First TEDx Salon in Cleveland to be Held at Case Western Reserve
Nerd alert: The Institute for Science Origins is hosting the first ever TEDx Salon in Cleveland in honor of the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s invention of General Relativity on Friday, Nov. 20. The event will include a seven-hour marathon with games, prizes, and demos as well as a City Club Forum. Guests are not required…
‘The People’s Museum of Revisionist Natural Itstory’ Challenges the Historical Narrative at SPACES
SPACES isn’t a gallery. It’s a common mistake, but the nonprofit organization’s physical location is a space – a formless vessel that can be manipulated around any conceivable idea. It is in this spirit that SPACES’ latest group exhibition transforms the venue into the People’s Museum of Revisionist Natural Itstory (PMRNI). Billed as “a national…
Ohio House of Representatives Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood
The fact that the state whose governor said today that he would propose a federal agency to spread Judeo-Christian values across the world was also the state to vote, once again, to defund Planned Parenthood is not surprising. The Ohio House of Representatives this evening joined the Ohio Senate, which had previously voted to defund Planned…
Singer-Songwriter Gill Landry to Play Rock Hall’s Next Sonic Sessions
A one-time member of Old Crow Medicine Show, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gill Landry wears many hats. He’s also a photographer, a traveler, a painter, a storyteller and a mechanic. He began his musical career by busking on the streets of New Orleans; since then, he’s opened for acts such as Mumford and Sons, Brandi Carlile,…
Cleveland Play House Brings Back Festival of Trees
The Cleveland Play House will host the Festival of Trees again this year from Nov. 27 to Dec. 24. The event will showcase more than 20 different trees that are decorated by local designers, with each tree adorned based on a different theme or style. This year, guests can participate in the tree decorating by…
Light Up Lakewood to Hit Streets in Early December
Light Up Lakewood returns for its seventh year on Dec. 5, providing Clevelanders plenty of holiday nostalgia to get them in the mood for the season. The event, presented by LakewoodAlive, will offer holiday activities at organizations and businesses all along Detroit Avenue, as well as an outdoor festival beginning at 4 p.m. Last year the…
Herb ‘n Twine Sandwich Co. Days from Opening in Former Speak in Tongues Spot
It appears that one of the projects we’ve been following since last spring is nearing the finish line. Herb ‘n Twine Sandwich Co., located in the old Speak in Tongues space at 4309 Lorain Avenue, is on track to open before the end of the month. Owner Brendon Messina, who last worked alongside chef Jill…
John Kasich Requests ‘Equal Opportunity’ Coverage from NBC Following Donald Trump’s SNL Slot
After Donald Trump’s riveting appearance on Saturday Night Live, fellow presidential hopeful John Kasich is feeling a little left out. He had his team send a missive to the NBC folks, demanding coverage under the equal-time rule in broadcast journalism. Because Trump’s SNL outing wasn’t specifically exempt under the rule, Kasich insists he’s entitled to an…
Here’s Ohio’s New Tourism Logo
Months of “intense research” by the Ohio tourism bureau has led to this, the new logo, which by our estimation was created by a high school intern in MS Paint. It accompanies a new tourism slogan, “Ohio, find it here,” which replaces the previous official slogan, “Ohio, so much to discover” and unofficial slogans like…
Cleveland Browns: First in Our Hearts, Last in the League
After a 50-year dry spell with no championship rings, the Cleveland Browns are finally the best at something: being the worst. Despite “Believe”-Land’s die-hard fans and FirstEnergy Stadium being filled to near capacity last year, the Browns 2-8 record has put them last in the NFL. After losing to the Steelers 30-9 Sunday, our boys…
Here’s a GIF of the Terminal Tower Construction
A couple of weeks ago, we published some photos of the Terminal Tower construction process, thanks to our pals at the Cleveland Memory Project, reminding us all that there was a time when Cleveland’s skyline looked vastly different. Today, we stumbled across this neat little GIF compiled from some of the same Cleveland Union Terminal Collection…
The Browns’ 99 Problems, Plus the Johnny Manziel Parade and More — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
The Browns have 99 problems, and it’s hard to believe it’s only 99. Andre Knott and Zac Jackson talk about how poorly the Browns are coached after the team’s latest loss to the Steelers. Your friendly hosts also delve into the Johnny Manziel parade and more. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Android…
‘A Christmas Story’-Themed Art Show Lands at 78th Street Studios
Most Clevelanders have many nostalgic memories tied to A Christmas Story. Most of us remember watching the film year after year on Christmas day thanks to 24-hour basic cable marathons. The house where part of the movie was filmed is a favorite local historic landmark in Tremont (3159 W. 11th St.). In celebration of the…
Two Artists Examine Race and Diversity in Latest Exhibition at FORUM Artspace
The latest exhibition at FORUM Artspace showcases the dynamic watercolors of Darius Steward and the enigmatic mixed media collages of Clotilde Jiménez. The show opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 20 as part of Third Friday at 78th Street Studios. The exhibition’s title, “I would have you be a…
A Brutal Journey Into The Black Hole of Our Souls in ‘Bash: Latterday Plays’ at None Too Fragile Theater
You could call it “The Book of Mormon: The Dark Side.” Because unlike the popular Broadway musical, this collection of three one-acts by Neil LaBute is a brutal and caustic journey into the black hole of our souls. And the title indicates it’s targeted on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. LaBute was…
Rock Hall to Host ‘Good Morning America’ Watch Party
Touring the country in support of their 40th anniversary, the Good Morning America crew will roll into Cleveland tomorrow to film footage from a watch party at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. It’s part of a marathon 40-hour broadcast that features the reunion of the morning show’s previous anchors David Hartman,…
Punk Rockers Knuckle Puck Flip the Script with New Album
Earlier this summer, Chicago-based pop-punk band, Knuckle Puck released their debut full length, Copacetic on Rise Records. According to the official press release, “the band set out to flip the script on what’s expected from Knuckle Puck without losing sight of the foundation that’s converted thousands of devoted fans around the world: rough-around-the-edges urgency buoyed…
Um. Here’s My Little Pony’s “Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video” Parody
This exists. Thought you all should know. Mike Polk now needs only a Dora the Explorer “Factory of Sadness” parody to certify his fame.
John Kasich Says Ohio and U.S. Shouldn’t Accept More Syrian Refugees
Ohio governor and low-polling Republican presidential candidate joined the governors of Texas, Michigan, Louisiana and other states today in opposing Syrian refugee relocation to the Buckeye state and U.S. in general. Via Washington Post national politics reporter Abby Phillip: Kasich himself spoke to Fox Business News on the topic (via the Dayton Daily News). “There…
WWE’s Scott ‘Razor Ramon’ Hall Is Coming to Cleveland Next Month
WWE Hall of Famer and New World Order Founder Scott ‘Razon Ramon’ Hall is coming to Cleveland next month as part of Absolute Intense Wrestling’s show Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal. Billed as “the most intense wresting in the United States,” the three-hour extravaganza will feature Hall as well as other up-and-coming wrestling talent. Hall,…
As RTA Ponders Rate Hike, Riders Say Biggest Public Transit Concern is Affordability
Last week, RTA CEO Joe Calabrese sent a letter to the transit authority’s board of trustees proposing a rate hike and a slight service cut for 2016. Shortly thereafter, the Youngstown-based Ohio Organizing Collaborative released the results of an RTA ridership survey. It found that the biggest concern among users of public transit was…
New Monday Pop-Ups at Brick and Barrel Brewery Bring Pierogi to the People
Since the end of October, Brick and Barrel brewery has been unofficially coupling its beer with Rudy’s Strudel and Bakery’s homemade pierogi creations every Monday. Now, it’s Twitter-official. By overwhelming customer request the ladies of Rudy's Strudel will be at Brick and Barrel EVERY Monday night going forward @RudysStrudel — Brick and Barrel (@brickandbarrel) November 13, 2015…
Browns Among the Worst in NFL in Getting Production From Top Draft Picks
The Cleveland Browns have been bad at a lot of things since their return to the NFL in 1999, but it’s the team’s baffling ineptitude at selecting players with a modicum of talent in the NFL Draft that has, by far, been their worst subject. Jimmy Haslam may be a crook, Ray Farmer may think…
Confessional Approach Works Well for Singer-Songwriter Vanessa Carlton
At first, Vanessa Carlton’s show at the Music Box last night seemed like it was going to be a somber affair: The pianist/songwriter began her 75-minute set with a brief snippet of Tom Petty’s “Learning To Fly” before seguing into a very serious version of “Carousel,” the first song from her 2011 LP, Rabbits On…
Dixie Chicks to Play Blossom in 2016
One of country’s biggest acts in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Dixie Chicks have just announced a return to touring with their upcoming DCX MMXVI World Tour. The group will kick off the tour on June 1, 2016 at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati; the band comes to Blossom two days later, on…
‘My Memories of Tamir Rice’: A Personal Essay
You never expect to open the newspaper in the morning and see someone you know. Especially not a former student. Certainly not a child. It took me a few moments to comprehend what I was looking at when I saw Tamir Rice’s smiling face in front of me. I had last seen Tamir a year…
Frankenjam: Vermont-Based Twiddle Blossoms Into Second Decade of Music
It’s a testament to either the water quality in Vermont or the simple bastion of talent up there that another offbeat band of stellar musicians has emerged from the Green Mountain State to carve up the national jam circuit. Twiddle, connoisseurs of “hi-def shred,” have taken up the mantle of genre-blending live improvisation — and…
Casting of White Actor as MLK Jr. In Kent State Production Puts Director Michael Oatman in National Spotlight
Ensemble Theatre is known, among other things, for its frequent use of non-traditional casting, which often refers to black actors playing traditionally white roles. While there is none of that in Ages of the Moon, which you can read our review of here, a recent production in the northeast Ohio area has received national attention…
A Couple of Old Friends Chew the Fat, and Their Loneliness, in ‘Ages of the Moon’ at Ensemble Theatre
It’s not often that you can compare a play to a kind of painting, but that’s an image that arises after seeing Ages of the Moon by Sam Shepard, now at Ensemble Theatre. In this case, the painting is an impressionistic portrait two old sax players, leaning in towards each other as they explore the…
Ask Siri, ‘What’s Your Favorite NFL Football Team?’
Guess it does. We tend to root for the underdog too.
Cavs Pick Up a Teaching Moment in Double-Overtime Loss to Bucks
The Cavaliers have been flirting with trouble, and last night trouble surprised them with a reversal, takedown and arm bar, ending in a painful double-overtime pegging by the Milwaukee Bucks and referee Marc Davis. In the end it was perhaps what they deserved. Describing the team as good but not great at this point, LeBron…
King James Rules New York, Pushing Win Streak to Eight
They’re not Cavaliers, they’re daredevils. Just like Evel Knievel, there is no good reason for what they do, but damn if it isn’t exciting to watch. On a bad shooting night from 3 (21%), the line (58%), and the bench (5-19), the Cavaliers turned up their defense in the second half, and turned to their…
Update: 50 Cent Is Apparently Making Several Appearances in Cleveland This Weekend
A-list rappers have been known to drop by Cleveland from time to time and tomorrow, we’re told, will mark another occasion. 50 Cent is slated to make an appearance at Horseshoe Casino’s Diamond Lounge on Saturday for a launch party for Effen Vodka. “He’ll meet and greet Horseshoe guests during the VIP party and he might…
Talking Cleveland Dining With Doug Trattner and Tim Bando — The Scene Foodcast
Tim Bando has had Grove Hill open in Chagrin Falls for over a year now, but his roots in the Cleveland dining scene go much much deeper. Tim sat down with Doug Trattner and Craig Lyndall to discuss his past stops and also what it’s been like to open his latest restaurant in the former…
Veterans Affairs Opens First Transgender Clinic in Cleveland
A celebratory crowd at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center observed Veterans Day yesterday with the official opening of a clinic dedicated to transgender service members. From the start, the clinic will be directly treating 20 veterans on a monthly basis. (There are an estimated 15,000 transgender personnel currently serving on active duty.) At…
6 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, NOV. 13 Mo Mojo Recorded at Suma and mastered at Cauliflower, this local band’s new album, We All Got the Same, features more up-tempo party tunes. Album opener “Love Lorna” sounds like the punk band X doing a zydeco number as the back-and-forth vocals have some real spunk to them, and the song benefits…
Cities Around America Respond to Cleveland’s “Backwards” Bike Lanes, And Everyone Agrees We’re Doing It Wrong
As many have noted this year, and as we covered in a recent feature article on the topic, Cleveland’s decision to install bike lanes with the buffer between the rider and the curb and not the rider and the cars has been roundly criticized by Cleveland’s biking community and any number of experts around the…
Wilberforce University, America’s Oldest Private HBCU, Keeps Accreditation
Ohio’s Wilberforce University, the oldest private historically black college in the country, has retained its accreditation. Officials from the Higher Learning Commission, the accrediting body, notified university officials Thursday that the show-cause order issued in June, 2014, has been lifted. Since that time, when the university’s accreditation was threatened, campus officials have demonstrated improvement on…
Backstage Pass: An Interview with the Pop/Hip-Hop Duo Kalin and Myles
The pop/hip-hop duo Kalin and Myles haven’t issued their self-titled debut yet — the album arrives on Nov. 20. But the guys have been steadily touring for the past couple of years and have built a good fanbase; their catchy new single, “Brokenhearted,” has gotten some radio airplay too. We caught up with them on…
Prolific Singer-Songwriter Joseph Arthur Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
When singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur, an Akron native whose career has been characterized by heaps of critical acclaim, released the epic two-part album The Ballad of Boogie Christ back in 2013, he told us he wasn’t worried about what he’d do for an encore. Turns out, he didn’t really have reason for concern. In the wake of…
Indie Rock Vets Yo La Tengo to Play Beachland in January
The veteran indie rock act Yo La Tengo picked up a bit traction from the recently released Stuff Like That There, a mix of cover songs, “covers” of Yo La Tengo songs and brand new originals. The group has just announced a string of headlining tour dates for 2016. For its recent fall tour, the…
Guitar Shredder Joe Satriani Bringing ‘Surfing to Shockwave’ Tour to Hard Rock Life
Guitar shredder extraordinaire Joe Satriani has announced that he’ll launch his special “Surfing to Shockwave” 2016 tour on February 25 in Seattle. Designed to celebrate “30 Years of Mind-Bending Guitar Daredevilry,” a phrase coined in a June 2014 Rolling Stone feature, the tour includes a stop at Hard Rock Live on April 10. The concerts…
Kyrie Irving Talks to GQ About His Love of ‘Rent’ and Joey from ‘Friends’
Kyrie Irving talked to GQ on the set of his most recent Uncle Drew Pepsi commercial about the Cavs and his interest in TV, musicals, and acting. We all know Irving is game to dress up like an old man and play street ball, but we were surprised to learn that he’s also game to…
“I Was Abducted By My Father At the Age of Four” — One Cleveland Woman’s Story
Last week news broke that a boy who had been reported missing in Alabama in 2002 had been found living in Cleveland with his father who had abducted him. Julian Hernandez, now 18 years old, stumbled on that backstory when he was applying for college scholarships and had trouble verifying his social security number. A…
Boutique DJ Collective to Make Debut at the 5 O’Clock Lounge
The Music Faire, a boutique DJ collective headed up by locals Reena Goodwin and her husband Jody, have teamed up with local musicians and DJs Ryan Kelly, who also plays in the local act Seafair, and Chris Wright, a member of the local band Brave Bones, to launch their operation with a big dance party.…
Country Singer Wynonna Judd to Perform at Hard Rock Live
A consummate storyteller, country singer Wynonna Judd has just announced a special “Stories & Song” tour that includes a stop at Hard Rock Life on Feb. 4. The material for the show will start at the beginning of her career with the Judds and extend into her solo career. Tickets go on sale at 10…
Eccentric Electronic Musician Dan Deacon Talks About How He’s Learned to Relax
When electronic musician Dan Deacon played Cleveland three years ago, he delivered a highly engaging set at the Beachland Ballroom. Early in the set, he made everyone stand in a circle and dance in unison. Later, he would have everyone cram into the middle of the dance floor and gyrate. All the while, he kept…
Hot Pockets, Of All Things, Save Man From Possibly Dying in Akron Plane Crash
The tragic jet crash in Akron earlier this week that claimed the lives of the nine passengers aboard the aircraft could have claimed more victims but the apartments in the building the plane struck were, thankfully, empty. (Neighbors were home though, including the young lady who caught the flash of the explosion while she was…
RTA to Raise Base Fare, Cut Service in 2016
In a letter to the RTA board of trustees, CEO Joe Calabrese proposed fare increases and a “slight service reduction” in the 2016 budget to react to what he characterized as downward financial trends. The proposed budget includes an increase in base fare from $2.25 to $2.50 and an increase in Paratransit fare — the…
WATCH: Here’s the Grand Finale from the Big Shots, Little Stars Fundraiser with the Cavs
Last night the court at Quicken Loans Arena transformed into a runway in honor of the annual Big Shots, Little Stars fundraiser to benefit Flashes of Hope, a local non-profit geared toward uplifting children with cancer or other terminal illnesses. As in years past, the Cavs’ key players came out to support and escort their…
Organic Approach Works Well for Singer Allen Stone
Born in Chewelah, Washington powerhouse singer Allen Stone started singing at his father’s church when he was just a kid. He wasn’t at all familiar with soul or R&B, but once he heard Stevie Wonder’s 1973 album Innnervisions, he was hooked. “It wasn’t the first time I ever heard him,” says Stone via phone from…
Cleveland Clergy Members to Call for Independent Prosecutor in Tamir Rice Case
Information at the press conference scheduled for 11 a.m. tomorrow morning at Olivet Baptist church will elaborate more fully but the immediate news is this: Five Cleveland-area clergy members will call for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty to step aside in the case of Tamir Rice and instead allow an “independent prosecutor” to take over.…
Touch Supper Club Readies for Relaunch Following One Year Hiatus
With about 48 hours remaining until Touch Supper Club (2710 Lorain Ave., 216-631-5200) reopens its doors to the public for the first time in a year, the two-level space is a beehive of activity. “We’re still putting the last small things together,” says owner Rob Ivanov. “We’re going down to the wire.” Ivanov originally had…
Score Unique, Local Artsy Gifts at MOCA Cleveland’s Artscape This Weekend
Looking to do some unique holiday shopping for some extra special people on your list this weekend? Skip the mall, leave the suburbs and head to MOCA Cleveland. Now in its 11th year, MOCA Cleveland’s ARTSCAPE is a special shopping experience, offering a carefully curated selection of one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry and accessories from 30 local…
ESPN’s Jim Trotter, Author of ‘Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon’ — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac are joined by ESPN’s Jim Trotter, author of Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon. The trio talk about the Browns, Trotter’s book, his relationship with Seau, the sports media business, and more. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Android users, find the RSS feed here. Download…
Justin Bieber’s 2016 Tour Coming to the Q
Bad boy Justin Bieber has just announced dates for his 2016 tour in support of his new studio album Purpose. The 58-date tour starts on March 9 in Seattle, and it includes a stop at the Q on April 26. It concludes on July 18 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. American Express Card Members…
Stone Soup Aims to Provide Crucial Link Between Excess Food and Cleveland’s Hungry
Within a one-mile radius of the West Side Market there are about a dozen soup kitchens that attempt to fill the nutritional needs of countless poor and homeless people. Within that same geographical area are numerous restaurants, caterers and market vendors with excess product that don’t have the time, staff or knowhow to get the…
LeBron Goes Full LeBron to Help Push Cavs Past Utah
The Cleveland Cavaliers squeaked out another win last night, 118-114 over the Utah Jazz. Despite playing a string of five straight teams that didn’t make the playoffs (the sixth being the Knicks on Friday), the Wine and Gold have done their best to make it interesting. They may have won seven in a row, but…
36 hours of Arts in Columbus
Last month, at the invitation of Experience Columbus, the city’s PR arm, art and travel writers from across America and Canada descended on the state’s capital to take in the arts scene, which has blossomed in recent years. It’s fascinating to see the similarities between Cleveland and Columbus in person (passion for sports, sprawling metropolises…
Learn How to Find Your Fortune in ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,’ Now at Playhouse Square
People are a real problem, since they always seem to be standing in your way. You want a promotion, but there’s already somebody else occupying that corner office. You want to live in that gorgeous house by the lake, but there’s already a homeowner reading a book on that particular front porch. Or you want…
The Reinvention of Press Wine Bar is Still a Work in Progress
It’s never easy for a restaurant to reinvent itself. First impressions tend to get hard-wired into a diner’s brain, and persuading people to adjust that opinion is no easier than unlearning how to ride a bike. But the owners of Press Wine Bar in Tremont had devised a blueprint to do just that. In an…
Brie Larson and Young Jacob Tremblay Astound in Novel Adaptation, ‘Room’
Even without the sly appearance of Ohio license plates, it would’ve been clear from the industrial silos and cloudy autumn skies that Irish director Lenny Abrahamson was influenced in large part by the Ariel Castro house of horrors as he shaped and directed Room. The runaway bestselling novel by writer Emma Donoghue has been faithfully…
Film Spotlight: The 33
The 33 is “the Chilean miner movie” you assumed was probably coming at some point. It attempts to dramatize the global news event from 2010, when 33 miners at a treacherous gold and copper mine in northern Chile survived deep beneath the earth’s surface for 69 days. The movie, we’re very sorry to report, is…
Band of the Week: One Days Notice
Meet the Band: Chris Bassitt (vocals), Jesea Lee (guitar, vocals), David Vallo (guitar), Justin Albaugh (bass), Benjamin Torres (drums) In the Beginning: The band first formed in 2010 when guitarist David Vallo, who had played in several other local hard-rock acts, posted ads on Craigslist and recruited the other members. “We tell everyone that we…
Smog Veil Records Digs Deep into Cleveland’s Twisted Rock ‘n’ Roll Past for a Special Reissue Series
Frank Mauceri likes to say that his office is wherever his laptop happens to be. Today, it’s New York City for the owner of Smog Veil Records. The Greenwich Village brownstone where he and his wife Lisa occasionally live might not have all the trappings of a record label office but it’s not your typical…
