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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 3

DECEMBER 30, 2015 - JANUARY 5, 2016 • VOLUME 46 No 26 Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Chris Keating Associate Publisher Desiree Bourgeois Editor Vince Grzegorek

CONTENTS 44

Upfront

Editorial Managing Editor Eric Sandy Music Editor Jeff Niesel Staff Writer Sam Allard Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Contributing Dining Editor Nikki Delamotte Stage Editor Christine Howey Visual Arts Editor Josh Usmani Interns Nicole Schneider, Phoebe Potiker

Grand jury declines to bring charges against officers involved in Tamir Rice’s death

Framed

Feature

Get Out!

Art

Cleveland Scene 737 Bolivar Rd, #4100 Cleveland, OH 44115 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-241-7550 Retail & Classified Fax 216-241-6275 Editoral Fax 216-802-7212 E-mail scene@clevescene.com

Stage

Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every week by Euclid Media Group.

Film

Presenting Scene’s list of the top 10 movies of the year

Dining

Music

Our favorite photos we’ve shared with you this week

Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Hunter-Davis, Joseph Williamson, Savannah Drdek Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Layout Editor/Graphic Designer Christine Hahn Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace

Our annual look at the local bands you should be watching and listening to next year

Business Asst. To The Publisher Angela Lott Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Human Resources Director Lisa Beilstein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon

Dozens of events spanning the next week in Cleveland

CMA rings in new year with a party and looks ahead to centennial

www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, voicemediagroup.com

It’s been a year of edgy excellence in theater, and here are the winners!

Verified Audit Member Cleveland Distribution Scene is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader Copyright The entire contents of Cleveland Scene Magazine are copyright 2015 by Euclid Media Group. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Subscriptions $150 (1 yr); $ 80 (6 mos.) Send name, address and zip code with check or money order to the address listed above with the title ‘Attn: Subscription Department’

Michael Symon dishes on the menu and cocktail program at Mabel’s BBQ

The merits of the albums you may have missed this year, and more

Savage Love Renegotiating the dick

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UPFRONT LOEHMANN, GARMBACK OFF THE HOOK No Indictments in shooting death of Tamir Rice. City Reacts.

THIS WEEK

DESPITE A “PERFECT STORM of human error” -- the money quote from Monday’s press conference -Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty announced that a grand jury has declined to indict officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback in the shooting death of Tamir Rice. For the first time, McGinty said that this was also his recommendation. Speaking at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center, McGinty called Tamir’s death “undeniably tragic.” “But it was not,” he said, “by the law that binds us, a crime.” Citing the United States constitution and the “objective reasonableness” standard as established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1989, McGinty said that Timothy Loehmann, who shot Tamir Rice, had reason to fear for his life at the moment the shooting took place. The fact that police dispatch failed to relay key information -- Tamir was “probably a juvenile;” the gun was “probably a fake,” according to the 9-1-1 caller -- and that the toy gun so closely resembled a real one, ensured that Loehmann and Garmback assumed they were dealing with an “active shooter.” McGinty said that he spoke to Samaria Rice, Tamir’s mother, before he made the public announcement and that she was “pretty torn up” about the grand jury’s decision. However, he said: “This decision does not mean that the legal system is finished with this case. The civil system may yet give the Rice family some of the accountability they deserve.” McGinty called on toy manufacturers everywhere to stop making fake guns look so real. If the color of Tamir’s gun had “screamed toy,” he said, the outcome may have been different. Assistant County Prosecutor Matthew Meyer endeavored to explain the full context of the shooting

after McGinty spoke, defending the officer’s actions and rationalizing the shooting from multiple angles. Meyer emphasized once again the negligence of the dispatcher -- an easy target, given that the dispatcher is no longer in the city’s employ. Neither McGinty nor Meyer alluded to tactical missteps by Loehmann and Garmback. In fact, Meyer said that Garmback and Loehmann did “exactly what we›d expect officers to do” in an active shooter situation. When Scene contacted Michael O’Malley, McGrinty’s lone Democratic challenger for the county prosecutor seat, he said he felt the process left much to be desired. “McGinty can write a book on how not to present a police shooting to a grand jury,” O’Malley told Scene. “His drip by drip public releases put additional pressure on the grand jurors. Much of what we saw over the last few weeks, a lot of it was carefully calculated and politically motivated, I think, with the timing of the releases.” Subodh Chandra, the local attorney for the Rice family, issued a statement on the family’s behalf reiterating that McGinty’s handling of this case has “compounded their grief.” In particular, the family and their lawyers objected to the hiring of “experts” to produce reports exonerating the officers and McGinty’s choice not to force Loehmann and Garmback to submit to questioning after reading their statements to the grand jury. “The Rice family is grateful for all the community support they have received and urges people who want to express their disappointment with how Prosecutor McGinty has handled this process to do so peacefully and democratically,” the statement said. “We renew our request that the Department of Justice step in to conduct a real investigation into this tragic shooting of a 12-year-old child.” The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division issued a

CAMERA WORK

Report finds that tiny Newburgh Heights issued 300 traffic citations per week from single (still legal) handheld camera device. Nearly half, swears Mayor, were ShopCLE delivery drivers.

Memorial at Cudell Rec Center

statement shortly after McGinty’s press conference saying that they would continue their independent investigation of the case. Mayor Frank Jackson and Police Chief Calvin Williams addressed the media later Monday afternoon, and again Tuesday morning, both calling 2015 a “troubling year for Cleveland.” They announced that the police would now begin an administrative review, led by a Critical Incident Review Committee, to determine whether or not disciplinary action should be taken against Loehmann and Garmback. Williams declined to offer a potential timeline, but said the review would begin immediately and would not be prolonged unnecessarily. That promise doesn’t inspire much confidence, given that the disciplinary review process for the 2012 police chase is still ongoing. Safety Director Michael McGrath said that the hearings in that review are complete and that he’d present a report to Jackson by mid-January. Jackson, in his abstract way, continually cited “due process”

KEY TO SUCCESS

Internet security mogul John McAfee invests in local startup Everykey. Indiegogo campaign reportedly NOT a travel fund to support McAfee’s continued evasion of authorities from Belize.

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

Photo by Sam Allard

THE FARMER & MANZIEL

Heigh-ho the derry-o, Ray Farmer’s getting fired. (This news reportedly disseminated via sideline texts during Browns Sunday loss to Chiefs).

during his remarks, suggesting that citizens may have grown weary or distrustful of certain civic processes -- The criminal justice system? The “process” of law enforcement? -- but that due process, on the other hand, was critical as we move forward. (This was, and remains, very difficult to parse from both a theoretical and lexical standpoint). “We will conduct this review in an honest transparent way,” said Jackson (the quote provided by the city), “with due process at its core -not just process.” What? Meantime, the city’s various activist groups were and are assembling. Though McGinty’s announcement was made -strategically, some believe -- between Christmas and New Year’s, during abysmal weather, a small corps of demonstrators gathered at the Cudell Rec Center and marched to the city’s first district police headquarters. Tuesday, organizers planned to convene at the Justice Center in the afternoon.

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FRAMED!

our best shots from last week Photos by Emanuel Wallace, Jon Lichtenberg*

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Share your best shots with SCENE – just tag or mention us! ™ @ clevescene t @ cleveland_scene ` @ ClevelandScene • #clevescene

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 9

FEATURE

BANDS TO WATCH IN 2016 Scene’s local listening guide for the year ahead

LEVELAND IS A ROCK ’N’ ROLL TOWN. It’s a hip-hop town, a blues town, a folk town. To be clear, it’s a music town, and that’s why we love it here. Considering our annual criticisms of the Rock Hall and our regular grumbling over tour schedules that skip our fair city, we’re very much the spoiled, angsty teens of the national music circuit. We want our music, and we want it now. Thankfully, Cleveland is fertile ground for locals interested in picking up an instrument and making music on a stage somewhere. Across all genres, young kids and longtime vets alike are churning out incredible sets at venues all over town. We write about this stuff constantly, and yet we’re always encountering local bands and artists that are new to our ears and awesome in every sense of the word. With that, we turn your attention toward 13 local bands that we think are going to do fantastic things in the year ahead. We tried to capture the essence of several different scenes in Cleveland with this list, bringing together bands that you may have heard already and bands that you’ve never heard of. There are many more that we aren’t highlighting here — and, hopefully, as you peruse this list and do your headphone homework, you’ll greet them all in the bars and clubs that make Cleveland spin. It’s a wonderful city out there. Go listen to it. — Eric Sandy

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

Archie and the Bunkers A group that consists of teenage brothers Emmett and Cullen O’Connor on drums and keyboards respectively, Archie and the Bunkers has quickly picked up a buzz since forming in 2013. Initially, the duo didn’t think it could generate enough sound. But after taking inspiration from the Screamers, an old L.A. punk band that had no guitars or bass guitars, the guys thought they could do it and began recording music in their basement where they cut their first two self-produced EPs. “We bought some mics and an interface and went with it,” says Cullen when asked about the basement sessions. “Our computer was so old that it cut out midway through recording a song so we often had to record things over and over.” Influences range from jazz organ greats like Jimmy Smith and Richard “Groove” Holmes to punk icons Dead Boys and the Stooges. Before releasing their full-length debut, which came

out this year, the brothers sent demos to several labels, but the folks at the U.K.-based Dirty Water Records were the most excited about releasing the album. And so the duo recorded 12 songs at Ghetto Recorders in Detroit. Famed producer/engineer Jim Diamond (the White Stripes) captures their “Hi-Fi Organ Punk” sound that Emmett describes as “rock ’n’ roll that’s been peeled back to its raw foundation.” In February, the band will headline two nights at the Golden Tiki in Las Vegas, and in May it’s headed to Europe for a three-week tour that includes a few festival dates. The guys also were just in the studio recording tracks for several projects, including a 7-inch single expected out in late April. While the band played about 20 shows in town in 2015, it plans to play only a handful of local shows in 2016 and will instead focus on developing regionally, nationally and even internationally. (Jeff Niesel) archieandthebunkers.com

FEATURE Case Bargè Personal struggles aren’t anything new to Cleveland’s Case Bargè. He’s managed to overcome adversities that ranged from homelessness to being robbed to having a hernia in his brain and subsequently learning to walk again. His music is conscious, passionate and determined and has drawn comparisons to contemporaries such as Andre 3000, Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar, among a few others. His previous project, Ghost, was received well, but it is Barge’s latest work, Insanity, that’s destined to take him over the top and be his most personal project yet. “I titled this project Insanity, mainly because of what I was feeling at the time,” he says. “Insane and misunderstood, on top of everything going on in the world.” Production on the album is handled by the likes of Phrazes, Blokhead Johnny, Will and Boca. He collaborated with Tezo on the single “Yax” and dropped a short film for “Affliction” prior to the album’s release. “Before writing [‘Affliction’], I was about to give up on everything,” he says. “Just the feeling of neglect, not being appreciated, and being misunderstood can kill a soul. Throughout the process of creating and just my day-to-day, I’ve grown to learn more about myself and life in general. A lot of low times through the process of Insanity, but I feel like I had to go through it all to be where I am today and I appreciate every moment and soul involved.” (Emanuel Wallace)

Cities and Coasts Back in 2007, singer-guitarist Nathan Hedges was signed to a small Virginia label and released a solo album. As he started to put a backing band together, he recruited Welshly Arms’ drummer Michael Gould who, in turn, helped him put a band together. Last year, they started recording as Cities & Coasts; the ever-rotating line-up continues to shift with each recording session, and that’s by design. “I wanted it be a revolving cast,” says Hedges, who cites old-school punk acts such as Bad Religion and Offspring as well as classic rock acts such as Beatles and the Who as influences. He’s particularly happy with the current line-up, which includes many members of other local acts, including Jon Bryant and Bri Bryant, two sharp, soulful locals who have their own damn band, Jabtune. “The whole point is to

Case Bargè magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 11

FEATURE embrace the scene. We have friends in different bands, and it’s great to get out there and support each other. It keeps us on our toes, and people in the crowd can see different influences working their way into the live show. Jon and Bri Bryant are always with us and they add a huge depth and dynamics, and the sax adds another texture. It’s a really fun group that we’re playing with right now.” After releasing its debut last year, the band had a busy summer. “We played a lot of shows and did a good job of promoting ourselves and doing the shameless self-promotion,” says Hedges. “We got asked to do a lot of summer festivals and that helped us. We kept getting invited to do more and that exposure helped us grow our fan base. We are a relatively new band, but the amount we played helped us define our sound, which has really expanded.” Earlier this year, the band released a new single, “Finer than Gold.” With its husky vocals and a jangly guitar riff, the song sounds like vintage Springsteen. “We kept a retro vibe, but I would say it’s got more a Motown vibe,” explains Hedges.

FreshProduce “There are Motown undertones on the first record. All of the influences that we define as our sound on the first record are still there.” Hedges says that the forthcoming full-length will sound even more diverse than the music the band’s made in the past. (Niesel) citiesandcoasts.com

Ray Flanagan and the Authorities By now, Ray Flanagan seems ubiquitous on the local rock circuit. And he is. It’s telling, however, that he and his band got together as recently as 2012 when they were living in Medina. Though he’s overseen a

handful of line-up changes since then, the original incarnation came together via a number of different high school bands. With Flanagan at the helm, they united and began to rock. Earlier this year, he released A Hard Shell to Break, a sophomore album that shows no signs of slump. “There just

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FEATURE isn’t any bullshit on it. I mean, we recorded it live, so what you hear is what we did,” Flanagan says. He grew up playing Metallica and Pantera — heavy stuff — and later veered toward Springsteen and the Americana scene. And the blend of those influences certainly comes across clearly on this latest album: It’s a fairly intense piece of rock ’n’ roll, anchored by Flanagan’s inventive riffs and his band’s wellinformed sense of dynamics. It’s one of our favorite local albums from this past year. “I think if you want to hear a real, true rock ’n’ roll album — guys sweatin’ it out in a room together — that’s that record,” Flanagan says. Keep an eye out for various new forms of the band in 2016; Flanagan tells us he’s considering dropping the “Authorities” moniker. There’s always been an element of uncertainty in the line-up (i.e., people move away, coming and going) and, well, it’s always tough to keep a band together. Beyond that, Flanagan is often playing shows as the Ray Flanagan Trio or solo outings with other musicians. He’s also planning on hitting the road sometime next year, bringing his Cleveland vibe to more exotic locales. And, heads up: Flanagan’s got another album on his mind as we flip the calendar to the next year. (Sandy) rayflanagan.net

FreshProduce It was Christmas night in 2014 when DJ Red-I (Brittany Benton) and Playne Jayne (Samantha Flowers) joined forces to form the hip-hop duo, FreshProduce. What originally began as a few impromptu ciphers soon became the full-length album, We Are FreshProduce. The album is a blend of thought-provoking lyrics paired with lush, soulful beats. In 2015, they released their first single, “More Like You,” and they soon thereafter released a video for “The Stroll.” Playne Jayne cites Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill as two of her earliest influences on her decision to become an emcee. “At 11 years old, I went to the Lauryn Hill Miseducation concert and it felt like Lauryn spoke directly to me,” she says. “What she talked about made so much sense, she looked like me and was so talented. After the concert, I got a T-shirt and a notebook and that’s where I started as an emcee.” DJ Red-I attributes her sound to the diverse genres of music she effortlessly spins on a regular basis. “Most of my experience comes from years of DJing and collecting different styles of music,” she says. “I grew up

listening to reggae, soul, jazz and hip-hop. The base of my production style comes from constantly blending these styles for the dance floor and making people move to the music.” This year, the ladies rocked stages at Grog Shop, Mahall’s and the Bop Stop. In 2016, FreshProduce has plans to embark upon a 20-date European tour and release their second project — tentatively titled Duce. (Wallace) wearefreshproduce.com

Chad Hoffman After gigging in bands around Columbus for a decade or so, singerguitarist Chad Hoffman found himself wanting to strike out on his own and pursue work as a solo musician. Since then, he’s spent time in Michigan and Cleveland, where he resides now and works full-time as a professional musician. “I quit the day job,” he told us. “It’s been a blessing.” Nowadays, you can find Hoffman playing sets all over town, most nights of the week. We ran into him a while back at Rush Inn in Lakewood, strumming a fine blend of reinvented covers and enticing originals. The crowd, always actively engaging with Hoffman’s music and wit, was completely into it. On top of his guitar, Hoffman has crafted some kit drums — little percussion instruments for his feet, which keep the music grounded and lively. He says that, as a solo musician, he’s got complete creative control over his domain. That’s the part he loves. But he’s also putting his neck on the line every time his writes and performs alone. “I always try to squeeze in as many originals as I can get away with,” he says, adding that, at the end of the day, a good deal of the audience base in Cleveland clamors for tunes they know and can dance to. “Even though it’s not in my wheelhouse of musical inspiration, it’s so much fun. Those songs really force me to be creative.” With a song list of more than 300 covers, Hoffman finds himself able to stretch his legs on a lot of tunes. He’ll dip into hip-hop — and pop singers like Lady Gaga and her hits — to put a twist on the Americana guitarist’s vibe. As 2016 opens up, Hoffman is working on building a studio in his home, so do expect more material from him — both on the Internet and, of course, at a lovely little bar near you. (Sandy) chadsolo.com

Listen, Little Man We last saw Listen, Little Man at the Euclid Tavern a few months ago. They showed up onstage well into the night and threw down an extremely energetic set. Frontman Xe La, hat pulled down low beyond

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 15

FEATURE

Melladramatics

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

his eyes, screamed and sang into the mic, casting eerie emotions across the band’s engaging, often progbased style of riffs and chord work. There’s a great deal of ’90s alt-rock and grunge DNA in their blood. “We definitely take stuff away from that,” guitarist Jeffrey Hennies says. By the time they hit the stage or the studio, the band blends a variety of heavy influences into a hybrid of rhythms and dynamics. It’s been a nice, quiet build for these guys; the band also includes drummer Kevin Patrick Suman and bassist Dylan Tracey. They’ve found a nice niche at some of the smaller venues around town — the holes in the wall that let people in for free and host a bill of regional bands. That style of gigging plays off Xe La’s roster of open mics that he hosts around Northeast Ohio. A few years back now, Hennies ran into him down in Kent at one of those events. The band came together fairly quickly and soon began playing stages as a unit. “The last year or two here, we’ve been gigging a lot. I’d say we play Cleveland once a month — or at least somewhere in Northeast Ohio,” Hennies says. The band pressed 500 CDs of their last album, and sold ’em all. Nowadays, they’re working with Bad Racket to get some old and new material back into circulation. (Sandy) listenlittleman.bandcamp.com

Melladramatics After a number of false starts and various line-up changes in other bands, Melladramatics came together a few years ago to pound out a nice take on punk rock sensibilities. We first caught up with them at an eastside gig this past fall, and their three-piece stylings certainly drew in our ears. Fast-forward to December, which has the band dropping a new album online and, in a good and just world, pulling in even more listeners. This crew has some excellent songwriting chops. The physical album can be found at Heights Music Shop, at 2174 Lee Rd. in Cleveland Heights. Diamond in the Rough, produced by Jim Wirt (of early Incubus renown), sees the band executing spacey punk tunes with self-aware lyrics. “Things,” in particular, is a great distillation of Mella’s crooning detachment. “It’s not such a problem / when you really look at it / things just happen / when you’re in the thick of it ... .” With the album circulating now, singerguitarist Mella and the band are hoping to snag the attention of venue owners around Cleveland. They’ve been trucking along on the margins of the music scene here for some time, reminding us as concertgoers that there are tiers in this community and plenty of terrific bands throwing

down thrilling sets in lesser known corners of the city. Looking ahead to 2016, Mella says there’s plenty of new material to keep kicking around onstage and — perhaps — in the studio. (Sandy) facebook.com/melladramatics

Midnight Passenger Everyone in Midnight Passenger — except for singer Tony Zaro — went to school together, facilitating a number of band formations along the way, Zaro tells us. The chemistry, clear onstage now, has been hard-wired from an earlier time and place. Zaro came onboard a few years back (via a Cleveland. com message board, interestingly enough), making the past three years a very serious endeavor for Midnight Passenger. This past year, the band dropped their first fulllength, Calypso, with local producer and figurehead Jim Stewart. It’s a statement piece — and a concept album, in a sense — that stakes Midnight Passenger’s claim in the local music scene. Both gentle and intense, the music on Calypso showcases a band brimming with ideas. “Beneath the Wolf’s Den,” for instance, begins with Zaro’s fullbodied vocals coasting across a lilting melody. Flipping the song’s dynamics, drummer Shane Zigler then leads the band into a wonderful collage of strings and percussion as the song progresses toward its climax. Beyond the bounds of the album, though, Midnight Passenger has certainly created a nice niche in the local music scene. They’re buoyed by the mutual support of a number of bands around town, thanks to a shared heritage that criss-crosses the past 15 years or so. “I would say in the past two years or so, the collective efforts of all the bands in the Cleveland area — it’s unbelievable how each band supports the rest,” Zaro says. “It’s an awesome time to be a band in Cleveland.” (Sandy) midnightpassenger.net

One Days Notice A common thread runs through One Days Notice’s music: As noisy as their music might be, the guys have a real appreciation for melody. “We’ve all been huge fans of old-school punk music, Bad Religion and Offspring,” says singer-guitarist Jesea Lee. “We’re also into Beatles and the Who and Nirvana and Pearl Jam. We gravitate toward the heavier side, but we have a huge appreciate for pop. We strive to write catchy songs.” The group actually wasn’t certain it would carry on after its previous album, 2013’s When Dinosaurs Get Drunk. But the group kept jamming and then started recording with locals such as Joel Grant and Lance Waste and their respective studios, Great White Bear and WSTLND. The resulting album, Blackout, comes out in early 2016. “We pieced it together from four different locations,” says Lee when asked about the album. “We even recorded some of the vocals at my apartment.” The artist friendly label Remember to Breathe Records will issue the album. Prior to its release, Substream Magazine and Idobi Radio will stream the album’s first two singles. A solid pop-punk release, the album commences with the Offspring-like “All That I Know” and then delivers one hard rocking tune after another. High-pitched yelps distinguish “Riot,” a tune that serves as a vibrant call-to-arms. “We wanted to go back to our pop punk roots,” says Lee. “We went way poppier on our last album, which ended up become more Maroon 5 and less of the Offspring. We wanted to write songs that would be super fun to play live.” (Niesel) facebook.com/onedaysnotice

Polars Songwriters Justin Miller and Kurt Eyman started this terrific indie rock group last winter when Miller bought a house in Lakewood and started building a home studio. The two began collaborating on songwriting duties and then independently recorded the group’s debut album, Into the Pines,

Midnight Passenger magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 17

FEATURE

Polars which draws equally from folk, indie rock and pop. They’ve described the band as a “journey to share its unique blend of songs that embody the landscape, cultural identity and sound of the Great Lakes region.” “Lyrically, a lot of things are inspired by the environment around us and the different emotions that brings from the region,” explains Miller. “We try to play on that. Musically or instrumentally, I don’t know if that applies as much. We’re trying to develop what our sound will be, but I want to move toward more ambient music and more abstract and darker music that comes from the wintertime and how that shapes our thoughts.” The band cites Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes as influences, and the music certainly has an atmospheric quality as in a song such “Indigo Kids,” where the band puts earnest vocals up front in the mix while presenting a balance of acoustic guitars, vintage sounding keyboards and piano. “Laniakea” features a vibrant violin riff courtesy of Molly Connolly, who’s collaborated with the like-minded local indie rock act the Lighthouse and the Whaler. Miller says fans should expect to hear more of the ambient textures the band explores on “Klop,” a track that includes percolating synthesizers. “I want the sound to become more dynamic,” he says. “We just added a trumpet player, and he knows some of the string and brass players in town.” The band has started writing songs for a new album it hopes to put out in 2016. (Niesel) polarsmusic.com

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

The Village Bicycle Guitarist Liz Kelly and her band share a vision — namely, to keep writing and performing badass music among friends. Keyboard

player Karah Vance concurs: “[Liz’s] lyrics touch on parts of us that we love,” referring to shared interests in politics, feminism and the general meanderings of life in our 20s and 30s. They certainly achieve that — tapping the vein of polyrhythmic punk rock and energetic live performances — based on the shows we’ve caught this past year. Drummer Debbie Randazzo, who drives the songs toward incredible feats of turnon-a-dime shifts in rhythm, joined the band after jamming with them at their West 96th Street practice space a while back. “She blew my mind,” Kelly says. After picking up some experience as a band, they display a very strong foundation in musical harmony and the technical side of songwriting. Listen, they’re a team — greater than a sum of their parts — and they maintain a commitment to working together. “We’re just really ready to have this recorded,” Kelly says of the new material, a forthcoming collection of tunes that we insist you keep an eye out for. Also watch out for upcoming shows, as we expect the band to continue making a big splash around town. “I think Cleveland is one of the most supportive cities,” Kelly says. We totally agree. (Sandy) thevillagebicycle.bandcamp.com Wanyama We’ve called them Cleveland’s “best party band” before, and that moniker still holds up quite nicely as we coast into 2016. They’re equal parts jam, funk and hip-hop, with dashes of more esoteric ingredients thrown in for good measure. “The jam scene in Cleveland is unique to itself because it seems more like a giant group of friends,” the band members tell Scene. “Every concert is like a party or get

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Marcus Alan Ward together where you’re guaranteed to see someone you know. Wanyama — originally the Cleveland Zoo — is an idea or concept of bringing members with diverse musical influences together to create a brand of music with no ‘genre’ or ‘style’ boundaries.” With none other than Cookie Lowry spitting rapid-fire lyrics alongside sax man Charles Wilson, and the rest of the band throwing down a collage of funk melodies, Wanyama shines onstage as a beacon of soulful dance grooves. “2016 will be our busiest year yet,” the guys continue. “We’re currently getting ready to go back into the studio; we have a brand new set of songs we can’t wait to get out to people. This album will have a completely different feel than our last one, Cleveland Zoo, focusing on a driving beat and a more intense experience.” Check them out at the Funk Nasty New Year’s Eve show at the Grog Shop. (Sandy) wanyamaband.com Marcus Alan Ward A proudly self-taught multiinstrumentalist and singer, Marcus Alan Ward issued a pair of EP’s under the Freeze-Tag name before issuing his debut full-length album, Last Night I Grew Tentacles, in 2014 on his own Long Division Recordings. Regarding the name change, Ward says, “it really draws distinction to the fact that I’m a one-man composer and that it’s just me, it’s more honest.” Ward has gradually gained traction throughout the region. An ambitious effort that draws from

soul, hip-hop, electronica and jazz, Last Night I Grew Tentacles features Ward’s distinctive falsetto and dense layers of synthetic and organic instrumentation. “I wanted to get back to that feeling when most R&B is not dominating the female. I wanted to say I’m shy and just be vulnerable,” Ward explained in an interview with Scene when the album was first released. The struggle between personal growth and deviation from societal norms plays a pivotal role in Ward’s declaration of individuality. “I know my place in music history and I know where I want to be,” he says. “And of course you compare yourself to other black artists who’ve done this before and you want to differentiate yourself. So, I don’t know many black artists who are making music like what I’m making. And I know my place in that and I know my place in mainstream black music. I have a lineage that I am driven to carry on the tradition of.” Ward has just released the EP Marcus in Wonderland, featuring his soulful take on tunes such as Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” and Sade’s “Kiss of Life.” Now that he has a booking agent, Ward plans to tour the region more frequently. He launches a Midwest tour Jan. 6 in Chicago and performs Jan. 10 at Mahall’s as part of the 12-day Capricorn Tour. (Niesel) marcusalanward.com

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

GET OUT

everything you should do this week

WED 12/30

Comedian Pete George brings his wacky sense of humor to the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. See: Thursday.

COMEDY

Ryan Dalton It’s been a long, slow climb to the middle for Cleveland comic Ryan Dalton. The guy started performing standup in 1998 and has had some minor success. He’s regularly on The Bob and Tom Radio Show and has appeared on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. He also makes the rounds of the comedy festival circuit. Currently in the midst of a short Midwest tour, he performs tonight at 7:30 at Club Velvet at the Hard Rock Rocksino. Much like Seinfeld, Dalton jokes about life’s absurdities. It’s a testament to the strength of his material that he doesn’t need to rely heavily on obscenities in order to be funny, and he’ll joke about things like what a mistake it is to tell a woman she has a gray hair. Tickets are $13 to $18. (Jeff Niesel) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, hrrocksinonorthfieldpark.com. COMEDY

Jake Iannarino Based in Columbus, comedian Jake Iannarino takes a fast-paced and hard-hitting approach on stage. No one is safe at one of his shows, as he constantly brings his audience into his act, whether through a joke at the expense of the crowd or just crowd participation. Iannarino is a great improviser, so don’t be surprised if you end up the butt of one of his jokes. Like most comics, he draws heavily from his life and his own experiences. He performs at the Improv at 7:30 tonight and again on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $10 to $15. (Martin Harp) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com. FILM

A Man Named Pearl To complement the Painting the Modern Garden exhibit that’s currently on display, the Cleveland Museum of Art will screen several films that have something to do with gardening. Today at 1:30 p.m., it will show A Man Named Pearl, a documentary about a guy who creates a garden that, as he puts it, will “make you feel differ-

ment baded on his life, and has released the comedy CD, Comedy You Can Dance To. He performs at the Hard Rock Rocksino’s Club Velvet at 7 and 10 tonight and has shows scheduled through Saturday. Tickets start at $20. (Niesel) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, hrrocksinonorthfieldpark.com. NIGHTLIFE

ently.” There’s something spiritual about the place and directors Scott Galloway and Brent Pierson capture that in their film. Tickets are $9. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

ing to rock from the No-Name Band in the Smith Lobby. There will be cash bars and a “fabulous” balloon drop at midnight. Tickets start at $46. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-765-7677, clevelandpops.com.

NIGHTLIFE

FAMILY FUN

Waters Wednesday Director John Waters has made some remarkable movies over the course of a career that stretches back decades. He defined a satirical style that critics have subsequently dubbed “camp.” The last Wednesday of the month at Now That’s Class is Waters Wednesday. For the very first Waters Wednesday, Pink Flamingos screens at 7:30 p.m. A Babs’ Hard Boiled Egg Eating Competition precedes the screening at 7 p.m. The drink special for the night: vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, pink Mad Dog and a splash of lemonade. (Niesel) 11213 Detroit Ave., 216-221-8576, nowthatsclass.net.

First Night Akron Now in its 20th year, First Night Akron represents a family-friendly way to ring in the New Year. Various venues along Main Street in downtown Akron will feature an array of entertainment. The Akron Civic will host ETC Held’s School of Musical Arts, the local indie rock act Shivering Timbers and the tribute band Hard Day’s Night. Admission buttons get you into all the events. The fun starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $10. (Niesel) firstnightakron.org.

THUR 12/31 NIGHTLIFE

NYE with the Cleveland Pops For the past 20 years, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra has hosted some kind of New Year’s Eve bash. Tonight at Severance Hall, the tradition continues. Singer Connor Bogart O’Brien joins the orchestra for a special Broadway revue at 9. Dancing follows until 1 a.m. at two venues within the hall; footloose types have their choice of hoofing it to music from conductor Carl Topilow and Pops’ members in the Grand Lobby, or groov-

COMEDY

Pete George A Cleveland native, comedian Pete George has come a long way since the days when he opened for a local magician. George — who got his start in show business as a lead guitarist in a Cleveland based ’80s rock group that, he claims, wanted to be like the band A Flock of Seagulls and so called itself A Peck of Peckers — has now played some 7,500 shows over the course of a 20-year career. He’s also had roles in The Shawshank Redemption and The Majestic and has made appearances on Blood Relatives, Tabloid, Night Shift, Now That’s Comedy and several national commercials including Audi and nick@nite. He also has a television show in develop-

New Year’s Eve Package for Rock Stars Plenty of bars and restaurants in town are throwing New Year’s Eve parties, but few of them boast the kind of rock ’n’ roll memorabilia you’ll find at Hard Rock Cafe. Packed with artifacts belonging to some of rock’s biggest stars, the place has plenty of appeal for partygoers who like popular music. Tonight from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., you can ring in the new year with rockers Average Joe. Tickets are $425 a couple but that includes hors d’oeuvres and “deluxe” overnight accommodations at the Renaissance. (Niesel) 230 West Huron Rd., 216-830-7625, www.hardrock.com. COMEDY

New Years Eve 2015 Comedy Packages You can bet that the clubs and restaurants on East Fourth Street will be bustling tonight as they host special New Year’s Eve parties. Pickwick and Frolic, the home to the comedy club Hilarities, offers an assortment of “comedy packages.” Comedian Tommy Johnagin performs at 7:30 and then again at 9. Various other packages that include food, drink and party favors are also available. Consult the website for times, ticket prices and more information. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. NIGHTLIFE

NYE at the CMA Cleveland Museum of Art kicks off its centennial year celebration with a special New Year’s Eve bash. The galleries will be open late into the evening so you can see Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Solstice 2015 performer King Britt will be on hand to deliver a DJ set of electronica, house and soul-fusion. Local DJ MisterBradleyP opens.

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 21

GET OUT In addition, there will be curatorled tours, gallery programs, visuals in the Atrium, late-night desserts, a complimentary champagne toast at midnight and “additional surprises” throughout the evening. Tickets are $40, $30 for CMA members. The “Centennial Package” will set you back $150. It comes with free reserved parking and access to the Centennial Lounge, complete with a complimentary full bar and specialty hors d’oeuvres. It all starts at 8 p.m. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

at 9 p.m. at the Symposium Nite Club in Lakewood. National acts such as Lou Lou Roxy, Your Catness and Cherie Blondell share the bill with local favorites such as Carmen M’Knoxide, Dahlia D’luxe and Shrimp Cocktail. There’s a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. General admission costs $10; reserved seating runs $15. You can get advance tickets

Social Club will serve up a New Year’s Day brunch today from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition to brunch comfort food classics such as biscuits and sausage gravy with fried chicken, Morning Glory mac and cheese, and shrimp and grits, the restaurant/bar will serve up traditional New Year’s Day breaded pork chop dinners with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes

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THURSDAY JAN. 14, 2016

with HONEYBUCKET

COMEDY

Mike Polk Jr. If you’ve seen a live performance by local comedian Mike Polk Jr. — the man behind the Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video, the Factory of Sadness video (parts 1 and 2), Last Call Cleveland comedy troupe and his very own show on Fox 8 (aptly called the Mike Polk Jr. Show) — you know he really thrives on having an audience at his disposal. Tonight at 7:30 and 10:30 at the Improv, he rings in the new year. Tickets are $30 to $45. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com. NIGHTLIFE

NYE with the Roaring ‘20s Speakeasy Burlesque A burlesque performer from Los Angeles who recently relocated to the Cleveland area, Ms. Fever Blister hosts tonight’s Roaring ’20s Speakeasy Burlesque New Year’s Eve bash that takes place

1/02

SPORTS

Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic When the Cavaliers played the Orlando Magic in December, they crushed them, thanks to a highscoring second half. In the Eastern Conference, only a handful of teams can challenge the Cavs, and the Magic aren’t one of them. As the Cavs get back up to full strength in the new year, expect them to assert their dominance. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. at the Q and tickets start at $27. (Niesel) 1 Center Ct., 216-420-2000, theqarena.com. HOLIDAY FUN

NIGHTLIFE

Our Shitty Annual NYE Party Not everyone thinks New Year’s Eve is the best party night of the year. Tonight, the irreverent folks at Now That’s Class host what they’re calling Our Shitty NYE Party. The place will be “a regular bar,” but a regular bar with unlimited jukebox credit. There won’t be a premium on drinks and there won’t be a fee at the door. As it’s put in the official invite: It’s an “anticlimactic and tedious night [so] make like it’s any other night of the year, which it is.” It starts at 5 p.m. and admission is free. (Niesel) 11213 Detroit Ave., 216-221-8576, nowthatsclass.net.

SAT

TICKETS: $ 5.50 (including fees)

On sale now at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame box office, or online at rockhall.com

1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44114 on the website. (Niesel) 11794 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216521-9696, phantasyconcertclub.net.

FRI

1/01

FOOD

New Year’s Day Brunch For the first time ever, Prosperity

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

($13.95) and the classic hoppin’ John. Prosperity will also offer housemade Bloody Marys and traditional Mimosas for $5. Reservations are encouraged but not necessary. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com.

Holiday Carriage Rides On Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 3, the Cleveland Cultural Gardens will host holiday carriage rides from noon to 8 p.m. For further information, check the website. (Niesel) 990 East Blvd, 216-791-6476 ext. 269, clevelandworldfestival.com. COMEDY

Tommy Johnagin Comedian Tommy Johnagin actually performed a special New Year’s Eve show at Hilarities, and the club has booked him to perform again tonight and tomorrow night. The even-tempered comedian has built an impressive resume in the past decade. In 2007, Tommy was invited to the prestigious Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, and he’s also appeared at Comedy Central’s South Beach Comedy Festival. He’s hit the usual late-night TV shows and has been a guest numerous times on syndicated radio programs The Bob and Tom Show and the The Ron and Fez Show. He generally jokes about dating and other bothersome aspects of daily life. He performs tonight at 7 and 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $27. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. NIGHTLIFE

Yoga & Music The Music Box Supper Club has had great success pairing music with yoga. That’s right: We said yoga. At tonight’s “workout,” your favorite Cleveland yogi Shari Carroll leads a vinyasa flow session while guitarist Thom Pope provides the tunes. Afterwards,

GET OUT enjoy $5 off a specially chosen wine flight and complimentary admission to see the terrific rock/ soul band Commonheart. The event starts at 5:30, and tickets are $15. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.

SUN

WEST END TAVERN

15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

1/03

NIGHTLIFE

Seventh Day Sweat The “seventh day” tends to be a day of rest for many folks. But not for the party hearty people who run B-Side Liquor Lounge, the popular dance club located beneath the Grog Shop. Dubbed Seventh Day Sweat, their weekly Sunday night soiree features DJ White Rims spinning “today’s hottest dance hits,” so you can “sweat it out” every Sunday. Admission is free but you must be 21 or older. It all starts at 7 p.m. (Niesel) 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com. COMEDY

A Half Hour Taping with Ramon Rivas Comic Ramon Rivas serves as ringleader for the local comedy scene. He regularly hosts shows featuring local laugh makers and also brings national acts to town. Tonight at 8 at Mahall’s, he presents Accidental Comedy Presents... A Half Hour Taping with Ramon Rivas. Recently selected to participate in Comedy Central’s A Comic to Watch program, he’ll tape tonight’s event that also features locals including John Bruton, Carrie Callahan, Bill Squire and Yusuf Ali. He returns to the club on Jan. 19 and 26 to tape more performances. Tickets are $10. (Niesel) 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-3280, mahalls20lanes.com. NIGHTLIFE

Mario Kart Competition At tonight’s Mario Kart competition at the Beachland Tavern, you can test your skills against others. A handful of Cleveland comedians will provide the color commentary. The competition starts at 9 p.m. and you must register in advance. Only 40 slots are available, and they will cost you $5 each. (Niesel)

MON

1/04

$3 OFF

Free Admission Day at the Zoo Looking for a fun and free way to start your week? Head on over to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which offers free admission for all residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township on Mondays. Whatever you decide to explore, you’ll be able to get up close and personal with all your favorite exhibits since Mondays are usually one of the least crowded days at the zoo. Today’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free Monday promotion is not available on holidays and unfortunately excludes access to the RainForest. (Alaina Nutile) 3900 Wildlife Way, 216-661-6500, clemetzoo.com.

WEDNESDAY

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FAMILY FUN

TUE

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1/05

SPOKEN WORD

Brews & Prose A monthly event, Brews & Prose brings some of the region’s top authors to Market Garden Brewery on West 25th Street. Tonight’s event features two terrific authors, Benjamin Landry and Brandy Schillace. Landry, the author of An Ocean Away and Particle and Wave, works as a research associate in creative writing at Oberlin College. He’s taught at Oberlin and the University of Michigan, as well as at secondary schools all over the world. His poems have appeared in Denver Quarterly, The New Yorker and Poetry Daily. A research associate and public engagement officer for the Dittrick Museum of Medical History at Case Western Reserve University, and managing editor of Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, Schillace recently published several books “exploring cultural approaches to death and dying.” She also writes for Huffington Post, among other publications. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the brewery basement. Other than the cost of your beers, it’s free. (Niesel) 1947 West 25th St., 216-6214000, marketgardenbrewery. com.

Find more events @clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 23

Photo by Rob Muller

ART

FOR ART LANG SYNE

CMA rings in a new year with a party, and a look ahead to its centennial By Josh Usmani New Year’s Eve 2013

THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF Art’s 2016 New Year’s Eve party is especially noteworthy this year, as the museum begins its year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary. Beginning at 9 p.m. this Thursday, the party features live performances by DJ MisterBradleyP, followed by King Britt, who is returning to Cleveland for the first time since this summer’s Solstice event. In addition to a complimentary champagne toast and desserts at midnight, the party includes gallery programs, psychedelic visuals in the Atrium, curator-led tours, free admission to Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse, a cash bar and additional surprises. All of the museum’s permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions will be open during the party. Tom Welsh, director of performing arts at the museum, says, “We have an exciting centennial year ahead, and it all starts on New Year’s Eve with King Britt in the Atrium — don’t miss.” Tickets are $40 for non-members and $30 for members. In addition, CMA has planned a series of special exhibitions, celebrations, loans and events for 2016, designed to engage the community. “The museum’s year-long celebration will honor this great institution in myriad ways,” promises CMA director William M. Griswold. “We have collaborated with staff and volunteers, as well as our outstanding board, generous donors, corporate partners and supportive community to plan meaningful and memorable programs that celebrate our history and set a bright and exciting course for the future. I invite everyone to take part in and enjoy the Cleveland

Museum of Art’s 2016 centennial.” For this milestone, the CMA is working with distinguished institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the J. Paul Getty Museum to bring works to Cleveland by artists like Titian, John Singer Sargent, Wassily Kandinsky and Marcel Duchamp, as well as a Luba mask from the Congo, a 17th-century silver sculpture from Tibet and a garlandstyle diamond necklace by Tiffany and Co. More than a dozen objects will be loaned. Some works will relate to the CMA’s permanent collection, while others will highlight artists and objects not currently represented by the museum’s permanent collection. Additionally, CMA is planning several special centennial exhibitions

celebration includes special programs and surprises. Members will receive an invitation with details closer to the event. The official CMA birthday party celebrates June 7, 1916, the day the museum officially first opened its doors to the public. This day-long celebration includes special programs, group photos, surprises and even birthday cake. The Centennial Festival Weekend is a two-day arts and music festival, including this year’s Solstice, one of the CMA’s signature events. Inside the museum, guests can participate in special programs, tours, music and more surprises. Outside the museum, and around Wade Lagoon, local artists will be creating original works. Saturday includes Solstice, the museum’s annual international

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART 1150 EAST BLVD., 216-421-7340 CLEVELANDART.ORG

throughout the year. These include Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt (March 13 to June 12), Converging Lines: Eva Hesse and Sol Lewitt (April 3 to July 31) and Art and Stories from Mughal India (July 31 to Oct. 23). On June 6, the CMA will host a members-only birthday celebration The official CMA birthday party follows on June 7, and the Centennial Festival Weekend arrives June 25 and 26. On Saturday, Oct. 22, the museum hosts its centennial Gala. The gala will gather nearly 1,000 nationally renowned collectors, artists and philanthropists to support and celebrate the museum and its 100th anniversary; reservations are required. The members-only birthday

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

music festival. Sunday’s grand finale features a Centennial Celebration Concert by the Cleveland Orchestra. Tickets are required for Solstice (and typically sell out very quickly), but the rest of the weekend is free and open to the public. Throughout the year, the museum plans to engage the community through a special series of outreach programs. From April through October, the CMA is encouraging the public to create self portraits in any media, inspired by the CMA’s collection, which can be shared through social media. From May through October, the museum will offer two more unique programs. Its new centennial Art Truck will bring art to go, interactive

presentations, studio classes and more programming directly to local neighborhoods. You can follow the Art Truck on Twitter using the hashtag #CMAArtTruck. Additionally, from May through October, the museum will be providing centennial Creativity Kits to guests of all ages. These kits are designed to help visitors connect with the CMA’s collection through art materials, creativity journals and collection guides. The calendar includes two more big events for 2016. The 27th annual Parade the Circle promises its most spectacular collection of musical performances, dancers, costumes and stilt walkers. Teams of international artists from Brazil, India and South Africa/Burkino Faso are being flown to Cleveland to help celebrate. On Oct. 9, all of Northeast Ohio is invited to the CMA for Draw Together: A Big Draw Event. Teaching artists will engage visitors in drawing classes in the galleries. Participants are encouraged to use the supplies provided in the Creativity Kits. The CMA was founded in 1913 “for the benefit of all the people forever,” said co-founder J. H. Wade II. It opened in the summer of 1916. The museum’s mission statement and longtime financial support ensure that its collections will remain free to the public forever. It truly is one of our community’s greatest assets. For a complete list of centennial celebrations (and to reserve a spot at the various ticketed events), visit Clevelandart.org/centennial.

jusmani@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene

STAGE WITCHES, BATS AND IDIOTS It’s been a year of edgy excellence in theater, and here are the winners! By Christine Howey SURE, GIVING AWARDS FOR creative pursuits is essentially stupid. But we keep doing it because rewarding excellence is better than allowing lame stuff to shuffle around, trying to pass itself off as something better. So in an effort to ward off mediocrity in all its pervasive forms, here are (peal of trumpets and coronets, please) my Theater Excellence Awards for the calendar year 2015, arranged somewhat randomly in arbitrary “Best Of …” categories. Hey, deal with it. Best Upside-Down Singing This award goes hands-down (up?) to the often upside-down Pat Miller. In Bat Boy, the Musical at Blank Canvas Theater, Miller created a vulnerable, hilarious bat-human creature that you’d like to take home to mother. Especially if mother is one of the ...

American Idiot

late 1950s. In a play that featured exceptional performances by Rodney Freeman, Prophet Seay and Katrice Headd, Calhoun captured a signature Cleveland vibe. Best Touring Stage Glitz Kinky Boots (love those 10-inch platform heels!) and the musical fireworks in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, both at Playhouse Square. Best Charming Young Guys You couldn’t find two more winning performances by young fellows than Robert Hunter in Superior Donuts at Dobama and Warren Egypt Franklin III in Godspell at Cain Park.

Best Play to Love … or Hate While Green Day’s American Idiot was not everyone’s favorite cup of bile, it worked — thanks to Scott Spence’s energetic direction and the muscular choreography by Martin Cespedes.

Best Performances in Small(er) Roles John Busser as nice guy Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire at Mamai Theatre. Valerie C. Kilmer as Rusty in Rosalynde and the Falcon at Talespinner Childrens Theatre. J. Todd Adams as a Joker-ish Caliban in The Tempest at Great Lakes Theater. Kelvette Beacham as Oda Mae in Ghost at Mercury Theatre Company. Alex Smith as Roy Cohn in Angels in America at Baldwin Wallace University.

Best Play by a Local Playwright In The Mighty Scarabs! at Karamu House, playwright Hubert Calhoun III told the story of the awesome East Tech basketball team that trounced opponents back in the

Best Acting Punch by One Person Aled Davies in the title role in King Lear at Great Lakes Theater. Greg White as Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall in Thurgood, and then as Willy Loman in Death

Best Witches in Cleveland In the magnificent production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, director Laura Kepley summoned dark feelings and many shivers from her superb Cleveland Play House cast. And it was played out on Scott Bradley’s awesome, evocative set.

of a Salesman, both at Ensemble Theatre. Faye Hargate in Feefer Rising at CPT. Best Acting Punch by Two People In First Love by Charles Mee at None Too Fragile Theater, Robert Hawkes and Anne McEvoy conquered a flawed script. And Allan Byrne and Allen Branstein excelled as two old dudes in Ages of the Moon at Ensemble Theatre. Best Troubled Men and Women Michael May as the compelling, tragic figure Loomis in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at Karamu. Rachel Lee Kolis’ physical performance as the sad clown Brandy in Tall Skinny Cruel Cruel Boys, produced by Theater Ninjas. Liz Conway as Fiona in in a word at Cleveland Public Theatre. (I called her extended pas de deux with a Kit Kat Bar “the most trenchant human interaction with chocolate since Willy Wonka boffed the Swiss Miss on the Cocoa Cruiser ride at Hershey Park.”) Neely Gevaart in the title role in Violet at Lakeland Civic Theatre. Bernadette Clemens as Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire at Mamai Theatre. Best (Almost) Side-by-Side Monologues In Bash: Latterday Plays by Neil LaBute at None Too Fragile Theater, Andrew Narten and Alanna Romansky nailed their respective monologues under the deft direction of Sean Derry.

Best Set Shots Todd Krispinsky’s weathered deck/boat and Benjamin Gantose’s evocative lighting in Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea at Cleveland Public Theatre. The mini-screen and full stage projections engineered by T. Paul Lowry in The Turing Machine produced by Theater Ninjas. The lush garden created by Ian Hinz in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo at Ensemble Theatre. The luxe period suite by Charlie Corcoran in A Comedy of Tenors at the Cleveland Play House. The jar-laden set designed by director Beth Wood and lighted by Benjamin Gantose in in a word at CPT. Linda Buchanan’s collapsing world in King Lear at Great Lakes Theater. Best Scenery Chewers Two at Dobama: Geoff Knox in OR and Christopher Bohan as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher. One at the Ohio Shakespeare Festival: Bernard Bygott as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. Best Actor/Set Designer Partnership Robert Hawkes, who brilliantly played elderly Judge Francis Biddle on Ron Newell’s magnificent lived-in set in Trying at Clague Playhouse. Ahh, bathing in excellence … what a feeling! Can’t wait for the good stuff in 2016.

scene@clevescene.com t@christinehowey

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 25

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

CLEVELAND SCENE WED, 12/30/15 4 COLOR

MOVIES

in theaters

SCENE’S TOP FILMS OF THE YEAR Sam Allard HOPEFULLY, YOU SAW MORE THAN Star Wars and Jurassic World at the movies this year. But if not, here’s a list of titles to get you caught up on 2015’s essential viewing. Though this is technically our “Top 10,” the rankings are in some ways arbitrary and are largely determined by — what else? — personal preference. Powerful individual performances and innovative screenwriting are two recurring themes on this year’s list. Rest assured, though, that by almost every metric (except perhaps, once again, diversity in the director’s chair), it was a kick-ass year for film. #10: IT FOLLOWS The sexually active teens of suburban Detroit are mauled by a juggernaut force in human form in It Follows, the year’s best and most original horror movie. The concept of misbehaving teens has been explored by the genre before, but never like this. Director David Robert Mitchell embraces a throwback, JohnCarpenter vibe — natural effects, synth-heavy score, etc. — and tackles a wonderfully simple premise: The only way to rid yourself of the “it” following you is to pass it on to the next victim. And the only way to do that is to have sex with them. This one is more than just a metaphor about scary teenage intercourse, though. It’s a screamer with one hell of a retro glaze. #9: STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Obvi. #8: SICARIO This taut, explosive cartel drama starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro is an edge-of-your-seater. Blunt stars as no-nonsense FBI agent Kate Macer. She’s tapped to aid an extra-governmental task force whose aim is to wreak havoc on the cartel business chain and bring its leaders out of hiding. It’s filmed with the visual immediacy (and scripted with the moral urgency) of something happening right now. Cinematographer Roger Deakins (a Coen Bros. regular), along with the top-notch principal cast, elevates Sicario, even though it tonally begins

patrons. Tarantino’s penchant for violence eventually asserts itself, flagrantly so, but far more compelling in The Hateful Eight is the gradual revelation of individual characters’ motives and backstories. It’s almost as if Agatha Christie coproduced. Prepare for a three-hourplus experience, and prepare to be absolutely gosh-wowed.

Ex Machina

as The Hurt Locker and ends as Inglourious Basterds. #7: ROOM The runaway bestselling novel by writer Emma Donoghue has been faithfully and, given the challenges of the source material, miraculously adapted in Room. The story follows a young boy and his mother as they escape from captivity and rediscover the outside world. The star of the show from start to finish is young actor Jacob Tremblay. His performance as the 5-year-old Jack (coaxed by what must have been a profoundly tender and communicative director, Lenny Abrahamson) is a marvel to behold. #6: THE DANISH GIRL It seems downright inhumane that the Academy would deny Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar for his tortuous performance in The Revenant (out Jan. 8), but after Eddie Redmayne’s performance in The Danish Girl, that race is anything but a lock. Redmayne plays transgender pioneer Lili Elbe, who transitions from male to female in early 20th-century Europe. Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Miserables) directs, and his periodpiece sets are as assured and elegant as ever. The beauty and power of the

movie, though, rest almost entirely in the hands of Redmayne and Alicia Vikander. It’s difficult to find fault with these go-for-broke portrayals. Oscar bait or no, this one’s the tearjerker of the season. #5: SPOTLIGHT It’s the darling among critics and journalists, and why not? Spotlight depicts the Boston Globe’s 2003 Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of the Catholic Church, and it does so without glamorizing or catastrophizing. It’s been compared favorably to All the President’s Men, but this is the stronger film, capturing not only the journalistic process from start to finish, but the emotional lives of the reporters and editors, and the cultural life of the city (and country, and historical moment) they inhabit. #4: THE HATEFUL 8 Tarantino’s boffo Western mystery — in “glorious 70 mm” — is as visually stunning as it is meticulously scripted. It tracks a bounty hunter (Kurt Russell) and his captured criminal, a sadistic murderer named Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) as they make their way to an inn in Wyoming and are forced to wait out a blizzard alongside a handful of sinister

#3: STEVE JOBS This blistering biopic of tech industry luminary Steve Jobs has the hallmarks of both director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and writer Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network). It chronicles the life of Jobs as it unfolds during three product launches at critical moments in his career. The script’s nontraditional form has caused some to level critiques about its “artifice,” but we hold that Steve Jobs is a masterful, elegant movie that portrays Jobs (intentionally or not) in a manner which mimics the design of Apple products themselves. Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg and even Seth Rogen knock it out of the park. It’s highvelocity cinema, baby, and it doesn’t have a single action sequence. #2: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Visual. Feast. #1: EX MACHINA Written and directed by Alex Garland, who wrote 28 Days Later and Sunshine (both Danny Boyle projects), this sleek and sinister production is as emotionally brutalizing as any of the Oscar dramas. Its camera lensing and production design are both unique and fully realized, but Ex Machina proves, most importantly, that scifi can be far more than gear and gadgetry. Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander star as a tech tycoon, a low-rung programmer and an artificial intelligence robot. The techies test the robot’s capacity for emotion in an underground lair, and shit goes magnificently haywire.

sallard@clevescene.com t@SceneSallard

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 27

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

EAT WHEN HE ISN’T BUSY crisscrossing the country visiting legendary barbecue joints for the Food Network show Burgers, Brew and ’Que, Michael Symon is obsessing over the particulars of his own barbecue joint: Mabel’s. It’s been a year and a half since the Iron Chef first revealed his plans to open a “Cleveland-style” barbecue restaurant on East Fourth Street, but only now are the final pieces falling into place. With hiring for the downtown restaurant set to begin in the coming weeks, we decided to check in with Symon and his team to see what we can expect when the hotly anticipated new concept finally debuts this winter. The major delay in opening, we learned, can be pinned on two main issues: the fact that the space, formerly La Strada, had to be completely gutted and rebuilt, and the smokers that Symon insisted upon were a nightmare to incorporate into the plans. “One of the reasons it’s taken so long is getting the smokers that we want in that space,” Symon says, referring to the twin fire enginered rigs that will feed his insatiable fans. “The best places that I went to — whether it was in KC, Nashville, Austin, Lockhart, pick a place — the one thing they all had in common is they cook with live fire from beginning to end.” While state of the art, the heavyduty smokers are genuine “stick burners,” meaning they rely solely on blazing hardwood for heat as opposed to those that employ

Michael Symon

COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH

Michael Symon dishes on the menu and cocktail program at Mabel’s BBQ By Douglas Trattner wood pellets and supplemental heat sources like electric or gas. Emerging from these beauties will be brisket, beef ribs, pork spareribs, turkey breast, lamb ribs and chicken, all with a style unique to Cleveland. “The coolest thing that I’ve seen more than anything is that all these guys have their own distinct style,” says Symon. “It all falls within a particular region, but they all kind of make it their own. That’s really reinforced for me that I want to work hard to make the barbecue at Mabel’s very Cleveland-centric.”

Michael Symon’s smokers

One thing that Symon experienced time and time again in the nation’s best barbecue joints, but will not adopt, is the cafeteriastyle service so prevalent in the genre. Mabel’s will be a full-service restaurant, which makes perfect sense when you think about it. “Most of the places that do cafeteria-style are in warm climates, so to queue a line out the door is not a big deal,” the chef says. “Having a line of customers run down East Fourth Street in the dead of winter doesn’t work.” The restaurant will seat about 100 guests at the bar, in the main dining room, and on a mezzanine. Starters range from smoked peanuts and pork rinds to crispy pig ears and tails. Signature sandwiches include the Mr. Beef, with brisket, onion and pickles, the Big Pig, stuffed with pulled pork, cracklins and slaw, and of course a Polish Boy, Cleveland’s famous kielbasa sammie piled high with fries, slaw and sauce. Almost as much consideration has been devoted to the beverage program as to the food program. Current Lola GM Nolan Cleary, who will shift into that role at Mabel’s, says the plan all along was to select beer, wine and cocktails that complement smoked meats. “The alcohol in high-gravity beers [like IPAs] doesn’t play really

well with the spiciness of barbecue,” he notes, adding that diners will see plenty of crisp Belgians, Germanstyle pilsners and “lawnmower beer” in cans. “High-acid white wines and full-bodied, fruity reds lend themselves to barbecue.” The concise wine list will feature pours like Chenin Blanc, Gruner Veltliner and some nice chilled Lambrusco, while 24 tap handles, large-format bottles and “some really cool cans” will round out the beer selection. Developing the booze portion of the menu is longtime Symon staffer David Earle, who, when not pouring cocktails at Lola or Lolita, is researching and writing about them in a scholarly manner. “The cocktail plan as I envision it plays with Low Country, Southern culinary culture, but elevating it a little bit,” he explains. “It’s going to be high-concept but ultimately accessible so that it will complement the barbecue and play well with Mike’s own whimsical attitudes about cooking.” Bourbon is going to have a high profile, naturally, with a generous selection of whiskeys that span the range of flavor profiles, from high-rye and high-corn to “wheaters” or wheated bourbons. Earle doesn’t shun “bottom-shelf” whiskeys, leaving plenty of room for classics like Old Crow, Mellow Corn, Ezra Brooks, J.T.S. Brown and Old Overholt. Just for fun there will be Sazerac snow cones and batch-made cocktails with tableside presentation. Moonshines will be used in cocktails like a seasonal shrub; a weekly boilermaker will pair a shot and a beer; and the monthly classic cocktail will be like the B-side of booze history. “I have drink books dating back to 1862; this classic cocktail is not going to be one that you’ve heard of before,” says Earle. For Symon, the wait has been long but it hasn’t managed to diminish his enthusiasm. “I’m more excited about it now than ever,” he says. “The more I travel, the more I see, the more I know how ours is going to stand up, the more excited I get. Doing real-deal barbecue is going to be fun.”

dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 29

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

EAT RISING STAR CHEF

Zachary Ladner, executive chef of Giovanni’s Ristorante By Nikki Delamotte LIFE MOVED FAST FOR ZACHARY and cooked everything on a woodLadner after moving to Cleveland. burning grill,” says Ladner. “Even After just four months on the job, at that level, those influences were nobody should expect to helm a pervasive.” restaurant kitchen like that of Born to a military family, Ladner the 40-year-old Giovanni’s (25550 moved throughout Texas, and later Chagrin Blvd., 216-831-8625, Massachusetts, before attending giovanniscleveland.com). But big culinary school. Growing up he would ambition isn’t a surprise when it’s fish with his grandfather and uncle in coming from a young chef from Texas. the Gulf of Mexico. His appreciation After two cooks moved on shortly after for seafood grew while spending three his hire, owner Carl Quagliata had a summers on Cape Cod and eventually decision to make about the future of carried on to culinary school, where his upscale Beachwood institution. he developed an interest in meat “I wasn’t sure and seafood if he was going to butchery as a hire another chef way to guarantee or promote me,” freshness. says Ladner, who “We do a originally hired tremendous in as a line cook, amount of training to move butchery for a to sous. “I told small restaurant,” him I’d really like he says. “I think — Zachary Ladner the opportunity to that’s missing run the kitchen from a lot of and he let me. I started in February places. You lose connection.” and by June I was head chef.” Lambs are bought in whole at Ladner almost didn’t become a chef Giovanni’s, for example, then broken at all. As a student at the University of down in the kitchen and turned Texas at Austin, he was a math major into daily specials. One of the most who began hosting dinner parties for popular is the lamb shoulder chop, friends that eventually turned into prepared sous vide, a method Ladner multi-course affairs. He decided to has long championed. Transitioning try his hand at restaurant work and to new techniques is never without its ended up at the Culinary Institute challenges, especially when coming on of America. It was there he met his board at a restaurant with Giovanni’s future wife Alyssa, a fellow student history. who happened to be a Cleveland native. “We’ve had customers who’ve been After moving to Cleveland, Ladner here since day one,” he says. “Coming joined Giovanni’s in 2010 and Alyssa in, there are expectations. You have to soon followed as pastry chef. be sure that when you change chefs Though Ladner may have quickly there’s a consistency.” planted his feet firmly in Ohio, his Working with Quagliata has next great undertaking speaks clearly been a big part of that. More than a to his San Antonio upbringing. restaurateur, he became a mentor, Recently, Scene broke the news that guiding Ladner through pleasing he and Quagliata will be opening longtime guests while adding his own a barbeque restaurant in Mayfield flair, something that will no doubt Village. While it might seem a carry on to their forthcoming venture. departure from Giovanni’s, it’s familiar “We have to keep the traditions fare to Ladner. Living in Texas, he intact but evolve the menu and says, eateries infused with Mexican concept,” he explains. “The food scene and barbeque flavors were plentiful, 40 years ago, or even 10 years ago, giving him an early affinity for the was substantially different than it is likes of chiles and limes. In fact, he now. You have to keep up with the did his externship at Hudson’s on the times.” Bend, a rustic steakhouse in Austin where live-fire cooking was prevalent. scene@clevescene.com “It was an old fine-dining restaurant, but we had a big smoker t @cleveland_scene

“We have to keep the traditions intact but evolve the menu and concept.”

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 31

EAT

bites

NOW OPEN: HERB’N TWINE SANDWICH CO. By Douglas Trattner IT’S TAKEN THE BETTER PART of a year to transform the infamous Speak in Tongues nightclub space on Lorain into a place safe for food preparation and consumption, but the doors officially have swung open at Herb’n Twine Sandwich Co. (4309 Lorain Ave., 216-465-9600). The big day was ushered in on December 16. Owner Brendon Messina, who last worked with chef Jill Vedaa at

Rockefeller’s in Cleveland Heights, describes the shop as a casual quick-serve stop for local residents, commercial tenants, and anybody else looking for a wholesome, delicious lunch or dinner. Post renovations, the storefront space is rustic and plain, with an open kitchen, wood floors, exposed brick walls and yards of gleaming white subway tile. Exposed ductwork

Korean Fried Chicken

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

and electrical conduit give the space a slight industrial feel. A handful of high-top tables offers seating for a dozen guests, but Herb’n Twine is mainly a grab-and-go (assuming you called ahead) sandwich shop. Messina’s menu features a half dozen made-to-order sandwiches, a few salads and a soup. Daily specials in each category bump that number up by one or two. The Korean Fried Chicken ($10) features two fat white meat filets that are deep fried to order, tossed in a sweet and spicy glaze and layered into a hoagie bun with Asian slaw and fresh herbs. It’s a big, meaty and well-executed sandwich. Others on the regular menu include a toasted grilled cheese sandwich ($8.50) that pairs nutty fontina and Gruyere cheeses with sweet fig jam. The sandwich can be made with or without bacon. I’ll be back to try the Porchetta ($9.50), the chef’s brined-cured-roasted-andsliced pork shoulder dish, which is made with crispy pork rinds and “chilichurri” sauce. Oddly enough, the Chop salad is not a chopped salad; it’s the House salad that features chopped romaine. The Chop ($5.50), instead, is a big,

fresh and Chef-like salad flush with two types of greens, house-smoked bacon, hard-cooked eggs, a bunch of shaved veggies and a creamy but light buttermilk dressing. Like most items, the salad is large enough to share with a companion. On its own, the tomato bisque ($4) is nice and tomatoey — but the soup improves dramatically after dropping in the accompanying blue cheese croutons. Daily soups have run the gamut from spiced carrot and curry lentil to creamy tomato with roasted Brussels sprouts.

DISH OF THE DAY: BEEF SHAWARMA PLATTER AT FERRIS For years, Ferris Deli (13507 Lakewood Heights Blvd., 216-2523354) has quietly been putting out amazing Middle Eastern food from its out-of-the-way home in Lakewood. If you’re a fan of La Plaza, the Mexican grocery store with authentic tacos, you likely have driven right past it. Like many ethnic restaurants trying to draw broad crowds, Ferris for years put forward a menu that

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THE DON(FORCORLEONE PIZZA A LIMITED TIME) mixed Lebanese standards with more accessible American foods. But wisely, the small restaurant recently pared down the menu considerably, jettisoning salads, sandwiches and burgers, instead focusing on just a handful of Middle Eastern offerings. When your beef shawarma is this good, there’s really no need to flip burgers. Walk in to Ferris, a modest shop with a handful of tables, and you’ll spot a trio of spinning-meat towers. Each is stacked with marinated pieces of halal chicken or beef, depending on the dish. As they spin, the insides gently cook while the outsides get nicely charred from the heat source. When ordered, the chicken or beef shawarma is thinly sliced and utilized in sandwiches and platters. In place of the typical thick and heavy pita bread, Ferris uses a thin lavash-like wrap, giving the sandwiches a lighter feel. Order the Beef Shawarma Platter ($8.50) and you’ll receive a plate crowded with a tightly bundled foot-long wrap, sliced into easy-toeat rounds, a mountain of hot and crispy fries, creamy coleslaw, Arabic pickles, and about a half-pound of extra shawarma on top for good measure. The best part of the platter might just be the garlic sauce, which puts ketchup to shame when it comes to partnering with french fries. Also on the Ferris bill of fare are hummus, fattoush, falafel and shish tawook, or marinated and grilled chicken shish kebabs. Ferris also sells fried chicken, which I’m told is the sleeper hit of the entire place. Next time, fried chicken. Next time.

HARBOR INN FINALLY SELLS, CHANGES AHEAD FOR LANDMARK BAR So that sale of the fabled Harbor Inn that we and others reported on in late August? The one that would have left Cleveland’s oldest bar with little to no changes going forward? It never went through. The sale was delayed amidst some problems in transferring the liquor license; meantime, there was a change in management. Now it will be Kim Kercher and Kem Kamola — part of the investor group that’s an affiliate of the Jacobs Investments, Inc. — who will be taking over the best bar in America. The question is whether it will still be the best bar in America. Whereas the previous managers in waiting weren’t going to change much, Kercher and Kamola aim to change quite a bit. “Kenny and I will just tweak it,” Kercher told the Plain Dealer. “We’re going to keep the ambiance here, but we’re going to give it a little elbow grease, if you will.” What does that mean? The kitchen will stay open until 7 p.m., the bar could open on Sundays, daily lunch specials will vanish, there will be table service, draft beer will be added, and the extensive bottled beer selection will be chopped. “You’ve got to kind of bring this up to the 2000s,” Kamola told the Plain Dealer. “It’s exciting to think that we get to keep a Cleveland landmark alive.” Kercher and Kamola take over on Jan. 4.

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dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 33

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

anticipated two-level restaurant. Chef-owner Cory Hess already has shared his plans for the food menu, an eclectic collection of moderately priced tavern fare mixed with slightly more upscale entrees. Pizzas and sandwiches are part of the plan, but so too are platters of raw and cooked seafood, meaty entrees, snacks, starters and sides. We also know that given the development team, which includes Robert Maschke Architects, the interior will be an unconventional showstopper, a sentiment confirmed by Arcadian GM David Hridel. “The place is going to be sexy; it’s not going to be like anything else in town,” he gushes. “It’s going to be really cool to see everything come together after, what, three years?” We also are learning more about the beverage program, which will be under the direction of bar manager Jeff Rowe, whose relationship with bossman Hess stretches back to the Bistro on Lincoln Park days. He’s had the pleasure of working alongside some of Cleveland’s finest bar pros, he notes, including Will Hollingsworth, Mike Gulley and current colleague Hridel. “We’ve been talking about this for years now,” says Rowe. “We’re trying to make everything perfect

so that, when we do finally open up to the public, people are going to be dazzled, whether it’s with the architecture, or the food or the cocktail program.” Powered by People Rowe has worked closely with the chef to develop a beer, wine and cocktail program that will complement not just the food, but also the space and the neighborhood. The 14-seat bar will feature 12 taps for beer, four taps for wine, wines by the bottle, and a cocktail program that will include classics, Rowe’s own creations, and frequent specials. In addition to a dedicated bar menu for food, the bar will host two separate happy hours per day, one early and one late. “We want to be a destination where you can get some great food and then hang out after the dinner crowd dies down, when it turns into a drinking destination,” Rowe says. Rowe’s repertoire might include small-batch cocktails like punches and shrubs served from liter bottles. Not to be confused with batchmade cocktails served from a keg, or barrel-aged cocktails that age gracefully on a backbar for weeks or months at a time, Rowe’s will be fresh and fun. “I like some cocktails to be a little funky,” he says. “I don’t like them to be straightforward; I like a lot of complexity to them. I like giving people variety, which keeps them coming back.” More than bricks, bottles or bar snacks, what will set Arcadian apart from the crowd, says management, is the human element. “Cory’s built a great team,” Hridel says. “What’s going to separate Arcadian from a lot of guys in town is going to be the service. I think it’s the people who can build up crews of professionals, seasoned vets, people who know their stuff and want to entertain and take care of you. That’s all we’re trying to do.”

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 35

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

MUSIC MUSIC YOU MISSED A look back at the 2015 releases that might have slipped below the radar 2015 WAS A GREAT YEAR FOR NEW MUSIC — especially new music that wasn’t Adele, Justin or Bruno. Scene asked a few college radio music snobs what they thought was worth listening to in 2015 and here’s what they came up with. Bully Feels Like (Columbia/Startime) Lead singer Alicia Bognanno screams/ sings in the best ’90s alt rock way on this kick-ass fuzzed-up guitar rock album from the Nashville-based band. When you want to reminisce about your late-20s ennui, play “Trying.” On it, Bognanno sings, “I question everything, my focus, my figure, my sexuality/And how much it matters or why it would mean anything.” Turn this one way up. (Christine Hahn) Eternal Summers Gold & Stone (Kanine) This exquisite Roanoke, Virginiabased three-piece’s latest work finds them re-visiting the shimmering guitar textures from their earlier albums while retaining some of the sneaky toughness that marked last year’s The Drop Beneath. Nicole Yun displays considerable vocal range throughout the 10 tracks, and her ace guitar work is both nuanced and tenacious. Sturdy bassist Jonathan Woods and one-ofa-kind drummer Daniel Cundiff are total pros in the rhythm department, injecting each track with whatever it asks for, if not more. If ever a record should be a soundtrack to your daydreams, Gold & Stone can safely play the part. (Ed Zeitz) Ghostface Killah & BadBadNotGood Sour Soul (Lex Records) Of all the forces to be reckoned with in the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah has proven himself to be among the most formidable as a solo emcee. One of two albums the rapper has released this year, Sour Soul indeed has plenty of soul but no sour notes. Instead, Ghostface sounds sweetly at home spitting rhymes steeped in the dramatic, warm beats of Canadian

hip-hop/jazz trio BadBadNotGood. In a year full of terrific hip-hop albums, with Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly besting them all, Sour Soul comes off as a fun artistic statement that may have wrongly fallen through the cracks for fans of meticulously constructed and deeply texture rap music. In a word, this album is really GoodGoodNotBad. (Teddy Eisenberg) Colleen Green I Want to Grow Up (Hardly Art Records) Colleen Green wants to sleep in her big-girl bed and wear her big-girl underpants. Or does she? Teen angst doesn’t end at age 20, or even at age 30 for that matter, according to Green; instead, it’s made even more unbearable by the adult self-awareness designed to protect us from social humility. From ADHD to instant gratification, Green wades through all of the innate syndromes of humanity for which adulthood is no cure, oscillating torturedly between “Don’t touch me!” and “Please touch me, because no one else will.” A mingling of jaunty pop-punk tracks with tinny ’90s twee, the album is on a mood swing with an arc as wide as the social chasm engulfing Green. “Pay Attention” will have you dancing like you’re home alone, while “Things That Are Bad for Me” reminds us that reckless abandon is the one side effect of youth we’re sad to see go. In the end, maybe you’ll realize that none of this is worth worrying about when you’ve got an ever-faithful best friend like “TV.” The album’s haunting relatability is an umbrella that will draw in even the most “grown-up” listener for shelter from life’s emotional storm. (Bethany Kaufman) The Honeycutters Me Oh My (Organic) Starting out as a lazy two-step across a barroom floor, the Honeycutters’ Me Oh My gracefully transforms

into an upbeat symphony of regret, redemption and resurgence. Led by singer-songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, the Asheville-based quintet attempts to sort out the messiness of modern relationships through a series of straightforward, no-frills country vignettes. Platt’s sturdy vocals effortlessly weave their way around the mandolin, dobro and keys, presenting varying perspectives on love, both from the female side (“Me Oh My”) and from the male counterpart (“Hearts of Men”). For fans of Eilen Jewell, Zoe Muth and fellow North Carolinians, Whiskeytown, the Honeycutters’ third full-length lives up to the title of its opening track: “Jukebox” serves a heaping helping of honky-tonk, bluegrass and soul-tinged roots rock. (Emma Sleva)

The Lowlifes How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Fury (Self-Released) This way-under-the-radar release is compliments of Chris Hansen and Matt Pond. Pond has eschewed the age-old mechanics of record labels and has taken total control of his output by jettisoning his Matt Pond PA moniker and starting anew with this new name and record. Both weary and urgent, the recording not unexpectedly teems with Pond’s astute, poetic lyrics and Hansen’s exquisite arrangements and guitar work. Receiving what amounts to two fabulous new Matt Pond records inside of six months (The State Of Gold was released at mid-year) is a welcome embarrassment of riches. (Zeitz)

Tobias Jesso Jr. Goon (Arts & Crafts) John Lennon may have passed away 35 years ago, but his spirit is alive and well in the music of British Columbia’s Tobias Jesso Jr. Written after a painful breakup and his mother’s cancer diagnosis, Goon channels that sincerity into 12 perfect ballads. Produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys and John Collins of the New Pornographers, Jesso Jr.’s debut album is a testament to just how much magic one man can conjure with a piano and an earnest voice. You may also recognize this budding talent from his writing credits, which include Sia’s “Alive” and the new Adele smash hit “When We Were Young.” Goon is piano-driven pop at its most compelling. (Eisenberg)

Lunchbox Smash Hits EP (Jigsaw Records) The Smash Hits EP, which features six songs that clock in at 13 minutes, is all killer and no filler. Bay Area-based singer-guitarist Tim Brown and bassist Donna McKean offer a passing nod or two to Guided By Voices, and blast away with their edgy, sweet power-pop, punctuated by grins and sneers. This EP hits overdrive from the first note and doesn’t let up until the last. (Zeitz)

Linden Rest and Be Thankful (Slumberland) Over the past 25 years, Scotland has become the mecca of power-pop, and Linden is its latest export. On Rest and Be Thankful, the sheen of chiming guitars, ethereal leads and sunny horns resound between passages reminiscent of ’70s AM pop, simultaneously inducing sensations of summer and winter. Soft, dream-like and slightly twee at times, Joe McAlinden and company offer baroque lullabies such as “Pull Me Round Again” and “Take My Hand” and a bit of twang with “Window Pane,” recalling early Beachwood Sparks. For serious fans of Scot-pop, the joyful title track stacks up against the best of them. At only 28 minutes in length, Rest and Be Thankful is one you’ll want to put on repeat and not soon put to rest. (Sleva)

Milky Wimpshake Encore, Un Effort! (Fortuna POP!) There’s not enough English lo-fi twee pop out there anymore. This Newcastle, U.K.-based duo’s release includes romance, politics and the politics of romance, all with drums, guitar and boy/girl back-and-forth vocals. Songs like “Heterosexuality is a Construct” use a Billy Bragg-like electric guitar plaintiveness. “Girl in Brackets” is the story of trying to figure out what you call that person you’re sleeping with. This album is for the pop-punk anglophile in you. (Hahn) T. Hardy Morris, Hardy & the Hardknocks Drownin’ On a Mountaintop (Dangerbird) In addition to contributing his own brand of Southern grit to indie rock collective Dead Confederate and lo-fi glitz to side project Diamond Rugs, T. Hardy Morris has been busy crafting a solo catalog. Hardy & the Hardknocks: Drownin’ On a Mountaintop

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 37

MUSIC represents his most recent work to date. Backed by the aptly named Hardknocks, Athens, Georgia-based Morris delivers a collection that includes slow-simmering, cinematic ballads (“Just Like the Movies”) as well as ramshackle CBGB-era rockers (“My Me”) and Dixie-fried garage tunes (“Starting Gun”). Here, Morris conjures sonic visions of Marc Bolan fronting the Flying Burrito Brothers. Drownin’ On a Mountaintop explores how it feels to be an “old soul” trapped in a society obsessed with youth (“Young Assumption”). Mountaintop is alternately a Saturday night party record and a Sunday morning dirge. (Sleva) Moving Panoramas One (Modern Outsider) Probably best known for her stint as one of the Wooden Birds, Austinite Leslie Sisson very assuredly moves front and center with her new band, aided by long-time pal Karen Skloss behind the kit and recent School of Rock graduate Rosie Castoe on bass. On Moving Panoramas first full-length, the three-piece cranks out reverb-y warmth in varying combos of thoughtful dreampop and delicate shoegaze, carving out a unique niche perhaps best referred to as dreamgaze. No matter what it’s called, Austin loves them, and there’s every reason why a lot of other cities should love them as well. (Zeitz)

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

Daniel Romano If I’ve Only One Time Askin’ (New West) Most say you shouldn’t judge an album by its cover, but Daniel Romano’s If I’ve Only One Time Askin’ would beg to differ. Hazily double-exposed, in a vintage Western shirt and striped polyester trousers, with cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, Welland, Ontario native Romano immediately brings to mind the cosmic-country psychedelia of Lee Hazlewood — as does his second release on New West. Romano sets the tongue-in-cheek mini-dramas of the latter to the avant-garde orchestrations of Van Dyke Parks, along with vocals that recall a young Willie Nelson. Romano’s background in graphic design and leather-tooling come in handy on this record, as he stitches together the grandeur of classic Nashville with the bombast of West Coast pop and outlaw country. (Sleva)

Whitney Rose Heartbreaker of the Year (Cameron House) Not to be confused with fellow Americana songstress Caitlin Rose, Whitney tips her cowgirl brim to both pop and countrypolitan of the 1950s and 1960s on Heartbreaker of the Year. Evoking the styles of Brenda Lee, Ronnie Spector and Wanda Jackson, her refrains swirl through a shimmering landscape of pedal steel and echoing vibrato associated with the Brill Building and Gold Star’s “Wall of Sound.” Produced by Raul Malo, Rose’s debut is certainly kissed with the South-ofthe-Border mystique synonymous with Malo’s main act, the Mavericks. Heartbreaker oscillates between the harmony of rural living and the dissonance of the city, the past and the present, delving into memory and making the melancholia of lost love sound more blissful than the requited. Malo and Rose team up on a sparkling rendition of “Be My Baby,” but “Little Piece of You” is the star of this rodeo. (Sleva) Shannon & the Clams Gone by the Dawn (Hardly Art Records) After spending three albums concocting the perfect folklore menagerie-land in which to dwell, the Clams take Gone by the Dawn, their fourth release, as an opportunity to peek back through the curtain to reality. It’s an album about love on the run, most often in the “away” direction, and it marks the first time the band has seized a topical meeting place for its collection of songs. The group’s core aural aesthetic hasn’t changed, even if increased production files off some of their lo-fi edge. Just as before, Shannon Shaw’s vibrato settles deep into a gravely bed while Cody Blanchard’s pterodactyl screeches soar above, all in a forest of fuzzed-out jangle guitar. The album’s final four tracks could easily be extensions of any of the band’s previous releases of grisly rock. But tracks like the bopping “It’s Too Late” and the sad-and-sassy “Point of Being Right” show the Clams aren’t above the lighter fizzy-lifting-drink side of things. Although these tracks lure the listener into a sing-along with sugary hooks, the band can’t condemn itself to doing everything kosher: The guitar and organ still sound like they’re humming into a kazoo. (Kaufman)

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Shopping Why Choose (FatCat Records) What’s more tongue in cheek than an album named Consumer Complaints by a band called Shopping? Perhaps only their sophomore release, Why Choose, which comes off like a modern-day “any way you like it” advertisement that fails to mention the brand name it supports. This London-based trio will entrance you. It’s post-punk meets new wave minus the synths: high-energy, bouncy dance rock, with a nod to the Slits. Concept-wise, the album is just as non-committal as its title would suggest. A number of tracks deal with failed or struggling relationships from “No Show” to “Sinking Feeling,” a tune about one partner drowning in emotional turmoil while the other skates on a sheet of ice-cold oblivion above. If you’re looking to lose yourself in the groove, look no further than “Straight Lines,” on which drummer Andrew Milk’s vocals charge through like a freight train, or “Why Wait,” a track about practicality in a world riddled with conveniences. (Kaufman) Sufjan Stevens Carrie and Lowell (Asthmatic Kitty Records) Sufjan Stevens’ seventh album, Carrie and Lowell, sounds a lot less electronic and experimental than his last few releases have been. An album about growing up with a mentally ill mother who suffered from drug addiction and substance abuse, it has a real poignancy to it as Stevens tells the stories with slow and powerful songs like “Fourth of July,” a tune that features a quiet piano opening and the compelling refrain, “We’re all gonna die.” A plaintive strumming, questioning track, “Drawn to the Blood” brings back the old Sufjan we love with Catholic references and quiet guitars. (Hahn) Kamasi Washington The Epic (Brainfeeder) Kamasi Washington’s aptly titled album, The Epic, is a triplelength, 172-minute jazz odyssey for the 21st century. Presenting a deep and bold vision for the genre that is simultaneously accessible and virtuosic, the debut album impressively

engages the listener in a musical dialogue without pandering to the cliches commonly associated with jazz. Nowhere is this clearer than on cuts like “Change of the Guard,” which marries the album’s lush modal piano playing with raw and confident soloing from Washington and his band. The Epic proves that compromise has no place in the aspiring Washington’s music, and the compositions heard here benefit immensely from it. This is as thrilling as jazz gets. (Eisenberg) Waxahatchee Ivy Tripp (Merge) The third Waxahatchee record is a step forward while nodding to the past, as Katie Crutchfield’s previous band (along with sister Allison) P.S. Eliot’s more beefy elements tunefully infiltrate several songs. There’s also a step up with Crutchfield’s thoughtful lyrics (“Our love tastes like sugar but it pulls all the life out of me” is one of a hundred superb examples) and plaintive voice, sometimes heavy, sometimes hopeful, and always convincing. It’s a confident step into the spotlight with a record can be a springboard into new and unexpected territory in 2016 and beyond. (Zeitz) Yo La Tengo Stuff Like That There (Matador) Yo La Tengo has released albums since 1986, but the group still comes off like that new band you want to tell people about. Like their 1990 release Fakebook, Stuff Like That There features eclectic covers and remixes of Yo La Tengo’s own songs. A highlight on this release is the cover of the Cosmic Rays with Le Sun Ra and Arkestra’s “Somebody’s in Love.” It’s originally a doo-wop tune but singer Georgia Hubley gives it a very sweet, folky feel. Also featured is the often-covered Cure tune “Friday I’m in Love.” It’s not a very original take but lovely nonetheless. Interestingly, the band covers its own track, “Deeper into Movies,” delivering it as a stripped down, less orchestral version of the original with Hubley, rather than Ira Kaplan, on vocals. Even though this album is mostly covers, it’s still a great introduction to Yo La Tengo. (Hahn) Christine Hahn hosts Stonecoldbikini, Saturdays 9-11 a.m., Emma Sleva hosts The Occasional Detour, Saturdays 11 a.m.-1p.m., Ed Zeitz hosts Chasing Infinity, Sundays 8-10 a.m., Teddy Eisenberg hosts The 59 Sound, Thursdays 8-10 a.m. Go to wruw.org for more information.

scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 41

MUSIC

AT A CROSSROADS

As an album trilogy comes to a close, Red Wanting Blue’s Scott Terry ponders the band’s next step By Eric Sandy THERE IS A SMALL CHAIN OF hotels that grace the Western U.S. For decades, they have served as bastions of relief and comfort along, for instance, the flat contemplations of I-80 in Wyoming. And when he and his bandmates needed a moment of solace a few years back, Scott Terry, the lead singer of Red Wanting Blue, found it at Little America. This was a few years ago. The band avoided a deadly truck accident on the top of a mountain in Wyoming. The first truck stop they encountered down the road was outside the Little America hotel. They stopped, took a moment to collect themselves — “If it wasn’t for that guardrail, the truck would have hit us,” Terry says — and exhaled. “You forget how fragile you are, living in a van and driving around the country,” Terry says. And Red Wanting Blue is a touring band’s band. They’ve essentially been on the road for nearly 20 years, deepening their personal map and writing what Terry calls “road records” along the way. So when he and his bandmates — bassist Mark McCullough, guitarist Greg Rahm, drummer Dean Anshutz

and guitarist Eric Hall — found themselves on the other side of a neardeath experience, well, that’s when the writing for their next album grew more immediate. They released Little America in July 2014, etching a moment in time for a band that’s relished countless others. The songwriting seems more clear-eyed and more laid-back on this one. Terry may have become a more comfortable songwriter over the years, as he’s maintained his commitment to honesty in music and to transposing the stories of his life into song. It’s

Magnificent Miles.) And in that way, the band finds itself contemplating a crossroads. What’s the score here? What’s next? “That whole time period was a real experience for our band,” Terry says. “We’re autobiographical writers, so we write about what we know. Little America on a lot of levels felt very introspective to me, like we were looking back on all the experiences that we’ve been gathering.” Terry spins a metaphor when he describes the band’s arc — the narrative that’s led them to this level of

RED WANTING BLUE 7 P.M. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30; AND 8:30 P.M. THURSDAY, DEC. 31, HOUSE OF BLUES, 308 EUCLID AVE., 216-523-2583. TICKETS: $30 ADV, $35 DOS (DEC. 31), $50 FOR BOTH NIGHTS, HOUSEOFBLUES.COM

less heavy, dynamically, while still being complex, “Dumb Love” being analogous in some ways to 2012’s “Audition.” The album closes the book on a trilogy of sorts: the three albums that came out of Red Wanting Blue’s relationship with Fanatic Records. (The label had re-released 2008’s These

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

success and happiness. He compares his work to building a boat. It’s his boat, he says, even if it’s just a ragged little canoe drifting in the shadow of some other guy’s grand yacht. “I will always love to get in that boat. I built it, and it’s mine. I know every corner of it,” Terry says. “The greatest emotional triggers I can draw

from when I perform onstage come from my own life.” That’s how Red Wanting Blue has built its songwriting and its approach to music. It is indeed a conscious evolution. To take one example, that’s how a slew of acoustic dates cropped up over the past two years. Since dropping Little America, the band has toyed with an ever-increasing focus on how to reinvent their acoustic performances. (In fact, new fans in some cities grew so accustomed to this type of playing that they were surprised to find out that Red Wanting Blue is actually an electric band, Terry says.) It’s a thrilling avenue for a band that dines on self-examination and expansion. And, for our sake, the timing is terrific. The band arrives in Cleveland for shows on Dec. 30 and 31. It’s a special return to the Forest City for Red Wanting Blue, a Columbus-bred band that considers Cleveland something of a second home. (“Cleveland, Ohio, is one of my favorite places in all the world to play,” Terry says, adding that breakfast with the band at the West Side Market comes with the territory.) For the Dec. 30 show, they’ll bring something special to the Cambridge Room at the House of Blues. Since they didn’t play Cleveland on those past acoustic-focused tours, they’ll perform an acoustic set the night before New Year’s Eve. “It’s not enough to play acoustic; you’ve got have an acoustic version,” Terry says. For instance, the band’s acoustic version of “Audition” — a mega-hit in their canon — is accented with a shaker and taut picking high on the neck of a banjo. For new fans and longtime devotees alike, the different takes on classic RWB tunes offer a refreshing listening experience. Live and in the moment, Terry says, the focus is placed even more so on the lyrics and the inherent message of the song. It’s kinda like the band’s long, winding trips across the country, where they’re left with nothing but the hum of the highway and buzz from the last show. For Terry and his bandmates, there’s no other trip they’d rather be taking. The band’s 20th anniversary will come around in the fall of 2016, two decades after Terry got the music going in Athens, Ohio. Big things are in store, he says. Watch out.

esandy@clevescene.com t@ericsandy

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 43

MUSIC

SUMMIT SHOWCASE Singer-songwriter Brent Kirby launches Akron version of local singer-songwriter night By Jeff Niesel

Brent Kirby hopes the Akron version of his singer-songwriter showcase will be as successful as the Cleveland version

LOCAL SINGER-SONGWRITER Brent Kirby models 10 x 3, the weekly singer-songwriter showcase he hosts at Brothers Lounge, after off-night jam sessions he would attend when he lived in Nashville just over a decade ago. One such event was called 12 on 12th, and it featured 12 bands playing the club 12th and Porter. Bands would play two tunes, and acts coming through town would sometimes sit in. As its title implies, 10 x 3 features 10 singer-songwriters playing three songs each. The restrictions: Two songs have to be original, and one can be a cover tune. Bands must sign up ahead of time at brentkirby.com or email the10x3@gmail.com, and then Kirby gives them a specific time slot. The event has been going strong for four years at Brothers Lounge. Now, Kirby is slated to take the event to Musica in Akron where it’ll debut on Jan. 6. Kirby and Musica booking agent Jay Minkin have collaborated to make the Summit County version of the weekly event a reality. “Over the years [at Brothers Lounge], I have presented well over 1,500 performers from Northeast Ohio, and regional and national touring artists,” Kirby says. “The goal is to promote homegrown artists, networking and collaboration.” While the event is ostensibly a

showcase for singer-songwriters, Kirby doesn’t exclude artists that don’t fit that exact mold. “It’s important for everyone to feel accepted, and I try to create a welcoming stage for people to come and play,” he says. “The other night, we had a poet. He was a guy who works at Walgreens. He dropped off his poetry, and I did a poetry reading of his stuff. He then came in the bar and did his own reading. That’s the kind of stuff that 10 x 3 encourages. I like the collaboration and spontaneity of things. I try to make it a show too because I think it’s important to make it into a show.” A Wisconsin native, Kirby — who also fronts the alt-country act Brent

group that plays original Christmas music during the holiday season. Kirby issued his latest solo album, Patience Worth, just this year, and he continues to work with the Cleveland Heights-based non-profit Roots of American Music to teach young kids the ins and outs of songwriting. He recently led a couple of student groups who competed in the Maltz Museum-sponsored Stop the Hate songwriting contest. While he’s most readily identified with local bar bands that play places like the Beachland and the Happy Dog, Kirby has tried to extend 10 x 3 to a broad range of local musicians. Come January, when 10 x 3 launches at Musica, he’ll host the Akron

THE 10 X 3 SONGWRITER BAND SHOWCASE HOSTED BY BRENT KIRBY 8 P.M. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6, MUSICA, 51 EAST MARKET ST., AKRON 330-374-1114. FREE, LIVEATMUSICA.COM

Kirby and His Luck, leads a Gram Parsons tribute act, and plays in the local roots rock act the Jack Fords — has become the face of alt-country in Cleveland since moving to town a decade ago and issuing his local debut, The Mean Days, in 2005. He’s also part of the Ohio City Singers, the local

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

version of the series while Jason Meyers, a songwriter and host of WJCU’s NEO Rocks radio show will host the Cleveland 10 x 3 at Brothers. On the fourth Wednesday of the month, they’ll swap hosting duties with Kirby back in Cleveland and Meyers in Akron. Kirby says the plan

Photo by Buddy Mesker

is to create a bridge between Akron and Cleveland. “I think there are a lot of great musicians in Akron who could come to Cleveland and great musicians from Cleveland who could come to Akron,” Kirby says. “There seems to be a separation, scene-wise. I’m just trying to do the community part of playing music and trying to be cool to people and create something. Who knows what will come of it? I hope there’s a good reaction and the Akron people show up to play.” Both events will take place on Wednesday nights, something Kirby doesn’t foresee as becoming a conflict. “It’s a day I can do, so it works,” says Kirby. “I don’t think it’ll compete. I believe if there’s 10 x 3s happening in two different cities on the same night, that’s a great thing. If someone wants to play, I can give them the choice of playing Cleveland or Akron. I think I can get more people together just by looking at the numbers. Since I live in Cleveland, I’ve just made my life a bit more complicated, and I’ll have a longer drive home at the end of the night. But I really want this to work.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jeffniesel

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 45

LIVEWIRE WED

all the live music you should see this week

12/30

Clutch/Crobot/Valkyrie: While Clutch’s music could be called heavy metal/hard rock, the group also draws from the blues and from progressive rock. The band’s latest album, Psychic Warfare, simply can’t be pigeonholed. A terrific collection of tunes that show a breadth of musical influences, it might be the band’s best effort, yet it serves as a testament to the band’s staying power. Released earlier this year, the album has really resonated with fans. It debuted at No. 11 in Billboard Top 200 as well as at No. 1 on both the Rock and Hard Rock Charts. With its woozy vocals and bluesy guitar licks, one of the album highlights, “A Quick Death in Texas,” sounds like heavy rendition of a ZZ Top track. The twangy “Doom Saloon” provides a great segue into the album’s second half, which comes off as a bit more subdued than the first half. The band’s concerts have always drawn well as the old fans keep coming back, and new fans continue to come as well. (Niesel), 7:30 p.m., $25 ADV, $29 DOS. The Agora Theatre. Grateful Dead Dance Party with Into the Blue Trio (in the Supper Club): “Two acoustic guitars and a hell of a bass player.” We like that, and that’s how the guys in the Trio state it. If you’ve caught Into The Blue around town over the years, then you know what’s up. We’re fans, and they certainly do the legacy of the Grateful Dead a fine bit of justice. Always a good time. Tonight, a simpler version of the Dead tribute arrives at the Music Box to sate our ears as the year comes to a close. This is billed as a dance party -- take note -- so do bring your best grooves to the dance floor. (Eric Sandy), 8 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club. The Lighthouse & the Whaler/Nick D & the Believers/Polars: For their latest album, Mont Royal, local indie rockers the Lighthouse and the Whaler headed north of the border to Montreal to record with Marcus Paquin (The National, Arcade Fire). They worked at his studio in Montreal for five weeks in the dead of winter when it was “freezing.” Songs such as “Glory” feature bellowing vocals as it sounds like a veritable choir backs singer Michael LoPresti on the tune. The song “Senses” features a slew of

Photo by Suzanne Price

The Boys from the County Hell raise some holiday hell at House of Blues. See: Wednesday.

synthesizers, making it sound like an homage to the synth-pop of the ’80s. “We Aren’t Who We Thought We Are” includes soaring strings as LoPresti nearly adopts a falsetto to sing about “our last chance.” It’s a great album, deserving of the national attention it’s received. (Niesel), 8:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $14 DOS. Grog Shop. 10 X 3 Hosted by Brent Kirby (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Trans-Siberian Orchestra: In its 19-year history, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has played more than 1,600 shows for more than 11 million fans, officially making it one of the world’s biggest arena rock acts. For the past several years, the band’s winter tours have consistently ranked in the Top 10 for attendance and grosses; back in 2009, Billboard called it one of the “Top Touring Artists of the Decade.” Last year’s 2014 Winter Tour grossed more than $51 million in 52 days; it played to nearly one million fans. This year’s Ghosts of Christmas Eve production will hit 60 cities across North America to perform 100 shows. Based on TSO’s multi-platinum DVD and long-running PBS fundraiser, the concert follows the journey of a young runaway who, on Christmas Eve, breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater seeking shelter from the cold. She then experiences “ghostly visions” from that concert hall’s past. The band will also play past hits such as “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24,” “O’ Come All Ye Faithful,” “Good King Joy,” “Christmas Canon,” “Music Box Blues,” “Promises to Keep” and “This Christmas Day” during the two-hour concert. Expect a full house for both of today’s shows. (Niesel), 3:30 p.m. Quicken Loans Arena. Curbside Country/Frank Marzano: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

Duo Decibel System (in the Locker Room): 5:30 p.m. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Farewell My Concubine/Mothcock/ Luminous All Kudler/Drew Veres/ Die Riehe: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. The Kent Rap Show with DWG/Itua Ikuenobe/Budders/Saint Dank/ YOUNG FIEND/A.I./Bschors: 8 p.m., $5 ADV, $10 DOS. The Kent Stage. Jason Patrick Meyers Band/JR Blessington & the Straight Fiyah Band/Altervision/Guggy’s: 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Red Wanting Blue/Welshly Arms: 7:30 p.m., $30 ADV, $35 DOS. House of Blues. Matt Skitzki: 7:30 p.m., Free. BLU Jazz+. CoCo Smith: 7 p.m., $15. Nighttown.

THU

12/31

Ekoostik Hookah NYE Bash with Aliver Hall/Walking in Circles/ Slap N Tickle/Whitechapel Jack: The grandfathers of Ohio’s expansive jam band scene — culturally and musically — have always maintained close ties to the Cleveland area. From 1991’s Under Full Sail to this year’s sweetly groovin’ Brij, Ekoostik Hookah have kept their fire burning across time. Check out “Whiskey Woman” for a fine example of the hookah-laden chops still hooked around each of the band’s compositional outings. The band isn’t working on a new studio album but will likely play a few new songs at tonight’s special New Year’s Eve show. (Sandy), 6 p.m., $20-$100. Odeon. Honeybucket/Hocking River String Band/DJ Terkelerkel: Whether or not you’re a hardcore bluegrass fan, Honeybucket’s music is incredibly accessible. Since coming together on Halloween night five years ago, the band has quickly become a presence

on the local scene. Earlier this year, it celebrated the release of its new EP, Stompin’ Grounds, and an accompanying music video for the single with a show at Music Box. Expect tonight’s special NYE show to be just as festive. (Niesel),, 9 p.m. Music Box Supper Club. Steely Dan Tribute Band: FM Project (in the Supper Club): When Steely Dan performed at Blossom last year with Elvis Costello, the band put on an epic show that featured classic tracks such as “Hey Nineteen,” “Bodhisattva,” “Peg,” “My Old School” and “Reelin’ in Years.” Expect to hear those songs and more tonight as FM Project, a locally based Steely Dan tribute act that sounds just like the real thing, takes the stage. Steely Dan doesn’t tour often so FM Project provides a nice fix for hardcore fans. (Niesel), 9 p.m., $50. Music Box Supper Club. Big NYE with Ripp Flamez: 9 p.m., $20 ADV, $26 DOS. Agora Ballroom. Blue Lunch/Kate Kooser: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Ann Hampton Callaway: 8 p.m., $75. Nighttown. Fare Thee Well to 2015: NYE Bash with Into the Blue: Grateful Dead Revival: 9 p.m., $15. Beachland Ballroom. Dominick Farinacci: 7:30 p.m., $40. Nighttown. A Funk Nasty New Year’s Eve with Tropidelic/Vibe & Direct/Wanyama/ Drunken Sunday: 9 p.m., $15. Grog Shop. Jam Night with the Bad Boys of Blues: 9 p.m., Free. Brothers Lounge. Baz Luhrmann’s Deco + Dance New Year’s Eve 2016: 9 p.m., $5. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. New Year’s Eve Celebration with Dan Wilson + Voices: 8 p.m., $20. [edit secondary] 10:30 p.m., $65. BLU Jazz+. New Year’s Eve Celebration with

SAT

1/2

Cloakroom/Wildhoney/Seeress/ Peacekeeper (in the Locker Room): How about some stoner rock from northwest Indiana? Culled from the depths of the Rust Belt, Cloakroom’s vibe isn’t fullon “stoner rock,” but it gets the job done. The band veers in and among glimpses of shoegaze and shades of emo and grunge. They’ve released an EP and a full album over the past two years. Both are delights for those who relish the type of stuff that, say, Hum was doing in the late 1990s. Take “Deep Sea Station,” for instance, off the 2015 album: This song transforms the sounds of crushing waves into distorted, flanged-out guitars and infectious percussion work. Doyle Martin’s vocals crest across soaring chords and and effects, producing the dreamlike state that Cloakroom has crafted with deft ease during their nascent years. (Sandy), 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Kevin Rogers: A former Clevelander, singer-songwriter Kevin Rogers is currently based in Los Angeles but he plays a special hometown gig tonight at the Symposium. Judging from the demos he’s posted on his Soundcloud page, you can expect to hear somber ballads that sound like the quieter sides of Sting or Coldplay. Currently at work on his untitled debut album, Rogers will likely debut some new songs at the

SUN

1/3

George Foley & Friends: 6 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Grog Shop Annual Free Weekend with Oldboy/Aku Aku/Mitchell Lewis: 9 p.m., Free. Grog Shop. Irish Sundays: The Kilroys (in the Supper Club): 4 p.m., Free. Music Box Supper Club. Nostalgia Factor: 3 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Mike Petrone (in the Wine Bar): 5:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge.

MON

1/5

Open Mic Night with Gary Hall: 7 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.

scene@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene

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Anthony Lovano’s Supernatural Band/Kingsbury Run/George Foley & Friends: 5:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Grog Shop Annual Free Weekend with Signals Midwest/Two Hand Fools/Heart and Lung: 9 p.m., Free. Grog Shop. Dennis Lewin: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Way Out: 9 p.m. Now That’s Class.

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show too. (Niesel), 7:30 p.m., $10. The Symposium. 20th Annual Rockabilly Holiday with Alan Leatherwood/Johnny Fay: 8:30 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. The Commonheart (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $8. Music Box Supper Club. Grog Shop Annual Free Weekend with New Planet Trampoline/ Shale Satans/Bummed Out/ Joyframe: 9 p.m., Free. Grog Shop. Late Night Karaoke (in the Supper Club): 10:30 p.m., Free. Music Box Supper Club. Bill Lestock/Ruairi Hurley: 8:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Like Tyrants/Millstone/Peacekeeper/ Portage: 9 p.m., $10. Musica. Morgan Mecaskey Trio + Ray Flanigan: 8:30 p.m., $10. Nighttown. New Year Grass Get Down with JP & the Chatfield Boys/Johnny & the Applestompers: 9 p.m., $4.99. Beachland Ballroom. Plaguewielder/Blood Tusk/Jesus Egg: 10 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Tropical Cleveland: 9:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Wish You Were Here: 9 p.m., $16.50 ADV, $18 DOS. House of Blues.

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 47

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BAND OF THE WEEK Photo courtesy of the Commonheart

THE COMMONHEART By Jeff Niesel MEET THE BAND Shawn McGregor (drums), Ava Lintz (bass), Mike Minda (guitar), Jess Hohman (flute, vocals), Mikey DeLuca (guitar, vocals), Crystal Morgan (vocals), Buddy Rieger (organ), Clinton Clegg (vocals) RETRO-LEANING Singer Clinton Clegg and drummer Shawn McGregor had played in a previous band and “things started to dissipate.” So they wanted to start something “new and fresh,” as Clegg puts it. They’d been working with a few other musicians and the Commonheart came together about a year and a half ago. “We’d done so many things genre-wise in our previous group,” says Clegg. “We might do a rock or reggae thing in one band. That got frustrating,” he says. “We wanted to go in this rocksoul direction. I have a Joe Cocker kind of thing going on with my voice. We wanted to build something around my vocals and do something more retro.” STRAIGHT OUTTA STEEL TOWN Clegg says Pittsburgh has had its ups and downs but is currently teeming with solid bands. “At this point, the Pittsburgh scene is really great,” he says. “The community is coming together. There are great local festivals. We have support from the local rock station. They involve local music. The scene down here is pretty hip.”

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM Shortly after forming, the band recorded a live show and posted a series of videos from that session. One highlight includes the somber ballad “Save Me,” a tune that shows off Clegg’s Joe Cocker-like vocals. The group has also written most of the songs for a full-length and plans to head into a studio in Squirrel Hill, a small Pittsburgh neighborhood, in the new year to record. One of those songs, “Questions,” thrives on a beefy organ riff. Most of the songs are written for the full-length. “We want to have a 10-track fulllength,” says Clegg. “We have really morphed as a band since starting out. Now, we have a different guitarist and three backup singers. The backup singers have brought an extra element to the band. They add another layer to it.” Clegg has performed in Cleveland a few times in the past and says the band had a particularly good time at the Music Box Supper Club, where it’s set to perform again this weekend. WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM thecommonheart.com. WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM The Commonheart performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 2, at the Music Box Supper Club.

jniesel@clevescene.com t@JNiesel

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 49

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 51

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

OTHER DICKS, OTHER DOMS By Dan Savage

Dear Dan, I am a 30-year-old straight man and I’ve been with a 28-year-old bisexual woman for a year. Early in our relationship, after much discussion, we established that it would be open. I would have the liberty to see other women and so would she. We just had to be safe and always keep each other informed. The key was that she agreed to see only other women. I was uncomfortable with the idea of her being with another man, and she went along with it. Fastforward a few months, and she told me that she had drunkenly kissed a male coworker. Hearing her say that hurt me. However, since then she has explained to me that the rule that she can be only with women is unfair because she’s bisexual and she’s attracted to both men and women. I can see whomever I might find attractive, but she has to limit herself. After much soul-searching, I came around to her point of view and she now has the option to see men too. My question: How do I deal with the jealousy and emotions that will come up when she does kiss another man? Or does even more with another man? We love each other, and I think it’s important to note that while we have both been on dates with other people, neither of us has had sex with someone else yet. — Having Emotional Reaction Means Asking Nervously “Hard Truth #1: Renegotiating is crucial to the survival of all long-term relationships — even more so in unconventional, custom-designed relationships where there’s no established template,” said Christopher Ryan, author of Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships. “And while I don’t see any unfairness in

HERMAN’s girlfriend wanting to have the same freedom he has (to see whomever she wants), if he agreed to the open relationship on the condition that she ‘see only other women,’ then renegotiating is going to be difficult.” Your description of that particular limitation — only other women — as “key” to opening up your relationship, HERMAN, left Ryan feeling less than optimistic. “Hard Truth #2: It’s a timewasting mistake to negotiate nonnegotiables,” said Ryan. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t be willing to learn and grow by trying new things. But our first task is to ‘know thyself’ and take it from there. For example, if you’re certain you want or don’t want kids, then that shouldn’t be open to negotiation just because you met someone you like (or love) whose dreams go the other way.” Assuming you’re willing to renegotiate, HERMAN, where do you start? “Perhaps the question of why he’s more bothered by her being with men than women,” said Ryan. “Maybe he could ask her to set up a three-way with a man they both like so he can face the dragon, so to speak. See if the flip side of his fear isn’t that he’s actually turned on by the thought of her with other men. Lots to explore, once he’s certain he wants to explore it. But, again, if this is a nonnegotiable — if this really isn’t something HERMAN wants, despite his desire to be fair — it might be better to end the relationship than to attempt to be someone he’s not or agree to something he’ll never be at peace with.”

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 53

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016

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magazine | clevescene.com | December 30, 2015 - January 5, 2016 55

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