Letters
NO SHRINKAGE HEREI wanted to compliment Michael Gill on his column in the new Scene (Arts District, July 23). It is very encouraging to hear your support for the arts in Cleveland and a commitment to covering all the great artists, performers, etc. that make this city a great place to live and entertain. It’s…
Havoc In The Heartland
Sam Shepard has written so many Midwestern family plays that we think we know what this one is about. Most often he shows us the world through the eyes of the displaced son undergoing a troubled homecoming. But what happens when the son looks in the mirror and sees his father's face? Now well into…
Your Weekly Events Calendar
Wednesday 8.6 STEVE HIRST Although comic Steve Hirst insists he feels like an American more than 12 years after he left his native England, he still has a few drops of British blood in his veins. That's why he named his son after English soccer star Michael Owen, who scored three goals to knock Germany…
Wind Jammer
Composers find inspiration in everything from politics to fairy tales. Eric Ewazen, who grew up in Middleburg Heights and attended Midpark High School, finds that his music is often informed by places he’s been and art he’s seen. With those starting points, his composing process is a journey of improvisation that develops into finished work.…
Fistula Gets Plague
Akron’s Fistula has signed a two-record deal with Swedish label Plague Island. The first release is the sludge-metal band’s long-delayed full-length debut, Burdened by Your Existence. The disc was previously slated for release on Austria’s PsycheDOOMelic. “The so-called ‘record labels’ that were interested in working with us weren’t nearly as enthused,” says Fistula mainman Corey…
The Black Crowes, Neil Diamond, And Radiohead
The Black Crowes House of Blues, Wednesday, July 30 It's hard to believe the Black Crowes have been around for over two decades.Through countless personal battles and a merry-go-round of complementary musicians, the brothers Robinson have persevered and have finally found themselves on steady ground.Ê For the past three years now, Chris and Rich Robinson…
Apocalypse Now
Delta/Piedmont blues translator Jake La Botz possesses the kind of résumé that would seem like fiction if it weren't for the facts. Raised by his radical leftist union organizer/journalist father in Chicago, La Botz loved acting early on, ushering at local theaters at age 8 just to see free plays. He tried high school fine…
Court of the Winsome Kings
Quick — the summer reading list! The end-days of summer are upon us: The cicadas now sing in the evening, notebooks are on sale at the drugstore and sweet corn is everywhere. Here’s your last chance to fit in some summer reading before school arrives and our attention shifts back to serious things — even…
Foo Fighters, !!!, and more
Foo FightersQuickens Loan Arena Friday, July 25 Kurt Cobain once said Dave Grohl was “an important cornerstone in the Nirvana institution.” That sentiment has continued to this day to ring extremely loud and true in regard to his active involvement in the grunge and heavy pop-rock scene. Since 1995, Warren, Ohio’s very own has stood…
Worlds Collide
Violinist Zach DePue and his Time For Three bandmates dwell in that musical realm populated by Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project, the double-bass adventures of Edgar Meyer and other topflight musicians who have plied their classical chops to the world's vernacular music to synthesize something new. Librarians and record shopkeepers call it "crossover," and the…
Culture Jamming: Bank Shot
TOP PICK The Bank Job (Lionsgate) This complex movie, based on a true story, weaves together petty thieves, dirty cops, some dude who calls himself Michael X and a member of the royal family caught in a threesome. Things go horribly wrong for everyone involved. The brooding Jason Statham stars as the mastermind behind a…
Brideshead Re-Revisited
Why anyone thought it necessary to make another Brideshead Revisited is a mystery. The fondly regarded 1981 British television miniseries should have been the last word on Evelyn Waugh’s elegy to friendship, art, aristocracy and religion in Edwardian England. And yet the urge to revisit classic literature cannot be restrained. As Anthony Andrews, who portrayed…
Unforgettable Desire
I’m old enough to remember when U2’s first three albums — 1980’s Boy, 1981’s October and 1983’s War — were only available on vinyl. Well, you could get them on cassette too, but anyone with a decent tape deck was smart enough to know that you could dub your own cassettes (on tapes of better…
See That Girl, Watch That Scene
Mamma Mia! Simple lyrics, hooks as sweet as lollipops and layered sound as lush as shag carpet made ABBA a worldwide sensation in the '70s. But it must have been money that inspired the stage production Mamma Mia, which, like an echo of an echo, returns to Playhouse Square just a month after the movie…
Mad Max
As the former bandleader/mastermind of Sepultura, Max Cavalera left a mark on metal like few others. Since he left that band in 1996, not so much. In 1997, he convened Soulfly, announcing a new project that would be a rotating lineup of players who would play his music, his way, whichever way struck him. And…
Granny Gone Wild
As a babushka-clad grandmother who decides to pay her 27-year-old army-captain grandson an impromptu visit at the Chechen front in Alexander Sokurov’s Alexandra, octogenarian Galina Vishnevskaya is Mother Courage personified. Vishnevskaya, a retired soprano in her native Russia, inhabits her character with an almost supernatural quality that erases the line between actress and role. It’s…
David Banner, James Jackson Toth, Alice Cooper, and More
James Jackson TothWaiting in Vain (Ryko) James Jackson Toth is the once (and future?) Wooden Wand. That is, JJT has previously recorded and toured under several Wooden Wand-related band names and aliases (the most foreboding being “Wooden Wand Jehovah” — yikes!). Under different guises, Toth has issued all sorts of avant-folk, touching on free jazz,…
Getting To Know Him
Recently, while perusing that beloved, long-lost Shakespearean epic, Prospero and the Sea Serpent, I came across an especially arresting quote: "The gods bestoweth to a special few that genius which delights all mankind's soul." This put me in a contemplative state of mind. What is this genius of which he speaketh? Not that utilitarian brilliance…
This Is A Fairness-free Zone
Research shows that individuals use drugs at roughly the same rate across all racial lines. Despite this, African Americans and those who live in the city of Cleveland are far more likely to be charged and convicted of a felony drug crime than those who are white and those who live in the suburbs ("Disparate…
Artscape
Ski: V. (intr.) to glideThere’s a reason Verb Ballets artistic director Hernando Cortez’s dance in homage to an earlier piece of choreography by Moses Pendleton is called Ski-Du: That’s because the new piece, which Verb will perform for the first time this weekend at Cain Park, continues the work of the original, which was an…
Bass is her Place
For all the wild-eyed accolades that have been showered upon Esperanza Spalding (David Letterman recently called her the coolest guest he’s ever had on his show), the most common rave may also be the one that the 23-year-old vocalist/bassist finds the most baffling: namely, that she sings and plays at the same time. “It’s so…
Flabulous
Over the winter, I padded up a bit. My once-tight pixie body had melted like wax in the sun. Suddenly all my clothes were too small, but I refused to buy anything larger to cover up, -because I feared it would dull my motivation to get back to fighting weight. So for weeks I sausaged…
Local Disc Reviews
Mark Freeman Cold Feet(self-released) markfreemanmusic.com After taking a long break from performing, Mark Freeman made his way back to the music scene to deliver a folk-rock album that delves into American history. Backed by a tremendous band called the Devil's Herd, Freeman unveils stories of love, sorrow and adventure. Whether he's singing about Pancho Villa…
Arts News
If a concert happens in downtown Cleveland and hardly anyone hears it, does it really happen at all? The Downtown Cleveland Alliance has announced a photo contest that is sure to gather evidence of the dozens of events and concerts going on downtown this summer. The Downtown Photo Challenge is open to amateurs and seeks…
Gogol Bordello
Since Gogol Bordello is unlike almost any other band in the world, it would only follow that its pathologically unique frontman, Eugene Hütz, would conduct an interview unlike any other frontman in the world. The Gogols are currently touring in Russia and cell-phone reception could charitably be called spotty, so Hütz answers questions via e-mail…
When Granny Met Sonny
A long time ago, before John Travolta conquered the discos, there flourished a movie repertory house in Little Italy called the New Mayfield. In this distant epoch, films couldn't be downloaded or rented on DVD or video. Thus, those with an adventurous cinematic palate had to seek out antiques and esoterica at the aforementioned venue.…
Matt Costa
Southern California singer-songwriter Matt Costa has had a few lucky breaks in his burgeoning career, but it was a particularly unlucky break that really set everything in motion. Seven years ago, at the age of 19, Costa was spending his waking hours skateboarding with his crew, all of them with designs on going pro. "I…
Something Rich and Strange
There’s a case to be made that Belgian surrealist René Magritte (1898-1967) is the most influential artist of the last century. The unending series of whiplash dislocations that made dreams of flight, speed, instant communication and moving images become realities felt like surrealism come to life, and Magritte’s work seemed to embody the bridge between…
Flashback to the Future
Flashback to the FutureSaul Glennon revisits its early years for Triology 2 When Saul Glennon plays the Winchester this Friday to celebrate the release of its new album, Triology 2: The Happiest Guy in the World, expect to hear something a bit different. Singer-guitarist Jack Rugan, who fronts the British Invasion-obsessed garage-rock act, plans to…
Your Concert Calendar
THIS WEEKTHURSDAY, AUG. 7A Change of Pace/Houston Calls/Socratic/Trillit: 7 p.m., $10 ADV (all ages, add $2 at door under 21). Musica, 51 E. Market St., Akron, 330-374-1114.Matt Costa: 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV/$17 DOS. Beachland, 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124.Ferras * CANCELED: House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, www.hob.com/.Anthony Green (of Circa Survive): $12. Grog Shop,…
All The Rage
CHICAGO — Looking at the names of the headliners at this year's Lollapalooza, you could be forgiven for thinking it was 1998 and not 2008. Acts such as Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine were all big back then. Not that there's anything wrong with any of the bands. The line-up was…
Mapping Relief
Whatever else visual art may have to say, it always tells a practical story about how humans perceive objects in space. The eye speaks directly to the fingers, proposing sharp or soft edges. Indeed, drawing techniques are a kind of projection of touch, finding ways to grasp things at a distance; different kinds of line…
Radiohead, Dynamic Duo, and Neil Diamond Headline This Week’s Calendar
Dynamic DuoMates of State at the Grog Shop, Sunday, August 3 With all due respect to Matt & Kim and She & Him, the mantle of indie-pop’s most adorable duo still belongs to Mates of State. The husband-wife team of singer-drummer Jason Hammel and singer-keyboardist Kori Gardner has been cranking out its trademark brand of…
In Search Of Intelligent Art
At least 100 artworks of all kinds are on view at Vision Gallery, which for the past six months has occupied True Art Gallery's former storefront space at the corner of Waterloo and 156th Street in Collinwood. But the first thing you see may be the most memorable. It's hard to miss, since it hangs…
Sweet Seventeen
When Packy Malley, promoter of the Mid-West Reggae Fest, says, "The bottom line is, it has to be profitable," he's only telling half the story. The other half is that while Malley is a businessman who also works in his family business, Malley's Chocolates, he's one of the area's most avid reggae enthusiasts, and the…
Next Level
“So how’s the band going?” Inside downtown Akron’s Radisson, an out-of-town businessman overhears our conversation and moves in for the kill, gliding from the hotel’s bar to the lounge area. The four women of Level-C are indeed an irresistible target: blond hair, pierced lips, tastefully tattooed arms, skimpy black summer clothes. “Good,” answers singer Christine…
Weekend Warriors
Not only is Cleveland the only club show Winnipeg melodic punk band the Weakerthans are playing all summer, but it’s also one of only two U.S. shows. After nearly a year of touring behind its newest album, Reunion Tour, the band is spending a few months playing only weekend shows, most of which have been…
High School Confidential
THE CHARACTERS in American Teen seem like stock figures from a high school comedy: the stuck-up prom queen, the ambitious jock, the pimply nerd, the misunderstood artist. It's Mean Girls, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Revenge of the Nerds. But American Teen is a documentary and the kids are real. That their stories conform…
Dimora Fiddles
In retrospect, I'm glad that Al Gore was denied the presidency in 2000. Just imagine what the Republicans would have done to him. Remember, they were still fresh off the "victory" of the Clinton impeachment. They knew that with very little ammunition, they could keep a Democratic president pinned down for months, even years, severely…
Culture Jamming: End of the World
TOP PICKDoomsday(Rogue Pictures)Part 28 Days Later, part Mad Max and part 300, this apocalyptic thriller takes place 25 years in the future, after a deadly virus has wiped out half the U.K. and turned the other half into people-eating savages. A smokin’ hot special-ops warrior with a robotic eye (Nip/Tuck’s Rhona Mitra) saves the day.…
Disparate Times
Back in September 2001, as the nation recoiled from mighty blows at the hands of foreigners, the Rev. Marvin McMickle was settling into his new role as foreperson of a county grand jury, the engine of indictment for serious crimes committed by our neighbors. What he discovered still haunts him to this day — a…
Great Diners And Romanian Cuisine
It may not inspire confidence to walk into a sparsely populated and ostensibly scantily stocked sushi bar like Aoeshi Café (2175 Lee Rd., 216.321.3700). But based on the store's pedigree, I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Aoeshi, as you might recall, was a very fine sushi restaurant in North Olmsted.…
The Boys Of Summer
The Boston-based band Boys Like Girls doesn't have time for haters. Call its music predictable, naive or cookie-cutter, and the group – singer Martin Johnson, guitarist Paul DiGiovanni, drummer John Keefe and bassist Bryan Donahue – won't mind. It's too busy selling albums and selling out shows. After two years of promoting its self-titled debut,…
Dining Bites
Market Avenue Wine Bar (2526 Market Ave., 216.696.9463) will stay on Market Ave. “I’m ecstatic,” says owner Greg Bodnar. “Staying on this street has always been my main goal.” After 15 years at the same location, the city’s oldest wine bar is being pushed out by landlord Great Lakes Brewing. Bodnar’s plan involves the purchase…
Dale Crover of Melvin
Dale CroverMelvin For nearly 25 years, the Melvins have played a singular form of sludge rock, serving as the initial inspiration for grunge acts like Nirvana and Soundgarden. After a short run with Atlantic Records in the mid-’90s, the band has returned to the indies and seems to have found a home with Ipecac, the…
I See The Truth
In the fall of 1990, Anna had just graduated from Cleveland State University and was anxious to put her clinical psychology degree to use (Anna's name has been changed to protect her identity). She accepted a part-time position at Laurelwood, a prestigious hospital on the East Side where some of Cleveland's more notable families seek…
Is It Miller Time?
When FBI agents swooped into the county administration building last week, one of their top priorities was to confiscate documents related to the ongoing Juvenile Justice Center construction project, according to the search warrant. Details of the deals that led to the placement of the new juvie jail and courthouse, at East 93rd and Quincy,…
Going Up the Country
As the appeal of locally grown food became more glamorous, Tony Anselmo grew more distressed. It isn’t that Anselmo has anything against local ingredients — the man is a third-generation produce distributor, after all; it’s that some fresh-faced start-ups were acting as if they had just invented the idea. “Local food is the hot, trendy…
Your Weekly Events Calendar
Wednesday 8.6 STEVE HIRST Although comic Steve Hirst insists he feels like an American more than 12 years after he left his native England, he still has a few drops of British blood in his veins. That's why he named his son after English soccer star Michael Owen, who scored three goals to knock Germany…
Crimes And Misdemeanors
Whatever your feelings may be about the Oscar-winning Polish filmmaker, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired should provide you with plenty of cocktail-party (or blogging) conversation points. Was Polanski a skanky pedophile, who deserved to have the book thrown at him for having sex with a minor? Or was he railroaded by a criminal justice system…
Jtx
Having worked as the personal assistant for Marilyn Manson, singer JTX has seen his share of rock-star antics. To some degree, that inspired his tune "(I'm Gonna) Party Like a Rockstar" from his self-released 2007 debut, With Love From Detroit. But JTX, whose father was Jay Thomas, a popular New York City DJ and a…
One Tough Cell
The Dhamma Brothers Prison, we’re told, is the only growth industry this country has left (that depressing assertion dates back to before the push for “green” business initiatives; no wonder the government jumped on that bandwagon). Guess at the next big penal trade show, they could hawk DVDs of The Dhamma Brothers, a new documentary…
Matt Costa
Southern California singer-songwriter Matt Costa has had a few lucky breaks in his burgeoning career, but it was a particularly unlucky break that really set everything in motion. Seven years ago, at the age of 19, Costa was spending his waking hours skateboarding with his crew, all of them with designs on going pro. "I…
All That, And Jazz
Rare are the occasions that I feel like I've stumbled upon an obscure hot spot. I'm often one of the first through the turnstiles at new restaurants, eager to sneak an anonymous peek at the latest culinary offering. Trustworthy spies divulge which ones are best saved for a later date. But there has been almost…
Waste Not
It's a cool, rainy summer afternoon in Cleveland, but several patrons still choose to sit in Great Lakes Brewery's open-air beer garden in Ohio City. The recently installed retractable roof has been pulled over their heads. Tempered-glass sliding doors, specially designed to keep out cold air in winter, stay open to let the breeze in.…
A God Among Men
“The Thinker,” which is displayed in front of the south entrance of the Cleveland Museum of Art, is one of a handful of monumental castings of the famous work that was produced under Rodin’s supervision. It bears an identifying plaque that includes the phrase “Tragically damaged through vandalism March 24, 1970.”Let me climb upon you.…
Scars On Broadway, Ida, Black Light Burns, And More
Scars on Broadway Scars on Broadway(Interscope) With System of a Down on hiatus, drummer John Dolmayan and backup singer/guitarist Daron Malakian are biding their time in Scars on Broadway. The group's self-titled debut should please System fans that have little patience for the band's schizophrenic sideways leaps between new metal, old metal, erratic rock and…
The Byrds, John Hiatt, We Are Scientists, And More
John HiattThere are two songwriters coexisting in John Hiatt's body, one magnifying his quirky charm and the other swelling his bank account and raising his profile. On the one hand, Hiatt has a propensity for writing incredibly personal songs, brimming with intimate details of his life and populated with his patented brand of challenging phrasing,…
Get Out!
THURSDAY 7.31 THE TOURÉ CARTER PRO EXPERIENCE 2008 CAMPCleveland native Touré Carter credits a drug-free lifestyle with his success as a wide receiver for the Arena Football League’s San Jose Sabercats. This weekend, the 1999 Rhodes High School grad returns to his alma mater to show young boys how they too can become top-level athletes…
Got The Blues
The Savannah Bar and Grille is celebrating its 15th birthday with a customer-appreciation week and sets by national artists. The Westlake club began as a restaurant, but live local blues soon became its signature dish. It's one of the city's busiest and most affordable venues, with live entertainment seven nights a week and no cover…
High Times
Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) has got it good (but not great). He might drive around in a beater car and wear a dingy, decidedly unfashionable brown suit, but he dates a hot high-school chick (Jeanetta Arnette) and holds down a job that doesn't require too much effort (he serves subpoenas). Hell, he spends half his…
