After Record Number of Flu Deaths Last Season, Stop Being Lazy and Get Your Damn Flu Shot
A record number of Americans died last year after contracting the flu, including a high number of people from Northeast Ohio. Statistics recently released by the Centers for Disease Control show that around 80,000 people died during the 2017-2018 flu season, numbers that haven’t been seen in four decades. Cuyahoga County was hit hard too, with…
New Rock Hall Exhibit Features Photos of Iconic Acts From the Past 40 Years
A couple of years ago, the Rock Hall acquired hundreds of thousands of photographs by Jeff Rusnak, a fixture in the pits of New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York rock clubs and concert halls. A late-night disc jockey, musician, producer and manager at the Princeton Record Exchange and an incessant photographer, Rusnak took photos of…
New ‘Gerrymander Jewelry’ Line Features Ohio’s 1st Congressional District
The hottest accessory this season is a symbol of our eroding democracy around your neck: a gerrymandered district necklace. That’s thanks to a new line called Gerrymander Jewelry, which features six of our beautiful country’s more insanely carved Congressional districts. The Ohio 1st is included, which is sure to be a point of pride for…
Kanye West Says He’s Meeting With Dan Gilbert Today
[image-1] Suffice it to say, Kanye West talks a lot of shit. The outspoken rapper has been in the news a lot lately due to a number of increasingly erratic recent interviews and public appearances. West sat down with TMZ for a rambling Q&A on Monday, where he talked about his support of President Donald…
A Hiatus Reaped Dividends for the Post-Hardcore Act Thrice
Shortly after forming in Southern California in 1998, Thrice began sending demos to record labels with the hopes of getting a record deal. The response wasn’t particularly positive. “Labels told us to figure out if we were going to sing or scream or be a hardcore band or a punk band,” says drummer Riley Breckenridge…
Serial Now Has an After Show Podcast, Courtesy of Ideastream
Hosted by ideastream’s Elizabeth Miller and Lawrence Daniel Caswell, Cleveland Talks Serial is a new, locally produced podcast about another podcast. (We trust we need not specify further.) In its first episode, guests Rachel Dissell of the Plain Dealer and criminal defense attorney Andrea Whitaker discuss issues that emerged in Episodes 1 and 2 of…
TruTV Star Adam Conover Comes to the Agora in December
The creator and star of TruTV’s Adam Ruins Everything, comedian Adam Conover has just announced a live tour in support of the show that “dispels common misconceptions and encourages the audience to think critically about the world around them.” Dubbed Mind Parasites Live, the tour is a hybrid of stand-up comedy and psychedelic biology class.…
Saintseneca Frontman Explains How a Biblical Story Inspired the Band’s New Album
Multi-instrumentalist Zac Little, who leads the Columbus-based indie rock act Saintseneca, grew up on a farm in Noble County, Ohio. But his childhood wasn’t that atypical. He took up skateboarding as a teenager and began to listen to punk bands. At about that same time, he also started listening to the Beatles, and that group…
Lyft is Offering Free and Discounted Rides for Cleveland Voters on Election Day
In the 2016 election, an estimated 15 million registered voters didn’t make it out to the polls because of issues with transportation. Voting is a constitutional right for eligible Americans, but the unfortunate reality is that for many Americans, getting out to vote can be extremely difficult. For those who have concerns with transportation, the…
Leon Bridges to Play Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in 2019
This week, R&B singer Leon Bridges brings his Good Thing tour to a close with two sold-out shows in New York. Bridges, who recently released the official music video for his track “If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be),” has had a banner year that includes rave reviews for his sophomore effort, Good Thing.…
Cleveland Man Obliterates RTA Stop While Choking on Burger King
We’ve reported on car accidents caused in Cleveland by people driving under the influence of alcohol or heroin, but this may be the first time we’ve reported someone causing an accident while under the influence of a flame-broiled burger (or chicken fries, we don’t judge). Last night a driver was enjoying an evening snack of Burger…
Akron Residents Apparently Don’t Want to Go to Jail For Their Barking Dogs
The good people of Akron, Ohio — where shit is clearly getting done — pushed back last night on a proposed increase to penalties for barking dogs. Councilman Russ Neal, noting an increase in complaints across town, said he’d proposed raising the penalty for barking dogs from a minor misdemeanor, which carries a $100 fine,…
Poison Berry Bakery on Larchmere to Close after Holidays
After a solid year-and-a-half run, the owners of Poison Berry Bakery have decided to wind down the business. Jen and Jon Regan announced that the popular vegan bakeshop on Larchmere will close for good at Christmastime. “Mama and Papa Poison Berry have come to the unfortunate conclusion that that [sic] we will not be able…
Trinity Cathedral’s 44th Season of Brownbag Concerts Begins, Plus the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
Violinist Mary Beth Ions and the Amethyst String Quartet will launch Trinity Cathedral’s 44th season of Wednesday noon Brownbag Concerts on October 3 at 12:15 pm with “Celebrating Autumn: a sentimental look at the approaching season.” You’re welcome to pack a lunch, or you can buy one for $7 and enjoy food and music under…
In Advance of His State Theatre Show, Comedian Brad Sherwood Talks About the Joys of Being ‘Scared Scriptless’
In a matter of casual conversation, comedian Brad Sherwood mentioned to fellow comedian/touring partner Colin Mochrie that he particularly liked the title Scared Scriptless as the name of an improv show. He said he’d loved to use for it the tour that he and Mochrie, both of whom perform on improv comedy TV show Whose…
You Can Now Use Free WiFi on Cleveland’s Public Square
Public Square joined the digital world today, offering free WiFi to all visitors. The spot was lively with smartphone users this morning, yet many were surprised they could experience the wonders of the internet for free. Dimitrius Oliver, 47, was one of the crowd unaware of the free service this morning. Once he connected to…
The Browns Quarter Pole Report — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac discuss the Browns’ heartbreaking loss in Oakland and grade the entire team – position group by position group – at the quarter mark of the season. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
Why Would the NBA Fine JR Smith for New Supreme Tattoo?
AdAge wrote last year that after the naming rights deals for NBA arenas, special seating sections, mid-game entertainment and almost every panel of free space inside arenas, NBA jerseys looked like they might be “the final remnant of non-commercialized purity” in the league. But now that jerseys are themselves generating revenue for teams, via small…
Vote This Week Could Sunset Environmental Protections for the Ohio River
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A vote this week will determine if Ohio and other states will lose some pollution control standards for the Ohio River. Consisting of representatives of the eight watershed states and the federal government, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, known as ORSANCO, sets uniform pollution standards for the states along the…
New Report Says Majority of Ohioans in Poverty Don’t Receive Cash Assistance, Despite Surplus of Available Funds
The Center for Community Solutions released a report today that reveals a bleak reality for Ohioans living in poverty. It’s been more than two decades since Ohio established work requirements on welfare recipients and limited the cash assistance availability to 36 months. Since then, caseloads for those requesting assistance have dropped to historic lows, and Ohio’s…
Beverly Goldstein, GOP Candidate for Ohio’s District 11, Thinks LGBTQ+ Protection Ordinance Passing is Related to Adult Illiteracy
Beverly Goldstein, a self-proclaimed “MAGA candidate” running for Ohio US House District 11 against Marcia Fudge (D), took to Twitter to express her disdain for the passing of the LGBTQ+ protection ordinance for Cuyahoga County. AWFUL CUYAHOGA OUTCOME HRC 2 be created. Must launch effective legal challenge. Shout out: hubby Michael testified. Outcome directly tied…
‘The Walking Dead’ Star Emily Kinney Brings Her Indie Pop Band to the Beachland
Singer-songwriter Emily Kinney might be best known for portraying Beth on the popular AMC show The Walking Dead, but she actually started singing before she began acting. “I performed at my first talent show was when I was 7,” she says via phone from an Orlando tour stop. She plays with opener Paul McDonald at…
Dilly Dilly! You Can Now Get Your Own Browns Victory Fridge
Just in time for the holiday season, Bud Light announced over the weekend that Browns fans can now have a Victory Fridge of their own. Victory Fridges, now in fun size.Open yours today!https://t.co/oYuIEfH9eU pic.twitter.com/0mdzewN3oX — Bud Light (@budlight) September 29, 2018 Here’s the description straight from Bud Light’s mouth: “Introducing The Browns Victory Mini-Fridge. It’s like…
Rock Writer Anthony DeCurtis to Speak at the Rock Hall on October 24
As part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s ongoing Author Series, Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis will discuss his latest book, Lou Reed: A Life, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the Rock Hall. A distinguished lecturer in the creative writing program at the University of Pennsylvania, DeCurtis also wrote In…
Cleveland.com Ohio State Reporter Bill Landis Jumps to The Athletic
Cleveland.com’s Ohio State Buckeye reporter Bill Landis is joining Joe Vardon, Tom Reed, Zack Meisel and Ari Wasserman — all former Cleveland.com reporters who now work for The Athletic Cleveland. Landis will complement Wassserman’s OSU football coverage and will lead the OSU basketball beat. The Athletic announced a bunch of other college basketball hires today as…
Here’s How Ohio Politicians Feel About Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh
Citizens across the world spent nearly nine hours yesterday listening to the impassioned and even-tempered testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and whatever it was that Brett Kavanaugh did before, during and after claiming “The Devil’s Triangle” is a slang term for a drinking game, that boofing means farting, and that he’s never blacked out from…
‘Dead Body’ Found in Ohio Nature Preserve Was Actually a Sex Doll
Hamilton County engineer crews working off Lick Road near the Richardson Forest Preserve called Colerain Township police on Thursday afternoon after uncovering what they believed to be a dead body. Police responded to the scene near a Hamilton County Park and requested the presence of the county coroner’s office, only to discover the dead body…
Journey’s Jonathan Cain to Participate in Hall of Fame Series Interview at the Rock Hall
In 1976, Journey’s Jonathan Cain released his first solo record, Windy City Breakdown. He then became a member of the Babys and would join Journey in 1980, just in time to work on the band’s platinum-selling album Escape. Cain was inducted into the Rock Hall when Journey was inducted last year. He’ll appear at 7…
Cameron Esposito: Person of Consequence Comes to Grog Shop Oct. 2
It’s difficult to imagine how Cameron Esposito could follow “Rape Jokes,” a standup special about sexual assault from her perspective as a survivor that has raised nearly $100,000 for RAINN, but much like chopping off her iconic side mullet, Esposito understands the importance to keep moving forward. After a stint in London, Esposito begins the American…
Metric to Launch U.S. Tour at House of Blues in February
The Canadian alternative rock act Metric has just announced the dates of an upcoming U.S. tour that will also feature the Mexican rock band Zoé and fellow Canadian rockers July Talk. The tour supports the band’s new album, Art of Doubt. For the first time in three albums, guitarist Jimmy Shaw did not co-produce the album;…
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears Come to the Grog Shop Next Week In Support of Their Most Cohesive Album to Date
Joe Lewis, frontman for the grunge-y classic soul and punked-up R&B band Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, learned to play guitar when he worked at an Austin pawn shop. It was a formative time. “I was listening to a lot of Elmore James and Lightin’ Hopkins back then,” says Lewis via phone from a…
Some Remarks on The Two Tomorrows and Equity in Cleveland
*The below has been edited for concision and clarity from remarks delivered by the author at Goldhorn Brewery on 9/26, at an event sponsored by the Fund for our Economic Future. ***The Two Tomorrows report is unique in the recent Cleveland economic development literature, as far as I know, in one key respect: It has…
5 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, SEPT. 28 Brett Eldredge/Devin Dawson When country singer Brett Eldredge opened for Luke Bryan at Progressive Field last summer, he successfully won the audience over with his 45-minute set that featured hits such as “Superhero” and the poppy “Love Someone,” a tune the benefited from the exuberant “uh-huhs” in its chorus. His spot-on cover…
Ohio State Uses Tone-Deaf “Silence” Ad to Promote Game Between Two Schools that Silenced Victims in Favor of Football
There’s a lot to unpack with the Ohio State University “Silence” ad being used to promote the football game between the Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions this weekend. The ad in question shows a frenzy of words and symbols in white/off-white tones with “Silence” as its tag line, and an image of receiver Austin Mack…
Serial in Cleveland, Ep. 3 Recap: Misdemeanor, Meet Mr. Lawsuit
As promised, Episode Three of Serial’s Cleveland-based third season — “one courthouse told week by week” — looks at very high-profile cases that made national news. Though the episode is focused centrally on the case of Emirius Spencer, a Euclid man who was beaten by off-duty police officers in December, 2016, after they found a…
Former Cleveland Strip Club Owner Has Been Flying Jim Renacci to Campaign Around Ohio
Jim Renacci, the Ohio Republican Senate nominee on the ballot against Sherrod Brown in the November mid-term election, has been flown to more than a dozen campaign events this year in a private plane owned by Don Ksiezyk. That name probably doesn’t ring a bell to many, but as the Columbus Dispatch reported this morning,…
Biopic About Singer-Songwriter Blaze Foley Can’t Overcome Its Disjointed Narrative
Consider it a tale of two songwriters. An Arkansas native who played clubs in Austin in the 1970s, singer-songwriter Blaze Foley played the same clubs that fellow-songwriter Townes Van Zandt played. The two became friends, and Van Zandt would turn into an iconic figure in the outlaw country movement. Though he experienced some success, Blaze…
After 22 Years, a Changing of the Guard at Johnny Mango
While combining foods from Mexico, the Caribbean and even the Far East on a single menu might sound ill-advised, nobody can argue with the results. Next month, Johnny Mango will celebrate its 22nd birthday, a milestone for any concern, but a downright outlier in the cutthroat restaurant business. Since this quirky pie-shaped eatery opened in…
Setting Up Indians/Astros and BakerMania — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac look ahead to the Indians’ chances in the ALDS. They also discuss what’s at stake for the Browns this weekend and the excitement BakerMania has brought. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here or stream below.
You Could Win $300 From Lyft and a Monthly RTA Pass if You Pledge to “Ditch Your Car” in October
In a promotion sponsored by the ridesharing company Lyft and RTA, Clevelanders have the opportunity to win $300 in Lyft credits and a monthly RTA pass ($95) if they pledge to give up their car from Oct. 8 – Nov. 6. The goal of the “Ditch Your Car” program, said Lyft in a press release,…
Smallfoot, with LeBron in Supporting Role, Flirts with Subversion
LeBron James has precious few lines in the new Warner Bros. computer-animated film Smallfoot, but he makes the most of them. He voices a lumbering purple Yeti named Gwangi who’s part of a radical sect devoted to evidence-based inquiry about the world. “Evidence-based inquiry” is anathema to the mountaintop Yeti community where he lives, and…
Cleveland-Based Season Three of Serial Notches Best Debut Numbers Yet for the Series
What did the producers and hosts of Serial expect when the long-awaited third season of the hit podcast dropped last week? Probably not the biggest debut in the show’s history. To be fair, no one knew what Serial was when it launched, so it’s hard to judge in-the-moment stats from season one (the first episode…
Second Ohio Diocese Plans to Release List of Abusive Priests, Cleveland Remains Quiet
According to reports from The Associated Press, a second Ohio Roman Catholic Diocese is planning to release a list of priests who have been removed from parishes due to allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct over the years. The list is due out sometime before the end of October. The Ohio diocese in question is…
In Advance of His Akron Civic Show, Lewis Black Explains Why He Tries to Avoid Even Saying Trump’s Name
Comedian Lewis Black regularly touches on topics such as current events, social media, politics and anything else that “exposes the hypocrisy and madness in the world,” as he puts it. Given the election of Donald Trump as president, Black’s analysis of the “hypocrisy and madness in the world” seems all the more relevant. The comedian brings…
City of Cleveland Agrees to Pay $3.7 Million in Death of Kenny Smith, Who Was Shot and Killed by a Cleveland Cop in 2012
The city of Cleveland this week came to an agreement with the family of Kenny Smith that will pay them $3.7 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the night of March 10, 2012, when an off-duty Cleveland police officer shot and killed the 20-year-old aspiring rapper downtown. Smith had gotten caught up…
Annual Jewish FilmFest to Feature 26 Films at Five Local Venues
Now in its 12th year, the Cleveland Jewish FilmFest aims to bring the best of international Jewish cinema to Cleveland. It features a mix of documentaries, features, comedies and shorts, and films will screen at five local theaters and venues. The event kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 4, with a screening of The Last Suit…
Cuyahoga County Passes LGBTQ+ Protection Ordinance Despite Return of Ignorant Idiots
EDIT::This article now includes the 4:22:09 long video of the public forum. Enjoy! For over four hours last night, more than 200 people poured into the council chambers of the Cuyahoga County Administrative Headquarters to speak on record either against, or in favor, of the county’s proposed LGBTQ+ discrimination protection ordinance. Current protections for Cuyahoga…
Four of Cleveland’s Best Actresses, Two One-Act Plays, Zero Reasons to Miss ‘Plath & Orion’ at Cesear’s Forum
At a time when women are demanding that their voices be heard, this pairing of two one-acts gives voice to four females who definitely have something to say. And although the material is often fast moving and sometimes densely intellectual, the experience is heightened since it displays the extraordinary talents of four of our area’s…
Wanda C. Jones on Judge Daniel Gaul: What Good is Experience if You’re Biased?
During a judicial candidates’ forum Tuesday night at the South Euclid United Church of Christ, Wanda C. Jones, an African-American Republican candidate running against Daniel Gaul (of Serial fame) for a seat on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, said her lack of experience, relative to Gaul’s, shouldn’t be a deciding factor in the…
‘Hamilton’ Parody Coming to Playhouse Square in December
The more successful something is, the more likely it is that someone somewhere will want to take the piss out of it with a parody. That would explain Spamilton: An American Parody. Created by and performed by a versatile cast of seven, it pokes fun at Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit about Alexander Hamilton. Just in time…
As the Front Triennial Wraps Up, a Conversation on What It Did for the Cleveland Arts Community
Those of us involved in the arts in Cleveland know that it is, and has been, a cultural destination for decades. But what about the rest of the city? And what, if anything, will change after the Front Art Triennial, which has received plenty of positive press since its debut? As we near the end…
A Full Slate of Horror Films and Festivals Await You in This Spooky Season
As the most prolific and profitable cinematic subgenre of all time, horror movies are truly the lifeblood of the fall film scene. Sure, streaming options from Netflix, Hulu or Shudder abound. But fortunately for Clevelanders, we’ve got a wide array of big-screen options for anyone looking to get a frightening fix this Halloween season. Between…
4th Annual Cleveland Playwrights Festival Teaches the Craft of Writing Plays, for Free
Okay, you’re a playwright (or wannabe playwright, or just an interested person) in Cleveland. You want information about that craft, you want to meet people who write plays. And yet, you have no money. Well, you’re just the person they’re looking for at the fourth annual Cleveland Playwrights Festival, sponsored by Playwrights Local. This one-day…
Yawns and Shrugs in ‘The Woman in Black’ at the Cleveland Play House
If you’re a fan of Count Floyd, the host of SCTV’s “Monster Chiller Horror Theater” that was on the tube from the late 1970s to early 1980s, have I got a show for you! Well, not really. Because Count Floyd’s sketch bit, as enacted by comedian Joe Flaherty, was intended to be a sendup of…
Savage Love: Needs & Deeds
I’m a 62-year-old woman. I was married for 33 years and left five years ago. We hadn’t gotten along for years, but he never stopped wanting or valuing me for sex — in spite of treating me like a household appliance and cheating on me regularly. Not long after the marriage ended, I met a…
Band of the Week: Joe Joyce Band
MEET THE BAND: Joe Joyce (vocals, acoustic guitar), Ryan Marquette (guitar), Bobby Vaughn (keyboards, vocals), Ryan Grimes (bass), Ryan Moore (drums, vocals) MUSIC AS AN OUTLET: Joyce grew up in North Olmsted and started playing drums after his dad got him his first drum kit when he was 7. He then learned to play bass…
The Dinerbar on Clifton Marries Favorites From Its Predecessor With Delightful New Offerings
During a phone call, owner Perry Drosos confirmed my own personal observations regarding the premium for seats at the newly opened Dinerbar on Clifton, the successor to the long-running restaurant of the (almost) same name. Two separate mid-week visits revealed dining rooms filled to the brim with fervent guests, patios that were operating at full…
The New Cleveland Ballet Heads Into its Fourth Season With a Playhouse Square Residency
There’s a new Cleveland Ballet in town, the moniker’s third iteration. Most Clevelanders probably only remember the Cleveland Ballet that jetted off to San Jose full time in 2000 after its finances crumbled. The departure left the city without a homegrown professional classical ballet company, a fact that didn’t seem to bother some folks in…
Local Indie Bookstores on the Books You Shouldn’t Miss the Rest of the Year
Who better than your friendly neighborhood bookstore to recommend what you should be diving into this autumn and winter? Well, how about five of your friendly neighborhood bookstores? Here’s what you should be putting on your nightstand before 2018 checks out. From Loganberry Books (13051 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights): The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman.…
Next Summer, Cleveland Will Become a Hub for International Performing Arts Thanks to the BorderLight Festival
When it comes to the places that host significant international performing arts festivals, which cities spring to mind? Avignon, France! Edinburgh, Scotland! Cleveland, Ohio? (Add record needle scratch here.) But wait, that’s not such a crazy idea, because plans are afoot to launch the BorderLight Festival of International Theatre next summer, right here in downtown…
The Chagrin Documentary Film Festival is a Silver Screen Trip Around the Globe
Let’s say you decided that you wanted to spend some time rubbing shoulders with filmmakers. (And we’re not talking here about filmmakers such as the recently outed and thoroughly disgusting Harvey Weinstein.) We’re talking about people who have a passion to create films that tell unique stories about important social issues, emotional aspects of the…
The Fall Classical Music Schedule is Packed With Something for Everyone
With a lengthy schedule of concerts and recitals in Northeast Ohio, choosing a few events to recommend is like throwing darts at the list. Here are some especially interesting performances. ORCHESTRAS The first big production of the Cleveland Orchestra season will be Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony” led by Franz Welser-Möst, with soprano Joélle Harvey and mezzo-soprano…
Cleveland Museum of Art’s Annual Performing Arts Series Features World Premieres
For its annual Performing Arts Series, the Cleveland Museum of Art regularly brings artists from around the world into town to perform at the museum. This year, the program gets even more adventurous as it will incorporate a major commissioning program featuring six internationally acclaimed composers into the mix. In the series, co-sponsored by the…
A Mind-Melting Beautiful Trip With the Paintings of Eileen Dorsey
“It’s like Van Gogh walked through the forest while on a fever dream,” remarked one visitor during Third Fridays at the 78th Street Studios, accurately describing artist Eileen Dorsey’s paintings. Dorsey has been on our radar for some time. From “Watch It Wednesdays” at the studios, where patrons can watch artists at work, to the…
Fall Theater Preview: Dozens of Theater Companies, Scores of Productions, All of the Fun
I’ve been a theater critic for about 20 years, so people will sometimes ask me how many plays I see. I tell them it averages out to two or three a week, and they always seem surprised. Especially since I don’t typically review shows at our vast array of accomplished and industrious community theaters, such…
