The Former Ferris Steakhouse is on Craigslist
Anybody itching to open up shop in Detroit-Shoreway? It’s your lucky day. For a mere $79,000, you can buy the former Ferris Steakhouse on Detroit Road — just search “trendy bar” on Cleveland Craigslist to see the posting. Or, you know, check it out right here: …has dry basement and liquor permit comes with very…
Video: Blind Rocky River grandpa, 97, creates computer-generated art
Hal Lasko, the 97-year-old former graphic designer known as “Grandpa” Check out this amazing video of 97-year-old Rocky River resident and World War II veteran Hal Lasko, known to everybody as “Grandpa,” and try not to choke up. After his eyesight deteriorated, the former graphic designer started using Microsoft Paint because he can zoom in…
Plans Announced for Fifth Ohio City Brewery
Paul Benner, owner of the popular Cleveland Brew Shop (2681 W. 14th St., 216-574-2271) in Tremont, will open a microbrewery and taproom in Ohio City. It will be that neighborhood’s fifth brewery once Hansa Haus joins Great Lakes, Market Garden and Nano. Along with a partner, Benner has purchased a 10,000-square-foot building at W. 41st…
9 Places to get Awesome Hot Dogs in Northeast Ohio
July is national hot dog month! And according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, it really does exist), the average American eats approximately 60 hotdogs per year. That’s a substantial number of hotdogs, when you think about it. While the number of hot dog shops is by no means comparable to the…
Portage County: ‘the fracking waste disposal capital of Ohio’
via motherjones.com Cuyahoga County’s rural neighbor to the southeast is getting some national attention for being the “biggest dumping ground for fracking waste in a state that is fast becoming the go-to destination for the byproduct of America’s latest energy boom.” Mother Jones editorial fellow Thomas Stackpole recently published the 1,000-word feature on Portage County…
Two Subway Workers are Fired after Posting Lewd Photos on Instagram
Two Columbus, OH Subway employees have been fired after posting lewd photos on Instagram yesterday, which allegedly show the “sandwich artists” defiling the chain’s signature foot-long bread and freezing their urine. One of the chain’s employees, Cameron Boggs, posted—and later deleted—a photo on Instagram of a man rubbing his genitalia on the foot-long bread. It…
Opportunity Corridor is a Great Opportunity for White People
Suburban white people like these will definitely enjoy the Opportunity Corridor! After you read about how John Kasich is leveraging Ohio Turnpike toll hikes to finance state transportation projects — including a significant chunk of the vaunted Opportunity Corridor — and once again hear from the PD’s editorial pages what a magnificent investment the Opportunity…
Top 10 questions (and answers) from our Steely Dan interview
We recently participated in a teleconference call with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan, who took the opportunity to have a bit of fun with the questions that a group of journalists asked about their upcoming tour, which they’ve called Mood Swings: 8 Miles to Pancake Day Tour. Here are our favorite 10…
UPDATE Anthony Sowell, Part 2: Is There a New Serial Killer in Town?
Photo Courtesy of the Ohio Sex Offenders Archives Michael Madison UPDATE: The body of the second victim of the East Cleveland murders has been identified as Shetisha Sheeley. Her body was found inside a garage around Hayden and Shaw avenues over the weekend, 19 Action News reported. The identity of the third victim is still…
Heart Delivers Vigorous Greatest Hits Set at Blossom
For a band that has struggled to be relevant for the past two decades, Heart sure played with plenty of confidence last night at Blossom. Perhaps the band’s recent (overdue) induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum had something to do with it. Ann Wilson and her guitar slinging sister Nancy…
William Shatner to be Keynote Speaker at Cleveland Conference
William Shatner, “Star Trek’s” iconic James T. Kirk, will be the closing keynote speaker at Cleveland’s Content Marking World Event in September of this year. Evidently — according to a press release from Content Marketing Institute’s founder Joe Pulizzi — Shatner will be sharing “stories.” “From Captain Kirk to Boston Legal to content marketing partnerships…
Concert Review: All Good Festival at Legend Valley
Since moving back to Legend Valley last summer, All Good Music Festival — now in its 17th year — has had little problem drawing fun and talented acts to play the four-day-long party. This year’s iteration was no different: in the shadow of headliner Furthur, bands from as diverse a range as ’90s weird-rock Primus…
Workaholics star Erik Griffin slated for five-night stand at Hilarities
Erik Griffin’s life has changed drastically since he last performed at Hilarities three years ago. He returns to the club on July 31 for a five-night stand. Since then, he’s become a regular contributor to the hit TV comedy Workaholics. On the show, he plays cubical co-worker Montez Walker, a friend of three drugged-out party…
Cleveland Turns 217 Years Old Today- Happy Birthday, Cleveland!
Photo Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons. The city of Cleveland is celebrating its 217th birthday today! Boy do we feel old. We feel even older knowing that there’s not a whole lot going on today to ring in our fine city’s 217th year. Granted, there was the presentation of the annual Herrick Memorial Award, which…
Local Food Truck Chef to Add Second Rig
Brian Finks, the chef-driver behind the popular Fired Up Taco Truck, has secured a second rig. “Initially, we were going to do Fired Up Taco Two, but we decided on Chilled Ice Cream Truck,” says Finks. This ice cream truck will be more than just a roving scoop shop, he promises. “We are focusing on…
VIDEO: 1957 Footage of Downtown Akron in Color
If you feel like taking a stroll down memory lane on this Monday morning, check out this footage of downtown Akron from the 1957 Soap Box Derby 20th Anniversary celebration, which was recently posted on YouTube by user mitten1. How do you think downtown Akron has changed?
New York Times: “Culture Blooms in Cleveland”
Frank Lanza/Cleveland Museum of Art, via nytimes.com The atrium of the Cleveland Museum of Art The New York Times recently wrote about the “cultural renaissance” in University Circle led by “the refurbished galleries and stunning atrium of the Cleveland Museum of Art”: By the 1980s, dilapidated Gilded Age mansions had been replaced by, among other…
The Tribe’s Funny Hotel Guest List Was Leaked
The Tribe is in Minnesota this weekend, and so are a handful of unexpected celebs like Jennifer Lopez and Carmen Electra. The hotel guest list for the team showed up on Twitter yesterday, prompting keen observers to wonder where cats like Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana might be staying. Turns out they and a few…
Cedar Point boat ride flips, injuring seven
Shoot the Rapids at Cedar Point in Sandusky “It takes you up and splashes you down,” says the Cedar Point website about the “Shoot the Rapids” water ride. “Then it takes you up again and, well, the rest is a surprise. Shoot the rapids feels like a real wild river adventure with canyons, a tunnel…
“Creatures of Lorain County” Facebook Page is Something To See: UPDATE
UPDATE: Amy Clark of Elyria, the creator of the “Creatures of Lorain County” Facebook page, is kinda upset with the social behemoth’s decision to shut down her page. As of yesterday, Facebook took down the page, citing violations of community guidelines. “I’m just going to make a new page today and make it a private…
The Sax Man honored during House of Blues concert
The subject of a forthcoming documentary film, Maurice Reedus, the local musician who goes by the name “The Sax Man” played a special concert on Thursday night at House of Blues that reunited him with his former band, Sly, Slick & Wicked. The filmmakers behind the documentary introduced Reedus and band and explained that the…
The Top 10 Colleges and Universities in Ohio
Ohio is home to some truly top notch colleges and universities. The schools in our slideshow have been selected for a variety of factors, including reputation, graduation rate, selectivity, and student engagement. Our lineup has been compiled with the help of the America’s Top College List from Forbes, as well as U.S. News and World…
New Brewery Coming to E. Fourth Street
The Butcher & the Brewer, a restaurant, brewery and full-service butcher shop, will open next spring in the former Dredger’s Union space on East Fourth Street. Tremont Taphouse principals Jason Workman, Chris Lieb and Jeff Leonard, along with CIA-trained chef Andrew Gorski, have been working on this ambitious concept for years. Eric Anderson, currently the…
Kinder and gentler crowd attends this year’s Warped Tour
In the past few years, Warped Tour has favored harder and heavier bands. As a result, more aggressive fans have shown up to attend the annual punk rock festival. But this year, the tour didn’t have as many heavy hitters on the bill. That made for a concert experience that was a bit easier on…
Holocaust Memorial Will Be Erected on Ohio Statehouse Grounds
A $1.8 million Holocaust Memorial will be erected on the Ohio Statehouse grounds and will be the first of its kind on state capitol property in the country. Though the proposal passed 8-1 in a vote by the advisory board tasked with maintaining statehouse grounds in Columbus, the design has sparked controversy locally and nationally.…
Controversial Photo Sparks Discussion on Reddit
Yesterday evening, Reddit user SamMee514 submitted this photo to Reddit under the title “Anyone else see this sign in front of a church on Euclid?”: The sign reads, “Gun Deaths in Cuyahoga County since Sandy Hook, 81.” Redditors, like Prime20 and Wake_Up_Crono responded in a frenzy demanding to know where the statistic came from, how…
Akron Police: Man Tried to Hide Bag of Cocaine by Eating It
An Akron man is accused of trying to swallow a large baggie of cocaine after police pulled him over this afternoon. Antonio E. Johnson, 33, was apprehended after authorities stopped him on the corner of West North and Valley streets and noticed the man attempting to swallow a bag of cocaine, News Net 5 reported.…
Video: Tremont in 1995
Doesn’t feel that long ago, does it? But it was actually more than 20 years in the rearview. How much of Tremont has changed? See for yourself in the video below.
Here Are All The Road Closures Slated During The National Senior Games
The next round of “Oh my God, these freakin’ road closures are destroying my life!” begins this weekend as the National Senior Games roll into town. Thankfully, much of the havoc takes place outside of the work week. Nonetheless, you can anticipate orange barrels, traffic-directing police officers and more than a few overzealous commuters who…
Joe Haden Has the Sickest Gift Registry at Crate & Barrel
Joe Haden got married on June 29 to longtime girlfriend Sarah Mahmoodshahi and — relax, Browns fans — their gift registries are still open. Haden and Mahmoodshahi celebrated their nuptials at the Fontainbleau Miami Beach resort and honeymooned on the Caribbean Island of Anguilla, via the PD’s Emily Hamlin Smith. Haden is pictured right in…
El Carnicero Officially Opens its Doors Today
Today, El Carnicero (16918 Detroit Ave., 216-226-3415) officially opens its doors to the public. Located in the old McCarthy’s Ale House in the West End neighborhood of Lakewood, the beefy 150-plus seat eatery spans multiple rooms, each with its own bar. The space features lucha libre (Mexican professional wrestling) paraphernalia that will be familiar to…
Beachwood Councilman Brian Linick Announces Beachwood Mayoral Bid
Beachwood City Councilman Brian Linick has announced his campaign for Mayor of Beachwood. He’ll be challenging entrenched current Mayor Merle Gorden, the subject of ongoing financial investigations and Scene’s cover story this week. Gorden has been Mayor since 1995 and hasn’t been challenged in the Mayoral race since 1997, via Sun News. Lincik spoke with…
The CEO of a Shuttered Credit Union is on the Run
As of a couple days ago, Alex Spirikaitis was the CEO of the Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union on E. 185th St. in Cleveland. On Friday, authorities closed the credit union shop with a warrant for “false credit institution entries,” — aka: fraud. This might all sound familiar to the Croatian credit union debacle that’s still…
Bomb Squad Called in to Investiate a Suspicious Device, But Finds Scavenger Hunt Prizes Instead
The bomb squad was called to Parma after a suspicious device was found strapped to a tree at the corners of State and Brook Park roads around 10 a.m. today. Officials initially believed the package to be a pipe bomb, but when members of the bomb squad investigated the device, they found it actually contained…
Concert Review: Toro Y Moi at Grog Shop
One look at Chaz Bundick, the central figure of synthpop quartet Toro Y Moi, and it’s obvious why the singer/songwriter once fit comfortably into the chillwave style of music that initially defined his music. He definitely looks the part with his lazily flowing Afro at the top of his head and his nonchalant manner of…
All the Animals: A Chat with Mary Jo Johnson from the Medina County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Mary Jo Johnson is the humane officer for the Medina County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). She’s seen a lot during her time on the job. Lots of horror and lots of joy. We met up one morning recently at the SPCA, just outside Medina’s town center. Typically, there were people…
Boy Trouble
Dear Dan — I am a young gay man who has been so freaked out by the idea of catching an STI that I haven’t gotten with anyone for two years. But last night, I hooked up with a cute 21-year-old FTM trans boy, and maybe because it was a person with lady parts, I…
Culture Jamming
TOP PICK 42 (Warner Bros.) There’s very little gray area in this biopic about Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson, the first African American on a major league team. As played by Chadwick Boseman, Robinson, who wore #42, is a guy who elicits our sympathy after Dodgers owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) decides to recruit him for…
Also On Stage
The Lion King Playhouse Square There’s a reason The Lion King is one of the top five longest running Broadway shows. It’s a bulletproof stage franchise that can withstand infinite cast changes and never lose its core ability to awe and inspire. While this version now at Playhouse Square has a couple wrinkles that past…
What’s Fresh in Local Ice Cream
Even ice cream is getting the farm-to-table treatment these days. While there is no shortage of highly processed, mass-produced junk out there, a fresh crop of ice cream artisans is going to extreme culinary lengths to stay seasonal when making their heavenly small-batch creations. Now a household name in the region, Mitchell’s Homemade has been…
Regional Beat: Chris Hatton and the Italian Sound Machine
Womown (self-released) chrishattonmusic.com This EP from veteran local singer-songwriter Chris Hatton starts out with the snarling “Feel It,” a bit of funky stuff anchored by a beefy guitar riff. Recorded at the Analog Beard Recording Facility in Seven Hills, the album features the contributions of the Italian Sound Machine, Hatton’s new band. It’s a great…
Douglas Max Utter is a Cleveland Arts Prize Lifetime Achievement Award-Winner, and His Life Forms the Basis for an Exhibition of his New Work
When arranging their summer exhibition of paintings by Douglas Max Utter, the curators of Survival Kit Gallery could not have predicted the artist would win the Cleveland Arts Prize’s Lifetime Achievement Award. It was their coup that he did, but Utter himself has remained level-headed about it. When asked about the awards ceremony, he talks…
Fab Flautist: Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson Talks Thick as a Brick and Offers Advice to Wannabe Pop Stars
A concept album about 8-year-old schoolboy Gerald Bostock and his struggles in life, 1972’s Thick as a Brick cemented Jethro Tull as prog-rock icons. And yet the British group never played the entire album in a live setting. Until now. Tull leader, singer-flautist Ian Anderson will perform the whole thing. He’ll also play material from…
The Throwback: Doug Katz’s Diner Club will Usher You into Another Era of Cocktails
There are other cocktail lounges in Cleveland, but not one of them does such a remarkable job of transporting its guests to another place and time as the Katz Club. Step inside and you’ll feel as though you’ve stumbled onto the bar car of the Twentieth Century Limited bound for Grand Central Terminal. Magnificently reworked…
A Sign of the Times: …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead delves into world affairs
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead’s singer-multi-instrumentalists Jason Reece and Conrad Keely first met in Hawaii when they were teenagers. A mutual friend told Reece to be on the lookout for his friend Keely, who lived in the same town. “He told me that Conrad was living in the same town…
How to Effectively Conquer a Beer Festival
It’s July, and that means beer festival season is in full swing. Northeast Ohio hotspots will host all sorts of great beer events, including this Saturday’s Fifth Annual Scene Ale Fest at Tremont’s Lincoln Park. Whether attending an event for the first time or returning as craft veteran, every beer drinker can have a better…
Punk Picks: 10 Bands You Gotta See at this Year’s Warped Tour
Now in its 19th year, Warped Tour still serves as a great way for punk fans to see some of their favorite bands in one fell swoop. Nine stages will be set up at Blossom, with the music starting at noon and carrying on until 9 p.m. And expect to see a slew of vendors…
Taste the Rainbow: Skittles and Justice for Trayvon Martin
Ralliers unleashed a volley of Skittles on the steps of the Justice Center Monday afternoon to express their outrage at the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the murder of teenager Trayvon Martin. The 17-year-old Martin had bought a bag of Skittles from a nearby 7-Eleven before he was shot and killed by Zimmerman on February…
Band of the Week: Midnight Syndicate
Meet the Band: Ed Douglas (composer, piano), Gavin Goszka (composer, piano) The Early Days: The band formed in 1995 as Douglas, who was just out of college, recorded a soundtrack to his low-budget horror flick The Dead Matter. The band has gone on to release 17 studio albums (that number includes movie soundtracks). “I look…
Letters: On Charles Ramsey Says He’s Broke and Homeless
Has he applied at McDonald’s? — Hamwallet Sounds like he needs financial education 101. —Tim Johnson Yeah, he should have consulted a financial adviser. This news went national. There is no reason he should be broke AND homeless. What happen to sales of that Dead Give Away song? “Hide yo kids, hide yo wife” sold…
It’s a Silly Thing: Spamalot Triggers the Giggle Machine at the Beck Center
If you are opposed to silly things on moral grounds, then you should steer clear of Spamalot, now at the Beck Center. Because this show is not just silly—it is profoundly, deeply and terminally silly in a way that continually redefines silly for more than two hours. And thanks to an energetic and sublimely silly…
Join the Club: Katz’s Diner Car is Poised to Park and Stick Around
If you sent the Lee Road diner cars through some sort of magical car wash, what would come out the other end is the Katz Club Diner. Scrubbed clean of a decade’s worth of failure, the twin carriages are now polished to a brilliant sheen and primed to coast well into the future. “This time…
The Merle of Free Sandwich: How Beachwood Mayor Merle Gorden and His City Council Pals Created the Worst Suburb in Northeast Ohio
BEACHWOOD, OHIO—You’d think it were Abu-Dhabi. You’d think it were Venice. You’d think, with its bulbous budget and a mayor collecting more annual dough than his counterparts in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus—not to mention the governor of Ohio—that Beachwood were paradise. Turns out it isn’t. It’s a shock, frankly, as you thrum along Fairmount…
Review of the Week: Girl Most Likely
Hot diggity damn, movie fans. Girl Most Likely is 2013’s biggest comedy train wreck not named Grown Ups 2. What a dismal, insipid piece of trash. What a consummate, irredeemable failure. What a sloppy, stupid spectacle of atrocious acting and exponentially worse script writing. What a gaping quagmire Kristin Wiig has found herself in with…
Film Spotlight: Springsteen & I
British director Baillie Walsh was at work on his next feature film when he got a call from a producer with whom he had worked on the 2007 Oasis concert film Lord Don’t Slow Me Down. He had a choice. He could continue to work on his movie or he could set aside his feature…
The Northeast Ohio Media Group Is Hiring for All The Positions That Were Literally Just Cut
Hot on the heels of a hefty round of layoffs at The Plain Dealer—and just prior to yet another hefty round of layoffs—the newly formed Northeast Ohio Media Group is pushing for a hefty round of hires. In what amounts to shell game-style switcheroos, the Northeast Ohio Media Group is now advertising job openings that…
