Mastodon and Lamb of God Team Up for Heavy Metal Double Bill
Heavy metal acts Mastodon and Lamb of God have plenty in common. Both play some of the heaviest heavy metal you’ll ever hear. And both bands released seminal albums in 2004. That year, Mastodon released Leviathan, and Lamb of God released Ashes of the Wake. Earlier this summer, the two groups launched a tour appropriately…
Def Leppard’s Summer Tour To Celebrate 40th Anniversary of ‘Pyromania’
Earlier this month, Def Leppard returned with “Just Like 73,” a rocking new single featuring Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello. For Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, the song represents several different rock eras. “The song was left over from our last studio album,” he says via phone from his New Hampshire home. Def Leppard…
15+ Things To Do in Cleveland This Weekend (July 11-14)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 07/11 Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Founded in 2005 in a dive bar in Brooklyn, Dr. Sketchy’s has now spread to more than 100 cities around the world. Dr. Sketchy Akron, a monthly drink…
Cleveland Rocks Climbing Gym Founder Hit With More Legal Woes
In January, ten Northeast Ohioans who invested over the years in the Cleveland Rocks climbing gym in Ohio City filed a lengthy lawsuit alleging that owner Kevin Wojton defrauded them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. While that lawsuit remains ongoing, Wojton is now dealing with additional legal complaints. According to two complaints filed…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: New Restaurants Galore
Ready for new eats this summer (and down the road)? You’re in luck. – Gunselman’s Steakhouse & Bar is now open in Olmsted Falls. Here’s what to expect in a revived former library setting. Related – Westsiders, from the team behind Landmark Smokehouse and Twist, is now open in the former Bomba spot in Rocky…
Ohio’s First Kyuramen Ramen Shop to Open at SouthPark Mall in Strongsville
Once again, Sheng Long Yu will be importing a celebrated Asian restaurant chain to Cleveland. When Kyuramen opens later this year at SouthPark Mall in Strongsville, it will be Ohio’s first location for this quickly expanding ramen restaurant. Founded in 2014 by Gary Lin, Kyuramen currently has about 35 locations in the United States, but…
Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew Bring Their Remain in Light Tour to the Agora
Talking Heads singer-multi-instrumentalist Jerry Harrison befriended singer-guitarist Adrian Belew (Frank Zappa, King Crimson) years ago when Belew guested on the 1980 Talking Heads album, Remain in Light. But they only recently decided to launch a tour that revisits and celebrates that album. “We regularly talked about how fantastic the Talking Heads tour was that we did in…
Child Care Still Unaffordable, Inaccessible for Many in Ohio
Ohio parents are working hard, sometimes at multiple jobs, but most still can’t afford child care, that is if there are child care options at all where they live. A new report from child care advocacy group Groundwork Ohio showed the scarcity of child care and the struggles parents had even when they could obtain…
Cleveland to Close McCafferty Health Center in Ohio City, Redevelop Site for Affordable Housing
Lorain Avenue has had its share of promise in the past year or so. In April, RTA announced funding for a bus rapid transit line study for the Ohio City/North Olmsted corridor. And last week a second update to the Lorain Midway, a two-mile cycle track that would extend from West 65th to the Hope…
988 Mental-Health Crisis Hotline Reaching More Ohio Communities
More households, workplaces and schools are struggling with mental-health crises, and a new report by the advocacy group Inseparable highlights how Ohio is handling 988 crisis hotline calls and responses. Congress passed legislation in 2020 establishing 988 as a nationwide three-digit number to access mental-health crisis resources, and the number went live in 2022. Tonya…
First Look: Gunselman’s Steakhouse & Bar, Now Open in Olmsted Falls
A decade after reviving Gunselman’s Tavern in Fairview Park, Joe McDonough, David Grace and John Caine have opened Gunselman’s Steakhouse & Bar in Olmsted Falls. The attractive eatery is located on Main Street, where it dead ends at the Charles A. Harding Memorial Covered Bridge. This five-year journey began when the owners, friends since childhood,…
Livewire: 17 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland in July
FRI 07/05 Amos Lee Transmissions, singer-songwriter Amos Lee’s 11th studio album and first new collection of original songs in more than two years, features elegant ballads such as “Beautiful Day” and “Hold on Tight,” a soulful number about unity and strength in numbers. On tour in support of the album, Lee performs tonight at 6:30…
What Happens Next If U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance Is Tapped for Vice President
In two weeks, the Republican National Convention meets in Milwaukee, and it may shake up the political landscape here in Ohio. Although there’s no doubt about the top of the ticket, former President Donald Trump has indicated he plans to select a Vice President before or during the nominating convention. U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH,…
One Pot on Coventry is a Sizzling Korean BBQ Adventure
“I kind of feel like a kid in a candy shop, where I can have anything I want,” says a tablemate. It’s hard to argue with that sentiment when you’re gazing at a menu packed with dozens and dozens of colorful food pictures, all there for the asking. Like that proverbial kid in the candy…
Op-Ed: Rural White Men in Ohio Doth Protest Too Much
Several weeks ago, Ohio State Rep. Brian Stewart lamented on Twitter/X that 75% of Ohio’s lawyers are concentrated in the six largest counties. For many Ohioans, that fact oozes with unfairness. It suggests that people in rural communities aren’t receiving adequate legal representation. Who wouldn’t sympathize, right? That is, until realizing that Stewart had just…
Its Sense of Brotherhood Intact, Moe. Returns to the Road
Jam rockers moe. will kick off their 12-date Best.Summer.Ever Tour, their first tour after singer-guitarist Chuck Garvey suffered a stroke in 2021, with a blast. Literally. The trek begins on July 4 with a special Best.Fourth.Ever show at Stone Pony Summerstage in Asbury Park, NJ before the tour brings moe. to Cain Park in Cleveland…
The Blossom Music Festival and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week in Cleveland
Turning the calendar page over to July, we find ourselves on the cusp between the end of June festivals and the opening of the Blossom Music Center season. Here’s our list of sure-fire picks for the week of Independence Day. – Kent/Blossom Festival faculty concerts continue this week with the celebrated Imani Winds (Wednesday at…
In the Wake of Several High-Profile Tours, Comedian Dave Hill Brings His Standup Show to the Winchester
A Cleveland native who’s a comedian, writer and rocker, Dave Hill has somehow managed a multi-faceted career. He’s written humor books with witty titles such as The Awesome Game. One Man’s Incredible, Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey and released albums with his terrific indie rock band Valley Lodge. He’s done some acting, and he’s taken his standup…
As Cleveland City Council Begins Redistricting, Concerns About Ward Boundaries and Representation Rise
Ward 8 Councilman Michael Polensek recalls 2013 with a slight distaste in his mouth. It was a year the city’s then 19 wards were set to be chiseled down to 17. Cleveland was still losing population, and then Council President Martin Sweeney had to follow a charter amendment passed five years before that required boundaries…
Ohio Redistricting Reform Group Submits More Than 731,000 Signatures, Sets Sights on November
Reporting more than 731,000 signatures submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, Citizens Not Politicians said it cleared a massive hurdle in their plan to reform the state’s redistricting process by replacing politicians with a citizen commission. The group hoping to get a citizen-led redistricting commission inserted as an amendment to the Ohio Constitution…
15+ Things To Do This Fourth of July Weekend (July 3-7)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. WED 07/03 Back to the Future This musical based on the film of the same name about a certain Marty McFly who transports himself back to 1955 in a time machine comes to the State…
A Filmmaker Wants to Make a Documentary on Superman’s Cleveland Origin Story. Rights to the Man of Steel Stand in the Way
Many people are surprised that Cleveland is the home of Superman, says Cleveland filmmaker Rob Montague. “Not a lot of people know that Jerry [Siegel] and Joe [Shuster] are from Cleveland,” he says. “I found that out when I was in my early 20s and I was just like, How inspiring to be from [Cleveland].…
“Absurd and Unnecessary,” Transgender Ohioans, Allies React to House Passage of Bathroom Ban Bill
Transgender Ohioans and allies are outraged the Ohio House passed a bathroom ban bill at the 11th hour of a marathon session Wednesday night before going on summer break. The bill would require Ohio K-12 schools and universities to mandate that students only be able to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their…
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to Reopen Complete Track Line By Year’s End
A ride upon the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad carries a kind of duality to it. On one side, it’s a blissful novelty for train lovers and the locomotive intrigued, a leisure ride fitting for a family reunion or a Saturday morning with the kids. Or, a cocktail hour with the girls. A Mother’s Day brunch,…
First Look: Westsiders, Opening Next Week in Rocky River
Many of the best restaurants to leave us in recent years lived in that grey area between fine-dining and neighborhood bistro. Places like Black Pig, Greenhouse Tavern and Flying Fig, for example, managed to combine compelling chef-driven food with an easy-going atmosphere that pulled diners in for regular visits. That’s the sweet spot that partners…
Memorial Concert at Beachland To Honor Local Musician Reese Black Germany
On Sunday, Aug. 11, the Beachland Ballroom will celebrate and remember the life and times of Reese Black Germany, a popular local harmonica player who passed away last year at age 64. Local harp players as well as the bands that Reese shared the stage with will be on hand. Acts such as Blues Chronicles,…
Behind the Black Shield: The History of a Cleveland Institution
The Black Shield formed in Cleveland nearly 80 years ago. Initially, Black officers came together to support and protect each other from discrimination and retaliation in the mostly White police department. In the 1970s, the association took that battle to court, fighting for a more fair system of hiring and promoting Black officers and pushing…
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance Accused of Playing Putin’s Game
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance is auditioning to be former President Donald Trump’s running mate. And just as Trump has a history of taking positions that align with those of Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin, Vance’s critics say the Ohio senator’s words about Ukraine must be music to Putin’s ears. This year, Vance has taken to the…
Cleveland’s North Coast Land Bridge Gets $20 Million Closer to Reality
Clevelanders are a tad bit closer to seeing those barren, gray parking lots north of Browns Stadium go away for good. This week, the 135th Ohio General Assembly of the State Legislature okayed a $4.2 billion spending bill that allocated tens of millions of state dollars to high-stakes Cleveland development in progress. Its biggest allotment…
As Cleveland Kicks Off Memorial Program for Pedestrians and Bicyclists Killed in Accidents, an Urgency for Protective Infrastructure
In the early morning of November 3, 2021, Ben Chronister woke up, as usual, enmeshed in his life with his wife Danielle. They made inside jokes. They ate leftovers. They discussed plans and projects to come—namely, Danielle’s plan to segue from forensics to teaching at MC2 Stem High School downtown. The couple had relocated Downtown…
First Look: Scorpacciata Pasta Co., Opening Next Week on Larchmere
Peter Reuter, a graduate of Johnson and Wales culinary school, launched Scorpacciata Pasta Co. in the Market Hall at Van Aken District in 2018. A couple of years later he opened a second stall, Scorpacciata Pizza. The two businesses thrived until late last year, when Reuter closed them to focus on the buildout of his…
Cleveland Burger Week Returns July 8 With Seven Days of $8 Specials
Cleveland Burger Week is back and bigger and better than ever starting July 8 and running through July 14. It’s seven whole days of $8 burger specials all across town at some of Cleveland’s best restaurants. Find all the participating locations and what they’re serving at clevelandburgerweek.com. Download the Cleveland Burger Week app on iOS…
Shinedown, Godsmack and Breaking Benjamin To Headline Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival
Inkcarceration Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield
Ohio House Passes Transgender Bathroom and Locker Room Ban for K-12 Schools and Colleges
The Ohio House passed a bill late Wednesday night amid its last session before going on summer break that would ban transgender students from using the bathroom and locker rooms that match up with their gender identity. House Bill 183 was added to Senate Bill 104 as an amendment on the House floor Wednesday night,…
Residences at 700 in Former United Church of Christ Building Downtown Set to Begin Construction After Receiving State Tax Credit
Prospect Avenue downtown is about to seem a little less quiet. On Wednesday, K&D Development, the owners of the property once home to the United Church of Christ, announced that they received a $4 million Ohio State Historic Preservation Tax Credit. That money will cap off K&D’s fundraising push for what’s a $46 million conversion…
Massive Higher Education Bill Is Not on the Last Ohio House Agenda Before Summer Break
The Ohio House will be voting on more than 30 bills during Wednesday’s session, but a massive higher education bill isn’t on the agenda. Senate Bill 83 — known as the Enact Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act to supporters and the Higher Education Destruction Act to those who oppose it — is not among the…
At Recent Panel, Sports Stadium Financing Experts Warn Against Massive Public Subsidies for Cleveland Browns
If you were to pick out any average Browns fan or Northeast Ohioan off the street, you’d probably get a mixed bag of answers to what’s become an increasingly controversial question: What should come of Cleveland Browns Stadium? Let the Haslams relocate to Brook Park with a $2-billion dome (with half coming from the taxpayers…
Every Shell a Fingerprint: Northeast Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center Will Help Crack Down on Illegal Firearms, Feds Say
On Tuesday afternoon, in a nondescript federal building off Hinckley Parkway, two dozen law enforcement officers from the Cleveland Division of Police, DEA and other agencies gathered to announce the latest regional effort in battling violent crime. The packed house was more than just symbolic. These two dozen badged men and women were there to…
Ohio Lawmakers Propose $10 Million Child Care Program for Working Families
Sen. Michele Reynolds, R-Canal Winchester and Rep. Mark Johnson, R-Chillicothe, recently announced a significant legislative initiative to address Ohio’s childcare crisis. The bill proposes establishing a “Child Care Cred” program, a cost-sharing model to make child care more affordable and accessible for families, employers and child care providers. Reynolds noted the average annual cost of…
The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival Continues to Bring Mesmerizing Theater to Outdoor Venues
Scenic design is a vital part of any theatrical show and particularly with the works of that prolific fellow William Shakespeare. His plays, which are often plopped down in the lush environs of fancy domiciles or out in nature among the flora and fauna, just beg for wonderful, imaginative scenery, clever set construction, or colorful…
The Cleveland Orchestra Goes to the Movies and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
Festivals — coming and going — continue to grace the classical music calendar this week in Northeast Ohio. – Ohio Light Opera adds Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers to its rotation on Wednesday at 2 (Freedlander Theatre, College of Wooster, repeated Friday at 7:30) and curtains go up on Me and My Girl on Thursday…
Many Ohio Dispensaries Move One Step Closer to Being Able to Sell Recreational Marijuana
Ohioans will likely be able to legally purchase recreational marijuana sooner than initially expected. The state Division of Cannabis Control recently awarded about 60 dual-use provisional licenses to various medical marijuana dispensaries, cultivators, laboratories and processors, according to the state’s online database. Thirty-one dispensaries, 15 cultivators, 11 processors and five laboratories received licenses. However, a…
Crowds, Booze, Vandalism, Staffing: Cleveland Suburbs Shift Pool Policies for Non-Residents in Midst of Summer Heat Wave
The need for new rules regarding non-resident access at Parma Heights’ Greenbrier Commons water park had been brewing for awhile following June’s heat wave, which led to longer lines and strain on lifeguards. Then, on June 8, a poolgoer from out of state brought some alcohol to the pool. The police were called. The poolgoer…
Ohio Bill Would Make It Easier to Seal Non-Violent Criminal Records, But Advocates Want It Expanded
A pair of Ohio Republican lawmakers are trying to make it easier to get non-violent criminal records sealed to help formerly incarcerated Ohioans get hired, but advocates say that’s not enough. Reps. Brett Hillyer, R-Uhrichsville, and Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, introduced the Getting Rehabilitated Ohioans Working (GROW) Act earlier this year. House Bill 460 would set…
Beg, Borrow or Steal to Get a Ticket to ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at Porthouse Theatre
Okay, so here’s the plan: The rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar closes at the end of this week at the Porthouse Theatre and you’ve gotta see it. So, try to reserve a ticket (see below). If they’re sold out, ask your pals to see who has a ticket and when you find someone who does,…
Livewire: 15 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Week
TUE 06/25 Ben Folds Paper Airplane Request Tour 2024 What initially began years ago as a request for songs as encores will the the central element of this show from singer-pianist Ben Folds, who wants audience members to make their song requests via paper airplanes. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Goodyear Theater…
Plans for Superman Statue in Cleveland, Eighteen Years in the Making, Advance With Hefty Funding Campaign
Cleveland seems to have excelled in paying debts to Superman and his creators in the past year or so. Last September, a month-long conference dedicated to the Man of Steel hit the superhero’s birthplace, with hundreds of fans gathering to wax academic or geek out about The Man of Steel’s wide influence on American culture.…
Concert Photos and Review: Bonnie Raitt at the Akron Civic Theater
Iconic Blues and Americana singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt played to a very enthusiastic fanbase at Akron’s Civic Theater on Saturday night. Returning to Northeast Ohio to the beautifully restored old movie palace, Raitt brought her “Live” tour to an almost-sold out crowd. As the night wore on, it became apparent that the theme of the show…
Buildings and Food’s ‘Party within a Party’ Brings Food, Booze and Live Tunes to Taste of Tremont
Taste of Tremont, one of Cleveland’s most beloved street festivals, returns to the neighborhood on Sunday, July 21. The popular event takes place from noon to 8 p.m. Will Hollingsworth, founder of Buildings and Food – the parent company of Prosperity Social Club, Good Company, Old 86, La Cave du Vin and Peristyle Coffee –…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: Another East 4th Street Closure and More
– Cilantro Taqueria’s expansion around Northeast Ohio continues any day now with the debut of its newest spot in Tremont in the former Fahrenheit spot. Related – Melt’s troubles continue, but Matt Fish says filing for bankruptcy should help put the grilled cheese chain on a solid financial path in the future. Related – Citizen…
Cleveland Rapper Marcus Smith Preps for a Busy Summer
Unique Mélange Marcus Smith Cleveland
Ohio GOP Politicians Refuse to Accept Accountability for Voucher Boondoggle, Extremist Agenda
My way or the highway may be your boss’s motto and your cross to bear. But if that is the mantra of publicly elected officials in a representative government — as it sure seems to be in Ohio — all of us have a problem. A big one. The political bosses in Ohio conduct the…
After Move to Ohio City, Proof Barbecue Finds its Following
Chef Brandon Lassiter knows that delicious food doesn’t have to be fancy. Don’t get it wrong: He certainly knows how to cook fancy food. After all, his background in classic French culinary techniques started with stints at high-end restaurants. For the last three years, though, Lassiter has focused on one thing and one thing only:…
‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ Will Mainly Make You Want to Watch the Movie Instead
Backwards time travel always fascinates we mortals, stuck as we are in the present where nothing seems to be going right. In this Presidential Election year, many Democrats want to go back a few years to the days when Obama strolled the halls of the White house while a huge chunk of Republicans want to…
Citizen Pie Roman Café on East 4th Street to Close
After operating Citizen Pie pizzeria in Collinwood since 2015, and Citizen Pie in Ohio City since 2017, chef Vytauras Sasnauskas opened Citizen Pie Roman Café on East 4th Street in April of 2020. Unlike the Neapolitan-style pies crafted at the first two shops, the downtown restaurant specialized in grab-and-go Roman-style pizza. Management has announced that the restaurant will…
Livewire: 19 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland Through June
THU 06/20 Walker Hayes The country singer-songwriter who had a hit in 2021 with “Fancy Like,” a catchy tune that finds him speaking/rapping more than singing, performs tonight at 6 at Jacobs Pavilion. Matt Schuster and Tigirlily Gold open. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com. Take 6 The award-winning vocal group that pays gospel, pop, jazz…
Juneteenth Offers New Ways to Teach About Slavery, Black Perseverance and American History
Whenever I tell high school students in classes I visit that I appreciated learning about slavery as a child growing up in the Caribbean, they often look confused. Why, they ask, did I like learning about slavery given that it was so horrible and harsh? How could I value being taught about something that caused…
Jazz/Pop/Soul Act Lake Street Dive Continues to Evolve
Lake Street Dive drummer Mike Calabrese admits the jazz/pop/rock band was “barely good” in the early days when the group of music school students from Boston started playing live. “We all went to jazz school together, so no matter what we did, it would be jazzy,” he explains via phone from New York, where he…
Tri-C JazzFest Lands in Playhouse Square and the Classical Music to Catch This Week
June festivals are in full swing this week. Here are some highlights. – Three of Ohio Light Opera’s six summer shows are now running in rotation at Freedlander Theater at the College of Wooster. Catch The Sound of Music on Wednesday at 2 pm or Sunday at 7:30, Me and My Girl on Thursday or…
Cleveland City Hall to Reopen to Public Thursday Following Ransomware Attack
Ten days after a cybersecurity threat shut down dozens of routine services and threw a wrench into daily city business, Cleveland City Hall is planning—finally—to reopen Thursday at noon. On June 10, the city announced a “cyber attack” had hindered regular operations, leading to a sudden shut down, which meant hundreds of employees working remote…
Cleveland Classics: As Delis Disappear From the Landscape, Davis Bakery Keeps Bucking the Trend
There’s nothing like walking into a great Jewish deli like Davis Bakery. Northeast Ohio has no shortage of places to grab a hot corned beef sandwich, but a real delicatessen offers so much more. Display coolers are filled with cold cuts like salami, roast beef and turkey. Filling in every nook and cranny are appetizing…
