Vigilantes in West Park Ready to Rumble on Saturday
“Let’s ban together as a community to protect what’s ours,” reads the ‘Protect Our City!!!’ event description on Facebook. It’s an event intended to mobilize West Park residents to prevent Tamir Rice protesters from demonstrating in the west side neighborhood Saturday afternoon. Some attendees say they’re merely gathering to keep the area safe. (All quoted…
Schedule Announced for Wingenstock 7
Way the heck back in 1970, Canal Corners Farm & Market owner Dave Wingenfeld began presenting rock concerts in his parents’ backyard. He called the shows Wingenstock. This summer, Wingenfeld is back to playing the role of local concert promoter with Wingenstock 7, a concert series he hosts in his Big, Red Barn. Three Cleveland…
Exhibit of Stiv Bators Photos to Open at Gallery 160
In 1976, Dave Treat lived in Lakewood on Giel Ave. His neighbor was Stiv Bators, singer in the punk band Frankenstein (that would become the Dead Boys). At that time, Treat was studying photography at Cooper School of Art. Bators asked him if he would shoot a promo photo for the band, so they went…
West End Tavern Suspends Server Who Used Slur
The owners of Lakewood’s West End Tavern have issued a press release saying that they’ve temporarily suspended the 23-year-old server who used an “inappropriate and degrading term” on a bar tab this weekend. Though the term was intended as a joke among friends, the server said, West End Tavern owners want to send a…
Today In Good Samaritan Layzie Bone Wyoming News…
We have no idea why Layzie Bone was driving across Wyoming on May 16 (sure, a show, probably), but his Facebook post that day suggests that wherever his travels were taking him, he had one overriding concern: helping people out. Dear Lord, thank you for your mercy, grace and forgiveness for 2nd chances. We just…
Local Indie Rockers Chomp Shuffle Lineup, Announce East Coast Tour
Medina-based indie rockers Chomp have announced they have a new lineup. In addition to founding singer-guitarist Joe Boyer, the band now includes bassist Jeff Latimer and drummer Scott Reid. The group has just announced its new 7-inch, the snotty, snarling single “The Rational Anthem,” will arrive on June 9 via Future Boy Recordings. The band…
Next Unique East Side Redevelopment Proposal: FISH FARM
The Plain Dealer’s Steve Litt reported Tuesday that Cleveland Heights entrepreneur J. Duncan Shorey intends to redevelop a vacant metal casting plant at E. 71st and Platt as a hip multi-use project that capitalizes on Cleveland’s “hot themes.” First and foremost (if not the hottest) among these many uses at the “Foundry Project”? A $4.5 million,…
Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell Lets the Songs Serve Themselves
Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell was a member of the Drive-by Truckers when they played in Cleveland several years ago and guitarist Mike Cooley took out his frustrations on the Beachland Tavern stage. He maintains he was just an innocent bystander. “That had nothing to do with me whatsoever,” laughs Isbell, who left the band and embarked…
Ricky Jackson is Suing the Officers Who Fabricated His Connection to a 1975 Murder
Six months after his release from a 39-year wrongful stint in prison, Ricky Jackson is filing a lawsuit against the city and the former Cleveland police officers who worked to get him and his friends convicted. Read Kyle Swenson’s original feature on the case and his follow-up feature from late last year. “It was the…
Has Your Company Announced ‘Preparations’ Ahead of the Brelo Verdict?
If you scan even the most surface-level social media commenting or television newscasts these days, you’re sure to run into all sorts of paranoia about rampant destruction that lies ahead. The city has been in APB mode, alerting residents across all wards that violence will not be tolerated — even as Cleveland’s protesters have undertaken…
Stop Making “Jokes” Like The One on This West End Tavern Receipt
A waitress at Lakewood’s West End Tavern thought she’d play a harmless joke on her friends by printing hate speech on their receipt Sunday afternoon. There it is to your right. “It wasn’t meant to be offensive,” the 23-year-old bartender told WEWS. “Nothing about it was meant to be malicious,” the tab’s recipients concurred. But…
Four Classical Music Events to Catch This Week
Young Pianists. By Tuesday evening, May 19, the field of 25 twelve to eighteen-year-old pianists who assembled at Baldwin Wallace last week from all corners of the globe to compete for cash prizes in the Cleveland International Piano Competition’s new Young Artists Competition will have been pared down to three finalists each in the Junior…
Pixies Dig into Back Catalog for Masonic Auditorium Concert
Prior to last night’s show before a capacity crowd at Masonic Auditorium, Pixies PR team sent us a note saying, “For this show, Pixies will pretty much be playing what they want when they want.” One look at the set lists from the current tour, and it’s apparent the band makes up a fresh list…
Is This a Windshield Smudge Or Did a Cleveland News Station Prove Ghosts Exist? Take Our Poll
Left: Casper the Friendly Ghost. Right: A picture WEWS posted while asking if it’s a ghost. Somebody sent WEWS a picture taken outside the now-defunct Randall Park Mall in North Randall, and the news station wants to know: “Is there a ghost floating around Randall Park Mall?” There was nothing there when the photographer took…
National Lawyer Guild Frustrated By City’s ‘Peacekeeper’ Regalia
Last week, city officials announced that trained peacekeeping leaders will be on the streets whenever the Brelo verdict or the results of the Tamir Rice investigation hit streets (i.e. when the likelihood of civil unrest spikes). Those pacifying forces will be signified by lime-green lanyards. The Ohio chapter of the National Lawyer Guild is concerned,…
Daily Peacemaker Meetings Revealed! (Hint: Neither Extraordinary Nor Covert)
Community members from Cleveland’s fourth police district gathered at the Zelma George Community Center Monday morning to discuss the city’s response to expected protests whenever the verdict is announced in the Michael Brelo trial. “Daily briefings” have taken place at neighborhood rec centers for several days, but Monday’s was the first to which media were…
Larchmere Neighborhood Welcomes Two New Restaurants
As soon as this weekend, Larchmere residents could be enjoying the flavors of Brazil at Batuqui (12706 Larchmere Blvd., 216-801-0227, batuquicleveland.com), a new Brazilian bistro concept from chef and owner Carla Flood and partner Gustavo Nogueira. The restaurant will be located in the attractive Victorian that has been home to Café Limbo, Vine & Bean,…
Dubsmash Now Has Classic Joe Tait Calls
On Friday, legendary Cleveland Cavaliers’ announcer Joe Tait turned 78. If you’d like to celebrate the occasion like a good digital citizen, download the Dubsmash app and wow your friends with silly renditions of Joe Tait calls. The app now has three “Classic Tait” clips avalable for dubbing. And here’s our profile of Joe Tait…
Medina County Auditor Says NEXUS Pipeline Will Reduce Property Values
We briefly mentioned the impending NEXUS pipeline in our recent feature on the fracking industry’s moves into Ohio. With a $1.5 billion price tag and a likely 2017 construction start date, there’s still plenty of news rolling in on that development. This week, echoing statements he’s made previously, Medina County Auditor Mike Kovack said officially that…
Pop-punk and Its Many Variations Represented at Spring Fling III
Spring Fling III rocked the Agora yesterday with a day jam-packed with artists on three separate stages. Bands played for over eight hours, and The Story So Far served as the headliner. With no other band playing on another stage during their time slot, they had a packed crowd watching their amazing performance in the…
Cavs Bench Finally Gets Credit in Big Game 6 Win, But Team Was Solid All Along
One of our favorite life lessons/sayings is that life is 85% showing up. It’s not about doing something extraordinary but rather doing the same thing reliably. This is truly a lot of what sports are about and why they go through so many practices in the season. Just like war, they’re drilled to shrug off…
First Stage Cancer Couldn’t Derail Rubblebucket Singer Kalmia Traver
While on tour in 2013, Rubblebucket singer Kalmia Traver was diagnosed with first stage, clear-cell ovarian cancer. For most people, that would signify it was time to take a break and try to recover. But Traver isn’t “most people.” She underwent and completed treatment while on tour. It’s been two years now since the tumor…
Restore Cold Pressed Juices to Open in Playhouse Square
Add Restore Cold Pressed to the growing roster of Cleveland juice and smoothie bars. The Playhouse Square shop (1001 Huron Rd) has announced an opening day of May 27. Run by Northeast Ohio boomerangers Adam Wright and Christie Pritt, the 1,500-square-foot shop is located in the American Institute of Architects building. The pair, who met…
Music Box to Launch Riverfront Concert Series
Since opening almost a year ago, Music Box Supper Club has brought plenty of great acts to town. Now, the newly rechristened restaurant, Rusty Anchor at the Music Box, will host a Summertime on the Riverfront concert series beginning on May 28th and continuing every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 3 p.m. until 7…
Community Relations’ Peacekeeper Meetings are for “Hand-Picked” Individuals Only. Media Not Welcome.
This morning, I was politely asked to leave what I expected to be public meeting at the Michael J. Zone Recreation Center. The meeting was intended, I gathered, to help train community ‘peacekeepers’ for protests next week in the event they turn violent after a verdict in the Michael Brelo trial is announced. “We will…
Documentary About the Who’s Early Days Offers Revealing Look at the Brit Band
Rock ’n’ roll documentaries are a dime a dozen so you have to give some credit to the new film Lambert & Stamp for taking a fresh approach to the subject matter. The film chronicles the early days of the Who by documenting the way in which their managers — Chris Stamp and the late…
9 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, MAY 15 Jeff Beck Guitar hero Jeff Beck has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum twice, once as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and once as a solo artist in 2009. Currently in the midst of recording a new studio album, he’s out on tour to…
Scene Podcast: Cavs, Cavs, Cavs With Craig Lyndall and Chris Parker
This week, the morning after the Cavs kicked the Bulls to the curb, host Craig Lyndall is joined by Scene Cavs beat writer Chris Parker. They talk about the Cavs romping with half a team, their defense and winning as a unit, Delly stepping up big, LeBron’s inability to pick it up and trusting the…
Jane’s Addiction Singer Looks Back at the Legacy of 1988’s ‘Nothing’s Shocking’
When Jane’s Addiction played at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in 2012, singer Perry Farrell stripped down to a tank top and cracked a joke about being “older.” But he certainly didn’t appear it. While not as buff as guitarist Dave Navarro, who performed shirtless for most of the set, Farrell still looked to be as…
The Loud in Cleveland Podcast with Sound Engineer Jim Stewart
Today, the guys from Loud in Cleveland take a moment to peer beyond the soundboard and chat with engineer Jim Stewart, whose portfolio spans the worlds of folk, indie, hip-hop and pop music. From hosts Mike and Drew: His impressive portfolio is filled with some of the biggest names in the local scene, including our…
$5-Million Knight Foundation Gift to Bring National Center for Choreography to Akron
Akron will be home to only the second center for choreography in the U.S., thanks to a $5-million gift from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and a partnership between the University of Akron and DANCECleveland. The center will bring unparalleled resources — space, people, experience — to the university, which is sure…
LeBron’s Tired Decisions: Are Stall Tactics an Outgrowth of Fatigue?
Even freights needs coal, and LeBron’s human — although his exploits suggest otherwise. One of the big issues for LeBron is the accumulated miles of 12 NBA seasons. While his 36.1 minutes/game this year is the lowest of his career, that’s as much necessity as boon. The Cavaliers’ meek depth has placed a great deal…
The Cleveland Museum of Art Announces Theme for This Year’s Parade the Circle
The 26th annual Parade the Circle is set to return to Wade Oval on June 13 with the usual assortment of “lively sounds and colors.” The event will feature “innovative costumes, giant puppets and handmade masks” created by international and national artists as well as Greater Cleveland artists, families, schools and community groups. This year’s…
Cousin of Slain Parma Teen Charged With Reckless Homicide
A 28-year-old Trumbull County man has been charged for the shooting death of his cousin, 15-year-old Parma resident Jesse Hayes. Thomas Catalde, Jr., of Leavittsburg, was charged by the Warren Township Police Department with reckless homicide. He shot him in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun on Saturday night and the child died in the…
Local Rockers Ohio Sky Release New Music Video
Local hard rock act Ohio Sky has just released a new music video for the track “Changing Earth,” a song from their new album The Big Distraction. The tune was illustrated by hand and animated by keyboard player Patrick Finegan and then edited by Yoshi Andrego from Turnstyle Films. According to the press release about…
Black Keys Talk About Northeast Ohio Roots in New Documentary
Rolling Stone magazine has just posted a new 12-minute documentary about the Black Keys, the Nashville-via-Akron duo that’s become one of the biggest rock bands in the country. In the video, singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney talk about the early days when they played the club circuit in Northeast Ohio. The two lived…
Cleveland Residents Ask Mayor to Be Angry as City Outlines New Public Safety Plan
Members of the city administration presided over Fairfax Community Center gym last night, reminding the community that “the city belongs to everyone” and that, no matter the headlines, police are here to protect the residents. The “headlines,” of course, refer to the trifecta of major decisions ahead of us: the verdict in the Michael Brelo…
Local Educational-promotional Venture New Ghosts Aims to ‘Seed the Community’ with Cutting Edge Music
It’s a Friday night at Mahall’s and the place is filled with the usual quotient of hipsters and young revelers. But if you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t know to go to the corner of the downstairs bar where there’s a paper sign with the name Josh Abrams Natural Information Society hand-written on it.…
RubberCity Clothing Has the Don Plusquellic T-Shirt You Never Knew You Needed
Only one way to properly honor a departing mayor for life who has recently fallen down a wormhole of paranoia, and that’s with a t-shirt. A very, very orange-face t-shirt. Details @RubberCity.
Edgewater LIVE Concert Series and Euclid Beach Concerts to Kick Off in June
Last year, the Cleveland Metroparks launched its extremely popular Edgewater LIVE Thursday night happy hour concert series. The event is set to start up again on June 11; the concerts take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. In addition to featuring a performance by a local band, the events feature yoga, stand up paddleboarding…
No Sleep in the CLE Podcast With Justin Markert and Comedian Jimmy Graham
In the second episode of the No Sleep in the CLE podcast this week (!) Justin Markert sits down with Jimmy Graham. Jimmy is a fascinating comedian who is a part of the Accidental Comedy Club collective run by Ramon Rivas. While he’d probably make fun of us for saying this, his comedy is almost…
Breaking Down Game 5’s Mistakes and Plaudits and Looking Ahead to Tonight’s Game 6 in Chicago
We wanted to see what it was that allowed the Bulls to stay in a game that featured long stretches where the Cavaliers badly outplayed them. Typical loss of focus was the culprit as well as some hot shooting by the Bulls. We take a look at what happened and try to break it down.…
This is What a Reigning Cy Young Champion Looks Like, Motha F#&@$as
Oh yeah, we have a reigning Cy Young Champion in Cleveland. His name is Corey Kluber, and if you weren’t one of the 12,000 fans at Progressive Field last night, Klubes fanned 18 in an historic one-hit performance. He’s been clean-shaven since Mother’s Day. The Tribe shut out the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 and…
Singer Elle King to Play Sonic Sessions Concert in June
Following the release of her debut album Love Stuff, which came out earlier this year, singer Elle King has been featured in national magazines and performed on TODAY and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She will make her Cleveland debut as headliner of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s upcoming Sonic Sessions concert…
LeBron Turns Back the Clock in the First Half and the Cavs Hold Off a Late Bulls Charge to Claim Game 5
Some believe in the power of mind, heart and intention to conjure a desired outcome. It’s not the type of thing that yields easily to scientific study but if ever there were a case study it was LeBron James last night. (And Kyrie Irving to a lesser extent.) The beauty of sports from Spartacus to…
Westlake Cops Break Up In-Car Argument Between Kendrick Perkins and His Wife
Though no one was taken into custody this morning — no one was even arrested or cited — Kendrick Perkins and his wife Vanity were fighting in their SUV before Westlake cops arrived on scene to settle the squabble. Neither Perkins nor his wife sustained injuries. They told police it was just a “verbal altercation.”…
Here’s the Cavs’ Christmas Day Uniform For Next Year
A bit of sartorial nerdiness here that the whole general audience might not care about, but Uni Watch gave an exclusive look at the special uniforms the NBA will use for next year’s Christmas Day affairs today. It should be pointed out that not every team plays on Christmas Day, and as UW notes, that…
A New (Dirty) Pop Vocal Concert Series Kicks Off at the Bop Stop
Did you ever wonder what local musical theater performers sing in the shower, when they’re not crooning ditties from West Side Story or Urinetown? Well, that question will begin to be answered on Sunday, May 24 when the Cleveland Stage Alliance produces “Dirty Pop: The Millennium Mixtape” at the Bop Stop. Co-produced by Eric Thomas…
Faces and Denominations Get Updated With An Artist’s Deft Touch
In the exhibit Funny Money, artist Josh Usmani riffs about the deep weirdness of our most crumpled, germ-laden means of exchange. Ramping up the potential for controversy at this show at Tregoning & Company Fine Art, which features Usmani’s re-working of other people’s — and other countries’ — cash, is the scent of danger. Anything that…
Band of the Week: Megan Zurkey
Meet the Band: Megan Zurkey (vocals, guitar), Ken Schopf (drums), Zach Catania (guitar), Don T. Day (bass) An eclectic upbringing: Zurkey started singing at the age of 3. Her dad was a choral director for Avon Lake high school and played the organ at Bay Methodist. “He always had the most amazing sound systems,” Zurkey says…
Santorini Gives Cleveland the Greek Restaurant It Needs
The poor waiter assigned to the task of igniting our saganaki — aka “flaming Greek cheese” — nearly dropped the platter out of fright when it erupted into a terrifying fireball just inches from his face. Needless to say, he neglected to bellow the all-important “Opa!” that has accompanied the classic dish since it was…
What’s Fresh At: LockKeepers
It’s the time of year when Alberto Leandri’s mind is fixated on the notoriously fleeting early spring harvest of ramps, whether pickled, grilled or perched atop a plate of cavatelli. As executive chef of LockKeepers (8001 Rockside Rd., 216-524-9404, lockkeepers.com), his featured dish pairs the pasta with a splash of olive oil and two cheeses.…
Film Review of the Week: Roar
The thing about Roar, a bizarre big-cat film from 1982 that screens at the Capitol Theatre at midnight Saturday, is that the horrific production notes are more entertaining than the film itself. Starring Noel Marshall and Hitchcock alum Tippi Hedren (husband and wife at the time), this story of a zoologist in Africa living on…
Savage Love: Fixated on a Feeling
Dear Dan, My wife is one of those women who need manual stimulation of her clit during sex to climax. Before meeting her, I had several long-term girlfriends, and not one needed to do this in order to climax. Before we got married, I explained that I wanted to explore and push the boundaries, and…
It’s Open Season on Progressives in ‘Fairfield,’ Now At the Cleveland Play House
As Jon Stewart knows, there’s no better way to puncture pomposity than through humor. Stewart’s well-researched jibes on The Daily Show continually reveal the hypocrisy behind many people in government and politics. Playwright Eric Coble is often just as piercing and insightful with the social commentary in Fairfield, now enjoying its world premiere at the…
Northeast Ohio’s 50 Most Frustrating Cold Cases
It’s been two years since Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight returned from the dead, catapulting Cleveland into the national spotlight once again, just as we were beginning to forget about Anthony Sowell and his house of a thousand corpses. The question became: Is there something wrong here? Is there something about Northeast Ohio…
