Cleveland’s Top CEOs are Rich, B*tch
But you didn’t need us to tell you that, did you? If there’s anything we don’t need headlines spelling out for us in these slumming post-Recession, will-it-or-won’t-it Double Dip days is that people are making money somewhere. Just no one we know. But aren’t you curious about how the other tax bracket lives? Interested in…
Pic of the Day: Cleveland’s Moving Road in 1905
You think Cleveland was progressive for having the first working traffic light? Try this “rolling road” from 1905. Think of it like those moving walkways at the airport, except way bigger, and designed to carry wagons, people, horses, and supplies up the hill. The pic is from a 1905 issue of Popular Mechanics, and the…
Meh Rock Band Releases Live Album Recorded in Cleveland
Hey, were you at Sick Puppies’ show at House of Blues last year? Yeah? Well, listen closely and you may hear yourself on their new album. The Australian rockers — who, frankly, don’t do a whole lot for us — just released Sick Puppies Live at the House Of Blues Cleveland today, a seven-song EP…
OSU to Hike Up Tuition
Just think of all the Jack that 3.3 percent could have bought. Just when you’re trying to avoid any more hits to the pocketbook, Ohio’s institutions of higher learning are jacking up their party fees tuition. Ohio University recently announced Athens-goers will have to contend with a 3.5 percent uptick this fall, and now Ohio…
Pregnant Mom Arrested for DUI With Child in Car
We’ve long been on the “drunk mom with kid in the car” beat, chronicling the misfit mothers who pop it into gear, but only after first popping a brew. It’s unforgivable, avoidable, and just sad. What tops that trend? What puts even the drunk mom with tots in tow to shame? How about pregnant drunk…
Local Site Allows Fans to Thank Musicians; No Word if Musicians Are Actually Listening
Avid music fans have always longed for ways to get closer to their idols. But today’s social media playground gives them no way of knowing whether the beloved artist — or just some flunky, or perhaps nobody — even reads their heartfelt posts. Enter Cleveland State psychology student Melissa Gentile, who has found a better…
Ohio Ranks Low for Personal Freedom
Ohioans are known for their love of funnel cakes and sporting heartbreak. But a new study says we could use a double order of personal freedom, a fact which begs for a new license plate slogan: “First in Flight, Last in Freedom.” The Buckeye State ranks 42nd in the nation in terms of our civil…
The Quality of Cleveland Life Report
Your guide to thriving in fabulous Cleveland. Nicked at Night: Convicted Cuyahoga County corruption all-stars serving time in a West Virginia prison have found a humbling new outlet for their skills: exchanging packs of tuna for first dibs on the TV remote. Sadly, and hilariously, this is not a joke. County Fashion Reforms: New dress…
Yuengling Coming to Ohio, Officially
We told you back in December that the signs were pointed in the right and delicious direction, but now it’s as close to official as you can get without actually having one in your hand: Yuengling is coming to Ohio. Via The Beer Blog: D.G. Yuengling and Son will enter the Ohio market later this…
Cuyahoga County Corruption All-Stars’ Life in Federal Prison
What do you do when used to be a semi-high-level local political mover and shaker accustomed to bribing officials, taking bribes, doling out multi-million construction contracts, feasting on steak dinners, and unloading U-Hauls of frivolous but nevertheless nice gifts and suddenly find that life gone in exchange for years in federal prison?The Plain Dealer has…
Video: Tribe Bullpen Plots to Steal Championship Trophy
Fun video from MLB, but you’ll have to click over to watch it because Mr. Selig’s internet overlords prevent others from embedding their videos. Do watch, however, as the Tribe bullpen plots to steal the World Series trophy in a piece entitled: O’Hara’s 6.
Ryan Dunn, Jackass Star, Dies in Car Accident
Ryan Dunn, one of the stars from the Jackass conglomerate and native Clevelander (technically, he was born in Medina), died in a car accident around 3:30 this morning outside Philadelphia. He was 34. RIP.
Linndale (and its Speed Trap) Survive Another Challenge
A rare moment when a Linndale cop car is not parked on I-71. You could walk Linndale’s stretch of I-71 in about 30 seconds. Small as it may be, that patch of pavement has been extremely lucrative, and extremely controversial, for just about five decades. The Linndale speed trap is notorious, not only in Cleveland,…
Emmy Nominated Actor Spends Awards Night at Hilarities
Win or lose, Maurice Benard will be at Hilarities You couldn’t keep most Emmy-nominated actors away from the cameras and red carpet. But one of them is skipping all that to spend his night in Cleveland. Maurice Benard recently received his sixth Daytime Emmy Award Nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series; he snagged…
Cuyahoga County Workers Get a Dress Code
We’re all for relaxed dress codes — around here, guidelines basically start and stop at “The shirt you wore last night is fine as long as it doesn’t have vomit on it, and you should probably not work in your underwear, but if you do, shut your office door” — but your sartorial choices really…
Pic of the Day: Bob “Mad Dawg” Golic
Salon 94, a New York gallery, is hosting an exhibition of 1980’s sports posters from the famous Costacos Bros. company. Among them, this gem starring Bob “Mad Dawg” Golic. Nice mullet, Bob.
Wanna See One of Cleveland’s Best Bands Run Up Some Stairs?
Emeralds, one of our favorite local bands, recently shot an episode of Pitchfork’s TV series 60 Seconds Left. They don’t play music or anything like that in the brief clip. They just run up some stairs. At least most of them do. Then they start to run back down. It doesn’t make for a very…
ACLU Says War on Drugs in Cuyahoga County a Waste of Time and Money
In the latest volley in the War on the War on Drugs, the ACLU unleashed a report detailing the staggering county-wide numbers (cost, arrests, incarcerations). Plus, it can be inferred, the War on Drugs is a total vibe-harsher. “Overcharging, Overspending, Overlooking: Cuyahoga County’s Costly War on Drugs,” via a press release, found that Cuyahoga County…
Club Isabella Makes its Dramatic Encore
For 25 years, Club Isabella was the place to go in University Circle for matchless jazz and food. That all ended in 2007 when University Hospitals razed the legendary club to make way for a new hospital. Understandably, fans were heartbroken. One thing that will help ease the pain is a visit to the brand…
Sneak Peek at Market Garden Brewery
The McNulty Ohio City beer empire will soon officially grow with the opening of Market Garden Brewery, a craft beer and, in the future, spirits emporium next to the West Side Market that will launch in the coming weeks. Cleveland Food & Brews got a brief walk-through of the facilities and posted pics showing what…
Concert Review: Rubblebucket at the Beachland Tavern
Skins beat shirts every time Horns, harmonies, and incredible melodies unfolded at the Beachland Tavern last night from the eight instrumental voices that make up Rubblebucket. The vibrant and colorful performance alternated between songs from both of the band’s albums, though it leaned on tracks from the upcoming Omega La La. Rubblebucket’s arrangements were exciting…
Chill Factor
In Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Jim Carrey plays Tommy Popper, a successful real-estate developer who lives for business hours and the big score. His winning streak comes to a screeching halt after he inherits a penguin from his late explorer father. After a misunderstanding, he acquires five more and faces a whole mess of problems that…
Listen to Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo Talk Like Assholes
Fresh audio from the FBI’s Cuyahoga County Corruption Time Life Recordings — a great gift for friends and family, by the way — used at the trial of former judge Steven Terry has been posted at NewsNet5, and for that we are thankful. There’s a whole pile of conversations — between Dimora and Russo, Russo…
Man Declares Love for Lolita Hostess and/or Lolita
One obviously sated soul took to Craigslist’s Missed Connection section to proclaim his love for a hostess at Michael Symon’s Lolita, but also Lolita itself. By the end, he may or may not be saying he wants to make love to the food. So, anonymous hostess, if you read this and have ever dreamed of…
Cocaine Is a Helluva Drug
You really don’t need to know much more about this story than the lede from the Morning Journal: LORAIN — Police arrested a 24-year-old woman for stabbing her mother in the back in connection with “a discussion about cocaine,” Lorain police reported. … but there are some other interesting nuggets in the full article if…
Lady Gaga’s Meat Dress Arrives at Rock Hall, Fashionably Late Of Course
The infamous meat dress that Lady Gaga wore at MTV’s Video Music Awards last September was fashionably late to the party — the “Women Who Rock” exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, that is. While the exhibit opened a month ago, the meat dress was installed today. As four museum…
Bravo for Encore’s Wine Dinner
A lot goes into creating the perfect Italian dinner. The wine. The food. The wine. The servers. The wine. The ambiance. And did we mention the wine? It is an art affected by any number of factors. But when the stars (or the Duroc pork tenderloin and a juicy Super Tuscan) align just right, it…
Time-Lapse Video of Wind Turbine Installation
Watch the Lincoln Electric wind turbine in Euclid, one of the largest in North America, be assembled in just over one minute. (Via Fresh Water Cleveland)
Blackest Day
You don’t have to know anything about the popular comic-book superhero going into Green Lantern, but it might help clear up some things in this cluttered movie, the sort of big, empty summer blowout they warn you about. Ryan Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, a hotshot test pilot who reluctantly becomes part of an intergalactic corps…
Pic of the Day: Betty White at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
It’s nearing bottomed-out hour of the afternoon and we’re here to help. Here’s Betty White feeding a giraffe at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. This, of course, isn’t the first time the Golden Girls star has shoved grass in the face of a wild tall man. (We have no idea what that meant either, but we…
Tiffani Calise, Babysitter, Arrested in Toddler’s Death (UPDATED)
Tiffani Calise is due in court today. Update II: A jury today found 21-year-old Tiffani Calise guilty of murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangering in the death of a 23-month-old who Calise had been babysitting. (NewsNet5) *** Update: Tiffani Calise was charged with murder today in the death of 23-month-old Aaliyah Ali, the toddler she…
“Congratulations Mavericks” Billboard Appears in Cleveland
No pics of the billboard yet, so here’s Mark Cuban at a urinal with the NBA championship trophy. It seems no one has snapped a pic of the billboard yet, but Cleveland’s continued celebration of LeBron’s (oh, and the Heat’s) defeat can be found either on I-71 or I-480 with a new “Congratulations Mavericks” billboard…
Here’s What The Illuminating Company Thought Cleveland Would Look Like in 1983
Produced in 1973, this ad has The Illuminating Company explaining how it works ten years into the future. The accompanying graphic shows monorails in the year 1983. As the Reddit submitter said, “Where are my damn monorails, good sirs?” After all, there’s nothing on earth like a genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail. (Via here)
Five Guys Competing in “Sit-In” Competition to Win a Car at Akron Aeros Ballpark
Akron Beacon Journal As far as minor league baseball gimmicks go, this ain’t a bad one. At least for the fans. And the internet. Here’s the set-up: Five applicants were selected for a contest to win a Lexus, but not a new Lexus. Instead it’s a 1996, worn-out, slightly rusted version with 182,000 miles on…
Man Shot Over Four Loko Dispute
Thought all the hysterics over Four Loko would dissipate slowly into the ether once the FDA clamped down on the crack-in-a-can’s ingredients? Nope. While the reformulated recipe for Four Loko stripped caffeine from the cocktail, and while the media frenzy and black-market appetite for Loko eased after the initial bans put in place by numerous…
Concert Review: Glee Live! at Quicken Loans Arena
Wild and crazy times from the cast of Glee. Imagine yourself immersed in a sea of 20,500 screaming teen girls, barf bags in hand. That was the scene at the Q last night for a sold-out performance of Glee Live! (the barf bags were courtesy of Glee character Sue Sylvester). The show started with fireworks,…
CD Review: Forgotten Souls of Antiquity
Forgotten Souls of Antiquity play a mix of SoCal punk and straight-up psychobilly on their self-titled debut, which was recorded at Cleveland’s Sync Studios. On the ominous opener “Belly of the Beast,” singer BillMike warns “It’s a midnight gamble, and I know I’m going to lose,” as twangy guitars strum a Stray Cat strut. The…
Big Book of Cleveland: East/West
Eevery city has its ugly secrets — its mysteries that begin to reveal themselves only with time spent in residence there. Cleveland is no different. Despite our progressive times and our unsurpassing good nature, there remains one indelible divide in our otherwise civil society. You’re a Clevelander? What side you from? No local citizen in…
We Have Liftoff
Singer and songwriter Johnny Stanec spent the latter half of the 2000s touring and recording with Youngstown indie rockers First in Space. The band had a pretty good run till it decided to “take a break, but not call it quits” last year. Since then, Stanec has kept busy prepping his just-released solo debut, Narrow…
Big Book of Cleveland: The Tastes of Cleveland
These are heady days for Cleveland’s dining scene. Food-obsessed television shows are trampling a trail to our restaurants. Our farmers markets and urban farms are yielding bumper crops of national cred. The venerable West Side Market, leading up to its momentous centennial, has become one of the state’s top attractions of any kind. And of…
CD Review: Owl City
Adam Young, the 24-year-old mastermind behind Owl City, never goes too deep. In fact, he barely skims the surface on his third album. “Tiny feathers kiss your face,” he sings on the opener “The Real World,” pretty much tipping you off to the dude’s state of mind. With songs about angels, dreams, and butterflies, All…
Big Book of Cleveland: How to Eat
Is Cleveland really the nation’s fattest city? Maybe. But if so, we come by our stature honestly, through a lifelong commitment to heapin’ helpings of delicious eats. Whether you’re seeking the best places to shop or the finest spots to dine, we promise: You will never go hungry in C-town. Dave’s Markets: Based in the…
CD Review: Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney’s two self-titled solo albums — 1970’s McCartney and 1980’s McCartney II — were effectively declarations of independence from his bands. The first fired the final shot that ended the Beatles; the second put an end to Wings. Faced with this freedom, McCartney used his new solo stature to play around in the studio…
Big Book of Cleveland: The Clubs
Any self-respecting rock & roll capital of the universe is obligated to stockpile the nightlife hubs. And on this count, Northeast Ohio is virtually without peer. From our trendy downtown hotspots to our comforting corner bars, music pours out of our area clubs, from revelatory rock to smoldering blues and all points between and beyond.…
Tilting at Windmills
Lorry Wagner will talk to any community group that will have him. And his message has been the same for years: Cuyahoga County’s effort to install five wind turbines off the coast of Lakewood will start something very big for our downtrodden region. But we’ve got to be first at this game. Ohio must develop…
Big Book of Cleveland: Where’s the Party?
Want to feel like a Clevelander? Then you’re going to have to party like one. Yes indeed, there’s a celebration going on somewhere every day. Following are our picks for the festivities you can’t afford to miss. JUNE Wade Oval Wednesdays June 15, 22, 29, July 6, 13, 20, 27, August 3, 10, 17, 24,…
Temp Treats
Pop-up restaurants, while still a novelty around these parts, have become a necessity in areas where talented chefs outnumber brick-and-mortar restaurants. Just because you don’t have a professional kitchen, the notion goes, doesn’t mean you can’t host a happy bash. That will be the case for four nights later this month, when two kitchenless chefs…
Big Book of Cleveland: The Important Stuff
When you’re a world-famous city like Cleveland, you’re bound to boast a stockpile of internationally renowned attractions. We’ve got so muching going on around here, even Detroit looks better thanks to us. Behold a handful of our most cherished institutions: the key stops that any Clevelander should know by heart. THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART…
On View This Week
The View From God’s House: A Witness to WorshipStereotypes abound about the African-American church experience, and any white documentarian approaching the subject faces the peril of playing into preconceptions. Michael S. Levy’s photography series Mere Witness, opening June 17 at Proximity gallery, avoids any such traps. Levy, a longtime Cleveland photojournalist whose work has appeared…
Forecast: Chili
Chili in summer?” scoffed a friend recently, as if the notion of eating hot food after Memorial Day was impossible to wrap his head around. What is it, precisely, that makes it culinarily acceptable to eat a steaming bowl of delicious chili in February but not June? Last I checked, beef isn’t exactly seasonal like…
Big Book of Cleveland: The Shopping
Clevelanders are needful sorts, and our shopping jones takes us from upscale “fashion malls” to thrift-store basements. In the pages that follow, we direct you to some of the city’s top shops, including comic book vendors, record stores, and book sellers, as selected by Scene readers in our annual Best of Cleveland poll. Remember: Whether…
Living the Dream
In theater, only a few steps separate the backstage from the front. But close as those two worlds are, their differences are vast. And success in the spotlight is often determined by how well performers negotiate the riptides of the dramas happening behind the scenes. So it is in Dreamgirls, the rompin’, stompin’ roman a…
Home Movies
Kill the Irishman (Anchor Bay) — This engaging biopic about 1970s Cleveland mobster Danny Greene benefits from its low budget. Without flashy sets or big-name stars (unless Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, and some guys who were in The Sopranos count) getting in the way of the story, the movie boasts a gritty, working-class appeal in…
Big Book of Cleveland: The Creative Crowd
Yes, Cleveland is home to an internationally renowned art museum. But our town teems with creative types in every neighborhood from east to west. Uncinch that Rust Belt reputation, and you’ll find a Cleveland brimming with galleries of all kinds and artists of unbounded talent. More than just a place to hang the pictures, many…
On Stage This Week
Season Opener at Blossom: Chicago Comes to Porthouse Theatre Limber up those jazz hands and head out to Porthouse Theatre, Kent State University’s outdoor summer showcase on the grounds of Blossom Music Center, as the venue launches its 43rd season this week with the 1975 Broadway song-and-dance sensation Chicago. A satire on civic corruption and…
Losing Neverland
Freddie Highmore is no longer the cute little kid banging on an acoustic guitar or frolicking through mythical lands. He’s all grown up in the teen romance The Art of Getting By. And while he’s had plenty of practice playing lost characters searching for something (a father figure in Finding Neverland, a gold ticket in…
Big Book of Cleveland: How Do We Rock?
When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced in 1986 that Cleveland would be home to its multimillion-dollar museum, people around the country bitched. They bitched in Memphis. They especially bitched in New York. But, Clevelanders rightly argued, legendary Cleveland DJ Alan Freed helped spread the word about rock & roll — in fact,…
CD Review: Arctic Monkeys
Cheeky Brits Arctic Monkeys have fashioned a career out of clever quips, sharp-elbowed riffs, and Alex Turner’s carefree voice. But their fourth album is uneven, lacking both energy and inspiration. Too many songs on Suck It and See are bogged down by middling tempos and bland melodies. For the first time, it feels like Arctic…
Concert Calendar
Certified Load up on the Red Bull and Starbucks: This nine-hour electronic music festival is gonna keep you up until the break of dawn. One of the guys who put it together, Eric Evasion, says, “It could possibly be the biggest dance event Cleveland has witnessed in years.” It’s certainly the most packed. In addition…
Big Book of Cleveland: Mud, Sweat & Gears
Nothing builds body and spirit like conquest. Hillary had his mountain, but what’s your fame and fortune? Northeast Ohio offers an endless supply of epic and entertaining ways to feed your competitive nature — even if you’re just competing against that lazy voice in your head. Need some ideas to get you started? Here comes…
Stay In!
TOP PICK – TV Falling Skies (TNT) After Skyline and Battle: Los Angeles, we could use some kick-ass alien invaders around here. This new eight-week series (which premieres at 9 p.m. Sunday) is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, who knows a thing or two about the subject. The aliens have already attacked and taken over…
Drink of the Week
Don’t let its girlish hue fool you: The Raspberry Lime Sensation ($9) from Pier W mixologist Tom Novak may taste gentle enough for a woman, but it’s definitely strong enough for a man. Novak created the drink — freshly made lemonade, raspberry-infused simple syrup, and Rose’s Lime — to highlight the newly released Crav Vodka,…
The Big Book of Cleveland: 2011
Welcome to America’s finest city! We fueled our nation’s Industrial Revolution and we gave the world rock & roll. So yeah, we’re kinda famous. But don’t let our understated greatness frighten you. We’re glad you’re joining us in celebrating the vast bounty of Northeast Ohio. The Big Book of Cleveland is designed as a sort…
We Get Mail
The Jewish Welcome Mat One thing “The Job Machine” [May 18, 2011] doesn’t mention is that the idea of the welcome center and making a concentrated effort to attract immigrants, pushed by people like Richard Herman, was stonewalled for years in Cleveland, with Mayor Jackson unenthusiastic, probably due to pushback from black organizations that felt…
Film Capsules
Super 8 (PG-13) J.J. Abrams’ nostalgic monster movie sticks close to producer Steven Spielberg’s playbook: kids vs. skeptical adults, shady military personnel, a young protagonist raised by a single parent, and a deliberate build-up to the big reveal. In 1979, a group of kids from suburban Ohio are making a zombie movie when they witness…
Get Out!
Thursday | 16 Family Fun Sweet on Strawberries What started in 1960 as a small homecoming has grown into the annual Kirtland Kiwanis Strawberry Festival, a four-day celebration of hometown values and, of course, strawberries. Fresh and juicy, Ohio’s favorite berries will be served up in all their glory: on sundaes, in shortcakes, and even…
The 5-Year Plan
Even in the midst of a precipitous decline that’s all but erased the euphoria of their record-setting start, the Indians’ proximity to first place in the American League’s Central Division is still more than a nice surprise. After what happened between the Cavaliers and the kid from Akron, and with the Browns having rebooted the…
Party Poopers
There are so many things to love about summer: the sun, the beach, the long days, the pop songs we’ll hear a gazillion times. But how durable are those songs that will be blasting out of our cars, iPods, and deck stereos for the next three months? We asked a panel of music and writing…
Big Book of Cleveland: Trivia
You probably knew that America’s finest city gave the world Halle Berry and Paul Newman and sports teams with an extraordinary knack for losing.But did you know that we’re also God’s gift to spaghetti, and we churned out one of the biggest rock records in history? Thought you knew what Cleveland was all about? Try…
Local Band in Focus
Meet the Band: Elliot Barry (vocals), Chad Martin (drums), Tom Shaffner (guitars), Chris Simmons (guitars), and Jeff Zabrowski (bass) No, They Don’t Do Porn: The X-Members’ name comes from all the gigging the five guys have done before teaming up. Johnny B. Bad: Shaffner says the band sounds like “Chuck Berry, Kerry King, and the…
Big Book of Cleveland: Hubs and Hoods
The lifeblood of Cleveland courses through its many thriving neighborhoods in and around the city. Following is an introduction to the hubs & ‘hoods you’ll want to get to know. The Warehouse District warehousedistrict.org An historic stretch of former warehouses and storefronts, this downtown district features a fun-loving mix of upscale lofts, pulsating clubs, casual…
Fine Art
After three albums of breezy, brazen Britpop, in which frontman Eddie Argos discoursed on everything from his favorite breakfast cereal to how much he loves ’80s shoulda-been-bigger rockers the Replacements — you knew Art Brut would eventually come to this. The good times, the fun songs, the fucking around for fucking-around’s sake — they weren’t…
Big Book of Cleveland: Sound and Stage
Innovative, contemporary, and adventurous are just a few of the ways we describe Cleveland’s vibrant theater scene. In the list below, we let the city’s top companies describe their mission in their own words. Playhouse Square: The nonprofit Playhouse Square is the world’s largest theater restoration project and the country’s largest performing arts center outside…
Musician Bobby Sanabria Battles the Grammys
When the Recording Academy announced in April that the Grammy’s would cut more than 30 categories from their annual awards show, Bobby Sanabria was pissed, and perhaps justifiably so. Sanabria, a 4-time Grammy nominee and a life-long defender of the Latin jazz gospel saw his genre get the axe along with several others he believes…
