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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
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JA N UA RY 6 - 12, 2 016 • VOLU M E 4 6 NO 27 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 46
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
6
Jackson thinking about a fourth term as mayor? Plus a judge dismisses Quicken Loans’ lawsuit against the Feds
Framed
12
Feature
13
Get Out!
23
Art
26
Cleveland Scene 737 Bolivar Rd, #4100 Cleveland, OH 44115 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-241-7550 Retail & Classifi ed Fax 216-241-6275 Editoral Fax 216-802-7212 E-mail scene@clevescene.com
Stage
27
Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every week by Euclid Media Group.
Film
We review The Revenant, which looks amazing even through tedium and misery
29
Dining
33
Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Hunter-Davis, Joseph Williamson, Savannah Drdek
Our favorite photos we’ve shared with you this week
Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Layout Editor/Graphic Designer Christine Hahn Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace
The fourth annual Comics Issue
Business Asst. To The Publisher Angela Lott Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Offi cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Offi cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Human Resources Director Lisa Beilstein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon
Dozens of events spanning the next week in Cleveland
Fandom216 exhibit showcases Cleveland’s onesided love affair with its teams
www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, voicemediagroup.com
A look at the highlights of the coming months of Northeast Ohio theater
Verifi ed 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’
Cafe Miami gets a Latin reboot, plus EDWINS goes crazy for tableside carts and the story of how Lakewood became a dining destination
Music
Phones and bones Printed By
41
Catie Curtis documents an undercurrent of change, Rusted Root’s latest tour celebrates the band’s 25th anniversary, plus all the shows to see this week
Savage Love
57
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...The story continues at clevescene.com
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20890 Edgecliff Steps to Lake Erie! Lakefront community with beach club! 4 BR Brick colonial. New furnace/CA Lenny Vaccaro Howard Hanna 440.951.4445 vaccaroteam.com
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 5
UPFRONT JACKSON TO CONSIDER FOURTH TERM? THE PLAIN DEALER’S FORMER editorial director Brent Larkin sat down with Mayor Frank Jackson recently and published a piece in Sunday’s paper which characterized him as being on the precipice of a “gigantic” decision: whether or not to run for an unprecedented fourth term, “What I don’t want to be is like an old fighter not knowing to get out of the ring,” Jackson told Larkin in the one-on-one interview. “So if I believe -- and this is a major consideration -that I bring relevancy, if I bring value, then the danger of staying will be less. “If I don’t bring value, if I’ve outlived my style of doing things, if it just doesn’t fit the times and would pose a huge danger to the city, if I’m getting in the way of what I’m trying to do for the city and becoming an impediment, then I’m gone.” That’s a pretty subjective series of standards by which to measure one’s own impact -- Can you imagine Jackson admitting that he posed a “huge danger” to the city? -- but we take his point. Larkin said he suspects Jackson is leaning “ever so slightly” toward staying. Jackson has presided over
Cleveland’s recent “renaissance,” and has chalked up budgeting woes to the state, the way it has chopped funding for local governments. He told Larkin that at least some among the current crop of Mayoral hopefuls are more bark than bite -- council malcontents Jeff Johnson and Zack Reed, most likely -- and that even if he chooses not to run, he wants to make sure the next candidate is primed for success. Per the Cleveland City Charter, there are no term limits for the office of Mayor. And given that Jackson has never lost an election for a City Council seat or the Mayor’s chair, he can serve as long as he pleases, “until his successor is elected and qualified.”
SMALL BUT FERVENT PROTESTS AFTER TAMIR RICE ANNOUNCEMENT Jackson’s latest goofy moment arrived last week, when he repeatedly stressed the “due process” awaiting Cleveland Police Officers Timothy Loehmann and Fank Garmback in a police department internal review. The prospect of some abstract “due process” was not enough to stave off Photo by Sam Allard
THIS WEEK
Protesters march down Euclid on New Year’s Eve, calling for McGinty’s resignation.
6
BROWN’S TOWN
Jimmy Haslam appoints team lawyer to be in charge of Browns’ roster; rumored to be scouting Jones Day for linebackers, Squire Patton Boggs for special teams.
GOOD POINT
protesters though. And Jackson has said he respects their right to speak out. Speak out they did: In the wake of Prosecutor Timothy McGinty’s announcement last Monday that Loehmann and Garmback would not be indicted in the shooting death of Tamir Rice, diverse groupings of protesters assembled to march in the streets and voice their displeasure. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (New Year’s Eve), protesters marched downtown. They formed circles at prominent intersections and chanted as they processed down main streets. Cleveland Police, out in huge numbers to direct the flow of affected traffic (and also, evidently, to gather intel on protesters via handheld recording devices), trailed the marches on foot, in vehicles, and on horseback. Last Tuesday, officers blocked protesters from entering the Shoreway, and later from entering I-71 and I-90 via the on-ramps at Carnegie and E. 9th. On Thursday night, New Year’s Eve revelers mockingly joined the march and engaged protesters (some genuinely, some combatively) outside popular restaurants. The police prevented protesters from entering E. 4th Street and W. 6th Street, presumably in an attempt to prevent scuffles with patrons there. Regarding the legality of those measures -- “Isn’t E. 4th pedestrianonly?” it occurred to Scene to inquire -- Cleveland Police Public Information Officer Jennifer Ciaccia said that protesters were not to enter “hightraffic areas” for “safety reasons.” Friday, on a bitterly cold New Year’s Day afternoon, more than 100 protesters gathered at Impett Park on Cleveland’s west side and marched to the West Park home of Timothy McGinty. There, they stood and chanted in his driveway, calling for his immediate resignation, a DOJ investigation of the Rice case, and the badge of Timothy Loehmann. Protesters staged a four-minute “die-in,” one of their more frequent symbolic gestures, to memorialize the time Tamir was left bleeding on the ground at Cudell without medical attention. Saturday night, a small group gathered at the Quicken Loans Arena to protest as Cavaliers’ fans entered
City of Beachwood pays thousands to non-local PR firm to monitor and flag negative online comments about the city. One-line report advises: “Avoid Facebook.”
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
POPULAR GUY
AviationPros.com names former Hopkins Chief Ricky Smith as a “Person to Watch” in 2016. Said FAA Spokesman, while perusing paperwork related to Hopkins’ $735,000 fine, “He’s on top of our list too.”
for the evening matchup. There were no serious confrontations. And except for the occasional exchange of heated words between the sometimes festive protest corps and the stony-faced cops, events were peaceful and by-and-large unobtrusive. The amount of cop cars downtown New Year’s Eve seemed to vastly outnumber the protesters themselves.
JUDGE DISMISSES QUICKEN LOANS’ LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FEDS Last week a federal judge tossed a lawsuit filed by Dan Gilbert’s Quicken Loans against the Department of Justice. The recently-dismissed suit was filed last April days before the DOJ sued Quicken Loans for allegedly “improperly originating and underwriting mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration.” A week before the DOJ’s suit Quicken proactively filed its own lawsuit that accused the federal government of essentially trying to shake down the mortgage lender in a settlement. “After three years of struggling to understand the DOJ’s position and methodology that would warrant the country’s largest and highest quality FHA lender to make untrue admissions and pay an inexplicable penalty or face public legal action, it is time to ask the court to intervene,” Quicken Loans CEO Bill Emerson said in a statement following the April suit. “No threat, including high-profile senseless lawsuits from powerful federal officials, will deter our company and its leadership from doing the right thing. We will stand in defense of our impeccable reputation established by thousands of hardworking ethical team members over our 30-year history.” Well, a federal judge didn’t exactly buy it. In May many news sites reported that Quicken Loans “won” the first round of the battle with the DOJ when a judge ruled that the suit filed by Quicken would be heard first. Well, this is not exactly happening. Last Thursday Detroit Judge Mark Goldsmith sided with the DOJ and granted the department’s motion to dismiss the Quicken suit. In doing so, Goldsmith also shutdown the Gilbert organization’s goal of having the first
QUALITY OF LIFE When you’re slightly embarrassed by the size and contents of your takeout order, just remember it’s okay to use the name Billy. Just hope no one took video.
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Find your happy hour. Download SCENE’s official happy hour app today! clevescene.com/happyhours
Three Legged Chairs & Funeral Proposals
Time Traveller
Phil Vassar
Sat., Jan. 9
A Moody Blues Tribute Sat., Jan. 16
Ana Povopic
Red Wanting Blue
Pure Prairie League
Wed., Feb.10
Fri., Feb 12
Sun., Feb 14
Bill Frisell
The Wailers
w/Petra Haden, Eyvind Kang, Thomas Morgan & Kenny Wollesen Wed., Feb. 17
Wed, Feb. 24
Thu., Jan. 28
Cabin Fever Meltdown Fri., Feb. 26
Tickets available at the kent stage box office bodega or online 175 East Main Street • Kent, Ohio 44240 • (339)677-5005 www.kentstage.org
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 7
UPFRONT
MARDI GRAS CRAWL
Saturday, February 6th 12PM - 6PM Tickets on sale Friday, January 8th Portion of proceeds to benefit H.E.L.P.
flatseastbank.com Presented by:
case heard in Detroit court versus the DC one it is set for under the DOJ’s initial suit. In Judge Goldsmith’s 24-page decision, he wrote: “Given the procedural posture in this case, it certainly appears as though Quicken’s complaint was filed for the purpose of acquiring a favorable forum. Quicken filed its lawsuit less than a week before the looming (government) enforcement action was filed.” According to the DOJ’s lawsuit the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency lost “millions of dollars” because Quicken Loans violated underwriting rules — specifically, the 69-page complaint pointed out that since 2007 HUD has paid over $500 million in claims on almost 4,000 mortgages “endorsed by Quicken.” As Scene pointed out last April, it is unclear how many of those claims were tied to improper underwriting; however, that number is just a small portion of the total damages according to the DOJ. When the complaint was written over 8,000 mortgage loans that had been underwritten by Quicken between September 2007 and April 2015 were at least 60 days delinquent — a fact that the DOJ opined could mean more claims down the pipeline. While Quicken says the DOJ claims are ridiculous — “The real victims in
DIGIT WIDGET 0
Reported homicides in Lorain in 2015. It’s the first time in more than a decade that the Lorain County community of roughly 64,000 has enjoyed a full calendar year without one.
50,000
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
this unjust claim are the millions of middle class American families who rely on FHA financing to reach their goal of affordable home ownership,” a company statement from April proclaimed — the department is not budging in its claims that Quicken knowingly submitted hundreds of improperly underwritten loans between September 2007 and December 2011 by either pushing appraisers for higher home values or by allowing employees to ask managers for exceptions to break FHA rules. One particularly paradigmatic and pernicious example from the complaint is a case where a borrower asked for a refund on her $400 mortgage application fee. Why? So that she could feed for family. Instead of this raising red flags, the incident went essentially undocumented. The woman was approved. She eventually defaulted after five payments. HUD, according to the complaint, paid almost $95,000 in a claim related to this borrower. We imagine all of this, and more, will unfold when the case is eventually heard in DC. Quicken CEO Bill Emerson is still trying to get the DOJ case litigated in Detroit, but that’s looking unlikely.
NEW YORKER RADIO HOUR TO PREMIERE ON WCPN SATURDAY For New Yorker fans and/or public radio junkies: The New Yorker Radio Hour, hosted by the magazine’s editor, David Remnick, will premiere in Cleveland Saturday afternoon. It’s 11 episodes in (you can listen to previous episodes online), and the show has already produced some scorching content. Remnick, in the opening episode, called the Radio Hour “an experiment,” and said he hoped it would enjoy the same process of discovery that the magazine enjoyed when it first arrived as an American weekly in 1925. It will neither be a synthesis of the magazine or an audio version of the website. Rather, said Remnick, “it will be its own thing, alive to the possibilities of the medium.” Remnick has interviewed authors Ta-Nahisi Coates and Claudia Rankine; performers Amy Schumer and Aziz Ansari; and various among his own reporting staff, discussing recent pieces and issues that matter. The Radio Hour also features multipart series, and conversations with the magazine’s cartooning staff. Tune in, Saturday at 4 p.m.
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
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FRAMED!
our best shots from last week Photos by Emanuel Wallace
* Photos by Jon Lichtenberg
** Photos by Scott Sandberg
Shout out to you too @ Sanctuary Cleveland at Touch
The crew’s out @ Sanctuary Cleveland
That’s harsh @ Sanctuary Cleveland
Good samaritans gave away scarfs downtown
They were free to whomever needed them
The only way to deal with the Browns @ Muni Lot
You gotta celebrate the season being over @ Muni Lot
There were too many Steelers fans though @ Muni Lot
Better not to let people know you’re a Browns fan @ Muni Lot
Ringing in the new year @ Cleveland Museum of Art
Peace and love to the new year @ Cleveland Museum of Art
Selfie time @ Cleveland Museum of Art
* Shredding @ Valkyrie, Crobot and Clutch
** Saying goodbye to Christmas @ Trans-Siberian Orchestra
We love house music too @ Sanctuary Cleveland
Never miss a beat! See more pics @ clevescene.com Smizin’ @ Cleveland Museum of Art
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
Share your best shots with SCENE – just tag or mention us! ™ @ clevescene t @ cleveland_scene ` @ ClevelandScene • #clevescene
FEATURE FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR WE ARE HANDING over the cover slot and feature hole of the year’s first issue to local comics artists. And for the fourth straight year we’ve been overwhelmed by the response and the work of the artists who were picked, with the help of John G., to tell their stories in the following pages. John G., of course, is one of the artists behind the Lake Erie Monster comic and the guy behind the Melt ads and the founder of Genghis Con, which just finished its seventh year and has grown to be the largest comics convention in the region. It’s an exciting time, and the momentum of the past few years has been thrilling to watch. Which is just part of the reason we’re honored to once again present the annual Comics Issue. Cleveland boasts a particularly noteworthy lineage in that area: birthplace of Superman, land of Harvey Pekar, launching pad for Brian Michael Bendis of Marvel, and Marc Andreyko of DC Comics. It’s also home to a litany of talented artists building on that tradition today and many who produced stunning work in the past who are still plugging along. Those include some of the names you’ll see in the following pages — Gary and Laura Dumm, Nathan Ward, Clare Kolat, Justin Michael Will, Bryn Adams — and we couldn’t be more excited or thankful for their contributions. Enjoy.
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
everything you should do this week
GET OUT
Photo by Ira Kuzma
WED
ties have adapted to their unfamiliar environments. The lecture is free with MOCA Cleveland admission. (Josh Usmani) 11400 Euclid Ave., 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org.
1/06
MUSIC & DINNER
The Beachland Dinner Series The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern launches a new dinner series tonight at 7. The menu includes a smoked fish dip and stuffed mushroom appetizer along with a bacon shrimp and cheddar garlic grits entree. Dessert features a warm caramel apple pie with housemade maple bourbon ice cream. Local indie rock/altcountry act Maura Rogers & the Bellows will perform. Tickets are $28. (Jeff Niesel) 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
MUSIC
Vinyl Spin & Swap Night Tonight from 7 to 10 p.m., Akron’s Musica launches Vinyl Spin & Swap Night, an opportunity for vinyl record lovers to meet and mingle. Patrons can bring records to swap or sell, and most nights will include a presention coinciding with a particular music-based theme. Tonight’s theme features music from the “Akron Sound” of the ’70’s and memorabilia from Wayne Beck and his Akron Sound Museum project. Admission is free. (Niesel) 51 East Market St., Akron, 330-374-1114, akronmusica.com.
MUSIC
Chamber Music at the Art Museum This monthly concert series places young musicians from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University in the galleries of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Now in its fifth season, the series features “mixed programs of chamber music” for “a unique and intimate experience.” The concerts begin at 6 p.m. and they last about an hour. Admission is free. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. SPOKEN WORD
Cleveland Immigration History The Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern regularly hosts conversations with some of the city’s most articulate academics. Tonight it launches a new series exploring the history of immigration to Cleveland. Western Reserve Historical Society’s John Grabowski and Cleveland State’s Richey Piiparinen host. The programs promise to explore “why immigrants left their home countries, what drew them to Cleveland, where did they settle, what did they do once they got here, where have they moved, and what are they doing now.” Each month will feature a different nationality or neighborhood. It all starts at 7 tonight at the Euclid Tavern. Admission is free. (Niesel) 11625 Euclid Ave., 216-231-5400, happydogcleveland.com.
Elvis impersonator Shawn Klush joins the fray of Elvises celebrating the King’s birthday at Connor Palace. See: Sunday. FILM
Jane Eyre In 2014, Bristol Old Vic presented Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre as a stage play, performed over two evenings. Now director Sally Cookson brings her production to the National Theatre in London. Today at 7 p.m., the Cedar Lee Theatre will broadcast a performance of the play about Jane’s attempts to overcome poverty, injustice and betrayal before deciding to follow her heart. Tickets are $20. (Niesel) 2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5411, clevelandcinemas.com. SPOKEN WORD
Keep Talking Keep Talking is an exciting storytellers program where locals can share their real-life experiences on a theme. This month’s theme is “Lessons Learned.” Stories range from the insightful and sad to the funny and bizarre. Held in the Happy Dog’s basement, the Underdog, the series is your chance to grab a drink and a dog while listening to some of your Cleveland neighbors amuse you with their tales. Tonight’s edition starts at 8 and costs $5. (Patrick Stoops) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com.
THUR 1/07 COMEDY
Capone Comedian Derrick “Capone” Lee served nine months in jail in the early ’90s, He successfully left that life behind, however, when he turned to comedy. He performed for the first time ever at Columbia University and hasn’t looked back. His material often centers on subjects such as racism and social inequality. Capone has shared the stage with big-name comics such as Mike Epps and Tracey Morgan. He performs tonight at 7:30 at the Improv and has shows scheduled through Sunday. Tickets are $20. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com. ART
A Special Lecture Inspired by its current installation featuring Korean-born, New Yorkbased artist Do Ho Suh, MOCA Cleveland hosts a special lecture at 7 tonight. Using Suh’s work as a starting point, Steven Rugare, associate professor of architecture at Kent State University, will explain how immigrant communi-
FRI
1/08
FAMILY FUN
Disney on Ice Disney on Ice storms into the Quicken Loans Arena tonight for a 10-day run, sending the Cavs and Lake Erie Monsters out on long road trips so parents can treat their toddlers and tweens to some family entertainment. This year, a cast of more than 50 will perform. Expect familiar figures such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and the Disney princesses. There will be sing-alongs to songs from Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Lion King and more. It begins tonight at 7 and runs through Jan. 17. Tickets start at $15. (Niesel) 1 Center Ct., 216-420-2000, theqarena.com. THEATER
Flanagan’s Wake Now in its fifth year in Cleveland, Flanagan’s Wake transports audiences to an Irish wake where villagers tell tales and sing songs for their dearly departed Flanagan. Finding the humor in life and death, the wake acts as a dark backdrop to an otherwise hilarious show in which alcohol fuels the humorous reminiscing. A sort of tragic Tony ’n’ Tina’s Wedding, the interactive and improvised show engages the entire audience as the guests are treated
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GET OUT as the friends and family of the deceased. Performances are at 8 tonight and tomorrow at Kennedy’s Theatre. Tickets are $26. (Patrick Stoops) 1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
has turned his live shows into unpredictable, ADD-fueled performance art. Kidd’s interest in comedy developed while touring with his band; he enjoyed talking between songs more than playing music. He’s the embodiment of everyone’s imaginary childhood friend — except he’s
Maria Neil Art Project hosts an opening reception tonight from 5 to 10 p.m. for Jen Craun’s Inherent. Craun’s exhibition of recent intaglio prints is inspired by molecular and chemical processes invisible to the eye. Through her imagery and compositions, Craun
#SonicSesh
NIGHTLIFE
Freaky Tiki Fridays As if to ward off winter, jazz/ surf/spy instrumentalists Martini Five-O bring a beach vibe tonight to Prosperity Social Club in Tremont. The band hosts Freaky Tiki Fridays, featuring $6 Mai Tais, Pama Palomas, mango-habanero margaritas and other retro-cool cocktails. Appetizer specials include throwbacks like coconut shrimp, pigs in a blanket, Hawaiian meatballs and pineapple chicken skewers. “Tiki has always represented an American desire to escape somewhere exotic,” says Prosperity Social Club owner Bonnie Flinner in a press release. “While sipping on a lime-and-rum concoction and listening to the surf sounds of Martini Five-O may not be an island getaway, it is a fun way to forget about the work week and the blustery weather for one night.” The event runs from 9 p.m. to midnight. Other than the cost of food and drink, admission is free. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com.
SAT
1/09
FILM
Blow-Up Set in London during the ’60s, director Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up follows a fashion photographer (David Hemmings) after he captures what may or may not have been evidence of murder. The film provides a “colorful critique of soulless hipsters” as it comments on “appearance, illusion and the evasive nature of truth.” Now 50 years old, the movie screens today at 5 p.m. at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. It screens again at 4 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $10. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu. THEATER
7 PM Doors 8 PM Show
THURSDAY JAN. 14, 2016
with HONEYBUCKET
Little Shop of Horrors What with humankind’s abuse of the vegetable world over recent decades — clear-cutting forests, chemically strangling our front yards, etc. — it’s a wonder that plants haven’t already attacked us in our sleep. After all, we tend to measure our progress as a civilization by the number of native botanical organisms we manage to plow under and pave over. Cleveland Play House’s production of Little Shop of Horrors — sort of a “nature strikes back” opus, with music — opens tonight at 7:30 at the Allen Theatre. Performances continue through Feb. 7. Tickets are $20 to $100. (Christine Howey) 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
FILM
Heart of a Dog Heart of a Dog, musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson’s first film in almost three decades, centers on a rat terrier named Lolabelle. The movie ultimately transcends its subject matter to center on “love, loss, language, and mortality.” It makes its Cleveland debut at 9:35 tonight at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. It screens again at 7:15 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $9. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-4217450, cia.edu. COMEDY
Tim Kidd Charming comic Tim Kidd has been doing standup for 11 years and found his niche in just being himself. His style
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ART
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 all grown up. He performs tonight at 7:30 and 10 and tomorrow night at 7 and 9:30 at Club Velvet at the Hard Rock Rocksino. Tickets are $13 to $18. (Kaitlin Siegel) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, hrrocksinonorthfieldpark.com. ART
Inherent Opens in Collinwood John Farina and Adam Tully’s
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
connects her final works back to the processes and materials that created them. Last May, Craun stepped down as associate director at Zygote Press to focus full time on her studio practice. Come see for yourself how busy she’s been. It’s free. (Usmani) 15813 Waterloo Rd., 216-481-7722, marianeilartproject.com.
Two Events at Spaces Today, Spaces hosts two events inspired by its current group installation, The People’s Museum of Revisionist Itstory. From 1 to 3 p.m., it’s the Secondhand Mutts Animal Shelter, a free canine meet-and-greet inspired by the Museum of Canine Eugenics section of the People’s Museum. Meet your new best friend or make a toy out of recycled materials for your dog at home. Then at 7 p.m., Spaces hosts an exclusive bug tasting for adventurous foodies and art fans. While you dine, learn about Youngstown’s Big Cricket Farms and the sustainability of cricket farming. The bug tasting is $15 per person, and tickets are available on the website or in person during regular busi-
GET OUT ness hours. (Usmani) 2220 Superior Viaduct, 216-621-2314, spacesgallery.org.
SUN
1/10
Corey Mach from Godspell, and Timothy Warmen from SpiderMan. There will be drinks, food and auction items too. It starts at 6 p.m. in the Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre Lobby at Tri-C’s Eastern Campus. Tickets start at $55. (Brandon Koziol) 4250 Richmond Rd., Highland Hills, 216-987-2438, clevelandmusicaltheatre.com.
MUSIC
Elvis Birthday Tribute Elvis Aaron Presley was born on Jan. 8, 1935, under rather benign circumstances. His family was dirt poor, yet Presley would go on to become one of rock’s biggest stars. To celebrate what would have been his 81st birthday, several of the world’s best Elvis impersonators will perform at 7 p.m. tonight at Connor Palace. The Elvis Birthday Tribute will cover the four main eras: the rockabilly years, the military/ movie years, the ’68 comeback and the Las Vegas jumpsuit era. This year’s show will feature Shawn Klush, Ryan Pelton, Cody Slaughter and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee D.J. Fontana, who used to play in Elvis’ band. Tickets start at $10. (Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
TUE
1/12
THEATER
Annie Annie gets yet another update in this production directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin and choreographed by Liza Gennaro. It also features book and score by Tony Awardwinners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin. Yep, you’ll still hear all those memorable tunes — “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” and, of course, “Tomorrow.” It opens tonight at 7:30 at Connor Palace and performances continue through Jan. 17. Tickets are $10 to $80. (Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS & TRUENORTH CULTURAL ARTS PRESENT:
THE ODD COUPLE BY NEIL SIMON
JANUARY 15 - 31 FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS AT 7:30 PM AND SUNDAYS AT 3 PM
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BOOKS DANCE
The Lady of the Camellias Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Lady of the Camellias centers on a woman suffering from tuberculosis. She lets her lover know if she’s available by wearing a white camellia. Today at 11 a.m. at the Cedar Lee, you can see the Bolshoi Ballet’s interpretation of the classic story. Broadcast from Moscow, the performance has been called “a dramatic masterpiece.” Tickets are $15. (Niesel) 2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 440-717-4696, clevelandcinemas.com.
MON
1/11
THEATER
Dream: The Inaugural Benefit Need a reason to check out local musical theater? Well, we have three: wine, food and Broadwaylevel entertainment. Look for all this and more at tonight’s Cleveland Musical Theatre debut event, “Dream: The Inaugural Gala.” Included are performances by local Broadway stars including Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, Newsies Corey Cott,
Best Books of 2015 The City Club, Cal Zunt of the Notable Books Council of the American Library Association, and Anisfield-Wolf Book Award manager Karen R. Long host a discussion of 2015’s must-read titles tonight at 7:30 at the Happy Dog. The night closes with a traditional Q&A and a book raffle. It’s free. (Niesel) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com.
Screamingly funny. Gleefully twisted.
THEATER
Buddy : The Buddy Holly Story First opening in London’s West End in 1989, this musical centers on legendary musician Buddy Holly’s rise to fame and his subsequent influence on everyone from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen. Performances take place tonight and tomorrow night at Akron’s E.J. Thomas Hall. Tickets are $32 to $62. (Niesel) 198 Hill St., Akron, 330-972-7570, ejthomashall.com
Find more events @clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene
jan 9 - feb 7 allen theatre book and lyrics by Howard asHman music by al an menken based on a film by roger Corman screenplay by CHarles griffitH directed by amanda deHnert
216.241.6000 clevelandplayhouse.com Centennial Season Sponsor
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 25
ART
WAITING FOR NEXT YEAR, CREATING ART THIS YEAR Fandom216 examines Cleveland’s one-sided love affair with its teams By Josh Usmani IN ANY OTHER CITY, A SPORTSthemed art exhibition probably wouldn’t be a big deal. In Cleveland, however, it’s about so much more than sports. It’s about culture, identity, celebrity, regionalism, economics, ritual and so much more. “Our continual despair in regard to the ongoing failures and embarrassments of our sports teams is what binds us together as Clevelanders,” says artist and Fandom216 co-curator Dana Depew, who has Bernie Kosar’s famous number 19 tattooed on the back of his left hand. “At any time you could strike up a conversation and discuss how the Browns blew the most recent game or converse about some current off-the-field blunder. Regardless of demographic, race, gender or profession, we can all vent our frustrations to one another. It’s what keeps us going, and false hope is all we have. It truly is a dysfunctional relationship. The sports teams in this town continually take and take and offer nothing in return except heartache, but we continue to allow it to happen and we stick around.” Artists, galleries, nonprofits and community development
26
organizations throughout town are teaming up for Fandom216, a regional exploration of Cleveland’s culture of professional sports and its fandom. Their aim isn’t specifically a critique or an “honorific exaltation,” but rather an honest exploration of their subject. “Sports and art usually have disparate audiences, but in actuality often share the same unfulfilled sense of longing,” says artist and co-curator
month, but all three shows open Sunday, Jan. 10. Hedge’s exhibit closes Feb. 7, while the other two remain on view until Saturday, Feb. 20. “This exhibit reflects how artists in our region respond to sports culture, and Hedge Gallery’s space offers these artists room to experiment with a variety of mediums, including video, installation and functional art pieces,” says Hedge owner Hilary Gent. Fandom216 officially begins with a tailgate kick-off sponsored by Covermymeds.com at Waterloo Arts from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event includes art, traditional tailgating food, drinks, sports-themed spoken word compositions by youth poet athletes from America Scores, polka by Malphonia and an appearance by the Cleveland Browns’ biggest fan, Debra Darnall, aka the Bone Lady. The fun continues with a reception
WATERLOO ARTS • 15605 WATERLOO RD., 216-692-9500, WATERLOOARTS.ORG 78TH STREET STUDIOS • 1300 W. 78TH ST., 330-819-7280, 78THSTREETSTUDIOS.COM ZYGOTE PRESS • 1410 E. 30TH ST., 216-621-2900, ZYGOTEPRESS.COM
Michael Loderstedt, who teaches printmaking at Kent State University. “Artists, players and fans work and spend tirelessly on pursuing our craft, only to achieve limited success. But our continued desire is born of the promise of the next contest, the next exhibition.” This monumental undertaking is being presented simultaneously in three venues throughout Cleveland: Waterloo Arts in Collinwood, Hedge Gallery at the 78th Street Studios, and Zygote Press. All three will host separate receptions throughout the
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
from 5 to 9 p.m. at Hedge Gallery during monthly Third Friday festivities at 78th Street Studios. Zygote Press will host a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29. In February, the festivities return to Waterloo Arts. In conjunction with February’s Walk All Over Waterloo event, Waterloo Arts hosts another reception from 6 to 10 p.m. Additionally, Zygote Press’ Ink House hosts Free the Ink during Walk All Over Waterloo, just steps away from Waterloo Arts. The programming culminates with a Super Bowl 50
Party and Chili Cookoff at Waterloo Arts from 2 to 4 p.m on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7. Artists were recruited by Depew and Loderstedt. The co-curators also teamed up to create a Moral Victory Bar which will travel to all three venues for each gallery’s events. Guests can select a drink from a menu (a beer, a shot or a shot and a beer). Each guest, one at a time, will have 10 minutes at the bar to discuss either sports or art career woes. The experience is complimentary, and all tips will be donated to the host organization. Additionally, three local artists are combining efforts to promote their shared passion for cycling in Northeast Ohio. Visitors who bike to all three venues will receive a limited edition poster created by Elizabeth Emery, who had a 10-year career in professional bicycle racing before focusing on her studio art practice. To receive a poster at Zygote Press, cyclists must pick up a Fandom216 Passport from any of the three locations and have it stamped at each gallery. Passports were created by local artist, editor/publisher/ director of CAN Journal and avid cyclist Michael Gill. Posters are also available for purchase, with partial proceeds donated to Bike Cleveland (bikecleveland.org). Spaces executive director Christina Vassallo is also an avid cyclist and bike advocate. This July she’ll be participating in the American Cancer Society’s Pan Ohio Hope Ride. Anyone who contributes $25 or more to her online fundraising site will receive a limited edition “Be Your Own YearRound Hero” postcard by Elizabeth Emery. Fandom216 is supported by neighborhood community group sponsors Northeast Shores Development Corporation, Gordon Square Arts District and St. Clair Superior Community Development. “I am so pleased to be working on Fandom216 with so many partners,” says Liz Maugans, executive director of Zygote Press. “The artists have really developed some funny, challenging and fresh work and I believe it is these types of city-wide moments and exhibitions that will get us out of our own art bubbles and create new relationships in the mix. It is building these new audiences that can introduce passionate Clevelanders to the arts community and the myriad spaces, faces and places that they can experience for the first time.”
jusmani@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene
STAGE START 2016 WITH A PLAY… OR 20 Here’s a look ahead at the next three months in area theaters By Christine Howey WEATHER-WISE, WE’VE HAD AN easy time of it this winter. But the weather gods are fickle, and we yet may require some live theater to jumpstart our minds and bodies. With that in mind, here’s a look at what will be opening from now till April Fool’s Day.
Photos by Steve Wagner Photography
The Incendiaries
LOVE AND MURDER Love can be a fraught subject, especially for a young man growing up gay and black in America. That’s the core of the journey of Bootycandy at Convergence-Continuum Theater (March 25 to April 16). Various aspects of love (plus power and family) are spun in Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, a CWRU/CPH production (March 16 to 26).
MONSTERS, BOTANICAL AND OTHERWISE If you like your plants bloodthirsty and your dentists sadistic, Little Shop of Horrors is revisiting us at the Cleveland Play House (Jan. 9 to Feb. 7). And for Mary Shelley fans, Frankenstein’s Wake at Cleveland Public Theatre (Jan. 7 to 30) is an original script that was performed off-Broadway in 1997 by Cleveland’s Theatre Labyrinth. HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF The Hough riots in the late 1960s were tough, and that time is explored in The Incendiaries at Cleveland Public Theatre (Jan. 7 to 23), using historical texts and trial transcripts to shed light on a racial divide that exists to this day. Riots in another city are explored in Detroit ’67 at Karamu House (Feb. 4 to 28); it takes place in a basement rec room where Motown music plays and tensions build. In The Mountaintop at CPH (Jan. 23 to Feb. 14), we are taken inside the room at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. stayed before his assassination. It promises a portrait of the man behind the myth. And more angst from the ’60s is heated up when a young black man and an elderly refugee from Nazi Germany collide on the night Adolph Eichmann is hanged in Slow Dance on the Killing Ground at Ensemble Theatre (Feb. 5 to 28). GOING HOLLYWOOD It’s always fun to see bottom feeders in La-La Land get their comeuppance, and that’s what happens in Pure Shock Value at None Too Fragile Theater (Jan. 29 to Feb. 13). And who ever thought a Hollywood production would save the world, as it might in Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play at CPT (Feb. 11 to March 5)? Yes, it’s that Mr. Burns, as society rebuilds itself from the apocalypse, one episode
Lakeland Civic Theatre (Feb. 5 to 28). And at Playhouse Square (Feb. 9-21), If/Then looks at the decisions we make (and those that fate dictates) as we watch one woman follow two possible life paths.
And finally, who doesn’t love a good whodunit? In the classic Agatha Christie nailbiter And Then There Were None at Great Lakes Theater (Feb. 26 to March 20), 10 strangers start dropping like flies … and who’s to blame?
of The Simpsons at a time. ODD COUPLES The inventive and often hilarious playwright Will Eno puts two married couples through their paces in The Realistic Joneses at Dobama Theatre (Jan. 22 to Feb. 14). An unusual coupling is presented in Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues at Ensemble (Feb. 5 to 28) when an old Jewish man and a young African-American lad find surprising connections. In The Revisionist at Dobama (March 4 to April 3), a young American writer visits his 75-yearold second cousin (played by Dorothy Silver) in Poland. And when a shrink listens to his patient’s ghost stories in Shining City at Beck Center (April 1 to May 1), the horrors of life and death are investigated. Two young men fall for the same woman, meaning sparks could fly in Two Gentlemen of Verona in this Case Western Reserve University/CPH production (Feb. 10 to 20). PARENTS AND KIDS Who decides if parents are fit to be parents of their own child? That’s the
vexing question in Luna Gale at CPH (Feb. 27 to March 20). And in A Kid Like Jake at None Too Fragile Theater (Mar. 11 to 26), a little boy with a passion to dress up like Cinderella causes problems for Mom and Dad. WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE SINGING INSTEAD OF TALKING? Don’t worry, it’s just the musicals coming our way, such as the dynamic, salsa and hip hop-infused In the Heights at Beck (Feb. 12 to 28). Fairytale characters are working their way home in Into the Woods at
Frankenstein’s Wake
Beck Center, 17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-2540, beckcenter.org. Cleveland Play House, 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, clevelandplayhouse.com. Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave., 216-631-2727, cptonline.com. Convergence-Continuum, 2438 Scranton Rd., 216-687-0074, convergence-continuum.org. Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-3396, dobama.org. Ensemble Theatre, 2843 Washington Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-2930, ensembletheatrecle.org. Great Lakes Theater, Hanna Theatre, 2067 East 14th St., 216-2416000, greatlakestheater.org. Karamu, House, 2355 East 89th St., 216-795-7077, karamuhouse.org. Lakeland Civic Theatre, Kirtland, 440-525-7134, lakelandcc.edu. None Too Fragile Theater, 1835 Merriman Road, Akron, nonetoofragile.com. Playhouse Square, 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
scene@clevescene.com t@christinehowey
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 27
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RIDE ALONG 2 HAS BEEN RATED PG-13 (PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED – SOME MATERIAL MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 13) FOR SEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE, SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE AND SOME DRUG MATERIAL. DUPLICATE ENTRIES WILL BE DELETED. One entry per name and email address. One pass per person. Each pass admits two. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Employees of all promotional partners and their agencies are not eligible. Entries must be received by 5pm on Sunday, January 10.
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In Theaters Friday, January 15 28
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 737 Bolivar_Scene Ad.indd 1
1/4/2016 2:49:42 PM
MOVIES
in theaters
GORE AND GRANDEUR ON THE FRONTIER Through tedium and misery, The Revenant still looks amazing Sam Allard THE REVENANT, STARRING Leonardo DiCaprio as “legendary frontiersman” Hugh Glass, opens Friday at select area theaters. It is two-and-a-half hours of grandeur and gore, and thanks to director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki and director Alejandro G. Innaritu, respectively, it is at once magnificent to behold and confusing to think about. What it boils down to is a revenge narrative as rudimentary as it gets. Glass is left for dead — indeed, is buried alive — after a bear attack, one of the most brutal and breathtaking scenes all year. He crawls out of his shallow grave, snot and saliva
spewing everywhere, and traverses the pitiless wintry landscape to pay back the man who did it to him. That Glass’ adversary John FitzGerald (Tom Hardy) kills Glass’ son while he is incapacitated was at first the chief plot point addressed in The Revenant trailers. In recent summaries, that fact has been omitted, likely because it comes at about the one-hour mark and might be interpreted as a spoiler. Nonetheless, it is the engine that drives Glass onward, all physical limitations — broken leg, tattered back, bloody neck that must be cauterized with gun powder — notwithstanding. So what separates The Revenant
SPOTLIGHT: CAROL Also expanding Friday is the season’s downtempo lesbian drama, Carol, starring Golden Globe nominees (and surefire Oscar contenders) Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as road-tripping lovers in the 1950s. For as much as The Revenant is violent and macho, Carol is mannered and prim. Director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) depicts the Christmastime bustle of postwar Manhattan — the fashions, the colors, the mannerisms — with elegance, though always, it seems, through glass. Adapted from the pseudonymous Patricia Highsmith novel The Price of Salt, Carol chronicles the meeting and slow-blossoming romance of a divorced, wealthy, middle-aged woman (Blanchett) and the wide-eyed, nymphic department store clerk Therese (Mara, who has never looked more like Audrey Hepburn). Both are under the (dramatic, if moderate) duress of hetero social structures: Carol fends off the pleading of her ex-hubbie Harge (a wonderfully multivalent Kyle Chandler), while Therese keeps postponing the gosh-wow plans and aww-shucks marriage importuning of her (accidentally?) comedic boyfriend Richard. After a fleeting glance in Frankenberg’s department store, Carol seeks Therese’s advice on a Christmas gift for her daughter Rindy (these names!). She leaves her gloves at the counter to ensure another meeting. There’s a tentative lunch date; a day at Carol’s home in the country; next, a road trip, to which Therese can’t say no; at last, the sex scene. Though the performances are graceful and at times deeply affecting, the movie’s central romance, for me, was never quite clear. That Blanchett’s Carol, a powerful, seductive woman, exerts tremendous influence over the impressionable, curious Therese is evident and logical. That the influence manifests as mutual sexual attraction is not. “Carol isn’t even a love story,” wrote critic Steve MacFarlane in Slant. “It’s a tenuous chronology of two characters striving to get a love story started.” That they can’t, that they’re not allowed to (and that they still might not be allowed to), is the recurring tragedy in Haynes’ hands.
from your garden variety Steven Segal vengeance-centric production? Basically: Oscar ambition, inherent in (or concomitant with) an A-list cast, an extravagant run-time and a commitment to verisimilitude in the production design. The script itself, written by Inarritu and Mark Smith (he of the Oscarless Vacancy and Vacancy 2), doesn’t do much from line to line. In the rearview, DiCaprio’s frankly tiresome grunting dominates the scripted dia- and mono-logue. But it looks amazing. Cinematographer Lubezki’s resume is composed of many of the recent titles you’d associate with innovative, or at least independently impressive, camera work: Children of Men and Gravity (both with director Alfonso Cuaron); Tree of Life and The New World (with director Terrence Malick); and last year’s Academy Awardwinning Birdman (with Inarritu). In The Revenant, Lubezki captures, in all-natural lighting, the majesty and ferocity of the American West in the early 19th century. It was filmed with no shortage of budgeting woe in remote quadrants of Canada and Argentina. Lubezki is also master of the long take. Birdman, you may recall, retained the illusion of a single shot well into its second act. Children of Men contains what is considered one of the best long-shot sequences of all time. The bear mauling scene mentioned above, likewise, is presented in one riveting take. And it comes on the heels of the film’s opening battle sequence, a harrowing confrontation between fur trappers and Ree Indians in which arrows whiz across the screen and through at
least one unsuspecting face. The film’s R-rating for “strong frontier combat” is thus promptly justified. The movie is not all combat, though. Inarritu leapfrogs among various groups, situated upon this hostile geography: Glass himself, FitzGerald and the young Bridger (Will Poulter), who debate the morality of their abandonment; the American trappers; a debaucherous French contingent; and the party of Ree Indians, who are hunting, as it turns out, unknown captors who took the chieftan’s daughter. So what is Inarritu saying here, exactly? That everyone is reduced to the most fundamental character types (predator, prey) among these forests and frontiers primeval? In his earlier movies (Babel, 21 Grams), Inarritu was known for working in a non-linear narrative mode, a mode for which Crash remains most widely recognizable. Multiple characters. Multiple storylines. Deep, abiding, often revelatory connections. But what connects The Revenant’s miserable bands? It seems merely to be violence — it is visited upon all of them, flagrantly so — and perhaps the idea that revenge is not only sweet but vital, and necessary, and (in more ways than one) the law of the land. (Note: The Academy might finally give Leo the Oscar for Best Actor — his Hugh Glass portrayal is gritty and methody, to be sure — but Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl has our vote, at least for now.)
sallard@clevescene.com t@SceneSallard
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 29
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
Photos by Emanuel Wallace
EAT Cubano
Huevos Rancheros “I want to do my own decorations,“ said Mariela Paz.
SABOR MIAMI
A Latin infusion brings a second life to Café Miami in Old Brooklyn By Douglas Trattner IT WAS ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE true for Mariela Paz. After moving from Miami to Cleveland to be closer to her mother, the former graphic designer had designs on a brand new career. In place of long days spent toiling behind a computer screen, she hoped to open a modest little coffee shop where she could highlight the beans from her family’s coffee farm in Honduras, her first home. “I was looking for a small place to open when I heard that Café Miami was for sale,” says Paz. Call it fate, call it luck, call it timing, but when Paz learned that the longtime Old Brooklyn cafe, which had recently closed after many good years, was available, she didn’t hesitate. “I’m pretty brave I think,” Paz says, rattling off a list of major life changes that landed her in Old Brooklyn, a neighborhood with which she quickly fell in love. “In Miami everybody fights with you. Here, everybody is so kind; I can feel the difference.” Before it closed 12 months ago, Café Miami was a neighborhood oddity beloved for its amazing pancakes and gregarious cook and owner Larry Fields. American breakfasts, weak coffee and diner-style lunches were dished up in the one-of-a-kind space that feels like a cross between a thrift store and your great aunt’s parlor. A mish-mash of furniture fills the snug
two-room cafe, and every surface is covered by a different rug, carpet, tablecloth, doily, painting or piece of sculpture. The diverse subjects range from Jimi Hendrix and frisky white stallions to Victorian busts and African masks. “I’m an artist and I want to do my own decorations,” Paz politely responds when asked if she’ll tweak the interior. Diners immediately began noticing changes with the food. For starters, the coffee took a dramatic turn for the better, with the arrival of creamy caramel-scented cafes con leche ($2.75) and stiffer Cuban coladas ($1.75), sweetened espresso shots. Neighbors can enjoy both at the small counter, where they can chat with Paz and her mother while they prepare the food in an open kitchen.
name of her fledgling cafe to Sabor Miami, or Taste of Miami. “Miami has a lot of fusion of flavors,” she says, adding that her specials hop from Honduran tamales to Cuban sandwiches to Mexican churros glazed with Nutella and showered by coconut. Those huevos rancheros are the best thing to happen to the breakfast service since the new coffee. Built atop a base of fragrant corn tortillas, each of two towers is layered with ham, cheese, sunny side-up egg, ranchero sauce and fresh salsa. For $1.75 extra, Paz will add a layer of refried beans. A fast fan favorite is the Tropi Chop ($8.99), a mountain of colorful, flavorful food that starts with fluffy yellow rice and ends with chopped roast pork. In between are black
CAFÉ MIAMI 4517 STATE RD., OLD BROOKLYN 216-661-3739
Paz also introduced a line of new Latin-inspired dishes that include flaky fried empanadas ($2) filled with chopped ham and cheese, Mexicanstyle huevos rancheros ($6.75), and crispy tostones ($4.50), fried green plantains drizzled with cilantro sauce. Her range, culinarily speaking, touches many lands, which is why she’s in the process of changing the
beans, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and a creamy curry-scented sauce. “This is home-style food,” Paz reflects. “I’m not a chef, but my food — I cook with love and you can see the difference. I’ve been cooking since I was a little, little girl.” Paz has kept the American breakfast section and, in fact, has already expanded it. Pancakes not only
have been a customer favorite at Café Miami for years, but they also happen to be a personal favorite of Paz. “I’m a pancake lover, so I have cinnamon pancakes, I have red velvet pancakes, I have pineapple upsidedown pancakes,” she says of the various breakfast specials that pop up throughout the week. Those pancakes join your basic eggs-bacon-homefriesand-toast platter ($4.99) and another with a little Miami flair, namely thanks to the addition of ham and buttered Cuban toast. That Cuban bread also serves as the backbone to a Cubano ($7.99), a proper pressed sandwich filled with roast pork, thin-sliced ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. Another version ($6.50) swaps out the pork and ham for turkey-based ham. Café Miami/Sabor Miami is very much a work in progress, admits Paz. She is not afraid to experiment with dishes, tweak preparations, even revise the days and hours of operation. Already she began testing the waters for dinner service a few nights per week to see if there’s any interest. Judging by the early support of her neighbors, I don’t see why there wouldn’t be.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 33
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THE LONG HAUL
For 25 years, Molinari’s has been a staple of fine wine and fine dining By Nikki Delamotte LIKE FINE WINE, THE BEST restaurants get even better over time. For Molinari’s (8900 Mentor Ave., 440- 974-2750, molinaris.com), its 25 years in Mentor have been marked by an evolution of space and a constant adaption to the currents. Owner and executive chef Randal Johnson thought his restaurant days were behind him when he opened Molinari’s Food and Wine retail store in 1991. After managing a West Coast bed and breakfast and working in restaurants in the Caribbean, New York and back home in Cleveland, he was a family man ready for a more leisurely pace. It didn’t last long. Johnson taught regular cooking classes at the store, during which his students pleaded with him to open a restaurant. As fate would have it, among those attendees happened to be an architect and a construction worker. Six months later, Molinari’s had a 26-seat dining room dropped into its center and Johnson was back to his magic. The business continued to grow. Today, Molinari’s has 150 seats in a black-and-white dining room and banquet hall, an expansive Italianinspired menu with 10 or more daily specials and 250 wine selections. Wine, of course, is Johnson’s first love. Before transferring to the Culinary Institute of America, he was a student at Miami University majoring in biology in order to learn how to make wine. That passion began at the age of 16 when an older coworker gave him a bottle of whiskey. His parents confiscated the liquor, telling him that they’d buy him a bottle of wine each month instead. He could research his choices and by the time he was of age, they promised, he’d have his own wine cellar. “So I bought Frank Schoonmaker’s Encyclopedia of Wine and it was fascinating,” says Johnson. “There are thousands of wines in the world
and they’re always changing. And the homework is good: You get to taste wine.” While the impressive wine selection at Molinari’s remains, much else has changed in the past quarter century, both at the restaurant and in the Cleveland dining scene. Unsure how his local, seasonal menu would be accepted in the early ’90s, Johnson equipped his servers with expertise. “In the beginning, I trained my staff and reminded them you can go anywhere and get great food and great service,” Johnson explains. “If we can give people knowledge, we can teach them about a new product or new wine, that’s going to bring people back. We still have that philosophy today.” Many on that staff have remained with the restaurant for more than a decade. That includes Dominic Clause, Johnson’s sous chef, who started at Molinari’s as a dish washer 10 years ago. Menu standbys include Veal Four Seasons with prosciutto, roasted peppers and artichoke hearts. Johnson’s quest for the freshest seafood, a mission intensified by his time in the Caribbean, is frequently showcased through fish dishes. Five years ago, he made room in his floorplan for a stone oven for pizza, which glows in the corner by the bar. “People perceive Molinari’s as a very high-end restaurant,” he says. “To give us a broader appeal, I thought it could be a nice adjunct idea. And people loved it.” The restaurant’s name comes from the Italian word for a person who works in a grain mill. Just as millers often were the anchor of a community, leading its surroundings to prosper, Molinari’s will remain an enduring piece of Cleveland’s culinary rise.
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
ENTHUSIASTIC FANS OF BRANDON Chrostowski’s work as “the Cheese Guy” at L’Albatros (where he also happened to be GM) were thrilled to spot a heavily laden fromage cart parked in the dining room of Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute (13101 Shaker Sq., 216-9213333) when that delicious venture debuted in November 2013. Highend cheese service was a skill and obsession that Chrostowski picked up while working with chef Terrance Brennan at Picholine in New York, home to America’s first European-style cheese cart. But the Edwins founder did not stop rolling with the cheese cart. Order the Bananas Foster for dessert and a server will wheel over a different rig from which that classic flambéed treat is prepared. It’s an exhilarating show when that booze goes boom, adding an element of theater to an already noteworthy dining experience. Of course, that fact isn’t lost on Chrostowski, who says that he’s been enamored with tableside preparations since he was 15, when his uncle ordered a Caesar salad at a dimly lit Detroit restaurant. “Dining is all about the experience and the more majestic one can make it, the more memorable,” he explains. “Carts allow a diner to be engaged with the restaurant and the staff. Plus, tableside shows are intimate, sexy and when you flambé there is no better way to show off your date.” That might be why the consummate showman hasn’t stopped rolling with just a cheese and dessert cart. In the intervening years Edwins has added carts dedicated to duck service, wine service, cocktail service and even a tableside burger preparation. What’s more, these presentations aren’t merely
for show; they are elaborate methods of cooking that result in exalted fare. Take that duck, for example. A classic plucked from 19th-century France, the dish utilizes a medieval looking device that compresses the roasted and carved duck carcass with such force that it extracts every last bit of juice, which is turned into a butter- and brandy-rich sauce for the breast and leg meat. From behind the burger cart, another server grinds beef by hand using a vintage 1950’s grinder, while preparing a truffle-rich sauce Diane while rapt diners look on. From a soon-to-be-unveiled cocktail cart, another staffer will whip up Old Fashioneds, Mint Juleps and the like in the very same manner. These undertakings would be unnerving and stressful for even the most polished service professional let alone a newly trained ex-con who transitions from one position to the next within the fine-dining restaurant. Mastering the carts, says Chrostowski, is a valuable life lesson of its own. “There is no greater joy — or challenge — than to share what you’ve learned with others,” he says. “It’s like a practical exam our students are able to take every evening. It’s a big boost in confidence being able to do it in front of a crowd; if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” For diners, it’s an opportunity to sit back, enjoy the show, and connect over a shared experience that is as delicious as it is entertaining. “Everyone should have the opportunity to experience a tableside dish at least once in life!” Chrostowski says.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner
EAT LAKEWOOD RISING
How a suburb becomes a dining destination By Annie Zaleski Photo by Emanuel Wallace
DEAGAN’S KITCHEN & BAR opened in downtown Lakewood in 2010 in a space occupied by a string of prior businesses that never really lasted. From the start, the gastropub distinguished itself from other eateries in town by offering an ever-evolving, carefully curated beer and cocktail list, a thoughtful menu featuring upscale bar food, and weekly specials such as Taco Tuesdays and Vegan/ Vegetarian night. In hindsight, it’s clear that the arrival of Deagan’s lit the fuse on a Lakewood dining explosion. During the past five or so years, nearly 40 new restaurants or food-first establishments have opened in the city. Gone are the days when Lakewood was considered a dive-bar mecca. Today, “it’s become an area where great chefs want to be,” says Deagan’s owner Dan Deagan. In some ways, that desirability is a function of geography. Lakewood’s close proximity to I-90 and the Shoreway makes it an accessible destination for both east and west siders. The city is a manageable place to maneuver thanks to abundant (and often free) parking and a bike-friendly and walkable landscape. There’s also the matter of changing demographics: Lakewood has experienced an influx of families and young professionals, which Dru Siley, director of planning and development for the City of Lakewood, says has led to “demand for restaurants that happen to have a bar.” Eric Williams, the chef-owner of the Lakewood-based modern Mexican restaurant El Carnicero (as well as Ohio City’s Momocho), also has noticed evolving dining habits within the local food scene. Ohio City is now known as a “beer destination,” while the Flats and East Fourth Street have evolved into the city’s entertainment districts. However, he says, “what the majority of chefs and restaurateurs who are moving into Lakewood are doing, either as their second or third location—or their first location—is diversity.” Indeed, Lakewood diners now have a dizzying choice of ethnic cuisines, from Asian fusion (Roxu Fusion and Voodoo Tuna) to Indian (Namaste) and Latin-American (the Colombian-inspired Barroco). Burgers
Machaca Tamale from El Carnicero
“I think the residents of Lakewood see what’s going on in Lakewood and want to support it.” — Sean Fairbairn Owner, Barrio 2 Beer recently opened to please carnivores, while Southern comfort food outpost Chow Chow Kitchen and sustainability-minded gastropub Forage offer unique, adventurous menus. Perhaps more important to the success of many of these new high-quality places is that they’re reasonably priced, says Barrio owner Sean Fairbairn. “People want to dine out, and when you want to have affordable food — [and] all of these restaurants in Lakewood are very affordable — you can go out,” he says. “You can go out a few nights a week, too.”
Of course, Lakewood’s stubborn iconoclastic streak, which manifests itself in fierce pride and a desire to champion local businesses, also has contributed to the dining scene’s growth. “I think the residents of Lakewood see what’s going on in Lakewood and want to support it,” adds Fairbairn. “That’s important.” Barrio, which opened on Madison Avenue in mid-2013, not only adds another affordable option to the mix, it gives diners another reason to support the local food scene. “We’re here to complete the neighborhood,” Fairbairn says “We’re not here to compete. We want more people coming out of their houses. The more people out on the streets, and the more people coming to this area, that’s what Lakewood’s all about.” It’s worth noting that Lakewood’s veteran eateries are very much keeping pace with the newbies: Lakefront seafood staple Pier W opened a rooftop patio in 2013, while the venerable Players on Madison recently reinvented itself as Sarita following an ownership change. Many of the operators that Scene spoke to also praised
what the city has done to cultivate a community where restaurants can flourish. Specifically, they cite Lakewood’s reputation for safety and cleanliness, as well as its involvement in keeping the infrastructure in top shape. “The city takes care of the city,” notes Deagan. “They put all that money into downtown Lakewood to make it look better. They just completely repaved all of Madison. Having the city be really interested in taking care of the infrastructure helps a lot. It’s a city that wants businesses and people to move in. The city makes it very easy for businesses to succeed.” Indeed, before Deagan opened Deagan’s Kitchen, he met with then-councilman, now-mayor Mike Summers to “get a sense of how the city would perceive us, and how the city would welcome us.” He came away satisfied: “Everyone that we talked to went out of their way to make us feel comfortable, to give us what we needed.” Unrolling this welcome mat is something upon which Lakewood prides itself, according to Siley. “We know that these restaurateurs are going to make a big investment in
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 37
EAT our community. They’re going to bring new food, but they’re also bringing jobs and they’re making major investment in our 100-yearold buildings. Our mantra has been, ‘We want you to invest in your project, not City Hall’s process.’ So to Photo by Emanuel Wallace
They asked me to do it this year. What should I expect?’” he says. “And [he’ll tell me] every detail.” Can Lakewood’s dining renaissance be replicated in other communities? Perhaps. It all depends on a variety of factors: population density; the presence of an ambitious community development group; and whether or not a city government is committed to investing in its own infrastructure or willing to work with prospective business owners. “I have friends who have opened restaurants in other cities that have had nothing but trouble with the
Dan Deagan
streamline that process and make it easy for them to open a business has been crucial for us.” As a result, the city has simultaneously positioned itself as a repository of useful information about buildings that might be for sale, as well as a source of tips about restaurant-friendly landlords and other business-related matters. (Williams says he’s even been given recommendations for parking lot resurfacing or where to get new windows.) One of the city’s newest restaurants, Cleveland Vegan, benefitted in a more tangible way when a portion of its building renovation was grant-funded through the city’s Commercial Property Revitalization Program. That was “very helpful, especially when we had just opened,” says Cleveland Vegan co-owner Laura Ross. “We had a very positive experience with the city.” That sense of camaraderie and positive interaction trickles down to the restaurant community itself, which seems to operate more like a family than a cut-throat enterprise. When Deagan’s Kitchen was still new on the scene, Melt Bar & Grilled owner Matt Fish often sent overflow business his way, recalls Deagan. Newer kid on the block Williams, in turn, states that Deagan has been just as supportive. “I can just call him and ask him a question, like, ‘Hey, last year you did Taste of Lakewood.
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council, the building department, stuff like that,” Deagan notes. Having a strong network of community support also helps. Siley notes he works in tandem with LakewoodAlive and the Chamber of Commerce to ensure “there’s no wrong door into Lakewood. “You’ll hear other communities talk about collaboration as though it might be a new thing for them,” Siley says. “My role, and my peers at City Hall, we’re part of that continuum that collaboration is the way things are done in this community. We’re naturally geared toward being
inclusive and welcoming.” Lakewood’s distinctive confluence of geographic and economic factors and dedication to collaboration have certainly proved a boon for Dan Deagan: Five years in, he says, Deagan’s Kitchen is thriving, while sister establishment Humble Wine Bar, which opened down the street in 2013, is “doing fantastic.” In fact, he doesn’t mince words about his love for the city. “If I could open 10 places in Lakewood, I would.”
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MUSIC THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT A look back at the High School Rock Off as it turns 20 By Jeff Niesel WHEN THE ANNUAL HIGH School Rock Off launched some 20 years ago at the Odeon, the promoters at the locally based Belkin Productions (now Live Nation) intended it to serve as a way to reach out to area high schools and provide students with the kind of outlet that they might not have. Two decades later, the event, which takes place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on consecutive Saturdays in January (and one in February) before concluding with the Final Exam on Feb. 13, continues to thrive. “A battle of the bands wasn’t a novel concept, but we thought it would be a great opportunity to reach out to local high school students, not necessarily college students or unsigned bands, but we wanted to identify bands in the high-school world,” says Live Nation’s Barry Gabel, who organizes the event each year with fellow Live Nation representative Frank Imoff. “Many music programs at that time were getting cut. Kids had sports or the debate team, but the live music opportunities might not have been there. They didn’t have an outlet to play in front of music industry people in a setting that was professional with production and a staff and the status of someone like Belkin Productions. We also thought it would be good to keep the doors open during that January time period.” That first year, the event took place at the Odeon, the once-prominent music club in the Flats (the club was shuttered for many years and has now opened under new management and is no longer affiliated with Live Nation). Some 30 bands submitted their music, and the competition took place over three weekends. Every band that submitted that year was accepted into the competition. Imhoff, who would later manage the Odeon, worked the merch booth at the event. Gabel admits it was a work in progress. “I remember the quality of the bands and the sound at that first one; every band seemed like three chords and a cloud of dust,” says Gabel. “They were all Sum 41 or Green Day. There weren’t a lot of types of music. It was either punk or thrash metal. There wasn’t a lot of spacing in the music.” Tickets cost only $5, and all the
Photo courtesy of Live Nation
Nicholas Megalis performs at the 2007 High School Rock Off.
dates were well attended. Qwasi Qwa, a band that featured singer-guitarist Jesse Bryson, the son of former Raspberries guitarist Wally Bryson, took home top honors. The group would play locally in the wake of the Rock Off. “I think the reason they won is because they were really different from almost every other band,” says Gabel. “Usually, that’s the reason why bands win. They also had some incredible pedigree. For them and every band that won, you felt that they were invested. Even if they were not going to make it for the long run, they were invested and put all their chips in and wanted to figure it out.” While the pop rock act Jaded Era didn’t place in some of the years it competed, and only finished third
in 2001, it became one of the most successful groups to emerge from that era of the Rock Off. The band, which featured powerhouse singer Kira Leyden and guitarist Jeff Andrea (the two are now married), turned heads when they performed at the competition simply because they seemed so professional. “They made an incredible run,” says Gabel. “I thought they were one of the most polished bands we ever had. [Leyden] was really poised. Jeff Andrea was good too. They were good musicians and understood spacing and that sometimes less is more when you play. The winning bands usually have someone who can sing or they’re different from all the other bands.” “They’re smart people,” adds Imhoff. “They know the music side
and the business side as well. They came back and hosted a Rock Off at the Odeon. When they first competed, you could tell they were working on this as a career.” The band subsequently moved to L.A. where it secured a recording deal. It has since relocated to Akron and rechristened itself the Strange Familiar. It continues to record and play regionally. After the Odeon closed, the event moved to the Rock Hall in 2007. “That was the best selling and highest grossing Rock Off we had,” says Imhoff. “You had the parents and families making a day of it at the Rock Hall.” That same year, oddball singersongwriter Nicholas Megalis finished third. He’s gone on to become an
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 41
MUSIC Internet sensation thanks to the quirky videos he posts. “It was him and a girl,” says Imhoff when asked about Megalis’ performance at the Rock Off. “He was very energetic and expressive. I think he was ahead of the curve a little bit. He was a performer. He seemed older than he was. I knew he would do something in music.” “You can tell because of the heritage,” adds Gabel when asked whether he knew Megalis would amount to something. “His father was creative. He was on WMMS. He grew up in a creative household. He was so different from most of the performers who were in bands. Most of them would do the pose. Some people would know when to take the microphone and point it to the audience. It was about him. He was the show. If people
second in 2011. He took his talents to Broadway and now stars in the play Spring Awakening, which is currently on the boards in New York. “He’s told me that playing at those Rock Offs was instrumental because he could get in front of a crowd and try stuff that was so different,” says Gabel. “He left Aurora High School to go to the Chagrin Performing Arts Academy.” Grandillo majored in theater at Ithaca College and then moved to Los Angeles, where he got a gig in a play because he could both play music and sing. Last year, the contest moved back to the Rock Hall. Imhoff says it’s a good fit. “It puts us on neutral ground — it’s not the Beachland, Agora, or Grog Shop — we’re at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” says Frank. “The Rock Hall really welcomed us back. It’s been a great partnership.” Coincidentally, this year also marks
THE ANNUAL TRI-C HIGH SCHOOL ROCK OFF 6 P.M. SATURDAY, JAN. 9, 16, 23, 30 AND FEB. 6 AND 13, ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM, 1100 EAST NINTH ST., 216-781-7625. TICKETS: $10, KISSCLEVELAND.COM/ROCKOFF
went along for the ride, great. He didn’t care if you got him or not. He was going to do his thing.” When Live Nation and House of Blues merged, the event moved to HOB for the next seven years. “Some of the people involved in the Rock Off were sound people and production people who also worked at House of Blues,” says Gabel. “It gave us a professional stage and crew. It also helped the House of Blues because it was dead in the winter and we were bringing people to the restaurant and the venue. When the bands were on the main stage and they know that Metallica has played there and other bands had played there, they really get off on that. The judges are in the front row of the balcony, and it’s really a special place. Time Warner Cable starting filming it and interviewed the bands that made it to the Final Exam.” Imhoff says the bands and organizers would mingle in the club’s Green Room and a real camaraderie developed. “The event changed from my perspective,” he says. “That’s when we got to know the kids and when social media was taking off. The relationships really started to build. We would talk to the kids and parents, and it was more personal. We didn’t have that connectivity at the Odeon.” One of the success stories from that era was Sean Grandillo; he played with the band Crazed, who finished
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the Rock Hall’s 20th anniversary. “We never thought about it, but it worked out nicely,” says Gabel. “Even their logo ties in with our logo. I love it. The thing that makes it a good deal is that it’s $10, and it usually costs $20 to get into the Rock Hall. Parents can see their ‘gods’ playing in front of the gods and legends of rock ’n’ roll. Parents can show their kids the bands they listened to. Kids can say they’re big Nirvana fans and parents can talk about CSNY.” At the end of the day, Gabel says the Rock Off provides a great opportunity for young musicians to mingle. “You think nobody else can play what you’re playing,” he says. “My goal has been to get these kids together from the east side and west side and from the south. I want to show them people from totally different backgrounds. Whoever you’re playing with today may not be the person you’re playing with. It’s rare that someone like [the Black Keys] Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach will stay together forever and ever. It’s a good opportunity to play with and listen to other people. Some of the bands have merged into different bands and asked other people to sit in with them. That’s great. It’s one of the key, shining moments of the past 20 years.”
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t h e u lt i m a t e r e t r o p a r t y !
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M A R C H 1 1 O N S A L E F R I D AY AT 1 0 A M
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JANUARY 28
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FEBRUARY 4
reel big fish w/Suburban Legends, The Maxies
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FEBRUARY 9
w/Jule Vera, Waterparks
LUPE FIASCO w/The Boy Illinois Billy Blue • ZVerse
COMING SOON
FEBRUARY 10
FEBRUARY 11
feb. 17 & 18 - dropkick murphys with tiger army • darkbuster feb. 19 led zeppelin 2 feb. 20 gaelic storm feb. 21 jack & jack feb. 23 naughty by nature feb. 26 warren haynes ashes & dust ft. railroad earth feb. 29 beach house - in association with mar. 1 dark star orchestra mar. 2 bryson tiller
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FEBRUARY 12 mar. mar. mar. mar. mar.
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mar. 16 mar. 24 mar. 24
M AY 1 5 O N S A L E F R I D AY AT 1 0 A M cradle of filth W/BUTCHER BABIES • Ne Obliviscaris geoff tate’s operation: mindcrime lake street divE IN ASSOCIATION WITH BEACHLAND BALLROOM excision Hawthorne Heights, The Ataris, and Mest w/Handguns and London Falling cambridge room hoodie allen w/superduperkyle, Blackbear fetty wap w/post malone kirk franklin live at masonic auditorium
Buy Tickets at houseofblues.com
Order By Phone: 800.745.3000 • House of Blues Box Office magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
43
Photos by Eric Petersen
MUSIC LIVING IN THE MOMENT
Jam rockers Rusted Root continue to tour in support of their 25th anniversary By Jeff Neisel DURING THE PAST 25 YEARS, Rusted Root has played on some big stages supporting acts such as Santana, the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers Band, the HORDE Festival and the Jimmy Page/Robert Plant reunion tour. Its music has been featured in films like Ice Age, Twister and Matilda as well as in TV shows like New Girl, Ally McBeal, Charmed and Chuck. The band’s music even found its way into Enterprise Rent-A-Car commercials. Rusted Root played Cleveland a handful of times last year as it toured to mark 25 years as a band. Singerguitarist Michael Glabicki, who brings the band back to Northeast Ohio on Jan. 7, says the shows demonstrated just how enduring the band’s music really is. “It feels like it’s finally starting to come together,” says Glabicki via phone from his Pittsburgh home when asked about the year of touring. “Our intention all along was to be in the moment musically. We want to improv and improv off the energy of the crowd and be completely there. We’re finally in it and relaxed. Anything can happen on any given night. Each show has been pretty amazing.” When the group formed in Pittsburgh some 25 years ago, the city’s music scene was characterized by a slew of bands that all sounded quite different from one another. Glabicki says some bands even played “Depeche Mode-techno-sounding stuff.” A number of groups fell into the R&B, blues and rock category. Rusted Root took off very quickly and Glabicki has said the time period was “pretty special” because fans were so openminded to different types of music. The most loyal patrons would bring food to the shows and turn them into veritable pot lucks. “There was a lot of political work we did regarding Central America and South Africa,” he says. “We traveled with like-minded groups in Pittsburgh. We did so many benefits, like one a week. We expanded out of that and then our own shows would be us renting out warehouses. We had
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fans who would bring food and we crossed out of that community into another community of people. There was a potluck going on before the show. We would build the stage and build a sound system. It was a lot of work, but it was all exciting and fun. Every part of it was awesome.” Back then, Glabicki says he “listened to anything.” He started out with Cat Stevens when he was 4 or 5, and then dove into the Beatles and Stones. He even went through a phase of listening to Black Sabbath and Van Halen. He wasn’t that aware of world music while growing up in Pittsburgh, but one of his cousins taught him drums and the other taught him guitar. One cousin was in a reggae band and the other was filtering African percussion into his sounds, so he became a world music junkie. He cites Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon, who embraced world music respectively with So and Graceland, as influences. “World music found me through
Rusted Root
African drumming. “We would play for days and days trying to mimic those sounds,” he says. “I would mainly focus on that. I wanted to feel the drums through the acoustic guitar. That’s how I got started in it. I went out and sought musicians who could recreate that feeling.” After self-releasing its 1992 debut Cruel Sun, the band signed to a major label for 1994’s When I Woke. That relationship wouldn’t last long, however, even though the album delivered singles such as “Send Me on My Way” and “Ecstasy.” Glabicki has described the album as a “real pain in the ass” because the label wanted it so
RUSTED ROOT 8 P.M., THURSDAY, JAN. 7, HOUSE OF BLUES, 308 EUCLID AVE., 216-523-2583. TICKETS: $20 ADV, $25 DOS, HOUSEOFBLUES.COM
different avenues,” he says. “My cousin taught me drums and he was in a reggae band and they were experimenting with African percussion. His brother was in his own band and that was also an African drumming outfit. It felt underground — the world beat stuff. It felt like it was something exciting that wasn’t happening yet. You could find aspects of it on the college campuses. I remember seeing one concert on the Pitt campus. It was an African drumming group. I remember hearing the cowbell and how it played so differently. I fixated on it. I thought, ‘There is something here that should be brought to the masses.’” He started writing songs on acoustic guitar and writing rhythmically. He and his friend would play along to a cassette tape of
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
quickly. The band hit another snag after the release of 2002’s Welcome to My Party. Glabicki says he needed to “get off the grind,” so he did some solo shows and the band stayed out of the studio. During those years, he just wanted to “have fun and party. “We got burnt out a little bit but we kept touring,” he says. “Management and the band members wanted me to write more tunes. I would reply, ‘I’m on vacation right now.’ I just wanted to play live rather than write a new album. It was more that than a hiatus.” Stereo Rodeo came out in 2008 and represented the band getting back together and coming up with different ideas. “That’s when things started clicking for us,” says Glabicki. “Fans were anticipating new music and started coming back.”
The subsequent album, 2012’s The Movement, represents the first time Glabicki produced and engineered a Rusted Root album entirely on his own. It also has a new depth and reflects the band’s willingness to embrace a range of musical styles. “It was a lot of running around,” he says of the recording process. “I would put my guitar on and get ready. It was kind of insane. By the time the mix came around, I was pretty burnt and sobbing. We accomplished what we needed to accomplish. That was my first time, but I’ll have more shortcuts next time around. I think it would only go up from there.” The band has already written the tunes for a new studio album. It has already debuted tracks such as “Save Me Back” “Promised Land” “Such a Man” and “Tumbleweed.” Glabicki says he wants to create the foundation for another 25 years. “It’s going in every direction,” he says of the new songs. “Over the past three years of touring, we started to settle into this thing where it’s almost like we don’t care and are completely having fun. But we do care and we’re hitting some odd spiritual moments on stage as well as some different grooves that we’ve never played before. I’ve taken mental notes of those moments. It might be one song one night or a month of playing a certain song a certain way. It’s all expanding out and at the same time settling. I know what we can do and we want to go way out on some songs and then take ideas from different songs and mix them up in a weird way. It’s going to be a different album for us.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
P O H S G THE GRO
D HTS EVELAN L C , D P.GS V L B ID HTS GROGSHO 2785 EUCL 216.321.5588
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THE ARK BAND
SAT 1/9 6PM
FRI 1/8
SKULL PRACTITIONERS (mem. of DREAM SYNDICATE)
THU 1/14
HARI KONDABOLU Yusuf Ali Zachariah Durr Ramon Rivas
Chomp • Beach Glass
SUN 1/31
THU 2/25
STALLEY DEADHomeFALL Vice Souletric For Fall
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G. Huff w/ DJ Nuera Homesafe R The Czar
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SAT 1/9 10PM
WED 2/3 FRI 3/11
BRAVE BONES Posh Army
CRAW CASPIAN MURDEREDMAN O’BROTHER The Great Iron Snake
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2/5 KEVIN BIANCHI FRI MASS GOTHIC & THE CHESTERTONS Mazed Lower Middle Managment
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The Village Bicycle
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SAT 1/16 THU 2/11 7PM
THE GROG SHOP PRESENTS AT
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Kings Destroy Lo Pan
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THU 4/14
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Mon 1/8 MAKE ‘EM LAUGH MONDAY Sun 1/10 FLASHBACK HUMOR • All Over the Place Mon 1/11 BROADENING THE DAYLIGHT • Super Awesome Macho Fri 1/22 YOSEMIGHT • Vine Street Vibes • The Outer Waves Sun 1/24 JUSTIN ROBERTS&THENOT READYFOR NAPTIME PLAYERS Thu 1/28 KISS ME DEADLY • Way of Life • Black Spirit Crown Fri 1/29 HONEY • Wesley Who Thu 2/4 Workingman’s Reggae w/THE ARK BAND Wed 2/17 SEERESS • Harvey Pekar • Wolf Teeth Sat 2/20 RIVAL SONS RESCHEDULED FOR THU 9/1 Sun 2/28 GLUTTONS • Earth Chief • Deathcrawl • Toro Blanco Tue 3/29 CHON • Polyphia • Strawberry Girls Wed 3/30 DREAMERS • The Arkells Mon 4/4 THE EXPENDABLES • Passafire Tue 4/5 UNWRITTEN LAW • Fenix, TX Sun 4/24 MURDER BY DEATH • Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 45
MUSIC THE FOLK-ROCK GODDESS
Singer-songwriter Catie Curtis documents ‘an undercurrent of change’ on her latest album By Jeff Neisel “THE QUEEN,” ONE OF THE TRACKS on Catie Curtis’ latest album, 2014’s Flying Dream, speaks volumes about the perspective attained over the course of 20 years. “I felt better than I could have dreamed as the queen,” she croons over a jangly guitar riff and cooing backing vocals. The song recounts an incident that actually took place a few years ago. “It was originally inspired by playing a show where Queen Latifah was supposed to receive an award but she didn’t show up,” says Curtis via phone from her Newton, Massachusetts home. “It was at one of the presidential balls. So I took up a two-hour slot. I realized I could take up that space. You’re not the same person when you’ve been doing something for 20 years.” Curtis refers to Flying Dream as reflecting “an undercurrent of change and knowing more about yourself than you once did.” During her career, Curtis has released 13 albums, performed at the White House, played two Presidential Inaugural Balls, toured with Lilith Fair and taken the stage at Carnegie Hall. She’s won multiple Boston Music Awards and also claimed the Grand Prize in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition. The New Yorker once caller her a “folk-rock goddess.” Growing up in rural Maine, Curtis says she wanted to play music from an early age. “I just grew up craving to get an instrument in my hands,” she says. “I grew up with a broken-down Sears’ guitar with only four strings on it. Trying to make that thing work made me want to get an actual tunable guitar with six strings. I was given one from a woman who was working at a yard sale.” Initially, songwriting was hard. “I hadn’t grown up with folk music,” she says. “I had grown up with pop and Broadway musicals. But I went to Brown and got exposed to Greg Brown and Nanci Griffith and more interesting stuff. There was space for people to play original work. There was also a culture where writing your own songs was really supported and nurtured.” She self-released the cassette-only
46
CATIE CURTIS 7 P.M., THURSDAY, JAN. 7, WOODSHED LESSON STUDIO, 15 ½ WEST COLLEGE ST., OBERLIN, 440-775-1808. TICKETS: $25, WOODSHEDLESSONS.COM
Dandelion in 1989. At that time, it cost a bundle to make your own records. For an indie artist to release a record on his or her own dime was a considerable accomplishment. “In the early ’90s when I made my first self-produced records, the budgets were 15 or $20,000,” she says. “You had to pay for analog recording studios and all that. When I was on major labels, they cost something like $100,000. And then you come back to your own label and you can make a record for 15 or $20,000 because of the
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
digital technology. Now you’re paying for the musicians, which is great. You’re not paying for a big studio.” She cut her musical teeth on the Boston folk scene, which was particularly vibrant thanks to one particular club. “[The Boston scene] is tied into the history of political folk music like Pete Seeger and people like Bonnie Raitt who used to play at Club 47,” Curtis explains. “A big part of it is non-traditional venues like Unitarian churches or a good community hall.
One of the things that Boston has going for it is its location. You can drive 45 minutes and play a gig in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut or Vermont. When I lived in Ann Arbor, everything — every gig — was four hours away.” Curtis says the end of her marriage influenced the songs on Flying Dream to an extent. “It was the last year of my marriage,” says Curtis. “I was married for 15 years. I wasn’t consciously aware of the fact that some of the songs were going to be alluding to that. I also wrote about meeting my daughter’s birth parents in Guatemala. That was a very surreal experience. I kept thinking, ‘Don’t let this be a dream.’ I really wanted it to be true. As I look back over the material, a lot of it is being able to have a vision of where you need to be.” And yet songs such as the lilting “Live Laugh Love” have an exuberance to them. “It’s definitely not a breakup record,” Curtis explains. “It was all written while I was still married. I love that feel of ‘Live Laugh Love.’ There’s a banjo on it that reminds of [the Muppets’ tune] ‘The Rainbow Connection.’ It’s playful and light. The theme fits in because it’s about how we’re going to take this empty cup and fill it up. It’s just about looking for ways to thrive.” Curtis is due for a new album and says she’s written more than enough songs for the next offering. “They’re all over the map thematically, but I’m on the verge of booking the studio time to record,” she says, adding that some new tracks will likely make their way into the set she plays at Woodshed Lesson Studio in Oberlin. “Things slow down for me over the holidays, so I like to come out of the gate fast and get back in the swing of touring,” she says. “I think people prefer to come out during the winter as opposed to the summer, especially in places where it gets cold in the winter. They like to come to a warm setting. I think it’s a great time.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 47
LIVEWIRE 1/6
Boy=Girl/Chad Elliott/Nick Urb: Featuring veteran local singersongwriters Jen Maurer (Mo’ Mojo) and Paul Kovac (Hillbilly IDOL), this local duo calls itself an Americana power duo. The band formed in 2011 because Maurer and Kovac wanted to write music different from their other bands. Maurer takes her influence from blues, zydeco and old-time music, and Kovac draws from bluegrass, traditional country and fiddle tunes. Their credentials are impressive: an Ohio Arts Council Master Artist, Kovac has toured Japan under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution and Maurer is a current Musical Ambassador through the State Department (American Musicians Abroad) who tours internationally. Their debut album kicks off with the twangy “Blue Modal,” a terrific tune that sounds like it could have come from the O Brother Where Are Thou soundtrack. (Jeff Niesel), 6:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. 10 X 3 Hosted by Brent Kirby (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. The 10 x 3 Singer-Songwriter Showcase Hosted by Brent Kirby: 8 p.m., Free. Musica. Boy=Girl/Chad Elliott/Nick Urb: 6:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Clubhouse/Simply Shady/Diverge Marina Strah: 8:30 p.m., $5. Grog Shop. Deche/Slump Pump Sluts/The Everymen/The Lawton Brothers: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. Joe Leaman: 7 p.m., Free. BLU Jazz+.
THU
1/7
Kiss Me Deadly: Kiss Me Deadly started in 2008 as the Poland Invasion but in 2012 added Madelyn Hayes on drums and vocals and rechristened itself as Kiss Me Deadly as band’s sound shifted and it embraced its inner Velvet Underground. Recorded locally with producer Chris Keffer at Magnetic Sound studios, Kiss Me Deadly’s latest album, What You Do in the Dark, features a terrific array of vintage sounds. The album’s title track features seductive vocals and a retro-sounding guitar riff that sounds like it was lifted from a ‘60s garage rock tune. Think Velvet Underground. (Niesel), 9 p.m., $5.
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Photo courtesy of Kiss Me Deadly
WED
all the live music you should see this week Locals Kiss Me Deadly return to the Euclid Tavern. See: Thursday.
The Bottom Line Motown Band: 9 p.m., $5. Vosh Club. Tufted Puffins CD Release/45 Spider/ Balloon Knot: 9 p.m., $8. Beachland Tavern. Jim Volk/Will Cheshier/George Foley & Friends: 5:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Charles Walker Band: 8 p.m., $10. BLU Jazz+. Hank Williams and Friends by Hillbilly Idol (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club.
SAT
The Euclid Tavern. Blu Jazz Big Band Residency with the Sam Blakeslee Large Group: 8 p.m., Free. BLU Jazz+. Brat Curse/Punts: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. Chris Hatton’s Musical Circus (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Jam Night with the Bad Boys of Blues: 9 p.m., Free. Brothers Lounge. Davy Knowles/Blues Chronicles: 8 p.m., $15. Beachland Tavern. Miss Tess & the Talkbacks (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Rusted Root: 8 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. House of Blues. Spyder Stompers/Ken Bindas/Small Forest: 6 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Thirteen Cadillacs: 8:30 p.m., $5. Beachland Tavern.
FRI
1/8
The Mucklebuck/Splitroot: Having become a staple of the local jam circuit, The Mucklebuck announced with a heavy heart that tonight will be their last show. With some band members literally moving and other moving toward solo projects, the time has come to call a
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
hiatus. “The world is moving some of us in different directions, and unfortunately we’re just not going to be able to keep The MuckleBuck moving forward in a way that we feel the band deserves,” the band wrote last month. Still, they’re going to bring the heat tonight, as they’ve done for years. Their ability to stitch together layers of danceable grooves has cultivated a fervent fan base. Let’s send ‘em off with that classic Cleveland love, everybody. (Eric Sandy), 8 p.m., $10. Beachland Ballroom. Matthew Azrieli/Shawn & Shelby/ Noon: 12 p.m., $5. The Euclid Tavern. Fillmore East: 8 p.m., $5. Musica. Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles: 8 p.m. Akron Civic Theatre. Dennis Lewin: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Moody Blues Tribute: Time Traveler: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Jon Pardi/Brothers Osborne: 8 p.m., $22.50 ADV, $25 DOS. House of Blues. The Rust Belt Sound System: 9 p.m., Free. Now That’s Class. Skull Practitioners/Chomp/Beach Glass: 9 p.m., $7. Grog Shop. Soul Music & Other Music for the Soul with Lawrence Daniel Caswell: 6 p.m., Free. Happy Dog.
1/9
Terry Lee Goffee — The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute: Local singersongwriter Terry Lee Goffee does the best Johnny Cash impersonation in town. For years, he’s toured regionally behind a successful tribute to the Man in Black that includes tracks such as “25 Minutes to Go” and “Delia” as well as more obscure numbers such as “Legend of John Henry,” which clocks in at over 8 minutes long. When the makers of Guitar Hero 5 needed a guy to portray Cash, they chose Goffee. He’s got the man’s moves down. His January show at House of Blues is an annual tradition. Should be a blast. (Niesel), 9 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. House of Blues. Frank Sinatra Tribute with Michael Sonata (in the Supper Club): Canton native Michael Sonata has always been involved in plays and choirs and was a member of the University of Notre Dame Glee Club. In 2004, he auditioned for a role in a Sopranos spoof that required a character based on Frank Sinatra. Sonata got the part and has been imitating Ol’ Blue Eyes ever since. He includes some 90 songs in his repertoire and covers all eras, including the Columbia years and the Capitol years. He even takes requests from the audience. (Niesel), 8 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. A Bob Seger Experience by Hollywood Nights: After a successful show at Daryl’s House, the popular music program hosted by Hall & Oates’ Daryl Hall, the Bob Seger tribute band Hollywood Nights were invited back and will perform there again this month. This 10-piece act reportedly sounds “as good if not better than Seger himself.” The band normally plays large outdoor festivals such as Lock 3 in Akron and this will be its
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SUN, JAN. 17
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LIVEWIRE first winter time visit to Cleveland. (Niesel), 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Three Legged Chair/Funeral Proposals: After starting up in January 2014 in Akron, Three Legged Chair has been throwing down high-energy sets across Northeast Ohio. Their August 2015 EP -- recorded in 18 hours in Columbus -- dishes up some fine garage rock, the sort of thing that gets your head bobbing and your toes tapping. Tunes like “Don’t Knock Twice” and “Hoods and Hounds” bring distorted heat to pulsing rhythms and a clear passion for performing music. The band cites Cage the Elephant, Arctic Monkeys, Weezer and The Strokes as their stylistic influences. (To our ears, we’re picking up a good deal of the Monkeys’ Alex Turner, which is always a fun sign.) (Sandy), 8 p.m., $6 ADV, $8 DOS. The Kent Stage. 2016 Tri-C High School Rock Off: As a way of nurturing and supporting the talent native to Northeast Ohio, the folks at the concert promotions behemoth Live Nation devote what is traditionally a slow time of the
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year for concerts to this annual event, a battle of the bands that pits high-school bands against one another in a competition to crown one final winner the best highschool band in the land. Last year, the event returned to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where a handful of bands battled it out each weekend before one winner was crowned in the Final Exam. This year, the event will also take place at the Rock Hall. Every Saturday in January (and one Saturday in February), regional bands will compete before a panel of judges for the right to move on to the “Final Exam,” which takes place on Feb. 13 at the Rock Hall. Now in its twentieth year, the event will also feature special appearances by alumni acts who’ll perform at the end of each round. (Niesel), 6 p.m. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Brave Bones/Posh Army/The Science Fair: 10:30 p.m., $5. Grog Shop. Rachel Brown and the Beatnik Playboys/The Flipside: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. By Light We Loom EP Release/ Joshua Jesty/These Knees: 9 p.m., $8. Beachland Tavern. Dead Fall/Home for Fall/Homesafe/A Sense of Purpose: 6 p.m., $8. Grog Shop.
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
Dune/The D-Rays/The Nico Missile/ Pig Flayer: 8 p.m., $8. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Ray Flanagan & the Authorities/ Tom Evanchuck/The Old Money: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. J. Rawls/Muamin Collective/Know1: 9 p.m., Free. Now That’s Class. Jumpin Jack Flash: 8 p.m., $20. Akron Civic Theatre. Lil Reese: 6 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. Agora Ballroom. Red Rose Panic/Acid Cats/Capali: 9 p.m., $8. Musica. Step Inside with Dieselboy/SLAVE/ Bruh/Floasis/DAmian Lauderbach: 9:30 p.m., $14 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Tricky Dick and The Cover-Ups: 9 p.m., $5. Vosh Club. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown.
SUN
1/10
Flashback Humor/All Over the Place/New Neighbors: 8:30 p.m., $5. Grog Shop. Irish Sundays: Crawley, Custy & Taylor (in the Supper Club): 4 p.m., Free. Music Box Supper Club. Night Owls: 3 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Perfect Balance: 3 p.m. Barking
Spider Tavern. Mike Petrone (in the Wine Bar): 5:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Sunday Noise Lunch: 9 p.m., Free. Now That’s Class.
MON
1/11
Skatch Anderssen Orchestra: 8 p.m., $10. Brothers Lounge. Broadening the Daylight/Super Awesome/Macho/The Shadow Division: 8:30 p.m., $5. Grog Shop. Helta Skelta: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Velvet Voyage (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
TUE
1/12
Ernie Krivda and the Jazz Workshop/ Jim Kozel: 7 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Mild High Club/Jivviden/Erienauts: 8:30 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Dan Zola Orchestra Big Band: 7:30 p.m., $10. Vosh Club.
scene@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene
b a r k i n g s p i d e r t a ve r n . c o m
LIVE MUSIC
NO COVER
HAVE A PICNIC, RELAX & ENJOY
Thursday January 7 Small Forest 6:00 (rock, folk, singer/songwriter) Ken Bindas 8:30 (singer/ songwriter) Spyder Stompers 10:00 (americana, blues)
Friday January 8 George Foley & Friends 5:30 (jazz) Will Cheshier 8:00 (rhythm and blues, singer/ songwriter, pop) Jim Volk 10:00 (rock)
Saturday January 9 The Flipside 8:00 (rock, folk) Rachel Brown and the Beatnik Playboys 10:00 (country blues)
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Jan 7
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the BottoM line Motown Band
Beegees tribute Band 2/20 at the club Motor estates
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BRENT KIRBY’S AKRON 10x3 Jan 7th
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Features Akron Sound Museum Jan 8th
FILMORE EAST Jan 9th
RED ROSE PANIC/ ACID CATS/ COPALI
9:30pm Tues. Jan. 12
dan Zola orchestra
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7:30pm
featuring
Fri. Jan. 15
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SKATCH ANDERSSEN ORCHESTRA 8:00
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“sample 5 bourbon cocktails paired with house cured meats and pizzas”
Fri. 1/8
Kristine Jackson
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5:00-10:00
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Sat. Jan. 16
7:00PM-2:30AM $4 WINE • MARTINIS • CHAMPAGNE
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BIG BAND RESIDENCY With The Sam
Blakeslee Large Group Jan 8th
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ALL GENRES • ALL STYLES
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 53
BOP STOP
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54
magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
purchase of $25 or more. Expires 1/16/16
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 55
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016
SAVAGE LOVE PHONES & BONES By Dan Savage
Dear Dan, I’m a 45-year-old straight male. Politically and socially, I consider myself an ardent feminist. There is nothing I enjoy more than giving a woman an orgasm or two. I’m very GGG and will cheerfully do whatever it takes. Fingers, tongue, cock, vibrator—I’m in. If it takes a long time, so much the better. I’m okay with all of that. Now and again, though, I really like a quickie, a good old-fashioned “Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am!” The only ladies I’ve found willing to engage in those cock-centric acts are sex workers. I’m okay with that, too. But the last time I paid for it, with a woman I had patronized before, I was just about to slip my cock in doggy-style when her phone rang. It was in reach, and she picked it up! I hesitated, but she didn’t pull away, and in fact pushed back a bit while she answered. I figured this was what I came for, so I proceeded. Her cavalier attitude toward being fucked from behind while having a trivial phone conversation wound up being a huge turn-on for me. By the time she finished her 20-second call, I was finished as well. I hadn’t come that quickly since I was a teen. She laughed that she should take calls more often. What kind of beast am I that I really enjoyed such utter indifference? Does this reveal some dark secret deep in my psyche? How can that mesh with my otherwise feminist views? Premature Ejaculation Needs Some Introspective View Examined First, PENSIVE, “enjoys giving women orgasms” sets the bar for “ardent feminist” just a bit low. So here’s hoping your feminism involves more than penetrating a willing partner with your fingers, tongue, cock, and whatever vibrators happen to be lying around. Because if your feminism doesn’t include support for pro-choice policies and candidates, regular donations to Planned Parenthood, backing equal pay for equal work, speaking up when other men say shitty/rapey/dehumanizing things about women (particularly when there isn’t a woman in the room whose pussy you want to lick until you come, because feminism!)—and more—then you’re not a feminist, ardent or otherwise. Moving on… Why did it turn you on when the sex worker took a call during your session? Because it did. Turn-ons are subjective and mysterious. People who are curious about their turn-ons have to start with “this turns me on” and work backward from there. And to figure out why a particular fabric/adornment/ attitude/scenario arouses us, we use the
only tools available to us—guesswork and self-serving rationalizations—to invent a backstory that makes some sort of logical sense, and then we apply it to something (kinks, turn-ons, orgasms) that really defies logic. So, PENSIVE, if I were to hazard some guesswork on your behalf, I’d probably go with this: Being treated with passive contempt by someone that you are supposed to be wielding power over (the woman you’re fucking, a sex worker you’ve hired)—being subtly humiliated and mildly degraded by that woman—taps a vein of eroticized self-hatred that makes you come quickly and come hard. And while that’s wonderful for you, PENSIVE, it isn’t proof you’re a feminist.
Find your happy hour. Download SCENE’s official happy hour app! clevescene.com/happyhours
Dear Dan, I’m a 29-year-old gay trans man. On female hormones, I took a long time to come and usually wouldn’t come at all. I always enjoyed sex; I just wasn’t focused on coming. My partners would or wouldn’t, depending on their preferences. Since starting testosterone a few years ago, I now come quickly and easily. (Sometimes too quickly and easily.) My problem is that after I come, like most men, I’m done with sex. And the stronger the orgasm, the truer this is. A while ago, after a really fun time, I woke to find that I’d accidentally fallen asleep and left my longtime hookup buddy to fend for himself. Other times, I’m just tired and/or turned off. I definitely don’t want anyone inside me (it hurts), and while I’ve tried mustering enthusiasm for blowjobs, hand jobs, etc., my attempts come across as pretty tepid. So in the context of both ongoing relationships of various sorts and hookups, what’s the etiquette? I’ve found myself just avoiding things that’ll push me to come, because I don’t want to be rude. And since I’ve always enjoyed sex without orgasms, this doesn’t bother me mostly. But once in a while, I would like to come. How can I do this and still take care of the other guy? Not Good At Sexy Abbreviations Use your words, NGASA: “If it’s not a problem, I’d rather come after you do—my refractory period kicks in hard when I come and, like other men, I briefly lose interest in sex. On top of that, I’m a terrible actor. So let’s make you come first or let’s try to come at the same time, okay?”
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 57
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magazine | clevescene.com | January 6 - 12, 2016 59
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