15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (April 18-21)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 04/18 Alvvays When it came time to start on Alvvays’s third album, 2022’s Blue Rev, singer-guitarist Molly Rankin retreated to the Toronto Islands to focus on songwriting. The resulting songs reflect an intense focus…
Transgender Student Bathroom Ban Bill Passes Out of Ohio House Higher Education Committee
A bill that would ban transgender students from using the bathroom and locker room that matches up with their gender identity passed out of the Ohio House Higher Education Committee Wednesday by a 10-5 party line vote. State Reps. Beth Lear, R-Galena, and Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, introduced House Bill 183 which would require Ohio…
Suavecito Tequila is Preserving its Legacy One Generation at a Time
Colorado-based, family-owned Suavecito Tequila was born from the unlikely combination of curiosity, circumstance, and innovation. Curiosity Founder Bill Foss visited the Mexican state of Jalisco to purchase an agave farm in 2002. He was on the hunt to find the best land possible to cultivate his plants while transitioning into the next chapter of his…
St. Clair Place Apartment Residents Say Landlords Have Let Building Fall Into Dangerous Disrepair
It was roughly a year and a half into Marlon Floyd’s tenancy at St. Clair Place, a 200-unit low-income apartment complex for seniors and those with disabilities, when he became aware of a clear imbalance. A retired welder in his mid-sixties, Floyd started tallying a list of complaints and hazards. Late fees for missed rent…
Alex Cuba Relishes Tiny Desk Appearance and First Grammy Win
Since moving from his native Cuba to Canada in 1999, singer-songwriter Alex Cuba has accumulated a number of significant awards and built his musical resume with guest appearances and production credits. He just won his first Grammy, and that award follows four Latin Grammys and two Canadian JUNO Awards. The songwriter behind half of the…
FirstEnergy Gave $1 Million to Boost Ohio Lt. Gov Husted’s Campaign Before Scandal, Document Shows
A surge in FirstEnergy political spending ahead of the utility’s push to secure a legislative bailout for its nuclear power plants included a $1 million dark money contribution to support the campaign of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s eventual running mate. The previously unreported gift linked to Lt. Gov. Jon Husted’s 2017 primary bid was revealed…
A Busy Week at Severance and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week in Cleveland
We’ll start this week’s lengthy list of recommendations with programs at Severance Music Center. – He’s visited the Severance podium before, but 28-year-old Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä just last week added a new post to his resumé: music director designate of the Chicago Symphony. During the first of his two-week Cleveland Orchestra residency, Mäkelä will…
Cleveland Ranks 4th Lowest Among Top U.S. Cities for Electric Vehicle Adoption
As far as helping to reach the U.S.’s idealistic climate goals come 2050, it seems that Cleveland has a fair share of work left to be done. Especially when it comes to transportation and tapping into the growing market of electric vehicles: Only about 3 percent of all cars, trucks and SUVs registered across the…
Livewire: 19 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland in April
WED 04/10 The Thing The New York-based psych-garage four-piece comes to the Beachland Tavern tonight at 8 as part of its largest headline to date. The Yellow Elevators open. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com. FRI 04/12 In the Pines This psych rock band from Cincinnati brings its tour in support of its latest record, Painting…
Review: Equal Parts Local and Destination, Never Say Dive Delivers Joy in Old Brooklyn
Many peg the early aughts as the golden era of cocktails, but I would argue that there’s no better time to be into libations than right now. Sure, credit goes out to those serious-minded craft cocktail lounges, where we learned to ditch the sticky-sweet swigs in favor of proper Prohibition-era classics, but, man, were those…
Nominations for Scene’s 2024 Best of Cleveland Awards Close in Five Days
Scene’s Best of Cleveland 2024 awards are coming soon, but there’s a whole lot of work to do before then, and we can’t do it without you. And you only have five days left to make your nominations. Once again, our annual celebration of all the very best things the city has to offer will…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (April 11-14)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 04/11 The Aliens Two New England thirty-somethings who regularly meet at a coffee shop to discuss poetry and music in this play, one of Annie Baker’s three Vermont Plays. Tonight’s performance takes place at…
Mount Granita Italian Ice Opens for Summer in Little Italy on May 1
Last summer, Mount Granita Italian Ice upped its game when it traded in its seasonal sidewalk cart for a tidy storefront in Little Italy. Located near the intersection of Mayfield and Murray Hill, the shop (2024 Murray Hill Rd.) will open for the season on Wednesday, May 1st. As always, owner Christopher Giancola will kick off summer with…
Clevo Books to Move Into Vacant Rise Nation Space This Month
After two years of testing the waters in a sizable space at the Euclid Arcades, Downtown’s Clevo Books will relocate three blocks east to the old Rise Nation space at 1030 Euclid Avenue in late April. The move, owner Cathyrn Siegal-Bergman told Scene, stems from a combination of the store coming into its own as well…
Former Ohio Supreme Court Justices Lead Redistricting Reform Effort Against Gerrymandering
Former Ohio Supreme Court justice Yvette McGee Brown remembers when the Ohio General Assembly was run by Vern Riffe and Stan Aronoff, bipartisan leaders in the days before term limits and the Republican supermajority. Brown remembers stories of the former Senate president and House speaker meeting for a drink at the end of the day…
Sal Russo Seeks Assistance From Cleveland Heights in Landing Another Grocery Store in Cedar-Fairmount
For nearly a century, the Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood in Cleveland Heights had a grocery store to serve residents. That was until October of 2022, when Dave’s Market, once located in the Cedar-Grandview building, closed to relocate to a larger space. After struggling in the ensuing years to draw a new grocery tenant to the space, the…
What Ohio Officials Want You to Know About Traffic, Safety and More on Eclipse Day
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine joined several state agency chiefs Friday to discuss planning for today’s solar eclipse. State officials don’t know exactly how many people will be coming into the state or how many Ohioans will be out looking for a good viewing spot. They’ve gotten estimates ranging from 100,000 to half a million. But…
Op-Ed: Stadiums, Slogans and Cleveland Past
Setting: Old Stone Church, Cleveland Public Square Event: Moses Cleaveland’s Benediction and Commission In Attendance: “Rich, Rich, Grandees, Magnificoes” THE BENEDICTION “My Fellow Clevelanders, please be seated. I am the specter of Moses Cleaveland (gasps and murmurs). You are all justly astonished that this soul-shadow speaks, and likely upset that I visited Cleveland, my namesake,…
‘Jitney’ at the Beck Center is Not to Be Missed
For those of us who survived the fashion disasters of the 1970s—wide collars, gigantic lapels and such—it was a forgettable decade. But compared to the ’60s, when civil rights demonstrations and the assassinations of three of our most promising political leaders took place, things seemed calmer on the surface. Still, there were many hopes and…
Raise the Wage Ohio is Trying to Get a Minimum Wage Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot
Ohioans could have a chance vote to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. Raise the Wage Ohio is collecting signatures to put a proposed constitutional amendment on this year’s ballot that would raise the minimum wage to $12.75 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2025, and then it would go up to…
Cozumel Plans Summer Opening in Cleveland Heights
Last week, Scene broke the news that Cozumel had signed a lease for the Mojo property in Cleveland Heights (2196 Lee Rd.). Now we have more information regarding that restaurant’s plans and its estimated grand opening. With eight locations across Northeast Ohio, Cozumel is one of the largest local Mexican restaurant chains – and arguably…
Hough to Get First New Public Park Since 1950s
As the emphasis on green spaces has grown in recent years, especially in areas that have historically lacked them, Hough is set to see development in that arena. And the project will be the neighborhood’s first new public park in about three generations. “I don’t believe there’s been one built since World War II,” Matt…
Choolaah Indian Will Be Available at Progressive Field This Year
Your hometown Cleveland Guardians yesterday gave the media a preview of all the exciting new things to expect at Progressive Field this summer, including renovations underway or near completion and new menu items for fans to enjoy at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. You’d be forgiven for being less than jazzed for some of…
Rock Hall Hosting Taylor Swift Fan Day on April 19
Calling all Swifties. To celebrate the release of the pop megastar’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, on April 19, the Rock Hall will be hosting Taylor Swift Fan Day, right here in the hometown of Swift beau Travis Kelce. Make some friendship bracelets, jam to her songs in the Garage, enjoy a wealth of…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: The Astro at Tower City, Edgewater Cafe Returns and More
– The ownership group behind the Haunted House restaurant in Cleveland Heights last year took over the former Hard Rock Cafe space at Tower City, which had sat vacant for years. In the coming weeks, they’ll open the doors to their new sci-fi concept, The Astro. Here’s what to expect. Related – Rejoice, near west…
More Black Babies Die in Ohio Before Their First Birthday When Compared to White Babies
Fewer Black babies live to see their first birthday in Ohio when compared to white babies, the Ohio Department of Health’s most recent report shows. Ohio’s overall infant mortality rate was 7.0 in 2021, according to the report. Breaking it down by race, the infant mortality rate was 14.2 for Black babies and 5.4 for…
Here Are Ohio’s Proposed Rules for Recreational Marijuana Dispensaries
Even Gov. Mike DeWine called the whole contradiction “goofy”: Ohioans can now, since Issue 2 went into effect in early December, grow and smoke a relatively small amount of marijuana legally. Yet, there’s literally nowhere for them to buy it. (Again, legally.) After passing with 57 percent of the vote last summer, Ohio became the…
Will Ohio Prisoners Be Allowed to View the Eclipse? It Depends on the Facility
While most of the 31 million people in America living in or near the path of totality for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, will have to do little more that afternoon than stroll outside around 3 p.m. for a few minutes to witness the historical celestial moment, incarcerated individuals are among those who…
Oberlin’s “Oclipse” Concert Series and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week in Cleveland
All eyes (well-protected, of course) are focused on Monday’s solar eclipse. Cloud cover permitting, Clevelanders will have a front row seat in the totality band, but Lorain County residents are supposed to have an even better view of the 3-½ minute phenomenon that begins shortly after. 3 pm. As for music around town… – Oberlin…
Further Questions About DeWine Administration’s Involvement in HB6 Bribery Scandal
As Gov. Mike DeWine in 2019 nominated Sam Randazzo to be Ohio’s top utility regulator, Randazzo went to great lengths to hide a decade-long relationship with FirstEnergy that had paid him more than $10 million. Those payments included $4.3 million just as DeWine was picking Randazzo, according to court documents filed last week. Yet DeWine…
RTA Gets $700,000 From Feds to Study Transit-Oriented Development, Bus Rapid Line Along Ohio City to North Olmsted Corridor
In the local transit authority’s pursuit of more convenient, regular service to outer areas and development of housing along high-frequency corridors, the RTA yesterday announced it has received a $700,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration. That check, a part of $17.6 million of grants heading to some 20 cities, comes from the FTA’s largest payout…
You Can Now Play Pickleball at Cleveland Public Hall
Cleveland’s venerable Public Hall, designed by Walker & Weeks as part of the city’s Group Plan and built in 1922, has hosted the Beatles, Rock Hall Inductions, Republican National Conventions, boxing matches, bicycle racing and Cleveland State University basketball. Now, the century-old Renaissance-style building, with its colored frescos, stunning balconies and ornate architectural details from…
Saucy Brew Works To Release Beer Named After a Song by Cleveland’s ZuP
On a regular basis, Saucy Brew Works teams up with local musicians to producer a beer of the musician’s choice and then distributes the stuff until the batch runs out. The latest collaboration will be Phones at the Beach, a blueberry wheat named after a song by the same name by Cleveland’s ZuP. The tune…
Voting Rights Organization Highlights Increase in Ohio Provisional Ballots Rejected Over ID
It’s been about a year since Ohio’s photo voter ID law took effect, and the organization All Voting Is Local wanted to see how its requirements have impacted provisional voting. What it found was a sharp increase in rejections due to lack of ID. Compared to recent years, the share rejected over identification more than…
Cordelia’s Vinnie Cimino is Cleveland’s Sole James Beard Awards Finalist
This morning the James Beard Foundation released its list of James Beard Awards finalists, a roster that was trimmed down from the longer list of semifinalists that was released back in January. Cordelia chef-partner Vinnie Cimino has made the cut. He is the only representative from Cleveland. In the category of Best Chef: Great Lakes, Cimino is…
Livewire: 11 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Week
WED 04/03 Kate Clover After a busy 2023 touring schedule that included a North American tour supporting the Hives, select dates with Fucked Up as well as her debut European tour. punk singer-songwriter Kate Clover comes to the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights tonight at 8. The tour supports her new album, The Apocalypse Dream. Autopolitan…
Ohio Lawmakers Are Giving More Than $1 Billion to Private Schools in Vouchers While Public Schools Suffer
If your local school district had a levy on the ballot last month, chances are it lost. Most did. That means losing districts may cut courses, counseling services, staff, busing, building. It means increasing budget deficits. It also means increasing class sizes, pay-to-participate fees, and public school students making do with less. Imagine what a…
Cleveland City Hall Debuts Open Data Portal in Bid to Boost Government Transparency
Last year, according to City Hall, the five full-time staff members in its public records department received roughly 33,000 requests—for police body cam footage, for homicide counts, for building permits from the Department of Building & Housing. During the same time, Washington D.C., a city with three times Cleveland’s population, received just 11,000. “And they’re…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Solar Eclipse Weekend (April 4-8)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 04/04 The Aliens Two New England thirty-somethings who regularly meet at a coffee shop to discuss poetry and music in this play, one of Annie Baker’s three Vermont Plays. Tonight’s performance takes place at…
Ohio’s House and Senate Leaders Both Express Interest in Changing Term Limits. Others Skeptical
Last year, Ohio Republicans focused their political efforts on getting a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would make future amendments harder to pass. It was bumpy road to a sharp cliff. Despite that defeat, Ohio’s House and Senate leaders appear interested in putting an amendment before voters again. “Term limits have essentially reduced the…
Sneak Peek: The Astro at Tower City, Opening Tuesday, April 23rd
After sitting empty for the past seven years, the former Hard Rock Cafe location in Tower City will soon welcome guests once again. On Tuesday, April 23rd, The Astro (230 W. Huron Rd.) will open in that space, and Scene has an exclusive sneak peek. The Astro comes from the collective minds of Andre Scott, Ryan Gullatt,…
Hola Tacos on Larchmere to Switch Back to Barroco, New Bar Taking Shape Next Door
A couple months back, the Vergara family announced that it was completely rethinking its Willoughby property by streamlining the former home of Hola Tacos, Barroco Arepa Bar and Pulpo Beer Co. into, simply, Pulpo Beer Co. Today, that same family is announcing plans to shake up another of its properties. Next month, Hola Tacos on…
‘These Are the Cleveland Browns’: Council Proposes Legislation Holding Browns to Art Modell Law Amid Stadium Negotiations
City Council, leaping into the tug-of-war surrounding negotations over the possible renovations of Browns Stadium and potential move to Brook Park, proposed legislation on Monday to ensure the team follows a law dating back to 1996 — the Art Modell Law — if it intends to move from Cleveland. Ward 16 Councilman Brian Kazy explained…
State Tax Credits Awarded to International Food Solutions to Create 220 Jobs in Cleveland
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in state grants and tax incentives were doled out to a slew of food producers looking to set up shop or grow in and around Northeast Ohio, Team NEO announced this week. International Food Solutions, Inc., which produces ethnic meals, has centered production outside of Cleveland but with the state’s…
Only Two Weeks Left to Make Your Nominations for Scene’s Best of Cleveland 2024
Scene’s Best of Cleveland 2024 awards are coming soon, but there’s a whole lot of work to do before then, and we can’t do it without you. Once again, our annual celebration of all the very best things the city has to offer will be 100% determined by you, the readers. After all, you’re the…
Mabel’s BBQ at Eton Chagrin in Woodmere Has Permanently Closed
Mabel’s BBQ (28699 Chagrin Blvd.) at Eton Chagrin Boulevard has been “temporarily closed” since Thanksgiving. Today, owner Doug Petkovic is officially changing that status to permanently closed. Initially, Petkovic assumed that the closure would be a shortly lived one, a period of time when he could dedicate all of his attention, effort and staff to…
Now Open: Edgewater Café in Detroit Shoreway, With Regular Hours Beginning This Week
For the first time in years, the Christmas lights are illuminated at the Edgewater Café (4911 Detroit Ave.). The dive bar, now owned by Eduardo Galindo, Matt Began and Jeremy Began, is open today for Dyngus Day. The bar will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before opening for good on Friday. “Good lord willing and the creek don’t…
Ohio’s Getting its First Total Eclipse in 200 Years. Here’s What You Need to Know
One week from today, more than half of Ohio is going to stop whatever it’s doing and spend a few minutes looking into the sky. The April 8 eclipse cuts a line from rural Darke County to the Cleveland suburbs, sweeping Dayton, Lima, Akron and Sandusky into the path of totality. Eclipses themselves aren’t all…
A Queer Descendant of a Confederate General Wrestles With Identity in Stonewallin’
“Coming of age” stories are a staple in all kinds of plays, from “Romeo and Juliet” to “Spring Awakening.” But when the “age” a character is coming into is non-binary, complications can arise. Especially during this time when there are people willing and eager to take away a person’s right to be who they are…
Finding Love Again: A Single Dad’s Guide to Interracial Dating Success
As an older divorced white guy navigating the murky waters of dating, I found myself grappling with challenges that seemed impossible. Divorce had le ft me broken, and the prospect of reentering the dating scene felt like stepping into a battlefield strewn with emotional landmines. You, single and scrolling through endless profiles? Yeah, I hear…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: Batuqui’s Big Move, Toast Closes and More
– Everyone loves the charming, cozy atmosphere at Batuqui in Larchmere, but owners Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira say they’ve outgrown the space and will be moving. Luckily, it’s just a few doors down and to a beautiful old church. All the details here. Related – When does spring start? There’s a good argument that it’s…
Cozumel to Open in Former Mojo Property in Cleveland Heights
When Michael Herschman closed Mojo in Cleveland Heights this past winter, we knew the great standalone property on Lee Road wouldn’t stay vacant for long. And our assumptions proved correct as, not three months later, a local restaurant company has signed a lease for 2196 Lee Road. Jaime Delapaz and Ramon Aguirre, owners of Cozumel…
Phoenix Coffee’s Warehouse District Location Closes This Weekend
Phoenix Coffee will downsize its portfolio by one this weekend when it closes the Warehouse District location on St. Clair. The employee-owned cooperative coffee company, founded in Lakewood in 1991, will extend the hours of its other downtown shop on East 9th from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. next week in response to the closure.…
Ohio Small Business Owners Fear a TikTok Ban Would Take a Hit to Their Sales
Ohio small business owners worry banning TikTok could be bad for business. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this month that would lead to a nationwide ban of TikTok — if its China-based owner ByteDance doesn’t sell its stake. Lawmakers are worried ByteDance would share user data with the Chinese government or…
Mayor Justin Bibb Preaches Progress in Third State of the City Speech
In a midterm interview with Justin Bibb in January, Scene asked how the Cleveland’s mayor felt about public criticism about the pace of progress under his administration. Even seemingly low-hanging fruit, like the Jersey barriers in Public Square, took awhile to be addressed. (There was, it turned out, millions of dollars of damage underground that prevented…
And the Winners of the 89th Annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Are…
The Cleveland Foundation this week announced the winners of the 89th annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. Dedicated to recognizing literature that emphasizes our understanding of racism and human diversity, the Anisfield-Wolf awards are the only national juried prizes with such a focus. Cleveland poet and philanthropist Edith Anisfield Wolf created the book awards in 1935 to…
Batuqui to Relocate to Former Church Building on Larchmere
After nine years on Larchmere Boulevard, owners Carla Batista and Gustavo Nogueira are pulling up stakes and relocating their beloved Brazilian restaurant Batuqui (12706 Larchmere Blvd., 216-801-0227). The move, while short in distance, will be momentous with respect to what diners can expect. Already, work has begun on the future home, which will be located 130…
Beachland Ballroom To Host Vibe in Color 7 on May 3
The local group Vibe & Direct, which just released the jazzy new single, “Sunday Driver,” has also just announced the seventh iteration of its concert series, Vibe in Color 7. This year’s event, which the band will headline, will feature a multi-stage audiovisual experience that includes performances from national acts EarthCry and Future Joy alongside…
The Solar Eclipse Over Cleveland, a Reminder the Best Things in Life Are Free
The long anticipated April 8th total eclipse of the sun is rapidly approaching. While many are excited, there are also many “eclipse skeptics.” Some are convinced – sight unseen – that the eclipse will be a “nothingburger,” failing to live up to the hype. They might have seen a partial solar eclipse back in third…
Alvvays Taps Into ’90s Indie Rock on Latest Effort
Growing up in the very Scottish Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island, Alvvays singer-guitarist Molly Rankin naturally gravitated to Celtic music. Her father played Celtic violin and piano in a group he started with his siblings. He traveled and toured for much of her childhood. “Celtic music is a big part of the culture in…
Study: Ohio School Breakfast, Lunch Participation Decreases as Pandemic Waivers Lapse
A national study showed the number of students participating in free or reduced breakfast and lunch decreased in the 2022-2023 school year compared to the year before. Research from the Food Research & Action Center showed the lapse in pandemic-era waivers for the cost of school meals had a negative impact on participation in meal…
Chagrin Falls Resident Arrested, Alleged to Be Diddy’s “Drug Mule”
On Monday, rapper and R&B artist Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs had his homes in Miami and Los Angeles raided amid a federal sex trafficking investigation. The raids followed the release of a 79-page-lawsuit from Combs’ former producer, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, Jr., who was hired in August 2022 to work on Combs’ Love Album. It was during which…
Philomena Bake Shop Moves Into Former Saucisson Space in Slavic Village
Caitlin Shea was in the process of building out a bakery in Slavic Village when her friend, Melissa Khoury, confided that she was winding down her butcher shop, Saucisson. Khoury suggested that Shea take over the space after she moved out and that’s precisely what she did. “I’m very, very lucky to have gotten it,”…
Livewire: 16 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland Through April 7
THU 03/28 Benefit for the Family of Lachlan MacKinnon Local acts Mourning [A] BLKstar, Wrong Places, Whatever, OONGOW!!! and Hello! 3D will perform at this benefit concert for the family of Lachlan MacKinnon, the local rocker who played in the local act Chargers Street Gang and once worked at the Beachland. MacKinnon tragically passed away…
Guardians and Black Keys Collaborate on Limited Edition Vinyl Pressing of ‘Ohio Players’
The Black Keys, the blues-rock duo that formed in 2011 in Akron, have worked with the Guardians to produce a limited edition Erie Blue & Rust Belt Red vinyl pressing of the band’s forthcoming album, Ohio Players. A special ticket package for the April 20 Guardians game comes with a copy of the album. Beginning…
Review: Decadence is Matched by Service at Tutto Carne in Little Italy
My theory is that we are now so far removed from traditional fine dining that when we do encounter it, all that care and attention can seem stifling. But in the hands of well-trained pros, like those gliding through the rooms of Tutto Carne in Little Italy, acts like pouring wine, swapping old silver for…
The Foilies 2024
We’re taught in school about checks and balances between the various branches of government, but those lessons tend to leave out the role that civilians play in holding officials accountable. We’re not just talking about the ballot box, but the everyday power we all have to demand government agencies make their records and data available…
