-rock quintet opens for Wednesday 13 at Peabody’s. That’s because the Erie native took his first stage dive at the club during a Circle Jerks concert years ago, when he wasn’t even old enough to drink — and hadn’t told his mother that…
Bang Camaro
Last month, Apple gazillionaire Steve Jobs punctuated his Macworld keynote address with an audio-visual demonstration that included some major guitar riffage. The heavy-duty shredding came courtesy of Boston metal band Bang Camaro . . . which apparently never got the memo that the hair-metal era ended more than 15 years ago. Group sing-alongs, big-bottom bass,…
Cheap Shots
Sure, most cash-strapped college coeds steer clear of Cleveland’s five-star restaurants, considering their budgets only allow dorm staples like Spaghettios, ramen noodles, and boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes. That’s where the One Walnut Happy Hour comes to the rescue. For $5, a starving student can nurse a martini and nosh on apps, from lobster…
Fly Boys (and Girls)
The Peking Acrobats resurrect four daredevil stunts tonight, when their 34-city North American tour spirals into Playhouse Square for a two-hour show. Set against a backdrop of a Vegas-style light show, the feats range from a human merry-go-round rotating on a bamboo pole to the 25-foot-high Tower of Chairs, in which one of the performers…
Avett Brothers
Scott and Seth Avett used to wind down after gigs with their rock band Nemo with post-show hootenannies. The alt-country trio has since become the Avetts’ full-time group. Joined by stand-up bassist Bob Crawford, the Avett Brothers layer three-part harmonies over bluegrass tunes that often drift into pop and punk territories. The North Carolina band…
Laugh It Up & At ‘Em
For most Hump Day revelers, 50-cent mugs of draft beer and half-priced apps get everybody through the night. Not so for Sleep and his gang of fellow comics at Cronies’ Comedy Night.Every Wednesday, the Lakewood bone-tickler emcees the open-mic session, just as he did when he started performing routines five years ago at the old…
You’ve Got Music
When it comes to fans tracking down their latest album, Big Head Todd & the Monsters aren’t taking any chances. Instead of stocking record-store shelves with All the Love You Need, the blues-rockers are mailing a half-million copies of the disc to followers, all on the band’s dime. The marketing ploy is designed to keep…
Dälek
If you’re one of the old-school hipsters who spent most of 1990 and 1991 listening to Fear of a Black Planet and Loveless, you should feel right at home with alt-hip-hop duo Dälek. MC Dälek and producer Okotopus shun club-jam raps in favor of dense, atmospheric, and politically conscious sounds that are informed as much…
Dublin or Nothing
Faith and begorrah! Time is running out at the Claddagh bar chain’s weekly Pub Quiz to win a chance at an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Ireland. For two months, trivia freaks have been answering a series of brainbusters every Tuesday night at the pub’s 16 locations throughout the Midwest. At the end of the…
Developer plans to keep East Bank nightlife alive with Roc Bar
Even after developer Scott Wolstein’s $230 million project turns the north end of the Flats into a mixed-used neighborhood, nightlife will continue on the East Bank with a new club owned by Telecom Acquisition Corp., a company that has two liquor licenses, a parking lot, and six buildings south of the Shoreway bridge. Roc Bar…
Text Adventure
Lost Odyssey wants to be Microsoft’s answer to Final Fantasy — not that that’s such a good idea. Like Star Wars, Final Fantasy survives as a power brand thanks to the shining stars of its past, rather than the overwrought installments of recent years. Final Fantasy XII — the most bloated, exasperating chapter yet —…
Bernie’s Back
The Cleveland Gladiators and team president Bernie Kosar are here to fill your football void until the Browns start up again late this summer. With the ex-Cleveland QB at the helm, the new arena-football team will be gunning for a win — and the hearts of Cleveland football fans — as it kicks off its…
Female Hate Mail?
“Dead Wrong,” First Punch, February 20 Reader thinks writer has a thing against women: It would appear that the person writing this article formed their own opinion of Lisa Emling. Let me guess: It’s a man? If I was Emling, I would sue Scene for slander. You have no idea what she thinks or how…
Steven K. Smith
Multi-instrumentalist Smith is best known for his work in the local bands Mabou and Cuddlefuc. On this solo outing, he mixes industrial, shoegaze, and ambient noises, coming pretty close to the instrumental post-rock of Mogwai and Ulrich Schnauss. Requiem for Failed Suicides is certainly rich in texture: trippy, atmospheric, and kinda creepy. Besides playing every…
Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week:
Barbie: Mariposa and Her Butterfly Friends (Universal) Comanche Moon (Sony) Day Zero (First Look) Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale (HBO) Family Affair: Season Five (MPI) The Fugitive: Season One, Volume Two (Paramount) Goya’s Ghosts (Sony) Highlander: The Source (Lionsgate) Jesse Stone: Sea Change (Sony) The Last Emperor: The Criterion Collection (Criterion) Led Zeppelin: The…
Leave It to Beaverman
Native New Yorkers are fairly familiar with folk tales about H.W. Beaverman. For born-and-bred Buckeyes, Folklore will fill in the details tonight during its Cleveland show. On its debut CD, The Ghost of H.W. Beaverman, the quirky pop sextet took the hand-me-down scary stories and crafted a concept album of short yarns. “The songs follow…
Will Ferrell’s Semi-Pro is half bad — his half
Semi-Pro is much better than Blades of Glory, which wasn’t nearly as good as Talladega Nights, which was a little better than Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, which was almost as funny as Old School, which was better than everything else Will Ferrell had done up to that point — except maybe Dick, which…
Nathan Corsi Band
Don’t let the CD’s title excite you. A better name would be We Really Like the Late, Great Jeff Buckley. Corsi’s Akron-based trio bills itself as “indie power blues,” but like many contemporary artists who slap on the blues label, Corsi doesn’t really seem to be all that down-and-out. Rather, he crafts clunky rhymes about…
Marvin Gaye’s divorce album tops this week’s pop-culture picks
TOP PICK — Marvin Gaye: Here, My Dear — Expanded Edition (Hip-O Select) Back in 1978, Marvin Gaye was going through a brutal divorce. His soon-to-be-ex-wife demanded royalties from the R&B legend’s next album. So he intentionally went into the studio and made the most uncommercial record of his career, loaded with eight-minute songs about…
Love on the baltic
By the end of Stefan Krohmer’s 97-minute German film Summer ’04, you’ll feel so doused in sexual tension, you might feel like you need a shower. A suggestively sexy mother and her laid-back husband take their 15-year-old son and the boy’s 12-year-old Lolita of a girlfriend on a sailing trip on the Baltic Sea. All’s…
Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman bring royalty to sibling rivalry in The Other Boleyn Girl
When you sleep with the king, it ceases to be a private matter.” And so it comes to pass that young Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) must stand before her father, Sir Thomas (Mark Rylance), and her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey), and report the nitty-gritty details of the sex she just had with…
Monade
On the surface, Stereolab singer Laetitia Sadier’s side project sounds similar to her full-time band’s Sergio-Mendes-meets-Philip-Glass space-age pop. But dig deeper, and you’ll hear some differences. For one thing, Monade’s Monstre Cosmic features more tempo variety, and the elegant use of instruments — gorgeous violins, shimmering vibes, and sighing slide guitar — provides subtle coloring.…
Capsule reviews of current area art exhibitions
NEW Let All God’s People Say Amen — For five years, Cleveland State University Urban Studies Professor Helen Liggett photographed the faithful members of Morning Star Baptist Church on Shaker Boulevard. The resulting series of more than 100 black-and-white photographs has none of the academic distance or analytical coolness you might expect from a scholar…
Talkin’ (Trailer) Trash
Big hair and equally big drama rule tonight, when the national tour of The Great American Trailer Park Musical trucks into Lorain County Community College’s Stocker Center. Originally an off-Broadway show, the gawdy yet heartfelt comedy unfolds in a Florida trailer park filled with nosy, obnoxious neighbors and surrounded by flamingos, shopping carts, and loads…
Dennis Kucinich’s brave talk about working and fighting — from the safety of the officer’s tent
Ask any West Side Democrat about Dennis Kucinich, and you’ll get two general responses. Theoretical lefties will tell you he’s “right on all the issues.” Lay Democrats offer some adaptation of the fighting-for-the-little-guy theme. To the west of the Cuyahoga, these are notions as sure as the fecal count off Edgewater Beach. Then ask for…
Hellhammer
Among ’80s headbanger gods, Switzerland’s Celtic Frost is the only one that can be called arty. Granted, it’s an odd tag for the singular — and sometimes symphonic — seminal sludge that influenced countless black-, death-, and thrash-metal groups. But before they settled on the Celtic Frost moniker, the guys played as Hellhammer — an…
Move Along, Kids
Justice League: The New Frontier (Warner Bros.) Based on Darwyn Cooke’s comic-book miniseries — a masterpiece starring all of DC Comics’ major-leaguers at the dawn of their immortality during the Cold War — this animated adaptation plays stronger, faster, and further than any direct-to-DVD in recent memory. It’s a grown-up superheroes story, with scenes of…
Urban Legends
Dance companies from the U.S. and Africa team together to re-enact the haunting legacy of African colonial history in tonight’s production of The Scales of Memory at Playhouse Square. Filled with tribal beats, spoken word, and expressive moves, the dance features Senegal’s Compagnie Jant-Bi and New York’s Urban Bush Women. “They have a shared community…
Joe Cimperman hopes to tear down his former hero, Dennis Kucinich
Eight years ago, downtown Councilman Joe Cimperman was determined to get Dennis Kucinich’s portrait hung in City Hall. Kucinich’s two-year reign during the 1970s had left the city broke and in ruins. So no one bothered to commission a portrait to place within the gallery of former mayors. But Cimperman had come to admire the…
Goldfrapp
Starbucks, your parents, and people who make car commercials will lap up the new direction Goldfrapp takes on its fourth album. The British electronic dance duo has traded its kinda-cheesy club jams for a more lush and sensual sound, recalling ambience-loving Frenchmen Air at times. Alison Goldfrapp’s voice is well suited to the switch, rifling…
Capsule reviews of current area theater presentations
Essential Self Defense — In March, when Bang and Clatter opens its new theater venue in Cleveland, it will be committed to producing 16 shows a year that have never been seen in Ohio. That may be foolhardy, since there can be valid reasons why some shows are never staged. Case in point: the tedious…
Asian Safari
Photographer Anastasiy Safari’s jaunts to the Orient are captured in more than 20 snaps, on display through the middle of next month in Rocky River. One of the photos depicts a Tibetan kitchen at midnight. “It has a really reddish-orange color temperature when he uses natural light. It’s very intriguing, because everything looks like Hell’s…
Paul Thorn
Brooding blues-rocker Paul Thorn gets dark on the new A Long Way From Tupelo. The Mississippi boy has plenty to talk about: He’s the son of a preacher. He boxed Roberto Duran. He’s a skydiver and former factory worker. And it all comes across in rough tunes about sinning (the heartfelt, country-kissed “All About People”)…
Rivers Cuomo
The Weezer frontman’s first solo disc is really just a collection of demos dating back to 1992 — plus one amusing bit from the mid-’80s called “I Wish You Had an Axe Guitar,” in which the future nerd-rocker proclaims his love for all things Kiss. The 18 cuts range from songs that should have been…
A Jewish writer confronts his past and his religion in the Mandel Center’s Brooklyn Boy
Who would think that writing a best-selling book that is optioned for a movie would turn out to be a miserable experience? But that’s the drama at the center of Brooklyn Boy, the play by Donald Margulies that’s now being produced by the Mandel JCC and Tri-C East. At the core of this episodic tale…
Bustin’ Celtics
To help prepare for this year’s St. Paddy’s Day debauchery, the Ireland-based Chieftains make their annual trek to Playhouse Square tonight on their rousing Celtic-Scottish Connection 2008 Tour. And after 43 albums and 34 tours, the Irishmen are finally including a trio of Scots to join the musical revelry. There’s singer Alyth McCormack, who’s accompanied…
Kingdom of Sorrow
This is one show that both adventurous ‘NCX listeners and full-contact hardcore kids can agree on: Kingdom of Sorrow features Hatebreed frontman (and honorary local, left in the picture) Jamey Jasta on vocals, with Down/Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein (right) serving up thick southern-baked riffage. And while, somewhat predictably, the band’s long-delayed full-length debut sounds like…
Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz hates it when people call him retro, contending that, like Mark McGwire, he’s not here to talk about the past. Further, he says, love, revolution, and smooching should belong to every generation. But the problem with Kravitz’s It Is Time for a Love Revolution is not just its bland message; it’s that it…
Romantic turmoil simmers in The Break Up Notebook: The Lesbian Musical, at The Beck Center
It’s been said that trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never knew. And that is the heartrending impossibility at the core of The Break Up Notebook: The Lesbian Musical, now at the Beck Center. The book by Patricia Cotter sketches out a fairly typical post-relationship dating arc (gay…
Pen & Paper Trail
On the first Saturday of every month since October, Josh Taylor has crammed his notepad with images of Cleveland landmarks. Taylor, a spokesman for Cleveland Downtown Alliance, continues to fill the book with more drawings this morning, when he and fellow amateur artists meet for the two-hour Cleveland Sketch Crawl. This month, it starts in…
Jennifer Brunner takes down the gay godfather of Summit County, Alex Arshinkoff
In her brief time on the job, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has taken a rare approach to public life in Ohio: She’s actually trying to do something. First she worked to reform the notoriously inept Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Last week she took on a bigger fish, dumping Republican boss Alex Arshinkoff from…
Ray Davies
Even though Ray Davies’ Working Man’s Café opens with one of the rock legend’s canniest topical tunes, the album comes off as a bit of a disappointment following his proper solo debut, Other People’s Lives, two years ago. Over the four-bar blues shuffle of “Vietnam Cowboys,” the former Kinks frontman bemoans globalization’s accelerating pace: “Mass…
Akron native Tim Easton sees the world, one gig at a time
“It’s a beautiful, sunny day — 40 below,” says singer-songwriter Tim Easton, as he drives along Resolution Road, which is near his home in Fairbanks, Alaska. He’s juggling bad cell-phone coverage and twisting mountain arteries — the very same ones trekked by Ice Road Truckers’ life-risking stars. When Easton says, “The world of gigs is…
Get Lei’d
Hawaiian shirts replace wool sweaters for tonight’s Leap Year Luau to benefit Art House. For gallery trustee Jeffrey Gueulette, the timing of the party makes sense. “With winters the way they are in Cleveland, we wondered, what would get people excited?” he says. “We thought of doing something warm and tropical — and having the…
Grind, featuring Kenneth Thomas and Dan Stark
West Sixth’s newest dance party is Grind, a monthly hustle session with some of the best names in electronic dance music, drawn from Cleveland and the rest of the world. Starring in the first throwdown is Kenneth Thomas (pictured), Paul Oakenfold’s protégé. Cleveland’s Dan Stark opens the show. Expect a bright, loud night, filled with…
Moe
Funky jam-band Moe finally found its groove on last year’s The Conch. Its new CD, Sticks and Stones, follows a similar path: economical song lengths (only the ambling “Queen of Everything” breaks the six-minute mark), a craftsmanlike attention to melody, and a minimal amount of needless noodling. You can thank the guys’ new work model.…
It took them 10 years, but the Sadies finally craft a country-rock classic
Musicians love the Sadies. Everybody from hipster-approved guys like Steve Albini and Howe Gelb to iconic vets like Ronnie Hawkins and Garth Hudson drool over the band’s singular interpretation of “cosmic American music,” to steal Gram Parsons’ famous phrase. What’s more, the Mekons’ Jon Langford, the lovely Neko Case, and noisemaker Jon Spencer have all…
Rubber-Made
For years, Ric Scardino swore by leather jackets and chaps to define his he-man image on Cleveland’s gay club circuit. But the latest trends in London and Berlin showed him otherwise: Latex is now coming out of American closets for this weekend’s first-ever Mr. Rubber Cleveland pageant. “Rubber is just getting going in the States,”…
Headlights
Whether they admit it or not, today’s indie-rockers owe a lot to ’60s radio poppers. Immediate hooks, sweet/sensitive singing, and lean song construction (make your point in three minutes or less) are hallmarks of both eras’ greatest hits. But what separates nostalgia from inspiration is how the new kids apply these traits. Headlights’ translucent harmonies…
The Hives are buzzing again, thanks in part to hip-hop producer Pharrell
It isn’t rocket science. Hell, it isn’t even data entry. It’s rock and roll. And the Hives know damn well that what they do requires little brain juice and even less technical training. As Sweden’s best garage band, they understand that three chords, maximum, are all they need to make some glorious noise. The Hives…
Enter Stage North
In Cleveland’s East Fourth Street entertainment district, the Akron-based Bang & the Clatter theater troupe celebrates the unveiling of its second home with tonight’s opening of Adam Rapp’s emotionally stirring drama Blackbird. And the new digs, housed in the last Cleveland structure with original Civil War architecture, couldn’t come at a better time for the…
George Strait
With a twangy mix that includes traditional country, honky-tonk, and western swing, George Strait cuts across generational divides. Since his 1981 debut, the Texas troubadour has sold more than 60 million records, checking in as country music’s No. 1 singles artist. His popular live sets include new hits, old faves, and cover songs. But flashy…
The Beachland Ballroom, Kim Homan team to bring gourmet grub to rockers and fans alike
After eight years of on-again, off-again food service, stability may soon arrive at the Beachland Ballroom’s kitchen, thanks to chef Kim Homan. The 20-year industry vet brings a global pantry, a contemporary-American palate, and a résumé that includes stints at Sushi Rock, the former Velocity American Bistro, and the former Snickers Tavern. Working with Beachland…
Human Errors
Leave it to an avant-garde artist from New York City to confuse audiences with his abstract work, in Carroll Dunham Prints: A Survey, which is on display in Oberlin. Although Dunham’s collection brims with vibrant colors and care to detail, it also distorts body parts. Take the print in which a gunman’s nose is shaped…
