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M AY 2 7 - J U N E 2 , 2 0 1 5 VOLU M E 4 5 NO 4 8
CONTENTS 16
Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Chris Keating Associate Publisher Desiree Bourgeois
Upfront
Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Managing Editor Eric Sandy Music Editor Jeff Niesel Staff Writers Sam Allard, Doug Brown Web Editor Alaina Nutile Contributing Writer Will Burge Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Contributing Dining Editors Nikki Delamotte, Jason Beudert Stage Editor Christine Howey Visual Arts Editor Josh Usmani Interns Martin Harp, Kaitlin Siegel
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Judge John O’Donnell acquits officer Michael Brelo in the shooting deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams
Framed
10
The best photos we shared with you this week
Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executives Amanda Klein Classifi ed Account Executive Alice Leslie
Facetime
12
Former ABJ writer Phil Trexler moves to Cleveland and WKYC
Marketing and Events Promotions Coordinator Remi Bruell Marketing Director Moira O’Neill Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Graphic Designer Kristen A Lovejoy Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace
Feature
16
Craft beer? Well, sure, but Cleveland is becoming a mecca for home-brewed coffee too.
Business Asst. To The Publisher Angela Lott Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss
Get Out!
23
Art
30
Film
31
Dining
35
Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Offi cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Offi cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Chief Financial Offi cer Brian Painley Human Resources Director Lisa Beilstein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon
Dozens of events spanning the next week in Cleveland
www.euclidmediagroup.com
The arts scene slides into summer with a dynamite roster of Memorial Day weekend events
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Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every week by Euclid Media Group.
The Spotted Owl’s Will Hollingsworth went to New York to find out how to build a better bar
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JULY 11 WISH YOU WERE HERE The Sight and Sound of Pink Floyd w/Colin Dussault’s Blues Project JULY 24 ESCAPE Journey Tribute w/EVOLUTION JULY 31 WHO’S BAD? The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band w/ THAT 80’s BAND AUG 7 ZOSO The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience w/VICTORY HIGHWAY AUG 8 ATOMIC PUNKS The Tribute to Early Van Halen w/ACE MOLAR AUG 14 DIRTY DEEDS Xtreme AC/DC w/ Scarlot AUG 21 MCGUFFEY LANE w/ TOM FRIETCHEN BAND AUG 28 SATISFACTION The International Rolling Stones Show w/ALEX BEVAN & 10 FROM 6 magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 www.rockinontheriver.com
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upfront
Photo by Emmanuel Wallace
Protesters march onto the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
the verdict and the city
tHIS WEEK
When the inevitable Word -- eventually surrounding defense And so as Saturday grew long came down, the men and women attorney Pat D’Angelo, later spilling under a hot afternoon sun, protesters on the steps of the Justice Center in onto Lakeside Avenue in protest, converged at various points around the downtown Cleveland formed a tightly decrying the rigged game amid a flurry city: downtown, along St. Clair, and, wrought circle and echoed their months of frantic journalists and onlooking tagging up with a group of Tamir Rice of dismay. The mayor had been telling sheriff’s deputies -- it was hard to memorialists, at Impett Park off West them for weeks -- and he’d tell them dispute Alfredo Williams’ sentiments. 150th Street. The tone was “calm but again as the weekend wore on -- that the At least in person and on that morning, angry,” as community organizer Art morning’s decision would “define us as no one tried. McKoy stated that morning. a city, define us as a people.” Judge John O’Donnell spent nearly Residents gathered to observe and Rather than casting a new mold, though, the verdict and the city fell into familiar habits that had already defined us -- and, no less, had already captured the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice. Alfredo Williams was downtown on Saturday morning. The brother of Malissa Williams, one of two people shot and killed in a hail of 137 rounds on Nov. 22, 2012, at the hands of dozens of Cleveland police officers, had to be there. Malissa Williams' family members react angrily to the verdict. Photo by Eric Sandy “I can’t recover from this,” he said, speaking directly into a news camera. an hour studiously reviewing the passed by in cars. A common refrain “All I know is I don’t trust police no forensic and eye-witness minutia of regarded how Cleveland is “not like more.” Brelo’s case. We all know the story, Baltimore” and how “they’d better not Cleveland police officer Michael and the city knows that someone had to destroy my city.” Painted as outsiders Brelo was found not guilty of voluntary have fired the shots that killed Russell -- and, yes, some had bussed and flown manslaughter in the shooting deaths and Williams. If not Brelo, as the judge in from other cities -- those protesting of Williams and Timothy Russell. He eventually ruled amid the legal borders the verdict did so under a cloud of was also found not guilty of the lesser of reasonable doubt, then who? suspicion and before the watchful eyes included charge of felonious assault. That’s not for Cleveland to know. of riot police. By night’s end, 77 men He was the only involved officer indicted. Fox News will cap participation at 10 Activists begin petitioning for recall of As the throng politicians in first Republican debate Local arts community directors extol Mayor Frank Jackson. Similar group of concerned at Quicken Loans Arena. Decision to virtues of regressive CAC cigarette tax circulates petition to rename mayor’s citizens be based on ability to get a shot off renewal. We’ll endorse if Fred Bidwell title as “Sir Poop, Duke of Erie-ongrew outside on Delly. splits a pack of Camels with us. Thorpe.” the Justice Center
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ALL IN
NICE RING TO IT
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
SMOKE UP
and women were arrested for various iterations of “failure to disperse” or “unlawful assembly” -- that ilk. The crowd was nearing a high of some 120 protesters as day turned toward night. The group worked their way into downtown around the same time the Tribe game was letting out. East Fourth Street, already a sardine tin of a thoroughfare, became a heated logjam, an event. Just before 9 p.m., Flannery’s and Zocalo were spilling over with baseball fans in hometown gear. Two hours worth of post-baseball beers had been merrily imbibed. The patios of Lola, Wonder Bar and Greenhouse were packed with the affluent suburban crowd — at least two of whom declared audibly that watching the protesters made them “physically sick” — and the protesters, many of whom had been shouting and walking all day, were energized by the effect. Some of the internal commentary centered on the idea that a lot of money stood to be lost if demonstrators camped out on East Fourth. This would send a message, some of them said. The chanting was for the most part uninterrupted — “No Justice, No Peace,” “Whose Streets, Our Streets,” etc. — and many of the gathered media
yOUR qUALITy OF LIFE One Cleveland?
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
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were sort of rolling their eyes as they tried to heft their cameras through the throng and get a handle on the proceedings. Riot police arrived after a skirmish with patrons at the Greenhouse Tavern. In a coordinated effort, they backed up protesters along Euclid, picking them off one by one. Later in the night, they blocked off the Johnson Court alley between West Sixth and West Ninth and arrested the majority of the protesters inside. Police Chief Calvin Williams spoke to the media Sunday morning, elaborating on the mass arrest: “We only moved into make arrests when things got violent and protesters refused to disperse. We wanted to make sure people understand we are going to help you in this process, but if things turn violent, we will take action to preserve safety.” But how could protesters disperse, one might ask, if there’s nowhere to disperse to? “They trapped us in the corner. They didn’t say disperse, they said move back,” said one young man who spent two nights locked in jail after he was arrested on Johnson Court. “And then another riot crew came on the other side and they were saying move back. They trapped us on both sides and we were in the middle like where do we move? Where do we move? They said ‘Move back! Move back!’ But there’s nowhere to move. We got lined up against the corner, and they said ‘one by one, we’ll let you guys go.’ There were like four people gone and they said ‘stop! Everybody else is going to jail.’” The conditions of their 36 hours of detention were unlike anything heard from city defendants in some time. Not much in the way of airwaves or ink has been spent on exploring how the arrestees spent their nights, but Scene spoke with several protesters who returned to the streets on Monday. “We were in the workhouse, it was disgusting,” one man explained. “The beds were disgusting, we were getting sick as we were sitting there breathing in that air.” Another backed that up: “Yeah, I was held in the workhouse. It was
8
terrible, I don’t think there was anybody in there before us or that it had been cleaned since it was built. The mats we were given had holes ripped through them, the water was disgusting. There was a water fountain, right? The water came out piss-yellow, so no one touched it. We demanded water. So they bring us a
20th.” As of press time, city leaders were meeting with representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice to finesse the announcement of consent decree agreements. Following an investigation that revealed a pattern or practice of excessive use of force within the Cleveland Division of Police Photo by Eric Sandy
Pastor Kyle Earley protests silently on Lakeside Avenue.
Photo by Eric Sandy
Protesters march down Kinsman Avenue on May 25
cooler of water — piss yellow. Another 30 minutes goes by, another cooler of water — piss yellow. Another 30 minutes, piss yellow. Smelling like fucking eggs. There were spiders everywhere. There was a thing of spoiled milk underneath my bunk — five cartons of spoiled milk from April
5.2 PERCENT
5.2 percent - Ohio’s unemployment rate as of April 2015, up slightly from our state’s 13-year low of 5.1 percent in March.
2100
-- an investigation requested by the mayor -- terms will be set in place that, according to the most official and hopeful statements surrounding the process, will proffer paths toward real public safety reform. In sum, however, as we shuffle into a long, hot summer, it might be worth
Year through which City Council extended lease on Museum of Natural History land in order to greenlight $150-million expansion. Terms of the lease: $1 per year.
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
72
Age of Bill Miller, aka Mr. Stress, who died last week as a cherished blues icon in this city.
returning to the introduction in Judge John O’Donnell’s 34-page verdict: “In many American places people are angry with, mistrusting and fearful of police. Citizens think the men and women sworn to protect and serve have violated that oath or never meant it in the first place. Some of these places are long familiar: New York City and Baltimore. Some were unfamiliar until incidents there laid bare the divide between the people and the police: Ferguson, Missouri, and North Charleston, South Carolina. Probably not coincidentally these places are mostly African-American communities. “Cleveland, too, is one such place, as the reaction and attention to this case and other recent events has shown. Every week I pass a mound of stuffed animals left in memory of a 12-yearold many believe was murdered by a Cleveland police officers. “This animosity toward the police is fed not just by stories that attract TV watchers and internet clickers, but by police officers’ affronts -- intended or not -- to honest people treated as criminals, by unnecessarily brutal treatment of arrested suspects, by daily slights and disrespect -- real and imagined -- and by the isolation of the police from the people they serve. These realities in some neighborhoods have nourished attitudes toward the police ranging from wariness to outright hatred, and these feelings existed long before they gained prominence through the proliferation of smartphones, surveillance cameras and other recording devices that let pictures and news of violent police-citizen encounters quickly saturate the internet. Some say the volatile relationship between police and the community in rooted in our great country’s original sin. “Whether it is or not, that sin won’t be expiated and the suspicion and hostility between the police and the police won’t be extirpated by a verdict in a single criminal lawsuit.” He goes on to write much more, but, defined we are as a city and defined we are as a people, we’re not given much to trust anymore.
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
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framed! our best shots from last week Photos by Emanuel Wallace and Joe Kleon*
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facetime
Photo courtesy of WKYC.
Phil Trexler arrives in Cleveland.
investigating with the investigator A longtime Akron reporter joins WKYC up here in Cleveland By Doug Brown Phil Trexler is one of northeast Ohio’s best reporters, having covered crime and courts for the Akron Beacon Journal for the past 16 years (and the News-Herald for seven years before that). Earlier this month, Trexler left the ABJ to become an executive producer for WKYC, teaming up with Cleveland TV news legend “The Investigator,” Tom Meyer. We caught up with Trexler about leaving print for Channel 3 back in his hometown of Cleveland.
What led to you becoming an executive producer over at WKYC? They contacted me back in March about the opening, gauged my interest in it, and I came in and met with them. I was pretty overwhelmed by the reception it got here. Everybody here is really top notch and real professional and really dedicated to the type of journalism we need to perform going forward. The TV news world is so foreign to me. What’s the difference between it and print? It was foreign to me too, to some degree. Initially, I didn’t think there
12
was a chance that I would make the transition. It was never anything that I really considered in the past, but looking into the future -- five, ten years down the road -- I thought that this would present a lot of great opportunities. We’re doing the same type of journalism, just in a different format, a different frame. On the website, we’re all doing the same whether it’s print or TV or radio -- you still have a website. But I think us in print have this sort of arrogance when it comes to TV news, that we in print to do it better and with more depth. But it was eye opening when I came here to see the amount of work that goes in to producing just a two to three minute news piece. I spent way more time doing the story we ran Monday on state spending -- spent way more time on that than I had on a news story in print. There’s a lot of components that go into producing TV news segments. A lot of what we’re doing here is the same as what I was doing in print, but a lot of it is way different.
What are you spending your time on now? Like we’re doing now, you can pick
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
up a phone and do an interview, but in TV you can’t. Everything is visual, so it requires in-person interviews. It requires a lot of steps that go into putting together a package for TV that I never even considered. There’s the writing portion, but there’s also the reporting portion, and then there’s the technical aspect of editing the package making sure what the viewers are seeing match with what you’re writing. I’m still new at it so it’s taking me longer. to do some of those things. There’s just many more steps in the process. Even to me, it’s exciting, fun and different, but I’m still doing what I’ve always done.
around recording people without authorization, recording people and his coworkers covertly, and the fact that he withheld his evidence and failed to provide it through discovery. The work that we did to expose not only the recordings but the conduct and his behavior -- we were able to take a bad cop off the street, so I’m pleased about that. Some folks have had their cases dismissed as a result of that. But 16 years in Akron, there are some great people there, and the newsroom was my home and it certainly was a difficult choice to leave there, but I had to do what’s best for me and my family and Channel 3 is a great opportunity for us.
Yeah, when i heard you were going to be a producer for WKYC, i realized i had no idea what a producer does or what really goes on behind the scenes. Are you ever going to be on camera? There was some talk about that during the interview process for down the road. But Tom Meyer, he’s the guy that goes on TV and I’m the guy who goes in the background. It’s a possibility but that’s not why I came here. I’m a print guy for a reason. That’s not my goal, my goal is to be a reporter, and I’m doing that here. And I’m basically coming home, because I’m a Cleveland guy. And I get the opportunity to come at a time where things are really developing here in terms of news: The Tamir Rice case, the Brelo case, I’m getting thrown right into that; and I interviewed the family of Tim Russell this week. It’s a great time to be a journalist in Cleveland.
And now you’ll be doing most of your stories partnered with “The investigator,” Tom Meyer? Yup.
But at the same time, there’s a lot back in Akron, with the mayor feuding with your old paper on his way out. What do you make of that whole thing? It’s pretty typical behavior, I think, of the mayor. It’s amazing that after so many years, you’d think that not only would he have a thicker skin, but be above this act, more like a statesman with more dignity. But for him to go out the way he did, it’s typical of him and not surprising, I think it’s kind of sad that this is what it’s come to. It’s going to be his legacy now, that he got into a tiff with the local newspaper -- which, by the way, I think has been pretty supportive of his work in Akron. I think it’s going to detract from some of the great work he’s done there. so in all your years of reporting in Akron, what story that you reported are you going to remember most? Probably the work that we’ve done on Akron police officer Don Schismenos. It got a lot of results. He was a police officer who was going
had you known him prior to this? No, I had actually never met him. They contacted me and then we had six weeks of contact before we finalized everything. What kind of guy is he like off camera? He’s very hard working, that’s what impresses me. He’s been here since 1979, and he still does not mail it in, he’s still hard working and intrepid, and I respect him. From a TV perspective, I can learn an awful lot from him and at the same time I can provide him with a newspaper perspective and a fresh set of ideas and ways to go. I look at it as a strong partnership, where I can help him and he can help me. But that’s what impresses me, his work ethic as still as strong as it was in the 1980s when he came to Cleveland. You also teach (news writing) at Kent state’s journalism school. What do you think the kinds of careers journalism students will have in the future? I tell my students you don’t get in this business to make a lot of money. You get in this business because it’s the type of work that you love to do. It’s actually fun, so it’s not like lifting heavy boxes, there’s something new every day. That’s what I tell them: If you want to do this, you can succeed in it. You need to be mobile, you need to be able to do a whole lot of different aspects of it -- video, web, writing. I don’t discourage them to do it, I tell them it’s a different type of world that journalists find themselves in, but there are opportunities out there. Journalism is far from dead.
dbrown@clevescene.com t @dougbrown8
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 15
roasted in cle
Riding the Third Wave with the bean-sniffing, java obsessed folks behind Cleveland’s coffee renaissance
By Douglas Trattner
Walk into Pour Cleveland for the first time and you might bump into a group of people standing around a large communal table, each slurping coffee from a deep spoon with alarming gusto. Across town, in a hulking brick warehouse on Cleveland’s near-west side, a mop-topped man stands in front of a gleaming steel roaster, its tumbling drum filled with still-green coffee beans. In Tremont, an obsessive barista spends the first 30 minutes of his day dialing in an espresso machine, tweaking the variables in a quest for the ever-elusive “god shot,” that pitchperfect cup. While it might not be obvious to the casual observer, Cleveland is on the cusp of becoming a Great Coffee Town, a place where finding a top-quality cup of
16
java is as easy as reaching for a worldclass IPA. Some insiders say that we’re already there, while others believe we still have a way to go. But pretty much everybody who follows the local coffee scene agrees that we’re heading in the right direction and bound for glory. It wasn’t that a guy couldn’t wrap his mittens around a decent cup of joe before today. Cleveland has been blessed with homegrown shops devoted to sourcing and serving the best coffee available at the time. In fact, local outfits like Arabica, Phoenix, City Roast and Loop actually were ahead of the curve, setting up their own smallbatch roasting operations to maximize freshness and flavor. But like any revolution — and coffee, indeed, is in the midst of a revolution
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
— the past and its players often get left in the dust as the new guard steps in, takes over, and charts a new course. That course took its sharpest turn in 2012, when Kim Jenkins opened Rising Star Coffee Roasters in the Ohio City firehouse building. The movement picked up steam a little more than a year later when Charlie Eisenstat opened Pour downtown. More and more, they’re being joined by a supporting cast of new cafes and smallbatch roasters as Cleveland’s coffee counter culture continues to pick up steam. Eisenstat already had a finance degree and two law degrees when he decided to go back to school. In 2011, the Northeast Ohio native took a weeklong sabbatical from his job
at a Cleveland law firm to attend the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, where he immersed himself in topics like Grinding, Tamping and Extracting Espresso, Steaming and Foaming Milk for Lattes and Cappuccinos, and the Principles of Latte Art. Two years later, at the tail end of 2013, he opened Pour Cleveland, downtown’s premier coffee shop. “Experiencing Portland’s coffee culture is what really mailed it home for me,” says Eisenstat, seated at the coffee bar within arm’s reach of his pricey espresso machine. “Cleveland, especially now, is such a similar city to Portland in terms of food, beer, cocktails … I saw the potential for what it could be.” Cities with great food and drink cultures don’t always become great
FEATURE coffee cities, but almost every great coffee city began with a robust food and drink scene. For a city like Cleveland, with its thriving independent restaurant community, emerging craft cocktail culture, and flourishing beer brewing trade, the emergence of a budding coffee culture seemed as inevitable as a Sunday hangover. “That’s what pushed me to go all in and leave my regular job and do this fulltime,” notes Eisenstat. “Cleveland already had an amazing culinary scene with world-class chefs opening some amazing restaurants. We’ve got a great beer and microbrewery scene for the size city we are. I just thought we were a little behind as far as a culinary approach to coffee. I wish I did this five years ago to get people accustomed to it earlier.” You can’t talk about the trajectory
nerds began cultivating relationships with small farmers in places like South America, Central America, Africa and Indonesia to seek out unique flavor profiles previously unavailable. Third Wave coffee shops often can be characterized more by what they don’t serve than what they do. In place of batch-brewed, heavily roasted blends kept warm until they’re sold, artisanal shops grind and brew meticulously sourced and freshly roasted beans by the cup to order. Gone are sprawling multi-panel menus littered with countless concoctions and sizes, replaced by fewer options and smaller serving sizes. “The easiest way to understand what Third Wave roasters and coffee shops are trying to do is to highlight the terroir so that all the unique choices the farmer made and the choices the producer made and the choices the roaster made that have left their imprint on that roasted seed you’re drinking are actually reflected
John Johnson, Rising Star Coffee
of coffee in this country without discussing waves. Americans have been riding coffee waves for 150 years, ever since caffeine-delivery vehicles like Folgers and Maxwell House made waking up a whole lot more bearable for countless moms and dads. A mounting aversion to those poor quality, mass produced commodities gave rise to the “second wave” in American coffee, when breakout brands like Peet’s and Starbucks convinced coffee drinkers to trade in their Mr. Coffee machines for a tall, half-caff soy latte with a caramel drizzle. While those brands did more to advance the coffee culture in this country than anything, the focus at those mega-chains long ago shifted away from quality and toward cost, efficiency and profit. Which brings us to the Third Wave, when ground-breaking shops like Intelligentsia in Chicago, Counter Culture in North Carolina, and Stumptown in Portland began shaping business plans around the noble quest to preserve, highlight and present the innate flavors of the globe’s highest quality coffee beans. In cities like Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and New York, true coffee
in the cup,” explains John Johnson, partner and quality control manager at Rising Star, which recently moved and expanded its roasting operations into the Hildebrandt Building on the nearwest side. Customers who order a cup of java at Pour in the 5th Street Arcades will observe a barista carefully weigh and grind a precise measure of freshly roasted coffee beans. After pre-wetting the filter, the grounds will be placed in a simple funnel-shaped device that sits atop a receiving vessel. Over the course of three minutes, the barista will anoint the grounds with a slow, steady stream of 200-degree water until the resulting yield of coffee reaches around 350 grams, at which point it’s poured into a pre-warmed ceramic mug. While the typical iced coffee is simply chilled hot-brewed coffee, Pour invested in beautiful and functional cold-brew systems that are prominently displayed along its back wall. The 4-foot-tall glass contraptions, which look like elaborate bongs, use ice water and time (about eight hours) to produce cold-brewed coffee with all of the body and none of the bite of its conventionally brewed sibling.
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 17
FEATURE
All the above machinations might seem obsessive — even affected — but they’re science-based maneuvers designed to extract the bean’s good qualities and exclude the bad, all while maintaining an exacting level of consistency. Ideally, if everything goes as planned, what’s left in the cup is the true essence of the bean — all the aromas, flavors and acidity set free from
when it was roasted and, lastly, how it is brewed. But to outsiders, the whole process can appear foreign, idiosyncratic and slightly overwhelming, admits owner Eisenstat. “We have people who come in and hover seven feet from the counter because it looks intimidating,” he explains. “I’ve seen people turn
Dave Foran, Loop
an overbearing roast and bitterness. Sip an expertly brewed cup of Paseban from Ciluengsi, West Java, for example, and you’ll discern hints of chocolate, red currant and raspberry. Like a fine wine, the end product is the result of a long chain of decisions that include where the bean is grown, how and when it’s harvested, how it’s processed, how and
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
around and walk right out the door and probably head to Starbucks.” But the best Third Wavers are teachers, advocates of the culture, who look for any and all occasions to spread the gospel of the good bean. To Eisenstat and those like him, there is comfort in the process. Comfort and opportunity.
FEATURE “We brought the process front and center by design,” he says. “The pour-over process isn’t necessarily better, but it helps people with the transition because there’s time to have a conversation. They see you doing something that looks like a science experiment, they start asking questions, which gives you an opportunity to educate them.” One of the people on the receiving end of that informal tutoring is Dan Cihon, a regular fixture at Pour. Working downtown, the Mentor resident hits up the attractive whitetiled storefront at least two or three times per week for his cup. Like many self-described “coffee snobs,” Cihon’s ascent to the world of Third Wave was gradual and one-directional. “It started with tasting the difference between buying Starbucks beans and grinding and brewing them at home, compared to what you get in one of their coffee shops,” he explains. “Then trying other brands of fresh-roasted beans. Then going to lighter roast coffees and tasting an even bigger difference. I can’t go back now.” Living in Mentor meant that Cihon was buying his beans mail order, usually from Counter Culture, and grinding and brewing at home. A quick search of his favored supplier’s retail outlets led him to Pour, which has since moved on from that brand. As a home-schooled coffee guy who relied on the Internet for the bulk of his brew tips, the budding coffee enthusiast was deeply observant of what his baristas were doing behind the bar. “I was picking their brain about grind and water temperature,” he says. “They’re very open to people like me who are interested in making their own coffee at home. I’ve also witnessed them steer first-time customers in the right direction when it comes to picking a coffee.” For Cleveland to continue heading down the path to coffee enlightenment, say those involved, owners and baristas need to continue educating, converting and pushing customers much the same way the corner wine shop owner will nudge a neighbor away from white zinfandel and toward something more interesting. That includes maintaining a zero-tolerance policy against stereotypically snooty baristas who have no patience for unenlightened consumers. Fortunately, that’s a quality Midwestraised Clevelanders typically excel at. “What initially drew me to the Cleveland coffee scene was that it was approachable and friendly,” says Johnson. “In places like San Francisco you might get the stereotypical tattooed
smug baristas who don’t want to give you the time of day.” Walk into some fanatical coffee shops in San Fran or L.A. and you won’t find flavored syrups or sweeteners of any kind. While the baristas at joints like these are coming from a place of quality and authenticity — “You wouldn’t put ketchup on a dry-aged Wagyu ribeye!” — the practice isn’t exactly catnip to newbies. Flavored syrups, creams and sweeteners are frowned upon not because the results aren’t delicious, but because they negate all the purposeful craft-based decisions that have been made along the way. “The reluctance to do flavored drinks
Peter Brown, Six Shooter Coffee
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 19
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
or put cream in coffee doesn’t come from a standpoint of ‘Oh, that tastes gross,’” explains Johnson. “It comes from a desire to show the hard work that people have done, and you don’t want that diluted. When you get a Frappuccino at Starbucks, the only choices you’re tasting are those that Starbucks made when they decided who to buy their vanilla syrup from. The flavor of the coffee is completely gone.” Walk into either of Rising Star’s shops in Ohio City or Little Italy and you won’t find the ubiquitous line-up of flavored syrups, but you can still score a teaspoon of sugar. While Johnson understands the principle of purity, he knows that it’s not wise or beneficial to implement it in a new market like Cleveland, where inclusion is the name of the game. “I think it’s wrong-headed when places don’t even offer cream or sugar,” he adds. “We have so many great customers who started off by putting cream and sugar in their coffee who now drink it black. It’s baby steps. I wouldn’t be a whiskey drinker if I hadn’t started with Southern Comfort and Coke. There’s an evolution to it.” Loop owner Dave Foran stocks a wide array of flavored syrups in his Tremont coffee shop. Yet he also roasts his own beans daily onsite, an activity much appreciated by his neighbors who wake each morning to the scent of gently toasting beans. He sidesteps pour-overs (“too slow”) in favor of drip and perfectly pulled shots of espresso. That makes his shop a sort of hybrid between Second and Third Wave. Like most of his colleagues in Cleveland, he’s broadminded and accommodating while attempting to advance the cause. “We serve people what they want,” Foran explains. “I don’t want to be the pretentious coffee shop that tells you how to drink it. But we’ll also try and encourage you to drink coffee in a way that we like, to open their eyes to the different flavor profiles you get from all over the world. We have to build the clientele, the people who start coming in for more than just a way to wake up in the morning and actually start enjoying
it.” Some say that Cleveland is at a critical tipping point in its coffee evolution. Compared to many cities, we’re light years ahead. Compared to others, even nearby Columbus, we’re still playing catch up. That city to our south has more than double the number of top-quality coffee roasters and retail shops than we do, but they shouldn’t get too comfortable, says Peter Brown. “It’s only been a short period of time, but we’re catching up to other cities really quickly,” asserts Brown, who recently relocated from Columbus to Cleveland to open Six Shooter Coffee, a small batch micro-roaster. “It’s an exciting time to move to Cleveland and start doing things here.” Brown’s first job was in a coffee shop, and he’s barely left them since. In addition to his fresh-roasted beans, which can be found on the shelves of The Grocery OHC and in pints of Platform Beer Co.’s oatmeal and coffee stout, Brown is in the planning stages of opening a coffee shop. He selected Cleveland as its future home because he knows there will be a ready, willing and eager audience for his product. “Clevelanders really care about quality, and I respect that,” he says. “The Cleveland culinary and beer scenes are getting national attention, and that’s a big indicator that Clevelanders care about quality.” Brown has worked in enough coffee shops to have a pretty solid grasp of what makes them succeed while propelling the local coffee culture in the right direction. “Cafes have to be warm, friendly and inviting places,” he says. “The baristas have to know that this a huge growing period both in Cleveland and America, and if they aren’t patient and knowledgeable, then the education isn’t going to happen. If they are, then I think we’re really going to see this Third Wave grow and become a good thing.”
dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner
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BREW BAR VS. ESPRESSO BAR Drinks begin with coffee that is either brewed or pulled from the espresso machine. All coffees, both brewed and pulled, are weighed, ground and brewed to order. When it comes to brewed coffee, there are three main methods, each of which affects the qualities of the cup.
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POUR-OVER The closest thing to a traditional drip. This one involves slowly pouring hot water through the grounds and into a waiting cup. The process takes three to four minutes and results in a light-bodied, pleasantly sweet cup of coffee.
ESPRESSO It might look like the machine is doing all the work, but that’s not the case — and there still is plenty of room for human error. There’s the tamping, brew pressure and brewing time. The result is 2 ounces of intensely flavored coffee.
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SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK INSIDE COVER magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 21
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
get out everything you should do this week wed
05/27
OutdOOrs
All About the Gateway A program featuring free guided walking tours of five distinct neighborhoods in downtown Cleveland, Take a Hike explores the Gateway District, Warehouse District, Civic Center, Playhouse Square neighborhood and Canal Basin Park in the Flats. Each tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and features actors and actresses portraying historic figures from Cleveland’s past. Today’s Gateway District Tour takes place at 6 p.m. — and repeats every Wednesday this summer. (You can find the full schedule on the website.) Meet at the Euclid Avenue entrance to the old Arcade. (Jeff Niesel) 401 Euclid Ave., 216-771-1994, clevelandgatewaydistrict.com. drink
Hoppin’ Rad Much like the Fat Head’s tasting room in Middleburg Heights, the Hoppin’ Frog Tasting Room in Akron is in a non-descript strip of storage facilities and warehouses. But step inside and you’ll find a cozy tasting room with a huge array of the brewery’s wonderful libations. The place features “hoppy hour” every weekday from 3 to 7 p.m. Tonight the brewers visit the tasting room from 5 to 7 p.m. While they don’t fill growlers, you can drink bottles on site or take ’em to go. The place also offers a “Hoppin’ Frog Rare & Vintage” list as well as a guest bottle list. And you can order from a limited food menu too. (Niesel) 1680 East Waterloo Rd., Akron, 234-525-3764, hoppinfrog.com/tasting-room. Music
An Elaborate Staging Franz Welser-Möst leads the Cleveland Orchestra in Richard Strauss’s opera about Daphne, “a young woman who must choose between the love of men and her love for nature.” Like last season’s innovative and critically acclaimed production of The Cunning Little Vixen, which was even written up in the New York Times, the staging is rather elaborate. Director James Darrah will transform the concert hall into “a tableau of nature with staging and costumes inspired by ancient Greek theater.” A men’s chorus will join the cast of internationally renowned singers. It’s the orchestra’s first performances of this opera. Performances take place at 7:30 tonight at Severance Hall and 8
Heather Headley comes to Masonic Auditorium. See: Thursday.
on Saturday night. Tickets start at $71. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. cOMedy
Hometown Hero Ohio-born comedian Jason Lawhead is back in town just in time to make fun of Cleveland sports, like he’s done many times before. A great impressionist, his talents include poking fun at the family lifestyle and complaining about pop culture. Lawhead appeared on Gotham Comedy Live and is credited with helping develop the underground comedy scene in Cleveland. He was a regular opening act at Hilarities a few years back, and has performed at the Palace Theater in Lorain, his hometown. He performs at Hilarities tonight at 8. Tickets are $18. (Hannah Wintucky) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. spOrts
Messing with Texas Oh how the mighty have fallen. A couple years back, the Texas Rangers had one of the toughest teams in major league baseball. But after losing a few key players to injuries and after one superstar slugger (Josh Hamilton, you know who you are) bolted for the West Coast, the team took a turn for the worse. But now, Hamilton has returned to try to bring the Rangers back to the
playoffs. He’s been recovering from an injury and might not be in tonight’s line-up. Today’s Indians game, the last in a three-game series against the offensive-minded team, begins at 12:10 p.m., and tickets start at $10. (Niesel) 2401 Ontario St., 216-916-6100, clevelandindians.com. FOOd
Food Trucks Aplenty Walnut Wednesday, the unofficial holiday for Clevelanders who work or play downtown during lunchtime, is back, thanks to the people at Downtown Cleveland Alliance. Today from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., some 30 food trucks will gather at Perk Plaza at Chester Commons (East 12th and Walnut) to serve up delicious eats. Live entertainment, usually of the musical variety, is also expected. Follow the Downtown Cleveland Alliance on Facebook for weekly updates on vendors, entertainment offerings and more. (Alaina McConnell) East 12th and Walnut St., facebook.com/ DowntownClevelandAlliance.
thu
05/28
Music
An Award-Winning Artist Tonight and tomorrow night at 8 at the Masonic Auditorium, CityMusic will present its 2015 concert series, Wishes
and Dreams — A Homeless Children Project. The event “centers around issues of homelessness, poverty and the detrimental impact on our children, as conveyed through the orchestrated music of the major pop, gospel, and R&B artist, Heather Headley.” CityMusic selected Headley, a Tony- and Grammyaward winner, because she’s such an accomplished artist. Headley is known for playing the role of Nala in The Lion King. She’s also had roles in Aida and The Bodyguard. Tickets for the concerts are $20 to $100. (Niesel) 3615 Euclid Ave., 216-431-7370, citymusiccleveland.org. drink
Bier and Brawn Do you have arms of steel? Can you hold that heavy German bier stein for hours? Then sign up for Masskrugstemmen at Hofbräuhaus. The word may be hard to pronounce, but the competition is even harder. Each competitor is given a full stein of beer to hold; the person who can hold it the longest is the winner. The champion has the opportunity to advance to competitions in Chicago and New York City. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Bier Hall and the contests are held at 7 and 8 p.m. Registration costs $10. Another round of competition happens June 11. (Wintucky) 1550 Chester Ave., 216-621-2337, hofbrauhauscleveland.com.
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 23
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
Country Crooner Country singer Patsy Cline was one of the great ones. She had huge hits with songs such as “Crazy” and “Walkin’ After Midnight.” Her life is chronicled in the play Always... Patsy Cline. Tonight at 8 at Greystone Hall in Akron, Actors’ Summit presents its rendition of the play. Preview tickets are $20. Tickets for all other performances are $33 for adults, $28 for seniors over 65, and $10 for full-time students under 30. Special discounts are available for groups. Performances continue through June 28. (Niesel) 103 South High St., Akron, 330-761-1950, actorssummit.org. Comedy
King of Clean “Laughter is a healing medicine,” says comic Shawn D. Stevenson (aka Jay Stevens), a native Clevelander. Originally, Stevens didn’t intend to pursue a career in comedy. But after he had a religious awakening nearly 20 years ago, he felt the need to share his gift with others to help them relieve their stress and possibly heal them with laughter. A clean comic, Stevens performs in both comedy clubs and churches. He performs tonight at 7:30 at the Improv. Performances continue through Sunday. Tickets are $10 to $15. (Lisa Hammond) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.
how 50 years ago, his Italian mom would save a cake “just for visitors” and leave the crap muffins for the family to eat. Nowadays, his mother cusses and pulls out a sword every time the doorbell rings. You won’t ever catch this guy playing basketball because Italians “don’t play sports” in America. Give him a meatball sandwich instead, and he’ll paint your whole ceiling. You’ll feel right at home if you happen to come from an Italian family, but even if you don’t, this guy’s observations are hilariously spot-on. The show starts at 8 tonight at Hilarities; performances continue through Sunday. Tickets are $28 to $30. (Liz Trenholme) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. Comedy
From Cop to Comic From tales behind the badge to complaining about getting old, Kevin Jordan is a comic who knows how to tell a good story. His jokes center on marriage, his former job as an L.A. cop, and having children. He hosts his own radio talk show, This Ain’t No Love Show, and has appeared on Comedy Central. He performs with Dayton native Sid Davis, a versatile comic who started his career at 47 and is a fan favorite. The two perform tonight at 7:30 at Club Velvet, the comedy club at the Hard Rock Rocksino; shows continue into the weekend. Tickets range from $13 to $18. (Wintucky) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, hrrocksinonorthfieldpark.com. musiC
musiC
Nature Calls A nature lover who frequently hiked in the Vienna countryside, Beethoven wrote his “Pastoral,” to capture “the rolling of thunder, a joyous country dance, and the calling of a shepherd’s pipes.” Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Cleveland Orchestra as it plays the piece. The orchestra will also perform Strauss’ Symphonia Domestica. The concert begins at 7:30 at Severance Hall. Arrive an hour early to hear “Creative Spaces,” a pre-concert talk, with Meaghan Heinrich, the Cleveland Orchestra’s education and community programs advisor. The orchestra will be back tomorrow night at Severance to play Dvorák and two spiritual works by Olivier Messiaen. Tickets start at $29. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.
Guitar Mania The 15th annual Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival is back at the Cleveland Institute of Music. This festival showcases internationally renowned artists and gives a look into the world of classical music. Many critically acclaimed artists will be here to perform on classical guitar in solo acts and with ensembles. Artists include Paul Galbraith, Richard Gallén and 2015 Grammy award-winner Jason Vieaux, among many others. Lecturers include Nigel North (master of the lute) and master guitar maker Joshia de Jonge from Canada. The festival starts at 10 a.m. and continues through Sunday. Tickets start at $10. (Wintucky) 11021 East Blvd., 216-752-7502, guitarsint.com.
fri
05/29
Comedy
musiC
Second-generation Humor Sebastian Maniscalco puts a secondgeneration twist on everything he talks about, and it’s pretty funny. He observes
Badfish is Back The legacy of ska-punk act Sublime lives on with Badfish, a popular tribute act that pays homage to the late, great
Benefiting the Rock Hall’s Education Activities The Best Restaurants in Cleveland Over 20 Chef’s Tables
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 25
get out Bradley Nowell and Sublime. The band headlines Spring Badfish 2015, a twonight stand at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park that includes performances by Shrub, Vibe & Direct, Drunken Sunday, Jones for Revivial, Tropidelic and Scotty Don’t. Bands start tonight at 7. Tickets are $55 to $75. (Niesel) 12001 State Route 282, Garrettsville, 440-548-2716, nlqp.com.
and her abstracted digital mono-prints which combine elements of landscape and botanicals. The P.J. Rogers Tribute Exhibition opens with a reception from 6 to 8:30 tonight. The exhibition runs through Jun. 27. (Usmani) 1370 West Ninth St., 216-471-8882, harrisstantongallery.com. FiLm
Truly Epic Based on the Thomas Dixon novel The Clansman, D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation follows two families — one pro-Union and the other pro-Confed-
new digital restoration of the 100-yearold movie. It shows at 7 p.m. and tickets are $11. (Niesel) 11141 East Blvd., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.
Food FiLm
Vicious Virtuoso Famous violionist David Garret stars as Niccolò Paganini in The Devil’s Violinist, a movie about fame, fortune and love. Paganini, a famous and talented Italian composer and violinist in the late 19th century, struggles with being his own person and living his own life
SportS
Rematch with a Rival While the Cleveland Browns continue to search for a quarterback who can lead their offense, the Cleveland Gladiators have got their guy. Earlier this month, Gladiators quarterback Shane Austin was named Arena Football League offensive player of the week after passing for 364 yards and eight touchdowns against Orlando. At the time, he ranked second in the entire league in total offense. He’ll be taking the snaps tonight at 7 as the Gladiators take on the Orlando Predators once again. Tickets start at $9. (Niesel) 1 Center Ct., 216-420-2000, theqarena.com.
#SonicSesh
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outdoorS
Bike Check Keeping your bicycle in good working condition ain’t easy. You want the brakes to actually enable you to stop, and it’s nice if you can change gears without having the chain pop off. To help out the average cyclist, the folks at Heights Bicycle Coalition and Hirobel LLC have put together today’s free Bike Tune-Up Day, which takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Coventry Outdoor Courtyard. (Niesel) Euclid Heights Boulevard and Coventry Road, coventryvillage.org.
FRIDAY JUNE 5, 2015
8 PM Doors 9 PM Show
comedy
Art
Tribute to a Printmaker Harris Stanton Gallery’s Cleveland location hosts a very special memorial exhibition of artwork by Akron-based artist P.J. Rogers, who passed away Jan. 1, 2014. Rogers was an internationally renowned printmaker, with works in museums in Ohio and around the world. She received many awards, including multiple Ohio Art Council individual artists awards. This retrospective includes her popular black and white aquatints, woodcut prints, electrostatic collages, digital mono-prints of flowers
Margaritas and Mariachis Dios mio! The Cinco de Mayo Festival at the Berea Fairgrounds is here to satisfy all your Latin food (and drink) cravings. With numerous tents and stands serving serving everything from tacos and tamales to tequila and Tecate, this fest features the best Mexican cuisine from all of Cleveland. Mariachi music and Lucha Libra wrestling can be enjoyed while eating tacos from La Plaza Supermarket (voted Best of Cleveland for finger food this year). Cultural aspects like dance and art also will be represented. Why go to Mexico when it’s practically in your own backyard? The fun runs from 4 p.m. to midnight tonight at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, and continues through Sunday. Tix are $10. (Wintucky) 19201 Bagley Rd., Middleburg Heights, ohiocincodemayo.com.
sat
Lecture
Talk of the Town Can you believe there have been 24 incarnations of PechaKucha Night (PKN) in Cleveland? Here comes one more: At 7 tonight, MOCA Cleveland kicks off the summer programming on its Toby Devan Lewis Plaza with the 25th edition. PechaKucha Night features 10 presenters using 20 slides, and each slide is limited to only 20 seconds. The result is a fast-paced, exciting evening. Topics typically range from visual art, photography, technology, architecture, food, film and furniture design. For tonight’s presentation, PKN promises some special surprises. Presentations begin promptly at 8:30 p.m. and will be over by 10:30 p.m. It’s free. (Usmani) 11400 Euclid Ave., 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org.
Art tonight at 6:45, and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $9. (Wintucky) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
with The Commonwealth TICKETS: $ 5.50 (including fees)
On sale now at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame box office, or online at rockhall.com
1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44114 eracy — as they live through the Civil War and the subsequent Reconstruction. The film has been criticized for its racist depiction of African-Americans, and Cleveland State University Robert S. Shelton will be on hand tonight to talk about the controversy as the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque screens a
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
amidst his manager’s (Jared Harris) scandals and affairs. He falls in love with a young singer, and more trouble brews from there. A fantastic piece from director Bernard Rose, it outlines the hardships of being a famous musician in the 1800s. It screens at Morley Lecture Hall at the Cleveland Museum of
Doubled Up If you’ve seen local comedian Mike Polk Jr. perform live, you know he really thrives on having an audience at his disposal. The man behind the Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video, the Factory of Sadness video (parts 1 and 2), the Last Call Cleveland comedy troupe and his very own show on Fox 8 (aptly called the Mike Polk Jr. Show) plans to capitalize on that crowd chemistry: He’s set to record a live album tonight at Mahall’s in Lakewood. He’ll perform two shows at 7:30 and 10:30. Local comic Bill Squire opens. (Niesel) 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-3280, mahalls20lanes.com. SportS
Fun Run Okay, so salmon don’t actually swim in Rocky River, but fishing for salmon in Alaska’s Copper River is an annual
tradition that the folks at Pier W are acknowledging with the annual Copper River Salmon Run that takes place today at 9 a.m. at the Lakewood Park Outdoor Pavilion. Following the 5K run/walk through Lakewood Park, Pier W will prepare a lunch for participants that will be served on the restaurant’s new patio. Proceeds from the race benefit Malachi House. Preregistration will set you back $30 and includes the postrace lunch as well as a T-shirt. Details are on the website. (Niesel) hermes.com. Benefit
Fur a Good Cause From 7 to 10 tonight, Red Space at Hotcards World Headquarters hosts the 11th Annual Art Fur Animals Benefit. More than 400 animal and art lovers are expected to attend this fundraiser, which supports the care of animals at the city’s Cleveland Kennel. The evening includes a silent art auction, a live auction of custom dog bowls created by Northeast Ohio artists, live music by DJ Funk-Schway, celebrity bartenders, raffle prizes, light appetizers, craft beer and wine. General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door; VIP tickets, which include 6 p.m. entry, are available for $100. You can purchase tickets and learn the details at the website, below. (Usmani)
2 0 1 5
Chris C hris Botti
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Eileen Ivers
Cain Park Ticket Office opens 5/30 216-371-3000
2400 Superior Ave., friendsofclevelandkennel.com. film
You Don’t Know Dick A documentary outlining the life of old Hollywood’s most recognizable face, That Guy Dick Miller showcases the 50-year career of actor Dick Miller. During his career, he has starred in more than 100 films, most notably those of producer and director Roger Corman (Little Shop of Horrors and A Bucket of Blood). He has also worked with Spielberg, Scorsese, and James Cameron. The mysterious actor gets his own personal spotlight in this film, which is full of interviews and clips of his work. It screens tonight at the Cleveland Cinematheque at 9:05 p.m. Tickets are $9. (Wintucky) 11141 East Blvd., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.
sun
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music
Classically Futuristic Six young, talented, classically trained musicians come together to commission and perform completely unique and avant-garde music. Ars Futura has taken the Cleveland classical music scene by storm since its inaugural performance in 2013 at the Cleveland
CAIN PARK CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO
GODSPELL 6/11-28 CHRIS BOTTI 6/11 ESPERANZA SPALDING PRESENTS EMILY’S D+EVOLUTION 6/16 LTD Plus: LIVINGSTON TAYLOR, TOM CHAPIN & EVA 6/18 HERMAN’S HERMITS starring Peter Noone With Gary Lewis and the Playboys 6/19 APOLLO’S FIRE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA 6/20 PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND 6/25 é BELA FLECK and ABIGAIL WASHBURN 6/26 THE GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS 6/27 GROUNDWORKS DANCETHEATER 7/17-19 PARSONS DANCE 7/25 THE BEACH BOYS 8/1 EILEEN IVERS 8/7 Only Cleveland Appearance! RICHARD MARX / JOHN WAITE 8/8 LAURIE BERKNER with SUSIE LAMPERT 8/9 BLACK VIOLIN 8/14 SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE ASBURY JUKES 8/15
And More!! CAINPARK.COM
Museum of Art. With an original sound that features flute, percussion, piano, clarinet, cello and violin, the group makes music that sounds like something from a sci-fi or thriller movie soundtrack. They perform at Heights Arts today at 3 p.m. Admission is free. (Wintucky) 2175 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3457, heightsarts.org. nightlife
Stretching Out The Music Box Supper Club has had great success pairing music with yoga. That’s right — we said yoga. At tonight’s “workout,” Jaclyn Hoffman leads the yoga session while guitarist Thom Pope provides the tunes. The class includes a post-session meet and greet where you can sample Bearded Buch kombucha and Wild Thing wine. Award-winning winemaker Carol Shelton is the guest speaker. The event starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $15. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com. music
Revival of the Fittest An indie folk act out of Nederland, Colorado, Elephant Revival features a exotic blend of instruments. Band members play banjo, guitar, mandolin,
tenor banjo, bass and fiddle. That’s not to mention the washboard, djembe, musical saw and stompbox. You’ll hear all those instruments on the band’s new album, The Changing Skies, a collection of folk-y tunes that have an understated beauty to them. The songs should sound spectactular in the confines of G.A.R. Hall, where the band performs tonight. Kent folk-rock act the Speedbumps open the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $22 in advance, $27 the day of the show. (Niesel) 1785 Main St., Peninsula, 330-657-2528, peninsulahistory.org.
mon
06/01
food
Industry Brunch Brunch isn’t just a Saturday/Sunday thing. Over at Mahall’s, you can grab a great brunch on Mondays as the club caters to industry folks who have the day off. Not that you have to work in the restaurant industry to indulge. The menu features items such as Chicken and Donuts, a dish that features three pieces of fried chicken along with two Old Hushers doughnuts. Other staples include the Everything Pretzel and the Creamy Egg Sandwich. A live DJ from WCSB will be on hand to spin cool tunes too. It runs from noon to 4; taking a long lunch break
From THE catcher who doubled as a spy to THE composer who created baseball’s first anthem. Baseball’s greatest heroes did more than just play the game. They changed it. HOTDOGS. HOMERUNS. AND HEARTBREAKS.
THROUGH SEPT. 7, 2015 Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American was organized by the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia and made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence.
ORGANIZED BY:
With its legends and myths, its struggles and triumphs, baseball has been a reflection of American society for generations. Explore how values, identity and race have played out in our national pastime through this groundbreaking exhibition filled with artifacts, memorabilia and the stories of some heavy hitters.
SPONSORED BY:
THE TREU-MART FUND
2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood, OH 216.593.0575 I @maltzmuseum I maltzmuseum.org magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 27
get out will be more than worth it. (Niesel) 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-3280, mahalls20lanes.com. Comedy
He Believes in Miracles Raspy-voiced comedian Kyle Kinane likes to joke that he’s found the key to happiness. “Redefine what a miracle is for yourself,” he says in one popular routine, explaining that you can experience miracles all the time if you think of things like burning your laundry as miracles. “I didn’t even know you could do that,” he says. “I was overwhelmed with a sense of joy and curiosity about the world.” Kinane, who’s been a regular on Comedy Central for the past few years, has just released a new comedy album, I Liked His Old Stuff Better. You can find him tonight at 8:30 at the Grog Shop. Local comedians Ramon Rivas and Bill Squire open. Tickets are $15 ADV and $18 DOS. (Niesel) 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs. Nightlife
Trivia Pursuits Do you have tons of obscure music knowledge? Are you a student of fast food menus and their nuanced histories? What say you about the geographic evolution of Scotch whisky? Tonight’s your chance to wow your friends, make yourself instantly more desirable to someone you’re newly dating, and hang with Cleveland’s headiest hipsters and hot dog lovers. It’s the Happy Dog Monday Night Trivia. Starting at 8 p.m., expect themed rounds — it’s a crapshot — and general knowledge questions that seem considerably trickier than some of the other live trivia locales in town. Obviously, have a hot dog and a craft brew while you’re at it. (Sam Allard) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com. food
Vegan Mondays If you’re vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, or just plain interested in trying something new, head over to Townhall in Ohio City this evening from 5 to 10 p.m. for Vegan Night. Work your way through the delicious and healthy vegan menu, featuring hits like Veggie Vegan Flatbread (think fresh tomatoes, chiles, mushrooms and vegan cheese), Tofu Etouffee (blackened tofu, onions, tomatoes and brown rice) or many of the regular menu items made vegan. If you’re still feeling skeptical, know this: Monday night is also Craft Beer Night and all 36 crafts are only $3 from 6 p.m.
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
to close. Cheers! (McConnell) 1909 West 25th St., 216-344-9400, townhallohiocity.com.
tue
06/02
Nightlife
Trivia Tuesdays How do you spend your Tuesday nights? If you’re not at Nano Brew in Ohio City, you’re definitely missing out. This friendly neighborhood brewpub hosts weekly trivia nights from 8 to 10 p.m. Grab some friends and head on down for a little brain-stimulating trivia, freshly brewed craft beer and some seriously stellar bar grub. Better yet, bike on over. The folks at Nano Brew are happy to share the love by giving you half off your first drink when they see your bike helmet. (McConnell) 1859 West 25th St., 216-862-6631, nanobrewcleveland.com. Nightlife
Drink and Think It’s Brews & Prose time again, Cleveland literati. Come on down to Market Garden Brewery on West 25th for two powerhouse readings. Eleanor Henderson, whose 2011 debut novel Ten Thousand Saints, was deemed one of the best books of year by the New York Times, and Caitlin Horrocks, who’s won all sorts of awards and currently serves as the fiction editor of the Kenyon Review, are slated to read from their works. As is usually the case at such things, the writers will stick around to chat and sign books afterwards. It all begins at 7 p.m. in the brewery basement. Other than the cost of your beers, it’s free. (Allard) 1947 West 25th St., 216-621-4000, marketgardenbrewery.com. musiC
The Piano Man Cleveland native and professional pianist Robert Cassidy is known for the soul he puts into all of his music. Tonight, he performs the Complete Debussy Preludes in concert. Debussy’s preludes are known for their untraditional approach to a solo piano piece; there is no strict pattern of key signatures. Holding a doctorate in piano, he’s a true genius when it comes to performing. See for yourself, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland. (Wintucky) 21600 Shaker Blvd, Shaker Heights, 216-751-2320, firstunitariancleveland.org.
Find more events @ clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS PRESENT:
AESOP’S FABLE-OUS
Barnyard Bash Directed By
RUSS STICH Book & Lyrics By
MICHAEL GRAVOIS Music By
ZACHARY BADREDDINE
JUNE 5-14, 2015 Friday & Saturdays at 6:30pm Saturdays & Sundays at 3:00pm
To order call 440.949.5200, ext. 221 www.TNCArts.org
TrueNorth at French Creek
4530 Colorado Ave. (Rt. 611) Sheffield Village, OH 44054
Bringing you the BeSt SuMMer eVer
Saturday & Sunday, August 29th & 30th Saturday, June 6th • 1 - 5 PM
Tyler Village
3615 Superior Ave., Cleveland. We’re going south of the the border! Kick off your summer with us at this premier event. Attendees will be treated to 10 samplings of the finest brands and varieties of premium and ultra-premium tequilas, as well as tequila liqueurs, crèmes, infusions and flavored tequilas. Tacos & Tequila will also feature local restaurants & food trucks selling your favorite southwestern dishes, live music, contests, & outdoor entertainment. Tickets on sale now. Visit scenetnt.com
DowNTowN wiLLoughby Saturday, July 25th • Noon to 5pm
LiNCoLN PArk
Tremont, Cleveland The 7th Annual Scene Ale Fest is a daytime festival FOR THE LOVE OF BEER! Showcasing over 100 craft and premium beers, live music, local food, vendors, games + more, this mid-summer event has something for everyone. Conveniently located in the heart of Tremont.
Save the Date(s) and plan to join us for some slow smoking and slow sipping at the 2nd annual Pig & Whiskey event. The free “Pig & Whiskey” event showcases some of the best barbecue restaurants from Ohio and beyond, while featuring the premium brands of whiskey, bourbon and scotch. Visitors can also enjoy additional food and retail vendors, an exciting line-up of live music and other great entertainment. An extensive selection will be available in the beer tent and a special cocktail corner are will also be set-up to enjoy all day.
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 29
art review
INVITES YOU TO ENTER TO WIN A DIGITAL HD DOWNLOAD CODE FOR KEVIN COSTNER
creative summer kick-off May wraps up with dynamite artistic offerings B A S E D O N A N I N S P I R AT I O N A L T R U E S T O RY
- Matt Sullivan, In Touch
© 2015 Disney
“Inspiring And Emotional.”
By Josh Usmani
By going to: tinyurl.com/SceneMCFARLAND and entering your information! Winners will receive a download code by mail. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. One entry per person. NO WALK-INS OR TELEPHONE CALLS ACCEPTED.
ON BLU-RAY® COMBO PACK, DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE, AND DIGITAL HD JUNE 2 5/14/15 53219_B.indd 1 movies.disney.com/mcfarland-usa |
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CLEVELAND SCENE WED: 5/27/15 4 COLOR 4.55” X 5.9
4:08 PM
Cleveland’s art Community never stops. This weekend includes fastpaced lectures under the stars outside MOCA Cleveland (weather permitting), a retrospective exhibition of a recently deceased Akron artist, and an art auction to benefit the Cleveland Kennel. This Friday, MOCA Cleveland is hoping to pack Uptown and kick off summer programming on its Toby Devan Lewis Plaza with the 25th installment of PechaKucha Night. The format features 10 presenters using 20 slides, and each slide is limited to 20 seconds. The result is a fast-paced, exciting evening. Topics typically range from visual art and photography to technology, architecture, food, film and furniture design.
Stanton Gallery’s Cleveland location. “While going through her estate, we found amazing works that have never been displayed to the public. This tribute exhibition will be the first time we have had the opportunity to explore the entirety of her career. “We are also excited to exhibit an oversize digital print (“Layers of Time in the Garden”) in a new 30-by-40-inch size,” adds Kaiser. “The impressive large scale of the work brings out the three-dimensionality and is simply stunning. She had an amazing capacity for creating a three-dimensional sense on a two-dimensional surface using her expert digital manipulation.” The P.J. Rogers Tribute Exhibition opens with a free, public reception from
red space Hotcards World Headquarters, 2400 superior ave., 216-241-4040, Hotcards.com
SS
ALL.MCF-P.0527.clevelandscene
MOca cleveland 11400 euclid ave., 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org
HarrIs sTanTOn GallerY 1370 West nintH st., 216-471-8882, Harristantongallery.com
“WhileeveryPechaKuchaisdifferent, the events that take place during the summer are particularly special because we get to take the crowd outside under the stars! Weather permitting of course,” explains organizer Michael Christoff. For this 25th edition, PKN promises some special surprises. Doors open at 7 p.m., presentations begin promptly at 8:30 p.m. and will be over by 10:30 p.m. At Harris Stanton Gallery’s Cleveland location you’ll find a very special memorial exhibition of artwork by Akron-based artist P.J. Rogers. Born in 1925, Rogers was an internationally renowned printmaker, with works in museums in Ohio and around the world. She received many awards, including multiple Ohio Art Council individual artists awards. “PJ sadly passed away about a year and half ago, on Jan. 1, 2014,” explains Ellie Kaiser, gallery director of Harris
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6 to 8:30 p.m. this Friday. The exhibition runs through June 27. From 6 to 10 p.m. this Saturday, Red Space at Hotcards World Headquarters hosts the 11th Annual Art Fur Animals Benefit. More than 400 animal and art lovers are expected to attend this fundraiser, which supports the care of animals at the Cleveland Kennel. General Admission tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door; VIP tickets are also available for $100 (includes 6 p.m. entry). You can find details and purchase tickets at friendsofclevelandkennel.com. Be sure to make this week’s art events a part of your weekend plans, and check back next week for more upcoming, art-related events. We’re just getting started.
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
movies in theaters
Review of the week: in the name of my DaughteR (l’homme Qu’on aimait tRop)
alSo opening
with apologieS to the foReign-film buffs, In the Name of My Daughter (L’Homme Qu’on Aimait Trop) is a dramatic thriller sans thrills. Set on the idyllic, lapis-lazuli shores of the French Riviera, the film is based on actual events, the so-called “Le Roux Affair.” In the film and in the historic case on which it’s based, a casino heiress in Nice falls for her mother’s shady lawyer and disappears in 1977. The ensuing investigation wasn’t resolved until 2014 — happy Googling! — but even after doing some cursory online research (to say nothing of watching this film), you may, in the end, be as satisfied as I’ve been, which is to say: not very. It opens at the Cedar Lee Friday for a limited engagement. The film is directed by one of France’s most successful directors, Andre Techine, so you’ll be inclined towards patience. But the film fails to deploy appropriate cinematic tools which might have turned this bitter romance into a riveting story of manipulation and criminal conspiracy. As it stands, the film doesn’t seem like it’s about a crime at all. Indeed, without knowing beforehand, you’d have no inkling that it was anything other than a story of unrequited love — words like “mob,” “casino” and “suspect” in the promotional literature notwithstanding. It’s a trudging narrative about a relationship gone sour with a lovely casino in the background. The arrival of a courtroom drama in the film’s final 20 minutes, 30 years after the total narrative of the film, is a baffling development which we can only assume was mandated by the studio in France (much more hip to that country’s cultural imagination, no doubt).
San Andreas>>
The Rock vs. the Earthquake. Carla Cugino, Paul Giamatti and True Detective’s Alexandra Daddario co-star in this epic disaster flick that may be a surprise box office hit. Opens area-wide on Friday.
Here’s the gist: After traveling the world and emerging — a bit the worse for wear — from an impassioned marriage, Agnes Le Roux (Adele Hanuel) returns to Nice to start a book shop with her share of the family inheritance. Her mother, Madame Renee Le Roux (Catherine Daneuve), has become the president of the palatial casino which is losing serious business to an ownership group with ties to the mob. Thus financially imperilled, Renee won’t Agnes her share of the company, and Agnes turns to her mother’s jilted lawyer Maurice for aid. (Guillame Canet’s not bad as Maurice, but he’s owed residual acclaim for directing 2006’s magnificent French thriller Tell No One). Maurice seduces Agnes, but seems more like a regular asshole than the manipulative asshole he’s built up to be. Sure, he convinces Agnes to side with “the mob” and kick her mother out of the casino; sure, he establishes a joint bank account over which he has full and exclusive access; sure, he beds her. But as Agnes falls ever more desperately and suicidally in love with him, he grows colder and more distant. (He’s a married man with other mistresses, after all.) And then Agnes disappears? But where’s the foreboding score? Where’s the brooding/ furtive glances? Where’s the B-storyline with an enterprising journalist who sniffs out the scandal? On a positive note, the young actress Adele Hanuel is phenomenal as the tortured Le Roux heiress. In her freighted relationship with her mother and in her doomed obsession with Maurice, she proves herself to be fully worthy of the accolades she’s getting in Europe. — Sam Allard
Aloha>>
Cameron Crowe directs this rom-com about a military contractor (Bradley Cooper) who falls for his Air Force watchdog (Emma Stone) while trying to get with an ex-flame (Rachel McAdams). Opens area-wide on Friday.
Spotlight the cinephileS on Staff heRe at Scene are stoked for the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque’s long-awaited move uptown. At the end of July, Sir John Ewing — the Cinematheque’s mastermind and mule — will vacate the “historic” Russell B. Aitkin auditorium in University Circle and set up shop in a brandnew state-of-the-art theater on Euclid Avenue. We’ve long celebrated the programming at the Cinematheque with about as much vigor as we’ve lamented the seats, so we’re eager to view the arthouse repertoire in amply cushioned digs. To celebrate the penultimate month at the Aitkin, throughout the month of June the Cinematheque will screen films only from 35mm and 16mm film stock. Nineteen films will be presented, and all of them one time only. You’re encouraged to check out the full lineup at cia.edu/ cinematheque — and if you’ve never been to the Cinematheque, now’s your golden opportunity — but we’re pleased to publicly express interest in the offerings for the first weekend of June, two of which are highly appropriate in the context of the month’s “all-film” theme. The first screens on Friday, June 5, at 7 p.m. We know it’s next week, but we’re putting this column together pretty far in advance because of Memorial Day, so chill out — and enjoy Out of Print, a documentary about the New Beverly Arthouse Cinema in California. This doc, directed by former New Bev employee Julia Marchese, advances the noble view that classic films should be enjoyed theatrically, and on 35mm film (go figure). The theater is now owned by Quentin Tarantino — who’s that? — who fiercely adheres to the theater’s all-35mm policy. Fun interviews from folks like Kevin Smith and Patton Oswalt are peppered in as well. It’s a fun one for industry followers, and a decent treatise on the state of film in the digital age. If film nostalgia’s got you hankering for a good old-fashioned double-feature, stick around after the conclusion of Out of Print and catch the 8:45 screening of La Ultima Pelicula, a “snarky, satirical riff” on a 1971 Dennis Hopper flick called The Last Movie. In this mockumentary, an obnoxious American director scouts film locations among the Mayan ruins, constantly drawing equivalence between the death of civilization and the death of film. He intends to create a glorious, even spiritual, cinematic epic on the world’s last remaining 35mm film stock. All tickets are $9 ($7 for the 25-and-under set), and you get the distinct pleasure that comes with seeing a movie that you can’t see anywhere else. — Sam Allard
The Human Centipede 3 (The Final Sequence)>
It’s your final chance to explore the frontiers of human surgery. In this depraved trilogy’s last chapter, a prison warden attempts to create a centipede 500 people long. Opens in select theaters on Friday. magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 31
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Your Home For Cavs Playoff Action! Whether You’re going to the Q or Watching on One Of Our 16 HDTV’s
Food & Drink Specials Throughout the Playoffs!
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DRINK
The Dead Rabbit in Lower Manhattan.
Photo by Hanna Lee
Will Hollingsworth mixes it just right.
Photos by emmanuel Wallace
RAISING THE BAR How does one learn to build a better bar, especially a cocktail bar in Cleveland? The Spotted Owl’s Will Hollingsworth went to New York to find out By Douglas Trattner
eat review
We knoW hoW chefs learn. They go to culinary school to learn the fundamentals. Or don’t. Either way, young cooks start out as grunts, working their way up from the bottom rung, with steps along the way like prep cook, line cook, sous chef and, hopefully, executive chef. The best are passionate sponges, eager to work for free in top kitchens around the globe just for the experience. But how do bartenders learn? It sure as hell isn’t by calling 1-800-BARTEND. That was the question Will Hollingsworth found himself pondering when he realized that the bar he’d spent years planning and opening was not the bar he found himself operating. The Spotted Owl, on paper, was to be a neighborhood bar. The Spotted Owl, in reality, had become a cocktail bar. “At no point in all my planning did I intend to open a cocktail bar,” Hollingsworth explains. “But when we opened people spoke immediately and very loudly that they wanted a contemporary cocktail bar.” In place of an easy mix of beer, wine and cocktails, the drinks that Spotted Owl customers were ordering almost exclusively came from the small menu of contemporary cocktails Hollingsworth had concocted. Largely self-trained, Hollingsworth suddenly felt, well, inadequate. “If we’re now going to be a cocktail bar, then we’re going to be the best cocktail bar in the city,” Hollingsworth said of his Tremont gem. And to accomplish that, he knew he had some work to do. “I needed to go see it done at the highest possible level. I wanted to calibrate my instruments.” To do that, he wanted to secure a
stage at a top New York bar. While long a common practice in the culinary world, stages only recently have become a fixture in the upper echelons of the mixology profession. Hollingsworth reached out to friend and former Cleveland bartender Nathan Burdette who, as brand ambassador for Remy Cointreau, calls on accounts from California to the East Coast. “We all know about staging as bartenders because the community is so tight,” Burdette explains via phone from San Francisco. “There are people doing crazy things all over, from Houston to Seattle to New York, so staging is the best way to assimilate all that into your brain so that when you open your own place you’re not just pulling from what you’ve learned.”
the cocktail menu. More graphic novel than bill of fare, the hardbound volume tells the fictional story of Lewis Morris Pease, a Protestant minister who comes to New York in the mid-1800s, through cocktails, art and prose. In all there are 64 original cocktails, broken up by four seasons of Pease’s time spent in Five Points. In charge of Hollingsworth’s edification at the Dead Rabbit was Jillian Vose. Over the course of 12 years in the business, Vose has worked her way up from food runner to server to bartender at a dive bar to bartender at a great bar to head bartender at the “best bar in the world.” Of her bar’s stage program, she says via phone from New York, “It’s strictly for people we know. Or the friend of a
THE SPOTTED OWL 710 Jefferson Ave., 216-795-5595, sPoTTeDoWLBAr.CoM
Using social media, Burdette played matchmaker, saying little more than “Hey, there’s this great guy from Cleveland eager to learn.” The response was immediate and extraordinary; Hollingsworth pretty much had the pick of the litter. He cherry-picked the Dead Rabbit, a 2-year-old bar in Lower Manhattan that earned the title World’s Best New Cocktail Bar. “I felt like I was a pitcher on a farm league team and I got asked to go to spring training with the Yankees,” Hollingsworth said when the guys from Dead Rabbit agreed to take him in. That’s not hyperbole. For a taste of the paradigm-shifting mixology taking place at Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry’s Dead Rabbit, consider
friend. Or if you’re super-enthusiastic about it like Will.” The value goes both ways, she adds. “It’s sometimes good for our staff to think about things more when you’re teaching other people.” Vose tailored Hollingsworth’s program to suit his particular needs; as an owner rather than employed bartender, she thought, he’d benefit from a wider picture. While there, he spent a day with the prep guy, who does nothing but makes juices, syrups, tinctures, infusions and garnishes. The bar explained its proprietary system of labeling, storing and rotating product. Time was spent working alongside the barbacks, whose job it is to set up the incredibly elaborate mise en place. And finally, Hollingsworth worked
with some of the best bartenders on the planet, including Vose, who teaches that “for every motion behind the bar, you have to ask yourself what is the point? Every drink is a puzzle, every round is a puzzle. Our goal is to be as fluid and efficient as possible.” Hollingsworth returned home with a better-equipped toolbox — any one of those new tools a potential gamechanger, he says. “It might have been the simplest goddamn thing in the world, but it was efficient, beautiful, elegant. There was technical, practical, cultural stuff, like what it means to be a part of that professional class of bartenders. You don’t get better through concepts, through branding and marketing, through gimmicks and promotions. You get better only through doing the work. “It was scary, but I didn’t feel inadequate,” he adds. “And I came back thinking we’re playing the same game; I belong here.” And thanks to Hollingsworth’s time spent in New York, the entire Cleveland cocktail scene stands to benefit, argues Burdette. “For Clevelanders it means opening the doors to new trends, because Will is looking outside the box for new products, looking to see what else is going on,” he says. “He’s bringing that back to us, which in turn will help elevate the craft in Cleveland even higher.”
dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 35
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rising star chef: rebecca traxler
Sous chef at Urban Farmer By Nikki Delamotte There’s a delicaTe balance to the type of person who always chooses to take the hard way: As much as they always seek the next thrill, they’re also required to have unwavering patience for learning new things. They’re the type of chef who, like 30-year-old Rebecca Traxler, jumps into the fast-paced world of helping to open four acclaimed Cleveland restaurants all while a closet full of fermented foods leisurely cures at home. In her new role as sous chef at Urban Farmer (1325 East Sixth St., 216-7717707, urbanfarmercleveland.com), the farm-to-table steakhouse in the Westin Cleveland, Traxler’s favorite challenge is now coordinating her kitchen orders with upwards of 20 local farms. Growing up on a blueberry farm in Amherst, the chef has always had a strong bond with the land. So when she left her most recent post as sous chef at Spice Kitchen, she took with her nearly a decade of relationships she’s built throughout the region. “The feeling that I can really make a big impact on the lives of farmers with my orders is the best part of my job,” she says. For a chef whose earliest memories involve standing on high chairs to make handmade breads and pastas with her mother and the smell of fresh sage and marigold in the family garden, Traxler’s piqued fascination with cooking from scratch was organic. “I can pull ideas from cookbooks,” says the self-described vintage cookbook fanatic. “But my biggest inspiration has always been walking around the farm, harvesting with the farmers and hearing them talk about something they’re so passionate about.” As her budding interest grew, the young chef signed onto her first job at Chez Francois, where she developed skills in French technique. Four years later she moved to Table 45 as a line cook, just as that eatery was opening at the InterContinental Hotel. After brief stints as sous chef at the now shuttered Bar Symon in Avon
Lake and as part of the opening crew at Rockefeller’s in Cleveland Heights, Traxler knew she wanted to get more experience under her belt. In 2011, she landed what was, at the time, her dream job as a line cook at the Greenhouse Tavern. “At that point, there were very few people in Cleveland on board with the farm-to-table movement,” Traxler remembers. “It drew me in.” It was while she was at Greenhouse that she delved deeper into the process of fermentation, an extension of the canning and preserving her family practiced when she was a child. She began to pore over the books of guru Sandor Katz around the same time chef-owner Jonathon Sawyer was teaching her how to make vinegar. “His lessons are something very near and dear to me now,” she recounts. “It taught me to take an average and mundane product and turn it into something special.” For Traxler, who grows more than half of her own food in a community garden near her Tremont home, it was important to keep that momentum rolling as her career advanced. When she joined the opening team of Spice, she meshed with the restaurant’s farming initiatives and created dishes from food pulled straight from the on-site hoop house. “With Ben [Bebenroth] growing the vegetables, there was an extra strong connection to the crops,” says Traxler. “I felt that push to respect the ingredient and all the care that went into it.” In early 2014, Traxler was recruited for Urban Farmer. Today, she’s able to bring the farm contacts she’s made full circle as the restaurant leads into its first all-encompassing growing season. And, for the first time since her work at Greenhouse, it’s a return to downtown. “It’s so exciting to watch how the city’s changed and grown and even more so to be able to be a part of that energy.”
scene@clevescene.com t @nikkidelamotte
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By Douglas Trattner Following this weekend’s Blossom Time festivities, the Chagrin Falls restaurant West End Bistro (79 West St.) will close. A week later, the restaurant will reopen with a brand new look, feel, menu and name: Casa Roja Tapas Restaurant. The building, a small and attractive red-sided structure, was first converted into a restaurant back in 2008, when owner Tom Lutz debuted Village Exchange, a quickserve sandwich shop. A year later, he transformed the operation into what it is today, a polished little eatery for 50 guests. “After seven years, we feel we need to retool,” says Lutz, who also
owns the neighboring Gamekeeper’s Taverne (87 West St., 440-2477744, gamekeepers.com). “We had numerous conversations about going with a Mexican concept, but to be honest, we couldn’t bring ourselves to do a taco and street food theme.” Lutz says travels to the Spanish cities of Barcelona, Madrid and Seville inspired him to open Casa Roja. “I’ve always been enamored with their culture, art and especially food,” Lutz says of Spain. “I always wanted to do a tapas-themed restaurant.” Lutz and executive chef Alex Arsham have devised a menu built
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
around small plates, sharable platters, and a handful of entrees. The tapas is divided into sections for hot and cold. Diners will enjoy items like warm olives, hand-carved serrano ham, and a variety of paellas built for two. As time goes on, says the chef, the dishes will become more adventurous. “We’re aiming for a nice arrangement of small plates and nice plate presentations to bring people in, but not things that will alienate people,” Arsham says. “At first it’s all about getting people comfortable with tapas and how we do things and slowly getting more adventurous.” All dishes will be priced south of $20, with the majority of small plates costing $10. Of course, there will be plenty of wines from Spain and South America, as well as Sherry and sangria. The interior will receive a major overhaul, says Lutz, leaving it “much more sophisticated and sexy.” Look for Casa Roja to open for dinner the first week of June, with lunch to follow a week or so down the road. Diners can look forward to changes at Gamekeeper’s as well, says executive chef Craig Fitzgerald, who has been making improvements since he started with the restaurant a year ago. “We’re trying to evolve; we’re trying to get back up to what Gamekeeper’s was in the past,” he says. He’s been incorporating more local produce and proteins, while introducing new game dishes to the menu. “Being in business since 1976 we have to evolve, and I think we have the two guys here – Craig and Alan – who can effect that change,” says Lutz.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner
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photos by Joe kleon
MUSIC
weird al performing at Cain Park in 2013.
king of comedy
After years of releasing satirical albums, Weird Al finally gets a No. 1 album By Jeff Niesel
Weird Al YAnkovic knoWs how to put on a show. During a twohour concert in 2013 before a capacity crowd at Cain Park, the satirist did a bit of everything. He changed into countless costumes and played funny, home-made videos in which he took clips of celebrity interviews and inserted his own colorful commentary. That show — his most recent appearance in town — was a crowd-pleasing concert that catered to both the families and hipsters in attendance. With his latest effort, last year’s Mandatory Fun, he proves that he’s still at the top of this game as he turns Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” into “Word Crimes,” Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” into “Tacky,” Lorde’s “Royals” into “Foil” and Iggy Azaela’s “Fancy” into “Handy.” Yankovic says he never imagined that his career would take off the way it has. “This wasn’t anything that I thought I would make a career out of, but every Thursday night at the college they had what they called ‘the coffeehouse,’” he says in a phone interview. “The students would go and sit and have a coffee and watch local artists and students perform. Nine times out of 10, it was some guy playing an acoustic guitar and singing a Dan Fogelberg song. It was very
mellow and laid back. Then, I would come up with my accordion and sing some goofy song in my strangled voice and freak everyone out. It would always get a huge reaction because it was just so different. That’s where I first got my love of performing. I realized I could make people laugh and make people have a good time. It turned something on in my brain. By the time I graduated from college, I didn’t think I would do architecture for the rest of my life, but I thought I
the Knack heard the song and liked it. Capitol Records decided to release it as a single. That blew my mind. I was still in college. I hadn’t even graduated yet. They wanted to put out my record. If I was at all waffling, that really sealed it for me and convinced me I needed to take a shot at this recording thing.” From that point on, it was on. Throughout the ’80s, Weird Al was a staple on MTV as he parodied pop stars such as Michael Jackson. When
weird al 8 p.m. Saturday, may 30, JacobS pavilion at nautica, 2014 Sycamore, 216-622-6557. ticketS: $27.50-$49.50, livenation.com
could maybe do something with the performing thing.” Initially, Yankovic had a hit with “My Bologna,” a sendup of the Knack tune “My Sharona.” That was the first of many Weird Al songs to become hits on the novelty radio program hosted by Dr. Demento. “[‘My Bologna’] was No. 1 for several weeks on the Funny Five, and that wasn’t me stuffing the ballot box or calling up on the request line and trying to disguise my voice and saying, ‘Please play that Weird Al song again,’” says Yankovic. “That was actual people thinking it was funny. That was at the point when the guys in
grunge hit in the ’90s, Yankovic was there to poke fun at Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and when hip-hop became huge, he delivered “White & Nerdy,” a sendup of “Ridin’” by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone. But with all that success, he never had a No. 1 album. Until now. Mandatory Fun debuted at the top of the charts the first week of its release. “It’s amazing that it’s my first No. 1,” says Yankovic. “That’s not really the headline. The headline is that it’s the first comedy album ever to debut at No. 1. I think of people I listened to while growing up like Steve Martin and Cheech and Chong and George
Carlin and Richard Pryor. They’re legends. The fact that I’m the first one to have a No. 1 album is hard to comprehend.” The album also won a Grammy. “It’s my fourth Grammy, but that never gets old,” says Yankovic. “My first one was in 1985, I think. It’s nice to have the vote of confidence from your peers. It was a real tough category. I was up against Louis CK and Patton Oswalt and Sarah Silverman and Jim Gaffigan. Real heroes of mine. That fact that I was even mentioned in the same breath as those guys was amazing. It’s been a surrealistic year for me.” The album also comes at the end of the 14-album contract Yankovic had with his record label. Now that he is no longer obligated to put out albums, he says he might not continue to put them out. After all, we live in a world where timeliness is everything. Songs become hits and then quickly fade so any attempt at parody has to be swift. “I hate to make any firm statements or draw any lines in the sand,” Yankovic says. “I have said it’s my last conventional album because it’s the end of my record contract. It’s the 14th album in a 14-album contract. I was under contract for 32 years. I like the feeling of freedom and knowing that I don’t have to do anything and I’m not obligated to do anything. I also feel
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 41
MUSIC that with comedy and satire, it’s more important to be timely or topical. The best way to do that is to release tracks or singles as soon as I come out with them, not wait until I have 12 tracks. That doesn’t seem like the best way to get myself out there. If I had come up with my ‘Blurred Lines’ parody in the summer of 2013, I would have thought it would have been a good single. When the album came out, it was still
everyone agrees with me but this time, people are agreeing.” With so many songs, Yankovic admits it’s become hard to pick the ones to play live. “That is a bit of a puzzle,” he says when asked about the current tour’s set list. “There’s only a finite amount of time. We can’t play all night long. I have to respect the fact that people’s bladders are only so big and I don’t want to build bathroom breaks into the shows. We try to feature as much stuff as we can from the most recent album. We play all the greatest hits.
weird al 8 p.m. Saturday, may 30, JacobS pavilion at nautica, 2014 Sycamore, 216-622-6557. ticketS: $27.50-$49.50, livenation.com
photos by Joe kleon
the most popular track on the album, but I wasn’t as confident about saying it’s the first single because by that time there were like 10,000 parodies of the song on YouTube. You don’t want to come out a year later with your parody.” This album has been described as Yankovic’s best work. He agrees with that assessment. “I always say without any sarcasm or irony that every album I put is the best I’ve ever done,” he says. “I feel like every album is better than the one I put out before. It’s not always that
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
There are songs we have to play or people will get upset. I try to make every tour different but at least half the set is songs that people expect to hear. It’s a matter of giving people what they want and trying to promote the new material and trying to throw in the occasional surprise or deep cut for the hardcore fans.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t @jniesel
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Order By Phone: 800.745.3000 • House of Blues Box Office magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
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MUSIC
Chris Carrabba makes his guitar gently weap.
don’t call it a comeback Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba reflects on band’s rebirth By Jeff Niesel Thanks To some greaT exposure on MTV, Dashboard Confessional was a hugely popular alternative band in the 2000s. The band’s second album, 2002’s The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most included the trademark single “Screaming Infidelities.” Their third album A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar went to No. 2 on the Top 200. The group even sold out Madison Square Garden on its last full band tour. But in 2010, the band called it a day. Singer-guitarist Chris Carrabba subsequently started singing with the folk-y indie rock group Twin Forks. That band has enjoyed a certain amount of success — earlier this year, it played mid-sized venues with Counting Crows. And yet, Dashboard continues to be in demand. Earlier this year, when country mega-star Taylor Swift needed someone to play her best friend’s birthday party, she gave Carrabba a ring. “It’s fun to play music with my friends,” Carrabba says of the experience in a recent phone interview from his Nashville home. “It’s like going to a great, incredible birthday party for a really great and incredible person. It happened to be hosted by our friend who happens to be incredibly famous.” Carrabba has lived in Nashville off and on for a few years but has called it his permanent home for the past year. While Dashboard’s emo music is a far cry from country, Carrabba
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has great respect for the genre’s many songwriters. “For me, there was already an influence on my music from older country music,” he says. “I’m guessing that most songwriters who are storytellers take an influence. Once it was cool and then it was uncool. Whether it’s cool at the time or not, they’d tell you they were influenced by country musicians. How could you not be influenced by lyricists like Kris Kristofferson or Steve Earle, for me, who’s a masterful one.” Initially, Carrabba sang with the indie rock band Further Seems Forever, a group that formed back
an album with. Amy said, ‘Fuck this. I’m going to get you a guitar.’ She went out and bought a $200 guitar. That was huge. When you talk about putting money where your mouth is, that’s it. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have set foot in a studio.” After he cut the record, 2000’s The Swiss Army Romance, he didn’t think he’d release it. “It was just a great exercise in confidence building,” he says. “There was this moment born out of anonymity and inauspicious nature. When no one is going to hear it, you say things that might be censored from other bandmates. Amy wanted to put the
dashboard Confessional, third eye blind, augustana 7 p.m. Friday, may 29, Jacobs pavilion at nautica, 2014 sycamore, 216-622-6557. tickets: $35-$49.50, livenation.com
in 1998. While still a member of that band, he began experimenting with his own tunes. It was a “growing pile” of tunes that just weren’t right for Further Seems Forever. When Further had some leftover studio time, Carrabba decided to seize the opportunity to record some of his demos. “It was Amy Fleisher who ran Fiddler records who said, ‘You have to record this,’” he recalls. “I had a handful of champions who I was brave enough to play them for. I thought if they’re impressed, then there’s something to this. I wasn’t comfortable doing it and my big excuse was that I didn’t have a guitar to properly record
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
record out and the Further guys were encouraging me. They thought it was really good. They talked me into putting it out on Amy’s label. Further had an EP out and were working on a full-length.” He started selling copies of that debut out of his van and he began playing shows. The confessional music really took hold with fans. “There was all this great intrigue surrounding the beginning of Dashboard,” he says. “There was my own intrigue. I didn’t know how the hell people knew it existed. Then, it gets big enough. It was not an overnight success, but what happened was the
sing-alongs. It takes years to become an overnight success and it really did. I was selling CDs out of my trunk before we got in the magazines. By the time we got in those magazines, there was this euphoric feeling.” Released respectively in 2002 and 2003, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most and A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar really connected with fans. Carrabba says the key was staying true to the lo-fi approach he took on his debut. Since reuniting this year for a summer tour that pairs the band with Third Eye Blind, Carrabba says the band is “fucking on fire.” “It’s better than it’s ever been,” he says. “There’s some new energy, but I think these songs are now new for me. I can play things now that I couldn’t play then. There’s this whole fiery thing. Bassist Scott Schoenbeck and I don’t even have to communicate. When you’ve known somebody as long as I have, I’m a disciple of his, and bass playing to me is Scott Schoenbeck. We get in a room together and it didn’t take but an hour for it to light up. I don’t know what we’ll do when it comes to the shows, but it wasn’t loud enough. We brought in more amps. I’ve been playing acoustically, but as soon as there was heavy drums and this remarkable thing called distortion, the only request I had was for more.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t @jniesel
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Tre Smith • Will Rogers The Decoy Mlattz Gunzonmydick
THU 5/28 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WALLACE
DAVE FLYNT Yusuf Ali
FRI 7/17
DENS JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD LOWER Young Ejecta SUN 6/14
Steve Mers Zachariah Durr
SUN 5/31
BETA PLAY The Tragic Thrills
Plastic Hearts Trusting Obscurity
SAT 7/18
DMC Ahptimus
FRI 6/19
HEARTLESS BASTARDS
Case Barge FRI 7/24
APPLESEED CAST THE CLARKS Bastard Bearded Irishmen Dads
WED 6/3
ALAN MADEJ Flannel Response
SAT 6/20
Mare Vitalis 15 Year Anniversary Tour
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SAT 7/25
GIVERS Aero Flynn
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THU 7/16
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 45
MUSIC
serving the song
Jason Isbell guards the guard dog.
Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell aims for authenticity on his new album By Jeff Niesel Singer-Songwriter JaSon Isbell was a member of the Driveby Truckers when they played in Cleveland several years ago and guitarist Mike Cooley took out his frustrations on the Beachland Tavern stage. He maintains he was just an innocent bystander. “That had nothing to do with me whatsoever,” laughs Isbell, who left the band and embarked on a solo career six years ago. “I just stood up there and played, man. [Mike] Cooley was pissed because [singer-guitarist] Patterson [Hood] had canceled the show the night before. Cooley had too much to drink. He started smashing his guitar and knocked a good hole in the stage from what I recall.” You can imagine it wasn’t easy to venture out as a solo artist after being in a band with such larger-than-life personalities as the Truckers. But Isbell has done just fine on his own. He’s just announced that his new album, Something More than Free, is set to come out in July. In advance of the release, he’s currently playing some shows with singer-songwriter Craig Finn (of the Hold Steady). The album’s first single, “24 Frames,” is a contemplative tune that sounds a bit like it could be a Ryan Adams ballad as Isbell croons, “You thought God was an architect and now you know/he’s something like a
46
pipe bomb ready to blow.” Isbell’s mix of country, rock and pop is unique, and he’s said he wouldn’t be the musician he is if he hadn’t grown up in northern Alabama. “My family played,” he says. “My parents didn’t, but my grandparents did and my aunts and uncles did. It was a natural thing for me. Instead of daycare, they would take me to my grandparents house and my granddad played a bunch of instruments. He would get me to play rhythm guitar while he played banjo or fiddle. I spent a lot of hours
says. “We don’t work on songs before we go into the studio. That’s a bit of a luxury. Many people can’t afford that much studio time. But the band is really good. They’re good listeners and quick listeners; it didn’t take us very long.” He recorded the disc in about three weeks. “I would come in and play it for the band for the first time and we’d work on the arrangement,” he says. “Dave Cobb would help us with that. We’d sit down and start recording before we got it right. It’s a good
Jason Isbell, craIg fInn 7 p.m., Wednesday, may 27, House of Blues, 308 euclid ave., 216-523-2583. TickeTs: $27-$35, HouseofBlues.com
learning how to play that way.” He picked up the mandolin at age 6, though he jokes he still doesn’t feel confident on the instrument. “I don’t know if I ever really learned how to play it, but I messed with some before my hands were big enough to handle a guitar.” Isbell recorded his new album at Sound Emporium in Nashville with Dave Cobb, who also produced his previous effort, Southeastern. He tried to record as much of it live as he could. “It’s a big enough room that we could bring the whole band in,” he
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
way to work. It’s not too mentally exhausting because you don’t spend too much time on every little detail. What you get at the end of the day sounds like a band playing together in the same room at the same time. There’s no way to replicate that. You have to do that authentically. I’m really happy with it. I had to come to terms with not being so picky about vocal takes and specific pitch issues and things like that. Usually nobody is hearing that but me, but it’s still driving me crazy. I can’t stand to hear myself sing on a record.” The album is more sonically
diverse, but Isbell says that’s not intentional. “I don’t really aim for that,” he says. “It’s a matter of listening to each individual song and serving that and recording it the way they want to be recorded. I don’t sit down with that much of a concept. I just try to write the best song I can and not screw it up when I get into the studio.” Isbell says that Craig Finn, the frontman for the rowdy indie rock act the Hold Steady, has proven to be a good match for the tour. “Craig’s a great songwriter and a great storyteller,” he says. “This is the first time I’ve seen him play solo. It’s really good. It’s engaging in a different way than the Hold Steady shows are. He writes specifically about regions, about the Midwest often. I like that. I like people who write about what they know. He’s a really smart guy. He can turn a phrase really well and make you stop and think about what he said. We’re lucky to have him with us. We’ve only done one show so far. The Hold Steady shows I’ve seen, they were rowdy in the right way. I’ve never seen any trouble. It’s just people getting excited about good songs. I’m all for that.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t @jniesel
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 47
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
LIVEWIRE all the live music you should see this week WED
10 X 3 Hosted by Brent Kirby (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Tim Barnes and Jeph Jarman/ Counterucking/Fjords & Scurries: 9 p.m. Now That’s Class. Shawn Colvin/Tom Brosseau/Andru Bemis: 8 p.m., $42 ADV, $45 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Fireships/Truth & I (in the Locker Room): 9 p.m., Free. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Bob Frank/Triage/Todd Burge: 6 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Jason Isbell/Craig Finn: 8 p.m., $27 ADV, $30 DOS. House of Blues. Kid Tested/Planes: 9 p.m., $5. The Euclid Tavern. Joe Leaman: 7 p.m., Free. BLU Jazz+. Joe McBride Trio: 7 p.m., $20. Nighttown. The Natives/Young Troubled Minds/Dom Alkatraz/Tre Smith/Will Rogers/Mlattz Gunz on My Dick: 8:30 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Upon This Dawning/Outline in Color/ Silence the Messenger: 6 p.m., $10.40. Agora. Whitehorse/LindyVopnfjord: 8 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern.
THU
(Photo by Travis Tyler)
05/27
05/28
Bad Boys Jam: 9 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Vicki Chew/Shawn Easley Band: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Judy Collins: 8 p.m., $45 ADV, $50 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. An Evening with Gordon Lightfoot: 8 p.m., $47-$67. Akron Civic Theatre. Chris Hatton’s Musical Circus (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Hiram Maxim/Field Trip: 9 p.m., Free. The Euclid Tavern. New Riders of the Purple Sage/Syrup: 8 p.m., $20. Beachland Ballroom. Porches./Frankie Cosmos/Gringo Starr/ Dreamers: 8:30 p.m., $8. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. River Whyless/Lowly, the Tree Ghost/ Daniel Rylander: 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Rock Lobster Thursdays with Cats on Holiday: 5 p.m., Free. Music Box Supper Club. Soddy Daisy/Cheap Clone/Christmas Pets: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. Sultans of String: 8 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Tantric/Rogue/The Breezeway/Falling Into Fire/Mechanical Elephant: 6:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $13 DOS. Agora. To Live and Shave in L.A./Holly Hunt/Aaron Dilloway/Firedeath/Burning Loins/Chillum Dafoe: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Troubadours of Divine Bliss (in the Supper Club): 8:30 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS.
Shag
Shaggy-haired Lou Barlow (far right) brings Sebadoh to the Grog. See: Thursday.
Music Box Supper Club. The Glenn Zaleski Trio: 8 p.m., $12. BLU Jazz+.
FRI
05/29
Del McCoury Band/Clear Fork Bluegrass Quartet: The other DMB, Del McCoury and Co. have held down a special corner of the bluegrass community for decades. He’s a badass rooted in all the right traditions of the music, and his band is coming up on 50 years of writing, recording and performing in one way or another. The most recent album, The Streets of Baltimore, is as good as anything they’ve cut in all that time. Rob McCoury, one of Del’s two sons in the band, plays a mean, mean banjo throughout the album and leads the band on winding rivers of sound in these full-bodied compositions. Jason Carter’s fiddle, in particular, also shines throughout the most recent stuff. Del is one of those constants in the music world, and he’s still on top of his game. The Music Box is a great-sounding room, and you can bet the band will deliver tonight. 8 p.m., $38 ADV, $58 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. (Eric Sandy) Third Eye Blind/Dashboard Confessional/ Augustana: With a self-titled debut that still ranks among the top tier of late-’90s rock albums, Third Eye Blind secured and maintained a spot in hearts all over the U.S. (I mean, sheesh, go back and cue up songs like “Graduate,” “Thanks a Lot,” “Motorcycle Drive-By.” That’s an incredible album.) While their followup releases were all solid in their own
way, including the woefully underrated Blue, Stephan Jenkins and Co. will most likely always be known for the Big Three: “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper,” “How’s It Gonna Be.” And there’s nothing wrong with that. Jenkins’ writing chops are in a league of their own, and his penchant for pop hooks packages his lyrical introspection with head-nodding grooves. The band’s upcoming album, Dopamine, will be out in June. 3EB released “Everything is Easy,” which reminds us of the band’s poppier roots. 8 p.m., $27.50$49.50. Jacobs Pavilion. (Sandy) Wed Zepween/Dead Ahead Ohio: Even though the days of Woodstock and big area jam bands are gone, some still like to remember those times past. Wed Zepween and Dead Ahead Ohio do just that. Tribute bands to the late and greats, they play music from the era of psychedelics and free love. Wed Zepween plays music from both Led Zeppelin and Ween. Dead Ahead Ohio, on the other hand, is your average jam band tribute. Crowd favorites include “Scarlet Begonias,” “Ripple,” “Franklin’s Tower” and “Casey Jones.” Be sure to check them out and get your hippie on. 9 p.m., $10. Beachland Ballroom. (Hannah Wintucky) The Contortionist/Chon/Auras: 7 p.m., $14 ADV, $16 DOS. Agora. Eye/Beyonderers/Captain January: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. George Foley: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Iron Reagan/Angel Dust/Noisem/Party Plates: 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $13 DOS. Now That’s Class.
Sean Kelley & the Ohio Jukes: 9 p.m., $10. Musica. Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials (in the Supper Club): 9 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Anthony Lovano’s Supernatural Band/The Flipside/George Foley & Friends: 5:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Jason Patrick Meyers Band/Guggy’s Rock & Roll 101/Oldboy/Sur Lawrence Trupo & Friends: 8:30 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Oblivions/Shitbox Jimmy/Archie & the Bunkers: 9 p.m., $15. The Euclid Tavern. San Fermin: 9 p.m., $12. Grog Shop. The Scintas: 8 p.m., $29.50-$47.50. Hard Rock Rocksino. Bobby Selvaggio’s Transcendental Orchestra: 8 p.m., $12. BLU Jazz+. The Spazmatics: 9:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Jeff Varga (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
SAT
05/30
Album/Relaxer: 10:30 p.m., $5. The Euclid Tavern. Greg Brown: 8 p.m., $27.50. The Kent Stage. Cleveland Where You At? 2: 7 p.m., $10. Agora. Tony Cuda & the Jazz Cats: 8:30 p.m., $10. Nighttown. Doo Wop Legends in Concert Featuring Gene Chandler/Charlie Thomas’ Drifters/ Jay Siegel’s Tokens/Tommy Mara and the Crests: 7 p.m., $25-$90. Akron Civic Theatre. Evil Ways: 9:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 49
Large seLection of e-cigs and Liquid LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Thurs. May 28
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Thursday May 28 4 ToGo 8:00 (folk, jazz, rock) Vicki Chew 10:00 (folk, rock)
Friday May 29 George Foley & Friends 5:30 (jazz) The Flipside 8:00 (folk, rock) Anthony Lovano’s Supernatural Band 10:00 (blues, jazz)
Saturday May 30 9:00pm Great music, food and drink book your special events with us. 1414 RiveRside dRive Lakewood 216-767-5202 • Voshclub.com
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
Loretta Lausin Quartet 8:00 (jazz, pop, rhythm & Blues) Hollywood Slim Band 10:00 (blues, jazz)
Sunday May 31 Laura & The Killed Men 3:00 (alt country, Americana, folk) Raspablo & True Culture 6:00 (reggae) 11310 JUNIPER RD., CLEVELAND • 216.421.2863
magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 51
LIVEWIRE Hollywood Slim Band/Loretta Lausin Quartet: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Jake Simmons/Gelatinous Cube/Lowly the Tree Ghost: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Kenfest: The Action Janssen LP Release and Fundraiser with Vista Cruisers/ It*Men/Hot Rails Blowout/New Planet Trampoline/Charles Hill Jr./Kill the Hippies/This is Antarctica: 8 p.m., $10. Beachland Ballroom. Christine Marie (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Marina and the Diamonds: 8 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. House of Blues. Joe Nichols: 8 p.m., $27.50-$39.50. Hard Rock Rocksino. Old No. 55 (in the Supper Club): 8:30 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club. Ottawa/Nick D and the Believers/Fever Child/Pipe Dream: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop. Rock It Off: The Benefit to Stop the Violence in Support of the Akron Battered Women’s Shelter Featuring Alexis Antes/ Melissa McCollister/Collideascope/Oliva Leib: 7:30 p.m., $10. Musica. School of Rock: 1 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Something Involving a Monkey and Hysteria Tandem CD Release Show/3rd World Leader/Audio Engine/Underground Ninja Death Squad: 7 p.m. The Foundry. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Weird Al Yankovic: 8 p.m., $27.50$49.50. Jacobs Pavilion. Dan Wilson: 8 p.m., $12. BLU Jazz+. Yacht Rock with Chris Hatton: 3 p.m. Music Box Supper Club.
SUN
05/31
Beta Play/The Tragic Thrills/Plastic Hearts/ Trusting Obscurity: 8:30 p.m., $8 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop. Cryptosy/Disgourge/Erimha/Soreption/The Convalescence/Curse the Gods/Once Flesh: 5:30 p.m., $14 ADV/$17 DOS. Agora. Fruition/JP & the Chatfield Boys: 8:30 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Hot Djang! (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club. Irish Sundays Featuring the Portersharks: 3 p.m., Free. Music Box Supper Club. Laura and the Killed Men: 3 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Raspablo and True Culture: 6 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Molly Sullivan/Thorla: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog.
MON 06/01 The Cigarette Bums/Swirly and the Fryer/
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
Reptile Dysfunction: 9 p.m., Free. Now That’s Class. Haunted Summer/Noon/Small Wood House/Bon Wrath: 9 p.m., $5 ADV, $8 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Jonah Parzen-Johnson: 7 p.m., $10. Bop Stop. Mojo Big Band: 8 p.m., $7. Brothers Lounge. Velvet Voyage (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
TUE
06/02
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: Any fan of Oasis or ’90s rock is sure to know Noel Gallagher (and if you don’t, he was the lead guitarist and songwriter of the band). Now, he has decided to take his own semi-solo approach to music. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds is a mix of Oasislike guitar-based rock Gallagher used to play with an earthier, subdued vibe. His newest album, Chasing Yesterday, features songs like “The Heat of the Moment” and “The Dying of Light.” Both songs feature anguished vocals mixed with light instrumentals and electronic backings similar to new age indie music. Gallagher may have left Oasis, but he still keeps the traditional sound of his roots in the music of his new band. 8 p.m., $42.50 ADV, $45 DOS. House of Blues. (Wintucky) Sebadoh/Total Babes: As an extension of his earliest, acoustic guitarstrummed and intentionally distorted home recordings, Lou Barlow started Sebadoh with Eric Gaffney (and later Jason Loewenstein). Barlow did continue to release solo recordings, under both his own name and as Sentridoh. And in the ’90s, Barlow broached alt-rock stardom with the loop-based Folk Implosion, who had a song in that movie Kids. Barlow was kicked out of Dinosaur Jr. in the late ’80s but rejoined in 2005. Similarly, Sebadoh took a long break, not releasing any records between 1999 and 2013 but has just put out a new album. 8:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $14 DOS. Grog Shop. (Mike McGonigal) Crocodiles/Shitbox Jimmy/Shark Wee/ Army of Infants: 8 p.m., $10. Now That’s Class. Haunted Summer with Relaxer/Faith Mountain/Pleasure Leftists: 8 p.m., $10. Musica. Hurray for the Riff Raff/Mechanical River: 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
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HAPPY HOUR
5515 BROADVIEW PARMA
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(216) 741-2813 11609 DETROIT AVE CLEVELAND 216.226.2767 | brotherslounge.com
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015
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CHRIS HATTON’S MUSICAL CIRCUS
ALL GENRES • ALL STYLES
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Weds 5/27 NIGHTWALKERS, $7 Fresh ground premium steak 10oz burgers Thurs 5/28 JAM NIGHT W/ THE FREEBYRDS, E-ROC, MARK BERBA, AwarD winning Jumbo Wings Fri 5/29 DEJA VOODOO, Fish Fry - Cod & Perch & Lobster Bisque
Sat 5/30 KATHLEEN TURNER OVERDRIVE, St. Louis-Cut Rib Dinners Sun 5/31 Buckets of Beer! All Day! Free Chicken & Beef Taco & Burrito Bar, 2 Drink Minimum Mon 6/1 Ladies Night, Free Pool, Kitchen Specials Tues 6/2 10oz Black Angus Strip Steak, $9 dine-in only, Drink Specials
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2 Domestics $ 00
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savage love aced out By Dan Savage Dear Dan, You often mention asexual people. I believe I may be one. I’m a 51-yearold woman. I’ve been separated from my opposite-sex partner for nearly nine years. I’ve been approached by a variety of men, each one interested in becoming “more than friends.” I haunt Craigslist’s “platonic m4w” section, but each time I reach out to someone, he turns out to want a FWB or NSA relationship. It’s frustrating! That part of my life—the sex part—is really and truly over! I had many sex partners for many years, I had a good run, and now I’m done. When I find someone attractive, I admire them in a nonsexual way. But I do masturbate. Not often. I can go two or three weeks without needing (or thinking about) release. When I do masturbate, it’s more of a “stretching activity” than a passionate requirement. Do true asexuals masturbate? Am I correct in identifying as asexual instead of heterosexual? Or am I a straight person who has simply retired from the field? No Need For Sex “There’s some handy-dandy research on this topic,” said David Jay, founder of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN). Jay is the world’s most prominent asexuality activist and widely acknowledged as the founder of the asexuality movement. Researchers at the University of British Columbia studied the masturbatory habits of asexual individuals and compared them to the masturbatory habits of people with low sexual desire (“Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation Among Asexual Individuals,” Morag A. Yule, Lori A. Brotto, and Boris B. Gorzalka, the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality). “[They found that] the majority of asexual people (about 56 percent) masturbate on at least a monthly basis,” said Jay, compared to 75 percent of individuals with low sexual desire. “For a sizable chunk of us, this is about a sense of physical release rather than about sexual fantasy. Masturbation and partnered sex are very different things, and desiring one doesn’t mean that we automatically desire the other.” So, NNFS, the fact that you
masturbate occasionally—as a “stretching activity” (ouch?)—doesn’t disqualify you from identifying as asexual. And while the fact that you were sexually active for many years, presumably happily, and always with men could mean you’re a straight lady with low to no sexual desire, you’re nevertheless free to embrace the asexual label if it works for you. “If you’re not drawn to be sexual with anyone, then you have a lot in common with a lot of people in the asexual community,” said Jay. “That being said, there’s no such thing as a ‘true’ asexual. If the word seems useful, use it. At the end of the day, what matters is how well we understand ourselves, not how well we match some Platonic ideal of our sexual orientation, and words like ‘asexual’ are just tools to help us understand ourselves.” All those crazy labels—bi, gay, lesbian, straight, pansexual, asexual, etc.—are there to help us communicate who we are and what we want. Once upon a time, NNFS, you wanted heterosexual sex, you had heterosexual sex, and you identified as heterosexual. That label was correct for you then. If the asexual label is a better fit for you now, if it more accurately communicates who you are (now) and what you want (now), you have none other than David Jay’s permission to use it. “I also feel NNFS’s pain about Craigslist ‘strictly platonic’ ads,” said Jay. “But I’ve found there are plenty of people out there who are interested in hanging out if I simultaneously say ‘no’ to sex and ‘yes’ to an emotional connection. I wish NNFS the best of luck in finding some.” Follow AVEN on Twitter at @ asexuality. Jay recommends The Invisible Orientation by Julie Decker to people who want to learn more about asexuality. And Asexual Outreach is currently raising funds via Indiegogo to help finance the first North American Asexuality Conference in Toronto this June and other outreach programs: indiegogo. com/projects/asexual-outreach.
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 59
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magazine | clevescene.com | May 27 - June 2, 2015 61
HOME BUYERS!!!
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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
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Nestled near 260th & Lakeshore this unique 1920’s historical property is perfect for the savvy investor. This beautiful 9 bdrm home features 3 full baths & a basement, & has a solid structure. New electric, roofing, siding & windows have recently been installed, newer lighting spacious and beautiful. Formerly zoned commercial now is zoned two family. Grants may be available for historical renovations. Asking $ 89,999. Please contact Barbara to view this unique property. Barbara 216-647-1973 babs4445@gmail.com
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INTERIOR DOORS: Bifold Units; French; Poplar & Pine 6 Panel; Oak; Interior & Exterior Door Hardware EXTERIOR DOORS: Steel Entry; Cherry & Mahogany w/Leaded Glass & Sidelights FLOORING: Finished & Unfinished in Oak, Maple, Cherry, Walnut & Other Exotics; Laminate; Area Rugs TILE: Stone & Ceramic; Medallions & Mosaics WINDOWS - All Major Brands KITCHEN & BATH: Kitchen Cabinet Sets.; Sinks; Toilets; Faucets; Vanities & Tops; Jetted Tubs; 6 & 7 pc. Granite Countertop Sets MISCELLANEOUS: Hardware; Lumber; Siding; Molding & Trim; Spindles; Stair Parts; Deck Posts; Ceiling Fans; Lock Sets; Indoor & Outdoor Lighting; Tools & More
Registration Opens 7:30 a.m.; Auction at 9 a.m.
PUBLIC PREVIEW FRIDAY, JUNE 5, Noon - 6:00 p.m. TERMS: Buyer’s Premium; Visit our website for complete terms. All purchases must be paid for on date of purchase and removed by 5:00 p.m. Sunday, June 7, 2015. The auction is not a safe place for small or unsupervised children.
Maps, Directions, Photos & Inventories on our website: www.peakauction.com 816-474-1982 Richard Peak, 2002000052; Phil Graybill, 57199773989 Will Crews, 2012000031
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