Mastermind in Mistaken Identity Murder-for-Hire Case Found Guilty
2006 murder victim Daniel Ott Update: The mastermind of a murder-for-hire plot gone wrong was found guilty this week by a jury in Geauga County. Joe Rosebrook will be sentenced soon on two charges of aggravated murder, two charges of kidnapping and one charge oc conspiracy. Rosebrook ran his operation down in Logan County. It…
Cavs Fan Who Got “2015 NBA Champs” Tattoo Early Last Season Updates It To 2016
Update: We were just thinking about this guy the other day. You know, the one who got the 2015 Cavs NBA champs tattoo last year? Anyway, the NBA on TNT Twitter account sent out a pretty innocuous year-end tweet yesterday that basically said “Did you have a better year than this guy?” and linked to…
Artwood Derby Returns to SPACES This Weekend
We’ve all heard of the Pinewood Derby, but do you know about the Artwood Derby? The Artwood Derby is back at SPACES! From 6 to 8 p.m. this Saturday, June 6, SPACES invites artists and non-artists (ages 5 and up) to create their own custom car (kits, as well as a drink ticket, are included…
Cleveland Public Library Introduces Book Bike to City Streets
The Cleveland Public Library is introducing a brand new way to check out books this summer: The Book Bike. The contraption will serve as traveling library, complete with a checkout station, WiFi access, and a display for informational materials. “When you first see the bike, you would think we had ice cream in it. It…
Four Classical Music Events Not to Miss This Week
By the editors of ClevelandClassical.com Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills & Nash fame will be the featured guest for the Contemporary Youth Orchestra’s spring concert in Severance Hall on Friday, June 5 at 8:00 pm. Liza Grossman’s 115-member orchestra and 70-member chorus will continue the celebration of CYO’s 20th Anniversary with “GNASH,” the first-ever concert…
Tony Lewis to Discuss ‘Action and Language’ in Art at MOCA Exhibition Talk
While the Opening Night Party for MOCA Cleveland’s Summer 2015 exhibitions isn’t until next week, its latest exhibition by Tony Lewis opens this Friday, June 5. To celebrate, MOCA Cleveland presents an Artist Talk with Lewis; Chicago-based artist, community organizer and educator Anthony Stepter; and MOCA Cleveland Associate Curator Rose Bouthillier. At 3 p.m. this…
Comedian Dave Chappelle to Perform at Playhouse Square
Comedian, screenwriter and TV/film producer Dave Chappelle had great success with Chappelle’s Show until he unexpectedly called it a day to take a break from entertainment. While the show remains in reruns, Chappelle hit the standup circuit in the wake of the end of the hit TV show and has been performing gigs ever since.…
Mahall’s Summer Music Series to Kick Off Next Week
With the Madison Avenue development project happening this summer, the folks at Mahall’s, the Lakewood club/bowling alley/cool place to hang out and get a beer, decided to skip LKWD Music Fest, their annual indoor/outdoor summer blowout concert, to avoid conflicts with the road construction. Instead, they’ll be spreading “the music awesomeness,” as they put it, over…
Heart Mixes Fun Covers into Its Repertoire
It’s safe to say that if the members of Heart missed out on any awards over the years, they’re certainly getting their due these days. The longtime Seattle-based classic rock group found themselves rebranded as Rock and Roll Hall of Famers with their induction into the Rock Hall in 2013, something which put a nice…
Cavs-Warriors Finals Preview: Why Cleveland Will Close the Deal in Under Seven
The Finals has always been celebrated more as a title fight, when basketball is truly, deeply a team sport. Even in this they fall on familiar tropes, the aging lion and upstart challenger. The 30-year-old James for his part believes he’s playing the best basketball of his life, tacitly acknowledging his understanding and will have…
Food Network Star Robert Irvine Comes to Cleveland this Summer
Food Network star Robert Irvine, known for his tight T-shirts and insanely difficult food preparation challenges, is bringing his hit stage show “Robert Irvine Live” to Cleveland this summer. Billed as a “more than just a cooking demo,” the interactive show offers folks the opportunity to see the “Restaurant Impossible” host in action, tackling audience-suggested tasks, and…
No More Goddang Prom Entrances in Helicopters!
Remember that story last year about the Shaker Heights QB who attempted to make a grand prom entrance in a helicopter? It had the town abuzzin’ — about overindulgent prom rituals, about swaggy high school athletes, about Wade Oval Wednesdays — and has now yielded a piece of legislation, approved yesterday by City Council. Helicopter pilots…
Wood Engravings Exhibitions to Open at Morgan Conservatory on Friday
From 7 to 9 p.m. this Friday, June 5, the Morgan Conservatory hosts a reception for its latest pair of exhibitions. Both shows feature wood engravings on handmade paper. Claudio Orso’s Tavola Lunga features large-scale woodcuts by the Oberlin-based printmaker. The exhibition’s title refers to an Italian term, meaning “Long Board.” The work for this…
170 CCW Licenses Revoked in Lake County
A whole bunch of gun-toting Lake County residents recently learned their CCW licenses were invalid after their instructor was busted for offering “fast track classes” to get them certified. The News-Herald was the first to report that after someone complained to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in March, the department began investigating. They found that…
Chris Cornell Acoustic Tour Coming to Lakewood Civic
Soundgarden/Audioslave singer Chris Cornell has announced he’ll release a new solo album in September, and the tour in support of the release will come to Lakewood Civic Auditorium on Thursday, Oct. 8. Cornell has played the Civic Auditorium in the past — it’s well-suited to his acoustic sets that include solo material as well as…
Just a Reminder that the Cool Red Line Greenway Project is Still a Long Way Off
Before we lavish too much praise on the proposed Red Line Greenway project, we’d be wise to recall that, given the current funding picture, the earliest construction can begin on the linear park running adjacent to the RTA rapid tracks from Downtown to Detroit-Shoreway is 2019. Nonetheless, project renderings were lovingly unveiled at a community…
Alt-Rock Veterans Soul Asylum Revert to Doing It Themselves
Hard-rocking Soul Asylum singer-guitarist Dave Pirner originally didn’t set out to play punk rock. He first learned to play trumpet. It was only later that he realized he needed to break free “from the chains of playing trumpet scales every day.” So he initially gravitated to drums because, as he puts it, “I wanted to…
Cleveland Named Among Top Cities for Staycations
According to a survey by financial website WalletHub, Cleveland ranked No. 37 out of the country’s 100 biggest cities for “staycations,” which is a trendy word used by people who don’t want to spend money on plane tickets or hotel rooms. The experts at WalletHub narrowed down their choices based on three major criteria –…
Schedule Announced for Luxe’s Songwriters on the Patio Series
During the summer months, the folks at Luxe Kitchen & Lounge make use of their outdoor patio to host Luxe Kitchen & Lounge Songwriters on the Patio. A casual affair that features some of the city’s best singer-songwriters, it offers a good chance to hear some great music in an intimate setting. The event takes…
Organizer Describes Dawg Stock Festival as ‘Small Cleveland Woodstock’
Mitch Hengst of the local jam band the Bag Brothers and Scott Nunnari of the Cleveland Muni Lot Browns Backers originally thought Dawg Stock would be a “simple jam band party.” But it’s grown into a legit festival that now includes multiple acts. The event, which takes place on Saturday, June 13, at the “beach…
Chef Adam Lambert, Fresh Fork Market Pair Up for Unique Ohio City Grocery Concept
Chef Adam Lambert and Fresh Fork Market’s Trevor Clatterbuck have partnered up to bring a unique new grocery concept to Ohio City shoppers: A market-and-meat shop that will offer hyper-locally sourced produce, grains, eggs, dairy, and meats. Products sold at the Lorain Avenue storefront (specifically, 3208 Lorain Ave.) will be gathered fresh from more than 100-area…
Extensive Renovation Project Planned for Downtown Corner Alley
On July 1, the downtown location of The Corner Alley will shut its doors for two and half months to facilitate extensive interior and façade renovations, says Jonathan Seeholzer, Regional Operations Manager for MRN Hospitality Group. When the entertainment destination at the corner of East Fourth Street and Euclid Avenue reopens in mid-September, customers will…
IRS Accuses Cleveland DJ of Laundering Weed Proceeds Through Record Company Bank Account
twitter.com/StuPflaum IRS investigators are accusing a local DJ of being in a drug trafficking organization and funneling some of the money from its marijuana sales through a record label he started. Stuart “Stu” Pflaum, 33, known as DJ Xplosive, was arrested on Friday and charged with money laundering, according to federal court records, following a…
Former CMSD CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett Resigns from Chicago Public Schools Post
Former Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett (aka Triple-B aka Tha Byrd in certain circles) has resigned her post as Chicago Public Schools CEO amid a public corruption investigation. From WBEZ: Byrd-Bennett, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, took her leave of absence amid reports that federal investigators were looking at…
Citizen Pie, Neapolitan-Style Pizzeria, Opening on Waterloo
If you’ve been fortunate enough to sample the exquisite pizza of Vytauras Sasnauskas – Chef V to his friends – at any of Americano Bistro’s weekly happy hours, where he used to work as chef-partner, or, more recently, Velvet Tango Room, where the itinerant chef sets up shop on the back patio for monthly pizza…
Third Eye Blind Shoots Nostalgia Trip Into Cleveland’s Arm at Nautica
It’s worth pointing out — and who knows if Stephan Jenkins would entertain this idea — that Third Eye Blind in present-day form occupies an important role on the touring circuit. While, sure, a lot of us are psyched about the prospect of a new album, the band’s appearances in Cleveland and elsewhere signify a more…
Weird Al Delights Capacity Crowd at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
Not even torrential rain and wicked lightning put a damper on “Weird Al” Yankovic’s delightful (and reliably hilarious) two-hour, career-spanning set last night at the Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, which was packed with faithful fans of the beloved parodist. The 56-year-old musician and his long-time bandmates delivered plenty of songs from his most recent album,…
Layoffs and Restructuring at Fox Sports Ohio
Fox Sports Ohio has never really known what it wanted to be, and despite a healthy roster of talent at times, it never really broke through the traffic jam of folks covering sports in Northeast Ohio. That being said, it did boast some talented reporters, among them Zac Jackson, who told us today that he…
Rockefeller’s Restaurant in Cleveland Heights to Close Following Saturday Service
One of the most beautiful restaurants in Cleveland will close its doors after dinner service Saturday night. Rockefeller’s, located on the expansive second floor of the Heights Rockefeller Building, is pulling the plug. “For four and half years we were doing fine,” says owner Michael Adams. “We were established as a good restaurant. We established…
Stop What You’re Doing and Vote for Kipnis
Hard as it may be to believe, the Cavs’ juggernaut progression to the NBA Finals for only the second time in franchise history isn’t the only major local sports story this month. Indians’ 2nd baseman Jason Kipnis has been playing at a caliber not seen since peak Baerga. The records he’s breaking were held by…
Two Girls With Glasses Podcast With the Canopy Collective
On this episode of Two Girls With Glasses, Brandi McElhatten and Nikki Delamotte chat up the co-owners of the new Canopy Collective in the former BuckBuck art gallery space (3910 Lorain Ave., 216-309-1090, canopy-collective.com), Erika Durham and Anthony Koch. The space combines multi-purpose studios for artists as wide-ranging as photographers, toymakers and poets, events and…
Great Lakes Brewing Company and Chef Zack Bruell Pair Up for Progressive Dinner
Great Lakes Brewing Company and restaurateur Zack Bruell have partnered up for a progressive dinner titled “Brew de Bruell Beer and Bites Bus Tour” that’s slated to take place on June 8. The gist of the evening is this: Diners will start off at Table 45 at the InterContinental Hotel, and then proceed to Parallax,…
Capitol Theatre To Host Free Screening of LeBron Doc “More Than a Game” Tuesday
Cleveland Cinemas, in conjunction with 92.3 The Fan, will host a special free screening of More Than a Game Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The film is an inspirational documentary telling the story of LeBron James and his band of brothers on the St. Vincent-St. Mary High School basketball team. Game one of the NBA Finals isn’t…
Piper Kerman, ‘Orange is the New Black’ Inspiration, to Speak at Cleveland Public Library
Binge-watchers can get an intimate look at Netflix’s most successful original series this summer at the Cleveland Public Library: Piper Kerman, whose memoir Orange is the New Black inspired the hit series, will speak June 13 as part of the library’s “Writers and Readers” program. Entry into the event is free for all, and though…
5 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, MAY 29 Third Eye Blind With a self-titled debut that still ranks among the top tier of late-90s rock albums, Third Eye Blind secured and maintained a spot in hearts all over the U.S. (I mean, sheesh, go back and cue up songs like “Graduate,” “Thanks a Lot,” “Motorcycle Drive-By.” That’s an incredible album.)…
Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus Receive Honorary High School Degrees
The Cleveland kidnapping victims marked their two year anniversary of freedom earlier this month, and just this week two of the women added another major accomplishment to their belts. Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus received honorary diplomas on Wednesday from John Marshall High School, the school Berry attended and DeJesus was planning to attend when…
Cavs Take Their Fight to the Warriors After Sweeping the Hawks
Friends, Cavs fans, bandwagon jumpers, lend me your hearts. I’ll rip them asunder. Allow me to introduce myself, I’m the tester of faith, Cruel Fate. God of inexplicable fumbles, boneheaded pitching decisions and improbable rolls. You’re perhaps familiar with my work? Did you see me dancing with glee as they circled David Blatt in January,…
Tamir Rice’s Father, Leonard Warner, Gives First Interview
Leonard Warner, the father of Tamir Rice, granted his first interview to WKYC this week, saying that he remains in disbelief over the circumstances that led to the boy’s death. Warner’s mother joined him on-camera. “I can’t see him grow up to be a man,” Warner said, working quietly and slowly through his words. Warner has not made…
Police Union Prez Concerned That Officers Will Put Themselves in Greater Danger to Get Out of Doing ‘Paperwork’
In a classic CPPA twist to the newly announced Cleveland-DOJ consent decree, Union President Steve Loomis is frustrated that new requirements to fill out reports in use-of-force incidents will discourage officers from drawing their guns in presumably dangerous situations. Part of the consent decree requires an officer to file a report every time he or…
Browns Annual Scrimmage Set for Ohio Stadium
The Browns announced today that their annual “Orange & Brown Scrimmage” will take place Aug. 7 at OSU’s Ohio Stadium. The game will be free. Tickets will be available to season-ticket holders from June 16-19. Everyone else can pick up tix starting on June 20. In a statement, team President Alec Scheiner said: “We are thrilled…
Cleveland Police Officer Accused of Shooting Fleeing Man in Back in 2014
A Cleveland police officer is accused of shooting an unarmed robbery suspect in the back, paralyzing the man as he attempted to run away, and then lying during the internal investigation to justify the shooting. The allegations come in a civil rights lawsuit first filed in the Cuyahoga County common pleas court, and then bumped…
Construction Begins on Cleveland’s First Tiny House
Citizens Bank, the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and city councilman Matt Zone have teamed up to embrace a national movement today in Detroit Shoreway’s EcoVillage: tiny houses. That’s right, the three have partnered to create Cleveland’s first Tiny House, a 600 square foot home complete with two bedrooms and a kitchen to promote the utilization…
Ten Local Bands to Play 4th Annual Red White & Brew Music Festival
The Greater Cleveland Aquarium has booked some of the top local acts to play its 4th Annual Red White & Brew Music Festival on Saturday, July 4, from noon-midnight. The all-day music festival will feature ten local acts on two stages, and the garage blues act Welshly Arms will serve as the headliner. The location…
Comedian Marc Maron Promises Fans Can Expect ‘An Entertaining Evening’
Marc Maron will be back in Cleveland on June 5 for a night of standup at the Ohio Theatre. By default, the gig will be a nice warm-up for the two shows in Chicago the following night that will be filmed for Maron’s next one-hour comedy special that will air at a future date on…
Three-Point Specialist-Turned-Rapper Boobie Gibson Drops Track about Police Brutality
This one’s called “Suicide,” and though the video’s narrative logic isn’t perfectly clear, the motives are: Boobie’s outraged about police brutality in America. Gibson doesn’t yet appear to have the lyric inventiveness to make a splash on the rap scene, but we’ll monitor his progress nonetheless.
First Draft of Mabel’s BBQ Menu Sees Light of Day
Progress is afoot in the former La Strada space on East Fourth Street, home to the much-anticipated new barbecue joint from chef Michael Symon. The latest estimates put opening day later this summer, most likely August. Just as progress continues on the build-out, progress continues on the cook-out. Symon has just revealed the first draft…
Harbor Inn Lands on Esquire’s Best Bars in America List
We do love a good list around here in Cleveland, and we here at Scene love the Harbor Inn. Esquire has been diligent and kind enough to combine the two for us in this month’s issue. The magazine’s annual Best Bars in America feature is a delight and a must-read for the road-tripping imbibers among us. From…
Platform Beer Guys Building Brewery for Itinerant Brewers
For every brewer working at places like Great Lakes, Fat Head’s, Buckeye Brewing, Market Garden and Portside, there literally are thousands more waiting in the wings, tinkering away on jury-rigged equipment in out-of-the-way places. Some of them will begin to cultivate a following, either through beer competitions, festivals or handles at the local taproom. For…
Guest Editorial: A Political History of Cleveland’s Travesty in the Wake of the Brelo Verdict
By Leah C.K. Lewis Last Thursday a friend called saying, “Did you see Roland Martin? They’re talking about Cleveland.” Busy woman that I am, I had not. Thankfully, my friend recorded the program during which Martin expressed to his guests how bewildered he was by the state of affairs in Cleveland. He could not understand…
The Speedbumps Set to Kick Off Summer at Sims Park Concert Series
The Summer at Sims Park Concert series launches tomorrow at 6 p.m. with a performance from Kent-based folk rockers the Speedbumps [pictured]. The concert takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. at Sims Park in Euclid. David Loy and the Ramrods are the opening act. The Nosh Box, Off the Griddle, Chill Pop Shop and…
J.R. Smith Sums Up Last Night in Cleveland in One Video
What more can I say!! ##JustSaying @k1irving @imanshumpertthe1st @perk_409 A video posted by JR Smith (@teamswish) on May 26, 2015 at 8:48pm PDT Nothing, J.R. That’ll do just fine. We’ll have a full recap of last night’s game from Scene’s beat writer, Chris Parker, later this morning.
A Better Coffee FAQ
Brew Bar vs. Espresso Bar Drinks begin with coffee that is either brewed or pulled from the espresso machine. All coffees, both brewed and pulled, are weighed, ground and brewed to order. When it comes to brewed coffee, there are three main methods, each of which affects the qualities of the cup. Pour-over The closest…
Band of the Week: Something Involving a Monkey
Meet the Band: Joe P. (guitar, keyboards and vocals), BeZo (bass, keyboards vocals), Nick Ritz (drums, percussion, sampling) Monkey Business: As the story goes, Joe P. and original drummer Todd Ankrom played in a band called the Family Riot. When that band broke up in 2010, the guys recruited bassist/kazoo player BeZo from Resist/Blood Runs…
May Wraps Up with Dynamite Artistic Offerings
Cleveland’s art community never stops. This weekend includes fast-paced lectures under the stars outside MOCA Cleveland (weather permitting), a retrospective exhibition of a recently deceased Akron artist, and an art auction to benefit the Cleveland Kennel. This Friday, MOCA Cleveland is hoping to pack Uptown and kick off summer programming on its Toby Devan Lewis…
How Does One Learn to Build a Better Bar, Especially a Cocktail Bar in Cleveland?
We know how chefs learn. They go to culinary school to learn the fundamentals. Or don’t. Either way, young cooks start out as grunts, working their way up from the bottom rung, with steps along the way like prep cook, line cook, sous chef and, hopefully, executive chef. The best are passionate sponges, eager to…
Film Review of the Week: In the Name of My Daughter
With apologies to the foreign-film buffs, In the Name of My Daughter (L’Homme Qu’on Aimait Trop) is a dramatic thriller sans thrills. Set on the idyllic, lapis-lazuli shores of the French Riviera, the film is based on actual events, the so-called “Le Roux Affair.” In the film and in the historic case on which it’s…
Film Spotlight: Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque
The cinephiles on staff here at Scene are stoked for the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque’s long-awaited move uptown. At the end of July, Sir John Ewing — the Cinematheque’s mastermind and mule — will vacate the “historic” Russell B. Aitkin auditorium in University Circle and set up shop in a brand-new state-of-the-art theater on…
Rising Star Chef: Rebecca Hess
There’s a delicate balance to the type of person who always chooses to take the hard way: As much as they always seek the next thrill, they’re also required to have unwavering patience for learning new things. They’re the type of chef who, like 30-year-old Rebecca Hess (formerly Rebecca Traxler), jumps into the fast-paced world…
A Longtime Akron Reporter Joins WKYC Up Here in Cleveland
Phil Trexler is one of northeast Ohio’s best reporters, having covered crime and courts for the Akron Beacon Journal for the past 16 years (and the News-Herald for seven years before that). Earlier this month, Trexler left the ABJ to become an executive producer for WKYC, teaming up with Cleveland TV news legend “The Investigator,”…
Riding the Third Wave with the Bean-Sniffing, Java Obsessed Folks Behind Cleveland’s Coffee Renaissance
Walk into Pour Cleveland for the first time and you might bump into a group of people standing around a large communal table, each slurping coffee from a deep spoon with alarming gusto. Across town, in a hulking brick warehouse on Cleveland’s near-west side, a mop-topped man stands in front of a gleaming steel…
