Is It True? Do Jets Fans Get Drunker and Disorderlier Than Browns Fans?
Threatening to out-savage the savages at Browns Stadium and other Arenas of Drunken Badgering throughout professional sports, New York Jets fans have apparently been hosting a makeshift halftime show that revolves around women showing their boobs — sort of like Mardis Gras, only with really awful football and no pesky bead-throwing required. The New York…
Uncle Tom’s Comeback: Ken Blackwell, Tom DeLay form Coalition of Crazy
Uncle Tom Blackwell, the former Ohio Secretary of State, right-wing nut-job, and the man to call when you need an election rigged, is making a political comeback after being trounced in the 2006 gubernatorial race by Ted Strickland. He’s found a maybe-not-so-unlikely ally in former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who is still under indictment…
Chiodos Show Sold Out; Here’s What You’re Missing
The bad news: The Tuesday, November 20 Chiodos/Emery/Scary Kids Scaring Kids/the Devil Wears Prada/Once Nothing show at House of Blues is sold out. If you’re a Chiodos fan and you dragged your feet getting tix, click the pic above for some rockin’ post-hardcore. The good news: We have an exclusive online featurette from DJ, the…
Where’s the Investigation of the Lakewood Library?
Would you please investigate yet another major delay in the re-opening of the computer center at the Detroit Avenue Lakewood Public Library? It was closed in June, and at that time library management posted a sign stating the computer center will re-open by November. Now the library staff says no sooner than March, and maybe…
Savoring Sokolowski’s: Sometimes, local flavor involves more than food
For a mid-sized city, Cleveland’s culinary landscape has more than its share of landmines, topics sure to provoke argument within the foodie community. Take Sokolowski’s University Inn, Tremont’s circa-1923 Polish cafeteria, and the place it deserves in our restaurant hierarchy. A humble, family-owned eatery overlooking the Flats, Sokolowski’s dishes out overflowing portions of high-carb comfort,…
Money Where Your Mouth Is: Presque Vu
This time around, C-Notes lets a band — in this case, the beatmaking, soundscape-ish maestros of Presque Vu — speak for themselves to explain why you should pencil their show in for your big holiday weekend. Because we’re busy at home re-watching Sportscenter to see what everyone has to say about that freaky field goal.…
Reader: A Rip-Off Courtesy of the North Royalton School Board
Dear North Royalton Citizen and Taxpayer: It is my understanding that the two departing school board members, Cathy Bican and Barb Soggs, have quietly chosen to attend the November OSBA Capital Conference in Columbus. This conference is a great help to new board members, informing them of procedures and protocols necessary for a new board…
Matt White Concert Canceled
Tonight’s Matt White show at the House of Blues has been postponed. We call it “canceled,” but the venue says they’ll have a new date soon. Regardless, tonight, all the Matt White you’re gonna get is this here video. — D.X. Ferris
Myers University: Meet the Business School That Can’t Do Business
Myers President Richard Scaldini was optimistic about the school’s fate in February. By May, he was scrounging for another handout. The Plain Dealer reported over the weekend that Myers University, Cleveland’s oldest business school, is on the verge of being sold. But considering the source, it may pay to remain a little skeptical. As Scene…
State Cracks Down on Student Loans at Akron U
From keg stands to calculus, one might argue that college bears as much in common with real life as an episode of The Hills. Unless you consider massive debt and defaulting on your loans a very grown-up experience. On November 11, attorneys Mark Sheriff and Bruce Burkholder filed suit against 72 student loan borrowers on…
Musings by Tucker Carlson: Why Can’t Dennis Win?
MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson, famous for pioneering a resurgence of bow-ties on network television, wondered aloud on live television the other night why the Democrats aren’t backing Congressman Dennis Kucinich as the presidential nominee. While he’s not the first person to ponder such questions, he is the first one to attempt it without first taking bong…
Concert Cheat Sheet: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Who: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings When: Tuesday, November 20 Where: The Beachland Ballroom Why: The Brooklyn-based combo makes some of the funkiest, retro-sounding R&B of the decade. And they positively smoke live Latest Album: 100 Days, 100 Nights Best Album: 100 Days, 100 Nights Didja Know? The Dap-Kings back Amy Winehouse on her terrific…
Where the Lime Spider Used to Rock, the Lockview Now Lounges
When the Lime Spider closed its doors earlier this fall, it wasn’t just a sad day for Akron’s music scene, but downtown’s nightlife in general. Without the rock haunt’s presence, locals were left with few options but yuppie bars and teen dance clubs. But we are happy to report that the Lime Spider’s owners, Danny…
See What Shocking Stuff Our I-Team Uncovered at a Strip Joint!
When the Stripper Bill was passed, many believed it would kill Ohio’s Gyrating Naked Lady trade, believed to be the state’s last healthy industry. New rules barred customers from touching the “entertainers” and forced the women to no longer be naked after midnight. So C-Notes set out on a recent night to see how these…
Truth? In Cleveland Government? The Spy Bar Case Takes a Strangely Honest Twist
A rare, fleeting moment of honesty interrupted a meeting of lawyers and politicians today. And though the offending truth-monger quickly back-tracked, returning the universe to its natural order, C-Notes was there to capture what historians have dubbed The Most Exciting Moment in the Annals of Cleveland Government Ever. The strange instance of sincerity occurred during…
ESPN to World: “Holy F*$#ing S*$t.!”
Barry Bonds was indicted on Thursday. We couldn’t find any other pictures. We thought it was weird too. The two Most Important Stories We All Know Are Coming finally broke yesterday: Alex Rodriguez signed a record-breaking contract with the Yankees, and Barry Bonds got indicted. And you got the feeling ESPN, not to be ungrateful,…
Concert Cheat Sheet: Against Me!
Against Me! plays HOB on Monday. Who: Against Me! When: 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 19 Where: House of Blues Why: Despite old-school fans shouting “sell out!” over the band’s leap to a major label, Against Me! remains one of the smartest, best groups playing melodic punk today. Latest Album: New Wave Best Album: New Wave…
Cleveland: Haven for Homo Books?
There’s a new neighbor at West 48th and Clark Avenue. An indie book-publishing company that specializes in lesbian, gay, transgender and other “alternative” books recently relocated from the San Francisco Bay area to our fair city. Apparently, the rent hikes and evictions in $3,800 a Month Land got to be too much for them. So…
Hostile Omish on ESPN Gameday
Music from Cleveland’s Hostile Omish will be featured on ESPN’s College Gameday this Saturday, November 17. The song “Mohawk” will be be be the background music in a segment about college football players with mohawks. It’s from the wiseass punkers’ latest LP, As the World Churns. Click here for a preview. Tune in at 10…
HBO Tackles OSU-Michigan Rivalry
As though anyone needed another reason to get pumped for this Saturday’s Ohio State vs Michigan game, HBO comes along with a stellar documentary about one of sports’ most infamous rivalries. If you didn’t get a chance to catch Michigan vs Ohio State: The Rivalry, which first aired on Tuesday, make sure not miss its…
Teachers’ Facebook Pages Reveal They Don’t Exist Only in Classrooms Afterall. First Graders Everywhere Shocked
Anyone planning on going into the education field — you know, where you have to, like, teach our youth and shape the future of our country and all that — should probably already realize that posting naked photos of themselves on MySpace isn’t the brightest idea. But apparently there are still many Ohio educators on…
Mice These Days, They Have it So Good
Forget Mickey Mouse. That dude was weak. And Mighty Mouse? He could save the day and all that, but he’s got nothin’ on the genetic freaks unleashed by researchers at Case Western University, who last week released the above video of their new super mice — rodents who can run for six hours at speeds…
Our Foodie Dishes With Cleveland Foodie
I had a blast this week tackling some meaty Q’s & A’s from Cleveland blogger Michelle V., a.k.a. Cleveland Foodie, a 31-year-old marketing rep with an appetite for all things delicious. Her frequent postings, including weekly interviews with local chefs and other professional foodsters, are quickly becoming must-reads among the region’s diners. Among the tantalizing…
Backhanded Compliment of the Week: “The CPD is awesome for buying my broken guns!”
Last Saturday, Frank “Is There a Really Easy Solution?” Jackson and the Cleveland Police Department held a Gun Buyback at the Convention Center downtown. Faced with the 119 murders the city has seen this year, the Department traded $100 gas station or supermarket gift certificates for guns turned in, no questions asked. It was an…
Former Vivo, Mojo Chef Heads Up Aurora Restaurant
After stepping down from dual positions as exec chef and general manager at Vivo, in downtown’s Old Arcade, chef Michael Herschman has taken over as top toque at The Cabin, the rustically upscale, Northern Italian dining room at Mario’s International Spa, in Aurora. The former chef-owner of Mojo (Tremont) and Cena Copa (Cleveland Heights), Herschman…
Concert Cheat Sheet: The Academy Is …
The Academy Is … plays the House of Blues on Saturday. Who: The Academy Is . . . When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, November 17 Where: House of Blues Why: The Academy Is . . . headlines a bill of emo-tastic bands like the Rocket Summer and Cobra Starship. But unlike most of their peers, these…
Engelbert Humperdinck Postponed
Engelbert Humperdinck has postponed his Saturday, November 17 concert at Playhouse Square, citing personal scheduling conflicts. The way we read that, it means he’s getting paid somewhere else — probably somewhere warmer. The show has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 8. Tickets for the original show will be honored. For refunds, bring tickets to the…
Everybody, Rock Your Body. Backstreet’s Back, and She Likes Hello Kitty
As bad as this is, it still manages to blow away Britney’s VMA performance in September. — Michael Gallucci
Iron Blog: Mike Symon’s new site shows why cash registers may ring
It’s widely believed that local hotshot Michael Symon’s Sunday-night ascension to Iron Chef is “good for Cleveland.” But what, exactly, does that mean? For a hint, take a gander at Symon’s brand new blog. After only 48 hours, the site had collected 148 adoring comments from fans across the country, including ones in Chicago, LA,…
Old People Caught Having Sex . . . Eewww
It is often said that love is blind. But in the case of a recent incident at the Madison Senior Center in Madison Village, so are the people who witnessed it. Police were called to the senior center after a 94-year-old woman was observed putting “a hand on the crotch” of an 83-year-old man. Ending…
The Coen Bros. Latest: See it.
Whatever your weekend plans are, be sure to set aside a few hours to see No Country for Old Men, the latest movie by the Coen Brothers and the year’s best film. The sibs are already responsible for some of our all-time favorite flicks: Miller’s Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski. No Country for Old Men…
Legends of the Thrash: Destructor’s album release party is this weekend. Wear leather.
Destructor, circa 1985. Cleveland thrash legends Destructor will release Forever in Leather at the Jigsaw (5324 State Rd., Parma) Saturday, November 17. It’s their first full-length LP in 20 years, and it sounds like it was recorded shortly after its predecessor. Which, if you like your metal served speedy-side-up, is a good thing.
The Pipettes
The lovely ladies known as the Pipettes — Rosay, Gwenno, and RiotBecki — dress in classic polka dots, looking like sassy librarians heading to high tea. In keeping with the retro theme, the trio’s backing band — an all-guy troupe called the Cassettes — often sports old-school fraternity sweaters, coming off like extras on Happy…
When Artists Attack
A fierce face-off between pencils and paint goes down tonight with the judging of Kaleidoscope 2007, an art show on display in Akron until early next year. Tonight, the fifth-annual event will host a panel of critics, who’ll size up work from more than 100 artists competing in several categories, from acrylics and collages to…
The Kids Are Alright
Peppy power-poppers the Rocket Summer and moody indie-rockers Manchester Orchestra come from different ends of the spectrum. Yet their success is testimony to the impact of the growing democratization of music-making over the past quarter-century. The young auteurs fronting each band — Bryce Avary and Andy Hull, respectively — began creating lo-fi recordings at home…
Shred Cred
Show of hands: Has anyone not heard of Guitar Hero at this point? You sir, in the back row clutching the Ratt cassette — you’re the only one? All right, pal, here’s your recap: Guitar Hero is the most popular music-based game ever made. It comes with a plastic guitar controller, with which players noodle…
. . . And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Austin noisemakers . . . And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead have had one hell of a crappy year. After releasing So Divided in late 2006, the band proceeded to fall apart over the next few months. There were reports of onstage fights and band members barely staying awake during shows.…
Say Uncle
“Uncle Lar” Reeb tries to steer clear of the internet. If you ask him about usernames and passwords, he’s hopelessly lost. But he’s figured out how to access X-rated sites. “I was watching porn on the internet until they kicked me out of the library,” says Reeb, who’s in town this week for six shows…
Put Another Dime in the Jukebox
Joan Jett is rockin’ and rollin’ . . . or at least it appears that way over her crackly cell phone. It sounds like she’s rockin’ and rollin’ all over the back of a car, as she’s headed out of Manhattan on a hurried, bumpy ride to the airport. But Jett’s pounded a few rocky…
Once Upon a Time
The Princess Bride: 20th Anniversary Edition (MGM) As far as anniversary-edition DVDs go, The Princess Bride is crushingly disappointing: no Rob Reiner commentary track, no outtakes, no making-of doc, no nothing, save for a lousy game and a few short interviews with Robin Wright Penn, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, and a few others scattered throughout…
The Cult
As stand-in singer on a tour with the surviving Doors a couple years back, Cult lead singer Ian Astbury finally got to indulge his deep-seated Jim Morrison fantasies to the hilt. It pays off on Born Into This, the British goth-metal group’s first album in six years. Astbury’s signature blend of metal-god narcissism and shaman-like…
Jew Rang?
Bob Frank credits the legendary Chicago guitarist Mike Bloomfield and other Jewish musicians for the blues and jazz material in tonight’s encore of Even Jews Get the Blues Returns! “You don’t have to think hard to come up with major names in those genres,” says Frank, a guitarist in the Cleveland Jewish Blues All-Star Band.…
Unburied Treasure
Since her death in 1993, Karen Dalton’s fan base has grown faster than a Colorado mountain town. And fans can thank a retired builder from Indiana named Joe Loop for a new batch of previously unheard recordings, Cotton Eyed Joe — a collection of songs Dalton made in the early ’60s. Back in 1961, Loop…
Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week:
The Addams Family: The Complete Series (MGM) Amazing Grace (Fox) Annie Duke’s Texas Hold’em Supercourse (Big Vision) Berlin Alexanderplatz: The Criterion Collection (Criterion) Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition (Sony) Gilmore Girls: The Complete Seventh Season (Warner Bros.) It’s a Wonderful Life: 2-Disc Collector’s Set (Paramount) Man From Earth (Anchor Bay)…
Dan Wilson
Nine years ago, Dan Wilson’s band Semisonic had a huge radio hit with “Closing Time,” a song that frat boys around the country took as an ode to drunken debauchery. It was actually about the desperate search for meaningful companionship, but never mind. Semisonic’s album, Feeling Strangely Fine, went platinum. But after the follow-up CD,…
Wolff at the Door
New Orleans-born pianist Michael Wolff admits he felt like a lumberjack as he cherry-picked tunes for his latest CD, jazz, JAZZ, jazz. The disc harvests nine American standards, including “Autumn Leaves,” “My Funny Valentine,” and “Cry Me a River.” “It’s like going into the forest of sound,” says Wolff, who joins bassist Eric Udell and…
Faithful Feud
The adherents of all religions believe their interpretation represents The Truth. That, after all, is how food kitchens and wars get started. In The Chosen, now at the Cleveland Play House, playwrights Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok explore two segments of the Jewish faith — Chasidic Jews and the more liberal religious Jews — doing…
Badlands
“Hold still.” The first time we hear these two words in the Coen Brothers’ new film, it’s Vietnam vet Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), perched on a West Texas ridge and whispering to an antelope he spies through the sight of his rifle. Later, “hold still” is the phrase used by steely assassin Anton Chigurh (Javier…
Beam Me Up
A quartet of American and British artists experiments with “the finite quality of time and the infinite quality of light” in the group exhibit Light to Spare, which is on display at Spaces until the beginning of January.For her contribution, New York shutterbug Lea Bertucci will project videos of haunting cityscapes onto a luminous piece…
Contract Killing
Outside the lodge at World Class Whitetails, there’s only stillness. Here in Millersburg, among the velvet hills and serenity of Amish country, time slows down. Beyond the high wire fence protecting the grassy ranch, you can make out a few eyes glinting from a patch of woods. The deer are grazing, entirely unconcerned. Finally, the…
Deflowered
Most conversations we have in life could qualify as small talk. But right underneath that mild, inoffensive surface often lurk barely hidden agendas, dreams, and torments that go unspoken. A good, well-produced play squeezes that small talk until it bleeds. But while there is ample mundane banter in A Loss of Roses, now being produced…
Small Wonder
Midway through Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, there comes a speech that I’ll wager writer-director Zach Helm has been saving for future use ever since he discovered Shakespeare. Paraphrasing King Lear, Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman), a 243-year-old “toy impresario” in shell-shocked hair, a purple suit, and an annoying lithp, lays it on the line for his…
Merry Blossom
During a two-mile drive at the Blossom Holiday Lighting Festival, carloads of spectators creep past 300 festive scenes illuminated with more than 2 million lights. The second annual tour starts under “the Snowflake Archway,” which is followed by displays of penguins, a toy factory, and a dragon-shaped volcano. With some attractions reaching 45 feet high,…
The Gates Millbillies
Driving into Gates Mills from the bustle of Mayfield Road, you notice the air change in scent. Stark office buildings give way to tall pines, rolling hills, and cobblestone driveways that disappear into woods like pathways to Narnia. Follow them back and you’ll find real mansions, not like the wannabes in Westlake or Hudson. Surprisingly…
Capsule reviews of current area theater presentations.
Bug — Focusing on a couple of down-and-outers in a fleabag Oklahoma motel, this play will make you itch in places that can’t be scratched. Agnes is on the run from life, holed up in a pitiful roadside room. Her gal-pal R.C. (Jen Kilka) has brought over a quiet fellow named Peter, who winds up…
Jay-Z
Jay-Z’s American Gangster is one hell of a comeback album . . . for Diddy. Sean Combs, along with his production team, the Hitmen, oversees Gangster’s best tracks, “Pray” and “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is).” As for Jigga, let’s hope he finally makes good on his promise to retire. The rap legend allegedly got…
Funny Money
Talk about the biggest counterfeit-cash scam ever: One of Cleveland’s most horrific exhibits on display today, Questionable Issue: Currency of the Holocaust, is another grim reminder of how Adolf Hitler and his Nazi lap dogs duped millions of Jews imprisoned in World War II concentration camps. The collection of more than 70 replicas of phony…
The Ghost Writer
For most people who drove by, it was nothing more than another abandoned Akron building with a bit of misspelled graffiti scrawled across the side. “Go Vegitarian. The Better Way, Truly!” announced the bright red letters. But to Andrew McAllister, it was something special. This wasn’t just another tagger. Despite the misspelling, the message —…
Capsule reviews of current area art exhibitions.
NEW Meditations — A year has passed since the grievous murder of Cleveland artist Masumi Hayashi. Time to start measuring the loss. This thoughtful survey is one of three on display in Northeast Ohio, and just like the artist herself, it forges many distinct characteristics into a single experience. The show spans some three decades,…
Avenged Sevenfold
In the past, Avenged Sevenfold’s meathead simplicity pretty much excused all its bad behavior and even worse musical choices. It was as if the five members picked up, pored over, and then appropriated the Metal Band Rule Book before they learned even a single guitar chord. But that’s what California metal is all about: Look…
Paws for a Cause
Summit County canines turn eco-friendly at today’s Hiking Spree for Dogs. To help the effort, Metro Park naturalists will hand out specially designed bandannas with the motto “Planet Earth — Keep It Cool” stitched into them. “They’re to remind people of global warming and things we can do to reduce our impact on earth,” says…
Nose (Guard) Candy
“Sympathy for the Devils,” October 31 Cable’s a mule for NFL kingpins, sports junkies: You nailed it in saying there really aren’t any good guys in the fight between cable TV and the networks owned by the NFL and the Big Ten. The basic cable tier is already loaded with channels that half the customers…
Jimmy Eat World
The first lyric on Chase This Light is a very self-assured — and very presumptuous — one-word imperative: Stay. But then an enormous wall of distorted guitars sucker-punches the listener, right before a raucous burst of power-drill guitars kicks in. The Arizona quartet catapulted into the mainstream six years ago on the backbone of its…
Up in Smoke
Native American screenwriter Sherman Alexie talks about the making of Smoke Signals during today’s Writers & Readers lecture series at Cleveland Public Library. The 1998 flick is about an Indian who tags along with a buddy on a cross-country trek to collect the remains of his pal’s alcoholic dad. The film scored two awards at…
Pay Scales of Justice
If Ohio’s judges were subject to the same job standards as the rest of us, salary reviews would be pretty ugly. Cleveland attorneys frequently complain that Cuyahoga County judges are lazier than the night staff at Hollywood Video. “So many who do so little,” says one lawyer. Even the state’s highest court could use some…
No Doctors
When consumed as background music, No Doctors’ Origin & Tectonics passes for neo-grunge blues rock. Guitarist Elvis DeMorrow grooves like a Midwest punk harboring a secret love for ZZ Top and Free, Mr. Brians pummels his drum kit with boogie belligerence, and Chauncey Chaumpers’ baritone wail contains genetic chunks of the Lizard King, Glenn Danzig,…
Vulture Club
For 13 years, John Gorman lurked quietly behind the scenes as the music-programming architect who turned a neglected FM-radio station into an influential broadcasting blowtorch. He’s breaking his silence at today’s Local Author & Book Fair in Shaker Heights, where he’ll sign copies of The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock…
A Real Sizzler
Like a little sizzle with your steak? Try tossing a hunk of rosy Black Angus beef onto a 750-degree slab of volcanic stone. At those temperatures, even a thick cut, like our 12-ounce New York strip steak, sears in seconds, popping and sputtering beautifully on the way. Flip it over once or twice, and it’s…
Destructor
The thrash revival is so pervasive that Cleveland’s Destructor has finally released its second album — 22 years after its debut, Maximum Destruction. And the destruction still goes all the way to 11. Or, at the very least, to 8 — depending on how you like your thrash served. Destructor plays power thrash based on…
Callin’ Dussault
Colin Dussault’s Blues Project unleashes its 10th album at tonight’s Colinized! CD-Release Party. The Lakewood quintet’s founder considers the 13-track compilation of blues and gospel standards his band’s tightest after 18 years on the Cleveland club circuit. “It was really insane. After playing 300 dates during the last year, it was like, bam!” says Dussault.…
Iron Fortified
I was making small talk at a wine tasting in Healdsburg a few years back when the topic turned to occupations. “I’m a restaurant critic in Cleveland,” I told the knot of Wine Country foodies, a revelation that brought the hobnobbing to a screaming halt. Finally, one woman put everyone’s thoughts into words. “There are…
Colin Dussault’s Blues Project
There are local blues crews that have been around longer than Dussault’s Blues Project. Some may even do it better. But nobody does it more than Dussault, who averages 300-plus shows a year. With that many gigs, there’s not much time to write new material. All the songs on Colinized! are covers, but the sextet…
Jock Tease
New York DJs Herbert Holler and Cosi bring their Shut Up and Dance! Freedom Party to the Flats tonight to spin their signature hip-hop, funk, and reggae beats. The blowout resembles the famed freedom fests they’ve been hosting in some of the Big Apple’s illest clubs since 2000. “What sets me apart from other DJs…
‘Head Case
TOP PICK — This Is England (Genius Products) Dread hangs heavily over this grim portrait (now out on DVD) of a young boy coming of age in early ’80s Britain. After his father dies in the Falklands War, 12-year-old Shaun makes friends with an amiable group of beer-drinking, pot-smoking skinheads. But when an older racist…
The Places
Amy Annelle, better known as the Places, is a true musical nomad. Wielding a 1933 Gibson guitar, she carves compelling avant-folk tales of distance and clime that yearn for some long-gone pastoral past. Her travels are perhaps best documented on the hauntingly beautiful Fawns With Fangs: Selections From the Dark Heart of the Thicket (2005).…
Alien Nation
Mimes from Mars channel H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds as they take over today’s two performances of Orchestra From Planet X. The surprise attack by the Magic Circle Mime Company will come as Cleveland Orchestra Assistant Conductor Tito Muñoz leads his musicians through pieces by Aaron Copland, John Williams, and Scott Joplin. “We had…
The Songs Are Over
The Lime Spider, once Akron’s sole dedicated live-music club, is now the Lockview (207 South Main Street, downtown Akron). Concerts are off the menu, but the tavern now serves gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches, lunch and dinner dishes, and a respectable selection of beer and wine. The jukebox is still stocked with Jeff Buckley and Nick Cave…
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers is tied to U.K. punk’s first wave by its slashing guitars and crisp, machine-gun drum fills. The band’s members were rabble-rousing Irish lads led by singer Jake Burns’ gruff growl, and they had a huge fan in influential British DJ John Peel, who spun their first single, “Suspect Device,” over and over…
Que Syrah, Syrah
St. Martin’s Grapeschool founder Michael Sarro takes pride in his reputation as the “Rocky Horror of wine.” After all, the flamboyant winemaster has been offering tips on quality vino since 1998. Among this year’s vintages, he recommends any Cabernet from Washington state, Syrah from California, and Pinot Noir from Oregon. “But be careful, because Pinot…
Chiodos and the Devil Wears Prada
Most of that screamo-metalcore crapola sucks, except for these guys: Dayton’s The Devil Wears Prada (pictured) does the dual-dueling-roaring-screaming-vocalists thing, but knows how to write a song too. And it knows how to bring something fresh to the table: The bruising “HTML Rulez d00d” makes you wonder why you don’t hear more popular-song references to…
Engelbert Humperdinck
On his latest album, The Winding Road, soft-rock crooner Engelbert Humperdinck honors his English heritage with a collection of cover songs by Eric Clapton, John Lennon, and Sting. It’s a formidable task, but Humperdinck (who was born Arnold George Dorsey) sorta pulls it off. He also gives each song his own smooth spin, so his…
News Blues
If there’s one thing that makes comedian Lewis Black cringe, it’s Americans’ stupidity. Remember the flawed design of the Minnesota bridge that crumbled into the Mississippi River this summer? “The next day, every state’s looking at its bridges. You know what it is? It’s incompetence,” says Black, who takes the stage tonight for his one-man…
MC Chris
MC Chris raps about what he knows: comic books, video games, sci-fi, and girls who’ve dissed him. Widely known as the squeaky voice of MC Pee Pants on Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the 32-year-old from Brooklyn spits witty rhymes with sing-song hooks — and the forefather of the “nerdcore” alt-rap genre isn’t afraid…
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
For most of the millennium, retro R&B has meant the limp Marvin, Curtis, and Stevie rewrites of neo-soul, made with one self-conscious eye on the ’70s and the other on hip-hop kids. But Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings give that tired aesthetic a much-needed overhaul. Anyone with ears has heard the vintage vibe the Dap-Kings…
Motion Pictures
Cutting-edge digital animation meets classical music during tonight’s unspooling of Pictures at an Exhibition. As the 36-minute film rolls, Canadian conductor Yuli Turovsky will synchronize music with the “choreographed paintings,” using the talents of both his violinist wife and the I Musici de Montreal chamber orchestra. “It’s an extremely novel concept: Fine art and classical…
Happy Ending
Tom Gabel, frontman for the anthemic Florida agit-punk quartet Against Me!, is talking about recording the band’s recently released fourth studio album, New Wave, when the conversation turns to self-sabotaging. Gabel confesses that he’s provoked friends, lovers, colleagues, and strangers — all in the name of “having something to write about.” Thing is, sometimes he…
