13 Groups to Disparage, Inspired by Gordon Gee’s Resignation
OSU president Gordon Gee has announced his resignation in the fallout of comments he made back in December about Roman Catholics. Say whaaa? He made a pretty funny joke, I thought. “The fathers are holy on Sunday, and they’re holy hell the rest of the week,” the AP quoted Gee saying at a meeting of…
Concert Review and Slideshow: Kendrick Lamar at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
Kendrick Lamar is already well known as one of the best new artists on the rap scene and he is likely to continue to climb. Last night’s show at Jacobs Pavilion proved he’s one of the most talented emcees today. Though still very young, given time and more experience, he could become the greatest emcee…
Chris Perez Investigated for Drug Possession in Rocky River
MLB.com’s Zack Meisel tweeted out this surprising bit o’ news this morning: Chris Perez was arrested in Rocky River for drug possession. Chris Perez is under investigation in Rocky River. Police Chief Kelly Stillman spoke this afternoon, though few additional details were available. A source tells us it was pot-related. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation…
Judge Pinkey Carr Sentences ‘Idiot’ to Hold ‘Idiot’ Sign: UPDATE
UPDATE: Richard Dameron, who was sentenced to hold an “I’m an idiot” sign in public all week, hasn’t shown up to his post. He told Judge Pinkey Carr today that he was “drunk” and that he “didn’t have a ride.” For his oft-cited idiocy, Dameron garnered 90 days in jail (on top of 90 to…
Ohio Wants to Curb Childhood Obesity
…And don’t we all, right? The Ohio Department of Health this week announced a plan to funnel $1 million toward a two-year childhood anti-obesity initiative. Better late than never, to be sure, as estimates put the childhood obesity rate at more than 30 percent in Ohio. The closer one gets to Cleveland, the more that…
Ticket Giveaway: Orion Music Festival In Detroit, Featuring Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and More
We have five pairs of two-day passes to the Orion music festival in Detroit this weekend (June 8 and 9), where you can catch Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dropkick Murphys, Silversun Pickups, The Joy Formidable, and the list goes on and on from there. (Full info at their site.) How can you win? Glad…
Campbell’s Sweets About to Pop, Says Owner
Campbell’s Sweet Factory, the geniuses behind the irresistibly delicious dichotomy popcorn, has confirmed that they will be opening a third location. The original Campbell’s Popcorn Shop stand opened in the West Side Market in 2004. Two years ago, Campbell’s opened an Ohio City storefront down the block with an expanded product line. Co-owner Jeff Campbell…
Greg Little and Joe Haden Ate Ribs with Charles Ramsey
At least according to Greg Little.
9 Photos of Cleveland That Showcase The City’s Beauty
Cleveland, to the uninitiated, evokes images of vacant warehouses, polluted rivers, racist symbols… A lot of unpleasantness. But we know better; duh. Visitors to Cleveland can look in almost any direction and see something unimaginable compared to their previous notions of our city. Green space abounds, blue blue-ish water ebbs and flows, and, hey, we’ve…
Asdrubal Cabrera to DL, Juan Diaz Called Up
Well damn. Tribe shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera has been placed on the 15-day disabled list following a strain to his right quad running out a ground ball in the fifth inning of last night’s 7-4 loss to the New York Yankees. Juan Diaz has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus to fill the vacant roster spot. Diaz,…
A Cleveland Teen Broke Vine With a Rick Astley Rickroll
Vine: That quasi-addictive app that only lets you upload 6 seconds of video. Unless you’re Will Smidlein, a 16-year-old Cleveland-area web developer. Because yesterday, the same day that Vine became available on Android, Smidlein somehow got around the technological 6-second limitation on Vine and uploaded the full “Never Gonna Give You Up” Rick Astley video.…
What Other Road Closures Would Benefit Cleveland’s Entertainment Reach?
Everyone should rest assured that Captain America: The Winter Soldier is going to put Cleveland ON THE MAP, despite the current inconveniences to local commuters. Economic benefits! Really cool action sequences! Uh… Really cool action sequences! Bearing that formidable success in mind, here are some ideas for future road closures when it comes to entertaining…
Captain America Divides Cleveland
By now, the cries of “Sweet lord! This traffic is insane!” are well worn territory in Clevela – ZZzzz… But that doesn’t mean the Hollywood-prompted streets snafu is any less of a pain in the ass. Beginning May 31, West Side commuters found themselves crawling along the banks of Detroit Avenue, gasping for strong drink…
10 Cent Beers at Now That’s Class Tonight for Anniversary of Ten Cent Beer Night Debacle
39 years ago today, the Cleveland Indians offered fans 10-cent beers and, well, the rest is a tidy chapter in Cleveland’s rather ignominious history. Now That’s Class will once again, as they have in recent years, celebrate with a 10-cent beer night of their own. Details from their site: 10 CENT BEER NIGHT RETURNS39th anniversary…
Cleveland is Great at Talking About its Waterfront
Here is Cleveland’s approach to waterfront development: talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk…
The 30 Best Photos From Last Weekend in Cleveland
From a foam party at Peabody’s to Blossom, from VegFest to Mahall’s, it was a helluva weekend to be a Clevelander.
Veggie U Opts to Discontinue Annual Food & Wine Fundraiser
After a successful 10-year run, Veggie U and The Chef’s Garden have made the painful decision to not continue hosting the annual Food & Wine fundraiser in Milan, Ohio. In just 10 years’ time, the popular summer event that featured chefs and wineries from across the nation doubled in size to roughly 1,000 guests. “We…
Depressing Stats of the Day: Progressive Field Attendance
Understanding that Cleveland Indians’ attendance is a complicated problem, and that to a certain extent the horse is dying or dead already and beating it will do little to bolster this year’s numbers… a little perspective never hurt anybody, right? Bud Shaw had some key insights into the attendance issue earlier this month. In his…
Ten Sights From Nelsonville This Weekend
Yes, among them was a man with a watermelon on his head.
Gina DeJesus is Adopting the Dog that Comforted Her
Lala, a Shih-Tzu or poodle/terrier mix, is going home with Gina DeJesus, a woman she watched over for ten years in Ariel Castro’s home. Via Live With Dogs, the three women were sometimes allowed to play with Castro’s three dogs during their captivity, and the dogs were often taken away from them as punishment. After…
Dispatches from Nelsonville Music Festival
ERIC SANDY/SCENE Nelsonville Music Festival Nestled neatly among the rolling hills of Athens County, the Nelsonville Music Festival offered a weekend of *really freaking terrific* music, a laid-back environment replete with good eats and eye-catching art, and more than a little rain. It’s a perfectly bucolic festival, which has only gotten bigger and better each…
Wilco at Nelsonville Music Festival: Concert Review
ERIC SANDY/SCENE Wilco at Nelsonville Music Fest Black clouds were brewing off to the west throughout the evening. As Mavis Staples and her band wrapped up a slick take on The Band’s “The Weight,” the crowd was getting visibly nervous. Ponchos came out. Eyes lifted toward the sky. The cloud moved in further. A fairly…
The Cleveland Clinic Saved Lou Reed’s Life
Reed The Cleveland Clinic has treated Saudi Arabian princesses and similarly royal cats from around the globe. The famed hospital can now add legendary glam-rockin’ poet Lou Reed to its resume. He received a liver transplant a few weeks back, effectively saving his life. His wife, Laurie Anderson, said: “It’s as serious as it gets.…
Concert Slideshow: Dave Matthews Band at Blossom
Dave Matthews Band played a three-hour show last night in front of 17,000 fans at Blossom Music Center. Here’s a few photos from the show.
Pic of the Day: 1.5 Million Balloons Released on Public Square in ’86
The United Way came under fire this week when families victimized by the Chardon shooting sued the organization for mismanaging a fund dedicated to their healing and recovery. It’s not the first time the United Way has dealt with lawsuits. Back in 1986, in a massive fundraising spectacle, downtown Cleveland became the launch site of…
Bill Maher Compares George W. Bush to Ariel Castro
On Friday’s edition of Bill Maher’s HBO show “Real Time,” the comedian and political talk show host likened George W. Bush to Ariel Castro. Bush held a 100-K bike event for Iraqi veterans who had lost limbs in combat. Mauer called it “nauseating.” “First he sends them off to war to get their limbs blown…
Concert Review and Slideshow: Tim McGraw at Blossom Music Center
Country superstar Tim McGraw sure knows how to make entrance. Last night before taking the stage in front of a rowdy sold out crowd at Blossom, he braved the rain to strut from the side of the stage and cut through the crowd, slapping high fives along the way. Wearing a black cowboy hat and…
Movie Cops Don’t Like You Taking Pictures of Captain America Filming
Have you wandered down to any of the locales where Captain America is filming/screwing up the daily lives of Clevelanders? If not, you might not be familiar with the on-set movie cops who use flailing arms and vaguely menacing stares to attempt to stop you from taking pictures of what’s going on. Fun times. Probably…
Video: Brother Bears Wrestling at Cleveland Zoo
Cody and Cooper will make your Saturday better. Hell, they’ll make any day of the week better. The two brother grizzlies have been putting on a show this year rough-housing like a pair of rambunctious real human brothers (animals are just like people!). We’re pretty sure Cody stole Cooper’s juicebox or something. Anyway, here you…
Director to attend tomorrow’s screening of Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan
When director Gary Jones was growing up, he always loved the old campy horror movies. “I grew up in front of the television watching King Kong and Frankenstein,” he says. “I had an artistic background and used to draw and paint and did comic books as a kid. I ventured into sculpting and painting and…
Concert Review: Bloc Party at House of Blues
While the British rock act Bloc Party hasn’t entirely lived up to expectations after coming out of the gates so strong with its acclaimed 2005 debut Silent Alarm, that apparently hasn’t stopped it from putting on a killer live show. With an arsenal of blinding lights that could have filled an arena, Bloc Party played…
Great Lakes Brewing Co. Will Actually Sell “Shoreway Shutdown Sandy”
Extra! Extra! Today only, Great Lakes Brewing Company will offer “Shoreway Shutdown Sandy” in direct response to the Twitter hullabaloo over Cleveland’s traffic fiasco this morning. Via GLCB Communications Assistant Marissa DeSantis: This cocktail is mixed with equal parts of Great Lakes Brewing Company’s The Wright Pils and lemonade. $5, today only. Like you, we…
‘Will & Grace’ Actress Megan Mullally Describes Harrowing Night in Cleveland
Mullally Megan Mullally, best known for her work as Karen Walker on TV’s Will & Grace, had a weird night in Cleveland recently. She told the story to BuzzFeed, using some pretty evocative prose. Mullally was hanging out at the Beachwood Hilton’s nightclub with some fellow thespians following a day of filming. Her husband, Nick…
Lakewood Police Respond to False Urination Report
Lakewood police leapt into action May 29 after receiving a report of several men straight-up urinating out of the windows of an Alameda Avenue home. The cops spoke with the woman who owns the home and stepped inside to investigate the scene. It soon became clear that the homeowner’s 20-year-old daughter has a morning ritual…
Social Media Blew Up with Shoreway Shutdown Complaints
Your commute sucked this morning, we know. Ours did too. The Shoreway closed this morning for the filming of what had better be an elaborate, high-octane highway chase scene in Captain America 2, and will remain closed for two more weeks. Like responsible 21st century citizens, we’ve taken our frustrations promptly to the digisphere, where…
Clevelanders Can’t Stop Stealing From Movie Sets
Clevelanders were thrilled to hear that some more big blockbuster movies were coming to film in our delightful city this summer. Well, at least until we learned that Captain America would shut down every godblessit street in town, including a major highway. Hollywood loves us! Except what Hollywood didn’t realize is that apparently Cleveland is…
Charles Ramsey Wants to Beat Up Angel Cordero
For all his outspoken magnanimity, Charles Ramsey appears to be overly protective of the “Hero” label he may have unduly acquired in the rescue of Amanda Berry earlier this month. Residents on Seymour Avenue certainly aren’t buying into the Ramsey-as-Savior narrative. “It’s absolutely false,” said Cleveland councilman Brian Cummins in a phone interview this afternoon.…
Frank Russo’s Cellmate is a CIA Torture Whistleblower
Frank Russo shipped off to prison in Loretto, PA, earlier this year. Around the same time, John Kiriakou was making his way to the same facility. Kiriakou is a former CIA agent, one of six men indicted or convicted of leaking classified material that detailed illegal torture during the Bush administration. Kiriakou is a whistleblower…
Gordon Gee Doesn’t Trust ‘Those Damn Catholics’
The Ohio State University’s bowtie-bedecked president, Gordon Gee, came under fire today after The Associated Press obtained records showcasing his self-proclaimed “poor attempt at humor” during a December 2012 meeting. On the topic of Notre Dame – and the Big Ten’s longstanding desire to reel them in – Gee cracked open a little heat: “The…
What is Proper Etiquette When Dealing With a Bathroom Attendant?
This week’s feature story is a profile of Door George, the longtime Flats’ mainstay who worked for years at Circus and basically running Cleveland’s adult entertainment world before shuffling to a job as the bathroom attendant at the Hustler Club. There’s plenty of gold in George’s story — really, go read it, it’s fabulous —…
The Five Yummiest Events in Cleveland This Week
1. On Saturday, June 1, the Cleveland Vegan Society will host the first annual VegFest. “This is the first event of this kind in this area, and we are thrilled. There is something for everyone,” says Amy Wagar Cinch, President of the Cleveland Vegan Society. This free, all-day event will host an array of well…
Ed FitzGerald Endorses Armond Budish Amid Roster of Democrats
Armond Budish is staring into your soul. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald plans to take his talents ambitions to Columbus, but he’s hung around his current stomping grounds long enough to proffer a ringing endorsement for Democratic candidate Armond Budish. It’s not terribly surprising or interesting, but the news further cements Budish’s position at the…
Chardon Shooting Victims’ Families Sue United Way; Fund Gets Frozen
With their victimized stature already drawn out in perpetuity, the families of the Chardon High School shooting victims are now getting a firm backhand from a less likely entity: United Way. Nearly $1 million has been raised to support the families’ healing process via the Chardon Healing Fund, but they’ve only managed catch 15 percent…
Concert Review: Alkaline Trio at House of Blues
When they were just boys with high-pitched voices and a ton more energy and fewer responsibilities, bands like Alkaline Trio and Bayside helped bring pop-punk into the new millennium. In the case of Alkaline Trio, who also just released their eighth studio album, it would seem that the question for them would be about how…
Tribe Pitcher Trevor Bauer’s New Rap Song About The Tribe
Trevor Bauer, he of the strong arm and dashing rap lyric abilities, penned another song. This time, it’s about his teammates. “Gutter to the Grail.” Just give it a listen, please. He’s so bad.
Culture Jamming
TOP PICK John Fogerty Wrote a Song for Everyone (Vanguard Records) The Credence Clearwater Revival frontman gets by with a little help from his friends here as he revisits his classic hits and re-records them with acts such as the Foo Fighters, Keith Urban, My Morning Jacket and Zac Brown Band. The Pastels Slow Summits…
Still Swingin’
The Swingin’ Utters played a part in setting off the once-burgeoning California punk rock scene after forming in the late ’80s. They were a part of the original Vans Warped Tour, and have toured with the likes of Rancid and the Dropkick Murphys. After a seven-year split that ended in 2010, the band recently released…
Shining Bright
The Cleveland Print Room’s Spotlight exhibition showcases images from young fine art photographers attending or recently graduated from area colleges. As a group show, most contributors only have between one and three works. However, several solitary works command more attention and interest than many larger bodies of work by the artists’ young peers. Jamee Crusan’s…
Confessions of a Strip Club Bathroom Attendant
The bathroom counter at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club in The Flats looks like a small colonized offshoot of CVS. Newport, Newport, Parliament, Newport, Camel, Pall Mall, Advil, Excedrin, 5-Hour Energy, 5-Hour Energy Extra Strength, Tic Tac, Life-Savers, Dial, IceBreakers, Calvin Klein, 47/11, Frost, Febreeze, Febreeze, Axe, Axe, Axe, Axe—ladies and gentlemen—Axe. They’re lined up like…
No Nudge Needed
What does a successful restaurant group do when it saturates a market with its product? If you’re the folks at Winking Lizard, you just come up with a new concept—or two. After deciding that Northeast Ohio had its fill of Winking Lizard restaurants, explains partner John Lane, the company shifted gears with Lizardville, and again…
The Next Trend in Cleveland Drinks
“If you can imagine getting punched squarely in the nose while sucking on a mentholated cough drop,” alternative newspaper SF Weekly once noted, “you’ll have an idea of Fernet-Branca’s indelicate first impressions.” Indeed, there’s nothing subtle about Fernet-Branca, an amari (a class of bitter Italian digestifs) that arrives with an effervescent blast of peppermint and…
Heckuva Guy
At one point in time, Heck’s Café was a distinguished local institution with a mother ship in Ohio City and colonies in Woodmere and Rocky River. The restaurant had attained the enviable status of recognized brand, where just the utterance of the name provoked a Pavlovian response that only a two-fisted burger could assuage. But…
Green, Green Grass
The Ohio Rights Group has been given the green light to pursue some 385,253 signatures in an effort to put the Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment on the ballot. Just last week, Attorney General Mike DeWine certified the group’s first 1,000 signatures, prompting a busy campaign ahead. There’s a lot of work involved – and a…
Band of the Week
Meet the Band: JCK (singer-guitarist) A One-Man Band: Singer-guitarist JCK formed Maid Myriad in 2007 and since that time has had a slew of musicians roll through his jam/experimental band. “Right now, it’s a solo project,” he says. “It’s funny because we toured in February and the band I’m taking out this time is completely…
Movies Out
THURSDAY may 30 M This German film from 1931 touches down in a frenzied Berlin during the police manhunt for a child murderer (Peter Lorre). Frustrated with the police force’s incompetence, a group of vigilante criminals take it upon themselves to track down the killer using a network of street beggars as spies. The film,…
CD Review: Sexy Pig Divas
sexypigdivas.com The multi-instrumentalist husband/wife duo Nicky Beatnick and Katie Cat formed this art rock band while the two were still taking classes at Kent State. While many a band that forms in college breaks up, they’ve kept at it and have followed up their 2011 debut Eating Square Grapes at Circle Pyramids with this nifty…
Everyman’s Band
Late nights. Road trips. Lineup changes. Artistic differences. How does a band keep it together for 20 years? “It’s what I imagine being married is like,” laughs Bottle Rockets drummer Mark Ortmann. His alt-country band formed two decades ago through high school friends and, in doing so, put its Festus, Missouri hometown on the…
Lean and Mean
Though they knew a bit about each other, when Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack first officially met in 1998 in London, they didn’t really know that much. “I had been making music by myself and it was something that I felt passionate about,” says Okereke, who would eventually form Bloc Party…
Savage Love
Dear Dan — I think someone asked you a question about me and my amazing Boyfriend. I set up and re-rack the weights when we work out. The person who wrote saw me kneel and tie my Boyfriend’s shoe and was wondering what was up. You told the guy to ask my Boyfriend. He hasn’t…
MURDEROUS FOREPLAY
The erotic substrata made up of those who enjoy playing “master (or mistress) and slave” games has always been a part of our libidinous culture. To wit: exactly how many millions has the author of Fifty Shades of Grey made? But sometimes, those games are played for keeps. So it is in Thrill Me, The…
