6-13: UH’s Five Star Sensation benefit
There are few better events than Five Star Sensation, a benefit for the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center. The biennial event, headlined by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, assembles 35 great chefs and 40 world-class wineries for a matchless night of eating and drinking. In addition to Puck, participating chefs include Gordon…
6-5: “Not Your Mother’s Refrigerator” at Wunderkind Gallery
Rachel Hunt, a senior at Strongsville High School, has classmates whose senior projects involve more typically career-oriented experiences, but she’s chosen instead to intern with Wunderkind Gallery in North Collinwood. She met gallery owner Jerry Schmidt through a photographer friend who exhibited work there, and he encouraged her to create a show of kid art,…
6-3: Pete Yorn at HOB
Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn’s breakthrough tune, “Strange Condition,” encapsulated the whole adult-alternative thing back when it was released in 2001. Since then, he’s laid kinda low. His new album, Back and Fourth (which comes out next month), shows promise. The first single, “Shotgun,” is a soft rocker about a relationship that began too quickly and ended…
6-3: Yanni at Wolstein Center
We try really, really hard not to call him “Yawni.” We understand that the mellifluous new-age piano riffling of the shaggy-haired Greek adonis soothes the souls of many people and that ladies like his looks. To spice things up a little, he’s trying something new for his first tour in four years. Taking a cue…
6-3: Happy Healthy Hour
After-work happy hours are all about pounding beers and cocktails with friends and co-workers. But it’s not very healthy, is it? You wake up the next morning with a Godzilla-size headache and wondering just what you said to that cutie in accounting. And after about six months of Blow Jobs, Mexican Samurais and Slippery Nipples,…
6-3: Brew at the Akron Zoo
We usually wouldn’t advocate drinking anything harder than Red Bull around lions, bears and other wild animals. You kinda want to be sober just in case you need to run like hell from angry packs of them. That’s hard to do after consuming a six of Bud. But tonight’s Brew at the Zoo event at…
6-4: Cut to Pieces extended
Cleveland Public Theatre has extended Cut to Pieces, a one-woman show starring Chris Seibert and directed by Raymond Bobgan. Reviewing the production for Scene, Christine Howie wrote: “By taking an age-old trope of several people convened at a spooky mansion and twisting virtually everything thereafter, Bobgan and Seibert come up with a bounty of inspired…
6-2: Supersuckers at Peabody’s
Originally called the Black Supersuckers when they formed in Tucson in 1988, the Supersuckers didn’t have any cow in their punk in those early days. But after only a year together, they packed their bags and moved to Seattle, dropped the “black” part of the moniker and kicked out their singer. Guitarist Eddie Spaghetti made…
6-2: Sergei Babayan International Piano Academy Recital
For the past 14 years, pianist Sergei Babayan has attracted young players from around the world to study with him at the Sergei Babayan International Piano Academy. It’s a little like camp: Kids come from all over to work and play for two weeks, but instead of swimming and roasting marshmallows, they retreat to air-conditioned…
6-1: Straylight Run at the Grog Shop
After singer-guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper left Taking Back Sunday in 2003, no one could have suspected the musical shift they’d make. Ditching the crunching, shout-filled cadence of their former band, Nolan and Cooper took an atmospheric pop route. Straylight Run still tugs at the emo heartstrings, but the band’s backbone is a…
5-31: XainGO!
Stow painter Todd Volkmer hopes XainGO! will accomplish a couple things. First of all, he wanted to create a theatrical experience that shows what goes into making a painting. He also wanted to grow something organic out of local talent. So he teamed up with percussionist Olu Manns and the Ananda Dance Center in Massillon,…
Angry Monk has its local premiere tonight at CMA
For the past month, the Cleveland Museum of Art has hosted a program called “Friday Night First Runs.” It features local premieres of movies that have previously bypassed Cleveland during their theatrical runs. Tonight at 7, it’s offering a screening of 2007’s Angry Monk: Reflections on Tibet, a film about a hard-drinking, deep-thinking monk who…
5-31: World Music Festival
The Icho Daiko drum ensemble is more like an orchestra than a drum circle, with structure and discipline driving its performances. Founded in 2003 and drawing on talent from Cleveland, Akron and Oberlin, the 20-member company uses the taiko tradition as a way to build bridges between cultures. They headline today’s World Music Festival, which…
5-31: Girls’ Night Out
Windsong — a local women’s chorus that doesn’t hold auditions; any woman can join the self-proclaimed feminist ensemble — presents a joint concert with the Columbus Women’s Chorus tonight. If the word “herstory” in the group’s bio makes you a little nervous, take heart: Artistic director Karen Weaver is an accomplished choral director who also…
6-4: Reception for Year of the Ox public art project
St. Clair Superior Development Corporation continues to honor the Chinese calendar with the installation of sculpted animals — oxen, this year — customized by local artists. Participating artists include Martin Boyle, JoAnn DePolo, Willie Duck, Michael Greenwald, Beth Gregerson, Rick Heller, Ron and Margie Hill, Milan Kecman, Mitzi Lai, Krisztina Lazar, Kirk Mangus, Sylvia Masek,…
6-3: Taste of Cleveland Heights/Heights Youth Club benefit
Cleveland Heights has become well known for its restaurants. On June 3, 18 of those great restaurants will team up to raise money for the Heights Youth Club, which provides a safe place for kids to hang out. Taste of the Heights will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the HYC building at…
5-31: Kevin Devine at the Grog Shop
Kevin Devine’s fans don’t spend much time obsessing over his thought-provoking lyrics or entrancing acoustic melodies. But they do wish he was their best friend. The Brooklyn native is a charismatic conversationalist, a deep-thinking philosopher and a creative wanderer. Devine’s charm shines onstage, where he quickly switches between tense, emotional songs and teasing obnoxious people…
Capsule reviews of what’s at the Cinematheque this weekend
Highlights for this weekend’s Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque schedule include Katyn, the latest film from Polish director Andrzej Wajda, and Two Lovers, James Gray’s urban romance that stars Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow. Capsule reviews follow. Katyn (Poland, 2007) The 1940 Soviet massacre of 15,000 Polish soldiers in the Katyn forest is the jumping-off…
5-31: Lilies at Cleveland Playhouse
Canadian playwright Michel Marc Bouchard made his breakthrough in 1987 with his best-known play, Les Feluettes ou la Répétition d’un drame romantique (or as we say in English, Lilies, or the Revival of a Romantic Drama). The story, which unfolds as a play within a play, is staged by prisoners who recount the events surrounding…
5-30: White Rabbits at the Grog Shop
White Rabbits toured with Spoon. Spoon’s Britt Daniel produced their new album. They even sound like Spoon. And please stop complaining about the dearth of percussion-driven indie-rock — White Rabbits have two drummers! The Brooklyn band is touring behind its just-released second album, It’s Frightening. In fact, tonight’s show at the Grog Shop is only…
5-30: Mustard Plug at the Agora
Remember the ’90’s ska revival? Michigan’s Mustard Plug does. The band, despite the cash-ins and disintegration of its peers, remains independent after 17 long years. Their sixth album, 2007’s In Black and White, is a little dark, but it’s a testament to the group’s endurance. It’s no secret that most ska bands’ happy-sounding tunes disguise…
5-30: John T. Carey AIDS Walk
Events have a natural lifespan, and the John T. Carey AIDS Walk, which raises money for 10 local agencies that provide services for people with AIDS, has come to its end. Times were different when the walk was founded in 1992. AIDS was still a death sentence then, and friends were losing friends every week.…
5-30: Case Western Reserve Book Sale
Maybe you’re like me: You really don’t need any more books. You have piles of them you’ve been meaning to read. So you are not going to the Case Western Reserve Book Sale this weekend. You’re not even going to think about Adelbert Gymnasium (2128 Adelbert Rd.) turning into a vast book warehouse for the…
5-29: Jessica Lea Mayfield at Musica
After releasing an album as Chittlin’ and embarking on a national tour with up-and-coming bluegrass jam band the Avett Brothers, singer-songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield has finally gotten her break. Her latest album, last year’s With Blasphemy So Heartfelt (produced by Black Keys singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach), sounds like a cross between Cat Power and Neko Case.…
Blink-182 Coming to Blossom With Songs About Your Mom
Get your dick jokes ready, Blink-182 are coming to town! The reunited group will be playing Blossom Music Center on September 2. This is the band’s first tour in five years. Since then, the guys have played in some other bands, but between Angels & Airwaves’ U2-style pomp and +44’s warmed-over pop-punk, it was only…
SANTIAGO IN FOR ANOTHER BATTLE
Cleveland Councilman Brian Cummins, whose Old Brooklyn ward was shattered into four pieces when Council President Marty Sweeney redistricted away two of his toughest critics, isn’t letting little things like losing most of his voting block get in the way of bigger things like winning a second term. On Tuesday, Cummins became the eighth candidate…
Book Review — Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to the NBA, by Lance Allred
This is my review of Lance Allred’s book. The article appears in this week’s issue of Scene, but is here in advance for all you bloglovin’ types. Lance Allred was active for 17 games with the Cavs during the 2007-2008 season. He actually appeared in only three of those games, logging a total of 10:05…
COULD LEBRON PLAY IN THE NFL? HELL YEAH
It’s been up for debate before. Could LeBron have played in the NFL? He was a standout receiver at St. Vincent St. Mary. His body is a rock solid fortress of athleticism — 6’8″ and over 250 pounds. When he donned a Browns uniform for those State Farm commercials around the Super Bowl there was…
Loud and Bobnoxious Cult Movies: Timecrimes on DVD
As the contributor behind a regular feature on our film blog called “Loud and Bobnoxious Cult Movies,” Bob Ignizio will regularly contribute reviews of b-movies and horror flicks that might not have gotten the attention they deserved when they were initially released. Whether the films just had a short run in theaters or went straight…
Loud and Bobnoxious Cult Movies: The Burrowers on DVD
As the contributor behind a regular feature on our film blog called “Loud and Bobnoxious Cult Movies,” Bob Ignizio will regularly contribute reviews of b-movies and horror flicks that might not have gotten the attention they deserved when they were initially released. Whether the films just had a short run in theaters or went straight…
ESPN Asks and Answers the Question: Could LeBron Play in the NFL?
It’s been up for debate before. Could LeBron have played in the NFL? He was a standout receiver at St. Vincent St. Mary. His body is a rock solid fortress of athleticism — 6’8″ and over 250 pounds. When he donned a Browns uniform for those State Farm commercials around the Super Bowl there was…
Photo Show: Rib Cook-Off Concerts
Scene’s Johnny Angell checked out some Rib Cook-Off music this past weekend. He also brought his camera.
Concert Review: Shinedown and Bret Michaels at the Rib Cook-Off
From funnel cakes, corn-on-the-cob and cocktails to those oh-so-sweet-and-tangy BBQ ribs, this past weekend’s Great American Rib Cook-Off worked best when there was some loud music to wash it all down. From Shinedown’s Friday show to Bret Michael’s fest-closing performance last night, the audience ate ’em up at the packed Time Warner Cable Amphitheater. Halestorm,…
New Beastie Boys Coming This Fall
The Beastie Boys just announced the title and sorta release date for their eighth album. The record will be called Hot Sauce Committee and is due for a fall release. In the meantime, the trio will be performing at most of the summer’s big music festivals, including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. After a…
Mariotti Films Around the Horn at Browns Stadium
Because apparently the cleaning crew at his hotel were in his room. Seriously, he couldn’t film in front of a skyline of Cleveland? He couldn’t film somewhere at The Q? He’s in Cleveland covering the Cavs/Magic series and the best he could do was an empty Cleveland Browns Stadium? Unless you knew he was in…
5-28: Holy Fuck at the Grog Shop
With lap-pop and electro-pop running wild in indie circles, it’s hard to remember that electronic-based artists were once known for dark, experimental cuts that were made for daydream bedrooms and sweaty dance floors. Holy Fuck bring electronic music back to its roots. With ragged, uptempo drumming and crazy keyboards — as well as a bass…
This Just In: Concert Announcements
We have 13 new shows this week — from songwriter superhero Ellis Paul to the Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwall. Plus, more metal than you can shake a shiv at. Canceled:Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head: Tue., June 23. Grog Shop. This Just In:Baditude/Bootleg Black Guys/Purple Monkey Sircus/Trap House Rave/Niggarochi/Dudical Radical: Fri., July 3. 7:30 p.m., $5 ADV/$7 DOS.…
Photo Show: Billy Joel and Elton John at The Q 5/23
Scene’s Aaron Mendelsohn went to Billy Joel and Elton John’s concert at the Q the other night. He also brought his camera.
The Most Interesting Cavs Fan in the World
The Cavs put together an amusing parody of Heineken’sDos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man in the World” commercials. No embedding enabled, so click on over and check out the video. (“He travels the world and does not watch much basketball, but when he does, he prefers the Cleveland Cavaliers.)
Concert Review: Billy Joel and Elton John at Quickens Loan Arena, 5/23
For two guys in their sixties, Billy Joel and Elton John sure know how to put on a show. For nearly three and half hours, the two legends captivated a capacity Quickens Loan Arena Saturday night (even the seats behind the stage were full), working through their classic catalogs, in tandem and alone. Seated at…
Concert Preview: I Was a King at the Beachland Tavern, 5/27
The Norwegian psychedelic power-pop band I Was a King is quite short on originality. But because the group so wonderfully and seamlessly assimilates the core essence of so many of my favorite bands, I am wholly infatuated and in no way complaining. I Was a King’s new self-titled album starts with a cacophony of Spiritualized…
5-28: Cleveland Orchestra performs Staud
Austrian composer Johannes Maria Staud is in the international spotlight about as much as a young composer can be these days. Two major orchestras — the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and our very own Cleveland Orchestra — will premiere large orchestral works by the 34-year-old Staud this summer. This weekend, the Cleveland Orchestra wraps up its…
See Ya Next Week
C-Notes is taking an extended vacation. We’ll return Tuesday morning with the usual stuff, including reviews of the Elton John/Billy Joel concert and some Rib Fest shows. So go out there and enjoy your Memorial Day with a tall cool one.
FRIDAY MONKEY BLOGGING: EXCUSE US, PRIMATE BLOGGING
Technically orangutans aren’t monkeys — they’re apes, like gorillas and chimps (and humans). But the FMB team has decided to make an exception for Daniel, the undisputed star of The RainForest at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The little guy just celebrated his third birthday last month, and while he’s becoming more and more independent, he still…
Free Carlos Jones Mini Set Tonight
If you’re looking for something fun and free to do tonight that won’t keep you out too late, head over to the Beachland Ballroom, where local reggae star Carlos Jones and his PLUS Band will be doing a three-song taping for a segment to air on Channel 3 next Friday, May 9 — the day…
ESPN Screening LeBron Documentary… Oh, Kobe’s In It Too
Whether or not you’ve actually watched, you’re probably at least aware that there’s a documentary on Kobe Bryant out there directed by Spike Lee. It was plastered all over ESPN and such (you can read our film critic’s review of it here), although the best comment came from Bill Simmons, who said in a recent…
The Return of Ryan Humbert
Northeast Ohio singer-songwriter Ryan Humbert took off for Nashville last spring after making an impact as a major catalyst in the Akron music scene with his youthful energy and enthusiasm and his appealing pop-rock music. His goal was to expand his circle of contacts and produce a quality CD. He’s done both and now he’s…
Diamond Encrusted Plastic Casios Are All the Rage, Just Ask Larry Hughes
What follows is exhibit No. 17,354 of the foolish things people with too much money do. Yeah, that watch looks blinged out, but underneath, it’s just a plastic Casio. Yep, just like the ones you and I wore in middle school. Except, this one has diamonds plastered all over the outside, which makes it fashionable,…
Nice Profile on Juan Lara
Indians.com beat reporter Anthony Castrovince wrote a nice profile of Juan Lara, the Tribe minor leaguer who almost died after a vicious auto accident. Lara, now back at work throwing the baseball, has come a long way since his medically-induced coma and extensive surgeries, but obviously has a long way to go still. Most importantly,…
Black Eyed Peas Aim for Target
Following in the footsteps of AC/DC, the Eagles and Guns ‘N Roses, the Black Eyed Peas are teaming up with a big-ass retailer to help promote their new album. While you can still pick up the Peas’ The E.N.D. on June 9 on iTunes, at Wal-Mart and other places, Target is offering a special deluxe…
Teen Producer LiL Mike Wins Red Bull Big Tune Battle
Nineteen-year-old producer LiL Mike won last night’s Red Bull Big Tune hip-hop beat battle, the high-school version of the national competition. Mixmasters Johnny Rockz and Cassius G provided stiff competition. LiL Mike will compete in the next round in Chicago. According to the event’s organizers, last year’s champion, Chicago’s C-Sick, recorded a track with Nas.…
Kings of the Iron Mic Turns 10
The Kings of the Iron Mic showcases are a staple at the Grog Shop, happening every three to four months. Nappyhead Entertainment — spearheaded by George Goins a.k.a. rapper Poohmanchu, along with cohorts Uncle Lyn, Mike Knowledge and Jules — started organizing the shows 10 years ago to feature multi-act lineups of local and regional…
Grady Sizemore Has a Sore Elbow, How Much Should We Read Into That
It was announced by Eric Wedge yesterday that Grady Sizemore, who is mired in a pretty damn terrible slump, has been suffering from a sore left elbow. Here’s some quotes: “It’s something he’s been battling off and on all year,” Wedge said. “He’s a tough cookie.” And… “It’s hasn’t been something [bothering him] every day,”…
Wayans’ Dance Flick is a step in the wrong direction
There are so many Wayans family members listed in the credits of the parody film Dance Flick, opening area-wide tomorrow, it’s got to be a joke. It’s a fitfully funny spoof of the subgenre of urban hip-hop/R&B dance melodramas satirizes Stomp the Yard, How She Move, Roll Bounce and Step Up 2 the Streets. Not…
Capsule reviews of two films coming to the Cinematheque
Highlights for this weekend’s Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque schedule include two cult classics. First, there’s Tommy Wiseau’s The Room, a tragic psyhodrama that’s attained a grassroots following five years after is initial release. Then, there’s Tokyo!, a strange collection of three short films by three different directors, each of whom set their films in…
Things Cliff Lee Might Be Thinking (e.g. “I want to punch everyone”)
Cliff Lee has every right to be absolutely pissed. With the exception of his first start this year, Cliff, while not regaining his untouchable Cy Young form, has pitched rather brilliantly. That, of course, is not reflected in his record (2-5) because any number of things have combined to scheme against his success. The offense…
Remembering the Cavs’ Awkward Lottery Moment
Well, remembering might not be the right word here. I don’t remember this, but, then again, after the ping pong balls bounced Cleveland’s way, which meant that LeBron was coming to wear a Cavs uniform, I didn’t much pay attention to anything. If you did watch the whole broadcast, though, you might remember Jim Gray…
A Fan’s Dispatch on the Tap
C-Notes just received this quick dispatch from someone who saw the Folksmen — the satirical group featuring some of the comedy geniuses behind Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind — at the Ohio Theatre last night: “Saw the Spinal Tappers/Folksmen last night. The best, most subtle part of the show, which went…
WMJI Changes Call Letters to CAVS 105.7 for Eastern Conference Finals (Still Plays Songs Your Mom Likes)
Oldies station WMJI 105.7-FM, is changing its name to CAVS 105.7 during the Eastern Conference Finals series. Apparently the station’s “Majic” tag bears more than a little resemblance to a certain NBA team from Orlando. What does this mean for listeners? Absolutely nothing. Playlists will still consist of songs by the Eagles, the Beach Boys…
New twists can’t hide Night at the Museum’s flaws
The original Night at the Museum basically ran on the premise of “What happens at the museum after the doors are locked for the night?” Apparently, it’s some wacky stuff. Lock Ben Stiller in there with all the historic artifacts and you’ll get even more wackiness. This CGI-heavy and pop culture-speckled sequel to the 2006…
Check out Posnanski’s SI Cover Story About the Cavs
Worth a read, for sure. That is all.Go read it.
LeBron/Kobe, Part 10,537
Saw this over at Partnership Activation, where it says this Nike store in Fort Banficio is gaining attention thanks to the billboard. Nope. No pressure on the Cavs and Lakers to come through and fulfill everyone’s Finals dreams. None whatsoever.
Money Where Your Mouth Is: Joe’s Garage
C-Notes could tell you why you need to see this band this weekend. But wouldn’t you appreciate the chance to hear it straight from the musicians? Band: Joe’s Garage Website: www.myspace.com/joe39sgarage Hometown: ClevelandSounds like: “Pop rock with a bit of classic rock influence. R.E.M. meets Dire Straits meets Counting Crows with a touch of Van…
CD Review: Jeremy Enigk
Jeremy Enigk’s former band, Sunny Day Real Estate, revived their career with tours in 1998 and 2000. But for some reason, Enigk’s 1996 solo debut, Return of the Frog Queen, didn’t have the same impact. Ditto for 2006’s World Waits. Enigk’s third solo album, OK Bear, is what you’d expect from him at this point…
NO FORECLOSURE CLOSURE
Cleveland Heights playwright Sarah Morton is a tough cookie. She writes with great delicacy and perspicacity, and there’s usually not an ounce of vein-clogging schmaltz in her output. But, when given the assignment by Dobama Theatre to write about Cleveland’s foreclosure crisis, she uses none of the diversionary tactics that have helpfully served authors who…
High Tide
When British psych/folk/blues quintet Gomez got started nearly a decade and a half ago, the guys were all around 18 years old. They were, in fact, the personification of the title of their 2006 singles/B-sides compilation, Five Men in a Hut — living in close proximity, writing, rehearsing and recording at the drop of a…
Act Your Age
TOP PICK The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount) David Fincher’s misty-eyed fable (based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story) about a man who ages in reverse comes to Blu-ray with commentary and a four-part making-of doc. Like Benjamin himself, the movie reveals more each time you see it. Here’s your chance to revisit one…
WE ARE ALL BRANDS
It just might be the most famous 1987 Cutlass Supreme in the country right now. Dark black, 23-inch rims, Nike swoosh, the number 23 on each side and “Witness” spelled out in bright white letters on each door. The Witnessmobile hit the web in local rapper A. Gully’s homemade music video — a love song…
Capsule Reviews of Current Releases
Dance Flick There are so many Wayans family members listed in the credits of the parody film Dance Flick it’s got to be a joke. It’s a fitfully funny spoof of the subgenre of urban hip-hop/R&B dance melodramas satirizes Stomp the Yard, How She Move, Roll Bounce, Step Up 2 the Streets. Not that such…
Cheap Thrills
If you’re better off financially than you were this time last year, or even about the same, then cheers. You may go about your previously scheduled summer plans. But if you’re struggling, or worried that you soon will be, this issue is for you. Everyone deserves a little R&R in warm months, especially in the…
THE CONSERVATORY KIDS
Like Bells drummer Will Mason and violinist Garrett Openshaw entered the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with every intention of becoming professional musicians capable of playing with a major orchestra. Those plans haven’t entirely changed, but the guys now have another priority. Like Bells, the band they formed a little more than two years ago with…
SUMMER’S STOCKED
The performing arts season winds down in the spring, but there’s still much to be found on local stages. Here’s a preview of summer 2009. SUMMER THEATRE Kids come first in Northeast Ohio’s summer theater season, as Dobama Theatre presents the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival for the 31st year. Each year the company gets…
Cold Wind Coming
Jeff Powers needS only his six-string to tell you stories. “Every guitar has a couple of songs in it,” he says, sipping a Stella at Tremont’s Prosperity Social Club. “Pick up even a crappy guitar, and it’ll still have a couple of stories to tell. All of a sudden, a chord you play all the…
Summer in 3D
WHEN THE GOING GETS tough, the tough go to the movies. As we learned from the Great Depression, hard economic times are good for the movie business. This year, attendance is up about 10 percent, according to the National Association of Theater Owners, whose spokesman explained: “People still have to get out.” Movies offer a…
Service Without a Smile
Inside a rundown movie theater that also houses a diner and an extended family, a young woman stands nude in front of a mirror, applying lipstick and mouthing “I love you.” In another room, an artist with a limp paints naked women. Downstairs, a cook prepares breakfast. A little boy runs from room to room.…
GET YOUR LIGHTERS READY
Despite the slumping economy, plenty of bands are still hitting the road this summer. The outdoor pavilions will be as busy as they’ve ever been, and most of the clubs will have music seven nights a week too. There are deals to be had as well. Be sure to check venue websites for last-minute discounts…
Local CD Reviews
The Modern Electric (The Cleveland Press) myspace.com/themodernelectric “Distance is no match for love,” sings pianist Garrett Komyati in a quivering voice on “Where I Belong” from the Modern Electric’s debut. The song is quite beautiful, as is the entire album. While the band cites Roy Orbison as an influence, Rufus Wainwright or even Antony and…
CD Review: Iron and Wine
Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam has an uncanny ability to pack his albums with quietly powerful love songs — the kind that give you the urge to sprawl out on the couch with a cup of tea in one hand and a sappy novel in the other. The Austin-based musician got his break after covering…
THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER
From the Dave Matthews Band’s sun-kissed jams to Black Eyed Peas’ humps-bumpin’ beats to the Mom-approved Rob Thomas, most of the albums coming out the next few months are made for lazy days at the beach, driving with the top down and late-night parties. Here’s your soundtrack to summer ’09. Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey…
Reel Cleveland: Clips from the Baseball HOF coming to Cleveland
For the past six years, Dave Filipi, film and video curator at Columbus’ Wexner Center for the Arts, has presented a program of archival baseball footage at the Cleveland Museum of Art (11150 East Blvd., 216.421.7350, clevelandart.org/film). This year’s program, Dave Filipi Presents Rare Films From the Baseball Hall of Fame includes a collection of…
CAN’T GET MORE LOCAL THAN THIS
For years, chefs have been extolling the virtues of locally grown foods. These days, however, it isn’t enough to merely buy vegetables at a nearby farmers market. For many chefs, the shortest distance between earth and mouth comes by way of a kitchen garden. From high-tech rooftop operations to herb-stuffed patio containers, it seems that…
Soundcheck: Brent Smith
Jacksonville-based hard rockers Shinedown have gone through numerous lineup changes in their eight years. Yet singer Brent Smith, maintains the band hasn’t suffered, boasting that it’s “the most honest band in existence on Earth today.” Just back from their first European headlining tour that took them to nine countries and 20 cities, Shinedown are touring…
Terminate the Brutes!
Arriving on the heels of Star Trek, a film that successfully re-launched a franchise that had grown tired and stale, Terminator Salvation isn’t going to seem as inventive as J. J. Abrams’ flick. But like Star Trek, Terminator is a prequel that involves a bit of backward storytelling that will make your head spin. Unlike…
STAYCATION’S ALL I EVER WANTED
Maybe you already got your family together and brainstormed on what you’d like to do for this year’s summer vacation. Everyone chimed in on their ideal destination. Daughter Fritzi clamored for Munich. Son Guido pined for the hills of Sicily. Your dream was to play a third of a round at Pebble Beach, while your…
Complete Summer Guide Events Listings
Summer Guide event listings May 20-Sept. 7 Thursday, May 21 Flutter! Butterfly exhibit opens at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo; clemetzoo.com Friday, May 22 Great American Rib Cookoff opens at Time Warner Cable Amphitheater; Shinedown, Halestorm perform; cleveland.com/rib Blossom Time in downtown Chagrin Falls, through May 24; cvcc.org/blossomtime.htm Greek Heritage Festival at Church of the Annunciation, Tremont,…
Around Hear
The Cleveland Blues Society welcomes its inaugural Hall of Fame class on Sunday, May 24, at an induction and fundraising concert at Wilbert’s (812 Huron Rd.). Starting at 6 p.m., the show will feature performances by Madison Crawl, the Nightwalkers, Miss Butterscotch, the Juke Hounds and the Real Deal Blues Band. Admission is $10. The…
CD Review: Tori Amos
On her 10th album, alt-rock’s fiery-haired pianist continues to make great music with her usual muses — religion, love, death and femininity. The 17 songs on Abnormally Attracted to Sin are boilerplate Amos and sound like the smart but difficult children of Kate Bush, Patti Smith and Laura Nyro. Compared to 2007’s high-concept album American…
The Artist Formerly Known as Artchitecture
The Gallery formerly known as Artchitecture has changed its name to William Rupnik Gallery, after its proprietor and resident visionary. But the taste for stylish, graphic-oriented and street art remains unchanged. Bill Rupnik wants to explore some of his other interests —such as the display and sale of mid-century modern furniture, vintage bicycles and other…
CD Review: The Warlocks
Psychedelic music always runs the risk of drifting off into the atmosphere. If they’re not buckled down tightly enough, song parameters will blow away, leaving nothing but wispy bits of feedback and drones in their wake. And, well, that’s just noise. The Warlocks, a psychedelic band from Los Angeles, succeed when they keep things song-oriented.…
Armchair Travels
The essence of travel is glimpsed in a flash along the way to a new place or idea, soaking into the synapses before preconceptions tint and crowd the new impression. For an artist (or an engineer or a designer), it is also a matter of stretching and transforming materials to accompany the questing mind as…
CD Review: Bike for Three
After a nearly 10-year hiatus, Canadian wordsmith Buck 65 returns to his old label with Bike for Three!, a duo that also includes Belgian producer Greetings From Tuskan. In the spirit of bands like the Postal Service, the two artists created More Heart Than Brains without ever being in the same room together — appropriate,…
Fahrenheit Gets a Patio
“If you don’t have a patio in this business, you’re losing out on customers,” chef Rocco Whalen wisely explains. So, after seven years in the biz, Fahrenheit (2417 Professor Ave. 216.781.8858) finally unveiled alfresco seating last fall. Running the length of the Tremont restaurant, the 45-seat patio sports custom railings, white-linen tables and the same…
CD Review: Passion Pit
If Kanye West and Kool and the Gang made an album with Death Cab for Cutie, it would sound like Passion Pit. The vocals on the band’s EP, Chunk of Change, were more straightforward, and singer Michael Angelakos had a warmer style. That’s not the case on their first full-length, Manners. His falsetto combines with…
WHO DONE WHAT?
All inventors are a bit whacked out. To do their breakthrough work, they have to be innocent, courageous and arrogant — a heady brew when it works and pretty irritating when it doesn’t. This is particularly true when theatrical inventors are toying with stage conventions, as co-playwrights Raymond Bobgan and Chris Seibert do in the…
Jeff Buckley documentary finally arrives on DVD
Laurie Trombley was working at her college newspaper when she got an advance copy of singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley’s first EP, 1992’s Live at Sin-e. She was so taken with the music, she wrote him a letter telling him about how much she liked the album. His management called her and told her they were looking…
‘THERE WOULD BE NO GROG SHOP WITHOUT HIM’ (UPDATED)
Grog Shop co-founder Matt Mugridge died Thursday, May 7. He would have turned 42 on May 13. Well-liked and well-rounded, Mugridge played hockey at Saint Ignatius, then got the music bug at the University of Cincinnati. He lived and died as a larger-than-life, infectiously fun-loving presence on the Cleveland music scene. The talkative Mugridge was…
