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CONTENTS JUNE / JULY 2018
08
06 Making it Big
24
Def Jam Promoter Big Heff talks about the state of hip-hop in Cleveland.
08 Step Inside The Innerspace
The story behind the forced closure of the People’s Temple.
26
12 The Rib Cage Smokehouse
Dine with the PressureLife team.
14 Punchlines + Pom Poms
Mary Santora, the definition of “Crushing It.”
16 Automatic Weapons
22
06
Two Cleveland music veterans blaze a new path in modern times.
22 Concerted Efforts
Gearing up for PressureFest, we talk to the concert experts.
28
24 Surviving in Silence
True stories of human trafficking in and out of Cleveland.
14
26 Amit Majmudar Sings His Godsong
A modern translation of the Bhagavad Gita from Ohio’s first poet laureate.
28 Mike Sobeck: Pizza Genius
Meet a local artist whose focus is on the thing you've let find it's way down your gullet.
30 A Matter of Opinions
Five easy steps to forming an opinion (and where to stick it when you’re done).
FOLLOW US Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Instagram @thepressurelife
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A Few Words About
PRESSUREFEST covering local art, food, and music in Cleveland, we’ve decided to bring it all together and take it to the streets. By streets, we mean Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, specifically.
TO CELEBRATE OUR THREE AMAZING YEARS
We invite you to join us at PressureFest, a one-day festival taking place at The Foundry, The Symposium, and The Five O’clock Lounge that staterts at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. What can you expect to see there? We have 30-plus bands and comedians scheduled to perform well into the night and the street will be lined with local food trucks and vendors. All the performers were handpicked by the staff of PressureLife, and many of these articles have made appearances in past issues. Thanks to the versatility of our lineup and other fun festivities, the first-ever PressureFest promises to have something for everyone, from the underground hip hop of Young Lordz to the abrasive thrash of Iron Bison. Please come and join us for PressureFest this August and see all that our amazingly unique city has to offer.
Help us celebrate our city at PressureFest Saturday, Aug. 18. You can pre-order tickets at pressurelife.com/fest
PRESENTED BY
SPONSORED BY
PL: How do you find new artists?
Making it Big Def Jam promoter and music entrepreneur Quincy “Big Heff” Taylor on Cleveland's hip-hop scene Gennifer Harding-Gosnell Photography // DeMayne Earvin
Q
uincy Taylor, known as “Big Heff,” has spent nearly 20 years quietly building a career that now reaches up to the royalty of rap music. Born in Chicago and raised in Cleveland, Taylor still keeps a home here when he’s not traveling for his work as a music promoter and scout covering the Midwest for Def Jam Records. He’s also a radio show host, a cofounder of the Ohio Hip-Hop Awards, a mentor for high school students, and co-author of Making It in the Midwest: A How-To Guide to Be Successful in Music, published last year. He was recently part of the Sons of St. Clair documentary screening at the Cleveland International Film Festival with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. He’s also the recipient of several recent awards for his work, including accolades from Epic Records and the Ohio Entertainment Awards. Taylor is soft-spoken, polite, and thoughtful in ways you don’t anticipate from someone who can rub shoulders with the likes of rap music moguls like Jay-Z and Paul Rosenberg, but that’s probably why even big shots like them like him. Big Heff regularly hosts music events in Cleveland—showcases, industry mixers, promotional events, speeches,
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lectures, and programs for at-risk youth interested in the music industry, including the Toyz N Da Hood drive that gave away toys to hundreds of kids in two locations this holiday season.
QT: A lot of them are referred to me through people I trust with music. A lot of DJs will refer artists to me that they feel have the potential to go to the next level. Once I get a hold of them, I create a platform for exposure. I have a DJ crew called Nerve DJs. We have 1,500 DJs around the country that help build artists. I’m also in touch with a lot of websites and blogs. I like to create a story on an artist and build them up that way. The transformation to music streaming, torrent systems—they’re a good dose of activity that attract fans. I want to create a fanbase where they’re with us from the first single all the way through to the twentieth album, creating a path that our artists and our music can stay on for a long time.
PL: What is it about you personally—your character, your personality—that you feel has helped you become so successful? I want to create
Taylor was recently in a fanbase where town at Anatomy NightQT: Just being honest. they’re with us club + Ultralounge with Honest with myself, first his Streets Most Wanted of all. I’m very humble, from the first Tour, a recurring travreligious, and just putsingle all the way eling hip-hop showcase, ting work first so we through to the with this lineup featuring can produce the results twentieth album. Cleveland artist Uncle that make success. Not Paulie. Taylor sat down just having an idea, but with PressureLife writer working to roll that idea Gennifer Harding-Gosout. It’s always been a nell before the showcase to talk about the bit less sleep and more work, but a lot of current state of hip-hop in The Land: what makes success is result-driven, goaldriven. I stay focused. I don’t get deterred PressureLife: What do you think Cleveland’s or surround myself with negative energy. rap music scene does well, and what needs Publicists, management—it takes a team improvement? effort to make an artist successful and I’m always team-oriented.” Quincy “Big Heff” Taylor: Cleveland rap artists are famous for adding melody and harmony into the music, from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Kid Cudi and MGK. Now with some of the newer artists like 55bagz, Q Money, and Ray Jr.,that helps us develop bigger and broader fan bases across the country. What needs improvement? I want to see more structure, that we’re able to support more of these artists with a wider variety of media platforms so we can keep that consistent fan base for these artists so they receive all the support and the attention they deserve.
For word on upcoming showcases and events in Cleveland, follow Big Heff on Instagram and Twitter @bigheffmidwestfresh / @BigHeff.
Pressure Picks Upcoming Events to See
Chris Redd
June 14-17 // Hilarities
Against Me! & Murder by Death June 22 // Agora Theatre
Welshly Arms
June 27 // Public Square
Unison
June 30 // Foundation Room
Bert Kreischer
July 19-20 // Hilarities
RoverFest
July 21 // Black River Landing
Attila
July 22 // Agora Theatre
Ween
July 24 // Agora Theatre
PressureFest
Aug. 18 // 5 O’clock Lounge The Symposium - The Foundry
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Step Inside the
INNERSPACE The story behind the forced closure of one of Cleveland’s most popular DIY art venues. Kevin Naughton
If
you were lucky enough to have attended a movie night or another event held by The Innerspace, you know it specializes in screening obscure, bizarre films and staging elaborate multimedia events that had a deeply immersive quality quite unlike anything in the city. However, after operating successfully for five years at the “People’s Temple,” as the building was known, the popular DIY art space was raided and shut down by Ohio City officials early this year.
Jake Griswold started The Innerspace, a label he uses for all his events, as a weekly movie night where he could show films he felt were overlooked by other theaters in the city; films that are weird, radical, and controversial. “I threw these events because no one else was,” he explains. “Movies I want to see on the big screen are never going to be played on the big screen unless I do it.”
Jake Griswold’s Film Philosophy GRISWOLD DESCRIBES THE MOVIES he likes to show as “Art-Trash Cinema”—films that are just below the cut to make it into the premier art house theaters, but that he feels still have something to offer. To illustrate his point, Griswold cites grindhouse film commentator Bill
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Landis in his 1980s underground publication, Sleazoid Express: “I believe that art and exploitation is the same thing. There’s no distinction between them for me. For me, an Ingmar Bergman movie is the same as an exploitation movie that’s sexually oriented. Every movie is a work of art. The distinctions have to be destroyed.” In the same vein, Griswold believes that the controversial nature of the film’s subject matter shouldn’t dictate whether it should be screened or not. “I think it’s very necessary to show
That may sound like a bold statement in a city that boasts some pretty fantastic movie theaters, the Cleveland Cinematheque chief among them, but Griswold does his research in order to ensure that he’s bringing something new to the table. “I’m checking everybody’s schedule to see what they’ve shown in the last five years to make sure I’m not showing the same stuff,” he assures. Furthermore, you may have seen an obscure and subversive film at a great theater, but there’s a good chance you haven’t had a moviego-
these radical films, radical points of view, extremists, you know?” Griswold argues. “It’s the only way to understand it. Even if it’s the enemy, you have to understand it. You have to look at it in the face, where it’s coming from.” “Basically, with these events, I want to disrupt fixed patterns of thinking,” he explains. “With a little provocation, you can create a dialogue. I’m not trying to antagonize people, but I do want them to think outside of the box.”
Is a film worth seeing regardless of whether or not you approved of what you saw? According to Griswold, an astute viewer should be able to contemplate the content of a movie without necessarily liking what they're seeing and still find valuable insights. “Most artists I like went against something or caused a controversy in their day,” he says deviously. “Art should not be safe.”
ing experience much like The Innerspace unless you’ve been to one. “I envisioned kind of an immersive experience,” Griswold explains. “More than just going to a theater and seeing a movie.” The screenings are relaxed and informal, with couches and chairs set up in a ragtag warehouse space that had been a Vietnamese Buddhist temple for decades before Mark Cvicela, the current owner, bought it. The room really makes it feel like the viewer is participating in something underground and special. Accordingly, the movie nights went from hosting just a few attendees to filling the room to capacity. “The Buddhists left their good vibes in there,” Griswold says with a grin.
"You can’t pay lip service to art and then shut down a thriving underground arts venue on the basis of two neighbors complaining."
So what was the big deal? Why did a weekly movie night and some themed parties warrant a police raid and forced closure by city officials? It turns out the popularity of the events at the People’s Temple was its undoing. After a Halloween party attracted far more attendees than expected, noise complaints prompted the city to take action. “That’s what brought the trouble on, is that I opened it to the public.” Griswold laments before quoting one of the many citations foisted upon the space: “Not zoned for assembly use.”
Police raided an event a couple months later. Griswold was surprised at such a response, especially from a district that is purported to be a hub of the arts. “I don’t know why it should cause as many problems as it does,” he observes. “It’s baffling to me. The way I feel about it is that I’m trying to give a gift to the city.” Part of his surprise comes from the fact that for the past several years, Griswold has traveled to Mexico City each winter to put on Innerspace events and was enthusiastically embraced by the community there. He says it’s just something about the culture that makes people more accepting.
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“When I hitchhike in Mexico, I wait five minutes for a ride,” he notes. “When I hitchhike in States I wait two to three hours. People are not trustful.” That’s not to say that Gordon Square city officials wholly disapprove of the events. “I think it’s cool what they’re doing,” says Matt Zone, the Cleveland City councilman for Ward 15, the residential neighborhood where The Innerspace operated. Zone has met with Griswold and Cvicela to see if they can help The Innerspace attain a level of legal legitimacy like 78th Street Studios. “I worked with them over to to get them into legal compliance,” Zone says. “I would love to see Mark and Jake be able to so something similar.”
Tech Trends Tips to safeguard your personal information. Keith Rowe In case you haven’t heard, some people just love stealing other people’s personal information. There were two more security incidents this past May. Twitter saved users’ passwords in unencrypted plaintext, leading to a major national story. In local business, the Malley’s Chocolates website was hacked, leading to the theft of personal information and credit and debit card details. This trend of personal information theft isn’t slowing down, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take precautions to protect yourself from these online evildoers. Here are some guidelines and best practices to follow, whether you’re an internet novice or a seasoned veteran.
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Noobs: For those who know very little about internet safety. • Don’t use your debit card for online purchases, or for any purchases really. An attacker could drain your checking account and it could take weeks to recover. • Never respond to emails that ask you to verify your identity by providing your username or password. Think of it like someone walking up to you on the street and asking for your username and password. No need to respond, just move along. • Stop writing passwords on Post-its stuck to your computer. You know who you are. Average Joe: For those who use the same three passwords, which all include a street address as part of the password: • Use a unique password for every site. If your password is compromised on your Twitter account and you use the same
Griswold is pursuing the offer, but it will cost thousands of dollars to bring the People’s Temple up to local zoning codes. All Innerspace events are free of charge and neither Griswold nor Cvicela profit from them, so this factor is essentially prohibitive. He’s considered relocating permanently to Mexico City where he can throw Innerspace events without interference, but is reluctant to leave his family and Cleveland’s art scene, both of which are very dear to him. Griswold is currently holding Innerspace events at alternate venues while he decides what his future holds. In the meantime, he’s walking to Pittsburgh from Cleveland with nothing but a compass, a map, a tent and a change of clothes to promote a Werner Herzog retrospective film series. “Pittsburgh is the town where Herzog first lived when he came to the USA for the first time in the ‘60s,” Griswold explains, “So I figured it would be the right thing to do, make a walking pilgrimage to where he lived.”
password for Facebook account, you’ll have a major social media crisis on your hands. • Can’t remember the 100 accounts that you manage? Use password manager software to store your passwords, such as LastPass. • Use a password generator. Your password doesn’t have to be a random sequence of 25 numbers and characters. Randomlygenerated phrases can be hard to guess and easy to remember. Who’s going to forget BurntFlawless-Manatee-Bunion7? • Avoid using common personal information for security questions and use another password instead. Your birth date or first pet’s name can be easily obtained or guessed by an attacker.
Veteran: For those who are more tech savvy: • Enable two-factor Authentication on your supported accounts. This requires another piece of identification other than a username and password. Typically, a cell phone number is used and a temporary code is sent via text that is needed to complete the login. • Put a port block on your cell phone to block transferring your phone number to another carrier. This will help prevent thieves from circumventing the two-factor authentication. • Create a backup email account solely used for account recovery purposes. This lets you keep an eye on your accounts and provide another safeguard for account recovery.
This article is sponsored by Aztek, a web design, development, and digital marketing agency located in downtown Cleveland. aztekweb.com
DIY venues have an intrinsically short lifespan. Paradoxically, as they grow in popularity, they become more likely to get shut down by authorities for noise complaints, zoning violations, building code violations, and other offenses. Popular Cleveland DIY venues such as The Embassy and Speak in Tongues have come and gone much the same way as The Innerspace.
Jake Griswold’s 10 Favorite Movies Brewster McCloud, 1970 Buffalo ’66, 1998 The Crazy Family, 1984 Funeral Parade of Roses, 1969 The Muppet Movie, 1979 Out of the Blue, 1980 River’s Edge, 1986 Stroszek, 1977
“I want to push for an open The Texas dialogue about DIY,” GrisChainsaw Massacre, 1974 wold argues. “You can’t pay Walkabout, 1971 lip service to art and then shut down a thriving underground arts venue on the basis of two neighbors complaining. If [the city wants] to support art, they can’t just give money to rich and established artists and venues. They have to help out the DIY scene instead of using bureaucratic cop outs to shut them down, like saying a venue that was a church before we took it over is ‘not zoned for assembly use.’” So what is it about America that persecutes an art enthusiast like Griswold for trying to share his passion for weird cult movies and experimental psychedelic music? It would be incredibly remiss to blame Cleveland specifically; countless stories like this one can be found across the country for those willing to find them. What is it that creates the sense of “I threw these interpersonal distrust and hostility that events because Griswold attests is not found in what is no one else was." allegedly, according to some Americans, a dangerous nation like Mexico? “The Innerspace isn’t a specific building,” Griswold muses. “It’s an idea that we create our own reality and shape the world exactly how we want it.” Accordingly, he’ll continue to hold events under The Innerspace banner whether they’re at the People’s Temple or not. “They’re only going to hurt the city if they shut this stuff down,” Griswold argues, “There has to be an alternative. There has to be a community. If it’s not me doing it, someone else will.” Long live The Innerspace.
Want to attend an Innerspace event yourself?
For more information, find them on Facebook @celluloidcerebrum
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What We Ate
The group's menu item ratings
The Rib Cage Smokehouse Dine with the PressureLife Team
H
ate onions? Put ketchup on your ketchup? We all have unique likes and dislikes, so when you hear about a new restaurant, whether it be from a foodie or someone who lives off of toaster pastries, you don’t know if his or her tastes align with your own. So, instead of reading a review from one source, take it from four members of our team. Even though we are woefully under qualified to review a restaurant, at least one of us will likely share some of your distinct tastes.
For this issue, the PressureLife crew visited The Rib Cage Smokehouse in Ohio City. After rewarding taste buds in Cleveland Heights since 2012, the barbecue restaurant recently opened a second location on W. 25th Street, looking to cater to customers on the West Side of town. Our ragtag crew of diners managed to stop in the day after the establishment opened to see if the meats could meet our expectations.
ALEX:
Compared to the other diners in our group, I’m practically a carnivore. I’m a big fan of barbecue, so I was excited to try out The Rib Cage’s new location. After downing a few different types of meats, sides, and sauces, the whole experience turned out to be… fine, I guess. Like Jim, I also ordered a two-meat, two-side
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Alex: Mango is death; thinks garlic is a beautiful ingredient; can be seduced with a good meat and /or cheese board but hates blue cheese; loves meat in pretty much all forms. Jim: Prefers a salad over a burger but a steak over anything else; loves spicy
Brisket: 1.75 Wings: 4.5 Pork Rib Tips: 2.75 Baby Back Ribs: 1.5 Polish Girl: 3 Not So Philly Cheese Steak: 3 Cheese Mac: 3 Collard Greens: 3.75 Red Beans and Rice: 4.25 Bourbon Baked Beans: 3.75 Cornbread: 2 Hushpuppies: 2 Coleslaw: 1.5
platter with brisket, pork rib tips, bourbon baked beans, and red beans and rice. Ultimately, the sides and the sauces—the house Carolina mustard vinegar and herb buffalo—were the stars of my plate. While my brisket wasn’t in the same state as Jim’s, I wouldn’t say it was anything special, either. The same went for the rib tips and a shared plated of baby back ribs. When dipped in the sauces, the meats were enjoyable, but it was mainly because they served as vessels for tasty flavors instead of standing out on their own. Rating: 3/5
JIM:
I’m going to preface this review by admitting that I’m not a huge fan of barbecue. I ordered two meats, brisket and wings, with two sides, collard greens and cheese mac. The wings and collards were dynamite, but my brisket was so chewy that three-quarters of my serving ended up in a napkin. To confirm my beef bubblegum, Alex took a bite and had a similar reaction. All our food was lukewarm except for Alex’s dish, which had some phenomenal red beans and rice. The Carolina Mustard Vinegar and Spicy Barbecue sauces were also delicious. I was quite disappointed with the quality of food since The Rib Cage has another location in Cleveland Heights. Still, I’ll give them the benefit of
and sour flavors; despises donuts and dry bakery; will try anything once. Hannah: Enjoys foods that are savory and slightly over-salted; meals are typically a collection of small snacks; hates funky cheeses and properly cooked red meat; generally not a picky eater.
Dave: The bolder, the better. Prefers big flavors that stick around in your molars. Not a huge fan of sweets; would rather have an irish coffee for dessert. Tries to keep it as unique and local as possible, but is not above McDonalds breakfast. Please hold the zucchini and squash.
the doubt and chalk it up to the new location only being open for two days when we visited. I’ll give it a few months before I stop back. Rating: 2/5
HANNAH:
I’m not a huge fan of barbecue, but am a fan of most food in general. Given that the Rib Cage was only open for two days, I expected that some kitchen kinks were bound to happen. However, some things, like cold food and lacking flavor, cannot be forgiven. My philly cheese steak was fine flavor-wise, but it was colder than room temp and served with a pile of lackluster, pointless fries. I wouldn’t go near the brisket on Jim’s plate after the faces he made, but I tried some of Alex’s and, while a bite was enough, I wasn’t completely upset. I was lucky enough to snag a wing, and they were delicious. They were probably best thing I put in my mouth during that whole meal. The sides were fine. I live for great side dishes, especially mac and cheese, but the Rib Cage’s cheese mac, cornbread, collard greens, slaw, and hushpuppies all left something to be desired. All in all, I had a great time with the crew and service was great, but I sadly would probably would never try and visit again. Rating: 1.5/5
DAVE:
Opening a restaurant is very difficult. I have lived through the experience a few times. New staff, fresh paint, angry Yelpers, it all adds up into a fun little ball of stress. That being said, barbecue spots should not serve cold flavorless meat no matter how new they are. I ordered a Polish girl, which is a Polish boy with pulled pork added into the mix as a topping. The smoked sausage was super delicious, but the pulled pork was barely present. Let’s focus on the positives, though. The Rib Cage nails sauces and sides. The red beans and rice were on par with Nashville, and the collard greens were cooked to perfection. The spicy barbecue sauce redeemed the rib tips that Alex ordered. Apparently the wings were awesome, but I wouldn’t know because Jim is terrible at sharing. Overall, our server was top notch and we had a fun dinner. It just wasn’t out of this world. Rating: 3/5
Rib Cage Smokehouse 1834 W. 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113 // 216.762.1996 ribcagesmokehouse.com
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Mary. She is a comedian’s version of a regular, well-adjusted woman—a girly girl. The classic essence of womanly stereotypes easily fit on her shoulders, and those tropes fall off of our dear Mary just as easily. For example, she was a cheerleader in high school and college. To further lock in the Northeast Ohio femininity archetype, Mary was going to be a pharmacist until one of her cheer mates at the University of Toledo organized a comedy show. After some coaxing, Mary decided to put down the pom poms and pick up a mic. In front of 400 people, Mary found her calling. As they say in the business, “she killed.” This was her first appearance on stage and Mary had found her calling. For her, comedy was second nature. From that moment on, she only lived to be on stage.
Punchlines Pom Poms HowMary W Santora i m Hof method un How came to can crush our latent hucomedy man superp Cleveland’s scene. James Earl Brassfield
H
ave you ever known someone that was destined to be called by only one name? That’s Mary. Mary Lynn Louise Santora has too many names and too much talent. She's not household enough to be just Mary yet however, but she's at the forefront of Cleveland comedy.
Mary Santora is one of the only women regularly working regional clubs. She's the only woman in the Accidental Comedy crew and the only female comedian in town that's a phone call away from the big time. She could call a guy who could call a guy to tell Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost his joke was trash. Mary has opened for, featured, and impressed comics way too big to ever know any of the local worms she has to deal with on a regular basis. Mary Santora is Cleveland comedy. Hard work, determination, and miles and miles on a Kia has gained her a following. If you don't see her soon, it's going to cost more. Mary has an easy plan to follow: work hard, hone her skills, study her craft, and succeed. That little bit of planning is starting to pay huge dividends. It wasn't always long drives, corn chips, and fear of flat tires for
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How do you end up in front of that many people your first time doing comedy? They just stare at you, waiting for you to be funny. Mary does comedy damn near every night. She started off like every bad comic. You see, it’s common for people to tell their friends that they In one wellshould do comedy. Mary is not the kind of comedian you think would crafted joke, Mary start off like that. Someone with can make you and such craftsmanship and knowledge your girlfriend of comedy doesn't need a friend to mad at each tell them to start telling jokes. However, on that day, job fate was bored. other before the Mary Santora started her comedy punchline has you journey in Toledo, and that journey laughing in each is still underway.
others arms.
Santora, the cheerleader with the sick burns, decided that she didn't want to get people hooked on prescription medicine and left Toledo. She'd rather indulge in her vice, a newly-found love of stand-up comedy. Mary’s family had their qualms with her leaving the university to start down the path of becoming a stand-up comic. When there is someone as wildly talented as Mary, raising that talent comes with a cost. Dedication and ambition can be poison to a creative mind. You can't please everyone, and you certainly can’t live your fathers dreams and be happy. Mary gets her dedication to growth as a comedian and her ambition from a dark place in Berea. When Mary was a little girl in Berea, she had to wear her brother's clothes. “An American Eagle credit card would solve that problem later in life,” Mary says. Still, that lingering feeling of having nothing instilled in her a new mindset: If you can’t make a living doing regular nine-to-five work, then why not fail trying to reach the top of comedy? Mary is a long way from the top of the national comedy scene. However, she's even further away from that lingering feeling, and further still from failing. Mary is a regular at Hilarities. She's been featured on The Best Of The Midwest for Gilda's Laughfest, an event named after comedy legend Gilda Radner. She's opened for Jen Kirkman, Shane Torres, and many other well-known comedians. If you ever find yourself
at a comedy show in Cleveland and get to meet one of the comedians, ask them if they know Mary to break the ice. Even while she's busy killing it, she has time to invest in Cleveland comedy. Not everyone's as funny as Mary, but she will most likely be there to show them how it's done on their own program. Not because she's petty or mean; she's actually the nicest girl in town. If you're a comedian in Cleveland, hope that you're lucky enough to work with Mary. If she sees your set and it doesn't go well, she will gladly offer you help and advice to punch up your act. Mary is a student of comedy. She recognizes that when the show goes well, the room feels better. In turn, everyone tends to perform better. Regardless, Mary wows audiences. The unteachable skill she possesses is her wit. Her wit makes her keen at breaking down the phrasing of each tag—the joke, the turn of phrase. Her mind is made for turning the uncomfortable into the digestible. With a well-crafted joke, Mary can make you and your girlfriend mad at each other before the punchline has you laughing in each others arms. That deep understanding of comedy comes from a healthy use of sarcasm at home. Sarcasm is definitely a part of her story growing up in her brother's clothes. You don't come out of that type of teen-girl harassment with the courage to get on stage and not be destined for greatness. There's a lot of work to be done to carve yourself out as a legend especially when starting in Cleveland. Mary is doing that hard work right now. By the time this story is published, she will be a two-time performer on the Alan Cox Show Comedy Tour, an opener for yet another big star at Hilarities, and have sold out of beautiful “Crushing It” prints created by graphic artist OKPants. She is rightfully the role model of every female comedian in town, and it wouldn't be surprising if she soon took over the space in your mind reserved for women like Amy Schumer.
Ready for some laughs? You can follow Mary on Twitter or Instagram @mary_santora @marysantoracomedy.
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A M W P
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U A E O
T T A N
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T W O C L E V E L A N D M U S I C V E T E R A N S B L A Z E A N E W P A T H I N M O D E R N T I M E S .
Dave Sebille Photography // Casey Rearick
T H E best feeling in the world is turning off all the lights, getting comfortable, putting on headphones, and fading away into a masterpiece of an album. Automatic Weapons’ full length debut Young Lovers/ Dystopian Future is that masterpiece. The album was released in December of 2017 and quickly caught the ear of the city, making Automatic Weapons and their cinematic and
precise sound a household name for anyone plugged into the Cleveland music scene. The band has been semi-elusive in their popularity, playing only a handful of shows and focusing mostly on writing. 2018 is currently dedicated to releasing their second fulllength album as well as a national tour. No free time, only Automatic Weapons. “There’s no waking moment where I am not thinking about this band,” says
Vinny DiFranco, lead singer and 50 percent of Automatic Weapons. “There’s a madness to this, there is a crack in my brain somewhere that makes me need this.” Somewhere in a western suburb of Cleveland, there is an unassuming building behind an extremely normal looking house on a main road. The small building with vinyl siding is Spider Studios, the product of Producer and Engineer Ben Schigel’s hard work and determination. As of this publication, Automatic Weapons is conducting biweekly collaborative recording sessions at the studio for their upcoming album, which is still without a set release date. At one particular session, Vinny and Mike Bashur, the other 50 percent of the band, are pleased with the days work. This is obvious from the duo’s body language, as Vinny bounced around the room with a smile locked on his face. Meanwhile, Mike pulled his best James Dean, crossing his arms behind his head in an air of total relaxation. There was also the excitement of getting to put individual ideas together in the same location. Automatic Weapons works in a modern age
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of songwriting which is email heavy and somewhat isolated from one another during the writing process. This way of conducting business is not accidental. As veterans of the music scene for close to 20 years, Vinny and Mike want to blaze a new path outside of the democratic rehearsal space archetype that they have lived in for the last decade, which includes their former project Ohio Sky. Automatic Weapons is the anti-band.
" T H E M A J O R I T Y O F P E O P L E I N T H E W O R L D W I L L T R Y T O S T R I P T H A T L O V E F R O M Y O U . "
“The original thought was, let’s treat the studio like a blank canvas and do the work here versus in a practice spot with four other dudes,” Vinny proclaims. Both of them nod their heads at this statement before Mike adds, “With the studio being your canvas, you can get as lush and expansive as you want.” The expanse grows exponentially as the band breaks the walls of its chrysalis until the day it will evolve into its true form. Maybe this is due to the lack of friction between Mike and Vinny. They both work out of separate studio spaces everyday after getting home from their day jobs. This cycle continues, as they’ll send each other the day’s work and ponder for a while before reuniting at Spider Stu-
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dios again for a few days to really bring that sucker home. “Shit just comes together so quick because of our process,” Mike says with a laugh, probably thinking about his days grinding away five nights a week in Los Angeles clubs with a previous project. “I don’t listen to anything as much as I listen to my own music,” Vinny says unapologetically as he leans back in a comfortable-looking office chair with zero shame. Mike agrees in a show of wonderful confidence in the project. The two musicians have been there and they sure as hell have done that, and now they’re in a deep love affair with the art that they’re making together. A key value of Automatic Weapons is the respect toward the merit of the artistic process and the love of the product released at the end of it. So what about the paycheck, fame, and private jets? “Making it?” Vinny asks as he leans forward. “I don’t even know what the fuck that means anymore. You have to be doing this for an absolutely pure reason or else you’ll be behind the curve forever.” There is a maturity in the sound of Automatic Weapons, unachievable
"Y O U E V E N T U A L L Y R E A L I Z E Y O U R O W N W O R T H , A N D T H A T I S A B E A U T I F U L M O M E N T . "
by younger men concerned with immediate success. Each track is crafted under a microscope, with delicate consideration paid to the relationship between tone, melody, rhythm, and lyrics. There are few standout singles due to every song being meticulously developed and perfected. This patience comes with age. “I think that’s the hardest part, just how much you get judged as you get older, there’s such a perception with people that this is all just a phase,” Mike admits as he looks at the floor with his hands behind his head. “If I had a check saying this song made ‘x’ amount of money, the idea would be validated in their minds. There’s zero understanding of the joy that comes from making the music that you love without a monetary value put on it.”
A M W P
U A E O
T T A N
OIC S
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There’s a moment of silent solidarity followed by a long sigh and a harsh proclamation by Mike: “The majority of people in the world will try to strip that love from you.” The long, hard road out of Cleveland is not too far in the future for Automatic Weapons. A national tour with Mr. Gnome was all but certain until unfortunate life events on Mr. Gnome’s end threw a wrench in the gears of those plans. Not that it won’t happen, it’s just up in the air right now.
"Y O U H A V E T O B E D O I N G T H I S F O R A N A B S O L U T E L Y P U R E R E A S O N O R E L S E Y O U ’ L L B E B E H I N D T H E C U R V E F O R E V E R . "
“I think we’re on the cusp of discovering something sonically that I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d achieve,” Vinny explains. “That’s what I would consider making it right now, sharing my music with someone new every night.” “You can go to any city on any night and see some dime-a-dozen performance, but leaving strangers in awe every night is my idea of making it these days,” Mike adds. Automatic Weapons does not slack on the live show, but as we all know, there’s only one way to know that. But don’t expect them to compromise their values. “I sat there in disgust and contempt,” Vinny remi-
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nisces about a conversation he had with a label rep regarding the prospects of Vinny buying his way onto a tour recently. Numbers were thrown around, which roughly equaled a brand new Honda Accord in order to open on a national tour. “It’s heartbreaking because it’s complete vile assholes preying on the simple childhood dream of being on stage,” Vinny continues. Mike talks about his days trying to make it in LA and paying $800 to play 30 minutes at Whisky a Go Go. Meanwhile some high school kids from the beach suburbs would play later in the night because their parents bought all of their tickets, plus more. “It ruined it for me,” Mike says, shaking his head. “You eventually realize your own worth, and that is a beautiful moment.”
his knees. Mike shrugs and agrees, adding “It’s impossible to turn a blind eye to what’s going on right now, no one’s sure if we’re going to be alive tomorrow.” Hopefully we’re all alive long enough for Automatic Weapons upcoming release. Judging by the palpable joy radiating off of them as they talk about the new songs, it has the potential to be one of the best albums to come out of the city in a long time. The love of music and attention to detail that Vinny and Mike ooze is not only contagious, but also very motivating. This city is volcanically creative in nature but Automatic Weapons sticks out as something unique and promising. The future holds very big things for these gentlemen.
The second half of Automatic Weapons’ 2017 album Young Lovers/Dystopian Future deals with these feelings directly, along with the fervor that followed the 2016 election. “I tried to stay out of politics and world news when writing this album, and then this fucking election happened and there was no ignoring it anymore,” Vinny says as he throws his hands up and slaps
Automatic Weapons To stay up to date with Vinny and Mike, check out their website:
automaticweapons band.com
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Concerted Efforts Local concert bookers spill their secrets as we prepare for PressureFest.
Adam Dodd Illustrations // Aaron Gelston
I’m
watching Wayne’s World II for the third time this week, insisting to my roommates that its research. I skip ahead to the film’s second act. Wayne Campbell struggles to get his fledgling music festival, Waynestock, up and running. Jim Morrison and a naked Native American visit him in a dream, laconically insisting, “if you book them, they will come.”
With PressureLife’s own music festival, PressureFest, taking place Aug. 18, I had to wonder, would it really be this easy? Far be it from me to question the life lessons gained from ‘90s television and movies, but I knew I had to talk with the professionals around town if PressureLife was going to book a bill as ambitious and diverse as PressureFest promises to be. Taking place, simultaneously, across three stages on the 5 O’Clock Lounge, Symposium, and the Foundry, PressureFest will need to engage the audience with acts they’ll love and those they would never expect. I talked with Dylan Glover, who books the acts that frequent Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood, and asked what he looks for in a lineup. “For me, there has to be a balance between popularity and integrity,” he explained. “If the band will sell out but the music absolutely terrible, I’m not going to book that show. There has to be a balance between respectable, interesting, progressive music and popularity. We still have to make money, but we don’t do it to only be about money.”
Including Mahall’s main stage, Glover also books the underground locker room stage and, most recently, the smaller apartment stage on the top floor. “The Apartment and the Locker Room have their specific limitations and strengths,” he said. “I’d be more inclined to book ambient or jazz or something that won’t draw on a main stage but has the artistic integrity that I’m seeking. I’ll put the punk or metal stuff in the Locker Room just because it plays so well down there.” Glover would highlight the importance of balance once more, underscoring the necessity to find a sensible middle ground between persistence and patience when reaching out to talent. “Persistence is a good attribute, but annoyance is not,” he explained. “It happens to me as a talent buyer all the time, but it goes both ways. I’ll get four emails a day from the same act and then some from their mom in a nonstop onslaught. That doesn’t help.”
Glover may have been willing to offer his insights over the phone, but with Wayne Campbell’s concert education delivered through the medium of dreams, I knew it only made sense to sleep through my scheduled interview with the Beachland Ballroom’s booking There has to be a agent. Four hours later, recurring nightmares of Morrissey chasing me down and force-reading his balance between latest novel had failed to offer any nocturnal wisdom. popularity and If I took Jim Morrison’s somnambulistic mantra integrity. If the from Wayne’s World at face value, however, the more band will sell out than two dozen acts already locked and loaded, in addition to the stand-up comedy and performance but the music
absolutely terrible, I’m not going to book that show. 22 PRESSURELIFE
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art, proved the hard part was over. All we had to do now was wait for the Aerosmith cameo in the third act and let the credits roll. Unlike cinema, life has a way hitting snags along the way and I felt we should be prepared. Among these snags, one of the bookers for the Winchester, Jason Geisinger, considers “cancelling a show [to be] the worst thing you can do.” He stresses fluidity and a willingness to renegotiate deals while maintaining a balance between talent and venue. “I’m not in the business of ripping people off,” Geisinger said. “I want to make it fair to the artist but I need to minimize the risk to the club.” Glover agrees that, above all else, the show must go on. “Sometimes you get creative and reach out to local performers, which I’ve done multiple times,” he explained. “I’ve even played myself, if need be. There’s not one right answer, only what’s right at that moment. Adaptability is huge.” The importance Geisinger placed on knowing how and where to promote a show has me seriously reconsidering the fleet of skywriters and dancing marmosets booked on retainer. “I do this in a lot of different cities and each city is different in terms of who’s responding to what kind of marketing,” he warned. “Cleveland is kind of a 50/50 town. It skews more digital, but if you go south, people are still reading the paper here. A lot times people get bit on the ass when they put a bunch of money to the band and then they won’t put any into marketing, or vice-versa.” Geisinger’s parting words were true to form with those of the philosophic Wayne Campbell. “Go for what you know,” he advised. “Align yourself with people who are passionate about what you’re going after. The second that’s gone, in any capacity it’s probably not going to work out.” After a moment of reflection, he added, in true Garth Algar pragmatism, “Also, I’d suggest you write stuff down.” Glover’s brass tacks were no less true, in concert booking and in life as a whole. “Expect to be frustrated,” he said. “Expect diminishing returns at first. But above all else, be nice to people.” I’ve since returned with what I’ve learned from the gurus, sharing with the rest of PressureLife who will no doubt be doggedly assembling the fest as you read this. As we stand in the middle of Detroit Avenue envisioning the festival to come, the food trucks, beer tents, and numerous art vendors can all but be seen lining the street. The ink still dries on flyers heralding the likes of Mourning [A] BLKstar, Automatic Weapons, and more. The curtains have yet to rise on the triple bill holding court over three separate stages, but nevertheless drumbeats stir, leading the march toward PressureFest on Aug. 18. Looking to horizon, Wayne, Garth, Jim Morrison, and the naked Native American are gone. In their place, a new crowd takes the hill. See you there.
Check out the inaugural PressureFest, Aug. 18 at the Foundry, Symposium, and the Five O’Clock Lounge to see if we learned anything. pressurelife.com/fest
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Surviving in
SILENCE M
odern-day slavery. When we think of human trafficking, it’s something we know happens in third-world countries of Asia, or the red-light districts of Eastern Europe—places far removed from where we sit in North America. Truth is, it’s everywhere, including Cleveland.
True stories of human trafficking in and out of Cleveland.
most vulnerable to becoming trafficking victims. “I was 16 and working at The Gap when I met him [the trafficker]. He had a child, and I kind of admired that he was a dad and taking care of his daughter. He was the first man to bring me to that peak, to have an orgasm, so I was really- I was attached to him. He was from Cleveland, and… there was just something different about him than the other guys.”
Gennifer Harding-Gosnell “I can remember being 11, 12, drinking, sneaking marijuana. Then I moved and it just- it got out of control. I had a son at 17, got my own place at 18. And then I got Tamar, 35, Denver a good job- I don’t know when it went over the line. This job...they started doing drug testing. I had a company car, I got in an accident Tamar introduced her new boyfriend to her parents, received their and I panicked and just never went back to my job. I started running out of approval, and began building a life with him. The life of illegality began money and my son was turning 17, he never knew what I was doing but I two years in to their relationship when he developed a gambling probneeded to make sure he was taken care of. I was homeless, and when I needed lem. Tamar was pregnant and wanted to keep her family together, money for my drugs, I knew about prostitution, and I thought ‘Let me go and and she knew the potential for wealth, so she accepted her boyfriend just try it.’ And I just never came back out. engaging in trafficking. Within a year after giving birth, she suffered druggings, beatings, and verbal abuse on a regular basis, as did the - Annette, 52, Cleveland. women he brought home to work for him. She would be working for him, too, for the next 18 years. “He [the trafficker] wasn’t like the other boys. They all wore jeans to school. He wore slacks that were pressed with the crease down the middle, he wore From there, it’s just a matter of adapting to your circumstances. Ralph Lauren shirts and drove a black Trans-Am... It took just three words. He said, ‘I like you.’” “I had nowhere to go and sleep at night,” Annette says. “I didn’t want to get high no more, but I still had no money for a hotel room, so here you Theresa Flores, 43, Dublin, Ohio, via TEDTalk go again to the same guys that know me, the same guys who had raped me, the same guys who had sold me the drugs.” A major misperception of human trafficking is who it happens to. Annette is black, middle-aged, from a Midwestern city, and suffering “At the time, I’m like, super-ho, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna go out and make from addiction. Theresa Flores is white, trafficked at 15, and from a all this money for daddy,’” Tamar says. “The other women I had suburban Ohio town and strict Catholic family. Annette traded her to deal with, the jealousy, and the fighting- you know, I never freedom for drugs while Flores was blackmailed into trafficking by physically had to fight one of them, but he was always like, he her new high school “boyfriend.” He drugged her, took photos of her put his hands on me the most. I think for him it was a fear tactic.” having sex with him, and threatened to publicize the photos to keep her silent and working. Tamar says she would get short breaks when he was sent to prison for more minor crimes and that she did try to leave him People with disabilities or unusually high debt, immigrants (both legal several times, but was always drawn back. Sometimes it was for and illegal), and those who are easily infatuated by a bit of charm are the love and promises that he would change, sometimes to preserve
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her family (by then she had had two children with him), and sometimes for money. “[Once] I ended up leaving him and moving back to Colorado,” Tamar says. “And I was trying, I really, really tried. I got a job at a car wash making $10 an hour. But day care was too expensive, like $800 a month, and I had to make rent, and I had no life. I had been making over $1,000 a day when I was prostituting. I ended up going back to him in Cleveland on a plane in the middle of the night.” Ohio currently ranks fourth in the U.S. for reporting cases of human trafficking victims. “Ohio has several factors that make conditions ideal for traffickers,” says Cleveland Police Academy instructor George Kwan. “Our highway/interstate system lets them move quickly throughout the state and into adjoining states. Ohio also is rich in diversity with many ethnic enclaves and neighborhoods. This creates desirable places to visit and to live, and traffickers can operate and pursue potential victims blending into these areas.” Winnifred Boylan, executive vice president of programming for the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, attributes the high ranking to the effectiveness of the awareness campaigns. “We believe that this ranking points to the significant collaborative multi-systemic effort in Ohio dedicated to the raising of awareness of human trafficking thus prompting more calls to the national hotline,” she says. Public awareness plays a crucial role in the fight against human trafficking. A 2017 report by the Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force found that human trafficking awareness campaigns were the top referral method for calls from Ohioans to the national hotline. Experts point out that regardless of race, social status or gender, no one is immune. The “Happens Here Too” movement is a public-awareness campaign across Northeast Ohio, getting the word out that human trafficking occurs in our own backyards, in wealthy suburbs, and to people from good families. A young woman at a bus station who looks nervous and confused about where she is could be a victim of human trafficking being shipped to a buyer just as easily as she could be a new college student from out of town. A high school classmate with a controlling boyfriend could be just that—or it could be something more. The signs aren’t obvious; law enforcement says they most often rely on victims being willing to talk about their traffickers or people close to the victims who suspect it in order to investigate and make arrests. This is a frustrating obstacle in their path, but for most victims, silence also means survival, making the voices of those who notice and those who care all the more valuable.
To learn more about human trafficking, visit collabtoendht.org or happensheretoo.org. For state resources: humanttrafficking.ohio.gov.
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Amit Majmudar Sings His
W
hen Amit Majmudar was young, he was searching for the truth. Instead, he found many, all contained in one “song of multiplicities”: the Bhagavad Gita. A Hindu scripture composed between 400 B.C. and 200 A.D., the Gita has inspired many heroes and antiheroes throughout the ages (think Gandhi and Himmler) with its striking beauty and its moral ambiguity. There is indeed, something for everyone inside.
GODSONG A modern translation of the Bhagavad Gita from Ohio’s first poet laureate.
human beings, and so many ways of joining yourself to the divine, that it is hard to regard other human beings as unredeemable or "benighted" in the way so many of us, in our polarized times, tend to do. PL: You grew up in the Cleveland area, graduated from the University of Akron and NEOMED, completed your medical residency at University Hospitals, and currently live outside of Columbus. How has Ohio shaped you?
Ben Diamond Born to a secularized Hindu family, religion was not of particular importance to Majmudar growing up in Ohio. Literature AM: I think Ohio, or the places in Ohio filled that void, and he found his “Gods in the library”—the Gita being I have lived, have offered me physical safety and peace and access to one of them. While Majmudar eventually became a radiologist, he books. That, in the end, is what a writer needs to flourish. Happenforged a simultaneous path as a poet and novelist, receiving the honor ing artistic scenes, interesting acquaintances and cliques—these are of being named Ohio’s first poet laureate in 2015. unnecessary and sometimes counterproductive.
PL: In a 2013 opinion piece for The New York Times titled “Am I an ‘Immigrant Writer’?” you said, “Readers don’t want the differences to estrange them — for all their curiosity, they actually want the differences to disappear. They want to recognize themselves.” What were the “I think that challenges of making the characters in Godsong Godsong is the relatable to a modern, Western audience? Is Arjuna an ideal protagonist for today? antidote to
Godsong is Majmudar’s latest endeavor: a verse translation of the Bhagavad Gita with commentary. It showcases Majmudar’s talent for imagery, musiciality, and his ability to make complex concepts relatable and relevant to a modern audience who need its wisdom now more than ever. ____________________________________
PressureLife: The Bhagavad Gita is over 2,000 years fanaticism.” old, but through your translation, the text reads as AM: I think the characters are so timeless that I immediate as ever. The setting is one of civil war: didn't really have to do anything to make them relatcousins are about to wage war with cousins and our able. We can all imagine how heartrending it must be protagonist, Arjuna, is filled with existential dread to go to war, particularly a civil war. It is a metaphor over the proposition. How can Godsong offer the modern reader guidand poem that, unlike many a Shakespeare production, needs no reloance in these tumultuous times? cation in geography or time, no modern dress to make real and "now." Amit Majmudar: I think that Godsong is the antidote to fanaticism. It offers such a pluralistic way of looking at religion and
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PL: In Godsong, you say that the “We go to a religion to meet a God. We don’t actually want to know the truth the way we know facts. We
want to know the truth the way we know a loved one, personally and intimately.” What does the form of the Godsong, as a conversation between friends, reveal about essence of the divine? AM: I think that it tells us that it is closer and more personal than we think it is, if we open ourselves up to that way of conceiving of it. We often get tricked into thinking the universe is vast and impersonal. It has that aspect. But it also has a personal manifestation that can be understood and engaged with as such. The inner universe of the heart is also [the] universe that the divine is pleased to pervade and communicate. PL: You used the literal translation of the Bhagavad Gita, godsong, as your translation’s title. It’s original intention was to be sung. How did you you honor that intention through your translation? AM: I am afraid I didn't! There's no way to convey the musicality and singability of the Gita in English. There's no actual equivalent in English language literature that I can point to, or I would have used it as a model. My first translation attempt, way back in 2011, attempted to replicate the Sanskrit meters syllable for syllable. That was misguided. PL: A key concept expressed in Godsong is devotional worship. To translate this text, word by word, from its original Sanskrit is as much a feat of commitment as a creative achievement. Was this personal act of devotion a way of giving back to a book that gave so much to you? AM: Absolutely! That summarizes it nicely. But to be completely honest, the project was also self-serving! I wanted to learn it and engage with it more deeply. PL: If there is one thing you hope readers will take away from Godsong, what is it? AM: The one thing I hope that readers take away from Godsong is that the Bhagavad Gita is worth additional study. I hope to coax people into making a lifelong study of the poem, just as I am engaged in myself. My book is an introduction above all—I present the concepts fairly simply and don't go into long digressions about them. I hope readers will seek out other translations and commentaries and other works of wisdom. I myself am writing a more in-depth Gita as we speak, a new alliterative verse translation with an extensive, passage by passage exegesis. It will be the "advanced course" to follow up this introductory one. I don't know how long it will take me, but I do a little more work on it every week.
Want to hear more from Majmudar? Learn more at amitmajmudar.com
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Mike Sobeck:
Pizza Genius Meet a local artist whose focus is on the thing you've let find it's way down your gullet.
James Earl Brassfield
Y
ou've done it a thousand times. It's 3 a.m. You’re starving and Nunzio's Pizza is open. Due to some small miracle, you stay awake long enough to have this beloved meat and cheese pie arrive at your door. Before you drunkenly break bread, have you stopped to admire the beauty of a pizza? No, never! How many little fire emojis are on a mild sauce packet? You haven't the slightest idea. That's the difference between you and Mike Sobeck.
Mike is a local artist whose focus is on the things you've forced down your gullet before you've even taken a second to admire their beauty. Things like, Miller High Life, sauce packets, or the glory of cheese, sausage, pepperoni, peppers, and onions. To you, those things are fuel—a necessary evil to get you through the night. Pizza is a cheat day prize or that old friend you need to find your way to bed. For Mike, that fuel is a muse. Pizza has an allure much like the shape of a woman. There's some liberty taken in that statement, but how else can you explain why Mike took his classical art education from
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Ohio University and turned an almost accidentally discovered love of painting into inspired pizza-based art? Imagine a world where people have to stop and admire the beauty of the mundane. That is Mike Sobeck's world. Mike uses his art to convey feeling through realness that is undefinable and hilarious. The dichotomy of an oil painting of a piece of pizza is pure brilliance. Imagine historical pieces like Girl With a Pearl Earring, The Starry Night, and Mona Lisa. Oil on canvas was used to capture imagery from times we can no longer hear about firsthand. Those images help make up the substance of humankind. Now think of all the future generations of humanity looking fondly at A Piece of Edison's Pizza in the Smithsonian. Cleveland's veritable Vincent van Dough started out like any other creative. He was in the wrong line of work. When Mike started school, all he wanted to do was graphic design, creating movie posters, advertisements, concert posters, and the like. He admittedly “was mediocre at best” when it came to graphic design. He wouldn't find his passion until in his junior year, when he ended up in a real painting class—no computers, just oil and cloth.
Mike knew right away that he had natural skills, so he decided to step off the path of modern graphic art. His first painting was of LeBron James. He entered it into a show and it was stolen. People don't steal bad art. As he expended more effort into his painting projects, Mike figured out that graphic design was not his calling. After graduating, Mike had all the classic painting skills he needed. Now all he required was a subject that would mean more to people than a woman with a coy smile or some fruit ever could. Even with all that talent, Mike was still burdened with the trials of a college graduate. He needed a job that allowed him to pursue his artistic passions while helping him pay the bills. Via hard work, talent, and good networking, Mike went from his day job at Happy Dog into his dream job. He now runs 3204 Studios, which houses the work of local creatives and lets them exhibit their work in a tradiTo you, pizza is tional gallery style.
a fuel. For Mike,
Bringing local high art to Lorain Road is the start of something huge to come. He's fully supported by art, be it studio work, freelance jobs, or an apprenticeship with another local artist, and that's the way he wants to continue. He can't imagine working retail or food service ever again, which has only boosted his desire and ability. The next logical move is more visibility.
that same pie is a subject.
Mike is a creative artist who, like all other artists, looked for a subject matter that would set him apart from the droves of artists before him and those yet to come. The idea of food as a subject is an old concept. Mike found a way to take items and food not traditionally thought of as art worthy and went inside the box for inspiration. Where you see Nunzio's bubbly pizza, Mike Sobeck sees orange beauty..
For his latest work, follow Mike on Instagram @msobeck.
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A Mattter of
Opinions A five-step guide on how to create an opinion, bring it to life, and bury it in the backyard. Dan Bernardi
NOW THAT AMERICA IS ON ITS MERRY WAY TO BECOMING GREAT AGAIN, it’s an appropriate time to help further unite the U.S. by tackling one of our most divisive issues: opinions.
P
lato once said that opinions are like assholes—everybody's got one. Sadly, our country's assholes haven’t been this divided since the Civil War. Whether you rooted for Iron Man or Captain America, there was a conclusive outcome to that conflict. Opinions are, unlike facts, not conclusive—although it's easy to see why truth and opinion may be confused. One perceives an opinion to be true and a truth actually is true.
With so much truth—perceived or otherwise—floating around the mediasphere, it would appear that good, old-fashioned, honest opinions are in short supply. Here's an easy five-step guide on how to form an opinion, find out what it's worth, and where you can stick it when you're done.
STEP 1:
THINK IT. The obvious starting point for any opinion is to simply exist as a human being. Start by using your basic senses directed toward a particular person, place, thing, or idea. Process that information. This should only take a few seconds. Naturally, your personal preferences will begin to arise. Be careful! During an opinion’s gestation period, avoid adopting any outside opinions as your own. That's cheating. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, not each others.
STEP 2:
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WEIGH IT. Congratulations! You've got your own brand-new opinion in mind. Now what? Well, presuming you haven't already blurted it out in front of a room full of strangers, you may want to first internally judge the opinion by asking yourself one simple question: is my opinion worthy of being shared with others? Either way you answer that question, congratulations on forming yet another opinion. If you answered no, thank you for your service and good day to you. But if you answered yes, you're ready for an audience.
STEP 4:
Be careful! During an opinion’s gestation period, avoid adopting any outside opinions as your own. That's cheating.
STUDY IT. Now that you've input some fresh information into your brain, you've almost manifested a subjective viewpoint, but simply having an opinion isn't enough. You want that opinion to be good. Great. Popular. And, if possible, informed. So it's important to critically analyze the topic from all angles before mustering an opinion, whipping it out, and slapping it on the table. Research related facts. Consider opposing perspectives. Imagine the wildest hypothetical that scientifically proves your opinion sucks. If that stands up to the test, head to the next step.
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STEP 3:
SHARE IT. It's time to show 'em what you got. Understandably, it may be tempting to drop your opinion directly onto the internet, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I recommend first trying it out in person with family and friends. Consider using supplementary anecdotes and experiences to reinforce your view. Spice it up with facts and data. Most importantly, be confident to enhance their perception of your opinion. If you happen to feel an overwhelming sense of opposition toward what you said, it may be time to flee back to the drawing board. But if you earned a golden seal of agreement, this opinion may be a keeper.
STEP 5:
BOP IT. Going forward, be prepared to change your opinion as new information comes to light, and regularly remind yourself that this is not an objective truth. But for now, it’s time to take action if you want different people to experience similar feelings as you. Rallies. Protests. Letters to your state representatives. Online message board debates. Door to door evangelism. While you strive to change the court of public opinion for the better as you see it, it's important to note that there are no good or bad opinions. There are, however, infinitely more opinions to be had. And in a world of infinite opinions, maybe it’s okay if your opinion isn't all that special, polished, or globally revered. After all, everybody's got one.
Issue 19
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