Mister Brisket’s Sit-Down Cafe Now Open
Update: Delicious news to pass along on this President’s Day: Mister Brisket Next Door, the new sit-down cafe connected to the butcher shop, is now open. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. Find them on Facebook here and find Mister Brisket’s deli menu here. *** (Original story 11/14/17): “We’ve been here since…
Update: Lorain Native Jaclyn Bradley Palmer Advances Past Her Blind Audition on ‘The Voice of Holland’
Lorain native Jaclyn Bradley Palmer has advanced past her blind audition on the Dutch version of The Voice. Palmer sang Natasha Bedingfield’s “These Words,” ending the song with a high note she says was supported by her opera training. Coach Sanne (in Holland known as Miss Montreal) claimed Palmer for her team. Palmer will now advance to…
Which of These Three New Downtown Cleveland Alliance Videos Makes You Feel Coolest About Living, Working or Playing Downtown?
The Downtown Cleveland Alliance unveiled a trio of new promo videos for 2018 touting Downtown Cleveland as The Place to Be. They are, in a word, frenetic. Another description would be Very Generically On-Brand. We’re on the move! Something for everyone! No one stays home! Jargon! Sports! Culture! Food! Tech! Jobs! Rejuvenation! Connectivity! Mini doughnuts!…
Local Rock Writer Chris Akin Talks About His New Mötley Crüe Book and Explains Why the Band Belongs in the Rock Hall
Local rock writer Chris Akin got his start years ago as a contributor to Scene and then formed his own magazine, Music’s Bottom Line, which he ran for several years. Akin also co-hosted The Metal Show, a popular talk/music show on WMMS that ended in 2002 (but then shifted to 92.3 FM until 2006). Never…
Indians Fans Can Now Expect an Expanded TribeFest for 2018
The Indians news we’re really looking forward to this winter is that they’ve re-signed Carlos Santana to a multi-year deal. Unfortunately, they haven’t yet reached an agreement with the first basemen. In the meantime, they’ve announced their annual fan fest, TribeFest, is getting bigger. Next year’s event takes place Jan. 20, and is expanding to…
Alternative Rock Act PVRIS to Play House of Blues in February
Currently touring Europe in support of its new album, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, the indie rock act PVRIS has just announced dates for a 2018 North American tour. It will perform on Feb. 23 at House of Blues. Singles such as “What’s Wrong” (which has 6.8 million Spotify streams…
No Exit at Happy Dog and 7 More Classical Music Events to Hit This Week
It’s another busy week in the rush up to Thanksgiving. Here are eight events that stand out in our calendar. The talented Parker Ramsay made the news as the first American to serve as organ scholar at King’s College Cambridge (where he accompanied their famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols). He’s also a talented…
Cuyahoga County Forms Solar Co-Op to Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Save Money
With two informational meetings held today and tomorrow, Cuyahoga County and Solar United Neighbors are starting a local solar co-op. The group will apply a bulk-purchase structure to solar panel installation, providing discounts to participants and more personalized education. According to the group: “Volunteer co-op participants choose an installer on behalf of the entire group through…
Cuyahoga Arts and Culture to Award More Than $12 Million to Local Orgs, But Artists Unhappy with Reductions
Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the organization tasked with disbursing funds from the 30-cents-per-pack county tax on cigarettes, has announced that it will award more than $12 million in grants to arts organization in 2018. The awards were unanimously approved by CAC’s five-member board at its meeting Monday. “We’re pleased to invest in a record number…
10 Things More Expensive Than a Ticket to the Browns vs. Jaguars on Sunday ($6)
If, like for us, the Cleveland Browns exist this year solely in the hopes you get to enjoy yet another Cleveland sports parade, Sunday’s loss to the Lions was a rare reason to look forward to January on the coast of Lake Erie. For others that actually care to spend your Sundays watching the NFL…
You Can Soon Experience ‘A Christmas Story Live!’ Watch Party at Tremont’s Christmas Story House
[image-1]Following in the footsteps of Grease and Rocky Horror Picture Show, A Christmas Story is the latest Broadway show to receive the live TV musical treatment on FOX. But rather than just watch the musical at home come Dec. 17., Clevelanders are invited to experience the extravaganza outside Tremont’s own A Christmas Story House and…
48 Percent of Cleveland Renters Were ‘Cost Burdened’ in 2016
Though the percentage of renters who are “cost burdened” — those spending more than 30% of their income on monthly rent — has dropped nationally to its lowest point since 2008, a study from Apartment List found that 47.9% of Cleveland metro area residents still meet that threshold, which puts us squarely in the middle…
Update: Friends and Family Launch GoFundMe Campaign for Former Faith No More Singer Chuck Mosley
Chuck Mosley’s friends and family have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the former Faith No More singer’s funeral expenses and to stage a “large scale, loud, bright, beautiful concert to celebrate the music he gifted us with over the years.” In addition, the members of the industrial group Primitive Race (of which Mosley…
RTA Driver Who Hit Pedestrian on Public Square Will Serve No Jail Time
Former RTA bus driver Antoinette Peterkin, who struck and killed a 69-year-old woman on Public Square in December, 2016, was sentenced to probation and community service at a sentencing yesterday. The family of Joan Kuendig, the victim, asked that Peterkin serve no jail time. “I don’t know how I take any comfort in punishing a…
The Cavs Took the NYC Subway Today and Not Everyone Was Pleased
Proving that NBA players are just like everyday people, the Cavaliers basketball team chose to ride the New York City subway earlier today, heading back to their hotel after a morning shootaround at Madison Square Garden. The real NYC experience… the @Cavs hit the subway following today's shootaround! #CavsAllAccess pic.twitter.com/mmz9ojcbKx — NBA (@NBA) November 13,…
Barenaked Ladies to Play Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in July
Given that Barenaked Ladies have played Cleveland since the early days, it’s not a surprise that the Canadian alt-rock band has always included a Cleveland stop as part of its Last Summer on Earth Tour. Earlier today, the band announced details regarding this summer’s Last Summer on Earth 2018 tour that pairs the group with…
Beleaguered Head of Inept Office of Professional Standards Landed a New City Gig
[image-1]In its lengthy investigation of Cleveland police that led to the May 2015 consent decree with the city, the Department of Justice didn’t find much right in the department. But it delivered some of its harshest and most sustained criticism at the Office of Professional Standards (OPS), a civilian-led department charged, among other things, with…
Area Man Gets Engaged
Cleveland Cavs GM Koby Altman recently got engaged, and while it’s not the vows section of the New York Times, the relationship did land in the press thanks to an engagement announcement in the Cleveland Jewish News. The otherwise unremarkable blurb caught our eye only because of the biographical details included, or in this case,…
Piketon Mayor Lashes out at Ohio EPA, Warns of Largest Nuclear Waste Landfill in Eastern U.S.
This letter to the editor, written by Piketon, Ohio, Mayor Billy Spencer, was originally published in the Columbus Dispatch Sunday, Nov. 12, under the headline: “Letter: State Turns Back on Southern Ohio.” It is reprinted here with Spencer’s permission.) *** As the mayor of the village of Piketon, I would like to thank Reporter Holly…
Aqueous Returns to Cleveland This Week, Building on an Unbelievable Year of Groove Rock Glory
Back in March, Aqueous played a show at Beachland Ballroom. They’d done this before — playing at Beachland, playing here in Cleveland — but this show was markedly different. The air was charged in a more vivid, more complete way. Something had gotten into these guys. “I can remember the last Cleveland show we played…
Kevin Kelley Will Be Cleveland City Council President Once Again
Monday morning, Ward 13 Councilman Kevin Kelley was informally re-elected by his colleagues to serve as Cleveland City Council President, a role he has held since 2013. Kelley will be formally elected in January, but Monday’s meeting — a caucus of council Democrats, (i.e. the entire body) — certified that Kelley will be their man.…
Humorist Nick Offerman Talks About the Genesis of His Full Bush Tour That’s Coming to Cleveland
A guy who originally worked in theater, actor Nick Offerman became a household name after portraying Ron Swanson in the popular sitcom Parks and Recreation. Post-Parks and Rec, Offerman would receive high praise for his portrayal as a lawyer in Fargo. The deadpan humorist brings his Full Bush show to Connor Palace at 8 p.m.…
Cuyahoga County Will Help Fund a New Emergency Family Homeless Shelter in Cleveland
After weeks of concerted public pressure, Cuyahoga County will assist in the funding and support of a temporary emergency overflow homeless shelter for families (women and children). The new venue, which will be located at The Haven Home on East 61st Street, will accommodate 36 individuals. Furthermore, county funding will allow a case worker to…
Mars Bar in Lakewood to Expand, Adding Full Kitchen
Since at least the 1940s, the Mars Bar (15314 Madison Ave., 216-228-4500) has been a fixture in the Lakewood nightlife ecosystem. George Gountis has been running the joint for the past 13 years, maintaining the bar’s status as a neighborhood staple while making incremental improvements to the grub and setting. The tavern’s gyros have developed…
Taylor Swift is Coming to Cleveland Next Summer, Getting Tickets Will Be Annoying
Touring behind her brand new album Reputation, Taylor Swift hits FirstEnergy Stadium July 17. But as with most things the singer does (you can’t stream her full record at this point), there’s a stipulation for getting tickets. In an attempt to beat scalpers at their own game (so Swift’s camp claims), folks must sign up…
Local Indie Rockers Duo Decibel System to Play Release Party at Silver Scuro Studio and Gallery
One of our favorite local indie rock acts, Duo Decibel System came together a couple of years ago after singer-guitarist Miss Melvis moved back to Cleveland after a stint in Texas. She mostly played solo shows but had a gig scheduled at the Empire that required her to play with a drummer. Her drummer at…
Longevity, Motivation and Success with Jim France — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Two Fridays ago, Akron Manchester High School football coach Jim France set the state record with his 381st career victory. Today, he sat down with Andre and Zac to discuss his longevity, his unique situation, social media, the shotgun and more.
Strangers Can Now Unlock Your Front Door With Permission, Thanks to Amazon Key in Cleveland
[image-1]Amazon has imagined a world where people don’t have to be physically present to open their own front door. Be it for a pet sitter, personal chef or, of course, your Amazon package delivery person, the Seattle-based company is now offering a new technology that allows its Prime members to allow approved people inside locked…
Scene Just Received An Update on a Public Records Request We Made Three Years Ago
[image-1]On Dec. 30, 2014, intending to pursue several related stories about the Cleveland Police Department in the aftermath of the killing of Tamir Rice, I made five public records requests with the city of Cleveland. Sent as discrete email requests, I received tracking numbers for each of them on Jan. 3, 2015. (Happy New Year!)…
Otani Noodle Announces Opening Day for New Downtown Slurp Shop
The transformation from Noodlecat to Otani Noodle is nearly complete. Almost three months to the day after Team Sawyer shuttered its downtown ramen shop, Otani Noodle will open its fast-casual noodle shop in its place. Write this date down, downtown noodle slurpers: Monday, November 13 at 11 a.m. The downtown location (234 Euclid Ave.) is…
How Northeast Ohio Nuisance Laws Harm Domestic Violence Victims, Minorities, Renters and People Experiencing Mental Illness
In January of last year, a Lakewood woman ran to her neighbor’s house seeking help. She was bleeding from the face, and would later be diagnosed with a fractured nose, concussion and bruising at the hospital. The neighbor called 911 and police arrested a man on charges of felonious assault and domestic violence. Three days…
Minus the Bear Touches All Corners of Catalog in Headlining Agora Concert
Minus the Bear returned to Cleveland for their only headlining show of this fall tour. (Silversun Pickups skipped last night’s show. Their loss.) And though the band came to us in a slightly different form, we’ve got to say that this was their best showing in Cleveland in years. They’re always a high-energy, hypnotic rock…
Rapper Vic Mensa, Who Opens for Jay-Z at the Q, Talks about His Highly Personal New Album
Chicago-based rapper Vic Mensa regularly writes about political and social issues. So you can imagine that the current political climate weighs heavy on his mind. “I would say that every human being in the world is struggling with a lot of unrest,” he says in a recent phone interview. Mensa, who just released The Autobiography,…
In Honor of Its 75th Anniversary, ‘Casablanca’ to Show at 14 Area Theaters
In November 1942, Casablanca debuted in New York. Critics raved, and after it was released nationally, the f ilm would go to become one of the most famous movies of all time. According to the folks at the American Film Institute, it checks in at No. 3 on their list of the greatest movies ever…
Nan Whaley Promises Free Community College for All Ohioans in Campaign for Governor
As we get our 2018 gubernatorial campaign coverage under way, we stopped it at Nan Whaley’s City Club event today. The mayor of Dayton has been appearing throughout the state recently to trumpet her action on the opioid addiction crisis and the need for better partnerships between Columbus and the state’s local municipalities. The cornerstone…
ACLU Benefit Album to Feature 10 Cleveland Acts
[image-1]Given the current political climate, the American Civil Liberties Union, the nonprofit that strives to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States, needs as much help as it can get. Every day seems to bring a new threat to American civil liberties. Analog Rebellion,…
Akron Civic Theatre to Host the 9th Annual Ryan Humbert Holiday Extravaganza in December
Local singer-songwriter Ryan Humbert has just announced the lineup for his annual Holiday Extravaganza, which will take place at the Akron Civic Theatre. Humbert’s country band Shooter Sharp & the Shootouts will perform with special guest, singer-songwriter David Mayfield. “I’m really looking forward to bringing the excitement of a Shooter Sharp & the Shootouts show…
The Authentic Audio Podcast With Special Guest Van Jones
This episode of the Authentic Audio podcast with Aaron Calafato features a conversation with CNN’s Van Jones. Jones and Calafato sat down recently and had a fascinating talk about politics, Trump, the 2016 election, the American Rustbelt and his latest New York Times bestselling book Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart. How We Come…
Westlake “Prowler” Was Actually Just a Lost Painter
Westlake police earlier this week announced they were looking for a suspected prowler. The man, dressed in a white hoodie, was caught on video outside a West Essig Lane home trying the handle on the front door and looking in a window. There was no break-in, and nothing was damaged or stolen, and there’s a…
Local Rapper Paper Paulk Releases New Mixtape
Powered by the speaker-shaking single “Push The Button” and in tandem with the track’s slick new visuals, East Side rapper Paper Paulk just dropped his latest mixtape, Stay Committed, a six-track EP. About the project, Paulk, a devotee of Paulo Coehlo’s The Alchemist, noted in a recent text message to the Scene, “It’s about being…
A Perfect Circle Guitarist Talks About the Alternative Rock Band’s New Single
Originally formed in 1999 by Tool singer Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Billy Howerdel, the alternative rock act A Perfect Circle began in a truly organic manner. In the mid-’90s, Howerdel, a roadie for the ska-punk band Fishhone, met Keenan when Keenan’s band Tool opened for Fishbone. Howerdel decided to give Keenan and Co. some assistance…
Akron Library Cancels Matt Taibbi Event Due to Graphic Moscow Writings
An event featuring Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi scheduled for this evening at the Akron-Summit County Public Library has been canceled. Taibbi was scheduled to appear as part of a publicity tour for his new book, I Can’t Breathe, about the 2014 police killing of Eric Garner. In a statement, the library said it was…
On Ric Flair and Being Addicted to Fame — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Woooooo! Andre and Zac discuss the Nature Boy’s 30 for 30, the hero-worship culture, the price of fame and play a little American Fireworks Glory Days.
7 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, NOV. 10 Blue October Led by volatile singer-guitarist Justin Furstenfeld, the alt-rock act Blue October has experienced extreme ups and downs since forming just over 20 years ago. Furstenfeld chronicles that rollercoaster ride in Crazy Making — The Words and Lyrics of Justin Furstenfeld, a collection of annotated lyrics for the songs in the…
Someone’s Writing a Book About Barberton Chicken and He Needs Your Help
[image-1] Akron native Ron Koltnow now lives in Boston but his heart, and stomach, are back here in Ohio. Specifically in Barberton, where chicken is king. Koltnow is planning a book detailing the history of Barberton chicken and is seeking stories and pictures from chicken shacks current and former, most notably of Terrace Gardens, which…
Kevin Keith Received an Anointing from Fellow Death Row Inmate Romell Broom in 2009
We published a sprawling feature on the criminal case against Kevin Keith today, and we wanted to share an interesting story that he told about his time on Death Row. You may recall inmate Romell Broom, who was scheduled for a state execution on Sept. 15, 2009. The process was botched horribly, with the team…
In Advance of an Upcoming House of Blues Show, Descendents Drummer Talks About the Band’s Pop-Punk Sensibilities
Descendents drummer Bill Stevenson grew up in a tiny coastal Southern California city in the 1970s. When he was in high school, punk rock wasn’t yet popular, so he had no trouble identifying the few fans of the music at Mira Costa High School. “Our town was pretty small, and the very, very few people…
Comedian Jen Kirkman Brings an All-New Show to Hilarities Next Week
A New York Times bestselling author (she’s written two memoirs, I Can Barely Take Care of Myself and I Know What I’m Doing), comedian Jen Kirkman honed her comedic skills while working for many years as a writer and guest on Chelsea Lately. The sarcastic comic likes to make fun of the fact that she…
Machine Gun Kelly Set to Star in New Sandra Bullock Thriller
East Cleveland hip-hop artist Machine Gun Kelly (aka Colson Baker) has officially signed on for Sandra Bullock’s latest project Bird Box, Variety reports. MGK, who’s already had a big year after being named a Reebok global ambassador, releasing a super-slick new album and announcing a special Cleveland Christmas show, is joining a cast that also…
Trump-Loving Brook Park Mayor Tom Coyne, Beachwood Mayor Merle Gorden Lose Re-Election
Two notable, long-serving suburban mayors lost their jobs last night: Merle Gorden in Beachwood and Tom Coyne in Brook Park. Coyne, a former Democrat who’d ruled City Hall from 1982 to 2001 and again from 2013 until this year, had switched parties, running as a Trumpian Republican. (He was set to be feted with a…
A Hit Goes Wrong in Rural Ohio, and a Murder Case Spirals Out of Control For 23 Years
Charles Keith is not presently one of the 2,300 inmates at Marion Correctional Institution. He is not sitting in a prison cell, because he was not at any point convicted of murder. He has never had his life spared in an act of clemency by the governor of Ohio, and thus he has never avoided…
Get Out: Everything You Should Do This Week in Cleveland (Nov. 8-14)
WED 11/08 Cleveland Stories Dinner Party Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is a weekly series that pairs fine food with storytelling. Through it, the folks at Music Box Supper Club hope to raise awareness of the mission of the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is…
Art Museum Guards Navigate Dreams and Reality in ‘The Art of Longing’ at Cleveland Public Theatre
Did you ever wonder why your body can do some amazing things, but not others? You can grow new skin to heal a cut, but you can’t grow a whole new hand. You can remember things when you don’t want to, but can’t remember the one thing you want to recall. And your brain can…
20 Years in, Tremont’s Fat Cats is as Good as Ever
The Scene: A nearly deserted road on the outskirts of town. Behind rusted-out fences sit faded cottages leaning with age and neglect. There is a horrifying lack of vegetation, as if a defoliant recently rained down from the sky. Roving hounds outnumber pedestrians at a post-apocalyptic rate of 10 to one. Over the wailing din…
Strong Performances and Visual Style Elevate a So-So Story in ‘Wonderstruck’
You can be forgiven for thinking that Todd Haynes, a director known for decidedly adult fare like Safe, Carol and Far From Heaven, is an odd choice to helm an adaptation of an acclaimed YA novel; you’re kind of right. Wonderstruck, directed by Haynes from a script by original author Brian Selznick, has plenty of…
Savage Love: The Daddy Files
Dear Dan, I’m a 40-year-old bi man. I’ve been with my 33-year-old bi wife for three years and married for one. When we first met, she made it clear that she was in a long-term (more than three years) “Daddy” relationship with an older man. I figured out six months later that her “Daddy” was…
Band of the Week: Shane Owens
MEET THE BAND: Shane Owens (vocals, guitar) BORN IN ALABAMA: Born and raised in a small Alabama town, Owens grew up on a farm. At an early age, he developed an appreciation for what he refers to as “traditional country music.” “I grew up listening to Randy Travis and George Jones and Merle Haggard,” he…
