Ohio City Burrito Now Open Downtown
Update: Ohio City Burrito’s new downtown location in the former home of the Leader Bar and Grill in the Leader Building (526 Superior Ave.) is now open. The Downtown location of Ohio City Burrito opened yesterday! Excited to walk in and chow down in this beautiful Leader Building space on a day that isn't a…
Plastic Bag Fee Proposed in Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County Council members will introduce an ordinance today that would levy a $.10 fee on every plastic bag used at just about any supermarket, convenience store, department store or really any shop that covers 7,000 square feet or more. If passed, the fee would go into effect next July. Council members Sunny Simon and Dale Miller…
Now That’s Class Announces a Very Cleveland “Cleveland Beer Week” Tasting Event
Cleveland Beer Week is almost here, and we’ll have plenty more to say about that and all the various crafty offerings you’ll find around town then very soon. But we’d be hard pressed to find a Cleveland Beer Week event we’re looking more forward to than the one going down at Now That’s Class on…
‘Sketchbook Heroes: Caricatures of Rock Legends’ Exhibition Debuts at Loftworks Gallery This Weekend
This fall, Loftworks Gallery showcases a diverse collection of artwork by the International Society of Caricature Artists, featuring an extensive collection of cartoon rock icons. Sketchbook Heroes: Caricatures of Rock Legends includes the work of 16 caricature artists who have created work for clients such as: Time Magazine, MAD Magazine, Cartoon Network, Sports Illustrated Kids,…
Maple Heights Superintendent Suspended for Pantsing the School Board Vice President
It feels really dumb to even bother sharing stories like this, given the disastrous week we’re working through, but here we go: The Maple Heights superintendent pantsed the school board vice president at a football game the other night. He’s been suspended for 10 days without pay. [image-1]The two men are seen in that video…
Rock Hall Issues Statement on Tom Petty’s Death
Earlier today, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame issued a statement on the death of 2002 Inductee Tom Petty. “Tom Petty made us all believe by singing about ordinary experience in an extraordinary way,” says Greg Harris, President & CEO. “His vocals captured our soul with songs that sounded like hits the first time we…
New Security Measures Announced for Gateway Plaza During Tribe Playoff Games
The Indians will introduce new, extra security measures for the playoffs staring with game one of the ALDS on Thursday. Though the announcement comes in the wake of the Las Vegas mass shooting, the safety plans, which focus on the area between the stadium and arena, have been in the works for weeks. An FYI…
FireFish Festival Brings Fire, Art, Music and More to Lorain This Weekend
For the third year, James Levin’s FireFish Festival will transform downtown Lorain into an engaging venue for art installations, performances, live music. Last year’s event drew more than 10,000 visitor, and this year’s festival expands to two days: from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, October 6, and 2 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, October…
The Cleveland Orchestra Performs at Severance Before a European Tour and Five More Classical Music Events To Hit This Week
Brett Mitchell recently left his post as associate conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra to take the reins of the Colorado Symphony — but he’s back to lead the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra in the first of its performances this season at Severance Hall. On Wednesday, October 4 at 8:00 pm, the evening will begin…
Brian Cummins Challenges Jasmin Santana to Debate in City Council’s Fiercest Race
On the steps of Cleveland City Hall Monday evening, Ward 14 Councilman Brian Cummins challenged his opponent, Jasmin Santana, to a debate before the November 7 general election. “I will debate you any place, anywhere, that is done in a fair manner,” Cummins said, a blockade of Hispanic leaders and pastors behind him. “You did…
Ensemble Theatre’s Production of ‘Well’ Is a Superbly Acted, Exhilarating Experience
Sometimes, when you use the word “interesting’ to describe a show, it can be because you’re hiding how you really feel. More than once, I have left a particularly disheartening production and been asked what I thought. “Interesting,” I’d mumble, avoiding the string of expletives I could have easily deployed. However, in the case of…
An American Icon, Tom Petty Dies at Age 66
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers devoted their summer tour to celebrating their 40th anniversary. The jaunt, which included a stop at the Q in June, found Petty and Co. in fine form and concluded just seven days ago after more than 50 dates. Which makes today’s news, that Petty passed away at the age of…
Original Tavern Company Space has New Owners, to Become Kensington Pub
“You should have seen the place three weeks ago,” says Jeff King, new owner of the tavern that commands the corner of Kensington and Lee roads in Cleveland Heights. For more than 30 years, that location went by the name of The Tavern Company. That pub’s last owner, Chris Armington, took the name with him…
The New Pornographers Embrace Power Pop While Still Nurturing Their ‘Strange’ Side
When critics and fans began to tell New Pornographers’ singer Carl Newman that his group plays power pop, he originally thought they were mistaken. “It wasn’t until recently that I had someone explain to me what power pop was,” he says via phone from his New York home. The New Pornographers perform at 8 p.m.…
MOCA Cleveland Celebrates Five Years in its New Home With Free Community Day, Launch of Fall Exhibitions
In honor of the five-year anniversary of its Farshid Moussavi-designed building, as well as its Fall 2017 Exhibitions, MOCA Cleveland is hosting two events this weekend: the Annual Gala and Art Auction from 6:30 p.m. to midnight on Friday, October 6, and a Free Community Day from noon to midnight on Saturday, October 7. Friday’s…
Ma’lik Richmond will Remain on YSU Football Team Under Court Settlement
[image-1]Youngstown State University has settled with Ma’lik Richmond, the former Steubenville High School football player who was convicted of rape as a teenager. Under the terms of the deal, Richmond will remain on the YSU football team, and the University will cover all legal costs. Earlier this school year, a YSU student circulated a petition…
“Thoughts and Prayers” on Las Vegas Mass Shooting Offered by Ohio Republicans Who Oppose Gun Control
In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in American history last night in Las Vegas politicians and candidates across Ohio have issued statements on the massacre, which left at least 58 dead and 500 more injured. “Thoughts and prayers” poured in from Senator Rob Portman, who benefited from more than $500,000 the NRA spent…
Watch Cleveland Indie Rock Act Meg & the Magnetosphere’s New Music Video Right Here
A fixture on the local music scene, Meg & the Magnetosphere singer Meg Stepka hosts various open mic nights in the Cleveland area at places such as Kelley’s Pub, the Winchester Music Tavern and Callaloo Cafe. She’s performed in Poland and at music festivals SXSW and Sundance, and she formed Meg & the Magnetosphere in…
Kasich: ‘If the Party Can’t Be Fixed, Then I’m Not Going to be Able to Support the Party’
Gov. John Kasich, who cast his lot against the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and its nationalist overtones, is dancing around the idea of leaving the Republican party. “If the party can’t be fixed, Jake, then I’m not going to be able to support the party. Period,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper yesterday. “That’s the…
Something Happened at Crestwood High School, and Now the Football Season Has Been Suspended
Friday afternoon, the Superintendent for Crestwood Local Schools, David Toth, announced that he was suspending the high school football program until further notice. The announcement was effective immediately — meaning that Friday evening’s game against Mogadore was canceled — and came with no elaboration, other than that the Mantua Village Police Department was investigating an…
Forest City Brewery to Host Screening of Documentary about Akron Women’s Softball Team
Launched earlier this year, Emerge Microcinema aims to show independent films at popup screenings in stores, bike garages, breweries and loft spaces. At 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, it will present Burn the Ships at Forest City Brewery. In the movie, directors Julia Thorndike and Danielle Miller, who’ll be on hand for the screening,…
55-Year-Old White Billionaire Discovers Depths of Unashamed Racism in America
2017 seems to be the year that racists have stopped pretending they aren’t racist. What we used to call dog-whistle signaling in more civilized times has given way to people from all walks of life coming out of the closet, so to speak — from President Donald Trump’s obtuse attacks on Mexicans and Muslims (among…
Fireside Book Shop to Host Signing and Discussion with ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ Author Sean Kay
A 1985 graduate of Chagrin Falls Highs School and an inductee into the Chagrin Falls Achievement Hall of Fame, Sean Kay is a member of the Department of Politics and Government at Ohio Wesleyan. He’s written heady books such as NATO and the Future of European Security, Celtic Revival: The Rise, Fall, and Renewal of…
Phoenix Coffee to Open Next Week, Marking a Return to Warehouse District
[image-1]“I’ve always believed in this neighborhood and we’ve been eager to return,” says Christopher Feran, coffee director for Phoenix Coffee. “We’re hoping to bring our community vibe.” The neighborhood in question is the Warehouse District, where the homegrown coffee company used to have a café. That shop was shuttered in 2011. Phoenix managed to stage…
Lola Bistro, Dante Host One-Night-Only Hurricane Relief Benefit
Chefs Dante Boccuzzi and Michael Symon are offering Clevelanders another way to help those affected by the recent hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico — by dining out at their restaurants. Next Monday, Dante and Lola Bistro join more than 50 restaurants across the country in the “One Meal, One Night, One Nation” initiative to…
Let This Great New Song From Two Hand Fools Take You Into the Weekend
Cleveland punk rockers Two Hand Fools will soon release their second LP, Falling In/Falling Out, which was recorded at Bad Racket and includes songs written over the past two years. They debuted one of them, “Geraniums,” this morning, and it is just delightful. Listen up.
Cleveland Hardcore Band Included on New Punk Rock Compilation
The ’80s zine xXx chronicled the now-famous underground hardcore and punk scenes of the time. Now, a project between Bridge Nine owner Chris Wrenn and Mike Gitter, the forthcoming book, xXx Fanzine 1983-88: Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties, captures the era. It includes articles about the “generation-galvanizing likes of Minor Threat and SS Decontrol” as well…
Esperanza Inc. Executive Director Victor Ruiz’s Father Died in Puerto Rico Following Hurricane Maria
[image-1]As Northeast Ohio’s Puerto Rican communities — from the near west side of Cleveland to Lorain — collect supplies for friends and family and wait for updates on the recovery efforts following the absolute devastation Hurricane Maria brought to the island, some sad news to pass along. Esperanza Inc. Executive Director Victor Ruiz says his…
Tickets On Sale Now for Scene’s Shuck Yeah! Oyster and Seafood Event at Alley Cat on October 21st
Oysters, seafood by Zack Bruell, beer, booze and the sweet tunes of Madison Crawl. There’s all that and more at Scene’s Shuck Yeah! Oyster and Seafood shindig at Alley Cat on Saturday, October 21, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For $45, guests will enjoy a half dozen oysters, six drinks (either craft cocktails or…
All Hail Tom Cruise, America’s Last and Arguably Greatest Popcorn Idol
[image-1]“Tom Cruise? Meh.” That was the immediate reaction I got from my buddy when I told him I’d seen the new Tom Cruise vehicle, American Made, out at your local megaplex today. And I get it; heck, there are a lot of you out there who might not have been so charitable to the old…
Brit Rocker Paul Weller Talks About ‘That Competitive Thing’ Within Himself
Paul Weller is a trailblazing anomaly in a lot of ways. As the former frontman of two largely influential British bands, the Jam and the Style Council, he’s played everything from angry punk rock and classic British pop to soul, funk, jazz, and R&B. Now, as a successful solo musician, Weller, who’s nearly 60 years…
Now Open: Heck’s Express in Downtown Cleveland
Good news for downtown workers, residents and general fans of Heck’s Café. Owner Fadi Daoud has just opened his quick-serve version of that 40-year-old brand, Heck’s Express (515 Euclid Ave., 216-303-9494), in the heart of downtown Cleveland. That fast-casual spin-off joins the original spot in Ohio City (2927 Bridge Ave., 216-861-5464) and a second Heck’s…
Cinema Wasteland is Back This Weekend to Scare the Pants Off Northeast Ohio Horror Fans
Every September, Cinema Wasteland invades the Strongsville Holiday Inn, filling the main ballroom with a bevy of spooky collectibles and films you won’t find anywhere else. And sure enough, the event, voted Best Horror Convention for Scene’s Best Of in 2005, is back in action this weekend. Low-budget scary movie fans will appreciate that the 17th…
New Home Suits Pupuseria Katarina to a ‘P’
The first time I enjoyed the pupusas at Pupuseria Katarina, I did so in a small, spare dining room soon after the restaurant opened in 2014. The experience and the food were wonderful, but within a year the restaurant had closed. Fortunately, fans quickly learned that the closure was merely temporary as the owners prepared…
L.A.-Based Electronic Act Tokimonsta Distills a Range of Influences on Its New Album
When Jennifer Lee, the L.A. Based-electronic indie artist who tours and records as Tokimonsta, first signed to Brainfeeder, the label run by forward-thinking electronic artist Flying Lotus, she didn’t think it was any big deal. After all, Flying Lotus simply contacted her via iChat and informally added her to his roster. “I don’t think anyone…
Jackson Jettisons D.C. Manager, Hires Young Local Attorney to Lead Campaign
The Real Deal Press is reporting that Mayor Frank Jackson has parted ways with D.C. campaign manager Wayne Clarke, whom he’d hired in July, and has brought on a young local attorney to replace him. Michael Bowen, 30, is an associate at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister. Last year, he was among Crain’s 20 in their Twenties. “Bowen…
Cleveland Might Have an Ace up its Sleeve in Bid for Amazon HQ2
Cleveland has until October 19 to assemble its best proposal for Amazon in the nationwide HQ2 sweepstakes. Like a slew of other American cities, Cleveland wants to distinguish itself and convince the tech giant to build its second company headquarters here. That could translate into billions of dollars in economic development and thousands of high-level…
Indie Act Tears of Silver Announces Cleveland Date for Pop-Up Tour
Veteran musicians who all play in other indie rock acts and have left a significant legacy, Ken Stringfellow (Posies), Jesse Chandler (Midlake, Mercury Rev), Jonathan Donahue (Mercury Rev) and Grasshopper (Grasshopper) have come together to form Tears of Silver. The band is currently on a pop-up tour that includes a Cleveland stop on Oct.7. At…
The Authentic Audio Podcast With Guest Joey Sprinkles
Welcome to the Authentic Audio Podcast. Authentic Audio was created and is hosted by storyteller Aaron Calafato. It blends his signature storytelling style and authentic conversations with diverse guests from Cleveland, the American Rustbelt and beyond. Recent and upcoming guests include former Nina Turner, artist/writer Derf Backderf and CNN contributor Van Jones. Aaron’s 31 episodes in…
Playboys, Players and Grandpa LeBron — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac discuss the death of Hugh Hefner, the last week of the Indians’ season, LeBron’s Monday press conference and the Browns’ struggles.
Graffiti HeArt Partners With 3-19 Coffee to Give Local Java a Colorful, Cleveland Flavor
Just days after helping create a new mural in Gordon Square, local nonprofit organization Graffiti HeArt announced another exciting collaboration between Cleveland artists and local businesses. In the coming weeks, 3-19 Coffee Cleveland will be available at local retailers and online in reusable tins featuring colorful labels showcasing original artwork by Cleveland-based artists. Although locals…
Cleveland Indie Rockers the Lighthouse and the Whaler to Launch Tour in Support of New EP at the Grog Shop
Two years ago, local indie rockers the Lighthouse and the Whaler received a big boost when their studio release, Mont Royal, received national attention. The band headed north of the border to Montreal to record the album with Marcus Paquin (The National, Arcade Fire). They worked at his studio in Montreal for five weeks in…
Miranda Lambert to Play the Wolstein Center in March
Taking its name from the lyrics of “Highway Vagabond,” a song which appears on the “Nerve” side of Miranda Lambert’s 24-song, double album, The Weight of These Wings, Lambert’s Livin’ Like Hippies tour kicks off in early 2018. Country singer Jon Pardi will join Lambert on all tour dates. Details of the tour were announced earlier…
Cleveland is Basically a Horror Movie Director’s Dreamscape
As October looms each year, we’re inclined to dust off the half-baked horror scripts we’ve half-written since ~’99. It’s difficult not to, what with the seasonal genre film releases, Cleveland Cinemas’ 12 Hours of Terror, and the regionally appropriate home and lawn decorations. The good news is, if we ever wanted to actually move from…
Little Steven Van Zandt Explains Why His Latest Studio Album Is a ‘Happy Accident’
When Little Steven Van Zandt put out his last solo album, Born Again Savage, nearly 20 years ago, he didn’t mince words in the liner notes. “We live in an insane asylum. A barbaric, merciless cesspool.” As we point out to the guitarist early in our recent phone interview, he could have easily made a…
Austin-Based Rock Band to Perform at Cinematheque for Screenings of ‘Nosferatu’ and ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’
When guitarist Josh Robins launched the rock band the Invincible Czars some 15 years ago in Austin, he wanted the band to be able to play film scores. “I would go to shows and see bands perform scores to silent movies and loved it,” he says. “What I didn’t like was that some of the…
Three Versions of a Dinner Party Are Two Too Many in ‘Life x 3’
How many times have each of us wondered what would have happened at that dinner party if things had gone differently? And how many times have playwrights and screenwriters attempted to capture that conundrum of human existence? The answer to both questions is: Countless. In Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza (translated by Christopher Hampton),…
A Pair of Vietnam Vets Live in the Past in ‘Last of the Boys’ at none too fragile theater
There’s a huge attraction to living in the past. That’s the place where you know what to expect, where all the events have been played out and you can visit at your leisure. Sure, there may be painful memories and even some ghosts wafting around, but at least it’s a fixed entity. That beats the…
Khloe Kardashian is Pregnant with Tristan Thompson’s Baby
TMZ and other sources are reporting that Khloe Kardashian is pregnant with Tristan Thompson’s baby. The “Keeping up with the Kardashians” star joins sisters Kim — a surrogate is carrying her child — and Kylie in pregnancy. Khloe is said to be about three months pregnant and does not yet know the sex of the…
Literary Cleveland Wants to Foster the City’s Writing Talent and Put it on Center Stage
A one-day event called Cleveland Inkubator back in August 2015, organized by 15 advisors in the literary world, eventually gave birth to Literary Cleveland. The nonprofit organization whose mission is to help writers with their work now boasts 300 members, an office, and a full-time executive director in Lee Chilcote. Just last year, Lit Cleveland…
Cleveland’s Young Voices Demand to Be Heard in the Annual Brave New Voices Festival
“What’s the matter with kids today?” That’s a question for the ages. It is an established fact that adults never quite understand what motivates kids to do what they do. And the kids certainly prefer it that way. But if you want a different perspective on what some kids are up to, consider the students…
Art Exhibitions and Events You Should Not Miss During This Busy Fall Season
From gallery shows and museum exhibitions to special events and fundraisers, the local art community’s fall schedule includes dozens of highly anticipated events. Below, you’ll find some of the events we’re most looking forward to; check out the Get Out section in every issue for info on even more events than we could cover here.…
What It’s Really Like to Be a Working Visual Artist in Cleveland
Let’s be frank: Nobody outside of the visual arts field has a real grasp on what it is like to be a professional artist. But let’s begin here: They have expenses like everyone else. They begin at 5 a.m., before their day job, after their day job, or in the evening; sometimes it’s not until…
How to Survive 100 Years in America — With the Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is rehearsing for its season opener at Severance Hall; an opera, Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen. The spotlights bear down on the players and singers on stage. Sweat and minor imperfections hang in the air as conductor Franz Welser-Möst runs his crew through the paces, asking for more. In some ways it’s…
Savage Love: At the Palace
I had a blast hosting Savage Lovecast Live at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. Audience members submitted questions before the show, and I consumed a large pot edible right after the curtain went up and then raced to give as much decent sex advice as I could before it took effect. Here are some…
Band of the Week: Signal 30
MEET THE BAND: Pat Butler (vocals, guitar), Steve Callahan (guitar), Ross Cintula (drums), Joe Morana (bass) AHEAD OF THEIR TIME: The band started in the early ’90s when band members were still in high school. “We played a lot through 1997 and 1998,” says Butler. “We didn’t go to school together but we were all…
Retro Tennis Flick ‘Battle of the Sexes’ is Emma Stone’s Best Work Yet
Battle of the Sexes dramatizes the 1973 exhibition match between 55-year-old former U.S. Open Champion Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) and the 29-year-old star of women’s tennis, Billie Jean King (Emma Stone). The movie is a whirlwind recreation of the colors and textures of the 1970s and, in the end, is much less a “sports pic”…
A Neighborhood Diner is Reborn and Retooled in Old Brooklyn
“God I love diners,” my friend said, almost unconsciously, as he slid into a generously proportioned booth at the City Diner in Old Brooklyn. And who can argue with him? At their best, diners are chrome-clad havens of good food, friendly service and bottomless cups of coffee. All are welcome at the neighborhood diner, where…
The Unlikely Marriage at the Heart of Phnom Penh Cambodian Restaurant
Mono Bun can often be found at the North Olmsted location of Phnom Penh. His wife, Naveth Salay, is usually cooking up one of the restaurant’s 100 items. Along with the rest of the family, they own and operate two locations of the Cambodian restaurant, this one and the one in Ohio City. Bun and…
Get Out: Everything You Should Do This Week (Sept. 27-Oct. 3)
WED 09/27 Duos of Dissent Given the current socio-political climate, it seems like a perfect time for a show titled Art of Dissent. Hosted by the Shaker Community Gallery, Art of Dissent remains on view through Oct. 7. This group exhibition showcases the work of Cleveland-based artists known for expressing their dissatisfaction with the status…
The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Performing Arts Series Offers Something for Everyone
For nearly all of its 100-year history, the Cleveland Museum of Art has presented music from around the world, and the museum continues that long-standing tradition this year with the annual Performing Arts Series that kicks off on Oct. 4 with the Chamber Music in the Galleries program. This year’s series runs a wide gamut…
‘Woodshock’ is a Beautifully Filmed Character Study That Should Have Been a Short
Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, a couple of UC Berkley grads with an eye for fashion (they’ve made cutting-edge ads for Target and Gap, and they own a clothing and accessories line), deliver their feature-length debut with Woodshock, a drama they co-directed and co-wrote. The film centers on a grieving woman (Kirsten Dunst) who regularly…
Sixth City Sounds Puts a Much-Needed Spotlight on Cleveland’s Local Music Scene
Several dozen people mingle at Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern on a recent evening, clinking bottles of Great Lakes and trading stories about the prior weekend’s shows. The occasion? Sixth City Sounds’ first “Mixing Session,” an informal meet-and-greet for musicians and artists in Cleveland. That debut event also served as an introduction to the new…
Cleveland’s Choral Season Includes World Premieres and Cheaper Tickets
There’s much more to the choral music scene in Cleveland than the annual spate of holiday-themed concerts and sing-alongs. Cleveland boasts a remarkable array of choral groups led by amateurs and Ivy League scholars who perform everything from medieval canons to cutting-edge works by local composers. The Cleveland Chamber Choir has included at least one…
A Handful of Challenging Theatrical Works Arrive This Fall to Pique Our Interest
Every theater season has certain shows on the horizon that you look forward to, for various and often different reasons. This season is no exception. And since we’re staring down the barrel of a possible war, nuclear or not, with North Korea, maybe it’s time to reflect on happier possibilities. The five shows mentioned below…
Fall Means the Classical Music Scene Kicks Into High Gear
Classical music follows an academic year calendar, so it’s back to school time for the many vibrant performing organizations and presenters in Northeast Ohio. Here are some highlights of what’s happening in and around Cleveland during the fall months that you should be sure not to miss. It’s a landmark year for The Cleveland Orchestra,…
The Next 100 Years Await a Newly Invigorated Karamu House
Tony Sias has only been at the helm of Karamu House for two years, but he’s making big changes in how this venerable 102-year-old institution looks and feels. As he says, “We really want to make Karamu House a vital part of our neighborhood in Fairfax, as well as in the larger greater Cleveland community.”…
