A Look Back at Chippewa Lake Amusement Park: Slideshow
The ferris wheel at Chippewa Lake Park is ensconced in leaves and limbs. Chippewa Lake Park, in Medina County, shut down in 1978 and soon garnered fame as a relentlessly creepy abandoned amusement park. As of this summer, the only attraction that remains is the park’s ferris wheel. For years, however, the park’s midway and…
Jonas Brothers deliver an uneven show at Blossom
Now that the three brothers are all in their twenties, the Jonas Brothers are at that awkward stage in their career when they’re making the transition from boy band to man band. Their audience, however, still mostly consists of teens and tweens and hasn’t quite grown with them. So what’s a Disney Channel sensation to…
MAP: Around the World in 80 Beers
Photos Courtsey of Pure Travel Who needs flags to represent the world’s countries when we have beer? At least that’s what the folks at Pure Travel were thinking when they put together this map that illustrates the brands of beer that represent each country. Not all of the beers are without controversy, however. Germany and…
There Were No Chief Wahoo Hats at All-Star Game FanFest
After the missteps and hullabaloo surrounding the Cleveland Indians’ Fourth of July cap, it looks like Major League baseball is taking a more cautious approach to depictions of Chief Wahoo everywhere. Via Rob Neyer, writing for Baseball Nation, there were no Chief Wahoo caps available at All-Star Game FanFest festivities in New York City. Neyer…
Dish of the Day: Banh Mi @ Superior Pho
Superior Pho Vietnamese Restaurant in the heart of Cleveland’s Asiatown neighborhood serves what is quite possibly the city’s best sandwich. The bánh mì is a tasty departure from the ho-hum burgers, wraps and hoagies that we normally cram into our cake holes. Served on a sturdy French roll, this flavor packed missile is layered with…
Fan Cam: Here are the Biggest Fans from Last Night’s Jonas Brothers Concert
Whose the biggest JoBro fans, you ask? We found quite a few competing for the number one title. Like two girls decked out in wedding gear in case one of the Bros takes a break from jammin to pop the question. Here’s what our Fan Cam captured at last night’s concert.
Justice for Trayvon, Cleveland Edition: Slideshow
Check out this week’s print edition of Scene to read our write-up of the Justice for Trayvon rally at the Cleveland Justice Center yesterday. At the rally’s climax, protesters threw Skittles at the entrance to symbolize the prejudice in the American judicial system. Seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin bought a bag of Skittles at a Sanford, Florida,…
Video: unknown man knocked out and bloody
On the ground, unconscious and bleeding from the head. Youtube user “mary jane” uploaded a video called “Cleveland drunk” on Saturday showing an unknown man unconscious on the ground of what looks to be a parking lot or gas station. The people in the video don’t seem to know who he is or what happened…
Charles Ramsey: Daily Mail Report is Full of Lies
UPDATE: Charles Ramsey is insisting that the Daily Mail article which recently reported that our hometown hero is now broke and homeless is completely full of lies. “It’s bullshit,” he said. “That’s the politically correct word for it.” In a video interview with Channel 3 News, Ramsey insisted that he hasn’t made anywhere near $50,000.…
An Ohio Woman was Killed Last Night after Becoming Entangled in a Paper Rolling Machine
A Barberton, OH woman was killed last night after becoming entangled in a paper rolling machine at a PPG Industries plant. The Summit County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as 51-year-old Wendy Breiding. Police say that Breiding became entangled in the paper rolling machine at around 8:30 p.m. last night. They are ruling her…
The Cleveland Blues Cruise Was One Awesome Trip: Slideshow
ERIC SANDY/SCENE Passengers arrive at the Cleveland Blues Cruise. Last night, the first-ever Cleveland Blues Cruise pushed off from the dock at the East Ninth Street Pier and took passengers on a tour of both the Lake Erie shoreline and the rich history of the blues here in town. The event sold out quickly, leaving…
PHOTO: Redditor Captures a Terminal Tower Eclipse
Reddit user dinofire2013 posted this awesome photo of a Terminal Tower eclipse yesterday evening. Great shot, dinofire2013.
One of the Jonas Brothers Wants to Play Softball in Cleveland
Tween idols The Jonas Brothers are playing Blossom tomorrow night (swoon!), but there are some much more important things to take care of today. Like pick-up softball. Nick Jonas tweeted out a simple request today, causing fans to go apeshit and start organizing softball games on the fly: “Wanna play softball today… Anyone got a…
The Ohio Man who was Beaten by “Bored” Teenagers Last Year Has Died
Photo courtesy of 19 Action News. Pat Mahaney after the beating last August. A North College Hill, OH man who was the victim of a brutal beating by a group of “bored” teenagers last August has died. The Hamilton County Prosecutors office confirmed that 46-year-old Pat Mahaney passed away on Friday morning, less than a…
Ohio State Reformatory Will Celebrate ‘Shawshank Redemption’ Anniversary
The shuttered Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is surely a familiar site for both former convicts and fans of The Shawshank Redemption, widely hailed as one the greatest films of all time by both former convicts and film buffs. Mansfield (about an hour and a half south of Cleveland) will be celebrating the 20th anniversary…
Concert Review: Oberhofer at Beachland Tavern
Since jumpstarting its career with a string of singles throughout 2010 and 2011, indie quintet Oberhofer has kept surprisingly low-key despite some of its notable accomplishments. The members have both shared a stage with neo-psychedelic demigods Flaming Lips and played for a (presumably) older audience on The Late Show with David Letterman — all before…
Cleveland a Key Stop for Pop-Rock Act Train
Ever since the pop rock act Train formed in 1994, the band has included Cleveland as a tour stop. In the early days, it often played the Agora Theatre (and one year even headlined the Scene Music Awards). But to hear drummer Scott Underwood tell it, the band didn’t initially have high hopes for finding…
Fans at a Lake Erie Crushers Game May Have Broken the World Record for Flossing
Fans at a Lake Erie Crushers baseball game may have broken the world record for simultaneous flossing on Friday when 1,530 people all flossed for 30 seconds on one continuous piece of string. While some people may call that gross, others call it necessary. Dr. Andrew Deak of Deak Medical Industry sponsored the event to…
Every Major Media Outlet Wants to Interview the Cleveland Kidnapping Victims
A little over a week ago, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight released a video via the public relations company that has been assisting the trio since they’re rescue. They expressed their thanks for Cleveland’s support without an interview, in their own words. Which doesn’t mean there hasn’t been opportunity to sit down with…
Thom Yorke Yanks Music from Spotify
Make no mistake new artists you discover on #Spotify will no get paid. meanwhile shareholders will shortly being rolling in it. Simples. — Thom Yorke (@thomyorke) July 14, 2013 Continuing the international conversation about digital music, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke and his Atoms in Peace cohort, Nigel Godrich, took to social media to call out…
Vice.com: Cleveland’s streets of fire
Video by Peter Larson a scene from Independence Day on West 69th Fireworks, flare guns, explosions, and patriotism in the west side. Vice.com just posted some pictures and video from the Fourth of July block party in Gordon Square taken by Cleveland photographer Peter Larson, and they are definitely worth checking out: Cleveland is also…
Indians Fan Caught FOUR Foul Balls Yesterday. Odds: 1 in 1 Trillion
Tribe fan Greg Van Niel caught four foul balls yesterday in the Indians 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The insane odds of that happening — see tweet below — are compounded by the fact that he did it all before the fifth inning. Van Niel’s displaying only three balls above because he tossed…
Baby, Baby, Baby, It’s Justin Bieber busting a move at the Q
Heartthrob Justin Bieber and supporting acts Hot Chelle Rae and Mike Posner played Quicken Loans Arena last night. Here are some photos from the concert.
A Cleveland Man was One of Two People Gored in Saturday’s Running of the Bulls
A 35-year-old Cleveland man was one of two people gored in Saturday’s Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. According ABC Espana, the man suffered a “rectal perforation” and underwent surgery at a local hospital. He is only being identified by his initials, I.L. The Associated Press reports that the thrill-seeker was gored as a…
Kent State Study: High Cell Phone Use Linked To Poor Health
People who can’t peel their eyes and thumbs from the allure of their cell phones are probably less healthy than others, according to a study done at Kent State University. The study revolved around college students for the most part, though, so there were notable variables in data reporting bong-loads per day and late-night drunk…
The Joy Formidable at Beachland Ballroom: Concert Review
ERIC SANDY/SCENE Last night’s Joy Fomidable was a non-stop explosion of light. Straight outta Wales, The Joy Formidable has quickly become one of the most intriguing bands touring these days. They’ve gained a solid reputation following two terrific LPs and a running list of music festivals across the world. Last night in the cozy confines…
Map porn: Cleveland for New Yorkers
via reddit user nickl220 Ever wonder how your neighborhood compares to the New York area? Reddit user nickl220 recently created “Cleveland for New Yorkers” for the always-entertaining MapPorn subreddit to answer that question, and even threw in “Brunstucky” reference. What do you think of nickl220’s perception of Cleveland and New York?
A 3-Year-Old Who is Aging 10 Times Faster Than Normal is Taking Part in a Clinical Trial
A 3-year-old Whitehouse, OH girl who has been diagnosed with Progeria syndrome- a rare genetic disorder that makes her age 7-10 times faster than normal- is traveling to Boston this morning to take part in a clinical drug trial. Carly Kudzia will join about 40 other kids from across the nation at Boston Children’s Hospital…
Former Cavs guard Baron Davis ‘abducted by aliens’
Flickr user Nikolas Kolenich Baron Davis during an Indians game “I was actually abducted by aliens like two weeks ago,” a nonchalant (and definitely not high) Baron Davis said on The Champs with Neal Brennan and Moshe Kasher podcast released yesterday. Davis averaged more than 16 points and 7 assists in his 13 season career…
2 People Were Busted for Using Counterfeit Money at Amish Road Stands
A man and a woman were arrested recently for allegedly spending hundreds of dollars in counterfeit money at Amish roadside stands in Wayne County. Eric R. Ramey, 28, and Monica L. Nussbaum, 25 were apprehended on June 28, 2013 after a victim gave authorities their license plate information. Deputies spotted the accused at a nearby…
Tales From Google: Cleveland is Bad, Dangerous And Cloudy
Google’s AutoComplete is an interesting little thing. It reveals the inner workings and hidden prejudices of Internet denizens all day, everyday. And it’s not terribly kind to Cleveland. Atlanta-based SEO specialist Nate Shivar recently put the search bar to the test and looked into the feelings surrounding the U.S.’s 50 biggest cities. He lists the…
Ariel Castro Indicted on 977 Counts: UPDATE
Ariel Castro was indicted today on a total of 977 counts, including aggravated murder. The new counts cover the entire duration of the kidnapping and captivity, from 2002 to 2013. He will be arraigned July 17, and his trial will begin Aug. 5. “Today’s indictment moves us closer to resolution of this gruesome case,” Cuyahoga…
Suburban Columbus Daycare Owner Laced Snacks With Sleep Aids
Eppley Update: Eppley has pleaded not guily, saying that the texts were “tongue in cheek,” which conveniently enough, is also where the Benadryl would have been administered. *** Tammy Eppley, 37, has been charged with six counts of endangering children – including her own 2-year-old daughter. The Westerville woman owns a home-based daycare center -…
Animal Collective Postpones Tour Dates Yet Again
Animal Collective’s members get sick a lot. Animal Collective and Dan Deacon were going to play a show at the House of Blues March 11. That was canceled due to illness. Then, the show was postponed and rescheduled for July 16 at House of Blues, and everyone got excited. Well, that show has been canceled…
New Local Produce Stand to Debut Tomorrow at WSM
For shoppers who are always looking for more local produce at the West Side Market, relief is on the way. Starting tomorrow, Rooted in Cleveland will offer a full spread of locally and organically grown produce. The stand will be located at the far end of the produce annex. “We’re not farmers, we’re restaurant people,…
Surprise! Rocky River Among ‘Least Diverse’ Cities in U.S.
Whoa! Rocky River’s garnering pretty big points on financial website NerdWallet’s list of the country’s least diverse cities. The website used Census data relating to the distribution of ethnic groups across a given municipality (Hispanic/Latino, White, Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander). Rocky River’s overall diversity score was 5.9, for what it’s worth. Lancaster, Ohio, also made…
Xavier Rudd at Beachland Ballroom: Concert Review
ERIC SANDY/SCENE Xavier Rudd at Beachland The mood was already pretty vibey as the crowd awaited Xavier Rudd’s appearance onstage. Several dancer were scoping out the headiest spots on the floor, waving sticks of incense and casting chants into the air in anticipation. Pretty far out stuff. Rudd opened the set with the simultaneous explosive…
The Black Keys Hooked Akron Little Leaguers Up with Some Rock Star Jerseys
The Black Keys are sponsoring the West Akron Baseball League this year and recently hooked the youngsters up with some rock-star jerseys. Keys drummer Patrick Carney told TZM that he used to play for the team and wanted to give back. The team’s president said it only cost the Keys $300 to make it happen…
Your Marijuana Report of the Day: 710 is the New 420
Veterans, the Irish, and Martin Luther King Jr. only get one holiday. Stoners, apparently, get two. July 10 has been declared a “secondary stoner holiday” to supplement the widely practiced (yet entirely unofficial) national pot-smoking day, 420. According to High Times, it’s not so much the date that is important today, but rather the number.…
Cavs Sign Center Andrew Bynum
The Cavs have signed freak-athlete center Andrew Bynum to a 2-year, $24 million contract, with only $6 million guaranteed. One word, Cavs’ fans: PLAYOFFS. This is such a low-stakes gamble and savvy move by Chris Grant and the Cavs’ front office. If you’re worried about Bynum’s knee injuries, know that everyone else is too. That’s…
PHOTO: Here’s How Bad the Flooding was in Tallmadge Yesterday
The storms that swept across northeast Ohio yesterday left residents with no power, damaged property, and vehicles almost entirely submerged underwater. This pic shows the extent of the flooding on East Avenue in Tallmadge. Photo courtesy of NewsChannel5 viewer Laura Ramsier.
Curtains for Alex Bistro in PlayhouseSquare
Alex Bistro & Bar (2033 East 14th St.), located in the Hanna Building in PlayhouseSqaure, has closed. The restaurant, which opened last summer, did not open for service today. “We are closed now; we lost our lease,” says GM Danny Murray. “I think the landlord wanted us out to get somebody else in there. They…
EDWINS Finds Permanent Home for Institute and Restaurant
EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute has found a permanent home. Look for the nonprofit/restaurant to open this fall in the former Grotto space at Shaker Square. EDWINS, the passion project of Brandon Chrostowski, is a program designed to give underprivileged and formerly incarcerated adults training in the hospitality field, while providing additional support in other…
Remembering the ’89 pennant run
Lou Brown, the gruff manager of the 1989 season, with cutout of new owner Rachel Phelps With two outs in bottom of the ninth against the dreaded New York Yankees, aging weak-kneed catcher Jake Taylor brought speedster Willie Mays Hayes home from second base by legging out a surprise bunt to win the pennant, much…
Pucker Up! Sours are Here to Stay
In the 1600s, British naval officers created what was perhaps the first spirit-based cocktail when they used exotic liquors, fruit and spices to mimic the taste of wine and beer after their rations had spoiled during the long voyage to the tropics. They called this intoxicating potion “punch,” and it was served warm by the…
Chief McGrath Has Lost the Rank and File, Lost the City, and It’s Time he Lost his Job
“I think the men and women of the Cleveland Division of Police owe the citizens, and the citizens have an expectation of quick, responsive, professional service. Anything less than that is unacceptable. If we have officers who don’t live up to their oath of office, I think [we] have a duty not only to the…
Toast Will Keep You Coming Back
Toast is unlike any other restaurant in town. That’s because it is the manifestation of a single person’s very unique vision of how a wine bar should be. Whether that’s good news or bad depends on how closely your tastes match those of owner Jillian Davis, who demands that staffers don plaid shirts to evoke…
Savage Love
I’m a 26-year-old straight female. I’m writing because I need to ask someone what to think right now. I just fucked a guy while on holiday in Costa Rica. I thought I was sex-positive and adventurous, so why do I feel so ashamed? I’m dating a boy back in the US who I absolutely adore,…
Rising Star Chef Anna Harouvis of Good to Go Cafe Likes to Keep it Raw
Chef and entrepreneur Anna Harouvis likes to keep it raw. “My father was born on the Greek isle of Ikaria, which is known as one of the healthiest places on earth because of the raw culture,” explains Harouvis. “So my life path was laid out in front of me.” The Lakewood native’s inspiration for cooking…
Hooker Packing Heat: A True Story about Multiple Murders Shoots for Thematic Significance in Self Defense
Americans, god bless ’em, have a passion for branding even the most horrific acts and the heinous people who do them. This is especially true with serial killers, who emerge from their assorted bloodbaths with nicknames such as Hillside Strangler (Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono) , Lady Killer (Ted Bundy), and Killer Clown (John Wayne…
Talking Sexual Politics, Sexual Predators, Literature and the Library with a John Carroll Prof and Author
Sam Allard: And we’re on the air! This is an iPhone, and we’re now being recorded. Alissa Nutting: I’m Amish, and I don’t understand this technology. I know that’s a joke — very good — but you do sort of have an Amish vibe. Totally Amish. I mean my book is totally Amish. It’s almost…
Also on Stage
With all the princesses, ogres and assorted criminals who get their own musicals, it’s nice to see the average working person get his and her own time to folic in onstage melodies. This is one of the several pleasures provided by the musical Working, now at the Porthouse Theatre. It is adapted by Stephen Schwartz…
Canoeing the Cuyahoga: An Outsider Travels the Cuyahoga in Search of the Rust Belt
Excerpted with permission from “Nothin’ But Blue Skies: The Heyday, Hard Times and Hopes of America’s Industrial Heartland” by Edward McClelland. Published by Bloomsbury. Copyright 2013 Most Clevelanders believe the word “Cuyahoga” means “crooked river” in the Mohawk language. Philologically, this is incorrect. To the Mohawks, “Cuyahoga” means “big river,” the same title their Huron…
Letters: On “Rover Arrested for Drunk and Disorderly Conduct
I was at whiskey island. Enjoyed watching the tall ships come into the river. No one was a big enough jerk that they needed to be arrested. —Arthur A. Bryant It is funny that on Wednesdays show he stated how he did not want to complete the trio. [Ed. Note: Chuck Galeti and Kenny Crumpton…
Film Review of the Week: The Attack
The Attack, a slow, grim, philosophical inquiry into Palestinian identity, pits a quiet, successful Arab surgeon who’s fully assimilated into Israeli society against the idealized version of his wife in the wake of her death. The surgeon is Dr. Amin Jaafiri (Ali Suliman), and the film begins with his acceptance of a distinguished medical award,…
Film Spotlight: Maniac
A film aficionado from an early age, director Frank Khalfoun was too young (he was 11) to have seen the 1980 horror film Maniac when it came out in theaters. But he eventually got his hands on a copy of the flick and instantly loved it. “I remember it quite well,” he says of the…
Sonic Reducers: Post-Punk Icons “Wire” Excavate Songs from Their Archives
In the mid-’70s, England was teeming with punk bands. The Sex Pistols, the Damned and the Clash might not have been playing to huge crowds, but they were sending ripples throughout the rock world. And then there was Wire. The guys in the band, which formed in London in 1976, were clearly influenced by punk’s…
Rapper Ray Jr. Provides the Soundtrack to the City
Ray Jr. is the undisputed musical mayor of East Cleveland. Talk to him for five minutes and count how many times he references his city. Everything he does in his career is designed to put Cleveland on the map. He’s behind the group “Legit Paper,” a team of young artists exclusively from the city, and…
Culture Jamming
TOP PICK Portlandia: The Complete Season 3 (self-released) Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen again skewer indie hipster culture in this, the third season of their very funny IFC sketch comedy. The season includes cameos by by Juliette Lewis, Patton Oswalt, Martina Navratilova, George Wendt, Rose Byrne, Matt Lucas, Jim Gaffigan and Roseanne Barr. Bell X1…
Lolita ‘Lollipop’ Swain Lets Versatility Run Rampant on Her Label
In the early 2000s, it became vogue in hip-hop to name someone the “first lady” of your crew. Biggie dubbed Lil’ Kim the Queen Bee of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. crew. Foxy Brown became The First Lady of the Firm. The tradition carries on today with Nicki Minaj occupying that role on the Young Money roster.…
Band of the Week: Dave Hammer’s Power Supply
Meet the Band: Dave Hammer (vocals, guitars), Matt DeRubertis (vocals, bass, sitar), Chris Baker (vocals, drums) An Evolution: The Akron-based band has been together for almost four years now and has evolved into a gritty blues/jam band as it’s moved away from the prog-rock sound of its first album. “We’ve come into our own a…
A Tsunami of Sound: The Joy Formidable headlines the Beachland Ballroom
The Joy Formidable is an imposing Welsh force. Debut album The Big Roar showcases a band willing to dive deep, deep, deep into that alluring stew of heaviness and ambience. The major single, “Whirring,” holds up as a terrific emblem of what the band does well: combine heartfelt and careful songwriting with explosive musicianship. (Dial…
Regional Beat: Elijah Black
Bad Dream (self-released) elijahblack.com This Akron singer made his debut nearly 10 years ago and then took four years to follow it up with 2008’s Better Man. Now, after another long gap, during which Black has toured and acted (he stars in the Capitol One Viking commercials), he’s back with Bad Dream. The album opens…
Shots Fired: Councilman Calls To Shut It Down!
This has not been a good summer for nightclub owners in downtown Cleveland. Or for their patrons—especially the ones who have gotten shot. Thankfully or not, Cleveland City Councilman Joe “Development, Development!” Cimperman is really into the idea of closing down these dubious houses of ill repute. He was tangentially successful with Lounge 75 (near…
Richie Stein is Still Sober After Decades of Addiction; He’s Also Still Serving up Your Favorite Drinks
Rock bottom for Richie Stein, a nice Jewish boy from Beachwood, was when he was living in a house with no heat, he hadn’t eaten for days, and he was wearing the same clothes that he’d had on for weeks. “I looked like shit, I felt like shit, and I was contemplating what tree I…
The Cavs Aren’t Screwing Around
In May, when Nick Gilbert and the Cavaliers won the NBA lottery for the second time in three years, the bow-tied 16-year-old told ESPN that this would be the last time the Cavs made a lottery appearance for a long-ass time. His dad—owner Dan Gilbert—gamely concurred. After the selections of Anthony Bennett (No. 1…
