15 Memories from the Highland Heights Front Row Theater
Many a Clevelander fondly recalls the old Front Row Theater, that Highland Heights hotpot with in-the-round entertainment and its very own champagne bar. With the help of some concert programs and an odd ticket stub or two (many pulled from this fine Facebook page), relive some of the theater’s glory days, and let us know…
Sergio’s in University Circle to be Home to Sawyer’s Trentina
A secret no more: the “east side” location for Trentina, Jonathon and Amelia Sawyer’s new Italian restaurant, is the old Sergio’s in University Circle. That 35-seat spot, which had a 20-year run, has been vacant since it abruptly closed a few months after the death of chef-owner Sergio Abramof. The Sawyers have released the video…
Motley Crue announces final tour, Blossom date
It was inevitable that after a 30-year run, metal icons Motley Crue would finally call it a day. Earlier today, the band announced that its upcoming tour will be its last. After making the announcement L.A., the band will perform on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight and then will play on CBS This Morning tomorrow…
Eat at Joe’s. No, Really. Eat at Joe’s
The name — the diner equivalent of John Doe — doesn’t do justice to the treasured institution that is Eat at Joe’s (1473 S Green Rd., 216-381-3101). This tiny, old-fashioned, cash-only diner can easily be missed owing to its odd location in the rear of a CVS building on Green Road. The story is that…
T.J. Lane Lawyer: “What he did in court…was heinous”
In a recent Cleveland Jewish News profile of Ian N. Friedman, the attorney tasked with defending Chardon shooter T.J. Lane, the Beachwood resident opened up about the hardship of that experience: “What he did in court, I don’t think you could characterize it as anything but heinous,” Friedman told reporter Carlo Wolff. “It was extremely…
This Ohio Woman is in Charge of Deciding Which Wilson Footballs Make it to the Super Bowl
Meet Pam Clark, the one person in charge of deciding which footballs make it to the field for the Super Bowl each year, and which ones end up on collector’s shelves. That’s a pretty big job, and one that this Ada, OH woman doesn’t take lightly. ” I like to be perfect,” she recently told…
Dispatches from Monday Night RAW: Live in Cleveland
ERIC SANDY/SCENE Monday Night RAW at the Q WWE Dolph Ziggler prior to the Battle of Cleveland I walked into the restroom to find a large man explaining the finer points of Sunday night’s Royal Rumble to a young boy, maybe 5 years old or so. “Well, yeah, but it’s bullshit.” “Why?” The young boy…
RTA Raises Awareness about Human Trafficking, Which Isn’t Just Some Scary Thing That Happens in the Balkans
Photo courtesy of RTA Yesterday afternoon, the RTA hosted an anti-human-trafficking awareness program at Tower City in conjunction with the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking as part of an ongoing campaign to educate the public about the issue. Jerry Masek, spokesman for RTA, says that around 50 people attended the event, many of whom sat…
Prospects Reportedly Interested in Repurposing Fifth Church of Christ Scientist
NIA The ongoing saga of Fifth Church of Christ Scientist – a years-long struggle to keep the building intact and, eventually in use – continues this month with two prospects reportedly signalling interest to repurpose the place. The gist of this latest proposal is to convert the church into a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness facility.…
Here’s a Great Little Interview About the ‘Yentl’ Poster, From the New York Times
Scene theater critic Christine Howey calls the Cleveland Play House production of Yentl “short of perfect,” but adds that “it still raises important questions about identity that invite serious contemplation.” The play runs through Feb. 2. The poster for the play adds a noted graphic element to the storyline. Michelle Berki, a graphic designer who…
College Seniors Spread Inspiration on Ohio Campus Through Beautiful Chalk Art
An anonymous chalk art duo from the Columbus College of Art & Design is spreading a little good will and inspiration via beautifully crafted works of late night guerrilla art. After faculty have long gone home and their fellow students are either hitting the books or the bottles, two unknown college seniors take to classroom chalkboards…
Today’s Sin Tax Hearing Is Still On, Despite Cuyahoga County Offices Being Closed
ERIC SANDY/SCENE Expect more sin tax fun today. It’s so cold that Cuyahoga County officials have shut down their work for the day. All offices are closed. But the sin tax circus must go on! There’s no time to waste in getting this measure forced through its mandated public hearings and onto the May ballot.…
Ohio’s New Execution Cocktail Debuts With Questionable Results: UPDATE
McGuire Robert Lowe, an attorney representing executed killer Dennis McGuire and his family, was back at work this week after being sidelined by accusations that he had coached McGuire to fake suffocation symptoms. Prison guards reported that McGuire told them about Lowe’s plan. According to records: “He wants me to put on this big show…
Demolition of Former Cuyahoga County Headquarters Begins
ERIC SANDY/SCENE Dubbed “the House that Jimmy Built” by astute observers of local politics, the former Cuyahoga County administration building began its journey to rubble on Monday. A duo of monstrous excavators clamped massive jaws around the building’s wreckage, attracting passersby who stood for a moment in the arctic weather to wish the former governmental…
Lakewood and Lots of Other Ohio Cities Are Almost Out of Road Salt
ERIC SANDY/SCENE St. Charles Avenue Morton Salt, the company that both keeps your potatoes savory and your streets free from the twin scourges of ice and snow, is not cooperating with the city of Lakewood. In fact, Morton has not yet fulfilled promises to deliver 1,000 tons of salt ordered by the city. Drivers and…
Panic! at the Disco Gave Gutsy Performance Last Night at House of Blues
Back when he was at his prime, Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan gave a number of spectacular performances. One of the most famous was the “Flu Game” that took place during the 1997 Finals. While not quite as heroic, Panic! at the Disco’s show last night before a sold-out crowd at House of Blues had…
Charles Nagy is Back with the Tribe
Among other, less substantive, revelations at this weekend’s Tribe Fest, it was announced that former pitcher Charles Nagy has been hired by the Cleveland Indians in an undefined role. Charles Nagy, my dear friends! Charles “Fan Favorite” Nagy! Charles Nagy, whose XL-jersey I wore in Bosnia on Halloween in 2013 to assert my citizenship among…
Listen to New Cloud Nothings Track ‘I’m Not Part of Me’
Dig the new Cloud Nothings track, “I’m Not Part of Me,” embedded below. That same sense of energetic/manic chugging indie rock wonderfully splashed across 2012’s Attack on Memory is in full swing on this tune. The band’s next album, Here and Nowhere Else, is due out April 1.
“Boners & 4-skins:” The Pizza Shop’s Penis Pun Coupon
The coupon for Brothers Pizza in Cleveland. Why is one local pizza shop selling “12 boners and 4-skins”? Because “12 boners and 5-skins” just wouldn’t make any sense. You’re never too old to laugh at some dick jokes, so check out this coupon from Brothers Pizza referencing what people in the medical field would classify…
Court Rules Cleveland’s Traffic Cameras Unconstitutional; Cameras Remain Operational While City Reviews Order: UPDATE
Those traffic cameras you passed on the way into work this morning were still operational, to be sure, even though the Eighth District Court of Appeals ruled that they were unconstitutional this week. The gist of the ruling centered around the fact that Cleveland’s traffic violations fall out of the jurisdiction of a municipal court.…
Mike Pettine’s Daughter Isn’t Exactly Thrilled About Her Dad’s Decision to Join the Browns
It’s no secret that the search for and the acquisition of a new Browns’ head coach has been a somewhat rocky process, but Clevelanders wern’t the only ones who were skeptical of the whole schbang. The 19-year-old daughter of newly appointed head coach, Mike Pettine, was, apparently, less than thrilled by dear old dad’s job…
Huey Lewis & the News brought musical firepower to Hard Rock Live last night
Make no mistake about it: Huey Lewis & the News still love Cleveland and judging by the reaction of last night’s sold-out crowd at Hard Rock Live, Cleveland still has plenty of love for Huey and his News. Midway through the 90-minute set, Lewis took an impromptu poll using the always reliable meter of audience…
Netflix Instant New Arrivals For Your Snowed-In Weekend
Oh the weather outside is EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS. Seriously, don’t drive anywhere unless you have no other choice. Forty-eight City of Cleveland plow crews are, even as we speak, salting and plowing with Herculean resolve, etc., but generally making very little impact on the conditions of the roads and the conviction that we are all in…
Head Coach Not the Only Thing Browns Have Stolen from Bills
Yesterday’s announcement of former Bills’ defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as the new Browns’ head coach resounded with various thuds and shrugs and yawns and eye-rolls as Haslam and the brass assured everyone that Pettine was by far the finest candidate they’d interviewed, etc. etc. The reaction in Buffalo was predictably icy: The year is only…
Live Nation Announces On-Sale Date for Country Megaticket
Lady Antebellum While sub-zero temperatures make it hard to imagine heading out to Blossom to catch a concert, Live Nation has just announced that its ever-popular Country Megaticket will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31 (tickets must be purchased at megaticket.com). The ticket package includes one concert ticket to the seven…
Walk Off the Earth brought some heat to House of Blues last night
Most bands save their confetti for the end of the concert. Not Walk off the Earth. The Canadian group launched confetti a mere two songs into last night’s 90-minute show at a sold-out House of Blues. Of course, they were smart enough to not shoot their wad and saved some confetti (and giant balloons) for…
Dave Mason to Play Traffic Material at Ohio Theatre Concert
Traffic keyboardist Steve Winwood reportedly once complained that guitarist Dave Mason thought of the group as his backing band and would bring the guys finished songs and then expect them to play them exactly as they were written. Now, Mason has his chance to take ownership of the classic rock band’s music. For his current…
Bac Spills the Beans on Forthcoming Cleveland Restaurant
Not only is Bac Nguyen, owner of the popular Bac Asian Bistro, newly engaged, but he’s knee deep in plans to open his second Cleveland restaurant. While he’s keeping some details under lock and key, he is willing to share more than a few juicy morsels with Scene about his project, which is slated to…
Checking in on Todd Portune’s Possible Run for the Governor’s Office
Portune Todd Portune was going to announce his candidacy for Ohio governor today, but then he didn’t. The plan was to live-stream the news on Cincinnati.com. (Portune is a Hamilton County commissioner.) There are still two major requirements Portune needs to meet prior to the Feb. 5 filing deadline: name a running mate and gather…
Action Bronson kept it short and sweet at House of Blues
Last night, the temperature in the city plunged into the single digits, but for a couple hours, the chill brought on by the latest Polar Vortex was an afterthought as Action Bronson and Party Supplies rocked House of Blues during the Cleveland stop of the Blue Chips 2 tour. The crowd filtered in slowly by…
‘Experience Hendrix’ Tour Sets Hard Rock Rocksino Show on April 2
The Experience Hendrix Tour – a multifaceted concert exploring the legacy of Jimi Hendrix – will arrive in Cleveland at the Hard Rock Rocksino on April 2. The whole thing sounds terrific, really. Artists on the bill include Billy Cox, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and many more. The tribute show will feature…
Gaunt Chris Grant Finally Opens Up to Season Ticket Holders About Bennett, Season
In a “Chalk Talk” event for Cavs’ season ticket holders before last night’s game against the Chicago Bulls, a game which the Cavs lost in part because of an emotionally detached Luol Deng and a withering 3rd quarter team effort, GM Chris Grant fielded questions from Wine & Gold United members about the team’s performance…
10 Things Going on in Cleveland this Weekend (January 24 – 26)
Lots to keep you occupied this weekend, Cleveland. We recommend hitting up the various movie screenings and film readings offered by the CMA and Rock Hall, as well as the stellar show by the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company at PlayhouseSquare. Or, head on over to Tribe Fest this weekend and later raise a glass…
15 Vintage Memories from the Soon to be Re-Landscaped Parmatown Mall
Many a Clevelander loves and remembers the old Parmatown Shopping Center (currently known as The Shoppes at Parma), originally anchored by the illustrious Higbee’s Department Store and May Company. With news that the shopping center’s re-landscaping is but a few scant days away, take a jaunt down memory lane to a time when mall porpoises…
“We don’t care about page views,” says BeltMag editor; Happy Dog reading tonight
Sam Allard Anne Trubek, in her “home office” at the Phoenix Coffee on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights This evening, the Happy Dog kicks off the second of two new monthly series in conjunction with beltmag.com. Belt Out!, a series devoted to the writing of Belt Magazine and other unaffiliated rust belt publications, will be…
Sandusky County Prosecutor Declines to File Charges After State Highway Patroller Admits To Sexual Encounters with Pre-teen Boy
Vitte Jr. Sandusky County Prosecutor Tom Stierwalt is not pursuing charges against State Highway Patrol Officer Ricky Vitte Jr., who recently admitted to masturbating with a boy. According to police, Vitte admitted to watching porn and masturbating with a boy five years ago. He told his wife, who was later interviewed by police. Vitte said…
Petty Officer 1st Class Jamario Perry of Cleveland on Duty in the Pacific Ocean: Photo of the Day
U.S. Pacific Fleet/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class ChrisCavagnaro In this photo, Petty Officer 1st Class Jamario Perry, right, from Cleveland, stands as a safety observer while Operations Specialist Seaman Mikhail Franco, from Ocoee, Fla., fires a 9mm pistol during a small arms qualification on the flight deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell.…
Shop Like a Chef: Dean Supply
Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table are fine stores if you are looking for kitchenware for your home, but for many avid home cooks in Cleveland, the selection and prices at Dean Supply (3500 Woodland Ave., 216-771-3300, shopatdean.com) far surpass the mall-style shopping experience. Many restaurant supply stores are independently owned, freestanding and off the beaten…
87.7 FM Brings Latino Radio To Cleveland
Housed in the new Agora office complex, one of the most vaunted venues in Cleveland’s music history, the new 87.7 La Mega FM radio station is bringing Spanish programming to listeners in Northeast Ohio. Whether or not you were a fan of the alternative offerings at ‘The Sound,’ it’s hard not to be excited by…
Film Review of the Week: The Invisible Woman
In The Invisible Woman, opening this Friday at the Cedar Lee Theatre and at Cinemark Valley View, Voldemort himself (Ralph Fiennes) dons a baller goatee and does his finest Charles Dickens impression. And that impression, to the extent that it corroborates our image of this guy who we tend to know only as a name…
Film Spotlight: Gimme Shelter
In the early 1970s, ABC started airing a series of programs called after-school specials. They were designed to educate school-age children about controversial issues such as drug abuse and teen pregnancy. Gimme Shelter, the new drama starring actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens, takes a similar tone and comes off as a bit too pedantic. It…
Guitar Hero Michael Schenker Pays Tribute to a Bygone Era
With his backing band Temple of Rock, German guitarist Michael Schenker pays tribute to an “era of rock” that he says someday might be gone. “[I’m] celebrating my era of rock that started with Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, you know, [the bands] that I fell in love with,” he says. “[I’m afraid] it will…
Viva Las Vegas: Panic! At the Disco Singer Reflects on the Inspiration for the Band’s Latest Album
We live in a time when today’s most popular bands could easily be forgotten (and let’s hope that’s the case for Justin Bieber). The notion of artist development in the music business has essentially become a thing of the past. Given those conditions, it’s all the more remarkable that indie rockers Panic! At the Disco,…
His Aim is True: When Huey Lewis Needed a Hit Single, He Delivered— And Then Some
When you consider the musical landscape of the ’80s, the enormous amount of success that Huey Lewis and the News enjoyed is something that’s pretty remarkable. While things like synths and drum machines and power ballads might have been dominant at the time, the San Francisco-based group — heavily influenced by old school soul and…
The M Word: Man Man’s Ryan Kattner Talks About the Band’s Newfound Maturity
Growing up often isn’t easy. That’s certainly been the case for Man Man singer-keyboardist Ryan Kattner (otherwise known as Honus Honus on stage). Their new album, On Oni Pond, veers noticeably away from the experimental side of their earlier albums but picks up a dancier aspect and tackles issues of intimacy, domestication and growing up.…
Band of the Week: The Kelly Zullo Trio
Meet the Band: Kelly Zullo (vocals, guitar), Malcolm Bliss (drums), Daniel DeSantis (bass) Home Alone: An only child who grew up in a remote area of Ohio, Zullo started playing guitar when she was 12. After moving to Nashville, she really developed her songwriting skills. “I graduated [from college] and then didn’t know what to…
Regional Beat: Emma Shepard
Emma Shepard Public Displays of Affection (self-released) facebook.com/emmashepardmusic Kent-based singer-songwriter Emma Shepard has written songs since she was in high school, but Public Displays of Affection, a terrific album she financed through a Kickstarter campaign, marks her full-length debut. The acoustic music on this 11-song album has a cabaret feel to it and makes good…
Savage Love: Great Pains
Dear Dan, I’m a straight 24-year-old female, and I just recently lost my virginity. I’ve had sex only three times (not with a monogamous partner) and have found each time to be incredibly painful—even when the guy’s just using his fingers. I’ve always been extremely sensitive. In the past, I’ve had guys run their hands…
Gender Trap: A Young Jewish Woman Flips the Gender Script in Yentl at the Cleveland Play House
Being trapped in the wrong body is no fun, since the only escape is to disguise yourself in order to be true to yourself. The Jewish-American author Isaac Bashevis Singer knew this when he penned the short story “Yentl the Yeshiva Boy.” As anyone knows who saw the Barbra Streisand movie/musical adaptation, it’s about a…
Also on Stage
Exact Change Cleveland Public Theatre Christine Howey reveals an astonishing escape act in her remarkable one-woman show, Exact Change, about a woman born in a man’s body, and the harrowing move from one gender to another is a soul-wrenching act of healing. Now playing at Cleveland Public Theatre in the intimate James A. Levin Theatre,…
Hunger Games: Food Stamp Benefits Have Been Cut All Across Ohio. Here in Cleveland, the Hungry and Poor are Hungrier and Poorer than Ever
The nearest fast food drive-thru starts looking mighty tantalizing when you’re down to a few bucks for the day’s meals. Ed FitzGerald found that out the easy way.Shortly after Thanksgiving last year, the Cuyahoga County executive and many on his staff took up the Food Stamp Challenge, or the SNAP Challenge. (SNAP stands for the…
East Cleveland Library Mired in Political Pit After Abrupt Leadership Shuffle
A noted police presence flanked the panel of library trustees. In a vacuum, it might have been an odd sight. But in the basement of the East Cleveland Library, where political in fighting has crested as public scandal, the shadow of the law was a small comfort. Two board members had, after all, predicted “chaos”…
Apéritifs: Let’s Slow Things Down and Bring Back the Pre-Dinner Drink
The French apéritif and the Italian aperitivo are terms derived from the Latin word meaning “to open,” as in “to open a meal” or “to open the stomach.” Serving a similar purpose as the amuse bouche, the small, free bite from the kitchen that might kick off one’s meal at a fine restaurant, apéritifs are…
Did Major League Baseball Force Chief Wahoo’s Demotion?
Last week, leading sports uniform expert Paul Lukas reported that the Cleveland Indians were changing their “primary logo” from Chief Wahoo to the block C, but that this would entail no changes to the team’s uniforms. The Indians organization quickly denied the report, first to CBS Cleveland 92.3 FM’s TJ Zuppe, and later through two…
Beyond the Egg: Two New All-Day Breakfast Joints Rise and Shine in Cleveland
If breakfast is indeed “the most important meal of the day,” then Cleveland diners can consider themselves better off in 2014 than they were last year. Over the past few months, two new eateries have entered the all-important breakfast-all-day category, providing both early and not-so-early risers with a great reason to get the hell out…
Your Complete Guide to Cleveland Concerts (January 23 – 29)
THURSDAY JAN 23 Battlecross/Crimson Shadow: 7 p.m., $10.40. Agora Ballroom. Bad Boys Jam: 9 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Jon Batiste & the Stay Human Band: The artistic director-at-large of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Jon Batiste is also a recording artist who earned universal praise for last year’s Social Music. The exuberant 26-year-old singer and…
