This just in: Coldplay will be playing Quicken Loans Arena on July 6. And even though we're not too crazy about their new song, they're a pretty solid live band. Tickets go on sale May 17 through Ticketmaster. --Michael Gallucci
A PD article broke the news yesterday that Commissioner Jimmy Dimora is pushing for this site, the current location of Port docks. That site will be totally vacated by 2014 if everything with the port’s East 55th project goes as planned.
Let’s just hope the idea doesn’t get further than a guttural belch from Dimora’s furry mouth. ...
]]> In her story, PD reporter Sarah Hollander writes: “A convention center on the lake might also conflict with the city’s lakefront master plan, which envisions a ferry terminal, multipurpose parking deck and lake shore neighborhood.”Might? Actually, building a structure large enough to house a home-builders’ convention directly on the lake would completely wipe out that section of the lakefront plan. Gobbling up potential waterfront for a soon-to-be vacant convention is a shortsighted move that, once again, prevents Cleveland from accessing Lake Erie.
But it seems any new development along the site will most likely go private instead of public. The commissioner’s idea follows the potential relocation of Eaton Corps, a manufacturing company close to a deal that would give it a significant a chunk of land alongside the lake.
It’s like the dreamers of Cleveland are being charmed each night by developers wearing pixie costumes. And while they are snoozing away to visions of Cleveland bathed in sunshine rays and gold-feathered wonderment, they are forgetting the place we call home is a gray-lit town molting away like the inbred pigeons who lay about on top of our downtown parking structures. What they seem to forget is that there is plenty of empty space in Cleveland. It’s not that hard to notice old factories crumbling in on their once prosperous selves. Just take a drive down Carnegie for proof. Such areas are ready and available to use for corporate campuses.
But such entities want to move their work closer to the lake. It’s sexy. And our trusted leaders are only too happy to bend over for them, as long as there’s a trough of cash and lobster at their feet. (If the Eaton Corps deal goes through, it will be the result of a hearty tax break for the company.)
Cleveland is built like a waterfront home without a single window facing the water. The lakefront plan wanted to kick open a view. But with each new proposal and plan, our care-takers are placing more walls, blocking common folk from enjoying a natural wonder.
Hey guys: Ever think about a turning the downtown lakefront into a park? Or would that make us too much like Chicago? – Bradley Campbell
]]>Zero Defex bassist and Suicide Girls columnist Brad Warner will read from his latest lively Zen Buddism book, Sit Down and Shut Up, at Visible Voice Books (1023 Kenilworth Ave., Tremont) tomorrow at 7 p.m. After the talk, he’ll screen his Cle-punk documentary, Cleveland’s Screaming. The event is free.
Warner's tenure as a writer for alt-porno/social networking website Suicide Girls has earned him the misleading nickname "The Porno Buddhist," which he has since embraced. Warner recently launched The Porno Buddhist website, in which he applies Zen as therapy for survivors of sexual abuse. -- D.X. Ferris
]]>
This just in: Coldplay will be playing Quicken Loans Arena on July 6. And even though we're not too crazy about their new song, they're a pretty solid live band. Tickets go on sale May 17 through Ticketmaster. --Michael Gallucci
Signed to LA's Rotten Records -- home to underground sensations including Acid Bath, which featured Elphantboy & Deadman mainman Dax Riggs -- Salt the Wound is Cleveland's latest breakout metal talent. Read a review of their indie-label debut, Carnal Repercussions, in this week's Scene.
It's not just a noteworthy release because they're local boys. The death/grind metal crew also received a write-up in this month's issue of Decibel (June 2008, no. 44, p. 106), by far the most literate metal magazine. Decibel didn't think they're as novel as we did; the review is a long-form comparison to deadly Michigan metalers the Black Dahlia Murder, who play a similarly technical, grinding kind of music -- but better. In fact, what we liked most about the disc -- it's novelly un-misogynist lyrics -- Decible hated, noting, "Carnal Repercussions is perhaps most annoying in the discnonnect between the brootal artwork (yay, death metal!), the soul-searching lyrics (yay, emo!), and the snaky song titles ("Peas and Carrots"? WTF?!)." But, hey, to each his own. At least the guys got some ink that's not on their arms. -- D.X. Ferris
]]>Unless you recognize a comedian’s name as That Girl From that Movie or the Dude from That One HBO Special, it can be hard to tell whether a stand-up is worth seeing. Lucky you: Scene did the legwork, and the skinny on this week’s big comedy shows, video included, is just a click away. This week, Russell Peters leads the week’s biggest comedy shows. Read on for a full rundown. – D.X. Ferris
]]> Comedian: Russell Peters (see video above)Playing: Pick & Frolic’s Hilarities E. 4th St. Theater, 2035 E. 4th St., Downtown, 216-736-4242, www.pickwickandfrolic.com.
Dates: Thursday, May 8 through Sunday, May 11.
Tickets: $30.
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. daily, with 10:15 shows Friday and Saturday.
Comedian: Iann Bagg
Dates: Wednesday, May 7 through Sunday, May 11.
Specialty: Candian comic Bagg looks like the frontman for a grunge band, and he knows how to mine material like Hurricane Katrina, AIDS tests, and cyber-stalking for a grudging laugh or six.
Playing: The Improv, 2000 Sycamore St., East Bank of the Flats, 216-696-4677,
www.clevelandimprov.com.
Tickets: $11-16.
Showtimes: Thursday: 8 p.m. Fri: 8 and 10:15 p.m. Sat: 7, 9:30, and 11:30 p.m. Sunday: 7 p.m.
Comedian: Christine Stedman, with John Burton
Dates: Tuesday, May 6 through Saturday, May 10
Playing: The Funny Stop, 1757 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-923-4700,
www.funnystop.com.
Speciality: Stedman got into the game late, but now that she has a husband, a twenty-somehthing son that still lives at h ome, a divorced daughter, and three grandkids, she has plenty to talk about. She was a semi-finalist in Nickelodeon’s Funniest Mom in America.
Showtimes: Tue-Thu: 8:30 p.m. Fri, Sat: Two shows: 8 and 10:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5-$16, two-drink minimum.
Like his dad Larry, singer-songwriter James McMurtry knows characters. But unlike his novelist father – who penned The Last Picture Show and Lonesome Dove, and wrote Brokeback Mountain’s screenplay – the guys and gals who populate James’ work don’t even bother looking for a way out. They’re already down for the count, thanks to an America that’s passed them by.
On McMurtry’s latest CD, Just Us Kids, he tells the tales of folks who’ve been hit hard by Bush’s non-recession. They smoke too much, they drink too much, and they pretty much just get on with their lives the best they know how. And often, there’s little hope outside the bars, trailers, and factories in which they spend the majority of their time ...
]]> Best is “Cheney’s Toy,” a simmering heartland crawl that knocks the prez down to a mere plaything: “You’re the man, show ’em what you’re made of/You’re no longer daddy’s boy/You’re the man that they’re all afraid of/But you’re only Cheney’s toy.” It’s tough stuff and the centerpiece of McMurtry’s best album, which gains more resonance onstage. --Michael GallucciJames McMurtry performs at 9 p.m. Friday, May 9, at the Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Road. Tickets are $20, $18 in advance, available by calling 216-383-1124. For a preview, listen to “Cheney’s Toy” below.
Glen and Merketa, as seen in the much-beloved movie Once, lead this weekend’s list of really big shows. Read on for a full rundown, with notes and – for a limited time only – scratch-and-sniff entries. Try it! – D.X. Ferris
]]> FRIDAY, MAY 9American Werewolves CD release: 7 p.m., $6. Pirate's Cove, 2083 1/2 E. 21st St., 216-776-9999. Cleveland horrorcore crushers the American Werewolves play ghouly tunes that are little bit hardcore, a little bit 50s, and a little bit rock and roll.
Blue Mountain/Andy Friedman & the Other Failures: Tavern, 9 p.m., $10. Beachland, 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124. If acoustic roots bands all rocked like Blue Mountain, we wouldn’t constantly make jokes about how lame the Americana genres are.
Martey Casey: 7 p.m., $8. Roc Bar, 1220 Old River Rd., Downtown/Flats/Warehouse District, 771-6655, MySpace.com/RocBarCleveland. Casey’s best known from Rock Star: INXS. See if he can hold it down in person.
James McMurty/the Dedringers: Ballroom, 9 p.m., $18 ADV/$20 DOS. Beachland, 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124. The Beachland Ballroom’s website says, “The Texas native long has been known as an astute, clear-eyed observer and concise, no-holds-barred chronicler of the human condition, but a growing socio-political edge fairly exploded just prior to the 2004 elections when his scathing, palace-rattling ‘We Can’t Make It Here’ was made available online as a free download.”
Metro Station/Forever the Sickest Kids/the Maine/Danger Radio/the Cab: 6 p.m., $12 ADV/$14 DOS. Grog Shop, 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., 216-321-5588. The co-frontman of this Hollywood electro-rock outfit is the stepson of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, and his half sister, Miley Cyrus, plays the title character on Disney's Hannah Montana. Neither of which has much to do with the band’s music, but it’s a good indicator he has a little star power. Metro Station’s more than a tad fey; Jeffree Star could kick these dudes’ collective ass.
JiMiller & Carlos Jones: 9 p.m., $7. The Winchester, 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-5681. Joint set by two of Cleveland’s great veterans, playing a night of jammin’ rock and reggae.
Japhy Ryder/The Dave Kasper Quartet: 9 p.m., $10. Wilbert's, 812 Huron Rd. E., 216-902-GOOD, www.wilbertsmusic.com. Virginia singer-songwriter plays unplugged, demonstrating for all that he’s listened to a lot of early Dylan.
Shameless (Garth Brooks tribute)/Broken Road (Rascal Flatts tribute): 7 p.m., $9.95. House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, www.hob.com/. It’s all honky-tonk tunes, all night.
Russell Peters: $30. 7:30 Thursday and Sunday. 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $30. 7:30 Thursday and Sunday. 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Pickwick & Frolic/Hilarities East 4th, 2035 E. 4th St., 216-736-4242, www.pickwickandfrolic.com/. Comedian Russell Peters is huge in comedy circles, and he’s headlined Madison Square Garden. Take a look:
Twistin' Tarantulas/Lords of the Highway/Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival/the Humbuckers: 9 p.m. Jigsaw Saloon and Stage, 5324 State Rd., Parma, 216-351-3869, www.myspace.com/jigsawsaloon/. Detroit rockabilly band the Twistin’ Tarantulas play fast-swingin’ tunes like “Greased Lightning.” In fact, so do the opening acts – except Uncle Scratch, who will save your soul just in time for you to re-sully it.
Bobby Watson/Greg Abate Quintet: 9 p.m. both nights, $20, $20. Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Hts., 216-795-0550, www.nighttowncleveland.com/. The Nighttown website promises the show will deliver “alto sax madness,” which sounds like “jumbo shrimp” to us.
SATURDAY, MAY 10
Joey Belladonna (Anthrax set)/Degameth (Megadeth tribute): 7 p.m., $10. The Cove, 5326 Lake Rd., Geneva, 440-466-8888. One of the many former Anthrax signers performs a set of the tunes that brought him to the dance.
Carl Gardner's Coasters/the Reflections/the Chiffons: The Kent Stage, 175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005. Original Coasters lead singer Carl Gardner still has a fine tenor.
Radney Foster/Chris Castle: 7:30 p.m., $15 ADV/$17 DOS. Beachland, 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124. Says Foster’s bio, “Radney Foster started his career as a songwriter, then found commercial success and critical acclaim as part of the duo Foster & Lloyd, and finally embarked on a solo career in 1991 that centered on his literate approach to country songwriting.”
The Magpies (formerly the Whiskeyhounds) CD release: 7 p.m., $10. House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, www.hob.com/. Formerly the Whiskeyhounds, Roger Hoover’s Magpies play roots-rock with soul, kinda like an unplugged Creedence Clearwater, minus the jangle.
Paleface/Tom Evanchuck: 9 p.m., $8. Wilbert's, 812 Huron Rd. E., 216-902-GOOD, www.wilbertsmusic.com. Paleface is a co-ed acoustic duo from New York, who play wistful tunes like “Brooklyn Girl.”
Pitch Black Forecast (featuring Jason "J. Mann" Popson and Gene Hoglan)/Ringworm/Keratoma/Years of Fire: CD release and live debut, 7 p.m., $10. Peabody's, 2083 E. 21st St., 216-776-9999, www.peabodys.com. Deposed Mushroomhead frontman J. Popson returns to metal, with metal legend Gene Hoglan behind the kit. Read a full feature in this week’s Scene.
Punchline/the Interns/Reverse the Curse: Early show, 6 p.m., $10 ADV/$12 DOS. Grog Shop, 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., 216-321-5588. The good-time punk band Punchline is from Pittsburgh, so show up if you want to heckle or pogo.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Benefit: Featuring performances by Patty Smyth, Sugarhill Gang, Foreigner's Lou Gramm, Shalamar's Howard Hewett, Wild Cherry's Rob Parissi, and Roy Head, 7 p.m., $15. Public Hall, 500 Lakeside Ave., 216-241-5555.
Secret World (Paul Fayrewether's Peter Gabriel tribute): 9 p.m., $10. The Winchester, 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-5681.
Russell Peters: $30. 7:30 Thursday and Sunday. 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $30. 7:30 Thursday and Sunday. 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Pickwick & Frolic/Hilarities East 4th, 2035 E. 4th St., 216-736-4242, www.pickwickandfrolic.com/. Comedian Russell Peters is huge in comedy circles, and he’s headlined Madison Square Garden.
Bobby Watson/Greg Abate Quintet: 9 p.m. both nights, $20, $20. Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Hts., 216-795-0550, www.nighttowncleveland.com/. The Nighttown website promises the show will deliver “alto sax madness,” which sounds like “jumbo shrimp” to us.
Jim White/Mike Uva: Tavern, 9 p.m., $10. Beachland, 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124.
Misery Signals/Evergreen Terrace/Coliseum/Victims/Trash Talk: 6 p.m., $10 ADV/$12 DOS. Peabody's, 2083 E. 21st St., 216-776-9999, www.peabodys.com. Six shades of metalcore and modern hardcore. Misery Singals play that over-refined tech-y metalcore, but Louisville’s Coliseum just rock the frakk out.
The Swell Season: 9 p.m., $7. Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, www.playhousesquare.com. Glen and Merketa, as seen in the much-beloved movie Once.
Russell Peters: $30. 7:30 Thursday and Sunday. 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $30. 7:30 Thursday and Sunday. 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Pickwick & Frolic/Hilarities East 4th, 2035 E. 4th St., 216-736-4242, www.pickwickandfrolic.com/. Comedian Russell Peters is huge in comedy circles, and he’s headlined Madison Square Garden.
Kid Rock tickets are now priced to move: Visit megaticket.com, where a four-pack of tickets to Rock's Saurday, May 17 show is a mere $92 (tickets are $35 through $69.50 via Ticketmaster). Also on the bill are Peter Wolf (of the J. Geils Band) and Rev Run (of Run-DMC). Seriously. -- D.X. Ferris
]]>Friday: A fusion of denim and dinner jackets rules the dress code at tonight’s Black & Blue Ball in the Flats. The benefit for the Northern Ohio Hemophilia Foundation www.nohf.org sports a “comfy-chic” fashion statement as revelers chow down on a buffet of apps, from chicken teriyaki to bacon-wrapped water chestnuts. And the open bar will burst with an overflow of beer, wine, and mixed drinks. An $80 ticket gets you in the door between 7 p.m. and midnight at Windows on the River, 2000 Sycamore Street on the West Bank of the Flats. Call 216-834-0051.
Saturday: Classic-pop powerhouses Kim Carnes and Scandal’s Patty Smyth help headline tonight’s It’s Only Rock and Roll concert at Public Hall. The fund-raiser for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum www.rockhall.com also spotlights an auction of high-end bidding for trips to Europe, dinner with LeBron James, and a college internship at Rolling Stone magazine. The concert starts at 7 p.m. at Public Hall, 500 Lakeside Avenue. Call 216-515-1930 for your $15 ticket.
Sunday: The beer is flowing again in Akron today for the grand re-opening of the Ohio Brewing Company. After a brief shutdown, director Chris Verich and brewmaster Dennis Holland are showing off their plant’s new 15,000-square-foot pub with its 90-foot bar. More impressive is the retooled line of microbrews from the ruby-colored Cardinal Ale to their Buckeye State tribute, the Ohioppy Ale. Take a tour between 11 a.m. and 2 a.m. at the Ohio Brewing Company, 222 South Main Street in Akron. Call 330-376-3008 for the 411.
]]>Just bring in a gas station receipt to prove your damages, and staffers promise to not only feel your pain but, more importantly, give you a $5 break on any food purchase of $10 or more.
Of course, there are rules: The offer expires on Friday, May 16. Only one $5 discount is allowed per table. And alcohol isn’t included. Still, when even that 20-cent coupon on a gallon of milk looks good, every little bit helps.
Local Heroes is open for lunch and dinner daily. --- Elaine T. Cicora
Read Elaine Cicora's restaurant reviews, food news, and comprehensive dining guide on the restaurant page at clevescene.com.
]]>Hardly anyone could argue with the wisdom of turning a bunch of dilapidated strip joints into thriving offices, shops and condos. In fact, Port Authority leaders thought this project was so important that they sued, threatening to take the existing Flats properties by eminent domain – which is French for “We’re here to take your stuff...”
But what about the grocery budgets of bricklayers and electricians? Maybe now that he won his $147 million public subsidy, Wolstein’s not so worried about them anymore. —Lisa Rab
We weren’t the only ones lucky enough to score a wristband to the Black Keys’ “secret” show at the Beachland Tavern last night. Fortunately for you, Scene photographer Walter Novak was also there. Check out his slide show. – Michael Gallucci
When’s a secret show not a secret show? When everyone and his grandma know about the damn thing. The Black Keys’ free “secret” show at the Beachland Tavern last night was ostensibly a thank-you gig from MySpace (which sponsored) to local fans who signed up as a Secret Shows friend. But on Monday, the Beachland announced that it would be handing out wristbands on a first-come-first-served basis six hours before the doors opened to the small-scale show in the Tavern, which holds 150 people. More than 500 fans showed up for the wristbands ...
]]> And it was a great opportunity to see the Akron duo -- which put out one of the year’s best records, Attack & Release, last month – in a venue suited to its low-fi garage-stomp. The Keys’ first-ever a show was at the Tavern, so last night’s set was also a sort of homecoming. They even handpicked their opening act, Akron’s Black Girls, who, despite their terrible name, were pretty good. (Check out our slide show.)The Keys’ 75-minute set mixed in a little from each of their five albums, with much focus on 2004’s Rubber Factory and the new Attack & Release. Singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach was a bit livelier than he was when I saw him at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin in March. Then again, he and drummer Patrick Carney – who ferociously pounded his kit for more than an hour without taking a break -- have had time to settle into the new songs, which seamlessly blend into the set like old faves.
But that posed a small problem. After four records of primitive garage/blues/rock/whatever, Attack & Release’s sonic textures – provided by MVP producer Danger Mouse – finally open up the Keys at a point in their career when they most need a jolt. Yet onstage, without those keyboard hums, tape loops, and flute solos, the new songs sorta just sound like the old ones. And in the Tavern’s small, airless room, many of them ran into each other.
Still, Attack & Release cuts like “Same Old Thing,” “Strange Times,” and “Oceans and Streams” power-slammed alongside set perennials “Girl Is on My Mind,” “Set You Free,” and “10 A.M. Automatic.” It wasn’t a surprising set, but it was a loose one. And the Keys, grateful to be playing a packed Tavern filled with hometown friends and fans, said thank-you with each and every three-minute, guitar-fueled slab of primal rock and roll they played. --Michael Gallucci
What began as a low-key neighborhood soda shop quickly grew into the unofficial HQ for the region’s tie-dyed freaks and hippies, drawing in artists, writers, and students from Case to Kent State and beyond. Odds are, if Mom is a NEO Boomer, she herself harbors a store of fond, if foggy, memories of Tommy’s, and of nights spent assuaging the munchies inside this bastion of counter-cultural cuisine. ...
Not that you have to be a health nut to dig the offerings. Burgers, hotdogs, corned beef, and fabulous french fries live in peaceful co-existence with their vegan, gluten-free, macrobiotic, and meatless brothers on the big breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, where many of the items bear the names of past and present customers.
And while we have no doubt that Mom thinks the sun shines out of your ass, there’s still a corner of her heart that can only be filled by one of Tommy’s toasted-cheese pitas, sided by a crunchy Caitlin salad, piled high with sunflower seeds, shredded cheese, and alfalfa sprouts. And for dessert, treat her to one of Tommy’s beloved milkshakes – thick, creamy, and delivered to the table in an old-fashioned, aluminum mixer cup.
Should all this arouse a need in Mom to share memories of love-ins, consciousness raisings, and naked encounter groups, feel free to let her reminisce: That, after all, is part of the gift. (Children under the age of 30, however, do have our permission to stick their fingers in their ears.)
And because Tommy’s doesn’t take reservations, come prepared for a wait. An armload of Zap Comix, and Jefferson Airplane on the iPod should pass the time just fine.
Tommy’s is at 1824 Coventry Rd., in Cleveland Heights; call 216-321-7757. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. – Elaine T. Cicora
Read Elaine Cicora's restaurant reviews, food news, and comprehensive dining guide on the restaurant page at
clevescene.com.
Tuesday’s loss to the Boston Celtics proved that it’s almost impossible to beat a team full of aliens, one tall, the other old. They intimidate, swarm, and always seem poised to kidnap Moondog, put him in a cryogenic freezing chamber, and keep him there for a decade alongside a collection of dairy cows.
We watched in horror as Tall Alien gushed us for 28 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. He also inserted some sort mind control device into Lebron, causing him to play like the illegitimate child of Buck Williams and Toni Kucoch. ...
]]> Going into tonight's Game 2, the only thing scarier than his stat line is what he did in the fourth quarter. Tall Alien dominated the final few minutes, something he’s had trouble with throughout his career.C-Notes called Bob Sansevere, sports columnist with the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, where Tall Alien used to call home. We wanted an inside scoop on how the Cavs might hope to slow down this mythic creature. Sansevere, who watched Tall Alien blossom into a perennial first-round playoff loser with the Timberwolves, had these things to say:
“Well first off, he’s a great talent. You can’t really stop him so much as you try to slow him down or negate what other players do around him. You also want to make sure that he is the go-to guy. He’s uncomfortable with that role. While Garnett (Tall Alien’s Native-American name) was a Timberwolf he didn’t want to take the game over in the fourth quarter. So make sure he has to be the leader in the fourth.”
Before we could get in more, Sansevere abruptly ended the call. He told us he was in the middle of something, which we’re guessing had something to do with meatloaf, the staple diet of any good Minnesotan.
Anyway, what’s scary about all this is that the Cavs followed Sansevere's advice during the first game and Tall Alien responded. If he continues to put forth consistent fourth quarters, and LeBron continues to play like Charles Barkley in Space Jam, then this whole season could end quickly, and then we’d have to listen to more taunts from BoSox fans from Parma. – Bradley Campbell