Beach Boy Toys
It’s no secret that we think the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds is one of the greatest albums ever made. We own the regular version, the expanded reissue, the boxed set, and the new super-deluxe fuzzy-cover edition. We’ve spent countless hours listening to the 1966 classic, trying to wrap our puny brain around Brian Wilson’s genius.…
Dems Showing Up, GOP Staying Home
I just talked to Ben LaBolt, spokesman for the Sherrod Brown senatorial campaign. He says he’s been hearing there’s been high turnout by African Americans and low turnout in traditionally Republican districts. It’s anecdotal, but it’s a lot different than the dour faces worn by Democrats in 2004, which was fraught with Election Day snafus.…
Politicians Disenfranchise Themselves
Apparently, the voting problems in Ohio are even preventing some elected officials from voting! The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that Republican Congressman Steve Chabot was refused a ballot when he couldn’t produce proper ID. Never mind that the workers recognized him and knew he was who he said he was, Chabot had to go home…
I, Robo-voter
The new, controversial Diebold touch-screen voting machines are anything but user-friendly. When I arrived at my designated polling place, a school on the near West Side of Cleveland, I was handed a card similar to the one I use at the ATM. A veteran of using credit cards to purchase gas, I figured that I’d…
The original Borat
The real Borat? According to the Associated Press, a Turkish journalist who bears a striking resemblance to the star of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is pissed off. Mahir Cagri thinks Sacha Baron Cohen cribbed the character from his incredibly popular website (which, by the way, is hilarious).…
Cuglewski takes the deal
Twenty-four-year old Nicole Cuglewski has worn a lot of hats in her young life. She’s the former Miss Cuyahoga County, a half time announcer for the Cavs, and the face of Mr. Hero sandwiches. Now she’s also the winner of $247,000 in NBC’s Deal or No Deal. In last night’s show, Cuglewski, dressed suburban chic…
Vindication for Maurice Carthon?
Maurice Carthon Two weeks have passed since Maurice Carthon was mercifully relieved from his duties as Browns offensive coordinator. Dear Lord, he must be happy about that. Can you imagine a job more built for failure? That’s like being the Sobriety Coordinator for the Family Values tour. Of course, no one wanted to admit this…
Sherrod Brown Votes, Media Watches
U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Avon) arrived at the polls at 9:15 a.m., wearing a denim collared shirt to emphasize his Middle Class message, and accompanied by his two daughters and wife, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Connie Schultz. “Hey, it’s in the bag,” said an elderly supporter. “It’s not in the bag until it’s over,” Brown replied.…
Politicians behaving badly, Part II
When Latino business owners showed up at El Caretone in Lorain on November 1, they were expecting to shake hands and chat with Mike DeWine — not be harrassed by Sherrod Brown supporters. DeWine and his wife were supposed to stop at the Mexican restaurant for a meet and greet with mostly Mexican business owners…
Beacon Journal: Another one bites the dust
Beacon Journal founder John S. Knight once said that “there is no higher or better title than editor.” That quote is scrawled across the wall of the paper’s John S. Knight room, where the editor would often address the staff. That legacy is forever gone. Last week, the Beacon eliminated the editor position, following the…
Teacher can’t stay away from 14-year-olds
On June 28, Akron public school teacher Randall Crane swore he’d never touch another little girl again. The middle school music teacher had just pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery for having sex with a 14-year-old student. He was sentenced to two years in prison, with the possibility of parole in six months.…
Uncle Tom’s hack job
Teresa Fedor Secretary of State Uncle Tom Blackwell would like to thank you for your vote. Nevermind that you thought you voted for the other white guy. Thanks to the latest advancements in modern vote-rigging technology from Diebold, you might as well have voted for a talking Whopper meal for attorney general, or so Betty…
Competition for camera time
David Wesley: Is he about to steal D-Jones’ title as the Cavs’ greatest self-promoter? It appears Damon Jones will face stiff competition in the battle to be the Cavs’ resident jokester/sharpshooter. And it’s another journeyman trying to wrestle the crown away from him. Though Jones has logged the most off-the-bench minutes so far this season,…
Mountain Bike Park Open for Biz
Ray Petro’s dream is to make Cleveland the winter wonderland of mountain biking. A few years ago the construction worker created Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park, a playground of skinny wooden bridges and bmx-style jumps in a holed-out warehouse off of West Boulevard. Last weekend Ray celebrated his third season opening in style. Some of…
Six Degrees of Brutus Buckeye
Being Brutus: It’s not all glamour . . . When the top-ranked Ohio State football team tangles with Michigan on November 18 in Columbus, be sure to check out the Northeast Ohio connection cheering on the sidelines. OSU mascot Brutus Buckeye is none other than Andrew Aten. While the 20-year-old junior grew up in the…
Lynn Toler Taking Over Divorce Court
I read where it was being e-mailed she was an uncle tom because she got the job as judge on divorce court. I would like to say, as black people we are harder on one another than the white man could ever be on us at times we do not support one another, we would…
Chili Peppers: Still Red Hot
Some say the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ last three albums have been weak retreads of the 1991 classic Bloodsugarsexmagic. And an elite, well-informed few maintain that its follow-up, 1995’s One Hot Minute, is an underrated classic, a true nugget from Dave Navarro’s career before he traded musical cred for full-time celebrity. But love ’em or…
Get Down With Barak Obama
Obama: His Q rating may be wasted here. Savior of the Month Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois, will be in town Saturday for a rally with Sherrod Brown and the rest of the Dems. Seems like a minor waste of Obama’s Q rating, since the Dems appear to have Ohio locked down with just…
Judges for Sale
Last month, a New York Times investigation revealed that Ohio Supreme Court justices “routinely sat on cases after receiving campaign contributions from the parties involved or from groups that filed supporting briefs. On average, they voted in favor of contributors 70 percent of the time.” This week, a story by Salon.com and the Center for…
Bush: Poster Boy for “Cut and Run”
Our fearless leader, President George W. Bush, asserts that exiting Iraq would be tantamount to “cut and run.” Well, folks, if anyone is familiar with “cut and run,” it certainly is our Coward-in-Chief, isn’t it? And his Vice Coward-in-Chief Dick Cheney, with five deferments to his “credit” during the Vietnam War. Also, Bush’s cowardly puppeteer,…
This Week in Extortion: The Predator Thief
Last spring, Mike and Maria Barnett of Podunk, Ohio, spent their days robbing sexual predators after being inspired by an episode of Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator” series. (See Scene’s “To Rob a Predator.”) Their self-perceived “righteous” thieving came to an end this fall, after Mike Barnett was put in prison and Maria was deported…
Alice in Chains Tickets Available
Alice in Chains: Mostly still alive. Alice in Chains’ Thursday, November 9 show has been sold out for months, but House of Blues just released extra general-admission tickets. They are available via the House of Blues box office (216-523-2583) or Ticketmaster. Here’s your chance to hear how the new guy sounds singing “Would?” And read…
Sherrod Brown: Champagne’s on Ice
U.S. Senate hopeful Sherrod Brown (D-Home Stretch) has announced the location of his Election Night party: Cleveland Public Auditorium on Lakeside Avenue. First kegs get tapped at 8. Brown is believed to be the first candidate for statewide office to have nailed down party plans, lending further proof that this is the guy you want…
Fulwood Watch: Sammy at the Polls!
Headline: Scouting Ohio’s new voter ID law Date: November 2, 2006 Topic: After a federal judge ruled to uphold Ohio’s law requiring absentee voters to present identification, Sam himself decides to test the county’s resolve by voting absentee. He marches down to the board of elections, hoping to find poll workers swatting away voters like…
Judge Mablean Ephraim and Judicial Coiffure
I think this is outrageous. Why does someone has to have approval of their hair. I think as a black woman, we should wear our hair like any other race. Who says that those other judges hair are perfect. No matter what they are trying to keep us down but we will continue to rise.…
Maple Heights Schools Are Above the Law . . . Says the Mayor
The Maple Heights School System is attempting to install a $15K sign on our quiet street. The 8 ft. x 6.5 ft. sign complete with message board is unwarranted. There are no more than 125 cars passing in a 24-hour weekday. The mayor said the schools are exempt from the law and codes, which I…
Cavalier Girls: Gawk But Do Not Touch
Go ahead, try buying her a drink. What’s the worst that could happen? Happy hour starts at 7 Friday night: That’s when the annual Cavalier Girls Swimsuit Calendar makes its 2007 debut at a party at Jac’s in the Warehouse District. The Girls themselves will be on hand, and, yes, you’re invited. Among the highlights:…
Cavs: One Win and One Looming Problem
The Cavs laid bricks and still came away a winner. Lost somewhere between the glittery skyline, the turnstile giveaways, the Hubie Brown blathering — and the eventual victory that made all the hullabaloo seem suddenly worthwhile was a glaring harbinger of bad things to come: If the Cavaliers do not stop hoisting bricks at the…
National TV Loves LeBron
It\’s easier than ever to be a witness. As anticipation builds for tonight’s Cavs season opener against the Washington Wizards, it’s nice to know that the whole country can tune into ESPN and watch our beloved LeBron and Co. In fact, the Cavs will appear on national television 33 times this season — a franchise…
Issue 5: What Follows the Smoking Ban?
Howie Chizek: Leading the fight against small children. WNIR’s Howie Chizek — the man who claims to have invented the talk show format while Rush Limbaugh was “still in Pampers” — has been on fire for the past couple of days. The 100.1 FM afternoon talk show host is up in arms over Issue 5,…
New Concerts: Army of Anyone
Richard Patrick (second from left) and his Army. Local-boy-done-well Richard Patrick heads up this week’s spankin’-new list of concert announcements: Army of Anyone (Filter’s Richard Patrick, with Stone Temple Pilots’ Robert & Dean DeLeo): Tue., Dec. 19, 6:30 p.m., $15. House of Blues. Mickey Avalon: Sat., Nov. 18, 10 p.m., $5, 21 and over, $10,…
Giuliani Plugs Blackwell
Blackwell: He’s got a friend in Rudy. Rudy Giuliani is officially a whore. In his latest ad for Ken Blackwell, he argues that being the former mayor of Cincinnati somehow qualifies Uncle Tom to lead the state. He fails to mention, of course, that when he was mayor, Blackwell actually pretended to care about black…
More Blacks Against Blackwell
Appreciated your article on the group Blacks Against Blackwell. Just wanted to let you know there is another group out there with the same focus. I was asked to start a group of African-American labor leaders who are supporting Ted Strickland. So a small group of us named ourselves Black Labor for Strickland, formed a…
Toward a More Perfect Potato
Potato chips, french fries, pommes frites . . . call ’em what you like, but spuds, sliced and fried to crisp-edged magnificence, must be as close to culinary nirvana as mere mortals are allowed to trod. A number of Cleveland-area eateries cook up good ones — freshly cut, well seasoned, and simultaneously crunchy, crisp, and…
Ziggy on God
In this week’s Scene, Dan LeRoy interviews Ziggy Marley, the onetime Melody Maker and son of reggae icon Bob Marley. The two discuss Marley’s famous family and the innovative record deal for his inspired new album, Love Is My Religion. Following is an excerpt from LeRoy’s conversation with Marley that does not appear in the…
No Justice With the Parma Legal System
Today I went into the Parma municipal court with hopes of being treated fairly. This was not the case. Weeks back in Seven Hills, our street was torn up due to city authorized construction. The details of this project were to tear up and replace the street and replace the bottom half of the driveways…
Does It Make You Horny?
At Shag & Stripes, this year’s installment of the annual benefit play for Spaces, the gallery encourages revelers to dress up like it’s 1968 . . . by way of 1997. The shagadelic affair cribs its inspiration from Austin Powers — so get your “Yeah, baby!” ready. More than 100 artists contribute paintings, sculptures, and…
Spousal Support
Connie Schultz is in the St. John’s church gym in Lorain, killing time while her husband, Congressman Sherrod Brown, finishes a radio interview. There are 16 days to go. Sixteen days of listening to her husband explain why he should be Ohio’s next U.S. senator. Sixteen days until she can go back to her job…
The Killers
Killers vocalist Brandon Flowers makes it very clear that he wants to be Bruce Springsteen on Sam’s Town, judging by the Boss-like quivers and heavy sentiments (“Can we climb this mountain? I don’t know”) decorating the over-the-top single “When You Were Young.” While it’s admirable that the members of this Vegas quartet want to be…
Here are the week’s best releases from the pop-culture universe:
CD — What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (1967-1977): This four-CD box features more than 90 tunes from the golden age of R&B. Don’t go looking for “Respect,” though. Most of these nuggets never cracked the Top 40 (Aretha does check in with a previously unreleased alternate mix of “Rock Steady,” however). Bonus…
Howlin’ Good Time
Wolves are the center of attention at tonight’s installment of Night Tracks, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s overnight adventure series. “We’ll learn how to identify wolves by their tracks and their droppings,” says zoo spokesman Tom Robatin. That should come in handy during the part of the program where several lucky participants strap on radio collars…
Catfight
The race for state auditor is usually as yawnworthy as an episode of 7th Heaven. After all, there’s nothing sexy about number crunchers. But thanks to a catfight between Akron Democrat Barbara Sykes and Green Republican Mary Taylor, things are looking salaciously up. In round one, Sykes filed a federal suit against Taylor, alleging racial…
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx collaborators Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe are never happy unless they’re cranking out genre-bending dance traxx with the abandon of an unsupervised child at a dessert buffet. On Crazy Itch Radio, the duo’s fourth album, Buxton and Ratcliffe jam tribal techno stabs, acid synth squiggles, and hiccupping house beats together with klezmer brass,…
Our top DVD picks for the week of October 31:
Baywatch: Season 1 (First Look) The Benny Hill Collection (Music Video Dist.) CSI: Miami — The Complete Fourth Season (Paramount) Down to the Bone (Hart Sharp) Future-Kill: Limited Collector’s Edition (Subversive) Ghost in the Shell SAC: Complete Collection (Manga) The Ghost Whisperer: The Complete First Season (Paramount) Hardcastle and McCormick: The Complete First Season (SPG)…
Grammy in Tow
Grammy winner William Bolcom comes to town this weekend to take part in Baldwin-Wallace College’s Focus Festival of Contemporary Music. Bolcom — who won a trio of classical-music Grammys this year for Songs of Innocence and of Experience — conducts a program of cabaret songs today. Tomorrow, he takes part in a Q&A session before…
Browned Off
So bad, you gotta laugh: That was the funniest thing I’ve read in a while [“Batboys Gone Bad,” October 18]. Too bad it’s only funny because Roger Brown is a blight on The Plain Dealer, the city of Cleveland, the English language, the profession of journalism, and human beings with an ounce of common sense…
My Chemical Romance
Ever get the feeling that modern rock is now all about one-upmanship? The Killers are reaching for Springsteen’s lofty heights. Panic! at the Disco is cramming its stage show with a veritable burlesque troupe. And emo heroes such as Taking Back Sunday are slapping on enough production gloss to kill Stock, Aitken, and Waterman. But…
Dejá Dance
Few phenomena are as hugely popular and bitterly mocked as the Dance Dance Revolution series. That’s probably because humanity falls into two camps: fleet-footed whiz kids and rhythm-impaired klutzes. This reviewer falls into the latter category, despite having seen Riverdance an unhealthy number of times. For a game that’s mainly about stepping on arrows at…
Mash-Up
Kalliope Stage artistic director Paul F. Gurgol places Nite Club Confidential in several different genres. On one hand, the play — which opens tonight — is a musical (Kalliope does them better than anyone else in town). On the other, it’s like film noir — a corpse narrates the tale. It’s also funny as hell.…
My Bloody Valentine
Over the past three years, Electric Six frontman Dick Valentine has persevered through enough music-industry bullshit to make even the most committed showman give up on his dreams. But the leader of Detroit’s most deserving and least appreciated band has taken chronic lineup and label problems in stride, continuing to play raucous concerts and make…
Isis
Shimmering guitars? Check. Throbbing bass lines? Check. Vocals like a trapped bear’s howl? Check, check, check. Despite some electronic trickery here and there, In the Absence of Truth is unmistakably an Isis album. From the slowly rising feedback that opens “Wrists of Kings,” to the last jangling chord of the closing “Garden of Light,” the…
Election 2006
For the lowdown on the upcoming vote, click here.
Chip Off the Old Block
Like his hell-raising dad, Shooter Jennings prefers his country with a shot of badass. Waylon Jennings was one of country music’s outlaw pioneers — a tough-talking, rough-living singer who gave Nashville the finger whenever he got the chance. Shooter, too, takes aim at Music City. On his debut album, Put the O Back in Country,…
Love Is His Religion
Unless your name is Jakob Dylan, Julian Lennon, or Frank Sinatra Jr., it’s doubtful that you can comprehend the weight beneath which David Nesta Marley labors. Like his aforementioned peers, Marley — best-known as Ziggy — is more than just the son of a famous musician. He is the heir to a throne, the scion…
Ludacris
Although the single “Money Maker” earned heavy radio airplay, Ludacris received more attention recently for “War With God,” a fierce diss track that circulated on mixtapes and helped promote his new CD, Release Therapy. On “War,” he lets loose with a level of emotion sorely missing from earlier albums, which were bland affairs plagued with…
Crash Course in Film
The Ohio Independent Film Festival kicks off its 20th edition today. Or maybe it’s the 19th. Even co-founder and artistic director Bernadette Gillota isn’t sure. “I’ve lost track,” she says. ” We used to do three a year; now we’re down to one.” Whatever milestone the 13-year-old fest is celebrating, this year’s feature-filled lineup is…
Prodigal Son
Six years ago, Jonny Lang reached a crossroads in his music and personal life. Too much underage drinking, cigarette-smoking, and drug-using, along with an obsession with witchcraft, threatened to ruin his career and create havoc in his personal life. A revelation gave rise to his current sobriety and new musical identity, and he has found…
Wretch
Twenty years after Wretch was a force on the Cleveland metal scene, the reunited band has recorded a second album. These leather-clad longhairs are familiar faces: Drummer Jeff Curenton’s credits include 13 Faces and Seven Witches. Bassist Dennis Hayes plays in Beyond Fear. Guitarist Nick Giannakos is Breaker’s axe man. He and Dave Hayes team…
Rhythm Nation
The Royal Drummers of Burundi bang out East African beats tonight as part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Viva! & Gala series. The 20-man troupe is sort of like the African version of Stomp. Dressed in brightly colored costumes, they leap over their instruments and fiercely shake their groove thangs. Reminiscent of Japanese taiko…
Two for the Road
Ever since NWA’s groundbreaking Straight Outta Compton in 1988, for better or worse, West Coast hip-hop has been defined by the conventions of gangsta rap. It’s become a cliché: crip-walking, pimp-talking, funk-sampling dudes, driving lo-los, scrapers, and old-schools, waving gats and sporting grills, chains, Chuck Taylors, creased dickies, and white tees, and rapping about cocaine,…
Lick the Blade
Judging from its seven-track demo, Cleveland quintet Lick the Blade wondered what Dio fronting Iron Maiden would sound like, and it’s a winning formula. The disc sounds as if it was recorded on a 1986 boombox, but these students of classic metal deliver, with dueling guitars and rapid-fire Steve Harris-style bass-playing. Coming alive as falsetto…
Rock House
Only the Lonely: The Life and Music of Roy Orbison at the Rock Hall focuses on the velvet-voiced rock pioneer. The weeklong tribute wraps up this weekend with a series of events. Tonight, Orbison collaborator Joe Melson shares some memories. Tomorrow, there’s a Q&A with one of Orbison’s producers at Wilbert’s and on Saturday, an…
Ultra Is Ultra
The Eagles of Death Metal christened the new Ultra nightclub with an exclusive after-concert party on October 21, a warmup to its public opening this Friday. The upscale dance club is located in Cleveland’s hottest party district, in the former Cabaret Dada space under Liquid (1212 West Sixth Street). It’s the eighth spot in the…
Return of Simple
Return of Simple bandleader Rob Kovacs turns in one of the year’s best vocal performances on “Let It Stay Lost,” a single that finds the BWC Conservatory of Music grad singing in a woozy Rufus Wainwright croon as he jabs his piano like Ben Folds. The crisply self-produced debut recalls the glory days of the…
Waves of Mutilation
The best moments of LoudQUIETloud: A Film About the Pixies come when the alt-rock heroes are onstage. The documentary covers the band’s 2004 reunion tour — from first-day rehearsals to the final string of sold-out shows. Along the way, viewers get a good idea why the group split up so spitefully in 1992: No communication.…
Magnolia Electric Co.
At first glance, there’s nothing remarkable about Jason Molina: just another indie rock Napoleon in All-Stars, planted at center stage in a black tee and a blank expression. But those familiar with Molina’s leadership of Magnolia Electric Co. or his band before that, Songs: Ohia, know that the spiritless shell cracks wide open when he…
This Moment in Black History
This Moment in Black History’s quirky punk is sharpened into a lethal weapon on its scorching new, Steve Albini-produced disc — which is way angrier and faster than 2004’s lauded Midwesterncuttalistick. Heavy-handed lyrics about poverty, technology, and Republican treachery feature ferocious rhythms, demented synth squiggles, and smartass humor. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better…
Opening and Closing Night
Leave ‘Em Wanting More #4 goes on display tonight for one night only. It’s the second multi-artist exhibit in 1300 Gallery’s countdown to its closing next month. Tonight’s opening (and closing) reception features food, drinks, and meet-and-greets with three of the gallery’s favorite local artists. Amy Casey and Jeremy Mann contribute paintings, while Gretchen Grimm…
Family Feud
Augusten Burroughs comes from the David Sedaris school of confessional book-writing, but Burroughs comes from an even more fucked-up family. As chronicled in three best-selling memoirs, Burroughs’ childhood featured a drunken mom, an indifferent dad, and a feces-inspecting surrogate father, who also happened to be Mom’s shrink. No wonder he ended up a sardonic alcoholic,…
North Mississippi Allstars
Much as it burns the butts of some purists, the blues have hung on because of the undying interest of succeeding waves of rock and roll youngbloods. Spawn of legendary producer Jim Dickinson, this crew keeps the blues and Dixie-fried jam traditions energized. With lots of face time spent with Hill Country blues greats, the…
Revivals of the Fittest
One of downtown Hudson’s fondest food memories has found new life: The venerable Mary & Ted’s, a fixture on Main Street since the 1950s, has been reborn as Hudson’s Restaurant on the Green (80 North Main Street, 330-650-1955). The mid-priced American eatery features a fully stocked bar and freshly prepped breakfast, lunch, and dinner fare.…
Book sof David
Ex-U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross launches the JCC Festival of Jewish Books & Authors tonight with a reading from his The Missing Peace. Over the next two weeks, authors Joel Stern (Jewish Origami), Lawrence Kushner (Kabbalah: A Love Story), and Ruth Ellenson (The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide to Guilt) take part in the annual book fest.…
Placebo and She Wants Revenge
She Wants Revenge vocalist Justin Warfield sang on the track “Spite & Malice” from Placebo’s 2000 album, Black Market Music — a favor he’s apparently returning, since the electro-glam superstars from the U.K. are the opening act on SWR’s current tour. Still, it’s almost an insult that Placebo, which packs stadiums nearly everywhere else, is…
Jac Be Nimble
The first thing you should know about Jac’s, the relatively new Warehouse District dining room, is that the food rocks. We’re talkin’ upscale ingredients, tight preparations, huge flavors, and a modern Mediterranean sensibility that finds just the right balance between elegance and rusticity. Next thing you should know is that the space is handsome. Not…
Cow Punk
Punk rock collides with country music tonight when Jeff Dernlan plays the Barking Spider. The Philadelphia troubadour calls his brand of songwriting “gruntry.” “It’s sung by a Yankee who grunts, hollers, and strains in place of the twang, drawl, and yodel normally associated with country music,” he says. “Grunters also use cheap gear and borrowed…
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire starts off its third album, Crisis, with an embarassing admission: “All right, this is from our hearts, sincerity over simple chords.” Trouble is, that heart-on-the-sleeve sincerity often manifests as teen angst and naiveté, instead of the impassioned idealism for which the group of young Canucks strives. The dynamic vocal interplay between lead-crooner Dallas Green…
Regression Anxiety
It’s hard to fault lesbians and gays for indulging in fantasy family lives, since their attempts at building real families are under continuous attack. To the fundamentalist Taliban, sleazy IMs from a congressman to an underage page are less troubling than a same-sex couple raising children in a loving home. Amazing how elastic are the…
Art for Kids
If your kid loves bright colors and crazy critters, take them to today’s Bravo Barcelona! Family Day at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The event offers a lesson in shapes courtesy of Miró and explores colors through Picasso. The kids also get to put together miniversions of Gaudi’s towering cathedrals at hands-on workstations. “We want…
A Static Lullaby
It’s difficult to toss a headful of artfully mussed hair nowadays without hitting a band passing off generic broken-heart metaphors and sing-song shrieks as art. Thanks to its visceral ragers, which explored desire and regret from every angle, the SoCal screamo quintet A Static Lullaby became one of the first post-hardcore wavemakers to surpass its…
Capsule reviews of current area theater presentations.
The Burial at Thebes — This update of Sophocles’ 2,500-year-old tale Antigone tells of a sister’s devotion to her dead brother and her tragic conflict with her uncle, King Creon. The king’s two nephews, pitted against each other in war, have died. But Creon gives only one brother a proper funeral. This doesn’t sit well…
More Culture for Coventry
The legendary Centrum Theatre comes back to life tonight with the music-stuffed Harry Bacharach Show. Nearly a year after the lights were dimmed on the short-lived Ground Floor comedy club, Harry Bacharach frontman Ari Friedman has restored live entertainment in the 230-seat venue, located above the Johnny Malloy’s nightclub on Coventry. The idea came after…
Lloyd Cole
The hyperliterate Lloyd Cole has fashioned a career out of clever turns of phrase and detailed character studies rooted in equal parts wit and sorrow. The 45-year-old and his band, the Commotions, first burst onto the scene with 1984’s Rattlesnakes, a near-perfect debut that featured grayscale jangle and the gorgeous semi-hit “Perfect Skin.” In the…
On the Road
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is funnier than its twisted-English title — the audience with which I saw the movie wasn’t laughing so much as howling — and even more difficult to parse. Eyes wide, face fixed in an avid grin, Sacha Baron Cohen’s ersatz Kazakh TV reporter,…
Worth the Wait
The Philadelphia Dance Company, more commonly known as Philadanco, is one of the country’s oldest and healthiest modern troupes. Yet in its 36 years it has never played Cleveland. Tonight that changes, when the group brings its vast and diverse repertoire to Playhouse Square. “It’s such a shame that it’s taken this long to bring…
Hot Chip
European sensation Hot Chip started making music because the bandmates were bored with everything new and just couldn’t get over their old favorites. “We loved Phil Spector and the Beach Boys, Kraftwerk and Robert Wyatt, Timbaland and Madlib, Brian Eno and Devo, Anti-Pop Consortium and Aphex Twin, Will Oldham and Royal Trux,” recounts the band’s…
Capsule reviews of current area art exhibitions.
Barcelona & Modernity — Instability breeds creativity. Cling to that underlying principle throughout this unique, immense, and also indigestible exhibition examining Barcelona’s 1868-1939 transformation — through war, artistic breakthrough, and social upheaval — from provincial city into cultural capital. Catalonia (the Spanish region that includes Barcelona) built a formidable legacy at that time, with painters…
Meet the Author
At today’s Buckeye Book Fair, literary types get to rub their tweed-patched elbows with some of the state’s most notable authors. The 19th annual outing features appearances by Michael J. Rosen (The Heart Is Big Enough), Michael Ruhlman (Walk on Water: Inside an Elite Pediatric Surgical Unit), and Marcia Schonberg (I Is for Idea). Sat.,…
The Great Pretenders
There was a time when people were screaming John Wilson’s name, clapping, begging, Bic-flicking for just one more song. It was 1970. Wilson was a wiry 20-year-old from 173rd and Lee Road with a tender tenor and bottomless promise. Paramount Records had just offered his R&B trio, Sly, Slick and Wicked, a record deal. Wilson…
50 Amp Fuse
We know: You don’t like cover bands. 50 Amp Fuse plays covers, but it make them its own. Featuring members of Detroit notables Ultraviolet, Blackberry Brandy, and the Crackerjack Band, the hard-partying sextet puts a lively spin on classics from Sinatra to Queen, with a little ABBA thrown in for good measure. A busload of…
Impossibly Passable
Mission: Impossible III: Special Edition (Paramount) On the commentary track, director J.J. Abrams and star Tom Cruise sound like they’ve fallen in love; you might say they complete each other’s sentences, except that’s just Cruise interrupting the Alias creator, who rescued a franchise by streamlining it, lightening it, brightening it, and likely killing it off…
