A Curious Candidate
Paul Ilg can’t stand graffiti. Hates it. When some punks started tagging the warehouses near his Cuyahoga Falls home, he wanted to catch those bastards in the worst way. The city was planning to put together a task force, which is what cities do. But Paul Ilg is a man of action. “Gimme some night-vision…
Writes and Wrongs
This fall, the roll call of gigantic ghosts inhabiting cinematic biographies continues unabated, with Joaquin Phoenix as a shrunken Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, David Strathairn as an inscrutable Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the ambitiously manipulative Truman Capote in, what else, Capote. The Cash…
Parma Rocks
Known for decades for its bar food, the Jigsaw Saloon has added music to the menu. A destination for more than 50 years, the location (previously known as the Parma Tavern) is now the Jigsaw Saloon and Stage (5324 State Road). The bar has expanded into an adjacent building, turning the former Tuxedo Lanes bowling…
The Survivor
Billy Morris’ musical career is a lot like the time he met David Lee Roth and the stripper caught on fire. In 1993, the singer-guitarist’s band, Kidd Wicked, was opening for Roth at the Agora. The night before the show, Morris caught up with Roth at Tiffany’s, a gentlemen’s club in the Flats (now Christie’s).…
Fairest of Them All
To the knowledgeable comic-book fan, all one need say about MirrorMask is that it was scripted by Neil Gaiman and directed by Dave McKean, with a final product that, while less plot-heavy than most of Gaiman’s writing, faithfully adapts McKean’s unique drawing/collage style into three dimensions. Since those who aren’t comic fans are probably unfamiliar…
Kanye West
Those who complain about Kanye West’s ego and flow might as well be dissing the entire history of mainstream rap. From its birth, hip-hop has been about living large despite life’s shortcomings, and that includes shortcomings in vocal prowess: the most audacious and unprecedented thing about those first rappers, after all, was that they could…
Undercover Tony
Platinum Warranty Corporation may be out of business, but Anthony Hodel isn’t. Only a week after his company declared bankruptcy, screwing hundreds of customers in the process [“Platinum Tony,” October 12], Hodel’s back at it, selling extended car warranties at warrantyausedcar.com. The website is supposedly run by Nevada-based Automotive Research Corporation. But when Punch called…
Past Prime
With a name like Prime, a movie had better be about something more than an older woman digging on a younger man, much to the disapproval of the younger man’s mom. It ought to be about, oh, I dunno, math or something — like Pi or Proof or even Primer, Shane Carruth’s dizzying debut of…
Tish Hinojosa
With the post-O Brother, Where Art Thou? brouhaha about “roots music,” it’s a wonder Tish Hinojosa isn’t better known. But then, Hinojosa has such an eclectic and professional approach that it’s hard for both squares and hepcats to latch onto her. Born in 1955 to immigrant parents in San Antonio, Hinojosa was influenced by the…
Brute Force
DVD — Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith: Four out of five fanboys agree: The year’s biggest movie — available Tuesday in a two-disc set that includes deleted scenes and “making-of” featurettes — nicely wraps up the 28 years George Lucas spent making the saga. And while we could have done without…
Moore’s the Pity
It’s always hard to pan an earnest film, especially one by a first-time director. And The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, a plucky striver if there ever was one, can’t find a single cynical note on the scale. Essentially a hagiography in praise of Evelyn Ryan (Julianne Moore), a woman who kept her family of…
Dead Boys
There’s a brand new Sire Records boxed set that documents that major label’s impressive, trend-setting history. And the Dead Boys track “Sonic Reducer” sticks out like a sore thumb on the collection. Butting heads with other nasty-asses like the Saints and the Ramones, the Boys make the case that perhaps no other band skirted chart…
Splatinum Tony
The check is in the drawer: You have barely scratched the surface [“Platinum Tony,” October 12]. I was one of Anthony Hodel’s claims managers. He didn’t know there were checks in the drawer? Bull! He regularly told us not to send out checks. That way he could say the check had been cut, but when…
Capsule reviews of current area art exhibitions.
Design for the Modern World: The Arts and Crafts Movement in Europe and America, 1880-1920 — The art museum’s first major arts-and-crafts show in years is notable not only for its enormous size, but for the many far-flung cultures (included are works from Germany, Scandinavia, Scotland, and Hungary) that share space. But what really unites…
Calla
Though a mainstay of the New York City music scene, Calla has nearly always seemed like a band misplaced. Manhattan is friendly to many sounds these days, but the defining trait of all of them is usually torque — a vicious energy, the propulsive throb of the city itself. Calla’s music, on the other hand,…
Desperate Housewives
John Stark Bellamy II maintains that women are more ruthless killers than their male counterparts. “Men usually commit murders as a secondary consequence of something else they’re involved in, whether it’s robbing a bank or getting away from police,” says Bellamy. “With women, it tends to be extremely personal. ” For proof, look no further…
Capsule reviews of current area theater presentations.
Dark Room — The conventional image we have of playwrights and poets is of lonely souls slaving away in a poorly lit basement. Well, you’ve got the location and the illumination right, but everything else about the Dark Room project is much cheerier. Sponsored by the Cleveland Theater Collective, it’s a once-a-month workshop/cabaret for writers…
Fear Before the March of Flames
A decade ago, dates holding hands at a hardcore show prompted a particularly indelicate game of Red Rover, with tattooed toughs rampaging through intertwined fingers like agitated bulls. The only acceptable expressions of affection in this scene were manly I’m-hugging-you-but-I’m-hurting-you exchanges, during which two rib-cracking thumps on the back followed every embrace. Hardcore singers resembled…
This Week’s Day-By-Day Picks
Thursday, October 27 During Halloween Spooktacular III at the Children’s Museum, little ones can prepare for the Great Pumpkin’s visit with loads of hands-on activities that culminate in trick-or-treating throughout the venue. Leading up to that chocolate-blessed moment, kids can make holiday cookies, spin a giant spider web, listen to ghost stories, have their faces…
Grovewood Gets a Raise
Foodies talk, even with their mouths full; and for the past few months, there’s been chatter about the new menu at the Grovewood Tavern & Wine Bar, Beth Noragon’s funky little neighborhood hangout in working-class Collinwood. Mostly, the gab revolves around the theme of “Twenty-eight dollars for ravioli?! What the @#*!$& are they thinking?!” It’s…
Buckethead
Left in charge of their own records, guitar virtuosos are infamous for athletic maneuvers (read: wanking) that fly right over the head of your average listener. But Buckethead, the poultry-loving man of mystery who quit Guns N’ Roses II last year, is not your average virtuoso, of course. His latest disc, Enter the Chicken, produced…
Original Twangsta
Jay Farrar has been called a pioneer and a trailblazer by music pundits, but he’s not entirely comfortable with the labels. The alt-country singer-songwriter — who founded genre godfathers Uncle Tupelo and, after that group fizzled out due to band infighting, Son Volt — says there was no plan when he and his bandmates fused…
Cheese Whiz
Italians have their asiago; the Spanish, their manchego. For us, good Lord, it’s Velveeta. But when it comes to producing cheeses of extraordinary flavor in mind-boggling variety, the French blow away the competition. To make sure we remember that, master cheesemaker Claude Lauxerrois, of Ferme Jehan de Brie in France, has been crisscrossing the globe,…
Pulp Fiction costume contest
The Mercury Lounge has a full Halloween weekend planned, but here’s our favorite night: Saturday’s Pulp Fiction costume contest. Dress as your favorite character from the modern noir classic, and walk away with cash and prizes. Kick off your shoes, twist again, and bring out the Gimp. Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s Dead.
Snow Job
TUE 11/1 During the offseason, the Fagowees Ski Club takes lake cruises, hits the golf course, and hosts tailgating parties. But as winter approaches, the agenda calls for clinics, like Tuesday’s seminar on ski-tuning. “You know how you change the oil in your car to keep it running smoothly? Same thing with skis,” says membership…
Exile in Mainstream
Boston is a classic-rock town, a place where the only stars play for the Red Sox, so it doesn’t take a celebrity-spotter to notice Liz Phair gliding down Tremont Street, with her guitarist boyfriend, Dino Meneghin, on one arm and a dazzling gold purse on the other. On this drab avenue, she’s a ray of…
Buddy Guy
There’s a real good chance that the targets of this disc’s title — the folks that Mr. Guy wants brought in — are radio programmers. This set feels tailor-made for airplay, with familiar song selections and periodic guest-star appearances that should pique radio interest. Guy’s ability to deliver some fiery guitar-playing on almost every track…
Dress for Success
SAT 10/29 In rented Robin Hood and Maid Marian garb, Michael and Candace Varner are hoping their outfits will pay for themselves Saturday night at the myriad Halloween-costume contests happening throughout downtown Cleveland. “If we miss a couple, no big deal,” says Michael. “We’ll just aim for the big jackpots.” Competition begins at 9 p.m.…
Sin City
When Zacky Vengeance grins, the punks get pissed. “I recently purchased fronts for my teeth made out of gold, so when I open my mouth, it looks like a gangsta rapper’s smile,” the Avenged Sevenfold guitarist says from a tour stop in San Antonio. “And some kids just hate it. You see it on message…
Honkytonk Halloween
Before they were touched by the cold hand of the grim reaper, they were kissed by rockabilly. And now they’re back. Johnny Cash and Buddy Holly have returned from the great beyond to serve as special guest DJs for the Garage’s Honkytonk Halloween. Get on your best ’50s gear for the best-costume contest. Elvis will…
Teen Spirit
THU 10/27 The two ghosts floating around Laura Whitcomb’s A Certain Slant of Light have a problem: One has possessed a high school boy; the other can’t find an appropriate host. And they’re in love. “They’re experiencing just a little piece of a big puzzle,” says Whitcomb. Part love story, part ghost yarn, and part…
Critical Fatwa
Some grand faiths have their own adversaries (like, say, Pharaohs and Pharisees) to scourge the faithful. But for those of us who hold music on high, there is but one many-faced demon — named not Legion, but Record Company. As digital music leads us to the promised land, we must declare an eternal fatwa on…
Deftones
The Deftones have frequently camouflaged their art-rock ambitions behind a superficial loyalty to nü-metal. B-Sides & Rarities pairs a DVD of all the band’s videos with a compilation of cover tunes and alternate versions of singles, revealing the true scope of their artistic achievements in the process. On this gift to fans, the Deftones leave…
Rant and Roll
FRI 10/28 When you’re as busy as Henry Rollins, you’re bound to pick up stories along the way. On his 25 Years of Bullshit tour, the punk icon tells tales from his second (and third and fourth . . .) career as a writer, actor, television host, and spoken-word artist. “You have to call these…
Money Where Your Mouth Is
Band: Five.Bolt.Main (www.fiveboltmain.com) Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky Sounds like: “Five.Bolt.Main writes songs with vibrant melodies, yet maintains an in-your-face delivery that has identified it as a new generation in hard rock. It has a wide range of influences that extend from the old-school rock of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to the post-punk grunge flavor of…
Various Artists
This pairing of several Wu-Tang Clan stars with a collection of underground hip-hop talent is a boon to both parties. The young rappers get to share the mic with the remnants of hip-hop’s last true supergroup, while the RZA and company remind the kids of their prodigious ’90s feats. Although it comes with little hands-on…
A comprehensive listing of Halloween events, happenings, and activities.
Bloodview Haunted House, 1010 Towpath Rd., Broadview Heights, 440-526-9148, www.bloodview.com The Broadview Heights Lions Club and the Legion of Terror are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Bloodview Haunted House, which scares you for a good cause. Bloodview is open September 23-24, September 30-October 1, October 7-9, October 13-16, October 20-23, and October 26-31. Hours are…
Sound Advice
Amps II Eleven makes blue-collar man-rock that’s good for pissing off prudes on your block. Frontman Matt Wroth keeps us informed on some kick-ass tunes. What have you been listening to lately? A band out of Detroit called the Muggs just put out an amazing, self-titled record on a label called Times Beach. It’s scorching…
Fruit Bats
The Fruit Bats’ Eric Johnson was definitely born in the ’70s. His band’s third album, Spelled in Bones, stirs up images of Astroturf, bell-bottoms, and all things avocado green. Like a pared-down, folksier Beach Boys or Polyphonic Spree, the Bats’ songs rely strongly on earthy melody, syrupy-sweet harmonies, and nature-obsessed lyrics. The opener, “Lives of…
Cameron Crowing
Titanic: Special Collector’s Edition (Paramount Home Video) Loved and loathed in equal measure, Titanic nonetheless is among the few modern-day movies deserving of lavish treatment; this boxed set, three discs with three hours of new stuff, feels almost as big a production as the feature itself. Writer-director James Cameron, never one to let well enough…
Scattered Dour
The Weather Man, starring Nicolas Cage as a disappointment of a son and a failure of a father, was screened for critics in the spring, before its April release was pushed to October — ostensibly to allow for the off chance that Cage or Michael Caine (as Cage’s father) might be nominated for Academy Awards.…
Last Word
“Oroboros. They did killer shows at the old Euclid Tavern almost every Friday night. Great Dead covers, along with their own great songs that could last 30 minutes when that great jam groove got going.” — John A., Cleveland “Two bands from the latter part of the ’70s: Pere Ubu (original lineup, of course) and…
Antony and the Johnsons
The title track of this four-song EP is a duet between Antony and Boy George from the February full-length I Am a Bird Now, which last month unexpectedly won England’s coveted Mercury Prize. The surprise was not only that the obscure singer-pianist’s second release beat out highly publicized albums by Coldplay, Bloc Party, and M.I.A.,…
“Imperfect” Is Right
We’ve all been kicked in the junk by Marvel superheroes before. Watching Elektra was like two hours of nut-pummeling by a relentless, sac-hating donkey. But superhero films — even bad ones — gross bazillions of dollars. So it’s no surprise that Marvel is cashing in with a slew of licensed videogames. Some are walloping-good fun…
Foiled Again
It’s been 85 years since Douglas Fairbanks slashed his way into the top tax bracket as the masked hero Zorro, and Hollywood still can find no reason to shut down the franchise. Technically speaking, The Legend of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas as the guy with the sword and Catherine Zeta-Jones as his lady fair, is…
Confessions From Dangerous Minds
“Leave a confession,” Madonna purrs. “And remember, by leaving your confession, you’re agreeing to allow your message to be released in any form, at any time, until the end of time. So think twice, if you’ve been naughty.” Oh, we’ve been plenty naughty, which is why we called Madge’s new toll-free hotline (1-888-2-CONFESS) to get…
The Vacancies
The best Cleveland rock bands tend to be as hard, grizzled, and mean as the third shift at U.S. Steel. But what distinguishes the Vacancies from their business-minded peers is that the band does a good job of balancing gritty, no-nonsense rock with melody and hooks that hark back to punk’s first generation. On their…
Our top DVD picks for the week of October 25.
ABBA: The Movie (Universal) AC/DC: And Then There Was Rock (Chrome Dreams) Alias: The Complete Fourth Season (Buena Vista) Audioslave: Live in Cuba (Sony) The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Wellspring) Bewitched (Columbia/Tristar) The Day of the Triffids (Pro-Active) Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist (Warner) Face (Image) Herbie: Fully Loaded (Buena Vista) House of…
Gettin’ Jiggy Again
Talk about striking while the iron is hot: It’s been only a year since Saw became an instant cult hit, as well as a topic of debate among horror fans. Was it an innovative new classic, or did the occasionally lackluster acting and ludicrous final twist doom it to also-ran status? Back then, my review…
Cryptopsy
Cryptopsy has done what lesser bands cannot: It has recorded an extreme metal album that’s listenable all the way through in one sitting and is consistently interesting. Far too many bands settle for ultra-technical blasting and forget to make each song distinguishable from the ones before and after it. Make no mistake, Cryptopsy’s latest, Once…
American Werewolves
When you get right down to it, the American Werewolves aren’t really hardcore. Like the Ramones, the group’s rough-and-tumble tunes are really just great rock-and-roll songs — nasty, hard-edged, dead-serious, 1950s-style jams made by guys who can really play. 1968 delivers on the promise of the ‘Wolves’ 2003 debut, combining Misfits and Dion influences into…
