After revelations of sustained misuse of public dollars by Ken Johnson, what’ll happen to Ward 4’s long-tenured councilman? BY SAM ALLARD
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
| clevescene.com clevesce c nee.com m | November er 14 - 20, 20, 2018 20018
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Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat
CONTENTS
Group Publisher Chris Keating Publisher Andrew Zelman
Upfront
Associate Publisher Angela Nagal Editor Vince Grzegorek
The future of a blue city in a red state, plus Burke numbers continue to drop
Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Web Editor Laura Morrison Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Stage Editor Christine Howey Visual Arts Writer Dott von Schneider Copy Editor Elaine Cicora Intern Gabrielle Greene
Feature
Get Out!
Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace
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
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Day of Absence at Karamu hits us right where we live
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National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com
Steve McQueen’s Widows is not your conventional heist ick
Eat
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Trio seems primed for success, plus a bunch of openings and closings to share
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Music
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Mourning [A] BLKstar deliver a politically charged new album, plus the shows you shouldn’t miss this week
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All the best things to do in Cleveland this week
Business Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Dotson
Featured Designer
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After revelations of misuse of public dollars, what does the future hold for Ken Johnson?
Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Davis
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UPFRONT THE FUTURE OF A BLUE CITY IN A RED STATE Photo courtesy of Erik Drost, Flickr CC
OHIO’S ELECTION RESULTS last week were devastating for the Democratic agenda to protect our region’s vulnerable communities and reduce inequities. It was not a bad night nationally — our peers in Wisconsin and Michigan elected Democratic governors. Even deepred Kansas elected a Democratic governor. And perennially purple Florida passed a ballot measure by more than 60 percent to restore the vote to disenfranchised citizens who had served their felony sentences. But Ohio’s entire Democratic ticket
for statewide office lost, as did the ballot measure, Issue 1, that offered the best chance in decades to reform our broken criminal justice system. In the coming days, experts will help us understand why the blue wave stopped on Lake Erie’s shores. But today, thousands of passionate, committed progressives in our state are waking up and saying: “What now? What next?” These questions are particularly palpable in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, where Democrats racked up the most significant margins
of any region in the state — far outstripping the margins in the counties surrounding Columbus and Cincinnati. If Cleveland is a blue city in a red state — or, more generally, if Northeast Ohio is a blue region in a red state — then it is time to look locally and turn to our municipal and county leaders to step up for the citizens who will be left behind under a Republican governor and Republican statehouse. And yet, the results of last week’s elections come on the
heels of truly uninspiring public conversations around our region’s future. In his 13th year in office, Mayor Frank Jackson’s recent state of the city address was little more than a litany of quotidian accomplishments. He only vaguely alluded at the beginning and end of the speech to the goal of making Cleveland a “great” city rather than a technocratic bureaucracy that can fill potholes and run a balanced budget. And even if Jackson does believe Cleveland could be a great city, he provided no roadmap for how to get | clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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UPFRONT there in his speech. In June, local attorney Jon Pinney tried to offer his own vision of Cleveland’s future during a City Club speech that has continued to circulate in the local media zeitgeist. But he merely conceived of Cleveland as an oligarchy, run by an elite group of nonprofit executives and businessmen who could save Cleveland through better alignment from the top down. Indeed, there is reason to wonder what it means to be a Democrat in a region like Cleveland. The economic plans espoused by Frank Jackson and Jon Pinney are fundamentally Republican in nature. Both recognize the facts of growing inequality in our region. But they both propose trickle-down economics to fix the problem. Both want to funnel money into projects like the Q’s renovation, Blockland Cleveland, and developments in downtown, University Circle and Ohio City. Both hope that by generating economic activity for the already wealthy, there will be a spurt of economic activity that will raise the rest of the region along with it. But these are not Democratic visions for a municipality or a region. Indeed, these proposals demonstrate a misunderstanding of economist Thomas Piketty’s fundamental insight into our society: So long as the growth of capital through investment outstrips the growth of the economy as a whole, inequality can only increase. The wealthy will become wealthier and the poor can only hope to not become any poorer. Democrats at a national level have understood this and have begun to focus on reorienting economic growth around decreasing inequality and increasing opportunity for the marginalized. But here at home, our politicians and civic leaders seem satisfied with filling potholes and putting on conferences. They have failed to give us a vision for where we could go, and as a result have squandered the Democratic margins we have in this region in the hopes of placating the developers and landlords who they see as our future. Cleveland could be presenting bold, innovative policy positions. Cleveland could be unlocking the potential of its children and citizens. Other cities are doing it, even on tight budgets. We could be that city. But instead we have chosen to accept the status quo as the best we can
hope for. To our politicians and civic leaders: Think outside the box. The status quo is not acceptable. We may have to live in a world of incremental change and marginal improvement, but our imaginations don’t have to live there too. And without some goals to reach for, the marginal improvements have been getting smaller year by year, until it feels like we are standing still. To progressives and Democrats in Northeast Ohio: It is time to focus locally. It is time to show up to every city council meeting, every county council meeting. It is time to look to municipal elections in 2019 and 2021. With control of the House, national Democrats can hope to staunch the bleeding in national programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. But we won’t be making gains. And with the governorship and statehouse in Republican control, there’s little to look forward to from Columbus either. It is time for us to focus on our strength — on paper we are a deep blue, Democratic city. We must take this strength and hold our leaders accountable to it in the real world. We still have incredible opportunity in this region. We are a blue city in a red state, built by the sweat of generations before us who believed in a vision of progress and prosperity. That vision still exists, even if our leaders have forgotten it. It is time to remind them. — Rebecca Maurer
Rebecca Maurer is an attorney who lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the author of SerialLand, which discusses Cleveland history and the intersection of economic justice and criminal justice issues in Northeast Ohio.
Petition Calls for Covering Public Square Jersey Barriers with Berlin-Wall-Style Graffiti A petition appeared this morning on Change.org which invites Clevelanders to take a page out of West Berlin’s playbook and cover the concrete jersey barriers on Public Square with graffiti. “We’re a city that prides itself on claiming it can solve every problem with a mural,” the petition notes, “so why not this one?” The petition, which Scene enthusiastically endorses, may seem like a joke. But it’s also an indictment of the petty lethargy and vindictiveness of Mayor Frank Jackson, who installed the jersey barriers in March of last year
when he relented to mounting activist pressure and the threat of a loan repayment by the Federal Transit Administration and opened the Square’s strip of Superior Avenue to RTA buses, in accordance with a $50 million redesign. “These do nothing,” a transit activist told Scene at the time, when asked about the barriers. “They’re there for the city to prove that they were right all along, and that any kind of solution to bring buses to the Square will be completely ugly. It’s ugly by design, so that people will say let’s go back to how it was.” There have been plans to remove the barriers, but it’s unclear what progress has been made. The barriers stem from Jackson’s stated fears about terrorism, but they totally defy his preference for a beautiful public space. The Q is supposed to be Cleveland’s living room, remember, and Public Square is supposed to be our front lawn. From the petition: In August 2017, the Group Plan Commission, which oversees Public Square, and James Corner Field Operations, which designed it, pledged to develop a permanent plan to replace these unsightly, socalled safety features by the end of 2017. In June of this year (just 6 months past their deadline), the Group Plan Commission released a plan to remove the jersey barriers and install bollards at a cost of $2 million. Yet, 5 months after this plan was released and 20 months after the Square reopened to buses, the jersey barriers, planters, and makeshift ramps remain, with no end in sight. As with the Berlin Wall itself, which separated East Berlin from West Berlin during the Cold War, the graffiti project would be an act of defiance and reclamation. It would both enliven what is now a grim and unsightly strip of Superior and it would also, no doubt, infuriate the administration. The outcomes, then, as predicted by the petition, seem more or less on target. “Either the City gives in and removes them, unifying the space, or Public Square will further cement (pun intended) its status as a hub for free speech and artistic expression.” — Sam Allard
Flight Traffic Continues to Plummet at Burke Lakefront Airport Amid a bunch of headlines at Hopkins — the 5,000-gallon fuel spill last week, two city officials bypassing security to retrieve a laptop, and the rollback of transAtlantic flight services from WOW and Icelandair — one other bit of airport news has stayed beneath the radar. Burke Lakefront Airport,
which sits on 450 acres of prime waterfront property, and which has been experiencing declining usage for nearly 20 years, is going down further this year. Through the end of September, takeoffs and landing at Burke are down 13 percent over the same time period in 2017, which will likely make this year the biggest drop in aero use at Burke in the past decade. For those airport watchers keeping score at home, Burke had 30,994 flights from January through September in 2017, and 26,911 flights during that same
period this year, according to the FAA. That will likely bring Burke to around 32,000 flights for the year (down from 38,000 last year); by comparison, it had about 100,000 takeoffs and landings in 2000. Scene wrote in April about the shortsightedness of not at least exploring Burke’s closure, but few in City Hall are listening. The attitude has largely been that “the airport has been there a long time, so why think about closing it?” But the crazy thought that prime downtown property — on
Pinecrest’s Inaugural Holiday Lighting Let’s light up the district to celebrate the start of the holiday season and the end of a magical year at Pinecrest. November 18, 2018 | Event: 4:30-6:30pm | Outdoor movie: 7pm Central Park @ Pinecrest 4:30pm: Ohio City Singers performance 5:30pm: Pinecrest lighting ceremony with Santa (and surprise guest!) 6:00pm: Skating rink presented by the Cleveland Monsters opens 7:00pm: Outdoor showing of The Polar Express in Central Park
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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Lake Erie, which is now thought of as more of an asset than as an industrial toilet — might be better used for something other than as a landing strip for ever fewer planes is gaining some ground among the younger population, especially since Burke’s use has been declining steadily during their lifetime. But this old adage seems more applicable now than ever at City Hall: “Time flies when you aren’t paying attention.” — Dan McGraw
In Memory of Nikki Delamotte Like all of you who knew or had contact with Nikki, we’re in shock at the news of her death. We’re devastated. We’re angry. To say that Nikki was special is obvious to anybody who met her or read her. What might be less obvious is the unrelenting way in which she attacked her work and made the jobs of everybody around her that much easier. She certainly had done that for me while working for two years as contributing dining editor here at Scene. From the start, she maintained a level of professionalism well beyond her years and experience. Not only do so many aspiring writers fail to deliver on the basics, a good many of them fail to deliver at all, petering out after a few weeks or months when the bloom of a position that appeared so glamorous has faded. The truth of the matter is that people so very often let you down. Not only did Nikki never let me down, I’m pretty certain she rarely let anybody else down. She was curious and kind, an exceedingly talented and natural storyteller brimming with empathy that shone through in the stories that she told and in the friendships and relationships she built. She said yes, to new experiences, to new people, to new places, to new stories, to every single dog and cat, and in doing so became an intrinsic and universally beloved part of our lives. She was special, and the clearest way to confirm that was how she made everyone she came in contact with feel that way about themselves. A couple of years ago, she very deservedly landed a fulltime gig at Cleveland.com, which was a “chance to tell stories about so many Clevelanders that make me really proud to live here.”
That pride was reciprocated. The outpouring of condolences and grief in just the few hours and days since word of the tragic news has spread is a testament to her life, one ended far, far too soon. There are no words, at least none up to the task, to describe what has been taken from Cleveland in this senseless act of gun violence. If they existed, we’d need Nikki to find them. — Doug Trattner
DIGIT WIDGET 12 Pints per minute of Great Lakes Christmas Ale poured over the course of 12 hours at the brewery’s first pour event in October.
$1,800 Security fee Kent State is seeking from Liberty Hangout, the group behind the opencarry rally on campus earlier this year, for a planned Nov. 19 event called “Let’s Talk Gun Rights.” The group has asked a judge to bar KSU from collecting.
$6.9 MILLION Costs of the revamped East Side Market, a grocery store which is scheduled to open in a few weeks on St. Clair and East 105th in Glenville.
500,000 Total LED lights that will be on display when GE turns them on at Nela Park, Nov. 30. It will be the 94th year of the annual holiday lighting display.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
FEATURE NEXT OF KEN After revelations of sustained misuse of public dollars by Ken Johnson, what’ll happen to Ward 4’s long-tenured councilman? By Sam Allard Photo courtesy of Cleveland City Council
IN 2017, 54-YEAR-OLD SMALL business owner Gail Sparks ran against Councilman Ken Johnson in Cleveland’s Ward 4, an area that includes portions of BuckeyeShaker (including Shaker Square), Woodland and Mt. Pleasant. Sparks ultimately lost the election, but came within 13 percentage points. Other than the razor-thin margins that separated candidates in three contentious races where incumbents were unseated — Joe Jones over Terrell Pruitt in Ward 1, Basheer Jones over TJ Dow in Ward 7, and Jasmin Santana over Brian Cummins in Ward 14 — Sparks came closest to defeating an incumbent in a year when all 17 councilpeople were up for re-election. Sparks was adamant, during the campaign, that Ken Johnson had been engaging in unethical tactics. Johnson had sent mailers to residents before the primaries, for example, advising them that only he would be able to maintain funding for street repairs and for a grass-cutting program coordinated through the local CDC, Buckeye Shaker Square Development Corporation, that senior citizens appreciated. “My opponents WILL NOT be able to continue any of our unique senior programs regardless of what they have told you,” Johnson wrote in the mailer. “My ward 4 programs are almost totally run by [my] volunteers. These dedicated residents have volunteered for me for many years. When I leave office — by law — all of our unique Ward 4 programs (mowing grass and snow removal for both seniors and the disabled, holiday gift cards, and etc.) must end.” This was nonsense, but Sparks knew that many residents would believe it. Johnson had been councilman since 1981, and even though a growing number of constituents in the ward had come to understand that Johnson was disengaged — he was not a reliable voice at City Hall, they believed, and he seemed to care only for the rec center that bore his name — Sparks
Ken Johnson, 37 years on Cleveland city council.
knew that he held sway over seniors. He was “holding them captive,” she said, and he ought to be reported to the Ohio Ethics Commission. Now, in the wake of an extensive series of articles and columns by Cleveland.com’s Mark Naymik about Johnson’s sustained misuse of public money while in office, Sparks feels validated. At least somewhat. She told Scene last week that residents have been reaching out to her as the articles have tumbled out this summer and fall. They have voiced their concern about the wellbeing of the ward. “It’s depressing what a cesspool of corruption and conflict of interest Cleveland city government is,” Sparks said. “Ken Johnson has been
misusing his power, influence, and taxpayer money for decades, and his colleagues and the powers-that-be in city government have looked the other way.” Sparks said she wondered how Naymik first got tipped off to the story — Johnson’s misbehavior has been an open, if nonspecific, secret for years — and said she hoped her vocal criticisms of his actions on the campaign trail, including her comments during the Plain Dealer endorsement interview, played a part in bringing these issues to light. While she recognized the value of the reporting, the revelations saddened her. “I’m wondering whether any person who truly wants to help
the citizens of his or her ward can accomplish any substantial good in the present environment of corruption and influence peddling,” she said. She has not decided whether she’ll run for city council again. Naymik has written a total of 13 stories about Ken Johnson and the Buckeye Shaker Square Development Corporation, some of which have led to immediate changes at the behest of city council leadership. Before we assess what’s next for Johnson, though, let’s review what exactly has been exposed. On July 9, Naymik published the first of many stories documenting instances or patterns of financial impropriety and mismanagement by Ken Johnson. The stories have been meticulous — some readers have called them overkill — but they demonstrate how the ward and its community development corporation have been commandeered to achieve a set of selective and extremely personal ends at the expense of the ward’s health. The first story exposed the failings of the Buckeye Shaker Square Development Corporation. The CDC had become little more than a grass-cutting operation that employed several people with close ties to Johnson, including one of Johnson’s sons and his council assistant, Garnell Jamison. Paying for these employees had created a burden for the CDC that was identified by an outside accounting firm as a root cause of its financial woe. Like other councilpeople, Johnson annually earmarked hundreds of thousands of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars for his area CDC. But BSSDC was now in considerable debt and unlikely to manage forthcoming loan payments. Naymik reported how, after an external audit, the nonprofit Neighborhood Progress Inc. stopped providing funding for BSSDC as well, at which point Johnson accused NPI’s director, Joel Ratner, of being a bigot and a racist. (When Scene reached out to NPI, | clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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FEATURE they declined to comment for this story.) Several stories followed in quick succession. Naymik published a commentary arguing that the city should stop branding city vehicles used in Ward 4 with “compliments of Ken Johnson” signs. Johnson claimed to have purchased the vehicles personally with the blessing of former mayor George Voinovich. This claim was later proven false. The next week, following up on the BSSDC story, Naymik reported that because the CDC hadn’t supplied previous years’ audits to the city — the financial picture was a mess — they would forfeit their right to receive further federal funds, a major blow. More information about Johnson’s bloated grass-cutting program was revealed here as well: In 2017, upwards of $200,000 had been allotted for this purpose. In 2018, $300,000 was budgeted. The city’s new community development director, Tania Menessee, said that in the future — assuming BSSDC stayed afloat — no more than 25 percent of federal dollars could be
used for grass-cutting. On a roll now, Naymik then published a story that more directly implicated Johnson. One of the councilman’s sons was living rentfree in a home owned by BSSDC. Johnson claimed that his son, Kevin, was given the opportunity to live there because no one else wanted to and he’d intended to “fix it up.” The improvements, Johnson told Naymik, would stabilize the neighborhood. Johnson’s version was corroborated by BSSDC’s executive director John Hopkins, but disputed in a story the following week. Naymik spoke with a neighbor who’d been hoping to acquire the home and had been misled by Johnson into believing she’d be able to purchase it after the property was transferred to BSSDC from the county land bank. No such luck. While that drama unfolded, there was yet another damning piece about BSSDC. The organization had failed to pay more than $50,000 in taxes on homes being rented to lowincome families as part of a county program. BSSDC was receiving rental payments on the 75 homes and was meant to pay the taxes from that revenue, but had failed to do so. BSSDC had also stopped paying federal payroll taxes. It was unclear
About the size and weight of a tennis ball.
where its money was going, but the rental payments on the homes it owns now appear to be its only source of income. The ongoing reporting on BSSDC was accompanied by deeper dives into Johnson himself. Naymik discovered that the Kenneth Johnson Recreation Center employed three men with the last name Johnson, and that Johnson had claimed all three of them as dependents on previous tax forms. Johnson denied that two of them were his legal children. Last month, Naymik reported that Johnson had been receiving $1,200 per month in city council reimbursements, the maximum allowable monthly allotment, for something he called “ward services.” He’d allegedly been paying another city employee who lived on his street and claimed to be working several hours per day, five days a week, 52 weeks per year, checking in with residents about the grasscutting program. When Naymik received additional city records, the story expanded. Johnson had been receiving the $1,200 reimbursement every month since 2007, a grand total of more than $168,000. (Other councilpeople receive these reimbursements as well, though
their receipts were more clearly itemized.) Naymik told Scene that he hears from residents of Ward 4 after each story and that they are happy someone is examining both their councilman and their CDC. “I plan to continue to chase stories related to both,” Naymik wrote in an email. “The residents deserve the sunshine.” Indeed, the residents and local activists that Scene has spoken with are also generally pleased that the information is coming out. Many in Ward 4 and in Blaine Griffin’s neighboring Ward 6 have felt that BSSDC has been managed ineptly for years. Ward 4 activist Michelle Jackson told Scene that in light of Naymik’s stories, residents held a meeting in September in which they planned to directly address Johnson about the revelations. Johnson invited representatives from the police and other city services to address the group, “knowing full well that the meeting was intended for him to answer questions about the articles,” Jackson said. Once they got around to asking him questions, “he deflected and lied.” Jackson wrote Scene in an email last week that a group of Ward 4
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
activists plan to meet in the coming weeks to discuss more concrete next steps. “We are committed that the solution to the Johnson problem be driven by Ward 4 voters,” she said. She also noted, last month, that when one of her team members spoke to the mayor’s office about ramifications for Johnson, he was told that neither the mayor nor city council had any recourse to investigate the councilman. If there’s no official recourse, there has nevertheless been a guarantee by the Mayor’s Office to perform its due diligence in assessing the Johnson revelations. City council spokesperson Joan Mazzolini told Scene that council president Kevin Kelley has forwarded information to Cleveland law director Barbara Langhenry, who will make an independent assessment about how to proceed. That might include referring the investigation to an outside agency — the police, the county prosecutor, etc. The schedule for her recommendation remains up in the air. Naymik’s reporting, though, has had other short-term effects. When the city denied BSSDC further federal funding dollars, it essentially shuttered the organization. The city also claimed that it would be painting over the “compliments of Ken Johnson” signs” on city vehicles in Ward 4. That task may be underway, but — per recent eyewitness testimony from a Scene staffer — has yet to be completed. Additionally, when Kevin Kelley learned that Johnson’s monthly council reimbursements were going to pay another city employee, he immediately turned off the spigot. In a piece last month, Scene suggested that Johnson’s conduct should be regarded as scandalous by his council colleagues. We said that Johnson should resign and should forfeit the right to appoint a successor. That’s unlikely to happen, say current and former council members. (Many members of city council were in California last week for a National League of Cities conference and were unable to respond to requests for comment). Others did, but spoke off the record. But councilman Mike Polensek, as usual, had no qualms about speaking his mind. He said the whole ordeal had “cast a cloud” over city council — many of his colleagues felt this way too, he said, even if they don’t admit it — and should be dealt with as soon as possible by council leadership.
“If they ignore it, they run the risk of an ongoing perception that city council only cares about protecting the individual, and not protecting the community,” Polensek said. “The perception in the streets is not good.” But what would “dealing with it” look like, Scene asked? Would Johnson be forced to step down? “There are rules and regulations,” Polensek said. “If he committed a crime, he’s out.” (According to Polensek, this only applies to felonies. Zack Reed, for instance, wasn’t booted for his DUIs, because
they were misdemeanors.) If that’s the case, though, the city charter still allows that Johnson would appoint his successor. A former councilperson told Scene that the appointment was likely to be Johnson’s son. Polensek said that he’s not opposed to that arrangement, because, assuming Johnson is removed before his final year in office, his appointed successor would still have to run in a special election. Polensek said there’s no obvious alternative. He suggested that the Democratic central committee
members in Johnson’s ward might be able to make an appointment, but noted that the committee would likely be “loyal to Kenny” and would no doubt honor whatever recommendation he made. “I’m most concerned about representation of the community,” Polensek said. “I’ve been concerned about the image of the council for a while now. The bad perception is real.”
sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
GET OUT everything you should do this week Photo by Dominique Lemieux
WED
11/14
SPOKEN WORD
Cleveland Stories Dinner Party The goal of Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to “bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past — from sports, to rock ’n’ roll, to Millionaires’ Row,” as it’s put in a press release. Admission is free, with no cover charge, although a prix fixe dinner, designed to complement the night’s theme, is $20. Tonight, Brecksville native Michael Cheselka, who began his career at the infamous Comedy Store in Los Angeles and toured with the late Sam Kinison, will talk about how he became a comic. He’ll perform a standup set after his talk too. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 6, and the storytelling starts at 7. (Jeff Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com. COMEDY
Derick Lengwenus Comedian Derick Lengwenus has been described as the “perfect comedy package.” He delivers a clean show that even includes a skit featuring the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. Born in Montreal, Lengwenus frequently talks about his experiences there. He also likes to make jokes about his German father. He has a knack for impersonations too. He performs tonight at 8 at Hilarities. Tickets are $13 to $18. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. BOOKS
Rock on TV: Norma Coates on Shindig and Hullabaloo An associate prof who holds a joint appointment in the Don Wright Faculty of Music and the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University in London, Ontario, Dr. Norma Coates’ research focuses on two areas: popular music and identity. Currently completing a book about popular music on U.S. television before MTV, Coates speaks today at 7 p.m. at the Rock Hall. Her talk will center on two TV music shows, Shindig and Hullabaloo, both of which are featured in the Rock Hall exhibit Stay Tuned: Rock on TV. Admission is free, but a RVSP through the Rock Hall website is
Cirque du Soleil comes to the Q this week for six shows. See: Thursday.
required. (Niesel) 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-515-8444, rockhall.com. MUSIC
Singers’ Night A few years ago, after getting “burned out” in New York, Return of Simple frontman Rob Kovacs moved back to Cleveland and relaunched the popular indie rock band. Kovacs has since started hosting a monthly Singers’ Night at Bar 107 in Berea. The evening features local singers who perform a song while Kovacs accompanies them on piano. Singers are encouraged to bring sheet music or choose from Kovacs’ song list. Lyrics aren’t provided, but performers can bring their own if needed. Each month will feature a new local singer who will perform a short set. Signups begin at 8 p.m. with the first singer kicking things off at 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. (Niesel) 107 Front St., Berea, 440-973-4431, 107berea.com-singers-night.
THU
11/15
CIRCUS
Corteo Directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca,
Corteo, the latest Cirque du Soleil arena production, premiered in Montreal in April 2005. Since then, it’s traveled to 64 cities in 19 countries on four continents. Corteo, which means cortege in Italian, features a festive funeral imagined by a clown and watched over by angels. The cast of Corteo includes 51 acrobats, musicians, singers and actors from all around the world. It comes to the Q tonight at 7:30 for a six-show, four-night run. Tickets start at $39. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, cirquedusoleil.com. FILM
A Paris Education A Paris Education, the latest film from French director Jean-Paul Civeyrac, centers on a young man who moves to Paris to study film. While there, he tries to “find himself” by arguing about movies and politics with his peers. The movie makes its Cleveland premiere tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. There will be free donuts and cider while supplies last. Admission is $11, or $8 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.
THEATER
Violet A multi-award-winning musical, Violet features show-stopping anthems ranging from Americanroots and folk to gospel. The story centers on a girl who was struck by a wayward axe blade when her father was chopping wood, leaving her with a visible scar across her face. With enough money finally saved, she’s traveling across the Deep South in 1964 toward a miracle: the healing touch of a TV evangelist who will make her beautiful. The performance takes place at 7:30 tonight at the Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab, where shows continue through Sunday. Tickets are $15. (Niesel) 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
FRI
11/16
ART
78th Street Studios Third Friday Art Walk Time again for the Third Friday Art Walk at the cavernous 78th Street Studios. More than 50 studios and galleries will participate in this popular indoor art walk; be sure to check out spots like the Derek Hess | clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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GET OUT Gallery, Tregoning & Company and Hilary Gent Studio for a chance to shop and interact with artists. Look for food trucks out front and live music on the first floor. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. and admission is free. (Niesel) 1300 West 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com.
jobs and did standup at night. After getting national exposure on David Letterman, his career took off. The caffeinated comic has a rapid-fire delivery that suggests he has trouble turning off his mind. He performs tonight at 7:30 and 10 at Hilarities; shows scheduled through Sunday. Tickets are $30 to $35. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets are $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. HOLIDAY FUN
Friendsgiving Flea It’s tough to think about Christmas when we still have Thanksgiving to get through, but it’s important to
ART
Altered Value: The Art of Funny Money Over the past 10 years, local artist Josh Usmani has had his artwork featured in more than 100 group gallery exhibitions. A former Scene contributor, he’s also put on several solo shows and presented workshops and lectures, and participated in panels. The release of his new book, Altered Value: The Art of Funny Money, coincides with an exhibition of new work from the book at Tregoning & Company at 78th Street Studios. A reception for the book and exhibit takes place today from 5 to 9 p.m. The works will remain on view through Dec. 1. (Niesel) 1300 West 78th St., 216-281-8626, tregoningandco.com.
Jazzology Jazzology, a program featuring Scotland’s leading jazz musicians along with cultural commentator Dr. Wesley White, aims to explore “questions about life, God, and the world around us through the paradigm of jazz as a particular mode of musical and artistic expression.” White and a jazz act featuring Euan Stevenson (piano), Douglas Whates (bass), and Konrad Wiszniewski (saxophone) will appear tonight at 7 at the CLE Urban Winery in Cleveland Heights. Admission is free. (Niesel) 2180B Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-417-8313, cleurbanwinery.com.
11/17
FILM
Batman Cleveland Cinemas’ Late Shift series, a program dedicated to the nostalgic cult and camp cinema that we love and cherish even though it’s certainly not Oscar-worthy material, has been a fixture at the local chain since 2006. The series continues tonight at the Capital Theatre with a midnight screening of Batman, starring Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight. Tickets are $6. Wear a cape and get a free popcorn. (Niesel) 1390 West 65th St., 216-651-7295, clevelandcinemas.com. BOOKS
Rock ‘n’ Soul holiday hits by GRAMMY winner Mike Farris Dinner by Cleveland Celebrity Chef Rocco Whalen Tickets available now at www.rockhall.com/holiday
COMEDY
FILM
Dave Attell Known as the host of Comedy Central’s Insomniac with Dave Attell and The Gong Show, Dave Attell is also a great standup comedian, writer and actor. A New York native, he graduated from NYU in 1987 with a degree in communications. During the day, he worked crappy
Cielo A new film from director Alison McAlpine, the documentary film Cielo captures the night sky in Chile’s Atacama desert. Since there’s no light pollution in the region, it attracts astronomers and stargazers alike, something that McAlpine captures in her film. The movie screens tonight
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MUSIC
SAT
COMEDY
Arnez J Arnez J’s little brother is mentally handicapped and often gets him into trouble. Like that time at Burger King when he just wanted to buy his little bro a burger — until his brother beat up a man who wanted their handicapped spot! His humor is all over the place as he talks about colonoscopies, ladies who need to cover the glue of their weaves and the way his Uncle Charlie dances. His Rodney King skit is hilarious and his observations of the world are pretty spot-on. This one promises to be funny. He performs tonight at 7:30 and 10 at the Improv, and performances run through Sunday. Tickets start at $25. (Liz Trenholme) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.
10 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday. General admission is $10. Get your tickets on the website. (Laura Morrison) 4601 Payne Ave., theclevelandflea.com.
| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
note that the Cleveland Flea is back for another holiday season. This year, the winter-themed Friendsgiving Flea is headed to the renovated Madison events venue. You’ll find nearly 75 booths featuring enough locally made and antique items to cheer up even the biggest Scrooge around. The holiday market takes place from 6 to
Fran Belkin, Rock This Town Fran Belkin, wife of concert promoter Jules Belkin, recently published her first book, Rock This Town. Inspired by the concert T-shirts in her attic, she reviews the more than 30 years of Cleveland rock ’n’ roll history she experienced with Belkin Productions. The book includes vintage snapshots, concert photography and “intimate stories” shared by the Belkin Productions crew who lived them. Belkin will be signing her book at 1 p.m. today at Visible Voice Books. Admission is free. (Niesel) 2258 Professor Ave., 216-961-0084, visiblevoicebooks.com. FILM
Dark Xmas Way back in 1999, Travis Bowen worked for Chiller Theater, which at the time was one of the biggest horror
conventions on the East Coast. With Dark Xmas, which he founded in December 2003 in Trumbull County, he sought to emulate the original. His festival is still going strong; it comes to Norwood Inn & Suites in Hudson today and tomorrow. This year’s incarnation will feature a Nightmare on Elm Street movie reunion, the original credited Michael Myers from Halloween, the star of the original Sleepaway Camp, zombies from The Walking Dead and lots more. Autographs will be signed by celebrity guests. Movie directors will take part in Q&A panels. And a gaming station will feature a video game system from the 1980s. Dress up as your favorite character and compete in the best-dressed cosplay characters’ competition. Check the website for a schedule and ticket prices. (Niesel) darkx-mas.com. SHOPPING
Holiday Shop Open House Weekend The entire first floor of BAYarts Huntington House will be transformed into a winter wonderland for this weekend’s Holiday Shop Open House, featuring the work of over 100 local artists offering jewelry, ornaments, soaps, candles, framed artwork, holiday cards, apparel and more. The mart runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow. (Niesel) 28795 Lake Rd., Bay Village, 440-871-6543, bayarts.net. COMEDY
Kate Quigley A comedian who’s ventured into acting on occasion, Kate Quigley recently hosted the AVN Awards (airing on Showtime,) and can be seen on MTV2’s ADD TV. Widely known as the “up for anything” star of Playboy TV’s Undercover, Quigley has also appeared in shows such as The Office and The Megan Mullally Show. Cleveland native Rick Glassman opens the show, which is part of the 11th annual Cleveland Comedy Festival. It takes place at 8 tonight at the Hanna Theatre. Tickets are $25. (Niesel) 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. FILM
Science Fair A hit at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival, Science Fair, a documentary about nine teen STEM superstars who engage in some fierce competition for scholarships and jobs, screens tonight at 7:35 and tomorrow night at 8:45 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $10,
or $7 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu. FILM
Warren Miller’s Face of Winter The release of a new Warren Miller Entertainment ski film signals the start of ski season as much as anything. Tonight at 8, the Akron Civic Theatre will screen his latest, featuring skiers performing death defying stunts. A 6:30 “ski fest” precedes the screening. Tickets are $15. (Niesel) 182 South Main St., Akron, 330-253-2488, akroncivic.com.
SUN
11/18
FILM
Dolores Peter Bratt directs Dolores, a documentary about the life of farm labor organizer and activist Dolores Huerta. The United Labor Agency and the North Shore Federation of Labor have sponsored today’s screening, which takes place at 1:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets are $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. FUNDRAISER
Fifth Annual Touchdown for Hunger The Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland aims to “reduce hunger and enhance nutrition in our community by providing food and other health-related vital services to individuals and families ... .” Today’s fifth annual Touchdown for Hunger at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium will raise money for the organization. Anyone who brings jars of peanut butter, boxes of oatmeal, cans of beans and other non-perishable food items to the Aquarium between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. will score discounted $7 same-day admission. Those who arrive between 11 a.m. and noon could also get a “high five” from Cleveland Browns’ mascot Chomps, who’ll be on hand for the event. (Niesel) 2000 Sycamore St., 216-862-8803, greaterclevelandaquarium.com.
Boss Business Brunch will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at Bubba’s-Q in Avon. The $40 ticket includes business brainstorming over brunch, mimosas, networking and tips on how to start a business or take an existing business to the next level. Find tickets on eventbrite. (Niesel) 820 Center Rd., Avon, eventbrite.com. MUSIC
Alon Goldstein One of the “most original and sensitive artists” of his generation, pianist Alon Goldstein has been praised for his musical intelligence and dynamic personality. He regularly performs throughout the United States, Europe and Israel. Today, as part of Tri-C’s Performing Arts series, he plays a free show at 2 p.m. at the Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. FILM
Paper Shadows Paper Shadows, the long-awaited film from local director Robert C. Banks, makes its world premiere tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. The movie centers on a ragtag group of people who come together to take on a fictional philanthropic institution. Inner city kids from the NewBridge Cleveland after-school program appear in the movie, and Banks made use of many Cleveland locations. Tickets are $12, or $9 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu. HOLIDAY FUN
The Singing Angels: 2018 Holiday Spectacular Today at 2 p.m. at the State Theatre, the Singing Angels, some of Cleveland’s finest young singers, will perform winter, Christmas, and Hanukkah favorites. The program will feature everything from classical selections to barbershop harmony. You will even hear a medley from Frozen that will spotlight all three of the Singing Angels’ choruses. Tickets are $18 to $43. (Niesel) 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
BUSINESS
Girl Boss Business Brunch The daughter of NFL star-turnedrestaurateur, Al “Bubba” Baker, Brittani Bo’ Baker has joined forces with Maria Jeancola, a serial networker and the creator of Network Fifty Two, to offer a “morning of motivation” for women. Their Girl
MON
11/19
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. FOOD
Wing Dang Doodle Blues icon Howlin’ Wolf famously covered “Wang Dang Doodle,” the old blues tune penned by Willie Dixon. Prosperity Social Club in Tremont has adopted that slogan, calling its wing night Wing Dang Doodle. The weekly event features specials on Buffalo wings and cold brews. Prosperity will not only serve up substantial, $1 whole wings, but it’ll also offer meatless Monday “wing” baskets for vegans. Discounted drafts and a playlist of vintage-electric blues and soulful R&B curated by local musician Clint Holley will be on tap as well. Wing Dang Doodle takes place every Monday from 6 p.m. to midnight. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com.
TUE
11/20
FILM
Making Montgomery Clift Robert Clift, movie star Montgomery Clift’s nephew, reexamines his uncle’s life in Making Montgomery Clift, a movie that he co-directed. The film makes its Cleveland premiere today at 1:45 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets are $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. MUSIC
Vinyl Night Jukebox owner Alex Budin has described his music-focused bar in the Hingetown ’hood as “a place where people can expect to hear and learn about music of multiple genres, all of which is concentrated in a constantly evolving jukebox.” The club hosts a vinyl night every Tuesday that serves as a listening party for new releases, partnering with Loop in Tremont. You can bring your own vinyl and spin it too. It all starts at 5 p.m. (Niesel) 1404 West 29th St., 216-206-7699, jukeboxcle.com.
MUSIC
Shit Show Karaoke Local rapper/promoter Dirty Jones and Scene’s own Manny Wallace host
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene | clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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STAGE OVER THE TOP? NOT EVEN CLOSE Day of Absence at Karamu House hits us right where we all live By Christine Howey Photo by Vince Robinson
AS WE WATCH THE CLOWN show from hell play out in Washington, D.C., many may feel baffled about how to put what this country is going through into an understandable context. Well, guess what? Karamu House has fashioned the ideal context in their current production of Day of Absence by Douglas Turner Ward. Ward wrote this outrageous oneact in 1965, another time of virulent political upheaval. And while it is enormously depressing that the bigotry and ignorance of 50 years ago is still alive and thriving in the U.S. today, it’s also encouraging that theaters such as Karamu are giving voice to Ward’s work. Absence is a pure satire, performed minstrel show-style by black actors in whiteface who enact a day in the life of a Southern backwater town. On this day, the white folks awaken to discover, gradually, that all the black people have disappeared. At first this causes mild consternation, as when Lula the maid isn’t on hand to deal with John and Mary’s screaming infant. John: “(She) needs her didee changed — go change it!” Mary: “How you ’spect me to when I don’t know how? Suppose I faint?” And things just get worse from there. The phone lines are jammed up because all the white people are on the horn trying to find the black people who make their lives function. Even the mayor of the town is helpless to deal with the situation, as he says, “By God, we’ll find ’em even if we have to dig ’em outta the ground!” The disappearance is never explained and the satire’s message is a one-joke premise — that white people are totally dependent on the black people they abuse and demean — but it doesn’t really get tired. This is due to the direction by Nathan A. Lilly, who keeps his actors pushing the envelope in terms of their characterizations. While this isn’t a perfect production, with odd energy lapses that crop up at times, including in the concluding moments of the play, it nails the satire with devastating effect. Satire on stage is always a dicey
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enterprise, and many people have preconceived notions about how it should be presented. In this instance, director Lilly has aggregated a wide variety of characterizations that nicely mimic actual white people who are foisting their ignorance on our society. By not subscribing to a single approach, he keeps the proceedings lively and captivating. And weirdly realistic. The Mayor, as played brilliantly by Robert Hunter, is a fellow who almost seems like a normal (if highly agitated) civic leader, as he intones his racist blather. He’s kind of like Sen. Jeff Flake from Arizona, who weeps openly at the inhumanity of Republican initiatives and then votes for every bill that violates the values he claims to hold dear.
Trembling with outrage, Gaskin virtually vibrates herself across the stage as her un-named character reacts to the emergency. Gaskin also contributes a star turn as Mrs. Aide, a demure white woman who rejects the idea of bribing the blacks to return: “God forbid! Money is unimportant. Would only make ’em worse. Our main goal is to improve their ethical behavior.” Some might consider Gaskin’s performance as the industrialist too exaggerated. Really? Have you ever listened to U.S. Rep. Steve King from Iowa suggest that our immigration laws should be based on the way we pick out a pet dog, or saying that he never heard of a pregnancy being caused by incest or rape? (And, you know, Brett Kavanaugh’s
DAY OF ABSENCE THROUGH NOV. 18 AT KARAMU HOUSE, 2355 EAST 89TH ST., 216-795-7070. KARAMUHOUSE.ORG
Perhaps the highlight of the show is Hunter’s emotional televised speech as the Mayor, when he pleads with the absent “nigras” to come home: “Look George, I brought the rag you wax the car with. Don’t that bring back memories?” On the other end of the spectrum is an industrialist, given a totally (and hilariously) over-the-top performance by Jeannine Gaskin.
| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
silent-movie emoting during his Congressional hearing.) Now who’s over the top? There are spot-on performances throughout this cast, with most of the actors handling multiple roles. Prophet D. Seay is a downbeat porchsitting citizen, Luke, who’s seen it all. And he later transforms into Rev. Pious, offering a peace pipe to the absent African-Americans:
“Return your buckets to where they lay and all will be forgiven.” Nate Summers adds an amusing cameo as an always out-of-breath Courier who arrives with increasingly bad news. And Sherrie Tolliver ably anchors the proceedings as a bland TV Announcer who tut-tuts at the situation while providing no further insight. Rounding out the solid cast are Maya T. Jones, Lachaka A. Askew, Austin Blake Sasser and Jailyn Sherell Harris who all have their moments. But the real star of the play is the playwright Ward, whose words have lost none of their snap and wit over time. And the time now is perfect for his satire to be seen. There are more and more targeted groups these days: blacks (as always); Latino immigrants whose families are ripped apart; women whose claims of physical abuse are still, even in the era of #MeToo, often dismissed; and transgender people who some are trying to redefine out of existence. Ward saw what was happening in the 1960s and attacked it with his words. As the columnist Molly Ivins once said, “Satire is the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.” And this production at Karamu brandishes Ward’s savage satire with skill.
scene@clevescene.com t@christinehowey
MOVIES POLITICS AND PROS Steve McQueen’s Widows is not your conventional heist flick By Sam Allard Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox
IN HIS FIRST FEATURE FILM since the Best Picture-winning 12 Years a Slave (2013), director Steve McQueen returns with a slick, taut thriller about race and crime and politics. There’s a police shooting. A heist gone wrong. A racially divisive alderman’s race on Chicago’s South Side. Another heist! These storylines, brought to you by a huge and hugely talented ensemble cast, converge in a script written by McQueen and novelist Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects). Opening area-wide on Friday, the film coats what might have been a conventional popcorn burglar flick in arthouse gloss — stronger script, better look, better acting. The film’s title, Widows, refers to three women brought together by the deaths of their husbands in a robbery gone wrong. Veronica (Viola Davis) is their determined ringleader, a former employee of the Chicago Teachers Union who married a prominent criminal, Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson). She enlists smallbusiness owner Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and professional escort Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) to pull off Rawlings’ next planned heist themselves. It would take too long, and give too much away, to explain the many ways in which the heist is tied to a contentious alderman’s
race in Chicago, which itself is tied to the first heist. But rarely has a political storyline been integrated so effectively into an otherwise formulaic crime story. The gist of the political tension is that after redistricting, the Mulligans, a white Irish political dynasty, must defend a long-held alderman’s seat against a popular black candidate, Jamaal Manning (Bryan Tyree Henry, from TV’s Atlanta), a former criminal himself. When Manning’s campaign funding dries up, he unleashes his brother (Daniel Kaluuya) to collect a debt from Veronica Rawlings. Kaluuya, whose eyes starred in last year’s Get Out, is here a cold and ruthless bagman. This sounds rudimentary, but by giving the film’s crimes, and criminals, rich and complex backstories, the action becomes much more exhilarating. Narratively, my big qualm was not the ultimate heist — Veronica and her team choreograph their plan plausibly enough. It was the readiness with which both Linda and Alice agreed to the scheme. It’s hard to buy how these women, whose lives have just been so rocked by criminal associations, would immediately agree to participate. But McQueen and his crew of production designers, plus his director of photography, Sean Bobbitt, paint Chicago in vivid and
sharply contrasting color templates. We see how Rawlings’ bright white penthouse life and Jack Mulligan’s somber hardwood home are worlds away from the poor black ward where the action largely transpires. The pacing is quick, driven by the complicated, interwoven plot. But it’s also patient, with powerful moments of introspection and ample character development. The camera lingers on Viola Davis as she screams, on Michelle Rodriguez as she weighs her options, on Daniel Kaluuya as he stares down an underling. In what might be a Top-10 scene
of the year, Jack Mulligan laments the political family he was born into and expresses doubts about maintaining power for its own sake. His father Tom (Robert Duvall), waits until he’s finished and then launches into an attack on his character. “Fuck you and the horse you came in on,” he shouts, kicking off an expletive-laden screed. When you assemble this many talented actors, even short, throwaway scenes have much to savor.
sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard
SPOTLIGHT: INSTANT FAMILY AFTER EARNING A FEW OSCAR nods in the early 2000s, actor Mark Wahlberg has gravitated to throwaway comedic roles. He teamed up with funny man Will Ferrell in 2010’s The Other Guys and then worked with Ferrell again on Daddy’s Home and its lamebrained sequel, last year’s Daddy’s Home 2. Wahlberg’s latest venture, Instant Family, comes off as yet another mildly funny but ultimately forgettable film about a dysfunctional family. It opens area-wide on Friday. Director Sean Anders based the movie on his personal experiences, so it admittedly has a ring of truth to it, but that’s not enough to
redeem it. The story centers on Pete (Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne), a couple who adopt three kids just to prove to their family and friends that they aren’t as irresponsible as everyone thinks. Predictably enough, raising the three kids proves to be tougher than they thought. Lizzy (Cleveland-born Isabela Moner), the oldest of the three, regularly disobeys Pete and Ellie and has hopes of reuniting with her mother (Eve Harlow). She’s pretty feisty as she regularly spars with Pete and Ellie, and at one point she calls Ellie an “update douche” and a “pretend mom” who has only adopted her and her siblings to make herself feel good. The other
two kids, Juan (Gustava Quiroz) and Lita (Julianna Gamiz) aren’t nearly as confrontational, but they have their quirks that make them difficult to manage as well. The film too often resorts to slapstick — Juan gets hit in the face and flattened by a ball on two separate occasions. Things reach a climax when Pete and Ellie become overprotective of Lizzy and go after a fellow student they think has sent her dick pics. They end up in trouble with the law and have to go to court to defend themselves as capable parents. We’re not giving anything away to say that the family-friendly film ultimately resolves the conflict
with a simple ending designed to appease its audience. Though their screen time is limited, Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro steal the show as a pair of sardonic social workers who walk parents through the foster care process, tossing out one-liners as they give advice about overcoming the roadblocks that will get in the way of good parenting. They deserve their own damn film. We’re betting it’d be much funnier than Instant Family. — Jeff Niesel
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
19
A Scene Magazine Event
Enjoy food & drink samples from participating restaurants: [O :[YLL[ ;H]LYU ‹ (UH[VSPH )PZ[YV ‹ (Z[VYPH ‹ (\YLSPH )PZ[YV ‹ )HYYPV ‹ )H[\X\P -SH]VYZ VM )YHaPS )SVVT (Y[PZHU )HRLY` ‹ *3, <YIHU >PULY` ‹ ,_LJ\[P]L *H[LYLYZ H[ 3HUKLYOH]LU ‹ .YHL[LY»Z 0JL *YLHT .Y\TW`»Z *HML ‹ /H[Ä LSK»Z ‹ 3VJR )YL^PUN *V ‹ 5\L]V 4VKLYU 4L_PJHU ‹ 6OPV *P[` ))8 :R` 3H9HL»Z ;OL -HPYTV\U[ ‹ >HYYLU»Z :WPYP[LK 2P[JOLU
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| clevescene.com m | November 14 - 20 20, 2018
EAT SHARE THE LOVE Trio might face an uphill battle, but it’s primed to come out on top By Douglas Trattner Photo by Emanuel Wallace
IT WAS APPROACHING THE END of autumn and I’d somehow missed every single clambake that had dotted my calendar. During that same period of time I managed to dodge all versions encountered at restaurants because rubbery clams and dried-out chicken never seem to capture the spirit and flavor of the season. But, at the suggestion of our server at Trio, I did succumb to the Clams ($10), one of more than a dozen small plates on the current menu. True to his word, the dish was the embodiment of sweater season, with meaty littleneck clams arranged in a deep bowl of savory broth punctuated with fork-tender fingerlings and summer-fresh corn on the cob. If that dish helped me shake my clambake jones, it was another that moved me past an irrational fear of beans. We nibbled on gnudi and adored our agnolotti, but it was the humble Beans ($9) that vanished first. With the aromatic appeal of cassoulet, a medley of warm, creamy-centered legumes is gently tossed with bits of smoky bacon and minced fall vegetables and mounded onto a verdant pool of leek puree. A garnish of pickled onion and frilly frisee lends tart crunch to every bite. It’s been a few months since Trio opened its doors in Tremont, and it wouldn’t be unfair to say that the restaurant has its work cut out for it. At a time when diners are increasingly opting for more casual environments — if they elect to leave the house at all — Trio is doubling down on “fine.” Small plates have always been a tough sell in Cleveland, but Trio goes all in, offering a 15-to-4 ratio of littles to bigs. All this action is taking place in an out-of-the-way location at the hands of an unfamiliar chef. In the restaurant’s back pocket is an abundance of talent in the kitchen, a menu that offers diners choice and value, and a bottom line buoyed by a busy second restaurant. That restaurant is One Eleven Bistro in Medina, the chef is Anthony Scolaro, and the location is on the edge of Tremont, in the former home of Bac Asian Bistro. By planting his second flag here, the chef hopes
to push boundaries while rubbing shoulders with Cleveland’s culinary elite. “When this opportunity in Tremont came up, it was kind of a way for us to do all the things that don’t necessarily fly down here,” Scolaro says of his 4-year-old Medina spot. At $10, the agnolotti is a steal. We’re talking about freshly made, perfectly cooked pasta pillows stuffed with a hearty meat filling in a luxurious but light sauce. If the term “small plate” puts you on
menu, but crowd faves like the carbonara ($10) persevere for good reason. This classic gets a boost from exotic black-garlic pasta tossed in a silky egg yolk-based sauce enriched with guanciale and salty Italian cheese. Pony up the $7 for bread service and you’ll be rewarded with On the Rise bread paired with stracciatella (the creamy inside of burrata), honeycomb and seasonal fruit compotes. With such a small sample size of entrees, there is zero room for duds. One such dud failed to make the cut
TRIO 2661 WEST 14TH. ST., 216-952-7035 TRIOTREMONT.COM
edge, consider substituting “half order of pasta” and adding $5 to the price. The same is true of the gnudi ($10), a killer fall dish that features delicate little dumplings and ethereal mini meatballs in a nutty-sweet butternut squash and brown butter sauce. Trio is currently on its second
on the second menu, a well-prepared but unexciting pork tenderloin ($20) dish with ramp chimichurri and bitter mole. Gone but not forgotten is the Ocean ($33), a resplendent seafood stew flush with lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels and octopus in a deeply concentrated fish broth. Apart from a slight over-doneness,
a largely boneless half-chicken ($25) arrives with a lusty-crusty bronzed skin and is perched atop a delightful bread dumpling akin to a contemporary German knödel. In an unspoken rejoinder to skeptics, the chef recently upped the number of small plates while trimming the entree section, proof that he’s tapping into an audience. “We found that people really enjoy doing the sharing thing, and they like to try a lot more than just one plate,” he explains. As far as fine-dining experiences go, this one falls a little flat. Service is attentive and warm, but also effusive and slightly unpolished. We would have liked more help picking a bottle of wine and less relying on hand-written notes. The white linens are a nice touch but the fake candles do little to set the mood. Menus appear to be printed in the back office on copy paper and the renovations come off as a little too DIY. Then again, as my wife likes to remind me, I can be a bit of a snob.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner | clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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EAT THANKSGIVING 11AM-8PM NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS! 2 GREAT CHOICES! $28.95 Buffet Only
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
WHAT STARTED IN 2011 AS a modest Lakewood cafe (12906 Madison Ave., 216-221-8127) serving almost exclusively Colombian arepas, has grown to become one of Northeast Ohio’s most adored and unique regional restaurant groups. In 2017, the eatery run by the Vergara family expanded to the east side, with an attractive new location on Larchmere (12718 Larchmere Blvd., 216-938-9301). Next up for Barroco Arepa Bar and Concert Cafe is a colorful new location at Crocker Park in Westlake, which is all set to open its doors to the public on Thursday, Nov. 15. “We weren’t even looking to do another restaurant, but the opportunity opened up,” says Juan Vergara. “I feel like things are running smoothly at both Barrocos, and although a third restaurant was not in our plans, we feel like our concept deserves it. I think we’re going to get great exposure over there. I can’t wait to show off Barroco to a lot of people who don’t know us yet.” The new restaurant (287 Crocker Park Blvd., 440-641-1283) took over the space that was most recently home to 87 West 2, but the transformation leaves little trace of the former tenant. A full kitchen was installed and the layout was drastically changed, brightened and improved. In addition to those addictive
arepas, stuffed white corn tortillas served with sauces like chimichurri, spicy peanut and garlic aioli, the restaurant serves up a wide range of Pan-Latin offerings. The menu offers tostadas, tacos and large plates flush with braised, grilled and sauteed meats paired with rice, tostones, plantains and/or beans. All of the above are paired with a full bar. Barroco Arepa Bar and Concert Cafe serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, typically with a side of live music.
Blue Habanero Street Tacos and Tequila Opens in Gordon Square Gordon Square welcomed another new dining option last week as Blue Habanero (6416 Detroit Ave.) opened its doors in the spot most recently, and briefly, occupied by the Arcadian. Owner Rafael Ayala, who also runs Tres Potrillos locations in Akron, Medina and Beachwood, has been working to tweak the space since signing the lease this summer. As the name suggests, the menu is heavy on the tacos, with 15 varieties (three per order plus a side) that run $13 to $15, alongside a handful of entrees including seafood al ajillo, carne asada and pollo con calavaza. There are also the familiar bowl options and appetizers that span the distance from chips and guac to nachos, bacon-wrapped shrimp and
stuffed jalapeños. Ayala told us earlier this year the focus would be on high-quality ingredients and fillings and top shelf booze and real juice instead of mixes.
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink to Open Next Spring at Van Aken District Since it was announced that James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schwartz would be joining the roster of food and drink retailers at the Van Aken District in Shaker, it was understood that the Miami-based chef was planning to open a Michael’s Genuine Pizza. But after getting to know the area better, Schwartz elected to go a different, more upscale route. Come spring, the chef will debut Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, a version of his 12-year-old flagship restaurant in the Design District of Miami. “For us, the goal of any project is to realize its full potential,” explains Schwartz. “Working with the team on site at the Van Aken District, and getting to know the greater area, it became apparent that we wanted to do more. More for us means Michael’s
Genuine.” Since opening in 2007, the Miami original has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Time magazine. It is a regular fixture on the Eater list of Miami’s essential eateries. “Genuine is our heart and soul, and exists because of community,” Schwartz adds. “We couldn’t be more proud or grateful to be in the position to introduce it in Shaker Heights, where stewarding this idea matters more than anything. This is what drew us in from the get-go and will continue to motivate the experience manifested there for our guests.” Michael’s Genuine is adored for its fresh, seasonal cooking and warm hospitality. An open kitchen, raw bar and conspicuous produce pantry provide drama to the highenergy dining room. A wood-burning oven turns out fire-roasted whole fish, whole chicken and seasonal vegetables. Also on the menu are pizzas so good that they spawned a separate restaurant concept, the aforementioned Michael’s Genuine Pizza. “We believe in the power of a great, wholesome food to create neighborhood and that essential energy that makes a place
feel irresistible and people feel comfortable,” says Jon Ratner, principal of Van Aken District. “Few chefs around the country do this at the level of Michael and his team, and we are really happy to be able to call his namesake our home, too. The food he brings to the table is about more than simply great taste. It’s a welcoming culture of sharing a table with purpose — a feeling we have in common at the Van Aken District and greater Shaker Heights.”
Bistro 185 in North Collinwood Has Closed As it so often does in this business, Bistro 185’s notice that it was “closed for remodeling” has turned out to be only partially true. The restaurant is closed. It’s sad news for Collinwood as the restaurant has been a neighborhood asset. Two years ago, chef Ryan Kaston purchased the restaurant (991 East 185th St.) from owners Marc and Ruth Levine, who successfully operated it for a decade. Before that, the attractive bar and restaurant was known as John Christie’s Tavern. “We gave it our best and it was truly a pleasure serving everyone through the door,” Kaston says.
“We hoped this wasn’t the end but unfortunately it is for now.” The search is on to find a new operator for the space, I’m told, in hopes of keeping the tavern alive and well.
Brasa Grill Closes Its Doors After 15 Years Through a Facebook post, Brasa Grill, Cleveland’s first but no longer only, Brazilian steakhouse has announced that it has closed. The Warehouse District staple was known for offering a bountiful salad bar and a continuous stream of grilled and roasted meats, served tableside by spit-and-saber wielding servers. Unused gift cards can be used at sister establishment Mallorca. Following is the statement posted online by management: “We can’t continue to thank you enough for all the support over the past 15 years. We are forever grateful to the staff and customers that have been part of our little group and quickly became family. Cheers to the end of an Era.”
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner
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| clevescene.com m | November Novembber 14 - 20 20, 0, 20 201 2018 18
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IVEN THAT THE VERY FIRST show that Mourning [A] BLKstar, a local self-described DIY Afrofuturist soul group that’s received some national attention and widespread critical acclaim, played was a memorial service for a friend of the band who was murdered, it’s only fitting that band ringleader R A Washington would describe the group’s new album, The Garner Poems, as a collection of dirges. “I always considered myself a funeral player,” says Washington one afternoon from Guide to Kulchur, the near-westside bookstore and nonprofit that he founded a few years ago. As he
speaks, he sits in front of a sampler and randomly programs beats that blast through the makeshift sound system, suggesting that music constantly runs through his head. “There’s just something about the dirge throughout history, but that’s a formal concern. I could talk about that for hours.” To mark the release of the new album, which came out last month, Mourning [A] BLKstar performs with Aku Aku, B. Landrum and Latchkey at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at the Grog Shop. The band’s history dates back about three years. Washington had some songs and began to assemble
a group that he thought could bring them to life. “I had some beats, and I just thought it would be fun to have some people I knew sing over them,” he says. “The whole band has different influences and ways they’re coming at it. We’re not lying when we say we’re multi-generational. There are different age groups and economic backgrounds and different ways of being black folk, which are constantly in your face. They’re not the kind of cats who I would think would want to do anything like this. I’m always kind of shocked.” First, Washington recruited singer LaToya Kent, whom he first
met when they attended high school together, and then he nabbed James Longs, a guy who was known for his ability to sing karaoke. “I played the beats and gave them the lyrics and told them, ‘Now, we’re going to record,’” says Washington. They cut some tracks at Zombie Proof Studios and have steadily played around town ever since. “We didn’t think nothin’ of it,” says Washington when asked about those initial recording sessions. “We just recorded some songs to see what happened. I listened to the playbacks and thought it was pretty good. I didn’t mind it. LaToya has a cousin, Kyle Kidd, who’s a jazz | clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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MUSIC MUSIC singer. We thought he could sing backing vocals. Once we heard him sing, we knew he shouldn’t just be singing background vocals. So we have three singers but approach it like Wu-Tang. Over the last two years, we’ve added a backing band and other musicians.” The band put out BLK Musak on Blue Moon Records in 2016 and then followed it up with The Possible. “We tried to crowd-fund that second album, but we didn’t get enough pre-orders to pay for it, and it was a crazy ordeal to get it done,” says Washington. “But the record is there, and it’s pretty cool.” For The Garner Poems, Washington took a batch of songs from a suite about police brutality and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “Garner Poem” references Eric Garner, an African-American man who was choked to death during physical restraint applied by a NYPD police officer in 2014.
Washington penned most of the album’s lyrics in a few days. Tracks such as the simmering “2020,” a song that finds band members whispering over a steady bass riff and somber horns, address voter suppression and apathy. “I’m always making beats, and if something catches me, I’ll just start writing lyrics for it,” says Washington. “I bring them to the band, and the horns write their parts, and the drums add their parts, and we have a song. It’s my favorite way to work. You can constantly be working on stuff and storing it up. The band is always thirsty for a new beat. They’re like emcees. They want to see who gets to sing lead on what. That keeps it kinda fresh.” The album concludes with the noisy “These Stars Collide.” It includes references to various victims of police brutality. “In a three-minute song, we wanted an opportunity to remind everyone how many people that were killed,” says Washington. “There were even more than that we didn’t mention. Shoutout records are a part
MOURNING [A] BLKSTAR, AKU AKU, B. LANDRUM, LATCHKEY 8:30 P.M., WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21, GROG SHOP, 2785 EUCLID HEIGHTS BLVD., CLEVELAND HTS., 216-321-5588. TICKETS: $8 ADV, $10 DOS. GROGSHOP.GS
Washington wrote the suite for trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, but when Blanchard didn’t use the songs, Washington took them to Mourning [A] BLKstar. “I told [Blanchard] I could do other stuff, and he said, ‘Write your poems, spoken-word guy,’” Washington says with a shrug. He admits that communicating with Blanchard, who’s regularly touring and involved with an array of projects, made things difficult. The band recorded the disc locally at Bad Racket Studios. It brings out the band’s funk/soul/groove side, something that’s apparent from the opening track, “Anti-Anthem.” “We had a version of that song that was on a slower sample,” says Washington. “It had this funky bass line that I had put together. It was cool. We played it out a lot. One of the machines crapped out, and the sample track was gone. But we still had the lyrics, and everyone loved that song. I just looped up the drums and we redid it. It’s almost a remix, but no one ever heard the first one. I like the lyric. It’s telling. I felt like it needed to be a little more of a funky track. When we got to do it over, that was great. It worked out over the different beat.”
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
of the culture from [DJ/producer] Scott La Rock to the old Wailers, who have their moment for [the late] Bob [Marley]. When we play that song, I think it sounds like if [keyboardist] Bernie Worrell came to visit my house, and we were rapping and made a gospel song. This would be his gospel song. It has that kind of synth line. LaToya [Kent] sounds so good singing that song. It’s more closer to BLK Musak too because it’s a little more angular. I don’t want people to think we play smoothedout R&B at all times.” As opposed to the refined record, the band’s live show comes off as something much more aggressive. Washington describes it as “sloppy, passionate and black.” “It’s big too. People always tell us, ‘That was pretty heavy,’” he says. “I think it’s a pretty cool live show. It’s a little bit of a fuck-you moment too [to all the detractors]. I always try to collaborate, and in the past, most cats didn’t really want to collaborate [with me]. Now, they do.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jnieselclevelandscene
@masoniccle @hobcleveland
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NOVEMBER 23
w/ The Whiskey Hollow, The Blue Stones
COMING SOON
NOVEMBER 24
Nov. 14 Nov. 15 Nov. 15 Nov. 16 Nov. 18 Nov. 19 Nov. 26 Nov. 28 Nov. 29 Nov. 29
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NOVEMBER 26
John Nolan w/ Ottawa, Madeline Finn Cambridge Room Gary Allan w/ Teddy Robb Masonic Cleveland Danity Kane DK3 featuring Dawn & Dumblonde Seven Lions w/ MitiS, Jason Ross, GoofyFM LANCO w/ Travis Denning Pusha-T w/ Phony Ppl, Bernard Jabs, Eric Wilson Sabrina Benaim w/ Clementine Von Radics Cambridge Room A Drag Queen Christmas Griffin House Cambridge Room 3OH!3 x Emo Nite w/ Lil Aaron
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Allen Stone w/ Nick Waterhouse Kris Allen – Something About Christmas Tour w/ Sawyer Cambridge Room Celeste Barber - Early Show: 6:30 // Late Show: 9:30 Steel Panther w/ Wilson Z1079 White Out ft. Kash Doll w/ Ty’Bri Lyfe Jennings Snails w/ SVDDEN DEATH, HEKLER Ohio City Singers w/ Alexis Antes Ladies 80’s w/ Tiffany Boys From County Hell w/ Mary’s Lane Buy tickets at Ticketmaster.com or 216-523-BLUE
MASONIC CLEVELAND: 3615 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44115 HOUSE OF BLUES: 308 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44114 masoniccleveland.com / houseofblues.com | clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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MUSIC FOUR FISTS ARE BETTER THAN TWO Astronautalis and P.O.S. team up for their fiery debut collaboration, 6666 By Eric Sandy Photo by Jamie Coletta
IN THE OPENING SALVO OF FOUR Fists’ long-awaited studio album, 6666,Astronautalis and P.O.S., stalwarts of the more literary corners of indie hip-hop, join their distinctive voices and call out for something to happen in this dazed world of ours: “I want a riot, white riot riot riot of my own / I want a riot, white riot riot right in front of my home … .” It’s a central theme to the album, this feeling of pure longing to make one’s mark on the world. There are questions of legacy, of what’s come before and what lies ahead, the grand march through life. The two artists hail from the unexpectedly diverse and robust Minneapolis hip-hop scene, one of those wonderful geographic treasures that delivers a bounty of talent and cross-pollenated projects. Astronautalis (Andy Bothwell) and P.O.S. (Stefon Alexander) have been artistic comrades since 2004, and it’s only through the simple matter of life — of the countless vicissitudes of time — that the debut album has remained so long in the works. At any rate, the goods have arrived. (The collaboration’s name comes from an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story about learning from mistakes and, inevitably, humility.) “Our first impulse was, man, we have to work together,” Bothwell recalls via phone when asked about the two artists’ early days. The group performs with Vigatron and Angel Davanport at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Beachland Ballroom. It was back then, as aspirations brought Astronautalis and P.O.S. to craft inventive careers in hip-hop, that the roots of Four Fists took hold. “It’s one of those things that you just know when you start working with somebody. It either happens or it doesn’t, and oftentimes you know even before you start working. … It’s always just been easy with he and I,” Bothwell says. “I think what it really comes down to is that he and I sort of fill a void in each other’s work, which pushes each other to make better work.” 6666 blasts off with opening cut “Nobody’s Biz,” and never lets up. This is a visceral album, even in its more light-hearted moments. There
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are some great moments in the lyric book, especially when the guys blend contemporary nonsense about how “people love having human arguments with fucking bots” with more introspective thoughts on how life has changed us all. Fellow Minneapolis denizen Sims joins the duo on “Annihilation” and “Fjortis,” the former being an utterly cataclysmic eruption of sound felt with incredible force, and the latter a more
these sometimes-apocalyptic times in America. Throughout it all, producer Subp Yao’s kaleidoscopic presence is felt deeply. This is probably the clearest departure point from both Astronautalis and P.O.S.’s previous solo work. The groovy Dutch producer has been making his name, and his own recent EP, Backwitda, in that fascinating space between danceable and mind-boggling. Bothwell
FOUR FISTS, VIGATRON, ANGEL DAVANPORT 8 P.M., WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14, BEACHLAND BALLROOM, 15711 WATERLOO RD., 216-383-1124. TICKETS: $15-18. BEACHLANDBALLROOM.COM
laid-back diary entry on how very close we remain to our dumber, freer, youthful selves. But it’s hard to shake the intensity. Again, in “Annihilation,” a verse from P.O.S. tumbles maniacally into a volcanic eruption of vocals. The effect is jolting. And that’s the thing: 6666 minces neither word nor emotion. It’s a bootstraps album, meant clinically for
| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
found his remix work and became enthralled. “He was able to breathe new life into songs; he was clearly thinking about music in a way that other people weren’t,” Bothwell says. “He and I started talking about working together, and he started sending me some beats.” Bothwell and Alexander went up to a cabin in the woods with producer
Lazerbeak and knocked out six songs in three days: rapid-fire recording, including the free-wheeling “Sid Vishis.” It was there that Bothwell played Subp Yao’s remixes and began getting the guys onboard with bringing him onto the Four Fists album. “Both of them were just so amazed.” The deal was done. 6666 seems, at its heart, to be a call for action — one communicated through and embellished by Subp’s multi-faceted touch. Indeed, Astronautalis and P.O.S. cannot stray far from storytelling. And they cannot, in the end, escape that need to share and to create. Here we are. The songs are here, and we are sharing in the power of active creativity. The central track is “Joe Strummr,” where lyrics examine the shifting generational attitudes toward the social ills around them. “Joe Strummer’s been dead for too damn long, and now we’re all just numb to what they’ve done …,” Bothwell sings. “They’re rioting in Virginia / We watched it from our phones / And changed our Facebook pictures / To congratulate ourselves … .” “Both [Stefon] and I are slowly getting really close to the halfway point of an average adult male life, and now you started looking forward — back to the last half and forward to the future half,” Bothwell says. “This record really sort of straddles that point, and it was very much taken into consideration when we sequenced the songs. The first half feel like our youth in a lot of ways; they’re very aggressive, they’re very direct ‘youth anthems.’ There’s a lot of call and response. There’s a lot of yelling. “And then there’s a sort of pivot point on the song ‘Joe Strummr,’ where things change and the record sort of just becomes more adult in a lot of ways. The themes start to shift, and it becomes more about our own lives going forward and our goals.” The songwriting places the artists in a surreal moment in history — and in their lives. This is the sound of them taking stock.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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LIVEWIRE
all the live music you should see this week Photo by Heather Cantrell
WED
11/14
Assuming We Survive/Riot Child/Dose/Morning in May/ Complexions: 7 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Bad Boys of Blues Jam: 9 p.m., free. Smedley’s. Dark Spring/Taking Meds/ The Grievance Club/forage & wander (in the Locker Room): 7 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Four Fists/Angel Davenport/ Vigatron: 9 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Booker T. Jones: 7:30 p.m., Music Box Supper Club. Low/IN/VIA: 8:30 p.m., $20. Grog Shop. John Nemeth/Thirteen Cadillacs: 8 p.m., $14 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Tavern. John Nolan/Ottawa/Madeline Finn: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. House of Blues Cambridge Room. Toxic Holocaust/Weed Whacker/ Golden God: 9 p.m., $15. Now That’s Class.
THU
11/15
Chicago Plays the Stones Featuring Ronnie Baker Brooks, Billy Branch & Friends: 8 p.m., $42 ADV, $45 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Diana Chittester/Brent Kirby/Jill Jack: 7 p.m., $12. Bop Stop. Danity Kane DK3 Featuring Dawn & Dumblonde: 8 p.m., $27.50 ADV, $33 DOS. House of Blues. FreeByrds Musician’s Night: 10 p.m., free. Smedley’s. Chris Hatton’s Musical Circus (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m., free. Brothers Lounge. Hot Djang! (in the Supper Club): 7 p.m., $6. Music Box Supper Club. Jam Night with the Bad Boys of Blues: 9 p.m., free. Brothers Lounge. Keith Kenny/Micah: 8 p.m., $8. CODA. Bob Lanzetti & Jean Rohe: 8 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Sowflo/Wilder Sons: 9 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Beachland Tavern. The Spinners: 7:30 p.m., $39.50$49.50. Hard Rock Rocksino. Swah & Friends: 8 p.m., $10. Musica. Waterparks/I Don’t Know How
Indie rockers the Sea and Cake come to the Grog Shop. See: Tuesday.
But They Found Me, Nick Gray, Super Whatevr, Dewayne Jackson: 6 p.m. Agora Ballroom. Yowler/Deer Scout/Leonard Baum: 8 p.m., $11 ADV, $15 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes.
FRI
11/16
6Lack/Summer Walker: 7 p.m. Agora Theatre. The Accidentals: 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. The Kent Stage. Anita Baker: Singer-songwriter Anita Baker was born in Toledo and grew up in Detroit. She began her career singing in nightclubs when she was only 16 years old. Baker found herself in a group called Chapter 8, which toured before securing their record deal. Ultimately the group was dropped when Arista bought the group’s former label as they felt that the group had very little potential with Baker as the lead singer. She worked odd jobs until she was convinced to embark on a solo career. That solo career helped to shape the sound of quiet storm R&B in the 1980s and encompasses seven platinum albums including The Songstress, Rapture and Giving You the Best That I Got. Baker has been nominated for 18 Grammy Awards and has eight wins in addition to various other awards. Baker has continued to perform over the years, but as recently as January of last year had announced her retirement from recording. She’s embarking on a farewell tour set to make a stop in Cleveland for two nights at the State Theatre.
(Emanuel Wallace) 8 p.m., $59.50$199.50. State Theatre. Bluelight/Collin Miller/Free Black: 8 p.m., $8. CODA. Alex Bugnon: 8 p.m., $30. Nighttown. Emery/BCPOD/Tyson Motsenbocker/Vocal Few: 7:30 p.m., $20. Musica. The Angie Haze Project: 8 p.m., $20. Akron Civic Theatre. Jazz Jam Session: 11 p.m., free. Bop Stop. JazzWorks: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. Dave Matthews Band Tribute by Trippin’ Billies: 8 p.m. Music Box Supper Club. Motown Night with Nitebridge (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club. Poster Children/STEMS/Joshua Jesty: 9 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop. Seven Lions: 8 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. House of Blues. The Sondies Release Party/ Absinthe Father/Teamonde: 8 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Anna Stine/Gretchen Pleuss/ Hannah Stak (in the Apartment): 8 p.m., $5 ADV, $7 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Tauk/Exmag: 9 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown.
SAT
11/17
10,000 Maniacs: The independent route is nothing new for 10,000 Maniacs — as their promotional biography notes, they were “the original indie band,” having released an EP and an album
independently, prior to signing with Elektra to release their second album, The Wishing Chair, in 1985. But when they started laying the groundwork nearly three decades later to work on the album that would become their 2013 release Music From the Motion Picture, they were cautiously optimistic about how things might play out. They used PledgeMusic to fund the record, and when the Pledge team told them they could raise $25,000 to make the album, they didn’t believe it. But, in fact, they made that goal and then some, discovering in the process that there was still a sizable fan base out there that wanted to hear new music from the band. The band continues to celebrate its 30-year anniversary with the tour that brings it to town tonight. (Matt Wardlaw) 8 p.m. Music Box Supper Club. 20 Watt Tombstone/The Maness Brothers/Black Spirit Crown/ Sweaty Mammoth: 9 p.m., $10. Now That’s Class. Anita Baker: Anita Baker has been nominated for 18 Grammy awards and has eight wins in addition to various other awards, in a career that spans decades. The R&B artist has continued to perform over the years, but as recently as January of last year had announced her retirement from recording. She’s embarking on a farewell tour set to make a stop in Cleveland for two nights at the State Theatre; tonight is her final Cleveland performance. (Emanuel Wallace) 8 p.m., $59.50$199.50. State Theatre. Alex Bugnon: 8 p.m., $30. Nighttown. Cloud Nothings/Nap Eyes/Talons: 9 p.m., $17 ADV, $20 DOS. Grog Shop. Mark Giuliana: SPACE HEROES: 8 p.m., $25. Bop Stop. Travis Haddix Blues Band (in the Supper Club): 7 p.m., $8. Music Box Supper Club. Houndmouth/Philippe Bronchtein/ Modern Love Child: 8 p.m., $24. Agora Theatre. Boney James: 8 p.m., $25-$65. Ohio Theatre. Michael Kelsey, Friends of Lasa Sanctuary Fundraiser: 8 p.m., $25. The Kent Stage. King Buffalo/City of the Dead/ Bewarewolves: 9 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Maid Myriad/Lavisher/Idolos: 9 | clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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LIVEWIRE p.m., $8. Musica. Palaye Royale/Bones/Dead Posey: 7 p.m., $16 ADV, $18 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Tropical Cleveland (in the Supper Club): 11 p.m., $10 ADV $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Wobble Gobble/Jimmy Mac: 8 p.m., $15. Odeon. Brett Young: 8 p.m., $43.50$50.50. Hard Rock Rocksino. Yung Pinch/Tyla Yaweh/Daghe: 6:30 p.m. Agora Ballroom.
SUN
11/18
Blac Youngsta: 8:30 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. Grog Shop. Gold Connections/No Why/Yankee Ghost: 8 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Jeff Hamilton Organ Trio: 7 p.m., $25. Nighttown. The Angie Haze Project: 5 p.m., $20. Akron Civic Theatre. LANCO/Travis Denning: 7:30 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. House of Blues. Lez Zeppelin/Olathia: 8:30 p.m., $18 ADV, $22 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Mourning [A] BLKstar (in the Supper Club): 7 p.m., free. Music Box Supper Club. Streetlight Manifesto: 7 p.m. Agora Theatre. TMS Suzuki Recital: 3 p.m., free. Bop Stop. TMS Voice Recital: 6 p.m., free. Bop Stop.
MON
11/19
Den-Mate: 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Myles Kennedy & Co.: 6:30 p.m., $22.50-$29.50. Agora Theatre. Pusha T/Phony PPL/Bernard Jabs: Rapper Pusha T began his career alongside his brother, No Malice, in the group Clipse. The duo released three albums between 2002 and 2009 before ultimately disbanding, but not before developing a cult-like following of fans who couldn’t get enough of their detailed travails of street life in their native Virginia and beyond. Pusha pushed forward as a solo artist, working the circuit and eventually landing with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint.
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
He now serves as the label’s president. Pusha’s breakout performance came on West’s “Runaway” from 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Fantasy, and in 2013, Pusha’s debut album, My Name is My Name, was released to critical acclaim. Two years later, King Push - Darkest Before Dawn arrived, and earlier this year, Pusha’s Daytona arrived and gave him his highestcharting album to date. Rife with controversy, from the cover itself (a photo of Whitney Houston’s drug-infested bathroom) to verbal jabs at Drake, Lil Wayne and Birdman, the album is an ode to the fast life. (Wallace) 8 p.m., $35 ADV, $40 DOS. House of Blues. Skatch Anderssen Orchestra: 8 p.m., $7. Brothers Lounge. Velvet Voyage (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
TUE
11/20
Emily Hackett EP Release: 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Outlab Session: 9 p.m., free. Bop Stop. Saint JHN/Jazz Cartier: 8 p.m. Agora Ballroom. The Sea & Cake/Fits of Hail: After a six-year break from the studio, Sea and Cake dropped Any Day earlier this year. It’s a surprisingly pitch-perfect return to form and an excellent reason to check out an underrated band for a rare show in Cleveland. Comprising mid-’90s post-rock talents Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt and John McEntire, the Sea and Cake deliver an insouciant blend of jazz and power pop. It’s laid-back in the most honest sense of the term, and it’s perfect for a mid-November show. The leaves have fallen, the mood is often strange and unsettling in America; music like the new album’s title track or the headbobbin’ “Occurs” is one of the few remaining balms, and Prekop’s airy vocals are a perfect vehicle for the groovy calmness you’re seeking. Pair that with master drummer McEntire on the skins, and you’re in for a real treat with this one, Cleveland. (Eric Sandy) 8:30 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop. That Sound: 7:30 p.m., free. Bop Stop.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
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KentStage The
BAND OF THE WEEK Photo by The Sonder Bombs
=HGÍM FBLL MA>L> @K>:M LAHPL MB<D>ML HG L:E> GHP
The Accidentals Fri Nov. 16
David Crosby & Friends Wed Nov. 28
Michael Kelsey
Friends of Lasa Sanctuary Fundraiser Sat Nov. 17
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band-CD Release Thu Nov. 29
Crash Test Dummies Tue Nov. 27
Rayland Baxter Fri Nov. 30
THE SONDER BOMBS By Jeff Niesel MEET THE BAND: Willow Hawks (vocals, ukulele), Jimmy Lo Fi (electric guitar), Kevin Cappy (bass), Eric Heald (drums)
An Evening with
George Winston Mon Dec. 3
Spyro Gyra
Fri Dec. 14
Firefall
Fri Dec. 7
First Snow Trans Siberian Orchestra Tribute Sat Dec. 15
18th Annual Woodchopper’s Ball Sat Dec. 8
Keller Williams Pettygrass Sat Jan 19
ALL SHOWS AT THE KENT STAGE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED Tickets available at thekentstage.com or 877-987-6487 GMK [w cw i {{ © a{ B e~ JJHJF
JAM ON IT: Hawks and Lo Fi met through a mutual friend two years ago. At first, they just jammed to see if they might be compatible. “Initially, [Lo Fi] was going to help me record demos, so I could find a full band,” Hawks says. “He ended up being in the band.” Hawks taught herself to play ukulele by watching YouTube videos. “It was hard because I couldn’t find any real influences or bands that used the ukulele that we wanted to emulate,” Hawks says. “It’s all cutesy girls playing soft love music. I don’t know exactly what drove me to play the ukulele. It was just fun. I liked the idea of playing aggressive music on a cute, happy instrument.” While it’s become trendy to play the instrument in a rock context, Hawks says it wasn’t her intention to jump on that bandwagon. “I’m the worst ukulele advocate because I really don’t know who else plays the instrument.” UKE-PUNKS: Two years ago, the band
wanted to launch its Facebook page with some music, so it recorded a couple of demos. It coined the term “uke-punk” to explain its approach. Those Facebook demos became the band’s self-titled debut. WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM:
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
Hawks’ quivering vocals drive the undulating opening track, “Atom,” on the new Modern Female Rockstar album, and the rollicking “Shoot
2 Kill” careens with the unbridled energy of a Paramore tune. In the album’s first single, “Title,” Hawks defiantly sings, “I don’t wanna be your merch girl, I wanna be your goddamn idol/And I don’t wanna work twice as hard for the same motherfucking title.” “I think it’s funny that we took the album title from the song ‘Title,’” says Hawks. “We actually thought about it for a long time. We had random shit written on a dry erase board. One of us was like, ‘What about modern female rock star?’ We thought it might be a little too much, but I think it’s a theme on the album. After we named the album, it started to take shape for me. I realized that a lot of our songs are focused on that general theme and what is and isn’t a modern female rock star. It’s about not being controlled.” The group cut the album with Steve Perrino of Compass Audio in Akron. “It was a nice recording process,” says Hawks. “He has a cool studio in this huge building. We had good help with the record. I had a vocal producer, Madeline Finn. She helped me with the harmonies. She was great. She and Steve are such a good team.” WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM:
thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com. WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: The Sonder
Bombs perform with Absinthe Father and Teamonade at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16, on Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
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| clevescene.com | November 14 - 20, 2018
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SAVAGE LOVE BOUND AND GAGGING By Dan Savage I’ve always wanted to tie girls up, but I can never convince a woman to let me. Lately, I’ve been exploring “bondage singles” sites online, but I’m totally new to this. How do I know which ones I can trust? There are hundreds of profiles, but it’s hard for me to believe I can really just answer an ad, meet a girl in a hotel room, and tie her up. It can’t be that simple, can it? — The Internet’s Enticing Dates It can’t be and it isn’t, TIED, because no woman in her right mind is going to let some man she’s never met before tie her up in a hotel room. And it should go without saying that any singles website promising to provide lonely guys with an endless stream of stupid women is a scam. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Justin Gorbey is a bondage practitioner and educator, as well as a professional artist and tattooer. Gorbey ties up a lot of women, as you can see on his Instagram account (@ daskinbaku), and he doesn’t think you’re going to find someone on a “bondage singles” site, either. “I would recommend this person step away from the dating sites and step into some educational group meet-ups or ‘munches,’” said Gorbey. “TIED or any new person should focus on groups that match their own desires/interests, and connections will develop organically with time and effort — with a lot of fucking time and effort!” Kink social and education groups organize online but meet up offline — face-to-face — at munches (educational talks, no actual play) and play parties (actual play, hence the name). To find kink organization(s) in your area, Gorbey suggests you create a profile on FetLife, the biggest social network for kinky people, and start connecting with other like-minded kinksters at munches. “Going to munches will not only give TIED a chance to meet people,” said Gorbey, “they’ll give him a ‘guide’ for how to act — most groups generally go over house safe words/etiquette/rules and consent/ risk awareness at the beginning of a munch — and they’ll also give what I call a ‘visual vocabulary’ of
what a real-life scene looks like. Porn and fetish fantasy often distort our perceptions of what is plausible or even possible in a real-life scenario. Just watching others play helped me identify the things I found attractive as both a top and a bottom.” There are lots of men and women out there who are interested in bondage, TIED, and the organized kink scene is the best place to find safe and sane play partners. You’ll be able to interact with kinky women who will be a lot likelier to let you tie them up after you’ve demonstrated you’re safe and sane yourself. “There are hours of intimacy before and after the moment captured for an Instagram photo,” said Gorbey. “These relationships require trust, vulnerability, and communication. These acts require a lot of hard work and commitment, and they expose a person to risk. That’s why the only responsible answer to TIED’s question is to seek education first and play partners second.” Justin Gorbey teaches workshops and intensives on a number of subjects centering on bondage and power exchange dynamics. Follow him on Instagram @daskinbaku.
I’m a monogamous woman in a committed relationship with a nonmonogamous man. I try to be cool about his other relationships, but I’m trying to figure out how to bring some fire back into ours. I miss oral sex, but that’s not on the table because he “doesn’t like” how I taste. I’ve suggested bondage and anal, but he says he’s “too tired.” I’m at a loss. Counseling is not an option for us because he doesn’t believe in that stuff. Any suggestions? — Seeking Adventurous Monogamishamy Yes, stop doing his laundry or paying his rent or preparing his meals — stop doing whatever it is you’re doing that your shit boyfriend values and is reluctant to give up, SAM, because it’s clear he doesn’t value you. DTMFA.
mail@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage
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