Refracting the World of Phish with Local Tribute The Powerful Pills
Phish is one of the Great American Bands. As such, their legacy prompts a river of tribute acts to further spread the good word. These acts are many and varied — touring across the U.S. to their own degree of cult success — and important, because, as old Aesop would say, you can never have…
Cavaliers Take the Bucks, Get Invested For Playoffs
Drama was high in the Hall of Justice. You could cut the air with a Tweet. Superman had been testy about people stepping on his cape, questioning the efficacy of his heat vision from a distance, and the never-ending media genuflection at the altar of the Avengers. Others speculated some of his ire was directed…
Inaugural Cleveland Humanities Festival to Take Place in April
Loosely modeled after the Chicago Humanities Festival, the inaugural Cleveland Humanities Festival, a partnership of 20 Northeast Ohio institutions slated to take place from April 1 to 10, will explore a very specific theme, namely “the impact of war on societies and cultures.” “The idea is simple: bring together the strength of our world-class humanities organizations…
Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival Coming to Cleveland State University
Now in its 39th year, the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival aims to “bring the finest of Indian classical music and dance to Northeast Ohio. Held at Cleveland State University, the event, which begins tomorrow and runs through April 3, features 80 Indian classical music and dance programs. It’s the largest Indian classical music festival outside of India and…
Eight Dead in Four Days: Heroin, Fentanyl Overdoses in Cuyahoga County
We report once again this week on a common and tragic theme these days: the rising number of opiate overdose deaths in Cuyahoga County. From March 17 to March 20, eight county residents have died from a heroin- or fentanyl-related overdose, according to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s office. Often, the two drugs are used…
Moxie Unveils New Menu with Significant Changes in Format
“I think it’s change or die,” Jonathan Bennett, chef-partner at Moxie in Beachwood, told me. And, true to his word, the chef just unveiled the 18-year-old East Side restaurant’s first major menu overhaul in years. Starting now, diners at Moxie will notice a considerable transformation that has taken place on the pages of the menu.…
Singer-Guitarist Ani DiFranco Brings Her Vote Dammit Tour to the Kent Stage
Politically minded folk singer-guitarist Ani DiFranco embarked on a Vote Dammit tour way back in 2000. With a presidential election looming on the horizon, she’s now about to set out on another such tour. She plays the Kent Stage on April 1. “I feel strongly about voting even in the non-presidential election years — all…
Mark Giangaspero’s Portraits Remain on Display Through Next Week at Tregoning & Co.
With less than two weeks remaining, you’re running out of time to see FACE THE FACTS: Mark Giangaspero | Portraits at Tregoning & Company. The exhibition remains on view through the end of the next week, Saturday, April 2. The scale and realism of these portraits make them especially noteworthy and impressive. Averaging about three…
Cuyahoga County Grand Juries Have Been Dogged By Controversy for Decades
Here’s a pop quiz for the civic-minded among you: Can you tell us – ballpark – when the following paragraph was written? Here it is: You have to keep in mind the great power of a county prosecutor. He can do almost anything, from wiretapping to surveillance to the getting of records. And he can…
Kevin Love’s Style Icon? Don Draper Mixed with Larry David
Kevin Love was named a Banana Republic ambassador this month — #stopthepresses — and in his latest vid for the clothing brand, you can watch the Cavs’ power forward assert his style preferences (he’s a boxer-briefs guy) all while dribbling an albino basketball and flashing that million-dollar smile to the camera. Love’s Style icon, you’ll…
Video: Here’s LeBron Being Asked Why He Unfollowed the Cavs on Twitter
Another day in the Cavs season, another reason for fans to freak out. A fan discovered yesterday that LeBron James unfollowed the Cleveland Cavaliers Twitter account and the universe promptly exploded. So naturally, after the Cavs sent the Nuggets packing, a reporter asked LeBron James why he’d unfollowed the teams’ official Twitter account (@Cavs). Behold the…
Cleveland Restaurateur Zack Bruell to Partner with Hilton Cleveland Downtown
In January, we shared the new Hilton Cleveland Downtown’s announcement that Maxime Kien, a native of the Cote d’Azur region of France, would oversee all culinary operations at the 600-room hotel, most notably the upscale three-level, 217-seat restaurant named The Burnham. Now we learn that he will partner with Cleveland restaurateur Zack Bruell on the…
Updated Rock Hall Redesign Plans Win Approval From City Design Review Committee
It looks like the Rock Hall will in fact get a redesigned plaza. Well, that much was never really in doubt. The soulless, concrete expanse in front of the iconic structure has long needed some love, something to make it more connected to the surrounding areas. What was in doubt was what that modern update…
Cavaliers Blast Nuggets and Share the Booty
Welcome to the preseason’s home stretch, a series of superficially important games that in truth pale next to hitting the playoffs healthy and with a good stride. There’s not much time for studying – which Tyronn Lue acknowledged with a couple moves we’ll discuss in a moment – because by the time you hit the…
RTA Buckles Up as Transit Group Protests Fare Hike, Service Cuts
Transit riders packed into the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s main office building on W. 6th Street Monday afternoon to tell CEO Joe Calabrese in no uncertain terms that they opposed service cuts and fare hikes. Both have been proposed to forestall (and hopefully counteract) a budget shortfall that will leave RTA with only $6…
MetroHealth ‘Whistleblower’ Withdraws Lawsuit, Says His Statements Were ‘Untrue’
Claiming now that his allegations against MetroHealth executives a few months ago were “untrue and inaccurate,” former internal audit director Simpson Huggins III has withdrawn his lawsuit against the hospital. Recall that Huggins reported in December 2015 that two MetroHealth vice presidents and at least one employee’s relative had accepted free Botox injections and other…
The Two Girls With Glasses Podcast With Illustrator Erin Schechtman and Photographer Laura Wimbels
On this episode of Two Girls With Glasses, Brandi McElhatten and Nikki Delamotte talk to illustrator Erin Schechtman of Super Group Hugs and photographer Laura Wimbels of Faces of CLE. They begin by recapping the cosplay, characters and celebrity sightings at this year’s Wizard World convention. Erin Schechtman talks about the evolution of Super Group…
Winking Lizard & Brewery Ommegang Are Bringing “Game of Thrones” Beer and Party Back Again This Year
Game of Thrones fans should probably be at the Trinity Cathedral on April 16. That’s when Brewery Ommegang will be releasing the sixth installment of their Game of Thrones-inspired beer line locally. Cleveland is one of five cities the brewery chose for the launch. Tickets are $55 and includes a full medieval (re: Game of…
Cleveland Indians Postpone Opening Day Festivities, Game
Update: The Cleveland Indians have cancelled opening day for the first time since 2007 due to weather. The team released the following statement: “Today’s game was postponed due to the forecast changing from no precipitation to having precipitation most of the afternoon and into early evening. That steady precipitation forecast combined with wind chills dropping…
A Free Good Friday Concert and Three Other Classical Music Events Not to Miss This Week
The Cleveland Institute of Music’s annual CIM Orchestra Community Concert on Wednesday, March 23 at 8:00 pm in Severance Hall will feature guest conductor Jahja Ling, the Cleveland School of the Arts Chorus and Instrumentalists, and the Singers’ Club of Cleveland. The choruses will combine to sing Johannes Brahms’s dramatic Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny, text…
More on Kerry McCormack, Cleveland’s Newest (Presumed) City Councilman
Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman, who will soon vacate his council seat to take over the nonprofit Global Cleveland, has appointed 27-year-old Kerry McCormack to replace him. McCormack, who currently works as Ohio City Inc.’s director of community affairs, is a Cleveland native who speaks Spanish fluently and who managed his father Tim McCormack’s campaign…
17th Annual Animation Show of Shows Brings Best of Animated Film to Cleveland
Since 1998, the Animation Show of Shows has curated a selection of the best animated short films from the world’s most renowned animation festivals. Initially, the Animation Show of Shows was screened exclusively for animators and directors at major animation studios like Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks. Legendary filmmaker John Lasseter (Toy Story, A Bugs Life,…
House of Blues Announces Details for Annual Local Brews Local Grooves
House of Blues has just announced details for its annual Local Brews Local Grooves, which takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 23. Billed as “the ultimate craft beer and music festival featuring the finest breweries, hottest bands and the tastiest food,” the event features beers from 15 of the top local…
R&B Singer R. Kelly to Perform at Wolstein Center in April
The troubled past of three-time Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter and producer R. Kelly includes sex tapes, lawsuits and criminal trials. With those problems behind him, Kelly is set to hit the road for the Buffet tour, which kicks off next month and includes a stop at the Wolstein Center on April 23.…
The Story Behind the Only Existing Ticket from the Moondog Coronation Ball
I’ll never forget the look on Terry Stewart’s face when I told him that my family had a ticket from the Moondog Coronation Ball, which took place in Cleveland on this day 64 years ago. Stewart was seated at his desk in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, surrounded by some of his personal…
Banjo Man Eugene Chadbourne to Play Mahall’s as Part of Short Midwestern Tour
Free jazz/folk singer-guitarist Eugene Chadbourne, who performs at 9 p.m. on Friday at Mahall’s as part of a short Midwestern tour, grew up in Boulder where his mother, a refugee from Nazi Germany, and his father, a French literature professor, encouraged his musical ambitions once got a guitar after seeing the Beatles on TV. “[I…
The Cult Completes a Trilogy with its New Album
The terrorist attacks that happened during the Eagles of Death Metal concert in Paris this past November struck a chord with the Cult singer Ian Astbury. “I have performed at Le Bataclan on four occasions and was deeply shocked by what occurred on the evening of November 13th,” the veteran vocalist wrote in a press…
English Punks Skinny Lister Sharpen Their Songwriting Skills on Latest Effort
Since issuing its full-length debut, Forge & Flagon, in 2013 the UK punk band Skinny Lister has been plenty busy. After Forge & Flagon’s release, it toured with Flogging Molly and played big festivals such as Coachella. Last year, it issued its second full-length, Down on Deptford Broadway, and has been on the road in…
Cavaliers Can’t Handle the Heat, Leave a Puddle
Even Fox Mulder doesn’t want to believe as much as we do. Frankly, Heaven’s Gate gave their followers more to go on than the Cavaliers. We’re not advocating a diet of sedatives and vodka, though it might’ve been preferable to watching the first three quarters of last night’s 122-101 bloodletting in Miami. Though the Cavaliers…
Cavaliers Coaster Ride Finishes Ahead of Magic
Cleveland’s Broadway road version of The King & I – “we laughed, we cried, it became a part of us”– brought its non-stop hijinks to Orlando last night. The Cavaliers played their part to perfection, falling behind by 11 after a solid start, roaring back, slacking off and surrendering the lead in the third quarter…
Report: Cory Barron’s Death May Have Involved ‘Foul Play’
A Fox 8 I-Team report reveals that a team of former federal agents may have linked suspected “foul play” to Cory Barron’s 2014 death, when his body was discovered at an Oberlin landfill after the 22-year-old went missing at a concert at Progressive Field. The International Research Group investigators tell Fox 8 that Barron “may…
Joe Cimperman Recommends Ohio City Inc.’s Kerry McCormack to Fill Ward 3 Council Seat
Longtime Cleveland city councilman Joe Cimperman will soon be departing from his seat to take over as CEO of Global Cleveland. Cimperman’s city council term runs for just about two more years. Today, via Twitter (of course), Cimperman announced he’d be recommending Ohio City Inc.’s Director of Community Affairs Kerry McCormack for the vacancy. McCormack…
Video: Ohio Launches New Tourism Campaign with Commercial
Update: Ohio.org announced its brand new Ohio tourism campaign last fall, and today it’s been officially launched. The campaign is designed to attract both Ohioans and potential visitors from all over the Great Lakes Region. Tell us what you think: *** We all know there are a ton of (good) reasons to visit Ohio. A…
With New Tax Deal, Cuyahoga County Gets a Piece of the Airbnb Pie
[image-1]The online lodging service Airbnb and Cuyahoga County have struck a deal to allow the county to collect a 5.5% lodging tax on transactions. With the change, Airbnb will operate much more like hotels in how it collects funds. It also makes Cuyahoga the first county in Ohio to adopt a policy to collect taxes…
13 Dead in Five Days: Heroin, Fentanyl Overdoses in Cuyahoga County
[image-1]The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office reported this week that 13 people died from opiate overdoses — heroin and fentanyl, or combination of both — between March 10 and March 14. Six of those deaths occurred in Cleveland. Those deaths remain under investigation as of Friday. Just last month, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson…
Video: Iman Shumpert Explains Why He Likes Cleveland, Talks About His Hair
[image-1]Before Iman Shumpert was a member of the Cavs he and fellow Cav J.R. Smith played for the New York Knicks. Sounds great right? Well, Shumpert wasn’t always happy in New York City, which he talks about in a video from Vice Sports. He explains why he loves Cleveland, why the cartoon Johnny Bravo has…
New Southern Café Brings Classic Soul Food to Lakewood
Whether or not you’re familiar with the name Tony Fortner, you very likely know of his work. As executive chef of many of Cleveland’s most popular Southern restaurants, Fortner developed the dishes that have become soul food staples around town. Formerly with the Angie’s Soul Republic restaurant group, Fortner helped open Zanzibar Soul Fusion at…
Ohio Supreme Court Rules That State Can Try to Execute Romell Broom Again
In a 4-3 ruling Wednesday, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the state may try to execute Romell Broom for a second time. In 2009, Broom became the first person in the country to survive the death penalty via lethal injection. At the time, his lawyer, Tim Sweeney, said that the state was unable to find…
Public Square Building Instant Capacity With Metroparks’ “Loaned Executive”
Cleveland’s Group Plan Commission has announced the appointment of marketing executive Sanaa Julien as the CEO of Programming and Operations at Public Square. Julien, the Chief Marketing Officer at the Cleveland Metroparks, will be on loan to the Group Plan Commission (GPC, not to be confused with the GCP) for a one-year stint during which…
‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’ Tediously Sets the Stage for the Franchise’s Final Film
Much like The Hunger Games, the popular film franchise based on the adult book series of the same name, The Divergent Series, a feature film series based on Veronica Roth’s Divergent novels, centers on a courageous young woman willing to lead a revolution. In The Hunger Games, Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence plays the lead. Divergent…
Third Friday at 78th Street Studios Features Range of New Exhibitions
As always, March’s Third Friday includes several new exhibitions during 78th Street Studios’ open house from 5 to 9 p.m. this Friday, March 18 (individual hours may vary). There’s plenty more to see as you explore 78th Street Studios’ 170,000 sq. ft. of galleries, studios, performance venues, recording studios and more. E11even 2 debuts Peek-A-Boo:…
Northeast Ohioan Sal DeJulio to Appear on “The Bachelor”
ABC’s “The Bachelorette” will feature another a Northeast Ohio native for its upcoming season. Sal DeJulio, 27, is from Hubbard, Ohio, located just outside of Youngstown. He’s a graduate of the University of Akron where he majored in Finance. Now DeJulio calls Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home according to his Facebook page, but still reps U of…
Sweet Moses Offering Deals for Its 5th Birthday
The lucky number is “5” for Sweet Moses, and in honor of their fifth birthday the shop is offering deals to celebrate. From 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, all old-fashioned phosphate sodas are 50 cents each. Sundaes, ice cream sodas and all floats (except for the monster, 10-scoop Terminal Tower Sundae) are $5…
Gloves to Come Off in East vs. West Chefs Bout at EDWINS
Food and wine events tend to be stuffy, somber affairs that leave guests ducking out the back door long before the night’s official end. (Guilty!) That’s the exact opposite of what Brandon Chrostowski has planned for the inaugural East vs. West competition going down at EDWINS restaurant on April 11. The culinary fracas pits East…
Soul Singer Eli Paperboy Reed Returns to His Roots on His Forthcoming Album
After he graduated from high school in Massachusetts, Eli “Paperboy” Reed wasn’t sure he wanted to go to college. So he took a job at a radio station in Clarksdale, Miss. and headed south. “I didn’t have any other options,” says the soul singer, who performs at the Grog Shop on March 27 in support…
Siri Has a Cruel Joke for Clevelanders. Just Say “Sadness” Into Your iPhone
Damn you, Siri. Damn you.
RTA to Ramp Up Bus and Rail Service for St. Patrick’s Day
Downtown will be jam-packed with questionable characters and moderately sober people wearing green on Thursday, so RTA rolled out a special plan for extra rail service. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at 1 p.m., however detours and barricades will be put up well before then. Riders will still have access to the Tower City…
Indie Rockers Mutemath Emphasize the Positive Vibrations on Their First Release in Four Years
The indie rock band Mutemath doesn’t fit the textbook definition of a Christian rock group. The songs don’t make vague references to a higher power and our need to live according to a moral code. And each song isn’t an over-the-top anthem that just oozes with righteousness. But the church did play a significant role…
Zoss the Swiss Baker has Been Making Fresh Breads and Pastries for 20 Years
Throughout the week, families shuffle in and out of the tiny lobby of Zoss the Swiss Baker (12397 Cedar Rd., 216-368-4055) in Cleveland Heights. There are no tables, no fancy decorations, no frills. Just a small window near the entrance where you can watch Kurt Zoss work through the day’s dough in the kitchen. Flaky Swiss…
Unregulated Storefront Tax Preparers Collect Fees from Low-Income Americans, and Local Advocates Want to Change That
For the famous dancing mascots of Liberty Tax Service, gloves and earmuffs are as essential to the Cleveland uniform as the crushed velvet robes and foam crowns. That’s because tax season (January 1 through April 15) is more or less coterminous with wintertime in Northeast Ohio. So the “wavers” (that’s the official Liberty designation) have…
Indie Gymnastics Comedy “The Bronze” has “Napoleon Dynamite” Vibes
Beneath the interminable onslaught of raunch in the indie gymnastics comedy The Bronze, which opens Friday at the Cedar Lee, lurks something incredibly sweet and resonant and true. The problem is that the ensemble of implausible characters, compared ad nauseam to the quirky misfits of Napoleon Dynamite, will likely distance and frustrate audiences before they…
Film Spotlight: What’s Going On: Taste Live at the Isle of Wight Festival
The most notorious Isle of Wight Festival took place way back in 1970, but Murray Lerner, who filmed the footage from the festival that appears in the concert film, What’s Going On: Taste Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, still clearly remembers the event that reportedly drew an enormous crowd (some estimates place it…
Savage Love: Safe Wording
Dear Dan, I’m a 27-year-old, feminist, conventionally attractive, straight-ish, GGG woman. Over time, my tastes have changed, and now I find myself more of a kinkster. A few years ago, my desire for kinkier sex and my willingness to take a chance came together in a mutually beneficial, exciting D/s relationship. I’ll be honest: I…
An Upscale Manhattan Couple Frets Over the Right School for Their Young Son in “A Kid Like Jake”
People who live in Manhattan often have challenges that those of us in the flyover states don’t. For instance, going to a Home Depot to pick up a dehumidifier can be a daunting task when you don’t have a car and take the subway everywhere. If you have a car, hunting down an affordable parking…
Lake Erie Ink Workshops Let Young Writers Flex Their Creative Muscles
The fourth annual Kids’ Comic Con takes place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Erie Ink in Cleveland Heights. This “kids only” convention includes workshops with professional artists and writers from Northeast Ohio. The event is for kids 8 to 18, but younger writers may attend with an accompanying adult. Speaking…
Meet the Band: Magma
MEET THE BAND: Magma Christian Vander (drums, vocals), Stella Vander (vocals, percussion), Isabelle Feuillebois (vocals, percussion), Hervé Aknin (vocals), Jérôme Martineau (keyboards), Benoit Alziary (vibraphone) Jim Grandcamp (guitar), Philippe Bussonnet (bass) A UNIVERSE UNTO ITSELF: The Magma universe began with a concept within a concept way back in 1969 at the beginning of the progressive rock era. The concept…
Fire and Rice: Two New AsiaTown Restaurants Bring Heat and Happiness
You really have to know where you’re headed to find either Szechuan Cafe or Pho Ha Nam, which might explain why both of these new AsiaTown eateries are in spots that have experienced frequent change. Each, coincidentally, is set within a larger building, which all but eliminates random foot traffic and makes longterm success more…
