15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (May 30-June 2)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 05/30 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee This Tony and Drama Desk Award winning musical tells the story of an eclectic group of middle-school spelling champions. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7 at…
Singer-Guitarist Dave Clark Talks About His Cleveland Connections
Singer-songwriter Dave Clark, who just released his latest album, Arizona, used to perform with the local rock acts Baby Blue, Dreamer, Dia Pason and Rough House before he took his talents to Phoenix. But even though he’s now living in the same desert community that Alice Cooper and Rob Halford call home, Cleveland’s impact is…
Taking Back Sunday Returns with ‘Most Realized’ Album
The press materials for 152, the latest effort from the hard rock act Taking Back Sunday, maintain that it’s the band most “fully realized” album. Could it really be that the group has finally found itself after twentysomething years? “I do agree with that statement,” says singer Adam Lazarra via phone from his Charlotte home,…
Study Aiming to Revamp Arcade as ‘Cleveland Cultural Center’ Nears Completion
There’s the Hungarian Museum in Erieview. There’s the Italian American Museum in Little Italy. And the mostly obfuscated and private museum over Emperor’s Palace restaurant in Historic Chinatown. A recent plan asks the question: What if we assembled all of these cultural collections into one place. And have that place be none other than the…
Dan Deagan to Open Pin High Golf Simulator Facility in Bay Village
Dan Deagan and a few of his golf buddies had been daydreaming of opening a golf simulator facility in their neck of the woods. Deagan, the man behind Lakewood and Beachwood Truck Parks, among other businesses, said that despite the increased popularity of these attractions, none exist between downtown Cleveland and the far-western suburbs. As…
‘Moms Demand Action’ Push for Common Sense Gun Legislation in Ohio During Advocacy Day
Audrea Hickman’s son Jarrin was murdered on April 17, 2020. She shared her story during a rally as part of the Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Annual Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse Wednesday. About a hundred people donning red shirts gathered for a rally Wednesday morning at the Trinity Episcopal Church to kick…
Proposed Ohio Bill Would Charge Teachers, Librarians With Felonies for ‘Pandering Obscenity’
A Republican-led bill just introduced in the Ohio House would charge teachers and librarians with a felony offense for distributing material deemed “obscene.” The problem is, the bill does not explain what materials would be considered obscene, despite laying a fifth-degree felony on the feet of teachers and “public school librarians” who may possess or…
‘In the Heights’ Soars at Cleveland Play House
Some older folks wax poetic about the glories of home, reflecting misty-eyed on the neighborhood they grew up in and longing for those golden days. That is the pillar on which is built In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first major musical. And thanks to his concept, music and lyrics—enhanced with the words of the book…
Out of the Blue: The Rise and Fall of a Black Cop
This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook. I In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Black Cleveland police Sgt. Vincent Montague crossed the blue line. He…
Council’s Proposed Short-Term Rental Law Could Rattle Cleveland’s Airbnb Market
On most days in Cleveland, there are some 3,500 listings for short-term rentals, half of which are occupied on average, giving homeowners extra cash in their pockets, or real estate investors a leg of income. Yet, not all those Airbnbs and Vrbos are one’s common definition of short-term rentals: 44% percent of these units or apartments…
Cleveland Rocker Shawn Perry Releases Debut Album
Local singer-songwriter Shawn Perry describes his debut album, All American Heartbreak, as a combination of all of his “favorite things.” It draws from hard rock, country, metal, vintage hip-hop and pop. “I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it,” says Perry in a press release about the album, due…
Cleveland Drops Rank in Annual ParkScore Rating Despite Range of Improvements
Last week, Mayor Justin Bibb and his team at the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects kicked off a days-long, citywide tour debuting Cleveland’s first master plan for its park system boasting future plans for improvement for greenspaces and amenities that have long suffered from poor maintenance and lack of new investment. Despite the future optimism…
Bell & Flower in Chagrin Falls to Close May 26th. Will Reopen as Cafe Lola in Late Summer
This past winter, Rick Doody quietly acquired Bell & Flower in Chagrin Falls. The purchase upped the restaurateur’s holdings in the village to three, joining JoJo’s Bar and 17 River Grille. Outside of the village, Doody also operates Bar Italia, Cedar Creek Grille and Lindey’s Lake House. From the start, Doody intended to continue operating Bell & Flower until…
Livewire: 17 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland Through May
THU 05/23 Stress Dolls This Buffalo indie rock band worked with Cleveland-based producer Jim Wirt (Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, Incubus, Fiona Apple) on its new album, Queen of No. On tour to support the release, the band plays at 8 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern. Girl Cologne, Mosant and the Shoehorns open. 15711 Waterloo Rd.,…
Form-Based Code, ‘Neighborhood’ Approach to Zoning, Passes Through Cleveland City Council Committee
For the past 92 years, the city of Cleveland has seen its share of buildings razed and erected, streets widened and others narrowed, trees planted in lots and parking spaces in others. And for that same amount of time, the city’s operated under—relatively speaking, save for a smattering of edits—the same set of zoning laws.…
No Exit Brings Its Surrealism Series to a Close and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
The week before Memorial Day is when classical music series start wrapping things up for the season. But there’s some interesting stuff to look forward to in the coming days. – No Exit New Music, which has been holding up a funhouse mirror to Surrealism all season, brings its offerings to a close with “Breaking…
Cleveland Poets and Couple Kortney Morrow and Quartez Harris Are on the Rise
There are few pairings that, from afar, drip with more romance than those between two writers. Some, like that between F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, are remembered as much for envy and bickering as the symbiotic creative force of their relationship. Some, like the marriage of Jonathan Safran Foer and Nicole Krauss, end with jealousy…
Review: Antica Rises Above the Usual Neighborhood Italian Joint
For the past three years I’ve been dodging tips from friends and readers, who’ve suggested that I travel across town to dine at Antica Italian Kitchen in Avon. When it comes to driving long distances to review Italian restaurants, I’m definitely a “once bitten, twice shy” kind of guy. But earlier this year, I ran…
Two Companies Selected by Ohio Commission to Lease Parts of Noble and Monroe Counties for Fracking
The “highest and best bidders” were selected to lease parts of Noble and Monroe counties for fracking during Monday’s Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission meeting. Colorado-based company Antero Resources Corporation was the sole bidder to lease eight parcels for drilling in Noble County for $4,713.60, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Antero…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Memorial Day Weekend (May 23-26)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 05/23 In the Heights The hard-working residents of Washington Heights grapple with love and lust, identity and racism, all while the prospect of a winning lottery ticket hangs in the air. The musical pairs…
Juneberry Table in Ohio City to Launch Dinner Service on Wednesday, June 5.
After two full years in the breakfast and brunch biz, Juneberry Table (3900 Lorain Ave., 216-331-0338) in Ohio City is adding dinner service. Dubbed “Juneberry P.M.,” the evening hours commence on Wednesday, June 5. Chef-owner Karen Small describes the new service this way: “What is Juneberry P.M.? It’s all of your most-loved lunch-y items from our daytime…
Cleveland Labor Groups, Politicians Join REI Worker Push Towards Bargaining Contract
More pressure has been placed on outdoor goods store REI to secure a union contract with its employees in Beachwood, a coalition of supporters announced on Monday. Ten Ohio politicians have signed a demand letter, one drafted by State Sen. Nickie Antonio, urging the Seattle-based company to allow its 37 workers at its store in…
Cleveland Port’s ‘Electrification Hub’ Expected to Anchor Progress Toward Net-Zero Emissions
The Port of Cleveland is going electric. One of the Great Lakes’ largest shipping ports is transforming part of a large warehouse into an “electrification hub” to anchor its emission-cutting efforts in the coming decades. The project is among the Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority’s first steps toward its goal of net-zero emissions for its own operations…
Cleveland Teachers Union Ratifies New Contract With CMSD
The Cleveland Teachers Union last week voted to accept a tentative agreement with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District after the Board of Education approved the new contract last Tuesday. It will go into effect on July 1, 2024. “Our members saw that this was a good and fair agreement that addresses important issues,” Cleveland Teachers…
Irie Jamaican Kitchen in Lakewood Opens Tuesday, May 21
It’s been seven years since chef Omar McKay launched his fast-casual version of a Jamaican eatery on East 185th Street in Euclid. Since 2017, McKay has gone on to open Irie Jamaican Kitchen locations in Old Brooklyn, Akron’s Highland Square and, most recently, Shaker Heights. Tomorrow, the Jamaican-born chef will open the doors of location number five, this time…
Amid Lawsuits on Ohio Abortion Laws, Researchers Study Impacts on Care
Researchers from several Ohio universities have found that state laws that regulate abortion services are “harmful” to patients and make it harder for those patients to receive proper care. Members of the Ohio Policy Evaluation Network, a group made up of researchers from The Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati, and Case Western Reserve…
Nick Lee’s Mural Is an Ode to the Artist’s Japanese American Heritage
At 38 feet tall, Nick Lee’s colorful mural, ‘This Yokai is a Ningyo,’ is hard to miss when you pass the Shoreway Building on West 76th Street in Battery Park. Unveiled in March through an artist residency with FeverDream, This Yokai is a Ningyo depicts a hand holding a figurine with the body of a Ken…
Pro-Palestine Students Speak Out Against Case Western Reserve University’s Encampment Punishments
This weekend, in a hall at Case Western Reserve University, some 2,700 undergraduates and graduates will don their black caps and tasseled gowns and walk across the graduation stage. And 53 might not, according to students. (That number is just three, according the school.) Earlier in the week, on Monday, several dozen students who were…
Ohio Bill Would Require School Districts to Create Released Time for Religious Instruction
Two Republican lawmakers are trying to strengthen an existing Ohio law by requiring — instead of just allowing — school districts to create a policy letting students to be excused from school to go to released time religious instruction. State Reps. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, and Gary Click, R-Vickery, recently introduced House Bill 445 and it…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: Issho Ni Team Heading to Ohio City
– The folks behind Issho Ni have quickly built a sterling reputation out east for ramen, sushi, and omakase. Now, with the departure of Cha in Ohio City, they’re bringing a fresh izakaya concept and omakase tasting room to the near west side. ✖ Related Cha Pizza in Ohio City to Close, Issho Ni Ramen…
Ohio Gears Up for Legal Marijuana Sales for Adult Use
This week, Ohio approved adult-use marijuana sales as part of a 2023 ballot measure, with sales anticipated to start mid-June. Ohioans age 21 and over can now legally purchase marijuana across the state. In December, a law was enacted allowing people to grow and possess marijuana, but with no legal avenues to purchase it. Gov.…
Yi Er Chuan Brings Malatang Hot Pot to Asiatown
Kitty Wang opened Yi Er Chuan (3709 Payne Ave., 216-266-0573) in April, bringing one of the first malatang – or spicy hot pot – experiences to Asiatown. Not to be confused with typical hot pot restaurants, where diners add ingredients to a simmering broth at the table, malatang cooking is all done in the kitchen. The Chinese…
Cleveland Soccer Group Seeking $90M in Public Subsidies for $150M Stadium for NWSL Expansion Team Bid
The group seeking to bring a professional women’s soccer team to Cleveland on Thursday released renderings of what a $150-million soccer-specific stadium south of I-90 in downtown seating 12,500 fans might look like and announced that it is seeking $90 million in taxpayer support — from the city, county and state — to build it.…
Cleveland’s Parks and Rec Master Plan Leans Into 15-Minute City Concept
A big heap of city projects in the past two years have turned increasingly to a type of planning reliant on what could be called data questions: What do we have? Where do we have it? And where could better things be? What’s at the data-driven heart of the 15-minute city concept — loosely defined…
Ohio’s Congressional Dems Demand Vote on Contraception Protection
Democrats from Ohio’s U.S. Congressional delegation want the right to contraception codified into federal law, an effort that’s now in its third attempt on Capitol Hill. U.S. Reps. Joyce Beatty, Emilia Sykes, and Greg Landsman met on a Tuesday press call to talk about the measure, and to demand a vote from the Republican majority.…
The Cleveland Orchestra’s Humanities Festival and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
This week’s highlights include two festivals, an orchestra performance featuring a local troubadour, a concert by three first-rate, second-chair members of The Cleveland Orchestra, and several events starring young performers. – The Cleveland Orchestra’s Humanities Festival launches on Thursday at 7 with the first of four staged performances of Mozart’s fantastical Masonic opera, The Magic…
Livewire: 6 Concerts to Catch This Weekend in Cleveland
THU 05/16 High on Fire Led by singer-guitarist Matt Pike, a founding member of sludge rock icons SLEEP, High on Fire represents the rare metal band that has actually won a Grammy. The group rightly joins the ranks of Black Sabbath, Motorhead and Metallica in that respect. On tour in support of its new album,…
Transgender Ohio Statehouse Candidates Line Up Behind Bill Allowing People to Run Under Legal Name
This year a handful of transgender candidates filed to run for state office in Ohio, but they faced challenges to their candidacies over the names they used on their paperwork. Under Ohio law, candidates must list any prior name they’ve used in the last five years on their petitions. Notably, the form itself makes no…
15+ Things To Do in Cleveland This Weekend (May 16-19)
THU 05/16 Stephane Wrembel Known for his mastery of Django Reinhardt’s style of playing jazz guitar, Stephane Wrembel will perform tonight at 7 at the Bop Stop with backing from his band. Wrembel’s original compositions have been featured in Midnight in Paris (“Bistro Fada”), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (“Big Brother”) and Rifkin’s Festival (original score). 2920…
Cleveland to Debut Parks and Rec Master Plan This Week
After five months of drafting, the city will be releasing its master plan for the future of Cleveland’s parks this week. Throughout four days of open houses, from May 14 to May 17, Clevelanders will have a chance to laud or critique the long series of recommendations the city’s hired consultant, the Philadelphia-based OLIN, have…
Ohio House Begins Hearings on Bill Prohibiting Non-Consensual Deepfakes
Ohio House lawmakers have begun hearings on legislation that would criminalize the creation or distribution of non-consensual deepfakes. If enacted, the proposal would make it a first-degree misdemeanor on the first offense and a fifth-degree felony for any subsequent offense. The bill’s sponsors, state Reps. Kevin Miller, R-Newark, and Steve Demetriou, R-Bainbridge Twp., define deepfakes…
Annual Cleveland Ride of Silence This Week Honors Bicyclists and Pedestrians Hit by Cars
Bike Cleveland invites area cyclists to participate in the 14th annual local Ride of Silence this Wednesday, May 15. The slow-paced ride honors those who have been killed or injured on streets while cycling or walking, a problem which continues to plague Northeast Ohio. Last year, at least 550 people were hit by cars while…
Marcy Kaptur Co-Sponsors Bill to Ban NIH Funding for Experiments on Cats and Dogs
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur is a co-sponsor in a newly introduced bipartisan bill that would prohibit NIH funding from being used on experiments on dogs and cats. The Preventing Animal Abuse and Waste (PAAW) Act would also increase transparency and accountability on testing on pets. “Most of the experimentation that is happening on dogs and cats…
Case Western Reserve University Bars Some Pro-Palestine Student Protesters From Graduation, Campus
Last Friday, after a week and a half of operating a tiny tent village in front of Case Western’s Kelvin Smith Library on campus, pro-Palestine protesters announced that they would be dissolving the Gaza Solidarity Encampment they created. They cited two escalating sources of tension: That President Eric Kaler had days before threatened the students with possible…
Experts: $15 Minimum Wage Would Benefit 1 Million Ohioans
Ohio lawmakers are considering legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour for most Ohio workers and create a refundable Ohio Earned Income Tax Credit. Ohio’s minimum wage is $10.45 per hour for most employees, which is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Policy Matters Ohio economist Michael…
Where People in Cleveland Are Looking to Buy Homes
Home prices are largely starting to normalize across the country but remain high even as more homes start to come on the market this spring. Record-high mortgage rates are keeping homes largely unaffordable for most buyers. Even a percentage point increase can increase a monthly mortgage payment by more than $100. That’s causing potential homeowners…
Only One Week Left to Vote in Scene’s Best of Cleveland 2024
Only seven days remain to make your voice heard in Scene’s Best of Cleveland 2024 poll. Hundreds of categories are awaiting your vote, and time is running out. Once again, our annual celebration of all the very best things the city has to offer will be 100% determined by you, the readers. After all, you’re…
DeWine Talks Abortion, Ohio Redistricting, Seat Belts During Columbus Metropolitan Club Forum
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine answered questions about abortion, redistricting, lawmakers overriding his vetoes and the power struggle in the Ohio House during the most recent Columbus Metropolitan Club weekly forum. Statehouse News Bureau reporter Jo Ingles asked DeWine several questions during the hour-long forum and here is a rundown of what the governor had to say. …
Cha Pizza in Ohio City to Close, Issho Ni Ramen Team to Open Izakaya and Omakase Sushi Restaurant
Susan Walters has announced that she will be closing her pizza restaurant, Cha at Tinnerman Lofts, at the end of May. The Ohio City restaurant, which is located in a beautifully restored century home, opened in early 2023 as the third iteration of the concept. But the unique restaurant property at 2054 Fulton Road already…
First Look: One Pot Hot Pot & BBQ, Opening on Coventry May 15
Korean food fans owe Hang Zheng a debt of gratitude for building one of the hippest barbecue and hot pot spots in the region. Upon their first visit to One Pot (1825 Coventry Rd., 216-673-3888), guests will be blown away by the sleek, futuristic vibe and attention to detail. Last summer, Zheng shuttered Taco Roosters…
Chef Matt Barnes Opens Gather Food + Drink in Rocky River
Matt Barnes has been building a following for his food for more than two decades. Some diners have been fans since the Saucy Bistro days, a restaurant that began in Rocky River before sliding over to Westlake. Others seek out his Manna food trucks, a stable of three rigs that roam the streets. Still others…
Massive Redevelopment of Warner & Swasey Building Heads to Conceptual Review
Attention post-industrialist photographers and area bands: That gargantuan red-bricked, abandoned warehouse off Carnegie Avenue and East 55th may soon be off the market for off-the-books activities. Cleveland’s City Planning Commission will be, in an upcoming meeting of its board, scrutinizing a ready concept of the Warner & Swasey Building’s future: a totally remodeled, five-story apartment…
Ohio Lawmakers Approve School “Cellphone Ban” Measure
Ohio lawmakers signed off on changes to the military seal for high school diplomas on Wednesday. But the bill’s most notable provision was a last minute amendment regarding cellphones in K-12 schools that caught a ride on the non-controversial measure. Recently, Gov. Mike DeWine urged lawmakers to address cellphones in classrooms during his state of…
This Week in Cleveland Food News: Wine Dive Taking El Carnicero Spot and More
– Dan Deagan and Jackie Ramey want to upend what you think of dive bars when they open Wine Dive in the former El Carnicero spot in Lakewood. Related – A.J. Rocco’s version 2.0 is set to debut in the Gateway District. Related – Flight Social will bring, well, flights… of food and drink to…
Cleveland Safety Advisor Resigns Citing “Politically-Motivated Character Assassination Campaign” (Updated)
Following weeks of debate over the hire of Phillip McHugh, the mayor’s safety advisor announced he was stepping down on Thursday morning. McHugh, Mayor Bibb’s former roommate at American University and subject of a 2015 civil rights lawsuit in which he was not found liable, went through a trial by fire after Bibb hired him…
Gov. Mike DeWine Signals Looming Scandal at Ohio Teachers’ Pension Fund
After years of complaints about gold-plated salaries, billions in investment fees and lackluster returns, things seem poised to hit the fan at Ohio’s State Teachers Retirement System. Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday issued a press release saying that he was alarmed at the news that a consultant for the $90 billion retirement plan, Aon, was…
Cleveland Muny League Expands This Year, Now Offering Girls Flag Football
For almost 80 years, the Cleveland Muny Football League, the city’s premier youth sports organization for kids aged 5 to 15, has trained tens of thousands of boys in the ways of the gridiron—some, like Troy Smith and Desmond Howard, for future glory in the NFL. This year, Muny plays a welcome audible. The league,…
Ohio Ranks 5th in the Nation for Number of Kids Kicked Off Medicaid, CHIP
More than 120,000 Ohio kids have been disenrolled from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program or CHIP, and most were removed for procedural reasons rather than a lack of eligibility. The numbers mirror a nationwide trend of more than four million kids uninsured, according to a new report by the Georgetown Center for Children…
Annual Horror Hotel Film Festival To Take Place in June
The 13th annual International Horror Hotel Film Festival will return to the Crowne Plaza Hotel Airport next month with a slate of horror, sci-fi, action and fantasy films that’ll bring filmmakers from around the world to Cleveland. This year, however, the festival that takes place from June 20-23 has new owners, all of whom are…
Review: YYTime Delivers Endless Options, Endless Fun
There’s no such thing as “a simple cup of bubble tea” at YYTime. The available selections occupy their own massive menu, with more than 60 different blends of milk tea and fruit tea combined. Choosing drinks like Thai milk tea ($6.49) and jasmine green tea ($6.25) is just the start of the process. Boba fans…
Livewire: 20 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland in May
THU 05/09 Los Straitjackets This wild and zany garage rock act whose members wear Mexican wrestling masks when the band performs initially formed back in 1988 but then quickly broke up. It would reform in 1994 and release its debut album, the aptly titled The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets, in…
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Says Student Protesters May Face Felony Charges Due to 1953 Law
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent a letter Monday to Ohio university presidents saying recent protesters who were arrested may have committed a felony by wearing a mask. A 1953 Ohio law says it is a felony to commit a crime — even a misdemeanor — with two or more people “while wearing white caps,…
Report: Ohio Teacher Salaries Haven’t Kept Pace With Inflation
Lagging salaries have meant teachers in Ohio and across the nation are experiencing a 5% drop in purchasing power, according to a new report by the National Education Association. Last year, state lawmakers approved a 17% raise to the base annual salary for teachers, from $30,000 to $35,000 and agreed to fund the second phase…
