Another West Side Shooting
A man was shot in the chest late last night on the 5200 block of Storer Ave., near Cleveland’s scrap metal district. The victim was male and believed to be 35 years old. Police said the shooting occurred at about 11:40 p.m. The shot was to the chest, and the man was rushed to MetroHealth…
Big Freedia at Grog Shop: Concert Review
Big Freedia, right, leads the crowd onstage in a fair bit of ass shakin’ during “Azz Everywhere.” One has to hearken back to as far as, perhaps, Jonathan Swift to find the right words to describe a Big Freedia concert: “Ass. And lots of it, I daresay!” The Queen Diva herself strolled onstage, dropped off…
Video: A Young David Wain Takes Us on a Tour of Shaker Heights
David Wain, he of Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, and other comedic, cinematic, and television fame, once grew up in Shaker Heights. In the video below, a young Wain takes us on a tour of the town, pointing out the sights and sounds — the library! the police station! there are a lot of…
Official Pictures and Updates of Today’s West Side Market Fire
Fire at Sebastian Meats in side the West Side Market City of Cleveland’s official Facebook page for updates and photos of today’s West Side Market fire. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151227799026962.467223.97728096961&type=1
The New Senate Education Subcommittee Can’t Spell “Education”
Image: Bill Cohen The Ohio Senate’s new Finance Subcommittee on Education, chaired as of last week by Senator Randy Gardner (R-Bowling Green), is off to an auspicious start with this droll little spelling gaffe (via NPR). In vaguely related news, the Ohio Department of Education recently issued guidelines for its “Third Grade Reading Guarantee Policy,”…
A View From The Desk: Work Spaces From Around Cleveland
Ever curious about how others are spending their days in Cleveland, we asked our Twitter followers to send us photos of their work spaces – desks, cubicles, etc. Feel free to keep the workday madness going and send your own shots using the hashtag #tweetyourdesk. [View the story “Scene readers tweet their work spaces” on…
Another Fire in Cleveland: Hanna Building Evacuated
Following the early morning fire at Cleveland’s West Side Market, news is breaking right now of a fire at the Hanna Building downtown. Early reports confirm that the building was evacuated around 1:30 p.m. The Hanna Building is located at 1422 Euclid Ave. According to WKYC, “a transformer overheated in the basement and most of…
A Return To The Lawsuit Against Art Modell And Its Damning Context
As the selection process for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013 comes rolling to a head this weekend, the argument for or against Art Modell’s induction has gripped Cleveland and Baltimore and, of course, football onlookers from more exotic climes. The details surrounding a lawsuit brought forth by 1995 Browns season ticket…
Late-night Fire Shuts Down West Side Market
Image: Fox 8 News Silly Fire Department! There’s no fourth meal at WSM! In the storied Cleveland tradition of prized landmarks randomly combusting, the West Side Market last night fell victim to a fire, reportedly originating at the Sebastian’s Meats stand (you know, the place with the suckling pigs). While the fire itself wasn’t extensive…
Wine & Gold = Drunk & Rich: Cavs’ Game Notes 1/29
So much for the first four-game winning streak since the LeBron era. The Cavs suffered a frustrating 108-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors at the Q last night. And it was frustrating because for the most part, we played with energy and poise and tended to distribute on the offensive end. But the Warriors’…
Vendors Coping with Aftermath of West Side Market Fire
Fire at Sebastian Meats in the West Side Market An overnight fire inside the West Side Market damaged Sebastian Meats and Foster’s Meats – two stands located within the landmark building. The market is shut down pending cleanup and inspections by safety officials, possibly for the next two weeks. Your plans to shop at the…
What We’re Reading in Cleveland This Morning: Jan. 30
– The PD’s Brandon Blackwell has more information on the flurry of license plate-related news flowing from the Statehouse. Legislators, typically so cooperative, are keeping quiet about the details behind the state’s impending license plate recall at the end of this year. – “Hey, everybody! Let’s all go down to Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park!”…
Flay to Open Burger Palace in Ohio
Bobby Flay to open his first Bobby’s Burger Palace in Ohio when Cincinnati’s Horseshoe Casino opens March 4th. This will be Flay’s 14th Bobby’s Burger Palace. It will join Jack Binion’s Steak and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at the new $400 million development, which is the fourth and final casino to open in the State of…
Video: Woman in Court to Seek Protection From Ex Attacked by Ex After Court Officials Leave Them Alone
An unnamed woman was in front of Magistrate Tracy Stoner in Domestic Relations court to seek protection from Rashad Greene, a 30-year-old ex-boyfriend the woman claims had made threats against her. For some reason, Stoner and court officials left the room and left the duo alone together, which is when — you guessed it —…
Jonesin’ for Oden
After four hundred thousand knee surgeries, Greg Oden anticipates being ready for the NBA opener next season. The Cavaliers are one of two teams on which the first-overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft would like to land. The other? You guessed it: the Miami Heat. Most teams don’t even want to take a chance…
Going to the Gym is Dangerous, Probably
Emily Trame A welcome addition to our swelling corpus of “compelling reasons to never work out, ever”: Emily Trame, a Lakewood-area fitness center looter, is at large and presumably poised to strike again. 25-year-old Trame filched bags and credit cards from cars parked at Bally Fitness and Inner Bliss Yoga Studio, both in Westlake, reports…
Local Natives Release ‘Hummingbird’: New Music Today
Avoiding any detrimental “sophomore slump” nonsense, Local Natives dropped a fresh second album today. Hummingbird widens the band’s scope and leaves the listener enlightened and inspired. Much of the album comprises the shimmery, laid-back vibes that sprouted up here and there during the debut, 2011’s Gorilla Manor. (Interesting that both of these albums highlight an…
License Plate Fees Proposed; Budget To Be Unveiled Feb. 4
Rex Santus, a fellow in The E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Statehouse News Bureau, highlights a proposal this morning that would add a license plate fee to Ohio drivers. The $10 fee would be issued every seven years for the mandatory replacement of license plates. An additional fee would be imposed for drivers wishing to…
Former Akron Police Captain Exonerated after Nearly 15 Years in Prison
DNA results have proven that former Akron police captain Douglas Prade is innocent of his wife’s murder. He spent nearly 15 years in federal prison for the crime. Summit County Judge Judy Hunter ruled that the 66-year-old Prade be set free based on the new evidence. Margo Prade was found shot dead in her minivan…
H’El Tango Tacqueria
El Tango Taqueria For years, we’ve enjoyed carry out from El Tango Taqueria, a small Tex-Mex eatery located on Madison Avenue in Lakewood. Over the years, I’ve heard horror stories about the staff — unreliable, surly, contentious, etc. — but our experiences getting takeout have always been positive. We have to wait a few minutes…
Cleveland Museum of Art Installs Country’s Largest Multi-touch Screen
Image courtesy of CMA Not to be outdone by the bevy of multi-touch gameboards and tabletop screens on display at this month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, the Cleveland Museum of Art launched a mammoth multi-touch monitor of its own last week. Ominously christened “The Collection Wall,” CMA’s interactive display comprises 150 “micro-tiles” remotely operated…
What We’re Reading in Cleveland This Morning: Jan. 29
– It’s worth reading Thomas Ott’s parking crunch story through the lens of downtown development and revitalization. Even though the crux of this analysis is the low-brow development brought on by the Horseshoe Casino, it’s a positive bellwether in looking ahead. So, next time you’re gritting your teeth and searching for just one! freaking! parking!…
1201 Kitchen was Poppin at Momocho
Sapporo Ramen, spicy red miso broth East and West came together in piquant and palatable ways last night, thanks to Chef Dan Kern’s friendly takeover of Momocho Mod Mex’s kitchen for a 1201 Kitchen (from Erie, Pennsylvania) Ramen Noodle Pop-up. Inspired by his recent trip to Japan, Kern shared his experience with us through a…
Local Photographer Offers Inside Look At Fifth Church of Christ Scientist
The Fifth Church of Christ Scientist is a well-known landmark located on the corner of West 117th Street and Lake Avenue, just inside the Cleveland-Lakewood border. Owned by the city of Cleveland, the vacant church is in a precarious situation with the strip mall next door in the process of total demolition. (Carnegie Companies Inc.…
BMV in Painesville is a real Pain, Surveys Show
Results are in!The BMV license bureau on E. 55th Street is no longer the worst in the state, according to 2012 surveys. That distinction now falls to the Painsville branch on North Ridge Road. E. 55th, which was in last place in 2008, 2009, and then again in 2011, was fourth-worst last year. The Painesville…
Phil Dawson’s Backheel Onside Kick at the Pro Bowl
Did you watch the Pro Bowl yesterday? Yeah, neither did we. But we did stumble on this .gif from the OCNN (OchoCinco News Network) of Dawson, in what will likely be his last game in a Browns’ helmet, backheeling an onside kick. Bravo. And godspeed.
Pass The Chuck E. ‘Pon The Left Hand Side: Police Blotter Fun!
Fairlawn Patch reported the on the far-out sojourn of one woman last week, who was caught blazin’ up outside the local Chuck E. Cheese. We’ll readily admit: There’s some wacky shit in those restaurants and, more often than not, going in straight is not really an option. The manager caught wind of this woman’s activity…
What We’re Reading This Morning In Cleveland: Jan. 28
– Gov. John Kasich’s got a big budget announcement coming up on Feb. 4. This morning, The PD’s Patrick O’Donnell highlights the hand-wringing going on across the state at local school boards. Two years ago, local municipalities and school districts were hammered by funding cuts; officials are bracing for more of the same this time…
Concert Review and Slideshow: High School Rock Off Round 6 at House of Blues
The sixth round of the 17th Annual High School Rock Off, which took place yesterday afternoon at House of Blues featured another 11 bands competing for a spot at the upcoming Final Exam in a four-and-a-half concert that featured a good mix of pop, punk and rock acts (and one band that brought an entire…
Soul Rebels at Mahall’s: Concert Review
Bringing together a fun-loving crowd from across Cleveland, New Orleans’ own Soul Rebels Brass Band showed up at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood last night and delivered the goods. The energy throughout the night was absolutely stunning. Packed in shoulder-to-shoulder, everyone in the room was getting down and increasing the energy in tandem with the…
Health Line is top of the line, at least in USA
The Health Line is the number one Bus Rapid Transit system in the country, according to the Institution for Transportation & Development Policy. And it’s not exceptional or anything. Cleveland scored a 63/100 for a “Bronze” rating on the ITDP scale, but still managed to outperform shitty counterparts in Eugene, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Las…
Beyonce and Terhar: A Tale Of Two Frenzies
The two non-stories that just won’t die this week revolve around speech – or lack thereof. Beyonce’s lip-synching fun during President Barack Obama’s inauguration has riled the masses online and across the country. The situation even garnered her a handful of NYC tabloid covers – the height! of newsworthiness. (ZZzzz…) But closer to home, the…
Medicaid and More: What We’re Reading in Cleveland This Morning: Jan. 25
– The PD’s Pat Galbincea reports that hundreds turned out last night in Cleveland to throw their support behind the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio. Any decision on that front, which would reach out and affect about 600,000 Ohio residents, will fall to Gov. John Kasich and the Statehouse. – Following this week’s Rocky River…
Video: Browns Documentary, 1999-2012
Some folks who wish to remain anonymous put together a quite comprehensive and oh-so-Brownsy 24-minute documentary on the team’s history since returning in 1999. If you’ve forgotten, blocked out or otherwise disabused yourself of some of the franchise’s low, lower and lowest moments in the last decade, this is a helpful review.. It’s unbelievable, even…
Joey’s Restaurant Coming to Cleveland Heights
Joey’s Italian Restaurant Coming to Cleveland Hts. Joey’s Restaurant to open in Cleveland Heights. The new location is in the space formerly known as Jimmy O’Neill’s Tavern at 2195-2197 Lee Rd., in the Cedar-Lee area. Not sure if this is meant as a tip of the hat to O’Neill’s, but the tentative opening is set…
Here’s What the Deadly 100-Car Pileup Near Cincinnati Looked Like Up Close
A 12-year-old girl died and nearly 100 cars were involved in this pileup near Cincinnati earlier this week. Here’s video from someone who walked around the scene.
Savage Love
Dear Dan — A friend of mine on the opposite coast is a crossdresser considering transitioning. He came out to a female friend he had known for a long time but hadn’t seen in a while, and she told her that she wanted her to come to her house fully dressed for some hot sex…
Vintage Eats
This is a tale of two immigrant-owned restaurants that have transformed a small section of Lorain Ave. in Cleveland’s westside Jefferson neighborhood with two hidden culinary anchors. One: Der Braumeister. This landmark has been serving countless spaetzles with suds-filled steins to Clevelanders for 30 years. In fact, this building once housed Herzog’s, an authentic German…
BARBIES ON THE BARBIE
There are literally hundreds of reasons to see Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, now at PlayhouseSquare. But most of them have to do with costume and set design, more so than the performances and actual material that comprises this drag romp across the Australian outback. Based on the movie of almost the same name, Priscilla…
Night Hawks
Whoever said that nothing good happens after midnight clearly needs to stay awake longer, and stay hungry. Taco Bell may have squatted on the “Fourth Meal” estate, but you’d do well to eschew the fast food and hunker down at one of the any number of joints, from fancy establishments to hole-in-the-wall nooks, that are…
Screens
“Reality” shows like Honey Boo Boo and Amish Mafia make me crazy. They’re empty filth with false, contrived insights into people on the outskirts of modern society, glorifying the buffoons who are only too happy to act the part on television. That’s why this week’s column showcases real documentaries about real people. For the most…
The Funny is Everywhere
The news of Big Dog Theater’s final days reverberates around the humor community and explodes in the emotional echo chamber of Facebook in late December. Another one for the local comedy history books, ladies and gents. Despite the ceaseless flurries and thick slush along Euclid Heights Boulevard, dozens of improv fanatics are descending on Coventry…
Opening: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
As much as Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) is an accomplished actor at the top of his field, even he can’t redeem the misguided Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, the new action-adventure/horror film from Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola. While Wirkola’s 2009 Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow was a blast — literally — Hansel and Gretel…
Top Pop Culture Picks for the Week
TOP PICK The Imposter (Indomina) This fascinating documentary centers on Frederic Bourdin, a guy who successfully pretended to be a missing child and even fooled the kid’s relative into believing that he was their long-lost family member. The twists and turns in the movie provide plenty of suspense. Bad Religion True North (Epitaph) The veteran…
Lonestar Stars
For Vaughn Wascovich, photography is a way of making sense of a place and its people. The Youngstown-raised Wascovich currently teaches at Texas A&M-Commerce, but returned to his old home to display a photo series exploring his new one. For its first exhibition, the Cleveland Print Room is hosting Wascovich’s Welcome to Hard Times, a…
Review: SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody
You’ve undoubtedly heard about Fifty Shades of Grey, the raw and openly sexual fantasy novel by unsuspecting housewife and mother E.L. James. As with any cultural tsunami, Fifty spawned imitators, take-offs, parodies, and yes, its very own musical. Such are the creative tangents when the book, found everywhere from your nightstand to a soccer mom’s…
Art Listings
Cleveland Museum of Art Picasso and the Mysteries of Life: La Vie. In this first show in the multimedia exhibit space Gallery One, interactive displays and historic resources help viewers try to untangle the processes leading up to the masterpiece of Picasso’s legendary Blue Period piece, “La Vie.” Through April 21. American Vesuvius. Frank Gohlke…
A Cage Worth Rattling
BBQ joints have generally never been part of my regular dining rotation — not that it’s not my thing, but with a few exceptions, Cleveland lacks good, smoky BBQ options. That’s all changed with a new addition to the small canon of restaurants slinging genuine ‘cue. Rib Cage is a modest little smokehouse BBQ restaurant…
View From the Top
Making something you love into your work is the goal, but that rarely happens, and in this economy, it’s harder than every to pursue your passions. Aerial Aspect Photography’s Brian Matz will tell you it can be rough, but the man has taken his love of flying and talent for photography and combined the two…
Film Capsules
Opening Generation P Based on a novel by Russian author Victor Pelevin, this Russian film directed by Victor Ginzburg centers on Babylen Tatarsky (Vladimir Epifancev), a cashier who has aspirations of being a poet and writes existential verse when he’s not engaged in transactions with customers. One day, a friend of his whisks him away…
Madison Avenue on East 4th
Society Lounge, a new “Mad Men”-era cocktail destination, will be opening on E. 4th Street in the lower level of the Frederick Building, which also houses Saigon Restaurant & Bar. “Although our décor will reflect the era between 1950 and 1970 — essentially the time period of Mad Men — our vintage cocktails will be…
Bring in Da Funk
Lumar LeBlanc assumes a laid-back tone as he begins to discuss the present state of affairs. With a comfortable chuckle, he says he’s been spending his day working on some new material. There are big things comin’ up, he says. Soul Rebels Brass Band, a New Orleans staple, never stops. Onstage, the band’s energy is…
We Get Mail
Urban Moving Trends Prove Trendy Neighborhoods Are Trendy The assumption that people move out of the city when they start families is outdated. Look at Ohio City where new schools are opening and little league sports are starting up. Also, there’s nothing wrong with Old Brooklyn so I’m not sure what the author is trying…
Born to Boogie
The guys in The Exploding Lies, the local hard rock act that describes its music as “loose-groove blues-based riff rock,” have been friends for over a decade. They’ve always hung out, and they’ve always gone to shows. But five years ago, they decided they had enough of just hanging out and watching other people’s bands.…
Band of the Week
Meet the Band: Rob Duskey (vocals, guitar), Brian Hardman (bass), Rob Kovacs (piano), Stu Laven, Jr. (drums), Michael Paciotti (mandolin), Megan Zurkey (vocals, guitar), G.S. Harper (vocals, guitar) Momentous Year(s): The band is heading into 2013 buoyed by unstoppable energy of last year’s busy happenings. Their sophomore release, Blank Canvas to Man, dropped in February…
Team Green
Formed 16 years ago by frontman Dave King, a former heavy metal singer who wanted to simultaneously embrace his Irish heritage and still cling to his heavy metal roots, Flogging Molly started playing Irish punk rock before it was popular to play Irish punk rock. It brings its annual Green 17 Tour to town this…
CD Review: Rachel Brown & the Beatnik Playboys
rachelbrownandthebeatnikplayboys.com Singer-songwriter Rachel Brown has assembled a big band (dubbed the Beatnik Playboys) to accompany her on her solo debut. That’s only appropriate since she’s got a big, beautiful voice and arrangements accentuate it perfectly. She channels Emmylou Harris/ Bonnie Raitt on the luscious, country-ish ballads “Peace in the Valley,” “So This is Love” and the…
