Wired for Ass-Kicking
There are plenty of dramatically realistic fight scenes in Steven Soderbergh’s star-packed, globe-crossing action flick Haywire, especially a hand-to-hand bout between MMA-fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano — who plays Mallory Kane, a stunningly beautiful and skilled operative on a single-woman mission for revenge once her private-security firm double-crosses her — and an MI6 spook. But the plot…
Asleep Release Another New Song Online
Like Cloud Nothings, Youngstown indie rockers Asleep worked with legendary studio engineer Steve Albini on their upcoming record. And like Cloud Nothings, they’re teasing fans one song at a time by releasing them across the internet. Ten days after premiering their new single “Hip to Deaf” on Guitar World, the band is releasing another new…
FBI Docs: Wu Tang Bought Their Guns in Ohio
The eastern Ohio town of Steubenville, according to a reading from the gospel of Wikipedia, is famous for its plethora of murals and for being the birthplace of Dean Martin, racist bookie Jimmy the Greek, and generously mustachioed baseball player Rollie Fingers. But the Jefferson County city can add a new claim to fame, now…
The Naked Chef Survey: Vouch For Your Neighborhood But Act Fast
Residents of the Buckeye, Central, and Ohio City neighborhoods have a chance — a very limited chance — to tell the American Heart Association whether they want celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to drop a teaching kitchen in their backyard. One of the neighborhoods could get the permanent facility, which will be used to demonstrate healthier…
Local Researcher Proves Dimora Was a Hack by Mapping County Corruption
This handy chart shows Dimora’s relationships, including the stapler, two donuts, and secretary that were briefly in his gravitational orbit for a month in 2002. Valdis Krebs has ladled on tangible proof of two facts in the Cuyahoga corruption scandal that heretofore were only assumed based on anecdotal evidence: 1) Frank Russo was way more…
Fracking Companies Tap Military Psy Ops and Counterinsurgency Handbook to Make You Like Them
“See, fracking isn’t that bad. Good boy.” Fracking — or hydraulic fracturing, as it’s known up in the top story, K2-view, Perrier-on-the-table board rooms of big-pocketed transnational oil and energy corporations, where the slightest breathy mention of the term fires up visions of parading dollar signs and upward NYSE jags in the minds of hungry…
Listen to Cloud Nothings’ New Album … Again
Pitchfork is streaming Cloud Nothings’ excellent new album, Attack on Memory. By the time the album finally comes out a week from today, you should be pretty well-acquainted with it, since everybody from Spin to Rolling Stone to various blogs have been dropping songs from the eight-track record over the past several weeks. And just…
Judas Priest’s “Complete Album Collection” Not Really Complete
When Judas Priest’s 17-CD box set The Complete Albums Collection comes out next week, fans may notice that it’s not quite as complete as that title leads you to believe. In fact, it’s missing two albums the British band made with Akron singer Tim “Ripper” Owens: 1997’s Jugulator and 2001’s Demolition. Owens joined the legendary…
Craigslist Missed Connection of the Week Does Not Have a Happy Ending
It’s rare that a Missed Connection has a happy ending. Most of the time, those little virtual missives float into the ether, never landing in front of the eyes they were meant for. More rare – and most enjoyable — however, is the time when a Missed Connection finds the intended target and the subject…
The ‘Do I Still Hate LeBron’ Quiz
How you guys feeling about me over there? By P. Rogie, your weekly online sports contributor Of course, you threw away all your #23 gear after The Decision, but where do you stand today? Take our quiz to find out just how diehard that rage is. 1. When I see a Miami Heat game on…
Rock Hall Archives at Tri-C to open tomorrow
Getting stuff out of boxes & on shelves takes time. It’s been a long time coming but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives — at the Tri-C Metro campus in the new Center for the Creative Arts — opens to the public tomorrow at 9 a.m. It will be open from…
Former Cav Ira Newble Has a Warrant Out for His Arrest in Lakewood for a Traffic Violation
From a concerned reader and Ira Newble fan who put this into words better than we could hope to: The man who took a stand against China’s communist government and who Paul Silas once called a “hip-hop motherfucker” is now a fugitive from the law. Ira Newble is a wanted by the City of Lakewood…
Man Arrested for Child Porn Makes Unfortunate Wardrobe Choice
This is David Peters, a 66-year-old arrested this week in Streetsboro on 40 counts of child porn ickiness. Yep, the shirt Peters is wearing in his mugshot definitely says, “Internet was down so I thought I’d come outside today.” His Internet will be down for the foreseeable future, but he won’t be going outside. Photo…
Kitchen Nightmares Casting in Cleveland
prepared to be scared Kitchen Nightmares, chef Gordon Ramsay’s hit reality series on FOX, is currently searching for Cleveland restos to feature on upcoming episodes. Nominations are welcome from both diners and restaurant owners. According to show officials, qualifying restaurants must have been open at least one year, offer dinner service, be independently owned, and…
Pic of the Day: Script Ohio on Ice
From yesterday’s Frozen Diamond Faceoff between OSU and Michigan at Jacobs Field. Though the Buckeyes went down, it was still a glorious day for outdoor hockey. And yes, the OSU marching band still dots the I, even on ice. (Via StepienRules)
Breaking News: Top Chefs Have Fab Homes
Foodies have an endless fascination with all things chef-ly, which explains why this online article caught our eye. Turns out, Rachel Ray, Guy Fieri, and their fellow millionaire culinarians (millionarians?) aren’t living in cardboard boxes. No locals are included on the list of Top Ten Chef Digs (yet), but it’s still an interesting peek at…
Cleveland area congresspeople fall short on protecting the rich
Sutton: not doing enough to protect billionaires & corporations Have you been wondering if your representatives in Congress are really doing a good job of standing up for the 1 % — protecting the assets of billionaires? Americans for Prosperity has the info! The right-wing group, heavily funded by petrochemical multi-billionaire brothers Charles and David…
OSU’s Gordon Gee Insults Poland; Local Polish React
Standard Polish army battle dress. As if Ohio State University needed any more bad press, school head honcho Gordan Gee put himself on the wrong end of one nationality group you really don’t want to piss off: the Polish. Gee’s comments came during an Q&A at the Columbus Metropolitan Club, according to the Dispatch. “When…
Dips**ts of The Week: Hurling Big Bricks at Cars Is Their Hobby
For at least a handful of drivers making their way home through Slavic Village on Harvard Avenue Wednesday evening, things got scary. Many noticed an unusual number of big, square bricks littering the roadway and some, had one of those bricks hit their moving vehicle. Police later arrested two dipshits: one 16-year-old and one (ahem)…
Thousands of Panties Dumped Along Ohio Road (Updated)
Update: The August 2011 mystery of thousands of panties dumped along an Ohio road was never solved by the local authorities. Folks were interviewed, but nothing definitive was ever nailed down. Fairfield County, meanwhile, has held on to the garments. For, um, police reasons. Yeah. Anyway, the undies will go to good use: they’ll be…
Oh the Simpler Days, When Jimmy Dimora was the Innocent Victim of a Karl Rove-Helmed Political Conspiracy
“We got you Jimmy, we got you good.” It was the perfect plan. As the country edged closer to the pivotal 2008 presidential election, Republican-puppet master Karl Rove concocted a scheme to throw off the Democrats’ chances at the polls: He’d direct then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to sic the Department of Justice on local Democratic…
Santorum makes a boo-boo in Ohio primary process
Santorum: a frothy mixture of confusion Republicans in three Ohio congressional districts who cast their votes in the March 6 presidential primary for former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum may be chagrined to learn they will be throwing their vote away. Santorum’s campaign failed to file a delegate slate for districts 6 (southeastern Ohio), 9 (Toledo),…
Another Popular Cleveland Restaurant a Winner, But It’s Not About the Food
tropicaltammi@tripadvisor Our skyline from Pier W Sure, Pier W has a great happy hour but that’s not why I have a soft spot for the place. I love Pier W because when I was a wee lass, it was my date-night-with-dad spot; where I learned how to eat oysters on the half shell the proper,…
Here’s Rob Portman Doing a Chicken Impression
Truth to the rumor, finally, that Rob Portman has some Bluth blood in him. On CNBC’s Squawk Box program (via Cleveland.com), Portman busted out his chicken impression for the hosts. Asked how he came by the talent, he said, “I’m from Ohio.” Yes, because all Ohioans do above average farm animal impressions. Anyway, Portman was…
RIP Scott Bickel, Cleveland’s Most Passionate Professional Eater
Sad, sad news this morning: according to the internet, Scott “Beefcakes” Bickel, competitive eater, past Scene cover subject, and all-around incredible guy, died last night. We’re trying to confirm all the various rumors, but so far officials are mum. Last night Scott posted a note on his Facebook page that plainly stated he was planning…
Someone Wrote a Rap About Tim Misny
We’re just about to the point where the self-promotion master has jumped the shiny little domed head of his. Exhibit J: a new rap over on YouTube about Mr. Make Them Pay.
Iron Woman
Meryl Streep’s performance in The Iron Lady drives this biopic about Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister who’s been a conservative pinup queen for 30 years. The movie opens late in Thatcher’s life, when bad health has left her under virtual house arrest and she’s relentlessly pursued by walking, talking hallucinations of her late…
They’re Shooting Another Movie in Cleveland
They’re shooting another movie in Cleveland. But this one doesn’t have anything to do with badass superheroes. Or some hot young girl on Nickelodeon. Or some dude who was on Lost punching a party-bus driver after a drunken night at a strip club. In fact, we’re not really sure what Hall of Fame is about.…
Trash-Gasification Plant Draws Ire of Citizens, Kucinich, Environment Groups
Controversy is heating up over the $180 million-plus trash-gasification plant Cleveland wants to build — but has no clue how to pay for — at its Ridge Road transfer station on the West Side. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to review particulars of the plant, which would turn city garbage into a synthetic…
Ohio Speaker Bill Batchelder Not the Best at Taking Care of His Medina House
As speaker of Ohio’s House of Representatives, Bill Batchelder has made it his specialty to ram through popular issues like the recently overturned Senate Bill 5 and everything that makes women hate Republicans. Yes, the 30-year servant is a busy man around Columbus. But what of his down time in his hometown of Medina? One…
The Quality of Cleveland Life Report
Your guide to living in fabulous Cleveland. Rebuffed by Science: Cleveland Clinic rejects 350-pound cadaver donated for research, says it can come back once it gets its fat ass in shape.Doing God’s Work: Catholic Diocese of Cleveland claims net profit of $19.5 million from recently shuttered churches, projects $200 billion in additional revenue if it…
Jimmy Dimora Trial Delayed Pending Appellate Decision (Updated)
Update: Nevermind. The 6th Circuit court ruled quickly in denying Dimora’s request for a delay in his trial until the appeal court rules on the whole double jeopardy thing. The circus officially gets underway in Akron Thursday morning with opening statements. And probably a donut. Or six. Cuz he’s a big guy. Get it? (Cleveland.com)…
At the Arthouse This Week
Le Havre The Cinematheque’s Tim Harry once took a ferry from the French port city of Le Havre to Ireland that involved a storm at sea and fellow passengers puking their guts out. But that’s not why they’re showing this latest movie by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki. They’re showing it because it’s a typically sweet…
Gem Dandy
Taking over an historic building like Cowell & Hubbard in PlayhouseSquare is a double-edged sword. While you inherit the grand bones of an impressive and significant structure — in this case, Cleveland’s famed jewelry store, which occupied the space from 1920 to 1981 — you also assume certain challenges. As a recipient of historic preservation…
Cheap Lunch
It took me a long time to act on recommendations to check out downtown’s Flaming Ice Cube — the weird name was a little off-putting — but I’m glad I finally did. It’s that rare restaurant where a vegetarian can order anything on the menu — and most of it is vegan-friendly too. And that…
Concert Calendar
Langhorne Slim Whether he’s in a hurry or moving at a snail’s pace, Langhorne Slim’s Sean Scolnick knows how to get a party started. He leads with a raspy growl, viscous finger picking, and a head full of stories. Now backed by a full band called the Law, the Langhorne, Pennsylvania native is capable of…
Home Movies
Moneyball (Sony) It’s as much a geeky tech movie as it is a brawny sports movie, and it’s one of 2011’s best either way. Brad Pitt plays Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane, who’s tired of his losing team and sagging ticket sales. So he rebuilds his club through computer analysis, drafting players based on…
Savage Love
Dear Dan: I am writing to thank you. I remember reading your definition of “santorum” — “the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the by-product of anal sex” — when it first appeared. I remember thinking it was a cute way to make fun of a dickhead politician. I never thought…
A Shrine to Prime
Diners pining for the Good Old Days — when travelers dressed up to fly on planes, correspondence required stamps, and dining out was always a special occasion — will likely adore Prime Rib Steakhouse. In a sincere attempt to revive an all but extinct style of dining, the folks behind this new Warehouse District restaurant…
CD Review: Snow Patrol
Since their 2004 stateside breakout, the gently rocking Irish alt band Snow Patrol have shifted their emphasis from lyrical platitudes to musical bombast. But after a three-year break, they sound revitalized on their sixth album and come out swinging from the opening tracks (the insistent “I’ll Never Let Go” and majestic “Called Out in the…
Film Capsules
There are a number of actorly pleasures to be found in Roman Polanski’s Carnage, which should be no surprise given the cast: Christophe Waltz, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, and Jodie Foster. Waltz and Winslet’s 11-year-old son thwacked Reilly and Foster’s 11-year-old in the mouth with a stick during a playground spat, and the action…
On Stage This Week
Silver strands among the gold: Getting Hairy at Playhouse Square When Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical opened at Broadway’s Biltmore Theater in 1968, MLK and Bobby Kennedy were still among us, the Kent State massacre was yet to come, and the U.S. was busy drafting 18-year-olds to fight in Vietnam. In that context, Hair…
That’s Entertainment
You won’t find a lovelier valentine to the movies’ past, present, and future than the black-and-white and near-silent The Artist, writer and director Michel Hazanavicius’ affectionate tribute to the silent screen and the actors who pioneered it. You also won’t find a more inspired piece of filmmaking in theaters this season. In 1927 Hollywood, matinee…
Get Out!
Thursday | 12 TGIT Getting Happy at Noodlecat The best thing about weekday snowstorms? They’re a perfect excuse to stay in town after work and drink! And just in time for our wintry tippling needs, along comes Noodlecat, Jonathon Sawyer’s downtown noodle house, with a fun new Happy Hour menu. Among the diversions: 70-cent crispy…
CD Review: The Little Willies
The second album by Norah Jones’ twangy side project bears all the markings of a full-time artist playing around with part-time sounds: It’s a mostly faceless band playing well-known cover songs and obscure cover songs, all with an air of tossed-off effortlessness that pretty much guarantees a short shelf life. Still, Jones and the rest…
Stay In!
TOP PICK Looney Tunes Superstars: Pepé Le Pew Collection (Warner) Despite his shout-out in that awful Arthur remake, Looney Tunes’ lovestruck French skunk remains one of animation’s most undervalued characters. The 17 shorts on this DVD pretty much play out the same premise – Pepé mistakes a cat for a fellow skunk and spends the…
CD Review: Guided by Voices
Looking at Robert Pollard, you wouldn’t peg the Guided by Voices frontman as a nostalgic guy. But Let’s Go Eat the Factory, the Dayton band’s 16th album and first in eight years, is filled with fond looks back at the group’s glory days, and it’s made by the same lineup that created the classic album…
We Get Mail
An Ultimatum for Karamu Mark 3:25: If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. If Karamu House’s board of directors does not do the proper thing — that is, intervene, ditching Gregory Ashe and retaining Terrence Spivey — it will be a nail in the coffin for Karamu…
Local Band in Focus
Meet the Band: Nick Gregg (guitar, vocals, drums) and Katie Mikita (piano, vocals, drums) Newlyweds: The Kent couple formed Sexy Pig Divas after the previous band they were both playing in broke up. After an “intimate relationship with [their] music and each other,” Gregg and Mikita recently tied the knot. Big Sound, Little Band: “We…
CD Review: Attack Cat
(attackcatband.com) This crisply produced Cleveland power-pop duo owes more to Cobra Starship than to any other band that’s scored a hit on Top 40 radio the past couple of years. A chick and a dude with dual vocals that both harmonize and fight, Attack Cat play a somewhat outdated style that they nonetheless do very…
Occupying Your Wallet
Cleveland Municipal Court is having trouble obeying its own procedural rules — at least when it comes to Occupy Cleveland protesters. Ten Occupy members are making their way through the court after being arrested in unison on the night of October 21. All were charged with the same $100 minor misdemeanors: curfew violations (for being…
Thrash Ecstatic
Taking a break from his work as owner of 252 Tattoo, the Human Furnace isn’t talking ink today. His focus rests on Ringworm, the Cleveland hardcore and thrash-metal group he’s led for 20 years. “Tattooing has allowed me to do the band as a more serious thing,” he says. “It’s hard to make a living…
Hastily Made Funny Man
“You have no idea what a chubby little cash cow you are,” Mike Polk says to his housemate. The name’s Macduff, star of “I’m a Stupid Cat,” a 60-second compilation of Polk’s pet laying around the house, walking around the house, and generally being a cat around the house. It’s all spliced together with minimal…
Mix It Up
Machine Gun Kelly’s official major-league debut, Lace Up, won’t be out till summer, and even an EP by the same name won’t drop till spring. But local hip-hop impresarios Big Heff & Dommystyles can’t contain their excitement, so they’ve slapped together a mixtape featuring the Cleveland rapper and they’ve called it Pre Laced. It’s the…
On View This Week
At the Cleveland Artists Foundation: The Paradise of Zoar The Cleveland Artists Foundation’s exhibition Paradise Lost celebrates both a place and a cultural moment. The mapped location is Zoar, Ohio, now a rural outpost with a population pegged by the last census at just 200. But it was once an artful retreat beloved by the…
