Third Annual Cellar Door Rendezvous Tees Up Deep Schedule for Next Week in Cleveland
The third annual Cellar Door Rendezvous begins next week, and it’s expanding on all preconceived notions of what this upstart music festival means to the city of Cleveland. With a schedule and a lineup that touches on numerous venues and bands — all beloved by the Cleveland music scene writ large — there’s truly something…
Your Trip is Short: Mike Gordon on the Importance of Doing Things Differently
Mike Gordon tells me he’s hanging out in a St. Louis coffee shop today, and his Twitter account confirms the same. Even when it’s not a photo of him reclining on #couchtour, his social media presence is evincing the things that make Mike Gordon Mike Gordon: coffee shops, concert posters, whisks, rehearsal video loops and…
Cleveland Print Room Sets First Juried Exhibition
The Peer Show is the Cleveland Print Room’s first juried exhibition. Selected by Barbara Tennenbaum, Cleveland Museum of Art’s Curator of Photography, the show includes more than 30 accepted works from nearly 250 submitted pieces. “This is our first unique opportunity for photographic artists to exhibit their work and receive substantial exposure in Cleveland’s only…
Mayor: Consent Decree Action Under Way, ‘Community Policing’ the Name of the Game
“There will be nothing spectacular here,” Mayor Frank Jackson said to begin his press conference about the process of reform within the Cleveland Division of Police. And there wasn’t. But the consent decree is en route to implementation. Time tables are being constructed. The police chief noted that his division has been rewiring itself to focus…
Cleveland Named Fifth Best Baseball City in America
Cleveland baseball season is in full swing: Parking is impossible on game day; the smell of hotdogs wafts from the ballpark; and fireworks explode, scaring the crap out of passersby. But how does Cleveland stack up as a baseball city against other urban centers? Based on a study by WalletHub.com, a personal finance social network,…
MOCA Summer Opens with Friday Night Party
MOCA Cleveland’s Summer 2015 exhibitions officially open with an Opening Night Party this Friday, June 12 from 7 to 10 p.m. The new exhibitions include Tony Lewis: free movement power nomenclature pressure weight and How to Remain Human, a group exhibition featuring Mary Ann Aitken, Derf Backderf, Cara Benedetto, Christi Birchfield, Dadpranks, Kevin Jerome Everson,…
BAYarts Art and Music Festival Focuses on Natural and Artistic Beauty
BAYarts 2015 Art and Music Festival features more than 80 exhibiting artists and a concert lineup headlined by Ray Cintron’s Rice and Beans Band. Stop by the BAYarts campus on the Huntington Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate art, music and summer. “The BAYarts festival began…
Who Needs Respect? LeBron & The Rodney Dangerfields Just Win
“If you’re looking for us to play sexy, cute basketball,” LeBron James said, almost wistful in the aftermath of Sunday’s 95-93 upset of the Warriors, “that’s not us right now.” As the phrasing suggests, it was once the Cavaliers’ way as well, but like the soldiers storming Omaha Beach, they didn’t make it there whole.…
Watch These Videos, Get Pumped for Tonight’s Cavs Game
It’s Cavs time — People are descending upon the downtown, traffic is a nightmare, there’s free ice cream in Ohio City, and this Cavaliers fan is sweating in a full panty-hose getup. But here’s a little something more to get you jazzed for tonight match-up against Golden State: two videos from completely opposite ends of…
Investigative Twerk: Inside Cleveland Exotic Dance’s “Twerkshop”
“Today we’re going to be twerking on cars,” Faith McFluff announces to a group of eight women trying to balance plastic cups on their lower backs, popping them into the air to catch them right side up on their butt. This is the graduating class of a four-week Twerkshop series, where McFluff has popped, locked,…
West Shoreway Overhaul Imminent
Construction — in its foreboding, catch-all connotation — will begin on the West Shoreway June 22. The work will take about two years and will produce a 35-mph boulevard on which it’ll just be that much riskier to fly downtown at 70 mph. Not that we’d recommend attempting that. The whole point behind the city’s…
Prog Rockers Rush Up Their Game for Current Tour
Within the animated video montage of Rush-related landmarks, concert handbills, band memorabilia and not so subtle visual song and album references that opened up last night’s tour stop at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, there was a glimmer of hope for fans who continue to patiently wait for a Cleveland tour date to hopefully be added…
Scene Podcast: Talking Music with Ray Flanagan
This week, Scene Podcast host Craig Lyndall talks with Ray Flanagan about his new album, Hard Shell to Break. The two discuss working with engineer Jim Stewart, as well as Brent Kirby’s 10 x 3 and how the events help foster the local music community. The CD release show is happening at Beachland Ballroom on Saturday…
Case Music Professor Says 500-Year-Old Engraving Depicts Leonardo da Vinci
Ross Duffin, a music professor at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University, believes that the man in the portrait here — long thought to be the mythological Orpheus — might actually be Leonardo da Vinci. The portrait, a 500-year old engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi, is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art. In short, the man…
Ohio Pig Truck Overturns: Thousands of Pigs Escape, Hundreds Are Killed
A semitrailer carrying thousands of pigs overturned yesterday evening near Xenia, OH causing more than 2,000 animals to escape and and hundreds more to be killed on site. Officials say the truck was en route from South Carolina to Indiana on U.S. 35 at around 7:30 p.m. when the driver took a curve too quickly…
Sculpture Center’s Upcoming Exhibition Features 30 Regional Works
Opening with a free public reception at the Sculpture Center this Thursday, June 11 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., After the Pedestal: The 8th Exhibition of Small Sculpture from the Region features 30 works by 17 sculptors (and one collaboration). “This year’s After the Pedestal recommences The Sculpture Center’s very popular summer exhibition that is…
Interim Akron Mayor Garry Moneypenny Resigns
Following up former Mayor Don Plusquellic’s 28-year reign in Akron, newly former interim Mayor Gary Moneypenny announced today that he’d be resigning the post after just eight days in office. Last week, Moneypenny admitted to a “too-personal” encounter with a female city employee. At the time, he said that he would not be seeking re-election…
Up-and-coming UK band Glass Animals to Make Cleveland Debut at House of Blues
The UK-based indie-pop group Glass Animals has gotten big over the past two years. Really big. Just a short time after releasing their debut album, Zaba, their hit song “Gooey” was playing on indie and alternative radio stations across the country. Their mix of psychedelic rock, liquidly beats and front man Dave Bayley’s sultry, laid-back…
Devo Photo to Become Street Installation in Akron
Local photographer Janet Macoska will see her famous DEVO photo taken at the Chili Dog Mac in 1978 become a permanent street art installation at 182 South Main St. in Akron, the place that just happens to be the original site of the Chili Dog Mac. The City of Akron and the Akron Civic Committee…
Apple CEO Tim Cook Meets (Most Of) Indians Ransom Demands for Moss’ 100th Home Run Ball
When Indians right fielder Brandon Moss hit his milestone 100th home run on June 2, the ball was caught by his teammates in the bullpen — who took full advantage of the situation. Moss found a handwritten list of demands in his locker, requesting a ransom if Moss wanted his ball back. It was posted…
Five Classical Music Events Not to Miss This Week
Lots of trombones. Trombonists from major symphony orchestras will be featured all week at Cleveland State University during the 2015 Cleveland Trombone Seminar, the brainchild of Cleveland Orchestra assistant principal Shachar Israel. In addition to masterclasses and workshops, students and the public can enjoy a series of concerts and recitals, beginning on Tuesday, June 9…
Leader of Massive Cleveland Heroin Ring Convicted, Faces Life in Prison
Left: Keith Ricks in April 2013. Right: Keith Ricks in prison. One of the main guys running a Cleveland-based drug ring that led to what authorities called the largest ever heroin bust in northeast Ohio was found guilty of nine charges by a federal jury today and, according to reporting by NEOMG, faces mandatory life…
WATCH: Cleveland Weatherman Mark Johnson Delivers Lesson on NBA Fouls After Game 2
The Cavs beat the Warriors Sunday night in a hard-fought overtime win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Despite the victory, Channel 5 weatherman Mark Johnson had a thing or two to say about a missed foul call against LeBron James in the final seconds that could have ended the game in regulation. Give it…
Usher and Rascal Flats to Perform National Anthem This Week at the Q
Following performances by West Coast rapper E-40 and guitar legend Carlos Santana during the last two NBA Finals games in Oakland, the Cavaliers are slated to have their own superstars set perform before tipoff this week in Cleveland. The NBA announced Monday that country band Rascal Flatts and R&B singer Usher will perform the National…
Reminder: Traffic in Downtown Cleveland is Going to Be a Nightmare this Week
Driving in downtown Cleveland this week is going to be complete hell. Our suggestion: Avoid it, if you can. With the Cavs facing off against the Warriors for the third game of the Finals at home Tuesday, and the Indians squaring off against the Mariners, downtown is guaranteed to be filled with automobiles and the…
Get Free Ice Cream with Wine and Gold Sprinkles at Mitchell’s Tomorrow Night
The Cavs took game two last night and Mitchell’s is handing out free ice cream tomorrow — how much better could the start of the workweek get? The local ice creamery has teamed up with Progressive Insurance who will be offering Cavs fans a free scoop topped with wine and gold sprinkles tomorrow evening from 6…
Cleveland, Oakland Art Museums Place Friendly Wager on NBA Finals
With the 2015 NBA Finals coming to Cleveland — and the series tied at 1-1 — we wanted to let you know about a friendly wager announced late last week between the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) and the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA). In celebration of their respective teams competing for the NBA Championship,…
Veteran Garage Rockers the Sonics Issue First New Studio Album in Decades
When the guys in the Sonics, the proto-garage rock band that formed in Tacoma, Wash. in 1960, first got together, they weren’t particularly good. “We just played to our capacity, which wasn’t all that great in terms of our musicianship,” says founding guitarist Larry Parypa via phone. “We all just wanted to be aggressive. [Singer]…
Movie Event Alert: Writer-Director Q&A at Capitol Theatre Tonight
The Capitol Theatre will host Rolf de Heer, writer/director of the film Charlie’s Country, after the 7:10 screening Monday night. De Heer’s a much-celebrated Australian director with a propensity for the avant-garde. His film, Charlie’s Country, is about an aboriginal man forced to negotiate the new Australia. You can watch the trailer below. These Cleveland…
Food Truck Mondays Return Bi-Weekly to Legacy Village
We at Scene do love a good food truck event, which is why we are thrilled to see that Walnut Wednesday’s east side equivalent, Food Truck Mondays, is back for year two. Last summer, we told you all about the new food truck event which launched at Legacy Village in June 2014 with much success.…
Media Lining Up Pallbearers, But Cavaliers Aren’t Dead Yet
Welcome from the Bay where after a thrilling overtime game the NBA Finals was decided by X-ray. Though the diagnostician never made it onto camera, the postmortems were written before the shutter could blink: “Kyrie Irving out for months with injury; the Cavs may not win another game.” If disrespect were a mason jar, the…
Cavs Fan Will Eat Long-Frozen ‘Mark Price Bar’ if Cleveland Wins Finals
That Mark Price Bar right there is more than 18 years old. Cavs fan Tim Brady says he’ll eat it if Cleveland wins the NBA Finals. The taste of impending victory has never been so sweet, with a hint of freezer burn and oily caramel residue. It might just be the camera, but look at…
Today’s Free Donut Day
It’s Free Donut Day, hooray! Can’t you hear fried pastry lovers across the nation belting out a collective %$&# yeah!? Sadly, when we called our favorite local donut haunts in eager anticipation of today’s holiday, we found out that celebrations were minimal or, oddly, had already passed. Alas, we are stuck with visiting the corporate…
Trance-Heavy Tame Impala Show Hits All the Right Psychedelic Notes
After the roadies — bedecked in lab coats, no less — finished setting up the stage, the lights dimmed and we were confronted with a buzzing green photon. It was enticing and warm. Thumping bass ramped up as the light danced around the stage, entrancing the sold-out crowd at the House of Blues. Soon, the…
Six Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Sonic Sessions: Elle King/The Commonwealth With raspy Adele-like vocals and instrumentals similar to those of the Black Keys, Elle King is taking the music world by storm. Her music is an eclectic mix of blues, hard rock, soul, pop and country. Her song “Ex’s and Oh’s” features wailing vocals and a simple yet…
VIDEO: Brand New Akron Mayor Gary Moneypenny Turned “Goodbye Hug” into “Too-Personal Encounter”
The dear sweet city of Akron, already reeling from the Cavs’ Game one loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals Thursday night, had this political scandal to wake up to: Newly sworn-in mayor Gary Moneypenny admitted that he violated a personal and professional boundary with a city employee. He inappropriately touched her.…
After a Remarkable Comeback, Rejuvenated Rockers Fall Out Boy Return to Blossom
When Green Day was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum earlier this year, alternative rockers Fall Out Boy had the honor of inducting the group. The guys spoke eloquently about the band’s ability to stay true to the essence of punk rock while doing things that wouldn’t necessarily be considered…
Bedford Strawberry Festival Turns 51 This Year
If you missed the last 50 Bedford Strawberry Festivals, you’re in luck: The 51st annual event returns to the town’s public square next weekend, June 12-14, promising its usual dose of berry-themed gluttony. Thanks to the Bedford Historical Society, attendees will find shortcakes, sundaes, jams, and just about everything else a strawberry can be smushed…
Southwest Airlines Extends Akron Flight Promotion Through Today
Thrifty travelers, rejoice: You may still be able to snag a discount flight on Southwest Airlines through midnight tonight. Earlier this week, the company launched a fall travel deal where folks could score one-way tickets for as low as $49. An overwhelming response ended up shutting down the website, leaving hopeful travelers confused and many…
Mansfield, Disgraced Cop Sued For Forcing Woman to ‘Perform Sexual Acts’
A Mansfield couple are suing their city and a now-former police officer in federal court, alleging the cop forced the woman to “perform sexual acts” in front of her husband to avoid getting arrested last year, and also harassing and taunting the couple. The police officer, Michael Garn, was indicted on 40 counts, including 25…
Walk All Over Waterloo Anchored by Waterloo Arts Fest Juried Exhibition This Weekend
While this weekend’s Grand Opening Celebration of Praxis Fiber Workshop is especially noteworthy, there are plenty of other exciting events taking place all over Collinwood’s Waterloo Arts District for June’s first Friday Walk All Over Waterloo monthly event. From 6 to 10 p.m., Waterloo Arts hosts a special reception for the opening of the 2015…
My Morning Jacket Cranks Up the Amps for Hard Rocking State Theatre Show
In a recent interview, My Morning Jacket keyboardist Bo Koster said the band has some 90 songs at its disposal. He talked about how when the group recently played a three-night stand in Mexico, it didn’t repeat a single song. That automatically elevates the Louisville-based band to classic rock status and is particularly impressive when…
Self-empowerment Theme Distinguishes Taylor Swift Concert at the Q
Before Taylor Swift’s concert even started, the mood in the sold-out Quicken Loans Arena was jubilant — from the security guards dancing wildly to pre-show music to the fans wandering around the venue wearing TS-themed cheerleader outfits and holding homemade light-up signs. Naturally, the atmosphere turned even more celebratory (and the screams of joy pitched…
#Spytacular: Melissa McCarthy Comedy is the Funniest of the Year
Spy, the new action-comedy starring Melissa McCarthy as a CIA analyst-turned-agent, has more laughs per minute than any film this year thus far. Whether or not that’s a worthwhile metric is up to you, but if laughing your bladder dry is what you like doing at the movies, look no further. It opens everywhere this…
Riding the Megabus like a Mega Boss
For the Royally Broke, Megabus is like Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage. It may not be glamorous, but it will get you to a promising destination for cheap. In place of a fairy godmother will probably be a scowling overweight bus driver, and, rather than a prince, passengers will most likely be seated next to a smelly…
ICYMI: Here’s the Cavs NBA Finals Pump-Up Video
In case you missed it, this video has been making the rounds on social media over the last few days and is the perfect pump-up for game one of the NBA finals which airs tonight at 9 p.m. Give it a watch here, and GO CAVS.
Black Tiger Sex Machine to Play Sonic Sessions at Rock Hall
A trio of electronic music producers from Montreal, Canada that that draws from a range of influences including old school techno, classic rock and ’90s hip-hop, Black Tiger Sex Machine has released several EPs and a number of remixes. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has just announced that the group is…
Hey T Swift, This Family has Been Staked Out Since 4:30 a.m. Hoping to Meet You
These people aren’t just regular Taylor Swift fans. They’re dedicated. This father-daughter duo from Medina, sporting custom-made Taylor Swift cheerleading outfits, has been waiting outside of the Scene office on Bolivar Road, next to Quicken Loans Arena, since 4:45 a.m. They’re hoping to see or meet the pop icon on her way to perform at…
Amazon is Now Charging Sales Tax in Ohio
Amazon has started collecting sales tax from all online purchases in Ohio. Shoppers will now be paying the same 5.75-percent sales tax online that they would in a brick-and-mortar retailer. It’s good news for local store owners, since their prices can now compete with the online giant. The sales tax will apply to Amazon’s own…
The Katz Club Diner to Reopen After Arson
Foodies rejoice: Eight months and thousands of dollars of renovations later, The Katz Club Diner is set to reopen this month after an act of arson shuttered the Cleveland Heights hotspot back in October. Renowned Cleveland chef Doug Katz said he never doubted the reopening of his circa-1948 dining car. “That night, I remember just staring at…
Noel Gallagher’s Concert at House of Blues was ‘Fucking Sensational’
The last time Noel Gallagher performed in Cleveland was in 2001 at a Blossom Music Center gig with his currently defunct (but still beloved) band Oasis. Last night at a sold-out House of Blues show with newer band Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, the 48-year-old guitarist showed the passage of time hasn’t diminished his vocals,…
Michael Brelo is Charged with Assault (On His Brother)
Four days after his acquittal, Cleveland Police Officer Michael Brelo got into a violent altercation with his brother Mark in Bay Village. He’s now being charged with assault. The Bay Village police picked up a warrant at the Rocky River Municipal Court this morning, according to the court, and Brelo is expected to turn himself…
Today’s Walnut Wednesday Food Truck Line-up
Thinking of heading down to Perk Plaza today during lunch? Well, you should. Not only are there a whole host of delicious and local eats, but lunch breaks are actually good for your health. So there’s that. Need more incentive? How about these photos from the season’s first Walnut Wednesday, which kicked off on May 6.…
Caitlyn Jenner and ‘Exact Change’ are Poised to Make Positive Trans Waves
Many transgender women in Cleveland probably dream about being a cover girl, but it would be hard to top the magazine cover that Caitlyn Jenner has just nabbed. Her image by famed celebrity photog Annie Leibovitz graces the July cover of Vanity Fair. And although the photo has been criticized by some as a “pedestrian…
Northeast Ohio-Based Federal Public Defender Carlos Warner Works for Change at Guantanamo Bay
News of Guantanamo Bay and its prisoner population reaches the cable news airwaves in fits and bursts, always setting the tone of the place against a drawn-out war and two overzealous administrations that have never made clear the intent of the place. Federal public defender Carlos Warner, a Cleveland guy who now lives in Summit…
Changes at the Cleveland Institute of Art Lead Jessica Pinsky to Open a Textile-Focused Space in Collinwood
When the Cleveland Institute of Art decided to close its George Gund Building and unify its campus under one roof, some downsizing was inevitable. Despite an impressive expansion and extensive renovations to its Joseph McCulough Center for the Visual Arts, there simply was not as much space. When CIA adjunct faculty Jessica Pinsky learned that…
It’s Yet to be Seen if LeBron Will Raise a Banner in Cleveland, But He’s Already Delivering a Winner to Akron Kids
Gabrielle Briggins tries to hold back tears, to no avail. Minutes earlier, her daughter Shavelle received a Samsung Galaxy tablet as a door prize from the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF) at one of its monthly Hometown Meetings, which rotate among schools. Shavelle’s been in the LJFF Wheels for Education program four years now. It…
It’s Yet to Be Seen if LeBron Will Raise a Banner in Cleveland, But He’s Already Delivering a Winner to Akron Kids
Gabrielle Briggins tries to hold back tears, to no avail. Minutes earlier, her daughter Shavelle received a Samsung Galaxy tablet as a door prize from the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF) at one of its monthly Hometown Meetings, which rotate among schools. Shavelle’s been in the LJFF Wheels for Education program four years now. It…
The Cleveland Pros and Amateurs in Search of the Perfect Pizza
I don’t often get envious; I’m perfectly content with what I’ve got. But then I walked into Cal Carlisle’s backyard and for one brief and shameful moment, I despised him. He had something I coveted and, worse, knew I would never have. Rising to a height of 11 feet, clad in attractive native stone, capped…
Band of the Week: P. STOOPS
Meet the Band: Patrick Stoops (turntables) Spinning Comes Naturally: Because of the way he manipulates music, p. stoops (an occasional Scene contributor) isn’t your conventional DJ. Given that, he wasn’t sure how to describe himself. But he recently played two shows with alternative hip-hop artist Yoni Wolf and decided he can safely call himself a…
There Are Lots of Loose Ends in the Young Man from Atlanta, Now at Beck Center
There IS a reason that stage plays do not often sound like real people. It is because real people, this writer included, are not all that interesting when we speak normally. Our actual conversations are suffused with empty space-fillers, clichés, yawning pauses, and (in my case) a gratuitous use of fucking obscenities. All of this…
Film Review of the Week: Love & Mercy
Paul Dano and John Cusack team up to portray the Beach Boys’ tender, enigmatic Brian Wilson during two troubled eras of his life in the unconventional biopic Love & Mercy, opening Friday areawide. It’s unconventional in the sense that it’s not a linear story. We’ve got Brian Wilson, the sonic genius and innovator, breaking from…
Film Spotlight: I’ll See You in My Dreams
In writer-director Brett Haley’s new film I’ll See You in My Dreams, which opens on Friday at the Cedar Lee Theatre, a widowed retiree (Blythe Danner) experiences an abrupt change in her life of routines after her dog dies and she develops relationships, of sorts, with her pool guy Lloyd (Martin Starr) and a fellow…
