Local Love Muffin Record Label Turns 30
Local musician Adam Rich launched his Love Muffin Records way back in 1994 when he wanted to put out a cassette he’d recorded in his basement. In the wake of that initial release, he’s kept the label going all this time and has also managed to put on an annual festival dubbed LoveMuffinPalooza too (this…
Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus Artists Warn Community Center Could Dissolve Due to Landlord’s New Lease Agreement
One of Cleveland Heights’ most beloved centers for collaborative artists could go away next year due to a sudden change of terms with their landlord, its tenants said this week. The Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus—full name People Enhancing a Community’s Environment—said that its landlord, Heights Libraries, will, starting in 2025, curtail its normal 18-month lease at…
Bop Stop To Host Donny Hathaway Tribute
At 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, the Bop Stop will host a special tribute to the late soul singer Donny Hathaway. Local acts Hubb’s Groove, Adrianna Miller and Gerald Skillern will perform. In addition, local artist Sampson Smiley has been commissioned to create a special painting of Hathaway. The exclusive artwork will be auctioned…
Cuyahoga County Library Employees Picket, Claiming Unfair Wages and Treatment
Dozens of librarians recently took to the sidewalks to protest what they claim are unfair wage compensation from management at the Cuyahoga County Public Library. The Services Employees International Union, the body that represents some 450 unionized library staff across the county’s system, had been in new contract negotiations with CCPL’s attorneys since January. After…
At Honest in Parma Heights, an Extensive Tour of India’s Regional Cuisines and a Vegetarian’s Delight
Like many kids growing up in Gujarat, Dharmesh Patel looked forward to dining at Honest, a well-known restaurant chain in India. Years later, after immigrating to Cleveland, graduating from college and settling down in Parma, he began seeing the Honest name popping up on this side of the globe. After nearly six years of pursuing…
Ohio’s JD Vance Leads the Chorus to Cheer on Convicted Felon Donald Trump’s Utter Lawlessness
If convicted felon Donald Trump had been acquitted by a jury of his peers he’d be doing a perpetual victory lap and singing the praises of the judicial process that exonerated him. His backup choir of pathetic sycophants, led by Ohio’s always craven junior senator J.D. Vance and the state’s least productive but always performative…
Cleveland Okays $2 Million to Try and End Unsheltered Homelessness by 2025
Whether encamped on the northern edge of Superior Avenue downtown or under a highway overpass, roughly 150 Clevelanders spend a great bulk of their days and nights outside, either refusing to seek shelter or mentally unprepared for the pressures of communal living. It’s this population of 150 that, the city argued in Monday’s marathon Committee…
Livewire: 22 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland in June
THU 06/06 Cannons Led by whispering singer Michelle Joy, this alternative rock act writes pop tunes with enough of an edge to appeal to the alt-rock crowd. Last year’s Heartbeat Highway established the group as an underground sensation and Cocteau Twins-like songs such as the title track, “Loving You” and “Metal Heart” really shimmer. The…
Letters to Cleo Brings Rare Summer Tour to the Grog Shop
Growing up in the Boston area, Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanley benefited from a very eclectic local AM radio station that played a mix of music that would never work in today’s genre-specific world. “That AM radio station would play Wings before Little River Band before Dolly Parton and Donna Summer, depending on who…
Top picks for Mesh WiFi Routers in 2024
Mesh WiFi systems are taking over in homes and businesses across the United States. From dual-band to tri-band and quad-band, WiFi router access points have evolved, and the best mesh WiFi routers of 2024 can deliver blanket square feet coverage of blazing-fast wireless internet. What Makes Mesh Wifi Better? If you only have one router,…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (June 6-9)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 06/06 Cannons Led by whispering singer Michelle Joy, this alternative rock act writes pop tunes with enough of an edge to appeal to the alt-rock crowd. Last year’s Heartbeat Highway established the group as…
First Look: Boom’s Pizza, Opening Next Week at Van Aken District in Shaker Hts.
Ben Bebenroth, Jonathan Bennett, and the rest of the Boom’s Pizza team are putting the finishing touches on the new Shaker Heights restaurant. Located in the former home of Michael’s Genuine, the colorful, casual and attractive space shares plenty of DNA with the Lakewood original, which opened a year and a half ago. Following a…
45th Annual Tri-C JazzFest Offers Well-Balanced ‘Meal’ of Jazz
As always, the 45th Annual Tri-C JazzFest that takes place from June 20-22 at Playhouse Square will feature a wildly eclectic lineup of iconic artists. Even though the event takes place just once a year, festival director Terri Pontremoli says she’s always thinking in terms of programming. “Programming is always in the back of my mind,”…
The Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival Kicks Off and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
Trombone fans, classical guitar aficionados, and chamber music devotées can binge out on multiple events this week, as well as enjoy a taste of musical theater shows on deck for later in the summer. – Cleveland Orchestra trombonist Sachar Israel has revived his Cleveland Trombone Seminar after a lengthy pandemic-related hiatus. Many ‘bones will be…
Ohio Libraries Bracing for Tough Choices as State Funding Revenue Continues to Dip
Ohio public libraries act as community hubs not just for reading, but also internet access, and job and school resources. But they are being forced to have difficult discussions as state funding revenue continues to dip, threatening operations and programs. For Victoria Schrock, who’s worked at three different library systems in the state, the library…
In ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2,’ Now at the Beck Center, Nora’s Story Continues 15 Years Later
It’s been often said that “You can’t go home again,” a saying borrowed from the title of Thomas Wolfe’s 1940 book about the impossibility of revisiting a former world that has been draped in pleasant nostalgia. But what if the home in question was the site of a shocking event that fractured a marriage? That…
Ohio AG Yost Says He Won’t Explain His Role in Bailout Scandal Because of Other Cases
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has given another reason not to explain his involvement in the biggest corruption scandal in state history: There are other cases in the matter — including two he’s prosecuting — and there could be more. Regardless of Yost’s position, last year, as they made their closing arguments in court, federal…
Old Brooklyn Mustard is Rebranding as POP Mustard After New Partnership with Michael Symon
In 2016, Michael Januska launched Old Brooklyn Cheese Co., an artisanal cheese venture in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood. In his quest to find the perfect accompaniment for those amazing cheeses, the owner began experimenting with whole-seed mustards. After exploring various mustard seed blends, and processes like fermentation and smoking, Januska launched Old Brooklyn Mustard. Before…
‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ at Cain Park is Filled With Lovably Clumsy Characters
There are some shows in the huge and groaning anthology of stage musicals that are simply impervious to critical comment. Because no matter how bad some or all of the performers are, and no matter how ham-handed the direction, something like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will always be saved by the Tony…
Museum of Illusions, Instagrammable Edutainment, Opens Friday in Downtown Cleveland
In the realm of good downtown retail news, the stories are typically predictable. A flashy bar concept opens up on Euclid. A restaurant with a fire-pitted rooftop on Public Square. A casino extension for chainsmokers. But things to do for families downtown? A little harder to come by. It’s possible that the Museum of Illusions,…
Ohio GOP Leaders’ Push to Stop Foreign Money Does Nothing About Transparency
In exchange for putting a sitting president on the state ballot, Ohio’s Republican leadership this week demanded that Democrats agree to a measure Republicans said would protect ballot initiatives from foreign money. However, the measures would do nothing to bring transparency to politically active 501(c)(4) “dark money” groups into which foreigners, corporations — even criminal…
Arabella Proffer, Beloved Cleveland Artist, Passes Away at the Age of 45
“No good story ever started with someone saying, ‘It was a work night, so I went to bed early.’ Leave your house. Do something. Create. Because you really never know what can happen.” — Arabella Proffer Arabella Proffer, Cleveland artist, author, and co-founder of the indie label Elephant Stone Records, passed away Tuesday evening at the…
Concert Review: Khruangbin Brought a Groovy Summer Soundtrack to Jacobs Pavilion
Vibes were high at Jacobs Pavilion on Wednesday night, when Khruangbin soared through a set of groovy, summery songs fitting for the outdoor venue. The Texas-based musical trio — Laura Lee Ochoa on bass and vocals, Mark Speer on the guitar and vocals and Donald “DJ” Johnson on the drums — brings an electrifying psychedelic…
Livewire: 10 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
THU 05/30 Lauren Daigle: The Kaleidoscope Tour The Christian rock singer-songwriter brings her Kaleidoscope Tour to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The concert begins at 7 p.m., and Ellie Holcomb opens. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com. Red Light Roxy Tonight at 7:30 at Market Garden Brewery, this local act will play a mix of jazz standards, jump…
Cleveland State’s Waterfront Line Study Urges Apartments on the Muni Lot, New Loop Connections
From the perspective of a Downtown Cleveland optimist, the area spells promise for the near future as far as development is concerned. A new Rock & Hall of Fame extension is coming. Bedrock just broke ground on its $2 billion riverfront neighborhood. And Mayor Justin Bibb’s Lakefront Plan’s likelihood got a boost after his Shore-to-Core-to-Shore…
For Foreigner, Rock Hall Induction Will Be ‘Cherry on Top’
Eligible for induction into the Rock Hall for several years, the ’70s hard rock act Foreigner often made the list of “snubs” that critics would publish on a yearly basis. But with the announcement that the band will be inducted this year, the group is no longer on that list, something that pleases both the…
Cleveland Heights School District Failed to Address Student Sexual Harassment and Assault Incidents, Lawsuit Claims
Superintendents, principals and student coordinators at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District failed to handle multiple instances of sexual harassment and assaults going back at least 14 years, a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday afternoon alleges. The complaint, filed in the Northern District of Ohio Court by parents of students and former students who are now…
Ohio Dems Lay Out Education Bills to Increase Funding, Target Private Vouchers and Student Hunger
Ohio House Democrats have laid out a plethora of bills targeting the education system in the state, impacting everything from teacher pay to oversight of private school vouchers and the overall funding of the public school system. In a press conference last week, House Democratic leadership and bill sponsors listed off legislation that has been…
Cleveland Police Say No Arrests Made After Playhouse Square Drifter Incident
No arrests have yet been made after a crew of drivers managed to ruthlessly drift around a circle of fire underneath Playhouse Square’s GE Chandelier for at least a minute on Sunday morning, Cleveland Police said. In a short press conference over Zoom, Sgt. Freddy Diaz, a CPD spokesperson, said that police need Cleveland’s help…
Goofy Gore and an Odd Ending in ‘A Behanding in Spokane’ at Blank Canvas Theatre
Usually, when the centerpiece of a show involves a motel room where a full can of gas with a lighted candle stuck in the spout illuminates a floor littered with chopped-off hands, you’d think something interesting might be going on. And you’d mostly be right during the goofily gory A Behanding in Spokane by playwright…
Bistro on the Falls in Olmsted Falls Has Closed
Marcelo Fadul has closed Bistro on the Falls, which opened in September 2021 in Olmsted Falls (8134 Columbia Rd.). He says that health issues have forced his hand. “I closed the restaurant last month, but I intended to reopen it,” he told Scene. Fadul has owned restaurants in the greater Cleveland area for decades, including the…
‘Last Ship to Proxima Centauri’ at Convergence-Continuum is a Dark Sci-Fi Comedy That Doesn’t Quite Hit
Moving to a new home can be quite stressful, especially when you arrive late. But usually it’s not that big a problem, you just make some bashful apologies and move on. But when you’re a few centuries late, that can cause some difficulties. So it is in the sci-fi dark comedy “Last Ship to Proxima…
Ohio Senate Republicans Make Biden Ballot Fix Conditional on Attacking Voter Ballot Initiatives
They’re playing dirty. Again. Turns out underhanded, undemocratic schemes to consolidate unilateral power are a feature, not a bug of Ohio’s one-party tyranny in the state. You and I are being systemically disempowered as an electoral check on imperious partisans who seek to rule not represent. Ohio Republicans, who control every branch of state government…
CMA and Ideastream Public Media Partner for New Local Music Series at Transformer Station
Third Thursdays, a new local music series at Cleveland Museum of Art’s Transformer Station, will feature a mix of live local music and interviews with the artists. Curated and hosted by Ideastream Public Media radio personalities, each event pairs a different show host with a band. The events, which take place from 7 to 8:30…
World Premiere of ‘The Prospect of Equality’ at Ensemble Theatre Celebrates RBG’s Career Highlights
I own a pair of Ruth Bader Ginsburg socks and a “Notorious RBG” T-shirt (I bought them myself, they weren’t gifts). If you also own such merch, you should definitely see the world premiere of The Prospect of Equality by Rachel Zake now at Ensemble Theatre. It is an unstinting cavalcade of praise, a platinum-plated…
First Look: Tricky Tortoise Brewing, Opening This Weekend in Willoughby
After eight months of work, Bobby Ehasz finally is ready to welcome the public into Tricky Tortoise Brewing Co. (4057 Erie St., 440-306-8372). He will do that this weekend when the doors officially open for the first time. Ehasz, a partner in Pompatus Brewing in Bainbridge, started with a dark, cavernous building that had been…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: Irie Jamaican Opens in Lakewood, Juneberry Adds Dinner and More
– Irie Jamaican is now open in Lakewood, which is fabulous news for fans of Chef Omar McKay’s work. It’s his fifth spot and he shows no signs of slowing down. Related – While Pearl Street Wine Bar & Cafe closed its doors in May, those looking for dinner from Chef Karen Small won’t have…
Former WWE Superstar Dana Brooke, aka Holy Name Alum Ashley Sebera, Sees Big Promise After Move to TNA Wrestling as Ash By Elegance
When one door closes, you look for another one. That’s what Cleveland native Ashley Sebera did, and she found one, storming through it. Formerly Dana Brooke in WWE, she is now Ash By Elegance, starring for TNA Wrestling, which is broadcast 8 p.m. Thursdays on AXS TV. With a new persona, something she formulated, she…
More Than $310M Settlement Reached With Norfolk Southern After East Palestine Train Derailment
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice reached a more than $310 million with Norfolk Southern Railway Company for last year’s East Palestine, Ohio train derailment. If the settlement is approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Norfolk Southern would have to improve rail safety, pay for health…
Longshot Socialist Party Presidential Candidate Claudia De la Cruz Visits Cleveland
Despite the unfathomable odds standing in the way, the crowd assembeled at the Community of Faith Assembly Church on Cleveland’s east side on Tuesday was filled with enthusiasm and hope during a forum and meet-and-greet with Party for Socialism and Liberation presidential candidate Claudia De la Cruz and vice-presidential candidate Karina Garcia. Organized and hosted by the…
Ohio Servers and Bartenders Oppose Potential Ballot Measure to Raise Minimum Wage, Survey Says
A new survey shows 93% of Ohio servers and bartenders want to keep the current tipping system with a base wage and tips. The Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance released the results of the survey earlier this week, which received 990 responses from tipped employees working at full-service restaurants across Ohio. The online survey was…
