Surreal Imagery Highlights Environmental Change
Nuclear Fusion II Picture a small lake nestled in a dresser drawer; a pair of nuclear power plant cooling towers inside a cereal bowl on a baby’s high chair. In Transmutations, John Nativio’s attention to detail brings these whimsical scenes to life and makes them seem completely normal. His paintings present a surreal view of…
Tragic Beauty is Cuban Artist’s Hallmark
George and the Dragon Amidst the incredible works that adorn the walls and fill the halls of Cleveland’s 78th Street Studios, one finds Augusto Bordelois. With all the chaos and hardship in the world, the Cuban artist says he is not interested in “painting picnics.” Bordelois’ paintings are characterized by voluptuous figures and a mixture…
Cleveland is One of the Safest Cities for Pedestrians
The mean streets of Cleveland aren’t so mean according to a new report from Transportation for America. “Dangerous by Design” catalogs and ranks pedestrian safety numbers from across the nation for the last decade, a report the group emphasizes is necessary because of the 47,000 pedestrians killed and 688,000 injured by cars since 2000. They…
Man Brings Marijuana to Jail, is Promptly Arrested
It’s only Tuesday, but we already have a winner for Dumbest Criminal of the Week. 22-year-old Terrance Barnes had a friend in the Summit County jail, and being a good friend, he didn’t flinch when asked to come to the facility to deposit money into the inmate’s account. That’s what buds are for, after all.…
The Past and Present of Zubaz
You or someone you love definitely owned a pair of Cleveland Browns Zubaz pants back in the day. And as you can tell by the picture, there are in fact still folks who rock the Zub’ in the Muni Lot to this day. The eye-catching, zebra-striped getups had a minor heyday back in the 80s…
Video: It Was Windy Yesterday
Want to see a manhole cover get blown around by yesterday’s fierce winds? Sure you do.
Robber Nabs $4.10
I’m rich, bitches. Without more details, it’s hard to give precise advice to the suspect in two Akron-area robberies last weekend, but a good place to start would be to focus on potential targets that would net him a five-spot, at the very least. Via Ohio.com: Pillitiere’s Restaurant on East Waterloo Road and Geppetto’s Pizza…
Pic of the Day: Funnel Cloud Over Cleveland
NewsNet5 has plenty of viewer pics of yesterday’s storm action across Northeast Ohio. This one, however, caught our eye.
Frank Russo’s Housemate’s Sister Fired
Frank Russo and Michael Calabrese, via the PD Cindy Bialowas, if you’ll remember, was one of the folks who got on the Cuyahoga County government payroll thanks to the ever-popular friends and family plan run by Frank Russo and Jimmy Dimora. Bialowas is the sister of Frank Russo’s housemate, Michael Calabrese. Russo made headlines when,…
The Quality of Cleveland Life Report
Your guide to thriving in fabulous Cleveland. GravyFest 2011: Jimmy Dimora’s trial delayed till January 2012, providing time for feds to answer one more pressing question: What does Jimmy Dimora look like after one last holiday eating binge as a free man? Preserving the Vision: Group Plan Commission finalizes recommendations for future use of downtown…
Bar Louie Describes Plans for Downtown Expansion into Metro Space
News of Metro Bar and Kitchen’s (1352 W. Sixth St.) sudden closure in the Warehouse District after a 10-year-run was a shock to almost everybody except the new tenant: Bar Louie. “The ownership of Metro decided they no longer wanted to be in the downtown Cleveland market,” explains Erika Buesing, senior director of marketing for…
Wind Project Proceeds to Be Split Between Cuyahoga, Other Counties
A five-turbine wind-energy project scheduled to start construction next year will be located five to seven miles off the coast of Cleveland, well within Cuyahoga County waters. Once the turbines start making sparks, the electricity will be routed through Bratenahl — also in Cuyahoga. It appears the only part of the project not tethered to…
John Kasich Pimps Screening of ‘Waiting for Superman’
During his occasional breaks from waterboarding Ohio’s cities and schools, Governor John Kasich enjoys speaking highly of education savior Michelle Rhee. She’s the former Washington, D.C. schools chancellor whose abrasive dealings with parents and teachers there led to the defeat of the mayor who supported her. Last week, Kasich and Rhee teamed up to present…
Buckle Up for the Next Two Weeks
Or, ya know, always. But it should especially be on your mind the next two weeks, as Ohio law enforcement agencies fan out and target drivers with a promise to make good on that whole “Click it or ticket” campaign. According to the AP: More than 900 law-enforcement agencies across Ohio will be aggressively ticketing…
Return of 50/50 Marks Biggest Show So Far
Despite a five-year hiatus, the 50/50 Show at 78th Street Studios’ Smartspace on Friday was a huge crowd pleaser and bigger than ever. The event, curated by Cleveland art-world fixture Martin Geramita, raffled 50 local artists’ pieces for $50 each. The artwork disappeared fast, with winners snatching most pieces off the walls within 15 minutes…
Cleveland is Moderately Healthy
According to the latest installment of the annual American Fitness Index rankings, Cleveland falls 25th out of 50 large cities in health. That means we run up stairs really, really fast, but we wheeze when we get to the top. It means our FUPAs are sizable, but they blend in with the rest of our…
20-Year-Old Snagged for Underage Drinking Day Before Big B-Day
Hey, turn that frown upside down. Now you’re legal! There’s bad luck, and then there are times when fate’s just being damn cruel. This is the latter scenario. Jesse Robinson was booked on May 21, 2011 for underage consumption. Yeah, we know what you’re thinking: stop the presses. But if you follow this link here…
John Kasich Makes an SB5 Joke
While we applaud Governor John Kasich for attempting to have a sense of humor, making an SB5 joke while signing a prescription abuse bill in front of members of Solace Surviving Our Losses, all who are holding pictures of deceased relatives they have lost to prescription drug abuse, might not be the best venue for…
ESPN Thinks the Indians are ‘Fading’
Mobile headlines from ESPN this morning: Exactly, ESPN. Best record in MLB, coming off a three-game sweep of the Reds, that’s definitely “fading.” The Tribe vs. Red Sox game is ESPN’s Monday night game of the week tonight. As @CavsWitness joked this morning: “Heard ESPN will refer to us as “New York” and “Yankees” as…
Jimmy Dimora’s Trial Could be Delayed, or Not (Updated)
Update II: Jimmy Dimora’s trial will not begin until January 4, 2012, U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi has ruled. Now Jimmy’s totally going to use the “too much holiday food” excuse to explain why he looks so fat on the witness stand, but no one’s going to buy it. (WOIO) Update: The wait continues. Via…
License Plate of the Day: Beer
We don’t always take pictures of vanity license plates, but when we do… (Spotted in University Circle on Saturday morning.)
Pic of the Day: Here’s What It Looks Like When a Dye Pack Explodes on a Robber
Dye packs are those little bundles of surprise that banks use to help thwart robbers. Slipped in with the cash, the devices can be set off to explode dye all over the money, making the loot unusable and easy to spot. What does it look like when one goes off? Here ya go: (Via Action…
Ohio City Named One of Ten Best Places in the World to Bar Hop
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Dublin, Ireland; Brooklyn, NY; Seville, Spain; Portland, Oregon; Aspen, Colorado; Austin, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana. And Ohio City? Sure, why not. USA Today’s travel section laid out a list of ten great places to bar hop in the world, and they rightfully recognized that Cleveland, OH, deserved to be on the…
Video: Fan Faceplants Trying to Grab Foul Ball
There were two stunning highlights from the Tribe’s loss against the White Sox last night. First, there’s this totally amazeballs play by Asdrubal Cabrera that had the Chicago fans showering ‘Drubs with applause. Second, there’s this fan, who went full-on extension, diving onto the field for a foul ball. Unfortunately, he missed the ball and…
American Greetings Headquarters Will Be in Westlake, According to Employees
American Greetings agreed to keep its headquarters in Ohio, but so far the company has been tight-lipped on where that location will be. The finalists were Brooklyn, Beachwood, Brecksville, Independence or Westlake. According to 19 Action News’ Scott Taylor on Twitter, employees have been told that Westlake, and specifically Crocker Park, will be their future…
John Kasich Asks Guy if His Girlfriend is His Mother
Scene: Ohio BMV office. John Kasich enters and offers to take a picture with a couple of folks. The guy and his girlfriend walk over. John Kasich asks, “Is this your mother?” Ouch. (Via Frank Lewis and James Renner on Facebook)
Atheists Will Take Care of Your Pets After the Rapture
The world will end Saturday at 6 p.m., or something like that. According to believers, it is the beginning of the Rapture, when all Christians will be whisked into Heaven, leaving only the heathens here on Earth. You know who else will be stuck here? Your pets. Which is why one group of atheists formed…
Shipwrecked!
After the marathon running time and overstuffed plots of 2007’s At World’s End, you might wonder what’s left to cram into the fourth movie of this swashbuckling franchise. How about mermaids, zombies, 3-D, and Penélope Cruz? The story this time has to do with the Fountain of Youth and all the different pirates, including Captain…
Cavs Tie Eastern Conference Finals Against the Bulls, According to Nashville Tennessean
From the Nashville Tennessean this morning: (Pic via @CharlieTony)
Video: “I Like to Wear Bright Socks and I’m an Avid Cleveland Browns Fan”
This sunny Thursday has turned into an interminably slow news day. No Bill Mason turf war, no Lorain frivolity, and to our knowledge, John Kasich has not said anything divisive and controversial in over 12 hours. So, to fill the time and space, here’s a compilation of awful 1980s video dating profiles from men who…
Bicycles Don’t Make Good Getaway Vehicles
We understand, gas is expensive these days. Nevertheless, if you’re planning a bank robbery, you might want to invest in a fill-up because it turns out, surprisingly, that bicycles don’t make good getaway vehicles. Via the Ashtabula Star Beacon: According to Ashtabula police, a man walked into First Merit Bank, 4200 Park Ave., and demanded…
Pic of the Day: Delaware Believes in Cleveland
(Via Sports Pickle)
Get Off Ohio’s Lawn, You Darned Kids
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, the office that runs the Ohio Statehouse, is like the old man down the street who peers at unruly youth through his blinds and emerges only to confiscate balls and holler at them to get the hell off his lawn. While the Statehouse may be for the people,…
Kyrie Irving Shot Down LeBron James; Cleveland’s Going to Love Him
It’s all but official that the Cavs will select Kyrie Irving with the number one pick in this year’s NBA draft. Cleveland should be excited about the Duke point guard for a lot of reasons, but chief among them, for now and until he laces up and gets on the floor, might be that he…
Pic of the Day: Chris Perez as Uncle Rico
After closing out last night’s 7-3 win over the Royals, Tribe pitcher Chris Perez turned and hurled the ball into the center-field fountains in frustration (he gave up one run, two walks, and a hit in the ninth). Of course, there’s always the possibility he wast just trying to throw the ball over them mountains.…
Video: Cavs Fans Celebrate Landing First Pick in NBA Draft
There’s a great video at this link of Cavs fans at the watch party last night at Cadillac Ranch celebrating and chanting, “Let’s go Cavs,” after Cleveland landed the number one pick in the NBA draft lottery, but the NBA is dumb and doesn’t allow their videos to be embedded, so you’ll have to click…
Dennis Kucinich Would Win Hypothetical Presidential Race Against Sarah Palin, Donald Trump
Breaking news: A new poll says that Dennis! Kucinich, who isn’t running for President (yet) would beat Sarah Palin, who isn’t running for President, and Donald Trump, who isn’t running for President, in a Presidential race. The numbers for these fictional races: Kucinich over Palin 43-36 and over Trump 40-36. Yes, this is just dumb…
Concert Review and Slideshow: Cake at the Masonic Auditorium
A sold out crowd graced Cleveland’s Masonic Auditorium for Cake last night — the venue is one of the oldest, best kept secrets in Cleveland. People of all age started lining up outside for the show more than an hour before the doors opened, and by 7 p.m. there was already a line stretched down…
Clyde’s Bistro is Gone, But New Bistro Takes its Place
On March 23, Clyde’s Bistro & Barroom (1975 Lee Rd.) in Cleveland Heights ceased to be, making it the last in a long line of shuttered restaurants to be housed in the Lee Road diner cars. The restaurant opened a year and a half ago. But the news is not as bad as it sounds.…
Film Capsules
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (PG-13) Super Size Me filmmaker Morgan Spurlock sets up his new movie’s premise right off the bat: He’ll fund a documentary about branding, marketing, and product placement in the entertainment world, and it will be financed by corporate sponsors. He’ll sell naming rights! He’ll only wear shoes or stay in…
Local Band in Focus
Meet the Band: Angelisa Crognale (vocals, guitars), Laura Ackerman (bass), Steph Burke (vocals, guitars), and Becky McMahon (drums) Grrrl Power: While certainly influenced by the ’90s riot grrrl scene, Cleveland’s Early Girl are as original as they are retro, infusing a mixed bag of influences into a fresh, cohesive sound. “We have definitely evolved,” says…
Into Indies?
Unlike the bigger and more glamorous Cleveland Inter-national Film Festival, the Ohio Independent Film Festival can’t boast of being a steppingstone in the career of promising young filmmakers. In fact, the closest it’s come to that kind of star-nudging is a past winner of its screenplay competition, a woman who ended up with a producer…
Soul Searchin’
A couple of years ago, during a two-week break from the indie rock band Expecting Rain, singer and guitarist Nick Tolar wrote the songs that ended up on Herzog’s debut last year. Search centered on a recent breakup. “It’s about a transitional phase,” says Tolar. “When you’re not sure what to do and you think…
The Job Machine
The plug in the dike comes on May 24. For years it seemed it wouldn’t come at all. In the wake of decades of population and employment erosion, next week marks the formal launch of the International Welcome Center on Public Square. It’s championed as a sort of recruiting department spawned by Global Cleveland, the…
Home Movies
The Hustler (Twentieth Century Fox) Pool ranks just a tad above golf on the sports-you-don’t-want-to-watch-a-movie-about list. But this 1961 classic manages the impossible, mixing terrific scenes of cue-and-ball action with a topnotch story. Paul Newman is at his best as Fast Eddie Felson, a pool-hall con man who gets in over his head after he…
On View This Week
Kokoon Arts Gallery’s Eternal Vibrations is an exhibition three generations in the making. Gallery owner William Scheele has assembled works by three artists — Ernie Horvath, Susan Squires, and Darren Waterston, born in the ’20s, ’40s, and ’60s, respectively — who draw upon mystic spiritual traditions for their inspiration. “Each fits with the other two…
CD Review: Moby
It’s been almost 20 years since electronica legend Moby released his self-titled debut. But his age (he’s 45) and experience work to his advantage on this, his 10th album. These days, the beats are less the focus and more of an accent. On the emotional opener “The Broken Places,” Moby creates a build-up of strings…
Back in Time
Daryl Hall and John Oates had the perfect recipe for chewy pop gold back in the day. The Philadelphia duo hit No. 1 five times between 1980 and 1984 with songs like “Kiss on My List,” “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” and “Out of Touch.” They not only ruled the radio waves;…
LeYawn
After a week of pulling for the formerly despised Boston Celtics to eliminate LeBron James and his Miami Heat from the NBA playoffs, Cleveland has now taken up for Carlos Boozer’s team, the Chicago Bulls, to do the same. It hardly matters that it’s the same Carlos Boozer who infamously backed out of a handshake…
Drink of the Week
For Melt’s Drink of the Month, management thought it would be fun to hold a contest among its bartenders to see who could create the new May gem. Liz Baca, a bartender at the Cleveland Heights location (13463 Cedar Rd.), took top honors with her Pomegranate Mint Julep ($8), a twist on the classic. “I…
Homicide & Hype
Seven Hills — the name fits. Close your eyes and ruminate on those two words and your mindscreen starts running with postcard shots of suburbia: picket fences, pie in the oven, wiffle ball in the street, and friendly, faultless neighbors, Ward Cleavers one and all. Reality doesn’t drift far from the word association. Seven Hills…
Two for the Road
There are three things you should know about local singer-songwriter Tom Evanchuck. First, you don’t find too many young artists caring much about where their music comes from. There are obvious elements of alt-country and traditional twang in Evanchuck’s music, but at the core of it he’s a folksinger. The Strongsville native, who now lives…
Love Letters
When we talk about catching lightning in a bottle, places like ABC the Tavern spring to mind. Here’s a joint that limped along in the shadows for decades until new ownership came along and renewed its lease on life. Within days of reopening, the former “old-man bar” with a funny name became the hottest perch…
Concert Calendar
DevilDriver What the pummeling metal band DevilDriver lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in energy and aggression. The California group recently released its fifth album, Beast. And with songs like “Talons Out (Teeth Sharpened)” and “Bring the Fight (To the Floor),” it’s clear they not only like parenthetical descriptors, but also vicious…
Free-Range Estrogen
Search hard enough and you’ll find a musical to fit every personality. History buffs have 1776, traditionalists have Show Boat, and boomers have Jersey Boys. But where’s the musical for grown-up gals who pause in mid-conversation to take a swipe-and-sniff test to check their own crotch odor, toss down tequila shooters in karaoke bars, and…
Get Out!
Thursday | 19 Diversity Dance Eclectic Circus Swings at Bounce It’s been one year since Zoe Renee Jackson launched the Eclectic Circus at Bounce Nightclub, with the goal of creating a monthly dance party where patrons can leave their labels at the door. “You can expect to share the dance floor with burlesque performers, go-go…
Stay In!
TOP PICK — CD Iggy Pop: Roadkill Rising: The Bootleg Collection 1977-2009 (Shout! Factory) This four-disc, 66-track set spans more than 30 years of Iggy Pop concerts, from takes on the Stooges’ “Raw Power” and “1969” (from a 1977 show) to later solo cuts. Most of it has never been released before. In addition to…
A Food Tour Through Progressive Field
If you’ve been putting off a trip to the ballpark because of the weather, don’t worry. A recent media food tour of Progressive Field proved that there is plenty to do during a rain delay as long as you bring an appetite — and, of course, a well-stocked wallet. A May 12 food tour lead…
Shining a Light
With unique offerings from some of the region’s finest chefs, the monthly Dinner in the Dark series has become a big hit with area foodies. Each six-course dinner raises money for a local charity. But the upcoming May 23 edition aims a little higher. “This event is special for a few reasons,” explains Dinner in…
CD Review: Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi
Talk about dedication: Producer Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi started this project five years ago, when they gathered many of the original musicians who worked on movies like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and recorded them in the Rome studios founded by Ennio Morricone. The result is an album that’s both…
CD Review: Kate Voegele
Bay Village singer-songwriter and One Tree Hill star Kate Voegele gets downright feisty on her third album, sounding more like Avril Lavigne than Jewel on the opening “Say You’re Mine.” She’s just as snappy on “Hundred Million Dollar Soul” and “Impatient Girl,” where she practically screams “You can’t just leave me out to dry” to…
On Stage This Week
A Comedy About Tragedy: Beckett’s Endgame closes arts series Irish playwright and Nobel laureate Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) may be best known forWaiting for Godot, but his personal fave among his works was Endgame, a sad and funny fable of the human condition. Opening Thursday, the play serves as a fitting finale for the Cleveland Museum…
We Get Mail
How Everything Went Bad The men who destroyed Cleveland sports and forced at least a 1 percent additional tax on the county: Tim Hagan, Mike White, and Fred Nance [“The Bad Hands Team,” April 27, 2011]. Commissioner Hagan, along with Mayor White, moved the Indians into their own ballpark, not taking into consideration that Art…
Furry Real
The Beaver is a movie studio’s worst nightmare. First off, you’ve got a troubled and batshit-crazy star whose various run-ins with the law and tabloids delayed the movie’s release. There’s also the premise: A mentally unstable man communicates through a beaver hand puppet as a twisted form of therapy. Then there’s that title, which is…
CD Review: Sarah Jarosz
It’s easy to draw comparisons between 19-year-old bluegrass prodigy Sarah Jarosz and Alison Krauss, who also released her first album when she was a teenager. But Jarosz isn’t a traditionalist like Krauss. She grew up on Radiohead and Bob Dylan, the authors of the only two songs Jarosz didn’t have a hand in writing on…
