Scene July 26, 2023

UPFRONT

Scout leader in the subsequent two decades.

In 2002, Hardy scored a job teaching pre-kindergarten and adults in a language school in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He had also spent years teaching in a similar position in South Korea, from 1996 to 1998. Both experiences gave Hardy, returning to Cleveland when was 37, a new lease on the city’s deficiencies. “I came back here from the outside looking in,” he said.

Ward 11 today, which encompasses parts of Edgewater, Cudell, West Boulevard, Jefferson and Bellaire-Puritas, is one of the far west side’s most populated (at 26,564) and most diverse. It’s about half white, 17 percent Hispanic and 25 percent Black. A growing Arabic community is centered around the West Town Village and Holyland markets.

MICHAEL HARDY WILL CHALLENGE DANNY KELLY FOR WARD 11 COUNCIL SEAT

WHEN MICHAEL HARDY first ran for Ward 11’s seat on City Council back in the summer of 2021, he championed values that he believed would garner him a win: having a transparent government, improving safety, ending the cash bail system, and being a visible, responsive representative to constituents.

His argument was that thencouncilman Brian Mooney was “unseen and unknown” in Ward 11, and residents would do better by having someone engaged with them sitting on council.

His argument now isn’t any different, though his opponent is.

“Basically, I live in the ward. I know what the ward needs,” he told Scene. “There’s sensitivities that I have about the ward, and you’re only going to have these sensitivities when you live in the ward.”

A substitute teacher for CMSD and current ward leader for the Cuyahoga County Central Committee, Hardy is planning his second bid for Council in a race against Danny Kelly. After Mooney vacated his post to take a judge seat on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Kelly was appointed Ward 11’s representative, in January.

Kelly, though a west sider since the early 2000s, currently lives in neighboring Ward 16, Hardy says. (Though just outside Ward 16.) Facts

that, in Hardy’s mind, matter when politics are concrete.

And that advocacy could be dire. In 2025, City Council is likely to discuss redistricting Cleveland’s 17 wards down to just 15, following the recent Census count. Ward 11, just like any other ward, could be disintegrated and split.

“Who’s going to advocate on our behalf more?” Hardy said. “Someone who lives in the ward or someone who doesn’t? What message are we sending?”

In November 2021, after entering the race that July, Hardy faced Mooney, a West Park resident, with a sort of quiet ambition to leverage both his years observing the needs of Cleveland’s school system and a growing political backing. Both Dennis Kucinich and Jay Westbrook wrote glowing testimonials. The Plain Dealer endorsed him.

Hardy came up 264 votes short.

“But I was able to garner a lot of attention,” he recalled. “A lot of support.”

Growing up on Guardian Blvd., on the very southern tip of Ward 11, Hardy went to John Marshall High School, then studied communication and Spanish at Cleveland State University. He’d eventually use his masters in education at CSU to find jobs as a teacher, counselor, adjunct professor, substitute and Boy

As for Hardy’s citywide perspective, development and safety are two of his topmost concerns if elected a freshman councilperson. He said he supports Mayor Bibb’s upcoming police forum, following the Warehouse District mass shooting, yet would want to expand it for more resident and officer input.

In Ward 11, Hardy aims to see streetlights fixed, businesses filling vacancies on Lorain Ave., roads paved where they’ve been broken for too long.

Even on Guardian Blvd., where Hardy still lives today in the same house he grew up in. Which, like Hardy says, signifies why he believes he’s the best man for the job. “Ward 11’s at a crossroads, this is not something to be played with,” Hardy said. “This is a critical time.”

– Mark Oprea

Cuyahoga Judge May Be the Only One Using Receivers, Costing Divorcing Couples Thousands

Three Cuyahoga County domestic relations judges say they’ve never seen the need to appoint receivers in divorce cases, a move fellow Judge Leslie Celebrezze has done repeatedly for a family friend while costing couples nearly $500,000 in fees.

Two of those three judges also declined to answer questions about whether Celebrezze ever asked them to recuse themselves from a case, which would allow her to assume control as administrative judge and make the lucrative appointments. It’s a practice Celebrezze has denied doing, according to a spokesperson.

The responses to questions from The Marshall Project - Cleveland come as Celebrezze is under scrutiny

from the Ohio Supreme Court for approving nearly half a million dollars in receivership work to her longtime friend, Mark Dottore.

The volume of work Celebrezze gave to Dottore raises questions over whether the judge usurped case assignment policy to steer cases to her friend.

In complex divorce cases, judges can appoint receivers to act as neutral parties to take control of all marital property, including real estate, cash and businesses. Receivers have the sole authority to manage the businesses and assets at their discretion throughout the litigation.

The five judges in Domestic Relations Court handle thousands of new cases each year, but three of those judges — Diane Palos, Francine Goldberg and Colleen Ann Reali — each told The Marshall Project - Cleveland that they have never seen the need to appoint a receiver. The three judges have served the court from eight years to more than 30 years.

“Under the facts of the cases I have heard, I never had the need to appoint a receiver,” wrote Palos, who joined the court as a magistrate in 1986 and became a judge in 2009.

Celebrezze declined to comment through a spokesperson.

It’s unclear if Celebrezze has appointed any other receiver since 2009. In May, she and a court spokeswoman did not provide the name of other individuals appointed to be a receiver in her courtroom. A statement from the spokeswoman said the record system does not flag cases in which a receiver is appointed. How Celebrezze came to appoint Dottore while other judges fail to see a need in their caseload is also raising questions.

The Marshall Project - Cleveland asked each judge if Celebrezze ever requested them to step down from a case so she could preside over the divorce. Goldberg said no.

However, Palos and Reali each said they could not comment, citing an Ohio judicial rule that says “a judge shall not make any public statement that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending or impending in any court.”

Through a spokesperson, Celebrezze said she has never asked a judge to recuse themselves from any case so she could preside over it.

Judge Tonya Jones initially handled the divorce case of Strongsville businessman Jason Jardine from December 2020 until she recused herself over a conflict in Aug. 9, 2022. She stepped aside

Courtesy Photo

because “her former staff attorney left employment with the court and accepted employment with” Jardine’s attorney, court spokesperson Susan Sweeney wrote in an email.

The court’s rules state: “When it is necessary for a case already assigned to a judge to be reassigned due to a recusal, the administrative judge will reassign a judge, at random, and record the reassignment on the docket.”

Jones’ initial recusal didn’t list which judge would handle the case, court records show. But three days later, she vacated it and filed a second one, writing that it was “further ordered that this matter be reassigned to Administrative Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze.”

The case went directly to Celebrezze.

Jones approved one request for Dottore’s fees; Celebrezze has approved nine other requests, court records show.

The Marshall Project - Cleveland also asked Jones if she ever appointed a receiver to any other case beside the Jardine divorce case.

“The determination as to whether to appoint a receiver is based on the facts of the case,” Jones wrote, adding that Celebrezze never asked her to remove herself from a case.

On May 18, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy temporarily removed Celebrezze from a divorce case after Jardine

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filed numerous complaints accusing Celebrezze of approving hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to Dottore to work as a receiver in the case. Dottore is paid directly by the Jardines.

Kennedy’s order came as The Marshall Project - Cleveland had been investigating the relationship between Celebrezze and Dottore.

Celebrezze was given time to respond to numerous allegations listed in affidavits of disqualification filed by Jardine. Jardine says Dottore charged thousands of dollars for days when Jardine claims the receiver and the judge met at his home, eateries and his office, according to the affidavit of disqualification filed by Jardine’s lawyer.

Celebrezze filed responses to the allegations but asked Kennedy to keep them sealed from the public. Jardine objected. Kennedy has yet to rule.

Government watchdogs suggest Celebrezze and Dottore’s relationship raises questions about transparency in Celebrezze’s courtroom and whether she rules without bias in cases involving Dottore and his company.

Court records show Dottore’s company has earned nearly half a million dollars since 2017 from complex divorce cases in Celebrezze’s courtroom. He charges between $100-$400 per hour, depending on the task.

In addition to serving as a receiver on cases in Celebrezze’s courtroom, Dottere served as campaign treasurer when she ran for her judgeship in 2008. Her campaign headquarters is listed under his business address. Dottore’s daughter, Camille, is also listed as a receiver on cases in Celebrezze’s courtroom, records show.

Celebrezze’s deputy campaign treasurer, Cheri Tate, has also worked on Jardine’s case as an administrative manager for Dottore’s company.

Celebrezze took office in 2009 after voters elected her to replace her father, James Celebrezze, who had served nearly two decades on the Domestic Relations Court and two years on the Ohio Supreme Court.

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She made headlines that same year after the Ohio Supreme Court ordered her removal from a divorce case involving Marc Strauss, a wealthy real estate developer. Dottore was also the receiver in the case and was cited as a reason to disqualify Celebrezze, The Plain Dealer reported in May 2009.

Celebrezze’s father originally appointed Dottore to that case and several others in 2008, netting

Dottore $340,000 in fees. Yet “the judge gave no work to any other receivers during the same period, records show, despite an Ohio Supreme Court rule that such appointments be rotated equitably,” the Plain Dealer reported. Dottore, who is not an attorney, has been working as a receiver for years in courts across northeast Ohio. His bio on the company website says he “is the most trusted, experienced, and successful court appointed receiver, mediator, and crisis management specialist in the Midwest.”

– Mark Puente, The Marshall Project

Participatory Budgeting Charter Amendment Will Be on the Ballot in Cleveland in November

Cleveland voters will this November decide whether to put up to 2% of the city’s annual budget — about $14 million — in the hands of a participatory budgeting process.

People’s Budget Cleveland last week submitted more than 10,000 signatures from registered Cleveland voters for the ballot initiative and this week the Clerk of Cleveland City Council confirmed they had collected enough valid ones (more than 6,400) to put the issue before voters in November.

Council president Blaine Griffin, in a statement issued last week, said “Council welcomes the opportunity for residents to offer constructive feedback to building a better Cleveland. However, I believe the proposal presented will have devastating impacts on public safety and services in our city. Council will work tirelessly in the coming months to communicate how this initiative, if approved, will negatively impact Clevelanders.”

If passed, the charter amendment would create an 11-member committee — five selected by city council, five by the mayor, and one hired as a city employee — who would gather ideas and organize voting, open to all residents older than 13, on what to use the funds for. The group says there’s no reason why the general fund would be greatly affected.

“The $14 million that PB is asking for is half of the $30 million that the Cavs are asking for for an escalator improvement despite having a recently renovated stadium,” community organizer Moses Ngong said last week. “It’s a fraction of the hundreds of millions of dollars that we’ve invested in sports stadiums in the last few decades and so, if the public can

make an investment on an asset that no one will ever see a return on, they can certainly make an investment on democracy and the neighborhoods that make Cleveland such a special place to live.”

Most of city council is opposed to the effort and previously shot down efforts from Mayor Justin Bibb to create a pilot program using ARPA dollars.

“I’m actually very, very concerned that this is going to have an antidemocratic effect on our city,” councilman Kris Harsh said at the time. “We cannot send a message that the government doesn’t work and try to get more people in government. Those two messages are not going to work.”

Bibb, in a statement, also came out against the effort: “This ballot issue is a permanent charter amendment rather than a pilot program. And instead of using federal funds, it will force critical cuts to other parts of the city’s budget. This is very different from the initiative I proposed,” he said. “I do not support this initiative because I truly do not believe it is in the best financial interest of Clevelanders but it’s ultimately up to the residents of the City of Cleveland to decide.”

Council president Blaine Griffin has been a staunch opponent of the effort, characterizing it as an attack on council itself — “We, City Council, are the representatives of the People,” he told Signal Cleveland. “It’s kind of disingenuous, dangerous, and misleading for a group of people to promote themselves as the only group of people that has a relationship and intimate and unique understanding of the needs of our community.” — and in a recent tweet suggested that approval would be “harmful to City Services.”

Organizers argue otherwise. Charlesretta Wynn, a PB CLE signature captain who collected 100+ signatures from her neighbors in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood, says, “The People’s Budget is important, because it gives people a new pathway to understand how change in their community can happen,” said Charlesretta Wynn, a PB CLE signature “captain” in a statement. “If we can spend millions on development downtown, we can let residents decide how a sliver of our shared budget is spent in our neighborhoods.”

Vince Grzegorek

Increase in early votes and absentee ballots returned for the August 8 election through July 22 compared to previous August elections.

80 New school buses purchased by CMSD last year, along with 62 passenger buses, that will allow the district to expand busing to middle school students for the next school year.

New EV charging stations coming to Ohio freeways, as announced by Gov. DeWine last week.

Ohioans who drive an EV

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Sun. 8/13

STRUM & STRUMMER (PATIO) SEE ALICE

GROOVE HONEY

RYE VALLEY (PATIO)

LEES BROTHERS

Karaoke on our patio every Friday night 7pm-11pm 3pm-5pm 8pm-11pm 8:30pm-11:30pm 3pm-5pm 8pm-11pm 3pm-5pm

JOHN GALL (PATIO)

b My Country ‘Tis of Me

Meet the micronationalists dreaming up new nations — in ohio and beyond

AS A NINE-YEAR-OLD GROWING up at 924 Putnam Street in Newport, Kentucky, Tony Skaggs could look over the Ohio River to downtown Cincinnati’s skyline. He may have daydreamed a bit about what was going on in the big city less than a mile away, but by fourth grade a new obsession about his sense of place in the world took hold.

Handed the heavily illustrated geography book My World of Nations by his fourth-grade teacher, Skaggs began a lifelong pursuit regarding a place called Alphistia. That place didn’t exist in the book, with its roster of nation-states recognized by the United Nations. Alphistia existed only in his head until it began to appear, board by board, in his family’s backyard.

There, he laboriously built structures from scratch, including a chapel, until he had what he jokingly refers to as “a shantytown.” As neighbor kids began to come around, his little settlement of Alphistia became a magnet for play and whimsy, up to and including the time that one of the neighbor kids decided to strike out on his own, creating a different fictional nation down the block.

The buildings of Alphistia were only a part of the appeal for Skaggs. He was building a town, yes, but also creating a deep backstory for a nation that existed largely in his mind. “By Christmas, I started creating maps. That was the beginning.”

By thomas crone

The beginning of Alphistia, that is, the kind of self-contained project that for the past several decades has been called a micronation. Skaggs was making maps of a fictional place in which he wanted to live, creating a narrative about the people who might join him in living there and even a language. This wasn’t some type of passing notion. Skaggs kept with the idea all the way through high school until finally purging a huge chunk of Alphistian history, despite his mom’s protestations.

It would take years for him to return to it, but when he did, it was in earnest. Skaggs, now in his seventies, is again leader of Alphistia.

What’s amazing about Skaggs’ story, though, is that he was coming up with his ideas of micronationalism before the term was even coined. In 1967, the same year in which he first dreamt up this dream nation, a place called the Principality of Sealand was claimed by one Paddy Roy Bates, who physically took over a defense platform off the coast of England. There, on a structure called Rough Towers, he created not only a pirate radio station but a physical presence that he claimed was separate from England. The history of Sealand is filled with a host of strange occurrences, including the occasional physical skirmish

involving gunplay and ransoms.

Over time, other dreamers and schemers would lay claim to lands around the world, sometimes in remote locales like Sealand, but also in less remote places. Like the Skaggs’ family backyard.

Some founders were serious about laying claim to actual statehood, to independence, to sovereignty. A few, like Bates, had economic reasons for their declarations of independence. But most other micronations were making a political point without actually taking it to the next level. In time, artists and agit-prop provocateurs began to enter the micronational fray, as well, with their projects taking on more of a playful bent (see: Zaqistan in western Utah). Micronationalism, if defined by 100 people taking part in it, would find 100 different reasons for being.

Skaggs was just a kid when his idea took shape. Today, a host of new kids take part in events like MicroCon, which was held in Joliet, Illinois, in late June. There, youths who’ve found one another through social media platforms like Discord are living out the micronational dream with physical and virtual spaces, minting their friends into their cause, claiming generalships or presidencies — and even occasionally calling on acts of war against other micronations.

TONY SKAGGS DATES THE FIRST use of the term “micronation” to Robert Ben Madison, the Mad King of Talossa, who started his own micronation at age 14. Yup, another Midwestern kid with an imagination.

As Atlas Obscura has written about Talossa, “The territory lines of the Kingdom of Talossa started out small, its boundaries encompassing just the bedroom of a 14-year-old Milwaukee boy who had just lost his mother. It was December 26, 1979, when young Robert Ben Madison decided to secede from his country, declaring his bedroom to be the sovereign nation named after the (quite lovely) Finnish word for ‘inside the house.’”

This is the kind of wholesome stuff that accompanies a lot of the contemporary micronational scene’s backstory, as young people claim a small territory in or around their homes.

In other cases, it’s the heads of a family who declare that they and their kin have micronational status. That’s the case for the Republic of Molossia, which holds about 11.3 acres of land near Dayton, Nevada. That micronation is under the benevolent rule of Kevin Baugh and contains multiple members of his family. They seem to have totally signed onto the idea, with theirs being one of MicroCon’s biggest contingencies.

A total of 133 people registered for MicroCon’s U.S. outing this year, with 42 micronations represented. That was a bit of a bump from last year’s Covid-delayed gathering

Molossia is a family-led micronation going strong in its fourth decade.

THOMAS CRONE

in Las Vegas, but was also small enough that many of the primary events were held inside a single ballroom at a Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Joliet. That said, the nearby hallways also held some life, as registrants set up displays that reminded of school science fairs.

While this slender area was a central hub of activity, the entire hotel was given over to micronational chatter. Micronationalists gathered in the main lobby, huddled around tureens of free coffee, chatting about the impact of Latin on the creation of their own microlanguage, the dissolution of this kingdom or that, threads of conversation spilling from Reddit into the IRL realm. At night, the same groups huddled around the man-made pond out back, having the same conversations as a chorus of frogs sang along to their stories and “regular” hotel guests snuck glances at their costumes, which ranged from micronational T-shirts to white glove formal. Anyone staying at the inn was going to be treated to some MicroCon info.

The festivities even included a full morning of lightly competitive athletics, based on the ideals of the Olympics — the Nemean Games. Three events were wed into the morning’s activities, all of them liberally adapted from the official versions of each.

It turns out that you can hold a shot put competition without the actual tool of the sport, the heavy metallic, projectable “shot.” Just sub in a tennis ball. You can have a discus contest through creativity, too, only requiring a couple of dog frisbees and some willing throwers. You can run multiple heats of the 50-meter dash if you’ve got enough folks willing to sprint across a pock-marked grassfield, found aside an abandoned tennis court, next to a picturepostcard creek, below a suburban subdivision. At MicroCon all of this was not only possible, but done.

Part of that is thanks to Philip Pillin of the Kingdom of Pibocip, which is regarded as the longestrunning micronation in Ohio.

(A couple of dozen micronations are variously active and defunct throughout the state; see sidebar.)

Prince Philip is not only a theologian who works in Canton, he’s also a track and field officiant, a skill he picked up from his father and one that was very much a needed skill at the Nemean Games.

While that Friday activity was plenty fun, he also enjoyed his introductory lecture on Saturday, the kickoff conversation at MicroCon, which he dedicated to the idea of the Common Good.

Pillin literally grew up around micronationalists, as Pribocip is a family legacy project, begun in 2000. As the Micronations Wiki notes, “The first monarch of Pibocip, Her Majesty Queen Anita, was installed after the foundation of the nation in 2000 and reigned until her death in 2005. She was succeeded by her sonin-law, Prince Philip Joseph Pillin, as King Philip in 2005.”

Despite his being around this

Buckeye Micronations

Searching for micronations can be a bit of a daunting task, as these places can come and go without much fanfare, leaving nothing more than a trail of years-old Reddit mentions in their wake. The site micronations.wiki finds Ohio well-represented with active communities.

Some of the names indicate the general vibe of a place — say, the Dictatorship of Alissia or, conversely, the Kingdom of Loveland. Competing political philosophies can be potentially found with the Democratic Socialist State of Veltines and the Communist State of Tiffin River, both of which may clash, to degrees, with the Democratic Empire

world for his entire life, young Prince Philip says he has been in “a rabbit hole of learning and trying to apply actual political theory into a micronation and then taking that and sharing it with the micronational community to help them articulate their thoughts and defend their passion with people who don’t understand what we do.” How that translates into a speech? “This year I talked about making nations work for the common good and trying to help people be able to articulate better why we do what we do and why it’s important for the world at large.”

Soft-spoken and kindly, but also direct and wickedly articulate, Pillin says that the heart of micronationalism is about belonging. To small tribes, yes, but also the other small tribes that dot the globe.

In his opening address, he noted that the micronational movement is about “friendship, achievement, belonging, creativity, respect for and by others. Those are all things

of Gothiva or the Federation of the Buckeyes. Notable here is that micronations often offer citizenship to people from anywhere in the world, sometimes even offering royal titles for a bit of extra coin. So there’s no exact way to say how many people in Ohio might be a citizen of places hither and yon. At least dozens? Almost certainly. Hundreds? Probably. Thousands? Maybe barely. Just know that someone playing chess at your local coffeehouse might just be a micronationalist, a quiet member of a unique subgroup of the world’s citizens.

that are a part of the common good or that they’re good for everybody in our lives. As human beings, we live better with those things. And so my argument was that micronations have helped to provide for the common good. We create opportunities for friendship, for achievement, for belonging, for problem solving, for creativity, for respect for them by others.”

To Pillin, the idea is downright utopian: “We are helping people who otherwise might not belong, who otherwise might not achieve, by the way, might not have friends. We created an opportunity for all those wonderful things for people just by existing as micronations.”

At MicroCon, Pillin’s work included explaining the basic mechanics of the shotput to Nemean Games competitors, timing 50-meter races, organizing two-dozen amateur athletes on a cracked tennis court.

“I’m a master’s level U.S. track and field official for USA Track & Field,” Pillin explained on Saturday. “My specialty is horizontal jumps. So yesterday was like, we have to do it differently, because people are not necessarily competing in these events all the time, right? The shot put in particular seemed to vex them, so we were teaching as we were going. … sports are really important for the human person and for the community in helping people achieve.”

Since MicroCon, the Kingdom of Pibocip — located in northeast Ohio, with Prince Philip Pillin as the Minister of Foreign Affairs — has

You might think of MicroCon as sort of like Model U.N. for people with big imaginations. THOMAS CRONE

been signing mutual cooperation agreements with other micronations with a goal of “working together for the common good so that all people may be raised up to a new hope.”

You could imagine Fred Rogers being a Pibocian, part of a Kingdom That Cares.

FROM AUGUST 11-13, YPRES, Belgium, will host a second version of MicroCon, this one closer to European micronationalists who’ll be offered another chance to meet and mingle and dine and dance and sign treaties and declare war around the bar of a hotel ballroom.

For Tony Skaggs, the American version was close (like, really close) to his home. Only 110 miles separate his current home from Joliet, where

MicroCon was held this summer. He wasn’t there. Not for any one reason.

Well, maybe one: He’s shy. He didn’t necessarily feel up to all the pageantry of a MicroCon gathering.

“A lot of people have created a whole royalty,” he says, “so when they get together for the convention, there’s an awards ceremony, and people love the costumes and royalty play of it all. Other people like the politics and the back and forth of that. It’s a different world and people love to experiment with things other than their everyday realities.”

Skaggs identifies with the experimentation aspect, but his world is more solitary. As a kid, he was inspired less by other micronationalists — “I had not heard of these other places until the

internet came along” — and more by his own imagination, and then Tolkien, whom he first discovered as a young teenager.

“Around 1972, I saw an article about Tolkein and his inventions, his languages, his maps and I thought, ‘This is incredible. Wow,’” he recalls. “Through Tolkein, I learned of a niche of people who loved his books.”

What’s also amazing about Skaggs’ story is that he created an early website, one that still exists today at alphistian.blogspot. com. Built in 1995, he notes that the primitive look of the page is something he sort of enjoys, having had a friend build and design the site at the dawn of the functional web.

Several times early on, he says, he made the mistake of throwing

WHAT MICRONATIONS ARE (TYPICALLY) NOT

If you’re a person, like Tony Skaggs, who likes to study geography, you might come across names on the map that suggest micronational status. Europe, alone, claims places like Andorra, Lichtenstein, Vatican City, Monaco. They’re recognized by international bodies such as the United Nations. They are, yes, nations, just very small ones.

Assuming these places are part of the micronational movement is somewhat understandable. They’re micro, they’re nations. But they’re real, true, tiny places on a map with full recognition around the world. This is one mild inaccuracy in the way the general public views micronations.

Another is that micronations are born by people with major bones to pick with the government that surrounds them. True, a big part of micronationalism has to do with establishing a core identity outside of the host nation state’s norm. But American splinter/protest groups like the Branch Davidians and the Bundys of Nevada aren’t playing the same game.

For the Free Press, reporter Adam Popescu recently profiled “Texians,” citizens of the Republic of Texas who are finding community in something of a state-within-the-state. They, too, recently held a conference.

Popescu wrote in that July 3 piece, “Men of No Country,” that the Republic of Texas is “a sovereign citizen group

that’s been around since the mid-1990s and claims to have around 10,000 members. The FBI estimates there are around 300,000 U.S. citizens who claim no allegiance to the elected government in any form — and their numbers are rising. For some members of the Republic, their goal is to meet and vent at town halls … Others want a full secession. In the meantime, they’re busy figuring out how to disobey the courts, avoid taxes, and generally find ways to circumvent the U.S. government.”

Again, this is not modern micronationalism, per se, though some minor states may take on this type of breakaway, secessionist language.

What is notable is that a host of micronations are headed up by former members of the U.S. military and there’s a definite sense of militarism that runs through some of the younger members’ micronations, with epaulets on many a military-styled jacket at MicroCon. But there’s not an implicit sense that any of these folks would engage in actual gunplay with the jurisdictions that surround their micronation.

Walking through MicroCon, you can’t help but wonder if someone there — be they dressed to the nines in political cosplay or fitting in more subtly — is representing the goals of the greater state, just there to low-key keep tabs on the MicroCon community.

away his Alphistian documents. A librarian by profession, he’s learned from those early errors. Today his website is a repository of both early materials and newer updates.

Now living in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Skaggs’ micronational work largely takes place alone. He adds new words to his Alphistian language. He draws sketches of the place. He creates on his own clock.

“I’m a lifelong librarian,” he says, “and there is a bit of a treasure trove with what I’ve put on the web. Anyone interested can figure out what it’s all about. It reflects my imagination, my personality. It represents to me a model of what would be a very nice society. I’m just a little different from a lot of MicroCon devotees in Joliet, in that I don’t do costumes very well and they do.”

At some point his project, now well into its sixth decade, will end.

“What is likely to happen is that all my stuff will be donated to a library,” he says. “If you read through my documents, they’re my ideals. A lot of micronatonalists are all for following their dreams, which I believe in. Some go the whole route, but then you’re getting into the real world of politics, like the civil wars that can happen with micronations. When it becomes too real, it’s not quite as much fun.”

Citing the seminal influence of Tolkein, he says, “For me, it’s like how Tolkein imagined all of his worlds. People talk about the Shire and how the Hobbits live and that that’s the world he imagined people living in.

“Interestingly, all these years later, I haven’t seen people set up Hobbit communities. There’re more orcs out there than Hobbits.”

scene@clevescene.com

t@clevelandscene

The states of Alphistia, left, can be seen in a map drawn by Tony Skaggs, right, who first dreamed up the micronation as a kid in suburban Cincinnati. COURTESY OF TONY SKAGGS

GET OUT Everything to do in Cleveland for the next two weeks

WED 07/26

Battle of Santiago

This Toronto-based group creates a unique sound by combining classic Afro-Cuban rhythms and vocals with a distinctly Canadian artrock spirit and sensibility, subtle electronica, and rumbas. It performs tonight at 7:30 at the Transformer Station. Admission is free.

1460 West 29th St., 216-938-5429, clevelandart.org.

THU 07/27

SummerFEST

An annual tradition that takes place in the Cedar Fairmount Special Improvement District in Cleveland Heights, SummerFEST is back this season at a new location. This year, all concerts will be held at the Pocket Park at the Ascent at Top of the Hill, a new green space located at the top of Cedar Hill. Concerts will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. In addition to the concerts, Cleveland Heights Church will host the Kids’ Fun Zone, a collection of activities for children ages toddler and beyond. Moises Borges performs tonight. Admission is free.

12301 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights, cedarfairmount.org/directory/ cfsummerfest/.

FRI 07/28

Bring It On — The Musical

Loosely based on the 2000 film of the same name, Bring It On — The Musical features an original story by Tony Award winner Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), music and lyrics by Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda ( In the Heights, Hamilton), music by Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt ( Next to Normal) and lyrics by Broadway lyricist Amanda Green (High Fidelity).

Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30, and the musical runs on weekends through Aug. 6 at the Near West Theatre.

6702 Detroit Rd., 216-961-6391, nearwesttheatre.org.

Inlet Dance Theatre

Founded in 2001 by founder and Executive/Artistic Director Bill Wade, Inlet Dance Theatre embodies his long-standing belief that “dance

viewing, training and performing experiences may serve as tools to bring about personal growth and development.” The troupe performs today at 1 p.m. at Cain Park and then again at 8 tomorrow night. 14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3000, cainpark. com.

The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers During a screening of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the Cleveland Orchestra plays Howard Shore’s score live. The event begins tonight at 7 at Blossom and additional screenings and performances take place tomorrow and Sunday.

1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

SAT 07/29

Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End Cleveland Play House presents this play about famous writer Erma Bombeck. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Outcalt Theatre, where performances continue through Aug. 20. 1407 Euclid Ave, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Fuel Cleveland: A Vintage Motorcycle, Van, Art, and Photography Show

This show that takes place at Hale Farm & Village will feature motorcycle builders, rare bike

owners, painters and photographers. The event will also showcase custom and vintage vans. There also will be a huge vendor village and food trucks on the grounds; Hale Farm’s exhibits and beautiful property will be open to explore. It all goes down from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow. 2686 Oak Hill Rd., Newton Falls, 330-666-3711, halefarm.org.

Part of the Problem Live Podcast Recording

Every episode of the podcast Part of the Problem, hosts Dave Smith and Rob Bernstein dissect the chaotic state of American politics, culture and media from a libertarian perspective. Tonight at 11 at Hilarities, you can attend a live recording of the podcast. 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

SUN 07/30

NEO ComicCon

This year’s NEO ComicCon, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the North Olmsted Soccer Sportsplex features more than 100 comic book dealers artists and pop culture craftspeople, with 170 tables of items for sale. The event, founded in 2015, features what organizers says is the area’s largest selection of comic book and pop culture vendors, as well as new and established artists. Proceeds from this year’s event benefit Friendship Animal

Protective League, who will offer an adoption booth, giving attendees a chance to become a hero to animals in need of a good home. Tickets are $5, and children 10 and under entering free of charge.

31515 Lorain Rd., N. Olmsted, neocomiccon.com.

MON 07/31

7th Annual Cleveland Musicians’ Fundraiser Cleveland Musicians Fundraiser will host its seventh annual You Wanted the Best Kiss Tribute Benefit today from noon to 11 p.m. at the Goblin Amphitheater in Geneva-on-the-Lake. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Lake County branch of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). The event is free. clevelandmusiciansfundraiser.org/.

TUE 08/01

Lyrical Rhythms Open Mic and Chill

This long-running open mic night at the B Side allows some of the city’s best rappers and poets to strut their stuff. The event begins at 8 with a comedy session dubbed 2 Drinks & a Joke with host Ant Morrow. The open mic performances begin at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.

Near West Theatre presents Bring It On — The Musical. See: Friday, July 28. | Courtesy of Near West Theatre

WED 08/02

Martin Amini

This comedian regularly makes fun of his ethnicity and talks about what is has been like to grow up in the States with a Bolivian and Iranian background. He performs tonight at 7 at Hilarities.

2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

THU 08/03

BorderLight Festival

A celebration of performance talent that takes place at venues from the conventional to the unlikely, BroderLight Fringe Festival returns to Playhouse Square this weekend. It features both touring artists as well as emerging local artists. There will be theatre, dance, circus and standup comedy. Check the website for a complete schedule.

1501 Euclid Ave, 216-241-6000, borderlightcle.org.

FRI 08/04

Earthquake

Better known by his stage name Earthquake, Nathaniel Martin Stroman has worked as an actor, voice artist and comedian since the 1980s. His jokes tend to steer clear of current events as he talks generally about the trials and tribulations of being in relationships. “I’ve been investing in women for 40 years and have yet to see a profit,” he jokes in one routine. He performs tonight at 7:30 and 10 at the Improv, where he has shows scheduled through Sunday.

1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.

First Friday Hop

From 6 to 9 tonight at this special Downtown Cleveland event, there will be live-themed performances with curated market vendors, a food truck and beverages available for purchase on three different stages across downtown. A free trolley on a loop will stop at all the performance sites, making it easy to hop on and hop off. downtowncleveland.com.

Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox

It’s Rock N Blast tonight and tomorrow night at Progressive Field as the Guardians take on the Chicago White Sox, one of their division rivals. The two teams will go at it again on Sunday too.

2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb. com/guardians.

SAT 08/05

Lakewood Arts Fest

Detroit Avenue from Belle to Arthur becomes a creative oasis today for 15,000 collectors and art lovers as the Lakewood Arts Festival returns. The juried festival hosts more than 175 national artists and makers displaying painting, prints, art glass, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture. fiber and more. Latinx business owner and Project Runway alumni Valerie Mayen will be on hand with her line of handmade garments made in the U.S., and Kathy Oda from North Carolina will bring large format sculptural glass to Ohio. This year’s musical performers include Liz Bullock, the Andrew McManus Trio, Assane M’Baye Senegalese Drums, and Maura Rogers and the Bellows. lakewoodartsfest.org

SUN 08/06

Trey Kennedy: Grow Up

A comedian who’s amassed some 12 million followers on social media, Trey Kennedy, who hosts the podcast Correct Opions and has released the self-produced comedy special Are You For Real?, comes to Connor Palace tonight at 7. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

MON 08/07

Guardians vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The Guardians go up against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight at 7:10 at Progressive Field as they kick off a four-game series against a team with one of the more potent offenses in all of baseball. The series concludes on Thursday. 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb. com/guardians.

TUE 08/08

Six

The six wives of Henry VIII take the mic to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into what press materials describe as “an exuberant celebration of 21stcentury girl power.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where performances continue through Sept. 10. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

scene@clevescene.com

t@clevelandscene

FIRE FROM THE GODS

Oppenheimer does something all too rare in Hollywood: It trusts its audience

By Cliff Froehlich

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN BASES

his ambitious biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) on a Pulitzer Prize-winning account of his subject’s life, American Prometheus, and the physicist’s shaping hand in the creation of the atomic bomb undeniably qualifies as the modern equivalent of stealing fire from the gods. Although Oppenheimer is spared Prometheus’ physical punishment for that hubristic act — his liver remains safe from endlessly recurring consumption by an eagle — the film devotes much of its three-hour running time to the non-corporeal forms of retribution he suffers: the U.S. government’s Cold War-era accusations of Communist Party membership and possible Soviet spying, and his own escalating concern over the world-annihilating capacity of the weaponry he helped birth. American Prometheus’ subtitle is “The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” and Nolan places equal emphasis on both aspects, inextricably entwining them throughout the film.

Given Nolan’s persistent interest in the manipulation of time and space — it’s a central feature of several of his films — the director seemed almost fated to chronicle Oppenheimer’s insights into theoretical physics and their eventual practical application in the A-bomb. Characteristically, Nolan chooses to tell his story in nonlinear fashion, relating the key events in Oppenheimer’s life largely (if not entirely) in chronological order but interweaving them with two other narrative strands — labeled “Fission” and “Fusion” — whose intimate connection is only slowly clarified.

The first concerns the 1954 hearing to determine the renewal of Oppenheimer’s security clearance, where the allegations of his “treasonous” behavior are aired. The second recounts his contentious relationship with Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), which begins when Strauss offers Oppenheimer the directorship of

Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study in 1947 and culminates in Strauss’ 1959 Senate confirmation hearing as commerce secretary. Nolan helps audiences negotiate this labyrinth by shooting the Strauss “Fusion” sequences in luminous black-and-white, but the film rivals Asteroid City in its daunting structural complexity.

In fact, what’s most remarkable about Oppenheimer — among an array of superlative achievements — is its refusal to simplify, its trust in the audience’s intelligence. That faith may ultimately prove misplaced — recent events amply demonstrate that the American public’s historical and scientific ignorance shouldn’t be underestimated — but I can’t help but admire the film’s bracing assumption of our collective knowledge of physics (or at least its basics), events in the Spanish Civil War and World War II, the Red Scare hysteria, and Cold War nuclear politics. Partially constructed as a thriller — focused on revelations about Oppenheimer’s postwar tribulations — the film nicely delivers on that superficial level, but it operates more as a rich psychological case study, exploring its subject’s interior thoughts. Nolan actually shows us occasional flashes of what the younger Oppenheimer sees in his mind’s eye: abstract swirls of cosmic matter that serve as precursors to the Trinity test’s disquietingly beautiful atomic detonation. Later, after the U.S. government drops bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the film reflects Oppenheimer’s increasingly distressed viewpoint — what exactly has he wrought? — by having backgrounds sometimes subtly vibrate and threaten to fracture, and he twice sees nightmarish visions of flesh melting.

Longtime Nolan collaborator Cillian Murphy exquisitely conveys the anxieties and complicated emotions of Oppenheimer, to whom he also bears an uncanny physical resemblance. Instead of the typical hagiographic treatment, the film and actor never heroicize or sanctify Oppenheimer — he always

remains condescending, wilful, capricious and self-sabotaging. At his first meeting with Oppenheimer, Manhattan Project Director Leslie Groves (a predictably terrific Matt Damon) offers a succinct and entirely accurate summation of his flaws, and Murphy bravely foregrounds rather than disguises those attributes. Because of Oppenheimer’s prickly behavior and often opaque motivations, we never warm to the character but instead come to admire him only grudgingly.

Nolan takes a similarly sophisticated approach to the many other players in his drama: In a postwar Oval Office meeting, Oppenheimer confesses to President Harry Truman (an unrecognizable Gary Oldman) that he feels as though he has “blood on my hands,” but no one in Oppenheimer emerges entirely clean or sullied. For example, the two principal women in the film — wife Kitty Oppenheimer (Emily Blunt) and lover Jean Tatlock (Emily Pugh) —- sometimes act erratically or irresponsibly, but they’re both accorded moments of grace and resolve (with Blunt particularly effective in Kitty’s security-clearance interview). And even the film’s least sympathetic figures — Strauss, security officer Boris Pash (Casey Affleck), interrogator Roger Robb (Jason Clarke), informer William Borden (David Dastmalchian) — largely avoid cartoon villainy: Their motives are scarcely pure, but patriotism (however misguided) and

national interest at least partially inform their actions.

Oppenheimer adopts a similarly nonjudgmental attitude toward the knotty moral questions that it addresses with both thoughtfulness and thoroughness. Were Oppenheimer and his team wrong to build the bomb? Despite his fears of Nazi Germany’s own pursuit of nuclear weapons, physicist Isidor Rabi (David Krumholtz) refuses to participate fully in the project because of his ethical concerns, but he then appears at the Trinity test to lend support. Should both (or any) bombs have been dropped on Japan? The film allows Secretary of War Henry Stimson (James Remar) to make a persuasive case, but Oppenheimer seems of two minds: Hiroshima, yes; Nagasaki, no. Should the U.S. expand the arms race by developing the H-bomb? Oppenheimer adamantly opposes that escalation, but Edward Teller (Benny Safdie) and Strauss provide substantial counterweight.

Some will see the film’s avoidance of definitive conclusions as equivocation or both-sidesism, but it again reflects Nolan’s respect for his audience: Oppenheimer is the rare summer blockbuster that demands our active engagement, not our simple-minded acquiescence. And that’s a far more satisfying kind of thrill.

OPPENHEIMER

DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

BASED ON THE BOOK BY KAI BIRD AND MARTIN J. SHERWIN.

Benny Safdie as Edward Teller, left, and Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer. | MELINDA SUE GORDON © UNIVERSAL PICTURES

FIRE-ISH

Fiyah falls a little short in the Korean BBQ game, but the basics are there

By Douglas Trattner

ONE OF THE HOTTEST trends in dining right now is Korean BBQ. In cities across the country we’re witnessing the proliferation of these one-of-a-kind restaurants, where the interactive, communal cooking experience is attracting diners eager to celebrate in groups. While some mom-and-pop shops still lug around the tabletop burners, increasingly we’re seeing more contemporary restaurants that offer stylish dining rooms and bars, high-tech built-in grills and ventilation, and all-you-can-eat adventures.

One such place has been brewing for the last three years in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. Because it took so long to arrive, the anticipation and expectation levels for Fiyah inevitably were through the roof. When the restaurant did finally open in March, it was beset by scores of negative reviews recounting poor – and, frankly, bizarre – dining experiences.

I waited four months before visiting the restaurant with a group of friends and I’m happy to report that our encounter didn’t match those of the early reviewers. While there definitely is room for improvement, Fiyah does get the basics right. With a few tweaks and additions, it can earn a spot as one of the most lively, enjoyable and reasonably priced culinary adventures in town.

Fiyah features a gymnasium-size dining room with dozens of roomy booths, a bar at one end and glass garage doors that run the length of two sides. The restaurant offers both Korean BBQ and Asian hot pot experiences, but groups need to pick one or the other. All the booths possess built-in grills for BBQ, but the induction burners for the hot pot are limited to the bar. Both are all-you-can-eat arrangements that allow diners to order, cook and eat as much food as they want in two hours or less.

Korean BBQ hasn’t yet reached the level of ubiquity here that it has in larger cities so servers at Fiyah have a larger role to play in the equation. Ours was pleasant and attentive but could have done a much better job walking the group

through the options, ingredients and cooking process. The restaurant has no printed beer, wine and cocktail list so we had to rely on a terse oral rundown of beverages. We landed on the gimmicky but fun soju tower ($39), an 80-ounce tabletop dispenser filled with a blend of soju, beer, mixers and ice. Others are filled with margarita and sangria.

Fiyah’s banchan game is pretty weak. Whereas other Korean restaurants endeavor to cover every square inch of tabletop with small dishes of raw, pickled and fermented items for sharing, Fiyah drops a modest three-section dish per couple. Ours held kimchi, pickled radish and cabbage slaw.

After the grill is turned on and preheated, diners simply order what they want, when they want. The dinner ($29.99 per person) lineup offers more than a dozen different

meat and seafood options, while lunch ($19.99 per person) runs with a smaller selection. Like most AYCE places, food can not be taken home and there is a charge for excessive uncooked items.

We started with small filets of skinon salmon, large head-on shrimp and thinly shaved beef brisket. Our server loaded us up with pristine leaf lettuce, white rice, fried rice and butter cubes for lubricating the grill grate prior to cooking. As the night progressed, we moved on to sliced pork belly, chuck flap, bulgogi, kalbi and strips of spicy chicken breast. Each ingredient was fresh and quick to cook. Marinated items like bulgogi and kalbi tend to sizzle, smoke and spit more than others, but you can expect to leave the restaurant smelling like a line cook. Tables are supplied with separate tongs for raw and cooked meats and scissors to snip large cuts into

smaller ones. The hot-off-the-grill foods get tucked into leaf lettuce with a dollop of ssamjang, rice and kimchi.

The veggie plate is pretty lackluster, consisting of sliced mushrooms, sliced onions and impossible-to-grill broccoli florets. There are no appetizers or side dishes and only one available add-on: ribeye ($15.99).

In the week prior to dining, we placed multiple calls to the restaurant to ask questions and make reservations. The phone was never answered and there was no voicemail option. We never had a problem ordering more food, but the restaurant was only about one-third full.

With respect to all-you-can-eat options, Fiyah offers great value for the price. Print up some cocktail menus, bump up the banchan and sauces, and elevate the level of service, because people are craving social experiences like these after years of subsisting on soulless fastcasual dining.

Photo by Doug Trattner

BITES

Colina, an intimate wine bar and bistro, bound for Larchmere

By Douglas Trattner

ADRIEN AESCHLIMAN, WHO attained success in Baltimore with his restaurants Bottega and Colette, will attempt to do the same in Cleveland. Along with his wife Margaret and chef-partner Stefano Porcile, Aeschliman will open Colina on the western end of Larchmere Boulevard (12104 Larchmere Blvd.). The plan is to have the doors open sometime this fall.

Aeschliman, who is SwissAmerican, met his wife, who hails from Cleveland Heights, in Switzerland. The family moved back to town a couple of years ago. Porcile, who is Peruvian-Italian, was a key figure at both Bottega and Colette.

“We are still formulating the menu structure and identity, while enjoying the process of making a welcoming space,” Aeschliman explains.

What he does know is that Colina will be an intimate wine bar with chef-driven, ingredient-focused small and large plates that will change frequently. Diners can look forward to South American and Northern Italian influences on the menu – a style they are calling “Gaucho Italian.” The double storefront will seat approximately 35 guests in two rooms, one for walk-ins, the other for those with reservations.

“I like small restaurants with a strong owner imprint,” he adds. “We really are trying to avoid the traditional restaurant.”

Aeschliman says that he’s eager to join the Larchmere neighborhood, one that has seen its stock rise in recent years thanks to a bevy of new condos, restaurants and more.

“We don’t want to be perceived as a bougie little spot,” he says. “We want to be very neighborhoody, with the idea that it’s an everyday place.”

La Playa Fresh Seafood Now Open in Gordon Square

Since 2018, Rafael Ayala has welcomed Mexican food fans into his popular Gordon Square restaurant Blue Habanero (6416 Detroit Ave.). Starting this week, he will welcome diners to his latest concept in the same neighborhood as La Playa Fresh Seafood (6410 Detroit Ave.) is now open next door.

For the past six months, Ayala has been converting the former Boiler 65 space into a colorful marisquería ripped from the beaches of sunny Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Throughout the large space are brightly painted high-top tables and stools, palapatopped tiki tables and live palms. On the wall are mounted swordfish, flying dolphins and vintage surfboards from up and down the Mexican coast.

“It’s a fun atmosphere,” says Ayala. “It’s supposed to be relaxed.”

Ayala, who is from Jalisco and spends a lot of time in the surf towns of that state, says that he has been kicking around the idea of importing his favorite cuisine. When he was approached by the St. Helena Church, the building’s landlord, it was a sign that the time was right.

“I’m from Jalisco and we have a really large, diverse cooking style for seafood,” he explains. “I love the food down there and I said, I’ve got to bring this concept to Cleveland. Everything came together when [the church] came and offered this space.”

The seafood-heavy menu will offer Mexican beach staples like ceviche, seafood cocktails, aguachile, steamed shrimp, grilled fish, fried fish and seafood molcajetes.

“We put a lot of pride into our

kitchen,” adds Ayala. “Our chef is from Puerta Vallarta and he’s amazing. It’s all about freshness.”

There will be plenty of beer, vibrantly hued drinks, fun tikistyle beverages and mezcal-fueled cocktails. A DJ will inspire a chill vibe that will extend out to the large patio.

After five years in the neighborhood, Ayala says that he feels confident that he is putting out a product that the community appreciates. With La Playa, he hopes to attract an even wider audience.

“I think we do a nice job from the heart to try to do our best and serve people the right way,” he says. “It shows because we’re busy. People like the food, people like the drinks, people like our atmosphere. This is what we’re trying to bring here, but make it a little more diverse, more inclusive, more fun for everybody.”

Mendel Segal Brings Kosher Dogs and More to Progressive Field

The Cleveland Jewish community scored a huge win this past winter when Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ (20314 Chagrin Blvd., 216-266-0035) opened in Shaker Heights, giving those who keep kosher the gift of real barbecue.

Mendel Segal has taken his talents to Progressive Field, where he has taken over the former “Kosher Dogs” stand behind home plate. Now called Mendel’s Dogs and Deli, the stand offers certified kosher hot dogs and more, which is very meaningful to many in the community.

“It’s a pretty big deal,” Segal explains. “You’re able to give someone who keeps kosher the whole ballpark experience, where they can go to the game, enjoy the classics, and not have to worry about packing food. It’s a whole different experience.”

Starting this past week, visitors to the ballpark can enjoy hot dogs, pastrami dogs topped with housesmoked pastrami and caramelized onions, Polish beef sausages with sauteed peppers and onions, and Reuben wraps.

“We tried to keep it simple and focus on the classics, but my take on the classics,” says Segal.

Kosher hot dogs have an appeal that extends well past the orthodox Jewish community. Kosher dogs have earned a reputation as being a premium all-beef product that diners seek out.

“Pretty much, kosher hotdogs always are going to be a little bit better,” says Segal. “They are more selective about what goes in them and

then, because it has gotten a name for that quality, kosher companies try to live up to that name.”

At games held during the Shabbat and certain Jewish holidays, the stand will be manned by other staffers under a different banner and not be certified kosher.

Campus Pollyeyes in Little Italy Has Closed. Jeff Fisher to Open Salted Dough in Space This Fall

Campus Pollyeyes, the “worldfamous” stuffed breadstick restaurant founded in Bowling Green, has closed its Little Italy location after four months. The attractive fast-casual eatery opened its doors in early March.

But, as they say, one man’s loss is another man’s gain. In this case, the man in the plus column is Jeff Fisher, who made a name for himself at Touch Supper Club and Crust. In 2019, Fisher opened Salted Dough (9174 Broadview Rd.) in Broadview Heights and has been doing brisk business ever since.

Fisher says he’s been approached numerous times to expand here or there, but no opportunity was as appealing as this one. The brand new restaurant, located in the newly constructed La Collina mixed-use property, is a dream fit for the chef’s concept.

“It’s a turnkey operation,” says Fisher. “The kitchen looks like a brand new hospital kitchen. It’s huge.”

Like his four-year-old flagship, the Little Italy Salted Dough (12308 Mayfield Rd.) will offer Fisher’s excellent pizza, but also a broader menu of American and Italian selections. Fisher knows dough, and the pizzas that exit the brick ovens in the rear of the Broadview Heights restaurant look, smell and taste great. They possess the most sought-after attributes in a crust: simultaneously thin and airy; blistered and crisp but chewy; aromatic and keenly topped.

They will be joined by starters like panzanella salads, calamari, and a few new items. Fisher even makes his own tiramisu and gelato.

Unlike Campus Pollyeyes, Salted Dough will be full-service. To accomplish that, Fisher will make some pretty significant design changes, such as installing a bar in one portion of the space.

Look for Salted Dough to open this fall.

Photo via Google Maps

ANTHEMS FOR HOPE

The Revivalists find catharsis on latest album

By Jeff Niesel

SINGER-GUITARIST DAVID

Shaw, who grew up in Cincinnati and spent a few years in Columbus, OH, had been in bands prior to forming the Revivalists in 2007, but he says he knew he was onto something from the moment that he met Revivalists co-founder Zack Feinberg, and the two launched the group.

“There’s something that felt special about it for sure in the sense that me and Zack met when I was singing on my porch, and he was riding by my house on his bicycle and just stopped in his tracks,” he says via phone from his New Orleans home, where he had just passed a physical exam in preparation for a lengthy summer tour that brings the Revivalists to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica on Sunday, Aug. 6. “There have also been other things that make it seem like the universe was whispering in my ear.”

When the band formed in New Orleans back in 2007, the city was still struggling to recover in the wake of Katrina, but Shaw says that meant that artists with limited income could matriculate into town.

“The city was still kind of fucked up, for lack of a better word,” he says. “There’s always an incredible music scene in New Orleans, and that was a time when people came together and rallied around the music. That’s just what we do here. Katrina was devastating, but it put the spotlight back on New Orleans and the things that were happening. Not a lot of people thought, ‘I’m going to go live in that place that’s 20 feet below sea level and just flooded.’ For somebody like me, who was working construction, I could get a job, and I knew the scene was incredible. It felt like a great place to start a career, and I got really lucky in that sense.”

Early on, the band hit the road and toured steadily in the attempt to make a name for itself outside of the Crescent City. Those days were tough.

“We started touring in 2010 nationally, and we were just going to places where we were all from,” says Shaw. “We did ‘transplant tours’. We would go to Ohio and New York and Connecticut and Virginia. We would sleep on our friends’ couches.”

The band would breakthrough with 2015’s Men Amongst Mountains, which featured the infectious single “Wish I Knew You,” a song that shows off Shaw’s supple, soulful voice. The band has recorded and steadily ever since, though the pandemic threw a wrench into the operation. The group used the downtime to write songs for its latest album, Pour It Out Into the Night

“For me, when the pandemic hit, I had a bit of a creative explosion,” says Shaw. “We were able to get off the road, and I could just sit with my thoughts. Anytime you can hug the cactus, as they say, it’s a good thing. We got off the road and had a creative explosion and a lot of the songs started budding up. We had thoughts about what if we couldn’t continue as a touring band. Some of the songs needed to be anthems for hope. They also reflected a new perspective about not taking anything for granted and living in the moment and finding the spirit of now right here and right now. That was central to a lot of the songs. The

album is very cathartic.”

The title track, a song that commences with shimmering guitars and soft vocals as it takes on a psychedelic rock vibe, came about during the height of the pandemic. Shaw would wake up in the middle of the night with terrible anxiety. The only way he could feel good was to go into his studio and start singing.

“That line just popped out,” he says of the tune’s refrain. “While I was doing that, I realized I was ‘pouring it out into the night.’”

The group recruited Grammywinning producer Rich Costey (Muse, Foster the People, Death Cab for Cutie) to handle production duties, and he brings a true immediacy to the tunes.

“We were looking at producers and what we wanted the album to sound like, and [Costey] has produced some of our favorite artists,” says Shaw. “He’s a killer engineer. We talked to a few different people, and we felt like he got us. He understood that we didn’t want someone coming in and imprinting his sound on us. We wanted someone to come in and understand who we are and make it all sound good — mix it well, make it real, keep it raw. That’s what he did, and that’s what we did.”

The band recorded in Vermont in the dead of winter, and Shaw says

he found the frigid weather to be inspiring.

“To many people would sound terrible, but it was this really enchanting walk to the studio through the woods for like a mile,” Shaw says. “It was incredible — nature was a big part of the process and being in that vibe was very calming. When you are connected to that kind of thing, it feels important and just really good.”

As much as many of the album’s songs feature the kind of invigorating pop/soul/rock mix for which the band is known, “Down in the Dirt” comes off as a rather dark and somber ballad that’s like something Johnny Cash might’ve sung.

“I have to give all the credit to Zack on that one,” says Shaw. “He pretty much penned that one. I think I had one word in there. I can’t take any credit. It’s one of the best songs he’s ever written. It’s a really, really special song.”

For the summer tour, Shaw says the setlists will vary, but the energy will be high, as always.

“We’re playing a lot of the new album and peppering in songs from the past,” he says. “Sometimes, the set will be bust-out heavy and sometimes, it’ll be mostly new ones. Sometimes, we’ll throw some covers in there and might even cover a song by the band that we’re playing with. We want to keep people on their toes.” jniesel@clevescene.com t

THE REVIVALISTS, BAND OF HORSES

6 P.M. SUNDAY, AUG. 6, JACOBS PAVILION AT NAUTICA, 2014 SYCAMORE ST. TICKETS: $21-$140, JACOBSPAVILION.COM.

The Revivalists | Alysse Gafkjen

LIVEWIRE Real music in the real world

THU 07/27

Crash Test Dummies

To celebrate the fact that it’s been 30 years since Crash Test Dummies recorded their debut album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me, the Canadian group has embarked on a tour that comes to the Cain Park tonight. The trek follows a successful 25th anniversary tour for 1993’s God Shuffled His Feet Original members Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts and Mitch Dorge will be joined onstage by Stuart Cameron and Marc Arnould. The concert begins at 8 p.m.

14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3000, cainpark. com.

Pop 2000 Tour

During what will undoubtedly be a night of nostalgia for the 2000s, boy bands/pop acts from yesterday,

including BBMAK, LFO, O-Town, Sparky B and Chris Kirkpatrick, perform tonight at 7 at House of Blues.

308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

FRI 07/28

Maggie Rose

Since her breakout a few years ago, singer-songwriter Maggie Rose has shared the stage with artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Heart, Joan Jett, Marcus King, the Mavericks, Fitz & the Tantrums, Kingfish and the Revivalists. Currently prepping a new studio album, she also hosts her own podcast, Salute the Songbird, which is now in its fourth season. She performs tonight at 8 at the Rock Hall. Local singer-songwriter Chayla Hope opens.

1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-5158444, rockhall.com.

SAT 07/29

Gogol Bordello

When Ukrainian-born singer Eugene Hütz came to New York in the late ’90s, he had a batch of songs that encapsulated the “traumas” of his experience as an immigrant. He would eventually form the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello and record some of those tunes, which marked a departure from the noisy punk rock he played in previous bands. Gogol Bordello brings its distinctive brand of gypsy punk rock back to House of Blues tonight at 7. The live show is off-the-rails and highly recommended. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

TUE 08/01

Cavetown

Uniting Cavetown collaborators and

friends, this 12-date tour is a such a special one for his rabid, cult-like fanbase made up mostly of teens, that fans reportedly line up for hours outside venues. One dollar from every ticket sold benefiting his newlyformed LGBTQ+ youth organization, and at each show, a This Is Home tent will welcome local LGBTQ+ youth organizations to connect with fans. Mxmtoon, Ricky Montgomery and grentperez share the bill. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.

2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

WED 08/02

Death Grips

Year of the Snitch, the last studio effort from this experimental punk rock band, dropped in 2018, so you can think of this tour as a way for the band to reintroduce itself. The group’s live show is an incendiary

Singer-songwriter Maggie Rose plays the Rock Hall. See: Friday, July 28. | Jack Guy

affair that will likely translate well on the Agora’s expansive stage. Tonight’s show begins at 8. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

THU 08/03

Los Lobos

Los Lobos introduced its distinctive South-of-the-border sound to American audiences decades ago. A few years back, it even toured to mark its 50th anniversary. The East Los Angeles band returns to Music Box Supper Club tonight at 7:30. The local Latin band the Labra Brothers will open, and the gig will mark the first public show that’ll include all five Labra siblings. 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.

FRI 08/04

Mudvayne: The Psychotherapy Sessions

Last year, this hard rock group embarked on the Freaks on Parade Tour with Rob Zombie, but this summer tour that brings it to Blossom marks Mudvayne’s first headlining endeavor since 2009. The band will be joined by a number of supporting acts, including Coal Chamber, who’ll be performing for the first time in eight years, GWAR, Nonpoint and Butcher Babies. The concert begins at 5:30 p.m. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.

WMMS Buzzard Fest

Nineties alt-rock acts Incubus, Bush, Live and Filter headline this music festival that takes place today and tomorrow at Victory Park Ohio in North Ridgeville. There will also be art, activities for all ages, adventure, education and food. Doors open today at 3 p.m. 7777 Victory Lane, North Ridgeville, 440-954-8703, victorylivefest.com.

SAT 08/05

Zac Brown Band

On tour in support of its latest album, The Comeback (Deluxe), which features re-recorded tracks with rock/ country stars Blake Shelton, James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, Cody Johnson, Jamey Johnson and Ingrid Andress, Zac Brown Band rolls into Canton tonight to play the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The concert begins at 8. Sat: Aug. 5.

2121 George Halas Dr. NW, Canton, 330-456-8207,

profootballhof.com

WGAR Country Jam

Country superstar Chris Young headlines Country Jam, which takes place today at 1:30 p.m. at Victory Park Ohio in North Ridgeville. He’s the most nominated artist at last year’s Academy of Country Music Awards. The concert will also feature the first-ever solo Cleveland concert performance by Brian Kelley, one half of the Grammynominated duo Florida Georgia Line. Gavin DeGraw, Dalton Dover, Tigirlily Gold, Kidd G and Northeast Ohio’s own Mark Leach. 7777 Victory Lane, North Ridgeville, 440-954-8703, victorylivefest.com.

SUN 08/06

50 Cent: The Final Lap Tour Dubbed the Final Lap Tour, this trek will feature 50 Cent reportedly performing dozens of fan-favorite and chart-topping hits along with select tracks that have not been performed live in decades. Plus, the tour will feature support from special guest and longtime friend, Busta Rhymes. The show starts at 7 tonight at Blossom. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.

Happy Together Tour 2023

The latest incarnation of the Happy Together Tour features the Turtles, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett, the Vogues, the Classics IV and the Cowsills. It rolls into MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage tonight at 7:30. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark.mgmresorts. com/en.html.

TUE 08/08

Alter Bridge

Alter Bridge, a hard rock band that formed out of the ashes of arena rock act Creed, brings its tour in support of last year’s Pawns & Kings to town tonight. Sevendust and Mammoth WVH, the group fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of the late Eddie Van Halen, opens. The show starts at 6 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.

2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

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t@clevelandscene

CULTURE

Savage Love

Take Care

By Dan Savage

him to lose the ability to experience pleasure, for the most part. He’s on anti-depressants, but not the kind that impact your libido. How do I lift his spirits and get him to enjoy sex again?

—Blues Clues

:

Q I have a partner of several decades who needs me, as I am his primary caregiver and he’s been going through a prolonged health crisis. But we have been sexless for two decades. There are multiple reasons for that, on both sides, some of which include the fact that I’m just not that physically attracted to him anymore, even if I once was, even if I love him, even if I still feel sexual desire, just not in his direction. I have no interest in renewing our sexual relationship, especially not now, given the condition he’s in. I don’t even know if he’s capable anymore. But I don’t want to give up being a sexual being. I also don’t think he would be open to opening the relationship and allowing me to get my needs met elsewhere. He’s very traditional in that sense, and I’m scared to ask. I think it would break his heart.

Yet, at the same time, he’s kind of getting his needs met via porn, which he hides and he’s very reluctant to talk about, although I understand. Not because I watch or enjoy porn, but because I understand he has needs, and I am not fulfilling them. I guess in his mind it’s different because he’s not engaging in a relationship with someone else, so it’s not cheating. Although I could argue that the amount of hours he spends watching porn and the extreme types he views certainly feels like something close to cheating to me. Not quite sure what I’d call it. I kind of mind when it’s bordering on jailbait and/ or violent situations, I do find those subjects more problematic, but I’m trying really hard not to judge, even when it’s more disturbing to me, because I don’t want to add to his shame. These are just fantasies, and he wouldn’t act on them. He can’t act on them. So, I am trying not to mind, and consider myself grateful that he is getting his needs met somehow, and I’m off the hook.

My question, I guess, is how do I broach the topic that I have needs, too? And maybe get permission to get them met elsewhere without hurting him? I’m not going to leave him. I can’t. That would be cruel. But I don’t want to spend the rest of our lives (and his might not be that much longer) living like a nun.

—Married Or Martyr

A: So, you don’t wanna meet your husband’s sexual needs, assuming he’s still capable of being sexual; in fact, the thought of being sexual with your husband who’s

on his way out — is so unappealing that you don’t even want to risk broaching the subject of sex, MOM, for fear he might get ideas about being sexual with you. But you can somehow risk monitoring the porn your husband consumes, MOM, porn he tries to hide from you (however unsuccessfully), porn you could help him hide from you (by turning a blind fucking eye), and porn you should be grateful he has access to (porn gets you off the hook).

While you were never that sexually attracted to your husband, MOM, at some point you made the difficult transition from sexual and romantic partner — or presumed/default sexual and romantic partner to caretaker. Even people who enjoyed strong sexual connections with their longterm partners sometimes have to make that awful transition, and the sex dwindles away. But sex was never an important part of your marriage and stuck around anyway, and now you’ve taken on profound obligations and responsibilities that transcend sex; you’re not there to get him off, you’re there to see him out. That’s a loving thing to do or it’s a thing that can be done lovingly (some people are monstrous to their dying partners) — and the less resentful you are about the pressures and deprivations that come with being a caretaker, the more loving a caretaker you’ll be.

So, there’s your rationalization, MOM. If discreetly getting sex elsewhere without seeking your husband’s permission — thereby sparing your husband a painful and pointless conversation that would only highlight what never worked about your marriage at the end of his life — will bring you some small measure of happiness, I think you should go ahead and get sex elsewhere. It’s entirely possible your husband is no more interested in having sex with you than you are with him — it’s possible he prefers porn at this stage of his life — but regardless, MOM, your husband didn’t ask for your permission before he figured out a way to take care of his own needs. He did what he needed to do. You should do the same.

P.S. But for the love of Christ, MOM, stop looking at his browser history or dusting his DVD collection or whatever it is you’re doing that forces you to think about the porn your husband is watching. If his porn preferences bother you, there’s an easy fix for that: respect his privacy

P.P.S. I honestly can’t understand why people whose marriages have been sexless for years or decades but who choose to stay together don’t release their spouses from monogamous sexual commitments.

: Q Here’s the situation: I’m involved with someone who is depressed, and I don’t know how to help him. His depression has caused

A: “It can be very difficult when someone you love needs help but won’t get it,” said John Moe, host of Depresh Mode, a podcast that tackles depression with humor and without stigma. “You can only lead the horse to water, right? It’s a tricky move that depression pulls where the disorder sort of builds a protective shield around itself where the person is so devoid of hope and self-regard that they don’t think help is either possible or deserved, when in fact it’s both.”

So, while your partner is already on antidepressants and therefore has sought some sort of treatment, if he’s still struggling with depression — and having no libido can be a sign that someone is struggling — he may not be on the right antidepressants and/or antidepressants aren’t the only treatment he needs.

“When I was at my low point, before diagnosis and before treatment, I didn’t think I was worth getting better,” said Moe. “Finally, my wife said, ‘If you don’t love yourself enough to go see someone, do you love me and the kids?’ I said sure, of course. ‘Then do it for us,’ she said. And I did. The other line I know sometimes works when people don’t want to get help is to just ask how the status quo is working out for them. Like what exactly is so great about the current situation that you want to hold on to? Not so much about sex, really, but getting help can lead to a better mental state where sex becomes more feasible.”

Follow John Moe on Twitter @JohnMoe and the DepreshMode podcast on Instagram @depreshpod.

: Q I’m active-duty military, and my wife is as well. We are apart for now, but she will be where I am in September. I made a huge mistake. I was scrolling on Reddit and came across a subreddit that was intriguing. All I wanted was to get a release through photos. The stranger on the other end asked for my WhatsApp information so they could send me photos. I ended up sending an inappropriate picture back to get a “rating,” and wound up in a blackmail situation after the recipient of my photo threatened to send it to my wife. Obviously, I didn’t want that to happen, so I sent money but this person on Reddit still sent a screenshot to my wife. I told my wife I messed up bad. I feel so angry and resentful towards myself and I’m in therapy now working through my issues. I have an unhealthy relationship with porn and I should have sought out for help before I ended up sending an inappropriate photo to a stranger on Reddit. My wife knew I watched porn, and she was OK with that, but she isn’t OK with this. I love my wife and I don’t want it to end over a single penis picture sent to a

random person. I didn’t seek a conversation or anything else from this stranger. I’m trying to understand and forgive myself. I just feel so much anger towards myself. What can I be doing to earn my wife’s trust back? Was it cheating? I guess my biggest question is, why did I do this?

—Picture Include Consequences

A: You had your dick in one hand and your smartphone in the other — that’s why you sent that pic — but you also sent it because you wanted to feel wanted. Sometimes a married person in a monogamous relationship needs to have their desirability affirmed by someone who isn’t their spouse; sometimes we need to hear we’re hot from someone whose job it isn’t to tell us we’re hot. People used to get that need met by strangers in hotel bars or people they briefly interacted with at work — people used to get that need met in ways that didn’t create a digital trail — but nowadays we get that need met online. So, instead of flirting with someone you were never going to be in the same room with again, PIC, you connected online with someone you were never going to be in the same room with ever. Was it cheating? Well, I wouldn’t consider it cheating, PIC, but I’m not your wife.

As a general rule, I think monogamous couples should define cheating as narrowly as possible. Touching someone else with your dick? Obviously, that counts. Flirting with a stranger you’re never going to meet in person? I don’t think that counts. If we want monogamous marriages to survive routine temptations, online and off, I think we need to round things like this — not just what you did, PIC, but what you got caught doing — down to stupid-but-forgivable rather than rounding them up to cheatingand-unforgiveable.

But again, PIC, I’m not your wife. Once the woman you married gets past her initial shock and anger, I would hope she could see that you were the victim here — the victim of your own poor judgment, but also the victim of an online sociopath and a victim of revenge pornography. You shouldn’t do that thing where you’re so theatrically angry with yourself that your wife feels manipulated into comforting you. You need to let her be angry, you need to apologize to her, and then, when things calm down a little, you can talk about what you actually did. You flirted with a stranger, which is something your wife has probably done herself, and that stranger turned out to have an ulterior motive and a vindictive streak… and the dick pick you were stupid/horny/needy enough to send them.

If your wife can forgive you for flirting with a stranger like this, then this marriage can be saved. If she can’t, then this marriage — and any future marriage your wife might enter into — is probably doomed.

Send your burning questions to mailbox@ savage.love. Podcasts, columns, and more at Savage.Love!