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M A R C H 16 - 2 2 , 2 016 • V O L U M E 4 6 N O 3 7
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 Upfront
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Framed
12
Feature
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Get Out!
19
Art
24
Stage
25
Film
27
Dining
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Cleveland Clinic may shift Euclid Hospital services, mayor talks ‘transformation,’ and more
Editorial Managing Editor Eric Sandy Music Editor Jeff Niesel Staff Writer Sam Allard Writer-at-large Kyle Swenson Web Editor Bliss Davis Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Contributing Dining Editor Nikki Delamotte Stage Editor Christine Howey Visual Arts Editor Josh Usmani
Our favorites photos from this past week
Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executives Kiara Hunter-Davis, Joseph Williamson
Unregulated storefront tax preparers are everywhere. A few local advocates want to change all that
Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Layout Editor/Graphic Designer Christine Hahn Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace Business Asst. To The Publisher Angela Lott Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac
Dozens of events spanning the next week in Cleveland
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 www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, voicemediagroup.com 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
Lake Erie Ink hosts fourth annual Kids’ Comic Con this weekend
An upscale Manhattan couple frets over the right school for their young son in A Kid Like Jake
Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every week by Euclid Media Group. 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 2016 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, selfaddressed 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’
Indie gymnastics comedy The Bronze has Napoleon Dynamite vibes
Two new Asiatown restaurants bring heat and happiness
Music
Local folk-rockers Maura Rogers and the Bellows have finally gelled
Savage Love In search of kink
...The story continues at clevescene.com 37 56
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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UPFRONT CUYAHOGA COUNTY EXONEREE CONFRONTS HILLARY CLINTON ON DEATH PENALTY STANCE
Photo by Frank J. Lanza
THIS WEEK
RICKY JACKSON, WHO SPENT 39 years in prison — including two years on death row — for a murder he did not commit, confronted presidential candidate Hillary Clinton this weekend over her stance on the death penalty. “I came perilously close to my own execution,” Jackson told Clinton, describing his path to exoneration. “In light of what I’ve just shared with you and in light of the fact that there are undocumented cases of innocent people who have been executed in our country,” Jackson said, “I would like to know how can you still take your stance on the death penalty.” Clinton came out against the death penalty at the state level, saying that she’d reserve the capital punishment option at the federal level for terrorists and mass murderers. (She cited the Oklahoma City bombing as an example.) “I would breathe a sigh of relief if the Supreme Court or the states themselves began to eliminate the death penalty,” she said. “Where I end up is this—and maybe it’s a distinction that is hard to support— at this point, given the challenges we face from terrorist activities in our country that enter under federal jurisdiction, for very limited purposes it can still be held in reserve for those.” As recently as last fall, however, Clinton has said that she’s against abolishing the death penalty. Media outlets pounced on the comments yesterday, asserting a “flip-fop” angle, and there is some scrutiny warranted here. Nuance is one thing, and Clinton has couched herself in that rhetorical world throughout her campaign, but this might have been a great opportunity to further clarify her stance on the death penalty — and not just when
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its use would be appropriate, but how its intersection with wrongful convictions can be solved on a national scale. Jackson said he remains an undecided voter as of Sunday.
FRANK JACKSON DELIVERS HUMDRUM STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS, DOUBLES AS SALES PITCH FOR INCOME TAX HIKE Mayor Frank Jackson delivered his 11th State of the City Address Thursday afternoon -- his 11th! -- at the Cleveland Public Auditorium in an event co-sponsored by the City Club. Jackson’s address was yet another variation on themes he’s been fitfully articulating for years -- a great city should be measured by the wellbeing of its people (“particularly the least of us”), etc. -- yet he invited the crowd to view this year’s vision as a “paradigm shift.” “As opposed to celebrating the tools,” Jackson said, “Cleveland has to celebrate people, and people’s lives being transformed.” The motivational speaker rhetoric was dramatized by the delivery itself. This year, Jackson dispensed with the moderator format -- last year, Jackson submitted to questioning by none other than KeyCorp. President and CEO Beth Mooney -- and spoke directly to the audience. He paced back and forth on stage, relying on neither prepared notes nor lectern. Paradigm shift indeed! Jackson celebrated how Cleveland has overcome “the challenge of attitude,” how CMSD has dramatically improved its graduation rates, and how his administration has pursued equitable growth by asking developers to abide by community benefits agreements. He had no interest in touting individual
Ricky Jackson addresses the media in 2014. He confronted Hillary Clinton on her death penalty stance last weekend.
development initiatives, he said. He’s much more excited by the $25 million he has set aside to improve struggling neighborhoods. “We’re not talking about projects,” he said. “We’re talking about transformation.” But Jackson’s address, ultimately, could be interpreted as a pitch to the business community to support the income tax increase that he’s been hawking since early February. Jackson says the hike is necessary due to cuts at the state level and increased expenditures from collective bargaining agreements and the Consent Decree.
LAST-MINUTE DASH
LOOP
IT BURNS...
City leaders urge action to clean up RTA’s Red Line route in time for RNC. Also, your father’s boss is coming over for dinner and you still haven’t put away all your toys.
Destination Cleveland outlines need for more conventions after RNC leaves town. President David Gilbert, thinking out loud: “Maybe they’ll just do another RNC next year.”
Propane tank explosion rocks Crocker Park and new American Greetings headquarters. Weiss family immediately orders new “fireball sympathy, with love” card line.
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
He framed both renewing the Cleveland schools levy and acceding to a tax increase as ways in which our resolve will be tested. If we don’t do these things, Jackson suggested, we’re probably not all that committed to real reform. In a Q&A period, Jackson delivered a flagship quotable to a high school student -- “If you put BS in, you’ll get BS out,” he said -- and parroted the GCP’s preferred narrative when asked about the long term benefits of the Republican National Convention. “I believe that after the RNC, after we show the world what Cleveland
QUALITY OF LIFE Let those primary returns wash over you like the blood of a generation.
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
UPFRONT really is, who we really are, that there will be people interested in coming here,” Jackson said. “And if we give those delegates, and the 50,000 other people, a good experience, then they too will go back to wherever they live… and have a positive attitude, a positive conversation. And when a choice comes up about where they want to go visit, where they want to do things, it will be Cleveland.” Jackson reiterated, though, that in order for those benefits to be successful in his eyes, the subsequent prosperity must be broadly distributed.
CLEVELAND CLINIC CONSIDERS SHIFTING SERVICES FROM EUCLID HOSPITAL A Cleveland Clinic plan to move an inpatient rehabilitation unit from Euclid Hospital to the Beachwood Family Health and Surgery Center has some in the region raising their eyebrows and wondering what the long-term impact might be. A proposal for a 60-bed inpatient rehab center is on the March 28 Beachwood Planning and Zoning Commission agenda. (The current Euclid rehab center has 45 beds.) The Plain Dealer brought the backlash to light last week, with City Councilman Michael Polensek leading the charge. “They move the rehab unit out and you might as well kiss that place goodbye,” he said, later drawing comparisons to Lakewood and East Cleveland, where Cleveland Clinic inpatient hospitals were shut down altogether. The Clinic’s line, meanwhile, has been similar to how the Lakewood Hospital community was placated seven years ago. As services were stripped from Lakewood and moved to nearby Fairview Hospital, the Clinic promised several “centers of excellence” in areas such as geriatrics, orthopedics, neurological services and diabetes/endocrine. Those developments did not come to pass, and Lakewood continued to lose health care services. Still: “We’re working on expanding the availability of adult inpatient physical medical and rehabilitation facilities throughout northeast Ohio,” Clinic spokesperson Heather Phillips has said. Publicly, there’s been no word as to what might replace the services that Euclid Hospital is losing. Very little is a safe bet when
talking about the Clinic’s chess moves in Northeast Ohio, but it’s a certainty that Polensek’s ire will keep a spotlight on the Euclid situation. Regardless of how the transition shakes out, that scrutiny can only lead to more accountable decision-making for the city’s eastside residents.
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CMA OPENS MASSIVE ANCIENT EGYPT EXHIBIT As part of their ongoing, yearlong centennial celebration, the Cleveland Museum of Art presents Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt. This special exhibition opened last weekend and remains on view through June 12 in the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Hall. Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt is brought to Cleveland in collaboration with the British Museum. It includes more than 150 artworks and objects, ranging from jewelry to monumental sculpture, from the British Museum, as well as masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s permanent collection. The exhibition explores the realities of daily life for these ancient royals by looking beyond the myths. While many of the objects on display were designed to project the illusion of all-powerful regality of the Pharaoh, the exhibition’s narrative emerges as a country at times divided by civil war, ruled by competing kings or conquered by foreign powers. Pharaohs were not always male, or even Egyptian. “Exploring the myths and the realities of power in ancient Egypt, Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt is a rare treat to see some of the best holdings of Egyptian art in the world, but it is also an occasion to look at some of Cleveland’s Egyptian works anew,” says guest curator of Pharaoh and lecturer in Egyptology at the École du Louvre, Aude Semat. “Pharaoh is based on this dynamic idea that ‘things are not what they seem.’ It presents the men and women who ruled over Egypt, how they ‘communicated’ through the numerous inscriptions and images that have come down to us, but also the back stories behind the exercise of power.” Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt is divided into 10 thematic sections. “In the first five sections, Pharaoh: King of Ancient Egypt focuses on the Egyptian concept of kingship, in particular the Pharaoh’s relationship with the gods, then the next five sections show that the reality of power was somewhat
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ALL SHOWS AT THE KENT STAGE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED Tickets available at the kent stage box office bodega or online 175 East Main Street • Kent, Ohio 44240 • 877-987-6487 • www.kentstage.org | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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more complicated,” Semat explains. “In my opinion, the exhibition also gives the opportunity to see how ‘powerful’ ancient Egyptian images still are, no matter their size (from life-size statues to miniature jewels) or their material (from precious metals to more ‘humble’ terracotta).” A single, monumental sculpture, the Hathar capital (c. 874-850 BC), greets visitors in the introductory gallery. It is flanked on both sides by large photographs depicting the landscape of the region. Immediately, organizers offer viewers context into the world surrounding these objects. This is important, as often the real-world context of these ancient objects is lost in a formal gallery setting. Tickets to this special exhibition are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and students (with ID), $7 for children ages 6 and up and free for children under 6. Additionally, the CMA has organized a complementary exhibition, Pyramids & Sphinxes, on view now through May 24 in the Mark Schwartz and Bettina Katz Photography Gallery, as well as a full calendar of programming, including lectures, concerts, films and special events. For more information, visit Clevelandart.org. Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project
Garry, who were instrumental in saving our downtown theaters from demolition. It was their brilliant 1973 production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris that pumped new life into Playhouse Square and convinced local movers and shakers to think of that area as something more than a location for parking lots. Joe directed David in that show, as he did in many other productions, and their long collaboration resulted in a long string of theatrical triumphs. The entire Cleveland theater community, and everyone else in this region, owes a debt of gratitude to David Frazier, a man who loved and devoured life with enormous passion. He was a cherished friend of Scene theater critic Christine Howey, as well as many others, and he will be sorely missed.
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
DIGIT WIDGET 15 Percentage of Cuyahoga County Democrats who requested a Republican primary ballot, a local record high. (One percents of Rs requested the Democrat ballot.)
7,000 Estimated attendance of Donald Trump’s rally at the I-X Center Saturday, according to the Cleveland fire marshal. (Trump said 29,000.)
4-11-16 Planned opening date for Mabel’s BBQ, Michael Symon’s new Berman’s-inspired East Fourth ‘cue joint.
DAVID O. FRAZIER, R.I.P. Over the past weekend, the immensely talented Cleveland actor and singer David O. Frazier passed away after an extended illness. He was one of the people, along with his partner of 40 years (and husband of two years) Joe
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
33 Total days spent in space by new NASA Glenn Director Janet Kavandi, who’s taking over for Jim Free. Kavandi is the first woman to hold the post.
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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FRAMED!
our best shots from last week Photos by Emanuel Wallace, Sam Allard*, Eric Sandy**, Jon Lichtenberg***
Cheers! @ Scene’s Vodka Vodka at Red Space
DJ @ Scene’s Vodka Vodka at Red Space
Welcome! @ Scene’s Vodka Vodka at Red Space
Yo! @ Scene’s Vodka Vodka at Red Space
The calm before the speech @ Trump rally at I-X Center*
That’s one angry Trump supporter @ Trump rally at I-X Center**
Cop party @ Trump rally at I-X Center*
You! @ Trump rally at I-X Center**
All in @ Scene’s Vodka Vodka at Red Space
Champions @ Scene’s Vodka Vodka at Red Space
Gang’s all here @ Scene’s Vodka Vodka at Red Space
Space Age @ TurnAbout at Bounce Nightclub
Rawr @ TurnAbout at Bounce Nightclub
Spooky @ John 5 at Beachland Ballroom***
Servin’ @ Scene’s Vodka Vodka at Red Space
Never miss a beat! See more pics @ clevescene.com In the groove @ TurnAbout at Bounce Nightclub
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
Share your best shots with SCENE – just tag or mention us! ™ @ clevescene t @ cleveland_scene ` @ ClevelandScene • #clevescene
SCENE THANKS ALL WHO JOINED US FOR
VODKA VODKA III SEE MORE PICS ONLINE @ CLEVESCENE.COM
CLEVESCENE.COM | SHARE YOUR PICS WITH US! #VODKAVODKA2016
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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FEATURE
TAX
OPEN
SEASON
Unregulated storefront tax preparers are everywhere, collecting fees from millions of low-income Americans with urgent financial needs who could be getting tax help, and their full refunds, for free. A few local advocates want to change all that. By Sam Allard FOR THE FAMOUS DANCING mascots of Liberty Tax Service, gloves and earmuffs are as essential to the Cleveland uniform as the crushed velvet robes and foam crowns. That’s because tax season (January 1 through April 15) is more or less coterminous with wintertime in Northeast Ohio. So the “wavers” (that’s the official Liberty designation) have to cope with the elements as they jive and gyrate and spin signs imploring you to “Honk if you love Liberty” and “Get $50 Now!” You’ve seen them. There are nine Liberty Tax Service branches in the city of Cleveland, 157 across Ohio and more than 4,000 nationwide. Thanks to the wavers, Liberty is probably the most recognizable brand, if not the biggest (that would be H&R Block), in the storefront tax preparer industry. It’s an industry, local politicians and policy advocates say, wreaking havoc on the financial wherewithal of millions of low- and middle-income Americans. The Liberty wavers earn wages in accordance with their sign-spinning skills. And the marketing folks at Liberty Corporate, proficient in another sort of spin, encourage them to improve their spinning to improve their paycheck — they even host a national wavers contest via YouTube — and suggest that one day, the wavers might become bona fide tax preparers. The tax preparers are likewise encouraged to envision a loftier future: Might they see themselves owning a Liberty franchise down the road? Anyone can do it. “No tax experience necessary,” touts the “Own a Franchise” overview on Liberty’s website; and why would it be? Storefronts like Liberty, H&R Block, Jackson-Hewitt and scores of
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smaller pop-up operations are totally unregulated by federal statute. There are no required educational credentials for individual preparers, no required certifications or standardized training, no best practices for fees and their disclosure, no required proof of any kind that these places are any more qualified to do your taxes than Martha Stewart. “It’s open season,” said David Rothstein, director of resource development and public affairs at Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland (NHS), when he spoke to Scene about the state of affairs. The IRS tried, and failed, to institute some basic regulations in 2011. But the federal courts sided with the tax preparers (in the case of Loving v. IRS), ruling that the IRS didn’t have the statutory authority to regulate. “It’s actually pretty remarkable,” said Rothstein. “It’s sort of akin to saying the Department of Defense couldn’t require that military contractors register with the federal government before they get a contract with the DOD. It’s odd to suggest that a government agency that’s supposed to be in charge of tax returns wouldn’t be able to set up a system so they could track who’s actually doing tax returns. It’s mind-boggling.” Since then, a few states and cities have cobbled together their own regulatory structures, but Ohio and Cleveland aren’t among them. That might change soon. City councilman Anthony Brancatelli told Scene he’s pursuing legislation to regulate storefront preparers. He wants to pass a bill this summer, in time for next year’s tax season, that would, at the very least, establish some
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
minimum licensing requirements. “The classic comparison is a barber shop or nail salon,” Brancatelli said. “If you go to get your hair or nails done, everybody doing it has to be licensed. There’s an assumption that when you walk into a tax preparer’s, those folks are all licensed too. But they’re not. A lot of times they have no idea what they’re doing.” Sen. Sherrod Brown is in the mix too. He’s a member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and helped secure passage of a bill in December that expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is a huge boost for the working poor and has become a chief source of income for storefront preparers, who generally take their fees directly out of their clients’ refunds. (As refunds grow thanks to the EITC, so too do preparers’ fees.) Brown, like many local advocates, wants to make sure that his constituents are getting the money they deserve. At an NHS press event in February, Brown reacted to stories of people celebrating their refunds. At the free “Super Saturday” tax prep events this past Feb. 6 at Cleveland Central Catholic and Saint Ignatius, multiyear returns were, in rare instances, as high as $8,000 to $10,000. (The average EITC refund in 2014 was about $2,400 per household.) “It’s like winning the lottery,” Brown said. And then quietly: “Except they earned it.” A regional EITC coalition led by Enterprise Community Partners has been raising awareness about free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites across the county (there are 60 of them). Education is one of the coalition’s primary functions and goals. With a targeted ad campaign
and a robust word-of-mouth network, the aim is to drive folks who might be enticed by storefront preparers to the VITA sites. Unlike storefront shops, the VITA sites are manned by trained, IRSaudited volunteers, many of whom are full-time students or employees at local banks that partner with the Coalition. The efforts are working. In 2015, the EITC Coalition directed 13,741 clients to free tax service. More than 4,500 of them claimed the EITC. Program director Kathy Matthews told Scene that the 2016 numbers are trending upwards, but that there’s still room for “a dramatic increase” in the Coalition’s reach. In the meantime, the worst of the fly-by-night storefront preparers may be getting squeezed out of the market. “There used to be five on the corner of Broadway and East 55th Street,” said Lou Tisler, NHS’s executive director, at the Sherrod Brown event in February. “Now there are only two. So we encourage the dancing Statue of Liberty as much as possible. It brings attention to the kiosk that has a free tax prep sign: ‘Call 211 and get free prep.’ We hope people see that and say, ‘Oh, I can get my taxes done for free.’
WHY WOULDN’T YOU GET YOUR TAXES DONE FOR FREE? Probably for the same reason you don’t. Basic tax forms, to quote Councilman Brancatelli, “aren’t rocket science,” but they’re still intimidating, and navigating the maze of multiple W-2s, side income streams and dependents (especially in single-parent households) often requires help. That help tends to
Photo by Sam Allard
be most readily available at the tax prep storefront down the street. The prevailing assumption is that when you take your paperwork to a preparer, they’ll sort everything out. Not only will they not make a mistake, they’ll find ways to maximize your refund. You pay for the convenience and the expertise. “Fast, accuracy, guaranteed” was a grammatically bothersome Liberty tagline a few years back. “There’s also an assumption that if something is free, it can’t be high quality,” Kathy Matthews said. But the bigger issue, to quote Rachel Ruffing, who owns three local Liberty branches, is that “people around here need their money yesterday.” That’s why January is a lot busier than March and April, at least for her. For many low-income families, the federal tax refund is the largest financial transaction of the year, and the W-2 is interpreted, more or less, as a check to be cashed. And “as tax refunds have increased,” NHS wrote in a 2015 study, “clients have become less sensitive to price, since costs are deducted from the refund rather than
paid outright.” Matthews said that some preparers will even allow clients to use a year-end pay stub as a proxy for the W-2, and then provide a refund anticipation product — basically a cash advance. “But they’ll charge a pretty ridiculous fee to do that,” Matthews said. “Say your refund is $1,000. You’ll get a check today for $600. And the preparer will take $400 for the preparation, the e-file, maybe the state, and then a fee for giving you the money today. For a low-income family, that $400 is huge. They’re making, on average, $18,000 per year.” If that same person got his or her taxes prepared at a VITA site, he or she would get the full $1,000. But Matthews said the VITA sites can’t prepare returns without valid W-2s and that they e-file, so the refunds arrive, via direct deposit, in seven to 10 days. That makes it difficult to compete with storefront preparers: They offer a fraction of the refund but they offer it immediately. The Coalition’s research shows that low-income clients spend their
refunds on “immediate and urgent” financial needs. It’s often basic expenses like rent, utility bills and food. Credit card bills and auto repair are also near the top of the list. In 2013 in Cuyahoga County, there were roughly 120,000 people who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit. Of those, Matthews said, nearly half went to a paid preparer. That represents millions of dollars in fees. One of the reasons the Coalition exists is because those millions of dollars in fees, it reckons, ought to be going back into the local economy. In its literature, the Coalition boasts that it returns $30 to the local economy for every $1 spent on program costs. However: “Equally important is the immediate positive impact on the personal lives of those who seek the Coalition’s services.”
HOW, AGAIN, DOES THE STOREFRONT TAX PREP BUSINESS MODEL WORK? “We all know know how the business model works,” Councilman Brancatelli said. He was the Slavic
Village community development corporation director before he became a councilman and he saw the storefront preparers operate firsthand. And the business model stings in a special way because so many of his ward constituents —about half — are EITC eligible. “If you can stay open three months a year and pay rent for the whole year, it tells you how much money these guys are making,” Brancatelli said. And if gouging the working poor with bogus fees weren’t enough — fees that, as a rule, are never disclosed up front — storefront preparers top it off by improperly preparing returns at a rate much closer to “always” than “most of the time.” “It may not be legally criminal,” said Brancatelli, “but it feels criminal.” The 2015 NHS study referenced above was actually a secret shopper study. It found, alarmingly, that at 10 out of 10 (or 100 percent) of tax preparers visited, returns were prepared incorrectly. One secret shopper, a female, posed as a single parent making $22,700 per year as an administrative assistant, and pulling in about $1,000 on the
“There’s an assumption that when you walk into a tax preparer’s, those folks are all licensed too. But they’re not. A lot of times they have no idea what they’re doing.” — City councilman Anthony Brancatelli
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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Photo by Sam Allard
FEATURE
side selling craft jewelry. “The scenario was constructed,” the study said, “so that the tester was not entitled to claim her daughter as a dependent for the EITC. Testers were instructed to state that the daughter spends weekdays with the father … and that the father’s mother provides childcare during the week.” But when presented with that scenario, all five tax preparers visited by the woman — four large chain preparers and one independent preparer — instructed her to claim her daughter for the EITC. “Claim your child quickly, before someone else does,” one preparer told the tester. “You can always claim the EITC since you are the mom,” another chain preparer said. Additionally, the study reported, two of the tax preparers were on cell phones during the consultation and “not engaging the client.” Price estimates were difficult to obtain but were generally between $150 and $400. In neither of the two scenarios were testers provided with actual fee schedules or written estimates of costs. The EITC misunderstandings have the gravest implications. For starters, there are stiff penalties. You’re unable to claim the EITC for two years if the IRS discovers a “reckless or intentional disregard” of EITC rules. The penalty is 10 years if the IRS determines that you’ve engaged in fraud. But the storefront shops are incentivized to “over calculate,” in Sherrod Brown’s terms. And NHS agrees. “There are people for whom the
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
EITC is a real sweet spot,” said Mark Wiseman, the director of NHS’s Consumer Law Center. “And because the storefront preparers charge their fees as a function of the refund, that’s where the EITC is getting hijacked.” Sen. Brown addressed the EITC issue head on at his Feb. 16 press event, calling the passage of the EITC bill the most important thing he’d done in his 25 years in Washington. Scene was the only media outlet in attendance; the event was organized on short notice and the weather was atrocious. After one question — we asked about the training of VITA site volunteers — Sen. Brown walked among the attendees, picking their brains about the issues. It was refreshing to see an elected representative exchange ideas with experts in the field for a solid hour. He asked more questions than he answered. Brown’s position, articulated in various forms that morning, was that the storefront preparers probably weren’t all that bad. Inaccurate, maybe, but not quite criminal. “I hear critics — most of the Republicans in the Senate — who claim there’s fraud in the Earned Income Tax Credit,” Brown said in his prepared remarks. “The fraud in the EITC is mostly a product of the tax preparers making mistakes. Opponents of the EITC — and keep in mind that a lot of conservative members of the Senate really only think rich people should pay less taxes; they don’t think poor people should pay less taxes — say the EITC’s got fraud. It does have mistakes, but there’s way more fraud among
BUT THE STOREFRONT PREPARERS STILL NEED TO BE REGULATED, RIGHT?
Transformers & He-man H
Oh, most definitely. For Tony Brancatelli, licensing and education are the big first steps. He envisions a process through the city’s licensing and assessments department where a storefront shop might ultimately have a sticker in the window after preparers have been credentialed in some way: a standardized test, maybe, or an annual training program of some kind. Brancatelli also wants an easily navigable database accessible to consumers by smart phone. “It wouldn’t be like every preparer has to wear a tag, like how we register dogs,” Brancatelli joked, “but people need to know these guys have appropriate training. I’m sensitive to the fact that people want money in their pocket faster. It’s not like I want to put these [storefronts] out of business; we just want to make sure they’re not taking advantage with excessive fees and bad advice.” For David Rothstein, who has provided guidance on the upcoming legislation, fee disclosure is another important component. That might entail a “good faith estimate” before the refund is complete or posting signs indicating standard fees. “Part of the problem is that people don’t know what they’re paying for their tax return until their entire return is done and they’ve been sitting there for an hour and a half with their kids. They can’t shop around,” Rothstein said. “And again, they don’t have a sense of what they’re paying because it’s deducted from their return. If I come into your store and you tell me I’m getting a $2,500 refund, and you’ve already taken out your fees, it still sounds like a lot of money to me. People tend to view the EITC as the government’s money, not their money.” Rothstein said that if people had to pay out of pocket for their tax returns, instead of as a refund deduction, the prices would be “dramatically lower.” Along with a group of consumer advocates, he
proposed to the IRS a process called C-netting, where the IRS would cap the amount that can be taken out of the refund. “If, say, only $250 could be taken from your refund,” Rothstein said, “what would magically happen is that you’d suddenly see a floor of $250 for tax prep services.” The IRS would need congressional approval for an action like that, but the fact remains: The Earned Income Tax Credit is one of the biggest federal poverty relief programs in the United States, but the delivery of the service has been effectively privatized. “Imagine,” Rothstein said, “if to get [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits, you had to go to a grocery store and purchase your benefits from the store. That’s what this is like.” Sherrod Brown got evocative with some grocery store imagery as well: “The average person making $25,000 per year in this country spends more on fees and financial services than they do on food,” he said. “That is a fact.” And it’s a fact not lost on Rachel Ruffing, who owns the Liberty Tax on the northeast corner of Detroit and West 65th. She told Scene that that location prepared 800 returns last year and provided 100 of them free of charge. “That’s a requirement at Liberty,” Ruffing said. “We have to do a certain number for free every year.” Liberty was in fact started by John Hewitt (he of Jackson-Hewitt) in Canada in 1997, and Ruffing said he broke off from Jackson-Hewitt because he wanted to “put people first.” Ruffing said the Liberty wavers are a perfect example. “Some people look at them and say, ‘Oh look, they’re forced to be out there in the freezing cold,’” she said. “But the other side of the coin is that, first of all, when it’s freezing cold I give them options. Second of all, a lot of these guys don’t have opportunities for employment somewhere else. I write letters to their parole officers every week, and I say they love coming to work.”
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corporations and wealthy taxpayers than there is in the EITC. I’ll go to the wall on that one. They are just wrong.”
CLEVELAND 4264 Pearl Rd. 216.749.3440
sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard
RESOURCES: Cuyahoga EITC Coalition: www.refundohio.org (Find a map of all VITA sites here) Program director: Kathy Matthews (kmatthews@enterprisecommunity.org) Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland: www.nhscleveland.org NHS Financial Capabilities (Fincap) Team: Keith Davis (kdavis@nhscleveland.org) / (216) 205-4470 If you make less than $62,000 per year, you can use the IRS Free File Program: www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free
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everything you should do this week
GET OUT
Photo by Emanuel Wallace
WED
FILM
3/16
COMEDY
Keith Alberstadt The son of a Vanderbilt professor, comedian Keith Alberstadt likes to joke that people who have rescue dogs are annoying because they often don’t even know the breed of their dog, only that it’s a rescue. “You don’t do that with your kids,” he says in one bit. “If someone asks how old your dog is, you don’t say, ‘I don’t know. He’s adopted.’” He regularly relies on sarcasm as a source of humor. He performs at 8 tonight and at 7 on Sunday night at Hilarities. Tickets are $18. (Jeff Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
Cleveland bars will be slammed for St. Patrick’s Day. See: Thursday.
Guidance for Teenage Girls Being a teenager can be tough. Between the peer pressure and stress of applying for college and/ or finding employment, teens have many obstacles thrown at them. Lisa Damour, Ph.D., tackles the subject in her book Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood. Tonight at 7 at the Euclid Tavern, she’ll talk about her book at the monthly series “Between the Lines.” Admission is free. (Niesel) 11625 Euclid Ave., 216-231-5400, happydogcleveland.com.
Brewing Company hosts Cleveland’s Drink & Draw Social Club. The event is organized by the Rust Belt Monster Collective and sponsored by Carol and John’s Comic Book Shop. Drink & Draws are an opportunity for artists of all levels of experience to drink, draw, socialize/network and collaborate in a very relaxed and welcoming environment. Events take place at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. At the end of each Drink and Draw, prizes are awarded for various superlatives. Admission is free. (Josh Usmani) 2516 Market Ave., 216-771-4404, greatlakesbrewing.com.
FILM
SPOKEN WORD
Cleveland International Film Festival Preview The Cleveland International Film Festival will screen a slew of indie films from all over the world when it comes to Tower City Cinemas at the end of March for a 12-day stand. Today from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., WKSU hosts a special Cleveland International Film Festival preview night at the Akron Civic Theatre. The CIFF Akron preview party features sneak peeks of festival films and choice shorts on the Civic’s big screen, along with tasty snacks from the cash bar and a drawing for CIFF passes. Parking is free in the nearby city-run parking deck after 6 p.m. Admission is free but registration is required through Eventbrite. Go to the Civic website for more details. (Niesel) 182 South Main St., Akron, 330-253-2488, akroncivic.com.
Jewish Philanthropy in Cleveland At tonight’s lecture, Jewish Philanthropy in Cleveland, author and Case Western Reserve University Hiram C. Haydn professor of history David Hammack contextualizes Cleveland Jewish philanthropy by looking at Jewish donors both in Cleveland and throughout the country. The talk serves as a prelude to his essay in the upcoming book, The Jews of Cleveland. The talk begins at 7 p.m. at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Admission is free but registration is required. Find more details on the Maltz website. (Niesel) 2929 Richmond Rd., Beachwood, 216-593-0575, maltzmuseum.org.
SPOKEN WORD
ART
Drawing Power Twice every month, Great Lakes
THEATER
Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses “Adapted, inspired and propelled” by Ovid’s epic poem Metamorphoses, Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses reinterprets ancient Greek myths and stories for a modern audience. Using “movement, song, and vivid
dramatic and comedic storytelling,” Metamorphoses explores themes such as love, loss, power and family. The premiere production from the CWRU/ CPH MFA acting class of 2018, the play opens tonight at 7:30 at the Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre. Tickets are $20, and the production continues through March 26. (Niesel) 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-771-8403, playhousesquare.org. FILM
The Messenger Director Su Rynard chronicles the decline of the world’s songbird population as the world’s industrialization has created new threats for songbirds and other feathered creatures. Beautifully filmed, the documentary shows how humans have changed the environment faster than birds can adapt. It screens at 7 tonight at the Cleveland Museum of Art and shows again at 7 on Friday night. Tickets are $9. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. MUSIC
Qasida Rosario “La Tremendita” Guerrero and her Iranian peer Mohammad Motamedi team up for Qasida, a musical endeavor that “explores the roots of flamenco in the richly varied poetic songs and improvisations” provided by Motamedi, a rising star in the Iranian classical world. Billed as “flamenco meets Persian classical music,” the concert begins at 7:30 tonight at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets are $53 to $69, or $48 to $62 for museum members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
What’s Going On: Taste Live at the Isle of Wight What’s Going On: Taste Live at the Isle of Wight tells the story of Irish rock and blues band Taste. Formed in Cork in 1966 by Rory Gallagher, Taste had a brief but influential career before it disbanded shortly after an appearance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. That performance serves as the film’s centerpiece. The 16-mm film has been restored and the sound remixed for this 2015 version. It screens at 7 tonight at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. A discussion with director Murray Lerner will follow the screening. Admission is free with admission to the Rock Hall. (Niesel) 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-515-8444, rockhall.com.
THUR 3/17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY
12th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration For the past decade, House of Blues has put together a day of music to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Acts will perform in both the Music Hall and the Cambridge Room, and admission is free. Doors open at 8 a.m. and acts scheduled to perform include the Prodigals, Boys From the County Hell, Fool House, DJ Sparky B and DJ Gene. Fool House, an ’80s and ’90s party band from Chicago, will kick off the party in the Music Hall at 9 a.m., while locals Boys From the County Hell will perform on the Cambridge Room stage. DJ Sparky B will follow in the Music Hall with Mary’s Lane taking over the Cambridge stage at 12:30 p.m. The Prodigals, a “jig punk” Irish band from New York, finish off the day at 3 p.m. in the Music Hall, with DJ Gene in the Cambridge Room. The event is for ages 21 and up; however, children accompanied by their guardians will be admitted. Crossroads at House of Blues restaurant will open at 10 a.m. with Irish food specials all day long. (Niesel) 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com. ST. PATRICK’S DAY
St. Patrick’s Day Parade The first Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day parade reportedly took place in 1867. In the early years, the parade marched through the near westside, from the Flats to DetroitShoreway, where the region’s Irish immigrants were concentrated. The songs and dancing were organized | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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GET OUT by the Order of the Hibernians. In 1910, Dan Mooney, a state senator, introduced a bill which recognized St. Patrick’s Day in Ohio, turning the parade into a true tradition. This year’s parade launches at 1:04 p.m. at the intersection of Superior Avenue and East 18th Street. It then heads southwest on Superior Avenue to East Third Street. Expect downtown bars to be jammed after it’s over. Find a map of the parade route and a list of participants online. (Niesel) stpatricksdaycleveland.com.
recognize him from movies such as The Animal, Pearl Harbor and American History X. Torry was able to bridge the gap between stage and screen with ease, but the stage is where he shines brightest, never failing to evoke tears of laughter. He performs tonight at 7:30 at the Improv and has performances
brings some of jazz’s biggest stars to town. Grammy Award-winning jazz sax player Kenny Garrett starts things off tonight at 6 with a free workshop. Then, at 8 p.m., internationally acclaimed B3 organ sensation Tony Monaco and local guitarist Dan Wilson perform. The festival, which will also feature
INDUCTION S I M U L C A S T
COMEDY
Ian Karmel Most famous as a writer and roundtable regular on Chelsea Lately, comedian Ian Karmel relies on observational humor during his routines. For instance, he likes to joke that he didn’t know he was sad one day until he went to a Jack in the Box and the woman working the drive-thru window asked him if he was going to be okay. “It’s not like I put in a concerning order and said, ‘Give me tacos until my dad is proud of me.’” He performs tonight at 8 at Hilarities, where he has shows scheduled through Saturday. Tickets are $22 to $25. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
APRIL 8 • @ ROCK HALL • 7 PM (doors 6:30)
with special guests:
The Black Keys Rob Thomas Lars Ulrich of Metallica Kendrick Lamar Kid Rock
ART
Preview Party Tonight at 7 p.m., MOCA Cleveland hosts a preview party for Foreign Exchange, an inaugural juried photo competition opening March 24 at 2731 Prospect Gallery. The evening will begin with a panel discussion about photography in the digital age moderated by Foreign Exchange’s founding director Brandon Juhasz. Then, stay to mix and mingle over drinks and enjoy a sneak peek at the jury-selected finalists whose work will be on view next week at 2731 Prospect. Plus, see some of the top entries submitted by more than 350 artists from 20 countries. The event is free with museum admission. (Usmani) 11400 Euclid Ave., 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org. COMEDY
Guy Torry Comedian Guy Torry is loud and electric on stage. With his fast-paced comedy and hard-hitting jokes, he makes sure you’ll enjoy every second of his performance. You may
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The ONLY place to watch the 2016 Induction Ceremony live from NY Plus: tour the Rock Hall, featuring the new 2016 Inductee exhibit
$23.50 at tickets.rockhall.com rockhall.com
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scheduled through Sunday. Tickets are $17. (Martin Harp) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.
FRI
3/18
MUSIC
44th Annual Lakeland Jazz Festival Now in its 44th year, the annual Lakeland Jazz Festival regularly
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
D saxophonist Kenny Garrett and Big Band Matinee with two big bands, the Lakeland Civic Jazz Orchestra and the Youngstown State University Jazz Ensemble, continues through Sunday. The weekend is also a highlight for the jazz education community in Northeast Ohio and features performances by and adjudication of high school and regional jazz ensembles. All performances are held in the Dr.
Wayne L. Rodehorst Performing Arts Center (in Building D) at Lakeland Community College. For tickets and information, go to the festival website. (Niesel) lakelandcc.edu/web/about/jazz-festival. FOOD
Fish Fry-Days Through March 25, Prosperity Social Club hosts Fish Fry-Days every Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. The special Lenten menu includes the Big Fish Fry, a seasonal staple that features a generous portion of haddock covered in a fluffy blanket of beer batter and complemented by homemade coleslaw, house tartar sauce and old-school-style mac and cheese. New this year: a panseared tilapia dressed in chimichurri sauce and served with sautéed spinach and coconut rice. As a bonus, Platform Brewing’s Palesner will be on tap to complement the special menu. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com. THEATER
Flanagan’s Wake Now in its fifth year running in Cleveland, Flanagan’s Wake transports the audience to a wake in Ireland 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 as the friends and family of the deceased. The show starts at 8 tonight and plays again tomorrow night at 8 at Kennedy’s Theatre. Tickets are $26. (Patrick Stoops) 1501 Euclid Ave., 216-771-4444, playhousesquare.com. COMEDY
Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy Earlier this year, self-professed redneck comics Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy hit the road for their “We’ve Been Thinking” tour. Our guess is that by “thinking,” these guys mean they’ve come up with new ways to act like hillbillies. Each comic will perform a set and then the two will hit the stage together for a special encore. They perform tonight at 7 and 9:30 at the Akron Civic Theatre. Tickets start at $54.50. (Niesel) 182 South Main St., Akron, 330-253-2488, akroncivic.com. COMEDY
Patrick Garrity Comedian Patrick Garrity likes to joke about his Irish heritage. “I don’t
music
Heritage Concert Series Presented by the National Park Service and the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Heritage Concert Series aims to celebrate the cultural legacy of the Cuyahoga Valley with a series of folk and roots rock concerts at the Happy Days Lodge. Tonight’s concert features the bluegrass outfit Della Mae. Attendees can purchase soups, snacks and sweets prepared by Conservancy Canteen. In addition to food, the venue offers local, alcoholic and non-alcoholic handcrafted beverages. Single concert admission is $17 for adults, $12 for conservancy members and $5 for children ages 3 to 12. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m. (Niesel) 500 West Streetsboro Rd., Peninsula, 330-657-2909, ConservancyforCVNP.org. comedy
Demetri Martin and Michael Che As the current and first-ever AfricanAmerican co-host on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, Michael Che occupies a spot that’s been held by Tina Fey, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray — just to name a few. When he isn’t entertaining millions on national television, he’s on stage performing comedy where he’s as comfortable as ever giving his unique and hilarious views on current topics. For tonight’s special show at Severance Hall, comedian Demetri Martin joins him. Much like fellow comic Steven Wright, Martin has a deadpan delivery. He often plays instruments on stage and has music playing in the background. The performance begins at 7. Tickets are $5 for CWRU undergrads, $15 for other CWRU (and CIA/CIM) affiliates and $20 for the general public. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. sports
Monsters vs. Manitoba Moose When it comes to local professional sporting events, the Lake Erie Monsters, the minor league hockey team that’s now affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets, offers
plenty of bang for the buck. You get to see almost-NHL hockey at bargain basement prices. Tonight and tomorrow night at 7 at Quicken Loans Arena, the team takes on the Manitoba Moose. Tickets start at $10 and deep discounts on concessions are available tonight as well, including $1 sodas, $2 hotdogs and $3 beers. There’s also a free post-game skate. Tomorrow night is Go Pink Night and there will be a special jersey auction. The Monsters play at the Q again at 3 p.m. on Sunday when they take on the Toronto Marlies. There will be a postgame autograph session. Monster Kids Meals will be available for only $6, and all kids can enjoy a hotdog, soda and chips for only $6. (Niesel) 1 Center Ct., 216-420-2000, theqarena.com.
PRESENTS
understand how Irish people get into so many fights when they sound so happy,” he says in one routine as he adopts an exaggerated, high-pitched Irish accent. He performs at 7:30 and 10 tonight and tomorrow night at Club Velvet at the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. Tickets are $13 to $18. (Niesel) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, hrrocksinonorthfieldpark.com.
nightlife
Nerdlesque The local burlesque outfit Le Femme Mystique celebrates its 12th anniversary tonight at the Beachland Ballroom with Nerdlesque, a special show that will feature performances by burlesque dancers who will dress up as your favorite characters from movies, television, comic books and arcade games. Dubbed “Canada’s Sexiest Nerdy Burly Star,” Red Herring will be on hand as will Miranda Tempest, an aerial circus artist from Toronto. The show begins at 8:30. Tickets range from $17 to 35, with reserved and VIP options available. (Niesel) 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
Saturday, April 16, 2016 8:00pm Sunday, April 17, 2016 3:00pm REGINA HALL AUDITORIUM AT NOTRE DAME COLLEGE 1857 S. Green Road South Euclid, OH 44121
INFORMATION AT: Tickets@ncmchorus.org, www.ncmchorus.org or call: 216-556-0590
Advance Sales $15-$35 • Door Sales $20-$40
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art
An Opening Reception The Sculpture Center celebrates the opening of its latest W2S 2016 Emerging Artists Series of exhibitions with a reception today from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Main Gallery hosts Jim Leach’s Being Healthy and the Euclid Avenue Gallery hosts Ashley Lyon’s Weighing the Sunset. Lyon will discuss her work in the gallery at 6:15 p.m., and Leach will follow around 7 p.m. Both exhibitions remain on view through May 20. Admission is free. (Usmani) 1834 East 123rd St., 216-229-6527, sculpturecenter.org. art
Third Friday Open House As always, March’s Third Friday open house at the 78th Street Studios includes several new exhibitions. E11even 2 debuts Peek-A-Boo: A Pin Up Girl Exhibition. Check out Buzz Szilagyi’s work at Forum Artspace and Mike Lombardy’s print-based installation, KAIROS, at Zaina Gallery. Popeye Gallery presents | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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TrueNorth Cultural Arts Presents:
Rejoice in the Lamb Palm Sunday Concert Weekend
The TrueNorth Chorale & Chamber Orchestra with Invited Guest Choir Choral Spectrum Saturday, March 19th 7:30 p.m. Bay Presbyterian Church 25415 Lake Road, Bay Village and Sunday, March 20th 3:00pm St. Peter Parish 3655 Oberlin Avenue, Lorain Tickets on sale now! $10 Youth - $15.00 Adult (440) 949-5200 x221 or visit www.TNCArts.org
GET OUT Eternal Return: New Works by Mike Meier and Christian Mickovic at Survival Kit. Survival Kit cofounder Brian Straw will present live music at 9 p.m. There’s plenty more to see as you explore 78th Street Studios’ 170,000 square feet of galleries, studios, performance venues, recording studios and more. Hours are 5 to 9, although individual gallery hours may differ. Admission is free. (Usmani) 78th Street Studios, 1300 West 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com.
SAT
3/19
MUSIC
Anniversary Celebration Now That’s Class, our favorite punk rock bar in town, turns 9 today. As can be expected from a club that hosts everything from concerts to skating contests and dodgeball tournaments, the celebration will be unhinged. The club plans to have a mechanical bull in the show space, and patrons can ride the thing (for a fee) from 8 p.m. to midnight. Bands such as Greaves, Miss Macy & the Low Pay Daddys will perform. It all starts at 8 p.m. (Niesel) 11213 Detroit Ave., 216-221-8576, nowthatsclass.net.
their personal lives, so they join a “mass” protest in the attempt to solve the world’s problems. If you miss the debut, the film screens again at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. (Niesel) 30 North High St., Akron, 330-252-5782. MUSIC
MYCincinnati Ambassador Ensemble A self-described “radical youth septet committed to social justice and collective action through avant performance and experimental collaborations,” the MYCincinnati Ambassador Ensemble will perform a free concert and host a documentary film screening tonight from 6 to 9 at the Near West Theatre. Co-hosted by the Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve University, the event will feature music composed and led by MYCincinnati director Eddy Kwon. The performance is accompanied by Michael and Henry Wilson’s documentary film about the Ambassador’s yearlong project. The Social Justice Institute will moderate a discussion with the student ensemble after the performance, followed by a reception. MYCincinnati (Music for Youth in Cincinnati) is a free youth orchestra program in the Cincinnati area. The event is free, but registration is required. Tickets may be reserved through a link on the Social Justice Institute website: case. edu/socialjustice. (Niesel) 6702 Detroit Ave., 216-961-6391, nearwesttheatre.org.
ART
Copyrights & Trademarks From 1 to 3 p.m. today, the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve hosts “Copyrights & Trademarks,” a presentation designed to offer artists a better understanding of intellectual property laws. Michael Vary practices intellectual property law with McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman, was a partner at Jones Day, and has lectured and taught intellectual property law as an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Following his presentation, questions will be taken from the audience. It’s free. (Usmani) 1834 East 123rd St., 216-721-9020, artistsarchives.org. FILM
How to Change the World Four years in the making, the locally produced indie flick How to Change the World debuts today at 1 p.m. at the Nightlight Cinema in Akron. The first feature film by the Blurry Dude Show, the plot centers on two co-workers, David (Michael Rosinsky) and Sam (Pakob Jerernpone), who find themselves stuck in a rut in
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
YOGA
Yoga & Music The Music Box Supper Club has had great success pairing music with yoga. That’s right: We said yoga. At tonight’s “workout,” your favorite Cleveland yogi Shari Carroll leads a vinyasa flow session while guitarist Thom Pope provides the tunes. Afterward, enjoy $5 off a specially chosen wine flight and complimentary admission to see Bossa Nova Night with Luca Mundaca. The event starts at 5:30 and tickets are $15. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.
SUN
3/20
NIGHTLIFE
7th Day Sweat The “seventh day” tends to be a day of rest for many folks. But not for the party hearty people who run B-Side Liquor Lounge, the popular dance club below the Grog Shop. Dubbed 7th Day Sweat, their weekly Sunday night soiree features DJ White Rims spinning
“today’s hottest dance hits,” so you can “sweat it out” every Sunday. Admission is free but you must be 21 or older. It all starts at 7 p.m. (Niesel) 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com. music
Irish Tenor Emmet Cahill For the past four years, Emmet Cahill has toured and recorded with the Irish group Celtic Thunder, a group that’s had eight No. 1 albums on Billboard’s world music charts. Named “most promising young singer” at the Royal Irish Academy of music, and winner of the John McCormack Society’s “Most Promising Young Tenor” Award, he was named Irish Music Association’s Tenor of the Year in 2013. Cahill will make his debut on Broadway this coming April in The Bloody Irish, a musical based on the 1916 “Easter Rising” in Dublin, an armed insurrection against the British that lead to 2,000 deaths and injuries, and the martyrdom of several leaders. For the past year, he’s toured as a solo act. He performs today at 5 p.m. at the Westside Irish American Club. Tickets are $30. (Niesel) 8559 Jennings Rd., Olmsted Falls, 216-696-6525, wsia-club.org. comedy
Cleveland Improv Jam Katie White-Sonby is an actress who’s performed at Clague Playhouse, Karamu and Kennedy’s Cabaret. Marjorie Preston is an alumna of Something Dada and Rockwell 9 improvisational comedy troupes. Dionne Atchison is a theater artist with Cleveland Public Theatre, and Brenna “MC” Connor is an actress and improviser. Together, they’re the Angry Ladies of Improv and the mothers of a weekly improv event aimed at members of the Cleveland improv community. Each week’s fun begins with a shortform set of improv games followed by a longform improv set. Tonight’s session begins at 8 at Coffee Phix in South Euclid. Arrive at 7:30 if you want to sign up and perform. Admission is free. (Niesel) 4485 Mayfield Rd., South Euclid, 216-381-5705, coffeephixcafe.com. film
Ripley’s Game In the wake of the success of the Todd Haynes film Carol, which is based on a novel by American crime writer Patricia Highsmith, the Cleveland Museum of Art presents “The Talented Ms. Highsmith,” a film series devoted to adaptations of her novels. The series continues today with a screening of the 2002 flick Ripley’s Game, a movie about a con man and art dealer who lives in
Italy. John Malkovich stars. The movie screens at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $9. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
MON
3/21
food
Wing Ding Doodle Blues icon Howlin’ Wolf famously covered “Wang Dang Doodle,” the old blues tune penned by Willie Dixon. Prosperity Social Club in Tremont has adopted that slogan, calling its wing night Wing Ding Doodle. The weekly event features specials on Buffalo wings and cold brews. Prosperity will not only serve up substantial, $1 whole wings, but it’ll also offering meatless Monday “wing” baskets for vegans. Discounted drafts and a playlist of vintage-electric blues and soulful R&B curated by local musician Clint Holley will be on tap as well. Wing Ding Doodle takes place every Monday from 6 p.m. to midnight. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com.
MARCH 18–20 FIRSTMERIT CONVENTION CENTER OF CLEVELAND
networking
Women’s Networking Group Cleveland A new forum for women in the workplace, the Women’s Networking Group Cleveland aims to “empower women in the economy” by focusing on gender equality issues. Tonight marks the second event sponsored by the group: There will be a speed-networking session and booths featuring speakers on related topics. The event runs from 5 to 7 at the Music Box Supper Club. Tickets are $10. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.
TUE
3/22
film
Emelie An evil babysitter represents every parent’s worst nightmare. That’s the premise for Emelie, a horror flick that stars The Tudors’ Sarah Bolger as a seemingly sweet and innocent babysitter who turns out to be a real terror once she starts manipulating the three young kids left in her care. Released in 2015, the flick earned an 89-percent positive rating from Rotten Tomatoes. It screens at 7:30 tonight at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets are $9.50. (Niesel) 1390 West 65th St., 216-651-7295, clevelandcinemas.com.
Find more events @clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene
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2/19/16 9:31 AM
ART KIDZ KON
Workshops let young writers flex their creative muscles By Josh Usmani THE FOURTH ANNUAL KIDS’ Comic Con takes place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Erie Ink in Cleveland Heights. This “kids only” convention includes workshops with professional artists and writers from Northeast Ohio. The event is for kids 8 to 18, but younger writers may attend with an accompanying adult. Speaking of adults, you’re welcome if accompanied by a kid or with a teacher ID. Of course, costumes are highly encouraged. “It’s a unique event for kids in Northeast Ohio,” says Lake Erie Ink co-founder Cynthia Larsen. “Unlike the stereotypical comic con, which is a pretty commercial event with quick opportunities to meet comic creators and stars, our comic con is — shh — more like a symposium of workshops
with comic creators. But ‘Con’ sounds cooler than symposium or conference. That means kids can spend an hour interacting with and learning from an artist or writer. “For the kids,” Larsen continues, “the attractions are listening to awesome guests sharing their skills and getting encouragement from them as they create new work. It’s meeting other kids who love comics the way they do. It’s making an action character out of modeling clay and then drawing a comic about it in the free drawing space. For me, the main attraction is watching so many kids following their own path of learning, really soaking up the ideas presented, constantly drawing as they listen. It’s looking over their shoulders as they create new work to show each other.”
Guests include professional writers and illustrators, including Eisner & Harvey Award-nominated comic book writer Marc Sumerak, and Jake Kelly and John G., creators of The Lake Erie Monster. “I have attended the Lake Erie Ink Kids Comic Con as a guest for the past few years, and it’s always amazing to see how much enthusiasm this group has for helping kids express their creativity,” explains Marc Sumerak. “I’m a native Clevelander, so it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to give back to the local comics scene and help kids discover the same joy that I had when I was their age.” Northeast Ohio is a breeding ground for legendary cartoonists and comic artists. Artists and writers from the region include Calvin and Hobbes’ Bill Watterson, Marvel Entertainment’s Brian Michael Bendis, the internationally acclaimed John “Derf” Backderf, American Splendor’s Harvey Pekar, as well as collaborators Gary Dumm and Zap Comix’s Robert Crumb. “One of the more important elements of the one-day Comic Con is that it is part of our ongoing work incorporating comics into the basic curriculum we teach, both in
our programs offered here at Lake Erie Ink (where we run two weeks of Comic Camp each summer), and in the programming we provide to schools and other youth-serving organizations,” says Lake Erie Ink co-founder Amy Rosenbluth. “Comics teach the basics of storytelling — character, setting, plot and conflict — and do so in an engaging way. Many of the kids we work with, who may be reluctant to put their thoughts down on paper in a story or poem, will work on a multiple-page comic that expresses the same information, just in a different form. And comics is one of those projects that youth of all ages will respond to.” Beyond the comics themselves, Rosenbluth and Larsen connect comics to the Common Core and Ohio’s standardized testing. Larsen has developed a rich and thoughtful set of lesson plans, using comics to teach creative expression across the curriculum. “Obviously, narrative writing can be taught through comics,” Larsen says. “The Common Core writing standards expect kids to be able to write events in sequence, with transitional phrases, and a comic is really a storyboard, a great plan for any kind of narrative. The other two main types of writing emphasized in the Common Core are informational and argumentative, and I’ve had great success using comics with both. Teachers often lament the fact that their students have trouble putting things into their own words. The Internet makes it so easy to grab a fact and throw it into a project without really understanding it. If you take one fact you have learned about a topic and have to translate that into a comic panel with images, characters, KIDS’ COMIC CON 2843 WASHINGTON BLVD., CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, 216-320-4757. LAKEERIEINK.ORG
“Many of the kids we work with, who may be reluctant to put their thoughts down on paper in a story or poem, will work on a multiple-page comic that expresses the same information, just in a different form.” — Lake Erie Ink co-founder Amy Rosenbluth
captions and word balloons, you really begin to own the information because you are re-interpreting that information for others.” Lunch will be sold onsite, or guests are welcome to bring their own. As for retail ops, Larsen says, “We do have an Artists’ Alley where our guest artists can sell their books and artwork, and we have lots of giveaways thanks to Blick Art Store and Carol and John’s Comic Book Shop. Mac’s Backs will offer a selection of graphic novels for kids and Imaginary Worlds will have a table of comic books for sale.”
jusmani@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene 24
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
STAGE SCHOOL DAZE IN THE BIG APPLE An upscale Manhattan couple frets over the right school for their young son in A Kid Like Jake. By Christine Howey PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MANHATTAN often have challenges that those of us in the flyover states don’t. For instance, going to a Home Depot to pick up a dehumidifier can be a daunting task when you don’t have a car and take the subway everywhere. If you have a car, hunting down an affordable parking lot or finding a space on the street can be a mind bending chore. And if you have a child, where-ohwhere will he or she go to school if you don’t care for the public options? For upscale parents in The City, this is a matter of urgent importance, as displayed in A Kid Like Jake by Daniel Pearle, now at None Too Fragile Theater. This is an “issue play” that features a great deal of realistic dialogue, but one that often gets sidetracked by its two dominant topics. Alex, a former lawyer and now a stay-at-home mom, has focused her highly trained mind on the task of finding the best possible kindergarten for her 4-year-old son Jake. And who can blame her? Little Jake (who is never seen onstage) is bright, creative and — oh yes — he also says he wants to be a girl. He obsesses over the Disney princesses, wants to dress up like Snow White on Halloween, and prefers to play with the girls in his preschool class. Almost immediately, competitive Alex and her mellower psychologist hubby Greg are embroiled in conversations about how to get Jake into the toniest school on the island. Of course, price is an object since some of those enclaves of learning can cost upwards of 40 grand a year. It’s all about strategizing, so Alex leans on her friendship with Judy, an experienced woman on the school scene, who offers her services as a placement counselor for her pal’s topshelf tot. Director Sean Derry has summoned a talented cast to handle this 100-minute production, but even the best efforts of these accomplished actors can’t overcome Pearle’s talky script, one that only strikes sparks near the very end. The trouble with issue plays is that a well-meaning
playwright wants to cover all bases and be sure he’s being fair to all sides of the argument. That’s a fine way to live your life but it can turn deadly boring on stage. To wit, Alex’s monomania over Jake’s kindergarten destination spins its wheels in the same conversational rut for most of the play. Meanwhile, Greg tries to inject some rationality at times, but he quickly backs off when confronted by Alex. As a result, genuine tension is postponed past the point where the audience could conceivably give a damn. As for the “gender variant” aspect of Jake’s persona, Judy suggests
that the play dances around the real consequences at stake for a child with serious gender issues. Playwright Pearle wants to play the gender card without using enough of the whole deck, and that ultimately feels a bit manipulative. In the central role of Alex, Rachel Lee Kolis provides an intelligent performance, as does Geoff Knox as Greg. But the script never allows them to find chemistry or pace as a couple, since they are only there to serve up one talking point after another. If only we could see how these discussions, which indeed may seem petty or delusional to others,
A KID LIKE JAKE
THROUGH MARCH 26 AT NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATER, 1835 MERRIMAN RD., AKRON, 330- 962-5547. NONETOOFRAGILE.COM
that Alex and Greg use it as a trump card to get Jake into the best schools, some of which might drool over such diversity. But Alex doesn’t want her son’s personality set in concrete like that, thinking that his affection for dolls and dresses may just be a phase. That’s all well and good, except
are affecting their life together. Pearle eventually gets around to that, but too little, too late. Even when other aspects of Alex’s life are brought into play, including a tragic event that happens in real time, the impact is softened by the pitter-pat of Pearle’s real-sounding but low-caliber
dialogue. In supporting roles, Laura Starnik is credible as Judy and Katie Wells is fine as a nurse, although her appearance in another role late in the show doesn’t lend much clarity to an awkwardly written dream scene. The tempo of the show is also constrained by Derry’s set design that requires the repositioning of large wooden boxes and platforms, to represent the furniture, before each scene can begin. Plus, there are a number of onstage costume changes (Greg replacing one nondescript shirt for another, etc.) that don’t really add much to the proceedings. This fussy attention to unnecessary detail is unusual for None Too Fragile, a theater known for its lean and efficient production qualities. In Jake, as is true for many issue plays, the big ideas tend to dominate and push the characters to the side. And that’s a shame, no matter where you fall on the controversial subjects of school choice or gender identity.
scene@clevescene.com t@christinehowey | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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www.alextheatercleveland.com 26
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
737 Bolivar_Scene Ad.indd 1
1/4/2016 2:49:42 PM
MOVIES THE BRONZE SCORES BIG
Indie gymnastics comedy has Napoleon Dynamite vibes By Sam Allard BENEATH THE INTERMINABLE onslaught of raunch in the indie gymnastics comedy The Bronze, which opens Friday at the Cedar Lee, lurks something incredibly sweet and resonant and true. The problem is that the ensemble of implausible characters, compared ad nauseam to the quirky misfits of Napoleon Dynamite, will likely distance and frustrate audiences before they get the opportunity to win them over. For the record, though, I was. Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) is Hope Ann Gregory, the foulmouthed pride of Amherst, Ohio. Her Midwestern vowels are so flat they’re practically Australian. Hope won the bronze medal in gymnastics in ’04 after suffering an ankle injury on the beam but heroically returning on the uneven bars (basically Keri Strug). Years later, she still clings to the past, nursing the psychic wounds of a career cut short by injury and refusing to do anything remotely like growing up. She lives in her dad’s (Gary Cole, of HBO’s Veep) basement and glories in her small-town celebrity: Olympic sweatsuit 24/7, free Sbarro pizza, sex with anyone who agrees to it. She’s a sort of outlandish hyperbole, and because her introduction is so tonally off-the-mark (she masturbates to a video of herself in the ’04 games —what?), both the unsavory protagonist
and The Bronze itself have a long uphill battle. In an early precipitous twist, Hope’s old coach commits suicide. Hope is told that she will inherit an enormous sum of money if she trains the young Maggie Townsend (Haley Lu Richardson), the next big gymnast from Amherst — a hotbed, evidently, despite the fact that the town’s lone gym resembles a condemned ski lodge. Maggie’s a smiling, teenage, trailerpark goody two-shoes who represents a threat to Hope’s stature in the community. Training commences, and despite early objections and blatant attempts at sabotage, Hope settles into her
coaching gig. She actually grows fond of Maggie, who’s supposed to be rural blue-collar but reeks of gated suburbs. A romance blossoms to boot, between Hope and the twitchy Ben (Thomas Middleditch, of Silicon Valley), the Boy Scout-y heir to the Amherst gym. Meanwhile, gymnastbro parody Lance Tucker (Captain America: Winter Soldier’s Sebastian Stan) hovers in the periphery as an emissary for the U.S. national team. He’s an old flame of Hope’s who wants to take Maggie under his wing. (Gear up, among other things, for the most acrobatic sex scene in cinema history. A hotel-room tryst between two former gymnastics medalists is
like Cirque du Soleil choreographed an Austin Powers’ skit.) The movie is most on target when its small town charm isn’t exaggerated beyond recognition. In one touching scene, Ben takes Hope on a date. He’s had a crush on her for years — a dynamic that never gets old! — and sets up a picnic at the local mall. They play Truth or Dare in the darkened food court. It’s a wonderful scene. Ben’s twitching is more subdued, Hope’s vulgarities are briefly on hold, and the priorities and limitations of their lives come into focus in the most perfect possible setting. (Olympic judge holds scorecard reading 9.6!) Directed by Bryan Buckley, who’s most famous for his 50-plus Super Bowl commercials, the gymnastic content in The Bronze is solid as well. During Maggie’s climactic floor routine at the Olympic Games, the camera zooms in slow-mo on Hope, watching in the corner. It’s a marvelous choice, and if I may say so, the effect is fairly stirring. The script’s resolution is predictable but sweet — rom-com-esque, you might say. You realize with a start that the obnoxious character you couldn’t stand an hour ago has suddenly taken your heart by storm.
sallard@clevescene.com t@SceneSallard
SPOTLIGHT: WHAT’S GOING ON: TASTE LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL THE MOST NOTORIOUS ISLE OF WIGHT Festival took place way back in 1970, but Murray Lerner, who filmed the footage from the festival that appears in the concert film, What’s Going On: Taste Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, still clearly remembers the event that reportedly drew an enormous crowd (some estimates place it at 600,000) and featured performances by acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Jethro Tull, the Who and Joni Mitchell. “It was incredible,” says Lerner, who’ll be on hand when the movie screens at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. “I’ve never experienced anything like it, because of the huge crowd and the intensity of the performers. It was overwhelming, actually.” Lerner says he was trying to do “a much
broader film, combining the background and business aspect with the music and the feelings of the crowd.” He captures some great footage of guitarist Rory Gallagher’s trio Taste, a blues rock group that released two terrific studio albums before disbanding in 1970. The core of What’s Going On features the band’s performance at the festival, but the film, which came out on DVD last year and has been making the rounds at film festivals, also functions as a documentary about the band and includes interviews with Gallagher’s brother and Taste road manager Donal Gallagher, along with Queen’s Brian May, U2’s the Edge, Bob Geldof and jazz guitarist Larry Coryell. Lerner says he wanted to release the Taste footage for years but couldn’t get the rights until recently. “The Gallagher family came to me and wanted
to do it,” he says. “[Rory’s] brother and his nephew were supportive. The nephew became the coproducer. His brother was his manager. That’s in the film. I’ve been trying to do it for a long time but could never come to an agreement about the rights with them. All of a sudden, they wanted to do it. That’s how those things happen. It takes years sometime for the rights and money to come together. They got me the money to do it.” The reception has been terrific, and Lerner says seeing it with an audience has been a treat. “The whole thing has gotten fantastic reviews,” he says. “I think it’s one of the best films I’ve ever made. I wasn’t planning to have it that way. We have had several showings with crowds and the reaction is unbelievable. They’re applauding throughout. It’s rare that there would be so much applause for music during a music film.” — Jeff Niesel | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
Photo by Emanuel Wallace
EAT
Tian Fu Chicken in Szechuan oil
“Tasty and Refreshing Cucumber.”
FIRE AND RICE
Two new AsiaTown restaurants bring heat and happiness By Douglas Trattner YOU REALLY HAVE TO KNOW where you’re headed to find either Szechuan Cafe or Pho Ha Nam, which might explain why both of these new AsiaTown eateries are in spots that have experienced frequent change. Each, coincidentally, is set within a larger building, which all but eliminates random foot traffic and makes longterm success more of a struggle. You’ll find Szechuan Cafe (not to be confused with Szechuan Gourmet) in the rear of Asia Plaza, in a bright and roomy space that also can be accessed from the Park to Shop parking lot. For a handful of years the location was home to E. 30th Street Cafe, which featured a large, rambling menu that covered ground as diverse as Japanese bento boxes, sushi and sashimi, Thai curries, Vietnamese noodle soups, daily dim sum and a laundry list of American-friendly Chinese staples. Szechuan Cafe also features a long and rambling menu that covers a lot of ground — including a rarely ordered-from sushi section. But as the name suggests, the restaurant’s true calling is the Szechuan cuisine. Chef Benjie Ma, who comes by way of Grand Sichuan restaurant in New York City, knows his way around a wok and prepares delicious, wellbalanced versions of countless classic dishes. The only problem is trying to figure out what is what on the
massive 300-item roster. Szechuanstyle cucumber salad ($5.95), for example, is listed as “Tasty and Refreshing Cucumber.” That it is, with the cool and crunchy vegetable tossed in a bright and vinegary dressing making the perfect prelude to a meaty, spicy meal. If you have questions, like we did, ask your server for assistance. Not only will they clear up any confusion, they’ll likely offer up suggestions and recommendations. Double-cooked pork ($12.95), usually called twice-cooked pork, is delicious here, with thin-sliced (and, yes, fatty) pork belly stir-fried with an abundance of leeks in a sweet
charm for Pho Ha Nam, the latest Vietnamese restaurant to set up shop inside the Asian Town Center mall. Starting with Pho 99, moving through Ninh Kieu, and landing on the present tenant, this first-floor space has seen more than its fair share of beef noodle soup. All of it has been good, sometimes approaching great, but the location, competing as it does with more conspicuous alternatives, never seems to reach critical mass. Wisely, the new owners have greatly pared down the menu, jettisoning a considerable number of dishes in favor of a few core items. The pho ($8.50) is lovely, with a
SZECHUAN CAFE
PHO HA NAM
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and salty, earthy and spicy sauce studded with fermented black beans. Dan Dan noodle fans should look for something called Szechuan Noodles in Peppery Sauce ($6.95), which nets a tangle of thick noodles in a bath of red chile oil, topped with greens and a heaping mound of finely ground pork. This dish and others, we felt, went regrettably easy on both the ma and the la, the spicy/tingly one-two punch characteristic of Szechuan cuisine. Perhaps the third time will be the
fragrant, flavorful broth filled with tender rice flour noodles and a generous amount of thin-sliced rare beef and well-done but tender flank. For something with a bit more heft and heat, try the bun bo hue ($9.50), a hearty soup that many people actually prefer to pho. A spicy redslicked bone broth with tart hits of lemongrass and fish sauce is fortified with three types of meat (pork and beef) and fat, round noodles. As with pho, the soup is garnished by the diner with a squirt of lime, fresh
mint leaves, crunchy bean sprouts and, in the case of bun bo hue, sliced banana blossoms. Pho Ha Nam’s banh mi sandwiches ($5) are excellent, with a warm, crisp and flaky 8-inch baguette sliced open and filled with hot-from-the-grill marinated pork, a schmear of pate, shredded pickled veggies, jalapeno wheels, sliced cucumber and fresh herbs. Buy them by the sack. Of course, the restaurant still offers a number of broken rice and vermicelli bowls, Vietnamese staples that come topped with any number of ingredients and combinations. Again, the selection has been whittled down, leaving a handful of options like grilled pork, grilled pork chops, shredded roast pork, finely ground pork or steamed omelet. All come with the appropriate shredded veggies, herbs and garnishes. Along with the good and familiar summer rolls ($4) and ubiquitous and addictive fried spring rolls ($3), Pho Ha Nam offers a less common appetizer made with ground pork skewers ($8) that are grilled and rolled in rice paper with fresh veggies and served with peanut dipping sauce. If you’re looking for somewhere new in AsiaTown to try, both of these places would love to take care of you.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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EAT Located in the Heart of Cleveland’s Historic Little Italy
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NOw INTRODUCINg OUR NEw HAggIS STYLE SAUSAgE Tuesday-Thursday: 5:00pm to 10:00pm Friday-Saturday: 5:00pm to 11:00pm Sunday: 5:00pm to 9:00pm
RISING UP
Zoss the Swiss Baker has been making fresh breads and pastries for 20 years By Nikki Delamotte
561 W. Bagley Rd. Berea, Ohio 44017
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440.234.2233 perkcupcafe.com
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, families shuffle in and out of the tiny lobby of Zoss the Swiss Baker (12397 Cedar Rd., 216-368-4055) in Cleveland Heights. There are no tables, no fancy decorations, no frills. Just a small window near the entrance where you can watch Kurt Zoss work through the day’s dough in the kitchen. Flaky Swiss puff pastries and powdered strudels dot the cases, and rye, sourdoughs and whole grain breads line the shelves. When the doors opened on March 13, 1996, Kurt and his wife Barbara modeled their bakery after shops in his native Switzerland, where picking up fresh bread was the daily routine. “My interest in general was to do a product that was reasonable and can be eaten on a daily basis, not just something for special occasions,” he says while kneading. Kurt was born and raised with the art of breadmaking. In Switzerland, his grandfather and uncle both owned bakeries and he began apprenticing at age 16. It was meeting Barbara while traveling in Mexico that changed his path. Barbara grew up in Cleveland Heights but was living in Los Angeles and teaching abroad at the time. Kurt joined her on the West Coast in 1988 and landed a job at the esteemed La Brea Bakery, opened by James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Nancy Silverton. There he learned the ropes of fermentation and began working with sourdoughs and more complex, creative recipes. “Potato dill, rye currant; mixing these things into bread was all new to me,” Kurt says. “It was innovation. The possibilities were endless.” In 1990, they left for Switzerland, but not without a parting gift from
Silverton. “She said, ‘Go ahead, take all the recipes you want!’” Barbara recalls. Many of those same breads can be found on the shelves of Zoss today. After Kurt worked in Swiss bakeries for the next five years, the couple knew they wanted to open a place of their own. They returned to Barbara’s hometown in 1995 and launched Zoss nine months later. Kurt brought along his love of sourdough. Anyone who peeks through the kitchen window may catch a glimpse of him handling the mother dough that he’s nurtured since opening day. Sourdough varieties such as rosemary or garlic are baked regularly. When it comes to sweets, the chocolate flourless torte has become one of the shop’s trademarks. For 15 years, they’ve made Bavarian pretzels and bread for Great Lakes Brewing. In exchange, the brewery gives them spent grains to bake into their goods. Barbara remarks that the brewery and bar boom in Cleveland has been fruitful for their own business. Market Garden Brewery, Tremont Tap House and Butcher and the Brewer, among others, all began selling their pretzels. Neighboring restaurants Nighttown and The Fairmount both serve their breads. When he is not traveling to learn new recipes and techniques, Kurt arrives at the kitchen every day at 3 a.m. to work a 12-hour shift behind the scenes. “At the end of the day, when you see the room full of what you’ve created, that’s what’s most rewarding,” he reflects.
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Kid’s St. Patrick’s Day 11-2pm 92.3 Tournament Watch Party 7-9pm Pants On Fire | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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Photo by Douglas Trattner
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MONDAY
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
Michael Symon announces opening day and gives tantalizing first taste By Douglas Trattner IT’S BEEN A DIFFICULT YEAR for Michael Symon. The highprofile celebrity chef recently lost his oldest restaurant to fire and his newest restaurant, Mabel’s BBQ, has been very publicly besieged by exasperating delays. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, at least as it applies to Mabel’s. After months of construction, the restaurant is in the final stages of completion, with only a few minor cosmetic touches left to check off the punch list before opening day, which Symon said will be April 11. And the results are remarkable, a dramatic departure from the space’s previous life as La Strada. “I think it really came out great,” Symon says during a walk-through of the East Fourth Street space. “I just didn’t want it to look too cutesy: It’s a barbecue joint. It’s raw enough
but still interesting and cool. I wanted it to have a market feel.” There is seating for about 100 guests at communal tables, at conventional tables on the main floor and two second-level seating areas, and at the lengthy zinc-topped bar. The rear mezzanine dining room, which overlooks the main floor, will feature large-format black and white photos of Symon and his wife and partner Liz. Coming out of the hardwoodfueled smokers will be smoked meats by the pound like beef brisket, pork roll, turkey breast and kielbasa. Ribs come in three varieties: “giant beef ribs,” pork spareribs and lamb ribs. Sandwiches include the Polish Girl, made with kielbasa, coleslaw and pulled pork; the Mr. Beef, with brisket, onions and pickles; and the Big Pig, a combination of pork roll, cracklins and slaw.
Snacks are built around smoked pig tails in hot sauce, crispy pig ears, and salt-and-vinegar pork cracklins. There will be 24 beers on draft, a massive whiskey selection, and cocktails made both for one and batch-made cocktails for small groups. We had an opportunity to see, smell and taste some of the very first items to exit the massive wood-fired smokers during a recent menu test. Let’s just say that the results were better than we could have hoped for. And we were not the only ones who were more than a little encouraged by the results. “It was even better than I hoped,” Symon beamed. “It is totally outrageous.” Though the team has had precious little time to tinker and experiment, the first batches of beef brisket, pork ribs and beef ribs are as good as or better than those being prepared at famous barbecue joints decades old. We can’t imagine the food getting much better than it already is, but we’re sure it will continue to improve with time and experience.
Stonetown on ProSPect iS cloSed, to reoPen Under original ManageMent Stonetown (627 Prospect Ave.), which opened downtown three years ago, has closed. The Southern fusion restaurant was developed by the Angie’s restaurant group, which operated multiple Angie’s Soul Cafe locations, Zanzibar Soul Fusion at Shaker Square, and Jezebel’s Bayou on Larchmere. Jezebel’s Bayou is no longer around. But, says Angie’s owner Akin Alafin, don’t yet close the book on Stonetown. “We’re getting it back and will reopen it within a couple months with the exact same name and concept but under new ownership,” he explains. Alafin says that a few years into the business, he decided to sell off Stonetown to a management team of owner-operators. It did not end well. “It was my vision; I created the concept,” he explains. “But unfortunately, when the offer was made to buy it I had a lot going on, and the team seemed like they were good owner-operators. It felt like it would work out, but it didn’t work out; they couldn’t handle it.” The negative reviews started piling up and all that goodwill Alafin had built up began to trickle away. When the business closed its doors two weeks ago, he reached out to the landlord to
see about getting it back. “Now, we’re a lot stronger,” he says. “I’ve got Angie’s together. I’ve got Zanzibar together. So it’s a perfect time for us to go and get it back. Our No. 1 goal is to undo the damage: to get back to good service and good food. We’ll reach out to people and do what we can to get them back in the door to give us another try.”
SCENE’s
BEST SUSHI SUS SUSH HI HI
Jack FroSt donUtS gearS UP For reoPening day in newly renovated BUilding Jack Frost Donuts has been making and selling some of the best doughnuts in town for close to 80 years, but for the past six months they’ve been selling those donuts out of a nearby pizza place while their permanent digs were being completely gutted and rebuilt. April 2 marks the grand reopening of the beloved Old Brooklyn shop (4960 Pearl Rd., 216-351-3638), and that’s music to the ears of owner Fred Borkey Jr. “We’ve had some delays getting everything ready and spent about six months in construction, but it’s finally ready to go,” Borkey says. “It’s really neat to just see the new building. It’s really breaking ground for new development in the city.” The Borkey family has owned the shop since 2006. “We have such a following now,” adds Borkey. “There are a lot of Cleveland celebrities who have come into our stores for years. We really just wanted our building to look as good as our doughnuts.” The freshly renovated building now boasts tile-wood flooring, flatscreen televisions, quartz countertops and a brand-new coffee station. But the made-from-scratch doughnuts haven’t changed one iota, promises Borkey. “We really want to stress that while our building has changed, our doughnuts have not,” he says. “We still have the same people making the doughnuts. We haven’t altered our recipes. We make them fresh here every single day. We make all of our creams, icings and glazes. People will still find the same Jack Frost doughnuts they’ve loved since 1937.” Jack Frost features more than 200 flavors of doughnuts throughout the year. Also new to the operation is a credit card reader (formerly cash only), and branded merchandise like T-shirts, polos, travel mugs, coffee cups and hats.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner
in Cleveland 2014
The best family experiences are
handmade
Dewey’s is for families who love a fun, festive eating-out experience. Bring in your crew and we’ll show you a great time with our handcrafted gourmet pizzas, fresh hand-cut salads, local seasonal brews and more. Visit our Cleveland locations.
Cleveland Heights 2194 Lee Rd. (216) 321-7355 Lakewood 18516 Detroit Ave. (216) 228-2299 www.deweyspizza.com | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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P O H S G THE GRO
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SOL THE HEADSPACE TOUR
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RUFFIANS DUNCAN TRUSSEL BORN On an On
Brothers From Another Otieno Terry Muamin Collective SAT 4/2 WED 4/13
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TUE 4/19 PRESENTED WITH ELEVATION
“RIOT BOI” TOUR
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Ghost Noises Ms Crazy Tee Kiernan Laveaux
MON 4/4 WED 4/20
PROF THE EXPENDABLES Passafire Mike Mictlan
Jon Wayne & the Pain Fund0 • JMO Tunnel Vision Referee Nelson
TUE 4/5
UNWRITTEN LAW FENIX, TX The Missing
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
TUE 3/29
JONATHAN RICHMAN
featuring TOMMY LARKINS on drums!
Axioma
SUN 4/3
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FRI 5/13
THU 4/21
THE SUBWAYS PINS
Mon 3/21 MAKE ‘EM LAUGH MONDAY Wed 3/23 PRETERM FUNDRAISER w/guest bartenders Fri 4/1 KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS SOLD OUT! Sat 4/9 NICK D’ & THE BELIEVERS • Nonaphoenix Sun 4/10 CHARDON POLKA BAND • Johnny & the Apple Stompers Fri 4/15 THE WHISKEY HOLLOW • Midnight Passenger • Group Sun 4/17 WESLEY WHO • Punch Drunk Tagalongs • Pack Wolf Wed 4/27 FRANK SECICH (Blue Ash, Dead Boys, Infidels) Fri 4/29 CASH’D OUT • Texas Plant Sun 5/1 ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER • Icewater Mon 5/2 FREDDIE GIBBS Thu 5/5 SEAFAIR • Jesus on the Mainline • Ohio Weather Band Fri 5/6 TOKYO POLICE CLUB • From Indian Lakes • These Knees Sat 5/7 THE DOWN-FI (feat. CRAIG BELL from RFTT/Mirrors) HALF CLEVELAND (feat. Chris Butler & Harvey Gold from Tin Huey) GREAT PLAINS (Columbus, OH legends) • Tufted Puffins Sun 5/15 ALLEN STONE Wed 5/18 SAVAGES • Head Wound City Thu 5/19 WEEKEND NACHOS • Homewrecker • Vice Sat 5/21 FAITH & WHISKEY Mon 5/23 DIIV Fri 5/27 ALL DOGS • Joyframe Sat 5/28 THETA WAVES (CD Release) • Sam Fox +more Wed 6/1 HERON OBLIVION (mem. of Espers and Comets on Fire) Sun 6/5 SUBHUMANS • Pears Wed 6/8 SUNN O))) Sat 6/25 WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS Thu 9/1 RIVAL SONS
THE GROG SHOP PRESENTS AT
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Photo by Stephen Bivens
MUSIC
Maura Rogers and the Bellows have become a staple on the local folk-rock scene.
AN EVOLVING SOUND
Local folk-rockers Maura Rogers and the Bellows have finally gelled By Jeff Niesel LAST YEAR, SINGER-SONGWRITER Maura Rogers was so pleased with the progress she had made with her live band that she sought to document it in some way. The director who had helmed her previous music video was unavailable, so she decided to bring in aspiring local director Damien Campbell to film some live footage. Campbell and Regis Sedlock set up some six cameras throughout the Beachland Ballroom to capture the band playing four songs. They had a crew of Cleveland State film students in tow as well. The filming took an entire day and was a huge endeavor as Campbell went above and beyond the call of duty. “We had to clean the stage off and hang lights and connect a projector to create an atmosphere,” says Rogers one afternoon with her bandmate, accordion player Meredith Pangrace, as the two sit in the office where Pangrace works as a freelance graphic designer. Because Rogers says she and her band weren’t quite ready to record
when they went into the studio last year for their most recent album, In Light, which they recorded with a new guitarist and two drummers, they felt it was necessary to capture the band in its current state. “We were never all together at the same time recording,” says Rogers. “As we played out more as a group, we realized how much energy we have and how that comes across when we’re all together.” Over the past summer, the band played out regularly. Beachland coowner Cindy Barber, a huge supporter, let them use her club for a day for the taping and the band members recruited about 50 “high-energy” fans and let the cameras roll. The sessions went so well, the band will release four live video clips on its website and it has even turned the performance into a live EP. They celebrate the release of the videos and the EP with a show on March 19 at the Beachland. On “Battle Cry,” Rogers defiantly sings, “I’m doing the best that I can” over an Indigo Girls-like blend of folk
and rock. With its catchy guitar riff, “Jailhouse with Jesus” comes off as freewheeling and playful, particularly when Pangrace launches into a mid-song accordion solo and Istvan Medgyesi follows her with a gritty guitar solo that’s equally high energy. The song’s call-and-response vocals work particularly well too. “We didn’t intend to put out a live EP, but the sound turned out really well,” says Pangrace. Rogers, who studied theater, English and voice at Baldwin Wallace, initially worked for Great Lakes Theater Festival after college. She then moved to New York for a short spell. After returning to Northeast Ohio, she worked again for Great Lakes Theater, devoting a good chunk of time to an Ohio history play based on stories told by people from across the state. “I loved it,” she says of working for Great Lakes Theater Festival. “The experience was fantastic. Working at the rehearsal spaces was great and working among artists was something I really fell in love with. I just loved
being surrounded by artists.” In June 2010, she released her first solo album, Get Up Girl, which she recorded at SUMA Recording in Painesville. “I was very fresh, I was very green, I was very new,” she says when asked about the release. “I had no idea what I was getting into. I had the support of the local folk crowd. It’s kind of funny because I felt like that shaped what I was doing. I hadn’t defined my sound yet. I hadn’t tested my voice yet. With the limited guitar skills I had at the time, I didn’t know what I could do to support the lyrics and vocals on my own. It was a good learning experience.” She even embarked on a mini-tour that summer. Then, bassist Brent Stowe wrote her and asked if she wanted to work with a band. They met at the Barking Spider and assembled the first formation of her backing band, the Bellows. Accordion player Meredith Pangrace came courtesy of a Craigslist ad that Rogers posted. She was the | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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MUSIC only person who responded to the request for an accordion player. “I troll Craigslist all the time for anything accordion-related: repair people, what to buy,” says Pangrace. “It’s a niche so I have to try to find people somehow.” In 2012, Rogers and the Bellows released A Good Heart Will Break. “It was amazing,” says Rogers when asked about the recording sessions for the album. “I was in kidney failure. All bullshit was set aside. We just wanted to rally to get it done to the best of our abilities.” Local producer Kevin Montgomery, who now runs his Standby Rolling studio out of his Cleveland Heights home, saw the band at the Barking Spider and offered to make their album. At the time, he was enrolled in Tri-C’s recording arts technology program, so he had access to some first-rate production equipment. And it wouldn’t cost a fortune. “It was rushed but very positive,” says Rogers. Two weeks later, Pangrace donated a kidney to Rogers. “We didn’t even know if we would be alive,” says Pangrace with a laugh. “We could have both died or the kidney might not have worked.” But the kidney did work, and the group has soldiered on. Last year’s In Light came out in May. The majority of the current lineup plays on the album, and Rogers says it might be the closest approximation to what the band’s true sound is. “I think we’re getting closer to tapping into what our sound is,” she says. “We’re defining our roles better. The presence of Meredith in the songs is more pronounced. That’s what I wanted. I think what she
and listening to songs and seeing how the different instruments work well together and support a female vocalist,” she says. “We’ve been listening to [alt-country singersongwriter] Neko Case. I connect to her because she had a rock edge but then she pulls out a folk or country song and can make that work. She has created this musicianship around her so there’s a cohesive sound that showcases her voice and lyrics. That’s a lot of our approach. The vocal harmonies help too. I think of that as another instrument itself.” Acts such as Troubadours of Divine Bliss, Ani DiFranco and the Indigo Girls serve as inspirations too. “I think our duo stuff is very similar to the Troubadours of Divine Bliss,” says Pangrace. “That’s what I aspire to. I like how the fills complement the melodies. If the accordion drives the song, you’re a polka band, and that’s not what we want to be. What they do with their harmonies is amazing.” Polka comparisons notwithstanding, Rogers hopes to seamlessly incorporate the accordion into her music. “I want to make the accordion fit into every song,” says Rogers. “As we get louder, it’s more challenging to have an acoustic instrument. I don’t think it has to be the dominant sound in every song, but I think it should be a part of every song.” Rogers says she has some songs that didn’t make the last studio album. She imagines they’ll appear on the next record, which she’s anxious to record. “We do have new material,” says Rogers, adding that she wants to take the band on tour to cities outside of Cleveland. “We have stuff that just wasn’t ready yet. We did the last album thanks to a Kickstarter. Our fans have been tremendously supportive.
MAURA ROGERS AND THE BELLOWS, MORGAN MECASKEY, NOON 8 P.M., SATURDAY, MARCH 19, BEACHLAND TAVERN, 15711 WATERLOO RD., 216-383-1124. TICKETS: $10 ADV, $12 DOS, BEACHLANDBALLROOM.COM
does is integral to what I hear in my head. [Guitarist] Istvan Medgyesi has evolved into the sound of the band. Because it wasn’t recorded with us all together, it lacks that chemistry and energy that you hear when we’re in the same room together.” The four songs on the band’s new EP suggest an evolving sound that compares favorably to indie folk rock acts such as the Decemberists and Neko Case. “I think that’s something we’ve been working on a lot as a band in terms of bringing music to rehearsal
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
I think we’re going at it in a way we have never gone at it before. We’re approaching it more seriously. We have more visibility now than we’ve had in the past. I feel the freedom to give more to this than I have previously. I think the next goal is to capture that experience of us playing together somewhere — maybe a castle. Like Fleetwood Mac, but without the drama.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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THE SPAZMATICS
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LY
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
“Coolest local live band venue I’ve seen in a long time” - Slash
THURSDAY, MARCH 17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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MUSIC FOR THE ‘FUTURE’
Indie rockers Craig Finn and Titus Andronicus turn their longtime friendship into a joint tour By Jeff Niesel PAIRED TOGETHER ON THE “NO Faith/No Future/No Problem” tour, indie rockers Titus Andronicus and singer-songwriter Craig Finn will undoubtedly make for good tourmates. The two have a long history, and they’ve even teamed up for “No Future,” a free download single of mutual covers that shows off their love of writing songs with the title “No Future” in them. Titus singer Patrick Stickles recently phoned us from his home, where he was trying to “cross the Ts and dot the Is” and “get everything ready for the big trip.” And Finn separately phoned us from a tour stop just south of Charlottesville to talk about what we can expect from the tour. What inspired you to want to tour together? Stickles: Craig’s been a good friend to the organization for many years. We first met in 2009 and played at this small festival together in England. From the beginning, he’s just been a warm and gregarious guy. He has been generous with me in sharing his wisdom and knowledge as a slightly more seasoned veteran of the game. We played with the Hold Steady a couple times but have never done a big tour. We’ve been looking forward to a more extended collaboration. Finn: Well, we’ve been talking about it a while. I’ve been friends with Patrick for a long time. This last summer, when they released the new record, they did a number of shows at Shea Stadium, the club in Brooklyn. We did a number of covers together. It was really fun and a great night. We thought it might make a great tour. Three nights in, it’s been spectacular. Do you think your fanbases are similar? Stickles: I think so. He appeared on stage with us at our CD release show this past summer as a surprise guest. We did a Hold Steady song and a very sizable and enthusiastic vocal chunk of the audience was very familiar with it and were singing all the words. I think it bodes well. Finn: Yeah, I think so. Mine might be a little older. The solo stuff I do is maybe not as big and rocking as the Hold Steady. That said, it’s nice the
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way it starts up. There’s no other tour support. I’m the first band of the night and it starts from nothing and builds into the big Titus set. All three nights so far, I’ve done at least one song with them. Talk about what inspired your new album. Stickles: The concept first came to me in 2012. I was depressed and not feeling a great deal of hope for the future. When I was going through
I went back to Brooklyn and was not really doing much. The grief took on a thing that was not that productive. I wrote at least one song a day for a while and tried to work through it. The process led to a lot of songs. Again, none of them really addressed my mother’s death. A lot of them were about people moving forward about periods of tragedy and change. It’s still got that title, Faith in the Future. The title itself was inspired by my mother’s death.
TITUS ANDRONICUS, CRAIG FINN 9 P.M., SATURDAY, MARCH 19, MUSICA, 51 EAST MARKET ST., AKRON, 330-374-1114. TICKETS: $15, LIVEATMUSICA.COM
this dark period, I said that I didn’t feel enthusiasm to make another record — but if ever I did, then surely this would be the subject of that record because it was such a highly engrossing and formative experience in my life. From that point, it took about a year to realize it would be a rock opera about the manic depressive experience. It took about another year or so to write the songs and to learn them with the band and figure all that stuff. It was most of another year recording it. It was a very big process. At times, arduous. It was a lot to do. Finn: My mother passed away, and
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
Do you play the new album in its entirety? Stickles: No. We haven’t done that so far and I don’t anticipate that we will. The live concert is supposed to be a spontaneous, fun thing and the audience doesn’t know what’s going to happen. We try to present a careerspanning set with enough hits that everybody feels like they got their money’s worth. We’re public servants that way. Finn: I don’t think I ever have. We’ve been doing a bunch of songs off it, but I also do songs off my other solo record and songs that aren’t on either.
What made you want to start writing songs and form a band? Stickles: I got interested in music and rock ’n’ roll and playing guitar when I was in my teens. I figured it would be more of a hobby or on-theside to whatever my traditional life path was. When we made our first record, we were just college kids. We wanted to do as big a version of the rock band thing as we could, but not with the intention to be rock stars. The first record got some good attention and it seemed like we could get more time out of it, so we put our regular growing-up life on hold, and here we are, eight years later, trying to milk it and see how long it can sustain itself. Finn: I was always into music, from watching the Monkees on TV and things like that. When I started playing guitar I had this vision that I wasn’t going to be a shredder. I was always into the words. I’m a big Dylan fan. He’s a great artist to get to know when you get older because there are so many periods and places he went and you can go to those places. I’ve seen him a few times. The last time I saw him it was fantastic. I think he started playing the same set a lot. That helped. The band was dialed in and he wasn’t changing keys on them.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
GRAND OPENING The Goodyear Theater 1201 East Market Street, Akron
Tickets Available At TicketFly.com Charge-By-Phone
877.4.FLY.TIX (877.435.9849) • An Elevation/East End Production •
ALL SHOWS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, 10AM
GoodyearTheater.com EastendAkron.com | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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LIVEWIRE
all the live music you should see this week Photo by Gene Kirkland
WED
3/16
Hard rocking Lita Ford plays the Odeon. See: Friday.
SWMRS/The Frights/Sweepyheads/ DJ Hot Trash: Out of the ashes of pop-punk band Emily’s Army comes SWMRS. After years of sitting in Green Day’s shadow (drummer Joey Armstrong is Billie Joe Armstrong’s son), the band felt compelled to rebrand. Drive North, their formal debut, is chant-along party rock with electronic embellishment, a reflection of the band’s interest in hip-hop. “Harry Dean” and “Drive North” evoke the Horrors, while “Brb” and “D’You Have a Car?” veer in the direction of Cloud Nothings. If you hear some FIDLAR in the mix, it’s because the album was produced by Zac Carper. (Brittany Kaufman) 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Now That’s Class. 10 X 3 Hosted by Brent Kirby (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Bluewater Kings Band: 8 p.m., free. Brothers Lounge. Jake Boland: 7 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Boy = Girl/Bog Trotters: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. The High Kings: 7:30 p.m., $28 ADV, $32 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Joe Hunter: 7 p.m., free. BLU Jazz+. New Music Ensemble from Garden Valley State University: 8 p.m. Bop Stop. Star & Micey/Michael McFarland/ Nick Wilkinson & the Featured Players: 8:30 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern.
THU
3/17
Blu Jazz Jam with Theron Brown: 9 p.m., free. BLU Jazz+. Albert Cummings/Xtra Crispy: 8 p.m., $18 ADV, $22 DOS. The Kent Stage. The Devil Strip St. Paddy’s Day 1st Anniversary Party: 5 p.m. Musica. Adam Ezra Band/Brent Kirby: 8:30 p.m., free. Beachland Tavern. Chris Hatton’s Musical Circus (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Heavyweights Brass Band: 8 p.m., $10. Bop Stop. Hillbilly Idol/Ray McNiece: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Jam Night with the Bad Boys of Blues: 9 p.m., free. Brothers Lounge. JiMiller Band: 7:30 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club. Northeast Ohio Drum & Music Jam in Memory of A.J. Gooch: 9 p.m., free. Beachland Ballroom. Outlaws I & I (in the Supper Club): 7
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p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club. Pompous Ass/Irish Cottage Boys/Harp City: 12 p.m. Vosh Club. Maia Sharp: 8 p.m. Akron Civic Theatre. St. Patrick’s Day with the New Barleycorn: 5:30 p.m., $25. Nighttown. St. Pat’s Day Metal Debauchery with Steel Bearing Hand/Witchhaven/ Party Plates: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Carrie Underwood: The Storyteller Tour: 7 p.m., $43-$73. Covelli Centre (Youngstown).
FRI
3/18
Battalion of Saints/Wetbrain/Rabid Reason/Yambag: 9 p.m., $10. Now
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
That’s Class. Lita Ford: Anybody longing to return to the time when hair metal ruled should appreciate Lita Ford’s next album, Time Capsule, because it’s straight out of the ’80s. No, really. Scrapping together a couple dozen old tape recordings she found tucked away in a closet, Ford sounds like she’s in vintage form on the album, which features jam sessions with famous friends, including Gene Simmons and Dave Navarro. Though Ford looks more suburban mom than big-haired rock goddess these days, she’s breaking out the red leather to support a nationwide tour and her freshly published, tell-all autobiography, Living Like a Runaway. With any luck, fans at tonight’s show will get an early taste
of Time Capsule before its April 15 release. (Jacob DeSmit) 7 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. Odeon. Mungion/Treespeak: Progressive funk-fusion jam: There are probably less unwieldy ways to describe Mungion, the Chicago quartet making waves in Midwest music venues, but we like that one. It fits. They’re only a year old — as a band — but their chemistry is pretty clear to those who’ve been listening. Check out “Schvingo,” which gets passed around Internet forums quite a bit. It’s got that choice blend of goofy storytelling and high-level musicianship, two prereqs for any band trying to hang on the regional jam circuit. What’s more, based on videos, is that these guys are having a hell of a good time laying down this complex music. We’re looking forward to joining them. (Eric Sandy) 9 p.m., $7 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. The Atomic Hellcats/Via V. Gomi: 9 p.m., free. Happy Dog. Chamba Music: 6 p.m. The Euclid Tavern. Cleveland Brassworks and Blue Lunch Double Bill: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. Darkside of the Moon: 9:30 p.m., $5. Brothers Lounge. DJ Kishka: 6 p.m., free. Happy Dog. Michael Eaton Quartet: 8 p.m., $12. BLU Jazz+. An Evening With(out) David Bowie: From Ziggy Stardust to Blackstar with Vanity Crash: 8 p.m., $10. Musica. FireHouse/11After: 8 p.m., $18 ADV, $22 DOS. The Kent Stage. Harp City/Burke School of Irish Dance: 7 p.m., $5. Vosh Club. Dennis Lewin: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Gay Marshall: 8:30 p.m., $25. Nighttown. Memphis Cradle/Midnight Trail Band/George Foley & Friends: 5:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Motown and More with Moss Stanley and Nitebridge (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club. Rhymin’ ’N’ Stealin’: The Original Beastie Boys Tribute: 8 p.m. House of Blues. The Stranger: Tribute to Billy Joel: 8 p.m., $22 ADV, $25 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Third Friday Concert Series Hosted by Tracy Marie Featuring Cole Harmon (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m.
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ROCKIN’ COUNTRY NIGHTS FEATURING LINCOLN WAY BAND Live music, Line Dancing, DJ, trivia & prizes! FREE ADMISSION!
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Through characters, impressions and real-life situations, Patrick tells energized stories about being in the military, growing up a younger brother & why Irish don’t trash talk. Patrick is a hilarious comedian with versatility & depth!
VALARIE STORM
This Florida girl got her first laugh on stage at 5 years old in the Little Miss Fort Myers Beauty Pageant, after an interviewer ask if she liked going to school she answered “Hell no, I’d rather stay home and watch cartoons.”
TICKETS AVAILABLE ON TICKETMASTER.COM AND AT THE ROCKSINO BOX OFFICE, OPEN DAILY FROM 1PM - 9PM. 10777 NORTHFIELD ROAD | NORTHFIELD, OHIO 44067 | HRRNP.COM | 330.908.7625 ALL SHOWS 21 & OVER
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. FOR FREE, CONFIDENTIAL HELP 24/7, CALL THE OHIO PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE AT 1.800.598.9966 | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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LIVEWIRE Brothers Lounge. The University of Akron Bittle Legacy Concert Afterparty and Jam Session: 11 p.m., $10. BLU Jazz+. You’re Among Friends/Matt Miller Band: 9 p.m., free. The Euclid Tavern.
SAT
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NCAA BASKETBALL (DAYTON) PARTY 12:15PM LATER THAT EVENING
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SAT. 19
STORMY MONDAY SUN. 20
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TUE. 22
VINYL NIGHT
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WED. 23 WITH
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
3/19
Sean Benjamin (in the Wine Bar): 9 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Bossa Nova Night with Luca Mundaca (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club. Cruisin: 9 p.m., $5. Vosh Club. Duo Art: New Folks with Philip Catherine and Martin Wind: 7 p.m., $15. BLU Jazz+. Ekoostik Willy and Special Guest Slap ’N’ Tickle: 7 p.m., $8 ADV, $13 DOS. Odeon. Megan Elk: 8 p.m., $10. Bop Stop. Rob Falgiano/The Flipside: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Forecast: 8 p.m., $20. Akron Civic Theatre. HONEYHONEY/Honeybucket: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Gay Marshall: 8:30 p.m., $25. Nighttown. Maura Rogers & the Bellows CD Release/Morgan Mecaskey/Noon: 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Straight On: Heart Tribute/Invincible: Pat Benatar Tribute: 7 p.m. House of Blues. Surfer Rex/David Loy & the Ramrods: 9 p.m., $5. The Euclid Tavern. That ’80s Band: 10 p.m., $5. Brothers Lounge. Titus Andronicus/Craig Finn: 9 p.m., $15. Musica. Tropical Cleveland with Moises Borges & the Hot Beats of Brazil: 9:30 p.m., $40. Music Box Supper Club. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown.
SUN
3/20
Johnny Cash Tribute with the Cold Hard Cash Show (in the Supper Club): 7:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Champagne Sunday: A Benefit Concert in Support of Apollo’s Fire: 3:30 p.m., $50. Nighttown. Hot Jazz Seven: 3 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Ruairi Hurley & Bill Lestock: 6 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
Mike Petrone (in the Wine Bar): 5:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Brittany Reilly and Achill Crossing (in the Supper Club): 4 p.m., free. Music Box Supper Club. Stick Figure/Fortunate Youth/Raging Fyah: 8 p.m., $14 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Story Time: A Storytelling Open Mic: 9 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
MON
3/21
Skatch Anderssen Orchestra: 8 p.m., $10. Brothers Lounge. Somos/Petal/The Superweaks/ Runaway Brother/Peacekeeper: 7 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Velvet Voyage (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
TUE
3/22
Galactic/The Bright Light Social Hour: Blending the traditions of New Orleans music with the esoteric jam band scene, Galactic straddles two worlds with gusto. They’re a reliably intriguing band, and their live shows are the stuff of groove legend. The band’s latest, 2015’s Into the Deep, is as high-energy a release as any they’ve delivered in the past. Macy Gray, J.J. Grey and Mavis Staples appear as special guests, which fulfills the band’s penchant for keeping their vocal work surprising and fun. “Higher and Higher” (with J.J.) and the title track (with Macy) present two sides of the Galactic coin: Uptempo, booty-shaking NOLA dance vibes and head-bobbin’ loungecraft. (Sandy) 8 p.m., $25. Beachland Ballroom. Sea Charms/Punch Drunk Tagalogs/ Discord & Gidget Von Adams: 9 p.m., free. Now That’s Class. David Adewumi Sextet: 8 p.m., $12. BLU Jazz+. Emperor X/Abi Reimold/Max Stern/ Vacula (in the Locker Room): 7 p.m., $5. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Elton John: 8 p.m., $36-$151. Covelli Centre (Youngstown). Ernie Krivda and the Fat Tuesday Big Band: 8 p.m., $20. Bop Stop. Open Mic Night with Will Cheshier: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Swingtime Big Band: 7:30 p.m., $7. Vosh Club. Two-Set Tuesday Featuring Steve Masek (in the Wine Bar): 7 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Hunter Valentine: 8:30 p.m., $10. Grog Shop.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
Thursday March 17 Ray McNiece 8:00 (poetry, rock, singer/ songwriter) Hillbilly Idol 10:00 (alt country, rockabilly)
Friday March 18
George Foley & Friends 5:30 (jazz) Midnight Trail Band 8:00 (americana) Memphis Cradle 10:00 (blues)
live entertainMent
Thurs. March 17
JiM staMper’s FaMous
The Flipside 8:00 (folk, rock) Rob Falgiano 10:00 (pop rock)
st. patrick’s Day party
Sunday March 20
POMPOUS ASS
Saturday March 19
• Doors Open At 11AM • 12PM
Hot Jazz Seven 3:00 (jazz) Ruairi Hurley & Bill Lestock 6:00 (singer/songwriter) STORY TIME:A Storytelling Open Mic 9:00 (story telling)
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st. patrick’s Day THURS., MARCH 17
ONE: A Celebration of U2 3-8 PM FRI., MARCH 18
Duo Decibel System & Fever Child 8PM SAT., MARCH 19
Hot City Symphony 9PM SUN., MARCH 20
Joe McNair 8:30PM MON., MARCH 21
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Wish You Were Here The Sights & Sounds of Pink Floyd
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Pieces Of A Dream
FRI. APRIL 1
The Sound & Vision Of David Bowie
Diamond Dogs
SAT. APRIL 9
Blue Oyster Cult
American Hard Rock Icons
TWOWS SHO
SAT. APRIL 16
APR. 22 & 23, 29 & 30
40 Year Reunion
and the Resonators
Love Affair All Original Members 1980’s hit “Mama Sez”
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Average White Band
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
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IRISH MUSIC BEGINS AT 4PM FRIDAY 18
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SHIFTY DRIFTERS WEDNESDAY 23
NALU SPRING TO SUMMER PARTY THURSDAY 24
GARY LEE FRIDAY 25
TOM TODD SATURDAY 26
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
51
4630 Ridge Road Brooklyn, Ohio 44144
216-749-5509 Learn More At www.agostinos.events
BAND OF THE WEEK Photo courtesy of Glass Onyon
3/25
3/18
FASTLANE Eagles Tribute Band CHARDON POLKA BAND EASTER BUFFET....
Bring your Loved Ones to Celebrate Easter with us and the Easter Bunny! Sunday, March 27th from 12noon to 5pm. Adults $26.95; Children(under 12yrs.) $12.95 | RESERVE EARLY!
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TUE • SUSHI NIGHT 5:00-10:00 WED • $5 BURGER NIGHT 5:00-10:00 THURS TACOS 5:00-10:00
FRI 3/18 • 7:30
THE PINK FLOYD CONCERT EXPERIENCE
LADIES NIGHT
7:00PM-2:30AM $4 WINE • MARTINIS • CHAMPAGNE
SAT 3/19 • 7:30
THAT 80’s BAND
BAD BOYS OF BLUES JAM NIGHT 9:00
WINE BAR
FRI 3/18 • 8:00
TRACY MARIE & Special Guest
COLE HARMON
SAT. 3/19 • 8:00
FRI 3/25 • 7:30
SEAN BENJAMIN
EVERY SUNDAY 5:30
MIKE PETRONE
EVERY MONDAY - JAZZ
VELVET VOYAGE 8:00 TUE. 3/22
2 SET TUESDAY 7:00 & 8:30
SAT 3/26 • 7:30
A SPECIAL SHOW!
THE NUBLU BAND FEATURING
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STEVE MASEK
EVERY WEDNESDAY • 8:00 10 X 3 SINGER-SONGWRITER SHOWCASE W/BRENT KIRBY contact: harvesttownmusic@gmail.com
EVERY THURSDAY • 8:00
CHRIS HATTON’S MUSICAL CIRCUS
ALL GENRES • ALL STYLES 52
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
MAGMA By Allen Gunnison MEET THE BAND: Christian Vander (drums, vocals), Stella Vander (vocals, percussion), Isabelle Feuillebois (vocals, percussion), Hervé Aknin (vocals), Jérôme Martineau (keyboards), Benoit Alziary (vibraphone) Jim Grandcamp (guitar), Philippe Bussonnet (bass) A UNIVERSE UNTO ITSELF: The Magma universe began with a concept within a concept way back in 1969 at the beginning of the progressive rock era. The concept is summarized as “Theusz Hamtaahk” – a science fiction epic that would span over their first nine albums. It chronicles the deterioration of the Earth and the colonization of the planet Kobaia where a small group of humans left Earth to establish a utopian society based on the concept of universal harmony. SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE : Magma’s sound is challenging and almost indescribable. The closest anyone has come to this feat would be early King Crimson mashed together with the original Mahavishnu Orchestra. The one common factor is the intense drumming of the leader/creator Christian Vander. The early albums were sung in a guttural language – Kobaïan – invented by Vander. “French wasn’t expressive enough for the sound of the music I had in my head. Kobaïan is a language that is constantly evolving and the sounds/words come organically
when I am composing,” says Vander.
WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: Over the course of the years, the sound has twisted and morphed even adding jazz horns in the mid-’70s yet remaining true to the original Magma ideal. The current line-up features eight musicians, including three vocalists. This isn’t the band’s first North American tour. It played eight dates in April 2015. The 2016 tour kicks off in San Diego on March 15 and winds up in Toronto by early April. Magma played the USA festival circuit before — once at Progfest 1999 in San Francisco and twice at NEARFEST (Northeast Art Rock Festival) in Trenton in 2003 and again in Bethlehem, Penn., in 2007. “Magma is happy to return to the United States to play for Americans,” says Vander. “We know you are passionate, respectful and curious about music. We find you to be generous and open. It will be a joy for us to see you this year.” WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM: magmamusic.org and youtube.com/ user/MagmaOfficialTV WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Magma performs with Helen Money at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23, at the Beachland Tavern.
scene@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
53
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purchase of $25 or more. Expires 3/26/16
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12820 brookpark rd. @ w. 130th • 216-458-1131
open 2:00pM-2:30aM Mon-sat • sUndaY 7:00pM - 2:30aM
Check out our second location
Club 1245
1245 E. Tallmadge Ave. Akron, OH 44310 Mon-Sat 4pm - 2:30am. | Closed Sundays
54
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
55
SAVAGE LOVE SAFE WORDING By Dan Savage
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
Dear Dan, I’m a 27-year-old, feminist, conventionally attractive, straight-ish, GGG woman. Over time, my tastes have changed, and now I find myself more of a kinkster. A few years ago, my desire for kinkier sex and my willingness to take a chance came together in a mutually beneficial, exciting D/s relationship. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t as smart as I could have been. I met this guy on Tinder, and after verifying his identity, I told some friends where I’d be and I met up with him. He was great for a while, but a big move took me away from the area and I grew tired of his conventional gender ideals. I assumed I would find another partner in the future as functionally great as him but maybe a better conversationalist. Fast-forward to today. I’ve dabbled with pain and submission play with a few boyfriends with no great success. (A subsequent partner who didn’t respect my safe word, in fact, assaulted me.) I’m now greatly discouraged in my search. The cycle always goes like this: I get horny and want kink, I go looking for it online, and I am then buried in a landslide of creepiness, typos, and aggression. There are just so many men out there who hate women. These men are more interested in condescending to me and bossing me around than they are in power exchange. It was recommended to me to join the local center for sex positivity in Seattle, but that costs money. I want to engage in kink to relieve stress, not to cut into my already tight budget. Are my only options perseverance or an extra grand lying around? — Perseverance Or Withdrawal, Eternal Regrets I definitely think you should keep hacking your way through the creeps, typos, and aggros, POWER, and, more importantly, your pussy thinks so too — excuse me, that’s crude. Perhaps I should say: Your erotic imagination and your libido think so too. But you may find the search for kinky play partners
a little less frustrating if you devote a few hours a week to it — set a regular schedule: two hours a night, twice a week — instead of waiting until horniness and desperation drive you back online. If you search for kinky guys only when you just gotta have it, POWER, your inability to find it immediately is gonna be that much more frustrating. And you might wanna get out there and find a kinky guy now, POWER, while you still can. “Uh-oh, kinksters: Sex cops could be coming for you next,” Elizabeth Nolan Brown writes at Reason.com. “According to a new federal court decision, Americans have no constitutional right to engage in consensual BDSM because ‘sexual activity that involves binding and gagging or the use of physical force such as spanking or choking poses certain inherent risks to personal safety.’ Thus officials could constitutionally ban or regulate such activity in the interest of ‘the protection of vulnerable persons,’ the court held.” In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Americans have a constitutional right to get their asses fucked, and one day soon we could be asking the Supreme Court whether Americans have a constitutional right to get their asses spanked. Finally, POWER, I’m a huge fan of Seattle’s Center for Sex Positive Culture (thecspc.org). And I’m an even bigger fan of people getting out there, meeting up IRL, and making face-to-face connections with like-minded kinksters. I’m such a big fan that I’m going to pick up the expense of your first year’s membership at the Center for Sex Positive Culture. While there are additional charges for most events at the center, POWER, there are also tons of volunteer opportunities — and there’s no better way to get to know the local kinksters than to pitch in and help out. I’ll e-mail you directly about your shiny new membership.
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(330) 315-3000 Canton:
(330) 437-0100 | clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
57
Get fit. Get paid. For part-time Package Handlers at FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, it’s like a paid workout. The work’s demanding, but the rewards are big. Come join our team, get a weekly paycheck, tuition assistance and break a sweat with the nation’s package delivery leader.
Part-time PACKAGE HANDLERS Qualifications: • Ability to load, unload, sort packages •18 years or older • Part-time, 5-days week $10.10/hr plus benefits to start, scheduled raises •Must pass background check Sign Up For Sort Observafion
www.watchasort.com 330-659-2518 FedEx Ground 3201 Columbia Road, Richfield, OH 44286
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer (M/F/D/V) Commited To A Diverse Workforce.
Fedex.com/us/careers
Professional Services
Merchandise For Sale BIG FUN
Cleveland’s Best Toy Store. Cash for Old Toys, Legos Star Wars, GI Joes, Transformers, Hot Wheels, NINTENDO, Action Figs Rock Concert T-shirts 1814 Coventry Rd. Cleve Hts. 216.371.4386 WE BUY SELL TRADE CASH PAID FOR UNWANTED cars, trucks, vans etc ... Running or not. Free towing, cash on the spot. 440-341-5209
Professional Services
THE OCEAN CORP.
10840 Rockley Road, Houston, Texas 77099. Train for a New Career. *Underwater Welder. *Commercial Diver. *NDT/Weld Inspector. Job Placement Assistance. Financial Aid available for those who qualify. 800-321-0298.
Help Wanted Mechanic Needed!
East side shop needs mechanic, with own tools, diagnostic skills a must. 5 days a week, call for appointment. 440-232-1099
Rentals: West/Suburbs
AUTO INSURANCE SR22/Bond, Tickets BEST PRICES DAVID YOUNG INSURANCE 440-779-9800
LAKEWOOD CLIFFS APARTMENTS
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Located on Park Fulton Oval near the Cleveland Metroparks! 216-351-6936 Choose from any of our newly remodeled 1 & 2 bdrm apartments, all w/ modern kitchens & bathrooms. All feature air-conditioning & Garage parking also available. Brookside is located close to I-480, I-71, and I-90, just minutes from downtown Cleveland. Come home to the beautiful park-like setting of Brookside Apartments! You’ll be happy to call Brookside home.
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| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
12000 Shaker Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44120 www.preterm.org • 216.991.4000
Call Preterm! We can help.
WISH YOU WERE HERE. MISSED EVENT? We’reANhiring. CATCH OUT UP WITH SLIDESHOWS. CHECK OPENINGS ONLY AT CLEVESCENE.COM AT CLEVESCENE.COM SCENE
| clevescene.com | March 16 - 22, 2016
59
HOME BUYERS!!!
McKenzie Apartments
FREE MONEY!!! DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAM*
1310 W. 116th Street
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good credit • bad credit • bankruptcy
Career Opportunity!! Window Nation Now hiring Outside Appointment Setters for our Cleveland and Twinsburg, Ohio locations. This is a Full Time 40 hours per week position, must be able to work weekends early shift. Base salary plus bi-weekly bonuses usually average 600$ to 900$ per week. Full Benefits (401K,medical, paid vacation and holidays)
Vintage Building with all the Modern Amenities. The McKenzie Apts. have been completely renovated while maintaining it’s classic architecture. The suites feature new kitchens w/dishwasher, new bathrooms, new mini blinds, lighting, ceiling fans & double pane vinyl windows. Walking distance to everything: grocery, café, restaurants, public transportation, parks, banks, etc. These are a Must See!
Call Bill at 216-903-1744 for immediate interview or email resume to Careers@windownation.com
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820 West Superior Avenue, Suite 100 Cleveland, Ohio 44113