Janet Jackson Postpones Concert Tour Again, Cleveland Date Up in the Air
Update: Welp. Fans with tickets to the Janet Jackson show originally scheduled for Feb. 1 this year, and then rescheduled for August 28 this year, will have to keep waiting. Jackson announced on Twitter this morning that the second leg of her concert tour is being postponed. The reason? “My husband and I are planning…
The Driver in Gates Mills Crash That Left Two Hawken Seniors Dead Has Been Sentenced
Update: Chapin Berk appeared in court yesterday and was sentenced to five years probation. His driver’s license will be suspended for the duration of his sentence, and he faces a $1000 fine for each count of vehicular homicide. He must also donate $1000 to a charity of each crash victim’s family’s choice and pay a…
Local Artist’s Final Exhibition in Cleveland Showcases Symmetry in Nature
Jared Åkerström’s Formulated Play is an exhibition inspired by the symmetry regularly found throughout nature that offers us insight into the physical properties of the known universe. Åkerström uses these forms and patterns as inspiration for his creative process. The shapes, known as regular and non-regular convex polyhedra, are inherently designed to take shape in…
New ARTneo Exhibition Spans 100 Years of Abstraction in Northeast Ohio
According to their mission statement, “ARTneo preserves, researches, collects, educates, exhibits and documents the significant visual art and architecture of the Northeast Ohio region that our community may learn and be inspired by its creative expression.” This mission is at the heart of ARTneo’s latest exhibition, Fractured Planes, the second in its beautiful new home…
Breaking World Records: 7 Times Ohio Topped Guinness’ List
The biggest, the baddest and the bravest: Ohioans are known for it all. From quirky collections to seriously dangerous stunts, we currently hold seven Guinness Book of World Records records. Largest Pumpkin Pie New Bremen is a hamlet in western Ohio notable for its vast farmland and for baking the world’s largest pumpkin pie. The…
NY-Based Photographers Alex and Rebecca Norris Webb Bring Workshop to CMA
In conjunction with her exhibition, My Dakota, currently on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), noted New York-based photographer Rebecca Norris Webb is coming to the museum with her husband Alex Webb to lead a weekend-long photography workshop, as well as a special, free presentation on their collaborative and individual work. My Dakota…
Philly Rock Band Hop Along to Play Sonic Sessions Series at the Rock Hall
The Philadelphia rock group Hop Along has gotten some good press lately. Rolling Stone magazine praised the band’s second album, Painted Shut, and included the band in its list of 10 New Artists You Need to Know. The group has also performed a recent NPR Tiny Desk concert. In addition, it’s slated to play the…
Property Assessment Survey Worker Robbed at Gunpoint While Working
This morning, a worker involved with the Thriving Communities Institute’s citywide property assessment survey was robbed at gunpoint. Jim Rokakis, the TCI’s director, confirmed that “an iPad and some cash” had been stolen while a group of surveyors was working in the Mount Pleasant area. The survey crews are using iPads to input property data…
Documentary About Cleveland Hardcore Scene Set to Premiere at Masonic Auditorium
In the ’80s and ’90s, Cleveland had a thriving underground hardcore scene. Director Matthew Greenfield documents the scene in his new film, Destroy Cleveland. The film, as he puts it in his synopsis, “covers the anti establishment do-it-yourself hardcore scene that has been burgeoning in the Cleveland underground since the ’80s.” The movie starts in…
CD Release Party Planned for ‘Music of the Market II’
Since its inception nine years ago, the Kamm’s Corners Farmers market has sought to offer more than just local fruits and veggies. “From the beginning, we considered music one of the three legs,” says organizer Steve Lorenz. “One is fresh and healthy food and the second has been music and the third has been some…
Clevelanders to Launch Customer Collaboration App
Ever dream of being a fashion designer? Clevelanders Chris Boles, 43, and Jared Pryor, 30, are launching a software program called Rabblester that will allow the customer to have greater influence on a brand’s products. Boles said, “Rabblester allows brands to collaborate with their customers instantly. With our application, marketing professionals can get their customer’s…
Mural of Guitarist Joe Walsh Unveiled in Downtown Kent
Singer-guitarist Joe Walsh isn’t the most attractive man in the world (he’d be the first to admit it too). But he sure is one helluva guitar player. Walsh, who enrolled at Kent State in the mid-’60s, played in bands such as the Measles and the James Gang before joining Rock Hall of Famers the Eagles.…
Mercury Theatre Company Distills Massive ‘Camelot’ to Classic Wit and Magic
Around the year 1960, two Camelots opened to acclaim on the east coast: one in Washington DC and the other on Broadway. While JFK and family were getting ensconced in the White House and beginning to create their heralded “Camelot era,” the Lerner and Lowe production of Camelot was raising the curtain in New York…
Kasich’s 527 Group Purchases Web Domain from Liberal Ohio Blogger
When Gov. John Kasich rolled out the first video in a massive ad campaign last week — ahead of his July 21 announcement that he’s running for prez — New Day for America, his 527 political group, included a new web domain for prospective voters and donors: johnkasich.us. (Can we just say, briefly, that, aesthetically,…
VIDEO: LeBron James Pitches Trainwreck Sequel in ‘Funny or Die’ Sketch At Swenson’s
LeBron James was in Akron on Friday for the red carpet premiere of his new romantic comedy Trainwreck, and he brought Judd Apatow, Bill Hader and Amy Schumer to Swenson’s. The movie’s wide release isn’t until July 17, but it’s never to early to start thinking about a sequel. Critics have been praising LeBron’s acting chops…
Cleveland Print Room Harks Back to 20th-Century Surrealist Fun with ‘Exquisite Corpses’
“Exquisite Corpse” is a term for a collaborative art game created by the Surrealists of the early 20th century. A paper is folded into thirds and three artists take turns drawing on one section, after each section is completed, it is covered almost completely. The next artist can only see a few lines from the…
Superelectric to Host Pinball Contest Before Showing of ‘Tommy’ at the Capitol Theatre
There’s something rather retro and cool about a good old-fashioned pinball contest. Cleveland Cinemas and Superelectric, a local pinball hall, have partnered to present a high score pinball contest at 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, at the Capitol Theatre before the midnight screening of Tommy. When it was originally released 40 years ago, director…
This Week’s Can’t-Miss Classical Music Events
Stars in the Classics showcases young classical musicians who are living or studying in Northeast Ohio. There are two “Classical Cabaret” concerts on the books this summer in the attractive, octagonal council chambers of Orange Village Hall (4600 Lander Road). On Friday, July 17 at 7:30 pm, the roster includes Filip Lazovski & Aniela Eddy,…
Obama Commutes Three Ohioans’ Federal Prison Sentences
Amid ongoing national debates over sentencing reform, President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentences of 46 U.S. convicts. Three hailed from Ohio. “These men and women were not violent criminals, but the overwhelming majority had been sentenced to at least 20 years; 14 of them had been sentenced to life for nonviolent drug offenses, so…
Godsmack to Play Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in September
Part of the nu-metal movement that was so popular in the ’90s, hard rockers Godsmack have regularly played Northeast Ohio since forming back in 1995. The group is out on the festival circuit this summer and has added some dates in the fall. It’s set to return to town to play Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica…
Crust Pizza Shop Now Open in St Clair Superior
For two and a half years, Crust (1020 Kenilworth Ave., 216-583-0257, crusttremont.com) has been dishing up affordably priced hand-tossed pizzas, fresh baked subs, hearty Italian entrees, and a host of decadent desserts from its tiny Tremont shop. Beginning now, Crust fans can grab a salad, sub or “seriously huge” slice from the company’s new Midtown…
Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern to Host Fundraiser for the Joe Strummer Foundation
The Clash’s Joe Strummer wasn’t just a great singer and guitarist. He was also an activist. In the wake of his death in 2002, the Joe Strummer Foundation has sought to give “opportunities to aspiring musicians and support to projects around the world that create social mobility through music.” That’s the mission statement you’ll find…
Collinwood Runs Ballot Box Project for $200K Arts Grant
Collinwood is turning to its residents to decide how to spend a new $200,000 arts grant. The grant was awarded by ArtPlace America, a 10-year collaboration started in 2011 between federal agencies and financial institutions to support both the arts and urban revitalization. The arts are the lifeblood of Collinwood, which is known for its…
The Taxman May Take His Cut If You Rent Your Home During the Republican National Convention
The city of Cleveland may soon update its laws to apply the three-percent hotel tax to short-term rentals like those found on Airbnb.com, city spokesperson Dan Ball told the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Cleveland would have to redefine what is classified as a “hotel” in order to apply the tax to short-term rentals that will…
Kelly Miller Family Circus Planned for South Russell Canceled Over Gun Violence Threats
The Kelly Miller Family Circus events scheduled for July 27 in South Russell have been canceled over apparent safety concerns. “Multiple threats of gun violence towards this specific event were communicated to advanced ticket sales representatives,” according to a statement released by Daniel Beavers, president of the Chagrin Valley Jaycees. No further details were offered.…
Singer Jessica Lee Wilkes Embarks on First Tour as a Headliner
Lone Wolf, the debut release from singer Jessica Lee Wilkes, sounds like it could’ve been recorded in the 1950s. It has that raucous early rock/R&B feel to it. Wilkes’ backing band — Jason Smay (JD McPherson) on drums, Eddie Angel (Los Straitjackets) on guitar, Kellie Everett (The Hooten Hallers) on saxophone — does it all,…
Backstage Pass: An Interview with Singer-Guitarist Richie Furay
With both Buffalo Springfield and Poco, singer-guitarist Richie Furay helped forged a new sound that would come to be known as alt-country. Furay, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum when Buffalo Springfield was inducted in 1997, was in town today to play a benefit concert at the Rock…
Battle of the Corporation Rock Bands to Take Place at Rock Hall
Corporate rock will be celebrated when eight bands that are literally associated with corporations perform at The PlayOff, a national competition to find the best company rock band in the States. The event is slated to take place on September 12 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Musuem. Bands include Swann Communications’…
Scene Foodcast: Restaurant Upgrades and a Bevy of New Options
This week, host Craig Lyndall chats with Scene dining editor Doug Trattner about a bevy of restaurant upgrades and remodels happening all over town, including Nano Brew and Flying Fig and Vero and Moncho’s, as well as some new options in Lakewood and Larchmere. Download the episode here. Or stream below.
Nation Probably Shrugs as Fed Chair Janet Yellen Delivers City Club Speech at Global Center
No fireworks to report in the prepared remarks of Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who spoke this afternoon to a packed house at the Global Center for Health Innovation. Yellen’s talk marks another major national get for Dan Moulthrop and the City Club in 2015. They hosted President Barack Obama earlier this year. Yellen spoke…
Local Tango Group to Pay Tribute to Astor Piazzolla with Series of Shows
Cleveland-based the Oblivion Project, a group which includes graduates from the Cleveland Institute of Music, the New England Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory, the Conservatory of Music in Cologne, Germany and other notable institutions, is a tango band that pays homage to the music of Argentine tango master Astor Piazzolla. Piazzolla lived long enough to go through…
Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, JULY 10 Nils Lofgren of the E Street Band When you work for Bruce Springsteen, it’s hard to know exactly when you might be able to take time off. But longtime E Street Band multi-instrumentalist Nils Lofgren seems to have a pretty good handle on navigating the system at this point. With no E…
Country Singer Kenny Chesney Revels in Party Atmosphere at the Q
“Is this how it’s going to be all night,” singer-guitarist Kenny Chesney enthusiastically asked at the start of his nearly two-hour concert that took place last night at Quicken Loans Arena. Wearing a faded cut-off (the better to show off his burly biceps) gray Browns T-shirt, Chesney quickly endeared himself to the capacity crowd as…
Dancing Wheels Company Recognizes ‘Best of Accessible Cleveland’
In recognition of both Dancing Wheels Company’s 35th anniversary as a local dance institution and the Americans with Disabilities Act’s 25th anniversary, yesterday’s “Best of Accessible Cleveland” conference cast a bright light on what many people in town are doing to include everyone. Local high school student Justin Bachman won the “Champion of Inclusion” award…
Cleveland Orchestra Might Be Best in America, says Times. Also, Welser-Möst Does Intense Yoga
In preparation for the Cleveland Orchestra’s series of performances at Lincoln Center next week, the New York Times has published a piece on the mercurial Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra. We got a huge kick out of it. Cleveland’s storied ensemble has, according to Times’ classical music editor Zachary Woolfe, a “plausible claim” to being…
Woman Spends the Night in a Solon CVS After Falling Asleep in the Back of the Store
Sleepovers are fun, especially when they’re intentional. Police were called to a Solon CVS Pharmacy this week when a manager arrived to work on Tuesday morning and found a woman locked inside, coming off of a very unplanned overnight excursion. The 59-year-old Oakwood resident said she had plopped down in a chair in the back…
With New Box Set Release, 311 Takes Stock of Impressive Legacy and Excitable Future
Known mostly for the tip of their sonic iceberg — hits like “Down,” “Amber,” a cover of The Cure’s “Love Song” — 311 quietly built one of the most dynamic American touring acts of the past 20-plus years. To this day, they’re still throwing down hyper-intense and idiosyncratic rock shows before sold-out crowds of rabid…
Dave Matthews Band Delivers Old-School Trip at Blossom
Under overcast skies, Dave Matthews Band delivered another terrific summertime gem at Blossom last night. To my ears, the band outdid their 2014 show (despite last year’s awesome Bela Fleck sit-in) mostly via Jeff Coffin’s spellbinding brass and woodwind work and Tim Reynolds’ electric guitar madness. The band was on-point all night. And the setlist,…
Your First Chance To Drink Southern Tier’s Pumking Anywhere in the Country This Year Will be at Scene’s AleFest in Cleveland
Scene’s annual takeover of Lincoln Park in Tremont is always a good time. We’re in our seventh year now, and (forgive the gloating) it’s become one of Cleveland’s favorite summertime festivals. After all, what’s not to like? Hundreds of beers, good bands, good food, good park, good people. This year’s AleFest goes down on July…
‘Life Inspires It’: A Conversation with Rapper Vince Staples
Though he turned 22 just earlier this month, Long Beach rapper Vince Staples speaks in the concise sentences of someone much older. He reflects on the events in his life with an uncharacteristic distance and perspective. This incisive reflection shines throughout Summertime ’06, a masterful double album, inspired by the events of his childhood. Specifically, as the title suggests,…
Rap-Rock Pioneers P.O.D. Emphasize the Live Performance
In 2012, the rap-rock act P.O.D. came out of hibernation to headline the side stage on the Uproar Tour, a huge multi-city tour that included a stop at Blossom Music Center. The surprising thing about the performance—a relatively small operation on a satellite stage set up in the Blossom V.I.P. parking lot behind the box…
Canadian Hard Rock Band to Make U.S. Debut at Brothers Lounge
A hard rock band from Toronto, Motion Device has yet to play a show south of the Canadian border. Until now. The group is set to perform at Brothers Lounge on July 25 for what will be its U.S. debut. Thirteen-year old Sara Menoudakis leads the young group that also includes Sara’s 18-year-old sister Andrea on…
Neon Trees Aim to Reconnect with Fans on Intimate Tour
Utah outfit Neon Trees has been on the scene for a bit now, landing on the Billboard Hot 100 with several singles over the course of a 10-year career. Notable for bringing handclaps back into fashion with 2011’s “Animal” and setting the pace for LGBT musicians everywhere, the band has strived to revolutionize the way…
VIDEO: Kevin Love’s “Decision” Moment
After the eternal bullshit-storm Kevin Love weathered this year, from a national press corps who all but guaranteed that he’d flee Cleveland when the season was over, and from local fans who ragged him for a lack of identity on the floor, the video below (courtesy of the Player’s Tribune) is almost a shock. Look…
Wu Tang Rapper Raekwon Embraces Role as One of Hip-Hop’s Elder Statesmen
In 1993, Staten Island’s Wu Tang Clan released their landmark album Enter The Wu, a release that’s often lauded as one of the greatest debuts to come out of any genre. The success of the album allowed the Clan to take advantage of their unique contract with Loud Records — it was a contract that…
Mekons Defy ‘Logical Constraints’ with Rare Full Band Tour
Mekons singer Sally Timms admits it’s “nigh on impossible” these days to get the motley crew that makes up the Mekons to embark on a tour together. Since members are spread out all over the globe (the band formed in England in the ’70s but some members now live in the states), it requires a…
Meet Marilyn Lloyd, Who’s Been Working at the Denny’s in Parma Since it Opened in 1979
Marilyn Lloyd estimates she’s poured over 1 million cups of coffee during her 36 years of waitressing at Denny’s in Parma. That may sound like a generous estimate, but her math is probably pretty accurate. “A lot, a lot of coffee, probably close to 200 cups a day. That’s a lot of coffee,” Lloyd says…
Celebrating ‘Ohio Man,’ the Hero the Buckeye State Deserves
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the Buckeye State’s very own Ohio Man, a curious vigilante who spends his or her time battling Florida Man for the championship belt of weirdness. Here, we round up all the top head-cocking headlines from the last few weeks to show you what Ohio Man and Ohio Woman…
Cleveland Artist Brian Andrew Jasinski Featured In Blue Moon’s 20th Anniversary Label Contest
Local graphic designer and illustrator Brian Andrew Jasinski is one of 20 artists whose work is now featured on Blue Moon bottles across the country. The special edition labels hit shelves on July 1 to mark the beer’s 20th anniversary. Jasinski describes his mid-20th-century design as a “modern-day Johnny Appleseed of sorts,” which features Blue…
Uptown Beat Hosts Free Concerts in University Circle
Uptown Beat, MOCA’s free concert series, returns on July 30 and continues every Thursday through August 27. The outdoor event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. in Toby’s Plaza, and is presented by MOCA and Case Western Reserve University and is curated by the Beachland Ballroom. In addition to the concerts, there’s also discounted admission to…
Vocal Surgery has Made Pink Martini’s China Forbes into a Stronger Singer
Singer-songwriter China Forbes is a musical renaissance woman to say the very least. After graduating from Harvard, Forbes, who fronts the eclectic jazz/Latin/lounge act Pink Martini, began to make a life for herself in New York until college friend and Pink Martini founder, Thomas Lauderdale, called her in a bit of a bind back in…
Kenko, a Fast-Casual Sushi, Hibachi Shop, Now Open in University Circle
The owners of Shinto Japanese Steakhouse in Strongsville understand that many of its loyal customers don’t have the time (or money) to make frequent visits to their favorite suburban Japanese restaurant. So Shinto decided to bring the restaurant to them, so to speak. This week, Kenko (11312 Euclid Ave., 216-862-7690) opened its doors in University Circle,…
Cleveland Browns’ Joe Haden Has Top-Selling Jersey in NFL
Cleveland’s Browns fans had mixed reactions when the team unveiled its new uniform designs for the upcoming season, but owners at Dick’s Sporting Goods Store aren’t seeing shades of Brown and Orange: They are seeing green, and a lot of it. The stores latest “Jersey Report,” reveals that the best-selling replica in the NFL this…
Mystery Meat, Bologna Soup and Maggots: What It’s Like to Eat Aramark’s Food in Jail
This week’s feature story from Scene’s sister paper, the Metro Times up in Detroit, is a lovely dive into the world of Aramark and prison food that is as applicable here in the Buckeye State as it is up in That State Up North. Aramark, in case you haven’t been following along, has come under…
Local Artist Frank Oriti’s Work Targeted by Masked Thieves in London
Around 10:30 a.m. this past Monday, July 6, Cleveland-based painter Frank Oriti received a strange and unexpected phone call. He’d only been home from a whirlwind, two-week trip through Europe for about a week. The unanticipated call was from an official at the National Portrait Gallery. As Oriti would discover, his artwork was making front…
Michael Chattem and Matt O’Reilly Tap into the Profound Reality of the Present in their Printmaking
Michael Chattem and Matt O’Reilly met while attending the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA). The two aspiring young artists bonded in printmaking classes as they struggled through the daily grind and disillusionment of art school politics. Since graduation, they have continued to explore art through a variety of media and platforms. Stop by Loop during…
Brazilian Newcomer Batuqui Blends Seamlessly into Larchmere
A restaurant concept has to match its setting for the whole formula to work. Just as a sprawling property in a suburban lifestyle center would never be a good fit for a hip farm-to-table bistro, one would hope to never find a tacky theme restaurant in a historic neighborhood dive. I can’t imagine a better…
New Local App Delivers Dining Specials to Mobile Devices
In Cleveland’s ever-expanding dining scene, the weightiest decision often boils down to this: Where should we eat tonight? The team behind the new app Wheedle (wheedleapp.com), launching this month, is aiming to make that process a little easier. By entering the date, number in your party and occasion — breakfast, VIP night on the town,…
Romance is Comical and All-Consuming in Much Ado About Nothing at the Al Fresco Ohio Shakespeare Festival
Scarlett and Rhett. Dick and Liz. Popeye and Olive Oyl. We are always drawn to love affairs of the torrid variety, because the flame that consumes itself burns so much brighter. And that is why Much Ado About Nothing has been providing royalty checks to Bill Shakespeare for centuries. The two lovers at the core…
Band of the Week: Daveferatu
Meet the Band: Dave Andrews (vocals, guitar), Brian O’Donnell (drums) Back After a Break: The band began when Andrews and O’Donnell reconnected this past Christmas after a nine-year break. They had played together previously in the local group the Interstellar Electric Band, but that band wasn’t particularly active. “We didn’t do many gigs back then,”…
Film Spotlight: Self/less
Self/less, the new sci-fi thriller that stars Ryan Reynolds as a man who has his identity swapped with another man’s identity, can be summed up in one sentence: It’s a good premise that goes awry. The film, which opens area-wide on Friday, has a promising enough start. It begins with a scene in which Damian…
Film Review of the Week: Amy
In the documentary film Truth or Dare, Madonna and actor Warren Beatty famously get into a bit of a spat, and Beatty sarcastically remarks that Madonna doesn’t want to live off-camera. “Why do anything off-camera,” he asks. “What would be the point of that?” While his indictment of Madonna’s quest for fame and exposure seemed…
A Property Assessment Survey and the Future of Cleveland’s Battered Housing Stock
Right now, as you leaf through this edition over coffee or your morning RTA commute, 16 contract employees in orange shirts are taking inventory of every parcel of land in Cleveland. All 159,000 of them. They are the foot soldiers in an ongoing housing-crisis war. The war’s opposing sides: People vs. Blight. The latest stealth…
Arty Nesters: The Bidwells are Moving to Hingetown
Fred Bidwell and his wife Laura, contemporary art collectors and leaders in the regional arts community, opened the Transformer Station Gallery on W. 29th St. back in 2013. At the time, Hingetown was still in its nascency. This weekend, they purchased the Van Roy Building, a block away on Detroit Ave., where they intend to…
