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| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
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Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat
CONTENTS
Publisher Andrew Zelman
Upfront
Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Web Editor Laura Morrison Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Visual Arts Writer Dott von Schneider Copy Editor Elaine Cicora Interns Alexandra Sobczak , Evey Weisblat
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Big news for Tower City and Blockland Bernie
Feature
Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Davis
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The strange, true tale of how two men “saved� the 1981 All-Star Game
Creative Services Art Director/Production Manager Steve Miluch Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace
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Business Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Dotson
All the best things to do in Cleveland this week
Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss Euclid Media Group Chief Executive OfďŹ cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating OfďŹ cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon www.euclidmediagroup.com
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Art
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Checking out the art offerings at local bars and coffeeshops
National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com Cleveland Scene 737 Bolivar Rd., #4100 Cleveland, OH 44115 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-241-7550 Retail & ClassiďŹ ed Fax 216-241-6275 Editorial Fax 216-802-7212 E-mail scene@clevescene.com
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Cleveland Distribution Scene is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader Copyright The entire contents of Cleveland Scene Magazine are copyright 2019 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’
Music
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Weird Al! Plus all the shows to catch this week
Savage Love
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Prejudicial statements 248-620-2990
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2019 SUMMER MUSIC SERIES Wednesday, July 10 ...... 7pm .............................................DOAN BROOK TRIO – PARMA HEIGHTS LIBRARY Thursday, July 11 ......... 7pm .............................................. J BLUES BAND – UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS SERIES Sunday, July 14 ........... 1pm ........................................ THE NUMBERS BAND – CAIN PARK ARTS FESTIVAL Sunday, July 14 ........... 6pm ...................................TONY QUARLES QUARTET – GARFIELD HEIGHTS SERIES Tuesday, July 16 .......... 7pm .............................. ATHENA STRING QUARTET – CAIN PARK CHAMBER SERIES Sunday, July 21 ........... 1pm ............................................ JACK FORDS – CAIN PARK AFTERNOON SERIES Sunday, July 21 ........... 2pm ............................................. DOAN BROOK TRIO – CHAGRIN FALLS LIBRARY Sunday, July 21 ........... 6pm ......................................LARRY PATCH QUINTET – GARFIELD HEIGHTS SERIES Tuesday, July 23 .......... 6:30pm ........................ TONY QUARLES QUARTET – MAPLE HEIGHTS STAFFORD PARK Sunday, July 28 ........... 6pm ...................................... LARRY PATCH QUINTET - GARFIELD HEIGHTS SERIES Tuesday, July 30 .......... 7pm ................................. BLACK SQUIRREL WINDS – CAIN PARK CHAMBER SERIES Tuesday, July 30 .......... 7pm .....................................DOAN BROOK TRIO – MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS LIBRARY Sunday, August 4 ......... 1pm ........................... BARBARA KNIGHT QUINTET – CAIN PARK AFTERNOON SERIES Sunday, August 4 ......... 6pm ........................................ BRIAN PAPESH BAND – GARFIELD HEIGHTS SERIES Tuesday, August 6 ........ 7pm ............................................ WIND MACHINE – CAIN PARK CHAMBER SERIES Sunday, August 11 ........ 1pm ................................................OCTO JAZZ – CAIN PARK AFTERNOON SERIES Sunday, August 11 ........ 3pm ................ TONY QUARLES & THE DISCOVERY BAND – GARFIELD HEIGHTS SERIES Tuesday, August 13 ....... 7pm ............................................OLYMPIC BRASS – CAIN PARK CHAMBER SERIES Wednesday, August 14 ... 7pm ................................................. DOAN BROOK TRIO – BEACHWOOD LIBRARY Saturday, August 31 ...... 11am ........................................ LABOR DAY FESTIVAL – JAMES DAY PARK, PARMA Sunday, September 8 .... 4pm .......................................... HOWIE SMITH – WATERLOO ARTS MUSIC 4 MILES Sunday, October 13 ....... 4pm ........................................... SILVER KEYS – WATERLOO ARTS MUSIC 4 MILES
FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Concerts take place RAIN OR SHINE Listings subject to change | clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
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| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
UPFRONT CITY BLOCK TECH HUB WILL CALL TOWER CITY HOME Image courtesy of Vocon and Blockland
LOCAL CAR DEALER TURNED tech entrepreneur Bernie Moreno has announced that “City Block,” the Blockland tech hub conceived to attract and grow startup companies in Cleveland, will open at Tower City as early as next year. The development project will be a joint effort between Blockland and Bedrock Detroit, the Dan Gilbert real estate company that owns and operates The Avenue Shops at Tower City. Bedrock chairman Jim Ketai released a statement saying that his company, which has studied multiple ways to adapt the depleted Tower City mall since it acquired the property in 2016, has “entered into negotiations” with the Blockland community. “This vision is for City Block to soon occupy a substantial portion of The Avenue Shops at Tower City Center,” Ketai wrote, “bringing together corporations, technology start-ups, venture capitalists and the broader community in a world-class
entrepreneurial center.” In a presentation to Cuyahoga County Council Monday, Bernie Moreno said that it took six to seven months to get Bedrock on board with the City Block vision, but now the company was “fully engaged” and prepared to move forward with concrete plans. An FAQ released by Blockland for a Monday afternoon community meeting said that City Block would be a 350,000-square-foot entrepreneurial center which would transform the heart of the city into “a buzzing cross-section of entrepreneurs and services.” Potential tenants, including startups, students, venture capitalists and service providers, would be able to locate at City Block “early next year.” Significant construction will need to take place if the new facility is to live up to Blockland leaders’ vision. Conceptual renderings — which Moreno stressed to county council were “very early,” “highly conceptual” and “aspirational”
— depict a dramatic physical transformation of West Prospect Avenue. Local blogger Ken Prendergast, having spoken with someone familiar with the project, reported that Bedrock would likely remove all of the retail from the lower mall and “instead line both sides of Prospect Avenue through the Tower City complex with storefronts, possibly retail spaces for technology companies like Apple, Microsoft or similar examples.” The significant square footage, Prendergast wrote, would give City Block ample room to build “Genesis,” a tech-focused K-12 school that Moreno has long envisioned and which may or may not still be part of the hub’s plans. No cost estimates for the project have been published, but Moreno estimated in the past that the redevelopment would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 million. Vocon Partners has been retained by Bedrock for the project. Moreno told council that his presentation was
“purely informational,” and there was no public financial ask at the current juncture. In addition to the City Block news, Moreno announced a more focused strategic direction for the Blockland initiative, what Moreno called “Blockland 2.0.” He said that Blockland would be ceding much of its previous organizational legwork to a new collaborative effort between the Cleveland Foundation, the Fund for our Economic Future, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, Team NEO and JumpStart. That effort, called the “Cleveland Innovation Project,” will work to “stimulate innovation and drive inclusive economic growth.” The upshot is that the former Blockland nodes will be significantly whittled down. “Blockland will step aside” wrote Moreno in a community letter, “and will instead now sharpen our focus and redouble our efforts on [the place, thought leadership and engagement nodes.]” That means Blockland will | clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
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focus primarily on its flagship conference — Blockland Solutions 2 is scheduled for Dec. 8-11, 2019 — and attracting tech talent to City Block and the region. Moreno emphasized, as he has in the past, that engagement work, an outgrowth of work to include younger professionals in the effort, will mean being deliberate about reaching out to communities across the demographic spectrum, “fostering a community where all stakeholders are intentionally included.” — Sam Allard
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| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
The Vindicator Closes After 150 Years, Leaving Youngstown With No Daily Paper Owners of the Youngstown Vindicator, the eighth-largest newspaper in Ohio by circulation, announced late last week that it would halt publication on August 31. In light of “great financial hardships,” according to a letter from publisher Betty Brown and general manager Mark Brown, the paper had been seeking prospective buyers for the previous year to no avail. “Our staff has worked tirelessly to make the Vindicator the most relevant and respected provider of local and regional news in our area. Our political, government, community, business, entertainment, and sports coverage is unmatched,” the letter read. “However, in recent years, we have been fighting against the tide of a changing newspaper business model and struggling to place the Vindicator on sound financial footing.” With digital platforms like Facebook and Google siphoning away vast portions of print advertising revenue, newspapers are finding it harder and harder to remain solvent. While the Plain Dealer has outsourced its production staff and shrunk its news gathering force in recent months, the Vindicator is the highest-profile Ohio paper to fully close due to market pressures. The Brown family called the decision “gut-wrenching” in a report by local radio station WFMJ (also owned by the Brown family), which broke the news, not least because 144 employees and roughly 250 newspaper carriers
will lose their jobs. This is an enormous blow to the Mahoning Valley, especially after the closure of the Lordstown GM plant earlier this year. “We’re as vintage a brand as GM,” the Vindy’s editor in chief Todd Franko told the Plain Dealer. The announcement arrived shortly after the paper celebrated its 150th birthday. The Vindicator began publishing in the summer of 1869, founded by James H. Odell. Odell, a Pennsylvania native aligned with the Democratic party, named the paper for the “vindication” he found in the Mahoning Valley for his political convictions. The first issue of what was then a weekly publication argued for women’s rights and the “speedy triumph” of Democratic Party values. Mahoning County these days has a population of roughly 230,000 and will soon be without a daily newspaper. In the immediate wake of the announcement, however, an area businessman and “serial entrepreneur” named Brandon Kovach announced that he’d be launching a digital news alternative. “The importance of a fair and balanced news source is integral for the Mahoning Valley,” he wrote in a Facebook post, using buzzwords that should give potential readers and advertisers pause. “It is my hope that we will be able to save as many jobs as possible. In order to do so, we need the community to pool together, to subscribe to our digital edition and to hang in there as we get our footing and grow. We need advertisers to support the new medium, and most importantly we are going to need great stories and value.” Kovach, who calls himself the “Godfather of advertising” on his personal Facebook page, wrote that the goal of his new outlet is to have both free and paid content. He said current Youngstown Vindicator employees would be given priority for jobs and that advertising space was already limited. An email to the Valley Vindicator’s Gmail account was not immediately returned, but Kovach’s incipient effort may be only one of several as the community comes together to discuss filling what will be a critical news vacuum. — Allard
Cha-cha-cha-changes at WKYC In even more localized news news, Cleveland comedian Mike Polk Jr. has been hired by WKYC.
Polk will appear on all WKYC news platforms, offering his take on daily news and, according to one source, may be tapped to host the Friday 11 p.m. newscast. The nontraditional hire for Channel 3, which has been confirmed by the station’s executives and communicated internally to staff, follows a number of high-profile personnel moves for the Lakeside newsroom. It was announced in May that longtime ESPN host (and Northeast Ohio native) Jay Crawford would be joining the station this fall and helping to launch a 5 p.m. program in 2020. And last week, Scene reported that veteran investigative reporter Tom Meyer would be retiring after 46 years in local news. The Polk addition is the latest in a series of experimental hires at stations belonging to WKYC’s parent company Tegna. Other markets have tried unconventional anchors, including comedians, for morning and evening broadcasts with mixed results. Polk has been affiliated with other local news organizations as well. He hosted a half-hour comedy variety show — the aptly titled Mike Polk Jr. Show — on Fox 8
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beginning in 2012. And in 2016, he tried his hand at a column for the Plain Dealer. WKYC is banking on Polk, who Scene once described as “an observant humorist” who “Clevelanders cherish,” to reinvigorate the latenight slot. WKYC GM Micki Bynes, responding via email from overseas, told Scene that the station was “very excited” to have Polk on board, and that while no formal plans for his role are in place, “lots of ideas” are percolating. In a press statement she said that Polk would bring “a fresh perspective and smart sense of humor” to the daily news cycle. In the same statement, Polk said: “I was as surprised that WKYC offered me this gig as I’m certain everyone else is, and I told them as much. But for the life of me I could not manage to talk my way out of this tremendous opportunity. I love this city. It’s a great place, for all of its nicks and dents and, to a certain extent, because of them. Cleveland’s a real city with real history. It has a lovely soul and lots of interesting stories and people, past and present, and I look forward to exploring and
presenting all of this to folks in a fun way.” — Allard
Forbes, Apparently Unaware of What Cuyahoga County Government Is Like, Names Cuyahoga County a Top Workplace Top-level administrators are jumping ship at a speed only eclipsed by indictments and subpoenas; Armond Budish has tapped Bill Mason and his long, flowing patronage coattails as his chief of staff; the county jail, subject to a scathing U.S. Marshal’s report and various civil lawsuits, a site where mental and general health was ignored in favor of saving some nickels and dimes, has seen nine deaths in a year; the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office have indicted a whole batch of jail and IT officials; the county’s department of family services is staring down civil lawsuits over lax and inept social workers who likely contributed to the deaths of children; and the county executive himself is essentially a lost and aimlessly wandering Confused Travolta meme come to life.
And yet, Forbes has named Cuyahoga County government a top Ohio workplace for 2019. Which the county trumpeted in a press release yesterday afternoon, prodding Cleveland.com’s Mark Naymik to offer the only proper response: “I’m not sure which one to take less seriously — Forbes Magazine or Cuyahoga County.” If this is what a top workplace looks like, even the 43rd best workplace in Ohio, as Forbes declared, holy hell and our deepest sympathies for those working away in what would be considered bad workplaces. The methodology, if one can call it that: s The rankings were derived by surveys administered in a series of anonymous online panels and provide a representative sample of the U.S. workforce. The survey was conducted from October 2018 until February 2019 through Statista, a market research company. s Employees were asked more than 30 detailed questions about working conditions, salary, potential for development and company image regarding
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service to the public: numerous corrections ofďŹ cers caught on video punching inmates.
UPFRONT
— Vince Grzegorek
their current employer. The rate of agreement/ disagreement regarding the statements was measured on a ďŹ ve-point Likert scale. Employees were also asked to rate their willingness to recommend their employers to family and friends on a scale from zero to 10. Participants were then asked to evaluate how they perceived other employers in their respective industries. County executive Armond Budish could not have been happier to see an outside organization recognize all the great work his employees are doing. “We strive to make County government a great place to work, and we are thrilled with this recognition,â€? said Budish. “When our employees like their jobs, our customers — the public — get better service.â€? Among those employees who like their jobs and give better
Cleveland Heights Seeks Proposals to Turn Severance Town Center Into Mixed Use Development Cleveland Heights issued an RFP with an eye toward halting the long, slow decline of Severance Town Center. The complex, opened in 1963 as the state’s ďŹ rst indoor mall, was shufed and reformed in the 1990s into what it looks like today, which is a few main tenants and a lot of vacancy. When Walmart departed six years ago for a spot literally down the road, it created a 120,000-squarefoot chasm that trigged foreclosure and other problems, ďŹ nancial and otherwise. “A mall like Severance has a choice when found at a competitive disadvantage — either it’s got to grow and stay with the same basic format, or it has to morph, change into a different format, or it’s going to die,â€? Roby Simons, a professor at the Levin College of Urban Affairs
at Cleveland State University, told Scene four years ago. “Unless you replace Walmart with a tenant of the same stature — and there’s a short list there — odds are it’s not going to remain the same format.â€? That’s exactly what Cleveland Heights, which doesn’t own the land, is hoping to create in working with the owners. “It’s time to really think about returning vibrancy to Severance,â€? city manager Tanisha Briley told Cleveland 19. “Marshalls, Daves, Home Depot, OfďŹ ce Max, they are very strong tenants and they add a lot for our community and I know our residents and our surrounding communities rely on those stores, but that’s not all Severance can be. We need to look at a mix of uses. We think there’s an opportunity for Severance to be an economic engine for our community as well as provide some new housing options, recreational activities. This is our largest business site in the city.â€? Which sounds a lot like what everyone’s been saying for years, and which Cleveland Heights sees in its neighbor with the Van Aken District. Again, from Scene’s feature in 2015: Colette Gibbons, court-appointed receiver of Severance and an
attorney with the law ďŹ rm Ice Miller LLC, says that a new vision for the shopping center is needed before desirable tenants will venture in. “High-end tenants and nicer restaurants are not going to make a move unless there’s an overall plan for the center,â€? she says. “I think it has to be reenvisioned,â€? she continues. “It’s too big right now, and it’s not updated the way a lot of the lifestyle shopping centers are. It doesn’t have the amenities, like coffee shops, restaurants, green space and areas for kids to play. The people of Cleveland Heights would like a facility like this where they could head over on a Sunday and hang out for a couple of hours. They would like a nice development in the center part of their city.â€? Here’s to hoping they ďŹ nally ďŹ gure it out. — Grzegorek
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locations! Street closures! A paucity of volunteers! Extremely low voter turnout! All are possible eventualities if the 2020 presidential primary election is held — as it’s currently scheduled to be held — on St. Patrick’s Day: March 17, 2020. Certain local white Dems are beside themselves. Don’t these downstate Republicans know that the Cleveland’s St. Paddy’s Day celebration is among the most well-attended in the country? Republicans, who set the date, are shrugging their shoulders and encouraging those who plan to partake in holiday festivities to avail themselves of Ohio’s early voting laws — “some of the best in the country.” The date, which was incorporated into an omnibus amendment to the state budget, flew under the radar, according to Cleveland.com. And convincing Republicans to change it now will be “tough.” But representatives on Cleveland’s Irish westside can be counted upon to make hay in order to rile up their constituencies. It shouldn’t be treated as some great scandal. The biggest hindrance will be for those who live downtown and utilize polling locations on or
DIGIT WIDGET 24.98 Inches of rain in Cleveland in 2019 through June, six inches above average.
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near the parade route. (That really could be a logistical headache. Locations like the Old Stone Church on Public Square could be closed and folks will have to make alternative arrangements.) But for others, the timing might even be preferable. Many of the folks who attend the parade already take the day off work and should have extra time in the morning. If voting really will be harder than it would be on a normal workday, Ohio has noexcuse early voting, so folks can show up at the Board of Elections early to cast their vote. — Allard
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Ohio Activist’s Father Among Mauritanians Arrested After Presidential Election Among the Mauritanians arrested last week in the wake of controversial presidential elections was Samba Thiam, an opposition figure, the current leader of Forces Progressistes pour le Changement (Progressive Forces for Change, PFC) and one of the authors, in 1986, of the seminal opposition tract, The Manifesto of the Oppressed Black Mauritanian. He is the father of Columbus, Ohio-area Mauritanian activist Houleye Thiam, who is quoted at length in Scene’s recent coverage of Mauritanians living in Ohio and facing deportation back to slavery and imprisonment in the country. After elections Saturday, June 22, in which the country’s military candidate Mohamed Ould Ghazouani declared victory, the internet was shut down countrywide. Opposition figures who have protested human rights abuses and the persistence of slavery in Mauritania, who were supporting opposition candidates in the election, have been arrested. Protests were planned in the capital of Nouakchott last week. Amnesty International has called for the prisoners’ release, the restoration of internet access, and ongoing restraint in policing citizen protest. “The authorities must exercise restraint in dealing with the protesters,” said Amnesty’s West Africa researcher Francois Patuel, in a statement by the human rights organization, “including ensuring their safety and opening up the internet space so that people can freely express themselves and share information.” — Allard
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HEN CLEVELAND was awarded the 1981 MLB All-Star Game, it was a city in dire need of a boost. The previous decade, beginning with a fire on the Cuyahoga River in 1969, had battered the city that once billed itself as the “Best Location in the Nation.” In fact, on the day in 1979 the Plain Dealer announced Cleveland had been picked to host the All-Star Game, the story shared the front page with Mayor Dennis Kucinich testifying before the House Banking Committee about the city’s default; it was the first time an American city had defaulted on its loans since the Great Depression. The All-Star Game wouldn’t fix any of that, but it would provide a showcase for a city that was trying to pick itself up off the canvas — and those showcases had been few and far between for a town that prided itself on its sports teams. The Steelers had a virtual lock on the AFC Central Division throughout the 1970s, rendering the Browns also-rans. (The Browns did win the division in
1980, before losing to the Raiders in a playoff game that’s known for one thing: Red Right 88.) The Cavs had decamped to an outlying county, but they were spinning their wheels too (under the administration of Ted Stepien, who bought into the team in 1980 and ultimately became majority owner, things would get so bad that the NBA would actually pass rules to limit the effects of his ineptitude). An NHL team came and went in two years. And the Indians? Well, they were a bad team playing in front of empty seats. Between 1958 and 1970, the Tribe was perpetually linked to any city that didn’t yet have a major league team, with plans to move to Seattle, or even play “home” games in New Orleans. It was an era when a sellout crowd on Opening Day at cavernous Cleveland Stadium could account for as much as 10 percent of the team’s total yearly attendance. “We were absolutely overjoyed to play host to the All-Star Game,” said Bob DiBiasio, who was then just starting out what would be a 40-year career in sports media relations — all but one of those years with the Indians. “The town | clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
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| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
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was struggling a little, to say the least, and we were making a comeback and everybody in town rallied around the All-Star Game to put the spotlight on and show we were on the rebound. “Then the strike hit, and everyone was deflated.” On May 29, 1981 — the same day that the Indians dropped a 5-2 home game to the Yankees, and the same day the city introduced its new ad campaign, “New York May Be the Big Apple, But Cleveland Is a Plum” — Major League Baseball players authorized a strike. Two weeks later — a month before the scheduled All-Star Game — the players walked out. For the first time in nine years, games would be lost because of a work stoppage. There would be no long-awaited All-Star Game. “Cleveland was taking a bad rap in those days,” said Dale Kirk, the weekend assignment editor at WKYC, Cleveland’s NBC affiliate. “We felt cheated. We were supposed to have the All-Star Game, the big fanfare of the summer. We felt we had to do something to regain our pride.” So a bunch of guys from Cleveland staged their own All-Star Game — with dice and card tables. At Cleveland Stadium. Jon Halpern grew up playing Strat-O-Matic Baseball. Strat-O-Matic, which bills itself as the original fantasy sport, began with a tabletop game in 1961. Two years later, founder Hal Richman added cards representing each MLB player. It’s now available to play on computers, online or on mobile devices as an app. But whatever the medium, the basics of the game are the same: You pick the lineup and roll a total of three dice, using strategy and a maybe a little luck to try to win. By 1978, there were Strat-O-Matic versions of football, basketball and hockey, but baseball was by far the most popular sport, outselling all the other sports combined. “Strat-O-Matic was well-established by 1981,” said journalist Glenn Guzzo, author of Strat-O-Matic Fanatics, the definitive history of the company. “It had a spotty retail presence, but it had a good following among baseball fans, including some players and those who ended up in baseball front offices.” Or broadcast studios. When the staff at WKYC was throwing around ideas for something to do in protest of the strike, Halpern, the producer for the weekend 11 p.m. newscast, came up with the idea of a Strat-OMatic All-Star Game. “It was clear [negotiations] were going nowhere,” said Jim Schaefer, weekend producer of the 6 p.m. newscast and Halpern’s roommate at the time. “When it looked like the strike was going to happen, it was his idea. We pitched it to the station, and we got the sports department involved.” “It was our way of salvaging something and trying to have a little fun,” Kirk said. Halpern was a Phillies fan, and feeling pretty good about that, since his team was the defending World Series champs. He’d be thrilled to manage the National League team. Schaefer had grown up all around the Midwest, but he had taken to the Indians since coming to Cleveland in 1974 (and you really
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| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
came into the locker room and started putting on a jockstrap and then he said, ‘Wait, I don’t need a jockstrap for this!’” The game was at Cleveland Municipal Stadium — which rankled MLB officials. And they weren’t shy about voicing their displeasure. “I got my ass chewed out by Major League Baseball for allowing that ‘game’ to happen,” DiBiasio said. (We spoke on the phone, and he made it a point to say he was putting air quotes around “game.”) “But I couldn’t do anything to stop it. They contacted Bob Feller on their own. They contacted Rocco Scotti on their own. I found out about a couple hours before the game!” As the name indicates, Cleveland Municipal Stadium was owned by the city. But in 1973, Browns owner Art Modell formed the Cleveland Stadium Corp. to lease the stadium from the city and handle operations. Stadium Corp. was the Indians’ landlord — and quite frankly, gouged them. (It’s no coincidence that the Browns moved to Baltimore when Modell no longer had the Indians as a tenant.) “They actually let us use the scoreboard and the PA system,” Schaefer said, noting that they were able to use the stadium for free. “WKYC was behind us on this, so we weren’t two random guys asking to use the stadium. We had some institutional weight behind us.” Also on hand was the Baseball Bug, the Indians’ fuzzy mascot introduced a year earlier. The Bug, portrayed by Ron Chernek, then a graduate student at Cleveland State, was still making appearances on behalf of the team, so he wasn’t quite as idle as Indians players (the front of the sports section the day after the Strat-O-Matic game showed pitcher Wayne Garland pumping gas because he needed to make ends meet during the strike), but he didn’t have a lot going on. “I probably would have gone anyway,” Chernek said. “It beat doing nothing. “I was supposed to do my usual shtick. There were maybe 30 people in the stands, but they were into it. If you’re going to volunteer to be there, you’re probably going to be enthusiastic about it.” The Plain Dealer’s Dan Coughlin, who was the game’s official scorer, said he counted 58 The official All-Star Game program. people in the stands — in a stadium that seated nearly 80,000. Kirk said it was “the first time I ever sat in the front row at Cleveland Stadium.” track meet. But his status to sing at the real All-Star The starting lineups were picked using the lastGame had been in doubt. In the book Split Season: 1981, author Jeff Katz said Scotti wasn’t quite famous released All-Star Game vote counts. enough for Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. But he Large Lenny Barker, just two months removed was famous enough for Halpern and Schaefer. His from his perfect game at Cleveland Stadium, got the national anthem was accompanied by accordion, not start for the American League team. Dave Parker an organ, prompting Franz Lidz to write in the next got the National League on the board in the second week’s Sports Illustrated, “This was the first All-Star inning with a home run off Barker, but the American Game that sounded like an Italian wedding.” League tied it up in the bottom of the third. The Bob Feller threw out the ceremonial first dice. “We National League took the lead for good in the fifth, had the idea we needed a celebrity and he was the and blew the game open in the seventh, scoring seven obvious choice,” Schaefer said. “He was a trooper and runs on the way to a 15-2 rout. always a loyal Indian.” “Except for the fact the managers used dice and Feller was an Iowa native, but had made the cards instead of balls and players, the rest of the Cleveland area his home following his Indians career. proceedings resembled most of the All-Star games He was a regular on the rubber chicken circuit and of the last two decades — with the American League signed so many autographs he once said a baseball falling flat on its face,” wrote Thomas M. Burnett of without his autograph was worth more money United Press International. because it was rarer. All they had to do to get him to After they left Cleveland Stadium, Kirk figured the Strat-O-Matic game was ask. that was the end of it. “It was a delight to meet him,” Schaefer said. “He “We all went out and had some beers after that and had to love the team to be a fan in those days). He’d skipper the AL. Schaefer said that like ballplayers themselves, he and Halpern went into training. “We played about 25 games before the actual All-Star Game,” he said. “Jon was much more proficient at it than I was, but I’d followed baseball stats closely.” And so, on July 14, the day the real All-Star Game would have been played, Cleveland threw its own. And even if it wasn’t a “real” baseball game, it had all the bells and whistles Cleveland fans had come to expect. Halpern and Schaefer got Rocco Scotti to sing the national anthem. It wasn’t an official sporting event in Cleveland unless it led off with Scotti, a construction worker turned opera singer, singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” He was a regular at Indians games, and sang at four other Major League ballparks, as well as the Football Hall of Fame inductions in Canton and the Knights of Columbus
had a good laugh over it,â€? he said. One of the reasons the MLB All-Star Game gets as much attention as it does is because there’s usually nothing else going on at the beginning of July. The NHL and NBA seasons are over. NFL training camp hasn’t started. There aren’t really any college sports. Fact is, when a bunch of TV guys were coming up with the idea to play Strat-O-Matic Baseball at home plate at Cleveland Stadium, there were a lot of other journalists who were just as annoyed by the strike, and just as bored. “We got a lot of coverage,â€? Schaefer said. “Sportswriters were looking for something to cover. It had a long wire story, and it made all the network news programs. CBS News covered it that night!â€? “I was supposed to go on Good Morning America,â€? Chernek recalled. “But I got bumped because of something going on in Northern Ireland. I still got to be on Nightline, though.â€? WKYC’s coverage earned a local Emmy, Schaefer said. Alas, most of the footage, in those heady days of Betamax, appears lost to history. Schaefer and Halpern had to make a trip to Cooperstown. The Baseball Hall of Fame wanted the board and cards from the game, and displayed it for the next couple years. The game was also a boost for StratO-Matic itself. Richman was worried that fan resentment would hurt sales of the cards, but he estimated that the mock All-Star Game got him millions of dollars in free publicity. “It helped save the year for him,â€? Guzzo said. On July 31, players and owners reached an agreement, and baseball would return. But what would happen to the All-Star Game? The 1982 game had already been awarded to Montreal, but the Expos seemed receptive to the idea of pushing back their game so Cleveland would get theirs. As it turned out, it wasn’t necessary. “We felt the town would still generate the kind of revenue it was looking to generate from this type of event,â€? DiBiasio said. The MLB All-Star Game — the real one — was played Aug. 9, the very ďŹ rst game back from the strike. It’s still the only All-Star Game to date played in August, and the only one on a Sunday. “Everyone who was there was glad to see baseball again,â€? Schaefer said. Like the Strat-O-Matic game, the National League won. Dave Parker was the MVP of the Strat-O-Matic game, going 3-for-5, but Gary Carter took the honors in the real game (both Parker and Carter homered in the Strat-OMatic and the real thing). And if there was any fan resentment, it couldn’t be found on the lakefront in Cleveland. The 72,086
in attendance is still the largest-ever crowd for an All-Star Game. A lot of the guys at WKYC moved on. Halpern died about 10 years ago, Schaefer said. Dale Kirk still lives in the Cleveland area, leaving briey for Columbus before returning. He can be found playing trumpet in a local band, Shout! Bob Feller died in 2010. Virtually up to the end, he could be found at Progressive Field, and his seat in the press box is a small shrine to him. Rocco Scotti died in 2015 at the age of 95. Schaefer left for the Washington D.C. area, but he remains a Cleveland fan — as do his kids, who were all born in Cleveland. He and his son came back in 1993 for the Indians’ last weekend at Cleveland Stadium, and his son was offered a ticket to Game 7 of the 2016 World Series ... the day before the game. Of course, he made the trip. Bob DiBiasio was at that Game 7. He was also at the Game 7 in Miami in 1997. He was also at Cleveland Stadium in October 1993. DiBiasio’s the senior vice president of public affairs for the Indians. He’s seen a lot, but nothing quite like what he saw at Cleveland Stadium on the day the 1981 All-Star Game was supposed to be played “I can’t imagine something like this will ever happen again,â€? he said. “You have to have the right scenario in place. The team has to be a tenant in the stadium, and that doesn’t happen in the truest sense.â€? The Baseball Bug’s brief life lasted through the end of that season, when it was squashed and supplanted by Tom E. Hawk, the mascot of the radio station that carried Indians games. The Bug is now generally remembered as “one of the worst mascots in baseball history.â€? Ron Chernek, who as the Baseball Bug had been formally protested by George Steinbrenner and polkaed with Steelers running back Rocky Bleier, was offered the chance to be Tom E. Hawk, but he’d graduated college and gotten a job, so he couldn’t do it. He’s now a lawyer in the Cleveland area. He’s got a bunch of pictures from his days as the Baseball Bug, and in most instances, he needs them as proof — but especially for the day he danced in front of a crowd of dozens at a StratO-Matic baseball game at Cleveland Stadium. “People still don’t believe me that this really happened.â€?
This piece was originally published by Deadspin. It is reprinted here with permission.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
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| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
AUG 14
Photo by Renata Steiner
GET OUT everything you should do this week
The Baseball Project plays a free show at the Rock Hall. See: Sunday.
WED
07/03
through Sept. 4. Find out more on the website below. (Niesel) East 14th Street and Euclid Avenue, 216-771-4444, playhousesquare.org.
SPOKEN WORD
Keep Talking Keep Talking is a monthly storytellers’ series that offers attendees the chance to grab a drink and a dog while listening to some of their Cleveland neighbors tell tall tales. Tonight’s show revolves around the theme, “My Moment of Fame.” The hosts are Adam Richard and Zachariah Durr. The program starts at 8 p.m. sharp at the Happy Dog. Admission is $5. Want to be a storyteller at a future session? See details on the website. (Jeff Niesel) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com. FOOD
North Union Farmers Market North Union Farmers Market returns to U.S. Bank Plaza today with an urban-desert oasis of fresh and sustainable local farm foods. Come and stock up on the season’s best fruits and vegetables from 4 to 7 p.m. This NUFM location will be up and running each and every Wednesday
MUSIC
Salute to America As part of a summer tradition in these parts, the Blossom Festival Band plays a special Salute to America concert tonight at Blossom. Savor a picnic on the lawn or at a picnic table, and then settle in to enjoy a mix of patriotic Sousa marches, Broadway favorites, an Armed Forces salute, and more. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and concludes with fireworks, weather permitting. It all happens again tomorrow night. Consult the Cleveland Orchestra website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 1145 West Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. FOOD
Walnut Wednesday Walnut Wednesday is one of summer’s great traditions. Today from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Perk Plaza at Chester Commons — at East 12th and Walnut streets — food trucks once again
gather to serve up lunch to area residents and employees. Follow the Downtown Cleveland Alliance on Facebook for weekly updates on vendors, entertainment offerings and more. The series continues through Sept. 4. Admission is free, but the food will cost you. (Niesel) downtowncleveland.com.
THU
07/04
MUSIC
Fourth at FWD Dee Jay Silver’s first gig with country superstar Jason Aldean took place in Little Rock, Arkansas, some 10 years ago; the two have been tour mates ever since. Silver, who recently released a new single, “Getaway Driver,” will make a special Fourth of July appearance at FWD Day + Nightclub in the Flats today. The concert will also feature a live performance from singer-songwriter Carter Winter, plus barbecue and fireworks. The show starts at 3 p.m., and tickets cost $10. (Niesel) 1176 Front St., 216-417-6282, fwdnightclub.com.
MUSIC
Grateful Fest An annual tradition, this year’s Grateful Fest at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville promises to be excellent weekend getaway anchored by the spirit of the Grateful Dead. This may not be the only Dead-related tribute event in Northeast Ohio this year (seriously, there are a whole bunch), but it’s surely the most comprehensive. Into the Blue, John Welton & the Awakening, Wanyama, JiMiller Band, Terrapin Moon, Blue Moon Soup, Zuffalo, and the Bob Niederriter Trio will all perform through Sunday. Wear flowers in your hair, and be sure to pack your sleeping bag. Tickets start at $30, and camping is included in the ticket price. (Eric Sandy) 12001 State Route 282, Garrettsville, 440-548-2716, nlqp.com. INDEPENDENCE DAY
Lakewood Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks Independence Day festivities run all day long today in Lakewood. The city’s parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Lake Avenue at Kenneth Drive and | clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
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GET OUT ends at Lakewood Park at 11:30 a.m., where you’ll find assorted games and activities. A featured concert from the Lakewood Project, Lakewood High School’s Youth Rock Orchestra, hits the bandstand at 7 p.m., with a fireworks extravaganza concluding the day at 9:45. See the website for more info. (Niesel) onelakewood.com.
air market and live performances. Running after zoo hours, the lantern exhibit is open Thursday through Sunday only, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Same-day tickets are $20.50, or you can score four for $60. (Kids age 2 and younger are free.) Those purchasing tickets early get a discount. (Laura Morrison) 3900 Wildlife Way, 216-661-6500, clemetzoo.com.
daughter’s first boyfriend, the BET comedian explores the small joys and annoyances of parenthood through a sardonic lens. He performs tonight at 7:30 and 10 at the Improv, where additional shows are scheduled through Sunday. Tickets are $17. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.
MUSIC
Open Mic Night/Live Band Karaoke Every Thursday, Stella’s Music hosts a night of music, poetry and comedy. The club’s doors open at 5 p.m., and performances begin at 8 p.m. Artists can sign up at stellasmusic.com/ open-mic to secure a 15-minute time slot. Signups will be available at the club as well. Meanwhile, happy hour takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free. (Niesel) 2217 East Ninth St., 216-272-3377, stellasmusic.com.
FRI
event will include readings by author Mark Sommer from a new biography, Rocky Colavito: Cleveland’s Iconic Slugger. It begins at 7:30 tonight at the State Theatre, and tickets start at $38.50. (Niesel) 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. SUMMER FUN
Euclid Beach Live This live concert series offers great music, delicious food and fun for the whole family. The setting couldn’t be better either: The site overlooks the scenic Euclid Beach State Park on Lake Erie, and the 285-foot rebuilt pier gives the events a throwback feel and harkens back to the glory days of Euclid Beach amusement park. The fun takes place tonight from 6 to 9. The series continues through Aug. 2. (Niesel) 16301 Lake Shore Blvd., 216-635-3200, clevelandmetroparks.com. FUNDRAISER
Nightlight Cinema’s Five-Year Anniversary Party In the midst of celebrating its fifth anniversary, the Nightlight Cinema, an independent movie theater in Akron, has set a fundraising goal of $15,000 this summer. As a nonprofit cinema, ticket sales alone don’t cover the cost of bringing in the “essential films” that the cinema shows. At 5 p.m. today, the Nightlight will host a special five-year anniversary party. Your ticket gets you champagne upon arrival plus two drink tickets for select beer, wine or soda served in the lounge and at the bar. From 5 to 6 p.m., there will be live music, and nearby restaurant Crave will provide the heavy hors d’oeuvres. There will be door prizes and a silent auction too. The theater will show two screenings of a select Nightlight Film Society film and unveil its Georges Méliès-inspired celestial photo booth. Then stick around for the after party, which will take place from 10:30 p.m. until midnight. Consult the theater’s website for details and ticket prices. (Niesel) 30 North High St., Akron, 330-252-5782, nightlightcinema.com.
07/05
SPORTS
All Star Game Weekend Cleveland last played host to the All-Star Game in 1997 when Sandy Alomar Jr., now the team’s first base coach, hit a homer and was named the game’s MVP. This year’s All Star Game doesn’t take place until Tuesday, but festivities begin today with a concert featuring Twenty One Pilots at Mall B of Play Ball Park, outside the Huntington Convention Center; gates open at 6 and the music begins at 8. Consult the website for info on the myriad events — musical, sportsrelated, and/or family friendly — happening around town in conjunction with the Home Run Derby and the Game. (Niesel) mlb.com/indians/fans/ all-star-game.com. FESTIVAL
Asian Lantern Festival Taking over parks and zoos across the country, the traveling Asian Lantern Festival shows off thousands of colorful handmade paper lanterns in open, green spaces. This year’s Cleveland edition, which runs through July 28 at the Metroparks Zoo, brings 40 brand new light-up displays. The event also includes authentic bites from local spots Li Wah, King Wah and Thai Thai, an interactive zone, open-
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| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
COMEDY COMEDY
SPOKEN WORD
Mike Bonner Call the sitter. Comic Mike Bonner takes the stage at the Improv tonight for a parent-friendly routine. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s kidfriendly. Bonner has made a name for himself as a relatable, down-toearth comedian who understands the everyday struggles of being a father. From dirty diapers to his
Rocky Colavito Just in time for All-Star Week in Cleveland, former Indians player Rocky Colavito returns to town tonight to talk about his career and answer questions from audience members. Bob DiBiasio, the Cleveland Indians’ senior vice president for public affairs, will moderate the discussion, and the
Russell Peters After taking time off to film his hit CTV/Netflix series The Indian Detective, comedian Russell Peters has resumed his Deported World Tour, which kicked off in Australia and New Zealand last year and has already travelled to more than 29 cities in 20 countries. During the course of his career, Peters has played to sold-out crowds at Madison Square Garden and the Sydney
Opera House. He’s also performed for the troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and on the USS Eisenhower and the HMCS Winnipeg. His 2010 memoir, Call Me Russell, was a bestseller in Canada. A philanthropist, Peters has donated more than a million dollars to charities such as Gilda’s Club and the MS Society of Canada. Each year, the Russell Peters North Peel Scholarship sends a deserving student to college. He performs tonight at 8 at MGM Northfield Park Center Stage. Tickets cost $49.50 and $59.50. (Niesel) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html. COMEDY
Chris Redd In one skit, comedian and actor Chris Redd talks about growing up in Chicago and preparing for his first fight. “Fists move fast,” he says in the bit. “I remember it like it was yesterday because we always remember the things that depress us the most.” The skit shows off Redd’s distinctive narrative style. He performs tonight at 7 and 9:30 at Hilarities, where he has shows scheduled through Sunday. Check the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. MUSIC
Rhapsody in Blue It’s a big weekend at Blossom Music Center, the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra: Bernstein’s Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Stravinsky’s Suite from the Firebird and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture — and fireworks! — are all on tonight’s program that finds the orchestra performing under the direction of conductor Roderick Dox. The concert begins at 8 tonight at Blossom and repeats at 8 tomorrow night. Consult the orchestra website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. FILM
Van Gogh & Japan Director David Bickerstaff explores the influence of Japanese art on Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh in his new documentary, Van Gogh & Japan. A 2018 exhibition at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum inspired the movie. It screens at 1:30 p.m. today and at 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
FILM
Working Woman A married woman struggles against persistent sexual harassment at work in Working Woman, a new thriller from director Michal Aviad, a senior lecturer at Tel Aviv University’s Department of Cinema and Television. The film, which marked its local premiere earlier this week, screens again tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
SAT
07/06
NOW)
ALL K (AS WE
We Do It Right & Have Fun At The Same Time! Delicious Food-Great Music Fri July 5 ~ 8:30:
FILM
Rocky Horror Picture Show It’s the first Saturday of the month again, so tonight the Cedar Lee Theatre hosts its usual midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the 1975 cult classic that still draws an exuberant, costumed crowd that likes to throw rice and dry toast and sing along to the songs in the movie. In addition, locals act out a floor show that mimics the movie, turning the event into a veritable party. Tickets are $9.75. (Niesel) 2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 440-528-0355, clevelandcinemas.com.
SUN
Just Outside of Progressive Field
GABE STILLMAN high-voltage blues outfit from Williamsport, PA
Sat July 6 ~ 8:30:
THE NIGHTHAWKS Legendary Hard-Driving BLUES from D.C.
Sun July 7 ~ 8:30:
MURMUR - A Tribute to R.E.M.
Mon July 8 ~ 5:30:
EDDIE “DEVIL BOY” TURNER & TROUBLE Top notch blues & rock guitarist!
Tues July 9 ~ 5:30:
All Star Party CATS ON HOLIDAY CLE Swamp Pop Band
wilbertsmusic.com | 216.375.5966
INVITES YOU TO WIN A DIGITAL COPY OF
07/07
MUSIC
The Baseball Project A few years back, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills formed the Baseball Project, a band that serves as a “musical tribute” to our national pastime. The group also includes Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate and Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3, and drummer Linda Pitmon. The side project has flourished: It has released three proper albums as well as a live EP and a 45 single. Starting today, the band will hold down a residency at the Rock Hall during All-Star Week. Performances take place from noon to 2 p.m. today on the Klipsch Audio Stage; additional shows are set for 1 to 1:45 p.m. tomorrow, and from 3 to 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, outdoors on the Rock Hall’s plaza. Admission is free. (Niesel) 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-515-8444, rockhall.com.
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NOW AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL AND ON BLU-RAY ™! | clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
21
GET OUT
Schneck hosts. The show begins at 7 p.m., and tickets are $15. (Niesel) 11609 Detroit Ave., 216-226-2767, brotherslounge.com.
DRINK
Sloppy Sundays in the Sun On select Sundays throughout the summer, Now That’s Class will host Sloppy Sundays in the Sun, an event that appeals to day drinkers. Bartender Juliet will serve up her special Aperol Spritz and Pimms cocktails, and both patios will be open. The club will even set up an outdoor basketball hoop. The bar opens at 3 p.m., and happy hour takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. It’s free. (Niesel) 11213 Detroit Ave., 216-221-8576, nowthatsclass.net. BURLESQUE
Toxic Burlesque Over the past few years, the folks at the local burlesque promotion company Toxic Burlesque have thrown a number of events at Brothers Lounge. According to promoter Frank Ian, who runs the company with his wife, there’s been a “packed house every time.” For tonight’s show, they’ve booked Miss Fever Blister and many other performers. Ken
22
| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
MON
07/08
TRIVIA
Lunchtime Trivia Today from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on U.S. Bank Plaza, Last Call Trivia hosts a live show that allows teams to compete for prizes by answering trivia questions. Teams can range from 1 to 8 players and prizes are awarded to the top teams at the event’s conclusion. (Niesel) East 14th Street and Euclid Avenue, 216-771-4444, playhousesquare.org. TRVIA
Monday Night Trivia Are you a student of fast food menus and their nuanced histories? What say you about the geographic evolution of Scotch whisky? Tonight’s your chance to wow your friends, make yourself instantly more desirable to someone you’re newly dating, and hang with Cleveland’s headiest
hipsters and hot dog lovers. It’s the Happy Dog Monday Night Trivia. Starting at 8 p.m., expect themed rounds and general knowledge questions that seem considerably trickier than some of the other live trivia locales in town. Obviously, have a hot dog and a craft brew while you’re at it. And arrive early: seats tend to fill up fast. (Sam Allard) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com.
Shit Show Karaoke, a weekly event at the B-Side Liquor Lounge wherein patrons choose from “an unlimited selection of jams from hip-hop to hard rock,” and are encouraged to “be as bad as you want.” Fueled by drink and shot specials, it all goes down tonight at 10 p.m. (Niesel) 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.
TUE
07/09
FILM
Movie Mondays Every Monday, Cleveland Cinemas hosts $5 Movie Mondays, where film fans can catch up on the latest Hollywood flicks for significantly reduced prices. Many theaters even offer discounted concession stand items. Participating theaters include Apollo Theatre, Capitol Theatre, Cedar Lee Theatre, Chagrin Cinemas and Tower City Cinemas. Unfortunately, additional charges apply for 3-D movies. (Alaina Nutile) clevelandcinemas.com. MUSIC
Shit Show Karaoke Local rapper/promoter Dirty Jones and Scene’s own Manny Wallace host
THEATER
Come From Away Part of the KeyBank Broadway Series, Comes From Away centers on airline passengers who try to make friends with the people of Gander, Newfoundland, after they become stranded there. Written by Tony nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein and helmed by this year’s Tonywinning Best Director, Christopher Ashley, the musical has received rave reviews. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where performances continue through July 28. Tickets start at $10. (Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
DANCE
Dancing Under the Stars Time again for Dancing Under the Stars at U.S. Bank Plaza. Beginning at 6, Valerie Salstrom of Get Hep Swing will give lessons; then it’s on to the dance party, accompanied by a live band. The dancing begins at 6:30 and continues until 9 p.m. Admission is free. (Niesel) East 14th Street and Euclid Avenue, 216-771-4444, playhousesquare.org.
Join SCENE for our Leinenkugel Friday Summer Bar Tour! Catch us at a different location from 6-8 pm every Friday all summer long! Grab a pic with the promo team and enjoy an ice cold Summer Shandy!
DRINK
Tiki Tuesday To celebrate the warm weather, Music Box Supper Club launched a special Tiki Tuesday event earlier this summer. The menu includes Mai Tais, Zombies and Hurricanes along with food specials like a pu pu platter with wings, ribs and meatballs. All tiki drinks are just $6 and some of the food specials are $6 too. The club’s owner has even curated a playlist of classic Caribbean music from the ’40s and ’50s. The party takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.
See You: This Friday July 5 Wild Eagle (Broadview) & Mr. Divot’s Next Friday July 12 Panini’s (Westlake) & Around The Corner
MUSIC
BREAKING NEWS...
Open Turntable Tuesday Tonight from 6 to 9, the Winchester hosts its weekly Open Turntable Tuesday. Jason Gokorsch will book guest DJs and offer slots to people who want to bring their own vinyl and spin their favorite songs or deep tracks. First time DJs are encouraged, and equipment is provided. Patrons can also bring records for the night’s DJ to add to their set. Sign up on Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club’s Facebook page. (Niesel) 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-600-5338, facebook.com/ TheWinchesterMusicTavern.
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Truck Stop Tuesday Crocker Park in Westlake has launched its seasonal Truck Stop Tuesday, a weekly food truck gathering that takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Main Street. Needless to say, admission is free, but the food will cost you. . You can find a lineup of upcoming food trucks on the website. (Niesel) 189 Crocker Park Blvd., Westlake, crockerpark.com.
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ART IMBIBE SOME ART Cleveland coffee shops and bars are great alternative showcases for local art By Dott von Schneider Photo courtesy of Paul Sydorenko
FOR AGES, ALTERNATIVE venues such as coffee shops and restaurants have offered wall space for emerging and established artists. Here are some places where you can open your third eye while you drink your red eye, red ale or red wine.
SIX SHOOTER COFFEE 16021 Waterloo Rd. John Farina and Adam Tully of Maria Neil Art Project have a revolving roster of heavy hitting artists on exhibit at Six Shooter Coffee in Collinwood. The most recent solo exhibition by Paul Sydorenko brought joy to our eyes as we grabbed our cuppajoe before heading out to work. Sydorenko’s cave ghosts (pictured) are an example of an artist having fun experimenting with colors and shapes, landscape and storyline. This month will bring the wild works of Brooklyn, New York, artist Leandro Castelao, whose graphic design work looks exactly like how jazz sounds.
LOOP 2180 West 11th St. Loop has been featuring notable art for some time. Current artist Kristina Kuhn is exhibiting some pretty wild optic art-inspired work. Artist-to-watch Aja Joi Grant held an exhibition of her mind-bending photography there previously, as has Alena Rosa Reyes, whose dreamlike images are completely captivating.
THE LITERARY TAVERN 1031 Literary Rd. With the Lit reopening its doors as the Literary Tavern, art, again, is gracing its walls. We were delighted to drink in the artwork by worldrenowned painter Stephen Kasner while enjoying a fine adult beverage.
PHOENIX COFFEE HOUSE 3000 Bridge Ave. We first took note of Kelli Finnegan’s ethereal photography transfers at the Ohio City location and she’s now one of our artists to watch. This month, owner and artist Carl Jones is the featured artist at Phoenix Coffee House’s multiple locations.
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Artist Paul Sydorenko’s “Cave Ghosts” have been on exhibit at Six Shooter Gallery.
FAT HEADS BREWERY 17450 Engle Lake Dr., Middleburg Heights We caught wind through a bartender friend that Jamie Hall Klann has been gathering artists for exhibitions in breweries across the city, including the Middleburg Heights Fat Head’s Brewery. Inside the Brewery/ Outside the Box Art Showcase Vol. 2 will open August 18 in the barrel room. The exhibition will include artwork from a variety of artists using assorted media.
CLEVELAND HOPKINS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 5300 Riverside Dr. It’s impossible to get through the gate at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport unless you have a ticket, but the RTA level is home to the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gallery, where the latest featured artist series is Crooked River Contrasts, centered around the history of the Cuyahoga River. Included is the outstanding historic photograph of Cleveland Press reporter Betty Klaric by Herman Seid.
“Betty Klaric Raises a Toast of Oily Cuyahoga River Water” is a powerful artwork that punctuated Klaric’s reportage on environmental issues. More contemporary photographers are Christina Sadowski, Jim Roetzel, Ian Adams and Michael J. Zaremba.
OLD BROOKLYN CHEESE COMPANY 4138 Pearl Rd. We were super pumped to find artist Rebecca Yody’s work hanging at Old Brooklyn Cheese Company. The artist is also featured at the 818 Studios in Tremont.
THE WINE SPOT 2271 Lee Rd. For a while there, the Wine Spot had been the impromptu gallery for Cleveland Institute of Art students. Currently, the ink and watercolor works by Ohio-born artist Brandon Lee Wise are on display from the film SOMM, one of our favorite movies to watch while drinking wine and eating stinky cheese.
COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE 4193 Pearl Rd. This Old Brooklyn establishment has some serious cold brew and fun permanent installations, but it also holds an Art Jam where artists of all walks are invited to display their wares. The vibe is relaxed and fun. We already love it.
MAHALL’S 20 LANES 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood Dylan Glover has been curating works at the Mahall’s Apartment Gallery for about a year with predominantly local artists. The exhibitions are monthly with featured artists such as James Quarles, Michael Marefka, Anne Meike, Haley Morris and Eric Alleman. Coming up on July 5 are John Gott and Dan Corrigan with a show titled “Travel Agency.” We can’t wait to drink it all in.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
MOVIES MIDSOMMAR LOVIN’, HAD ME A BLAST Hereditary Director’s Follow-up Puts Scares in Broad Daylight By Sam Allard Photo Courtesy A24
OF ALL THE EXTRAVAGANT, ritualistic horrors that ultimately befall the five grad-student protagonists in Midsommar, very few occur under cover of darkness. Writer-director Ari Aster, whose debut Hereditary was among the best films of 2018, explored sharp divisions between brightness and darkness in that film. He now almost seems to be testing himself. How scary can he make something without the psychological reinforcements of nighttime and the terror it evokes? The answer: Very. The film opens Wednesday in wide release. Dani (Florence Pugh) is already on shaky ground with her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) when an unthinkable tragedy upends her world. The horror, incidentally, does occur at night. The 10 minutes before the credits are knotted with tension and anxiety and grief. Christian, then, who had been planning to break up with Dani and travel to Sweden for a midsummer festival with his grad student buddies, brings Dani along because abandoning her would have seemed too barbaric. Dani’s presence, though, harshes the vibe of Mark (Will Poulter), who’s eager to loose himself upon Scandinavian women;
and Josh (William Jackson Harper), who intends to study the festival for his thesis. Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren), in whose home village the festival takes place, is curiously transfixed by Dani and delighted that she’s joining the group. No one will be surprised by the direction the film takes: Pelle’s commune reveals itself to be something on the order of a pagan cult. Because their community is so small, inbreeding has disfigured the gene pool. Thus, the village relies on outsiders to keep their population robust. That’s all in the background of the “festivities” which begin with a shocking ritual suicide and get much worse. But again, the most nightmarish of these rituals, including the depraved physical violence in the third act, all happen in broad daylight. Moreover, the villagers do not present as sadistic psychopaths. They are smiling, serene and generous hosts. (SPOILER IN THIS PARAGRAPH): Midsommar includes one of the more disturbing sex scenes in memory. It is neither violent nor especially depraved (no more so than medieval bedding rituals, at any rate). But it is supremely weird! Christian, under
the influence of a mind-altering tea, is lured to a cabin to impregnate a young woman who’d selected him as a mate. Joining them in the cabin is a chorus line of naked women, happily singing some Swedish folk song. As the act progresses, one woman kneels to sing directly into Christian’s face. Another woman pushes his bare ass to encourage his thrusting. Again, this is not scary, per se. But the images will sure stay with you!
Florence Pugh arrived with a bang in 2016’s Lady Macbeth, and she continues to solidify herself as one of the best young actors around. She is a furnace of emotion in Midsommar and carries the film on her back. The uncertainty and horror of the audience is a mirror of her own.
sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard
SPOTLIGHT: SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME EVEN IF YOU’RE TIRED OF seeing Spider-Man remakes, you should stick around for Spider-Man: Far From Home, which features Tom Holland’s (Peter Parker) endearingly quirky performance. The film captures the offbeat humor and charming awkwardness that fans cherished in the original films starring Toby Maguire. Only this time, fans get to experience the awkwardness alongside a highschooler surrounded by other highschoolers, all dealing with teenage uncertainty and naivete. The film opens in wide release on Wednesday. Far From Home picks up shortly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, most notably — spoiler alert — the death of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Lost without
his mentor, 16-year-old Peter Parker, who has been dutifully playing the role of “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man,” is excited to take off on a school trip to Europe, where he plans to woo edgy love interest MJ (Zendaya) atop the Eiffel Tower. But Parker’s summer vacation is soon interrupted when an anthropomorphic water monster — which we later learn is called an “elemental” — emerges from an Italian river. Luckily for Spider-Man, a new player swoops in to save the day, blasting the creature with green rays. Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), also known as Mr. Beck, later befriends Spider-Man, urging him to “never apologize for being the
smartest person in the room” after he nerds out in front of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Parker quickly begins to trust Mr. Beck, confiding in him that there’s no way a highschool kid is meant to be “the next Iron Man” that everyone is saying the world needs. But Parker ends up in the middle of the action anyway. As the group is volleyed across Europe by a travel agency secretly coordinated by Fury, Spider-Man finds himself fighting an unusual villain and struggling with a conflict between reality and deception, which highlights the film’s ultra-realistic special effects. Spider-Man: Far From Home allows Parker to experience the best of both worlds, bringing together both classic Avengers technology
— such as a pair of multi-billion dollar AI sunglasses (E.D.I.T.H.) that Stark left for him — and references to the beloved Maguire films such as a black spider suit and Parker’s constant anxiety over endangering loved ones. Despite the Marvel franchise familiarities, Spider-Man: Far From Home never feels unoriginal, and it leaves fans loving Peter Parker even more than they already did. As always, be sure to stay for the post-credit scenes, certainly some of the most surprising in Marvel history. —Alexandra Sobczak, Evey Weisblat
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
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EAT STORMY SEAS Wild Mango at Legacy Village is one turbulent ride By Douglas Trattner Photo by Emanuel Wallace
“THIS MUST BE WHAT IT’S LIKE to dine on a cruise ship,” my wife says as we take our seats at Wild Mango. This is not meant as a compliment, I’m sure, as our mutual opinion — one based solely on snobbish conjecture — is that cruise ships specialize in lackluster food dished up in faux-opulent settings. Since crossing the threshold of this freshly minted restaurant at Legacy Village, our collective jaws had remained largely unhinged. Guests first enter a boxy antechamber with wooden doors so tall and imposing that one feels a bit like Alice in Wonderland. After extricating oneself from this escape room-style vestibule, diners make the short stroll into the dining room, where they are immersed in an environment so extravagant that it’s unsettling, like arriving terribly underdressed to a function. Slick granite floors transition to a sea of creamy carpet beneath an ornately coffered ceiling. Royal blue velvet wingback chairs coddle the posterior but they pale in comparison to the sumptuous high-backed booths, which offer the room and comfort of a private rail cabin. Fabric covered walls, inlaid mahogany furniture and live orchids complete the milieu. Oh, and this is just one of a handful of dining rooms, each with its own thematic decor. Jia Wei opened his first restaurant in Oberlin nearly 25 years ago, and ever since he has been a one-man culinary explorer, boldly forging his own path. At Wild Mango, diners encounter foods that exist no place else on earth, creations concocted from the chef’s own experiences and inspirations. That distinctive cuisine can be, at turns, exceptional, eccentric, quixotic and erratic. Rarely, however, is it boring. What’s Pepsi shrimp ($8), you ask? Nobody knows but Wei, who displays the deep-fried crustaceans in an elevated porcelain urn as if they were rare gemstones. When he’s playing it straight, as with the sashimi starter ($15), Wei hits it out of the theme park. Alternating slices of escolar, yellowfin tuna and king salmon
truly do look like vivid jewels, shimmering with translucent freshness and gilded with slivers of pickled jalapeno. There are precious few twists to the pot stickers ($8) as well. Exemplars of technique, the thin-skinned dumplings are filled with a flavorful ground chicken blend and pan fried (not deep fried) to crisp up one side. What would be an incongruous
version is topped with crispy biascut spring rolls, and the dressing possesses that characteristic fish sauce twang. One doesn’t often cross paths with chicken cordon bleu these days, but Wei trots out a version ($20) that stuffs a split breast with spinach, mushrooms and mozzarella that weeps when the meat is bisected. In typical Wild Mango fashion, the
WILD MANGO 25385 CEDAR RD., LYNDHURST | LEGACY VILLAGE 216-716-8001 WILDMANGOLEGACY.COM
outlier at other Pan-Asian restaurants is, at Wild Mango, standard operating procedure. There’s an appetizer version of eggplant Parmesan ($8) that layers meaty flanks of the vegetable between sliced tomato and a cap of melted cheese. A shower of basil oil doesn’t make up for a lack of seasoning. Alongside steakhouse salads like wedges and Caesars, one finds a Vietnamese salad bowl ($9), a largely straightforward take on those uberfresh vermicelli noodle dishes. This
entire parcel is wrapped in bacon and seated on a mound of fried rice. No entree better epitomizes the personality of Wei’s cooking, perhaps, than the Salmon Duo ($22), a colorful, complicated construction that elicits oohs and aahs from tablemates. Arranged on a surfboardsized platter are two preparations of the same fish, a pesto-slicked filet and teriyaki-glazed roulade, each atop a different starch. Salmon fans likely will adore the perfectly cooked fish, but the sauteed vegetable medley
that accompanies it is hampered by a sweet, starchy varnish. A savory, complex and utterly delicious coconut-curry style bouillabaisse ($28) is served in a bowl large enough to accommodate a newborn. Below a raft of sweet seafood like shrimp, mussels, clams and scallops is a tangle of vermicelli noodles so vast that it solidifies into a mass before you can barely make a dent. This definitely is a case where smaller would be better. It’s hard to be a happy-go-lucky diner in a setting like this. Given the lavish surroundings (and lofty tariffs), not only does one expect Michelin-starred cuisine, but also a commensurate level of service. What might be minor lapses elsewhere seem to get magnified here, the Taj Mahal of Lyndhurst. Those sharp black suits can’t conceal clumsy wine service, uninformed answers about the menu, and long gaps between visits. Wei literally designed the furniture, right down to the curvature of the backrests; here’s hoping he can fashion a better training protocol.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtratttner
| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
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EAT BITES Geraci’s gears up for restaurant No. 3, this one in Mayfield By Douglas Trattner ISN’T THAT ALWAYS THE CASE? Geraci’s waits 63 years to open its second restaurant and the next thing you know … The family behind the legendary Italian restaurant, which opened its original spot in University Heights (2266 Warrensville Ctr. Rd., 216-3715643) in 1956, and its second location last year in Pepper Pike (29425 Chagrin Blvd., 216-831-1595), opened restaurant No. 3 on July 2, which just so happens to be its 64th birthday. This one will be located in Mayfield Village, in the former home of Tommy V’s Pastaria (6687 Wilson Mills Rd.), which recently closed after nine years. “This gives us the perfect triangle of the eastside,” says owner Gregory Spoth. Tommy V’s was more along the lines of a classic pizza parlor, where a handful of dine-in guests, but largely carry-out customers, enjoyed pizza by
the slice, salads, subs, sandwiches, and a handful of pasta dishes. That streamlined approach to Italian food suits the Geraci family just fine, adds Spoth. “Originally, my wife wanted a much, much, much smaller place [than Pepper Pike], but it just so happened that we wound up here, where we’re very happy,” notes Spoth. “But when Tommy V’s came about, it was more like the prototype of what she wanted for No. 2, so she was very excited.” Geraci’s fans will still be able to get most of the items they know and love — “All the bread and butter items” — except for some of the more elaborate entrees. Salads, appetizers, subs, pizzas and pasta dinners will all be on hand for lunch and dinner. Plus, walk-in customers will be able to grab a slice or two of regular and Sicilian style pizzas. There will be no liquor license. The family sees the concept as a sort
of prototype for likely future expansion, where menu items like doughs, sauces, meatballs and sausage will be made on site and distributed to other locations. Also coming down the pike is company-wide delivery for the first time in 64 years.
Trio in Tremont Has Closed After one year in business, the owners of Trio (2661 West 14th St.) in Tremont have decided to pull the plug. Father’s Day was the restaurant’s last day of service. Chef Anthony Scolaro, who also operates the successful One Eleven Bistro (2736 Medina Rd., 330-9521122) in Medina, had hoped that the food-savvy neighborhood around him would support his ambitious chefdriven small-plates concept. Despite positive reviews, the restaurant never
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managed to gain traction, he says. “All of our reviews were great, we got good publicity, we weren’t doing something that people didn’t like, we just could never grow the business,” reports Scolaro. The chef will now return his focus to his popular Medina spot. “This is the first time I’ve had to go through something like this, so it’s been a pretty shitty week,” he admits. “We took a shot.”
Nature’s Oasis Second Location Now Open in Van Aken District In the two and a half years since it launched in Lakewood (15613 Detroit Ave., 216-505-5333), Nature’s Oasis has made a name for itself in the natural foods community. The neighborhood grocery, founded by Elliott Endsley, dedicates its limited
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Photo courtesy of Literary Tavern
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shelf space to local products that follow the store’s ethos. “When I started Nature’s Oasis, I wanted to create something that would help people find natural products while supporting other local entrepreneurs,” explains Endsley. “I really love helping fellow business owners to start and grow their businesses. We are up to a couple of hundred Ohio products on the shelves now, and the list keeps growing. That supports families and businesses right here in the state.” At 5,700-square-feet, the shiny-new Van Aken District location (3385 Tuttle Rd., 216-469-1579) is nearly double the size of the original, which means even more room for local and regional food items with no artificial ingredients or preservatives. On the shelves and in the coolers are many brands that have become household names in the past handful of years. There’s Pope’s Kitchen, Saucisson, Cleveland Kraut, Nosh Butters, Root 23, Wild Ohio Brewing, Solstice Roasters and many, many others. “We think that real food tastes best,” adds Endsley. “It doesn’t need to be enhanced with fake flavors or colors. And food should be fresh. It doesn’t need a whole list of chemicals that you can’t pronounce.” As is the case at the Lakewood shop, the store will follow a dual approach that combines the grocery with a health-focused cafe. The cafe menu features breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner items like bagel breakfast sandwiches, salads, wraps and panini, and coffee, tea, smoothies and juices. There is an emphasis on vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes.
Now Open: Literary Tavern in Tremont It’s been a long, difficult and expensive journey for Ross Valenti, who last week finally
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opened the doors of the Literary Tavern (1031 Literary Rd., 216861-3922). Valenti, who also operates D’Agnese’s and Cantine in Broadview Heights, purchased the iconic Tremont spot nearly three years ago. Since then, he’s been working in fits and starts to get to this point. “It’s been really tough,” he admits. “I could write a book.” If he did, entire chapters would be devoted to shady contractors, petty theft and vandalism, and the infrastructure of 150-year-old buildings. But Valenti met each and every challenge head on and has come out the other side. For 30 years, the property was known as the Literary Cafe, or “the Lit” for short. Following a complete renovation that includes an all-new storefront, interior and mechanicals, the spot is a sharp 45-seat neighborhood tavern. There are draft beers, wines by the glass and cocktails. The previous owners began the process of installing a small kitchen, but never completed it. Valenti is 99-percent of the way there and hopes to have it finished this week. When he does, guests can look forward to salads, sandwiches, burgers, housemade pastas and entrees built around vegetables, seafood and meat. The menu also offers bar snacks and shareable meat and cheese boards. After all this time, Valenti simply is thrilled to be open and welcoming guests. “It’s been my dream to do this, especially in my own neighborhood,” he says. “You spend so much time in a place, and there’s no life to it. It’s just good to see people in here having a good time. That’s what it’s all about.”
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner
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EIRD RD AL YA YANKOVIC HAS SAID T TH HAT A he nev ever e imagined that his caree eeer woul wo oul u d take offf thee way it ha h s. s In the beg egin inni ning ng,, he sta t rt r eed d perf pe rffoorrrmi m ng on Thur mi urssday nig ghtss at hiss col olle leege ge ccooff ffeeeeho hou ouse. us Stu ude d nt ntss wo woul u d go and sit and nd d hav avee a coff co ffeee ee and d watch attch c local art rtis ists ts and d oth ther e stu tud deentts perf pe rfor orrm. Ninee ti time m s out of 10, som omee gu guy y wo woul uld d play ay an acou oust s icc gui st uita tarr an ta nd si sing ng a Dan an Fog gellbe berg g son ong. g. Th heen n, Ya Yank nkovvic ic wou o ld d com me up wiitth hi his ac acco cord rdio rd iioon an nd sing wha hatt he refers to t ass “s “som o eg om gooof ofy y song song in a sttra rang ang gle led ed vo voiice ice and and fr frea eaak ev e eryo yone yo ne out u .” It would alwaays al ys get a hug ge reeac acti t on becau ti usee it wa was ju just so diff di f er erentt.. Th haat’ t’ss wh wheen n Yan a ko k vi vicc go got hi his firs rst ta tast stee of o peerf p rfor ormi or ming ng and d reali eaalliize z d he could ld d mak ake pe peop ple lau augh g . gh By B y the he tim ime hee gradu duat ated ed d froom co colleg lleg ll ge, e, he th thou ou ugh ghtt he cou ould ld may aybe be bec ecome ome a peerf rfo foorrm meeerr. r. Init In itiaall it itia ly y,, Yan anko kovvi vic re rele leeased assed d “My y Bolloog gna na,”” a sen e du up o the Kna of nack ck k tun une “M “My Sh haro arron ona. a.” Th That att waass th hee firstt of many ma any Wei eird rd Al so son son ng gs to bec eco coom me hits hits hi ts on a no nove v lty ltty rraad diio prog pr rog gra ram m ho host s ed d by Dr Dr. Deeme ment nto to. o. Thee tra rack beccam me No. 1 ffoor se No. No s veeraal we week e s oon ek n Dem meen nto nto to’s ’ss Fun unny nny y Fiv ivee. e. The he g ys in tth gu he Kn Knac aacck ev even even n heaard thee son ng an and liik and keed iitt. Ya it. Yank nkovic had ad rec ecorde ded d it it in the th he ba bathro room room m acr cros oss th he haall fro rom hi rom h s coollleg ege ca c mp pu uss rad adioo sta taati tion on. Frrom om tha h t pooin nt on on, Wei Weir ird A All seett his sig gh htts on on pop po p’’s bi p big gg geesst tu tunees. s Thr hrou ou ugh hou out th he ’8 80s, 0ss, h hee was a sttap aple le on MT MTV as as he pa parroodi died ed poop p stars taarss such uch as uc as M ch Mi hae ael Ja Jaaccck kso son. n Wheen g n. grrun unge ge hit it in th he ’9 90s 0s,, Yankoov ovvic ic was theere ic re to po poke ke fu un n at N Niirva rvvaan na’ a’s “S Sm meell llss Like Teen een Sp ee Spiirrit rit it,,” ,” and d wh heeen n hi hip ipp-h hoop bbeeca came me hug gee,, he del e ivveerred ed “ W Wh hit itee & N Neerdy, rrd dy y,,” a se send sen ndup p of “R “Riid din’” in n’”” by Cham milli lio ion onai nai a rree and nd Kra ray yzziiee Bon one. ne. e His late testt endea te nd dea eavo vor, r, th hee Str trin ings ngs gs Atta tttac acheed No Nort Nort rth th Americ ican tou our, our, r finds ds him im perrfo for in form ng for ffoor th the first ti t mee e er wit ev ith a ffu u ull llll orc rch heesttraa. T e tour Th u com omess on th the h heeel elss of his i Rid idic icullou ousslly Se Self lfIndu In du ulgent, t Illl-A -Adv dvis isseed ise d Van anit i y To Tour ur thaat fe feaaatttur ureed ur ed “an i timaate in t , sccal a ed d-d -dow own ow n sh s ow ow” th that at shoowc w as aseeed d a rot otat tat atin ng s t li se list st of semi m -oobbsscu cure rree, d deeep-c ep-c ep -cut ut,, noonut n-p paaro rod dy d y allbbum um trac tr a ks,, ma ac many of w wh hic ich hh hee and n his is baan nd had haad n h neevveer perf pe r or rf orme m d li me l ve bef e oorre. Th haat tour tour inc to n llu ude d d a so sold ld d-oou utt shoow sh w at P Pllay a ho hous usee S Sq quaare re. Forr thee Str trin i gs in g Atttaaccch heed ttoour h ur, Ya Yank Yan nk kov o ic ov ic wiilll rreetu urn n to pla l yi ying g thee hit itss aan nd cl claasssi siccss. He He’lll ha h vee baacckg kgro r u un nd sing si ng ger e s an a d aan n enttir iree sy symp mp m pho hony ony ny orc rch heest h estra sttrraa in to tow. w. It arrive arri ar rivees aatt th ri hee Staate t Th heeat a re on S Saatu turd day ay, July July Ju y 6. Tiick T ckets ets arre ssoold et d ou utt, so so the he aft fte term erma er mark ket is yo your ur bes ur estt be bet iff you ou wan nt to to see the he sh hoow. w
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| ccl clevescene.com levves esce cene.co cen ce .ccom om | July Jul uly ly 3 - 9, 9 2019 201 0199
Anything can be sung to a polka beat— and it’s usually an improvement!
P H O T O B Y R O B Y N V O N S WA N K
PHOTO COURTESY MANAGEMENT
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You’ Yo u re u’ r bac ack k to t pla ayiin ng g the h hit itss an nd cl c as assiiccss ffoor y yoour cu urrre rent nt tou ur. Ta allk ab a ou o t wh hatt prrom prom omp ptted ted ed the he dec ecis isio is ion io n too tak ake th hat at app ppro roac acch. h. I ’s bas It asic ical ic a ly jus al u t me trry yiin ng to to giv ivee th he peeop ople le wha hatt th t ey e wan ant. t. L Laasstt yea earr w wee did d the he Ridi Ri dicu di culo cu loous usly ly Sel ly elff In ndu dulg lgeen lg nt, t, Ill ll-A Adv dvised iseed is d Van anit itty T urr, wh To w icch es esch ch hew e ed d my st stan taan nda dard “hi dard hits ts”” fo ts forr th he moore obs b cu c re deepeeepp-cu cu uts in my cat atal alog al og. Th og hat a tou ourr cate ca tere reed mooree to th he haard rd-c -cor -c oree fa or fans ns whoo nor orma mall ma llly woou woul ulldn dn’t ’tt eve v r ge g t a ch chan ance an cee to heear a tho h see son ongs gss l vee. So I fe li felt ltt lik ke I ne need e ed to fo ed foll llow ll ow tha hatt up wit ih a to tour u tha ur hatt wooulld ap a pe peal al to a mu al much ch bro road ad der e su ubs bset et of hu huma maniity ma t — erg go th thee hi h tss are re back. acck.
2 WEIRD R AL YANKOVIC 8 p. p.m. m | Sat m. a ur u da day, y, Jul uly y6 S at St atee Th Thea eatr ea tree 1519 15 19 Euc u liid Av Ave. e e. 21 2 166-24 241--60 24 6 00 Tick Ti cket ets: s S SO OLD OUT UT play yho hous u es esqu q arre.co com m
Talk Ta lk abo bout u what ut hat th ha t e pr p od duc u tiion willl be like li ke and d, iff pos ossi sibl si b e, giv bl ivee an exa xamp mple mp l le of wha hatt we w ca an n exp xpec ecct frrom m one par arti ticu ti cula cu larr la numb nu mb berr. Thiis Th is is ou ourr bi b gg gges estt ex es xtr trav aavvag agan anza an za eve ver. r On top r. o of thee usu sual a cos ostu tume tu mes, me ss,, pro r ps and vid deo scr cree eens ee nss, my ban and d wi will ll be ba back c ed by th ck thre reee ba re back ckgr ck grou gr ou und n s ng si nger erss an er and d a 41 1-p -pie iece ie cee sym ymph phon ph ony on y orrch c es estr trra. a. An And d wh w hen we do “Th Thee Sa Saga ga Beg gin ins, s,,” we we’r ’rre al also soo joi oine ined d on sta tage ge by me memb mbberrs of the 501 01st st Leg eg gio ion io n wh w o Star ar War arss reg e alia allia i . Itt’ss as aree da ar danc n in nc ng in n ful ulll St over ov er-t -the he-t he -top -t o as I’ op I ll ll eve verr ge gett — I do don’ n t th n’ thin in nk I’ I ll be able ab le to be b at thi h s par part pa rtic icul ular ul ar tou our. r.
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W hat h att wil i l itt be liike k to pl play ay y witth th thee b ck ba c in ing g off a ful ulll sy symp mpho mp hony ho ny orc r he h st s ra r ? It’s It t’ss pre rett ttty st stin in nki king ng g majes ajes aj e ti tic. c. I pla l ye y d wi with th h the H ll Ho llyw ywoo yw ood oo d Bowll Orche rcche h st stra ra a coou uplle yeear arss ag a o, o,
an nd th thatt’s ’s lar arge gely ge ly y wha h t in nsp spi pir ired thi his toou urr. It just just ju s make ma kess evveerry song ke song so g feeel ssoo huge. An And look loo in lo ng at th he big biig pi p ct ctur tu urre, e, it ju j sstt amu muse mu ses me bec ecaau usee you wooul uldn d ’tt nor ormaall lly ex exp peect c a Wei eird rrd d Al coon nccer e t to to have so mu uch h emo m ti tion tion onal al gra ravitaas. s.
4
Yo u re You rele leas le aseed ased d “Th T e Hami Ha am ltton on Poollka ka” la lasstt yeear y ar.. Wh hat mad adee yo you u tth hink in nk soong ngss fr from m Hami Ha m lt lton on cou o ld d be su sung ng g to a poolk lka be beat att? a An nyt ythi th hiing ng can an be sung ng g to a po polk ka be b at — an nd d it’s ussu it’s it uallly y an impr im mp ovem emen ent! t! Ac Actu tual tu ally ly y, Li L nn Manu Ma nu uel Mir irand aan nda da is a friend d of mi mine nee, an ne, nd he he H mi m ltton on polka olka ol ka med e le ley for foor aasske k d me to do do th hee Ha onee off hiss dig on igit ita it tal al “Ham Hami Ha mild ldro ldro r pss.” I’m m a hu ug ge Hami Ha milt mi ltton n fan an,, an and d a pr proojjecct li l ke k that is obv bbvvio i us usly l ly righ ri ghtt in gh n my wh heeelh lhou ou ussee, ssoo of co cour urse se I jum um mp peed at the cha hanc nce! nc e I’m tol e! old d “T “The Ham “The mil ilto ton Po Polk lka” lk a beca be c me the ca he first pol olka ka son ng ev everr on th he Bi Bill lllbooarrd llbo Digi Di giita g t l Sa Sale l s ch le harrt. t.
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Your Yo o ur u r caree areeeer no ar now w st stre r tc re tche hess ba back k deeccad des es. es. W att keeps Wh eeeps you mot otiv vated at to to tourr and n record after re er all these hese he se yea ears? It’ss fun n. It It’s ’s the most fun n jo j b I could p poooss ssssib ibly lly y im mag agin ine. e. I mea ean, n, it’ t s reeally ly har a d wo work r at ttiim mees, s butt I ho bu hone n sttly ne y can an’t ’tt thi hink nk of an anyt ythi yt hing hi ng g I’d rat athe her her bee doiing n .
jniesel@clevescene com jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel | clevescene.com m | July 3 - 9, 2019
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@masoniccle @hobcleveland
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J U S T A N N O U N C E D - O N S A L E F R I DAY
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FT. 2:16, KONIUM, JESSE TRILLET
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AUGUST 7
Sept. 8 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 16 Sept. 17 Sept. 18 Sept. 18 Sept. 22 Sept. 26 Oct. 1 Oct. 11 Oct. 11
Christian French w/ ASTN Cambridge Room Wallows w/ Remo Drive The Struts Periphery w/ Veil of Maya, Covet Bad Suns w/ Liily, Ultra Q Angels and Airwaves SOLD OUT Ashe w/ Charlie Burg Cambridge Room Berlin Andy Grammer Black Label Society w/ Black Dahlia Murder, Alien Weaponry Hardy w/ Hunter Phelps Cambridge Room Less Than Jake & Bowling For Soup w/ Authority Zero
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Adam Ant Norm Macdonald 91.3 The Summit presents Andrew Bird w/ Madison Cunningham Anjelah Johnson An Evening with Steve Hackett Theo Von Little Feat Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul Featuring Steven Van Zandt of The E Street Band
MASONIC CLEVELAND: 3615 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44115 HOUSE OF BLUES: 308 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44114 masoniccleveland.com / houseofblues.com | | clevescene.com
July 3 - 9, 2019
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Dru umplay’s James Onysko ta alks about the local band’ss longevvity HE LOCAL JAZZ GROUP DRUMPLAY has played around town for the past 25 years. But it hasn’t played the Bop Stop since th he Music Settlement took over the venue and turrned it into the vibrant jazz club that it is today. Thatt will change when the group makes its debu ut at the club at 7 p.m. on Sunday. The concert will serve as a beneďŹ t for the Northeast Ohio Cooalition for the Homeless. The band has been through many incarnaations over the years. In addition to founderr James Onysko, the current lineup includess several great local musicians, includin ng trumpet and uegelhorn player J. Scott Frranklin, djembe and percussionist Tony Handy, conga player and percussionist Tim Lane, up pright bassist and singer George Lee, drumm mer John Stebal, and gong and singing bowl plaayer Paul Stranahan. “My previous band, Samba Scouts, performed at the ďŹ rst two Bop Stops,â€? says Onysko one afternooon from the Scenee ofďŹ ces. “I think Drumpllay played at the second incarnation, which became Bank Street Cafe in the Warehoouse District. The Bop Stop is where it’s at as farr as I’m concerned. I like their business model and intimacy. Plus, [booker] Gabe Pollack is the cooolest guy around.â€? Onyssko sko became a musician rather late in his life. He worked as a court stenographer for man ny years before being drawn to music, ďŹ rst thrrough a gig at college radio. He started studyin ng percussion in the late ’80s, and after Samba Scouts dissolved, he formed Drumplay on a wh him in 1992 when it formed to ďŹ ll in for
the Samba Scoutts, who had broken up, at a book launch party at National City Bank. “I had a studiio space in the Left Bank building on the Flats,â€? says Onysko. “We auditioned for th hat [National City Bank] gig, and I just came up with the name Drumplay there.â€? Early on, the band’s ever-shifting lineup featured conga player Warren Levert, a relative of O’Jays y icon Ed ddie Levert,, and the ďŹ rst three Drumplay album ms included contributions from drummer Joe Toomino, who would later go on to join Matisyahu and form Dub Trio. In 1996 for Clleveland’s Bicentennial celebrations, the band gave a multi-media performance witth D’Cuckoo, a women’s electronic percusssion group from San Francisco. In 2002, Drumpllay teamed up with marimba player Benoit Mooerlen (Gong, Mike OldďŹ eld Band) and embarrked on a European tour with him, and the grooup also completed a trilogy with Daniel Thom mpson, Cuyahoga County’s poet laureate, who paassed away shortly after the album’s release in 2004. Over the courrse of ďŹ ve European tours, Drumplay has peerformed live on national radio in France and Lu uxembourg as well as on a pirate radio prog gram in Amsterdam. “It was a very y proliďŹ c time period,â€? Onysko says when asked d about the ’90s and ’00s. “I look back at it, it and it was like the golden age age.â€? Keeping the band going all these years hasn’t been easy, especially since Onysko has battled health issues since 2010 when he suddenly started bleeding profusely from his nose and was diagnosed with Stage 4 nasomaxillary cancer.
“I was in India when I had my ďŹ rst surg gery,â€? he says “I had no health insurance.â€? After several surgeriess, Onysko’s cancerr is in remission, and he’s as focused on Drump play as ever. Recently, the ban nd got a boost from m the ws, a Lindsay Lohaan movie Among the Shadow ick now streaming on Amazon that features the group’s music as partt of its soundtrack k. Next up, p, the band willl record music for All itaa-like story aboutt Terrain n, a La Femme Nikit ďŹ ve female assassins whoo’ve been tasked with killing their trainer.. Directed by Rosss Otterman, it was shot in O Oklahoma, and th here may be a video game verssion of the ďŹ lm tooo. To It stars Marshall Bell (Staarship Troopers, Total nss). Recall, Stand By Me, Twin “Ross [Otterman] calleed me, and he wan nts us to compose some stufff for it speciďŹ cally and A then use some things he already used in Among ko. “I’m excited to work the Shadowss,â€? says Onysk on it.â€? Ultimately, Onysko say ys his love of mussic is what keeps him going. “I had music programs when I worked iin radio,â€? he says. “I listen too lots of music. When W I was a kid, I worked the radio room at Weest Tech High School, and I ttuned in to all thee local radio stations at thee time. [DJ] Billy Bass B had his great programs. I would walk to th he Smiling Dog Saloon and get in there with a fake ID when I was 16. I just loove music. I think k it’s a past life thing because I have such an afďŹ ďŹ nity for the drums.â€?
jjniesel@clevescene.com m @jniesel t
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MATT & KIM
THU 10/17 GRAND D 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TOUR THE GROG SHOP PRESENTS AT
SURVIVAL KIT GALLERY
KEVIN MORBY
THU 9/5 WITH WILLIAM
TYLER
THE GROG SHOP PRESENTS AT
AGORA
JENNY LEWIS
TUE 9/17 WITH THE
WATSON TWINS
THE GROG SHOP PRESENTS AT
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LIVEWIRE
all the live music you should see this week Photo by Scott Sandberg
WED
Anberlin/I the Mighty: 8 p.m., $30 ADV, $33 DOS. House of Blues. Dueling Pianos with Cleveland Keys (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Dumpstaphunk/Collin Miller & the Brother Nature: Ivan Neville’s funk/jam behemoth from New Orleans is not to be messed with. An absolute staple on the national scene for years now, Dumpstaphunk brings Southern heat tinged with upper-register wah-wah solos. Released back in 2013, Dirty Word shows off their stage-strutting moves — horns aplenty, awash in manic percussion and wild guitar riffs. The album also features a great variety of guests — Flea, Ani DiFranco, members of the Grooveline Horns and more. “We always keep the spontaneity going, that’s something I love about this band,” Neville told Soundfuse Magazine in 2013. “We can funk it out with the best of them, but we also like to showcase how all sorts of music can come together and push the boundaries of what funk music is.” (Eric Sandy) 8 p.m., $20. Beachland Ballroom. Andrew Hartman: 7 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Bop Stop. Substance & Soul with Janae Lauen: 9 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop. TUSK: Fleetwood Mac Tribute: 8 p.m. Music Box Supper Club.
THU
the kind of confidence that the later Mercury had and his operatic vocals resemble Mercury’s too. (Niesel) 8 p.m. MGM Northfield Park, Center Stage. Tim Lekan Quartet: 8:30 p.m., $10. Nighttown. Samfox/Beach Stav/Ohio Civil Power: 9 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. “Weird Al” Yankovic: 8 p.m., $35$89.50. State Theatre. Bernie Williams: 7 p.m., $40. Nighttown.
07/03
07/04
LGBTOKE - Karaoke Party: 9 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. Grog Shop. Motown & More by Nitebridge: 7 p.m., $15 ADV, $22 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Steely Dan Tribute by The FM Project (in the Supper Club): When Steely Dan performed at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in the summer of 2013, the band put on an epic show. While the concert got off to a rather serious and somber start — “Hey Nineteen” came off as a rather pensive ballad — the duo and band quickly loosened up and by “Bodhisattva,” they were rocking hard. They saved the best for last, delivering
SUN
Killer Queen comes to MGM Northfield Park, Center Stage. See: Saturday.
hits such as “Peg,” “My Old School” and “Reelin’ in Years” in sequence. Expect to hear those songs and more tonight as FM Project, a local Steely Dan tribute act, takes the stage. Given that Steely Dan rarely tours these days, this will serve as a good substitute for anyone looking for a Steely Dan fix. (Jeff Niesel) 7 p.m., $15 ADV, $22 DOS. Music Box Supper Club.
FRI
07/05
The Chasm/Cruciamentum/ Infernal Conjuration/ Inoculation: 9 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Now That’s Class. Discount Nostalgia/Moon Cactus/ Shelby Olive/Boo Lee Crosser: 8 p.m., $8. CODA. DJ LDC’s Soul Music & Other Music for the Soul: 6 p.m., free. Happy Dog. Ralph Lalama Quartet + Nicole Pasternak: 8:30 p.m., $15. Nighttown. The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling/Brickhouse Blues Band: 8 p.m., $18 ADV, $20 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Santana Tribute by Evil Ways (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club. Skin & Bones/Hot Ham & Cheese: 8:30 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free.
Nighttown. Whirlybirds: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop.
SAT
07/06
Blunt/Maggotbreath/Spate: 9 p.m., $6. Now That’s Class. Brimstone Coven Vulgar Devils/ The Stone Eye/Spellchucker: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Beachland Tavern. A Celebration of Country with Whiskey Bound: 8 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. House of Blues. Dancehall on Coventry: 10 p.m., $10 ADV, $20 DOS. Grog Shop. Grievance Committee/The Drexels/ Birdog Cats: 8 p.m., $7. CODA. Nikki Hill (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Hubb’s Groove: A Tribute To Barry White And Teddy Pendergrass: 8 p.m., $20. Bop Stop. Killer Queen: Singer Patrick Myers formed Killer Queen on a whim. His aim was to properly pay tribute to the British classic rock act and he sought to mimic singer Freddie Mercury both visually and vocally. That was June of 1993. Killer Queen has been going strong ever since and the band has even held down a residency at London’s Strand Theatre and represented Queen in a re-staged tribute Live Aid concert held by Sir Bob Geldof. Myers struts with
07/07
19Ninetynow Showcase with CTUCK/Nick Samps/lil pace/ya/ Dub Dusa/Cincinatti Red: 8:30 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Bloodhounds/Weekday Club/The Lightweight Champs/North Route: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Drumplay: 7 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. Flying Buffaloes/Ray Flanagan & The Authorities/Jerry Dreams: 7:30 p.m., $8. CODA. Noise Lunch 7-Year Anniversary Cookout Potluck: 3 p.m., free. Now That’s Class. Reggae Sundays: Sun Shade & Ms BBC (in the Supper Club): This special Reggae Sunday Happy Hour Concert series began earlier this month and continues every Sunday through Sept. 1. The indoor/outdoor concert series will take place rain or shine with live music from 4 to 7 p.m. Music Box will also offer food and drink specials exclusive to the series. Today, locals Sun Shade and Ms BBC will perform. (Niesel) 4 p.m., free. Music Box Supper Club. Urban Pioneers: 8 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern.
MON
07/08
Los Campesinos: 8:30 p.m., $18 ADV, $20 DOS. Grog Shop.
TUE
07/09
The Emperor Chaz/Floco Torres/ Malik X: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop. Volcano/Pharlee: 8 p.m., $8. Now
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene | clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
39
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7/12
QUEENSRŸCHE
7/18
LEONID & FRIENDS World Renowned Chicago Tribute
7/27
RODNEY CARRINGTON
8/3
3 DOORS DOWN
8/8
CHRIS ISAAK
8/17
WAYNE BRADY
8/22
TERRY FATOR
8/29
AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD All That You Love 2019
9/27
HOTEL CALIFORNIA A Salute to The Eagles
7/5
RUSSELL PETERS Deported World Tour
7/13
COLIN JOST Co-Host of SNL’s Weekend Update
7/20
Duwayne Burnside Sat July 13
Tue August 6
Sat August 10
David Crosby
Jake Shimabukuro
Riders In The Sky
Wed August 21
Thu August 22
Pat Travers Band & Vanilla Fudge
Poco & Pure Prairie League
Thu September 5
Fri September 6
The Selecter
7/26 7/27
MIKE HEAD & BRIAN KENNY LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS TOUR 7PM & 9:30PM
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| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
The Shaky Ground Tour Sat August 17
An Acoustic Evening with
Michael Stanley
40th Anniversary Tour (1979 - 2019)
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Sat September 7
Fri September 13
Thu September 19
An Evening with Iris DeMent
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
DJ Rhoda Dakar
UP CLOSE AND ACOUSTIC 8PM
L A S VEGA S I S HERE
40
The Bacon Brothers
TERRY LEE GOFFEE The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute
THE LALAS BURLESQUE 9PM
A BILLY JOEL TRIBUTE 8PM
Wed July 31
Marc Broussard
Fri August 30
52ND ST. STRANGER
Wed July 17
John Mayall
Pat Metheny Side Eye Part Deux
7PM & 9:30PM
Joe Robinson
A Special Evening with
& Friends Sky Trails Tour Tue August 20
7/19 7/20
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters
Michael Kelsey
Friends of Lasa Sanctuary Fundraiser
Lasa Sanctuary Fri September 20
Sat September 21
Sun September 29
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43
Photo courtesy of Prosper for Purpose
BAND OF THE WEEK
JAMES BLONDE BY JEFF NIESEL MEET THE BAND: Neil Carson (bass, vocals), Phil Taylor (drums, vocals), Steph Mercier (guitar, vocals) ALL ABOUT ONTARIO: This trio emerged out of the ashes of Xprime, a Niagara Falls, Ontario, group that performed at major festivals like Osheaga, Edgefest and Canadian Music Week. “We started in high school as a French band,” explains Taylor. “We went to a French Catholic high school. We outgrew the Xprime name and parted ways with our old label, so we wanted to rebrand ourselves. We wanted a name that represented who we had become. We like the idea of a person’s name. It gives the band a personality and identity, like Franz Ferdinand or Billy Talent. It just had a ring to it.” James Blonde debuted on Jan. 1, 2017, opening the annual Niagara Falls New Year’s Eve concert that featured Sam Roberts Band and Serena Ryder. Some 10,000 people attended the show.
44
| clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
HEARTBREAK LEADS TO A HIT: With the debut of their self-titled in 2017, the band picked up some momentum. “[After releasing our debut], everything fell into place, and we were putting the finishing touches on the record,” says Taylor. “Our first show as James Blonde was a huge success, and shortly after that, everything started going into overdrive.” The single, “Heartbreak,” got some help from an unlikely source. “Starbucks picked up the song and landed on a playlist,” says Taylor, adding that he wrote it at a time when he and his girlfriend were having issues. “It got played every day a few times a day. Our
friends in the [blues rock band] Blue Stones were in Prague touring there, and they told us they heard it there while they were getting coffee.” WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: The band’s new single, “Shitshow,” features harmony vocals and a catchy refrain. It’s a classic power pop tune in the vein of Sloan and the Posies. It came to fruition as the band was about to go into a writing session and was watching a TED Talk with Ryan Guldemond from the Canadian indie rock band Mother Mother. Initially, bassist Neil Carson started playing the chords. “He was having a tough week with things going on in his personal life that are outlined in the verses,” says Taylor. “He had this chorus, ‘love is a just big shit show.’ We jammed it out, and we had an equal share in putting it together. Someone recently said it sounds like a modern Oasis tune, which I hadn’t thought of, but that’s a great compliment.” The band recorded the tune in Brooklyn, New York, with Gus van Go (the Stills). Taylor says the band has written several songs for its new album and is waiting to see if it can get funding from Canadian arts grants. WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM:
jamesblonde.ca. WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: James Blonde
performs at 10 p.m. on Monday, July 8, at Stella’s Music Club.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
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SAVAGE LOVE PREJUDICIAL STATEMENTS by Dan Savage I’m a man from a very liberal background. Recently, a girl I started dating — a girl from a similar background — mentioned that she has “a thing for black guys.” She also met my childhood best friend, a man of Korean descent, and commented to me that she found him handsome despite not typically being attracted to Asian guys. The position that I’ve always held is that we’re attracted to individuals, not types, and it’s wrong to have expectations of people based on race — especially when it comes to sexualizing/fetishizing people. I think we should date and have sex with whomever we want and not carry prejudiced expectations into our relationships. I am worried she sees black men as stereotypes of athleticism, confidence, and the other complicated constructions we’ve made about the black body, like black men having bigger dicks. I also worry that she might see me as less masculine and less well-endowed because of my race. I eventually asked her about these issues, and we had a tense conversation. I tried to ask if she had ever checked herself for possible prejudice where her sexual desires are concerned, and she shut the conversation down by accusing me of trying to control her. I reassured her that I wasn’t trying to control her, but it is possible I was projecting the insecurity her comments stirred into the conversation. I’m trying to balance two components: my own insecurity and the possibility that she’s holding a legitimately prejudiced opinion that makes me uncomfortable. Any advice? — Seeking To Interrogate Newish Girlfriend’s Statements It’s a big leap from “I have a thing for black guys” to “white guys aren’t masculine or well-endowed,” STINGS, and you made that leap on your own. So in addition to confronting your new girlfriend about her attitudes and assumptions … you might want to give some thought to your own? That said, the things your girlfriend has said about black and Asian men are legit problematic. When someone describes their attraction to a certain group, racial or otherwise, as “a thing,” that usually means they see members of that group as things — and in a society
that dehumanizes black people, white people can easily come to see black people as objects. As for her comment about your Korean friend: Prevailing beauty standards shape our ideas about attractiveness, and those standards are shaped by our rabidly racist culture. A person socialized to only recognize the beauty of men or women of European descent may not even consider — they may not even be able to perceive — the attractiveness of people who aren’t white. And then when someone of a different race does manage to make a blip on their sex radar, it comes as a surprise. But instead of reconsidering their ideas about attractiveness, a dumb fucking
fetishizing reaction to those standards (a desire to transgress with nonwhite, larger, or older folks).
*** I’m a middle-aged African American man. I’m single, I dress well, I’m fit, I cycle to work, I eat healthy, etc. I live in a basement apartment on a narrow street in a large city. My only window faces the street. After showering, and pretty much whenever I’m home, I’m naked while walking around my apartment. A young white couple moved in across the street, and they have an unobstructed view into my apartment. At first I would
In a society that dehumanizes black people, white people can come to see black people as objects. white person — even one from a liberal background — is likelier to say something stupid like, “I don’t usually find Asian guys hot, but your Korean friend is attractive,” rather than rethinking their assumptions about their desires. Declaring one Asian guy an exception allows someone like your girlfriend to have her racist cake (“I don’t find Asian guys hot”) and eat it too (“But this Asian guy is hot”). It’s a shame your girlfriend reacted defensively when you tried to bring all this up, STINGS, but sometimes people react defensively in the moment and then keep thinking about it. My advice: Keep bringing it up — but it would help if you owned your own shit during these conversations (and you have some shit of your own) rather than just self-righteously going after your girlfriend for her shit. I have to say, though, I disagree with you on one thing: People do have types, and there’s nothing wrong with having types. It’s a good idea to ask ourselves whether our “types” are actually ours and not just assigned to us by conventional standards of beauty (white, slim, young) or a thoughtless/
notice the woman standing at the window looking my way as I toweled off. Then the male as well. And when I masturbate, which I sometimes do after a shower, I noticed them both making several passes by their windows to look. Later I noticed the male coming out late in the evening when the view into my apartment is at its optimum to watch me masturbate. He seems very interested. The woman will come outside and sit on the steps in the morning and look directly into my apartment at me while drinking her coffee. More than once she has run her hand up the inside of her thigh as she’s watching. Also I’ve noticed that their shades, which used to be closed most of the time, are always wide open with lights on so I can clearly see them in their apartment. I’m sure the woman knows that I want her — and the male seems to be exhibiting bi tendencies (something I’m not interested in at all). In your opinion, are these two a voyeur couple or a submissive cuckold couple? How should I approach to seduce? If she’s sitting on her steps, can I go over and say “Good morning” to break the ice? The other day, I left just as she was going out, and we walked past
each other. I thought about saying something, but I don’t want to appear to be chasing her. — Display Attracts Neighbors’ Glazed Looks Everyday P.S. What do you make of the male’s behavior? I once dated a guy who was arrested in his own apartment at 10 in the morning for masturbating in front of an open window. Granted, he lived across the street from a school (a university, not a middle school), and that may have had something to do with it. But he was a white guy, DANGLE, and considering all the ways African American men are targeted by the police, I feel obligated to warn you — well, I feel obligated to warn you about something you already know: Cops are always looking for an excuse to arrest or harass a black man, and your exhibitionism could attract the attentions not just of horny neighbors, but also the authorities. That said, DANGLE, if everything is as you describe it — if this isn’t a case of dickful thinking on your part — it sounds like this couple is interested. “Interest” is a spectrum, of course, and they could find it interesting to live across the street from a hot, in-shape exhibitionist, and difficult to look away, without actually wanting to be fucked (her) or be cuckolded (him) by you. But if they’re staring into your apartment while you walk around naked and throwing open the curtains so you can stare into theirs, I’d say the ice has already been broken. So say hello the next time you run into them on the street. Keep that first convo light, neighborly, and nonsexual, and see where it leads. But if during that first convo they invite you over for a beer sometime … well, that’s a Yahtzee. But even then, don’t make any assumptions or sudden moves: Use your words, draw them out, make sure everyone is on the same page. P.S. Maybe he’s bi. Maybe he’s a cuck. Maybe he’s the woman’s gay roommate. There’s only one way to find out what’s up with him: Say hello and get to know them. On the Lovecast, it’s the one-minutewonder show: savagelovecast.com.
mail@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage | clevescene.com | July 3 - 9, 2019
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