Cleveland Scene - April 24, 2024

UPFRONT

CAVS DOWNTOWN TRAINING FACILITY DESIGN APPROVAL STIRS EXCITEMENT FOR RESIDENT ACCESS TO THE RIVERFRONT

IN DECEMBER 2022, WHEN Bedrock announced its plans to build a $3.5 billion neighborhood south of Tower City on the riverfront — currently home to a sea of parking lots— the local public collectively gasped: Finally Clevelanders could have close access to the Cuyahoga south of Downtown.

Friday morning, the lofty ideal of that Cuyahoga Riverfront Master Plan came a lot closer to actualization. The Cleveland Planning Commission gave thumbs up to the schematic design of the Cavs/Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, what’s likely to be the first piece of construction on the northern edge of the river.

Besides fanfare around both having a new clinic outpost and a Cavs training facility not sequestered in a faraway suburb (see: Independence or Berea), a lot of the buzz generated among stakeholders and CPC members at Friday’s meeting tilted repeatedly towards what that facility means for the land around it.

In other words, seeing people on the river’s edge, instead of mostly unused car storage.

“The activation of this space is the most important part for me,” CPC Chair Lilian Kuri said at the meeting. “And the way that people are going to feel alongside this is setting a high bar for the many things Bedrock is doing—and piece together a continuous public realm.”

That phrase—public realm!— came off the tongues of everyone present, and was reflected in the more detailed schematics of how and why the Center would be built as designed.

For starters, as architects from the firm of Populous demonstrated in a 122-slide powerpoint, the 155,448-square-foot glassy barge of a building would be nestled up some twenty feet from the Cuyahoga in the Flats South area. An 11-foot cycle track, and road

and sidewalk, would link visitors with nearby West 3rd St. and Eagle Avenue, the latter including a newly-built bridge connector to the front door of the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Ontario. (And the future Downtown Memorial Loop bike lane.)

Along the north and east sides of the building, some 123 trees— hickories, red oaks, hemlocks— would be planted. Sun benches and parklets will dot the sidewalks. And, to be kind to actual river traffic, a kayak drop-in area will be dug close to the Center’s main entrance.

As for the facility itself, inside its timber-toned and glassy exterior will be offices for admins and physical therapists, a weight room, laundry area, team storage and showers. On the second floor, practice courts for players. And on the third, a “cardio balcony” running track and an outdoor half court.

The whole design, Populous Global Director Jonathan Mallie said during the presentation, is meant to act as much as a public beacon as it is a private training home for the Cavs roster.

“It’s not often the case we as architects can work on a site like this,” Mallie said. “We needed to have a building with presence, one that will be on the waterfront, and will become an icon to the city.”

But what about the actual team? In an interview before the meeting, Cavs CEO Nic Barlage told Scene that the spot for the Center, a ten-minute walk to the city center, was in part driven by the players’ interest. The average age of today’s team, Barlage used as reason, is 27. The average age of 2016 Finalsera Cavs? 33.

“I mean, around that age—early, mid-thirties—players are having families, and, like other families, choosing to find a house in the suburbs,” Barlage, who lived downtown for a combined six-anda-half years, told Scene.

Today, he added, “players want more of a destination.”

Though the buzz about saying bye bye to that ugly industrial wasteland and sea of parking lots ran high, some CPC members, like Erika Anthony and August Fluker, had concerns there could be more congestion than foreseen.

“We’re trying to put five pounds

of stuff in a two-pound bag,” Fluker said. “In congestion, these things happen. And we have to make an attempt to deal with it.”

The CPC is likely to produce an update to its previous Cuyahoga Riverfront Master Plan sometime this summer or fall, Director Joyce Huang said. With design approval, the Center itself could see a build start later this year, or early 2025.

– Mark Oprea

Pressure Mounts on Bibb for Hire of Former Roommate Accused in Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit

The City of Cleveland has a new Senior Public Safety Advisor in town— former D.C. Police detective, Phillip McHugh—despite allegations of him violating an elderly couple’s civil rights and falsifying police reports, which led to McHugh being the center of a federal civil rights lawsuit back in 2015.

Mayor Justin Bibb hired McHugh in January with a starting salary of $124,000. News 5 Investigators recently reported not only his involvement

Photo courtesy Populous

in the lawsuit but the fact that McHugh was Bibb’s former college roommate.

Members of the Cleveland NAACP and City Council members are concerned about the precedent McHugh’s hiring sets for the city, and how it could impact the safety of Cleveland residents.

“[This] tells me that the [Bibb] Administration is very tone deaf in this racially charged policing environment,” says Kayla Griffin, the president of the Cleveland NAACP, “and that our consent decree and prioritizing, fulfilling it and getting from under it is not in the forefront of their mind.”

According to the lawsuit, a Black, elderly married couple, Vashti and Eugene Sherrod, were involved in a car accident in the District of Columbia. The other driver, a white woman, made a false police report accusing Vashti Sherrod, who was 75 at the time, of threatening her with a gun after discussing the accident. The lawsuit states that McHugh was aware that the report was false but continued to lead a search warrant for the Sherrods’ home.

No gun was found on the property.

“If he could do that to a 70-something-year-old grandmother, I really fear how he would approach our young, Black men who are just navigating and being.”

The lawsuit was settled and McHugh wasn’t found liable.

At last Monday’s City Council meeting, both Richard Starr and Kevin Conwell spoke about the controversy.

“We are in the middle of a consent decree,” Conwell. “What kind of message is the mayor, he’s in leadership, is sending his safety forces? Because we don’t want to violate people’s civil rights, and then you bring him in?”

Starr added, “This administration is telling us who they are as well as who they value and respect, and we’d be fools not to believe them.”

The Cleveland NAACP is demanding the immediate termination of McHugh with a petition, which so far has gathered more than 230 signatures. The group seeks to explore solutions beyond meetings and media talking points if the demand is not met.

“We are still under a consent decree. We still have a police monitor. We still have a citizen review board. There are other options, and this is not a fight

that will just easily go away,” says Griffin.

In a lengthy statement from a spokesperson, the city defended the hire.

“Mr. McHugh has dedicated his life to public service. His resume reflects continuous advancement, and he has received several commendations, honors and awards throughout his career including as Officer of the Year, two United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Awards for Public Service, and a Life Saving Award for his successful negotiation with and physical rescue of a suicidal youth from a freeway overpass.

“The administration is aware that Mr. McHugh was a party in a lawsuit stemming from a criminal investigation he conducted in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office nearly ten years ago in Washington, D.C. All claims made against Mr. McHugh were dismissed with prejudice prior to the disposition of the matter and there was no finding of wrongdoing by the court or Mr. McHugh’s former employer. Throughout his career, there has never been a sustained finding related to Mr. McHugh’s bias or integrity.

“The city conducted a thorough search for the Senior Advisor for Public Safety and Mr. McHugh was identified as the most qualified candidate for the role. He brings a unique set of experience, knowledge and new ideas to the city.” – Jala Forest

Cleveland City Council Hesitantly Approves More Money to Fund Lakefront Study

Back in September 2022, spirits were high at City Hall upon the selection of James Corner Field Operations—the New York starchitects who created the High Line—to design the makeover for the long-neglected lakefront.

The price tag for their help? $500,000, the city said in their agreement.

Come last November, the Cleveland Planning Commission and the Finance Department realized that number wasn’t going to stick: Field Operations, as the firm’s now known, urged the city to consider lumping the plans for the proposed landbridge south of the main site in the final bill. That extra cost, they said, would be $400,000.

Or, as City Council framed the city’s current ask for more

dollars—a big oops!

“There’s the appearance that [Field Operations] came in and bid low to get the work, and then said, ‘Actually, the work we’d said would cost you a nickel will cost you ten cents,” Chief Finance Officer Ahmed Abonamah told Council’s Finance, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee on Monday afternoon. “I just want to reiterate that that is not what happened here.”

Although Council approved City Hall’s now nearly $1 million budget for the firm they’re relying on to shape Cleveland’s North Coast, a type of tsk tsk tension was palpable in the room. While city officials packaged the larger bill as necessary for the landbridge build, and the downgrade of the Shoreway, councilmembers saw the ask for more money as an opportunity to weigh in with their own two cents.

That is to say, If we’re giving you more money, why aren’t we more involved in this thing?

In the same tones found in Councilman Brian Kazy’s call in early April to pressure the Haslams to keep the Browns Stadium where it is, several members on Monday questioned Abonamah and Planning Director Joyce Huang as to why they, and their constituents, weren’t kept more abreast of Field Operations’ design goals.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one who got emails, gotten calls, you know, from residents questioning about the shoreline. And they still have questions!” Ward 8 Councilman Michael Polensek said. “But I’m just wondering, is there any effort in this process for your consultant to come in and interview council members? What their thoughts and what their opinions are?”

In his commentary, Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones echoed Polensek’s fervor.

“Don’t want to hear it out here on this table, but I’m very deeply concerned—I’m concerned for a number of reasons,” Jones told Huang. “As my colleagues stated earlier, City Council is to be engaged and involved with this piece [of legislation], minding how significant, important it is going to be to the city of Cleveland.”

“Keeping me in the loop,” he added, “is going to be important.”

As for Huang, who’s helped helm public surveys and forums on the North Coast Master Plan since late 2022, the planning director held high the unity between the

landbridge and the actual site. Of course, a lot of this hinges on whether they’re designing around a football stadium or whether the Haslams decamp for Brook Park.

A good chunk of how and when the Field Operations plans become reality lies in the lap of Scott Skinner, the head of the brand new Waterfront Corporation created last month to guide the North Coast Master Plan from eye-catching rendering to actual waterfront attraction.

Skinner, who was present but did not speak at Monday’s meeting, told Scene beforehand that actualizing the Field Operations’ design lies in building up in a kind of piecemeal approach. Extend Mall C. Construct the bridge. Build apartments. Build ... a marketplace?

Though Skinner refused to comment directly on the $400,000 ask, he suggested this bit-by-bit tactic is how Cleveland can finally, finally, finally get its waterfront done.

“All of those are discrete transactions that contribute to a larger vision,” Skinner told Scene, “but it also makes it makes easier to look at and to think about how it’s actually going to happen.”

“You know, one bite at a time,” he added.

But is the lakefront enough of a gem, a sales asset? Plenty a portion of Downtown Cleveland has been retouched in recent years, from Public Square to Perk Park and East 12th Street. Yet, especially in the dead of winter, those spaces have failed to draw the foot traffic their initial designs had promised.

And of course, there’s Cleveland’s love-hate relationship with lakefront plans, which Skinner, even just four weeks into his post, is very well aware of.

“Cleveland’s been through a number of master plans, a number of different visions, so [Lake Erie] clearly will not sell itself,” Skinner said. “We have to play a big part in that, and that’s part of my job.”

But it’s going to happen?

“It will,” Skinner said.

As Huang suggested to Council, the final draft of the Field Operations’ vision for a reimagined public space along Lake Erie should be released to the public by summer. – Mark Oprea

FEATURE

A FLAWED SYSTEM

For a handful of lawyers in Cuyahoga County, juvenile cases are big business

By Doug Livingston and Rachel Dissell, The Marshall Project

This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook.

THE JUVENILE COURT system is supposed to ensure that young people accused of crimes have legal representation, even if their families can’t afford a lawyer.

But in Cuyahoga County, some courtrooms resemble hiring halls for favored attorneys who get hundreds of assignments yearly, while others get none.

According to the most recent year of invoices submitted between October 2022 through September 2023, the juvenile court paid at least 60 attorneys to represent hundreds of children accused of crimes. Of those, judges steered more than two-thirds of the work to just 10 of the lawyers, according to a Marshall Project - Cleveland analysis of the most recent case data and state reimbursement filings.

Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court’s system of handpicking attorneys to represent children and parents appears to flout national best practices, state guidelines and the court’s own rules.

For more than a year, community advocates have worried that the lop-sided appointments contribute to the high number of mostly Black children from Cuyahoga County ending up in adult prisons.

Attorneys who sign up to take cases say there’s often no rhyme or reason to assignments or that favoritism has created a selfreinforcing system that advantages a select few attorneys.

“Across the state, in too many places, the judiciary is more involved than they should be,” said Amy Borror, an expert in youth defense with The Gault Center, a national advocacy organization formerly known as the National Juvenile Defender Center. “And it sounds like Cuyahoga is kind of a shining example of that.”

The Marshall Project - Cleveland examined the juvenile court’s appointment system and found that a single attorney, William Beck, handled one of every eight assignments given to private lawyers who represent kids accused of crimes.

Beck, a lawyer in private practice, collected over $123,000 in one year on more than 150 cases defending kids accused of crimes. On top of that, judges put Beck on about 250 more assignments for other types of cases, bringing his total annual earnings to more than $292,000.

Although state rules require county courts to regularly review their appointment systems, Cuyahoga County’s Juvenile Court does not. The Marshall ProjectCleveland matched local court data with thousands of state invoices that detailed payments over one year to private attorneys who represented children accused of crimes or adults in cases of child abuse, dependency or neglect.

The analysis found that two judges fed Beck and some other top attorneys most of their assignments.

Some attorneys made more in a year than the roughly $160,000 salary of the judges.

Just four attorneys handled a third of the court’s abuse, dependency and neglect case assignments.

“In the day-to-day operations of a court our size — one with 500 employees and that hears thousands of cases each year — sometimes elements get overlooked or missed until they are discovered,” the court’s administrator, Tim McDevitt, said in response to The Marshall Project - Cleveland’s findings.

“Though we stand behind our appointments, we understand how it may appear, and appearances matter.”

McDevitt responded to The Marshall Project - Cleveland on behalf of the court’s six judges.

Court administrators said attorney quality and availability matter more than evenly distributing assignments. The officials maintain that there are too few qualified, experienced attorneys willing to take complex juvenile court cases and spend every day in court. By leaning on a small group of reliable attorneys, the court says it keeps cases moving, reducing the time children spend locked up or in the county’s custody.

However, in response to questions from The Marshall Project - Cleveland, the court said that it now plans to modify how cases are assigned by the end of the year and create a new position to implement and monitor the new process. The court did not detail the planned changes.

How the appointment process works

Each year, private attorneys apply to take cases of children accused of crimes and parents at risk of losing custody of their kids, or assignments as guardians representing the best interests of children in both types of cases.

Court officials said that judges, magistrates, bailiffs and court staff all can pick attorneys — it varies in each of the six courtrooms — but the judges sign off.

The court’s rules say attorneys should be picked in alphabetical order from a list of trained and qualified attorneys except under unique circumstances — or to keep cases moving.

But ultimately, court officials said the choice boils down to one thing: judicial discretion.

“Docket speed is incredibly important,” the court said in its explanation of why some attorneys are called on routinely.

For example, three of the highest-earning attorneys — Beck, Paul Daher and Mark Schneider — collectively received more appointments on cases handled by Judge Jennifer O’Malley or her magistrates than the court’s other five judges combined.

Relying on the availability of attorneys who are already assigned

Daniel Lozada for The Marshall Project

Three attorneys collectively received more assignments from Judge Jennifer O’Malley, left, or her magistrates than the Juvenile Court’s other five judges combined. Judge Thomas F. O’Malley, left, has defended the use of appointed attorneys in public meetings. The two people are not related.

to cases “means fewer continuances, which decreases time in detention and custody, and reduces ‘wasted’ docket time, which allows all cases to be resolved faster,” McDevitt, the court’s administrator, said.

And the pool of available attorneys is shrinking. When asked to re-submit their qualifications this year, only 57 of 95 lawyers reapplied.

Looking for clear answers

Greater Cleveland Congregations began scrutinizing the juvenile court’s appointed counsel system more than a year ago.

The non-partisan group of more than 30 congregations and organizations grew concerned about Cuyahoga County leading Ohio in sending kids to adult court — a process called a bindover. More than 90% of the children were Black.

In community listening sessions with parents and teens, two concerns surfaced: potential overcharging by prosecutors and poor legal representation by “public pretenders” — slang for free attorneys who don’t put up much of a fight.

“This was an issue nobody was looking at,” Keisha Krumm, lead organizer and executive director said. The group learned that Cuyahoga County was unique among bigger courts in Ohio. Instead of giving most cases to a local public defender’s office, the judges relied a lot on private attorneys.

“We were like: ‘Why is that?’” Krumm said. “And we could not get any clear answers.”

Krumm said the group didn’t jump to conclusions on outcomes in bindover cases. But they did learn that some assigned attorneys weren’t qualified, and that county-employed public defenders seemed to have a better record of keeping children out of the adult system. In December, a report by a criminal justice reform group detailed these flaws. At the time, the court refuted the findings.

“There’s harm that is happening. It is hard to pinpoint,” Krumm said. “We are calling attention to something that has long been like this, and we are trying to call attention to it and chip away at it. There’s a reason they are fighting to keep it the way it is … There are clear winners and losers. The assigned counsel are winning and the kids are losing.”

Judges should not be making the appointments

For more than four decades, the American Bar Association has said

court appointments should not be made by judges to ensure attorneys are loyal to their clients and not the people giving them work.

The Gault Center’s National Youth Defense Standards released in February disapproves of appointing lawyers “merely because they happen to be present in court at the time the assignment is made.”

Court officials called the best practices non-binding and only advisory.

“The way it works right now is if you’re a lawyer and I (as the judge) know you, all you have to do is be at the door, and I’m just going to keep

feeding you cases,” said Richard Gibson, a Case Western Reserve University law professor and senior pastor at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Slavic Village. “And that begs the question of whether the system is fair, because at some point you’re not going to press against me (the judge) because I’m feeding you cases.”

County courts have latitude but rules to follow

The Ohio Supreme Court does give local courts “a good bit of discretion over its operations, and

appointment of counsel is a local decision,” a spokesperson wrote in an email.

Some counties have created taxpayer-funded public defender offices or hired non-profit legal aid groups. Cuyahoga County uses a mix of public defenders and private attorneys who sign up to take cases.

Last year, the court agreed to assign public defenders to more delinquency cases after the county public defender argued his office was underutilized and pointed out “wildly inconsistent” practices by the different judges and magistrates.

Daniel Lozada for The Marshall Project

Attorney Bill Beck, center, steps out of a hearing at Cuyahoga County’s Juvenile Court. With more than 400 appointments annually, Beck gets most of his assignments from judges and magistrates on this floor.

For a county to be reimbursed for paying private attorneys, the juvenile court must follow state rules that adhere to the Ohio Supreme Court standard of distributing assignments “as widely as possible.”

Those rules include:

• Using a “rotary” system that matches attorney expertise and qualifications with the severity and complexity of cases.

• Making assignments that are independent from the influence of judges and elected officials.

• Tracking assignments, attorney qualifications and each time attorneys turn down appointments.

In the year ending October 2023, Ohio reimbursed Cuyahoga County about $3.7 million for private attorneys assigned to juvenile cases. The payments come through the state public defender’s office, which also reimburses the county for local public defenders. The state covered an unprecedented 100% of costs for indigent defense during the pandemic and currently covers 85%.

“The current rates are unimaginably huge,” said Borror, who worked 13 years as legislative liaison and deputy director at the state defender’s office. “And that

large Ohio counties differs from Cuyahoga County in two ways: judges and magistrates rarely directly appoint attorneys and courts stick to a rotation.

In Franklin County, juvenile court cases are first assigned to the public defender’s office. If there’s a conflict, a court assignment clerk distributes the cases to vetted private attorneys. Several attorneys sign up to sit in court for half of a day, ready to take cases and quickly meet clients.

Only under rare circumstances, like a client needing a Spanishspeaking attorney, would a judge or magistrate get directly involved.

“We are committed to not having attorney steering,” Rebecca Steele, chief of the office’s juvenile unit. “It’s a fair system …Fair to the attorneys and fair to the clients.”

When there are conflicts or all its attorneys are at capacity, the Public Defender’s office in Hamilton County assigns delinquency cases to the next name on a list of private lawyers qualified to handle the criminal charges.

Attorneys aren’t “beholden to judges” if the public defender’s office manages the appointments, said Angela Chang, who directs the office’s youth division.

gives the state, I think, a whole lot of leverage to encourage counties to meet state standards.”

The Public Defender Commission is set to discuss the local court’s use of assigned counsel at its March 22 meeting. If the commission decides the court broke the rules, it would have at least 90 days to fix violations before losing reimbursements.

Assignments flow to a handful of attorneys

The Marshall Project - Cleveland heard from more than a dozen attorneys eligible to take juvenile cases in Cuyahoga County.

In general, most attorneys are aware that the court, for the most part, doesn’t use the list it keeps to pick attorneys for assignments.

The busiest attorneys said that they roam the halls or wait outside the courtrooms for a bailiff or clerk in desperate need of an attorney to represent a child in the detention center arrested hours earlier. Others said staff from certain courtrooms send out text message blasts or emails to groups of attorneys looking for assignments.

Beck earns more than any attorney on the appointed counsel list. He regularly bills the court for

six-day work weeks, and sometimes Sundays, too. That’s in addition to his work as the regional vice president and chief legal counsel for a local title agency.

“Honored” by the amount of work he receives, the former juvenile prosecuting attorney and probation officer would not directly answer questions about how he juggles so many cases or why 70% of his assignments come from just two of the court’s six judges.

“Credit must be given to the thoughtful Judges that remain focused on assessing the needs of each case and ensuring that the most skilled professionals are called upon to protect the rights of all those in need,” he said in an email.

In response to The Marshall Project - Cleveland’s questions, court officials said that Beck is experienced, competent, reliable and, unlike most private attorneys and all of the public defender’s juvenile defense lawyers, African American. “For some cases and some families, his race is not a trivial consideration,” the court said.

Cuyahoga County’s process deviates from Ohio’s other juvenile courts

The process for picking attorneys for juvenile court cases in two other

“Granting case assignment responsibility to the Public Defender does not make the process less political — it just shifts it to an unelected office that is not answerable to the voters,” administrator McDevitt said.

“Additionally, judges are ultimately responsible for ensuring that youth and families have the best representation available.”

That doesn’t mean there aren’t other places where best practices and state rules aren’t followed. In Summit County, children with delinquency cases are mostly represented by nonprofit legal defenders. But in cases where there are conflicts, there’s “no set rotating system” and bailiffs assign the private attorneys, a court spokesperson said.

Other attorneys see a political process

Many attorneys say no matter how much you hustle, case assignments boil down to friendships, politics, campaign donations — or even sharing an alma mater. When asked by reporters, attorneys could easily name the attorneys who got the most cases.

“It could be any number of things, but favoritism, nepotism and

In one year, the court paid at least 60 attorneys to represent children accused of crimes. Of those, judges at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court steered more than two-thirds of the work to just 10 of the lawyers.

cronyism come to mind,” said one attorney who had received only a few appointments after a year on the list.

In Ohio, it is legal and common for attorneys to donate politically to a judge’s campaign, even judges who assign them cases. Some — but not all — of the attorneys who get a high number of appointments donated.

When Judge Jennifer O’Malley first ran for election in 2018, two top-earning attorneys — Mark Schneider and Christopher Lenahan — donated the maximum amount of $600 and later got a significant number of assignments from her.

At a fundraiser that year, Administrative Judge Thomas F. O’Malley got maximum contributions from only four donors — Paul Daher, Schneider, Lenahan and his wife. The three lawyers got nearly a third of appointments approved by the judge, who has defended the court’s assignment process in public meetings.

Other judges got top-dollar contributions from either Lenahan, Daher, Schneider, Mattes or Beck, who gives less frequently.

Floyd, the only judge to give more cases to public defenders than private attorneys, got nothing from the top five attorneys, except for $200 from Daher.

Daniel Margolis, a seasoned attorney who practiced in juvenile court for years, rejoined the appointed counsel list last year after a hiatus for health reasons. In that time, Margolis said he hasn’t gotten a single call about a case. That could be because he hasn’t gone down to the court to schmooze, he said. Or because some judges and magistrates prefer to appoint attorneys who aren’t aggressive and don’t file as many motions and “can be counted on to move the docket and not make a fuss.”

Funneling cases to a few attorneys deprives others of gaining experience, several attorneys said. Some questioned how attorneys who get hundreds of cases could possibly give each the attention it deserves.

“In too many instances, I visit youth (in the detention center) who have almost no contact with counsel until a few days before the hearing,” said Pastor Gibson, who has served as president of the juvenile court’s advisory board, “and even that contact was, well, limited.”

Uncomplicated cases — an unruly case or probation violation — shouldn’t take long to resolve, most attorneys agreed. But serious crimes should take more time, and a defense attorney who is willing to do whatever is necessary. That is

particularly true with cases where children can be transferred to adult court and face prison time.

“If they know that they have to stay in the good graces of the judge… their job isn’t to make the court’s job easy,” Borror said. “And often, when defense attorneys do a really good job as far as zealously representing their client, as far as zealously investigating cases, they muddy things up and they make judges and prosecutors and everybody else’s jobs harder, but that’s actually what they’re supposed to do.”

How we analyzed juvenile court data

In order to study how private attorneys are assigned cases in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, the Marshall Project - Cleveland collected data from three sources.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender, which reimburses counties for court-appointed lawyers, provided data through September 2023 about invoices, also called fee bills, which detail what attorneys billed the county and the type of cases they took.

The fee bills identify lawyers by their registration numbers, which we merged with an Ohio Supreme Court database of attorney licensures. Judges are identified on the handwritten fee bills, but it took state officials weeks to physically scan them for just a handful of the top attorneys.

So, we requested from the court a simple list of case numbers and the judges assigned to them. Using unique case numbers, we matched the attorneys to the judges who appointed them.

We limited our analysis to cases of delinquency — or kids accused of crimes — and child abuse, dependency or neglect. Almost 13,000 fee bills from 2020 through 2023 were matched with case assignments listing judges. We took a closer look at roughly 5,655 fee bills reimbursed in the 12-month period ending September 2023, the most recent data available.

The totals we captured are a modest undercount. Less than 4% of cases could not be matched to an assigned judge and were excluded from the analysis out of an abundance of caution.

LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

scene@clevescene.com

t@clevelandscene

STOCKER ARTS CENTER

Gregorian: Pure Chants

April 16 – 7:00 PM

Eight classically trained English vocalists have never failed to bring their audiences to their feet… multiple times… at every show!

Robin Spielberg

April 25 – 7:00 PM

Hailed as one of America’s most popular contemporary female pianists/composers and one of the most expressive pianists of our time.

Dave Banks Big Band and USO

Variety Show

May 7 – 7:00 PM

With live music spanning seven decades, ranging from 1940s swing, to the ABBA, this show will be something everyone will enjoy!

www.stockerartscenter.com

440-366-4040

1005 North Abbe Road Elyria, Ohio 44035

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

WED 04/24

Amadeus

Peter Shaffer’s award-winning parable about the famous composer comes to the Outcalt Theatre, where performances continue through April 28. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30. 1407 Euclid Ave, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Guardians vs. Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox looked to improve their pitching rotation during the offseason by adding former Guardians starter Lucas Giolito. Whether that will be a big enough improvement to get them back into the playoffs remains to be seen. The Red Sox play the Guards today at 6:10 p.m. at Progressive Field as part of a three-game series. 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb. com/guardians.

THU 04/25

An Evening with Phil Rosenthal of Somebody Feed Phil

The creator, executive producer, and host of Somebody Feed Phil, one of Netflix’s most popular food and travel shows, comes to the Ohio Theatre tonight at 7:30. 1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Sleeping Beauty

Cleveland Ballet presents this version of the classic story of a cursed princess who can only be awakened by a kiss from a prince. Today’s performance takes place at 10 a.m. at Connor Palace, where performances continue through Saturday. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

TommyInnit

Tonight at 7 at the Agora, this comedian, a British YouTuber and Twitch Streamer with 50 million subscribers across all platforms, talks about how he turned success on YouTube into a lucrative career. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

FRI 04/26

Always... Patsy Cline Patsy Cline’s friendship with fan Louise Seger started in 1961 and continued until Cline’s death. This humorous and heartfelt tribute features 27 songs

and many of Cline’s unforgettable hits such as “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Walking After Midnight.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Hanna Theatre, where performances continue through May 19.

2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Fred Armisen: Comedy for Musicians but Everyone Is Welcome

The co-writer and co-star of IFC’s Emmynominated series Portlandia, which he created alongside actress and musician Carrie Brownstein, Fred Armisen can also play the hell out of the drums. He brings his concert and comedy tour to the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights tonight at 7:30 and 10:15.

2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs.

Ronny Chieng

A standup comedian, actor and correspondent on The Daily Show, Ronny Chieng brings his Love To Hate It Tour to the Mimi Ohio Theatre tonight at 7. 1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto David Afkham conducts the Cleveland Orchestra tonight at Mandel Concert Hall as it plays selections by Unsuk Chin, Rachmaninoff and Bartók. Guest pianist Beatrice Rana will perform as well. The concert begins at 7:30 and performances take place tomorrow and Sunday too. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

Silkroad Ensemble

Tonight at 7:30 at Finney Chapel in Oberlin, this classical ensemble will perform with several special guests, including pipa player Wu Man, flutist and vocalist Nathalie Joachim, and Pura Fé, a Tuscarora/Taíno lap-steel slide guitarist and vocalist. The program will draw from folk and ancestral music of Japan, China, Armenia, Ireland and the Hebrides and from native populations across North America.

90 North Professor St., Oberlin, 440775-8269, oberlin.edu/conservatory.

SAT 04/27

An Evening with Steve Treviño

Famous for his funny comedy specials such as I Speak Wife and Simple Man, Steve Trevino comes to the MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage tonight at 8.

10777 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7625, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com.

SUN 04/28

Jokes on You

Inspired by crowd work clinicians like Dave Attell, Ian Bagg, and Big Jay Oakerson, Jokes On You makes the audience the center of the show by “pushing comics to avoid prepared material or written jokes and instead focus on organic interaction with the audience,” as it’s put in a press release about this event, which takes

place tonight at 7 at Hilarities. John Bruton and Jimmie Graham host the event.

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

MON 04/29

Baldwin Wallace Musical Theater — Senior Showcase

For six months, Baldwin Wallace Musical Theater seniors will have created and rehearsed an original theatrical production designed to showcase each student in front of Broadway casting directors and agents. Tonight at 7 at Beaumont School Theater in Cleveland Heights, they’ll put on a performance for the general public.

3301 North Park Boulevard, Cleveland Heights, 216-292-9700, bw.edu.

TUE 04/30

Company

Directed by three-time Tony Awardwinning director Marianne Elliott (War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Angels in America) this new production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical comedy centers on a 35-year-old single woman who struggles to find a stable relationship. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where performances continue through May 19.

1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Comedian TK Kirkland performs at House of Blues. See: Friday, May 3. | Courtesy of Live Nation

WED 05/01

Shitshow Karaoke

Local rapper/promoter Dirty Jones and Scene’s own Manny Wallace host Shit Show Karaoke, a weekly event at the B-Side Liquor Lounge wherein patrons choose from “an unlimited selection of jams from hip-hop to hard rock,” and are encouraged to “be as bad as you want.” Fueled by drink and shot specials, it all goes down tonight at 10 p.m. Admission is free.

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

THU 05/02

Lang Lang Plays Saint-Saëns

Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Cleveland Orchestra and pianist Lang Lang makes a guest appearance for this concert featuring Saint-Saëns’s most popular piano concerto. The performance begins at 7:30 tonight at Mandel Concert Hall, where another performance takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

FRI 05/03

An Evening with Alan Ruck

The Succession actor appears tonight at 6 at the Agora for a screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the 1986 film that helped launch his career. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

Guardians vs. Los Angeles Angels

Even though the Los Angeles Angels lost superstar Shohei Ohtani to free agency this past offseason, the team still has perennial All-Star Mike Trout on its roster. Trout and his Angels come to Progressive Field tonight at 7:10 for the start of a three-game series. 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb. com/guardians.

TK Kirkland

When rapper 50 Cent needed a comic for the video release of his hit record “Window Shopper,” he called upon TK Kirkland, a guy who’s known as the “gangsta of comedy.” Kirkland has worked as a host on BET’s Mad Sports and appeared numerous times on Comicview. Given the breadth of his work, Kirkland is clearly comfortable on stage and has a natural ability to sustain a conversation. He performs tonight at 6 at House of Blues. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

SAT 05/04

Ingenuity Bal: Flights of Fancy

There will be live music, DJs and dancing at this annual Ingenuity Cleveland fundraiser. Bassel and the Supernaturals will headline, and aerial acts will perform as well. The evening includes small bites and hors d’oeuvres, hand-mixed beverages with craft spirits by Watershed Distillery and Goldhorn Brewery, handson demonstrations from IngenuityLabs Incubator Members and sneak-peeks at inprogress festival installations. it all begins at 7:30 p.m. at Ingeunity Labs. 5401 Hamilton Ave., 216-589-9444, ingenuitycleveland.org.

SUN 05/05

Amy Chu and Daryl McDaniels

Today at 2 p.m., Heights Libraries will celebrate the intersection of hip-hop and comics with comic writer and publisher Amy Chu, Run-DMC founder and comic publisher Darryl McDaniels, local artist John G of Shiner Comics and Cleveland rapper Phyll Thomas. A full afternoon of programs will take place at the Coventry Village branch with a virtual conversation with Chu and McDaniels followed by an interactive snack-focused comic workshop with John G called One Page Comic Workshop: Snack Stories. 1925 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-3400, heightslibrary.org.

MON 05/06

Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers, a team that’s still rebuilding but started the season by winning more games than they lost, visit Progressive Field tonight for the start of a three-game series against the Guardians. First pitch is at 6:10. 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb. com/guardians.

TUE 05/07

Neil deGrasse Tyson

The superstar astrophysicist returns to the State Theatre to “explore the perennial mismatch between collective expectations of where we should be in space by now and the geopolitical, cultural and economic realities that limit it.” Tonight’s talk takes place at 8. 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

scene@clevescene.com

t@clevelandscene

FOR SIMPLICITY’S SAKE

At Pizzeria Uciuni in Old Brooklyn, a barber and self-taught pizza maker has no phone, but does have delicious pies

By Douglas Trattner

PEOPLE DISCUSS PIZZA differently than they talk about pasta, smash burgers or matzo ball soup. From message boards to social media, the dish comes with a healthy dose of zealous online debate.

The latest circular obsession percolating through social media hails from a spartan storefront in Old Brooklyn. Cleveland’s newest “best pizza” is open just four days a week, has no phone and accepts only cash, goosing the narrative even more. Nobody is more surprised by all the pie-eyed attention than Pietro Maniaci, who opened Pizzeria Uciuni about six months ago.

“It blows my mind,” says Maniaci, clad in a white shirt and newsboy cap.

Maniaci has been a barber for most of his life, but his true passion is pizza. Oddly, though, he’s only been making it for about a year. Stranger still: he’s never sampled the style of pizza that he endeavors to emulate.

“I’ve never been to New York,” he confesses. “I’ve never had New York pizza. I don’t know what it’s supposed to be like. I’m assuming that this is what New York-style is, but I don’t know.”

Maniaci has made the rounds of Cleveland’s other “best pizza” joints. He also watches videos about New York pizzerias and their products. But mainly he judges his own success by watching the reactions of those who eat it.

“I watch people’s faces,” he says. “I watch them taste it before they leave and judge by their eyes.”

Pizzeria Uciuni is small, spare and sparsely equipped, with Maniaci working unaided in the open kitchen. He glides from the pizza prep table, where he stretches and tops the doughs, to the hulking Blodgett deck ovens. Since orders

must be placed in person, one might expect interminable waits for pizzas. But the owner works briskly, with most orders ready in about 10 minutes.

“The only people who have walked out were the ones who looked at the menu and think it’s too expensive – and I have no problem with that.”

The name “Uciuni” is a sort of Italian portmanteau referring to a pizza’s cornicione, or outer crust. Maniaci sticks with convention by going with a slow and cold 3-day fermentation, but he eschews predictable products like imported flour, cheese and tomatoes.

“My big three, I didn’t want them imported,” he says. “I want domestic flour, Wisconsin cheese, and these tomatoes from California.”

Grande mozzarella from Wisconsin is the gold standard for New York-style pizza, providing the ideal taste, texture and melting quality. Maniaci’s sauce is simply, purely uncooked tomatoes with a touch of salt. The owner does import finishing cheeses like ParmigianoReggiano and Pecorino Romano. He also swears by Sicilian oregano.

When you’re dealing with dough, perfection is more aspiration than

PIZZERIA UCIUNI

reality. The 1980s-era ovens deliver inconsistent heat, requiring the owner to shift the pies from spot to spot or fiddle with the rig’s baffles. When the bottom crusts begin to darken, he’ll transfer the pies to a screen to prevent overbrowning. Summer’s heat and humidity promise to introduce a whole new host of complications.

“People ask me, are you happy with it and I say, I’ll let you know if that happens,” he says coyly. “I’m content, I don’t know if I’m happy with it. But I will be. I’m close, I’m close.”

When my pies exit the oven, they are allowed to rest for a few moments before going into the boxes and getting cut. I eat slices of each – a margherita ($18.50) and a white pie ($21) – in the shop while chatting with the owner. The crusts are thin, crisp, tender and evenly browned, with none of the leopard spotting you’d see on a Neapolitan-style pie. Maniaci’s margherita is textbook, with crust, sauce, fresh mozz and basil melding into a classic New York bite. I find white pizzas often

are excessively creamy and cloyingly sweet, but these are a delight, with just a whisper of garlic cream sauce. The pie is garnished with crispy bits of fried garlic.

Asked about the no-phone situation, the owner answers in his characteristic bullshit-free manner. “I don’t have a phone because I can’t answer it. I don’t have the time. The pizza would suffer.”

In addition to social media, people find out about the pizzeria at the barbershop and by word of mouth. Along with discovery and minor notoriety comes the inevitable scrutiny from the masses. Bring it on, says Maniaci.

“If I get a bad review, I’m okay with it as long as it’s the truth,” he says. “If I make everybody happy, I’m doing something wrong. There’s gotta be people that don’t like it for one reason or another.”

Photo by Doug Trattner

BITES

Aurelia in Chagrin Falls to close, Brad Friedlander to revive Moxie in space this summer

By Douglas Trattner

AFTER NEARLY SIX YEARS in business, Aurelia (16 North Main St.) in Chagrin Falls will be closing its doors at the end of April. Owners Diane and John C. More — along with chef-partner James Balchak — transformed the former North Main Diner (and Dink’s) into a gracious, unpretentious farm-totable restaurant that stood out in a very challenging market.

“After five and a half wonderful years of operating as a family enterprise, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the community and our loyal guests for their unwavering support,” said the Mores in a statement.

But the space won’t be empty for long: The Mores have opted to sell the business to Michael DuBois and Brad Friedlander, who already have plans of their own.

As he did with Lopez, also in Chagrin Falls, Friedlander will be dusting off an old brand by bringing Moxie out of retirement. That popular Beachwood bistro closed five years ago this month after a laudable 22 years. Since it opened in the late-1990s, Moxie had operated as Cleveland’s unofficial culinary school, turning out heavyweight chefs like Doug Katz, Karen Small, Tim Bando, Eric Williams, Jonathan Bennett, John Kolar and others.

“I opened Moxie in 1998, and it quickly emerged as a standout in the Cleveland culinary landscape, as well as being named by Esquire Magazine as one of the best new restaurants in the country,” notes Friedlander. “Ever since its closure in 2019, patrons have continually asked about their favorite dish or recipe, and we are thrilled to be able to bring it all back

Friedlander and DuBois will be re-opening Moxie in a different decade, in another city, in a new space, and with a dissimilar crew. The through lines that connect past and present, says management, are

the seasonal menus, from-scratch cooking, high-quality ingredients and elevated guest experience.

Aurelia chef James Balchak will be staying on, as will the bulk of the current restaurant’s staff.

Following the closure of Aurelia at the end of April, the space will be readied for a June opening for Moxie. Diners can expect a refreshed interior with some Moxielike décor touches.

Mendel Segal of Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ to Open Kosher Italian Restaurant at Eton Chagrin in Woodmere

“I am going out of my comfort zone on this one,” says Mendel Segal, a man who made his name on the kosher barbecue circuit.

Early last year, Segal opened Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ (20314 Chagrin Blvd., 216-266-0035) in Shaker Heights – a northern expansion for the restaurateur who also once owned and operated Mendel’s Backyard BBQ & Brew in Miami.

Next up for the “rabbi pitmaster” is a higher end Italian restaurant in Woodmere, specifically the Mabel’s BBQ space at Eton Chagrin Boulevard. When it opens in late summer or early fall, the restaurant will offer a full roster of Italian favorites like salads, wood-fired pizzas, housemade pastas and fish. What it will not sell is chicken, beef, lamb or, obviously, pork.

“Being kosher, a dairy place can’t have meat and a meat place can’t have dairy,” Segal explains. Therefore, he adds, the restaurant

will serve as the perfect complement to his barbecue eatery for Cleveland’s kosher-keeping diners.

“I’ve had this idea for a while,” he says. “This is one of my favorite cuisines as a consumer. I’ve become mildly obsessed with Neapolitanstyle pizza. I’ve discovered that there’s a big hole in the market.”

The centerpiece of the “modern Tuscan” restaurant will be a unique Fiero Forni wood-burning pizza oven from Italy. Segal’s model will be a rotating oven that has one opening on the kitchen side, where the pies will be tossed, topped and loaded, and a second opening on the dining room side, where the pies will be removed, finished and plated.

Segal says that as a barbecue master, he feels a certain kinship with Neapolitan pizzaiolos.

“I’ve spent some time with Neapolitan pizza makers and I felt a very similar connection with that process,” he notes. “They are all about fire and literally like three ingredients. To get your best results you need to keep it simple and you really have to master your techniques.”

Segal is calling his new eatery Fiamma, which is Italian for flame.

While a meat-free Italian restaurant might seem like a challenge for a chef, Segal is used to finding replacements in vegetables, grains, pasta, fish, seafood and, naturally, cheese.

Mabel’s customers will find a completely different vibe when they return to the space, says Segal. He’s going for a more upscale feel, hipper atmosphere and lively bar scene.

“This should be the nicest kosher place between New York and Chicago,” he asserts.

Angie’s Soul Cafe to Open at Superior and East 123rd in Cleveland

Akin Affrica will open a new Angie’s Soul Café location at Superior and East 123rd. It’ll be the fourth Angie’s property – and the second to go into a former Hot Sauce Williams restaurant. The first opened at Carnegie and E. 79th back in 2020.

“This is a historical location because it used to be a Hot Sauce Williams restaurant,” Affrica explains.

The building at 12310 Superior Ave. had been vacant for a handful of years. Prior to that it was home to Gusto’s Seafood & Chicken.

When it opens in June, the restaurant will offer the full roster of Angie’s comfort food classics, including fried chicken, smothered pork chops and baked chicken and dressing. Those items will be available for carryout only, however. The restaurant will be open seven days a week.

Affrica has been busy since opening the last Angie’s on Carnegie. He went on to open the Cleveland Breakfast Club and Vegan Club restaurants at Shaker Square, and late last year he bought back both Zanzibar Soul Fusion properties (Shaker Square and Downtown). He sold them to another operator in 2017.

Photo via Google Maps

MUSIC

FUNKY STUFF

Eclectic singersongwriter Alex Cuba embraces a range of music styles

By Jeff Niesel

SINCE MOVING FROM HIS native Cuba to Canada in 1999, singer-songwriter Alex Cuba has accumulated a number of significant awards and built his musical resume with guest appearances and production credits. He just won his first Grammy, and that award follows four Latin Grammys and two Canadian JUNO Awards.

The songwriter behind half of the Spanish language album by Canada’s Nelly Furtado, Cuba also recently paid tribute to Carlos Santana at the 24th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards alongside the Black Pumas and Juanes and has collaborated with Latin artists such as Pablo Milanés, Lila Downs, Leonel García and Cimafunk. Most recently, Cuba was recognized as writer and producer on a track Omara Portuondo’s Latin Grammywinning album, and he delivered a rousing Tiny Desk performance, something he describes as one of 2023’s highlights.

“To be completely honest, I had expected to do [the Tiny Desk series] a lot sooner in my career, but I was grateful it happened,” says Cuba via phone from a Canadian studio where he was doing some recording prior to embarking on a spring tour that includes a Wednesday, May 1, stop at the Cleveland Museum of Art Transformer Station. “It’s quite the thing. You have to change the way you play. It’s a tiny place, and you have to play super quiet. You’re there, and you go, ‘Really? This is what it is.’ Some musicians go there and break down. They’ve been dreaming and then they realize you need to play differently. But it was an amazing experience. My fans around the world loved it.”

Cuba grew up in Cuba and immersed himself in music at a very young age. He joined his father’s

jazz group of 24 guitarists and toured the globe with them, learning from his father’s “encyclopedic knowledge of Cuban music.”

“I had a pristine youth,” he says. “I compare it now to where I am, and I can’t help but to feel very lucky. All of the conditions were there for me to naturally grow into music and harvest what it takes to be a musician. I had opportunities that a lot of people don’t have today.”

Even at an early age, Cuba, whose music draws from rock, funk, jazz and pop, embraced a wide range of musical styles. At age 11, he saw Michael Jackson perform on TV, and the experience was life-changing.

“Life was changed from that point forward,” he says. “To this day, I don’t know how Cuban TV put Michael Jackson on TV. Maybe someone made a mistake and was fired the next day. I’m very grateful. All of a sudden, I heard [Jackson]. it was so impactful that I ended up learning how to dance like Michael, and I started dressing up like Michael, so I could look like Michael. Music started calling inside of me.”

At age 14, he saw someone playing an electric bass and decided he just had to have one.

“I saw this instrument for the first time in my life, and I said to my dad, ‘What is that? I want one,’” he recalls. “My dad was a teacher at a house of culture. It’s a music

center where they teach all forms of art to kids for free. It’s an amazing program. My father knew there was an electric bass there that nobody was interested to play. He got it for me. That’s when life when got interesting. I went into jazz, jazz fusion, rock, blues, punk. I closed myself in my room and never saw the sunlight again.”

He’s exaggerating, of course, about never seeing the sunlight again, but at that time, he also started writing his own songs and channeling those influences into his music.

His career took another turn when he got married and moved to Canada, where he began his career as a singer-songwriter based in Smithers, BC. His solo debut, Humo De Tobaco, earned him a Juno award for World Music Album of the Year in 2006. Cuba as steadily recording and touring when the pandemic hit in 2020. Unabated, he recorded at home in 2021. The resulting album, Mendó, took home the 2022 Grammy for best Latin Pop Album. It was Cuba’s fourth nomination and first win.

The album kicks off with “Hablando x Hablar,” a funky tune that finds Cuba collaborating with the Grammy-nominated Cuban

musician Cimafunk.“It was super meaningful,” Cuba says of the Grammy win. “I have won four Latin Grammys before, but in the music world, the ‘American Grammy’ as we call it, is the Holy Grail. We’re always aiming for that. It happened when I least expected it. I recorded the album in the middle of the pandemic by myself in my living room. I didn’t have a studio. We added all the guest vocalists and horns that we did in Cuba.”

Last year, Cuba released his most recent album, El Swing Que Yo Tengo. With its thick bass grooves, the title track really shows off his love for funk.

Cuba says he looks forward to returning to Cleveland and is a fan of the Rock Hall. And if the Johnny Cash bus is on the plaza and open to the public, he’ll be the first in line.

“I love Cleveland,” he says. “I’ve been there to check out the Rock Hall, and the last time I was there, I really wanted to jump on Johnny Cash’s tour bus, but they wouldn’t let me do it.”

jniesel@clevescene.com

ALEX CUBA| Alvaro Nates White

LIVEWIRE Real music in the real world

THU 04/25

Angela Perley

Singer-guitarist Angela Perley, who put together the terrific alt-country act Angela Perley & the Howlin’ Moons in 2009, has since just performed as Angela Perley as the lineup of her backing band has changed. She shares tonight’s bill at the Beachland Tavern with Handsome Jack. The music starts at 8. 15711 Waterloo Road, 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

FRI 04/26

Richard Bona

Guitarist Richard Bona developed an early love for jazz after listening to the music of Jaco Pastorius as a youth. His career really took off when he moved to New York in 1995 and became Musical Director for the late Harry Belafonte. He performs tonight at 7:30 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center.

1855 Ansel Road, 216-368-6062, case. edu/maltzcenter/.

Atmosphere performs at House of Blues. See: Sunday, April 28. | Dan Monick

Todd Rundgren

The experimental singer-songwriter famously dismissed the Rock Hall before he was inducted and then snubbed the Rock Hall when he was inducted in 2021. And yet, he remains hugely popular in Northeast Ohio. He returns to the area tonight to perform at 7:30 at the Goodyear Theater in Akron. According to the club’s website, the show is sold out.

1201 East Market St., Akron, 330-6597118, goodyeartheater.com.

SAT 04/27

Judas Priest

In the wake of a 50th anniversary tour and their recent Rock Hall induction, Judas Priest comes to town tonight as part of a lengthy tour in support of the new album, Invincible Shield. A song like the hard-rocking “Panic Attack” features wailing guitars and Rob Halford’s searing vocals. Tonight’s show starts at 7:30 at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown.

229 East Front St., Youngstown, 330746-5600, covellicentre.com.

Erin Viancourt

Country singer-songwriter Cody Jinks recently signed this rising Cleveland-bred singer-songwriter to his Late August Records. Coproduced by Viancourt and Kyle Dreaden, Won’t Die This Way finds Viancourt exploring “Should’ve Known Better” the kind of introspection that eludes most singersongwriters. Viancourt erforms at 8 tonight at the Beachland Ballroom. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

SUN 04/28

Atmosphere

Last year, the hip-hop duo Atmosphere released the Talk Talk EP. The tunes emerged during a recording session for the title track, which originally appeared on last year’s So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously. The duo also made their early 2000s mixtape Sad Clown Bad Dub 2 available for the first time ever. On tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary, the duo performs tonight

at 7 at House of Blues. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

Royel Otis

Grammy Award-winning producer

Dan Carey produced the terrific debut album from Royel Otis, and the group’s melodic pop has really caught on. Its cover of Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” has become a viral hit. Expect to hear it when the band plays tonight at 8 at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs.

TUE 04/30

The Struts

Known for his Freddie Mercury-style moves and onstage bravado, frontman Luke Spiller brings his glam rock band the Struts to House of Blues tonight. The current tour supports last year’s Pretty Vicious, an album that features Aerosmith-inspired rockers such as “Too Good at Raising Hell” and modern pop songs such as the title track. The

group performs tonight at 7 at House of Blues.

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

WED 05/01

Breland

“Heartache & Alcohol,” the latest single from Breland shows off the singersongwriter’s ability to draw from both R&B and country as he effectively raps and croons his way through the somber tune. Expect to hear it tonight when Breland performs at 7 p.m. at House of Blues Cambridge Room.

308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583.

THU 05/02

Drake White

Country singer-songwriter Drake

White is a survivor. In August 2019, he collapsed on stage due to a hemorrhagic stroke, the result of Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM), a brain condition he had been diagnosed with early that year. Doctors told him that he might never perform again, but he has defied the odds and has continued to tour and record. He comes to House of Blues tonight at 7. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

FRI 05/03

Brent Cobb

This talented country/Southern rock singer-songwriter brings his Livin’ the Dream Tour to House of Blues Cambridge Room. The trek supports last year’s Southern Star, a low-key album of twangy tunes that show off his soft vocals that he delivers with a bit of a drawl. Gentle tunes such as “It’s a Start” and “Kick the Can” show off his sensitive side without coming off as sentimental. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

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

Vibe in Color 7

The local group Vibe & Direct, which just released the jazzy new single, “Sunday Driver,” will headline the seventh iteration of its concert series, Vibe in Color 7. This year’s event will also feature a multi-stage audiovisual experience that includes performances from national acts EarthCry and Future Joy alongside DJs and bands from the Northeast Ohio area. The show begins at 8:30 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom.

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

SAT 05/04

Cheekface

Since forming in Los Angeles in 2019, this prolific indie rock act has released four studio albums, two EPs, and one live album, all on singer-guitarist Greg Katz’s own label. The band’s latest album, It’s Sorted, features They Might Be Giants-like synth tunes that revolve around nasally vocals. The group performs tonight at 7 at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood. Yungatita opens. 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-5213280, mahalls20lanes.com.

SUN 05/05

An Intimate Evening with David Foster & Katharine McPhee

Sixteen-time Grammy award winning writer/producer David Foster performs songs that he wrote or produced during this show that pairs him with singer-songwriter Katharine McPhee. Tonight at 7:30 at MGM Northfield Park, the two will perform tunes such as Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love,” Whitney Houston’s “The Bodyguard” and Earth Wind and Fire’s “After the Love Is Gone.”

10777 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7625, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com.

Ty Segall

The indie singer-songwriter performs tonight at 8 at the Beachland Ballroom as he brings his tour in support of his new double-album, Three Bells, to town. The album’s off-kilter tunes such as “The Bell” and “I Hear” evoke ’70s acts such as Crosby, Stills and Nash and David Bowie while embracing a modern lo-fi approach. Sharpie Smile opens the show.

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

MON 05/06

Stiff Little Fingers

The Irish punk band’s tour celebrating the 45th anniversary of its debut album, Inflammable Material, comes to House of Blues tonight at 7. Dubbed Hate Has No Home Here, the tour takes its name from the title of one of the band’s new singles, an anthem with driving guitars and snotty vocals that should translate well live along with the group’s other incendiary tunes. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

scene@clevescene.com

t@clevelandscene

SAVAGE LOVE

MASK 4 MASK

By Dan Savage

I’m a cis gay man in Canada. Other than my supportive enby partner of five years and a few close friends, most people in my life don’t know that I’m a fetish content creator. My stuff delves into the foot porn/macrophilia (love of giants) space. I don’t make enough to live off, but it’s a good side hustle; I earn enough to help with bills and groceries. Plus, creating this content has resulted in meeting people with the same paraphilias and fantasies that I have. Being a kink content creator has many more pros than cons and it allows me to share my sexual interests with willing and understanding people — which is a great thing, as my combination of fetishes is pretty rare. I do all of this faceless. Save for the handful of times I’ve posted a glimpse of my face on my OnlyFans account, I’ve never shown my face on public platforms. I am selfemployed, so I don’t have to worry about my boss finding out and firing me, since I am my own boss. But the “internet is forever” and I fear repercussions if I change careers in the future. How best to navigate this?

Fearful About Coming Employment Situation

“The internet is forever,” said Aaron, a 30-year-old gay man and BDSM content creator. “I see news articles every week about people losing their jobs after someone sent their OnlyFans account to their employer.” Which is why Aaron and his fiancé John, a 25-year-old gay man who shares his love of bondage, both wear masks in the videos they post on their joint JustForFans account. “Until we live in a world where no one is shamed for their sexual interests and what they choose to do in our free time,” said Aaron, “showing our faces is not worth the risk to our careers or to our relationships with friends and family.”

The couple had been posting short bondage clips on Twitter before the pandemic hit and then — like a lot of people stuck at home during lockdowns — they decided to get on OnlyFans.

“At the time we figured, ‘Why not,’” said Aaron. “People seemed to like the stuff we enjoyed posting for free and anyone who wanted to see more of us could subscribe and we might make some money doing what we love.” Aaron and John promised each other that they would stop if creating content started to overwhelm their sex life. “But four years later, we’re still sharing our kinky faceless content and it has not only broadened our exploration in the world of kink, but — just like FACES — creating and sharing fetish content has led to many wonderful IRL connections.”

Some fans have begged Aaron and John to show their faces — a few have offered to pay them more if they remove their masks — but their reasons for remaining

anonymous are sound, FACES, and may resonate with you.

“The extra money is a huge perk — we earn between two and three thousand dollars per month — but it’s not consistent money,” said Aaron. “For example, our original Only fans account was pretty short lived. The company’s stance on porn changed one day, and suddenly all our content was banned for being ‘extreme,’ and that money disappeared. We’ve also been suspended from Twitter after posts got reported as ‘violence’ by people who don’t understand consensual BDSM. So, unless FACES has some other means of support besides his foot porn and macrophilia content, putting his face out there for the sake of a little extra cash that may or may not be there next month probably isn’t worth it.”

For the record, not all of Aaron and John’s fans hate their masks.

“We each wear a particular mask while filming,” said Aaron, “and to our surprise, some of our subscribers have started to fetishize the masks we wear. Now we’ve got people asking where they can buy masks and hoods like the ones we wear in our videos!”

Normally I share the socials and/or links to my guest experts’ websites here. But Aaron and John wanted to remain masked in the column.

I’m a 45-year-old gay man in a monogamous relationship. It’s the best relationship of my life. My partner and I have decided to become fluid bonded. (A term you probably haven’t heard in years!) However, he has a conditioned called hypospadias, and I’m wondering whether it is something we need to factor into our decision to have condomfree sex. He has an extra hole near the head of his cock. It’s like he removed an enormous Prince Albert, and the second hole remained open. It’s weirdly hot. But this second hole is very wide and uncovered by foreskin when he’s hard. So, I’m worried if he fucks me without a condom, he could be at heightened risk of infection. Or worse, could he get santorum in there?

Hoping Our Love Endures

Your boyfriend’s condition — let’s not call it a disorder — puts him at greater risk of urinary tract and bladder infections, which occur when harmful bacteria creep up the urethra. Cis women, due to their shorter urethras, get UTIs and bladder infections more often than cis men. So, with that bonus hole effectively shortening your boyfriend’s urethra, he should take the advice cis women are giving to prevent UTI/bladder infections: piss immediately after sex — well, not immediately after (he might wanna withdraw first) — and maybe take a quick shower or an even quicker whore’s bath just to be on the safe side. As for santorum, i.e., “the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex,” douch before your boyfriend fucks your hole, HOLE, and you won’t get a visit from the disgraced (and disgraceful) senator.

I’m writing because I feel lonely and wrong. Short story: I’m a thirty-something

Italian lesbian and I’ve broken up with my lover of nine years because there have been too many dicks involved — including the dick of a good friend (ouch!) — and while I’ve tried to let her be free to do whatever she wanted because I deeply love her and I want her to be happy, I’ve realized that it’s too much for me. Polyamory isn’t really an option for me. We have a deep and strong relationship, with a lot of love and sex, and we constantly helped each other and our views about life are very similar. I don’t want to lose all of this, but I can’t see a solution. She needs to go in a direction I can’t go. So, I have decided to set her free, but I’m suffering so badly. One thing — one of the many things — that I can’t get out of my mind is being told that only liking girls was an “illness” and that I was missing out on half of humanity. But I can’t help liking women. Am I so wrong? After all of this, I feel totally empty and not right at all, badly alone. My self-esteem is so low right now and I worry about being sad and lonely for the rest of my life because I am not open to polyamory and have no interest in the other half of humanity. I know who I am and what I like but everything seems really confused and confusing.

love dick as much as she did: you wanted monogamy, she wanted the freedom to fuck anyone she wanted — including good friends without having to take your feelings into consideration. Even if you were sexually compatible, which you weren’t, you were romantically incompatible.

Utterly Gutted Homosexual Exiting Relationship Suddenly

It’s normal to feel sad and lonely after breaking up — I would be worried if you didn’t feel sad and lonely right now — but you shouldn’t feel bad about your sexual orientation. If you have the bandwidth to feel anything else right now, UGHERS, you should feel angry at your ex-girlfriend.

Not wanting to fuck all of humanity doesn’t mean you’re missing out on half. I’m sure there are lots of men in your life you like and one or two you love. You love your dad, UGHERS, maybe you have brother or two you love, and friends, neighbors, and coworkers who are men that you like very much. While I’m exclusively attracted to males, I loved my mom and I love my sister and I have friends, neighbors, and coworkers who are women that I like very much. Nothing about being romantically and sexually attracted to one sex exclusively — in your case or in mine — means we’re missing out on half of humanity. It was manipulative, disrespectful, and unkind of your ex-girlfriend to blame the conflict that doomed your relationship on your hard-wired aversion to dick and love of pussy. And it’s not like things would’ve worked out if you had somehow come to

So, you had a good run, you had some good times, you tried to make it work, but it wasn’t going to work out — you were never going to happy — and you called it. Basically, UGHERS, you reached that tipping point where staying with someone causes more pain than moving forward without them. But unlike the slowly accumulating pain of staying, the pain moving forward without someone — the pain of dumping someone you wanted to be with — comes crashing down on you all at once. But trust me: that pain becomes more bearable with every passing day, every late-night phone call to a friend, and every letter you send to an advicecolumnist. In a year or two you may be able to reconnect with your ex and enjoy the kind of loving friendship so many lesbians have with their exes — it’s the lesbian superpower but you need time away from her for now. And don’t make the rookie heartbreak mistake of waiting until you feel like you’re completely over your ex before you start dating again. When you feel like you’re almost ready, UGHERS, you’re ready.

P.S. For the record: Most men have dicks, most dicks have men but not all men have dicks, not all dicks have men; most lesbians aren’t into dick, some lesbians like it fine; most gay men are into dick, not all gay men require it; bisexuals exist and they’re valid; homosexuals exist and they’re valid; straight people exist and don’t require validation, etc., etc., etc.

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