Western Zen
In the hypnotic western Meek’s Cutoff, three families follow the advice of Wild West wrangler Meek (Bruce Greenwood) and splits from a wagon train on a shortcut west. They’re already lost when the movie begins, walking through arid stretches of Oregon looking for water. But Meek’s Cutoff is less western than road movie, and less…
Cleveland Will Not Be Breaking World Record for Canoes and Kayaks, Sorry
It’s your fault Cleveland won’t look like this. Put that canoe back in the garage. The Cleveland Metroparks Canoe & Kayak Challenge, scheduled for May 21 at Hinckley Lake, has been canceled. Cleveland Metroparks was trying to retake the Guinness World Record for the Largest Raft of Free Floating Canoes and Kayaks. It held the…
Cuyahoga Falls Councilman is Not Anti-Bird
The last time we visited lovely Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, it was to share with everyone Mayor Don Robart’s fears of goth kids and piercings. We return today for a proclamation from a Cuyahoga Falls councilman that he is not “anti-bird.” That’s a strange sentiment to have to express, but after wild debate over a proposed…
Is Dennis Kucinich Pulling a Chicken-Little Routine?
With congressional elections a year and a half away, things are already heating up in Ohio’s 10th district, which encompasses the western half of Cuyahoga County. The district’s current congressman, Dennis Kucinich, has been sounding an alarm for months about Republican-controlled redistricting, claiming he’s in their crosshairs and that they’re going to eliminate his district…
Ohio Tea Partiers “Sick” of Boehner’s “Tears”
“This look I call, ‘Courage Under Fire.’ Newt tells me its a killer.” Speaker of the House John Boehner —- He-Of-The-Patriotic-Tear-Ducts —- was once a big hero among everybody’s favorite irate slice of the electorate, the Tea Party. Thanks to their TV-ready sideshow of bombastic Ayn Randyism, pseudo-grassroots and excuse-me-I’ve-actually-read-the-Constitution claims, the group was one…
‘Relaxation’ Brownies Available at a Store Near You
In the latest installment of anti-nutrition news, say hello to the latest evidence that Jamie Oliver is never going to fix the American diet. They’re called Lazy Cakes, a new treat billed by their manufacturer as “The Official Relaxation Brownie.” And yes, they’re lurking in a convenience store near you. How do they help one…
Daniel Lee Bedford, Cincinnati Killer, To Be Executed
Bedford The state of Ohio is prepping for another execution today. This time, the state will put the needle to convicted killer Daniel Lee Bedford. The execution is scheduled for sometime this morning. Bedford will be the fourth Death Row inmate executed in 2011. Right now, at the current clip, the state is on track…
Video: Science Says Cavs Get First Pick in NBA Draft Lottery
The Cavs are hoping the ping pong balls bounce the right way in tonight’s NBA draft lottery and land them the first pick. Will that happen? The Basketball Jones conducted an experiment, and science says yes. TBJ Video: ‘Cavs win No. 1 pick,’ predicts man in shower from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.
Your Guide to Taco Tuesday in Cleveland
Janine Bentivegna If you’re not following @CLEtacos on Twitter, you should be. As the name implies, the taco-lovin’ belly behind the account searches out and passes along the best taco deals in Cleveland. Useful, no? They’ve displayed such expertise and passion in their extensive coverage that we asked them to break down their favorite Taco…
Workers Suffer as Standoff Between John Kasich and Casinos Continues
The future of Cleveland’s gambling industry got a little murky recently when Dan Gilbert’s Rock Gaming announced its plan to temporarily jam the brakes on construction of the future casino in the Higbee Building. The problem? Uncertainty from Governor John Kasich about what kind of taxes the state might be able to hammer the nascent…
The Quality of Cleveland Life Report
Your guide to thriving in fabulous Cleveland. The Pirate of Marblehead: Patrick Coyne charged with using $15K in bribes to buy a condo from Smuggler’s Bay Pointe realty. Feds aided by the words Smuggled cash spent at Smuggler’s Pointe! I slay me! scrawled on check’s memo line. The Law Wins: TV anchor Leon Bibb reveals…
Mustard Fails to Foil Hopkins K9
Now we know: Slathering a heady Dijon or pungent American yellow on bags of illegal drugs you want to air mail to the other side of the country doesn’t work. Perhaps there is some other substance that can avert the highly calibrated sniffers of K9s working the airport, but mustard will not. And people! Please!…
Man Arrested for Masturbating in Front of Kids
No one wants to see an old man masturbating in his driveway, so here are two cute cats in a sink. It’s a cold and rainy Monday, so maybe this advice is unnecessary today (shrinkage and everything), but in advance of some nice weather this weekend, we’d like to remind you that it’s highly illegal…
Cleveland Marathon Medals Misprinted With Wrong Year
This isn’t a huge deal, but the medals given out to runners who completed the soggy, cold Cleveland Marathon on Sunday have the incorrect year on the lanyard: 2010. The medal itself says 2011, so the organizers got that part right. But over 19,000 lanyards are attached to those medals with the wrong year? As…
The Indians Knew They’d Be Good and That You Wouldn’t Come See Them Anyway
The Indians’ poor attendance in recent years, and especially during the hot start to this season, has been a hot topic despite being a boring subject. Debating the root causes of the drop-off is as tiring as it is pointless. Rooting out the origins isn’t like identifying a redeemable quality in Larry Dolan (read: rocket…
Women Rock Public Hall
This year’s edition of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum’s annual gala fundraiser, It’s Only Rock and Roll, offered the strongest, most cohesive lineup of performers yet, along with the usual food, drink, auction prizes and schmoozing. While it’s always a fun party, the entertainment has usually been a grab bag of…
Mayor Jackson to Discuss City Layoffs
Update: Fox 8 reporter Todd Meany tweeted: “321 layoffs in city of cleveland. 123 in police. 51 firefighters. Public works 79. Other positions will be unfilled for total of 466 jobs.” (Yes, that math doesn’t quite add up, but it gives a general breakdown. Accurate totals hopefully coming soon.) *** The unfortunate news is due…
Rock Hall Inductions Return to Cleveland in 2012
Saturday night at the Rock Hall’s annual “It’s Only Rock and Roll” fundraiser at Public Hall, Rock Hall CEO Terry Stewart announced that the annual induction ceremony will return to Cleveland next year. It will take place April 14, 2012, at Public Hall. When the ceremony was held in Cleveland in 2009, the Rock Hall…
Akron a Top Ten Worst City for Renters
Northeast Ohio has held down top spots on an array of depressing lists in the past few years. No one seems to care that we have a #happyinCle hashtag, a veritable bounty of gourmet hot dog options, or a moderately sized skyscraper that is lit in different colors every once in awhile. No, everyone seems…
Mom Hits Daughter With Car
When dealing with unruly children who need to be taught a lesson, parents are presented a range of disciplinary options. If spanking is one end of the spectrum and “I’ll talk to you like an adult” is on the other, we’re not entirely sure where “driving your car at your child so you can reach…
Video: Teen Girls Brawl in Bedford
19 Action News reports that three girls were charged with disorderly conduct after a video showing a brutal fight at Taft Park in Bedford was posted online. WorldStarHipHop, which published the clip, shows the video was viewed 367,560 times. The violent beatdowns — it gets pretty graphic, just a warning — happened on May 11…
Anthony Bourdain Coming to Cleveland
Author, TV host, and world-traveler Anthony Bourdain will stop by PlayhouseSquare November 4 for a live show. His Travel Channel show, “No Reservations,” is a cult-like, must-watch, much-celebrated affair; his best-selling books, both Kitchen Confidential, and Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and People Who Cook, are engrossing, and enlightening, and…
Pic of the Day: The Magic is Back at Jacobs Field
This pic was tweeted out by @tribetalk Friday night during the postgame fireworks after Travis Hafner’s 9th-inning, walk-off homer. Can you dream up a more perfect snapshot? The rally caps. The fireworks. The scoreboard. Nostalgia, hope, innocence, magic — it’s all there. The line from the headline was uttered by Tom Hamilton on the WTAM…
Mugshot of the Day: That’s a Helluva Face Tattoo
Via Hard Time Press on Facebook: Mr. Kurt Rotcavich, charged in Cuyahoga County for receiving stolen property, theft, and forgery.
Cleveland’s Soulless to U.K. Band Named Soulless: No F’in Way
Yeah, we’re putting our money on these guys. Cleveland metal band Soulless issued a cease-and-desist order against another band called the Soulless (note the “the”) based in the U.K. According to Blabbermouth, Cleveland’s Soulless issued the order on Tuesday, after repeatedly telling the U.K. band and their record company that they couldn’t release a record…
Man Arrested After Blocking Sewer With Carpet, Threatening Neighbor
This week’s rainstorms have been stressful for everyone. From delayed commutes to watery walks, from the dreary atmosphere to flooded basements, a bounty of precipitation has precipitated headaches across Northeast Ohio. Flooded basements, above all, are the most costly and inconvenient of the showers’ side effects. But despite the stress, lost time, and lost dollars,…
Frank Russo to Avoid Jail Until Testifying Against Jimmy Dimora, Probably (Updated)
Update: Via the PD: “A federal judge now says Frank Russo does not have to report to prison until June 30, and that the date could be extended again.” *** It looks like Frank Russo’s cooperation with the Feds in the ongoing Cuyahoga County corruption parade will give the former Auditor more time as a…
Peyton Hillis Wants Madden to Make His Biceps Bigger, and More Facts About the Albino Rhino
Cleveland Browns running back, wild boar hunter, and Madden cover boy Peyton Hillis talked with ESPN during a photo shoot in Times Square for the video game. Hillis divulged a plethora of interesting nuggets about his life, his guns, his hurdling, and more. On his character in last year’s version of Madden: Peyton Hillis: To…
John Demjanjuk Convicted for Role in Nazi Camp
John Demjanjuk was convicted in a German court of working as a guard at a Nazi death camp and ushering thousands of Jews to their deaths. The retired autoworker was found guilty on 28,060 counts and sentenced to five years in prison. He has been released pending appeal. The long, sad, convoluted tale of Demjanjuk…
Video: Car Runs Into Crowd at McDonald’s Hiring Day in Cleveland (Updated)
Update III: More bizarre updates to the bizarre story. Cedrica Johnson, the passenger in the car that hit a bunch of people at McDonald’s on hiring day, skipped her court date today. A warrant has been issued for her arrest. McMoron. (WOIO) Update II: Stacey Matthews pleaded not guilty Monday to three felony counts of…
Patrick Coyne Still Works for Prosecutor’s Office, According to Prosecutor’s Office Sign
Patrick Coyne hasn’t been the director of human resources at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office since 2007. The former at-large Strongsville City Council member has held a laundry list of posh government jobs, leading Scene’s own Kyle Swenson, who snapped the pic below, to dub him the Kenny Lofton of Cuyahoga County politics. Coyne also…
Pic of the Day: Thomas Edison’s Workshop
The Atlantic put together a slideshow with pics from the Library of Congress of Thomas Edison’s workshop in Essex, NJ. Edison, of course, was born in Ohio. Take a few minutes to click through the slides and enjoy a look inside one of the nine buildings on the Edison campus where the inventor worked.
Dennis Kucinich Might Run in Maine Now
Dennis! Kucinich is just toying with the public at this point, fanning the flames of the rumor mill because no one loves a spotlight quite like Dennis! The past week has seen speculation that Dennis! might take his tall, beautiful wife and pocket-sized copy of the Constitution to Washington state to run for Congress if,…
Thieves Swipe Pizza, Not Cash, From Delivery Driver
We’re not schooled or experienced in the ways of the common thief, but it would seem to us that if you took the time, effort, and risk to don ski-masks and jack pizza from a delivery man, you might as well take his cash while you’re at it. Seems like one of those killing two…
Vintage Video: Len Barker’s Perfect Game
30 years ago this weekend, Len Barker threw a perfect game at Municipal Stadium in front of either 95,092 fans, if you believe everyone who claimed to be there, or somewhere around 5,000. (7,290 was the paid attendance, but it was a rainy, cold night, so take that number for what you will.) NewsNet5 dug…
LeBron Apologizes to Cleveland After Beating Celtics
The airwaves are filled with debate this morning about LeBron’s apology to Cleveland after the Miami Heat dispatched the Celtics last night to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Mike and Mike covered it, as did local sports talk WKNR, and of course, the Twitterverse is brimming with opinion. “I couldn’t do it by…
Wedding Bell Booze
Even though Bridesmaids tries too hard by piling on the vulgarity to prove it’s not your grandma’s chick flick, this Judd Apatow-produced comedy still has more laughs than many recent movies. Much credit goes to cowriter and star Kristen Wiig, who plays bride-to-be Maya Rudolph’s aggrieved BFF and maid of honor. After being usurped by…
House to Vote On Guns In Bars Today
“You start with the one on the outside, stupid.” Update: House Bill 45 has passed 56-40, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Locked and loaded. *** We just got airmail delivery that the Ohio House of Representatives is getting ready to pull the trigger on a vote for a controversial piece of legislation Scene readers might…
Michigan Grads Walk Out on Ohio Senator Rob Portman’s Speech in Protest of Anti-Gay Rights Voting Record
That flag in the back is just for his America, not yours. Back when it was announced that Senator Rob Portman, a Michigan law alum, would be giving the speech at this year’s graduation, there was plenty of outcry and concern over Portman’s decidedly long and fervent anti-gay rights voting record. One graduate organized a…
Kid Kicked Off School Bus for Farting
Farts are funny. George Carlin said that, and he was right. Farts are seriously funny to teenage boys. The bowels of the gastrointestinal system, both in sight and sound, provide endless entertainment at that age, and well beyond. It’s natural, after all. Everyone poops. Everyone farts. Which is why the idea of punishing a 13-year-old…
Robert “Tractor” Traylor Dead at 34
RIP Robert “Tractor” Traylor. He was found dead of an apparent heart attack in his apartment in Puerto Rico. He was 34.
Ohio’s Big Cities Are More Dangerous Than Mexican Border Towns
Live in Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, or Youngstown? Kudos to you, brave soul, because statistics show those cities are more dangerous than towns on the U.S. Mexican border, locations fraught with — we’re guessing here — gangs, smuggling, drugs, and tequila-induced streaks of violence. That startling fact emerged after U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso…
Man Arrested for Running Naked on Beach
Walnut Beach is not a nude beach. That is a relevant fact. Also, there are no nude beaches in Northeast Ohio. That is also pertinent to this story. The free-wheeling and free-balling spirit of Europe hasn’t yet arrived on the shores of Lake Erie.According to the Ashtabula Star Beacon, 40-year-old Donald McCune drew the attention…
‘Get Motivated’ Seminar Causes Traffic Jams, Irks Downtown Workers
Today’s shady “Get Motivated” seminar at Quicken Loans Arena has drawn the ire of those who work downtown every day. It seems Cleveland’s usually calm rush hour can’t handle an extra 20,000 motivation-wanting souls clogging downtown streets as they arrive late to hear Bill Cosby and others tell them how to get their lives together.…
Ladies in the House
The name of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s new exhibit may sound like a headline from 1995, but Women Who Rock’s intention and scope aren’t so narrow. The Rock Hall’s first major exhibit in two years (the previous one, From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce…
We Get Mail
Guns Keep the Peace As with every other article that has been published about concealed carry in the state of Ohio, you are only publishing half truths [“Pass the Guns & Ammo,” April 27, 2011]. It seems that every anti-gun journalist makes their readers fear the worst and portrays a scene from the old west.…
At the Arthouse
The Great Dictator The Cinematheque unpacked a bunch of Charlie Chaplin’s old silent movies in April. This month it’s showing his sound films, some of the funniest and most biting comedies of the 20th century. On tap this weekend is a new 35mm print of one of his all-time greats, a 1940 satire about an…
CD Review: Christina Perri
Christina Perri scored a hit last year with “Jar of Hearts,” about walking away from a shitty relationship. The 24-year-old divorcée from Philadelphia knows the subject well. Her debut album is filled with a dozen breakup songs that barely hide the conflict behind her decisions. Backed by plaintive piano and pop-rock melodies that aren’t in…
CD Review: Okkervil River
Okkervil River’s Will Sheff has a reputation for doing things big. His songs often sound like grand theatrical productions staged by Brian Wilson … if Brian Wilson were a hyper-literate indie rocker with a slight Dylan complex. For parts of the Austin band’s sixth album, Sheff rounded up more than a dozen musicians and hit…
Film Capsules
Everything Must Go (R) Writer-director Dan Rush takes a seven-page story by Raymond Carver and creates a lovely, mournful movie about an alcoholic on a downward spiral. The story serves as a skeleton upon which Rush drapes a thoughtfully written, fully realized drama. Will Ferrell demonstrates his capability for dramatic acting as Nick, a salesman…
On View This Week
Opening This Week: May Members’ Show The premise of the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve’s annual May Members’ Show is simple: Each of its 45 inducted artists is invited to display two pieces for exhibition and sale, with proceeds going to support the local arts community. It is entirely the artists’ choice which of…
Shoot on Sight
You probably wouldn’t notice the old guy with the camera. Clad in nondescript slacks, a button-down shirt and sweater, a blue smock, and a flat cap, with a camera around his neck, he stands on a Manhattan corner watching people, his back to the street. Occasionally the camera rushes to his face and he takes a…
Get Out!
Thursday | 12 Psychic Friends Spirit Night at Coventry Library Carolyn Molnar knew she had a gift at an early age, from the day she felt invisible hands relieving her of a head cold. Since then, the Toronto resident has gone on to craft a career as a medium and psychic. (Those are two different…
CD Review: Drumbeat
(drumplay.com) This jazzy jam band has featured a rotating membership for almost 20 years. The only constant is James Onysko, who’s led the group through some decidedly fringe music over the past couple of decades. “Limbo Jimbo,” the opening track on their latest album, recalls Ornette Coleman’s noisy free-jazz period. So does “Kaki Lambe Flambe,”…
Concert Calendar
Usher Most kids these days know Usher because of his Justin Bieber connection. But don’t let that overshadow his real talent. He’s been making records since he was 16 — the same age as that boy with the haircut he helped discover. Usher has been dancing circles around his peers since 1997, when his second…
Home Movies
Blue Valentine (Anchor Bay/Weinstein) Anyone who’s had a long-term relationship fall apart around them will find something painfully real and beautiful about this love story starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, both at their very best. As Dean and Cindy scramble to save what little is left of their marriage, their history plays out —…
Open Season
“Right there.” Dentist Heinz Mikota points a finger out the front window of his second-floor apartment overlooking Literary Avenue in Tremont, through the scrolls of the black metal grill he crafted himself. He’s recalling a night several years ago when he heard a commotion outside. He looked out that window to spot a young woman…
Have Your Cake
The last time Cake made an album, in 2004, it seemed like one final reach to recapture their mid-’90s spirit and success. But the alt-rock smartasses didn’t really sound into it, and the record, Pressure Chief, quickly sank from charts and memory banks. So when the Sacramento quintet got around to making its sixth album,…
Stay In!
TOP PICK – VIDEO GAME Portal 2 (Valve/EA) The original Portal – part of the awesome Orange Box – was mind-bending, revolutionary, and quite maddening if you didn’t know what the fuck you were doing. This sequel (for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC) is all of those things … and more. The story’s…
Indian Fever
As born-and-bred Americans, we always expect to fit in. Even in other countries, we assume that enough people will understand us that we can find what we want and get what we need. The same isn’t true for foreign nationals coming to the U.S. That point is driven home with a substantial amount of hilarity…
Bites: A Second Flip Side Location
Michael Schwartz, designer and partner in the Hudson-based Flip Side burger restaurant (49 Village Way, 330-655-3547), has disclosed that he and partners Shawn and Tiffany Monday will open a second Flip Side in Cleveland. Schwartz says he has reached an agreement with Randy Ruttenberg of Fairmount Properties to open a Flip Side in the Flats…
On Stage This Week
Girls Night: The Musical Boys Not Included Maybe estrogen-laced shows like Girls Night: The Musical are just natural extensions of the hard-wired differences between guys and dolls. Whatever the underlying causes, the audiences for this singing-and-dancing celebration of womanhood — described in love-it-or-hate-it terms as a blend of Desperate Housewives, Sex and the City, and…
Meat Master
It used to be that celebrity chefs endeavored to distance themselves from plebeian grub like hamburgers. After all, where’s the challenge in frying up a ball of ground beef? As any food watcher will tell you, those days are long gone. Nowadays, you can’t seem to find a high-powered chef or restaurateur who hasn’t hopped…
Botched Snap
Cuyahoga County Council President C. Ellen Connally has a workplace problem: an apparent issue with authority figures. If she worked in the corporate world, such a tiff would be addressed by a soft-spoken person from human resources, who would administer a multiple-choice test to better understand her disagreeable nature. HR would be more politically correct…
CD Review: The Cars
On their first album in 24 years, the reunited Cars (no, the New Cars project from 2006, featuring two members and Todd Rundgren, doesn’t count) pick up where they left off. Their last album together, Door to Door, was icy, hooky, artsy, and vaguely new wave. That pretty much sums up Move Like This. Even…
Drink of the Week
Matthew Stipe will confess he was a little nervous at facing his first bartending competition. Held in Columbus, the challenge gathered some of Ohio’s best bar jockeys to mix up original cocktails utilizing Don Q rums. What Stipe didn’t anticipate was the level of scrutiny he would receive while crafting his entries. “It was timed,…
Local Band in Focus
Meet the Band: Paul Conaway (vocals), Brad Stutzman (guitars), Michael Loede (drums), and Scott Alberts (bass) Grinding Away: Mechanics of Things first got together in the summer of 2007, when Conaway hooked up with Alberts for an acoustic project. They picked up Stutzman and Loede along the way, turning into a decidedly harder group. “We…
No Place Like Home
No Place Like Home Baby Dee opens her doors for an unusual house party By Jeff NieselTransgender singer-songwriter Baby Dee didn’t always have a good relationship with her hometown. “When I was a kid, Cleveland was not cool enough for me,” she recalls. After living in New York for years, Dee returned to take care…
