What to Do Tonight: Woven Bones
Hey! Guy on the left! Someone is taking a picture! Orlando might be a great spot for Disney-related jobs, but it’s basically a rock ’n’ roll wasteland. With little happening in Florida, singer-guitarist Andrew Burr relocated to Austin to pursue his musical dreams. He formed the Woven Bones, who have perfected their Cramps-informed psych-punk over…
What to do Tonight: Cyndi Lauper
She’s so unusual Hard to believe that it’s been 27 years since Cyndi Lauper rocketed to fame with her stratospheric 1983 debut, She’s So Unusual. The album stayed on the charts for more than a year, sold more than 10 million copies in the states, and yielded four consecutive Top 5 singles. Lauper never quite…
What to Do Tonight: The Aggrolites
Before music, The Aggrolites were extras in the Matrix movies One sure sign that summer is finally here can be heard in the laidback reggae sounds wafting through backyards. Bob Marley provides the soundtrack to many weekend barbecues, while dance-floor DJs dust off old ska and dub singles to spin on sweaty summer nights. If…
What to Do Tonight: Public Enemy
I wonder if Flava Flav has developed neck problems from lugging that clock around all these years When it comes to hip-hop history, Public Enemy (Dr. Chuck D and class clown Flavor Flav) have written one of rap’s greatest chapters. As the genre’s most politically charged act for three decades running, Public Enemy first emerged…
What to Do Tonight: D.O.A.
Real punk rockers cut off their sleeves While few punks are able to sustain their revolutionary zeal for more than a decade, Canadian trailblazers D.O.A. are entering their 33rd year with little diminishment in spirit or energy. In that time, singer-guitarist Joey “Shithead” Keithley has been the only constant — other than the band’s rugged,…
What to Do Tonight: Delta Spirit
These guys couldn’t love rollercoasters any more if they tried Emo bands don’t generally give rise to Americana groups after they split up. But that’s exactly what happened when San Diego punks Noise Ratchet went supernova in 2003. That band’s rhythm section recruited new members to fill out the Delta Spirit, who debuted in 2007…
What to Do Tonight: Albert Lee & Hogan’s Heroes
Albert Lee & Hogan’s Heroes: Still rocking Albert Lee’s list of session employers reads like the guest list at a Hall of Fame luncheon: Eric Clapton, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, and Emmylou Harris, among others. His name is often mentioned alongside some of the greatest guitarists of all time, like Jimmy Page and…
OSU Running Contest For All Those Useless Ash Trees Destroyed By Ash Borers
This will be the armrest on a new rocking chair. So you’ve got some ash trees that have been ripped to hell by the vicious and insatiable appetite of the emerald ash borer. You’re not alone; Ohio’s been ravaged by the little bugger. But what to do with them? Ohio State has an idea. Make…
Meet Your Council Hopefuls
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to inform you of my intent to join this clusterfuck. As the filing deadline approaches, the race for the 11 seats on Cuyahoga County’s brand-new county council is shaping up to be a free-for-all. As of Monday, 142 candidates had pulled petitions to run and more than 80 had…
The Politics Of Cow Abuse
Don’t treat this guy right and you’re political career is over. Memo to Ohio livestock farmers: Before hiring your next unknown farmhand, be sure to administer a bacon-eating test. Conklin Dairy Farms omitted this key step when it unwittingly hired an undercover operative of the Chicago activist group Mercy for Animals. The operative captured footage…
Ohio’s Biggest Newspapers Score Big With Legal Notice Ruling
Your state legislators want to improve your access to legal news, and they’re determined to rally the last century’s finest resources to do it. For years, municipal and county governments statewide have been required to buy advertising in newspapers to circulate word of sheriff’s sales, delinquent property tax notices, and other information for its citizenry…
What to Do Tonight: The Melvins
Who could resist that hair? Three years ago, Melvins singer-guitarist Buzz Osborne and longtime drummer Dale Crover teamed up with Big Business’ bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis to expand Osborne’s 27-years-and-running band. “It’s certainly changed things and given the old songs something,” says Osborne. “We’re pretty committed to making this work, so it’s…
Out Today: Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy OsbourneScream(Epic) Any fears that Osbourne’s young new guitar player Gus G. wouldn’t be able to fill the shoes of the departed Zakk Wylde can be put to rest. The kid is a monster and further proof that Osbourne, who’s teamed with some great players over the years, really knows how to pick ’em. Gus’…
Buzz Bissinger Says Collaboration With LeBron On Book “Shamed” Him
Buzz Bissinger — the respected sports author whose work includes Friday Night Lights, which inspired the movie and TV show — has given a mixed review to the LeBron autobiography Shooting Stars, which Bissinger co-wrote with Akron’s favorite son. In a New Republic piece posted Monday, Bissinger explains, “Shooting Stars was far from the best…
“Hung” Soundtrack Bears Local Stamp
We wanted to show you this dude’s ginormous johnson, but you’ll have to settle for the CD cover The soundtrack album from the HBO TV series Hung hits stores today, and it’s got a Northeast Ohio flavor. Many fans are already aware that the series uses “I’ll Be Your Man” by Akron’s Black Keys as…
We’re Number One! Cleveland Shrinking Faster Than Rick Moranis, Any City in the US
Love those glasses, Rick What do the city of Cleveland and Rick Moranis have in common? They both, at one point in time, have shrunk. Moranis did it in the straight-to-DVD “Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves,” the sequel to “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” (We could have gone with the George Costanza shrinkage joke here, but…
Thank Canada? The Midges Are Back in Record Numbers… and You Should Be Thankful
Carmona ‘soldiered’ on… The mayfly, sometimes known colloquially as a “Canadian Soldier” after its native land, is an insect perhaps best remembered for making a much appreciated appearance against Joba Chamberlain and the Yankees back in the ’07 Divisional Series. Some would argue that these Canadian airborne rangers made the most significant contribution to crucial…
Why Cleveland’s a Destination for All the Single Ladies, Even Betty White
30 Rock and TV Land love Cleveland. We love Tina Fey. TV Land’s new sitcom, “Hot in Cleveland,” has brought our city back into national focus. With the initial favorable reviews and ratings, everyone is talking about Cleveland. The Atlantic looks at why the city might be so appealing to all the single ladies out…
eBay Item of the Day: The LeBronSucks.com Domain
The LeBron free agency drama has presented some money making opportunities. It’s like wartime profiteering, but without the war. Everyone’s making money, stands to make money, wants to make money, or is scheming to make money off LeBron. Consider the owner of LeBronSucks.com. Some smarty bought up the domain, has held onto it without creating…
Man vs. Food’s Tour Through Cleveland
Adam Richman still calls it the Jake. The Cleveland episode of Man vs. Food airs tomorrow night at 9 p.m. on the Travel Channel. Where did Adam Richman stuff his face besides Melt? What bountiful mounds of fatty Forest City deliciousness did he consume? Here’s the rundown from the Travel Channel’s press release: While in…
Watch Lightning Strike the Key Tower
Around 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning a thunderstorm rolled through downtown and NewsNet5 caught a huge lightning bolt striking the top of the Key Tower.
Concert Review: Tortoise at the Grog Shop
Out of their shells The five multi-instrumentalists who comprise Tortoise opened up their nearly 20-year-deep catalog for enthusiastic fans at the Grog Shop last night in a performance that satisfied with two encores. The group — with its instrumental, composition-based rock/jazz/electronic amalgamation of music — often employed two drummers playing simultaneously, interweaving rhythms like melodies.…
Tremont Brainstorms On Safety, How to Kick Ass
After a series of violent crimes in Tremont, including the shooting of local artist Jeff Chiplis, the safety of the eclectic and statistically safe Cleveland nook has been on the minds of residents and politicians. Councilman Joe Cimperman, along with the Tremont West Development Group, organized a meeting Monday with residents and police to voice…
The Subtle Cleveland Connection to Toy Story 3
A little Toy Story 3 trivia to help get your morning off to a jovial start, courtesy of Slash Film: The Tigers Pride license plate cover is a reference to director Lee Unrich’s hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and his high school mascot, the Tiger. This is the same place Bill Watterson grew up.
Morning Brew: New Lid for Davis-Besse Nuke Plant, Ohio Justices on Facebook, Carl B. Stokes Portrait, and a Badass Pilot
No big deal. Just crash landed a plane in a densely wooded area. Good morning, Cleveland. Here’s some stuff to read while you ponder how heavily you’d crying and hyperventilating if you crashed in a plane. — A manly 72-year-old man was flying his small plane to a gathering on Father’s Day. Then he crashed.…
Lake Erie Crushers Manager John Massarelli Wins Quote of the Day
When informed that the Lake Erie Crushers were the lead on SportsCenter for their LeBron-themed plans for the June 30 game ($1600/month contract, Cavs jerseys, etc.), here’s what manager John Massarelli had to say: “We were the lead for SportsCenter for that?” Massarelli said. “I thought it was because we won five of our last…
Ohio Third Worst In Job Loss During Last Decade, Hemorrhaging 525,200 Jobs
Bureau of Labor Statistics: “You’ve lost a lot of jobs, Ohio.” Ohio: “No shit.” By this point, we know Ohio’s job situation is and has been bad news. Ohioans really don’t even need the numbers any more to give harsh statistical reality to the economic carnage that everyone’s been witnessing around the state, day after…
Criminal of the Day: Coked-Out Naked Motel Walker Edition
Come on, you know you want to see this guy naked. Suppose you are a weary traveler. You have stopped at a motel for the evening to recharge your batteries before continuing on your endeavor in the morning. You awake refreshed. You get ready and emerge from your room thinking good thoughts about the day…
Continental Fails to Understand That New Hampshire to Cleveland Plane Needed Pilot To Make Trip
Dear Continental: Planes are stationary without pilots to fly them. Thanks. Everyone loves a good tale of incompetent airlines. Here’s a tale from a reader on Consumerist of his adventure from New Hampshire to Cleveland. I was supposed to be flying from Manchester to Cleveland on June 20 at 2:05 p.m. I arrived at the…
President Obama Celebrates Job Creation in Ohio Speech During Appearance That Forces Workers to Take Unpaid Day Off
“We will create jobs that pay real money, just not for these guys on this day.” You can chalk it up to partisan nitpicking, but Fox’s tale of Obama’s appearance in Ohio to tout the job-creating stimulus package last Friday has some humorous, ironical truth to it. How so? Construction workers were told to not…
Cavs Deal With Chinese Investment Group Still Up in the Air
It seems like forever ago now that the news of a partnership between the Cavs and a Chinese investment group broke. Synergy at its finest would be one way to describe it. As the NBA strives to expand its presence in the Asian market, the Cavs, with the biggest superstar on the planet, were a…
John Kasich Will Not Beg LeBron to Stay in Cleveland
Happy with or without LeBron. Politicians across the country have joined the masses in pleading for LeBron James to go to one city or another. Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson got into it, as did Akron mayor Don Plusquellic. Governor Ted Strickland lent his voice to the “We Are LeBron” video and song. Mayor Bloomberg in…
Shooting of Artist in Tremont Latest Incident of Violent Crime in the Neighborhood
Over the years we’ve shared countless reasons to attend Tremont’s summer Art Walks. Last week came one compelling reason not to: Artist Jeff Chiplis was shot in the back while attempting to flee a robbery on the night of the event. Cops say the shooting took place shortly after midnight when Chiplis, 58, declined an…
Awesome Cereal Box Prizes: MLB Temporary Tattoo Edition
If you bought a box of Frosted Flakes in 1994, you might have gotten this in the box: A sheet of MLB temporary tattoos. Of course, the designs are kid-friendly, which means they’re awesomely cartoonish and unlike most of the regular MLB logos. Take the Tribe’s, for example. Why on earth is the guy holding…
Lake Erie Crushers Get In On LeBron Gimmicks
The Lake Erie Crushers, who play in the Frontier League, will be following the Lake County Captains’ lead and be holding a LeBron-themed night. Hey, everyone else is doing it, why not get in on the action? The gimmicks here are actually pretty good. They will offer LeBron a max contract, which for the Frontier…
Video: Man vs. Food at Melt Bar and Grilled
The Man vs. Food episode filmed at Melt Bar and Grilled earlier this year, the one where Adam Richman took on the Melt Grilled Cheese Challenge, airs this Wednesday at 9 p.m. on the Travel Channel. Here’s a sneak peek:
Ohio GOP Candidate for Governor Will Not Beg LeBron to Stay
Happy with or without LeBron. Politicians across the country have joined the masses in pleading for LeBron James to go to one city or another. Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson got into it, as did Akron mayor Don Plusquellic. Governor Ted Strickland lent his voice to the “We Are LeBron” video and song. Mayor Bloomberg in…
White Castle Seeking Entries For This Year’s White Castle Hall of Fame Inductions in Columbus
These guys are White Castle hall of famers for sure. No, seriously, they’re in the hall of fame. Almost all of us toil through our daily lives knowing that while we manage to do certain things pretty well — work, hobbies, cooking, napping — we are far from expert-level, far from uniquely gifted, at anything.…
What a $640,000 House Looks Like After It Completely Explodes
Imagine leaving your house looking like that, and coming back to see it like this. Whenever a house explodes, it always seems to be in a working-class neighborhood. Nothing fancy, just a regular house no a regular street where regular people live. It’s never a mansion. Not that exploding houses of any variety are good,…
If You Have a Spare $9,670, This Diamond-Encrusted LeBron Pendant Can Be Yours
LeBron memorabilia is a crazy business. There’s cards and jerseys, game-used gear and Nikes, bobbleheads and signed balls. Even if you’re a seasoned collector with deep pockets, chances are that even the most prized possession in your collection isn’t all that special. No matter how rare, someone somewhere probably has something just like it. That…
Cleveland Gets Its Own Miniature Oil Spill
For residents in Gates Mills, an oil spill usually means a few drops of gas on their Lexus. Gates Mills is a far cry from the Gulf Shore, but residents to the east of Cleveland are dealing with an oil spill of their own. And no, not a few drops of unleaded on their shiny…
Morning Brew: Odd Meth Lab Locations, Despicable Mom, LeBron Appreciation Day, and Searching for Buried Treasure
Burgers, coffee, restrooms, meth. Good morning, Cleveland. Here’s some stuff to read while you count down the hours until New York’s LeBron Appreciation Day next year. — Of all the adventurous places that industrious drug dealers have dared to cook meth, in a car at a highway rest stop has to be one of the…
Flash Mob Tipping Point for LeBron Worship and Courtship
Jordan Zirm is another new intern here at Scene. He’s been following the LeBron rumors column every morning in the Plain Dealer. This created some thoughts in his young, impressionable head. I have been in denial. I used to think that here in Cleveland, we shielded ourselves from the groveling and begging that cities like…
Terminal Lovers, Uno Lady, Stoned by Magic and More Play Heights Art Fundraiser Tonight
Uno lady, uno word for you: We love you. Here’s your chance to support the local arts scene and the local music scene at the same time. Tonight, Heights Arts is sponsoring an evening of music by area underground acts at the Grog Shop to benefit its programs — which include public art, an art…
What Happens When Snoop Dogg Plays a Concert at a Strip Mall in Austintown, OH?
Magic. That’s what happens. Magic. Local Cleveland sports blogger Pete Pattakos was in attendance and snapped pics of the festivities. And by festivities, we mean the motley assemblage of fans that go to a Snoop Dogg concert in a strip mall in Austintown. Below is just a sample. Make sure you visit Cleveland Frowns for…
What Happens When Snoop Dogg Plays a Concert at a Strip Mall in Austintown, OH?
Magic. That’s what happens. Magic. Local Cleveland sports blogger Pete Pattakos was in attendance and snapped pics of the festivities. And by festivities, we mean the motley assemblage of fans that go to a Snoop Dogg concert in a strip mall in Austintown. Below is just a sample. Make sure you visit Cleveland Frowns for…
Numerous Bear Sightings Near Youngstown, Time to Break Out the Classic Fox 8 Bear Video (UPDATE: Police Use Strawberry Shortcake to Capture Bear)
First, the report from the AP: Numerous black bear sightings in a suburban area of northeast Ohio have experts advising residents to keep garbage inside until trash day. Police in Poland, outside Youngstown, received about 20 calls Tuesday from people saying they’d seen a bear that would be about 5 feet tall if standing. In…
Surely This Flash Mob Will Convince LeBron to Stay in Cleveland
The More Than a Player campaign created by Channel 3 and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission organized a flash mob at Tower City yesterday afternoon to… do something. Not sure really. Maybe provide some free lunchtime entertainment to the bewildered masses shopping at Tower City. It certainly couldn’t be to convince LeBron to stay in…
For Just $500 You and 20 Friends Can Try to Pull a 737 at Hopkins
Invite 20 friends to help you, or just call this guy. Ever fancied yourself a strong man? Ever watch the strong man competitions on ESPN and say to yourself, “I could totally pull five Hummers down the road with my teeth,” or, “I could toss those full kegs of beer with my pinky,”? Well, Hopkins…
Parma High School Baby Drama Is Straight Out of Glee (Sort Of)
Yeah drama There’s no singing and dancing, no apparent drama with the baby’s father, and as far as we know Jane Lynch isn’t making this girl’s life a living hell, but apart from that, a recent pregnancy at Normandy High School in Parma sounds just like (alright, sort of like) the Quinn pregnancy plotline from…
Concert Review: Beach House at the Beachland Ballroom
“Look what I found: A delicious concert review for your reading pleasure.” Beach House makes the kind of dreamy pop music that accommodates napping, babymaking, and quietly bobbing one’s head. Yet last night, frontwoman Victoria Legrand proved that one more activity fits the list — head banging. You wouldn’t think such harsh movements could be…
Jonah Hex resorts to summer movie cliches
Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is an ex-Confederate soldier turned bounty hunter whose wife and son were killed by his former commanding officer Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). Hex almost died at Turnbull’s hands himself, an experience that left him with a nasty scar, the ability to talk with the dead, and a really dark sense of…
Already Home to Spelling Bee Champ, Could Ohio Also Claim Braille Reading Champ?
This says “arm” in braille. Someone get a producer at ESPN on the phone. If the Spelling Bee merits live coverage, so does the National Braille Challenge. Ohio, cradle of presidents, heart of it all, and home to this year’s Spelling Bee champ, could add another title if 8-year-old Griffin Miller has his way. Griffin,…
Phil Lara Owes Lots of People Lots of Money, This Time It’s $33,000 to the Plain Dealer
A face you can trust. Phil Lara promised a revolutionary way to make money off the music biz. He’s been slightly less astute at delivering it. The former proprietor of the shuttered Jigsaw Saloon has been ordered by a Cuyahoga County judge to pay The Plain Dealer $33,000 for unpaid advertising bills accumulated through March…
Phil Lara Owes Lots of People Lots of Money, This Time It’s $33,000 to the Plain Dealer
A face you can trust. Phil Lara promised a revolutionary way to make money off the music biz. He’s been slightly less astute at delivering it. The former proprietor of the shuttered Jigsaw Saloon has been ordered by a Cuyahoga County judge to pay The Plain Dealer $33,000 for unpaid advertising bills accumulated through March…
Lucas County Republicans Hold Long Meetings, Bore Joe the Plumber
I did not sign up for five hour meetings. Local wrangling over the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s selection of a new chief looks like tea and biscuits compared to the fracas unfurling in Toledo. Last week’s meeting of the Lucas County Republican central committee to elect its chairman turned into a contentious five-hour session that…
Things I Didn’t Know: That Old Spice Guy Played for the Cleveland Browns
Isaiah Mustafa. Journeyman. Old Spice pitchman. Cleveland Brown.
Devo On The Colbert Report Last Night
Akron’s weirdest sons performing “Fresh” from their album Something for Everybody. The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c <td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'Devo – Fresh www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News
Devo On The Colbert Report Last Night
Akron’s weirdest sons performing “Fresh” from their album Something for Everybody. The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c <td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'Devo – Fresh www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News
Dana Depew, Cleveland Artist, Lands Chandelier Installation in St. Joseph, MI
Whoa, dude. Cleveland installation artist Dana Depew’s known for his colorful, whacked-out lighting fixtures made from recycled water and fuel storage tanks. Some are glossy. Some are furry. All of them make you feel like you just munched shrooms in the candy aisle. DePew says it’s been a dream to score a public art commission…
Kid Cudi Has a New Single
Mr. Rager himself After basking in the success of his debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Days, Kid Cudi is back. Gearing up for his sophomoric effort, the Cleveland native drops off a new single for our listening pleasure. The track, entitled “REVOFEV,” features Cudder singing soflty while a piano hits sharply…
Contest Time: Win Concert Tickets to Show of Your Choice
If you’re not already a fan (or “like”) Scene on Facebook, you should be, because we’re running a contest on Scene’s Facebook page that is simply quite awesome. Just head over to this link, hit the “Suggest to Friends” button and invite all your buddies to become fans of Scene, then leave a comment with…
Contest Time: Win Concert Tickets to Show of Your Choice
If you’re not already a fan (or “like”) Scene on Facebook, you should be, because we’re running a contest on Scene’s Facebook page that is simply quite awesome. Just head over to this link, hit the “Suggest to Friends” button and invite all your buddies to become fans of Scene, then leave a comment with…
TV Land Pimps Its Favorite Things About Cleveland and Predictions on Tonight’s First Episode
Betty White… and three women who are not Betty White. Hot in Cleveland, TV Land’s first whack at an original sitcom, premieres tonight. The series centers around four women — one being Betty White, the other three not being Betty White — who discover Cleveland’s a great town for single women, particularly those attracted to…
The World Cup Is Nice And All, But…
Nick Baker is a new intern here at Scene. He wanted to write about the World Cup. Here’s what he came up with. The World Cup has finally arrived and has done so in such bombastic fashion that it’s hard to believe anyone could perceive this event as anything less than a global phenomenon. These…
Afternoon Brew: Traveling Unemployed News Anchor, Naked Funeral Director, City’s New Dress Code, and an Unclaimed Mega Millions Ticket
No kisses for you. And no money either. Good afternoon, Cleveland. Here’s some stuff to read while you look through the garbage for every Mega Millions ticket you’ve tossed in the last two years. — A fired sports anchor who used to work in Ohio didn’t really know what to do once he got whacked.…
WTF is Going on Out There, Cleveland? 12 Shot in 6 days.
Can’t blame everything on this guy, Cleveland. This weekend was a wild one for area law enforcement, with shootings, a gruesome standoff, and a biker fight filling up the police blotter by Monday morning. But as if that crime chaos wasn’t enough, it now looks like the city is smack in the middle of a…
Pentagram Show Postponed
The Pentagram show scheduled for Saturday, June 19 at Akron’s Backstsage Concert Club (370 Paul Williams St., formerly the Daily Double) has been postponed a week, until Saturday, June 26. Howl is no longer on the bill. Forged in Flame and the Unclean will still open. — D.X. Ferris
Move Over Betty White, Cleveland Pastor Is Really Hot in Cleveland
This church is totally hot. TV Land’s new sitcom ‘Hot in Cleveland,’ starring everyone’s favorite octogenarian Betty White, premieres tonight. The network has posted teaser video clips on their site and there’s the requisite Facebook page for fans of the show. If, however, you’re scouring the internet for a site dedicates solely to the show…
John Kasich Peed in the Pool and Other Funny Objections to the GOP Candidate for Governor From Ohio State Students
Look how happy his summer home in Ann Arbor makes him. With classes over for the summer, the members of the OSU Democratic Club suddenly have too much time on their collective hands. So they’ve create a website spotlighting what they don’t like about Republican candidate for governor John Kasich. What’s their beef? Afraid his…
Cleveland, Haiti Express Brotherhood Through Sister Cities
This is Haiti. Back in February, a group of local good Samaritans shelled out $8,500 for Haiti earthquake relief at a Rock Hall fundraiser. Last week councilman Zack Reed flew to Washington, D.C., to hand over the donation and meet with Haitian Ambassador Raymond Alcide Joseph. Turns out the ambassador was so impressed — $8,500…
The Dirt on Middlefield
The dirt pile left behind by the old Johnson Rubber Company is the size of a basketball court and taller than Shaq. Before going bankrupt in 2008, the company estimated the mound contained somewhere around 7,000 tons of “potentially impacted soil,” the toxic residue from decades of rubber production. The Johnson complex dates to 1895,…
A Little Off the Top
If you think summertime is all about sunshine, lollipops, and lighthearted musicals, and if that gives you a bad case of the sugar shakes, Cain Park’s production of Sweeney Todd is a sure cure. This bloody and brooding venture into the mind of a mad barber in the bowels of London is like being handed…
Having a Cow
By Anastasia Pantsios On a Monday evening in May, Satan has come to Solon. Sun streams in through picture windows, bathing the crowd of 50 who have gathered in the community center meeting room to hear the impossibly dynamic speaker. He’s the type of guy — tall and well-groomed, with glossy black hair flecked with…
The Dream Team
Just a few days before Baltimore duo Beach House released Teen Dream in January, singer-keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally were on the set of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, performing on TV for the very first time. Their performance followed the highly rated final episode of Conan O’Brien’s Tonight Show. If Beach House’s…
Diversity Now
Last year, a group of Shaker Heights and Larchmere neighbors banded together to hold the first Larchmere PorchFest. Modeled after a festival in rural New York, the event featured local indie artists playing short, unplugged sets on neighborhood porches. Well-attended, the inaugural fest netted an “Excellence in Neighborhood Marketing” award from LiveCLEVELAND, an area nonprofit…
The Boss Factor
The Gaslight Anthem American Slang (SideOneDummy) Like Against Me!’s Tom Gabel, Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon is a tattooed punk with an affinity for big classic-rock hooks and the Boss. Both Gabel and Fallon favor ringing arena-sized anthems about suburban working-class folks looking back on lost dreams and forward to better times. And on their…
Stay In!
TOP PICK Shutter Island (Paramount) One of the year’s best, most underrated movies is now out on DVD. And it’s a moody, psychological thriller elevated by Martin Scorsese’s subtle direction and Leonardo DiCaprio’s twitchy performance. You’ll probably guess the twist about halfway in, but that doesn’t dilute any of the chills. Still not as scary…
Country Comfort
Some albums have a spiritual streak that runs so deep, they sound like they were made in a church. Holly Golightly’s latest album, Medicine County, is the flip side of that: It isn’t particularly spiritual, but it actually was recorded in a church. “It’s not an elaborate thing by cathedral standards — it’s just a…
Northeast Ohio Music Releases
CALL US KINGS Nut Up or Shut Up (self-released) myspace.com/calluskings Formed only a few months ago by former members of Everything Zen and the Thrifters, Mentor’s Call Us Kings storm out of the gate with the six-song EP Nut Up or Shut Up, which features some tight pop-punk harmonies that suggest the band locked in…
Sticky Situation
One of summer’s most vibrant festivals centers on every dad’s go-to adhesive: The Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival — inspired by the Duck brand of duct tape, which is headquartered in Avon — is now in its seventh year. The three-day event kicks off Friday at Veterans Memorial Park (3701 Veterans Memorial Pkwy., Avon) with…
Like a Hurricane
F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote that there are no second acts in American lives. The members of the New Orleans metal band Eyehategod would likely disagree. Even though their last album — Confederacy of Ruined Lives — was released a decade ago, they’re on a hot streak in 2010. The group recently completed a three-week…
Playtime
For a movie studio as innovative and as consistently terrific as Pixar, it’s kind of odd that they’re reaching into the Toy Story box for a third time. Not that we’re complaining. The first Toy Story, and Pixar’s first feature, from 1995 is a masterpiece of CGI storytelling. The 1999 sequel nearly tops it. The…
Livewire
Born Ruffians Ontario trio Born Ruffians made their debut with 2008’s Red, Yellow and Blue, showcasing a twitchy indie-pop shuffle that could make Crispin Glover look like Warren Beatty. Frontman Luke LaLonde’s squirrelly tenor juts impetuously in and out of inventive arrangements as his bandmates shout and harmonize over swinging, joyously capricious rhythms. The debut…
Bites
Thanks in part to a recommendation from his predecessor and mentor, Don Triskett will take over as executive chef of Downtown 140 (140 N. Main St., 330-656-1294, downtown140.com) in Akron. Triskett replaces Shawn Monday, who left to open two new restaurants of his own. This is a homecoming of sorts for Triskett, who was Monday’s…
Letters
DRAWING THE BATTLE LINES Just from this story [“The End of Innovation?” May 19, 2010], it seems like the lines are drawn at the Cleveland public schools: veterans against newbies, so-called innovators against so-called traditionalists. Simply put, Cleveland students are hard to teach for a variety of reasons. If the layoffs don’t happen, it seems…
At the Arthouse
Exit Through the Gift Shop The mysterious British street artist Banksy — best known for prankish works like a life-size replica of a Guantanamo prisoner chained to a fence at Disneyland and ten-pound notes with Princess Diana’s face replacing the Queen’s — is the putative director of Exit Through the Gift Shop, an alleged documentary…
Word Up
The kids are at it again, spelling unpronounceable words as they try to suss out their even more complicated lives. On the page, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, now at the open-air Porthouse Theatre on the Blossom Music Center grounds, is a grand collection of youthful yearning and stumbling. Of course, scripts and…
Candy Shell
The seats just inside the front windows of the Chocolate Bar offer unobstructed views of East Fourth Street. From our vantage point on Euclid, my wife and I could see scores of diners enjoying alfresco meals outside the Greenhouse Tavern, Lola, and Chinato — and we so desperately wished to join them. Just minutes before,…
Art
WAS IT A DREAM? WAS I IN IT? “These drawings are scenes from my daydreams,” writes artist Amber Kempthorn. “In them, awkward creatures engage one another in funny and often peculiar circum-stances I’ve orchestrated. They are parts of me and give me the chance to revisit my history and to encounter make-believe places.” Many of these…
Support Group
When Toy Story 3 falls with style into theaters on Friday, it’s a safe bet that most of the scene-hogging won’t come from Woody or Buzz. If past Pixar movies are any indication, a minor character will get all the best lines and probably a totally excellent short on the DVD. Our money is on…
