‘Love Actually,’ Playing at Cedar Lee Next Week, Proves Love is Still All Around
The Cedar Lee Theatre is bringing Christmas feelings to hands and toes once again in the form of Love Actually. The schmaltzy romantic comedy, playing on the big screen next Tuesday, tells the tale of eight or so mostly British couples as they dive into ponds, learn to play drums, make creepy wedding videos and fly…
Luna Bakery and Cafe’s New Moreland Hills Location Opens This Sunday
Update: The short wait is over. After announcing plans in December for a second outpost in Moreland Hills, Luna will open its doors at 34105 Chagrin Blvd. this Sunday, June 24. It’ll seat 65 and features an outdoor patio as well. The original location in Cleveland Heights at Cedar and Fairmount opened seven years ago today.…
Reward Offered for Return of Donald Trump “Grab ‘Em By the Pussy” Banner, For Some Reason
Update: The Donald Trump banner, bearing his infamous and timeless quote “Grab ’em by the pussy,” that was included in a stretch of other presidential likenesses showcasing pithy wisdom at Lorain and West 20th didn’t last long. It disappeared recently. Whether it was stolen or removed and disposed of by someone offended at the not-so-veiled…
Will Medical Marijuana Users in Ohio Be Allowed to Own Firearms? Federal Law Still Says No
[image-1]We’ve noticed some debate in Hawaii and elsewhere over whether medical marijuana users may be allowed to own firearms. In short, the answer is unclear — and Ohio, with its budding medical marijuana law, is no different. On the federal level, marijuana remains an illegal Schedule-I narcotic, of course, and federal law prohibits any “unlawful user”…
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O’Neill Will Step Down in January to Run for Governor
[image-1]Justice Bill O’Neill, he of the infamous hayloft tryst and the lone Democratic voice on the Ohio Supreme Court, will step down from the bench in January. He is soldiering on with his campaign for governor. He says he will be out of the judicial game on January 21st. He first took the seat in…
The Sausage Shoppe, an 80-Year-Old Institution, to Close this Spring
[image-1]Fans of the West Side butcher shop The Sausage Shoppe, which originally opened in 1938, learned yesterday that the store and smokehouse would be closing for good this spring. Owners Norm and Carol Heinle announced the sad news on Facebook with the following message: “Norm and Carol and all of the Heinle Family want to…
Sweet Apple Releases New Music Video Featuring ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Star Mark Boone Junior
Sweet Apple, the rock band that features locally based guitarist Tim Parnin and singer John Petkovic, recorded its heady new album, Sing the Night in Sorrow, in several different states. As a press release about the disc puts it, the record “explores themes such as longing and escape, darkness consumed by endless daylight, love amid…
Scene at the Ohio Governor Democratic Primary Debate
Your faithful Scene Magazine correspondents Sam Allard and Eric Sandy attended Monday evening’s Democratic Primary Debate between four candidates for Ohio Governor. Video of full debate is above. Sam Allard: You’ve seen these candidates up close more than I have, duder. [Former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, State Sen. Joe Schiavoni, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and…
Richard Cordray Joins Ohio Governor’s Race
[image-1]Richard Cordray, the former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, D.C., entered the Ohio governor’s race today. He made the announcement at a diner in Grove City, his hometown. This development has been bandied about for months, and it will no doubt change the landscape of the Democratic primary. Cordray is a…
Departed Co-Director of FRONT: Triennial, Who Left Because of ‘Creative Differences,’ Suspended by Jewish Museum After Sexual Harassment Allegations
News last week that Jens Hoffmann had departed as co-director of FRONT: Triennial, the impending major art exhibition in Cleveland that debuts next year, sent minor shockwaves through the art community. FRONT, after all, is a major undertaking in a crowded landscape, had only recently released its first confirmed projects and participants, and is set…
The Christmas Classic ‘Amahl and The Night Visitors’ Plus Four More Classical Music Events to Hit This Week
CityMusic Cleveland welcomes back Stefan Willich, the German physician/conductor who also leads the World Doctors Orchestra, as guest conductor for its five-concert December program, to be performed in Cleveland, Parma, Shaker Heights, and Willoughby Hills from Wednesday, December 6 through Sunday, December 10. Willich will lead the ensemble in Schubert’s Third Symphony and Mozart’s Sinfonia…
For Kids and Parents, ‘Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars’ Works Perfectly at Dobama Theatre
Every parent is always is always in search of appropriate and fun entertainment for their kids. So it’s good news that Dobama is presenting the family-friendly show Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars. It’s a fun show for children, since it features lots of running around, some wonderfully-staged action sequences, and just enough Message to…
‘Urinetown’ is Soaked in Silly Fun at Blank Canvas Theatre
Is it juvenile? Yes. Is it Silly? Of course. And is it universal? Well, there’s nothing more all-encompassing, never mind your ethnicity or politics, than the need to pee. And while it may seem farfetched that the government would like to stop some people from peeing freely (transgender people may chuckle ruefully here), this show…
Odesza to Perform at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in May
In the wake of Grammy nominations last week for its latest album, A Moment Apart, and for its latest single, “Line Of Sight,” the electronic act Odesza has announced more dates for its A Moment Apart Tour. The tour commences next week with sold out shows in Boston, and it’ll now extend into the spring.…
Report: Suspended Met Opera Conductor Led Blindfolded Masturbation Sessions in Cleveland in 1969-1970
Famous conductor James Levine, with whom New York’s Metropolitan Opera has severed ties after multiple allegations of sexual assault, was once an assistant conductor at the Cleveland Orchestra. While there — from 1964 – 1970, first as an apprentice to conductor George Szell, then as an assistant conductor — Levine was the leader of a…
Janet Jackson Delivers a Message of Love at Quicken Loans Arena Concert
It seems as if singer and actress Janet Jackson been around in some capacity or another for ages, and that’s largely true in a way. Her career as a vocalist dates back to the early ’80s and her acting goes back even further into the ’70s with her role as Penny on Good Times. As…
Watch the New Trailer for Bruce Willis’ ‘Acts of Violence,’ Filmed in Cleveland
Bruce Willis’ Acts of Violence trailer is finally out, but you won’t catch much of the city in which it was filmed here. Much of the 2 and a half minute release depicts actors either indoors or in generic outdoor shots. But at least five times, by our count anyway, the Cleveland skyline is quite…
Local Indie Rockers the Whiskey Hollow to Play EP Release Party at the Grog Shop
A local indie rock band fronted by powerhouse singer Madeline Finn, the Whiskey Hollow takes inspiration from a number of sources. The band cites Shakey Graves, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Jeff Buckley, the Black Keys and Alabama Shakes as influences. On Friday, the band will play an EP release party at the Grog…
Lawsuit Accuses Fired Euclid Police Officer of Another Violent Arrest
Michael Amiott was fired from the Euclid Police Department this year after multiple accusations of excessive force piled up on his personnel file. In August, he was seen on video beating a black man in the street during an apparent traffic stop. Now, a Dec. 5, 2016, incident has come to light via a lawsuit…
Can Ohio Solve Its Rural Broadband Problem?
Some state legislators are hoping to set aside $50 million each year to provide broadband internet access to Ohioans left without a dependable connection. According to Connect Ohio, some 300,000 rural households don’t have reliable access to the internet. In November, State Sens. Joe Schiavoni (D-Boardman) and John Eklund (R-Munson Township) introduced SB 225, which would…
Holly Gleason Talks About the Cleveland Connection to Her New Book, ‘Woman Walk the Line: How the Women In Country Music Changed Our Lives’
The inside jacket of Holly Gleason’s new book, Woman Walk The Line: How The Women In Country Music Changed Our Lives, helps to lay out the mission statement for what readers will find inside, describing it as “part history, part confessional and part celebration of country, Americana and bluegrass and the women who make them.…
Foreigner to Bring Its Juke Box Heroes Tour to Blossom in July
This year, classic rockers Foreigner celebrated their 40th anniversary with an extensive U.S. tour. Now, the band has announced an extensive summer tour that will hit even bigger venues in 2018. The band performs with Whitesnake and Jason’s Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience on July 10 at Blossom. “I’m excited to join forces with my fellow…
8 Cleveland Holiday Markets to Help You Shop This Christmas
If you’re more of a casual browser who knows the right gift only when you see it, there are plenty of holiday markets slated between now and Christmas. Here are a select few we’d recommend hitting. Holiday Market at the Screw Factory: On Dec. 15 and 16, the Screw Factory in Lakewood is throwing open…
Cleveland Museum of Art Announces Extended Hours For Late December
In order to offer visitors additional opportunities to see its new exhibition, The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s, the first major museum exhibition to focus on American taste in art and design during the 1920s and early 1930s, the Cleveland Museum of Art has just announced that it will stay open later than…
Maumee Bay Brewing Co. Brewed Up Some ‘Alegae Bloom’ Beer to Raise Awareness of Lake Erie Threat
Maumee Bay Brewing Co. tapped some Alegae Bloom last night in a special event meant to highlight the threat against the health of Lake Erie — the growing algae blooms that have taken down Toledo’s water supply in the past. “This was an extremely experimental batch that won’t last beyond [Nov. 30],” the brewery wrote…
Local Indie Rockers Ottawa to Debut New Songs at Beachland Show
After their previous band, the Royaltons, split up, singer Dale DeLong and guitarist Tim Czajka formed the local indie rock act Ottawa in 2013. They had a good run with the Royaltons, which played around town from 2007 to 2010, but they’ve had an even better run with Ottawa, which has built a bigger local…
Outspoken Singer-Songwriter Will Hoge to Play Musica in Akron
In the initial media guidelines that the Country Music Association sent out regarding the CMA Awards ceremony that took place earlier this month in Nashville, journalists were warned to refrain from asking questions about the mass shooting in Las Vegas. “If you are reported as straying from these guidelines, your credential will be reviewed and…
Secretary of State Jon Husted Joins Mike DeWine’s Ticket as Gubernatorial Running Mate
Solidifying the frontrunner Republican ticket, Secretary of State Jon Husted will drop his own gubernatorial campaign and join Mike DeWine as his running mate. “Republicans have been fighting with each other long enough,” Husted wrote in a public statement, using some really physical verbiage. “Had I continued my run for Governor, Mike and I would…
Another Police Brutality Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against the Euclid Police Department: VIDEO
Lamar Wright is accusing two Euclid police officers of forcibly arresting him last year and “maliciously” filing false charges against him. He filed a lawsuit against the officers and the department today. Read the lawsuit and watch video of the arrest below. According to the civil complaint, Wright pulled into a driveway on East 212th…
Comedian JB Smoove Talks About His Upcoming Appearance at the Improv
Famous for his portrayal of Leon, a fast-talking friend of Larry David on the HBO hit Curb Your Enthusiasm, comedian JB Smoove started his career decades ago. Smoove, who just published his new book, The Book of Leon: Philosophy of a Fool, began his career back in 1999 when he moved to Los Angeles and…
Newburgh Heights Mayor Trevor Elkins Suing Channel 5 for ‘Outlandish’ Defamatory Story
Newburgh Heights Mayor Trevor Elkins and four Newburgh Heights village councilpeople have filed a scorching lawsuit against News Channel 5. They allege that a November story by reporter Jonathan Walsh was false and defamatory. A complaint filed Thursday morning in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas contends that the story, and the defamation therein,…
7 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, DEC. 1 Lords of the Highway’s 25th Anniversary Show/The Hi-Views The local rockabilly band Lords of the Highway got its start in the early ’90s when a local drummer placed an ad in Scene. He wanted to play some roots rock and singer-guitarist Dennis Bell responded to the ad. Twenty-five years later, the band…
Do You Accept the Nuclear Noodle Challenge Like These Cleveland Chefs?
If you follow certain local chefs and restaurants on Instagram, you likely saw pics of various folks hunched over bowls of ramen. But unlike the typically pale noodles, the ones captured in these snaps are fire engine-red, an unmistakable indication of their spiciness. These masochistic people have accepted a dare: the 2X Spicy Chicken Ramen…
Jerry Springer Will Not Run for Ohio Governor
“I don’t want to add to the circus,” Jerry Springer said yesterday on his podcast, informally announcing that he will not be running for Ohio governor next year. The one-time Cincinnati mayor had hinted at a possible run — an idea that was then fueled by media and political speculation for months. This week, we…
Second Round of Medical Marijuana Cultivation Licenses Includes At Least One in Cuyahoga County
The state announced the recipients of its 12 Level I medical marijuana cultivation licenses. These companies will be permitted to operate cannabis grow ops of up to 25,000 square feet. Cuyahoga County will have at least one cultivator located within its bounds: Parma Wellness Center LLC will operate a large-scale cultivation facility somewhere within Parma.…
Rapper Big K.R.I.T. to Play House of Blues in March
Meridian, Miss. rapper Big K.R.I.T. (the acronym stands for King Remembered In Time) has just announced that he’ll follow his critically acclaimed album 4EVA Is A Mighty Long Time with his Heavy Is the Crown tour. During the course of a career that dates back to 2005, the year he released his first mixtape, Big K.R.I.T.…
FRONT International Announces First Participants and Projects for Cleveland’s New Triennial Art Exhibition Debuting in 2018
FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art, the new Cleveland triennial art exhibition spearheaded by Fred Bidwell that will run July 14 through September 30, 2018, in Cleveland, today announced the first projects and participants. The inaugural edition, titled An American City, will cost some $4.2 million and take place throughout Cleveland. Located in unconventional…
Ohio Cops for Kids ‘Charity’ Accused of Running Multi-Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme
[image-1]Alleging that the charitable organization Ohio Cops for Kids spent only 2 percent of its donations on actual charity, Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a lawsuit today in an attempt to shut down the operation. The lawsuit argues that Cops for Kids organizers Thomas Duffy and Charles Hitzel — and their for-profit charity solicitor, Telcom Enterprises…
Local Soul Singer Lauren Lanzaretta Releases New Music Video for Her Latest Single
Once voted “Best Singer” in Scene’s Best of Cleveland campaign and a regular nominee in the Ohio Hip Hop Awards, local soul singer Lauren Lanzaretta is one of the more active aritsts on the local scene. She generated plenty of hype with her full-length debut, 2014’s Naked Soul, and she’s currently working on a new…
Area Blue Man Wanted in Connection With Lakewood Robbery
Police released the grainy surveillance video still from the 7-Eleven in Lakewood on Hilliard you see to the right in hopes that someone recognizes the man, a suspect in a robbery at the store around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. While chances are good it’s not Tobias Fünke, Violet Beauregarde or an amateur Blue Man fan,…
Rock Hall Nominees Radiohead Book South American Tour That Conflicts with Inductions
Members of Radiohead, the one nominee for the Rock Hall’s Class of 2018 that seems like a sure thing, have been vocal about their disregard for their inevitable induction. Still, an awards ceremony without the British rock act — assuming they’re inducted — would be incomplete, especially when you consider the group hasn’t performed in…
John Barr, Founder of Nighttown, Has Passed Away
John Barr purchased the bar that would become Nighttown in 1965 for $23,000. At the time, it was a single storefront bar called the Silhouette Lounge. Barr changed the name to Nighttown after the red-light district in James Joyce’s Ulysses. Over the next 50 years, the operation expanded – in both directions and spilling outside…
Get Out: Everything You Should Do This Week in Cleveland (Nov. 29-Dec. 5)
WED 11/29 Cleveland Comedy Festival Playhouse Square will play host to 18 comedy performances today through Dec. 3, during the annual Cleveland Comedy Festival. The fest kicks off today at 5 p.m. with a Comedy Happy Hour at Kennedy’s Theatre. Outcalt Theatre and Kennedy’s will be among several sites for performances that will feature comedians…
John Hay’s Football Team Was Looking Forward to the 2017 Campaign. Then Their Starting Quarterback Was Murdered.
John Hay’s football field is dying. Sandwiched between a sparkling new high-rise apartment building in mid-construction, the ultra-modernist Cleveland School for the Arts and a recently renovated John Hay High School, the field is a blight, like a pothole on an otherwise freshly paved street. Each blade of grass is a varying shade of yellow…
Treat Yourself to a Glorious Production of a Little-Seen O’Neill Classic, ‘The Hairy Ape’
When the lights go up, you feel as if you’ve been dropped into a panel from the mural “America Today” by Thomas Hart Benton. Bare-chested men are drinking beer and yelling taunts at each other in the belly of an ocean liner, where they’ve taken a break from shoveling coal into the ship’s engine. And…
A New Home, and a Newly Expanded Menu, for Taste of Kerala
One of my favorite meals of 2011 took place in the front seat of my car. Following up on a tip, I had landed at Taste of Kerala, a bare-bones storefront on Mayfield Road. The “restaurant” had no seating save for the few chairs up front for customers to plop into while waiting on take-out…
Band of the Week: Lords of the Highway
MEET THE BAND: Dennis A. Bell (guitar, vocals, stompin’), Matt Sauer (drums, vocals), Action Al (upright bass, vocals) IT ALL STARTED WITH AN AD: The local rockabilly band Lords of the Highway got its start in the early ’90s when a local drummer placed an ad in Scene. He wanted to play some roots rock…
Savage Love: Devastation
Dear Dan, I’m a straight man in a live-in relationship with a beautiful woman. There are no sparks in bed, and it’s been more than a year since we’ve had sex. She says, “I’m sorry, but I’m just not interested.” Sometimes she asks me if I’m disappointed, and I say something like, “I miss sex.”…
Judith Brandon’s Resonant Drawings at Kenneth Paul Lesko Gallery
Walking into the Kenneth Paul Lesko Gallery, we are not surprised by the sheer size of Judith Brandon’s impressive work in Resonant Drawings, an exhibition that celebrates the artist’s 40-page catalog of the same name. Brandon, who worked out of a space at the 78th Street Studios building, has been steadily creating larger drawings since…
