Update: Akron Zoo Allowed Liquor License for After-Hours Events
Update: Voters raised their glasses to alcohol sales at the Akron Zoo, passing both issues 23 and 24. With the two issues in effect, the zoo will now be allowed to serve wine and liquor daily, as well as Sundays from 10 a.m. to midnight, Ohio.com reports. They’ll be using the permit for special events…
Trapped! Brings First Escape Room to Cleveland
Being trapped in a room may not sound like a hoot, but it’s the new fad in town. Trapped! Escape Room (1796 Coventry Rd., 216-309-1796) in Cleveland Heights will “lock” visitors in a room for 60 minutes, challenging folks to team up and make a getaway. Corral friends, family or work buds and pick between themed…
Thursday’s Cavs Practice Will Be Facebook’s First Sports Webcast Event
The start to basketball seasons isn’t too far off — though already we’re plagued with injury reports — and this week’s news out of Facebook gets us Cleveland fans one step closer. Thursday’s Cavs practice will be streamed live on Facebook. The show runs from from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. NBA TV’s Vince Cellini and…
Singer-Songwriter Chris Cornell Brings His Solo Acoustic Tour to Lakewood Civic
Given that Chris Cornell and bandmates in the grunge band Soundgarden got a big break in the ’90s when MTV started playing their music videos, you’d expect Cornell to be a fan of the format. But when he talks about music videos, the disdain drips from his voice. “I can’t stand videos,” he says via…
Burger King Rolls Out Black Buns for Halloween Whopper
Remember that black-bunned Japanese Burger King Whopper that swept through social media a couple of months ago? It looks like BK U.S. has finally found an appropriate marketing campaign to bring that unsettlingly dark bread to Americans for Halloween. Those devils. Now through Nov. 1 at all Burger King locations, you can order the “deliciously…
Singer Grace Potter Ditches the ‘Safety Blanket’ of a Band and Issues Solo Debut
When singer Grace Potter meets with producers to see if they might want to work with her and her backing band, the Nocturnals, she doesn’t let the prospective producer listen to the demo tapes. But with producer, Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Nickel Creek), whom she approached about producing her solo debut, Midnight,…
I-X Center to Open New Space for Concerts and Corporate Functions
The I-X Center plans to open what it’s calling “the first large-scale flexible performance environment of its kind in the United States.” The space will feature acoustic walls, portable elevated seating and staging that can be arranged in a variety of configurations to accommodate audiences of all sizes. A press release points out some of…
“Operation Rabbit” Attempts to Crack Down on Cleveland Dirt Bikers
A law enforcement partnership between the Cleveland Division of Police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol is attempting to crack down on the swarms of dirt bikers and ATV riders on Cleveland streets. Channel 19 joined “Operation Rabbit” last weekend and saw the police action firsthand, though other than witnessing a collision when a dirt…
Comedian Margaret Cho to Bring psyCHO Tour to Hard Rock Live
Given the state of the world, there’s plenty to make a person angry. Comedian Margaret Cho has channeled her anger into her new show, dubbed The psyCHO Tour. The show, which also includes tributes to her “father in comedy,” Robin Williams, and her “mother in comedy,” Joan Rivers, comes to Hard Rock Live at 8…
Flats-Based Beerhead (nee Beer Cellars) Primed for First Keg Tapping this Week
Greg Goodrich will be taking another bite of the Cleveland apple this Thursday when he unveils Beerhead, the latest in a spate of brand spanking new dining, drinking and entertainment venues in the Flats East Bank. The bar joins eight other freshly opened bars and restaurants in the immediate area. If the business name doesn’t…
Glenville’s East Side Market to Reopen as Grocery Store, Health Clinic, Cafe
Councilman Mike Polensek may be ticked off about the health of his ward’s beaches, but he and Councilmen Kevin Conwell and Jeff Johnson — they of the “Northeast Neighborhoods Coalition” — have reason to celebrate: the dormant East Side Market in Glenville will reopen soon. That’s the plan, at any rate. City Council voted to…
Ohio Man Steals 8-foot Pig Roaster
It’s human nature to fantasize about swiping one of those mini pumpkins on our way out of the grocery store, thinking, “who will know?” One man found himself in this all-too-common situation recently, except instead of a mini pumpkin it was an 8-foot-long pig roaster. And instead of nobody knowing, he was caught on tape. Apparently,…
Truck Driver Facing Charges in Brecksville Cyclist Crash
Timothy Wolf, 42, will be arraigned Wednesday morning on two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of willful or wanton disregard of public safety in connection with a Sept. 17 crash in Brecksville. Wolf was driving west on Snowville Road, and five cyclists were riding east on Snowville. When Wolf attempted to turn left…
‘The Secret Garden’ Delights, Albeit in a Predictable Way, at Great Lakes Theater
The dead people are singing up a storm in this haunting yet often pre-fab musical. With book and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon, The Secret Garden is built around the eponymous novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. And while Great Lakes Theater employs many fine voices in this production, directed by Victoria…
7 Classical Music Events Not To Miss This Week
The Twin Cities’ enterprising Rose Ensemble devises programs that put modern listeners in touch with the music of earlier and distant cultures. Under the direction of Jordan Shramek, the ensemble will visit downtown Cleveland’s Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30 pm to present “Slavic Wonders: Feasts and Saints in…
The A to Z Podcast With Zac Jackson and Andre Knott: The Browns Lose Again, and The Guys Have a Few Things to Say About That
After yet another Sunday loss, Zac Jackson and Andre Knott get together for the A to Z podcast and, well, things aren’t pretty for the Browns. Subscribe to A to Z podcast on iTunes here. Download directly here. Or stream below.
Final Walnut Wednesday Food Truck Event Takes Place this Week
Walnut Wednesdays are a treasured reprieve from homemade peanut butter sandwiches for folks who work downtown. This Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. is the last chance to catch the event until next spring. For the uninitiated, trucks gather at Perk Plaza at Chester Commons, one of the few green spaces downtown.…
Chipotle Has Finally Brought Back Carnitas — Except in Cleveland
If you were as devastated as we were last January when news broke that Chipotle was suspending carnitas from its menu after a pork supplier violated the burrito-mogul’s welfare standards, then we’ve got news for you. The fast-casual eatery announced Monday that carnitas is again available in 90 percent of its markets, thanks to a…
Soul Singer Navasha Daya to Headline Cleveland School of the Arts Benefit
Navasha Daya, a soul singer who graduated with the Cleveland School of Arts class of 1993, returns to town on Oct. 24 to headline a benefit and grand opening celebration for the Cleveland School of the Arts, a specialty arts school in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for students in grades 7 to 12. Daya…
VIDEO: Real Native Americans React to Wahoo, Other Native Mascots
The folks at BuzzFeed reached out to some Native Americans at the Southern California Indian Center and asked them to chime in on a few of the current mascots in use by professional sports teams. Among them, obviously, was the Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo. The Wahoo debate picked up steam at the beginning of the…
Photo of the Day: Ohio Man Robs Bank, Posts This Pic to Facebook, Is Immediately Arrested
Ohio Man is a fascinating specimen. Sometimes, he collects bedpans. Other times, he wreaks havoc on a motorized scooter. Most recently, he robbed a bank in Ashville, Ohio and posted this photo on Facebook to celebrate: Needless to say, things did not go so well for Ohio Man after posting the photo. 28-year-old John Mogan…
Browns Fan Attempts to Scale Wall in The Pit Before Falling
Yesterday’s typical Browns game bled into at least one more tragedy for the day — this time out in The Pit. One fan attempted to scale an imposing stone wall after the game, and it didn’t end well. A Deadspin reader offered this narrative: I attended the Browns game yesterday and tailgated in “The Pit”…
15 60 75 The Numbers Band to Play Special 45th Anniversary Show at the Kent Stage
A local institution that formed way back in 1970, 15 60 75 The Numbers Band, has had numerous lineup changes over the years. But bandleader Bob Kidney says the musicians in the avant-blues band have been committed to doing “something unusual.” “The fellows I’m working with now have been working with for sometime,” he says,…
“Rubber Duck Factory” Warehouse Burns Down
Anyone who’s hung around the Cleveland subreddit or dabbled in urban exploration themselves probably knows at least the bits and basics about the so-called rubber duck factory warehouse in University Circle. As for the whole story, many specifics are still mysteries, but Belt Mag did about as thorough a job as anyone laying it all…
Dan Auerbach Honors “Blind Freddy Blind-Man” in Colbert Skit
A double dose of videos from the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach’s appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert last week. First, Auerbach roled through his many blind influences, including Blind Freddy Blind-Man who wrote “I’m Blind.” Also, he performed “Outta My Mind” from the Arcs’ Yours Dreamily.
One Dead After Downtown Shooting Early Sunday Morning
One person was killed and at least two more injured following a reported shooting outside The Bank Nightclub on Euclid Ave., close to East 4th. Witness reports have the shooting taking place at 2 a.m., though police have not confirmed any details. Check yall Love ones, someone shot downtown Cleveland at the Bank night club……
RTA is Looking for a Few Good Local Musicians for Expanded Transit Tracks Program
Once a month, at either Tower City or Shaker Square Station, you can hear local musicians perform from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. It’s all part of Transit Tracks, a program that allows the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to have local musicians entertain customers for free throughout the entire year. You can find the…
Russo Brothers to Host Luncheon at the InterContinental Hotel
Former Clevelanders, Anthony and Joe Russo have gone on to become big-time Hollywood directors. They started small with films such as Welcome to Collinwood, a comedy that stars William H. Macy, George Clooney and Sam Rockwell, and recently directed 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. They’re also on board to direct the next Avengers flicks,…
10 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 Archie and the Bunkers CD Release This local group, which consists of teenage brothers Emmett and Cullen O’Connor on keys and vocals, formed in 2013. “My brother Cullen was playing bass at the time and we wanted to start a band,” says Emmett. “We were looking for a guitarist and went through…
Arlo Guthrie’s 50th Anniversary of ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ Tour Coming to Lorain Palace Theatre
Over the years, the appeal of “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” Arlo Guthrie’s rambling folk ditty about how dumping some garbage on Thanksgiving Day got him in a heap of trouble and inadvertently helped him avoid the draft for the Vietnam War thanks to his criminal record, hasn’t diminished. On Thanksgiving Day, classic rock stations throughout the…
Glam Rockers Vanity Crash to Host CD Release Concert and Art Show at 5 O’Clock Lounge
Back in 2001, singer-guitarist Dennis Van Crash, who was in the local industrial Goth band Queue Up, accepted a job as music director for Cleveland Public Theatre’s production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch even though he didn’t know much about the play. A hit off-Broadway, the play centers on a glam rock band fronted…
Polensek Wants EPA to Figure Out What the Heck is Wrong with Euclid Beach Water Quality
Monday night, Cleveland City Council passed a resolution sponsored by councilman Mike Polensek asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to get to the bottom of why the city’s east side beaches seem to have such a bad E.Coli problem. Both Villa Angela and Euclid Beach were closed to swimmers on Labor Day, and Polensek says…
8 Newly Opened Bars and Restaurants Resuscitate the Flats
As phase two of the three-part development plan in the Flats got under way, the East Bank has sprung to life seemingly overnight. With eight new additions this summer, the Flats has begun catering to a more hip demographic. Flowering now with concept bars and high-end eateries, the neighborhood is fast-becoming one of the 216’s…
Out of the ‘Asbestos Room’: Cuyahoga County Clerks Latest Workers to Unionize
Jeff Cardenas never knew what to expect when he fetched files from the “asbestos room” in the parking garage of the Cuyahoga County Justice Center. Among the piles of documents from decades-old asbestos cases and shredded court documents strewed on the floor, he found signs of life: rodent nests, animal feces, a dead bird. When…
‘The Bye Bye Man’ Set to Film in Cleveland in November
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission announced yesterday that a new horror-thriller flick, “The Bye Bye Man,” will begin filming in Cleveland in November. The film is based on a short story called The Bridge to Body Island by Robert Damon Schneck and revolves around three Wisconsin college students who experience a series of terrifying events. Douglas…
New Adventure Film Fest to Debut in October
You can never have too many film festivals. On the Edge Film Festival, a new film fest that promises have something for “extreme sport and armchair athletes alike,” makes its debut at the Breen Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10. The two-night event features different films each evening.…
Flower Child Welcomes FiveOne Experimental Orchestra for Unique Performance on September 26
by Mike Telin Since May of 2008, the Cleveland-based FiveOne Experimental Orchestra (51XO) has presented concerts featuring an eclectic mix of repertoire that bridges the gap between pop and art music at out of the ordinary venues such as the Sculpture Garden and the East Cleveland Cemetery. On Saturday, September 26 at 8:00 pm, 51XO…
ARTneo Annual Benefit Honors CWRU’s Dr. Henry Adams This Saturday
This year’s ARTneo Annual Benefit honors Case Western Reserve University’s Dr. Henry Adams. The benefit is in conjunction with an exhibition curated by Dr. Adams in ARTneo’s main gallery. “This review of Dr. Adams’ writings on Northeast Ohio artists is an inspiring look at regional taste throughout the twentieth century,” promises ARTneo Curator and Collections…
This is What the Demolished Lakewood High School Looks Like
Our man Eric Sandy is on the Lakewood beat these days. And indeed, the Lakewood Hospital circus is the biggest news story out of Cleveland’s dense and friendly west side ‘burb, but other things are happening as well. Namely: school construction. Lakewood is currently rebuilding three elementary schools (Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Grant) and two new…
Eddie Money to Headline Rock & Roll to the Rescue Benefit (Part 2)
Earlier this year, Howard Perl, CEO of Howard Perl Productions, brought rock icon Chubby Checker to town for Rock & Roll to the Rescue, a benefit concert at Hard Rock Live. He’s just announced that classic rocker Eddie Money will headline Rock & Roll to the Rescue (Part 2). The benefit takes place on Sunday,…
County Prosecutor Requests Sheriff’s Review of Officer Roger Jones in Shooting Death of Kenny Smith
The Associated Press is reporting that Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty is requesting a review of Officer Roger Jones’ actions on March 10, 2012 — the night he shot and killed 20-year-old rapper Kenny Smith downtown. What’s noteworthy here is that in 2014, McGinty ruled the shooting “justified” and hailed Jones for “correctly and heroically…
Peninsula’s Annual Music on the Porches Returns on Saturday
On Saturday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., Peninsula hosts the seventh annual Music on the Porches, an event that features both musical performances and workshops. You can catch local musicians playing places like the Log Cabin Gallery and Bronson Church. This year, in addition to the 20-plus music acts performing throughout the Village, the…
Video: Meet The Cleveland Native Making Fantasy Football Trophies
Dave Mitri. Cleveland native. Park Slope Brooklyn resident. Guy who makes trophies for fantasy sports leagues. Yeah, we’re jealous. Here’s the video from Monday Morning Quarterback at SI.
Here’s What It Looks Like From the Cockpit During a Flyover at a Browns Game
The view from inside the cockpit during a flyover of a Browns game, 179th AW C-130. Not sure what game this is, but the YouTube was uploaded yesterday. Big hat tip to Reddit.
Flip Side Flips Open in Cleveland’s Flats
This year, the Flats has seen half a dozen or so grand openings after $750 million was poured into hipping up the place. This week marked the latest with the arrival of a familiar facade: Flip Side. The bar-slash-restaurant opened its fifth location Tuesday night, following Saturday’s grand opening of Punch Bowl Social. Without announcement…
Ohio Woman Sets Fire in South Euclid Wal-Mart, Steals a Bike
Earlier this week, we wrote about the worst Wal-Mart in America which, by all accounts, happens to be located right here in sunny northeast Ohio. Today, another area Wal-Mart is in the news after a woman allegedly set fire to a clothing rack at the South Euclid branch, then stole a bike while employees attempted to…
SHAHEEN Gallery Opens Fall Season This Weekend With Works By Cleveland Artist Corrie Slawson
SHAHEEN Modern and Contemporary opens its Fall 2015 season with A Desert of Magnificence, an exhibit of new and recent work by Cleveland-based artist Corrie Slawson. The title for Slawson’s forthcoming exhibition at SHAHEEN is taken from a quote by 19th century art critic William Hazlitt who, critiquing England’s renowned Baroque-era palace, Fonthill Abbey, proclaimed…
Cleveland Museum of Arts’ Performing Arts Series Opens with Ellen Furman and the “Long String Instrument”
by Mike Telin Ever since the Cleveland Museum of Art began presenting concerts in the Transformer Station, Tom Welsh, director of CMA’s Performing Arts series, has carefully curated programs that celebrate the art of improvisation and musical experimentation. This week’s series-opening concerts are no exception. Beginning on Thursday, September 24 at 7:30 pm, composer Ellen…
Classic Rocker Graham Nash to Appear at Rock Hall in October
Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum inductee Graham Nash has already come through town twice this year — once to perform with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra and once to play a solo show at Hard Rock Live. Now, he’s set to return to town again for a special performance and book signing…
Scorpions Revisit Their Glory Days at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
In an old Saturday Night Live skit, Will Ferrell portrays fictional cowbell player Gene Frenkle. During a recording session, the band’s producer (played by Christopher Walken) repeatedly encourages him to provide “a little more cowbell.” It’s a funny segment that forever makes the cowbell into a rock ’n’ roll joke. Scorpions singer Klause Meine either…
The Gathering Place to Launch Inaugural GatherPalooza Benefit Concert in October
A non-profit, community-based cancer support center that focuses on “the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of individuals with cancer and their family and friends,” the Gathering Place plans to host the inaugural GatherPalooza fundraising event at Grays Armory on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 6:30 to 11 p.m. The event will feature a Battle of…
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is Now an Assistant Basketball Coach at St. Ignatius
That handsome mug to your right belongs to famous Cavaliers’ center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Everyone’s favorite 7’3″ Lithuanian can now add to his (already lengthy) resume a new position: Assistant High School Basketball Coach. That’s right, folks. If you missed the news last week, Z is now helping out the St. Ignatius basketball squad a couple…
Sarita [a Restaurant] to Take Over Players on Madison Spot
Players on Madison (14523 Madison Ave., 216-226-5200) will serve its last plate of pasta on Sunday October 4th, after nearly 30 years in business. The popular Lakewood eatery began life as Players Pasta and Pizza when Mark and Julie Sharys opened the doors in the mid-1980s. One of their first chef hires was Michael Symon.…
Backstage Pass: An Interview with for KING & COUNTRY
Often compared to U2 and Coldplay, Aussie duo for KING & COUNTRY makes atmospheric pop music that often includes interludes of hip-hop. Songs such as “Run Wild” and “No Turning Back,” both of which are on the band’s 2014 album Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong., feature anthemic choruses and spiritually charged lyrics. Yesterday, the…
Electronic Musician Zedd Shows His ‘True Colors’ on New Album
Outside of having an affinity for Daft Punk, electronic musician and producer Anton “Zedd” Zaslavski didn’t have much of an interest in electronic music. All that changed when he heard †, the 2007 album by French electronic duo Justice. “Justice to me sounded very similar [to Daft Punk] outside of the fact that their production…
Photo of the Day: A Sandusky Taco Bell Employee Gets an Itch
We’ve all had that awkward itch in public and faced the ever-troubling question: to scratch or not to scratch? This week, a Sandusky Taco Bell employee chose to scratch. Now, the photo snapped by a customer is making diners around the nation rethink their Crunchwrap Supremes: (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];…
Michael Symon’s Burger Biz Is Texas Bound
One of Cleveland’s favorite chefs is expanding — this time to Texas. Michael Symon will be planting his food flag in Austin, when Symon’s Burger Joint opens up as part of an exciting new project. Come November, Symon’s burger shop will open in a “combination clothing store and entertainment complex” with a 1,000-seat music venue,…
The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Welcome to the first episode of the A to Z Podcast with Andre Knott (your handsome in-game reporter for Fox Sports during Tribe games) and Zac Jackson (staff writer at ProFootballTalk.com). At least the first episode recorded for Scene. They’ve been plugging along a little while now, but starting right now will be recording two…
Former CWRU Law School Dean Lawrence Mitchell Was Supposed to Return to CWRU Faculty This Year; Thankfully That Didn’t Happen
The only mention of it was buried in a Cleveland.com article on the appointment of new official co-deans of Case Western Reserve University’s law school, but it’s worth teasing out on its own. [Update: It was also fully fleshed out by the tremendous CWRU paper, The Observer, on August 21 here.] Lawrence Mitchell, the former…
With Coda, Dante Boccuzzi Advances his Live Music Agenda
Dante Boccuzzi’s friends tease him that the real reason he’s building Coda is so that he’ll have a real live stage of his own from which to perform his guitar-fueled rock and roll. When he’s not playing the role as chef at one of his restaurants, which include Ginko, DBA, D.C. Pasta Co., Next Door…
British Shoegazers Ride Bring Reunion Tour to House of Blues
The modern surge of interest in the late-’80s/early-’90s U.K. shoegaze movement has been a particular boon for Ride. During their heyday, the Oxford, England, quartet was a sterling example of how musicians could twist and contort the genre around modern and retro influences. Ride’s music nodded to garage rock, Byrdsian jangle, the Beach Boys and…
Godsmack Concert at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica Adheres to Formula
The late ‘90s and early ‘00s were a curious time for the hard rock scene. In the wake of the success of grunge acts such as Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, a slew of bands sprung up that derived their sound from those bands. Godsmack came of age during that post-grunge period…
Scene Dining Editor Teams up with Michael Symon on Third Cookbook
When he isn’t reviewing restaurants, pilfering menus, or defending the merits of a wedge salad as Dining Editor of this here magazine, Douglas Trattner co-authors cookbooks with famed celebrity chef and daytime personality Michael Symon. This week, Symon and Trattner’s third cookbook – the chef’s fourth overall – was released: “5 in 5 for Every…
Berea Prosecutor Will Not File Charges in Assault Case Involving Browns Offensive Line Coach
The Berea prosecutor announced today that he will not press charges against suspended Browns offensive line coach Andrew Moeller for incidents involving his fiancee earlier this month. The case had been waiting for an official ruling from the city. That comes today with a two-page ruling that includes the prosecutor writing, “It is quite clear…
A Woman Faces Her Former Torturer — Or Does She? — in Death and the Maiden
Oftentimes, the idea of achieving justice in our fractured world seems like a pipe dream. In particular, people who torture and/or kill others, for whatever political reason, are rarely held to account. After their season of abuse is concluded, they usually just blend back into society and become consultants to the next horror show. Torture…
Band of the Week: Archie and the Bunkers
Meet the Band: Emmett (drums, vocals) and Cullen (organ, vocals) Straight Outta the Basement: The local group, which consists of teenage brothers Emmett and Cullen O’Connor on keys and vocals, formed in 2013. “My brother Cullen was playing bass at the time and we wanted to start a band,” says Emmett. “We were looking for…
Scene’s Guide to the Fall’s Visual Arts Offerings
After reaching out to art galleries and organizations throughout Northeast Ohio, I’d like to start by personally apologizing for everything we had to leave out of this guide due to space restrictions. We received an overwhelming number of responses. Even in two pages, we can’t fit everything. We’ve compiled as many highlights as possible, but…
The Offbeat Venues and Performances Giving Cleveland a Fun Introduction to Classical Music
If classical music has, for whatever reason, seemed to be a complete mystery to you, Cleveland offers a number of easy entrances into a world of new sonic adventures. Here are some fun and inexpensive ways to introduce yourself to the music, get to know the performers and make some new friends. For starters, if…
Cleveland is Blessed with a Robust Classical Music Calendar to Round Out the Year. Here’s What You Shouldn’t Miss
With over 600 classical music events to choose from between now and the end of December, it’s a challenge to tease out a short list of not-to-be-missed performances. Here’s a rundown of some interesting events for the fall. After beginning its Severance Hall season with an eclectic mix of repertoire — and a particularly intriguing…
Checking in on the Current State of Gallery Openings in Cleveland
Only a delusional person would open an art gallery in Cleveland hoping to strike it rich. It’s a better way to spend money than make money. Owning a gallery is a labor of love. But despite well-known obstacles, Cleveland seems to have more galleries than ever. So why are so many artists and non-artists opening…
Ohio Will Soon Have its First Poet Laureate. What Does That Mean?
Nearly every state in the U.S. counts a poet laureate among its artistic ranks, but Ohio has never been one of them — until now. Later this year, Gov. John Kasich will formally appoint the state’s first poet laureate, casting a nod to Ohio’s legacy of poetry. The Ohio Arts Council opened the call for…
Why the Mechanism for Public Arts Funding is Better Than the Mechanism for Public Stadium Funding (According to Recipients)
If you’re a non-smoker who’s opposed to the county tax on cigarettes for the arts, chances are you’re somewhat morally indignant about the major cultural institutions that stand as the tax’ beneficiaries: the Cleveland Orchestra, for instance, which, since 2007, has received more than $15 million from smokers in the county. You may roll your…
The Theater Communications Group Held Their Annual National Conference in Cleveland … And Left Dazzled
“I never dreamed it could be that good!” According to multiple reports, that is the feeling most of the more than 800 theater people had when they spent a weekend in our town. Back in June, members of the Theater Communications Group (TCG), a national organization that fosters communication among professional, community and university theaters,…
12 Fall Shows We Hope Live Up to Their Promise
Every new theater season brims with hope and a sense of adventure. On what unforgettable journeys will these live stage presentations take us? There are some plays on tap that have the potential for making their mark. Here are an even dozen that we’re targeting from now till the end of the year. Death and…
Pawn Sacrifice is a Solid Biopic of Chess’ Biggest Celebrity
Tobey Maguire stars as the paranoid chess prodigy Bobby Fischer in Pawn Sacrifice, directed by Edward Zwick and opening everywhere Friday. Fischer took on the Soviet heavyweight Boris Spassky (Liev Schrieber) in a hugely publicized World Championship match in 1972, billed as an important battle in the ongoing Cold War. Unlike hockey or gymnastics, for…
Voodoo Tuna Plants Sushi Fusion Flag in Lakewood
Ordering sake can be intimidating for all but the most seasoned admirers. The Japanese rice wine comes in a multitude of grades, styles, bottle sizes and filtration levels, ranging from cloudy and sweet to crystal clear and bone dry. And then there are those indecipherable names. Unfortunately, our young server at Voodoo Tuna provided little…
Film Spotlight: Wildlike
A self-professed lover of the outdoors, Wildlike writer-director Frank Hall Green took a backpacking trip to Denali with his wife for about eight days. While he was on the venture, he realized the setting would be perfect for his next film. “I wanted to tell an adventure about someone in the outdoors and recovery and…
