‘Shawshank Redemption’ Director and Cast Reunite for 25th Film Anniversary in Mansfield
Update: The director/screenwriter of The Shaswhank Redemption will now be on hand for this year’s 25th Anniversary festival in Mansfield, Ohio. Oscar nominee Frank Darabon is joining a list of talented actors from the film (so far still minus the main two) for the event’s panel discussions and more. *** (Original story 3/7/2019): Everyone’s favorite…
6 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, MARCH 15 Black Static Eye Release Show/Bar Trash/Vivora Two years ago, singer Tom Dark (the Dark, Knifedance, Stepsister, Dead Federation), drummer Jeff Pell (Idiot Humans, Shadow of Fear, Basket Case, Garten Kirkhof, Dutch Babies) joined forces with guitarist Mike “Shoobs” Schubert (Nimrods, Missile Toe, Dead Federation) and bassist Dave Olajos (Mexican Coke) to form…
‘Captive State’ is the Best Movie of the Year So Far
Captive State is the best movie of the year so far, and it’s not close. Starring Ashton Sanders (Moonlight), John Goodman and Vera Farmiga, this gripping, in-your-face sci-fi stunner is every bit as politically urgent as 1966’s The Battle of Algiers. It is a daring, pulsing, subversive story invigorated by a powerhouse cast. Earth has…
In Advance of Next Week’s Show at the Grog Shop, Tokyo Police Club Guitarist Talks About the Band’s Latest Album
Because band members live all over the place, the indie rock act Tokyo Police Club has had to record many of its albums piecemeal. For the past couple of records, singer-bassist David Monks would email bits of songs to the other members, who would flesh them out as best they could. “We relied on Dave…
The Cleveland Orchestra’s 102nd Season Lineup is Here, Offering Some Surprises
After recently announcing its summer Blossom Music Center schedule, the Cleveland Orchestra has just released its list of concerts planned for the 2019-2020 season at Severance Hall — and the numbers are stacked. The new season, its 102nd, includes 76 concerts with 15 conductors and 28 soloists over the course of 26 weeks. Performances include old…
Plain Dealer News Guild Wants to Launch Subscription Drive In Bid to Save Jobs
In another attempt to retain local union jobs in the face of expected layoffs, members of the PD News Guild have asked the Plain Dealer Publishing Company to collaborate with them on a subscription drive. In a letter sent Tuesday, to which the company has not yet officially responded, the Guild asked that for every…
Sammy Hagar to Headline This Year’s Rockin’ FORE the Kids
Now in its 16th year, the annual Rockin’ FORE the Kids concert provides support for the Akron Children’s Hospital Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. Organizers have just announced that Sammy Hagar will headline this year’s event, which takes place on Sunday, June 2, at MGM Northfield Park (Hard Rock Rocksino). Special…
Federal Appeals Court Rules Ohio’s Law Defunding Planned Parenthood is Constitutional
The GOP’s long battle against reproductive rights and women’s health was given a boost by a federal appeals court that ruled this week that Ohio’s move to defund Planned Parenthood is constitutional. The decision reverses an earlier decision by a federal judge who struck down the 2016 law, which was signed by then Governor John…
Norm Macdonald Brings a Standup Show to Cleveland This Fall
Comedian Norm Macdonald — of SNL, The Norm Show and the recent Norm Macdonald Has a Show on Netflix — is bringing his talents to Cleveland Sept. 21. The Canadian comic, known for his deadpan delivery and long meandering stories, only has a handful of standup shows planned throughout America this year, including a one-night…
‘Everything’s New’ at Flannery’s Pub Following a Top-to-Bottom Renovation
“Everything’s new,” says Doug Petkovic as he shows me around Flannery’s Pub (323 Prospect Ave., 216-781-7782), the iconic Irish bar that he purchased last summer. He’s not lying either: literally from top to bottom – or ceiling to flooring – the changes are extensive and conspicuous. There is new flooring throughout, from the wood floors…
Best of Cleveland 2019 Voting is Now Open
It’s the best time of year, and not just because spring awaits around the corner. It’s Best of Cleveland season, that wonderful spot in the calendar when we take a step back and recognize the very best that our city has to offer, from bars and restaurants to art galleries and shops and more. We…
Ohio Gives Green Light to First Medicinal Marijuana Processor, Clearing Way for Edibles and Creams
Ohio officials cleared the state’s first medicinal marijuana processor to start operating March 8, filling the last gap in the state’s medical cannabis program. Grow Ohio LLC received approval from the Ohio Department of Commerce to operate a 60,000-square-foot processing facility in Muskingum County outside of Zanesville. The final certification allows Grow Ohio to begin…
CityMusic Cleveland Does Five Concerts in Five Days and the Rest of the Classical Music You Should Catch This Week
Oberlin Opera Theater will launch its production of Francis Poulenc’s The Dialogues of the Carmelites this week, with performances in Hall Auditorium on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, March 13, 15, and 16 at 8:00 pm, and Sunday, March 17 at 2:00 pm. The opera is about a community of Carmelite nuns who perish in the…
Chinese Soybean Tariff Spells Trouble for Ohio Farmers
Nearly a year after the start of a dramatic trade war between the U.S. and China, high tariffs are preventing Ohio farmers from selling many of their soybean crops, costing farmers their largest export to China. “Just in our industry, that one commodity has cost farmers millions of dollars on lost income and revenue,” says…
Wild Mango Now Open at Legacy Village
Jia Wei opened his first restaurant, Weia Teia, in Oberlin back in 1997. He followed that successful venture up with Wild Mango, which he opened three years later at Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted. Now, he has opened a second Wild Mango, this one at Legacy Village. “I have long had my sights on Legacy…
Coast Guard Rescues Nearly 50 Ice Fishermen from Lake Erie Ice Floe
The U.S. Coast Guard and a handful of Lake Erie Island fire departments rescued 46 ice fishermen from a rogue ice floe near Catawaba Island this weekend. Roughly 100 others had managed to get to safety on their own, “either by swimming or walking on ice-bridges,” the Coast Guard reported. Just after 8 a.m. Saturday,…
The Revivalists Kick Off Summer Tour at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
The Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica 2019 concert announcements just keep coming. Today, Live Nation let loose that not only are the Revivalists coming to the essentially-outdoor venue come May 16, the show is also the kickoff for the rock band’s summer tour. Known for their 2016 feel-good jam “Wish I knew You,” which is currently…
Watch Mumford and Sons’ Cover of NIN’s ‘Hurt’ From Saturday Night’s Quicken Loans Arena Show
In an ode to one-time Northeast Ohioan Trent Reznor, Mumford and Sons dropped a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” by way of Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt” at the end of their sold-out show at Quicken Loans Arena Saturday night. Enjoy.
Triple Bill Featuring Nelly, TLC and Flo Rida Coming to Blossom in August
Earlier today, ’90s/early 2000s acts Nelly, TLC and Flo Rida announced the dates of a summer tour. The 21-city jaunt includes a stop at Blossom on Aug. 15. Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning at noon tomorrow. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Friday.
W. Kamau Bell to Speak at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
A sociopolitical comedian who’s the host of the CNN original series United Shades of America, W. Kamau Bell has received a number of accolades during the course of his career. Notably, in 2017, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. Bell will come to Cleveland later this month to perform his comedy routine…
Once Homeless and Addicted to Drugs, Local Rapper Yeti Spaghetti Will Release His Debut Album and Perform at Wilbert’s This Week
After he opened for Lil Kim and Junior Mafia back in the late ’90s at the now-shuttered Cotton Club, local rapper Yeti Spaghetti, who’ll release his debut album, Cleveland, this week, initially thought he’d pursue a career in music. He even cut a track with Skant Bone from Mo Thugs, but it was shelved and…
People are Mad about Cleveland’s $3.5 Billion Amazon HQ2 Bid for the Wrong Reasons
Thanks to a lawsuit filed by WEWS Channel 5 and investigative reporter Sarah Buduson, the city of Cleveland was compelled by the Ohio Court of Claims to release the full, unredacted bid for Amazon’s second headquarters late Friday. Much of the bid, which was completed in the fall of 2017 with input from dozens of…
Meghan George Announces Lakewood Mayoral Run
Lakewood Councilperson Meghan F. George has announced that she is running for mayor. Elected to Lakewood city council in 2017, George recently passed legislation requiring food truck operators to receive a permit to operate in the city and has been working on legislation requiring paid parental leave for city employees. George, a third-generation Lakewood resident,…
Fans Get Two Shows in One From Mumford and Sons at the Q
Fans were treated to two shows from Mumford and Sons last night at Quicken Loans Arena in a concert that highlighted the dissociative identity disorder that’s emerged on the band’s studio albums. See a full slideshow of photos here. All told, this was a fun, engaging rock show from a band that remains connected to…
Presidential Hopeful Kamala Harris to Keynote Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Annual Dinner
The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party has just announced that California Senator and “tough on truancy” 2020 presidential hopeful Kamala Harris will keynote the party’s annual dinner next month. The dinner, a swanky affair indeed, will be held on April 28 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. “2020 will be the most important presidential election in our…
Construction Could Begin This Summer on Smaller, Revamped nuCLEus Project
Though it will no longer be an iconic skyscraper on the scale of Terminal Tower that our great-grandchildren will rhapsodize about when they discuss, as they often will, the local skyline, a revamped, redesigned nuCLEus complex will still be “transformational,” developers say. Construction on the mixed-used project in downtown Cleveland could begin as early as this…
Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas to Perform at Hard Rock Live in May
Earlier today, Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park announced that singer-songwriter Rob Thomas will bring his tour in support of his new solo album Chip Tooth Smile to Hard Rock Live on May 31. Thomas made his solo debut in 2005 with …Something To Be and became the first male artist from a rock or pop…
Last Day for Ramen at Mason’s Creamery is March 24th
Whether you’ve yet to make your way over to Mason’s this winter for a bowl of ramen or you’ve been but need one more soul satisfying dosage, you should know the last day for ramen before Mason’s returns to its ice-cream only offerings will be Sunday, March 24th. Do plan accordingly. View this post on…
Zoss the Swiss Baker Will Close for Good at the End of March
After 23 years in business, Zoss the Swiss Baker will close for good on March 30. Owners Barbara and Kurt Zoss made the announcement, which was brief and to the point, on Facebook. “We will be closing our bakery on Saturday March 30. Thank you for being the best customers.” Zoss was a family affair,…
A Group of Youngstown Criminals Inspired the New Film ‘Finding Steve McQueen’
When director Mark Steven Johnson (Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Grumpy Old Men) began to read the script for what would become his latest film, Finding Steve McQueen, he initially thought the story couldn’t be real. Set in the 1970s, the narrative revolves around a group of criminals from Youngstown who travel all the way to the West…
Needle Exchanges More Than Double in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research examines the growth of syringe service programs in Ohio, and highlights the demand for continued support for them. Also known as needle exchanges, SSPs provide access to sterile needles, and safe disposal of used needles, to people who use injection drugs. Melissa Federman, Treuhaft chair for Health Planning at The…
Alaska Airlines Launches Direct Route from Seattle to Columbus, Might Take You to Cleveland Instead
Starting yesterday, Alaska Airlines is running a direct route from Seattle to Columbus, the airline’s first Ohio stop. Though, judging by their announcement, travelers should know they might end up in Cleveland instead. It’s our first destination in Ohio, and we’re ohhh so excited! pic.twitter.com/YgcCzde51y — Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) March 8, 2019 Geography, as always,…
7 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, MARCH 8 Maggie Rose/Gretchen E. Pleuss On tour to support her new album Change the Whole Thing, singer-songwriter Maggie Rose will bring a big band with her to town tonight to recreate the songs from the disc. She and the 13-piece crew that cut the record tracked the album entirely live in the studio…
Pinegrove Brought an Intimate Set and Heavily Charged Recent History to the Grog Shop
One of the great questions of this moment is what to do with problematic artists and entertainers. “Problematic” is a word you’ve probably heard and used in conversations about any number of hyena-actors, overwhelmingly white and male and often creatively boring, each accused of sexual harassment, abuse and varying degrees of public perversion. America is…
No, We Cannot Restructure Our Way Out of a Social Problem
Thursday morning’s opinion piece by Brent Larkin is well-intentioned and thoughtful. It’s also far too narrow, incomplete and socially uninformed. Larkin correctly identifies a core issue facing our region: the outer suburban areas, as a collective group, are doing better than the urban core. And, Cleveland and its inner-ring suburbs don’t see much benefit to…
Upcoming Roots of American Music Event to Address Issues of Immigration
Roots of American Music (ROAM), a non-profit organization whose mission is to “facilitate learning in diverse communities by providing customized arts programs, workshops, residencies and performances through use of traditional American music,” was created in 1999 to provide arts programming to the Northeast Ohio community using traditional American music as a way to connect students…
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown Announces He Will NOT Run for President
[image-1] Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown announced today that he will not seek the Democratic nomination for President in 2020. In a statement, Brown expressed gratitude to the workers and families that he and his wife Connie Schultz have met on their “Dignity of Work” tour over the past several months. But he said that the…
DeWine Delays Three More Executions Due to Judge’s Concern About Lethal Drugs
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced that three upcoming executions will now be delayed following a federal judge’s concern over the state’s three-drug protocol. He previously delayed the execution of Warren Henness for the same reason. The next three — Cleveland Jackson, Kareem Jackson, and Gregory Lott — will also be tabled for now as…
Someone’s Selling Slider’s Fur on eBay
In a tragic turn of events, a beloved Cleveland hero has been mutilated for profit. Slider, the pink and yellow, ambiguously avian Indians mascot apparently lost a chunk of his fur during spring training in Arizona, and an eBay user is now looking to sell it to the highest bidder. The tangled lock of tail…
After a Lengthy Hiatus, the Black Keys Return with a New Single
It’s been five long years since the Black Keys, the garage-blues duo that formed in Akron in 2001, released any new music. Earlier today, the group returned with “Lo/Hi,” a hard rocking new single that it recorded at singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Studio in Nashville. Since their last album together, Auerbach and drummer Patrick…
No One Told Us the Frank Jackson “Briefings” Would Be Videos With Such Tender Musical Accompaniment
As promised, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has released the first in what has been billed as a regular series of “briefings” to keep residents apprised of what’s going on at City Hall. But we had no idea these briefings would be in video form! Nor could we have anticipated that they’d be accompanied by such…
Armond Budish Pleads Innocence in Secretly-Taped Meeting with Employees
The Fox 8 I-team has obtained a secret recording that features County Executive Armond Budish talking to county employees in the wake of last month’s raid on his office. Fox 8 reported that Budish has been meeting with groups of county employees and that “a witness” recorded one of them. On this recording, Budish says…
Ohio Lawmakers Want to Reduce Governor’s Proposed Gas Tax Hike But Boost Public Transit Funding
The day after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine used his first State of the State Address to make an impassioned plea for a proposed 18-cent increase to the state’s gas tax, Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly signaled they’re looking to take another route. Should they get their way, DeWine’s tax boost would be cut almost…
Browns Rumors and Overreaction Season — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac talk a little spring training, a little Kyler Murray and a lot of about the silliness of Twitter spats and chasing wild rumors. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
Market District at Crocker Park to Open Today
After a five-month renovation, Market District is set to open at 9:30 this morning in the former Giant Eagle space at Crocker Park. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place at 10:30 a.m. In addition to the usual assortment of produce and food products, Market District will offer an in-store bar, a full-service…
Cello’s Grill Returns Former Brasa Grill Space in Warehouse District to its Brazilian Steakhouse Roots
After a five-year detour, the former Brasa Grill is back under original ownership. Marcelo Fadul opened the city’s first Brazilian steakhouse in 2004, introducing the dining public to the bottomless joys of churrasco, an all-you-can-eat parade of rotisserie-cooked meats served tableside by sword-bearing gauchos. Fadul recently purchased the Warehouse District business from the Mallorca restaurant…
Cleveland’s New Kennel Officially Opens to the Public Tomorrow
Now that City Dogs Cleveland has officially settled into its new home at 9203 Detroit Ave., the kennel is ready to celebrate. In honor of the new $7.3 million kennel, City Dogs is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event includes guided tours of the new facility, which are…
Mahall’s to Launch a New Monthly Improv Event on March 13
Produced by Sam Dee, the founder of Mass Hysteria, Cleveland’s “female-focused” comedy festival, Improv Death Match kicks off a new monthly residency at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood on March 13. In the competition, each troupe performs a 20-minute set based on an audience suggestion. One prevails as the evening’s winner. Each round is presented under…
Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr Talks About the Band’s Acoustic Tour That’s Coming to the Kent Stage on March 17
Produced by Brendan O’Brien (AC/DC, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young), Blackberry Smoke’s 2015 album Holding All the Roses shows off the band’s heavier side. On it, the Southern rock band often sounds like a cross between Tom Petty and Aerosmith. But for the current tour, the band has dialed things back. It’ll…
Cleveland Chamber Choir’s ‘March Choral Madness’ and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
Channelling Yo-Yo Ma? Cleveland Orchestra principal cello Mark Kosower will play “Bach for Humanity,” two concerts of unaccompanied cello music by Johann Sebastian Bach this week, including his own transcriptions of a Bach violin sonata and a partita. The first one (free admission, but seating passes required) is in Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute…
Ohio Immigrants Call for Permanent DACA Fix
CINCINNATI – March 5, 2018, was the deadline President Donald Trump gave Congress to develop permanent solutions for DACA recipients. The day passed, and a year later young immigrants still are unsure about their future. DACA, which stands for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allowed some 700,000 children of undocumented immigrants to receive protection…
Social Work Month: Protecting Those Who Protect Others
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Those who provide comfort and protection for Ohioans in crisis say they need more support in their efforts. March is National Professional Social Work Month, and in Ohio there are more than 27,000 social workers providing assistance in schools, hospitals, mental health facilities and social service agencies. Danielle Smith, executive director of…
The Urban/Rural Divide of the Opioid Crisis
COLUMBUS, Ohio – While the opioid crisis has touched Ohioans from all walks of life, some of the risk factors may not be random. In an attempt to better understand how the opioid epidemic has unfolded across the country, Syracuse University Associate Professor of Sociology Shannon Monnat examined the drug mortality rates of non-Hispanic whites.…
A Way Too Early Look at the Race to Succeed Mayor Frank Jackson
There are two prevailing opinions, depending on who you talk to, about what might happen in the race to succeed Frank Jackson as mayor. (Yes, 2021 is still a ways down the road, but as we soak in the last years of the zombie Jackson administration, it’s hard not to look ahead, if not simply…
Get Out: Everything You Should Be Doing in Cleveland This Week (March 6-12)
WED 03/06 music Chamber Music in the Galleries This monthly concert series at the Cleveland Museum of Art places young musicians from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University in the CMA galleries. Now in its seventh season, the series features “mixed programs of chamber music” for “a unique and intimate experience.”…
Blank Canvas’ ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ Weaves Whimsical Melancholy
Authorial intent can be a tricky subject. In some cases, a reinterpretation or creative decision can change the context of a performance or spark controversy. In others, it can broaden a particular work’s commentary and rejuvenate a production that has more than made the rounds on and off Broadway, with a Tony award and even…
In Liquid Sex Series, Nico Pico Train Lets the Bodies Do the Talking
People jump to conclusions the minute they hear the words “erotic art.” And, inevitably, any discussion of it turns into a debate about whether the work is pornography or fine art. This is especially true with photography. For many Americans, the struggle with the genre is cultural and existential. We don’t want to talk about…
Spanish-Language Drama ‘Everybody Knows’ Features Compelling Performances by Its Lead Actors
Iranian writer-director Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Salesman) seeks to exploit those tensions in his new Spanish language drama Todos lo saben (Everybody Knows). While it doesn’t break any new ground and it often comes across as a stereotypical “girl gone missing” flick, the film benefits from terrific performances courtesy of Javier Bardem and Penelope…
With a New Production Facility, Flour Pasta Company Will be Hitting More Cleveland Stores
With a name like Flour, it was clear from the start that Paul Minnillo’s contemporary Italian restaurant in Moreland Hills would give pasta the respect it deserved. Since this popular eastside bistro opened its doors eight years ago, diners have come to discover and expect the plush joys of freshly made pasta in dishes such…
Band of the Week: The Tie Downs
MEET THE BAND: Brian Hager (vocals, guitar), Dennis Downey (guitar), Matt Angelone (bass), Albert Rager (drums, vocals) GOING IN A DIFFERENT MUSICAL DIRECTION: Two years ago, Hager started to feel like he wasn’t being “artistic enough” with the Chromes, a local hard-rock act he fronted. He wanted to go in a different musical direction, so…
Savage Love: Loaded Question
Let’s say my kink is edging and I edge myself for a few days leading up to a date. Is it my responsibility to tell my potential partner? There are a few variables here that are important to note. This is a first/Tinder date, and it’s just a coffee date, BUT she and I have…
