What to Do Tonight: Skarhead
Skarhead singer Lord Ezec hates modern hardcore, but he has a blast hating it. Skarhead’s new album, Drugs, Music & Sex, opens with “Fuck the Scene,” a full-metal middle-finger in which Ezec promises to put the boots to anyone who shops at Hot Topic. And that’s just the start of it. Ezec — also known…
Out Today: Freelance Whales
Freelance WhalesWeathervanes(Frenchkiss/Mom + Pop) Banjo, glockenspiel and harmonium are just a few of the instruments that run through Freelance Whales’ hyperactive debut. The New Yorkers love making sounds out of their environment, and their giddy enthusiasm is splayed across Weathervanes. They made their rep playing on city streets and in subways, so there’s a messy…
What to Do Tonight: Finntroll
In times of strife, many look to the old ways for guidance and solace. Apparently Helsinki septet Finntroll dream of the days when Finnish trolls slaughtered Swedish Christian priests. While that may sound harsh, even for an ancient folk tale, keep in mind that the country’s folklore includes a tale of a pious man pimping…
What to Do Tonight: The Legendary R&B Revue
Having passed this way several times before, the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue gives both old fans and newbies a reason to show up. The band has freshened up the bill with talents new to the lineup who are firmly established among the contemporary blues/R&B elite. Anchored as always by Bay Area guitar ace Tommy…
What to Do Tonight: Galactic
The city of New Orleans hosts a wide range of musical sounds, and it has laid its distinctive, indelible mark on each and every genre that resides there. Be it R&B, funk or the jazz that was born there, they each come in an undeniably Crescent City edition. Once heard, it’s tough to mistake the…
What to Do Tonight: Tom Principato
Eric Clapton may be God, but Telecaster-wielding Tom Principato comes pretty darn close. His guitar technique is rooted in southern blues, pairing up-tempo shuffles with long, mournful solos that evoke the spirit of the genre. Principato honed his skills as a sideman throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s with Jimmy Thackery, Big Mama Thornton…
Meet the Guitar Player: José Alvarez
Smokin’! Since he was 14, José Alvarez has been on a quest, mixing his love for blues guitar with new, exotic flavors — Cajun, soul, folk and his own style of Tex-Mex six-string. Today he’s a Grammy-award winning guitarist, coming to the Winchester tomorrow (opening for the Tom Principato Band), but his journey to Cleveland…
What to Do Tonight: Dum Dum Girls
SoCal foursome Dum Dum Girls are poised for a gigantic year. Led by the surname-free Dee Dee, they play the sort of fuzzy girl-group punk that started popping up everywhere about two years ago. The Dum Dums kicked off with a 7-inch single, and they’ve been lighting up the blogosphere ever since. Their debut album…
Reviews of the Cinematheque’s weekend films
The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque is showing several great movies this weekend. Here are our reviews of just a few of them. The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (U.S., 2009) A previously un-produced screenplay by the late Tennessee Williams is the inspiration for first-time director Jodie Markell’s prosaic, plodding slice of southern gothic, about…
Emerson & Lake Reschedule — Maybe They’ll Play This Time
A lucky man is a man with lots of wires and shit Remember that Keith Emerson and Greg Lake concert that got canceled last week, 40 or so minutes after the show was supposed to start? Of course you do. You’ve been defending their proggy crybaby egos all week. The concert has been rescheduled for…
COAL VILLAINS FOR PORTMAN
As the families and friends of the 25 miners who died in a West Virginia mine explosion Monday are mourning, the spotlight is once again shining on the flagrant disregard for safety displayed by the mine’s owner. Don Blankenship, of the Massey Energy Co., which owns the Montcoal, West Virginia operation, contributed millions in 2004…
This Just In: Cleveland Concert Announcements
Jackson Browne and his timeless hair are coming to town Baby Soda: Mon., June 7, 8 p.m., Ballroom, $10. Beachland. The Batusis, featuring Cheetah Chrome and Sylvain Sylvain: Wed., July 21, 9 p.m., Ballroom, $15. Beachland. Bayside/Hawthorne Heights/the Ohio Sky: Sun., June 27, 7 p.m., $15 ADV/$18 DOS. Grog Shop. Blueskyreality: Fri., June 11, 9…
STATE REP. YUKO INTRODUCES MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL
State Rep. Kenny Yuko has a vision for a greener Ohio. And as promised, the Richmond Heights Democrat has introduced a bill in the Ohio House to legalize the growing, distribution and usage of medical marijuana, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Ohio will become the 15th state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes if Yuko’s bill…
Butler’s Tournament Success Adding to Horizon League’s (And CSU’s) Coffers
Butler’s stirring spring through March Madness isn’t just good for the Horizon League’s profile, it’s also good for its coffers. And with the Bulldogs’ and Cleveland State’s recent success in the NCAA tournament, including Butler’s appearance in the national championship game last night, the Horizon League will be seeing a large influx of cash. Here’s…
4/14: Skarhead at Now That’s Class
Skarhead singer Lord Ezec hates modern hardcore, but he has a blast hating it. Skarhead’s new album, Drugs, Music & Sex, opens with “Fuck the Scene,” a full-metal middle-finger in which Ezec promises to put the boots to anyone who shops at Hot Topic. And that’s just the start of it. Ezec — also known…
4/13: K’Naan at House of Blues
Somalian rapper K’Naan’s backstory is way rougher than most stateside MCs’ inflated bios. He barely got out of his war-torn African homeland when he was in his teens. Now in his early 30s and living in Toronto, K’Naan looks back on a lifetime of sacrifices, hardships and violence on his second album, last year’s terrific…
4/13: The Hold Steady at Beachland
While it seems like every other indie-rock band worth a shit these days left Cleveland off their tour itinerary, the Hold Steady continually go out of their way to make us feel special. They kicked off the tour in support of their last album — 2008’s Stay Positive — in Cleveland. And now they’re road-testing…
4/13: Finntroll at Peabody’s
In times of strife, many look to the old ways for guidance and solace. Apparently Helsinki septet Finntroll long for the days when Finnish trolls slaughtered Swedish Christian priests. While that may sound harsh, even for an ancient folk tale, keep in mind that the country’s folklore includes a tale of a pious man pimping…
4/12: The Legendary R&B Revue at Beachland
Having passed this way several times before, the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue gives both old fans and newbies a reason to show up. The band has freshened up the bill with talents new to the lineup who are firmly established among the contemporary blues/R&B elite. Anchored as always by Bay Area guitar ace Tommy…
4/11: Hidden Cleveland Tour
Despite Cleveland’s propensity for leveling its history and charm, there are still some hidden little places where the past tenaciously lurks. Those places are the subject of the Hidden Cleveland tours, returning for a second year today. Lolly the Trolley will transport folks to semi-secret spots, winding up at a local restaurant for appetizers and…
The Beat Vikings
I could be wrong on this, but I’m pretty sure the Beat Vikings are the only Lottery band this year (possibly both years?) to have been drafted without a guitar player. Which, considering the still largely rockist makeup of the indie scene here, seems just waaaaaaay the hell against the odds. Though obviously a rock…
4/11: Galactic at House of Blues
The city of New Orleans hosts a wide range of musical sounds, and it has laid its distinctive, indelible mark on each and every genre. Be it R&B, funk or jazz (which was born there), they each come in an undeniably Crescent City edition. Once heard, it’s tough to mistake the Meters’ sound for Memphis…
4/11: Cleveland Women’s Orchestra at Severance Hall
The Cleveland Women’s Orchestra is a relic from an era of musical apartheid, when symphonic music was men’s work, and most women didn’t get a chance to play in symphonies. Those days are long gone. The CWO marks its 75th anniversary today with a concert that looks forward and backward. The program includes the premiere…
4/11: Cleveland Jazz Orchestra at Fairmount Temple
Singer Helen Welch first hooked up with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra when she was looking for a big band to support her 2006 debut album. She’s performed with the group a half-dozen times since then. Welch joins the orchestra today for Swingin’ at the Temple, a program featuring Jewish composers directed by trombonist Paul Ferguson.…
4/10-11: North Coast Men’s Chorus at CSU
There’s no shortage of glee in the North Coast Men’s Chorus’ concert program Too Marvelous for Words, which focuses on the collection of Broadway, jazz and pops standards known as the Great American Songbook. Spring is in the air, 70 guys are singing, dancing and wearing funny costumes — what more do you want? Showtime…
4/9: She Speaks at Visible Voice Books
Whisper to a Scream is a Cleveland-based feminist performance-art collective with open-end membership — which means anyone can participate. To encourage that involvement, the group is kicking off a monthly series of themed open-mic events called She Speaks, in which women are invited to sign up for five-minute slots to offer a prose or poetry…
4/9: Tom Principato at the Wincester
Eric Clapton may be God, but Telecaster-wielding Tom Principato comes pretty darn close. His guitar technique is rooted in southern blues, pairing uptempo shuffles with long, mournful solos that evoke the spirit of the genre. Principato honed his skills as a sideman throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s with Jimmy Thackery, Big Mama Thornton…
4/9: RFK Jr. at EcoWatch’s Green Gala
Cleveland-based EcoWatch was into “green” before the concept was on everyone’s lips. Now a statewide nonprofit devoted to sustainability issues, EcoWatch began as a newspaper published by local environmental activist Stefanie Spear, offering roundup of local and national stories on efforts to create a more ecologically friendly world. EcoWatch is hosting its second annual benefit…
4/9-11: ArtMart at SPACES Gallery
It’s the end of ArtMart as we know it, and the folks at SPACES Gallery feel fine. The annual event was launched 25 years ago to attract members by giving artists an opportunity to sell their work as well as to network. But lately, emphasis has been more on selling than networking. SPACES’ Susan Vincent…
4/9: Miranda Lambert at the Akron Civic Theatre
Texas-bred badass Miranda Lambert hunts her dinner, doesn’t look a lot like other country stars and refuses to tone down her attitude or twang. On her terrific third album Revolution, she explores the divide between the left and the right, the blue and the red, and the pretty and the ugly. Ever since she set…
4/8-10: Aisha Tyler at Hilarities
Aisha Tyler is a professional entertainment dabbler. The versatile talent has hosted Talk Soup and the reality dating series The Fifth Wheel. The Dartmouth alum has filled in on At the Movies, had guest spots on Friends, 24 and Nip/Tuck, and was the female voice in “Slow Jamz,” the 2003 single featuring Twista, Kanye West…
4/8: Bat Boy opens at Hanna Theatre
We lament the demise of Weekly World News every time we approach the grocery-store checkout. Rubbing salt in the wound is the Great Lakes Theater Festival’s new production of the ripped-from-the-WWN-headlines musical Bat Boy. Conceived by the tabloid’s editor in 1992, Bat Boy appeared several times in the paper, which chronicled the cave-dwelling half-bat/half-boy’s life.…
Out Toiday: David Byrne & Fatboy Slim
David Byrne & Fatboy SlimHere Lies Love(Nonesuch) David Byrne and Fatboy Slim have long and illustrious histories as sonic experimentalists and collaborators. So it makes sense they would eventually join forces. Here Lies Love is a concept album — a weird tale of Imelda Marcos, wife of ousted Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the butt…
Out Today: Dr. Dog
Dr. DogShame, Shame(Anti-) Standing on top of the clouds, looking down on the land below in contemplative peace, would be the proper way to listen to “Unbearable Why,” one of the best songs on Dr. Dog’s sixth album. Though frontman Scott McMicken’s falsetto warns that the eye of the storm approaches, swirling double harmonies and…
Black Keys Play Lollapalooza
Dan and Pat, lookin’ for Joe The Black Keys will play Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival in August. The Akron duo is close to the top of the bill. The fest runs Friday, August 6, through Sunday, August 8. Set dates haven’t been announced yet. But it looks like the Keys will have a good slot. The…
Win tickets to see the Late Shift screening of Clue
Cleveland Cinemas’ Late Shift series returns with two screenings of the 1985 box office flop Clue, starring Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn. A live interactive cast will perform during both showings at 9:30 p.m. and midnight on Saturday, April 10 at the Cedar Lee Theatre (2163 Lee Rd.). We’re giving away a four-pack of tickets.…
‘FOOD NOT BOMBS’ RETURNS TO ITS DOWNTOWN MISSION
After some recent infighting, the anti-hunger collective known as Cleveland Food Not Bombs wants to reestablish itself a positive force in downtown Cleveland. The group — a loose coalition of activists that serves meals to the homeless — is part of a larger Food Not Bombs national network and has been in existence for more…
MASON: REFORM CAN’T BE “TOO HARD” OR IT WON’T WORK
Bill Mason’s campaign finance reform panel spent its April 1 meeting mulling over ways to shed light on who makes contributions to candidates, but the big question remains: How transparent do local politicians — including Mason — want to get? Mason, who selected the panel and set its agenda, says he want to tackle what…
AdWatch: Dear BW3, Stop Making Idiotic Commercials
I’m not entirely sure why, but BW3’s commercials have been absolutely infuriating lately. You know the ones, the game is tied or some bullshit and all the fans at the bar/restaurant/wing emporium voice their desire for the game to never end. Ever. Here’s the latest one, which I’m sure you’ve seen by now: Now, I…
Concert Review: Julian Casablancas at House of Blues
Solo strokin’ The last time Julian Casablancas performed in Cleveland was April 2006 at the Agora. I remember two key things: First, Casablancas and the rest of the Strokes were stumbling drunk, occasionally forgetting lyrics and messing up entire parts of songs with wrong notes. Second, nobody gave a shit — it was the Strokes,…
Shaq’s Mom’s Book Signing — A Hard Hitting Report From Sam’s Club
For reasons not worth going into here, I found myself at Sam’s Club in Brooklyn, Ohio, last Thursday evening when Lucille O’Neal and her son Shaq were signing copies of her new book, Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go. Sam’s Club — the somewhere to go if you need a lifetime supply of coffee…
What to Do Tonight: Shearwater
With each Shearwater release, it becomes more difficult to believe that Jonathan Meiburg’s band began life as an Okkervil River side project. Shearwater’s latest album, The Golden Archipelago, confirms Meiburg’s ambitions: It’s a demanding semi-concept piece that should be heard in sequence. Meiburg spends his free time as an outdoorsman, camping in faraway places like…
Police Blotter Item of the Day — Shaq Will Get You In Trouble
Via the Sun News: MEDINA SHAQ’S PARTY: An officer witnessed two individuals yelling back and forth to one another from across a parking lot on N. Spring Grove around 10:55 p.m., March 27. The officer checked the scene and determined that the subjects were thrilled about “going to Shaq’s party.” Good job there, Sherlock. Follow…
Stop It, Now
… As Windy tweeted during the game, “LeBron is at 29% on 3-pointers over last two months (0-6 today), imagine what his overall shooting if he stopped taking so many,” and as I wrote about last month.
On Elitism
Something I’ve heard a bit too much of finally set me off yesterday, and this is going to be a bit of a rant, so I must disclaim here: this blog is a publication of Cleveland Scene. It is not an adjunct of – and certainly does not presume to speak for – the Cleveland…
What to Do Tonight: Julian Casablancas
On his first solo album, last year’s Phrazes for the Young, mush-mouthed Strokes singer Julian Casablancas continues to explore the retro-leaning and brisk indie-rock that made his band stars almost a decade ago. The careening opening track, “Out of the Blue,” sounds like a Strokes leftover, but poppier, synth-heavy tunes like “Left & Right in…
This Just In: Emerson and Lake Are Assholes
“Welcome back, my friends, to the show we won’t perform …” Scene’s office was closed today, so we were busy getting our feet washed and picking out our Jesus costumes for Easter. Still, we had planned to have a review of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake’s (two-thirds of super-boring ’70s prog combo Emerson, Lake &…
Why Did I Get Married Too is another formulaic Tyler Perry film
A comma and a question mark aren’t the only things missing from Why Did I Get Married Too, the latest Tyler Perry joint. Also conspicuously absent from this tiresome sequel in which the same four couples from Perry’s 2007 gabfest spend a week in the Caribbean dissecting their marital woes ad nauseam is originality, genuine…
What to Do Tonight: Tim Barry
Avail haven’t been that busy the past ten years — two albums in a decade is nothing to brag about for a punk band. So it makes sense that frontman Tim Barry has gone solo. His early material sounds like Avail without the distortion (rather than the Americana he was shooting for), but his latest…
4/7: Major Lazer at House of Blues
Hipster-approved DJs Diplo and Switch are behind Major Lazer, a side project that pairs mostly anonymous dancehall artists with the duo’s bizarro beats. On last year’s debut album, Guns Don’t Kill People … Lazers Do, Major Lazer Auto-Tune a baby, bury vocals under tons of blips and beeps, and throw a few animals into the…
4/7: Dum Dum Girls at Oberlin College
SoCal foursome Dum Dum Girls are poised for a gigantic year. Led by the surname-free Dee Dee, they play the sort of fuzzy girl-group punk that started popping up everywhere about two years ago. The Dum Dums kicked off with a seven-inch single, and they’ve been lighting up the blogosphere ever since. Their debut album…
4/7: Cirque du Soleil’s Alegría at Wolstein
Since debuting in Quebec in 1980, Cirque du Soleil’s artistic melding of the human-performance aspects of the circus, gymnastics, dance, music and evocative sets has attracted millions of patrons to its two dozen-plus shows. They’ve also influenced the presentations of dance ensembles, theaters and pop-music performers. Alegría, one of the group’s darker and more foreboding…
4/7: CIM Orchestra
Composer Jeremy Allen refers to himself as a “conservatory-trained farm boy.” Born on a 400-acre spread in Iowa, Allen co-founded the local new-music ensemble FiveOne. His Americana-influenced compositions have been played at the Ingenuity Festival, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Institute of Art. And his electronic music is part of the…
4/3: Julian Casablancas at House of Blues
On his first solo album, last year’s Phrazes for the Young, mush-mouthed Strokes singer Julian Casablancas continues to explore the retro-leaning and brisk indie-rock that made his band stars almost a decade ago. The careening opening track, “Out of the Blue,” sounds like a Strokes leftover, but poppier, synth-heavy tunes like “Left & Right in…
Update: Tonight’s HIM Show at HOB Is Sold Out
Don’t have ticket? Stare at picture Tonight’s HIM concert at House of Blues is sold out. So you’re outta luck if you don’t already have a ticket. Or feel like paying a lotta money for one.
DJ Alert: Andrew Grant
DJ Andrew Grant will appear at Touch Supper Club on April 9. Grant was born in the U.S. but moved to Ibiza and became a resident at DC-10’s Circo Loco party eight years ago, where he spinned for a bunch of shirtless and coked-up European kids. You can try to capture that vibe at Touch.…
Massive Reggae Meltdown Coming to Kent
All the makings of a funky reggae party No telling if the weather will be Jamaica-balmy by next weekend, but the tropical vibe will be in full effect when Kent Reggae Meltdown offers two nights of music on April 9 and 10. On Friday, more than a dozen venues — all within easy walking distance…
League of Proper Musicians Release New CD
Singing about cows and stuff The League of Proper Musicians hosts a CD-release party at 9 tomorrow night at the Brother’s Lounge. The $10 admission gets you a copy of the album and finger food to munch while you’re listening to the band. The quartet — which includes drummer Mike Reyes and percussionist Jason Seich…
Guest Review: “Size DOES Matter” Curated By One Shaq O’Neal
By John McQuaid Given the recent spate of athlete-created “art” in the news, I was relieved it was Shaquille O’Neal and not Greg Oden or Grady Sizemore who was asked to curate an exhibition for the Flag Art Foundation in New York, especially one proclaiming “Size DOES Matter.” Thankfully, Shaq’s venture into the world of…
Kid Cudi on HBO Recap
Yeah, we’re getting kinda tired of looking at this pic every week too Cleveland’s Scott “Kid” Mescudi — also known as rapper Kid Cudi — has a small role in the HBO series How to Make It in America as Domingo Brown, a guy with a hot girlfriend. Or, he sort of has a small…
New Black Keys Song Online
A new Black Keys song, “Tighten Up,” is online. It’s the first track from their upcoming album, Brothers, which comes out on May 18. The tune was produced by Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, who produced the Keys’ 2008 Attack & Release LP. The band produced the rest of the disc. You can read more about…
BOEHNER’S INSPIRING MESSAGE: ‘NO YOU CAN’T!’
We’re a little late to this, but it’s an instant classic. Thanks, Congressman Boehner, for summing up the attitude of modern conservatives in one emphatic statement.
Reviews of the Cinematheque’s weekend films
The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque is showing several great movies this weekend. Here are our reviews of just a few of them. District 13: Ultimatum (France, 2009) The Cinematheque doesn’t show a lot of popcorn movies, but this nifty, adrenaline-fueled sequel to producer-screenwriter Luc Besson’s 2004 cult favorite is terrific drive-in/grindhouse fare — albeit…
What to Do Tonight: Seabear
With Björk and Sigur Rós as its best-known musical exports, it’s easy to understand why some people might have a certain knee-jerk reaction to hearing about a “new band from Iceland.” As it turns out, Seabear would appear to be from a part of Reykjavik a tad closer to planet Earth — with a chamber-pop-meets-indie-folk…
What to Do Tonight: HIM
It would be too easy to dismiss Finland’s HIM as a lighter, prettier side of doom rock. If we’re going to use analogies, you could consider HIM, with photogenic frontman Vile Vallo, as doom rock’s Twilight, while Type O Negative are more like pioneering bloodsucker pic Nosferatu. But the comparison doesn’t quite work out, mainly…
4/6: Pianofest at CIM
It’s open for debate whether the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Pianofest is about the performers or the audience. It’s essentially a master class for CIM’s top piano students and faculty members, but thanks to helpful feedback and a post-concert reception, it’s a lot more fun. Cleveland International Piano Competition artistic director Paul Schenly, whose career…
4/6: Japandroids at the Grog Shop
Canadian noise-rockers Japandroids make quite a racket on their 2009 debut album, Post-Nothing, coming off like No Age with a sense of melody. You’d think the whole guitarist-and-drummer-make-really-loud-music thing would be played out by now, but these scruffy hipsters manage to wring a lot of intriguing sounds out of their instruments. Plus, they keep things…
4/3: Shearwater at the Beachland
With each Shearwater release, it becomes more difficult to believe that Jonathan Meiburg’s band began life as an Okkervil River side project. Shearwater’s latest album, The Golden Archipelago, confirms Meiburg’s ambitions: It’s a demanding semi-concept piece that should be heard in sequence. Meiburg spends his free time as an outdoorsman, camping in faraway places like…
4/3: North Union Farmers Market opens
It must be spring for real. Today, the North Union Farmers Market at Shaker Square comes out of hibernation from its indoor winter-market spot to take over Shaker Boulevard with an array of seasonal produce, flowers, baked goods and more — all locally grown or made. (Be sure to pick up the first herb pots…
4/3: NASA Glenn Tours
NASA Glenn Research Center (21000 Brookpark Rd.) is one of Cleveland’s economic-development jewels, engaging in space and aeronautics-related scientific research. So it creates the kind of skilled jobs no casino ever could. Its periodic tours offer opportunities for people to learn about what goes on inside the facility and, most importantly, for children to experience…
4/2: Edible Books Festival
The Edible Books Festival started a decade ago by two Montreal women and quickly spread around the world to nearly two dozen countries, where it takes place annually as close to April Fools’ Day as possible. It hit Cleveland in 2004, when Loganberry Books and Strong Bindery (13015 Larchmere Blvd., 216.795.9800) took up the cause,…
4/2: CSU Student Art Show opens
Printmaker Russ Revock has been paying attention to Cleveland State University’s annual Student Art Show for most of its 39 years — first as a student in the early ’80s and now as a member of the school’s art faculty. “If you’re an experienced student-show viewer as I am, and if you go to the…
4/2: Tim Barry at the Beachland
Avail haven’t been very busy the past 10 years — two albums in a decade is nothing to brag about for a punk band. So it makes sense that frontman Tim Barry went solo. His early material sounds like Avail without the distortion (rather than the Americana he was shooting for), but his latest album,…
4/1: Stan Hywet Hall
When F.A. Seiberling made his (and Akron’s) fortune after founding Goodyear Tire & Rubber at the tail end of the 19th century, he built a lavish country-style estate called “Stan Hywet,” which is Old English for “stone quarry.” The age of industrial barons is long gone, and Seiberling’s descendents donated the building in 1957, to…
4/1: Seabear at Grog Shop
With Björk and Sigur Rós as its best-known musical exports, it’s easy to understand why some people might have a knee-jerk reaction to hearing about a “new band from Iceland.” As it turns out, Seabear would appear to be from a part of Reykjavik a tad closer to planet Earth — with a chamber-pop-meets-indie-folk sound…
You Th’ Feller Sellin’ Homemade Amish Jam? Derf Previews the Tribe
Click on the image to get the full-sized version.
4/1: HIM at House of Blues
It would be too easy to dismiss Finland’s HIM as a lighter, prettier side of doom rock. If we’re going to use analogies, you could consider HIM, with photogenic frontman Ville Valo, as doom rock’s Twilight, while Type O Negative are more like pioneering bloodsucker pic Nosferatu. But the comparison doesn’t quite work out, mainly…
4/1: Daughtry at Wolstein Center
You gotta wonder what makes Chris Daughtry sing with such anguish on Leave This Town. Did a girl break his heart? Did his grandma die? Did his dog run off and leave him for another scowling, baldheaded American Idol alum? Whatever it is, Daughtry shreds both his heart and larynx to bring you his pain…
4/1 & 3: Cleveland Orchestra
It’ll be homecoming for Christoph von Dohnányi this week, when the erstwhile Cleveland Orchestra music director returns to Severance Hall for only his second appearance since stepping down in 2002. Since then, the octogenarian maestro has hardly slowed down. He was principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London until 2008, and is still chief…
3/31: CIM Orchestra
If U.S. audiences know anything about Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, it’s because of “Sabre Dance,” the relentlessly driving fragment of ballet music that’s added drama to so many cartoons and circus performances. But the rest of the Soviet composer’s work is mostly unknown here. Khachaturian came up during the Cold War era, but he was…
Wednesday Ticket Giveaway: Something to Burn
We have a pair of tickets to the kick-ass concert coming to Peabody’s next Wednesday, April 7, featuring Something to Burn, Fair to Midland and Karnivool. Wanna go? Send an e-mail to freetickets@clevescene.com with the subject “Something to Burn.” Just send us your name and e-mail address. We’ll pick the winners at 10 a.m. on…
BE MORE JUDGMENTAL
Many voters, when they glance over the long lists of unfamiliar names in judicial races, throw up their hands and skip the whole thing. That’s actually not a bad choice — far better than voting for every Irish name you see — but there’s an even better one for conscientious voters: judge4yourself.com. With the May…
Clash of the Titans proves digital doesn’t always trump analogue
Wife asks me about plot halfway through this fantasy epic. “Why are they doing this again?” she wonders. “To sell action figures,” I reply. I really should’ve said, “to sell video games.” Action figures would have been apropos to the so-so original Clash of the Titans, the final bow of f/x master Ray Harryhausen, whose…
Concert Review: Passion Pit at the House of Blues
Passion Pit has been on the road almost nonstop for two years on the strength of their debut album, Manners. Though they’ve graduated from the club circuit to sold-out larger venues and festivals and drawn in a newer, younger crowd, the set list hasn’t changed. The 45-minute jaunt of Manners, some new songs from the…
Frequent Flyer
Henry Rollins doesn’t collect cars. The 49-year-old musician, spoken-word artist, DJ, publisher, writer, actor, Hummer driver, comedian, blogger and activist has worked quite a few jobs. He doesn’t just dabble in multiple mediums; he makes them his own. The man who once managed a Georgetown-based Häagen-Dazs so that he could fund early Black Flag records…
Reel Cleveland: Watch Out for the Birds
Local film scholar Terry Meehan launches his Vintage Hitchcock series at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 3, at the Lakewood Public Library Auditorium (15425 Detroit Ave , 216.226.8275, lkwdpl.org) with a free screening of 1927’s Lodger. Before showing the film, Meehan will play a series of clips featuring early interviews with director Alfred Hitchcock. He’ll also…
DREW PART 2
Last week I was working on a followup to my recent column advising Drew Carey and his L.A. libertarian buddies what they could do with their web series “Reason Saves Cleveland.” The response from readers was swift and overwhelmingly negative, and I planned to respond in kind. Then, just before deadline, this arrived: I must…
FOR THE LOVE OF LONNIE
“Prospect” is a dirty word around these parts. It’s the one-word analog of the popular but pessimistic “wait until next year” refrain. It’s the bill of goods Mark Shapiro and the Dolans have sold fans as they’ve unloaded the Tribe’s best veterans — Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia and others — in yearly fire…
THE BUSINESS OF LAUNCHING BUSINESSES
In 2004, Entrepreneur magazine ranked Cleveland dead last in a national survey of “Hot Cities for Entrepreneurs.” To do something about that, Northeast Ohio’s Fund for Our Economic Future and the state of Ohio made major investments in JumpStart Inc. The nonprofit organization would attract startup money for regional entrepreneurs, and it aimed high. It…
BRING HOME THE BACON
When you’re talking Class-A baseball, the draw has never really been competitive games played by top-notch athletes. At this level of the minors, the talented players don’t stick around very long, and the ones who do aren’t all that talented. For teams like the Lake County Captains, it’s all about continuing the long and storied…
Buzz Report
The first three months of the year are traditionally the shittiest three months of the year for music. There are exceptions, of course (Animal Collective released one of last year’s best albums in January, and Vampire Weekend – more on them later – unveiled their debut during 2008’s first month). But most CDs that come…
Film Capsules
Clash of the Titans Reviewed at clevescene.com. District 13: Ultimatum (France, 2009) The Cinematheque doesn’t show a lot of popcorn movies, but this nifty, adrenaline-fueled sequel to producer-screenwriter Luc Besson’s 2004 cult favorite is terrific drive-in/grindhouse fare — albeit with English subtitles. Set three years later, Ultimatum returns to the titular, crime-ridden French ghetto where…
A Writer, Computer and a Pyschic Walk Into a Bar…
By almost all accounts, the Cleveland Indians are going to be bad this year. Very bad. Like, “one of the worst in the majors” bad. Like, only describable in terms of quotes from Major League bad. (Harry Doyle: “That’s all we got, one goddamn hit?” Assistant: “You can’t say goddamn on the air.” Harry Doyle:…
Local CD Reviews
Trouble Books Gathered Tones (Own) barkandhiss.com Gathered Tones is an apt title for the latest offering from Akron’s Trouble Books. The plaintive vocals and loopy keyboard riffs in “Past the New Parking Deck” and “Arms Full of Lemons” recall Stereolab’s spacey chamber pop but without the pretension. Because they use analog synthesizers, “From Colfax Place”…
Around Hear: Midnight Syndicate Goes to Video
After 13 spooky years, Midnight Syndicate finally have a music video to go with their self-described “Halloween music.” The creepy clip debuted last week in St. Louis at the TransWorld 15th Halloween & Attractions Show. The “Dark Legacy” video was directed by David Greathouse, whose credits include Mushroomhead’s “12Hundred.” He also contributed special effects makeup…
PRIORITIES IN MOTION
What you notice first about local choreographer/dancer Megan Pitcher is her intense enthusiasm for dance and confident determination. Besides running her company, MegLouise Dance, she teaches dance at Tri-C and recently opened a west-side rehearsal and teaching studio. This weekend, her company kicks off Cleveland Public Theatre’s annual Danceworks series. Pitcher and her nine-member cast will…
Bites: The Melt Grilled Cheese Challenge
At Melt Bar and Grilled (14718 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216.226.3699, meltbarandgrilled.com), it’s a challenge just to finish one of the regular sandwiches. Then there’s the “Melt Challenge” a feat not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. With 13 types of cheese, three pieces of garlic toast, fries and coleslaw, this behemoth weighs…
LEARNING TO TELL THE TALE
The new head of Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, Karen Gahl-Mills, who came here from Syracuse, has been spending her days predictably — getting to know the local cultural landscape by visiting galleries, theaters, arts educational centers, concert halls and other venues that benefit from the cigarette tax. She recently spoke with Scene about the challenges…
The F Word
TOP PICK South Park: The Complete Thirteenth Season Uncensored (Comedy Central/Paramount) Kanye West, Somalian pirates and Glenn Beck are brilliantly skewered in South Park’s 13th season. All 14 episodes are gathered on the three DVDs included in this set, which includes deleted scenes for the first time. “Fishsticks” and “The F Word” are season highlights,…
Arts District: Gartner Auditorium Opening Night
Tickets for the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Gartner Auditorium Opening Nights Festival are free. They’ve built in some grassroots interest by booking local acts for what will surely be one of their most memorable gigs, but still it’s worth mentioning: All but two of the remaining events in the two-month series are sold out. You…
BIG DAIRY SMACKDOWN
Small-ag activists and organic watchdog groups found themselves in terra incognita recently: cheering the USDA for tightening the definitions of organic meat and dairy. On February 12, the agency published “Access to Pasture,” a “final rule and request for comments” regarding organic standards for livestock. It’s been called the most sweeping rewrite of federal organic…
CASTING A SPELL
Any old-time press agent worth his commission would know exactly how to tout Beck Center’s sherbet-hued, all-singing, all-dancing production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. We envision a banner, drawn in crayon, proclaiming the William Finn/Rachel Sheinkin musical the rambunctious love child of A Chorus Line and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.,/p>…
CD Review: METH, GHOST & RAE
The Wu-Tang Clan web can get so tangled it’s hard to distinguish the U-Gods from the Inspectah Decks. All you really need to know about Wu-Massacre is that the Wu’s three greatest living rappers — Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon — are the top-billed stars. Deck, Cappadonna and producer RZA also show up, essentially…
Stitches in Time
Culture 2.0 is a matter of virtual stitchery, interlocking ones with zeros. But on a cold day, it’s obvious that physical fabrics are still indispensable. In many ways thread continues to embroider the present, patching technical innovations into human history. Wall Eye Gallery fiber artists Linda Ayala and Stephanie Lipscomb assembled the show Undomesticated to…
CD Review: Barenaked Ladies
Ask any chef, and he will tell you the best way to adapt a recipe is to replace an ingredient, not delete it. But apparently no one passed on that word to Barenaked Ladies, who decided to continue as a quartet after founding co-frontman/songwriter Steven Page left last year. How does Page’s absence impact the…
Past Tense
Even though he’s terminally ill, Frankie (Richard Ray Whitman), a middle-aged Native American with a troubled past, checks out of the hospital one afternoon with his ex-wife Irene (Casey Camp-Horinek) and piles into her Volvo station wagon for a trip across Oklahoma to see his daughter and granddaughter before he dies. Though they’re not officially…
CD Review: Circus Devils
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Robert Pollard is that he has yet to be associated with an album that totally sucks. The new Circus Devils record, Mother Skinny, keeps the streak going. Pollard’s eighth outing with former Guided by Voices bassist Tim Tobias and his brother, producer extraordinaire Todd — marks a return to…
Life’s a Beach
The Last Song represents a collision between two of the more synthetic entities in American popular culture: Nicholas Sparks novels and Disney’s Hannah Montana franchise star Miley Cyrus. It’s hard to say which is worse: Sparks’ predictably sappy, emotionally manipulative writing or the flat, charmless pout that passes for Cyrus’ acting. Sparks’ sentimental formula is…
CD Review: Seasick Steve
Don’t dismiss Seasick Steve because of his stupid moniker. The sixtysomething American-born musician earned the nickname because he got seriously ill while taking a ferry from Norway to Denmark. But that’s a footnote on a résumé that includes busking on streets as a teenager, running a studio in Olympia, Washington, producing bands like Bikini Kill…
Come Together
Hal Walker has a pied-piper effect on people. Post-interview, outside the Hudson Panera, he pulls a “khaen” from his car trunk. It’s a long, bamboo-fashioned wind instrument from Northeast Thailand, grandmother of the harmonica. He plucks insect wax (which looks like dark, sticky resin) from the instrument’s silver reed and covers a few holes before…
CD Review: Usher
You can take the title of Usher Raymond’s sixth album a couple of ways. The 31-year-old R&B singer divorced his wife in November after a tumultuous two-year marriage. The hitmaker also fights two sides of himself on Raymond v Raymond: the carefree clubbing loverboy and the resentful divorced father. Fun Usher ultimately beats out Bitter…
VALENTINE’S DAY
It’s hard to imagine Electric Six’s manic frontman Dick Valentine doing anything other than stalking stages and inciting musical riots. But batteries that run that hot require constant recharging. Electric Six’s current tour comes on the heels of a two-month road break, and its resumption isn’t a moment too soon for Valentine. “You sit at…
CD Review: Gretchen Wilson
Country superstar Gretchen Wilson has attributed her success to being “genuine from the get-go.” Ain’t it the truth. Wilson may have left her hardscrabble trailer-park life behind, but you get the sense it’s never left her. The woman who proudly declared herself a “Redneck Woman” on her No. 1 debut rocks hard on I Got Your…
HOOLEY NOTED: PARTY IN KAMM’S CORNERS
Seven years ago, Fairview Hospital needed more electrical power. The only way to get it was to string high-tension wires down Lorain Boulevard to the power station at the corner of 150th and Lorain, something that didn’t go over well with city council members. Instead, local politicians proposed a street-scaping project that would allow for…
