7/22: Greg Laswell at the Winchester
Greg Laswell launched his singer-songwriter career in 2003 with Good Movie, which snagged Best Local Recording from the San Diego Music Awards. An acoustic balladeer with a strong folk-rock influence, Laswell’s music has appeared on TV shows like 90210 and Without a Trace. His subtle cover of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was on…
7/21: Crüe Fest 2 at Blossom
Bigger and ostensibly badder than last year’s inaugural affair, Crüe Fest 2 arrives at Blossom as one of a lean summer’s few package tours. This time around, Motley Crüe has recruited Godsmack, Theory of a Deadman, Drowning Pool and Charm City Devils (who have an automatic in since they’re signed to Nikki Sixx’s label). While…
7/21: T-Model Ford at the Beachland
Blues 101 teaches us that the music was birthed in the rural south and made its way north after World War II to Chicago, where it was electrified and popularized by greats like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. While the music mostly modernized over the years, it took a serious U-turn in the retrofitted repertoire…
7/21: Adrian Belew at Grog Shop
Adrian Belew’s wildly innovative guitar work has enhanced some of the most significant projects by King Crimson, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson and Tori Amos. Belew’s first solo album, 1982’s Lone Rhino, was an unearthly but accessible Beatles-grade piece of guitar-pop. As solo artist and core member of Cincinnati’s…
7/20: Torche at Grog Shop
Not to quibble, but metal is a subset of pop music. It utilizes verse-chorus song structures, and it often includes catchy hooks. So it’s strange that Miami’s Torche is such a polarizing force in heavy music. They’re a loud, guitar-oriented band with fuzzed-out tones, fast tempos and accessible vocals. It’s probably that last part that…
7/19: Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra concerto performances are typically handled by guest soloists. But orchestra members can ask for the spotlight. Franklin Cohen gets that spotlight a lot. The orchestra’s principal clarinetist has performed concertos seven out of the past eight years. Tonight he plays Brahms Sonata for Clarinet and Orchestra, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst. Also on the…
Perestroika makes its local premiere tonight at CMA
A semi-autobiographical account of one man’s return to Moscow in the wake of reforms, Perestroika has its local premiere tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art as part of the Museum’s “Friday Night First-Runs” series. Here’s our review. Perestroika (US, 2009) Set in Moscow in 1992, Perestroika follows astrophysicist Sasha Greenberg (Sam Robards)…
7/18: Ale Festival
If there’s one thing we know here at Scene, it’s beer. And we’re putting all that knowledge to good use today at our first-ever Ale Festival. More than two dozen brews (including suds from local faves Fat Heads, CornerStone, Rock Bottom and Great Lakes) will be there. There’ll also be plenty of eats, like wings,…
7/18: Cleveland Orchestra
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is a staple that just about every major violinist performs and records. Indeed, as the early 20th-century music critic Lawrence Sommers wrote, the 1806 piece is the “ne plus ultra of fiddling ambition” and it “occupies a place of such transcendent glory in the musical firmament that its eminence is seldom disputed.”…
7/18: Hudson Wine Fest
Your ticket to the second annual Hudson Wine Festival entitles you to 10 tastings of more than 250 wines from around the world. With so much to choose from, chances are you’ll spend just as much time trying to decide what to sip next as you do savoring the wines. To accompany the tastings, there’s…
7/18: CPT Season Announcement Party
Theaters announce their upcoming seasons many ways — from simply sending out press releases to hosting media conferences. But Cleveland Public Theatre ups the ante tonight by throwing a party. “We’ve never just opened the doors and let people hang out,” says spokesperson Mindy Herman. “It’s kind of an experiment.” The neighborhood should be ready…
7/18: Walk + Roll/All Access Tour
Lois Moss credits Ward 15 Councilman Brian Cummins with connecting her Walk + Roll bicycle program to the Brooklyn Center Home Tour. She says Cummins recognized that the usual way of getting people though a house tour — trolleys — could be augmented with other kinds of transport. They mapped out four bike loops through…
7/17: Asher Roth at HOB
In the spectrum of white rappers, Asher Roth falls somewhere between 3rd Bass and Vanilla Ice. Like the old-school Queens group, Roth is capable of weaving in and out of twisty rhymes; like the “Ice Ice Baby” hitmaker, Roth’s gonna be remembered for one song. But the white rapper Roth resembles most is Eminem, whose…
7/17: Handsome Furs at the Grog Shop
There’s something about husband/wife and girlfriend/boyfriend music teams that resonates. Maybe it’s the unspoken understanding between lovers or the bond of familiarity. Or maybe it’s just a strange coincidence. However they pull it off, coupled-up music acts are thriving in the indie scene. Matt & Kim playfully stomp across the country, the married couple behind…
7/17: Colin Hay at the Beachland
He easily could have devolved into a novelty act by now, prancing around to “Down Under” with a makeshift version of Men at Work. To his credit, Colin Hay has chosen (usually) to emphasize his better attributes — specifically his roots as an accomplished singer-songwriter. As fans have long argued, Men at Work were never…
7/17: Painesville Party in the Park
Painesville’s Party in the Park bills itself as Ohio’s largest free music festival. Who knows if that’s actually true, but the event provides a ton of value for the (no) money. It kicks off from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. today with a singer-songwriter showcase hosted by veteran Northeast Ohio folkie Alex Bevan, launching three full days…
7/17: Puerto Rican Parade and Latino Festival
If you want to see and join in some colorful hoopla, head downtown for the 41st annual Puerto Rican Cultural Parade and Latino Festival. The three-day event — which overflowed neighborhood parks years ago — is in the Cleveland Municipal Parking lot across from Burke Lakefront Airport, which is big enough to handle all the…
7/17: Vital Information at Nighttown
Jazz drummer Buddy Rich, when asked his opinion of rock drummers years ago, remarked, “They’re animals … no-talent animals.” But even he might find a kind word for Steve Smith. Even though Smith played in Journey during their heyday, he has indisputable jazz cred. He’s performed across the jazz spectrum — fusion with Jean-Luc Ponty,…
The Lost Son of Havana has its local premiere tonight at CMA
The Lost Son of Havana, a documentary about former major league pitcher Luis Tiant and his attempt to reconnect with his Cuban roots, makes its local premiere tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Here’s our review of the film. The Lost Son of Havana (US, 2009) Former big-league hurler Luis Tiant is…
A HASTY (NOT HASTILY MADE) CLEVELAND TOURISM VIDEO
A new Cleveland revival plan: Suspend speed limits at night and play the Stomp soundtrack through speakers all over downtown.
Orchestra’s two-night-stand at Blossom this weekend
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is a staple that just about every major violinist performs and records. Indeed, as the early 20th-century music critic Lawrence Sommers wrote, the 1806 piece is the “ne plus ultra of fiddling ambition” and it “occupies a place of such transcendent glory in the musical firmament that its eminence is seldom disputed.”…
Downtown @ Dusk Goes to the Dogs
The Akron Art Museum’s 25th annual Downtown @ Dusk free summer concert series kicked off last week and will continue for another seven weeks through August 27. From 6:30-8:30 each Thursday on the museum’s terrace, a local band plays with an expert will giving an art talk between sets (7:30-7:45) and family art-making activities to…
CPT to throw Season Announcement Party
Theaters announce their upcoming seasons many ways — from simply sending out press releases to hosting media conferences. But Cleveland Public Theatre ups the ante tonight by throwing a party. “We’ve never just opened the doors and let people hang out,” says spokesperson Mindy Herman. “It’s kind of an experiment.” The neighborhood should be ready…
The Lost Son of Havana Premieres Locally at CMA Friday Night
The Lost Son of Havana, a documentary about former major league pitcher Luis Tiant and his attempt to reconnect with his Cuban roots, makes its local premiere Friday night at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Here’s our review of the film. The Lost Son of Havana (US, 2009) Former big-league hurler Luis Tiant…
7/16: Yeasayer at the Grog Shop
The word “eclectic” gets thrown around a lot in indie circles. If a band mixes two genres, it’s suddenly worldly. In the case of Brooklyn’s Yeasayer, “eclectic” may indeed be the best way to describe them. They harness tribal rhythms, psych-rock atmosphere, freak-folk vocals, dub groove and Middle-Eastern mysticism. These reference points may seem disparate,…
7/16: Keith Wann at Bogey’s Comedy Club
Keith Wann is something you don’t see every day: an American Sign Language comedian. Among other things, he uses extreme facial expressions to tell jokes. Wann has also served as an interpreter for Broadway plays and musicals (like Shrek, the Musical and Little Shop of Horrors), played an extra on Law & Order and teaches…
7/16: Maxwell at Allen Theatre
Stepping out of the limelight for what he calls a “healthy eight years,” Maxwell recently emerged with BLACKSummers’ Night, the first part of a musical trilogy he’s been working on since taking his extended break. It’s a strong return to form. “Help Somebody” features a ’70s-inspired horn section that recalls classic soul without sounding dated.…
7/16: Deer Tick at the Beachland
When it comes to band nomenclature, simple is often best. Singer-songwriter John Joseph McCauley III had just dissolved the duo My Other Face when he found a deer tick on his head while camping. So he started a band and came up with its moniker at the same time. Before McCauley settled on the current…
7/16: Coventry Street Art Fair
There are only two Coventry Street Arts Fairs this summer, and this is the second. So hurry down to Cleveland Heights’ Coventry Village (on Coventry Road between Euclid Heights and Mayfield) from 6-9 tonight for food dished up by the street’s restaurants, merchant sidewalk sales, artists’ and crafters’ offerings, farmers with produce, booths from local…
7/16: Cartoon Festival and Pie Fight
How often do you get the chance to act truly childish without drawing strange looks and comments? Every summer, Coventry PEACE, the folks who built and still maintain the magnificent Coventry Peace Playground in Cleveland Heights, offer one night of sanctioned immaturity. The Cartoon Festival and Pie Fight (part of a weekly outdoor movie series;…
7/16: Chris Ayer at Wilbert’s
Winner of the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, folksinger Chris Ayer has quietly released two albums over the course of his relatively short career. His latest, Don’t Go Back to Sleep, shows off his understated, soulful voice. Ayer says the record is a “call to action,” but don’t let that turn you off. Songs like…
7/16: All Time Low at HOB
Led by Alex Gaskarth and his perfect swoop of hair, All Time Low started out as blatant Blink-182 worshippers, complete with lots of genitalia references. On their third album, the undeniably catchy Nothing Personal, it’s becoming clear that All Time Low isn’t just a group of foul-mouthed kids who hog the spotlight. Although they maintain…
This Just In: Concert Announcements
This week, we have 46 new shows, from Asobi Seksu & Anna Terenheim to Zee Avi. Plus Bruce Springsteen, the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, Cursive, Living Colour, Sonny Landreth and more — something for everybody. SOLD OUTAlice in Chains: Wed., Sept. 16, 7 p.m. House of Blues. THIS JUST INAmazing Baby: Tavern, Wed., Sept. 30,…
Buy Marge Schott’s House
Head on over to Luxist for the full details, but a couple of things up front. First, you should know the price has been lowered to $3.95 million, but the place needs some updating. And second, it has a name: Ambleside.
eBay Item of the Day: Vintage Cavs Caricature T-Shirt
So, the past week or so, the eBay item of the day feature has searched out the most bizarre, oftentimes useless, Cleveland sports-related objects on the auction site. These are things no one should probably spend money or time on. Today, however, is a piece that I would actually buy. Caricature shirts are back in…
The Boss Is Coming
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band have just announced another leg of their Workin’ on a Dream Tour, and Cleveland is finally on the itinerary. Bruce and crew will play the Quicken Loans Arena on November 10. Twenty-five new dates were just added to the tour, which Springsteen and the E Street Band started…
Wait, It’s Okay to Film Warren Buffett Clowning on LeBron on the Court But Not Jordan Crawford?
No need to go over the Nike/LeBron/Jordan Crawford Dunkgate story again. You know what happened, so let’s move on, shall we? While all this was blowing up, LeBron was at the Allen & Co. extra-exclusive get-together in Sun Valley, Idaho with a bunch of billionaires and media moguls. And what did they watch for a…
Gotta Love Kelly Pavlik’s Honesty
A piece from the Youngstown Vindicator covers a few updates on Kelly Pavlik. There’s a super middleweight tournament going on soon on Showtime and Pavlik talked about not participating, facing whoever’s next, and the fact that he feels that his career merits being featured on HBO for a big payday. Most of this is unsurprising…
SpongeBob 10th Anniversary Doc on VH1 Tonight: LeBron Proclaims His Love
After Delonte West’s correspondent piece for Jim Rome is Burning, we knew he was a fan of SpongeBob. Well, apparently LeBron is too. Tonight, VH1 will air a documentary celebrating the show’s ten anniversary. You’ll hear from a bunch of kids and celebrities and others who just can’t get enough of the show, including The…
Just out on DVD, the Alan Freed Story revisits the Cleveland DJ’s legacy
While its accompanying press release compares Mr. Rock ’n’ Roll: The Alan Freed Story to music-related biopics such as Cadillac Records, Dreamgirls and Ray, this film, just out on DVD, is hardly in the same league. Originally made-for-TV, the movie commences in 1956 as Freed (Judd Nelson) is hosting a big band radio show on…
ANOTHER TRAVEL SHOW LOVES CLEVELAND
Last week, journalists from the Irish travel show No Frontiers rolled through town to shoot footage of Cleveland for a special on traveling in the States by Amtrak. First stop was Nighttown for lunch with owner Brendan Ring, who also took them for a ride on his big badass boat up near his Bratenhal home.…
John Kuester Led His High School Team in Floor Burns
In the recent weeks, we’ve heard all about John Kuester the coach. He was the offensive guru behind the Cavs, the yang to Mike Brown’s defensive yin, and the new head coach of the Deeeeeeeeeetroit Pistons and Charlie Villanueva. Before all that, and prior to assistant gigs with various pro teams, he was a college…
How Crazy Did the LeBron Dunkgate Story Get? Inside Edition Wanted to Interview the Cameraman
The morning the news broke that film footage of Jordan Crawford dunking over LeBron had been confiscated by Nike reps, I told a friend that the story was going to be huge. Anything LeBron = pageviews. Anything LeBron drives talk show traffic, riles up the talking heads at ESPN, and makes for good blog fodder.…
eBay Item of the Day: Eric Zeier T-Shirt
Eric Zeier played in seven games during the fateful 1995 Browns season, starting in four of them. It’s easy to forget that he ever played here, as the Browns have used approximately 213 quarterbacks since the end of Bernie Kosar’s reign. The question here is: Who the hell made an Eric Zeier t-shirt? Scott from…
LeBron Making Cameo with Matt Damon for Entourage Season Finale
I’ve never watched an episode of Entourage, but from talking to people and reading it seems as if it’s pretty popular, even though it’s a little douchey. The new season just started, and, as usual, they’ve lined up any number of celebrities for guest-starring roles. For anyone that may care about this kind of stuff,…
FESTIVALS PROVE THAT LOCAL IS BETTER
The economy is clearly having an impact on summer festivals. Both the Cain Park Arts Festival and Ingenuity this past weekend featured larger-than-usual proportions of local talent. In past years, Northeast Ohio artists were few and far between at the Cain Park event, which attracts applications from artists across the country. This year, almost a…
PEACE STILL SELLS, BUT WHO’S BUYING?
Cindy Sheehan’s 52nd birthday was Friday, and who from the media showed up at Edgewater Park to wish the press-annointed Peace Mom well, around the pulse of a six-piece bongo circle? Scene. The Plain Dealer and local TV crews crews attend any of Sheehan’s four events in Greater Cleveland over the past three days, not…
Concert Review: Kid Rock/Lynyrd Skynyrd, 7/10
Very few tours are selling out this summer, but the Kid Rock/Lynyrd Skynyrd road show hasn’t had any problems packing venues. They came to Blossom Music Center Friday night and played to a sold-out audience. Lynyrd Skynyrd opened the night with a new song, “Skynyrd Nation,” which quickly got everyone on their feet. After dedicating…
7/15: Reel Big Fish at HOB
The fickle masses turned on ska-punk almost immediately after adopting the bright, horn-heavy party music, and most of the former high-school band geeks went running for the hills, trombones clattering to the pavement, never to be heard from again. More than almost any other band from the short-lived ’90s popularity peak of the American ska…
7/15: Bowerbirds at Beachland
Being serenaded with an accordion is a rare occurrence. So, when the Bowerbirds flutter into town, it’s an occasion. The North Carolina-based band creates gentle waves of songs, celebrating Earth’s sacredness through ornately crafted lyrics and sweet, careful folk. Bowerbirds have a rotating cast of musicians, but Beth Tacular (accordion, keys) and Phil Moore (guitar)…
Tonight’s Food Inc. screening followed by a panel discussion
Food Inc. is a terrific documentary about the way in which the production of food has been influenced by corporate giants like MacDonald’s, turning the beef and chicken industries into brutal operations designed to maximize results no matter the health and safety risks. A panel discussion with local food experts Brad Masi (Executive Director of…
Eric Wedge’s Curious Managerial Moves Continue — Starts Travis Hafner at Second Base
CLEVELAND — In last night’s 15-1 loss to the Texas Rangers, Indians manager Eric Wedge made perhaps his most confusing decision to date in a season already full of odd choices. Travis Hafner, who had not started a game in the field all year — and who has struggled to even play three games in…
7/14: Rosewood Thieves at Wilbert’s
There’s a certain sepia quality to the name Rosewood Thieves, conjuring up images of some long-ago gang of western outlaws. While this New York City-based band has some twang, its musical roots are mostly from rock’s golden ’60s. The cover art for the 2006 debut EP, From the Decker House, aped ’60s-era Columbia releases, the…
7/14: The Veronicas at the Grog Shop
Long before Warner Brothers inked a contract with Lisa and Jessica Origliasso, better known as the Veronicas, the Australian twins were already stars. As teenagers, the pair found a measure of television acting success, switching to music when Jess received a guitar for her 18th birthday. At 20, they signed a publishing deal and worked…
7/14: Carbon Leaf at HOB
Carbon Leaf is a textbook example of slow and steady winning the race. The Virginia quintet began as a student band at Randolph-Macon College in 1992, leading to four independently released studio albums and a live set over the next 11 years. After a decade together, the band members quit their day jobs to focus…
7/13: Atheist at Peabody’s
These days, it seems like progressive and/or technical death-metal bands are overrunning the planet like meth-fueled cyborg roaches. But back in the early ’90s, hearing a band mix jazz chording with brutal thrash riffs and thunderous double-bass drumming was decidedly unexpected. Atheist and their friends in Cynic came roaring out of Florida, expanding the genre’s…
No Frontiers travel show makes quick swing through town
Yesterday, journalists from the Irish travel show No Frontiers rolled through town to take footage of Cleveland for a special on traveling in the States by Amtrak. First, they went to Nighttown for lunch where they met with owner Brendan Ring, who took them for a ride on his boat up near Bratenhal. Then, they…
Kobe/Wade on the LeBron Dunk Fiasco
Via Fanhouse, Wade was on the Dan Patrick Show today and said this… “At first I heard it and I said get out of here,” Wade told Patrick. “And Kobe said, ‘Man, you gotta call LeBron. You gotta give him stuff about this.’ That’s how we all are. When something is real we’re going to…
Ingenuity Festival: It’s Not Just Wacky Performance Art
This weekend’s Ingenuity Festival, happening all over the PlayhouseSquare area tonight through Sunday, features a lot of strange, challenging, sure-to-be-head-scratching presentations that mix various artistic disciplines. But never fear: Even if you are not a fan of avant-garde theater, dance, performance art or experimental sound and light experiences — or you’re not sure if you…
Mick Boogie Remixes Peter, Bjorn and John
On August 1, a new remiix project called Re-Living Thing will drop. A bunch of people take Peter, Bjorn and John’s latest album, Living Thing, and twists the album into a whole new beast. Cleveland native Mick Boogie contributed to the project. His song, “Nothing to Worry About,” features Seinfeld-lovin’ MC Wale and Rhymefest, and…
Cleveland Jazz Project Returns
When the members of the Cleveland Jazz Project, who came together at Cleveland Heights High School, scattered to go to college, it was natural to think the group’s days were numbered, and that its album Experiment #1, released last summer, might be its swan song. In fact, they’ve shown a persistence and dedication that bodes…
Concert Review: Warped Tour
The Warped Tour celebrated its 15th year yesterday in the Flats with a 10-hour extravaganza featuring 73 bands on seven stages. The weather was perfect, with the heat rising off the asphalt grounds alleviated by a nice breeze off the river. Onstage, it was a typically Warped smorgasbord of acts running the gamut of punk…
Best. Cavs. Shirt. Ever. Delonte West and Donuts
From LeBron 2010, via Waiting For Next Year, these shirts will be available soon. Follow LeBron 2010 on twitter for updates. The joke comes from this correspondents piece Delonte did for the Jim Rome TV show.
Old School Sinema hosts DVD release party
Featuring a screenplay by Scene contributor Bob Ignizio, The Spookshow, the fourth release issued by the local production company Old School Sinema, is now out on DVD. To celebrate the release, the Old School folks are throwing a bash at Rock Star, the VIP located upstairs at Peabody’s (2045 E. 21st St., 216.776.9999, peabodys.com). They’ll…
eBay Item of the Day: Cleveland Force Nesting Dolls
If you weren’t/aren’t still a fan of Cleveland’s long defunct indoor soccer team, the Cleveland Force, then I have no use for you. Yes, there was the Crunch, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the Force, the gloriously talented futbal savants who thrilled us while wearing the blue and yellow. And here we have…
Studio-A-Rama Deadline One Week Away
Local and regional bands who’d like to play WRUW-FM 91.1’s annual Studio-A-Rama have just a week to get their submission to the station: Deadline is July 17. The free, all-day event, now in its 28th year, takes place in September in the courtyard behind the Mather Building (where the station is headquartered) on the Case…
Yee-Haw! Those Darlins Comin’ to Town
The idea of giving all band members the same last name may be a cliché (the Ramones, the Donnas), but there’s a lot about Nashville trio Those Darlins that’s not. Nikki Darlin, Kelley Darlin and Jess Darlin attract attention by sporting a teensy-skirt-or-shorts-and-cowboy-boots look and playing ’50s-style rockabilly and traditional county with a punk flair…
Show How Much You Hate Phil Lara With a New T
Remember Phil Lara? That asshole who ran the Jigsaw concert club into the ground and managed to piss off a ton of local musicians, promoters and music fans? Forged in Flame is selling Marked Man T-shirts with Lara’s chubby, bearded mug in the middle of a target. From Flame’s website: “Clevelanders rejoice! The “Marked Man”…
Drummer Release Debut CD
What do you call a guy who hangs out with musicians? A drummer. Drummer is also the name of Black Keys stickman Patrick Carney’s new side project, which is made up entirely of — you guessed it — drummers from other bands. Joining Carney, who plays bass in Drummer, are Teeth of Hydra’s Jamie Stillman…
Kid Rock/Skynyrd Sold Out
Tonight’s Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at Blossom Music Center is sold out. Maybe Live Nation’s No Service Fee Wednesdays had something to do with. Or maybe music fans are just in the mood to hear Kid Rock slip into his redneck-rocker mode again. Or maybe fans want to see what’s left of Skynyrd…
ANOTHER DIMORA PAL STARTS SINGING
The noose must feel pretty tight now around Commissioner of Controversy Jimmy Dimora’s already-strained neck, now that another one of his “friends” from the “Group” has been indicted for giving Dimora and others a whole lot of freebies in exchange for much bigger contracts. It has to be getting pretty hard to just write all…
Severed Ways has its local premiere tonight at CMA
A strange film that tries to realistically portray what life would have been like for two Norse explorers in pre-colonized America, Severed Ways has its local premiere tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art as part of the Museum’s “Friday Night First-Runs” series. Here’s our review. Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America…
Brüno manages to one-up Borat
Brüno’s tagline claims “Borat was so 2006.” And in a way, Sacha Baron Cohen’s follow-up to his hit comedy about a horny Kazakhstanian on a U.S. road trip is a little different. But in so many other ways, Brüno is a lot like the wildly hilarious Borat. For one thing, Cohen and director Larry Charles…
Totally Gay
The movie’s tagline claims “Borat was so 2006.” And in a way, Sacha Baron Cohen’s follow-up to his hit comedy about a horny Kazakhstanian on a U.S. road trip is a little different. But in so many other ways, Brüno is a lot like the wildly hilarious Borat. For one thing, Cohen and director Larry…
Auspicious Beginnings for Hector Rondon in Columbus
Down in lovely Akron this year, Hector Rondon went a spiffy 7-5 with a 2.75 ERA. His WHIP was a beautiful and slim 1.056, he struck out 4.56 batters for every 1 he walked, averaged 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings, tossed his fastball in the low to mid 90’s, and gave up only three homeruns…
Free Music Wednesday: La Coka Nostra
The long-anticipated debut record from La Coka Nostra, A Brand You Can Trust, drops next Tuesday. The gritty hip-hop supergroup features all three members of House of Pain, underground hip-hop figures Ill Bill and Slaine, and a boatload of guest stars, including Snoop Dogg, Bun B, and Cypress Hill’s B-Real and Muggs. Stay tuned to…
eBay Item of the Day: Cavs Barbie
Not only is this treasured little figure great because your daughter, niece, etc. would just die to have a Barbie dressed up in a Cavs uniform, but it’s truly great because the uniform in question is the abhorrent black, orange, and ridiculous blue design that can absolutely be considered the Cavs’ worst fashion choice in…
“The Big Witness” In Lead for Shaq’s New Nickname
Yesterday, the Cavs announced that Shaq had narrowed down choices for a new nickname to two options: The Big Witness or Shaqalier. They’ve put it to an internet vote, and as of right now, The Big Witness is dominating. No surprise, as Shaqalier is both a) Lame and b) Cumbersome, even though it’s a single…
BECAUSE THEY’RE STILL HEROES WHEN THEY RETURN
Not often do we get to pass along something as inspiring as this: It’s tough to refuse a guy like [John] Schupp, who talks fast, is equal parts deferential and pushy, and doesn’t hesitate to ask deeply personal questions. What’s your passion in life? What do you want to do with yourself? A history buff,…
Whiskey Daredevils Tour Diary
The Whiskey Daredevils just returned from a road trip in Europe. Frontman Greg Miller fills us in on what happened. Day 11: Toulouse, France Chrsitoph and I walk to get the van, which was parked as instructed by James last night around the corner. The neighborhood, with the exception of James’s place, is meticulously groomed…
7/11: Erin O’Brien at Mac’s Backs
Author and Scene contributor Erin O’Brien continues to learn more about her late brother John O’Brien, the author of Leaving Las Vegas, by reading the work he left behind. The most recent of his works to be published posthumously, a novel called Better, will be released by Akashic Books in August. “Once I googled Zipper…
7/11: Bob Dylan at Classic Park
Armed with a batch of new tunes (most co-written with Grateful Dead scribe Robert Hunter) and aided by the accordion work of Los Lobos front man David Hidalgo, Bob Dylan and his touring “cowboy band” have fashioned another gem with Together Through Life, a smoldering mix of Tex-Mex border music and 1950s Chicago blues. “Well,…
7/11: Knitgrrl / Arabella Proffer Open Studio
There’s something very right about painter Arabella Proffer sharing studio space with knitter Shannon Okey. Both explore old traditions by making them new. Proffer’s style is informed by the flattering sharp lines of Renaissance portraiture intended to make aristocrats feel good about themselves, but she brings it into the present by informing her portraits of…
7/11: Rosanne Cash at Kent Stage
Few artists have had the opportunity to reinvent themselves as much as Rosanne Cash has over her long career, which began when she joined his father’s touring band as a background vocalist back in the late ’60s (she’s Johnny’s oldest daughter with his first wife, Vivian). Starting in the late ’70s as a country-pop singer,…
7/11: Nature at Night at North Chagrin
For kids, just getting to stay up past bedtime is a big thrill, even if they whine when they start to droop. But if you bring them out to the Cleveland Metroparks North Chagrin Nature Center (off SOM Center Road in Mayfield Village, 440.473.3370) from 5-11 today for Nature at Night, they’ll find such an…
7/11: Frida Kahlo Celebration
Few artists have captured the morbid yet celebratory spirit of Mexico more strikingly than Frida Kahlo. The artist, who died in 1954 at the age of 47, has become an international feminist icon for her paintings, which express complex feelings about womanhood, incorporating images, designs and colors drawn from Mexican culture into her depictions of…
7/11: Rakesh Satyal signing at Joseph Beth
Cincinnati native Rakesh Satyal writes about gay men and their relationships, especially with people who are not gay — like their fathers and childhood friends. His novel Blue Boy tells of Kiran Sharma, an Indian boy growing up in the author’s hometown in the early ’90s. Kiran prefers ballet over basketball, and he plays with…
7/11: Art in the Veins at Beck Center
Art has been a family business for the Edmondson clan for three generations, starting with George William Edmondson, who was born in 1837 and made photographs and paintings until his death in 1913. His sons were acclaimed portrait photographer George Mountain Edmondson (1866-1948), and portrait and landscape painter William John Edmondson (1868-1966). Longevity runs in…
The Big Witness or Shaqalier: Choose Shaq’s New Nickname
Well, after rampant (and idle) blog speculation as to what the Big Aristotle would want to be called upon landing on the fair shores of Lake Erie, the list of possible monikers is down to two. The Big Witness. Or. Shaqalier. Go vote now over at Cavs.com.
Sporting Blog’s Dramatized Version of the Crawford Dunk Over LeBron Zapruder Film
Re: This story, LSUFreek and the guys over at The Sporting Blog have provided a glimpse of what may have occurred when Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford supposedly dunked over LeBron James. Yes, Nike may have the original tapes, but we have our imagination. Go check out the gif through the wonderful hyperlink. You will be…
Supposedly, This is the Lerner Estate in Northeast Ohio
A buddy of mine took this picture, which supposedly is the Lerner estate. Don’t know for sure, not even sure what city this is supposed to be in, but it’s rather freaking large. UPDATE: Yep, that’s Randy Lerner’s house in Chagrin Falls. Holy crap that’s big. Thanks to commenter rlmthree.
CDs Ain’t Dead Yet
Good news for old-school CD fans (yeah, it’s come to that): People are still buying CDs! At least they’re buying Michael Jackson CDs, according to Billboard. It’s no big surprise that Jackson’s records top the album chart this week. Number Ones and Thriller are the big winners, but they’re on the Catalog Album chart, since…
eBay Item of the Day: Pat Tabler ‘Starting Lineup’ Figure
Almost assuredly, you owned one, two, or maybe even ten of these Starting Lineup figures during your youth. Cory Snyder, Joe Carter, maybe Julio Franco. Then there’s Pat Tabler, no doubt a fan favorite among the mangy ’80s Wahoos. Bidding ends soon and it looks like this could be had for less than $10.
7/13: Black Crowes at HOB
Blessed are the rockers ahead of the curve — just not too far ahead. Back in the heyday of Hair Nation, raucous Southern rockers the Black Crowes flew against the prevailing winds with the second coming of the Dixie sound. “Twice as Hard,” the leadoff track from their 1990 debut set, Shake Your Money Maker,…
Warped Rumor: Will Cleveland Date Have Paramore?
Cleveland-based rock mag Alternative Press has people onsite at the Warped Tour, which is in Pittsburgh today. They’re hinting that Warped is planning some kind of big, special something at tomorrow’s stop in Cleveland. AP’s Twitter feed says Paramore might play a one-off set here. Kevin Lyman, the hands-on Warped head honcho, hasn’t confirmed the…
Reviews of two new films opening at the Cedar Lee
This weekend, Bruno and I Love You, Beth Cooper will battle it out for the top spot at the box office. If you’re in the mood for a something different, check out Duncan Jones’ directorial debut, Moon, or the documentary Food Inc., both of which open at the Cedar Lee this weekend. Here are our…
Not Surprisingly, Shaq Gear Tops at Cavs Team Shops
When Shaq comes to town, his value to the team isn’t just what he can do on the court. In terms of marketing, the Cavs couldn’t have scored a bigger coup if they tried. As soon as he decided on No. 33, the jerseys and t-shirts started hitting the on-line store and pretty soon after…
Whiskey Daredevils Tour Diary — Day 10: St. Etienne
The Whiskey Daredevils just returned from a road trip in Europe. Frontman Greg Miller fills us in on what happened. It’s a long drive to St Etienne France, a town no one seems to know about. We drive basically across Switzerland, and the landscape is always impressive. At a truck stop we buy an epoisses…
GOP STILL BAFFLED BY THE INTERNETS, RACE
“It seems like some of us Republicans are taking our conservative message, mixing it with personal prejudices and racist views, and calling it patriotism,” says McAllister. “You can cover cyanide with chocolate, but you still can’t call it candy.” That’s Lenny McAllister of HipHopRepublican.com, commenting on a dust-up over comments posted on the Facebook page…
CD Review: The Donnas
This California foursome formed in 1993 and released the first of their seven albums in 1997. So, hard as it is to believe, they now have more than enough material for a greatest-hits record. The album is a combination of previously released songs like “Perfect Stranger” and “Get Off,” live versions of “Take It Off”…
CD Review: The Minus 5
There are bands, there are solo performers with bands, and then there’s the Minus 5. They’re not so much a band as an ever-morphing collective, spearheaded by Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows) and his lieutenant Peter Buck (R.E.M.). This time, the company includes members of the Decemberists, Norfolk & Western, Mendoza Line and Posies, all…
CD Review: Discovery
Since when does mixing the trendiest Afropop with the catchiest power-pop result in an album of synth-filled electronic tunes? Since Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij got together with Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles, giving bloggers around the world something other than the damn recession to rant and rave about. Discovery’s LP is the summer’s answer to…
Rats
Not far from Broadway Avenue, Wiley Hardy steps from a no-frills city sedan with a broomstick and a white bucket of poison. He’s dressed in dungarees. His partner, fellow health inspector Mike Debs, is in business casual and carries a clipboard and a stack of bright-orange door hangers. Good cop and bad cop, for rats.…
CD Review: Clutch
Germantown, Maryland’s Clutch began its extended road trip/rock ensemble in 1991. Nine albums and 18 years later, they’re still in the fray. Strange Cousins From the West continues the trend of the last few records — similar songs with new arrangements and subtle variations. Neil Fallon’s soulful bellows match Tim Sult’s guitar hammer-on-and-off gymnastics, bobbing…
POSITIVE SPIN
On the roof of Cleveland State University’s plant-services building, four wind turbines hang off the side of a 20-by-25-foot cylinder. A large motorized truss atop the cylinder turns them toward the wind every few minutes. Another turbine spins slowly nearby. It’s the control that will determine whether the setup is the forbearer of a renewable…
Welcome to Dom’s World
Success in the music business is much like the proverbial iceberg — there’s plenty beneath the surface though most see just the tip. With local indie rapper King Dom’s career beginning to peak, you’ll be seeing and hearing more about him in the coming year. A member of Copywrite’s ODOT crew, Dom earned his rep…
A Summer Staple
Now in its 15th year, the Warped Tour has outlived just about every other touring festival. With enough corporate sponsorship to rival the budget of a small country, Warped is hardly punk, at least in the old-school, anti-authoritarian sense of the word. But that hasn’t stopped the promoters from continuing to put veteran acts such…
Arts District: Ingenuity Kicks Off
Ingenuity 2009 opens at 4 p.m. Friday with another gigantic drum jam, this one called Big Bang and headed by Brazilian composer percussionist Marcus Santos, a veteran Ingenuity drum beater. Throughout the 2009 Ingenuity festival, visitors can check out Melissa Daubert’s interactive, four-wheeled sculpture “Urban Trotter,” or visit the comic-book convention Screaming Tiki Super Con…
GREENHOUSE SURPASSES
There was a discussion recently on the local food boards regarding the practice of restaurants charging for bread. Some viewed the trend merely as an unfortunate byproduct of a weak economy. Others declared the practice nothing short of heresy. I’m willing to bet that neither camp will mind dropping $3 for the bread and butter…
BEATING IT TO WOOSTER
It’s a puzzlement. The whole world is sitting shiva for Michael Jackson. Newscasters who should know better are weeping copious tears for what they call the world’s greatest entertainer. This points up a tendency of popular culture to rhapsodize the fads of their puberty while ignoring the sustained beauty that sent our forefathers Charlestoning across…
Bites: Presto Sandwiches Coming Downtown
As the Cleveland Airport Marriott (4277 W. 150th St.) wraps up an ambitious $20 million hotel-wide makeover, finishing touches are being made to the restaurant. Replacing the 10-year-old Jack’s Steakhouse will be AMP 150, a contemporary American restaurant. The hotel’s owners have brought in consulting chef Dean James Max to develop the concept. Max is…
CD Review: Tiny Vipers
Isolate yourself, cover your head with a snug pair of headphones, turn off all the lights and light a candle. It’s the best way to listen to Life on Earth, Tiny Vipers’ sophomore album. Jesy Fortino, the one-woman wonder behind Tiny Vipers, is an unassuming young songwriter. She huddles over her guitar and avoids eye…
ELECTRICITY LEARNS TO SING
Science is a religion, says Ian Charnas when asked about how he feels when two million volts of electricity pass through his chain-mail suit, sparking off his toes into the ground. “The question is, how much do you believe in it?” In that sense, his contribution to the 2009 Ingenuity festival is a test of…
CD Review: Owen
There’s no doubt that Mike Kinsella, the man behind the sad acoustics of Owen, carries a bruised psyche and sutured heart wherever he goes. Two things separate him from the blatant heartstring-tuggers: his attention to detail, which allows him to produce lyrical variations on woe-is-me tropes with the grace of Morrissey, and his depth as…
TRANSFORMED
As the architectural configuration of the Cleveland Museum of Art expands and unfolds, hidden capabilities and new missions lunge into view. Much of the 1971 Marcel Breuer building remains quietly in place, but architect Rafael Viñoly’s renovation transfigures the space, bringing new energies to the art on view. There’s just no way not to feel…
Caspule Film Reviews
Opening Brüno Reviewed at clevescene.com Carmen & Geoffrey (US, 2005) Dancers/choreographers/actors Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder first met in 1954 on a production of Truman Capote’s House of Flowers. Already established members of the dance community, they became friends and ultimately married. Directed by Linda Atkinson and Nick Doob, this documentary explores their relationship…
Bizarre Love Triangle
Although writer-director Philippe Garrel has been making movies for more than four decades, it wasn’t until 2005’s Regular Lovers — a poetic, three-hour rumination on the student radical movement of the 1960s — that a Garrel film enjoyed a proper U.S. release. One of the leading figures of the post-New Wave generation of French filmmakers,…
CD Review: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Is there some sort of advantage in hailing from rural Alberta? For this Toronto-based trio, it appears it could be the freedom to sop up an inordinate number of influences. Seeing wider release via Saddle Creek after its online-only release last year, Hometowns singer Nils Edenloff (the only band member actually from Alberta) is quite…
More Food for Thought
Yet another documentary about our screwed-up food production system, Food Inc. starts with a look at how McDonald’s has had an immense impact on how food is produced and distributed. Back in the ’50s, McDonald’s took a factory mentality to the making of its food, and distributors followed suit. Because the chain needed big suppliers…
CD Review: Adelitas Way
The self-titled album from Las Vegas rockers Adelitas Way features the kind of songs that would get airplay on WMMS. There’s even a link from their MySpace page to WMMS’s website where you can request “Invincible,” their blustery theme song for the WWE. But don’t hold that against them. Lead singer and founding member Rick…
Local Music Reviews
Mike St. Jude and the Valentines Here’s to Your Black and Blue Heart (Morninghat Music) myspace.com/mikestjude Peace and love, acid trips and flower power return on this album from psychedelic group Mike St. Jude and the Valentines. The band embodies the dreamy sound and fantastical Bob Dylan-inspired lyrics of the 1960s. Songs like “Hey Mary…
Reel Cleveland: Local Horror
Originally from Springfield, Justin Russell knew plenty of wide open spaces in his hometown where he could have shot his horror film, Death Stop Holocaust, which premieres at the Cedar Lee Theatre (2163 Lee Rd., 216.321.5411, clevelandcinemas.com) at 9 p.m. Saturday, July 11. (It shows again there at 9 p.m. Thursday, July 16.) But he…
Around Hear: Skate Comp
Skate and hate: American Werewolves are featured on the new skate comp DC-Jam Skate Rock Vol. 1, alongside big-name punks like JFA, Swingin’ Utters and the Dwarves. DC-Jam President Darron Hemann says he’s a “longtime fan of AW and thought they would be a nice fit with the rest of the lineup.” The Missouri-based, old-school-skewed…
Primitive Passion
Based on a cursory glance at the imagery (a stark monument of a faceless soldier amidst a desolate wasteland) on VNV Nation’s new album, Of Faith, Power and Glory, you could easily dismiss Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson as yet another cold, industrial-rock band lacking any sense of connection to its fans. Harris, VNV Nation’s…
Start Them Up
TOP PICK The Rolling Stones 2009 Remasters (Universal) These eight albums have been reissued on CD before, but they’re among the greatest rock records ever made. Sticky Fingers, Some Girls and Tattoo You are the ones to buy first, but you’ll find some great songs on It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll, Emotional Rescue and Undercover…
7/9: Terry Scott Taylor at Musica
Fronted by Terry Scott Taylor, the band Daniel Amos had a wild arsenal of artistic influences — T.S. Elliot, William Blake, Koko the signing gorilla, retro sci-fi kitsch, psychedelic pop and skinny-tie new wave. Since the mid-1970s, Daniel Amos (a.k.a. DA) has made several clever theological/philosophical concept albums with a sincere quirkiness and artistic maturity…
