Most Popular
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An ancient Apollo statue landed in Cleveland and touched off an international outcry
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Joe Cimperman hopes to tear down his former hero, Dennis Kucinich
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Beat Down
Cleveland teachers swap stories of school violence.
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Everybody Hates Mike
The peril of coaching an icon.
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Secret Valentines Notes from C-Town Celebs
Our I-Team uncovered the private love letters of Cleveland's biggest names. You'll be shocked by what we discovered.
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$100 Bounty on That Kid (19)
Copley-Fairlawn finds a way to keep the impostors out.
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At Indie-Rock Singles Night in Cleveland, an event for hipsters lacks one key ingredient: Hipsters (17)
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Dennis Kucinich’s brave talk about working and fighting — from the safety of the officer’s tent (10)
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Beat Down (3)
Cleveland teachers swap stories of school violence.
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An ancient Apollo statue landed in Cleveland and touched off an international outcry (3)
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Crazy Talk
Miranda Lambert is a lot like any other girl with a soft spot for guns and setting exes on fire.
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Beer, BBQ, industry schmoozing: Rounding up SXSW 2008’s local delegates
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The Bravery's New World
New-wave revivalists discover the power of three-chord guitar rock.
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Years after he gave up on rock music, Bob Mould plugs back in
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Keep on Truckin'
Jason Isbell finds life after the Drive-By Truckers.
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Review: Jonathon Richman at the Grog Shop
05:18PM 03/11/08 -
Copley-Fairlawn schools hire private eyes, lobby state lawmakers to root out illegal students
04:59PM 03/11/08 -
Now with help from Britney Spears, Shaker Heights grad finds success on 'How I Met Your Mother'
04:20PM 03/11/08 -
Jump!: The latest Obsessive Fringe Competition Flick rocks Film Fest, and sparks a few ideas of our own
02:52PM 03/11/08 -
DJ Mick Boogie releases new, free mixtape with Talib Kweli
02:42PM 03/11/08
What we are writing about
- Black Sabbath
- Bob Dylan
- classic rock
- Cleveland art
- Cleveland dining hotspots
- Cleveland theater
- family films
- foodie media
- Get religion!
- great video games
- hip-hop
- indie pop
- indie rock
- jazz
- legal eagles
- Metal
- murder & mayhem
- must-see movies
- Neil Young
- Ohio City
- political clap-trap
- Punk
- R&B
- racism
- read your music
- Singer-Songwriter
- sporting life
- urban crime
- weird theater
- white-collar baddies
Recent Articles By Chris Parker
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Beer, BBQ, industry schmoozing: Rounding up SXSW 2008’s local delegates
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Vic Chesnutt
With Jonathan Richman. Monday, March 10, at the Grog Shop, Cleveland Heights.
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Ray Davies
Working Man's Café (New West)
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Avett Brothers
Saturday, March 1, at the Kent Stage, Kent.
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Akron native Tim Easton sees the world, one gig at a time
National Features
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Houston Press
"It Was Like an Armageddon Movie"
For days after Hurricane Rita, a Texas prison was hell on earth.
By Chris Vogel -
SF Weekly
The Candidate
Our columnist knows Ralph Nader's running mate all too well.
By Matt Smith -
The Pitch
How Not To Be a Rap Star
First of all, lay off the Ecstasy.
By Nadia Pflaum -
Village Voice
Project Runaway
What becomes a gossip columnist most?
By Michael Musto
Ugly Radio Rebellion Featuring Ike Willis
Friday, December 21, at the Winchester, Lakewood.
By Chris Parker
Published: December 19, 2007
Burly singer-guitarist Ike Willis traces his career back to Frank Zappa. Willis met the bizarro rocker in 1978, when he was a college student who managed to get backstage at a St. Louis concert. The two hit it off, and Zappa invited Willis to audition for his group, which he constantly rotated. Willis — who began singing when he was two years old and playing guitar when he was eight — soon became the band's vocalist and rhythm guitarist. But according to Willis, the thing that Zappa liked most about him wasn't his musical proficiency; it was his silly sense of humor.
Willis was a chief inspiration behind Zappa's 1979 album, Joe's Garage, and he played a key role on early-'80s records like Tinseltown Rebellion and You Are What You Is. Willis played with Zappa for a decade until Zappa quit touring in 1988. (Willis spent more time as a Zappa sideman than anyone else.) Since then, Willis has released a pair of jazz-inflected solo albums, performed with the Zappa tribute band Project/Object, and continued to tour with a group that plays a mix of classic Zappa tunes and Zappa-inspired originals. (Zappa died in 1993.) Years of working alongside the music legend taught Willis a few things: He accurately captures Zappa's distinct experimental style in such songs as "Lucille Has Messed Up My Mind," "Son of Orange County," and "Filthy Habits." We can't think of a better way to celebrate Zappa's birthday on Friday than with one of his most esteemed bandmates.
