Verb Ballets to Collaborate with Local Rock Guitarist Neil Zaza
Locally based Verb Ballets has just announced that it has commissioned the Adagio Reimagined Project with local rock guitarist Neil Zaza. The Adagio Reimagined Project will honor the legacy of Heinz Poll, a German-born dancer who developed Ohio Ballet into one of America’s most respected chamber dance troupes, while presenting a “bold new reinterpretation of…
In the Midst of a Massive Summer Tour, New Orleans-Based Soul Rebels Come to the Beachland Next Week
The Soul Rebels originated when percussionists Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss began playing with members of the Young Olympia Brass Band. They didn’t have a name, so Cyril Neville gave them one when they opened for him one night at Tipitina’s. They put out their first album in 1995 and have relentlessly toured ever since.…
Cleveland Elicits Ejaculatory Praise for All Star Week, Basks in Warm Afterglow of Impressive Hosting Job
Now that we have a headline tailor-made for Destination Cleveland’s next promo campaign out of the way… The results are in, and it has been unanimously decreed that the city of Cleveland did a helluva job hosting this week’s MLB All Star Game. Aided by a little cooperation from the weather, the city rolled out…
Mark Naymik Leaving Cleveland.com, Taking His Talents to WKYC
Mark Naymik, one of Cleveland.com’s best and longest-tenured reporters, announced today that he is leaving the dot com for WKYC Channel 3. The move will undoubtedly be a blow to Cleveland.com’s watchdog coverage, of which he produced a lion’s share, and will by the same token be a boon to WKYC’s. The good news is…
Playhouse Square Announces a Special Pre-Sale for Upcoming Wendy Williams & Friends Performance
Slated to take place at 8 p.m. on Aug. 23 at Connor Palace, Wendy Williams & Friends promises to be an evening of “comedy and truth” with the popular talk show host. The lineup will feature some of her “surprise” comedian friends from around the world. Use the code WENDY to buy tickets on the…
The Cleveland Orchestra Kicks Off Summers at Severance, and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
The Kent/Blossom Music Festival presents offerings from both students and faculty this week. Pianist Spencer Myer joins the Miami String Quartet for a concert of Haydn, Beethoven, and Bruch on Wednesday, July 10 at 7:30 pm in Kent State University’s Ludwig Recital Hall. Tickets available here. The Festival kicks off its Young Artist Series this…
Another Year, Another Ohio State Fair, Another Giant Butter Cow Sculpture
The year was 1903. Teddy Roosevelt was President, The Ford Motor Company was beginning production of The Ford Model A and something happened in Ohio that would change the state forever: The first butter cow was featured at the Ohio State Fair. The annual creation of a butter cow and her calf is now a…
As the All-Star Game Goes on Without Chief Wahoo, Local Groups Say They’ll Continue Pushing for Indians to Change Name
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The baseball world will be focused on Cleveland today as the city hosts the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. But a familiar face to Cleveland baseball, Chief Wahoo, won’t be on the field for the festivities. The team dropped the controversial logo from its uniforms last fall, although the Chief’s cartoonish face…
Watch DJ Shaquille ‘DIESEL’ O’Neal’s Sick Bass Drop During All-Star Party at FWD
Late into early Tuesday morning, Shaquille “DIESEL” O’Neal DJ’d for an overjoyed crowd of baseball players and sports writers at FWD Day + Nightclub in the Flats East Bank. His style was slick and his bass dropped just at the right time. Not bad for a guy known for his Gold Bond commercials. But anyone surprised that…
Beatles vs. Stones Concert Coming To the Kent Stage in September
A debate about whether the Beatles are better than the Rolling Stones has been going on ever since the two British acts first landed on the charts half a century ago. At 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Kent Stage, the tribute bands Abbey Road and Satisfaction will engage in a musical showdown…
Local Indie Rockers Jivviden to Play a Release Party on Saturday at Lake Affect Studios
The local indie rock act Jivviden has just announced that its latest effort, Let It Ride, will serve as the final chapter of the band’s Bunker Sessions. Recorded at both the band’s warehouse on Cleveland’s east side and So Good Sounds, a home studio on the west side, Let it Ride displays the band’s “softer,…
Greater Cleveland Aquarium to Celebrate International Women’s Dive Day on July 20
Created as an annual Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) commemoration, International Women’s Dive Day celebrates female divers and aims “to cultivate a more diverse, active and engaged dive community.” The Greater Cleveland Aquarium will celebrate the day with special programming on Saturday, July 20. “Diving is something we think about, talk about and do…
Trump, Pence to Rally in Ohio in August
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will appear in Cincinnati this summer as the 2020 presidential campaign season ramps up. The appearance at U.S. Bank Arena Aug. 1 will be the president’s fourth in Cincinnati since his 2015 campaign. Trump, a Republican, lost Hamilton County to Democrat Hillary Clinton by roughly 10 points…
Kawhi, All-Star Happenings, and Glory Days — The A to Z Podcast with Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac discuss the All-Star festivities in Cleveland, Kawhi Leonard landing in LA, National Video Game Day and the Lakers’ chances of winning the NBA title. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
There Is Now a Third ‘Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video’
It turns out that the same trends on display at your local cineplex — that there are no original ideas, that trilogies reign, that companies will mine nostalgia and reboot franchises when presented with the option — is also true of local comedic video stylings. Following last night’s MLB home run derby at Progressive Field,…
Exhibit Featuring Concert Photos by Local Photographers Coming to Trumbull Art Gallery in Warren
Several of the Mahoning Valley’s best and most-experienced photographers will be featured in First Three Songs, No Flash: From Hometown Heroes to Hall of Famers, a concert photography exhibition that opens on Saturday at Trumbull Art Gallery in downtown Warren. The exhibition runs through Aug. 24, and it coincides with the 10th anniversary of David…
Ohio Dems to File Ethics Complaint Against Republican Lawmaker Over Pregnancy Center Legislation
Ohio Democrats are calling foul over a bill that would provide tax breaks to donors of pregnancy centers that do not provide abortions. Critics say one of the co-sponsors of House Bill 297, Republican State Rep. Candice Keller, stands to benefit from the legislation. Keller has been the executive director of Middletown’s Community Pregnancy Center,…
More Than 30 Acts to Play on Friday at the Kent Blues Fest
The 11th Annual Kent Blues Fest returns to downtown Kent on Friday, and the festival will offer free live music by more than 30 acts at 26 locations, including restaurants, bars, bookstores and outdoor parks. Featured performers include the following: blues harp master Wallace Coleman; the Numbers Band, Akron/Kent’s long-running experimental blues rock band; the…
‘Long Island Medium’ Star Theresa Caputo to Appear at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage in November
Theresa Caputo, star of the TLC show, Long Island Medium, will appear on Friday, Nov. 22, at MGM Northfield Park, where she’ll share personal stories about her life and explain how her so-called gift works. She’ll deliver “healing messages” to audience members and “give people comfort knowing that their loved ones who passed are still with…
CBS News Captures How Cleveland Has Rallied Around Haitian Asylum Seeker Ansly Damus
If you haven’t followed the story of Ansly Damus, a Haitian asylum seeker who spent two years in ICE custody before being released to live with Cleveland Heights couple Melody Hart and Gary Benjamin as his case plays out, do revisit our feature from 2018. If you have followed the story, or if you just…
Ohio Democrats Want State’s 2020 Presidential Primary Moved From St. Patrick’s Day
Ohio House Democrats have asked Secretary of State Frank LaRose for more information on the 2020 presidential primary date for the state, which, as we recently learned in a tucked away section of the proposed two-year budget, is slated for March 17th, 2020, otherwise known as St. Patrick’s Day. The issues, though not major, are…
Free All-Star Game Haircuts Are Now a Thing Outside Progressive Field
Baseball superfans now have the option of getting their hair cut or painted up in honor of their favorite baseball player or team. Through today and tomorrow, the good people of Supercuts hair salon are setting up shop at the Gateway Plaza, also known as the big brick space between Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse and Progressive…
Here’s a Photo of the SUV That Reportedly Hit a Cleveland Cop Saturday and Drove Away
Police are still searching for the driver involved in the hit and run of a Cleveland officer Saturday morning. The on-duty cop was taken directly to the hospital after being crashed into at the corner of West 9th and Superior Avenue. The officer received multiple broken ribs and bruises from the 4 a.m. incident. Cleveland…
Members of the Baseball Project Talk About Their Love of the Game During a Press Conference at the Rock Hall
Earlier today, members of the indie rock band the Baseball Project participated in a media brunch at the Rock Hall to talk about their group and their participation in All-Star Game festivities. The band played on Saturday night at the Happy Dog and again yesterday afternoon at the Rock Hall. The group plays free shows…
Report: Pre-Trial Detention Behind Jail Overcrowding
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Across America, the population in local and regional jails has tripled over the last 40 years. New research suggests over the last 20 years, that growth is primarily attributed to people who have not been convicted of any crime. The Prison Policy Initiative examined U.S. Justice Department and past census data from…
Cuyahoga County Jail Inmate on Life Support Following Suicide Attempt
A Cuyahoga County Jail inmate is on life support following a suicide attempt on Friday, July 5, a source told Scene over the weekend. Cleveland.com confirmed the news with three sources of its own. The inmate, whose name has not been released, was in jail on a probation violation. He was taken to MetroHealth hospital.…
Forty-One Piece Orchestra Backs Weird Al Yankovic for Spectacular State Theatre Show
Prior to coming to town on his current tour, pop-rock satirist Weird Al Yankovic said that playing with a 41-piece orchestra on his Strings Attached tour is “pretty stinking majestic.” He wasn’t kidding. He brought the “majestic” show to the State Theatre last night for a thrilling 90-minute performance that included costume changes, backing singers…
Delly and His Wife are Expecting!
pic.twitter.com/u4ZwM1CKGr — Matthew Dellavedova (@matthewdelly) July 5, 2019 Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova and his wife Anna Shroeder are expecting a baby boy. The couple announced their forthcoming baby in a volleyball-inspired gender reveal on social media. Delly and Schroeder married in 2017. The Cavs, having drafted point guard Darius Garland No. 5 overall in last…
Cedar Point Acquires Sawmill Creek Resort, Adding 235 Acres
Cedar Point’s footprint continues to grow in Sandusky. The roller coaster park’s parent company, Cedar Fair, just announced they have acquired the nearby Sawmill Creek Resort. The addition brings the company’s total number of hotel rooms to more than 2,300. “We are excited about the opportunity to add Sawmill Creek to our growing portfolio of…
Local Rockers Oregon Space Trail of Doom Release a New Single and Unveil a New T-Shirt
The locally based “exploratory rock” band Oregon Space Trail of Doom has just released a trippy new single, “Rainbow People,” and it has created a new T-shirt too. The single is available on both Bandcamp and Spotify. “‘Rainbow People’ is a song about unity and the power it can hold when dealt with adversity,” says…
County Investigating Possible Drone-Drop of Contraband Into Euclid Jail Facility
At least in this reported instance of someone attempting to bring contraband into a Cuyahoga County jail facility, the responsible party doesn’t appear to be a guard, which is good news. Still, according to multiple reports detailing multiple instances where no details were shared by the County, a jail guard at the Euclid jail facility…
WWII Veteran: Ignorance, Indifference Greatest Threats to America
NEW YORK – Seventy-four years after he saw the flag raised on Iwo Jima, a World War II veteran has an Independence Day message for America: The fight for liberty goes on, and today’s enemies are ignorance and indifference to justice. Ninety-four-year-old Bob Pennoyer saw the American flag raised on Iwo Jima. He describes that…
Ohio is Horniest State for ‘America’ in America, Porn Survey Declares
The pornographic video site XHamster regularly surveys its users and releases the data findings in conjunction with various events and pop culture moments. For example, during last summer’s hot World Cup action, the site released findings that traffic during the matches increased the most in Morroco. (Warning: Almost every link you click here takes you…
Fireworks, Free Agents and Track Records — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
On the July 4th edition of the podcast, Andre and Zac discuss Kareem Hunt, the NBA spending frenzy, Kawhi Leonard and the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below,
Federal Judge Blocks Implementation of Ohio’s Heartbeat Bill, Says It’s Unconstitutional
A federal judge has blocked the implementation of S.B. 32, otherwise known as Ohio’s heartbeat bill, saying that it violates a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. The ACLU and women’s health clinics throughout Ohio had sued the state. Citing a variety of factors, most notably that many women do not even know they are…
Third Eye Blind Blend the Present With the Past in Classic Summertime Nautica Concert
Two years ago, Third Eye Blind visited the riverfront Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica and played their self-titled album in its entirety. The show was dynamite. “Tonight is a love letter,” frontman Stephan Jenkins told the crowd. Last night, the band, headlining a bill that also included Jimmy Eat World and Ra Ra Riot, returned and…
RTA Votes on New CEO, Described as Energetic, Innovative, Experienced Transit Leader
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) board of trustees voted Wednesday morning to enter into contract negotiations with India Birdsong, currently the COO of Nashville’s Metropolitan Transit Authority, to become the next Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of RTA. Birdsong was selected after an “exhaustive and exhausting” search, per the board, one that stretched…
Update: The Center Street Bridge in the Flats is, Shockingly, Now Open Again
Update: Well, kudos to the City of Cleveland for getting the Center Street Bridge fixed in a timely manner this morning. It’s now open again after being closed earlier today. Of course, it could and will likely malfunction at some point this weekend, so just be aware. *** If it’s not routine maintenance then it’s…
Bravo to Spotted Owl’s Inspired Billboard Trolling Porco Lounge and Tiki Room From Porco’s Own Roof
In the longstanding battle of wills, booze and tomfoolery between two of Cleveland’s best bars, it seems the Spotted Owl may have taken an unsurpassable lead with the installation of a new billboard above Porco Lounge and Tiki Room. “Owl-oha from the Spotted Owl, Cleveland’s best tiki bar,” the billboard boasts of the Spotted Owl,…
The Blossom Music Festival Launches and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
The calendar page just flipped over to July, which means that the Blossom Music Center is open for business in Cuyahoga Falls, and that the Kent Blossom Music Festival is gearing up a few miles away on the Kent State University campus. The first Kent Blossom Faculty Concert on Wednesday, July 3 at 7:30 pm…
Illegal Fireworks in Ohio: Dangerous and Deadly
[image-1] COLUMBUS, Ohio – When it comes to the “rockets’ red glare” and “bombs bursting in air,” fire officials are imploring Ohioans to leave consumer-grade fireworks to the professionals this Independence Day weekend. Sparklers, snaps and other trick and novelty fireworks are the only category allowed to be discharged legally in Ohio without a license.…
Resolution in Ohio House of Representatives Would Declare Pornography a Public Health Emergency
When you think of emergency health concerns, things like infectious diseases or unsanitary conditions likely come to mind. But some GOP state lawmakers have worries about something else — sexually explicit media, especially in the age of the internet. A resolution before the Ohio House of Representatives introduced by Republican State Rep. Jena Powell of…
Not Even a Baseball Strike Could Stop Cleveland From Hosting the 1981 All-Star Game (Sort of)
When Cleveland was awarded the 1981 MLB All-Star Game, it was a city in dire need of a boost. The previous decade, beginning with a fire on the Cuyahoga River in 1969, had battered the city that once billed itself as the “Best Location in the Nation.” In fact, on the day in 1979 the Plain…
Band of the Week: James Blonde
MEET THE BAND: Neil Carson (bass, vocals), Phil Taylor (drums, vocals), Steph Mercier (guitar, vocals) ALL ABOUT ONTARIO: This trio emerged out of the ashes of Xprime, a Niagara Falls, Ontario, group that performed at major festivals like Osheaga, Edgefest and Canadian Music Week. “We started in high school as a French band,” explains Taylor.…
Savage Love: Prejudicial Statements
I’m a man from a very liberal background. Recently, a girl I started dating — a girl from a similar background — mentioned that she has “a thing for black guys.” She also met my childhood best friend, a man of Korean descent, and commented to me that she found him handsome despite not typically…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Fourth of July Weekend
WED 07/03 Keep Talking Keep Talking is a monthly storytellers’ series that offers attendees the chance to grab a drink and a dog while listening to some of their Cleveland neighbors tell tall tales. Tonight’s show revolves around the theme, “My Moment of Fame.” The hosts are Adam Richard and Zachariah Durr. The program starts…
Cleveland Coffee Shops and Bars are Great Alternative Showcases for Local Art
For ages, alternative venues such as coffee shops and restaurants have offered wall space for emerging and established artists. Here are some places where you can open your third eye while you drink your red eye, red ale or red wine. SIX SHOOTER COFFEE 16021 Waterloo Rd. John Farina and Adam Tully of Maria Neil…
Wild Mango at Legacy Village is One Turbulent Ride
“This must be what it’s like to dine on a cruise ship,” my wife says as we take our seats at Wild Mango. This is not meant as a compliment, I’m sure, as our mutual opinion — one based solely on snobbish conjecture — is that cruise ships specialize in lackluster food dished up in…
