ISSUE 9
Accidental Revolution CLEVELAND'S COMEDY UPRISING
MUSIC / ENTERTAINMENT / ARTS & CULTURE / LIFE / INDEPENDENT / PRESSURELIFE.COM
S AY W H AT YO U S E E
PressureLife Creative Director, Owner
Jim Bacha
Art Director
Hannah Allozi
Operations Manager
Aaron Gelston
Managing Editor Editor Content Strategist
@gelston.design
Ryan Novak Alex Bieler Adam Dodd
Senior Writer
Dan Bernardi
Project Coordinator
Tiffany Fields
Staff Writers
Kevin Naughton Gennifer Harding-Gosnell Ben Diamond
Contributors
Casey Rearick
@caseyrearickphoto
Anthony Franchino @anthonyfphoto
Annamarie Hudson Anna Yunker Chad Weaver Darrick Rutledge Eric O'Callaghan Ian Douglas Matt Yunker Samantha Worgull Wilson Rivera Distribution
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Weir's Waldo This Time? Every issue, our friend Weir hides discreetly in our ads, waiting for a sharp-sighted reader to find him and get their prize on. Last issue, Weir was spotted at The Plum by one of our readers named Laura, but this issue, We'd be very weary — or weiry — if we were you. For Weir has been bitten by a mythical lycanthrope, and at the sight of a full moon, he transforms into a hairy, snarling American Weirwolf...in Cleveland. Typically, after a short binger, he wakes up the next morning naked in the park itching for some hair of the dog. But this time, Weir didn't come home. Perhaps you, our Little Red Reading Hood, can make it safely through the pages to grandmother's house, avoiding danger altogether. But, what big eyes you have! You may be better suited locking and loading those silver bullets and taking down the insatiable Weirwolf mid-huff and puff. For your chance to score a $25 gift card, locate the elusive Weir barking up one of our advertisements and be the first to report his location to @thepressurelife (through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram).
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CONTENTS
PressureLife vs. Happy Dog
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016
07
07 All Dinosaurs
It’s so cool in there, but how cool is it out there?
10 Coffee Done Better
PressureLife Takes on Happy Dog in a Hot Dog Eating Contest
21
09
That’s because on this night, six brave men were pushing the limits of the human body by competing in a hot dog eating battle royale for the ultimate prize: bragging rights.
A coffee purist for the people
12 The New (Avant) Guard
10
Cutting film like a DJ drops beats, Kasumi breaks ground and blows minds
14 The Accidental Revolution
20
Our endorsement of the candidate fighting for clean teeth and decency
21 They’ll Give You the Shirts
Right Off Their Backs
12
GV Art and WBO proudly Bleed for the CleveLand that they love
24 Coming Up Occult
Charmed chats on Cleveland’s latest lifestyle
26 Exposing America
The first in a series of a local artist profiles
Surrounded by spectators, a projector showing a Gumby film, and a guy setting up video game consoles so patrons could play ToeJam and Earl or Mortal Kombat later that night, Jim Bacha, Alex Bieler, and Greg Kreps of PressureLife took on Paul Weaver, Paul Nelson, and Richard Matia of Happy Dog in a contest to see which team could eat more hot dogs in four minutes. Appropriately taking place in the Underdog, the basement bar area of Happy Dog’s Detroit Ave. location, the Happy Dog team seemed to be overmatched by the PressureLife team which featured some rather large humans. But as the adage goes, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight…it’s the amount of hot dogs the dog is willing to smash down its gullet. In the end, Team Happy Dog edged out Team PressureLife by a total of 18 ½ to 14 ½ dogs eaten, with Happy Dog’s Paul Weaver leading the way for all eaters with 6 ½ dogs.
Photojournalist Seph Lawless on his new work and Cleveland’s resurgence
30 Different Strokes: Brandon Lee Wise
As the first installment of Pressure vs…, a series of contests between our staff and local businesses or celebrities, we had the not-sobrilliant idea to challenge the staff of Happy Dog to a hot dog eating contest on their home turf.
Cleveland's Comedy Uprising
20 Vermin Supreme for President
H
appy Dog is known for their seemingly-never-ending list of toppings that patrons choose from while customizing hot dogs to their exact specifications. But on this night, there was no Bertman Original Ballpark Mustard, there were no Fruit Loops, and there were no buns.
All Dinosaurs releases third record Oct. 7
09 Plum Cafe & Kitchen vs. Carl
26
14
Not impressed by those numbers? Well, five of these hot dogs equals a pound of meat, so the competitors on average consumed over a pound of hot dogs. That’s a lot.
FOLLOW US
Even more impressive, none of the eaters yacked.
Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Instagram
See a video recap of the event at pressurelife.com/hotdog or youtube.com/pressurelife.
@thepressurelife
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HEADLINES:
A little dose of pop culture What's happened since issue 8? Here’s our favorite, weird, interesting, or disgusting headlines we stumbled across.
There's a section of Yellowstone where you can get away with murder In 2005, a law professor discovered the "Zone of Death,” where a person could legally get away with murder. Eleven years later, you still can.
Scientists at CERN lab in Switzerland caught on film performing satanic ritual in basement of hadron collider Since the giant black hole machine wasn't scary enough.
Guy live streams sex on Facebook with girl’s father tagged We don’t recommend this. Weird eye contact too.
Suarez and Cavani receive message of support from Pablo Escobar's former hitman Now a famous YouTube star, Jhon Jairo Velasquez, who was nicknamed 'Popeye' and killed around 300 people and ordered the murder of thousands more, saluted the Uruguay soccer stars through a video message.
iPhone 7: Apple killed the headphone jack, and I'm switching to Android Doubtful. Let’s face it, we know you’re going to get the iPhone 7 anyway. At least it won’t catch on fire.
DNA from ancient skeletons reveals cause of Great Plague The bacteria typically live in fleas found on small animals and rodents, such as rats, which can jump onto humans and bite them to spread the bacteria.
BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS FROM A FORMER COOL KID Chad Weaver
It’s
the beginning of the school year for many young Clevelanders. School can be a stressful time in many kid’s lives because they have to worry about fitting in, keeping good grades, and being cool. I’m here to help though, because, and I know this may be hard to believe, I was a kid for 18 years. Not only that, but I was a cool kid for 16 of those years. So, here’s some back to school tips from a former cool kid:
01.
The key to fitting in is to be popular, so what I did when I wanted to be more popular was write a charttopping, hit song. You know the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow”? I was about to go to high school. Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”? I needed a date for prom. Taylor Swift’s entire album 1989 was because not enough people were talking to me in my government class.
Taylor Swift’s entire album 1989 was because not enough people were talking to me in my government class.
02. Join a club. The fastest way to make friends is to find people that
share your interests, and if there aren’t any clubs that interest you, start a club! All you have to do to is find something you’re passionate about, create a set of rules (sometimes called a manifesto), convince a group of easily manipulated people to devote their entire life to your cause (or else) and gain power over your community.
03. Afraid of getting bullied? Get a face tattoo. Have you ever
seen someone with a face tattoo getting bullied? I know I haven’t.
04. Solve a murder. 05. Trying to be cool? Webster’s dictionary defines cool as “moderately cold,” so take off those jackets, always sit near air conditioners, and line the inside of your clothing with ice cubes. When the other kids see you shivering, they’ll know you’re cool! Trust me kids, just follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to peaking in high school!
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Extremely loud and incredibly Cleveland
Eric O'Callaghan
D
eep in the fiery pits of an uninspired musical hell, All Dinosaurs has clawed its way out from under a massive graveyard of bands featuring Gibson SG’s purchased with Mom and Dad’s credit card and clumsy power chords that hammer into your skull with all of the poise and technical skill of Jake Harper playing “Smoke On The Water” over and over again on Two and a Half Men. Written and recorded mainly by guys that would sooner bail a stranger out of jail than be caught tipping under 20 percent, the band’s new full length album, Total Dissatisfaction, is set to be released on Oct. 7. Thematically, the album is simply a marked and functional improvement of concepts and raw feels that all four of the Dinos have experienced in their own lives as well as witnessed in the lives of others. They explore the anxieties of feeling anxious and being anxious about whether or not the level of anxiety they’re feeling is an appropriate response for what’s made them anxious in the first place.
--Want more Chad Weaver? Check out his weekly column, “Chad Weaver’s Chad Weaver,” on pressurelife.com .
6 PRESSURELIFE
ALL DINOSAURS
You can sit in your basement and dream up vague-ass glittering generalities that appeal to everyone on the basis of directly and deeply applying to no one in particular, and I’m sure Pitchfork would love
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PRESSURE PICKS Upcoming Shows to See Nada Surf
September 23 // Beachland Ballroom
Thrice
September 25 // Agora Theatre
Taking Back Sunday
September 27 // Agora Theatre
The Proclaimers
September 27 // Beachland Ballroom
Coheed and Cambria
October 9 // Agora Theatre
Pennywise
October 13 // House of Blues
NF
October 19 // House of Blues
Dave Attell
October 28-29 // Hilarities
Screeching Weasel
November 3 // Agora Theatre
Band of Horses
November 4 // House of Blues
Henry Rollins
November 11 // Grog Shop
Andrew W.K.
November 14 // Capitol Theatre
Two Tongues
November 14 // Grog Shop
Wil Anderson
November 17-20 // Hilarities
Atmosphere
November 19 // House of Blues
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to have you, or you can just be honest and try to tell people what the fuck is going on and hope that you’re not the only person in this oft-godforsaken city that can relate. All Dinosaurs fills a gaping void of technical skill in a scene marred by people who stylistically identify as being" fast as shit" and "heavy as hell" without being able to construct anything more than a Trump wall of meaningless noise. If anyone deserves to exceed the designation of simply "locally popular," it would be these guys. Total Dissatisfaction itself is an 11-track condemnation of pretty much everything including the creators of the songs themselves. I suppose you could probably have figured that out had you bothered to read the name of the album before pushing play on Spotify, but that bit of music listeners’ etiquette is about as dead as the genre All Dinosaurs refuses to be identified with and have continually been forced to escape. The erroneous assumption that hard, fast, and loud can make up for a glaring lack of skill, practice, and clever writing is thankfully not an ailment from which this band suffers—an assessment which it is highly recommended you confirm at the album release show on Oct. 7 at Happy Dog West.
All Dinosaurs Album Release Show All Dinosaurs consists of four gentleman of varying hair length: Bo Bowersmith, Dave Gibian, Gheramy Demery, and Mike Burrows. Their new album, Total Dissatisfaction (Wax Mage Records and Tape Haus Tapes) will be released with a special album release show being performed at Happy Dog West on Oct. 7 to a crowd of people that are bound to share their cranky disdain for the world around them.
The Label: Wax Mage Records Wax Mage Records, the side project of Gotta Groove vinyl pressers Sarah Barker and Heather Gmucs, isn’t simply an average startup record label, but rather an art project done with custom and often colorful record pressings that morphed into a legitimate redefinition of how bands present their work to the general public. Much of the reinvigorated popularity of vinyl deals not just with the sound quality, but the aesthetic connection of a personal collection, a feeling that’s heightened by the individuality of a custom release. Some have decried the use of custom vinyl for “driving up prices,” but the ability the Wax Mage women give bands like All Dinosaurs to stand out in a sludgy sea of bullshit is invaluable.
PLUM CAFE & KITCHEN VS. WEREWOLF CARL It’s so cool in there, zbut how cool is zit out there? Wilson Rivera // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston @gelston.design
A
void in me had developed after finishing every season of Friends, a void that led to drinking on a porch alone and trying to fill the void with a late-night snack at somewhere probably awful. Today was going to be different. I was going to make friends and try something new. I decided that Plum Cafe & Kitchen (4133 Lorain Ave.) was going to be the place to do so.
Upon entering I was immediately bombarded by it’s “coolness.” With only one beer on tap, a pinball machine, up-to-the-minute hip decor, and a hyper-comfortable patio setup in the back, this place was nothing but cool. It almost made me feel cool, which was nice. Even it’s name is cool. It’s kind of like the kid you called “Big Spiders” in high school because he drank twenty beers in a row; it didn’t need to make proper sense why you called him that, you just knew he and his name were both cool. The menu is accommodating and diverse during lunch, dinner, and happy hour. The cocktail menu is also extensive, but when I visited, it was a Stone-Cold-Steve-Austin kind of day—yeah, I felt that cool—so I went with a canned beer and the Chickenrones. What I didn’t know was this place was just about to get even more cool, as the food arrived, so did my waiter: a werewolf, with the dish in hand and stick in his mouth. I was dumbfounded. The answer was obvious, but I had to ask. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be a werewolf, would you?”
Also on Wax Mage: Goldmines If Best Coast stopped whining long enough to write a decent song, you’d have Goldmines, a garage band consisting of Clevelanders Mandy Look, Jeanna Lax, Roseanna Safos, and Wax Mage artist Heather Gmucs. Their self-titled EP was released on Wax Mage and Quality Time Records in May 2016 and consists of five songs that capture the lighter side of playing music in a city that can sometimes make you want to buy a microphone just to scream into it for 30 minutes.
“As a matter of fact, I am. The name’s Carl,” he responded after removing the stick from his mouth. “Word, so were you like playing fetch with your master or something?” How stupid was I to even think that. Werewolves wouldn’t have masters. I was afraid I was making myself look like such a loser in front of a werewolf.
“Nah man, I don’t need a master to dictate how I play fetch. I just toss it wherever and go with the flow.” I was awestruck. “Th-that’s so cool. Don’t werewolves usually only come out at night? So, are you, like, a werewolf all the time?” He deflected my question though. “Well, I’m going to clock out soon. You trying to drink some Black Labels and Old Overholt?” I didn’t even think about the deflection. I already felt cool enough. But why did I feel cool? Was it the Plum and their delicious fried chicken skins and canned beer or was it the werewolf? I couldn’t pass an opportunity like this up though. After hastily eating my food and paying my tab, I began my adventures with a werewolf. Even though I wanted to stay, there is no convincing a werewolf once they’ve made a firm decision, no matter how cool the Plum is. We went to a nearby hole-in-the-wall bar and shared drinks up until sunset. Suddenly, I lost Carl. I had no idea where he was, so I began asking the patrons if they had seen my cool new friend, as they were more familiar with him than I was. He was soon pointed out to me. When the sun had set, Carl just turned back into regular Carl, a bearded dude in a Misfits shirt with some Sailor Jerry tattoos who was playing Keno. He was no longer cool.
Know the Enemy
A rare kind of werewolf who is a beast by day and man by night, can the enigmatic Carl outcool the pleasing and somehow intimidatingly clean aesthetic of Plum Cafe & Kitchen?
Feeling betrayed, I left the establishment. It was at the point I had decided: The Plum had won. As its level of cool, unlike Carl, can stand the test of time… plus, they also have good food.
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Coffee
who provided him with much needed insight and sparked something in him that he didn't expect: a deep interest in coffee. At the time he was a self-professed cream-and-sugar guy, but after tasting great coffee for the first time and hearing it described with terms usually reserved for wine, he was hooked. He switched to black coffee, began roasting his own beans, and never stopped asking questions. He experimented and learned relentlessly for four years. Just when he was recouping his lost profits and hitting his stride, the 2008 recession hit. A poor location coupled with a drop in customer coffee consumption led DiCorpo to close his shop and head back home.
DONE BETTER
Tony DiCorpo of Troubadour Coffee puts on a masterclass
Ben Diamond
"W
e don't have cream or sugar." "Huh? What do you mean?"
"We don't serve cream or sugar with our coffee. We'd be happy to make you a latte if you'd like." "I just want a cup of black coffee. And then I want to add cream and sugar. That's how I've done it my whole life. Is there a Starbucks or something around here?" If you're having this conversation with the white-bearded man behind the counter at Troubadour Coffee Roasters, just hear him out. That man is the shop's owner and operator, Tony DiCorpo. He just got back from Nicaragua where he drove 5,000 feet up a mountain to meet the people who cultivate his livelihood. Up there in the clouds, close to the equator, conditions are favorable for producing some of the finest coffee in the world, but the process is delicate. Seasonal weather shifts, soil quality, harvesting time, washing or drying techniques—all have the potential to make or break a crop. The intricacies of this endeavor require dedicated farmers, living and working in isolation, largely unknown. DiCorpo witnessed this daily toil and returned to Fairview Park, Ohio with a renewed commitment to his craft: to honor those farmers by showcasing the remarkable fruits of their labor. And the best way to do this is to roast the coffee in small batches and serve it black, one cup at a time. That’s it. But no cream and sugar? That's a little much, right? You can call him an elitist, a purist, a control-freak—most people just call him the best. "If you literally want the best coffee in this area, this is really where it's at," says DiCorpo. "And I don't say that with an attitude. I say that because that's what people tell me all the time. I hear it all the time, and it makes me proud." DiCorpo has been building his reputation as a master coffee roaster in Cleveland since he sprang up at the Lakewood Farmers Market in 2010. After a few years of working local markets, DiCorpo had won so many loyal customers that he needed a more permanent location to serve
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them year-round. He's been at his current location in Fairview Park for the past year and a half, and business has been good. Sample a cup of Troubadour coffee and DiCorpo's success will seem obvious. Each sip brings a sense of wonder and joy. DiCorpo roasts lightly to highlight the coffee's natural acidity, its source of flavor. Roast coffee too much and those flavor notes are disintegrated, leaving a charred residue to dominate the taste. Some think that the resulting bitterness is an inherent quality of black coffee, but DiCorpo assures them that this is usually a mark of burnt or old coffee. Troubadour coffee is sweet and supple. It can have a pleasant mouthfeel and a consistency more like tea. You won't experience the grit-your-teeth, take-your-medicine style of black coffee that many have accepted as the norm. Instead, you might notice a natural sweetness or nuttiness; you might taste a note of peach, cherry, or even grapefruit. Each cup is an engaging sensory experience that resonates long after it's done. Even the empty mug retains a pleasant aroma. Afterwards, you'll probably have a lot of questions for DiCorpo. Mainly, how the hell did you do that? DiCorpo will tell you that he should have asked a few more questions himself before entering the coffee industry. Originally hailing from Cleveland's East Side, his foray into coffee began in Austin, Texas around 2004. He was tired of his job as a corporate travel agent. He didn't know what he wanted to do instead, but knew he had to make a change. "I'm the kind of guy that will throw caution to the wind when I see opportunity," DiCorpo said. So he cashed in his 401k and opened a coffee shop. He lost some money for the first six months before he started consulting coffee professionals
Back in Ohio, DiCorpo saw a coffee/restaurant joint venture fail and quickly found himself with less than a thousand dollars to his name. Knowing that he didn't want to work for anybody else, he had few options. What he had lost in finances, however, he had gained in experience and resolve. To serve as a guide, DiCorpo jotted down a list of every mistake he made in his previous ventures, lest he stumble again. "I don't believe a mistake is bad if you learn from it," DiCorpo said. "That's why they put erasers on pencils, right?"
I don't believe a mistake is bad if you learn from it. That's why they put erasers on pencils, right?
Then he got back to work. He purchased some raw coffee from a local supplier and began to roast, compensating for the lower quality by making custom blends. But there was something bugging him: he knew there was better coffee out there. So he started digging, until he gained access to the world of high-grade coffee that he exhibits today. "It's more expensive," DiCorpo said, "that's why people don't touch it.” But by doing something different, that people were not used to, DiCorpo believed he would find his audience. And so he has. DiCorpo has built a sizable and loyal clientele in Fairview Park and attracts people from all over who are looking for something better. More times than not, they've been referred by existing customers. DiCorpo says that one couple from Mentor visits him about every three weeks to stock up on coffee, often three or four pounds a haul. They like Troubadour so much that it has replaced some of their traditional outlets for entertainment, like movies. People aren't coming to Troubadour to see and be seen. They're coming to hang out, drink coffee, and to learn. DiCorpo loves to answer questions about a particular coffee's origin, its qualities, and how to direct someone to their new favorite cup. In the tradition of early coffee shops, Troubadour is a space for the open exchange of ideas. If you want to go even more in-depth, DiCorpo offers two-hour tasting sessions that fill up fast. While the extensive information is a lot to take in, it's worth it to gain a bit of insight and to see DiCorpo speak about a subject that he’s clearly so passionate about. "This isn't work to me," he says. "You know, I don't make the kind of money I made when I was a corporate travel agent, but, at the same point, this is fun. I come in every day. I have fun. I get to meet cool people and really share what I've learned along the way and help educate people, literally one cup at a time."
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The New
future.” Breakdown serves as a compelling treatise on the media’s warped portrayal of America. “Look at all the representations of TVs I have—and screens—and people switching to another channel. We’re constantly barraged with stimuli every second of our lives. I’m trying to tell the story through that stream of consciousness.”
[ AVANT ] GUARD Adam Dodd
“I
guard my image. I have to,” she apologizes. “I’ve been burned so many times—you have to put up a little guard.”
Wildly innovative and internationally acclaimed, now only if Cleveland would pay attention…
Kasumi has a right to be concerned. When we talk, the avant garde filmmaker recounts the times local press clumsily portrayed her life’s work as “something akin to coloring books.” She is not the first local artist we’ve covered concerned over misrepresentation, but she is, by far, the most criminally underappreciated. Both a MacDowell and Guggenheim Fellow, Kasumi has pieces hanging in Munich galleries, has had works screened at both Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center, and has performed alongside the New York Philharmonic. She’s garnered awards around the world, from Italy to Japan and South Korea. As for here?
“People don’t bother looking for my stuff,” she offers, only when pressed, about her presence in Cleveland. While a past winner of the Cleveland Arts award and a Creative Workforce Fellowship recipient, Kasumi is not without local love, but her craft is done an injustice from the dearth of venues willing to present true experimental cinema, a genre often challenging and unconventional by nature. Outside of rare appearances, like her set with DJ Spooky or her captivating performance at Ohio City’s SPACES Gallery earlier this year, Cleveland has been denied performances the likes of Vienna, Buenos Aires, and Stuttgart have enjoyed. “People seem to
The World of Kasumi Here’s some choice selections for those new to the world of Kasumi, all of which can be found at kasumifilms.com and vimeo.com/ ondemand/shockwaves
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Her website, kasumifilms.com, provides a fascinating video catalog of her vision over the past several years, including trailers for her most ambitious project to date, Shockwaves. When asked of the feature-length film she refined over the past five years, she swells with well-earned pride, “The theatrical version has 25,000 shots in it, which is about ten times what the standard Hollywood movie has.” Billed as a “window into a man’s mind as he tries to comprehend the transformation of his life from fairy tale to tragedy,” Shockwaves proved not only technically demanding, but challenging to the artist’s own perceptions as well. She reveals filming was like “going through intensive psychoanalysis everyday for five years, eighteen hours a day.”
SHOCKWAVES: Her magnum opus to date, Shockwaves is the best distillation of Kasumi’s work over the years and serves as a haunting and immersive odyssey into the subconscious. INFINITE JEST: Simply an elegant work, “Infinite Jest” offers a clear example to the innovative beauty of her gallery pieces.
“I don’t make popcorn movies,” she admits without hesitation.
know, peripherally, who I am. I show more in Europe than I do here. Here, it’s hard to even get paid if you’re local.” While she bears the torch for avant garde dutifully, you would be remiss to mistake the surreal worlds Kasumi creates for a shortcut on vision or narrative. “I don’t make popcorn movies,” she admits without hesitation. “What I’m trying to do is mimic our perceptions; how we perceive consciously and subconsciously.” Kasumi’s works are best grasped by drawing a through line from the early cinema veritae of Man Ray to the free association prose of James Joyce to the cut-up tape sessions of William Burroughs and Brion Gyson. Her short films like Free Speech Zone and Breakdown, the latter of which won a 2010 Vimeo award, maintain a distinct thematic presence. “In Breakdown I used only found footage and it told a contemporary story,” she explains. “By using materials from the past, I was able to show repetition in the present and the repercussions that happen throughout history and that will inevitably happen throughout the
CASANOVA: The colors absolutely drip from this one. Casanova through Federico Fellini via Kasumi, is a decadent adventure of excess that is impossible to look away from. BREAKDOWN: Offered here is a concise thematic presentation of Orwellian social and political commentary presented only through
Clearly someone in love with her craft, Kasumi beams, “I’ll do anything that excites me at that given moment.” That includes a number of innovative framed video gallery pieces, including a permanent installation in Vienna, Austria, which she describes as “kinetic sculptures.” While works like Breakdown and Shockwaves lean heavily on their staggering amount of shots, gallery works like “Infinite Jest” and “Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?” see Kasumi’s focus tighten, offering a keyhole glimpse into the evolution of her stylized career. Her art also appeared in the online promotions for the latest season of Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show. “They are the coolest. I visited their headquarters,” she recounts of her L.A. meeting with Andre. “He’s actually a delightful person. He looks like a maniac on the show, but he is just the nicest guy.” Given her prolific career already, it’s no small wonder Kasumi spends what little down time she has perfecting her craft and putting in the hours that go unseen on the screen. “If I have a spare hour, I’m making samples. I have to cut, frame by frame, these moving images and characters out of their backgrounds and it’s super time consuming.” Her meticulous attention to detail may seem at odds with the apparent free-wheeling phantasmagoria captured in some of her best works, but that only speaks to the deft hand at work. Simply put, renowned internationally, Kasumi is an audio visual alchemist. With her films having transcended the expected constraints of cinema time and again, there is one word Cleveland is sleeping on above all others. That word is Kasumi.
manipulated found footage and public domain footage. At times, fascinating, at others, chilling in its prescience. MADHOUSE: An engaging fusion of video manipulation and music; Madhouse is as elegant as it is playful. Kasumi, bringing to life a wholly unexpected world.
To watch her feature film, Shockwaves, go to vimeo.com/ondemand/shockwaves and the first 75 PressureLife readers to enter the code “pressure” at checkout can get an exclusive 50% discount!
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C
c
Cleveland’s Comedy Uprising with Ramon Rivas II and the Accidental Comedy Club
o
Accidental Revolution THE
Dan Bernardi Casey Rearick @caseyrearickphoto aving been on the receiving end of countless jokes over the years, Cleveland is no stranger to comedy. We've heard the haters take cracks at our culture, landscape, sports, and—yes, our river caught on fire once. But after decades of taking a variety of shit from outsiders and onlookers— and occasionally ourselves—Clevelanders have seemed to develop a much thicker skin. No one enjoys being the butt of the joke, but what doesn't kill us only makes us laugh. Perhaps this is why a new generation of hilarious talent has set the city's comedy scene ablaze, and Cleveland comic mastermind Ramon Rivas II and his Accidental Comedy Club are always turning up the heat
s a v i R l E Viva
not only an excellent taste in comedy, but his ability to organize a meeting of comedic minds on a broad level. Touring clubs from Chicago to New York to eventually L.A., repping Cleveland throughout his travels, Rivas gained hard-earned notoriety by leaving the crowd in stitches with his intimate blend of comedy. On stage, Rivas displays the warm personality of a self-deprecating teddy bear while seamlessly translating his uncensored frustrations, observations, and interests into the mic. “That tends to be women, weed, mushrooms, chickens, politics, being poor, and my family,” said Rivas. “A comedian should be able to joke about anything, but don't joke about anything you're not willing to get beat up over after the show.”
-----------------
Growing up in Lorain, Ohio, Ramon Rivas II has expressed a flair for funniness since childhood. In elementary school, Rivas was recognized as a smart, precocious kid with a big personality, one he'd often use to disrupt the room. As he grew older, Rivas learned to embrace his humorous side. “I was class clown in high school,” said Rivas. “But comedy didn't seem like a thing you could actually do.” It was, however, a class available at Tri-C, where he would deliver a first act among his fellow students of comedy. The youngest in his class, Rivas' potential as a stand-up stood above the rest. So he went for it.
In 2009 Rivas pulled no punchlines, tackling comedy “like a full time, non-paying job.” He hit the scene hard, attending open mic nights, performing free shows, and taking any road job or five minute set available. In the same year, Rivas co-hosted Chucklefck, a weekly open mic night, and a name Rivas would go on to use as the banner for shows around Cleveland. He was pulling in comics he admired, like Amy Schumer, Hannibal Buress, and Trevor Noah, demonstrating
Nowadays he's often referred to as the modern godfather of Cleveland comedy, and clearly Ramon Rivas II didn't earn that title over night. After years of humor hustling, pooling resources, and championing Cleveland as a second Second City-style comedy hub, Rivas leads the charge by bringing comics together and into the spotlight with his comedy funny farm, the Accidental Comedy Club. Hosting year round shows and events, including their annual Accidental Comedy Fest this past August, Rivas and his crew are not only making Cleveland laugh, but ushering in a new generation of comics, intent on establishing recognition that comedy is indeed a form of art.
n o m a R / w ?s
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In celebration of his ongoing mission to light Cleveland up with laughter, the Accidental Comedy Club's uproarious recent festival, and his new stand-up special on Comedy Central's The Half Hour, we hit up Ramon Rivas II to pick the brain of the man behind Cleveland's comedy revolution.
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Ramon Rivas II: Putting on shows that give people the opportunity to come together is one of my favorite things. People always complained there was nothing to do in Cleveland, so buckling down years ago and putting on shows…Thousands of people have gone to weird bars, churches, Mexican restaurants, bowling alleys, Slovenian homes, rooftops, and made new friends. Aside from that, probably rolling a joint of Dave Chappelle's weed and smoking it with him. Not really an accomplishment, I just want everyone to know how dope my life is. What's kept you in Cleveland after all these years? I haven't been able to afford to live anywhere else. Cleveland is a great place to be broke. You can be an artist without having to be starving…I love Cleveland. When I travel around, I'm always wearing a CLE shirt and [trying] to be an ambassador for the city. I love the city, with all the makers marts and cultural innovation happening year round. Even though there’s definitely two Clevelands right now... How is Cleveland’s culture split, and what issues are the most in need of attention? There's so much of the city that's forsaken, but if people get their energy together hopefully something changes. I've been turned away from empty bars downtown for having on hoodies, only to have a friend get us in and see 13 white guys in hoodies. The fashionist door policies downtown are weird or just racist. Our police department needs work and sometimes our politicians are crooked as shit. East Cleveland has needed to merge with Cleveland proper since the ‘80s in order to save a whole chunk of people no one seems to care about.
People coming out and supporting is step number one, two and three
In what ways has Cleveland comedy evolved since you first took up the calling? When I started, the Chucklefck open mic was Mondays and struggled to have five different comics every week. In order to get up more than once a week, I had to do music/poetry open mics. Fast forward to now and the abundance of stage time and growing number of comics trying to figure out the craft—it's cool to see it grow, and it's been an honor to be a part of that growth and resurgence. As you continue to establish Cleveland as a comedy capital, how can the city help further improve the state of the scene? People coming out and supporting is step number one, two, and
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Meet the Club 4
get to know the full roster of the Accidental Comedy Club, the locally brewed comic medley set on making Cleveland a destination for comedy fans around the world.
o
PressureLife: After eight and a half years of stand-up, what is your proudest accomplishment thus far?
Brian Kenny Years of stand-up: 4 ½
Comedy style: Charismatic and kinda loud storytelling, life-altering sexual thunder Trivia tidbit: Used to weigh over 300 pounds and has “fat people diabetes” Random Q: How much sexual thunder are
we talking and am I gonna be able to walk after? “All of it. And no, make your travel plans to and from the shows accordingly.”
Upcoming gigs: Step Brothers Comedy @ Brothers Lounge, 9/20 // Opening for Robert Kelly @ Grog Shop, 10/7 // Featuring @ Hilarities for Andy Woodhull, 10/26-10/27 & 10/30 // Opening for Dave Attell @ Hilarities, 10/28-10/29
Mary Santora Years of stand-up: 4 Comedy style: Quick witted and observant,
with a slightly dark twist
Trivia tidbit: Has never been to a haunted
house.
Random Q: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from doing stand-up? “You have to be okay with failure because failure is where you learn and grow. That's something I still struggle with but remind myself of often. The best way to see if an idea is funny is to watch it crash and burn.” Upcoming gigs: The Cleveland Improv,
10/6-10/9 // Hilarities, 10/12-10/16
Jimmie Graham
Years of stand-up: 4
Comedy style: *rolls eyes* “I am basically Jeff Dunham.” Trivia tidbit: On his 21st birthday, was choked out by the dude from Nickelback’s bodyguard Random Q: What makes Cleveland’s comedy scene so unique? “Both the comedians and
the fans here are real. We're not a bunch bloggers bitching about safe places and trigger words. If something’s funny we laugh, and if it's shit, we don't.”
Upcoming gigs: Modern Kicks Comedy @ The Happy Dog, every 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesday // Mahall’s w/ Langston Kerman, 9/19 @ 9pm
John Bruton Years of stand-up: 6
Dave Flynt
Years of stand-up: 5
Comedy style: Shock pop culture social commentary sauce Trivia tidbit: His driver's license has been suspended longer than Obama's been in office Random Q: What's your most memorable experience within the Cleveland comedy scene? “Watching the local standup scene flourish from what it was six years ago into this vehicle for self-expression for so many that need therapy, stress relief or whateva.”
Joshua Morrow Years of stand-up: 4 Comedy style: Personal PG-13 life observations, current events Trivia tidbit: Is a badass on a pool table Random Q: What's your greatest accomplishment as a comic so far? “In 2013, I took over hosting an open mic that was about to die. With positive energy and a lot of hard work, The Village Idiot has grown into the biggest comedy open mic in NE Ohio, regularly drawing over 30 comics a week. I am proud of that.” Upcoming gigs: The Village Idiot @ Lakewood Village Tavern, every Wednesday @ 9pm // Ingenuity Fest, 9/24 @ 9pm
Cody Cooper Years of stand-up: 4 Comedy style: Storytelling and absurd
Comedy style: Chill anger
observations
Trivia tidbit: Oldest member of the Accidental Crew and the “blackest”
Trivia tidbit: Had an unhealthy obsession with Sporty Spice at age 12
Random Q: What's your favorite part of doing comedy? “The rush I get when I tell a new joke or have an idea pop in my head and just say it and the crowd dies laughing. That emotion is priceless.”
Random Q: How'd the Fest go this year? “The festival was fantastic. As a comic, there's a special feeling when you have so much talent in an intimate space, mingling and becoming friends with each other.”
Upcoming gigs: Make Em Laugh Mondays @ Grog Shop, 9/26, 10/3, 10/17, 10/31 // Opening for Mark Normand @ Hilarities, 9/28-10/2
Upcoming gigs: Barrio in Lakewood, every Monday @ 10pm // East End Tavern in Lakewood w/ Bill Squire, 9/22
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o
three. More and more, the shows are full, but honestly, a tenth of the least-attended Indians/Cavs/Browns game would be a very successful comedy festival or enough to sustain 10-20 individual comedy shows. Think about that for a second. You go to a game to eat, drink, and hopefully feel good after a victory. Comedy shows have no losses. Plus, the drinks are usually cheaper.
c
How would you define the city's current comedy atmosphere? Surprisingly deep…The crowds in Cleveland are so real. It's great. The comics are all flailing about, developing their own instincts and point of views that are as unique as those I come across in my travels…We have the big major clubs (Hilarities, Improv) and Playhouse Square bringing in top talent year round, and a string [of] AAA/AA clubs like the Funny Stop, Comedy Zone, Bonkerz. Then there's a nice amount of open mics weekly, plus irregular showcases pop up year round, not even counting the accidentalcomedy.com productions.
Now we're accidentally at a point where every night, there's a fun show you're missing out on by staying at home.
In Cleveland’s expanding comedy scene, how did Accidental Comedy come to fruition? I started curating a comedy stage at Ingenuity Fest in 2011, and the second year of that I had Kyle Kinane and Neil Hamburger booked, so I filled in the gaps and that was our first official fest. End of 2013, I changed Chucklefck to Accidental Comedy Productions and founded it with the goal of enriching the arts in Cleveland through live comedy and other productions…Cleveland didn't set out to have such a great comedy scene, it just kind of happened over the years. Now we're accidentally at a point where every night, there's a fun show you're missing out on by staying at home. What are the ongoing ambitions of the Accidental Comedy Club? Get out, laugh, make fun...The hope is that Accidental becomes to Cleveland what Second City is to Chicago: a beacon of where comedy grows, a place where community can develop and tie in to the experience of the city…to continue to establish comedy as an art, so that one day, maybe a portion of the support for Playhouse Square, Cleveland Public Theater, The Orchestra slides over to com-
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edy where it can have a great impact on people pursuing this as a sustainable thing. How has the Club changed shape since its original formation, and other than the recent Accidental Comedy Fest, what other events does the group have in the works? A few members quit early on, but [the] current roster is Jimmie Graham, John Bruton, Brian Kenny, Mary Santora, Dave Flynt, Joshua Morrow, and Cody Cooper. The more people come out and support shows, the more artists the group can include and help bridge the gap between amateur and professional comedian. In addition to the yearly festival, there are weekly/monthly series all over Cleveland all year round people can check out. Visiting accidentalcomedy.com you'll be able to check out a calendar of dope shit. What does the future hold for the Accidental Comedy Club?
We'll see. Hopefully it continues to grow and help generations of comics in Cleveland. That, or Jimmie sells it for money to fix his car. You can catch Ramon Rivas II with Hannibal Buress at Masonic Temple Oct. 2, headlining at Mahall’s on Oct. 5, opening for Robert Kelly at the Grog Shop on Oct. 7, and headlining at Hilarities on Nov. 16. Find future dates on blazerramon.com.
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Proving the club's commitment to blowing the lid off Cleveland's comedy scene, the fifth annual Accidental Comedy Fest was their biggest bash yet. From August 26-28, Ramon Rivas II, Jimmie Graham, and their fellow club members organized, performed, and hosted an all-out extravaganza, presenting a cavalcade of over fifty comics from around the country with amazingly diverse personalities and styles. The fest was held in Lakewood at Mahall's, a legendary triple threat venue for comedy, concerts, and bowling. Primed for a show of this magnitude, the main bar branches off to twenty lanes and three separate stages for concurrent acts of simultaneous hilarity. Main stage headliners, Kurt Braunohler, Beth Stelling, and Rivas himself, each lit up the audience with their notorious com-
edy stylings. Upstairs on the Apartment Stage, often likened to the common uncle's wood-paneled den, one show, “Cleveland vs. the World,” pitted locals against non-Cleveland comics in a battle of witticism. In the Basement Lounge, “The Waiting Room” provided non-stop entertainment throughout the festival. Between the trifecta of stages, a lineup of outstanding comedians too long to fully list kept the mood alive all weekend. Marcella Arguello, Brandon Wardell, Langston Kerman, Jo Firestone, Felonious Munk, Dave Halem, Clark Jones, Will Miles, and Giulia Rozzi are just a sampling of the names that made up the extensive lineup Rivas and company reeled in to take turns cracking up the audience. “Accidental rents the entire Cleveland Hostel for artists to stay, so it has a real summer camp vibe,” said Rivas. After invites 25 spots were open to any comedians to submit for consideration. As the Accidental Comedy Fest has expanded, submission rate for the fest has spiked from 26 in the first year to now over 200. The Fest, however, was not entirely stand-up. Vocalist Natalie Grace Alford, rapper Chris Crack, and “Brooklyn's number two Weezer cover band” The Undone Sweaters brought their musical talents into the mixer. Up in the uncle's den, Cleveland favorite Bill Squire and Accidental member Cody Cooper recorded their first live episode of the ever-enjoyable podcast Gabbing with Grandma. One of Sunday's closers, sketch quartet Last Call Cleveland, took spectators for a wild ride with a series of skits, songs, and a special appearance by everyone's favorite talking baseball hat, Sticky T. With plenty of food, liquor, smoke, and laughter to go around, attendees were treated to a rare night of comedy in Cleveland's own backyard. By and large, the humor on display was of the ear-tickling “adult” variety. Nothing was off limits. Politics, drugs, racism, violence, suicide, sex, masturbation, religion, vulgarity—all the classics. And, no one even got beat up after the show. The often taboo topics were always served in a manner of self-expression and professional jest, with respect, intelligence, and laughability. For those willing to check their sensitivities at the door, the latest Accidental Comedy Fest was a hysterical experience to remember.
aTh t s a wrap
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The truth is, Ramon Rivas II and the Accidental Comedy Club have already cemented themselves as a great comedic force in the city, but this is still just the beginning. “This year, the Cleveland Leadership Center awarded me a grant for the fest,” said Rivas. “So hopefully that continues to legitimize the fest and other efforts of the group year round.” And aside from their ongoing endeavors to further flourish the local scene, the community has a major part to play in this comedy uprising. It takes a village, and in this case that village is you, Cleveland. They need an audience, and you need a few laughs. Get out there and show 'em we can take a joke!
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They’ll Give You the
Vermin Supreme for
PRESIDENT Our endorsement of the candidate fighting for clean teeth and decency
Adam Dodd // Illustrations: Aaron Gelston @gelston.design
It’s
been a weird election cycle to say the least. What has been at times the most comical, sensationalized, and tawdry of elections is kept in check by the daily reminder of how truly significant it remains. For the most part, PressureLife has stayed out of the political fray, but things are getting weird. With fewer than 100 days left before Election Day in November, we can no longer waffle along the sidelines. It is from the desk of our own Weekly Politic that PressureLife releases its very first political endorsement for…
VERMIN SUPREME! Yes, the guy with fishing boot on his head. No, wait, where are you going? We’re serious. Sort of. In an election year where politicians can withhold endorsements of their party’s own candidate while still vowing to vote for him, we at PressureLife are doing the exact opposite! We know how important your vote is and respect your decision no matter your choice. While we at the office may be voting otherwise, PressureLife is proud to endorse Vermin Supreme for President of the United States of America. While other politicians are content on dividing America, Vermin Supreme will take anybody’s help—and we do mean anybody. While other
candidates are out on the campaign trail deceiving America, Vermin Supreme merely promises each and every citizen their very own pony. Other nominees offer tough talk on defeating Daesh; Vermin Supreme is the only candidate that has made it a campaign promise to go back in time and kill Adolf Hitler once and for all. While we hope to get Vermin Supreme at the Weekly Politic desk to discuss his controversial proposal involving a secret Tooth Brush Patrol, which hypothetical critics have panned for its Orwellian undertones, the Tooth Gestapo is evidence of Vermin’s commitment to clean teeth and healthy gums. When the Republican National Convention came to town it brought with it delegates, police, protesters, sightseers, tourists, vendors, and activists, each with their own angle and point to make. Tensions ran high, tempers flared. Only one candidate for the presidency walked amid his constituency without a single armed guard. Only one candidate was livestreamed on Facebook standing between a row of black-clad police officers and rowdy protesters. Only one candidate urged both sides to consider de-escalation and called for mutual respect. When reason failed, only one candidate permitted himself the selfless act of playing the fool so that others could find laughter at a trying time. That candidate may have worn a fishing boot on his head, but, in all sincerity, we firmly believe that Vermin Supreme willfully helped avert potential violence in the streets of Cleveland during the RNC.
“I heard Donald Trump yelled at a baby the other day…” “Yeah? That’s nothing. I heard Hillary ATE a baby…”
Vermin Supreme peddles in that same rarified archetype as the tarot’s Fool. He speaks with the council of a court jester’s limericks. His own surreal insanity is the clearest portrait offered to the public of an American Elections gone off the rails. His non-sequitur existence is the non-campaign we deserve after giving the opinions of vapid celebrities consequence. From one bunch of weirdos to another, PressureLife celebrates the candidacy of Vermin Supreme, fully endorses him for President of the United States, and wishes the rest of our options were more supreme and less…them.
And above all else, come Nov. 8… VOTE!
SHIRTS RIGHT OFF THEIR BACKS Darrick Rutledge
W
Local brands like GV Art + Design and We Bleed Ohio are clothing all of Cleveland
hether you are at The Q, Progressive Field, FirstEnergy Stadium, or a bar watching a game on TV, you are going to be surrounded by fellow Clevelanders proudly wearing shirts supporting their city that they purchased from local shops. Due to the increasing popularity of clothing promoting civic pride in recent years, the number of brands selling these shirts has grown in both number and prominence. The secret to the success of the most popular of these tees is the artists behind them. They're Clevelanders. They grew up here. They live and work here. They have a finger on the pulse of Cleveland, and because of this, they make the shirts we all want to wear. We caught up with the men behind two of these brands, George Vlosich of GV Art + Design and David Gruss of We Bleed Ohio, to discuss their art, their successes, and the hometown they proudly represent.
5000 FLYERS
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We Plant One Tree with every order. Upgrade It
11 Paper Stocks 6 Standard Circle Shapes 20 Painted Edge Colors Rounded Corners
Create Yours Now!
JAK.INK/PRESSURE Price Shown: 4×6" / 100# Gloss Text / Full Color / Full Bleed / Double-Sided
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“From going to sporting events as a kid and trips to Tower City during the holidays, it has filled my life with great memories and moments that I’ll never forget. ”
This Land is Our Land: GV Art + Design has stayed loyal to Cleveland through the good, bad, and ugly More than just a T-shirt shop, the Vlosich family truly loves the
zCleveLand they celebrate with their apparel and other artwork. PressureLife: What are some things you draw your inspiration from?
What does it takes to be a success and what does it take to maintain that success? I do what I love and always want to get better at it. It took me years to get where I’m at now, but I always feel like I can do better.
– David Gruss
George Vlosich: We try to be involved and in tune with what is going on in the city and the world we live. We draw inspiration from everything around us. From the start we always wanted to create unique art and designs whether that be with the Etch A Sketch to our more traditional artwork to our apparel and T-shirts. Our dad is an artist and was in advertising and growing up [he] was constantly teaching us. Even now we are fortunate to all be working together and are constantly brainstorming and thinking about what ideas we can come up with that will be different than all of the same stuff that’s already out there. What does it takes to be a success and what does it take to maintain that success? It takes a lot of hard work and hustle. It wasn’t easy from the beginning, so you constantly have to sacrifice to get it where you want it to be. You have to constantly ask yourself what separates you and your work and what you’re trying to accomplish. When we started our company, there was really no one else creating positive pro-Cleveland apparel, and from there, we continued to grow. We have never sacrificed quality in our work or the products we produce. When you stop and look at the waves you have made and the support you get from people all over the country, are you surprised you’ve had this much of an influence on the culture? We are truly appreciative and blessed to be able to use the talents God has given us to do what we love. We have an amazing fan base and it’s because of their support we have a business. If you’re a creative person you train yourself to never stop thinking—there should be no problem you can’t solve creatively. I don’t think it surprises us because we’ve always pushed ourselves and have designs you won’t see anywhere else. It's crazy to think we had some influence on Cleveland and the mindset people have towards it now. When we started in 2008, we were extremely proud of Cleveland and felt others were too. They just didn’t have a way to show it, and therefore we started the CleveLand That I Love brand. What do you feel has caused your merchandise to become popular with your customers? Everything we do, we want it to be our best, and I think people recognize and appreciate that. We don't just slap
“We grew up going to 30 plus Indians games a year in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s when they were losing 100 games a year."
into a brick and mortar right in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Seeing growth from where WBO started five years ago with only two shirts, to last year when the WBO store first opened, And how that all compares to now, it's a great feeling of accomplishment.
stuff together, but try and be as creative as we can with our designs and our work. It's not the first three ideas we think of, but the fourth, fifth or sixth that make it different. We don't just do T-shirts. We're artists first that happen to use T-shirts as another canvas for us to work on. We also appreciate our customers and try to make people feel welcome when they come into our shop. We have people that come in that remember going to our parents’ house to buy shirts and are proud of our success because they realize how far we've come. They feel they have had a part in it, and they have. Find GV Art + Design’s clothing, original artwork, and more at either their Lakewood (17411 Detroit Ave.) or Willoughby (38038 Second St.) locations or at gvartwork.com.
If you could share a few words of advice with yourself when you first got started, what would you tell yourself? To just go for it and not to be afraid of making mistakes. Some of my biggest learning experiences came from those mistakes. What do you feel has caused your merchandise to become popular with your customers? I wanted to make shirts that I would wear all the time. The vision was for unique, classic designs on high quality apparel. My friends and family thought I was crazy at first for caring so much about what brand T-shirts I used. I tested over a dozen different styles and brands of tees before starting WBO. Finding a consistent, comfortable fitting T-shirt was just as important to me as the designs that go on it. That being said, I think also having designs that can be used year after year and still be relevant make for a classic T-shirt that will become a staple in everyone’s wardrobe. Find the latest designs from We Bleed Ohio at the 5th Street Arcades (530 Euclid Ave, Ste. 31) or online at webleedohio.com.
Still Bleeding: David Gruss Is Proud of the Ohio Blood Flowing Through His Veins Five years after starting off with just two T-shirt designs, David Gruss of We Bleed Ohio is making believers out of everyone. PressureLife: What are some things you draw your inspiration from? David Gruss: I always have music playing while I work. It definitely feeds into my creative process. Somedays I use music to clear my mind during artist block, while others days it can act as a soundtrack to my designs. Overall, I enjoy pop culture and nostalgia for things from my childhood, and I think that plays a lot into what I want to achieve. I want to create something that has a timeless and classic look to it that people can wear for a long time. So far, what has been We Bleed Ohio’s biggest success? The biggest jump in success was quitting a 9-5 job to do WBO full-time and moving
“Cleveland, This Is For You!” When the Cavs won the city’s first title in over half a century, the guys at GV and WBO were working harder than ever to clothe us all in our championship shirts. George Vlosich and David Gruss reflect on one of the city’s proudest moments, which was also one of the busiest times in both brands’ histories. What does it mean for the city to finally win a championship?
GV
We talk about it all the time. We still can’t believe they won. It’s just so amazing and in the way in which they did it. There’s no more weight on our shoulders. It’s done. We’ve got a championship! I think it showed just how awesome the city really is by how we handled the championship party and the parade as well. We had lines out both of our stores from 8 a.m. until 1 a.m. the days after the championship, all wanting a piece of Cleveland history. It meant so much more than just a championship.
WBO
A winning culture is everything. The Browns had their success in the ‘80s and the Indians in the ‘90s—only to fall short of the championships. We put ourselves in that mentality of, Cleveland will blow it somehow. We just never got that break. Now the city has seen our comeback from what was the impossible and we did it. Once that happens, there is no stopping what we believe can be achieved.
An unfathomable 1.3 million people had downtown Cleveland gridlocked for about a solid 10 hours. Were you one of them?
GV
We did not go to down to the parade. We wanted to and thought about it, but we launched five championship shirts and we were so swamped with orders and work that we didn’t get a chance to get there. We still had lines around the block, so we made sure we took care of our business and customers.
WBO
We got downtown just before 8 a.m. to open our store that day, and the crowds were just unreal. Such an amazing energy the whole day. Even though it was hot, businesses had lines out the doors and people were exhausted by the end and searching for anywhere they could sit or get out of the sun, but everyone was still very upbeat about it. This was a different for all of us—something the majority had never experienced before and wanted to be a part of, a memory we can all share together and pass along to generations of Cleveland fans. This was a celebration and experience of a lifetime that I will never forget.
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COMING UP
Adam Dodd
I
hear his voice past the ring of pines that separate us, melodic and ancient. Bearded and draped in thick, rough-spun burlap, he performs Nordic invocations while twirling a silver hammer over his head. The people in the park are beginning to gather and I follow. A woman passes around a horn for the crowd to drink from while the chanting grows.
OCCULT
Actually… you know what? We’ll come back to that. Let’s start this a few days earlier, in the back of a record store in Tremont. I’m talking with some local paganists while The Velvet Underground plays in the background. Lou Reed doesn’t make it to the second verse in “Venus In Furs” before we explore the balancing acts the paganists are forced to employ on a daily basis.
A glimpse into the lives of those whose lifestyle runs counter to the mainstream.
“[My kids] like to tell their friends, their mom’s a witch,” Stephanie laughs over coffee. “There are these school events and parties that you’re invited to—I can’t ask the other moms to sit in a circle and talk about the moon.”
Inarguably well-read and traveled, Lynette has had to discover her own path without the aid of a support group. Her reticence to connect and offer a more public presentation of her belief system is not born of shyness or shame, but of a more calculated, self-imposed anonymity. “I’m very private,” she says. "A lot of people don’t know about me. I share some of what I know or do and that already shocks people.” Despite being an experienced scholar and practitioner of shamanism, Lynette is still hesitant at the thought of coming out, publicly, to social colleagues over her spiritual beliefs. “I’m just not quite there yet,” she demurs. phrase “safe space” is mentioned more than once. “It helps when you know other women, especially if they’re standing right next to you. You feel a little bit braver…I had no idea how big the community actually was here.” “Males run the majority of our lives,” Stephanie adds. “We’ve got to be at work with them. We’re engaged to them. We raise them. It’s nice to have a place your own.”
While an ambitious proponent of the lifestyle, Stephanie remains humble.
“I’m still fairly new,” she says. I’m still trying to learn as much as I can and play catch up with all the information and different traditions.” She is inspired in equal measure by her culture as well as trial and error. “I don’t want to assign myself a religion.” Her sentiment is shared by the others around the table. Their beliefs are fluid and reflect their place in the universe at any given time—a self-actualized lifestyle cobbled from the very traditions that would consider such fusion blasphemy.
A mother of two, Stephanie knows all too well about the need for balance while claiming an identity that is often at odds with mainstream society. With the Bruja culture, which has long honored shamanism, running deep through the maternal line of her Puerto Rican heritage, her transition has been easier than some. She did not receive the same backlash as her friend Victoria when she came out to her parents.
These pursuits do not remain merely academic for them. You can thank the relative calm on the streets of Cleveland during the Republican National Convention to Stephanie and Victoria’s invocation for peace that they performed downtown with other women from their coven. “All those intentions we set, I feel they really worked because the RNC went off without a hitch,” Stephanie reflects. “That much energy and that many women just thinking about it, putting the protection bubble up. I want to do more things like that here.”
“My dad is super white,” Victoria laughs while sharing a sofa with Stephanie. “I was 16 and I had my tarot cards and my brother was asking about them. My dad heard and threw the biggest shit fit. He called me evil.”
“Yeah, me too.” Victoria pipes up at her side, eager for their next adventure.
Victoria has since joined an online community of women interested in various forms of witchcraft or paganism along with Stephanie. “You can see it in people's’ eyes when I try to explain myself. Then I realize, ‘wait a minute, I don’t need to explain myself.’” When the two speak to the support found within the group, the
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Warming to the two, a woman named Lynette slowly smiles from across the table. “We’ll have to connect later,” she decides. She’s been reserved for much of the conversation. Content with observation, she offers glimpses into fascinating past exploits only when invited. “I do miss the physical connection with women,” she admits candidly. “I wish I could be around women that I could be completely raw and uncut with.”
Standing outside, I hand each my card and thank them for their time. As the sun sets behind us, Stephanie’s silhouette puts out an invitation to the coven between drags off of a Marlboro menthol. She and Victoria exchange numbers with Lynette and make plans to meet again. Her thirst for knowledge, Victoria’s desire for sisterhood, and Lynette’s path toward acceptance may have just met at a crossroads at a record shop. I drive off, content in the promise of their Circle growing all the wider for our discussion. -----------------------------------------------It’s 90 degrees in the shade and we’re back where we started with the man wielding the silver hammer. I’m at the second annual Pagan Day Festival in Bedford, just in time for the closing of the morning prayers. The fest is running a canned food drive in lieu of admission. A redhead with a pixie-cut can barely see over the parapets made of cans of baked beans and jars of peanut butter when we enter the festival. A good turnout, she says. Vendors line the park, selling gemstones, ceremonial daggers, and other magic baubles. Tents offer shade and seminars from engaging guest speakers. The bustling courtyard reflects the panoply of concepts on display. A shaved ice truck serves bubblegum icees to kids and sun-soaked magazine journalists while others chalk pictures on the sidewalk or strum away at acoustic guitars. It’s hard to find someone that isn’t smiling.
While those coming up occult will do so at their own pace, The Land is becoming an increasingly fertile ground.
Those generous enough to share their experiences with me have led lives set from very different cultures. Their ages and backstories differ. The core of their beliefs are known only to them, but each recognize that selfsame odyssey, the struggle to find and maintain an identity that runs counter to most of mainstream society. Fortunately for us local sages and seekers, Cleveland’s magic derives from the sheer diversity of its community. While those coming up occult will do so at their own pace, The Land is becoming an increasingly fertile ground. As long as we continue supporting one another in our beliefs and passions—especially those we don’t understand—we can continue to foster a community that encourages open mindedness, compassion, and tolerance. Given the weight of the world at times, isn’t that all the magic we need?
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Exposing
AMERICA A Conversation With Cleveland-Based, World-Renown Artist / Activist / Photojournalist Seph Lawless Gennifer Harding-Gosnell // Photography: Seph Lawless
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ou’ve seen his photos, even if you don’t know you have. Seph Lawless has had his work featured by some of the world’s most popular media sites, including The Guardian, HBO Films, VICE, The Huffington Post, and Fox News. His work has since become a global phenomenon that now includes several books, television news appearances, and art museum exhibitions. He has photographed everything, including an abandoned NASCAR track in North Carolina and eerily-silent amusement parks from New Orleans all the way to Berlin.
Lawless started photographing abandoned places many years ago, initially intending to make a documentary of broken America: “I wanted people to see parts of America they didn’t know existed. My main goal was to show the world, not necessarily Americans. I wanted to show people outside of this country. That was such a strong passion of mine at a young age, but I lacked the
Lawless spoke with PressureLife about his upcoming projects, including gigs with the Weather Channel, upcoming reissues of his books, and a new series on VICELAND, VICE’s cable channel, entitled Abandoned. The premiere episode of Abandoned takes place in Cleveland and first aired on VICELAND on Friday, Sept. 2.
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I wanted people to see parts of America they didn’t even know existed.
these areas and most are minorities. I take it personally that people don’t take the time to consider what is going on in these parts of the country. They’d rather focus on the beautiful parts and what looks good as opposed to the conceptual view of our country as a whole and things we’ve been going through.
“I’ve been all over some of the worst parts of the country and when you meet someone that still lives in these areas, most of them have a tremendous amount of hope. I find that really inspiring. You wouldn’t think that, but oftentimes I find them to have more hope than someone who lives in the suburbs. You’re just expecting to hear the worst, but even though they live much differently than most Americans, they haven’t given up hope. They learn to thrive in the conditions that are given to them. I find that extraordinarily positive.” Lawless has two books coming out in 2017: logistics to do it. Then social media comes into play. Photo-sharing apps like Instagram and Facebook became very popular and I thought, what better way to reach a global audience?” Misperceptions and a general lack of awareness are what drive his passion for his work: “There’s major issues that go on in the places I photograph. Some of these places are not entirely abandoned. You’ve got some of the most poor, broken, and disenfranchised Americans that still live in
“There are two separate books being released in 2017: Autopsy of America: The Death of a Nation, and in the fall I’m going to be releasing a book detailing the abandoned amusement parks titled Bizarro. Both of those are scheduled to be released worldwide in bookstores in 2017. I’ll be doing book signings around the country as well as here in Cleveland. I’ll be doing several throughout this area.” Lawless is involved with the new VICELAND series Abandoned: “Abandoned is hosted by a friend of mine, a professional skateboarder named Rick McCrank, and the debut episode of the series opens up right here in Cleveland. It showcases my work and what I’ve done in the city of Cleveland in terms of my images and my message behind my work. Each episode is going to be going to different kinds of abandoned locations. The narrative switches with whoever’s on that episode. I also worked behind the scene for the series; I was hired for director of photography and as a location scout, so for people who are familiar with my work, a lot of the places they go are locations that I picked out for the series. A lot of my viral projects, they’re going to be going to those locations.”
can see left, up, down—you can move all around and it’s like you’re with me in the moment. And it’s video, so it’s not a picture like you’ve seen where people will stitch photos together. This is real time. You hear water dripping, you see a bird fly through the entire frame. It’s really riveting.” Cleveland’s recent resurgence isn’t lost on Lawless. He was recently given a tour of the new Flats district and loved it, but he doesn’t feel the money from a booming downtown will make its way back to the poorer outskirts of the city: “I don’t think there’d be any kind of long-term, sustainable effect that we would have hoped for, and I definitely don’t see any money trickling out any time soon. During the RNC, Inside Edition came out and we filmed all throughout the city. They were shocked at the parts I took them to. There was a whole segment [on the show] about how good it’s gotten and how bad it is. It was this dichotomy of both things. The good is thriving and so is the bad, and it doesn’t seem to be meeting anywhere in the middle.”
Lawless’ work with The Weather Channel is heating up: “The Weather Channel outfitted me with some really cool equipment, a kind of newer technology 360-degree video cameras. They’re two cameras that shoot 180-degrees that are outfitted to go back to back so it actually shoots 360. They hired me to start using these cameras in some of the locations that I go in, like the abandoned Six Flags in New Orleans. It records video for about a minute and a half and it shows every direction you can look, so if you move your phone you
You can check out Abandoned on VICELAND now. The Weather Channel has released one of his 360-degree videos on their YouTube channel. All of Lawless’ books are available as selfreleases on sephlawless.com
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Different Strokes:
BRANDON LEE WISE A Cleveland Artist Spotlight
Born and raised in the 'burbs of Cleveland, Brandon Lee Wise has always been a Tasmanian devil of an artist. A whirlwind of energy and emotion as a child—and somewhat the same as a grown man—Wise’s mother often calmed him with a pencil and paper. Drawing usually kept him settled, and he got pretty good at it, having surely inherited some of his grandfather's artistic talents. Unlike his granddad, young Brandon's own drawings often included monsters, epic battles, Mega Man 2 bosses, and anything else his fantasy fueled imagination could conceive.
Dan Bernardi Over the next 20 years, Wise shifted from Cleveland to Colorado and then, earlier this year, back to Cleveland, all the while dabbling in a mix of creative outlets, including drumming, designing clothing, and dog and cat grooming. It was in 2012 that Wise’s brother, filmmaker Jason Wise, directed Somm, a documentary about the trials of potential master sommeliers, the most prestigious of wine experts. Jason turned to Brandon for the film’s art and brought him back in 2015 for the sequel Somm: Into the Bottle. Soon they'll be teaming back up for the upcoming documentaries Rose Marie and The Delicacy.
Featured in the Somm films and in the homes and shops of people around the globe, Wise’s style is an elegant slice of eye-candy. Imagine a blend of flowing watercolors under popping lines of black ink that lights up the canvas. Shimmering bottles and glasses that each house tiny worlds filled with thriving plants, colorful creatures, and vivid dreams. The wine rests gently or splashes wildly, expressing a range of passion present in both age-old wine culture and Wise’s own visual flair. Despite these works, his artistic aspirations extend far beyond the realm of wine.
During his journey down the long and winey road, the international sommelier organization GuildSomm recruited Wise to create illustrations for their educational training guides. Additionally, he enjoys the slew of interesting commissions that come his way. Some projects fall clearly in his wheelhouse, such as landscapes for a Peruvian travel video or wine menu art for The Blueprint Cafe in London. Other unique personal requests, like a high-heel/human brain hybrid or a depiction of “David Lee Moth,” often challenge Brandon to expand his comfort zone with fascinating, poetic, and occasionally hilarious results.
Intent on exploring new themes in new formats, Wise is again dabbling in a sea of graphic possibilities including storybooks and card games. Embracing his recent homecoming, Wise hopes to collaborate with local artists and artisans and create Cleveland-inspired art driven by his love for the city, the lake, and the Metroparks. A selection of his illustrations is on display at The Wine Spot in Cleveland Heights throughout the month of September, and his body of work is available online at aBrandonLeeWiseArt.com . Treat yourself and give your eyes a taste.
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