Updated: Popular Single Catapulting Career of Cleveland Rock/pop Band Somekindawonderful
(Originally Posted 7/2/2014) The story behind the formation of Somekindawonderful, a Cleveland pop/rock band that currently has a huge hit on its hands with the infectious synth-pop/soul single “Reverse,” sounds so incredible, it’s hard to believe it’s true. The band came together last year after Los Angeles-based singer Jordy Towers randomly met guitarist Matt Gibson…
Questionable Culture With Will Burge Live Right Here at Noon
Week three of the Will Burge show goes live from Townhall at noon today, which is just a few minutes from now, and ohhhh boy are there a few things to talk about. Today’s guest: Josh Cribbs. But, um, we have a feeling Burge and crew will also be talking about a certain other former…
Audio: Lakewood Man Dials 911 To Report Drug Dealer On Corner, Realizes During Call That Suspect Is Just A Sign
In a hyper-vigilant fight against drugs, a Lakewood man dialed 911 on Sunday evening to report there was a man dealing at a busy intersection. But he realized, midway through the call, that he may not have all his information correct. The call details showed up in the Lakewood police blotter, and included the dispatcher’s…
Nostalgia Reigns Supreme at Journey Concert at Blossom
If you were at Blossom Music Center last night and didn’t do a lot of advance research, it might have been a bit confusing to witness the triple bill of Journey, Steve Miller Band and Tower of Power. At the very least, it perhaps warranted a bit of explanation and Steve Miller himself was quite…
Reports: LeBron to Announce Decision on LeBronJames.com
What are you doing today, Cavs fans? Oh, nothing, just refreshing LeBronJames.com over and over and over and over and over and over and is it here yet and please and not yet and okay and how about now? Plugged in source says 90 percent chance @KingJames returns to #Cavs, & it'll be announced on…
10 Fun Summer Things to do With Your Dog in Cleveland
Considering we’ve got about a four-month window of considerably hot and mostly sunny weather in Cleveland, it’s in our best interest to take advantage of this as much as possible. But how are we supposed to leave for outdoor pursuits when we’ve got the saddest lil’ eyes in the world begging us not to go?…
New All-Vegan Café Coming to Lakewood
For the past two years, Cleveland Vegan has served the growing vegan community in Cleveland through its catering and personal chef services company. Come late fall, the popular catering company will serve an expanded retail customer base from its new Lakewood storefront. From rented commercial space in Lakewood, husband-and-wife partners Laura Ross and Justin Gorski…
R.I.P. Hank LoConti, Founder of Cleveland’s Legendary Agora
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame LoConti We’re getting word that Hank LoConti, founder of Cleveland’s legendary Agora, has died. He was 85. LoConti opened the Agora in 1966, paving the way for the city’s role in the canons of rock ‘n’ roll. The venue ushered in modern rock titans, like Bruce Springsteen and ZZ…
Sunday’s Public Square Protest Showdown: Guns vs. Guitars
Sunday, rallyers wielding guns and rallyers wielding guitars will go head to head on Public Square in demonstrations for civil liberties. Inspired by hundreds of musicians and music fans in Dallas, who protested the Open Carry gun movement on the Fourth of July, a grassroots Cleveland group will follow suit this weekend. “Why drag a semi-automatic in…
Bob Frantz is No Longer With WTAM 1100
Details are scarce right now, but longtime WTAM personality is no longer with the station, according to Ohio Media Watch, which shared Frantz’s Facebook post announcing the move today. This is one of those posts no one likes to make, but alas, it must be done. I am no longer employed by WTAM 1100. What’s…
Cleveland Will Host Republican National Convention in 2016
#158805537 / gettyimages.com Cleveland will host the Republican National Convention in 2016. The press secretary of the Republican Governors Association, among plenty of other sources – like Mark Zinni! – confirmed the news. We’re still briefly awaiting the official announcement from the committee. The RNC grab is, of course, huge news: a boost to the…
Here’s An Epically Gorgeous LeBron James Video.
A week or so ago, it seemed all but certain that LeBron James would be staying in Miami with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, keeping the Big Three intact. Over the past couple of days, the wind seems to have been blowing James back to Cleveland. The momentum may have shifted yet again. But who knows? The landscape…
Case Western Reserve Settles Lawsuit By Law Professor Who Claimed Retaliation After Reporting Law School Dean’s Sexual Harassment
Former CWRU law school dean Lawrence Mitchell (left) and law professor Ray Ku (right). Lawyers for Case Western Reserve University law school professor Raymond Ku announced today that the suit against the university and former law school dean Lawrence Mitchell has been settled. The settlement comes after nearly nine months of subpoenas, affidavits, motions to…
‘Pixel Painter’ Hal Lasko Dies at 98
Instagram Lasko It is with a heavy heart that we relay the news from the Lasko family: Renowned and beloved “pixel painter” Hal Lasko died July 6. From a family member’s Instagram account: Hal was surrounded by his family as he left this world after dealing with complications of a stroke that happened just a…
15 Vintage Photos of the Cleveland Metroparks
The Metroparks have always been an outlet of sorts for those of us stuck in the more suburban and metropolitan areas of our dear Northeast Ohio. Check out these 15 photos of Clevelanders throughout the years enjoying a plethora of outdoorsy activities at the Metroparks, in the days before Netflix and being wrist-deep in a…
Video: High Definition Drone Footage Of Downtown Cleveland
Drones are the new big thing in videography: just mount a camera on one, send it up, and get some footage from angles nobody’s ever seen before. This video, a “goofing around” clip uploaded to Vimeo by Pinpoint Media, manages to get some amazing shots of Cleveland that look like something out of a video…
Ohio Man Goes Apeshit After Great Clips Haircut
Via frenzied hair & makeup & TV news reports: At a Great Clips in Chilicothe, OH, (near Columbus), 49-year-old Jimmy Nguyen was so displeased with the haircut he received that he punched the manager in the face. Those of us who’ve suffered a Great Clips haircut have likely acted out similar fantasies in our minds, though few of…
200 Parmatown Mall Bricks Sold, Reminds Clevelanders of Good Old Days
Much like a nostalgia-ridden alum taking bricks from the cobblestone streets of his alma mater, people were apparently eager to be the proud owners of slabs of the old Parmatown Mall, which is currently undergoing big-time renovations. Two-hundred bricks were sold for $20 over the weekend to support the Parma Youth Commission, whose mission is…
Four Confessed, Charged in Jim Brennan Murder
Four men arrested in connection with the Jim Brennan murder at the popular bar owner’s restaurant, Brennan’s Colony, made a full confession on Saturday, reports NewsNet 5. The men — Brandon Jones, Darien Jones, Paul Turner and Devon Turner — were charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. Brandon Jones was an employee of Brennan’s at the time of…
Scranton Flats/Towpath Trail Gets Ribbon-Cutting Treatment Today
Eric Sandy / Scene The new Scranton Flats/Towpath Trail may not have the most nimble title, but it sure spruces up this desolate section of Cleveland. Here’s what the side of Scranton looked like pre-trail. If you’ve been driving around the Scranton-Carter corridor recently, you’ve seen the nearby industrial wasteland transformed into a nearby industrial…
Billy Joe Shaver Lives Up to Billing as the Original Honky Tonk Hero
Toward the end of last night’s nearly two-hour concert at the Beachland Ballroom, 74-year-old country singer-songwriter Billy Joe Shaver pulled back his blue denim shirt and tightened the belt on his worn jeans. He slowly sauntered up the microphone, adjusted his brown cowboy hat and slowly whispered “irresistible.” The moment provided a nice encapsulation of…
Happy Fourth of July, Cleveland
Peter Larson, Vice Be merry, celebrate America (which is Cleveland, really) and celebrate America writ larger. To get you in the mood, scenes from the block party in Gordon Square during last year’s July 4 festivities that ended up getting some love nationally. Come on, who does it better than us?
Nomads Release Cleveland-centric Music Video for ‘Home’
Local post-rock heroes Nomads released their self-titled album back in 2012. The entire album contains songs that are named after local landmarks and/or bits of local history, but the song “Home,” an artful instrumental number that recalls Tortoise and all those great post-rock bands from the ’90s, has become the fan-favorite. “[We’re] super proud to…
Video: Watch Drone Footage of the Electric Run
The Electric Run was nearly two weeks ago, but this video was just uploaded on Vimeo, so we thought we’d share it now. Most of it was shot from a drone, showing an overhead view of the swarm of glowing runners while MGMT’s appropriately named “Electric Feel” plays over it. Check it out: While you’re…
No One Gives a Shit About Car Access in Kinsman
If you haven’t read Chris Stocking’s cover story this week about the Opportunity Corridor, by all means put your other work on hold for 15 minutes — we’re all easing into July 4th weekend anyway, right? — and check it out. Among Stocking’s assertions was that 2/3 of the stated goals of (and 99.5 percent of the funding…
Update: Five Arrested in Connection with Fatal Shooting of Cleveland Heights Bar Owner Jim Brennan
Photo via Brennan’s Colony, Facebook Update II: Five people have been arrested in connection with the slaying of popular local bar owner Jim Brennan, who was shot at his Cleveland Heights establishment, Brennan’s Colony and Tavern, earlier this week. He died from his injuries on Monday at MetroHealth Hospital. Cleveland.com reports that five people have…
American Idol is Hosting Season XIV Auditions in Ohio and Is Seeking Out Clevelanders
Think you have what it takes to be the next American Idol? Then pack your bags, and head to Columbus next week for Season XIV’s Ohio auditions. While the auditions will be held in our state’s center, Scene spoke to an American Idol representative yesterday who is seeking out Cleveland talent. “We want to know…
15 Things Going on in Cleveland Over the Fourth of July Weekend
The glorious long Independence Day weekend has arrived, and folks, there’s plenty to do around town in-between the cookouts and the keggers. Head out to Blossom to hear the Cleveland Orchestra play some all American tunes, cheer on the Tribe as they play that all American sport, and spend an evening in Lakewood for some…
This George Thorogood Fan Is Not Happy With the Crowd At Last Night’s Show
Presented without much comment, this letter sent to Scene this morning expressing eloquent and perturbed thoughts directed at the fans at the George Thorogood concert last night. Does Cleveland rock? Let our concerned reader answer that question. I wanted to contact you to inform you about a tremendous injustice happening in Cleveland. I wouldn’t believe…
Episode 2 of ‘Questionable Culture’ With Will Burge Live Right Here at Noon
Week two of Questionable Culture with Will Burge starts right here at noon, live from Willoughby Brewing Company. Today’s guests, joining Burge and crew: comedian Brian Kenny and the always ubiquitous Ricky Smith. Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
The Sam Sheppard Case Files Are Now Online For Amateur Sleuths
The Sam Sheppard case, one of the most infamous in Cleveland and American history, captivated the nation following the July 4, 1954, murder of Marilyn Shepphard and, of course, spawned The Fugitive. Sixty years later, Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Library has launched a public online compilation of the case files, court transcripts,…
Cannons on Display in Indians Sick Triple Play
The Indians’ executed a scorching triple play during the fourth inning of their 10-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday night. Michael Brantley caught a line drive off the bat of Adrian Gonzalez (Out #1) and rifled it home to Yan Gomes who tagged out Dee Gordon (Out #2). At that point, the sneaky…
Up, Up and Away: A Chat with Tim Hayes of Cardboard Helicopter
Cleveland was once part of a region where manufacturing flourished. From the ’20s to the ’60s, companies like Ford, Eaton, and TRW produced components for cars on a massive scale, while industrial equipment makers like Dravo Wellman and Lincoln Electric employed thousands to meet the nationwide demand. The industrial landscape has obviously changed since then…
Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey Guitarist Neal Schon Reflects on the Classic Rock Band’s Generation-Spanning Legacy
For Journey guitarist Neal Schon, it’s been quite a trip. The legendary guitarist turned 60 earlier this year and for a large chunk of that time, he’s been making music. He accepted an invitation to join Santana in 1971 at age 15 after reportedly declining an invitation from Eric Clapton to join Derek and the…
Shining Stars: Singer Philip Bailey Talks about How Earth, Wind and Fire Continues to Thrive
While we live in an era ofgroups reuniting to seek those last vestiges of that iridescent supremacy, very few have been able to maintain that quality of a shining star as enduring as Earth, Wind & Fire. The group has, in its span of 45 years, broken down racial barriers for African-American performers in the…
Wacko from Waco: Billy Joe Shaver Talks about his Forthcoming Album and How he Shot a Man Between the ‘Mother’ and the ‘Fucker’
Country singers Billy Joe Shaver and Willie Nelson go back. Way back. Shaver recalls first meeting the fellow Texan back in 1953. “I was just a kid when I met him,” says Shaver. “He’s always written great songs. I’ve never heard a bad song out of him. It’s always well written and got a front…
Liquid Gold: BottleHouse Brewery in Cleveland Heights is the City’s First Full-Fledged Meadery, but the Brewers Say there’s Room for Competition
Jason Kallicragas loves his job. What’s not to like? He has a 2-mile commute. He spends his workdays behind the bar or brewing up concoctions in the back room of BottleHouse Brewery.And his boss lets him try new things. Well, new old things: About a year ago, he started experimenting with honey wine, better known…
A Better Plate: Dan Barber Wants to Change the Way We Eat
For years, Dan Barber has been extolling the virtues of farm-to-table, nose-to-tail cooking. As the chef and owner of two award-winning New York restaurants, Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, as well as a frequent scribe on topics of sustainability, Barber has helped propel the movement further and faster than almost anybody else.…
Opportunity Nowhere: The Beginner’s Guide to Being Outraged Over the $330-Million Opportunity Corridor
It’s just another day standing on the corner of Woodhill and Buckeye, waiting for the No. 10 RTA bus to take me to work. I’m a homecare worker, and though my employer provides a car for transport around the eastside of Cleveland during the day, I rely on public transportation to get there each morning…
Summer Wimps, Listen Up! It’s Time for a Jolt of Live Theater
Imagine it is now the first week of September and you’re wondering how the summer disappeared so fast. “Where did it go?” you mewl. “It seems like the Fourth of July was just yesterday!” Well, July 4 is right now and it’s time for you to grow a pair, my friend. Summer is here and…
Texas Plant Mixes Folk and Punk on its Self-Titled Debut
Texas Plant Texas Plant (self-released) facebook.com/texasplant Led by singer Matthew Leeb, who prides himself on playing “inanimate objects” in addition to more conventional instruments like the harmonica, this local folk-punk group has only been together for a short time, but you wouldn’t know it from this terrific album. The disc opens with rowdy, twangy beer…
Robin Thicke’s ‘Paula’ Misses the Mark
Robin Thicke Paula (Interscope) robinthicke.com The success of singer Robin Thicke’s last album, 2013’s Blurred Lines, stemmed from the fact that the Pharrell Williams-produced title track was such a monster hit. Thicke shows no signs of repeating that success with this follow-up album. “You’re My Fantasy” is a lukewarm love song that features a bit…
Joe Rollin Porter Explores Early Rural Blues on ‘Dirty Mean Old Blues’
Joe Rollin Porter Dirty Mean Old Blues (self-released) joerollinporter.com Take one look at singer-guitarist Joe Rollin Porter’s schedule and you quickly realize he’s one of the hardest working musicians in Northeast Ohio. Self-described as an “acoustic fingerstyle guitarist,” Porter plays early rural blues and American folk songs. Don’t expect to hear anything too mainstream on…
Film Spotlight: Begin Again
With his 2007 film Once, writer-director John Carney had an advantage: Stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova had worked together as the Swell Season even before the film was conceived. As a result, their performances in the movie, which eventually became a successful Broadway musical, felt natural. The same can’t be said for Carney’s new…
Film Review of the Week: Tammy
If you like Lesbian dance parties, Viking burials, old-people flirting and Melissa McCarthy, Tammy’s a can’t-miss summer bonanza. If you’re not particularly gaga for any of the above, this one’s still an enjoyable, if pretty low-watt, R-rated summer comedy. The inimitable McCarthy (The Heat, Bridesmaids, TV’s Mike & Molly) is Tammy. Within the film’s opening…
Band of the Week: Shady Drive
Meet the Band: Rob “Shady” Hayes (guitar/vocals), Mike Starcher (drums/vocals), Kevin Fancher (bass/vocals) in the beginning: Singer-guitarist Rob “Shady” Hayes started Shady Drive in 2004 with his brother-in-law and dad and then recruited Mike Starcher to join the band about nine years ago. The group started to get some regular gigs at Bullfrogs Sports Cafe…
