Update: Geiger’s to Open Today in Downtown Cleveland
Update: Earlier this year we told you about Geiger’s plans to open up a downtown Cleveland location. Today, the doors of the sporting goods store swing open. Located at 1020 Euclid Avenue, the Lakewood-based retailer hosted an opening reception last night and will indulge in an official ribbon cutting celebration at 11 a.m. this morning,…
No Sleep in the CLE Podcast With Justin Markert and Mike Polk
Today on No Sleep in the CLE, Justin Markert talks with Cleveland comedian Mike Polk. Mike expresses his comedy through many mediums including standup, sketch (Last Call Cleveland), and producing videos (Hastily Made Tourism, Factory of Sadness). They talk about how Mike’s upbringing enabled his comedy, the difference between small rooms and the bigger clubs,…
Post-punk Icons Wire Embrace Spontaneity on Their New Album
In the mid-’70s, England was teeming with punk bands. The Sex Pistols, the Damned and the Clash might not have been playing to huge crowds, but they were sending ripples throughout the rock world. The guys in Wire, which formed in London in 1976, were clearly influenced by punk’s recklessness, and they continue to be…
Consent Decree Arrives: Transformative Change Guaranteed
In what was either the 4,119th or 4,120th “defining moment” for the City of Cleveland these past few weeks, Mayor Frank Jackson announced and presented the consent decree between the city and the United States of America Tuesday afternoon. It has the potential, all parties declared, to be one hell of a transformative document. The…
Scene Podcast: The Brelo Verdict and the Weekend Protests
This week, host Craig Lyndall sat down with Sam Allard, who covered the protests that stemmed from the Brelo verdict on Saturday. They talk about the timing of the verdict, protestors coming into contact with regular Cleveland nightlife Saturday, nuance amidst the protests, stratification in the groups, the Brelo verdict vs. the DOJ settlement, and…
The Ville Music Festival: Hippies, Hugs, and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
Four stages and four nights of great bands encompass the Ville music festival. Beginning in 1994 on a farm as Hookahville, the Ville has grown to what it is now. Bands in attendance this year include ekoostik hookah, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Lettuce, Papadosio and many more. Loyal fans travel from all over the United…
Five Classical Music Events to Hit This Week
The Cleveland Orchestra is the host organization for the annual League of American Orchestras conference this week, inspiring an impressive four days of concerts at Severance Hall led by music director Franz Welser-Möst. Richard Strauss’s one-act, 90-minute opera, Daphne, is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, May 30 at 8:00 pm,…
My Morning Jacket Explores Its Soulful Side on New Album
Since first forming in 1998 in Louisville, My Morning Jacket has always been involved with philanthropic endeavors. But now, with the release of its new album, The Waterfall, the band has made its activist impulses more explicit. The band named the Waterfall Project after its new album; the Waterfall Project will house the band’s ongoing…
No Sleep in the CLE Podcast with Justin Markert and Local Rock Band Ottawa
Today on No Sleep in the CLE, Justin Markert sits down with Cleveland rock band Ottawa. In a year and a half Ottawa has accomplished quite a bit for a local band. They talk about the meaning behind their name, songwriting process, favorite local bands, and the philosophy that a good melody is a good…
Barenaked Ladies Drummer Talks About How the Band Got Its Groove Back
The last two Barenaked Ladies albums, 2010’s All In Good Time and 2013’s Grinning Streak, have featured cover artwork highlighting the band members in a rather stoic pose. The cover art for their new album Silverball has a pinball-driven theme that seems ideal for vinyl. As drummer Tyler Stewart told us during a recent phone…
We’re With Him: LeBron Leads the Way to the West Coast and the Promised Crown
The poeticism of LeBron James goes well beyond his preternatural balance of grace and force. His play’s a physical representation of Schopenhauer’s “Will and the Idea,” a conception of reality as but a perception upon which an indomitable will strives to stamp its imprint. The race’s very survival is based on this instinctual mix of…
Here’s Michelle Obama’s Oberlin College Commencement Speech
There’s nothing like a good commencement speech in May. (Check out a recent episode of the Sound of Ideas for more on that.) First Lady Michelle Obama spoke yesterday at Oberlin College, delivering a speech about the importance of community engagement and an active life. She said that the great shifts in our country’s history…
After Two Nights in Jail, More Than 50 Nonviolent Protesters and Observers Released On Monday Morning
Doug Brown / Cleveland Scene Inside the courtroom on Monday morning “They trapped us in the corner. They didn’t say disperse, they said move back,” said one young man who just spent two nights locked in jail after he was arrested in a Warehouse District alleyway. “And then another riot crew came on the other…
Deep Dives of Magic in ‘Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea’ at Cleveland Public Theatre
Family legacy is a biggie for some clans, especially when their history has been as tortured as it has been for African-Americans. The result of this can be seen in most cities and towns in America, where some young black men clearly have a hard time connecting to the more inspiring stories of their forebears.…
East Side Residents Gather in Lee-Harvard, Want Cleveland Politicians Out of Office
“There’s a recall petition for Frank Jackson?” Asked Mike Burton, an east sider who grew up Cleveland in the 60s and 70s. He was incredulous; he was thrilled. “How do I get in on that?” Burton and a group of about 20 other residents gathered at the Lee-Harvard Shopping Plaza (one of the Community Relations…
Exactly What Happened on E. 4th and the Arrival of the Riot Police in Cleveland
First, a bit of Sunday-breakfast news: Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Police Chief Calvin Williams addressed media at 9 a.m. to thank Saturday’s peaceful protesters and to once again condemn any violent response to the Michael Brelo acquittal. Williams said that 71 people were arrested Saturday, on charges ranging from ‘failure to disperse’ to ‘felonious…
Zac Brown Band Kicks Off Summer Concert Season with Crowd-Pleasing Concert
“We’ve learned Zac Brown fans like all kinds of music,” said the frontman of the alt-rock band Elliot Root toward the end of their 30-minute set last night at Blossom where they opened for Zac Brown Band. Brown and fans would prove that statement to be true. As Brown and his nine-piece band strolled unassumingly…
Photos: #Occupy4Tamir Takes Over West Park
A remembrance service and procession for Tamir Rice took to the streets of West Park Saturday afternoon. More than 100 people marched two-by-two, arm in arm, singing songs of protest and pleading for justice. It has been six months since the 12-year-old Rice was shot and killed by a Cleveland Police officer. (Check out photos…
Cavs Enjoy Hawks Fricassee While Paving the Way to the NBA Finals
There’s no place for haters to hide when the Cavaliers are rolling like this – as evidenced by their 94-82 win over Atlanta, giving them a near insurmountable 2-0 series lead. With their fifth straight win – four of them on the road – it’s hard to deny Cleveland’s talent as a team. While many…
#Occupy4Tamir Issues Press Release Reiterating Non-Violence for Saturday Demonstration
Organizers behind the #Occupy4Tamir rally Saturday afternoon want to ensure that the demonstration remains peaceful. The Ohio Student Association issued a press release Friday afternoon reiterating the animating principles of the rally and calling once again for non-violence. “The principles of this action are non-violence, we want to keep the focus on Tamir Rice and…
Local Bulkley House Studio to Release First In-House Project
Local rapper Reggie “ThankGod” Brown, who was profiled in a Scene cover story, passed away nearly a decade ago and now one of the founders of the Cleveland based hip-hop record label Rulership Entertainment is planning to release B.E:IIIXVI (Black Excellence: 316), a new album from local rapper/singer SIR, to commemorate the anniversary of his…
Memorial Planned for Cleveland Blues Icon Mr. Stress
Local blues icon William “Mr. Stress” Miller, who began his career back in 1966, passed away on May 19, and members of the local blues community have planned a memorial that takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, at the Euclid Tavern. In addition, local bluesman Colin Dussault has commissioned a 16″ x…
The Man Himself Takes Backseat in ‘The Turing Machine’ from Theater Ninjas
Alan Turing has been enjoying quite a run in the past couple years, what with the movie The Imitation Game copping a Best Picture Oscar nomination and Benedict Cumberbatch setting hearts a-flutter as the introverted and closeted Turing. Sure, Turing probably saved more Allied lives than any other single human being during World War II,…
Locally Produced Urban Comedy to Premiere This Weekend
A locally produced film about a blue-chip high school athlete who stages a contest to find a step-father, #50 Fathers features some significant musical collaborations. The comedic drama includes music from Grammy Award-winning guitarist Michael J. Calhoun, a founding member of the Dazz Band. The film also features the music of Cleveland R&B singer Antoine…
Sebadoh’s Lou Barlow Fights the Power of Slack
Guitarist Lou Barlow joined the hardcore punk band Deep Wound in 1982, during high school times in western Massachusetts. They put out a decent 7-inch plus a few songs on one compilation, and then broke up when they tired of the genre’s limitations. Not too long after that, Deep Wound’s drummer started a new, slower…
Fox News Sets Parameters for First Republican Debate in Cleveland
The first Republican presidential debate — yay — will take place on Aug. 6 in Cleveland. Fox News’ Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace will moderate. Quicken Loans Arena will host and, presumably, provide a cartload of those Q-shaped pretzels for Chris Christie. According to the news outlet, the candidates must — now take a…
10 Concerts To Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, MAY 22 Ray Wylie Hubbard With a new album out, Ray Wylie Hubbard is sure to make a splash with his mix of folk and country music. Old school soulful and gritty vocals mix with the traditional twang of country guitar on his new album The Ruffian’s Misfortune, a cowpunk classic. The song “Chick…
Rockin’ on the River Summer Concert Series Kicks Off Tonight
Rockin’ on the River, one of northeast Ohio’s longest running outdoor summer concert series, kicks off another season tonight, touting its new venue as well as performances by Broken Roads, a Salute to Rascal Flatts, and Monica Robbins and the Ninja Cowboys. From 5:30 – 11 p.m. tonight, tunes will sweep through Lorain’s Black River Landing…
Jane’s Addiction Delivers Short but Intense Set at House of Blues
When Jane’s Addiction first released Nothing’s Shocking in 1988, some critics dismissed it for its sometimes-juvenile lyrics (and to their point, “Standing in the Shower… Thinking” isn’t particularly deep). But the album proved to open up the floodgates for what would be christened “alternative rock,” and it certainly had a hand in helping Nirvana become…
East Cleveland Residents Meet, Diverge from Merger Narrative
Delivering a stark contrast to Mayor Gary Norton’s merger study pitch last month, residents packed the East Cleveland Public Library to hear and share thoughts on why annexation into the city of Cleveland might not be the preferred economic solution for the city. A panel of regional experts — former Cuyahoga County director of regional…
Vote Now for Your Favorite Fan-Designed Indians T-Shirt
The Cleveland Indians are once again in the thick of their annual fan-designed T-shirt competition in hopes of bestowing fame and glory upon one individual for excellence in creative design. From hundreds of submissions, the official Cleveland Indians Fan-Designed T-Shirt Contest staff have whittled down the entries to the top three (above), and now pass…
Gabe’s Deli Brings San Fran-Style Sandwiches to Lakewood
A new sandwich shop on Cleveland’s west side has been drawing praise since it opened its doors in late winter. Gabe’s Deli (10435 Clifton Blvd., 216-471-8578, gabesdelicle.com), named after owner Gabe Sims, is located in the same prominent strip as the Clifton Wine Bar. “We have been doing better than expected,” Sims says of his…
Property Owners Express Concerns to Scene About Violence in Cleveland: UPDATE
This story has been updated to reflect inaccuracies in reporting. A previous version reported incorrectly that Ohio City Inc., a nonprofit CDC, had held a meeting in preparation for the Michael Brelo trial verdict. That was not the case. OCI Executive Director Thomas McNair told us that there was no such meeting and reiterated an…
Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba Reflects on Band’s Rebirth
Thanks to some great exposure on MTV, Dashboard Confessional was a hugely popular alternative band of the 2000s. The band’s second album, 2002’s The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most included the trademark single “Screaming Infidelities.” Their third album A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar went to No. 2 on the Top…
Cavs Defy Media Doubts, Steal Hawks’ Homecourt in Game One Win
LeBron James and the Rodney Dangerfields did it again. The team that’s won “in spite of” its coach, David Blatt, according to one USA Today hack, continued their 9-2 roll through the playoffs into a stiff headwind of media blowhards. Looking every bit the “team” they bill themselves as, the Cavaliers took control of the…
Weird Al’s Satire Continues to Hit the Mark
Weird Al Yankovic knows how to put on a show. During a two-hour concert in 2013 before a capacity crowd at Cain Park, the satirist did a bit of everything. He changed into a countless number of different outfits and played funny, home-made videos in which he took clips of celebrity interviews and inserted his…
Here’s Scene’s Website Circa 1996
“Welcome to Scene Magazine Online!” (This is still what I say to myself every time I go to our website.) We thought we’d share a little trip down memory lane — to the earliest available iteration of our very own homepage, circa Nov. 2, 1996. And even better than just looking at it, you can actually…
Several Local Musicians on Forthcoming Benefit Album, ‘You Can’t Live on Love Alone: Songs for the Fight Against Multiple Myeloma’
A Shaker Heights native who now lives in St. Louis, Virginia “Pigeon” O’Brien, has worked for a number of years in the music and entertainment business. She was a managing editor at Sassy Magazine and has handled PR for several bands, including Rugburns singer Steve Poltz. About a year and a half ago, she was…
Rover Fest 2015 Tickets Go On Sale Next Friday
Tickets for RoverFest 2015 go on sale next Friday morning on RoverRadio.com. “This will be the biggest RoverFest,” said Shane “Rover” French on his much-adored WMMS morning talk show May 18. “The biggest party of the year is going to be even bigger.” Slated for July 18 at Black River Landing in Lorain — the…
West End Bistro in Chagrin Falls to Close After Blossom Time. Will Reopen as Casa Roja
Following this weekend’s Blossom Time festivities, the Chagrin Falls restaurant West End Bistro (79 West St.) will close. A week later, the restaurant will reopen with a brand new look, feel, menu and name: Casa Roja Tapas Restaurant. The building, a small and attractive red-sided structure, was first converted into a restaurant back in 2008,…
Got a Story Tip? Drop Us a Line
Got a tip? Have a story you think we should tell? Know something that no one else knows but you’d like to share? A reminder here that you can send over all tips to vgrzegorek@clevescene.com or find a specific staff writer here. Many of the great features and investigations in this mag come from people…
Michelle Knight Makes Debut as a Pop Singer
Held captive for 11 years, Michelle Knight took scraps of poems and songs with her after she escaped from Ariel Castro’s Seymour Avenue home. She’s just released “Survivor,” her first song. Her close friend Aaron “D-Boyy” Dissell, a producer who’s worked with acts such as Machine Gun Kelly, Layzie Bone and aspiring rapper and former…
Local Hardcore Bands Face Value and Splinter Reunite to Play Benefit Concert
When the local hardcore bands Splinter and Face Value played Cleveland back in the early ’90s, one of their biggest fans was Shawn Wenzel, front man for Canton Ohio’s straight edge band XenduranceX. He’s recently been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, and promoter Larry Gargus has gotten Face Value to reunite for a benefit…
Video: Tribute to Hawken Seniors Who Died in Gates Mills Car Crash
Hawken seniors Alex Doody and Josh Weil died in a Gates Mills car crash last week. Doody and Weil were star athletes at the east side prep school and were planning to attend Cornell University and Middlebury College, respectively. The community has been hit hard by the tragic deaths. Both funeral services were held earlier this…
Infamous Stringdusters Blend Bluegrass Melodies in Two-Set Jam Throwdown
The current era of “jamgrass” bands — as dubiously as that term tends to roll off the tongue — is well under way and bearing fruit in a dynamic rock ‘n’ roll sense. These bands bring heat, and, though their roots are clear as crystal, there’s something altogether different about them compared to more traditional…
No Sleep in the CLE Podcast with Justin Markert and Seafair
On today’s episode Justin Markert sits down with Chaya and Ryan from the band Seafair. The band has accomplished quite a bit in their relatively short lifespan and we talk through their journey. We also play cuts from the bands long awaited debut album which they’ll be releasing at the Grog Shop on May 23…
Summer Guide: Drink and Be Merry
$2: Whiskey, Iggy’s Wednesday nights at Iggy’s in Lakewood are awesome. First of all, it’s jam night. Musicians bring in their gear to thrown down covers and originals all night (with plenty of Grateful Dead stuff, so you know you’re in the right place at the right time). But beyond that, whiskey drinks are $2.…
Summer Guide: Eat Well
$5: Sushi rolls, Ginko happy hour We often refer to Ginko as a modern sushi speakeasy, and that’s architecturally kind of true. But it’s so much more authentically Japanese than that descriptor implies. If you’re into sushi, then you already know what’s up. If you’re new to the game, this is as fine a place…
Summer Guide: Arts + Culture
$0: Hot Salsa Saturday, Pinatas Mexican Restaurant At 10 p.m. on Saturdays, Pinatas Mexican Restaurant (near Case Western Reserve University) turns into a full-on salsa dance party. Latin nightclub dance music —salsa, bachata, kizomba, merengue, reggaeton — blasts onto the dance floor and keeps people moving all night. If you’ve never tried, salsa dancing is…
Summer Guide: Get Outdoors
$20: Hermes Cleveland 5K Races, Various Locations There are few workouts genuinely better than a good run on a sunny day. Those dashes through the neighborhood can also be incredibly fun and soul-nourishing if you’re doing it right. Goal setting is an important part of that. Hermes Cleveland, the region’s premier road-racing organization, hosts runs…
Summer Guide: A Season of Festivals
$0: Parade the Circle, Wade Oval This free event at Wade Oval is a hallmark of summer for many in Cleveland. The park is transformed into a vibrant, colorful festival of art and music. Think Mardi Gras tempered for all ages, full of local and international artists, street performers, and revelers celebrating the arts with…
Graffiti Social Kitchen brings a new look to an old Battery Park address
Perhaps the time has come for restaurants to move beyond the practice of assigning clever names and tongue-in-cheek descriptions to menu items. At best, the habit merely complicates the ordering process and requires an extended briefing from the server. At worst, the custom results in a diner ending up with something very different from what…
Summer Guide: Months of Music
$0: Fourth of July Cleveland Orchestra Concert, Mall B Since 1989, the Cleveland Orchestra has made it a point to light up downtown with wonderful music during the week of July Fourth. Not only is the holiday already very communal and neighborly, but the Cleveland Orchestra gives us all a chance to revisit the music…
CAN Journal hands the mic to Northeast Ohio’s artists for a karaoke competition
The Collective Arts Network (CAN) and its CAN Journal were founded in 2011 as a collaborative promotional effort between local arts organizations. These institutions and arts professionals created a high-quality, quarterly publication designed to preview upcoming local arts events, as well as report and comment on relevant issues in the region. In the past four…
A simplistic story gets a facile staging in ‘Wolves’ at convergence-continuum
One of the things gay children grow up without is their own set of stories — their own fairy tales, if you will — that teach them lessons about the adult world they will eventually enter. Where is the gay version of Cinderella or Rapunzel? And what about Little Red Riding Hood? Well we now…
Summer Guide: Get Out of Town
$0 – Cleveland Browns Training Camp, Berea So Berea really isn’t out of town, but with all the drama of a typical Browns offseason, it’s nice to finally get a chance to see the team in action (or, well … ). Training camp runs from late July to late August at the team’s facility in…
Summer Guide: Shop Til You Drop
$15: Flirty Dress, Salty Not Sweet Ladies, we’ve been waiting all winter for dress season, but that doesn’t mean we’re willing to pay mall prices for a fresh new look. That’s why Ohio City’s Salty Not Sweet is on our list of stops this summer. It’s small but potent inventory of sheer overlays, pattered frocks…
Band of the Week: Seafair
Meet the Band: Chayla Hope (vocals), Ryan Kelly (drums), Michael Flaherty (guitar), Joshua Riehl (bass) Tara Hanish (cello), Andrea Belding (violin) Bigger is Better: First formed in 2012, Seafair expanded to a four-piece when singer-keyboardist Chayla Hope and guitarist Joshua Riehl recruited drummer Ryan Kelly and cellist Tara Hanish, both of whom had played in the…
A former Westwood Country Club caddie pens a novel about his experiences
Rob Fisher spent summers in the 1980s as a caddie at Westwood Country Club, which, for many in the area, plays out as one of the great picaresque narratives of Northeast Ohio youth. The program exists to this day; I caddied at Westwood from 2003 to 2010. To reflect on those summers and honor the…
Review of the Week: ‘We Are Still Here’
Several years ago, writer-director Ted Geoghegan, a horror and exploitation film buff, decided he wanted to write a screenplay that would represent his own “take” on Lucio Fulci’s 1981 horror film House by the Cemetery. “It’s a movie I always really enjoyed,” explains Geoghegan in a recent phone interview. “We came up with the concept…
Savage Love: Cartalk
Dear Dan, Yesterday, I found my 5-year-old son putting things up his butt in the bath. This isn’t the first time—and it’s not just a “Hey! There’s a hole here! Let’s put things in there!” kind of thing. The little dude was rocking quite the stiffy while he did it. I’m well aware of how…
‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ Does the Romantic Novel Justice
Back in the 1980s, Merchant Ivory, a film production company founded by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory, came to prominence as an art house hit maker. It churned out a number of elaborate period pieces set in the vast English countryside. Those films often starred Emma Thompson in roles in which she played…
The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Summer in Cleveland
We seem to have bypassed spring altogether in Cleveland this year, which is just damn fine by us. But now the question you face every summer: What are you going to do? We’re here to help, because we don’t want you opening Instagram every morning, watching with regret as you see your friends enjoying all…
