Update: Metallica, Soundgarden and Korn to Headline Rock on the Range 2017
Update: Metallica, Soundgarden and Korn will each headline one night of Rock on the Range 2017. In all, the hard rock festival that takes place in May in Columbus will feature more than 50 bands performing on three stages. Comedians will also perform in the ROTR Rolling Rock Comedy Tent. Rock On The Range 2017 presale…
ACLU Says Suspensions Reversed for Two Shaker Heights High School Students Who Exposed Racist Comments
Update: The ACLU says the punishment dished out to two Shaker Heights High School girls who reposted another student’s racist comments on Snapchat. The school initially suspended the girls for “disruptive behavior.” The ACLU quickly got involved, rightly pointing out that the comments were posted outside of school and were covered by the First Amendment.…
Contest Announcement: Design a New Name/Logo For the Cleveland Baseball Team
[image-1]Cleveland Scene is pleased to announce a design competition where you and/or your savviest art school compatriots get to design a new name and logo for the Cleveland baseball team. That’s right. Whether or not you’re personally offended by Chief Wahoo, the Indians’ embattled redfaced logo, let us not forget the deluge of national coverage…
WKYC’s Tom Beres to Retire After 37 Years
After more than 37 years on local TV, political reporter Tom Beres is retiring, WKYC announced Wednesday. “It’s been a privilege to have had such a long career at Channel 3, telling the stories of people, political players, issues and events here in my home town,” Beres said in a statement. “After reporting on this…
Arabella Proffer Blends Science with Art in New Wxhibition at Hedge Gallery
For more than a decade, Cleveland-based painter Arabella Proffer has been known for her stunning and surreal figurative painting. However, her new exhibition at Hedge Gallery marks the first time that her new direction of abstract, biomorphic imagery has been collected in one solo show. This ongoing series brings together Proffer’s interests in disease, microbiology,…
City, RTA Announce: Public Square to Remain Closed to Buses Permanently
After several months of prolonged and private deliberations, Mayor Frank Jackson and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) CEO Joe Calabrese announced Tuesday night that Public Square will remain closed to bus traffic permanently. The Public Square stretch of Superior Avenue was supposed to have opened to buses on August 1 but has been barricaded…
Local Jazz/Swing Act Hollywood Slim to Play Prohibition Repeal Party at Prosperity Social Club
Every year, Prosperity Social Club hosts a Prohibition Repeal Party that includes live music, dinner specials and drinks. This year’s event takes place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. “We mark the end of the Volstead Act by partying like its 1933,” says owner Bonnie Flinner in a press release. “We’ll be making Roaring…
Classical Music Events to Catch This Week
Everybody’s eager to schedule performances before Thanksgiving week. These are only five of many interesting possibilities that we recommend for your listening pleasure. Like the idea of a multicultural society? So does Apollo’s Fire artistic director Jeannette Sorrell, who has chosen Venice, that “Most Serene Republic” on the Adriatic Sea, as an example of a…
Spectacle, Formerly ‘Artscape’ at MOCA, Promises Excellent Holiday Shopping
This year, MOCA hosts its 12th annual holiday artisan market, featuring original work from local, regional and national artists, as well as innovators in design. Formerly known as Artscape for the past 11 years, this year’s event is titled Spectacle. With a carefully curated selection of artisans and wares, this year’s event continues the tradition…
Warehouse District Greek Eatery Santorini is Closed Indefinitely
Santorini (1382 West Ninth St., 216-205-4675), the one-and-a-half-year-old Greek restaurant in the Warehouse District, is closed indefinitely according to the outgoing message that callers hear when attempting to reach the restaurant. Calls to owner Tommy Karakostas, who also operates the popular Greek Village eateries, went unanswered. We’ll update this page as new information comes in.
Graffiti HeArt Scholarship Fundraiser Set for CLE Urban Winery
Each year, local non-profit Graffiti HeArt awards scholarships for the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Pre-College program to local high school students. You can support the organization and its scholarship fund by attending this weekend’s Graffiti & Grapes Scholarship Benefit at the CLE Urban Winery from 6 to 11 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 19. “This year’s…
Fairview Park Man Arrested for Threatening Donald Trump Via Twitter
“My life goal is to assassinate Trump. Don’t care if I serve infinite sentences. That man deserves to decease existing.” He’s no Proust, but Fairview Park resident Zachary Benson’s writing caught the attention of law enforcement. Benson was arrested after a flurry of Election Night tweets and later charged in federal court for making threat to a…
Cleveland Police Cars are Getting Dash Cams
County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty bestowed what one might call a parting gift upon the Cleveland Division of Police: a $500,000 grant to fund the installation of dash cameras in about 275 cruisers. If it seems odd that the department wasn’t already using dash cams, McGinty would agree; he cited the costly investigation into the shooting…
CIA Students Host Art Show to Help Fund NYC Trip
Each year, students at the Cleveland Institute of Art take an extracurricular spring break trip to New York City. The annual trip has been a tradition for students at CIA for more than a decade. The visit expands the students’ perspective on contemporary art far beyond their classrooms. To help fund the trip, students and…
Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic World Tour Coming to Quicken Loans Arena
Singer/songwriter/producer/director/musician Bruno Mars just announced plans for his headlining tour in support of his forthcoming album, 24 Magic. The 24K Magic World Tour will begin on March 28 in Antwerp, Belgium and travel throughout Europe before kicking off on July 15 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The tour includes an Aug. 15 date at…
Pink Martini to Play Masonic Auditorium in March
Pink Martini bandleader Thomas Lauderdale originally thought he’d enter politics and run for mayor of his hometown, Portland, Oregon. But as he started going to fundraisers, he realized that the music most politicians played at their events was crap. He figured he could come up with something better, and he put together a self-described “little…
Mayor Jackson Swears in New Members of Cleveland Community Police Commission
Mayor Frank Jackson Monday swore in three new members of the Cleveland Community Police Commission, the body created by the Consent Decree tasked with recommending police reforms and liaising with the community. Two of 10 civilian members resigned from the Commission (the “CleCoPoCo”) earlier this year. Craig Boise, the former Cleveland-Marshal College of Law dean,…
‘Dexter’ Cast Will Join Wizard World in Cleveland Next Spring
[image-1] Although fans will have to wait a little longer for next year’s Wizard World Cleveland event (March 17 to 19), fans of the Emmy nominated TV Series Dexter got some good news today. Wizard World organizers announced this morning that the cast of Showtime’s hit show will appear at next year’s conventions in Cleveland and…
The Skating Rink at Public Square Opens This Week
The Cleveland Foundation is celebrating the grand opening of the ice rink on Public Square with free skating on November 26. The rink officially opens this Friday. Tickets to next week’s free skate (8 a.m. to 11 p.m., 11/26/16) will be available on a first come, first serve basis on that day at the admission…
Comedian Katt Williams to Perform at Wolstein Center in March
At one point, critics said comic Katt Williams might just become the next Dave Chappelle. While that didn’t quite happen, Williams is still hugely popular. Known for his roles on MTV’s Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out and the feature film Friday After Next, Williams is famous for wearing flashy outfits that make him look…
Scheduled to Die in January, Death Row Inmate Challenges Ohio’s Execution Policies
Ohio has been fumbling its lethal injection protocol for years — dating back most notably to a failed execution in 2009 — and a series of events are about to collide in a most unpredictable manner. Ronald Phillips was sentenced to death for the 1993 rape and murder of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter. He is…
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Founder Talks About This Year’s Over-the-Top Tour
When he was young, Trans-Siberian Orchestra mastermind Paul O’Neill had trouble reading anything more sophisticated than Cat in the Hat. In the first grade, he was in danger of falling behind. But then his mother spent a summer teaching him phonetics, and the floodgates opened as O’Neill, whose parents forbid him to watch TV, started…
Renovated West Side Market Parking Lot Opens, Vendors Say Business Down Since Construction Started
It’s official. The renovated and expanded parking lot at West Side Market is now open, creating an additional 128 spots and much needed traffic relief after months of construction that left an already bottlenecked area of Ohio City even more bottlenecked on weekends. It wouldn’t be surprising that traffic issues and parking lot orange cones…
Award-Winning Fat Head’s Brewery to Greatly Expand Production at New Brewery
“We’ve really outgrown our space – and I’m really proud of that,” says Matt Cole, brewer-owner of Fat Head’s. “When I hit this road block I started looking at other buildings.” Cole managed to find just the spot, an eight-acre site just off I-71 and Bagley Road in Middleburg Heights. When all the construction is…
Train Kept a Rollin’: Cavs Improve to 8-1 by Stinging Hornets
Paranoia served humans well when a brief lapse of attention or perhaps inopportune small talk could be the difference between making it back to the tribe alive and being tiger finger food. It’s less useful in modern society where the threats are much less immediate and small talk almost unavoidable. As a result we humans…
11 Reasons Why Arrival is the Best Film of the Year
Here are 11 reasons why Arrival, the mesmerizing sci-fi drama starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner and directed by Denis Villeneuve, is currently the best film of 2106: 1) It’s as emotionally gripping, off the bat, as any movie since 2009’s Up. Pixar might never be topped for its ability to move an audience to…
Woman Robbed Outside Church After Planning Husband’s Memorial
[image-1]Cleveland police are searching for the suspect responsible for robbing a woman at gunpoint outside a church shortly after planning her late husband’s memorial. The robbery happened at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on Detroit Avenue around 6:30 a.m. on October 29. According to police, the suspect grabbed the woman in the church parking…
CWRU Beefs Up Campus Security After Nine Robberies in Two Weeks: UPDATE
[image-1] Investigations remain ongoing following nine robberies between Oct. 24 and this week on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. Police have arrested 10 suspects. Many of the robberies took place near residence halls, and victims reported cash and cellphones being stolen. Case is closely monitoring the situation and increasing security in the area.…
Singer-Songwriter Ryan Humbert Announces Details for His 8th Annual Holiday Extravaganza
Now in its eighth year, the annual Ryan Humbert Holiday Extravaganza: Country Christmas has become a holiday tradition. The concert, set to take place on Dec. 15 and 16 at the Akron Civic Theatre will feature singer-songwriter Ryan Humbert and singer Emily Bates with a few of their closest musical friends. This year, the holiday…
Hey, We Can Now Watch RTA Lose Money in Real Time
Thanks to publicsquander.com, anyone with an internet connection can now monitor in real time the money that RTA is losing due to the re-routing of buses on Public Square. The new Public Square was unveiled to wide acclaim immediately before the Republican National Convention in July. It was supposed to open to bus traffic on…
6 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, NOV. 11 Ex-Astronaut LP Release With the current lineup, the local band Ex-Astronaut has shifted away from fuzzed out Dinosaur Jr.-type indie rock and started playing shoe-gazer-inspired music. Engineered and mixed by John Delzoppo at his locally based Negative Space studio, the band’s latest album, No More Dreams, was mastered by Ryan Morey at…
Get Ready for the Browns’ Perfect 0-16 Season Parade
[image-1]Something of a local legend in Cleveland sports circles, McNeil commands an engaged following of Browns, Cavs, Indians and Buckeyes fans. His latest move? This morning, he filed paperwork with the city of Cleveland for a parade in honor of the Browns’ inevitable perfect 0-16 season. Check the Facebook details here. The parade is being…
Cleveland Classical Guitar Society Hosts a Conversation with Jorge Caballero
[image-1]“I like to believe that music speaks for itself. People can derive their own meaning from the sounds they hear,” classical guitarist Jorge Caballero said during a recent phone interview. “It’s like writers who find that it’s best not to say anything about their own work — they prefer readers to form their own opinions.…
Checking in with Newburgh Heights, the First City in the U.S. to Offer Fully Paid Parental Leave for Employees
[image-1]We’re pleased to see this nifty item this week — Cleveland 19 dropping in on Newburgh Heights Mayor Trevor Elkins, who helped usher in fully paid parental leave for city employees earlier this year. The city was the first in the country to do so. “I think we’re moving in the direct where we’re going…
Fox 8 Brings Investigative Might to Bear on Massive City Council Scandal: Texting?
In the shadow of the presidential election, Cleveland’s local Fox 8 news has exposed a dire sickness at City Hall. Read on if you dare: “During a council meeting on a recent Monday evening,” reports Fox 8, “the I-Team noticed Councilman Anthony Brancatelli had a computer on his desk keeping track of detailed play-by-play action…
Video: Cavs take on the Mannequin Challenge at the White House
It’s been an awesome year for our Cleveland Cavaliers, and yesterday the fun continued with a visit to the White House to honor their NBA championship win. Check out the Cavs take on the #MannequinChallenge with First Lady Michelle Obama. Freezing our @WhiteHouse visit in time forever with @FLOTUS!#MannequinChallenge 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/iX1qaJ8qQQ — Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs)…
More Rock Hall Renovations On Tap for 2017
Yesterday, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame held a press conference on its front plaza to announce the next phase of renovations that will create “a transformative and multidimensional experience” for music fans and visitors from around the world. Standing in front of the new locally designed and built “LONG LIVE ROCK” block letters…
Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell Will Help Lead Trump Transition
Donald Trump’s team has tapped former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to lead the incoming administration’s domestic transition. The AP reported that Blackwell has been working with the campaign for months, “vetting potential appointees for U.S. domestic agencies.” Blackwell himself may or may not have a permanent spot in Trump’s administration; this current role…
Detroit-Shoreway Bookstore Guide to Kulchur to Close
Guide to Kulchur, the Detroit-Shoreway bookstore and co-op, is closing its doors. Owner and curator RA Washington announced on his Facebook page that Sunday will be the indie shop’s last day. He described the decision as an “emergency measure” due to financial concerns. “We’ve fought to keep the doors open,” he wrote, “and now we…
Upside Down Flag at Oberlin High School Was Work of “Vandals” Says Superintendent
After reports of an upside-down flag outside Oberlin High School appeared on social media Wednesday morning, school officials rushed to turn it right side up. Oberlin superintendent David Hall called the incident a prank. “I can’t assume,” Hall told the Chronicle-Telegram, “but it may have something to do with the election.” Very keen, Mr. Hall.…
Singer Peter Wolf Takes a Collaborative Approach on his Latest Album
For Peter Wolf, music has long been a thing that fills a necessary space in his world. So as he was looking to launch his latest solo album, he decided to call it exactly what it is. “Music has always been my cure for loneliness and that’s where the title came in,” he shares during…
Up-and-Coming British Acts to Play BBC Music Presents Showcase at House of Blues
The inaugural BBC Music Presents package tour of the U.S. features an eclectic lineup of bands including Izzy Bizu, Sundara Karma and Spring King [pictured]. The bands all sound quite different from each other and should compliment one another nicely on the tour. Singer Izzy Bizu channels Amy Winehouse with her vintage sound, indie rockers…
A Worthy Examination of Race in the Workplace Crawls to a Finish in ‘Rasheeda Speaking’ at Karamu House
Right off the bat, there’s a lot to like about any play set in a workplace. These are environments all of us are familiar with, and we know how some of the power games are played. So in Rasheeda Speaking, when a doctor asks his loyal secretary to help him find evidence so he can…
GM to Lay Off 1,200 Workers at Lordstown Plant in Ohio
[image-1]GM announced yesterday that it will lay off some 2,000 workers across two plants. 1,200 of those jobs will come at the Lordstown plant in Ohio, which builds the Chevy Cruze. The other 800 jobs will come from the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan. Citing a downturn in demand for small cars like…
Protest Planned in Akron for National #NoDAPL Day of Action
Akron, Ohio, will be among the dozens of cities hosting protests at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites next Tuesday as part of a national day of action against the Dakota Access Pipeline. “Make Some Noise in Akron,” is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on November 15. It currently has 63 attendees registered on…
Willeyville, the First Restaurant to Open in Flats East Bank, has Closed
Chef Chris DiLisi and his wife Krista were pioneers. Three years ago they took a chance on a fresh start in an exciting new neighborhood rising on the banks of the Cuyahoga. With the help of their landlords at the Wolstein Group and Fairmount Properties, the DiLisis opened Willeyville, a progressive American restaurant that made…
The Stunning Glass Ceiling at Heinen’s (Cleveland Trust Rotunda Building) Wasn’t Designed By Who You Probably Thought
Whether or not you’ve stepped foot in the downtown Heinen’s in the Cleveland Trust Rotunda building, you’ve probably seen the magnificent glass ceiling in the paper or on someone’s Instagram feed, because it’s quite possibly illegal to go to the building and not take a picture of the ceiling. And for good reason. It’s an…
Here’s the Trump/Clinton Vote Breakdown Across Cuyahoga County Cities
Via Nick Castele, intrepid and dashing WCPN and WVIZ reporter, here’s how the Trump/Clinton vote went in cities across Cuyahoga County in easy to digest chart form. Click on the image to zoom in so you can actually, ya know, read it.
College Football and Thursday Night Browns — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
A little college football, and a Thursday night delight with the Browns. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Download the episode directly here. Or stream below.
Rock Hall Opens John Mellencamp Exhibit
[image-1]Famous for writing narrative songs that depict working class life in America, singer-songwriter John Mellencamp has produced a remarkable catalog of songs during a career that stretches back to the 1970s. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has just announced that it will present a special exhibit on his life, art and music. The…
Comedian Brian Regan Reflects on His Remarkable Career
Veteran comic Brian Regan originally set out to become an accountant. But when that didn’t work out, he shifted into comedy. Years later, comedians around the country hail his impeccable delivery and ability to inflect just enough physicality into his routines. Regan, who refrains from using profanity, relies on observational humor to entertain patrons. His…
“Obey / Stay Asleep” Sign Spotted on I-90
Inspired by the 1988 John Carpenter cult classic film They Live, someone has placed a yard sign with the commands “Obey” and “Stay Asleep” in the grass off the left-hand side of I-90, just west of the W. 14th exit and the I-71 split. They Live, a campy sci-fi horror flick, is about a drifter…
Voters Approve the Closure of Lakewood Hospital
[image-1]What a weird night, everybody! Putting aside all that unprecedented top-of-the-ticket stuff for a moment, let’s take a look at Lakewood, where voters gilded the hospital closure with the approval of Issue 64 yesterday. According to the unofficial vote count, the measure passed by a slim 52-48 margin. Practically speaking, that vote changes nothing. The…
Medeski Martin & Wood to Celebrate 25th Anniversary With On Air Studio Shows
When the jazz/groove outfit Medeski Martin & Wood first came together some 25 years ago, keyboardist John Medeski admits he didn’t really think that the band, which also includes bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin, would be still kicking some 25 years later. To celebrate their anniversary, the guys are playing two shows at…
On Avoiding 0-16 and the Overall Health of the NFL — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
The Cleveland Browns are headed for a Thursday night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens with their 0-9 record. Andre and Zac discuss the Browns’ attempt to avoid going 0-16 and also the overall health of the NFL. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Download the episode directly here. Or stream below.
New Additions Showcase Tradition at Le Bistro du Beaujolais
There’s much to be thankful for as the holidays approach for Georges and Claudie d’Arras, owners of Le Bistro du Beaujolais (8134 Columbia Rd., 440-235-8883, lebistrodubeaujolais.com), including 11 years in business, customers from around the country, and the addition of a granddaughter to their family. During the last week of October, they also began a…
Mike O’Malley’s Balancing Act: Rebuilding Confidence, Addressing the Drug Problem, Ousting Tim McGinty & More
Mike O’Malley formally won the Prosecutor’s Office race this week, but with no opponent on the ballot, he really won it earlier this year when he beat sitting prosecutor Tim McGinty in the Democratic primary. He’ll be returning to an office he worked at for eight years, including as first assistant under prosecutor Bill Mason.…
Lovely Our Little Sister has More Endings Than Return of the King
It turns out dullness can ransack even the loveliest and gentlest of stories. Take, say, Our Little Sister, which plays at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque this weekend. It’s a small-scale domestic drama from director Hirokazu Koreeda that captures, in its quotidian way, the beauties and pleasures and hurdles and horrors of life for…
Film Spotlight: Moonlight
Much like 2014’s Boyhood, Moonlight, the new drama from writer-director Barry Jenkins, traces the life of a boy, starting with his grade-school days and concluding with adulthood. While Jenkins doesn’t go to the same lengths that writer-director Richard Linklater did with Boyhood, which he filmed over the course of 12 years, he does aim high as he tries…
Savage Love: Aaron The Side
Dear Dan, I am a bi man in my late 20s in a poly relationship. My primary partner’s name is Erin. One of the rules she mandated is that I cannot date anyone else named Aaron or Erin. She thinks it would be confusing and awkward. Since those are fairly common names, I have had…
The Author of ‘Peter Pan’ Is at the Center of the Spectacular Yet Banal ‘Finding Neverland’ at Playhouse Square
We all seem to be continually and obsessively interested in the story of Peter Pan, that little boy who just won’t grow up. And perhaps this explains the fascination this past election cycle with “Peter Pan from Hell,” Donald Trump. Since this review is being written two days before the election results are in, we’ll…
Band of the Week: Ex-Astronaut
MEET THE BAND: Pat Gang (bass), Christoper Hoke (vocals, guitar, Christopher Kochera (drums) and Pete Jennings (guitar) THE NAME GAME: Even though indie rockers Ex-Astronaut only came into existence last January, the band has existed under a different name, albeit with a different lineup, since August of 2009 when it was known as Field Trip.…
Astoria Market’s Move to Gordon Square is Almost Complete and Comes with New Offerings
When I visit the forthcoming Astoria Market and Cafe (5417 Detroit Ave.), a cadre of plumbers, electricians and fire-suppression technicians are wrapping up their work. Though this piece of property in the Gordon Square Arts District of Detroit Shoreway was purchased three years ago, it is only now approaching the finish line. “We’re almost there,”…
