Cleveland Heights, Cleveland’s New Club for Tall People, Announces First Meetup
Update: Cleveland Heights, the Forest City’s new club for tall people, has announced that its first meeting will take place at Around the Corner this week. On Friday, March 27 from 8 – 10 p.m., folks of all statures are invited to the Lakewood watering hole for food, drinks, an Indians home opener ticket raffle,…
Bad Weather Gives Wilberforce, Oldest Private HBCU in the Country, a Few More Months
A report in the Dayton Business Journal earlier this month said that the “Show-Cause” visit from the Higher Learning Commission, which will determine the fate of Wilberforce University, has been delayed. Due to “inclement weather,” the HLC folks won’t be visiting the campus in Xenia, Ohio, until April. Scene visited Wilberforce back in August to get a…
Selfie Leads To Accused Criminal’s Arrest at Youngstown Bus Stop
A 22-year-old man who was wanted by police in Beaver County, PA., was finally caught in Youngstown after he posted a picture of himself on a bus to Facebook, telling people where he was headed. He was picked up at the next stop. “The Beaver County police department had been searching for Harrison, 22, since…
Momocho Mod Mex to Reopen Today After Annual Hiatus
Today at 5 p.m., Momocho Mod Mex will reopen its doors after more than a week-long hiatus. The closure is an annual winter ritual for the nine-year-old Ohio City eatery, but this year’s break has produced some of the most significant changes ever, says chef-owner Eric Williams. “Every year we close on Super Bowl Sunday…
Barenaked Ladies to Play Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
Barenaked Ladies have played Cleveland since the early days so it’s not a surprise that the Canadian alt-rock band would play here as part of its just announced Last Summer on Earth Tour. “It’s the Last Summer On Earth… Again! It’s not a doomsday prediction; it’s a call to action,” says band leader Ed Robertson…
New Cleveland-based Record Label to Issue Two Jonathan Richman Singles
Singer-songwriter Jonathan Richman is true American treasure whose career dates back to the ’70s when he played with the proto-punk act the Modern Lovers. Now, Blue Arrow Records, a newly formed Cleveland-based record label will issue two 7-inch singles, “O Sun!” and “Keith.” Both are set to come out on March 1. The label is…
UPDATE: East Cleveland Traffic Light Repaired With ODOT Aid
A service crew from the Ohio Department of Transportation assisted in the repair of a traffic signal at Euclid Ave. and Forest Hills Boulevard in East Cleveland which has been broken and blinking red for weeks. The light is now operating normally. Critics have said that Mayor Gary Norton was purposefully refusing to repair the light…
Scene Podcast: No Sleep in the CLE with Justin Markert and Writer Brandon Lichtinger
On this week’s episode of No Sleep in the CLE, Cellar Door’s Justin Markert sits down with writer Brandon Lichtinger to discuss the most romantic/sad bastard movies of all time in honor of this weekends Valentine’s Day and last week’s Grammy awards. Topics include: deconstructing the career of John Cusack, the films of Wes Anderson,…
“Addicted to Raising Taxes”: City Council Votes to Impose Special Taxes For Flats East Bank
Next up on the massive private-public-entertainment-complex parade in downtown Cleveland: the Flats East Bank project, long heralded as just the sort of revival needed down by the river. “The Flats…” we’ve been assured, “…are rising.” Now, we usher in a new era for Cleveland and its developmental nuclei, an era marked by council complicity in the…
Hopkins Airport Had 50,000 Fewer Flights in 2014 Than Previous Year
The news coming out of good old Hopkins Airport these days mostly revolves around which budget airline is adding flights and which one-day sale is being pimped to draw travelers through the gates. That trickle of press releases follows United’s decision to pull hub status from Cleveland’s major metro airport. Of course, that hasn’t changed…
Here’s a Video for the Ting Tings’ ‘That’s Not My Name’ Set Entirely In Cleveland
Aaaaaand now this song is stuck in your head. (Brought to you by NYC-based, Cleveland-resident actress Heidi Azaro.) From Azaro: “As an actress that loves to dress up, dance and perform, sometimes you just don’t get the opportunity often enough. My husband, Jay B. Johnson, is a director, cinematographer and editor. Neither of us ever…
‘The Visitors’ Shines Among New MOCA Exhibitions
Last week, MOCA Cleveland debuted its Winter 2015 exhibitions; Joyce J. Scott’s Truth and Visions, Jessica Eaton’s Wild Permutations and Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors. While each exhibition is strong in terms of subject matter, aesthetics and execution, The Visitors is a truly transcendent experience. “The Visitors considers and celebrates artistic utopias and friendships in a…
Here’s an Escaped Northfield Park Race Horse Running Down the Street
You might have heard that one of the ponies from Northfield Park — his name is Quik Groom, if you were wondering — escaped from the property ever so briefly on Sunday afternoon and made a jaunt for freedom down Route 8. If you hadn’t heard that, or you simply saw the headlines and wondered…
As Grateful Dead Musicians Say ‘Fare Thee Well,’ Dark Star Orchestra Plays On
The Grateful Dead — the “core four,” to be clear — will play their final shows over July Fourth weekend in Chicago this year. The three concerts coincide with the band’s 50th anniversary. Dark Star Orchestra is keeping the flame alive. The revival band plays set lists from across the Grateful Dead’s more than 2,400-show career,…
All-Vegan, Half-Raw Café Coming to Downtown Cleveland
Austin Ruesch has been a practicing vegan for 14 years, the last five of which he worked as GM of XO Prime Steaks, ironically enough. As a health-minded eater, Ruesch knows how challenging it can be to find a great meal. “When you turn vegan it takes over your whole life in a lot of…
ICYMI: Rumors Swirling About Miley Cyrus Planning Benefit Concert for Leelah Alcorn
You can take this how you please, but the rumor mill is grinding away with thoughts that Miley Cyrus may be planning a benefit concert for Leelah Alcorn, the transgender teen who committed suicide in December. The idea comes via Miley’s Instagram account, where she posted a photo of her doing that goofy-ass tongue thing…
Public Enemy’s Chuck D to Speak at Rock Hall on Wednesday
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2013, Public Enemy is one of hip-hop’s most significant groups. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s Foster Theater, director of education Jason Hanley will interview the group’s frontman Chuck D, who once likened rap…
56-Year-Old Julio Franco Will Be Player-Manager for Japanese Baseball Team in 2015
Julio Franco, baseball’s “ageless wonder,” has reportedly signed a contract with a Japanese baseball team to serve as player-manager for the 2015 season. At 56 years old, Franco becomes the oldest player in the league. The former eldest, a 49-year-old pitcher, will have to settle for second banana now. (Franco is the oldest player to…
Cleveland Guitarist Jason Vieaux Won a Grammy
Cleveland Institute of Music professor Jason Vieaux stepped into the national spotlight for a moment last night and won a Grammy in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category for his album Play. The eclectic collection of songs comprises a lot of stuff Vieaux has performed in the encore slot over the years, giving the album…
Cavaliers’ Win Streak Ends, But Many Positives to Glean From It
There’s a legendary scene in On The Waterfront, where Marlon Brando’s former prizefighter character, Terry Malloy, recounts how his mobbed-up brother (played by Rod Steiger) came into the locker room and told him it wasn’t his night. “My night, I coulda taken the Pacers apart,” Brando replied, after losing to Indiana 103-99, and failing to…
Toledo Mayor Michael Collins Has Died
Toledo Mayor Michael Collins was taken off of a life support and died earlier today at the University of Toledo Medical Center, the Toledo Blade reports. Collins, 70, suffered cardiac arrest while driving a city-owned vehicle five days ago. He was elected Mayor of Toledo as a political independent and led the city through last…
Teddy Boys Release Music Video for ‘Gabriel’
Late last year, the Teddy Boys, one of Cleveland’s groovier and more exuberant indie rock bands, released Black Hills, a terrific EP they recorded locally at Crushtone Studios with producer Jim Wirt (Fiona Apple, Incubus, Buffalo Killers). Now, the band has issued a music video for the song, which is a herky-jerky blues-rock number with…
‘One For All’ Holds Course as Cavs Crush Clippers for 12th Straight
Last night’s Cavaliers victory over the Clippers offered a glimpse into something very special. Not that the mere act of pushing the win streak to 12 against a very good team wasn’t special, but there was a swagger and unity that signify great things. It goes beyond the way they beat the Clippers like a…
LA Riots to Headline Indoor EDM Festival at Red Space Gallery
LA Riots, a veteran electronic act signed to mega DJ Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label), headlines Eat Neon Vol 1., which takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday at Red Space Gallery. Puro (96.5 KISS FM’s Party Pana and DJ Flaco Flash), Donkis & Mimo, Dominic Parisi and Justin Nyce will also perform as will…
10 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
Friday, Feb. 6 Greensky Bluegrass Greensky Bluegrass’s If Sorrows Swim dropped last fall, and the process of fitting those songs into setlists has been a fun musical endeavor. Some had already become staples (like “Demons”), others were brand new to the audience. Sonically, the new stuff feels like a genuine continuation and expansion of the…
East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton Now Open to Merger Discussion
We’ve been reporting for years how East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton remained staunchly opposed to any talk of merger with the city of Cleveland. He famously told a crowd of residents during his State of the City speech in 2014 that there would be no merger, literally saying, “Not a merger. You hear me? Not…
Jupiter Ascending: The Wachowskis’ Descent
Out today at theaters across the region, Jupiter Ascending is a hard sci-fi epic directed by the Wachowskis, the visionary duo formerly known as the Wachowski Brothers who brought you The Matrix and Speed Racer. Unlike The Matrix, however, Jupiter Ascending is garbage from start to finish. Its release date was postponed, in theory, so the…
VIDEO: Northeast Ohio Family Builds Epic Sledding Chute in Backyard
A Richfield, OH family took their snow day to a whole new level this week by building a three-tiered sledding chute in their backyard. What did you do on your day off? (Via Cleveland.com)
Case Western Reserve University Bought Former Law School Dean Lawrence Mitchell’s House for $575,000
Lawrence Mitchell resigned his position last year as dean of the CWRU law school after lawsuits alleged a pattern of sexual harassment against students and retaliation against fellow faculty who reported those instances. We covered the gory details, including Mitchell’s habit of propositioning students for threesomes, in great detail in this May 2014 feature story.…
Imagine Dragons to Perform at the Q in June
The alternative/pop band Imagine Dragons is set to drop its new album Smoke + Mirrors on Feb. 17. Now, the group has just announced a summer tour in support of the release. The tour kicks off off on June 3 in Portland, Ore., and it comes to Quicken Loans Arena on Monday, June 22. A Citi…
The Admirables to Play Special Valentine’s Day Concert at Music Box
The Akron funk/soul band the Admirables came together when singer Wesley Bright (of the equally awesome Akron-based traditional soul group Wesley Bright and the Hi-Lites) asked Nathan-Paul Davis to put together a group to play at his birthday party. “I think we called it ‘Soul Shakedown For Wesley,’” says Davis, who recruited tenor saxophonist Chris…
Former Ohio Governor Candidate Who Didn’t Know Where Youngstown Was Located Is Currently on the Run From Authorities
You might remember Larry Ealy from last year’s Democratic primaries for the Ohio Governor race, but chances are you don’t. To catch you up very quickly: His most noteworthy entry in his run against Ed FitzGerald for the chance to lose to John Kasich came when Ealy, who ended up with 17 percent of the…
Robber Arrested After Footprints in the Snow, Second Robbery of the Same Subway, Lead Police to His Door
A little theme we like around these parts in the winter is that of criminals being caught after leaving tracks in the snow for police to follow. Let’s add another entry, shall we? Our very first of the 2014-2015 season. The tale begins at Subway in Elyria back in late January. The Eat Fresh shop…
Scene & The 9 are Rollin’ out the Red Carpet
Join us for a complimentary VIP Oscar Viewing Party in The Alex Theater at The 9 on February 22nd. Come dressed to the 9’s, strike a pose for the paparazzi, and watch the Oscar’s in style. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Cocktails & small plates will available for purchase. Seating is limited. Guests must RSVP…
Bieber Spotted in Chief Wahoo Hat
Local sportswriter Zack Meisel calls it the Bieber curse. We call it the Curse of Chief Wahoo.
Health-Focused Café Bon Appetit to Expand from University District to Coventry
Yesterday we broke the news that Winking Lizard would be leaving Coventry Road next fall after almost 20 years. Today we get to announce the imminent arrival of a health-focused café with a proven track record. Unless you live, study or work near the campus of Cleveland State University, you likely haven’t heard of Café…
Audio: Rush at the Agora, 1975
In 1974, this riff-heavy band from Toronto started showing up on WMMS airwaves. Rush was a hard-rocking, blue-collar power trio, and Cleveland embraced them as such before any other market in the U.S. caught on. “As soon as I dropped the needle on ‘Working Man,’ I knew this was a perfect record for Cleveland,” former…
With An Air of Secrecy, Sofar Concert Series Creates a Unique Atmosphere for Music Lovers
We didn’t know where the concert was happening — nor who would be playing — but we knew we wanted in. The allure of a secretive concert somewhere in the city was just too much. On the day of the show — yesterday — we learned that we’d be gathering on a boat docked in…
The Best Restaurants in Cleveland, According to Yelp
Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions about Yelp, the online forum for crowd-sourced reviews, but whatever your stance, it’s always interesting to hop on and see which restaurants have risen to Yelp stardom in your hometown. We perused the social sharing site today to track down Cleveland’s top rated Yelp restaurants— and here are the…
UPDATE: Prosecutor Elects Not To Charge Indians Pitcher Danny Salazar In Hustler Club Sexual Assault Case
According to the Cleveland Division of Police, the city prosecutor decided not to file charges against Salazar, who had been investigated for a sexual assault case (detailed below) and who had become the day’s most notable local media focal point. *** Originally published at 2:31 p.m. Cleveland Indians pitcher Danny Salazar is presently being investigated…
DJ Mazi Jahi to Spin at CMA’s Mix: Soul on Friday
Noted record collector and music aficionado, Mazi Jahi, the co-founder of Touch Supper Club that comic book artist and music critic Harvey Pekar once called the “soul archeologist of Cleveland,” will spin ’60s and ’70s soul at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Mix: Soul. According to the press…
Cleveland Cinemas Announces $1 Weekend Family Films
When temperatures drop, inexpensive family activities are often elusive. But fear not, exploding-nesters: Cleveland Cinemas has announced its lineup for weekend family films through February and March. Starting February 14, for a single American dollar per ticket — $1 — you can go see these titles at select Cleveland Cinemas locations. The Capitol Theatre’s always a…
Scene Podcast: Two Girls With Glasses Talk Vintage Fashion with Cynthia Deering and Kelly Pierce
In the newest episode of Two Girls With Glasses, Brandi McElhatten and Nikki Delamotte sit down to talk vintage fashion with Cynthia Deering of Deering Vintage (1836 West 25th St., 216-274-1211, deeringvintage.com) and Kelly Pierce of Great Lake Outfitters (facebook.com/greatlakeoutfitters). From Cleveland’s rich Higbee-filled history to flappers, pin-ups, and grunge, Deering and Pierce take on…
The Speedbumps to Perform with Canton Symphony Orchestra
Not every rock band can play with an orchestra. But the Kent-based indie folk rock band, the Speedbumps, who perform with the Canton Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Canton Palace Theatre, have an advantage. Bassist Kevin Martinez, who has a Masters Degree in Music Composition from DePaul University, developed…
Training Under Way for Cleveland Police Body Cameras
This morning, Cleveland police officials briefed the city on how the body camera program is rolling out. Training is under way as of today for officers in the Fourth District, with more sessions to follow shortly. The Second District will begin in March, following by Fifth District in April, First District in May and Third District…
Winking Lizard to Close Coventry Spot, Open New Location at Golden Gate
For nearly 20 years, Winking Lizard has been a fixture on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. It replaced Pepper Ridge Tavern, which replaced Turkey Ridge Tavern, two popular neighborhood watering holes. That legacy will end in early fall when the Lizard opens its next location, this one in Mayfield Heights. The company recently took possession…
Sweetness Follows: The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same for Prolific Indie Rockers His Name Is Alive
“I’ve done a lot of weird things in the last 25 years; I can’t explain everything,” Warren Defever writes via Facebook, the day after we meet in his spacious downtown Detroit loft to try to discuss his musical legacy. I’d sent a message to see if he really believes in UFOs — and, speaking of…
Jam-Packed Arts Scene in the City
This weekend Cleveland is filled with more art events than some cities have in a month. Friday alone, it seems like every major art institution and organization is doing something. With so much to tell you about, let’s get right to it. On Friday, the Cleveland Museum of Art is hosting a soul-themed MIX Happy…
Love Bites: Behind the Scenes of Sweet Shops’ Biggest Day
There have been weeks of preparation, hundreds of orders taken, and countless nights of baking well into dawn. The door jingles open with the first customer, and from that moment on little slows the demand. One season of hustle all comes down to this. Year in and year out, the phrase “up all night” takes…
Film Review of the Week: Mr. Turner
British painter J. M. W. Turner was a complex character. One art critic described him as an artist who could most “stirringly and truthfully measure the moods of Nature.” In his new film, Mr. Turner, veteran British director and writer Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake, Topsy-Turvy) captures the extent to which Turner would…
Film Spotlight: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
The subtitle to The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, the sequel to 2004’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie that opens Friday at area theaters, suggests the film’s concept revolves around a mix of animation (underwater) and live action (out of water). While the “out of water” part of the movie is its most creative aspect,…
The Smokin’ River Blues: The Cuyahoga Lights Up Again in the Dazzling Fire on the Water at Cleveland Public Theatre
It’s kind of a shame you can’t buy a boxed set of plays, as you can with a TV series or a film star’s oeuvre. Seeing all those shows back-to-back can lend a new and more revealing meaning to the work. With the current production of Fire on the Water, Cleveland Public Theatre is completing…
Band of the Week: Sinkane
Meet the Band: Ahmed Gallab (vocals), Jason Trammell (drums), Jonathan Lam (guitar), Ish Montgomery (bass) Ohio Roots: Born in London, bandleader Ahmed Gallab, who records under the name Sinkane, moved to the States when he was 5. He played his first show when he was 11. While in high school in Kent, he saw Spiritualized…
Dance-Pop Duo: Indie Rockers Cherub Thrive Despite Being Out of Sync with their Hometown Peers
The dance-pop duo Cherub sounds out of sync with most of the music that comes out of Nashville. Songs such as “Monogamy,” “Doses and Mimosas” and “XOXO” shamelessly draw from the ’80s. And when the guys play the tunes live, as they did last year at House of Blues Cambridge Room, the venue erupts into…
Secret Delight: Take the Time to Find Asia Tea House and You’ll Be Rewarded Mightily
When it comes to off-the-beaten-path restaurants, you’d have a hard time topping Asia Tea House. To get here, you first need to pay a visit to the AsiaTown neighborhood, an enclave of Asian-run markets, shops and restaurants loosely bordered by East 30th and 40th streets, and St. Clair and Payne avenues. Once there, make your…
Cleveland Steamers Still Sound Accessible on Sophomore Effort
The Cleveland Steamers Who’s Next? (Smog Veil) On the follow-up to his 2013 solo debut, Cheese Borger and the Cleveland Steamers, Cheese Borger continues to make music that’s surprisingly accessible. Given his past as the bassist in the Pink Holes, one of Cleveland’s most outrageous punk acts, you’d expect Borger’s music to be a difficult…
Sci-Fi Reality: Interstellar Travel May Be on the Horizon
Marc Millis spoke last Thursday at the Great Lakes Science Center before the Omnimax screening of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. Millis runs an organization called Tau Zero — devoted to accelerating progress toward actual interstellar flight — and he’s part of a speaker series which brings in notable area physicists before the Omnimax screenings. Interstellar plays…
