Video: Fabulous Jim Traficant Documentary Now Available on Vimeo
Update: Years in the making, the documentary Jim Traficant: The Congressman of Crimetown is finally done and available for your viewing pleasure. Stream the full movie on Vimeo’s on-demand service ($5.99 to rent and view; $12.99 to purchase). If you didn’t know of this cinematic gem’s existence, check out the trailer below, full of some…
Katz Club Diner Arsonist Sentenced to 15 Months in Jail
Update: 46-year-old James Warholak, who’s been behind bars for six months already, will spend another nine in jail. He was sentenced this week to 15 months in total for setting the fire that totaled the Katz Club Diner. Warholak had previously been an employee there before being fired a couple weeks before the blaze. (Cleveland.com) ***…
Verge Campus Fall Tour Brings Chance the Rapper to Kent State on Thursday
Brett Segall, co-founder and CEO of Verge Campus and EMUZE, started EMUZE with his business partner Maxwell Zotz when the two were still college students. They booked a tour last year that featured rapper Kendrick Lamar, DJ Steve Aoki and the indie rock act Bad Rabbits. It was such a success that they’ve booked another…
Yelpers Boycotting Ninja City and Bac after Chef Bac Nguyen Sent Racist, Intimidating Messages
After Yelper Ruchu Tan wrote an unflattering review of Chef Bac Nguyen’s new Ninja City restaurant in University Circle last month, Nguyen tracked down Tan on Facebook — they weren’t friends — and sent him a series of intimidating messages. Nguyen used racial slurs and threatened Tan with physical violence if he ever came to…
Tristan Thompson Kissed Cavs Sideline Reporter Allie Clifton And World Will Now Explode
In a pre-game interview Friday, Cavaliers F/C Tristan Thompson kissed FSO courtside reporter Allie Clifton on the side of the head after being asked about his return to the power forward position. Thompson was promptly reamed by sources across the internet. Nearly five million viewers have already tuned in to watch the damning YouTube clip…
It’s Pumpkin Stealing Season Around Chagrin Falls
With just a few weeks to go until the annual Chagrin Falls pumpkin roll — a tradition over 60 years in the making — it’s high time for teens to grab pumpkins that don’t belong to them, which doesn’t seem like the most efficient way to acquire the goods needed to make the famous Chagrin…
Notes on the Trial and Oblivion of Cleveland Police Officer Michael Brelo
The trial of Michael Brelo — the one Cleveland police officer charged with anything heavier than “dereliction of duty” in the shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in November 2012 — was supposed to begin this week. But getting this one off the ground amid fiery politicking among defense attorney Patrick D’Angelo, prosecutor Timothy…
Audio: Bob Marley and the Wailers at the Agora Ballroom, 1975
It’s gloomy as shit out there today, Cleveland, and we at Scene firmly believe the only antidote for weather like this is good reggae and fine coffee. You’re on your own for the latter, but we can certainly help you out with the music. Today, we present a ridiculously good Bob Marley show from 1975,…
Leo Kottke Shows Off Guitar Playing and Storytelling Abilities
There’s something very Garrison Keillor-like about fingerpicking folk singer-guitarist Leo Kottke. With his faded blue jeans and hiking shoes, Kottke, who performed the second of two weekend shows last night at Music Box Supper Club, dresses like a guy who might be heading to work on a farm. And like Keillor, he likes to tell…
13 Photos of Cleveland’s Deserted Detroit-Superior Underground Subway
Not many folks remember when Cleveland’s underground subway system was active, extending service to the West Side and throughout the downtown for decades until coming to a halt in 1954. Yet, several times a year, the Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office opens the tunnels to the public, allowing locals a glimpse into a world beneath Cleveland’s streets that otherwise remains…
Northeast Ohio’s 25- to 34-Year-Old Population Rose 1 Percent from 2000 to 2012
A few years ago, we touched on how little Cleveland’s downtown population of young professionals had grown over the course of a decade: The city’s core added only 1,300 “college-educated people ages 25 to 34” from 2000 to 2011. Nowadays, you can’t throw an artisanal donut downtown without hitting a new apartment complex or row…
Wrestling Legend Ox Baker — Whose 1974 Match Caused a Riot in Cleveland — Dies at 80
Wrestling legend Ox Baker — a massive 6’5″ guy known for his “heart punch” — passed away this morning at the age of 80. The news was announced by Jerry Lawler: Just got the sad news that my friend and wrestling great, Ox Baker passed away a couple of hours ago. RIP OX pic.twitter.com/uRbe8R1rbI —…
Ohio Ponies Up $800,000 to Combat Ebola In-State
The Ohio Controlling Board today approved $300,000 in emergency requests from the Ohio Department of Health. That money will fund protective equipment in the fight against Ebola. The board also approved $500,000 to pay Cincinnati-based Absolute Bio-Recovery Services for cleanup and disposal services, were Ebola to break out for real in Ohio. Most of the…
Local Rapper Matthewmaticus Releases Promising Debut
At 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Guide to Kulchur, Cleveland Tapes Beat Monthly presents a listening party for rapper Matthewmaticus, who’ll share and perform songs from his terrific debut, the mixtape The Job Will Not Save You. Produced in part by Cashous Clay, the album is, according to the bio, “the soundtrack to…
Republicans Host Event Centered on Black Issues, Minority Votes are “Up for Grabs”
County Republicans hosted Wall Street Journal columnist and Fox News contributor Jason Riley for a conversation Friday evening with local activist Basheer Jones on the subject of urban black values. Sipping on cocktails in the clubby ambience of Red Space on Superior Avenue — pretty hip for the GOP! — party notables slapped backs and…
New Home, New Life for Oak and Embers Barbecue Restaurant
In March of this year, Marc and Gretchen Garofoli converted the old Murphy’s Tavern in Chesterland into Oak and Embers Tavern, a comfortable restaurant specializing in barbecue, bourbon and beer. The couple quickly gained a following for barbecue offerings like baby back ribs, beef brisket and pork shoulder. And then, just three months in, the…
The 9 Debuts an Artist-in-Residence Program and Exhibitions of Local Art
An “urban resort” hotel? With an artist-in-residence (AIR) program featuring local artists? In Cleveland? If you’ve been around E. 9th and Euclid Ave. lately, you might not be surprised. The former AmeriTrust tower and historic Cleveland Trust Rotunda have undergone a major facelift, inside and out, and the complex is now home to The 9.…
OU Students and Kasich Supporters Welcomed Ed FitzGerald to Athens With Some Great Signs
Ed FitzGerald — Democratic candidate for governor and noted local tourism guide for Irish delegates — stopped by Athens last week for a get out the vote dinner. A couple young OU students and Kasich supporters (we’re guessing) welcomed Ed to town with some clever signage. (Via Third Base Politics)
Watch: Beats by Dre Releases an Intense New LeBron James Ad
Beats by Dre released a powerful new ad over the weekend playing up LeBron James as just a regular kid from Akron. The ad is flecked with images of LBJ driving through his hometown and working out in the St. Vincent-St. Mary gym, while the song “Take Me to Chruch” plays in the background. It’s…
9 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, OCT. 17 Bassnectar Bassnectar’s latest album, Noise vs. Beauty, features a bit of everything. Hip-hop numbers like “Now” and “Lost in the Crowd” have a classic, g-funk feel to them and suggest his old school influences. He also dabbles in downtempo and dubstep. For the current live show, he plans to mix visuals and audio…
Scene Foodcast: This Month’s Closings, Openings, and How to Not be Fat When You’re a Food Writer
This week, host Craig Lyndall sat down with Scene’s food editor Doug Trattner to talk all the food. There’s notable closings (Sweetie Fry, Cedar Lee Pub), notable openings (Crop Kitchen at Uptown, Spotted Owl, Bourbon Barrel), and some chatter about how to not get fat when you’re job is to eat Cleveland. As always, subscribe…
Area Man Gives Only Reasonable Interview About Ebola On Record Anywhere
Local attorney and Scene contributor Peter Pattakos found himself at Coming Attractions Bridal and Formal in Akron last Saturday. It was the only time Pattakos has ever been in that store (he was getting fitted for a tux), and it happened to be right around the same time Ebola patient Amber Vinson was in the…
Zagster Bike Share Already Expanding, New Locations Open Today in Downtown, Tremont, University Circle
As promised, the privately-backed Zagster bike share program, which launched only six weeks ago in Ohio City, expands today with new rack locations in Downtown, Tremont and University Circle. With these additions, the total Zagster fleet stands at 50 bikes. Zagster intends to continue expanding to as many as 200 in the short term. New…
Got $62K? Wanna Drive the Kia LeBron Loves?
There are currently 10 Kia K900s for sale in Northeast Ohio, via Autotrader.com, and the luxury sedan for which LeBron James is now official ambassador will set you back only $60-$65K. That may seem like an improbable pill to swallow from an auto manufacturer that also made the Sephia from ’92-’03 and has long been…
Scene Podcast: All About Boffo
Jason and Dannielle Tilk, also known as the vaudeville duo Pinch and Squeal, have performed across the Midwest meeting strongmen, clowns, jugglers, magicians and everything in between. Their tiny circus tent, the Voix de Ville, has become a kind of cross roads for many of these Northeast Ohio vaudeville artists. Exploring vaudeville, its roots, and…
MAP: There’s Only One Team Ohioans Root For When It Comes to College Football
A map recently published in the New York Times illustrates that there’s only one team Ohioans tend to root for when it comes to college football. That team, of course, is OSU. Local fans know that backing the Buckeyes is far more than a casual hobby, it’s a lifestyle choice, and one that many are…
Lakewood 911 Audio: “I Love You… Can I Get Your Personal Number?”
On Tuesday, we brought you the audio of a guy who called Lakewood police to report he’s “been hard for five days.” Well now, we’re bringing you audio of a call that came in earlier in the day that may be equally ridiculous. Take a listen, and make sure you stay until the end: For…
Dead Winter Carpenters Bring Tight Americana Vibes from Northern California to Cleveland Friday Night
Tapping the vein of alt-country and bluegrass, Dead Winter Carpenters have launched onto the scene with a knack for harmony and high-energy live shows. The band’s Dirt Nap EP, released in January of this year and embedded below, is still getting pass around as they make their way on the road from northern California to…
Interruptions Can’t Derail Jackson Browne Performance at E.J. Thomas Hall
Jackson Browne released Running On Empty in 1977 and it was a weary document of the life on the road that a touring musician comes to know so well. Technically, it was a “live album,” but falling in line with the subject matter that it covered, it was recorded in a variety of locations —…
Best Cleveland Video Yet?
Staying abreast of the endless output from the Ra-Ra-Cleveland cottage industry has become a wearying exercise — watching all these doting, aerial, multimedia extravaganzas… it can feel like a part-time job. The YouTube channels and the ad campaigns and the merchandise (to say nothing of the neon apparel) before and after the LeBron and RNC…
10 Photos of the Scene Events Team at the Sweet Water Tap Takeover
Sweet Water Brewing Company Tap Takeover at The South Side
Wilbert’s Food & Music to Host Benefit Concert for Ebola Victims
Root Bottle’s lead singer Rodney Diggs was born in Liberia so the current Ebola crisis has him particularly worried. To raise money for efforts to combat the spread of Ebola in Liberia, his band (pictured) along with locals Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band and Mixed Elements will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct.…
Honeybucket to Play Anniversary Show at Music Box Supper Club
Local newgrass trio Honeybucket is turning three years old — the band officially formed on Halloween night 2011 in a Cleveland Heights attic. To celebrate the anniversary, the band is playing a special show at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Music Box Supper Club. “[It will be a] night of early Halloween costumes,…
OK Go Brings Fun, Confetti, Videos, Interactivity, New Tunes and Much More to Beachland Ballroom
Right now it’s Thursday 16 October, and I’m sitting in the not-quite-totally full Root Cafe in Lakewood, trying to summon up a kind of compelling sensorial, uh, photomontage of all the stuff I’ve seen and heard and done as a result of going to the OK Go concert last night. I have seen men and…
10 Things Going on this Weekend in Cleveland (October 17 – 19)
Cleveland Beer Week fun continues through the weekend with Brewzilla, a grand tasting featuring hundreds of beers from just about every brewery that distributes to Ohio, plus the Bluegrass Beer Bash on Sunday at Whiskey Island. Squeeze in a few other events, if you can, such as the festive and often hilarious Spooky Pooch Parade in…
Regarding Ebola: Mayor Jackson, City Officials Implore Media Not to Freak the Fuck Out
At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Frank Jackson, Director of Public Health Toinette Parilla, Assistant Public Safety Director Ed Eckart and Director of Port Control Ricky Smith stressed that though they learned a woman who was found to be infected with Ebola flew from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on Monday, there are no known…
Protesters Call for Ban on Cleveland’s Traffic Cameras
Yesterday, a small contingent of protesters gathered at East 71st Street and Chester Avenue to urge a ban on Cleveland’s use of traffic cameras. More specifically, they encouraged the public to vote “yes” on Issue 35. “My main concern about the cameras is the due process — or the lack thereof,” Jason Sonenshein, an organizer…
JD Eicher & the Goodnights to Record Live Album at Jilly’s in Akron
Indie rockers JD Eicher & the Goodnights regularly play in Northeast Ohio. But their next show in town will be a significant one. They will cut a live record when they play on Nov. 14 at Jilly’s Music Room in Akron. Tickets to the show will include a free download of the live EP before…
Three Kent State University Employees — Each Related to Ebola Patient — Will Remain at Home for 21 Days and Self-Monitor
Kent State University announced today that three employees related to Ebola patient Amber Vinson, who had been staying with family in Summit County last week, will remain at home and self-monitor for symptoms, per CDC protocol. The measure comes with “an abundance of caution,” according to Dr. Angela DeJulius, director of University Health Services at the…
Woman with Ebola Flew on Frontier Airlines from Cleveland to Dallas on Monday
The latest U.S. patient to test positive for Ebola reportedly flew on Frontier airlines on Monday from Cleveland to Dallas. The CDC and Frontier say the woman, who has been identified as 26-year-old Amber Joy Vinson, did not show any symptoms until Tuesday, Oct. 14, the day after her flight with 132 other passengers. The CDC…
Piccadilly Artisan Yogurt Shutters Ohio City Shop. Coventry and University Circle Still Strong
Ohio City-based fans of Piccadilly Artisan Yogurt who visited the shop yesterday were greeted by the following sign: “We apologize for this inconvenience but this location will be closed until further notice. Please visit our Coventry & University Circle locations. Thank you, Adrian & Cosmin.” While Adrian Bota had hoped the sign would only be…
Everything is Free at “Needs Cleveland,” New Store on West Side
At an innovative new store on Lorain Ave., everything is free. Literally. There are no price tags, no cash registers, no strictly enforced rules. It’s just a way, says the Ripcho Family (of Ripcho Studios, also on Lorain) to help out families in need. “Needs Cleveland” is open for only two hours each week (though…
Allen Toussaint and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band Team Up for Energetic Performance
Last night, Allen Toussaint and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band brought their New Orleans sound to the sold out Music Box Supper Club in the Flats. The PHJB was founded in 1963 to provide a playing opportunity for out-of-work jazz musicians. They’ve had many members over the years and the musicians in the band now…
Film Review: Men, Women and Children
All that talk about how his 2009 film Up in the Air captured the zeitgeist of an era in which corporate lackeys jetted across the country to ruthlessly downsize big conglomerates must’ve gone to writer-director Jason Reitman’s head. He again tries to capture the times in his latest work, Men, Women and Children, a dark…
Film Spotlight: Local Cinemas Offer Up Seasonal Treats
If you’re looking for an alternative to whatever crappy Halloween flicks are showing at the multiplex this month, local arthouse theaters have got you covered. “We will be screening classic horror films, hosting musical performances and creating new beverage concoctions to fit the season,” says the Nightlite’s Rob Lucas in a press release about the Akron…
Dive! Dive! Into a Heady Submarine Comedy: Undersea Telemarketing Helps Artistic Revelation Surface in Spirits to Enforce at Cleveland Public Theatre
We are all aware of the phone bank on TV, appearing during the WVIZ membership drives and popping up for a litany of other causes. Those chairs are usually populated by diligent folks talking on the phone, forcing smiles when the camera pans across their faces. But we suspect they act a bit differently when…
Band of the Week: Uno Lady
Meet the Band: Uno Lady (vocals) Straight Outta the Living Room: Uno Lady, who counts Roy Orbison, Laurie Anderson, Freddie Mercury, Mary Ford, the Shangri-Las, and the Shirelles as her influences, played her first show at Pat’s in the Flats in 2007 and has been a steady force on the local scene ever since. “I…
The Advocate: Linda Johanek on the Progress Against Domestic Violence and Child Abuse and What Still Remains to be Done
The Recent headlines have been gruesome and frequent, both nationally and locally, and domestic violence and child abuse has been front and center in the nation’s daily conversations. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and with two decades at the Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center, the last six as its CEO, Linda Johanek…
Three-Way Intersection: William Busta Brings Together a Trio of Exhibitions on Objects and Shapes
After 25 years, William Busta has established himself as one of the region’s most celebrated and respected art dealers. This Friday evening from 5 to 9 p.m., his gallery in Midtown hosts an opening reception for its three latest exhibitions, featuring sculptures by Kate Budd and paintings by Paul Yanko and Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson. Kate Budd…
Good Seats: Alton Brown Brings a Live Version of His Madcap Brand of Food Edutainment to Cleveland Next Month
Alton Brown had aired just two pilot episodes of “Good Eats” on the Chicago PBS affiliate WTTW before getting noticed and picked up by the Food Network. The year was 1999, before Paula Deen, Guy Fieri and all the other “Next Food Network Stars” would water down the informative characteristics of food TV. Brown’s unique blend…
A Perfect Blend: Local Restaurants and Beverage Makers Team Up to Delicious Effects
Behind-the-bar inspiration doesn’t just come in the conventional form of brews and booze. As more local beverage makers unveil their own twists on standards such as sodas, juices and teas, resident bartenders and baristas throughout the city are getting creative in the ways they shake up traditional elixirs. Whether it’s a swig of bourbon, a…
Heavy Hitters: Pallbearer Emphasizes its Psychedelic Side on its New Album
There’s something mythological about doom metal. You expect the musicians who play it to be half-human and half-creature or some sort of vengeful deity. In reality, it’s usually just a group of young men who’ve grown up in a scene that encourages individuality and nurtures the darker aspects of life. When listening to Pallbearer, you…
The Day Cleveland Exploded: The Unthinkable Disaster of the East Ohio Gas Co. Explosion of 1944
It’s 1944. Blue sky over Cleveland. Streetcars bustling to and fro beneath Terminal Tower’s aspirational gaze. The war and its booming business bring jobs and cash and thrumming factories to the North Shore. Marian Laska, petite and austere at 24, is serving salads at the big Lamson & Sessions Co. cafeteria at East 63rd and…
It’s Everly Time: The Rock Hall Pays Tribute to the Influential Pop/country Duo Known for its Vocal Harmonies
The Everly Brothers never became as popular as pioneering rock acts such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis. But like Presley, Berry and Lewis, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 1986 as members of the very first class. Known for their pristine vocal harmonies…
Rising Star Coffee Just Days Away From Opening Little Italy Shop
Since setting up shop two years back in the Ohio City Firehouse building, Rising Star Coffee has quickly become the bean of choice at numerous coffee shops, restaurants and cafes. Owner Kim Jenkins puts quality above all else, buying only the top one percent of beans, roasting them on-site, and brewing coffee one cup at…
