How to Know When It’s Safe to Swim in Lake Erie
As the sun and humidity begin to permeate Northeast Ohio (finally), it’s only right and natural to want to head to your local swimming hole. But with troubling reports of algae blooms and unsafe bacteria contamination in the Great Lake, how does one know when it’s safe to take a dip? Mary Clifton, recreation programs…
‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ Buckles Under the Weight of a Clunky Plot and Excessive Special Effects
Predictably enough, Transformers: The Last Knight, perhaps the most bloated film to hit screens this summer, commences with an action sequence. The mind numbingly long film that clocks in at 149 minutes suffers from a clunky plot and ridiculous special effects sequences that feature elongated fight scenes between Transformers and humans and Transformers and Transformers.…
More Changes at Red Restaurant Group: Team Adds Executive Chef, Director of Operations
Lately, the news out of Red Restaurant Group has been one of exits: that of longtime chef and partner Jonathan Bennet, and that of short-lived restaurant 811, which closed last week to retool. This week brings some positive news for the organization. The recent hiring of two key figures will undoubtedly add some leadership and…
On David Griffin’s Departure, Dan Gilbert and Power — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac discuss David Griffin’s exodus as general manager of the Cavs, the hot streak Jose Ramirez is riding, the danger of Dan Gilbert’s power trip and which potentially available players might make the best fit alongside LeBron James.
CSU President Ronald Berkman to Retire
Cleveland State University President Ronald Berkman has announced that he will retire next June. The 70-year-old Berkman has been CSU’s president since 2009 and has overseen an era of massive growth. In a press release, CSU said it will mount a nationwide search for Berkman’s replacement beginning next month. The search will be led by…
Lakewood Residents Pushing Back Against Pit Bull Ban
About a decade after the city banned pit bulls within its borders, Lakewood residents are still pushing back against the breed-specific legislation (BSL). There has been near-constant and earnest backlash over the past 10 years, but a renewed and well organized commitment to repealing this law is really taking hold now. All Breeds Lakewood organized…
Cleveland’s Anti-Panhandling Ordinances Have Been Repealed
[image-1]Cleveland City Council repealed its anti-panhandling laws this month after more than a decade of questionable enforcement and after a lawsuit brought about a public conversation on the efficacy of those policies. Local veteran John Mancini raised concerns over ongoing harassment by the Cleveland Division of Police in a lawsuit earlier this year that targeted…
Cleveland Man Injured in Fatal Crash Discovered Two Days Later on I-77
Last Wednesday, two men were involved in a severe car crash on Interstate 77. One died that day, while the survivor was discovered Friday. The collision occurred in Eastern Ohio, around 8 p.m., but wasn’t reported until 11 a.m. on Friday by property owners close to the highway. Ohio State Patrol Lt. Mark Glennon told…
Roldo and Ralph Nader Discuss Q Deal, 100,000 Hours of Police Time Devoted to Q in 2016
Veteran Cleveland muckraker Roldo Bartimole, “the conscience of Cleveland,” appeared on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour this weekend to discuss the Quicken Loans Arena Deal. The conversation, which begins at about the 42:35 mark, rehashes the deal’s broad strokes and a few familiar talking points from the opposition’s point of view. It also includes Roldo’s…
The UK Duo Snakehips to Bring Its Global Dance Party to the Grog Shop
Armed with laptops, drum kits, soul samples and an ear for groove, UK duo Snakehips make their way to the Grog Shop’s intimate setting for their visit to Cleveland. With a lush, borderless soundscape of dance music, the London-based pair of Ollie Lee and James Carter are favs of internet two-steppers around the globe. Lee…
Free Al Fresco Shakespeare Fun With “The Taming of the Shrew” Presented by the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival
Ever since the original Shakespeare companies used boys and young men to play women’s roles, the layering and twisting of gender has been a substantial part of old Will’s entertainments. But it’s doubtful even The Man himself ever considered having the key men’s roles in The Taming of the Shrew played by women—since the dominant…
‘Rock of Ages’ Is a Mess on All Fronts, But Cain Park’s Production is Impossible Not to Love
Sometimes, a show comes along that will just not be denied. No matter how much you want to dislike it for a cavalcade of minor offenses—from desperately unfunny gags to a plotline that predictably creaks and groans—the damn show eventually wins you over. The 2009 Broadway jukebox musical Rock of Ages is, let’s face it,…
‘How To Be a Respectable Junkie’ at Dobama Theatre Addresses the Horrors of Addiction
We’re Number One, We’re Number One!! Yes, the state of Ohio is at the top in the nation…when it comes to deaths from opioid overdoses (Ohio Department of Health, 2014). Abuse of opioids, those drugs derived from opium, has become a way of life for many here in Buckeye land. So it’s appropriate that a…
There Will Be No Fabulous Food Show This Year, But Organizers Hope to Bring It Back in the Future
Cleveland’s popular Fabulous Food Show won’t be back this November, or anytime this year. But Rob Attewell, the show’s producer as well as I-X Center’s consumer show manager, told Crain’s Cleveland Business that the event’s not dead yet. “We needed time to step back and reevaluate best practices for the event and find areas to improve…
19-Year-Old Electrocuted After Trying to Save Dad and Dog at Put-in-Bay Marina
A 19-year-old died at a Put-in-Bay marina on Friday, after he jumped into water with an electric current to help his father and dog. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. at Miller Marina, where the Currie family of Dublin, Ohio, had just docked their boat. According to an incident report, after the family plugged in…
Irishtown Bend’s Riverfront Park Could Either Get a New Zip Line Or a Farmers Market
There’s two directions Irishtown Bend could go. The rundown area on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River currently being renovated into a 17-acre riverfront park could either turn into a pavilion for picnics, farm terraces and a zip line, or a “rolling lawn, natural meadows, a farmer’s market and a ‘water treatment garden,'” Cleveland.com reports. A…
Aussie Alt-Country Singer-Songwriter Kasey Chambers to Play Music Box Supper Club
Having spent her formative years in Australia’s desolate outback where she performed with her family’s Dead Ringer Band, singer-songwriter Kasey Chambers didn’t grow up on a heavy diet of popular culture. So when her father took her to a concert when she was a teenager, it was bound to make an impression. And it did.…
‘Rough Night’ Pushes Chick Flick Boundaries
Female-dominated films can’t seem to get enough of bridal parties and all the comedic fodder they hypothetically provide. 2011’s Bridesmaids established the highest of bars for just how deliciously raunchy and despicable their senses of humor can be, while maintaining a steady heartbeat throughout; minus the undercurrent of wit and genuine female friendship, you just…
Cleveland Took Solace in Lots of Porn After the Cavs Lost Game 5 of the NBA Finals
What did Clevelanders do after watching our beloved Cavaliers lose a 4-1 series to the Warriors in the NBA Finals? Sure, some of us fired off some fire Tweets and went to bed or maybe switched the tube to the Golden Girls or something to avoid the confetti-filled celebration at Oracle arena on SportsCenter. Many…
Cleveland Pride Inc. CEO Who Was Supposed to Resign Last Year is Still in Charge
Cleveland Pride is Saturday at Voinovich Park, and Todd Saporito is still the CEO and Board President of Pride Inc. Saporito remains in his position despite public assurances that he would step down after the cancellation of last year’s event and a growing dissatisfaction with his leadership. The decision to cancel the 2016 Pride event…
Lawsuit: Aramark Knew Employees Were Sexually Assaulting Ohio Prisoners But Did Nothing
[image-1]The rape of a Cleveland woman at a downtown jail is just one ugly part in a series of lawsuits aimed at the state over the use of controversial private food service company, Aramark. Originally hired on in 2013 after the state cut ties with the public employee union that previously handled the culinary responsibilities…
Rock Hall Reveals Plans to Expand to Tokyo
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will soon have “a permanent presence” in Tokyo. In the short term, the Rock Hall will open a temporary exhibit in Tokyo in September in a former retail space. That exhibit will feature pieces by the Beatles, Madonna, Paul Simon and Deep…
Sailor from Elyria Among Seven Dead in Collision off Japanese Coast
[image-1] Thirty-seven-year-old Gary Leo Rehm Jr., from Elyria, was among seven United States sailors who died when a Navy destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald (pictured above), collided with a container shop off the Japanese coast over the weekend. The other casualties, as reported by the Navy to the Associated Press, were: Gunner’s Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle…
A Perfect Circle to Play Wolstein Center in November
Some Clevelanders will undoubtedly remember a particularly thrilling A Perfect Circle show that took place back in 2003 at the Odeon. After an extended break, the alternative/prog band toured earlier this year for the first time in six years. The group just announced dates for a fall tour; it’ll play on Nov. 18 at the…
Waterloo Arts Fest Highlights the Street’s Best Qualities This Weekend
Looking for a little fun in the sun this weekend? Don’t miss the Waterloo Arts District’s hottest day of the year. The 15th Annual Waterloo Arts Fest takes place from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 24, on Waterloo Road, between East 161st Street and Calcutta Avenue. This year’s Waterloo Arts Fest features more…
Saxophonist Kamasi Washington To Keep Things ‘Wide Open and Spontaneous’ at JazzFest
When his son was still a teenager, Kamasi Washington’s father left a saxophone lying on the family’s piano. Washington, who knew how to play clarinet, picked it up and immediately played the Wayne Shorter tune, “Sleeping Dancer Sleep On,” his favorite song at the time. He was hooked. “I always wanted to play the saxophone,”…
Progressive Caucus Will Protest Frank Jackson’s “Fat Cat” Fundraiser in Gates Mills
The Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus will protest the June 28 fundraiser for Mayor Frank Jackson outside the Gates Mills home of insurance executive Umberto Fedeli. CCPC learned of the fundraiser, organized by corporate leaders, last week. The group’s political director, Steve Holecko, put the protest together in response, and provided the name: “Frank’s Fat Cat…
Listen to Algiers’ New Song, ‘Cleveland,’ About Tamir Rice and Police Violence
Atlanta’s dystopian experimentalists Algiers dropped a new song last week that caught our ears here at Scene. It’s called “Cleveland,” which confirms once again that our city’s name is synonymous with both pro sports tragicomedies and rampant police violence and racism. Residents here and abroad would do well not to forget our little dichotomy. The tune…
Updated: Rick’s Cafe in Chagrin Falls to Change Ownership After 40 Years
Update: Rick’s Café owner Alec Singer clarifies that he is indeed selling the 40-year-old restaurant to Shawn Monday and his partner Michael Schwartz. But he has assurances from them that the name, concept, staff and spirit of the restaurant will not change. “Nothing’s changing,” Singer promises. “Michael Schwartz loves Rick’s Café and he always has.…
Beachland Hosts First of Three Summer Rockin’ Flea Markets
The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern’s annual Rockin’ Flea Market provides a great opportunity to pick up some local arts, crafts and vintage wares. This summer, the club will host three such events. Several vendors will be on hand for today’s event, which takes place in the club’s large ballroom, and food and beverages will be…
Cleveland Summer Beerfest to Feature 50 Breweries
Fifty breweries, including local favorites Platform, Royal Docks and Market Garden, will be on hand for the second annual Cleveland Summer Beerfest, which takes place today at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. There will be food trucks and live music. Session 1 takes place from 1 to 5 p.m., and Session 2 follows from 7 to…
Water Garden Cafe’s Vegan and Meat Offerings Alike Are Welcome Additions to Cleveland, If Only They Could Get the Service Right
Vegans must be a patient lot. Either that or they’re willing to put up with all sorts of complications just as long as there’s some meat-free food waiting for them on the other end. Our group, while in no hurry whatsoever, found ourselves mired down in a morass of sluggish service at Water Garden Café,…
Cleveland Museum of Art Announces the Schedule for This Year’s Ohio City Stages
For the past couple of summers, the Cleveland Museum of Art has hosted Ohio City Stages, a weekly summer block party that takes place in front of the Transformer Station during the month of July. Acts slated to play this summer include the following: steel string bachata icon Joan Soriano (July 5), a guy who…
Hackers Took Control of a Lorain Co. Printing Shop’s Camera For Five Days
Hackers took control of a local printing shop owner’s internet protocol (IP) security camera in Lorain County earlier this month. For five days the owner, who identified himself only as Joe to News 5 Cleveland, noticed the camera moving on its own. One of the employees started to hear voices coming from the camera on…
MetroHealth Opens Office of Opioid Safety to Improve Health Services
Not long after helping launch a massive public awareness campaign, MetroHealth Medical Center today announced the formation of the Office of Opioid Safety. The new initiative will augment medical services for opioid addicts in a county struggling with dramatic overdose death statistics. The Office of Opioid Safety will be overseen by Dr. Joan Papp, a…
Maple Grove to Host Tribute Concert Honoring the Late Chris Cornell
The recent death of Soundgarden/Audioslave singer Chris Cornell, a guy who possessed one of rock’s truly potent voices, was a real shock. To honor him, the Maple Grove in Maple Heights will host a tribute concert tonight. Dubbed Euphoria Mourning (A Chris Cornell Tribute), the event will feature performances by Billy Youngblood, Reverend Morbid and…
Cleveland Rec Centers to Offer Free Meals to Kids This Summer; Facilities Still Need Improvement
The Cleveland Division of Recreation began the 2017 Summer Food Service Program for Children, Mayor Jackson announced this week. This program offers free meals Monday through Friday to children 18 years or younger, or persons 19-21 years-old with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The announcement is part of ‘Safe Summer 2017,’ a series of improvements heeded…
7 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, JUNE 16 Saliva/Devilstrip After being around for 21 years, the hard rock act Saliva has somehow survived. Its ninth studio album, Love, Lies & Therapy, represents the band’s second album featuring singer Bobby Amaru. It’s also the first for newest bassist Brad Stewart. Expect to hear songs from it as well as classics such…
Ohio Budget Bill Provision Would Make the State One of the Most Progressive in Compensating Wrongfully Convicted Individuals
One corner of the proposed 4,500-page Ohio budget is actually drawing cheers from criminal justice reformers. Tucked into the massive proposal now being debated in Columbus is a provision that would expand payouts for Ohioans wrongfully convicted for crimes they didn’t commit. The move would actually make the Buckeye state one of the most progressive…
Sit-In Protest Planned This Afternoon at Sen. Rob Portman’s Office Over Health Care Bill
[image-1]Protesters will gather at Sen. Rob Portman’s downtown Cleveland office at 2 p.m. to demand a “no” vote during the impending American Health Care Act hearing. Similar protests are taking place in Republican senators’ offices from Maine to Alaska today. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the AHCA could cause some 1 million Ohioans…
27-Year-Old Cleveland Man Shot and Killed in Corlett Neighborhood is Cleveland’s 50th Homicide of 2017
Details are scant at the moment but Cleveland.com reports a 27-year-old man was gunned down at East 136th Street and Harvard last night, shot in the head and back. Update: Fox8 has more details and they are sad. The 27-year-old victim was playing basketball with his two younger nephews at Gawron Park at about 7:20…
Mayor Frank Jackson Really, Really Loves Jamie Foxx
So far, Mayor Frank Jackson has thanked Jamie Foxx three times on Twitter, and once on Facebook, for a serenade that the versatile artist performed on the Jimmy Kimmel show Wednesday night. It’s a serenade that travel and tourism bureau Destination Cleveland may appreciate because of the branding in the background, but may dismiss because…
Lakewood Officials Begin Protracted Lakewood Hospital Public Records Response
The city of Lakewood began its response to a sprawling field of public records requests this week, though there’s still a long road ahead, based on the court docket. Lakewood was facing a June 12 summary judgment deadline and mounting pressure to release hundreds of thousands of public records requested since March 2016 by resident…
Country Singer-Guitarist Toby Keith to Play First-Ever Bash on the Bay Festival
[image-1]The organizers of Bash on the Bay, a country music festival that takes place on Aug. 31 at the Put-in-Bay airport, have enlisted country singer-guitarist Toby Keith to perform at their inaugural festival. Known for ultra-patriotic anthems such as “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” a song in which he asserts,…
No One Seems to Know Who’s Responsible for Fixing the Lights on the Guardians of Traffic Statues
There are few more iconic visuals in Cleveland, save for the Terminal Tower, than the Guardians of Traffic on the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge. They’ve long been visual shorthand for Cleveland, gracing t-shirts, professional marketing photographs, a million Instagram shots and TV commercials, and while we may feel they belong to Us, a question we’ve never thought…
Scene’s Van Aken Beer Garden Returns to Shaker Plaza Tonight
[image-1] The only thing better than a beer garden is an outdoor beer garden. Tonight from 6 to 10, the third annual Van Aken Beer Garden returns to Shaker Plaza. The event takes place in the west parking lot of Shaker Plaza at the corner of Farnsleigh Rd. and Van Aken Blvd. and inside the…
Annual 3-Day Duck Tape Festival Kicks Off Today in Avon
[image-1] The 14th Annual Duck Tape festival returns today to Veterans Memorial Park in Avon for a three-day event filled with beer, music, food and, of course, Duck Tape. This event celebrates the home of the original duct tape brand, Duck Tape. This weekend filled event kicks off today from 4 to 11 p.m. with…
In Advance of Hard Rock Live Concert, 311 Drummer Chad Sexton Talks About the Reggae-Rap-Rock Band’s Remarkable Longevity
Summer wouldn’t be summer without a 311 concert. The SoCal-by-way-Omaha rap/rock/reggae band has hit the road every summer for the past 18 years, and this year is no exception. The band performs at 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, at Hard Rock Live. “Well, we fortunately got into touring and recording because we love music,…
Draymond Tries to Troll Cavs at Warriors Parade, Gets Trolled by LeBron
We couldn’t help but notice the super professional T-shirt Draymond Green decided to wear during the Warriors’ championship parade in downtown Oakland, California, today. Draymond Green's T-shirt pic.twitter.com/OHMFcrktIY — Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) June 15, 2017 Of course, we already knew what a sweetheart Green could be after he said people in Cleveland “don’t seem like…
The Metroparks’ Water Taxi is Free for Riders This Year
Riders can hop back and forth between the east and west bank of the Flats this year for free thanks to ArcelorMittal. As a centennial gift to the Metroparks, the steelmaker will be covering the cost for riders in the 2017 season. Launched last year, the eLCee2 ferried back and forth across the Cuyahoga River at…
There’s a New Grocery Store Coming to Buckeye Plaza
Cleveland’s Buckeye neighborhood is getting a new grocery store this summer, taking the place of a former Giant Eagle. While a banner that reads, “Grocer coming soon,” has been posted up on the vacant building in Buckeye Plaza, the identity of the mysterious new grocery store has yet to be revealed. But this should all still…
‘Cars 3’ is an Average Addition to Already Tired Franchise
The first teaser for Cars 3, released back in November, was so bleak and foreboding that it sparked a worldwide debate over whether kids would be able to handle such gravity in a G-rated film about talking cars. While the scene featured in the teaser remains in the final cut, it doesn’t set the tone…
This Frank Jackson Fundraiser in Gates Mills is Absolutely Insane
The Cleveland corporate community is hosting a fundraiser for Mayor Frank Jackson on June 28 at the Gates Mills home of Umberto and Maryellen Fedeli. The “home” is in fact a bomb-ass “European-inspired” mansion with a full Italian restaurant in the basement. (Check out the video above. It’s nuts.) Fedeli is the president and CEO…
Rash of West Side Burglaries Continues With Break-In at Astoria Market and Cafe
A rash of break-ins at near westside businesses including Jack Flaps, Cleveland Bagel Company, and Herb’n Twine continued this week with a similar break-in at Astoria Market and Cafe on Detroit Ave. Surveillance video of the incident captured by Astoria’s cameras shows a man breaking the front glass door with a brick, wandering around the…
Armed Only With Acoustic Guitars, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Turn In an Epic Set at Blossom
“I love this building,” said singer-guitarist Dave Matthews at the start of last night’s nearly three-hour acoustic concert featuring him and guitarist Tim Reynolds. Matthews regularly comes to Blossom with his backing band but not often as an acoustic duo with Reynolds, the DMB guitarist who first encouraged him to start a band. An accomplished…
On the Finals and the Tribe’s .500 Start — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac dissect the NBA Finals, discuss how much better a potential Paul George trade would make the Cavs and analyze the marathon baseball season and the Indians’ disappointing start.
At the Drive In’s First Studio Album in 17 Years Represents a Return to Form
This past Cinco de Mayo represented the closing of a 17-year gap between At the Drive In albums as the band released in • ter a • li • a, the long awaited follow up to 2000’s Relationship of Command. The band, which includes singer Cedric Bixler, singer-guitarist Omar Rodríguez, bassist Paul Hinojos, drummer Tony Hajjar…
Guide to Kulchur Bookstore Will Reopen in New Location This Month
At Lorain Avenue and W. 52nd Street, Guide to Kulchur will live again. Founder RA Washington told Scene he plans to open the bookstore and an adjacent black box space later this month. And this time, with the assistance of some local foundations sympathetic to his mission, plus the addition of a board, Washington hopes…
Appeal Denied for Westlake Doctor Serving 20 Years After Needlessly Performing Operations on Patients
A cardiologist currently set to serve a 20-year federal prison sentence was not granted an appeal yesterday. Dr. Harold Persaud received the sentence in 2015, after he was convicted of performing needless operations on patients to make money off of their insurance providers, ultimately gaining around $5.7 million. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not…
“Kyrie’s Better Than Allen Iverson” and Other Cavs Thoughts From Kevin Durant on the Bill Simmons Podcast
Fresh off winning his first NBA Championship, NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant sat down with The Ringer’s Bill Simmons to discuss the Finals on Simmons’ podcast. Durant had plenty of things to say about the Cavaliers. Some highlights: Durant on Kyrie Irving: “He just makes you happy when you watch him play…you just smile when…
State Legislators Sparring Over How to Fund the Fight Against the Opiate Crisis
[image-1]Last month, several top Democrats introduced a bill that would funnel $200 million from the state’s “rainy day” fund toward fighting the ongoing and worsening opiate addiction crisis. Debate continues, though leading Republicans (like Gov. John Kasich) have balked at tapping those reserves, which total about $2 billion. Everyone mostly agrees, though, that more money…
Cleveland Bagel Co., Jack Flaps, Herb’n Twine Vandalized
A CALL TO ACTION: three of our beloved local businesses have been on the receiving end of some crappy crimes. Their front doors have been smashed and their point of sale systems stolen. Which seems like a wasted opportunity because all I'd be looking for is the food… So what do we do? We do…
Paul Simon Delivers Career-Spanning Set at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
If singer-songwriter Paul Simon had hung it up after the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel disbanded in 1970, his legacy would’ve been intact. One of the best-selling acts of the ’60s, Simon & Garfunkel, who were inducted into the Rock Hall in 1990, embodied the counterculture era as much someone like Dylan did. Simon, of…
RED Restaurant Group Shutters 811 Kitchen Bar to Rebrand
811 Kitchen Bar Lounge, the globally influenced, modern-American kitchen and bar that was opened by RED Restaurant Group last year, closed yesterday. The move is temporary, says a spokesperson, with plans for a “comprehensive rebrand” and subsequent reopening tentatively scheduled for fall 2017. “At every RED location, we regularly evaluate how to best serve our…
Cleveland Mourns the Passing of Two Giants in the Arts Community
A fog descended upon the city on June 2, 2017. It brought the funeral of one friend and dear member of the Cleveland arts community and the reception of another, on her birthday no less. The two deaths dealt a blow to the gut of the community that was made all the better for the…
Savage Love: Virgin Territory
Dear Dan, I’m almost 30 and I’m a virgin. I’m an overweight, straight-ish guy. I’ve also gone through an absolute hell life thus far, losing a testicle to cancer and having an abusive father who threatened a teenage me into celibacy by invoking the phrase “penile lobotomy” should I have sex with any girlfriends. I’ve…
Trevorrow’s ‘The Book of Henry’ Re-Aligns His ‘Crazy’ Hollywood Trajectory
The Book of Henry, the third film from director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World), opens Friday in wide release. It’s a $10-million drama set in upstate New York about a precocious preteen (Jaeden Lieberher) who, after witnessing the abusive behavior of a powerful neighbor (Dean Norris), takes matters into his own hands. He…
Spotlight: ‘Cars 3’
Michael Comet, character supervisor for the Pixar film Cars 3, says he always had an interest in computers, drawing and art. “I loved the traditional Disney movies from Snow White to Bambi and 101 Dalmatians up through Warner Bros. cartoons like Bugs Bunny,” says Comet, who grew up in Beachwood and attended Case Western Reserve University, via phone from his office at…
Get Out: The Things To Do This Week (June 14-20)
WED 06/14 Indians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers At the beginning of the season, many pundits picked the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series. While the Dodgers haven’t run away with the NL West, they’ve played good baseball for the first two months of the season. They have a terrific pitching staff and some…
A Tiny Piece of Evidence Could Be the Key to Setting An Innocent Cleveland Man Free. Why Can’t Anyone at the Justice Center Find It?
The women didn’t see the knife-wielding man because of the hamster. On the afternoon of Oct. 9, 2000, three women, all classmates at a court-reporting school in downtown Cleveland, were hunting through their parked car for the loose little critter when the assailant approached, flashing a knife and demanding cash. After pocketing the money, he ordered…
When Einstein Meets Picasso, Lame Jokes Result. Who Knew?
Is there such a condition as “premature premise ejaculation”? If not, there should be, and it should be used to describe Picasso at the Lapin Agile by comedian Steve Martin, now at the Blank Canvas Theatre. Just pondering the premise of this show is enough to make your brain get moist. Suppose that, in 1903,…
Collision Bend Puts the Restaurant Back in the Brewery
We were seated at the bar in Collision Bend. To our left, through a wall of windows, was that incredible post-industrial maritime view filled with rushing water, gritty bridges and wee kayaks dwarfed by passing freighters. Directly in front of us was an array of creative small plates and a flight of house-brewed beer. And…
Four Great Local Wine Stores With More
From dating to dinner parties, wine is a nearly inescapable part of adulthood. Knowing just a little about one’s own preferences can help make any number of social and dining experiences smoother and more enjoyable. That’s what makes specialty wine retailers so important. But some Cleveland area shops go the extra mile by offering shoppers…
Band of the Week: Gina Brooklyn
MEET THE BAND: Gina Brooklyn (vocals, piano, guitar, ukulele, and cajon) AN EARLY BLOOMER: Brooklyn, who grew up in Wadsworth, a town she says is more oriented toward sports than music, started singing when she was only 5 years old. Her parents played in a local band and regularly exposed her to new music. “I…
