Revamped Diner on Clifton Opens Today With New Menu, New Location, Booze!
Plenty of folks were sad to see the closing of the Diner on Clifton in 2016 after 17 years of dishing up efficient, delicious diner fare. Almost immediately, owner Perry Drosos said he’d be looking for a new location to reopen the venerable institution. Well, today was that day. After two years of waiting, the new…
PEZ Candy Aficionados From Around the World Congregate in Cleveland This Week
More than 1,000 PEZ candy enthusiasts are set to descend upon the Holiday Inn Independence this week for the annual PEZamania conference. Running through Saturday, the world’s largest gathering of PEZ collectors, dealers and authors from up to 12 different countries, are set to participate in seminars and family-friendly games throughout the week. The convention began…
The Cleveland Orchestra’s Summers at Severance Series and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
Cleveland’s classical music scene continues to bloom this week in all kinds of colors and varieties, and here are several highlights. On Wednesday, July 25 at 7:30 pm, the Kent Blossom Music Festival will present its fourth faculty concert in Ludwig Recital Hall at Kent State University. The program features Jeffrey Rathbun (oboe), Daniel McKelway…
Your House Could Be Featured in the Next Blockbuster Filmed in Cleveland
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission posted an open casting call yesterday for homes to be added to its locations database. All sizes, styles and neighborhood locations of homes are encouraged to submit. According to the CFC, directors and producers look for homes that feel authentic to their characters and their story, whether that be a…
Hanson to Bring Its Symphonic Tour to the Masonic Auditorium in November
On the heels of a successful 25th Anniversary World Tour, the Grammy-nominated multi-platinum pop-rock trio Hanson has announced the dates for a symphonic tour in support of its forthcoming album, String Theory. The tour/album finds the band framing its music through a special collaboration with Academy Award-winning arranger David Campbell. The album will feature brand new and rearranged…
Cleveland Could Win More Than $25,000 in Children’s Books, Courtesy of JetBlue
Cleveland has been chosen as a finalist in JetBlue’s Soar With Reading contest. Not only does the winning city receive a donation of more than $25,000 in children’s books, it also gets a reading room makeover in one of the city’s local libraries. The contest, started in 2011, is part of an effort from JetBlue…
Mercury Theatre Company’s Reimagined ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ Falls Short
When it comes to musicals that ought to be re-imagined, there are few better choices than Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This warhorse created by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics) has been a constant presence in the theater community for 50 years. Thanks to countless productions at various schools and community…
Mentor Scores Ohio’s Newest Pro Hockey Team
While it’s unfortunately not an NHL expansion team coming to the Cleveland area, Mentor is getting a brand new Single A professional hockey team this fall. Starting up October 26, the Mentor Ice Breakers are set to play in the small Federal Hockey League (FHL), which includes the Danville Dashers, Carolina Thunderbirds, Watertown Wolves, Port…
What You Need to Know About Scene’s Ale Fest
An annual tradition that takes place each summer at Lincoln Park in Tremont, Scene’s Ale Fest will feature more than 100 beers as well as food and live music. This year’s iteration will feature unique casks, one-of-a-kind collaborations, porters, stouts, pilsners, ales, wheats, Belgians, ciders and lagers. Patrons can also sample wines and ciders, and…
The Doobie Brothers Coming to Hard Rock Live in October
After a summer of shows with Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, the classic rock band that’s sold some 48 million albums during the course of a career that stretches back decades, have just announced the dates for a fall tour. The group performs on Oct. 12 at Hard Rock Live. “We will be writing and…
RTA Board Votes to Boot Joe Calabrese, Transition Him to Senior Advisory Role
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees has voted to rapidly accelerate what’s being politely called a “leadership transition,” which will boot CEO / GM Joe Calabrese from the organization’s top position and transfer him to a senior advisory role at the end of August. An interim GM, thought to be Deputy GM…
Cleveland.com’s Twitter Account Has Used More Heart Emojis Since Friday than the Word ‘Journalism’ Since the Inauguration of Donald Trump
Here are all six instances in which a heart emoji (❤️) appeared in a @clevelanddotcom tweet since Friday, July 20. Picture-perfect CLE ❤️🌞 Photo: @[Gabe Leidy Photography] pic.twitter.com/8rnZRTzIM8 — clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) July 20, 2018 Talk about cuteness overload 😻❤️ Here's a gigantic mass gathering of golden retrievers! BBC: The 150th anniversary of the founding of…
Fleet Foxes Play Inspired Hymns at the Agora on a Dark Night in Cleveland
Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold has the voice of an angel. It’s a voice that could easily be confined to a solo singer-songwriter gig, something he’s experimented with in year’s past. But Pecknold is made all the better with a band. And at last night’s packed-in Agora show, the six-piece (on the road) act, finally…
Morning Dance Party Comes to Mason’s Creamery Aug. 1
The popular Mason’s Creamery in Ohio City specializes in small batches of handmade ice cream, and now owners Helen Qin and Jesse Mason have come up with a new way to give back to the Cleveland community. After purchasing a storage warehouse in Old Brooklyn, the 9,000-square-foot location is currently empty. Wanting to utilize this…
Maxwell to Perform at Hard Rock Live in November
Born in Brooklyn to a Haitian mother and a Puerto Rican father, soul singer Maxwell developed a love for gospel and funk at an early age. When he started writing songs in his late teens, he took inspiration from a variety of secular sources — he cites Prince, Marvin Gaye, Sade and Anita Baker as influences.…
Two Suspected Dogfighting Carcasses Found in Cleveland Trash
A report from Cleveland Channel 19 released today say the bodies of two dogs were found this weekend on East 131st Street, haphazardly left on the side of the road in trash bags. A truck driver who declined to provide his name claimed that the found dogs are the third and fourth that have been found in…
Megabus Bringing Back Overnight Service from Cleveland to NYC
Low-cost bus company Megabus is bringing back its Cleveland-to-NYC route on weekends, with promotional fares for overnight trips starting at one American dollar ($1). The new service starts this Thursday, and will run Thursdays through Sundays, After inconsistent ridership, Megabus discontinued the CLE-NYC route in early 2017. But now it’s back, and will depart nightly…
What to Expect at the American Dance Festival in Cleveland
The second annual American Dance Festival in Cleveland starts tomorrow, celebrating movers and shakers for the next two weeks. For seasoned dancers, there are daily advanced workshops, but for the rest of us, expect plenty of dance-themed events and shows, including the celebration of National Dance Day on Saturday, July 28. Here is the list of…
Halestorm and In This Moment to Perform at the Masonic Auditorium in November
Earlier today, the hard rock bands Halestorm and In This Moment, two acts that feature female singers, announced today a third leg of their tour. The new dates include a Nov. 26 stop at the Masonic Auditorium. “You asked for it, and now you’re gonna get it,” says Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale in a press…
Ohio Highway Patrol to Crack Down on Offenders of ‘Move Over’ Law
Ohio’s State Highway Patrol and state police are joining five other states in focusing on enforcement of the Move Over law this week. Despite the popular belief that the Move Over law is merely something to do out of courtesy, drivers approaching any vehicles with flashing or rotating lights that are parked on the roadside…
Ohio Library Card Holders Can Soon Take Thousands of Free Online Courses
Any Ohio resident looking for new ways to improve their job skills can soon take free online enrichment classes, thanks to the state’s public library. All you’ll need is an area library card. Thanks to a partnership with LinkedIn, the Ohio Library Council and the Ohio Public Library Information Network is offering free access to…
‘Eighth Grade’ is a Delightfully Awkward Time Capsule of the Contemporary Pre-Teen Experience
Looking back on my middle school years, I’m reminded of my Tracy-Flick-in-Election-esque need to overachieve in every possible extra-curricular activity, the fact I was never once asked by a guy to dance during a slow song at the winter formals and the mortifying experience of hitting puberty years before the rest of my classmates. Now,…
Lakewood Public Library to Host Fundraiser for Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
Since 1988, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless has aspired to “break the cycle of homelessness in Northeast Ohio.” “We organize and empower homeless and at-risk men, women, and children through public education, advocacy, and the creation of nurturing environments,” reads the description on the organization’s website. As part of the Lakewood Alive Front…
Clevelanders for Public Transit Will Rally Monday to Put Levy on the November Ballot
The transportation advocacy group Clevelanders for Public Transit will rally Monday evening to demand increased funding for Cleveland’s ailing RTA. The group will meet at RTA HQ on W. 6th Street at 5 p.m. and will march to Public Square, where the rally will begin at 5:30. At the top of the coalition’s priority list…
Inaugural Blockchain Conference Coming to Cleveland in December
Cleveland.com is reporting that Destination Cleveland CEO David Gilbert announced — at Cleveland.com HQ, of all places — that dates for an inaugural blockchain conference in Cleveland have been set. The dates for “Solutions” are Dec 1 – 4, said Gilbert, to a room full of 80 people. That means organizers will have to invite…
Football’s Almost Here — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac debate the importance of proper grammar on Twitter. They argue about other stuff, too, and talk a little Browns. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Or stream below.
Merchant Street in Tremont to Close
Owner John McDonnell announced Sunday night on Facebook that Merchant Street will be closing “at the end of the next week.” The Tremont bistro across from Lincoln Park opened in December 2016 at an address that had previously been home to a long line of operators including Ligali’s, Porcelli’s, Bistro on Lincoln Park and Sage Bistro.…
‘Bad Day in Cleveland’: Roldo Bartimole’s 1969 Account of the Glenville Shootout for The Nation Magazine
This article, which was originally published on July 14, 1969, is here reprinted with permission from The Nation and Roldo Bartimole. CLEVELAND — Sometimes in history it has become politically convenient to sacrifice the socially despised for the “protection” of society. Rationalizations of justice then overpower the judicial process and make it merely the means…
Hamilton’s Aaron Burr Loves Downtown Cleveland Heinen’s, Sir
So yall were just gonna try to keep @Heinens a secret, huh Cleveland? #hamiltoncle #thetruthwillout pic.twitter.com/inrd6ytUME — Nik Walker (@NikkyWalks) July 20, 2018 In what should be regarded as the most successful piece of Cleveland promotion since the Cavs Championship Parade, actor Nik Walker — who plays Aaron Burr in the touring production of Hamilton,…
Will Nexus Pipeline Bring Promised Windfall to Ohio Schools?
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Uncertainty and confusion abound among Northern Ohio school districts, which are awaiting a promised funding windfall from the Nexus pipeline tentatively scheduled for completion late this year. Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, 37 Ohio school districts are expecting to receive nearly $57.7 million in new property tax revenues from the Nexus…
A Call for a Deeper Dive on Lake Erie Algae Problems
COLUMBUS, Ohio – While annual reporting and biweekly bulletins warn Ohioans of harmful algae locations and toxicity in Lake Erie, some clean-water groups contend officials need to also focus on eliminating the problem. The new 2018 Lake Erie Algae Forecast shows that while it will not be a record year for algae, there will be…
Country Singer-Songwriter Riley Green Delivers Intimate Pop-Up Performance at WGAR
While growing up in Jacksonville, AL, singer-songwriter Riley Green picked up a few songwriting tips from his songwriter grandfather Bufford Green. Riley Green has said that his grandfather gave him an appreciation for old school country music, something that comes across in tunes such as “Bury Me in Dixie,” “A Little Hank” and “Almost.” Earlier…
John Kasich Commutes Death Sentence for Raymond Tibbetts
Ohio Gov. John Kasich today commuted a looming death sentence for Raymond Tibbetts, a man convicted of two murders in Cincinnati. Earlier this year, Kasich temporarily halted Tibbetts’ execution after a former juror at his trial expressed regret for the sentence, citing evidence about Tibbetts’ abusive childhood and mental illness he believes was withheld from…
Ohio City is Conducting a Traffic Calming Study on Franklin Boulevard
In an attempt to improve the safety conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists on Franklin Boulevard in Ohio City, the City of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency have joined forces to lead the Franklin Boulevard traffic calming study. Franklin Boulevard is home to residents, schools, institutions and a multitude of businesses alongside the neighborhoods…
Here’s a Look at the Repainted ‘It’s Up to Us’ Mural on Clark and West 25th
The “It’s Up to Us” block-long mural on the corner of West 25th and Clark is shiny and new once more. After vandals spray painted more than a third of the artwork with graffiti last fall, muralist John Rivera-Resto has worked diligently to restore the Clark-Fulton neighborhood piece to its original state. Thanks to a community…
Cleveland Police Officer To Sue City After Being Suspended For Using a Racial Slur
Cleveland police officer Aaron Petitt spoke exclusively to Channel 3 yesterday about his pending lawsuit against the City of Cleveland after what he says was a violation of his right to free speech. Petitt was suspended after internal investigators discovered that he’d used a racial slur referring to Muslims in a text message. He was suspended for six…
I-77 Will Be Closed Between I-480 and I-490 This Weekend
It’s a traffic and weather Friday here at Scene HQ. Just an FYI, I-77 will be closed this weekend, beginning at 8 p.m. tonight through Monday at 6 a.m., between 480 and 490 for a variety of projects. Detours will be posted but they’re all listed here if you’re curious.
Night Market Cleveland is Canceled for 2018, May Return Next Year
Last night, Night Market Cleveland announced that the 2018 season, which was scheduled for monthly events through September, was canceled due to lack of funding and physical infrastructure issues among other things. In a post to their official Facebook page, the organizers of the popular Asiatown event stated that nearly all of their vendor tents…
Local Singer-Songwriter Issues New Single About Overcoming Self-Doubt
Eighteen-year old local singer-songwriter Julia Thompson issued her debut single, “Hits,” earlier this year and instantly found a following. Her second single, “Spark,” also created a buzz online and landed on playlists such as Spotify Fresh Finds, New Pop Revolution and Fresh Finds Poptronix. Now, Thompson has returned with “Nights,” a snappy pop tune that…
LeBron Murals are Already Overtaking the Walls of Los Angeles
There's a new Lakers mural in LA and it's 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3G8G7ifQkO — ESPN (@espn) July 19, 2018 The above is the new LeBron James mural in Los Angeles, Calif, (not Detroit-Shoreway!). It shows James, clad in Lakers gold, gazing at some of the franchise’s greats. From L-R: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar…
How to Choose Between the Beyoncé/Jay-Z, Jason Isbell and Foo Fighters Concerts Happening on Wednesday in Cleveland
It took me a while to realize that three shows I couldn’t wait to attend this summer were all the same night. Yes, the hardworking but clearly heartless, Cleveland venue bookers scheduled Beyoncé and Jay-Z at FirstEnergy Stadium, Foo Fighters at Blossom and Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica all…
Today’s Cleveland Weather Forecast: 100% Chance of Avocado
Courtesy of the Wave 3 News storm tracking team out of Louisville, here’s today’s severe storm threat covering Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and parts south. This giant avocado will be moving east over the next few days. The weather during that period of time will be weather. Stock up on chips and toast. (h/t @cre8rkeith)
Here’s the Extended Trailer for HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ Featuring the Cleveland Browns
It won’t be too much longer before the Cleveland Browns’ edition of Hard Knocks debuts (August 7). In the meantime, HBO released an extended trailer for this season, featuring plenty of chatter from fans about how they’ve stuck with the Browns despite losing, and so on and so forth. Enjoy. Welcome to Cleveland, where hope…
Accidental Comedy Fest 2018 to Showcase Doug Benson’s ‘Doug Loves Movies’ Podcast, Cum Town Live and Jermaine Fowler
What began as a bunch of comedians telling jokes under a bridge, is now entering it’s seventh year. The Accidental Comedy Fest returns this Labor Day Weekend, bringing together some of the most popular performers across the country with the absolute best of Cleveland’s talent for an affordable, five-day festival at Hilarities. Returning is Doug…
Asian Lantern Festival Lights Up Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Through August
More than 40 larger than life lantern displays are set to light up the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo this summer during the Asian Lantern Festival. This after-zoo-hours event takes place every Thursday through Sunday from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. today through Aug. 19. The festival showcases Asian culture not just through elaborate paper lanterns, but…
Cleveland City Council to Finally Address Backlog of Nearly 380 Complaints About Police Behavior
In a step toward accountability, the Cleveland City Council authorized yesterday the hiring of Hillard-Heintze, a Chicago-based security risk management and law enforcement consulting company, to begin working through nearly 380 complaints made to Cleveland’s Office of Professional Standards about police officers, dating back to 2014 in some cases. Even with the addition of six temporary investigators…
Owners of Force Sports Want to Bring Pro Soccer Back to Cleveland
In a story published this weekend, Crain’s Cleveland reported that brothers Greg and Shaw Abrams, owners of Force Sports — in whose facilities someone you know probably plays adult-league soccer — are taking concrete steps to bring professional futbol back to Cleveland. Reporter Kevin Kleps said that the Abrams brothers have acquired the rights to the…
Clevelanders Can Now Buy a Car From a Vending Machine
Buying a car just got easier, faster and a hell of a lot more fun with today’s opening of Carvana’s Cleveland location, Ohio’s first vehicle vending machine. Striving to remove the traditional dealership infrastructure and replacing it with a fully transactional website, the entire car purchase process can be completed online in as little as 10…
7 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, JULY 20 Robert Cray Veteran bluesman Robert Cray and drummer/producer Steve Jordan (Eric Clapton, Rolling Stones, John Mayer) have done a slew of albums together over the years going back to Take Your Shoes Off, which was released in 1999 and snagged a Grammy Award for the best contemporary blues album the following year.…
Singer-Songwriter Cat Power to Play the Agora in October
Singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, who goes by the stage name Cat Power, began performing in local bands in Atlanta in the early 1990s. She eventually signed with Matador Records in 1996 to release the critically acclaimed What Would the Community Think and has continued to regularly record and tour ever since. With a new album due…
Cleveland Police Officer Indicted for Sending Sexually Explicit Pic to 17-Year-Old Girl
Continuing the recent trend of Cleveland Police officers doing some dumb shit over text messages, 32-year-old Thomas Tewell has been indicted on charges that accuse him of sending a sexually explicit photograph to a 17-year-old girl from Rocky River. According to Tuesday’s court records, a grand jury presented the two-count indictment charging Tewell with a fifth-degree…
Taylor Swift Lights Up FirstEnergy Stadium With Energetic Performance
“I’m having more fun on this tour than I’ve had in my whole life,” Taylor Swift said to a capacity crowd at FirstEnergy Stadium last night. “I don’t take a single moment that I’m up here for granted.” Some might wonder how a woman who’s played to thousands of people since she was 16 could…
Cinematheque to Screen ‘Revenge,’ an Empowering and Brutal Rape-Revenge Thriller, this Saturday
French writer/director Coralie Fargeat rocked the film world with her feature debut, Revenge when it hit the festival circuit this year, including a screening at the Cleveland International Film Festival. While the Netflix-of-Horror app, Shudder, has the exclusive streaming rights to the film, the Cleveland Cinematheque is offering the opportunity to catch this brutal film as…
The Cleveland Orchestra Does Mahler at Blossom and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch in Cleveland This Week
[image-1] Stars in the Classics will present two Classical Cabarets featuring young area musicians on Thursday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20, both at 7:00 pm and both in the attractive, octagonal council chamber at Orange Village Hall. The Thursday performance features music by composers who emigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe and…
‘The Cakemaker’ is the Gay German-Israeli Drama that Food Network Lovers Have Been Waiting For
Written and directed by Ofir Raul Grazier, The Cakemaker is a sad and sensitive exploration of an emotionally and culturally unique relationship. The 113-minute Israeli drama opens at the Cedar Lee Friday. Thomas (Tim Kalkhof) is a soft-spoken pastry chef in Berlin who, in the opening scene, meets Oren (Roy Miller), an Israeli businessman who…
Singer-Songwriter Lucy Dacus Talks About Her Evolution as an Artist
Trained not by professors but through a lifetime of introspection, singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus has a keen understanding not just of self but of the way self evolves. Charles Darwin would correct me, saying that evolution occurs at the population level, not the individual level. But identity is different. It’s not a physical form bound by…
Concerns Grow Over Treatment of Immigrant Women in Detention
COLUMBUS, Ohio – This week, members of Congress will continue their push for an investigation into the detention of pregnant women in Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. Numerous reports of pregnant women miscarrying and being denied proper health care in ICE custody were made public last week. The grassroots organization MomsRising has been following anecdotal…
Band of the Week: 6 String Drag
MEET THE BAND: Kenny Roby (vocals, guitar), Rob Keller (bass), Luis Rodriguez (guitars), Dan Davis (drums) A CLEVELAND CONNECTION: Singer-guitarist Kenny Roby’s parents grew up in Cleveland and many of his relatives consider it to be their “homebase.” He grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and started several “short-term” iterations of the band before a…
Savage Love: Connections
I’m a 20-year-old submissive woman in a confusing affair with a 50-year-old dominant married man. He lives in Europe and has two kids close to my age. We met online when I was 17 and starting to explore my BDSM desires — out of the reach of my overbearing, sex-shaming, disastrously religious parents — and…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Weekend (July 18-24)
WED 07/18 Cuyahoga Valley National Park & Summer Concert Series Each summer, the National Park Service teams up with the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park to produce a free summer concert series at Howe Meadow in Peninsula. This summer’s schedule includes several terrific local acts such the jazz/funk collective Funkyard Experiment that performs tonight.…
A Domineering Mama Rose Tells Us What’s Up in a Less-Than-Perfect ‘Gypsy’ at Beck Center
Did you ever wonder why you never see revivals of Funny Girl, the musical that made a global star of Barbra Streisand? Well, one reason might be that the music composed by Jule Styne was so specifically tailored to fit Babs that it makes it difficult for anyone else to step into her shoes in…
Introducing the New Ohio City Galley Chefs
It’s been nine months since we learned that Tyler Benson and Benjamin Mantica had plans to bring their innovative food hall concept to Cleveland. Now, we have the scoop on the opening class of chefs — four separate operators who have signed leases to open original fast-casual concepts. Like Smallman Galley and Federal Galley in…
Josh Tomlin on His Struggles, His Family, the Indians and His Fears of it All Colliding Before He’s Ready
You’d be forgiven for missing the brief tenure of George Kontos in Cleveland, but in case you need a refresher: The reliever signed a minor league deal with the Indians on June 3, about a week after being released by the Pirates. He was called up to the majors and made his Tribe debut on…
