Scene november 15, 2017

Jackson’s

Thriller

The zombie incumbency wins an unprecedented fourth term

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

| clev clevescene.com vesceene.com m | November Novembber e 155 - 21 221,, 20 2017 0177

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./6%-"%2 s 6/,5-% .O 20 Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Group Publisher Chris Keating Publisher Andrew Zelman

CONTENTS 5PFRONT

Associate Publisher Angela Nagal Editor Vince Grzegorek

Big surprise: Frank Jackson wins the mayoral election. And an actual surprise: The city responded to a records request from 2014.

Editorial Managing Editor Eric Sandy Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Web Editor Laura Morrison Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Stage Editor Christine Howey Visual Arts Writers Dott von Schneider Copy Editor Elaine Cicora Intern Lawrence Neil

&EATURE

Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Davis Events and Marketing Coordinator Maggie Lilac

Public pressure leads to some developments in the family homelessness crisis in Cleveland

Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Layout Editor/Graphic Designer Christine Hahn Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace

'ET /UT

All the events you should check out this week

Business Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Dotson Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss

!RT

Euclid Media Group Chief Executive OfďŹ cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating OfďŹ cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Human Resources Director Lisa Beilstein VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon

Joe Bartram and Mike Gable at Emily Davis Gallery

3TAGE

www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, voicemediagroup.com

Much is revealed in a short span of time in The Lake Effect at Karamu House

Cleveland Scene 737 Bolivar Rd, #4100 Cleveland, OH 44115 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-241-7550 Retail & ClassiďŹ ed Fax 216-241-6275 Editoral Fax 216-802-7212 E-mail scene@clevescene.com

&ILM

Vic Mensa WITH *AY : AT 1UICKEN ,OANS !RENA ON 3UNDAY

Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut is a Top-Five ďŹ lm of 2017

Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every week by Euclid Media Group. VeriďŹ ed Audit Member Cleveland Distribution Scene is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader Copyright The entire contents of Cleveland Scene Magazine are copyright 2017 by Euclid Media Group. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Subscriptions $150 (1 yr); $ 80 (6 mos.) Send name, address and zip code with check or money order to the address listed above with the title ‘Attn: Subscription Department’

$INING -USIC

...The story continues at clevescene.com

A Perfect Circle comes to town in advance of a long-awaited new album

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

UPFRONT FRANK JACKSON’S “THRILLER” WAS DEVOID OF THRILLS Illustration by John G.

FRANK “ACTION” JACKSON WON the Cleveland mayoral election last Tuesday night and will become the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history. Jackson defeated city councilman Zack Reed handily on Nov. 7, the culmination of a race that presented two unpopular candidates before an electorate bashed into apathy by years of bad and bloodless leadership. Jackson will now embark upon an unprecedented fourth fouryear term. In the end, Jackson’s utter lack of charisma, subservience to corporate power and propensity to hire excons at City Hall (if they happen to be friends or political allies) were more palatable to Cleveland voters than Zack Reed’s multiple DUIs, poor grammar, unsavory associations and streaks of political opportunism. Jackson won 60 percent of the vote to Reed’s 40 percent, a much wider margin than many anticipated. But with only an estimated 23 percent turnout, the real takeaway from the election was the lack of civic engagement in the region and the dispiriting leadership that has led to it. The mayoral election was a classic “lesser of two evils” battle, and negative news about either Jackson or Reed in the weeks preceding the election may have only further discouraged voters from bothering with the polls at all. In a city neck-deep in apathy and distrust, this was very nearly the worst and least inspiring election imaginable. — Sam Allard

NORTHEAST OHIO NUISANCE LAWS: HOW CALLING 911 CAN COST YOU YOUR HOME

THIS WEEK

In January of last year, a Lakewood woman ran to her

neighbor’s house seeking help. She was bleeding from the face, and would later be diagnosed at the hospital with a fractured nose, concussion and bruising. The neighbor called 911 and police arrested a man on charges of felonious assault and domestic violence. Three days later, the landlord of the property got a letter from the Lakewood law department: “... your tenant had a visitor over to the residence where he assaulted her. He was charged with felonious assault. This activity qualifies the property as a nuisance,” it read. In February of this year, the city of Bedford declared a property a nuisance and fined the owner $250. The issue? The tenant had sought help months earlier over concerns that her boyfriend was going to kill himself. Later, she called police again, believing him to be suicidal. After the nuisance declaration from Bedford, the landlord evicted the tenant. In October 2015, a Lakewood woman called 911 after someone overdosed and died in her home. Some months later, another person overdosed and she called again. EMS was able to save that victim, but in the aftermath Lakewood sent a letter to her landlord: They’d declared the property a nuisance. The landlord began eviction proceedings that very same day. Those are but a few of the examples cited in a new report from Cleveland State University on the detrimental effects of Criminal Activity Nuisance Ordinances in Northeast Ohio. The study found nuisance laws unduly punish victims of domestic violence, minorities, renters, and those struggling with mental illness and drug addiction, simply for calling 911.

LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME CROW Taylor Swift announces July 2018 show at FirstEnergy Stadium. Sashi Brown already mapping out how “Call It What You Want” setlist position might influence next season’s rushing average.

Nuisance laws were in vogue in the early 2000s, with cities enacting them to protect some vague sense of decency and community standards. They are, by definition and practice, pretty broad, which means that for every intention of, say, shutting down a drug house, they also became a magnet for barely veiled racism, as well as a tool cities can use to force out renters and those with subsidized

housing vouchers. Take Bedford, for example. When its CANO was first introduced in 2005, the mayor explained: “One of the things that we take pride in is middle class values. We believe in neighborhoods not hoods. That is one of the reasons we passed that nuisance law tonight. I have made mention of the students walking down the streets and those are

DYING ON THE VINE

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Winemaking expert says Ohio needs “more vines” to compete with California, Washington. Kevin Kelley seen as local culprit, after using City Hall overgrowth to constrict colleagues’ political ambition and will.

Speaking of: Kevin Kelley unanimously re-elected as city council president after invocation of the Unit Rule, which requires every councilperson vote the same way. Council then unanimously votes on pizza toppings for caucus lunch: anchovies and Limburger cheese.

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UPFRONT predominantly African American kids who bring in that mentality from the inner city.â€? It’s no surprise, then, that in Bedford and Lakewood to name just two, nuisance letters have been issued simply for kids gathering at playgrounds, using “slangâ€? or being “disrespectful,â€? or playing basketball. Twenty-one cities in Cuyahoga County now have a nuisance law on the books, according to the CSU study. Five of those cities include domestic violence in their nuisance laws, which is perhaps the most troubling aspect of these broad enforcement measures. Domestic violence is already an underreported crime, and the possibility of losing housing or being ďŹ ned creates an additional reason for victims to not call 911, the report notes. Using public records from four cities — Bedford, Lakewood, Euclid and Parma — from over the course of multiple years, the study’s authors painted a horrifying picture of laws harming those that need the most protection. That certainly goes for domestic violence victims — domestic violence accounted for between 21 and 56 percent of the nuisance letters in the study — but it also includes people who have called 911 for mental health reasons, including reporting suicidal family members, or drug addiction. “Calling a suicide hotline can cost you your home,â€? one of the study’s authors, Joseph Mead, tells Scene. “And in all the efforts we make to have people seek help if they’re having a mental health crisis, it runs counter to those public health goals.â€? Fifty percent of the nuisance letters reviewed in the study were issued for renters. However, most times those letters are sent to the property owner or landlord, giving renters no avenue to contest the ďŹ ndings, even when the issue at hand was in no way criminal. The ďŹ nes and warnings, then, give impetus to owners to evict tenants. Some cities, in fact, implicitly or explicitly recommend eviction as a remedy. Euclid, as pulled from city council minutes by the authors, is pretty forthright in this regard: “I advise the homeowner that after they receive my notice, if they take steps to abate the nuisance themselves, which may include evicting the tenant, taking care of the problem, we won’t charge them.â€? Housing instability is the natural outcome, and a speciďŹ c subset

of renters — those with housing choice vouchers — are targeted and additionally punished as well. Some cities cross reference activities against a list of subsidized renters, “and then ask Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority to revoke vouchers for those tenants.â€? There’s even more, sadly. Nuisance laws in some communities are used to target group homes. In Bedford, the city ďŹ ned a group home for children with disabilities $250 after a child was taken to the Bedford Medical Center after he hit his head and split his eye open. In its nuisance letter, the city warned of possible criminal prosecution or escalating ďŹ nes if further medical assistance at the facility was required. “I think some cities have a clear hostility to group homes,â€? Mead says. “And they’re using nuisance laws to target them and make life difďŹ cult.â€? For those cities that still include domestic violence in their nuisance laws, excising that problematic area would at least be a start. But given the preponderance of evidence of undue negative effects, when asked how these laws might be ďŹ xed or tweaked, two of the study’s authors told Scene the only real solution might be to get rid of them altogether. “We have led with domestic violence, which is where I started this project, and it’s a sympathetic issue,â€? Marissa Pappas tells Scene. “So we say, well, there are some ways to ďŹ x this because at its most simple, you just take domestic violence out of the law. But it’s kind of counterproductive and doesn’t work to continually revisit the law and take out one deďŹ nition and then another to make sure the laws don’t have unintended effects on people.â€? — Vince Grzegorek

SCENE JUST GOT AN UPDATE ON A THREE-YEAR-OLD PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST Sam Allard here. On Dec. 30, 2014, intending to pursue several related stories about the Cleveland police department in the aftermath of the killing of Tamir Rice, I submitted ďŹ ve public records requests to the city of Cleveland. Sent as discrete email requests, each email received a tracking number on Jan. 3, 2015. Mine were the fourth, ďŹ fth, sixth, seventh and eighth requests ofďŹ cially received that year, numbers 15-0004 through 15-0008. The requests were emailed to

recruitment of female and minority officers. 15-0008: All documents turned over to the DOJ for the report published in December 2014 on the Cleveland Division of Police. I’d also like the names of all officers and supervisors and other police personnel interviewed by the DOJ for its report. I had obviously been digging into the DOJ report and, trying to orient my reporting along thematic lines for 2015, I was eager to follow up on much of the information contained within it. I’m sure I assumed that at least the first three of these requests would be straightforward (if not easy) to process. My intention in submitting them as individual requests, I’m guessing, was to allow the records folks to tackle the material in bite-size chunks. I must have thought, for example, that the Office of Professional Standards and the Office of Internal Affairs would have existing databases like the ones I was looking for, and could be sent to me as Microsoft Excel files (lol). I no doubt knew that the third and fourth requests would generate a substantial number of pages. But again, looking at these now, I can’t

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have thought that they’d be difficult to track down. I suspect I knew that the fifth request would be met with resistance. What I couldn’t have expected — though perhaps I should have — was absolute silence. The first I heard about any of these requests was Nov. 3, 2017, nearly three years after the requests were made. I received a voicemail on my personal cell phone from a public records employee asking about request No. 150007, documents relating to the recruitment of female and minority officers. He wanted to know if I’d like this request “open or closed.” Apropos of what now? I thought to myself. I was stunned. Cynically, I assumed that in light of Cleveland. com’s badgering of Frank Jackson for his abysmal performance on public records, random reporters were being thrown bones a few days before the election. I honestly couldn’t even remember submitting this request. Even when I found it in my email archives, I didn’t realize it was part of a batch of five. I talked to that employee by phone last week. I wanted to tell him that I’d like this request open, please, and to ask him how he came upon it. Was he sifting through

backlogs? He was a nice guy, but he informed me that he’d made an error, a “boo boo,” in fact. He hadn’t realized I was with the media and he wasn’t supposed to have reached out. Another employee, Kim Roberson, would have to handle this request and get in touch with me. (This guy dealt mostly with attorneys, he said.) But if he was in possession of the request, I asked, how would Kim even know to contact me? Were they honestly this far behind? And what if he hadn’t made the boo boo? Would I ever have been contacted? All he could say was that he’d tell Kim we spoke, and that I was still interested in the documents. Of course I’m still interested! Only when I searched through my past email correspondence with Kim Roberson did I discover my batch of requests from Dec. 30, 2014. I realized — with feelings of disgust and remorse — that a year of what could have been (I hope) valuable police reporting was killed by the city’s failure to respond. And also by my failure to diligently follow up. — Allard

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“policerecords@cleveland.oh.us” and cc’d to Ali Pillow, the police public information officer at the time, and Dan Ball, the city’s erstwhile assistant media relations director with whom I’d established a congenial working relationship. To give you a sense of what I was looking into, here’s what I requested: 15-0004: The database from the Office of Internal Affairs which shows the investigations that led to recommendations of charges, any files related to those investigations, the recommended charges, and whether charges were brought. 15-0005: The database from the Office of Professional Standards which shows the investigations that led to recommendations of charges against police officers, any files related to those investigations, the recommended charges, and whether charges were brought. 15-0006: All course curriculum and course materials for the cultural sensitivity classes or workshops that all Cleveland police officers are required to attend. I’d also like the Cleveland Division of Police’s official policy related to cultural sensitivity and the continuing education of officers on that subject. 15-0007: All internal documents produced since 2010 relating to the

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FEATURE

GIMME SHELTER A temporary overflow shelter revealed systemic problems for local homeless families, and the community responded By Eric Sandy ON A COLD NIGHT IN LATE OCTOBER, 10 WOMEN AND 21 children slept on the floor of the gym at the City Mission, a charity organization that runs a men’s shelter at East 55th and Carnegie. Mattresses and cots were pulled up against the wall, and the families huddled under blankets for another nightly respite in the ongoing homelessness crisis in Cleveland. Holly and her 17-year-old daughter, Aiyana, had been sleeping in this room every night since Aug. 17. Each morning, they would get on a Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries bus that took them downtown, where they would ask once again for placement in an actual shelter. Each evening, they returned to the gym. After two months of the runaround, they were quickly losing hope for any change. Out of all the women and children sleeping at the City Mission, they were pretty sure they’d been there longer than anyone else. The gym was designed for recreation, of course, but for more than a year it was used as the de facto overflow shelter for homeless families in Cuyahoga County. (The word “family” here refers to a single woman and at least one child.) This makeshift operation was never intended as a viable shelter option, but there hadn’t been any

actual overflow shelter for homeless families in Cuyahoga County at all. That changed last week. “My mom and her boyfriend’s family all had problems, so we had to get out,” Aiyana told Scene during an October visit to the shelter. She was tucked under a thin sheet and leaning against a bag containing her and her mother’s worldly possessions. Several dozen children raced around the gym, tossing basketballs haphazardly and screaming in play. After a long day of doing nothing, there’s boundless energy to expend in this room. Nearby, a woman held a 1-month-old baby and tried to sleep. The nightly scene played out like that over and over again, and City Mission CEO Rich Trickel watched in frustration. He had opened his doors to stave off an obvious problem, and it didn’t seem like anyone in local government was listening. On

the night of Nov. 7, as politicians celebrated electoral victories across the county, 16 women and 45 children slept inside the gym at East 55th and Carnegie. “Keep an eye out, they’ll be wandering the streets until 7 p.m.,” Trickel tweeted the following morning. “You have to wait for a family to be out before you can go in [to a shelter],” Aiyana explained, detailing her fresh exposure to the mindnumbing nature of living without a home. “It’s a waiting process. That’s what we do all day.” She and her mother had never stayed in a homeless shelter prior to Aug. 17, so the entirety of that process presented a steep learning curve. Each morning, after the LMM bus ride, they join the line at the Cosgrove Center on East 18th Street and Superior, where Cuyahoga County and FrontLine Services run an intake process for the area’s homeless shelters. Each morning, they’re turned away. The shelters are full. Once they’ve been denied, most families just sort of stand on the sidewalk outside the Cosgrove Center. “Or we go to Tower City and hang out,” Aiyana said. “I know other people go to the Greyhound station and hang out.”

“‘See if you can find somewhere else to stay,’” Holly added, reiterating the line she said she’s heard so many times from FrontLine Services. “Well, if we had somewhere else to stay do you really think we would be here?” It’s a bleak situation unfolding daily in downtown Cleveland. But because Trickel and his staff have worked hard to articulate this crisis to Cuyahoga County’s public leadership, a new emergency overflow shelter will open its doors on Nov. 16. The Haven Home, a former convent on the northern end of Slavic Village, will be able to accommodate 36 individuals. With county funding, a case worker will be on hand to connect women and their children with pathways to permanent housing. This is an important development: Homeless families can’t set to work on stable housing without a case worker, and they can’t get picked up by a case worker if they’re not in an actual shelter. This is part of the grand Catch-22 that Trickel and many others have been confronting. The Haven Home plan is a good and clear start to ameliorating a complicated crisis. Before we left the City Mission on a recent visit, a woman emerged | clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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FEATURE

City Mission CEO Rich Trickel and Haven Home Executive Director Cynthia Rios address a public forum on Nov. 11. Photo by Eric Sandy

from the gym locker room, a baby tucked under one arm, and announced to the room that there was no hot water. Another simple comfort, taken. “Again?!” another woman shouted across the room. This happens often, especially at a place that’s not set up for hospitality purposes. Trickel noted that it’s not like this gym was designed to accommodate a dozen or so families

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in need of showers on a nightly basis. Andrea, a mother of three (ages 1, 4 and 9), told Scene that the waiting game is a nightmare. Being caught up in a temporary no man’s land like the City Mission’s gym made it even worse; she’d been spending her days this fall huddled in the bus stop outside Cosgrove, wrapping her children in whatever

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

blanket she could find. When we met her, she was worried about the coming winter. “We done complained so many times at Cosgrove, to supervisors and all that … but it’s been like this for six or seven months,” she says. Trickel interjected: “It’s been like this for more than a year.” The family homelessness crisis in Cleveland has grown since last

summer, when Trickel and the staff at the City Mission opened their gym as a temporary overflow shelter. From Oct. 13 to 15, 26 moms and 46 kids stayed on the floor of the City Mission gym. Dozens more made calls for shelter at Laura’s Home, which is also operated by the City Mission. Based on raw numbers provided by Cuyahoga County, the family homelessness crisis is in fact

Photo by Eric Sandy

“There’s a lot that has to be done, there’s a lot of opportunity.” — Rich Trickel

The Haven Home on East 61st St.

growing ever more dire. In 2016, 1,682 families stayed in emergency shelters. Trickel estimated that there’s another 700 to 900 homeless families unaccounted for, based on data collected by the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Project ACT. “There’s a lot that has to be done,” Trickel said during a Nov. 11 public forum. And, looking toward both local government and the faith community of greater Cleveland, he added, “There’s a lot of opportunity.” Even though Cosgrove is closed on the weekends, the LMM bus still carted these families to the building downtown. And that’s where they spent their whole weekend. “If you got nowhere to go, then why leave?” Aiyana said. “You can’t be [in the gym] during the day, and

on the weekends during the day at Cosgrove they’re not open so you don’t get nothing to eat. You gotta sit there all day. And if you don’t got no money, then you have nothing. You can go anywhere, but we just sit there.” They couldn’t return to the City Mission gym, because there’s really no accommodation structure for daylong stays. The whole idea here is that Trickel and his staff saw a desperate need for beds — safe places to sleep and gather resolve — and so they opened the doors and allowed struggling women to toss a few thin mattresses on the ground for the night. That was more than a year ago. Then things got worse. In a very general sense, the emergency shelter process in

Cuyahoga County is run through Coordinated Intake, located within the Bishop Cosgrove building at Superior Avenue and East 18th Street. From there, a mother and her children would be referred to one of the county’s shelter partners. With the homelessness crisis worsening, those places are often at full capacity; the mothers’ requests are denied. This short list of shelter partners for local families includes the City Mission, which operates Laura’s Home, with 55 rooms and 166 beds; Westside Catholic Center, with 35 beds; The Salvation Army’s Zelma George Shelter, with 35 rooms; and Family Promise, with accommodations for eight to 10 families. Those facilities are fully booked on most days.

The City Mission, which is the only privately funded venue on that list, receives an average of 374 calls from mothers each month, all seeking shelter for their family, according to Trickel. (Places like Norma Herr Women’s Shelter and 2100 Men’s Shelter offer emergency beds for single women or men only.) In September 2016, Trickel and his staff opened the gym. That month, the City Mission provided 71 “nights of shelter” for 23 women and 48 children. (A “night of shelter” is an accommodation of one person for one night.) In August 2017, the City Mission provided 1,016 nights of shelter in its gymnasium. Since this endeavor began last summer, 320 families have passed through the gym. Cuyahoga County, eyeing a 20182019 budget package now, had not been planning to allocate any funds toward emergency overflow shelters or to case worker costs until Trickel sounded the alarm that this needs to get done now. One of the core issues, as always, is public fund allocation. More federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have been shifted toward short-term rental assistance and efforts to improve access to permanent housing. The county has championed its efforts to build lowcost homes. “I think we would agree that no matter how wonderful a shelter and how caring the staff, families and children do better in their own, stable home. At the end of the day, everyone needs permanent housing,” Ruth Gillett, manager of the county’s homeless services office, wrote in a letter to Trickel earlier in the fall.

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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Friends of Lasa Sanctuary Fundraiser Special Event

Michael Kelsey

November 17th @ 8pm, $25 General Admission

“A fearless experimenter, Kelsey is an acoustic guitarist who weaves a multitude of unusual sounds and rhythms into his patchwork quilt of work. Part performance artist and part virtuoso musician. Kelsey takes the widest possible variety of music and makes it his own.â€? -Nuvo Magazine,Indianapolis, IN The full $25 from the cost of the ticket will go to Lasa Sanctuary Tickets are on sale at www.kentstage.org Tickets also available by phone at 877-987-6487 Lasa Sanctuary is an all-volunteer, publicly IXQGHG F QRQSURĆ“W LQ 1RUWKHDVW 2KLR ZKLFK DLPV WR SURYLGH OLIHORQJ FDUH DQG VDQFWXDU\ WR DQLPDOV UHVFXHG IURP VLWXDWLRQV RI FUXHOW\ QHJOHFW DQG DEDQGRQPHQW 3OHDVH YLVLW ODVDVDQFWXDU\ RUJ WR OHDUQ PRUH DERXW WKLV ZRQGHUIXO VDQFWXDU\

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

Sit down with your guests. Advertise with SCENE. Call 216-241-7550 for more information.

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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Courtesy of Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services

FEATURE “By shortening the shelter length of stay,” she wrote, “more individuals and families can be served within the existing capacity. Ending homelessness will not be achieved by increasing shelter beds in Cleveland or throughout our country. A national housing policy focused on meeting the gap between private market housing rates and low income working and disabled families financial resources is the economic and just solution.” Trickel said that the long-term view baked into that statement does nothing for the families needing a bed tonight. Shelter placement is a part of the path, often a temporary stepping stone to the county’s Rapid Re-housing program. However, Housing First, a county-city project, serves primarily single men, Trickel said. Families — women and children — are by and large left out in the cold. (While family homelessness is on the rise, the number of individuals in emergency shelter has decreased, as more single men and women move into transitional and permanent housing.) “We’ve lost approximately 400 beds in this city,” Trickel said, pointing back to the shelter problem. In 2017, families are stuck in crisis. For now, though, Trickel says the outpouring of support for the City Mission’s gym has been incredible. People have donated vital items — diapers and hygiene kits — and offered help for families in need. “Everyone engaged is at full tilt and doing everything they can do and overwhelmed with their numbers,” Trickel said at the Nov. 11 forum. Trickel met with county council president Dan Brady in October, and called the meeting “productive.” He wasn’t sure what was going to come of it, but conversations continued through the month. Last week, the county announced its intent to help fund the Haven Home situation. “He was good to his word,” Trickel said of Brady’s budgetary followthrough. Elsewhere, the Haven Home’s executive director, Cynthia Rios, was holding meetings and forming a plan to reopen the place for this specific need. “It’s a wonderful, perfect facility for this use,” she said last weekend. With a past life as a convent, the Haven Home property has the bathrooms, showers and laundry amenities needed to support a basic emergency shelter. There’s even a

gym, for the likely overflow of the overflow shelter. All items donated to the City Mission for this emergency shelter work will follow the women and children to the Haven Home. With the county actively taking at least some

of the reins here, the hope is that public pressure will continue. “You’ve got to provide a dignified, humane, permanent solution,” Trickel said earlier this fall. “I think that [sleeping in the City Mission gym] is an ungodly circumstance. I think

once [the public] hears about that, they’re not willing to accept that as a solution.”

esandy@clevescene.com t@EricSandy

CLEVELAND

T h e C a p i to l T h ea t re

Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 7:00pm

BUY-ONE-GET-ONE FREE LIFT TICKET TO TREETOPS RESORT SKI TWO DAYS, GET A THIRD FREE AT BOYNE HIGHLANDS & BOYNE MOUNTAIN FREE EARLY- OR LATE-SEASON LIFT TICKET TO STEAMBOAT

It’s Tradition. Get Tickets Today!

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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Friday, December 1

7PM - MIDNIGHT

DOWNTOWN WILLOUGHBY

Brought to you by:

$15 Adv. $20 Day Of

20

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

Part Of

BeneďŹ ting The Downtown Willoughby Organization and Willoughby-Eastlake Schools Food Pantry

SceneHolidayBarBlast.com

GET OUT

everything you should do this week Photo by Robyn Von Swank

WED

11/15

FILM

Casablanca 75th Anniversary In the classic film Casabalanca, Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick Blaine, owner of a nightclub in Vichy-controlled Casablanca that’s frequented by refugees desperate to escape German domination. He manages to remain netural, but all that changes when an attractive young woman (Ingrid Bergman) walks through the front door of his club. The movie screens today at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Cedar Lee Theatre. Tickets are $12.50. (Jeff Niesel) 2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 440-717-4696, clevelandcinemas.com.

a testament to the strength of his material that he doesn’t need to rely heavily on obscenities in order to be funny, and he’ll joke about things like what a mistake it is to tell a woman she has a gray hair. He performs at 10 tonight and at 7 on Sunday night at Hilarities. Tickets to tonight’s show are $25; tickets to Sunday’s show are $18. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

Jen Kirkman brings her All New Material Girl tour to Hilarities. See: Wednesday.

MUSIC

SPOKEN WORD

Cleveland Stories Dinner Parties Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is a weekly series that pairs fine food with storytelling. Through it, the folks at Music Box Supper Club hope to raise awareness of the mission of the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to “bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past — from sports, to rock ’n’ roll, to Millionaires’ Row,” as it’s put in a press release. Admission is free, with no cover charge, although a prix fixe dinner, designed to complement the night’s theme, is $20. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 6, and the storytelling starts at 7. Tonight, author John H. Tidyman talks about Cleveland cops. The menu includes Bad Boy Bisque, Jailbird Marsala and Doughnut Bread Pudding. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com. COMEDY

Jen Kirkman A New York Times bestselling author (she’s written two memoirs, I Can Barely Take Care of Myself and I Know What I’m Doing), comedian Jen Kirkman honed her comedic skills while working for many years as a writer and guest on Chelsea Lately. The sarcastic comic likes to make fun of the fact that she doesn’t have children and that she’s embraced a “not-so-conventional life after 40.” This past year, she’s had a run-in with “fraudulent” spiritual healers and been accused of not

being “woke.” These experiences will make up some of the material in her new standup show, dubbed the All New Material Girl Tour, that she brings to town this week. Kirkman performs at 8 tonight at Hilarities. Tickets are $20 to $25. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

THU

11/16

takes place today between 5 and 9:30 p.m. More than 50 studios and galleries will participate in this popular indoor art walk; be sure to check out spots like the Derek Hess Gallery, Tregoning & Company, and Hilary Gent Studio. Needless to say, this is a fine opportunity to get a jump on that holiday shopping. (Niesel) 1300 West 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com.

SPORTS

SPORTS

Monsters vs. Milwaukee Admirals Tonight at 7 at the Q, the Cleveland Monsters battle the Milwaukee Admirals in the first of a two-game series. The two teams will meet again at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Q. Tonight, there will be $6 tickets for college students and $6 college meal deals that include a hot dog, chips and a soda. Saturday’s game is Salute the Troops Night, and there will be a Veteran’s Day tribute. These two games represent the first meetings between the teams this year. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, theqarena.com.

Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Clippers The Cavs have struggled recently, and the team’s defense is among the worst in the NBA. That should make it difficult to beat the highscoring Los Angeles Clippers, a team that’s played well despite losing star guard Chris Paul to free agency. Tonight’s game begins at 7:30 at the Q. Tickets start at $16. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, theqarena.com.

FRI

11/17

ART

78th Street Studios Third Friday Art Walk Stop by SmArt Space, on the ramp level of the 78th Street Studios, for the Third Friday Art Walk that

COMEDY

Ryan Dalton It’s been a long, slow climb to the middle for Cleveland comic Ryan Dalton. The guy started performing standup in 1998 and has had some minor success. He’s regularly on The Bob and Tom Radio Show and has appeared on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. He also makes the rounds of the comedy festival circuit. Much like Seinfeld, Dalton jokes about life’s absurdities. It’s

Fridays@7: Hamelin Plays Mozart Tonight’s special Fridays@7 concert at Severance Hall features an hour-long concert that includes performances by the Cleveland Orchestra of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 (“Jeunehomme”) with pianist Mark-André Hamelin, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 36 (“Linz”), all led by conductor and early music specialist Nicholas McGegan. Stick around after the performance for a post-concert party, featuring more songs from Mr. Hamelin on piano. A longer version of the concert featuring baroque tunes by Gluck and Rameau takes place tomorrow night at 8. Consult the web site for ticket prices. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. FILM

Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards At 7 tonight and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Cleveland Museum of Art hosts the local premiere of director Michael Roberts’ latest film, Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards. The documentary profiles the Spanish fashion designer Manolo Blahnik, who’s become an international sensation with shoe boutiques and department store offerings in more than 20 countries. (And, yes, a young Manolo got his start making shoes out of candy wrappers for the lizards he found in the family garden.) Tickets are $10, or $7 for CMA members and students. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. THEATER

Wardrobes & Rings Wardrobes & Rings imagines an encounter between fantasy authors C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, who get together for what turns out to be the very last time. They meet at the Eagle and Child pub to knock back | clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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GET OUT back a few and to talk about all their disagreements — and there are many. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Hanna Theatre, where performances continue through Sunday. Tickets are $20 to $35. (Niesel) 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. SPOKEN WORD

Why Bob Dylan Matters The Rock Hall’s Library & Archives,

Case Western Reserve University’s Center for Popular Music Studies and CWRU’s Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities have all teamed up to present tonight’s lecture featuring authors Thomas Palaima and Richard Thomas. The two writers will participate in a special discussion of 1988 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bob Dylan. CWRU’s Daniel Goldmark will moderate the event; admission is free with a reservation through the Rock Hall website. The talk takes place at 7 at the Kelvin + Eleanor Smith Foundation Ballroom in the Tinkham Veale University Center at Case Western Reserve

University. (Niesel) 11038 Bellflower Rd., 216-368-5681, humanities.case.edu.

SAT

11/18

movie screens at midnight tonight and at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Capitol Theatre. Regular admission rates apply. (Niesel) 1390 West 65th St., 216-651-7295, clevelandcinemas.com.

FILM

FILM

Nails The horror thriller Nails stars Shauna Macdonald (The Descent) as a woman who can’t speak after a near-fatal car accident. The vengeful spirit of an orderly nicknamed Nails haunts her but neither her family nor the hospital staff believe her, forcing her to take matters into her own hands. The

Warren Miller Presents Line of Descent The release of a new Warren Miller Entertainment ski film signals the start of ski season as much as anything. Tonight at 8, the Akron Civic Theatre will screen his latest flick of skiers performing death defying stunts. Prior to the film, a “ski-fest” where you can find vendors hawking the latest gear, begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15. (Niesel) 182 South Main St., Akron, 330-253-2488, akroncivic.com. NIGHTLIFE

Winter Wine & Ale Fest Given our recent run of unseasonably warm weather, it’s hard to believe winter is just around the corner. But temperatures will drop soon enough for events such as the Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s annual Winter Wine & Ale Fest. Organizers offer a variety of ticket options (prices range from $40 to $250) for the fest, which takes place from tonight from 8 to 11, at the Global Center for Health Innovation. Guests can sample ales, ciders, mead and boutique wines from Ohio-based establishments including the Brew Kettle, BrewDog, Columbus Brewing Company, Crafted Artisan Meadery and Goldhorn Brewery. Food tastings come from Ruth Chris, Adega at the 9, Brasa, Jack Frost Donuts and more. Find the details and buy tickets on the website. (Niesel) downtowncleveland.com/WWAF.

All neW

SUN

11/19

FILM

Highlighting 30+ years of induction ceremonies! The hall of fame pays homage to our inductees through an immersive concert-like experience and a space for fans to share their own stories. 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 • 216-781-ROCK • rockhall.com

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

*On general admission when showing a valid ID with ZIP beginning in 440, 441, 442 or 443.

At the Movies: North by Northwest Live Richard Kaufman conducts the Cleveland Orchestra as it plays Bernard Herrmann’s original score to North by Northwest, which will show on the big screen at Severance Hall tonight at 7. The Hitchcock classic stars Cary Grant as a Madison Avenue advertising man who finds himself thrust into the world of spies when he is mistaken for another man. Consult the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. MUSIC

Ed Caner & Friends A founding member of the local band

THE ROAD TO THE ROCK HALL BEGINS WITH THE ROCK OFF

WJW.CLEVELAND

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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GET OUT Hey Mavis, fiddler Ed Caner has performed with both local and national acts. For today’s show at the Hines Hill Conference Center in Peninsula, he’ll pair up with local musician Hal Walker, a guy who composes and improvises on the guitar, piano, harmonica, khaen, jew’s harp and concertina. Doors open at 6:30 and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 on Eventbrite; details are on the calendar at the Conservancy website below. (Niesel) 1403 West Hines Hill Rd., Peninsula, 216-479-8611. COMEDY

Nick Offerman Humorist Nick Offerman became a comedic star when his role in the TV sitcom Parks and Recreation catapulted him into the comedic canon. Offerman brought some real personality to the character of Ron Swanson, the ultra manly head of a city’s parks and recreation department. For tonight’s performance at Connor Palace, Offerman — a woodworker in real life — will present his “saw-dusty musings on survival in the wild, living with enthusiasm, and most importantly, the cultivation of fulsome body hair.” The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39.50 to $59.50. (Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Check Out Our Brand New Game Room!!

MUSIC

Wednesday Country Night

Friday

Darts Tournament ($3/player) KARAOKE NIGHT

Sunday

We Will Book Any Band. Bands Get Door. Call us to secure your spot!

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

Come Watch THE FOOTBALL PLAY on our two 100” screen projectors and 10 TV’s Open Pool Tournament ($5 to enter)

The Singing Angels Holiday Spectacular Members of the local performance troupe Singing Angels encompass numerous races, creeds and economic backgrounds. At tonight’s Holiday Spectacular concert, you can hear three choruses with more than 200 singers, in total, performing holiday favorites. The concert takes place at 2 p.m. at Connor Palace. Tickets are $18 to $43. (Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

MON

11/20

MUSIC

XTreme Music Theater Concert Baldwin Wallace Musical Theater students have graduated to lead roles on Broadway and London’s West End. They’ve also found their way to prime-time television, film and more. Tonight at Nighttown, the school’s talented seniors will perform songs from Rent, Aladdin and Edges, in a

program dubbed an XTreme Music Theater Concert. The show starts at 7, and tickets are $15. (Niesel) 12387 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-795-0550, nighttowncleveland.com.

TUE

11/21

FILM

Canaletto and the Art of Venice The latest installment in the Exhibition on Screen gallery-film series, Canaletto and the Art of Venice provides viewers with access to the art exhibit currently at the Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace. It centers on the enigmatic artist Canaletto, a guy whose personal life is mired in mystery. The film makes its local debut today at 1:45 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets are $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. MUSIC

Classical Revolution Cleveland Tonight, and the third Tuesday of every month, Classical Revolution Cleveland brings its wide array of chamber music to the Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern. Performers like the Trepanning Trio, Anime Duo, students of Cleveland Institute of Music and even Cleveland Orchestra members grace the stage in these exciting concerts. Tonight’s free, all-ages performance starts at 8. (Patrick Stoops) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com. SPOKEN WORD

Laura DeMarco on Lost Cleveland Organized chronologically, Lost Cleveland, a new coffee table book featuring photos of old Cleveland institutions that are no longer with us, includes photos from places such as Leo’s Casino, the Hippodrome, Hough Bakery, Cleveland Municipal Stadium and Memphis DriveIn. Plain Dealer reporter Laura DeMarco did the painstaking research and wrote the copy that accompanies the vintage photos. DeMarco will talk about the “iconic architecture, legendary events, and fascinating true tales behind a city that was one of the largest and most prosperous in America,” as it’s put in a press release. Hear her tonight at 7:30 at the Euclid Tavern. Admission is free. (Niesel) 11625 Euclid Ave., 216-231-5400, happydogcleveland.com.

Find more events @clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

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/ V iÌÃÊ ÊÃ> iÊ ÜtÊ-Vi i >Û À°V | November 15 - 21, 2017 P L E A S E D R I N K R E S P O N S I |Bclevescene.com LY

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

Your neighborhood isn’t just where you’re from. It’s part of who you are. You know its people, its quirks, its history. You carry it with you wherever you go. Jack Honey is proud to bring you cocktail creations from six neighborhoods and the people who make them their home. Cities may change, but the flavor of these neighborhoods remains unique. See the people and places that are keeping The Land full of flavor and place a vote for your favorite.

sceneneighborhoodflavor.com D O YO U R F R I E N D S P RO U D . D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY.

WHISKEY SPECIALTY, 35% ABV. JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE. ©2017 JACK DANIEL’S. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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1

CEDAR LEE DISTRICT

DRINK NAME:

JACKED UP APPLETINI

FLAVOR FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD Chef Eric Rogers’ Black Box Fix became, in a short amount of time, a beloved institution of Cleveland Heights’ Cedar Lee district. Fans were devastated when it closed. But less than a year later, the restaurant found new life down the street in a much bigger space: The Fix Bistro. Rogers is a lifelong Clevelander who practically grew up in the restaurants his grandparents owned. “They taught me early: you don’t work, you don’t eat,” he says. He has partnered with a number of local eateries under the umbrella of his Fix brand in

2

VAN AKEN DISTRICT

an attempt to make Cedar Lee the premiere dining district of Cleveland Heights. Rogers gained national recognition for appearing on Guy’s Grocery Games on Food Network, but he has remained humble: he speaks often of his desire to “be a blessing” for the community. The Fix’s concoction is the Jacked Up Appletini: which combines Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, apple juice, and mango & peach puree in a glass with a Cajun-sugar rim and a booze-soaked apple garnish.

DRINK NAME:

SPIKED BASIL CIDER

FLAVOR FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD Shelton Goodson, owner of Swerve Grille, is a native Clevelander who grew up on the East Side. Like another famous Northeast Ohioan, Shelton Goodson took his talents elsewhere—he attended culinary school in Pennsylvania until 2008—before triumphantly returning home. After working in several local restaurants, Goodson opened Swerve in 2013. The name, for him, represents “a sudden change in a positive direction.” Goodson hired several childhood friends and friends from the industry to work there. Running

a restaurant is “very hard work,” he says, “but overall, it pays off.” Shaker Heights, the neighborhood that plays home to Swerve, is known for its diverse population and its Colonial-style architecture—“It’s kinda classical,” says Goodson. Swerve has become known for its cool, low-lit vibes and contemporary dishes like its stuffed chicken. Swerve Grille’s cocktail is Spiked Basil Cider: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Apple Cider, Orange Juice, Lemon, Basil, and Simple Syrup

D O YO U R F R I E N D S P RO U D . D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY.

WHISKEY SPECIALTY, 35% ABV. JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE. ©2017 JACK DANIEL’S. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 28

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

3

SHAKER SQUARE

DRINK NAME:

HONEY TENNESSEE LEMON DROP

FLAVOR FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD Shaker Square used to be the place Akin Alafin would pass through to catch the rapid downtown. “It was for the big money people,” he says. Now, it’s the site of his upscale soul food restaurant Zanzibar. The food business is family business for Alafin. His mother worked years at a factory job to save the funds to start Angie’s Soul Cafe, a Cleveland institution that he now runs. “Believe it or not, my mother never let me get

behind the stove,” says Alafin. Angie wanted her son to learn the business side. It worked: “To this day I can barely scramble eggs,” he says, “but I can be a businessman.” Zanzibar’s cocktail is the refreshing Honey Tennessee Lemon Drop. It’s made with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, simple syrup, sour mix, fresh lime juice, lemons and served with a sugar rim.

4

LAKESHORE

DRINK NAME:

JUMPING JACK

FLAVOR FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD Blue Breeze in the Lakeshore area is a passion project for owner Derek Wheeler. “For twenty years, I always wanted a sports bar,” he says. Wheeler wasn’t always in the bar business. Before running his own construction company, he worked 21 years as a heat treatment operator. Wheeler, who grew up around the Collinwood area, rehabbed the building himself to give the space its modern vibe. “I’m proud of how it looks.”

His advice for success in Cleveland: “Be willing to commit to your business and be ready for the long haul.” Blue Breeze’s cocktail is the spicy-sweet Jumping Jack. It’s made with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, amaretto, lemon juice, triple sec, ginger ale, blue curacao for cool color, and Hot Damn cinnamon schnapps to add some heat.

D O YO U R F R I E N D S P RO U D . D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY.

WHISKEY SPECIALTY, 35% ABV. JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE. ©2017 JACK DANIEL’S. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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5

MAYFIELDWARRENSVILLE

DRINK NAME:

THE HONEY SUNRISE

FLAVOR FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD Duane Dunn understands the importance of family. After losing his mother to breast cancer, Dunn decided to honor her in an unconventional way: he named a bar after her. Helen’s Game Time opened in 2013 and has since become a staple of Cleveland Heights’ Center Mayfield district. Growing up in Cleveland, Dunn was a huge Cleveland sports fan. Though he had a successful career as an engineer for an airline company, he followed his passion to open Helen’s and its sister

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GATEWAY DISTRICT

bar, Bobby Dee’s (named for his father). Food-wise, Helen’s is perhaps best known for its sweet and savory honey lemon pepper wing sauce. General Manager Tiffany Florence describes working at Helen’s as “fabulous.” Her favorite parts: “Interacting with good customers and the energy when the teams are playing.” Helen’s cocktail is The Honey Sunrise: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, lemonade, peach schnapps, a splash of sour mix, and a little grenadine on top for color.

DRINK NAME:

ELEGANCE

FLAVOR FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD Akin Alafin has successfully expanded his brand to Cleveland’s Gateway District with Stonetown, a restaurant serving Southen- and Cajun-Creoleinspired dishes. After spending so much time there as a kid, Alafin is amazed by downtown Cleveland’s evolution. Stonetown stands in a part of downtown he used to hang out all the time as a kid. The area has changed significantly: “You could barely get something to eat down there,” he says. “Now you have 300 restaurants.”

Stonetown’s regulars include Channel 19 anchor Ramona Robinson, who’s a huge fan of the catfish over grits—a dish Alafin “created from scratch.” Alafin actually sold Stonetown in 2014, but bought it back two years later: “Things are going well since then.” The Elegance is this restaurant’s cocktail: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, sweet tea, lemonade, Kool-Aid, chilled lime juice garnished with a lemon and cherry splash and served in a highball glass.

D O YO U R F R I E N D S P RO U D . D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY.

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WHISKEY SPECIALTY, 35% ABV. JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE. ©2017 JACK DANIEL’S. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

ART

Installation view of Joe Bartram’s “BASSCABEZA.” Courtesy of Arnold Tunstall

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Joe Bartram and Mike Gable at Emily Davis Gallery By Dott von Schneider SEVERAL YEARS AGO, IN A discussion with my former employer on the subject of art, I was challenged with one simple question: “Why is it important?” That question has permeated my decision-making process in the studio and in writing reviews for this fine rag. As we traveled to the current alumni shows by Joe Bartram and Mike Gable in the Emily Davis Gallery at the University of Akron’s Myers School of Art, that question dogged me once again. Alumni (and faculty) shows at art schools are tools of thought, process and the power of follow through. These visual theses are host to dialogue between the professor and student. This is especially poignant during portfolio days, and on this particular day the school was having theirs. Portfolio review is a time when hundreds of hopeful high school students and other motivated individuals bring in samples of their work and talk about it with educators and admissions personnel. It was a wonderful spectacle to behold. In the hallways and atrium hangs student work. Professor Matthew Kolodziej and his students “explore ideas related to corporate and political bodies.” Again, hosting dialogue, is a challenge by Matt Kenyon, new media sculptor

and director of the art practice S.W.A.M.P. (Studies of Work Atmosphere and Mass Production), who exhibited last month at Emily Davis Gallery. He notes, “There is room here for looking at biomimicry as it relates to corporate form and function in the world.” The student response is impressive and we look forward to watching the career trajectory of some of these young minds. Passing through the crowd, we entered the gallery and began on the lower level with Joe Bartram’s solo exhibition titled Bassacabeza, which stemmed from a discussion on cabeza (head meat) tacos and ultimately led to pushing the idea through stereo sound experimentation in the studio. Bartram has taken imprints from industrial sites to wet canvases and has manipulated them with myriad unusual materials. In the end we are left with a series of work that can’t quite be described as painting, but rather square ghosts of time. Using bleach, dye and household cleaners, as well as gold and silver leaf, the pieces makes it hard to determine which takes place first: the building up of the work or its deconstruction. Together, the nine artworks that line the wall tell a minimalist story about

our environments. They are also beautiful objects on their own with an almost hypnotic effect in their minimalism. Not all the works in Bassacabeza are two-dimensional, however. “Triple Crystal MK.2,” constructed of bronze, steel and ceramic, reminds us of personages congregating toward or away from the icons on either side. “The Gully,” a striking sculpture made of cardboard, wood, steel, tar and asphalt, stands firm as an onyxhued archway. Perhaps it is the throat of wealth and corruption that holds our country captive to dinosaur ideas led by dinosaur industries. Ultimately, Bartram’s exhibition is not simply a show of paintings and sculpture, but a full installation of responses to the questions of industry and urban landscape. Moving to the upper gallery, we can taste the “casual anxiety” that Mike Gable serves us in his solo show titled Special Interest. The mood of this exhibition is different in scale as well as medium. Gable creates paintings about painting and other source material. With pthalo greens, aquamarines, pinks, yellows and blues, we are swimming in a pool of dreamy atmospheres that dip, perhaps,

into religion, health care and consumerism. “Jesus Wax,” an artwork made through mixed media and oil on canvas, suggests a journey through the desert with its azure sky and sand floor. Through layers of paint and graphite, we feel like we are reading from a page in Gable’s personal diary of brushstrokes and mark making. “Good for Gout,” a wonderful small work, creates a tableau with fake, ruby red cherries (long held as a great band-aid throughout a gout bout) before a blue-ish background painted on weathered, gray cardboard. Another cheeky piece is “Off Ramp.” In this instance, we see a sexy, stark yellow McDonald’s sign high above the earth, beckoning us to quit being voyeurs, to pull off the freeway and join the masses, only to regret it later. Bartram and Gable invite us into their hard examinations through their respective visual lexicons. In other words, they make us think. We look forward to how the students and the public dialogue with their work. And that is important.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene | clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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STAGE FAMILY SECRETS AND UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIPS Much is revealed in a short span of time in The Lake Effect at Karamu House AS A PLAYWRIGHT, YOU ARE entitled to stretch the boundaries of what is expected, so you can present incredible events as possible and even probable. This is why we have one famous play where children fly off to Never Never Land, and another where people who die can interrupt their dirt nap and come back to revisit a day in their past. However, that license to create outrageous, over-the-top occurrences in a play can be abused. And so it is in The Lake Effect when playwright Rajiv Joseph asks us to believe that the Cleveland Browns could actually beat the Pittsburgh Steelers! In a game of football! And, not only that, he invites us to contemplate that a Clevelander would actually bet $7,000 on the chance that such an outcome would actually happen! Joseph graduated from Heights High and has fashioned a stellar career for himself as a playwright. But given the above plot element, he is clearly desperate to establish his bona fides as a fabulist of the first rank. He should know that imagining a Browns win over the Steelers is taking one step too far into the realm of fantasy morphing into absurdity. That said, The Lake Effect, now at Karamu House in a joint production with Ensemble Theatre, gets a lot of things right about its three characters. And it assembles a strong and pleasingly unpredictable story about family secrets and friendships that can occur in unlikely circumstances. During a typical Cleveland snowstorm, a middle-aged, affable black man named Bernard enters his favorite haunt, a neighborhood Indian restaurant, to get a plate of lamb biriyani. But instead of greeting the owner Vinnie, he encounters a young Indian man behind the counter who, scowling, tells him the restaurant is closed. This doesn’t stop Bernard for a second as he takes off his winter coat and makes himself at home in one of the tiny establishment’s mismatched chairs. Clearly, Bernard knows his way around and he wants to know who this Indian guy is, where Vinnie

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Photo courtesy of Karamu House

By Christine Howey

is, and why there’s no plate of food on the way. The man, who eventually reveals his name is Vijay, is just as curious about Bernard, who seems more comfortable in the restaurant than he does. Turns out, Vijay is Vinnie’s son and he’s in town because his dad said he was selling the restaurant and upstairs apartment — where Vijay grew up. Not only that, Vijay soon learns that Bernard has been placing Vinnie’s NFL bets with a bookie, and Vinnie keeps winning even on the riskiest bets (see above). This makes no sense to Vijay, a Wall Street guy, who considers his dad a miser. So Vijay has been reviewing

sister Priya, who shows up a couple days later after traveling to Cleveland from her home in Florida. In the second scene, a couple of days later, we learn Vinnie has died and now all the accounts are coming due. This is when the play reveals a secret about a mugging Bernard suffered in the past, a secret that resets the relationships in a compelling way. The script puts a lot of issues on the table, and playwright Joseph manages most of them with aplomb. Bernard almost becomes a borderline cliche, the Wise Black Man who sees through artifice and puts everyone on the right path (paging Morgan Freeman,

THE LAKE EFFECT THROUGH NOV. 26 AT THE KARAMU HOUSE, 2355 EAST 89TH ST., 216-795-7070 KARAMUHOUSE.ORG

the restaurant’s ledger and finds the business is flat broke. Playwright Joseph is skillful as he peels away the truths that lie behind each of these men. Bernard knows more about Vijay’s father (and his entire family) than Vijay does, revealing that Vinnie never even mentioned he had a son. On the other hand, Vinnie often talked about Vijay’s

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

for the film version). It doesn’t come across as hackneyed, thanks, in large part, to LaShawn Little as Bernard. Little exudes such a natural, offhanded ease with himself and others that you immediately gravitate to this slightly unbelievable character. In the role of Vijay, Ammen T. Suleiman tries to break out of his onenote role but only succeeds at times, as

his perpetual frown and slouch rarely allow him to explore other facets of the prodigal son. And at times, the script doesn’t help. At one point, Priya says to her brother, “You think you’re all Mr. Mystery Man, but you’re not.” And then a couple seconds later, she adds, “I mean, who are you, Vijay? I don’t know.” So, which is it? The essence of Priya (an effective Natalie El Dabh) is also something of a quandary, as Vijay is just catching up on her backstory, thanks to the revelations Bernard has helpfully provided. A slight digression about Priya and her husband’s marine salvage business is played for laughs (Vijay: “You’re pirates?”), but it’s a lame attempt. Director Celeste Cosentino keeps the pacing brisk, and Joseph is too good a playwright to let the whole thing collapse. Ultimately, the story of this dysfunctional Indian family — tied together through the kindness of a random stranger — is both intricate and reasonably satisfying. But there are gaps in the narrative that keep The Lake Effect from landing with maximum force.

scene@clevescene.com t@christinehowey

MOVIES LADY BIRD SOARS Gerwig directing debut is in Top Five of 2017 By Sam Allard LADY BIRD, THE DEBUT directorial effort from indie darling Greta Gerwig, is instantly a TopFive film of 2017. Maybe even TopThree. It’s that good. Filmed in the twilit hues of the Californian magic hour, this loosely autobiographical coming-of-age tale marks Gerwig as an artist with equal talent and creative force — originality, spunk and heart — on either side of the camera. This film opens areawide on Friday. The story is nothing more or less than a girl’s senior year of high school. It probes with humor, warmth and depth all of the following: a volatile mother-daughter relationship, the financial strains of college, high school theater, the navigation and pursuit of authentic friendship, the navigation and pursuit of one’s authentic self, class conflict, sexual tension, and the special angst of the early aughts.

Telltale signposts will be familiar to any millennial who attended high school — in particular, Catholic high school — during that time. Immaculate Heart, the Sacramento prep school where Lady Bird McPherson (Soairse Ronan) wanders and rebels, is bedecked with fashion trends, “We Remember 9/11” signage and cultural signifiers that feel ripped from 2002. One of Lady Bird’s romantic interests is a boy named Kyle (Timothee Chalamet) who asserts his radical status by rolling his own cigarettes and toting Howard Zinn’s The People’s History of the United States. It’s perfect. And it’s an eye for these details that makes this Sacramento world feel so rich and real. Note: Apologists for the late-’90s Dave Matthews ballad “Crash into Me” will be delighted to learn of its enthusiastic support by the characters (and presumably, the filmmaker).

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Opening with a quote from Joan Didion about Sacramento’s blandness, the film becomes a sort of ode to Gerwig’s hometown. Though Lady Bird calls Sacramento “the Midwest of California,” her love for its urban terrain and its natural beauty (and the people it produced!) abides. To a huge degree, Lady Bird argues, we are defined by where we come from. And that’s a good thing, a thing to savor. Gerwig is every bit the wit that she revealed herself to be in 2012’s Frances Ha, the marvelous blackand-white indie that she wrote and starred in. Here, the scenes are alive

with awkwardness and naturalism. Only once or twice does the humor feel off, as when a JV football coach assumes directorial duties of the high school play. Other moments, as when Lady Bird’s best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) auditions for the fall musical with a rendition of the church song, “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” are laugh-out-loud funny. But most searingly successful are Lady Bird’s scenes with her mom (Laurie Metcalf, famously the voice of Andy’s Mom in the Toy Story franchise). The relationship is hot to the touch and hormonally charged, reminiscent of other teenager/parent dramas you’ve seen before. But these scenes — thanks to the writing and the actors’ chemistry — are electric, both tense and uproariously funny. In the very first scene, Lady Bird and her mom go from tearfully finishing an audio tape of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath to shouting about college prospects — all in the span of 30 seconds. Then, in a move that is pure Gerwig — shocking, funny, painfully plausible — Lady Bird leaps from the moving car.

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard

INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL SCREENING OF

REGAL CINEMAS GREAT NORTHERN FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FAMILY FOUR PACK TO THE ADVANCE SCREENING ON MONDAY PLEASE EMAIL COCOCLEVELANDS CREENING@GMAIL.COM WITH YOUR FULL NAME. Please include “COCO-SCENE” in the subject line for your entry to be valid. Entry deadline is Friday November 17th at 12:00 P.M. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one (1) admit-four pass per person. This film is rated PG. Must be 13 years of age or older to receive passes. Employees of all promotional partners and their agencies are not eligible. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by Monday, November 20, 2017 at 9:00AM MT to be eligible to receive passes. Winners will be contacted via e-mail with instructions to attend the screening. Sponsors not responsible for incomplete, lost, late or misdirected entries or for failure to receive entries due to transmission or technical failures of any kind. SEATING IS LIMITED, SO ARRIVE EARLY.

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Photos by Emanuel Wallace

EAT

ALL THAT AND A BAG OF FISH Sit back and make a delicious mess at Seafood Shake in Cleveland Heights By Douglas Trattner IT DOESN’T TAKE AN investigative journalist to blow the lid off the recent trend in seafoodin-a-bag restaurants. In the past two years, Cleveland has welcomed three spots devoted to the concept: Boiling Seafood Crawfish, Boiler 65 and Seafood Shake. But we hardly are alone in that arena. Boiling Seafood, which launched just two years ago on Lee Road, already has opened a second location in Columbus. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In the past few months alone, diners welcomed places like The Boiling in Indianapolis, Storming Crab in Clarksville, Tennessee, Rockin’ Crawfish in Duluth, Georgia, and Mad Seafood Boiler in Madison, Wisconsin. Those shiny new spots joined more established brands like the Boiling Crab and Hot N Juicy Crawfish, which combine to operate some 20 different locations across the nation. I offer the above merely to support my argument that these places, regardless of how foreign they might seem, are wildly enjoyable … when done right. The interesting thing about these restaurants is the uniformity from place to place. They are nearly identical with respect to formula and menu. The only variables are price, service, setting and quality of seafood. Of the three that currently exist in Cleveland, the award for best setting has to go to Seafood Shake, which opened three months ago on Coventry Road. In my eyes,

“best setting” doesn’t mean most extravagant, but rather most suitable for the concept. Owner Hangchun Zheng spared little expense when transforming the old rambling Winking Lizard space into a kitschy, colorful, casual fish shack that seems custom built for the purpose at hand. And that purpose is tearing into saucy, spicy seafood with your bare hands. For all its appeal, this is anything but graceful dining. That’s why I love the cloistered booths and cozy nooks formed by tall bench backs and low-slung faux awnings. Messes are easily disappeared thanks to shellacked tables, vinyl cushions and glossy concrete floors. Each and every table gets its own securely mounted paper towel dispenser, a seemingly trivial detail only to those who have never been elbowdeep in a bag of soppy seafood.

as part of a combination. Sauce choices come next, followed by heat levels. When we asked the staffer to describe the differences between the Shake sauce and Ma La, she explained them as best she could. Better still, when she dropped off our drinks, she also delivered samples of each without so much as a request on our part. Another detail that sets this unfortunately named restaurant apart from its kin is the wall of fish tanks that contain, at least during our visit, living specimens of Maine lobster, king crab, Dungeness crab and even shrimp. It was precisely those tanks that induced me, for the first time, to go the route of live lobster instead of my usual: a seafood combo. Sold by the pound ($27 per lb.), the lobsters range in size from 1-pound chicks to 3-pound beasts. Servers ask for your size preference and report

SEAFOOD SHAKE 1852 COVENTRY RD., CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, 216-417-4830 SEAFOODSHAKE.COM

Tables are topped with lengths of crisp white paper and bibs; gloves and wet-naps are made available to all who want them. Our server could not have done a better job walking us through the unfamiliar (to most) process. For the main event, diners select the seafood of their choice, either individually by the pound or

back with the actual weight before cooking, another nice touch. In addition to the live seafood, other options sold by the pound include lobster tails, snow crab legs, crawfish, clams and mussels. Most diners go the route of the combos, which range in price from $23 on up to $150. The Beginner ($23) is a bounty of head-on

shrimp, mussels, crawfish, clams, corn and potato. The seafood was fresh, plump and flavorful. The whole lobster ($40) arrived spilt and cracked in all the right places, making it easy to eat. That Ma La sauce was flavorful and aggressively spiced, not unlike what you would find on a plate of Szechuan hot pot. Other sauce options include garlic, Cajun and lemon-pepper. Everything but the Ma La can be ordered mild to incendiary. Starters like raw and fried oysters, fried shrimp and crispy calamari are probably better suited as meal replacements for diners who don’t want to bother with the mess than as appetizers, given the size of most entrees. Order the New England clam chowder ($5.50), a creamy bisque with clams, potatoes and real fish stock flavor, but skip the crawfish etouffee ($7), which had an odd gloss and texture from the thickener. Seafood Shake — a reference to the spice-application method and not seafood smoothies — has a decent draft and bottled beer list, a surprisingly well-made cocktail selection, and even good quality white wines by the glass, including prosecco and an off-dry riesling, both of which pair nicely with spicy seafood.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner | clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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SINCE AT LEAST THE 1940S, the Mars Bar (15314 Madison Ave., 216-228-4500) has been a fixture in the Lakewood nightlife ecosystem. George Gountis has been running the joint for the past 13 years, maintaining the bar’s status as a neighborhood staple while making incremental improvements to the grub and setting. The tavern’s gyros have developed their own cult following and the atmosphere is as convivial as it gets. Gountis recently undertook an ambitious expansion project that will more than triple the size of the modestly proportioned saloon. He has taken possession of the adjacent property, once home to Delta Computer, and will connect the two spaces into one large L-shaped property. “This area’s popping right now, and people have really taken a liking to our gyros, so I figured that I’d expand now,” Gountis explains. The additional square footage (3,000) will facilitate the construction of a full kitchen. At lunch, the open counter-style operation will offer walk-up customers a choice of soups, salads and sandwiches like pressed panini. At night, the bar will transition to a full-service tavern with a slightly more creative menu that Gountis describes as “gastropub Mediterranean.” Diners can expect wings, burgers, grilled kebabs, pita pizzas and more vegan and vegetarian options. Mars sells two types of gyros: the traditional lamb and beef variety that arrives in cone form, and a weekly special of sliced, house-marinated and stacked pork. Both come with tzatziki sauce that is made by the owner’s mother. When the wall between the spaces is removed, Gountis will extend the bar by about 15 feet into new space. The owner wants to make sure that the bar retains the warm, intimate feel of the old days while accommodating more diners and a

fully functioning kitchen. During the warmer months, a covered patio will offer outdoor seating. Gountis hopes to have the project completed before the end of the year.

NOW OPEN: OTANI NOODLE’S DOWNTOWN SLURP SHOP AND NOODLECAT IN CROCKER PARK The transformation from Noodlecat to Otani Noodle is complete. Almost three months to the day after Team Sawyer shuttered its downtown ramen shop, Otani Noodle opened its fast-casual noodle shop in its place this past Monday. The downtown location (234 Euclid Ave.) is the second for Otani, with the original opening more than a year ago in University Circle. The small but growing chain is operated by the same folks who have been running Otani Japanese Restaurant in Mayfield Heights since 1978. The straightforward pictorial menu ticks off bowls numbered one through 15. Broths include rich tonkotsu, miso, shoyu and tom yum goong. Most bowls come with ramen noodles, but the tom yum goong swaps the ramen for rice noodles, and one of the shoyu bowls contains udon. Each bowl is topped with a different main event, from sliced char siu roast pork or simmered pork belly to crispy tempura-fried shrimp or thin, crisp chicken or pork cutlets. Most also contain a soymarinated soft-boiled egg, scallions, seaweed, veggies and mushrooms. At the original, guests order and pay at the open kitchen, grab a seat, and wait until their name is called. We’ll see how the process compares at the new space soon enough. Prices range from $7.95 to $11.95 per bowl. Coincidentally, Noodlecat opened its new suburban noodle shop on the very same day.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

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MUSIC STAYING POWER A Perfect Circle comes to town in advance of a longawaited new album By Jeff Niesel FORMED IN 1999 BY TOOL SINGER Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Billy Howerdel, the alternative rock act A Perfect Circle began in a truly organic manner. In the mid-’90s, Howerdel, a roadie for the ska-punk band Fishhone, met Keenan when Keenan’s band Tool opened for Fishbone. Howerdel decided to give Keenan & Co. some assistance with setting up their gear. “I was just helping those guys,” says Howerdel in a recent phone interview. A Perfect Circle performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Wolstein Center. “They were a baby band and didn’t have sophisticated techs.” Years later, they bumped into each other again. Howerdel needed a place to stay, and Keenan had an extra room for rent. Howerdel moved in and set up a studio in his bedroom. When Keenan heard some of Howerdel’s demos, he became intrigued. “He said the stuff sounded good, and he could see himself singing on it,” says Howerdel. “That was the launching point of the band.” Tool’s popularity was surging at the time. So how did Howerdel convince Keenan to devote time to another band? “I didn’t,” he says. “He was the one that mentioned it. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I took it as a compliment. It’s kind of like, ‘Oh, that dress looks nice on you.’ He got more serious and asked for a song, and I gave it to him, and he started singing to it. No convincing on my part. I think [the Tool album] Ænima was just done, and the tour wrapped at that point. They were doing big clubs and theaters.” Howerdel says his influences are not what you might imagine, given that A Perfect Circle plays heavy prog rock-inspired music. “Elvis Costello was my biggest one growing up,” he says. “I also liked the Cure. Once I started playing guitar, which was right before my 17th birthday, I got into Ozzy’s first two

records. As a kid, I was into Zeppelin and Skynyrd. The music that was more of my thing was what they call ‘dark wave’ — Killing Joke and Echo and the Bunnymen and the Smiths.” Howerdel and Keenan worked on a few songs and then made their 1999 debut at the Viper Room, the trendy Hollywood club that actor Johnny Depp once owned. “I remember that show very well,” he says. “We had two songs. He sang on ‘The Hollow’ and ‘Orestes.’ Those were our benchmark songs. We booked a show to put a fire under our ass to get some songs going. I had a bunch of other songs and he quickly started writing them. I was nervous. After I got on stage, it was all fine. I had been in a cover band in high school with other 17-year-olds, but I never really played until that first show.”

a lane we try to stay in. We got to experiment a bit more with Thirteenth Step. It’s the second record I wanted to make.” For eMOTIVe, the band covered a range of songs by other artists. Each tune has a political dimension to it, and the album comes off as a protest record. When the band went on hiatus in 2005, Keenan said that he wanted to give Howerdel some space. Howerdel, however, kept writing APC songs even though the band wasn’t touring or recording. He also recorded some music for a video game and recorded a solo record with Ashes Divide. Then, in 2010, APC reconvened for a three-week run. The band played one album in its entirety each night during three-night stands. “That was awesome,” says

A PERFECT CIRCLE 8 P.M. SATURDAY, NOV. 18, WOLSTEIN CENTER, 2000 PROSPECT AVE., 1-216-687-9292 . TICKETS: $36.50, WOLSTEINCENTER.COM.

The band’s debut, 2000’s Mer de Noms, showed off APC’s prog rock sensibilities as songs such as “Orestes,” a ballad that features synthesizer flourishes and a brittle guitar riff, suggest Keenan’s softer side. With 2003’s Thirteenth Step, the band explored new musical territory and emphasized its dark side on moody tunes such as “The Package” and “The Noose,” a song that features shimmering guitars and electronic bleeps and blips. “I never really try to write the same song twice,” says Howerdel. “There’s

Howerdel. “It seemed like so long, but it was only six years ago. We did a seven-week tour in 2011 and some dates in 2013 in South America and Australia. From 2011 to now, that’s six years, but it still feels familiar.” The desire to record new music brought the band back together earlier this year. They recently issued “Doomed,” a heavy new tune that features pounding percussion and layers of vocals, and plan to write more new songs while refreshing the old. “We wanted to go out and play the old songs and remember who we are,”

says Howerdel. “This next run that’s coming up is your chance to see what we used to do. The next time we come back will be in support of a new record and heavily focused on that.” Howerdel says writing new music has been “interesting.” The group has even brought in a producer so Howerdel can concentrate on playing instead of producing. “In the past, I’ve done most everything on the production side,” he says. “Maynard does the vocals, and he’s almost like an executive producer. In the studio, I’m doing 10- to 16-hour days. I had this thought that it might be nice for me to be a musician on this record and play guitar and piano and sing backup and program drums and have someone else running ProTools. It’s hard for me to see things visually, but I have a bird’s eye view of the songs. The new single is a powerful song. It’s a bigger song.” Howerdel says it’s been gratifying to see the fans come back and admits he can’t remember when APC last played Cleveland. By our calculation, it’s been more than 10 years; the group performed at the Odeon in 2003 and at Tower City Amphitheater in 2004. “The fact that people have stuck with us doesn’t go unnoticed,” says Howerdel. “It’s awesome. I do a VIP walk-through before the shows, and it’s something I talk about a bit. Rock might not have the power that other genres have right now, but it still seems to have staying power. It’s a place where I’d rather be.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel | clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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Buy tickets at HOUSEOFBLUES.COM/CLEVELAND Order By Phone: 800.745.3000 • House of Blues Box Office

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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MUSIC PUNK ICONS Descendents drummer talks about the punk band’s early days DESCENDENTS DRUMMER BILL Stevenson grew up in a tiny coastal city in Southern California in the 1970s. When he was in high school, punk rock wasn’t yet popular, so he had no trouble identifying the few fans of the music at Mira Costa High. “Our town was pretty small, and the very, very few people who were open-minded to punk rock all found each other quickly,” he says in a recent phone interview. “That was back in 1978. That extends to the Black Flag and the Descendents guys and then the Pennywise guys. It was easy for us to find each other because there weren’t very many of us.” Stevenson and original Descendents guitarist Frank Navetta first bonded over their mutual love of fishing. They’d eventually form Descendents with bassist Tony Lombardo. A couple of years later, singer Milo Aukerman would join the band. Despite a few breaks and lineup changes, the band has been going strong ever since; last year, it issued Hypercaffium Spazzinate, another terrific collection of melodic pop-punk songs. The band performs on Friday at House of Blues. From the beginning, the group infused its punk rock tunes with good melodies. Songs such as “Ride the Wild,” a tune with a plodding drum beat and mid-range vocals, and the snotty “It’s a Hectic World,” reflect the band’s pop sensiblities. “I embraced a lot of music that Frank and David Nolte from [the power-pop band] the Last were showing me — everything from Ramones to Television,” says Stevenson. “Keith [Morris] from Black Flag and I worked at the tackle fishing store, and he would turn me into pre-punk like the Stooges or even something that would be considered new wave, like the first Cars album. I was doing that, but I was clutching onto my Black Sabbath records for dear life. If you’re a punk rocker, you shouldn’t be listening to Black Sabbath. I never considered myself a dyed-in-the-wool punker. I just liked rock music and didn’t give up my love for hard rock.” Stevenson says that hardcore hadn’t yet made an impact, so the idea of screaming rather than singing was

44

Photo by Kevin Scanlon

By Jeff Niesel

foreign to the band. “I think there wasn’t much music in the world then that didn’t have any melody to it,” he says. “They’re simple melodies and not sophisticated. They go along with the chords. Also, right in the same exact [SoCal] area, we had the Beach Boys. [Singer and songwriter] Brian Wilson went to El Camino College where I went. We were surrounded by melodic music. The last were a big influence on us when we were young kids.” After Aukerman took a hiatus to go to college, Stevenson devoted more time to drumming with Black Flag. “Descendents and Black Flag shared a practice room,” he says. “Since Robo was from Colombia, he would sometimes get deported, and I would have to play drums for Black Flag. That kept happening enough times to where the Black Flag guys

underground acts. While working at the Blasting Room has kept Stevenson plenty busy, he also found time to focus on the Descendents after the band reconvened in 2010 after one of its infamous breaks. “We don’t ever really break up,” he says. “We just stop doing stuff for a while and then start up again when we miss it. That’s what’s kept us going. We don’t force it.” He says the songwriting process for Hypercaffium Spazzinate followed the process of the band’s other albums. “With Descendents, there have always been four songwriters,” he says. “Everybody in the band writes. It’s not an exact thing where each guy gets to write one quarter of the album, but that’s how we roll. Everybody gets to contribute a good deal of songwriting. That by definition means

DESCENDENTS, FRANK IERO AND THE PATIENCE, PUBLIC SQUARES 8 P.M. FRIDAY, NOV. 17, HOUSE OF BLUES, 308 EUCLID AVE., 216-523-2583. TICKETS: $34-$45, HOUSEOFBLUES.COM

were like, ‘You should join the band.’ I did. It was coincidental with Milo moving to San Diego [for college].” Some 20 years ago, Stevenson moved to Colorado, where in 1994 he built a studio, the Blasting Room. Bands such as Rise Against, Lagwagon and MxPx have all recorded there as have a long list of

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

we don’t go into it with any kind of strategy. It’s 100-percent song-based. One guy wrote a song, and if we like it, we play it. It’s on that level. It’s no more sophisticated than that. We don’t have a concept. It’s just all about good songs for us.” A certain sense of maturity runs through tracks such as the charging

“Feel This” and “Human Being,” a song that addresses issues such as homelessness and apathy. “I wonder if Paul McCartney could wish to have that same innocence when he wrote those first few albums’ worth of songs,” says Stevenson when asked about how the band has evolved. “He became a ‘better’ songwriter in the accepted definition of the word, but there’s something to be said for those youthful, whimsical things. Speaking for myself, I look back on my early songs and I see trite, poorly written high school poetry. It seems to speak to people in a way that more sophisticated songs don’t. As I get turned out to more music, whether it’s Cole Porter or John Coltrane or the Beach Boys, I learn more ways to write, but I don’t know if I get better or worse. I think you just get different.” Stevenson says he’s happy with the finished product. “I think it’s pretty cool,” he says of Hypercaffium Spazinate. “I’m happy with the songs. It’s cool that people dig it. Speaking personally, I don’t care about some band’s ninth album. I just don’t care about. Unless it’s phenomenal, I wouldn’t give it a fair chance. That so many people have embraced it is very flattering. It’s hard to imagine.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

| clevescene.com m | November 15 - 21, 2017

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Photo by Frank Ockenfels III

MUSIC LIFE LESSONS Rapper Vic Mensa gets personal on his new album, The Autobiography By Jeff Niesel CHICAGO-BASED RAPPER VIC Mensa regularly writes about political and social issues. So you can imagine that the current political climate weighs heavy on his mind. “I would say that every human being in the world is struggling with a lot of unrest,” he says in a recent phone interview. Mensa, who just released The Autobiography, opens for Jay-Z at 8 p.m. on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena. “I think it’s been a period of heightened awareness for me. I’ve been studying a lot and making a lot of historical connections. The political climate currently is very, very volatile. The undercurrents are classic American themes of white supremacy and patriarchy and nationalism. These are all classic American ideas. They’re as American as hot dogs and apple pie.” Back in 2013, Mensa, the founder of the SaveMoney collective, made his debut on Chance the Rapper’s mixtape Acid Rap. That same year, he also issued his own mixtape, Innanetape, and joined J. Cole and Wale on their What Dreams May Come tour the following year. After two EPs, Mensa dropped his full-length debut, The Autobiography, earlier this year. He refers to the album as a “make it or break it” release, suggesting that if it didn’t make an impact, he might need to find a new record label to call home. “I was writing it from a place of necessity,” he says of the album. “It was my way of addressing and assessing and being real with situations in my life. It’s very vulnerable and personal. It represents different pillars of my experience. I speak about my upbringing on the South Side of Chicago and the ways in which that shapes me. It’s about the realizations I had as a young black boy on 47th Street who would get stopped by the cops while riding his bicycle.” He says it’s also about the relationships he’s had and “some of the volatility” that has accompanied them. “It’s about finding myself in these

46

pasts and going through things on the streets and ruminating on the violence in Chicago and how I was affected,” he continues. “It’s also about my own struggles with addictions and depression all to come around to a place at the end that is unburdened by ego and the weight of this past that I speak of. It’s something that is more free and a vision of freedom. I wanted to take the listener on a real journey and paint a comprehensive picture of myself less as a rapper and more as a human being.” The album commences with the soulful “Say I Didn’t,” a tune that features cooing backing vocals before the drums drop and Mensa delivers rapid-fire raps about his “rebirth,” name-checking icons such as Ray Charles and Diana Ross in the process. The wonky “Memories on 47th St.” features gospel-inspired backing vocals as Mensa raps about growing up on Chicago’s South Side. “At age 12, I learned the difference between black and white,” he raps, dropping in references to NWA and Eminem. In “Rollin’ Like a Stoner,” he makes allusions to his struggles with addiction. The album comes off as a compelling spiritual journey. “Hip-hop being still young, but having had time to go through some phases, at this point is in a place where it can represent so many different walks of life,” he says when asked about why spiritually minded rappers have become so successful in the past year. “You have rappers and rap fans from Compton to Malibu to Denmark. Anyone’s experience can be represented and told through hip-

open mind, they can relate in some way.” The album features guest appearances by Pharrell, The-Dream, Pusha T, Ty Dolla $ign, SYD, Chief Keef and Joey Purp. It also includes an unlikely collaboration with indie rock darlings Weezer. “Oh man, I love Weezer,” says Mensa. “They’re just one of my favorite bands. I sampled them and by chance I ended up in the studio with [Weezer singer] Rivers Cuomo, and he loved the song and we just

JAY-Z, VIC MENSA 8 P.M. SUNDAY, NOV. 19, QUICKEN LOANS ARENA, ONE CENTER COURT, 888-894-9424. TICKETS: $29.50-$175.50, THEQARENA.COM

hop. With this record, I wanted to do something that could transcend limitations of society and culture and race and age and just be visceral in a way that somebody in rural Ohio will give it a chance. They might not be into rap at all, but if they listen to a certain song, and come with an

| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

connected, and he jumped in the booth.” The skit on the disc, “Card Cracker,” is pretty hilarious as it includes a laundry list of impulse buys. “Everything on the album is real stuff,” says Mensa. “The skit is about

a situation where a good friend of mine stole a pretty hefty sum of money from me and bought a bunch of ridiculous stuff with it, and I made a joke out of it. It was heavy shit, but that was my way of coping with that and coming to terms with it.” Jay-Z, one of Mensa’s influences, has also released a highly autobiographical album that will likely make up the bulk of his set at the Q. The connection between the two rappers isn’t lost on Mensa. “The tour has been amazing, the first couple of shows we’ve done,” says Mensa. “What’s special about this tour with both Jay-Z’s 4:44 and my album, The Autobiography, is that going to this concert, you leave with something that’s bigger than music. It’s forcing conversations and questions about real things at a pivotal time. This is a significant show. People are really in for a treat.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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LIVEWIRE

all the live music you should see this week Photo by Ben Rayner

WED

11/15

Aqueous/Bypass Circuit: We’re in the middle of a fall tour that’s anchoring the best year in Aqueous’ blossoming life span as a Buffalo-based groove rock powerhouse. You’ll not want to miss this one. The last time they were in Cleveland, in March, the guys lit up Beachland with a deeply improvisational and spacey “Complex Pt. II.” It was a sign of things to come, as Aqueous embarked on a year that featured extended jams — sometimes tapping the 30-minute mark — and eerie instrumentation that evoked a Steely Dan-infused psychotropic adventure. There’s a new album in the offing, and consider this: When we look back on 2017, this will be the show that began Aqueous’ march to the Buffalo New Year’s Eve show, the grand ascent that you’ll tell your grandkids about with misty eyes and a catch in your voice. (Eric Sandy) 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $14 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. The Deslondes/Twain/Bassel & The Rafters: The Deslondes are by no means the first band to delve into the concept of leaving and returning home, but with their recent sophomore record, Hurry Home, the idea feels fresh. Part of this has to do with the album’s bayou gloss. There’s nostalgia for dirt roads and old farms, like any good countrywestern record, but also swampy humidity. Produced by Adrija Tokic, who also works with Alabama Shakes, the five-piece rattles between old-school R&B, psychedelic rock and Americana on an album they recorded live on analog. Meaning tonight’s intimate Cleveland show won’t sound too terribly different from what you’ve already heard. (Laura Morrison) 8 p.m., $15. Beachland Tavern. 10 X 3 Singer Songwriter Showcase hosted by Brent Kirby: 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Jhene Aiko/Willow Smith/St. Beauty/Kitty Cash: 7 p.m. House of Blues. The Deslondes/Twain/Bassel & the Rafters: 8 p.m., $15. Beachland Tavern. The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra: 7 p.m., $40.

The indie rock act Parquet Courts comes to the Grog Shop. See: Friday.

Nighttown. Eric Seddon’s Hot Club Presents Acker Bilk: 7 p.m., $12. Bop Stop. Steal Shit Do Drugs/Shit Blimp: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Swingin’ Utters/Wester Settings/ Darius Koski/Brave Bones: 8:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop.

THU

11/16

Backup Planet Especial/All Is Harvest/Formwave: 9 p.m., $7. Grog Shop. Cinemechanica/Actual Form/ Modem: 7 p.m., $5. Musica. Jeff Daniels/The Ben Daniels Band: 8 p.m., $35 ADV, $40 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Davina & the Vagabonds (in the Supper Club): 7:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. The Eli Young Band: 7:30 p.m., $29-$49. Akron Civic Theatre. The English Beat: 8 p.m., $20.50 ADV, $25 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Front Steps Housing and Services Presents: Chill Out To Cool Jazz: 7 p.m., $25. Bop Stop. The Glorious Sons: 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Chris Hatton’s Musical Circus (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Robyn Hitchcock: 8 p.m., $30. The Kent Stage. Issa Twainz: 3 p.m., $20. Odeon. Jam Night with the Bad Boys of Blues: 9 p.m., free. Brothers Lounge.

The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra: $40. Nighttown. Brett Young/Carly Pearce: 7 p.m. House of Blues.

FRI

11/17

Parquet Courts/The Cowboy/ Obnox: Fans of New York rock group Parquet Courts — it’s pronounced parkay quartz, for those out of the loop — won’t have to wait too much longer for their next dose of post-punk goodness. In a recent interview with Vulture.com, frontman Andrew Savage revealed that the Brooklyn-based quartet is back in the studio to record its followup to 2016’s Human Performance. In the meantime, Savage’s first solo album, Thawing Dawn, which dropped last month, will likely tide listeners over. Although Savage’s solo act is more subdued than distorted, those familiar with his lax crooning will fi nd that it fits the album’s slow and sweet style just as well as it does Parquet Courts’ manic fuzz. (Jacob DeSmit) 9 p.m., $16 ADV, $18 DOS. Grog Shop. Disco Inferno: 9:30 p.m., $5. Brothers Lounge. Rik Emmett: 8 p.m., $35 ADV, $40 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Michael Kelsey: Friends of Lasa Sanctuary Fundraiser: 8 p.m., $25-$2500. The Kent Stage. Knuckle Puck/Movements/ With Confidence/Homesafe: 6 p.m., $17 ADV, $20 DOS. Agora Ballroom. Joe McBride Trio: 8:30 p.m., $20. Nighttown.

NE Oblivicaris/Allegaeon/ Trephine/Terranoct: 7 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. The Foundry. Brian Newman Quintet (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $25. Music Box Supper Club. No Exit New Music Ensemble: 8 p.m., free. Happy Dog. Phutureprimitive/Bando vs. Jacob Bennett/Uncle Gnarly: 9:30 p.m., $14 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Red Light Roxy: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. Rumours, A Fleetwood Mac Tribute: 8 p.m., $20-$40. The Winchester. Slackluster/The Venus Flytraps/ Ricky Hell and the Voidboys: 9 p.m., $5. The Euclid Tavern. Moss Stanley: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Travelin’ Johnsons (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.

SAT

11/18

Hippo Campus/Remo Drive: Entertainment Weekly once lauded Hippo Campus’ “shimmering pop-rock earworms,” which we’ve always liked as a pretty good way of summing up their sound. Slick guitar melodies flit around tight, snappy percussion. This year, the band dropped a fulllength ( Landmark) and an EP (warm glow), each featuring the dazzling penchant for layered songwriting that they’ve shown us for a few years now. (Sandy) 9 p.m., $18 ADV, $20 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Duo Decibel System: One of our favorite local indie rock acts, Duo Decibel System came together a couple of years ago after singerguitarist Miss Melvis moved back to Cleveland after a stint in Texas. She mostly played solo shows but had a gig scheduled at the Empire that required her to play with a drummer. Her drummer at the time bailed and she knew John Scully had just left the local band he was in. He played with her, and the two have played together as Duo Decibel System ever since. Last year’s release, Exit Stage Love, features a wide array of musical styles as the two dabble in punk, folk, ambient noise and “sequenced minimalism.” The songs are about living in Texas | clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

and the subsequent breakup that Melvis endured before coming home. Now, the duo has just announced it will celebrate the release of its new album, Slow Wave, with a release party at Silver Scuro Studio and Gallery. “In dreams and nightmares, Slow Wave is an excursion,” reads the press release announcing the album’s release. “Creepy funk, black melodies, electromagnetic Latin, chilled bombs, modular hissing, dobro surf, elementary particle slides, big-banged trumpet, loved.....(sic) and not so loved.” The event will include a live performance, installation by artist Mark Jenks and a photography exhibit. There will even be drinks and appetizers. 7 p.m, Silver Scuro Studio and Gallery. The Ark Band: 9 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Badfinger’s “Straight Up” with Joey Molland: 8:30 p.m., $30. Nighttown. Ray Flanagan (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. High South: 7 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Odeon. INTRA/A Nickel For Your Thoughts: 9 p.m., $5. The Euclid Tavern. The Kingfish: 9:30 p.m., $5. Brothers Lounge. Michelle Lordi Trio Featuring Orrin Evans and JD Allen: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. Marcc Nutter: 8 p.m., $10-$15. The Kent Stage. Panza Foundation Benefit with Mourning [A] BLKstar/Glass Traps/Deche: 7 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. Red Rose Panic/Spirit of The Bear/Funk Worthy: 9 p.m., $10. Musica. Superstar: The Carpenters by Helen Welch (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $20 ADV, $22 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown.

SUN

11/19

Jay-Z/Vic Mensa: Likely to be nominated and inducted into the Rock Hall in 2020, his first year of eligibility, rapper and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z continues to release albums that matter. His latest effort, 4:44, includes cameos from Frank Ocean, Damian

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Marley, Beyoncé and his mother, Gloria Carter. Songs such as the slow-mo “The Story of OJ” and “Smile” sound like urban fairytales, as Jay-Z raps about a few of his personal trials and tribulations and makes references to the gentrification of his native Brooklyn. Arrive early to catch opener Vic Mensa, a guy who also chronicles his hard-knock life on his latest effort. (Niesel) 8 p.m., $29.50-$175.50. Quicken Loans Arena. Anitakeys & Friends/Vicki Chew: 8 p.m., $5 ADV, $7 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Badfinger’s “Straight Up” with Joey Molland: 7 p.m., $30. Nighttown. Disaster Relief Benefit Featuring Anchor the Moon/Coup de Grace: 8 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Grog Shop. Emery/Civilian/Loyals/The Funeral Portrait/In Your Memory: 6:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $20 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Microwave Cafe with DJ Uptight/ Unkove/Warped Mind: 5 p.m., free. Now That’s Class. Mike Petrone (in the Wine Bar): 5:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Moss Stanley Trio Featuring Norine and Special Guests: 7 p.m., $10. Bop Stop. Vacation/The Joey Nix Band/Fan Fiction: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. Loudon Wainwright/Lucy Wainwright Roche: 7 p.m., $30 ADV, $35 DOS. Music Box Supper Club.

MON

11/20

Skatch Anderssen Big Band: 8 p.m., $7. Brothers Lounge. Shit Show Karaoke: 10 p.m. B-Side Liquor Lounge & Arcade. Velvet Voyage (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.

TUE

11/21

Hinder/Josh Todd & The Conflict/ Adelita’s Way: 6 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. Odeon. Outlab Session: 9 p.m., free. Bop Stop. Shuicide Holla & Friends: 9 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop.

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017

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Dear Dan, I’ve never slept with anyone. My current boyfriend has had sex with many, many partners. He knows I’m a virgin, but I’m worried. Any tips on how I can avoid performing like the amateur gay man that I am? Give yourself permission to be bad at it — awful at it, inept and halting and awkward. And remind yourself going in (and out and in and out) that whatever happens, this isn’t the last time you’ll ever have sex. Some people are good at sex right out of the gate, but most people need a little practice before they catch a groove. But nothing guarantees a bad first experience (or bad millionth experience) quite as effectively as faking it. Faking is always a bad idea — faking orgasms, faking interest, faking confidence — so don’t fake. Just be.

Dear Dan, How would you help a woman who has never experienced an orgasm? I would gift her a mild pot edible and a powerful vibrator.

Dear Dan, I’m a woman in my mid-30s. Sometimes I want to bang it out in 30 seconds but my husband wants 45 minutes. What do we do? Your husband has a nice solo stroke session for 44 and a half minutes, and then you climb on top or slide underneath for the last 30 seconds.

Dear Dan, Have you ever thought about moving to Vancouver? Frequently between Jan. 20, 2001, and Jan. 19, 2009, and constantly since Jan. 20, 2017.

Dear Dan, I’m a 34-year-old woman. My 40-year-

old boyfriend used to date his sister-inlaw. One time he said he thought it would be funny if I asked her who was better in bed: him or his brother. Is this weird or is it just a man thing? It could be both — a weird man thing — but seeing as your boyfriend asked only once, he’s clearly not obsessed. The question presumably made you uncomfortable (which is why you’re asking me about it), and here’s how you shut it down if he ever asks again: “I could ask her who’s better in bed or I could go fuck your brother myself and report back.”

Dear Dan, What do I do if my wife doesn’t want an open relationship and I do? We haven’t had sex in 11 years, but we are still in love and have two young children. I don’t understand monogamous but sexless marriages. Because if your relationship is monogamously sexless … wouldn’t that mean you don’t have sex only with each other? Setting that aside aside … Your wife probably and perhaps reasonably fears that opening up your marriage could result in you leaving her for some woman you’re fucking. But if you’re unwilling to go without sex for the rest of your life, you’re going to wind up leaving your wife in order to meet some woman you can fuck. So the thing she fears might happen if you open the relationship up is definitely going to happen if you don’t.

Dear Dan, I’m a 34-year-old gay man. I’ve never had a long-term relationship. Are long-term relationships even necessary nowadays? Long-term relationships are nice — I’m happy with mine — but not strictly necessary. They’re not oxygen, iodine, or cannabinoids. The pressure to pair off can make LTRs feel not just necessary but compulsory, and the negative cultural messaging around being single and/or enjoying a series of successful short-term relationships (single people are losers, serial daters “just can’t commit” or are losers) certainly doesn’t help.

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| clevescene.com | November 15 - 21, 2017