May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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| clevescene.com | May 18-31, 2022
CONTENTS MAY 18-31, 2022 • VOL. 52 NO 23
Upfront .......................................7
Eat ............................................ 21
Feature ..................................... 10
Music ........................................ 25
Get Out ..................................... 14
Savage Love .............................. 31
Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Andrew Zelman Editor Vince Grzegorek
Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon
Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Visual Arts Writer Shawn Mishak Stage Editor Christine Howey Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Creative Services Creative Director Haimanti Germain Art Director Evan Sult Production Manager Sean Bieri Graphic Designer Aspen Smit Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace Business Business & Sales Support Specialist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Cramer Circulation Circulation Director Burt Sender
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REWIND: 1984 Three decades before they gained entrance in the Rock Hall, the Go Go’s got a bigger honor: the Scene cover treatment.
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May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Courtesy Cleveland City Council
UPFRONT CUYAHOGA COUNTY PROSECUTOR MIKE O’MALLEY (WM) TOLD COUNCILWOMAN STEPHANIE HOWSE (BF) TO “TALK TO HIM PROFESSIONALLY” WARD 7 CLEVELAND CITY Councilwoman Stephanie Howse stood before her colleagues at Monday evening’s council meeting and begged them to do better as they worked to investigate root causes of violent crime committed by youth. Her comments were colored by frustration and impatience. Over the course of multiple safety committee meetings in recent weeks, Howse had asked the various private police departments appearing before council — who have now been granted expanded jurisdictions — for data on the youth who commit crimes. And last week, during a multihour hearing, she was doing a version of the same thing, asking how young people who enter the criminal justice system are assessed. The men across the table included Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Mike O’Malley, and they were confused. Was she asking about the victims, they wanted to know? No, Howse said. She was asking about the perpetrators. Howse was naturally annoyed, as she’d been trying to get a straight answer on multiple occasions and was sensing that the inability to respond was symptomatic of how Cleveland profoundly fails young people. But as she re-articulated her question, O’Malley instructed Howse to “talk to [him] professionally.” It was an ugly moment, a guest at council chastising a sitting city lawmaker like a child. And it was a dynamic, in which a white powerful man belittles a black woman, that Howse knew was all too common. Later in the hearing, Howse asked whether the prosecutor’s office took into consideration the active development of young people’s brains, and O’Malley chided her
again. He told her to be professional and then suggested that Howse’s line of questioning was related to the prosecutor’s treatment of her cousin. As Howse addressed the exchange during Monday’s meeting, she revealed that her cousin was serving a 40-year prison sentence for a nonviolent burglary in Pepper Pike. She wondered whether any burglary in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood had ever resulted in a 40-year sentence. Howse said that while O’Malley had made the conversation personal last week, her core focus on the safety committee had been and would continue to be the city’s inability to get a handle on young people and the root causes that lead many of them to crime. Regarding the exchange itself, Howse noted that it was her job to ask questions of city council’s guests, even if those guests were men of power. “And I know that my experience is shared by many black women who are usually in the superminority in places and spaces and have to deal with blatant levels of disrespect,” she said. Howse concluded her remarks by reading a passage that urged women to continue defying their labels -- “aggressive,” “bossy,” “extra,” “awkward,” etc. -- and received a standing ovation. Council President Blaine Griffin assured her that an encounter of the sort she experienced with O’Malley would not be tolerated in the future. One certainly hopes so, as Griffin has previously made it known that he would brook no disrespect against council members. “We’ve got to set a tone that nobody should ever mess with this body,” Griffin remarked in a 2019
Stephanie Howse
council floor speech, after thenpresident Kevin Kelley was escorted from a voter-rights event the previous weekend. “The body of this council needs to be shown respect whenever we go anywhere. We need to send a strong message that when you mess with us, you will be dealt with.” Scene called the speech “authoritarian” at the time, because its ominous message was directed at activists and constituents and pertained to an event hosted by the Service Employees International Union. The effect of the speech was that council members, or at least council leadership, saw themselves as sovereigns and demanded fealty from their subjects. Griffin saw it differently, and even said in the same speech that he “punches up, not down.” If that’s to be believed, he should be much keener to “deal with” the county prosecutor. -Sam Allard
City Pivots After Attempts to Expunge Low-Level Marijuana Convictions Hits Legal Snag City leaders including Mayor Justin Bibb and city council president
Blaine Griffin remain committed to getting rid of minor marijuana convictions from the records of thousands of Clevelanders, but the process will be different than they first intended.Bibb, Griffin and others last month arrived at the Justice Center carrying boxes of filings seeking to expunge cases for around 4,000 residents convicted of minor marijuana possession in the city since 2017. Last week, however, leaders said that state law likely prohibits the city from filing for expungement on behalf of residents. Instead, city prosecutors will now file motions to vacate the convictions and dismiss charges, which will still give thousands a fresh start by reducing barriers to employment and re-entry. But as Cleveland.com noted, Cleveland municipal judge Michelle Earley says there are a few key differences between a case that’s been expunged and sealed and one that’s been vacated. For one, the initial arrest record still exists, which could prove problematic for someone applying for a job. Second, in cases that are vacated with charges dismissed, the city would likely owe court costs and fines paid May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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| clevescene.com | May 18-31, 2022
back to the defendant. Griffin said that won’t stop the administration’s plans. Earley said that those affected will receive a notice advising them that they can individually ask for their cases to be sealed. A notice will also be posted on the muni court’s site. Muni court judges on the original cases will decide on each filing in the coming months. -Vince Grzegorek
DIGIT WIDGET 3.1 million Miles driven by Cleveland’s iconic red trolleys operating under the Lolly the Trolley banner. The company will call it quits at the end of May after 37 years of operation.
5.5 hours Initial travel time from Cleveland to Cincinnati along proposed 3C+D (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati + Dayton) rail line proposed by Amtrak. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine asked for funding to research the feasibility of the route last week. Travel time would likely fall below five hours after track improvements.
40,000 In 2015, the number of households in which the nonprofit DigitalC wanted to establish high-speed internet connections by 2024.
1,200 Number of households to which DigitalC actually provides high-speed internet service, as of early 2022.
Photo by Sam Allard
UPFRONT
Urbanist Guerillas, Fed-Up Neighbors Install Speed Bump on Street Where Cleveland FiveYear-Old Was Struck and Killed Earlier this month a team of tactical urbanist guerillas, in partnership with residents in the Clark-Fulton and Stockyards neighborhoods, installed speed bumps and a caution sign on W. 50th Street south of Clark Avenue, at the site where a five-year-old Congolese refugee named Apoline Asumani was struck and killed by a reckless driver in late April. Unwilling to wait any longer for physical traffic calming measures or legislation to codify safer street design, those who installed the speed bumps did so to make drivers slow down on a street where children play. But they also did it to send a message to city leaders, to publicize their impatience and to demonstrate that interventions to create safer streets can be low-cost and straightforward to implement. The delays have become unconscionable for some pedestrian safety activists and for people who live in residential neighborhoods where children are regularly killed by speeding people in cars. “The fact that we are willing to spend our own money on this speed bump and not wait for the city shows just how important we think it is,” said one of the urbanist guerrillas, who requested anonymity. “Mayor Bibb said ‘People over Cars’ but so far I have not seen that in action.” The portion of W. 50th Street falls in the far southwestern corner of Councilman Kerry McCormack’s Ward 3. McCormack has been the most vocal city legislator in calling for pedestrian safety. It was he who agitated in recent budget hearings for an additional allocation of city dollars toward “Vision Zero,” the effort to eliminate traffic fatalities. And alongside Mayor Bibb, he has sponsored the “Complete and Green Streets” ordinance, which aims to make city streets safer for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. McCormack spoke briefly at a vigil for Apoline Asumani earlier this month and alluded to these legislative efforts. He said that after meeting with Apoline’s family in the wake of the tragedy, he’d heard the message loud and clear that the city needs to take action to make streets safer. “It’s a truly horrifying situation,” he said, “but this legislation is the sort of thing we need to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. My name is
on that legislation, and I think we should name it after Apoline. I’m sending my thoughts and prayers to the family, but I’m also making a commitment. I know people are sick and tired of speeding drivers across the city.” An elder in the local Congolese community spoke passionately after McCormack. Speaking in Swahili with translation provided by Mayele Ngemba, the community’s local leader, the elder said he couldn’t believe the government hadn’t acted already. “Every time I look at that picture [of Apoline], I feel like I am going crazy,” he said. “If this had been in Africa, it would be a very different story.” The neighbors who gathered at the vigil and offered words of condolence remarked upon the diverse and welcoming community they’d worked hard to create in their corner of the city, one that has become home to immigrants and refugees and one where children play up and down the street and in the yards of neighbors. To them, speeding drivers have long been a menace. The anger of residents on W. 50th was reflected in the comments of the guerrillas, who installed the speed bumps with the neighbors’ blessing Wednesday night. “I know things take time,” one of the guerrillas told Scene. “But as Mayor Bibb said, ‘Cleveland can’t wait.’ Apoline couldn’t wait, and neither can any other Cleveland kid or pedestrian. If the city comes to take away [the speed bump] without replacing it with something even
better, it will show where the city’s priorities are.” Jacob Van Sickle, the director of Bike Cleveland, told Scene he had been made aware of the efforts on W. 50th Street. He was unable to speak by phone — he was preparing to testify at the Planning Commission — but sent a written statement on behalf of Bike Cleveland. “While Bike Cleveland would prefer that these traffic calming measures be installed by the city and approved through the proper channels, we certainly understand the frustration in the community and the urgent need for intervention. Our thoughts are with the Asumani family, neighbors, and the Congolese community. “Bike Cleveland believes that action needs to be taken immediately city-wide to address the safety of its residents and its streets. We encourage the city to respond by expediting the passage of an updated Complete & Green Streets Ordinance, including a residential traffic calming program. We also ask that the city not remove the speed hump in hopes that it brings some peace of mind to the family of Apoline and the children on W. 50th street – they deserve peace and safety.” Mayele Ngemba posted a message on Twitter expressing gratitude for those who installed the speed bumps. “This will slow down drivers and lives will be saved,” he wrote. -Sam Allard
scene@clevescene.com @clevelandscene May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Photo by Erik Drost/FlickrCC
The
Best Free & Very Cheap Things
to Do in Cleveland This Summer By Scene Staff
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| clevescene.com | May 18-31, 2022
W
hile the official start of summer won’t clock in until June, everyone knows true Cleveland summer starts when the shorts come out and the kids are home from school. The arrival of long evenings of sun and patio temps is upon us, and with that the feeling of eternal hours left to be filled with friends, family and all that Cleveland has to offer. The problem right now is that your wallet is as empty as those awaiting hours. Inflation is inflating. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Flights are more expensive than you remember the last time you took a vacation. Rent is climbing. Your grocery tab has you considering a diet for reasons other than your winter-induced girth. And if you’re ever going to buy a house, you’re going to need every penny so you too can offer $50,000 over asking in cash just for the pleasure of once again losing out. It can feel like the world has conspired to financially fuck you just as the weather is nice enough to venture off the couch for the first time since 2021. Thankfully, there’s plenty to do in Cleveland that won’t have you taking a second job or skimping on other expenses. For the budget-minded and the poor bastards of Cleveland, there’s an almost endless availability of free and super-cheap things to do this season, from arts and culture to dance parties and nature. Drink it in, get out there, and save those precious expendable dollars for a rainy day, because it sure sounds like there are more than a few around the bend.
ARTS & CULTURE Admission to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is free every single Sunday to residents of Cleveland and East Cleveland thanks to a gift from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation (bring proof of residence in the form of a state ID, utility bill, paystub or W2) and tickets are discounted to $1 every day with a SNAP EBT card. (Tickets in all cases need to be reserved in advance via the museum’s website.) Explore current exhibits on biodiversity and extinction, gaze in wonder at the universe at the planetarium, roam the outdoor wildlife center filled with foxes, coyotes, bald eagles, otters and cranes, and generally bask
in the glorious beauty that is the natural world. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is free every single day for residents of Cleveland (again, proof of residency required when securing tickets in advance via the Rock Hall’s website), thanks to a $10 million gift from KeyBank. There are few better ways to spend a summer day than wandering around the temple of rock and taking in the history of music from the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibits, including ‘The Beatles: Get Back to Let it Be,’ an immersive companion to Peter Jackson’s docuseries on the legendary band. Afterward, stroll around the North Coast Harbor and
enjoy the lakeside views. MOCA Cleveland celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019 by announcing free admission for all, making it another affordable option to devour culture in museum-rich University Circle. Current exhibitions on view through early June include Dana Oldfather’s ‘Flyfall,” Robert Banks and Dexter Davis ‘Color Me Boneface,’ J.J. Adams ‘Flowers in Temporary Hands.’ It’d be hard to find a Clevelander who doesn’t know that the Cleveland Museum of Art is not only one of the best free activities in the region but one of the best free museums in the country, but a reminder never hurts as time flies and years vanish without a visit to the grand attraction. Featuring more art than you can probably take in during a single day, the museum’s permanent collections are complemented by special exhibits that make every visit unique. Check out ‘Currents and Constellations: Black Art in Focus,’ featuring the work of established and mid-career Black artists through the end of June, for example. And, of course, cap off your day with a stroll around the stunning Wade Lagoon. Classical Revolution Cleveland, featuring violinists Victor Beyens and Ariel Clayton Karas, bassist Henry Samuels and pianist Chris Neiner, has for years been providing free concerts to the community, mostly at the squad’s home base of Happy Dog in Detroit Shoreway, but also outdoors through the pandemic and at offbeat locations like senior centers. They return in June to their free monthly shows after taking May off with more unique programs and special guests. The Cleveland Orchestra may be a world treasure, but Classical Revolution brings intimate and affordable classical performances to the masses. Keep up with their schedule at facebook.com/ classicalrevolutioncle. Cleveland’s blessed with a wealth of public art and public spaces, most of which you’ve either never seen or enjoyed without the benefit of knowing the full history and context. Thanks to LAND Studio’s new app, The City is Our Museum, you can now take self-guided tours through many of Cleveland’s neighborhoods to catch all the free public art the city has to offer. Download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play and immerse yourself in the beauty of Cleveland this summer. Dig into Cleveland’s history with Cleveland Stories Dinner Party, a semi-weekly series presented by the Cleveland History Center at the
Music Box Supper Club featuring guest speakers on slices of the city’s past, from sports to music to industry. Next on the schedule is ‘The Irish Invade Cleveland & Transform It’ with historian and author Margaret Lynch on June 30. Admission is free; a three-course dinner will run you $20. Now in its 25th year, the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival returns with free, outdoor summer performances of Hamlet (June 24July 10) and The Learned Ladies (July 22 - August 7) in venues all around town. Routinely voted as one of the best outdoors experiences in Cleveland in Scene’s Best of Cleveland poll, catching the bard under the stars is one of the best ways to enjoy a summer night. Find the complete tour schedule at cleveshakes.com. The second iteration of the FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art returns this summer with dozens of free installations, performances and public programs from more than 75 international artists. ‘Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows’ promises to be bigger and better than the inaugural exhibition and runs July 16 through October 2 all across Cleveland, Akron and Oberlin. Find out more at frontart.org. If shows at Playhouse Square are out of your reach, you can still catch dynamite theater whatever your budget at Cleveland Public Theatre, which last year expanded its paywhat-you-want policy to include all tickets to all shows. The city’s home for original and experimental works did so in the belief that art is essential and it thus must be economically accessible. Find CPT’s full schedule cptonline.org and buy your tickets there or by calling the box office. Every week mid-May through mid-September you can explore downtown through Take A Hike! A program of the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation, Take A Hike offers free guided walking tours of neighborhoods east to west, giving you the lowdown on the things you never knew you didn’t know. Get out in the sun, get those legs moving, and learn about the city you call home. Find a schedule at clevelandgatewaydistrict.com. The arrival of summer means the arrival of free outdoor movie nights all around the city and suburbs. From Coventry P.E.A.C.E Park on Thursday nights June 7 through August 2, Fairview Stadium (June 10, July 15, August 8), Coe Lake Park in Berea (June 11, July 3, August 2), there are plenty of chances to catch flicks under the
stars for exactly zero dollars all season long. Screenings include Encanto, if you want to watch it for the 75th time. If new releases are more your speed, do the most summer thing you can think of and head out to the Aut-O-Rama drive-in and enjoy your cinema old-school style for just $11 per adult. While the Cleveland Museum of Art and the big hitters in University Circle get the most attention, Cleveland’s filthy with small art galleries catering to every taste that offer free exhibitions all year long. Whether you’re dipping into Third Fridays at 78th Street Studios or bopping around to one of the dozens of eclectic galleries scattered east to west, summer’s a great time to take in some local and regional art. Check Scene’s ongoing arts coverage, our events database, and CAN Journal for suggestions.
GET OUT AND INTO THE WATER The lake, the river, the heady north coast. Summer in Cleveland really isn’t summer without spending some time admiring and enjoying water. Hit the beach, and better than that, hit all of them. Edgewater is a gem, Euclid Beach is beckoning, Huntington Beach is pristine, and Mentor Headlands is just a short drive out east with gorgeous views and the added bonus of putting you close to Scooter’s Dog House and all the glorious footlong dogs and pounds of golden fries you could dream of and the best tacos in Northeast Ohio at La Casita in Painesville. Looking for something outside of the usual rotation? Refer to Scene’s handy guide to 19 low-key beaches within driving distance of Cleveland at clevescene.com/beaches. For those of us not lucky enough to have a friend with a pool, the region’s public swimming offerings are the next best thing. There are, of course, Cleveland’s public pools, but with erratic openings based on temperatures and staffing, they are hardly worth counting on. Luckily, you can snag a guest day pass in many suburbs where the water is warm and the beach chairs bountiful: Dragga Pool in Mayfield Heights will run you $10 as a non-resident, Walter’s Grove in Parma will cost you just $6, Parma Heights’ primo pool awaits for $8, Foster and Becks Pools in Lakewood will let you in for $5.50, and Beachwood’s absolutely stunning outdoor aquatic center will refresh and entertain you for $10. Ohioans love to swim in rock quarries, kayak on quarries, hike
around quarries and occasionally cliff jump into quarries. Unfortunately, not all formerly working rock quarries are safe for swimming, thanks to their deceptively cold/deep waters and murky underbellies. But there are eight or so within a decent drive from Cleveland perfect for a weekend of basking in the sun and water. Check out our guide at clevescene. com/quarries. You probably don’t own one of those boats docked on Lake Erie, but you can still get yourself out on the water this summer. Strike that. You should still get out on the water this summer. Kayak rentals are the best way to do that. And tandems are the best value, plus you get to share the experience with a pal and defray the cost. Most tandems go for $25 or $30/hour at 41 North in Lakewood in the Rocky River Reservation, Great Lakes Watersports in the Flats, Chagrin River Kayak and Rentals in Eastlake, or at Put-in-Bay Watercraft out in the islands.
MUSIC & COMMUNITY SERIES The free Mentor Rocks concert series returns in 2022 with a full slate of concerts at the Mentor Civic Amphitheater. Along with the usual slate of all the cover bands channeling nostalgia and playing the hits, headliners Everclear, Fastball and Parmalee will stop by town. The series runs Tuesday evenings June 7 through August 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. Out east in Lorain, Rockin’ on the River brings a roster of Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin cover bands, plus many more, to Black River Landing in what’s one of the most popular and longest-running outdoor concert series in the area. Admission is just $7 when the gates open at 5:30. Check out the full schedule, with weekly dates from late May through early September. Lock 3 down in Akron hosts a variety of concert series throughout the summer, including Rock the Lock cover band shows most Fridays, Live and Local which will feature local and regional acts from July through September, Gospel Sundays, and additional Saturday night shows. Admission is free to most shows. Find the full schedule at lock3live.com. With support from the Ohio Arts Council and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the ClevelandRocks:Past Present Future series will ultimately showcase 25 local musical artists/groups in the Waterloo Arts District of North May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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OPENING WEEKEND BAND LINEUP THURSDAY 5/19 | 6-10 PM FRIDAY 5/20 | 7-11 PM SATURDAY 5/21 | 7-11 PM SUNDAY 5/22 | 2-6 PM
SUDDEN CHANGE TED RISER BILLY MORRIS & SUNSET STRIP NITEBRIDGE
THURSDAY 5/26 | 6-10 PM FRIDAY 5/27 | 7-11 PM
SATURDAY 5/28 | 1-5 PM
BAD JUJU
EAST WIND
SATURDAY 5/28 | 7-11 PM
SUNDAY 5/29 | 1-5 PM
CUSTARD PIE
FOLLOW THE SUN
SUNDAY 5/29 | 7-11 PM
MONDAY 5/30 | 2-6 PM
OUT OF EDEN
ARMSTRONG BEARCAT
EAGLES TRIBUTE
WEDNESDAY 5/26 | 6-10 PM
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GRUNGE DNA
| clevescene.com | May 18-31, 2022
THE TEA BAGS
Collinwood. Every show is free to the public and will take place on the first Friday and third Saturday in multiple performance spaces on Waterloo, including the Beachland Ballroom, the Tower Stage (at the NorthEast corner of E. 156th St. and Waterloo Rd.) and the Windmill Stage (at the NorthWest corner of E. 156th and Waterloo Rd.). Edgewater and Euclid Beach Live haven’t made their post-pandemic return, but the Metroparks this year will bring a free traveling concert series across the region to some of the most iconic spots in the emerald necklace. Catch Billy Likes Soda on May 27 at the U.S. Coast Guard Station, The Level Up Band on June 24 at the Wildwood Marina, The Mourning Glory on July 29 at the Stinchcomb Memorial, Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band on August 26 at Huntington Beach and The Breakfast Club on September 30 at Squire’s Castle. Kenmore First Fridays in the historic Kenmore Boulevard district in Akron kick off on June 3 with monthly events featuring live music, food trucks, vendors, family activities and a rotating cast of local breweries. The free events run through September 2. Cleveland’s marquee free weekly community outdoor concert series, Wade Oval Wednesdays, is back this year with mid-week concerts, food and sunshine starting June 15 and running through August 17. Grab some friends, a lawn chair, and enjoy a hump-day break sure to inject some relaxing fun into your frenzied schedule. In addition to all the concert series, also be sure to check out a whole bunch of no-cover themed series and monthly dance parties at clubs around town: Dollar Country is usually spinning dustbin country at the Little Rose Tavern every month, Emo Night Cleveland brings all the tunes and emotions, and Black Mass Cleveland’s punk-rock drag showcase shouldn’t be missed.
Find more information all summer long at clevelandmetroparks.com/ parks/calendar. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is free to all Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township residents every Monday (with the exception of Monday holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day), and there are few better free summer experiences than traipsing around the zoo and checking out enough animals that even Noah would be jealous. Check out the future stars of the Cleveland Guardians for a fraction of the ticket and concession prices at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario by heading down to Akron for a Rubber Ducks game (cheapest ticket: $5) or Lake County for the Captains ($8). Not only will you sit up close and personal to the action, both teams’ schedules are filled with promotional nights and giveaways sure to make even the most disinterested baseball fan have fun. Roller skating isn’t just for the kids, though it’s also great for the kids. Halloran skate rink off W. 117th is free to all Cleveland residents and has open skate on its beautiful outdoor rink from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Skate rental is only $1. If indoor rolling is more your speed, drop by Chagrin Valley Roller Rink, which offers adult and open skates Wednesday through Saturday for $6.Skate rentals will run you $4 extra. Grab your bicycle and join hundreds of your closest pals for Slow Roll Cleveland’s free, leisurely paced, 10-mile rides through neighborhoods east and west every Monday during the summer. Find the schedule and meeting points at slowrollcleveland.com. Cheer on the Cleveland Soccer Club as it embarks on its 2022 National Premier League Soccer season at George Finnie Stadium on the Baldwin Wallace campus for less than $15. Find the full schedule and keep up with the team’s away games at twitter.com/soccercle.
SPORTS, RECREATION AND THE OUTDOORS
FESTIVALS
There are certainly parts of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Cleveland Metroparks you haven’t yet explored, and this summer’s as good a time as any to expand your local nature travels. Beyond that, the Metroparks offer plenty of other ways to get a deeper understanding of nature, including free guided bird watching walks, tours of local reservations, kayaking lessons, nature hikes and familyfriendly events. Make use of the expertise you’re already paying for.
Cleveland loves a festival, and once again, there are about 578 to enjoy this year. While many charge for admission, many more are absolutely free to enter (people watching is always the best part anyway), and many of those are totally free (Rooms to Let, Juneteenth Freedom Fest, Pride in the CLE). Ohiofestivals. net has a pretty comprehensive list of all the Northeast Ohio gatherings on the calendar for 2022.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Everything to do in Cleveland for the next two weeks
Sunflower Bean comes to the Grog Shop. See: Wednesday, May 25.
DrielyS
GET OUT
WED 05/18 Turnstile A part of the contemporary hardcore landscape since releasing the 2013 EP Step to Rhythm, Turnstile returned last year with its their third studio full-length, Glow On. Known for its “explosive” and “energetic” live show, the band performs tonight at 6 at the Agora. Check the venue’s website for info. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.
FRI 05/20 Tanec Reportedly the only professional folklore ensemble in Macedonia, the Tanec Ensemble aims to preserve traditional Macedonian music, dance and costuming. The group has performed an estimated 3,500 concerts in 31 countries. Tonight’s performance takes place at 8 at the Ohio Theatre. Consult the venue website for more info. 1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
THU 05/19 Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps Great Lakes Theater’s Production of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps mixes suspense with Monty Python in what’s been called a “fast-paced, madcap whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Hanna, where performances continue through May 22. 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
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SAT 05/21 The Rib Burn Off in Downtown Willoughby An annual tradition that was put on hold because of COVID, the Rib Burn Off in Downtown Willoughby returns this weekend. It takes over Erie Street, a strip of eateries, boutiques, antique shops and bars. There will be food and live entertainment. Check the website for more info. dtwribburnoff.com.
| clevescene.com | May 18-31, 2022
SUN 05/22 Gary Gulman In a routine he delivered on Conan, comedian Gary Gulman talked about how he recently viewed a documentary film about how the States first received their abbreviations. He explained how the post office assembled “a crack squad of abbreviators” to take all 50 states down to two letters. While this paraphrased account does it no justice, his funny account of the film shows off his astute storytelling abilities. Gulman performs today at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. at Hilarities. Check the venue’s website for ticket prices. 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
MON 05/23 Movie Mondays Every Monday, Cleveland Cinemas hosts $5 Movie Mondays, where film fans can catch up on the latest Hollywood flicks for significantly reduced prices. Bring your friends and family and make Movie Mondays a weekly tradition — many theaters
even offer discounted concession stand items. Participating theaters include Apollo Theatre, Cedar Lee Theatre and Chagrin Cinemas. Additional charges apply for 3-D movies. clevelandcinemas.com.
TUE 05/24 Open Turntable Tuesday Tonight from 7 to 9, the Winchester hosts its weekly Open Turntable Tuesday. Jason Gokorsch will book guest DJs and offer slots to people who want to bring their own vinyl and spin their favorite songs or deep tracks. First time DJs are encouraged, and equipment is provided. Patrons can also bring records for the night’s DJ to add to their set. Sign up on Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club’s Facebook page. 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-600-5338, facebook.com/ TheWinchesterMusicTavern.
WED 05/25 Sunflower Bean Led by singer-bassist Julia
Cumming, this New York-based indie rock act comes to the Grog Shop tonight in support of its new album, Headful of Sugar. The album’s latest single, the perky “I Don’t Have Control Sometimes,” recalls postpunk acts such as the Cure with its hiccupping vocals and synthesizer bursts. Jackie Hayes and Kid Tigrrr open at 8. Check the Grog Shop website for more info. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs.
THU 05/26 Otello in Concert At 7:30 tonight and at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Mandel Concert Hall, the Cleveland Orchestra takes on Giuseppe Verdi’s operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Consult the orchestra’s website for more info. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.
FRI 05/27 Berea’s National Rib Cook-Off and Beerfest This annual event that takes place at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds will feature 10 rib teams competing for Best Ribs, Best Sauce and People’s Choice Awards. The event runs from noon to 11 p.m. today and continues through Monday. Check the website for more info. 19201 East Bagley Rd., Middleburg Heights, 440-243-0090, berearib.com.
SAT 05/28 Tremont Greek Festival Held in Tremont every Memorial Day weekend at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, the annual Greek Festival features Greek music, Greek food, Greek drink and even antiques (Greek or otherwise). Visitors will find a mouth-watering assortment of homemade Greek specialties like pastitsio, moussaka (Greek-style lasagna), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and lamb shanks. But the crowd favorite is always the gyro — and they don’t get much better than they are here. Be sure to save some room for baklava or loukoumades (fried dough with honey). If you want something to wash it all down with, try the Greek beer Mythos or some Greek white wine. Hours are noon to midnight today, tomorrow and
Sunday. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. experiencetremont.com.
SUN 05/29 Jokes on You Inspired by crowd work clinicians like Dave Attell, Ian Bagg, and Big Jay Oakerson, Jokes on You makes the audience the center of the show by “pushing comics to avoid prepared material or written jokes and instead focus on organic interaction with the audience,” as it’s put in a press release about this event, which takes place tonight at 7 at Hilarities. John Bruton and Bill Squire host the event. Last Sunday of every month. 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
MON 05/30 Guardians vs. Kansas City Royals The Guardians began the 2022 season in Kansas City, and now the Royals come to Cleveland for the first time this season for a threegame series. First pitch is at 6:10 p.m., and it’s Dollar Dog night so bring an appetite to the game. Check the Guardians’ website for more info. 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb. com/guardians.
TUE 05/31 Waitress Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles contributes the songs to Waitress, a musical based on a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and directed by Tony-winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland). The action centers on Jenna, a waitress and pie maker who aspires to find a way out of the small town where she lives with her unloving husband. She finds just that when she participates in a baking contest and meets the town’s new doctor. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Hanna Theatre. The play runs through June 26. 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Bodeans
Teddy Robb
The Music of Cream
Sat. June 4
Wed. June 8
Bluffett
America
Jimmy Buffett Tribute
Sun. June 12
The Zombies
Thurs. May 19
Sat. June 11
Tue. June 28
ALSO COMING IN 2022 Friday, July 1 NEW! Sunday July 3 Saturday, July 9 NEW! Sunday July 10 NEW! Tuesday, July 12 NEW! Wednesda, July 13 NEW! Saturday, July 16 Friday, July 28 NEW! Saturday, July 30 NEW! Wednesday, Aug. 3 Thursday, Aug. 4 Sunday, Aug. 21 NEW! Saturday, Sept. 3 Friday, Oct. 7
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Hard Days Night Cordovas Jordan Rudess Dave Mason Todd Rundgren ABC Brett Drennan Keillor and Company Tinsley Ellis The High Kings The Abrams The Wallflowers Hayes Carll Marcc Nutter
AT THE GOODYEAR THEATER Get tix at goodyeartheater.com or ticketmaster.com
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Foghat
Don McLean
with special guest PAT TRAVERS
American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour
Thurs., Aug. 11
Fri., Sept. 2
ARTS MANDATORY VIEWING
American Moor at Karamu House powerfully examines how Black actors have been muted
Keith Hamilton Cobb.
Photo by Wil Lindsey
By Christine Howey IN HIS ROLE AS THE GRAND Inquisitor of Spain, Tomas de Torquemada was pretty handy with various tortures, such as an early version of waterboarding. But he missed a trick by not including actor auditions in his evil menu of torments. An audition is a place where an actor signs up to lay his or her soul on the table and then be criticized, judged, and usually rejected. That is one of the several things that is made clear in American Moor, written and performed with stunning clarity by Keith Hamilton Cobb. Now at Karamu House, this almost-one-person performance, directed by Kim Weild, uses an actor’s audition as a metaphor for the muted and often ignored voice of Black actors in the American theater in general, and in Shakespeare’s Othello in particular. While only Cobb appears on stage, there is another presence in the room, the director (Josh Tyson) who sits in the audience and indicates how he’d like Cobb to perform the audition scene. It is made clear that the director, a couple decades younger and white, does not have a clue about what this actor is capable of bringing to the role. The play is built around two conversations, the one Cobb has with the director and the much more interesting one going on inside Cobb’s head, indicated on stage by lighting changes. In his interior moments, Cobb tries to accommodate the director’s, um, guidance while simmering with rage against the dehumanizing process of auditions and the gulf between him and the white man who will decide his immediate future as a potential cast member. As Cobb says, “A little white man is asking me if I have any questions about playing a large Black man. No, but you should have questions for me!” The six-foot-four Cobb is an imposing presence, and he doesn’t shrink from that while adding his blazing erudition and understanding of Othello—not just the play but also the man, the Moor who is a general in the army of Venice and a man of
AMERICAN MOOR THROUGH MAY 29 AT KARAMU HOUSE 2355 E. 89 ST., KARAMUHOUSE.ORG, 216-795-7070.
towering eloquence and insecurities. Cobb the playwright blends quotes from the play with his own ruminations about being a Black man working in a theater world where systemic racism is part of the ocean he swims in. When the director bids Cobb to be open to his suggestions, Cobb thinks, “When white people say, ‘Be open,’ they mean ‘See it my way.’” The 95-minute one-act is engrossing from the start, even if there are moments so loaded with glorious syntax and turns of phrase that you wish you could hit pause and reflect for a moment. On top of that, Cobb’s performance is like a stripped and throbbing nerve ending that will not rest easy, and that can feel uncomfortable. But who said a play was supposed to make you feel good, it’s supposed to make you feel. And Cobb achieves that. Like all Black people, he is beset by whites who are unable to imagine a world that doesn’t include their own privilege. That extends to the entitlement of telling a Black man how to act like himself. This is shown in the rage that Cobb feels when the director, in reference to his performance, suggests that “a little obsequiousness might not be a bad thing.” Cobb feels himself a boy who has grown into a Black man, powerful and impetuous with a warrior heart, and he refuses to put that aside. The result is a play that sparks with passion and pain‚ along with quite a few laughs when Cobb relaxes into some street vernacular to express his frustration. He also shyly admits that, “I slung a little decent Shakespeare in my day.” And for current directors out there, he has a bit of advice: “Pick the actor that scares you the most.” Indeed, American Moor slings some decent Shakespeare, and is a play you should probably see more than once to get the full effect. But one viewing is absolutely mandatory.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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EAT
BLUNCHED AND BUSTLING
Photo by Douglas Trattner
The Spot on Lakeshore is dishing up killer breakfast, brunch and lunch all week long By Douglas Trattner ALONG WITH THIS BOOMING brunch culture comes the heightened anxiety of being left out in the cold. Conventional wisdom states that if you want to guarantee a seat in a popular breakfast place at a reasonable hour, you have to get an early start. Restaurants aren’t in the habit of accepting morning reservations, so we must gird ourselves for the inevitable stress and inconvenience that is part and parcel of the check-in process. So imagine the zen-like calm that comes with the knowledge that on the other end of a long drive there is a table with your name on it. Such is the case at The Spot on Lakeshore, where chef-owner Zachary Bond knows that people appreciate the peace of mind that comes with a booking. Bond, who opened the Mentor restaurant six months ago, comes from a fine-dining background, so he approaches many of the eatery’s
THE SPOT ON LAKESHORE 7272 LAKESHORE BLVD., MENTOR 440-510-8504 THESPOTONLAKESHORE.COM
details through that lens. If you haven’t noticed, brunch is no longer reserved for the weekend. At places like Juneberry Table, Cleveland Breakfast Club and Sleepy Rooster, those all-day-breakfast vibes extend throughout the week. Unlike the traditional greasy spoon, these places offer an elevated experience and menu that often includes booze. Industry watchers credit the rise of “blunch” places on the growing number of virtual employees who now have the flexibility to enjoy a leisurely weekday meal. Eager to step up to the plate is a generation of burnt-out chefs like Bond, who are looking to foster some work-life balance in their lives.
“That 4:30 a.m. start is still hard to get used to, but at least my kids know my name,” Bond says about his new routine, which gets him home while the sun still shines. A vanilla strip mall exterior gives way to a spacious, sparkling and lively interior. When we arrived, there was a two-piece acoustic band belting out standards, a jam-packed bar and lounge, and a dining room that appeared to go on forever. All told, says the chef, there’s seating for 120 (plus another two dozen in the private dining room) and every one of them were occupied. Despite the crowd there were no customers waiting to be seated and we were immediately shown to our table.
You might call The Spot a “gastro-diner,” a place that melds the come-as-you-are comforts of the neighborhood hash house with a gently elevated menu grounded by local ingredients and solid technique. The Spot’s menu is a two-sided affair that offers all-day breakfast items on one side and tempting lunch items, available starting at 11 a.m., on the back. Not many diners stock a full bar so we took advantage of the situation by ordering a Breakfast Margarita ($9), which tempers the sting of tequila with fresh orange juice, and a Bloody Mary ($9) that is garnished with celery, olives and a whole rasher of bacon. The menu lacks for nothing, as far as I can tell. Basic brunchers can order a classic diner plate with eggs, meat, potatoes and toast or go grand with something like grilled flank steak and eggs or black pepper gravy-covered fried chicken and waffles. Fussy diners will love the ability to customize those platters with options that go well beyond the conventional. In the Big Breakfast ($9), for example, the three over-easy eggs came with a choice of meats that includes local Slovenian smoked sausage, grilled Serbian sausage and slow-braised short rib. I went with the coffee-rubbed short rib, which comes glazed with a rich gravy that drips onto the crispy shredded hash browns. Also included in the deal is a waffle, pair of pancakes or millionlayer biscuit. The Spot is one of few places around to offer a full English breakfast ($10), and this one is tricked out with eggs, braised beans, smoked sausage, roasted potatoes, cheese gravy and toast. Bond’s Brunch Burger is an ingenious stack of sausage patties and eggs on a French toast bun dripping with spicy maple syrup. Flip over the menu and you’ll find a chef’s take on soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers. In keeping with the gastro theme, there are elevated classics like a tuna melt on marble rye and a proper fried chicken sandwich on brioche, but also a smash burger capped with two kinds of cheese, caramelized onions and Thousand Island dressing. The Spot also happens to employ a heavy metal pastry chef, who “puts a little rock ‘n’ roll in every bite.” A display case in the diner is stocked with sticky buns, cookies and brownies for enjoyment here or on the road back home.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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EAT BITES
First look: Doug Katz’s Amba, opening in Hingetown May 24th By Douglas Trattner THE FIRST THING GUESTS will experience when entering Amba is a temporary state of near blindness. Amba is so dimly lit that little comes into view. But as our eyes adjust to the environment, the space begins to reveal itself in a million little ways. There’s the ever-shifting play of shadow and light, the earthy color of the distressed steel bar, the texture of the charred-wood walls, the trippy twisted-rope ceiling, the wild and oversized rattan pendant lights. Add lively house music and intoxicating aromas from the kitchen and you have the makings of another one-of-a-kind experience from chef Doug Katz. “When you see it on paper, you’re like, that’s really cool,” Katz says. “But when it’s done, it’s so exciting and unimaginable. To see that tiger mural on the building and what [designer] Kelly [Shaffer] created inside, you’re transported. Every detail has a story and every fixture has a purpose.” Katz and business partner Todd Thompson announced last April that they were closing the Amba ghost kitchen in Cleveland Heights so that they could begin work on a brick-and-mortar version in the Hingetown neighborhood of Ohio City. They staked a claim on a former printing press shop known locally as the Tiger Building thanks to the colorful mural on the exterior. It would take the next 13 months to transform the nearly 5,000-squarefoot industrial shell into Amba. The building is divided into two connected but distinct spaces, the main Amba dining room and the smaller Bar Amba. There is room for 80 guests in the main area and another 40 in the barroom. If entering Amba is cocoon-like, entering Bar Amba is even more so thanks to lower light and cozy nooks separated from one another by discreet privacy screens. Amba and Bar Amba each have its own entrance. As at Zhug in Cleveland Heights, the aim is to foster an energetic,
Photo by Douglas Trattner
lively and informal atmosphere where diners can feel comfortable standing, talking and visiting with nearby tables. And while nobody is going to be able to push together the hefty concrete tables to accommodate extras, the restaurant does have on hand stacks of chairs for such additions and larger parties. Also reminiscent of Zhug, the menu at Amba is loaded with small plates built for sharing. There are two dozen items that range from small, zesty condiments to composed meat and fish dishes. While there will be some familiarity to fans of the ghost kitchen version of Amba, Katz says that the two ventures are so very different as to eliminate much comparison. “When we do these things we learn so much about what people are interested in and how to make these foods, so the Amba ghost or test kitchen was an opportunity for us to really explore the public’s interest in this,” Katz explains. “There might be a few things here that you had from the ghost kitchen, but I don’t know if the foods here will be recognizable from that experience.” More than simply the ghost kitchen, many of these “Indianinspired” street foods have a clear through line all the way back to the tandoor oven at Fire. There are options for vegans, gluten-free diners, seafood- and meat-eaters. New for this menu, notes Katz, are suggested course pairings. Chef Cameron Pishnery will be
overseeing the kitchen. “Because the menu has more unfamiliar items than Zhug – people are more used to those Middle Eastern foods now – there will be suggested menus for two, four or vegan, so you can just order one of those,” he offers. Bar manager Noah Biddle will oversee the restaurant’s two bars. “Having two separate bars, I get to reach in two different directions, but bring them all together,” he says. The restaurant bar menu will be loaded with creative, original cocktails, while Bar Amba will be more of a neighborhood craft cocktail bar serving classic and signature cocktails. “When the chefs are creative and reaching for bigger and more interesting flavors, I can do the same with the cocktails,” Biddle adds. “It makes my job more fun; I don’t feel as limited.” When Amba opens its doors in late May, it will join a neighborhood already rich with distinctive, independent and inclusive businesses. To better fit in with the vibe down there, Katz says he is eschewing reservations, valet parking and other trappings of the suburban fine-dining arena. “We want to be part of this neighborhood and to bring valet, it doesn’t really fit what’s happening here,” he says, adding that guests might want to consider walking, scooting, hitching a ride on RTA or
hiring rideshare services if parking is a chief concern.
Irie Jamaican Kitchen Will Open in Shaker Heights Since opening Irie Jamaican Kitchen (621 East 185th St., 216-350-6112) in 2017, chef Omar McKay has gone on to open locations in Old Brooklyn (4162 Pearl Rd.) and in Akron’s Highland Square neighborhood (837 W. Market St.). Next up for the Jamaican-born chef is Shaker Heights. McKay has just inked a deal for a spot on Chagrin Boulevard, specifically across the street from Heinen’s in the strip mall at Chagrin and Lee. His space will be next door to Upper Crust. This location will be larger than Collinwood but smaller than Akron, he says. The fast-casual eatery will largely be grab-and-go, but will have seating for about 20 guests. Diners can look forward to a delicious selection of jerk chicken, curry chicken, curry shrimp, braised oxtails and vegetarian options dished up in bowls, wraps or traditional style with warm cabbage, rice and peas, and plantains. McKay estimates three to four months of construction before opening day.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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MUSIC Photo by Frank Ockenfels
LET IT ALL OUT
Tears for Fears pour painful emotions into their first new studio album in 17 years AFTER TEARS FOR FEARS’ singer-guitarist Roland Orzabal and singer-bassist Curt Smith parted ways in the early 1990s, the duo set aside their differences and reunited in 2000 for a tour. They would then make an album together in 2004. While that album, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, celebrated their return and was generally wellreceived, it didn’t pave the way for new material. Until now. The band has just released The Tipping Point, its first new studio album since Everybody Loves a Happy Ending. Tears for Fears brings the tour in support of the album to Blossom on Saturday, May 21. “Everybody Loves a Happy Ending was easier [to make],” says Smith via phone from his Los Angeles home. “I think that was more of a celebration of us getting back together again. We recorded it in L.A., and we were very relaxed about it and saw it as a continuation of [1989’s] The Seeds of Love to the extent that it was unfinished business. It was more of a celebration of us working together again. It was an easy process, and we did it on our own. We recorded in the Valley in L.A. It was a pleasant experience.” Smith describes The Tipping Point as “a lot more painful.” “Having said that, from the pain can come something good,” he explains. “Consequently, to me, this album has more depth and is a lot better and will last a lot longer. We used all that pain and what was going on around us to make something of value. The value of Everyone Loves a Happy Ending was the joy of it.” A few years back, the band had recorded an entirely different studio album that was slated to come out on Warner Bros. But once they completed it, they realized it wasn’t representative of their sound, so they scrapped it. They even bought the music back from Warner Bros. to ensure it wouldn’t see the light of the day. After revisiting it just to see if anything was worth salvaging, they decided a few songs weren’t so bad after all. They kept five tunes from it
and set about writing and recording new tracks. “When Roland and I sat down at the end of 2019 and talked about whether there was a path forward and whether we wanted to finish the [Warner Bros.] album, we realized we wanted to finish it,” says Smith. “We went back over the songs and ignored the production. We wanted to see if there were songs that had the depth and meaning that we required. We agreed on five songs that we though would fit. After we decided on the five songs and the way forward was for the two of us to sit down and write on acoustic guitar. We hadn’t done that since [1983’s] The Hurting. We had left our record company and left our management. It was just the two of us. We wanted to keep it that way until we finished the album. We came up with ‘No Small Thing,’ which is the opening track. When that song came, we knew it was what we had to do. We had a very definite idea about what the record should be like.” Recording during the pandemic presented its own set of problems. The two worked in Los Angeles, but at one point, Orzabal went back to England, and they had to send files back and forth. At the end of August of last year, Orzabal returned to the States, and the band finished the album before Christmas. The “depth” that Smith references is reflected in songs such as the moody title track, a tune with reverberating synths and cooing vocals that references the death of Ozabal’s wife. “I think our best material is when we’re mining our own emotions,” Smith says when asked about the song. “The death of [Orzabal’s wife] was a traumatic event for Roland specifically. He then had his own health issues. To a lesser degree, [it impacted] me because Caroline was a friend of mine since age 14. Then, of course, you start questioning your own mortality. All of those feelings came into it. The pandemic lent a new meaning to some of it. Tracks like ‘Please Be Happy’ or ‘The Tipping Point’ talk about death. A lot of people were going through that during the pandemic. It took on a
Tears For Fears.
By Jeff Niesel
TEARS FOR FEARS, GARBAGE 7:30 P.M., SATURDAY, MAY 21, BLOSSOM 1145 W. STEELS CORNER RD., CUYAHOGA FALLS, 330-920-8040. TICKETS: $32+, LIVENATION.COM
new poignancy and wider meaning because other people were feeling that sense of loss. In that sense, it became more general than specific.” “Break the Man” serves as a feminist anthem that bookends “Woman in Chains,” a feminist anthem the group cut back in 1989. “We were both brought up by women with absent fathers,” explains Smith when asked about the band’s sensitivity toward women’s rights. “We know women’s strengths. We know men’s weaknesses. In that sense, we are more likely to understand it. The song is a homage to my daughters. Having gone through Donald Trump in America, who in my personal opinion epitomizes toxic masculinity, [the song is about] hoping that [my daughters] grow up in a world where women have equality in politics, in the workplace and on every level.” The album isn’t without its “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”- and “Shout”-like anthems. “End of Night,” a tune with heavy percussion and an Imagine Dragons feel to it, comes across as a truly exuberant number. “It’s a joyful song,” says Smith when asked about the track. “That and ‘Rivers of Mercy’ talk about redemption and the desire for redemption. It’s why the album is
called The Tipping Point, and it’s very much a desire for the center to come back again and not to be extreme right or left, and I do blame social media for fanning the flames of anger. There seems to be no center anymore. That’s what gives everything the balance. You won’t get any balance from extreme right or extreme left.” The live shows will find the band drawing from a career that stretches back 40 years, and Smith says the new songs should mesh well with older tracks. “We’ve rehearsed and played three of them live doing TV shows, and they fit in fantastic with the older material,” says Smith. “They’re as strong and sound fantastic live. In that sense, it’s a joy for us, and on a selfish level, it’s great to have new material. We won’t know how they fit in until we play the first shows. You can do a running order in rehearsals, and it will sound good to you, but you need the audience reaction. The first week is a little hairy, but there is an excitement to that. We’re flying by the seat of our pants to an extent, but I’m looking forward to it and seeing how the audience responds.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Tori Amos.
Photo by Desmond Murray
MUSIC
MUSIC THERAPY
Tori Amos fought off a ‘despondent monster’ to make her new album, Ocean to Ocean By Jeff Niesel THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE been particularly difficult for singersongwriter Tori Amos, a real road warrior who had to cancel two tours because of the pandemic. She recognizes that she hasn’t been the only artist severely impacted by the industry shutdown. “I think if you ask most live performers, whether it’s music people or theater people — and I realize that everyone was dealing with an aspect of COVID with the illnesses and the losses — we couldn’t work for two years,” says Amos in a phone interview from Florida, where she was prepping for a spring tour that brings her to the State Theatre on Sunday, May 22. “That’s never happened to me, and I turned pro at 13. It’s been the longest that I haven’t played for people. We didn’t have a how-to book for this. Yes, a lot of people who were fortunate enough to be able to record did that. It’s not the same if you are a live performer, and that is your life. You can’t really play the Royal Albert Hall from home. Playing live and having that experience is an experience, and it’s different than karaoke at Tori’s piano bar in Cornwall, England.” Amos says her daughter who was attending college in London arrived
TORI AMOS, COMPANION 7:30 P.M. SUNDAY, MAY 22, STATE THEATRE 1519 EUCLID AVE., 216-771-4444. TICKETS: $45-$75, PLAYHOUSESQUARE.ORG.
at Amos’s home in Cornwall and stayed with her and her husband through the first lockdown. That stage of things went “pretty good,” as Amos explains. “You learn how to work together and how to have meals and how to do this,” she says. “You couldn’t go anywhere except grocery shopping. I’m not sure what it was like in Ohio. For the first window [of the shutdown], we coped. I did a virtual book launch. We did that from the recording studio.” During a lockdown that took place right after Christmas of 2020, Amos began to feel stressed. It was at that point that she began work on the songs that would become her new album, Ocean to Ocean. “I was like, ‘Is this nightmare ever going to end?’” she says. “I had kicked two tours down the road. I had never done that before. I never cancel shows. I had to write myself out of a particularly dark space. I had started writing to get myself out of some grief.”
The first track she wrote, the ponderous “Metal Water Wood,” stemmed from reading about martial arts master Bruce Lee. The song’s plodding percussion gives it a particularly ominous feel. “I knew I had to fight that despondent monster that can sit on our shoulder,” Amos explains. “I knew I had to fight it, but I didn’t have the energy to fight it, and I didn’t know how to fight it. I started looking up great fighters. I was drawn to Bruce Lee. He started talking about being like water. The advice from him was completely different than what I thought I would get from a master fighter. A side of your brain opens up that hasn’t been opened before because I hadn’t thought a fighter would think like that. The fluidity of what water can do and how it can be so calm and completely split rocks if it wants to and make an opening in a cave. That started to get me outside and into nature even though it was cold, and it was winter. I started to go out there.
I realized that Mother Earth was not locked down. She was busy. She was transforming herself from winter into spring. I said, ‘Learn from her, Tori. That’s what you need to do.’” After that, the songs came fast and furious. A documentary about polluted waterways inspired the album’s title track, and Amos addresses the strain the pandemic placed on relationships in “Addition of Light Divided.” “I was really bonding with my niece in New York City, who is very close to my daughter,” says Amos. “She was dealing with the lockdown too. We see each other for the holidays and were seeing each other less because of the restrictions. I began to realize that twentysomethings were at a time in their life when they are going on adventures and having these experiences, but the restrictions stopped them from doing it. This song was acknowledging what she was going through and her experience of the lockdown and how some of the relationships did not survive it. My husband and I work together all the time. For good or ill, we know each pretty well.” “Spies,” a mid-tempo lullaby for Amos’s daughter, benefits from a funky bass riff and echoing layers of vocals. “It was strangely hot in England in July, and my daughter was texting me that bats were chasing her,” Amos explains when asked about the track. “She would not go in her room. The bats come in, and I needed to write her a lullaby, but the ones that work at 6 [years old] weren’t working for a 21-year-old. I needed to come up with something different, and I came up with ‘Spies’ to get her into a different headspace.” Drummer Ashe Soan and bassist Jon Evans will accompany Amos for the U.S. trek that brings her to Cleveland, and Amos says she’s thrilled to be back on the road with the two talented musicians. “When I played the first show of this tour in London a few weeks ago, feeling the audience and feeling the reaction was just overwhelming,” she says. “I can’t even describe how precious it was and how grateful I was to play to a live audience again. We’re really having a blast playing together on this tour.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Expires 6/30/22 • Must Present Coupon
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| clevescene.com | May 18-31, 2022
SAVAGE LOVE OPEN AND SHUT By Dan Savage Hey Dan: I am a 37-year-old heterosexual woman in a monogamous relationship with a het cis male. Let’s call him “Rick.” We’ve been together for five years and engaged for two. Our sex went from passionate, fun and frequent early in the relationship to nearly nonexistent now. I have gently initiated conversations about how to spice it up — sexy dates, sex toys, new positions, even non-monogamy — but Rick never took me up on any of my suggestions. I encouraged him to get bloodwork done, thinking maybe it was a decline in testosterone or something. Fast forward: I recently learned that Rick has a profile on an online dating app. We are not in an open relationship, even though I’d offered that as a possible solution to our sex woes. After some mild questioning, he admitted to exchanging sexy pics and videos with more than 20 women over the last few years. A friend confided in me that Rick’s ex had discovered dozens of sexting convos on Rick’s phone with strangers when they were together. Is it possible for someone to be incapable of physical intimacy when there is love involved? I’m no expert, but it strikes me as troubling that Rick can’t make love with me — going so far as to blame it on hormonal shifts — when it’s not biological at all; he just prefers to jerk off with strangers. Is this actually a thing? Only being physically attracted to an impersonal, meaningless stranger? Is there hope for a future with Rick when he is lying to me and also lying to himself? I think I know the answer, but: Am I better off alone? Sick Of Rick’s Dick Image Doings Yes, SORDID, some people are incapable of being physically intimate when love is involved. There are straight men out there with what’s called Madonna-whore complexes; these men can’t make love with and/or fuck women they love and respect. These men view sex as dirty and degrading, and they don’t wanna do dirty and degrading things with (or to) women they have feelings for. On the flip side, there are straight women who seem to have husbandmaterial complexes. There are guys they can see themselves married to and possibly having kids with —
husband material, e.g., good, kind, reliable guys — but those aren’t the men they’re excited about fucking. Instead, it’s bad, unkind, unreliable guys that turn these women on. Oh, and there’s a new type of longterm, committed, romantic partner out there who doesn’t wanna fuck people they love: freysexuals. A freysexual may love their romantic partner and wanna marry that person, SORDID, but a freysexual doesn’t wanna and/or can’t fuck someone they have strong and/ or any feelings for. Being freysexual doesn’t excuse your fiancé’s dishonesty, SORDID, assuming he is freysexual. Simply put, if your fiancé is freysexual and knew that about himself — even if he didn’t know there was a word/bespoke sexual orientation for him — he should’ve disclosed that to you. And if he only just realized it, he should’ve accepted your invitation to renegotiate the terms of your commitment, i.e., taken you up on your offer to have an ethically non-monogamous relationship. (For the record: I’m not suggesting that freysexuality isn’t a legitimate sexual orientation, but I am suggesting freysexuals shouldn’t make sexually excusive commitments to romantic partners or demand sexually exclusive commitments from romantic partners.) Whatever the deal is with your fiancé, SORDID, weddings are not famous for reviving sexually moribund relationships. So, if you want regular and decent sex, don’t marry this guy. But if the idea of being in a companionate marriage with this man appeals to you, SORDID, that’s something you should explore with the help of a couples’ counselor. Oh, and if sexting women he barely knows is his primary sexual interest and outlet, SORDID, your fiancé already opened your relationship — on his end. There’s no reason you should have to wait to open it on your end.
Hey Dan: My partner and I recently bought a bar in a small town, far from the city we’d lived in, which has been both fun and challenging. Anyway, a couple started coming in and quickly became very talkative about their personal situation. She’s a straight-
presenting women, he’s a bisexual man, they have an open relationship. At first I thought, OK, great. It’s a small community, and I’m glad they feel comfortable being themselves in our place. But their behavior has rapidly escalated to the man making comments to staff members that are inappropriate, including crude comeons and telling one all about how ugly and weird his own dick is. I’m guessing that shaming himself like that is a kink for him. But we don’t want to hear his confessions. I need to address it, but I wanted some advice as to how. Shutting down gardenvariety horny cis guys is something I have decades of experience with, but I wonder if I should be more delicate here. I don’t want anyone to think we are biased, but this behavior is not acceptable, and I need to protect my staff. Boundaries And Respectful Treatment Escape Numbskull Dumbasses P.S. Public Service Announce-ment: Bartenders are not sex workers. It is lazy and exhausting for people to assume that just because someone’s job is serving and entertaining you, that they also are game for fucking you or your partner or both of you or you and your friends. Double shame on the ones who also hold a gratuity hostage while you politely rebuff them. It happens a lot and needs to stop. I’m guessing these people started coming into your bar after you bought it, BARTEND, because the previous owners 86ed them years ago. And I predict their bad behavior is going to escalate the longer you hesitate to 86 these motherfuckers yourself.
Hey Dan: I’m a 31-year-old straight woman with a quick question. I’ve been in an on-and-off-again relationship with a man since I was 18 years old. I’ve gotten more comfortable dating other men when we’re not “on.” We were “off” for the last year and I had an absolute ball. However, we got back together recently. The problem is my partner seems insecure suddenly and is constantly worried he’s not big enough. He sometimes even half jokes about getting surgery to make his dick bigger. The other night out of the blue he said, “So, since you’re a lot more experienced now, bigger is better,
right?” I don’t like this. Honestly, his new insecurities are making me feel less attracted to him and I’m starting to feel like we’ve hit a dead end in our relationship. Is this a sign that we should just break up? Completely Over Comparisons, Kapisce? It’s either an annoying insecurity, COCK, or he is fumbling the disclosure of a kink. Sometimes when people want to tell their partner about a kink, they’ll frame it negatively. They’ll point to a “crazy” porn clip they stumbled over or share a “gross” story about something a friend did, COCK, in the hopes that their partner will say, “Hey, I don’t think that’s crazy or gross, I think that’s hot!” Since people tend to mirror the attitudes of important people in their lives, and since there’s no more important person than a romantic partner, disclosing kinks like this — framing them negatively so you can deny any interest when your partner invariably reacts negatively — is a terrible strategy. Anyway, your boyfriend is either bringing up his anxiety about the bigger dicks you had during your last “off,” COCK, because he’s desperately insecure and needs constant reassurance that he’s not inadequate or because it turns him on to think about you being with men with bigger cocks and longs to be told that he is inadequate. To figure out what your boyfriend’s issue actually is, ask him a direct question: “You ask about other men with bigger dicks a lot. Does it turn you on to think about that?” If the answer is yes, COCK, you might be able to make that work; a little dirty talk during sex about bigger guys you’ve been with, maybe a hall pass to go get some bigger dick once in a while. If the answer is no, tell him one last time that you’ve been with some bigger guys, yes, but you like his dick just fine, and you don’t want to talk about it anymore. If he refuses to stop bringing it up, then it’s off again.
questions@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage www.savage.love May 18-31, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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