The Latest Concert Announcements!
Neko Case: All yours in two months. Hot off the virtual press: This Just In concert anouncements . . . This week: 36 new concerts and two cancellations — Scene has all the information you need to have a legal good time in Northeast Ohio. Hot new shows include alt-country goddess Neko Case and chilly…
Barbie Goes to Akron
Highland Square Barbie does not need or want Ken. The Chief Source, a savvy political blog outta Akron, usually muses on the President and other boring men in suits. But last Friday must have been uneventful, because plastic, nylon-haired dolls got top billing on the site. According to Kyle, a Chief Source blogger, Akronites have…
Death by Cop
It turns out that the Cleveland police are perfect. Just ask their superiors. On Sunday, The Plain Dealer revealed that of the 4,427 incidents when police used non-deadly force on suspects in the last four years, each was ruled justified by department higher-ups. The most trouble-prone cop, according to The PD’s analysis, was Patrolman Martin…
Get to Know Brett Dennen
Brett Dennen, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter from California, just announced a 50-date tour that includes a stop at Akron’s Lime Spider on February 15. Dennan’s a goofy-looking redhead, but he puts on a nice show — especially in close quarters like the Spider. According to my friend Julie, who e-mailed me about the tour, Brett is…
Best. Cover. Ever.
Plus Gnarls Barkley-Gorillaz-Verve-Clash-related news: Biz Markie, best known for 1989’s “Just a Friend,” sings Elton John’s “Benny and the Jets” on The Chris Rock Show. Watch him wiggle; see him jiggle. What’s it gonna take to get this guy on the next Gnarls Barkley album? Speaking of which, Grammy-nominated Barkley DJ Danger Mouse’s latest production…
Downtown Hooker Ring Gets Popped
Things are usually dreary here on West Ninth Street, home of Scene’s offices. But lately there’s been lots of hustle and flow down the street at the ultra-swanky condos and apartments near St. Clair Avenue. Turns out the cops busted a prostitution ring at one of the buildings, where a 48-year-old man was arrested over…
Martial Artistry or Scam?
In response to American Ninja, in the April 26 issue of Scene: I have known this guy [Coal Akida] for over 15 years. I can tell you for a fact he is the biggest phony out there. He has told me numerous times that there is a sucker born every minute, and these idiots (referring…
Howard Jones at the Winchester
Matt Thomas The Winchester in Lakewood once again provided the setting for an unlikely artist encounter. It would have been hard to know in the ’80s, if you were in attendance for Howard Jones at Blossom Music Center, that you would one day be seeing Howard perform in Lakewood. But that’s the kind of stuff…
From Ghetto to Glory
The Cleveland School of the Arts represented itself well Friday night when its Nathaniel Dett Choir opened for Toronto’s Nathaniel Dett Chorale in a Martin Luther King Jr. tribute at St. John Cathedral. While the two ensembles are named for the same African Canadian composer of the early 20th century, and both choirs specialize in…
Competitive Chili News
Pat Roundtree of Cleveland walked off with $150 and the coveted “Golden Ladle” for winning the fifth annual Chili Cook-Off at the Closing Room (13813 Lorain Ave.; 216-688-1670) on Saturday. Top-ranked by a five-judge panel, Roundtree’s chunky chili was loaded with a combo of smoked steak, bacon, sausage, and pork — plus a can of…
Earl Boykins is Not in the House
Depressing news from the Akron Beacon-Journal, which reports that the Cavaliers had been interested in acquiring Earl Boykins, the Coolest Player in Basketball�, before Boykins was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks this week. According to Beacon, the Cavs were apparently stymied by salary-cap restrictions and their reluctance to part with Drew Gooden. Boykins is a…
A Grave Injustice
Punch knows the type: The giggling, oblivious driver who has her cell phone pressed up against her ear and is so involved in her conversation that she sometimes forgets the fact that — oh, by the way — she’s driving a car. One Strongsville man, trying to evacuate the Borders parking lot, couldn’t get Cell…
The BMV … Sponsored by Chase
Renewing your car registration isn’t usually a titillating experience. But last month, lawyer Phil Althouse was surprised to find a $75 check in the mail with his renewal notice. Apparently, Chase bank was offering him the extra cash if he opened a checking account with the company. We’re all accustomed to ads arriving with bills,…
UFC coming to Columbus
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is coming to Columbus for UFC 68: The Uprising. Tickets for the event, scheduled for Saturday, March 3, went on sale Tuesday, and range from $50 to $400 for seats close enough to get blood stains on your khakis. The pay-per-view will feature UFC stars (and ex-champions) Rich “Ace” Franklin and…
A Contradiction Here?
The official philosophy of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is that our laws ought to respect human life “from conception until natural death.” To that end the organization promotes legislation that would extend the same legal protection we enjoy to our nation’s unborn sons and daughters. Such a posture is eminently just, of…
The Best in Amish Chow
We’ve never fully comprehended the fuss over Amish cooking. It’s one of the most boring “cuisines” around — basic, bland, and far better suited for stoking big appetites than for stroking discerning tastebuds. We’ve eaten in most of Ohio’s Amish-style restaurants, scarfing up the overcooked green beans, sugary Jell-O salads, and stringy roast beef with…
Sam Discovers Unemployment!
FULWOOD WATCH: We Read Sam So You Don’t Have To Headline: Charley’s waitress forced to start anew Date: January 11, 2007 Topic: After watching several dozen of his newspaper colleagues accept early retirement checks and pack up their desks, Sam discovers that some people don’t have cushy column writing jobs and must work for a…
Exploration, Psychadelia & Wicca
Are you adventurous? Scratch that. Are you really adventurous? On a bitter cold weekend in February, in a remote, wooded location, as many as 200 brave souls will gather on a “Vision Quest.” A little vague? Picture this: a peyote shaman, a gay male witch, and a bunch of Ph.Ds partying in a cabin in…
A Better Way to Breakfast
Food TV�??s Tyler Florence Why settle for a Starbucks muffin and a copy of The Plain Dealer when you can start your day with Cr�me Brule French Toast and a copy of Maxim? Joseph-Beth Booksellers has just unveiled its new breakfast menu, featuring a dozen mouth-watering items inspired by best-selling and celebrity chefs’ cookbooks. Among…
Tchaikovsky’s a Bad Ass
Ain’t no better way to keep the kids at bay than by busting some Tchaikovsky on their ass. Unhappy with winter’s recent coldfront, rebellious young teenagers have found an uncommon new hangout spot to gather: libraries. Libraries across the country are reporting increases of students in their facilities — but these kids are not the…
You Thought You Hated Emo?
For those who hate emo, no one takes it to the Effete Zone like Panic! at the Disco. But an enterprising British fan recently took matters into his own hands by chucking a rock at singer Brendan Urie, dropping him like a fat squirrel. Behold the video: Notice his bandmates’ reaction: They rush up and…
Fast-paced Dodgeball Action
The much anticipated winter season of the Cleveland Plays co-ed, recreational dodgeball league got underway yesterday, and was not nearly as pathetic as you’re thinking. [Editor’s note: Yes, it’s exactly as pathetic as you’re thinking.] If you’re not familiar, Cleveland Plays is a company that organizes co-ed leagues in a variety of sports, including football,…
Bucks Suck; Ginn Pays Off
The Bucks may have sucked, but Ted Ginn Jr. paid off at 8 to 1 with his opening touchdown. Not only hearts were broken when OSU got slaughtered by the Gators Monday — a few wallets got clipped as well. With OSU going into the game as 7 to 7.5 favorites, the house was very,…
Returning to Favorite Restaurants
As far as paid gigs go, it doesn’t get much sweeter than reviewing restaurants. Still, there are drawbacks. Given the constant onslaught of new joints to check out, it can be rough finding time to revisit old faves. But we managed to make our way back to a couple preferred spots over the holidays, and…
Fall Out Boy
Before Island released its 2005 debut From Under the Cork Tree, Chicago’s Fall Out Boy spent its days inside an old Econoline van, touring the nation and cranking out tight, suburban-bred hardcore sweetened with two lumps of pop. But nowadays, they’re bona fide stars: double platinum sales, a cover story in Spin, and a 2006…
Harem Share ‘Em
With a tinkling of bells worthy of a sultan’s caravan, Cassandra the belly dancer took the floor at Tannour in Pepper Pike. And while her performance was brief — there was, after all, only a handful of diners in attendance on this Thursday night to dig her sultry moves — what it lacked in duration,…
Natural Environments
Jo Q. Nelson combines paint, copper, and architecture in her contribution to the Sculpture Center’s Window to Sculpture series. The Kent State University grad twists metal and wood into structured scenes that are about the environment and her relationship to it. Wednesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 12-4 p.m. Starts: Jan. 12. Continues through Feb. 9
Howard Jones
Scoring big in the ’80s with such new-wave hits as “No One Is to Blame,” Howard Jones brings to mind a one-man band exploding with wild blond hair and surrounded by towering keyboard racks. In fact, the very thought of the Brit performing acoustic leads to the question: Did the club forget to pay its…
Iron Chic
When it comes to cuisine on the cutting edge — froths, foams, and molecular gastronomy à la Ferran Adria — Cleveburg is generally regarded somewhere between safety scissors and butter knives. Then again, pundits’ annual culinary predictions reveal that Clevelanders actually have long been digging “trends” that the rest of the country is just discovering.…
Got MLK?
The Nathaniel Dett Chorale has sung for Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Muhammad Ali during its nine years. Tonight, the Toronto ensemble makes its Cleveland debut as the first in a series of citywide tributes for Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The program features Afrocentric pieces written by Ysaye Barnwell, Adolphus Hailstork, and Moses…
The Black Swans
Like all captivating folkies, Columbus’ Jerry DeCicca doesn’t settle for rehashing “Kumbaya.” His shivering, low croon –like a reflective singer-songwriter submerged in a vat of olive oil — is an acquired taste, which is made all the more difficult by his lyrics: dark ruminations on the questionable wisdom of chasing skirts. Though DeCicca’s solo gigs…
Their Brain on Drugs
At face value, Alpha Dog — based on a real-life story that’s still waiting for its ending — plays like an amped-up, drugged-out episode of Dragnet: In 2000, a gang of SoCal kids kidnapped and murdered 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz, a soft-spoken boy from the San Fernando Valley who dreamed of becoming a rabbi and was…
Disorder in the Court
In Cleveland Public Theatre’s Sleep Deprivation Chamber, a young man is beaten by police and charged with assaulting an officer. It’s a true story penned by playwright Adrienne Kennedy and her son Adam, who just happens to be the play’s battered protagonist. The Obie-winning work chronicles Adrienne’s sleepless nights and her son’s journey through the…
High School Musical
When Disney dropped High School Musical last year, the made-for-television movie hit like a game of pachyderm roller hockey, and its soundtrack went triple platinum. The plot rehashed your basic Romeo and Juliet scenario: Troy (Zac Efron) is a typical high school jock who ends up meeting nerd-girl Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens). Discovering they both…
Blade of Flying Sparks
Like his Hero and House of Flying Daggers, Zhang Yimou’s third global-market gigaproduction makes little sense in narrative terms even after two screenings, but the sets, costumes, and cinematography are so intoxicating that it doesn’t much matter. Zhang’s interest in the wuxia (martial arts) film may well extend no further than the kick he gets…
Old-School Hits
It’s all killer and no filler at the Shaker Historical Society’s Greatest Hits: Highlights of the Collection exhibit. Because the museum houses mostly old pioneer-era items, most of the rarely seen pieces on view come from the venue’s vaults. Included in the exhibit are a battered toolbox and handmade furniture. Tuesdays-Fridays, Sundays, 2-5 p.m. Starts:…
Dark Funeral
Sweden’s Dark Funeral has been practicing the black arts of black metal for over a decade now. Formed in ’93, the band has gone through the requisite ten zillion lineup changes, but the main guys — guitarist Lord Ahriman and singer Emperor Magus Caligula — never left the fold, which is important. That means you…
Predator vs. Predator
Notes on a Scandal, brilliantly adapted by Patrick Marber from the darkly comic Zoë Heller novel, is a grim piece of work — Fatal Attraction for the art-house crowd, shorn of its predecessor’s fearful misogyny. Set in a dreary London, where a gray funk of fog and cigarette smoke hangs over everyone’s head like a…
Princess Brides
Robin Johnstone, one of the skating stars in Disney on Ice’s Princess Wishes, insists that the production appeals to boys just as much as it does girls. “We have a prince slaying a dragon and Aladdin and the Genie,” she says. “Boys like that.” But there’s no denying the girl-centric appeal of Disney’s latest skate…
Tomb With a View
Jason Berger looks like a guy who should be wearing track pants and showing you how to work the machines at the Y. The 35-year-old Independence cop is in the best shape of his life — save for one eye so bloodshot you can hardly see the center. That’s from the surgery to remove the…
Andrew Bird
An erstwhile member of those zany and underappreciated swing revivalists the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Chicago art-folk crooner Andrew Bird has crafted a series of appealing records on which he strikes a delicate balance between eccentricity and accessibility — something more indie singer-songwriters should strive for. 2005’s The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Bird’s best and most…
Hold Your Horses
Bandidas (Fox) This review is not long enough for a suitable treatment of the beauty of Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek. The makers of Bandidas would certainly prefer I tried, though, than to discuss this plodding cliché of a western featuring the two. You could write the script right now if you wanted: One rich…
Love, Italian Style
In the Tony-winning The Light in the Piazza, young Clara gets kicked in the head by a pony. Then, while vacationing in Italy with her overprotective mom, she falls for local lothario Fabrizio. But her mother worries that her equine-induced autism prevents her from feeling true love. “It’s about the beauty of surrendering yourself,” says…
The $5 Miracle
Standing before rows of gleaming steel and plastic in a Shaker Heights car lot, Danny McNabb is ready with the sell before his newest customer even steps out of her car. With hair slicked back above a blazer imported from Atlantic City circa 1985, he smiles wide and guides her inside to the mysterious land…
The Fray
In 2006, Denver’s the Fray went from zero national recognition to platinum-selling MTV darlings. The band’s journey started with “Over My Head (Cable Car),” a simply awesome anthem about relationship failure (or any other failure, really). Its conviction and worm-like melody burrowed its way into the skull with vigor. Despite the success, the band totally…
Capsule reviews of current area art exhibitions.
NEW Soulful Silence — Printing with wood and linoleum has a long and somber history; just think of the many dark masterpieces by Albrecht Dürer and Käthe Kollwitz. Shaker Heights artist Leena Nevalainen-Smith is a little different. While many of her linocuts here were inspired by 9-11, tragedy isn’t the dominant emotion. Apart from effective…
King for a Day
There’s no shortage of celebrations today to mark the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The Great Lakes Science Center sets up interactive exhibits that honor King from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (601 Erieside Avenue; 216-694-2000). The Cleveland Botanical Garden holds a cotton-seed-bracelet workshop that pays tribute to King’s roots from 10 a.m. to 5…
Fresh Thieving
Here in Cleveland, we’re used to churches stealing. A little malfeasance from our friends in the banking industry isn’t uncommon either. But when banks start stealing from churches, then suing because they want to steal more? Now that’s fresh. So go the claims of Calvary Apostolic Christian Faith Assembly in Lorain, where about 150 families…
Vains of Jenna
Swedish metal hardly ever sounds like this: Technically, the poodleheaded Swedes in Vains of Jenna aren’t from America. And technically, they didn’t come directly from the seedy streets of L.A., though their first American gig was an impressive show at the Whisky A-Go-Go. But the band’s debut — Lit Up/Let Down, produced by Gilby Clarke…
Whip Smart
It’s been 20 years since the first Castlevania bewitched gamers with its gothic horror. Twenty years of vampire hunters going fist to fang with Lord Dracula. With almost two dozen titles in the series, Castlevania is one of the most enduring and beloved game franchises of all time. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, the latest entry…
Here Come the Brides
Think of today’s Bride Bridal Show as a one-stop for all your wedding-planning needs. More than 150 videographers, dressmakers, bakeries, and DJs gather at the I-X Center today to show off their wares. “You are going to be spending your entire [wedding] day with them,” says show manager Jennifer Judy Fyffe. “It’s really important you…
Seething Euclidians
Spare us the drama: Hip hip hooray to Scene for its yummy, sensationalistic journalism [“New Black City,” November 8]! Many Euclidians are seething at your grave disservice and wondering how (and why) Mr. Klaus selected Euclid to spew his apparently skewed perceptions of the city. A trip to any other inner-ring suburb reveals similar color-line…
Rock Night
The good folks at Akron’s Lime Spider don’t do anything half-assed. When it came time to organize a rock night, they went full throttle and recruited Beast drummer Adam Goldman and Duma/ex-Don Austin frontman Larry Gargus, who put the pedal to the heavy metal. To minimize shock and trauma, they’ll spin some ’80s arena rock.…
Our top DVD picks for the week of January 9:
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Salute to Romance (Shout Factory) Behind the Mask (Good Times) Broken Bridges (Paramount) Color of the Cross (Fox) Conversations With Other Women (Hart Sharp) Crank (Lions Gate) Everybody Says I’m Fine (BFS) Good Morning World (S’More) Hello Kitty’s Animation Theater: Complete Collection (ADV) Live Nude Girls (Republic) MI-5: Volume 4 (BBC…
Flower Power
Summit Metro Parks naturalist Danusia Casteel leads a tour of seasonal foliage at today’s Wild Flowers in Winter Hike. The two-mile trek along the Chippewa Trail unveils colorful wildflowers… despite the chill. “People might look at the field and think all the plants are dried and ugly,” says Casteel. “But if you look closely, these…
The City That Never Works
Christina Smith rushed into the basement laundry of her home to change. She’d be in and out. She didn’t bother to close the door. Her side street is like many in mid-gentrification Tremont. Across the road sits the mangled gate of a factory without name or sign of life. Neighboring homes range from central-casting decay…
Willie Nelson
This doesn’t sound like a Willie Nelson record, and it doesn’t sound like a Ryan Adams record (though he produced it). Dunno what it sounds like, to be honest, save for some ostentatious mash-up that does less to pump up Shotgun Willie than shoot his legs out from under him. Not that pairing Nelson with…
Here are the week’s best releases from the pop-culture universe:
TV — Extras: When we last saw Ricky Gervais’ struggling actor Andy Millman, he’d just landed a deal for the sitcom he created. In Sunday’s second-season opener (airing at 10 p.m. on HBO), he’s forced to compromise his vision. Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom’s knickers get all bunched when Andy’s lovable gal pal Maggie resists his charms.…
Water World
Water World The boat show docks at the I-X Center. The Cleveland Boat and Waterfront Lifestyle Expo sets sail today with something to satisfy just about everyone. For the next 10 days, the I-X Center houses more than 1,100 boats, boards, and accessories. “The fact that man has always been attracted to the water and…
On the Road Again
New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert has never seen Elizabethtown. He’s not alone, of course. Plenty of folks have chosen to skip what may very well be the worst movie Cameron Crowe has yet to direct. But the guitarist has another reason. “I don’t plan on it, because it touches too close to home for me,”…
Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah didn’t take long to offer up some raw material following the critical and commercial success of Fishscale. Feeling more like a mixtape than a proper album, More Fish is really just a collection of loose ends, although it’s still better than 95 percent of the hip-hop discs released in 2006. Showcasing the skills…
A Slice of Pizzarelli
Jazz singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli has paid tribute to his idols before. He recorded two albums of Nat “King” Cole songs in the ’90s. And 1998’s Meets the Beatles was a nod to the Fab Four. On his latest CD, Dear Mr. Sinatra, the New Jersey native honors Ol’ Blue Eyes. A fellow Jersey boy, Pizzarelli…
Outside the {Box}
Cleveland Public Theatre’s Big [Box] series is one of the area’s best opportunities to check out some cool new works and artists before they graduate to bigger venues. Now in its fifth year, Big [Box] turns CPT’s James Levin Theatre into a training ground for the next month and a half. The schedule includes everything…
Palm Trees and Rust Belts
“It’s Ohio music,” says the Curtains’ Chris Cohen, speaking of Calamity, his group’s latest collection of weird but mellow experimental pop. A lifelong Californian, Cohen believes the Curtains “is what happens if Ohio people come to the West Coast and stay in the sun.” He should know. Back in them flower-power days, Cohen’s hippie parents…
Clipse
Despite all the biblical allusions on 2002’s Lord Willin’, Virginia Beach’s Clipse (brothers Pusha T and Malice) probably didn’t intend to also evoke Exodus. But in the aftermath of the Sony-BMG merger, which buried the act at Jive, the duo has wandered for years without a release date for its follow-up, Hell Hath No Fury.…
Rock Off!
Garrettsville’s Xpectations and So Be It from Mantua are two of the eight bands competing for $200 at tonight’s Rocks the Rink contest. Each group gets 15 minutes of stage time, while DJ Scribble spins between sets. A combination of audience applause and scores from a three-judge panel determines the top act. In addition to…
Smell the Coffee
Filmmakers Marc and Nick Francis juxtapose dirt-poor Ethiopian coffee farmers with wide-eyed American Starbucks managers in Black Gold, a stinging documentary about global java production. Its message hits like a steaming cup of espresso: African coffee harvesters can’t afford clean water or schools for their kids, while Wall Street traders set crops at ridiculously low…
Alterna-Parents
In April, New York magazine published an article by Adam Sternbergh called “Up With Grups,” discussing the phenomenon of hipster parents. He touched on the sociological and economic nightmare we face if there is no longer a quantifiable generation gap — if parents’ habits and tastes are indistinguishable from those of their children — suggesting…
Sic Alps
It’s visualization time, folks. So go ahead, close your eyes, and imagine an endless stretch of cliffs overlooking a slate-gray ocean, with cold waves crashing like reverberating feedback. A thick, moist fog clings to everything save a constellation of volcanoes dotting the landscape; each one sporadically shoots clouds of television static into the sky –…
From Russia With Love
A Cleveland Museum of Art exhibit inspired writer Phil Metres’ new book. Instants chronicles the life of 19th-century British photographer Eadweard Muybridge, whose work was displayed in 2004. “He took thousands of photographs of creatures in movement,” says Metres, a John Carroll University professor. “He was obsessed with the notion that photography could somehow capture…
A Classic Work
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 may not be as famous as his fifth one, but it’s still a pretty awesome piece of work. The Cleveland Orchestra performs the opus (which is also known as “Choral”) this weekend at Severance Hall. You may know it from A Clockwork Orange — it was used to sardonic effect during…
Baring It All
Bobby Bare Jr. touts his new Young Criminals Starvation League album, The Longest Meow, as “11 tracks recorded by 11 musicians in 11 hours.” But when pressed, Bare admits those numbers are a little fudged. There are 12 tracks on the record, one of which is an acoustic cover of the Pixies’ “Where Is My…
Prurient
Over the past several years, Dominic Fernow (aka Prurient) has carved out a nice little niche for himself as a performance noise-artist. Onstage, a shirtless Fernow screeches into a microphone, while his sweaty, skinny bod whirls about a huge amp, emitting shrill, stinging feedback. To date, his visceral shows have been captivating and fun, but…
Nature Calls
The West Woods Nature Center’s Bio-Centennial may be the most interactive wildlife exhibit you’ll get your hands on this year. It pays tribute to, as its subtitle states, “200 Years of Living With Wild Neighbors.” That means there are plenty of mounted animals on display. Recorded howls and roars echo throughout the nature center, while…
Leash Laws
Bayou-bred comedian John Morgan is a dedicated family man who rolls his eyes at other folks’ parenting skills. “I saw a woman at Disney World with four kids — all on leashes!” he says. “I said, Ma’am, if you hook them to a sled, you could run a race in Alaska.” He’s also all for…
HerSpace
Singer-songwriter Kate Voegele has signed a multi-album deal with MySpace Records, an extension of the internet’s most popular music-oriented website. MySpace Records is in a partnership with Interscope, and the deal includes an option for the major label to move the Bay Village native to its roster. Other MySpace artists include sleaze-rapper Mickey Avalon and…
Cellbound
Cellbound realizes most of its grand ambitions with the six tracks of coed retro metal on its debut EP. Image is vital to metal, and the group’s promo photos tell you everything you need to know about the music: With each rocker representing a different metal aesthetic, the leather-clad Akron group looks like King Diamond’s…
The Heat Is Off
Closing Room bartender Mike Aybar defends his title today as top chef at the club’s fifth annual Chili Cook-Off. If you’re competing, you may want to tone down the spices — especially if you want to beat Aybar’s popular beef, pork, and lamb combo. “Everybody likes a little zing to their chili,” says Scott Anderson,…
God’s Not a Fan
If Them Damn Kids from Chicago hadn’t picked up guitars in college, Chris Darby and Rolland Gairroes would be preaching from the pulpit. The duo, which performs at the Barking Spider tonight, met at a Missouri seminary, where both were studying to be priests. During their final year in 2003, they dropped out and moved…
God Forbid
Recently on tour with big-shot Metallica clones Trivium, New Jersey’s God Forbid churns out metalcore with just enough heaviness and vocal murk to invite friendly comparisons to the almighty Obituary. God Forbid just plays a whole lot faster, piling riffs on top of riffs, harmonizing leads like a Thin Lizzy cover band, and riddling songs…
The Whiskey Daredevils
The Whiskey Daredevils humbly follow up their debut, Greatest Hits, with a sophomore effort titled The Essential Whiskey Daredevils. And there’s truth in the self-aggrandizing irony; the Cleveland quintet’s sound consists of finely crafted roots rock and irreverent humor, making every one of the record’s 20 cuts enjoyable like a night at the bar. The…
Blue Crush
More than 40 local artists contribute paintings, prints, and ceramics to True Art’s BlueLight Special, which opens tonight. Jeff Chiplis, Douglas Max Utter, and others show off works inspired by the color blue. Saturdays, Sundays, 1-5 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays, 5-9 p.m. Starts: Jan. 13. Continues through Feb. 3
Favorite Things
The Canton Museum of Art asked more than 50 local theater reps, radio personalities, and artists to pick their favorite item from its 1,200-piece permanent collection. The results are now on display in Love Your Work! It’s a good chance to see many of the museum’s best sculptures, paintings, and prints in one place. Participants…
