Update: James Taylor and Jackson Browne to Play Blossom in July
Update: Initially, James Taylor and Jackson Browne postponed their joint 2020 tour to 2021 and set June 11 as the date they’d roll into Blossom. Given continued COVID concerns, the duo has now pushed that date to July 31. ““We want to thank all those who have graciously held onto their tickets; we appreciate your continued…
Stephen Malkmus Reschedules Cancelled Beachland Ballroom Date for March 2021
Update: Singer-songwriter Stephen Malkmus was set to play the Beachland Ballroom earlier this year in support of his new album, Traditional Techniques. That tour was canceled due to coronavirus concerns, but Malkmus has just announced a new set of dates for 2021 and will now perform at the club on March 20. The Beachland will honor…
Kent’s International Clash Day Celebration to Take Place From Feb. 6 to Feb. 8
International Clash Day takes place on Friday, Feb. 7, and there will be a slew of events happening in Kent between Thursday, Feb. 6, and Saturday, Feb. 8, to mark “the importance of the urgent need for social justice, and the fundamental importance of the freedom of expression.” Yeah, the late Joe Strummer would’ve been proud of…
There are Two Possible Cases of Coronavirus Reported at Miami University
According to a press release from the Butler County General Health District, Miami University Student Health Services has notified the organization of two possible cases of coronavirus infection in individuals who have recently traveled to China. The Health District says both possible cases “are not severely ill and (are) currently in isolation to keep the…
Reaction to the Cleveland-Filmed ‘Bachelor’ Episode is Exactly What You’d Expect
“Peter’s going to meet you in Cleveland, Ohio,” host Chris Harrison told The Bachelor contestants at the beginning of last night’s Cleveland-centric episode. And the reactions (as seen above) seemed mixed at best, but mostly somewhat confused. The show, which is based in Los Angeles, is known for sending its contestants to far-out locales. However,…
Prosperity Social Club’s 14th Annual Lenten Fry-Days to Return on Feb. 28
For the past 14 years, Prosperity Social Club has hosted a fish fry on Friday nights during the Lenten season. The events return to the restaurant on Fridays beginning on Feb. 28. “We have guests who make it a Cleveland culinary adventure — trying Lenten fries at fraternal halls, churches and Prosperity, of course,” says…
Cedar Lee to Host Special Screening for Beloved Concessions Worker
Regular attendees at the Cedar Lee will no doubt recognize the face, if not the name, of Arjeye Lacey. He was a Cleveland Cinemas employee who worked the concession stand for nearly 20 years and was known for his warmth and passion for movies. On Jan. 19, the 36-year-old Lacey passed away, and Cleveland Cinemas…
The St. Olaf Choir Comes to Severance Hall and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
Our picks this week include classical Iraqi music, the premiere of a new opera, a quartet of orchestra concerts, string quartets both local and imported, a Chinese monodrama, jazz and classical fusion, and the 100th anniversary tour of a celebrated college choir. Vocalist Hamid Al-Saadi brings traditional Iraqi music to the Cleveland Museum of Art…
Proposed Amendment to Raise Minimum Wage to $13 is One Step Closer to Ohio’s November Ballot
Ohio is one step closer to enacting a $13 minimum wage for all. Yesterday, a proposed state amendment that would boost the minimum wage from the current $8.55 an hour received ballot summary language approval from Ohio Attorney General David Yost and the okay to move onto the next step of the process. The union-proposed amendment would incrementally…
Wild Mango at Great Northern Mall has Closed
Wild Mango, which opened at Great Northern Mall in 2000 under the name Weia Teia, has closed. Employees at the Legacy Village location confirmed the news, but declined to say when the closure occurred. Owner Jia Wei opened his first restaurant in Oberlin nearly 25 years ago. His signature style combines over-the-top decor with globally inspired…
Local Horror Film to Screen at Two Upcoming Festivals
The locally based production company Fly-By-Wire Films has teamed up with Cleveland’s Distillation Studios to release its newest short film, From Darkness Returned. Produced for the 48 Hour Film Horror Project, the film has been selected to screen at two upcoming local film festivals, the Fun Mill Film Festival that takes place on Feb. 16…
Cleveland City Councilwoman Dona Brady is Stepping Down
Cleveland City Councilwoman Dona Brady announced at Monday night’s council meeting that she will step down from her Ward 11 seat. Brady has served on council since 1999 and represents portions of the west side neighborhoods of Edgewater, Cudell, West Boulevard, Jefferson and Bellaire-Puritas. “I am grateful to have served my hometown as a public…
Celebrated French Pianist to Give a Free Recital on Feb. 9 at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Slated to give a free recital on Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Cleveland Museum of Art, internationally acclaimed pianist Pierre Réach will pay tribute to Beethoven during his performance, which is part of the 2019-2020 Performing Arts Classical Piano Series presented by Cuyahoga Community College. The concert begins at 2 p.m. in the Cleveland Museum…
Cuyahoga County Chief Talent Officer Douglas Dykes Resigns from Dumpster Fire
Sources in Cuyahoga County government have alerted Scene that Douglas Dykes, the county’s chief talent officer who was indicted on theft in office charges last year, has submitted his resignation. (Cleveland.com has reported that Dykes resigned Monday, before a planned meeting with county leaders.) The county confirmed the resignation in a brief statement. “Douglas Dykes, the…
Climate Change is Hampering Ohio’s Biggest Industries, New Report Finds
Ohio is the “birthplace of aviation,” but it’s also home to many other key industries. And a new report says climate change is affecting the viability of auto suppliers, farms, manufacturers and other businesses in the state. President of the Business Forward Foundation Jim Doyle said companies depend on Ohio for its access to key…
Kobe — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
“It feels like the earth just moved.” Andre and Zac on the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
Renowned Israeli Saxophonist to Perform on Feb. 7 at Tri-C JazzFest Lineup Announcement Party
Regarded as one of the world’s top jazz artists, Israeli saxophonist Eli Degibri will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, at Nighttown as part of a Tri-C JazzFest lineup announcement party. Slated to take place from June 25 to 27 at Playhouse Square, JazzFest will feature nine musical acts. “Nighttown is a second…
This Year’s Folk Alliance International Conference Featured Several Cleveland Artists
More than 1,000 musicians from the world over converged on New Orleans this past weekend and did their best to convince promoters, festival organizers, music critics and disc jockeys that they are the next Big Thing. Or at least good enough to book for a show. The Folk Alliance International Conference’s annual five-day conference is…
Another New Browns Coach — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac are back from hiatus with a discussion on the uncertainty surrounding both the Browns and Indians. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
Cassidy Theatre to Open Its 2020 Season with ‘The 39 Steps’
During its Broadway run, The 39 Steps, a comedy based on the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, won two Toy Awards. A new production of the play will open the 2020 season at the Cassidy Theatre in Parma Heights. It follows Richard Hannay as he travels the lengths of the British Isles to…
‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Stars Head to Akron This Spring in Honor of Film’s 15th Anniversary, Gosh
In honor of the Napoleon Dynamite’s 15th anniversary, stars from the cult favorite are headed to Akron this spring for a special event screening and Q&A. Come Friday, May 15, the 2004 independent film — which brought the world choice lines like “Whatever I feel like I wanna do, gosh,” and “Make yourself a dang…
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Opens Two New Restaurants
With the recent opening of Cantina taqueria and tequila bar and 800 Degrees Woodfired Kitchen, weary travelers flying in and out of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport have two fresh dining options. Cantina taqueria and tequila bar, located in Concourse C, offers street tacos, burritos and freshly made churros, along with Latin-inspired cocktails and traditional Mexican desserts.…
Christ Community Chapel Members Refuse to Sign NDAs over Abuse Scandal
After years of largely unrecognized advocacy, members of the Hudson nondenominational megachurch Christ Community Chapel (CCC) finally forced their church’s leaders to reckon with their complicity in a child sexual abuse scandal at the Sankey Samaritan orphanage in the Philippines. An internal review commissioned by CCC and completed this summer, days after the publication of…
Ohio Drivers Are as Bad as You Think, Ranking 8th Worst in U.S. in New Report
Driving on the mean streets of Ohio is not for the faint of heart, a new report from QuoteWizard confirms. Just last year, the online insurance pricing company named Cleveland drivers the 7th worst of any major city in the county. Now QuoteWizard is back calling out the entire state for poor road behavior (as…
Tons of Radioactive Marcellus, Utica Well Waste is Allowed to Flow in Ohio Through ‘Loophole’
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal loophole means millions of tons and billions of gallons of radioactive natural gas waste are being disposed of as if they were not radioactive. According to the investigation by Rolling Stone, liquid brine from the average Marcellus well contains more than 9,000 picocuries per liter of radium. A picocurie, abbreviated pCi,…
Effort to Make Voter Registration Easier in Ohio Takes First Steps Toward Ballot
A coalition of voting rights groups has launched a ballot initiative that they say will amend the Ohio constitution to make it easier for Ohioans to register and vote. The Secure and Fair Elections Amendment would automatically register Ohioans to vote when they receive or renew a driver’s license, state ID or learner’s permit and…
Media Bias Chart Creator Vanessa Otero to Speak at Tri-C on Feb. 6
Knowing how to distinguish when a media outlet is reporting the facts and when it’s reporting fiction has become increasingly important with the spread of what some decry as “fake news.” With that in mind, Vanessa Otero, who created the Media Bias Chart to provide a system for rating news legitimacy, will come town on…
Library Workers and Administration Reach Tentative Agreement, Preventing Strike
During the final day of negotiations before a planned strike on Feb. 4, the bargaining team for the union representing Cleveland Public Library workers reached a tentative agreement with library administration on a new contract. Details of the agreement have not been released, but if the roughly 400 union librarians, clerks, assistants, janitors and others…
Cleveland Beerfest is Moving to Progressive Field, Changing Name This Summer
Beer and baseball fans alike can get a thrill at the newly christened Grand Slam Beerfest this summer. Come Saturday, July 25, the beer tasting event, formerly known as the Cleveland Summer Beerfest, is reportedly going to set up right on the warning track at Progressive Field. Organizers for the event, which was previously held…
Should Sherwin-Williams Be Celebrated for Keeping Jobs in Cleveland When it’s Kicking Janitors to the Curb?
The Service Employees International Union Local 1 and their labor allies are calling on Sherwin-Williams to preserve the jobs of more than 30 union janitors who clean the paint company’s downtown headquarters. Last month, the paint and coatings corporate giant informed the contractor who employs the janitors, ABM, that they’d be seeking a new contractor.…
The Cleveland International Film Festival Will Move to Playhouse Square in 2021
For 30 years, the Cleveland International Film Festival has hunkered down at Tower City Cinemas for two weeks in the spring to screen hundreds of independent movies. The festival will return to Tower City Cinemas in March of this year, but organizers have just announced that the festival will move to Playhouse Square in 2021.…
Great Lakes Brewing to Shutter Brewpub for Major Renovations, Will Reopen Mid-February
Great Lakes Brewing Co. will close its Ohio City brewpub on January 26 in order to complete major renovations designed to give the 32-year-old property a refresh. When the bar and restaurant reopens in mid-February, guests can expect a revitalized interior at the least and an entirely new menu at the most. For now, the…
Forest City Brewery to Host a Launch Party for the New Virtual Reality Game ‘Straylight’
On Feb. 3, Cleveland-based indie game developers Dr. Bloc will release their new virtual reality (VR) game, Straylight, on Steam as early access. Straylight is a new VR platform that allows viewers to be immersed in “cosmic, abstract worlds” and then propel themselves and fly in a virtual universe. “It’s really an incredible experience as you…
Cleveland Bishop Nelson Perez Named Archbishop of Philadelphia
The Cleveland Catholic Diocese has confirmed that Bishop Nelson Perez, 58, has been named Archbishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by Pope Francis. In a statement provided by the Cleveland Diocese, Perez expressed bittersweet sentiments. He said he was grateful to return to Philadelphia, where he’d been ordained and where he served in two parishes,…
Magnolia in Flats to Close Next Month and Reopen This Spring as `70s-style Disco
In the late-1970s, Cleveland-area clubs like Nite Moves, Rare Cherry, Dixie Electric Co., Happy Apple and Silver Lady attracted huge crowds thanks to a disco-driven format complete with glitter balls, lighted dance floors, theatrical design and killer sound systems. If Bobby Rutter and Michael Schwartz have their way, Cleveland will once again be home to…
Helmed by Veteran Hammond B3 Organist Chris Foreman, Soul Message Band Performs at the Bop Stop on Feb. 1
Chicago-based B3 jazz organist Chris Foreman and drummer Greg Rockingham began playing jazz together some 35 years ago. They’ve now turned their attention to a new group, Soul Message Band, which also features guitarist Lee Rothenberg. They perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Bop Stop. Last year, the group dropped its terrific…
WonderStruck Music Festival, Formerly Known As LaureLive, Reveals 2020 Lineup
The WonderStruck in Cleveland Music Festival has announced its lineup for this year’s kickoff of the rebranded LaureLive. Rolling out June 6 through June 7, the event features big acts such as Portugal. The Man, Walk the Moon, Third Eye Blind, Of Monsters And Men, Trombone Shorty and Brittany Howard (pictured above). Expect about 25…
Classical Revolution Cleveland Hits the East Side and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
This week’s picks include performances in unusual venues and the unconventional use of a traditional concert hall. Trumpeter and flugelhornist Theresa May is the curator for fp Creative’s next show at Snap House Studios on Thursday, January 23 at 7:00 pm. “Classic, New, Borrowed & Blue” promises an evening of chamber music and collaborative projects…
Four Seasons For Infinity With ‘Jersey Boys,’ Back at Playhouse Square
While it seems as if many jukebox musicals have the average lifespan of bowhead whales (around 200 years), they actually may live forever. Like Shakespeare, Mozart, and Donald Trump, there are entities that seem indestructible due to their timeless language, their enduring musicality, or their craven deal with the devil (“You mean I can eat…
New Poll Shows Trump Down Somewhat in Ohio, Three Other Vital States — But Undecided Voters Will Be Pivotal
In 2016, Donald Trump pulled off a big upset in the country’s presidential election by scooping up electoral college votes in former industrial states like Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that had gone for President Barack Obama in 2012. Now, a new poll by Baldwin Wallace University shows the president trailing a generic Democratic Party…
Sterling Cast and Crisp Direction Elevate Tale of WWI Vets in ‘Heroes’ at Clague Playhouse
Back around the time of World War I, it was said that it was bad luck at night for three soldiers to light their cigarettes from the same match. The theory was that by the time the third person lit up, a sniper out in the dark would have had time to notice the flare…
Dave Matthews Band Returns to Blossom in June
Recently snubbed by the Rock Hall, which nominated but chose not to induct the group, Dave Matthews Band has just announced dates for a massive 2020 North American summer tour, and the group will return to Blossom on June 23. Committed to planting more trees, the group has asked for an optional donation of $2…
As Opioid Overdose Deaths Decline, An Old, Deadly Drug Crisis Comes Back With a Vengeance in Cleveland
Brad wears sandals even though it’s the coldest day of December. He and a few friends greet me at a gas station in East Cleveland. I follow them as they cross the street, squeeze through a tight alleyway, and maneuver through a backyard zoo of mutilated grills and scooters. A door opens with a kick…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Week (Jan. 22-28)
WED 01/22 Film Cafe As part of the Music Box Supper Club’s Film Cafe series, Robert Banks and John W. Carlson talk tonight about shooting on film versus shooting digitally. Like the Music Box’s Cleveland Dinner Stories series, the event will feature a three-course dinner option for $20. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is…
Vietnam Pic ‘The Last Full Measure’ Assembles Aging Stars
Sebastian Stan (Captain America: Winter Soldier) stars as an ambitious Department of Defense staffer tasked with gathering combat testimony from Vietnam for a posthumous Medal of Honor request in The Last Full Measure, a VFW tearjerker that opens Friday at select area theaters. Directed by Todd Robinson (Phantom), the film assembles a smorgasbord of actors…
At Zhug, Chef Doug Katz Charts a Middle Eastern Adventure You Shouldn’t Miss
For most eastsiders, the drive up Cedar Hill into Cleveland Heights is so routine that few sights manage even to register. But lately, commuters have begun to observe thick knots of people milling about on the sidewalk, peculiar given the outdoor temps. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that these folks aren’t waiting for the…
Band of the Week: Uptight Sugar
Meet the Band: Dave Hamilton (lead vocals, keyboards), Matt Vance (lead guitar, vocals), Mike Murray (keyboards, guitars, vocals), Adam Christian (bass), Dan Jankowski (drums, percussion) EVOLVING INTO AN ORIGINAL ACT: Singer-guitarist Mike Murray and singer-keyboardist Dave Hamilton started the band as an outlet to play the type of music they play with their cover band,…
Savage Love: The Long Game
I’m a 30-year-old bi male. I’ve been with my wife for five years, married nine months. A month into our relationship, I let her know that watching partners with other men has always been something I wanted and that sharing this had caused all my previous relationships to collapse. Her reaction was the opposite of…
