‘Big Basket’ Roadside Attraction/Office Building Remains on Market: Update
The former Longaberger office building — that giant basket in the photo here — is still on the market. No one wants to buy it, quite possibly because it’s a giant basket. “There’s nothing baskety inside,” the listing agent told Bloomberg. “Nothing makes you feel like it’s in a basket. You feel like you’re in…
Cavs Mount Bucks, Clear Space for Playoff Foes
In a season as long and anxiety-inducing as a Clearblue wait, the Cavaliers finally had their Dirk Diggler moment, letting the heavy hammer fall on Milwaukee with a jaw dropping swing. The Wine and Gold moved the ball like they had stock in Ryder, and scored more easily than a porn casting agent. The 29-point…
Judge Shoots Down Lawsuit Against East Cleveland City Council
This week, a Cuyahoga County judge ruled against Michael Smedley, the East Cleveland mayoral aide who sued East Cleveland City Council over its refusal to begin the annexation process with the city of Cleveland. Smedley sought a court order to compel members of council to approve an ordinance that would declare an intent to “enter…
Alternative Rock Act Puscifer Delivers Theatrical Performance at Akron Civic Theatre
Though Tool/A Perfect Circle singer Maynard James Keenan didn’t take Puscifer, the artsy alternative rock outfit he fronts, on the road until 2009, the band dates back to the mid-’90s when it played as part of variety shows hosted in small clubs around Los Angeles. Keenan has kept that element alive over the years, and…
Victory Alley, Steps from the Jake, Opens Just in Time for Opening Day
Ever since purchasing the building at 727 Bolivar Road that would become Victory Alley, Kevin O’Donnell was planning to welcome his first customers by Opening Day. Of course, it was the Cavs home opener against the Miami Heat back in October that he was shooting for. Instead, after 18 months of construction, it turned out…
Cleveland SGS Releases Fourth ‘Behind the Sign’ Video
We here at Scene are big fans of the work being shared by the mysterious Cleveland SGS. “Who we are is unimportant,” one member told us last year. “It is our creative works that we would like people to focus on. If you think about it, Western individualism has taken a toll on art. Now, before looking…
Screw Factory Artists Gear Up For Open Studios Event
Only a few times each year, the eclectic artists of the Screw Factory (aka the Lake Erie Building) open their doors to the public. From 6 to 10 p.m. this Friday, April 8, the Screw Factory hosts its Spring Artists’ Open Studios. “Over 40 artists and makers will be exhibiting and selling works spanning fine…
The Cleveland Orchestra Goes Multimedia and 8 Other Classical Music Events Not to Miss This week
A long list of composers and musical groups have tried to solve the problem of what audiences should hear during Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent film classic, The Passion of Joan of Arc, including the Canadian rock band aptly named Joan of Arc. Britain’s Orlando Consort has recently developed a score for the 85-minute movie…
Someone Who Just Moved Here Reviews the Things You Regularly Do: The Rockefeller Park Greenhouse
The second installment in the series, “Someone Who Just Moved Here Reviews the Things You Regularly Do.” Find the previous installment here. Cleveland’s Rockefeller Park Greenhouse has many advantages: entrance is free, it’s full of lovely oxygen-supplying plants, the parking is free, it’s really pretty, and, if you need a place to pee on the…
Viral Red Face Fan Reconciles With Anti-Wahoo Protesters Two Years Later
Pedro Rodriguez, the Cleveland Indians fan who made national headlines in 2014 for confronting anti-Wahoo protesters in red face, confronted the anti-Wahoo protesters again Monday, before the home opener was postponed. This time, he came to apologize. He expressed remorse to the group for his cultural appropriation, and apologized directly to Robert Roche, (pictured above),…
City Council Officially Nominates Kerry McCormack to Replace Joe Cimperman
At its caucus Monday morning, Cleveland City Council invoked the “unit rule” to unanimously nominate 27-year-old Kerry McCormack as Councilman Joe Cimperman’s successor in Ward 3, an area which encompasses downtown Cleveland and the Near West Side. McCormack will be sworn in Monday evening, after the clerk of council officially declares the vacancy. Cimperman, who…
Guitar Wiz Joe Satriani’s Current Tour Offers a Career Retrospective
Guitar wiz Joe Satriani says he initially thought he’d become a drummer. But when he discovered the late, great Jimi Hendrix, he decided he’d rather play guitar. “After three years [of drum lessons], I knew I wasn’t destined to be a good drummer because I couldn’t get all four limbs to work together at the…
Cleveland Cinemas Offering Free Popcorn for Those with Home Opener Tickets
[image-1]For the Cleveland Indians’ fans who trekked downtown in the ghastly April weather only to have the home opener canceled, Cleveland Cinemas is offering a free 32-oz. popcorn to “offer some solace.” In a press release, Cleveland Cinemas announced that the promotion is live at all Cleveland Cinemas locations, (but be advised that the Film…
City of Cleveland Releases Pothole Repair Schedule
Pothole repair season has officially begun for seven wards in Cleveland (weather permitting, of course). The city’s Division of Streets is dispatching six to eight crews to get busy patching the craters of Grand Canyon-like proportions potholes according to a schedule released this morning: The schedule is subject to change based on priority changes, equipment limits…
Electro Rockers Autolux Benefit from an Association with Uber-Producer Danger Mouse
The members of the Los Angeles-based electro trio Autolux took a traditional approach when it came to assembling the songs on their new album Pussy’s Dead, which is produced by BOOTS (Beyoncé, Run the Jewels). They paid careful attention to sequencing and enlisted Aussie artist Anthony Lister to make sure the album cover art matched…
A Trip to Italy Inspired Ian Anderson’s New Jethro Tull Rock Opera
A recent trip to Italy inspired Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson to create Jethro Tull — The Rock Opera, a new show that features a “quasi-operatic structure” with virtual guests on video and some additional newly written songs. “I was driving through Northern Italy in the summer of 2014 when it amused me to look…
Singer John Waite to Tell the Stories Behind his Songs at Music Box
The inspirational path to a hit record usually has a few interesting twists and turns along the way, and that was certainly the case for singer John Waite when he was working on the song that the world would come to know as “Missing You.” “Well, I thought my life up to the end of…
Chief Wahoo Will Keep Playing Second Fiddle to Block C
Freak not out, Wahoo apologists. You’ll see the Chief on the left-arm sleeves of the Cleveland Indians’ jerseys when they take on the Boston Red Sox Monday afternoon in the season opener. But do be apprised: the reduced usage of the popular red-faced caricature is ongoing and intentional, according to the front office. In a one-on-one…
Sunday Notes: Cavaliers Ask Pixies, Where Is My Mind?
The Cavaliers are as frustrating to write about as they are to watch. They’re Jekyll & Hyde! They’re Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader! Batman’s Harvey Dent! They’re a fast-cycling teenager coming off a sugar buzz! They’re your best frenemy! They may be looking for an identity, but we’ve got a pretty good read on their character. But…
Local Bluesman Colin Dussault Selling Controversial ‘Riot’ Shirts in Advance of RNC
Back in 2010 as the Cavs lost a tough playoff series to Boston and LeBron James turned in a subpar performance in the final game of the series, local bluesman Colin Dussault came up with the concept for a T-shirt. He turned the LeBron James slogan “Witness” into “Quitness.” The shirts sold by the truckloads.…
Jonathon Sawyer Joins Mod Meals Family of Chefs
James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer of Greenhouse Tavern, Trentina and Noodlecat will be joining the Mod Meals team. Beginning April 4, Clevelanders will be able to enjoy the creative chef’s food without ever leaving home. Mod Meals, the local “farm-to-doorstep” delivery service that launched in November, delivers restaurant-quality meals with a few clicks on a…
5 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, APRIL 1 Archie and the Bunkers Last year saw the release of the first full-length album from local heroes Archie and the Bunkers. The band sent demos to several labels, but the folks at the UK-based Dirty Water Records were the most excited about releasing the album. The guys recorded 12 songs at Ghetto…
Revenue Drop Prompts Talks of Big Cuts in Approved Lorain City Budget
Lorain City Council formally approved the 2016 city budget this week, though there are plenty of cuts built into the document. Given the nature of recent budget hearings — and the difficult decisions that still lay ahead — it’s notable that the city passed its budget in the last few hours before the state-mandated deadline.…
On April Fools’ Day, Cavs in Talks with Cleveland Orchestra Violist Richard Waugh
Today, the Cleveland Orchestra announced an interesting development: The Cavs are in talks with violist Richard Waugh, and may sign the former University of New Mexico basketball player ahead of the team’s playoff run. LeBron James has already followed and unfollowed Waugh on Twitter three times today. From the Orchestra’s announcement: The Cavs, who do…
PUCO Approves FirstEnergy, AEP Rate Guarantees
Tying a bow on a long-running debate in Columbus, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio this week approved an “income guarantee” proposal for FirstEnergy and AEP — two energy companies that sought rates that will keep certain power plants open through May 2024. (For FirstEnergy, those plants are the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant near Toledo…
Hip-Hop Showcase Smokers Club Announces Agora Date
Seven years ago, Jonny Shipes, founder of Cinematic Music Grouop, an independent record label, management, publishing and touring company, launched the Smokers Club, a hip-hop showcase, at South by Southwest. The first tour featured heavy hitters such as Curren$y, Smoke DZA and Big K.R.I.T. Since then, the Smokers Club has evolved into what a press…
Cavaliers Help Gentrify Brooklyn By Trashing the Nets
Last night the Cavaliers swung into action with unexpected intensity and precision like seditious Brazil air-conditioner repairman Harry Tuttle. Coming off a disappointing home loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday and a loss to these same Nets this time last week, the Wine and Gold showed up and took care of business with a minimum…
RNC Visitors Can Rent Jeffrey Dahmer’s Childhood Home During Convention Week
If the twisted machinations of the Republican National Convention aren’t disturbing enough, incoming visitors now have the opportunity to rent Jeffrey Dahmer’s childhood home for the week. The 2,170-square-foot house in Bath, Ohio, will run you $8,000 for the duration of the convention. The Akron Beacon Journal pointed out today that Howard Hanna is listing…
I Love the ‘90s Tour Headed to the I-X Center
The inaugural edition of the I Love the ‘90s Tour features a revolving cast of acts including All-4-One, Biz Markie, Coolio, Color Me Badd, Kool Moe Dee, Kid ‘n Play, Rob Base, Salt-N-Pepa, Tone Loc, Vanilla Ice and Young MC. Promoters promise “an arena-sized dance party” as each show includes upwards of eight performers. Early…
Genre-Defying Participatory Dance Performance ‘Waist High & Elbow Deep’ to Debut in Akron in April
Megan Elk began performing in opera and musical theater before settling on the stage name Miss Alexandra Huntingdon and hitting the Cleveland clubs. A self-proclaimed “rust-belt glamour queen,” she describes her music as original songs with a retro-pop/cabaret sensibility. Now, she’s co-developed a new genre-defying performance, Waist High & Elbow Deep. Elk developed the concept…
NLRB Issues Complaint Against Local Charter Schools Amid Unionizing Efforts
Earlier this month, teachers and staff at University of Cleveland Preparatory School voted 18-4 in favor of forming a union, becoming the first charter school in Cleveland to do so. Elsewhere, at Tremont’s Northeast Ohio College Preparatory School, teachers and staff have been meeting to discuss unionization efforts. Currently, no vote is set. This week,…
Man Arrested for Drunk Driving Wearing Only Underwear, Child’s Snowsuit in Fairview Park
[image-1]A fire hydrant, damaged tree lawns, underwear and a child’s snowsuit are all part of this drunken driving incident in Fairview Park. Brad J. Flynn, 41, is facing criminal charges after police say he was driving drunk near West 226th street and Lorain Avenue at 11:30 p.m. on March 22. Flynn is accused of driving…
Country Trio Rascal Flatts to Open New Theme Concept in Flats East Bank
Rascal Flatts, in addition to being a country trio, is getting into the theme restaurant game, and one of its first locations will be in the Flats East Bank development. While other locations have been “in the works” for a couple years, it looks as if the Cleveland location will be number one, says Scott…
SPACES Announces Relocation to New Spot in Hingetown
It’s finally official. SPACES has announced plans to relocate thanks to a purchase agreement through Fred and Laura Bidwell, local arts advocates and founders of Transformer Station. In a press release today, SPACES announced plans to move just steps away from Transformer Station, and just blocks from its current location. SPACES will move into the…
The Erie Social, an Indoor Shuffleboard Club, to Open at Lorain and W. 45th
Last summer, Jim Miketo opened The Erie Social, Ohio’s first indoor shuffleboard club, just outside of Marblehead. By this coming Labor Day, he intends to open his second location, this one on Lorain Avenue in Ohio City. No need to say it; he’s heard it a million times. Shuffleboard? “It’s one of those things that…
Backstage Pass: An Interview with the Karma Killers
[image-1]Inspired by “the raw passion of punk rock, edgy experimentalism of post-punk, and melodic moodiness of new wave,” the Karma Killers came together in 2013, landing landing a deal with Dirty Canvas/Island Records in late 2014. Last year, the band issued Strange Therapy, a collection of catchy pop-punk tunes characterized by snotty vocals and infectious…
State Could Pony Up $10 Million for Cleveland-East Cleveland Merger
Ohio Auditor Dave Yost has floated the idea of a $10 million appropriation to pay for East Cleveland infrastructure improvements. But there’s a catch: The one-time appropriation could be added to the state capital budget bill only if Cleveland and East Cleveland agree to merge, Yost said. The state auditor has warned that East Cleveland’s…
Humor Writer David Sedaris to Speak at Akron Civic in October
[image-1]A preeminent humor writer, David Sedaris has published a number of books over the course of a career that dates back a few decades now. His bestselling books include Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames. He’s…
Hank Williams Biopic ‘I Saw the Light’ Trivializes Country Singer’s Remarkable Career
A tremendous country singer and songwriter who overcame his humble upbringing to become a huge star, Hank Williams lived the kind of life that lends itself to a cinematic rendering. Too often, however, I Saw the Light, the new biopic that opens areawide on Friday, dwells on his romantic relationships and not his musical abilities.…
Datsik’s ‘Spring Loaded’ Tour Coming to House of Blues
Initially, Troy Beetles, a Canadian producer and DJ who records as both Datsik and Ephwurd, developed an interest in hip-hop. He then gravitated to bass music and started producing what’s commonly called dubstep. “Ever since I was very young, I was always really obsessed with audio and the technical side of it rather than the…
Ohio’s First Poet Laureate Will Read at Northeast Ohio Events
Amit Majmudar, Ohio’s first poet laureate and a diagnostic and nuclear radiologist in Columbus, will join audiences in Northeast Ohio this week for several readings. Majmudar will read at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Library at 2 p.m. on Saturday. And next Tuesday, Majmudar will read at Market Garden’s “Brews and Prose” event. His third collection of…
Cleveland City Council Asks: Why Don’t We Know What’s Going On For RNC?
Cleveland Safety Director Michael McGrath assured members of the City Council Public Safety Committee Wednesday morning that Cleveland would be prepared for the RNC, both in terms of equipment and personnel. He said that Cleveland’s neighborhoods would be staffed at a level of 115 percent during the July convention. But he warned council members, who…
Chef Gilbert Brenot to Usher in New Name, Concept at Three-Year-Old Valenti’s
Valenti’s, the three-year-old Italian restaurant in Beachwood, quietly closed its doors earlier this week. But the closure is only temporary, promises management, so that significant changes can be made to the operation. At 4:00 p.m. this Friday, April 1, the restaurant will reopen with a new name, concept, menu and executive chef. That chef is…
CAN’s Annual Benefit Promises Engaging Fun, Artistic Thrills
Join the artists, galleries and nonprofits of the Collective Arts Network for the celebration of its CAN Journal. This year’s annual benefit, CAN CAN 2016, takes place this Saturday, April 2, from 7 p.m. to midnight at 78th Street Studios. The evening includes live music, open/cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, a special silent auction for local…
NBA Drama, Final Four, NFL Draft and more — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
On NBA drama, the Final Four, NFL Draft options and April Fool’s Day. (Just a heads up: There were some technical difficulties for this episode and the fellas apologize in advance if Dre sounds like he’s in a cave at times.) Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Android users can find the RSS…
Cavs Sit LeBron, Blow Big Lead in Second Half
What did you really expect? In a season where the Cavaliers have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to underperform in games they should win, or, as was the case last night in blowing a 20-point lead to Houston, a game they had already largely won before collapsing like a crooked third world dictatorship in the fourth…
Matcha: The Healthy Green Drink That’s Popping Up Everywhere
You might not have tried a cup of matcha yet, but chances are good you’ve heard of it. The Japanese green tea powder seems to be everywhere right now, appearing not only as a hot beverage in its ceremonial ceramic cups, but also in lattes, smoothies, waffles, ice cream and pastries. Admired for its grassy,…
No Profanities are Spared in the Laugh-Packed “Bootycandy” at Convergence-Continuum
If you’ve developed a fondness for non-PC talk because of this season’s loony Republican presidential campaign, then you may want to sample some stronger stuff than references to “small hands” and the genital-related horror that description implies. After all, if we’re going to chuck political correctness and decorum into a blazing dumpster that’s rolling at…
Meet Rising Star Martin McCafferty, Chef de Cuisine at Thyme
Martin McCafferty can claim the American railways as one of his greatest teachers. A self-educated chef, his love for trains lead him to kitchens all along the West Coast. When his hometown Medina reeled him back, he found a like-minded mentor in John Kolar, owner of Thyme (113 West Smith Rd., 330-764-4114, thymetherestaurant.com), who learned…
Unsung Heroes: Profiles of Some of the People Keeping the Local Music Alive
Cleveland’s music scene features a range of clubs that cater to all kinds of different acts. Country, rock, indie, jazz — there’s a venue in town for every genre of music. A savvy group of club owners ensure that you can find a good band to see seven nights a week. Outside of that network,…
The Rebirth of Touch Supper Club Revives a Hotspot for Cleveland’s DJ Scene
Following a thorough remodeling, westside staple Touch Supper Club reopened its doors last fall. Already, the place had been known as a mainstay for the DJ set: Monthly events like “Sanctuary” and “I Got 5 On It” brought dancing crowds out in droves. (Those events still take place on the first and last Saturdays of…
“Believeland” and More for International Film Festival’s 40th Anniversary
Cleveland International Film Festival director Bill Guentzler has worked as the festival’s artistic director for the past 18 years. He literally travels the globe in search of good movies and then coordinates the scouting and acquisition of the films, the creation of the festival schedule, and the smooth operation of the festival during its run.…
Lottery League Festival Organizers Aim to go ‘Over-the-Top’ with This Year’s Big Show
A large-scale recurring experiment that brings together diverse Cleveland musicians and forces them to form new bands on the spot with people they’ve never played with and may never even have met before, Lottery League serves as one of this city’s signature music events. Bands form at a staged draft that ensures no two musicians…
Film Spotlight: “Eye in the Sky”
Gavin Hood’s wartime thriller Eye in the Sky opens Friday in limited release. It dramatizes the behind-the-scenes calculations that precipitate a drone strike on a Kenyan village where militants have assembled to prepare for a suicide bombing. If you’ve seen the trailer, you know the gist. It seems to have been created expressly to…
Savage Love: JCCSF
I was honored to speak at JCCSF — Jewish Community Center of San Francisco — last week as a part of their “Uninhibited: About Sex” lecture series. The audience submitted questions on cards, which were ably put to me by Jourdan Abel, who was wearing a wonderful uterus-themed sweater. (Check out my Instagram account —…
Writing, Recording, Mixing, Mastering: Seafair Walks Us Through the Making of an Album
This past year, Brite Winter once again assumed its mantle as the premier showcase for local artists. Bands and musicians from all over Cleveland congregated for a day of dynamic concerts and mingling with fans. These are active and involved local acts, the sort that keep throwing down live shows and studio cuts that thrill…
Cleveland Institute of Art Looks Outward and Inward Two New Exhibitions
The first Friday of each month is usually one of the busiest nights for artists and galleries throughout Northeast Ohio. This month is no different, and no organization has as much to celebrate this April as the Cleveland Institute of Art. First, Lane Cooper, the chair of its painting department and current associate professor of…
Meet the Band: Tropidelic
MEET THE BAND: Matthew Roads (vocals), James Begin (trombone/vox), Bobby Chronic (guitar), Darrick Willis (drums), Pags (bass), Tim Younessi (sax), Derek McBryde (trumpet) STRAIGHT OUTTA KENT: Tropidelic formed in 2008 in Kent and built a following after self-distributing over 10,000 free copies of its self-produced first EP, Rebirth of the Dope. After releasing their second…
Does Cleveland Still Rock? Why Major Rock Bands Have Been Bypassing Northeast Ohio
In the late ’60s, singer-guitarist Nils Lofgren would bring his band Grin to town at least twice a year. Lofgren, who currently plays in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, talked about those days when we spoke to him via phone earlier this year, prior to Springsteen’s appearance at the Q. “There were always fabulous audiences…
