Willoughby Barrio Will Open on Jan. 15
Update: For those of you who’ve been eagerly awaiting the opening of the Barrio in Willoughby — and judging by how many of you shared the original post announcing the new location, that number includes just about everyone who lives on the east side — you don’t have to wait much longer. Barrio announced yesterday…
Pet Mini Pig Stolen From West Side Home Found Dead
Update: Spam, the 15-pound pet mini pig stolen during the course of a break-in on the west side last week, was found dead yesterday near Coit Rd. A GoFundMe had been organized collecting reward money for Spam’s safe return. One of its owners, Valerie Couch, said they’ll now either return the money or donate it…
Local Writer James Renner to Talk About Unsolved Cleveland Crimes Tonight at the Music Box
Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is a weekly series that pairs fine food with storytelling. Through it, the folks at Music Box Supper Club hope to raise awareness of the mission of the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to “bring to life some of…
Cleveland Museum of Art Will Host Print Club Fair and Chalk Festival
This weekend, the Cleveland Museum of Art hosts two of its most popular annual events: the Print Club of Cleveland’s 33rd Annual Fine Print Fair in its Ames Family Atrium and the CMA’s annual Chalk Festival, just outside the museum. This year’s Fine Print Fair begins with a Benefit Preview Party from 6 to 9…
Frank Jackson and Zack Reed Win Cleveland Mayoral Primary; Jeff Johnson Concedes
Just after 11 p.m. at his Glenville campaign office, City Councilman Jeff Johnson conceded in the Cleveland Mayoral primaries. The concession means that 12-year incumbent Mayor Frank Jackson and City Council challenger Zack Reed will advance to the November general elections. With nearly all Cleveland precincts reporting, Jackson was the top vote-getter Tuesday. He secured…
Early Ballots Counted, Frank Jackson Already in Commanding Lead for Cleveland Mayor
(8:10 p.m.) Incumbent Mayor Frank Jackson has taken a commanding lead in the Cleveland Mayoral primary elections, securing nearly 45 percent of the total vote after early ballots have been counted. Council challengers Zack Reed (18.9%) and Jeff Johnson (16.7%) will be vying for second place all night. Only restaurateur Brandon Chrostowski, with about 10…
The Art of the Organ and Four Other Classical Music Events Not to Miss This Week
Karel Paukert, long-time organist of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, is bringing in some of his distinguished colleagues and former students for Ars Organi (“The Art of the Organ”), a two-week festival celebrating the fine collection of keyboard instruments the church has acquired since moving to its new home at Fairmount and Coventry…
Film Based on Shaker Heights Author’s Memoir to Premiere on Netflix Friday
A Cambodian-born American human-rights activist and lecturer, Loung Ung received widespread acclaim for her memoir, First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. The national spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World, Ung was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A survivor of what became known as “the Killing Fields,” she now lives with…
Carol & John’s Comic Book Shop Will Celebrate Jack Kirby’s 100th Birthday
This fall would have been legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby’s 100th birthday. Although Kirby’s birthday is Aug. 28, Carol & John’s Comic Book Shop is hosting a birthday celebration from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, to benefit Kirby’s charity, Kirby4Heroes, created by Kirby’s granddaughter Jillian Kirby. The event includes reprints…
Adam Duritz Explains Why ‘Somewhere Under Wonderland’ Is His Favorite Counting Crows Album
An avid Golden State Warriors’ fan, Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz witnessed the team’s one loss in last year’s playoffs, but he didn’t mind watching the Cavs dismantle the eventual champs. He says he thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere at the Q during Game 4 as the Cavs pounded the Warriors, winning by more than 20…
Forest Hill Presbyterian in Cleveland Heights is Now a ‘Sanctuary Church’
As America’s relationship with its immigrants grows more tense under the Trump administration, cities and churches around the country have been publicly discussing the merits of becoming a “sanctuary,” a safe place for those remain undocumented. Today, Forest Hill Presbyterian opened its doors as a sanctuary church. It’s the first church in Cuyahoga County to…
Akron City Council Votes to Stick With Columbus Day
Akron will not be the next city in Ohio to abolish Columbus Day as a recognized holiday, the city council decided in a 8-5 vote at a contentious meeting last night. At the meeting, Akron Councilman Russ Neal introduced legislation that would have changed the second Monday of October to Indigenous Peoples Day. “It’s about…
The Vandalized Prince Mural in Ohio City Has Already Been Fixed
Update: Well, that got fixed fast. Here’s some time-lapse video from Glen Infante on the cleanup effort at his Prince mural. Quick fix #prince pic.twitter.com/0fG5ieYjgF — Glen Infante (ilthy) (@GlenInfante) September 12, 2017 *** (Original story 9/11/17): In today’s installment of We Can’t Have Nice Things: Someone vandalized the glorious Prince mural in Ohio City.…
It’s Election Day, and Tony Madalone Has Pulled Out All the Stops
It's time for a change, Cleveland! Make sure you VOTE today! 🗳 pic.twitter.com/5Bm08lsU0e — Tony Madalone (@TMadCLE) September 12, 2017 Today is election day in Cleveland, Ohio. Primary-election day, anyway, and by late tonight we’ll know which two of the nine candidates in the mayoral race will advance to the November general. (Voters in Wards…
Grog Shop to Celebrate 25th Anniversary with Special Shows and Giveaways
The Grog Shop opened in 1992 when Kathy Blackman and two other business partners took over a Cleveland Heights bar on the corner of Coventry and Mayfield roads. They all lived near the space and thought it would make for a good rock club. They were right. The first show featured local garage-rockers Quasi Modo,…
A Parade for the Indians? And Maybe One for Kizer? — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac deliver the first football Monday edition of A to Z.
Cuyahoga County Ups Bed Bug Extermination Funding
As bed bugs continue to crawl into Northeast Ohioans’ homes, Cuyahoga County has announced plans to spend $200,000 on the pest’s extermination in 2018. About a $50,000 increase from this year. However, the money is specifically designed for the bed bug assistance program, started by the Department of Health and Human Services/Division of Senior and…
Pharmaceutical Company Responds to Ohio’s Opioid Crisis Lawsuit
[image-1]Multiple lawsuits against major pharmaceutical companies have originated in Ohio this year, as the overdose death tolls climbs once again to record-shattering numbers. Attorney General Mike DeWine filed one of those civil complaints in May, alleging that the likes of Janssen Pharmaceutical, Allergan, Purdue Pharma, Endo and Cephalon played an active role in flooding the…
Cavs Unveil New Court Design for 2017-2018 Season
In addition to a maligned jersey re-design, (which includes the new Goodyear wingfoot logo), the Cleveland Cavaliers had one more prominent aesthetic upgrade to announce last week: a new court design for the 2017-2018 season. The two key differences between last year’s version and the new one are: 1) the “shield” logo at center court,…
Local Rockers Vanity Crash to Play Album Release Party at the Bop Stop
Some 15 years ago, 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…
Zack Reed, Jeff Johnson Confident Heading into Tuesday Primaries
On the day before Cleveland’s primary elections, both City Councilmen Zack Reed and Jeff Johnson are still campaigning. The council candidates are expected to be the top two challengers to incumbent Mayor Frank Jackson, and both said they feel confident in their chances of securing a top-two spot, thereby advancing to the November general elections.…
Peninsula’s Annual Music on the Porches to Feature More Than 20 Performances
A village-wide happening that celebrates music, arts and culture, Peninsula’s ninth annual Music on the Porches kicks off at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22, with a performance at the G.A.R. Hall by the Railsplitters, a contemporary bluegrass band that has emerged as a leader in the Colorado music scene. The main event takes place…
American Greetings Celebrates One Year at New HQ with Annual Fine Art Show
From 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, American Greetings celebrates the one-year anniversary of its new world headquarters at Crocker Park with an opening reception at Gallery W for its Fine Art Show, an annual art exhibition of visual and literary work created by members of American Greetings’ staff. Open to all associates,…
Gary Otte Writes Essay on Drug Addiction Days Before Scheduled Execution in Ohio
Convicted killer Gary Otte is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday. The state of Ohio resumed its death penalty protocol in July with the execution of Ronald Phillips, following a three-year hiatus riddled with legal controversy. Beyond Otte, there are more than two dozen state inmates scheduled to die in the next several years. But…
Reunited Dead Boys to Bring Their Anniversary Tour to Now That’s Class
To mark the 40th anniversary of their seminal punk album, Young, Loud & Snotty, guitarist Cheetah Chrome and drummer Johnny Blitz have revived the Dead Boys for a tour in support of a new version of the album. They’ll perform on Sept. 21 at Now That’s Class. Formed in Cleveland in 1976, the Dead Boys…
Bob Dylan to Play E.J. Thomas Hall in November
When singer-songwriter Bob Dylan played E.J. Thomas Hall four years ago, he appeared to truly enjoy performing at the intimate space. Opener “Things Have Changed” set the mood for the two-hour concert. Standing at the microphone stand and swaying back and forth under dim lights as if he was a boxer who’d already been through…
Center Street Swing Bridge in Flats Already Open Again
After the briefest of closures, the Center Street Swing Bridge in the Flats has re-opened. The City of Cleveland sent out a news alert Sunday afternoon saying that maintenance crews were able to “quickly evaluate, assess and perform the repairs necessary to bring the bridge back on line.” The red bridge had been closed for…
In Advance of His House of Blues Concert, Outkast’s Big Boi Talks About His Latest Solo Effort
If we’ve calculated correctly, next year, Outkast, the incredibly inventive hip-hop duo that formed in Atlanta in 1991, will be eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The group’s penultimate studio effort, 2003’s double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, would launch solo careers for the group’s two masterminds, rappers André “André 3000” Benjamin and Antwan…
The 2017 Browns Season Preview — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac on the Browns’ rookie quarterback, top questions to answer, overall youth and what might constitute actual success in the 2017 season.
Center Street Swing Bridge in Flats Closed Indefinitely
The City of Cleveland announced yesterday that the Center Street swing bridge in the Flats will be closed indefinitely. While repair and maintenance work gets underway drivers heading west will be detoured south on Columbus and up Franklin to West 25th. It’ll be just the opposite for anyone heading east. The bridge, originally constructed in…
In Advance of Their Performance at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Steve Martin and Martin Short Discuss Mixing Comedy and Music
Comedians and musicians Steve Martin and Martin Short performed together once about six years ago at a comedy festival. They had such a good time that they decided to tour together with the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers and acclaimed musician Jeff Babko. During the concert, they talk about their careers and discuss their influences.…
A 7-Year-Old Girl With a Bionic Hand Wants to Throw a First Pitch at Every MLB Stadium and the Indians Are Totally Down
Most things are bad; this is not one of those things. (Probably because it involves baseball.) Seven-year-old Hailey Dawson was born with a congenital disease that left her missing three fingers on one hand. With the help of engineering students at the University of Nevada-Los Vegas, she now sports a wicked-cool robot hand that she…
Nonna Pazza and Stack’d Restaurants Open at Jack Casino
We stopped by JACK Casino last night to test out the the newly-opened fast-casual restaurants, Stack’d and Nonna Pazza. As reported earlier this year, the casino cut ties with Michael Symon’s B-Spot and Rocco Whalen’s Rosie & Rocco’s at the end of May when their leases expired. Nonna Pazza is “a quaint Italian joint that…
Lukas and Micah Nelson Talk About Continuing Their Father Willie’s Songwriting Legacy
Willie Nelson’s two sons, singer-songwriters Lukas and Micah Nelson, have both just released new albums that show off their individual talents. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real recently issued their rootsy, the Band-inspired self-titled debut. Produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer), the album veers from country-ish singer-songwriter fare (“Just Outside of Austin,”…
Universal Windows Direct Must Pay Back $1.7 Million To Make Good on Promotion
pic.twitter.com/1Z7rfgDM2Z — Universal Windows (@universlwindows) September 8, 2017 After Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago White Sox Thursday night for the franchise’s record-breaking 15th straight win, local company Universal Windows Direct must pay back $1.7 million in orders to make good on a promotion. As was reported yesterday, Universal Windows Direct had…
Children’s Museum of Cleveland Opens This Fall at New Location
After a near two-year closure, the Children’s Museum of Cleveland will reopen this fall. The museum announced today it will officially open doors Nov. 6 at a new location in Midtown. Back in 2015, when former site owners University Circle Inc. declined to renew the museum’s lease, the institution’s future was uncertain. But many Clevelanders…
Francisco Lindor Might Have a Post-Baseball Career in Broadcasting
Eleven runs, another dominant outing from Cy Young candidate Corey Kluber, a club-record 15-game winning streak, almost $2 million in free home services to 266 Universal Window customers — there was a lot to like about last night’s Tribe win over the White Sox. Lost in the shuffle maybe: Francisco Lindor’s role reversal after the…
Dreamers Share Fears Surrounding DACA Decision and Call for Action During Candlelight Vigil
Hundreds of people gathered in Market Square last night to hold a candlelight vigil in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s decision to wind-down the federal DACA immigration program. The event was emotionally stirring and quite powerful, even as temperatures dropped and a light, steady rain coated the proceedings. There were two underlying themes to…
Politically Minded Comedian Hari Kondabolu to Perform at Hilarities
Hari Kondabolu, a comedian who likes to joke about his ethnic background and the way people always ask him where he’s from, got rave reviews for his debut album, 2014’s Waiting For 2042. His popularity has steadily risen since. Also a writer and correspondent for the Chris Rock-produced show Totally Biased with Kamau Bell, Kondabolu…
Cleveland Taco Bell Employees Open Fire on Burglars, Killing One
Taco Bell employees took matters into their own hands early Wednesday morning when two armed and masked thieves entered their west side restaurant location. While the robbers ordered three employees to get on the ground, Cleveland police say three other employees grabbed their own handguns and began to fire at the robbers. One suspect was…
Promoters of Spectrum Hope to ‘Build a Scene’ with the Lake Effect Studio Event
One of the more active hip-hop acts on the local circuit, the group Smoke Screen just announced it’ll play a special event dubbed Spectrum. Promoters hope the concert, which they’ve billed as “an evening of underground art and music,” will “bring together the young art crowd, hip-hop crowd, dance/club kid crowd, and folks who don’t…
Punch Brothers to Kick Off Oberlin’s Artist Recital Series
A bluegrass ensemble fronted by talented mandolin player Chris Thile, the Punch Brothers, a group that also includes Oberlin graduate Chris Eldridge on guitar, will open the 2017-18 Artist Recital Series with an 8 p.m. performance in Finney Chapel on Thursday, Sept. 28. Since 2013, Punch Brothers have been in residence at Oberlin in the…
Local Singer-Songwriter Brian Lisik to Play Album Release Party at Jilly’s
Singer-songwriter Brian Lisik will celebrate the release of We’re Sorry, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2015 release, Curtisinterruptedus, with a concert at Jilly’s in Akron. The event takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14. Lisik recorded the album over six days at the former Gardner Pie Company factory (a space that also…
What You Need to Know About NEOCycle
A bicycle and outdoor lifestyle festival held tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday at Edgewater Park, NEOCycle features six unique races and rides and celebrates cycling in Northeast Ohio. Organizers expect it to draw 2200 riders and 12,000 attendees. The festival “Hub” located at the park will feature vendors, art exhibits and activities. The local brewery Platform…
Variety Theater to Host Free Screening of Documentary Movie ‘Cleveland’s Screaming’
Veteran local punk rocker Tom Dark is the man behind Cleveland’s Screaming, an independent documentary film about the Northeast Ohio hardcore punk scene from 1981 to 1984. The movie includes interviews and archival footage of bands performing DIY shows in what look to be basements and dive bars and includes footage from terrific Cleveland acts…
With a Tribe Win Tonight, Local Window Company Owes Full Refunds to 250+ Customers as Part of Promotion
The Indians are the hottest team in baseball, having won 14 games in a row (tying the club record set last year) and increased their Central Division lead from 3.5 games to 11 games in the process. The streak is all kinds of historic: The Indians are the first team since the 1960-1961 Yankees to…
Old City Libations is Closing in Gordon Square
On Saturday, Old City Libations will close in Gordon Square. The specialty cocktail bar opened last year after winning Cleveland Hustles and securing investment money. Old City Soda, the related business that produces and distributes craft soda locally, will continue to operate. “There are many factors we considered prior to arriving at this decision, and it…
Heights Music Hop to Showcase Broad Range of Cleveland Music
An annual event that features performances by a wide range of local acts, this year’s Heights Music Hop starts today in Coventry Village and continues tomorrow in the Cedar Fairmount neighborhood and on Saturday in the Cedar Lee area. The event will take place in more than 30 venues, and organizers anticipate some 10,000 people…
Charlie the Pit Bull Has 30 Days to Leave Lakewood
After a lengthy decision-making process, Lakewood officials ordered Charlie to be removed from the city. With Cleveland APL documents, the city determined that Charlie is a pit bull, a loose collection of dog breeds that have been banned from Lakewood for almost a decade. Charlie has 30 days to leave the city. Charlie was originally…
Citizen Pie Will Open in Ohio City on September 12
The popular Neapolitan-style pizza shop Citizen Pie (15710 Waterloo Rd., 216-417-2742) announced back in September of last year that it had inked a deal for a second location in Ohio City. One year later, it’s almost time to open the doors. Citizen Pie (2144 West 25th St.) will debut next Tuesday, September 12. Diners will…
9 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
FRIDAY, SEPT. 8 Reggae for Food 9 with Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band/Umojah Nation/Jah Messengers Local reggae act Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band rank as one of the hardest working groups in the region. Jones started out as a sideman local favorites I-Tal in the late ’70s and then went on to be the…
The Q Deal is Officially Alive
The Q Deal’s back on. Here’s Mayor Frank Jackson. First, I want to thank the Cavs for revisiting the Q Transformation Deal. Throughout the process, my support for this agreement never wavered. My efforts have always been to create vibrant neighborhoods and a vibrant downtown. I’ve said it before –this deal is one of the…
The Velvet Tango Room is Up For Sale
Progressive Urban Real Estate announced today that the Velvet Tango Room has hit the market. The storied westside craft cocktail lounge opened in 1996. The asking price: $2.75 million, and that includes “the building, fixtures, furnishings, licenses, business and trademarked name.” We’ve reached out to owner and founder Paulius Nasvytis for more information. In 2003, Scene opened up…
Study: Antidepressants Found in Brains of Great Lakes Fish
Antidepressants were found in ten species of fish from the Niagara River analyzed by a team from the University of Buffalo, a new study from the school says. The Niagara River connects Lakes Erie and Ontario. Levels of the medications found in the fish’s brains often outpaced the levels in the water, according to the…
Cleveland Museum of Art’s New ArtLens Gallery Will Give Visitors a More Interactive Experience
In a world of touchscreens and augmented reality, how do you make a visit to an art museum engaging and unique for new audiences of all ages? The Cleveland Museum of Art might have found the answer in its new ArtLens Gallery (formerly Gallery One), featuring new touchscreen-free digital interactive elements. Although Gallery One was…
Candlelight Vigil for Immigrants Planned in Cleveland After Trump’s DACA Decision
[image-1]In the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to ax the DACA program for immigrants in the U.S., several groups are organizing a candlelight vigil for 7 p.m. Thursday in Market Square (across from the West Side Market). DACA recipients will speak publicly on the decision and how it will impact their families and their…
PhotoNow Exhibition, Opening Tomorrow, Showcases the Region’s Best Contemporary Photography
Presented for the fourth consecutive year, PhotoNow is a juried, satellite exhibition of regional photography organized by the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve. 2017 marks the third time that the exhibition is held at the Tri-C East Galleries, which allows AAWR to host a larger show for a more diverse audience than would be…
Local Metal Band to Donate Proceeds From New Single’s Sales to Hurricane Relief Efforts
The local metal band Midnight has just issued a cover of D.R.I.’s “I Don’t Need Society” for a hurricane relief benefit. All profits from the track, which is available as an exclusive Bandcamp download-only track, will go to the Red Cross and its efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. “Being wild nutty metalist/punkoid/scumball/rockheads…
Get Out: Everything You Should Do This Week (Sept. 6-12)
WED 09/06 Gravity The thriller Gravity centers on the disaster that occurs when a seemingly routine spacewalk goes awry and a space shuttle is destroyed, leaving its two inhabitants stranded in space. The film screens tonight at 7 at the Cedar Lee Theatre as part of the Reel Science Series. The screening includes an introduction…
Savage Love: Stranger Things
Dear Dan, I’m a lady considering taking on a foot fetishist as a slave. He would do chores around my house, including cleaning and laundry, and give foot rubs and pedicures in exchange for getting to worship and jack off to my model-perfect feet when I’ve decided he’s earned it. Am I morally obligated to…
The Old Rivalry is New Again
Since 1999, when professional football returned to the shores of Lake Erie, the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers have played each other 37 times, twice per year plus one playoff game. During that dismal span, the Browns have won only five times. Five. From Oct. 5, 2003 until Nov. 24, 2012, the Browns couldn’t…
Cleveland Artist Mallorie Freeman Explores Her Mother’s Past For Next Series
We are at the studio of artist Mallorie Freeman in Asiatown. “Fire Fish is coming up in October,” she says. Fire Fish, spearheaded by James Levin and Joan Perch, is a festival held in Lorain, where Freeman and artistic partner Sean Jason Kelly are two of many artists creating installations in vacant store fronts and…
The Production Facility and Bakery Behind Aladdin’s 40 Restaurants
When Fady Chamoun opened his first Aladdin’s Eatery in 1994, diners were still very much in the dark when it came to the ins and outs of Middle Eastern cuisine. Sure, Nate’s Deli in Ohio City opened its doors six years earlier, but a full two-thirds of its customers regularly passed over exotic-sounding items like…
Icelandic Thriller ‘The Oath’ Shows Dark Side of Medicine
Icelandic auteur Baltasar Kormakur directs and stars in The Oath, a psychological thriller-slash-family-drama that opens Friday exclusively at the Capitol Theatre. Fans of Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 film Prisoners will be head over heels for this one: The film features no shortage of drugs, carnage (both sterile and not) and snow. Finnur (Kormakur) is a respected…
Band of the Week: Tommy Womack
MEET THE BAND: Tommy Womack (vocals, guitar) A MAN WITH A MEMOIR (OR TWO): Born in Sturgis, Kentucky, singer-songwriter Tommy Womack played with the band Government Cheese from 1985 to 1992. (His first memoir, Cheese Chronicles, covers those years.) After a good run with that group, he joined the Bis-quits and then issued his first…
