Update: Following a Volume of 100 Songs He Released Two Years Ago, Cleveland Musician Releases Another 100 Songs
Update: Two years ago, local musician Paul Francis composed and recorded 100 audio tracks that he made available to local filmmakers, so they could use the tracks on the soundtracks to their films. Dubbed Contribution, that project proved to be fairly successful, and Francis has now just released another 100 tracks. “I call them soundscapes,”…
Update: The Choir to Reunite and Play the Beachland
Update: An iconic Cleveland band from the ’60s, the Choir will reunite to perform a special show at the Beachland Ballroom on Nov. 3. The group is reforming to play its long lost and previously unreleased album, Artifact: The Unreleased Album, with the original 1969 lineup featured on the recording. Original Post: The locally based power-pop…
DoorDash, Another Food-Delivery Service, Debuts Today
A lot has changed since Palo Alto Delivery launched in 2013 as a local food-delivery startup in California. Today, now called DoorDash, the venture operates in 600 cities spread across 56 metropolitan areas. More than 110,000 restaurants are available to users nationwide and so far, the company has completed 40 million-plus deliveries. Today, Cleveland will…
Ozzy Osbourne’s Farewell Tour Coming to Blossom
Decades into his career, rocker Ozzy Osbourne has announced that his current tour will be his last. Earlier today, Osbourne announced that he and his band (guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Blasko, drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman) will hit the road one final time. “I’ve been extremely blessed to have had two successful music…
Proposed Fee on Uber, Lyft to Prevent RTA Fare Hike — a Great Idea — is Impossible Thanks to Preemptive State Law
Yesterday, Cleveland.com reported that Clevelanders for Public Transit had proposed a $0.27 fee on rides taken with app-based ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft (Transportation Network Companies, or TNCs, in the lingo). The fee, said CPT’s Akshai Singh, would preclude the necessity of an RTA fare hike in August. That’d be helpful, seeing as the region’s…
Valentine’s Day Yoga Event at Sibling Revelry Combines Love, Sweat and Beers
You’ve probably attended yoga classes with your dog, your baby and the lady from the grocery store, but this Valentine’s Day you can yoga with your significant other. Stretch it out together next Wednesday at Sibling Revelry Brewing’s taproom during a special love-themed Sip & Savasana yoga class, an event hosted monthly by HealthSource of Avon. Bring…
In Advance of His Upcoming Beachland Ballroom Show, Guitarist John 5 Talks About the Art of Shredding
Cut from the same musical cloth as six-string shredders such as Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen and Jake E. Lee, guitarist John 5 embraces a much wider range of music than your typical guitar hero. His initial inspiration, for example, stems from watching episodes of the country music TV show Hee Haw when he was a…
Disgraced Former CWRU Law Dean Lawrence Mitchell is Now a Professor in Shanghai
[image-1] In 2014, Case Western Reserve University Law School Dean Lawrence Mitchell resigned amidst a lawsuit alleging rampant sexual impropriety and retaliation against a professor who tried to blow the whistle. The salacious details of that suit — including Mitchell’s repeated attempts to enlist students and underlings in threesomes — and the complicity of CWRU…
The New Akron Art Library Works to Bring Free Art to All
In an effort to bring the joy of original art to all homes (not just those with the means), Akron-Summit County Public Library cardholders can soon check out actual paintings, prints and photographs created by artists in Northeast Ohio and beyond for free. A collaboration with the Akron Art Museum, the Akron Art Library officially opens to…
Poison’s Nothin’ But a Good Time Summer Tour Coming to Blossom in June
Earlier today, hair metal holdovers Poison announced plans for an extensive summer tour with the power-pop act Cheap Trick and the hard rock band Pop Evil. The tour comes to Blossom on June 12. “The all original Poison is headlining again this summer,” says Poison singer Bret Michaels in a press release announcing the tour.…
Former Talking Heads Frontman David Byrne to Perform at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in August
Earlier this year, former Talking Heads singer David Byrne announced the dates for an extensive world tour in support of his forthcoming solo record, American Utopia. Initially, the tour didn’t include a Cleveland stop. But earlier today, Byrne announced a new set of dates, and the tour will now stop at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica on Aug.…
Cleveland Rapper Launches New T-Shirt Line That Pays Homage to Old School Hip-Hop
Local rapper Vice Souletric possesses a real appreciation for old school hip-hop. He has recently worked with the likes of Talib Kweli, Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, Skyzoo, Nore, Nottz, Hitekand and KRS-ONE. Now, Souletric has launched a new T-shirt line that pays tribute to the “original hip-hop stars.” Shirts feature caricatures of everyone from Run D.M.C.…
Rock Hall Announces the Schedule for Its 2018 Film Series
[image-1] The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame regularly shows music-related movies in its Foster Theatre. Earlier today, it announced its 2018 schedule. The films screen on select Wednesdays throughout the year. The Rock Hall remains open until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. The schedule includes Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (Feb. 21), Lady…
Cleveland Tenants Organization Ceases Operations Citing Funding Issues
A Cleveland non-profit that since 1975 has advocated for tenants’ rights and affordable rental housing, resolved disputes with landlords, fought housing discrimination, worked to prevent homelessness and, generally, served as a much-needed resource for low and middle income renters announced last night the end of its operations. The Cleveland Tenants Organization, facing ever dwindling funding…
The Eagles to Play the Q in October
Earlier today, the Eagles — Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey — added six more An Evening with the Eagles concerts. The band’s tour will now conclude on Oct. 20 at Quicken Loans Arena. The classic rock group continues to be a major draw. Its 2014 History of…
Trevor Bauer Went to P.F. Chang’s, Was Told He Had Same Name as Indians Pitcher
[image-1] Big local news here, folks: Drone pilot-slash-Tribe starting pitcher Trevor Bauer was grabbing a bite at P.F. Chang’s yesterday when he was told that he had the same name as an Indians pitcher. (This is funny because he actually is an Indians starting pitcher.) Bauer reported the interaction himself: The kind gentleman @PFChangs just…
Local Singer-Songwriter Joshua Jesty to Release a New Single Later This Month
One of the more prolific musicians on the local scene, singer-songwriter Joshua Jesty issued a string of EPs between 2013 and 2016. Then, he suddenly stopped releasing new music. “It wasn’t that I stopped out of burn out or fatigue,” he says in a press release announcing the release of his new single, the mid-tempo…
Two Rocky River Turkeys Euthanized Following Harassment Claims
Rocky River is finally cracking down on its aggressive turkey problem. Following reports of harassment by two male turkeys in the area, the birds have been euthanized. The decision was made after an officer from the Ohio Division of Wildlife witnessed one of the birds violently peck at a woman’s pant leg. The woman was…
Indie Pop Band Sloan to Play the Grog Shop in June
There was already a thriving indie rock scene in Halifax when the power pop group Sloan formed there in 1991. Sloan, however, was one of the few bands to break free to become a national act. Now, all these years later, the band, currently based in Toronto, remains one of Canada’s finest musical exports. Earlier…
Ohio Joins Group in Support of Federally Funded Project to Block Carp from Great Lakes
Ohio has joined Wisconsin, Michigan and the province of Ontario in supporting the Great Lakes Basin Partnership to Block Asian Carp, a group backing a plan by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to construct a $275 million project to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. It would include electrical barriers, locks to flush…
Amazon Wasn’t First Tech Giant to Get Ohio’s ‘Code Name’ Treatment
On July 31, 2017, state officials approved $37.1 million in tax incentives for a Facebook project that would bring a $750 million data center and 50-100 permanent jobs to New Albany, a Columbus suburb that Cleveland.com once called “tony.” The deal was hashed out in secret over four months by the state’s privatized economic development…
CMSD Students Repaired Police Cruiser Fans Totaled During 2016 Cavs Championship Celebration
During the joyous, raucous celebration of the 2016 Cavaliers championship on the streets of downtown Cleveland, fans destroyed a police cruiser. This was small potatoes compared to the revelry and mayhem in Philadelphia Sunday night, but the cruiser’s damage in Cleveland was nevertheless considered extensive and beyond repair. Two people were arrested. Cleveland Police car…
Veteran Local Act Yiddishe Cup Changes its Name to Funk a Deli, Announces First West Side Gig in Decades
Yiddishe Cup, a Cleveland Heights-based klezmer band that’s been around for as long as we can remember, has changed its name to Funk a Deli and will now broaden its musical palate. “I decided to change the band’s name because, after 30 years, I got a little tired of playing the same tunes,” says band…
Collinwood Fire Last Week Killed Family of Seattle Seahawks Player
My father was killed in an arson fire along with 3 other members of my family on the East Side of Cleveland. Pray for me and my family during this time. pic.twitter.com/bjXxHCRe4n — Frank Clark (@TheRealFrankC_) February 4, 2018 Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark tweeted Sunday that his father and three of his family…
Warped Tour Founder to Speak at Rock Hall Library and Archives and Judge High School Rock Off Finals
The founder and operator of 4Fini, Inc., the live event production company and brand strategy firm behind Warped Tour, Kevin Lyman started producing concerts when he was still a college student. That led to a gig at Goldenvoice, the company that now promotes Coachella every year, and the Goldenvoice gig in turn enabled Lyman to…
‘Stuff You Should Know’ Podcast Coming to Playhouse Square in May
A popular podcast hosted by John Clark and Chuck Bryant, Stuff You Should Know just released its 1000th episode. During the time they’ve hosted the podcast, the guys have researched everything from the Nazi invasion of Florida during World War II to trickle-down economics and voter suppression. The hosts have announced they’ll take their show…
‘Jeopardy!’ Openly Mocks Browns’ Losing Record Over Twitter
The Cleveland Browns can now add famed quiz show Jeopardy! to the constantly growing list of people who have publicly roasted them. On Thursday’s episode, all three contestants failed to answer, or even attempt to answer, a single question in a category called “Talkin’ Football.” This led to a baffled Alex Trebek jokingly asking for…
Grand Jury: No Charges for Cleveland Police Officers in Death of Tanisha Anderson
A grand jury declined to bring charges against Cleveland police officers in the death of Tanisha Anderson, it was announced today. The grand jury had begun hearing testimony in the last week of September 2017. The case itself dates back to Anderson’s death in police custody more than three years ago, on Nov. 13, 2014.…
Du Yun’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning Opera Gets Second-Ever Run at Oberlin, the Composer’s Alma Mater
She’s barely unpacked from a trip to China and is soon off to Pakistan. But next week, composer Du Yun comes back to Oberlin College to watch the final performances of her opera Angel’s Bone, which won the Pulitzer Prize for music last year. She says she’s delighted the work, crafted with librettist Royce Vavrek, is…
The Sky is Always Greener When Greensky Bluegrass Comes to Town
You don’t mess around with New Year’s Eve. That’s hallowed territory, after all; every band knows that. It’s the cosmic Super Bowl for era-defining jams. Greensky Bluegrass knows that, at any rate, and they’ve been known to throw down a titanic gem of a show at the terminus of each musical year. They’ve been doing…
Ohio Bill Would Target Pipeline Protests
A proposed Ohio bill, introduced in the Senate by Frank Hoagland, mirrors attempts in seven other states to target pipeline protestors. Ohio, of course, is home to both the Nexus and Rover pipelines, which have faced stiff opposition from residents and which have already produced damaging environmental effects. Hoagland, a Republican representing District 30, is…
At Last, Completed Dennis Kucinich Mayoral Portrait Could Be Installed at City Hall
After years of uncertainty, artist Matthew Hunt has been fully paid for his Dennis Kucinich mayoral portrait, which he finished in 2014. The painting may at last grace the Mayor’s Red Room at City Hall, where Kucinich is the only modern mayor in Cleveland’s history not to have his portrait on display. Hunt, of Akron,…
You Can Now Score Free Parking at the Flats East Bank
In an act of generosity to bocce players, bar hoppers and Jimmy Buffet lovers everywhere, the Flats East Bank has just announced a new free parking offer. Running now through April 1, customers can present their parking tickets at participating venues and their parking fee will be waived. Two caveats to keep in mind: the…
Gervasi Vineyard to Expand with New Distillery and Hotel
Gervasi Vineyard has announced plans to add a distillery and a grandeur boutique hotel to its already elegant 55-acre piece of wine-soaked paradise. The changes may come as early as the end of this year. “We’ve evolved from what was originally a small winery and small restaurant to a resort,” Scott Swaldo owner and general manager…
Dan Rather to Speak at Hard Rock Live in March and at Kent State in May
Veteran newsman Dan Rather has interviewed every president since Eisenhower. He’s also covered events ranging from the Kennedy Assassination to the Vietnam War, Watergate, Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11 and the Iraq Invasion. He’s just published What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism, a new book of essays about “the toxic political…
Ohio Colleges 6th in Nation for White Supremacist Propaganda Incidents Since 2016
A new report from the Anti-Defamation League lays out the surge of white supremacist propaganda on college campuses since September 2016 — 346 total incidents, with a distinct increase in the 2017 calendar year, particularly in the fall semester. Ohio colleges and universities reportedly clocked in with the 6th most incidents nationwide (14), eclipsed only…
Three Doors Down Guitarist Talks About the Band’s Upcoming Acoustic Show at Hard Rock Live
A few years ago, the hard rock act 3 Doors Down played a stripped-down acoustic show in Nashville just to try something different. “It was on Brad’s birthday,” says guitarist Chris Henderson in a recent phone interview from a Cedar Rapids tour stop. “It was such an incredible show. People came from all over the…
Planet Fitness to Take Over Unique Thrift Store Location in Ohio City
In an email to Ohio City’s SoLo residents, block club chair Julia Sieck revealed that fitness chain Planet Fitness had signed a lease on the Lorain Avenue building formerly occupied by Unique Thrift Store and recently commandeered by the Cleveland Flea. Representatives from ADA Architects, the Lakewood-based firm managing the project, will reportedly attend the SoLo…
7 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, FEB. 2 Noah Gunderson/Elizabeth Gunderson With his latest album, White Noise, singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen set out to expand his sound and experiment. Album opener “After All (Everything All the Time)” features soft vocals and an elegant string arrangement courtesy of his sister Abby. He recorded the album at the Ballard Baitshop in Seattle, a…
Sérénité, an Edwins-Style Program, to Serve Medina County Recovery Community
“The short story is: we’re helping to open a restaurant set up just like Edwins, but for the recovery community not the reentry community,” says Brandon Chrostowski, that Shaker Square-based nonprofit’s founder. Chrostowski says that he was approached by Medina County Common Pleas Court judges Christopher J. Collier and Joyce V. Kimbler with an idea…
Hard Rock Live Reschedules Canceled Michael Stanley Concerts
Late last year, local singer-guitarist Michael Stanley had to cancel a pair of sold out Hard Rock Live concerts because he had to have a quadruple bypass. Now that he’s successfully recovered from the surgery, Stanley has rebooked the gigs. He will now perform at the venue on March 17 and March 25. “Trust me,…
Platform Beer Co. Announces Plans for Cincinnati Tasting Room
Cleveland based Platform Beer Co. plans to open a tasting room in the Over-the-Rhine District of Cincinnati this summer. It will be the Cleveland-based brewery’s third Ohio taproom. Platform launched just three and a half years ago in Ohio City before quickly expanding with a production facility and a Columbus brewery and taproom. Platform’s Cincy-based…
Frank Jackson Super PAC “Cleveland Forward” Got Huge Money from Ratner, Gilbert, Haslam
A Political Action Committee formed in October of 2017, between Cleveland’s primary and general elections, raised nearly $300,000 to support the campaign of Frank Jackson. Almost all of the funds were used on political advertising and consulting. Dubbed “Cleveland Forward,” the PAC received contributions from 11 individual donors. They are: Jason Lucarelli, of Minute Men…
Singer-Songwriter Rachael Yamagata Brings Her Stripped-Down Tour to Music Box
Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata originally began performing with the Chicago-based band Bumpus before leaving that group to pursue a solo career. The move marked a significant change to her approach “The music I did in [Bumpus] was so different,” says Yamagata, who adds that she grew up listening to Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Cat Stevens,…
Heinen’s Grapes Under Glass Wine Event is Back This Spring
Under the pristine stain glass and regal gold trimmed rotunda of its downtown location, Heinen’s and Metropolitan at the 9 are once again giving visitors a chance to imbibe in a curated wine event. Now in its second year, Grapes Under Glass is now a four-day wine celebration running April 19 through April 22. The…
In Advance of His Upcoming Hard Rock Live Concert, Comedian Bob Saget Talks About His Fondness for Cleveland
Actor, writer, director and stand-up comedian Bob Saget, 61, is perhaps one of the humblest personalities in the business. He somehow doesn’t consider himself a celebrity despite dominating the ’90s as Danny Tanner in Full House and hosting America’s Funniest Home Videos (which can be argued was like a rough draft of today’s internet with…
Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus Co-Founder, Political Director to Run for Ohio Statehouse
The co-founder and political director of the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, Steve Holecko, has announced his candidacy for the Ohio Statehouse. Holecko said he has pulled petitions to run as a Democrat in the Ohio House of Representatives’ 14th District, which encompasses Cleveland’s west-side Wards 16 and 17, and the suburbs of Brook Park, Brooklyn,…
Anti-Flag Singer Talks About the Band’s Anti-Trump Tour
In a statement about the Silence=Violence tour that brings it to the Grog Shop at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, the political punk band Anti-Flag says, “The mission of the Trump regime has been clear from day one, the normalization of bigotry. Dangerous rhetoric has become dangerous policy that has put countless in harm’s way.…
Councilman Wants Parma to Get a Script Sign Like the Ones Around Cleveland
Sean Brennan has a big idea for Parmaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Inspired by the various script Cleveland signs, around which folks gather for Instagram shots, wedding photos, family portraits and engagement sessions, the Parma city council president is proposing his fine suburb (Ohio’s 7th most populous city!) get one of its own. “I truly believe the signs can…
Collinwood House Fire Kills Four in Cleveland’s Deadliest Blaze Since 2009
Four people, including two children, were killed in a Collinwood house fire early Tuesday morning. Forty-four-year-old Alfonso Lathan Jr., his three-year-old son Alfonso Lathan III, his eight-year-old granddaughter Nyiah Lathan, and his 44-year-old nephew all perished in the blaze. Lathan’s wife, Gianna, managed to leap through a second-story window during the fire and remains hospitalized.…
Pizza (216), Shuttered Since Summer, Reopens Next Month
The morning of July 5 was not a good one for the owners of Pizza (216) (401 Euclid Ave., 216-741-7992). Upon walking into their spot on Euclid, the sky appeared to be falling. The ceiling, which had been enduring a slow leak, had collapsed. Worst of all, on its way down to the floor, it…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing This Week in Cleveland (Jan. 31-Feb. 6)
WED 01/31 Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat Cavs stars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade take on their former team, the Miami Heat, tonight at the Q in a match-up between two teams that appear headed to the playoffs. The Heat isn’t loaded with superstars like it once was, but the guys still somehow manage to grind…
Band of the Week: Matt Hectorne
MEET THE BAND: Matt Hectorne (vocals, guitar), Nick Wise (guitar, vocals), Dave Douglas (bass, vocals), Al Moss (pedal steel), Evan Storey (drums) A MISSISSIPPI MAN: A singer-songwriter from Hernando, Mississippi, Hectorne has been writing songs since he was 10 and played in bands throughout high school. He moved to Northeast Ohio on a whim almost…
The Legend of Rosetta Tharpe is Abused by Too Many Unfortunate Creative Decisions in ‘Marie and Rosetta’ at Cleveland Play House
There are many reasons why Sister Rosetta Tharpe deserves a show of her own. This African-American gospel singer and musician was a seminal influence on rock and roll — a fact confirmed by her impending installation in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, slated for this year. Back in the 1930s and ’40s, she…
Christina Sadowski Captures Unique, Waterborne Views of City in Reflections of Cleveland
Daybreak, on a bitter January morning in Cleveland. People are bundled up and the sun is just beginning to grace the sky, though it’s not doing much in terms of warmth. All in all, not a real favorable time to skim out onto the water and imbibe new views of our fair city, most of…
Talking Love and Relationships with the Cleveland Founder of FarmersOnly.com
On Jan. 3, ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell tweeted that the “Cleveland-based dating site” FarmersOnly.com had joined Excedrin as a sponsor for the “perfect season” Browns parade. “You don’t have to be 0-16 to join FarmersOnly.com,” read an ad included in the tweet. “Cleveland fans do get it.” Observant Twitter users might have jolted, initially,…
Savage Love: Lesborama
I am a 38-year-old lesbian, very femme, very out. I have a coworker I can’t figure out. We’ve worked together for a year and gotten very close. I never want to put out the wrong signals to coworkers, and I err on the side of keeping a safe but friendly distance. This is different. We…
While ClusterTruck’s Delivery Service is a Winner, Its Menu is a Bit of a Mixed Bag
It was lunchtime for the 150 or so folks sequestered on the fourth floor of the courts tower at the Justice Center. Like my fellow Cuyahoga County residents assembled for jury duty, I was granted a generous window of time to escape the confines of our holding pen and scour the landscape in search of…
